Tuesday, June 30, 2020

RA Healthline: My Review of the App

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I was compensated by Healthline for sharing information and my honest opinion about the RA Healthline app. 

About a month ago, I wrote a post introducing the RA Healthline app. As an active person with rheumatoid arthritis, I'm grateful to have such a useful app in the palm of my hand. With all the resources available to me, RA Healthline is the one tool I will probably use the most. I joke that my phone is 'my brain', but I have so much information on it. I use health apps to track my runnning stats, order my medication, communicate with my medical providers, and work out. 

As part of my partnership with Healthline, I was asked to evaluate the RA Healthline app. I've been using the app since its introduction one month ago, both as an ambassador and as a person with RA. I used general assessment criteria found here and here to help guide my review.



Sunday, June 28, 2020

Ice Age Trail 50k Training Week 4

Another week of fun in the woods! Seriously, I'm writing this from the north woods of Wisconsin. I've shared here on the blog that my parents have sold my childhood summer home and I'm here with my boys for one last hurrah. I'm grateful for the gift of having a place like this to make so many memories, both as a child myself and with my own children. 

Running-wise, I'm especially grateful this weekend for being able to get some miles in up here. Not only have I been able to run some trails here, the temperatures have been cooler than at home. Summer running at it's finest...


Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Bad Attitude Runfessions

Another month, another bunch of runfessions. Not a month goes by without me needing to cleanse my soles. Thank goodness Marcia opens up the runfessional. I can't wait to be absolved.


Monday, June 22, 2020

My Pandemic Summer Bucket List: Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

This week's Tuesday Topics writing prompt is a very timely 'summer bucket list'. Back in the spring, I had a summer bucket list which included races, family get-togethers, and vacations, including a trip to Alabama to see Holly. None of those things have happened so far and in fact, right now, it doesn't look like much of anything is going to happen. We're well into the summer and COVID doesn't seem to be letting go--in fact, in most places, the illness is on the rise. 

What's a runner to do? All year so far, we've been making the best of things. As I'm sure most of you have done, I've had to revise my summer bucket list. It doesn't look like anything I envisioned a few months ago when snowflakes were flying. But I think you'll agree that Summer 2020 is all about making lemonade out of lemons! 

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Ice Age Trail 50k Training Week 3

Training felt real this week as I hit my highest running mileage in years! With the mindset of running for distance instead of time, I don't feel as intimidated with my training plan as I did in past years training for my marathons. I cannot stop marveling at how refreshing it is to just run and to even take walk breaks when I need them. I'm not saying that it's easy but training for a trail ultra is a whole different mindset. 

I'm still feeling tired but for the most part, I'm sleeping better this week. I continue to worry about the unrest in our country and the COVID hotspots but I've really limited my news time and that seems to have helped me a lot. 

Saturday's trail 10

Friday, June 19, 2020

Book Review: The Athlete's Gut: The Inside Science of Digestion, Nutrition, and Stomach Distress

Disclaimer: This post contains an affilate link.

Long time readers of this blog know that I've struggled with GI issues on the run more than any other running issue. So you can only imagine my excitement when I saw the new release The Athlete's Gut by Patrick Wilson, PhD, RD. A whole book dedicated to GI issues on the run? Has Wilson been reading my blog? Or is it really a thing? I clicked over to Amazon quicker than it takes me to find a porta-potty and bought the e-book.

Who knew that there was so much information about tummy troubles? I poured over the information he presented. Let's just say that this science nerd wasn't disappointed. But did I find any answers?

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

8 Things I Want You to Understand About Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

This post was previously published on The Mighty. I have made updates to that original post.

I've been living with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for almost 4 years but looking back, I probably had RA for much longer than that. As an avid athlete, the physical changes associated with RA have been very difficult for me to deal with. I continue to attempt to keep up with my activities. I've learned to appreciate the good days and do what I can on the bad days. Sometimes, a day on the couch is the only activity I'm able to do.

What's been even more difficult for me is the lack of understanding and support from some of the people around me. Maybe if they knew more about RA and maybe if I had the opportunity to share some of the things I wish they knew about RA, they'd get it.

Here are 8 things I want people to understand about living with rheumatoid arthritis.