I'm back.

Long time, no posts.

Again... Not so good at being a blogger. I'll work on it. Promise.

A little bit of catch up:

1. My leg is no longer broken (weeeeeeee!). I successfully graduated from my twice weekly physical therapy sessions, saw the orthopedist and got the all clear to hit the 'ol treadmill. So I have been doing just that since January and it's been swell.

2. I decided to train smart this year and mix up my work out routine. In other words, I'm not just going to run a bunch of miles every week and pretend that it is a total body workout. I've been frequenting at least three spin classes a week and signed up for Boot Camp Challenge - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30a. It's been lovely. Cross training in full effect.

3. I signed up for my first marathon (again) today! Yes, I signed up last year too... ::sigh::  After my euphoric feelings of elation for signing up for marathon2013 passed, I skipped to the gym and ran 5.5 joyous miles. And it felt damn good.

This time around I've opted to skip the formal training group and picked a 30 week training plan to ensure I make it to the start this year. Which is a key shift in my training focus. I'm actively trying to coax myself in being less concerned about the finish and more concerned about making it to the starting line in one, healthy, well trained and prepared piece.

Bring it, MoHudMarathon.

...any time now.

Still zero hope of running. Since my treadmill fail I haven't been cleared to try it again. I'm feeling particularly annoyed after a weekend full of races in the area, races I planned to win finish in the middle of the pack. I was never one to look forward to winter running, but if I don't hit the road soon I might actually lose my mind. I've been doing a lot of spinning and pilates to take my mind off of it... it's not working but I'm hopeful that all the spinning will help me fly up hills eventually.

When my bones decide to stop betraying me, I must remember how many times  since August 13th I thought the following:
- I wish I never skipped a run because I was too tired, hungover, cold, "forgot" to set the alarm,  didn't have a buddy, wanted to watch Bravo, wanted to go to brunch, etc.
- Always get out of bed and on the road because you never know when you won't be able to anymore. 
- I will cross train. I promise.
- Stop focusing on arbitrary number goals, focus on improvements over time.
- Shut up and follow your plan. 
- Don't complain.
- Stop whining.

for real.

gooooodbyeeeee treadmill.

in the PT waiting room, ready to roll.

Well. I ran. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't fun. It hurt.

After excitedly lacing up my trusty Mizunos and stepping onto the treadmill my hopes and dreams of being completely recovered were shattered by .25 miles when I realized I could feel the bone in my leg every step I took (not that I was going to say that out loud...). My physical therapist was watching my feet, analyzing my gait and looking at me grind my teeth together with every step - she thought it best I stop and pulled me off the 'mill at .41 miles.

Not only was I mad that I'm not healed, but who stops a run at .41?? That's not even CLOSE to being a reasonable, even number. I'm sure the .09 needed to get to  an even half mile wouldn't have killed me. No one wants to put that weird number on their excel spreadsheet of workout activity.

zombie tees on the dog's zip line.
totally normal.

Just because I had a huge runfail on Friday didn't mean I wasn't going to dress up like a zombie and chase 5k runners on Sunday. I was out of the house by 6:30a on a Sunday and dressed in running tights and a homemade zombie tee - the last time I was pulling those hours with that outfit was pre-fracture. I met my sister at the make-up tent where we were transformed from sleepy 20-somethings into sleepy zombies.

a close up.

The event was sort of a disaster from an organization standpoint, but we had fun nonetheless. When runners went to the start line, they were wearing flag football belts with three flags. Zombies were stationed all over the course on a mission to steal the flags of the runners, rendering them unhealthy and eventually turning them into zombies when they lost all three of their flags.

I got a little taste of the injury free life as I was running through a field chasing runners and stealing their flags. I think it was the adrenaline that blocked the pain signals to my brain. Running INTO a mass of runners starting their race isn't something I ever thought I'd try. While getting trampled was a very real possibility slight risk, it was fun...and we got to wear zombie make up and make shirts. Win.

helllooooooo, treadmill.

get ready, it's your time.

Who's running on Friday?? THIS GIRL! I have never been so happy to lace up for a jaunt on the treadmill. I've been behaving, going to pilates, doing my PT homework, taking spin classes and not running; so as a reward for my stellar efforts, my physical therapist has suggested a little jog on the treadmill in my running shoes (more specifically, the shoes I was sporting when my little snafu occurred...) at Friday's session.

In my mind, this is how it will go:
I step on the treadmill and pump the speed up to 4.5.

Impressed by my skill and flawless ability, the therapist recommends stepping it up to a 5 and working in some hills.

Once I master that for a mile, she instructs me to do a nice tempo run at a 6 to ease myself back into the running game and leaves me alone with some Britney tunes my iPod for the next four miles.

I hop off the treadmill and she says "You're cured! Please pay your co-pay on the way out".
 

I'm going to be pretty bummed if reality differs greatly from my completely logical expectation of Friday's visit because I'm hoping and praying planning to be released to traverse the land with my Mizunos on my feet and Garmin on my wrist.

i'm sweating...

...and it feels so good. Last night was my first jump back into any semblance of physical fitness. After my first PT appointment on Friday, they cleared me for spin classes. Not wasting any time, I signed up for a Monday session and was quickly reacquainted with cardio, glorious cardio. It was pretty fantastic to get home from work and change into spandex instead of sitting on the couch eating vacuuming the living room while baking cookies every night. Thank you, spin studio, I remember what working out feels like.

it might look easy,
but that is a tricky little devil
once assembled and your standing on it
[source]

Back to PT... I thought I'd be an A+ student and breeze through all of the exercises, but it turns out I lost more range of motion and muscle than I thought. After trying to master the crazy balance board, it was pretty clear my left side is still roughed up.

The good news: my muscle should come back really quickly thanks to that crazy phenomenon they call "muscle memory".  The bad news: I'm still relegated to the elliptical and stationary bikes for the time being. I'm hoping I don't have to start marathon training round two on a elliptical. I guess the other good news is that PT is sort of like personal training rather than "therapy". The woman I'm working with is great and willing to answer all of my ridiculous poignant questions; plus if  I have to run around to appointments every week, at least this one involves wearing gym clothes, working out and not waiting in a room for 30 minutes until someone arrives to take your blood pressure.