Sitting this one out...

Training was going great.  I ran 18 miles in 3hours 26 minutes on May 7th. I was proud of it, but I was sore. My outer knee was throbbing. It hurt to even walk. After a few days of resting, it still hurt like hell. I went on-line and self-diagnosed it as IT band syndrome. The tissue around my knee all the way up to my hip, was inflamed. The reason it hurt so much by the knee was because it was rubbing against the joint. I went to the chiropractor and he diagnosed it as IT band syndrome.  He did some adjustments, made some suggestions, and scheduled me to see him every couple days.

Normally this takes weeks to months to heal, depending on each person. I only had three weeks before the marathon, so I was pretty bummed.

I was rolling my leg with a foam roller, icing, stretching, joined the gym to cross train, and stopped running. (Except I ran the Madison Mud Run last weekend which was super fun, but I had to walk half of it due to the pain.)

It still isn't much better, so today the chiropractor recommended that I don't push this and sit this one out. I am crushed, but also know he is right. I did a lot of crying over this after the Mud Run because I had to limp to the parking lot covered in mud looking for my husband.  I might have yelled a little once I found him, but I just can't remember :)

So I am sitting this marathon out. It is so hard to accept, but it really is the smart thing to do. I want this marathon experience to be fun. I know I would be in too much pain, and I would do more damage to my knee and it just isn't worth it.

I was devastated because I felt really good and felt really prepared for this. I am going to sign up for the Fox Cities Marathon in September so I have a goal to look forward to. Hopefully this time, I will not get hurt and be able to do it!

I put too much emphasis on doing this marathon for myself and to symbolize my journey through postpartum depression. I know I don't need a marathon to prove this to myself. I will get to the marathon this September and finish it!

Marathon training

I have been training for an upcoming marathon on May 29th. So far I am up to 14 miles. It is hard work!  I have to run 18 miles on Mother's Day!  Yikes!

On Monday, a student in my Zumba class, asked me what my driving force was behind this marathon. What a good question! I told her my story of overcoming postpartum depression. I told her about the meeting I had in the hospital with all the other patients and the OT lady. We had to talk about one thing we always wanted to do but never did. When it was my turn, I quiet said, "I have always wanted to run a marathon." She asked me, "What's stopping you?" I wanted to be sassy and reply, "Cause I am in here!"  I didn't though. I just told her I would do one. So I am running this one for me. I am also running this one for the end of my postpartum depression. It takes up to a year to heal, and I am healing. I am almost there. I don't think about my experience with a sick feeling in my stomach anymore. I don't feel like it has consumed me. I don't even think about it really anymore.

I want this marathon to symbolize my journey in life so far in my thirty years. I know that if I could get through postpartum depression, I can get through anything. I have a newfound confidence that I never had before.

I am also so excited that my baby boy is turning one!  OMG!  How can this be??  He is such an amazing little boy. He is like a little Tasmanian devil. He is walking and running and climbing and jumping... I am exhausted!

One word of advice to mommy runners- your window of training is slim when you have little ones, and your energy level is even slimmer.  It can be done though. I have a very patient family and wonderful husband. He is also training for this marathon. I am so proud of him!  I am proud of us for doing this together. We probably won't run together, but we will be enduring it together.

I am a little afraid to put my goal on here, but I will anyway. My goal is to do this under five hours. I am shooting for 4 1/2 hours, but if I am under five hours I will be ecstatic.

I will keep you posted as the marathon approaches. In the meantime, I hope all is well with you all and your family.

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mommies out there!