Putting It Out There and Moving On!

Well it's been a minute...  I'm a little surprised my password still worked to open my blog!  It's been an interesting two years, to say the least.  Luckily I've been able to keep up with a lot of running friends and make new some ones through Instagram but the ol' blog is where it all started, right?

I'm still working on my so-called New Years resolutions and deciding what I want this year to become for me but these last couple of years have taught me that even with the best of intentions and a most determined will, sometimes you don't have as much control over whats going to happen as you'd like.

And ok, I will stop being vague now. ;) Where have I been?  Since my last marathon, IMS Arizona in January 2012, I have been battling injury and health issues almost non-stop.  It has been a really hard road, and not just in the lack of running department.  As you can imagine and may know, physically being down affects all aspects of life.  Prior to that last marathon I threw my lower back out, SI joint, during a cross fit workout.  Dang kettle bell swings.  I did a little PT and felt like I could still run the marathon.  Somewhere in the teen miles of IMS my back gave, and just aggravated the injury.  I finished the race, probably shouldn't have, and I haven't been the same since.

While trying to recover from the back injury my health got worse.  I came down with mono.  After a couple months of that and some more testing I found that I had a super fun auto immune disease, Schleroderma.  Luckily it was in the early stages and hadn't affected any of my major organs and I  could learn to be just fine with it, so they said.  Just going thru the diagnosis process and what that meant and how to handle took about 6 draining months.  Lots of different opinions from different doctors, different meds to try and different therapies.  It was and still is pretty overwhelming to know what is the right thing to do and who to believe.  Through it all I've tried to follow my gut.  Sometimes it's worked and sometimes it hasn't.

Probably one of the hardest parts is that whenever I'd start to feel well, in my mind that meant it was time to start running, working out.  I should've kept track of how many times I tried but it's just human nature that when you get your strength back you want to go back out and do what you did before.  I'd find a marathon.  I'd start to make a training schedule.  Get really excited.... and usually in the less than two weeks of running I was either sick or had reinjured my back again.

Then last year I started having horrible side pains that would lay me out for a couple days.  I attributed it to my crappy digestion.  After almost of year of dealing with it I went and had a different round of tests and found that my gallbladder was non-functioning and that it needed to come out.  What the?   It's been almost 3 months since that surgery and there's still some more things that aren't quite working right but we'll save those tests for another day.  I need a break from doctors at the moment.

Even two years later I obviously don't have it all figured out.  My best hypothesis is that I haven't learned what I'm supposed to learn yet.  I'm being knocked down for a reason.  It's physically painful.  And emotionally and mentally tough too.  But I'm incredibly hopeful.  And I KNOW that I'll figure it out eventually.  And I've found some pretty great silver linings...

The last two years I've had some amazing opportunities to support other people.  I've been able to help my husband start a business that has been his dream for at least ten years!  And we've seen it evolve and grow in just a year.  My kids are busier than ever and as they get older I'm seeing how fast this time really does fly by.  They're learning and progressing and turning into actual people! :)  I've learned to appreciate all the little things more and not get so upset over things that just don't matter.  My salon business has grown like crazy and I've been able to have my sister be a part of it over the last year and a half and help her grow her business too.  And even tho I haven't been able to run like I have in the past, I've still been surrounded by amazing runners and been able to support them and even help with some pretty amazing events.

So with some outwardly physical trials, I've had so many more amazing blessings align and come into my life.  It's only January and we have so many things to look forward to this year that are already scheduled!  While none of it is running for me, and I still have health issues to work out, I am optimistic that they will do just that, work out.

I'm gonna ease back into blogging again, sharing what big things we have coming up and maybe some health things I'm trying here and there.  And of course catching up with what I may have missed with all of you... :)  2014 IS GONNA BE AWESOME.  That I know.