Back on the Workout Wagon

For most of my life, and especially prior to my wedding last June, I was extremely consistent in my workout routine.  I would make it to the gym at least three times a week and more often than not, four or five times a week.  I was running regularly, both on the treadmill and outside.  However, when I got to Newcastle in August, I just seemed to fall off the workout wagon.  I don't know if it was burn out from a hardcore regiment prior to my wedding, or perhaps a bit of depression after moving half way around the world, or maybe a little of both.  But either way, I stopped working out completely.  And I don't know if this is true for everyone, but when I'm not working out, I tend to eat really bad too.  For me, not working out and eating poorly seems to go hand in hand, which tends to lead to weight gain...obviously. 

In October, after about two months of slacking off, I made a decision to start training for a half marathon.  I had run 5K and 10K races before and in my head, the next step was a half marathon.  I found a twelve week training schedule online, and I discovered a half marathon in early January in Long Beach that I could do while I was home for Christmas with Josh.  I decided to go for it.  The training program was intense, four days a week of running with two days of cross-training and one rest day, but I was determined to do it.  I honestly don't think that Josh believed that I would adhere to the program, especially since for the two months prior I had sat around and done NOTHING, but I knew I could follow through.  So the first week of October, training began.  I was consistent.  For the first 5 1/2 weeks I didn't skip one training day and then I was dealt a major blow.  I hurt my knee the second week of November. If you haven't read my previous post about my knee surgeries, you might want to start there and come back to this post. 

Anyway, all hopes of running my half marathon in January were squashed as I couldn't even walk.  On January 5, 2011, I had my 3rd knee surgery.  Recovery has been relatively quick, but my physical therapist told me not to push things too fast.  When I got back to Newcastle, I started walking more, and did a little stationary bike riding at the gym.  I know you can get amazing workouts from a bike, and those spin classes look like an hour of pure torture, but I personally love to run and do the elliptical or the stair climber.  I don't feel like I'm getting as great of a workout on a bike.  Maybe the thing is, I'm just not motivated enough to make a stationary bike challenging enough to get a good work out in, I don't know, but as it stands I don't like the bike.

So you can imagine my excitement two weeks ago when I decided I was ready to go for it on the elliptical.  And great news, I did fine.  I had a little soreness in my knee after, but that was to be expected.  I was thrilled.  So the last two weeks, I have been heading to the gym regularly, doing both the elliptical and walking on the treadmill.  I even took a yoga class today which I think I'm going to do again next week.  It feels great to be getting a good sweat in and I'm excited to get back into shape (I'm sure Josh is too, even though he'd never say it).  I'm not quite ready to run yet.  It could be a few more months until that happens.  My goal is still to someday do that half marathon but for now, I'm satisfied with the elliptical.  So finally, I am back on the workout wagon and can I just say, it feels awesome.

Let IN or kicked OUT...that was the question

Because of my 3rd knee surgery (see this post), I couldn't head back to the UK at the same time as Josh.  I thought I would love being at home for an extra two and a half weeks (and of course it was nice), but I missed Josh a lot and I was jealous that he was back in Newcastle with all of our friends.  I couldn't wait to get back.  But there was one thing standing in my way...besides an obvious 10 hour airplane ride, IMMIGRATION CONTROL at London Heathrow. 

For most SGU students and spouses, this wouldn't be a problem, you show your passport, your year long VISA, and in you go.  However, I have NO VISA.  Because Josh and I got married in late June last summer, by the time I received my new passport with my name changed on it, there was only one week left until our flights left for the UK.  Not nearly enough time to get a VISA.  I thought about pushing my flight back so that I would have time to get one before I left, but honestly, I didn't trust that Josh would find a flat acceptable enough to me without me being there.  Yes, I know, the important things, VISAS vs. places to live.  Anyway, they let me into the country on six month visitor clearance, which was fine because we planned to go home for Christmas anyway. 

My original plan was to apply for a VISA when I got home at Christmas time, however, after looking at the cost of VISAS (about $400+), and seeing how much time I was actually going to be back in the UK (less than 4 months), I reasoned that since I left the country for almost 2 months, how could they not let me back in?!?  This theory seemed well thought out until the week before I was going to head back to the UK and I started to panic.  I kept thinking, "Oh my goodness, they are going to reject me in London and send me on the first plane ride back to the states.  What was I thinking?!"  At this point, it was too late to apply for a VISA, and I had already paid to push my return flight back once due to my knee surgery, so I decided to just give it a go.  I have never been more nervous on a flight.

As I got off the plane in London, my heart was racing and I was so anxious to just get to the immigration line where I would see the person who would determine my ultimate fate.  As I was pushed (I was in a wheelchair) toward the woman behind the glass, I smiled and said "Hello!"  and she said in a monotone voice "hi."  So intimidating!  I thought to myself, "This is not going well already."  She grilled me with the normal questions, "What are you doing here?", "When are you planning to leave?", "Who are you visiting here?", and then came the tough questions.  "Why didn't you get a VISA in August?", "Why didn't you get a VISA in December?", "You've been here a long time already."  I thought for sure she was going to take me to some back room where they locked me in like a possible terrorist and then sent me back stateside ASAP.  I wanted to scream at her "Just tell me already!!!  Take me out of my misery of the unknown!!"  I also really wanted to say to her, BELIEVE me, I don't want to live here permanently, I am a CALIFORNIA SUN kind of girl.  After about 10 minutes of questioning, she looked at little me in my wheelchair, and she stamped my passport.  Six more months baby!!! 

I wouldn't suggest taking a gamble like this to anyone else. But I was very thankful it worked out the way I had hoped.  I arrived in Newcastle airport as planned, and Josh was there waiting for me with open arms.  I am so glad to be back here in the UK with Josh.  Term 2 is already weeks underway, and I can't believe we have less than 4 months before we leave this country.  I intend on enjoying all my days here and taking full advantge of what the UK has to offer.

Ding ding ding...Round #3

I'm pretty sure that in a previous post, I mentioned my knee injury.  Well I guess it's only fitting that I tell the whole whopping story. 

Round #1: Once upon a time, in a faraway land of Bakersfield, CA, while I was a senior in high school, I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) while at a gymnastics practice.  I was a Level 9 competitive gymnast through most of my young life.  I had a custom brace made and continued to tumble on a torn ACL until a few months later, I tore my meniscus (cartilage) too.  At that point, the orthopedic doctor and my parents agreed that no more gymnastics could occur until reconstructive surgery was done.  So the summer after I graduated, I had an ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair.  The surgery of course was not the most fun thing to go through, but I figured after 6 months of physical therapy I would be much better off.  I even began coaching gymnastics as a part-time job in college about 12 months after surgery.  Things were good.

Round #2: Unfortunately, 18 months after the surgery I started feeling unstableness in my knee, and while coaching a gymnastics class, it went out on me.  A drive home and an MRI later, my surgeon confirmed the worst case scenario.  The ACL along with the meniscus were torn AGAIN.  I had a second opinion done and sure enough he said the same thing.  So, in December 2006, I had my second ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair on my left knee. Aside from knowing what to expect from surgery, the second surgery and recovery were no easier than the first. But I prayed that I wouldn't have any more problems and that this was the last knee surgery for a long time. 

In the summer of 2008, I started having severe left knee pain again.  I had been pretty active during the two years following surgery #2.  I had started running regularly, among other things.  I had a third MRI done and my second surgeon said that again my meniscus was torn.  He also said that there was a small cyst that had developed in my knee.  He suggested a possible arthroscopic surgery, but I was hesitant to go back under the knife unless it was really necessary.  We agreed that I would keep it in mind and continue to watch it for awhile.  If problems persisted, I would contact him.  Luckily, I had no real issues for quite some time.  I continued running regularly, running some 5K and 10K races, and was about 5 weeks into training for a half marathon when I reinjured that darn knee again.

Round #3:  In November 2010, while my parents and I were traveling in Scotland, we witnessed a woman being robbed of her purse.  In an effort to save the older woman's personal belongings, I ran after the guy and attacked him by jumping on him and trying to grab the purse.  He threw me off him and though I had the purse in hand, I landed funny wrenching my knee and causing extreme pain.   ACTUALLY, I was putting on my shoe in the hotel room one morning, my knee popped loudly, and I fell down in pain.  It is NOT an interesting story, and almost embarrassing to tell people.  The one I made up is way better.

My parents drove us back to Newcastle as fast as possible.  It was an agonizing car ride, one I don't want to do again any time in the near future.  Josh rented me crutches from the Red Cross here in Newcastle.  They were the strangest pair of crutches I've ever used (and I've used lots).  Apparently, this is all they have here in the UK.  Here's a picture of them.

I was on these things for almost 4 weeks!!

I decided not to go to the Doctor and to just wait until we went home for Christmas to see my surgeon.  It takes forever to see a specialist here in the UK due to socialized medicine, so I figured it wasn't even worth trying.  When I got off the crutches, I still had a major limp.  Since our main method of transportation in the UK is our feet, this made leaving the flat very difficult.  Needless to say, this princess was stuck in her English castle for weeks.  I think over the course of the six weeks before we went home to CA, I only left the flat about 5 times. 

Once home, I had my 4th MRI of my left knee and the doctor informed me that my small meniscus tear had turned into a rather large one.  On top of that, it had "flipped up" and jammed itself in my knee joint making it impossible to straighten out my leg and very difficult to walk.  Surgery #3 was a must. To say that I looked extremely pathetic for about 8 weeks until surgery would be an understatement.  I had surgery on Jan. 5, 2011 to trim off part of my medial meniscus.  Trimming your meniscus is not an ideal option at a young age as you can never get it back and it usually leads to arthritis, but it was my only option.  Needless to say, left knee surgeries are still in my future.  I think my ortho doc would rather not have to see me anymore.  My left knee looks like a canvas for doctors to do art on.  Here is a picture of it now.

I like to think it looks like a face. The two dark spots are eyes, the long one in the middle a nose, and the small thin one off to the side, a crooked mouth. Kinda like this :--/

Surprisingly, this surgery was by far the easiest recovery I have experienced so far.  I was walking within days and I had little to no pain.  I never even touched my pain killers.  Let's just hope this is the last one for awhile.  Because the score is currently, KNEE: 3  STEPHANIE: 0.

The End

Gala Fall 2010

GALA: a festive occasion; celebration.  It was definitely all of that and more.  Gala is an event put on every term by the students at SGU.  It's a time for dressing up, eating, drinking, dancing, and basically indulging yourself with all the students, spouses, and even professors.  As this was our first Gala at SGU, I was unsure of what to expect.  It was held this term at The Centre for Life in the center of Newcastle.  It is a science discovery museum and apparently is very popular with the kids and families in Newcastle.  On Gala night, it was very popular with the students of SGU Newcastle.  Josh and I had a fabulous time despite the fact that I was on crutches.  I think I might have forgotten to mention in a previous post, but while traveling in Scotland with my parents, I reinjured my knee leaving me on crutches for almost 4 weeks and causing me to have my 3rd knee surgery.  But that's a whole different story. So where was I?  Ah yes, Gala, on crutches...Unfortunately, due to my crutches situation, I was unable to do much, okay any, dancing.  But Josh and I did have fun watching all the other slightly inebriated (maybe more than slight, but hey they study all day and night, they deserve one night of shenanigans) students.  Most of our good friends came to the event as well and it was definitely a night to remember.

Rachel, Me, Blaire

Tarrah, Me, Allison

Ryan & Austin (He was dancing!)

We are already looking forward to Gala Spring 2011!