Recap: Mammoth Hike Challenge on the Ice Age Trail

After I broke my ankle and foot in July and was sidelined from running and racing, I considered what I could do while I healed. As time went on, I was able to slowly increase walking and hiking. Optimistically, I signed up for the Mammoth Hike Challenge, sponsored by the Ice Age Trail Alliance. 

The Mammoth Hike Challenge required participants to complete 41 miles during the month of October, all on the IAT. The only other requirement was to visit 3 Ice Age Trail Communities. There are 15 official Ice Age Trail Communities, towns that have chosen to support the IAT and welcome visitors from the IAT.

Normally when I am running, 41 miles would not be a difficult challenge for me. Could I do 41 hiking miles in one month? The other concern for me was that I don't live in Wisconsin, so participating in this challenge would require that I journey up north most, if not all the weekends in October, and hike distances that I hadn't seen in months. We have a lake house near Lodi and I planned on doing most of my hikes on the segments in that area. I vowed not to hike the same segment more than once for the challenge.

I decided to give it go, to give myself a goal to keep moving on my way back to running. I'm recapping my experience for other hikers to read as well as a way to remind myself that I can do hard things!

A Shocking Amount of Miles

I didn't total up my monthly miles for October until I started preparing this post. Shockingly, I had 90 miles, a combination of running and walking miles. Twenty-seven of those miles were on pavement, the rest on dirt. I am surprised and grateful that my body let me move so much. Most of the miles were due to my push to complete the Mammoth Trail Hike, which I did on Sunday. I'll have a full recap of the challenge on Tuesday. The challenge was a great motivator for me to move as recover from my injury. I learned that just because I'm not doing much running, it doesn't mean I can't move like a runner!

While I have a long way to go before I log 90 running miles, I'm going to keep working my way back with that goal in mind. It's going to be a long road-pun intended--because my ankle mobility is still limited. My right glute isn't firing properly either, which is the main reason I can't just get up and go. I'm going to continue to work on strength and stability, doing my exercises at home and at the gym. I'll continue to do walk/run intervals, gradually increasing my running as my body allows.

Coffee Talk

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Let's catch up over coffee! October was a long month, and I'm so happy to be able to sit down and chat. What are you having? I'm having the usual cup of Dunkin with a scoop of GLG collagen and a splash of half and half. 

Mini Book Reviews: October 2021

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the PRC of Win Me Something and Running is a Kind of Dreaming.

October was a mixed bag of reading. There were a couple really good books, a couple of meh reads, and a DNF. While it feels like for most of the year I've been lucky to have an abundance of good books to choose from, October felt like a little bit of a dry spell. I dug into my NetGalley list as well as my Kindle downloads for a few books. Gotta love a good backup plan and I was not disappointed! I need to do that more often.

A Change of Scenery: Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone

This was quite a week! As I mentioned in my last post, after a year off, my sister and I resumed our annual sister trip and heading off to Jackson Hole. Actually, we stayed in Jackson, Wyoming. This was sister trip #9 and we both agreed it was our best one yet! We hit up 2 National Parks, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. With only a day to spend in each park, we nailed down an itinerary that allowed us to hit the main attractions. As always, we had a lot of fun, a lot of good food, and a lot of activity. 

Creepy Crawly Runfessions

It sure has been a long month, hasn't it? With plenty of time to accumulate runfessions, you'd think I'd have a ton for this post. I'm not usually at a loss of things to runfess, but there haven't been a lot of running miles this month. No worries, there's always something to share. Most of my 'fessions this month are of the creepy, crawly kind. Kind of apropos for October, don't you think? Thank goodness Marcia opens the runfessional! 

What do you have to runfess?

I'm Going on an Adventure!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Greetings from Jackson Hole, Wyoming! My sister and I have dashed off on another sister adventure. As you may be aware, this is a tradition we started 9 years ago in lieu of a big celebration for a milestone birthday. We've been on all kinds of fun adventures since then. Last year, we were unable to travel due to the pandemic and even more so, my sister's diagnosis with breast cancer. She's doing great now. I'm so happy to resume our fun tradition. 

I prepared this post before I left and will link up as usual. It may take me a few days to get caught up with everyone's comments and posts. I know you understand!

At the crossing of 4 trails in Devil's Lake State Park
Which way to go?

RA Checks In

Throughout my recovery from my ankle and foot fractures, I secretly marveled and was grateful that RA remained quiet. My recovery has been steady and I've been able to increase my activities accordingly. However, this week, RA reminded me that it's always around. I've been having a flare and while it hasn't sidelined me, I have felt pretty achy and my joints are swollen. I'm not sure what triggered the symptoms--the change in the weather? Or maybe my 3 1/2 hour hike on Sunday had something to do with it. As always, I am grateful for what I CAN do, even when I don't feel like it. 

As we RA warriors like to say, motion is lotion. I do actually feel better once I get moving. Let's hope this flare just fades away. 

Friday's walk/run

Book Review: Running is a Kind of Dreaming

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Running is a Kind of Dreaming from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Jason Thompson is an ultrarunner. He's a clinical psychologist. He's also a survivor of a traumatic childhood, mental illness, and substance abuse. In his memoir Running is a Kind of Dreaming, Thompson shares his life story, reflecting as he suffers through a 200 mile ultramarathon around Lake Tahoe. His story makes for compelling reading and I found myself rooting for him to finish the race as successfully as he conquered his demons in his life. It's a powerful and intense read.

Can I Start Running Again?

That was the question on my mind this week. It's been over 3 months since my injury and I've been feeling pretty good as I continue to increase my activity towards my usual level. The only thing that I'm not doing is running. Do I dare start easing back into running again?

I know there are readers who are shaking their heads, maybe even shouting NO! at the screen. Hear me out. I used the word ease when I talk about running again and that is exactly what I intend to do. No way am I planning on jeopardizing the healing process nor am I looking at developing a compensatory injury from overdoing it. Remember, my ortho didn't tell me I couldn't run when I last saw him but he did caution me that too much activity can delay healing. For the past month, I've put running on the back burner again. I'm feeling good. So I figured, why not try?

Mini-Book Reviews: September 2021

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received a copy of Three Sisters, Damnation Spring, and Running is a Kind of Dreaming from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

September was full of good reads! I was lucky to get my hands on a bunch of library holds. In fact, so many books came off my hold list that I had to let some of them go. I also vowed this month to work on my NetGalley shelf. 

I'm Walking, Yes Indeed

"I'm walkin', yes indeed,

and I'm talkin', 'bout you and me,

I'm hopin', that you'll come back to me...yeah..."

~Fats Domino

Another month without running, but September saw continued steady improvement on the healing and more crosstraining. I did have 66 miles of walking--not bad, all things considered. This month, I am participating in the Ice Age Trail Mammoth Challenge, which requires 41 miles, all on the IAT. As I mentioned in my Coffee Talk post, the biggest challenge for me will be finding time to get up to Wisconsin and on those trails! I'm happy to have this on the calendar since I won't see my ortho until the end of the month. Hopefully, then I will be cleared to run. 

Coffee Talk

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Let's catch up over coffee! Did you know that yesterday was National Coffee Day? Every day is coffee day at my house! Anyway, I just love this monthly coffee date. I'm having my usual Dunkin with a scoop of GLG collagen and a splash of half and half. What are you having? What would you tell me over coffee?

Happify sets a positive tone to my day!

Anxiety: Using an App to Help Manage Your Symptoms

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Happify and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Happify is not meant to be a substitute for mental health services. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, contact your healthcare provider or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255.

I don't know about you, but 2021 feels more stressful to me than 2020. In 2020, I had all the optimism that there was an endpoint to all the turmoil. I had the expectation that things would be better in 2021. Instead, we continue to battle COVID-19 and deal with all the fallout from 2020. According to the CDC, the percentage of adults with anxiety and depression increased to almost 42 percent by February of this year. The largest increases were in young adults ages 18-29. Access to mental health services has been stretched and it is estimated that only 37 percent of adults with an anxiety disorder are actually receiving treatment. 

Anxiety is a very treatable problem. There are a variety of options for anxiety sufferers besides psychotherapy and medication. Relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, exercise, and acupuncture are some alternative options for the treatment of anxiety. 

Earlier this year, I shared my own struggles with anxiety. I also shared some of the tools I've been using to help me manage my stress and anxiety. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out Happify, an app full of science-based activities and games to help manage stress and anxiety. The Happify app aims to help people build their well-being skills and develop positive life-changing habits. Optimism, resilience, gratitude, positivity... these are some of the skills that can be learned to lead to a more happy life.

Can an app do that? 

Adjusting My Expectations

As promised, I nixed the running and cut back on my walking miles this week. Work continues to be busy and I am spending the entire day on my feet, seeing patients. I won't lie, in spite of wearing supportive shoes--Danskos and Alegria--my foot throbs at the end of the day. My ankle is mostly quiet, but at night, I have to position my leg just so, otherwise, it hurts. 

Sigh. When people ask me about it and I express my frustration at the slow healing, the response I usually get is: "What did you expect?"

At 3 months post-injury, I fully expected to be back running again. I'm not running and it will be a little longer before I can. I'm adjusting my expectations, continuing my alternative workouts to maintain fitness and build back my strength. I've pulled out the new running shoes that I was saving for my return to running and wearing them on my walks.

Running, I'm so ready for you.

I Miss Running and other Runfessions

Well, here we are again at the Runfessional. That was fast! It seems like I just posted last month's runfessions. Soon the snow will be flying--ok, I'm getting ahead of myself. Even though I'm not officially running, I do have runfessions this month. Thank goodness Marcia opens the runfessional. I need some absolution and an injection of positivity because, yeah, I runfess that this being unable to run thing is wearing on me.

You Can't Hurry Healing

I need to run, run, to ease my mind. I need to find, find, some speed of some kind...

Oh, you can't hurry healing, you just have to wait...

Oh, healing don't come easy, it's a game of sit and wait...

You can't hurry healing, you just have to wait,

You gotta trust, give it time,

No matter how long it takes...  

~Adapted from You Can't Hurry Love. Apologies to The Supremes and Phil Collins and the songwriters

I saw the orthopedic surgeon this week. It's been 10 weeks since my injuries and while he's pleased with how I'm feeling, the x-rays didn't show much progress with my healing. Remember, the x-rays always lag behind what is happening in real time. I also had to remind myself that healing isn't linear. I'm not worried that my fractures aren't healing, but still, it wasn't the news I was hoping for. 

I did runfess to him that I've been trying out some short bursts of running. While he didn't tell me I couldn't do that, he did tell me that too much activity can slow down the healing process. 

So no, I'm not cleared to return to running but I can continue to keep active with restraint. Patience is not one of my strengths. Between the overwhelming stress I'm feeling from work and my expanding waistline, I need to break a sweat. I'll go back in 6 weeks for repeat x-rays. In the meantime, I have plenty to do to keep myself active. 

It's Still Summer, Sort of

This is my favorite time of year and so far I am not disappointed with the weather we are having. Cool mornings and warm afternoons make for perfect running conditions. Oh, right. I'm still not running. But I have been walking and this weekend, I was able to get out for one last ski around the lake. 

My foot and ankle still aren't completely healed. When I push myself a little too much, they let me know about it. This week, I have a follow-up appointment with the ortho. I'm looking forward to getting another x-ray and evaluating just how much healing is happening. I know I'm not ready to start running again--although I may have tried a little bit. Getting closer!

Thankfully, I have a lot of alternative activities to keep me fit!

Ice Age Trail hike

A Little Bump on the Road to Recovery

I've been doing so well on the road to recovery that I was surprised to hit a little bump this week. On Saturday I woke up in a world of hurt with a full-blown RA flare. Actually, I had trouble sleeping because I could not get comfortable. I thought about getting up for some ibuprofen but it seemed like too much work at 2 am. 

The last time this happened was 2 weeks after my second dose of the COVID vaccine. Two weeks ago, I received my 3rd dose of the COVID vaccine. Coincidence? I'm sure not. I'm just hoping that this flare will be short-lived. And that it doesn't interfere with my recovery.

Timing is everything and with the not-so-great weather this weekend, we stayed home from the lake. That gave me time for guilt-free rest on the couch, watching the Wisconsin Badgers play football, catching up on blogs, and reading.

Cheesing

Coffee Talk

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.

Let's catch up over coffee! What are you drinking? I'm having my old favorite, Dunkin original with a scoop of GLG collagen and a splash of half and half. It's always a treat. I can't believe it's been a month since we last shared a cuppa.

Mini-Book Reviews: August 2021

Disclaimer: I received a PRC of Beautiful Country from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Thanks for all the great feedback on last month's book review post! I didn't know if it would be pretentious of me to post my reviews like that, but everyone seemed to like it! I have a few favorite book bloggers that I look to for recommendations, so I hope you will find something that you might want to read here. This month, I continued to heal from my injury and had plenty of downtime for reading. I read 6 fiction books and 1 non-fiction book this month. There was also a running book and I'm sharing my thoughts on that below. 

As always, feel free to share your thoughts with me, either in the comments section or privately. Thanks for reading! By the way, if this post looks oddly formatted to you, I've had some issues with Blogger. Sorry about that!

Life is Better On or In The Water

As you might already know,  I was out of town last week, visiting my former Weekly Wrap cohost Holly. We were joined by our friend Teresa for a really fun Camp Hoho girls' weekend! I shared all the details on my IG. There wasn't any running but there was a lot of water time and a lot of laughs. I came home on Monday with a smile on my face and rode that wave (pun intended) into an extended weekend getaway with my hubs in Wisconsin. 

Because truly, life is better on the water! I have to take advantage of every opportunity to get out there and get wet. The season is way too short for us in the Midwest. 

Recoveryfessions

Disclosure: While I am well aware that Alabama is a high-risk area for travel, let me assure you that I, along with Holly and Teresa, am fully vaccinated. I wore an N95 medical-grade mask on the plane and in the airport, the same masks I wear at work. We did not attend any large group activities. If you'd like to see some of my vacation photos, check out my Instagram!

It might be the last Friday of the month and the Runfessional might be open...but when you're not running, are your 'fessions even runfessions? You know I always have stuff to runfess. This month and last month...not so much. I am on the road to recovery (pun intended) and so instead of runfessions, I have a few recoveryfessions...

Because I've never been very good at sitting still...

Injured and Can't Run? Fluid Running H2Go Product Review

 Disclaimer: Fluid Running H2Go system was kindly gifted to me from the company. All my opinions are my own.

Earlier this summer, I broke my ankle and foot after falling from the climbing rope at CrossFit. After I fell, I initially thought I just rolled my ankle, but the x-rays proved me wrong. I was sentenced to at least 6 weeks in the boot and told that it would probably be 3-6 months before I could run again.

An avid runner, I went through all the emotions. Sad, angry, anxious, fear of gaining weight--you name it, I felt it. After a couple of weeks of a full-blown pity party, I made up my mind to find activities that I could do. The last time I had an injury that kept me from running was over 5 years ago. Back then, I did stationary cycling and pool running, but it was all on my own. With this injury, I discovered that my local park district has pool running classes. I also learned about Fluid Running. 

Just Keep Swimming

As I continue to heal and feel better, this week I upped my cross-training, adding rowing to my injury recovery regimen. I tried walking again this week, but this time, out of the boot. I couldn't move too fast, though. And I got out on the lake on my SUP, on a perfect summer day. It sure would have been nice for some waterskiing...sniff sniff. While I am so happy that are so many activities I can do, I had the realization that it really is going to be a while before I get back to running. That is a bitter pill to swallow. 

I see the orthopedic surgeon next week and I'll have more of a plan after that. For now, I'm taking Dory's advice from Finding Nemo--Just Keep Swimming.

Monday's Fluid Running session

 

Adventures in Injuryland

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.

Time flies when you're having fun, right? I must be having fun because I'm almost five weeks into my injury. It's hard to believe. I am in a better frame of mind now. I've been able to settle into a new workout routine and have found some activities that help me break a sweat, burn some calories, and make my heart pound. I also went back to work this week after 3 weeks off. 

As much as I like my job, I'm not so sure it qualifies as fun. It is never dull and more often than not, very entertaining. The kids were all fascinated with my boot.

I won't deny that I miss running. One of my fellow Deer Grove trail runners posted on FB in our group that he thought her heard the deer whispering: "where is Wendy?" Which made me laugh out loud! I really miss those trails. Speaking of trails, I contacted both RDs from my two fall trail half marathons to ask for deferrals and was granted a deferral to one and a guaranteed entry to the other. I am grateful for this. Plus it gives me something to look forward to in 2022!

Friday's Assault Bike Ride