What I didn't mention about my toe

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

It sure is nice when I can turn this off.

I went for a 33 minute run last night.  Yes, 33.  I was shooting for 30, but went a little farther, and I had to mention the extra 3 minutes.  Because, it is three minutes of running, which doesn't really come all that easy.  The crazy thing is, is that my toe doesn't really hurt when I run.  I don't know if it is the way my foot hits the ground differently during a running stride vs. a walking one or if there are other distractions when running (Like the ongoing mantra....You can do this.  You won't stop breathing and fall over.)  Whatever it is, it felt good.

Until I stopped running.

Then my toe felt like a balloon.  I was limping worse than ever.  Even worse than after I went dancing the two nights after I broke my toe...in 3 inch wedges.  I know, it's terrible.  And I didn't even admit to it before.  I was all, "Poor me and my toe.  I can't run.  I can't be active."  Meanwhile, I was out dancing at the club until 2am two nights in a row!  Look, I was planning those nights out and off-call (i.e. NO pager.  Yes, I actually use a pager, like it's the 1990's) for a month, and I wasn't going to let a broken middle toe stop me.  Somehow, it didn't hurt while dancing either.  Maybe the wedges acted as a brace?  Or maybe the drinks I had eased the pain?  Or maybe dancing is just so flipping fun that it didn't matter in the least.

This week's goal: run 30 minutes a day, Monday - Friday.  One day down, four to go!

How not to run on a broken toe

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
I went for a run today!

(Late post due to technical difficulties), this happened two days ago...those in Seattle will be able to tell as they look out to the gloomy weather and think, what gorgeous Seattle day is this?)

I know, I said I would go the other day.  But then I wore shoes all day, just to see how it would feel, and it was terrible!  My toe hurt so bad by the end of the day, I couldn't bear the thought of running on it.  Plus, I sat in Seattle traffic for an hour and fifteen minutes...and let me tell you, going constantly from the gas to the brake does not feel good on a likely-broken toe!

Today was a gorgeous Seattle day, and I started it off nicely with a trip to a new skate park.  Haha, did you think I went skateboarding?  I love taking my kids to the skate park.  I find it relaxing and inspiring to see these super skilled skater guys flowing swiftly over the smooth concrete.  I left there inspired to do something physical, and proceeded to sit on my ass at the park and at home for most of the day.

Finally, I talked Tallulah into skating with me as I ran around the neighborhood.  My goal was simple - one mile.  As I started running, I couldn't believe how much it didn't hurt.  The running shoes are where it's at.  I felt supported, and even though I had a slight limp in my run, it felt so good.  It would seem that running imparts less impact on the toes than walking.  The whole mile, my toe felt really great.  That is until the very end, when I tripped over a bump in the sidewalk, stubbing my toe right into the cement.

Yeah.  Real nice, Melissa.  What was that I said about not being accident prone?  Let's hope I didn't mess it up even more and that I can get more than a mile in tomorrow.  And I have been doing the push-ups and sit-ups too...and I can do 50 push-ups in a day, split into two sessions!!  That's huge for me.

It's the little things in life...the ups and downs...the push-ups and broken toes.

Get back on that horse and ride

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
My toe and foot are much less swollen, but the toe itself really hurts.  And when I squat down to pick up the numerous pieces of trash and other kid items strewn about my house after a long day of clinic, it feels like my toe isn't attached to my foot.  It feels like it is just there, with no direction or purpose. 

Full Speed Ahead!! Or not, but always, forward.

Oh my god, is my toe a metaphor for my life right now????  Holy shit.  Funny how sitting down to write can take you to a place of understanding that you never knew existed prior to fingers hitting the keyboard.

Ironically, I feel more purpose this morning than I have in weeks, if not months.  And with that as inspiration, I am going to try on my running shoes today and see if I can do one mile.  If I cannot run the mile, I'll at least try to power walk.  And if I cannot do that, I'll stick to push-ups and sit-ups for the rest of the month.  I know I am at 20 push-ups right now, and let's see how many more I can work up to.  I'll do 100 sit-ups/crunches for now.

Any other suggestions on low impact things I can do? (And not swimming because I am not going to make it to the pool, but otherwise, great idea.)  I suppose I could also get my hands on some weights and do some of the upper body things I learned at STRENGTH studio this Spring. 

No more running for me

Nursing my wound

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
This week, our living room and dining room floors were just transformed from an old crappy indoor/outdoor-like blue carpeting to sanded and finished wood floors.  It totally changes the whole living space and our home feels a million times better.  It almost makes all the whining and fighting amongst the kids bearable, until I realize that the acoustics have increased the volume of said noises. 

In the midst of the floor being worked on, we had to move most of the furniture and decor to other parts of the apartment.  Our apartment isn't that large.  It's not that small either, but with 5 people's things in it, it gets crowded.  So, all through our long, narrow hallway were a string of tables and chairs with various photos and kid's art stacked on top of them. 

Any guesses what happens in the middle of the night when you get up, in the dark, to walk to your bathroom when there are all these "not usually there" pieces of furniture in the long, narrow hallway? And remember, I've given birth lots, so I usually have to RUN to the bathroom as I cannot hold it very long.  TMI?  Too bad.

That's right, the answer is... Bam!  My toe rammed right into one of the beautiful metal chairs from our dining room, that is now in the hallway.  Where it doesn't belong.

Not only did I do this once on Monday night, but again on Wednesday night.  The latter incident was so bad that I can barely walk.  My middle toe looks like one of those gluten filled sausages Amy tried to get me to eat during Paleo month.  It's the kind of bruise that takes days to show up, but the pain is so great, you know it must be there somewhere. 

It may very well be broken, but what can be done for a broken toe?  I don't think anything can be done.  So, for now, I'll limp around town and wince when I step the wrong way.  And pray that no one steps on my toe or drops anything on it!  And sadly, not run for at least a week.

Super Hero Race - 5K

 Posted by Melissa Baumgart

This morning I ran in the Super Hero 5K for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  It was fun to see everyone all dressed up in their costumes, and even some dogs were dressed up. 

Here the thing though, I don't know what my time was.  I was kinda struggling, honestly, toward the end of the race.  My trusty iPod was cranking my favorite rap music to keep me going, as well as tracking how much further I had to run.  The lady that talks to me and encourages me through the earbuds from my iPod said "Workout completed" well before I was at the finish line. 

By the time I got to the finish line, my iPod said I had run 5.75K.  Almost 6K! 

Who knows if they were off, or I was off.  But it looks like I averaged a 10 minute mile, which is fine by me, considering I have only been running again this week.  So, maybe I'll try for a 10K by month's end.  Or maybe I'll work on getting my 5K time under 30 minutes.

A week in the life...

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

Just do it.

Highlights of This week:

• Monday - Really?  You think I remember what I did on Monday?
• Tuesday - Clinic from 8am-8pm.  Ran 5K
• Wednesday - STRENTH studio workout to "Ferdinand the Bull."  Every key word was associated with an exercise.  For example, every time she read the word "Ferdinand" we had to do 5 burpees.  Do you know how many times that word is in that book?  A Lot!  There were no breaks in story-time, and I thought that while the workout was creative, I was likely to not live to tell about it.
• Wednesday night - Levi's baseball game and got to see my brother!  Homework, homework, homework...until the wee hours of the night, close to 1am.
• Very early Thursday - Woke up at 3am to go to a birth.
• Thursday - Left birth at 8am.  Ran (actually, I drove) home to shower.  Clinic from 9am-6pm.  Meeting from 6pm-8pm.  Homework.  Bed.
• Friday - Meeting 9am-10am.  Cleaned the house and did laundry. (Well, really just kinda tidied house and now there's a mountain of laundry unfolded on my bed.  I seriously hope some fairy is back there folding it right now so I don't have to shove it all on the floor as I crawl into bed.)  Homework.  Ran 5K.

I think I did my best to squeeze in some me time this week.  It's not always easy.  And honestly, I probably spent hours each of those days on the computer not doing important tasks.  It was a full week (both emotionally and physically), and I can't believe it, but I feel really good right now.

Tomorrow, I wake up and run my first race since I was pregnant with Levi back in 2001.  Wish me luck!

I can't go for a run!

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

Album of choice on my run.

I think it had been at least a month since I last ran, maybe longer.  The last time I ran, I had just gotten over being sick and instead of energizing me like I expect a run to do, it laid me out.  I could not get off the couch for 2 hours.  Honestly.  Then, I made up a story about how I must have adrenal fatigue, and I stopped running.

It's June.  I signed up for a 5K that is this coming weekend.  I kept telling myself that even if I didn't do anything, I could still get out there and run a 5K.  True?  Maybe.

Yesterday, on the way home from a long clinic day, I saw many people running.  At one point I was on the phone with Jamie, and I saw at least 8 people at once, all running across the same intersection near Volunteer Park.  Runners were coming at me from every which way.  Before I realized the consequence of words, these were coming out of my mouth, "Hey, when I get home, is it OK if I go for a run?"

WTF?  Really?  - Those were my next two thoughts.  And then the litany...I have SO much homework to do.  The house is a mess.  My day was shitty and I need to talk about it.  Felix is pitching.  What Jamie is sharing is really important.  I can't go for a run.  I don't actually say those words, I can't go for a run, but I live them through my actions.

But something kept clicking, no matter how hard I tried to un-click it.  The thoughts of me taking care of myself and me smiling more kept clicking together.  Going on this run was a way of taking care of myself.  Not to mention, a double-check to see if I really can still run a 5K!

When I got home, I started usual patterns of talking with my family, connecting, walking over to the computer, processing our days as a family.  All (mostly) important things.  But I AM IMPORTANT TOO.  (Sorry, I have to shout it, because I have a hard time hearing those words.)  I stopped dead in my tracks and got on my running clothes and shoes and went.

I ran a 5K.  I ran it in 31 minutes and 40 seconds.  My pace was just over 10 min/mile.  It's not under 30 minutes, but that's OK.  I didn't shy away from hills, which is really huge for me. 

The point I need to remember is that I did it.  I made a choice to take care of myself, in the midst of lots of other things being important.  I can only hope it carries me closer to my highest self, whatever that is.

If you want to support the cause (Muscular Dystrophy) I an running for this weekend, check out this link and donate!  (Leave me a comment if it doesn't work!)  Thanks!

Run a Race

Posted by Amy Baranski and Melissa Baumgart

Welcome to June!

We're ready to lace up our running shoes (We are????)  and get out there to record some "Personal Bests"!!!

So, bring it, June.  Or as you are known in the PNW, June-uary.   Melissa is signed up for one race already, a 5K and she plans on getting in a 10K by the month's end (Good Luck With That!)  Amy is not yet signed up, but hopes to get some running in this month too.  Time to whip out the jogging stroller!

Anyone else running some races?  Post your race on our FB page, and maybe we'll join you!