Don't Call It a Comeback

Just kidding, that's exactly what you should call it.  Although I have been here for years, I keep running into these annoying obstacles (aka surgeries).  But every time I get knocked down, I get back up again.  (Did everybody catch my clever LL Cool J references there?)

So, my knees aren't great.  Spending most of my life at an unhealthy weight wasn't great for them.  But I lost the weight- good! yay!  And I started running- good! yay!  Except for my knees weren't as enthusiastic as the rest of me.  Actually, they moved way past unenthusiastic all the way to straight pissed.  So in an effort to calm them down, surgery.  I wrote all about that here.

Recovery was lengthy.  There were a lot of baby steps.  Two baby steps forward, followed by one baby step back.  I spent hour after hour either in PT or doing my assigned PT exercises (or in water aerobics with my oldster pals).  Waiting, waiting, waiting for the "all clear" to get back to my normal activity level (which is obviously code for running).

I finally got the go-ahead around Memorial Day.  More baby steps, but the strides were a little longer and a little quicker.  Running for one minute then walking for two, then running for two minutes followed by three minutes of walking.  Working my way up to a full mile of running, then two, then three.

For the entirety of the summer, I struggled through the oppressive heat and humidity to put miles in.  Slow miles, to be sure.  But I was running.  The summer was filled with these slow, miserable miles.  Every weekend I'd add a quarter of a mile onto my "long run", which had been 10 miles prior to surgery.  Slowly, slowly, slowly, I was trying to make my way back to six (which is the max I'm allowed now).

My pace was similar to a snail's when I started, but I didn't care.  I knew that once the heat and humidity of the summer had passed, my pace would pick up.  A few weeks ago I ran my first 5k of the fall.  When I felt the buzz of my watch at the end of the first mile, I looked down and saw 9:05.  I literally thought that my watch was broken.  When it buzzed after the second mile and the screen read 8:51, I realized that all that of the pep talks I'd been giving myself through the hot and miserable summer miles were true, and that the hard work was indeed paying off.  I was getting my speed back.

A couple of weeks later, I added the final quarter mile onto my long run.  I plotted a course and set off for a run all around my town.   I thanked my lucky stars every time I came to a red light and had to wait for the crossing signal because it meant that I had a moment to catch my breath.  But I finished those six miles.  I felt exhausted, and also like a million bucks.

This past weekend, feeling confident in my comeback, I organized my first group run.  My beloved "Sleep In Saturday", six late morning miles followed by beer, because let's be honest- sleeping in, running, and drinking are three of my most favorite things.  I was positively giddy in the days leading up to the weekend, because organizing my first Sleep In Saturday meant that my comeback was complete, and that for the fist time in almost a year, I was just going out for a normal run, and not working toward getting back to where I used to be.

I used to be a runner.  I am a runner again.  I've come full circle.  Life is good.   

 

The LONGEST Summer

I live in a weird place.

I realize that this is a classic "back in my day" scenario, but I'm old now, so I suppose this phrase applies.

Our county has one big ole' school district.  With around 160,000 students attending 183 schools, it's not small.  I graduated from a district that had a handful of neighborhood elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.  You went to school with your neighbors in a building that was close to home, and then you all moved on together.

Not so much here.

Here we are building new schools at a rate that attempts (and fails) to keep up with the growth of the area.  Years ago, many elementary schools here transitioned to a year-round calendar to increase capacity in the buildings as groups of kids tracked in and out throughout the weeks.  As a teacher, I hard core feared that change.  But I rolled with the punches, and discovered that year round schools are AMAZEBALLS.  I was super excited to send my kids to our nearby elementary school that happened to operate on the year-round calendar.

We had a good thing going for kindergarten and first grade, but then the inevitable growth in our area caught us.  A new school was built, just as close to us as our current assignment, and I just knew that we'd be sent there.  And I was correct.  I'm all for a new school, with the shiny new halls and the latest technology, but I'm not all about a traditional calendar.

Too bad, so sad.  We were reassigned, and were forced to roll with the punches again.

This meant that when our last "track out" came at the end of first grade in the year-round school, it actually became the start of our family's first summer vacation. 

SO, I would have all three kids at home for three long months.  Cool, cool.

Around that same time, trouble starting brewing at J's office.  His company wasn't doing particularly well, and had made some announcements that caused the natives to become restless.  The writing was on the wall, and even before upcoming layoffs were announced, everyone knew they were looming.  Job hunt: commence.

J has always told me that he's good at what he does, and that he wouldn't have trouble finding another job if that ever became necessary.  He was right.  Great offers came from great companies- crisis averted.  In the meantime, the layoffs came to be.  Since he already had another job lined up, J volunteered to be let go.  His last day in the office was mid-June.  His new job wouldn't begin until mid-August.  

SO, I would also have a husband at home for the majority of the summer.  Cool, cool.

I will be the first to admit, I was excited nervous terrified of having this extended family time.  All day, every day.  FOR MONTHS.  But really, it would probably be fun tolerable a shit show. 

All jokes aside, J and I were both unsure of how things would go.  We were all used to our routines, and it was clear that routine had been tossed out the window.  But we decided that we could focus on not killing each other, or focus on making the best of a once in a lifetime situation.

So that's what we did.

Guys, we had an awesome summer.  We played putt putt.  We splashed in the pool.  We drove go karts, went to the beach, rode on a ferris wheel, visited every park we could, ate a lot of ice cream, played a lot of games.  Every week was something new and exciting.  We stayed super busy, and super happy.

I am so thankful that the stars aligned, and we were handed this crazy opportunity.

And lest you think that this family is all sunshine and rainbows...J started his new job and went back to work right about the time that my kids turned into miserable creatures who desperately needed to get their whiny ungrateful little behinds back to school.

Alas, back to routine.  We made it.  

For My One Fan

I have one loyal fan.

Just kidding- I know there are more of you out there that enjoy reading this blog.  And some of you read it because you are related to me and you have to.  But one person has hassled me repeatedly, both online and in person, to get back to writing in this space.  So for you, my biggest fan, I am going to try and make (yet another) comeback!

Since it has apparently been eight months since I've gotten my ass onto the computer, I guess I'll begin with a general update on life before I get to the nitty gritty specifics (that makes things sound super interesting, right?).

Since we last spoke, life has marched on.  At least none of my children have celebrated another birthday!  But Gabe managed to finish out first grade, Charlotte completed her first dance season, Margot graduated from Pre-K, I got to start running again, Jason started a new job, and we made it through the LONGEST SUMMER EVER after being reassigned to a brand new school that follows a traditional calendar (I miss year-round something fierce).  

While I'd love to bore you fill you in on all of the day-to-day that's gone on, alas, I've been away too long for that.  But over the next few posts, I'll back up in time and give you the deets on some of the more major moments of the past, and fill you in on some current happenings, as well.

I promise that I'll try and be more regular with my posting!  Life somehow always gets in the way, and this is the easiest thing to let slide.  But I'll work on it, promise.  For YOU, my drove of adoring readers lone reader.