March 22, 2011 - Georgia Marathon & back to work

well, it was an awesome weekend for me. after finally getting thru customs, i had a great little trip to boston and atlanta. i met up with friends in both places, saw a transsexual health care specialist, and ran the geogia marathon. in addition, i got to spend a day outside in summery weather and work on my tan a bit.

well, most were shocked when they learned that i was even considering a marathon this soon after surgery, but the chat i had with my surgeon, as well as discussions i had with other transwomen runners, gave me the understanding that this was doable. my recovery seemed far enough along that running would not cause any damage to the surgical site. the only real issue was the fact that i entered overweight and under-trained.

having experienced overweight and under-trained conditions last september when i struggled thru the newfoundland marathon, i used that race as a blue print for this one. the run in atlanta was very hilly, and my quads are suffering now because of them. in the end, i set a personal worst of 5.34.14, which is not bad considering i ran a 5.27 back in september. this race wasn't about speed. it was about finishing and proving something to myself.

once again, by setting extremely challenging goals, i either set myself up for expected failure, or extreme elation, with success. this was probably the most satisfying run i have ever had.

meanwhile, it was back to work today. it was nice to get myself back into my normal routine, if in fact, i have a 'normal' routine. although my surgical area still makes it difficult to squat or kneel, i didn't have too much trouble accessing the many file folders from the bottom shelf today. people were generally glad to see me and were excited and happy for me, knowing that i had successfully had my surgery.

now comes the challenge as i try to juggle work, vaginal maintenance, and further marathon training, over the next few months. the vagina requires frequent 'dilations' for 6 months post-op, to ensure that it keeps its shape and depth.

speaking of running, the quads enjoyed the rest yesterday. i managed to have no problem today as i stood on my feet for most of the day. the chronic pain in the left foot was not a factor in my run last sunday, nor was it a problem today. i had a light 4k run after work, on my way home.

Jenn