Appreciating January

January: all sorts of new beginnings! The New Year, another birthday (flowers below), first anniversary of starting to blog, 9th anniversary of our first visit to Weight Watchers (a total of over 100 pounds ago, altogether, for the 3 of us), time for a fresh running season and mapping out training schedules for races and the next marathon.
And new hope for managing myeloma with supplements and diet and activity, without super-drugs.
Appreciating January: with icicles. Running tracks, with their tight corners that can crunch knees but also inviting straightaways, boring dreadmills but with calculators that can clock speed and distance, getting back to strength training because strong muscles make strong bones, venturing outdoors to freeze the bones but gracing us with the promise of warm spring running.
Discovery: Many people may be healthier without gluten.
One of the secrets of gluten-free baking (besides commitment to the life-saving aspect of it for some folks) is not trying to replicate gluten-laden (unhealthy) foods. Once I gave up using white rice flour and nutrition-stripped potato flour, we found new delights in ancient whole grains: teff, millet, amaranth.
Click on pictures to enlarge; hover to read captions.
This January I celebrate my first year (2007) of having my own lap top computer, a year of learning to make photo albums with 8X6 inch prints of digital pictures... with captions! Because my computer expertise is spotty, I decided to record the steps for editing pictures... with my digital camera... see below. Appreciating January memories:
**the gift of being snowed in,
**standing in snow posing for Dad to take my annual birthday picture of me holding the cake Mom had made and decorated,
**the January I began teaching 4th grade in Minneapolis,
**the 3 Januarys that I was pregnant and stayed cozy indoors,
**the January day the butter hardened on the kitchen counter because the movers had the doors open while they were in and out loading our furniture and belongings,
**taking pictures of our kids out sledding and shoveling in the snow,
**braving the Minnesota winters on my journey through 3 years of seminary and a year of internship,
**running 5K races in January weather

And now, appreciating the rhythm of the changing seasons and eagerly anticipating the first spring run out on the Gateway Trail.

Autumn and running.....

October 22 and still no killing frost. This tenacious little flower in my favorite color keeps singing.And we are running of course. This was the pre-sunrise on Saturday as we drove to Northland Tennis Court to run with the St. Croix Valley Runners. Cosmos that cheered our runs in the neighborhood all summer still offer their cheer.

Gateway Trail One Week Later

Several flocks of wild turkeys waddled across the road in front of our car on the way to the Trail. We stopped, of course. This is a small portion of the parade of turkey families.
Why did the turkeys cross the road??
What a difference a week makes! When we did 20 miles on Gateway Trail last Sunday, the temp was in the low 60's with light mist, developing into heavier mist. It was our kind of day. Our speed was as good on miles 18-20 as any.

The 8 2/3 miles we did today was with a temp of 82 degrees, a dew point of 61, and a wind of 17 mph. The wind, the best part of that, provided some relief. However, I was pouring sweat and even staggered with a bit of dizziness.
I didn't plan well for the heat, starting out with 8 ounces of water, which we each had. Don, on a bicycle, brought our partially frozen bottles of Gatorade All Stars drink, from our car, saving the day... and us!!


PS: Oh sad to say, Bruce Brothers' running column.. and the Great Outdoors section of the St. Paul Pioneer Press is being discontinued. Certainly the only sports news I read in the paper.

Run with Stillwater Runners

We two did 2.9 miles in the neighborhood of the tennis courts at 7am on a lovely late-August morning, uneventfully and without injury for the beginning of another best day.

Rain!

Good news for trees: raining raining
It has been too dry here for many weeks.

Sweet Pea and I got out in the neighborhood for a two mile out and back before the rain this morning.

Chicken breast pot roast with sweet potatoes, corn, onions and black beans for supper.

And the 9:00 repeat on ABC is "Boston Legal."

Flowers for your day from our 5K yesterday.

Twenty miles on Gateway Trail

First half in alternating light mist/heavy mist... low 60's ... our kind of running temperature... just a bit of gusty breeze now and then. We were soaked to the skin, but then the mist quit.. and we dried out... until just before we got back to the car. We closed the doors on the car and the rain started... for a dramatic finish of a lovely long run. Sweet Pea and I both have our limitations, so we were out there (including porta potty stops, water stops, cookie stops) 5 1/2 hours. Oceans of golden rod were not a problem, dampened by the rain. There are many blue bird houses along the trail.

Our favorite runner, biking until his foot heals, came by for a quick chat. We got encouraged along the way. PS: some of our fastest miles were the last 3 .. after Don phoned us and told us the radar indicated that the rain was just about upon us!
More than an inch of rain here this weekend.

End of a Long Week

Lake Wobegon Arborists trimmed damaged oaks.
Some of the piles and piles of branches and logs were picked up by village workers...after being sawed up by Don and hauled and stacked by all of us. Sweet Pea's picture of our reclaimed back yard. How magnificent oaks are! Sure do like them better alive and standing up. Kitty kept watch from the safety of the house.
Saturday note: We joined the Stillwater Runners this morning. Good to be at it again.

Back to Running, Plus Day 6 of yard clean-up

Sweet Pea took this picture... maybe on Day 4.

For several days our village workers have been picking up debris and chipping branches.

TODAY we all had enough energy and time to get out in the neighborhood for a run!

Blessings of fruit season

Organic strawberries and conventional blackberries, papaya and mango ... piled in a bowl with a little organic yogurt.
For lovely artistic arrangements you might want to check out: MinnesotaDon.blogspot.com.

According to a report in September, 2007, Prevention Magazine, food scientists at the University of California, Davis, recently found that kiwifruit grown without pesticides end up with higher levels of heart-healthy polyphenols and vitamin C than conventionally grown fruits. Nutrition to ponder.

Continuing with the little project of listing "5 things" ...
5 things I don't leave home without:

1. Digital camera
2. Cell phone
3. Little pack.. driver's license, credit card, health ins. card, $10 bill
4. Keys ... house, car, and emergency whistle
5. Pen & small Weight Watchers 1-week diary (also good for jotting down a good recipe from a waiting room magazine)

Traveling lighter these days than when I was working. Sometimes I even stuff all 5 things in my shorts pockets.
"Don't leave home without it" ... what is on your list?

Keeping on walking and running ... We two did a hot humid 4K in the neighborhood this morning. (Trees need rain so terribly.) In the afternoon we walked another 1:45 at the Mall of America.
This evening, although it is dry and pleasant, we are done for the day.
Every day is the best day of the year and we celebrate the blessings.

A turkey vulture and more roadside flowers...

This lovely birdie has been hanging around for a couple of days like waiting for something to die. Isn't this one marvelously ugly bird? Yes, there is always a camera in the pocket of my running shorts. It slows me down most when I stop to take pictures. I just love it that I can get them ready and post them on this blog myself. It is a whole new concept of HOBBY: photography !

Running Running

Dex eats up your muscles: we learn all sorts of things at myeloma information and support meetings. Dexamethasone is taken with Revlimid to fight myeloma. Maybe that is next for our Myeloma Hope guy, but for now he is trying an alternative treatment of large doses of curcumin with a little black pepper.

This morning at the meeting there was more discussion than usual about the agonies and perils of being the major support person for a person who has myeloma. This was partly due to the presence of some support folks who had questions as they were going through some heavy stuff.

Because our Myeloma Hope guy does not have any symptoms other than blood counts, these days seem to me like a eerie marvelous tentative awesome honeymoon time...
With the ominous forecast of unthinkable pain some day for him.

So we are running running. Met with the Stillwater runners this morning: Five miles for serious runners and around 5K for runner/walkers like Running Partner and me. You can read more about our Guy's running these days at Make It a Masterpiece.
Maybe we will bike tomorrow. Cross training is good.

When I hear care-giver stories I would say my care-giving is pretty low-key... but I am devoting a lot of energy to continuing to study nutrition and alternative supplements ... as well as shopping, cleaning up... and cooking it up for great healthy eating.

Amazing thing: I am working on my deep aversion to fish cakes... by selecting .. for lunch... wild caught salmon fish cakes with spinach, feta cheese, anise, fennel and other spices ... at Whole Foods Market in Minneapolis. They were tasty... and I am still thinking about why I don't think much of the idea of good fish chopped up and made into cakes. Stay with me.

Spinach feta salmon patties from Whole Foods (Wild Alaska salmon, spinach, feta cheese, sea salt, black pepper, anise, fennel, garlic, parsley, paprika, canola oil, breadcrumbs), blackcurrant jam, organic strawberries. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 9.

So it goes; life is precious; stay awake for it; and eat (dark chocolate) dessert first. Grace is with us.

Picture below: good runner legs of Saturday morning runners.

Running Running

Trying to keep in condition for another long run, in spite of feet and knees and weather... Eating lean protein and fruit and vegetables and drinking water... Watching weather forecasts for upcoming events... Looking back at the pictures of the last marathon and remembering a wonderful trip and race.
We 3 are here, and it is the best day of the year.

A Good Day !

I gasped, literally, at my first glimpse of the awesome Pacific, just north of Rockport, California, after the drive on the mountain road from Leggett. The first glimpse of the ocean always does that to me. Two weeks later, I continue to be energized and inspired by thoughts of running through the giant redwoods and gazing out over the ocean.
Rain again today and Running Partner and I did 5K on the track at the community center. Today is a good day.
Tomorrow we will take the day off.

Sun Garden

Bleeding heart flowers... a gift in memory of Dodie... in the sun garden built by my Sweet Honey.
Rain showers and lightning come and go this week.
We did 6K on the community center track on Saturday, on Monday, and on Wednesday (today). This is a good day!

Knee surgery postponed

Today was the Fargo Marathon.
A year ago this week my would-be knee surgeon said, You can run (the Fargo Marathon), but you probably won't finish. I was scheduled for surgery, but got scared out by the complicated hospital scheduling procedure.
I canceled the surgery.
I ran the marathon. I finished the marathon.
After consulting with my naturopath,
I started taking large doses of glucosamine and chrondroitin, a multivitamin, Vitamin D.
An amazingly productive thing I did was quit wearing running shoes while working in the kitchen. I wear my heavy wool socks, and my feet slip instead of sticking to the floor as they would in rubber soled shoes... And my knees are spared all that twisting as I scurry around the kitchen doing cooking and clean-up.
Also, getting in and out of the car, I take just an extra moment to move carefully, so I don't twist either knee.
I'm a slow runner, but since the Fargo, I have finished four other marathons, and also about 30 shorter races.
My knees give me very little pain.
Today I did 6K. It is another Best Day of the Year.

Hypothyroid Help

My daughter and I have both been diagnosed with hypothyroid, indicating a low-functioning thyroid gland. For a short time we took prescription Synthroid, a synthetic thyroid hormone which replaces some of the hormone which would be produced by a normal thyroid gland. A similar hormone is also available as a prescription generic drug.

Synthetic thyroid has its own problems, however. In particular, some doctors believe that the thyroid gland may continue to lose function because of the influence of the synthetic. Further, for some people, the dosage of synthetic must be frequently monitored and adjusted to maintain balance.

After consulting a naturopathic doctor, we have both been using an over-the-counter natural supplement rather than the synthetic hormone. The supplement contains bovine thyroid tissue along with minerals that are known to support normal human thyroid function. We also eat two to four fresh, raw Brazil nuts each day, as a natural source of selenium.

Because raw broccoli/cabbage family foods may depress thyroid function, we eat those vegetables steamed. We avoid soy beans, soy oil,and peanuts.
We are taking a multiple vitamin, additional vitamin D, and calcium.
Several times a week we walk or run.

Within the last month, we both got normal thyroid test results at our medical clinic.

There are many thyroid-support supplements on the market. We use Spectra 303-T from NF Formulas Inc, and take one tablet per day. It is available at www.drugnatural.com and is reasonably priced. We each take one tablet each morning. Supplement facts:

Iodine 225 mcg 150% DV (DV=daily value)
Zinc 10 mg 67% DV
Copper 500 mcg 25% DV
L-Tyrosine 100 mg
Thyroid tissue, bovine 100 mg

Camera Pictures

Saturday we went to the Trail Mix races, where slow runners are not allowed, but Sweet Daughter and I had a splendid time with a little digital camera. The runners smiled for us! You can see some of the pictures and a slide show at THIS LINK.

Walk/Run 40 Mile Week

Well, yes, that includes the mostly-walking in the MOA (Mall of America), but our estimate of 18 miles in 7 hours is conservative.
Thursday we did a 4K at the community club in the morning and again in the afternoon.
This week we took only one day off.

Didn't do the Challenge Obesity Run around Lake Como this morning. Wind 18 mph; wind chill zero. This is the fifth (I can't believe it!) Saturday morning race since Thanksgiving that my Running Partner Daughter and I have not run (or finished) because of miserable weather. We can't remember ever, before this year, registering for a race and not running it... ever.

We are counting the miles per week, starting with Saturday, ending with Friday, so our 7K run this morning counts for next week. Good thing, too, because getting in a run on Easter Day is not going to happen.
Feeling good. Concerned about myeloma developments. Planning the Easter dinner menu. Celebrating this day.

An Alleluia Palm Sunday Morning

Sunday morning sunrise is precious territory of clergy (and church sextons and some of the musicians). The world sometimes seems holy in the quiet dawn. Around here, only early risers were gifted by sunshine and blue sky today. I did.. really.. take the picture above this morning. What a glorious calm after the rain yesterday!

Sunrise ... shared by all who choose to be there... is also in the domain of runners. Runner Partner Daughter and I had two good 6 mile runs today. Fun to see Runner Dude and Speedy Friend Jim along the way. Partner spotted the white tails of five deer fleeing into the woods, and pointed out the cardinals. She is great company.

It was brisk.. in the 40s... knees covered... unlined jackets.. polar vests underneath.. visors, as usual. As we ran, the sky clouded over and the wind picked up some.

This past week my mind was focused some on writing that “what you have been doing with your life” thing for my high school reunion. Wow! Too many years for a “summary”?! I chose to write about the last ten, since we had a reunion ten years ago. The essence of all that went before, is reflected in what is now.

Also, We Two Cooks, here, did some creative cooking. Tuesday, Sookie’s American Sign Language friend was here for stir fried chicken with asparagus, ginger and garlic; and leek & celery pie with mint, dill, parsley, and whole wheat/yogurt crust. Wednesday, Duluth Son was here for roast chicken with rosemary & parsley; broccoli with sliced almonds; and sweet potato galette with ginger. (And I think he finished up with some Breyer’s ice cream.)

Yesterday we drove to Lake Harriet, picked up our shirts and registrations. For the third time in four months, the weather was so dreadful for running that we passed up the race and elected to run at the community center. (The Reindeer Run in December, the Valentine 5K in February, and yesterday, the Colon Cancer Get Your Rear in Gear) Stopped off at Whole Foods for organic apples, chard, haddock and whole grain noodles on our way.

Although it was sad to miss our race yesterday, the spring rain was welcome, of course. Afternoon was cozy, warm and dry... indoors.

Palm Sunday.. An alleluia day! All the days are alleluia days for families surviving myeloma or any other cancer. Precious... sometimes clouded over.. but precious.. holy... blessed... alleluia days. Amen.

Merino Wool Socks for Twenty Miles!

Merino wool socks have saved my feet from blisters....for a couple of years. I am in gratitude again for good ideas from the younger generation! Thanks Portland Son!

Twenty miles, Sweet Daughter Runner and I did on Gateway Trail today. Fog hovered over the ponds; the sky was cloudless blue when we began our training run this morning... Temperature about 60. Ah spring!


Too early for egrets, but we saw mallards.. And lots of geese, of course. Only one horse, with rider, on the horse trail. Horses, cattle, and a couple of goats in pastures. No kitties this time.

Dozens of cyclists ... all ages.. old folks ... many children. Some in-line skaters.
Oh, and many many dogs on leashes.

We took turns occasionally hollering encouragement to runners.. and little kids on bikes.. And “cute dog” praise to animal owners.

SDR (Sweet Daughter Runner) and I drank water and Gatorade and ate ginger snaps. The Runner Dude rescued us, a bit, when we didn’t plan our water stops just right. Did he ever look good, running toward us on the trail!
Cherishing these precious days when he is free of myeloma symtoms.

We watched the clouds gather until it was nearly overcast when we arrived home. As we walked into the house, the weather channel (17) was warning “Thunderstorms, some severe”, the thermometer showed an astounding 70 degrees... Runner Dude greeted us with cheers.

Twenty miles.. And back home. Long shower, fresh clothes, hot buttered popcorn.. And a latte made by SDR (Sweet Daughter Runner)

FOUR PM .... The time predicted, all day yesterday, for the thunderstorms.
At five minutes to four, I kid you not, rain poured out of the overcast sky... as I sat, cozy on the couch, writing this account.