Acceptence and healing ties in with forgivness and moving on. I accept my body is different from what it was, I forgive it for letting me down, I heal it with gentleness and I move on. Yoh all of that is hard. And all of that is absolutely truthful.
The Doc says I am not to run again, EVER. I still can't imagine my life without running. But I do get glimpses of that. I walked 3kms twice this week. I connected a bit and breathed fresh air. I spoke to my angels. I wanted to know if my running angel was feeling a bit ham-strung - he showed me my shadow and all the glorious bits that were working and to focus on what I can do and NOT on what I can't do. Actually it was a very clear message - thank you for that.
I am gaining a measure of accepance of the gym.
I have made changes in my life before and I can do it again. There is that saying something like when a door closes a window opens.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Beautiful seasons
 |
| I love the change of seasons and I love living in an area where we see and feel the changes. This is looking out from Kayla's window. She is a beautiful tree dressed in her Autumn frock. |
And in such contrast to the above the beautiful shades of summer are still in the garden. This is a Tecomaria capensis - Cape Honeysuckle. It flowers profusely at this time of the year but tends to give some flowers most times of the year.
I planted Dahlias last summer (2010) and they absolutely thrived this summer. I have never cut so many flowers as I have off this plant. This is the Dahlia Edinburgh variation.
A brief update on the back - the pain is unrelenting and constant. The MRI reveals I have no disk at L5/S1 and very little disk at L4/L5. The recommendation is disk replacement on both but if this is not possible then a fusion at L4 and disk replacement at L5. My head is better adjusted for surgery now but it still scares me.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Be patient and have faith
It appears my back has packed up. The last running I did was in December and I miss it desperately. I have had a back scan and there is massive imflammation in the sacro-illiac joints plus there is still the arthritus. I have had a cortisone injection (tooo einaa sore!) - which I had 20 Feb 3.5 weeks ago. There has been some measure of relief but really not a lot. I am working with a Biokinetist and still doing pilates in a bid to strengthen up the core. The mornings are just too hectic with pain but generally it gets a bit better during the day. I am walking and started running 1 minute for every 4 mins walking. It feels fine when I run and I can't work out if it increases the pain a day or 2 later. The next step is an MRI and then who knows. I am not quite ready for the next step.
I am really working hard on staying positive and being patient and not being rude to my body and treating the pain with respect. Gosh don't I sound grown-up. Trust me I don't feel like it much of the time.
I am really working hard on staying positive and being patient and not being rude to my body and treating the pain with respect. Gosh don't I sound grown-up. Trust me I don't feel like it much of the time.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wild wild thang....
Wow that run was wild - wild landscape, wild distances, wild beauty, wild coastline....
3 days in the Transkei on the Wildrun (www.wildrun.co.za), 112 kms and about 21 running hours later. 1 x bruised bashed knee, 1 x vrot toe - no skin left, 1 x very proud person.
Fi and I flew down on Wed and then caught the transfer bus to Kei mouth. There was lots of nervous cheeky chatter in the bus with most people saying they hadn't trained enough - hmph those that say that the loudest are the biggest fibbers! We had briefing, dinner unpacked and repacked bags and had an unsettled nights sleep.
Day 1 45km +-7h50m, Kei Mouth - Kobb Inn
We set off early the next morning and caught the ferry across the Kei Mouth. It was freezing cold!
It was a long long loooooong day - 45kms, just under 8 hours. In my bid to keep my feet dry I took a lot of sand in the front of my shoes which caused a blister on my 2nd toe. I strapped it up but made the error of not taping the toe next to it - more on this later. When my shoes did eventually get wet it stopped the sand coming in and saved my toes from further damage. I battled a bit with energy and trying to maintain good intake of fuel. The last river crossing and sight of Cobb Inn was very welcome. I loaded up on food and had a more uneasy nights sleep - I was stiff, sore and my feet really sore! I had caused a large blister on the toe next to the strapped one.
Day 2 - 35km +- 7hours Kobb Inn - The Haven
I took a fall about 2kms into the race. Once again I was trying to not get my feet wet (silly girl) and paid a steep price on a very slippy snotty rock with a very painful knock to my knee and scraping off of skin. The knee got more and more inflamed as the day wore on and I got slower and slower. Fiona disappeared at some point. I ran most of day by myself and really enjoyed the solitude. I only got a little bit lost so felt really good at the self navigation but it was always a relief to see the photographer coz then I knew I was still in the right place. The rule was pretty simple - keep the sea on your right at ALL times!! The downhills were seriously painful but I shuffled along. This sort of event requires digging really deep and just ensuring one step at a time is made in the direction of home - which was The Haven - which was similar to Heaven to me at that point. Once again LOADS of food and even a savanna in the evening! Toe was restrapped and I had a voltarun tablet for the knee.
Day 3 - 35km +- 6 hours The Haven - Hole in the Wall
I should have had a Voltarun jab for the knee but there were so many walking wounded at the medics that I gave it up. Ooops bit of error there! Anyway I was really fit and strong by this day, not to mention mentally good with it being the final day. Fi and I stayed together on this day. Once again beautiful beaches, wild headlands, big hills to climb and descend. I got to the medics and got a voltarun tablet. There was only one support table a day but they were good and full of cheerful people and energy-filled drinks. I ran strong on the flats, walked well on the ups and hobbled the downs! We were accosted by kiddies asking for sweeeeets sweeeets and even one cheeky chap wanting R10! We climbed a seemingly never-ending set of mountains - up, down, up, down, up..... And of course you eventually get to that final up - oh my that sight of The Hole in The Wall was spectacular. I couldn't speed my way down - hobble, huff, cheer, hobble, huff, cheer! I even forgot about the Zambezi sharks in this final river crossing. Fi and I giggled our way across the river to the end. Gosh what an achievement and adventure. I was very privileged to run in that beautiful part of the country and very blessed to have the body and head to carry me through it all.
3 days in the Transkei on the Wildrun (www.wildrun.co.za), 112 kms and about 21 running hours later. 1 x bruised bashed knee, 1 x vrot toe - no skin left, 1 x very proud person.
Fi and I flew down on Wed and then caught the transfer bus to Kei mouth. There was lots of nervous cheeky chatter in the bus with most people saying they hadn't trained enough - hmph those that say that the loudest are the biggest fibbers! We had briefing, dinner unpacked and repacked bags and had an unsettled nights sleep.
Day 1 45km +-7h50m, Kei Mouth - Kobb Inn
We set off early the next morning and caught the ferry across the Kei Mouth. It was freezing cold!
It was a long long loooooong day - 45kms, just under 8 hours. In my bid to keep my feet dry I took a lot of sand in the front of my shoes which caused a blister on my 2nd toe. I strapped it up but made the error of not taping the toe next to it - more on this later. When my shoes did eventually get wet it stopped the sand coming in and saved my toes from further damage. I battled a bit with energy and trying to maintain good intake of fuel. The last river crossing and sight of Cobb Inn was very welcome. I loaded up on food and had a more uneasy nights sleep - I was stiff, sore and my feet really sore! I had caused a large blister on the toe next to the strapped one.
Day 2 - 35km +- 7hours Kobb Inn - The Haven
I took a fall about 2kms into the race. Once again I was trying to not get my feet wet (silly girl) and paid a steep price on a very slippy snotty rock with a very painful knock to my knee and scraping off of skin. The knee got more and more inflamed as the day wore on and I got slower and slower. Fiona disappeared at some point. I ran most of day by myself and really enjoyed the solitude. I only got a little bit lost so felt really good at the self navigation but it was always a relief to see the photographer coz then I knew I was still in the right place. The rule was pretty simple - keep the sea on your right at ALL times!! The downhills were seriously painful but I shuffled along. This sort of event requires digging really deep and just ensuring one step at a time is made in the direction of home - which was The Haven - which was similar to Heaven to me at that point. Once again LOADS of food and even a savanna in the evening! Toe was restrapped and I had a voltarun tablet for the knee.
Day 3 - 35km +- 6 hours The Haven - Hole in the Wall
I should have had a Voltarun jab for the knee but there were so many walking wounded at the medics that I gave it up. Ooops bit of error there! Anyway I was really fit and strong by this day, not to mention mentally good with it being the final day. Fi and I stayed together on this day. Once again beautiful beaches, wild headlands, big hills to climb and descend. I got to the medics and got a voltarun tablet. There was only one support table a day but they were good and full of cheerful people and energy-filled drinks. I ran strong on the flats, walked well on the ups and hobbled the downs! We were accosted by kiddies asking for sweeeeets sweeeets and even one cheeky chap wanting R10! We climbed a seemingly never-ending set of mountains - up, down, up, down, up..... And of course you eventually get to that final up - oh my that sight of The Hole in The Wall was spectacular. I couldn't speed my way down - hobble, huff, cheer, hobble, huff, cheer! I even forgot about the Zambezi sharks in this final river crossing. Fi and I giggled our way across the river to the end. Gosh what an achievement and adventure. I was very privileged to run in that beautiful part of the country and very blessed to have the body and head to carry me through it all.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Wildrun - bring it on!!
Oh my goodness we set off for the Wildrun tommorrow - @Santacruzrulz and I on NOT a whole bunch of training. We saw some pictures from the guys who ran it last week - it looks absolutely stunning. I am a tad concerned about the 14 river crossings due to this irrational fear I have of sharks, crocodiles and pirhanas.
Our training has been somewhat haphazard due to bodies behaving in a very dodgey manner, work that keeps interfering with training (how rude) and well, .... simply life.
I did get to run the The Crazystore Magaliesberg Challenge (www.trailrunning.co.za). This was a 31.5km run. I have to confess I was a broken chickie trailrunner at the end of that race! Hopefully if there are any of those days on the Wildrun it is the last day!
Fi and I have done a few lists - you know one master list and 35 other lists! I confess I lurv lists.
I have packed loads of running bras (well endowed and running are not best friends), 2 pairs shoes, sunglasses, my new fabulous camelbac hydration system, back massager and chocolate - right I guess I am about ready.
Our training has been somewhat haphazard due to bodies behaving in a very dodgey manner, work that keeps interfering with training (how rude) and well, .... simply life.
I did get to run the The Crazystore Magaliesberg Challenge (www.trailrunning.co.za). This was a 31.5km run. I have to confess I was a broken chickie trailrunner at the end of that race! Hopefully if there are any of those days on the Wildrun it is the last day!
Fi and I have done a few lists - you know one master list and 35 other lists! I confess I lurv lists.
I have packed loads of running bras (well endowed and running are not best friends), 2 pairs shoes, sunglasses, my new fabulous camelbac hydration system, back massager and chocolate - right I guess I am about ready.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Poppie power
I love this image. I have a new macro lens for my camera but I am seriously under knowledged! There has been much travelling, working and training these past few months but that is for another post. I am just warming up.....
Monday, March 14, 2011
Simply beautiful
There are moments of such beauty if you simply pause to observe (and then run like the blazers to find where the camera is hiding to get this moment!)
Stunning sunset in Joburg.... Love this time of the day - it means its closer to having a glass of wine!
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