I did it!

I did it! I completed my first Triathlon. Half mile swim + 12 mile bike + 3.1 mile run = a big goal accomplished. As I wrote in A Healthier Me, Encouraging Eagle and Sometimes You Have To Sweat The Details, it's been a year long journey. This time last year I was battling fibromyalgia and constantly fatigued and plagued with migraines. I might have been able to walk the 5K but I couldn't have finished the swim or the bike.

I am so thankful for the encouragement of my family and my friends. It's been quite a journey. I've lost over 20 pounds in the past year, gained tremendous fitness, radically changed my eating habits to fight the cholesterol and triglyceride battle and had a lot of fun.

The past five weeks were frustrating as I dealt with a persistent foot (bursitis) injury. It forced me to rethink my race goals and focus on the whole experience of where I came from and not on a specific time goal. The athlete in me wanted to go faster and push harder, but as I was forced to stop running I had a choice to make: fall into self-pity or rejoice in the moment. My God, my family and my friends helped me choose the right focus. Even though my foot hurt as I took the first step out of the water, I could still walk. Thankfully, it didn't hurt on the bike and I was able to jog most of the 5K.

As I gained fitness I set two goals. One, I thought would be very easy to surpass - 2:00. Well, it ended up NOT being easy but I did meet it. I finished with 53 seconds to spare. Am I disappointed? a little. Now I have a goal to shoot for next year (under 1:40).

Trying to train in three events is hard but it's fun as well. The variety is nice and it certainly gives your body a chance to rest from the rigors of just running. I want to keep the increased energy and fitness levels that come with training. Allison, my 12 year old, is looking forward to doing the triathlon with me in the future. We're shooting for 2012 for her goal.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out what is causing the bursitis. I want to be out exercising but walking hurts. Another challenge, but I'm sure God will lead me to the right person to guide me in how to fix it. I'm looking forward to a half marathon this Fall, a full marathon in January or so (possibly Disney) and the Danskin Tri next May. Let me know if you are interested in joining me in these next journeys.

Sometimes you have to sweat the details

Big Picture vs. Minute Detail? What kind of person are you? It may depend on what part of life you are talking about: job, home, hobby, finances... Often we need to pay attention to details but get distracted by responsibilities and life in general. Sometimes, the details just don't seem important enough to care about. Sometimes it's just too scary to deal with the details.

I received some frustrating lab results last week. Even after being so faithful in my exercise program since last May, losing weight and gaining fitness - my cholesterol levels went up again. I've got one more chance to lower them before the medicine option. I don't have anything against medicine, in fact, I'm very thankful for the advances that come each year. But having had good cholesterol levels my entire life, I want to win the battle without meds.

My brother told me about the LiveStrong.com web site. It helps you with the details of eating and exercise. You can track all your daily food and see instantly the nutrition breakdown. Keeping a daily log (those details again) of anything is always revealing. Whether it's tracking what you spend each day, how you use your time, your weight, your food or your exercise. A log forces you to be honest with yourself. You have to pay attention to every detail - at least if you really want to benefit from the process. If you don't write something down you are cheating yourself.

For you, it could be a Starbucks habit that is sapping both your money and your calories. For me, it was snacks. Our meals have been pretty healthy, even more so since my cholesterol started rising last Fall. Snacking has always been so easy and so yummy. A handful of nuts here, a handful of chocolate chips there. A powerbar driving Emily to gymnastics and so on.

Sweating the details is where I'm at. I want to be consistent in using the resources available, like LiveStrong.com and my SportTracks software to track exactly what I eat and each of my workouts. They actually make tracking details fun. I'm glad that I have a family who wants to help with the dietary changes and who support my exercising. I'm glad I have several friends who are also competing in the upcoming Danskin Triathlon. There's nothing like the encouragement from like-minded friends.

Today, I found out that my calcium levels are dropping. My bone density scan revealed another detail to track. Isn't life after menopause fun? Staying active, once again, is not enough. Taking daily calcium was not enough. Yes, I will work on this as well. I'm thankful for the advances in medicine that let us see, very early on, the trouble spots we need to focus on.

1 Corinthians 16:9 says "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" I want to continue to improve and protect my health, for my sake, for George and my daughters' sake, and to glorify God who created me and who lives in me.

I am glad that God sees both the BIG picture and every little detail - the Bible says He knows how many hairs are on my head. What a relief to know that He cares for me and wants to work in and through me - even when the details overwhelm me.

What details do you need to care about? How can I help you sweat the details?

A Widow's Poem

"I Am" by Julia Lowry

I am thankful for a good life,
I wonder what my life would be like if Jim were here,
I hear my husband's voice,
I see him in my dreams,
I want to be with him in heaven,
I am thankful for a good life.

I pretend I am back with my mother,
I feel Jim next to me,
I touch his lips,
I worry about getting into a car,
I cry about losing my friend,
I am thankful for a good life.

I understand there is a God,
I say Jesus loves me,
I dream about heaven,
I try to be nice,
I hope to go to heaven with Jim,
I am thankful for a good life.

My Mom (83) and Dad were married for 58 years. Dad's been gone for a year and a half. It's been hard on Mom. The activities director at Mom's assisted living house used a program to create this poem from answers Mom gave.

Encouraging Eagle

I dutifully went out for a run this morning. I wasn't in the mood but, as my previous post pointed out, I knew I needed it. My health needed it, my body needed it and my mind needed it. There's something rewarding about taking the first obedient step. It could be in exercise, it could be schoolwork, it could be a distasteful task at work, it could be housework, it could be resisting that dessert or drink or pill. Whatever you need to follow or change or do - taking the first step leads to the second step then the third step and you are on your way.

Today, after I had taken around 300 steps I got another reward. I saw a bald eagle out of the corner of my eye. It was flying right at me. I stopped and it flew over me - only about 15' above me. It was beautiful. I felt like it was sent by God to encourage me for taking that first step out the door to exercise - even when I didn't want to.

It would be nice if we got a tangible sign, like the eagle, every time we took the first step and did the right thing. Life doesn't work that way, but we still need to take that step and the second and the third. It is easier to take each step when you have a friend along for the journey. When I lived in Eugene, my roommate Petrea and I, would go for an early morning run each day. Neither of us would've made it without the accountability of the other - the cold and the rain would've won.

These days, I have several paths where I can use a friend. How about you?

Maybe you and I can be that encouraging eagle (or more) to a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor or even a stranger.

"I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Proverbs 4:11-13

A Healthier Me

Last Spring (2009) I watched a dear friend go from a self proclaimed couch potato to a triathlete. She, her sisters and her Mom decided to all compete in the Orlando Danskin Triathlon on Mother's Day. Her mom, at age 65!, even had to learn how to swim to do this. I was impressed with the challenge they set before them and how they successfully conquered it with daily discipline.

After watching them compete, I decided it was my turn to get in shape. I was approaching my 50th birthday and didn't want to wait any longer. I had many challenges, mainly 3-4 migraines a week and fibromyalgia. My neurologist continued to work to find a way to decrease the migraines while also noting the relationship between fibromyalgia, other health issues and migraines. Exercise is one of the best ways to fight fibromyalgia but it's hard since fibro makes you so darned fatiqued. My doctor found a link between my ailments and tested me for some deficiencies. Certain amino acids and D were very low even though I was on supplements. The combination of consistent exercise, additional supplements and the meds I was already on proved to be extremely helpful in giving me much needed energy and a reduction in migraines.

I know that keeping consistent in all the above is vital to my health. It takes a lot of time, at least 5 days a week, to maintain this energy level. But I know that if I miss too much, the fatique takes over and it's hard to get back in the routine. I have so much more energy to give to my family by taking this time for myself each day. I'm thankful that my family has been so supportive. I look forward to the triathlon which is a major motivating force. And I'm thankful for God leading me to a doctor who pursued many paths until he found one that is helpful.

Bitten by the blog bug

Okay, I started my picture blog less than a month ago and now I'm starting blog number 2. Why? I wanted a place where I can write my thoughts that don't fit with pictures. It will be interesting which blog gets more entries.