My name is Andi, aka Twofoottail, aka the Caffeinated Hummingbird...multiple personality disease? Possible, but a friend recently refered to my particular malady as "ADOS" as in "Attention Deficit Oooh Sparkly!" I think this perfectly defines my style.
These are my dogs:
I'm a firm believer that people often pick pets that share their particular personality and lifestyle traits. This doesn't always hold true, now, so don't scream at me those of you beautiful people with Chinese Cresteds, and English Bulldogs. I have small, highstrung, yappy dogs that are in constant motion. I know this will come as a complete and utter surprise to those of you who know me, but I am rather shrimpy, highstrung, yappy, and have a complete inability to sit still longer than it takes to watch an enthralling episode of House.
Can you believe that my co-workers actually denied me access to more coffee one afternoon? One referred to me as a hummingbird on red bull. OK, so the first step to finding resolution to a problem is admitting you have a problem. I admit it, I'm "busy." Lucky for me I've found a solution: running!
The story behind the solution actually starts a long time ago, when I was 10 and received my first pony. Mom never had to worry about me riding the pony alone in the yard, because he was a retiree from a pony ring. You know, the little pony rides at fairs and circuses where the ponies all walk in a great big circle, attached to a machine that keeps them walking at a slow and gentle pace? Yeah, my pony only knew how to walk to the right. That little pony started a love of horses that grew and grew. I was fearless, riding any horse I could until I graduated from high school and began down the road that would lead me through vet school, and into the veterinary profession. Somewhere along that long and rocky road, I stopped riding.
A few years out of school and I thought life was pretty sweet. I had a great husband, a good job, and a baby girl. Something was missing. A horse, of course! So we bought Rio, a totally green, totally huge, and totally handsome Paint gelding. Of course this was a totally bad idea, but I rode him anyway...one time before finding out I was pregnant with our son. Well, maternal instinct told me that I probably shouldn't be riding a giant young untrained animal while building a baby in my belly. So, Rio went unridden for nearly a year, before the fateful day that changed my life.
It was the day before Halloween, 2008, and a friend invited me on a trail ride in the mountains. I had ridden just a couple wees before and Rio had done well, so I eagerly agreed. We rode several miles up on a logging trail, and it was spectacular! We turned around to head down the mountain, and I stopped Rio to rest my ankle and admire the Tamaracks. Well, I know now to always look out for hornets when you stop your giant jumpy horse on a rocky trail in the mountains. The hornets attacked my poor horse's belly with a vengeance, and of course he took off like a shot. I don't remember a lot of what happened next, but it ended badly. I remember falling, and trying to get up like a tough and dignified cowgirl. I tried three times, flailing around like a wounded bird, before my mind said "hey stupid, you're really hurt, just sit down!" So I sat for awhile, while my worried friend fretted about what to do. My horse came back and stood over me, as if apologising for abandoning me. We had no cell phone service, and I didn't want to stay there alone, so my friend helped me back on the horse. I wrapped the reins around the saddle horn and drifted in and out while Rio picked his way carefully the three miles back down the mountain. I loaded him in the trailer, and vaguely remember driving home to get my husband. He took m to the ER, and I don't remember anything else until we got home. X-rays showed no broken bones, but the bruising and my inability to walk, crawl, or put on my underwear by myself for the next 2 months told us there was extensive muscle damage in my right leg and lower back.
A year and a half later I was still hurting. Exercise hurt, moving hurt, chores hurt, and I was getting depressed. To make matters worse, I started tripping over my right foot just walking. I went to see a chiropractor, who took new x-rays, and we discovered the extensive damage the ER had missed that night. Apparently I have a special congenital abnormality in one vertebrae which had fused to my pelvis. In the fall, the vertebrae had broken, and over the next year and a half had grown a "wing" and my back had developed arthritis which had caused it to shift at an angle. I went in for an MRI, and we found that over time I had slipped a couple disks and obliterated another.
It was generally agreed upon by the professionals that although my prognosis for return to normal daily function was fairly good, my potential as an athlete (and a cowgirl) was going to be severely limited. So, I went home and brooded. I pouted and brooded and gained weight with my "limited physical activity."
I don't know what possessed me to buy a treadmill in the middle of all of this. I guess I desperately wanted to get back in shape, but I wasn't sure how, and any exercise was painful and discouraging. The treadmill sat unused for months. Then, in November 2010, I started walking on it. Gentle walks to test the waters.
In January, I visited a new chiropractor with a "K-Laser" that a friend of mine highly recommended. Something inside me had snapped. My inner ADOS was bursting for freedom. The first time I met the new doctor, I started with "I will ride, and I will run, so can you work with me on that?" And he agreed! He recommended a lot of exercises I could do at home to help get my torn and scarred up muscles loosened up, and also strengthen my back.
I put myself on a diet starting January first, and as the pounds came off, it became easier to get on the treadmill. At first, I tripped a lot, but with time, the tripping stopped. The neurological issues were disappearing! A few weeks into January, I started jogging....and I couldn't stop. Man, it felt good to move! Well, in true ADOS fashion, I blew both medial collateral ligaments in my knees at the same time. A round of steroids and one painful lesson later, I started again, slowly. About that time I read about the Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon. Surely in 5 months I could walk/run 13.1 miles, right? My super athletic and encouraging cousin seemed to think it was possible, so I started training.
While visiting the marathon website, I came across TEAMHOPE, a way to raise money for pancreatic cancer research and support. This struck a chord with me, as I had watched my good friend lose her father to this ugly disease in 2010. I made up my mind that if I was going to run this half marathon, I would run it for pancreatic cancer in his name. First, I had to convince myself that I could really do it.
There were lots of obstacles. I had to re-learn how to run outside without tripping on the uneven gravel roads. I had to stop being a diva crybaby and run in inclement weather I had to learn how to take care of my body and feed it properly for the new stresses I was throwing at it. Somewhere in all of this learning, and trying, and running, my neuro problems disappeared, and I regained completely normal range of motion in my right leg. Back pain became a thing of the past, and I could wear pre baby jeans again! Best of all, I sent Rio to the trainer, and now that he's back, I'm riding again. Running has healed my mind and body, and I truly thank God everyday (even when its raining) for my ability to run. Some days are harder than others. Sometimes my knees act up, and sometimes I'm stiff, and sometimes my right leg doesn't want to work like it should, but I always feel great when I accomplish a new distance, or a better time, or even just finish a plain old ordinary run.
My husband and I ran Bloomsday, which is 7.45 miles, last weekend and I finished in 72 minutes, without walking once! I was so happy and proud, and thrilled! Best of all, it convinced me that I could do the half marathon, and so I signed up for TEAMHOPE, and will be running it in the memory of Roger Donahoe. I am so honored to be dedicating my very first half marathon to his memory. For me it will be a double sweet success....a complete defeat of my horseback riding injury, and a way to make a difference by helping the pancreatic cancer action network.
I decided to keep this blog as an online diary of my training, my thoughts, and my random
ADOS musings. If you want to read about my
freakin' adorable children, you'll have to check out our family blog
http://twofoottail.blogspot.com/.
And of course I am going to shamelessly plug my sponsorship page! If you feel inclined to sponsor a somewhat banged up unlikely athlete to run a half marathon for pancreatic cancer, I will try my very best not to let you down!
I love God, my husband, my kids, my pets, beer, and bacon. I have a dry sense of humor, and have often been accused of being a smart-ass.