This is my cliché post about what I'm thankful for. I could write a list, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to write about the thing I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving even though it could be considered selfish.
I am most thankful for my health. I've been feeling the best I've felt in over a decade. I have a new benchmark for what "normal" feels like and it is mountains higher than it was this time last year. Within the past year, I have experienced the ups and downs on this rollercoaster I call my health. It really feels like I have my life back! NO PAIN! NO BAD BOWL MOVEMENTS! NO FATIGUE! NO DEPRESSION! NO BULLSHIT!
Now that I'm energized and healthy, I am branching out of my comfort zone by trying new things and meeting new people. MarathonFest has been one of the best decisions I've made this year and my good health afforded me the opportunity. I absolutely love my running group. Not only are they fun to run with, but they are also great motivators! They make me a better runner, they make me a better person.
I have energy to get to know my co-workers. Chit chatting no longer terrifies and exhausts me. My lunch hour is no longer used to nap. In fact, now I love going to lunch with a few co-workers to talk about life and work... and of course, running. It's fun!
One of the new things I'm going to try is a Ragnar Trail Relay. I was introduced to a team of 8 people I don't know by one of my MarathonFest running friends. One of the people on the 8 person team broke his collarbone, so I'm going to take his place in the relay. The relay is in Tampa and it involves camping for two nights and tag teaming three different trails until everyone has ran all three trails for a total of 15 miles. We'll be running at all hours. My tentative relay schedule for the three trails is 11am, 7pm, and 3am. Typically, camping with Crohn's disease would sound like a horrible idea, but since I'm healthy I decided to go for it! I don't have any camping skills or trail running skills. Even though I know people on different relay teams, I will be camping with the 8 people I don't really know and I'm excited!
I joined another running club called Ten10. If I wasn't healthy, there's no way I would consider this. They meet every Tuesday at Ten10 Brewery in Winter Park, run a few miles, and then drink beer. I met most of the people on my relay team there yesterday. I can already tell they know how to have fun! Our team name is Sloth Squad and our tag line is "We'll get there eventually". I'm looking forward to getting to know my team better. I'll be going again next Tuesday!
As you know I joined a gym to use the showers after my morning runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Well, I decided to start doing one class a week. All classes are free with a gym membership, so I might as well get use out of it. My class of choice is Camp Apex, which is an hour long crossfit class. It is intense to say the least. In the the two classes I've taken, I was tired after the warmup. I've been sore for days afterwards, so I know its working something. There's good scenery, too. Most of the guys are hot! My station partner this past Monday saw my marathon shirt, and then told me all about the Chicago Marathon he did a few weeks ago.
Who am I? I'm exactly who I want to be at the moment. I'm healthy and able to do anything I want! I'm a marathon runner that's searching for adventure! It's a hell of a lot easier being me when I'm healthy! Count your blessings and don't take a healthy day for granted... I know I'm not taking this season of life for granted. The top of the rollercoaster offers the best view!
Showing posts with label good health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good health. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
NYC - Part 2
The Race of a Lifetime:
I was very restless the night before the race. Between the nerves, excitement, and peeing every couple hours because I had been hydrating the night before, I didn't sleep well. One time when I woke up, I checked my smart phone time and compared it to my stupid watch and concluded that my phone did indeed fall back. The final time I woke up was thirty minutes before my alarm was set to go off, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Once 5AM rolled around, I began getting ready. It's always nerve wracking getting ready for a race in a hotel. To my surprise, I don't think I forgot anything. Even though I laid out all of my gear the night before, my pre-run habits were thrown off a bit. I was very slow and methodical as I got ready to embark on what I now consider to be one of the best days of my life. I told Taylor I would see her at the finish line and I left to walk towards the New York Public Library where the start busses pick up tens of thousands of runners.
Runners were already flooding the streets and I just followed the crowd to the back of the library in Bryant Park. This is where they start herding the runners into huge lines that wrap around the block before taking us to the front of the library where we board the marathon busses. At the start of the line, they handed out brand new $28 gloves, which were a sweet start to the morning. There weren't any porta-potties in the area, so I stopped hydrating at this point. I boarded a bus a little after 6AM. It took close to two hours before we unloaded at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. The guy next to me smelled so badly that I was trying not to gag. Unfortunately, the bus didn't have a working bathroom. Guys were peeing in cups on the bus and walking to the front of the bus every time stopped in traffic or at a light to dump out their urine. Runners, we live a glamorous life. Meanwhile I wish I was dude because I had to pee BAD!!! I wasn't the only lady asking how much further until we get there.
It was around 8AM by the time we unloaded off the bus only to discover that we had to wait in the super long security line to into the start village where the porta-potties were located. In the forty-five minutes it took to get through security, I thought I was going to pee myself a few times. Security searched my approved, clear race bag and had me walk through the metal detector. Once I was through security around 8:45AM, I asked where the porta-potties were and made a bee line to them. I nearly cried when I saw the HUGE line for the porta-potties. I kid you not, I had to wait over 40 minutes in the porta-potty line. By the time it was my turn, I don't think I peed so much in my life. I seriously may have peed for two minutes straight, which means I did a two minute squat before the race. My legs were shaking by the time I was done.
At last, a little after 9:30AM I found a place to sit for a few minutes before I got back in line for the porta-potties. I figured I'd want to go before my corral opened around 10:30AM, so I better get in line even if I didn't have to got yet. It worked out perfectly. Once I was done with my second porta-potty stop of the day, it was time for me to head to my corral. I only had to wait about 10 minutes before my corral opened. While I waited I decided to take off my throw away sweats. After I was in my corral at the bottom of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, time stood still and I took it all in. I was interrupted by the guy behind me asking for a kiss for good luck. I put five marathon pickup lines on the back of my shirt. Folks really enjoyed them during the race. #1 seemed to be the favorite.
The start line was kind of a blur. The National Anthem played, the cannons went off, and Wave 4 was on its way. There were military guys close to the start screaming and cheering for us! The bridge was quiet because no spectators were allowed on the bridge. I heard a rumor that advised you not to run near the edge of the bridge if you were on the bottom because the runners from the top pee of the edge and if it's a windy day, you could find it pissing rain. I don't see how that rumor could be true, but I ran on the inside nonetheless.
Once I made my way off the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn, the crowds didn't disappoint. People lined both sides of the street! Brooklyn was the longest and easiest borough. It was flat and fast which made it pass by quickly. I waited in line for a porta-potty around mile 9. My watch was set for 5 and 1 intervals (running for 5 minutes and walking for 1 minute), but I skipped a lot of walk breaks in Brooklyn. That could have been my demise toward the end of the race, but I was caught up in the energy of the crowd. Queens was really short, but this is where my feet started to hurt. I think my activities from the pervious days were catching up to me. The Queensboro Bridge during miles 15-16 sticks out to me. I walked the bridge in an attempt to save my legs for the finish. No spectators were allowed on this bridge either, so I didn't feel bad walking. After mile 16, in Manhattan, I stopped at another porta-potty.
The Queensboro Bridge took me into Manhattan where the roar of the crowd was unlike anything I had ever heard. Manhattan definitely had the biggest crowd. This is where I really started slowing down and taking more walk breaks through the water/Gatorade stops. I really just wanted to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it! I encountered some hills on my way into the Bronx. They say the wall hits you at mile 20. Even though I was hurting, the wall didn't hit me as hard as it usually does at this point in a marathon. At the 20 mile mark, there are only 6.2 miles left. While that may not seem like a lot compared to how many I'd already completed, that is really where the race starts. It's where I give myself a gut check to see much I want it. Back in Manhattan making my way to Central Park, I struggled with the slight incline on the course. After 20 miles an ant hill feels like a mountain. I should have trained on more hills because the bridges and hills kicked my ass. I felt like everyone cheering my name was my friend. The people of New York are really what make this race so special.
I hit the wall at mile 23. I'd like to know who put those freaking hills in the last three miles of the race. I walked a lot, make one last pit stop and put in a new phone battery between miles 23 and 25. Not long after I passed mile 25, I tried going live on Facebook. It was a weak connection, but it connected and that's all that matters. After 25 miles, it's difficult to look good and strong. However, being live on Facebook was good motivation to not look like I was experiencing a lot of pain. Hopefully, it wasn't too boring. Perhaps I should have talked more to make it interesting. I was totally in the zone.
In the last mile, three moments stand out to me. The moment I saw mile 26, the moment I saw Taylor, and the moment I saw the finish line! When Taylor came into sight, words cannot express how great it was to see her. She was cheering me on and the look on her face told me how proud she was of me! I gave her a high five, which has to go down as the best high five in the history of high fives! I took my time to take pictures of the mile markers, Taylor, and the finish line. As I was taking a picture of the finish line, I was overcome with a level of joy I've never felt before. Facebook Live lost connection as soon as I crossed the finish line, but I'm glad everyone that wanted to experience it with me was able to. I didn't cry, I just relished in the moment of victory. No matter how difficult life gets with illness, I can't give up on the possibility of better days ahead. This was my best day! I was strong and healthy and I believe the future holds more days like.
I took pictures and posed for others. A volunteer placed my medal around my neck and I took and posed for more photos. I had to shuffle my way a half mile North to get out of the runner zone around the finish line. Thankfully, I opted for the post race poncho. The poncho is fleece lined and kept me warm on my trek to meet Taylor at the hotel. I was not moving very fast after the race. Everything hurt so good. My feet and legs were on fire. I found the subway I needed, but I had to wait for three trains because it was so crowded. While waiting for the train, I was reading through all of my messages and that's when tears found my cheeks. The support I had from family, friends, and co-workers was incredible! Everyone seemed to understand how much this race meant to me and helped me embrace and celebrate it!
I stopped for coffee on my way back to the hotel, but once I was back Taylor was my hero! She helped me take off my shoes and took care of me! She went to the hotel restaurant and brought up burgers and fries to the room so that I wouldn't have to move. I was super sore after the race. It felt like I ran a marathon or something.
Overall, it was the race of a lifetime. Checked that off my bucket list, but I totally want to do it again! Exploring New York City and sharing the marathon experience with Taylor made it a trip I will never forget. I think we made memories to tell for decades and I absolutely believe we would kick butt on the Amazing Race! THANK YOU, TAYLOR!!!
I was very restless the night before the race. Between the nerves, excitement, and peeing every couple hours because I had been hydrating the night before, I didn't sleep well. One time when I woke up, I checked my smart phone time and compared it to my stupid watch and concluded that my phone did indeed fall back. The final time I woke up was thirty minutes before my alarm was set to go off, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Once 5AM rolled around, I began getting ready. It's always nerve wracking getting ready for a race in a hotel. To my surprise, I don't think I forgot anything. Even though I laid out all of my gear the night before, my pre-run habits were thrown off a bit. I was very slow and methodical as I got ready to embark on what I now consider to be one of the best days of my life. I told Taylor I would see her at the finish line and I left to walk towards the New York Public Library where the start busses pick up tens of thousands of runners.
Runners were already flooding the streets and I just followed the crowd to the back of the library in Bryant Park. This is where they start herding the runners into huge lines that wrap around the block before taking us to the front of the library where we board the marathon busses. At the start of the line, they handed out brand new $28 gloves, which were a sweet start to the morning. There weren't any porta-potties in the area, so I stopped hydrating at this point. I boarded a bus a little after 6AM. It took close to two hours before we unloaded at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. The guy next to me smelled so badly that I was trying not to gag. Unfortunately, the bus didn't have a working bathroom. Guys were peeing in cups on the bus and walking to the front of the bus every time stopped in traffic or at a light to dump out their urine. Runners, we live a glamorous life. Meanwhile I wish I was dude because I had to pee BAD!!! I wasn't the only lady asking how much further until we get there.
It was around 8AM by the time we unloaded off the bus only to discover that we had to wait in the super long security line to into the start village where the porta-potties were located. In the forty-five minutes it took to get through security, I thought I was going to pee myself a few times. Security searched my approved, clear race bag and had me walk through the metal detector. Once I was through security around 8:45AM, I asked where the porta-potties were and made a bee line to them. I nearly cried when I saw the HUGE line for the porta-potties. I kid you not, I had to wait over 40 minutes in the porta-potty line. By the time it was my turn, I don't think I peed so much in my life. I seriously may have peed for two minutes straight, which means I did a two minute squat before the race. My legs were shaking by the time I was done.
At last, a little after 9:30AM I found a place to sit for a few minutes before I got back in line for the porta-potties. I figured I'd want to go before my corral opened around 10:30AM, so I better get in line even if I didn't have to got yet. It worked out perfectly. Once I was done with my second porta-potty stop of the day, it was time for me to head to my corral. I only had to wait about 10 minutes before my corral opened. While I waited I decided to take off my throw away sweats. After I was in my corral at the bottom of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, time stood still and I took it all in. I was interrupted by the guy behind me asking for a kiss for good luck. I put five marathon pickup lines on the back of my shirt. Folks really enjoyed them during the race. #1 seemed to be the favorite.
- Let's finish at the same time
- Do you need a kiss for good luck?
- Who's cheering you on today?
- Is this your first time, too?
- I get lost easily...Can I follow you to the finish?
The start line was kind of a blur. The National Anthem played, the cannons went off, and Wave 4 was on its way. There were military guys close to the start screaming and cheering for us! The bridge was quiet because no spectators were allowed on the bridge. I heard a rumor that advised you not to run near the edge of the bridge if you were on the bottom because the runners from the top pee of the edge and if it's a windy day, you could find it pissing rain. I don't see how that rumor could be true, but I ran on the inside nonetheless.
Once I made my way off the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn, the crowds didn't disappoint. People lined both sides of the street! Brooklyn was the longest and easiest borough. It was flat and fast which made it pass by quickly. I waited in line for a porta-potty around mile 9. My watch was set for 5 and 1 intervals (running for 5 minutes and walking for 1 minute), but I skipped a lot of walk breaks in Brooklyn. That could have been my demise toward the end of the race, but I was caught up in the energy of the crowd. Queens was really short, but this is where my feet started to hurt. I think my activities from the pervious days were catching up to me. The Queensboro Bridge during miles 15-16 sticks out to me. I walked the bridge in an attempt to save my legs for the finish. No spectators were allowed on this bridge either, so I didn't feel bad walking. After mile 16, in Manhattan, I stopped at another porta-potty.
The Queensboro Bridge took me into Manhattan where the roar of the crowd was unlike anything I had ever heard. Manhattan definitely had the biggest crowd. This is where I really started slowing down and taking more walk breaks through the water/Gatorade stops. I really just wanted to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it! I encountered some hills on my way into the Bronx. They say the wall hits you at mile 20. Even though I was hurting, the wall didn't hit me as hard as it usually does at this point in a marathon. At the 20 mile mark, there are only 6.2 miles left. While that may not seem like a lot compared to how many I'd already completed, that is really where the race starts. It's where I give myself a gut check to see much I want it. Back in Manhattan making my way to Central Park, I struggled with the slight incline on the course. After 20 miles an ant hill feels like a mountain. I should have trained on more hills because the bridges and hills kicked my ass. I felt like everyone cheering my name was my friend. The people of New York are really what make this race so special.
I hit the wall at mile 23. I'd like to know who put those freaking hills in the last three miles of the race. I walked a lot, make one last pit stop and put in a new phone battery between miles 23 and 25. Not long after I passed mile 25, I tried going live on Facebook. It was a weak connection, but it connected and that's all that matters. After 25 miles, it's difficult to look good and strong. However, being live on Facebook was good motivation to not look like I was experiencing a lot of pain. Hopefully, it wasn't too boring. Perhaps I should have talked more to make it interesting. I was totally in the zone.
In the last mile, three moments stand out to me. The moment I saw mile 26, the moment I saw Taylor, and the moment I saw the finish line! When Taylor came into sight, words cannot express how great it was to see her. She was cheering me on and the look on her face told me how proud she was of me! I gave her a high five, which has to go down as the best high five in the history of high fives! I took my time to take pictures of the mile markers, Taylor, and the finish line. As I was taking a picture of the finish line, I was overcome with a level of joy I've never felt before. Facebook Live lost connection as soon as I crossed the finish line, but I'm glad everyone that wanted to experience it with me was able to. I didn't cry, I just relished in the moment of victory. No matter how difficult life gets with illness, I can't give up on the possibility of better days ahead. This was my best day! I was strong and healthy and I believe the future holds more days like.
I took pictures and posed for others. A volunteer placed my medal around my neck and I took and posed for more photos. I had to shuffle my way a half mile North to get out of the runner zone around the finish line. Thankfully, I opted for the post race poncho. The poncho is fleece lined and kept me warm on my trek to meet Taylor at the hotel. I was not moving very fast after the race. Everything hurt so good. My feet and legs were on fire. I found the subway I needed, but I had to wait for three trains because it was so crowded. While waiting for the train, I was reading through all of my messages and that's when tears found my cheeks. The support I had from family, friends, and co-workers was incredible! Everyone seemed to understand how much this race meant to me and helped me embrace and celebrate it!
I stopped for coffee on my way back to the hotel, but once I was back Taylor was my hero! She helped me take off my shoes and took care of me! She went to the hotel restaurant and brought up burgers and fries to the room so that I wouldn't have to move. I was super sore after the race. It felt like I ran a marathon or something.
Overall, it was the race of a lifetime. Checked that off my bucket list, but I totally want to do it again! Exploring New York City and sharing the marathon experience with Taylor made it a trip I will never forget. I think we made memories to tell for decades and I absolutely believe we would kick butt on the Amazing Race! THANK YOU, TAYLOR!!!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
I Have My Life Back
Say what? I'm blogging two days in a row!
I'm not sure if you've noticed that I haven't been talking too much about my health lately. That's because I am doing amazingly well. I have my life back!!!! My days aren't ruined by pain and fatigue. The shitty feeling is gone. I feel like I'm breaking out of the shell that my bad years with Crohn's put me in. I'm socializing and actually enjoying it. I surprisingly want to make new friends. I am the me I love being. While that might not make sense to you, it makes perfect sense to me. I love having energy. I've got a bounce in my step and a grin on my face because I feel excellent. I love when my wit makes people laugh. My mind is clear and sharp without brain fog and it's awesome! Mostly, I love the fact that Crohn's has not been a factor in my day to day activities. I'm less afraid to make plans for the future. Even though I know a crash from this high on life feeling of being healthy would crush me, I am well enough to consider options I was hesitant to seriously consider before. I certainly wouldn't mind being this healthy for the rest of my life.
I'm not sure if you've noticed that I haven't been talking too much about my health lately. That's because I am doing amazingly well. I have my life back!!!! My days aren't ruined by pain and fatigue. The shitty feeling is gone. I feel like I'm breaking out of the shell that my bad years with Crohn's put me in. I'm socializing and actually enjoying it. I surprisingly want to make new friends. I am the me I love being. While that might not make sense to you, it makes perfect sense to me. I love having energy. I've got a bounce in my step and a grin on my face because I feel excellent. I love when my wit makes people laugh. My mind is clear and sharp without brain fog and it's awesome! Mostly, I love the fact that Crohn's has not been a factor in my day to day activities. I'm less afraid to make plans for the future. Even though I know a crash from this high on life feeling of being healthy would crush me, I am well enough to consider options I was hesitant to seriously consider before. I certainly wouldn't mind being this healthy for the rest of my life.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Healthy and Loving It!
It has been great to feel as healthy as most of the people around me. I'm not struggling to keep up. I'm not faking the smile on my face and I'm not pretending to feel well. When I'm not feeling well, I dread making plans because it's difficult to predict how I'll be feeling at a certain moment in time. Will I be in pain? Will I need a bathroom? Will I have the energy it takes? I didn't even ask myself those questions when I made plans like a boss this weekend.
After work on Friday I went to the Maroon 5 concert. Tove Lo opened the show and she was incredible. Seriously, check out her music. I thought her take on love was interesting. In one song she proclaims "I'm not on drugs / I'm not on drugs / I'm just in love" and in another song she explains "You're gone and I gotta stay / High all the time / To keep you off my mind". So, basically love is a drug and I've never taken a hit. I'm as clean and as sober as can be. I love Maroon 5, but honestly I only know Maroon 5 as Adam Levine. I love when he hits the high notes! They put on an amazing show and it was fun hanging out with Kim! Kim and I left a little early from the show because I had a long Saturday ahead of me. We left around 10:45PM and by the time I got home and laid out my running stuff for the morning, it was around 11:30PM by the time I went to bed.
Surprisingly, I woke up without hesitation when my alarm went off at 4:05AM so that I could meet my running group at 5:30AM. My legs were so stiff and sore from cross-training this week that I wasn't sure if I could even run. My quads were super tight, but I still got ready and left to meet some of my running group in Apopka for the hills option this week. I need all the hill training I can get. The hills and bridges in the NYC Marathon make me the most nervous about the race. My plan was 10 miles but I stopped after 7 miles and I'm okay with that. The biggest accomplishment was getting out of bed and out the door to run at all, so I won't beat myself over a few missed miles. I can tell I'm getting stronger because I no longer get the urge to stop and walk up a hill. I've learned to pump my arms harder to pull myself up the hill as well as shortening my stride for more efficiency. Eventually, I did loosen up a little on the run, but I got tight again after I was done.
Once I got home, took a shower, and found my Gator gear, it was time to get ready to head to the Gator football game. That's right, I was running off of about 4 and a half hours of sleep and I didn't take a nap! My friend Miguel (my friend Brittany's husband) invited me to go to the Gator game. He got tickets through the Wounded Warrior Project. The car ride to the game passed quickly as he told all about a video game he's been playing and trying to get into the top 500 players. We arrived to the tailgate area for the Wounded Warrior Project at noon. They provided a tent with chairs, food, drinks, and a TV to watch the Michigan UCF game (poor UCF). It was great to meet other warriors. One little boy came up to me and poked me with the foam finger he had, so I smiled and played with him. Suddenly, he dropped the finger and kissed me on my check! His dad yelled, "Son, you can't just go around kissing women!" LOL After they passed out our tickets, Miguel and I went shopping. We went to the bookstore on campus, but he didn't see anything in there. Next, we walked around to find the store he got a shirt at last time we went. Somehow we found it! While we were waiting to cross a street a very intoxicated young lady walked up, put her hand on my shoulder and said "Come on, let's just fucking go." Thankfully, by the time she started walking it was actually safe to walk and she stumbled her way across the street. I just wondered where her friends were. Friends shouldn't let friends walk around intoxicated, by themselves. We even heard some Gator fans say "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty" because Kentucky's mascot is the Wildcat. Haha Once we were in the stadium and found our seats, the weather report at the stadium said it was 97 degrees! I'm glad they handed out fans to use to help keep cool. Throughout the game we saw the medics in our section three different times with a stretcher. From what I saw it was older folks likely suffering from heat exhaustion. The Gators came out strong! Now, it could have been because Kentucky sucks, but I thought Luke Del Rio, our new quarterback, made solid plays. I'm excited to watch him this season because I like it when quarterbacks actually throw the ball long and take more risks. We kicked butt! I think the final score was 45 to 7! I had fun with Miguel. It was such an awesome game to watch!
By the time I got home and told my dad all about the game (my mom said he watched every minute of the game on TV to see if he would see me in the stands even tough I told him we were sitting pretty high up.), I was finally able to go to bed. It was a fun 24+ hours and I felt great, but I was super tired! Awesome weekend with awesome people!!!
After work on Friday I went to the Maroon 5 concert. Tove Lo opened the show and she was incredible. Seriously, check out her music. I thought her take on love was interesting. In one song she proclaims "I'm not on drugs / I'm not on drugs / I'm just in love" and in another song she explains "You're gone and I gotta stay / High all the time / To keep you off my mind". So, basically love is a drug and I've never taken a hit. I'm as clean and as sober as can be. I love Maroon 5, but honestly I only know Maroon 5 as Adam Levine. I love when he hits the high notes! They put on an amazing show and it was fun hanging out with Kim! Kim and I left a little early from the show because I had a long Saturday ahead of me. We left around 10:45PM and by the time I got home and laid out my running stuff for the morning, it was around 11:30PM by the time I went to bed.
Surprisingly, I woke up without hesitation when my alarm went off at 4:05AM so that I could meet my running group at 5:30AM. My legs were so stiff and sore from cross-training this week that I wasn't sure if I could even run. My quads were super tight, but I still got ready and left to meet some of my running group in Apopka for the hills option this week. I need all the hill training I can get. The hills and bridges in the NYC Marathon make me the most nervous about the race. My plan was 10 miles but I stopped after 7 miles and I'm okay with that. The biggest accomplishment was getting out of bed and out the door to run at all, so I won't beat myself over a few missed miles. I can tell I'm getting stronger because I no longer get the urge to stop and walk up a hill. I've learned to pump my arms harder to pull myself up the hill as well as shortening my stride for more efficiency. Eventually, I did loosen up a little on the run, but I got tight again after I was done.
Once I got home, took a shower, and found my Gator gear, it was time to get ready to head to the Gator football game. That's right, I was running off of about 4 and a half hours of sleep and I didn't take a nap! My friend Miguel (my friend Brittany's husband) invited me to go to the Gator game. He got tickets through the Wounded Warrior Project. The car ride to the game passed quickly as he told all about a video game he's been playing and trying to get into the top 500 players. We arrived to the tailgate area for the Wounded Warrior Project at noon. They provided a tent with chairs, food, drinks, and a TV to watch the Michigan UCF game (poor UCF). It was great to meet other warriors. One little boy came up to me and poked me with the foam finger he had, so I smiled and played with him. Suddenly, he dropped the finger and kissed me on my check! His dad yelled, "Son, you can't just go around kissing women!" LOL After they passed out our tickets, Miguel and I went shopping. We went to the bookstore on campus, but he didn't see anything in there. Next, we walked around to find the store he got a shirt at last time we went. Somehow we found it! While we were waiting to cross a street a very intoxicated young lady walked up, put her hand on my shoulder and said "Come on, let's just fucking go." Thankfully, by the time she started walking it was actually safe to walk and she stumbled her way across the street. I just wondered where her friends were. Friends shouldn't let friends walk around intoxicated, by themselves. We even heard some Gator fans say "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty" because Kentucky's mascot is the Wildcat. Haha Once we were in the stadium and found our seats, the weather report at the stadium said it was 97 degrees! I'm glad they handed out fans to use to help keep cool. Throughout the game we saw the medics in our section three different times with a stretcher. From what I saw it was older folks likely suffering from heat exhaustion. The Gators came out strong! Now, it could have been because Kentucky sucks, but I thought Luke Del Rio, our new quarterback, made solid plays. I'm excited to watch him this season because I like it when quarterbacks actually throw the ball long and take more risks. We kicked butt! I think the final score was 45 to 7! I had fun with Miguel. It was such an awesome game to watch!
By the time I got home and told my dad all about the game (my mom said he watched every minute of the game on TV to see if he would see me in the stands even tough I told him we were sitting pretty high up.), I was finally able to go to bed. It was a fun 24+ hours and I felt great, but I was super tired! Awesome weekend with awesome people!!!
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Confession
I have a confession: I do not remember the last time I felt this well. This could possibly be the best I've felt in over a decade. I have so much energy that I don't know what to do with it. I've had no pain. My bowels are functioning better than I ever thought was possible. At the doctor on Friday, I weighed in at 151 pounds! I feel like a normal person, strong and healthy. Is this how you people feel all the time? It's wonderful!
My life is amazing at this moment in time. Training for the NYC Marathon is going spectacularly well! I've found a pace group that challenges me just enough to keep me wondering if I can keep up. Since I managed to stay with them for 10.5 miles on Saturday, I'd say I can keep up even if it is out of my comfort zone at times. My supervisor put in a request for me to get a raise and my employer is paying for me to become CRIS (Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist) certified. It's a total of 6 classes and I just registered for the first class this week. The class is online and I can work at my own pace.
My life is amazing at this moment in time. Training for the NYC Marathon is going spectacularly well! I've found a pace group that challenges me just enough to keep me wondering if I can keep up. Since I managed to stay with them for 10.5 miles on Saturday, I'd say I can keep up even if it is out of my comfort zone at times. My supervisor put in a request for me to get a raise and my employer is paying for me to become CRIS (Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist) certified. It's a total of 6 classes and I just registered for the first class this week. The class is online and I can work at my own pace.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Hello Appetite, Hello Energy
My appetite is crazy and I'm not sure if it's because of the new medication or because I'm training for a marathon. I've been hungrier than usual in the past week or two. I find myself snacking at work and eating two dinners some nights. My bowel movements have been absolutely beautiful. I've considered taking pictures and framing them. It's been a long time since I've had such awesome poop like this that I forgot it could be this amazing! Taking a dump is effortless, and I think it's because my stricture is fully stretched.
Although I wouldn't go as far as saying that my energy is through the roof, I will say that my energy has increased in the past couple weeks. I'm not as inclined to take naps. I'm going to bed way later because I'm not dead tired by 8pm like I usually am. I find that I have more energy to take care of myself. I'm actually showering every day. It might be gross, but I usually only shower a few times a week because it wears me out. Not only have I been showering every day, but I've also been shaving regularly. I haven't just been brushing my teeth in the morning, I've been brushing them at night, too. I haven't just been doing the bare minimum of laundry because laundry sucks the energy out of me, I've actually been washing my towels and sheets, too! Hygiene is a lot of work, but if my energy keeps increasing I have big plans for new routines.
Although I wouldn't go as far as saying that my energy is through the roof, I will say that my energy has increased in the past couple weeks. I'm not as inclined to take naps. I'm going to bed way later because I'm not dead tired by 8pm like I usually am. I find that I have more energy to take care of myself. I'm actually showering every day. It might be gross, but I usually only shower a few times a week because it wears me out. Not only have I been showering every day, but I've also been shaving regularly. I haven't just been brushing my teeth in the morning, I've been brushing them at night, too. I haven't just been doing the bare minimum of laundry because laundry sucks the energy out of me, I've actually been washing my towels and sheets, too! Hygiene is a lot of work, but if my energy keeps increasing I have big plans for new routines.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
10 Minute Miles
My NYC Marathon training is going well! I'm still on track. I'm honestly surprised how well I was able to jump back into my training schedule without missing a beat. Sure, I missed a few runs, but my recovery was so quick that it didn't slow me down too much. It's way easier to run when my ass isn't in pain. I didn't modify my training schedule at all last week. In fact, I'm running faster than I have in years. Today, I finished The Get Your Rear in Gear 5K (3.1 miles) in 31:02, which means I kept exactly a 10 minute per mile pace!!! Go me! There were quite a few Florida hills along the course that slowed me down a little, but I'm still happy with a 10 minute/mile pace. My Fitbit thought I climbed 15 flights of stairs. I finished 5th in my gender's age bracket, 21 - 30 year olds. It felt awesome to finish strong knowing that I wouldn't have been able to run like this a couple months ago. The weather is already hotter than balls and summer is just getting started. The good news is that I know I could run faster in cooler weather. I'm happy it will likely be cold in NYC in November as long as it doesn't snow. Side note: I've never ran in snow before.
I've been feeling great lately! My BM's are beautiful! I'm running off of less sleep. This past week I only averaged 6 hours of sleep per night. My appetite is increasing and I've been hungry a lot. I hope Remicade continues to make me feel strong and healthy.
I've been feeling great lately! My BM's are beautiful! I'm running off of less sleep. This past week I only averaged 6 hours of sleep per night. My appetite is increasing and I've been hungry a lot. I hope Remicade continues to make me feel strong and healthy.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Coming Down from the High
Dare I say this week has been the best week ever! I know, I know I won't shut up about it.
I ran 6 miles this week and today I knocked off over two minutes from my two mile time on Tuesday. I love it when my body feels good! It's only my first week of training and I was already able to run two miles without stopping for a walk break today. Today I ran two miles in 22 minutes and 13 seconds. That's pretty good considering how out of shape I am. I hope to keep improving. My motivation has been through the roof and I am head over heels in love with running again. I know health is always an uncertainty, but my goal is to train hard, train smart, and finish strong. If I can do that, I believe I can get a PR in NYC. My training schedule has been made, but right now my focus is to get ready for the Corporate 5k on April 7th. I can't wait to run with some co-workers! My company is giving every employee that crosses the finish line a Fitbit!
My first training day in my new position yesterday went well. My new supervisor had a lengthy conversation with me about how I got the position. I found out that I beat out six other candidates for the job. Originally my new supervisor already had a different internal candidate in mind for the position and was just going to offer it to that person, but the CEO told her that she had to open the position to everyone. She got two other ladies from her department to help with the hiring process since she felt she was biased. Evidently, my cover letter really gave me an edge because it showed my amazing writing ability. The person that my new supervisor originally wanted for the position is a Project Assistant, so he/she already has some experience and is familiar with contracts and work flow, but he/she didn't have a strongly written cover letter and didn't have a college degree. After all of the interviews, my new supervisor consulted with the two ladies from her department and they both chose me for the position. My new supervisor also agreed that I was the best for the position because I was also the best communicator in the interview. They all felt that it would be easier to train someone from scratch, which it's anticipated that it will take up to two years for me to fully learn the position, than to train someone how to communicate proficiently even if they already have some experience. My new position will be communicating with executives on a daily basis, so they felt it was extremely important to have someone competent that can write e-mails and such without having to proof read everything.
I am so proud of myself for really earning this position. This position will be a change of pace that will take some adjusting to. It's strange not knowing anything and not being able to really be productive at this point. At least, my new supervisor understands that it's a slow learning process. Its not slow because I'm not smart, it's slow because there's a lot of information to learn and a lot of decisions are circumstantial. There aren't necessarily rules for everything. Rather, there are guidelines with multiple directions. I can already tell she is going to be a great mentor. She knows her field well and she has passion for what she does. I can't wait to get on her level of understanding. The way she manipulates words and negotiates contracts is impressive. So far, I'm really intrigued. So far, I feel dumb.
I ran 6 miles this week and today I knocked off over two minutes from my two mile time on Tuesday. I love it when my body feels good! It's only my first week of training and I was already able to run two miles without stopping for a walk break today. Today I ran two miles in 22 minutes and 13 seconds. That's pretty good considering how out of shape I am. I hope to keep improving. My motivation has been through the roof and I am head over heels in love with running again. I know health is always an uncertainty, but my goal is to train hard, train smart, and finish strong. If I can do that, I believe I can get a PR in NYC. My training schedule has been made, but right now my focus is to get ready for the Corporate 5k on April 7th. I can't wait to run with some co-workers! My company is giving every employee that crosses the finish line a Fitbit!
My first training day in my new position yesterday went well. My new supervisor had a lengthy conversation with me about how I got the position. I found out that I beat out six other candidates for the job. Originally my new supervisor already had a different internal candidate in mind for the position and was just going to offer it to that person, but the CEO told her that she had to open the position to everyone. She got two other ladies from her department to help with the hiring process since she felt she was biased. Evidently, my cover letter really gave me an edge because it showed my amazing writing ability. The person that my new supervisor originally wanted for the position is a Project Assistant, so he/she already has some experience and is familiar with contracts and work flow, but he/she didn't have a strongly written cover letter and didn't have a college degree. After all of the interviews, my new supervisor consulted with the two ladies from her department and they both chose me for the position. My new supervisor also agreed that I was the best for the position because I was also the best communicator in the interview. They all felt that it would be easier to train someone from scratch, which it's anticipated that it will take up to two years for me to fully learn the position, than to train someone how to communicate proficiently even if they already have some experience. My new position will be communicating with executives on a daily basis, so they felt it was extremely important to have someone competent that can write e-mails and such without having to proof read everything.
I am so proud of myself for really earning this position. This position will be a change of pace that will take some adjusting to. It's strange not knowing anything and not being able to really be productive at this point. At least, my new supervisor understands that it's a slow learning process. Its not slow because I'm not smart, it's slow because there's a lot of information to learn and a lot of decisions are circumstantial. There aren't necessarily rules for everything. Rather, there are guidelines with multiple directions. I can already tell she is going to be a great mentor. She knows her field well and she has passion for what she does. I can't wait to get on her level of understanding. The way she manipulates words and negotiates contracts is impressive. So far, I'm really intrigued. So far, I feel dumb.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thanksgiving Eve
It was a typical Wednesday for me. I worked half a day, and then went to UCF for my class. I think my group finished our project, so now all we have to do is submit it before Tuesday. Although I did most of the heavy lifting in our group project by gathering the data at the Bloomberg terminals on campus, setting up our model in excel with equations, and running our regression analysis, the other two girls in my group did well at styling the format, explaining our outputs, and making it look professional. I have my last class of the semester on Monday. Two of my finals (Real Estate and Supply Chain) open up in the testing lab on Wednesday, December 3rd. My plan is to take those two exams on Wednesday, but I do have until Friday to take them if I don't feel prepared enough by Wednesday. My last final will be an in class exam for Portfolio Analysis on Monday, December 8th at 1pm. I am counting down for this semester to be over! I'm really only expecting to get an A in Real Estate. In Supply Chain and Portfolio Analysis I'm expecting a B. I'm slipping a little bit, and frankly I don't care as much as I thought I would. I'm just ready to be done.
Hopefully, I'll find time to study between family tomorrow and my half marathon on Sunday. Training hasn't gone as planned for the past two weeks, which disappoints me because I was doing so well. At least, my stomach pain has stopped for now. I'm up to 146 lbs. My poop has been unbelievably beautiful. My turds have been so big that I question whether they really came out of my ass. Though I'm sure they were still way smaller than your turds. Heck my turds are smaller than my four year old cousin's turds. I seriously get jealous of her big turds. I actually feel good after a bowel movement. I'm going to try to race smart and pace myself by running with my sister Kim or with Coach Janice from Team Challenge. I'm excited to get out there and finish the race! I need a this small victory to prove to myself again that no matter how many times my body knocks me down, I can always get back up and accomplish incredible, physical feats. I hope I never lose the courage to get back up and try.
Hopefully, I'll find time to study between family tomorrow and my half marathon on Sunday. Training hasn't gone as planned for the past two weeks, which disappoints me because I was doing so well. At least, my stomach pain has stopped for now. I'm up to 146 lbs. My poop has been unbelievably beautiful. My turds have been so big that I question whether they really came out of my ass. Though I'm sure they were still way smaller than your turds. Heck my turds are smaller than my four year old cousin's turds. I seriously get jealous of her big turds. I actually feel good after a bowel movement. I'm going to try to race smart and pace myself by running with my sister Kim or with Coach Janice from Team Challenge. I'm excited to get out there and finish the race! I need a this small victory to prove to myself again that no matter how many times my body knocks me down, I can always get back up and accomplish incredible, physical feats. I hope I never lose the courage to get back up and try.
Monday, August 25, 2014
What Makes Me Happy
It's really not that difficult to make me happy. I get delighted by a beautiful bowel movement, which I've had plenty of in the past week. I'm thrilled to be feeling as well as I'm feeling right now. Seriously, I feel like I'm super woman! No pain, no blood, endless energy, limited anal leakage, and my mind feels unusually sharp. This in itself puts me in a fantastic mood.
Another thing that makes me happy are friendships. Recently, I've had some great conversations with my friend Gabriel about life aspirations and reality checks. My Team Challenge friend and teammate, Rita, and I find comfort in being able to share the gross details of IBD with each other. She gets it! I love the endless moral support my friend Brittany and I share with each other. My friend Veronica and I always believe in each other and encourage one another every week. I love the way my best friend Taylor challenges me to step outside my comfort zone. These friends are in my corner of life. Their successes and accomplishments make me happy! Plus, I love it when they're happy!
I also find pleasure in mentoring my cousins through this important time in their young lives. The moments they see their potential bring me great joy. They have created a spark for their future now we just have to nurture it into a thriving flame. I've staked an interest in their future and I'm excited to help them become the young ladies they aspire to be.
I couldn't end this post without mentioning running. Yes, I felt well enough to start running again! If a guy made me feel like I feel when I'm running, I might consider marrying him. My love, how I've missed you and the unstoppable feeling you give me. It's always hard getting back into shape, but oddly enough the heavy breathing is a great motivator. It's been so hot that it's like I've been swimming on dry land. I absolutely adore my running shoes on the road. Life for me is great whenever I'm logging miles. It really is my antidepressant.
Another thing that makes me happy are friendships. Recently, I've had some great conversations with my friend Gabriel about life aspirations and reality checks. My Team Challenge friend and teammate, Rita, and I find comfort in being able to share the gross details of IBD with each other. She gets it! I love the endless moral support my friend Brittany and I share with each other. My friend Veronica and I always believe in each other and encourage one another every week. I love the way my best friend Taylor challenges me to step outside my comfort zone. These friends are in my corner of life. Their successes and accomplishments make me happy! Plus, I love it when they're happy!
I also find pleasure in mentoring my cousins through this important time in their young lives. The moments they see their potential bring me great joy. They have created a spark for their future now we just have to nurture it into a thriving flame. I've staked an interest in their future and I'm excited to help them become the young ladies they aspire to be.
I couldn't end this post without mentioning running. Yes, I felt well enough to start running again! If a guy made me feel like I feel when I'm running, I might consider marrying him. My love, how I've missed you and the unstoppable feeling you give me. It's always hard getting back into shape, but oddly enough the heavy breathing is a great motivator. It's been so hot that it's like I've been swimming on dry land. I absolutely adore my running shoes on the road. Life for me is great whenever I'm logging miles. It really is my antidepressant.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)