After the Indy Monumental life happened. And boy did it happen.

I spent the week after the race battling a post-race head cold and physical exhaustion that isn’t typical for me the week after a marathon. I’m probably going to sound overdramatic but I really did feel like I was dying.

Unbeknownst to me, my boyfriend’s grandmother had gone to the hospital the weekend I was in Indy. He told me about it when I got home and we talked about the likelihood of her passing.

A week after the race, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we strolled around Easton Town Center and had a good day. I was thinking about The Cheesecake Factory, so that was our late lunch. I got the Godiva chocolate one to go and we went back to my place to Netflix and chill.

At 7:30 that night, his mom called. Grandma Nancy went back to the hospital. I was signed up and planning to run the Hot Chocolate 15k Sunday morning, and initially I was disappointed to miss it, since HC15k is one of my favorite races. But I’m glad I skipped it.

That Sunday the 17th we went to the hospital to visit his grandmother and family. Her doctor came in a gave her the news: she had cancer and it had spread. She could meet with an oncologist to talk about chemotherapy, or she could go into hospice care. At 82, chemo would have been put her through a lot of pain, and Grandma Nancy decided she had lived a good, long life.

We went out again for the weekend of Nov. 22 – 24th, which was our last time to see each other and exchange those final I love you’s.

Grandma Nancy went on her own terms on Dec. 1st. Her pastor said they recited Psalm 23 and she went peacefully. The viewing and funeral was Dec. 4th. I’ve never seen anything so simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful, and I wept openly.

We know she’s in a better place, but that doesn’t change the fact he and I – as well as his family – miss her.

That’s been the last three weeks, just in time for the fracas of Christmas to come. I haven’t been running like I used to or lifting at all, and this past week back in the gym I could tell I lost some strength.

Interestingly enough, in spite of eating more restaurant food than usual, heavier meals and comfort eating junk, I’ve maintained my weight. I’m not bragging, by the way; I’m only sharing this because I have no idea how I managed to pull that off.

Anyways, back to the gym.

Monday:

I ran seven treadmill miles before work. I only ran three miles the week before, which got me to the 10 of the 50 goal miles I’m aiming to run this month. I felt pretty good while running and was joined by an unexpected gym-goer.

Usually it’s myself and a few other women in the gym around 5 a.m. This time around a guy came in behind me with his baby in the stroller. Dad kept an eye on baby while he pedaled on the recumbent bike and I smiled at some of the cooing.

I did wait until after Dad finished up and they left before blasting my power jam: “Master of Puppets.”

Tuesday:

Resistance training twice – lower body in the morning before work and upper body during my lunch break. I haven’t lifted in several weeks, so my legs were pretty wobbly when I performed my walking lunges. I kept my reps low for lower body and performed low reps at a high weight for my upper body. Ibuprofen is a lovely invention, but it could only help me so much on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday

Seven more miles. I felt a little fatigued in Mile 3 but decided to finish to seven since done is done and done is good. Sean Paul and “Master of Puppets” pulled me through the final mile.

My workplace has on-site fitness classes and I decided it was high time to go back to yoga. I have a desk job that starts at 8; by 10 if I haven’t stood up or stretched I’m feeling it in my lower back and shoulders. So I went to yoga and discovered that my calves weren’t having any downward facing dogs. Although I had an easier time moving through the vinyasas than I was expecting. I’ll leave the following comic as my overall yoga experience:

Thursday

Note to self: the second day after leg day is always worse.

I wound up doing some core work and vin yoga at home before work. Holy crap was my body feeling stiff, so I decided today would be an impromptu rest day.

Bring on the naps (which I rarely take), tea and the small chocolates.

Friday

I woke up feeling rough, and figured I would hop on the elliptical for about an hour. A part of me wanted to run, but I didn’t have as much time as I wanted to thanks to sleeping in with the cat. Once I got to the gym I realized I only had a half hour and both ellipticals were taken. So three easy miles it was to finish up a monthly mileage of 20.

I’m optimistic I can get back into the swing of things even with the holidays being upon us. After all, those cookies aren’t going to burn themselves off.

Run happy and eat cookies,

Allison