I have an exciting story to share with you!!!! It is my latest knee achievement and something that means a great deal to me. And I’d love to tell you about it, thank you! 😍
First of all, I have definitely mentioned this before:
I used to LOVE running!!!!!!!!!
I know, it isn’t for everyone!! 😆 However, for me, it always made me feel really strong, so focused, and it allowed me to zone out to music and just coast through miles. It was a stress reliever and it was valuable time to myself, to just breathe, challenge myself, and go!! Plus, my body always felt great while I was running, which made it very enjoyable, of course! 💞
And because running was always a part of my workout routine, I got very comfortable with my running form and my technique. This allowed me to find both ease with my stride and confidence in my ability to ramp up speed and go all-out. It always made me so happy to put in some miles on a bike path or a treadmill and test my distance and/or sprinting capabilities!! 😊🏃🏻♀️
Well, since my last knee injury in 2019, I had to eliminate running from my training for over 2 years. And then starting in month 5 of my ACL rehab this year, (August 2021), I was able to bring back baby jogs into my life. The tiniest distance, like an attempted jog of 0.1 of a mile, led to added tenths of a mile each time I practiced my jogging……..So then, by mid-November 2021 and starting month 8 of recovery, the most that I was ever jogging in a row was two miles!! (Which made me so pleased that I could do that, at least!!) 😃
And these jogs only took place on a treadmill because I wasn’t given clearance by my physical therapist to jog outside yet. With the unpredictable obstacles, like uneven ground, rocks, leaves, and inclement weather, I was told to be extremely cautious. To which I said:
SO, here’s the start of my big story of the week: one of the races that I always enjoyed doing was the Turkey Trot. It’s a great 8K race (4.97 miles), where over 14,000 runners gather on Thanksgiving morning, usually in the freezing cold, and run together!!!
Many people wear fun holiday costumes while they run, like turkeys on their heads, and the community comes out to watch and cheer for the runners. I’m telling you, the energy at the Turkey Trot is fantastic and it’s always an amazing race in which to participate!! 👏🏼✨👏🏼✨
And since I missed two years in a row of participating in this road race, I decided that this year, I was doing it!!!!!!! So, back in September 2021, I signed up for the virtual Turkey Trot, hoping upon hope that I would be able to jog the entire thing!!!!! But even if I could not, I would prep my walking legs to conquer the almost-five miles!!!
By the time it was Thanksgiving week, I still had only jogged a maximum of two miles on the treadmill. So, to say that I didn’t train for this Turkey Trot would be an understatement!!! HOWEVER, I have been working so hard at PT and on my own for MONTHS, I’ve been focused on building leg strength, balance, and stability, and I was excited to give these ol’ Turkey Trot miles a try, regardless!!
Now, when it comes to this virtual race, I was allowed to do the race anywhere (or so I thought) and at any time because my GPS would track me. And I had from Thanksgiving, on that Thursday, up until Sunday to complete the race and get credit!
So, I chose to do it the safe way and run on the treadmill on Thanksgiving morning!!!! Smart right??!! I didn’t have to battle the cold or the sneaky outdoors!
In theory, it was an excellent idea!!!! But in practice, it was a huge FAIL!!! Because I was stationary, my GPS kept alerting me that the “runner had stopped moving” and it would stop the timer. Which makes sense, of course, but I thought that people had run virtual races on treadmills before???? Perhaps one needs a special app for that…. 🧐
In any case, I did NOT have a special app!! And after my GPS thought that I had keeled over for the second time and stopped my timer, I had to forego the tracker!!! AND since I was focused and on a mission, I decided to run on the treadmill, pretend I was at the actual Turkey Trot, and see how far I (and my knee) could go!!!
And do you know WHAT?!?!?!?!
I was able to jog all 5 miles in a row on the treadmill!!!!!
And here is my happy and sweaty face when I crossed my own imaginary finish line:
It was a HUGE moment for me and my knee and my whole journey!!! That despicable doctor that told me I would be crippled one day flashed in my head – – HA!! My little knee was able to conquer five miles in a row without really training to do so. I thought in my head, “I wish that big jerk could see me now!” 😛 Not the kindest thought, though I speak the truth!! 😁
Sooooo, while I was celebrating this incredible moment, it also dawned on me that my victorious efforts were actually a facade and did not count towards the virtual Turkey Trot for which I had signed up. Because I had shut off the tracker that wasn’t able to track me and therefore I had no race to submit on the app. It was like I didn’t even run it…..🤔
HOWEVER….I was intrigued. (And stubborn. But let’s allow “intrigued” to weigh in more here, please!! 😉) BECAUSE my GPS fail on the treadmill showed me that I would have to attempt to run outside for my real virtual Turkey Trot, if I chose to go for it. Which would be my FIRST RUN OUTSIDE (on a non-track surface!) IN 2.5 YEARS!!!!!!!And I DID get approval from my physical therapist to run outside as long as it wasn’t snowing or icy……Oooooooh, such a debate!!!
Friday then comes along and I had to decide if I would forfeit the REAL virtual race because, I mean, I knew that I had run the race. And I was so proud and so grateful that my knee and my body could complete it!!! Plus, I didn’t know how my knee and body would take to attempting another 5-mile race in such a short time!!!! 😬
What to do, what to do???? 🙃 You probably can guess what I did!!!!!!!!
On Saturday, the roads were clear and it was chilly but sunny!!! And that seemed like the perfect race weather and conditions for me!!!! I totally attempted virtual Turkey Trot #2 outside, (EEEEEEK!!!), running through neighborhoods, listening to my music, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, actually being tracked by my GPS on the app!!!! HOORAY!!
And you won’t believe it!!! I couldn’t even believe it. It was easier to run outside and I completed all 4.97 miles in a better time than my treadmill attempt! WHAT????? I beat my time by almost 2 minutes… 🤯 I was both stunned and truly thrilled! I honestly didn’t know that running 10 miles within 2.5 days was possible for my knees at this time. Or maybe even EVER, really.
Seriously, before I had my knee surgery back in March 2021, I was explicitly told that there was a chance that I may never run again. So many knee surgeries plus my already-hypermobile knee being even more mobile after the March surgery…the chance of running impact being too much for my knee(s) was definitely on the table for me.
And last week, after surprisingly completing and fully jogging these two 8K races, it proved that I can rebuild and train to become a strong runner again. And that was a very powerful realization for me. ☺️❤️
Thank you so much for being here and sharing in this good news with me!!!!!! AND please, please, never discount your amazingness and the power inside yourself. Even if other people, (even doctors), are unsupportive and their words try to limit you and your capabilities. Remember:
It’s YOU. You are the life-changer and the one that can create magic and make the impossible possible!!!! It starts with believing in yourself and going for what you seek, even if you ease into the process. As long as you try!!!
If I didn’t trust myself and try these jogs, I never would have known that I could really do them!!! I never would have known that I could run an 8K on the treadmill and then a better 8K OUTSIDE, completing a Double Turkey Trot to Victory Square(d)!!!! (My imaginary crossing of the finish line for one 8K was the entrance to my ‘Victory Square.’ And since there were two….it becomes ‘Victory Square(d)!!!‘ RIGHT?!?!?! 😁😄🤣)
Gotta celebrate all wins and the victories that we conquer!!! And then move forward and rack up more wins and victories along the way! All while we:
Keep dreaming and seeking and achieving the greatness that you deserve and that you BE!!! Talk soon!! 💖💫💖✨💖⭐️