Today is Thanksgiving. Happy T-day, everyone!
Last night we pretty much decided we weren't going down to Williamsburg for the holiday. I have been sick all week with a sore throat and high fever and sitting in the car in traffic with a broken foot is the last thing I want to do.
I felt bad and horribly guilty over it, but in the end, it was the right decision. When we woke up this morning there was that familiar crust on Keller's eye-- PINK EYE! We're heading to the doctor first thing in the morning to be sure and get some drops. Fun times in the Gill household, indeed.
I was feeling down and depressed and all that about not being among family, blah blah blah. But really, I'm with the people that matter most to me and that is what I'm truly thankful for. And John went to the store first thing this morning and got the full spread. We'll be eating here the moment Keller gets up from his nap.
And we just discovered a Rocky movie marathon on VS, and really, this holiday just couldn't get any better now. And I just happen to be wearing my "Cut me...Mick" shirt too. It is fate. Eye of the Tiger, baby.
Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm thankful for my wonderful family and friends, past, present, and future. I love you!
By the way, it's our pup, Lola's 7th birthday today too. Happy Birthday, Lo Bo!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
I'll Be Back Upon My Feet
Well, not too long after I wrote my blog post yesterday, I began the ultimate adventure.
John and I were getting ready for work in the bathroom and we were discussing Thanksgiving. I was completely distracted as I walking in and out of the bathroom. Well, on my way back in, I slammed my foot into the door. Not just into the door, but it hit between the door jamb and the door itself. My tiny baby toe was pulled so hard by the force that it broke, and I tore a ligament which dislocated the entire toe bone from the joint.
It was horrible! I broke another toe back when I was a kid, so I knew the pain and I knew I had broken my toe again. In fact, I could see the bone in the wrong place. I didn't know it was dislocated, but I knew that wasn't right!
I went to the doctor (the podiatrist) right away. They took X-rays and told me it was broken, I had torn a ligament, and it was dislocated. He had to reset the bone. Now, this really worried me because you see on all the doctor shows how painful it is to reset a bone. It is, but what's the painful part is the numbing. The doctor had to give me two shots of Novocain into my foot. One right below my toe joint and the other in the back of my foot. I screamed out, it was so painful. I made the doctor feel bad, he actually apologized. Once it was numb, he reset the bone. I didn't really feel pain at that point. I have this weird problem with bones. They completely gross me out. I can't have bones touching, like when I sleep on my side, the blanket has to be between my knees. When someone touches a bone, even if it's my elbow, I want to puke. So, I thought I was going to puke all over the place when he was resetting the bone. Thankfully, I didn't.
The doctor then put a plaster splint on my foot and I have to wear one of those gorgeous shoes. It's really sexy. And I can't run for a month. A month! I can't do anything for the next week. Then I get the splint off, and maybe I can swim then. After 2 weeks I can ride the recumbent bike (no weight on the foot). The doctor said because of the dislocation and torn ligament, the toe joint is very unstable and I have to be careful to let it heal correctly.
This would be all fine and good except I A) am a pretty avid runner and B) coach runners for a living. So, last night was the meeting of my 8K group. I followed them in my car. Well, I'd go ahead to show them where to go, then they'd catch up, then I'd go ahead, etc. It actually worked out very well. My runners now have their very own pace car, just like the professionals.
So, that's that. This was just perfect timing with the holidays coming. It was funny, one of my runners said last night that it wasn't all bad: the holidays on pain medication could be a good thing. I haven't gotten my prescription filled yet....
John and I were getting ready for work in the bathroom and we were discussing Thanksgiving. I was completely distracted as I walking in and out of the bathroom. Well, on my way back in, I slammed my foot into the door. Not just into the door, but it hit between the door jamb and the door itself. My tiny baby toe was pulled so hard by the force that it broke, and I tore a ligament which dislocated the entire toe bone from the joint.
It was horrible! I broke another toe back when I was a kid, so I knew the pain and I knew I had broken my toe again. In fact, I could see the bone in the wrong place. I didn't know it was dislocated, but I knew that wasn't right!
I went to the doctor (the podiatrist) right away. They took X-rays and told me it was broken, I had torn a ligament, and it was dislocated. He had to reset the bone. Now, this really worried me because you see on all the doctor shows how painful it is to reset a bone. It is, but what's the painful part is the numbing. The doctor had to give me two shots of Novocain into my foot. One right below my toe joint and the other in the back of my foot. I screamed out, it was so painful. I made the doctor feel bad, he actually apologized. Once it was numb, he reset the bone. I didn't really feel pain at that point. I have this weird problem with bones. They completely gross me out. I can't have bones touching, like when I sleep on my side, the blanket has to be between my knees. When someone touches a bone, even if it's my elbow, I want to puke. So, I thought I was going to puke all over the place when he was resetting the bone. Thankfully, I didn't.
The doctor then put a plaster splint on my foot and I have to wear one of those gorgeous shoes. It's really sexy. And I can't run for a month. A month! I can't do anything for the next week. Then I get the splint off, and maybe I can swim then. After 2 weeks I can ride the recumbent bike (no weight on the foot). The doctor said because of the dislocation and torn ligament, the toe joint is very unstable and I have to be careful to let it heal correctly.
This would be all fine and good except I A) am a pretty avid runner and B) coach runners for a living. So, last night was the meeting of my 8K group. I followed them in my car. Well, I'd go ahead to show them where to go, then they'd catch up, then I'd go ahead, etc. It actually worked out very well. My runners now have their very own pace car, just like the professionals.
So, that's that. This was just perfect timing with the holidays coming. It was funny, one of my runners said last night that it wasn't all bad: the holidays on pain medication could be a good thing. I haven't gotten my prescription filled yet....
Monday, November 24, 2008
I Want to Break Free
I have not even felt like writing in my blog. Isn't that awful? I am usually never at a loss for words. But things have been hard and the one thing that has been making me the most stressed I won't talk about here. Let's just say I'm REALLY looking forward to the short work week.
So, let's talk about the weekend instead. Friday night, the girls got together over at Mary's. We hadn't all been together in quite some time. It was fun, as always.
Saturday morning started with me coaching my marathon/half marathon group. Because it's a large group, and they all run at different paces, I often ride my bike along side them. Well, that was the plan this Saturday. I started off and my hands and feet were frozen in a matter of minutes. I almost fell off a number of times because I couldn't feel my brakes. While it was a little scary for me at the time, I'm sure I was quite the sight to see me floundering around on my bike. I had my thickest gloves and socks on, so I don't think there was anything more I could do. I had to go back to my car and follow everyone around in my car. It was comical to say the least. I will have to find another solution there.
Later in the day, we went over to Eric and Isa's for an early Thanksgiving. They are traveling down to FL for the holiday, so they wanted to have friends over for an early feast. And what a feast it was. We ate like there was no tomorrow. It was a fun night with all the food, wine & champagne, and card games and Wii. Wii is a very interesting thing. I kind of really want one because it's a lot of fun, but I know that I'd play all the time and nothing would ever get done. You know, like me and Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.
Sunday I met with a client in the morning. He's such a nice guy and he's come such a long way in his running. Then the rest of the day was lazy. Well, I shouldn't say lazy, because I spent most of the day doing laundry, folding it and putting it away. And I didn't even finish. But I definitely made a dent.
And now it's Monday. Yahoo. But what's funny is that Keller is starting pee wee soccer tonight. It should be interesting because we were talking about it yesterday and he said he doesn't want to play soccer. So, this should be fun. At least we can get a refund if he doesn't like it! And I have my 8K group tonight and that should be fun. Lately, my groups are the only things I look forward to.
So, let's talk about the weekend instead. Friday night, the girls got together over at Mary's. We hadn't all been together in quite some time. It was fun, as always.
Saturday morning started with me coaching my marathon/half marathon group. Because it's a large group, and they all run at different paces, I often ride my bike along side them. Well, that was the plan this Saturday. I started off and my hands and feet were frozen in a matter of minutes. I almost fell off a number of times because I couldn't feel my brakes. While it was a little scary for me at the time, I'm sure I was quite the sight to see me floundering around on my bike. I had my thickest gloves and socks on, so I don't think there was anything more I could do. I had to go back to my car and follow everyone around in my car. It was comical to say the least. I will have to find another solution there.
Later in the day, we went over to Eric and Isa's for an early Thanksgiving. They are traveling down to FL for the holiday, so they wanted to have friends over for an early feast. And what a feast it was. We ate like there was no tomorrow. It was a fun night with all the food, wine & champagne, and card games and Wii. Wii is a very interesting thing. I kind of really want one because it's a lot of fun, but I know that I'd play all the time and nothing would ever get done. You know, like me and Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.
Sunday I met with a client in the morning. He's such a nice guy and he's come such a long way in his running. Then the rest of the day was lazy. Well, I shouldn't say lazy, because I spent most of the day doing laundry, folding it and putting it away. And I didn't even finish. But I definitely made a dent.
And now it's Monday. Yahoo. But what's funny is that Keller is starting pee wee soccer tonight. It should be interesting because we were talking about it yesterday and he said he doesn't want to play soccer. So, this should be fun. At least we can get a refund if he doesn't like it! And I have my 8K group tonight and that should be fun. Lately, my groups are the only things I look forward to.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Kid is All Right
I cannot believe it's been almost 2 weeks since I've updated my blog. That's the longest I've ever gone. Really, the most I've ever gone between posts was maybe 3 days. This is a sign of how things have been.
Things have been rough. Just really busy with work, coaching, home life, yoga teacher training, etc. I kind of feel like I'm drowning. But this is the last day of teacher training, so hopefully I will start to get back to normal soon.
I've been having some kind of emotional block with my running lately. I just do not feel like running. I run with my groups, and it's always great. I look forward to running with them tremendously. But all other runs just don't interest me. I have been trying to figure out why. I was looking through my running log for the last couple of years to see if there were any patterns. Do I always get like this in the fall? Has this ever happened before? Etc. Well, the thing that I noticed was that there was a definitely loss of mo-jo this summer. I was doing well until about mid-July. So, I was trying to think about what was going on and it hit me. All the crap that had been going on this year was catching up with me: my grandmother dying, Archie dying, my mom's illness, Keller's issues at school and me trying to find him a new one, work issues, the list goes on. It really came to a head in August. I had floundered at the NYC Half Marathon and was really low. I then had my own health problems, and while everything is fine, I just never recovered emotionally from it all. I didn't stand a chance at Chicago.
I'm writing about this because, as you know, running is a very big part of my life and when it doesn't go well, it radiates through everything. It's a good example of the mind-body-connection. When the body fails, so does the mind. Well, for me anyway.
I have been thinking about the groups that I coach and how I invest so much emotionally with them. Really, I do with all my clients. And one of my groups, the beginning 5K group, just makes me so happy. They all make me happy, but this one is different. They are so inspiring and motivating because they are so excited by what they're doing. They've never run before and the fact that they can run now, and not pass out, is invigorating to them. They feel unstoppable. Was I ever like that in my running? I don't remember. I need to try and be excited by my running.
I just think I need to be "in the moment" more with everything, but especially my running. I need to focus on one day at a time, and not just on a particular race or event. I need to have fun so it doesn't feel like work. Because it was for a while. I've been training for something since December of 2005. This is the first time in 3 years I'm not training for anything. I can have fun and run because I love it. I'm not saying that training for something isn't fun and all that, it is. But I'm just burned out on racing. It's time to just run.
So, that's my rant for the day. I need to go prepare for my last day of teacher training. I have to teach a class and the thought makes me want to pass out. Yay!
Things have been rough. Just really busy with work, coaching, home life, yoga teacher training, etc. I kind of feel like I'm drowning. But this is the last day of teacher training, so hopefully I will start to get back to normal soon.
I've been having some kind of emotional block with my running lately. I just do not feel like running. I run with my groups, and it's always great. I look forward to running with them tremendously. But all other runs just don't interest me. I have been trying to figure out why. I was looking through my running log for the last couple of years to see if there were any patterns. Do I always get like this in the fall? Has this ever happened before? Etc. Well, the thing that I noticed was that there was a definitely loss of mo-jo this summer. I was doing well until about mid-July. So, I was trying to think about what was going on and it hit me. All the crap that had been going on this year was catching up with me: my grandmother dying, Archie dying, my mom's illness, Keller's issues at school and me trying to find him a new one, work issues, the list goes on. It really came to a head in August. I had floundered at the NYC Half Marathon and was really low. I then had my own health problems, and while everything is fine, I just never recovered emotionally from it all. I didn't stand a chance at Chicago.
I'm writing about this because, as you know, running is a very big part of my life and when it doesn't go well, it radiates through everything. It's a good example of the mind-body-connection. When the body fails, so does the mind. Well, for me anyway.
I have been thinking about the groups that I coach and how I invest so much emotionally with them. Really, I do with all my clients. And one of my groups, the beginning 5K group, just makes me so happy. They all make me happy, but this one is different. They are so inspiring and motivating because they are so excited by what they're doing. They've never run before and the fact that they can run now, and not pass out, is invigorating to them. They feel unstoppable. Was I ever like that in my running? I don't remember. I need to try and be excited by my running.
I just think I need to be "in the moment" more with everything, but especially my running. I need to focus on one day at a time, and not just on a particular race or event. I need to have fun so it doesn't feel like work. Because it was for a while. I've been training for something since December of 2005. This is the first time in 3 years I'm not training for anything. I can have fun and run because I love it. I'm not saying that training for something isn't fun and all that, it is. But I'm just burned out on racing. It's time to just run.
So, that's my rant for the day. I need to go prepare for my last day of teacher training. I have to teach a class and the thought makes me want to pass out. Yay!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Times They Are A Changing
You know it.
I feel like the doors have flown open and we can accomplish anything.
We elected an African American man to be our President. A man that believes anything is possible if we come together, recognize what are our needs our, and meet them with respect and dedication. I know it's virtually impossible for one man to change the world, but I feel if anyone can, it's Barack Obama.
We could not stay awake last night, but John woke me up shortly after 11 to tell me Obama won. It didn't sink in because I was still kind of sleeping. But when I woke up this morning, it really felt like Christmas morning. I have never been this excited to see what will come.
John and I kind of ran downstairs to watch the news, and there it was: Obama's speech in Chicago's Grant Park. We sat there, tears streaming down our faces, excited and hopeful at the turn our country has made.
This has to be how it felt when Kennedy was elected. Maybe it's beyond that.
I just want to say thank you to everyone for believing in change, believing we can do anything, and taking this election as seriously as it truly was. It is a new day in our country.
I feel like the doors have flown open and we can accomplish anything.
We elected an African American man to be our President. A man that believes anything is possible if we come together, recognize what are our needs our, and meet them with respect and dedication. I know it's virtually impossible for one man to change the world, but I feel if anyone can, it's Barack Obama.
We could not stay awake last night, but John woke me up shortly after 11 to tell me Obama won. It didn't sink in because I was still kind of sleeping. But when I woke up this morning, it really felt like Christmas morning. I have never been this excited to see what will come.
John and I kind of ran downstairs to watch the news, and there it was: Obama's speech in Chicago's Grant Park. We sat there, tears streaming down our faces, excited and hopeful at the turn our country has made.
This has to be how it felt when Kennedy was elected. Maybe it's beyond that.
I just want to say thank you to everyone for believing in change, believing we can do anything, and taking this election as seriously as it truly was. It is a new day in our country.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Ain't That America
It's here!
We have been waiting for this Election Day for what feels like years. And I guess it has been well over a year with primaries and all that. At this point, I'm usually so fed up with Election shenanigans that I can't wait for it all the be over. But this time is really different for me.
This is the 4th Presidential Election in which I will be voting. The first one was Clinton's second term and it was very exciting for me. Clinton came to speak at ASU and a bunch of us skipped class so we could see him. How often do you get to see a President speak live? Oh, it was awesome. Exciting and electric. I think I'll always remember that day.
The next two elections were such a debacle. I think the whole mess really turned people off from voting and changed the general attitude of Americans. In fact, a coworker was talking about that just yesterday. About how her vote doesn't count, etc.
But I really think this election has changed that feeling for a lot of people. Oh, I'm sure there are people that still feel their voice won't be heard and won't vote, which is truly a shame. But, whatever your political feelings are, the results of this election will be groundbreaking. We'll either have the first African American President, or the first female Vice President. That's huge, any way you look at it.
I am watching the news as I write this. The polls don't open here in Maryland until 7:00. It's currently 6:00 and they just reported on a polling site in Rockville that has had people in line since 3:30. While that's a little excessive, it's also really freaking cool. They interviewed that first man in line and he said he was just too excited to wait. This is his first election and he's nervous and excited and can't concentrate on anything else. I think that's amazing. Seriously, think about it. There's no monetary or material gain. He's not waiting in line for a video game or cell phone. He's waiting 3 and a half hours in line TO VOTE. If that's not inspiring you to get out there, I don't know what will.
I won't take this time to discuss politics and agenda. I think you all have an idea of who I'm voting for. I just hope that all of you vote. It's the most important, and quite possibly the easiest, thing you can do to make a difference in this country. And besides, if you don't vote, you can't complain about anything.
Rock the vote, people.
We have been waiting for this Election Day for what feels like years. And I guess it has been well over a year with primaries and all that. At this point, I'm usually so fed up with Election shenanigans that I can't wait for it all the be over. But this time is really different for me.
This is the 4th Presidential Election in which I will be voting. The first one was Clinton's second term and it was very exciting for me. Clinton came to speak at ASU and a bunch of us skipped class so we could see him. How often do you get to see a President speak live? Oh, it was awesome. Exciting and electric. I think I'll always remember that day.
The next two elections were such a debacle. I think the whole mess really turned people off from voting and changed the general attitude of Americans. In fact, a coworker was talking about that just yesterday. About how her vote doesn't count, etc.
But I really think this election has changed that feeling for a lot of people. Oh, I'm sure there are people that still feel their voice won't be heard and won't vote, which is truly a shame. But, whatever your political feelings are, the results of this election will be groundbreaking. We'll either have the first African American President, or the first female Vice President. That's huge, any way you look at it.
I am watching the news as I write this. The polls don't open here in Maryland until 7:00. It's currently 6:00 and they just reported on a polling site in Rockville that has had people in line since 3:30. While that's a little excessive, it's also really freaking cool. They interviewed that first man in line and he said he was just too excited to wait. This is his first election and he's nervous and excited and can't concentrate on anything else. I think that's amazing. Seriously, think about it. There's no monetary or material gain. He's not waiting in line for a video game or cell phone. He's waiting 3 and a half hours in line TO VOTE. If that's not inspiring you to get out there, I don't know what will.
I won't take this time to discuss politics and agenda. I think you all have an idea of who I'm voting for. I just hope that all of you vote. It's the most important, and quite possibly the easiest, thing you can do to make a difference in this country. And besides, if you don't vote, you can't complain about anything.
Rock the vote, people.
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