Just Some Fun Stuff

It's sort of early, 47 degrees, and I'm not liking the cold. September has been a challenging month for me, to say the least. I started back on a medication for my RA that is really yukky. It makes me tired and sick for several days after taking it (I take it Monday night and usually don't feel real good again until Thursday p.m.). The cold plays havoc with my body. Before RA, I wouldn't have thought twice about riding in 40 or 50 degree weather. Now....no way. I really need 60's or better. So....I skipped my ride yesterday and had a nice, long indoor workout.

Oh, and I did a 5K on Saturday! My first race of any kind in over a year. It was a new race, sponsored by the private school my kids attended. The proceeds were for a scholarship fund in the memory of a young lady who passed away at a very young age. She was the sister of one of my son's classmates, and I felt I just had to go to support such a great cause!

I had a wonderful time seeing so many old friends. It was the perfect day for a run--in the 50's, some sun, some wind. I had a very realistic goal--under 29 minutes would be just fine, thank you very much. I did not run the entire months of August and September due to pain (I hate to say injuries....) and only started running a couple weeks ago. I vaguely remembered what it is like to run a 5K without coming off a bike ride--I do much better after the ride. However, I have to say I did OK. My time was announced as 27+, but my watch said 28:17, which is just over a 9 minute pace. Hey, for me, that's not bad! It was my first race in the 55-59 age group--there were two of us there. (I did finish first.)

After the race I drove over to Lifetime and had a really nice swim before picking up Melissa at the gym. It was a nice day. However, my quads were sore the next day from running HARD on concrete--something I only do in a race. I stick to soft surfaces whenever possible. Makes a HUGE difference.

Running in that race made me wish I could race next year. Several things will have to happen. First, I really need to lose at least 10-15 pounds. I am fat and not in any shape to race. I tried really hard, again, this summer to drop weight: I trained 15-20 hours every week, but I admit I wasn't always careful about what I ate. I'm going to try again this winter. (Actually, every day I wake up and say: I can eat perfect today. I really try to do one day at a time.) Maybe the additional medication will help with my RA and I'll have more energy and feel better this winter.

Melissa is still struggling with dizziness. We're going to have a Vestibular evaluation on Friday. It's a relatively new kind of physical therapy. I really hope this helps, because the next step is an MRI of her head. Her gymnastics is very limited and meet season starts in December, so we're hoping to get this resolved as soon as possible.

I have decided that Facebook is amazing. I have been able to connect with old friends, and stay in touch with those I can't see on a regular basis. It's a great tool.

Many of my "tri" friends have had amazing races in the past weeks. Many still have their "A" race coming up. Good luck to all of you. Happy training! I hope the weather holds out for you for the remainder of the weeks you have to train.

Hoping to get out on the bike later--but it will have to get to at least 60 degrees with some sun. If not....I really don't want to put my bike on the trainer, because I'm hoping for at least one more long ride this Sunday. There's always the pool!

Well, until next time--God bless!

I'm Back...Well, Sort of

It's been a while I know, but I thought I'd post an update on what's been happening in my life. Three seasons have come and gone (almost) since my last post. I'll try to keep this relatively brief.

In a nutshell, I had a tough winter. I tried really hard to drop some weight--it didn't happen, and I'm really not sure why. Age, menopause, change of metabolism, not sure. I decided, for many reasons, not to race this season. I think it was a good decision. I had a good June, but had to stop running for most of July and all of August. I just started again, and I now know I will have to limit how much/far I run. But that's OK. The stairs and eliptical are OK for aerobic fitness, but nothing can replace the feeling of a good run--even if it is on the treadmill.

Lots of hours doing core and strength work hopefully have paid off. Maybe not in appearance, but in some ways I feel stronger than in the past. I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that I'm not in my 30's or 40's anymore, and I should be very grateful I can to as much as I can. Being a type A personality, however, I've always been really hard on myself and never seem to be happy with where I am physically. Always a work in progress.

I have put in a lot of miles on my bike this summer--more than ever before! And I just love it. Knowing I can ride whenever I want, whatever distance I feel like has been an amazing feeling. It's been warm and windy, but it sure beats cold and windy!

My kids are amazing. Melissa had a tough year in gymnastics--a couple injuries, major growth spurt, and moving up to the optional level made for some big changes. This will probably be her last year in club gymnastics. Bolingbrook HS does not have a team, and I would like to see her get more involved with school activities, which would be very hard with the practice schedule the team has. She turned 13 in August--an amazing young lady with a great heart and lots of spirit, in a very quiet package.

Ryan just started his Junior year at Bolingbrook High School. He had an amazing Sophomore year. He was inducted into the National Honor Society and received the award for Outstanding Honors Chemistry student for the year! I can't believe he will be 17 in October. He's not crazy about driving and is still working on getting his 50 hours of practice. We're not a hurry for him to drive. He wasn't able to find a job this summer, but kept busy with volunteer work and helping his mom around the house. This will be a tough year for him in school--two AP classes and two honor classes--but we know he'll do his very best and we are soooo proud of him.

I'm happy to say that many of my "tri" friends had/are having amazing racing seasons. They are an inspiration and have worked to hard to get to where they are. Several still have their "A" races coming up. Good luck to all of you!

I'm not looking forward to the cold weather.....I really would like to move someday to a warm, dry climate. But....I'll do my best to make it through another Chicago winter.

That's all for now--will try to post more often, maybe once a week or so, depending on what's happening in my life.

Have a blessed day and God bless!