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I’m thankful for a great run this past weekend! A lot of my runs in May and the beginning of June were frustrating due to the heat, but I had a run that felt great this past weekend and I’m thankful for that! It’s great to mentally be able to fall into a good groove and enjoy the run!
I’m thankful for nice, gentle breezes. When it’s hot outside, I am so thankful for gentle breezes while running or walking, as it does a lot to help me feel refreshed in the heat. I’m thankful for the gentle breezes that we’ve had, and that the wind hasn’t been too bad lately!
I’m thankful for a great weekend with friends. I had so much fun this past weekend with a bunch of different friends going to the movies, out to eat, watching TV, and playing games!
At Jurassic World in 3D
I’m thankful for Nuun. I rely on nuun for runs and bike rides in the summer, or even while traveling or sitting by the pool! Having deliciously flavored tabs that dissolve in water that provides electrolytes I sweat out is really important to me, and I’m thankful that I heard about nuun!
I’m thankful for free calling services to people overseas. All of my siblings are currently living overseas, so to have a free app that allows me to message and talk on the phone with them is something I am thankful for every single day! I’m thankful that I live in a time and age where staying connected is fairly easy.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
As I type this I’m in the middle of a rough POTS moment, and while I’ve written some about POTS, it’s rarely in the middle of rough times… so here it goes:
One thing I haven’t really talked about with POTS is the extreme loss of energy that those with the diagnosis can suffer. It’s crazy, it’s unpredictable, and it can switch in an instant… and it just happened to me two hours ago.
Earlier today it started with my eyes struggling to focus at moments, which lead to a migraine an hour later. By the time dinner hit (I had a picnic at work) I was feeling a little sick and my heart rate had picked up. By the time I got home from work, I was feeling weak, and all I wanted to do was be on the couch. It’s frustrating how quickly things can change when I felt just fine this morning.
There are two ways I know to describe what this loss of energy is like: imagine with me for a minute that someone has attached something to you that sucks away every ounce of energy from you, leaving you feeling limp. Then imagine that someone has strapped on weights to all your appendages, and is expecting you to carry on with life. Does that feel impossible, because it certainly does if you have POTS. Add some aching that feels worse than the flu, and that’s the best way I know to describe how I feel.
All I want to do is lay motionless (right now I am on my back with my computer on my lap and barely moving to type, and even that feels overwhelming. Even just laying completely still I’m in pain, aching. It all happens so quickly. It may be over in half an hour, it may be over tomorrow, or it may take a few days. That’s life with POTS. And it’s frustrating.
Moments like this feel almost impossible. I want to cry because the pain gets to be so great- it hurts to have such little energy. In panicky moments I worry that it will be this way always- and then of course I remember that these moments pass.
I post a little about my diagnosis, but I think what people see is someone who lives a very busy life, bikes a lot, runs races, etc… and it looks like POTS doesn’t impact my life too much. I try to keep things upbeat around here. But in reality these moments also happen on a regular basis- I just don’t share them, but they deeply impact my life.
So I thought it would be honest- that in my vulnerability those of you with POTS might find connection- to know that you aren’t alone in these feelings, and that those of you who have never had a chronic or invisible illness might have a better way to understand. From the outside it’s easy to look like I’m exaggerating or making something up- no one can see how I feel. All I know is that it’s my reality.
For more information on POTS, check out my POTS page.
Things got better once I got off the trail and hit the country roads again. Around mile 10 I started to hit hills, and was on rolling hills from miles 10-30. I usually get a few hills in on my rides, but rolling hills for 20 miles is definitely not something I’m used to at all!
I hit 13.8 miles at 1 hour, and was happy with that pace, but obviously my overall pace went down after that with the hills, which I’m not so used to doing.
Somewhere around mile 14 I was biking past a field, and saw a deer out eating about 50 feet from me, and I loved watching the deer as I biked slowly past, enjoying the moment. I also saw this sign, which I loved!
I actually stopped at mile 16 to use the rest room, which isn’t typical on rides, but was definitely necessary.
I turned around at mile 16 and was suddenly biking up hills and against the wind- yikes! I was definitely going slow and my legs were sore and shaking from the extra work I was putting into the ride. Talk about a good workout!
I was reminded once again that pace isn’t everything in getting stronger, and this was a solid workout despite the fact that I ended my ride with an overall pace of 12.9 mph (yikes!).
Here’s what I ate on the ride:
- Mile 6: 3 shot bloks
- Mile 16: 1 honey stinger waffle
- Mile 28: 2 shot bloks
- Drank 30 ounces of nuun
Overall I really enjoyed the ride. I love being out in nature, and I loved the work out of the hills! It’s definitely something that I’ll be riding again this summer. One of the things I really love most about biking is the chance I get to explore new roads.
It was getting light outside, but sunrise wasn’t technically until 6:15, so most of my run was done before the sun actually started to beat down on me. That being said, my pace has absolutely slowed down to the heat (it was 75 degrees with about 75% humidity when I left), and I held on to about a 13 minute pace per mile- so much slower than my pace for my last few half marathons!
I have to work to not beat myself up a bit over those slower times- I know that pace has to slow in the summer, especially with me having POTS! It’s more important to be safe than to be fast.
The first two miles felt a bit stiff as I was slowly shaking out and trying to find my groove. Then I turned and ran in a different direction and caught a great cross wind which I was SO thankful for!
I tried out my new running outfit today and really loved it! This mesh shirt is totally breathable, and is essentially like not wearing a shirt while still giving a bit of coverage. These under armor shorts were really comfortable, and the little holes in the shorts also let in a lot more wind which was nice! I give a huge thumbs up to this outfit, and you can probably find me running in it most of the time this summer.
Around mile 4.2 I passed this little field with hay bales out, and I stopped to take a quick picture because I thought it was so pretty. This fly over state sure is beautiful!! 🙂
I finished the run at 5.65 miles, and had the best run of the last five weeks… since my half marathon the first weekend of May! I averaged a 13 mile pace as I mentioned above, and I’m ok with that considering the heat.
Now it’s your turn to share! What time do you get up to run in the summer? Any summer running “must-haves” that you rely on for your runs?
I tend to use this color when I don’t have time for nail polish to really dry, as it dries so quickly and you shouldn’t use a top coat with the polish. It holds up really well though! I absolutely love the texture of the polish- it really feels like sand is in the polish.
Random Facts:
1. Last Friday night I went to a park and had a picnic dinner by myself and then sat on the bench and read for about two hours. The sun was out but it was starting to cool down from a very hot day, and it was just so wonderfully summery. I’d like to do it again this summer!
2. I intend to give you all flower updates throughout the summer because… well… I love my flowers. Judge me if you wish 😀 Aren’t they beautiful?
3. It just started hailing as I was typing this. I feel so helpless with hail- I can’t protect my car and I can’t protect my flowers. I just stood helplessly as they took a beating 🙁 Luckily there doesn’t appear to be any hail damage
4. Were you a fan of Serial but have felt lost since it ended? (if you haven’t listened to the serial podcast yet, please let me take this moment to encourage you to do so!) This past week I started to listen to the “Undisclosed” podcast, which is about the same case, and gives other/more information that builds off of Serial. It’s just so interesting.
5. I know it’s officially summer when those little curls at the base of my neck come out from the humidity. My hair gets ridiculously curly in the summer!
Now it’s your turn to share! Are you a fan of the “Serial” podcast? What’s one random fact from your week?
I’m thankful for the calm I find outside in nature. I spent a LOT of time outside this past week between eating meals, biking, walking, running, and reading, and I’m so thankful for the calm I find out there. Whether it’s the sun shining, birds chirping, green grass, beautiful flowers, or fluffy white clouds, I appreciate it and am thankful for it.
Sun rays!
I’m thankful for good books! I am so thankful for the presence of books and that I had the opportunity to have a written language and learn to read. It’s so easy to take that process for granted, but I am well aware that there are so many people who don’t have the option of one or more of those things. I’m thankful for the education, fun, and escape that books provide.
I’m thankful for the love and support I get from so many people who are dear to me. I’ve spent time almost every day the past few weeks with one friend or another, and so value the sweet time I have with them. I know I don’t put most of my friends on the blog (unless they have one too, I don’t put people on here), but that doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly important to me.
I’m thankful for my “it is well” tattoo. I’m thankful for the constant reminder it is to me, and I’m thankful it’s constant on me. I stare at it a lot during hard moments, and love having it as something to ground me.
tattoo in florida
I’m thankful for donut bites! This weekend I went to Dave & Busters with a group of people (it was my first time there!) and I got donut bites for dessert. They came with raspberry and chocolate dipping sauces and they were delicious!
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today? What’s one thing that is grounding or peaceful to you?
Big Little Lies is about a group of kindergarten moms, and follows a year of their lives. The book starts by setting the scene: there’s been a murder, and a number of moms are being interviewed by a detective. Then the book jumps back a year and the story unfolds, interrupted at moments by brief phrases that the various men and women used in their interviews with the detective. The catch is that the author doesn’t tell the reader who has been murdered or who was the murderer until almost the very end, so I was kept guessing throughout the entire book. There were several shocking moments, and my cousin even heard me yell “OH MY GOSH” as I was sitting reading one morning as she was getting up. The book was funny, suspenseful, and felt pretty realistic in many ways to me.
Here are a few notable quotes that provide the back drop to the tensions, and ultimate murder, within the group:
“They say it’s good to let your grudges go, but I don’t know, I’m quite fond of my grudge. I tend it like a little pet” (page 25) <- How many of us do the same thing?!
“All conflict can be traced back to someone’s feelings getting hurt, don’t you think?”
“It was just so very surprising that the good-looking, worried man who had just offered her a cup of tea, and was right now working at his computer down the hallway, and who would come running if she called him, and who loved her with all of his strange heart, would in all probability one day kill her.”
I gave Big Little Lies a 4 on goodreads, but would’ve given it a 4.5 if the website would allow it! The first few pages were sort of strange to read, but within the first 20 or so I was hooked, and fell asleep multiple nights while reading, not wanting to put it down. I can’t wait to read more books by Moriarty (I’ve already added several to my “to read” shelf on goodreads and am in the middle of reading What Alice Forgot right now).
For more book reviews, check out my book lists and reviews page.
Now it’s your turn to share! Have you read anything by Moriarty yet? What’s the last book you read that captured your interest almost immediately?
Let me rewind a bit. I’m still not used to summer running, so I left for my run around 9 am, which I can’t do in the summer! It was in the upper 60s/low 70s while running, but the humidity was about 94% so it was especially tough for me.
The first mile was somewhat slow going, although only about 25ish seconds slower than normal pace. Right when I hit the first mile I got my first cheer, which surprised me but was really fun. Another half mile in and I was really regretting not getting out earlier. I started adding about 15 seconds to my walk breaks (I do 3:1 run:walk) and my heart rate was picking up faster and faster. With POTS running in the heat is extra difficult, and I could tell that POTS symptoms were kicking in a bit. I did the only thing I could do if I wanted to finish the race- WALK a lot more.
I hit mile 2 and got some cheers from some Bibrave friends which was lots of fun! At this point I was more than thankful that I had brought my handheld. In cooler weather I don’t even think about drinking during a 5k, but today I downed a huge amount of Nuun (maybe 10 ounces- huge for a 5k!). Today I went with the TriBerry Flavor, and absolutely loved it!
By the time I hit about 2.5 miles I was down to a 1:1 run:walk ratio, so while I was going slower than I almost ever do on a run, I was still moving and hadn’t passed out, so I counted that as a win! Suddenly I hit a long stretch of road that was in the shade, and it was instant relief! I picked up my pace and duration of run segments, and fell into a good grove.
I stopped to take a picture of my garmin at mile 3.1:
Maybe my slowest 5k “race” ever? Oh well. I ended the run at mile 3.5, and was happy that I had finished it despite the hot weather. Summer weather is just tough to get used to.
For other races, check out my race recaps page.
Now it’s your turn to share! Are you still struggling to get used to exercising in the heat this summer?
Last May and June I really struggled with bonking at the end of my rides, not fueling myself well enough. In July and August I fell into a good rhythm, and made sure to write down what I was eating and when I was eating it so that I wouldn’t have to re-learn this year.
I headed out mid-morning due to it being a little chillier, and it was about 60 degrees when I left. Last summer I listened to a lot of audiobooks while biking, and while I plan to do that again, I was behind on podcasts and decided to try to catch up on them first!
I biked to the trail and as soon as I hit the train, I began to relax a bit more and fell into my old pattern. I know I mentioned last year that one of the things I loved about going on the trail all summer and fall was getting to watch the crops grow, so I made sure to check them out today. The corn was only a few inches tall at this point, and it was so cute!
I stopped at mile 11.75 to eat a Honey Stinger (I can eat shot bloks while riding but haven’t figured out how to eat the waffles while biking yet), and snapped this shot:
When I turned around the wind was a lot more intense, and I was bent over close to my handle bars pedaling fiercely. I hit 13.8 miles right at the hour mark, and was thrilled at that pace. My pace slowed down a bit in the middle miles as I biked against the wind, but again could tell that I was much stronger than I was at this point last year.
I ended up biking 30.25 miles, which is farther than I’ve biked since my ride to Mackinac (but just a bit longer than my bike trainer PDR this past January), and I couldn’t be more pleased, especially for my first ride on the road. My body definitely felt a bit rough after that, as it was a longer distance than I’d biked in awhile, and I was going over bumps and being jolted around a bit as well.
I loved feeling the wind on my face again and seeing all the little creatures running and flying around. I honestly forgot just how much I loved the trail.
- Drank: 30 ounces electrolyte water
- Ate:
- Mile 6: 2 shot bloks
- Mile 12: 1 honey stinger waffle
- Mile 20: 2 shot bloks
That fueled me really well and I never felt myself bonking! I’d say my first time back on the road again was a success!
Now it’s your turn to share! Have you been out biking yet this summer?
The ring finger glitter is Essie’s “on the rocks”, which I also love.
Here are a few random facts for you:
1. I am watching “Gossip Girl” for the first time, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I have no real answer for why I didn’t watch it at the time, but I’m just starting Season 3 right now and am loving having conversations about the show with friends who have previously watched it.
2. Let’s talk about my phone for a minute. I’m still using my iPhone 4s that I got back in 2011, and it’s really dying a slow death. I used to say that I had to wait until after Mexico to get a new phone (I didn’t want to take a brand new phone to Mexico), and now I’m just not getting one out of stubbornness. Sending a few texts drops my battery almost 10%, and I don’t even go to a friend’s house or out to dinner without my phone charger. It’s ridiculous.
3. I went to Chick-fil-A last weekend, and at that point it was my 4th time there in 10 days. That’s a real problem, but also… no shame 🙂 I love their chicken, waffle fries, sweet tea, and lemonade, and I certainly had my fill of it! I wish I lived closer to one!
4. I finished Guiliana Rancic’s “Going Off Script” last weekend (I listened to it on audiobook, which I love for autobiographies because I love hearing the stories in the author’s own voice). I watched a number of the seasons of her show “Guiliana and Bill” so I knew a lot of the stories she told, but I still enjoyed the book. For any fans of her or the show, I’d definitely suggest the book. It’s a great summer time read.
5. On numerous occasions I’ve talked about Oreo cookies here, and today I’m doing it again. Have you tried the Limited Edition S’mores cookies yet? They are DELICIOUS and so great for summer.
Now it’s your turn to share: Tell me one random fact from your week! Have you ever watched Gossip Girl?
