And the Verdict is …

I went back to the neurologist this week for another MRI and MRA. My sister came with me. She was very happy not being the patient 🙂 Well the verdict is no riding, at least for now. The left vertebral artery is healing, but still has a ways to go. The doctor doesn’t want me to risk another “event” especially since there’s no clear cause of the first dissection. I’m bummed, but when he spelled out the continued risk it was rather sobbering.

The same goes with exercising. I have to start slow and see how it goes. No crazy work outs for now. I also need to be careful turning my head or moving it up and down. Gentle movements.

The good news is I can stop taking the rat poison or as it is called by the medical community, Warfarin (Coumadin). I am thrilled to be off of that stuff so I can get back to eating green veggies!! I’ve lusted over a spinach salad more than once these past seven months. The neurologist has me taking one 325 mg tablet of aspirin every day for preventitive measures against a stroke. Stroke is still a risk, lower than before, but still a risk. I know what you’re thinking … some people have all the fun!

Put on your helmet, buckle up your boots, and zip up your jackets friends – take a nice ride for me!

P.S. I’d still like to feature female motorcyclists. Ladies? Any takers? Email me at pamela(dot)court(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll send over the questions.

 

 

I did The Color Run 5K!

This past Sunday was The Color Run 5K I talked about back in January. A bunch of coworkers, a few spouses, and friends formed a team. It was so much fun!! There had to be a few thousand out there. Trying to find the actual number of participants!

Here are a few shots I took.

The Starting Line

I look like I fake-baked that “tan” but it is just the orange color they threw!

Me and my friend after the race!

Throughout the race there are different color stations set-up with volunteers who throw color at you! Below is a picture of a color blast they do at the end of the race … just in case you didn’t get enough color during the run!

Color Blast!

Here’s the group at the finish line!

I’d definitely like to do that again next year! I highly recommend this event even if you don’t run. It is not a timed event and many people walked the route.

If you want to really get an idea of what The Color Run 5K is all about, check out the TCR Twin Cities Facebook photos!

Sidelined

Well, my wonderful visit with my daughter and grandson ended last week. *Sigh* Then I proceeded to somehow perforate my tympanic membrane a.k.a. burst eardrum. No earache. No fever. No cold. No symptoms. No clue as to how or why it happened. Baffled the doctor. So I got that going for me …

For now training for the 5k has come to a crawl. Too much movement bothers my ear; which according to the doctor could take up to three months to heal. I feel like I’ve been sidelined. Not giving up though. I tried a walking incline program on the treadmill. That seemed to go okay. So until I can jog without feeling like I’m jostling my inner ear I’ll do a walking incline.

Here’s a picture of the little guy all bundled up! He loves sledding!!

Taking my grandson sledding!

P.S. I made the Panda hat for him 🙂

How to Reinvent Yourself

Did I get your attention? Do you ever think things will never change? Well mark the calendar. One year from now you will have replaced 98% of all the atoms in your body. True Story. Every five days your stomach lining is replaced. Your skin replaces it’s self approximately every month … your liver in six weeks … and your skeleton in three months. Now that is change!

Got your body covered. What about your mind? “Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life” is an old Proverb I read frequently. Did you know we have about 50,000 thoughts a day and today’s thoughts are about 98% of the same as the day before. So, unless I intentionally stop and/or change my thoughts nothing is going to change.

I recently started training (way early) for The Color Run 5K that takes place in July using the C25K app. Why so early? Because I didn’t think I could do it. BUT, I put this up on the white board next to my treadmill, “Quit thinking why you can’t and start thinking why you can!” I just completed week 8 of training which consistes of a five minute warm-up, jog 28 minutes then a five minute cool down. Yup. Something I’ve never EVER done in my life and I’m old (getting closer to 60 than 50). What changed? My mind.

Image source: unknown (found on Pinterest)

 

The numbers don’t lie!

I think I originally heard, “The numbers don’t lie” on the Biggest Loser. Sounds like something Jillian would say at a weigh-in. It’s also something that I’ve been wrestling with when looking at my diet and exercise verses the scale.

For the most part I eat healthy: low sugar, lots of veggies and fruit, complex carbs, and lean meat. Since the beginning of the year I’ve exercising five to six days a week mostly to prepare for the Color Run 5K in July. You’d think there would be physical changes as a result, but nothing … nada … zilch.

So, rather than feel defeated I called in reinforcements. Enter BodyMedia Fit. It is an on-body arm band that collects a bunch of data that you sync with your computer and see the results online. I set-up goals, entered my activity level, and started recording my meals.

Arm band, computer dashboard, and phone app interface.

What a revelation to find out that what I thought was effective aerobic levels only registered as moderate! What?! This arm band is rather accurate so I couldn’t argue with it; I had to increase my workout to get into the vigorous (higher METs) to be able to hit my goals.

Well, let me tell you in one week recording and making sure I hit my goals the scaled moved … down two pounds. Yay!! This is an incredible tool if you believe you are doing the right things but nothing is changing like I was experiencing. I want to live healthy and BodyMedia Fit is helping me get there.

P.S. I just completed week 6 day 3 of my C25K training.

Image source: BodyMedia Fit

How I think I look and reality!

For me, there is so much truth in these images! I’m still laughing.

I’m still plugging away training for the Color Run in July. I’m using a treadmill and the C25K app. I’m determined to keep at it no matter what I look like (see above photo). I’m also looking for healthy recipes. Do you have any to share??

Resolutions … yada yada yada

Oh my! 2013 is here and my list of resolutions is still in draft form. One item that is the typical suspect on a New Year’s resolution list is exercise. The older I get the more I understand the importance of regular exercise. I’m not talking about becoming Ernestine Shepherd, even though I find her story quite motivating, I’m talking about being functionally fit. I’m still working on what that looks like both in exercise and eating healthy. I want to create a realistic plan that will work for me.

In the mean time, I found this list of exercises we’d be better off leaving behind in 2013.

– Jumping on the bandwagon.

– Beating your head against the wall.

– Beating your own drum.

– Dragging your heels.

– Jumping to conclusions.

– Grasping at straws.

– Fishing for compliments.

– Throwing your weight around.

– Passing the buck.

-Repeating excuses.

Seriously. To me, healthy living is at the center of the target for 2013. I don’t think the rest of my resolutions will be successful without it. I’m not standing still while I figure out what will work best for me. I’m working on doing something that points to my healthy living goal everyday. What plans do you have for 2013?

One Shameless Plug for Good Nutrition

You do not need to look far to hear someone talking about their health, especially if their health is suffering. A few years ago that was the case in my house. Hubby came home from the doctor with high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (translate that to joint pain, continuously). Needless to say this was a wake-up call that turned into a loud alarm when he started taking methotrexate for the rheumatoid arthritis. I won’t go into it, but the side affects of that drug were so awful he had to stop taking it.

What this did was push us into looking for a better way to combat the health issues. Diet and exercise topped the list. We have several exercise DVD programs so it was just a matter of using them.  The diet part wasn’t that bad either because we both know what makes for a healthy meal or snack so we bought the good stuff! What we did next has changed hubby’s health. Through a lot of research and trying different things we found a nutritional product that brought with it some phenomenal results*. It is amazing what the human body will do with the right nutrition.

When hubs went back for his annual health exam the report was: cholesterol dropped over 50 points and now in the normal range; blood pressure normal; rheumatoid arthritis pain under control through natural supplements. I’m not claiming a miracle cure, but what we’ve found is a product that has actually changed our health. I have family and friends who are also experiencing results that have benefited their health too*.

I invite you to try it too. The company offers a 30 day, empty bottle, 100% money back guarantee. If you want to know more about the products go here. We are brand partners and do benefit from any purchases. We would take the product whether or not there were financial benefits. Here’s to your good health!

*Disclaimer: This post is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. You may not experience the same results.

Are you becoming the best you can be?

There are so many new friends that I’m making because of this journey of mine. I like it. I’m very thankful for all the advice I’m getting on all things motorcycle from either comments here, through Twitter, or other motorcyclists. It is fantastic! Cyber hugs for all!

I have 28 days until my class!! Awk! I am so excited about taking this class and learning how to ride a motorcycle. The weather in Minnesota has definitely turned mild and with it has brought out a ton of riders on their cycles. And that only adds to my impatience. I’ve decided that to keep my mind off of the count down to my class I’d prepare myself physically by getting back into regular exercise.

Are you becoming the best you can be?

One of the most consistent comments I’ve received as a woman wanting to ride is how challenging holding up, balancing. or handling a bike can be. So, I’ve started back into weight training along, with my cardio work outs. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be Mrs. Adonis, but there is room for increasing my strength whether or not I’d be riding in the future. I think I may end being the most prepared rider ever!!

Please keep leaving your comments and advice for me I certainly appreciate your input!