Fitness 2024 Recap

Clear Lake 24

I am a data person so of course I have data on my fitness activities.  Per a cousin that got me started on this 12-15 years ago I decided to revive my annual fitness recap.  At the beginning of 2024 I was feeling good.  I had some solid focus on fitness, body health (working through aches and pains) and nutrition through the fall of 2023 and was feeling pretty good.  I was at my goal weight and feeling trim and ready for a great season of races and activities.

My house had a different idea in mid January, and minutes after giving myself a pep talk about being awesome for hitting my goal weight, and trimming down into my size ten pants, I had a foot shoot out from under me going down the stairs in my race to finish my morning chores before heading to class.  

Drake 10k 2024

The result of my tumble was a broken ankle.  Well, this is a place I have been before as I broke the same foot in the spring of 2022 (I was finally back in shape from that ugh). Once the initial shock wore off and I had a visit with the surgeon, I realized I was in a good place and determined not to slide too much this time.  The break wasn't a load baring bone so I could walk in a boot, and it also did not require surgery.  Bonus points, the surgeon said I could start swimming again right away (pulling only), and riding a stationary bike once the swelling was down enough to put on an ankle brace and peddle.  So for 8 weeks that is what I did.

Clear Lake Tri - 50th BDay

I missed our annual indoor triathlon in late January, but it was a fundraiser and they had my funds already.  I was supposed to do a half marathon in April, but wasn't cleared early enough to train for that, but was determined to do the 10k (6.2 miles) instead.  I was able to get some decent, slow runs in to get ready and felt pretty good on race day.

Next up were two triathlons, one on my 50th birthday at Clear Lake was supposed to be Olympic distance but training three sports with only a month for that distance was not going to be feasible so I dialed back to the sprint.  The swim (my best event) was tough as it was cold, but the bike went as well as expected (so so slow), and the run was fine.

The second one was Ames Tri, which is my hometown fun in late June.  I had a pretty good swim for that one, and an okay bike, and solid mostly run where a young woman doing her first triathlon and I were run walking together at the end of the run.

Ames Tri finish 2024

After that I pretty much don't do races through the heat of the summer so not much happening but I kept up with my run, swim and weights activities.

The next big activity was giving another half marathon a go.  My last one was in June of 2023 in Duluth and the last couple miles of that one were rough for me with some foot drop.  I got lucky with this one as I started near a couple going about the same speed as me with music playing.  Their song choices were fun and kept us all entertained until their pace dropped with about 3-4 miles left so I pushed ahead and had a solid run and met my goal for the day.

So here finally fitness data is my recap.  These are rough numbers as i didn't always have my phone or watch with me so missed recording some of the workouts.

Swim - 53 miles, with 40 hours in the water

Bike - 200 miles, with a big chunk of it indoors, 17 hours

Run - 280 miles, with 57 hours in a mix of roads, trails and treadmills

Weights/Yoga - 14 hours

Kayaking - 8 miles - 3 hours

Walking - 235 Miles - 116 hours mostly walking the dogs (I didn't track all my walks)

Hiking - 13+ miles, several hours

2025 goals include more biking outside, more kayaking and hiking.  Likely a lot more running and swimming as I have some big races lined up.  More to come on that.

Last Kayak on Clear Lake with Dad 2024

MS update - Buying Time and Holding on to Hope

Time for my usually annual MS update.  

To be fair I lost a lot of last year with trying to get Abby through her Eagle Project, and Eagle and Graduation ceremonies, choir and band concerts, gatherings, all the last things of a high school senior and I did a lot of this with a boot on my foot as the birthday curse hit again with a broken foot in late March that carried me through May.  So I guess this update is for the last two years.

One of the things with having a chronic illness is one becomes hyper vigilant of all the aches and pains and weird that pop up.  Here are a list of common MS symptoms and mine include: Fatigue, Brain Fog, Occasional Acute Pain, Spasticity, and Pins and Needles (this one is nearly constant in my hands and feet)  https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/lingo-defined

I work really hard to try not to get overly stressed and as a result most of these things leave me alone most of the time.  It is hard to know what is caused by MS and what is a new an exciting annoying health adventure.  One thing I have learned is I have to keep doing my homework on research, advocating for what I need, and paying attention to the signs.

That said, I spent the end of April and beginning of May feeling pretty good in the mornings, and feeling like I am moving through molasses in the afternoon.  That false hope of a great day crushed by the demon of MS day after day for a couple of weeks.  It doesn't mean I am not terrified that the next micro flare won't be permanent, but I live my life with hope that tomorrow will be better.  It makes me grateful for days that are awesome all the way through where I am able to do all the things I want to get done and not have to pick and choose knowing I won't get past noon.  It also reminds me to ask for help, and give myself some grace when I struggle.

Yesterday I had one of my twice a year infusions of Ocrevus.  Right now it is likely the best MS disease modifying therapy (DMT) on the market for stopping the progression of MS and greatly reducing inflammation of the nervous system.  I used to go down to MercyOne in Des Moines for these treatments and it would burn a whole day in a big noisy infusion center, but with several friends going to our local infusion center for treatment, and getting moved to the faster treatment I went from almost two hours in the car and 5-6 hours in the center, to walking to my infusion, and in and out in four hours.  I even had my own room.  It was awesome.  The article below is a great recap of what the DMTs really do for us and I added a great quote from it below.

https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/columns/chairborne-a-column-by-ben-hofmeister/2023/04/27/our-treatments-multiple-sclerosis-arent-cures-vital-time-buyers/

"Ocrevus is a disease modifier, but it isn’t a cure. MS is slowed or halted, but not eliminated. The damage is done, and short of a remyelinating therapy, I may not get any better. In the meantime, the hope is that I won’t get any worse. With that goal in mind, Ocrevus seems to be an excellent time-buyer."

With that my last two MRIs and health checks with my MS support team have shown that my illness is stable.  No new activity showing up, no growth of the weird tumor in my brain, no new symptoms so I will just keep on keeping on.  Advocating for what I need, managing my stress (really so terrible at this), doing my best with regular exercise and good food choices, and making plans to live my best life.

I am surrounded by people who care and support my mission and for that I am grateful.  Wishing you all the best in health.

MS Update - A New Ride in 2019

Well it is that time of year again.  I am registered to participate in an MS Bike ride.  I am not able to do the Iowa ride this year which is fine as it is only so exciting after so many years of doing that one.  So I signed up for a two day ride in early June only to learn that is the week I am due to close on the houses.  So third time’s a charm, I’ve signed up for a one day ride in May in Minneapolis (I hope it isn’t still snowing up there).

I have a couple of friends interested in riding with me but would love to have a few more people on our team.  The team sign up is here: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/dream_team

As you know the MS ride is important to my family as I was diagnosed in 2013/14 and these MS rides are a major fundraiser for supporting the great work of the National MS Society.  Their big push lately is supporting research for people with progressive MS like some of my friends. They are also supporting research in mylien repair which can be of direct benefit for people like myself.

I know on the surface I look like I’m doing well and getting around fine (well maybe not on weeks when I am having a flare up but thankfully those are not frequent.). I still struggle with neuropathy (tingling) in my hands a feet, brain fog and slowness as well as occasional bladder control issues.  I’ve figured out things to help me when those get overwhelming and most of the time I do pretty good (so long as I manage my stress that is).  I am actually struggling with intermittent flare ups the last five days so I've been

taking time to rest since I will be on the road seven working days starting next Monday.

Anyway the purpose of this blog is just to do a gentle ask, if you can afford to help (even the smallest donations can make a difference if many people give) to send a donation to the MS society on my behalf and support the great things they do for people like me.     http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/ShawnBlaesing2019

Thanks for the consideration.  Sending you all love.

Race Reports x3 2018 - Drake Half, Clear Lake Tri, and Bluff Creek Tri

Well, I've been a giant blog slacker... plenty to say just zero time to synthesize any of it so starting with something easy.  Three quick race reports for my fitness adventures so far in 2018.

I decided last year after being a giant slacker and doing one whole triathlon and a couple of 5k runs to get myself organized and fit again.  My gym has this Inbody measurement device that looks at hydration, muscle and fat mass for all parts of your body and such.  I did the first measurement at the end of August in 2017 when I decided to get my tush moving again.  And then did a fifth measurement in May of 2018 and found I was down 8 lbs and 4.4 % body fat (I'm sure in July I put some of the squish back on but such is life... I like sweets too much).

First the Drake Half Marathon

I set some goals as part of the getting back in shape process and that was to do another half marathon and three/four triathlons this year.  Not going to let my body or the weather hold me back so I got myself signed up.



I hadn't done this race before but it sounded like a nice small race to do.  I started doing group runs with the Vardo running group in Ames.  I ran in all kinds of weather and did a least two long grueling treadmill runs thanks to mother nature's whimsy but built a good base and was ready when race day came.  The weather for Drake was about as nice as it could be for a blustery April morning.  We saw lots of vardos and Triracers at the start and I was in good spirits.  I picked a pacer close to where I hoped to end up and then We were off.  

My carpool buddy Ashish

One of the things I was trying leading up to the race was different nutrition options.  My body doesn’t tolerate Gatorade or GU so I generally avoid all free non water offerings at aid stations.  I had been testing a couple Young Living options for hydration and energy so I had a small water bottle with Aminowise, a banana, and two Nitros with me.  I started with the prerace banana, took a nitro between mile 5 and 6.  My pace was right where I wanted to be in the mid nines and felt pretty good through the never ending rolling hills (didn’t expect quite so many), and missed the right time to take my last nitro so miles 11 and 12 I didn’t have much in the tank but pulled it together for a strong finish. My final time was 2:08 which was in my top three for fastest half marathons.  I had fun and would definitely do that course again.

Clear Lake Triathlon

Second new tom me race of the year was Clear Lake triathlon.  My folks have a condo just up the hill from this race so I spend a lot of time training on this course when I’m in town.  I was busy with kid stuff in the days leading up to the race, and I hadn’t really done any racing in 2017 (yeah it sucked and I was stuck last year so this was the year of getting it done).  I threw all my gear together at 10 pm two nights before, then had this and that for the kids after work and rushed up to the lake with Joshua.  I realized as I was getting my gear set out I forgot two things... my wetsuit (not a deal breaker as we’d swam in the lake a couple of weeks earlier) and my goggles!  

Running out of the lake took forever

Yes the former competitive swimmer forgot the goggles.  It was ten pm and there were no options for getting a replacement pair.  I found some kiddie goggles in the condo as a last ditch but thankfully once I set up, I was in transition talking to one of the race volunteers and told them my goggle issue and they said follow me, led me to another local woman who had three pairs of goggles and she set me up with an older pair. They were perfect.

The swim was brisk at the start with water temps in the mid 70s. I hit the start and hyper ventilated a bit the first 100+ yards and I had to do couple quick breast strokes to settle down and give myself a pep talk, and once I calmed down it was smooth swimming.  One thing to note is the lake is pretty

smiling because running is fun

shallow so many ran in a ways, but I opted to swim as soon as it was deep enough. I didn’t follow the same rules getting to shore and ran quite a ways in the lake and legs were burning so probably should have kept swimming.  Didn’t matter because my son and folks were on the shore cheering me out of the water.

The bike was full of small rolling hills and large wind turbines and while I had decent bike training going into this there was a consistent but not super strong wind and I didn’t feel as strong as I’d hoped... seriously everyone passed me.  

The run course was pretty flat and after a quick transition I was off for downtown and the Surf.  I felt like I’d have a strong run and the clouds were hanging on with the cooler air.  I was having fun and we ran through downtown and saw the family again before heading out to the Surf and back to the finish at downtown.  While I didn’t see any racers I knew It was awesome to have part of my family there.  It was a very well supported race and I’d definitely do it again.

Sprint triathlon 750 m swim 13:54, 12.5 mile bike 46:53, Run 5k 28:39 overall time 1 hour 33 minutes

Bluff Creek Triathlon

Leading up to this one I always seem to waiver between doing the sprint and the Olympic distances because the run is always a hot steamy suck fest.  I told myself this year that I was going to stay with the challenge of the Olympic and just adjust the best I can.  I brought several icy water bottles, and a cooler with my cooling shrug which keeps my skin cool when wet as well as a cooling towel on ice.


I did forget my racing sunglasses (case but no glasses) so had to run back up to the truck to get my everyday ones that are also sport ones.  I also forgot breakfast so I ate one of the granola bars I had with me.  Did I say I was nervous about doing the Olympic distance... uh yeah just a bit distracted.  Oh and this race totally snuck up on me as I didn't do any riding after RAGBRAI until the Wednesday before the race and I hadn't done any distance swim workouts until the Monday before.  Eek!

I had fun in transition despite getting arriving later than expected.  I visited with as many of the triracers and Ames folks as I could before the race started as we were well represented.  I took a few calming breaths before the swim start and I was off.  

Again I made bad decisions on goggles as I grabbed an old mirrored pair with impossible to see out of lenses instead of just my tinted pair (time to invest in some new pairs).  Needless to say that made sighting nearly impossible during the swim.  I was forced to sight off my nearest neighbors as the red bouys are really hard to see (race directors... orange or green please) and you can't see the turnaround point for the swim course until you are 1/3 of the way through the swim as you skirt the shore on your left for quite a while before things open up so you don't really sight off the bouys until you are almost to the turn around.  I ran into traffic of the two waves in front of me about half way in and spent the rest of the time weaving through people to the turn.  After that sighting was a little easier with one red and one green bouy before the slippery run out of the lake.

Two awesome ladies (three I guess :)

Once on the bike I was cruising around 18-20 mph until the turn at Pilot mound and the roll to Twister Hill.  I think my max speed on the return trip was just short of 40mph as that hill seemed steeper then the hill on the way out.  After the first big hill I was a bit wiped and it took me a few miles of grinding things out (yes with people passing me) before I pulled it together and had a more focused return trip.  The second hill was a slow grind up (4 mph) but I had taken on some steady nutrition before getting there and felt a lot better after that one.  

My Ames teammates

I made it back to transition and did the dance of the gear swap including my cooling shrug and I was off on a shuffle to the finish.  The course goes through a lovely prairie for 1/4 mile (this is actually the suckiest part of the run despite being lovely because the humidity doubled).  Then it spits out onto a short gravel road and onto the main paved road.  This is an out and back with a repeat and there are two decent hills so you get to run up both of them twice. Thankfully the water stops are at the bottom and you hit those each twice as well.  I was pleased with the camaraderie on the course with people encouraging each other and found I started doing it as well and kept a smile going through the slog which helped keep me moving.  I made sure to double up my water at each stop to drink and to wear, and I took a nitro at the right before the turnaround to repeat the run course.  I had a few sketchy moments where I walked part of the same hill and felt a bit icky but managed to breathe through it.  Highlights of the run... two fuzzy wuzzy caterpillars near the damn at the bottom of the hills.  Never was I so happy to plod across a finish line.  Below is my last take at Olympic distance on this course (2014).  http://blaesing-thompson.blogspot.com/2014/08/race-report-shawn-bluff-creek-olympic .html

The numbers for this go are: .9 miles swim 29:15, 25 mile bike 1 hour 36 minutes, 6.2 mile run 1 hour 11 minutes.  Total for my slowest time ever 3 hours and 32 minutes for the finish.  4th in my age group out of four but I had a great day.  As always thanks for reading.

MS Update - Another year and still marching

My family and dad around mile 10
overlooking the high trestle bridge

Just doing a quick update of the status of the MS adventures.  For those friends and family on Facebook I'm sure you saw that my whole family and my dad did the MS bike ride with me in June.  Joshua was riding a 20" bike to the ride was pretty casual compared to what I am used to. It was perfect weather and we even ran into the Dream Team, which is my fundraising team, at the turn around.  I'm just wrapping up the fundraising from that so it isn't too late if you had planned to make a donation the MS Society.  Just use this link  http://bndfr.com/6M5h9  
Thank you to the following 2017 donors: My folks, George, Bill, Theresia, Sheila, Ingrid, Shirley, Kathleen, Judy, Joe, Aaron, Blair, Julia, Henrieta, Mary, Mitch, Rhonda, Cindy, David, Amy, Barb, Bryan and Bonnie.  Hopefully I didn't miss anyone.  Many of you are repeat donors so be watching your mail boxes for a thank you! Yes I do believe in the power of snail mail.  :)

My family with the rest of the Dream Team
at the turn around point in Woodward

So for the update... I had my yearly check up with my neurologist today.  He is pleased I'm adjusting well to my new medication. For those of you just getting up to speed on this, the injection meds I was taking the first three years nearly took me out last summer.  I spent two months off MS meds and then started a twice a day pill in October.  Let's just say that I had a rough start with the standard ramp up on that, but after a couple of dosage adjustments we got things on track.  The hardest thing about this new med is that I take it twice a day after meals which means after breakfast and after dinner.  I can't take it on an empty stomach, and while I rarely miss a meal, it wasn't easy to find the right combination of vitamins and food to keep the GI and tingling side effects at bay.  I think I have it pretty well figured out now so the hardest part is remembering to take both pills.  I do good with the morning one but occasionally miss an evening one especially on the weekends.

My neurologist also felt like since none of the damage I already have from MS is getting worse that unless I have a major flare or new symptoms between now and next year's appointment that I'm in good shape.  He appreciates that I have regular fitness in my routine and continues to encourage me in that area.  That doesn't mean I'm not effected by MS every day but that I have it pretty good in the grand scheme of managing a chronic illness like MS.

My family and dad around mile 14
on the High Trestle Bridge

The other thing to note related to my MS is that I have finished my clinical trial at the University of Iowa.  I was assigned to the swank diet over the Wahls diet.  This meant that for 24 weeks I had to eat foods only in low saturated fat as well as a healthy dose of grains.  I really missed chocolate and pizza with real cheese.  I'm not sure I can say I missed much else, but it is nice to be able to each what I want again.  the hardest part for me with the diet besides writing down everything I ate for 26 weeks (had to do this twice in the first 12 weeks where I ate normal also) of the was all the grains.  I'd been eating mostly gluten free for two and half years going into the study so that was tough.  I also ended up gaining eight pounds...  I blame the carbs, and still doing rehab from my summer injuries, compounded by moving to a new house and readying a house for sale.  Working hard to get back on track now and will do a deep dive in food management process in August.  I think I will end up doing some sort of combination between low saturated fat with fruits, vegetables and lean meats. 


Either way, I'm managing for now and grateful for every day that I can think straight, make it to the bathroom on time, and be active in my day.  So long as I take care of my body and my meds continue to work, I should be able to maintain my mobility long into the future.  Thank you for everyone in my life who remind me to slow down and make time for myself now and then.  Until next time I'm sending love out into the world so have a great one!

MS Update - The good and the even better

these are pretty darn nice seats

A couple of great things to share today. The last couple of weeks have delivered some happy surprises.  The first one was winning two great seats at the ICubs game and being able to go with my family and my wonderful Aunt Joyce.  The coolest thing was I got to throw out one of the opening pitches.  As a result I got to play catch with my kids and Joe to make sure I could still throw a ball 66 feet.  Needless to say I got the ball from the mound to the box just right of the plate so not too bad for someone who’s pretty rusty these days.

throwing out the pitch

The other pretty great news came yesterday.  It was my annual meeting with my neurologist.  Despite feeling like my appointment was rushed, along with the “ride in the can” (35 minutes in an MRI machine) the outcome was worth the effort.  My neurologist was beaming when he came in.  It looks like there is no active disease progression showing in my MRI ( had a lot Feb 2014). AND my Doc said I have an almost a 50% reduction in the lesions on my brain too, so something I am doing is healing some of the damage (not that my symptoms are resolving) that was done from my MS and the med (according to the doc) are keeping me from relapses.  Only bad news is he won’t let me go down to the half dosage so I am stuck with yucky injections three times a week at the current dosage which makes me feel crummy for a week usually once a month. Even so my mom, my boss and my hubby all said it was worth celebrating so we got a couple of tasty sandwiches and a refreshing beverages. Yum!

At the MRI appointment the tech asked if I wanted to take the elevator or the stairs and I told her as long as I am able to take the stairs then the stairs it is.  Then, I was at the pool yesterday in between appointments (shocker I know) and a disabled man was struggling across the deck and I am thinking in my head that that could be me some day.  I stopped in my tracks and asked him if I could help as he was trying to get a lifeguards attention.  All he needed was a seat so I brought him one.  Every day am thankful for my mobility and my mental capacity.  All in all I am feeling pretty lucky.  Sending thanks into the universe.

One last cool thing is our butterfly garden has has some activity. We have monarch butterfly caterpillars working on their bush so excited to be doing our part to continue to support their population.

As always thanks for listening.

MS Update - Training, Lemonade, and Volunteering

I started this blog two weeks ago… trying to get caught up with my thoughts.  The summer is blowing by me with hardly any time to catch my breath.  I have been working hard to get ready for my big race, a half Ironman Triathlon, this coming September.  I was supposed to do a prep race last weekend however things didn’t play out quite as I had planned.  In the last couple of weeks my training had pretty much been on track.  3.6 miles of swimming on the month (38.7 miles on the year), 75 miles biking (422 on the year), 12.2 miles running (178 miles on the year) but a couple of Monday’s ago our super busy summer caught up with me and I ended up down for the count for the better part of three days with fatigue and mental muddle.  To add the misery it was a super hot muggy week.  Then I found out I was double booked and the race I thought was Sunday was actually Saturday.  I was also supposed to be coaching a youth triathlon clinic which Abby had planned to attend with me.  

After the week I had it was time to make the best of a challenge (lemonade from lemons) and I opted to not race for fear of another setback.  I got to move my race fees back to next year and Abby and I got to spend a whole morning together.  We volunteered at the triathlon with race set up, water station set up and body marking.  It was fun to chat with my teammates and support a great race which made up for not racing.  Then Abby and I raced down to Ankeny in time to coach the kids I had been working with off and on all summer.  Plus Abby got a chance to do a dry run for the triathlon she would do the following weekend.  I also volunteered at the youth triathlon the next weekend and got to see my baby and all the kids I coached find some success in finishing the triathlon they had trained all summer for, and I have to say I teared up a bit.  They are a pretty amazing group of kids and I really love working with them.  

Hugging my baby girl at the finish of her second triathlon

Since then my training has really ramped up with final miles for July at 8 swim miles, 142 bike miles, 37 run miles for July with a current total milage on the year at 43 miles swimming (it makes me happy) 490 miles biking, 215 miles running (31 in the last ten days).  I’m starting to build my run speed and distance again but still need a lot more seat time on the bike but have added bike to work once or twice a week for extra miles on my heavier bike as well as some shorter family rides.  Starting to get excited and hoping to have some solid training in August.  I also want to give a shout out to my amazing coach who has been helping me build strength and confidence.

Inspirational MS racing story to share (no not me): Runners world MS Survivor racing Endurance Race Badwater http://www.runnersworld.com/ultrarunning/ultrarunner-battling-ms-competes-at-badwater-with-help-from-famous-friends

Goals for 2015 - Develop the plan, execute the plan, make my goals a reality

The plan:  Finish a Half Ironman Triathlon in 2015

Leading in this blog with a fantastic video I had to share with you. 

Last year I felt like I had a good season.  It was a season of learning new limitations as well as new accomplishments.  I had several years of troubling health issues that kept me from training (2012, 2013) followed by the devastating confirmation of MS, and then trying to find my way back.  

2014 was a year with a new team of support and finding ways to support myself despite my illness. I did five triathlons, 3 - 5k fun runs, and a half marathon. The half marathon was to test my limits and see if I was officially back in the game to see if another 1/2 Ironman Triathlon was in the cards for me. I felt like my performance at the IMT Des Moines half marathon last year went well with my second best time of the five I have run.  

This year I am focusing my energy a bit with a relay run, two half marathons, two 5k fun runs and two triathlons. The big news is I have signed up for my second half Ironman triathlon so I'm focused on September 13th, 2015. 

The last time I did a 1/2 Ironman (my first and only one so far) was in 2011.  I had an amazing season of firsts in the distance race arena and finished the season with a pretty fast Des Moines IMT half marathon.  

Taking a look at where I was at in 2011 versus totals from this year.  In 2011 I ran my first half marathon in April so my run numbers are rather front loaded.  That year I did my first half Ironman triathlon in late July.  2011 (May) swim 12, bike 250, run 230 So far this year 2015 (may) swim 29, bike 200, run 130 miles. My 2015 monthly average distance goals for swim 6 miles, bike 50 miles, run 25 miles. So far for June 2015 I am at 3.4 miles swimming with some long course swims under my belt, 55.5 miles biking and 17.7 miles running and the numbers are climbing since it is only the 15th. So far my recovery has been pretty good. I have been working with a personal trainer since March. We have done baseline testing twice in the three disciplines and I am happy with improvement I am seeing.

I have set some goals: Balance out my sides with strength work (finally there after three months with my trainer), run a 1/2 marathon at close to a nine minute mile pace. I would like to break the two hour mark or at the minimum have a PR as my best time is 2:06 in 2011. Hoping to hit that goal for my last race of the season in October. Finish a second 1/2 Ironman triathlon as close to or faster than my 2011 time of 6:10. There were so many things I learned from my first one (read messed up) so I should be able to pull a faster time. Continue to trim down (not lose weight) after a couple of years of mixed fitness and roll over in the over 40 age bracket. Have fun training with my family (bike rides, pool visits, and short runs) because I want them to live a healthy lifestyle too.

As always thanks for following my adventures in health.

World MS Day

I am pretty lucky.  My MS does not limit me as much as it does some of my MS friends.  I did have an issue that caught me by surprise today.  I got to my gym for yoga class and found that they had moved it outside to the large area they use for the trainers to do fitness outside.  The space is huge and covered with a black carpet.  It is all out in full sun and it is 80 degrees today with humidity lingering.  I took one look at that and left because the whole class was getting set up and while they offered to go back inside it didn't make sense to move everyone for me.  It isn't worth the risk of a temporary relapse for me to stay and attend.  Two years ago I would have though the whole situation great but today was a no go and the whole episode had me pretty emotional at the time.  Tomorrow I hit the outdoor lap pool instead for a nice cool swim.  Check out more about World MS Day

So with it is time for my yearly ask in support of MS research.  

last year the MS Society provided nearly $30 million towards research for the development of better treatment options (there aren't any) for people with progressive forms of MS.  They also support research efforts towards finding a cure for MS.  Any research done towards MS may help find a breakthrough in other neurological illnesses like ALS, Parkinsons and Alzheimer's.

So I put forth my (2nd ride year) annual call for support to the MS Society sponsored research as I vow to ride 50 miles with the Dream Team in late June.  If you are willing and able to donate you can submit online below, or mail a check which I will hand over in late June.

http://bikemnm.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=13447566&pg=personal&fr_id=25324

If you want to join the team and ride with me I would love that!  It is $30 to sign up and then help raise $100 for research funds.  Because I don't want a life limited by MS.  I want to do yoga outside again!

On another note:  Here is something fun for adults and kids alike.  
http://www.muminthemadhouse.com/2015/04/19/free-colouring-pages-for-adults/
My favorte is the "Today is going to be awesome" one.  Yes I printed it and yes I plan to color it later but I won't take it too seriously.  :)

MS Update - Adjustments and catching my breath

Here are a couple of interesting MS related posts
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/News/National-MS-Society-Invests-$28-Million-in-New-Res

http://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/multiple-sclerosis-the-ugly-truth/

It has been a bit since my last post.  Life is going a million miles a minutes and I am doing my best to keep up.

I learned a few things about my MS this winter.  First, DRs take more stock in whether or not the meds are staving off major relapses then they do about daily quality of life.  I guess keeping my body from permanently damaging itself is more important. :(. Hoping to talk to my Dr about other options in the future.

Second, cold sucks for me too now. When I get cold it is like my body flips a switch and cuts off circulation to my fingers and toes, and feels constricting.  This happens when I am cold even if it isn't cold around me.  I'm learning to wear layers and think harder about wearing sandals with no socks (which I love to do April through Oct).

Finally, it was a pretty intense first four months of 2015.  I traveled a lot for work around the state logging thousands of miles and many hours in the car doing training and outreach.  While it was important it also beat me up a bit.  April brought two in state conferences, one that I was primary contact for at a national level so there were a lot of moving parts but I had a great team.

I am still working on my stress management skills as I am certain that has an impact on my body but I am also trying to cut myself some slack.  I am still really watching what I eat and getting regular exercise so that helps.

I'll write more about my exercise goals soon.  My last comment is that I joined a Bike MS team again this year.  The team is led by Charlie whose wife also has MS.  I am not sure if I will do the ride (still working out all my summer obligations) but helping raise research funds for a cure.  To donate to me and my team
Go to this link: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=13447566&pg=personal&fr_id=25324
(You can also mail a check so let me know if this is your preference.)

Until next time thanks for reading.

WABI SABI - embracing the imperfect

wabi-sabi is the soulful idea of embracing the imperfect, of celebrating the worn, the cracked, the patinaed. Wabi-sabi is a decorative concept as well as a spiritual one. It’s an acceptance and appreciation of the toll that time and tide take on everything and everyone. (This quote came from the blog at the first link below.  He is a great MS blogger from the UK.)

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/trevis-gleason-life-with-multiple-sclerosis/multiple-sclerosis-detente/

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/trevis-gleason-life-with-multiple-sclerosis/kindness-we-can-do-ourselves/

I know... it has been a while since the last time I pushed a blog up. Seems there were a couple of holidays, a major work trip, lots of minor work trips, swim lessons, Girl Scouts, you know the usual for me. The last twelve weeks have had my head spinning and made it hard to catch my breath.  

It has been overwhelming to be honest. I was a bit down going into the holidays. Nearly a year since my official MS diagnosis with last year being a whirlwind of diagnosis, research, making a plan, executing and adjusting the plan, bumping up against limitations, and breaking through a few. I had everything to prove... to myself. But there was a nagging at the back of my mind the waiting for the other shoe to drop. It is so hard to know what the future holds and I catch myself falling into MS patient with obvious physical deficiencies where my head is telling me something isn't working quite right (spasticity in my hand, a tightness ring on my calf, the nearly constant mild tingling in my hands and feet, and sporadic bladder malfunctions) and fearing the future.

I was finding that even things I love like my job (overwhelmingly busy), my pool time (too many people waiting for a lane, crazy water temps, people not using good pool manners), time with the kids (pestered by the Christmas bug of "I wants", fair versus equal, and a budding tween) was just leaving me irritable. 

We were driving to Muscatine for time with my folks families and I was reading a book on mindfullness and it gave an exercise to change my perspective. Last Christmas I struggled with the natural flow of change with family members not able to come and traditions that have a shifted a bit. It makes me sad but I wanted to go into this holiday with a more positive outlook and it worked. I didn't spend hardly any time dragging the MS anchor along, it was all about eating and catching up over laughter and building good new memories.

I have had a few hiccups since Christmas. I ran out of my MitoQ which is a CoQ10 that is formulated to work at the cellular level. I knew the three months I was taking it was making a big difference because I didn't have any fatigue for three months. I was thinking more clearly and feeling more like myself... and then I ran out. It runs around $55 a bottle for a month and I have to order it shipped from New Zealand in three month batches so we have to have it in the budget when it is time for a refil and do it three weeks before I need it. Well the three weeks while I waited for my new supply were pretty rough. One day I was in a meeting with a few office mates and was handed the dry erase marker and was writing down brainstorming ideas. While writing a couple of words I got lost in the middle and had to ask for help to get to the end. I also had a mild fatigue attack. I found myself cursing at the mail box after two weeks and was overjoyed when my new supply arrived. Back to having more clear more complete thoughts and more energy again. So very grateful!!

My family also spent last year putting positive thoughts and experiences in a jar to look at at the end of the year. I had to empty the jar to make room for 2015 so I have them all in a baggie for us to look at together. I read a few on my own one day and here are a few that brought a smile to my face:

* volunteer sunflowers along the side fence line

* joy and bliss on my kids faces

* snuggles and giggles with my kids

* work travels that let me experience American history

* food at first volunteering

* Girl Scout camp adventures

The other good thing that rolled into my life is the new MS Support group meeting in Ames. When I went into a life with MS I vowed that it would be a positive part of my life and that I would stay away from people with MS who had a negative focus. This group is twenty strong with a wonderful mix of people in all stages of MS, newbies like me and old hands at navigating this illness. I am excited by what the future holds for all of us to be able to share information, support each other and grow as a family of survivors. A lovely woman sitting next to me was diagnosed in the late 80s and she said what I was thinking the other night. She mentioned she spent the first ten years waiting for that other shoe to drop and it never did. She said she finally got to the point where she is just living her life and stopped the waiting game.  

I have to be honest I am not there yet. My decline had been so rapid and persistent the two years before my diagnosis it is scary to think where things would be without meds, diet changes and more focus on what is important. But my neurologist is positive with my response to the meds and feels like I am on the right track. The constant encouraging research strides are also a positive light for me and all my MS family bringing real hope for tomorrow. So I look into the new year with a life and determination to be the me I want to be ... I have hope and time to wait... with my shoes at the door ready for the adventures life brings me.

Wishing you all a most wonderful new year full of opportunities for learning and adventures. Until next time.

MS Update - Sometimes its ok to not be ok

Well, it has been a little over a month since I posted my last update that isn’t a race report.  Sorry about that as time has been whizzing by and I guess I didn’t have much to say or maybe mental space to formulate my thoughts.  There are a lot of links in this post which mostly go to race report blog posts over the last month and interesting MS related posts by others.

What I’ve been up to since Mid-June.  I again helped out with the kids triclinic series with my triclub and will do it one more time this weekend.  My second time working with the kids I was able to bring Abigail along and she had a blast so we have signed her up for her first kids triathlon on the same course the training sessions have been on for July 26th.  She is pretty excited.

We’ve been doing T-ball with Joshua who has his final “game” on tonight.  I had a great five days with my family over the fourth of July with two good runs, a great bike ride, boating and swimming, great

Joshua at T-Ball Practice

food. family book reading adventures, games, fireworks, and of course the parade “of politicians” in Clear Lake, Iowa.

We did two family fun runs, the Hope Run which raises money for Hospice House.  The second one was the Iowa Games Midnight Madness run this past weekend and both are in Ames.  As a family we dropped our time three minutes between the two and had a lot of fun together.

Abby at Girl Scout Camp

Joe and I rode the MS Bike Ride in Ames.  I received a awesome group of donations for the MS Bike Ride.  The grand total was $851 and exceeded all expectations!  Thank you to everyone who supported me through donations to the MS Society and continue to support me on this journey!

The pole that got me last year

People who donated:

Colleagues: Bob Y, Lance W, Joe D, Craig B, Mitch C., Sharon H., Sarah K

Teammates: Christian B, Sarah C., Jesse F, Laurie S

Others affected by MS: Charlie N, Aaron R

Friends and Neighbors: Barb M, Henrietta H. Amy D, Siggi

Last but not least my Family: Gloria M., Mom and Dad, Nancy W

I also did two triathlons Copper Creek triathlon which was a day full of firsts.  This past weekend I did the Iowa Games Triathlon which was a better experience for me.  It feels great to be racing again however leading up to Copper Creek and the week or two after that race I was really struggling.  I felt like I am dragging a weight along behind me and all my workouts with runs especially, as well as trying to manage my thoughts.  It feels like my body and my mind are going at a half clip, bogged down and slow motion.  I really noticed my scattered mind in the pool which is a place I can normally count laps without thinking and work through other stuff at the same time.  I am not reacting physically as quickly as I normally do, I am not able to think as quickly and anticipate things out into the future in my thought process.  Part of it has been the heat that smoldered through the month of June and I have always been sensitive to the heat.  I suspect part of it is related to the disease of MS and part of it is related to the meds I am taking to combat MS.

Despite having better workouts the last couple of weeks I still got hung up with some sort of sinus crud that had drainage running down my throat off and on for couple of weeks.  Around the 4th of July it all landed in my chest like a cold but stopped bothering me after that.  I also got my allergy meds filled so I have on hand if things stir up again.  Once things hit my chest a migraine moved into my head for three days thanks to a series of weather fronts, ongoing dehydration on my part and who knows what else.  I didn’t have a chance to slow down as I was to lead three days of meetings over four days in Des Moines for the Iowa Geographic Information Council and then for the GIS-T Planning Committee two organizations with which I am active.  The only saving grace in this scenario was Abigail was at Girl Scout horse camp all week and Joshua was at my folks place in Clear Lake so the house was quieter.

I may have mentioned we have a new kitten who has been with us since memorial day.  Lilah is a busy, curious, and super cute.  Her boundless energy is constantly annoying our older cat Aslan (14) so now whenever she comes near him he wails even if it is 2 or 5am which has really put a dent in my ability to get a decent night of sleep lately.  Plus we had a slew of thunderstorms through at night which gets the dogs all stirred up and a night on the couch with a dog panting anxiously in my face is really not all it is cracked up to be.  After nearly a week of sleep interruptus I am running on fumes physically and mentally.  I love the furballs but I could do with some storm free weather and a little more tolerance from the lot of them.

I mentioned in my June post that the meds have been dragging my blood count down.    My white blood counts had both my doctors in a bit of a fit.  I may have mentioned they were half the count they were before I started taking the meds.  I was retested two weeks ago and they have come about halfway back up but are still well below normal.  I see my neurologist in a couple of weeks to talk through things.  I am struggling with meds that do potentially do as much harm as good.  I am tired of being tired and tired of being mentally muddled all the time.  I am tired of bickering kids and howling furballs.  Wednesday I woke up with an achy body and a headache and yet I keep marching.  

So while this post talks about things that lift me or drag me down… my husband said I don’t have anything to prove to anyone.  I don’t have to be happy and strong all the time because I am human after all.  I have to keep proving to myself I can do this, I have to keep collecting data about how my diet affects my energy and the exercise that keeps me going.  I have to keep getting out of bed each day because I would miss out on all the good things I have going on even if I grumble sometimes.  I have to be proactive so today I started working with a personal trainer to help me continue to get stronger and rebuild my confidence. I will keep remembering to breath and hopefully get back to my meditation and tai chi.  I am working to better communicate when I need help and when I am good. Looks like I got this for now... as always thanks for listening.

Here are some great blogs and other information by/about folks with MS.

http://www.milesandtrials.com/ironman-boulder-70-3-race-recap/

http://www.healedthefilm.com/

http://mattcavallo.com/blog/