So I’ve got good news and bad news. What do you want first?
Okay, good news (that’s what you said, right?).
The Good News
The good news is that today my husband and I celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary! I’m sure that most of you know the story of our wedding, but, in a nutshell, Alan and I met almost 20 years ago at the finish line of the Tram Road Race, which is billed as the toughest 6k in the world. The race starts at the base of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway road, and runs almost straight up for 3.7 miles. It’s about a 2,000 foot elevation gain.
16 years ago: The bride wore white shorts and lace #running bra, the groom wore a morning coat.
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Anyway, Alan and I met while we were each on opposite sides of the finishing chute, cheering the runners on. It’s a tough race, and the last half mile is the toughest part. As it turned out, at the post-race raffle he won a dinner for two at a local restaurant, asked me out, and, as they say, the rest is history.
When we finally decided to get married, we knew that we didn’t want a traditional wedding, so after investigating a few other running-related options, we asked our friend Greg, the race director for the Tram Road Race, if we could possibly get married on the finish line after the race. He actually was pretty excited about the idea, so on October 23, 1999, Alan and I ran the race together, I in my white satin running shorts and lace running bra (with a garter ,of course, to round out the outfit).
After we finished, we went to our separate spots to clean up. Alan wore running shorts and a tuxedo jacket, I had a separate pair of running shorts, plus a lace t-shirt and veil. We waited until most of the runners had finished then we, along with our minister and family (all of whom had to drive up to the top before the race start at 7:00) congregated at the finish line while Alan and I said our vows.
I guess that was more than a nutshell, but if you want more, here’s the full story. Plus, last year on our 15th anniversary we were interviewed by the local news!
The Bad News
I guess I can’t avoid the bad news forever, so I may as well lay it out. I told you about my fall last weekend. My knee seemed to be doing pretty good by Monday though I noticed that the initial swelling over the knee had moved throughout the entire lower leg. That was enough to encourage me to see the doctor (though he was actually a physician’s assistant, which is totally fine with me). I got an appointment for Monday afternoon.
He too thought that it looked pretty good. He did a few movement tests to check for sprains, strains, and tears, and things looked fine. He sent me for an x-ray just to be sure. That I did on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, my knee was feeling pretty good. One of my clients even commented that I had a better range of motion than I’d had on Monday. I proudly bent my knee to show her how far I’d come. Oops.
On Wednesday afternoon, I received a voicemail from the PA. He told me that I had a crack in my patella! I needed to call him first thing on Thursday morning because I needed a brace, crutches, and a referral to an orthopedic specialist. I was a little devastated.
Within the bad news, there is some good. It is a small crack, still in alignment, so that if I keep my knee straight and take care, it will heal completely. Still, a bone takes four to six weeks, so I will not be running the Honolulu Marathon this year. Though I will console myself by lying on the beaches in Hawaii in December.
I have an appointment this afternoon to get my brace, and I was told that I don’t have to use crutches as long as I’m careful about not bending my knee, so that’s good. And yes, of course, I’m disappointed about missing the marathon, but my knee will heal and I’ll have more opportunities. And that’s what I keep telling myself.
Corrective Exercise Training
So, that “keep your knee straight” thing was challenged on Thursday when my work held a Corrective Exercise training class. Based on the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist course, the trainers, massage therapists, fascial stretch therapists, and chiropractor from my work spent the day learning how to assess and correct imbalances in the body.
Unfortunately, because of my injury I was unable to participate in many of the assessments (I could assess, but I couldn’t be assessed), which is a shame because I know that my body has a lot of issues and imbalances. I made a few of the trainers promise to assess me once my knee has healed.
While this doesn’t count as a certification, I learned a lot of important information and now would like to take the full course. It isn’t cheap, but I will be able to get a pretty good discount through my employer, so Corrective Exercise Specialist will hopefully be my next professional goal.
So, tell me about your wedding (the real one or the one you’re dreaming of)! Did it turn out like you planned?