Got back from NY yesterday. Went for a 9 mile bike (still deathly terrified of the bike riding thing...but am hoping my determination will assuage that fear) yesterday and a 2.5 mile run today. Training wise -- I'm feeling good!
I'm so thankful that I am healthy enough to be able to train. To be able to physically sit on a bike to ride it and throw on some running shoes to jog. And for those of you who know me, you know it hasn't always been that easy for me. These past two days I've been dealing with some health issues. My spine and pelvis were misalligned causing me constant back, hip and knee pain. I've sprained my ankles many times. I have major feet problems -- plantar fasciitis (a strain on the connective tissues of my arch). That caused heel spurs (think shooting nerve pain up the heel). This time last year, I couldn't walk more than 100 feet without severe pain in my feet. All these things combined basically kept me in constant pain. Thankfully with help from a chiropractor, podiatrist and physical therapist and lots of time I'm now pain free probably 75% of the time. So, yes, I'm beyond thankful that at this point in my life I'm healthy enough to exercise. To train 6 days a week. To ride a bike. To run miles. To swim laps. Exercise seems so basic and simple and people often criticize those who don't work out, but the truth is sometimes it's impossible to do it because your body won't let you. For me, I was just hoping to make my way around the city on public transit without my feet causing me excruciating pain. Exercising wasn't an option for me. I'm thankful that now it is. I'm thankful for my health.
I'm thankful that my close friends and family are healthy. I'm thankful that Matt & I were able to sit around the Thanksgiving table with our families, and everyone with us was healthy. I'm thankful we were all able to eat, drink and play games. I'm thankful that we were able to have a worry free holiday. I'm thankful I was able to escape the fast pace of life for a few days. I put my phone away, didn't respond to emails, and kept off of Facebook. To me, holidays mean stopping life for a little bit. Ignoring everything around us and putting it aside to deal with later. Holidays are about bonding with family and spending time together, nothing else matters.
It is heart breaking to me that some families don't have to ignore everything. That they don't get a break for the holidays. While I was at my table on Thanksgiving, other families were spending it in hospitals with their loved ones. Others were saying grace and praying that they would find a blood marrow donor for their daughter, aunt, dad or grandma who was running out of time. Others were recovering from giving a kidney to their sibling who needed it to survive. Others were preparing to give bone marrow or blood to a complete stranger. Others were solemnly sitting at their Thanksgiving table with one less than usual wondering why their son, brother, nephew, grandson had to lose his fight. Hoping that someday there will be a cure.
Cancer doesn't go away during the holiday season. People don't stop getting diagnosed. They don't stop dying.
In the time it took for us to prepare, eat and clean up from Thanksgiving dinner (12 hours, 8a - 8p):
- 180 people got diagnosed with a blood cancer
- 72 people died from a blood cancer
So while I know everyone's short on money. I know times are rough and even worse around the holidays, but it's now it's more important than ever to donate to help find a cure. These families and people need our help. So, no, I won't stop asking every person I know for money so that together we can find a cure. Sure, you could spend 20 bucks on a present or coffee or a hat OR you could donate it to LLS and make a difference.
Save someone's life. Someone's son, daughter, mother, father, grandparent.
Every dollar counts. Go Team!!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/lavatri11/SearFuolo
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