I ran.

  I ran to the top of the big hill in the cemetery this evening.  I managed 3.15 miles and was so happy to be out.  It had been a full week and a half of no running and the week before that was only 8 miles.  In hindsight it felt like much much longer than that.  The rest was good for me since I do feel stronger throughout my body although I just couldn't seem to get enough air and I did have a headache by the time I got home.

I ran with a sports bra and a skirt and no looking at my phone to see the time. 

I missed how the wind feels drying my sweat and how the thick summer air holds the evergreen and fresh cut grass scents.

I missed feeling strong,capable, and healthy.

I have not taken any supplements yet although after today I think I want to. I want to speed up the process a bit. I have been eating more red meat and fruit high in vitamin C. (you have to have vitamin C to absorb the Iron) This includes tomatoes since they are high in C.  I have also been eating lots of hummus as chick peas and sesame seeds are both high in iron.  It is helping and I don't have the constant headaches that are presumably from lack of oxygen.  I also don't feel dizzy every time I stand up. At my worst it was dizziness anytime I changed my orientation at all.

I don't like eating more red meat and think that since I have tried that I really want to try more spinach and romaine.  It has taken a good two weeks of eating with my main focus being nutritionally dense foods high in iron. 

Victory

I will not let this happen again.  I knew I wasn't getting enough iron but I still didn't make the moves to get more in my diet.  I had no idea it could get this bad and my case, as far as numbers go, was not the worst.  I could have gone so far as to had to have a blood transfusion if I didn't knock off not taking care of myself. I eat pretty healthy comparatively but I can still not get what I need if I become lazy about it.

Ready to hit the backside of the hill.

So for now, the marathon is still on.  I will have to choose my training runs carefully but 10 weeks should be enough time. I don't have high expectations for my time so it will be a PR since it will be my first barefoot marathon. 

I chose to run in the cemetery as it feels like an old friend.  I have been running there for 2 years now and have worked through many an issue while out there running.  I first started barefoot running there and trained for several races there.  Its peaceful and quiet and just creepy enough to keep most people away.

There is a grave there of a little girl who died when she was 10.  We share a middle name and I have a 10 year old that was also born in January. If I see flowers that have blown into the road I make sure and put them on her grave.  She was born in 1931 and died in 1941.  She would have been an old woman by now.  There is also Wolfkill and Starzinger to see on the way down the hill.   

I haven't seen the crows in a while.  I wonder if they will still be around as much this fall.

happy feet!
The soles of my feet have not lost any of their toughness at all.  They are not even very tender.  In a couple spots but just enough that I can tell I ran today.

I love to run on the curb down the last half of the backside of the big hill in the cemetery. I don't think I could do it as nimbly in shoes and it certainly would not be as much fun.

This is about halfway through running down the curb when I thought to take a picture.  I actually run on the curb and only tap the ground when I stumble maybe once or twice.  It reminds me of walking and trotting along the top of the fences on the horse farm as a kid.  We would spend hours walking the fences. The fences had a 3 sided wooden top to the fence to look nice as well as to cover up the sharp edges on the top.  They were about 6-8 inches wide.  I was a kid so I don't remember for sure though.

When I got home I ate some mixed berries, raisins, and 3 bean salad I made yesterday.  Oh and I drank a glass of banananuun!  That seemed to help with my headache the most. I hope everyone had wonderful runs or rests today!

I think tomorrow will be a running day for me as well.  I am behind 20 miles from July so I am going to try and catch up this month. So its 120 for a goal if I can pull it off safely.

Cheers all!
Oh yeah and there is another nuun giveaway coming up!! Its hot out there!