The Exhaustion

By far, my biggest health challenge isn’t diabetes. It isn’t asthma. It isn’t osteoarthritis.

Way ahead of all three, my biggest foe is the exhaustion.

It is absolutely relentless.

I have queried my ologists about this. They do lab work, and shrug.

I’ve asked people on my diabetes boards about this. They will ask about all the labs I’ve have drawn, that all result normal.

I keep thinking that it’s got to get better.

So far, it hasn’t.

It’s present, to some extent or another, every day. I push through, and live my life.

Once in a while, I hit a wall. That was this past Thursday. I could not function. I pushed to get 30 minutes of cardio in...and spent the rest of the day in bed.

It’s frustrating.

I know there are probably multiple things factoring into this.

I just wish I didn’t feel this way.

Don’t @ me with home remedies and supplements - believe me, I try to eat clean, drink a ton of water, and am drinking Herbalife shakes daily. I take supplements. It helps. I think.

So tonight I’m exhausted. I ate a healthy dinner. I did my yoga and cardio. I drank 108oz of water.

I’m planning on going for a 3+ mile walk with my hunny and the dogs.

Hopefully.

I’m doing the best I can!

In The Zone

I was back in the zone for the first time in a long time today, and it made me so happy!

I am really struggling with my asthma, and I was supposed to get a CT scan last week.

It didn’t happen.

I’m hoping for it to be this week so my pulmonologist can tell me what is going on, and what the plan is!

In the mean time, I had a 5k today.

I was fully ready to pick up my bag of goodies and bib and walk away if my body said no to exercising, but I decided to gauge the situation.

It was cold and windy, but warming up quickly, and sunny. I used my inhaler, and used my balaclava to cover my nose and mouth on the first half of the race as I headed into the wind. My insulin pump was left on, but I had my PDM in my flip belt in case I needed to pause it. My blood sugar was higher than I normally run, but it carried me safely through the race.

The first half, I ran/walked, using the Jeff Galloway method I learned to safely train with.

I ran the race on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, running on packed sand along the surf, and concentrating on trying to stay out of the cold water. The wind was hitting me right in the face, so the balaclava was helpful. The first half of the race, my health was definitely on my mind, even as I enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

Coming back, the wind was gently pushing me forward. The packed sand was easier to run on, and I found myself running with no walk breaks. I was watching the birds - the seagulls seeming to hover above the surf as they soared on the wind gusts. The sand pipers pecking at the dozens and dozens of sea slugs that had beached themselves on the white sand. The moon, pale in the deep, clear blue sky. The emerald green water, deepening to sapphire with white caps further out.

When I noticed someone running next to me, I looked around, and realized I had been “in the zone”. I was enjoying the day, all that was around me, not even thinking about running.

I was so happy! It’s been such a struggle to get back on track, as it were. Today reminded me of the years of running longer races, and cruising along, just enjoying the day.

Today was a victory, and it had nothing to do with winning a race. I ended up running 3.68 miles along the ragged shoreline, and crossing the finish line with a small grimace as I plowed through the thick, powder soft sand at the end of the course.

Good thing it went well - I have an 8k trail Run next weekend!

Let the weekly training continue!

Basics

Week one of no excuses, let's do this.

I started over because I have really been struggling with asthma - I'm on two different inhalers, and due for a CT scan this week to see what is going on.

After I had my pity party, I got my plan together.

First of all, goals are very important. I don't have a weight goal - I know what my BMI should be and I am not far from it. I try to focus on making healthy choices every day, and my body will respond accordingly.

First goal - 15K steps a day. Yes, that is a lot. My prior goal was 10K a day, and when I wasn't sick, I could reach this goal. I use a Fitbit, and I am involved in challenges and a private Facebook group, and that helps me a lot.

Now that race season is here, my goal is to run 4 days a week. I am using the Jeff Galloway Half Marathon app, and I originally started with his 5K plan. I am never going to be fast, but I can walk/run a consistent 11 minute mile over a half marathon. My running goals area always the same - have fun, and finish. I have not failed to meet these goals.

I do sign up for races - when I pay for a race, I feel obligated to go. And to run. And to train. This year a bought a package for a sale price, and this helps me pace myself throughout the year. I can knock out a 5K with no training, but anything longer, I must train. So bottom line, this keeps me training all the time.

Someone advised me years ago to get fitted for running shoes - I cannot stress enough how important this is. I run in a shoe I never heard of, and it's two sizes bigger than my normal shoe. But I am not in pain, I don't get blisters. Shoes will make or break you.

Also important is fun, cute clothes to run in. What? Yes, as a woman, this helps! If you are tossing on an old t-shirt and sweats, just stop!! The performance materials keep your cooler (or warmer) and wick moisture, and are much more comfortable. There is an initial cost, but I find that they last a long time. I love putting together my race day outfit!!

If you need to run with a friend or in a group, find one. I am a member of the local running club - but I run alone most of the time. I am still working on getting my husband to do races with me, but he will train with me.

Stay safe! The rates of violence against runners are real, and scary. Have situational awareness at all time. If you run at night, wear a lot of lights and reflective clothing. I run with my dogs if I am alone at night. Carry mace if you have to go through a sketchy area. If you feel you are being followed, change your course if possible - and call for help immediately.

I am going to tai chi, yoga, and a modified yoga stretch class a least 3 times a week. This is helping me out a lot!! I am especially fond of the tai chi. Three times a week is the goal, but going more is awesome. I have a local gym that is less than 2 miles away. This is crucial! If you sign up at a gym that is inconvenient for you, it will just be an excuse not to go. Trust me, I've paid a LOT of money to gyms I rarely went to. I also pay month to month - not having to have a contract is great!!

Water water water!! I have a goal of a minimum of 80oz a day. I usually drink more than that. I didn't get here overnight- my keys to success are to have a 32oz cup I like, and carry it, or a water bottle, everywhere.

Accountability! I meet weekly with my Herbalife coach - yes, I get weighed and measured, but it more to see progress, however incremental. The store is an incredibly positive place to go - I get my shake there once a week instead of making it at home, and I always leave encouraged. Having someone cheering you on is a good thing!!

Logging everything I eat and drink. I do this using MyPlate - another app you can get. It breaks down my meals into protein, carbs, and fat, and being able to see at a quick glance where I am is really helpful. I would say 90% of the food I go to put in the app is already in there - but if I need to add something, it is really easy. Trust me, if you know you have to log what you are eating, it will make you think twice before you eat something.

I carry healthy snacks with me, along with my water. When I am babysitting, I will bring my lunch shake. Once I am streamlined I will replace the lunch shake with a healthy, low carb lunch. Right now I am in jump start mode.

I don't punish myself with food, or because of food I eat. While I can eat whatever I want, there are foods that make it hard for me to manage my blood sugars, even with the most aggressive planning with my insulin pump. This doesn't mean it's all kale and broccoli. I love ice cream and custard and chocolate, and I still have them - in moderation. The morning my blood sugar is more forgiving, so I can eat more carbs then. Night time - forget it. I have learned, and am learning, what works for me.

Read, research, repeat. There are a lot of reputable resources to help you on your journey to health when you have diagnosis that impact you. I have found Facebook groups are extremely helpful - they can point me in a direction I hadn't thought of, or give me advice that comes from their years of experience. OF course I put anything major past my "ologists", but keep in mind, the recommended amount of carbs per day that the ADA recommends is WAY more than I ever eat.

I am sore and stiff today, but I have gotten to 11K steps as of this writing. After my healthy dinner, I am going to take the dogs for a walk, and I am sure I will meet and perhaps exceed my goal.

There will be good days, and some not so good.

The most important thing is to keep going. Having a healthy life is choices you will make every day, for the rest of your life.

Begin Again

Eight and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was healthy y’all...or so I thought. I was slightly overweight, but I was a couch potato on days I wasn’t working full time as a registered nurse. Those 14-16 hour days left me exhausted on my days off. I didn’t take the diagnosis lying down. I decided to start making better choices, and began by walking 5k (3.12 miles) a day. I cut back on my carbohydrate intake, and stopped drinking presweetened anything. Within the next six years, I had run 22 half marathons, countless 5k’s, and multiple 10, 15, and 8k’s. I also lost 30 pounds, and brought my resting heart rate down from 100 to 60 beats per minute. Two years ago, it came crashing to a halt. I was diagnosed with LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood). In a nutshell, I was now an insulin dependent, type 1 diabetic. Did you know that more than 50% of those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are adult at diagnosis? Neither did I. About the same time as that diagnosis, I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma, which has progressed to adult onset asthma. Yippee. This year, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Enough already! I’m starting this blog to record my journey. As with any journey of this sort, I have talked to all my “ologosts” and my primary doctor. This is not medical advice. This is my story. Do not attempt to change your diet or activity without talking to your MD. Today, I walked 6 miles. I plan to start my running training in earnest tomorrow. I’ve signed up for 15 races so far this year. It’s time to get cracking. I’m not going to lie - all of these diagnosis hit me hard, and had me crying. I won’t stay there. I’m not using any of this for an excuse to be on disability. Instead, I’m going to get stronger, and healthier than before. I’ve done it before - gone from couch potato to race runner. I am also utilizing Herbalife shakes, aloe, and teas. I use them as meal replacements, and also to enhance my diet. This is my journey. Let’s go! LaraLynn