Dancing Around the Edges

I've been silent for a while: a trip to the doctor in Denver, farewell get-togethers, a myriad of getting-ready-to-move details and sick children home from school all have put pause to my online musings. I also celebrated my birthday. I just turned 39, a year closer to the infamous 40, but for me, my sights are set on 50.

Last year my doctor told me that she thought I was never really going to get rid of sarcoidosis (it was the first time anyone had dared to tell me that and I so appreciated her candor).In many cases sarcoidosis goes into remission by itself and with time but in my case it has been too persistent, too difficult to control and seems to have too tight of a hold on me. However, she tells me that if I can make it to 50 then I may see it becoming easier to control and more willing to loosen its grip a little, and perhaps I'll be able to pull back on some of the heavy-duty meds I'm on, all I suppose as hormones change and the immune system calms down a little, as occurs naturally with aging. So, my birthday ritual this year included a silent homage to the aging process and a respectful salute to the next 11 years! And I'm dreaming of a big birthday bash when I'm 50!

Last week my doctor confirmed some more sarcoid symptoms. She told me that I was "dancing on the edge of some major disease activity". She brought up that stress issue again. Oh my, now I am trying so hard not to stress about being stressed! With some reflection though I have come to the conclusion that moving house and across the country is a major life transition and I have decided to try to accept that of course I am going to feel stressed. I shall try to just keep moving through it knowing that all shall be well again in time. In the meantime I shall keep dancing on the edges, and while I'm at it I shall dance with grace and joy and loving the music...

It's the third-day run

I spotted the Aviva stadium this morning as I descended from Deer Park. I had never noticed it before and it took me a second or two to figure out the strange configuration. It always amazes me to see curves in a building or architectural structure. One of the advantages of Winter running, of course, is the dearth of foliage on the trees allowing glimpses into otherwise hidden spaces.  It was a beautiful morning, cold, bright and just perfect for a morning run.
Yes, I think it's the third-day run that catches me. It's still only (3m)5k, completed today at a pace of 6.16k/h, but into the third mile I noticed the build up in my legs of the dreaded lactic acid. Many of you non-runners will recognise this as the tightness you feel in muscles unaccustomed to exercise or after exercise for an extra-long period. It's the Jane Fonda 'burn'. 'Feel the burn', she used to say in her exercise videos as she lunged around in her tight-fitting leotard and California glow.  Today's run may also have been affected by the shorter rest period between runs. I ran in the afternoon yesterday, leaving me with twelve rather than the usual twenty-three hours of recovery.  Despite these slight twinges, I still like to do three days of consecutive runs. I see it as an exercise in building endurance necessary for completing a marathon. It's also my understanding, that one is supposed to run tired as well, as long as not overdoing it.
I was not as overall tired as last Wednesday. I am getting to bed and now to sleep earlier, which is a whole act of training and discipline in itself. 
It was such a glorious morning that I had a moment's temptation to abandon work and just hang outdoors all day. Another Walter Mitty moment.

Making up the miles

Keen to prioritise a work project and working from home, I left my run 'til later in the afternoon. I feared it was going to be a disaster weatherwise as the dark clouds, rain and cold wind rolled in during the mid-morning. As luck would have it, I managed to dodge the worst of the showers and wind. 
I dislike today's route, but did not want to lose time travelling. The route is too short and difficult to extend. I end up circling round housing estates, doubling up sections of the route and so on. It's a bit of guess work and I am totally dependent on the app on my phone to keep the distance in check. The experience, as a consequence, becomes a bit like watching a kettle boil! I managed to do over 5miles at a pace of 6:18k/h which isn't bad considering I stopped to tie a shoelace, had to pause occasionally to cross roads and so on.  That said, today's run was meant to be done at 'pace' which would suggest that the difference should be more than ten seconds faster than yesterday's easy-run pace.  Not to worry, I had occasion to smile as I recalled my earlier attempts at this route. In its simplest form it is barely 4km and, in my initial forays into training, I would be delighted if I could run it all.  Now it's too short!  By the way, running it twice (which probably seems like the most logical thing to do) is not particularly satisfactory as it takes you through the town with pedestrians, junctions and other obstacles. Hence, the need to extend within sections of it.
To return to the quest to raise funds for the Irish Lung Foundation. I want to announce that customprint.ie (a friend of Etty's owns the company) is in the process of preparing active-run t-shirts for wearing during my training and for marathon day. I will post photos as soon as I have them, but I want to thank customprint for their generous donation to the cause. Wearing the t-shirts as I run around the suburbs of Dublin in early morning traffic means that I will also be raising awareness of the disease and charity. I am also grateful for offers of support on the day of the marathon, but that still feels like a long way away.  

16 Weeks to Go

A chilly morning! All layers were back on again this morning, although I didn't have a hat or gloves, for a 4 degree (C), damp start to the day.  It was a short easy run (3 miles) done at a 6.28k/h pace which is my average training pace, it seems.  I felt slower.  Mind you, I had an insight this morning about my breakfast. The speedy version - muesli with milk and a mug of coffee - is not a good pre-run combination.  It brings on indigestion. I apologise to fellow pedestrians or runners disturbed by my 'burps' or 'belches' as I pounded the pavement this morning.  Tomorrow it will be back to porridge and pre-poached pears, a combination that does not seem to bother me at all.
Now that we are settled into our marathon and blog campaign, it is a good time to 'officially' name our chosen charity. I am running on behalf of the Irish Lung Foundation who work throughout Ireland to fund support groups and research, and to provide information to patients suffering from a variety of lung diseases.  The Irish Sarcoidosis Support Network is supported by the Irish Lung Foundation.  I will now put up a link to the Irish Lung Foundation who are currently in the process of setting up a mycharity.ie account through which people can pledge their donations. As soon as that is organised, I will put up that link.  By the way, I have already received my first cash donation for which I am grateful!
Tomorrow I will update you on another kind donation made to the campaign. In the meantime, don't forget to share the love!