A No Excuse Life - What this Garmin Means to Me - Goals for 2025

From A No Excuse Life by Chris Norton

"Call to Action: Starting today, let your actions speak for you. Reflect on your values and what you want to be known for, then align your actions accordingly. As you consistently live out your beliefs, watch how your identity transforms and how your impact on the world becomes more profound."

After my 2023 Grandma's half marathon I had all these thoughts, not all good, banging through my head. Really pretty negative for me.  

Over the years I have run over a dozen half marathons, done four half ironman triathlons (the last one in 2019 - 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), and have always had a goal of completing one full ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run).  My 2013 MS diagnosis knocked me back and 2014 was both a hard year, and an amazing year as I got to race on the Kyle's Bike team (they picked me before I knew I had MS for sure).  Three of my half ironmans and most of my half marathons have come after Dx, but for some reason 2023 was hard for me.  

Maybe because it was my first big race post covid, post racoon attack, post broken foot, post IT band nonsense that fought me for four years.  Maybe I needed a couple more long runs in my training plan, maybe my head space was disrupted once I got into the Duluth city limits with all the crowds, but all I know is the last mile of that race nearly beat me.  I stopped having fun and had to dig deep to keep shuffling... like an old lady... to find my way to the finish line.

During that last mile my inner dialog was about whether to invest in myself and my race equipment, or to give up doing long races and on that LONG time goal of doing an Ironman Triathlon.  Maybe MS had beaten me after all... but I couldn't stop thinking about getting a real, proper racing watch that could see me through 15-17 hours of racing.  Something that could track my data effortlessly instead of using my phone and a hand me down apple watch.  Something that could be with me while I keep setting and meeting my goals.

I finished 2023 with a 10k run that went well, and made goals to do more races in 2024, and while I had a few setbacks related a broken ankle, I ended the year on a high note with a solid half marathon and my new Garmin.  With the start of 2024 came a sale on a newer model of Garmin the forerunner 255s (over $100 off) so as a gift to myself for turning 50 and believing in my future goals I invested in myself.  It arrived after I swam as part of an Ironman relay team with my triathlon club in June, but I had it in play for my favorite triathlon in Ames and along for that successful 13.1 run in November.

Me on my 50th birthday at the Clear Lake
Triathlon in 2024

So here are my 2025 goals:

Drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of muscle (go to weights class each week or work with a trainer).  Continue my PT rehab, add some yoga. HAVE FUN!

January - Girls on the Run Indoor Triathlon - have solid legs especially on the bike where I have languished in past years.

April - run the Drake Half Marathon (I was supposed to run last year)

May - Clear Lake Olympic Triathlon (.9 mile swim... mind over mater with the cold water, 25 mile bike, 10k run)

June - Run Grandmas Marathon 26.2 miles (MY FIRST MARATHON!!!)

September - 1/2 Ironman Wisconsin (This will force me to bike train over the summer as it is hilly, but I've done it before so I know what I am in for.  Excited to have my teammates on the course with me.)

Oct/Nov - Half Marathon Grand Rapids, MI - hoping to race with my Run A Myelin My Shoes MS race team in Michigan if it works out.

2026 - IRONMAN!  Course/Date TBD

So there it is, out in the universe for all to see.  Hopefully I collect a cheering section along the way but I am determined so who is with me?  Ironman at 52.  You betcha! GOALS!

MS Update - 2024

It's been a while since I have checked in here.  I keep queueing up ideas on things I want to share but haven't taken the time to collect my thoughts. It’s been over ten years since my official Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.  I've had a lot of ups and downs the last six years but it seems most of them are accident related (racoons, foot fracture, IT band issues, shoulder angst, migraines, ankle fracture, etc) and while my MS effects me every day it is minor in the grand scheme of things.

I came across the word disABILITY on one of the MS blogs I read and thought it was a good summary of my MS and me.  I am fighting to retain my ABILITY with my disability.  I learn new things about my illness each year.  This year I had a lot more good days then bad, but found I don't have the stamina I'd like especially when going to multi day events or activities.  If I don't build rest into my schedule then it makes it hard by day three to keep going.

The link below was very relatable for me.  I am working hard to stay present.  Focusing on my goals and not letting the worry of the future with MS ruin my now.

https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/columns/2024/05/21/feel-like-ive-lost-time-living-multiple-sclerosis/

This year as I said has been mostly good. My neurologists say I am stable, my MRIs are holding same with no active disease progressions showing on the scans.  I am on a great med with very few side effects and only slows me down two days a year.  I am still doing physical therapy to continue to work through my deficiencies and am doubling down on doing my homework for that each week.

I am doing better at managing my energy, as the funny thing about taking on a part-time teaching gig while working full time, is I spend at least one day every weekend on the couch working on class stuff so it rather forces me to be in a resting state instead of a working on the house or running around doing chores.  The house stuff gets done eventually, and I have a wonderful partner that is a great cook so I contribute when I need or want to in the kitchen.

I've been diligent about putting my fitness activities on the calendar and following through.  I need to get back to monitoring my nutrition as the holidays have lead to a few more pounds to my bits and pieces.  I have big goals though so diet and exercise will be driving me in 2025 which in turn supports my MS journey.  So I have set my intentions to focus on the now, live life to the best of my ability, and adjust plans as I need to to live my best life.  As they say in my world, I have MS but it doesn't have me.

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