Yesterday was supposed to be the day, but it snowed. So today was the day I tried to run again. Last week I ran on Tuesday and felt pretty okay about it. (Felt pretty GREAT, but it hurt.) Wednesday I tried again but it was honestly pretty painful and I did more running than walking. Then Thursday I was sick (Hank...don't get me started...I freaking HATE Hank.) and Friday I went in to have an IV iron transfusion because Thursday I got out of the bath and blacked out. Friday I did get a walk in, and I walked all weekend...but decided to let the swelling go down a bit more before running again.

First of all, God bless every single person who gives blood. Seriously. If you CAN give blood, please do. I cannot, or I'd do it monthly. I have had to receive blood products five times in my life. Three were transfusions when I had complications after my surgeries in 2003. I had IV iron last year, and then IV iron again on Friday. This is not given lightly, but after my last surgery my hematocrit dropped and I do not have the bits and pieces that allow the body to absorb iron from food or pills. So Thursday I called the doctor and Friday I spent five hours getting my iron so that my hemoglobin levels can go up.

What a DIFFERENCE! I feel SO much better. I don't think I truly appreciated how tired I was, and when I did feel tired I thought it was just healing. Today three people, completely unrelated, said I look SO much better than last week...they all mentioned I had color in my face. Wow! Who knew I was such a fright?

So today I took the old bod out for a run. One thing I had noticed last week was my HR was WAY high when I did the run intervals. This week, a bit higher than normal but not dramatically so. I started out doing 1:1, just going easy. I ran out 2.5 miles. Roy rode his bike with me and started "mother henning" me right before mile 2 finished. I told him to let me decide when I'd had enough. So on the way back I moved to 2:1, with trying to keep the second minute of the two, under a 10 minute mile. I know that's not "fast" in anyone's book. But it is for someone who had abdominal surgery six weeks ago today! I ran the last half mile without stopping for a walk and this time I really DID feel good! Last week I just wanted it to feel good, but really I more felt "good that I did it" as opposed to "wow, that felt good".

If I have pain from this tomorrow I'll walk so that I alternate a run day with a walk day. Don't want to overdo it because I really REALLY want to be healthy enough to run a marathon in April.

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In very exciting news, I might be on TV here soon! We'll see. I'll share more when I know more. I've had things fall through, even after giving full interviews. (People Magazine, for example, does not love me. They have interviewed me twice and not used me twice.) This would be WAY better than People, though!