So I took an unscheduled break from blogging this fall for many reasons. The immediate reason why I stopped blogging starting on September first is that I GOT ENGAGED! to my boyfriend of five years. I was really busy getting in contact with friends and family and getting some initial planning done (setting the budget, setting the date, picking out ceremony and reception venues).
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The ring. I love my somewhat non-traditional sapphire. |
Then came writing my dissertation. I hadn’t written much this summer due to a snafu with my statistical analyses and I had to finish writing it by mid-October in order for me to get things to my committee so I could defend and graduate in December, so that took up a TON of time.
Then came my running injury. My training for the Chicago Marathon hadn’t gone super smoothly, but I’d gotten in three 20 mile runs in preparation for the race, so I should have been able to at least finish it. Or at least that’s what I was thinking until a twinge in my right hip flexor that I felt in my long run two weeks before the race started to really hurt and I had to cut that long run short. I went to see the sports medicine specialist at my school and although my x-ray was clear, I wasn’t allowed to run until I had an MRI, which took about a week. I didn’t have a stress fracture and everything looked okay, so the doc said I should be okay to run the marathon. I did a few short runs before Chicago, but I definitely had too much rest. My legs felt heavy and I felt slow. Around Mile 11 or 12, my hip flexor really started bothering me and soon I couldn’t run without being in tremendous pain. I dropped out at the aid station right around mile marker 14, which was probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I met some inspiring ladies on the van that took us back to the post-race area, one who had qualified for the Olympic trials four years ago and another who was in her 60s and battling a hamstring injury. Talking to them reminded me that I love running so much and that finishing one race isn’t worth really injuring myself and risking my ability to run in the future. So, I got my first DNF, and I honestly still feel like crying when I think about it even though I know it was the right thing to do. So, for a while I didn’t even want to think about running because I honestly found it really depressing to keep reminding myself of my perceived failure.

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I had several weeks of physical therapy after that and finally got cleared to do tiny bits of running in mid-November. At first I was cleared to do 3 miles of slow running 4 times a week. The cutback to 12 miles a week after running 60 miles a week was hard for me to deal with, but luckily I was also really busy trying to finish up with my degree, which kept me distracted from the fact that I wasn’t running as much as I wanted. Running is a major source of stress relief for me, so not having that outlet was really tough.
Over Thanksgiving Scott and I moved almost all of my belongings up to Illinois with him. I went back to South Carolina for a few weeks after that and finally got to move permanently to the Chicago suburbs in mid-December, right before my 30th birthday. Scott got me a treadmill as a birthday/Christmas present, so I’m really excited to get to use that. Oh yeah, and now I’m Dr. Beth. Or Beth, PhD, whichever you prefer. 🙂
So, I’m currently unemployed, but I think I might have a good lead on something to keep me busy. I’m hoping to hear back for sure on that in a week or two. I’m working on trying to get back what little speed I had; I feel like I’ve lost a lot of fitness, although I ran 8 miles on Sunday, so my physical endurance hasn’t suffered too much if I run slow enough. (My mental endurance did not fare as well, but it’s coming back.) It’s really frustrating, but I’m hoping that things will come back somewhat quickly. And, I’m practicing yoga more often, which has also helped me feel really great, mentally and physically. Slowly but surely, I feel like I’m getting back to where I want to be.
Soooooo happy for you on your engagement, move, graduating, and getting back to healthy with your running! Such a busy fall and I missed you dearly! I just took my blog down (I’ll have to email you more in-depth why) but I am injured again (my foot again) and physically and mentally I need to get healthier so I am slowly backing off but am still doing Boston (I think). Sorry to hear about your DNF but you are right…better to pull out than to risk permanently injuring yourself so you can’t run in the future. Yoga sounds like a great stress relief too. I hope things work out on the job front (patience is key I have learned) and so incredibly excited to read more of your life happenings! I will DM you my personal email on Twitter. 🙂 Have a great afternoon girl!
First off…CONGRATS on your engagement! That is very exciting. Good for you for taking a hiatus and taking the time to look after yourself and your well-being. I know it’s hard battling an injury like that (as I have actually had the same exact type of hip flexor injury from what it sounds like, about a year ago) but taking the time to rest, cross train and get healthy will do you some good and make you mentally and physically a stronger athlete! Best of luck with your recovery and ramping back up with your running.
I have been thinking of you and checking your blog from time to time to see where you were! Welcome back! Congrats on the engagement, and degree, doc! Sorry to hear about your injury, but happy you were able to make the right (although SO TOUGH) decision and call it quits 🙁
How are things going living in the suburbs? Are you liking it? 🙂
I’m loving it! There are lots of nice trails near me, and I think I’ll probably try to make it up to the city to run along the lakeshore path every once in a while. And, I just love being back in the Midwest after being gone for 7-8 years.
Congrats on your engagement! I wondered where you went!! Hang in there with the training, after I took some time off last summer for injury it was really hard coming back but I’m a stronger runner now!
Congrats on the engagement and the PhD!! I hope to be Dr. Chelsea one day, haha! I had an injury after rugby season and I’m also battling my way back. It’s going slowly but surely!
Congratulations on your engagement, so glad you’re back!!!
As someone recovering from a stress fracture I can feel ya (literally) on the injury. I’m sorry about your DNF I can only imagine how devastating that was!
Congratulations on the Dr. addition and your engagement!