Each Day Is a Gift

No running today.  Still in the hospital.  Waited for doctors for their rounds and the wound service nurse to put in the wound vac with packed foam. 

Tonight hubby got a call from his nephew (who is a family doctor in Payson) that his 89 yr. old mother has colon cancer.  We were so sad, crying and didn't sleep much.

No running again.  Waiting for discharge orders, and finishing the magnesium IV infusion which took four hours.  Finally left the hospital around 4:30.

Got home around 5pm.  Had hubby settled in bed, unpacked, went to pick up 8 prescriptions from pharmacy (he's now taking 25 different meds daily), cooked dinner, on the phone, did laundry, finally in bed by midnight exhausted!

Took hubby to lab early morning.  I desperately needed a run after I got home.  Texted my friends who were all going to swim at the Legacy Center.  But my true and faithful friend Wendy came to run with me.  I was so slow that we only had time for 4 miles before she had to go to work.  AP: 12:33.  Yep I'm not a runner any more!  I should start a "slowjoggingblog.com".  Haha! 

Homehealth nurse came to do first dressing change with wound vac this afternoon. 

No lab, no doctor's appointment, no home health nurse to change dressing! So excited to have a run with my friends Karen, Leslie and Wendy.  It's been forever since we last ran together.  I was trying to talk but ended up huffing and puffing.  By the time we're at Karen's, I was done, we walked for half mile while we recited The Living Christ together!  Boy, I was rusty at that too.

AP: 11:57 (10:11, 10:28, 11:02, 10:13, 10:21, 22:22 [walking])

I slept in!  Took hubby to lab at AF.  Debated whether to do long run today or tomorrow.  By the time we were done with lab, fixed hubby a big breakfast (he's a breakfast eater, so I try to feed him the most protein then because he eats less and less as the day wears on).  He needs good nutrition especially heaps of protein in order for the wound to heal.  He has lost 20 pounds since transplant surgery whereas I have gained 5 (total of 20 lbs) not wanting to waste the food he wouldn't eat/finish.  I also ate way too much chocolates and nuts (out of stress and boredom). 

Well, now waiting for homehealth nurse to come so looks like another no run day.  I'll have to run either very early tomorrow morning or later after the Stake Women's Conference (which is 9-11am).  Wish me luck! 

Up at 4am. drank a cup of OJ, ate a yogurt and banana, out the door at 4:48.  Goal was to do 16 in 3 hours so I can be back in time to fix hubby breakfast, shower and make it to Women's Conference by 9am.  I do not remember the last time I ran alone in the dark.  I do not have a headlamp nor reflective vest.  It was 32F, calm, with a half moon behind thin clouds.  Wore l/s top, Boston jacket, UA tights, headband and gloves and a red flashing light arm band.  Carried handheld with gatorade and one Gu. Flip belt with phone, tissues, pack of Cliff bloks and a small flash light. 

During first 0.25 miles the flash light kept slipping out of the flip belt so I finally pushed it behind the opening which blocked about 50% of the brightness.  But between the faint moonlight and occasional street lights, I could see the road fine and once on the MCT, I felt very safe.  There were hardly any traffic this early on Sat. 

Running in the dark seems to heighten one's other senses.  I could smell laundry from dryer vents, pungent odor of burned fields, souring grains from barn/silo, horse/cow manua, aroma of breakfast.  I could hear the sounds of rustling leaves/weeds from rodents, melting ice water trickling down the streams and ditches, barking dogs, roosters crowing, alarm clocks blaring! 

I heard some hysterical barking as I approached the neighborhood going down to Highland Glen Park.  I couldn't see the dog until I got close, he was standing guard on his driveway.  I decided to keep my distance, walked tall swinging my arms high with my handheld bottle and the red flashing light arm band to make me look intimidating.  It worked!  He kept barking but stayed put.

I walked all the uphills, road crossings and tunnels where I could read my watch using the tunnel lights.  Got to the top of tunnel by Canyon Rd in PG at mile 8, my turn around point so I gu'ed.  I drank from my handheld and was glad that I didn't need to use the restrooms which might not be opened anyway.  By about mile 10, it was light enough that I turned off my flash light and arm band.  Saw two groups of runners, one cylist.  Got a text from Wendy at mile 14 so I called her as I walked up Dry Creek.  So happy to talk to her!  So happy to finish this 16 miler without death march!  Yes I'm super slow but got'er done!

3:02:05 AP: 11:23 (13:18, 11:29, 12:43, 10:43, 11:45, 12:22, 10:53, 11:04, 12:05, 10:38, 11:06, 10:32, 10:39, 10:45, 12:15, 9:45)

I have this painful burn in the medial ligaments on my left calf and the PF really hurts.  I couldn't go walking with hubby in the afternoon.