With the Spring season and running races so often, I’ve heard a lot of opinions. So…I’ll offer mine.

First & most importantly, you need to enjoy running & the benefits it brings. Why waste so much of your time doing something you don’t like & complain about?

You can be competitive or relaxed – ENJOY it! It is a sport with flexibility.

Have more than one goal in mind – this is a Jeff Galloway tip. Going into a race – have 3 goals – (1) Finish (2) a time goal you’d be very happy with (3) a personal best. 

In long distance runs, take walk breaks – Jeff Galloway again. Not that you would know it right now, but I have run 18 marathons in my life. In 14 of them, I have passed “real runners” who didn’t take walk breaks & I have finished before them.  I have finished ALL 18 under the Jeff Galloway method and plan on doing the USMC marathon again in 2011 (probably not advertising this to Dr. B).

Even though my body is recovering from heart surgery, I WILL be back into the running world again.  My heart surgeon said  that it was a strong heart that helped my surgery. So…get off your tush & exercise.

Maybe my next heart will be from a Boston Marathoner.

Today is 10 weeks out of recovery from heart surgery – the weeks are into the double digits.  The good days are outnumbering the bad.

I am still very sore in my chest, lower energy, and can’t pick up Jack without my chest popping.  These are my

challenges that I wish I didn’t have.

I can drive, dress myself, improving in Cardiac Rehab.  These are the successes I am so thankful for.

Waking up having another day of  life with my family is the best thing I could thank God for.

• Have you researched your disease on the internet? ( No, idiot, I’ve never, ever done that).
• Have you tried a 2nd opinion?
• Do you think it’s stress? (Yeah, sure, my heart doesn’t pump right bc. of stress….uh, I was born with this),
• Maybe you should try taking more vitamins (yup, more vitamin E is fixing my mitral valve as we speak)
• Do you think you should get more sleep? (yup,  with 2 kids, I can go to bed at 7).
• Maybe you should try seeing a hypnotist.  (oh, yeah…pulmonary artery is flowing the right way now!)

I have had a little bit of freedom given in that last week & cherish it!

• Blood work once a week, instead of 3x a week
• Driving – it’s hard since I get tired & it can hurt my arms backing out, so I go with another adult
• Doing some light housework – cleaning counters & trying to pick up toys

These & more are things I have ALWAYS taken for granted, but don’t anymore!!

By God’s grace & determination, I walked 1 out of 3.1 miles this morning at the AHA Heart Walk.  8 1/2 weeks out of open heart, with a 2 chamber heart, pacemaker (that’s  still funky), and a mechanical valve – I did it! I cried so hard at the end! I know it’s out of God’s mercy  I am alive & able to do it.

One mile isn’t that far compared to what I used to do.  But I walked my potential – my best 🙂

My team was wonderful – people who from all areas of life, but shared in a common interest – love for me.  Family, friends from church, former running partners, canine friends, & hairstylist, Thank you so much everyone!!!

It just hit me this morning. he last 6 months my cardiologist in Atlanta, Dr. B., has told me that my surgery was 3-5 years overdue. We had a lot of work & tests to fit in  — a short amount of time to work with.  I have been so angry with my family doctor & local cardiologist…what were they doing when I came in? Did they listen? Did they care? Can all they do is prescribe more & more & more meds that are toxic to me? They should have caught this, esp. the cardiologist. Where was his brain? Does he have one?

It hit me today….if I would have had this surgery 3-5 years ago, I would never have been approved to adopt. I have the most precious, predestinated children. I could not imagine my life without Chloe & Jack.  We wouldn’t have them.  Maybe they would not have been adopted, maybe they would have. Maybe they would have been aborted.

It brings me to KNOW my Heavenly Father knows what’s best – His timing, His pace, His place.  Don’t question Him. 

So I stayed for stress management class after my cardiac rehab.  It was educational to find out all the physical things that happen during stress and long term damage to your body.   We also took a stress survey, life events rating a score – things life a death or birth,  moving, job change, health changes, trouble with in-laws, being in jail, etc.  My score was average, but I feel like my change in health should be rated higher 🙂