Ending the year on a high note

Finally. A moment I’ve prayed for nonstop for the past 14 months. My doctors said “go run.” I know I have a huge mountain ahead in trying to get back to where I was, but having the go-ahead after waiting so long is a huge relief.

But, along with that release comes a nasty four letter word.

FEAR

In front of me is a dream, a goal, an opportunity, a gift...

Yet in the back of my mind are the memories of last October, the disappointment, the frustration, the pain, the terrifying diagnosis, and the months of seemingly endless rehabilitation that produced almost nothing.

Nothing is “fixed.” Things aren’t really better, medically. But, the scary kidney-liver crisis is over and the doctors are confident that while they can’t treat the underlying issue or make it go away, it’s not going to get worse by me working out or running. There will still be nerve pain. There will still be some major precautions and strict guidelines. There are still some treatment protocols and safety plans in place. But it has been deemed “safe” for me to engage in higher level fitness activities again.

While the doctors are confident, I’m scared. There are just too many “what if” and “yeah, but” thoughts crowding in. But, I've never been one to give in to fear or back down from a challenge. So, I’m going to build back up slowly and convince myself that a run will help, not hurt things. For the moment, however, I have to deal with the side effects of coming off all of the medications, which is no fun.

My goal is now to get out and walk every day I can, and let myself get back into the routine of daily workouts. As I begin to feel better and gain back some stamina, I will throw in some spurts of running to test things out and see how it goes.

Ahead of me are two very motivating goals - the Anthem Star 10K is April 13th, followed by the Rock Tahoe Half-marathon June 15th. Not being able to run either race last year left me begging God for another chance. I have that chance now, and no matter how scared I am, I cannot let these second chances pass me by without giving it all I’ve got.

I would LOVE to have friends and family join me in my quest to run in Roanoke and Tahoe again. It would mean so much to me to have people there running with me. If you are interested, please message me so I can fill you in on the details. Or, if you are ready to sign up now, use these links and be sure to join team “CareRunners” during the registration.

For the Roanoke event in April, use code AMBASSADORKRISTI20 to save 20% off any of the four race distances at the Blue Ridge Marathon (10K, half, full, double). Register at BlueRidgeMarathon

For the Tahoe race, register at RockTahoe2019