Stronger Every Day!

While nothing exciting or earth-shattering happened this week, what stood out to me the most is how much I am feeling like myself again. Even the heat can't stop me!

I am beyond thrilled with how my fitness is returning. I'm continuing to feel good again. I had several days this week where I remarked to my husband that if I didn't know I had RA, I wouldn't know I had it. Modern medicine and good nutrition are the best combination.

5 Things I'd Tell You Over Coffee

Let's have a cup of coffee and catch up, shall we? I love this monthly link up, hosted by Coco and Deborah because it gives us all a chance to step off the road and share what's been going on in our lives.

The month of May was full of experiences that made me so grateful. Not only did I start to feel like myself again, even running a half marathon, I gained a much more positive outlook. I'm grateful for my family and friends who supported me while I struggled with my new diagnosis. I have to be realistic as I know that RA is a jerk and I could flare at any time, but for now, my disease is behaving and for that I am grateful.

So what would I tell you if we were having coffee?

10 Tips for Survival when You Are Married to a Non-Runner

My husband has a love-hate relationship with my running. When we dated and were first married, I didn't run. So he did not marry a runner. In my late 20s and early 30s, my lifelong struggle with anxiety became unmanageable. I started working out at a gym where there was a 1/4 mile indoor track. One thing led to another and eventually, I began running. Who knew that I would love it so much? Over time, the major benefit of all that running was that it made my anxiety subside.

So now he's married to a runner.

We are very different, my husband and I. He's the Yin to my Yang. The cream in my coffee. The butter on my bread. The bacon to my eggs. Why all the food analogies? Read on...

My husband knows that not only do I love to run, I need to run. He's ok with that. For the most part, we've come to a peaceful existence, my non-running spouse and I. How do we make it work? What's the secret to success for a runner who's married to a non-running spouse?

Hitting the Reset Button

This was the week that I got my life back on track, or at least tried to! It was all about trying to reset my equilibrium. I'm ready to find my new normal. My assessment? I think it was a good start.

Runfessions: It's May...

Here we go again...it's the last Friday of the month and its time for Runfessions. Marcia hosts this monthly sole (yes, pun intended) cleansing for runners. You can share all your running transgressions and not even get a penance. It's a pretty good deal.

So what do I have to runfess this month?

How to Prevent 8 of the Most Common Heat-Related Running Issues

Disclaimer: I was a Tailwind Trailblazer, which meant I received Tailwind Nutrition in exchange for sharing my experience and opinions, which are of course, my own. This is NOT a sponsored post.

You've done the work, training for 12-20 weeks for your marathon. Completed every run on your plan. Ran at least one 18-20 miler and lived to tell about it. Tested out GU and hydration. Survived the taper crazies. You're injury free and ready to run. As part of your prep, you've been weather-stalking, checking and comparing at least 3 different weather apps so that you can be prepared for race day. While the forecast initially looked promising, as the week went on, the predicted high temperature keeps going up. Initially, yellow flag conditions are now red flag.Your confidence begins to take a nosedive. How can you run a strong race in the heat? What are the risks? And how can you prevent problems?

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the Weekly Wrap. No, you aren't at the wrong blog. Holly and Tricia, who normally host the Weekly Wrap, are taking a little bit of a break from hosting duties. While they take a little time off, the Weekly Wrap will be rotating among guest hosts. This week, I'm your guest host and if this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome and I hope it won't be your last! If you are interested in being a guest host for the Weekly Wrap, please let Tricia or Holly know and they will fill you in on the details.

If you are new to the Weekly Wrap, the rules are here. Please comment on as many blogs as you can. Don't forget to comment on the guest host's blog and link back to them too! My motto over here is "sharing is caring". Don't just drop a link and leave. You might find a few new blogs or even make some new friends! Come back during the week to check out some of the later links, too!

So how was the week?

Spring in Chicago is not for wimpy. The standing joke here is "if you don't like the weather, wait and it will change". We also joke that we can experience all 4 seasons in one day. As a lifelong resident and longtime runner, I've learned to be prepared for anything. We went from summer to winter this week. I'm not exaggerating. It was 85 on Wednesday and 45 on Thursday. I use this as an excuse to have an expansive running wardrobe. 

I filled every bit of my last week before I go back to work to wrap up some loose ends. It was busy and productive, but that's a good sign, right? It means that I'm heading in the right direction!