The Dreamill!

I have never been much of a Treadmill Fan, I like getting outside and being part of my surroundings.  But schedules don't always allow it. 

As I look at what I want to accomplish in 2013 and winter looming in Michigan I had to become a realist.  Jeff works long hours this time of year, plus it being dark before I leave for work and when I get home.  A Treadmill would be my only option.  We checked into purchasing one, but of course I don't want to settle for just a Treadmill, I need all the cool features.  I want to be able to "run" through Central Park, London or the streets of Chicago. 

So I needed to go to plan B, re-join a gym.  I chose the YMCA as Wes had a great experience there this summer with Day Camp and it is right across the street from work.  I could make it work!  Wes is finally "double digits" and able to use the cardio equipment with me.

Last weekend he and I went and joined and had his orientation.  It warmed my heart to be able to run along next to him, I have a run partner! 

This week I was able to head over at lunch and get a half hour run in and still was able to get back in time to eat my lunch,  I like it!  This may have to be my training for the winter and hopefully sneak some outside runs in on the weekend...... 

St Jude Hospital Bound!!!!

On Thursday November 29th Wes and I set out for a road trip to Memphis TN to experience St Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend!  I wasn't able to register for the Half like originally planned, or even the 5K, note to self: Those fill up FAST in May!!!!  So we decided to just do the Family Fun Run and check out the course, etc for next year.  It was a LONG 15 hour drive with only one driver....ME! Leaving 20 degree weather behind we drove south into some beautiful 70 degree days.  Wes has never been that far from home before, so it was an adventure....and his 10th Birthday Weekend! 

I am grateful for my long time Bestie, Barb and her family for putting us up for the weekend, Wes fell in love with her dogs and horses and loved the area. Tennessee has always been one of my favorite states to visit (along with Montana), beautiful!!!

Friday morning Wes and I set out to Memphis to register for the Family Fun Run, thanks to "Garminlita" no problems finding our way to the Convention Center and getting registered.  While we were checking out the Expo look what happened....

 

We made the local paper! 

 

 

We did some driving of the course and around St Jude before heading back to Barbs to spend the afternoon at the barn with the horses.....

 

 



I was absolutely in awe over the size of the St Jude complex!  it was beyond HUGE!  I said a prayer as we looked and thought of all that was happening inside at that very moment....... celebrations, treatments and families facing death, I can't even imagine!  I thanked God for my healthy son, and the medical challenges he has faced and the awesome medical treatment we have received home in Michigan.  I am grateful for Danny Thomas and his "vision" and his work towards making this a reality for all those that need them.  For all who continue to support St Jude and keeping his dream alive, for being there for the children and families that would otherwise not have top notch treatment.


Race Day came and we were off!  While waiting to start we say many children wearing survivor shirts, capes, and families with pictures on their shirts and "In memory of....",  Again I stood there in awe and said a prayer......

 

 

Wes was off and running at the start, I trotted behind and took it all in!  Proud of my boy!

 

 

 

 

 

We finished our mile and did our photo op post race.....

 

 

 

then we heading back to Barb's and ready to be "tourists" and take in Memphis!  That night we headed to the Peabody to see the Peabody Ducks (was a HILARIOUS parade on the red carpet), dinner on Beale Street, the Ghetto (Elvis' song "In the Ghetto" playing in my head), Graceland decorated for Christmas, the Federal Prison (Barb's husband works there...and I had a lot of prison questions being on the court side of things for work), and back home to prepare for our long drive home! 

 

 



 



 BEALE STREET AT NIGHT

 

 

GRACELAND

 

 

 

 

TOP OF THE PEABODY HOTEL OVERLOOKING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

 

 

After our sad good-bys to Barb and her family, I really miss her! we were off for out long drive home on Wes' 10th Birthday!

 

Of course we had to stop at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky, being Vette owners and all.  What an awesome place!  Can't wait to take Jeff there some day.....

 

 

 

and we had to stop roadside so Wes could get a picture of the big Kentucky Rocks and grab his own rock to bring home.....

 

 

 

there is nothing more beautiful than a Kentucky Sunset....

 

 

 

We were so happy to put the drive behind us and arrive home 15 hours later!  To happy Daddy and happy dogs!  It was a fantastic weekend and a fantastic race experience! 

 

I plan on doing the race next year.....with 2 drivers driving or better yet flying!  Full or Half?  Stay tuned!!!

 

This picture was on the St Jude Marathon FB page, it says it all.....without words, but sums it up perfectly.....I highly recommend this race to anyone!  If its 26.2 or 1 mile, leave this earth with this in your heart......

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm leaving you with this question.....What race has touched your heart and why?????

 

 

Love and blessings,

Becky

 

 

Cut Back but Still Healthy!

On October 21, 2012 I did run the Detroit Marathon Relay with my gals from Run for God, cross that off my bucket list!  It was a great experiance, the race is always awesome and I can't wait for next year!  Full or Half???  Stay tuned! 

During that race I did aggrevate my hip, I got a huge charley horse coming up over the Ambassador Bridge into Canada.  I decided after the race to just take some time off, roll it out and just let whatever it was to heal! (It seemed to bother me during runs).  I had a trip to Memphis TN planned with Wes to run the St Jude Hospital Race on December 1st and wanted to be able to do it.  So I sat until Thanskgiving morning when I set out for a short run to test my hip and allow me to pig out without feeling guilty!  Wasn't fast, but I felt pretty good!

Now to cement plans for a road trip to Memphis to run St Jude!!!!

Cracks me Up every time!!!!

Focus and Motivation

As you can see by the long layoff of blogging, my focus and motivation is out the window!  I need to find my passion, determination, focus and motivation to reach a goal!  What goal????  I'm not sure yet, let ya know.

Hoping that coming back to blogging, accountability will give me my motivation, I'm not sure about focus...that may be only found in a bottle.

Quick summary, health is good!  Good check up with Cardiologist and primary doctor.  My ankle is really giving me a rough time though.  I tore it up good a few years back....I have starting taping it for runs and it seems to help, but not always.  Why does it always seem to be something?  Maybe because my focus on running is off....so I'm focusing on my aches and pains...hmmm.....

We are 32 days away from the Detroit Free Press Marathon Relay!  I am super excited about that.  My first Relay and I'm running it with 4 of my "Sisters In Christ" in my Run For God group.  Note to self: start making running tutu's for the team!  We are going to be super cute!

ok -- now send me some motivational words and encouragement to get back at it!!!!!

Slow week!

I didn't get out this week except to walk the dogs....feel a bit frustrated with that!  Scheduling is still hard with Jeff on long shifts at work.  Wes' practice was cancelled on Tuesday which ususally gives me some time to get a few miles in after work.  The weather has been beautiful and walking the dogs is better than nothing at all I guess.  Then there was Wes breaking his wrist! He isn't up to crusin around yet, so that sidelined me as well.  Its cooling off this week and rainy right now, I hope to get some miles in!

Yesterday was the Stress Echo test.  I had had both tests done before, but never together.  Basically its an Echo, then a stress test on the treadmill and then a quick transition back to the bed for another Echo while the heart rate is still high.  Took awhile to get my heart rate up to the 148 beats which they consider maximum for a woman my age.  The Tech said I have a high exericise tolerance, which was something good...shows that I am doing something right!  They spent a lot of time on my valve and recording and pictures, don't know how normal that was, but regardless...I go back in 2 weeks for the results with my Cardio and they didn't say not to exercise between now and then...so I'll continue.  I'm sure I would have heard something if they didn't want me to.  Right?

Planning a Long Run......

I had a pretty good week, got out most days...some run/walk days and some just walking the dogs days...they count!  We have had a beautiful week for Michigan in March! 

I took Thursday and Friday off as this weekend is a 11 mile run/walk weekend for me.  Planning is tough with Jeff working weekends again!  Then there is the route...hmmm....I was planning an out and back on the Metro Parkway trail, but have this fear of getting out and not being able to get back!  If my heart rate sores or I have problems breathing I need to stop.  Plan B is a round route near home where I have several options to cut back if I need to cut my run short.  I think I have it figured out at last.  Jeff is hopefully only working a half day tomorrow so I'll wait til he gets home and then have him keep his phone handy in case I need him to pick me up!  I have several roads to bring me home as I run down Garfield.....on to Mapmyrun to check the milage.  We will see how it goes and how I feel when I'm done.  Looking foward to finishing my Cardio testing this week and finally get clearance to continue as I was and on to my half marathon in April!

Running Magazine Obsession! My Running Binder

As I said...I'm a researcher....I have to read EVERYTHING I can about running....Thanks Goodness for the internet!  My other obsession is magazines....I LOVE running magazines!  Here's the problem...I kept them ALL!  I had piles of magazines...why?  Articles I wanted to keep, websites, apps, recipes, the fun ads in the back for cool gadgets and jewlery!  Yep, They were everywhere!  Jeff was less than thrilled and I started stacking them in my closet....then they started falling out every time I opened the door.  Hmmmm.......what to do what to do?  I remembered a book I read about organzing a long time ago about tearing out what you want to read, throw the rest out and then keep a few in your purse to read in waiting rooms, etc and then throw it out when you were done.  That got me thinking and the creation of my Running Binder!

Here is how it works.....I took a binder, 3 holed punched a bunch of card stock and added notebook paper.  I go through my magazines and cut out what I want.....recipes, races I'd like to do, cool gadgets, websites...whatever and I glue it to the card stock.  Articles I take out whole, 3 hold punch it and add it.  Now I tend to be a little OCD about lining things up and keeping it organized, but that got too hard....so I just keep adding to the back.... The notebook paper I have my 2012 Bucket List....my lifetime Bucket List....and I write down quotes or sayings I find inspirational.  It works!  I have been behind and have a new stack of magazines to cut up and add, a good project for today!

What is your running/exercise obsession?

A friend shared this with me...yep that's about sums it up!

Love this....and yep....Been there, done that!

When My Journey Began.......

I guess I really should have started this blog at the beginning of my journey. In January of 2009 at 43 years old I was hospitalized and found to have a blockage of my femoral artery.  Two months after that little set back I did an indoor Triathalon that I was training for with my docs approval....I survived and it wasn't too bad.  In May of that year I decided to run Race for your Memories in honor of my father who died of Alzheimers in January 2008.  Just a little 5K....STRAIGHT UP HILL!  I'm not kidding!  I was one of those looking to barf in a bucket at the finish line and I couldn't walk for a week!  That kinda turned me off to this whole running thing...dang, it hurt!  But then I looked back and realized...I didn't really have a clue what I was doing and didn't train!  I just ran.....Word to the wise....TRAIN!  I picked up every running book I could...searched the internet and talked to every runner I came across....DO YOUR RESEARCH!


I have the worldest GREATEST Cardiologist and at one of my appointment in May 2010 I say..... "So -- I want to run the Detroit Half Marathon in October"  In which he replies..."Great! Have fun!"......(ok -- not the response I was expecting....).... so I continue...."No really.....I want to celebrate the life God has given me and show I something to celebrate"....again he replies...."Go for it".....(apparently is wasn't getting my fear and the whole not wanting to die thing)....so I say...."3 people died last year at this race ya know".....Then I got THE ANSWER!  "Yes, people die running races, people also die sleeping, grocery shopping and sitting on their couch, only God knows when you are going to die...that's up to him.  Those people very well may have died that morning if they were sitting on their couch and not running a marathon.....don't let the fear of dying stop you!"  YES!  Exactly what I needed to hear!  So now I needed details and info on what I needed to do to actually do it....besides training of course!

In a nutshell -- I good heart rate monitor, watch your heart rate, when it's too high...slow down!  (Simple enough)....also remember your heart is a muscle!  It needs to be warmed up like any other muscle.....Don't take off full tilt without warming it up first....makes sense.  Now I am an outdoor runner in Michigan.  I don't have a treadmill or access to one...(what I will always refer to as the Dreadmill)....Michigan winters are cold!  COVER YOUR MOUTH!  Warm the air before it enters your lungs.....Think of your nice little heart beating along all toasting warm and then Boom.....A shock of freezing cold air!  Yep, that will do some damage.  I also notice the colder it is the higher my heart rate...so I tend to walk fast or a very slow jog....It can be frustrating but it's better than the alternative!

My first Cardio appointment following the Half Marathon I took my medal in to show him I did it....(I carried it in my purse for awhile and showed every doctor I saw from my surgeon for the lymphnodes to my primary care doctor)  He was beaming with excitment and even took a picture of me with it!

So now everytime I see my doc I fill him in on races I want to do....and what I have done.....he says he wishes most of his patients "Got it"........you will not die from moving!

Running from Heart Disease: As so it Begins.....

Running from Heart Disease: As so it Begins.....

You can have heart disease and be a runner.....if you want it bad enough....and you have your Cardiologists approval of course!  Which I do!

As so it Begins.....

For some time I have thought of a ways to document my running and fighing heart disease.  A running journal is great, but just maybe someone out there has a heart condition and afraid to exercise.  My Cardiologist gave me full clearance to run!  I'm not saying everyone with heart disease should run marathons, talk to your cardiologist and find out whats best and safest for you. I also need motivation to keep running.....to not let the thought of a bad heart keep me on the couch and afraid of moving. 


I'm more of a wanna be runner.....not a real runner!  But I try, I read a lot and plug along.  Scheduling is hard as a full time employee, wife and mother.  When is there time?????  That alone can be a real challenge!  But the key is to schedule it, plan it and make it known that you are going to be unavailable to your family on such and such a day and time.


I recently failed a stress test, am going for a Stress Echo on 3/23/12, less than a month before I am running my next half marathon!  So my current running is slow....and short....and depressing.....but I'm plugging along!


Thanks for stopping by......I hope to not only inspire and motive YOU....but myself as well!