Say it Loud, Say it Proud

Ignore my previous post.

I woke up this morning significantly more uncomfortable than I was yesterday. I knew I couldn't run today, even though I wanted to, when the first thing I did when I got out of bed was take an 800 milligram Motrin. I decided to go the doctor not beacause I couldn't handle the pain, but because I wanted whatever is wrong with my hip to be made well as quickly as possible so that I can run again. Soon. As in a couple of days. Or tomorrow.

I head to the doctor, he asks his questions, pokes my hip several times(which felt like someone poking a really tender bruise), does some crazy manipulations of my hips and informs me that "You can start running again in 4 to 6 weeks, maybe." Whaaaaaaat???? That was not what I wanted to hear! "The injury you have is caused by running, specifically increasing your distance or pace in too short an amount of time." Ha! I have increased my distance in the last two weeks and dropped my pace average by almost a minute! "I was doing so well" I tell him. "I am on a roll, this is going to totally screw it up!" I then began to negotiate with him about how I could get back to running sooner. Ice it? Elliptical? Stretching? What if I just run a little, or not as fast? And as I am trying get his permission to continue an activity which is making it painful to sit, much less run, then, my friends, I realize

I AM NOW OFFICALLY A RUNNER!

What's in a Name?

I have been running for one year. When I started last October to prepare for a turkey trot I never imagined how much I would come to enjoy running!
I have asked myself many times at what point does one become an official runner. When can you call yourself a runner without feeling like a poser? People who run marathons are clearly runners. People who run 5,6,7 miles as if they were out for a Sunday walk are runners. People who think running is easy are runners. I will say that running has gotten easier, but it still isn't easy. I feel like a fraud calling myself a runner, even though I have run in the snow, in the sunshine, in a 15 degree windchill, along the beach, along the mountains, at 7,000 feet and at 7 feet. I now run on vacations, in the middle of moves and set my alarm to get up at 6AM so that I can get in a run before my day begins. I even check the tide schedule for the sole purpose of determining if I can run on the beach or if I need to run on the pavement. However, those things don't make me feel "official." They never made me feel like I had earned the right to call myself a runner. But, today as I hobbled around the house, feeling my hip click thanks to IT band bursitis and as I painted my toes the darkest color I own to cover the bruising under my big toe nails I decided, that I can, with no shame, call myself a runner.

First Day!

Today was our first day of homeschooling! It was so nice to start the morning stress, tear and anxiety free. Quite honestly, it was amazing. Mornings used to be so awful here.

Our day went really well, and I am actually looking forward to Wednesday. Tomorrow we meet for class day with the homeschool co-op that we joined so we won't be doing school work at home. Isabella will be taking an arts and crafts class, beginning Spanish and a cooking class. Ali will be in a preschool class. I am required to work two of the three periods. They intentionally leave a period open for the moms to give them time to visit with one another. How nice!


Here are some pictures from our first day.

Big Day!

I tried to take a picture of Isabella this morning but both of our cameras need to be recharged. The title of the picture was going to be "Last Day of School." Today is Isabella's last day of public school. Monday we start homeschooling! She is thrilled, I am thrilled. It is all good!