Distance: 4.00
Time: 49:32
Route: Out to the Hickam Marina and back home.
This was supposed to be an 8-miler this week. I was actually really excited to be doing 8. After the craptasticness that was my 7 mile run, I had a good run week and felt confident. I felt like I was back in the game mentally and ready for training. Bring. It. On. Then Friday happened.
I went for a 4 mile run on Friday morning. Just an out and back. It was a great run...no issues and it was a beautiful early morning run. I came up with some cool ideas for the OSC on this run, so it was awesome. I went through the day and cleaned up the house and then went to pick up the kiddos from school. On the walk home, I had some pretty gnarly shooting pains go through my right ankle. It felt like I had rolled my ankle a bunch of times. I thought maybe I just needed to pop the joint and it would feel better. I did some range of motion exercises with it to see how it felt. It smarted pretty good, so I decided that I'd rest it up and see how Saturday went.
Saturday the ankle was still sore and now my left knee decided to join in on the action. Walking up and down the stairs in the house was actually proving to be somewhat challenging. I rested up for most of the day and made sure to take some ibuprofen before I fell asleep. I got all of my gear ready and decided that I'd change up my planned route...just in case I had a problem, it would be easier for me to get home without having to call anyone to come and get me.
Sunday morning, I got up and headed out toward the marina. My plan was to run out there and back and then hit the trail and run 2 miles down and back on the trail over into Pearl Harbor. My ankle was pretty sore. I warmed up a bit and the pain started to diffuse a little. As soon as that pain died down, the knee would flare up. I made it out to the marina and took a quick stretching break. I thought that maybe if I stretched my calves and my ankles, then I'd be all right. Maybe they just needed a good stretching.
As I ran back toward the house, the pain in my knee intensified and the pain in my ankle was still fairly noticeable. I stopped to walk it out by the flight line. When I started to run again, I knew that I needed to get home and put some ice on those bad boys. I felt defeated. I had so looked forward to putting the previous week's run to shame, only to feel deflated and defeated.
I don't know what it means. I don't know if it's just a pulled tendon or maybe early arthritis in my knee. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning and I'm hoping that he'll recommend a referral to radiology so I can get a scan or xray. I've rolled my right ankle (and subsequently fallen as a result) so many times, that it's truly a miracle that I have not broken it yet. I know that there is damage in there, but I don't know to what extent it's damaged. I'm hoping that this doesn't turn into another battle; I'm not holding my breath though. In the meantime, I'm not giving up. I can try and see how the elliptical goes as a stand-in for the running. I can try and strengthen and condition my legs in the pool. We'll see how the appointment goes and then figure it out from there.
It sucks getting old.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
HNL Week 3: Yowsa.
Distance: 7.0 miles
Time: 1 hr 21 mins 44 sec
Route: Home - AA Trail - Pearl Harbor - Kamehameha Hwy - Ford Island - USS Utah Memorial
Welp, here we go again. Training for my last marathon. I know I've said it before..."yadda yadda, last marathon, yadda yadda". This truly it. I figured, what better way to go out than the Honolulu Marathon? I signed up back in January when the price was right and when life hadn't happened yet.
I have to be honest, this training has been hard. I'm not mentally in the game and I need to be. I had been enjoying my cross training days more than my running days and that really can't be a good sign. I have all the excuses: I'm tired, I'm busy, I'm only 5 months post-op, I'm not as fast as I want to be, blah, blah, blah. That's just it though...they're all excuses. Physically, I know that I can do this. Emotionally and mentally, I need to slap myself back into reality and kick my Debbie Downer and Negative Nelly to the curb. This morning's run was definitely a good slap back into reality.
I woke up at 5:15am and got ready. I left the house a little after 5:30 and hit the trail. When I hit the trail, it started to rain a bit. I smiled because I knew it would feel good later. I was having a hard time getting into a good rhythm. I took a small walk break at 2 miles to shake off the feeling being off. I ran through the Makalapa Gate and onto Kam Hwy. I started running up the Kam Hwy hill and decided to take a slug from the Camelbak...only, I was getting nothing. I kept trying and still nothing. Finally, I slowed to a crawl and tried to figure out what wrong. Turns out the nozzle on the mouthpiece needed to be aligned in the right direction. Yep, who has two thumbs and is a genius? This girl.
I ran down the hill and I saw the Ford Island Bridge in the distance. Of my favorite places on the run is between the Halawa Gate (Pearl Harbor...only open on the weekdays) and the Ford Island Bridge. You run past the Arizona Memorial, you can see everything in the harbor and Aloha Stadium is to your right. It was about this time that it started to rain again. I got to the bridge and all of a sudden my stomach just started cramping. My initial plan was to run down to the Pacific Aviation Museum, as they had a really cool thing on display outside and then loop around the flight line and cool down to the Utah. Sadly, that didn't happen. I made it over the bridge and then I had to walk thanks to the cramps. I decided to just head over to the Utah...it would shorten my route, but at that point, I didn't really care. I was able to start jogging a bit when I hit the Navy Lodge. I hit the Utah and then did a few loops around the neighborhood to make sure I got the distance. Mark and the kiddos came to pick me up about 15 minutes later.
This was a run that I was just happy to get through. I needed this...it reinforced that I won't give up...even when everything in my being is screaming at me. I know that it was only 7 miles, but it was a good reality check. Onward and upward from here! :)
Time: 1 hr 21 mins 44 sec
Route: Home - AA Trail - Pearl Harbor - Kamehameha Hwy - Ford Island - USS Utah Memorial
Welp, here we go again. Training for my last marathon. I know I've said it before..."yadda yadda, last marathon, yadda yadda". This truly it. I figured, what better way to go out than the Honolulu Marathon? I signed up back in January when the price was right and when life hadn't happened yet.
I have to be honest, this training has been hard. I'm not mentally in the game and I need to be. I had been enjoying my cross training days more than my running days and that really can't be a good sign. I have all the excuses: I'm tired, I'm busy, I'm only 5 months post-op, I'm not as fast as I want to be, blah, blah, blah. That's just it though...they're all excuses. Physically, I know that I can do this. Emotionally and mentally, I need to slap myself back into reality and kick my Debbie Downer and Negative Nelly to the curb. This morning's run was definitely a good slap back into reality.
I woke up at 5:15am and got ready. I left the house a little after 5:30 and hit the trail. When I hit the trail, it started to rain a bit. I smiled because I knew it would feel good later. I was having a hard time getting into a good rhythm. I took a small walk break at 2 miles to shake off the feeling being off. I ran through the Makalapa Gate and onto Kam Hwy. I started running up the Kam Hwy hill and decided to take a slug from the Camelbak...only, I was getting nothing. I kept trying and still nothing. Finally, I slowed to a crawl and tried to figure out what wrong. Turns out the nozzle on the mouthpiece needed to be aligned in the right direction. Yep, who has two thumbs and is a genius? This girl.
I ran down the hill and I saw the Ford Island Bridge in the distance. Of my favorite places on the run is between the Halawa Gate (Pearl Harbor...only open on the weekdays) and the Ford Island Bridge. You run past the Arizona Memorial, you can see everything in the harbor and Aloha Stadium is to your right. It was about this time that it started to rain again. I got to the bridge and all of a sudden my stomach just started cramping. My initial plan was to run down to the Pacific Aviation Museum, as they had a really cool thing on display outside and then loop around the flight line and cool down to the Utah. Sadly, that didn't happen. I made it over the bridge and then I had to walk thanks to the cramps. I decided to just head over to the Utah...it would shorten my route, but at that point, I didn't really care. I was able to start jogging a bit when I hit the Navy Lodge. I hit the Utah and then did a few loops around the neighborhood to make sure I got the distance. Mark and the kiddos came to pick me up about 15 minutes later.
This was a run that I was just happy to get through. I needed this...it reinforced that I won't give up...even when everything in my being is screaming at me. I know that it was only 7 miles, but it was a good reality check. Onward and upward from here! :)
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Gram.
Betty Jean Higgs Riley. Those four names encompass a woman that, for me, had a four letter name: Gram. I haven't written this entry, because I didn't really know how. How do you sum up a woman who was both complicated and amazing?
Gram was born on September 16, 1929. She grew up in New York and went to school to become a nurse. She did her training at the famous Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She met my grandfather, fell in love, and got married. She had four children: Michael, Chris, Kathy and Patty (my mom). She worked as a pediatric nurse and she worked hard...probably too hard for the likings of her own children. Gram wasn't perfect; no parent or mother ever is. She made mistakes, as we all do. Her life took a drastic turn in May 1985. Her husband, Bill, suffered a stroke. As he was recovering from the stroke, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away at. I can only remember small snippets of my grandfather and of Gram before he died. She went into early retirement and moved to Redding so that she could be with her kids and grandkids. She moved into a little 2 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment. My parents and my uncles taught her how to drive, and she was scared to death of it. She was able to get around and became fiercely independent.
I have so many fond memories of Gram. I remember her taking care of me when I was sick or had broken bones and my mom or dad couldn't afford to take time off of work. I remember her raising holy hell with my brother and I for swimming in a creek that was off limits (my parents had gone on a rare vacation without us). I remember she always had a full "Take Home" jar. She filled it with candy and we were each allowed to take one (or sometimes a small handful) on our way home. She would make fudge and cookies during Christmas and we would always request her famous Goopy Chicken whenever we would have a sleepover. She introduced me to the movies, "Beaches" and "Troop Beverly Hills". My cousin Amy and I would paint each other's nails and Gram would let us play dress up. She dedicated a couple of drawers solely for that purpose.
This past March, Gram became ill. She had many different infection ravaging her poor body. Her bones had become very weak over the years and she fell multiples times within a 24-hour period. When they took her to the hospital, the full scope of how sick and broken she was became apparent. Many of her vital organs were shutting down and it was discovered that she had tumors on her liver. She had signed a DNR and after meeting with doctors and her children, decided that she did not want anymore measures taken. She wanted to be comfortable and she wanted to meet her husband again.
I was lucky enough to be able to fly home to see her. I had been scheduled to have surgery the day after she had been admitted. Through Divine intervention, my surgery was cancelled and rescheduled for later in the week. I flew home the next day and drove straight to Redding. I had brought a vivid pink and white plumeria lei with me and I gave it to her. We sat and had a small conversation. I told her how much I loved her and how much she meant to me. Even when she slept, I held her hand and just stayed. She asked if I had to leave and I told her that I did. She frowned and wouldn't let go of my arm. I stayed as long as I could. Before I left, I kissed her and told her I loved her so very much and that I would see her again on the other side. She smiled, told me she loved me too and fell asleep again.
Betty Jean Higgs Riley passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 1st, 2012. I miss her everyday.
Gram was born on September 16, 1929. She grew up in New York and went to school to become a nurse. She did her training at the famous Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She met my grandfather, fell in love, and got married. She had four children: Michael, Chris, Kathy and Patty (my mom). She worked as a pediatric nurse and she worked hard...probably too hard for the likings of her own children. Gram wasn't perfect; no parent or mother ever is. She made mistakes, as we all do. Her life took a drastic turn in May 1985. Her husband, Bill, suffered a stroke. As he was recovering from the stroke, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away at. I can only remember small snippets of my grandfather and of Gram before he died. She went into early retirement and moved to Redding so that she could be with her kids and grandkids. She moved into a little 2 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment. My parents and my uncles taught her how to drive, and she was scared to death of it. She was able to get around and became fiercely independent.
I have so many fond memories of Gram. I remember her taking care of me when I was sick or had broken bones and my mom or dad couldn't afford to take time off of work. I remember her raising holy hell with my brother and I for swimming in a creek that was off limits (my parents had gone on a rare vacation without us). I remember she always had a full "Take Home" jar. She filled it with candy and we were each allowed to take one (or sometimes a small handful) on our way home. She would make fudge and cookies during Christmas and we would always request her famous Goopy Chicken whenever we would have a sleepover. She introduced me to the movies, "Beaches" and "Troop Beverly Hills". My cousin Amy and I would paint each other's nails and Gram would let us play dress up. She dedicated a couple of drawers solely for that purpose.
This past March, Gram became ill. She had many different infection ravaging her poor body. Her bones had become very weak over the years and she fell multiples times within a 24-hour period. When they took her to the hospital, the full scope of how sick and broken she was became apparent. Many of her vital organs were shutting down and it was discovered that she had tumors on her liver. She had signed a DNR and after meeting with doctors and her children, decided that she did not want anymore measures taken. She wanted to be comfortable and she wanted to meet her husband again.
I was lucky enough to be able to fly home to see her. I had been scheduled to have surgery the day after she had been admitted. Through Divine intervention, my surgery was cancelled and rescheduled for later in the week. I flew home the next day and drove straight to Redding. I had brought a vivid pink and white plumeria lei with me and I gave it to her. We sat and had a small conversation. I told her how much I loved her and how much she meant to me. Even when she slept, I held her hand and just stayed. She asked if I had to leave and I told her that I did. She frowned and wouldn't let go of my arm. I stayed as long as I could. Before I left, I kissed her and told her I loved her so very much and that I would see her again on the other side. She smiled, told me she loved me too and fell asleep again.
Betty Jean Higgs Riley passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 1st, 2012. I miss her everyday.
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