Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah is the celebration of a single day's worth of oil burning for 8 straight nights after the Maccabees reclaimed and rededicated the second temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem. A miracle that olive oil sufficient to keep the menorah for a single day burned for 8 days and nights until the return with more oil.

Today is the first night of Hanukkah this year. I have never celebrated Hanukkah, and am unlikely to light a menorah or spin a dreidel, but I am feeling the need for a miracle involving 8 days of energy burn out of one day's worth of energy! I ran 6 miles today and it felt like forever. Yeesh. Next up is 4-6 on Thursday and hopefully an 8-10 on Friday. Or maybe the reverse? Either way, I am dragging.

The feast of seven fishes will make its debut at our family Christmas eve celebration this year, thanks to my gluttony for punishment. Christmas day we will head to my husband's family for a couple of days, including his birthday next Tuesday...which he happens to share with our eldest, who will be 7! (My husband will still be old.)

Despite feeling daunted by running in 19* air, I am excited for the week! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Too Healthy to be Seen vs. Epiglottitis

Yesterday I told you that my sore throat had given way to chest congestion. That isn't entirely true. What really happened is that my sore throat gave way to the feeling that I was choking. It started Thursday night, and got progressively worse until it turned into laryngitis Saturday night and woke me out of a dead sleep on Sunday morning, gasping for air.

Soooo I went to the Minute Clinic. The woman asked me if I am producing lots o' sputum or wheezing, which I am not. She listened to my lungs (clear), took my pulse-ox (99.1%), and said she wasn't even going to check me in as I was fit as a fiddle.

Right. Except for the part where I am choking. She said if I can't breathe, I should to to the ER. Great. "But I am a runner!" I say. "I couldn't run if I tried right now :(" She looked at my sympathetically and gave my kid a sticker. I rasped a weak "Thank You", gathered up my kid and her sticker, and left. Hey - I might feel like I have been ridden hard and put away wet, but my lungs are working, right?

I woke up today raspy but determined. I *will* run. My husband gets up and says, "I don't feel good. I get what you were saying about choking. I feel like something in my throat is swollen."

Wait.

What?

Something in your throat feels swollen?

I hadn't thought of that! Yesterday, clear lungs = not dying. Today, I have new information. SWELLING!

So I have decided I have epilgottitis, which is, of course, life threatening. It is when your epitglottis swells up and closes off your throat. Exactly!

"Epitglottitis is a condition involving life-threatening swelling of the epiglottis. It is usually caused by a bacterial infection of the epiglottis and can result in a blockage of the trachea (windpipe) and severe breathing difficulty" Awesome.

I ran 5K today. Pathetic, but at least it is something.

If I don't wake up dead tomorrow from epiglottitis, I will do an at home workout, followed by a run on Wednesday and a gym work out on Thursday. Wish me luck - delay in diagnosis is associated with a 9%-18% mortality rate.

Marathon Training:1. Me:0.

Yowza.

I have been more sick than not for a week now. I was limping a bit Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with a sore throat, but Wednesday was okay. I had my first training appointment with my trainer at 10AM, and I was so excited! I had met with her the week before to talk about what I was looking for and what equipment I have (or more accurately, don't have) at home. She agreed to put together two routines - one for when I am working out in the gym, and one using just my ample body weight when getting a work out in at home.

I was stoked! I mean, I have been running a little while now. I have probably run 10 5Ks, I ran a 10K, a couple of five milers, and two half marys. I don't *need* a trainer. I am already a runner, and in the best athletic shape of my life. Getting a trainer is just to help with injury prevention and to keep me feeling like I am doing something to prepare for this marathon in the winter when it is harder to log long runs. A confidence booster, if you will.

So I hit the dread mill for a quick warm up, and we went through the 'in the gym' work out. I am to do two sets of each circuit, but we only did one this time as it was mostly a meeting for her to show me the ropes, check my form, etc. We did arms, core, legs...it was great. I was able to handle more weight than I thought, and even the 'in the gym' workout was mostly stuff I could do at home with very limited equipment purchases.

One exercise was an epic fail - plank on a medicine ball:

So far so good. Now take one knee, and touch it to the ball. Then the other knee. Repeat 15 times per knee. Sure, Coach!

I fell off. Repeatedly.

So she crossed it off and told me to just plank on the ball. More than a little embarrassing, especially when she perkily added, "It is so great that you are doing this, I am so glad you came!" Bless her heart. But perky personal trainers are good at what they do, and I basked in the glow of her excitement at the prospect of training me. A quick cool down run, and I was back to work, feeling like a million bucks.

Thursday dawns to sore muscles. But *good* sore, you know? I pack my running stuff and head to work. About half way across the parking lot, I debated taking my gym bag back to the car. I wasn't sure how I was going to walk up a flight of stairs, and was already cursing myself for my decision to wear 3" heels.

By Thursday evening I was back to feeling sick (the sore throat had given way to chest congestion), and was groaning when I got up off of the coach.

Friday? By Friday I realized I was holding on to the wall to sit down on the toilet.

That is right. I haven't run since I don't remember when, and one confidence boosting weight training session left me wishing I had one of those elevated toilet seats like my husband's grandma had.

Not going to lie, folks. That hurts. A lot.

Blue Christmas

I have been feeling lousy since Sunday morning. I was planning to run an impromptu half mary with a friend, and she bailed. I was just as happy to not run, and haven't since. Insert feelings of inadequacy, unreasonable focus on the scale, food, habits...everything.

Oh dear.

My first grader has a school project this week, to make a poster about a family tradition. It is to focus around A-December-Holiday-Your-Family-Celebrates, which is obviously short hand for Christmahanakwanzika. We talked it over and picked our Christmas Eve tradition of getting together with my side of our family and filling each other's stockings. Yesterday, we went to the craft store and picked up supplies. We got some things my preschooler to make one too. We were all excited to get started, which we did today. It was cute and lots of fun, but my mind was on my arms feeling flappy. How is that even possible when you have this going on?

Either way, I need to get a grip. And fast.

Puppies, Biscotti, and Jalapeno Margaritas

Today was a great day. Friday's tend to be, but today was especially fun.

I met my sister in law and her pup on a local trail for a run. It was the first time I brought my pup for a run, and wasn't sure how it would go. We only went for 3 miles, but everyone did great! We timed it so that we would be finishing up our run just as my mom showed up with her new pup.

I have a 14 month old German Shepherd, otherwise known as 60 pounds of HEY WANNA PLAY? HUH, HUH, HUH? DO YA, HUH? WANNA PLAY? LET'S PLAY!

My sister in law has a 3 or 4 year old brussels griffon, otherwise known as a snack for a german shepherd.

It has been tough to get them to play together. Although the brussels griffon makes a really cool noise when he is pissed. It is only cool because it isn't my dog being eaten. I know this.

Anyway, I have been antsy to find my pup a big pup to play with. My dad wants to get a german shepherd puppy next summer, so I figured that would be it. But my mom got antsy for a pup sooner, and adopted a sweet boy from the humane society last week. He is perfect for my pup! I mean, my mom.

What was I saying?

Oh, right. Today we introduced the pups, and it went great. I thought that by running my pup first, she might be tired and a bit more mellow, but no dice. Mom's pooch was ready to play, and it was great.

After, mom picked up my grandpa and they watched the dogs play while I worked, then Mom and I made biscotti as the first stop in our christmas cookie baking plan. We had dinner together and then they left. Now I am drinking a jalapeno margarita, which is fabulous, even if I did strain a muscle opening the jar of jalapeno tequila.

Good times, I say! And my pup is finally tired.

Life is Good.

I am no one trick pony.

I am hyper-focused on running right now. I have been focused on running for two years, but right now, it is in the fore front. A pending marathon will do that to you I guess.

But I am no one trick pony. I have all sorts of other nonsense to talk about. Work, kids, being fat, not being fat, running, drinking, cooking, friends, shopping finds, ... Wait. Did running make the list? Since we are back on the topic of running, I picked up two pairs of winter weight running tights and a running skirt today. Sweeeet!

I need to make a choice, I suppose, if I want to do one of those before and after fat girl photos. That depends pretty heavily on whether or not I intend to ever tell anyone about this blog. Hmm...what to do, what to do?

While I decide, here is what I will say. I am a 33 yo mother to the two coolest kids on the planet. My husband is worthy to be the dad to the two coolest kids on the planet, and I am lucky to have him. I have a job I love. Even my dog is cool. Jealous? You won't be if I post that picture, but all in due time. Or never. Only time will tell.

Have we met?

Well, I did it for me.

I am totally addicted to running. For me.

When I don't run, I feel like I am made out of that slime stuff you used to get for a quarter out of the machine in the front of the grocery store. It, quite literally, keeps me up at night. When I do run, I feel healthy. Happy. In control.

Perilously close to something with an ICD9 code? Perhaps.

But I intend to run the NYC marathon next November.

Ei Yi Yi. We have much to talk about.....