Surgery is scheduled!

So come to find out I don't have a hernia... I have TWO! One is the umbilical hernia that I knew about, but I also have a ventral hernia that is partially incarcerated. That means that part of my intestines are trapped. So my surgery is scheduled for March 7th, but I'm on a waiting list in case a sooner appointment opens up. I'm also on very strict no running orders from my surgeon so I don't risk completely trapping my intestines and having them get their circulation cut off.

But the good news is that my surgeon also runs, so she totally understands my need to get back to running ASAP. She told me that as soon as I feel up to it, I can start walking, and after about 3 weeks, she's okay if I start light running again. JOY! I may still make San Diego after all!!!

In the meantime, I feel like I'm living vicariously through everyone else's runs... I saw a guy running the other night on my way home from work, and I just about started crying. My legs are itching to run. I feel like I'm going crazy!! So enjoy every good and bad run you have - you never know when you'll be sidelined for a few weeks!!! And run a mile or two for me!

It's an umbilical hernia, my dear Watson...

Mystery lump solved!!! I officially have an umbilical hernia. The lump is because my omentum (a really cool word for the layer of fat that covers your innards) is poking its ugly head through my abs. GROSS!!! And then to make matters worse, I went on youtube and searched an umbilical hernia repair. DOUBLE GROSS!!!

Doctor's words - must be fixed ASAP. Sooner, not later. No, Jaime, not after your marathon in June. No, Jaime, you should not be training for a marathon with a hernia. No, Jaime, you will not heal at superhuman speed and be back on the road any sooner than six weeks. Yes, Jaime, this does mean you'll probably have to start completely over and train for a marathon in less than 12 weeks.

Jaime's words - Ugh! This effin' SUCKS!!! (I did actually throw an expletive at my doctor. Very ladylike, huh?)

Guess this is just part of the plan, and just a minor "bump" (literally) in the road to seeing that illustrious 3:35 time on my Garmin as I cross the finish line at San Diego. BTW - do the folks over in Boston not realize what a difference 5 minutes make? As if Boston were easy enough to qualify for, let's just crank it up a bit, eh? 

Anywho... surgical consult is Friday AM, hoping to get in and get this fixed ASAP. The sooner it's done, the sooner I'm back.

Mystery bump....

No! Not the baby kind!!! Aiden is enough of a handful that's he definitely not getting a brother/sister anytime soon...

I do, however, have a strange mystery bump above my belly button. I noticed it a few weeks ago, and it was just this weird squishy bump. But now it's kind of hard, and tender to touch. Weird. I think it's a hernia, but I'm hoping it's just nothing. I go to the doctor tomorrow. Maybe he'll tell me that it's a rare form of a special disease that will make me run super fast, and break records around the world.... But I'm guessing not (a girl can dream, right?). My boss had hernia surgery a couple months ago, and six weeks off from running is definitely NOT in my San Diego training plans....

Will keep you posted...

Day 2 of re-starting Marathon Training...

Ugh!! The running gods were totally out to get me today!! I came home from work, and headed straight for the gym. Got there, and EVERY machine was being used!! WTH?!?! And there's this girl - I'm going to name her ANNOYING GIRL - who walks at 1.8mph on the treadmill. Normally, I'd give kudos to someone for just getting out there, but I glanced at her machine and she had been on there for 2 1/2 hours! And she had just barely gone 2 miles! Maybe she should be more concerned with getting physical activity than texting because that's all she was doing the WHOLE TIME!! Doesn't she realize that I have sub-four marathon dreams?!?!? I wouldn't be so annoyed with her except she was there last night doing the same thing!!! AHHH!!! So I opted to run outdoors, which was probably better for my sanity anyway.

But now, I'm chillaxing and stalking blogs when lo and behold - Skinny Runner is giving away an AWESOME YELLOW JACKET from GirlGetStrong!!! Go to her page and 'like' GirlGetStrong for a chance to win. I want - nope, take that back - NEED that jacket. So sweet!!!

And she's back!

I did it!! I went running today! First time in over two weeks...

I only ran two miles, though. I could have definitely ran more. My legs and lungs were ready for it. But, unfortunately, it's shark week... the cramping in my abdomen was so bad that I thought my guts might explode at any second. Not exactly the look I'm going for at the gym. ;)

But I'm glad to be back. I spent the night stalking everyone's blogs and getting my marathon training back on schedule. I'm contemplating running the Havasu Half Marathon in April. It fits nicely into my training plan, and I think would give me motivation to keep on going over the next 16 weeks.

I'm going to spend this week just getting my mileage back on track, and then I'm full on training. I don't foresee any more moves or ear infections in the near future - knock on wood - so hopefully the last couple weeks are the only bump in my training plan!

Oddly enough, I'm also kind of excited for work this week. Weird.

Oh - almost forgot - I need some new music for my runs! What's the best song on your playlist??

Oh, how I've missed you!!!

What a week!!! Over the last seven days, I've battled the flu, moved to a new (and bigger) apartment, caught up with some old friends from back home (Wisconsin), and watched my team bring home the Lombardi trophy!! Did you notice that running was not any part of that whole week?? Ummmmm, yeah....

I feel so out of the loop right now. During the move, I was without internet for three whole days!! Somebody might as well cut off my right arm!!! So now I'm spending all night stalking everybody's blogs, jealous of their runs, and miserable because I feel like I am so far off track with my marathon training. Ugh. And now that I'm in a new area, I'm feel lost - I don't have my normal running path along the canal, and I had so many good loops too. Bummed. But our new place is almost twice as big as our last apartment, and we had definitely outgrown the last place.

I'm also now starting to resemble a normal human being. That flu that's going around out here sure is a doozy!! Hope none of you get it - it'll knock you on your ass!!!

Last but not least.... GO PACK GO!!! Being from Wisconsin, I was born and bred a die hard Packer fan, so watching them bring home the Superbowl Championship was pretty special.

So now I have to re-vamp my marathon training. I should be pulling off easy 14 milers by now, and I haven't ran in almost a week and a half. My running shoes stare at me every time I leave the house, their tongues just hanging out... I have to get back out there. There's just so much to do!!!