Running and Fueling for Healing & Balance

Watson Lake, Prescott, AZ Photo Credit: my son : )

The past three months have been full of changes. Good changes. The kind of changes that are life changing for a person.

By late February, my Sarcoidosis had improved but I was still fatigued, dealing with skin issues and had generalized inflammation in various organs of my body. I was also trying to come back from my ankle injury and train for the Whiskey Basin Trail Run 88km in Prescott, AZ that was being put on by Aravaipa Running. I hadn't competed in any races since Bear 100 in September and I yearned to be back out in the mountains pushing my limits. However, I couldn't seem to muster up the energy to build my mileage back up to an acceptable distance. I was beyond frustrated. 

Around that time, my husband and I decided that we needed to overhaul our daily nutrition as a family for optimal short term and long term health. After a ton of research, we decided to try a primarily plant based diet. This was the direction that our family decided to go and what we felt would best fit our needs.

It has been 12 weeks now and I have continued to eat 95% plant based foods. That basically means that I eat a variety of legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. I removed meats and all dairy from my daily diet. There are other things that take up the 5%, like eggs. I do leave myself some wiggle room for an occasional birthday cupcake, piece of cake or dairy-free ice cream. ; ) The removal of dairy has been the biggest factor in my improved health and in my son's improved GI system. Our bodies are much happier without daily consumption of dairy. As far as meat goes, I just don't seem to have much of a taste or cravings for meat these days and I am listening to my body. So there you go.

Now that it has been 12 weeks, I will list the pros and cons that I have experienced for those of you who have been asking questions.

Pros:

• acne has significantly improved
• noticeably more focused on tasks
• sinuses have cleared up
• GI system is working much better
• no more bloating or sharp stomach pains after eating
• no more feeling tired/sluggish after eating
• no more dramatic sugar crashes and feeling hangry every single day
• recovery from training has improved significantly and I have been able to increase my mileage again and compete in an ultra marathon again...injury free!
• I have learned how to cook healthy home-cooked meals for my family and for the first time in my life I actually enjoy cooking!

The biggest and most important positive change that I have personally experienced has been that my Sarcoidosis symptoms have decreased significantly and have pretty much completely disappeared. I have not had a flare up in 9 weeks. My energy levels have improved significantly. No joint pains, no flare ups of granuloma uveitis in my eyes or excessive dryness, no chest tightness, coughing or wheezing. No more excessive sinus issues and phlegm, and no more tingling in my left foot. My skin rashes have almost all disappeared as well. At this point my Sarcoidosis is in remission for the first time since my symptoms began around March of 2015. YAY!!

Cons:

• it can be tricky to eat out at restaurants unless you are at one that has food options without dairy or meat
• People judge you...over what you eat. That is so weird to me. I will just leave it at that. *shrug*

 

Because of these positive changes I was able to squeeze out enough training time and miles to toe the line at Whiskey Basin Trail Runs 88km last month. I was still under trained but feeling healthy and strong. My boys joined me at the race and it was a very fun day! There were some very experienced females on the course and I was definitely the newbie out there. My lack of downhill training reared its head around mile 45 which made for a very painful last 9.5 miles to the finish. But I was able to push hard and finish under my goal time. An added bonus was that I finished as the second female.

Mile 35

 

After the race with my boys.

 

I recently ran with my son in a fun local trail race called Krazy 8. It is put on by my good friend, Anna. Yes, that is THE Anna who crewed and paced me at Bear 100. She is the owner of SHIFT gym where she offers various classes and personal training. She puts on fun races for adults and kids in our community. My son had been really looking forward to race day and had been training for it. He ran well! He then decided at the last minute to jump into the kids one mile race and ran strong again! He finished 1st place after just running 5 miles with me. Proud mom and dad moment. The kid has heart. It is always neat to see all of the kiddos test their limits and do well.

Finishing up the mile race.

 

I started a new training block this week for the Flagstaff Sky Race 55km on October 1st. This race is also put on by Aravaipa Running. I raced in their 39km in 2014 and instantly fell in love with mountain running and sky racing. I missed the race last year because I raced at Bear. I was bummed about missing it. I am super excited to play in the San Francisco Peaks this fall! Until then I will continue to eat healthy, run as often as I can, and go on more adventures with my husband and son.

If you have been thinking about improving your daily nutrition then I definitely encourage you to do your research and go for it! You just may end up feeling better than you have in years. Have a fun and healthy summer!!!

 

 

Reflecting on Bear100 & 2015

It has been 3.5 months since my experience at the Bear100. I have had a lot of time to reflect on how it all went down. I wouldn't change a thing. I think that myself, my crew and my family all took something from that experience that helped each of us grow. I think back to how emotional I was during the last half of the race and I have often wondered if I would have been if I hadn't of hurt myself. I don't think that I would have been, but I think that I needed that outlet to express the loss and frustration that I had experienced during the first half of 2015. 

We lost our Grandma Springer in February. My strong, feisty, witty, smart, beautiful, funny, and kind grandma had passed away. In May, something happened that hurt and humiliated me so deeply that it has taken months to recover from it.  In June we lost our Leon. We were blessed with 13 years with him. He was the sweetest most stubborn dog!! Two weeks later, we lost my Tommy. I was blessed with 17 years with my sweet kitty, but 17 years wasn't nearly enough time. During those two weeks I had to have lung surgery and was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Sarcoidosis which has effected my eyes, lungs, skin and joints. Thankfully I was able to get the Sarcoidosis under control with my running.  

 

When September rolled around, I went into the Bear100 as physically fit as I had ever been. I also went into it with a lot of raw emotions and emotional baggage. My training had helped me sort thru most of it and I am so grateful that my husband and son supported me and allowed me the time to go train and race. 

Did the first part of 2015 suck? Yes. But I have grown stronger, my core relationships have grown stronger, and I have stopped seeking acceptance from others simply because of who they are. For every bad thing that happened, something good happened. For every end there was a new beginning. 

So many good things have come out of those dark months and I think that everything that happened in the Bear100, including my ankle, helped with the healing process. I could walk away from it knowing that I was stronger than I had thought, could withstand more pain than I had thought and had a lot more people believing in me than I had thought.

I have experienced loss. I have hurt others and been hurt by others. I have lifted up others and been lifted up by others. I am not unique in these ways. We all experience and do these things. We are all making our journey through life and most of us are doing the best that we can. 

The lessons that I have taken away from 2015 are that once you find who truly loves, accepts and believes in you, cherish them and hold them tight. Let go of those who don't. Forgive. Live in the now because time is going to pass no matter what and now is the time that we have. If there is a goal or dream that you have been thinking about doing but it scares you...GO FOR IT!!!

 

I hope that everyone has a kick ass 2016!!



Grandma Springer

 

Leon the "Ladies Dog"

 

Sweet Tommy