Sunday, March 21, 2021

Motion is Lotion

This week, RA didn't play nice at all. I don't know if it was the cold, blustery weather we had early in the week or a post-vaccine immune response, but I was achy AF. It doesn't really make sense to blame it on the COVID vaccines, because I got the second dose over 2 months ago. But something triggered my immune system. I'm writing this on Saturday and my hands are still swollen, inflamed, and achy. Joint pain woke me up in the middle of the night a couple times this week and I had to take ibuprofen, something I try not to do very often. I have avoided steroids so far, but I am considering taking a short course, just to shut this thing down. Thankfully, I'm not experiencing much fatigue as I have during other flares, so in spite of the pain, I've able to run and work out. 

Running and working out during a flare might not make sense to some people, but as we RA warriors like to say, 'motion is lotion'. I know that I'll feel better once I get those joints moving. That was the case all week. I did have to modify my workouts a little bit, though, to accommodate for the pain. 

Weekly Rundown
Monday: CrossFit
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: trail run 6.5 miles
Thursday: Strength training
Friday: run 6 miles
Saturday: rest
Sunday: run 9.5 miles

Running

Wednesday was chilly and cloudy. I hoped the trails wouldn't be as much of a mess as they were last week. Yes, the single track was muddy but not so much so that I was sinking. This was a fun, muddy, mess of a run. I surprised myself, too, feeling very strong as I charged up the hills and leapt over fallen trees that were strewn across the trails. I didn't see any deer, but I saw their tracks in some of the muddier sections I slopped through. 

Thanks to the time change, I was able to time my Friday morning pre-work run with the sunrise! It was cold but crystal clear and the sunrise couldn't have been more spectacular. In spite of my achy joints, I felt strong and had another speedy evenly paced 6, only stopping once to snap a photo of the sky. 

The sun is moving back north into the center of my photo!


I woke up Sunday morning to perfect running conditions. The sun was shining, the temperature was 45 and on the way up, and the wind was light. I laced up my new Mizuno Wave Horizon 5s that I'm testing out and drove to one of the local forest preserves with the plan to run 9 miles on the path. For the most part, I felt pretty good, but I did use 9:1 run/walk intervals. Still, I managed to finish my 9.5 mile run, with one pit stop at a really disgusting gas station bathroom, in 1:29:27. The forest preserve restrooms are closed. With the exception of the pit stop, I was pleased with how I ran this one.

The elk were out!


CrossFit/Strength Training

While my running wasn't much affected by my RA flare, I did have to modify my strength and CrossFit workouts due to the pain in my wrists. Monday's WOD was a wrist killer with push-ups, pull-ups, and snatches with overhead squats. Yeah, that wasn't happening. I stayed home and did an old bootcamp workout that consisted of 3 AMRAPS, 10 minutes each. It was perfect and I didn't feel like I missed out at all. 


I was really fortunate that on Thursday, SJ didn't have to modify anything she had programmed for me. I started off with trap bar deadlifts, 3 sets of 12 at 150#!!! Woo hoo and have I ever told you how much I like deadlifts? I was winded after each set and rested on the trap bar, which SJ thought was funny, hence the photo below. I alternated those DLs with lat pulldowns using the resistance band. After that, she had me working on core strengthening doing a movement where I swing my legs through 2 boxes alternating with L sits on parallel bars. Ouch. We ended with 3 sets of assisted pull-ups. 

In Real Life...

On Monday morning, my husband and I drove into the city for the Van Gogh immersive experience. I was really excited for this and I wasn't disappointed! The 45 minute show projects his works in constant evolution onto the walls of a ballroom; the art is choreographed to music. It is breathtaking and magical; the show also makes the viewer realize truly how mad Van Gogh became towards the end of his life. I have to admit that if I didn't know this about him, I would have thought he was on acid. The vibrant colors and patterns are almost hallucinogenic. I was completely mesmerized, I didn't want the show to end. Wow. I'm sharing just a few of the many photos I took. They don't do it justice, but if you get the opportunity to buy tickets--in Chicago, it is nearly sold out--do it.





Selfie heaven: The art continually evolves. Mirrors in the center of the room provide a full view of the experience.



Well, the Van Gogh immersive was definitely the highlight of my week! What was yours? Are you starting to see spring popping up? Are you training for anything? Have a great week!


I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown. 









39 comments :

  1. Sorry that your RA has been flaring so much! Glad that running helped and you could still get in your workouts. That Van Gogh experience looks really cool!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am sorry to read that you had a rough week with your RA. Bt, you still got in a great week of workouts and runs. We are going to the Van Gogh here in DC in September it's nice to have something to look forward to

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad I was able to get everything in too, but ugh. Paying for it.

      Delete
  3. That Van Gogh experience looks really cool! One thing I have missed over the past year is going to cool things like this but I'm hopeful that experiences like these will be available this summer (fingers crossed)!

    I'm really sorry to hear that your RA flared up so much this week, possibly due to the cold weather. We had a lot of Winter like weather this week here as well but I think Spring will be making a longer appearance now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Motion is indeed lotion! Glad you are able to run through the pain. That elk photo is amazing! As is the photos of the Van Gough exhibit.

    Hope the flare quiets down soon, Wendy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really enjoy seeing animals in nature. It's definitely been a highlight for me this year!

      Delete
  5. Boo to RA! It makes sense that movement is helping. I'm looking forward to having museums back.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sorry about the RA flare, so hard. I love the van Gogh pics mainly because we had it here! I didn't go, but saw plenty of friends' pics and now you've been and I love that! Plenty of spring here, flowers and blossom, to cheer us along in this last (maybe) bit of lockdown ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see our numbers are heading back up again. Sigh. I feel like this is never going to end!

      Delete
  7. What a cool Van Gogh experience! Looks like something I would enjoy too. Sorry the RA is flaring up. It always keeps you guessing, doesn't it. Woah - you have elk like that? I don't think we have elk in our area. That's a fun wildlife sighting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The elk are actually in a large pen in the forest preserve. The area is named for the elk who used to be native there. I enjoy seeing them, but I feel bad that they are penned in!

      Delete
  8. I'm really sorry about your RA flare and amazed by how much you still did this week! Great job!

    Great to hear that you enjoyed the Van Gogh experience! The show doesn't come to Boston until late in the year. I just ordered tickets and we're not going until December :0

    Hope RA behaves itself this week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm giving in and starting a steroid pack. Enough is enough!

      Delete
  9. Right On - I Mean, Bummer - No Wait, I Mean Outstanding - So Dig That Elk Breath Shot - In Real Life... Could Hang There All Day - So Cool - Hope The Bones Start Feeling Strong Again Soon - Hang In There - Sending Vibes

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hung there for quite a while--I love watching them. Feel bad that they are penned in, but we wouldn't have them otherwise. Mixed blessing, I guess.

      Delete
  10. Sorry about the RA flare Wendy. Glad running is still going okay (though bummer about the bathrooms not being open and having to use a nasty gas station. I've definitely been there!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Glad it was there when I needed it!

      Delete
  11. Motion is lotion, for sure. Sounds like you had a tough week, although you wouldn't know it from your workouts! I hope this flare subsides soon and you have a better week. That Van Gogh exhibit looks AMAZING! My sister lives near Chicago and her husband is an art teacher- I'm going to tell them to go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even though the show is technically almost sold out, I went on the website after the show and there are limited tickets available every day. It's so good, I'd like to go back!

      Delete
  12. I'm sorry you're hurting. I hope it passes quickly and you can get back to "normalcy."

    That elk is just stunning.

    Oh goodness, that Van Gogh exhibit is gorgeous! I wish it would come here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear it's coming to Atlanta later this year...I guess that is the closest right now!

      Delete
  13. What a bummer about the RA. I've heard so much about the exhibit and am going to check it out. Of course it is sold out during Spring Break. I might have to take a day off. Self care, right? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sorry RA did not play nice this week! What a cool exhibit! I've visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam a couple of times and loved it. Also saw more Van Goghs in London and NYC. Such a great artist but so tormented too. Did you know he only painted for 9 years and died at age 37?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RA hasn't been playing nice for about a month. This week it got real.

      Delete
  15. Animals in nature always make me smile...

    I saw that exhibit in Montreal last Feb before the world shut down. I enjoyed it so much that I have tix to see it again in NYC in August!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sorry about the RA flare. Glad you can still be active and it helps you feel better. I have to check out that Van Gogh experience. I gained a greater appreciation for him when I got to visit the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Then on another trip we visited the house he stayed in outside of Paris. Each time I learned more about his brilliance and his demons. :-(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would love it! I think it's coming to DC later this year.

      Delete
  17. Being a lifelong art geek, that Van Gogh exhibit gives me major FOMO. His artwork is fabulous! The vibrant (often contrasting) colors & heavy brush strokes definitely depict a lot of “stuff” going on. Great coping vice :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great photos of the Van Gogh.
    Sorry you're having a flare but glad you're able to be active. That elk photo is stunning and major kudos for only stopping once. That's my sunrise/set downfall, all t he photos. Luckily the A1A Half is the only race I've done at that time, although my Cherry Blossom 10M was pretty much photo impacted too. Wouldn't trade a single photo for a second off my time though

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You get me! I run there a lot and it was fairly crowded yesterday, so there wasn't any reason to stop and take more photos, lol

      Delete
  19. ugh, so sorry to hear that the RA was the downer of the week. am really glad that you had good runs though, I suppose that really helps!! the van Gogh immersive looks so cool. There was something like that in Paris some time ago but I didn't manage to get down there for it. You'd think we'd have something like that here since he was from the Netherlands... IDK.

    spring is really trying to pop up here, but it's hit or miss. When it's hit though... wow!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think the Van Gogh immersive started in Paris!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm sorry your RA was acting up - hope it's moved on by now. That elk is huge. We don't have them here, but it's only a matter of time, I suspect. Some were reintroduced into SWVA and I assume they'll make their way up here eventually.

    I have a live race (5K) in mid-April and I'm super pumped!

    ReplyDelete