DOIN' IT!

I saw a shirt by Nike of course that said "Doin' It!" and I had to get it for race day!
No matter what, today,... I was DOIN' IT!

15K Baby!

I just did it!  :)  (Sighhhhhh)  relief.  It's been a long 18 weeks of ups and downs,
while trying to train for this race!

I can barely walk, I pulled my hamstring... and I have blisters on my feet.

BUT I DID IT!  :)

I wasn't the fastest, not even close!!  BUT I DID IT!
I had 60 year olds passing me (they were ripped and in excellent shape... but still) I DID IT!
My walkman, got NO reception forcing me to run with out music, which I have no doubt added at least 30 minutes to my overall time... BUT I DID IT!
It was hot, humid, long and painful... BUT I DID IT!

I did it!
And I still can't believe it!

I averaged a 15 minute mile... not very good at all... BUT I DID IT!

Here's how it went...

As we lined up on the starting line the race director said
"raise your hand if you're running this race for the 1st time!"
I and many others raised their hands... people clapped.  Then she said...
"Raise your hand if this is your first race?"

I kid you not, I was the only one to raise my hand.
I received a round of applause at which I promptly bowed while the race director said,
"oh, you're brave!"  I said... "or stupid!?"  we all laughed and got on our marks!  GO!

I was off and running!
The first 2 miles, fine... easy peasy pudding pie!
at 2 1/2, BIG BERTHA... the big, quarter mile of hill was under foot and she brought me to a walk a few times...
Mile 3 through 5... pretty smooth, can't complain....
Mile 6... Holy Jolly Ranchers, WTF?!
Mile 6 for some reason was the hardest mile!!  I think I walked most of mile 6.
This was about where I pulled my hamstring on the left side!  I gimped along letting people pass me....
Mile 7... I decided Mile 7 should be lucky and I should pick it up!  Started with some short intervals.
8 counts of power walk, 8 counts of run, back and forth for the next 2 miles.
Mile 9, homestretch.... I could hear the cheering, I could hear the cow bells, I could hear the music...
I am almost home!
I run... as if I have no injuries, I run as if I have no pain... I run, as if I have a steak on my back and a bear is chasing me!  I RUN!
Mile 9.75.... I see my babies!!  I see my husband!  YAY!!  I made it!  I wanted to fall down right there in their arms and cry.
Nope, still another quarter mile to go.... the longest part of the entire race and in the grass no less!
I hate you grass.  I hate you, you last quarter mile.

But as I'm cursing the ground... next to me appears my oldest son, running along side of me!

"You did it Mom!  You did it!  I'm so proud of you!  Look, I found you a 4 leaf clover, take it for good luck!"
On the other side of me comes my middle son... "Mom, can we run with you?!"
YES!!  Let's finish this race!

And that's just what we did!

The race officials were kind enough to put medals around my kids necks as they crossed the finish line with their ol' Ma and you should have seen their faces!
They won!  I won!  We all won, in their little hearts... and no doubt we did!
Together!  I wouldn't have had it any other way!

This was more than a race for me.
It was a challenge.  It was a reminder, that I'm alive and that I am still an individual...
with race number 232 to be exact.
Today, I wasn't just a Momma, or a wife, a daughter or a friend....
I was a badass runner... as my friend Lacey would say!  ;)

And even though I wasn't the best, or the fastest... I finished.
I did what I set out to do!
And in my kids eyes, I am a winner, and they are winners... and that means the world to me!

Thank you all for following along on this long, painful, educational and motivational journey!
I've learned so much from my friends and readers and this has honestly been one of the greatest experiences I have ever had!  I'm really glad I put myself out there!

My goal, as soon as the dust settles here... and we arrive in Texas... is to finish losing the next 20 to 30 pounds and to get on my way to making and saving 15k  $$$ .... same title, new adventure!

Stay tuned! ;)

Ready to Run!

And I'm off, me and the other 600+ crazy people! ;)

That last quarter mile... ^

My boys... finishing the race with their Mama!

Their 1st Medals!

The Finish Line!

Holistic Healing

~ Today I want to talk about something that I feel is important as it pertains to our overall health but before I do I need to make it clear that I am in no way advising nor am I fit to advise anyone on their particular health concerns.  I am simply sharing my own experience along with the research I've found.

I am aware that my view points are on the holistic side of the spectrum.  

I feel modern medicine has it's place, but for me personally it will always be my last resort.

I am interested in treating problems not the symptoms... that being said, please read the following with that in mind.  Thank you!

In my early 20's I was diagnosed with fibrocystic breast disease and high cholesterol.

In my late 20's (during my 2nd pregnancy) I was diagnosed with a benign solid mass that was growing in my thyroid.  I am supposed to be having a biopsy done on it every 6 months, however I have not been back since my initial biopsy.  If you've ever experienced one, you'd understand.  I prefer to act as if I have cancer instead and treat my body holistically.

Just this last year I was diagnosed with chronic dry eye, ovarian cysts and depression.

All of these things are fairly common and not necessarily life threatening... so I've given them very little thought and have lived with it.  Also, you wouldn't think that they could be related at all, but in fact, it would seem they may be the result of one single problem.

My step Dad was just diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer... and my husbands uncle is a thyroid cancer survivor.  In addition, I know many friends who have been diagnosed with goiters, hypo or hyperthyroidism.  Statistics are showing that many people are experiencing hormonal imbalances and issues with their thyroid.  But why the sudden spike?

I decided after my step Dad's recent diagnosis that I needed to do some research.

This is what I found:

Iodine Deficiency.  

Iodine?  But isn't it bad?  

Ummm, according to modern medicine, yes... but according to clinical data and history.  NO!

95% of the population is actually Iodine Deficient... and the symptoms include all of the ailments I listed above and then some!

Dr. David Brownstein of Minnesota specializes in Holistic Family Medicine and he has published some very interesting information regarding the Thyroid and Iodine!  

http://drbrownstein.com

But before you reach for your Iodized Salt... hold up!  

Did you know that salt actually inhibits the absorption of Iodine?!  

Seems sort of counterproductive huh?  

And according to Dr. Brownstein the amount of iodine needed per day is actually much higher then the FDA suggests.  Shocker huh?!

Back in the 60's there used to be enough iodine in one slice of bread to get your daily dose of Iodine.
But they stopped adding Iodine, which we need and started adding Bromine.    Bromine is toxic.
But that shouldn't be surprising, so is Aspartame, Nitrates, High Fructose Corn Syrup and so many other 'additives' they put in our food.

From the CDC website on Bromine:


http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/bromine/basics/facts.asp


Immediate signs and symptoms of exposure to bromine

• Breathing bromine gas could cause you to cough, have trouble breathing, get a headache, have irritation of your mucous membranes (inside your mouth, nose, etc.), be dizzy, or have watery eyes.
• Getting bromine liquid or gas on your skin could cause skin irritation and burns. Liquid bromine that touches your skin may first cause a cooling sensation that is closely followed by a burning feeling.
• Swallowing bromine-containing compounds (combinations of bromine with other chemicals) would cause different effects depending on the compound. Swallowing a large amount of bromine in a short period of time would be likely to cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting (gastrointestinal symptoms).
• Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to bromine.

So anyhoooo....

I just got on Amazon this morning and started researching Iodine supplements and ordered one for my family and my Mom and Step Dad.... this is the one I purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/LLs-Magnetic-Clay-Nascent-Iodine/dp/B004UHR85O/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1342729874&sr=1-6&keywords=iodine

And while we're on the subject of holistic healing, I've discovered via Youtube (I love the Internet)... a video about curing cancer with baking soda and maple syrup or molasses.

In a pot, dissolve 2 tbsp. of baking soda in 8 oz. of water, then stir in a tbsp. of molasses and drink it, once a day. You can also drink this cold too... but the baking soda will be a bit gritty.
The healing properties have to do with PH Balancing.  

I figure that's safe, cheap and easy enough to try... I did this for just under a year and it shrunk my tumor from the size of a baseball to the size a small bouncy ball.

This has allowed me to breath easier and speak easier... with out my thyroid nodule pressing against my voice box and airway. 

For those of you that know me you know I am a singer.

This diagnosis was rough on me as removing the thyroid in addition to putting me on lifelong medication and synthetic hormones would also risk damage to my vocal chords.
Neither of which I was interested in doing unless it was absolutely necessary to survive.  

So as it is, I will continue with my baking soda, molasses concoction and I'm excited to introduce the additional Iodine I am so obviously lacking, and see how it affects me!  

I'll give you all an update as soon as I do!

Just thought you might like to know that Iodine, even though it has gotten a bad rap... 

isn't that bad afterall!  Who knew?!  

3 Days Left...

Only 3 days left until the race!   Aghhhhhhhhh!   :)

And guess what I have!?  Sciatica!  Yippee!  (Sarcasm)

For those who are not aware of Sciatic pain... you're lucky!

I have struggled with it off and on ever since my 1st pregnancy.  It hurts!
It's a nerve near the top of your buttock that sends shooting pains all the way down your leg and even into your foot!

I have been icing, using the tennis ball, stretching... all to temporarily feel better but it always comes back!  Some days I am so stiff, I can barely move!  I really need to get in to the chiropractor, not sure how I'll do that now with my husband in Texas.

But the race is in 3 days and I'm nervously going into it with low expectations.

Really, my only expectation at this point is to finish the race.
I don't care if I need to stop and walk, or crawl.  I don't care if the only people still standing there at the end are my family members... I just want to cross the finish line.

Recently, we took the kids out to Veteran Acres, where I've been training... we hiked about 2 miles with them and took them to the park and splash pad for a picnic.  They did great, all except my 2 year old who needed a lift on the hills.  My husband was carrying the backpack, so I got to carry little sis.

Here is what I realized from this experience:

She weighs just over 20 pounds.
Since I started this journey, I have lost... just over 20 pounds.

Carrying her on my back while I walked up the hills I felt every joint in my body, most particularly my knees screaming at me!  I have no idea how I was able to run with all the extra weight 20+ pounds ago.
Then I started thinking, I  STILL have 20 to 30 more pounds to lose!!

Should I even be running with this much extra weight?
No wonder I am in so much pain!

So I cringe to say it because I love to run.... but I think once the race is over, if I'm still able to walk, I'm going to cut back on running for a while, give my joints a rest while I power walk like the old lady that I've become and shed some more weight!

Metatarsalitis, pain in both knees and shins, sprained ankle and now Sciatica... are convincing me that I need to take it back a notch and as much as I hate to do it, I need to walk.  :(

Walking when you're a runner feels a lot like being grounded when you're a teenager.  Not fun.

But I'm hoping that one day I can run, once again!

I need to step the juicing up a notch too and I just got two new books that I think will help me do that!
One has a ton of great recipes while the other one has holistic healing type recipes!  Both are awesome!

Happy Trails

So I have been trying to get out there at least once a day since it's crunch time now and I honestly don't feel ready for this race.  Like, at all.

I even tossed around the idea of blowing it off.  Not because I don't want to do it... but because the hubs will have a 3 day weekend between the two jobs and we haven't yet taken our annual trip to Michigan to visit my family up there (and the beautiful beaches, of course)... I'm thinking that might be our last chance and maybe our last visit... as a family!  Man, that makes me sad!! :(
And I'm scared because I lost so much of my training with the sprained ankle and pregnancy/miscarriage... I really don't feel ready for this race at all.

So I decided to put it to a family vote!  (The beauty of a Party of 5 is that there is always a majority rule!)

AJ, do you want to go to Michigan or watch Mom run her race?   Answer: "MICHIGAN!"

JB, same question.... Answer:  "I've been to Michigan, but I've never seen Mom run a race... so I say, watch Mom run.  Can we go to Michigan after you run Mom?"   (Not a bad idea, but it's 10 hours driving rountrip for 1 night... followed by an 18 hour drive to TX.?  hmmmm)

Sissy, Michigan or Mommy Run?  Answer:  "Mommy Run!"

So if we're just going off the kids votes (as the Brave Husband, was not brave enough to weigh in) ;)  It looks like I'm running the race.  Or walking.  Or crawling.  Whatever my tired old body allows me to do.

I went back out to Veteran Acres yesterday, I really am going to miss it there when we move!
It is such a mix of prairie, woods and wetlands!  Gorgeous, seriously!
And it's possible to run a completely different run each time you go, there's so many different trails!

This time I took a camera/phone to capture a little bit of what I'm describing here.
Not my own of course, cause I can't seem to keep my phone charged to save my life!
But the Brave Husband was brave enough to loan me his right arm... I mean his phone. :)
Thanks honey.

For your viewing pleasure:

Amen! ;)

Tree roots for a staircase, anyone?

THIS is the downhill turn that took me down!  My dang ankle, STILL hurts! :/

The Mighty Pines

A Fork in the Road!  

The view from the top...^

Where it connects to the GIT (Grand Illinois Trail)... ^

The sound of the leaves blowing... sounds just like running water... so relaxing!

Pictures really don't do it justice!  This has easily become my favorite place to run!

In other news:

I would like to have a moment of silence for my I Pod.  :(  

It died.  

I had to run with out it, and let me tell you... music makes a difference!  

I'm really tired of the whole downloading, purchasing, syncing stuff...  told the hubs, I really want an old school walkman!  Remember?!  

How totally rad would that be?!  I could just listen to the radio... for FREE!  So much easier... as long as I could shrink it to ipod size so I don't have to sport the fanny pack with it!  THAT is where I draw the line!

OH, what's that you say?  They make it?  STOP IT!

No!  They do!  LOOK what I found!

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SRF59SILVER-Walkman-Stereo-Radio/dp/B00006JQ06/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1

YUP!  :)

And since Amazon takes Discover rewards, I was able to redeem mine and get this already affordable little puppy for nothing!  YAY!  See that, already on my way to 15K... on the trails and in the bank, baby!  ;)

When One Door Closes, Another One Opens...

The race is in 16 days!  Eeek!

I was further along in my training 2 months ago than I am in this present moment.
Vacation and mostly the surprise pregnancy and miscarriage really set me back!
Se la vie... that's life right?!  You win some, you lose some!
I can't do anything about it now other than my best to get it done!

The day before yesterday I was up before the sun... trying to beat the crazy, humid heat!
I headed back out to Veteran Acres (where I sprained my ankle last time).

It has been my first time back since the injury... and my first time running on unpaved path since the injury.
Needless to say I was much slower and a lot more cautious this time around!
I only put in 5 miles this time and it was tough!  A far cry from the 8+ I put in nearly effortlessly on my last visit.  So it was a good assessment of where I'm at and how much I've lost in training.

While it's very frustrating, I'm hopeful that I can get it back quicker this time around since it hasn't been that long since I've had it.

In other news... my husband got the position he was applying for, in Dallas Texas!
He is quitting his current company after 9 long (and frustrating) years... and happily starting up his new position the 23rd of this month!
He will literally be watching me run my race and then driving down to Texas to begin his new journey.  The kids and I will hang back to get the house rented out or sold... whichever comes first.
Then I'll be making the move down south as well!

A very full plate these days!  Bitter sweet this move.  We will miss our friends!  We will miss the home we brought two babies home from the hospital to.  We will miss our annual trips to Michigan and my family up there.  We will miss Chicago... and it's energy.

BUT, we are very excited and hopeful for the future.  I feel, it is time... to move on!
I pray it all goes smoothly and that our expectations for a better way of life are realized.

I'm considering keeping this blog going... once I've reached my goal of running 15k.
I will continue to eat right and exercise... and hopefully lose more weight... but I'm also thinking of ways I can earn and save 15K.

On my way to 15k will transform into a new venture that will be all about cutting costs, budgeting, couponing, selling, saving, and all other creative ways of resourcefulness!
I am interested, like most people in America... in getting out of debt and living a simpler, happier and more secure future!

Same title,... new journey!  I hope you'll come along!