My Plans for 2015

I have been kind of holding off on making too many plans for 2015 because of my knee. I had an MRI on Sunday and I am hoping to get some answer soon. I am supposed to be running my first race of the year this Saturday but I am not quite sure if I am going to run it pending the results of the MRI.

I am not in any shape to race so if I am able to run it I will be taking it very easy. I don't like the idea but it is that or nothing at all. I would rather be running at my easy pace than not running at all. I don't have any pain while running which is why I have been given the okay to keep running. I have been keeping my runs in the single digits and the pain has been minimal the following day. My runs have been at my easy pace but I will take it over being completely sidelined which is kind of the worst feeling in the world at times.

As far as races, I have a few that I deferred last year for one reason or another so I am going to take care of those races this year. Here are the races that I have lined up so far:

April 10-11, 2015 So Cal Ragnar Relay

May 24, 2015: Mountains 2 Beach Marathon

June 6, 2015: Fontana Days Run

September 13, 2015: Ventura Half Marathon

I am also considering Phoenix in the end of February and Canyon City in November but I am holding off until I have the knee problem under control. I really dislike the feeling of registering for races and then having to sit them out. The pressure to run them anyway is just crazy!

I am also holding off on setting any big goals for 2015 but as soon as I have some answers I will sort it all out and see what I am physically capable of this year. I have to be patient and I am doing my best to get through this. I hope to get some good news this week so that I can set some goals and finalize my plans for 2015!

Do you have any big plans for 2015?

Here's the Verdict

Prior to having the MRI done on my knee, the orthopedist suspected several different scenarios but without the MRI he could not pin point the problem.  He mentioned several possibilities.

a) I tore my meniscus because the pain was on the side and back of my knee. This would require surgery and I would not be running for quite some time.  This scared me the most!

b)  I had fluid in my knee from the nasty fall I took on Christmas Eve. When the knee experiences trauma this is it's way of trying to fight back and heal. I watched some videos on YouTube of how fluid is drained from a knee and it was not pretty.  I freaked myself out but prepared to have the procedure done if that was what it would take to get me back to running again.

c)  A muscle tear/muscle strain

I took the  CD of the MRI to the doctor yesterday and sat patiently in the room while he hunted down my MRI report.  When he came into the room he wanted to exam my knee again and did not mention what was wrong with my knee so I was really nervous.  He finally started talking and said "the good news is that you do not need surgery and your meniscus is not torn."  Thank You Jesus!  I was relieved to hear that but then he went on to tell me that I did have some fluid in my knee but it was not enough to drain!  Thank You Jesus again!!

So here's the verdict..c) I tore my hamstring.  It is not too serious and will probably heal on it's own if I listen to the doctor's orders.   So here are the doctor's orders so that I can get back to running soon:

1) Physical Therapy for the next 4 weeks-FUN!


2) No Running-DAMN!


3) Stationary Bike-BORING!


4) Ice It-COOL!


5) Ibuprofen-DRUGS!

I really tried to get a time frame from the doctor as to when I can run again but he wasn't having it. I think I was irritating him with the "when can I run again" questions so I stopped! I go for a follow-up in four weeks to see how I am doing and hopefully I can run again! Until then, I will be on the stationary bike hating life patiently waiting until I can get back out there! I guess I should be thankful that it wasn't anything serious that requires surgery!

The Tunnel of Love!

My MRI was finally approved (yes, I have an HMO) and I had it done this afternoon.  The technician explained to me how the process worked, gave me a set of ear plugs, explained how noisy it would be, put some headphones on my head and then finally handed me a little device to squeeze in case I needed him (AKA:the panic button.) It seemed like a pretty simple process so I wasn't nervous at all.

I hate hospitals and most of all I hate needles so if it doesn't involve any of those two things, I am good. Today was an exception and I almost had a panic attack! I was laying on the bed all ready to go and it was moving further and further into the tunnel!  I almost has a panic attack thinking that I was going all the way in. I was just about to ask the technician how far he was sending me into the tunnel of love and then it stopped. Thank You Jesus! The top of that tunnel is about two inches from your face and there is just no way I could endure that for more than two minutes.

The MRI lasted about twenty minutes and was very, very noisy. First it sounded like someone was hammering away in my ears and then it switched to the sound of a car alarm going off endlessly!! It was the longest and noisiest twenty minutes of my life and I was very glad/relieved when it was done. I was getting pretty thirsty and bored staring at the word "SIEMENS" and listening to elevator music.

I have an appointment to see the orthopedic doctor in the morning and I am hoping that nothing is seriously wrong! Until then, only this guys knows what is really going on!

Wish me luck!  I hope that I have good news to report back to everyone tomorrow!

Everything Happens for a Reason

If you follow my blog you already know that I was not able to run the Surf City Marathon yesterday.  I thought about it all week and just got more and more depressed about it.  I am dealing with some knee pain right now and made the decision to put the run off and give myself some time to heal.  The pain is still the same and I finally saw an orthopedic doctor last week and he ordered an MRI of my left knee. I am scheduled to have the MRI done this week so I am hoping for good news.  He has given me a number of possible scenarios of which none are good but as long as I don't have to go under the knife I am good! I am hoping it is not joint related but I have started drinking this stuff to keep my joints greased since I am not getting any younger! My friend Maura swears by it and has advised me to try it out.

God works in mysterious ways and I am now kind of glad that Surf City did not happen for me. I woke up on Saturday morning and decided that I would get my Starbucks and start taking care of some things on my To Do List. When I opened the door of my car, I smelled a really bad odor..like rotten eggs!  It was pretty nasty.  I started searching all over the car trying the figure out where the smell was coming from but nothing in the car was causing the smell.  My son is notorious for leaving food among other things in the car but it wasn't him this time.  I gave up looking for the smell and pushed the Start button on my car and then I saw this warning light....CHECK BATTERY!

I drive a hybrid and the battery in a Toyota Prius is not the same as a battery in a non-hybrid so you can't just run down to the auto part store and buy a new one. The hybrid is pretty new so most mechanics don't even want to touch it! I know that the car has two batteries but I wasn't even sure where to find them!  Had I not decided to run the Surf City Marathon I would have gotten in my car to drive to the Expo and ended up with this nightmare.  I would have had a massive panic attack so maybe it wasn't meant to be! So I was forced to stay home for most of the day on Saturday until my car was fixed.

Thank God for AAA because the first 7 miles are free and any miles after that are on you. The dealership was 5 miles away so I didn't have to pay anything to have the car towed. I guess it could have been worse but $400 later I have my car again. The service department was so busy so it  took the entire day to fix my car. The rotten egg smell was coming from the battery because it was not only dead, but also leaking. All I can think about now is how much $400 could have bought me at Lululemon versus buying a hybrid battery!

WISH ME LUCK ON MY MRI!!  I miss running so much that I just wear my new running shoes around the house and just stare at them!  Really...I do!! I can't wait to break them in!!