Wife.Mother.Runner: Busy Busy Busy

Spring has come and gone here in California as we're almost into the month of June. I really hope that El Nino is gone. We needed the rain, but I need my sunshine.

It's been a strange spring for me training-wise --- I had a great race at the beginning of March but I've been battling some knee pain on and off since late November. My run volume has been very low lately and that's really frustrating for me because I love to run so much. I knew going into my off-season that I was going to be having a bike-focused block of training so a part of me was prepared for the lower running volume but not quite this low.

I had a bit of recovery time after my race in March and then I started my build for Ironman Texas --- this wasn't my A race this year but anyone who knows me, knows that I give it my all ..... ALL the time and I wanted to have a decent race in Texas. My swim volume has been high all off-season and I've really seen some improvement in my swim times. I've been putting in a lot of time on my bike too with intervals (let me tell you 3x20 minutes in mid zone 4 are tough!!) and some 5.5 hour rides pieced together in between the kid's school hours. But this strange knee pain that seems to come and go has only allowed me to do a few longer 3 hour runs in preparation for Ironman Texas. Some were great and others left me walking home the last 3 miles .... NOT fun! I finally went to a sports medicine doctor on the day that I was supposed to leave for the Boston Marathon..... literally my appointment was in the afternoon and Ross and I were supposed to board the plane at 11pm that night. The doctor told me (within a minutes of seeing me) the words that I sort of suspected but didn't really want to hear ....... "it's your IT band". We talked about some stretches, he watched me run down the hallway, and I left with a few PT appointments scheduled for when I returned from Boston. I stood at the check out desk and the doctor said to me "why can't you come in tomorrow for PT?" I replied, "Oh, I'm running the Boston Marathon on Monday.... not really for time... I just want to run a 3:40ish to re-qualify for next year, I didn't taper for this race so it's going to be a training run"...... then the doctor turned around and sort of casually said "well, I don't think you'll make it through the whole marathon" WHAT?!?! I thought to myself, did he really just tell me that I won't make it through the marathon? I love running, I can deal with pain, it's not really 'that' bad, I just biked 100 miles yesterday and ran 6 miles after the ride with very little pain. Well, it was at that moment that the seriousness of all this just hit me like a big slap in the face - his words sat with me on my drive home from the doctor's office. Tears filled my eyes most of the way home from the office...... I was crushed. I tried to get myself together before I walked in the door at home. My mom had just arrived to stay with the kids while Ross and I left for Boston --- they were all standing in the kitchen when I arrived home and I said ...... "it's my IT band... and the doctor said that I wouldn't make it through the Boston Marathon". The room was silent. I thought about staying home and letting Ross go to Boston alone to run .... I'm not the best spectator and I know sitting out the marathon would be a really tough decision for me. Ross told me it wasn't an option, I was going to Boston! Trying to keep myself together, I boarded the plane for Boston and picked up my packet knowing that I wouldn't ever put it on for the race. It was really hard for me to be there in Boston with all the excitement of the race ---- I know how many years I worked to get a Boston Qualifying Time - I've been fortunate over the last few years that my Ironman training has really improved my marathon time. But qualifying for Boston is a major accomplishment in the running world.

Ross works for Abbott and they are a major sponsor for the marathon, so we were able to attend some special events before and after the marathon and what's worse than not running the marathon...... explaining to people WHY you're not running. I've been very lucky over the years to maintain a high running volume with very little injury so explaining to people that I'm injured wasn't easy..... I felt defeated..... but it's real.... and it happens to everyone. But in the end, my choice not to run the marathon was not based on the fact that the doctor told me that I wouldn't make it but that I have a very important race in October and I didn't want to do anything to risk making my IT band worse. When I left the doctor's office, I didn't even know if I would be able to race Ironman Texas which made the diagnosis even more difficult ... missing 2 races in a month. But I was committed to healing so I can race Kona in October. So, Ross and I volunteered at the BAA 5k (I've volunteered for 3 years at this race - a fun way to give back to the sport) and I found a YMCA nearby to do a few VERY LONG reflective swim sets and then did my best job spectating on Monday afternoon for Ross. I was also able to work at the Zensah booth for a few hours at the expo - that was fun talking to other runners and it took my mind off my knee for a while.

Looking back now, almost 4 weeks later, I know I made the right decision to sit out of the marathon but it wasn't and still isn't an easy decision for me.

There's been many sleepless nights for me over the last month because I'm not good with the unknown and not knowing if my IT band will improve or how long it will take has been tough for me. But I've been going to PT and doing my PT exercises faithfully - they've corrected a few things with my running gait and identified some weaknesses and I'm working really hard to improve these things. But during the last month, my time has been occupied by a few activities and now that I look back, I see these activities as a blessing in disguise to take my mind off my injury and the unknown of the future. I started a running program at my kid's elementary school this spring and we prepared for a local 5k race. We had a total of 80 kids (kindergarten through 5th grade) sign up for the program - we met 2 times per week leading up to the race and talked about various running topics and healthy eating. Then after the 5k, we continued the program for 4th and 5th graders in preparation for the all-school elementary track meet. Last year we won the meet for the first time in school history and we really wanted to defend our title... and we did! We won the 2016 Elementary School Track Meet! It was so fun to watch these kids participate in the meet and I really enjoy giving back to the sport and sharing my love of running with others. I was supposed to give a speech to the Middle School track team when I returned from Boston --- it took me a few days to contact the coach. At first, I just wanted to hide because I didn't want to tell her that I wasn't even able to start the marathon but I decided to contact her and ask her if I could turn my speech into something motivational for the kids - she said that would be great. So I centered my speech around hard work and dedication. One of the kids came up to me a few days later and said that they really enjoyed my speech and appreciated me sharing my experience. It really made me smile inside because on the outside, I was really feeling like a failure.

speaking to the Middle School Track Team

Our volunteer group at the BAA 5k

picked up my bib, but as you can see - it was hard for me to smile

Easter Egg Dying

My silly jilly

Took advantage of a little extra time on Spring Break and converted a t-shirt into a dress for Jilly

Never Give Up

2 more of my beauties in braces

Graham swims at Far Westerns Short Course - he swam the 1650, 400, 1000 and crushed each of them :) Early start to swim meets sometimes requires breakfast on the go .... Jilly says she wants breakfast like mom..... bowl and fuel belt bottle with milk :)

long bike ride with Ross

Oh Lordy, how can I be 40?!?!

Jilly gave me $1, her Pinkie Pie Pony, and her Graduation Monkey --- I had to return all but the $1 to her :)

Helen built me a Smurf house with her legos - I had to return it to her too.

Go Pro fun at swim practice

Elementary School Running Club

We talked about the importance of healthy snacks during our running club

Band concert fun!

local 5k - my running boys -- Jayden ran it in about 22 minutes taking first in his age group

my siblings :)

Sunrise at Boston Commons

Ross and I got to check in the Elite Athlete's Gear!

As close as I got to the Citgo sign in Boston this year.... but Joan Benoit Samuelson gave me a fist bump for listening to my body and sitting out the race. She also sat out the marathon.