In the words of William Wallace......FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Words can not express just how happy and grateful I am at this very moment.  I am 16 weeks post head bonking (basically 4 months).  I went to the amazing Dr. Greenwald at the Brain Injury Clinic today and she has finally graduated/released me!!!!  I am off all of my medications and given clearance to do MOST of my activities.  She even encouraged me to do a 40 mile bike ride on June 8th (that she is doing as well.)  *laugh*  She says that concussions only get better and never get worse, but that I may still experience flare ups, but that she has full confidence in me to recognize them and do what is right (based on what I have reported to her thus far).  Yay!!!  She also encouraged me to continue with the Brain Injury Clinic Eye Rest Therapy program that I have an appointment for tomorrow.  It is basically meditation for people who have PTSD (which I have had in the past and this head bonking has triggered some of the symptoms again).

I am still not cleared to belly dance yet.  We both agreed that taking a few more months off would be a good idea to give the brain a little bit more breathing room.  I did do some Zumba the other day, and oddly enough I was horribly bored and didn't want to continue.  I am chalking this up to the personality/attitude change that has happened with the concussion (which she agrees is a normal thing). Since Naomi and I are no longer in the same Belly Dancing class (she got moved up and due to injury, I got moved down) me taking some more time off is okay by me.

Also, I got the great news that since I have been seeing her, I have released 8#.  Yay!  Go me!  Actually, I am back on the getting healthy train and  I'm in full training mode for my first ultra-marathon to take place October 5th.

So since the last time I have blogged, I have been running the trails with my girlfriends.  I have climbed to the peak of Cervidae Peak (2100sf elevation gain in 2.2 miles), ran 6 miles in the wild flowers, ran 6 miles (3 of the beginning and 3 of the end) of the ultra that I am training for and I have climbed to the top of the Corals Trail and back which according to my GPS was 6.25 miles and I did it in my fastest trail speed of 15 minute per mile; my fastest mile on that run was a 10 minute mile!  Go me!!!

I have also gotten back on my bike!  I have cycled 25 miles for the fun of it.  For my 44th birthday, I cycled 44 miles!  And just last weekend I did my first actual charity organized ride of 25 miles with a 4:45min/mile pace!

I also had a HUGE realization yesterday.  I didn't get up for my run and decided to do Beachbody's Turbo Jam Cardio Party (something I used to do on a regular basis a few years ago).  I followed this program to a "T" way back when for 30 days straight.  But yesterday, I was able to do the entire thing at full tilt high intensity (something I could NEVER do all those years ago) and I STILL had energy to keep going!  AMAZING!  I am so grateful for my health and my strong body!

Anyway.....to sum it all up..... I'M BAAAACCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!