I'm an Athlete?

The other day it was toooooo cool when someone said to me, "Everything about you screams runner." Wow! I was blown away!

Thinking back over the past 18 months, & over the past 41 years, I can't believe it.

Never in my life did anyone ever mistake me for an athlete. 18 months ago I could barely walk around the block without getting short of breath. Now, my being "screams runner"?

I'm the chick who used to make up reasons to skip P.E. in school (actually, I used to ditch & smoke behind the bleachers). I used to avoid going outside like the plague - I might sweat for goodness sake!

Now, I plan my days around the pool schedule & the weather so I can get my workouts in. I plan my eating around what will best support the next workout (o.k. - not so good at that one yet!)

The average week for me includes more than 200 minutes of triathlon-specific training. Biking, running & swimming are my main focus. Lately, I've added in some yoga to help with flexibility (oops, forgot that part!). And, now that it's cooling down, I'm hoping to resume kayaking & hiking again.

Somehow - I'm becoming an athlete. Now, I'll admit...not a great athlete, but the mindset is there. My body is starting to respond too! And, evidently...People are beginning to notice!!!

Too Cool!!!

In 2 weeks I'm scheduled to participate in my very 1st Triathlon.

I'm a little nervous.

After months of preparation, I was totally ready - until Tuesday when I hurt my foot/ankle. It seems I was running in poor shoes & strained a tendon. It's a setback. One that might have knocked me off course in the past. Not this time!

I've got 14 days to recover, a great sports orthopedist who is also a triathlete, a structures physical therapy plan & team helping me, so I'm really hopeful!

A couple of days ago I headed to Melbourne to check out the race site! I biked & swam the distance, but am leaving the running for race day. It was great! I did my open water swim - a huge accomplishment! If you want to know what that's all about, read Fear & Do it Anyway!

If my foot & ankle are up to it, I'll run on race day. If not, I'll probably walk that last portion of the triathlon. Either way - the plan is to finish the race!

Somehow, I've become an athlete - not a super athlete, but an athlete none the less. Not somehow...I can definitely define the process. The road to health hasn't been easy, but it's been fun - most of the time. The systematic changes that have occurred in my body over the past 18 months are remarkable. From sickness unto health only begins to describe what has occurred!

Do I still have health issues? Sure. Am I still 41 years old...yup! But now, I'm a 41-year-old, athlete who manages her chronic health issues with healthy eating, exercise, stress management & lifestyle decisions.

One day at a time, one step at a time, one moment at a time!

From Mount DeLand to Real Muscles!

Building muscles is hard work. It doesn't happen overnight.

I remember years ago. Actually, almost 14 years ago. When I was in Nursing School. I had some extra time on my hands. I was training for my Black Belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. With daily workouts, I built muscles - cool muscles!

I had these little muscles in the tops of my thighs - the quadriceps they're called. I used to flex these muscles & look at them many times each day just to prove to myself that they existed.

Then, I was in my 20's. Muscles were pretty easy to build. Fat was easy to burn!

Now...to borrow a phrase from my brother: "Not so much!"

I'm 41 now. Fat & my body are bonded -- they LOVE each other! Muscles are HARD to build.

Conquering Mount DeLand was quite a task, as you read in the last posting...but over a few weeks, it became quite a joke. Now, Mount DeLand is simply a bump to me. I'm seeking real hills (o.k. maybe bigger bumps in Florida!)

The other day I was busy massaging my tired muscles. I'd spent a relatively busy week of training: 9 miles running, 2 kilometers swimming, 40 miles biking, & 2 hours yoga.

While I was massaging my calf, I felt this hard spot. It startled me...I felt it again...


OMG!!! A muscle!!! I tensed it. I looked.

I could even SEE the muscle! It was CUT!

One moment I was struggling to conquer Mount DeLand, the next I was massaging a real live muscle!

When I examined further I discovered that under a thin layer of fat (yup, there's still a little bit of 41-year-old fat!) I've got muscles ALL OVER! My abs, my quadriceps, my calves, my back, even my arms!

Too Cool !!!

Conquering Mount DeLand

Conquering Mount DeLand sounds like a Herculean task. Until you realize that DeLand is in Florida & we have NO MOUNTAINS in Florida.

Mount DeLand is a joke my husband created at the height of my "sick period" when I was trying to become a little more active by walking the dogs.

Each night, we would take the dogs for a 5-6 block stroll (I do mean stroll) around the neighborhood. At the end of the walk was Mount DeLand (cue scary music!). Each evening, I would dread the final steps up this HUGE hill to get home.

My husband would encourage me. I would get out of breath. I would almost double over in pain. Mind you, we were strolling!

To fully appreciate how ridiculous this situation was, you have to understand the topography. I recently put "Mount DeLand" into Google maps. Here are the results: 0.05 miles 0 feet elevation change! Honestly, I swear there is an elevation change! It's probably only 1 to 1 1/2 feet, far too small for Google to bother with measuring. Mount DeLand isn't a mountain...it isn't a hill...it hardly qualifies as a bump in the road.

But Mount DeLand became my challenge!

The walks continued. The jokes continued. At first I was mad! How dare he joke at my misery? But soon, it became a little easier to climb the road at the end of the walk. Each evening I psyched myself up for the climb. Breathing into it. Celebrating the accomplishment.

I'm happy to say that the other night I was feeling pretty lousy (bad food). My dear husband, at the end of our dog walk, suggested I run home the last few blocks - up Mount DeLand!

After a moment's protest I did!

Thanks to his encouragement (in that strange way of his), I have conquered Mount DeLand, and have moved on to much greater accomplishments in my health & wellness journey!

Got a mountain you're facing?

How It Began ... My Journey from Sickness unto Health

Life can be deceiving. Each day blurring one into another. Soon you find yourself older, wondering what happened to your health, your vitality, your youth.

As I made my way through the maze of my 20's & 30's, I gave little thought to health & wellness. Even though I'm a nurse & study health, diet, nutrition, disease, it never occurred to me that these lessons applied to my life.

I worked, I worked, I worked. The stresses of life accumulated. I did nothing to relieve the stress. Rare vacations were a window into the kind of life I wanted, but were quickly forgotten as soon as I returned back to my routine life.

Then, 1 day, 18 months ago, I found myself in a hospital bed unable to catch my breath.

It did not happen suddenly. I'd been fighting illness for 2 years - fighting & ignoring.

Finally, my body crumbled. Poor nutrition, no exercise, daily stress, limited rest all added up to sickness. I felt like a victim. A victim of illness. Someone not in control of her own body. Betrayed.

I spent at least the next 9 months wallowing in that feeling. Embracing the role of victim. I had given up on my health & began to throw myself even harder into my career. But, happily, it was not meant to be!

A crisis at work finally brought me to my senses. It's funny how some of the most uncomfortable times in our lives end up being the most important. I will be forever grateful for the 3-4 months of workplace misery that caused me to wake-up to the mediocrity of my life!

I began to look within. To look at what was really important. To define who I wanted to be.

I remember one specific day: Looking in the mirror, I thought, "If I'm this sick at 40, what will it be like at 80? Or, will I even last that long?"

I was shocked! Never did I think I would be sick & stressed at 40. I had different plans for my life. Enough was enough!!!

Despite having 3 chronic illnesses, I was determined to take back my life & my health. I was going to immediately begin managing my life & wellness & stop playing victim.

Funny thing was, about 3 months before this decision, my dad sent me a book entitled, First We Quit Our Jobs. It wasn't exactly the same, but it got me thinking.

I made some plans.

I quit my job!

I started a business.

I'm still working in nursing 3 days a week, but I've got lots of time now for what I love. Oh, & now I love nursing again.

First, I quit my job. I was good at my job. That was hard. It still calls me back occasionally. Tempts me.

But my new life is GREAT.

I have time to exercise.

I have time to breathe.

I don't work in the shower.

I don't obsess over work.

First I quit my job. That was how it began - my journey from sickness unto health.

Next entry: Conquering Mount DeLand.

Big Changes

If you've been reading the Greener Grass Life blog, you're in for some changes!

The Health & Wellness articles are moving to www.greenergrasslife.com under the Articles tab. (next article due out tomorrow!)

You can subscribe to these articles just as easily as here by either taking the Free Health & Wellness Assessment or just filling out the box on the right side of the website & skipping the Assessment all together.

This site is converting to a more personal feel.

Now, this will be the home of Kim's (my) personal ramblings about my own wellness journey.

I'll start off with the basic story of how I began & then quickly move into where I am today. Soon, you'll be following me as I train & complete my 1st race season: 5k's, 1st Sprint Triathlon, Lucky's Lake Swim (1k), Powerman Rattlesnake Duathlon (sounds worse than it is) & who knows what else.

I make no promises as to how often I'll post...maybe daily, maybe weekly, maybe once in 2 weeks...we'll see.

Come with me or not...it's up to you.

Next post - From Hospital Bed to Triathlon - How The Craziness Started