Running away.

Ha!  That title was a little dramatic, right?  I'm not actually talking about running away, I'm just talking about my favorite physical outlet - running!

My running journey (probably a better blog post title) has been one crazy ride.  Growing up, I really hated running.  I was forced to run track for a season, and it just about killed me.  I didn't enjoy it, and I was just miserable.  That grim year put a real damper on running for me for a long time.  I let those memories cloud my judgement, and never felt like trying again.  Fast forward to a few months after losing Emmett, and I suddenly found myself with a dire need to go.  I laced up my old shoes, and started jogging here and there.  Then I became pregnant again, and focused solely on yoga (another favorite activity).  After having Ella, I once again craved the space and challenges of running, so I started up again!  Things were going pretty well - I worked through the Couch to 5K app, and set some goals for myself.

Then, we moved!  And shortly after moving, I took a tiny tumble down our narrow stairway, landing on my right foot in a rather awkward fashion.  I tried to take it easy for a few days, and decided I was probably fine.  Winter broke, and my mileage increased, along with some crazy pain.  I reached the point where I couldn't walk, let alone run, and Ryan finally said, "You. Need. To. See. A. Doctor."  (Mind you, this conversation happened the day before I signed up for my first half marathon for 2018).

Soooo, I made my appointment to see Doctor B, and after looking at my x-ray's, I was crushed to find out I had broken my foot, and running on it for three months (I know), had exacerbated my fifth metatarsal, causing three breaks along the side of my foot.  Luckily, he said we could probably get by without surgery (#PRAISE), and sentenced gave me a walking boot to wear for the next couple of months, along with instructions to, "Rest as much as possible, with your foot elevated."

I had a good chuckle over that one.  Any other stay at home mom's have a lot of extra time to not chase your toddler/rest as much as possible, with your feet up??  Yeah...didn't think so.  ;)

So...many limp-filled days later, I am finally boot-free and cleared to train again!  I've signed up for a couple of races to help me stay motivated through the potential pain of regaining my strength and endurance.  My big goal is to make it through my half marathon next year, as it falls on Emmett's birthday, and I want to run in memory of him.  We'll see how these next few months go!

Have you ever sustained an injury that prevented you from doing something that you love?  It was mind-numbingly frustrating, to say the least!  I'm grateful I didn't need surgery, but holy recovery, Batman!  It's like I never even started running in the first place.

Anyway.  That's my story of my broken foot/getting back to the thing that makes me happy.  I'll try to continue sharing some of my running experience, as it's such an important part of who I'm becoming.