What the H is a Pars Defect?

So I went to a new chiro yesterday. I had some xrays done on my back and I have a 'Pars Defect'. it's a small fracture on my L5 vertabrae that causes my pelivic bone to slip forward and give me some serious pain. WTF.
Awesome. She told me to keep running for now in intervals so that she can see if it will help or exacerbate the issue. Mildly freaked out, but I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear her and everything's okay. After all, denial makes the world go 'round, yes?

On a similar note, this week really sucked. i haven't been feeling well, have been wickedly tired and just crabby. I cannot wait for our vacation in two weeks - off to the Olympics we go! I found a gym nearby our place in Vancouver and we'll be doing lots of skiing & lots of not thinking about work or real life. should be fantastic!!

xo, h.

Week Three: Still working...

Weight: my pants aren't as tight
Blisters: Gone (thank god, they were gross!)
Public Farting Instances: 1, maybe 3
Mood: Committed, bitches

So I haven't missed a workout yet and thank god, since CM said she'd drop me like last year's ruffle skirts if I gave up. What a hard ass. (Where ruffle skirts in last year?).

This morning, I was up at 4:45, running then strength training, then shower, then off to work. By the time I got to my desk, I was already awake for three hours. that's gross, but I hardly noticed it. Maybe it's because I get to watch Much MegaHits and random TLC as I run - which reminds me that I must get another PVR! The random videos give me some street cred with the bball team as I can sing along with them while they're on their ipods. I really must say that the 'headphone' generation is irritating at times. Sometime, I will yank the headphone cord out of their ears just to see if they'd deflate like a rubber dingy. that would be funny. :)

So this week was the first time I felt like I'm making progress - my legs don't hurt as much, nor do they feel like 500 lb buoys hanging from my hips. the stretching must be helping. The other funny thing is how my cats love to watch me. It's as if they're thinking "What the hell is she doing? Doesn't she know that she could be in bed right now?" Rossy, the orange one, tried to hop on the second day and went shooting off the back of the treadmill. I think he liked it which makes me nervous. Oh he's so cute and so stupid.

I signed up for my first race in March - the St. Paddy's Day Race. I'll be running the 5km. CE has signed up to run too - not sure if DC will join me (he's not a fan of cold weather running). My ignorance is helping as I doubt I'm much of a cold weather runner either. But who really knows??? Ignorance is bliss - please start praying for a Chinook. If it's raining and snowing or minus 50-stupid I'm going to be severely bitchy. Bright side: It is a St. Patrick's day race, and I bet there will be beer.

A good day at work was followed by a bad one today and I ended this crappy 8 hour block with a session of yoga, led by my good friend, Nat. She's incredible, and incredibly bendy. I'm not. But I'm funny. and I farted. it was embarrassing and then the lady beside me fell out of her pose, giggling. I apologized and she said that she had just farted too. Welcome back to yoga, Gassy. I'm going to yoga hopefully once a week if I can swing it. It's a mysore practice - not instructor-led, but led at your own pace. I think I could stand to be a little more bendy. And I'll get to hang (& fart) with Nat.

I've heard that perhaps the Bermuda contingent is betting on whether or not I'll stay committed to this thing. I find this very amusing and encourage the betting process to continue because it's unlikely i'll win any race money, and making some cash back is an enticing idea. I wonder if I should go offline around, say August, and not say anything. just show up the week before the race and collect the cash.... ??? hehehe I think that's awesome. I sent a calendar of my training for the year to LA via a mutual friend (she'll get it soon). LA, if you're reading, put that calendar on your fridge, and remember that I am not giving up so easily this time. I really can't believe I'm three weeks in already.

Apparently CM thinks I should update the blog more often. So I'll commit to once a week going forward, k? Odd random moment: both my cats are on the window sill staring at me. I'll put money that they are thinking "Does she know she could be in bed? What a moron!" And with that, it's off to bed .... nitey nite...

The First "Really" Week of Training

As CM said, do exactly the opposite of what you did before. This morning, I got up at 4:50, ate a banana, went to my basement and worked out. I did my running per CM's training plan and attempted to get through the strength program twice. I was almost successful. I got super nauseous and weak half way through my second interval of strength training. So I went upstairs, ate some dry cereal and drank some apple juice and waited. Then the chills started.

The husband's been fighting strep throat since NYE. We canceled our party and stayed in bed. Perhaps I should have stayed in a different bed. I'm really hoping this doesn't become strep in my first week. That said, he felt way worse than I do today, plus I've been popping a load of Cold FX - let's see if it worked.

My sister and her brood were here over the weekend - B, the five year old, played this 'game' where she would stand in front of us and declare a winner. Actually, she'd just nominate one the "the winner" and then pull the winner up 'on stage' to congratulate him/her. We didn't win anything, except the jeers of the 'audience', namely, K & S. B would then state, "And now it's time for me to announce the Really Winner", and she'd pick one of my cats (who were not impressed - just sayin').

B's story has nothing to do with running or the Bermuda Triangle, but it did give me a funny title for the post. So there.

2010: The year of tiger racing to Bermuda.

Weight: Might start with a '2'. I really don't want to verify.
Today's activities: Nazi trainer came over and kicked my butt
Mood: Holy Crap
I'm a fatty. I weigh more right now than my husband does and that freaks me out because he has a beer belly. My knee hurts most days and my lower back is enveloped in what I like to call a 'belt of pain and suffering'. My chiro finds me charming and a little whine-y.

Some days, I've cried because of the state of my body. I used to be fit. Five years ago, I could run 5Kms like it was nothing. Now I can't make it up a flight of stairs without stopping. I'm beautiful, but I'm gross. And jiggly.

Next year is my 20 year reunion. And I'm freaked. I was the jock at school - in shape, on all the sports teams and always thrived when I was sweating under pressure. When I finished school, I traveled around the world. But I always wanted my own home. So I stopped and over the last five years, I've stopped travelling, found a home, a husband, furniture for said home, two very bad cats (Christmas Day Catnip disaster - a story for another time), and lots of really good, caring friends. When I stopped traveling, I stopped moving. It fell off my radar - I preferred the company of my husband to my headphones and a gym.

So I've committed to my friends to run this Bermuda Triangle Challenge in Jan of 2011 (yep, a year away). This freaking race is over three days in Bermuda; the first day is a 1 mile race (check - no problem). The second day is a 10km (okay, that's going to take some practice) and the third day is a half marathon (awesome - this is sounding better every minute). Oh ya, i'm sarcastic. This blog is going to be my outlet to complain, cry and sometimes brag about what I'm doing. Hopefully you'll find it entertaining, and hopefully a little bit inspirational.

My friend, Lily suggested we do this instead of going to our high school reunion. it's her fault ;) really.

I enlisted the help from my friend, CM, a crazy tri-athlete to help me. Little did I know how seriously CM would take this. In one day, I had a year's worth of races and little build ups plus she made me sign a contract. Apparently she's had enough of my crap. thank god. someone had to call me on my BS. She also made me tell everyone (She's figured out over the years that I do not like to fail in front of my peers). Jerk.

So now everyone knows and I can't let myself fail. AWESOME. Wish me luck.
oh and CM seems to think that Oprah will want to know about this, or even Ellen. We'll see - we'll let them fight over me when the time comes... (rolling my eyes)...

First day down. Waiting to see what's in store from CM tomorrow.