I'm So Excited...

...and I just can't hide it :) LOL!! Tomorrow, my friend, Laura, who was my matron of honor 9 1/2 years ago is going to be coming in to town for a visit! I have not seen her since my wedding but we have kept in touch over the years. She is bringing her 3 beautiful daughters with her. I cannot wait to meet them! Annagrace, Madalyn and Layla are so beautiful! Jason and I are so looking forward to having them here!! We are going to have a blast!! I'm sure we will have lots of pictures to share of all the fun stuff we'll end up doing :)

Speaking of having a blast, I had so much fun yesterday spending the day on the lake celebrating my friend, Jess, and her husband's birthday! It was awesome!! Lots of time floating in the lake. Lots of time talking and laughing!! It was so much fun hanging out and spending time with everyone!

And Cathy and I enjoyed our Girls' Night Out on Friday. We went shopping but ended up not really buying alot! It was one of those nights where we didn't really see a lot that we had to have. We did enjoy hanging out while the guys were doing their thing!

Well, I am headed to bed shortly...I have a few errands to get done tomorrow before Laura and the girls get here :) Hope everyone had a great weekend!

What's On Your Playlist?

I LOVE music! When I was a child, I used to make up my own songs while I was playing or doing chores. I was always singing. I pick up lyrics to songs after only hearing them a couple of times. Music is a pretty integral party of who I am. I love singing and I love to have music around me on a regular basis. And frequently, you can find me singing in the car or around the house or in my office at work.

Music is also a HUGE motivator for me in my cardio workouts. I confess that during strength training (unless I am on my own and have my iPod), I generally don't pay much attention to the music playing in the background at the gym. Frankly, the times I have noticed it, it's generally because they are always playing the same thing or it's something so terribly inappropriate for a family facility that it disturbs me. Gyms realize, however, that music is a huge motivator for working out too and they generally try to tailor their music to the crowds. (Occasionally I think they do a pretty poor job of this!) But at least they try!

My taste in music varies quite a bit! I am constantly adding new music to my playlists and a lot of times there is music on there that would surprise most people. For example, one of my guilty pleasures is that I happen to like some of Miley Cyrus' songs. Yeah, I will admit to it! There are lots of artists on my playlists that would cause others to make lots of jokes and laugh out loud! But, it doesn't bother me. Music is an outlet for me. So, if it's something I like, then I go with it!

Here's a sampling of some songs on my current running playlist:

Your Love Is My Drug by Ke$ha
Live Like We're Dying by Kris Allen
I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones
Step Up by Drowning Pool
The Distance by Cake
Stronger by Kanye West
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Iron Maiden
The Promise by In This Moment
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Pressing On by Relient K
When Your Heart Stops Beating by +44
Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts
Kicking and Screaming by Miley Cyrus
Here I Am by Skid Row
Best I Can by Queensryche
Lose Yourself by Eminem
Not Afraid by Eminem
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy
Whataya Want From Me by Adam Lambert
Hey Soul Sister by Train
Get Back Up by Toby Mac
Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce
Get the Party Started by P!nk
Party Up (Up in Here) by DMX
I Am Free by Newsboys
Sexyback by Justin Timberlake

And that is just a very small sampling. I change up my playlists every month or so...that is usually about as long as I can stand to listen to the same music over and over again. But I do occasionally add back songs later because I know they motivate me and if I add them in with new songs, it's pretty great.

The really great thing about my workout mixes is that certain songs will really push me to push the edges of what I think I can do. I may set goals during my workout based on songs, for example, I will run at a certain speed for the length of a song. That occasionally gets me in trouble because I am notorious for picking a 6 minute long song to run at 7.0 mph! But it also teaches me to endure and persevere!

So, what's on your playlist? Are you motivated to work harder when listening to music?

Busy, Busy Week!!!

It has been super busy around here this week!! So busy that I have barely had time to blog and there have been several days I didn't even update my Facebook status (Horrors!!!)

Training has been pretty great this week. We were able to do legs on Monday and Wednesday. My legs hurt so badly on Tuesday that I knew that I had DOMS (delayed onset muscle strain)! Ouch!! I also got some more interval jogging in and was able to reduce my walking time some this week! I felt pretty great about that. I have not changed my speed much yet or the time. I am sticking with only 20 minutes of jogging for a little while to give my hip a slow return to running. And I have hit the elliptical rather strongly this week!

Jason had a good check-up Tuesday morning and they allowed him to be fully weight-bearing. We go back next week for stitch removal and see where things are then. I am hoping for another good report!

Wednesday night, I drove up to Charlotte, NC and met up with my friend, Julie. We have not seen each other in I would say about 12 years. It was great to see her and meet her friend, Amanda. Julie has lost 150 pounds and she looks amazing!! It was a great visit! We had dinner at McAllister's and then headed over to Concord Mills and window shopped!!

Thursday night, our friend, Chuck, came to stay with us for a few days. Chuck is a great friend and we enjoy hanging out with him. I had forgotten that Thursday night we also had a friend of a friend coming in to demo the Rainbow vacuum. Of course, I had no intention of buying a vacuum that cost over $2000!!! They asked me to vacuum my areas with most traffic with my vacuum and then with theirs. Their vacuum didn't really pick up a whole lot more stuff, so I really wasn't impressed. And frankly, even if I was, I wouldn't be paying that much money for a vacuum!!! That's insane!!!!

Friday morning, Chuck hung out for a bit with Jason after taking him to work. We, then, went and had lunch together and I ran out for a massage appointment! After a great massage, where I cracked Jeremy up by asking if I had to stretch muscles that I really didn't work that week? LOL, I was trying to get away with the fact that I hadn't stretched the upper body much...he laughed and I laughed too! My muscles felt pretty great after we were done!

I headed home after the massage and got changed. Chuck and I headed over to Harbison State Forest for a walk/hike. I let Chuck pick the trail because I almost always do Firebreak Trail. So, we ended up doing Midlands Mountain Trail with a small portion of Firebreak added on to it. Neither of us realized we were putting ourselves through 5.8 to 6 miles of a hike!! Towards the end, I was having some issues with my hip. It was starting to having a little bit of pain but nothing that was too intense! After the hike, we went to the grocery store and grabbed some stuff to grill.

After an amazing dinner, we settled in to watch a television show that Chuck really loves, Top Gear. It was pretty funny! I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Basically, there are three guys and they are challenged to buy vehicles and take them cross country. (At least that's what happened in the three episodes we watched...Botswana, North Pole, and Amazon. The shows were pretty humorous and to be quite honest I am not all that into cars, nor do I understand much about any of that technical stuff.

So, today, I am feeling a bit tired! I do have to go in to work a little later tonight, but for right now, I am just resting and recovering from such a busy week! Tomorrow is going to be busy too!!! But busy is good!

Book Review: She's Gone Country by Jane Porter

First off, let me say that I absolutely LOVE Jane Porter. I love the way she writes. I love the way she takes her characters and opens them up so you can see every aspect of them. I love the reality in her work and that her writing is as real as she is. She writes from the heart and her characters are authentic. Ultimately, Jane rocks and her books are amazing!! I was very blessed to get an advanced reader copy of this book from a contest on her blog. She loves her readers and is always doing contests and sending out goodies! She is such an amazing woman and her books are awesome!

Here's my review of She's Gone Country (which I read in just a few hours and couldn't put down!)...

Shey Darcy has had a rough several months. She was once a top model for Sports Illustrated and Vogue, with her own television show and ran a successful modeling agency. Her marriage of seventeen years has fallen apart because her husband has left her for someone else. Her brother has recently committed suicide. And she and her three teenage boys have now moved back to the family's ranch.

Moving back home brings drama all it's own. Her family is eager to help her and give her advice on how to put all the pieces of her life back together. From her religious mother to her older brothers, she is not lacking for advice. But Shey has to do this her way, which includes dealing with everyday issues with her teenage boys, her work, her self-esteem and her life.

As if her everyday life were not complicated enough, Shey's first true love, professional bull-riding champ, Dane Kelly, enters the picture. Their relationship never got off the ground because she was shipped off to boarding school at the age of sixteen. However, Shey has never forgotten him and her feelings for him are as strong as ever. Now, they are both single and Shey is conflicted on whether or not to explore those feelings.

This book touches on many areas from family drama to romance to parenting issues. The characters are so well-written that it's very hard not to get caught up in the story. It's a story of change, growth and acceptance. It's a story about life.

To quote Jane, "Life isn't pretty and shiny and tidy. It's chaotic and ever changing, sometimes intense, sometimes damn boring. And someimes just perfect, which is pretty incredible when you consider how imperfect we are."

I highly recommend this book to be on your must read list! In fact, if you haven't picked up any of her other books, I suggest you do! She's Gone Country will be released on August 23, 2010.

True Friends Are Priceless

If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me. ~Author Unknown

Yesterday's post made me think alot about my friendships and my dear friends. I am blessed to have some amazing close friends. I am more than blessed to have several close friends who let me be exactly who I am without any restraints. Some friends wouldn't be able to handle the full extent of my insanity and luckily, I always know which ones can handle that! And when that is the case, I also know that I have a partner in crime :) Someone who is just as crazy or more crazy than I am! It's pretty awesome!

And I am really blessed that I married my best friend. He is a great sounding board and a true soul mate. He keeps me on my toes with his odd jokes and strange comments at times, but he makes me laugh too. Jason is probably one of the most patient people I have ever met...and he needs it too, in order to put up with me! He walks beside me in all of my journeys and supports me in all endeavors. He's the best and I am glad he is mine!

To my dear sweet friends, I cannot thank all of you enough for the love, encouragement and support you have given me! Whether we've been friends forever or just a short time, you are all so dear to me. I cannot imagine my life without my friends who have each helped me along in my journeys. You are true treasures and I love you all!!

Here are a few quotes that I love on friendship...Enjoy!!

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown

A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should. ~Author Unknown

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. ~Henri Nouwen

I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar. ~Robert Brault

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik

A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably. ~William Penn

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. ~Flavia Weedn

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." ~A.A. Milne

Just One of Those Days....

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and you don't want to crawl back in bed, but under it? When you want to call in dead? Or you just want to forget that you even exist (even if it's just for a few minutes!)? That is how I have felt the past couple of days.

I admit, that it's my own fault. I got way overwhelmed, took on way too much and frankly, should just learn to say NO! But, if I did any of that, then it just wouldn't be me, now would it?

I normally don't sleep well the days leading up to any type of medical procedures that Jason has. I worry about him all the time, but when I know he is going to have to undergo a procedure, it sends me into overdrive! I love him so much that I would spare him any pain by taking it myself. He's been through so much in his life that it hurts me to think of all that he has endured in his short life and things that he may have to endure later on. So, the past several days leading up to his flexor tendon release surgery, I didn't sleep well. I had a lot to do and did it all on very little sleep. And the sleep I did manage to get wasn't particularly restful!

Jason's procedure went well. He has had some pain but no more than expected. He had a little bit of nausea but I was able to help that with some anti-nausea meds. Mostly, he has just been really, really tired. So, I have let him sleep as much as he wanted because I know his body needs that in order to recover.

Add on top of that, our friend, Chuck, flew in from Korea last night and had asked me to pick him up at the airport. He spent the night with us and may be bunking out here off and on for a little while. If you don't know this about me, you might be surprised but I take on the role of hostess and my desire is to make sure that guests feel completely welcome...like a home away from home. So, of course, this week I was busying about getting things ready for his arrival. And then, I worried yesterday as I left Jason for a little while to pick him up. Luckily, I used my brains and called our niece, Katrina, and she stayed with Jason for awhile which definitely made me feel better.

And perhaps, I should've requested some time off from work since Jason was having surgery. Perhaps that would have been intelligent to do. However, things at work are crazy...as always! Our last audit didn't turn out the way I would have expected for my office and I am very unhappy. Granted, the reasons points were deducted were things that I had no control over and no way of knowing about. But, still, I am angry and I like to run a tight ship. So, I am being even more vigilant than ever when it comes to my office. I have the audit information and I am bound and determined that it will not happen again! I refuse to have points deducted when our next audit occurs in two to three months. (Yes, I am that stubborn!) So, I left Jason this morning for awhile to go into work and will have to leave him for a bit tomorrow to work as well. I feel guilty about it, but he slept the entire time I was gone. However, my mothering instinct is gnawing at me saying I need to be present at all times.

The great thing about today, in spite of the craziness, was that I had a massage scheduled. Now, I know you're probably thinking I am a very selfish wife. I will say Jason insisted I keep my regularly scheduled appointment and I was only 10 minutes away if he needed me. And for the first time ever, my phone was audible in case he needed me. Balancing it all, he was dead asleep thanks to anti-nausea meds and pain meds for the time I was gone. So, with all those precautions and some guilt, I went in for my regular appointment. It was good. It was necessary. I have no regrets about it.

The reason I have no regrets about it is that I would not be functioning right now had it not been for that appointment! My massage therapist, Jeremy, is my friend. I figure after about a year of massage therapy with him and lots and lots of good conversations, I can absolutely say he is more than just my massage therapist. I can tell him things like I would a psychologist (maybe I should give him more money! LOL!) So, today, when I walked in and said I was fine...he called me on it. I told him what was going on...vented for a few minutes and then, as usual, he distracted me from life and all it's insanity and made me laugh...A LOT! I have learned much from him over this year and I appreciate his insights and the way he knows me. He keeps my head clear and refocuses me when I get too caught up in something. And a lot of times, I walk out of our appointments with some profound wisdom that he has given me (and sometimes it can be something others have told me). Maybe it's the simple way that he explains things to me or the way he mentions things without ordering me to do something. Or maybe it's because he knows how to get through to me. I don't quite know, but what I do know is, that today I needed a friend to talk to and he listened and advised. And he is a good friend!

And my aching muscles got some relief because we were finally able to start back to our normal routines since I am no longer in physical therapy. While I was in physical therapy, the surgeon didn't want anyone else doing joint mobilizations. So, now we are back to that. I don't know if that is a good thing or not because after hip surgery I have become really nervous about my hip. I trust Jeremy and that says a lot about him. I respect him and I know that there are days I make his job difficult because I am such a control freak. But this hip injury has me intimidated. I know without a doubt that he would never do anything to hurt me. So, I have to remind myself whenever my hip is involved that he is there to help me and wouldn't ever dream of hurting me. And of course, as I predicted to him, I did much better on the right leg than the left. I am sure in time that will cease to be an issue for me...but I hate that I am reacting like that! At least, he understands and that helps! And hopefully it will be better soon!


So, in the midst of one of THOSE days, I was blessed to have a friend to listen to me and clear my head. I am blessed to have a sweet hubby whom I love more than anything and who knows what I need. One thing is for sure, I have found during my journey that true friends are quite simply a treasure. Finding someone who not only gets you but also allows you to be exactly who you are is priceless. And having friends who can tell when you are not being completely honest and call you out on it is just too awesome for words. I am grateful for the dear friends that fit in these categories. I am blessed that God has placed these people in my life. And I am more than blessed to have God who always knows exactly what I need and provides even more than I can ever imagine! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Ready to Make A Comeback...

Today's workout was pretty awesome for me! I can't say that I lifted fantastically or that I was intense, but I can say that I was pretty soaked from all the sweating! Today was an ab, glutes, and back day. I came in a little sore from attempting the Insanity Fit Test yesterday. I did my best not to focus on it and to ease into the workout. Tye actually asked how I was feeling this morning and I just told him that I was a little sore and why. We both agreed that the Fit Test was not a good judge of my level of fitness right now and attempting to actually do it well at this point would be a bad idea and possibly cause me to re-injure myself.

Anyways, it was a pretty good workout. After a few sets of some of the exercises, my hip warmed up a bit more and I was able to do a little more than I expected. Also, we were doing one of the ab exercises and I got really nervous because at about 10, my hip started to pinch a bit and by 15 it was hurting a little more. So, that first set made me nervous. At which point, Tye also got a little more nervous. We agreed that we didn't want my pain level to go any higher than 5...so we'll stick with pain levels between 2 and 5 and that way he can continue to safely push me without pushing too hard.

After I finished with Tye, I headed to cardio cinema with my iPod for some cardio. I decided to do a little more interval jogging and ended up getting a nice rise in my heart rate and quite a bit more sweat! Then I finished up with some time on the elliptical. My cardio is where I applied some intensity today. I wanted to really keep my heart rate elevated and get a good burn in! And when I walked out of cardio cinema, my entire body was glistening with sweat! It was the first time in two months that I have walked out of the gym after training and cardio and been completely soaked! I cannot even describe how awesome that felt today!

Ultimately, I am starting to feel a bit more normal! That's a pretty great feeling for me!!! Thursday and Friday will be primarily cardio days this week but I think I may try out one of Insanity's ab workouts tomorrow. We'll see how that goes!!

Then tomorrow afternoon, Jason goes to have a flexor tendon release done on his fourth toe of his right foot. We'll be doing the procedure in the doctor's office if all goes well. Jason is a little worried about getting a local block to do the procedure but I think he will do fine. The recovery time for him is about 6 weeks. So, he gets a new chauffeur! LOL! I pray for his sake that all goes well tomorrow for him. It seems like just as I am healing up, Jason will be starting the healing process. I pray he heals quickly so that we can enjoy a semi-active summer :)

Over the next few weeks, my goal is to continue slowly getting back into my old workout routines. I hope to work my jogging up into running before my next appointment or at least be jogging at a better speed and for a longer amount of time. And I really hope to start putting some more intensity into my training with Tye!!! And well, there is Insanity!!! I cannot wait to be healed up enough to do the Fit Test and the rest of the workouts, but I am pretty pumped to try out the cardio and core sections :)

So, I would definitely say a comeback is on the horizon for me...and honestly, I cannot wait!!! Life is good and God is awesome!!!

Tired, Oh So Tired

Today, I am just exhausted. I am not really sure why. I slept well last night but this afternoon, I have kinda crashed. Sadly, my busy day was not the reason why I am so exhausted.

This morning, I headed over to physical therapy and dropped off a huge bowl of fruit and a thank you card. I know that if it were not for them, I would not be as far along in my progress. I certainly would not have been released this soon from therapy without their help! And running...I think it is unlikely that I would be able to do that yet! They were so sweet! I got hugs from both Amy and Christy and Daniel congratulated me on my return! I promised to stop back by and visit but hopefully not to return as a patient! And I promised to report back to them in October after my half-marathon!

Then, I headed into work. I was there for a very long time on Sunday, so today was a short day for me. I was in and out within an hour! I got to enjoy a nice lunch with my hubby!

Then I came home and looked at the Fit Test for Insanity. I did some of it but not anything I will record at this point. To be honest, I think I may have to wait to attempt the Fit Test for a few more weeks so I don't reinjure the hip. All of the moves were very difficult and hard on my hip, so I opted to play it safe. I think for the next couple of weeks, I will focus on the workout's abs and cardio portions. I knew when I ordered this that I would have to mold it to fit what I can do right now, but that Fit Test was not something that I could alter to work with my hip! Hopefully, I didn't overdo it today! I am a little sore right now and just kinda tired.

So, my plan for tonight is eat some dinner and then be brain-dead until bedtime :) And bedtime will be sooner rather than later! Tomorrow is training day with Tye and I suspect he might make me jog again. Even if he doesn't I know he is going to wear me out, so I need a good night's sleep to prepare for that!

That's about all that my brain can put into words for today.

Running Away...

Literally, today I ran for the first time in 2 months. I cannot even describe how it felt, except to say amazing. I felt so free! Now, I know some of you are thinking...you're supposed to ease back into it. And I did. Here's how me running came about today.

This morning I had my first leg workout with Tye since before my surgery. He was taking it a little easier on me since we have to be careful and slowly build back into my former weights and routines. We did not do anything too crazy during strength training and in fact, we split legs with a little bit of chest and shoulders added in. Towards the end of our workout when we were doing some super-sets, he was telling me what we would be super-setting. He showed me the weights and machines that we would be using and then said...and then you will jog a lap.

I am pretty certain that my jaw dropped about then and to be quite honest, fear gripped me too! I was afraid to jog a lap around the gym...what if I fell? what if I looked stupid jogging? what if I simply couldn't do it? I was really scared!! And he looked at me and said, "Yep, you're going to jog a lap." I told him I was uncertain and scared...and he told me truthfully that part of his job is to push me past my fears and therefore I was going to jog a lap. I ended up telling him that I would really appreciate it if he would jog with me...it would make me feel more comfortable. So, he agreed.

He let me set the pace and it started off at a slow jog...but at some point I passed him and my competitive edge set in and I knew I had to maintain the lead or at least stay equal with him. The feeling of jogging in the open overwhelmed me and I ended up running the rest of the lap. Tye said I looked good...a little shaky, but he was impressed that I managed to maintain the whole lap without having to stop. The second lap, I let him set the pace because I knew that I would try to run too fast and end up hurting myself. We stayed pretty even the whole time. And the last lap, he also set the pace, but at one point, he got hung up with a sales tour that was going on, I slipped through it and took off ahead of him. He caught up to me and at that point, I went into the next gear! We both laughed because we knew if we continued that, I would eventually end up hurting myself. But we both knew it was the last lap for the day, so I was safe!

Jogging on the treadmill was great last Thursday. But running those laps in the gym this morning gave me that total sense of freedom. It was a great feeling of accomplishment. It was aawesome to know that I can still run, but even more than that, that I still love it!! I never would have believed that running would be something that I would enjoy, let alone, crave.

I promise to be good and not overdo it! I did cardio after our workout and only did 30 minutes on the elliptical to balance out the running and intensity in the leg workout. Bottom line is that I think I am back...and my form is better than ever!! I will continue to ease into running. What I did today was such a small amount and for a short time, so I will continue my jogging on the treadmill for now and slowly increase my time and speed and see how it goes!!

When I got home, I spent some time stretching my muscles and helping them to recover. And right now, I am icing the hip so that I continue to keep down any inflammation.

And in more fun workout news...the Insanity workout has arrived!! I probably won't start it until next week since Jason is having his foot surgery this week and there is much to do beforehand. But I am very excited about it!! I will keep you all posted on it!! I cannot tell you all how great it feels to be back in the game!! I am so very blessed!!!

I'm Free!!!

Finally!!! This morning I went in for physical therapy and told my therapist what the doctor said and she gave me the option to be released from therapy or stay for awhile. I asked her what her official opinion was and she said since I am an active person who spends a lot of time in the gym and have all the equipment I need, there was no reason for me to continue on in physical therapy since the doctor cleared me for jogging again. Ultimately, if I feel like I am having problems, I can always come back, but she felt it was time for me to start doing it on my own!!

So, yeah...I am free!! But my freedom doesn't give me the license to do anything stupid like overdoing it!! I will be starting out slowly...a little bit of jogging and light weights for strength training with the legs! My cardio can now have intensity and rather than jumping immediately back into an hour cardio session 5-6 days a week, I will stick with 30-45 minutes. I am going to insist that Tye give me my hour back so I can get back to 3 days a week with him. It will be slow-going at first but by the end of this month, I should be a lot closer to where I was before I tore my labrum!!!

I have to admit that it was a pretty awesome but also a bittersweet feeling when I heard that they were going to release me. I will miss my physical therapy sessions! I really like Amy, the head PT, and Christy, the receptionist! They are pretty awesome! Daniel has also given me some great advice in my running. I appreciate them all so much! And well, I will really miss making fun of the people who go into the gym next door!! There have been some hilarious people and outfits coming and going through those doors during my time there! I will go back by on Tuesday to say thank you to Daniel and take them some goodies (a fruit tray since Amy said no bad food!)

I really do feel like I am finally going to be getting back to where I was. I feel really great about that! It has been a very LONG 2 months! But I feel pretty awesome that I am being released back to my routine after only 8 weeks...the normal plan is 12 weeks! So, I am way ahead of the game and that feels awesome!! I thank God for the amazing healing that He has been doing. And I am thankful for the good health and active lifestyle that enabled my body to be in good shape and form to make a quicker recovery!! Praise God, He has set me free again :)

A Return to Normalcy??

So, my surgeon's appointment this morning went really well! I have full range of motion and he said that my labrum didn't slip or pull when he was maneuvering it. He said that he felt really confident that I am healing extremely well. He actually told me that I should keep making him look good! LOL..he's a very good-looking doctor, so he really doesn't need me for that...but I will keep listening to him and my physical therapists so that I can have a full and complete recovery! I also got released to move to the next level. He said that I was walking now, then I could start jogging. If I was jogging already, then I could start running. He said that for the next month, I can return to some of my more normal activities but I should start off slowly and build back up to where I was pre-injury! I am very excited!!! Tomorrow, I will see the physical therapist and I will see what they have planned.



The original physical therapy plan was that starting week 10, I would start jumping and starting week 12, I would start running. It sounds to me like Dr. Ekman thinks I am ready to start jumping already. Tomorrow will mark 9 weeks since my surgery. But, I will wait to hear what they have to say about that.



Today, I enjoyed lunch with my dear friend, Betsy. I love her! She is so amazing and I so enjoy her perspective on things and her encouragement! She reminds of all the important things I tend to forget. For example, today, she told me that all of this frustration is preparation for the mental toughness that I need to continue to develop to complete a full marathon. I admit it has been very difficult for me to listen to the doctor and the therapists and simply take things slow. I want to get back to work...I want to see what this hip can do. But I have been compliant, not patient, but compliant with the doctor's orders. I have spent a couple months of severe frustration and waited out my time so that I can return to my sport, healthy and ready for action! It was so awesome to spend time with Betsy though. She is a good friend and I enjoy our time together!!

And this afternoon, I got my first real cardio session in!! I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally put a little bit of intensity into my cardio! I will admit that I did jog for the first time in 2 months and it was awesome!!! I played it smart and warmed up on the treadmill for 10 minutes and stuck with a slow jog for 2minutes and walking for 1 minute for 15 minutes (10 jogging, 5 walking). And then I followed it up with 30 minutes on the elliptical. The exciting part was that it was intense...I kept my heart rate up and didn't overdo it!! I won't be jogging everyday...Dr. Ekman did tell me to take things slowly. I will likely intersperse my interval jogging for awhile with elliptical and arc trainer cardio. I will talk to my physical therapist and make sure I am following the right path to recovery. And I played it smart, I came home and iced the hip.

And to top off a pretty great day, I finished it with my first 1 1/2 hour massage in 2 months! It was awesome!! My muscles feel so relaxed and so amazing! It was a great massage...of course, my upper body had some really tight areas that needed work. And I forgot to stretch after my cardio this afternoon. I admit that I did get a quad stretch in but I did not take enough time to stretch the rest of my lower body. I promised Jeremy tonight that I would make it a habit to not forget my stretching from now on. We joked that I should get a tattoo on me that says "Stretch or die!" and he said that it should be "Stretch or Jeremy Will Hurt You!" LOL!!

So, is this a return to normalcy?? Possibly. I am starting to feel a little more like myself. I am happier than I have been in awhile. I feel like things are starting to fall back into place. It's not perfect but it's close enough for me right now. Maybe there is no normal for me...maybe this is my time to get used to just how much and how often things change. I have never been a huge fan of change and maybe this might be time for my opinion to change. I guess we will just have to wait and see!!