Each Day Is a Gift

Very little sleep again last night.  Walked a mile with hubby.  It was warm 66 F and windy.  After walking him home, I shed the thin jacket and took off on the MCT Center St. access to the bathroom and turned back.  Ran south through Ivory Ridge subdivision to avoid the gusty dusty south wind.  

Registered for the Thankful 13 Half.  

PD clinic lab day, so no running.  Hubby's RLS has gotten worse.  Finally got a prescription which takes 3 weeks to get up to therapeutic dose (taper up) so hopefully it works and he can get some sleep.  Sleep deprivation is a terrible thing!

Had one of the finest bestest FHE with the Estes family.  We just love each of them so much...such a wonderful family filled with love, kindness, Christlike qualities.  :)

27F sunny blue sky, calm.  Ran with Karen, Leslie and Wendy east to top of Dry Creek on MCT then west to 1500W rest room to get a drink.

I voted! Hubby and I walked to Eagle Crest to vote, a nearly 2 miles round trip.  

Another beautiful morning!  Karen's wake up alarm text: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine, would you be mine...." yep, she was sesame street Mr. Rogers reincarnate....how can we resist!  So, the four of us ran pretty much the same route as yesterday, except we ran Wendy home for her 5 miles, then ran Leslie and Karen home for their 6 miles and I ran for couple more to make 8. TT: 1:15:46.  AP: 9:28.  Felt like I could've run forever.  I treasure and savor our daily runs.  I need it, I crave it.  It is my therapy.  I have the best running friends in the world! :)

So, yesterday the PD nurse called us to report on hubby's lab results.  His creatinine is 14 (normal is 1.0-1.3).  That means the PD we are doing (it's been a month since we switched from HD to PD) is not effective in getting rid of the toxins.  This is discouraging news for us.  His RLS is getting worse, it's going on day and night, so he is not able to sleep.  We did get a prescription which requires three weeks of taper up.  We hope that this will help ease the severity of RLS. 

6 solo miles on MCT in 56:34. AP: 9:25.  Sunny blue sky, 30F, calm.  I watched the Altra running form video last night (since not much sleeping anyway) and tried to focus on those pointers on my run (easier to do when running solo).  Really felt good to be running with forward pull of chest and abd, drive elbows back with compact arms, quick cadence and land on bended knees.  Feet with spread toes really feel great and responsive in the Altra Torin.

So grateful to be able to go to the temple with some friends whom I've known for 34 years; and lunch afterwards to catch up on each other's lives!   

Beautiful sunrise, crisp cool morning for a long run with Karen, Leslie and Wendy.  We ran up on Suncrest then east to Alpine.  Drank and gu'ed at the everflowing fountain then head south.  Leslie and Wendy turned west on the Highland city trail for home to get their 12 miles.  Karen and I continued south then east onto Highland Glen Park and MCT.  We turned back at around mile 10 and head west on MCT to Mitchell Hollow, Dry Creek to home.  My uphill miles were really slow; but finished strong with the last two being the fastest.  

Easy conversational run with Karen.  It was good to have her shoulder to cry on.  Weather has been so nice lately!  

With Karen, Wendy and Leslie on MCT to Mitchell Hollow.  Cold but no wind!  Had to walk the steep part...lungs just won't cooperate!

Helped make food for Ashley's wedding reception...there're some talented ladies in my ward! :)  

With Karen, Leslie and Wendy on rail trail.  Very cold, cloudy and breezy north wind, kinda tough running uphill with headwind.  Wendy cut it short at 2600N.  We continued on and made it to the MCT west end bathroom to thaw our fingers under the hand dryer! Need to find my ski mitts!  :)  

Clinic day so no running.  Hubby had a membrane test in which the PD drain fluid was collected at three separate times: 0 hr, 2 hr and 4 hr.  Also received visits from Dr. Cline, the nutritionist and social worker.  The PD nurse answered our questions concerning the frequency (5X/day) of the dialysis and strength (1.5%, 2.5%) of the dialysates.  Dr. answered our questions concerning RLS, occasional hypotenstion/dizziness, effectiveness of the PD, removal of the vas-cath, lab-test results and course of actions.  He concluded that hubby's frequency of PD is considered average.  Hopefully the prescribed Ropinerole in conjunction with more PD will resolve the issues of RLS which has been causing severe sleep deprivation.  We also discussed the option of transplant.  The social worker talked to us about stress and gave us couple of CDs that may help with relaxation.  

28F cloudy, humid, calm, skiff of snow on the ground.  Ran with Karen and Leslie to Highland and Cedar Hills via SR 92 and Highland trail; turned around behind an elementary school on MCT at Cedar Hills and returned on MCT via Dry Creek.  Stopped once at Highland Glen Park bathroom.  Gu'ed at mile 5+, and 11+.  AP: 9:50.  Last two miles @9:06, 9:04.  

After VT-ing, helped hubby put on the bug-shield/guard on the car.  My fingers and toes never thawed.  

Steven coming home from Taiwan today!  YAHOO!!!! :)

Got 6 hrs sleep last night! YAY!!!!  Karen texted at 7am:  "Let's pretend we're polar bears. What's 16 degrees to polar bear...balmy, right!!!"  Leslie: "OK, let me put on my bear suit."  Karen: "Be sure it's not bare suit."  My reply:  "I'm more of a brown bear. I eat and hibernate!"  SO, the three of us "bears" bundled up and Leslie gave us our Christmas presents early - RUNNING GLOVES with sensatec touch, screen compatible, secure grip with silicone palm and sleek design!!!!  What a GREAT friend! :) :) :)  We ran east to Smith's on MCT then turned back to get Amanda who only wanted 3 miles.  It was cold (my phone and watch data said it "feels like 8F", but the sunny blue sky and wonderful company of friends sure warmed my hearts quickly! 8 miles with AP 9:27, last solo mile to home was 8:58.

Going to babysit Skylar while her parents go to dr visit w/ ultrasound to find out the gender of their baby! So excited!  Steven came home from Taiwan Sat. He and hubby are out shopping for the essentials of American life - phone plan and vehicle...  

Happy Monday all!  :)

"Zipadeedooda zipadee'ay, my o my what a wonderful day, plenty of sunshine coming my way, zippadeedooda zipadeeday!" was the text from Karen this morning! :) :) :) My reply:  "Oh, it's the bear necessity, the simple bare necessity of life...." Yep, we zip into our running clothes and out into the cold tundra! :)  Normally I'd meet them half way, but somehow we missed each other in the Perry's neighborhood, I got to Karen's door and she and Leslie got to my door, nearly a mile distance simultaneously!  I ran back toward home and hollered as I saw them on my street!  Silly us! :)  Another beautiful sunny blue sky cold morning 16F, no wind!  We ran west on 2600N to the rail trail and up on MCT back to Perry's neighborhood.  Only had time for 7 with AP: 9:38.  

Jen and Jeff are going to have a baby boy.  Yay, grandbaby #9 due in mid April!!! :) :)

19F cloudy calm.  Karen's text: "it's 20 degree, due to the heat..." Me: "yah, heat wave coming."  Leslie: "but not as warm as my bed."  We ran east to Mitch Hollow on MCT. Had to walk up Dry Creek, returned on SR92, managed to run up the hill.  I reminisced that I used to run up to the top of Suncrest and back for a half marathon every other Wed. No way, I'd be doing that in my old age now! :)  9 miles AP: 9:40, last mile @ 8:42.

"Rise and shout the runners are out along the trail to fame and glory. Rise and shout, our cheers will ring out as we run and tell our victr'y story." texted Leslie.  I have such fun running buddies!  Balmy 28F, cloudy calm morning.  We ran west on MCT to rail trail, traverse through the constuction mess by the new hospital, and back up on 2600N.  On the uphill, I kept one foot in front of the other sounding like a freight train, as Karen and Leslie "pulled" me up.  At the top, Leslie raised her arms in triumphant joy! :)  Tired today, have had a bit of a sore throat the last couple days and achy upper back, feet also achy at the end of the day.  I need to have a physical, dexa scan and health screening, dental...all that stuff...it's been nearly two years!

21F starting temp at 7am, warms up nicely once the sun peeks over the mountains, clear blue sky, calm, cool crisp air.  Ran with Leslie and Wendy up Suncrest to Leslie's parents' future house currently being built.  I was a huffin' a puffin' up the hill and wishing Karen would drive by on her way up to Draper Temple to give us a lift! :)  Then we traversed over to Alpine park where we gu'ed and drank from the everflowing fountain. Returned via Burgess Park.  Quads were too tired to cruise down suncrest.  Ran Wendy home at mile 12 then ran Leslie home and back for 14.  Our two stops took longer than expected so got home with barely enough time to shower and drive hubby to Murray for a procedure to remove his vascath.  

I've been under the weather lately with mild sore throat, runny nose, achy upper spine and swollen glands.  Bottom of feet also felt achy like they're bruised.  Hopefully it's just a cold and minor stress reaction. 

Gorgeous sunrise.  I texted my running buddies:  "The day dawn is breaking. The world is awaking.  The clouds of darkness are fleeing away.  The runners are in motion from ocean to ocean. We'll join'em before the storm on this BEAUTIFUL morn... :)"  Easy conversational run with Wendy on MCT to 1500W bathroom, drank, blew our noses and turned back home for 5 miles.  50 miles week...gotta get'em while ya can! :)

Didn't get any text from my running buddies (found out later that my phone was not receiving group messages, stink!)  By the look of the swaying trees, I decided it's probably too windy to run outside especially with my cold (don't want to get worse).  So got on the treadmill for the first time since back in March when I was in Australia and would occasionally run 5K or less on the mission home's new TM (which has kilometers readings only with a smaller running deck).  It was always way too warm and so was today in my "home gym".  Due to hubby's kidney disease, he feels cold in anything below 70s, our house thermastat is set at 76-78.  The home gym is inside the masterbedroom so it's even warmer as hubby has a space heater set up where he does dialysis.  

20 min warm up (around 2 miles), then did 5x one min on/off (8:00/10:00), 5x one min on/off (7:30/10:00). Warm down in the low 8 pace for 1.5 miles.   10K in 53:55.  I know that there's no way I was running that fast.  My TM is 10 years old and has not been calibrated so I think it's about 40-50 seconds off the target pace.  

I ran out on the porch to cool down immediately afterward.  I must've looked pretty silly standing there in the freezing cold, wearing shorts and short-sleeve top sweating up buckets...but felt so good! :) 

Got a single text from Karen inviting me to join them.  She was puzzled that I hadn't been replying to her previous texts.  Anyhow, I wasn't ready to go; so they ran 3 miles before coming to get me at my house.  We ran west on MCT then east back to their neighborhood and I ran home solo.  Cloudy but calm, temp at 28F.  Sure beat running solo in the "sauna home TM"!  :)

PM: went to visit Sister Levine at the University of Utah Hospital rehab unit.  She was very aggitated because she just had a long PT session.  But when Larry spoke to her, she calmed down and tracked with her eyes to look at Larry and listened intently.  When her mom asked her: "can you say President Lew?"  She whispered: "President Lew.".  She was pulling and pinching my hand when I held her hand because she was pinching and pulling her own eyebrows and lips.  (she even bite her mom's finger!)  Then as I talked to her about her companions, she calmed down and listened intently.  When I said: "I love you!"  She burrowed her brows and mouthed "I love you!".  What a tender moment!  Larry started to weep when we said goodbye to her.  It was very hard for us to see her like that.  We have faith that she will recover.  She was a very special missionary and no doubt the Lord protected her when she was hit by the car going 40mph and was pinned under the car.  All the doctors said they couldn't understand how there was not a single broken bone.  She suffered massive head trauma.  It's been 83 days and she has made huge improvement over the last week.  We joined many from around the world to pray for her and her family every single day!

Short and easy run with Karen and Leslie around the neighborhood.

Went to movie with hubby and Steven.  Got mine and Wendy's bib for Thankful 13.  Looks like lotsa runners registered and the weather will be nice tomorrow...should be fun!

Cooked and cleaned up the rest of the day and evening...am exhausted now.

Up at 5am, got a text from Eric that they're on their way from Tucson and should arrive after 3pm.  SO excited to have them home for Thanksgiving!!!  Got up at 6ish.  John picked me up at 7:30 and drop Wendy and me off at the start of the Thankful 13.  I couldn't believe how many runners participating; according to the results page there were 1,050 half-marathoners and 1,050 5K'ers.  I signed up for this because it's so close to home and the fees go to support community service and food bank. 

Weather was perfect, 36F, cloudy most of the way, calm except for a bit of headwind from the east on the last mile.  This course is out and back with lots of turns and one loop between mile 6-8, a pretty honest course.  Wendy, Rhonda and I lined up together and took over 3 min. to cross the start mat.  We ran together chatting away.  Soon after the railway overpass, I took off passing lots of runners.  I didn't want to get boxed in once we reached the narrower Jordan River parkway.  It took me 4 miles to catch the 2:05 pacers weaving around and passing bazillion runners.  I don't believe I've passed this many runners in all the races I've run.  I've never seen the JRP this CROWDED!!!  I walked through every aid station.  Gu'ed at mile 5 and 8 aid stations, had to wait to get the water as it was so crowded.  It got warm pretty quickly so I took off my jacket and wrapped around my waist which caused me about 90 seconds and the 2:05 group passed me.  I kept them within 100-200 m the whole way until the last 200 m when the pacers started to walk telling everyone to pass them because they were ahead of the pace time! 

I had alot of fun, loved reading all the signs with things people submitted that they're thankful for.  Some of them made me laugh.  They had pumpkin pies, dinner rolls, pumpkin spice cake and hot chocolate at the finish. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!! :)
 

No running!  Spent the whole day playing with grandkids and time with family! :)

Nice easy solo run on MCT east to top of Dry Creek then west to Freeway.  Precious couple of days spent with Eric and his family.  They will be driving home at the wee hours tomorrow because he has to be back at work 5:30am Monday.  I hate goodbyes!