Don't do that honey!

Last night my old friend insomnia hit me, again! Or is it still, either way I was up much later than I wanted to be. So this morning when it was time to get up it was a bit of a struggle.  I did get up and off to the gym I went wear a Sparkle Skirt a dear friend gave me.  This was the first time I had ever worn that brand, I wasn’t too sure about it.  Typically, my fluffy belly bounces the waist down (so I am pulling it up ever three seconds and my “tree trunk” legs make the shorts go up (typically I wear capris under my running skirts).  I got on the treadmill (I have a 51 minute run on the books today) and I did my five minute warm up and everything was staying put except the rock in my shoe.  Ok, on to the walk 1 “run” 4 minutes… After 40 minutes of that I had done no skirt fixing, the last 6 minutes I was doing sprints and STILL no skirt fixing!!!!! It is nice that a company has made a running skirt that works on fluffier athletes!

As far as the pool went today it wasn’t anywhere near as successful as the run was.  I have blister on my feet and pushing off of the wall was not fun, my iPod died so no music while swimming and I just couldn’t get into it. So after 300 meters I called it quits and hit the hot tub (I have time before my doctors appointment tomorrow to hit the pool so I will try it again tomorrow!).

I get the in the hot tub and I know it is not great for one’s health but it is soooooo relaxing.  At first I am in there by myself, then a mom and her child come over (there are signs everywhere saying not for children under 12).  Mom tells the kid to sit on the edge.  Next thing you see kid has his feet in the hot tub, then his legs then he is up to his waist and then he is all the way in.  When his mom FINALLY notices she tells him to get out… what does he do? He just stares at her and continues to walk around in the hot tub.  I am sorry, but I would drag his butt out if I were his mom and he ignored me like that.  People wonder why kids are such problems these days!

Oh well! Tomorrow is pool time and a bike ride (hopefully I will actually be able to get some time on my bike.

~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"~

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my Gosh!

20 Apr 12

I almost feel like a little kid getting ready for Christmas… Six months from right now I will be in the middle of my first FULL iron distance triathlon.  After this week of training (which isn’t even complete yet) I am feeling really good about this race. 

I realize today is only Friday, but I would put this week of training WAY up there on the scale of awesomeness.  So far I have more than 11 miles on the treadmill, 2 ½ miles in the pool and an butt kicker of a spin class done.  I had planned on hitting a yoga class today, but the day got filled with medical stuff, which isn’t a bad thing.  Tomorrow is my long run, I am supposed to meet with the ladies of the BRC Fit group, but I am not sure my lungs would be happy if I tried to do a long run in Garden of the Gods, so I might just hit my favorite trail and keep it nice and easy.  Sunday depending on how I am feeling, I will either head up north to cheer on a friend or I will hit the trails on my bike.  I guess we will have to see. 

Six months… You hear me???? SIX MONTHS… I can’t wait!

Oh! And I have successfully written down everything I have consumed to far this week AND only had one soda a day!

Please keep them in your prayers!

~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"~

Here we go!!!!!

Don’t Let the Fat Chick Beat You has gone on vacation until the end of October, but this is for a very good reason!

Here we on 1 February 2012. In 263 days I will be toeing the line at my first iron distance triathlon.  I had dreamed of that day for a few years and I am finally on the on the road. I realize this road is going to rough under ideal circumstances; this journey for me will be very interesting.  I have to ensure I keep a VERY good balance of training properly for the race but not pushing to hard that I end up in a lupus flare up.

During these next 263 days I am keeping my races to a minimum. Between now and 20 October 2012 I have a half marathon (March 2012), a full marathon (May 2012), a sprint triathlon (August 2012) and the training plan I am working off of also calls for an Olympic and a Half Iron distance triathlon.  If I do any more triathlons, I am up for the half iron distance (September 2012), but I haven’t found any Olympic distances that are within in the time frame recommended, not to mention I don’t want to push that much. 

“Official” training doesn’t start until the beginning of May 2012.  I have three months of marathon training to get me ready for the harder workouts.  I have my marathon training schedule, but I still have available time to work with weights, get bike time and happily… pool time!

Part of this journey will also be an experiment!  I can’t help but wonder how my lupus will respond; I am well aware of the fact that I HAVE to be very careful that I do not overdo it and end up in a flare up. Because of this wonderful disease I am on some nasty medications:

      Iron – I get anemic

      Melatonin – if my friend insomnia comes to visit more than three days in a row

      Methotrexate – lupus – takes the pain level down noticeably

      Omeprazole – antacid – I LOVE this stuff

      Flexural – muscle relaxer – thank goodness I don’t need these very often! (My family loves it when I am taking these “free entertainment”)

      Vitamin D3 – vitamin D3 deficient (thank you lupus)

      B12 – vitamin B12 deficient (thank you lupus)

      Plaquinil – lupus

      Vicodin – MAJOR pain pill – again, luckily I don’t have to take it very often!

      Folic Acid – to counter the methotrexate

      Levothyroxine – hypothyroid

      Mobic – anti-inflammatory

Only three of these I do not have to take on a regular basis. I refer to Saturday nights as “Pharmacy Night” and at 34 years old that is just stupid.  I am posting this list and I am hoping in 263 days that list is shortened (not sure how, but it is worth the shot!) On a side note… thanks to methotrexate I get to go to the vampire every six weeks because this medication is so harsh it can wreck major havoc on the liver. 

With all that said the next moth looks like the following:

		5	Misc/Rest	3	10	Cross
		2/1/2012	2/2/2012	2/3/2012	2/4/2012	2/5/2012
3	Spinning	5	Misc/Rest	3	7	Cross
2/6/2012	2/7/2012	2/8/2012	2/9/2012	2/10/2012	2/11/2012	2/12/2012
3	Spinning	6	Misc/Rest	3	12	Cross
2/13/2012	2/14/2012	2/15/2012	2/16/2012	2/17/2012	2/18/2012	2/19/2012
3	Spinning	6	Misc/Rest	3	13	Cross
2/20/2012	2/21/2012	2/22/2012	2/23/2012	2/24/2012	2/25/2012	2/26/2012
3	Spinning	7
2/27/2012	2/28/2012	2/29/2012

The “Misc/Rest” and Sunday “Cross” are my flexible days.  These two days I am going to either take a day off or participate in quieter activities; yoga, Pilates, etc.

Here is to an interesting 263 days!

~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"~

SHE LIVES!!!!!!

SHE LIVES!




Ok, so I have sort of been in seclusion for a while, but I am still a live and I am still kicking. I am doing my best to keep this year calm and relatively quiet on the race front. I signed up for the Colorado Marathon back in September. For an early Christmas present my sister entered me into the Canyonlands Half Marathon (which by the way, I got in!!!!). After May, I am thinking about Ride for the Cure (again) which is at the end of June; I will be doing the 72 miler. I also would like to do Tri for the Cure, I love that race. Other than that I am keep my race calendar quiet. My one and only A race this year is Beach 2 Battleship.

As far as everything else… November/December were on the rough side. The VA sent me to their rheumatologist and I was informed my liver levels were high and I had to be retested oh, and I should be tested for hepatitis and this, that and everything else under the sun. 10+ viles later… I decided her bedside manner was lacking to much and I returned to my Rheumy, he took the time to get to know me, he listens to me, and his staff is just amazing. I brought him my results and he reviewed them. Yes, my liver level is high, but he isn’t concerned right now. We will keep a close eye on it, but he put me back on my methotrexate and we continued on.

The kiddo front was been jumping to, but that is a whole different blog!

I promised myself if I go two weeks without missing a workout then I can get a new running skirt (purple plaid!!!!) I am trying to make sure I don’t overdo it, but on the same token make sure I get my training it.

~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"~

Don't let the fat unemployed chick beat you!

Ok, I have posted anything on here is just about forever (ok, going on two months). I am still alive but boy are things going in all directions!

First and foremost I did Tri for the Cure and had a ball! Had some minor foot issues, but they weren’t a huge deal (ok, I got some major hot spots, but they eventually healed!).  I skipped Rattlesnake and Harvestmoon for medical reason; it because very clear I cannot do more than one race per month, no ifs ands or buts about it.  I did complete the Coast to Coast Challenge and had a ball!  My next “race” is on 1 Oct 11 and is a Pumpkin run, this is more of a therapy run because it is the day after my last day at work, yes, I was hit by a “force reduction”.  The weekend after that I will be participating in the Denver Half Marathon, I was going to do the half, but I was just not feeling it!

I am looking at this lay off in as much of a positive light as possible… My full ironman is next November, this will give me time to train! I guess I am not supposed to see it that way, but if I look at it any other way I might be facing another break down and I refuse to deal with that!

On a more personal note, about three months ago I met someone and he has proven to me time and time again how much he cares.  He came up to Tri for the Cure to cheer me on, he picks me up after a 10 mile run and I am all stinky and sweaty! All four of my boys like him, it took Charlie a little while to get used to him, but after a trip to the dog park I think Charlie gave his slobber of approval. Freddie is easy!

This blog may morph again into an unemployed triathlete blog, we shall see!

~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"~

Tri for the Cure

Here I am less than a week away from my first tri in two years and I am so excited.  I am not doing it for time, I am doing it for the fun of it.  It is invigorating seeing newbies get their first taste of the tri world. It is amazing seeing the camaraderie between the women.  It is just… I can’t wait!

It occurred to me last night that for the next month I have something going on every other weekend!

7 Aug 11	Tri for the cure
20-21 Aug 11	Rattlesnake triathlons
4 Sep 11	Half Marathon
11 Sep 11	Harvest moon long course

At this point in the game I am not sure I will do Denver has a full or a half.  I am not to horribly concerned either way.  I think this season has turned into a ‘let’s have fun’ season, which is fine with me! I am not sure when this change happened, but it did.  It might have something to do with the fact I know next year will be a lot of hard work and I am just not feeling it this year.  I want to go out and enjoy the scenery and just have fun.  It has been a bitch of a year and I want it to end with a smile on my face!

~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"~

Now get over it!

The past two weeks have been… interesting! Between Jose “being allergic to latex” to “no, he is not allergic to anything, get him to the dermatologist NOW” to “this and this are an infection, but I don’t know what that is at this time” throw in the mix my neck/shoulder having a hay day with me all last week resulting in an ER visit on Friday. 

With that all said, this week I felt like I was pregnant again, not because of the swelling and vomiting and all that but because of the emotional roller coaster.  Monday was off, YAY! Tuesday I started school again (I am getting there, I swear) and having a wonderful workout afterwards.  Wednesday I had a follow up with my rheumy (always upsets me) he is still standing by his diagnosis of lupus (hey, I can hope, can’t I?), got lectured for not calling him about the ER, got an entire shopping list of prescriptions (makes the situation even worse).  I got home (in the pouring rain) and told my sister I need fried rice for dinner (my comfort food).  Thursday was another school night and I returned to the gym to do 5.5 miles, ok I didn’t get that much in, but the 3.2 I did get in felt great.  I also got another mini set of weights in.  While on the weights I was able to think.  My resounding conclusion was life’s a bitch, now get over it.  By the time I left the gym I was feeling good, relaxed and nowhere near as down as I was Wednesday night.

I contacted my running coach and let her know about my new meds (can cause issues with my lungs) and let her know the rheumy wants me to keep up my activity as long as my body will let me.  I still have Beach2Battleship in my view.  I will do it, I will finish, I will have a smile on my face!

~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"~