Monthly Archives: July 2015

Nervous Nellie

Just because I am a “nervous nellie” and sometimes “borrow trouble,” y’all have the privilege (ha!) to listen to me while I give myself a pep talk.

If you think back to last week, I had a dreadful running week.  As a matter of fact, I tallied up my total miles for last week and it was a little shy of 18 miles.  I usually run a little over 50 miles in one week!  That alone tells you how bad a week it was.

The major problem wasn’t the lack of miles, it was being sick AND falling three times.

Being sick, I can handle that.  Granted, I don’t get sick often and I make a terrible sick person, but I generally pull myself up by my bootstraps and continue on.  It was the three falls that did me in.

Last Wednesday, a week from tomorrow…that was my last fall and it was a doozie.  OMG that hurt so bad.  When I went down, I immediately bounced up and grabbed a flashlight to access the damage.  My left elbow felt very wet.  I look at it and it was dripping blood at an alarming rate!  As a matter of fact, it looked like somebody had used a cheese-grater on it!  Ugh.

I wasn’t too far from the house but I still had 4 miles left to run.  For once I did the smart thing and pulled the plug on the run and went home.

By the time I reached the house (about .30 of a mile) my elbow was dripping steadily.  I didn’t dare walk into the house.  Not with light colored carpeting!  I used my cell and called MFH (My Favorite Husband) from the front porch.  I told him a needed a damp cloth brought to me at the door.  He was groggy and didn’t really understand but did as I asked.  When he saw the (not quite a puddle but close) of blood on the concrete, he was immediately concerned and upset.

Quite frankly by that point at fall #3, I just wanted to curl up in a little ball and cry.  Every spot on my body hurt from all those falls.  I wasn’t a little six yo who had taken a spill on her bike.  Little kids bounce back.  53yo women do not.

We nursed my arm and all my other spots that had been injured in this new fall.

Okay, that was last week.  I spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday in bed.  I had found out on Wednesday afternoon that I had an inner ear infection and a sinus infection.  That is why I was falling and not feeling 100%.  Meds for the next 10 days.

I’ve been on the meds 6 days.  I’m still kinda stuffy but I am feeling better. Not 100% yet, though.

I ran 4 miles on Sunday with MFH.  That went well.  I felt confident because he was with me.

Monday, I ran 8.  Solo.  I had to start in the dark just because our weather has been so hot.  We have been at or over 100* for over 2 weeks now.  THAT is the entire reason I’m running in the middle of the night!  Heat!  Running Monday, I was stepping very carefully while in the dark.  My pace was incredibly slow BUT I didn’t fall.  Whew!

This brings us to tomorrow’s run.  I am scheduled for 19 miles in the morning.  Our low will be close to 80*.  Because right now I am not trying for pace (I think that may be one of the reasons I got sick.  I pushed too hard trying to maintain a certain pace along with the required distances), just covering the miles I need for the day, that means my runs are going to take a LOT longer than planned.  I’m figuring that tomorrow’s run will take me at least 4 hours.  Who knows, maybe more.

I will be running the entire distance.  I don’t walk.  It just may not be super fast running.  I will be focusing on staying vertical.

All of this to say, I really got spooked buy these falls last week!  I’ve never doubted my ability to stay upright before!  I’ve always gone out with confidence and plowed through my miles.  This is silly!!!

So, my alarm is set for 12:15 tomorrow morning (it’ll barely be tomorrow!).  I will get up.  Have a slice of toast and a cup of coffee.  Go through emails to see if the coffee is going to “do anything” and then change and run!

Everything will be just fine.  I know it will.  I just need a few weeks of upright runs to gain my confidence back.  It’s only 59 days until the Berlin Marathon!  Very exciting stuff heading my way!!!

Until then, #SurvivalMode

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