HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!! It's the Birthday Blog!

WOW!  I turn 41 today.  I look at that number and think....... At 41 I am in better shape than 35.  How many people can say that?

Today I was supposed to be running.  I had it all planned out.  10k, cute clothes, family there to watch me finish.  Well, instead I am sitting writing this in my recliner, under a nice warm blanket and haven't showered since Friday.  The Happy Germ Fairies decided to give me Bronchitis for my birthday! (which honestly I was afraid was instead that my body would not let me run in cold air...... PHEW, it was just germs although I do need to use my inhaler and a balaclava when running in cold air apparently.)

I could be sitting here having a pity party (it was tempting) but instead, I am grateful for what I have, for what I have done, not that I had to skip ONE race.

This year I have done TEN!!!  I have walked/run 50k (31.20 miles) and rode 20 miles in organized events.

While working out, I have done another 140 miles of running/walking and biked another 65.

I have gotten someone who has NEVER done a 5k to do TWO with me.

I have learned to love my body, even if it is not perfect.

I am 30 pounds lighter than 6 months ago and 55 pounds lighter than I was when I was 35.

My waist is SIX INCHES smaller.  This is one of the measurements that made me say WOW!!!

And I did not do this alone.  My family has been there all the way.  My son has tolerated late dinners or cooking for himself so I could go to the gym.  His dad has taken him whenever I needed so I could be downtown having fun and doing packet pickups.  My dad and Margi have been supportive beyond measure.  AND MY FRIENDS HAVE CHEERED ME ON!  I have reconnected with friends I have not seen since High School and we get up at the unholy hour of 7 am just to go run or walk.

A frequent statement out of my mouth (and makes people chuckle) "Oh, it is just a 5k, that is only 3 miles".  Even better "Well, it is only 6 miles, it should be over in about 90 minutes".  6 months ago even that sentence would have NEVER passed my lips.

Last week with my trainer, we did something that I would have NEVER thought possible.  The Trainer placed a bosu on top of a 18 inch box.  I thought...."Oh what crazy hell does he have planned".  THEN, he hands me two 15 pound dumbells.  He calmly looks at me "Step up on it, get your balance and do arm curls to an overhead press, lower the weights then step down."  WHAT!  Has he lost his mind!!!!!?????  Guess what- I not only did it, I did 3 sets of 8 of this!  How many people can do that!

 PLUS

 + 30 pounds of dumbbells AND I ROCKED IT!!!!!!

Two more events planned this year, hoping to see a few more friends there.

11-23-13 Jingle Bell Run/Walk 5k in  Loves Park, IL  - This one benefits the Arthritis Foundation, is supposed to be a BLAST-- I have formed a team called "Jingle my Bells"- feel free to pledge me or even better, JOIN ME!!!   So far, Brenda Sheehama, The Miller Family and I believe my Dad and Margi are IN!  The post party is supposed to be a HUGE blast!!

http://JingleBellRockford.kintera.org/jinglemybells2013


11-28-13 Rockford Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5k, Rockford, IL  - maybe if I run in the morning, it will help keep the metabolism up to burn off the calories later in the day.
https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Rockford/RockfordThanksgivingTurkeyTrot

I feel a bit conceited writing this blog today but........ IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!  If I can't toot my own horn today, then what the heck is the point of life!!!

ME- 5 years ago 

Me-6 months ago

Me-NOW!

THANK EVERYONE FOR FOLLOWING MY JOURNEY!!!!  Can't wait to see what my October 2014 year in review will look like!

Fall, the final month of 40, and why I really hate my teeth.

Went out for a run to clear my head tonight and it felt like fall.  It also struck me that, unless I leave work early this is the end of long runs on week nights.  Finished at 7pm and the bike trail took on a VERY creepy darkness.

It was so beautiful though how quiet and still the woods were.

I am now less than 3 weeks to being 41 and looking back 40 has been pretty damn AWESOME!

Right now I am stronger than I have been in years, love my job, my child, my family and friends.

Here is where I have to say "Ugh".

The joy if your 40's is that it seems all your filings from your childhood turn to crap.  Now in process of 2nd root canal.

(This s where I will also learn how many of my medical professional friends are reading this blog and still paying attention.)

Apparently the 1st round of antibiotics and pupal debridement did not kill said abcess.  Last few days the pain has been coming back and this fun dizziness.  So, called and changed to Clindamycin.

Decided to run today anyway.

The more I ran, the worse the dizziness seemed.  Kicked back to a brisk walk and as long as I breathed slowly and with my mouth closed all was good.  The cold air would cause the world to tilt a bit on it's axis.  If I tried to look to the left without moving my head and it was like the Maxtrix.  BUT I NEEDED TO CLEAR MY HEAD AND THE TRAIL WAS SO PEACEFUL.  So I pushed past mile 1.  Well.....  By mile 2 it got worse....  As long as I looked straight ahead....  Fine.. Eyes to the side.. HAHA.....the world got a little sideways.

The fat ME and the nurse ME were recommending stopping and calling someone to come get me.  The "I really want to be a skinnier, runner" ME, she said "it's ok, just maybe don't run at all, walk faster and look straight ahead".  Made it home, pace was slower than my normal (19/mile vs 16/mile) but I didn't fall over or pass out cold.  Knees buckled a few times.

Guess I will hold off running until the new antibiotics kick in!  Think I will tell the trainer no jumping either tomorrow since it seems jumping/jostling makes it so much worse!

We ROCKED CHICAGO Ladies!

Wow!  I have now completed 24.8 walking/running miles and 20 miles on a bike during organized events.... Today was my longest Run/walk....  The 10k Chicago Women Rock.  I was all over the map emotionally on this one going in-excited, nervous, terrified...  Yes, nervous and terrified...  Self-doubt was creeping in...  Did I bite off more than I can chew .  Crazy dreams and very little sleep last night....  But felt ready this morning.  Then we started....  Was good the first mile.  Something happened mile 2....   It felt like I had been running forever and it had only been 29 minutes?  I nearly started crying, nearly stopped.  I have never felt so overwhelmed.  4.2 MORE miles.  How can I do it?  

Ever have a song come on and it just hits a chord, pushes you on, makes you think think "I got this".  In comes the lyrics "Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.  But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength, and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up, and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you just wanna fall flat on your face and collapse......  Go left, go left, go left, right, left......."  Now...  This is NOT part if my playlist.  I ended up in my son's workout playlist for this run.  Eminem saved my run......  My son's playlist was great.....  Every time I thought "WTH was I thinking?" And the song I needed came on!  Thinking I need him to redo mine.  The Eminem song came one three times today....  And each time, the lyrics kept my head where it needed to be.  Music is such an important part of my life and I truly think it can make or break a day.

And then there is just something about running along the lakefront.  The temp was low 60's, a breeze, lapping waves on the lake and sail boats dotting the skyline.  Somewhere around the last mile or so, it was so beautiful I wished I could stop to take a picture.  But I knew if I stopped or paused.....   I might not find the rhythm again.

And no, I am not loopy on a runner's high ok....  Are you still reading this, here is the ugly.

A-hole bikers.  It was posted at every entry to the lakefront path about the event, that it will be congested and expect it.  Mile 2-4 is the up and back.  It is CROWDED.  To the lady who was trying to fly through at about 20 miles an hour and screaming at us "get the hell to the sides, some of us are trying to get through here"...   You lady are why we runners and walkers think riders are a-holes.

Running + need to pee = horrid side stitch.....  Thank heaven for the mile 2.5 portapotties!

My right shoe....  Around mile 4....  The inside of my shoe developed a weird farty feeling...  And like the cushioning was off.  Lemons and lemonade...  There is a dirt shoulder to the path-  took to running on that and I wish I would have tried that much earlier!  So much nicer on the knees and hips.  

Did not drink enough pre-race apparently and the breeze made for AWESOME shivers the 2 miles, especially in the shade.  Had two cute little old ladies who were doing the half tell me "Deary, you are shivering and not sweating......   You need to drink more or slow down". So I drank as much as I could without puking......  Which is not much..  But did drink a cup at each water station plus what I carried....

All said....  I CANT WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!  Totally doing the 5 mile Schaumburg Turkey Trot!  I got this!

And here are my Thank You shout outs-

Dani Vitale- for driving, for keeping me calm and enduring my prattling, for keeping me believing I can do this.

To AJ and Ian at XSport- not just for the training but for making me enjoy going to the gym.....

To Anke Smith and Kim Miller-  for being great friends and cheerleaders.

To my kid for not hating the Saturday mornings that I abandon him to run.

And, to the wonder of Spotify/iTunes/the awesome music industry because if I had to run without music....  I could not run!

Crazy Days Ahead......

Gosh, it has been over a month since my last blog post.  Can't believe it.  Had someone send me a message saying they missed seeing them.

What have I been up to that I  didn't post?  Not really much of anything particular.  In fact, more like not much of anything.  Hit a funk and it then turned to a moody rut.  Not really the Mind Place I like to blog from.  Oh well, maybe getting it out will help get me out of the rut.

Feel frustrated these days.  Sharing it with all of you so that if you are having a funk too, maybe you will feel a bit less alone and not give up or give in to the funk.

The intellectual part of me understands the process and why the body reacts how it does and to "not get hung up on numbers" but the emotional part.......is struggling.  I hate writing these types of posts as it feels like I am whining.  Well.......  I suppose I am.

Upsides of all my work:
-I am so much stronger
-I am so much more confident
-Have achieved so much more than I ever thought I could
-I LOVE WORKING OUT WITH A PERSONAL TRAINER

Downsides
-The scale is NOT going where I wanted it to be.  I will not hit my weight loss goal for my birthday and I have to let it go.
-While many parts of me are shrinking and everything is more toned, my damn thighs WILL NOT SHRINK
-I have never been so tired of thinking about what I eat and the act of eating itself.
-There never seems to be enough money or time to balance everything I want to do
-Stress is NOT my friend, nor is insomnia

I could make excuses.... I had a cold, my job has become a bit crazy, it is getting dark so early and making me sad........blah, blah, blah.  Time to put up or shut up right?


SO....... the lessons for this month and what is the new plan:

1.  I will now always wait until the morning AFTER  rest day to do weight and measurements.  This month I decided to do it after 6 days of hardwork outs and a bout of the DOMS.  This made me nearly throw in the towel.  It made me cry.  It made the trainer and the fitness manager at the gym need to talk me off the ledge.  It made me feel like I failed.


2.  Tried running and walking for a month to see if I could increase my distance/speed.  Will NEVER be a runner.  Struggled a lot and may have been part of the funk that I thought I should strive to be a runner.  I am not.  I walk, I run, I jog......sometimes I do them all in a single outing.  Running burns more calories but just is not me.  My overall time..... IT IS THE SAME no matter what once I get out past 3 miles.  So, I am following my whimsy.  If I feel like running, I will but I do short little bursts (think a bunch of sprints in the middle of a very long walk).  If I want to walk it all, so be it.  The speed is not what it should be about.  It should be about getting out there and clearing my mind.  Connecting with my body.  Not a "Minutes/Mile" or "Calories Burned".  So.... no more "I have to crack and stay below a 15 minute mile".  It made me HATE going out.


3.  Realized that just because I will not hit the weight loss goal I wanted by my birthday, I have accomplished so much more.  The number on the scale cannot define my failure or my success.  Nor can a measurement.  Success is that I have made changes that will help  me live a longer and health life.

4.  I have to embrace/get back to the FULL workout plan.  3 days per week doesn't cut it.  I need the Cardio 3x/wk and Resistance 3x/wk to keep my body going.  It makes such a difference with my sleep, my mood, my stress level.

5.  With the kid back in school and the chaos of work, I need to keep things simple.  Clean the whole house over the weekend.  Prep and prepare as much as I can on the weekends too.  MAKE A MEAL PLAN FOR THE WHOLE WEEK.

6.  Make time to read too.  This sounds funny but it really is something that is not just a "I like to do it" but instead  NEED to do it.  There is something that reading does for my brain that nothing else does.

7.  Trust in my trainer.  He has gotten me great results and he has assured me the plateau is a temporary thing.  Back to basics he says.  Eat well, train hard, get your water and sleep in and the body will do what it should.  Right now....it is hard to believe it as the scale has not moved for almost 3 weeks  but as he said, it has also not gone up and it WILL drop.

8.  Making the stairs my friend.  Every work day, at least once, I do the stairs.  Down 11 flights, walk a mile, then back up all 11.  NO excuses.  It SUCKS right now.  It will get better.


Well, since it is on the internet, it must be true right?  So I have no choice than to DO IT!!!!

What is on the upcoming agenda?

9-21-13 Women Rock 10k

9-29-13 HeartWalk Chicago 5k

10-13-13 Pumpkin Stampede 5k

10-20-13 Monster Dash 5k AND I TURN 41!!!!!!

RedRun and running with the kid!

The Red Run was a good time!  Finished in 50:00 flat so not too bad.  Had a much better pace until the last 1/2 miles was up a big a$$ hill.  Told the organizers that was my only complaint!!!!

(Might have done better had I not had a few drinks Friday night and only 4 hours sleep....  Just maybe lol)

Did too much post-run Saturday so had a forced rest day yesterday.....

Tonight the kid joined me tonight on a run.  Need to figure out post-race recovery.....  Tried to run my normal route/pace.....  Did not go well.  Made it 2.77 instead of the 3.2, pace of 18:30.

Kid did much better than me but his shoulder started to hurt (think was due to holding a water bottle funny) and then cramp in his foot.  He did the 3.2 with a pace of 16:34...  And that was walking back with his slow gimpy mom.  

He does agree with me..... Running is an ends to a means--  great calorie burn but not actually "fun".

Wednesday he will be doing the 12 mile bike ride....he said he would rather stick to biking....running hurts too much.  (Hehe, tried telling him it gets better but not sure it was convincing since I was limping at the time.)

6 weeks to WomenRock and need to double my distance.

Wish me luck!!!!

Lessons learned-listening to others = less pain

Just got back from a "run".  That still goes in quotes because my intervals are 45 seconds of running followed by 3 minutes if walking.  So basically I am running 20% of the time.  Feels good to be able to say that!

So, to explain the title of this post.

I follow a lot of other runners posts and blogs.  I am a nurse.  (Yes, even if I don't see or talk to patients I am still one!). I have exercised off and on for years and should know some things.

This weeks lesson's learned:

1.  If you get HORRID shin pain at the onset of your walking-loosen up your front 1/2 of your shoes laces!  Credit to Kim Scheips!!!

2.  Do not drink ice cold water if you get nauseated when exercising.  Used room temp before and during run....  Did not feel like barfing!!  Credit to Dani Vitale!

3.  If you make funny noises and cough when running and your Doctor gives you an inhaler....  USE IT!  Credit to Alex Smith (Anke's son after me telling him during the RNR we had to pause a minute cause I couldn't breathe.)

Despite it being warm and humid, despite being tired and cranky, I got my 5k in tonight in 52:20.  It was not severely painful, I did not have to stop to prevent vomiting and I did not gasp for air during it.....  Hehe!!!

Need to check with how soon before work out to use Xopenex since it did not kick in until 20 minutes into running and WOW what a difference.

Gonna try it before the gym tomorrow- who knows...  Maybe I will make it more than 6 minutes before yawning....  Trainer now times it to see how long before I yawn.  (Apparently I yawn a lot when I get really winded....)

My worst NOT running

Sunday- the weather was perfect-- a cool 68 degrees, low humidity, "I should go for a run" I thought.  "It will be great" I thought.

Well, not so much..........

Learned a few things though.

1.  If your running tights are too small, they will fall down every time you try to run.
2.  If you have sciatica, do not try to wear a fuel bag because wherever it sits...  the thing irritates the sciatica and makes you leg hurt.  Then you run funny......   Then it hurts more, then you run funnier, then you nearly fall.

So.... then I stopped trying to run.  Then came the long, slow walk back.  Managed to still get a half-decent pace of 18 miles per hour (which was sooooooo slow).

Gonna try again tomorrow.

Haha, and signed up for 2 more 5k's and contemplating an 8 miler the first weekend in November and a 5 miler at the end of November.

CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY!!!!!