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

Blogger Field Trip: DexaScan Body Composition Analysis

Disclaimer: I received a DexaScan body scan in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are mine.

Sometimes blogging brings the most interesting opportunities my way. When I was first contacted by DexaScan to see if I wanted to undergo a Dexa Scan for body fat analysis, I was a little skeptical. I've had a Dexa scan in the past to determine bone density. I was not aware that the scan could yield body composition data as well. Once I did my homework and learned how accurate the procedure actually was, I scheduled my test with DexaFit in Highland Park, Illinois.

sample scan (not mine)

10 Gifts Runners Will Want Under the Tree

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

If you're a runner, I'm pretty sure you've got some running things on your holiday gift list! I know I do. It's a good time to be a runner. The offerings are abundant! Here are 10 of my favorite things. If I were Oprah, I'd gift you all with them. It's the thought that counts, right?

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.

Runfessions over Coffee: November

The calendar says the end of November but the thermometer says January. With almost a foot of snow on the ground, coffee sounds good, doesn't it? Last weekend, I brought my Badger back to Wisconsin and came home with some of the local grounds from Colectivo. I've got a pot brewing, so let's sit down and catch up over a cup!

Race Recap: Schaumburg Turkey Trot Half Marathon

This race has become an annual tradition for me. The last half marathon of the Chicago running season, it takes place in the Busse Woods Forest Preserve, a place where I train and know well. The mostly flat race attracts a fast group of runners and many PRs are made on this course. New for me this year, I was selected as an All Community Events ambassador and was proud this year to represent the race organizer.

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.