Ayden Jane has completed week 5 of the couch to 5k this week. It has been so cool to see her go from struggling to run 3-4 minutes and wanting to do the race but not sure she could, to running 11 minutes and confident that she can make it.
I was a little concerned when we started the mission that it would be an okay thing for her to do orthopedically speaking. She has orthotics in her shoes and has had trouble in the past with her right leg attempting to internally rotate. Apparently, she also tends to run with a tibial whip on her right leg. I didn't know what it was called, but I saw the little sort of semi circle she whips at the bottom of the leg. It sounds a little crazy, but I watch her leg really closely because when the leg starts acting up it often leads to a curvature in the spine and scoliosis can be a tough opponent in PWS. I checked with mrs. Jen her PT and she said go ahead and start and that she'd take a look at her run when she came.
Mrs. Jen came a few days ago and she was really happy with how Ayden Jane looked while running. She says the training is helping and that the tibial whip is there the first few steps but as she settles into the run her legs look great! I think it is really helping strengthen that right leg and I know it is building Ayden Jane's confidence.
We are now headed into week 6! Ayden Jane is totally hooked on the training program. This week included running laps around the parking lot of the hotel when we were traveling and fitting in an 11 minute run when the rain slowed during tropical storm Anna. Yes, you read that right. We went running during a tropical storm... Let me be clear, it was NOT my idea.
This week will really test her as the jump in times is 2 minutes each run instead of the 1 minute jump she is used to. By the end of this week she will run a consecutive 15 minutes. I am hopeful it will go well but I know it will be a challenge for her.
The really cool thing in her passion to train, though, is that she feels like she is really helping. Helping Mrs. Gwyn keep training, helping raise money for research, helping other kids with PWS know they can do anything, helping her friend K to work on his running...
She is a 7 year old kid who deals with so much, but her heart is strong and courageous. She fearlessly pushes forward not only to handle all her own daily challenges, but do all she can for others as well.
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