Six months post accident

Today marks six months since I was hit by a car while running. While I found information on pelvic fractures in the elderly, I could not find much for younger people and nothing for runners. If someone has a pelvic fracture and has questions (or needs to vent), I am always available.

Flashback:
Super Bowl Sunday (February 2nd) I was scheduled to go for my 10 mile run during my Glass Slipper Challenge training. I successfully complete a HOT 5 mile run the day before so in order to beat the heat, I ran at 6 am. My plan was to run up the hotel zone in Cancun. I figured this would be the easiest and safest route since I did not have to cross any roads. A little over half way through my run, I heard a loud noise and turned to the side. I had a split second to process a car was sliding towards me. The pain was excruciating. I was on all fours screaming (I am not too proud to admit this). Later, I figured this was because I was putting pressure on my broken pelvis. 

Despite the corruption of the tourist police of Cancun, I was eventually able to find out that the guy who hit me was drunk. He went over the median, two lanes of traffic, and the curb to hit me. This was at 7:10 in the morning. The ring in my pelvis was stable so I was able to fly home and did not need surgery. My American doctor diagnosed me to have three fractures in my pelvis which required 6 weeks of non weight bearing on my right leg. I could not move. It took all my strength to get out of the wheelchair to go to the bathroom. By week 2, I noticed significant muscle loss in my right leg and butt. I started physical therapy later that week and continued physical therapy for 16 weeks. This was a huge turning point for me because it helped wake up my muscles so by my 6 week checkup I could start walking with crutches. A week later, no crutches (yes, I still got sore if I tried to push myself too hard the first or two after I started walking). I missed almost all of my winter and spring races, but salvaged the NJ Half by signing up for the relay and walking my portion of the race.

Shortly after that I was cleared to run. It was 12 weeks and 3 days after the accident. Four weeks after I started running I was able to complete my first race- Hibiscus 5 miler. 

blurry action shot

Today:
I am mostly symptom free there are still a couple of issues. My achilles feels like there is a knot or something movable on it. It was bothering me since I started walking, but with a recent week off of running it has been pain free. 

Recently while walking I felt a pain in my pelvis (roughly 5 1/2 months post accident). I am not sure if I just twisted my leg slightly while walking or what, but every once in awhile I felt a pain. It did not seem to bother me running until a week or so later. After the Electric Run I took a week off from running, cycling, everything except strength training. The next run I had was in Mexico City and it went well. I do not feel pain, but it feels like my pelvis/hip area is always popping in and out of place. Example: like cracking your elbow or another joint. Oh yes I did survive running in Mexico this time. I ran along a major road but then into a park. No cars here.

There are smaller issues that I am not sure will clear up. My hip flexors are always tight if I am not always stretching them (like at my desk during the day type stuff). I seem to have worse circulation in my right leg. Whenever I crouch down where my leg and knee are bent then stand up, my leg then feel like the it was asleep and painfully waking up. This is only after a few seconds. Other than those issues, all of my other pains and symptoms have cleared up. I am still a lot weaker and slow than before, but am working on it. My longest run post accident has been 7 miles and I plan on duplicating that next weekend.

Moving Forward:
I have an aggressive plan for the fall. The Philly Rock n Roll Half Marathon in September, the Wineglass Half Marathon in October, and the Philly Marathon in November. I am seriously considering downgrading the marathon to the half marathon. While for the most part I am meeting my mileage marks, I am so much weaker than where I feel I should be for training for a marathon. The deadline I give myself is the end of August. I will see how my body responds to adding more miles while I really get into half marathon training. Even if I have to downgrade, being able to compete and complete these races will be a huge accomplishment. It is not about winning a race, but about being able to run. I feel fortune and blessed to be at the point I am. I just want to get out there and run.



Don't forget to vote for me for the Runner's World cover contest 

or if please consider donating towards the Wounded Warrior Project. Every dollar helps! I am running my first half marathon post injury and hoping to raise $500.

Hibiscus 5 Miler recap

This race offers a half marathon, 15k, and 5 miler. I originally had signed up for the Hibiscus 15k, but since I only started running a few weeks prior there was no way I would be able to run 9.3 miles. I downgraded a month or so before the race and concentrated on training. The week before I was able to run 4 miles so I was pretty confident about the 5 miler. This was going to be my first race since my injury that I was going to be able to run. Going into it, my hip felt fine. I have no more pain from my fractured pelvis. What I do have to worry about is endurance and strength. Everything is still weaker which means I wear down a lot sooner. 

The expo:
There was none. There were three opportunities to pick up your packet. I chose the one in Kailua since this is where I was staying. Kailua is a town about half an hour from Honolulu. I received a sweet blue shirt which said 'Half Marathon' on it. I feel kinda badly taking one since I was only doing a 5 miler, but hey, it's a free shirt. 

shirt design and bib

Race day:
All three races had an ungodly early 5:30 am start time to avoid the Hawaiian heat. To get there in time, I had a 3:20 am wake up time and was out the door by 4:30 am. I wasn't quite on Hawaiian time so it was not overly painful waking up at that time, but a lot of green tea was still consumed. 

There was parking at the Honolulu Zoo and by Diamonhead plus any street parking you could find. The zoo lot was a little after 5:00 am so we went up and down the streets looking for parking. Finally we found a spot kinda far away. I remember thinking 'well this will be my warm up.' Unfortunately I really had to pee before the race and not surprisingly there was a massive line at the bathrooms in Kapiolani Park. I learned while waiting in line that they do not put up porta potties because of the multiple bathrooms in the park. What the race organizers do not realize is that our building (and I assume others) only had 3 stalls. There were times the guy bathroom would be empty and females would start taking turns going in. 5:30 came and we saw the runners go by. Finally around 5:40 my bladder was drained and I was at the start line.

My race:
While I was not stressing about starting late, the people at the start line were trying to rush people through. I haphazardly threw my iphone into my armband and started my Nike Plus app. Unfortunately my Garmin was still on the Big Island. I left it in our rental car and seriously debated flying back to the Big Island to pick it up. It would have been cheaper than buying a new one! Luckily the people at Avis found it and would be shipping it back to my house in PA. 

The race apparently had about 2000 people sign up and 1700 runners on race day.  Since I was starting 10 minutes late, this meant very few people were around when I started out. 

beginning of the race

The first section of the race runs along the park. My legs immediately felt heavy. All the walking and hiking had taken its toll. I kept trying to focus on the race and my music and not think about how I felt like I was carrying bowling balls on my feet. 

blurry picture courtesy of my husband

Miles 2 and 3 were dominated by the climb up and around Diamondhead. These were also the best views of the race. You could look out over the ocean and see the sun shining down on the surfers. Wish I could have taken a picture of it, but my new armband very tightly seals my iphone in. Too hard to get in and out. Even though I slowed down considerably going uphill, I really started passing people. There were quite a number of walkers doing the 5 miler. I also started seeing people going the opposite direction. I assume these were all of the fast 5 mile racers. By 2 1/2 miles I kept looking for a turnaround point, but still nothing. It wasn't until mile 3 that the 5 milers started to turn around. There was no turn around sign or marker but I noticed a bunch of walkers turning onto another road. I decided to go with my gut and follow them and asked the policeman down the road if I was going the right way. Thankfully I was. Once I turned around it was all down hill and I got a second wind. Nike Plus said I went from a 12:00 minute pace going up to a 10:14 pace going down. The last stretch runs alongside the Kapiolani Park. 

I could see the finish line in the distance and it just motivated me to "sprint" as fast as my legs would take me. 

right in front of the finish line, I'm in the pink

After the race a guy I was running close to said I inspired him to go faster since I was "sprinting" down the hills. Heck I just let gravity do its thing! My official time was 1:00:05 with a 11:27 pace. My unofficial Nike Plus time was 59:58 at a 11:14 pace. 

Every racer got the same half marathon medal. Again I felt badly having a medal that said half marathon, but I wasn't about to turn one away. 

After the race I was also able to meet up with a fellow Instagram runner- @paleorunner808.

Before we left the park, my husband treated me to shaved ice. (PS: apparently in Honolulu shaved ice is a snow cone. Definitely not the case in others parts of Hawaii. Very disappointing.)

The course:
Hilly. Hot. I did not anticipate the long hill up about 1/4 of the way through the race. It felt like I was going uphill the whole race. But what goes up, must come down. The second half was much easier since it was downhill. 

(source: Tropical Triple Crown)

The half marathon, 15k, and 5 miler all start at the same place and finish at the same place. This means three turn around points on the course below.

(source: Tropical Triple Crown)

The 5 miler course split off right around mile 3 at Fort Ruger Park. This was not marked off at all. I only knew to turn because I saw some walkers make the turn. Not sure if the 15k had their turn around point marked off. Also, the course also seemed to be quite off 5 miles. My Nike Plus app had me at 5.34 miles. I did the course on Map My Run and it estimates 5.35 miles. Unfortunately this messes up my estimated pace. The math is not hard- 5 mile race at 1 hour and I have an 11:27 minute pace?

Final Thoughts:

I would do the course again mainly because I like smaller races that still give the impression of big races. There are definitely improvements to be made though. The course needs better signs and more refreshment stands along the way. It was hot and humid so water was necessary. One great aspect about the race was the yummy after race snacks- tons of fruit (watermelon, bananas, oranges) plus snacks (chips, oreos, energy bars). There was a huge tub of water you could refill your dixie cup with. 

Next up: Red Rose Run (still not signed up for, but planning to sign up)

Marathon Training: Week 1

This post is a few days late.... oops.

The Philadelphia Marathon is on November 23rd which means I am on a 29 week marathon plan. Hal Higdon has a 30 week plan so I edited it to work with my schedule. I included the Hibiscus 5 miler, Maryland's Women's Sprint Duathlon, Rock n Roll Half Marathon, and the Wineglass Half Marathon. In addition to my races I have signed up for, I added cycling as my cross training and at the beginning used it instead of walking.

Hal Hidgon's plan minus the first week. This is the plan I am editing slightly to my schedule.

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice Supreme

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	1.5 m run	3 m run	1.5 m run	Rest	3.5 m run	35 min walk
2	Rest	1.5 m run	3 m run	1.5 m run	Rest	3 m run	40 min walk
3	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	1.5 m run	Rest	4 m run	30 min walk
4	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	3 m run	45 min walk
5	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	4.5 m run	30 min walk
6	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	3 m run	50 min walk
7	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	5 m run	30 min walk
8	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2.5 m run	Rest	3 m run	55 min walk
9	Rest	2 m run	3 m run	2.5 m run	Rest	5.5 m run	30 min walk
10	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	3 m run	60 min walk
11	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m run	30 min walk
12	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m run	Cross
13	Rest	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	Rest	7 m run	Cross
14	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	Rest	5 m run	Cross
15	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	Rest	9 m run	Cross
16	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	10 m run	Cross
17	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	7 m run	Cross
18	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12 m run	Cross
19	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	13 m run	Cross
20	Rest	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	10 m run	Cross
21	Rest	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15 m run	Cross
22	Rest	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	16 m run	Cross
23	Rest	4 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12 m run	Cross
24	Rest	4 m run	9 m run	5 m run	Rest	18 m run	Cross
25	Rest	5 m run	9 m run	5 m run	Rest	14 m run	Cross
26	Rest	5 m run	10 m run	5 m run	Rest	20 m run	Cross
27	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	12 m run	Cross
28	Rest	4 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	8 m run	Cross
29	Rest	3 m run	4 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Marathon

(source: Hal Hidgon)

Week 1:
Sunday: bonus day added to training- 2 miles


Monday: PT- 1 mile- 5.2 mph which is a 11:32 minute mile


Tuesday: 1 mile outside, tired after running three straight days. My body is not used to that anymore. 


Wednesday: PT- 1 mile- faster speed- 5.3 mph- had a break from Tuesday morning until Wednesday evening so felt better. Upped the speed on the treadmill to 5.3 mph (11:12  mile pace)


Thursday: 6 miles cycling- great practice because it is a bike/running path not used by many and crosses only over 3 roads but also 2 railroads (ouch). Both sides of my pelvic bones were hurting. I'm hoping they just need some time to get used to cycling.


Friday: rest day. Not normally a rest day for me, but my husband and I had to go out of town. Have to be flexible!


Saturday: long run day! 3 miles outside at 11:24 minute mile. Thought it would have been slower because it was hot and sticky out. The time makes me feel like I am making progress. Hopefully it means when the weather is perfect this weekend- low temperatures in the mid to high 40s- I'll be inching closer to 11 minute mile.


Sunday: rest day- Since it was Mother's Day I spent with my family

Goal for upcoming week: keep up with running 1 mile at PT, cross train with the elliptical and spinning bike, 4 miles Saturday- will prepare me for the 5 miler on the 25th. Hope to do 1 day a week at "speed" training. Just basically trying to run faster, more for speed than endurance. Later in training will get back to intervals, fartlek, tempo runs, etc.