On April 4, 2007, Kevin started keeping track of my exercise to try and see why I kept getting headaches after working out. We started noting that I couldn’t do any high-impact aerobic exercise (elliptical workout, etc) for more than about 17-18 minutes without getting a headache afterwards. I couldn’t run at all (not event a minute or two) without getting a headache.
On May 9, 2007 after Kevin’s pestering finally sunk in, I decided to take myself off of my daily dose of decongestant. I’d been taking Claritin D every day for about 13 years, so I thought, why not see if the decongestant (which is also a known ingredient for creating illegal/home-brewed speed, by the way) might be the problem. Then I increased my time on the elliptical by a few more minutes to compensate. I started getting less headaches.
And then I took my first baby step…
Three years ago, on May 15, 2007, I put on my first pair of true running shoes (they were a pair of green and white New Balance shoes that I bought at Academy with Kevin and his two sisters) and went for my first run, ever. Here’s what my log said for the day:
__________________________- Miles: 1.5
- Time: 24 minutes
- Heart Rate: Maximum was 161
- Notes: FIRST RUN! Ran at XXX Park along the middle stretch. Ran at 1:00 pm. Warm approximately 75-80. Ran in new shoes.
Did you notice I didn’t say anything about a headache! Crazy!!!! Obviously people can walk faster than 24 minutes per mile, but man I was just happy to be showing any type of running form! Not too long after (after we went back home to Lubbock) Kevin suggested that maybe we should do a triathlon. Ha! I told him he was crazy. But I told him I’d train and if I thought I could do it without extreme pain, I’d try it.
So here are the highlights since then:
- Second Run: 5/17/2007, 1.5 miles, 21.16 minutes, max heart rate 163, “Second run. Ran at Concho Park along middle stretch with Mom. No walking. Felt good. Fourth workout in four days.”
- Landmark Run: 6/2/2007, 2 mile, 33 minutes
- Landmark Run: 6/11/2007, 1 mile, 12:15 minutes
- Sprint Triathlon at Texas Tech: 9/2007, 1:26:3 (11:30 400 yard swim, 45:35 mile ride, 29:21 2.3 mile run)
- Got off Claritin completely in May 2008!
- First Road Race, Lunar Lope at TTU: 6/18/2008, 31:30, 3.1 miles, “Ran FIRST ROAD RACE!!!! Luner Lope 5K at Texas Tech's campus. Beat 52 people on her first race. The exact time is still unknown because she started her watch when the gun went off instead of at the starting line”
- Sprint Triathlon at Texas Tech (second try, same distance as first): 9/2008, 1:22:2
- Habitat for Humanity 5K: 9/19/2009, 3.1 miles, 29:15 minutes “Habitat for Humanity 5K. Finished 51/83 people.”
- Turkey Trot: 11/21/2009, 3 mile, 28:53 minutes , “Finished 69/102. Beat Kayla by .6 of a second thanks to a woman with a baby. Got a pie and water bottle. Got 3rd out of ASU employee.”
- Resolution Half Marathon: 1/2/2010, 13.1 miles, 2 hours 23 minutes, “First half marathon!!!!”
- 3 Mile Race: 4/10/2010, 3 miles, 27 minutes
I hurt. I hurt a lot during this process. But I hurt less as time went on. I started adding more carbs back into my diet that previously didn’t like me. I stopped having frequent headaches. No rashes.
And now I can eat thing like this.
And I can work for 12 hours for two straight days with mis padres and hubby on things like this (that's the hubby by the way).
Life is good. Thank you Lord for showing me the way!
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