Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Feeling more like myself..

Now that I've come through yet another LID and my second radiation, I am starting to feel like my old self again.  I have been back to doing some short runs and working out with my trainer.  You truly don't realize just how much this knocks you down until you finally get your meds built back up and start to get your energy back.
This is me and feeling like my old self again.
Just finished my run on the treadmill and feeling pretty darn great!

Starting to see a teeny little definition in my arms again!

Ashley and I have still been walk/running and on other days I have been doing my own runs plus cross training with the elliptical and working out with Katy!  We have been doing anywhere from 3 to 5 miles outside.  With the weather being very cold here I wasn't sure how she would handle it but so far she has just been awesome!! We just bundle up and take off.


After our 4miles last night!  Even though it's still tough for her to get into a good groove, she sticks it out and still smiles at the end!

So for other things I have had plenty of energy for and thats for our annual deer day!


About 8yrs ago my husband thought he would add a few deer to our front yard for the holidays.  Well it has grown from about 30 deer(which is still crazy) to about 85 deer.  So about 5yrs ago my dad suggested we have a big get together to help us put out our deer.  We could do chili or pizza and snacks and just make a day of it.  Well, that we have done, and it has grown into about 25 to 30 people each year.  We either make several pots of chili with subs to having pizzas delivered with each of them bringing a dessert or a side that goes with what we are having.  And it never fails, each year when the neighbors around see us out there working we get tons of honks and waves showing us that they are excited for deer day also.   We have 85 deer, the house and all its lights, a big huge blue Christmas tree for fallen police officers, three big huge pine trees decorated, tons of bushes and trees, a decent size nativity and manger set,  and lighted candy canes lining the huge driveway.    It is nothing for us to look out the family room window and see a line(if not stopped) of traffic on our little country rd.  or to be coming home and can't get into our driveway due to people stopping and taking pictures.  We love it!! Here are a few pics of what it all looks like!









What family traditions do you look forward to each year?


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Look who's running


Yes!! This girl! My Ashley! My baby my oldest girl! She has been on a journey of wanting to lose some weight and get into fitness.  She joined her local gym and set out on the Advocare 24 day challenge back in August.   She dropped 11lbs in that 24 days and was totally excited.  She has signed up for the 8k Turkey Trot and wants to beat her time from two years ago.  I don't think she will have a problem at all.  Just in our walk/run 5 miles last week while on vacation in Florida, she beat her time by 6min.  When she ran the Turkey Trot 2 years ago her time was 1hr 17min and was 20lbs lighter.  So she was so thrilled with our time and is now very motivated to beat this time even if by only 3 min.  

Needless to say this has me absolutely thrilled that she has picked this running thing up and wants to live a healthy and fit active lifestyle.  

We went on a run last night after she got off work.  The goal was to do 5 miles but that if she was too tired or if the weather was too cold we would just do 2.5.  I could tell this run was pretty rough on her because it was not only cold the wind was pretty strong as well.  Well not only did we finish the 5 miles we went a little farther and in pretty decent time.  5.10 miles in 1 hour and 13min.  Not bad considering it was after a long day of work and it was cold!  Switching from vacation running in Florida to good ole cold winter Ohio running is a big switch!  


Love this!



Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Hanging in there...

Hey guys!! Just a little update to what I have been doing.  I have finished my half marathon.  I beat last years time by 10 minutes!! I was lucky enough to run this with my son Christopher.  This was his very first half marathon and he had done very little training.  Hmph!! However, I might have done a whole Summer of training and building up the miles while he just went out and ran it, I wasn't the sore one afterwards...he was =)  But either way it was truly fun and I loved every minute of it.  
So this year I completed two 5k's, a 10k, and a half and finishing with an 8K Turkey Trot.  The Turkey Trot will be just for fun with no time limits on me due to me just coming back from my LID and radiation for the last 4 weeks.  
Speaking of all that, I am so glad that is all done with and I can now be back on my medicine and start to feel better and enjoy my vacation and the upcoming holidays.  
This time around wasn't as bad as the first time around.  It just truly sucks going off the Synthroid for so long and being on that low iodine diet.  But I didn't have to go into isolation due to not having to take as much radiation as last time.  So that was exciting! After my radiation two days later I did the full body scan and was immediately told everything looked really great and I was able to start my meds immediately and can get back to a normal diet.  Yay!!
That was all a week and a half ago and since I have been back on my meds I have felt so much better with each passing day.  I have started back with my workouts, slowly, and that feels wonderful!! My runs of course have been anywhere from 1-3 miles but have felt good.  Slow but good.  My goal for now is to just run and build up my miles and speed just a bit.  
So that is pretty much where I am at and I'm pretty good with it all too! 

I have loved reading and keeping up with everybody and their marathon training and all the runs too.
Today I ran outside in this beautiful Fall weather for 2.3miles and loved every step!! No time, no watch, just me, my footsteps and the music! 
Feels good to feel good again!