Cheers to 37!

Another birthday is here and although this past year literally flew by, it was filled with so many wonderful memories and fun times!

My 36th year began while sailing on the Disney Fantasy! We took a 7 night Eastern Cruise to explore St. Thomas and Tortola and it was a wonderful way to spend a birthday!

Also while on board said cruise, we bought in to the Disney Vacation Club. Can we say...most. expensive. birthday. present. ever? Totally worth it, though!

Over the past year, a lot of time was spent with my little dude, watching him learn, grow, and soak up the world like a sponge. He keeps us running, but we love it and wouldn't trade a second of it!

We also planned and directed the Gleaux Run 5K in the fall which was another great success! Lots of runners and walkers came out to help in the fight against cancer.

Over the past year, a lot of Orangetheory classes were attended (until my recent injury, of course). I sure do miss it and can't wait to get back there!

A commercial was shot where I had the chance to play Wonder Woman! So much fun!

A group of friends and I also spent time touring several Louisiana plantation homes. We had a blast that day, learning about Louisiana history and simply spending time together!

Over the holiday season, our church put on a production entitled "How Christmas Saved The Grinch" where I had a chance to play a citizen of Whoville! This year, I've been upgraded to "Betty Lou", the mom of "Cindy Lou" - it's going to be so much fun!

Last spring, I ran two half marathons - one in New Orleans with my friend Melissa and the other at Walt Disney World for the Princess Half Marathon/Fairy Tale Challenge!

We spent our Princess Half Marathon trip with my family and we had a fabulous time!

Another project that came together this spring was a home improvement one. I basically rearranged our entire back patio to accommodate a seating area. This space has been so nice all spring and summer to relax and watch Brayden play. We also installed an outdoor fan to keep us cool in the summer months!

Also this spring, I joined the Faster Way To Fat Loss family and not only did I make many gains in the area of my health, I also managed to PR in 2 races in 2 weekends! How fun is that?!

In May, our local Relay for Life event took place where I helped run the activities for the night. It was exhausting but a ton of fun and I'm so glad I had a friend along to help me with the process!

The Orangetheory Mayhem challenge took place in May where participants attended four classes in one week and received extra special goodies.

Y'all know I don't back down from a challenge!

This summer, my husband, son, and I traveled to Alaska with Jason's family. In total, 12 of us were along for the trip and we had a blast! Prior to this trip, my father in law had visited 49 states and wanted to make his 50th state a family affair, so we did!

In August, on a last minute whim, my little family and I decided to use a few vacation club points to visit Walt Disney World! I was excited I finally had the chance to participate in the Beignet Dash and loved being able to see friends while there!

Random fact - until our August trip, I'd NEVER ridden the Tea Cups. My child loves to spin, so I thought I would take one for the team and it was not as bad as I expected! (Note-we did not spin the teacup out of control, either...it was definitely a controlled spin!)

In all, it's been a fabulous year filled with so many fun adventures and memories! I can't wait to see what 37 has to bring! Let's do this! 

Physical Therapy Update (Hamstring Injury)

If you've been a follower over here on the blog or on instagram for any length of time, I'm sure you've noticed my lack of participation in Orangetheory, week day runs, and long runs. Well, the reasoning behind this lack of fitness is not entirely my own.

For a while now (and I mean a long while now), I've been experiencing issues with my right hamstring. It would become irritated, bother me, I would rest/ice it, then it would feel better and I would move on. This cycle occurred once every couple of months, but it definitely continued. After some time had passed, I noticed that the interval between "flareups" was becoming shorter and shorter before one day, the pain stopped going away and began to travel higher - above my hamstring - and started to cause leg stiffness. I decided I would take a 2 week break from running (after Mayhem at Orangetheory was over) and mostly rest while on our cruise - with the exception being National Running Day because...hello, I can't miss that day.

My leg mostly felt ok on the cruise until our formal night when I was trying to waste time and chased Brayden up and down several flights of stairs for 45 minutes in heels. (Dumbest move, ever.) On National Running Day, I ran 2 miles around the ship and although I definitely enjoyed the run, that nagging pain was in my leg the entire time which also led to leg stiffness for the next day or so. It was only then that I decided to push my stubbornness out of the way and call my ortho. They were able to fit me in the following week and before I knew it, I had an order for physical therapy in hand!

Starting on a new physical therapy journey with an entirely new (to me) PT was scary and exciting all at the same time. Lucky for me, the one I chose is a runner, and her office is literally located down the hall from my work space! When I tell you this scenario literally could not have worked out more perfect, I seriously mean it!

This physical therapy center is setup in a one on one type manner. Basically, I have the undivided attention of my physical therapist for the entire 45 minute session and it's wonderful! She focuses on deep tissue, cupping (ouch), and proper technique.

What type of work does she have me doing? Well, on the first day, she introduced the...(insert ominous music here)...theraband...and I actually groaned out loud. For those who attend Orangetheory, I'm sure you feel me on this one! I always avoid theraband days if I can - which is probably why I landed myself in this boat in the first place! Note to self - do not avoid Orangetheory theraband days in the future!

Most of my exercises are centered around glute strengthening and alignment. The body working in a criss-cross manner seriously still blows my mind but I definitely see it here! It amazes me how a muscle weakness on one side of the body can cause the opposite side to overcompensate which then leads to the boat I'm in...injury.

Interestingly enough through all of this - my IT Band has not bothered me AT ALL which is amazing to be honest!

I've officially made it to the 6 week mark of a running/Orangetheory break which also means I've completed 6 weeks of physical therapy thus far. How am I feeling? Well, I the pain has gotten a LOT better. Although the pain is still there, it's not even close to the scale it was prior to starting with PT. I saw my ortho last week for a follow up and he was encouraged with my progress. He re-certified me for an additional round of PT and I'm so grateful! Hopefully with a few additional weeks of visits and strengthening, I'll be able to start running again slowly and we will see where that leads!

I also realize that hamstrings are quirky and can become re-injured at any time. Keeping up with this strength training is going to be ever important for me as I continue on with my running journey. I'm ready!!

So tell me, have you ever dealt with a running related injury? How did you overcome it? Anyone else have a successful hamstring injury story? 

Today, I'm also linking up with KookyRunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics!