Attempting to beat the heat

Hey y'all! What's the craic? (Irish version of what's s'up?) It's been a while since I've posted again.. I really do intend to post more regularly.. I've a lot of updates on my fundraising and training for ye.

The biggest consideration for training at the moment is the heat.. It's gotten really hot and for those non-Texans of you, it's worth noting that it just doesn't get that much cooler at night here. For my long runs at the weekend, I'm up at 5.15 to be ready to run for 6.30 or 7 to try and get it at its coolest. I also sweat buckets in bed... TMI (too much info)? me? NEVER! So I gotta drink alot before I can head out to sweat it off again. It's around 80 (26 celcius) as the sun is coming up and this week it's up to 98 (37 by noon). Yea, you better believe it!

So without further adieu, here are my tips for attempting to not die on the run:

1. Drink 'till you pee like a racehorse. I seem to spend half the day at the watercooler, not just because that's what they do in the movies, it's coz i drink so much! The fact that I bike to work (8 miles roundtrip) means I'm extra thirsty. The other half of the day I'm powerwalking to the nearest urinating facility.
2. Gear up!

   

   smiley me and Mr Camelbak after a run

   My Camelbak is my new bestfriend. I run with this on for anything longer than 5 miles now and it's so handy having 2 liters of water on your back.. no need to worry about having water fountains on your route! I must look weird sucking from this while running but I couldn't care less! I mix it berry flavored Gatorade, water and lots of ice cubes.. getting an ice cold drink out there fills my soul with joy ;)
3. Run (almost) nude. Another thing I couldn't care less about anymore.. running in just a bra! I used to judge those running with a bra, thinking they were posers looking for attention. I thought there was no way it was necessary but I'm one of them now (but not a poser). A few weeks ago I was running with 2 guys and wore a top for the first while because I was embarrassed to take it off, but by the time I thought I might die (a few miles into a hilly run), I had my top off and tucked into my shorts coz you gotta do what you gotta do! I'm even thinking of getting arm bands for the guns.. because I don't wear a top, I have nowhere to wipe the sweat, and it's really annoying dripping from my elbows all the time.. seriously running in Texas is turning me into a complete douchebag (my favorite 'only in America' word).
4. Take breaks and slow down. The last week or two I've had to stop a few times during a run, just to cool down a bit and catch my breath.. I know I have to work harder in the heat so it's OK, I was afraid it was because I was being to easy on myself but no, It's just fricking crazy hot!
5. Run early. Believe me, I can't wait to sleep in longer than 5.30 AM on a Saturday morning but I went to a pool party on a Friday night a few weeks ago, and convinced myself with a little help from my friends that I should stay until MIDNIGHT!!! Imagine! So I didn't run until 11.30 and boy was I sorry.. drank my Camelbak dry that day.

   

   nice view from Town Lake Dam

6. Hit the gym. If I can't run early, I hit the gym instead. It's still elbow-dripping hot (I should copyright that) but not so bad.
7. Sweatproof bug spray and sunscreen. This is one I haven't been heeding and I need to! I'm allergic to most sunscreen and haven't found a good one yet, so I don't wear one most of the time.. my biggest fear is that in years to come I'll tell someone I used to live in Texas and they'll give me that knowing nod while checking out my wrinkles! So plan A: go to a dermatologist, plan B: never leave Texas. Bug spray I have no excuse for.. I can't stretch outside after my run coz I get eaten alive by the mosquitos, so I need to get this sorted.
8. Pool parties. Almost everyone has a pool at their apartment here so it's a pretty nice way to spend to day grilling and chilling by the pool. So, who's coming to visit me??!!!
9. Go tubing.
   
   Floating down the river is a pretty cool way to spend a Saturday after a long run, exactly what I did last Saturday.

My fundraising is going well y'all.. as of today I am 76% of the way to my goal! Douglas Fisher has earned his right to get his name tattoed on my arm for the race (only!). Aunt Cait and Donal, Aunt Mary and Mort have all generous donated to my fundraising page.. did I mention how thankful I am for my supportive family? What with the time difference and being 5,000 miles from home, it would be easy to forget little old Hazel but nope, people back home are going well above and beyond what I expected and I can't wait to see everyone in a few weeks. 4 weeks from Sunday I will be holding my nephew (and godson) for the first time!

I gotta give a big shout out to my parents (not getting teary writing this, I swear). You know you are loved by someone when your problems (or undertakings) become theirs as well. Both my mom and dad have acted like this fundraising was their responsibility as well as mine. My mom raised $100 at work and my Dad organised 'a bit of a cycle' a few weeks ago. By the way, it's worth pointing out (for the Americans) how understated Irish people are.. Dad acting like it was nothing he was doing.. and went along and raised close to 400 euro!! Even though we are not big on hugs in our family, anyone who sees my daddy give him a big hug for me (yes, now there are tears). In the meantime, here's a thumbs up for daddeo...

Of course all these efforts are for a very worthy cause.. finding a cure for a very nasty autoimmune disease.. we all have had (or will have) bum troubles in the future so if you can donate to find a cure for Crohn's and Colitis then please do so soon, right here ! the race is 3 weeks from Sunday! 

I'm going to do a separate post on my training in the last while, and show ye what my treadmill/ crosstraining workouts entail. I'm thinking of keeping the blog going after the race.. any thoughts? If you'd keep reading please comment, call me douchebag, tell me your favorite American word! The focus would change a bit since I wouldn't be training but you get the gist of what I write..probably more on what it's likemtp be Irish here, trying new things (like getting two-stepping lessons), eating, what I miss about Ireland, that kinda (every)thing.

What say ye..if anything? Love ye longtime, thanks for reading

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Summer in Texas

Hey you guyyysss! Long time no speakies!

Between my fundraising event, running and a few parties here and there, I've been kept busy! The fundraiser was a serious amount of work but guess what.. we raised $400! Success!

My event was a kickball/ barbecue party, ''Grab your balls.. it's KICKBALL time''! Cheeky title, buy you gotta 'grab' people's attention, right?! Kickball (for you non-Americans) is a sport similar to baseball, which uses a very soft version of a football. Sorry for the loose explanation, but that's pretty much all I got! People tried explaining it to me several times at the start and all they'd say is ''it's just like baseball'' and I was like ''but we don't have baseball in Ireland either''!

So my tips: kick the ball (always a good start), volley it down the line or away from people and run like the wind to the next base. If you mess up, remind people you're Irish and offer to get them another beer (kickball involves a lot of boozing too). The main requirements for kickball are the ability to let loose, make a fool of yourself and have a jolly good auld time! It holds a special place in my heart since I started playing just a month after moving here and although I only played one season I made most of my friends through it. I also got to know this fella through kickball..

It's for all these reasons I decided to have a kickball party! I spent every evening the week before prepping for the party.. making veggie burgers, chipotle coleslaw, shopping for a moustache, you know, the usual!

The weather has been nuts here lately, by which I mean it's rained like twice a week, EVERY week!!! and it hasn't even got THAT hot here yet (hasn't hit 100F)! When I planned the party a month ago I thought  ''no way can I have it in June, it'll be too hot''. Little did I know that it was gonna lash and pour.. complete with severe flooding warnings. Major bummer.

It was supposed to be on Saturday (May 25th) so I postponed it to Sunday and changed the location also, to somewhere with a covered basketball court as well as grass. I had plan B if Sunday was raining too. Luckily, the mighty kind peoples at La Barbecue (link) offered to give me a fresh brisket for Sunday and the party went ahead.

The Trashy Texas Gentleman

Rob, chef extraordinaire, smoked the sausage and corn on the cob and he made pulled pork too. I really can't thank him enough. He did way more than I should have asked of him so there will be a steak dinner on me very soon for ya Rob!I also made a big batch of ''Hazel's Magic Potion'', which may or may not have had alcohol in it  (public park drinking is outlawed in Texas and I don't want the electric chair just yet ;))

What do ya know, the sun came out for the occasion and we had a par-tay! A huge than you to everyone who came out and to those who wanted to but couldn't coz of the day change I'm sowwwy! I was expecting close to 70 people and about 20 people actually came. It was such a shame, given the amount of amazing food we had but at least I had a prize for almost everyone in the audience!

Sponsors of the event:
Fado's Irish Pub and Restaurant (2 giftcards)
Green Mesquite (giftcard)
Nancy Lyons (2 pairs of handmade earrings)
HEB supermarket ($50 in giftcards I used for party supplies)
Regal Theatres (4 movie tickets)
Amy's Ice Cream (2 giftcards)
Sam's Bar-B-Cue (box of sausage)
La Barbecue (full brisket)
Camp Gladiator (4 one month unlimited bootcamp passes)

not bad eh?!


So bottom line, I raised $400 for CCFA and hopefully threw a decent party for my buds. I could dwell on the fact that the party wasn't nearly as successful as I expected but we'll choose to be positive here. This is a shiny happy people place ;) So my target is getting close now!!!

6 weeks to go and 71% of the way there, thanks to those who have donated lately: my dearest Pops and her little family (me sista), Jack and Bridie O'Connor, Oonagh O'Neill, Pete Boylan, Forest Farm Eggs (the Griffin's) and Charles Fahy. I'm nearly there guys and thanks a million for supporting the cause!! No poo talk this time (big AWWWW), but you know supporting research for a cure for a currently incurable disease is a good idea. Help find a cure for this girl. If you can spare any few bob, please donate here!

No detailed workouts this time either (since I forgot my diary at work) but it's fair to say the training has cranked up a few notches. Let's see, I ran 36 miles last week (wasn't intentional, just had to get my long runs in around socialising!). Without blabbering on too much, it's gotten crazy hot and humid for running outside. Last night, I had a 7 mile run planned with my Team Challenge teammate Esteban. We hit the road at 7.50 PM and it was 90 degrees.. that's 32 Celsius Irish peeps! Hottest I have ever ran in and Esteban was merciless (in a good way)... we finished with less than 7.30 min/mile pace. I have honestly never had a tougher run but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (at least according to Kelly Clarkson).

shiny, not so happy after a run last week

I've got 11 miles on the cards for Saturday and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be out before the sun to get it done (I'm a poet now too ;)) Extra motivation for getting it done early? Well, Ireland are playing the USA in rugby in Houston and all the GAA clubs in Texas are having gathering for it and having a big style party beforehand (they call them tailgates here). I'm SUPER DUPER excited! There's 40 of us going from Austin!

I'll be sure to fill you guys in next week.. as well as on other Texas -style parties of late. It's all about balance right?!

Weekends almost here guys...weeeeeeeeeeee!

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That time I decided to get fit

.. otherwise known as that time I nearly died on the Inca Trail.

In 2008, my friend Ciarán and I booked a 3 week holiday to Peru; 3 weeks jam-packed with adventures. We planned to visit the Amazonian jungle, the Inca Trail & Machu Picchu and throw in some white water rafting for good measure. While I was fairly certain that I needed to be fit (and get fit), I also knew that people in their 70's regularly hiked the trail, so I said 'how bad could it be?' and 'i'll be grand'. Famous last words.

We first visited the jungle surrounding Iquitos and besides acquiring food poisoning, or 'runny bowel syndrome', this was by far my favorite part of the holiday.

Oi, come back with my sunglasses!

SEE, it didn't take me long to mention bowels again, did it? To save you time in future from reading all the boring parts, I think I will highlight the bowel mentions in green so you can just scan it and fit the best parts right away.. you're welcome ;) Anywho, I had more bathroom trips than were appreciated by my companion or the lodge staff. FYI: experiencing food poisoning with someone should be the gold standard for any enduring friendship/ relationship.. it ain't purty!

A few days later we landed in Cusco to acclimatise for the Inca Trail, at which point I found comfort in peanut M & M's and McFlurry's (very cultural I know)

We set off on the trail super excited for the adventure..

Haha.. I just found this on my Facebook..the caption reads ''if only we had know what we were letting ourselves in for''

Two hours later.. I had an 'uh oh' moment (no, I hadn't pooped my pants); I was totally unprepared and unfit. By the second afternoon, I was at the back of the pack, thinking 'if there was any way I could turn back I would!'. Seriously, this was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen and I all could think about was the relief of when it would be over!

So my point in all of this is.. how pathetic is that? For someone like me who loves animals, nature, outdoors and the possibility of seeing the most pretty places in the world. The thought of letting a lack of fitness hold me back from enjoying them was a game changer. I vowed to get fit when I got home.. I also lost about 10 pounds on that trip so I was off to a head start and I kept rolling from there.

I was definitely not a fit teenager and rebelled against encouragement to exercise so if you're like me and were a later starter for fitness, then I think it's worth remembering your turning point ..thinking of the reward of a gorgeous view from the top of of a mountain, for example, will help get you through the times when you really want to give up.

I now love exercise (as you may have gathered) and I often still need to push myself to do it, but when you've got a half marathon to train for (or any goal for that matter) then putting in the legwork will make the race as fun as possible.. I can't go to Napa, running through vineyards and rolling hills and willing it to be over! Not gonna make my Inca mistake again.

Without further adieu.. I present to you my workouts, which includes running.. whoop whoop! Before I get started, you gotta sing this one with me.. Paolo said it right ''Hey, I got my new shoes on and suddenly everything's (nearly) right''. It's a toe-tapper.

Working out (hope this isn't snooze-worthy  for y'all at this stage):

Mueller Park

Mon: 30 min elliptical, abs
Tues: 1 hr on the bike.. 15 icky miles
Wed: Gillian Michael's DVD week 4 (major ouch on the arms)
Thurs: Run to Mueller Park (4 ish miles); love this place; threw in an ab burner for good measure
Fri: 35 min elliptical, abs (nope, no abs of steel yet)
Sat: Off... or does Beer Olympics count??
Sun: Run to Mueller, 2 laps of lake (4.5 ish miles); 2 rounds of booty burner, abs



To sum up that week, I was easing back in to running nicely and my new shoes were the star of the show. Check out these babies. Thanks to Daniel at Texas Running Company for helping me find the right ones.

plenty cushioning

 

The past week: 
Mon: 1 hr elliptical
Tues: 25 min 'sexy arse' treadmill walking workout (keep your sniggering to yourself, thank ya!), Nike Training Club arm definer
Wed: 4 mile run with Austin Runner's Meetup Group
Thurs: Nike Training Club app 45 min 'Gladiator' workout (entered beast-mode to finish this one)
Fri: Off
Sat: 7 mile run with my Team Challenge Teammates

I was super excited for Wednesday's run with Austin Runner's Meetup Group.. about 18 of us met in a hilly area of Austin (Far West Blvd) for an out-and-back run. In keeping with my trend for TMI (too much information) I gotta tells ya that my bowels were even more excited about the run than I was. It's hard to say which muscles worked out the hardest during this workout.. but my money is on Mr Sphincter; I was in a lot of discomfort during the run and I had good reason for a swift pace (pretty eloquently put if I do say so myself).

OK, I know I'm disgusting but I'm trying to set an example about being open and honest about these things and issues such as these are common among runners and especially among Crohn's and Colitis Sufferers (I'm only blushing mildly while writing this). I still am amazed by how many of those with Crohn's disease are runners.. seriously, hats off to them.

Speaking of which, I'm still trying my bestest to raise money to help those people... and many of you are too! Thank you to those who recently donated: Mary T(-shirt) O'Connor, Edel O'Connor, Lizette O'Connor, Uncle Tim O'Connor, Adarrel Fisher and Rajashree Deshpande.. I am now up to 53% of my target!! I only have a few weeks left to reach my target so if you can donate please do so soon and right here at my fundraising page.

Remember: I will be sending you a pair of earrings or barbecue rub for donations over $20 (covering costs myself) and for over $100 I will (temporarily) tattoo your name on my arm and dedicate a mile of the race to ya; I've got 6 miles left to cover! If you want to see what kind of earrings I make please check out previous posts; I can custom-make too so just tell me what you like!

For events, I have one trick left up my sleeve.. a kickball/ barbecue party! Check out my poster!

.. and Hailey has even offered to bring her massage chair to give 5-10 min massages for donations! I'm sure it'll be a lot of work organising it next week but I'm really looking forward to it.


Over and out for now my friends!

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Stubborn as a Black Donkey

There are a lot of saying and phrases we use at home in the O'Connor household and it wasn't until I started using them in conversation with people outside the inner circle that I realised we were probably a bit weird (in a good way). Here's a little of Toorsaleen lingo decoded:

• As tired as a tinker (or ten)
• As thirsty as a badger (we've got the inside scoop.. badgers get EXTREMELY thirsty)
• Like a ram in November (figure that one out for yerselves ;))
• As stubborn as a black donkey

Now, the last one might have been reserved especially for me and was used quite often by my mother. The source of this stubbornness (Coffey VS O'Connor)  is still a source of debate, and while I didn't agree at the time.. I think mamma MIGHT have had a point (don't tell her).

I could give many examples and break myself down here.. but in this case, I know that I pretty much ignored the signs that minimalist running wasn't for me. I felt my foot was 'quare' before I even hit the road.. but no, I had to finish what I started. I had to carry on with what i'd written on my fridge to get done that week. This breed of a fool hit the road a week after a painful treadmill run, hence epic foot malfunction.

You see, I read the book Born to Run (great book by the way) which preached that running barefoot was how our ancestors ran and they had a lot less injuries than modern runners. It was therefore the only way I wanted to run. My body doth protest too much.

So while I could go on a while here's my lessons for trying something new: get advice from someone in the know, listen to your pain receptors, don't be as stubborn as a black donkey when your body isn't cooperating...CAPISH?

With that, I tried to run on Sunday of last week and did 7 miles (RED SIMPLE.. I know). So, I got a bit of a telling to by Mr Man and Mr Man's brother. Here's what Adarell (personal trainer) said to me: 

Be careful with your injury. It doesn't sound good. I know about wanting to finish what you started but your injury is sounding pretty serious. Even if you don't run 7:30 miles we will still be proud of you. I always tell my clients when it comes to injury, the first step is rest (to stop doing what causes pain). Of course I get all types of excuses like, "if I stop I will get fat" or "its not that bad" or my favorite "professional athletes or professional actors and actresses work out all the time so if I want to look like them I have to keep going". To that last point I always say if you are getting paid for your fitness or for your looks then by all means proceed. But conventional wisdom is to stop and let the body heal. So please take care of yourself. You are young and fit and have many years of physical fitness exploits ahead of you. There is no need to rush it now. 

Thanks Adarell, I needed that.

And since then I haven't run.

Here's what I have done:

Fri: steroid injection

Sat: Total body conditioning class

Sun: 7 mile run

Tues: elliptical 30 mins & 15 min ab burner (Nike training Club app.. love this app; get it, it's free)

Wed: Gillian Michael's DVD week 3

Thurs: Elliptical 1 hr

Fri: Abs

Sat: bike.. 1 hr of torture! 

Sun: 30 min elliptical & Booty Burner (love this too)

I'm gonna chance a 3 mile run on Wednesday and test out the foot.

In other news, I had a very successful fundraising event last week! I hosted a bake sale on UT campus on Tuesday. It was a lot of work.. I got a great local coffee shop to sponsor coffee; J.P's Java, thanks a mill. I had so many friends that helped with the baking, I am so grateful to all you guys. Jackie, Aileen, Mikaela, Meredith, Sylvie, Nancy, Larissa and Laura all baked up a storm. Laura even arrived at the building right before it got started with pecan chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven (QUICK, wipe that drool off your keyboard!).

Gluten-free almond cookies I made.. yum yum in my tum

My grand total was $345!!! Big success! Another great thing to come out of this was that I now know so many people in my department too :)

On to my next event now.. I'm very excited about this one.. It's gonna be a kickball party/ barbeque on May 25th. Austinites mark your calendars! Fundraising is a lot of work so when it's something fun, I know I will enjoy the organising process and it will be worth the work; kickballers sure know how to party.

kickballers in their usual attire

I'm now up up $2020, wohooo, it's been a good week! I've still got a lot to raise. $3330 is the absolute minimum I need to raise. $4500 is the ideal target.

BIG thank you to those who donated most recently: Tricia Sheehan, Amanda Coffey, Nuala & Dinny Coffey and Alessandra Rossi!

You too can support The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America here. Our very own Team Challenge runner Michael Ginsberg ended up in hospital this week with an obstruction; he's thankfully home now. The poor guy has had a rough few years with Crohn's, and he's just 29. If you still need convincing as to why we need answers as to the cause and cure, please read this .

Have a great week people! P.S. please share the weird saying in your family, surely we're not the only weirdos? 

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Fashionable footwear

Let me present to you the very latest in footwear fashion!

Sexy eh?! Hobbling around in my bootie with over a week now.. getting used to it, apart from the ordeal of climbing stairs.. I look like John Wayne or a duck.. ya gots to spread 'em wide to climb a stairs at any reasonable speed!

I started writing this post last night and I was feeling rather frazzled after a ''character building'' type of week but today all I can think is.. what a difference a day makes! Lots of positive things are happening again.. and good news on the foot front is one of those things!

I had an MRI scan on Monday night (8PM..wierd) and I was anxiously awaiting results all day yesterday and today. So, the fracture they found last week is a really old one and not a concern anymore. AND I don't have another fracture.. I have inflammation that was basically caused by the barefoot running I tried out..remember teenage mutant ninja turtle feet? Yup, if you're thinking of barefoot running, don't!

I talked to the podiatrist about it last week and he says that if you grow up barefoot and that is all you know then running that way won't be a problem since you develop the muscles necessary to support yourself from a very young age. While some people can handle starting as an adult, the vast majority of people can't and get injured like me. One guy i met during the week quoted his doctor as saying, ''barefoot running? I love it! It makes me lots of money!''

I'm getting a steroid injection on Friday, new shoes that will completely stabilise me and I should be back running in a few weeks (fingers crossed!) In the spirit of Team Challenge and those who run while needing to poop 20 times a day (Crohn's sufferers), I'm not going to let this setback stop me! If I can't run in July, I will bike 13.1 miles (a few times), do it in a wheelchair, something! Fear not, I will shed blood, sweat and tears for the cause!

The running and training is really only a part of what I'm doing, and to be honest, the fundraising part of this is a lot more work than I anticipated. Working in research, it has taught me that you've gotta try a lot of different angles and often repeat the process over and over.. but eventually something works and it is delightful!

I will have a few events for fundraising, like the bake sale I am having next week in my department at work. I have applied to many, many places for donations of giftcards.. and relative to how many I have applied to, with little success. I have giftcards from a local supermarket (HEB), movie tickets and ice cream voucher's (Amy's.. the best!) - not too shabby I guess!

On Sunday, with my bike (the damn car was out of action) and my fighting spirit, I took off in search of local businesses willing to sponsor. If at least one of the ten places I tried will help out on some way, then I'll be happy. So for now, I'm gonna keep trying my best and organise some great events that people would pay money to go to anyways, so my friends won't just feel obliged to attend.

My friends and family in Ireland have been very supportive.. my Dad is organising a cycle to raise money! Thank you all so much. Special shout out my aunt and uncles, the Coffey siblings.. Dan, Jerry and Mary. Terri Mantia and Joanne O'Sullivan too, thanks a bunch! Your money will do great things for Crohn's and Colitis sufferers.

Please donate if you can: http://www.active.com/donate/napaSTXA13/atxHOConn1


Here's the workouts I've done in the last week or so..
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Step and Sculpt (love this class but my foot doesn't)
Wednesday: 20 min elliptical, 20 min bike, 10 min abs
Thursday: Dynamic strength (happy feet!)
Fri & Sat: OFF
Sunday: 30 min elliptical, 20 min bike, 15 min Nike Training Club 'arm definer'
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Step and sculpt
Wednesday: 30 min elliptical, 20 min bike & planks

Look what arrived today.. a canvas of Toorsaleen (home) for my wall :)

Speaking of which, I've saved my best news of the day 'till last.. flights booked for July! Mr Man and I are coming home!! I'm so excited, lots of happy occasions to celebrate and I'm even getting a bit weepy now at the thoughts of cuddling my nephew for the first time :)

Yeeeeeee-hoooooo!

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Let's Talk About Poo

Now, hold on, before u click the x on this window, let me explain why I want to talk about poo and where it comes from (yep, where poo comes from). I’m gonna talk a little bit about something that’s directly related to my fundraising cause but affects us all.. poo problems! Bear with me, I know it sounds disgusting but please keep reading!

Since I signed up to run a half marathon for Crohn's and Colitis, I definitely feel it is my duty, in a way, to talk about the conditions and explain to people why it is a worthwhile cause. While part of this is make people aware that I am fundraising for a cause that is worth supporting, another side of it is to get people talking about bowel issues.

I want to increase awareness of bowel-related diseases, regardless of how small the community of people who read this. I work in health sciences research and it is part of my job to be aware of the latest research that's published. I never see Crohn’s-related research published. If it’s taboo to talk about problems down yonder in the poo pipes, then there just isn't awareness as to the scale of the problem  among a population of people, hence the lack of research. 1.4 million Americans suffer from Crohn’s and Colitis, it’s a huge problem and clearly worth researching. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is doing great things to change this, pumping $180 million into research thus far, all raised through fundraising.

Here's the other thing: It bothers me when people say they're having stomach problems, when really, they are referring to poo problems. I know I might be considered a little on the vulgar side (especially by American standards!) but your stomach is just one component of your gastrointestinal system, an organ in your abdomen, and why should we be so embarrassed about calling a spade a spade (Americans get that expression, yea)? Granted, I won’t cause a fist-fight over it if you don't tell me about your bowel movement while I’m eating, the time and place should be considered ;)

Going for a number 2 is just as natural as feeling hungry and eating. But here is my point to all of this…Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are progressive conditions with symptoms becoming more severe and less responsive to treatment over time. Nobody knows the cause OR the cure. If people talked more about their poo problems then maybe we would understand more about the disease progression and early symptoms. Maybe people would be more descriptive about what the ACTUAL problem is, instead of a doctor just fobbing them off and telling them to eat better. As with many diseases, early diagnosis and treatment is going to be vitally important for improving patient outcome.

Sooo, let’s start a facebook page about where we post pics of our dung every day will we??!! Who’s on board?! JUST KIDDING!!! But seriously, I hope what I said above made some bit of sense and you can all relate to the ability to have a good poo so please help out those who can’t!

My fundraising page: http://www.active.com/donate/napaSTXA13/atxHOConn1

Here's what I've been up to the past week, prepping for the half marathon:

Sunday: 4.6 miles in 37 mins in a lovely neighbourhood, not mine obviously! Not too shabby considering my foot was hurting a bit

nice spot for a run

Monday: 40 mins elliptical & abs

Tuesday: 'Step and Sculpt' class at the university (UT Austin) gym

Wednesday: 5 miles on treadmill, tempo run

Thursday: off

Friday: 'Vinyasa' yoga class at the UT gym

Saturday: 3 mile Team Challenge group run

Sunday: Capitol 10K in 47:31, oh yeaaa!

It's been 3 weeks since I hurt my left foot, and I didn't run at all for 2 weeks. :ast Sunday I tested it out, and while it hurt a bit to run on it, I could manage a decent pace on it. I had just a week to go to the 10K so I figured I could manage it! The treadmill was fine on Wednesday (I'm getting to the point of the details, promise), and I was pshyced for Sunday! In all honesty, I hardly slept Saturday night (the circling helicopter all night and the treat of a mass murderer on the loose didn't help either), with nerves and excitement! I ran with three great gals: Jackie, Stacey and my Team Challenge bud Aileen! 

Left to right: Jackie, me, Aileen and Stacey

There were 17,500 runner yesterday, what a buzz! All in all, my foot felt fine and I was really happy with my time! It wasn't easy, actually it was tough. I guess my fitness has dropped in the hiatus; I thought my head was going to explode it felt so hot! I couldn't believe I bumped into a running buddy at mile 5, when I was really needing it, he delivered me a high five and we vowed to maintain the pace! I did 7:39 min/mile and according to the website 20th in my age group, wohooooo! worth the pain! We were all delighted with our times so a great day out for all the gals!

I already had had a podiatrist appointment made for this morning. I thought about cancelling, but I went anyways.  And what do ya know.. I have a stress fracture...and I am now the proud owner of a very sexy bootie (note: bootie not booty) for at least 3 weeks! The best (worst) part is that the fracture isn't even where the pain is so I could have a second one, further up my foot, so for an MRI I go. I can still bike, and exercise, but no running... balls, balls, and more balls! At least this means I can try out every exercise class at the UT gym.. and I'll still go support our runners on a Saturday morning, find a way to make use of myself!

Please 'like' and 'share'my posts if you know of others who might like a read or who would like to support CCFA.

A huge thank you to Eimear Plower, Michelle Dennehy, Brigid O'Connor (mother hen of the O'Connor household) and Anne Golden for donating this week xx

Runners, any tips on maintaining cardiovascular fitness while injured?

Have a good week y'all!

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Trip to the Windy City

Howdy y'all.. man I really love saying that but I would feel like a fool saying it in real life! So howdy y'all! Hope you've had a good week!

I'm a bit all over the place so I'll give y'all a recap on what I've been at since I went on my trip! On Friday, I headed for Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Mr. Man is at.  On Sunday, we caught an early train to Chicago and checked in to our hotel. We were starving for lunch and upon the advice of my foodie buddy Rob (check him out at The Food Buzz), we headed to Lou Malnati's to sample Chicagos famous deep dish pizza.. it was mmmm good! 

Later at the hotel, food coma set in for Mr Man so I hit the gym.  0.7 miles into a run on the treadmill I realised deep dish pizza is not the best running fuel.. funny that! So I stopped and did 20 min hills on the bike followed by 15 min elliptical. Major stomach issues after but I was well enough to eat at a delicious tapas restaurant a few hrs later.. You have to check out cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba if you visit Chicago, delicious! I love food, so tapas and tasting as much as possible without the danger of exploding suits me damn fine! 

Tuesday started off with a workout at the hotel gym. I ate yogurt beforehand so after nearly seeing my deep dish pizza for a second time on Sunday, I decided to hit the elliptical instead. Knocked out 30 min. So glad I didn't run.. An hour in to touring around town a bit later and my left foot was hurting at every step. Insert sad face here. I did make it to the top of the Sears tower though (now known as Willis tower)!

note the fool lying down.. and the other fool wearing slipper-like shoes in Chicago.. lucky I didn't lose a toe!

By the way.. it was so cold in Chicago.. I know you may have no sympathy for me since I was practically around in bare feet. But even if my foor wasn't sore, there was no way I was running on the lake, like I had hoped. W had planned on a walk there one day and within a block of the lake the wind got too much to bear and I begged for us to turn on our heel! Total wimp now that I'm living in Texas... have the lagging jacket ready for me when I go back home in August!

Anyways on Wednesday I worked on abs a bit.. Working on my plank. Those things are boring as hell but apparently effective. First thing I did was call to book a doctor's appointment. The fear is that I may have a stress fracture (my totally uneducated guess), since I haven't run in 12 days and its worse now and I'm kinda getting worried. Best to let the doc do his thing and figure this out. 

I also haven't mentioned the fact that I have a 10k a week from Sunday.. Hence the fear! I'll happily back off the running beforehand but I really really wanna do it! 

Capitol 10k is a huge one on the Austin running calendar, with approx 25,000 people running it every year. I joined Austin runners meetup group in January and there are a number of my Saturday morning run comrades running it too. Since I started CCFA half marathon training I can't run with them anymore (group runs also on saturdays) so I'm looking forward to seeing them again. A great friendly bunch.  Because the group is so big there's always 2 or 3 of us around the same pace so I'm hoping to have someone to run with. I also convinced my friends Jackie and Aileen to sign up sooooo.. the after party is gonna be too good to miss out on it!

Chicago had been a great trip; the past few days have been a welcome break from pushing my fitness and healthy eating. Back on the wagon I go! 

Thank you to all who have supported my goal so far to raise $4,500 for Crohn's and Colitis. By the end of May, I need to commit to running and therefore meeting my fundraising target. This is because the flights and hotel needs to be booked at that time. Sooo (trying really hard not to sound like a money-grabber) if you were thinking of donating, then it would be great if you could do so in the next few weeks. If you weren't or can;t afford it then no worries obviously. 

I have a few tricks up my sleeve to do some fundraising events in the next few weeks.. possibilities are a movie night, a barbeque, a bake sale and a raffle.  I also accept donations in the form of bright ideas! 

Just to remind you what it's like to have Crohn's disease, read the latest post from Ali, a Crohn's sufferer/ runner/ editor-in-chief of a magazine.. what a gal. I really didn't realise Crohn's was this bad.

A special shout-out to Jackie Ahmad, Tom Kane and Victor Trevino and Mike Murphy for your generous donations. If you would like to donate please do so here.

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