Walk--not run, Get Me The Rack, 5k!

I usually thing of things to write about when I'm driving, or doing something else that means I can't write down what I'm thinking about.  By the time I get to paper and a writing utensil, I have forgotten what I was thinking ;-)  I hope I'm not the only one who does this!

This last week I was (still) bemoaning that I cannot run.  Someone asked me a few months ago if I've tried running. I said no, quickly, but the reality was that yes, I did try once after the accident.  My treadmill goes has three instant speed buttons of 3mph, 5mph, and 7mph.  I bumped it from 3mph to 5mph for about as long as it takes to say "NOPE", and went back to 3mph. My whole back was so sore from that 'try' that it just became more simple to say "I can't run" since 11/17/16 car accident.

Earlier this week my doc's office called to tell me the results of the MRI I had on Friday of last week. My wrist has water on it.  I wonder why it can't be aspirated. My knee was aspirated about a decade ago when I ripped my ACL and meniscus. My doc just racks everything up to my autoimmune disease.  (sigh)  It'd be even nice if insurance companies let you pick a physician based on their lifestyle. Such as, I'd like a doctor who is food/health conscious, and runs/exercises, and would look outside the box at investigating things.

The results of the wrist said I had water on it, and apparently it'll just go away in time.  The low back showed some issues and my PCP's nurse relayed that I could do injections or try traction.  Let yourself see how you'd react to those two options and being made to make a decision with that information.  I asked what type of injections, 'corticosteroid'.  Oh, so Prednisone?  She replied with yes, probably. Hmmm, well, I HATE Prednisone.

I asked what traction was about.  The nurse told me "weights on your waist".  Hmm, well that one doesn't sound as scary as Prednisone, let's go with traction.  The nurse replied, yeah not everyone wants a needle in their back.  My thought: Why would an injection/RX be anyone's first choice of recovery?  Medicine is good, but seriously, let's try some non-pharmaceutical things first!

This last time for PT, traction was "added".  (i.e. I did traction, plus the stim, but no Gym to see how I feel).   Traction is putting on a corset/waist belt system, laying on a table, having the belt system attached to a machine that slowly and gradually pulls your lower body from your upper body. Essentially, "traction" is the modern day mid-evil times RACK.  It actually didn't hurt. It felt good and I could only tell I was being moved because the Athleta pants slipped on the table as it moved under me.

rogues-cuthbert-simpson-on-the-rack-antique-print-1845-71236-p
(found via search for "The Rack")

Afterwards I felt good. Still had some pain, but I felt like I could hop and skip.  The pain came back about five hours later, but not as strongly until later that night.

There's a 5K this weekend that I've been debating on entering, so I decided I better get my butt back on the treadmill to walk a full 5k and see how I'm going to do with it.  I decided my time was doable and wouldn't keep the volunteers at the race finish extra long.  In addition, after I had two miles done, I decided to try to run.  BIG mistake.  I bumped up the treadmill to 5mph and immediate pain shot horizontally on the low back and up the back as well. I went back to walking.

Then the race was postponed from Saturday to Sunday. . . . due to strong winds forecast. By strong winds, we're talking wind gusts up to 50mph.  Some people were upset because they had Sunday commitments, but most were happy that:

1. The race director is looking out for racers and volunteers;  and 

2. That "Iowa Nice" extends to parks being flexible with something like a race.  

I cannot imagine a race on city streets being postponed one day. However, since this race takes place in a state park, and no one had the park reserved for Sunday, then the race can still go on!

I entered this 5K for Sunday, as well as one at the end of the month.   I have mixed feelings for having to walk it, but happy to get out in the beautiful Spring and get enjoy the day.  

Last year when I did the Marine Corps Marathon in October, someone asked me why I just didn't postpone it until the following year, and get a better time, since it'd be seven months after my acral lentiginous melanoma/ "toe cancer".  I said because I got into the race for this year and I was going to do it, and I had to get something BIG moved in order to be able to do the race, and would have to get permission to move that again in the following year.  I am now ecstatic that I ran the Marine Corps Marathon last year.  It was my slowest, marathon ever, out of five, but I did it.

In that fashion, I'm getting out there and doing this 5K.  It will be my slowest, longest 5K ever, but I am going to do it.  (I did walk this race with a friend a couple years ago, so it'll be the second 5k I've walked since 2009 when I started running).  

Now, should I do a costume, or just dress as a "walker" ;-)   It is a Foolish race to do, after all!   

runner, gluten free and now a springboard too!

The cat has decided that I am a springboard. . . perfect for "diving" onto the bed at about 2am.  LUCKY me!  He's done this the last two nights. early Friday morning it was annoying enough as I was already up at midnight, then at the 2ish time when he did a triangle, jump, land, run two feet, turn, run two feet, bounce off me, land repeat .   Then enter early Saturday morning, where it happened again, except instead of a triangle he just leapt off me, landed, trotted back to same spot, repeat.   Maybe we need to take away his catnip mice?

Saturday I drove to a Soroptimist International of the Americas meeting for Ames Heartland. We presented our award checks to a young woman (high schooler) who spends time reading to first graders to encourage them to read.  She was our Violet Richardson award winner.  We had two women apply for the Womens of Opportunity Award and we were lucky to have them both present as well.  One is a young woman who is starting over after an abusive relationship, the other escaped a violent relationship with her children and has found new love and a new place to live, though she still is worried that that evil man will find her.    I am grateful to be a part of this wonderful organization.  

I had a late lunch with my sister, then drove home. It was such a windy and cold day that it actually seemed liked winter might show itself again.  This is February and we've only had about three storms that gave us any snow. It was still raining in November and it well shouldn't be.  Last winter we had about 25" of snow. This winter, we've had about 8".  It's not right, especially since our farmers  (i.e. read: dad, uncles, friends) really could use this rain and also because I actually have an AWD vehicle now instead of the rear-wheel drive Dodge we had before! Bring on the snow! 

Anyway, with the meeting, it meant that I was going to run my 18 miles inside, on the new treadmill,  in the evening. Normally I'm a morning runner, so I wasn't all that jazzed about the run.  I got on, had to do some adjustments (you know how it is, right?) and started putting in the miles.  Hubby got on the rollers (bike) beside me and we watched Prince of Persia.  Forgot about that movie, but watching it brought back the videogame The Mike use to play, back when the xbox and playstation got attention from us.  Great movie and action packed that I was hoping I wouldn't even notice the miles my feet ran.  However, I did.  My feet, calves, thighs hurt along with my lower back. After a few breaks for refill of water and other things, I threw in the towel on the run.  13miles and some change done.  It was 8:30, we were going out to eat, and no, we didn't even bother to shower.  Bring on the food to the hungry people who did three plus hours of exercise.  Steaks and potatoes were on the menu and they were fabulous. No pics, we all know what steaks look like. . . and more importantly, an empty plate ;-) 

But, I still had to finish out my miles, which I did on Sunday morning.  Got up, got going and put the miles in.  Finished watching TombRaider. . .Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig.   Then made a fabulous brunch:  Jimmy Dean all natural sausage, french toast with UDI's whole grain bread and an orange. Yum!  Too hungry to hink about photos :-D

oh where oh where has The Quirkey GF Runner gone?

I can't believe my last post was a week ago! 


I have great food photos (home food) to post, but will need to do that tonight or tomorrow. 


Saturday was my long run and between running when it wasn't my normal time and being dehydrated some it wasn't a best run for me.  The Mike called when I was done at the gym and said, "let's go out to eat". Of course I took him up on that! 

The above is what I was served. . . chicken enchiladas with southwest corn and cheese sauce. . GF, but not what I ordered.  

Ordered, Prairie Fire Chicken & Enchiladas---chicken breast served with two shredded beef enchiladas.

Sunday was overcast and dreary and I didn't want to do anything, but with The Mike out for his long bike ride I knew I needed to get out too.  Two miles, out to the lake and back, done and felt all the better for it.


Even though it was Super Bowl Sunday, I decided just to make dinner food this year and not appetizers as the game was on at dinner time anyway.  Two small turkey breasts in the oven for baking with a mixture of sage, thyme, pepper and parsley, along with two small baked (Yukon Gold) potatoes and a small butternut squash.  Served along with some Quinoa (very nutritious for us, but a very small grain with a nutritious 'germ' that coils off it when cooked, which can make clean up a little difficult)  The grains are about the size of a plastic pinhead.  , and a can of whole cranberry sauce (with sugar, not HFCS).


  


Monday is my long day. I asked coach to make it my training day off.  Since I started the Yoga class I realized I can't get in an hour's (other) exercise before I have to get ready for work.  An hour of yoga, then get home 45 minutes before I need to get ready, at the latest, for work. Love Mondays yoga really good all over workout, and stuff I can do!  

The treadmill to the left, Pinky bike set up behind the table/rest and The Mike's bike set up to at right of the table/rest on rollers (which are hidden from view).  Great set up with the tv up front.

One of the cats decided the belt was good enough for some attention from her. 

Tuesday my run was to be 4 miles. . . on my brand new TREADMILL :-)  It was delivered and set up on Monday while I was at my evening job.   I went down, uncovered it (we have the belt tarped so the cats don't track stuff on it) and hit start, just like I do at the gym.  3 miles into it,  it just stopped.   Oh, huh, guess just hitting 'start' starts a 30 minute timer. Ugh.  I tried to get back to running, but then decided to do ten minutes of walking and reading the owner's manual.  


Wednesday back to Yoga.  Wednesday yoga is hard for me.  More movements that I think of with typical yoga, but it's good, I'm reaching out into the unknown territory : -)    
Bike pedaling in the evening. 45 minutes and my tooshie said, 'STOP'.  so, of course I did. . . the fifth time it said that. 


Thursday, ah, sweet Thursday. I got to sleep in :-)  No yoga and since I did my bike in the evening, I didn't want to run less than twelve hours later.  Got home, changed and went to the t'mill.  Browsed the owner's manual, figured out how to accurately do the manual mode.  I, in a state of dreaminess, managed to program it for some random hills. . . not a good move on my part. I kept adjusting the incline; every time the incline went up, I pushed it back down, not to -0-, but to 1.5 or 2 for the most part. The Mike got home just as I was getting started and he came down and road his bike. . . with the observation that this is the only time we can run/bike and stay side-by-side :-D  How awesome is that?