Rheumatoid Arthritis | year of fun

Jul 16 2013

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.

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.

Jul 08 2013

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Around the House/DIY, Fun for Couples, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 287: Active Me

Life is different as an active person. I spent a little time reflecting upon the changes I’ve undergone from last summer to this summer. Last summer I walked with a cane. This summer I’ve been hiking, biking, and walked 3.1 miles to raise money and awareness for the Arthritis Foundation. Last summer, after a long day at work, I would most likely have sat on the couch watching tv all evening. Tonight, instead, the hubs and I cooked and ate dinner, picked up around the house and went through a couple “junk drawers” in preparation for our upcoming Iowa garage sale. Then I practiced the dulcimer. We did not turn the tv on all night. (Well, until 9:00 when reruns of How I Met Your Mother come on for an hour).

At the end of the day, I feel so much better having participated in and accomplished all of these things than I ever did “resting” on the couch. While it may still be necessary from time-to-time, resting on the couch is not actually all that restful when done in large doses. I’m loving what feels like a new life!

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!