DEALING WITH CROHN'S DISEASE

So I'm finally going to share "my story" with you.  The how and why I got here. I haven't shared this story because I don't want my disease to be my identity.  I'm just a wife, mom and triathlete. Plain and simple.

In the fall of 2008, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease known as Crohn's Disease. Crohn's Disease causes inflammation and ulcers within the digestive tract and can spread deep into the lining of bowel.  Currently, there is no cure for Crohn's.

It was at age 22 when I began experiencing severe, unexplained stomach and gastro issues.  For a variety of reasons I didn't seek the medical help of a specialist. I was sick on and off for 18 years without knowing what was wrong.

At age 40, the wheels came off the cart. Every day I suffered with headaches and severe fatigue.  The fatigue was honestly the worst part of the disease at that point since I had gotten used to the constant pain in my stomach and intestines. I was miserable, unhappy and sick on a daily basis.  My body weight was low because I was afraid to eat.  My ankles began swelling and suddenly walking became a struggle.

I was desperate and at my breaking point!

I sought the help of a wonderful gastroenterologist. I just couldn't go on being sick and in pain every single day.  It was destroying me physically and mentally.  It was disrupting my life, my work, my marriage and motherhood. I knew the answer wouldn't be easy, but I needed the pain to subside. And I was desperate to understand what was wrong with me.

After a series of blood work and a colonoscopy in the hospital, I woke up to a nurse staring down at me telling me I had Crohn's disease.  The disease was scattered throughout my large intestine and the ulcers were quite deep.

Immediately my doctor put me on two drugs (Lialda and 6MP).  They worked really great in the beginning but became less and less effective over time.  I began trying to understand how my diet controlled the disease.  I knew anything carbonated was bad.  Beer...absolutely no! Fast food and processed food...absolutely no! I needed to learn everything I could about the disease.

Slowly I discovered that it wasn't just one food in particular that triggered my symptoms.  It was the way certain foods were spiced and/or prepared and/or cooked.  It came down to fine tuning the details of everything I ate and drank.  To this day, I don't think I have it dialed in 100% and I probably never will.

In 2011 things got worse and I had to go on Remicade. Remicade is a biological drug that I receive every 8 weeks through an intravenous (it takes about 3 hrs for the infusion). 

Tom and I got into running a few weeks after my first treatment. The first few infusions were tough because I felt really tired afterwards. Also, I had to pee all night long and my back and kidneys hurt.  After the 5th infusion the side effects subsided. Today, I don't even notice any side effects at all and I can go for a run or bike ride immediately after my treatment.

I'm guessing Remicade has helped, but learning about food and diet has helped me a thousand times more.  I believe most autoimmune diseases are triggered by food and what we eat.  If you think I'm off base I invite you to watch the documentary 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead'. You'll see what I mean.

There's a lot more to my story but I'm going to wrap it up at this point. Someday I'll share my discoveries about food in general and how eliminating certain foods have brought me into remission...which is where I am today.
I'll end with this thought: If you have stomach and/or gastro issues be aware of how your body responds to refined carbs (white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc) and sugar. IMO, significantly cutting back on refined carbs and sugar is what brought me into remission today.  And I'll leave it at that...for now.

STATEN ISLAND HALF MARATHON RACE REPORT 2014

Well NYRR made some changes to the Staten Island Half Marathon this year, and it was a significant improvement.  Last year the stadium was off limits (except for the kids race) but this year, the stadium was the focal point of the race.

There were two HUGE logistical improvements to the Staten Island Half this year: 

For starters, they offered race day packet pickup at the stadium where the race was being held.  Last year, packet pickup was a store location somewhere on Staten Island.  Unless you lived on Staten Island and knew exactly where this location was, you didn't want to chance race day packet pickup.  Convenient race day packet pickup is a big thing IMO!

In the past, the parking lot located next to the stadium was completely closed off to traffic.  This year however, that parking lot (entrance on Jersey Street) was open and you were allowed to park your car in the lot.  Major improvement points there!

The start line was at the same location this year as it was last year.  I made sure to pay closer attention to the mile markers so that I could give a more accurate race report. We ran along the water, then turned up and onto St. George Avenue.  We continued along St. George Avenue onto Bay Street.

Runners ready to run the Staten Island Half

The first noticeable incline was at 2.8 miles, followed by another decent incline at 3.5 miles.  The 3.5 mile incline was the one that gave me side stitches last year.  This year...no side stitches.  I learned my lesson from last year.  Another smaller incline awaited us at mile 4.

After mile 4, you run under an overpass near the Verrazano bridge.  They always have a DJ playing music there.  As you  approach mile 5 you get a nice downhill where you can pick up some speed. A timing mat was located at the 10K mile marker, and the turn-around point was close to the 7 mile marker.  I would say miles 5, 6 and 7 are pretty flat (and boring) along Father Capadanno Blvd.

Then comes miles 8 and 9.  The end of mile 8 into the beginning of mile 9 are the toughest on this course.  Mile 8 ends with a grade going up and mile 9 begins with a challenging uphill climb.  Last year I had to run/walk the hill, but not this year.  This year I was able to trudge my way up without having to stop and walk.

After the big hill, the course flattens for a while and you even get a small decline at one point. I noticed the next incline was around mile 11. At that point I wanted to stop and walk so badly, but I didn't.  The last uphill climb is during mile 12 and it's the final push that brings you home.

Once you make it past that, the road flattens and you get to run down the ramp towards the stadium. This is where a lot of spectators hung around and cheered. We came down the ramp, took a left hand turn and ran into the Staten Island Yankees Stadium. We ran across the ball field towards first base, where the finish line awaited.  They had the big screen showing the runners as they crossed the finish line.

Tom, my brother and I wearing some
nice looking bling

The use of the stadium was a significant improvement this year! This year, the kids race started at noon whereas last year the kids race started 2 hours after the half marathon began. Several runners missed seeing their children partaking in the kids run because they were still out on the course themselves.  Noon was a much better start time, IMO.  There was plenty of water and Gatorade stations on the run course. More porta potties would have been nice since there seemed to be a long line again.

A PERSONAL FOOTNOTE:
At the beginning of this race I decided to follow the advice of an article I read in Runners World magazine.  Not once did I look at my watch or at the pace clocks.  I simply ran the very best that my body could run.  6.75 miles into the course, a runner was receiving CPR on the side of the road.  It was a very upsetting scene to witness. Apparently he suffered a heart attack during the race, but NY's finest managed to resuscitate him.  He is currently in critical but stable condition.  After witnessing that, it was no longer a "race" for me.  It was about running with a grateful heart!  I feel guilty that it took something tragic like that for me remember that I should be always be grateful for what I am capable of physically achieving.  I ended up finishing in 1:45:48, a new half-marathon PR for me.  And I made a promise to myself that I would try to run with a grateful heart as often as possible.  "The race is long, and in the end it's only with yourself".  Sage words to live by.

LONG DISTANCE SWIM, BIKE, RUN WEEK

It's been a good week. I'm starting to see some progress towards my goals and I stayed on track with my training program. And you know this is a tough time of the year to stick with training especially when everything is Pumpkin Spice and comfortable.  I keep telling myself that I have at least one, possibly two half Iron Man distance races in my future and that seems to keep me motivated.  I can see the holidays are going to be a challenge.

SWIM PROGRESS:
The other day I went for my one mile swim (72 lengths in the pool). I felt really good so I decided to make it a "century swim"...100 lengths. I finished 100 lengths and the guy in the lane next to me said if I swam 26 more lengths I'll have completed a 1 3/4 mile swim. So I went the distance.  After that I decided that once a month I'm going to push myself and do a 2 mile swim. Notice how 1 3/4 miles got pushed to 2 miles.

And, I'm noticing a difference in my swim technique. Swimming is starting to feel a bit more natural. I had a terrible habit of looking forward when I swam as opposed to looking down.  Correcting this has made a tremendous difference in my body position and my legs don't feel like their sinking so much. I'm also trying to stop over-rotating when I breathe and this has also made a huge difference in my swim technique.  My arms, neck and shoulders are more relaxed so I can add distance on without fighting my way through the water.  I'll be meeting with coach Jerry soon and I'm curious to hear what he has to say.  Coach Jerry has a tough-love way of coaching. I joke that he hits you a padded hammer.

RUN AND BIKE PROGRESS:
On Wednesday I did my longest run since last spring. I ran 16 nonstop miles at a pace of 9:18 per mile. Not a great pace for someone whose hoping to qualify for Boston, but for now the focus is distance. At mile 15 my legs started feeling a bit heavy, but I held on until the end. I also drank this energy drink by Tailwind Nutrition. It isn't the greatest tasting drink, but it isn't horrible either.  I alternated between my Tailwind drink and regular water.  It was a combination that kept me going and my legs weren't sore after the run!  That was a very pleasant surprise.

Thursday I rode with Lexa for 15 miles and got used to my new Redshift aerobars.  They feel great! I'm so glad I added the aero bars on.  It feels so much better to lean on them as opposed to leaning on my wrists.  And I got used to riding with them pretty quickly.  I even made right and left hand turns while in aero position, which I'm pretty proud of. And after my bike ride I went to the Y and completed a one mile swim.

Last but not least, I purchased new running sneakers.  They are the Adidas Adios Boost and let me tell you that I absolutely LOVE them! I never like new sneakers out of the box, but these are different.  They are SO comfortable. I feel like they're the sneaker equivalent to driving a Cadillac.  I'm just thrilled, thrilled, thrilled with my new sneakers.

It was a positive and productive week.  Friday I'll do an easy 5 mile run in preparation for Sunday's race, then I'll go to the Y and bang out a one mile swim.  Saturday is packet pick up in NYC and fueling for the Staten Island Half. And Sunday?  Well that's shaping up to be a beautiful race day.  I'll see you at the START LINE!



My new Adidas Adios Boost sneakers

NEXT UP...THE STATEN ISLAND HALF

This coming Sunday 'The Posse' (Tom, my brother Lester and I) will be running the Staten Island Half Marathon. This is first time Tom and my brother are running it and it's my second time.

I was excited to run this half last year because Staten Island is where I was born and raised. I felt like I was running in my old neighborhood and familiar turf.  My brother didn't run it last year because he felt it was too hilly.  It has some grades, but nothing dramatic.

 

Staten Island Half Marathon 2013

The worst part of this race is finding parking. Notice how I'm always talking about parking?  Perhaps I have an obsession.

The St. George area is a parking nightmare so if you get there an hour before the race, your screwed.  We got there about an hour and half before the race, and were screwed. Tom and I nearly killed each other in the car (it was not a pretty scene).  

After circling around endlessly we stumbled upon the St. George Courthouse parking garage.  It's a covered, flat rate fee parking garage on Central Avenue.  We were fortunate to find a spot there and made our pilgrimage to the start line.

One thing you'll notice (if you drive there) are people running with their bibs on far away from the start line. At first I didn't know what the hell was going on.  Someone explained to me later that many of the NYC Marathoners use the Staten Island Half as their last long run. So they do a 7-8 mile pre-run, then get to the start line and run the race.

When we arrived at the start area, I got on line for the potty.  I had 35 minutes before gun time. Surely 35 minutes is enough time, right?  WRONG! The national anthem played while I stood on line.  I was ready to give up, but I was next so I held on. 

After the potty episode I ran to the start corrals.  I couldn't find any openings to get in.  A group of nice people let me climb over the railing so that I could get into the corral with them.  Luckily the start was delayed by a few minutes.

The horn went off and we took off with it.  I remember somewhere between mile 3 and 4 there was a grade going up.  I didn't slow my pace enough and I ended up with the worst case of side stitches ever.  I slowed down, got my breathing under control and the side stitches subsided a bit. 
 
Mile 6 had a downhill and it turned out to be my fastest mile.  I got something to drink and wondered where the hell the turn around point was. 

After reaching the turn around point, I mentally felt better.  There was a nasty hill around mile 9, its the one that leads you up to the Verrazano Bridge. I ran/walked/ran/walked that hill.  Once I got over it I kept telling myself it's just Bay Street and the finish line.

Bay Street wasn't bad except that it has a zillion potholes.  At one point a woman stumbled and almost fell in front of me, causing me to almost fall over her.  Luckily we both held it together. No domino effect today! A few residents and store owners lined the road and cheered us on, which was really nice.  

The last graded hill was somewhere around mile 12.  I remember it being towards the end of the course.  I kept thinking "one last push and your home". It felt good to be heading home.

The end of the race goes down a ramp towards the ferry terminal.  There are a lot of spectators lined up and it's so cool hearing them cheer.  You may want to turn the music off and enjoy the moment.  The finish line is located near the 9/11 memorial. 

They had a kids race at the stadium which I thought was stupid.  They did the kids race at the exact moment when most people were coming across the finish line.  It was 2 hours after the start of the half marathon.  So if you run a 2 hour half marathon and you want to see your kid race, your screwed.  Not sure if they changed it this year but I complained to the race director.

Lastly, getting out of the parking garage sucked!!! Roads were closed because of the race, people were sitting in traffic, everyone just inched along (at best).  Fight number two broke out between Tom and I as waited in traffic. Lets get ready to rumble!

In summary the Staten Island Half is a fun race, but its no Brooklyn Half. Sorry, but the Brooklyn Half rocks! You have to get there early and have lots of patience for this one, especially if you drove.  The smart people take the ferry but since I'm from NJ that option doesn't logistically work for me.  

5 more days until the race. Hopefully Tom and I won't kill each other this year.  At least my brother will be there to referee this time.  I'll share my race review (the 2014 edition) on Monday as I recover.  See you in Staten Island!

I'VE GONE AERO WITH REDSHIFT SPORTS

Lexa and I got an upgrade! Yup, you heard it here first...we're going aero.  Or at least as "aero" as I can get on a road bike.

For the last few months I've been looking into different types aero bar systems.  Before you go there, yes I know a tri bike would have been better if I could afford one.  But right now a tri bike is not in my budget, its just a reality.  Hey, no one said triathlon was a cheap sport!

After researching online, I decided to go with RedShift Sports.  RedShift calls their system a Switch Aero System, meaning that you can easily switch back and forth between aero position or road position without the use any special tools. So, I can have a semi-aero bike or a road bike whenever I want. Remember, your limited to how aerodynamic you can really get on a road bike.

I contacted RedShift because I wasn't sure if the seat post would fit my road bike.  The owner contacted me back within a few minutes and reassured me that if it didn't fit, or if I wasn't happy I could return the system.  After our correspondence, I place my order.

I placed the order on Thursday and my system showed up on Saturday.  Man that was fast!

Lexa and I mean business

I scheduled an appointment with Halters Bicycle Shop to have my new aero bars and seat post professionally installed.  The shop owner had never seen nor heard of RedShift Sports, but he liked the concept and mentioned everything was nicely manufactured and not too heavy.  He wasn't sure why someone hadn't thought up of the switch concept sooner.

It took nearly 3 hours for him to install and adjust my bike so that I could have the best fit possible.  And here's the nice thing; if I'm riding a hilly course and I know I can't or won't be using the aero bars, I can easily remove them and put them back on.

The seat post has a mechanism where you can move the seat forward and backwards, on the fly.  So if I want to ride in aero position and I need to get closer, I can shift the seat forward. If I come to an area where I don't want to use the aero bars and I want to sit back more, I can easily shift the seat back and give myself some more room. Nice, huh?

I took Lexa out for a quick spin last night.  At first it felt really strange using aero bars. It wasn't the brand of aero bars, it was because I've never used aero bars before.  I know I'm going to have to get comfortable with them.  I also think I may need a minor tweek here or there as far as the fit goes.  I feel as though the saddle is too high for me.  But overall the aero bars felt very comfortable.  Once I get out there and use them some more, I'll be able to share a better review.

All in all, I don't know how often I'll be removing or switching between aero position and road position, but I looked at this way.  If I'm going to invest the money in aero bars, and I can easily have the option of switching between aero and road position, I'll take that option.  And with RedShift Sports so far it looks as though I have that option.