Rockin' some new boots; er, boot.

Faithful readers, I give you my new fashion accessory...
Don't see it? I know, it's easy to miss, I mean, it's not ridiculously huge or anything. I had to try to set my camera up to take a picture of myself, but check the right foot; see that huge contraption?!?

Yeah. That's my new boot.

I have crutches too, but we're not friends right now so they didn't make the picture.

You'd think after nearly 10 years of running my bones would be pretty strong and if they were to fracture, they would've by now. But, not my bones. They're pretty dramatic and decide to fracture just as I'm about run a 10-miler and am training for a marathon. Silly bones.

I thought for the past couple months I had bad shin splints, so I kept running as usual and just started icing my shins. But decided before I increased my mileage anymore I should get checked out so I don't do long-term damage. Thankfully I did go, because a bone scan last week confirmed I have severe stress fractures in both my right and left tibias (shins).

Weak bones + treadmill (it's so flipping cold in the winter here, i had no choice!) + increased mileage = stress fractures

So now I have the boot and crutches for 4-6 weeks (hopefully not longer, but it depends how fast I heal). In a couple weeks I'll start physical therapy for 8 weeks or so, then if all goes as planned, I can start running again in 2-3 months and still be ready for the marathon in October--fingers crossed! I'm trying to be very diligent in my crutch use to aid in as quick a heal as possible.

Through this whole process, my bum wheel (as my trainer likes to call it) has made me thankful for many things:

1. That I am able to walk and run in the first place

2. Health Insurance

3. A removable walking boot rather than a cast

4. That it's not a lot worse and will heal

5. Mom's to go home to

I'm so quick to look at the few negative sides to my new boot, that I forget to think of the many positives and tiny blessings that come with it too. I think this may be God's sign for me to slow down and appreciate, everything. And that I'll do.