I ran Big Sur Marathon in 97.98 and 2000. It’s one of my favorites. Just gorgeous. There is a 2 mile long hill and I lived in Dallas at the time. 2000 was my husband’s last marathon. He placed in his age group.
I’m sorry about your pain, @romanigypsyeyes. I hope it goes away quickly. I’ve been researching medical marijuana lately, for my dad, and it seems really effective for some things.
I ran 18 tortuous miles this morning. Actually the first 11 or so were fine, but then it started getting tough. By 13 I was having a hard time, and from 15-18 there was a lot of walking involved. My overall pace was not good, but not that bad really. I have no explanation why the run was so hard. Weather was ideal - overcast in the low 50s with almost no wind. I was sufficiently rested, hydrated, and had eaten well the past few days. So I’m kind of discouraged, but just thinking of it as a bump in the road for the moment. H also had a bad run, he has been having a tough times on the long runs for the past several weeks. I think he’ll struggle through our marathon next month, but I don’t think he has a prayer of a chance for a BQ. :((
Good luck tomorrow Gertrude!
Question for any of you triathlete ladies. Has anyone read the “Triathlon for the every woman”, by Meredith Atwood, ie Swim Bike Mom? Trying to work up some motivation to do this, even though I’m a terrible swimmer, unsteady on a bike, and am not in particularly good running shape. The training programs around here are all scheduled times every week (impossible for me), and I think I’m going to have to go it alone. That is, if I can get up off the couch first. 
@busdriver11 my mom is a MM patient and it has been a godsend for her. I am very seriously considering it for the pain because my pain pills are almost as bad as the pain itself. We’re going to see how the infusion treatments go and if they don’t work, or if they don’t work as well as we’d hope, marijuana is my next treatment option.
Glad you’re checking it out, romani. I had no idea there were so many options, for particular issues, from different pils to inhalers, whatever. Good luck to you!
Thanks! The options really are amazing. I’m grateful to live in a place where this is an option.
I haven’t read that, Busdriver, but I have done triathlon and have 2 triathlete kids. It sounds like it might be tough for you to take that on. Swimming tends to be the hardest thing for adults who never did a lot of swimming.
Romani- it’s a lot of information to digest, for sure. I know you are listening to your body- as you must.
Make sure to discuss it with your docs, romani. Some pharmaceuticals can be incompatible with others due to the way the body metabolizes them. So sorry your pain got worse. 
I don’t know that book, but go for it bus driver. Years ago I read another called something like “the fat, slow triathlete” Think about taking a few swim lessons to get ready.
Will the swim be in a pool or in open water?
Sounds like a lot of fitness happening today around the country!
PG, do you mean 1.8 inches lost? Otherwise, how can you, um tell, that you lost it on top???
Visited my mom in Michigan today and finally can add Michigan to my list of “states I’ve run miles in”. Ran a pretty path right by her house along a windy river - don’t why I’ve never done it before. The run felt great - I really wanted to run more!
Romani, how long since you started having your health issues? It seems like you’ve gone through so much “up and downs” the last couple of months - were your issues present pre-wedding? Wedding + health issues = stress!!!
I’m definitely talking to my doc about everything I’m taking. I think I mentioned previously that my mom had a seizure due to a drug interaction (or reaction, we’ll never know). It makes me very careful (ok… paranoid) about what I put in my body. I even made sure I could take OTC pain meds before taking any (turns out, I can’t take Motrin- only Tylenol- or their generics).
Right now everything is basically on hold until my IV treatments start Wednesday. My reaction to that will determine the next few steps of my treatment.
I’m definitely learning to listen to my body better. When I was an athlete, I basically pushed through any pain because I knew I’d bounce back quickly. I’m getting much better about not doing that.
I’m also getting better about accepting help. And, of course, my wonderful support systems (here on CC and elsewhere) have been immensely helpful.
On the bright side, my pain is bad on a Saturday so both Mr R and I are off work and my dad is down here to help around the house. So far, he’s been on grandpa duty by keeping the puppy busy. (Puppy absolutely LOVES her grandpa… and all of her grandparents. To the point that she looks frantically around the house when she hears them on the phone. And when the grandparents are around, Mr R and I are irrelevant lol. Hmm… a glimpse into my future with human children?)
“I haven’t read that, Busdriver, but I have done triathlon and have 2 triathlete kids. It sounds like it might be tough for you to take that on. Swimming tends to be the hardest thing for adults who never did a lot of swimming.”
I do think the hardest thing would be the swimming. However, the author encourages people that they can learn to swim…ie if you can dog paddle, you can learn to swim, especially if you have a gym membership with a pool (we do).
"I don’t know that book, but go for it bus driver. Years ago I read another called something like “the fat, slow triathlete” Think about taking a few swim lessons to get ready.
Will the swim be in a pool or in open water?"
I thought about buying that book, I think it might have been “the slow, fat triathlete?” But I’m not slow, and I’m not fat. I’m on the thinner side, weak and rather out of shape. I think it’s along the same lines, though, to take women from zero to triathlete. And the book isn’t a way of preparing to do one triathlon and then quit, it’s to turn you into a triathlete, one small step at a time. You don’t start out with an Ironman triathlon, just the sprint one. So I have no idea about the swim, but I wouldn’t do anything until I was safe in the water. Of course, if the swim part is too much, I could always veer off course and do running races instead. It just seems like a lofty goal to go for. I wonder if anyone on here has gone from zero to triathlete.
I have a lawyer friend who was way behind where you are and is now doing triathlon. She’s at the back, and she warns the kayak supporters that “this might be awhile”, but she usually makes it out of the water before the cutoff. She is regarded by her law school classmates as the person LEAST likely to do anything athletic. She’s thin, but not athletic. She has loved doing it and has a lot of self- confidence from it.
I’ve had health problems off and on during most of my life but I was actually doing pretty well during the wedding times. It was probably one of the healthiest times in recent memory. Go figure lol
This started in November when I got strep throat and then really just never got better. I just kept getting worse and worse. Apparently, it’s quite normal for a virus (or stress- and since this was my first semester in my PhD program, I was definitely stressed) to set off an autoimmune flare.
In retrospect though, it’s quite likely I’ve had this for a while but the symptoms were always attributed to something else. I’ve always been really sensitive to the sun, but that was attributed to being pale. I’ve had low energy levels on and off for years, attributed to Depression. Joint pains to being an athlete. And so on.
From what I can tell in talking to others with Lupus especially, my diagnosis actually came really quick. Part of it was because I pushed. I just got tired of the chronic infections, the chronic fatigue, the constant pain, etc. Knowing my mom had an autoimmune disorder and that they often run in families, I pushed for ANA testing. I just knew something wasn’t “right” with my body and I was tired of it.
Bus, if you master the swim part, you will be fine. A friend of mine just could not learn to swim. Period. I personally detest swimming in our lakes. Kid did a tri in Lake Sammamish, and she swam through a bunch of Canada geese (she was in the leading group). Ewww…
Romani, I didn’t “like” your post, because I don’t “like” it - but now I understand it. 
I’m glad your wedding time was a healthy period - which means likely you will get back to some of those good spurts!!!
Yes, I am so hopeful that I’ll go back into remission.
This is the first time I’ve ever had a flare this bad but it’s also the first time I’ve been in treatment. fingers crossed and I am very optimistic!
Ugh, Bunsen. I hate Canada geese, in particular what they leave behind on the beach! Swimming in open water does freak me out. I took swimming lessons as a kid for years (hated them), have an aversion to chlorine and putting my head in the water. Only saltwater pool in Seattle is Gold’s gym in Redmond (too inconvenient). I get an ear infection every time I go under. But I guess earplugs, goggles, a wetsuit, and what else do you need? I could talk myself out of this in a minute, if I actually thought closely about it.