back in a sec.....

I'm not ignoring my blog, really.  I've been busy doing this stuff....

Getting a Pedicure!  Sadly, since I haven't been running all that much, all my toenails are intact.  I only get a pedi when I'm going on vacation.  Which is exactly what I did!

Letting my trail shoes explore new terrain.

Seeing wildlife!  I think they're really pterodactyls.

Running (yes, RUNNING!!) with my sister-in-law from Indiana.  

Hiking, too!

Running here.  

And running here.  It did not suck.

Seeing views like this.

Hanging here. This also did not suck.

Letting my feet go to their happy place.

Seeing more wildlife - that brown blob is a manatee!

And spending quality time with my honey.

I'll be back soon!!

it ain't heavy, it's my bread

Had I known this I would have
given up gluten years ago. #cellulite

When we last left our intrepid heroine, she informed us that she had received the dual diagnosis of, "You're old, and you have arthritis."  We have been on pins and needles waiting to hear what she is going to do to combat that devastating combination!

Nora will stop referring to herself in the third person now.

A pan of what we thought was gluten free lasagna.
That was before I discovered sausage does indeed
contain gluten. Dammit - so close to being gluten free!!

After Dr. Wonderful told me I'm old and have arthritis, I asked about the possibility of a gluten sensitivity.

He said it was really not likely.

Hearing his opinion made me decide to try going gluten free for a month or so and see if there was any improvement.

I started at lunch last Saturday (had to do some shopping first!) and it really hasn't been too bad.  It's a learning curve for me, however. Things I thought were gluten free are not, and I ate them in the last week so I guess I haven't been truly gluten FREE, more like gluten frugal.

Part of my gluten-free lunch one day this week:
salad with honey-dijon dressing, and for dessert,
Annie's Vanilla & Cocoa Bunny Cookies and
chocolate covered pretzels.  The other part was
the lasagna with gluten failure.  

So I've been doing lots of research and trying to sort out what I can and can't eat.  It's been an education. Many soups have gluten in the broth. It's used a filler in all kinds of food so you really have to look at labels. I found tasty treats at Trader Joe's, and turns out there is an excellent GF store a few miles from our house. And Cub Foods has a surprisingly huge selection of GF foods!  Also surprising - the cost of GF bread products. And some of the loaves could serve as effective door stops.  Holy crap, I swear they weigh about 10 pounds, and so far, I haven't found a bread product that can be used to make a sandwich. If they're not toasted, they're pretty disgusting. I'm sure there's something out there that will work; the search will continue.  But hear this: If my GF experiment works, I'm going to learn to make my own bread. I could go broke trying to satisfy my carb whore tendencies.

Even more crushing news: I found out that envelope glue contains gluten. (Stamps too!)  Such a disappointment! First I had to come to grips with the fact that the occupation of "Hand Model" would never be listed on my resume. Now I have to give up the dream of appearing on "My Freaky/Disgusting/Attention-Seeking Habit" and showcasing my compulsion to lick 5000 envelopes a day???? This sucks!!  I'm never going to be famous.

Annnnnyyyyywhoooo.....Allow me to say goodbye to a few of my gluten-filled friends I can no longer hang with:

• Oreos
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Grey Goose Vodka
• Oreos
• Cottage cheese
• Clif bars
• Chocolate Malt-O-Meal
• Oreos
• Boca burgers
• Steel cut oatmeal
• Did I mention Oreos?

But the friend to whom I most hate to say goodbye?

DON JULIO TEQUILA.

That's going to be a tough one. (If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know how much I adore my sippin' tequila.)

But I adore running even more so if this experiment works, it will be well worth it.

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.

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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.)

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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.

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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.

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

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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!