March 5, 2012 by Darlene

Running Update

Yes, I am wearing a running shoe & a compression sock at work today.

So I am still a runner…ha ha…even if I can’t run.

Updates:

I am working on the swelling…ice..ice..compression socks
I am NOT using the BOOT.
I am NOT using my crutches. (I still bring one along just in case)
I am walking slowly with a limp… hopefully limping less (it’s hard when you don’t have much movement in the ankle yet.)
At PT, I did level 4 on the bike and even did hills!
I went to TARGET and shopped (shopping cart can be used as a walker!)..I went for socks and bought everything but.
I met my running buddy Mary at Starbucks…haven’t seen her since the injury. We talked running, of course.

Me & Mary - the healthy days

Happy Running! How was your weekend?

March 3, 2012 by Darlene

March Goals

I mean that literally. Limping will lead to walking and that will take me closer to running (my goal).

March Goals:

Continue PT.
Do exercises on my own, as well.
Start using exercise bike at work.
Walk with less of a limp.
Lose that darn BOOT!
Burn those crutches!

Happy Running! What are your goals for March? I hope yours involve RUNNING!

March 2, 2012 by Darlene

Friday in Bullets

I shouldn’t really say TGIF. I only worked Wed and today. Mon & Tues I was tech support for the bar exam and had to do NOTHING. Yesterday I had a snow day and today I leave at 3 pm for PT.
It’s been NINE weeks since I had surgery on my ankle…it feels like forever ago that I ran or played tennis or did yoga!
I haven’t used my crutches in a week. Outdoors I wear the boot and indoors I drag my foot around in a shoe or sneaker (I can’t say “walk” because I can’t bend my ankle yet.)
On Wed, I didn’t get my fav PT guy R. Instead I had J and he HURTS!!! Today I have R again. (But maybe pain is a good thing if I get better faster.)
At PT, they let me use the exercise bike!! It’s the first type of exercise I’ve done. I almost even sweat. I started at level 2 but went to level 4 for 2 minutes and then ended at level 1 –20 minutes total. It felt great!!! I plan to use the bike at work on days when I don’t have PT.
I am excited to play mah jongg tonite. I haven’t played in 2 weeks – many of my friends have been in Florida.

Happy Running! Anything exciting planned for the weekend?

March 1, 2012 by Darlene

3 Things on a Snowy Thursday

1. We finally got snow yesterday…not cool when you are limping around in a boot and have to clean your car off. But today I have the day off!! (Unfortunately I got up at 7am, and had breakfast before I found out.)

my friend Terry's backyard

2. I “leaped” into shoes yesterday. I had to buy these because my foot swells as the day goes on and I can adjust…I had to forgo fashion 😦

cute shoes?? not!

3. I finished one sock (2 boring days at the bar exam helped.) The problem is that now I have to do another one and it has to look the same. Good thing I have today off…

Happy Running! Did you get a snowstorm?

February 29, 2012 by Darlene

February Photo A Day Challenge Completed

For more info, click HERE.

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1– Almost 60 degrees on Feb 1!!
2– Current inspirational words!!
3– Blogging, of course
4– Lake George Winter Carnival Mascot (which starts today)
5– Super Bowl Sunday morning
6 – “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
7 – On my jacket today
8 – Runner at sunset in Naples, Fla.
9 – Komen team in front of where I work.
10 – Made with help of befunky.com
11 – Running in a race
12 – My running shoes (of course)
13 – The water of Lake George, the sky & my clothes
14 – Bracelet, bloody mary & hubby’s wedding ring
15– My phone at work
16 – Me standing (& tights, dress)
17 – Mother’s Day race finish time
18– Applebees Holiday Martini
19 – Being housebound & dependent
20 – Joan Samuelson’s autograph
21 – Half marathon finisher medal, red porsche and tennis car magnet in Naples, Fla.
22– Albany Law School
23 – Dressing up (will I wear these again??)
24– Scrunchies
25– Adirondack Half Marathon Schwag
26 – Lights in the park at Christmastime
27 – Cannoli for dessert
28 – My savings
29 – Smash on my computer

This challenge is a lot of fun especially if you like photography, being creative and you have the time. Perfect for me since I was home from work most of the month. FATMUMSLIM offers this same challenge every month. I will not do it for March since I am working again and going to PT but in the future, I think I may again.

Happy Running! Do you like to take photos??

February 29, 2012 by Darlene

Happy Leap Day

Yup, February is over! Normally I don’t like to rush time but with this injury, each day that passes is a day closer to being able to run!!

zero miles for February

Yes, that’s ZERO running miles again for February!
Zero tennis played
Zero yoga sessions attended
Cross-training = crutching, hopping, hobbling, knitting, typing…
Non-running activities – knitting socks, still reading Mockingjay, driving, back to work, started PT, exercises to get the ankle moving…

There is progress to report:

first half of the month

2nd half of the month

March and beyond

Unfortunately March running looks much the same. But I see walking ahead!!

Happy Running! What do you have planned for March?

February 28, 2012 by Darlene

Two for Tuesday and My Epic Comeback

1. From wheelchair to running a 5K – check out the story HERE. In 10 months, Kimberly Sheerin went being a paraplegic to running 3.1 miles. AMAZING!!

2. This past weekend, I put on a running shoe and I kinda walked (walk is a loose term – I moved slowly and didn’t fall).

Those two events prompted me to start planning my running future!!

2 months – bones healed – CHECK!
3 months – walk without crutches
5 months – walk in a race
6 months – start to run
9 months – race in a 5k
12 months – run a half marathon

So there you have it…my planned comeback! More details to come!

Happy Running!

February 27, 2012 by Darlene

Monday Already?

The next two days will be pretty boring…tech support for the Bar exam takers who use their laptops. So I’m off from my day job. And boring is a good thing. That means there are no laptop problems that I may or may not be able to fix and lots of free time to blog, read and knit.

Since my last post, I’ve celebrated (again) my friend’s upcoming move to Florida. (Her husband & son left a month ago.)

last time together

my fav drink - chocolate martini

one of my fav desserts - cannoli

I know I have to start cutting back on the calorie consumption since I am not exercising… but I am still in pity mode.

I went to my second physical therapy session. I made degrees of progress so my PT guy R said and he gave me more exercises using the resistance bands.

red in pt & yellow at home

This weekend I decided to go BOOTLESS.

NO boot!

First I had to find a sneaker that would fit on my fat swollen ankle.

Success! A pair of Reeboks that I got free at the outlets last year.

I started out using the crutches since I can hardly bend my foot. Gradually I moved to one crutch and then on Sunday I even limped around the house without crutches!!

It is slow going and I am trying to be smart about it. I used the wheelchair to go to the mall on Saturday. On Sunday I went SHOPPING by myself for the FIRST time. I wore the boot for support but left the crutches home. I went to Marshalls. Two months without shopping… I scored some big bargains included a pink wool winter jacket for $15!! When I came home, I did my exercises & iced it.

Today I am back in the boot… but I see sneakers in my future!!

Happy Running! Did you see The Artist?

February 23, 2012 by Darlene

TTT: Eight Already?

8 WEEKS!!

You may say already but for me, it seems like an eternity…

I am now working! I even drive to work!! It’s great to be independent!!!
I can walk with my boot and one crutch. (That means I can carry somethng & open a door!!) It is very awkward since the boot has such a high heel. I had to dig out an OLD shoe with a higher platform. Still swells a lot by the end of the day.
this is what it feels like...

3. I went to my first PT appt…ouch!

Actually it went very well. I went to the same place as I did last summer for my achilles issue. I had my favorite PT guy, R. He did all the usual measurements of my range of motion (or lack of). Of course, he remembered that I run. He was very positive about my return to running. Because of the hardware, the sideways motion will not return all the way but the forward motion should and that’s what important for running.

So first there was massaging and heat and then painful bending & pulling followed by measurement and then ice. He said things improved already. YAY! He gave me 5 sets of exercises to do twice a day. Heat before & ice after. That should keep me busy.

For now – Drop the 2 crutches and only use one with the boot. The goal is to ditch the boot (before it destroys my back & hip) and walk with 2 crutches…then only one. Hopefully in the next few weeks.