Getting back on the Horse

I think I finally found my feet again. It's been nearly a year since I traveled to Portland to run/walk the Portland marathon and I'm just now finding my running stride again.

What happened to get me back in motion? I finally found out what had been medically plaguing me.

Last week I had some lab work done for my long overdue physical and I found out that I am anemic. This would explain the constant fatigue, sickness and migraines during times of extreme heat, rapid heartbeat during exercise, shortness of breath, and depression.

When I was trying to train for See Jane 1/2 in the Spring I couldn't make it more than a mile without loosing all energy and feeling like my heart rate was going to go off the charts. When I would check my heart rate on the treadmill at the gym it would be at the max when I was only running 12 minute miles.

Part of me was afraid of what I would find out, which is no excuse for skipping out on the doctor. But, now that I know I can fix it I have hope I can reclaim my physical life back and hopefully get this gained weight back off.

Having cooler temperatures will help too as I'm not as sick anymore. The Hubbs bought me this book for my birthday and I just was able to bring myself to crack it open.

 



I've been able to chapter hop to the ones that I'm specifically interested in reading and I decided to use one of their training plans. The chapter is titled . " From Jogging to Running" and that's where I want to be. Before I left running my pace was getting quicker and I was making strides in my fitness. Now I'm back to my base and I would like to recover those abilities and keep working on them.

Right now I'm running 4 days a week and hitting the gym for cross training 2. Yesterday I ran on the treadmill, but I hadn't started taking my multi-vitamins yet so I was struggling to keep up. I did get the 30 minutes in and walked what I couldn't run.

For me right now it's just about getting back on the horse. Trying again and again and not giving up. I was in a season of rough times not knowing what was wrong and thinking it was my fault, but now I know what is going on and I have the ability to take charge of it.

If you're struggling with some of the same issues, as many women athletes do, see your doctor right away, don't waste a year like I did and struggle through it all. Work with your doctor and/or nutritionist to help you get all the things your body needs.

I'm looking forward to getting out of this slump and what lies ahead. I'm feeling inspired and motivated and it feels good!