yep, I'm still here

Source

Ok, here's the deal.  I haven't been posting lately because I've been dealing with A LOT of joint pain and every time I started to write something, it sounded either bitchy or whiny.  I mean, I know I call myself Bitter Hag and all, but I don't really like to sound bitter. At least not all the time. Just for special occasions.

Aaannnnyyyywhoooo....

Here's how it all went down.  I saw my ob/gyn for my annual and mentioned that I'd been having serious joint pains in both hands, both knees and both ankles and the knee pain in particular has been making it incredibly painful for me to run....I first noticed the hand pain to September 19th (I know this only because I was getting a dye job and hair cut. I measure many milestones in my life by their proximity to haircut appointment dates.)  So I was talking (and probably gesturing wildly) to my hair dude, when all of a sudden my finger joints were KILLING me.  It was really weird.  The severe pain lasted a few weeks and then subsided quite a bit to a mild, dull ache. After that, I started having pains in various joints that would come and go with varying pain severity levels, but the knee pain really took off in early January and hasn't let up.....  So my ob/gyn suggested I see my primary care doc....

My primary care doc looked at my red, swollen joints and said that obviously, something is going on. She drew a bunch of labs and said that even if all the results are negative, she was going to send me to a rheumatologist because my joints look so unhappy......Did I mention that I have newly emergent bone spurs on some finger joints, too? The end result is red, raised lumps on my joints. Guess I can give up the dream of being a hand model...

Source

Back to the saga......I finally got to see the rheumatologist last Friday.  He spent an hour with me, flying through a bunch of review of systems-type questions (Do you have ringing in your ears? When was your last period? Have you had feelings of depression in the last two weeks?), asking about my family history, and then said, "Well, your labs are all normal, there is no inflammatory process going on. You're healthy. You're just old. You have arthritis."

Yeah, I'm 47.  Turns out, 47 ISN'T the new 32. Damn.

So I asked about the sudden onset of pain in BOTH hands, BOTH knees, BOTH ankles.  I mean, I've had my share of running related injuries, and I'm used to the general sorts of pain associated with running, but this is totally different and gee, the last time I checked, I don't rely on my hands much during the running process.

His response to the question of sudden onset? "It wasn't."

Huh?? It wasn't?  Oh good, I'm glad he cleared that up for me.

He then went on to say, "People always ask me, "why me?" "why now?" and I tell them "because that's the way it happened" and "because you're getting old."  Is he for real?? I was so frustrated when I left his office.  I don't know what I was hoping to hear, but I guess thought (or was hoping) that I was going to walk away with some type of action plan that would help me get back into running. I also realized that he never asked me why I was there to see him.  He didn't seem at all interested in hearing what my concerns are, and definitely didn't get what a big deal it is for me to NOT be able to run.

Whoops.  I guess this post ended up sounding both bitchy and whiny.  Sorry about that!  My next post will be all about what I'm going to do to try to combat my pains. I promise it won't be an ongoing bitchfest, I'll keep it positive!

first race of 2013 AND the unveiling of marathon #4!

Here's the weather we woke up to.

The New Year's Day tradition continues.  To help ring in the new year, the husband and I ran the Polar Dash 5k.

It was kind of cold out yesterday. Bitterly cold, according to the weather channel. (You'd think I would embrace the bitterness, but I don't.)  13 degrees below zero where we live. I like to run in the cold, but dayum, that's COLD! Luckily, it was a balmy 5 degrees below zero in Minneapolis (where we would be running) so we had nothing to fear.

Choices, choices..... trail shoes or running shoes??
I like to wear my trail shoes when running in the snow but
wasn't sure how snowy the course would be.
The deciding factor was not knowing how to attach the
timing chip to the laces of my trail shoes (they have
speed laces and can't be "unlaced".)
Running shoes it is!

Have I mentioned that I hate being cold?  HATE it.  So we're on our way to the race, talking about how freaking cold it is, and the fact that we're crazy to be doing this, blah blah blah...... and I asked the husband, "How did we get started running this race outside, in winter, in Minnesota anyway?  What possessed us to do it the first time?"  And he just looked at me and said, "Ummm, you found something on the internet called "Couch to 5K" and for some inexplicable reason, started running.  I have absolutely NO IDEA what drives you to do what you do. I just go along for the ride!"  He's a fun date.  I'm glad he likes me!

The worst part of the race experience? Using the porta-potty in sub-zero temperatures.  Not a pleasant experience. We'll just leave it at that.

Uber flattering photo of us in the start corral.

The run itself was fun. My only observation/complaint is that there are so many new runners and walkers (like the Diva Dash).  While I think it's fantastic that so many folks were out (especially on such a cold day!) but a little etiquette would go a long way......walkers start towards the back of the pack, don't walk 4-5 abreast on the narrow course, etc., but having said that, it was really more about getting out and running on the first day of the New Year, and less about "racing" so all in all it was a good time.  And the crowds thinned in the second half so we were able to pick the pace up a little bit which was nice.

As the husband and I were walking back to the car after the race, we were reflecting on the fact that though we had bitched quite a bit about the cold before the race started, we certainly never regretted getting out and running.

Our glorious splits:

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	31:37.0	3.12	10:09
1	11:02.0	1.00	11:02
2	10:19.3	1.00	10:19
3	9:15.1	1.00	9:15
4	1:00.6	0.12	8:45

So there you have it.  First race of the year - Done!

Garmin Electra's documentation.
I just like this picture because Sherman is in it.

Oh, and I signed up for marathon #4!!  Green Bay Marathon on May 19, 2013.  As a Vikings fan, I'm a little torn about running through Lambeau Field, but with time, I'm sure I'll be able to work through that issue.

the last post for 2012

The light-up necklace was the coolest part of the swag!

Can the year really be coming to a close already?  Wow!  Seems like it was January 1 just a couple weeks ago.

Hmmmm, I haven't exactly been covering myself with glory fitness-wise these last few weeks.  Again, life has interfered with my well-intentioned plans.  What's the saying? "You make plans, and God laughs"?? Or something like that.  Another saying: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." You get the idea.  So I'm just going to keep moving forward and see what happens....  I still have to do my all my HBBC update posts.... Yikes.  I'm behind.

Annnnnyyyhooooo.  Let's talk about my last race of 2012. The Jumpin' Jack Frost 5k. It was a good time!

I love 5Ks.  Such an easy distance and I feel like I can just go and run 3.1 miles and not have to train or anything.  Of course, I'm never going for speed. Things might look a little different if I were a serious runner. And by serious, I mean fast. Which I'm not. And I also mean talented.  Which I also am not. But I'm fun!

Pre-race with my running buddy.

So the night before the race, I met up with about 30 of my high school friends, all home for the holidays. It was so fun to see all those folks and catch up on everything that's been going on in the 5 years (give or take) since we graduated from high school. I was super careful about my pre-race fueling, too.  The temple that is my body ingested only the best deep-fried Wisconsin cheese curds and I insisted on 9-grain bread for my BLT.  And my dirty martini vodka of choice?  Grey Goose. I hear it's got more carbs than other vodkas.

Good thing the race didn't start until 4:35 p.m.

I ran with a friend - our first time running together ever - and we had a wonderful time!  We ran pretty slowly (see our splits below) and chatted the entire time.  I always forget how much fun it is to run with someone else! The course is an out and back along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.  We started at dusk; it was completely dark by the time we were finishing up and the city lights shining over the river looked absolutely beautiful.  A nice way to finish the year!

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	31:30.2	3.05	10:21
1	11:00.9	1.00	11:01
2	10:24.0	1.00	10:24
3	9:43.2	1.00	9:43
4	:22.1	0.05	8:03

========================================
And now, let's look at the year in review.

Number of races completed this year: 
23 total - Six 5k (including one Warrior Dash!), an 8k (trail), a 10k, an 8.9 mile (trail), a 10 mile, 8 half marathons, a 25k, a 30k, a 20 miler and two full marathons (Grandma's and Chicago).

Number of PRs set this year:
Six! - 5k, 8k, 10 mile, half-marathon, 30k, and marathon.

Free stuff! 
Remember, I'm cheap frugal, so I LOVE getting anything for free, no matter how it happens.  And can I just say that I love the magic of the internet?
Items won via Facebook:
1. Soleus watch courtesy of Team Ortho, organizer of many of my favorite races!
2. Race entry to a half marathon, courtesy of an Orthopaedic Group that sponsors many races.
3. Sweatshirt courtesy of the Med City Marathon folks, just for "liking" the Facebook page! (The fact that I won a sweatshirt is kind of ironic since the temps in that race rivaled the those in the pits of hell.)

The message informing me that I'm a winner!

5. Race bib belt from Final Stretch running, just for being one of the first 10 folks to sign up for their newest race.  It's called the Chocoholic Frolic.  Guess how long it took me to sign up once I saw the title.... Yeah, about a nanosecond.  That's why I'm a winner, folks!

My cozy sweatshirt....

.....and my cool race belt!

Items won in other ways.....
1. A sweet jacket courtesy of my running club for following their blog.
2. Hotel room at Grandma's Marathon - ok, so I didn't "win" this, but still, free stuff is free stuff!
3. Road ID bracelet for signing up for the Explore Minnesota Challenge.  Sadly, I didn't meet the challenge because most of the races I ran didn't qualify.  Oh well.  Maybe I'll try that one again if they expand the race list....

Progress on goals: 

1. Complete Grandma's again and improve my time. Check!

2. Run a total of 1000 miles.  Nope. 773 was my total mileage for running.

2012 Running Miles

But when you include walking and elliptical, I covered 1123 miles.  Not too shabby!

2012 Total Miles

3. Run at least one mile per day every day of the year.  (the "I heart to Run" running streak challenge)
I abandoned this one. Running one mile every day proved much more difficult than anticipated!  The daily donning of the sports bra proved to be the biggest mental hurdle to reaching this goal. Oh well.

4. Purposely move my body 30 minutes every day for the first 100 days of the year.
99/100 days of success!

Missed it by one day. Doh!

5. Attempt eating clean more often than not.
Epic failure. But I did manage to purge Oreos from my diet.  Speaking of Oreos...

6. Keep on trying new challenges and see where this adventure takes me next.
Well, I guess running a marathon on very little training is one way to challenge myself...... but I do keep on trying!

All in all, it's been a pretty good year.  I may not have met all my goals but I still managed to accomplish a lot and had a pretty good time doing it.  That's success as far as I'm concerned.

Happy New Year, everyone!  Looking forward to continuing the journey in 2013!

dodging duties

The weather is so strange today!  56 degrees in Minnesota.  On December 3rd.  It's misty and foggy out.  Looks like how I imagine springtime in Transylvania would look.  I'm getting ready to take Jane out for some quality time.  In the dark.  In the fog.

A propos of nothing, here are a bunch of videos for your viewing pleasure.  Some are fitness related and some are clearly not.  (Yeah, I'm practicing dog-walking avoidance techniques. And I may or may not have adult ADD.)

Think of it as a fun little diversion on a foggy Monday night.

And don't judge me for wasting time while my poor dog whines to go for a walk.

==================================================

1. For starters, the husband and I have been working hard on perfecting our yoga routine. I think it's looking pretty good.  Don't hate us* because we're beautiful.

(*not really "us" but it totally could be.)

==================================================
2. And don't hate us because sometimes we're THOSE pet people.... you know who I mean.  This is Jane in warmer days.  Yeah, we're easily amused.

==================================================
3.  Must give equal time to cats.  This video had my kids and me laughing so hard the first bazillion times we watched it!  It's pure stupid.  Right up our alley.

================================================
4.  This one is included for no other reason than because I dedicated pretty much an entire post to my thriller of a jacket.

==================================================
5. Ok, this video is just plain amazing and inspiring. It's been everywhere already but is worth sharing again and again.  I heart Arthur!! Makes me want to cry and give him a hug every time I see it because I feel so damn proud of him.

===================================================

Oh alright., I've avoided the walk long enough..... Out into the scary, foggy night..... good thing Jane is so tough.

hbbc - week 2, and a potential goal

I may have found a replacement for my beloved Oreos.

Ugh, a tough week for me training-wise. But a very successful (albeit exhausting) week work-wise.  So I guess that was the trade-off.  

Turns out it's a lot easier for me to run and workout when I have three days off of work, despite having family visiting from out of town for four days and hosting a dinner for 25. Looks like I need to make some changes if I'm going to meet this challenge head on!  Oh well, onward and upward, right?

Oh, and since part of the HBBC is healthy eating, I must come clean about my latest treat obsession. Surely you remember my unhealthy love of Oreo cookies.....  I have pretty much given them up because I have proven incapable of portion control. I've found a new love and it's like a match made in heaven - salty and sweet, chocolate and crackers, carbs and sugar....soooooo white trash!  I LOVE them.

Ok, back to running/healthy stuff.....

Pull-tabs.  Yeah, we're classy like that.

So the husband and I are toying with the idea of a destination marathon...... anyone run the Manitoba Marathon in Winnipeg?  Looks like a pretty cool race, and quite small (675 or so finishers last year). And FLAT!! Only a 3 meter elevation change. Perfect to attempt a PR, no?

Speaking of the husband, he was also suffering from the effects of a highly challenging work week. We celebrated the end of the week by having a very low-brow date night - dinner at a local pub that has spectacular sandwiches. And pull-tabs. Lots of pull-tabs.  They're like hope and possibility-filled paper Oreos to me. Good thing we only go there once every 7 years or so. (Have I ever told the story of how we used pull-tab winnings to pay for our marriage license? It's true! Don't judge.)   

Anywhoo, Here are my stats of shame for HBBC week 2:

Runs: 0
Walks: 2
Miles: 4.73
Strength/Core Workouts: 2.5 (50 minutes of yoga)
Elliptical: 0
Fruits/Veggie Servings: 2!!
Bonus points: 3
Total HBBC Points: 10.23 (Please note that I although I sucked at being active, I did manage to meet my freggie goal TWICE this week. It's a little miracle!!)

Here's hoping for a better week 3!

hbbc week 1

The carnage.  We had two 24 pound turkeys.

It's been a busy week here in Lake Wobegone.  Thanksgiving - my absolute FAVORITE holiday - means lots of family time, lots of great food and a fair amount of work for the husband and me.  We hosted dinner for 25 - our kids, my parents, my three siblings and their spouses and families, the husband's parents, the husband's brother and sister-in-law, and my SIL's sister - and it was a fantastic time!  The meal is a family affair with everyone contributing, so we don't have to make it all ourselves.

The food.  

Wow.  

It's amazing!!

Saving room for pie.

Two turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rutabagas, green bean casserole, rolls....it's a protein and starchy carb cornucopia. So yummy!!  But maaayyyybeee not the healthiest.  All the recipes contain copious amounts of butter, cream and salt, along with a healthy dash of family tradition.  You don't mess with family tradition, and frankly, the food is so good, no one wants to mess with those recipes.  My SIL and I decided we needed more veggies on the menu than usual so we added brussels sprouts and roasted carrots. Both were a hit. I think they might become permanent additions.

Did I mention the pies?  

We had eleven homemade pies. 

Yes, you read that right.  ELEVEN pies.  

French silk, pumpkin, pumpkin chiffon, apple, dutch apple, pecan and mincemeat. Served with fresh whipped cream.  Good lord, I think I gained weight just typing this.  

Thank heavens it was also week 1 of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  

Trying so hard to get my 7 servings of veggies in!

You know it's been a tough few months for me with getting my workouts in.  I signed up for the HBBC to help me with accountability and motivation.  Week 1 was pretty good!

Monday: walked 2.71 miles, hit the elliptical for 3.99 miles, did 20 minutes of gut-busting core work.

Tuesday: rest day

Wednesday: Ran 2 miles, walked Jane 2.7 miles

Thursday: Ran 3.5 miles with Jane before the feast

Friday: Ran 3.5 miles with my SIL 

Saturday: Walked 2 miles

Sunday: Walked 2 miles, did 20 minutes of core work.

Totals: 40 minutes core work, 4 miles on the elliptical (yeah, I rounded up), 9 miles run, 9.5 miles walked. 

The day after Thanksgiving and ready for a cold, snowy run
 with my SIL from Indiana. Those cool red shoes would be my
size 11 trail shoes.  My SIL is the one with the dainty girl feet.

Black Friday, post-run.  Thanksgiving morning was 60 degrees and sunny.
The snow was a cruel and unexpected surprise, but we didn't let it stop us!

One of the challenges in the HBBC that I'm most excited about is to eat 7 servings of fruits and veggies every day.  I suck at that and have been known to resort to V8 juice in an effort to get more veggies in.  I have yet to hit the 7 servings goal, although I did come close on Thanksgiving. Oh well, something to shoot for, right?

Updated to show my week by the numbers:
Runs: 3
Walks: 3
Miles: 18.58 points
Strength/Core Workouts: 2 points
Elliptical: 3 points
Fruits/Veggie Servings: 0
Bonus points: 16

Total HBBC Points: 39.58

world's greatest cranberry recipe

I can't wait to eat these again!

Ok, I posted this recipe last year, and have gotten some requests to post it again.  These cranberries are AMAZING. I'm drooling just thinking about them. I found the recipe in the newspaper a few years ago.  Maybe I should make them more than once a year.  And it's a fat-free food!  

So here ya go!

Cranberry Apricot Relish
1 (12 oz.) package fresh or frozen cranberries, about 3 cups
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar (or to taste) or mild clover honey (I recommend honey)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried apricots, quartered or coarsely chopped
¼ cup dark Bacardi rum
Pick over the cranberries, discarding shriveled berries and stems. Rinse well and drain. Combine the water, sugar, ginger and cinnamon or allspice in a medium-size saucepan. Place the pan on the heat and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, or just until the syrup thickens and the ginger is tender. Stir in the cranberries and the apricots and cook, stirring, until the berries begin to pop. Immediately reduce heat to low, add the rum, and simmer the sauce about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until most of the berries have popped but the fruit is still firm and has texture. Don't cook the sauce into a mush.
Remove the sauce from the heat and cool to room temperature. Keeps at least two weeks in airtight containers, preferably glass jars.
Serve at room temperature.

According to the paper, here's the goodness breakdown per ¼ cup serving:
Calories: 104
Fat: 0 g
Saturated fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 3mg
Calcium: 12 mg
Dietary fiber: 2g
Carbohydrates: wait for it..... wait for it..... 24 g (no wonder I love this stuff!)

Enjoy!