I Keep A Close Watch On This Heart Of Mine

Last weekend, I finished up a long run and afterwards had some weird tightness in my chest. It eventually went away for the most part, but it bothered me enough to where I wanted to get it checked out a few days later just in case.

I didn't think it was that big of a deal at the time I went in, but let me tell ya.... mention "chest tightness" to anyone in the medical field, and it is treated as an emergency and you are put on the top of the list for evaluation. I can't lie. It totally freaked me out about how severe of a situation they made it out to be.

 

Needless to say they immediately got me in and I had an EKG and a few other tests done.

CliffsNotes version: 

I have what they are calling moderate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Basically my left ventricle wall is bigger than its supposed to be. It has problems pushing oxygenated blood through and doesn't hold as much blood as it should, since the wall is thicker than normal.

 

 Exhibit A: 

 

 

 It's an underlying factor that sometimes people can go their whole lives not knowing they have. 

Because I am what he called an "endurance athlete" (thanks for stroking my ego, there, doc!) my ventricular walls are probably a little thicker than a typical person's ventricle to begin with. The heart adapts physiologically to what you put it through -- in cases of more "extreme" sports, it will get a little thicker naturally. In my case, I've probably always had a slight case of LVH, but now that I run marathons it has put my wall thickness into a "yellow zone" so to speak.
 
I am at a higher risk for developing further disease later in life, but that would be dependent on a number of factors including lifestyle and diet. In my case it just needs to be monitored (via annual physical) to make sure the ventricle wall doesn't get any thicker and get into the "danger zone". 

No, Kenny. I am no Maverick.

There's nothing I can really do-- the doctor said he would typically tell people to lose weight, stop smoking, eat healthier, or start exercising -- because I am already healthy, it's just something I have to live with and be cognizant of.

 

Other than my ventricle wall being a little thick, my heart itself is strong, and heart rate is good. I am allowed to continue endurance exercises as I normally would, as long as I'm asymptomatic. The stronger my heart, the easier it will be to pump oxygenated blood through. 

 

Lay off the 'roids, left ventricle. You're freaking me out.

 

This is the first symptom I've ever had since I started distance running 4 years ago which is a great sign. He said that I may only have symptoms once in a blue moon from here on out. 

 

If I can make sure to remember to breathe properly, I will have less trouble too. The more oxygen the better! Yay Oxygen! 

Anyone wanna hit the bar with me this weekend?

My life mantra has always been "just breathe". It just so happens that now my mantra has a little more meaning. 

What The Hill?

Flights are confirmed. Hotel is booked. Vacation days are submitted.

Ragnar Wasatch Back is official. 

All I can keep thinking is....what in the good Lord's name am I doing?!

It all started in 2012 when I serendipitously met a bunch of crazy fools who called themselves the "Saints and Sinners". They were a Ragnar team that established in 2008. I hopped onto the team as a rookie for Ragnar Key West a few years ago (recap of that experience here) and have been running with them ever since.

It just so happened that in 2009, a year after we established the Saints and Sinners team, that Ragnar came out with a new "double medal" concept: run 2 races, get a special medal. They called it the "Saints and Sinners" medal, and it required running Ragnar Wasatch Back and Ragnar Las Vegas in the same year.

Wasatch Back runs through the mountains from Logan to Park City Utah, while Las Vegas runs through the Red Rock Canyon.

If you flip the medal upside down, it says Sinners. I know, so cool right?! 

Obviously, our Saints and Sinners team had to make this double medal a bucket list item. 

Our fearless captain decided 2014 was gonna be our year....so here I am!

All the logistics are finally coming together. I have 3 weeks until I get on a plane to Utah.

Now all I have to worry about is...you know... the race itself. 

If you hadn't remembered, I live in the flattest state in the country. 

Yes, it's even flatter than Kansas. Google it, y'all.

Besides being altitude-challenged, I'm also recovering from a torn tibial tendon that left me sidelined from January through May.

But hey, who needs conditioning for the mountains of Utah?! That'll be a piece of cake!

Yeah OK Mary, maybe a piece of cake made of titanium alloy. 
 

My first leg has a little over 1,200 feet of elevation gain. Put into perspective: the Clearwater Causeway is only 80 feet high. I'm essentially running the equivalent of 15 straight bridge inclines over 7.4 miles along a dusty gravel mountain road.

 

This leg even has it's own nickname -- "What the hill?" 

A leg with it's own nickname. How nice. I am so lucky.  

And that's only my first run of 3.  But let's be real. The scariest part of this leg is not the elevation. It's that I have to run across cattle guards. Does anyone realize how klutzy I am?! I can barely even walk across grated street vents without twisting my ankle! I am sooooo done.

What's funny (OK it's actually not that funny for anyone except for me) is that my legs are literally some of the easiest on the team. I got the injured runner's special! Thanks y'all!

Over 196.4 miles, there is 15,896 ft of elevation gain and 13,769 ft of elevation loss.

That's 29,665 ft total change.

From a team that trains at sea level.  

Hey, at least we'll be super cheap dates at the finish line! 

2 beers + 7,000 ft elevation = :) :) :) :) :) :)

If anyone needs me the next few weeks, I'll be out in Clearwater doing bridge repeats until I collapse into the Gulf of Mexico. 

No, really. Call it. I need one.

That One Time When I Blogged....

Admittedly, I have been a major social networking BUST so far this year. 
I unintentionally kind of put blogging on the back burner. 

Like, waaaaaaay way back there in the back of my closet.
 Next to the pants from high school that I swore one day I would fit into again. 

Needless to say, I decided to resurrect the blog and give away the high school pants. Let's be real, those things don't stand a chance.

When 2 Chainz talks about the girl saved in his phone under "big booty", he's actually referring to me. I am collecting royalties as we speak.

I figured now was as good of a time as ever to try and get back with it. I love writing and kind of miss it! So, here's a quick update of life's highlights so far in 2014. It may be only 4 months in, but there are plenty of things to share. 

I smelled the roses.

 This boondoggle really deserves a post of it's own.
 

Getting to the National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was a true test of God. But once I was there, it was all worth it.

 

Summary:

• Find out at 10pm the night before our flight that our 6AM leg from Tampa to Atlanta had been cancelled.
• Called airline. Weighed options: fly stand by, fly out of another city and miss part of game, not go at all.
• Thought of one more option: DRIVE TO ATLANTA and then get on the plane there (mind you Prateek had not packed yet...yes...it was 10pm the night before. Welcome to our life.)
• Confirmed that the 8:30 AM Atlanta to LAX flight was on time. 
• Packed, rented a one way car to Atlanta, and drove 8 hours through the night
• Pulled into the Atlanta airport with about 2 minutes to spare and got to the gate as they were boarding the plane.
• Got off the plane at LAX, went to In N Out (duh), then went straight to the Rose Bowl

The game was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Even though Auburn didn't pull through with the win, it was worth every sleepless minute it took to get there.
 I was so proud of them I almost cried. War Eagle, y'all.
 

I injured myself. Like, really bad this time.

I've had running injuries before. But nothing that has kept me in a sedentary state for THREE AND A HALF MONTHS. A strained tibial tendon may sound minor. After a month in a boot, another 6 weeks in an ankle brace, and then being limited to only "low impact" activities for another 4 weeks, I officially respect my tendons.

My waistline (and my sanity) can't wait for me to fully heal.

Thankfully, a resurgence is near. I ran my first pain free mile last week. I was so happy I cried. It was slow and I had a side stitch the whole time and I kind of wanted to throw up at the end, but it was the best mile I've ever completed in my running career thus far. Bring it on, recovery! I have new Oiselle duds that need to be worn!

I sold the first "big girl" thing I've ever owned. And then purchased the first "big girl" thing I've ever purchased.

 I sold one of the loves of my life -- my 2002 Honda Civic with 190,000 miles on it - and bought a new car. I cried when the Honda sold. Then I cried again when I signed the paperwork on my Audi.

I think maybe I cry too much.

I am the greatest fantasy football commissioner and player to ever exist in the history of time.

OK, not really. But I did kinda love being commissioner. And I did in fact win two of the three leagues I was in this year (and came in 2nd in my other one). 

Had hit records on my demo..did y'all boys not get the memo?

Oh, and I went on to win the March Madness office pool as well.
I think everyone at work hates me. It's tough at the top, y'all. Haters gonna hate.

I got Bollywood Fever. 

This also really deserves a post of it's own.

  

 Everyone knows I'm no stranger to a packed social schedule. I've been fortunate to have attended hundreds of concerts and shows and events in my lifetime. IIFA, however, tops the list of them all.

The IIFA Awards are Bollywood's version of the Oscars, and had been hosted all over the world but never in the United States. This year, Tampa won the bid to host the awards and Prateek and I were so lucky to attend all of the events and their respective after-parties.

 

Imagine mixing the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, a Broadway musical, and Cirque du Soleil. That is what the IIFA production was like.

I've never seen anything like it and probably won't ever again.

The show was taped and will air sometime in June to over 800 million viewers worldwide. Incredible! 

And that brings us to May. 

The month that I have been simultaneously looking forward to as well as dreading since around this time last year.

But I'll save that for another blog post.

In Sickness and in Health

For the typical marathoner, you are married to your sport. You wake up with it, think about it all day, hang out with it after work, and have dreams about it at night. Through all the trials and tribulations, you continue your relationship with it and work on it every day to try and make each day better than the last. 

My Twin Cities Marathon experience was a true test of my relationship with running. 

It was a perfect day for a race - temps in the mid 40's with a little cloud cover. The course was absolutely gorgeous and full of fall colors. I had never felt better at the halfway point of any marathon I've ever done and was hitting my goal paces almost spot on. I felt totally invincible! 

Then mile 15 happened. 

It felt like someone punctured a knife through my stomach. Then the nausea came, with dry heaving shortly thereafter. 

Ummmm, excuse me running, but WTF?! We were doing so well!

I pulled over to the side and was assisted by an EMS guy on a bike who gave me some fluids. They asked how I felt about 5 minutes after the heaving stopped, and I lied and said I felt much better.

Stubborn, party of one.

By the 22nd mile, I had to pull over to the side again. The same EMS guy on the same bike saw me that second time, walked me to a nearby emergency aid station and gave me hot chicken broth. They advised I drop out and said I looked pale. 

Sorry dude, but I always look pale. It's my German/Irish heritage. I'm continuing on. 

Plus, there was no way I was dropping out at mile 22. I would walk/crawl/stumble my way across the finish line before I DNF'd.

I thanked them for the broth and continued as best I could for the next 4 miles, all the way across the finish line. 

My legs felt great. My lungs felt great. It was just not my day on the G.I. side of life. But, like Nemo with a bad fin, I persevered and just kept swimming.

A day later I am already in heels with hardly any soreness in my legs. And I am already plotting another marathon in the next few months for redemption. 

Marathon #5, I'm coming for you.... 

The Great North Left

Everyone has a life bucket list.

For some, it may be walking the Great Wall of China. For others, it may be riding a Gondola in Italy and getting serenaded by a Venetian man with a straw hat. Or maybe it's something like running a marathon or going scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

For me, one of my life bucket list items was to see Dave Matthews Band live at The Gorge.

God's Amphitheater. It's a religious experience, y'all.

When I found out back in February that I had scored tickets to the show, I decided to base a Seattle vacation out of it as well. I'd never been to the state of Washington, and the idea of spending time in the Pacific Northwest during a hot Florida summer sounded better than a post-race ice cold IPA. (Well, actually, maybe those two things are about even.)

For the cherry on top of the trip, I was accepted onto the Oiselle Volée running team, and oh hey guess what?! Their headquarters are in Seattle. Two birds with one stone. 

Hmmmm maybe that reference doesn't really work here. Sorry Oiselle. You know I love birds.

 We rolled Eastward through the mountains of Washington on our way to the Gorge and I was fascinated by how different Eastern Washington was from the Western part. It was brown and dry - very desert canyon-ish. But absolutely beautiful nonetheless.

 

I have seen some amazing DMB shows in my time as a fan (God bless the moment when I first popped in that Remember Two Things cassette tape in 1993). I tried to count how many times since my first show in 1996 that I've seen him live, and it's gotta somewhere around 20.

Sure, I don't remember every single song from every single show, but I can say without a doubt that this show as a whole was the best I've ever seen him live. And probably overall the best live performance of any band I've ever been to.
Ever. 

Hooray for iPhone panorama! 

 

  

Playlist


After cleansing my soul in Eastern Washington, we headed back to Seattle for some rest and relaxation.

Which you know, of course, included me running a half marathon at the last minute. 

  Because why not?

Seattle also just so happened to be hosting a music festival the weekend we were there. 

Y'all know I was all over that like flies in a freshly manured farm field.

Bumbershoot is their music and arts festival they've held every year for the last 42 years. Great vibes, good bands, and a fantastic way to spend a beautiful Labor Day in Seattle City Center. 

                                                                            One of my faves - The Lone Bellow

We also went to the Pike Place Market and got a coffee at the original Starbucks, took a ferry ride over to Bainbridge Island, went to the top of the Space Needle, and (shocker) drank some local brews.

A major highlight of the trip was, of course, my visit to "The Nest" - AKA Oiselle Headquarters.

I was immediately welcomed with open arms (wings?) and felt right at home with these ladies.Their office is open and lively and has such a vibrant positive aura. I am very blessed to fly with this flock! 

@drlesko, @kemetcalf, me, and @JackElizabethK sporting our "Got Birds?" tanks

 This was about a week and a half before the Oiselle debut at New York Fashion Week. Sarah and Jackie totally rocked the runway along with Sarah Mac, Lauren Fleshman and Fast Kate.

Real runners on a runway...what a fantastic concept!

Check out the amazing runway photos here, and read about it here! (and here and here)

Between Oregon in June and Seattle in September, I think it's safe to say I have a love affair with the Pacific Northwest. 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

There I was, sitting in my office last week, minding my own business, when I see the email come pop up on my screen.

 I gasped. Then screamed.Then sat there with my mouth open in disbelief.

Was this for real?! 

Oiselle (pronounced wah-zell) is French for "bird". It is an amazing women's running apparel company that does more than make stylish yet practical running duds --- Oiselle was founded on the basic premise that running is more than a sport. It is a life philosophy that has the power to strengthen runners not just as athletes, but as people, teammates, leaders and women. 

 

Here I am after the Newport Marathon this year, decked out in Oiselle gear:

High-10 Shimmel

Distance Shorts

Arm Warmers 

The Oiselle Volée Team (Volée is French for "flock" and is pronounced Vo-lay") is a versatile group of fast women with different backgrounds, accomplishments and goals. They strive to run with all their strength, heart and talent. It's women who have a tenacious desire to compete and train hard, while living the Oiselle philosophy. The women who represent them are resilient, inspiring runners whose healthy, pure love of the run can't be ignored. 

The team manifesto is simple, yet powerful. 

 

When word got out in June out that applications were being accepted for the 2013-2014 team, I didn't think twice about applying. It'd be the highlight of my running career to associate myself with such powerful and amazing women (including Haute Volée pro runners Lauren Fleshman and Kate Grace -- say whaaat?!)

 

It's more than just a racing team. It's a flock. 

 

And now, as of August 1st 2013, it's more than just a flock. It's MY flock.

I am incredibly honored to be a part of the team...sometimes I still don't believe it's real! I can't wait to connect with all of my new teammates.  

Oiselle, thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to let my wings spread wide - I am so ready to fly!