My JourKNEE Back

Getting back to running after the cast came off my hand on February 18th has been hard. I went for a "trial run" on February 19th and my first buddy run with "J" on February 21st. I didn't assume running would return easily, but I also didn't anticipate exactly how heavy and hard it would feel. Initially, my breathing was heavy, but after I felt that had gotten better, my legs have felt very stiff and heavy as well. I'm still out there, putting in more miles than I have been averaging, but a lot of the miles are walking and even that isn't feeling great. I can't say, overall, that it has been enjoyable. It's been four weeks since that "trial run" and I have finally seen some small progress this past week, however, so I am encouraged by that. I know that consistency is key. I also know that strength training, mobility work, and switching up my runs will lead to improvement. Why do I push against doing all of those things? I'm sit...

In the words of Tom Petty, "The waiting is the hardest part." (from his song "The Waiting") Isn't that the truth? Whether you're waiting for something good or something bad, waiting is hard. Waiting can cause anxiety and frustration.  This may sound morbid, but I've been waiting for my cat to pass all week. We have three cats; a brother and sister pair named Sable and Marvin, and a younger crazy girl named Cinnamon. Sable could not be officially diagnosed, without testing, but we are pretty sure she has cancer. We found out January 23rd and she has been slowly declining ever since. My heart breaks for her and I just want her to have peace, but I'm not ready to make that final decision yet.    There is a situation with a family member and a conversation that will take place this weekend. Depending on this individual's decision, her life could be altered for the better or for the worse. We are waiting to see what she decides. Even if she makes the ...

I had my first physical therapy appointment for my hand this week since getting my cast removed. At one point, I was asked to grab a handful of little plastic pieces in a fist and drop them one by one into a container using only my index finger and thumb. As I watched the therapist do it as an example, I thought "That looks pretty easy." However, since the fourth and fifth finger on my right hand are not fully able to make a fist, it was very difficult. It was even painful. Something she had made look so easy, took me at least three times longer to complete.  It got me thinking about other tasks in our life that we try to complete or overcome. We may have seen someone else do the same thing and it looked easy for them. We may feel like we prepared and have a solid plan on how to accomplish the task, so we attack it with confidence only to be faced with failure. Just because someone else has done something and it seemed easy for them, doesn't mean the same thing will be ea...

In my last post, when writing in reference to returning to running after my hand injury, I stated that "I'm looking forward to my legs burning in a good way and the challenge that running brings by doing something that's uncomfortable." The more I thought about that, the more I realized that is a lie! Haha! I need to be honest with you guys. I think, in general, as Americans especially, but I would even venture to say the entire human race, we have an instinct to make ourselves comfortable. We don't like to feel hunger, tiredness or pain. For Christmas of 2024, I bought a Cricut Maker 3. We had the idea to make t-shirts with our business logo in order to save money by doing it ourselves rather than paying someone else. Great idea! However, the Cricut was taken out of its box for the first time last week. Yes, you read that correctly. It has been almost 1 year and 2 months since we even opened the box that it came in. I've watched several YouTube videos on how ...

In three days, I will be getting my cast off and these pins out of my hand. Three, two, one...start the countdown! I am so excited to have life return to normal, including going back to work. After all, I do work with my best friend (my husband and I are self-employed). I know within a few weeks I'll be wishing for another break, but I will be happy to get back to feeling productive. The left side of my body will be happy to have its counterpart to help carry out daily tasks. I know it may take some time, through therapy, to allow the hand to completely heal before it returns to its full use, but I am excited to begin the journey back to normal. I'm also very excited to return to running. As I've stated in previous blogs, running is more than just exercise for me. It has become a big part of my social life as I meet up a few mornings a week with friends. I miss hearing updates in their lives and sharing what's going on in mine. I'm looking forward to my legs burni...

My past three blogs have been about relationships in some way. It's time to get back on track (pun intended) and talk about running. On January 4th, I wrote that "February is the New January." I had planned to set my goals for 2026 and put them in writing in this blog post, the first one in February. I had no idea what was going to happen the very next day, on January 5th, while out on my run. Breaking my hand certainly was unexpected and has set me back. While I don't think I'm beginning all over like after my knee surgery, I definitely feel like progress has been lost. You would think I had plenty of time to plan and reflect during my downtime in January and, while it was on my mind, I haven't come to any concrete conclusions. Yet here it is, the first Sunday in February, and I need to put goals in writing. I will break it down into four categories as I did for 2025: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, and my Blog. Isaiah 29:24 (CSB), "Those who are confuse...