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.

MS Update - Being my own advocate

Quote for the month – “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”

~ Dean Karnazes

This week I had the pleasure of going to an MS talk hosted by a couple of MS drug companies.  I was excited about this one for a few reasons: it was in Ames (most are in Des Moines), it was a presentation by one of the best most respected MS specialists (neurologists) in Iowa, and it covered the use of MRIs with MS treatment.

So here is a little back story about a conversation I had with my neurologist here in Ames in February.  Most of the MS survivors I know get MRIs at least once a year if they are in the first 5 years of diagnosis so I inquired about why my doc didn’t refer me for an MRI as it had been a year since my last one.  My last MRI showed active disease growth which is one indicator of disease progression.  He said as long as I was wasn’t experiencing any severe new symptoms that I was probably responding well enough to the meds I was on but he said if I wanted one the next time I saw him to ask.

The other thing worth noting is the meds I take three times a week often make me feel crummy for a week each month, so so for a couple weeks each month and generally good for a week or so each month.  They give me headaches and make me achy that generally over the counter meds don’t seem to help.    I mentioned in past posts that it is tough to take a med to keep from having a relapse that does permanent damage when the side effects make  me feel kind of crummy.  At the presentation the neurologist mentioned that the drug I take has a lower dosage option.

After the meeting I touched based with my neurologist about doing an MRI before my next in August and it is all set up now.   Hopefully the scans will show no active lesions and we can talk through going to a lower dosage which has the potential to make me feel better more often.

Several of you donated to my ride last year so I wanted to let you know that I am riding again this year.  My goal is to ride 50 miles on June 27^th.  The link below is where a donation to support MS Research can be made on my behalf if you are interested and able to do so.

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

This is just a small step to reaching my season goal of racing in my second half ironman triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13 mile run) on September 13^th. 

Adventure in Gardening - Post #2 War Against Nature

Before Fences

The day after my kids and I planted the first set of starts in the garden we had a cold snap.  It was windy and the temperatures went down into the high 30s.  Needless to say about a quarter of my starts did not make it through the week.  The other issue I had the first week was a big ol bunny.  We got a fence up around the lower garden but did not get one up on the raised beds and this bunny was snacking well.

So I made a trip to Lowes for a bit more fencing to protect the gardens from scavengers.  I've never had a bunny problem in the past.  I guess my dogs are getting too old.  :)  In the fading hours of the night I got the fences up around the two main beds.  The third bed is mostly strawberries with a couple of rows of bean and peas on the end.  

I also made a trip to Holubs our local plant shop to pick up a few more plant starts to replace the ones that died in the cold or were eaten.  The kids and I planted many of these by flashlight that night.

 I had to come back during the light of day a few days later to reinforce the fencing but it appears to be keeping the bunny and the dogs out.  I also mixed up a homemade fertilizer of coffee grounds and eggs shells I had been saving through the winter.  I haven't tried this with regularity in the past so will see how it goes.  It was stinky stuff so wasn't sure if that would attract animals or run them off.

So far everything seems to be growing so hoping with a few more warm and sunny days mixed with rain things will really start to produce.  The one thing we are seeing rapid production of right now is strawberries so I try to go poke around in the bushes for berries every couple of days.  The strawberry bed has been growing back there four or five years now.  The peas and beans that are in there are also growing very quickly so looking forward to them maturing over the coming weeks.

Tomatoes, Kohlrabi and Broccoli freshly fertilized

Here are a few pictures of things post fencing and fertilizing.  I am rather a forgetful gardener.  I don't always remember what I planted where, and I don't always remember to water or pick the vegetables and fruits I grow, but this year I am trying to leave myself reminder notes and seem to be keeping up with things so far.

I may still need to bring in some peat or something to put in the beds.  I tried mixing in some straw I had with several of the beds to see if that makes much of a difference but really it just makes it harder to weed so may try doing straw in the fall when I put the garden to bed rather than in the spring.

Kale, Kohlrabi, Spinach, Carrots, and Chard

Sweet Potato, Squash, and Peppers

Beautiful bleeding hart that reminds me
of the wonderful people we left behind
in Washington state.

 The last thing I thought I would share is an update on some of the fun we are having in the perennial beds around the house.  The new plantings I mentioned in the first garden post in the front year they are doing well.  Stay tuned... blogging about the garden may just keep me attentive this year.

The oldest perennial bed in the back yard.

Beautiful Irises in the front of the house.

Lavender and ladies in the front yard

Gorgeous Chocolate Columbine in the side yard
These were a great sale find last year and are
flourishing.

Peonies from mother's day
 last year blooming brightly.

Herbs in the herb garden on the front porch.
parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano and mint

A few fun plants the kids and I picked up
at the ISU Reiman Garden plan sale.
Fushia is another PNW reminder.