A busy couple of weeks.

So I started easing back into running at the beginning of last week - did 1.25 on the treadmill last Monday, then another 1.5 this week. The first run felt pretty good (although I was super out of breath, can't believe how fast I lost my endurance!) - it was awesome to be back to running, but I did feel some pain in that hamstring again. So I foam rolled like crazy and then tried it again, and this past Monday's run felt so much better! I had a tiny bit of pain just after I stopped running, which subsided quickly and by the time I left the gym, I didn't feel it at all. Hooray! I am signed up for a 5K at the end of April, and then a half in June, so I am hopeful that I can get there by then.

We went to Vegas last week for husband's spring break, which was so fun. We saw Bill Cosby (!!) live, which was one of the coolest things for me. I have been a huge fan ever since I was a little kid, because it was one of the only TV shows we watched at my house. We had a bunch of episodes recorded on VHS tapes and would watch the same ones over and over. My dad saw him once when I was around 8 years old and brought me a signed picture, and I still have it! The autograph is pretty much worn off, but I still display it proudly. I have a neighbor who comes over every Tuesday for dinner and 2 episodes of The Cosby Show and it is the highlight of my week. So, it was AWESOME. The trip was fun too, it was really warm so we went swimming and ate good food. Very relaxing.

We got some big news while we were there - husband's parents put their house on the market and put in an offer on a house in Daybreak (a planned community in Utah). It is in a 55+ community, so his dad is looking forward to saying goodbye to yard work. Husband isn't that upset about it, but he isn't as attached to things as I am. I am sad because I have always felt so welcomed and comfortable in their home, and we stayed there for a couple of weeks over the summer while our house was flooded. Plus Caesar (our cat) absolutely loves going there because he loves the stairs and the huge basement where he can run around. So it is emotional for me, although not nearly as bad as when my parents sold my childhood home...

The good news is that their new place will have a full gym, so they are going to give me their treadmill!!! I am super excited about that. Husband kept saying that we didn't have room, but after some convincing (and begging...and offering to get rid of stuff...) he agreed that we could make it work. YAY! It is a perfect one for me too, because his dad has a lot of joint pain and arthritis so he picked one that has an extra cushioned deck. So it will be easier on me while my body tries to heal. 

Feeling less afraid

After finally coming clean to husband about my concerns about my sciatic nerve causing all this pain in the back of my leg, he was kind enough to offer me a massage with some Deep Blue cream. While he was poking around, he found huge knots in my muscles right in the spots where the pain is the worst. After doing some more online research, it looks like my symptoms and physical evidence are pointing to a hamstring strain.

To me, this is a huge relief. I was seriously stressing about a possible nerve problem, because I just didn't know what the outcome would be as far as sciatic nerve problems and continuing with my running goals. The websites I read said muscle strains typically happen because of overuse, which totally makes sense after the super downhill and uphill half (I didn't train on hills at all). I never took time to let it heal (even when I was off running, I continued to do elliptical, heavy spinning, and weight training, all of which used my hamstrings a ton).

So I am making the executive decision to continue with massage (thanks husband) and ease up on weight-bearing activity for a week or two, and see if that helps. If not, I think I will go back to my sports med doctor for some extra help.

I have a 5K coming up next month, and a half marathon in June, so I am really hopeful that I can get healthy enough for those!

It was my birthday yesterday, had a super fun and relaxing weekend with all of my favorite things and some of my favorite people.