Life After A Miracle

Well....Friday May 11th was just like every other Friday.  We got up, worked out, and went about our day.  Kaleb went to school so excited because he was going to get to go to a best friends house for the night for a birthday party.  Bo and I went to work and we had planned on a “Date Night” because we NEVER do that.  We couldn’t wait.  Around 10:40am my office phone rang and Bo asked me to come to the ER and he was in room 510.  I have had these phone calls before and thought maybe it was someone we knew.  Well, I did know the patient.  It was Bo.  He thought he had pulled a muscle in his arm and it was hurting bad enough that he needed to go to the ER and it was obvious that he was uncomfortable.  The PA came in and did and exam and we were going to get some X-rays.  Bo happened to mention that maybe we get an EKG.
The Tech came in and did an EKG and left without saying much.  No sooner than he walked out, the PA returned followed by a ton of people in what I would like to call, Organized Chaos!  He very calmly said, Bo, you are having a heart attack!!!!  I heard “heart attack” and “STEMI”.  I knew what both of those things meant.  It was a totally surreal moment.  Bo was taken immediately to the Cath Lab and his Cardiologist just happened to be there, NOT A COINCIDENCE!.  They were able to place 2 stents and we were just amazed.
It was a normal day! It was beautiful outside! We had made plans! This was NOT on our radar! What just happened!?  If I asked myself that once, I asked myself a million times over!  There were so many emotions and so many questions.  It was clear that what had happened would have been vastly different had it been the weekend before in NYC.  What if it had happened on the weekend or at night and we would have had to wait on staff to be called in?  I quickly realized that I could not live in the “What if’s?”  That could not happen.
This all happened on Friday morning and we were home on Monday afternoon.  We are learning what we have called our “New Normal”.  It is so different!  Bo has LEARNED to rest.  We have also learned to revamp what we think is important.
We return to work-life next week.  It’s all about perspective and what is priority.  We have learned so much.  We are so truly grateful for so many people and so many prayers and encouragement!  It has been a humbling experience to see just how many people have reached out.  We are blessed beyond words!  We move forward with a new appreciation for those small things and each new sunrise.  Don’t take it for granted!!!

Pacer???

                                                                          This is Amy!!

So I have run my first half marathon in 10 YEARS!!!!

10 Years older but guess what????  I didn’t let that stop me!!!  It was absolutely amazing!!!!  I mentioned in my last post about a PACER.  I had seen people carrying signs with a time on them like 2:00 or 2:30 or 3:00 and so on.  I knew of them but I was not sure exactly what it meant or how it worked or what the point was.  Leading up to this race I was questioning EVERYTHING about how in the world was I going to do this.  I had a million “What If’s” running through my head!  

In a conversation in the hall at work one day, Amy walks by and casually mentions she is the Pacer for the Half Marathon.  My ears perked up.  I asked what was her time.  3 hours!!! My head was spinning and I was so excited!!!!!  I did the math and thought, “I can so do that!”  Then she said she was doing 2 and 2.  Ok, well, I do run/walk anyway so that should not be to complicated and I think I can handle that.

  Of course then the negative comes in......”What if the 2 minutes is more like a sprint and it takes me 2 minutes to recover?” “What if she REALLY means 2 miles running and 2 miles walking?”  Don’t deny it, you would have done the same thing!!!!!  

After I got over my fear and had a few more conversations with her, my Hubby, Scott (my long legged co-worker) and other’s, I figured I could do this!  It was going to work because by now my determination was overtaking instead of the negative!!!!  

My reasoning turned to 

1- It’s been 10 years

2-I’m 10 years older

3- My last half marathons were 2:30 and 2;40’s

4-I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!

I found Amy the day of the race and I met a ton of women that I absolutely adore from a running group in town.  I had only commented and read post on Facebook and never REALLY met them in person with the exception of those that work at the hospital.  THEY ARE AMAZING!!!!!!  

We had an incredible time during the race.  We talked and laughed and sang!  It was wonderful.  

What did I love most about having a Pacer??

I didn’t have to think!  

I didn’t have to worry about.......

Was it time to run?

Was it time to walk?

Where is the next hill?

Will I be able to drink at the next water stop?

What mile am I on again?

Am I really going to make it?

Are we done yet?

I could trust that Amy had it all under control and I just needed to listen and HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!!!

All of that to say.....If you have ever questioned or even considered running with a PACER.......DO IT!!!  

You will NOT BE SORRY!!!!!!!!

First Half Marathon after 10 YEARS!!!!!!

IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!!!

I did it!!!!!!


I completed a Half-Marathon AGAIN!!!!!!

While most of you know that I LOVE to run and that running = therapy and running = my time, it doesn't seem like that is a big deal.

Well, if you go back almost 2 years now, I ran in a local 5k and that was the first race after Lynn-Marie had passed.  I literally was running, ugly crying mess that day.  I had cried getting ready, I cried before the race. I cried during the race. I was a MESS!!!!!  The story behind that is here. ( You can go and read if you would like.)

Last year I had signed up to run a race that I had run before called the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  I had run it before (9 years ago!) and I was training all summer for it in the heat.  I was doing well and then realized it fell at a time of an older child leaving for a duty station and dates were not set in stone and vacation time was VERY limited. I gracefully bowed out BUT transferred my money to this year for 2018.  Already signed up and ready to go.  That was a done deal and I was ok with that......
UNTIL........


Our little city here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland decided to do a half marathon and a full marathon.  My first thought was, NOPE! I'm not ready. I haven't been training and it was COLD outside and I DO NOT LIKE THE TREADMILL especially for long runs.  (BORING!!)

So I wasn't sure what to do.  I did a 10 mile relay (I ran 5 and Donna ran 5) and that was as far as I had run and now I'm looking at 13.1......I HAVE LOST MY MIND!  With no mind left I signed up and thinking the entire time....."I can NOT do this!"

I have a co-worker who is running.  He is MUCH taller than I am and the LONGEST legs ever and is FAST.  He had signed up and we would talk and chat and we are both on the same running app and I would see his runs and that would motivate me to go.  Well, I did my 8 mile run a few weeks ago.  It was a lot hotter than I thought.  I did not prepare the night before.  I didn't sleep due to "life" and I was in TEARS!!!!!  I was texting my husband telling him I couldn't do it. I was texting 2 friends telling them I was crazy! It was probably THE WORST RUN EVER!!!!

Fast-forward to this past Saturday.

I ate pizza Friday night ( NO GUILT!!).

I went to bed at 8:30pm

I got up and ate. Drank my shake. Drank my Energize.

Got to the race and I had made a choice to run with a PACER.  Never have I done that before.  I'll write another post about PACER's later on.

I took pictures.  I met women I have only seen on social media. I spoke to people who knew me and didn't realize I knew them.  I met new people. It was amazing!!!!!

I ran with Amy (PACER) and a group of women whom I have NEVER met before and now I am running with them for the next 3 hours.  We sang! We laughed! We shed a few tears! We talked about running! It was amazing!!!!  It was an absolutely INCREDIBLE RACE! It's been 10 YEARS AND I STIL CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!

When I finished I realized I have a big PROBLEM!!!!!

I'm soooo ready to do another race.  I caught myself looking on line for more races and where and when and do I have anything planned!!!!

I had the MOST FUN EVER!!!!!  This was The Inaugural Race for our town.  I'm ready to put this on my calendar for NEXT YEAR!