tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28195797986246170382024-03-21T09:18:18.314-07:00Life is good...we are counting our many blessingsJodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-59111497650861705072017-06-13T15:54:00.002-07:002017-06-13T15:59:58.871-07:00The less talked about side of "Why I run"It has taken me almost 2 months to sit down and write my race report for Mt Charleston marathon and this is not that post. I will get to it. But I wanted to write about something else first. I have a lot of different thoughts and emotions going through my head. How do I sum up what it means to me to accomplish a goal...something that is better labeled as a dream and a far fetched one at that...eight years in the making. Eight years ago I started running with a bucket list goal of running a marathon. I also had this crazy idea in my head that I could speed up the damage in my feet caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and convince a doctor to cut my feet off. It was irrational but chronic pain has a way of getting to you so that you aren't necessarily "rational". I honestly had no respect or understanding of endurance running. Over the years my knowledge has grown. I have made a lot of mistakes. I have also gotten smarter and stronger. I share a lot of my experiences publicly and most know my story, if not scroll backwards there are links on this blog to several other articles and race reports back to my 1st sprint triathlon and 1st marathon. My dream of Boston was so much bigger than just overcoming the physical challenges of chronic pain and degeneration. Having something to reach for that was bigger than I could possibly hope to attain kept me going through difficult challenges. Running and reaching for Boston has made me a stronger person. It has made me a better mother, a better wife, a better me. It has given me several opportunities to reach out and share hope and make a difference in other peoples life, often complete strangers. I am humbled and grateful for that opportunity.
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When I was training for my 1st marathon my children were young. I ran a lot on the treadmill in the basement so I could have my babies close by. One of my children was facing series health challenges and everything pointed to a brain tumor. It was scary and I was terrified of the uncertainty of what their future held. Running was my therapy. I would run and I could let go of all my fears, sadness and helplessness. I don't cry often but I would get on the treadmill and the sobs would just make their way to the surface. Running gave me a way to let go of all the things I could not control.
Over the years we have faced many challenges and running has continued to sustain me through difficult times. 2016 was a particularly difficult year for us. My child's brain tumor was back. This child was also dealing with some autoimmune and a few other serious health challenges of their own. Once again we were faced with uncertainty and fear not knowing how to help this child with their pain and the challenges they were facing. In January one of my other young teenagers decided that they did not want to live any more. They had a plan to end their life and the means to do it. Luckily they had great friends, who showed up at our house in the middle of the night knocking on the door to stop my child when they received a "goodbye text." It was unexpected. How does a parent prepare for that?! My child had been laughing, joking and having fun with our family just a few hours before. Our world was upside down and we didn't know how to fix it. Life was dark and dismal. I felt myself slipping into a dark hole. I didn't want to talk to anyone and I spent a lot of time crying. Running was a way I could let go and release the build up of feelings and emotions that I couldn't put into words. I was getting stronger, real life provided me with plenty of fuel to push my body physically. My paces were on, my disease was under control and I could see reaching my goal of running a Boston qualifying marathon.
Then in February I was hit by a car in a crosswalk. I somersaulted over the hood of an suv and landed "wrong" on my leg when I came down. I sprained my wrist & smashed my fingers. The driver fled before checking to see if I was alright. I was alone and cold and really angry so I ran 4 miles on my leg when I shouldn't have. Probably in a little bit of shock. I ended up with a stress fracture in my fibula. I kept training but wore a boot for a month. I did Ironman Oceanside 70.3 in April just before it was healed and made it worse and went back to wearing a boot and using crutches. The boot came off just in time for Ironman St George 70.3. I did the bike and swim but opted out of the run so that I wouldn't need to put the boot back on. I also wanted to heal so that I could heal and work towards Boston. It was my 1st DNF, completely intentional from the start and much harder to do than run injured. But it was a good lesson and one I needed to learn. Knowing when to quit is just as important as knowing when you can push on through the pain.
Coming back was slow. I kept getting tendinitis around the fracture and my RA nodules on my Achilles were flaring along with several neuromas in my feet. But I had a plan to help my child who was struggling emotionally. I knew how much running helped me so I got them to run with me. We were healing together and it was a gift to both of us. My child joined the high school cross country team and we ran together all summer. It was wonderful. I got to share my love of running with my child and I could see it helping them as well. We had weekly runs in the mountains and I was hopeful that we had made a turn for the better. Life was looking up and I was less afraid for the emotional health of my baby. But then my child was injured. The high school coach encourages high miles and two a day work outs. My kiddo ended up with painful shin splints and wasn't able to run. They missed several meets and the darkness started creeping back in.
In September we went on a family four wheeling adventure. It was one of the best days in my memory with my family. Half way through the adventure I managed to roll the four wheeler I was driving with my daughter on the back. I tried to put my body between her and the machine as we flipped and the machine came flying on top of us. Luckily she wasn't seriously injured. It knocked the wind out me and my head bounced on the hard ground. I was gasping for air and knew that I was hurt, but once again shock has an amazing ability to dull the pain. We rode for awhile longer. I would gasp and yelp when we hit bumps on the dirt road. But I wasn't going to let it stop me from enjoying the trip with my family. I was having a hard time breathing. We stopped for dinner and while my kids played in the river I attempted to "walk off" the pain. Watching them laugh and joke and just have fun together on that day is a memory I will always cherish. Once the shock wore off I knew I was seriously injured. It was getting late and I didn't want to go the hospital so I went to the insta-care the next day to assess how bad the damage was. I had broken three ribs. For the next week I didn't do much. I would walk a mile or ride my bike in the basement just long enough to continue my exercise streak. (Haven't missed a day since Dec. 10 2012) The rest of the time I just sat fighting for air and praying that the RA didn't attack my lungs or the soft tissue around my ribs and that I would heal.
The next week things got a lot worse. My child who had been struggling came to me and my husband sobbing and begging for help. This child had turned to self harm to combat the emotional pain that they were battling and fighting the desire to end their life. Our child told us that they were happy one minute and the next could think of nothing but ending their life. They wanted to get better and asked us to help. We had been doing weekly counseling sessions and between that and running things had been going better. We were hopeful that things would continue to improve. A few months earlier I had talked to a friend about the challenges we were facing and that my child's counselor suggested we consider in patient treatment... basically therapeutic boarding school. My friend gave me great advice. She said you might not be at a point where you can see that as an option, hopefully you never will and things will continue to improve. But just in case, do your research now. Research your options now while you are not in crisis so that if you are faced with that decision you know what you want to do and you don't have to make that decision when life is caving in around you. So we did just that. My husband and I started looking at different schools comparing both the therapeutic and educational programs. I interviewed directors over the phone and we narrowed down our list of facilities that we felt could help our child if it came to the point we needed more help.
In June we went as a couple to meet with the director of the school where we ended up enrolling our child. It was months before we would reach the point where our child came to us and asked for help. Our child had no idea we were researching or looking at options to help them. My husband told the director down to a small window when he felt like we would "know". By this time (end of September-beginning of October) he said either things would significantly improve or something would happen and we would know that it was time to get more help. Our child came to us begging that we help in the middle of that window. It was September 29th. Deciding to allow some one else to help our child was the hardest decision we have had to make. We discussed it with the child and they agreed that they wanted the help. My husband was still calling resources and looking for another option as we prepared to take our child to the school. I reminded him of his statement back in June and told him he couldn't have known that closely to when the time would be right. I say there was some divine prompting for a father so that we would have the strength to do what we needed to do. Knowing that your child is hurting, whether it be physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual is a difficult part of parenting. We want to help them. It is our jobs as parents to help our kids. But we can not take their personal challenges away from them either.
It was beyond hard! We didn't see or talk to our child for weeks. After that it was very limited. They were learning but also slow to progress in the program. The program works at the speed of the child and is very individualized to meet their needs and help them overcome the challenges they face. We thought that we were looking at a 3 month program, worst case 6 months. Nope...it has been nearly 10 months and we aren't finished yet.
Once again I felt helpless and out of control. Control really is an illusion. Don't believe me... look around at your own life. The only thing that is certain is that nothing is for certain. We fight so hard to maintain some semblance of control. But when you really look around we really aren't controlling a whole lot.
As my ribs started to heal I started running again to "challenge" them and hopefully regain normal function. It was hard. I had broken two of them right where they support the diaphragm and it made breathing very difficult. The third was in my back. My RA has attacked my lungs in the past and I was so afraid of that happening again. I fought to take a deep breath and start to heal my lower lobes of my lungs. I also needed the emotional relief that running provides me.
I signed up for a 12 week high intensity cardio weight program, Body By Banks with Michael Banks, not knowing if my ribs could handle it but I had a good friend who supported me ask me to do it with her and I needed an excuse to keep fighting. I set a goal to run Mt Charelston but I really wasn't sure I could recover and train enough in time to run it. I was burned out and not sure I wanted to hang on to my goal. Maybe I should put it away for a few years. But I thought about my children and their challenges. They knew what my dream meant to me and I wanted to show them that I wasn't going to quit just because it was hard.
My training was focused. I only ran 3 times a week. One speed, one tempo and one long run that always included a good deal of climb each week along with the 5 am cardio class three times a week. I had 7 tumors in my feet leading into my marathon... they hurt and my toes are bone on bone because of the RA. I often stop to "relocate" and adjust my toes on a run. I questioned my sanity in thinking I could reach my goal. But I still had this overwhelming desire to accomplish it. I wanted my kids to believe that they could accomplish the seemingly impossible. I wanted them to know that I don't give up on myself or them and that I know they can overcome the challenges they face and reach their own goals and dreams.
I showed up at the start line (I will share a race day post later) and finally reached my goal, my dream of Boston. I think that brought a new kind of shock. But I did it.
So why do I share all of this very personal information? Because I want to be real and because we can't help and support each other if we aren't. There have been a handful of people who have opened up to me and my husband along this journey. They have shared very real and very private experiences and we have benefited because of it. These friends have given us the strength to hang on. There is a strong stigma surrounding mental health in our society and it is difficult to talk openly about, but it is just as real as physical health challenges. Once again I want to share hope and strengthen my own. I have been saying for months that I am holding on to hope. But talking to another parent the other day they had a better description. "We have blind faith" and are willing to follow it to help our family in any way that we can. Life is hard, sharing this post and being vulnerable is hard. But in being real we can help each other through difficult circumstances.
My goal of Boston gave me an outlet to work out real life drama... everyone has real life drama we can't escape it. I have very easily shared how that dream changed my physical health for the better. I just wanted to touch on the other side just a little bit of how it has helped me in other ways.
I have been vague to protect the privacy of my children. But I am open and willing to talk. If I can support you or you have insight to share with me please private message me.
Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-62032995644606552502016-10-21T08:57:00.001-07:002017-06-13T16:05:40.861-07:00Triathlete Magazine Athlete HighlightWith Ironman's change to the snorkel rule (they are no longer allowing the use of a snorkel under any circumstance, up until now it has been allowed as a medical device to help an athlete with neck or breathing issues to swim. It disqualify the user from any podium finish and for qualifying for any championship race so the only advantage was medical necessity.) I tried to raise awareness and hoped to have them reconsider. It was my thought that maybe the did not fully understand what they were doing. Ironman has an amazing and inspiring theme of "Anything is Possible" they celebrate challenged athletes and make accommodations for other handicaps; rope to tie a blind athlete to a guide, a tricycle for a balance impaired athlete, etc. But apparently an athlete that medically needs a snorkel does not physically show enough signs of a physical handicap to warrant the same respect and consideration. I was deeply saddened by their response to not reconsider the rule change. I have loved being apart of Ironman. The energy and inspiration is amazing.
As I was trying to gain support and help on the issue someone told Triathlete magazine about me and they contacted me to do an article. Attached is a link to the piece.
<a href="http://triathlon.competitor.com/2016/07/features/faces-pack-managing_134604"></a>
http://triathlon.competitor.com/2016/07/features/faces-pack-managing_134604
UPDATE: In the spring of 2017 I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Babbitt, a legend in Ironman Triathlon, founder of Competitor Magazine which later became Triathlete magazine and also the founder of the Challenged Athlete Foundation. A mutual friend told him my story and he quickly started contacting top triathlon officials. He gave me phone numbers and email addresses for the correct people to talk to and together we were able to get the snorkel allowed again for athletes who physically need one to compete. It is now in Ironman's official rule book in the challenged athlete open division to allow for the use of a snorkel with medical necessity with medical documentation from a doctor.
Thank you Bob
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me and Bob BabbittJodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-70706248928613779452016-05-12T14:59:00.000-07:002016-05-12T15:40:04.482-07:00St George Ironman 70.3 err 57.2 May 7, 2016I raced Oceanside 70.3 four weeks before St George 70.3 on a stress fracture in my fibula from an accident this spring where I was hit by a suburban in a cross walk while running. The accident has increased my disease activity, causing a lot of pain, inflammation and fatigue. I have been fighting hard to get it back under control but the injuries and not being able to run have made that difficult. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is often compared to a combination of flu like symptoms; body aches, low grade fever, nausea, exhaustion and a feeling of being hit by truck along with painful swollen joints. I completed Oceanside but stressed the stress fracture. The bone still hurts to touch and the tendons around the fracture are inflamed as well. I was running a fever and coughing all day at Oceanside but I blamed it on the RA and wasn't going to let that stop me. But the days following the race a flu virus knocked me down flat as pay back. So the time between Oceanside and St George wasn't filled with a whole lot of quality workouts to prepare me for race day.
Coming into race week I was physically and emotionally exhausted. The weather was stormy with a low barometric pressure front which makes me flare worse (more disease activity). I spent a majority of my days that week in bed with a heating pad wrapped around whichever part of me hurt the worst at the moment. I was not excited to do anything let alone race. But I managed to pack a bag and get in the truck when it was time to go. We left early Friday morning surrounded by thunderstorms, rain and wind. It made me nauseous and achy. I knew that my leg wasn't healed enough to run. My doctor had given me clearance to swim and bike but had recommended that I not run until the bone healed. I had paid for the insurance at the race and contemplated not starting, I did have a legitimate medical reason not to race. I had right up until the start of the race to decide, as long as I didn't cross the start line I could still get a refund. I told Josh that if it was stormy I wasn't going to race. Two of my last three races were under cold, miserable hypothermic conditions and I didn't need to prove anything, especially on a stress fracture (I have done that multiple times as well). I also knew that if I started I would want to finish and it would be hard to pull myself out of the race and not run.
I know this sounds depressing. But everything quickly changed when we arrived in St George. We made it to athlete village and for a short time the sun was shining. It felt amazing! At both athlete check in and then at Sand Hollow for a pre-race swim with Salt Lake Tri Club I was surrounded by amazing friends and athletes whose excitement was contagious. It reminded me of why I was there. The fog I had been under all week was lifting, and I started to feel better. My body was still flaring but I had a better mental outlook to deal with it. We went to an early dinner with friends and then headed back to our condo to get ready for race day.
Josh and I planned to go to bed early to be ready for an early morning wake up especially after getting up at 4 am that day. But my teenage daughter was at a dance competition and did not get home until 12:45. Even though we were away I couldn't go to sleep until I knew she had made it safely home. So not a lot of sleep pre-race. But really, who sleeps the night before a race anyway?
Race morning went really smooth. I was still fighting the nausea that comes with a flare and had a hard time eating my bagel but I got it down and it stayed down. I also had a diet coke and a Core Power protein drink. My hands were still swollen and flaring but the majority of the flare was now under control. Josh drove us to the bus pick up and we weren't even on the very last bus headed to the lake. Once at the lake everything moved really fast. No sooner was I ready and it was time for me to wade into the water and wait for the signal for my wave to start.
The swim went really well for me. The wind was already picking up but the waves weren't too bad and I wasn't cold. The exhaust from nearby boats was the biggest nastiness. As we swam the kayak crew was working to keep the swim lane narrow. I understand they did this for safety. I have watched from the shore how quickly it can get dangerous out on the lake if the wind picks up. But it felt like I was fighting to swim around kayaks the entire swim. I smacked one of them with my swollen hand and oh man did it hurt. Overall I enjoyed the swim. I passed swimmers and swimmers passed me. I was kicked and smacked but nothing too serious. Before I knew it I was climbing the boat ramp and hobbling across the parking lot to my bike. Time 50:01
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(photo credit ~ Vicki Mathis) I wore a thin pair of socks to protect my feet from other swimmers. At IM AZ my feet were clawed repeatedly by other athletes and even little scratches will make my immune system over react and attack the area. My feet are affected enough already so I wore the socks to protect my skin.
When I got to my bike Josh was standing there. I expected him to finish his swim close to mine but I didn't understand why he was standing around waiting for me. He told me he had gotten dizzy on the swim and was blacking out and had DNF'd. I thought he was joking for a minute and had really just passed me on the swim but he was serious. He joked about going out to breakfast instead of biking but before I could think too much about it he turned and took off with his bike sans timing chip. I continued getting ready. My transitions are slow and in the cold they are excruciatingly slow. I was having a hard time getting my fingers to work to put my shoes and socks on and clip my helmet. But eventually I was all put together and ready to bike. It was sprinkling in transition and the sky looked ominous but I had already started so I didn't give the rain too much thought.
I love the St George bike course. It is a challenging ride with over 3,000 feet of climb over the 56 miles all the while surrounded with breathtaking and inspiring views. Saturday the ride was made more challenging by adding cold, rain and wind. For a well written report on race conditions read: http://303triathlon.com/Ironman-Utah-703-St-George-Aftermath-Freeze-or-Fry As I left Sand Hollow the rain and wind picked up. I told myself it would pass and to keep going. It didn't. It rained and the wind blew for nearly all of the ride. I wished I had opted for full gloves and my cycling jacket but I had optimistically planned for a warmer ride. I did at least have a long sleeve cotton shirt on. It was wet and soaked through in the first half hour but it at least kept some of my body heat in. In an attempt to stay warm I stayed aero all day except when I needed access to my brakes. Like everyone else out there I was frozen. I kept asking myself why I was doing this... I already said that I wasn't going to ride if it was raining. But here I was pedaling my way through the course. I had started the bike and I would finish the bike. I no longer cared about the wind, rain or the cold. I just wanted to ride my bike. Dr Tom Fletcher had kindly taped my stress fractured leg the night before the race to add a little more support to my body. It really came in handy on race day. The tape helped protect my leg and kept my leg functioning in the cold and wind. (Arizona 140.6 was similar weather and the cold wet weather made my knee flare and I had to petal one legged for a good long while)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKddS_GgxJEyLspBWyaOp-WyALpuTLmcwq2yRl24JD-TcLRntUqjKys4wkA92fJ2Lw002U_JG0qA5-nOyFxTN5aGZmib8Bw-rFuiWCUDILqyrQ4tGiuqpi1z_ANX29nLEiupji9e4haaM/s1600/13103305_10154246052423939_2172044713707144715_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKddS_GgxJEyLspBWyaOp-WyALpuTLmcwq2yRl24JD-TcLRntUqjKys4wkA92fJ2Lw002U_JG0qA5-nOyFxTN5aGZmib8Bw-rFuiWCUDILqyrQ4tGiuqpi1z_ANX29nLEiupji9e4haaM/s320/13103305_10154246052423939_2172044713707144715_n.jpg" /></a></div> (Photo credit ~ Tom Fletcher) Amazingly even in the cold I pr'd some of the race segments from previous times I had ridden the course. But overall with the cold and wind it was a slow ride Heading up Snow Canyon into the wind and rain was tough. At one point I stopped to make sure my brakes were not stuck. It felt like I was dragging my bike up the mountain. My hands and feet were completely numb. I was extremely grateful for my husband. For my birthday he had upgraded my bike. I now have Di2 (electronic shifting) that shifts my bike at the touch of a button. On a good day my hands have a hard time gripping and doing basic things.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFMy3MjcehcLtvALSHhonsFECYI9pPnm5-vJpo-XNbca0M3s8Cn3a8OnMksZ_s6pkLnkZxMFlSpMRW3b2koOJHcrxVI0IgAL9DN4jM959lgtW5Em24tUSAOff55Qg31Dl__lsjeBuHGQ/s1600/IMG_9072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFMy3MjcehcLtvALSHhonsFECYI9pPnm5-vJpo-XNbca0M3s8Cn3a8OnMksZ_s6pkLnkZxMFlSpMRW3b2koOJHcrxVI0IgAL9DN4jM959lgtW5Em24tUSAOff55Qg31Dl__lsjeBuHGQ/s320/IMG_9072.JPG" /></a></div>
With the conditions on race day I wouldn't have been able to shift. I got all emotional and teary on my ride realizing that his foresight, kindness and love for me was making it possible for me to continue. Just one of a million reasons why I love and appreciate this man. But even in the misery Snow Canyon was still beautiful and awe inspiring. I could easily loose myself in the scenery and it made the climb more bearable. As we reached the top volunteers were coaching us to shake out our hands to get the blood flowing so that we could use our brakes on the fast descent to come. I had ridden Snow Canyon two weeks before with crazy cross winds and was nervous to ride down the canyon again. But I was also freezing and just wanted to be done. The road was wet but the winds weren't bad so I rode as fast as I dared to safely reach transition.
As I came to Diagonal Street I started to cry. After riding the bike portion I knew I needed to turn in my timing chip and not run. I had been arguing with myself over this for the entire bike ride. It wasn't because the bike ride was cold and miserable and I was tired and didn't want to go on. I did want to run and I knew that I could finish the race. It was because I rode the bike portion despite the conditions that I had said I wouldn't ride in again after racing in similar conditions before. I knew that if I started the run I would finish the run. It wouldn't matter if it hurt or if I was making my stress fracture worse and risking a full break. If I started I would finish. So instead I came into transition crying and removed my gear and timing chip. I put my run shoes on and before I could talk myself out of it I dropped my timing chip in a pile of others so I could no longer tell which was mine and change my mind and run anyway. I sat in a porta potty and cried. Time 3:58
I wanted to finish what I started so badly. Quitting was so much harder, especially knowing that if I am unable to get Ironman to change their snorkel rule and again allow for their use with a medical exemption this would be my last Ironman brand race. I was so sad but I have raced on a handful of stress fractures and I know what it costs. I have already given up months of running because of this accident. Running is the single best thing that helps me control my RA. I can't afford another two months off of running to recover. I also needed to remember why I started doing triathlons... I kept stress fracturing my femurs trying to reach my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. The whole point was to force me to cross train so I would be stronger and be able to attain that goal. That is still my goal. Running St George would have taken me further from that goal. Whether Ironman decides to change the rule or not (I hope they do) I am grateful. I am grateful for what I have learned and how far I have come. I love Ironman's marketing slogan that "Anything is Possible." I am disappointed in them right now for taking away the opportunity for others like me who require a snorkel to swim the opportunity to embrace the dream they are selling.
I am glad I went to St George and participated in the swim and bike. I am even happy that I gave up the run. The race felt like a complete system re-set for me. My body feels better this week. I am moving better and managing my disease much better. I needed a physically challenging day to re-boot. Now it is time to finish healing my bone, set new goals and conquer more obstacles. I have a dream to run down and I hope this fall I will reach my goal. This was extremely long winded. If you read it all, thank you. Now I am putting my headphones in and going to go listen to "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten and get my work out done for the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKcJodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-8159544250775201232016-04-11T10:38:00.002-07:002016-04-11T16:16:01.155-07:00Oceanside 70.3 April 2, 2016Oceanside 70.3 recap.
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I hate to admit it, but getting hit by a truck while running hurt me a lot more than I like to acknowledge. In addition to several sprains, a stress fracture and tendinitis it made my RA & fibro flare with a vengeance. I still haven't missed a day training in 3 + years but the quality of my training suffered for this race. Plus with the stress fracture I haven't been able to run for over 6 weeks and was in a boot last week. So coming into the race my goal was to be able to finish the run without too much pain and not dnf.
My swim went well. The water temperature was nice. It felt very congested as we got to the turn around and I spent a lot of time trying to get around other swimmers. The waves made me a little sea sick but it was manageable. (49:52)
Transition was super slow. I didn't want to run barefoot and risk messing up my leg before I even started so I walked.T1 7:49
The bike was by far my favorite part of this race. My grandfather has told me stories my entire life about his military days & time he spent stationed at Camp Pendleton. Being on base gave me a visual to go along with the stories. I had no idea how beautiful and how big it is. It is like a giant nature preserve. It was a challenging ride with nearly 3000 ft of climb and a few really steep hills & plenty of wind. But after taking it easy for the past 6 weeks it felt amazing to push my body. I love a challenge and it helped me feel like "me" again. (3:36)
Again not a fast transition. I made sure my socks were on straight and headed off to see if I would be able to run. T2 10:37
I started the run cautiously. The stress fracture is in my right fibula and isn't completely healed yet. I saw my orthopedic surgeon last week and he X-rayed it. He put me in a boot to help speed the healing and gave me his "ok" to race. He said the bone had healed enough that it wouldn't snap, but that it would hurt so I could try to do the race if I wanted to. I had tried to run on Tuesday before the race but couldn't make it a quarter mile without sharp pain and limping so I was very nervous about the run. I decided before hand that I was not going to limp 13 miles just to say I finished and was prepared to dnf if I couldn't manage it. But it held up, I couldn't toe off very hard without the pain getting sharp so I slowed my pace to where I could manage it and just putted along. It was awesome to see so many friends on the run. SLTC & BAM kits were everywhere and everyone was cheering each other on. I love the sense of family & the support we have for each other in our local community. It makes this sport fun. (2:28)
I came across the finish line and I was very emotional. My leg was hurting & I was incredibly grateful that it had held up so that I could finish the race. I was happy to have completed my day and even happier that it wasn't a full distance race today. I was happy and sad. I love Ironman. I love to race. I love the difference it has made in my health. I am currently waiting to hear back from IM on a recent rule change that no longer allows snorkels for any reason. It is medically necessary for me to wear mine to swim. I hope that they will amend their rule and if not I am prepared to fight them on it but I hate that I might have to. I want to participate & I want others who have the same physical challenges to be able to compete as well. The Ironman dream changes lives. It makes us better, stronger people when we can believe that "Anything is Possible."
Overall time for the day 7:13:17
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UpBzhp91r-GbDVyiRmlT9wfokohRqZlloSESszGl7eOKkU94zxcOOZYB_owbIJUkAwk7vWo3vtQDg5Stph7KKJYNIefVPxBYfFyaCmAcB407FEysr-8dypAxqcSZg2Mf-nAq6LSW4DA/s1600/12472367_10206345693791579_8813806197685008166_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UpBzhp91r-GbDVyiRmlT9wfokohRqZlloSESszGl7eOKkU94zxcOOZYB_owbIJUkAwk7vWo3vtQDg5Stph7KKJYNIefVPxBYfFyaCmAcB407FEysr-8dypAxqcSZg2Mf-nAq6LSW4DA/s320/12472367_10206345693791579_8813806197685008166_n.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMFQP7Wr4WCl48fxYhf90yjRo-IHOa48MrhVDjrnq6X_g_QwX3l8NMGJ5m3zMQ3lQJT8HVqaT7v-bhhvED7yn74f4yI3o9sfPt7F8Mkj2sU6oColdAbpXULsx_-JX1NiKA5xR70TM-t4/s1600/12923236_1063259833697243_8498959944082268644_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMFQP7Wr4WCl48fxYhf90yjRo-IHOa48MrhVDjrnq6X_g_QwX3l8NMGJ5m3zMQ3lQJT8HVqaT7v-bhhvED7yn74f4yI3o9sfPt7F8Mkj2sU6oColdAbpXULsx_-JX1NiKA5xR70TM-t4/s320/12923236_1063259833697243_8498959944082268644_n.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpvctgxzF7EcM0m_Pj82t8rQRSQiTJ7fL4-0qzCNL6bC8W5MnZZLUVlZ-5Hf3CtYkND4ien2VZNLe4278k_CHthQeL-YsbAPyVtBgHImOoploOT42VcL_GtyUlFlO0HN_DUp63dZ8ZJU/s1600/12924399_10206359995349109_8471790290051944048_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpvctgxzF7EcM0m_Pj82t8rQRSQiTJ7fL4-0qzCNL6bC8W5MnZZLUVlZ-5Hf3CtYkND4ien2VZNLe4278k_CHthQeL-YsbAPyVtBgHImOoploOT42VcL_GtyUlFlO0HN_DUp63dZ8ZJU/s320/12924399_10206359995349109_8471790290051944048_n.jpg" /></a>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-76929947562753430262016-04-11T10:33:00.004-07:002016-04-13T15:59:36.604-07:00IRONMAN New snorkel rule no longer allowing medical exception ..picking and choosing which disabilities it will accomadate. A letter to the United States Justice DepartmentAs of March 1, 2016 IRONMAN (IM), under the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), a subsidiary of the Chinese Wanda Group changed their policy regarding the use of a snorkel during the swim portion of the race. The rule change prohibits the use of a snorkel under any circumstance. In excess of ten years prior to March 1, 2016 the use of a snorkel was allowed with a medical exemption to allow an athlete with a physical disability to participate with the understanding that the individual using the snorkel would be exempt from any podium placement or from qualifying for a World Championship race slot. The disqualification from any possible accolade eliminated any possible advantage that the snorkel might possibly provide. Therefore, the only advantage to using a snorkel would be the medical necessity of its use to participate.
This rule change is in direct violation of American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990 which states that reasonable accommodations, which is a change in the way things are typically done that the person needs because of a disability. For over a decade prior to March 1, 2016 IM and WTC were compliant with this act and made accommodations for athletes who had medically documented needs to use a snorkel to overcome disabilities to be allowed to participate. Now the organization is no longer compliant.
I thought that perhaps IM did not realize the legality issue of the recent rule change and emailed them directly to address the issue. I emailed athlete services and was told that my email had been forwarded to the Global Operations Director and that she would be in contact with me soon. It has been more than three weeks and she has yet to respond. Athlete services has granted me the permission to participate with the snorkel with my medical documentation of disability in the events that I had signed up for under the previous policy but not moving forward. Moving forward I was told there will be no exception or allowance of the use of a snorkel. I also communicated directly with Jimmy Riccitello, IM’s head referee. I explained to him at length how the rule change discriminates against me and other athletes with physical disabilities. He stated that there are no plans to change the rule to allow snorkels.
IRONMAN is the number one user-based sport brand in the world. IM’s marketing plan is based on the theme that “Anything Is Possible.” They market physically challenged athletes and celebrates the overcoming of challenges. They spotlight “everyday heroes” in the World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii. The organization works closely with the Challenged Athlete Foundation and accommodates physically challenged athletes to allow them to participate in their events. A few examples of accommodations include:
- the use of a rope during the swim to tether a blind athlete to a guide
- modified bicycles, tricycles to accommodate physical challenges
- prosthetics
- etc
The rule change to no longer allow the use of a snorkel for an athlete with a medical necessity is blatant discrimination. Picking and choosing which disabilities IM is going to accommodate with reasonable accommodations is unacceptable. Especially given the fact that IM markets and celebrates disabilities that are easily seen and discriminates against an “invisible” disability.
The following are examples of disabilities that make a snorkel medically necessary. This list is not all inclusive, just a very small sampling of reasons.
Joe has had a double lung transplant. Inhaling water is a major concern for his lung health. However, the use of a snorkel minimizes this risk and has been approved by his doctor to effectively allow him to continue to participate in a sport that improves his quality of life.
Mark had neck surgery and under the advisement of his neurosurgeon is not to swim without a snorkel to prevent reinjury. He has participated successfully with the use of a snorkel for the past six years.
Emily has trigeminal neuralgia, an extremely painful facial pain condition. The pain is triggered by changes in pressure and touch. The constant motion of swimming without a snorkel is excruciating. The use of a snorkel allows her to keep her head in the water eliminating the trigger for her disabling condition.
And I have rheumatoid arthritis and cervical degenerative disc disease with left sided radiculitis exacerbated by repeated cervical spine rotations as needed to breathe in freestyle swimming. Along with severe headaches caused by repeated cervical spine rotations. It is disabling to the point of loosing arm function. It physically disables me for days. However, the use of a snorkel eliminates the problem and I am able to swim safely.
These athletes and many like them are not asking for anything extraordinary. Only that Ironman follow their own previously stated rule and allow for reasonable accommodations for an athlete with a physical disability in which a snorkel would allow them to participate.
It is my hope that you to will see that the new rule change regarding the use of a snorkel by Ironman under the World Triathlon Corporation is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and help persuade them to reconsider and reinstate the medical exemption.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jodi Pettit
Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-72158889503290965462016-04-11T10:32:00.002-07:002016-04-11T10:46:21.772-07:00Marathon Story from the Deseret NewsHere is the link to the story in the Deseret News
<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865618580/South-Jordan-mom-eyes-Boston-Marathon-despite-debilitating-disease.html?pg=all">http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865618580/South-Jordan-mom-eyes-Boston-Marathon-despite-debilitating-disease.html?pg=all</a>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-48824075489695679922016-04-11T10:30:00.002-07:002016-04-11T10:46:46.230-07:00Moving With PurposeThe National Arthritis Foundation Published a very nice and inspiring story about me.
Here is the Link: http:<a href="http://www.curearthritis.org/moving-with-purpose/">//www.curearthritis.org/moving-with-purpose/</a>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-88288438922573767202016-04-11T10:28:00.001-07:002016-04-12T07:10:29.658-07:00Arizona IRONMAN 140.6 November 15, 2015The LONG winded version
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBD6urvK5EPuDnSeZUwOjk8JriuLLTv0whvb5Lxs57OHdCvSNIAH4_58uoiEcofcUMxwyrUHNKtpyczExLhRCaReHyXGeGIDZB6O0o9TkUD1q741g3xPdM52RqzyZnxopBiGX6Ag4zcA/s1600/11250997_10205478691557065_7504544938523476433_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBD6urvK5EPuDnSeZUwOjk8JriuLLTv0whvb5Lxs57OHdCvSNIAH4_58uoiEcofcUMxwyrUHNKtpyczExLhRCaReHyXGeGIDZB6O0o9TkUD1q741g3xPdM52RqzyZnxopBiGX6Ag4zcA/s320/11250997_10205478691557065_7504544938523476433_o.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuQz3xVvMNn0q6NGuMx54NsMIUVJ3jiTpdkZ-uu_LMhoWlOXDUlGajL0m-iiY9FE3ZCor9t_gVIGmjDM9reSy6KgsXTzwAUIPaEKpggnsYE4I6cU33tKKRCV9Mcx6WWptlBUtrXNalho/s1600/12208531_10206806631018663_7541556450803868708_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuQz3xVvMNn0q6NGuMx54NsMIUVJ3jiTpdkZ-uu_LMhoWlOXDUlGajL0m-iiY9FE3ZCor9t_gVIGmjDM9reSy6KgsXTzwAUIPaEKpggnsYE4I6cU33tKKRCV9Mcx6WWptlBUtrXNalho/s320/12208531_10206806631018663_7541556450803868708_n.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCxR_m1uNqCEnjYZW0kCicvpPVlaQiRMfCGjFbBliN7DDPKIFgF3deMg7AxTKUB_e5hp1N66mgHktg41BstVlEEHZEtDIG8SYMFA9zC4ZfjHUSlUQ7PMgQ4MIpU8wPDTk279hxUB_I_w/s1600/12244496_10205462681876833_2139879761680017055_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCxR_m1uNqCEnjYZW0kCicvpPVlaQiRMfCGjFbBliN7DDPKIFgF3deMg7AxTKUB_e5hp1N66mgHktg41BstVlEEHZEtDIG8SYMFA9zC4ZfjHUSlUQ7PMgQ4MIpU8wPDTk279hxUB_I_w/s320/12244496_10205462681876833_2139879761680017055_o+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>
Just over a year and a half ago, while training for a marathon I stress fractured my femoral head for the 3rd time (rotating legs) and decided I needed to do something different if I was ever going to reach my goal of qualifying for Boston. I signed up for Vineman 70.3 in an effort to force myself to cross train. It needed to big enough that I would put in the work to get stronger. I ran 3 more marathons while training for Vineman and participated in Ironman Boise 70.3 in a relay group.
We went to California in July for Vineman. A few weeks before the race we met Brandon Sadler at a SLTC event and found out that he and his wife Jessi were also doing the race. We became facebook friends and met at the race. Vineman was beautiful and I really enjoyed racing. As I finished I thought to myself, I could have gone the full distance today if I had to… I wouldn’t like it, but I had enough leftover that I felt like I could do it. The whisper of desire to do a full had been planted. I talked with Jessi about it and she felt the same way. I was looking at Arizona for 2016 but it was so far away it was hard for me to commit, not knowing how my body will hold up over the next year. Jessi figured out that through Endurance Sports Travel this years IM AZ still had spots available. We talked back and forth and pretty much talked each other and our husbands into signing up for the race. We had 4 months to prepare. It was so much fun to have a girlfriend to train and prepare for the race with. We chatted, texted, trained and supported each other through the whole thing.
Training for an Ironman takes a lot of time and commitment. I am grateful for a spouse who not only understands it, but who trained side by side with me coaching me along the entire time. He has over a decade of knowledge on the sport, he has read countless medical studies, hired different coaches, read the books, he knows his stuff and there isn’t anyone I would trust more to advise me. He had me listen to podcasts from Endurance Nation both specific to Arizona and on race day execution. He found a youtube video of the bike course so that I could ride it from the comfort of our basement. I also worked with my doctor to keep my RA in check and minimize the inflammation from the impact of training. The biggest thing he had me do was double my MSM dosage to 10gm a day and reminded me to take my vitamins, minerals, fish oil and antioxidants along with eating healthy.
For one of the 1st times ever I slept good on race night. I wasn’t anxious or worried. I had no expectations other than to finish. We woke up early, before the alarm went off and got ready to go and picked up Bill, a great friend who flew in from Colorado to support us for the race.
In transition I had my bike racked right next to Josh. It was nice! I took our special needs bags to the drop off points and he pumped up our tires. I came back and we walked around for a bit and got ready for the swim. Time went by very quickly between 5:30 and 6:50. Before I knew it the cannon had gone off and the pros were in the water. I finished putting on my wetsuit, got a good luck kiss from my sweetheart and waited to enter the water. The line moved quickly so I didn’t have long to fret.
The swim start was what I was the most afraid of for this race. I have herniated discs and bone spurs in my cervical spine and can not turn my head properly to breathe while swimming without inducing a debilitating migraine that shuts me down for days so I swim with a snorkel. I was afraid I would get bashed in the face with the hard plastic or be constantly clearing water from the snorkel. I didn’t have to wait long, my goggles and snorkel were completely ripped off my face within 200 yards of the swim start. apparently another athlete did not think I should have it. I tried not to panic as I choked and sputtered grabbing my equipment before it disappeared in the murky water. I recovered quickly. I tried to settle in and swim easy but it felt like I was swimming back and forth as much as forward trying to find holes between other swimmers to move forward. I was afraid of the time I was loosing and decided to just count to one hundred over and over and over again. It calmed me down and I swam. I was happy when I reached the turn around and it didn’t feel like I was being hit or drug backwards nearly as much on the way back. I relaxed and enjoyed the swim. It felt good to be in the water, I wasn’t cold and I was on my way to completing a goal I never thought possible. Out of the water in 1:29:45.
T1 was a long loop through wet dirty ground. My feet hurt by the time I made it into the changing tent. My friend Shelby was volunteering and I was beyond grateful to have her help me get ready! She brought me cups of water and helped me wash the mud off my feet. She went through my bag, handing me everything I needed and helped me get dressed. She gave me a hug and wished me good luck and sent me on my way. Time 11:33
Bike. As I left transition I heard my Dad yelling and cheering. It made me smile to know he was there. I turned on my bike computer and started peddling. I looked down and noticed I had no cadence or power measurements. 90% of my bike training was in the basement and I planned to ride by wattage. Ahh! No wattage! I stopped, messed with the computer, jostled the bike around, turned the power on and off. I tried everything I could think of but nothing would make it work. It showed it was connected but no measurements. Well, I remembered what Josh told me, “stay in your box, things are going to go wrong and when they do only think about what you can do about it right now” I had planned to start out conservative so I did that, based on effort. The 1st loop was much slower that I wanted to peddle, it felt way too easy, but I hadn’t ridden the course, I could not afford to blow up so I took it easy. On the second loop I knew what I was facing so I picked up the pace. The wind had also picked up a little bit adding a minor head wind on the way out. I had a rain jacket on to warm me up and by the start of the second loop I was finally warm so I dropped it at an aid station. Big mistake… within a few minutes it started raining heavily. I was glad I had at least kept my long sleeve shirt. It continued to rain for the remaining 70ish miles. The second loop I averaged more than 5 miles an hour faster than the 1st and still felt like I was going easy. I was excited for the final loop where I would push the pace and help make up time from the slow start with not knowing where my power was at. I loved the three loops on the bike. It made it possible for me to see Josh as he sped away in the opposite direction ahead of me. My favorite moment of the day was when Josh was headed toward transition finishing his last loop and I was starting my final go round… he yelled across the street “I love you” Climbing at mile 70 my right knee was being pelted my rain and wind and getting cold. I could feel the radiating pain of an RA flare starting. It radiated up my knee into my hip and low back. It made me nauseous and I started to panic. Am I done?! If my knee flares now there is no way I can finish. I reminded myself to stay in my box and focus. I changed position on the bike, coming out of my aero bars and sitting up. I pulled my foot out of the clip and tried stretching and kicking my leg to relieve the pain. I peddled with just my left leg for a bit. (Hooray for one leg drills.) But one leg couldn’t do the work alone for 30 more miles. I found a position where I used the bike seat to squeeze against my leg to help control the nerve pain and only peddled lightly with my right leg. If I could make it to the top of the climb I could coast slowly most of the way back if I had to. I visualized staying in my box and not thinking about the what ifs. I even pretend to hang out in I Dream of Genie’s magic bottle, but the rain interrupted the fantasy as the bottle filled with water so I stayed in my very soggy but cozy cardboard box instead. I hid from the rain in an outhouse for a few minutes trying to warm up my knee but mostly I just lost time. I made it to the top of the hill and proceeded to peddle back as hard as the pain would allow. I knew I could push harder but wasn’t sure I would be able to run on it if I did so I just went easy. Coming in to transition my teeth were chattering and I was shaking uncontrollably. Time: 7:10:29
I was so happy to be off the bike. I was freezing! It was a welcome relief to walk into that warm changing tent. I had thrown in a run outfit “just in case” I wanted to change off the bike. I really hadn’t planned to, but I was soaked head to foot and thought starting dry would be my best chance to avoid hypothermia. I had shorts and a tank top. I started changing but my fingers, which don’t cooperate great on a good day, were frozen and completely useless. I had to wait for a volunteer to help dress me. But at that point I didn’t have any self dignity to worry about I just wanted dry clothes on. I felt like I was in there forever shaking uncontrollable. I asked a volunteer for an emergency blanket and wrapped it around me and headed out for the run. Time 10:44
Run. Coming out of transition both Bill and my Dad were waiting for me. Bill gave me a pep talk reminding me to let go of the things that went wrong on the bike and to start running. He told me I had to get my core temp up quickly so I could finish my race. My dad ran with me for a few minutes telling me how proud he was of me and then I was on my own. The volunteers brought out the chicken broth early and between that and my little foil blanket I was warming up. I have heard other athletes joke about how delightful chicken broth is on the Ironman run. Personally I don’t like chicken broth, but it was the most delicious and appreciated thing I had ever tasted that night. I stopped after a mile and relocated a dislocated toe and then moved on. Running slowly flushed the radiating pain from my knee. I felt good and wanted to run faster but the plan was to stay between 10 & 11 minute miles so I didn’t end up walking the last part of the marathon. I walked aid stations and ran the rest of the course. For the most part my run felt easy. I was running a pace that was easy for me to maintain. A third of the course was on a dirt trail by the river and with the rain it was a muddy mess. It was dark and hard to see where I was stepping. I rolled my ankle once slipping in the mud so I slowed down even more through that part to stay safe and watch my step. At the half way point I grabbed my sweatshirt from my special needs bag and a pair of gloves. I dumped the foil blanket just before it started raining again. I saw a pile of them by a trash can a short distance later and picked one up. I wasn’t making the same mistake twice. I would carry it the rest of the race, I was staying dry. Somewhere around mile 18 my legs started to hurt and cramp up. I decided I probably needed more minerals so I took the 6 tums I had in my pouch, drank more broth at aid station and continued on. After another couple miles the pain subsided. I loved anytime there were spectators with music playing. It helped me pick up my pace and remember that running is fun. As I finished my last mile I took off my sweatshirt and sunglasses (I looked like a dork, but they are transition lens and I still needed them to see in the dark) I tried to compose myself and not break down sobbing as I came into the finisher shoot. I could hear Josh, my dad & Bill yelling from the bleachers. I did it! I finished my Ironman and I still felt great! Time 4:45:53 Total race time 13:48:24
I wanted to stay and be there when Jessi finished, but as I got cold the nerve pain in my legs started firing up. When it does this the only way I can stop it is to soak in very hot water. I needed to get to the hotel before the misery started and I couldn’t stop it. As we started to leave I heard someone yelling my name and looked over to see my friend Shar Madsen Cardona from high school. We both live with chronic auto immune diseases and have bonded over social media. I was so happy that she came to my race! I cried and gave her a very stinky hug. It was a big surprise and I appreciated seeing her.
I sincerely appreciate all the love and support I was given for this race. I heard friends yelling and cheering for me all day long. I felt the support from afar when I was struggling. It was amazing to see so many there volunteering and cheering for us. Bill, Jack, Rory, Jeanette, Shelby, Mick, Andrew, Wesley, Jen, Chad, Suzanne, Vicki, Wesley, Ryan, Tom, Shar and everyone else who was there cheering& volunteering thank you for being there! Thank you for the prayers, cheers and support from home as well. I know it carried me!
That night I even slept well. I usually run a fever and sweat all night long after running a marathon. Not tonight. Slept good, got up feeling good. No blistered feet, not even a gimpy stride. (some serious chaffing from my improvised bike style the last 30 miles but that is it) We got home after a 10+ hour drive in white out blizzard conditions. I raced my youngest son down the street because he was waiting in his Ironman shirt and wanted to race. I then ran up and down the stairs laughing hysterically because I could. (I will blame the endorphin high for the delirious sense of humor.)
As far as nutrition: (mainly an after thought for me IF I ever do it again)
Breakfast: bagel, cupcake & coconut water, diet coke and water
Bike: 8 scoope cytomax, 1 ½ scoop ISO-100 protein, 5gr beta alanine, 2 licks of base salt every 30 min, 1 gel, 1 ½ bags honey stinger fruit snacks, half a banana, 2 mini donuts, a handful of Pringles, water
Run: Chicken broth, coke, oranges, grapes, pretzels, water. Mz9AR7Lil2ZcskwLLVdMt2Q/s1600/12244496_10205462681876833_2139879761680017055_o%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-16026447800444661012016-04-11T10:27:00.000-07:002016-04-11T10:27:36.875-07:00Vineman 70.3 July 12, 2015This time last year I was recovering from my 3rd femoral head stress fracture brought on in part by a 198 day run streak & part because of the chronic inflammation that comes along with rheumatoid arthritis. I was frustrated & decided that if I was ever going turn my dream of running Boston Marathon into a goal that could be accomplished I needed to make some changes. I had already signed up for St George Marathon & decided that if I trained smart I would be able to run the race.
Over the summer Josh & I spent a lot of time mountain biking. I did most of my running in the pool with an aqua jogger flotation belt to keep the impact off my bones. My longest pool run was 3 hours long. Leading into St George marathon I only did one long run on solid ground, a 17 miler with Salt Lake Track Club on the rail trail in Park City. Race day came & I felt unprepared & under trained. But the mountain biking & pool running paid off. I had a great race! I ran the marathon in 3:57, a 47 minute PR for me that included 4 bathroom breaks thanks to tummy issues. I was thrilled & decided that my time was now close enough that I could turn my dream of qualifying for Boston into a goal. I recognized that cross training should be a regular part of my training if I want to stay healthy & ever reach my goal. I decided to sign up for a 70.3 Ironman race as a way to keep me honest & “force” me to put in the time cross training that I should. Cold water hurts, so I opted for Vineman in Sonoma County California.
The 6 months leading up to Vineman included 2 more marathons attempting to earn my BQ. I used Vineman as I had intended, as goal that would get me to cross train & not just run. I put in my swim & bike miles but up until the end of May, running was still my primary focus. My training was going well & the cross training approach seemed to be working until one early morning in April. I had been in the pool swimming for less than a minute & I had this terrible pain in my head overwhelm me. I was disoriented & my head felt like it was going to explode. My arm hurt & had this strange numb feeling while my head felt like someone was stabbing knives through my skull in different directions. I sat on the side of the pool for an hour holding my head, trying not to move & afraid if I did I would loose consciousness. I was almost convinced that I should have someone drive me to the er, but really didn’t want to move so I just sat there. After a while it subsided & I went home. The migraine that remained stayed the rest of the day. Three days later I thought that maybe it was some freak random spasm so I went back to the pool. Same thing, within 50 yards in the water my world was reeling. This time it took 2 days to calm down. I tried to swim again several more times over the next few weeks always with the same outcome. Thanks to the RA I have herniated discs & bone spurs in my neck. I have been warned by doctors that it would present a problem. But why now? I signed up for a race that required a 1.2 mile swim and I couldn’t make it 50 yards without days of pain. I tried to swim through it, but it wasn’t possible. Luckily for me Josh had a brilliant idea… why not swim with a snorkel & avoid neck rotation. Worth a shot… and it worked! So I was back in business. I was self conscious about what a dork I looked like going to the pool with my snorkel to swim laps, but I didn’t let it stop me. At 1st it was extremely frustrating; I had to adapt my swim stroke so that my body wasn’t rotating in the water to keep the strain off my neck. I wasn’t fast before, but now I was even slower. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to make the swim cutoff. But I kept working at it & slowly improved. Bike & run training were pretty low drama. I took it easy on both, wanting to be healthy & prepared but not wanting to push to hard & suffer another injury & subsequent setback.
Leading up the race we listened to the pro’s speak. Mirinda Carfrae spoke about race day nutrition & told us that she prefers to eat on race morning. She said cupcakes. She may have been joking, but I took her seriously and decided to try it out.
So race day came. I ate my cupcake on our way to the river. I watched Josh’s wave take off and then finished getting ready for my own swim. This would be my 1st river swim and I was a little nervous. But the water was a nice temperature and it felt good to get started. I had no issues on the swim with other athletes or my snorkel. It was rewarded to complete the swim I had been dreading. My swim time was 45:25
Transition was a dirt parking lot and by the time I exited the water it was a muddy mess! I tried to wipe my feet off as best I could and get started on the bike. T1 6:04
The bike ride was gorgeous! We rode through wine country in Sonoma County California. Compared to where we ride at home in Utah it was a fairly easy ride. This being my 1st 70.3 race I kept my effort moderately easy with the intent to not blow up on the run. Bike time 3:07:16
Transitioning from the bike to the run I again took a few minutes to try and wipe more mud off my feet. My feet are severely damaged from the RA and any added stressors don’t help. T2 6:59
Then off on the run. My run started out well with a good pace. By the time I reached mile 8 my feet had started to hurt. My toes are bone on bone and sometimes they do not like to stay in place and I need to stop and realigned my toes and adjust them. It feels like the bones are trying to protrude out the bottom of my feet and slows down my ability to run. So I stopped and adjusted my toes repeatedly over the next few miles. Run time 2:20:36
Overall time 6:26:20
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37sJmMsaZBJafTEubzWVEu5ErVsUCh9y_Cg6iZeFBjQURTLdLK7ik39Yz32wwzmQAgqE0BXE6Ls-govcE3gs1Xo32niC2MCwqc8dwX19V9BfPHN_yC4Sfc0Q1Zv_NBIyFh1R5nGISSg0/s1600/1097_001337.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37sJmMsaZBJafTEubzWVEu5ErVsUCh9y_Cg6iZeFBjQURTLdLK7ik39Yz32wwzmQAgqE0BXE6Ls-govcE3gs1Xo32niC2MCwqc8dwX19V9BfPHN_yC4Sfc0Q1Zv_NBIyFh1R5nGISSg0/s200/1097_001337.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkjhJ3VnJ5WIGhRdUggZHO9sYm_VvH7f_SIJtRApSFSU0Iw1vGI8naHCQTbvWncU4Q4EqGvMA6aO0ZYwZU5shmbblPKvodP7g7vViKa7iGJbBw90jPaa4X9DAudh0Osagn835fOuCADQ/s1600/1097_005485.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkjhJ3VnJ5WIGhRdUggZHO9sYm_VvH7f_SIJtRApSFSU0Iw1vGI8naHCQTbvWncU4Q4EqGvMA6aO0ZYwZU5shmbblPKvodP7g7vViKa7iGJbBw90jPaa4X9DAudh0Osagn835fOuCADQ/s200/1097_005485.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3Fu_52DtbM4msBYDA9fSBp_K6GyRR0uqYWwcWwaP8TvA0VIWztWQGnv1U8SzKiCB0VnmfHrZQXkoYBXX-uR-zVEAsvf2Ix7vGGFazrhWcrfxk91BW1QIC99aziYBUebQ79rmrY1rEa8/s1600/1097_024432.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3Fu_52DtbM4msBYDA9fSBp_K6GyRR0uqYWwcWwaP8TvA0VIWztWQGnv1U8SzKiCB0VnmfHrZQXkoYBXX-uR-zVEAsvf2Ix7vGGFazrhWcrfxk91BW1QIC99aziYBUebQ79rmrY1rEa8/s200/1097_024432.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPTXgzQnaZcN_Dd9oOvrflz1Ob8LiUCPWdH0kpKMHM5cF1gScCmAIEvhB2LwSOo_dDEjTyHkxwbCY6KbwtuW4H1vVWwLCORis5a_-s066KMKuV0eG0YMv397S_LpPc7W1whF6TMnSed8/s1600/1097_038752.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPTXgzQnaZcN_Dd9oOvrflz1Ob8LiUCPWdH0kpKMHM5cF1gScCmAIEvhB2LwSOo_dDEjTyHkxwbCY6KbwtuW4H1vVWwLCORis5a_-s066KMKuV0eG0YMv397S_LpPc7W1whF6TMnSed8/s200/1097_038752.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3robeT6QjeZYW5ZlWpBumTEOJhXTWN5qgUT0Iy4oJ-rHXaf3DFAR-4nG0EKNMx5dWHtQ1066zfAtxIHyFiScPCot9s9HM7F9_GJCTVTrs2mCLwhNrZQgrr0LXgvXmLMH5bgkbsmlL8s/s1600/1097_066051.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3robeT6QjeZYW5ZlWpBumTEOJhXTWN5qgUT0Iy4oJ-rHXaf3DFAR-4nG0EKNMx5dWHtQ1066zfAtxIHyFiScPCot9s9HM7F9_GJCTVTrs2mCLwhNrZQgrr0LXgvXmLMH5bgkbsmlL8s/s200/1097_066051.jpg" /></a>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-6345709191618115842016-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:002016-04-11T09:54:58.093-07:00Why I Run & Compete in Endurance Sports I have been married for 18 + years to my best friend and the love of my life. Together we have 5 fabulous children ages 6 to 16 and live in South Jordan, Utah. I am a Mom, I work from home, I am a licensed medical technologist MLT, ASCP (CM) I am also a student at Weber State University completing my bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science I love to learn new things, especially about how the body works and how to improve health. I love being with my family. We spend a lot of time together and my husband and I make it a priority to have a weekly date. We enjoy being outdoors, hiking in the mountains or playing in the backyard.
Why do I run? Simply stated I run because I can. I have spent my adult life batting rheumatoid arthritis; a chronic, painful, debilitating disease that at one point literally had me begging my doctor to cut my feet off for relief. The idea of running seemed like an impossible dream to me a few years ago. I love that I have regained mobility and that I am capable of running. When my feet hit the pavement and carry me forward it is absolutely amazing to me. Beyond that, I run for me. Running gives me the opportunity to let go of the burdens and worries of everyday life. It kept me sane when health issues threatened the quality of life of one of my children. Running is cleansing and therapeutic. On a long run the physical exertion allows me to let go of whatever burdens & stress I am carrying and it is just me and my body. I do have to say that I enjoy longer distance runs more than short runs. It takes at least three miles for running to be fun. At that point the endorphins start to kick in and the sense of self empowerment- the feeling of knowing that I can do this starts to build. Running gives me the belief and confidence that I can overcome and conquer the obstacles of life and I love that! There are so many different answers I can give as to why I run but I like the simple answer “because I can” best.
When I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 19, I was told I would be in a wheel chair within 10 years. It was a hard blow. Emotionally it has been a hard battle on top of the physical pain. I have an amazing husband who has always inspired me to keep fighting for what I want and to not give up. I want to inspire others to not give up when they feel like life is stacked against them with whatever challenge they are facing.
I ran Provo City Marathon the inaugural year in 2010, what I didn’t realize was that the ache in my hip was a stress fracture just below my femoral head and not a tight muscle. My marathon became very painful at mile 14 but I didn’t quit. My 4:20 estimated finish time turned into 6:15 but I finished.
After that it took me 6 months and countless hours of physical therapy to learn to walk again. A year later I was running half marathons. In the spring of 2013 I was feeling ready to re tackle the marathon and to really run my first full marathon. St George sounded like an amazing course. My husband and I put in for the lottery but were not selected. Racing with Passion & One Hour for Life had two St George race entries they were giving away at Gravity Hill 5k. We both entered and amazingly we both drew out! I even placed second in my age group for the 5K race.
The last month of training before St George I was dealing with a pain similar to what I felt before my last marathon but in the opposite leg. Two weeks before the race I had an MRI performed just to reassure myself that I was ok. Diagnosis: stress fracture in my right femur. I was crushed and spent a good hour feeling sorry for myself and sobbing. Then I re-read the MRI report. It said “bone marrow edema” which was being interpreted as a stress fracture. Bone marrow edema is also very common in RA and I was not about to let RA take away my dream. My awesome husband reminded me that I was not normal and that if I wanted to do this then I needed to come up with a plan to make it happen. I called my primary care doctor who knows me and asked for his opinion. He spoke with two radiologists and they both agreed I should be on crutches for the next six weeks and were surprised that I was walking let along wishing to run. Medically speaking my doctor could not advise me to run but he understands me and has watched me overcome set backs in the past. He recommended a course of care to help my body deal with the inflammation, told me it was my decision and to call him and tell him how I did after. I lowered my impact for the last two weeks before the race and hoped, prayed and fretted over what would happen.
Race day came and I was feeling anxious. I had my husbands support and faith to get me to the starting line. I ran conservatively not wanting to stress my leg. I felt good. My time, 4:43 and that was with two bathroom stops along the way. Hindsight I wish I had ran faster. But my goal was to first be able to walk when the day was over, second finish the race and third “run” well. I accomplished all three.
I was so excited to “run” my marathon. I was sore but good sore. I even ran SoJo Half Marathon two weeks later. The next weekend it caught up and I was gimpy for a few days. I still made it to a Halloween 5k at Lifetime Fitness and tried really hard to keep up with 4 year old. In December my husband challenged me to see what would happen if I ran every day. I made it 198 days and then needed to take a break from running. I had ran through cryosurgery on both feet for neuromas associated with my RA. But more bone marrow edema in my femur had me rethink my training plan. I have not missed a single day of exercise since December 10, 2013. Amazingly I feel better than I have ever felt. Even on days I can not walk well I limp to my treadmill or out the door. By the time I get a few miles in I start to feel better and my joints loosen and the swelling goes down and I can move better.
In the fall of 2014 I had the opportunity to run St George again, this time healthy. I was so excited to give it my “all” I ran it in 3:57 with 4 bathroom breaks. A 46 minute pr from the year before and just 17 minutes shy of my Boston qualifying time. I have been dreaming of Boston for years. Now it is no longer a dream, it is now a goal. Over the past few years I have learned a lot and have gotten much better at managing my training along with the limitations of my chronic illness in order to stay healthy and be able to compete. As part of my “get to Boston” plan I decided to incorporate Ironman triathlon into my training schedule. It forces me to cross train on a higher level and is helping me stay healthy. I love the 70.3 distance. I will compete in my first full Ironman this November at Ironman Arizona. I am working hard to keep the inflammation of my disease in check so that I can train properly and be prepared for my big day. I plan to continue running and competing in triathlon events. I have set backs, I need to listen to my body, but I do not quit.
Life is hard for everyone. We all have our unique challenges we face. But having hope can help us get through so many seemingly impossible situations. I want to share my story in order to share hope and to inspire others to keep fighting their own battled and climbing their own mountains conquering the challenges that life throws at them.
~ Jodi Pettit
Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-12425563913697906812011-07-29T13:48:00.000-07:002011-07-29T14:06:42.114-07:00Helen KellerMy mom is always sending me great, positive, uplifting stories. The following one got me thinking about my testimony & beliefs. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">This is an excerpt from A Place of Knowing by Emma Lou Thayne<br /> <br />Many years into my adulthood, when asked by a Jewish poet friend why I stay in my Mormonism, I explained it with a story, the details recounted by my mother. It is my mother’s story transposed into an allegory about my believing.<br /> <br />When I was a little girl, my father took me to hear Helen Keller in the Tabernacle. I must have been about eight or nine and I’d read about Helen Keller in school, and my mother had told me her story.<br /><br />I remember sitting in the balcony at the back of that huge domed building that was supposed to have the best acoustics in the world. Helen—everybody called her that—walked in from behind a curtain under the choir seats with her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Helen spoke at the pulpit—without a microphone—but we could hear perfectly, her guttural, slow, heavily pronounced speech. She spoke about her life and her beliefs. Her eyes were closed and when it came time for questions from the audience, she put her fingers on her teacher’s lips and then repeated for us what the question had been. She answered questions about being deaf and blind and learning to read and to type and, of course, to talk. Hearing that voice making words was like hearing words for the first time, as if language had only come into being—into my being at least—that moment.<br /> <br />Someone asked her, “Do you feel colors?” I’ll never forget her answer, the exact sound of it—“Sometimes. .. . I feel . . . blue.” Her voice went up slightly at the end, which meant she was smiling. The audience didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.<br /> <br />After quite a lot of questions, she said, “I would . . .. like to ask. . . a favor of you.” Of course, the audience was all alert. “Is your Mormon prophet here?” she asked. There was a flurry of getting up from the front row, and President Grant walked up the stairs to the stand. She reached out her hand and he took it. All I could think was, “Oh, I wish I were taking pictures of that.” “I . . . would like . . . ,” she said, “to hear your organ . . . play . . . your famous song—about your pioneers. I . . . would like . . . to remember hearing it here.” All the time she was speaking she was holding his hand he had given her to shake. I liked them together, very much.<br /> <br />I remember thinking, “I am only a little girl (probably others know) but how in the world will she hear the organ?” But she turned toward President Grant and he motioned to Alexander Schreiner, the Tabernacle organist who was sitting near the loft. At the same time, President Grant led her up a few steps to the back of the enormous organ—with its five manuals and eight thousand pipes. We were all spellbound. He placed her hand on the grained oak of the console, and she stood all alone facing us in her long, black velvet dress with her right arm extended, leaning slightly forward and touching the organ, with her head bowed.<br /> <br />Brother Schreiner played “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” each verse a different arrangement, the organ pealing and throbbing—the bass pedals like foghorns—as only he could make happen. Helen Keller stood there—hearing through her hand and sobbing.<br /> <br />Probably a lot more than just me—probably lots of us in the audience were mouthing the words to ourselves—“Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. / Our God will never us forsake; / And soon we’ll have this tale to tell— / All is well! / All is well!” I could see my great-grandparents, converts from England, Wales, France, and Denmark, in that circle of their covered wagons, singing over their fires in the cold nights crossing the plains. Three of them had babies die; my great-grandmother was buried in Wyoming. “And should we die before our journey’s through, / Happy day! / All is well! / We then are free from toil and sorrow, too; / With the just we shall dwell! / But if our lives are spared again / To see the Saints their rest obtain, / Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell— / All is well! / All is well!”<br /> <br />So then—that tabernacle, that singing, my ancestors welling in me, my father beside me, that magnificent woman, all combined with the organ and the man who played it and the man who had led her to it—whatever passed between the organ and her passed on to me.<br />I believed. I believed it all—the seeing without seeing, the hearing without hearing, the going by feel toward something holy, something that could make her cry, something that could move me, alter me, something as unexplainable as a vision or a mystic connection, something entering the pulse of a little girl, something that no matter what would never go away. What it had to do with Joseph Smith or his vision or his gospel I never would really understand—all I know to this day is that I believe.</span><br /><br />After reading it I was thinking about what made an impact on me as a child to create the beliefs I have. I struggled through my teenage years with my religion & what I really believed. But I never questioned that there is in fact a God. That I have Heavenly parents who love me & that I have a big brother Jesus Christ who gave his life to atone for me personally, for all my shortcomings & failures. That testimony has continually been strengthened in my life as I have learned through my trials & mistakes. <br /><br />But where did it start. Probably partially innate & taught through the generations of my family lineage. But two things stand out in my mind as I sit here pondering the subject. When I was a little girl my Grandmother gave me a yellow t-shirt with a picture of a little girls in pig tails with a very grumpy expression on her face. The caption read "I know I am somebody because God don't make no junk!" Funny thing is that silly little t-shirt made a big impact on me. Anytime I was doubting myself & my importance in this world the image of that shirt would pop into my head & still does today. I still have it packed away thread bare & worn in my cedar chest. The 2nd is the song "I am a Child of God" (which incidentally my husbands great grandmother wrote the music for) The lyrics taught me & the message stuck. It is still the song I sing to myself when I can't sleep at night & my favorite lullaby for my babies. Music is powerful & speaks to my spirit. I am grateful for all the day to life lessons that teach & direct my life.<br /><br />I am a child of God,<br />And he has sent me here,<br />Has given me an earthly home<br />With parents kind and dear.<br />Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,<br />Help me find the way.<br />Teach me all that I must do<br />To live with him someday.<br /><br />I am a child of God,<br />And so my needs are great;<br />Help me to understand his words<br />Before it grows to late.<br />Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,<br />Help me find the way.<br />Teach me all that I must do<br />To live with him someday.<br /><br />I am a child of God.<br />Rich blessings are in store;<br />If I but learn to do his will<br />I'll live with him once more.<br />Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,<br />Help me find the way.<br />Teach me all that I must do<br />To live with him someday.<br /><br />I am a child of God.<br />His promises are sure;<br />Celestial glory shall be mine<br />If I can but endure.<br />Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,<br />Help me find the way.<br />Teach me all that I must do<br />To live with him someday.<br /><br /><br /> <br />"Life is not a contest but rather a journey in which we help one another to a better place."<br /><br />(unknown)Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-65491201991028205022011-06-29T13:26:00.000-07:002011-07-03T06:56:34.364-07:00Lucky<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbtgzZI91ZHf-odeVVMxXLs37kPsckulXWwgSo1Npz9G9zIsRyvW4S9lk3MrQe9PbUriBZpkoWgEZBDDlekKu2PKIoRIAjzOLEaYG3Su4B-J2nNs3f68599WvYVXvcrYlqCVxZOmxnJM/s1600/index.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbtgzZI91ZHf-odeVVMxXLs37kPsckulXWwgSo1Npz9G9zIsRyvW4S9lk3MrQe9PbUriBZpkoWgEZBDDlekKu2PKIoRIAjzOLEaYG3Su4B-J2nNs3f68599WvYVXvcrYlqCVxZOmxnJM/s320/index.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623756730381328978" /></a><br /><br />When I started this blog I did so with the intention of using it as a gratitude journal, thus the title <span style="font-style:italic;"></span>Life is good...we are counting our blessings<span style="font-style:italic;"></span>. I have done this and it has evolved to cover whatever else I decide to post as well. I haven't been very good lately at updating (haven't felt very inspired or motivated to type much of anything) But an event over the weekend has me again thinking about how looked after & blessed we are in this life. <br /><br />My hubby completed his 3rd Ironman in Couer D'Alene, Idaho this weekend. The entire weekend carries many stories of inspiration, overcoming challenges, heartbreak, growth & accomplishment that entire volumes of books can be put together just between what Josh, his fellow Ironman & Ironwomen friends & their families could tell of the experience. Not to mention what the other athletes & those who supported them have to say. It is an amazing place to be surrounded by awe inspiring people who commit themselves to a common fantastic goal & set out to make their dreams come true. But I am digressing because the story I want to tell today is not about that journey but about what happened on the way home.<br /><br />The morning after the race Josh & I were both exhausted & sore. (I am still recovering from a stress fracture in my femur & had done far more than I should have over the weekend in support of my hubby & an event I have come to love) Josh having just completed 140.6 mile race in 11 hours 36 minutes was also feeling gimpy. We decided to forgo the morning activities & head home. It is an 11 hour drive & we were eager to be home with our children.<br /><br />Josh started the drive & time passed uneventfully hour after hour. Knowing how much I love nature, the mountains & especially trees my sweet hubby stopped on one of the dirt roads along the freeway so that we could enjoy a short "mini date" for our anniversary. We enjoyed each others company, chatting & taking a brief walk on a trail near a beautiful rushing river and reflected on 14 years of marital bliss. <br /><br />Back on the road eventually Josh tired & it was my turn to drive. Again hours went by uneventful. I was watching the gas gauge & told Josh that there was less than an 8th a tank of gas left. He had paid attention on the way up to where gas was priced better. (some of those little towns in the middle of nowhere really jack the prices) He told me we should be good to make it to town X & fill up there. We set the magic truck computer to tell us how many miles we still had to go before the tank was empty. As we continued on eventually the gas gauge warning light beeped warning me I would soon need fuel. I passed a sign that told me town X was 65 miles away. The gas gauge warned me I could go 54 more miles. I brought this to the attention of my dear sweet hubby & he said it was fine the truck would make it. Being that it is his truck I said ok & continued on. There were 3 other small towns along the way before we reached town X that had gas stations where I could fill up. Each time we approached I would bring to attention the miles the truck computer said we had & the actual mile we still needed to go before we reached town X it was always at least a 10 mile discrepancy not in our favor. But the hubby reassured me that we would indeed make it to town X, fill up there & get dinner to celebrate our anniversary. <br /><br />At the last town with fuel before reaching town X, which was another 18 miles down the road or so, the truck suddenly lost power. I was traveling with the cruise control set at 82 mph and was loosing speed quickly. Power steering gone. I said a quick mental prayer as I vocally expressed to Josh that the truck was out of gas. I cut into the other lane of traffic & onto the conveniently waiting freeway exit ramp. "Lucky" for me we had the high coasting speed to carry us & a slightly downhill exit ramp. The heavy truck with no power steering was hard for me to steer as it slowed but we kept rolling quite fast actually. At the end of the ramp was a stop sign & a 90 degree turn. I could see that there was no traffic so planned to roll through the stop & on towards the gas station a mile or so up the road. Josh warned me to slow down (when you have been going 80 all day 40 does feel slow!) I hit the breaks & he helped me turn the wheel quickly enough to make the turn. I hit the flashers because our speed was increasingly slowing. Both of us being sore & not moving great I prayed the truck would roll until we reached the gas station. "Lucky" again the road sloped downhill until it reached the gas station. We worked together & cranked the truck into the parking lot. Then rolled to a pump that had diesel fuel. Oh "lucky" us it was easy to navigate with the slowing truck & we pulled right up to the pump & was able to fill up. I was shaking & a bit overwhelmed with the whole experience so I excused myself to the ladies room & left Josh to refuel the truck. Alone I calmed down & said a prayer of gratitude. <br /><br />This may seem like not that big of a deal & indeed we were incredibly "lucky". But I don't believe that. This was nothing short of a miracle! I believe that miracles happen all the time, all around us & we just don't acknowledge them. When I look at how many "lucky" moments happened in this short few minutes I can not help but see the miracles & know that I am blessed & watched over. As I was driving if the truck would have died any sooner it was uphill & we may not have made it to the exit. Literally one to two seconds later & I would have missed the exit! There was no other choices for gas for at least 18 more miles. If we would have missed the exit even had it been close it would still have equated to several miles worth of walking, something neither of us was up for. The fact that there was no traffic allowing me to speed down the off ramp. Josh looking at the right moment to realize I was moving way too fast to make a 90 degree turn in which I probably would have rolled the truck. His helping me turn the wheel to make the turn at the speed I did slow down to, afraid to slow down too much & loose all momentum. A downhill straight shot to the gas station. Last but not least a ready & waiting diesel pump and no one in the way at a busy gas station just waiting for me to roll up next to it. Yes it was most definitely a miracle! I am so grateful to be able to acknowledge this & recognize that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me & angels to guide me & protect me in my life. I have felt Heavenly protection in my life & honestly believe I would not still be alive without that protection. I know it is easy to often focus on the struggles in life. To feel like we are being punished or that our times of seemingly constant trials are what God gives us to learn & grow. (I believe that too)But all too often we are being helped, guided & our burdens lightened a long the way. I am blessed & so grateful to be able to see miracles in my life. Even if all too often I sadly miss seeing them. <br /><br />* I also acknowledge that HE blesses us even when we bring the "would be catastrophe" upon ourselves. We are here to learn & grow... imperfectly. HE knows this & loves us anyway. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnM2ih6hi65pm4xOvTu5NOElKX1Od3jc9snaqfIWwJCylxsyEKZR41Ph6PU5prEc0tbVFsjSQXeS6NCPFrn6LQRkLsguu8JTxw-HdSiTjaW6Eh8PctDU0Dg8LLtiyodhgi4IKN4XHABs/s1600/gabridge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnM2ih6hi65pm4xOvTu5NOElKX1Od3jc9snaqfIWwJCylxsyEKZR41Ph6PU5prEc0tbVFsjSQXeS6NCPFrn6LQRkLsguu8JTxw-HdSiTjaW6Eh8PctDU0Dg8LLtiyodhgi4IKN4XHABs/s320/gabridge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623756921964992354" /></a>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-63907244155168399382011-06-22T14:13:00.000-07:002011-06-22T14:22:46.807-07:00Tropical Summer SaladI "made up" a new summer salad & it turned out very delicious so I thought I would share.<br /><br />Dressing:<br />1/4 c pineapple juice<br />1/4 c olive oil<br />1 tbs dijon mustard<br />1 tbs honey or agave<br />salt & pepper to taste<br /><br />blend all ingredients in blender (I added a few chunks of pineapple to thicken & I thought the oil was a bit heavy so next time I am halving it & then will add more until it is right go for your preference)<br /><br />Salad:<br /><br />grill pineapple chunks on kabob skewers on barbecue<br />grill chicken tenders on barbecue<br />romaine leaves<br />1/2 sliced red onion<br />1 red 1 orange bell pepper cut into bite size pieces<br />crumbled bacon<br />mandarin oranges<br />sliced strawberries<br />slivered almonds<br />sugar snap peas<br />toasted coconut (put shredded coconut under broiler for short time to toast)<br /><br />mix it all together & dinner is done.Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-24646658409949226932011-06-15T12:49:00.000-07:002011-06-16T07:47:09.569-07:00My Marathon Experience<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5upfuMsZIraYpMJ57l7fOREXSstQ1hbgZSnyVJpf1rDh6TxjqLoWMhLtEl7DTdmRBjiufaIzebmqWRvjGD1S2eORQOSeRcJvWRg894_XzGW70cwk4fMPLgDLpxUr1UdmVO5HXOYeuY0/s1600/440724666v9_225x225_Front_padToSquare-true.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5upfuMsZIraYpMJ57l7fOREXSstQ1hbgZSnyVJpf1rDh6TxjqLoWMhLtEl7DTdmRBjiufaIzebmqWRvjGD1S2eORQOSeRcJvWRg894_XzGW70cwk4fMPLgDLpxUr1UdmVO5HXOYeuY0/s320/440724666v9_225x225_Front_padToSquare-true.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618578945688497570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjhFtXrhm4YTqipnTaJCpItphDuczKMewbDlfJKZwWn663Owg2x4tMyNRyja8hSUSR4qeoT_zGV7a8yzO6_jr6igLe6rOdXflVB5yccdtPSrUzDhaWHBld0spS8qp9lzt7cCiQArEH30/s1600/Jodi%2527s+marathon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjhFtXrhm4YTqipnTaJCpItphDuczKMewbDlfJKZwWn663Owg2x4tMyNRyja8hSUSR4qeoT_zGV7a8yzO6_jr6igLe6rOdXflVB5yccdtPSrUzDhaWHBld0spS8qp9lzt7cCiQArEH30/s320/Jodi%2527s+marathon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618578937699824146" /></a><br />On May 7th I completed the Provo City Marathon. It was my first marathon and I was so excited to get there. Writing down my thoughts on the day has taken me 6 weeks. I have been overwhelmed with competing emotions, thoughts and feelings about the day that I have not been able to form complete sentences. <br /><br />Two weeks before my race I started to hurt during my last long run. It felt like my left leg was shorter than my right & took longer to strike the ground than the right side. I had swelling, tenderness & a deep ache in my groin. I was worried that I pulled a muscle and was out of alignment. I also occasionally give myself vit b & magnesium shots, prescribed by my dr to help with overall health. With the pain in my hip I decided to inject the vitamins a bit lower and boost my system for the race. Mistake! I hit a nerve. So on top of the hip pain a nerve, felt like sciatic, was numb with pins & needles feeling. Oops! I later found out that magnesium is caustic to nerves & damages them. Amazingly in all the years previous I never hit a nerve, not until my race was just a short 2 weeks away. I had several appointments with chiropractors and physical therapist, had a massage and some A.R.T.(active release technique) work done to get everything working smoothly so that I could do the marathon. I took it easy for the last two weeks (when I ran my groin would start to ache and I would start limping more & more so I backed off to save it for the marathon day) I was reassured by the professionals that I saw that I would be able to run through the pain & then work on stretching everything well after.<br /><br />Marathon morning. I was so excited! Josh got up with me and drove me to the bus pick up in Provo. I had a brief moment in the car when I was thinking about the day ahead that I felt like I was going to throw up. I calmed myself down and felt fine the rest of the ride. I rode the bus up the canyon with a handful of other athletes. It was the 367th marathon for one runner & he was giving advice and telling his thoughts about the course along the way. (He did say that a hilly course is better because it uses different muscles groups. Our race was to be very steep for the first half some of it being a 7% grade coming down the canyon and then flat for the second half making it a harder course.) We got up to the starting line and waited for the start time. <br /><br />At the starting area it was pretty relaxed. The group was much smaller than I had imagined it would be. I don't know how many people started the race but only 137 finished. It wasn't too big of a group. The mountain morning air was a bit chilly so I put a small hand warmer in my sports bra to keep warm while I stretched and warmed up. They announced it was go time & off we went. <br /><br />Starting down the mountain was great. It felt good to finally be moving instead of anticipating. My left hip was a little achy but not too bad. The down hill grade made the first 7 miles fast as I worked to keep a comfortable pace and just keep my feet underneath me. I love the mountains and the trees so the first half was wonderful. We ran along the Provo River, which was full of rushing water right up to the edge of the trail at points. The greenery, waterfalls & fresh mountain smells made the run great. I had planned to do Jeff Galloway's run/walk method and it was hard to force myself to briefly walk every 10 minutes for a minute when it felt good to keep going and I was making great time. Around mile 7 I stopped for a minute to stretch my hip flexors. They didn't feel too tight but my hip still had that ache so I wanted to be sure they weren't going to get too tight. At mile 8 my left leg started to buckle but it only did it once and then felt okay again so I kept going. I could feel blisters forming on the bottom of my feet from the steep grade and the timing chip strapped to my shoe lace was biting my little toe. <br /><br />I came past the half way point in just under 2 hours! My time was 12 minutes faster than my half last year. I was excited. My muscles felt strong, I felt good & I was half way through. I was pacing myself well. I was going to reach my goal! With the blistered feet I asked Josh to bring my other shoes to give my feet a change. Josh ran back to the car while I continued on to get my shoes and ran them back to me. I stopped to quickly change and got going again. I continued on and went over the viaduct on University Avenue. <br /><br />As I turned to go around the mall around mile 14 things quickly went downhill. The ache I had been feeling in my left hip/groin was no longer an ache. Every step felt like I had a dagger at the end of my leg jabbing into my hip. It was horrible. I stopped & stretched and walked for a few minutes hoping it would subside. I would jog a few steps and then have to return to a limping walk because the pain was too great. I considered trying to run through it but knew if I continued with that pain level I wouldn't be going much farther and would not be able to finish. I wanted to finish this race so bad. I set a goal & I was determined to attain it. I took some ibuprofen and keep moving.<br /><br />With the limp and slowing pace I knew I wouldn't make it in the time goal I wanted but I would still finish. I kept limping a long watching my pace get slower and slower so I kept changing & changing my finish goal. Every 30 minutes I would set a new goal and then keep working for that. I tried multiple times to start jogging again but it just wasn't possible. Around 16 miles I passed a high school kid who was doing his 1st marathon and went out way too hard in the beginning. He had hurt his knee, taken no nutrition, was getting loopy and overall was not doing well. I gave him a gel & he walked with me for a few minutes. He slowed down & I kept going. At the 18 mile point I stopped at an aid station and got some icy hot for my IT bands & a cold pack for my groin and continued on. From here the course took us back onto the Provo River trail running back towards downtown Provo. It was scenic and enjoyable if it weren't for the pain in my leg. I tried to draw energy from nature around me & wished I could run. It was past the time I should have finished and I still had miles to go. Josh was waiting for me at the end of the trail and had a bench set up with everything he could think I might possibly want. When I saw him I let out a small sob and tears filled my eyes. I was overcome with emotion & pain (but I wasn't going to tell him that) I pulled myself together before I reached him. I was so grateful for his love & support. I changed my shoes to the newer more padded ones again and told him I would see him at the finish line~ just much later than I had planned. My 1st 14 miles were at a 9:20 min pace or faster the last 12 were progressively getting slower until I couldn't do much better than a 20 minute pace. Back on the streets of Provo I was offered a ride 5 different times. People would pull up next to me, tell me how bad I looked and ask if they could give me a ride. Very sweet, but not too helpful for the mind over matter to be told you looked too gimpy to finish. I thanked them for the offer but declined because I was going to finish. <br /><br />Two miles out from the finish line the high school boy caught back up to me. He said he had gotten a 2 mile ride to an aid station had been given more fluids & nutrition and was now ready to finish. He was worried he did not want to be last. (A fear I had had on previous races but at this point was no longer a concern to me, I no longer cared if I was last only that I finished) I told him that if we were last the scooter guy would be following us but that we could go in together so neither of us was last. I gave up my music and chatted with him as we limped along. Just before the 6 hour mark we watched the police traffic control officers leave the intersections on the roads up ahead of us. By this time Josh had jogged back from the finish line to come find me. (They had seen life flight take off a few minutes before and someone had said a blond lady with a pony tail was hemorrhaging on the course, guess my family was getting pretty nervous) I was glad he was with us. Every step was very hard and I was loosing stability in my leg. Josh stopped traffic for us and we kept going. He also carried a poster my friend Cindi had made that told me I was strong & I could do this. The words & hard work from my friend uplifted & motivated me to be strong. <br /><br />I was having a hard time limping and moving forward & was incapable of quick movements. At this point I was seriously wishing for a morphine shot. Before my race Josh had given me a blessing and I was told I would be able to reach my goal. I knew I was going to finish my race. It never crossed my mind to stop but morphine or some other STRONG pain relief sounded wonderful. I tried playing it out in my mind just how I could get my hands on a syringe of morphine & shoot it into my hip. Totally unrealistic but I enjoyed the fantasy and idea of relieving the pain for a few minutes. As we came back onto University Avenue just less than a mile from the finish line they had street crews picking up the cones protecting us from traffic. I was upset. Just barely 6 hours and they were taking down the race!! From the finish line backwards to the start?! If they really needed to take it down couldn't they start at the other end?! I said a quick prayer to not get run over in the last few minutes of the race and kept going. Poor planning in my opinion and we weren't the last racers. But we kept going. Josh helped us again with traffic to get across the 6 lane road and come into the finish shoot. The boy I had been walking with decided to "run" in, he was happy to beat me by a whopping 20 seconds & I had absolutely no run left (besides his race was 2 miles shorter than mine so what did I care) <br /><br />I finished my first marathon in 6 hours 11 minutes! Not the 4 & 1/2 hours I had hoped for but I finished it. Josh, my mom, my sister Jessica & her 2 little girls, my brother & sister Eric & Allana & their 3 little girls had all stood there waiting for me for hours! They were there waiting & cheering for me. The support was sweet & appreciated. I sobbed! I hugged Josh and cried. My mom came over and I just kept crying. I sat down to eat an orange wedge and get control over myself and breath. The race area was pretty deserted so we got in the car & went home to see my kiddos, I had Josh leave them home so that he could help me.<br /><br />I felt okay riding home but when I went to get out of the car I knew I was in trouble. I could not put any weight on my leg at all & the pain was excruciating. When I reached the stairs I crawled in and decided that was easier than trying to stand. I crawled into my bathroom and ran an ice bath. I began to sob again because the scenario brought back a flood of memories of years not too far back when I had to crawl because my joints were too inflamed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. A time when I dreamed of running a marathon but was trying to resign myself to life in a wheelchair. Back then I really couldn't have dared to have gotten so much better & yet I had & I had even completed a marathon! It was overwhelming all the thoughts and feelings going through my head. Mostly at this point I was just so full of gratitude that I had been able to do it and figured a few days rest and I would be okay. I was so overwhelmed with everything I had dealt with, faced & overcame in the past 13 years. So I kept sobbing for most of the day. I stayed in the ice bath for 15 minutes (a record for me) When I got into the tub I realized that I completely forgot about the hot hands pack I had stuck in my shirt. My chest was a bit raw & blistered either from the heat or rubbing, not sure which but I never even felt it. After my bath I crawled to the couch. Josh helped me release some fluid from my blistered feet & then took the kids so that I could rest. The pain was bad so I went for the biggest drugs I had,lortab that I hadn't taken when I had my last baby. It didn't even touch it. So I just held really still (that usually helps). <br /><br />My leg was hurting badly and it wasn't about to hold any weight so I asked my Grandpa if I could borrow his walker. The 1st week I went back to the chiropractor. My left hip was twisted forward & my right hip was twisted backward making my left leg about 3 inches shorter than the right. I had an xray & he didn't see any breaks so I had him adjust me a few times. I went and had more A.R.T. done to loosen everything else up and continued using the walker for the 1st week and a half. I was getting to where I could kind of limp but movement wasn't very good and still painful. More tears remembering the days when I hurt worse than this for no good reason other than my immune system wanted to attack my body. Remembering the pain, fatigue & depression. Wow how easily those memories fade, much like childbirth. I had more gratitude & appreciation than ever before for the improvement and gift of health that I have been give. I went to a physical therapist, I was offered a wheel chair when I reached the hospital doors~ still very gimpy. She had me doing very basic exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor & stabilize my pelvis. She manipulated my hips & pelvis back into alignment & gave me exercises to hold everything in the correct place. I also had to retrain my muscles & nerves to communicate properly in my low back & legs. She told me that when you push to far on the pain threshold the nerves stop firing. :( With her help I was making progress, squeezing a cheek can be hard work! She sent me home with a crutch to aid my walking & orders to rest. But the ache in my groin wouldn't go away and if I did hardly anything weight bearing then the dagger feeling would return. <br /><br />After 4 weeks I decided it was time for an mri to get a better idea of what was wrong & how to fix it. Diagnosis: stress fracture in my femur. Biggest strongest bone in the body & I broke it. I beat my old record! I have a high pain tolerance (good with chronic pain but not so good with injuries) and with the RA I often ignore pains because eventually they go away. Years ago I fractured my arm & it took me a month to figure it out. This time from the symptoms I figure I had the stress fracture 2 weeks before the marathon & then ran on it exacerbating it to the max. (Glad it didn't break in half!) So 7 weeks before finding out it is fractured. After 5 1/2 weeks of limited mobility and 1 crutch I was put on 2 crutches today and told no weight bearing on the left leg. Wish I had started that a month ago. I get to see an orthopedic specialist and hopefully he can get me a bone growth stimulator and any other tricky things to get it to heal faster. I am so ready to heal and be healthy. I am grateful for my marvelous body and its abilities. <br /><br />The last month & a half has been challenging. I have cried a lot of tears & for different reasons. At first out of gratitude, then anger. I have been so angry! I don't even know for sure where it came from but it just swelled up. Josh asked me an innocent question one night and it just weighed on all the emotions I was feeling and I sobbed for three hours (I cry when I am angry, happy or sad, guess it is just an overall good release for me) I haven't cried much in years and it all came out that night. The only saving grace on the anger is that I at least finished the race. Had I been where I am & not finished I know I would be even angrier. Then I go back to gratitude and appreciation for my life. Overall life is wonderful. I hate not being able to move independently, that is probably where the anger comes from, and I have many responsibilities and commitments. But I also know it could be so much worse & I have lived with so much worse so I NEED to stay in gratitude. I am frustrated with the pain. I also discovered that I LOVE to run and not just because I can. I enjoy it for many reasons and it is something I do for me, it challenges me & makes me feel good. I miss it. I miss the endorphins & hormone response that clears the fog in my head & helps me think clearly. The weather is perfect outside right now & I want to be outside enjoying it. For now that means sitting & sewing the trampoline net my kids ripped apart back together and limping around the park on crutches. I can't wait until I can start moving NORMALLY again. I plan to come back & get stronger. In the long run I think this injury & the subsequent set back is going to be a good thing because it has taught me new things about myself & showed me somethings I need to work on to stay healthy in the long run. I do not regret for one moment running my marathon. I am happy I reached my goal. I would really love to do it again in the future & RUN the marathon but I have a lot of work to do before I commit to that goal again. I want to do it, do it well & stay healthy so it will be awhile before I get there. Red Rock Relay is in September. Right now my goal is to be able to go and do that race with my sweet hubby & an awesome group of friends. Wish me good luck that I am healed in time to do it.<br /><br />* If you are still reading, thanks for listening to my ramblings. I am writing for my own benefit more than anything so you get to read the looong version. ~Hugs~Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-37096601563767065792010-10-21T20:04:00.001-07:002010-10-21T20:32:33.159-07:00The Porcupine Theory<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFS3IrcNdtDUk_zNoUWLLaFS_AtK1LqNi8wH-4DGzTx6Bj5WL5xGu8LsxrBSaJ8pNgoCr0sIXu-BPJZmEBYAJl-mitL6FB9rRwcPH-vCqXUN8jYvNH7yxrZd4QTL5csbNIzutAeJRtTI/s1600/New+Image.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFS3IrcNdtDUk_zNoUWLLaFS_AtK1LqNi8wH-4DGzTx6Bj5WL5xGu8LsxrBSaJ8pNgoCr0sIXu-BPJZmEBYAJl-mitL6FB9rRwcPH-vCqXUN8jYvNH7yxrZd4QTL5csbNIzutAeJRtTI/s320/New+Image.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530708157784226738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2iD6d_zZzNv8BIEwhzPh37l6zV42no9BCMZDUFjDguJE_QDrM0NmSiC1u6yt1NDujzLT40G_WfiKLP_6HHhsprrA5XqQyoLrx8cXIyW-toxDxMyiT5LJBaDUBs2zKYAOenq3bGZ-9p8/s1600/pic01924.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2iD6d_zZzNv8BIEwhzPh37l6zV42no9BCMZDUFjDguJE_QDrM0NmSiC1u6yt1NDujzLT40G_WfiKLP_6HHhsprrA5XqQyoLrx8cXIyW-toxDxMyiT5LJBaDUBs2zKYAOenq3bGZ-9p8/s320/pic01924.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530702006662514258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha3G4hypjKpIwMaEneBu6AiLA7dYk64Ts95XIEnf8K2wsvGts9f7EBehkag_WB0CMylnbsb4sDVprVXyc7483Jy9OW_c6YJEjs4Josf_jBF3z7VjFnN7e4R2P2XySHAKfDiupf7l10CA/s1600/pic01543.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha3G4hypjKpIwMaEneBu6AiLA7dYk64Ts95XIEnf8K2wsvGts9f7EBehkag_WB0CMylnbsb4sDVprVXyc7483Jy9OW_c6YJEjs4Josf_jBF3z7VjFnN7e4R2P2XySHAKfDiupf7l10CA/s320/pic01543.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530701367682293714" /></a><br /><br />My mom sent me this story & I loved it & so now I will share it with you...<br /><br /><br /> Fable of the porcupine<br /> <br /> <br /> It was the coldest winter ever. - Many animals died because of the cold.<br />The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other. After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion, but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.<br /> <br /> Moral of the story: The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.<br /> <br /> The Moral of the story!..........LEARN TO LOVE THE PRICKLY PEOPLE IN YOUR<br />LIFEJodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-57248899511695880322010-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:002010-10-20T14:40:51.760-07:00You always see firemen at burning buildings, but that doesn't mean they caused the fire...Have you ever heard the saying "You are what you eat"? Well I believe it. I believe that what we put into our bodies; food, thoughts etc affect us. I love to study the body and how it works. There are so many ideas, theories and hypotheses out there, so many truths. All pieces of the puzzle of how we work and still so many left undiscovered. One of the things I have studied that is very exciting to me is The Germ Vs Terrain Theory of disease. The terrain theory gets very deep on very small, microscopic, world and it really explains how & why we get sick. I want to share a story from an e-book I read years ago and am currently re studying to share the difference between the two schools of thought.<br /><br />Let us proceed by setting the stage. Let’s go back in history a little over 100 years. We’ll go back to the days of the great debate between the “Terrainist School” and the “Microbiologists.” The setting is late nineteenth century France. The two great figures in our discourse are Louis Pasteur and Antoine Bernard (Bechamp). Both of these gentlemen were researchers and scientists. Louis Pasteur was a veterinary and chemist, while Antoine Bernard (Bechamp) was a medical doctor. They were both studying the cause of disease and each had a particular interest in the microbes that make up the vast flora of living systems.<br /> <br /> Louis Pasteur believed that the microbe is the cause of all disease. He theorized that each disease had a particular microbe specific to itself. If one could identify the microbe and destroy it, one could cure the disease. This is the basis of the germ-theory. <br /> <br /> O.k. Let’s pretend that you are a member of your city council, and you have hired me to recommend a course of action for the council to take in order to clean up the horrible trash problem. So, in I come, you have paid me millions of dollars, because of my degree and my years of experience, and this is my assessment –<br /> <br /> “I have observed that your problem is not trash at all, it’s a rat problem. In observation of your fair city I find that where there is trash there are also rats. What’s more, where I have found many rats, I have observed more trash, and where I have found no rats at all, there has also been no trash at all. Therefore, rats cause trash. It is good that you came to me, because how else would you have understood that what you supposed was a trash problem, was actually a rat problem? For a fee, I will kill the rats in your city, and then all of your trash will simply go away.”<br /> <br /> The Germ Theory of Louis Pasteur is precisely the same as the Rat Theory proposed by Dr. Bernard Jensen. Rats and germs have one thing in common – they are both highly opportunistic. In other words, they seek environments that meet their needs. Rats like garbage and germs do too.<br /> <br /> Bernard (Bechamp) believed that disease is caused by dysregulation of the body terrain. That the state of the whole organism dictates whether an individual becomes ill, or manifests a set of symptoms, or whether they remained well and fight off the diseases around them. This is the Terrainist Theory of disease. The Rat Theory in reverse really applies here. Clean up the trash and the rats simply go away. <br /> <br /> Bernard said in 1879 that, “It is the fixity of the milieu interieur which is the condition of free and independent life.” In other words, it is the homeostasis of the internal terrain that is most important to health.<br /> <br />Their philosophy, however, was not the only difference between these two great scientists. Each of them looked at microscopic environments using different equipment. Louis Pasteur looked at things under bright-field microscopy and he developed stains in order to identify clearly what he was looking at. The stains killed and denatured the blood, tissues and other materials observed. He was more interested in identifying and killing the offending organism, you see, than he was in understanding the body itself. <br /> <br />Antoine Bernard (Bechamp) did not depend so heavily on bright field microscopy for his understanding of microbes.. He also looked at living systems using dark-field technology. This allowed him to watch the living system and see what developed there. What he saw under Darkfield microscopy formed the basis of the Terrainist School of Thought. <br /> <br />In the plasma of the blood, between the red blood cells, against a black field, he observed tiny living organisms that he named “Microzhyma”. He postulated that the microzhyma were the living seeds of life and that these organisms in regulation help to maintain the body in a state of health and wellness. He further postulated that the lifestyle of the individual, the physical environment, the diet, etc., causes him to get sick and die or to remain well.<br /> <br />Rabies<br /> A story has often been told that illustrates the debate that raged between these two researchers. It involves two brothers who lived in France, one in Paris and the other outside of Paris. One of the brothers was a prominent baker who provided baked goods for high-class restaurants in Paris. The other brother was a poor farmer. These two men had daughters of about the same age. One day both of their daughters were playing at the home of the farmer. Into the courtyard came a rabid dog and bit both little girls. One of them became sick and died. The other little girl did not become sick at all.<br /> <br /> Of course the famous scientist Louis Pasteur was immediately called on to examine the body of the little girl that died. He had already gained renown for discovering the microbe that caused Hydrophobia (rabies). Having examined the body of the little girl that died from hydrophobia, he declared that she had indeed died of rabies. When he was asked why the other little girl didn’t even get sick his response is reported to have been, “perhaps the mouth of the dog was so cleansed by the first bite that when it came time to bite the second girl there were no more microbes left on its teeth and gums and that’s why she didn’t get sick”.<br /> <br /> Those of you who have dogs or have ever worked with dogs know that the dog’s mouth, like any other mouth, is a filthy environment and that one bite is not ever going to “cleanse” all of the microbes off of the dog’s teeth or out of the dog’s mouth. But this explanation was fine and adequate for the uneducated family of the two little girls.<br /> <br /> Bernard (Bechamp) came on the scene later. There was no body for him to examine, there was only a family to interview. He talked with the mother and father of the little girl that lived and with the mother and father of the girl that died. What he found was significant. The little girl that died was the daughter of the baker. She had quite a high lifestyle. She lived in town. She had fine clothing. She had plenty to eat. The little girl that lived, however, was the farmer’s daughter, and lived a much different lifestyle. This intrigued him. <br /> <br /> Could the diet alone make the difference between life and death in the case of hydrophobia? What is it that is so terrifying about rabies? It is that every person who contracts the disease dies? Even today the prognosis after actual infection is very low.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />This is what he observed about the little girl that died. <br /> <br />• She lived in town.<br />• Air was polluted outside because of the predominant use of coal.<br />• Air was polluted inside because of the use of whale oil lamps.<br />• Water was polluted because it came from the river that also doubled as the sewer system.<br />• Her diet consisted largely of processed carbohydrates (white flour), meat and rich sauces.<br /> <br /> This is what he observed about the little girl that lived.<br /> <br />• She lived in the country.<br />• Air was clean and pure.<br />• Water came from the well. It was not polluted with sewage.<br />• Her diet was high in garden produce and low in processed carbohydrates. They were poor. They probably couldn’t afford much meat, rich sauces, etc.<br /> <br /> <br /> Bernard observed the difference between these two lifestyles and these two diets and postulated that the little country girl’s internal terrain was regulated and the micro-flora that lived there naturally prevented the rabies from taking hold and making the little girl sick.<br /> <br />Whether or not this story actually ever happened is irrelevant. The fact that it has been told and re-told many times indicates how really diametrically opposed to each other’s way of thinking the two camps of microbiology were at that time. <br /><br /><br />In a nut shell there are the two schools of thought. Over the years I have worked hard to improve my health; changing my diet, healing emotional wounds & feeding my spirituality. I have put the Terrain Theory to the test and know it as truth. I also can appreciate medicine. There are times when our systems get out of whack and we need medicine to help get us back in balance. Combining the two schools of thought and gleaning from the truths of each and using them to our advantage are great tools to help us achieve wellness. <br /><br />If anyone is interested in exploring this topic in more depth I found a great website that is easy to understand and gets in pretty deep http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/05/louis_pasteur_vs_antoine_bchamp_and_the_germ_theory_of_disease_causation_1.htmlJodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-29551604780412767112010-10-05T13:13:00.001-07:002010-10-05T19:28:58.451-07:00Help to Avoid the Ickies this Winter.The "ick" season will soon be upon us. Our extended family has already had a few cases of the "ickies" and it is a good reminder to me to start supporting my families immune system to keep everyone healthy and well. A few simple things we do to stay healthy and have had success with are: Probiotics, fish oils & Vit C, taken daily and increased at first sign of illness. I also have found a few herbal remedies I absolutely LOVE. My favorite is Immunity Take Care by New Chapter. It is an elderbery lozenge that when sucked on gets into the blood stream in less than 30 minutes and begins fighting viruses. Last year "B"s class had an outbreak of swine flu along with a few boys on his football team getting it as well. He came home from school exhibiting all the symptoms and feeling miserable. I immediately started him on the elderberry lozenge along with vit C & another herbal remedy I like called Defence. I sent him to bed and by morning he was better. The elderberry lozenge can be taken as a preventative and if you have family members with weak immune systems I would recommend it. It can get pricey for a family of 7 so I typically just use it at first sign of illness or as a preventative when I know the kids have been exposed to a virus going around. Immunity Take Care can be bought online just google it or locally at Dave's Health & Nutrition (it is usually on sale this time of year which reminds me I need to stalk up) You can also go to their website at Daveshealth.com The other one I mentioned was Defence. It is a Native American herbal remedy made by Native American Nutritionals. I will put a link to their website below along with the info on its ingredients along with a little more info on the elderberry lozenge. I have a very smart health conscious friend. She has a lovely blog that I follow and can be found on my side bar "World of Wisdom" She just posted a great post on staying puke free this winter and keeping our families healthy. If anyone is interested in reading her suggestions go to: http://aworldofwisdom.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-i-achieve-flu-free-winters.html <br /><br /><br />How Immunity Take Care Works<br /><br />Immunity Take Care, with the exclusive extract is the first all-herbal, natural therapeutic that acts to block viruses from entering human cells, therefore preventing them from replicating.*<br /><br />A virus is much smaller than a human cell, but despite its small size can be very powerful, especially when allowed to replicate. When a virus gets into the nose, lungs or mouth it targets particular cells in the body and attaches to them in very specific ways. Once inside the cell, the virus multiplies rapidly to make copies of itself. These newly copied viruses escape the cell and enter the bloodstream to find even more cells to attach to.<br /><br />The bioactive molecules in Immunity Take Care by New Chapter seeks out viruses, bind to them, and create a coating around them. This coating is like a fence around the virus that blocks its ability to attach to and enter cells.<br /><br />The bioactives in Immunity Take Care actually bind themselves to viruses, coat the viruses, and block their ability to attach to and enter human cells.*<br /><br />In-vitro laboratory studies of this patent pending extract have demonstrated up to a 100% success rate in inhibiting the entry of enveloped viruses (like influenza).<br />How Immunity Take Care Is Different<br /><br /> *<br /><br /> Acts Before the Virus Can Attack <br /><br /> Unlike antivirals that begin to work after viruses have begun multiplying, Immunity Take Care works to target and block viruses before they can replicate.*<br /><br /> *<br /><br /> Complete Herbal Bioactive Chemistries <br /><br /> Immunity Take Care is not a synthetic chemical isolate. Immunity Take Care is a 100% Herbal Virus Blocker that provides the full range of bioactive chemistries of the natural herbal source, thanks to the combination of supercritical extraction and a breakthrough technology for validating potency, called DART (Direct Analysis in Real-Time).*<br /><br /> While other commercially available natural products contain fewer than 150 components, Immunity Take Care contains over 1,000 natural chemistries and the key bioactives in each dose.<br /><br />You can google elderberry health benefits to learn more about this great natural health inducing plant. Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not. It was used to treat the flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.<br /><br />Defence:<br /><br />It stands without question that if the immune system is strengthened, numerous ailments and illnesses can be aided and alleviated. The main ingredients in “DEFENSE” are Black Cumin, Stabilized Rice Bran, Muscadine Grape, the Native American Sacred herb “Tsi-Ahga” and the Heart of Garlic. Each one is demonstrated in scientific research to strengthen, support and modulate the Immune Response in different ways. <br /> <br />Black Cumin has impressive scientific research that shows it to have very beneficial anti-microbial properties. It has been demonstrated to have potent anti-microbial properties and science has demonstrated why it has always been the best bet to combat colds and viral infection. One of the most important components of Black Cumin Oil is known to be effective for bronchial asthma and respiratory allergies because of its ability to expand and relax the airways. It also reduces the release of histamines into the bloodstream and thus works against allergic reactions. Black Cumin has been shown to reduce allergy symptoms up to 90% over long term use. <br />Scientists know that Black Cumin stimulates the bone marrow to produce immune cells, increases interferon production, protects the body against viruses and inhibits infection. Black Cumin has also been proven effective against the development of cancer. The Cancer Immuno-Biology Laboratory of South Carolina ran a series of experiments in which mice were infected with tumor cells. Two thirds of the animals treated with Black Cumin oil were still alive thirty days after being infected. In contrast, ALL of the mice that did not receive Black Cumin treatment died within thirty days. It stands without question that if the immune system is strengthened, numerous ailments and illnesses can be aided and alleviated.<br /> <br />Stabilized Rice Bran is the result of the specialized processing of rice concentrates and extracts. Being an all-natural whole food, Stabilized Rice Bran works synergistically to restore optimal health. Consisting of perfect chains of essential fatty acids, trace minerals, amino acids, PhytoNutrients, glyconutrients, and over ninety powerful antioxidants including tocotrienols (which have been found to be 6000 times more effective than vitamin E) Stabilized Rice Bran provides the nutritional therapy and protection that our modern diets often lack.<br /> <br />Muscadine Grape contains higher levels of antioxidants than blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, red raspberries, and strawberries. This finding was established in the early 1990s by Mississippi State University, as well as by the National Institutes of Health. Because it is so much higher in antioxidants, Muscadine Grape protects and restores Immune Function resulting in a wide variety of protection throughout the body.<br /> <br />Tsi-Ahga is a Native American Sacramental Medicine derived from Conks that grow on certain cone-bearing trees. The 3-beta-D-glucans which make up part of the cellular structure of these Conks cause a pan-systemic modulation of T-Cells, Macrophages and Neutrophil White Blood Cells, when ingested. In fact, it has been established that the number and viability of these particular cells is increased by as much as 4000% within 20 hours after taking Tsi-Ahga! Macrophages and Neutrophils are the two cells upon which all other Immune Cells depend. You can have many viable B-Cells and T-Cells, but they will not be effective without the programming provided by these “Communicator” cells. Tsi-Ahga also contains bitter triterpene compounds that support the thymus and spleen (essential to insuring that immune cells are properly programmed), anti-tumor polysaccharides, blood pressure-reducing angiotensin re-uptake inhibitors, and perhaps the highest source of germanium in nature. Germanium is an oxygen catalyst and one of the most powerful free-radical scavengers found in nature.<br /> <br />Heart of Garlic contains the antimicrobial substance known as “Allicin” which is produced when the Alliin and Allinase of the garlic are brought together as a result of damage to the bulb or by microbial invasion of the plant. Allicin is the natural defense mechanism of the garlic plant that science has proven to be so effective as a defense for us as well. Some research-supported actions of Allicin are: reduces blood pressure, kills microscopic organisms, poisonous bacteria, parasites and fungal infections, aids in preventing neoplasm, reduces high blood cholesterol, removes heavy metals and other toxins, scavenges and removes free radicals, repairs immune system cells by providing high sulfur compounds, and increases blood circulation.<br />The chemistry of garlic is complex and even though Allicin was discovered in 1944, its volatility has resulted in very few supplements or garlic based products that contain any Allicin by the time they reach the consumer. In the past year alone, supermarkets and mass merchandisers in the United States have sold more than 5 million units of garlic. This makes garlic the most popular herbal product in America, according to Information Resources, Inc., and yet none of those consumers are getting what they actually need (Allicin) from the garlic products they buy. It is worth mentioning that with a new patented process for extracting and stabilizing Allicin from garlic, we can now offer people the product they thought they were buying. <br /> <br />For more information on this product you can go to: http://www.nativeamericannutritionals.com/Product_Desc.aspx?Inventory_ID=2 A bottle is $25 and taken regularly lasts a month. When I was unhealthy and my RA was flaring I took it regularly now we use it to quickly fight off illnesses. To order you can call 1-877-432-5446. You can set up your own account or order under my name. <br /><br />I mention these things because they work for us & have helped us stay healthy when I remember to use them. I really like what Amy said on her blog and am planning to incorporate some of her ideas this winter as well. Time to order my thieves essential oil. Pure Elements (carried locally at Dave's) & Native American Nutritionals (where you buy defence) also have an oil combination equivalent to Theives for about $10 less. It is called Ancient Remedy. I put it in our diffuser so that we are are breathing the oils & put it in a small spray bottle about 10 drops of oil & fill the rest with water. This I will use to spray on feet like Amy recommends on her blog.<br /><br />** and don't forget the disclaimer that I am not a doctor. nor am I giving medical advice...merely sharing things that help our family avoid the winter ickies ;DJodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-27155692748676449812010-09-26T19:27:00.000-07:002010-09-27T19:55:56.100-07:00Running my half marathon (13.1 miles)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYD0EVjgz6Ab5br2qfT-W5PnRt-Kk_ZZmNQ9J_qMFkskgAS_188CAX0l20NZ_ab7DQ1K3D61VAfsC3PL4LB4EDGWQkM1QcTyicXP9XvL2Xil3tUNqBByH8VyCfy8_7V6H5rZdmwHHuiY/s1600/2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYD0EVjgz6Ab5br2qfT-W5PnRt-Kk_ZZmNQ9J_qMFkskgAS_188CAX0l20NZ_ab7DQ1K3D61VAfsC3PL4LB4EDGWQkM1QcTyicXP9XvL2Xil3tUNqBByH8VyCfy8_7V6H5rZdmwHHuiY/s320/2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521688508772775186" /></a><br /><br />I apologize in advance, this is long winded but I wrote it for me & wanted to remember what I was feeling so you get the long version ;D<br /><br />Seven weeks ago I finished my second triathlon, BAM I posted about it a few posts ago. I was excited to accomplish my goal and was thinking about what I wanted to do next. I decided that a half marathon would be a good goal. I looked at the available races and decided that the SoJo Half was the one that I wanted to do. The only problem was that it was only 6 weeks away and I hadn't ran more than 4 miles ever. So I did the best thing I could think of... I asked my super savvy fitness junkie hubby for help. I told him what I wanted to do and how much time I had to get ready. He kindly wrote me a plan that would get me ready in time for my race. <br /><br />During my training I ran a marathon relay and a friend said, "You must really love to run" My response: "No not really, I have to talk myself into it on every run and even then sometimes I hate it" Hmm so why am I running? It took me awhile to come up with an answer for that one. It is hard to put into words exactly why. It means something deep down that I don't have words for yet, but the simplest answer is I want to run because I can and because I can I will. I am so full of gratitude and appreciation that I CAN do this. That my body is physically capable of it. I love to accomplish goals. To decide in my mind that I want to do something and then create a plan and do it. Then to be able to set physical goals and accomplish them... I am amazed and awed at the human body and its potential! <br /><br />Training was hard. I wanted to be prepared but I did not want to push too hard and end up injured and not be able to do my race. Long runs (7 miles and longer) the neuroma (tumor around a nerve) in my foot would ache and flare up. My ankle was sore from rolling it a few weeks before. Life is busy. We have dance, football and this year I am team mom & various other kid activities and commitments. But I wanted to reach this goal & I wanted it badly enough to stay committed and do the work. Plus when Josh takes his time to help me with the planning it strengthens my resolve to do it. He doesn't check on me but it somehow helps me feel more accountable for it. <br /><br />Prep work done. Now for the test. Race day! Josh decided to run the half as well. We got ready and drove to the shuttle site. The race was to start in Copperton, a tiny town up by the Kennecott Copper Mine and finish in the river bottoms in South Jordan. We arrived at 6:40 the last bus was to leave at 7:15. I was surprised at how long the line was. There had to be close to 300 people in line. I was glad we had came early this could get messy. But no buses came. The first one came at 7:20 and quickly filled and left. The line hardly moved. We waited. Lots of people were grumbling and complaining. (What is it with me and standing next to a complaining lady psyching myself out before the start of a race?!) A couple people said they had it and that it wasn't worth it and left. We considered driving but were worried that they would not let us through- everyone was to be bused. So we waited & waited. Starting time came and went. Josh said they probably started because running races usually start on time. But then a race volunteer came by counting everyone in line and trying to call and find out what happened to the buses. She said "Don't worry they are holding the race, we will get you there!" Yeah! I was excited to start the race in a "mass start fashion." This was my first race and I was looking forward to the whole experience. Finally at 8:20 two buses came. We smashed 3-4 people a seat and the isle was crammed tight. Great fun for a lengthy 20 minute ride to the starting line. But we were on our way and anxious to get there. As we drove to Copperton we saw a pack of runners at mile 4. I was sad, got a little choked up. I had to have a chat with myself and get back on track so that I could run my race. Got out of the bus and started stretching. I thought that we would have a second mass start with the half of the runners who were on our 2 buses. It took me a few minutes to figure out that we just started whenever we were ready to go and our time started when we crossed the timing mat. Ugh! I stepped on that a few minutes ago stretching. So I turned on my garmin and started running. <br /><br />Running downhill is nice. Can't train for it on a treadmill but very helpful to keep my pace moving along. I had a strange cramp in my right calf from mole 3 on. It wasn't a big deal and other than that I had no issues. My feet were strong and I was making great time. Beating even my shorter distance race times. Glen & Marye pulled along side me and cheered and took pictures around mile 8. It was fun to see them and feel their support. Marye ran with me for a few minutes and I laughed and enjoyed her support. Stacey, Emily & Porter waited to cheer further down the road. I ran a 9:30 pace up until mile 9. I did walk the aid stations and when I took a gel at mile 5 just like my hubby had told me to do. Even with that I was making a 9:30 pace. I was thrilled! At mile 9 my big toe on my left foot was killing. I stopped, took off my shoe & adjusted my sock. I was worried it was raw & did not want to see it so I put my shoe back on and ran. I ran on the grass in the park strip for a few minutes to soften the landing for my feet. I was afraid I would roll my ankle so I decided the flat road was probably the better choice. I slowed down a little bit but kept going until mile 10, had another gel & continued on. By mile 11 I was in the river bottoms and the downhill slope changed to a slight uphill. It felt good on my legs to not be going downhill and even though it was more work to run I was happy with the change. <br /><br />Only 2.1 miles left! That is nothing! At least that is what I told myself to keep going. The last 2 miles I slowed more and alternated between a jog and a walk. A wonderfully sweet lady was doing the same and we talked each other into keeping it up. The finish line was in site. Hooray! The trail took us past the finish line a short distance and circled back. I had to fight the strong urge to cut through the grass and finish. I ran in, heard them call my name and saw my wonderful hubby and friends waiting & cheering me on at the finish. Hooray! I finished! Josh reminded me to stop my garmin and kept me walking for a few minutes so I didn't collapse.<br /><br />My time 2:13:36 I did it and I beat my goal by 16 and a half minutes! I told myself I would be happy with anything less than 2:30. Secretly I wanted to run under 10 minute miles and finish around 2:10 but I didn't think that was realistic. Four months ago I couldn't run a 1/4 mile, 6 weeks ago 4 miles was my longest run and that included walking time. But I did it. I prepared for my race and I ran it well. I am thrilled! I am full of gratitude for my hubby who knows me and helped me prepare. Without his help I wouldn't have been able to do it.<br /><br />I am sore. My toe is blistered, my abs feel bruised and my leg muscles are just about useless. They hurt to touch. I keep laughing. I am so grateful! My joints are strong, there is no inflammation. The kids watch me hobble and ask if I am ok. I swallow hard and try not to cry because I am so grateful. I remember when my muscles hurt this bad in addition to excruciating joint pain, fatigue & depression. I have been so greatly blessed in my life. I am overcome with joy at being able to walk and move let alone run a half marathon. So do I love to run?... I guess I do. Why? Because I CAN! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQswQigCiGVQHipwU3NZWgq3jXnKxoghhXEmoIZGLjU1oBs0HSuZmfMAkADqsCpwQulIjONAb4j4fdSCNUVNFfQlPtv5_31CXQOncYDVYHoT3fb90xILom649S8lU1X_kAziQWOcfa_Og/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQswQigCiGVQHipwU3NZWgq3jXnKxoghhXEmoIZGLjU1oBs0HSuZmfMAkADqsCpwQulIjONAb4j4fdSCNUVNFfQlPtv5_31CXQOncYDVYHoT3fb90xILom649S8lU1X_kAziQWOcfa_Og/s320/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521687564360932290" /></a><br /><br />Thank you for your love & support. Thank you everyone who worked so hard to put the SoJo race together. This was the first year. What a huge undertaking! The course was great. The roads were swept and clean, traffic was stopped and volunteers were great. A great day to accomplish a goal & a memory I will cherish!Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-15404492233225247692010-08-11T14:21:00.000-07:002010-08-12T07:27:28.235-07:00Hawaiin Haystacks...It's what's for dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeThH-NONquTLrp0P_TuTm_jokGtObvv2EhVrsGCplNFR6guv6cIygM91KwCIwSuR72UUzX4yAJOycJ8psVldk6joYbVoha2u8Lobr78VqsS5ZyFrUTBMtx3RdRPzfxJ3n4RJ8yaMbRI/s1600/P1120871.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeThH-NONquTLrp0P_TuTm_jokGtObvv2EhVrsGCplNFR6guv6cIygM91KwCIwSuR72UUzX4yAJOycJ8psVldk6joYbVoha2u8Lobr78VqsS5ZyFrUTBMtx3RdRPzfxJ3n4RJ8yaMbRI/s320/P1120871.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504268251284933746" /></a><br />a yummy delicious twist on summer salads for a nutritious easy meal<br /><br />2-4 cups cooked brown rice<br />leafy green & an assortment of other vegetables<br />garnishes: pineapple, coconut, strawberries, mandarin oranges, slivered almonds, blueberries etc<br /><br />Gravy: 6 cups water combined with favorite bouillon to taste, 1/2 tsp dry ginger, 1 cup coconut milk & 1/3 cup corn starch, and a pinch of salt.<br /><br />Combine gravy ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Place salad fixings, garnishes & gravy over rice. ENJOY<br /><br />Recipe from <span style="font-style:italic;"></span>Original Fast Foods<span style="font-style:italic;"></span> by James & Colleen Simmons <br /><br />This is a yummy salad that makes a nutritious, complete meal. I made ours with lettuce, spinach, celery, carrots, red peppers, cucumbers,green onion, strawberries, mandarin oranges, slivered almonds, shredded coconut, chicken and the gravy. The salad is good with regular dressing as well.Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-51848045483548019812010-06-06T14:04:00.001-07:002010-08-09T18:19:05.279-07:00Tri Schedule<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19W7oEH-HefeHI7l9vK51xhbHivBZsCFDXblhafCqJsfkAWWw-2x3jVEbDl2FC3YRZ21L6CANGPwGsc6ZNGohvU3of18vtLmIldqjE1CXHuDirOXvcXxRlOGdqy0gKz61e8tAeIJYHnE/s1600/swim20bike20run20small1-300x210.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19W7oEH-HefeHI7l9vK51xhbHivBZsCFDXblhafCqJsfkAWWw-2x3jVEbDl2FC3YRZ21L6CANGPwGsc6ZNGohvU3of18vtLmIldqjE1CXHuDirOXvcXxRlOGdqy0gKz61e8tAeIJYHnE/s320/swim20bike20run20small1-300x210.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480205983432649074" /></a><br />image from www.heleneboudreau.com<br />I have sorta, kinda, maybe wanted to do a triathlon for quite sometime but didn't have enough direction to get my body ready to do it. I would get excited and go exercise really hard, end up over doing it and then not doing anything for several more days while I healed. I wasn't building my endurance or getting any stronger. I decided to ask my sweet hubby for help. He is an avid athlete who has been doing triathlon for 4 years and has completed 2 Ironman races. We decided on a race I wanted to do and then he wrote me a training plan to get me ready to do it. Over the past 4 weeks I have been working out a lot more than I ever have in the past. Consistently 6 days a week! Huge for me. I have 1 week to go until my 1st sprint triathlon. <br /><br />I am grateful for my hubby's help. He is a fabulous teacher in general and this is an area that he has excelled in. I started out barely being able to run a mile. One month later I can run a 5K (3.1 miles) and feel good after. He has giving me a couple of swim lessons and I am improving. I still need more lesson for sure but I am getting strong and I am happy about that. <br /><br />I also learned something else over the course of this month. I learned to really enjoy exercise. I have been active and enjoyed active things like hiking in the great outdoors all my life. But exercise for the purpose of exercise ehh I'd do it but not for fun. I posted before about waiting, praying & having gratitude for my life while facing the unknown. We don't have resolve yet on what is going on with our child. Just more tests and more waiting. But I have found that when I am exercising it can be a time of release for me. I still worry. But the physical activity makes me feel better, it makes me stronger and helps me prepare to face my challenges. I now can appreciate exercise and enjoy it as something I do for me. It is also fun to go on exercise dates with my sweetheart and share his passion.<br /><br />I have had a handful of friends ask what the training plan Josh wrote for me is. I am going to post it here. Mine is on a calendar starting on a Monday. I work out 6 days a week with Sunday's as my off day.<br /><br />Day 1: Swim 20 min total warm up, drills, 4X50's drills, 50's, cool down<br />Day 2: Bike 30 min 5 min w.u., 5 X 30 spin ups, 2 min recovers, 10 min consistent,c.d.<br />Day 3: Run 30 min w.u. 5 min run/1 min walk then c.d.<br />Day 4: swim 20 min w.u. 4X50 multiple sets c.d.<br />Day 5: Bike 60 min <br />Day 6: Run: 5 min w.u. 15 min run 5 walk c.d.<br />Day 7: OFF<br />Day 8: Bike 1 hr or spin class<br />Day 9: Swim 35 min 2X100 2X50 multiple sets<br />Day 10: Run 30 min w.u. 7.5 min run 1 min walk repeat till cool down time<br />Day 11: Bike 30 min run 10 min<br />Day 12: Swim 25 min 2X100 2X50 multiple sets<br />Day 13: Run 30 min 5 min w.u. 20 min run 5 walk c.d.<br />Day 14: OFF<br />Day 15: Bike 30 min<br />Day 16: Swim 30 min 3X100 2X50 multiple sets<br />Day 17: Run w.u. 10 min run 1 min walk X3<br />Day 18: Bike 20 min Run 10 min<br />Day 19: Swim 30 min 2X150<br />Day 20: Run 35 min 5 min w.u. 25 min run 5 c.d.<br />Day 21: OFF<br />Day 22: Bike 1 hr<br />Day 23: Swim 4X100 multiple sets<br />Day 24: Run w.u. run 7.5 min walk 1 min X3<br />Day 25: Bike 30 min run 10 min<br />Day 26: Swim 30 min 2X200 <br />Day 27: Run 40 min 5 w.u. 30 min run 5 c.d.<br />Day 28: OFF<br />Day 29: Bike 30 min easy steady pedaling<br />Day 30: Swim 10 min easy<br />Day 31: Run 20 min easy<br />Day 32: OFF<br />Day 33: Swim, Bike, Run 10 min each at venue<br />Day 34: Race!<br /><br />So there is my schedule. Remember as with anything else I am not a dr and if you are concerned talk to yours and don;t mistake what I am doing as advice ;D Sometimes I flipped them around but I did all but 1 assigned workout and added a few pilates classes to the mix. I am stronger and excited to keep improving thanks to my hubby.Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-89976359506379247702010-05-10T12:25:00.000-07:002010-05-10T12:40:01.293-07:00Coconut Crusted TilapiaCoconut crusted tilapia is a favorite in our house. Here is the recipe I use:<br /><br />1 cup coconut flakes, finely chopped<br />2 tbs flour<br />1 tbs creole seasoning<br />4 (approx 4 oz) tilapia fillets <br />4 egg whites<br />1/2 cup olive oil<br />cornstarch<br /><br />Mix coconut, flour & creole seasoning. Dip fish in cornstarch, then egg whites then coconut mixture. Pack coconut mixture to fish. Fry in olive oil until golden brown & fish is cooked through. <br /><br />Serve with mango salsa (you can google & make your own but costco has a yummy one that is already made)Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-3586075397817297702010-04-27T08:30:00.000-07:002010-04-27T08:35:05.864-07:00Wheat BerriesFor a family luncheon I was planning to make chicken salad. My Grandmother is allergic to rice so I was looking for something else to add to my salad mixture to add texture and to stretch it further for a large group. In the process I discovered a great new food to add to meals. Well technically since it has been around since, well forever I didn't discover it. But it has recently been brought to my attention. Wheat berries. Wheat berries are simply the whole kernel of wheat. If you have wheat in your food storage you have an endless supply of this great food and it is inexpensive. I always thought the only ways to eat it were to grind it into flour, sprout it and eat wheat sprouts or grow wheat grass and juice it. But cooking the berries is super easy and then you can add them to all kinds of meals or eat them plain. I added it to chicken salad, my turkey curry soup and ate some plain. The hubby added some to his yogurt for breakfast. They have chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor, very yummy. It would be great to add to meatloaf, hamburger patties, soups, stews, the possibilities are endless. Use it in place of rice in any recipe. They are also packed full of protein, fiber and iron. There have been many studies done showing the benefits of whole grains in our diets including lowering risks of type 2 diabetes and cardio vascular disease and the fiber increases digestive health. Here is the recipe I used to make wheat berries. You can also google "wheat berries" and find many more ideas on using them.<br /><br />This recipe came from the book "I Dare You to Eat It" by Liesa Card<br /><br />4 cup raw whole wheat<br />10 cup water<br />1 tbs salt<br /><br />oil a large (4 quart or larger) slow cooker and fill with wheat, water & salt. Cover and cook on low all night, 8-10 hours. Cooked wheat may be bagged and stored in refrigerator for at least a week or in the freezer for months. A sandwich bag hold 2 cups.<br /><br />* When I used this recipe I halved it and took about an hour off the cooking time. Next time I will just freeze individual portions to through in my recipes.<br /><br />Once you have a small supply of cooked wheat berries prepared, try experimenting with adding a cup to your favorite soups, chicken salad, or casseroles. When combined with regular rice it makes a very simple but healthy pilaf. They work great in taco meat too. my using 1/2 wheat 1/2 meat it saves $$ and the family can hardly tell the difference.Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-5098200291639433142010-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:002010-02-02T07:38:49.046-08:00Turkey Curry SoupI borrowed this recipe from http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/4beachbabies/79995/ I wanted to make something with the ground turkey in my freezer and I was craving curry so I googled turkey curry soup and found this yummy recipe. It is now one of our favorites. It is easy to make and easy to make a lot of. I know I joke about my "good friend" google. But I have to say that it is one of the things I am grateful for. It can be such a great tool to help me in so many different ways.... enjoy the soup :)<br /><br /><br /><br />Turkey Curry soup (This doubles well)<br />1/2 C butter<br />2 med. onions<br />4T flour<br />2t curry<br />6C chicken broth (use homemade, canned or boullion whatever you have)<br />2C potatoes (cut all veggies in small pieces, they cook faster)<br />1C carrots<br />1C celery <br />4T parsley<br />1t sage<br />4C turkey ( I use 1 pound of ground turkey cook it before adding to soup)<br />3C 1/2 & 1/2<br />1 Package frozen spinach (I use fresh and just tear it and throw as much in as you want it shrinks down fast)<br /> <br />Melt butter and saute onions until translucent slowly add flour and curry stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add 6 Cups of broth and all veggies, parsley, and sage. Bring to a boil and take down to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Add Spinach and turkey. When the spinach melts add the cream and re heat.Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-67541438128763096042010-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:002010-01-29T16:29:45.987-08:00"Flower Power"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMixdwpujuFSt5_benvOfikJ1ezdialiTlG9BZgszhRzbMzeS5Lr__gunDtvZ10HZNVMaHyBtWWq0t_dDiQ-7UOwipqTuf5k7597bmKO1nWo1j6W4a1IxWMKOfH74RoLuezeuARTJXs0/s1600-h/P1110523.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMixdwpujuFSt5_benvOfikJ1ezdialiTlG9BZgszhRzbMzeS5Lr__gunDtvZ10HZNVMaHyBtWWq0t_dDiQ-7UOwipqTuf5k7597bmKO1nWo1j6W4a1IxWMKOfH74RoLuezeuARTJXs0/s320/P1110523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431958015002731874" border="0" /></a><br />Today my parents sent me flowers and it got me thinking... I love flowers. I love to watch them bloom in the spring and enjoy their wonderful fragrances. I love to see the trees bloom and sing "Pop corn popping on the apricot tree" with my kids. I enjoy hiking in the mountains smelling the earthy woods and fresh pine scent, especially after a rain storm when everything is crisp and clean. I like to see the aspen trees "quaking and shivering" in the breeze. Oh I can't wait until spring to enjoy the beauties of the outdoor world! In the winter when it is gloomy and gray I can't pass up the urge to occasionally buy a mix of fresh flowers to add some color and beauty to our home for even a short time. Sometimes my sweetheart will bring them home to me :) I also recognize that there is more to my love of flowers than just their prettiness. Flowers and plants have healing properties. From biblical times until today plants have been used for healing. I know that when I spend time with Heavenly Father's creations I feel better. Just being in the great outdoors improves my health both physically and emotionally and I feel more grounded and connected to my Heavenly Father ~ my spirituality is on better ground.<br /><br />I also love flower essences. In the early 1800's there was an English doctor by the name of Edward Bach. Dr Bach had a general practice, he was a surgeon, a pathologist, a bacteriologist and he studied vaccines and homeopathy. He was very successful with his medical practice but he was unhappy with the medical model of treating disease and ignoring the patients with the disease. So he left his practice and went in search of a better system which he believed existed in nature. His belief was that if you could treat an individual's feelings and personality and bring them into balance then it freed up the bodies own ability to heal itself and happiness and health would be restored in the body. He spent years studying plants and their effects on human emotions. Isolating which plant essence did what. In the end he came up with 38 plants that he believed could balance emotions and created the original flower essences . (There are more now as more research has been done but Dr Bach believed that these 38 addresses all emotional states) and promote healing and well being.<br /><br />My first experience with flower essences took place many years ago. At the time I had never even heard of them. I was consulting with my local homeopath and he recommended that I take the flower essence of mustard. Just a few drops in my water. Wow did it make a difference! Here is the indications for mustard: <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >"Those who are liable to times of gloom or even despair, as though a cold dark cloud overshadowed them and hid the light and the joy of life. It may not be possible to give any reason or explanation for such attacks. Under these conditions it is almost impossible to appear happy or cheerful." <strong>- Dr. Edward Bach </strong></span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I felt like I had came out of the gloom into the sunshine and there was happiness in the world again. Impressed by how effective a few drops of a flower preparation could have on me I started studying flower essences. I took Dr Bach's course and learned a great deal about the flower's and their properties. Here are a few examples of flowers and when they would be indicated:<br /><br />Apen is taken when </span></strong></span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >"Vague unknown fears, for which there can be given no explanation, no reason. It is a terror that something awful is going to happen even though it is unclear what exactly. These vague inexplicable fears may haunt by night or day. Sufferers may often be afraid to tell their trouble to others."<strong> - Dr. Edward Bach <span style="font-weight: normal;">Think of an apen tree how the leaves kind of look like they are shaking and quivering in the breeze...<br /><br />Mimulus also for fear but distinctly different is taken for </span></strong></span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >"Fear of worldly things, illness, pain, accidents, poverty, of dark, of being alone, of misfortune. The fears of everyday life. These people quietly and secretly bear their dread; they do not freely speak of it to others." <strong>- Dr. Edward Bach <span style="font-weight: normal;">The fear is of something very specific like the dog next door is going to attack them. </span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">To read</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">about the 38 original Bach Flowers and how to use them go to http://www.bachflower.com/38_Essences.htm the official Bach site and look around. There is also a North American Flower Society with flowers indigenous to this part of the world. I am excited to share flower essences. They can be helpful in so many ways as we journey through this life. They are safe, non toxic, do not react with medications and can be taken by pregnant and nursing women and by children I even give them to my pets as I humanize them and see imbalances in them. I am grateful for the world Heavenly Father created for us and for the hidden helps all around us if we just look for them!</span><br /></strong></span></span>Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2819579798624617038.post-16925139387846906032010-01-13T16:48:00.000-08:002010-01-13T18:12:21.351-08:00Here's the Scoop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_NJQwUqFfOWkVOsniT4dwsyrONjqMndEMzvsmTfgQQNnD0NG3cLQUqcA0yfpuFgbEASxSAt7yiyxRWEwmU6SeagEhW8RF0sPA8blLInR4S6hPNHssQzKoH6JFtqQpP46NTdVcxkXPSE/s1600-h/baby_banner2.img_assist_custom-790x297.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_NJQwUqFfOWkVOsniT4dwsyrONjqMndEMzvsmTfgQQNnD0NG3cLQUqcA0yfpuFgbEASxSAt7yiyxRWEwmU6SeagEhW8RF0sPA8blLInR4S6hPNHssQzKoH6JFtqQpP46NTdVcxkXPSE/s320/baby_banner2.img_assist_custom-790x297.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426404210819100978" /></a><br />picture from milkinmamas.org<br /><br />OK Momma's here's the scoop. When I decided to donate milk I did two things. First I asked my good friend google about it. It is a great resource and usually leads me to good information. The other thing I did was call the NICU at a local hospital. I talked to the lactation specialist and she gave me the phone number for the milk bank that supplies their precious little ones with donor milk. <br /><br />There are several different labs across the country you can donate to. The Mother's Milk Bank is in Colorado. They are the ones that supply the local hospital here (at least IMC) I contacted them. They take milk that has been frozen for less than 5 months and they retire their donors when mommy's baby turns one. I wanted to donate to them because they help my local community. To get more information on them and what their guidelines to donate are go to http://www.rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=114<br /><br />I also had a lot of milk stored (triple bagged at the bottom of my deep freezer, which is ideal) from before the 5 month mark. When I had my last baby I would pump and freeze my extra milk just in case my milk supply did not last so my baby would have a reserve. He is approaching the one year mark and will not need all this stored milk. With the first labs cut off date I did not want to just through this milk out so I found Milkin Mama's. They are located in California. They take milk up to a year old and will continue to take milk as long as you are nursing your own child. Their web address is http://milkinmamas.org/ <br /><br />Both labs have very similar guidelines; they both require doctor certification of your health & the baby you are nursing. They both have health forms to fill out & blood draws to be done. At first this seemed like a lot but it really only took a few minutes of my time and a trip to the lab for a blood draw. Milkin Mamas will actually send a phlebotomist to your house. They send you a cooler to ship the milk in and you overnight it to their lab frozen. I really like that they are thorough with their donor screening. If I had a sick baby who needed milk I would want to know that all precautions possible were taken to insure the safety of the milk they would receive. <br /><br />The milk given to both of these labs goes to preemies & sick babies. As I googled I learned that there are also other uses for mommy milk. They are finding that liver transplant patients recover & heal better when given breast milk. I didn't look to far into it because I wanted my milk to go to the precious little babies who are in the greatest need. There are also websites where you can donate to individuals in need. You can look into it. I felt these were the best choices for me. Now is also a great time to donate because the labs are experiencing a shortage in part because of the flu season and the added strain of H1N1. Hope this helps...Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05060236971394796268noreply@blogger.com2