I have to diverge a bit from the standard topics of this blog and vent a bit about the recent news that the Supreme Court will hear the Exxon oil spill appeal. What a joke. This litigation has been going on for18 years and over 20% of the original plaintiffs have died. While I am relative newbie to the state of Alaska, my husband and many more like him, have been dealing with this mess for far too long. Every quarter Exxon posts massive and record breaking profits while thousands of Alaskans have been asked to accept the fate of their ruined ecosystem. It is an embarrassment and a true tragedy.
I'm gonna do it. I'm going to "toe" the line in Richland Washington on Sunday and run 26.2. After reassurance from the doc that I could do no more harm, I've decided that I really have nothing to lose. Even better is the fact that I ran on Saturday and yesterday with only moderate discomfort. A near miracle? Probably, but I'll take it.
Here is a picture of what my toe looked like 4 days after the near toeputation.
Not as bad as you would think, right? Maybe I will take a new pictures so you can see it's amazing transformation.
Today I am traveling to San Diego where I have two days of meetings before heading to Washington for the race. So, assuming I survive the city that is on fire down south, I'll be marathon bound in a few short days. Stay tuned!
Making it happen....
Bree
Luck can be good or bad and sometimes both. As I lay in bed all weekend long with my wounded toe propped high in the air, I thought about how my situation was filled both kinds of luck. The bad luck is obvious; I nearly chopped off my toe two weeks before my scheduled fall marathon. But, in retrospect, the good luck definitely outshines the bad. The accident could have been a lot worse. Just 1", hell even 1/2", further back on my foot and it would have been more than just my second toe that took a beating. The shoes I was wearing also saved my bacon. Had I been wearing just about any other pair of shoes I own....oh man, I shudder to think.
So while I spent many hours feeling sorry for myself the past few days, I've spent many more being thankful that I wasn't more seriously hurt.
I went back to the doctor yesterday and things are looking surprisingly well. I have been given the green light, my only limitation being my own comfort level. I've been told that I can't do anymore damage to the toe by running on it, so I may as well do what makes me happy. Now that's what I call good advice!
After that news, I rode my trainer last night with virtually no pain and I was flying high. Then an hour or two later I decided to kick my husband's laptop bag which set fiery waves of pain through my whole foot. It was the kind of pain where tears immediately spring to your eyes and you can't help but buckle forward. Needless to say I dipped into the prescription narcotics last night.
So, my confidence is a bit shaken this morning, but I feel reasonably good. I am still hesitant to try running yet, but I did manage to put on regular shoes this morning. My coach is recommending I stick with the bike for a few more days and I think I will heed her advice. Baby steps will hopefully lead to marathon steps on the 28th!
Wish me luck!
Bree
So, just in case there was any doubt, I would suggest that two weeks before marathon weekend, do not drop a boat trailer on your foot. I did it today just to see what would happen. It turns out it doesn't feel so great and calls for a trip to the ER.
The diagnosis: major soft tissue damage, including a nice laceration to the bone on my second right toe. No broken bones.
The bad news: D'uh!
The good news: to quote the ER doc "If it was one week until he marathon I would say no way, but two weeks I will say maybe. "
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me healing vibes.
I have a follow-up doctor's appointment on Monday and hope to know more by then.
Making it happen....(unfortunately)
Bree
It seems that I don't have enough lately. Time, that is. Juggling a full time job, working on my dissertation, and training for a marathon seem to suck it right up and leave very little for those minor details like spending time with my husband.
Yeah, I know...whine, whine, whine. We are all busy. We all are spread too thin. So what do we sacrifice? What loses in the battle for my attention? I know a lot of folks would think that cutting back on training hours makes the most sense. But I respond..."At what cost?" True, I'm busy and stressed and yes, training does eat a significant chunk of my week, but the joy and release it brings me is not worth setting it aside. Without that long run or early morning swim, my mind would be complete mush instead of the 50% mush that it currently is. That weekly yoga session is worth its weight in gold. So I won't give it up. I'll just have to find something else to cut out...like eating or showering.
And so I know this is how it will be for a while. Hopefully I will finish my dissertation in about a year and one part of my life may resume some sense of normalcy. In the mean time, I am fortunate that my husband is incredibly understanding and supportive...even if he does think I'm a bit crazy. And we make the most of the moments that we do have together. We remind ourselves why we do the things we do and why they are important to us instead of getting caught up in the drudgery of the day to day.
Making it happen...
Bree
