Adventuring with Karen
Living in Each Moment and taking photos of it all
I Run Like the Wind
Ok, I really don’t run like the wind at all but I did do the Nashville Rock and Roll 5K on a whim on Saturday.
Way back in 2013 I ran/walked the Half Marathon. For that one I trained with my neighborhood running group and completed it in three hours and twenty minutes. I was going for three hours but it rained the entire time, was 40 degrees, and about mile ten my calves cramped like they never had before. By the end of it I had an injury to my foot and decided I was never running again. Well, time went by, the injury healed, and I started walking again. I am really consistent for awhile and then drop off. For two summers, including the year which must not be named(2020), I did water aerobics with the best neighborhood ladies around. We all talked about getting together to walk and do indoor exercise but that has, unfortunately, not been able to happen.
In August of 2020 virtual runs/walks started popping up in my social media feed and the one that caught my attention was the Music City Rock and Roll 32 mile virtual run. I needed to complete 32 miles in the month of August. I would get a medal, a t-shirt, a hat, and a lovely mask, so I signed up. Then I signed up for the Nashville Sounds virtual race, Gordy’s Pumpkin Run, the Ostomy 5k Awareness run, and the 2020 Dumpster Fire 20 miles in 20 days race. My sister also convinced me and several friends to sign up for the Oregon Trail Challenge where we shared the miles to complete the challenge.
At some point during this time I injured my shoulder. I remember feeling a distinctive pop while cleaning my shower and could barely lift my arm. I suffered with it for awhile and finally went to an orthopedic doctor to get it checked out. Now, I am not a small woman…I am a short woman but not small. The first thing out of that doctors mouth was “Are you diabetic? You probably have frozen shoulder because that happens to diabetics a lot.” I was stunned that he didn’t ask about anything else like exercise, activities I may have done to injure my shoulder, nothing. I informed him that I had just had bloodwork done at my regular doctor and that I wasn’t diabetic, not even prediabetic. He offered a shot in my shoulder or if I wanted I could go get an MRI but he didn’t seem to think I needed to go that route. He didn’t even listen when I told him where it hurt and injected my shoulder on the opposite side. Insert *huge* eyeroll here as it is extremely frustrating when doctors refuse to treat you, or hear you when you are not the ideal body shape. All that to say I was still exercising during this time.
Then November 2020 hit…dun, dun, dun…… and I got covid. My husband got it first, my son and I started showing symptoms two days after hubs. It lasted about a week for us, we all quarantined the fourteen days. My daughter stayed with my parents and we ate Thanksgiving dinner together via zoom. All three of us lost taste and smell. Hubs despises vinegar so when he was able to stick his nose right next to the bottle he knew he had lost smell. I was eating nachos and I thought I just got an extremely salty bag of tortilla chips but alas that was me losing my senses. Both of the boys got over it and were completely fine. I regained my sense of smell quickly however, for months, I could smell smoke. I thought I was going crazy! I finally found a group on social media dedicated to phantosomia and realized I wasn’t alone. Of all the smells smoke is the worst to me! Thankfully over the last few months that has petered out.
After all of that I once again fell of the consistent exercise bandwagon. While not consistent when I do go walk, I walk at least a mile – three miles. I have done more virtual 5k’s with my family. The last month I have been trying to get out more and have added in some YouTube videos as well.
This all leads to this weekend. A sweet college kiddo that is here from California texted and asked if I could give him a ride to the race on Saturday. I was downtown with my parents Friday and thought since I was going to be there Saturday anyway I should sign up and do the race as well. So, I did. The kiddo that I took to the race completed the 5k in about twenty minutes. I was so thankful he walked a little way back to cheer me on. My mile lately has been about 18 minutes so I was pleased to finish in 53:15. 16:53 a minutes. Being in an actual race with the excitement, the bands, the people cheering us on was so fun! So, all that to say I don’t really run but I do walk kind of fast. Also, I am still paying for running a part of it today. Alas, I am not out there to win but to finish. If you get a chance get out and sign up for a race. Perhaps I’ll see you out there next time!
Adventuring with Karen 
Great job, Karen! I’m really proud of you! Love you!
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Thanks mom! Love you too!
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