A Masterpiece

We are all amazingly unique "works in progress" and we are all at different points in our journey. This month I celebrate my one year "Blitziversary" ~ one year working with my trainer, Blitz. He has brought much needed perspective to me, as well as made me rethink what is possible with regard to my fitness goals. 


On a regular basis, he kicks my arse and doesn't let me slide. He knows I am a girly girl at heart, but prefers to bring out the Adrenaline in me. And it works. I know not to whine. In fact, he will often say, "There is no whining in Adrenaline"! I do what he tells me and the results speak for themselves. He pushes me to places I never knew I could go! Who knew a year ago that I could do push ups? Or jump rope? Or do an insane amount of burpees? He did. 


Is there something you don't think you can do? Just remember that the only limits are the ones you make. Everything is possible!


You are a masterpiece. We all are. Let's not be afraid to become who we really are.

"Keep working toward your fitness goals, the masterpiece of you is about to unfold"   ~ Blitz

It Was Easier!

Running...

It was easier today, and I don't even have an easy button!

I have grown accustomed to running being hard. Very hard sometimes. I joked with someone the other day that I want a dang easy button in my Christmas stocking this year. You know, then I can just press it and voila! Running would magically be easy.

Well, today it actually was easier. It was easier because I have been training. Sticking to my Galloway Training Method. And holy crap...it worked! I felt lighter on my feet...almost like I was gliding on ice or something. Now, it wasn't a cake walk, to be sure, but I could most definitely tell it was getting better. I am even getting faster. 

This is terribly exciting because I am seeing my own improvement. I am feeling my own improvement.

So, on this December day, running was a bit easier than it had been...and that is a very good thing! I can only imagine how much better it will get as I continue with my training...

"Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." ~     Mark Twain

The Constant in My Sea of Change

Well, 2011 is nearly history.

This year has brought mounds of change for me...my mother's death from breast cancer, my father's new life and cancer diagnosis, losing and saying goodbye to my home, preparing to move back into the home of my youth, rediscovering my incredible Italian extended family and reconnecting, heartbreak, training for my first half-marathon, and reevaluating my life. And somewhere in there, I turned 42 and became the mom of a teenager. Really?!

I've been in a hugely reflective mode recently, and it has caused me to realize that amidst ALL of the change going on around me, my walking, running, and working out with my trainer have been the one constant through it all. Going through the last weeks of my mom's life, shedding all the emotional baggage with her...my time alone walking, and eventually running at my favorite lake was always a part of my day. Dealing with banks, and endless phone calls and stress...yes, thank God for my running.

The whole act of putting my hair up in my ponytail, getting on my running clothes and shoes, heading to my peaceful place, cranking my iPod, and hitting the pavement...that was always there. Always.

I am still in the midst of some tough life issues right now...not completely out of the financial crap field yet, BUT, each day, no matter the issues facing me, you can find me on my 6 mile trail or on the waterfront. Clearing my head, bolstering my heart, and training my body.

Training for my first half-marathon has been quite liberating and has given my crazy roller-coaster filled life some needed stability. It has been the constant in my sea of change.

A wise and dear person told me that change is the only constant. And it's so true. Life is always changing, whether we realize it, or acknowledge it. How I choose to accept that change is what matters.

So, change? Yeah, bring it on. I'm tougher than I used to be and stronger than I think.

I'm a runner and I'm in training. Who knew?!

Me & Diabetes

The title of this blog explains a lot about me. If you're wondering about the insulin part...here is some explanation!

1. The chronic condition I live with is Type 1 Diabetes, diagnosed in 1995. 

2. No, I can't just take pills and watch my diet. I need insulin to survive. I can never not think about diabetes...its 24/7.

3. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is thinking about every single thing I put in my mouth and figuring out how much insulin to take to cover it.

4. Most people assume that I can’t eat dessert or drink beer or have a margarita! I enjoy all three in very limited moderation. :)


5. Low blood sugar is the worst thing about having diabetes for me.

6. My glucose meter and insulin pump are with me all the time. My pump is on me 24/7.


7. Each day I take insulin and vitamins. 


8. I am not defined by diabetes...it is just a part of who I am. 


9. People would be surprised to know that I can eat anything they can! Really! I just have to proactively manage my blood sugar, and take insulin cover it. 


10. The hardest thing to accept about living with diabetes has been I can’t be quite as spontaneous as I would like to be when it comes to food and exercise. If my blood sugar is high, I just can't head to the lake and start running. I've got to treat it and wait.


11. Since I wear an insulin pump, travel by plane always guarantees I will get a thorough pat down by zealous TSA agents. I am an optimist, so I look at is as an opportunity to educate them and hopefully make it easier for the next pumper who comes through. 


12. Exercise and pushing my limits makes me feel powerful beyond measure! 


13. When I walk or run I always have glucose tabs, my iPhone, and lip gloss. 


14. I never feel deprived. Moderation is key. 


15. Please don't tell me ~or any other type 1 diabetic~ about your great aunt who lost her toe because of diabetes. I have people tell me stories like this a lot. Not helpful! 


16. My chronic condition has taught me that absolutely anything is possible. Especially running marathons! 


17. I love it when people inquire about my diabetes. I don't mind talking about it and educating them, and hopefully putting to rest some wrong ideas or assumptions they have about it. 


18. A positive attitude is so beneficial to life with diabetes and just life in general. Look on the bright side! Always take time to stop and smell the flowers and watch the sunset. 


19. I am thankful that diabetes is a manageable condition. So very thankful. I can live with it, and I do. 


20. I had two healthy children after becoming diabetic. I tested my blood sugar more than 12x/day when I was pregnant. They were worth every finger poke!

    "The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself."  

Because I Can

I run because I can.

Sounds simple enough, and it is.

I exercise and train because I can. In a world when many people cannot run, or walk, I do it because I can.

Yesterday I received horrible news that a friend of mine died of breast cancer at age 36. She leaves behind 6 children...the youngest is 2 weeks old and in the NICU. She lived long enough to have this baby boy...a boy who will never know his wonderful mom.

I know another mom, my same age, who is battling ALS. She is in her 6th year after diagnosis, and went from being active (like me), doing all the ordinary things I take for granted, to living life from a wheelchair, slowly losing mobility...day by day.

So, I run because I can. I have a body that is waiting (and willing!) to be trained to run farther and faster. Other than diabetes, which slows me somedays, I have no excuse. I can get up, put on my workout clothes, tie my Nikes, and hit the pavement. And I do. Because I can. 


We who are able-bodied should rejoice. We should do as much as we can with what we have been given. Pushing ourself to the limit should be our goal. It is certainly my goal. I have gone from supreme wuss to motivated woman full of Adrenaline.

My trainer recently said to me (as I was working out on a new piece of equipment), "Adrenaline, you are becoming more and more athletic everytime I see you!" Athletic is never a word I would've used to describe myself. But, in the last 2 years it has become a word I love. I want to be athletic. I want to push myself and train my body to do amazing things. I want to run marathons. Why?

 Because I can.


"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." ~ Steve Prefontaine

Marvelous Maui

Thought I would share some pics from amazing Maui. We walked/ran a few times along the beautiful beachwalk (pictured below). I felt so wonderfully blessed to be able to be exercising my body in such a gorgeous place. And we weren't alone! Lots of happy people on the island running right along with us.

Of course, our workouts included lots of walks along the beach. I live in San Diego, and it's beautiful here, but Maui is like San Diego on steroids...uber spectacular!

Aloha!

Paradise Found!

It's called paradise for a reason.

It truly is! Maui is even more spectacular than I ever imagined. I'm from San Diego, and while it's beautiful, it can't compare with where I am now! The palm trees, banyan trees, blue waters that look like they were painted with colors I have never seen before, and the beach...oh my word, the beach! Just amazing. Oh, and the flowers! Plumeria and hibiscus in abundance, and in the most vibrant colors...pink and yellow are my favorites. :)

So, halfway into our vacay I have managed one decent sized run/walk. Four miles along the beach walk, trying not to trip as I admired all the gorgeous scenery around me. We did spend a decent amount of time walking through Old Lahaina last night...didn't have my pedometer on, so I cant give an accurate mileage count. We get a lot of walking in each day...not the same as getting your heart rate up with a run, but still better than nothing!

Suffice to say, I am simply under the spell of Maui! Having a fabulous time, breathing it all in, and embracing each moment. Waking up each day, putting on my zebra tankini, and heading to the pool and beach...paradise!

Aloha!