That quote up there on the title of this post? Yeah, that's what I was told by an orthopedic doctor I visited about two weeks ago. I was seeing him for pain in my left lateral ankle region. I had been bounced to him from another doctor (this time a podiatrist - and one who also turned out to be his golfing buddy... figures...) who directly told me to "Walk it off." Words to live by, my friends. The kicker here (no pun intended) is that I was told these things
after having completed my second half marathon (Dr. Walk It Off visit) and my first full marathon (Dr. You Probably Aren't A Runner). This wasn't an injury from going out there too fast, too suddenly, or without any research. This wasn't a quick jaunt in the park that went awry. This was and still is an overuse injury from something biomechanical and from being put into the wrong shoe/orthotic combination for too long. You just told a marathoner that she's not a runner. Really?
I know what you're thinking.
Is this blog only going to be about your injuries and whining about doctors? Nope. This blog is where I am going to write about the good, the bad, and the muddy parts of being a runner who loves to eat and loves the challenge of not listening to people who tell her she cannot do something. So if you love to eat, run, workout, and tell nay-sayers to shove it, we'll get along just fine!
Heyo! I'm Erin, and I like
warm hugs running, being stubborn, beating myself and the person ahead of me in races, Disney, cats, and sweet stuff. Sooo much sweet stuff. Cake, ice cream (who didn't love a vanilla-chocolate twist with a cherry dip as a kid, amIright?), pie, cream puffs, whoopie pies, tarts, tiramisu... Which is probably why I initially picked up running and working out again after college. I played sports in middle and high school, but I wasn't ever the most talented. Running scared the hell out of me, being told that I had asthma and being overweight (remember that list of desserts above?). On my last day of field hockey practice senior year, my coach announced to the whole team that it would probably be the last day that I would ever be athletic, because clearly I was just miserable, right? In college, I went to the gym off and on to keep my weight pretty even, but once I went to grad school, it was the first time I was around people who liked to get drinks. Me plus alcohol (just one a week) plus school stress equaled a whole lot of weight. I had one year to slim it down a little before my wedding, so Jillian Michaels on DVD saved me. It's been a roller coaster ride, culminating in a goal I made when I turned 25. I wanted to run a 5k before turning 30. Sounds simple enough, but the idea of running just a mile made me wheeze. I ran my first 5k in June 2012, and after taking a break to move, got back into running that November. Here we are, two years later, and I have run a bunch of 5ks, three official 10ks, two half marathons, and one full marathon. And I'm not done. Because if I were done, I probably couldn't allow myself to eat all of the deliciousness that is dessert without blowing up like a Macy's parade balloon.
If you want to stick around, I would be more than happy to have you. I am currently battling an ankle injury, and I am gearing up for my possible second full marathon in October. Who's up for a run? We'll stop for a cupcake after!
