Time to Find Some Doctors in Asheville

Gorgeous place to run.  I can only imagine this area in the fall.  

I'm convinced that I should never blog about how good, strong, and healthy I feel ever again.  At least not if I want to stay that way.  It's the curse of proclaiming that you are injury free and on the mend.  It's happened a few times now.  Goes something like this:

• I'm injured or feeling run down.
• I get quiet for awhile.
• I start to feel better.
• Still quiet...just in case.  
• Have one amazing run where I feel 100%
• I shout it from the rooftops.  
• Next run brings with it problems again.  
• GRRRRR  

Okay, so really, I'm not even sure what to think when it comes to my body.  Something is going on and I need to find a good team of doctors so that I can get it figured out.  I thought it was just from low iron and I definitely think that had something to do with my body tearing down.  Then when I continued to run on an "off" left leg, I wore it down even more and my recovery was slower because of the low iron count. 

So here I am again after my strong track workout the other day.... feeling "off".  It's only on the left side of my body.  I can't even explain it entirely.  Here are just a few things I notice:

• weak left leg
• dull pain in the quad area
• slight limp when I try to run (making up for "off" leg)
• tingling in left arm by armpit.  I know, that's really weird.  Actually, my left arm feels slightly tingly as I type even.  
• leg warms up as I get into run.  The day before the Napa marathon, it actually had shooting pain when I'd walk but then when I started the marathon, I couldn't feel pain.  Just fatigue.

So, what's UP?!  For awhile, I was wondering if it was from stress or just in my head.  But at this point after experiencing these symptoms for a good two months or more.  Maybe three.  

I made a call to a chiropractor this morning and I hope to get in with a sports medicine doctor soon too. Running is such a treasure in my life so this is extremely important for me to figure out.  I don't necessarily care about racing all that much but I do want to run forever.  It is part of what makes my soul sing.  Life is just better with running.  And when I'm limp jogging instead of running when I'm four days out from attempting to run the Boston Marathon....Um, this is a huge CONCERN to me.  Ugg.  

It helps that there are so many things making me happy right now.  So much to be thankful for:

• I got my son into a preschool 3 days a week from 9 to 1.  What's that I hear??  FREE TIME for MOMMY!  
• So many of the moms dropping their kids off today were running mamas that looked just like me. Well, you know what I mean....they were in their running clothes and they looked like a runner! I smiled when I saw all the minivans with running stickers and moms with running shoes unstrapping their kids from the car.   I can see future morning workouts soon.  One of the moms even lives right near where we will live.  Well, they all do really.  This is exciting for me.  
• It is absolutely GORGEOUS here!  The weather the past 2 days is a little hot for normal but spring has sprung!  Birds singing, buds budding, so many people out and about....love it! 
• My girls are adjusting to school very nicely now that it is almost the end of their first full week.  

Amanda

Adjusting to a New Place, Goals, Running and Boston in 5 Days!

Picking up and moving across the country with three kids in tow brings with it quite the mixed bag of emotions.  It is exhilarating, stressful and tiring.  So much work is involved.  So many decisions to make.  So many things to think about when considering places to live, schools to send our kids to, and how things work in a new place. My standards are high when it comes to my children and I have put lots of thought into finding a place to live that isn't suburbia (we wanted something different than we had at home) but that is still a fantastic community for our family.  We are slowly but surely putting down some temporary roots and it feels good to check things off the list.

All of this in the name of adventure, right? Ha!  Honestly, the major emotions right now are happiness and excitement.  I'm so glad we made this decision to see another part of the world and I'm feeling more and more settled as the days go by.  But it is kind of a roller coaster as I figure things out and get my kids adjusted to school.  I think a lot of the unsettled feelings come from just that...being unsettled.  We are still in an extended stay condo until May 7th.  Once we get into our new home and I have a chance to make it my own and have my first morning cup of coffee on my porch swing of my 1930's craftsman style home with my flower baskets and pots surrounding me as my Nora Jones streams through the screen door, I'll feel like I'm home.  Until then, I'm trying to make the best of each day.

Some big goals for me and things to remember right now:

• Remember to focus on the things that are good and not on the things that are stressing me out. Daily Gratitude lists have been a MUST for me.  They really help when I get stressed and start worrying about things and wasting energy on things I can't control.  
• Taking things one step at a time.  I'm not going to know all the parents, have my kids in sports/classes/and set up for play dates all in the first weeks.  Things take time.  
• Be open minded and try not to judge too quickly.  
• Make efforts to be social and reach out so that I can make new friends.
• Be a tourist!  Don't rush so quickly in trying to get settled to the point that I miss out on this extended stay time where I also have the opportunity to just explore, visit new places, try new restaurants, take the kids to hot spots, etc.  
• This is a temporary move (even though we really are in love and don't know how we will ever want to go back) so try not to put too much worry into making sure my kids are in the best of the best of the best schools.  I've got to remind myself of one of my greatest beliefs:  It's not all about WHAT YOU KNOW but that you KNOW HOW TO LEARN.  My kids can get this in many different schools.  This isn't where we will be settled forever (but then again maybe it is).  They are fortunate enough to have a mother and father that will be enriching their life in so many other ways than just what they get at public school:  family game nights, travel, enrichment activities, being in nature often, talking to them about many topics in the world, etc. etc.  
• Give things more than one chance.  
• Be open to LEARNING from experiences that seem bad at the time.  This happened to me recently in regards to a bad first impression I had with my daughters kinder class but it turned out to be a learning experience and I think I dealt with it in a way that will lead to a positive relationship between our family and the teacher.  I'm thankful for the way it all turned out.  And thankful that we are the kind of parents who are involved in our child's life in a balanced way without being overbearing.  
• ENJOY This RIDE!  We are here for an adventure and that's what we are experiencing.  I'm so happy we decided to do this.  I haven't seen my husband this happy in a long long time.  And my kids seem to be thriving so far.  We have nature at our fingertips but also a city vibe that is SO FUN and right up our alley.  Asheville is a beautiful place to live...vibrant, organic, lively...  There seems to be a huge running community here.  I just need to get plugged in.  Slowly but surely. 

Random Bullet points:

• Boston Marathon is this coming Monday!  I still can't remember my corral but I will look that up soon as I get ready to pack.  Honestly, I've been so laid back about the whole thing.  When I discovered that one of the reasons I was so sluggish and hurting towards the end of my Napa Valley training (and after) was because of low iron, I have just been devoting the last month or so to HEALING and RESTORATION.  I haven't stuck to a training plan and I've let go of big goals.  I said all along that Boston would be for fun but I hadn't expected to have such a bad race at Napa and I thought I'd be strong enough to train right up to Boston.  
•  My main goal at Boston is to just RUN and enjoy it.  I have no specific goals other than that.  No time goal or pace strategy.  
• My iron levels must be going up because after religiously taking iron supplements and a multivitamin for almost a month in addition to taking a good 5 days off running, I'm feeling strong again.  My left leg is still just a tad off but my body is in a place that I hardly recognize anymore.  I haven't felt this WHOLE since the middle of my Napa training. This makes me so happy.  
• Yesterday, I had my first track workout in a loooong time.  It wasn't anything mind blowing in regards to difficulty but I was just excited to be out there in my PureFlow2s and feeling my body actually work without a limp.  I ran an 800, 1000, 1200, 1000, 800.  It was hard to hit the exact paces that my coach wrote down for me since I only had my watch and my internal clock.  ;)  After using your Garmin for so long and not having had hardly any speed work anytime soon, you just have to kind of go with how you feel.  My paces were all faster than they were written on paper (by a good 10 seconds) but I felt good and my first 800 and last 800 were the same splits.  This makes me kind of excited to do some speedier stuff this summer (maybe).  
• I'm so excited to be in Boston.  It is one of my favorite cities and I get to see some of my favorite friends.  Not to mention having a weekend getaway with my hubby.  We need this!  I love how the entire city is just so energized during this weekend.  Third time is a charm, right?!  I think this will be my most memorable and enjoyable Boston.  I'm excited.  Did I say I was excited?  
• I've never been so excited to drop my son off at preschool as I was yesterday when I found his new school.  I'm so so so grateful for this.  For him and for ME!  

The park down the street from our soon to be house

Felt so good to be on the track again!  And it was a hot day so I was happy to have my Nuun.  And happy to feel so good in my PureFlow2s

Exploring the waterfalls in the Pisgah National Forest

Our goal in moving here for an adventure was to live small so that we can live large (travel, exploring the east coast, etc.)  I've always wanted to live in an old home and this 1930's craftsman style home will be so fun to make my own (temporarily).  I can't wait to get flowers for the porch and enjoy the beautiful neighborhood.  It is also walk to coffee, library, restaurants, schools, etc.  I think we will be happy there.  It is pretty small though so thank Goodness for a basement and garage for extra space if we need storage, etc.  Even a place for the kids to put toys/build forts, etc.  

I'm in love with my street!  And the neighborhood houses are so fun to run by.  A running friendly neighborhood!  Some of those old homes are just gorgeous and have so much character.  

I'm really looking forward to getting settled in our new home in May, reconnecting with myself and my friends, and just finding my new ground a bit more.  Until then, I'm enjoying the present ride even if it does get scary sometimes.  I can feel myself growing and learning.  I like this.

Here's to adventures to come,
Amanda 

Seeing the Pieces Come Together

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I never was much of a puzzle fan.  I usually lost interest after sitting for too long and the task of a jigsaw puzzle just seemed like too much.  However, when I did do a jigsaw puzzle (like one of those really big ones that took forever), there was always such a sense of excitement, peace and satisfaction that came when I started to see the pieces come together...when I started to see "The BIG picture".  It always seemed like SO MUCH at first... tedious.  And then at the end when there is only a small part to finish to make it all come together, it started to move so quickly and wonderfully!  That's how I'm feeling today.

It's been two weeks since we've moved out of our home in Oregon.  I admit, there has been some stress involved with the last two weeks.  Some tears, uncertainty, a bit of fear, but overall, a big bag of excitement and confidence in the good things to come.  And then, with making the decision to stop training and let go of the certainty of even running Boston, came such a sense of freedom and peace.  After making that decision, other things just started falling into place quickly.  That's usually when I know that I've made the right choice!  Or chosen the right selection of puzzle pieces that then unlock an entirely new section of puzzle.

Now here we are on day 9 of being in Asheville, NC and day 16 of being out of our home in Oregon and the I can see the puzzle starting to take such a recognizable form.  It's a tangible excitement.  With each new piece, more and more stress and uncertainty fades away and a beautiful vision comes into view.

Today we will see a house that I'm thinking might be the one.  It's been a hard decision and a CRAZY rental market out here. If we had planned to be here longer (which we might not be able to leave after loving it so much), we'd just buy a house but renting is a good start.   You really have to be ON THE BALL when a house comes up that you love.  The good ones go FAST!  We now have two really great homes to choose from.  Having two great choices to decide between is a good "dilemma" to have.  One is in town and walking distance to everything in the small town and the other is a little further out in the country with a deck and incredible views.  Either way, we've decided on the small town we will live in that is only a short drive from vibrant downtown Asheville.  We are excited and in love.

I love the feeling that comes from seeing the big picture come into view.  Thankful for this new puzzle to put together.  It is energizing and I'm loving the challenge it brings.  

Some goals and "to-dos":  

• Register kids for school
• Sign on the house so its official
• Continue to make wise food choices and get my iron levels up
• Find a doctor in the area.... A sports doc AND a family practice doc
• Continue to be active and find ways to workout that don't involve running
• Be PRESENT with my kids.  Now that things are falling into place with finding a home, I have less reason to be on this computer and MORE reason to just relax and enjoy my time with them.  Engage with them, have present conversations with them without being distracted, etc. etc.  I DO NOT want my kids to just remember me as always being on my phone and computer like I have been lately with getting things settled here in Asheville.  And once I get in the habit of being my computer and phone for important reasons, it becomes a bad habit and I tend to be on there too much for reasons that ARE NOT IMPORTANT.  I need to work on this.  And I will.  As with anything we want to accomplish, it takes being CONSCIOUS about this. 

Thankful for:

• The opportunity to travel and move to a new place
• The Boston Marathon in less than two weeks!  Whether I run or not, my husband and I will enjoy a trip to one of my favorite cities that is filled with AMAZING energy on marathon weekend.  
• Getting to see some of my dearest friends in Boston.
• A mother-in-law who is eager and willing to be here with the kids...flying all the way from Oregon and using her vacation time from work.  
• The freedom that has come from listening to my body and giving it REST
• Sunshine, creeks, forests, blue sky 
• The puzzle coming together as it always does if we keep putting pieces together even when it gets tricky and tedious.  It is always worth it at the end of each puzzle to see everything fall into place.  

Happy Tuesday,
Amanda