Winter is a difficult month for me. If I were a bear, I'd be hibernating like a boss, sleeping in and through the day, living off my own fat stores.
But I'm not one of those lucky hibernating mammals. Just like you, I am oh, so human. And right now, I find myself mired in what has become an annual struggle - my health is mediocre, my motivation levels are low, and sometimes, forward progress seems more than a few steps a head of me, backsliding on an icy sidewalk.
On Thursday night, I attended a panel presentation by five women - strong women leading the way in various aspects of the outdoor industry. A theme emerged: know your truths, and live your adventure. Georgina Miranda, the CEO and Founder of SheVentures, spoke about her truths and it was all I could do to keep from crying because nobody ever has it easy, but some people push through their barriers and radiate this immense confidence and self-assurance that I wish I could harness. I left the event with a new hat and a profound sense of discomfort in my own fear of pursuing true adventure.
Adventure means different things to different people. For me, it means taking a chance on a situation or circumstance without knowing what might happen. For the past few years, I have been adventure-averse. I am certainly not complacent in my life, but I have let fear of the unknown dictate my existence.
Now, finally, I have Zero interest in continuing to live this way. I am still fighting my fear of change, of taking chances, but I am not living my truth, which might be the worst way to live. My Truth - embracing the unknown; pushing myself to my physical limits; finding joy in the small beauties surrounding everything. Caring for myself. Spending as much time as possible out of doors. Loving more than I knew I could! And running; always running. (this is sort of, kind of, technically still a running blog, right?)
In this heart of winter darkness, I am committing to a change. I am choosing adventure - choosing to keep moving forward. If you want to help me, I am looking for inspiration and maybe a training buddy or two. I'm going to build up my physical strength and my endurance. I want to be able to literally haul myself over a 5-ft tall fence, which I couldn't do last summer (Spartan Race = humbled). I want to run a 15-mile trail race in June and spend the rest of the summer enjoying the high-alpine trails I've never explored.
For some reason, I'm still here, still kicking and screaming my way through this life. The past few years haven't been wasted, but they haven't been particularly fulfilling, either. With everything going on in our world, now, why not take this opportunity to define some dreams and then go after them?
End of page. To choose a life lived fully, turn to page 95. {shuffles through to page 95...}
Showing posts with label whole health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole health. Show all posts
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Friday, February 8, 2013
Some things I will just never learn
Such as self-control when it comes to chocolate, peanut butter cup ice cream. You'd think by this point in my life, after all the pints of various flavors I have consumed, knowing full well the epic, gastric consequences of eating more than I should, equally aware that I have almost Never stopped before it was too late... You would think I might tone it back a little, or, better yet, Stop Buying Pints of Ice Cream. Yeah... No.
Instead, I continue to live for the moment and ignore the well-established precedent of post-cream pain. Anywhoo. Moving on, we have been having the loveliest spring here in Denver, Colorado. I mean, winter. It is winter. Frigid, howling zephyrs, all long down jackets and sad faces... But no, I can't even kid. While the East Coast is in the midst of a massive winter spectacle (2-plus feet of snow in Boston??), I am sitting in my apartment in a tanktop and with the windows thrown open. Only a few minutes ago, I was sitting out on my balcony in my tanktop while I digested. Spring. And yet, due to an most unfortunate bike-related spill in early January, on the one day winter hit Denver, I have not been running outside. Until today, I haven't even been running inside. Ugh. I did, however, start lifting more to at least do something good for my body while I let me knee heal. So, my biceps are gigantic. True story. Today, though, I had had enough and hopped onto the treadmill and busted out One entire mile! And then I went and lifted some more because I didn't want to exacerbate the still-niggling pain in my knee. But One whole mile! It was fine, too. I really just stopped because my knee is stupid. Since I still bike everywhere every day, my aerobic capacity tends to not decrease too much on extended run-leaves. Yet another reason to lock up your car and throw away the key! Fitness!
So I am slowly starting to run again, key word being slowly. But I miss it like crazy. I am also beyond excited for the sun's rising earlier and setting later every day. Soon, soon it will be Actual spring and I will be all healthy and ready to rock those 6-milers and beyond once more.
In other news, I still have no globulins (*shakes head). But I say, "screw them." Perhaps I'm not better off without them, but I am managing quite well on my own, thank you very much. So well, in fact, that I traveled half-way around the world in a little aluminum can surrounded by other people and their germies, then spent ten days in two foreign countries, exploring, eating cheese, eating more cheese, wandering around, taking photos, eating some more cheese... Then traveled back to Denver in another little aluminum tube surrounded once more by germies and their peoples. And I did NOT get sick. At all. For sure, got an upset stomach from all the cheese, but returned home triumphant and healthy and reluctant. (Italy was Incredible! Must go back...) In fact, it wasn't until two days ago that I began to feel like something was attacking my chest and head. Pretty sure I picked up whatever it was from this absurd child who was hacking all over the place at a super bowl showing I went to on Sunday. I almost wrung her little neck.
The moral of This story is that two days later, I am back to normal. Whatever my normal is, anyway. My head is still a bit congested, but then, I am always a bit congested. But... Could it be...? Could this focus on so-called "whole foods", the fruits, veggies and kale I've been trying to eat more of, actually be working to keep me healthy? ("healthy.") I finally met with an immunologist on Wednesday. His gospel was that I unequivocally need the IvIG infusions and may forever. I still have some terrible unresolved intestinal issues, so, I am okay receiving the infusions for now. Hopefully they'll help my gut! But perhaps I can avoid the pesky upper respiratory infections and sinus infections and the flu and pneumonia and cytomegalovirus and what have you all on my own, all by following a diet focused on Plants. Could it really be that easy?
I sure hope so, because that is what I intend to study for the next three or four years. Anyway, that is where I am at today. Ran a mile, kicked a cold, time to head out for a cute date with my super cute boyfriend. (Who is, himself, fighting a bug. But he'll pull through. I hope.) Best of luck to everyone I know and love out east... Stay safe, stay warm, get all cuddly and cozy this weekend, then go and enjoy the snow. Don't forget your vitamin D. Peace, love!
Instead, I continue to live for the moment and ignore the well-established precedent of post-cream pain. Anywhoo. Moving on, we have been having the loveliest spring here in Denver, Colorado. I mean, winter. It is winter. Frigid, howling zephyrs, all long down jackets and sad faces... But no, I can't even kid. While the East Coast is in the midst of a massive winter spectacle (2-plus feet of snow in Boston??), I am sitting in my apartment in a tanktop and with the windows thrown open. Only a few minutes ago, I was sitting out on my balcony in my tanktop while I digested. Spring. And yet, due to an most unfortunate bike-related spill in early January, on the one day winter hit Denver, I have not been running outside. Until today, I haven't even been running inside. Ugh. I did, however, start lifting more to at least do something good for my body while I let me knee heal. So, my biceps are gigantic. True story. Today, though, I had had enough and hopped onto the treadmill and busted out One entire mile! And then I went and lifted some more because I didn't want to exacerbate the still-niggling pain in my knee. But One whole mile! It was fine, too. I really just stopped because my knee is stupid. Since I still bike everywhere every day, my aerobic capacity tends to not decrease too much on extended run-leaves. Yet another reason to lock up your car and throw away the key! Fitness!
So I am slowly starting to run again, key word being slowly. But I miss it like crazy. I am also beyond excited for the sun's rising earlier and setting later every day. Soon, soon it will be Actual spring and I will be all healthy and ready to rock those 6-milers and beyond once more.
In other news, I still have no globulins (*shakes head). But I say, "screw them." Perhaps I'm not better off without them, but I am managing quite well on my own, thank you very much. So well, in fact, that I traveled half-way around the world in a little aluminum can surrounded by other people and their germies, then spent ten days in two foreign countries, exploring, eating cheese, eating more cheese, wandering around, taking photos, eating some more cheese... Then traveled back to Denver in another little aluminum tube surrounded once more by germies and their peoples. And I did NOT get sick. At all. For sure, got an upset stomach from all the cheese, but returned home triumphant and healthy and reluctant. (Italy was Incredible! Must go back...) In fact, it wasn't until two days ago that I began to feel like something was attacking my chest and head. Pretty sure I picked up whatever it was from this absurd child who was hacking all over the place at a super bowl showing I went to on Sunday. I almost wrung her little neck.
The moral of This story is that two days later, I am back to normal. Whatever my normal is, anyway. My head is still a bit congested, but then, I am always a bit congested. But... Could it be...? Could this focus on so-called "whole foods", the fruits, veggies and kale I've been trying to eat more of, actually be working to keep me healthy? ("healthy.") I finally met with an immunologist on Wednesday. His gospel was that I unequivocally need the IvIG infusions and may forever. I still have some terrible unresolved intestinal issues, so, I am okay receiving the infusions for now. Hopefully they'll help my gut! But perhaps I can avoid the pesky upper respiratory infections and sinus infections and the flu and pneumonia and cytomegalovirus and what have you all on my own, all by following a diet focused on Plants. Could it really be that easy?
I sure hope so, because that is what I intend to study for the next three or four years. Anyway, that is where I am at today. Ran a mile, kicked a cold, time to head out for a cute date with my super cute boyfriend. (Who is, himself, fighting a bug. But he'll pull through. I hope.) Best of luck to everyone I know and love out east... Stay safe, stay warm, get all cuddly and cozy this weekend, then go and enjoy the snow. Don't forget your vitamin D. Peace, love!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Happy Tuesday, once again!
Breakfast: kale/spinach/tomato/basil and goat cheese omelet, iced mate with honey. Woke up this morning to (finally!) a sprinkling of sparkling snow and the tantalizing prospect of maybe eventually beginning studying for a final exam on Thursday instead of using my day off to escape to the snowy mountains. Ah, to be a busy, working adult/student in Colorado in the winter. Oh well, soon enough there will be lots more snow and many more days to ski. Meanwhile, I need to pass my chem exam.
I also woke up with sore abs. What? you ask. Don't sore abs require some sort of activity to actually work those abs? Well, yes! Since I updated last week, I have run four more times and twice done lift-y things at the gym, including incline sit-ups, hence the sore lower abs. I have decided to try something just slightly different. Instead of running with the intention of gradually increasing my mileage for some long-distance race, I am focusing on a broader goal: strength and a solid base fitness level. I have only been running between 2.5 and 3 miles, which is actually working out pretty well.
Here is a fun update: it has been six weeks since I last received IVIg. (Immune-replacement therapy I'd been receiving since June 2011. The chemo sapped my body's ability to produce its own secondary immune response). I wasn't making my own immunoglobulins, so my doctor out here determined it was in my best interest to receive an infusion of someone else's immunoglobulins every three weeks. Okay, fine, good, I stopped having chronic sinus infections, slept through the night, changed my diet, stopped having debilitating intestinal issues, blah blah. And then, six weeks ago, I transferred my care from the children's hospital I had been going to to the adult hospital across the street. The adult hematologist/oncologist I met with six weeks ago had a different plan for me. He wanted me to NOT receive the immune therapy every three weeks, reasoning that it isn't necessarily that healthy to so frequently receive blood products. Are they really doing all that much for me, anyway? I have this long-term goal to eventually be off all medications and hospital infusions (including IVIg!). So, while acknowledging my trepidation of just letting my immune system slowly get worse concurrently with flu season, I agreed to pause the IVIg and see what happens with the directive to contact my doctor Immediately if I started feeling sick or if any of my old symptoms came back.
Like I said, it has now been six weeks, and honestly, I haven't felt great, but I also haven't fallen deathly ill (or gotten sick at all, actually). I go back in on Thursday for another PET scan, labs and a follow-up with my adult doctor. I am interested to see where my IgG levels are - higher, lower, how much lower... But anyway, the point of all this: with no external help for my immune system and a massive reluctance on my part to rely on any antibiotics, I am focusing heavily on shoring up my body and my immunity naturally and nutritionally. I am going back to school for nutrition to gain some credibility so I can help others do this very thing, but I am still going to start with myself and start now. So, while I would love to train for another marathon, I know that running those distances throughout winter is not the smartest choice for my body. Much more important is to focus on overall health - shorter running distances, strength training, perhaps yoga... Skiing!
And, of course, food. I would really like to add more vegetables to my diet. Comparatively, I already eat pretty well. (see: breakfast!) But there is so much room for improvement, so many things to learn about nutrition and immunity and incorporating it all into a sustainable lifestyle. I still have a sweet tooth; that isn't going away. I love baking and am having a blast learning how to make healthy, gluten-free snacks. (Side story: my roommate last night mentioned he tried a piece of the coffee cake I made the other day. "Is it really gluten free?" "Yup, sure is." "It doesn't even taste like it! It's really good." Sweet. I love when that happens.) I have also found I have trouble fueling myself adequately if I run any longer than half an hour. For some reason, my metabolism has skyrocketed, and the last thing I need is to lose any more weight. As winter sets in here in Denver, other people can go ahead and get sick, but I will not be one of them. I have too many more important things to worry about than viruses and bacteria. Letting go of stress, maintaining a healthy weight, running, eating super well, and listening closely to my body.
We would all be a little bit better off if we ate more kale. As the holidays progress, I just hope you can figure out a way to relax and take care of yourself. Throw some garlic and spinach into your morning omelet! Make an effort to drink more tea and less coffee (less, not none...). I'm going to eliminate sugary beverages to make room for delicious homemade baked goods. Hooray, here's to your health. :)
Running just a little more, breathing deeply.
I also woke up with sore abs. What? you ask. Don't sore abs require some sort of activity to actually work those abs? Well, yes! Since I updated last week, I have run four more times and twice done lift-y things at the gym, including incline sit-ups, hence the sore lower abs. I have decided to try something just slightly different. Instead of running with the intention of gradually increasing my mileage for some long-distance race, I am focusing on a broader goal: strength and a solid base fitness level. I have only been running between 2.5 and 3 miles, which is actually working out pretty well.
Here is a fun update: it has been six weeks since I last received IVIg. (Immune-replacement therapy I'd been receiving since June 2011. The chemo sapped my body's ability to produce its own secondary immune response). I wasn't making my own immunoglobulins, so my doctor out here determined it was in my best interest to receive an infusion of someone else's immunoglobulins every three weeks. Okay, fine, good, I stopped having chronic sinus infections, slept through the night, changed my diet, stopped having debilitating intestinal issues, blah blah. And then, six weeks ago, I transferred my care from the children's hospital I had been going to to the adult hospital across the street. The adult hematologist/oncologist I met with six weeks ago had a different plan for me. He wanted me to NOT receive the immune therapy every three weeks, reasoning that it isn't necessarily that healthy to so frequently receive blood products. Are they really doing all that much for me, anyway? I have this long-term goal to eventually be off all medications and hospital infusions (including IVIg!). So, while acknowledging my trepidation of just letting my immune system slowly get worse concurrently with flu season, I agreed to pause the IVIg and see what happens with the directive to contact my doctor Immediately if I started feeling sick or if any of my old symptoms came back.
Like I said, it has now been six weeks, and honestly, I haven't felt great, but I also haven't fallen deathly ill (or gotten sick at all, actually). I go back in on Thursday for another PET scan, labs and a follow-up with my adult doctor. I am interested to see where my IgG levels are - higher, lower, how much lower... But anyway, the point of all this: with no external help for my immune system and a massive reluctance on my part to rely on any antibiotics, I am focusing heavily on shoring up my body and my immunity naturally and nutritionally. I am going back to school for nutrition to gain some credibility so I can help others do this very thing, but I am still going to start with myself and start now. So, while I would love to train for another marathon, I know that running those distances throughout winter is not the smartest choice for my body. Much more important is to focus on overall health - shorter running distances, strength training, perhaps yoga... Skiing!
And, of course, food. I would really like to add more vegetables to my diet. Comparatively, I already eat pretty well. (see: breakfast!) But there is so much room for improvement, so many things to learn about nutrition and immunity and incorporating it all into a sustainable lifestyle. I still have a sweet tooth; that isn't going away. I love baking and am having a blast learning how to make healthy, gluten-free snacks. (Side story: my roommate last night mentioned he tried a piece of the coffee cake I made the other day. "Is it really gluten free?" "Yup, sure is." "It doesn't even taste like it! It's really good." Sweet. I love when that happens.) I have also found I have trouble fueling myself adequately if I run any longer than half an hour. For some reason, my metabolism has skyrocketed, and the last thing I need is to lose any more weight. As winter sets in here in Denver, other people can go ahead and get sick, but I will not be one of them. I have too many more important things to worry about than viruses and bacteria. Letting go of stress, maintaining a healthy weight, running, eating super well, and listening closely to my body.
We would all be a little bit better off if we ate more kale. As the holidays progress, I just hope you can figure out a way to relax and take care of yourself. Throw some garlic and spinach into your morning omelet! Make an effort to drink more tea and less coffee (less, not none...). I'm going to eliminate sugary beverages to make room for delicious homemade baked goods. Hooray, here's to your health. :)
Running just a little more, breathing deeply.
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