One Year Later: 8 Lessons I've Learned About Running with RA

On Saturday, I am lining up with my rheumatologist and a host of other runners for the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis. A 5k run and walk, this is a national race to raise awareness and money for arthritis research. In a strange twist of fate, Saturday is also my one year anniversary of my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. I find it oddly appropriate to be participating in this race on this most inauspicious of anniversaries.

I've shared a great deal of my journey this year here on the blog. My diagnosis was devastating to me, an avid athlete and can't stop, won't stop kind of gal. Talk about hitting a runner where it hurts, right? I refused to let this diagnosis limit me, as I continued running and working out throughout the year.At times, it would have been easier to just give in and stay on the couch, but that isn't me. I'm pleased to tell you that as of this writing, I have run over 1000 miles in 2017! And I've still got the rest of December!

Many of those miles were hard, tears were shed, and I struggled to find my mojo again. One year later, here I am, still running and adding up the miles. While I'm not symptom-free, I've found a way to live with my symptoms and keep on moving. For today's post, I wanted to share some of the lessons I've learned this year while running with RA.

Medications Aren't the Devil
You would not believe how many people reached out to me this past year to offer me advice about alternative treatments for RA. I had people tell me not to take methotrexate (MTX), which is one of the main drugs used to treat RA. When my rheumatologist talked to me about starting methotrexate, she addressed my fears. Being a nurse practitioner, I did my research and what I learned about MTX as a treatment for RA was reassuring. Bottom line, I have aggressive RA and I need aggressive treatment.

Conquering Bump n Grind Trail in Palm Springs

You Are What You Eat
I've adopted a more anti-inflammatory diet. While I don't think this diet will cure me, I have noticed that certain foods (beef, Chinese food) cause an increase in symptoms. I'm actually eating better since my diagnosis with RA and that's not a bad thing. But I do eat foods that I know aren't particularly healthy and I'm still drinking wine. I have to live my life, too. Everything in moderation, right?

There are days when my hands resemble lobster claws.

Running Doesn't Ruin Your Joints, Arthritis Ruins Your Joints
For the first time in my life, I have knee pain. Sometimes they swell up. But it's not from running. Believe it or not, there are rheumatologists who tell their patients not to run. That's old school. When I was diagnosed--by a sports medicine doctor, no less--I made sure that she referred me to a doctor who would let me keep running. And here I am lining up with her for a road race. Sweet.

Rock 'N' Roll Chicago in July

Lift All the Weight
In an effort to protect my joints, I've continued my work at the CrossFit box. In fact, I've increased my frequency to twice weekly. I've gotten stronger and the increased strength means less stress on the joints as I move through my miles and my daily activities. We have had to modify some of my workouts because of wrist pain, but my coaches are plenty creative and have no lack of activities to torture me.

Still my deadlift PR! The colored plates, y'all...

Use it or Lose it
I cannot tell you how many mornings I have woken up with painful stiffness this year and have been so tempted to stay in bed or call off work. There have been plenty of days when it has taken every ounce of gumption to lace up my shoes and get out the door. Or on the yoga mat. I've fought tears during yoga class because I'm so stiff that I can't get in certain poses. Why do it then? Because I know that in the end, all this activity is going to help me keep moving. In fact, the more I move, the more I increase my mobility and maintain function.

SUP yoga in Florida

No Matter How Fast or Slow You Go, You're Still A Runner
The loss of speed and endurance has been devastating to me. I'm pretty sure I uttered the f-word more this year than I have in my entire life. My mom would be washing my mouth out with soap on a daily basis if she knew. Silly, naive me thought that the run/walk intervals were a temporary stop-gap measure until I went into remission. Until they weren't. So I threw some speedwork into those intervals, once a week, and finished last month's half marathon at a pace and time I could be proud of. As my friend Marcia said to me at lunch last week, "it's still in you".

My RA PR, the Schaumburg Half Marathon last month. It's still there!

RA is an "Invisible" Disease
Since I've stayed so active through this year, I've had people actually comment that my disease must not be "that bad". Grrrrr. Don't judge a book by its cover. I'd love to tell them that I wake up every morning with my hands so swollen and stiff that I can't straighten them. That at times getting up off the couch makes me feel like an 80 year old. That I feel so nauseous at random times I'm worried I may vomit. But I try not to focus on all that. My goal is to keep on moving. The lesson here is that you never know what a person is going through by the way they look.

Acceptance is a Journey, Not a Destination
Right now, I'm in a good place with my disease. I'm running, I'm lifting, I'm LIVING. I know that the rug could be pulled out from under me at any given time. RA is, in the words of my rheumatologist, "a shitty disease". There are flares and there is resistance to treatments. I know my disease is progressing because of the symptoms I continue to feel on a daily basis. I am grateful for all that I can do today.

First time tandem slalom skiing with my pal Holly!

Oprah said that "running is a metaphor for life." I always thought this saying was kind of corny, but it really is true. Run the mile you're in. Run your own race. Running has taught me so many lessons that I've been able to apply to my life off the road. Running with RA has brought all those lessons together.

Run on.

I'm linking up with Debbie, Lora, and Rachel for Coaches' Corner and  Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday 5.0.