Believe to Achieve

Day 2 + on oral steroids (antiinflammatory).  4 days to go on taper.  Starting to actually notice it working.  Even attempted a half mile run-- no pain in foot but a sudden surge of back and thigh pain that almost put me to the ground.  Hard to describe.  I would not be able to run through that.  It was intense and actually quite scary.  It felt like my knees to my back were buckling underneath me.  My goal was to run 3.25 laps (1/2 miles) before spin.  I almost was unsure I could do the spin class it was that scary.  But I just took it really easy.  Nothing strenuous although the instructor had us do hills the entire class.  This was my first work out since BM but this reaction was not due to that.  I think it has to do with the steroids inhibiting my adrenal glands and I am super sensitive to medications of that sort.  I have had Cushing's Syndrome twice in my life from steroids.  At least this is only for 6 days total.  The last time I had Cushing's syndrome, I was taking large doses of prednisone for inadvertently on my very first 16 miler EVER (in the summer before my first SGM in 1995) wiping myself with a poison ivy leaf after peeing in the woods.  I had the worst reaction everywhere on my lower body and hands and arms.  It lasted over two months!!!  Most embarassing moment ever in my life as I forgot I had even wiped myself with the leaves of three (let them be) and did not know why I had welts all over my hands legs and other areas of major swelling.  Hence my training for SGM was quite interesting back then. I ran only 3-4 times a week but  I still qualified for Boston which was my goal (3:36:34 -- no chip back then, it took me 1:42 to get to the starting line, per my journal).  I then ran the 100th Boston with (go figure) an injured right foot (now it's my left).  I had a bunionectomy two weeks later.  Isn't this all ironic???????   Hey at least I was 13 minutes faster :D.    It snowed two days before the marathon so the weather was windy and cool on race day.   Ahhh.... the memories!!! 

8, per course tool, went garmin less,  mountain biking miles in 36:58.  (4:37).  Road through and around the hospital traffic.  Rolling short hills.     Temp definitely in the 90s somewhere but loved the wind--- very windy and I had a nice headwind at times.      Also tried out my foot for one measly mile 8:43.  Foot is going to take a lot of convincing to be pain free.  Not sure why it just is staunch on keeping PF in the works.   The steroid has helped but I only have two days left and I am tapering.  I am sure I will just not run for a few more weeks.    A half mile here and there to remind myself of how to run :D.   I am returning to the pool soon.  I haven't swam a mile since first joining this blog in 2008 August.  I swam my first mile in a long time back then in 36 minutes and got it to 32 minutes in just two weeks.  It will be interesting to see where I am at since aerobically I am more efficient going off of race times.  I love to swim so the only reason I haven't kept up with it is--- bacteria and viruses.  Chlorine does not kill them.  Oh and water in my ears.  Got ear plugs but  they haven't worked well for me.  I will give them another shot.  I have done a few laps here in there in the summers but nothing like I was back then not even a 1/4 mile. 

1 mile at 7:30am 8:50.   Then, 5.8 miles on the stair master in 50:45 (that seems quick for climbing stairs??) at PG rec at 9:20am.  I started at level 8 x 20 minutes, level 10 x 10 minutes, level 12 x 10 minutes, level 10 - 12 for 11 more minutes.  Still having that reaction (hopefully to the steroid that I am weaning off of and have only two more doses left spread out by 12 hours each). At least with the stairmaster I can hold on to the rails when I feel the dull ache in my back come on.   The reaction is like none other I have had before, like I described Monday.   It starts with pain in the lower back then reflexes to both my tibias (deep aching pain) at the same time and rebounds up my thighs causing me to almost drop to the ground--- but I stop myself before I get there.  It happened on Monday with only two laps around the track (0.3 miles) and Tuesday on my second half mile from my house (I only ran 1 mile).  It returned again just after a half mile that I had to almost stop.  I have no adrenaline.   IT really scares me.  I literally would NOT be able to run EVER again if this continues on like this.  So I am banking on it being a reaction to ADRENAL insufficiency that the steroid I am taking causes (suppresses the adrenal gland).  And I am already very susceptible to adrenal suppressive drugs (history of cushing's) and being only a week post marathon (marathon running suppresses adrenal glands markedly, hence why it is best to take it easy for several weeks post marathon so that adrenal glands can start working again).  Basically taking steroids post marathon was a double whammy to my adrenals.   I expect them to start taking over for themselves in a week after stopping the steroids.   If anyone has been on steroids and hasn't tapered off them they might have had a taste to what adrenal insufficiency feels like.  IT is unbelievable the load the adrenals have to bear for the entire body!!!!   FIGHT OR FLIGHT!!! 

SAD NEWS.   The best Visiting Teacher I have ever had passed away today.  I unexpectedly learned that she did not make through open heart surgery and had a moment of extreme sadness right in front of the entire Young Womens group and leaders.  She was in her 80s and was the pioneer of our ward along with her husband.  She had visited me last Thursday.  For 40 minutes we talked about how important families were (as I told her of my trip to Boston and seeing family).   She and I shared stories and I told her of my bittersweet Boston Marathon (mostly sweet).    She called me three times on Monday to find out how my foot was doing  and once on Tuesday.  I had tried to call her back to no avail.  And now I am so very sad I didn't get to say good bye.  She had diabetes but not a known heart condition until a heart attack on Tuesday in which she was hospitalized and prepared for surgery the next day.   I was working at the hospital that day but was so busy  I couldn't make it over to see her.  Then I was to introduce a Laurel to Relief Society at a Young Women's "What is there for Willing hands for me to do?".   I introduced my Laurel, Chevelle  after hearing there was a card for Lee Ann for us to sign.  I was like "oh good she is doing well,  I will see her at work tomorrow" (today) and then about 10 introductions later,  Laurie Baker of our ward introduced the girl that Lee Ann was to introduce and kept using the past tense to describe Lee Ann and that the day she was in the hospital she asked her husband for the paper she wrote up on her laurel to introduce and was worried that she would not have anyone there.  I looked around the room at other women and asked, "why is she using the past tense??? puzzled and then I whispered to the other table very worried "did she die?"   And they nodded.  And I immediately had a shock reaction sobbing hysterically for several minutes.   I was deeply saddened to lose my friend and neighbor.  She lives two door down from me.  Her husband is so wonderful and now he is all alone.   I managed to work all day which helped my swollen eyes to heal.    There is just never enough time in this life.....I just wish we had more conversations to share on this earth.     Her husband felt very good that his wife would be fine so I didn't have any sense of worry.   But she is fine just not in the way we see things on this earth.   I am thankful for that knowledge.

yesterday's comment was for today.  Worked NICU all day today.   Glad it was a lot less busier than pediatrics on Thursday.   Can actually walk on my foot today a bit normally.  Yesterday my foot was in a bit of pain along with my lower calf/ankle after the chiro massaged it and did ultrasound therapy. 

Trail shoes on Walmart special (kid's) mountain bike.  It is my 13 year old's mountain bike as mine has been out of commission from a flat.  Hubby just bought a new tube but hadn't put it on.   So this bike's gears are all quite audible and they stick between gears constantly but all and all  I had a good bike ride.  Left my house for Thanksgiving point at 6:18.  Arrived about a minute before the gun went off.  It took me 42.5 minutes to get there.  Just course tooled it at just barely under 9 miles.  I was FROZEN on that ride.  I felt like I was moving in slow motion.  IT had to be low 30s.  And the air was crisp off the snow-capped mountains.  Thick.  My fingers and toes were solid.  I couldn't even take off my helmet when I stopped biking so I left it on for a while.   I cheered on those I knew at the race and then met them again around 2.5 miles.  Of course I saw Jake in the lead pack and Andrea in a group of three women with a large gap over the followers by then.   I also met Michelle Simonaitis as she was cheering for her husband Dennis.  It was nice to meet her.   I remember her name as a super speedy chicka even back when  I first started running in 1995.    When  I am back injury free we are going to run together--- she can teach me a few things that is for sure.   I told her of my goal-- subthree, just once is all I ask.   Nothing more.  I biked 6 miles around the course at a pretty good clip at times but mostly easy next to Kim, Jane and Shaundree.   They ran the whole course before it started as a training run.   I knew they were there so  I am glad I found them when I did.   Hence, however I missed the men's finish!!! but caught the women's finish, with Andrea first, Julie Thomas second and I a girl I don't know in third-- Kimberly???   We have only met once in the hot sun post boston so I am not sure if that was her.  Sorry.   I learned that top master overall gets 500 dollars (as Walter informed me.).  He won master's and even added on accidentally going off course (taking a few other runners with him).  The course is tricky.  Honest for Utah-- Too honest Jake thought with all the hairpin turns etc...TIP TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS : D.     I think I could  have won master's even with my bum foot.  Next year too bad so sad becuse Julie Thomas turns 40 on June 9th.   So no more master wins for me.  Fun while it lasted.  Let's get real, Julie (not me) deserves it : D.     Rode my bike home.  So glad I was not near as frozen.  But I did have many tingles when I got into the shower thawing out in the hot water.   24 mile bike ride.  Oh yah!!  It was a great workout.    Afternoon barefoot running on the grass for 4:30.  1/2 mile.