Getting Lost

I wanted to title this post 'Getting Lost in the Midst of Chaos', but that seemed kind of dramatic. Life has been overwhelming lately and things have escalated since last week's post. Regarding my parents, it feels as if my sister opened Pandora's box, although I suppose it had to happen. My parents are resistant to the Care Manager my sister brought in and we are struggling with that. Clearly, they need constant help, but they don't see it. I don't even know if the care manager will be enough. In addition, we've been sorting out our roles in light of having the care manager and trying to determine if she's the right person for our family. It's involved a lot of back-and-forth via emails and texts. It's been a lot.

The other issue is my husband's health. We saw the spine surgeon on Thursday and surgery is scheduled for December 4. It will be an outpatient procedure at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. He will have a 'clean-out' of 3 lumbar vertebrae to release pressure on the spinal cord. It amazes me that this can be done outpatient! But before then, he has to see a knee specialist to determine if that needs to be fixed first. 

With all that is going on, I leaned on running to help keep me sane. It's been my go-to for years. The heavy strength training we're doing at CrossFit was also a great outlet for me.

Savoring the Good

I will never complain about the gorgeous fall weather we've been having this year. Yes, we need rain. But I know what's coming--plenty of precipitation as we move into late fall toward winter. I'll take this. Especially when you consider what's happening in other parts of the country.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by both hurricanes Helena and Milton. If you've followed me on this blog over the years, you know that my family has spent a lot of time on the Gulf Coast of Florida, especially on Anna Maria Island. It just breaks my heart to see the level of destruction. I can't imagine facing the rebuilding process. 

The Icing on the Cake

After a busy September, I hoped for a more relaxing October, but this month started with a bang! I'm not complaining--it's been a really great week! Our fabulous weather has continued and I'm going to savor every last bit--I know what's coming. 

If you follow me on IG, you know that I finished this week with some waterskiing on Lake Wisconsin. In the past, I could never imagine skiing in October. But never say never, right? It was 81F and sunny. Yes, the water was a cold 63F. But I have a half wetsuit, which I put into action on Saturday night. It felt as great as you might expect. And my cup is full...

Go Slow Down

I'm not going to lie--as much as I loved all the activity of the past month, I am ready to slow down for a while. September was an incredibly busy and really fun month. It was also exhausting. With October around the corner, I'm looking forward to slowing down a bit and soaking up the last warm weather of the year. 

Speaking of slowing down,  I officially transferred my bib for the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon to a BRC teammate. I didn't feel one bit of regret! Well, ok, I will miss out on the camaraderie, but definitely not the running. I felt a sense of relief, which told me I did the right thing. 

With that half marathon off the calendar, I can focus on the Mammoth Trail Challenge, which kicks off October 1! This year's distance is 44 miles. As you all know, the challenge for me is accessing the trails since I live in Illinois and the trail is in Wisconsin. I'm excited about running some new segments as well as my usual ones. Stay tuned for the recaps!

Soaking up the Last Days of Summer

It's another loooooong post as I recap 2 weeks of fun and fitness. I was out of town last weekend and wasn't able to post a recap. So bear with me as you scroll through!

I've been really enjoying our extended summer, with warmer than usual temperatures, no rain, and bright sunshine. Everyone seems concerned about our dry conditions, but trust me when I tell you we will make up for it very soon. In fact, it is raining in Wisconsin as we speak!

Me, I'm just soaking all the unseasonably warm weather up. I know what's coming...

Brooks Hype Fest 2024

 Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Running Collective, I received a trip to Brooks Hype Fest and complimentary running gear. This is a recap of the event. All opinions are my own.

Year 3 of Brooks Hype Fest--held in my hometown of Chicago, no less--and I couldn't imagine it being any better than last year! But as a lifelong resident and long time runner of the Chicago area, I knew that my city could bring it in a big way. 

Chicago delivered and the BRC took it and ran with it!

thanks to Keegan for this cool rendition of the bean!

Another Busy Week!

It's been a really busy week! But so much fun. After a great weekend up at the lake, this weekend was Brooks Hype Fest in downtown Chicago! They packed a lot in for a weekend and we are all happy and exhausted. As it should be. I'm so grateful for these opportunities! 

Summer's End

Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Running Collective, I receive complimentary gear and shoes in exchange for social media sharing.

I was out of town last weekend and didn't post a recap, so this week, you get 2 recaps in one post. I apologize for the length. I really tried to limit myself. There is just so much to share! With summer coming to an end, I tried to pack as much in as I could. 

Morning Motivation

It's been another challenging week. This is the crazy season at work, as parents are scrambling at the last minute to get appointments for their annual school physicals. Add to that the current baby boom we are experiencing--I saw 5 newborns last week-- and we are running, literally and figuratively. The hubs' health issues are in a holding pattern as he works to schedule tests and go to his physical therapy appointments. It's been overwhelming. Like I always do during times of stress, I've been leaning into running and fitness. It's no surprise that I've been having some RA symptoms, but so far, not an official flare. Fingers crossed.

Thank goodness for running and fitness!

Digging in and Getting it Done

Our week started out hot and ended up cool. But no matter what the weather, I was getting it done, really leaning into my runs and workouts for stress relief. In addition to the hubs' health issues that I shared last week, it was a really challenging week at work. Or maybe it just felt that way because I was pretty worn down from life. I'm really grateful that I have my fitness to lean into--nothing feels better than a good sweat!

Speaking of the hubs, he saw the spine specialist and will be having more testing done. It feels good to cross those appointments off the list. He's also going to physical therapy, which also seems to be helping. He hasn't fallen this week, which is good news. Hopefully, we're moving in the right direction.

Still Sweating!

The theme for this week was the heat and the humidity. With highs in the 90s and humidity in the 90s, it felt pretty miserable outside. I got up and out the door early for my runs, which helped a lot. As much as I look forward to summer, I don't love summer running.

Let's just agree that we all earned our showers this week!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Sometimes a staycation is just what you need. It's nice to enjoy the local happenings and that is what I did this week. It was a really low key, low stress kind of week--exactly what I needed. I'm lucky to live outside of Chicago as well as close to Wisconsin, and I took full advantage, spending time in both locales. 

I also kept up with my fitness routine! This post is a little longer than usual, as I'm recapping not only my workouts, but also sharing some highlights from my week. Thanks for indulging me!

Don't Count Me Out!

This week was remarkable for our wild weather! We had terrible thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday night--the sirens were blowing and while we didn't have a lot of damage, others around the area were not so lucky. By mid-week, the weather calmed down and we had some really pleasant conditions. I had to move my runs around to accommodate the conditions as well as some lingering soreness from a tough mid-week workout. I got it all done, though, and wrapped up the week with a really good run. At this point in my life, anytime I can finish a 10k in under an hour is a win.

What a way to make me feel like I'm still a runner!

Running is Leaving Me Breathless

The heat and humidity continue! I've been committed to getting up and out the door early, but despite my best efforts, I've been struggling on my runs. After a couple of miles, my heart rate spikes and I have to slow to a walk. The heat has never been my friend, but this is the first summer I can remember consistently having issues with high heart rate and breathing. I'm blaming the weather, but I'm considering programming run/walk intervals back into my runs. I'm going to see how this week goes. Stay tuned. 

More Rain! More Mud! More Humidity!

The title of this post is not a wish list. It's a lament. I only wish we could get a break from this relentless moisture.

While we aren't getting rains that Wisconsin is--more on that in a minute--we've certainly had more than our share. When it isn't raining, it is oppressively humid. I try to find the good in everything and yes, the flowers and foliage are lush and beautiful. But it's hard to breathe when I run and the mud on my trails is making me slip, slide, and fall. The biting flies are loving the conditions and my repellant isn't as much of a deterrent as I hoped. I broke down and ordered a head net to keep the flies out of my eyes. 

The other bad news is that my upcoming trail race, Dances with Dirt, scheduled for next weekend in Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin, has been canceled. This is due to all the rain, which has led to poor trail conditions and flooding in the park. I've been wanting to run this race for years! I signed up for the 10k to see what it's like. I was hoping to run a half there next year. I have to decide if I will defer or run it virtually. 

Wisconsin has had so much rain that last week our lake was a 'no wake zone'. Boats and piers were freely floating in the water. The water has receded some, but more rain is on the way. The storms just keep tracking across that same area. You know how bummed I am about not being able to ski much this summer! I sure hope things improve.

A Very Wet Week

What a strange summer we're having! We've had a lot of sizzling record-breaking heat and a lot of rain. The humidity has been off the charts. This summer has been kind of a bust so far--I hope things shift to something more outdoors-friendly! Fortunately this week, I was able to get all my runs done outside. 

Time on the lake? We're home this weekend. After last weekend's flooding rains in Wisconsin, piers are underwater, boats have become unmoored, and as of this writing, the lake is still a no-wake zone. I'm starting to wonder if there's going to be any waterskiing this summer!

Running Out of My Comfort Zone

I'm not being dramatic when I tell you it has been fire outside. We are still in June and if this is what summer will be like, take me back to winter. Sure the sun is shining, but it burns if you are out there too long. While I do love summer, I do not like the extreme heat. We've been in the 90s all week--we even broke a few records. We had some storms Saturday night, which brought a lot of rain and cooler temperatures. 

Meanwhile, I did get all my runs done outside! I just started a lot earlier than I normally do. A runner's gotta run, am I right? Running teaches us to push outside of our comfort zone and this week reminded me of that!

The Heat is On!

This week gave me the opportunity to cut back on my miles and give my legs some much needed rest. I'm still trying to acclimate to the heat! Every summer I go through this and I don't know if I ever do get used to it!

I'm Smoked

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.

It's a silly title for this post and I'll probably get all kinds of spam from smoking websites. But let me explain. When he's tired, which is pretty much all of the time, my dad likes to tell everyone how he's 'smoked'. So much so, that it's become an ongoing joke in my family. When someone is tired, we say we are 'smoked'. 

Yep, I'm smoked. 

Not stoked. 

I haven't bounced back from the Blue Springs Trail Race I ran a few weeks ago. I took it easy the week after the race and I don't think I've been pushing myself excessively. My body is telling me something different. If I want running to feel good again, I need to listen to my body and give it a little more rest. You can imagine this isn't making me happy. Let's hope it's not long before I'm feeling light on my feet again.

What A Week!

I was home this week to work on continuing education. In the past, I would travel to attend an in-person conference, but my CME allowance has been cut substantially. My pediatric nurse practitioner professional organization allows members to attend their annual conference virtually, so I did that, which was a much more affordable option. The conference content didn't disappoint and I was able to obtain over 20 CME hours. I even spent one of the days sitting outside on my deck while watching lectures--it sure beats sitting in a conference hall! I also liked scheduling my sessions around my workouts. 

My week wasn't without some bumps in the road, though. On Sunday, I was scratching an itch behind my ear and felt a sharp pain. I asked my hubs to look at it and he told me it was a pimple. I had him snap a photo and sure enough, I had a tick bite behind my ear. I didn't see a tick in the lesion--hopefully, I dislodged it when I scratched it. Just to be safe, on Monday, I contacted one of my partners at work and asked her to call in an antibiotic for Lyme disease prophylaxis. The area behind my ear hurt for several days and it was a good reminder that I need to apply repellant not only to my arms and legs but also to my neck and behind my ears. And to wear a hat!

On Friday, I drove my parents downtown to Northwestern University Medical Center so my dad could see a neuro-ophthalmologist. A few weeks ago, he woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain on the left side of his head. The next morning, he had double vision. I sent him to the ER, where they did a CT scan and an MRI, which showed no pathology. Since he's still been having issues, his local neurologist recommended he see the specialist. The good news is that he said my dad didn't have a stroke and that the double vision should resolve soon. I'm so glad for the positive diagnosis. We were stuck in heavy traffic both in and out of the city, which gave us a lot of time to catch up. It was nice to spend the day with them.