2012 starts out with a broken finger!

Not my girls or my big boy, but me!

Confession from yesterday's race:  I BIT IT BIG TIME before the race even started.  Got out of the car to try and get to what we thought was the potty line and tripped on a parking barrier and nearly fell flat on my face in front of millions  thousands  hundreds lots of people.  Got up as fast as i could, hoping that nobody saw except my running buddy Amy, but it happened...."Are you okay"?,  echoing from lots of strangers and mostly men.  Oh friends, not only were my fingers killing me on my left hand but my pride was hurt even more.  And while those gentlemen were kind to show concern, all i thought was, Dear God, please let me pass all of them sometime during this run.  Yes i know, competitive and sick! 
After i regained composure, i noticed that my ring finger was swelling, i had road rash on left wrist, left knee and right elbow.  I got spooked then.  Even though i kept telling Amy i was fine, i was internally talking myself out of the race.  The start finally happens and i realize i've left my trusty visor in the car.  I never run without a hat or visor!  Then it was icy....as in 30 degrees icy and we had to go straight down this hill that was nothing but a sheet of ice and my nerves got the best of me.  I felt doom and gloom...i injured myself before the race even started, no visor and now ice.  I barely trotted down that hill in fear that i was going to bite it again.  All i kept thinking was, once i get down this hill, i am done and going to wait for my friends at the finish line, but instead my little feet kept going and took me across the finish line under my goal time of 4 hours.

I was on such a high after the race that i had forgotten about my hand hurting until i looked down and noticed it was even more swollen than before.  I could still bend my fingers, so i thought nothing more of it and moved on to the after race celebration with Amy's Mom, Wendy.  She is the person who made me fall in love with running  2 1/2 plus years ago.  I was going for my first experience to the naked lady Olympus Spa.  I received a gift certificate from Jeff  two years ago and it has taken me this long to build up the courage to go.  Yes, it takes your friendship on a whole new level when you can be buck naked in front of each other.  Oh my, it was heaven on earth!  Soak for an hour, get a good Korean scrub down (where the sun doesn't shine) , moisturized and massaged with warm olive oil and milk and then a cucumber facial.  You quickly forget you are naked when you are being so pampered!

Felt great this morning, except for my hand.  Something was just not right and when the warm water from the shower hurt my fingers tips, that was my cue that i needed some intervention, so i headed over to urgent care.  Walked in and thought i saw Marisa, one of bestie's cars out front, so i sent her a text and sure enough she was there as well.  I was taken back and guess who i heard clear as day in the room next to me...Marisa.  So much for HIPA laws. :-)  BTW, for those who know Marisa, she is just fine.  I on the other hand had an xray that revealed a fracture on my ring finger.  I have a splint and a sling because i am supposed to keep my hand elevated and the P.A. didn't think i would be a good girl and do that on my own, so she put me in a sling.  I've only had this stuff on for about 6 hours and i don't have time for this for the next 4 to 6 weeks!  Plus i need to go see an ortho to make sure i didn't damage any tendons.

Let me tell you though, it was all worth it!  I was feeling pretty bad a$$ running 3 marathons in 90 days, but running with a broken finger and not knowing it, makes me feel even more like a bad a$$ marathon MaNiAc! :-)

Enjoy photos from my year of running in 2011!

Yes, my finger was literally black by evening and so is my knee now.

Isn't this a lovely sight?

Think i can run with this thing on? :-)

Tacoma City half marathon in May



Sound to Narrows in June

Seattle Rock n' Roll half marathon in June

Seattle See Jane Run half marathon in July

Portland marathon in October

Seattle Amica marathon in November

Port Orchard Yukon Do It  marathon on 12/31/11
Just like the sign says....finish(ed) for the year!