Running? Not so much

Since the marathon I've run twice. TWICE. Once that week after the marathon, a short and easy 3 mile recovery run that felt really good. I did have some knee pain but nothing too serious but I decided to not push it and take a full week of not running to recover. So then my next run was two weeks after the marathon. I ran a 6 mile loop and ended up limp-walking about 3 miles of it.

BOOO.

My knee hurt for two days after that. It sucked.

Lucky me, I had a doctor's appointment that week anyway and she advised me to not run for the next 4 weeks, ice my knee and take Aleve. Then try an easy run. If I still have knee pain then she'll set me up with an orthopedic doctor. I honestly don't think it's anything serious. I think I just ran through an already injured, tired knee and it's letting me know it needs a break.

I know that rest is a good thing and the only way any healing will happen. I don't want to end up one of those stupid people who runs through pain and ends up really doing some real damage. Hopefully I haven't already been one of those stupid people. So, I'm following doctor's orders. I really shouldn't complain, this isn't that bad.

Still, it kinda sucks. I miss running.

All Shook Up

Yesterday I ran what was supposed to be an easy, short, slow run. It ended up being a discouraging, short and slow walk. My knee started hurting at the beginning of the second mile so I ended up walking the rest of the way. Not really a good sign. Urrgghhh.

Enough about that though!! A few weeks ago the boys and I went to a sock-hop put on by Rian's school. It was super fun! They danced their little legs off and we were having too much fun to take pictures of it. But at least we got a few...

Couple of cute daddy-o's

The countdown begins

These babies and I are going to be running a marathon in less than a week!

I went and got new running shoes a week ago and I LOVE them. I took a chance and switched from my trusty, beloved Asics to Brooks. So far so good. I have about 20 miles on these and I am loving the fit. I LOVE my Asics and actually planned on getting the newer model of what I have but tried these on and fell in love. Aren't they CUTE?!?

I ran last Saturday and my knee started hurting around mile 4 so that was a little discouraging. I am mostly resting this week and plan on doing a couple short, easy runs so hopefully that will take care of it. Hopefully!

Some randomness...

Ethan and I have been going to a parent/child "discovery" class at the community college that a friend teaches. The class is in a preschool classroom at the college so the kids have free range to all the learning toys and great stuff in there. This class is basically a time where the kids (ranging from 2 to 5) can play together, work on simple craft projects, listen to a story, have snack and sing songs during circle time. It is sort of an introduction to preschool. It's cute. Ethan LOVES it.

Listening to the story (Ethan is in the brown shirt and jeans)

Ethan's friend Lucy is in the class with him.

I adore this little girl. She is just too freaking cute.

SOO HAPPY!

I know, he doesn't exactly look happy but trust me, he is.

This is his favorite picture face lately.

Not sure why.

I love this boy.

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

22 miles

(Sorry for the ultra lame title....)

Yesterday I woke up, ate a little breakfast, drank some advanced sports drink (Thank you, Carol!!) and headed out in the cool, crisp morning to run 22 miles.

I DID IT!

I felt really good until mile 17 when I headed down a hill and my knee started screaming. It was pretty bad. I was doing the whole limp, jog a little, ouch-that-hurts-have-to-walk, then repeat thing. But after about two miles of that I found a slow jog rhythm that worked and I made it. WHEW.

My calves and knees hurt like hell last night but icing them helped. I'm feeling better today and relieved that I don't have to run that far again for 3 weeks!! HOLY CRAP, 3 weeks! Just realized that this marathon is 3 weeks from today....yikes.

Rian came home from school with this, which, of course, I think is too cute:

I went to a curriculum overview night given by his teacher (who I LOVE!!!) and she brought this up, pointing out how sweet that he states that the most important thing about him is that he is special. Maybe we're doing something right after all.....

This makes me want to just bundle him up and keep him at this age forever.

Ethan loves bugs. Loves. After a run the other day I let him out of the stroller to run around and he found a new friend.

(We find new friends all the time but this one was special and lived long enough for me to get a picture, which is longer than most....)

And then he ran with his new friend...

Scoping out new friends (after he squished ant-friend).

My little outdoorsman explorer.

18 miles

It was rough. I struggled. I'm not feeling especially proud of this run. My arms felt exhausted, legs felt like jello, my back hurt, I ended up with blisters on my hands but I did it. That's the important part, right?

Eric had to rescue me at mile 13. I was starting to lose it (pathetic, I know) and ready to give up but he took Ethan and the jogger and encouraged me to finish what I had set out to do. Thank you honey!

But I did it. And I can say that today I ran 18 miles. Yay.....

I was all jazzed about this route that I chose because it was an actual loop (I've been doing mostly out-and-backs), it was totally doable with Ethan in the jogger, and I have been carb loading since Wednesday. More like Tuesday. Oh gosh, who am I kidding, I have been carb loading since signing up for this marathon. Mmmm....I'm suddenly hungry for a bagel.....

So anyway, this route seemed perfect. The first nine miles were mostly flat and then I'd have a slight downhill, then I would head up a serious hill (about a mile of the most nasty, beast of a hill) and finish off with a mostly flat five miles. Sounds great, right?

I don't know what I did to screw up preparing for this run. Maybe I just started out too fast and burned out quickly. Running with the jogger might have something to do with it, the warm weather might have played a part, maybe I wasn't hydrated enough. Luckily at mile 13 I was close enough to home that I could just drop in, freak out a little and have Eric get me back on track. That last five miles was much easier and I did reach lucky number 18.