Training Redux

Certain people have been on me to update (again), so I had a thought to do a marathon training redux post...to recount the good, the bad, the "awwww", and the "wtf". So here it goes...

The Bad (Injuries):
Runner's knee...in both knees
Angry IT Band
Foot tendinitis
Turning my right ankle...twice...and then my left
Calf pain...
That time Kellen threw up the whole road trip to a race...and then I was convinced I was going to puke the morning of the race
Pulling my Achilles when answering the door 2 days before the San Antonio half
Running 22 miles with pneumonia

The Good:
Patrick and the kids meeting me at La Madeleine after a milestone run
Patrick meeting me along the path of a solo long run
Learning that when it hurts, that doesn't mean it's over
The wonderful misery that is the foam roller
Discovering Sweaty Bands
Running into my ob/gyn who delivered both kids at 2 different races...LOL!
The post-race fiesta at the La Porte half...I didn't even know I liked Smirnoff ; )
The flower crowns at Mi Tierra after the San Antonio Half
Crossing that finish line even with the odds not in my favor

Most memorable "WTF" moment:
My intimate encounter with the bushes (which thankfully came a couple days after someone suggested I run with TP in my FuelBelt!)

Most "Awwww" moment:
The La Porte Half marathon, when Patrick and I crossed paths on the out and back, we stopped to kiss before pressing on in our separate directions.

Moving forward...
I'm committed to being a better runner, but a better healthier runner. This is my first week running since the marathon. I've run 2 miles...3 times this week. But this week is the first time I've run WITHOUT knee braces since September. I'm absolutely committed to running without those knee braces, so if I have to run 2 miles for a couple of months then I will. But so far so good. The knees feel weird, but I could run farther, I could run faster, but I hold back for now. I want to rebuild, and I want to be better than before. I'm really excited about the path before me. This is only the beginning...I only ran my first race ever a year ago this month (an untimed 5K LOL!), but I have so many more left to go!