Spin Class

27 Mar 12

I am starting to think Jose is looking forward to spring break being over.  Today is spin class day! We got to class a little early and Tony helped Jose set his bike up, I was a nice mom and let Jose use my squishy seat cover.  Before class even started Jose was already tired! He stuck around for the entire class, he kept having to take a break and rest. He even managed to pop an attitude with me during class.  Towards the end we were out of the saddle and Jose had not put enough resistance so one of the peddles got away and bit him in the ankle, he is ok.  Tony even did a shout out to him at the end of the class! 

Once we were done with spin class, I realized I forgot my shirt at home so I couldn’t take a shower.  All was good though, my mom had requested the boys come over and help my dad with some yard work and since Charlie had been “abused and neglected” he went over to visit his papa!  (trust me, the day either of my fur babies are abused or neglected is the same day hell freezes over).  Once I dropped the two legged boys off and Charlie had a nice long visit with papa, he and I came home and the kiddos stayed and helped lay mulch.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to some uninterrupted gym time.  (My mom wants kiddos again tomorrow!!!)

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Weight training 101

26 March 2012

I love spring break, I love spring break! For the next week I have buddies all day, every day! But that is fine! I have a gym membership and there is plenty of area for my kiddos to dispose of energy!  We had some appointments this morning so it was a little hectic (and didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast), after the appointments we headed off to the gym.  Cuervo is to young to come up into the cardio/weight area, so he hung out in the kiddo area (loved every minute of it).  Jose and I went upstairs and started off on the treadmill.  Then we did lower body weights, I have a lot of work to do with that kid! I kept having to tell him to stop staring at the TV.  I was doing my usual weight, for Jose I was only letting him work with 20(ish) pounds.  After lower body weights, we did some more cardio then some upper body weights.  After focusing more on Jose then my own workout (and the fact I didn’t have anything to eat yet) I figured it was time to get going.  I really wish they did not have TVs up in the weight area, but they do and Jose need to learn to pay attention to what he is doing instead of the TVs.  I think he and I are going to have a This is How You Use the Weight Machine lesson in the very near future (This weekend works for me!). 

It is kind of weird… I am signed up for the Colorado Marathon, obviously I will be not running the full marathon (thanks to my back), but I am not sure I am really in the mood to do any of it.  I am just really not feeling it right now.  I am not saying no, yet; I am keeping up with my training, but I am just not feeling it at this point.  Oh well, I still have over a month before I have to make any decision!

 

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Achoo!

25 March 2012

Finals week is finally over and now the stress is kicking my butt! My sweet little germ buckets came home from school with the germ of the week and of course it is beating me up!  I have had to take a few days off of training, but hopefully I will be back tomorrow with a buddy in tow!

Today Jose tested my mommy skills.  Mind you, this kid is 12 years old… We were out eating dinner and joking around he decided to swallow a grape whole!!!!!  Needless to say I as up next to him in nothing flat.  He kept coughing, I kept telling him to cough! The waiter came over and asked if we needed more help.  My sister told him no.  He stopped coughing and started to talk, but he was wheezing like mad.  I pulled him into the women’s room, knowing we were about to make a HUGE mess!  We got into the women’s room, I got the trashed pulled out and the poor kid started vomiting.  I did all I could stood there and rubbed his back.  I was ecstatic when I saw the grape on the floor!!!  After years of first aid training, working as a life guard, I wasn’t to worried about making sure this person was ok.  I was worried about my baby being ok (trust me, there is a huge difference between a person being ok and your own child being ok).  Jose is doing fine, the bathroom was cleaned up, and all is back to normal (except Jose has learned a VERY valuable lesson).

 

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Canyonlands 5-miler

Canyonlands is a little more than a normal race weekend.   We hit the road on Thursday morning; surprisingly we actually made it out the door right about the time I wanted! The drive out there was pretty uneventfully.  We decided to take a slightly different route into town, we went down the Colorado River instead of going I-70 to US-191.  It took a little bit longer but not enough to make any difference.  We got to our hotel and there was one person working the desk and three people wanting to check in, so it took a little while, but she was very friendly and very helpful.  Since it was about dinner time, we took a peek into our room and then went and got dinner at Zax. I was excited when I found out they have veggie burgers! Food was good.  We then hit “the town”!  After a little wondering we called it a night.  WAIT! We hit the pool and then called it a night!!! Friday morning We had breakfast at Pancake Haus. Again, there was only one person working the floor so service was slow.  We could tell the poor guy was moving as fast as he could.  He was very apologetic about everything, but the food was good (they had egg whites!!!!).  Again, we slowly hit the town.  I decided to check my bank account and noticed I was a lot lower than I should have been!!! EXCUSE ME???? We had two reservations, one at Best Western Plus Greenwell Inn and Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn. I had cancelled my reservations at the Canyonlands Inn, but I still got charged!!!! I called Best Western, and they told me I would get my money back but it wouldn’t be until the beginning the week, at the earliest.  That was NOT going to work (that was my food money)! So I called my bank.  I love them, I love them, I love them!  I explained the situation and the nice lady said she could release the funds back to my account if blah, blah, blah. So we walked over to the Canyonlands Inn (the nice bank lady was on the phone with me while I walked the whole block to get to the hotel).  I went into the front desk and I am SO glad I cancelled that reservation, talk about RUDE!  I need to contact Best Western and let them know about how bad the service was.  Anyway, long story short (after about a half hour of dealing with these people) the nice bank lady was able to release the funds back to my account and all was good again. We did some more wondering and it was lunch time.   We went to Pasta Jay’s for lunch.  Luckily we avoided the rush, that place can get PACKED! We enjoyed a nice lunch outside, then it was time for packet pick-up.  It is a quaint little set-up, works great!  Because of my knee and back I had to down grade from the half marathon to the 5-miler.  Once I got my bib and goodie bag I checked out the comings and goings. After a little while it was back to the hotel and more pool time. We had an awesome parking spot at the hotel so I wasn’t really fond of the idea of moving the truck to drive around such a small town.  We called Moab Brewery and placed an order for dinner.  It was about a mile away so we walked to pick it up (we knew everywhere would be a zoo so we weren’t going to dine in).  We get there, pick up the food, pay the standard 18% gratuity on pick-up orders (I say that is a bunch of bull), and head back to the hotel.  We get back and my dinner is not there!  I call them up and let them know we have food missing.  So we get in the truck and drive back there to pick it up.  Back at the hotel the chili we had ordered was burned, my food was greasy and on the gross side.  We had eaten there the first time we went to Moab, but I don’t remember it being that bad.  Not a place we will be returning.    Waiting for the start Saturday morning was race morning! I got up nice and early, busses started at 7:30 so I was up at around 6:30.  I wore my White Paisley Capri Skirt from Running Skirts, a nice emerald green long sleeve shirt (that came off by Mile 1) and a black shirt over the top. I had plenty of green on!  Left the hotel at around 7:00 and slowly walked to the bus.  I realized about half way there I forgot my gum, but I did have my inhaler.  Oh and for breakfast I had a Luna Bar.  Got to the busses and I was on the first one up the canyon.  It was a little chilly up in the canyon, but then again I had plenty of layers on so I really had nothing to worry about.  At about 9:00/9:15 we started heading to the start line.  The gun went off a little early, but we began down the road with no issues.  I ended up walking most of it because I could not get my breathing under control (I need to talk to my doctor about that).  It was still a nice outing.   View from the start line The views are amazing! I still wish I could have done the half, but my back and knee were very grateful I did the 5-miler.  Crossed the finish line, checked out the finish area activities.  We headed back to the hotel so I could wash off and get cleaned up.  I took a while getting organized before we headed out by the time we were out we were hungry! We figured we would stop by Slick Rock Café, we were seated quickly, yea, after being ignored for a while, we finally got water.  A while longer we had our order taken 20 minutes after that we still had not received our drinks let alone our food.  There was a table next to us who were in the same boat so we upped and left! We wondered a little bit more and returned to Zax for lunch.  Service was amazing! Food was great, they were insanely busy, but you couldn’t tell that by the time it took to get stuff. We did some more wondering and then back to the hotel for more pool time. Sunday morning was entertaining.  I woke up before everyone else.  I tried turning the light on next to me, but it wouldn’t go on.  Ok, maybe I was just being stupid.  Tried turning the TV on, that wasn’t working.  We had a few lights on, so I figured I was just being slow.  I realized that most of the issues were on the same wall, so I went down to the office (in my jammies) to ask about the possibility of blowing a fuse.  Turned out the power was low all over town.  I went back to our room and everyone started showering.  Yea, power went completely out! Luckily I was not the one in the shower at the time!!!!! The power finally came back on, we finished getting everything out of the room and into the truck.  Across the street to Zax for breakfast, made a few last purchases, checked out of the hotel and hit the road.  The weather back was not as pleasant.  Actually we really didn’t want to stop because nasty weather was right on our heels and I did not want to be driving through the mountains in crappy weather.  We made it home picked up the babies and called it a weekend!

Oh the joys of finals week!

22 March 2012

I have been working on my degree for longer than I have been racing! A four year degree has almost taken me six years already!!!! But that is ok, I am almost done!  My degree track is a very subjective one, there really is no black and white.

This quarter was one of my harder ones.  I usually only take one or two classes per quarter (hence the six years) so this quarter was no different. The only thing is usually I take one hard class and one not so hard.  Since I am getting close to the end the class I need are far and few between, so I take what I can get! This quarter was Desktop Publishing II and Corporate ID. Desktop II our main project was selecting a Condé Nast Magazine and duplicating their layout exactly! It is a larder harder than it sounds, we had to get the spacing right, the font type and size, all the little details… I was pretty proud of my final product, next quarter we will be working even more on that project!  Corp ID was a lot more “fun”.  We were “redesigning” a local coffee shop.  We had to take it step by step.  First it was deciding which direction we were going to take the redesign, then coming up with a new name, the a new logo, redesign of the packaging, the signage and finally a branding book (the do’s and don’ts of using the logo). 

This past week has been non-stop!  I was ecstatic when I got to finally turn in everything yesterday.  The past three days I was in my jammies just about all day working non-stop on the computer or running to the printer, the craft shop for mounting supplies. I finished the quarter last night at 10:20!!!!  Today is a recovery day & parent/teacher conferences, and it is back to the gym.  Now I get two weeks off and then it is back for more!  

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Sixth year

19 March 2012
I realized over the weekend that I was entering into my sixth year of racing!!! Which of course got me thinking about the past hand full of years. 
Ten years ago I was in a bad situation but I was fighting like hell to get out of it.  I had met people who were an inspiration to me in a verity of ways.  I met a gentlemen who was an Ironman champion, I met a pompous professional triathlete (who after a while became someone who gave me pointers that I still use to this day!) I met a stay at home mom who was a triathlete (sprint distances), I met an 80+ year old man retired general who swam every day no matter what, and my kids had an honorary grandfather who fought in WWII, couldn’t remember most of it but still had a heart of gold.  Anyway, I had decided I would give the whole triathlon thing a shot.  Well, life happened and next thing I knew I was I was injured and out of the military.  After of few years of ‘woe is me’ing I decided it was time to pull my head out of my @$$ and get on with my life.
I signed up for my first 5K in March 2007. When I signed up for my first triathlon I was in tears because I was finally accomplishing my goals.  Even though I have more hurdles I still refuse to give up.  I might have to make a few adjustments here and there, but I am going to keep going until I have to stop!
This weekend I was supposed to run the Canyonlands half marathon, but I had a mini flare up and I had to downgrade to the 5-miler.  No matter the distance, we had an enjoyable weekend.  The weather was amazing (except for the trip back), I have to say, that is one of my favorite races. 
I was a happy tortoise, took my time and enjoyed the day!



~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Gym Etiquette

12 March 2012

I realize I am frequently ranting and raving about the going ons in the gym.  Today I am back on my soap box and I am truly not happy! I understand the gym is a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy a workout, I get it. But there are a few things I really wish people would keep in mind.  #1 the locker room does not need to smell like a French whore house, please do not bathe in your perfume until AFTER you leave the closed in area. #2 those benches are supposed to serve more than one person at a time.  There is no excuse for one person to have their stuff laid out across the entire damn thing!!! #3 the entrance way into the latrines is NOT a gossip area! I will just hit three today!

1.       French whore house – the locker rooms are closed in and probably about half the people are finishing up their workout and we don’t’ need to be choking on the smell of your perfume. 

2.       Benches – we all learned when we were little how to share.  I have not seen a single bench in the locker room that is intended for a single person.  Because some people find it necessary to hog the entire thing other people are trying to juggle their property and dropping and breaking their stuff! (yes, I dropped stuff today which is my main reason for this soap box visit.  Not only did my iPod hit the ground my phone did too, I did get lucky and only my ear bud broke, but that is money I didn’t want to have to spend!)

3.       I have never been in a men’s locker room so this is really single sided, but I have never seen women gossip more than they do in the gym.  The thing is there are places in the gym that are fine if you want to blab but there are a ton of places that you just need to stay away from… the entrance area to the latrines – when I have to pee, I can only be polite for so long.  Weight machines – if you are going to use it now… MOVE!

Ok, I’ll shut about that now!  (I didn’t even touch on the definition of Same sex locker rooms and that I don’t care how old a boy is a boy is a boy and they do not belong in the women’s locker room!)

Yesterday was rest day and it wasn’t easy.  I just wanted to go get some swimming in or a nice yoga class, something! But I survived! Today was back to business.  I am trying to get four or five yoga classes in a week because I want to see how my body reacts.  On the training front it was a nice easy 2.5 miles, which I made sure I stayed in Zone 3.  The odd thing was I kept getting dizzy while on the treadmill, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to yoga.  By the time I got off the treadmill I was feeling ok so I figured I would give yoga a chance.  I am glad did!  Different instructor than last time, but we did a lot of lower body focused moves and it felt good.  We did Happy Baby twice and I have to say, my back LOVES happy baby!!!!! Now it is time to focus homework, finals week is next week. L

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Beliefs

11 March 2012

This morning I saw something on Facebook that I had to borrow.  “Your Beliefs don’t make you a better person, your Behavior does.” I have met a multitude of “Christians” who try to make people believe they are good people JUST because they are Christians.  I have also dealt with a number of atheists who are the most kind hearted people I have ever met!  Now, I am not saying all Christians are bad people (I was born and raised Catholic), because they are not nor am I saying that all atheists are good people because that isn’t the case either!  Don’t tell me you must be a good person because of what you believe; it is all about how you behave!

Today completes week #2 of training.  I have heard taking a rest day can be the hardest thing to do.  Today is one of those days for me, I want to go get some pool time in, but I had my sister hide my suit from me! Yesterday was group run with BRC FIT Team.  I wasn’t really feeling it, at first so I took it as an enjoyable walk.  Once I finally started getting into it I was able to start running.  My left shoulder (usually it is my right shoulder that gets mad, but that is becuase it is "an old army injury"!!!!!!!) was oddly tight, but I finished happy and feeling good! Next week starts recovery week, but I have a 5-miler (which was supposed to be a half marathon) next weekend.  The weekend after next group runs move to Garden of the Gods; if you want a run that will kick your butt, run there!!!!!

Oh! And during my run yesterday I was keeping an eye on which zone I was in, kind of interesting really!  I usually run in zone 4/5. I focused yesterday on staying out of 5. This week during my runs I want to see what happens to my pace if I stay in 3/4.

Here is to a good training week before recover week!




~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Un-Break My Heart

9 March 2012

Do you know Toni Braxton has lupus? SQUIRREL! Oh! And don’t ask about the video, I just like the song!!!

Heart rate training… Every time I go to spin class Tony (I love Tony, he is an awesome spin instructor [but I did cheat on him today]) goes on and on about Anaerobic Threshold (AT) and the different levels.  Which got me to thinking.  I can’t just listen to my breathing, thanks to my Methotrexate I get winded just going up a set of stairs at times.  So of course I started thinking about heart rate training.  Luckily a friend lent me a heart rate monitor while mine is on vacation (renovations have caused a lot of things to go on vacation!!!!!).  Yesterday while I was on the treadmill I kept an eye on my heart rate and my heart rate was pretty well behaved.  I get it that AT running is not the same as AT spinning.  I found one website that seems to have the most informative information (Heart Rate Training Zones), but I am still looking!

Today was “Active Recovery” day… so I decided I would check out what classes were being offered I found a few with the time range I was interested in and I settled on two.  Spinning (hello! I LOVE that class) and Hot Vinyasa. 

Again, I cheated on my all-time favorite spin instructor.   I attended spin class, I kept a very close eye on my heart rate.  We were not supposed to go into Zone 4, but I did sneak in a few times.  The class was great and then the instructor made a comment that got my goat up a little.  “You get what you deserve” I understand where she is coming from what but I really wish she would think about it from more than just a fitness stand point.  I get the “if I eat three pieces of chocolate cake I am going to feel like crap.” I get it, I do.  But once I step out of the gym (or outside of the fitness world) I will throw down the BS card in a heartbeat!

Then it was off to Hot Vinyasa class.  I was a little nervous, but my primary doc did tell me it would be good for me, but make sure I spoke to the instructor before class; which I did!  My back was in heaven!!!!! Oh wait… she cranked up the heat and turned on the humidifier. I got toasty in there! After a few stretches my back was in heaven. I did have to keep taking breaks to get water and to get rid of the dizziness but I really enjoyed the class.  I realize this is going to make me sounds nuts, but I LOVE the pigeon pose! Love, love, love it! I was so happy when the instructor directed us into this pose.  My knees didn’t have any issues going into this pose and my hips loved being there.  I am tired, but I feel so relaxed!

Tomorrow group run! YAY!


~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

The Floor is Getting Closer!

8 March 2012
No, I am not getting shorter! Actually I have shrunk a bit (thanks to my back issues).  I made a comment to my sister about the floor getting closer and she through I lost my mind! I have never been overly flexible (unlike my younger son), thanks to yoga I have managed to gain a certain amount of flexibility, but the whole thing of putting weight on and having back issues that flexibility hasn’t been around of late.  The other day I had to pick something up off the ground and I had no issue bending over and grabbing it.  There was no squatting down it was bend and grab!

Today was my official weigh in day and I am so excited to say I am down over eight pounds!  That is with no calorie counting just keeping an eye on “mindless snacking” and making sure we have a salad with dinner every night.  I get cookies for dessert most nights (some nights I just don’t feel like it).  So YAY! OH!!!! That means I get a new pair of running socks!!!!!!!

This week I have been right on schedule for my training and tomorrow … ACTIVE RECOVERY—LOW-IMPACT CROSS TRAINING OR FULL RECOVERY IF NEEDED I am going to use this as aerobics class day!  First I am going to try to sleep in a bit.  Tomorrow morning I have a choice between Spin Class, Zumba, hot yoga, and regular yoga.  I have never been to a hot yoga class, but my primary care doc highly recommends it but told me in NO uncertain terms to make sure the instructor is WELL aware of my medical conditions and ask for help to adjust some of the poses to make sure I don’t get hurt.  Spin class… it isn’t with Tony L but it is still a possibility.  Zumba not sure how my back with like it.  Regular yoga is a very good possibility! I also plan on getting some pool time.  I had thought about it today, but I figured after my 3-miler I was good for the day. 

Here is to another great weight loss week and an even better training week!



~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Leap Day

7 March 2012

According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St Bridget struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every 4 years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how Leap Day balances the calendar. In some places, Leap Day has been known as “Bachelors’ Day” for the same reason. A man was expected to pay a penalty, such as a gown or money, if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day. In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition. http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leap-day-february-29.html

I know, Leap Day was a week ago now, but I have to admit something… Everyone who even knows me even a little bit understands not only do I like to color outside the lines, but I feel it is necessary to be a smart ass.  With that said I figured this year I would follow the Leap Day tradition and propose to someone.  I have known this person for almost a decade, they have been there when I have needed no nonsense unsugar coated advice.  This person is very important to me and if I were to actually get married again I could see myself spending rest of my life with this person.  When I sent them the proposal (yes, I did it via email [I am not sure this person knows not only what a phone is, but what it does!!!!]) I was well aware of their opinion of marriage, but I did it anyway! Not only did I not expect a positive response, I really didn’t expect any response at all! Realistically I am not exactly a prime catch. WAIT!!! Don’t get excited yet! I say this for once main reason… drama! Between my lupus, and my kids medical conditions we have anything but a normal and calm life.  I would not wish that much drama upon ANYONE! I told you I was a smart ass!

I was dragging a smidge this morning.  My eyes are being weird.  I can’t really focus both my eyes; I am fine if I am using one eye or the other, but once both eyes are open forget it.  I finally made it to the gym, happy news on the scale (tomorrow is my official weigh in day and I actually can’t wait!), then to the treadmill.  I took it kind of easy, but I got an enjoyable 2.7 miler in and then I did some lower body and core weights (I have swimming on the books tomorrow so I didn’t want to work my upper body).  Once I was done with all that I changed into my swim suite and hit the hot tub.  Awwww! Felt amazing.  On my way out I decided to splurge and had a wonderful salmon salad. 

Tomorrow is an elliptical machine visit (might visit the treadmill, don’t know yet) and pool time!

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Wanna go for a card ride?

6 March 2012

Ok, so today I am a mean mommy!!!!! Well, not completely, I was just pulled a fast one on poor little Freddie!

Last week my car went to the shop yet again! Mind you this is the third trip in as many months! I am starting to get to the point of wondering if my car is truly worth all this money.  Charlie and I were at Wag-n-Wash (hey, he had a traumatic vet visit that morning [he got shots]and so we need a reward session and he loves baths) when we got back to my car it was dead! Well, not really.  I put the key in the ignition turned it… my car started for two seconds and then died.  I have been through this before so I knew what was going on.  Luckily I have an awesome family, I had two major issues #1 kiddos were going to be out of school within the hour and a half and # 2 I had a VERY large dog who isn’t a huge fan of strangers  with me!  My mom jumped to and took care of the kiddo issue.  My sister got to me a whole 5 minutes before the tow truck so Charlie didn’t have to have another traumatic event that day.  My poor car got towed to the dealership (my normal garage was not suited to deal with this issue), my sister gave me and Charlie a ride so I wouldn’t have to ride with the  tow truck.  Shortly after we got to the shop my mom arrived with my boys.  Charlie was sooooo happy to see Grandma!

Here we are a week later and my car is finally up and running again (stupid instrument cluster thing, again) so the issue was how to get my car?  The shop is only about three miles away!  I was hoping to get my car yesterday, but that called me less than five minutes before my kiddos were going to start walking through the door so I figured I would just wait until today after spinning class.  I mention car ride and both my fur boys get very excited. I get Freddie dressed and ready to go (I put on his harness) and out the door we go.  Forgot my Garmin, so we go back;  Charlie acts like we were gone for forever and he is ready for his turn.  Freddie and I leave again, this time we get to the end of the street and I realize I forgot my coupon (hey I was more than willing to turn around for a 15% off coupon), so we turn around again.  Finally we are ready to go and we are down the road.  I had my Nathan hydration thing with me (mostly for Freddie but I was also using it as a purse).  Freddie starts getting to the point where he is done with the outing and starting figuring out how to get me to stop.  He kept walking in front of me and slowing down.  We stopped and I offered him water, but he wasn’t interested.  Once we finally got there Pete (the guy I had been dealing with) had a cookie for Freddie, who has learned a new trick.  Freddie dropped the cookie and Pete bent over to pick it up for him and Freddie planted a HUGE kiss! We got checked out and Freddie was so happy that his car ride was about to actually start. 

I know you are only supposed to weigh yourself once a week and I understand why.  BUT I weigh myself every time I am at the gym lately.  Last week I had a bit of a shock when I got on the scale I could not believe what the number said.  My official weigh in day (this month) is Thursdays, so unofficially I have lost about seven pounds since last Thursday.  I have been able to get more of my training sessions in, though I have been VERY careful and I have been paying a bit more attention to my eating.  Today after spinning before getting my car I had a peanut butter sandwich and I realized I use WAY to much peanut butter. It is small things like that, that I am working on fixing. 

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Might want to think her profession!

4 March 2012

Earlier this week I was told by a VA person that during a flare up I should just sit back and relax; luckily I don’t listen very well.  Monday I had a nice treadmill run, Tuesday I did a short stint on the treadmill followed by a spin class.  Wednesday – I took the day off (had to much homework to do).  Thursday three miles on the elliptical machine; Friday another nice treadmill run; Saturday, even though it was cold, I had a fabulous run with the BRC FIT.  Today after dropping my boys off with my dad I snuck off to the pool.  My goal was to do one mile. I didn’t care how long it took me but damn it I was going to do a mile! I did a nice 100 m warm up, stretched out (my shoulder got mad at me last time so I wanted to make sure it was nice and stretched).  I figured I would break my remaining laps into 500 meters.  The first 500 was freestyle-breaststroke-freestyle-back stroke-freestyle.  Set number two was kicking-stroke-kicking-stroke-kicking (usually I do it the other way, but trying to be nice to my shoulder).  The final set was another freestyle-breaststroke-freestyle-back stroke-freestyle.  I kept it gentle enough that my shoulder did not get upset, I also had to be gentle on my knee.  By the time I got out of the pool I felt wonderful! Of course I had to make a side trip to the hot tub. 

My whole point of this rambling is the fact that I could have thrown in the towel and decided I was to “ill” to live MY life.  I realize there are days when my body tells me there are no ifs and or buts about it I have to take a day or two (or more) off.  I just don’t understand how anyone with any knowledge about lupus or any other autoimmune disease would have the audacity to encourage someone is a flare to do nothing. I am not saying that during a flare up extra down time isn’t needed because, trust me, it is!!!! But if you can get out even for a little bit it is so worth it.  I am tired after my workouts, but then again I am tired before them so what is the difference?! I am so much more relaxed and I am a lot nicer to live with!

Treatment of SLE The treatment of SLE is as varied as its course. Although there is no cure for lupus and it is difficult to predict which treatment will be most effective for each patient, there have been significant gains in treating patients, and there is general consensus on several treatments. A conservative regimen of physical and emotional rest, protection from direct sunlight, a healthful diet, prompt treatment of infections, and avoidance of aggravating factors are the mainstays of lupus therapy. In addition, for female patients, pregnancy must be planned for times when the disease is under control, and the patient is on allowable medications. Physical Rest This basic component of everyone’s good health is essential for the person with lupus. The fatigue of lupus is not sleepiness or tiredness from physical exertion, but rather a frequent, persistent complaint often described as a “bone-tired feeling” or a “paralyzing fatigue.” Normal rest often does not refresh the patient or eliminate the tiredness due to lupus, and fatigue may persist despite normal laboratory test results. The patient and family need instruction on how to use this tiredness as a guide for scheduling activity and rest. It must be reinforced that this need for rest is not laziness. Eight to 10 hours a night of restful sleep, naps, and “timeouts” during the day are basic guidelines. Physical activity should be encouraged as the patient can tolerate it. However, in some patients, the fatigue is more related to fibromyalgia than to the activity of their lupus. An individualized exercise routine may promote wellbeing, especially in a patient with fibromyalgia. Some scientists believe that the incidence of fibromyalgia is increased in patients with lupus. They do not know why, but one hypothesis is that inflammation from lupus may lead to the rewiring of the pain pathways in the central nervous system. Emotional Rest A patient’s emotional stressors should be carefully assessed, because they may play a role in triggering a flare. The patient should be instructed on how to avoid these stressful situations. However, the physical manifestations of lupus must be treated as they present themselves while the emotional stresses are explored. Discussions with family members on this issue are essential for providing them with information and obtaining their support. Counseling for both the patient and the family may be an option. Chapter 6, Psychosocial Aspects of Lupus, explores these issues in further detail. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Lupus/Lupus_Guide/chapter_1.asp

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Let the weekend begin!!!!!!

3 March 2012

Whether you are employed or not there is something to be said about the weekend.  It just occurred to me that I wake up earlier on the weekends then I do during the week, and quite frankly I LOVE IT!!!!!

This morning was the weekly BRC FIT group run, I was supposed to do a mile more than last week (which was 2.???). I did a 3 miler during the week, but it was on the elliptical so I decided I would do between 3 and 4 miles.  I was going to listen to my back and my knee (which I have hit, yet again!!!!). It was cold out, but I knew that before I left the house… I had running rights under my pants, I had a two running bras on (one is almost ready for retirement), a running bra shirt, a long sleeve shirt , a t-shirt, a sweat shirt, a jacket, gloves and a the kitty hat that a friend gave me for Christmas (my running hats are in my car which is STILL in the shop).  I successfully completed three miles without any knee or back pain, my shins/calves were a little off for the first mile, once they warmed up I felt much better!

On my way home I made a stop at my third favorite store… Home Depot.  I am doing a lot of home improvements right now and I needed to pick something up! Once I got home (before I even took my shower it was time to start doing stuff!  I managed to get a screw in behind my nail! I know, yay for me! I now have a Meeper band aid protecting my finger.  I have most of that little project done now, but there is still so much to do! The fur kids hate me doing weird things to the house, they are just going to have to deal with it!

Tomorrow I might hit the pool for some quiet time, or I might paint another wall.  Who knows! It’s the weekend so everything is fair game!!!!

Oh! I have picked up a few books lately they include The Grace to Race by Sister Madonna Buder (she is SUCH an inspiration) and Trizophrenia by Jef Mallett (looks funny).  I am looking forward to reading both of them!

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Relaxing!

2 March 2012

The weather around here has been a little odd, but it’s Colorado, so what do you expect?

Kind of a continuation from yesterday…  Once a week I have a weight loss appointment (well actually it is a “Move” appointment for wounded/injured people) and the class subject was physical activity (we have food and psych as well).  The instructor went around the class to find out how everyone is doing.  One of my class mates deals with fibromyalgia and both of us commented that we are dealing with a flare.  Later in the class the instructor made a comment it is important to try to either work through the pain or work around it, “except our two people who are in a flare up, they need to just relax and wait it out.” Ummm, I don’t think so.  I refuse to sedentary for THAT long. 

Today I had a 2.5 mile run on the books and I was short a cross training day.  I got on the treadmill and did my 2.5 miles of run/walking. My back dealt with it pretty well and my knee (which I hit AGAIN last night) did ok.  I did get a few cramps, but I worked through them.  Then I did a smidge of core work (still taking it easy).  Then off to the pool.  Ok, my shoulder needs some strength training, but by the time I left the gym I felt so relaxed! It was great! Yes, I was tired when I went in and I was tired when I left.  Shoot, I am tired now!  If I waited until I wasn’t tired I would NEVER get anything done.  At least I am a happy and relaxed tired!

Tomorrow – group run with BRC… 4 miles (assuming my back plays nice)

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~

Outside the box

1 March 2012

I knew from the get go training would be difficult for my full iron distance race.  But in a way it has become an exercise in thinking outside the box.  I need to get my training in, but I am still dealing with a baby flare up; my back is not cutting me any slack.  It hurts to run sometimes (more often than not) but I still need to get my training in, and it has to be quality, it can’t just be miles for the sake of miles. 

I am a little too excited that my back is more than happy to go to spin class (my butt doesn’t like it, but it needs to get over it!).  There is also my friend the elliptical machine, which is something my back and my knee (which was smashed into a corner yesterday) really enjoy.  When those fall though there is nothing like water running or for that matter just hanging out in the pool and relaxing!

I am also one who needs rewards! I want my rewards! SO I made a deal with myself that every 50 miles (not including miles on the bike) I can get a mani, every 100 miles I get a pedi. I got a whole 3 miles today!!!! J

On the support front… I have to do a shout out to my favorite running store in the entire world… Colorado Running Company!  I love the fact that I can go in and the help I get is amazing.  I don’t get judge by my size, I am seen as a runner/triathlete . I can go in there and say this or that is going on and I need help.  On Monday I went in and asked about my back.  I had some inserts put into my shoes and was able to complete a 2.5 mile run without as much pain.  I love the fact that whenever I need help I can go in there and I get the help I need. 

~If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned"~