So I’ve got good news and bad news. What do you want first?
Okay, good news (that’s what you said, right?).
The Good News
The good news is that today my husband and I celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary! I’m sure that most of you know the story of our wedding, but, in a nutshell, Alan and I met almost 20 years ago at the finish line of the Tram Road Race, which is billed as the toughest 6k in the world. The race starts at the base of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway road, and runs almost straight up for 3.7 miles. It’s about a 2,000 foot elevation gain.
Anyway, Alan and I met while we were each on opposite sides of the finishing chute, cheering the runners on. It’s a tough race, and the last half mile is the toughest part. As it turned out, at the post-race raffle he won a dinner for two at a local restaurant, asked me out, and, as they say, the rest is history.
When we finally decided to get married, we knew that we didn’t want a traditional wedding, so after investigating a few other running-related options, we asked our friend Greg, the race director for the Tram Road Race, if we could possibly get married on the finish line after the race. He actually was pretty excited about the idea, so on October 23, 1999, Alan and I ran the race together, I in my white satin running shorts and lace running bra (with a garter ,of course, to round out the outfit).
After we finished, we went to our separate spots to clean up. Alan wore running shorts and a tuxedo jacket, I had a separate pair of running shorts, plus a lace t-shirt and veil. We waited until most of the runners had finished then we, along with our minister and family (all of whom had to drive up to the top before the race start at 7:00) congregated at the finish line while Alan and I said our vows.
I guess that was more than a nutshell, but if you want more, here’s the full story. Plus, last year on our 15th anniversary we were interviewed by the local news!
The Bad News
I guess I can’t avoid the bad news forever, so I may as well lay it out. I told you about my fall last weekend. My knee seemed to be doing pretty good by Monday though I noticed that the initial swelling over the knee had moved throughout the entire lower leg. That was enough to encourage me to see the doctor (though he was actually a physician’s assistant, which is totally fine with me). I got an appointment for Monday afternoon.
He too thought that it looked pretty good. He did a few movement tests to check for sprains, strains, and tears, and things looked fine. He sent me for an x-ray just to be sure. That I did on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, my knee was feeling pretty good. One of my clients even commented that I had a better range of motion than I’d had on Monday. I proudly bent my knee to show her how far I’d come. Oops.
On Wednesday afternoon, I received a voicemail from the PA. He told me that I had a crack in my patella! I needed to call him first thing on Thursday morning because I needed a brace, crutches, and a referral to an orthopedic specialist. I was a little devastated.
Within the bad news, there is some good. It is a small crack, still in alignment, so that if I keep my knee straight and take care, it will heal completely. Still, a bone takes four to six weeks, so I will not be running the Honolulu Marathon this year. Though I will console myself by lying on the beaches in Hawaii in December.
I have an appointment this afternoon to get my brace, and I was told that I don’t have to use crutches as long as I’m careful about not bending my knee, so that’s good. And yes, of course, I’m disappointed about missing the marathon, but my knee will heal and I’ll have more opportunities. And that’s what I keep telling myself.
Corrective Exercise Training
So, that “keep your knee straight” thing was challenged on Thursday when my work held a Corrective Exercise training class. Based on the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist course, the trainers, massage therapists, fascial stretch therapists, and chiropractor from my work spent the day learning how to assess and correct imbalances in the body.
Unfortunately, because of my injury I was unable to participate in many of the assessments (I could assess, but I couldn’t be assessed), which is a shame because I know that my body has a lot of issues and imbalances. I made a few of the trainers promise to assess me once my knee has healed.
While this doesn’t count as a certification, I learned a lot of important information and now would like to take the full course. It isn’t cheap, but I will be able to get a pretty good discount through my employer, so Corrective Exercise Specialist will hopefully be my next professional goal.
So, tell me about your wedding (the real one or the one you’re dreaming of)! Did it turn out like you planned?
GAH NOOOOOO!!! Your knee! NOOOO! 🙁 I am so bummed for you, but it’s best to stay off of it, because it would be horrific if it got EVEN WORSE!
But… on the flip side – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!! What’s been the hardest part of your 16 years? Weird question, but I need to prepare myself – haha.
Happy anniversary friend! Love love the wedding attire.
OH I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR WEDDING PHOTO.
and the cracked patella?
not so much….
xoxoxo
First the good – Happy Anniversary!!! I love your story. Second – OH NO! A crack in your patella – OUCH! That stinks that you can’t run Honolulu but laying on the beach will definitely make it all better. 🙂
That just sucks about your kneecap. I hope it heals quickly and you are back on the road!
BTW, my coach Becky is a corrective exercise specialist!
Happy Anniversary! I love your wedding story. 🙂
That’s terrible about the knee! That happened to a lot of women when I play playing roller derby. They were as good as new after it healed! Take care of yourself!
I am so sorry about your knee—i know this was a mental and physical blow for you. by I am going to concentrate on the positive—I LOVE how you met Alan! such a fantastic story, and I also think really indicative of you both—you were there cheering on others.
I am so sorry for you I know that you have worked so hard on your training. On the plus side, you will have lots of relaxing time with your hubby. I love that story of how you met and the photo is priceless. You two are made for eachother. Speedy recovery friend!!
Happy Anniversary! (My 14th was 2 days ago) Love your story of how you both met 🙂
And sending you fast healing vibes. I’m sorry about the race 🙁
Happy Anniversary! I’d rather be on the beaches of Hawaii to running any day.
I don’t think I knew your wedding story. I love it!! Happy anniversary!! I’m still so sorry about your knee, but I’m glad you can still enjoy your vacation!
So sorry about your knee!! I hope you have a complete recovery, and that you enjoy your time on those beaches in Hawaii! And I love your wedding story – how unique and fun! Your pictures are awesome! Our wedding was pretty traditional, except that it was ALMOST illegal. Very long story short, I got a phone call 5:00 PM the day before the wedding, on Friday of Memorial Day weekend, reminding me that I had not gotten the marriage license. The Clerk of Court agreed to wait for us, but my husband was nowhere to be found (before cell phones!). After a long time of waiting, my future B-I-L called me at the courthouse and said that he was coming down, and when he walked in, I just needed to smile and say, “Hi, Honey!” Gulp… Thankfully the real groom showed up just in time! 🙂
Wishing you very speedy healing and a complete recovery for your knee. Such a bummer.
Happy Anniversary! You two are a match made in heaven….or shall I say at the finish line! Here’s to 17++ more! Those pics are priceless!
Congratulations on 16 yrs of marriage! The story of you two meeting is soo cute. Love your wedding pic! Sorry to hear about your knee. But you’ll make the best of it and still enjoy time in Hawaii!
I don’t think I had ever heard your wedding story before. Love it!! What a cool story!! Uggh, so sorry about your knee!! Such a bummer about Honolulu, but you have a great attitude. Can’t beat still getting to lie on the beach 😉 Rest up!
I’m so bummed for you ):
On a different note, that wedding pic is freaking bad ass!
So sorry about your knee 🙁 But you have a great attitude about it – marathons will always be there, and it’s great that your knee will heal quickly! Plus, it’s pretty easy to keep your knee straight while lying on a beach 😉
I LOVE your wedding story!!! That’s amazing. I have never wanted to get married (I’m Greek so I associate weddings with crazy masses of people and lots of stress!), but if I were to get married I would elope with my man on vacation and then never tell my family because they would kill me. Lol
Oh how I love your wedding story! Perhaps one of the best ever! I am so sorry about the patella. How frustrating 🙁
oh my gosh your wedding seemed like fun! LOVE the wedding day duds. 😉 I’m sorry to read about the bum knee and imbalances. It’s so hard to back down from a big event. Take this time to heal, rest, and read 😉 I’m a NASM CPT too. Let me know how you like the CES program. I’ve thought about it. But it’s $$ !! have a beautiful weekend. 🙂
Happy anniversary! And I hope your knee gets better very soon.
Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby! I love that you two have a unique story, and had a unique celebration. On another note, here’s to a speedy recovery.
So sorry to hear about your accident! Corrective exercising really does work wonders though, and you’ll definitely feel a lot better once you start seeing the improvements. Hope all is going well!
Great wedding story Debbie. I know the feeling of this patella crack . I fell at work and broke the patella in my right knee exactly one month ago. I had surgery one week later. I am still in a little pain, the pain is actually worst at night.