Crazy January

I can't believe that we are already all the way through the month of January- it kind of feels like a blur! The month started out rocky with me having surgery on January 2nd to remove melanoma from my ear and two lymph nodes in my neck. It was stressful and nerve-racking but with the support of our wonderful family and friends we got through it and are stronger because of it. All reports have come back good and I am proud to say that I have kicked the cancer in the a$$! I ended the crazy month of January with one last appointment with Dr. Connelly and he said things look great. He removed the last two stitches that hadn't dissolved and said that he would see me again in 3 months!

Maybe someday I will figure out the reason!
One of the best things that a friend said to me was,
 "Try to relax and trust God. Sometimes He just wants to remind us who's in charge."

 The recovery from my surgery put me a little behind for the month but I didn't let it last long. I have a half marathon in March  and a full marathon in May to train for! I did what I could as soon as I felt I could do them - I was cautious and backed off if it didn't feel right and pushed myself harder when I knew it was ok to do so. Here are my totals for the month:

• 112 miles total
• 68 miles running
• 38 miles biking
• 5 miles walking 

Looking back now I am pretty proud of all that I accomplished in January even if it got off to a rough start. Here is a run down:

• I beat cancer (Melanoma = Cancer; it still feels weird to say that! I was lucky and surgery was all that it took to win my fight. Sometimes I feel guilty or like I had it "easy" to win my fight. It is hard to explain and put into words. I feel for all of the people out there that are fighting.)
• I have started to accept myself more and am ok (most of the time) with the new me.
• I realized that I am stronger than I thought and that I have so much support in my life!
• I ran a half marathon (in the rain, sleet, and snow) only 25 days post- surgery (not having fully trained for it)!
• I have continued to work on my eating habits and am making progress in that area.
• I have a new perspective on like!

I am truly blessed!