Tunnel Time Again

So, I wasn't going to go to www.skyventurecolorado.com
this past weekend, but it was a big event and somebody from www.skyventurecolorado.com
had to represent. I'm not going to lie, I like going up there, but I was hurt and wasn't sure I would have real fun. However, I did have some fun. I even managed to get into the wind tunnel for 10 minutes before I slammed into a wall and using my bad foot (yeah, I know) to stop the blow. Once that happened, my ankle started swelling and hurting. Todd said that it would be okay, just don't go balls to the wall (pun intended) and get out as soon as it starts hurting. Also, the guy that had broke his foot and just had surgery was in there flying. I felt like a wuss with my little torn ligament. He did major damage.

Even though, I didn't get to fly all that much, I still had fun. I love the tunnel. My arms are still sore and I went flying on Saturday. If you never been, you must go at some point in your life.

INSURANCE CARDS

Normally, I wouldn't post this, because it is stupid. However, I finally FINALLY got my insurance cards in the mail. In fact, I got 2 sets (a total of 4). Is that weird? Oh, who cares, I have my insurance cards.

Today, I'm heading back to www.skyventurecolorado.com for their Third Annual Tunnel Boogie (boogie is a big party, usually skydiving event for skydivers). I'm not sure if I'm actually getting in the tunnel. My husband said it would be good, but don't go all crazy and get out immediately if it hurts. I'm going, because I already had the ticket and I'm going to represent Skydive Houston.

It will be good to get out of Houston for the weekend and enjoy the mountain air. Although, I'm not sure my nose can handle it since it's still not recovered from my trip to Grand Junction the first 2 weeks of December.

MRI Results

Well, I do have a ligament tear in my ankle. However, my Doctor doesn't feel it's necessary for surgery. So, he requested that I do 4 weeks of Physical Therapy. If it doesn't get better, than yes, I will be in surgery. Even said that I can wear a lace ankle brace instead of the very large air cast I have been wearing. I don't feel so protected though.

Since I can't run in the half marathon in 2 weeks, even though I have been training for it and wanting it for some time, I might run the Zooma Austin Half Marathon & 5K race in Austin, TX. It's in April and I should have plenty of time to train if I get rehabbed in 4 weeks like the good Doctor says. My friend Penny (also a skydiver) is planning to do this and asked me to join her. It's a trail run, which I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for my first half marathon. I'm willing to give it a shot, because they will have post-race massages, wine, and live music. It's supposed to be something for the ladies. Plus, it's in a beautiful area of Bastrop (30 minutes south of Austin). My mom is already excited about getting photos. So, it's on my radar. I will have to see how Physical Therapy goes.

CRUNCH-FREE XTREME ABS

Well, I can't exercise too much and especially can't run right now. So, I got on a kick to do crunches to at least get this tummy down to anything than what it looks like right now. I've been pretty good about doing 100 crunches every morning, but usually I don't on the weekends. I know, but we are in the RV and sometimes, it just doesn't happen.

Anyways. The reason for the post is that I saw this video called Crunch-Free Xtreme Abs by Jackie. I was interested and checked out the reviews. There wasn't one person that didn't like it. It was on sale for 10 dollars and I was already ordering stuff for a goodbye present. My thoughts were that I could do some more abs work.

I got the DVD last week and tried it on Friday. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. She splits up the exercise program in two parts: Standing and lying down. I chose to Play All since I was pretty sure that I'm not going to do all of these workouts. I figured if this is crunch-free, than that means they will have planks involved and I can't do that at all. She's kindof manly, but oh my do her abs look like a work of art. She makes Jillian look weak. Her voice is not that annoying and the background music is not unbearable.


I also loved LOVED the fact that there were other options. Most workout DVDs will give you the lesser option. For instance, if you can't do this, than try it this way. This is relevant, I swear. On the first exercise, she told us to get weights. Well, I don't have weights; however, one of the girls didn't either. So, everytime there was a weight exercise, the girl showed the exercise without it. She was also the one showing us the lesser way to do the exercise if you couldn't do what Jackie says.

My abs hurt and still hurt; it's Monday and I did this on Friday. It was an excellent workout; however, I didn't use it to the full extent due to my ankle. I had to take a lot of breaks and there were things that I just couldn't do, i.e., planks, lunges, etc. If she wanted us to bend down and hold the position, I couldn't bend down all the way or I had to put the weight all on my right leg. So, I can see this workout DVD being so much more and I can't wait to hit it up when I'm healed.

On a side note: MRI results in a couple of hours.

MRI Finally

Well, I went to get my MRI done finally on my left ankle. I wished I could get results, but they said it would take 1-2 days. So, I scheduled my next Doctor's appointment for Monday. I am not sure I'm going to be able to wait that long for the results. I have 2 big fears going on:

1. Is that it's the really bad ligament tear that will take likely 6 months of recovery, which means I'm out of skydiving and teams this year...oh and running. I won't be able to do that half marathon in the near future.

2. They can't find anything. This ankle will be left undiagnosed and I'm suffering with swelling and pain everyday. Oh and taking ibuprofin.

So, now I'm just waiting...waiting...waiting. Did I mention that I hate waiting?

Probably Last Post of 2010

Well, I'm still waiting on the insurance and doctor appointment. I'm officially at wit's end with this damn ankle. I'm going on 9 weeks now and it's only gotten worse.

But the good news started last week. I was looking at myself in the mirror when I was about to get in to the shower and thought, "Hey, you, big one...again." I got alittle scared and just started doing crunches. I did probably 200 crunches in different ways: front, side, butt, etc. I even did 20 squats when I was done; however, I had to put all my weight on one side, because of my ankle. This hurt my knee. So, I won't be doing those too much anymore.

Something clicked inside me and since Thursday, I have done 100 crunches everyday when I get out of the shower. I even did them everyday this week, which is hard since I'm up at 5:15 in the morning and not really awake. Why after the shower? Well, as I explained to Mal, because that's when I'm most energized and likely to do exercises. Surprisingly, I have been pretty strict on it even when I'm running late to work. So, high five for me.

I wish I could do more exercises, but I can't. Shoot, I wish I could run right now. Hopefully, I'll be able to add on 100 more each morning. It will for sure depend on how much time I have in the mornings. Judging by this morning, I wouldn't have had time.

Everyone, Have a great new year's eve. Party like it's 1999!

Jodi to the Rescue

Jodi, my running partner, finally gave me her air cast to wear for my ankle.
It's really easy to put on and I think it's making a difference.
Well, I'm not totally sure since I'm still swollen and right now, I have been at work for 4 hours and feeling the pain. But hopefully, it's going to heal it. I'm seriously getting tired of this ankle situation.

Why is it that everytime I have something happen with my feet, it takes forever to heal? I had my bunion removed on my right foot last year about this time, which caused me to miss the Chevron 5K run that I signed up for and couldn't go. . Well, that thing took 4months to heal when it should be 6-8 weeks. Although, I had a pretty messed up bunion that should have been removed 2 years ago when I started feeling pain, but just didn't do it. And why is it that everytime I sign up for this Chevron run event, something happens to my feet? My husband is telling me now that there is a chance I'm not going to be able to do the run because I won't be healed in time to really train. He's thinking this will last until January. And by the way, he used to work on bones for a living.

If I have to miss this, then the Rock N Roll Marathon in N'awlins, here I come.

On a side note, the Badder Santa Party this year was epic...the wildest that I have ever seen it. We had freaking bagpipes played. Send me your email if you want to go next year.

Time is Ticking Away

So, I'm still incapcitated right now. It's been 6 weeks and this darn ankle will not heal. In fact, yesterday and today have been the worst days in the last couple of weeks that I have had (and I was in the mountains last week wearing steel toed boots). I'm trying to get in to see my doctor, because something is not right. I can't keep taking Ibuprofin everyday and elevating and icing my foot. The only problem is that this doctor (the only doctor)requires me to have my insurance information right now before I can make an appointment. Well, I don't have that just yet since I just started my new job. I haven't gotten my cards yet and couldn't give them the information. And I can't just tell them that I will have that when I get there; they will mark me as open pay and I will have to stay as open pay (paying without insurance...ouch!).

So, here I am ranting like a mad women and trying to figure out what I am going to do now. My weeks are just widdling away giving me less time to train before my big half marathon (thank God, I didn't sign up for the marathon). I want to exercise my other body parts like my ever growing belly (which is getting bigger again), but my ankle has just been so...well...it feels like I am carrying around a 5,000 ton cement block on my foot. I already get up far too early in the morning to exercise (barely surviving the wake up call for work) and I'm too drained from the day to exercise when I get home. Oh and just awesome news to top everything else, I'm getting sick. I thought I was just dealing with the nose and can't breath issue when I was in Colorado last week, but today...today, I am scratchy, clammy, freaking cold, hot skin to the touch, and flushed. I have our annual Christmas party in 4 days. UGH! At least, I hope, it's not the deadly virus in the book The Stand.

I'm done with my rant now, but I wanted everyone to know what was going on with me and why I haven't posted anything. I will say that I'm thankfully only 139 lbs and that's because I noticed that I was eating and eating and eating (which led me to another thought that my husband would be so happy to hear, but it wasn't); so, I started to scale down on my eating.

I'll let y'all know when training and anything new happens.

Sorry for the No Posts Part 2

So, my ankle is sprained right now getting out of TB's big truck. I thought the ground was flat when I hopped down and it was not. I rolled it. I'm trying everything to get it ready, because I'm running out of weeks to train. UGH. I will keep you posted on my first run.

Evening Run at Memorial

Finally, Jodi and I got together for a run at Memorial Park and it was great. It has been awhile since the both of us have run together.

We met up at the adult playground late in the day and got to the stretching. I was still feeling sore from the Biggest Loser workout that I did on Tuesday. I know right, can you believe I was still sore on Thursday. I informed her that I'm not sure how well I am going to do, because everytime I run, I get feel it! But she actually hadn't run in weeks, months, so I wasn't too worried. We started our quick walk and then picked up the run. It felt good to run on the track instead of the sidewalks of my neighborhood or the road at the dropzone; it's easier on the knees. We ran until well after 2 miles before I had to take a quick break. This was a big milestone for me since I believe that was the longest I had run before. Even Jodi thinks it, too! She also noticed that yes, I am getting faster even though I know I can run better, faster. Stupid Bob Harper...okay, I'm just kidding Bob, I love you! We walked for a minute or more before we picked up the run again. This was a short run, because I was hurting. We had one more quick walk before we picked up the small run back to the adult playground. I parked far away and used the walk back to my car as the cooldown. We did a quick stretch and said our goodbyes. All in all, it was a great little 3 mile run. I need more of those for sure.