I Run Like A Girl

Hi friends! It’s been two weeks since my last post and things have been pretty calm around here. Days have been filled with work, catching up with friends, and enjoying the rare sun and warmth in San Francisco. We are in the thick of SF’s indian summer, which meant the last two weeks have been filled with nonstop time outside.

Carmina and I caught up at Dolores Park last week. We hadn’t seen each other since June since we were both traveling over the summer, and we had SO much to catch up on. Working from home can be isolating as there’s no one to talk to about work, so it’s always refreshing seeing Carmina as we get a healthy dose of venting and work gossip, among other things. 🙂

Joe and I also caught up with Guillaume two weekends ago over at hike in East Bay. Guillaume was one of my best friends at work until he left the company, and we’ve stayed good friends since. 🙂 It was great to hear how well he was doing at his new job and exchange stories about our summer travels.

We basically spent all last weekend at Golden Gate Park soaking up all the great weather. Both Saturday and Sunday, we set up a blanket and had lunch outside.

We also checked in on the dahlia garden at the Conservatory of Flowers. The conservatory has been our second home as we regularly check in on the new growth there. The dahlias were looking as pretty as ever. 🙂

Joe got the new iPhone which meant playing around with his new camera. They really get you with the upgrades as now I feel like my phone is so outdated!

For all the times we visited outside of the Conservatory, we had never been inside. So on Saturday, we finally bought tickets to explore inside. It was a neat space as there were several rooms, each with completely different climates. Some rooms were hot and humid, like a rainforest. Others were cool and misty, like a cloud forest.

Love those giant lily pads.

We saw these massive pitcher plants – I’m fascinated by carnivorous plants.

Other than that, our days were filled with lots of snuggles and time with the cats.

A few weeks ago, I briefly mentioned I was dealing with a back injury, and I wanted to give you all an update on what’s been going on:

Back in June, I injured my back on a pilates machine (beginner’s luck…it was my first time on the machine!). At first it was painful to bend over, sit down, and transition from sitting to standing. I didn’t really know what to make of it, so I kept living my life (including working out) hoping it would get better on its own…

Then July and August, I was traveling in Mexico and the East Coast, and unfortunately my back only got worse. It probably didn’t help that I was surfing, hiking, and driving non-stop :). My back was at its worse in late-August in Maine. I was in pain 24/7 and the injury was constantly on my mind. Finally when we came back in September, I decided to go to physical therapy and take my recovery seriously.

It’s been one month in PT, and I’ve made good progress. We figured out I had a herniated disk in my lower back. It’s been super helpful to know what is happening and have someone guide me through this process. Bending over is still a little painful, but I’ve come a long way and I can do everyday things now relatively pain-free.

The hardest part of being injured is not exercising. I went from working out 5 days a week to nothing! But I know this is what my body needs and I don’t want to reinjure myself. I’ve let go of thoughts of feeling like I will “fall behind” if I didn’t work out (which was why I pushed myself so hard in June).

This whole journey has taught me to appreciate my body and let go of control. It’s hard to be patient during the recovery process, but I know it’s a blessing that I’m still overall healthy. I’m really looking forward to getting back to 100%. 🙂