Half way there!

Today marks my first race missed. I would have completed the Enchanted 10k this morning and started preparing for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. The Glass Slipper Challenge would have been a really good test for me and a first step towards mentally preparing for a marathon. I have been really positive throughout this experience, but missed race days might be my weakness. I will be avoiding Instagram (@ladylionrunner) for sure this weekend.

(Glass Slipper Challenge medals I would have earned- image from runDisney)

On a more positive note, tomorrow registration opens for the Marine Corps Marathon lottery. My goal for 2014 is to be able to complete this race. It might be a bit ambitious considering I'm sitting in a wheelchair right now, but I have more determination than ever!

Today also marks the end of three weeks. The doctor said 6 to 8 weeks so it potentially means I’m halfway to healing the bone! I started PT this week to help keep as much muscle as possible. I worked on range of motion exercises and stretching out the hip. I already feel a difference and it feels amazing. When laying down, I can slowly bring my leg up and bend my knee. I feel incredibly tight so any stretching or movement is really needed. The PT also said once the doctor gives the ok I can work on running in the pool. Looks like I’ll be in the market for an exercise bathing suit. I considered training for triathlons after all my races for 2014 so I will still be able to use the bathing suit after PT is over. Any recommendations on what type?

Two week progress

Swelling has gone down, although my foot is still sensitive. My back feels a lot better, but not quite 100%. Today I can hear popping in my sore rib. The doctor in Mexico said a fracture might develop later even if he could not see one on the X-ray. I still have a black and blue elbow but it is not sensitive to touch anymore. I have been working on using the crutches but still feel like a baby giraffe learning how to walk.

I can sit for longer periods without feeling sore, but my rear end is pretty much always sore. With running, I am use to being hungry ALL the time but now I’m rarely really hungry. With a few exceptions I am trying to keep up with eating well.

I have had some good milestones these past couple of weeks. For one, I can get to the bathroom on my own. I can get in and out of bed although I still need helping prepping the bed to go to sleep. I was able to take the crutches downstairs, but I do not feel steady enough to do this without someone nearby. These little movements have made me feel more independent.

My Glass Slipper Challenge and Cherry Blossom 10 miler were both deferred. Unfortunately the Hershey 10k would not defer my entry. I am still hoping to be able to walk the NJ Half, but I will know more once I get to talk to the PT. The doctor has allowed me to do some basic movements in order to help keep muscle atrophy at bay. I fully expect to be able to run by the Hibiscus 15k although I am not sure how much training I will be able to get in. Before being hit, I joined a Glass Slipper Challenge group on Facebook. It is really disheartening to see the excited ladies talk about their costumes or the details of the race. I had to leave the group so I could avoid negative thoughts. Luckily I bought outfits I could reuse for running anytime. However, I was wearing the red Under Armour compression shorts when I got hit. (of course that was my first time wearing them grr) We simply could not get them off and over my broken hip without cutting them. 

My new goal is to register for the Marine Corps Marathon. It is a lottery system this year so I may or may not get it, but I want that to be my ultimate goal back to health. 

And now starting from the beginning...

Everything in my life changed in an instant. One minute I was training for the Glass Slipper Challenge and the next minute I was on the ground in extreme pain.

The Glass Slipper Challenge is a runDisney race which consists of the Enchanted 10k on the Saturday and the Disney Princess Half Marathon on the Sunday. This race was my first back-to-back race and my first I had to travel for. I was excited to get out of the bitter cold that had been hanging around all winter. I much rather run in the cold than the heat, but this was a particularly rough winter. Immediately after the Glass Slipper Challenge, I would have to start training for my three races in April. While I had run most of my life, I had just started racing the year before with the Hershey 10k as my first race. 

On January 31st, my friends and I traveled down to Cancun for a mini vacation. This was the end of week 7 out of 10 of my Glass Slipper Challenge training. I would have to complete a 5 mile and 10 mile run. My 5 mile run was later in the morning when the temperatures were in the 80s. The miserable heat convinced me to wake up early the next day and start my run right at sunrise. At 5:15 am, I woke up and started my pre-run routine. Shortly after 6 am I started running up the hotel zone of Cancun. Further up the hotel zone there is a walking path maybe 10 feet off of the road. I stuck to that path and hit the end of the hotel zone then turned around. The walking path had just ended right before the Grand Park Royal so I went back to the sidewalk, running against the traffic. At 7:10 and about 5.73 into my run I heard a loud noise and turn around. I saw a car sliding towards me. There simply wasn't enough time to get out of the way. The car hit me and I felt pain I could never explain.

(my ride back to the resort after being at the police station)

Pelvis fractured in three places, contusion on my lower back, what felt like bruised ribs, minor whiplash, my entire leg was swollen and tingling, all of my muscles felt tight and sore. I learned at the hospital a drunk driver crossed the median, two lanes of traffic, hopped the curb, and had hit me.

I started this blog to chronicle my recovery back to running. I no longer think of trying for a PR or working on building on my distance for my ultimate goal of a running a marathon. Right now I am trying to mend my hip to get back out on the road. I want to come back stronger than ever and am determined to do so.