Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
As I'm writing this, I'm trying icing my ankles to reduce inflammation after today's long walk. So far, I just have very cold toes!
Getting out of bed this morning was a HUGE challenge! It was 5am, it was dark, it was supposed to be raining, I was exhausted, and driving to Goodlettsville was the last thing on my list of "things to do". Driving there, I listened to my music, and reminded myself that "I am a marathoner, and this is what we like to do", and miraculously managed to turn my attitude around. In fact, once I got there, I was excited and ready to go! The walk was fantastic, and I had a blast with the mentor I was walking with. She helped me with some stretches that felt great, the area that we were walking in was really pretty, and the weather wound up being beautiful. (Totally worth getting out of bed for!)
And, much to my surprise, when we got back, her pedometer read 4 miles!
4 miles!
That's my commute to work!
I walked it this morning, and was home by 9!
Thanks for reading!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/cmc09/jlevins
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Protein, socks, dogs, and assholes
Today was a very eventful day, for only somewhere between a mile and a half and two miles! (I don't think my pedometer is set correctly, so my distance is primarily based on the fact that I know it is 3/4 of a mile from my house to Pie in the Sky. )
I actually came close to getting all of my protein in today, and with food only! I did find myself being less droopy in the afternoon, and having a lot more motivation, so I must have needed a lot more than I've been getting. (I don't doubt this at all!) Tomorrow is the company potluck, so I'm sure that it'll be a low-protein day. That's ok though.
The blisters/swelling have gone down almost entirely. (YAY!) I found fitness socks at Publix, so I got those to give them a try. They were fantastic! My feet stayed dry, and I didn't notice any more rubbing today.
One thing that I am wondering is this. Why don't people control their dogs when they are walking them? I was heading down the sidewalk - obviously a woman on a misison! I had my bright orange reflective vest on, my headphones in, and Hannah was booking it. All of a sudden, another walker crossed the street with her basset hound, and allowed it to come running up to us, terrifying both Hannah and me! Then, as I was trying to pick up Hannah (who was screaming like a woman at this point), flinging my iPod to the ground, and had completely lost my stride and my momentum, the other woman said, "Oh, it's ok - she doesn't mind." I thought that surely this is the most amazing thing that I'll see for a long time.
I was so mistaken.
Not long after that, while crossing the street, I kid you not, some asshole sped up, then slammed on his brakes right in front of me! Why? I'm sure that he saw me - let me mention again that I wear a bright orange reflective construction vest. The things some people do are absurd!
However, it was totally worth it when I had a great walk, made good time, and got to see Christmas lights along the way. Then, when I got home, I found that Sara (roommate) had put up Christmas lights outside of our house! It was so nice and cozy to come home to after being in the cold, damp wind!
I actually came close to getting all of my protein in today, and with food only! I did find myself being less droopy in the afternoon, and having a lot more motivation, so I must have needed a lot more than I've been getting. (I don't doubt this at all!) Tomorrow is the company potluck, so I'm sure that it'll be a low-protein day. That's ok though.
The blisters/swelling have gone down almost entirely. (YAY!) I found fitness socks at Publix, so I got those to give them a try. They were fantastic! My feet stayed dry, and I didn't notice any more rubbing today.
One thing that I am wondering is this. Why don't people control their dogs when they are walking them? I was heading down the sidewalk - obviously a woman on a misison! I had my bright orange reflective vest on, my headphones in, and Hannah was booking it. All of a sudden, another walker crossed the street with her basset hound, and allowed it to come running up to us, terrifying both Hannah and me! Then, as I was trying to pick up Hannah (who was screaming like a woman at this point), flinging my iPod to the ground, and had completely lost my stride and my momentum, the other woman said, "Oh, it's ok - she doesn't mind." I thought that surely this is the most amazing thing that I'll see for a long time.
I was so mistaken.
Not long after that, while crossing the street, I kid you not, some asshole sped up, then slammed on his brakes right in front of me! Why? I'm sure that he saw me - let me mention again that I wear a bright orange reflective construction vest. The things some people do are absurd!
However, it was totally worth it when I had a great walk, made good time, and got to see Christmas lights along the way. Then, when I got home, I found that Sara (roommate) had put up Christmas lights outside of our house! It was so nice and cozy to come home to after being in the cold, damp wind!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
First Group Training
Yesterday was the first group training, and I was terrified! I was really excited to meet everyone and see what everything was about, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Could I really do this thing? Can I keep up with everyone? I don't care if I'm the last one to cross the finish line, as long as I do, but am I going to embarrass myself throughout the entire training?
So, of course, I started waking up at 2 in the morning, afraid that I had overslept.
It was finally morning, and I got ready. I had gotten an e-mail that we shouldn't wear anything cotton next to our skin (to prevent chafing - everyone keeps talking about chafing - I'm nervous) and should dress in layers, so I had that all ready to go. I layered up and was out the door. After getting lost (despite having GPS - I can get lost anywhere!) I found where I was supposed to be. We had breakfast and got some time to mingle before our workshops started. Everyone was extremely nice, and I calmed down faster than I usually do. Some of the coaches gave classes on injury prevention, nutrition, safety, and stretching.
Then, it was time for the group run/walk. It started with a talk from someone who was training with us whose father had died from cancer last year, so he was uniquely touched by the team and the cause. It really put things in perspective and helped to fire everyone up. The beginner walk was 2 miles, and the intermediate walk was 3. My plan was to see how I was doing after 1 mile, then decide where to go from there. If I was getting tired, I could turn around with the 2 milers, or if I was feeling good, keep going with the intermediate group. I started off strong, and was going in the middle of the group! That was a huge boost for my confidence. There was a huge hill about a half mile into the walk, and I managed to do that without dying. My coach was able to assess my posture and make a few suggestions on things to change to help my joints, which made a huge difference.
At the one mile mark, I was feeling great, so I decided to go ahead and walk the 3 miles. Most people had turned around, but there was a small group that decided to go ahead with me. We kept going, and suddenly realized that we were the only ones. Luckily there was a coach with us who knew the way, so we kept going. Around 2 1/2 miles it started to get frustrating. I had gotten hot, and by this point, we were seeing a lot of people who had finished driving past us. It was inspiring to have them all honking and waving, and I just kept reminding myself that I was doing the intermediate walk! That gave me the energy that I needed to finish strong.
When I was done, I felt great! My ankles were sore, but not terrible, and the rest of me felt great. By the time I had gotten home, the blisters set in. Apparently when I was thinking about "no cotton next to your skin" and "chafing", I didn't think about my socks. That is a mistake that I will NEVER make again!
Sara and I stopped by Walgreens before going to the craft fair, and I wrapped the balls of my feet and toes in gauze. That helped a lot, and I was able to stand and walk through the entire fair. I guess I was putting too much weight on my heels though, because this morning I've been horribly stuff.
So, lessons learned:
No cotton socks
I'm supposed to eat 74g of protein a day
Does anyone have any protein suggestions?
Or any good songs to listen to? I've got a lot of walking to do this week...
So, of course, I started waking up at 2 in the morning, afraid that I had overslept.
It was finally morning, and I got ready. I had gotten an e-mail that we shouldn't wear anything cotton next to our skin (to prevent chafing - everyone keeps talking about chafing - I'm nervous) and should dress in layers, so I had that all ready to go. I layered up and was out the door. After getting lost (despite having GPS - I can get lost anywhere!) I found where I was supposed to be. We had breakfast and got some time to mingle before our workshops started. Everyone was extremely nice, and I calmed down faster than I usually do. Some of the coaches gave classes on injury prevention, nutrition, safety, and stretching.
Then, it was time for the group run/walk. It started with a talk from someone who was training with us whose father had died from cancer last year, so he was uniquely touched by the team and the cause. It really put things in perspective and helped to fire everyone up. The beginner walk was 2 miles, and the intermediate walk was 3. My plan was to see how I was doing after 1 mile, then decide where to go from there. If I was getting tired, I could turn around with the 2 milers, or if I was feeling good, keep going with the intermediate group. I started off strong, and was going in the middle of the group! That was a huge boost for my confidence. There was a huge hill about a half mile into the walk, and I managed to do that without dying. My coach was able to assess my posture and make a few suggestions on things to change to help my joints, which made a huge difference.
At the one mile mark, I was feeling great, so I decided to go ahead and walk the 3 miles. Most people had turned around, but there was a small group that decided to go ahead with me. We kept going, and suddenly realized that we were the only ones. Luckily there was a coach with us who knew the way, so we kept going. Around 2 1/2 miles it started to get frustrating. I had gotten hot, and by this point, we were seeing a lot of people who had finished driving past us. It was inspiring to have them all honking and waving, and I just kept reminding myself that I was doing the intermediate walk! That gave me the energy that I needed to finish strong.
When I was done, I felt great! My ankles were sore, but not terrible, and the rest of me felt great. By the time I had gotten home, the blisters set in. Apparently when I was thinking about "no cotton next to your skin" and "chafing", I didn't think about my socks. That is a mistake that I will NEVER make again!
Sara and I stopped by Walgreens before going to the craft fair, and I wrapped the balls of my feet and toes in gauze. That helped a lot, and I was able to stand and walk through the entire fair. I guess I was putting too much weight on my heels though, because this morning I've been horribly stuff.
So, lessons learned:
No cotton socks
I'm supposed to eat 74g of protein a day
Does anyone have any protein suggestions?
Or any good songs to listen to? I've got a lot of walking to do this week...
Why I'm walking 13.1 miles (all at once)
7 1/2 years ago now, I fell asleep while driving. I drove off the road and hit a concrete culvert going somewhere around 50 mph. (In fact, if you're ever in Murfreesboro, check out the culvert in front of that mirrored body shop on Broad near Bumpus and Sloan's - the crack in the concrete is thanks to me.) The next thing I knew (although I had been conscious prior to this), I was in a bed at Vanderbilt trying to figure out why I had been sleeping with my shoes on.
The engine of the car had dropped on impact, landing on the lower half of my legs, taking my feet and ankles with it as it twisted while the car flipped. After finally being cut from the car, I was taken to MTMC, where my parents were told that my situation was too severe to be helped there. They stabilized me, gave me the antibiotics that probably made all the difference in my recovery, and sent me to Vandy. There, they thought that both of my feet would have to be amputated, but managed to somehow put my ankles back together again. They said that I would never walk again.
To make a very long story a little bit shorter, thanks to my family, friends, doctors, and physical therapists, I did walk again. I will never walk the same again - I'll always have a limp, and I'll always have arthritis. I'll always have good days and bad days, but I can walk, and that's what matters!
This year, I've decided to walk a half marathon.
Yes. 13.1 miles. All at once. On the same day.
Because I can walk.
I signed on with Team in Training (http://www.teamintraining.org/) - a national endurance sports training group with fantastic resources! I have coaching and workshops and more support available to me than I ever would have thought! Of course, all that comes with a price, and I have to do fundraising as well. But, the fundraising is for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - a cause I can easily back. Sooner or later cancer will affect all of us, and the research that is going on right now is amazing! If you happen to have a few extra bucks, check out my fundraising website - http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/cmc09/jlevins.
I'll be blogging throughout the entire training for the marathon - from now, where I am nowhere close to ready, to race day when I cross the finish line!
The engine of the car had dropped on impact, landing on the lower half of my legs, taking my feet and ankles with it as it twisted while the car flipped. After finally being cut from the car, I was taken to MTMC, where my parents were told that my situation was too severe to be helped there. They stabilized me, gave me the antibiotics that probably made all the difference in my recovery, and sent me to Vandy. There, they thought that both of my feet would have to be amputated, but managed to somehow put my ankles back together again. They said that I would never walk again.
To make a very long story a little bit shorter, thanks to my family, friends, doctors, and physical therapists, I did walk again. I will never walk the same again - I'll always have a limp, and I'll always have arthritis. I'll always have good days and bad days, but I can walk, and that's what matters!
This year, I've decided to walk a half marathon.
Yes. 13.1 miles. All at once. On the same day.
Because I can walk.
I signed on with Team in Training (http://www.teamintraining.org/) - a national endurance sports training group with fantastic resources! I have coaching and workshops and more support available to me than I ever would have thought! Of course, all that comes with a price, and I have to do fundraising as well. But, the fundraising is for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - a cause I can easily back. Sooner or later cancer will affect all of us, and the research that is going on right now is amazing! If you happen to have a few extra bucks, check out my fundraising website - http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/cmc09/jlevins.
I'll be blogging throughout the entire training for the marathon - from now, where I am nowhere close to ready, to race day when I cross the finish line!
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