Sunday, August 27, 2017

The Recovery RoLlEr CoAsTeR


Up slowly, with anticipation. Down fast, feeling the rush of excitement. And let's throw in a few upside-down loops and quick turns....

That may sound a lot like a roller coaster, but it also kind of parallels my recovery. Thankfully, the slow-moving uphills have been equally neutralized by the thrill of the downhills, so all is good and things are still progressing forward despite a few sudden twists and turns.  I just wish the forward motion was a bit speedier (but, don't we all?).


Here's the nitty gritty of the past week:

Monday
Did you all know there was this little thing happening across most of America? An eclipse, I believe, is what they called it. Well, having been an astronomy dork in my earlier years (and probably still a little bit of that remains), I was all over it. The hubby suggested (a month or so ago), that it would be fun to travel to a spot where we'd be in the Path of Totality, and it did not take much persuading for me to agree.

We could not find lodging anywhere near any of the major towns in the PofT, so we decided to make it a (long) day trip instead. This meant a 3:30 wake-up to be on the road by 4:00 a.m. Our destination? Grand Island, Nebraska. Once there (we arrived around 9:30), we set up camp in a Starbucks parking lot and waited. My fitness for the entire day was a mere 1.5-mile walk with Max (you know, #nevermissaMonday), but the eclipse experience was SO amazing! The sky got dark, the birds freaked out, the temps dropped....and it, indeed, felt like we were experiencing a force far greater than mankind.
The hubby, youngest daughter, Max and myself...
Tuesday
Despite getting home late (after 10:00 p.m.) from our epic eclipse excursion (and not getting to bed until almost midnight), I was able to rise and shine for three miles Tuesday morning. I may have had more than just one chai latte' that morning, though, to keep my eyes open and my brain (somewhat) alert for a long day at the office.
How about a little "filter fun" to jazz up this sleep-deprived walk?
Wednesday
Still bordering on a sleep-deprived state, I didn't get out the door until after 5:30. Seriously, where did all of these college students come from, and what were they doing at 5:45 in the morning on my route (when I have optimum light for a selfie)? Oh yeah, it's THEIR college, not mine. The challenge wasn't knocking out a 5K (in my state of exhaustion), but getting that subtle selfie while being rather inconspicuous in doing so (I know, priorities, right?).
Is this a subtle selfie pose?
Thursday
Since I'm not doing the usual #5at5's these days (the 5-milers at 5 a.m.), Barb and I are calling them #5Kat5 instead...because a 5K walk is much more manageable in the wee hours than a 5-mile walk would be (especially on a work day). I'm pretty grateful to have a runner gal pal who is willing to rise and shine and WALK with me. Don't we all agree that runner friends are the best...and they are more than just "runner" friends, they are genuine friends as well?
the 60-degree temps felt much more walker-friendly than the recent low 50's 
Friday
Since I've been scaling back my miles recently, and had done 3-ish miles the past three mornings, I only walked a couple miles Friday morning, and ended the day with a grand total of three miles (which included a few walks with Max). Similar to running, it feels odd to cut back the miles when you have the energy (and time) to go farther...but it's also necessary to give yourself that down time. Growth and strength come from recovery, right?

A side note--I have mentioned previously, there is a lot of construction going on in my town right now. This gigantic crane (on the college campus) is about the size of a city block in its girth....and we've been told it will be there until sometime next year. It certainly lights up the sky!
Don't be fooled...this is not a glamour shot, but an attempt to keep the bangs off my face in the wind
Saturday
I have been not setting my wake-up alarm on Saturday mornings in recent weeks, and (thus) have not been waking until after 7:00 on most occasions as a result (usually, I wake up before my daily 5:00 a.m. alarm).  I take that as a sign that my body really needs those two extra hours of slumber, so I'm going with it (for now) since I don't have any training plan to follow for upcoming "big"races.  That said, I still want to maintain a "training" mentality and do a longer walk on Saturday mornings.
Even though I'm not back to running, I can dress like I am (in my Grandma's Marathon jacket)
I didn't get out the door until 7:45 for my 5-miler, but all went well. Although it was only five miles, walking those five miles took much longer than running them. By the time I returned home, almost 85 minutes later (which, by the way, also included two potty stops and a few failed selfie pic attempts), I was genuinely tired....I truly felt like I had run twice the distance (85 minutes is close to what my usual finish time would have been for a 10-miler had I been running). That 5-mile adventure was my longest continuous distance in a few weeks, and it felt good to have that hurts-so-good influx of endorphins at the finish. There were a couple of short walks with Max, but that was it for the day's fitness.

Sunday
I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m., but ignored it and let myself snooze a little longer (like two hours longer LOL). The hubby joined me, and we did approximately three fast-paced miles. A bonus? My hair still had all of the previous evening's beachy waves still intact (again, #priorities).
Walking with the hubby, keeping in step with each other....
Over all, it was a solid week, even with the scaled back mileage. My sleep was majorly compromised, with our trip to the eclipse on Monday, and it felt like it took the entire week to make up those lost hours of sleep. Keeping the miles moderate was a necessity, not only for my sleep deprivation, but also for my continued recovery. My mileage came in around 26...which is even less than the previous week's 30, but that's where it really needs to be for now (possibly even less).

In case you missed them, here's what was posted last week:
**Scaling Back
**Fitness and Photos
**RuNfEsSiOnS for August

Road to Recovery update:
Mobility has really improved a lot recently! I'm finally able to take the stairs like normal, both going up AND (at long last) going down. I have returned to wearing the compression sleeve (for most of the day), and that really seems to help.

Range of Motion is vastly improving as well. I'm still not able to bend my leg enough to run (or take the steps "by two's"), but I have noticed my knee bending more and more without my needing to make a conscious effort to do it. My patience is wearing thin, but I am holding on. I refuse to force anything on my knee until I have clearance from my surgeon (after all, this is his field of specialty, not mine).

The suture site gave me a bit of a scare recently, but seems to be healing well none the less. The drainage has pretty much come to a halt, perhaps a result of wearing the compression, and that is a huge milestone. I met with my surgeon on Thursday, and he noted the improvement and was very optimistic about how well things are healing. There has been a continuous "bulge" on the top of my knee, most likely bursa fluid that has not been reabsorbing as quickly as we'd hoped. He aspirated most of the fluid out, and sent it to the lab to check on the cultures...more for peace of mind than out of concern. The good news is that the fluid has not reappeared (at least it doesn't appear to have done so). He suggested I keep the compression on it for now, which may help with keeping everything "compressed and in place." I actually prefer to have the compression, anyways, because I notice the suture site feels a lot more "tight" without it (and my range of motion is not as good). We'll have the lab report back Monday or Tuesday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed nothing sketchy shows up.

In other  news:

Did you see my #FridayFashionFlair post on my Instagram page? Each week, I seem to get more and more positive feedback, and this post garnered a lot of attention. Black and brown seems to be a color combo that has been taboo for a long time, which is why I love the challenge of making it work! We all know I love my cheetah print accessories, so there you go. These colors naturally appear in nature (or at least on animals), why not try them for yourself? I'd love to see your Friday outfit (or ANY favorite outfit for that matter)...play along---> post your pic, use the #FridayFashionFlair hashtag, and tag me (@runningonthefly), C'mon, join the party!
Black and brown for the win
Friday also was a much anticipated hair appointment day! It's the little things, right? My hair seems to keep getting darker (and darker), especially those nasty roots that are front and center above my face. UGH. I know, I should be grateful there aren't any greys (well, there probably are a few grey hairs, but they are hidden from my vantage point). First world probs and all, I should not let this little annoyance be such an issue...but the constant upkeep is high-maintenance. 
Traffic light selfie...#noshame
Our youngest went back to school on Thursday, and is now a senior! What the WHAT? How did that happen? It seems like we just sent her off to preschool...like yesterday (?).
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First day of preschool...and senior year (sniff sniff)
And, last of all, did you know Saturday was National Dog Day? Did you celebrate or, at least, honor your dog? We've had Max since January of 2015, and he's been such a great little guy (when he's not ransacking the kitchen garbage or marking his "spot" on the living room rug). We adopted him from a nearby shelter, and he has brought us so much joy, laughter, and non-stop companionship.
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Maxton McArthur
So, that's the latest and greatest! How was your week? Are your kiddos back in school? Have you ever gone through a recovery that felt like a roller coaster ride?

I'm linking up with Teresa (on behalf of Holly and Tricia) for the Weekly Wrap. Please join us!



I'm also Linking up with the Jess's...Jessie from The Right Fits and Jess from Jess Runs Atlanta for their weekend link-up.
Linking up with the Jess's


49 comments:

  1. I have become high maintenance, whether I want to or not. My hair is about 50% or more gray and I have a standing 4 week appointment with my colorist. It doesn't make me happy, but I'd rather do that than go natural. I'm not ready to look my age yet!

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    1. Gosh, every 4 weeks would be tough! I'm going (usually) every 8 weeks, but this last appointment got bumped back a week when I had to see the surgeon's PA a week ago...and my roots looked SCARY!

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  2. I love how excited you were about the eclipse! I remember that swirl gear shirt too!

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    1. I wished I would have gotten more Swirl gear when it was available. I got the memo they were selling everything at huge discounts...and when I finally went to their site, everything was gone ;-(

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  3. What a fun adventure for your family to chase down the eclipse. It passed by Hawaii while we were sleeping and was certainly not anywhere near totality ...so we didn't even bother.

    I have to giggle at your comment regarding the college students invading 'your' walking route. That's exactly how I felt numerous times this past week in Hawaii ....I kept saying that I wished all of the annoying 'tourists' would go away!!! lol

    Hang in there girl, your recovery may not be as quick as you'd like (they never are, are they?), but you are making huge strides and you WILL get back to running!

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    1. Ha! All those annoying tourists drive me nuts when I'm visiting a new place, too. Thanks for your encouragement!

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  4. Congrats on another great week. I like that you scaled back the mileage this week to give your legs a rest!

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    1. This is my third week of scaling back...and so far, all is well. In all honesty, I really don't miss all the extra afternoon & evening miles I was doing....and I'm sure my legs (and Voldemort himself) appreciate the extra TLC.

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  5. A trek to the path of totality sounds totally fun! Yikes on all the traffic on the way home. I'm still crossing everything for you for good lab results this week!

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    1. Thanks, Marcia ;-) I will be so relieved to get the lab results back...even if the news isn't ideal, at least it will give me some perspective & direction. I have a 13.1 in November that I need to get started on, after all.

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  6. Great job with your walking! One night of less sleep can really throw me off for awhile. Any time I sleep past 5 I know that I must need the extra rest!

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    1. I usually function alright with limited sleep (typically I'm not asleep before 11:30 anyways)...but this week has really had me exhausted.

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  7. So cool that you drove to the P.O.T. -- totally worth it I'm sure! (was that a pun? half of one?) I think you are smart to let yourself sleep in on Saturdays. I set my alarm for 6, but usually wake up at 5:30 -- although I might go back to sleep.

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    1. I know my body is tired when it doesn't wake up "early," usually I wake up before the alarm most mornings LOL It's great your son got to experience the eclipse! It was a life-changing thing to witness firsthand ;-)

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  8. Glad to hear that your healing albeit slowly. You're patience is exemplary! Our youngest just flew to Budapest to start her fall semester abroad and we will be visiting her in a couple of weeks!

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  9. lol being inconspicuous is really the trick with selfies! I was just having this conversation with a friend on Friday night. I've come to the point where I just don't care what other people think anymore.

    Great week of work! Glad to hear that the drainage has stopped and everything is still going well! Sounds like you really enjoyed your cutback week!

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    1. Well, I have to be subtle because my town is not too large and (most) everybody knows (most) everyone else LOL

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  10. That is so cool that you took a road trip to nebraska to see the eclipse. I didn't see much of anything here bit those who did said it was awesome. I may have to make more of an effort to learn where the next one will be.

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    1. I know the next one is in 2014...and I'm already planning to see that one as well!

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  11. Your eclipse experience was so much better than mine. It didn't get dark here nor did the temperature drop. That picture of your school in preschool is cute!

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  12. How cool to be able to get to the path of totality. Would've been a major trip for us & since I didn't have glasses and there wasn't much to see otherwise . . . mostly I just watched some on tv.

    Good job on scaling back AND being active.

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    1. The scaling back is still a work in progress....I probably should be scaling back a bit further...

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  13. Looks like the scaling back is paying off - and you still got great mileage! Fingers-crossed for you lab results.

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  14. Glad to hear the walking is still going well, and despite cutting back a little, you are still staying on the move! I'm glad to hear you can finally walk down stairs easily and you continue heal properly! I'm so jealous at your view of the eclipse! My trip to Nebraska was just a week too soon!

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    1. Yes, what's up with your trip being a week too soon? ;-)

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  15. Those darn college students. I work at a university, and student move in was last week, and the first day of the semester is today. I used the running path at lunch last week, and it was quite busy. I don't know how having students back will affect that.

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    1. I was just so surprised to see so many of them headed towards the workout center that early in the morning...

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  16. Great week! I am long overdue to get my hair done. I scheduled an appointment for Friday though.

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    1. The hair appointments are a necessary evil...but worth it!

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  17. The photos took a while to load so when I first read the black and brown combo - my initial thought was, "No that won't work" and then when the photos loaded, I was pleasantly surprised! That combo is super fabulous! Wow!

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    1. ha ha!! thanks ;-) The black and brown of those color combos that actually looks much better than it sounds.

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  18. It sounds like a great week! I loved your description of being able to see the total eclipse :)

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  19. How fun to go on an eclipse watching day trip. I would have loved that too!

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  20. So cool you got to be in the Path of Totality (which sounds pretty scary, doesn't it ha ha). I had to laugh at being inconspicuous with selfies. Usually I'm the only one out, but sometimes when others are out I get annoyed that I have to stop and pretend to pluck a rock out of my shoe or something until they pass so I can get the selfie!

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    1. ha ha ha...I've done the rock-plucking maneuver, too LOL

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  21. Fingers crossed your fluid culture will come back negative!

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  22. I think your black and brown looks FAB!!

    And I'm super proud of you for holding your head high through recovery. Slow and steady, lady.

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    1. Thanks, Rachel. The patience has been a tough one to bear....

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  23. Thanks for joining our link-up! Great post and glad to hear your recovery is going well and you're staying busy with lots of other fun activities :)

    I missed the eclipse entirely....so jealous you go to see it so well!

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    1. The eclipse was pretty epic....too bad they happen more often (at least in places where we can actually see them).

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  24. It's crazy how maintenance our hair requires, right?

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  25. I love that your husband is out walking with you and is fully supporting you in your road to recovery. Keep at it!

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  26. I'm so jealous of your eclipse road trip. We weren't anywhere nearly totality plus it was pretty overcast that day. :-( My friend in WY captured some really cool photos. I should have gone to visit her! LOL A coworker took a trip to ID to see the eclipse, and I was a little jealous of that, too.

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