And there is hope...

So after this post I have come to terms that there is only so much you can control. You can do everything right, and life might still throw you a curve ball.

I missed 6 days of work after the burn, since I was in incapable of walking more than a few feet for 8 days straight. When I returned to work, I was still limping and in pain meds.

A week after the burn, there had been no change. After the doctor suspected a nasty spot was the start of an infection and prescribed antibiotics, in just a few days the improvement was visible, and my skin finally started healing, little by little, making me feel more human again.

At the end of the second week, I was finally successful in finding a knee brace that would keep the bandages in place (since it was still an open wound that needed to be covered at all hours) so I could run.

It has been hard. REALLY hard. Somehow, 2 weeks barely walking, when most days my longest walk was from the bed to the couch, my endurance got shot, my body got weak. Even though I was consistently running prior to the burn, all of a sudden I could no longer keep up. The heat, which I had acclimatized to, started bothering me again, leaving me out of breath after a few strides.

With only a few weeks to the Half Marathon, I didn't have the luxury of building up my endurance again, and I had to jump right back into training. And I couldn't run it all.

My first attempted run was supposed to have been for 10 miles. I felt wonderful during the first two miles, then exhaustion hit me and I had to walk. But after a couple of minutes walking, I could run again. It took me longer, even my running pace got (as if it was possible!) slower, but I still finished the 10 miles, even if it wasn't all running.

This was the first time since the burn that I had hope. I accepted the fact that I couldn't run the Half Marathon, but I now know that there is no doubt that I can finish it.

And so I'm back at training. Some days, like yesterday, I can run for an hour straight and not have to stop. Other days, after every mile I need a short walking break.

Saturday is supposed to be my longest run ever. I'm supposed to go out there and run for 140 minutes. I know I won't be able to run the whole time. But I do know that I'll be able to complete the time.

Maybe, by the time the Army Ten Miler comes along a little over a month from now, I will have regained my endurance, got my body strong again, and I can run the 10 miles. But for the VA Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon, I might not be able to run it all, but in a little over 2 weeks from now, I will cross that finish line and get the medal I so rightfully deserve.