Hey! Remember when I ran that fall 2012 marathon?? Yeah, me neither. It was the Richmond Marathon on November 10th, 7.5 weeks ago.
(And yes a recap is in the works) Since that day running has been few and far between.
Long story short, I came back from Richmond and immediately threw myself into moving my family back home. We had been living like nomads for almost 6 months as our apartment was being renovated We finally were able to move back. Well, almost. There were lots of last touches to be done and as I worked very hard to make an organized and clean home for my family, I also was managing contractors, plumbers, wood workers, painters, movers, etc … It took 2 weeks of that to knock me out. By November 26th I had the flu, strep throat and an ear infection. One week after that I had pneumonia. And thats all she wrote. December is a blur, I have never been so exhausted and weak in all my life.
Somewhere in there Christmas happened
Oh Santa … you were not the biggest hit, but there were no tears so net net – success.
And as we do every year we went with the family to the Bahamas for the week between Christmas and New Years. Maybe it was the rest, maybe it was the sunshine but finally in my last days on Paradise Island I began to feel like myself. Thank God.
So here we are. In 2013. And I could not be more thrilled. I have big plans this year. Plans for health … plans to gain back strength and become a marathon runner again. Plans to start a new.
Today I took my first running steps of 2013. 6.5 Miles in Central Park. It was hard, really really hard. In fact after the first 2.5 miles I stopped and contemplated quitting. Its not that I wasn’t enjoying myself, its just that it felt different. I could feel the fitness I had lost, I remembered how easy that 6.5 mile loop was just a few months ago and I got angry at the difficulty I was having now.
But the thing is, you have to start somewhere. There are ebbs and flows to life and fitness. If we were in tip top shape all the time, then what would we be working toward? The trick is to kick that negativity away and find the joy in the journey. Florence has a point …
It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back / So shake him off
And that is what I did. I shook off the angry thoughts and I kept chugging along. It was still hard, and it still felt different but when I was done I felt a bigger sense of accomplishment than I had felt in months …
Bring it on 2013. Lets start this party again, I’m excited for the journey!
So Glad To Hear You Are Well Again Gia!
Happy New Year To You & Your Beautiful Family!
Love Your Spirit!
Many Blessings In 2013 to You & Yours…
It’s so good to know you’re doing good
I hope this 2013 brings tons of laughter, joy and miles
Happy new year!
I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. The Bahamas is a great spot to recover! Can’t wait to see pics of the new apt! I bet it’s gorgeous!!!! Hey 6.5 miles is awesome. I’ve had two weeks off from the gym and I’m dreading going back tomorrow. I know I have to start from scratch. But we have to start somewhere, right.
Glad you are feeling better! Starting over is tough no matter how much time you take off. (I have been told that “taking time off makes you stronger, not at first, but down the line.” However that might have been something I made up to make myself feel better for taking time off! NBD, I’m just making up advice)
Jocelyn recently posted..Bring on 2013….
I have the same plans for 2013! After a nice rest period, I want to be out there running and training and getting stronger. If I had started too soon, it would be forced and I would probably not see any results! Cheers to you and your goals
Ashley @ Running Bun recently posted..Cheers to a Kickass 2013
Glad you’re back and can’t wait for some great running in 2013! While Dec sounds like an absolutely crazy month, maybe the change of pace will have you ready to attack training with fervor! Also, glad you don’t have pneumonia anymore — so awful!
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So glad that you are feeling better. You’ll be back to tip-top shape in no time! Happy new year!
Glad to see you are back and feeling better! Happy New Year!
I’m glad you are feeling better!! The first run might be tough,but it is amazing how fast your body will be back. You are not starting at 0 again, after a few warm up runs, your body will remeber what running is and you will be back at it very soon!
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