I have a new fitness goal for 2015, so I thought I'd start a blog as a place to discuss it and record the journey. That led me back to this blog, which I'd totally forgotten about! Wow...reading all of this (particularly about the foot injury) really brings back memories. A lot has happened since I last wrote here, so let me see if I can't hit on the major events since then....
Late October of 2012, we closed on a new house in town and moved in by the end of the month. We started working on fixing up the house and farm in Gaston for sale.
December of 2012, I walked the Rock n Roll half marathon with friends. It was hell. I will NEVER do that again. If I can't run a half, I'm not doing it. Physically, it was incredibly painful (all over, not just in my foot) but mentally, it was unreal. Had it not been for my friends who walked it with me, I would never had made it. Huge props to them!
May of 2013, I was signed up to race the Canby Gator Grinder tri, but I opted against it. I was having back, hip and random leg issues. I could not get into a running groove without injury. I tried crossfit but I was having too much pain (particularly back pain). Multiple doctors and x-rays later, diagnosis was that I had two or three degenerating discs in my back. They said I'd have to give up running. I didn't buy it. I felt like if I could get stronger in my core, it wouldn't be an issue. I started Pilates with a classically trained instructor in April of 2013.
Late May 2013: We closed on the sale of our house/farm in Gaston.
June 2013: We took our first real vacation since our honeymoon in 2003! We went to Kauai for 10 days and it was fabulous. Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii and we really enjoyed it.
July 2013: Re-joined Leanness Lifestyle, now called Leanness Lifestyle University (LLU).
October 2013, I ran the Girlfriend's Half marathon in 2:23. Not a PR, but I finished feeling VERY strong and happy.
December 2013, I ran the Holiday Half in downtown Portland in 2:11. PR. Take that, degenerative discs and lisfranc joint!! Score a win for Pilates!!
January 2014: Finished LLU Lifestyle 180 course at 138 lbs (down from a start of 163).
May 2014: Raced the Canby Gator Grinder and got second in my age group. I got motion-sick from the swim (which explains why I threw up on the bike leg a few years ago!) but still managed a decent overall time. Looking forward to rocking 2015 with Dramamine on my side. ;-)
Also in May 2014 (a week post-race), Rick shattered his lower left leg in a slow-motion motorcycle crash in the woods of south western Oregon. Surgery one was May 18th to have an external fixator attached to his leg. Three weeks on the couch (literally) in prep for surgery two on June 5th. I was tasked with a LOT of home-care for this poor guy over the next few months. To say 'it was a challenge' just does not do either of us justice. But we made it through.
October 2014: Ran the Portland Half Marathon in 2:20. Not my fastest by any stretch, but I was not well trained at all so I'm pleased with the time given the circumstances.
November 2014: Rick is finally done with crutches and has started working with a PT at Adapt Training in Beaverton. HUGE improvements! We both have big plans for 2015.
And this brings us up to date to today, late December 2014. There were a few other major events (volunteering to cover a second job at work, the announcement of our merger, etc) but most of what I documented here is directly related to my fitness journey.
For 2015, I have a number of goals but the big one and the one that has prompted the revival of this blog is my goal to streak. Starting on January 1, I plan to start a run streak. This means that I will run every single day. I will run at least a mile (in the beginning, there may be some run-walking done as I adjust), every day. I was given a runners world daily calendar for Christmas that prompted the idea and then I bought a spiral bound journal to help it a long. I will use the journal to record the specifics every day, but when I'm feeling verbose, I'll come here. Goal 1 is 7 days in a row starting January 1st. We'll take it from there....
