Cleaning the nest......

October 2009- 46 year old, chronic pain sufferer, overweight, smoker decides to change!!
October 11, 2009- Quit Smoking
December 1- Ran one block
February 7- 8k (ran some backwards) split time 13:96
March 13- 5k (forward) 12:25
March 27- 8k, 12:08

I run in 2nd gear, Slow and Strong! On a run this past sunday a trainer gave us the tip to take smaller steps uphill. I thought to myself "Buddy, if I take any smaller of a step I'm going to be running in place!"
I have chosen running because I hate it!! I Love to Hate it!! It makes me laugh every time I get done with a run that I didn't think I could do- "HA I conquered that"What a fantastic feeling!!
And I love the clothes.

The pain story.....
I grew 5 inches in 3 months when I was in middle school and my body has revolted since. My achilles tendons have been an enemy inside me cramping on hikes and getting to chair lifts. I finally, after ever other treatment, had the right one cut and stretched in 2000. The recovery was insane! 9 months of not knowing if it was EVER going to stop hurting! And then it did. The left one still is a huge problem, but I focus on the right and ignore it- not a surgery I want to go through again.
Enter foot pain ..... after 5 years I had both facia tendons cut (2005) at THE SAME TIME! Didn't help-oops!
My pain issues increased with wrist pain starting in 2001 and increased over the years. By 2008 the wrist pain had traveled up to my neck and I had to give up hobbies I loved- painting, knitting, baking... Sleeping had become a huge issue due to not being able to roll over! Getting out of bed in the morning had become VERY difficult!! I was in so much pain I didn't want to get up, but I knew when I did get moving I would start to feel better- stuck I was!!

Enter my BRILLIANT thought.....
If I had a four legged partner again (I had gone 2 years at this point without one and knew the difference) I would have to get up in the morning! I would have to go for walks! I would have a trail partner to make me feel "safer" on hikes (I had increasingly become spooked by the thought of cougars)! My Doctor of 20+ years thought that was "The Best" idea I had had in years and wrote me the note for a "Service Dog" so there would never be a question of me not having a dog by my side again.
Enter "Juice" a black lab puppy. We have spent 8 months together now and the hard work with her is paying off (she increased my wrist/arm/neck pain 10 fold early on)! I have been outside clocking miles since I got her. I have lost 30 lbs and become an "athlete".

Brilliant Idea #2.....
After having Juice home for a week I got sicker than I have ever been in my life!! "Smoking induced bronchitis"- I thought for five weeks that I was going to die!! Drown in my own fluid! I asked the Dr if I should start taking the "Chantix" drug I had to help me quit and he said "NO, your TOO sick to stop smoking now" OMG- that was scary!! As soon as I had recovered I was D-O-N-E. The drug was horrible- rediculous dreams and depression, but I would take it again in double doses to quit if I had to (I would just have to be kept in a closet as I might hurt someone)!
My sister came from Hawaii a couple of months ago and admitted to me after being here for a few days, that she "Kept waiting for me to sneak out for a smoke" and I didn't. she said "It's a miracle" and I laughed!!
I have since been invited to teach the "Fresh Start" cessation class at the hospital that starts next week (giggle).

Next step......
In the beginning of december a local running store started a "Winter Warrior" contest. The rule was to show up to their training class on mondays and group run/yoga class on wednesday. No skill or athletisism was required- just show up! I could win that I thought- and I did! There were a few classes that I couldn't participate in (girl reasons) but I was there. Didn't miss one class and it was the motivation I needed in the beginning!! Those wednesday night runs everyone showed up at the shop and they all took off in one direction as I went the other. I walked the first few weeks as quickly as I could as my calves would freeze up and cramp on me. I then ran a block and died!! Geez does it have to be so hard I thought?? But I kept going by myself throughout the winter. The store offered a 5k training program, but the cost wasn't fitting into my budget at the time and another local running store offered a training class that I could afford so I signed up. It wasn't until 3 weeks into the class that my friend Janae, also a beginner, met up on my wednesday run and she showed me her pace- VIOLA!! I was trying to run to fast- I could do THAT pace!!

Back to the Dr's....
No one had yet diagnosed my troubles and they weren't getting much better. I thought maybe I wasn't being a good advocate for myself so I enlisted a "Therapist" for the specific reason to help me verbalize myself better. She did and after ten years I have a diagnosis....my nerve sheathes are to short causeing all the crazy pain I feel!! YEAH! I'm not going to break myself ! I hurt whether I run or not and since running is the healthier choice I will stick with it. I have 22 (give or take) more races scheduled for this year! I have met and become friends with some fabulous people and I can't imagine not running now that I have started.
So those are the boring facts....
I have to go run "Hills" now (training schedule says so) and then a bike ride for fun................