Whole 90?

I have been struggling with how to make this post. It's going to be a long one, but I don't want the message to get lost in it...
As many of you know, I did Whole 30 in January. It was amazing and confirmed, for me, that I am addicted to sugar. I felt so incredible removing the things from my diet that made me feel less than stellar. Bloat gone. Belly happy. Aches and pains disappeared. Skin clean and bright. Energy was steady and I wasn't tired through the day. I recommend this program to everyone!

And then, I recommend you NOT do what I did. I felt deprived while I did the program. I still had my head in the space of wanting those foods I had chosen to eliminate. So, I went on a bender. For 3 days, nothing was off limits. Let me just say that this 100% negates all the benefits of doing Whole 30. And my body reacted. Violently.
I woke up yesterday with aches everywhere from my fingers to my toes. Inflammation was running rampant in response to all the garbage I had put into my system. Me and inflammation don't get along. Like at all. I'm gonna go ahead and say that's probably the case for everyone, but with my Crohn's it's a nightmare. You might recall my plea for help for the excruciating pain in my bunion. The one that required a cortisone shot? Yeah, I totally brought that on myself.
This is by no means a "Poor me" post. I really just wanted to be completely transparent and share that we all fall off the wagon and also, how powerful the food you put into your body is. I'm actually grateful that my body responded so violently because it eliminated any question as to why I felt the way I did, and still do. It's going to take longer than 3 days to undo the damage. So here's to Whole 30/60/90 whatever it takes. It's going to be hard. But fact of the matter is, healthy feels better than any of that tasted. Honestly though, the biggest motivation is the time I lost out with Ains. No rough housing, no running around, no hearing her squeal with delight when I swoop her up over my shoulder. Nothing is worth missing that.

In transition...

So the marathon went very well! Qualified for Boston with a time of 3:42:50 which felt amazing. Registration closed in 8 hours so I didn't get in, but hope to use my time or requalify for 2012. Finished with some knee pain that cut short an easy 3 on Thursday after the race. Rested, iced and went to the doc on Sunday when it was still bothersome. Chondromalacia...runner's knee. Xrays of the joint showed it was stable and otherwise healthy but Sean thinks an MRI might have shown an injury to the meniscii given the location of the pain. Treatment is the same regardless: REST.

So I probably should have passed on the Chicago Monster Dash half marathon...ouch. Would have been a strong 8 mile race as I was maintaining sub 8 minute pace even with a 90 second port-a-potty stop. But once I hit 10 I was really hurting. Pace slowed incredibly, walking some, and another much longer pitstop. Not sure where the GI stuff was coming from, although I did have trouble immediately after the marathon and through that day as well. Was overdue for my Humira injection and think that was to blame. Running has always caused flares in the past and marathoning is so hard on your body in general. My time of 1:58:03 was hugely disappointing even though the course was long, measuring 13.5 miles. Course was rerouted at the last minute due to a perceived security issue regarding President Obama. Knee is in very bad shape.

Have decided to stay completely off it for the month. Swimming will be the only cardio I allow myself until December 1. Going to take this opportunity to work on strength training and focus on my core. It will be difficult to find the caloric balance for this new training as I don't want to gain any weight in this time of recovery...

On another note, I am single again. Sean is looking for his happiness elsewhere and I hope the best for him. Without running as an outlet, coping has been difficult. Days I get to talk with him are still easier. Have decided to better myself and become more marketable. Beginning November 18 I will be enrolled in an accelerated massage therapy program. And 9 months later, I'll be done! Looking forward to the distraction of learning something new again. A little nervous about the financial implications, but I know it is an investment in my future and a step toward achieving my goals.

Hoping I get better at regular posting, but not going to beat myself up about it...

Thanks for reading!

Jamie