Category Archives: Fitness

Aug 30 2013
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Fitness, Friends and Family, Outdoor Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 340: Just Something About a Swing

Just to prep you, this might be the most fun thing not only of the Year of Fun, but also ever.

The neighbor of the cottage in Michigan suggested we go find this rope swing that lives in the woods not too far off the road. Some children visited us today so we thought that might be the best time to look. Two children and four adults easily found the swings (there are two!) at the top of large sand/dirt hill hanging from a very sturdy tree. The climb up the hill was strenuous enough to leave my legs feeling achey (or maybe that was the fishing trip on choppy waters we took this morning–no fish, but also no barf so it was fun). Once we got to the top everyone tried the swing.

At first, I was a little nervous. It seemed like the swing required a lot of arm strength to hold yourself up. However, once the 2 and 4 year olds started doing it by finding a way to sit on one of the knots rather than stand, I knew I had to try. Because the swing goes out over the steep hill, I felt like I was very far off the ground. Yet that did not bother me. I was more caught up in what an amazing stress reliever it was. Everyone who tried it, let out of yell of joy (maybe some terror). I am certainly taking the hubs and friends (who arrived a little too late) every day for the rest of the weekend. I mean, these pictures say it all.

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Jul 21 2013
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Chicago Specific Fun, Fitness, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Fun for Couples, Outdoor Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 300: Ideal Day

Day 300 is a momentous day to reach on this journey. While I have not been the best at posting every day recently (or sometimes I’ve been posting maaany different days at once) I have been having so much fun.

Today the hubs and I had brunch with friends with kids (and one ready to give birth any day now). We rode our bikes to Hollywood Beach to meet up with a visiting friend, a new friend and more friends with kids. We made it home judt before the rain started. Then we had Sunday Dinner with still other friends (and one lovely repeat). It was an ideal day filled with friends, physical activity, sun, beach, children and love. And fun.

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Jul 16 2013
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Fitness, Outdoor Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 295: Runner?

I went for a run today. Seriously, I did. I was at home doing work, emails, etc. The hubs came home a little early and decided to go for a long bike ride. Frustrated that I could not accompany him and that I had not gone to the gym that day, I decided to get out of the house.

As I put on athletic clothes, I had a thought, “What if I could go for a run, like all of my super athletic friends?” I have always had romantic ideas about running, just getting out of your house and moving quickly through streets, people, going to the lakeshore path and hi-fiveing all the other runners (Ok that probably doesn’t happen).

I went out the front door, crossed Sheridan and started walking. Then faster. Then faster. Then running. Really running. Instead of joy, I felt dread. I expected sudden pain. Yet it did not come, at least not in the way I expected. My joints felt fine, but my muscles in my legs felt so heavy and weak. I ran about a half mile before I had to walk. My heart was pounding so hard, it actually scared me. I walked for a while and ran the last probably .1 mile to my house where I found the hubs and Elphie waiting for me outside. (I had left a note that said “gone for a walk/run”). In that last .1 mile running towards my husband and dog, I finally felt the joy of what I was doing. I let myself feel good about running rather than frustrated about how terrible I was at it. I just kept thinking, “I’m 29 years old and I should be able to run.”

Jul 13 2013
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Fitness, Food/Drink Fun, Friends and Family, Games, Outdoor Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Travel Fun

Day 292: The Renewals

What can I say about the renewals? Our friends got married five years ago, when neither of us knew them, on a beach in Michigan. They’ve taken a lot of adventures since then, including a few months in Asia, a move to Chicago, a bike trip down the California coast and, most recently, starting their own business and purchasing land in northern Michigan. It was on this beautiful land that we celebrated their five years of marriage with tons of people who love them. The hubs and I love having Emily and Ian in our lives and can’t wait to see what this next adventure has in store for them! Much love.

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If that doesn’t look and sound fun enough, Emily also organized a northern Michigan Instagram scavenger hunt called the M22 Olympics. So fun. Like whoa.

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Jul 07 2013
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Fitness, Fun for Couples, Outdoor Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 286: Bikes, Part Two

Ok. More about the bikes. Mine is a Schwinn Legacy Cruiser. That just means it looks vintage but isn’t. Cruisers have one speed and sit low enough that both feet can touch the ground. The hubs got a hybrid which means it rides well on streets and mountains. His is also a Schwinn and green. We look like quite the pair on our lemon yellow and grass green bikes.

Today we took them out for the first official ride. I am planning on using mine to ride to work, a little over one and a half miles away from our place. I really don’t want to ride on Irving Park (pretty busy four-lane street) even though it is the most direct route, so we tested out the more bike friendly, back road way. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, not the Chicago city streets, but the physical effort. When my RA is more active, I become less active. This often causes my RA to become even more active and thus a vicious cycle of increasing amounts of pain and increasing time of rest. So as much as I try to work out when I can, I often feel out of shape. The bike ride did nothing to dissuade that. It was hard. I was panting and sweaty. It was actually kind of gross. But also freeing and fun. I think I might just need more practice before I can feel good about riding to work, otherwise I’ll look a total mess all day. I’m definitely looking forward to facing this new challenge on my new, bright yellow friend!

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