Finally!

So this summer was crazy for me.  My job at an after school program ended Memorial day weekend, and for the entire month of June my family was dealing with the impending death of my Grandmother.  (Long story short, her health has been on the decline for years so this was not a surprise nor sudden.  Early June she was put into hospice care because she rejected treatment for kidney failure.  Since I wasn't working, I was able to see her one last time while she was still lucid which I will always treasure.  She died the morning of June 29th, and her funeral was two days later.)  The month of July the hubs and I worked on moving out of our apartment and into our house.  Thankfully August was slower, since it was all about settling into our home and routine.  

Then I got a running injury through a rookie mistake that I DEFINITELY knew better than to do.  It happened because I did not allow for a transition period with my new minimalist running shoes.  You're supposed to take it easy no matter how good the shoes feel and work yourself up to your normal mileage gradually.  What did I do?  Hit the ground running, wore them for every single run...and then I had no choice but to slow down.  I could barely walk pain free on flat ground let alone up and down stairs.  It wasn't until the pain was totally unbearable that I said "Okay, I'm listening!"  So I researched using the almighty Google and it was starting to sound like a labreal tear.  The fixes were words most runners dread:  Physical therapy, corticosteroid injections (directly into the hip), NSAIDs, and (worst of all) surgery.  It was then out of fear I turned to running message boards to consult other runners.  I liked my physical therapist that I visited last year for a couple of months for IT band syndrome, but I certainly didn't want to see her again.  Fortunately, it only ended up being bursitis which was a MUCH easier fix:  Rest, ice, and elevation.  After a couple of days I was back on my treadmill walking mostly pain free.  Within a week of the symptoms starting I was able to walk normally again and could perform my duties at my volunteer job. 

That being said, my running routine suffered.  I had been running 3-4 times per week, but with the news of my Grandmother getting ready to pass the grieving and depression set in.  Soon I was lucky to get onto the treadmill twice a week.  Yesterday, finally I felt like I have turned a corner in my running.  I run short intervals of about a minute each of running and walking.  I had been running for 45 minutes, but yesterday I finally ran for an entire hour.  Lately, I have been literally dragging myself onto the treadmill because I've been so discouraged.  Yesterday's run made me remember why I do it:  Because it's as awesome as everybody says.  And now I can't wait for today's run!