Run, T-Rex, Run

Owning my shit

2010-07-24T21:39:00.001-07:00

I eat like crap. There. I said it. I can give a million reasons why, but most are excuses. Mom was a comfort feeder, I turned to sugar after I was cut off from caffeine at the tender age of 16, I have a sweet tooth, I am a lousy cook. As I'm typing this out all I hear is "blah blah blah."

Over the last year I have made a commitment to working out and have accomplished stuff I never thought I could. I participated in two races and at one point was exercising a minimum of four days a week - really more like 5 days. But I still ate like crap. Because of that, I didn't make nearly enough progress with my fitness and health goals.

Yes, I have very active lupus an it's never going to go away. Yes, I take a shit ton of meds that fuck up my metabolism. Yes, some of what my body does is out of my control.

I am almost 30 years old and I'm tired of making excuses. It's time for me to own the fact that despite the fact I've worked hard-harder than I ever have- I still have so much farther to go. If I am going to achieve my desired health and fitness goals I need to do two things.

First, I need to come up with SMART (specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic and time-based for all you evaluation geeks) goals.

And second - i need to own my shit every single day. If I eat like crap I have to own the act and the consequences. If I only work out once a week, I can't act surprised when I don't see a change.

I recently started a health journal as a way of helping me own my shit. Even on my worse day I will write in what I eat (or don't), exercise (or don't) and how I feel.

I wan to learn how to be honest with myself and respond accordingly.

Wish me luck.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Change of plans

2010-07-10T22:58:00.001-07:00

It's been a while. Work has been insane and health has sucked. I haven't been able to run/ walk/jog in months and it has sucked royally.

Because of this I've had a lot time to think about many goals. After several talks with my trainer, doctor, husband, and closest friends vie decided to skip the disney half marathon. My body is just not up to it and I'm not willing to risk getting sicker to prepare.

I haven't stopped working with my awesome personal trainer @mariafit, but it's definitely scaled back.

My new goal is to drop more weight and work on getting stronger so marathon training wont kill me. The goal is to attempt the LA marathon in 2011. Once I complete this goal, I'm goon to focus on muay Thai boxing.

I promise I'll get better at posting. Summer is slow(er) so I'll try to get in weekly posts.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Eek!

2010-04-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Eek pretty much sums up how I've been feeling lately. Time is going by entirely too fast and I'm struggling to keep up with it all.

First things first - I have not yet gotten back into a training routine. The foot finally healed, but my heart is still acting like a fool. Because of the lupus, I've developed a weird heart issue. I have chronic tachycardia - basically without medication my resting heart rate is roughly 120 beats per minute. Best guess is that there's some sort of electrical misfiring between the brain and the heart. In any case, I'm on medication for the rest of my life to control it. A few weeks ago my heart was beating faster than normal and I was sent to the emergency room for monitoring. My doctor and I tweaked my meds to make my heart slow down, but I'm still not even close to 100% back to normal. I've been killing time until my heart stops freaking out. I haven't done much exercising at all, if you don't count running all over NYC for a week.

My goal for May (eek, it's May already) is to get back to the gym at least 3 times each week - including meeting with my personal trainer.

The Disney Half is 130 days away, so I need to get back to training asap.

Getting back into a rhythm

2010-03-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the exercise game for a little over a month now. While I've managed not to gain any weight (and actually lose a few pounds), my precious rhythm has been utterly shot. I was comfortably working out a minimum of three times a week. I loved it - it was my release and my "me" time. After getting injured, I moped for a good three weeks and then started filling up my spare time with either sleeping or working. It blows.

I was recently put back on prednisone (a corticosteroid with nasty side effects) to help with inflammation in my brain. Among the fun side effects, it makes me weepy, irrational/moody, ravenously hungry, and restless. It also makes it hard to sleep. I'm hoping to turn that into a positive and use this extra awake time - I can't call it energy - into productive time.

I NEED my "me" time back. I just need to get into a pattern of making that time for myself. I've got 12 personal training sessions left, so the first task is scheduling those days in my calendar. Then I'm going to force myself to get up and go walking every Sunday morning, with the goal of making it my running day. I'm also going to go back to the gym once I can muster up the energy to go before work.

I NEED your help. Bug me. Make sure I leave work at a regular time. Make sure I make time to exercise.

Disney Half - Marathon

2010-03-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

Marathon weekend has come and gone. It was amazing. I had a great time organizing our team's activities throughout the weekend and completely lost my voice cheering on marathon day. Now that it's all over, and my foot is considerably better, I figured it was time to sign up for a new race. Since I haven't been to Disney yet, I figured what better way to see the park than running through it. I've got something like 150 days to train, so I have plenty of time to get up to speed.

Progress

2010-03-09T08:28:00.001-08:00

It's been about three weeks since the fall and I'm pleased to report that the healing is coming along nicely. The swelling has finally gone down, the bruises are fading and I can walk fairly comfortably. I am still in the cast as my ankle is still a bit wobbly, but I can wear it with a sneaker on my foot instead of the post - surgery shoe.

I also went back to the gym for the first time last night. We stayed away from lower body workouts but managed to find an hour's worth of torture for me :p. It was fabulous. I've never been so excited to sweat and feel nauseaus. I also found a few exercises that I can comfortably do at home, so I will be building those into my routine each morning.

Hooray progress!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The daily pain

2010-02-20T00:48:00.000-08:00

I was recently reading an article on the Runners World website about the psychological damage of injuries by Ben Cheevy. While it was an interesting and engaging article, there was one line that really struck a chord.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

Yes, I experience some level of pain every single day. A good day for me simply means that the pain is tolerable enough that I can get up, go to work, interact with others and be a productive member of society. Feeling "good" or "healthy" generally means I'm in less pain than usual. While it sucks, I've come to terms with this reality. It's part of living with lupus.

And as much as I bitch and moan about the pills I have to take, the running injuries, etc., I need to be clear. I'm choosing to not suffering. I can't suffer. Despite everything, I have a good life. I have an amazing husband and supportive family, I have a friggin' adorable dog, I have wonderful coworkers and friends. Hell, I have amazing friends who I've never met in person through some of my favorite lupus sites.

Someone smack me upside my head the next time I lose sight of all of this.

Sidelined

2010-02-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

I'm heartbroken to say that I won't be running the marathon next month. I had a freak accident/fall on Tuesday, and ended up with a small tear in my lateral ligament of my right foot. While the pain and swelling have gone down substantially, I will be in an air cast (removable) for the next 3-4 weeks. I've been told that I can't do any real training until it's off. I can start doing some "light" walking in a week or two.

It took all my will power not to burst into tears when I found out, but I'm gradually getting to an okay place about it all. I've let my trainer know that I want to come back in a week or two to get in some shorter upper-body workouts, and am still hoping that I can at least walk the 5k race. If I can't my goal is to get back into training as soon as it's feasible and complete a marathon ASAP. I want all of the people who donated money in support of my race to feel like they have gotten their money's worth, and I NEED to feel like I've accomplished my goal.

Even though it's only been a few days, I'm feeling significantly (physically) better. My foot only throbs when I'm sitting, and I can limp pretty well. The real challenge is driving, but hopefully that will ease up as well.

I'll still keep posting during this break (no pun intended). I started this blog because of the marathon, but my journey to feeling better and learning how to run/walk without getting hurt is just starting.

And here's a fun link I wish I had seen/paid attention to a while ago: 10 Laws of Injury Prevention

33 days

2010-02-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

I realized last week that I'm running out of time very, very quickly. I've stalled out at 10 miles - while I have the stamina and desire to do more, any more than that, and up until today my feet blistered so bad that I couldn't walk. Today, I finally figured out the trick- covering my feet entirely in moleskin. It's slightly uncomfortable, but hey, it works. I've also come to the sad, sad conclusion that as much as I hate running intervals, it's going to be the only way I will finish the marathon in the time I've planned. It's not going to be pretty, but I'm going to finish.

Why work with a trainer?

2010-02-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

I technically have three trainers - one personal trainer who I see twice a week, and two running trainers who I see once a week, assuming I make it out for my long run. When I'm on top of my game, I also go to another gym a few times a week to work out on the treadmill. It's kind of a crazy schedule, but it works for me. I realize that other people could (and do) accomplish more on their own, but that's not me. I'm somewhat lazy, and very much adverse to any sort of physical discomfort. I mean really, I spend a good part of my life taking meds and doing things so I don't hurt - why would I (on my own) do something that I've long associated with not feeling good? This is why it works for me:

Accountability - I'm accountable to a few people. I'm accountable to my trainer, since I have weekly appointments. I'm accountable to myself and my husband because I'm using our hard earned money for this training. With the running training, I'm accountable to my team since I see them several times a week. I'm also accountable to my sponsors, who are counting on me to train well enough to complete the marathon.
Expertise - My trainers know what the heck they're doing. That's why I pay them. They know what exercises to do in what order and in what repetition to gain the results I desire. It saves me the time of trial and error in coming up with a workout that meets my needs.
Support - I have the most awesome trainers ever. They're all so supportive of what I do, and they're genuinely happy when I reach a new milestone.
Safety - It's nice having someone watching me when I use weights. I tend to fall a lot, so it's good to know that someone will make sure I don't give myself a concussion on the way down.
Inspiration - I really do admire my trainers. Each of them are awesome in their own way, and every time I work out with them, I pick up something new.

That being said, I know that other people have the motivation and time and common sense to work out on their own. I think that's great, but that will probably never be me. While I can work out on my own some of the time, I need regular interaction and instruction.

Working out during a flare

2010-02-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

Winter is always tough for us lupies. As the temperature drops, joint pain, pleurisy, and fatigue become part of the daily routine. While this winter hasn't been as bad as previous ones, it's still been challenging. Unlike previous years, I haven't just decided to stop everything and hibernate for a few months. I've kept up with some -not all- of my workout routines. Here's what has helped me:

Sleep - I sleep a LOT. During the week, I try to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep, or at least 8 hours in bed. On the weekends, however, I've started napping for 3-4 hours after my workouts.
Vitamins - in addition to my medications, I also take a multivitamin, a calcium/vitamin D supplement and glucosamine.*** I find not taking this stuff makes me feel sick and sluggish. I have to take meds twice a day anyway, so it's no big deal to add on a few more each day.
Staying at work late - I know that seems counterproductive, but I found if I stay at work an hour or so late a couple of times a week, I don't bring work home. And that means when I am home I can dedicate my time to other things.
Slowing down - Left to my own devices, I would probably overschedule myself on a regular basis to the point of exhaustion. I now consciously go through my schedule once a week and aim to have no more than 2 big things a day. That includes school and working out.
Sleep - did I mention that already?
Eating better - Okay, so I'm not really good at that yet, but when I do eat better it gives me more energy. Cutting out sugar and salt seem to be the most effective for me.

***These supplements are mentioned as information only. Please do not try anything new - supplements or otherwise - without first speaking with your doctor.

There's still time to donate!

2010-01-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to support my run. You can do so by visiting www.firstgiving.com/elysereyes. You can donate to other team members by visiting www.firstgiving.com/teamlifewithoutlupus. We need your support.

Thanks

Post-Marathon Goals

2010-01-31T11:03:00.000-08:00

My good friend J always says, "If you want to hear lupus laugh, make plans." I generally tend to agree. Between the two of us, we've had some interesting health problems, so we try not to talk too much about the future and try our best to live day today. It generally works well.

Despite this, I can't seem to shake the desire to set up goals for after the marathon. After all, it's a little less than 2 months away at this point. I've hated the getting up early, the being sore, the blisters, etc., but I can't deny that this has been a life changing experience. I can't imagine going back to not having these goals, and not getting stronger. I can't imagine having no physical outlet for stress. I need a plan, and something to work towards. Without it, it will be too easy to just go back to sitting and sulking. So here's what I'm thinking:

Learn about Muay Thai. The trainer I work with teaches Muay Thai, and she's one of the coolest badasses I've ever met. I want to keep working with her and getting stronger.
Running - I'm still slower than molasses. I would love to graduate from power walking to primarily jogging or running. I fully intended to do the 2011 Venice half (and actually finish) and the LA Marathon.
Biking - I have a bike, and it's collecting dust. I really want to start exploring this city we've decided to call home by bike. There are so many cool neighborhoods, awesome parks and hills that I can enjoy.

My Health

2010-01-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

I try not to talk about my health very often, because I'm ridiculously superstitious. I'm afraid that if I talk about it, I'll jinx myself and end up in a flare. Intellectually, I know that's dumb. It's lupus, and there is always a chance that I'll get sick for no good reason.

So I'll only say this: my training has had a positive effect on my health. It's not that I don't get sick - like before, it seems like I'm always in a low level flare. What it has done was increased my tolerance for pain, my confidence in myself that I can recover, and my awareness of my body so I know when I can push through the pain and when I need to slow down. Aside from the ridiculous blisters, I've been fortunate enough that I haven't had any major injuries.

And on that note, I'm going to end this post. I've got about 48 days to go...

Fueling up

2010-01-31T10:35:00.000-08:00

One of the things I've learned over the last few months is that what you eat isn't just important before and after races. It's just as, if not more, important as what you consume during your race.

There are so many products out there - gels, beans, pastes. Some have caffeine, some don't. Some products should be taken once and hour, others are best if you eat 3 or for per serving. It's all rather confusing.

So far I've tried bars, gels and squishy chews. The chews are the most tasty, the gels give me instant energy. The bars keep me from shaking and water is always a good thing. When I do a run over 7 miles, I tend to bring a few of each type of product with me. I'm trying to figure out what works best for keeping me energized for longer periods of time without causing me to crash.

I'm also looking for actual whole foods that will help me. I don't particularly like almonds, but will give them a try.

What works best for you?

Products, products, products

2010-01-30T15:49:00.001-08:00

In the words of my esteemed teammate, for a free sport, I've spent a shitload of money. Technically, to become a runner, you really don't need anything but a pair of comfortable shoes (and less if you're into barefoot running) and a bottle of water. If you're like me, however, you're going to do everything in your power to make sure you don't get hurt. Even though I like to pretend it's not so, I do have a chronic disease that causes lots of pain. One of my goals with running was to make sure that I didn't add much more discomfort to my daily life. This sent me on a quest to find the perfect pants, shoes, socks, hats, etc. that would ensure that I was as protected as possible without living in a padded room while not looking completely stupid. I'm still perfecting my arsenal of tools but wanted to share with you some of the things I can't live without.

Clothing:

C9 by Champion. Target is a great place for fairly inexpensive but sturdy workout gear and the C9 line has some great items. I swear by their sports bras - they're snug without being tight and keep me from getting smacked in the face by my somewhat ample bosom (hehe, i just said bosom). I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the C9 mesh workout pants. I would wear them every damn day if I could get away with it.
Roadrunners Hats. As someone who is photosensitive, hats are really important to me and these rock. I love baseball caps, and between me and my husband, we've got plenty. However, I love love love the running caps that I've gotten at the Road Runners store. They're lightweight, adjustable and vented - everything I want/need.
Socks. I've spent a lot of time research and trying every type of sock imaginable. Thin socks, padded socks, ergonomically designed socks...I've tried them all. Yet again, it's C9 for the win. I love the C9 ankle cut cushioned socks. They have a very small seam, are partially synthetic and cushy as heck. These beat out my fancy running socks which tend to give me blisters.

Belt: I'm a runner who needs a fanny pack/belt. I carry my car keys, a credit card, ID, cash, a phone, my energy gels, extra bandaids, and a bottle of water. As of today I have three but use two interchangably. One is a camping fanny pack that holds two water bottles and has a fairly large pouch. I like it for either shorter activities or non running activities. It's awesome, but you start feeling like it weighs you down around mile 2. No good when you're going for 26. My other belt has a smaller pouch and holds one water bottle. It's supposed to be designed to fit over the hips perfectly and not move. However, my hips and butt (while smaller than before) are still fairly curvy so the belt circles around me the whole damn time. If anyone has belt suggestions, let me know.

Shoes:

I'm not even going to get into the list of shoes that haven't worked. I broke down and bought a pair of Brooks Ariel sneakers, and so far so good. They're super comfortable, and I"m looking forward to wearing them down.

Eventually I'm thinking about getting a pair of Vibram Five Fingers to see what the fuss is all about. I'll post about my thoughts on barefooting at some other time.

Skin:

body lubrication - there are various products out there that supposedly reduce irritation and rashes caused by friction all over your body. I'm not too impressed with anything yet, but will let you know if I find something I enjoy.
powders - similarly, there are powder products which reduce moisture and friction. nothing good to report yet.
Moleskin - I love moleskin. It doesn't matter what brand - as long as it sticks, it makes me happy. moleskin is basically sticky felt that you place on areas where your foot (generally) becomes irritated. It acts as a barrier, and has been my lifesaver. Granted, I practically cover my feet in the stuff, but it has made the biggest difference in my training.

Hair:

Scrunchies: I personally like to use a scrunchy that I don't have to adjust and that won't slip. There's a particular brand that has sort of a rubbery coating on one side so once you put your hair up, you're good to go.
Product - I don't do anything to my hair to "protect" it from damage, but like to do a deeper conditioning after. I like Aveda's black malva conditioner mainly because it smells nice.

Obviously, I've waaaay overthought this and have too much time on my hands.

**Disclosure of Material Connections: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any of the brands, products or services I've mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Considering the Use of Endorsements and Testemonials in Advertising."

Half Marathon recap

2010-01-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

A few members of TLWL signed up for the Venice half marathon, and the closer we got to the date, the more nervous we got. This was by far the longest distance any of us had done to date. I was personally freaked out because I hadn't done more than 8.5 miles, and that was the week before the race.

Nonetheless, we all got up early and headed to the start line near the Venice Boardwalk at 7am. The energy was intense - we were surrounded by people who actually like to run and LOTS of them. There was music, a gear bus and other random stuff going on. We just *knew* it was going to be an awesome day. After all, the event tagline was "Where the party meets the street." Of course it was going to be enjoyable from beginning to end. It had to be. It's a fun run, right? Right??

At exactly 7:13 the whistle blew and we were off. I jogged the first mile instead of doing the intervals we've been practicing until I remembered that I was supposed to be pacing myself. As I was power walking, more and more people started passing me. It was cool - I had no other goal than finishing the race. My trainer came back to check on me around mile 3 and chatted with me for a good mile and a half before going off to check on everyone else. It was going well so far. I was within my planned time frame and feeling a bit sluggish but okay. Somewhere around mile 4.8, however, something started to feel very wrong. My feet started protesting, and just refused to move - every step caused multiple stabbing pains in each foot. I hobbled for a little less than a mile, getting slower and slower until I finally had to stop. I was soooo disappointed! I'd only gone 5.65 miles and I felt like I couldn't go any farther. It seemed like all of my training was for nothing. Even worse, the car was still 6.5 miles in the other direction, so unless I wanted to sit there until my teammembers finished and have them pick me up, I was going to have to keep on going.

Ultimately though, I knew that I was not going to make it for the full 13.1. I still didn't know what was going on, but my feet and legs were just not cooperating. I positioned myself on the side of the road where the runners were heading to the finish line and cheered on my teammates as they ran by. I waited until I saw my husband in the middle of the pack, and then joined him for the trek to the car...er, the finish line. He was totally my rock. In addition to pacing me, he made sure I stayed hydrated and was willing to walk off the course if I got any worse. Eventually, we made it to the finish line and crossed it together. Once we got our medals (everyone who participated got one regardless of the distance) we headed to the car so I could figure out what the heck was going on with my feet.

The answer: Blisters. Lots of them. On both feet. I'll spare you the gory details - it was ugly. Despite the fact that I used Bodyglide and Blister Powder, the friction in my shoes tore my feet up. At final count, I had 5-6 blisters on each foot, each the size of a quarter or bigger.

It took roughly a week for me to walk normally after that, and two weeks before I could train again. While I'm disappointed with my feet, I'm proud that I still completed just about 11.5 miles. I've decided to go back next year and finish the Venice half, and decrease my time. I also replaced my shoes and socks. Because while determination will get me far, shoes that cause blisters ain't helping.

New Year, new goals

2010-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

My husband teased me on New Years Eve about the fact that I don't really believe in new year resolutions. I think people get so hyped up about doing something different, and for most people dies out fast. I make goals throughout the year, and for me, it works better than the resolution. In that spirit, I came up with a list of goals for the next 12 months:

finish the venice 1/2 marathon (next week)
finish the LA Marathon in less than 6h30m
post more vlogs instead of just blog entries
maintain my 4.0 gpa
work on my writing project
get better at taking pictures
spend more time with my dog
spend quality time with my close friends and less time with people who are toxic
get more pedicures
get more massages
take a vacation with just my husband
lose weight and gain muscle
frequent farmers markets
be more green

59.54

2009-12-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

that's the number of miles I've jogged/walked since October. Compared to experienced runners, this is nothing, but for me it's HUUGGEEE. Right before Thanksgiving last year, I was diagnosed with a case of pleurisy. My heart issues were also acting up. It hurt to breathe, and I could barely get around. In May of this year, my doctor thought I had avascular necrosis in my right hip and I had trouble walking for a few months. A few months later, I developed migraines and inflammation in my brain and had to be treated with prednisone in addition to my regular meds. And in October, I could barely walk a mile without my knees and feet swelling up significantly in protest. Yet I've walked almost 60 miles. Freaking A.

Merry Xmas!

2009-12-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Our holiday has been quiet, as our families live 3,000 away. Yesterday I went to the gym and did three miles, showered there (which was surprisingly fabulous), went to the dmv, went to target, went food shopping and skyped with my parents and siblings to watch them open up the gifts we sent. The Husband got me some great gifts including board games, running stuff, an Itunes Apps giftcard, a Jack Johnson concert cd, and one of my favorite movies ever, Monsoon Wedding. Today we're just hanging out at home and watching movies. I think by far we are most grateful for the gift of decent health and for the promise of good days to come :).

cheers,

Pills, pills, pills

2009-12-21T16:58:00.000-08:00

I went to the pharmacy on Friday night after work to pick up my prescriptions. Even though I've been able to do a lot more physically, I still have active lupus, so I still need to take my meds every day. In any case, I got home and started to organize my pill case, and lined up my prescriptions. All but two of those bottles are prescribed by my doctor, and the other two are supplements that my doctor insists I take. This is my healthy mix of meds. Despite the fact that it looks overwhelming, I am grateful that this is all I have to take, and that these meds allow me to do what I love, and what I need to do.

Half-Marathon

2009-12-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

I'm running a half-marathon in 20 days. Why? Because I'm crazy and it sounded like fun. Funny enough, that's how I end up doing lots of things, like grad school. I'm really nervous, as I haven't done more than 5 miles in a single session yet. I know that with the help of the running training and the personal training I'm getting stronger and my endurance is growing, but I'm still nervous. It's going to be a crazy 20 days.

Surprised

2009-12-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my trainer in between exercises this morning, and told her that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed exercising. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a lazy slug who loves sleeping, but I've come to see my training sessions as the highlight of my week. In an ideal world where money was not an issue, I would totally train with her forever. She's super sweet, kicks my ass and makes sure I don't hurt myself. Who could ask for anything more?

I reached my fundraising goal!

2009-12-21T16:47:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to say that I reached my fundraising goal of $1000 a few weeks ago thanks to some really generous, amazing people. As a result, I've upped my goal to $1500, and am pretty confident I'll hit it by race day.

If you or someone you know would like to donate to a charity, please consider donating to Lupus LA in support of my run: www.firstgiving.com/elysereyes.

Playlists

2009-12-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

I like listening to all sorts of music when I exercise. My playlist changes every couple of weeks so this is what I have in rotation now (in no particular order):

Kanye West - Stronger

Eminem/Nate Dogg - 'Till I Collapse

Molotov - Porque no te haces para alla

Arrested Development - Tennessee

Molotov - Matate tete

Foo Fighters - Pretenders

Jay-z - Run this Town

Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC

Molotov - Hasta La Basura

Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver

Jarabe de Palo - Bonito

Lady Gaga - Just Dance

Fallout Boy - Beat It

Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama

Matchbox Twenty - How far we've come

Molotov - Yofo

Molotov - No Manches Mi Vida

Crystal Waters - Party in the Ghetto

Lil Jon/D Mite - Read a Book

Beastie Boys - We got the

Lady Gaga - Beautiful Dirty Rich

Molotov - Blame me

Beastie Boys - 3 the Hard Way

Hoobastank - Out of Control

Molotov - Dance and Dense Denso

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Matador

Dethklok - Fansong

Dethklok - Duncan Hills Jingle

Dethklok - Dethharmonic

Molotov - Nostradamus Mucho

El General - Muevel0

Nelly Furtado - No Hay Igual

Sergio Mendeso - Magalehna

Jay-z - 99 Problems

89 Days!

2009-12-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

Did I just say I had 89 days left?!?!?

Thank goodness for the holiday break! I have roughly two weeks with nothing but 6 days of work on my schedule. I'm going to be a gym rat for the next little bit, and I'm actually looking forward to it.

Here's my holiday plan:

Monday (today) - personal trainer at 7am

Tuesday - gym or Santa Monica short run (either am or pm, still not sure)

Wednesday - gym

Thursday - either UCLA track or gym

Friday - rest

Saturday - UCLA track or gym

Sunday - outdoor run (hoping to do boardwalk)

Monday - rest

Tuesday - Santa Monica short run

Wednesday - gym

Thursday - gym

Friday - rest

Saturday - gym

Sunday - long run outdoors

All sorts of ups and downs

2009-12-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

My health follows a general pattern...I start feeling good, do way too much, complain that I'm tired, keep going, go to the doctor and tell him how great I feel and fall apart the very next day. True to form, that's what happened in December. Between finishing up the year with one last event, school, and working out, I ran myself into a flare**. By Saturday evening, I was limping around and lost use of my right hand. It was groovy. With the help of my dear sweet husband, and tons of rest and meds, I was able to get back into decent shape by this morning. I still have a small limp, but I can walk and my hands are functional.

In any case, I haven't gotten a ton of running in lately. The last two weeks have consisted of two days of meeting with my personal trainer and one day of running. The good news is that when I do run, I'm getting less winded and a bit faster. It's a good feeling, and it's about time. I can do 5 miles at a time comfortably, and I'm starting to pick up my pace.

My next milestone will be a half marathon in 3 weeks. I'm not sure what possessed me, but I LOVE the thrill of training for an upcoming race (that's closer than 89 days away).

Wish me luck!

**For my dear readers who don't know what a flare is, it's basically a change in disease activity, usually an increase in pain/inflammation, you name it. The symptoms vary, but I inevitably end up incapacitated in some way for a few days. It's not fun, and it's not really something I can prevent.

Motivation

2009-12-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

I had a really good training session with my personal trainer this morning, and while I was working out, we talked a lot about my disease, my goals, and the reasons behind those goals. It's not something I really thought through in any depth before, so it was an interesting conversation.

For a long time, my excuse for not working out was that I felt lousy - and don't get me wrong, I did. Lupus sucks. There is no other way to put it. I have honestly not had a pain-free day in almost three years. It's a very good reason to hang out on the couch. My problem was that the longer I stayed on the couch, the worse I would feel. The couch became my best friend. Once in a while, I would get bold and decide to try something new, and would inevitably become really sore or get hurt. So back to the couch I went. Eventually, I became too weak to do much of anything, and it was a sad, sad state of affairs. I could no longer figure out how much of it was the disease and how much of it was the weakness and fear that I created. Yes, my disease is active, and yes, it sucks. But I'm not nearly as sick as other people I know, and I have a great doctor who has finally gotten me on a good combo of meds.

I started this journey, and this blog with one real goal - to cross the finish line of the LA Marathon. Through the little bit of work I've done so far, it's become more than that - I want to be strong, and I want to be fit, as much as is within my control. The last few years have sort of robbed me of my identity, and my sense of feeling like I can do anything I want. More than anything, I want that back.

We did it! We finished our first 5k!

2009-11-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

What a great way to start Thanksgiving! Omar, Linda, Danielle, Dorothy and I took part in the Lake Balboa 5k Turkey Trot. My goal was to finish and not to be the very last person, and I'm happy to report I managed to do both :). There were well over 500 runners, and while I came in as the 462nd person, I wasn't last. I also managed to jog the last little bit.

To say it was an amazing experience is an understatement - I beat my personal best time for that distance, and hearing people cheering me across the finish line was awesome.

We're planning on another 5k for December, a 10k in January and a half in February. Obviously, we're still doing the full marathon in March. I am so looking forward to getting faster and stronger and can't wait to cross that finish line in March.

Here's a few pictures of our day:

To say it was an amazing experience is an understatement - I beat my personal best time for that distance, and hearing people cheering me across the finish line was awesome.

Here's a few pictures of our day:

I'm thankful for...

2009-11-24T20:49:00.000-08:00

The last few years have been a bit rough. Between a cross country move to a city (and state) I have never visited and the seemingly never ending health challenges, it's been hard to keep a positive mindset.

However, I realize how truly blessed I am, and how much I have to be thankful for:

I'm thankful for my husband. He's truly my biggest supporter, my training buddy, and best friend. I am so happy to have him as my partner in crime.
I'm thankful for my family and am so glad to see them doing so well.
I have some wonderful friends, in NY and LA, and in lots of places in between. I'm so happy to have some really great people in my life.
I'm thankful that I have a job that allows me to do what I'm good at while helping people.
I'm thankful that I've almost finished a full year of grad school. It hasn't been easy, and it hasn't really been fun, but it's almost over :)
I'm thankful that I have a kick-ass doctor who understands me and my disease, and has gotten me to a semi-healthy state.
I'm thankful for my health. While I have no guarantees that I will stay this healthy -after all, it is lupus - I'm thankful that my health is at a place where I can actually train for a marathon.
I'm thankful for tomorrows. The last couple of years seeing so many friends who have gotten so ill, and one who passed away, has made me all too aware of my own mortality. I'm thankful for each day I get to see.

What are you thankful for?

5 miles and getting back up after falling down.

2009-11-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

So much has happened since my last post. I will definitely get up a new video by the end of this week, but wanted to keep you all up to date on my progress.

First, I had my long run on Sunday, and it was brutal. The first mile and a half damn near killed me. I incorporated more intervals than usual. Instead of doing 5 minutes of walking and 30 seconds of jogging, I started 3 minutes of walking and 30-45 seconds of jogging. For whatever reason, my legs were hurting more than usual, and I actually sat down somewhere around the mile-mark and texted the husband to let him know that I was giving up for the day. I'm not sure what possessed me to get up and keep on walking/jogging, but I did. I decided to go another half mile, and when I didn't feel like I was dying, I went half a mile more. Once I hit the halfway point for the 4 mile course, I decided to go a little bit farther, and ended up doing a full 5 miles. Granted, I couldn't really feel my feet, but I did it. Getting past the three mile mark has been a goal of mine for the last few weeks, and I finally did it :).

My recovery from this weekend was surprisingly quick, so I decided to go walking/jogging tonight. It was a good lesson of what not to do: DON'T attempt to run with NO stretching. DON'T attempt to run on a path that's got broken asphalt. DON'T run in said park after dark since the lighting sucks and you can't see the cracks. Being me, I did all of that. I did roughly 6/8 of a mile before I fell and twisted my ankle. I rested a few minutes and went a bit farther, getting in 1.25 miles before calling it a day as a precautionary measure. The ankle is a bit swollen, but getting better by the hour. The goal is to relax tonight (*snort*) and then do a short run tomorrow to prepare for Thursday.

Why do I need to rest my foot for Thanksgiving, you ask? I'm going to run my first 5k, the Lake Balboa Turkey Trot. Minus the foot injury, I feel like I'm ready. I've been doing 3 miles with greater speed and less pain, and I've managed to do more than that in one day now. In the past, I would have let something like falling sidetrack me for days, if not weeks. No more. I'm ready to run, and ready to go farther than ever :).

I'm planning on posting a vlog on Thursday, so check in then :).

Taking the plunge

2009-11-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have been tough, between my heart issues and my darling husband ending up in the hospital because he trained too hard. **Don't worry, he's fine now..** I haven't been able to get much of any jogging in, and I'm a bit scared about my long run tomorrow. I'm basically starting cold all over again.

I realized that I needed to kick things into high gear, so this morning I had a consultation with a personal trainer. I found her through Yelp, and she has gotten rave reviews. She specializes in Muay Thai, a form mixed martial arts/kickboxing, and just seemed totally badass. She did not disappoint at all. The gym is a cool space, the trainers that she works with are awesome, and even the warm up exercises are challenging and fun. As of now, I'm scheduled to see her on Tuesdays after work, and am hoping to to get in a second day. If that happens this will be my schedule:

Sunday: Long run in Marina del Rey

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Personal Training

Wednesday: jog/run

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Personal Training or Jog/Run

Saturday: Personal Training or Jog/Run

It seems a bit crazy, but as I told the husband earlier, I'm tired of letting my body control me. For the first time in ages, my labs are looking good and for the most part I feel as healthy as I ever get. I'm not going to push too hard, but I'm definitely going to try to push myself as much as is healthy.

Training for a marathon with lupus...

2009-11-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

is not the easiest thing I've done, lol. I obviously haven't been training long, but I've definitely learned a few lessons.

1. Walking/running makes me TIRED! I usually do my long walk on Sundays, and by the time I get home I'm ready to sleep. I'm not a good napper, but the last few weeks I've been taking 2-3 hour naps when I get home after training.

2. Recovery is much tougher on me than on my non-lupus cohorts. While we're all tired and sore, it feels like a mini flare the day after. I have to space out my workouts so that I don't do two consecutive days.

3. Consistency is so important. If I miss a week of training (as I did this week) because of lupus symptoms, it sets me right back to ground zero. I am trying to figure out little ways to keep moving even when my body isn't having it.

4. Diet is even more important. Yes, I said the evil "d" word, and no, i don't really mean diet. Moreso than ever, I am really aware of what I'm putting into my body and how it affects me. I can lie to myself when stepping on the scale, but there's no lying when you're in training. Your body will show the effects of crap eating by being slow and not into the activity. I've restarted my affair with Sparkpeople in an effort to keep me really accountable.

5. There's no backing out now. I was talking to a friend last night, who asked me if I was going to bail on doing the full marathon and do a 5k instead. I told her that I was committed to doing the full marathon - I've told everyone I've ever met (in person or in cyberspace) that I'm doing it. Obviously, my health is my first priority, but there's something really powerful about committing to something like this. I feel like if I can do this - this meaning completing the marathon in my own time and in a way that's not detrimental to my health - then I can do anything.

And now it's time for me to go to sleep :)

Welcome!

2009-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog/vlog. Please feel free to leave comments and share the link with anyone who might be as amused as you are :). I'm aiming to post at least once a week, possibly more depending on my schedule.