and you get back up

The awesome part about being a nurse is that you can work the beginning of this week and the end of next week which means 6 days off!! Woohoo!! After sleeping off my nursing hangover I decided to start my days off right and run my farthest distance so far...plus I had talked to David earlier this morning and I told him that it was my goal to go 6 miles today! So with my word on the line and a relay quickly approaching I hit the treadmill. I had wanted to run on the bosque trail but I got up too late and it would've been dark halfway through my run! The treadmill it was! I brought my portable DVD player and watched The Help (love that movie) while I trotted away! 

I was feeling great and was 3.5 miles into my run and all the sudden my right knee just gave out from underneath me! It happened so fast I had absolutely no time to realize what was happening to me until I was literally being shot out to the ground via the treadmill's belt!! Thank goodness my little DVD player didn't go flying off with me too...and my headphones just yanked right out of my ears! Now of course this couldn't happen while I was there by myself...and let me just say that my apartment's gym is mini and it is a rare day when there is another person in there! I biffed it while not only one but two other individuals were there! One girl was to my left on the other treadmill and the other girl was behind me to the left on the elliptical! I jumped back up and hopped back on to the treadmill and laughed out loud (no really, I did laugh out loud!) and the girl to my left said, "are you okay?" to which I replied, "oh yeah, just wanted to make sure you guys didn't get too bored during your workout!" ....neither laughed, or smiled, I guess I wasn't convincing enough! 

I continued on my merry little way, and thought that the worst was behind me and at mile 4.2 all the sudden my knee gave out again and I was eating carpet yet again! It all happened so fast and yet it was like it was in slow motion. All the sudden I was trying to catch myself and before I had time to catch myself I was falling to the treadmills belt, and that thing just spits you out like you're nothing and throws you onto the ground...all before you even realize what is happening to you! Jumping back up I said, "Okay, if that doesn't make you guys laugh, then I don't know what will, but I'm done putting on a show!!" ...thankfully that time they laughed...and I was able to move on...humbled yet again! I've never had this problem before with my knee giving out with no cause and so at mile 4.5 I had a serving of Gatorade's energy chews (I always carry something with me just in case). I had eaten 2 clementines before my run, but I had just woken up and wasn't that hungry, plus I don't like to eat much before I workout because it makes me feel sluggish! I don't know if that was the problem, but I felt better after having those and I didn't fall again...I may have tripped when stepping off the treadmill, but I've never claimed to be graceful! 

My experience today just reminded me of my weight loss journey. You know just when you think you're doing great and that everything is under control you get a huge curve-ball thrown at you...so how do you respond when life gets you down? Do you roll around and make mud angels? Do you crawl off to the sidelines and call it quits, or do you get back up and keep going? Sometimes the best thing we can do is just laugh at ourselves, pick ourselves up and keep going. Plus I'm a firm believer in the saying, "blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused!"

So after all that I finished 6 miles in 80 minutes. A 13:20 pace which I am proud of, especially given the obstacles I faced! Here are a few battle scars I accumulated along the way...

my right knee

my left knee

but hey...I'm still standing!!!

Well I am glad I had something to write about and the time to write it! :D Until next time...