A/C, Cipro & No Bo.

It's been a couple of weeks since having Fredrich in our classroom, and he seriously has been a life-saver! The last two weeks have been unbearably hot and having the A/C unit in my room has helped a ton with removal of humidity! It typically kept the temperature somewhere between 73-77*F which was really nice, but the amount of humidity in the hallways and other classrooms compared to mine was SO noticeable, and it really made a difference in the ease to breathe! It has cooled off this week, so we're giving Fredrich a break since he's worked so hard lately. :) My class has been SO good about having the air. They don't really know why I have it, but we've discussed not bragging about it and especially not complaining how hot it is when we go into the hallway or other rooms in the school, because we're very fortunate to have A/C. I did get Fredrich a few days before our Open House, so the families who came were able to see/feel the difference. Many parents just mentioned how cool it was, but not many really asked why. I did have this disclaimer on the board:

One parent read it and said, "Wow, you have CF?! I had no idea! I couldn't tell by looking at you. Some of the people I see (she's a surgical technician) are in bad shape." She was so sweet about it, and we talked about my health for a few minutes. It was a nice way to connect with her on a different level than just teacher/parent.
I don't like to wear a sign on my forehead saying, "I have CF", but at the same time, I don't mind share when it comes up. I figured the parents would be wondering why only our class had air and ask, but they really didn't! I think they were so overwhelmed by the heat they just wanted to get out of there! :)

A couple weeks ago, I also started two things: Cipro and "No Bo". I wasn't feeling terrible, but I wasn't feeling my greatest either. With the week of heat before getting A/C in my room, combined with my lower lung function results from my last doctor visit, I could feel it all catching up to me. I was getting exhausted quickly, so I realized I just needed a boost. I got in contact with my doctor and nurse and asked for a round of Cipro to help me out of this funk. Between that and the air in my classroom, I could slowly feel my energy coming back and I was starting to feel back to normal.

Unfortunately, I was on Cipro when we went camping, and completely forgot about the sun sensitivity, so I ended up with sun poisoning on top of my head (where my part is) and on my legs. Thankfully it didn't hurt too bad on my legs, it just looked bad. I was able to keep myself in the shade for the most part during recess duty and avoid it getting worse or spreading.

And finally - What is No Bo, you ask?! It's a running group called "No Boundaries" through a local bike and fitness shop. It's a 10-week program that helps runners of all levels. I'm in No Boundaries One, so our end goal "graduation" is the Turkey Trot in November. I decided to join this group with a mom-friend I met through Baby Talk, and I even got my next door neighbor to join with us, too! I really wanted to get myself back into an exercise routine, but I was struggling to motivate myself and hold myself accountable. With No Bo, I have the routine and accountability that I need. We have group work outs on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with homework in between. I just finished week three of the program and I can already notice a difference!

Not only can I get through the warm-up without my legs feeling like they're on fire, but I decided to run a 5K with Tim and some friends today! Chris, his girlfriend, Sammy, Tim, Chris's family, and I walked/ran a 5K benefiting CASA of Will County. Chris's sister is doing a marketing internship with their organization, so we helped her out by joining the race. Since signing up for No Bo, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get my "homework" in for the day by doing some walk/run intervals. Thankfully, I had Sammy there to motivate the heck out of me and I was able to run almost the entire first mile (~12 minutes) without stopping! That's a huge improvement from where I was three weeks ago! I'd guess we probably ran about 2/3rds of the race, with some walking in between. But I know I would have walked a whole lot more if Sammy wasn't there with me! Of course Tim flew right by us - even pushing Anna in the stroller - and beat us by about six minutes! But hey....we beat Chris! :)

Anna even (somewhat) participated in the Kiddie Run afterward. She was a little intimidated by all the other kids running, and the adults yelling cheering her on, but she tried!

This was before the Kiddie Run started!
She was at the bottom of her age group (2-6 year olds)

I'm really looking forward to the Turkey Trot in November! If I could almost run the whole 5K today, I'm positive I'll be able to run the entire thing by the middle of November! I've been run/walking two-three days a week and I love the way it's helping me clear my lungs. I'm really looking forward to my next doctor's appointment (which isn't until November) because I'll have been in this program for two months, completed a round of Cipro and I'm starting Cayston tomorrow. I hope the combination of treatments and exercise will really help me get my lung function back up where it should be!

In Other News

Last week, I finished my first post-baby 5k!

My friend and co-worker, Allie, and her mom, did it with me. Allie and I were on Team CF Superheroes and we raised $595 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!! Of course since my health was so unpredictable leading up to the run, my training had been sporadic and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to complete the whole thing without stopping to walk. But I signed up to do it and quitting wasn't an option. My goal was to run at least the first half (1.5 miles) and then I'd see how I was doing from there.

There ended up being over 7,000 runners just for the 5k that evening and the atmosphere was amazing!! I typically run with music on, but there were so many people cheering us on that I was able to feed off their energy and distract myself from the fact that I was actually running. Plus it helped having two running partners who set a great slow and steady pace for me.

Waiting to start

It took us about eight minutes to cross the start line after the first runners began, that's how packed it was!

Running selfie. Fail.

We made it to the half way point without walking, so we slowed down to grab a quick drink at the water station, then got right back into running. Thankfully my lungs and body were feeling great and were cooperating...I swear it was the energy of the crowd. Once we made it to mile two, I told myself that I was going to finish this without walking - I'd come this far, I could do one more mile. Around 2.25 miles, something just clicked in me to get moving. I turned on my Pandora, left Allie and her mom and started running a bit faster (which I later learned made me miss Tim & Anna along the street cheering for me because I was on the other side of the street & had my ear buds in, bummer!). When I rounded the corner towards the finish line, I decided to sprint the last 50 yards (we finished in the football stadium). It felt so good! After being so sick and not training as well as I could, I was still able to accomplish this goal. Although this was my slowest 5k (39:32), it was definitely my favorite one I've ever done! I was running to support CF. I was running with CF. I was running in an amazing crowd and atmosphere, and with great support with me and waiting for me.

Can you spot Allie in the crowd just as she crossed the finish line?! It was so crowded!

 

We did it!!

I knew Tim and Anna were waiting for me somewhere in the stadium, which was another huge motivator to run even faster during that last mile. Even though she'll never remember this day, I really wanted her to be there to see me doing this for our family. I run to keep myself healthier. I run to be the best mom and wife I can be. I want her to know what its like to set a goal, work towards it and achieve it. I'm proud that I was able to complete this 5k and will definitely be signing up to do it again next year!

Me, Myself & I (and a little about Anna)

My apologies for posts about Anna taking over the blog lately. As I have come to quickly realize, having a baby pretty much takes over your whole life (and I wouldn't have it any other way). Anna's doing very well, but I'm using this post to update about me.

I've been doing very well and enjoying motherhood so much! Of course it completely sucks working all day and not seeing Anna, but I know that she's in excellent hands. Before going back to work, I was worried about how my body and health would hold up with teaching, taking care of a baby and nursing. And I'll admit, although I feel its going pretty well, it's hard giving my 100% all day, every day at work because I want to be home with Anna. But I take pride in my job, and I want to do it well, and I hope that I'm getting back (even if its a bit slow) to being there for my students as much as they need....because they are extra needy this year.

Click on this picture to visit my homepage
& help me reach my $250 goal

On the health side of things, I really couldn't be much happier. I just had my clinic visit on Thursday and it went very well. I'm up to 118.6lbs and my FEV1 was 88%!!! I haven't seen lung function numbers like that in two years and I haven't been at this weight (aside from pregnancy) in almost three years. Of course I'd love to be in the 90%s for my lung function (can't remember the last time I saw numbers like those), so that's my goal. But I am very proud of where I am now and still so amazed at what this "sick" body can do. :-)

I've started working out again, this time with several teachers after school doing PIYO work outs. We've been doing it for a few weeks now and they're great for strength exercises. To work on my cardio, I also began the Couch to 5K program yesterday, so I'm planning on balancing the two somehow.. I signed up to run a 5K in April, and I'll be running it for CF. I'll be on Team CF Superheroes and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also planning on running Brett's Run again in June, which was the first race I did in 2012.

Overall, things are going wonderfully over here. Hopefully I'll keep finding some time to update on myself, but in the mean time, here's a super cute picture of Anna sporting her Rock CF gear at my clinic appointment on Thursday.

Thankful November, Week 3

Each day of November, I'm going to take some time to recognize at least one thing I'm thankful for, no matter how big or small, then I'll post them at the end of the week. Go here for the first week, and here for the second week.

9) I'm thankful for understanding friends. Today, we spent the day with our friend, Tony because he lives about five minutes from where we're doing our CLIMB tomorrow. This evening, another one of our friends, Chris, came up to hang out with us, too. The guys decided they wanted to go out to an arcade bar, and I decided I was going to call it a night - and I didn't get any crap from them this time! They understood that I wasn't feeling well and wanted to catch up on my sleep, especially before a big day and I just really appreciate that! I also love that Tony was asking me all about how I've been doing and everything I've been taking, like my Kalydeco. He works as an athletic trainer at a high school and is very health-conscious (he's completed TWO Iron Man events!). We compared digestive enzymes (mine are way more powerful!) and he asked lots of questions about how K has been helping me. I love educating others more about my CF, and I appreciate that he cares enough to ask. And thank you, Chris, for letting me sleep! :)

10) "I'm alive and well." Today, Tim and I completed the CF CLIMB! And although I'm in the middle of a nasty cold/sickness/infection - whatever it is - I was reminded that I'm still doing well. I'm still well enough to complete a physical challenge such as climbing 58 flights of stairs. I'm very thankful to be as healthy as I am today. Today was also a huge reminder for how much exercise is good for my health. I'm really hoping I can get back into an exercising routine to make myself even healthier. :)
I heard this song on the radio a week or so ago and I can't get enough of it! Here's my favorite part:

"But not me, I'm alive

And today you know that's good enough for me

Breathin' in and out's a blessin' can't you see

Today's the first day of the rest of my life

And I'm alive, and well.

I'm alive, and well." 

~I'm Alive by Kenny Chesney & Dave Matthews~

11) Today I'm thankful for motivation, especially from my CF friends! After posting about our CLIMB, I got a lot of awesome feedback, and it made me want to do more. I miss the feeling of setting a fitness goal and the best part - the feeling I get after I accomplish it. So today I set a new goal and that's to run another 5K. But not just any 5K - this one is the Rock CF River (half marathon or) 5K in Michigan, put on by a great motivator, and fellow CFer, named Emily Schaller. Today I learned that several CFers that I've 'met' online from around the country are all coming out to either run the Half or 5K, and I'd love to join them. So my motivation for this winter is to get my butt back in shape for this race at the end of March! :-)

12) I'm thankful for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and anyone and everyone who has ever donated to them! Without your monetary support, I would not have many of the medications that I take today. Nearly 90 cents of every dollar donated to the CFF goes directly to CF research and education. That research (which is extremely expensive) is for all the new medications that go to years of clinical trials before becoming available to patients. Read this article to learn much more about the CFF and how far they've come - it's a great read! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! You're helping to keep the CF community alive! :-)

13) I'm thankful for a HUSKIE victory tonight!!! GO NIU!!

14) I'm thankful for the roof over my head! I love our new house and we're very lucky to be able to own our own home. It's an awesome feeling to finally not be renting anymore, and to be able to do whatever we want to our house.

15) Tonight, I'm thankful for YOU, that's right, you, reading this blog right now! Without you (the readers), there'd be absolutely no point in blogging. I love knowing that people care to read what I have to say, whether it's about my CF, teaching, or just life in general. I hope that with this blog, someone somewhere is connecting with what I have to say and not feeling like they're the only one out there. I hope that someone somewhere is learning about CF through this blog. I hope that someone has benefited/gotten some advice from any of my posts. Just like the CF Living videos, I do this blog not only to raise awareness about what CF is and how I deal with it, but also to hopefully be that resource that someone needs. I was there once and I was looking for something like this - to tell me I'm not going through this crazy thing called cystic fibrosis alone - and I hope that I can be that for someone else. :)

16) Today, I'm thankful for weekends. Tim and I are enjoying a nice relaxing day filled with errands this morning, a late lunch, and a lovely nap on the couch! It's really nice not having anything planned this weekend, finally, and to be able to spend some relaxing, stress-free time with my husband. :-)

It Got Me

I've been bit by the exercise bug once again! Yesterday's climb has motivated me to keep exercising! So this morning I went out for my first run (aka: slow jog) since Brett's Run in June. I went about a mile and a half, switching between slowly jogging and walking while hacking up a lung. It felt wonderful!

Here's my next goal: 

The Rock CF Rivers Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk in Grosse Ile, Michigan (I'll be doing the 5K, not the half).

This race is put together by the lovely Emily Schaller who created the Rock CF Foundation (where I got the awesome shirt I wore during the CLIMB yesterday) and also has CF. She's been one of many CF motivators for me and I'd LOVE to run a CF fundraising specific 5K, and meet her! I'm looking for anyone who's willing to make the road trip with me. It's not until March 30th, so we've all got time to prepare and train. I'm serious. I want to go! And, if you have CF, you can sign up for free. :) There are going to be people coming from all over the country to run this and I'd love to be a part of that - now who's with me?!

Positive Thoughts Tuesday: Updates

 Switching it up a bit and doing my Positive Thoughts Thursday Tuesday, today. Thankfully, things are finally, slowly, starting to look up for us!

*A few weeks ago I posted about all of our house drama which is also starting to come together. We actually submitted an offer on a major fixer-upper a couple days after that last post, on a Wednesday, I believe. We offered low because it needed a ton of work and before the listing agent even presented it to her client, she told our realtor that she thought it was too low of an offer and was acting really rude. Then the sellers told us they needed to talk to their attorney about the offer and they'd get back to us by the following Tuesday - this just turned me off. I didn't want to deal with annoying listing agents, more attorneys and delays all over again. We ended up looking at a foreclosure in the mean time that we really liked, so we withdrew our offer on the fixer-upper to submit an offer on the foreclosure Monday or Tuesday. Before we could even get our offer in on the foreclosure, it had sold. :( This meant that we were back at square one with no house, again.
So we decided to just keep looking, and we ended up looking at four houses in one night on Wednesday of last week. The last house we looked at Tim and I both really liked! It wasn't an estate, it wasn't a foreclosure, and it's not even really that much of a fixer-upper! :) We ended up looking at it one more time Thursday night and submitting our offer on Friday! We negotiated a couple times with the seller over the weekend and accepted their counter-offer on Saturday!!! Yesterday I went in to initial the papers, so we're officially under contract with a house and we're both very excited about it! Right now I'm in the process of setting up our home inspection and getting our loan approval process underway, again. :-) Let's hope this one works out this time!!

*Last weekend Tim and I drove down to TN to celebrate our nephew, Cole's third birthday and also to see his new brother, Liam who was born in the beginning of May. It was so fun to be able to hang out with Tim's sisters and their husbands and their kids for the weekend. We had a great time, but I cannot wait until they are living in Illinois so we can do this more often!

Aunt Colleen & Liam

Uncle Tim & Cole

Aunt Colleen pulling Cole & Isaac in the wagon

Baby Liam :)

Aunt Colleen & Cole reading "The Pout-Pout Fish"

Cousin love! :)

*After we got back from Tennessee, we pulled our offer on the fixer-upper, saw those other houses and put in our offer on our current home. Then we left for the weekend again. Tim and I ran our first 5K together on Saturday, along with several of my old co-workers from DeKalb. We did Brett's Run, which was my very first 5K last year. It rained the entire morning while we were waiting for the race to begin so we were soaked before we even started running. Once the race started, the rain died down, but it picked back up again as soon as we were finished.
I had not been training for this run as well as I did last year, so I wasn't too pleased with myself when I had to stop and walk a couple times along the route. But, I am very happy that I was still able to finish in 35:29.7. Tim, on the other hand, blew right past me as soon as we started and finished his first 5K with an awesome time of 26:53.3, that's an 8:40 mile pace! It was really fun being able to do this with Tim and several of our friends this time! I hope that I can keep in shape and that this is something we can do annually together.

Tim & I post-race, drenched!

Our whole team pre-race, nice and dry!

Yay, we survived the rain! :) 

*The other big news of the summer so far is my job placement for next year. Long story short, the district messed up their numbers thinking there would be enough students for three kindergarten classes next year, allowing me to stay as a kindergarten teacher...well it turns out there are not enough students for three classes, so back to the original plan of me moving up to first grade in the fall. I will not have all of my same students from my kindergarten class because we mixed up all of the students at the end of the year, but I'll have a few of the same. I'm very happy that I'm staying in the same building because if you didn't know already, I love my coworkers & job! I will be moving rooms this summer (going from room 15 to room 9 - movin' on up!) which I wasn't planning, but that's okay. It'll give me something to do on those days when I'm bored out of my mind. So this fall will kind of feel like my first year all over again with a new room and new curriculum, but the first grade team is great (one of them is my mentor) and I'm looking forward to working with them. :-) Better start thinking of a clever name to go with their quotes this year, can't call them 'kinder quotes' anymore!

*Even with all of this craziness that's been going on, I've really had a lot of time to relax over the past few weeks, especially during the day while Tim's at work. I've been doing pretty good about getting in an extra treatment during the day - probably about 1/2 the time I do. I just finished up a few weeks of TOBI which really helped clean my lungs out and I've been feeling really good. I had a great workout today - did a 10 minute standing ab video and then a 20 minute medicine ball video that Tim and I did a lot over the winter. I've got about six more weeks until my next CF clinic appointment, so I'm really trying to get my lungs in great shape and really trying to gain some weight. My goal is to cut back on the running and to increase weight training exercises like these workout videos to gain muscle weight.

I've been watching a lot of HGTV & Dr. Phil, doing some cleaning and laundry, but I'm planning on adding more reading this summer. First on my list is The Walking Dead graphic novel! We've been watching the show since it started and I've really enjoyed it. Tim's aunt Linda read this already and said it was totally different from the TV show, so I'm excited to read it. This is the first graphic novel I've ever read, so I'm curious to see how I like it.

I'm also going to see "The Book of Mormon" with Tim's aunt Linda next week, too, which is supposed to be really funny. Then I've got a bachelorette party, bridal shower, Country Thunder, (hopefully moving into our new house), and my best friend's wedding all before the new school year starts! I love having summers off! :-)

Positive Thoughts Thursday

Sometimes I feel like I use this blog to vent/complain about things going on in my life, and I don't want to continue with all of that negativity. So each week I'm compiling a list of positive, happy, lucky, fortunate things that are going on in my life or anywhere around the world.

Here's a side view of what they
do every time I do my treatments!

• I found a local (about 45 minutes from where we currently live) Great Strides 5K!!! I'm so glad to have found a 5K to support the CFF! I'm definitely going to train for this one! :) For information, click here.
• This week I've been on spring break and its been very relaxing. I've been able to read some of a book, watch lots of Dr. Phil (guilty pleasure!) and crime shows, and I even got my planning done for next week already.
• Today I'm heading north!! I'm very excited to see some family and friends this weekend. Tomorrow I'll also be spending the day at the school I worked in last year, visiting previous co-workers and students! Yay!
• Exciting things are happening, but I'm sworn to secrecy for now... ;) It has to do with a couple of my Goals.



Sorry it's blurry - I tried to take a
picture with my webcam.
Archie is loving sitting on my lap while
doing my treatments. And Pez (Tim's sister's
cat) is hanging out on the back of the chair.

• Tim's dad has a pregnant cat at his house. I'm already begging him for a kitten when it gets old enough! I've never had a kitten before and I think it would be so fun. I think I'm turning into a crazy cat lady....We have our cat, Archie. And right now we're "cat-sitting" for my sister-in-law and her husband while their house is on the market. They're trying to move to IL, yay! I don't know if I can handle 3 cats at once...that's a little on the crazy side. :-)

The Urge to Run

I never thought I'd miss running, but I really do. Tim and I have been doing some work out videos a few times a week with a weighted ball which have definitely increased my strength and balance, but I miss running. I know it's probably not the best idea if I'm trying to gain muscle and weight, but it was great airway clearance. I think I'll try to do some weight training a couple days a week with maybe a day of running, just so I don't lose the mileage I built up last year.

Today I tried to mix up my work out routine by doing a few different things, but it just doesn't get my lungs going like running does. This is what I did today: First I did the workout called "Kill Those Legs" to try to build leg muscle, then I did "Malibooty" workout which didn't do too much for me, honestly, and finally I ended with the Standing Abs video which was pretty good and went by quickly -- all of these workouts I found on Pinterest. Although I think these things are good for me, I just don't find them very exciting.

I need to take advantage of the YMCA membership that I have (for free) through my job through May. I'd really like to find a kickboxing class or something to join. I want to find something that will be good cardio and good weight training. The key is to build muscle, not burn too many calories. I should also take advantage of the Y's treadmills while it's still pretty chilly to be running outside.

I cannot wait until it warms up enough so I can start running outside. This Wednesday and Thursday are supposed to be in the upper 40s, so I'm hoping after work I can get outside and see how far I can go. It's been about four months (that have flown by) since I've run because I stopped after the Turkey Trot. I'm hoping that the workouts I've done over the past couple months have helped with my leg strength and will help me get back into my running groove faster.

I think I'm going to sign up for a local 5K in March, just to make myself get back into running. I loved doing races last year and I really want to do more this year. This one is called Penguin in the Park and it's on March 23, which gives me about 6 weeks to get my butt in gear. I haven't signed up yet, but I probably will this week. I need something to look forward to, and I think this is just the thing. :-)

2012: A Year In Review

January: Tim was tested to see if he was a CF carrier and the test came back negative, yay! Also, Kalydeco was approved by the FDA for CFers with the G551D mutation(which I have)!!!
February: Lots of snow, a doctors appointment, and my first blog award.
March: I started running outside and planning for the 2nd annual DeKalb Great Strides. I unfortunately had to reset my compliance count after forgetting some albuterol over a weekend out of town. I was at 215 days!
April: DeKalb Great Strides event went very well and raised over $20,000! There was also lots more running/training for my first 5K.
May: I applied for teaching jobs like crazy, ran some more and registered for Brett's Run (5K).
June: I completed my first 5K! FINALLY got my first teaching job!! (This was a great month!)
July: We started planning for our move due to my new job, and I started bringing items into my new classroom.
August: The big move (about three hours south), the first day(s) of school, and motivated myself to keep running by signing up for another 5K.
September: I completed my second 5K (The Shoreline Classic) about a minute faster than my first, signed up for the Glo Run and Turkey Trot.
October: Tim and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary, and I developed my first chest cold of the season.
November: I completed the St. Louis Glo Run, our local Turkey Trot --and if you're counting, those were my 3rd and 4th 5K's of the year -- and I won a turkey at the Turkey Trot! :)
December: I won Bears vs Packers tickets and attended my first Bears game! I developed another chest infection due to my lovely, germy class/job. Oh, and we all survived "the end of the world". :-)

Overall, I'd say this was a pretty excellent year for me! I was able to accomplish/achieve many of my goals this year. I'm still working on getting my lung function up into the 90s and gaining back the weight I've lost from my added stress this fall. But these are things that I'll continue to work on in the coming year. I'm currently at 301 days of 100% compliance with my treatments - I'd say that another great accomplishment. This year was spent on trying to make myself the healthiest I could be by exercising and staying on track with my treatments. I plan on continuing my exercise this spring, while I focus on weight gain this winter. Here's to a happy, healthy, productive 2013!

Turkey Trot 2012 & Out Run CF

This past Saturday, I ran my fourth 5k - the local Turkey Trot! I cannot believe that I have run four 5k races since June! I am so proud of myself for surpassing my goal of running one.
We had excellent weather for our Turkey Trot on Saturday morning. It was very sunny, no wind and probably about 45 degrees by the time the race started -- much better than I thought it was going to be when I first signed up for it. I finished 5th in my age division (18-24) with a time of 32:37 - that's my best time yet! Here are a few pictures from the event:

My kindergarten teacher friend, Natalie, and I.
This was her first 5k and she finished in under 30 minutes!

Gotta show my CF love & support with my
Out Run CF shirt! :)

I also won a turkey! There was a raffle
at the end of the race and I won a 14.4lb turkey!
Sweet!

I'm planning on this being my last run for the year. I'll try to pick back up again in the spring when it's warm enough to start running outside again because I've really enjoyed the past 5-6 months. My focus right now is maintaining my treatment compliance (259 days and counting!), gaining a little weight, and staying healthy this winter. I'm also going to focus on having more blog posts that don't have to do with running! :-)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

St. Louis Glo Run!

All smiles after completing the run! :-)

Last night, my sister-in-law, cousin and I ran in the St. Louis Glo Run 5K! It was so much fun! I loved doing something like this with family, too! There were a couple DJs (one at the start/finish and the other along the course), strobe lights, black lights, glow sticks and awesome neon race shirts. Since it was in the 40s, the DJ played some dance music before the run to get everyone dancing and warmed up - it was a fun, party atmosphere.
This wasn't as 'intense' as a typical 5K because it was not timed, but it was still a good run. The course was marked with glow sticks and was a little dark at times. There were three tents to run through set up along the route which were sweet: a black light tent, a strobe light tent (very weird to run through) and a multicolored light tent.
There was also a costume contest at the end, which we were unaware of, so there were people dressed in all kinds of things like tutus, neon wigs, butterfly wings, etc. We're already planning on making our wardrobe much more interesting for next year's run!
I was expecting more 'fun' along the route, but I can't complain. I didn't train myself very well for this race, but I did pretty well. My sister-in-law and I walked for about 5 minutes together, and we both ran the rest of the way. I finished in about 37 minutes, I think -- I wore my watch and estimated that we didn't start running til about 6:35 and I crossed the finish line around 7:12ish. My legs are killing me today, but I was coughing up so much lovely mucus. When I don't run for a while, I forget how much my lungs benefit from it. I wish I was better about running/exercising more regularly.
The Glo Run did help me realize that I can still run in cold weather. It was probably mid 40s last night and I didn't notice any difference in my breathing because of the cold air. I layered up and actually was sweating by the time I was done despite it being chilly. I'm not as worried about the Turkey Trot that's coming up in two weeks. I'm sure that one will be a bit colder, and if it's hard on my lungs I'll take it easy, but I know that if I layer up, I can keep myself warm.
Last but not least, I try to show some CF love/support when I do my races because it's the reason I'm doing them in first place. Last night, they had neon paint that you could use, so this is what I chose to do: "Cure CF"

What's Another 6 Miles?

Well, I officially signed up for the Turkey Trot on November 17th! The race is at 9am, so I'm hoping the sun will be shining and it'll be above freezing that morning! :-) I also was able to get one of my fellow kindergarten teachers to sign up for it yesterday - this will be her first 5K! I'm excited that I'll have someone to run (slowly jog) with this time. I actually signed up for it last week, but still haven't gotten myself to go running since the Shoreline Classic two weeks ago.

Then this morning my sister-in-law asked me to do the "Glo Run" with her and her husband (and maybe Tim's cousin) on November 3rd. It looks like so much fun!!! It's an evening run, beginning at 7pm, where the runners get to wear glow sticks, neon shirts, and there will be black lights, strobe lights and a DJ throughout the course!! You do get a number bib, but the run itself is not timed - it's more about the fun and less about the run. :-) I'm SUPER excited to do something like this with family, and it'll be excellent practice for my Turkey Trot two weeks later.

Looks like I'll really need to keep up with my running so that I'm in tip-top shape for these two 5Ks in November. After I signed up for the Glo Run this morning, I was definitely motivated to get back outside again. It was perfect running weather - beautiful, sunny, low 60s with a slight breeze = perfect! I had been telling myself to go to Walgreens to get my flu shot this week and I've just forgotten, so this morning I decided to run to Walgreens and get it! Then after I got my flu shot, the pharmacist told me to walk around the store for a couple minutes to make sure I felt fine before I left, and I made the comment, "Oh, so I shouldn't run home, then?" She looked really confused and I told her that I ran here and that I was planning on running back....she didn't really seem to care, haha! So after I walked around for a few minutes, I decided to start walking back, but after a couple minutes of walking I just gave in and jogged all the way home (0.8 of a mile each way).

I've been feeling fine since I've gotten my flu shot. A couple other CFers I know have experienced some nasty side effects from their flu shots this year, so I'm really hoping that doesn't happen to me. I've never had a reaction to the shot before and I've gotten one every year for as long as I can remember. The only problem I get is a sore arm for a couple days....so hopefully it'll stay that way this year, too.
People have asked me why I get a flu shot if it doesn't protect from every strain of the flu. My answer to that is because some protection is better than none at all. When I catch a cold, or worse the flu, it impacts my body more than a person without CF, especially if it makes it's way into my chest. It could really take a toll on my lung function and my weight because my body would be working extra hard to fight it. I'm also more susceptible to germs this year since I'm working with wonderful, germy, gross little 5 & 6 year olds! So, I suck up a little arm pain for a few days if it means trying to stay even healthier this winter.

Speaking of things taking a toll on my weight - I've definitely noticed that I've lost some weight since I began teaching. Of course I don't mind the way I look because I've lost a lot of my CF belly, but I know that it's important for me to gain a couple extra pounds in case I do get sick this winter. I've also heard that the more healthy your weight is, the better your lung function is....someone please explain that one to me...?
Anyway, I've been struggling with the amount of calories that I'm taking in vs. the amount that I'm burning at work. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, but it's just not enough. Plus I think the extra running is also burning calories that I'm not getting back. I'm really trying to get better about eating healthier because it makes me feel much better (less bloating & bathroom issues), but then I feel like it's harder to get the extra calories I need. If anyone has suggestions of healthy ways to add calories to my diet, I'd really appreciate it. I can't snack too much at work because I'm with my kids most of the day - but I can sneak in a quick snack during plan time if I have it that day. I don't drink whole milk, I drink 2% because it makes me feel better. I'm not a huge peanut butter fan, unless it has chocolate on it. I'm not a huge snacker, I'd prefer to have meals, but I know that has to change. And I'd say I'm a fairly picky eater when it comes to vegetables...but I'm trying to eat healthier -- more home cooked meals and less frozen, fatty crap. Suggestions welcomed in the comments section. Thank you :-)

Shoreline Classic 2012

I ran my second 5K this morning!!! And I completed it about a minute faster than my first one, woo hoo! Originally, Tim and I planned to run it together and we both signed up. But this past week, we had been running together and Tim developed shin splints. He's not one to complain about pain unless it's really bad and he was miserable, so I felt terrible that he had to come take pictures of me when he was supposed to be out there with me. He made a smart choice though because we were afraid he wouldn't be able to walk if he tried to run today! I was still really happy that he was there to support me while I chugged along the more-hilly-than-I-thought course. :) I didn't have such a huge adrenaline rush this time around, but I was still able to run the entire course without stopping, walking or re-hydrating until I crossed the finish line.

When I was in high school, if someone would have told me that I would be excited about running 5Ks in my 20s, I would have called them crazy. Also, if someone told me then that I was going to be healthier in my 20s, I would have called them even crazier because I thought it was nearly impossible to gain any lung function back. Now here I am feeling healthier than I have in a very long time, kicking CF's butt because my compliance and exercise! It just feels good to finally be taking care of myself because I want to, not just because I have to. I still don't absolutely love running, but the feeling I get when I cross the finish line is SO worth it. It's going to be a challenge this winter to stay active because I'm not signed up for any gyms, but I'll have to start looking into alternative exercise until I can get back outside.

I'm debating about signing up for the local Turkey Trot in November. I know it'll probably be much colder than it was this morning (which was high 50s-low 60s) which might not be the best for my lungs. But even if I can't run the whole thing that time, at least I'd be getting out there and doing it! Well...I think I just resolved my issue -- getting out there and trying is better than making excuses and skipping it. Stay tuned in two months for my third 5K, the Turkey Trot on November 17th!

Scattered Thoughts

I don't have one specific story for this post, just a recap of everything that's been going on lately. So I apologize if it seems scattered or all over the place.

• One week from today Tim and I will be running our first 5K together. This will be my second, and his first. I'm excited to be doing something productive/healthy together! 
• We walked a mile then ran a mile this morning and it felt great. He was way ahead of me and finished about 2-3 minutes before me, but it was fun to "compare notes". I told him I felt great afterwards and he said it was because I ran slow. So I told him how I was jogging so my 'breathing didn't get messed up' and he said something along the lines of how his breathing was. I tried to explain to him that I don't run to finish fast, I run to control my breathing, but he just gave me a really confused look....I don't think he's as in-tune with his body as I am. :-)
• I have taught kindergarten for 14 days now! :-) I LOVE IT! My kids are starting to understand the expectations a little bit better (most of them), and we're slowly getting into a routine. I can't wait for it to be a month from now when hopefully more of the kinks will be worked out and things will be running more smoothly. 
• I feel like I am getting a lot of support from my co-workers. One of them gave me "props" the other day because I'm constantly on my kids when they're in the hallway to behave correctly -- I don't want that annoying class that acts like hoolagins (don't know how to spell that) in the hallway! I just thought that was part of my job, but apparently some people don't do that, so it's nice that other staff members noticing that I'm trying my best.
• My grandma passed away this past week after a long battle with brain cancer, she was 84. She was on a slow, steady decline, so we kind of knew it was coming, but it's still hard. I liked to refer to her as the "Queen Bee" of our family, so it's going to be strange not having her around anymore. So later today and tomorrow, Tim and I will be spending time in Chicago with my family for her services.
• This coming weekend we're going camping with Tim's family! This is something we do every year around this time. It's really fun and it's something that I look forward to every year. Since Tim and I signed up for the 5K on Sunday though, we're only able to go camping Friday (after work) and Saturday. But, since we moved, we're only 2 hours away! We used to be about 4 hours away which sucked.
• I'm looking for someone who's going to be around our area Sunday morning to take pictures of Tim and I doing our 5K. It'd be about 8:30am before we're crossing the finish line.

Back in the Saddle!

I finally got my butt out of my classroom and off the couch, and finally went running tonight...and man, did it feel good! The hardest part is always just getting myself to do it...it's like I forget how much better it makes me feel. Tim went with me on his roller blades which encouraged me to run more than walk. I only walked about 1/2 block total. We only went about 1.4 miles (6 blocks), but it was a good start. I'm going to try to get back into my 'on two, off one' day routine again with one more run tomorrow evening. I even registered myself for another 5K to motivate myself to stay healthy and keep running! AND, I got Tim to register too so we'll be running it together!  It is a little less than a month away on Sunday, September 16th, and I'm looking forward to it! :-) (Anyone available that morning to please take some pictures for us, I'd really appreciate it!)

In other news, Monday is the first day of school!!! I am SUPER excited for it! I thought I'd be much more nervous, but I'm not...at least not yet. I've still got a little bit of work to get done in my classroom before the kids come, so I'll be in there for a few hours tomorrow and I'll take updated pictures.
Thursday afternoon we had a Kindergarten Open House where the students and families came in to meet their teacher and drop off any supplies. I was able to meet about 1/2 of my students and their families which was really cool. It was very relaxed and it made me very excited for Monday when I'm able to meet all of my students! :)

363/364

The other day I was looking at my other pages on my blog (goals, heath stats, compliance, etc) and I realized a few things:

• I have met two of my goals this summer: Completed a 5K and I got my first teaching job! Woo hoo!
• I'm also getting pretty close to "making exercise a normal part of my routine". I'm still working towards this one because I did slack off a bit after my 5K in June, but I've been doing really good the past couple weeks with running two days, then resting one day.
• On July 31st, 2011 - one year ago today - I started my 100% compliance. Although in March I forgot to bring some nebulizers on a weekend trip, I have not missed one treatment otherwise - which means that I have completed all of my treatments for 363 out of the past 364 days.                                                   That's 726 treatments = 363 hours = 21,780 minutes = 99.73% of my treatments over the past year! Pretty darn close to 100%! I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself for accomplishing this! I hope that on March 5th, 2013 I am able to say that 99.73% will turn into a definite 100%!

Feelin' on Top of the World!

Today, I am able to cross one of my goals off my list! I completed my first 5K without stopping to walk, in just over 35 minutes!!!

It's official: Runner #196

I will admit, I was extremely nervous before I first started because I have been working towards this goal for months! I arrived about 15 minutes before start time, got all registered, then just hung out with Tim until the race began. There were three sections to choose from for where to line up: competitive runners, recreational runners, and walkers. I chose the second section because my personal goal was to just finish the race without stopping to walk.

There were over 750 registered runners and walkers - kids from 5 years old to adults in their 50s and 60s, it was so cool! When the gun went off to begin I was ready to go! Unfortunately there were a ton of people in the way so the start was slow. But once I was going for a few minutes, it seemed to thin out a little and I was able to find a steady pace for myself. I got the chills running past people who were clapping and cheering us on, it was such an amazing feeling!

There were several people in the neighborhood we ran through that had sprinklers and hoses going into the street, so I ran through as many of those as I could. I also grabbed two cups of water along the way - but it is very hard to drink water while running, so I kind of just splashed it on my face and kept going.

There was not once along the route where I felt the need to walk! My legs never hurt the entire time! I definitely fed off the energy of everyone around me and I was just so proud of myself for doing this! It was such an amazing experience and what a great feeling it was coming around that track knowing that I was going to finish feeling excellent. When I finished I wasn't completely out of breath or hurting - I felt like I could have gone around the track another time or two! Needless to say, I'm very proud of myself for accomplishing my goal today and I'm look forward to finding another local 5K to complete this summer. :-)

Crossing the finish line!!

No Turnin' Back Now

I'm officially registered for my first 5K on June 16th! There's no turnin' back now, just going to have to run through it! Honestly, I'm pretty nervous, but I'm getting really excited, too. Only 16 more days!! 5K here I come!! :-)

I'm Still Here!

Wow, I have been feeling so disconnected from the blogging world the past two weeks! Tim and I decided to cancel our TV and internet service because it was getting way too expensive, so we switched providers for TV but have yet to get internet....I never realized how much I followed peoples blogs and liked to write my own!
Things have been okay lately. Unfortunately I'm on my second round of Cipro (oral antibiotic) for the year because I got this nasty chest cold last week. I've been on it for almost a week now and I'm starting to feel better. I haven't been running in about a week and a half because I was feeling so crappy, but as soon as I get home tonight (using the internet at the library) I am forcing myself to go running! I need to get back out there because my 5K is going to be here before I know it...only about 5 or 6 more weeks, yikes! Gotta get my butt back in shape.
I've also been spending my time applying for teaching jobs like crazy! I am so determined to get a teaching job this year, even if it's out of state. I really enjoy what I'm doing now being a teaching assistant, but it just kills me that I still don't have my own classroom yet, so I really hope some luck comes my way this summer. I really don't want to live very far away from our families or my CF clinic, but I'm to the point where I really need to get some teaching experience under my belt and I'm looking everywhere for it. If all else fails, I'll be an assistant next year again, but I'm really hoping for better.

Oh, finally -- May is National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month (even though I like to spread awareness year round) and on the OWN network tomorrow (Thursday) May 3rd at 9/8c there will be a documentary called 65_Red Roses about a 23 year old woman named Eva with CF going through the transplant process. Here's the link to the trailer. I am planning on tuning in to learn about another CFer's battle with this disease and I really hope you do, too.

Feelin' Good

I've been feeling great the past few days! Sadly, my spring break is coming to an end and it's back to work tomorrow, but I'm craving that routine again. I've had a nice week off with several days to myself, read a couple books, hung out with some friends, got some more Great Strides stuff figured out - overall, it was a nice, relaxing break.

This is the shirt I wear every time I go running because it
gives me the motivation to keep going and Out Run CF!

I also really pushed my running this past week, but more so the past couple days. The route I've been running around my neighborhood is about 2.4 miles and I've always walked and ran it. Yesterday morning I did part of my treatments - my albuterol to loosen my mucus and open my airways - then I went running. I ran (well, jogged) my entire route around my neighborhood without stopping or walking and I think that last few blocks I had a huge grin on my face because I knew I was going to make it! It was so weird because I was breathing great and my legs weren't killing me - it felt so good! When I got back I finished my treatments with my hypertonic saline (HTS) to make me cough up whatever was way down deep in my airways. This morning, I had to do the same thing! I wanted to know if it was just a fluke, or if I could really do it again. And I did! I did the same thing with my treatments, albuterol first, run, and now HTS. This run was much harder on my legs, but I made myself push through it because I knew that if I could do it once, then I could do it again. My plan is to keep running the entire route for a couple more weeks and gradually add in another block at a time until I'm up to 3.1 miles which is the length of a 5K. I've got 68 more days to be comfortably running a 5K and if you would have asked me a week ago if I'd be ready, I would have thought it would have been a close call, but now I'm sure that I'll be able to do it! I never thought I'd be a good runner and I wouldn't consider myself one now, but I'm just so proud of how far I've come since the fall when I started all of this. Go me!