2018: It Was a Very Good Year

As a runner, it's always fun at the end of the year to reflect back on the year of running. At last year's end, I wrote that for 2018, I was going to "dial back the intensity a bit" and "be a little kinder to myself". I didn't set any goals for 2018, instead deciding to let the year unfold as it would. Still adjusting to living with RA, I didn't want to set myself up to fail and I sure didn't want any DNS. I also wanted to continue to practice yoga and work on strength via CrossFit.

Regular readers of the blog know that 2018 was a very good year for me. I've shared my triumphs, which were many, as well as my trials, which were few. For the most part, RA was pretty quiet. I had a few flares which always freak me out but were well-controlled with a burst of steroids. I did have my knees injected during the summer. My most recent bloodwork shows low RA activity. I still agonize over my loss of speed and endurance, but I've come to the conclusion that instead of blaming RA, menopause and aging are the more likely culprits. I can blame them for my thickening midsection too!

It's been a fun year, with less of a focus on the destination and more on the journey. I've had a lot of company--on my runs, at my races, and off the road too. I'm so grateful that I have been able to continue running! Here's my year in review. I'm not going to share specifics about races--you can find links to this years' races under the tab above.

The Day RA Won't Let Me Forget

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Swiftwick socks in exchange for my honest opinion. There are affiliate links as well.

Some anniversaries aren't on the calendar. There are certain things that we don't want to remember, much less celebrate. Unfortunately, some things we can't forget.

It's an inauspicious anniversary for me. Two years ago, I received a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

While I've managed my symptoms pretty well and have continued running, I've had a few bumps in the road. RA has been knocking on my door (ok, my knees..my hands...my elbows...my feet) for the past couple of weeks. Determined not to let it stop me from running my final half marathon of the year, I took a steroid pack hoping to shut it off.

The symptoms subsided, but shortly after completing the dose pack, the aching and swelling insidiously returned. First to my hands, then my knees. I normally live with a low level of symptoms so I wasn't overly concerned.

This past week, I had a full on flare of my disease. The timing was oddly coincidental with the 2 year anniversary of my diagnosis.

*rheumatoid arthritis

What a Difference the Sun Makes!

This week, I continued on my plan of recovery after my last half marathon. I still feel good with minimal symptoms of RA, but with another half marathon coming up in January, I'm looking to ramp up the miles once again. I have to play it smart and I'm going to try not to run 2 days in a row this time. Thankfully the cold weather didn't bother me much--symptoms of RA were really minimal.

Talking myself into heading out into the cold was a challenge. The gray skies were not inviting at all. Towards the end of the week, the sun came out.

We haven't seen much sun at all the last couple of weeks and wow! It sounds corny but what a difference the sun makes. People were kinder and overall everything felt...easier. With that, the week definitely ended on a high note!

photo credit to my husband

After the Steroids

Cue the violins and sing along!

"So it's back to the same old

after the steroids,

With stiffness and swollen hands,

As I ease out of bed, 

Stretching my knees and rising to stand. 

It's so hard to explain

everything that I'm feeling,

Without sounding as if it's a whine,

'Cause it hurts me so much

To just want to feel fine.

Thanks for making me

Realize that I'm the lucky one

And thanks for turning me

Into a grateful someone

So it's back to the same old

after the steroids,

I lace up my shoes for a run.

The feel of the road, the wind in my face,

Reminds me of what I have won.

And I know that my song 

Isn't saying anything new

Oh but after the steroids,

I  just love what I can do.

~adapted from After the Lovin' 

and apologizes to Engelbert Humperdinck,
although it was a pretty cheesy song to begin with.

Could I be any cheesier? After last weekend's half marathon, I promised myself an easy week and easy is what I did. I finished the steroid pack on Tuesday and yes, while mild symptoms of RA returned, I felt overall pretty good. It's always scary to go off the steroids and after such a painful flare, I am so grateful to basically be back at my baseline.

There's a Happy Ending

Last Saturday's snowy trail run really wrecked me. By wrecked, I mean that I was hurting worse than if I had run a marathon. I'm not sure what caused me to feel so crappy after that run. It was only 8 miles, we only got a couple inches of snow, the trail is packed dirt, but whatever it was, I paid dearly this week for that run.

It started with a rumbling down under (TMI) and over the week, morphed into a full-blown RA flare. Since I was feeling so crummy after Saturday's run, I was worried about that happening. Hoping to keep the sleeping giant asleep, I made the decision to keep my training low-key this week. With a half marathon less than a week away, it was kind of like a taper, right?

F--king RA didn't care. I didn't want to write a weekly wrap post this week, because who wants to read a sad story? There were some workouts, so I'm recapping them and trying to keep it positive. Unfortunately, every time I did any kind of physical activity this week, I paid for it.

There is a happy ending, though!

Pipeworks Lizard King IPA
My reward after a hard race.

Running in a Winter Wonderland

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Garmins beep

Are you listening?

On the trail

Snow is glistening

A beautiful day

We're happy to say

We're running in a winter wonderland

-Apologies to Richard B. Smith, lyricist

Giving Thanks for All Things Running

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's a great time to reflect on all that it is good in my life. There is so much to be thankful for--both on and off the road.

Since this is a running blog, I'm going to share a few running things that I'm thankful for!

Coming in From the Cold

Disclaimer: I received pairs of Swiftwick Pursuit and Vision socks in exchange for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links.

The arrival of cold weather here in the Midwest is inevitable. No matter how much you mentally prepare yourself for winter, when the temperature drops, it's always a shock to the system. Especially when it happens so early, as it has this year. We had snow this week and we had temperatures in the 20s. This time of year brings strong winds which ushers in the change of seasons, but combined with the cold, makes for some really unpleasant running conditions.

What is a runner to do? Take to the treadmill or suck it up and go outside? You know what I did.

Running Time Machine: Throwback Race Recap

While I was writing my last post about running mistakes and looking back on old races, my mind wandered back to the good old days--to the days of running before technology. Life was simpler then and so was running.

I started my running journey in the late 1980s. I ran a lot of races back then--mostly 5ks and 10ks. Half marathons weren't really a thing and only the die-hard runners ran marathons! There were no blogs--actually, there wasn't much of an internet, and I sure didn't recap my races. I wish I'd kept a running journal back then, but the thought never occurred to me. I just ran. It was all about having fun.

But it's not too late for a race recap, is it? Let's hop in the time machine and revisit a race circa 1993!

Falling Back into Running

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received The Original Worm in exchange for my honest review. 

See what I did there? Did you turn your clocks back and enjoy your extra hour of sleep? I woke up at 5:30, but consoled myself with the reminder that my body thought it was actually 6:30.

I wrapped up October with 80 miles running, which isn't bad considering that I've only been running 3 days per week. I've really been enjoying running this fall. I struggled so much over the summer that I started having dark thoughts about running. I worried that my running days were over. Thankfully, with the arrival of cooler weather, I found running to be enjoyable and rewarding again. I've also found my mojo which was sorely lacking. I'm starting to think ahead to 2019--looking at races and setting goals.

What a difference the weather makes!

Let's wrap up the week. Holly is taking a much needed week off. Marcia is graciously co-hosting. Be sure to show her all the love you always show Holly and me!!

Weekly Wrap: Here I Go Again

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Rockay Accelerate Socks in exchange for my unbiased review.

After my fun long weekend in Nashville, it was right back to reality. I always feel that after a vacation, I need a vacation to recover. My sister and I did pack a lot in those few days we were away and I was exhausted at the beginning of the week. But with a half marathon coming up in 4 weeks, I needed to get some miles in.

A Roll of the Dice

Disclaimer: I received a case of YQ by Yoplait yogurt in exchange for my honest review.

This week really was up for grabs. Nothing went as planned, but it was a great week. Sometimes that's just the way it goes. I'm not much of a gambler, but a runner's gotta just roll with it. Which is what I did...

Run Is All You Need

What a tough week--at least off the road, it was. I'm just so disheartened by current events. Mocking and lying seem to pass for acceptable conduct these days. If it weren't for this blog, I'd be inactivating my Facebook account. Instead of seeing running posts and posts about family, my feed this week was filled with contentious political posts and memes--from both sides.

What's a runner to do?

Shut it down. Log off. Get outside. Go for a run. Repeat.

It's all you need.

Coffee Talk

This post contains affiliate links.

The temperatures have dropped, rain is falling, and it's the perfect morning to catch up over coffee. We could run, but running in the cold rain isn't much fun, right? How do you want your coffee? I've got half and half and GLG Collagen Hydrolysate to spoon in--do you want to try it?

Before we pour our coffee, I'm going to put it out there...I'm beside myself with is happening in Washington. Actually, I'm sick over it. I don't want to ruin our coffee date with negativity and I won't say any more than that. I think most of you know me and where I stand. All I can say is make sure you vote this November. It really does make a difference.

Ok, moving on. Tell me what's new in your world?

Thank you to Holly for this fun mug! 

There Goes My Dream of Running Boston..

Unless you weren't paying attention, you know that last week the Boston Athletic Association announced new Boston Marathon Qualifier Acceptances (BQs) for the 2020 Boston Marathon. Runners are getting faster, applications to run the Boston Marathon have increased, and the gap between the qualifying marathon times and the finish times that were accepted grew to 4:52 minutes.

We all knew this was coming. The number of running friends who "BQ'd" but didn't make the cut increased every year. The new standards should help runners training for a BQ have a better chance of being accepted. The previous BQ times have been adjusted down by 5 minutes. I wonder how long this standard will hold? And will it prevent or encourage cheaters?

The new standards make my Boston Qualifying time 4 hours 5 minutes. Since I'm no longer running marathons, it's kind of a non-issue. But the new qualifying times got me thinking again. I always said that if I was going to run another marathon, it would be Boston.

Running from Hot to Cold

After taking a complete week off to recover from my half marathon, this week I returned to running and CrossFit. I rarely take time off to recover after a race--in fact, the only time I can recall taking time off from working out is after my marathons. This time I really needed the break. I'm glad I did it because I was actually looking forward to running again. As the weather became more temperate, I had some really nice confidence boosting runs.

What a difference a 40 degree drop in temperatures makes! But wouldn't it be nice if it could be cold in the mornings for our runs and then warm up nicely for the rest of the day?

The 6 R's of Recovery

Disclaimer: This post contains a few affiliate links.

After last weekend's racing and waterskiing, I knew that I was going to need some time to recover. I planned on taking a couple days off and then slowly returning to running mid-week. My body had other plans and on Wednesday, I made the decision to take the rest of the week off all activities except for yoga. Not only was I completely exhausted, but I also started having some symptoms of an impending RA flare. Rather than poke the bear, I did my best to keep those symptoms down to a dull roar.

Since I don't have a lot of activity to report for the Weekly Wrap, I wanted to share how I do recovery like a boss by following the 6 Rs. And by the way, I have zero regrets about pushing myself last weekend!

Race Recap: ZOOMA Great Lakes Half Marathon

I ran my first ZOOMA half marathon in 2014. That race took place in Chicago on the lakefront path. You can read my recap here. It wasn't a race I planned on repeating. Fast forward to this winter when the ZOOMA race series made plans to return to the area, but instead with the race taking place in Lake Delavan, Wisconsin. That sparked interest in me. The original ZOOMA race was in nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and I had never run a race in that area. Also, the race series had been purchased by a new promoter and they hired Erika Howder, who blogs at MCMMamaRuns, to be in charge of the expo and the ambassadors.

That sealed the deal. I wanted in.

I submitted an application to be a race ambassador, was chosen to be a national ambassador, and before I knew it, race day was here!

Hanging On To Summer

It's hard to believe that we are in the middle of September--it feels more like late August! But the leaves are starting to turn and the days are growing shorter, signs that fall is right around the corner. These warm late summer days are a gift. I tried to squeeze as many outdoor activities in as I could this week. I'm not ready to let go!

no filter for this sunset!

Life Goes On...

With the passing of Labor Day, we've unofficially left summer behind. Sadly, it rained all Labor Day weekend and we weren't able to get out on the water one last time. When you live in the Midwest, summer is so short. We try to squeeze in as much as we can, but it never feels like enough. My oldest son and I did get up to Madison to visit my youngest and drop off a few more things. While I did ok saying goodbye after our initial drop off, this time was much more difficult for both of us. I think it felt more real.

I was feeling pretty low this week--missing my boy. You know who really missed him? My pup Cocoa. She was really quiet all week, sleeping a lot and not really eating much. By Friday, she seemed much more like herself. We're all adjusting to our new norm. I was really busy at work and that helped keep my mind occupied. Life goes on.