The Stress Fracture Diary: What I Didn't Expect

Today marks eight weeks post-stress fracture diagnosis. Over these last two months, I have learned and experienced a lot surrounding health, healing, and growth. Some of it was expected; some of it came as more of a surprise. This post will cover some of the things I wasn't expecting from an injury. This is a long one, so extra credit to those of you who read it in its entirety :-)

Pain
Yes, I know this seems obvious but just let me explain. When I was diagnosed, part of the reason I was so surprised it was an actual stress fracture was the lack of pain I was feeling pre-diagnosis. Most people will tell you that a stress fracture is very painful. I had experienced discomfort and some minor pains before I went non-weight bearing for six weeks but nothing major.

Until the boot came off and I started walking again. My feet and legs have hurt more now than they ever have. Seriously, after two days of walking, I felt like I'd run a marathon. I knew there would be some adjustment when I started walking again, but I just didn't think it would be this painful.

My doctor says this is normal and that I should expect intermittent pain in my foot for the next few weeks- even months. Wow. I never realized how long it would actually take for bone to heal and the pain to stop. Now that I'm nine days post-boot, the pain is very minimal. But it's still there.

Fear and Doubt
I'm scared to death to run again. Truly terrified. I thought that once I was able to walk again, I'd be itching to run right out of the gate. If anything, the opposite is true: I'm really worried about starting to run again in the coming weeks.

Will I get another stress fracture?

What if the right foot isn't totally healed? What if I really do damage to it?

What if I hurt something else?

What if my body gives out?

Up until now, I think I fell into the trap that most young people fall into- thinking I'm invincible and healthy and strong and nothing can get to me or slow me down. But that's a fantasy. I am getting older. I am not 18 years old anymore and my body takes longer to recover than it previously did. Knowing this fills me with doubt- will I be able to run again? Can I ever run a half marathon or full marathon again? What if my body simply can't do this anymore?

These are the worries that keep me up at night. It's a sad feeling to not be able to trust your body anymore. I hope that this part of my recovery will fade quickly and I can gain some confidence and strength back soon. I have been cleared to start running in three weeks. At this point, I don't know if I'll be mentally ready or not.

Support and Criticism
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have as much kind, caring, and compassionate support as I have had these last few months. Matthew and my friends and family have been simply amazing: helping me get around with my scooter, picking up extra housework/grocery shopping duties, distracting me with fun things to do, and reassuring me on the nights when I just felt down and out. I can't ever repay the kindness shown to me from the wonderful people in my life. And I have to give a HUGE shout out to all my #runAkron teammates and other BRF (best running friends) that have helped keep me sane- Lauren, Steff, Chelsea, Jeff, Nathan, Amanda, Kelsey, Lauren H., Laura, Jen, Julie, Debbie, Jenn. Seriously, I have the best friends in the world.

Likewise, the support from my online community has been phenomenal. From the sobbing, desperate phone calls to Dani at Weight Off My Shoulders to the beautifully written emails from Matt at Hokeyblog to all of your comments, tweets, and emails- thank you from the bottom of my heart. I never felt like I was alone through any of the tough, painful weeks of recovery-past and know I won't be through the tough, painful weeks of recovery-future.

However, the internet is not all sunshine and rainbows. I know most people don't live in the "Pollyanna" bubble I do, but I was still surprised at a lot of the unsolicited "advice" that I got about my injury and my recovery from various people online. For the record, I follow doctor's orders to the letter and would never do anything to jeopardize my recovery. Never. Anyone that truly knows me knows that this has been a crappy few months- I don't need to repeat this at any point so trust me when I say that I am doing everything in my power to stay injury-free. If my doctor clears me to walk, then I will walk. Period. End of discussion. It may not be what some people might do, but I am trusting my doctor (who is far more knowledgeable about this subject than I) and doing what he says.

Gratitude
You never really miss something until it's gone. Before the injury, I don't think I ever really thought about what it meant to be able-bodied. I totally took for granted that I could walk wherever I wanted, climb up and down stairs, run or jump or skip if I felt like it.

Then all of that was stripped away and for six weeks and I needed a lot of help to get around- I wasn't used to relying on other people. It completely changed my perspective. It took losing the ability to walk to really get a sense of how lucky I am and how grateful I should be on a daily basis for my health. Not everyone has the privileges I have. Before the injury, I used to think that I had a pretty grateful heart- now I know that I've got a long way to go. But I'm getting there, step by step.

Slow Recovery
Yes, I knew that I wouldn't be able to jump right back into being half marathon ready at a moment's notice post-injury. But I didn't expect that I'd be winded climbing a flight of stairs. Or that trying to get my heart rate above 120 would be really hard to do and maintain. Or that a fast walking pace would now mean 18-20 minute miles.

I know hope that my "speed" will come back (I use that term loosely, I'll always be a proud back-of-the-pack-er). But I don't think I really understood how slow this recovery would be. I think I kinda hoped I'd be right back at being able to run five miles in a hour once I got cleared to start moving. But now I'm realizing how much cardio and conditioning I've lost in the last two months. I didn't get to the level I was pre-injury overnight and I won't get back to it post-injury overnight. I know that I'll need to be patient with myself and not worry about the numbers- they'll come back in time.

At the beginning of this little adventure, I thought once the boot came off and I was cleared for normal activity that the worst of it would be behind me and the recovery from this part on would be sparkly and awesome and fun. However, I'm learning that the real recovery is just starting and it's going to be a longer and more challenging road than anticipated. But it's a road filled with important milestones, wonderful and supportive people, and opportunities for mental and physical growth. So let's get moving :-)

AM: 11/11/14

Hello and welcome to Accountability Monday on a Tuesday! I was traveling home from Disney World yesterday and unable to post so we are a day late but we're making it work.

In short, Disney was awesome. I can't wait to blog about it this week!

As you know from last week's post, my boot came off seven days ago and I was finally cleared to walk again! It has been an interesting week for sure- lots of weird pain in both my feet and in my right calf especially. Six (almost seven) weeks of non-weight bearing activity can really throw you off. Luckily, everything seems to be working normally today. I still have some pain in my right foot but that is to be expected.

Let's get right into last week!

Training:
As we were in Disney, and as I had just started walking, I did not work out last week (except for the Jingle Jungle 5k). My legs and feet were so sore after the first few days of walking/regular activity- I didn't want to push it and try to do more. I will be returning to the bike and weight training this week.

However, my doctor did clear me to walk my first post-injury 5k on Saturday in Disney- the Jingle Jungle 5k through Animal Kingdom! It took a little over an hour and I desperately wanted to run, but I just kept walking until I got to the finish line. Matthew and our friend Jenn walked it with me- thank you guys so much for all your support! It felt great to be moving again :-)

Nutrition:
This week was a tough one only because I was out of my routine- Disney for five days will do that to you! I made the best choices that I could, ate only until I was satisfied, and tracked it all. If I gain this week, I gain. No big deal. I'm already back to my normal routine and feeling good about my food choices today.

It was also the International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot so I was able to sample foods that I've never had or only have once a year. That's something that has helped be tremendously throughout my weight-loss journey- figuring out what foods are "worth" the high amount of points. There were some things that I ate this past week that were absolutely worth the points! We got to try food from around the world at Epcot and we had a fabulous brunch at Boma on Saturday with an awesome blogger friend, Matt from HokeyBlog. Brunch included French Toast Bread Pudding which was out of this world. Overall, I'm happy with the choices I made and feel like I did a good job of staying on track as much as possible. I also made the decision to include fruits and vegetables at every meal and drank as much water as I could.

The gang at Boma.

Yep, I'm -81 points this week. And I'm ok with that. 

Weight-loss:
146.8 as of 11/5/14 weigh-in
-1.4 since last week
-43.6 since January 2013
-55.2 since HW 

As a present to myself for making it through six weeks of non-weight bearing activity and losing SEVEN pounds in the process, I rewarded myself with a new Active Link 2.0 from Weight Watchers and a new pair of running/walking shoes. I am excited to start using the Active Link and I think it will really come in handy as I start my recovery and slowly add more activity to my routine.

QOTD: What do you reward yourself with when you reach a goal?

It's almost time to 'Wine & Dine!'

Tomorrow is the day- we leave for our 4th Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend! The very first trip Matthew and I took to Disney was for the 2011 Wine & Dine Half Marathon. Matthew ran the half and because I wasn't quite ready yet, I did the 5k offered in the morning. In 2012 and 2013, we both ran the 5k Saturday morning followed by the half Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Our first runDisney race together. Wine & Dine used to be in October, hence the Halloween themed 5k.

While I am unable to run the half marathon this weekend, my orthopedic doctor has cleared me to walk the Jingle Jungle 5k! I'm excited about this for a number of reasons:

1. It will be AMAZING to be back in a race. 
2. Walking through Animal Kingdom before it opens? Awesome! 
3. EVERYTHING IS CHRISTMAS-THEMED! :-)

Jingle Jungle 5k 2012

Jingle Jungle 5k 2013

Other reasons why this will be a fantastic trip? This will be my dad's first half marathon! He and his girlfriend (Margie) are joining us for the whole vacation. It will be so fun to do Disney with my dad- the last time we were in Disney together was my first-ever trip to Disney World- 14 years ago! I can't wait to show him all the changes in the different parks.

We are also meeting up with Matthew's cousin, hanging with a bunch of runner friends, and we've booked a breakfast feast at Boma Flavors of Africa with our friend Matthew of Hokeyblog fame after the 5k Saturday morning. And then there's the post-half marathon after-party in Epcot where we'll be eating and drinking our way around the world. Lots to look forward to!

I have to admit, I am a little sad and disappointed that I won't be able to run the half marathon this year- hands down, this is my all-time favorite race. And it would have been amazing to cross the finish line of my dad's first half marathon with him. But, I know he's in good hands with Matthew and he'll have a blast running through the parks at night.

Now, for a costume reveal! Matthew and I originally planned other costumes but after my injury, I felt this was more appropriate:

With a little help from my friends at Sparkle Athletic, Sparkly Soul, and Enell, I'm ready to walk my first post-stress fracture 5k! Matthew will be walking with me as Superman- isn't he the greatest? I have to give him a quick shout out: Thank you, Matthew for dressing up in costume with me for races! You are earning your stars in heaven! :-)

I'll be posting a ridiculous amount of pictures on instagram, twitter, and facebook this weekend so make sure you're following along and if you see me or Matthew, please say hi!


Who will we see at the Wine & Dine Half Marathon this weekend?!

AM: 11/3/14

Guess what?!

MY BOOT COMES OFF TOMORROW!

It has been 46 days since I've been able to walk unassisted by crutches or the scooter. To say I'm excited is an understatement. My dreams the last few weeks have been full of walking and running- and tomorrow they get to come true! I've been singing one of my favorite childhood songs all weekend:



Make sure you're following me on twitter, instagram, or facebook as I'll be posting after my ortho appointment tomorrow morning. Let's get right into last week!

Training:
Monday- Rest day
Tuesday- 11 miles, recumbent bike
Wednesday- 7.12 miles, recumbent bike, light weight-lifting
Thursday- Rest day
Friday- Rest day
Saturday- 7.33 miles, recumbent bike, weight-lifting circuit
Sunday- 7.05 miles, recumbent bike

Total: 32.5 miles

So I didn't get in the full five workouts I promised last week but I have a good reason. After biking Tuesday and Wednesday, my foot was a little angry Thursday morning so I took an extra rest day. It handled Saturday and Sunday just fine. In my upcoming weeks/months of recovery, I know I'll need to cut myself some slack, listen to my body, and not try to push it too hard unnecessarily.

Nutrition:
I'm so glad candy is not a weakness of mine- I'd have been in big trouble this week! I managed to only have a few Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a fun chocolate mint cappuccino to celebrate Halloween. We also went to a wedding yesterday and I did have a small piece of wedding cake with my after-dinner coffee.

I did a much better job staying within my points this week. I think knowing this would be my last week with the boot/scooter helped me get through and stay focused. I was able to earn 17 APs this week with the addition of biking so that helped tremendously. But I'm still very much looking forward to getting back to walking and running :-)

Weight-loss:
148.2 as of 10/29/14 weigh-in
-2.0 since last week
-42.2 since January 2013
-53.8 since HW 

Yup, that's right! I lost another TWO POUNDS this week! I can't tell you the last time I lost two pounds in one week!

It's been a loooooong time since my weight has been in the 140-something range. It's almost unbelievable. 

Since the injury, I've lost 5.6 pounds. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I'd be able to lose weight while laid up. I owe my support system- all of you included- a huge thank you! I don't think I would have been able to find the motivation and determination to stick to my plan without your constant support and encouragement. Thank you- so, so much :-)

Also, we leave for Disney in just three days. Even though I won't be able to run my favorite race- Wine & Dine Half Marathon- I think I'll still have a pretty good time in the happiest place on earth :-)

Have an awesome week!

Volunteer Recap & Review: Marine Corps Marathon

Way back in July, I signed up to volunteer for the 39th annual Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in Washington, DC. I had heard nothing but rave reviews about this race and knew at some point I'd like to run it. As it is extremely popular, there was a lottery system in place for this year so I knew 2014 wasn't the year I was going to run it. A few of my friends got in for this year so I figured I'd sign up to volunteer. I was hoping for a fun day in DC.

Then I got injured. And as time grew closer to the MCM, I stared to get nervous about how I was going to get around DC with 27,000 runners and their cheering sections. I mean, taking the scooter on the metro?! Terrifying! Luckily, I wasn't worried at all about my volunteer position- I had contacted Charlie Harr (Volunteer Coordinator) and let him know I was injured. He changed my volunteer duties so they would be stationary and easy to get to from the Metro. I was originally going to be at information in the morning and then at food station 2 in the afternoon but was reassigned to be at bag check all day.

Last Sunday, I woke up at four am, got dressed, and headed out to the Metro station in Vienna, VA. I stayed at Matthew's brother and sister-in-law's place the night before so it was just a 10 minute drive to the station (they're about two hours drive from us). The Metro opened at five and I was on the first train headed toward the Pentagon. There weren't a ton of people and it was very easy to get my scooter on and off the train.

Once I got off the Metro, I could hear the starting line announcer. To be honest, he sounded pretty far away! I'm guessing it took me 15-20 minutes to scoot down to the starting line area where I'd report for bag check. But, the Washington Monument was lit up in the distance and it was simply beautiful.

I checked in with the volunteer tent and they instructed me to report to Captain Lousche at bag check. Once there, I was assigned to bag check 01 and given a lovely brown volunteer shirt :-) The shirts were the same design as the runner shirts except they were cotton and said "Volunteer" down the sleeve.

All the bags we were collecting from runners were put into one of about 20 UPS trucks. After the race started, the UPS trucks would then go to the finish line and be ready for the runners at the end of the race. My job was to make sure the bags were tied, the bib number/sticker was clearly visible on the outside, and to call out the number to the UPS staff who would then organize the bags inside the truck. Everything operated like a well-oiled machine.

Working with me were a bunch of Marines. There were a few other civilian volunteers but it was mainly uniformed Marines. They were such a blast to work with! We were joking around with runners and each other all morning. It helped to make the pre-dawn darkness and chilly weather bearable! I mainly worked with Cameron, who (bless his heart!) thought I was 25. Thank you, Cameron :-) I also got to chat with Pam from We Run Disney- thank goodness she was wearing a skirt- she was easy to find!

Right before the start, we shut down bag check and the trucks started to leave to get to the finish line. The festivities leading up to the start were incredible! They had people parachuting out of the sky with American flags and all sorts of aircraft flying around. It really was something to see. 

Pam, about to conquer 26.2!

Cameron!

After the start, I headed back toward the Metro station to go to the finish line. However, I knew I had at least two and a half hours before the lead runners would be crossing the finish. As I scootered toward the station, I saw what I thought were marathoners. Turns out, they were the 10kers at about mile 3! The MCM also includes a 10k that covers the last 6.2 miles of the marathon course and starts at the same time as the marathon.

I had brought my cow bells with me so I decided to hang out there for a while and cheer. I'm so glad I did because I was able to see several friends that were competing in the 10k! It was also super cool to see all the runners thank the Marines and other military personnel that were on the course- so inspiring!

So happy to see Mandy on the course!

Lots of high fives for our servicemen! 

Eventually, I got back on the Metro and got to the finish line. The bag check area wasn't hard to find but I decided to stop into a Panera to get some food and use a real bathroom. While we waited for finishers to come in, we passed the time by taking selfies and goofing around. Mandy came to hang out for a while after she finished the 10k. It was great to catch up with her and hear about her race.

New friends.

As the runners started to come in and we started handing bags back, it was so awesome to hear how many runners thanked the Marines for their service. It truly made me proud to be American and so thankful for our military.

I was able to see a few of the marathon finishers that I wanted to see- including Linzie from Sharp Endurance- while we were waiting for the bulk of the finishers to come claim their bags. It really was busy between the four and five hour finishing time. Around 3 pm, my volunteer shift was over. I said goodbye to my new Marine friends and headed toward the finish line. I wanted to see Steph and Nevie and I thought both would be finishing around that time. My phone had died a few hours before so I really didn't know if I'd see them but I figured I'd try anyway.

The walk from the finish line to the bag check was crazy long. There were so many people that I couldn't get near the finish. So I parked the scooter along the finisher chute and tried to spot Steph and Nevie. Somehow, out of the thousands and thousands of people, I saw Nevie! I was so happy to see her finish- she'd been out for a few weeks with hip bursitis and wasn't sure if she'd be able to do MCM. It was awesome to see her complete it!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find Steph. With so many people, it was damn near impossible to find any one person. Around 4 pm, I finally headed back to the crowded Metro station to head home, exhausted from a really fun day.

Overall Thoughts
This race was fantastic from beginning to end- from a volunteer/spectator perspective. It is incredibly organized and all the volunteers/Marines are super helpful. The metro is easy to navigate and even with tens of thousands of people, I never waited longer than five minutes for a train.

The pre-race information was also very timely and useful. I had a lot of email communication with the Volunteer Coordinator and never was confused about where I had to be or what time. I also followed up with him after the race to thank him and he put my picture on the MCM website! How sweet is that?

As a volunteer, we got a shirt and got multiple snacks/water throughout the day. The runners were incredibly kind to all of us- there was a spirit of patriotism at this race that I could feel even as a volunteer. Lots of warm fuzzies all around :-)

Will I volunteer for this race again? Without a doubt, yes. I'd love to run it at some point, but honestly, I had a blast volunteering and wouldn't hesitate to make the trek down just to volunteer.


QOTD: Have you ever volunteered for a race? Which one? Would you do it again?

The Stress Fracture Diary: Do's and Don'ts of Interacting with Injured Athletes

Over the last six weeks, I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of people in my life: family, friends, co-workers, strangers, other runners, students- all about my injury. When you're moving around on a knee scooter and wearing a boot, it's bound to come up in conversation.

Out of those interactions, there have been some that have been positive and helpful and then others that have pissed me off or made me cry. So, if you don't want to make your injured friends cry, check out my tips below on how to interact with the injured runner.


DO ask someone if they need help.
Scooters/wheelchairs/crutches are tough to get around on. If you see someone struggling with steps, a door, carrying something, simply ask, "Can I help you with something?" It can be a huge help to those of us with mobility issues.

DON'T stare, point, or laugh at someone using a knee scooter.
Seriously, this has been the WORST part of being injured. I can't tell you how many people point, snicker, stare, etc. when they seem me walking by. Yes, I get it- knee scooters aren't that common and you've probably never seen one before. But really, would you stare and point at someone in a wheelchair? No, I didn't think so. It's rude and annoying. So please, if you see someone on a knee scooter, just make eye contact, smile, and don't stare at their medical device.

DO remember that there are still other things going on in their life outside of the injury. 
Every conversation I have doesn't have to be about my foot. Trust me, there are some days that I just want to talk about anything but running or my injury. Respect an injured athlete's feelings and boundaries on what they are comfortable sharing or discussing. And ask them about other areas of their life- work, family, traveling, etc.

DON'T assume you know everything about their injury or how it happened.
Just after I got diagnosed, when everything was still shocking and sad, one of my college students said to me, "Oh I guess you got that from running. You shouldn't run so much." Even typing it now, I'm still furious. Please don't assume you know how someone got hurt or why they got hurt. And even if you do, rubbing it in is only guaranteed to make someone feel worse.

DO ask permission to ask about their injury.
I can't exactly describe why, but constantly hearing "OMG! What happened?!?!" especially from people I don't know is infuriating. If you'd really like to know, try asking, "May I ask what happened to your foot?" Then I have the opportunity to decide if I want to share that information with you or not.

DON'T treat someone's body like public property.
No, you can't touch my foot- or my scooter. No, you don't get to talk about me in the third person while I'm in earshot. No, you can't ask me tons of questions that are invasive- especially if you are a stranger. No, you don't get to disturb me when I'm trying to relax and ask me 20 questions about how my scooter works and does it hurt and how long do you have to wear the boot. Just no.

DO show empathy and care by relating to the person.
The best interaction I had was when a random runner came up to me at the Marine Corps Marathon and said, "That sucks. I'm so sorry." I thanked him profusely. Don't underestimate a simple statement that says 'I get it and I'm sorry this happened.'

DON'T try to comfort someone by saying "but there'll be other races!"
Yes, I'm not a moron. I know there will be other races besides the ones I'm missing. But that doesn't mean I can't mourn for the races I won't be able to participate in. Matthew and I agreed that this year would be our last (for a while) Wine & Dine and Marathon Weekend. It sucks that I'm missing them- and it still sucks even though I know there will be other races in the future.

DO realize that this person may be in a lot of pain- physically and emotionally- for a long time.
Yes, most injuries only last a few weeks or months. But the mental impact can last for much longer. Having an injury feels like a betrayal- like you can't trust your body anymore. And that can spill over into other areas of your life and in general, just bring up a lot of feelings. Try to remember that your friend may still be in pain, long after you think they "should" be.

DON'T say "Well, that looks like fun!"
Seriously, if one more person looks at me and the scooter and says, "Wow! That looks like so much fun! Bet you're having a blast!" I might snap. No part of this is fun. Trust me, you don't want to ever have to be non-weight bearing for six to eight weeks. The novelty of a scooter wears off the minute you struggle to get it into your car or you have to take it "off-roading" or you just want to get up in the middle of the night to pee without wheeling it around.

There you have it- my tips for not getting knocked out by your injured friends. I hope you enjoyed this post and you'll be able to use something here the next time someone you know is injured- which I hope is never :-)

Race Recap & Review: Runner's World Half & Festival

It's been a little over a week since Matthew and I traveled to Bethlehem, PA for the Runner's World Half & Festival. This was a race weekend featuring a 5k, 10k, and a half marathon. But I think the best part of this race is the fact that it's organized by Runner's World, one of the premier running publications/news outlets/collection of experts. And the race director is Bart Yasso. Pretty damn cool.

We arrived to the expo late Friday afternoon. We easily picked up our packets and bibs. Because Matthew and I were signed up for the Hat Trick (5k, 10k and half marathon) we also got a hat and a pair of Balega socks with our race shirt. The race field was only around 6,000 runners so the expo was fairly small. However, there were a lot of cool vendors and opportunities to chat with Runner's World editors.

We were able to catch up with Nathan and meet a few of his friends. We also got to meet Mandy in person. Mandy and I have been twitter friends for a while and I was so excited she'd be at Runner's World so we could meet in real life! After checking out the vendors, Matthew headed to the hotel while Mandy and I chatted and walk around some more. We may have also stalked Bart Yasso ;-)

The scooter is on the cover of Runner's World!

RW's Shoe Finder- gait analysis and shoe recommendations.

Bart Yasso, just hanging out.

Finish line with the Steel Stacks in the background.

After creeping/stalking waiting near the finish line after the kids races, I got the opportunity to meet Bart Yasso. He was so wonderful and even complimented me on doing the right thing by staying off my fractured foot. Amazing. I said goodbye to Mandy and left the expo around 7- we had a super early wake up call for the 5k and 10k the next day.

On Saturday, I cheered while our friends ran the 5k at 8 am and then the 10k at 9:30 am. One of the most awesome parts of this race was that the start and finish lines were just outside the expo venue- which meant real bathrooms for spectators!

In addition to Nathan and Mandy, a friend from high school- Laura- and a blogger friend- Dani (Weight Off My Shoulders)- were also running the hat trick. I also got to meet up with fellow Enell Ambassadors Jill (Running with Curves) and Aliah (The Get Fit Diva). It was entertaining to have so many people to cheer for during the races.

Because of the small field, there weren't a ton of spectators which meant another win for me- plenty of space to scope out a nice spot to watch finishers. After watching everyone finish, we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap and shower before I came back to volunteer at the expo.

Clockwise from left: Matthew and Mandy; Dani; Jill; Nathan; Aliah; Laura. 

Me and Jill.

Happy finishers of two hilly courses!

I showed up for my expo shift at 1:30. We stayed a few miles from the race so it only took about 15 minutes to get back to the expo/start line area. I checked in at the volunteer tent and got a sweet swag bag and volunteer t-shirt. They sent me into the expo to the info desk. However, the info desk didn't need me so they sent me to packet pick-up. But they didn't need help so I ended up at t-shirt pick-up.

I worked along side Brian, a Runner's World editor; Becca, a Runner's World intern; and a few other volunteers. We handed out shirts to runners and passed the time chatting about running. I also got to see Bart Yasso again- he waved to me :-)

How cute is this little book we got?! Found this page to be perfect for my life.

Me and Becca.

After my shift was over, I drank a ridiculously large pumpkin beer with Mandy and talked with some of the Runner's World folks at the pace groups table. I also met someone from the Dopey Challenge group on facebook- she saw my scooter and decided to say hello. Honestly, it was a fabulous afternoon. It was just great to talk to so many people that didn't look at me sideways because I fractured my foot from running- these people just got it.

On Sunday, we had another early morning for the half marathon. We kept warm by hanging out in the expo area until the runners had to head to the start. After they all headed to the race start, I walked/scootered over to a spectator area near mile four. I found a great spot and was able to see all my friends- again, I loved that this was a smaller race- it was really easy to see everyone.

Lots of fun at the top of a hill!

After seeing all my friends- and Mark Remy!!!!- I headed back to the finish to watch everyone claim their medals. On the way back, I got to see Bart leading the front runner in- he was hauling! When I got back, I was able to get another great spot a few hundred yards from the finish. And can I just say that I have the best friends in the world?! At mile eight of the course, Skirt Sports was giving out free skirts to anyone who would run the last portion of the race with it on. Laura AND Dani both got a skirt and gave it to me. How sweet are they?!

I yelled "Go Mark!" right before this photo. I like to pretend he's looking at me. Wow, that sounded creepy.

Selfies for no reason :-)

Bart and the half marathon winner.

All my happy hat trick finishers :-)

All in all, it was a great weekend, even though I wasn't able to run this year. I'd like to put this on my calendar for next year but we'll see how the calendar- and my foot- work out. The only real complaint I have about this race is that they do not offer deferrals. I lost the $140 hat trick entry fee and wasn't able to defer to the next year or transfer my bib to someone else.

Bonus! I tweeted to Bart Yasso and he tweeted back! And followed me! I nearly died from the excitement.

For real, such a cool way to cap off the weekend.

QOTD: Have you run one of the Runner's World races? What did you think of them?