Dear Blogging world and my lovely followers,

I write to you all today to inform you that I will not be doing my first marathon come this December. I am truly disappointed, but I think it is in my best interest to post-pone my 26.2 miles until a later day, undecided at this time. My career life has taken a sudden and unexpected twist and turn, and to conserve finances, I’ve decided to not do the race. Also, I am battling an injury, the extent to which I am not sure.

Sincerely,

Whitney

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So, here’s the scoop:

I lost my job last week. Although, I don’t think the word “lost” is quite appropriate. I did, indeed, quit. However, not unjustly so. I witnessed the worst display of veterinary care and medicine I had every seen on top of horrible business ethics and moral code.  I was lied to about the position I accepted and after working more shifts in a row, I saw the worst veterinary care I have ever seen and felt completely bombarded by it. To explain the whole story would be an incredibly long post, and to be honest, a depressing one. I was left scarred from the veterinary world. Basically, it was a new business, and the more clients and patients we started seeing, the more I saw of how the veterinarian performed. The last night I was there, was so bad, I left the clinic bawling. I had clients bringing me tissues, when it is supposed to be the other way around.

Sometimes, to pay bills, you must make money. And sometimes, you’ve got to just suck it up, and do what’s asked of you. But sometimes, you do not agree with the business practice what-so-ever. I could not suck it up, so to speak, when things that I thought were unethical and not quality care of animals. So, I quit. The things I witnessed were so awful I’m looking into ways to report them. I got really angry at first, because, not only did she (the vet) essentially abuse animals, she lied to me about hours and pay, thus affecting my life finically. This was super stressful because I had JUST burned my last bridge and quit my last job thinking this place was supposed to better for me both job title wise and financially. (Given, I already had a few issues with those people as well). I felt really pressured to take this new job and was under the impression is should have been better – but I could not have been more wrong, and anger overcame me. With the help of my family and friends they told me I made the right decision to leave, and have helped me tremendously with my job search.

I have to decided to just straight up switch careers. A complete 180. I think it’s time to put into action the things that I’m good at. I mean, I was good at being a vet tech, but I’m really passionate about fitness and running, and why not get paid for it!? Here’s my idea: To become a personal trainer (I’m currently researching different certificates and schools and programs), and then, down the road, thinking about getting my masters in nutrition or something related. I think this would give me a well rounded education in the fitness and health world as well as give me a career when I become physically unable to be a personal trainer (aka: when I get old…ick). I took a job (yes, I already found a new job – less than a week later) as a “running specialist” at Dick’s sporting goods. Basically I will be selling running shoes and apparel! I think it sounds fun!

Switching jobs has left me with a shaky financial situation, which has aided in my decision to not do the marathon, but also, since I am taking a new job right as the christmas season is starting, there’s no way they would let me off less than a month after starting…marathon dreams buh-bye.

Also, there’s the whole foot thing….

The story with my injury:

I wrote to you all for help with motivation and training advice after experiencing a set back in my training plan as well has a new pain in my right foot. Your advice was wonderful and helpful. I did an 18 miler last weekend, and couldn’t have been more proud of myself! However, my injury is not subsiding. My foot pain had disappeared and his has reappeared without much running, which really worries me. With the termination of my job, and the stress that has incurred, I haven’t gone for many runs. Two sundays ago was the 18 miler, and I didn’t get back on the streets until friday when I ran with one of my best friends, her dog and ATTEMPTED to run with the boy’s dog.

“Oh she’s so good on the leash” I was told, but she really wanted to catch up to Shay’s dog and pulled and tugged me which probably didn’t help my injury at all. I dropped the excitable dog back off at the house and continued for a total of three HORRIBLE miles. My right foot was hurting, then my left foot, then my knees…it was like a circle of pain.

Still, off and on, my right foot, on top of the carpal bones, hurts. It’s a sharp pain too. But not all the time. I can walk barefoot with no pain. I can wear flats with no pain. Sometimes, just the act of having shoes on my feet hurts. Sometimes, when I’m just sitting on the coach, I can feel a small throb of pain. I went for a 3 mile walk with my dog and mom yesterday and the first half of the walk killed my foot, then the pain just disappeared, as if I walked it off. So, who knows what’s going on with that. I know I should go to the doctor, but I don’t have health insurance.

I think I want to kind of start from scratch. I want to take some time off from serious running and go back to strength training.  Basically, start with the basics. I want to work on my ankle and knee strength and then resume marathon training, or start over. I’ll still run for fitness sake, but I think switching jobs and schedules will give me a chance to just start from scratch. Although, if I do find a marathon I want to do 2 or 3 months out, I think, i’ll take it and just start a training plan in the middle (and I’ll remember to count correctly this time! lol) since I was already up to 18 miles.

But I’m not QUITTING, I don’t want to think of it as quitting my marathon, for my own sake…because I don’t like that idea. I’m merely just postponing it. I WILL complete a marathon, and it WONT be that far away.

I feel like this post was very diplomatic and serious. I need something quirky to leave you all with….