My life as it is Saturday, September 5, 2009
Life continues to move along at the speed of light. We're always doing something, even when I don't have anything planned. It amazes me how full our life is, but it's a good thing. So, forgive me if you don't see updates here too often, thought I should try to post every three months, regardless.
About a year and a half ago, I started noticing problems with my heart rhythm. I caught it first while I was exercising. My heart rate jumped quickly from the 120s into the 210s at a rather moderate warm up. I spent a good deal of that time working through different doctor's, most of whom didn't take me too seriously because I fit a stereotype of busy, young female prone to stress attacks (while I'm busy, I don't stress out much). They did put me on beta-blockers and give me stress tests and finally started listening a little. I was transferred to a doctor that took me seriously from day one, and I decided to move forward with a procedure that had a 80% chance of completing clearing up symptoms I was experiencing, and that were continuing to get worse. One of these days, I'd like to detail the whole experience, but the short version is I had a catheter ablation procedure done at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, July 22. I had four catheters, two of which went directly into my heart where they cauterized the parts of my heart that were creating the arrhythmia. Due to my age (young) and intermittent rhythms, I was completely awake for 75% of the procedure. I had to spend the night, but was released the next morning. I recovered rather quickly, and went out for my first run three days later. I haven't had an episode since the procedure, and I've been off daily meds outside of one aspirin a day until September 22. It still feels really odd to feel my pulse and for it to be totally normal. Sometimes I'm afraid to feel it, just in case it skips a beat or gets into another irregular pattern.
In regards to my normal life...
I didn't get into either program at UT. On more than one occasion, I've thought to myself that it's the best thing that's happened to me this past year. Living in Cleveland has been a great experience for us, and we would both miss Cleveland terribly, if we were to move. I started the Master of Public Administration at CSU's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. I took one class over the summer (stats), and loved it. I am taking Research Methods in addition to the Intro to PA class this semester, and though I am in over my head with the reading, I am enjoying the program quite a bit. I am rather found of the Research Methods class, and have immediately found ways to integrate what I'm learning directly into what I'm doing at work. One of the things I heard about this program was it is an applied degree, which I find extremely useful. I'm in the honeymoon phase with the program, and I'll enjoy it for what it is while that is my mindset.
Work continues to be about the same, except that I am teaching the Intro to University Life class again this semester. I have a great group of students, which I'm looking forward to working with for the next fifteen weeks or so. They are brand new freshman, which is a little different than the group I had last spring, so I need to remind myself they need more direction than the other group. Regardless, they all seem happy with their decision to be at CSU, and I feel lucky I get to help with the transition to being successful students and becoming more comfortable with university life.
When I'm not at home or at CSU, good chances are you'll find me on my roller skates. I am in the process of trying out for the Burning River Roller Girls, Cleveland's first all-female Roller Derby league. I made it through Freshmeat August, which is a one month training program where we really concentrate on learning the skills necessary to be successful in Derby, which also gets us ready to start skating with the rest of the league. I've always loved skating, so I've been having a blast with this. Freshmeat doesn't get drafted to a team until December sometime, and I've heard that we don't even get to play until next spring, which is rather sad, but I enjoy practice quite a bit and the bits of scrimmage that we get to do there. I've been wanting to do Derby for a while, so I'm really excited that things managed to fall into place as they did.
I've been keeping up with running, though I've cut back some. For a while, I was training for a half marathon, but decided against that when I started skating three times a week. Increasing my milage more than 7 miles on my long runs was getting tough on my body, and while I really enjoy running, Derby is way more important to me. I'm still running as a means of exercise and cardiovascular endurance, and it's been a key component to my weight loss, so I'm not going to give it up. Plus, I really do enjoy it. I've decided that a 5 mile run is pretty much ideal for me. I've got a great 5 mile loop that hits both the Detroit-Superior bridge as well as the Carnegie-Lorain bridge regardless if I leave from work or home. It is extremely recharging and refreshing to be out in the sunshine while enjoying killer views of the city that I love. I often run during my lunch hour. If I don't, I end up sitting at my desk while eating and surfing the internet. It's a no brainer, and I always feel so much better afterward.
I also got a new bike this year. I really wanted a road bike since that's what my husband and friends that we ride with have. I'm super happy with the choice. We've been riding as often as the schedule permits, though not as much as I would like. I'm definitely feeling more comfortable on the bike, and going down big hills isn't as scary as it used to be. I still have some issues with the saddle, but I'm getting over that. Tomorrow we're heading back up to my Uncle Mark's place, which is right on Lake Erie. We ride our bikes from his place to a few wineries in the area and then head back. It's a fairly ideal way to spend a summer day. We're taking my mom with us tomorrow. I'm sure she'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Next week I am competing in my first triathlon. I'm a little nervous, especially since I haven't been swimming much. But, the swim portion is rather short (250 yards), and I'm going to start swimming more this week. It's supposed to be a great first time tri; it's women only, and all distances are rather short (swim 250 yards, bike 7 miles and then run 2 miles). I'm looking forward to doing it. I'm going to practice the swim / bike / run tomorrow at my uncle's place. I've only one one brick training session so far, and I was amazed at how heavy my legs felt while running after biking 20 miles. I'm in it not to compete with other people, but to get my feet wet at the sport, so I'm going to do my best and be happy with the results.
Exercise and being active is a much larger part of my life than it was last year, and certainly much more so than a couple years ago. I started actively trying to lose weight again a couple years ago, and forced myself to start running. I signed up for a 5K with a bunch of my friends, knowing that if I was doing it with other people, I couldn't back out. It took a while, but working out because less of a chore and something I enjoyed doing. At this point, I'm totally hooked, and drag my husband to work out with me, rather than the other way around. In all, I've lost close to 60 pounds. People continue to ask me how much more weight I intend to lose, and at this point, my weight is just a number. I really don't care how much I weigh, but I do have some flab that I'd be thrilled to get rid of. Here is a before / after shot. Neither photo is a stellar photo of me, but I think it shows pretty well how far I've come.
The awesome thing is I've done it the safe and natural way - eating well and exercising, though people seem to be disappointed when I tell them that is how it was done. There is no secret for me, except that I've turned my routine into a habit, and one that I enjoy.
I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention how amazing my husband, friends and family are, and what a positive influence they are in my life. I am blessed in my relationships with wonderful people. Not a day goes by that I don't consciously think about how supportive my husband is, and how appreciative I am that he is my partner in life. We complement each other well and have a lot of fun along the way. I don't get to see him as often as I'd like, but I like to tease him and tell him it's his fault for not wanting to be a Derby referee. I expect he'll probably change his mind next year, but for now, I think he likes the time alone at home in the studio.
As for this weekend, it might quite possibly be the perfect holiday weekend. Last night we went out to dinner with a few people from work. We finally got to check out Sokolowski's for dinner, which was an A+ experience. Afterward, we went to the Speak Easy below the Bier Markt to check out a Graduate Student Life event for graduate students at CSU. I was hoping to network a little and meet someone new, and ended up talking to someone who helped form my perspective on what I'm doing and where I should be going which included a couple simple steps to help me get there.
Today, Aleks and I had an awesome interval training session at the gym followed by a delicious smoothie. We're just hanging out around our apartment right now listening to the (very loud) planes fly by that are part of the Cleveland Air Show. Later tonight we're getting dressed up for dinner and dancing.
Tomorrow is a lovely day at the lake complete with biking, wineries and kayaking with my mom and uncle.
Monday, we're running the Cleveland Oktoberfest 5K, which gets us into the Oktoberfest afterward. We'll probably finish our weekend at the Boardwalk on the west bank of the flats hanging out with friends.
I need to squish some homework and reading in there somewhere. I'm sure I'll manage, and hopefully even enjoy it a little along the way.
About a year and a half ago, I started noticing problems with my heart rhythm. I caught it first while I was exercising. My heart rate jumped quickly from the 120s into the 210s at a rather moderate warm up. I spent a good deal of that time working through different doctor's, most of whom didn't take me too seriously because I fit a stereotype of busy, young female prone to stress attacks (while I'm busy, I don't stress out much). They did put me on beta-blockers and give me stress tests and finally started listening a little. I was transferred to a doctor that took me seriously from day one, and I decided to move forward with a procedure that had a 80% chance of completing clearing up symptoms I was experiencing, and that were continuing to get worse. One of these days, I'd like to detail the whole experience, but the short version is I had a catheter ablation procedure done at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, July 22. I had four catheters, two of which went directly into my heart where they cauterized the parts of my heart that were creating the arrhythmia. Due to my age (young) and intermittent rhythms, I was completely awake for 75% of the procedure. I had to spend the night, but was released the next morning. I recovered rather quickly, and went out for my first run three days later. I haven't had an episode since the procedure, and I've been off daily meds outside of one aspirin a day until September 22. It still feels really odd to feel my pulse and for it to be totally normal. Sometimes I'm afraid to feel it, just in case it skips a beat or gets into another irregular pattern.
In regards to my normal life...
I didn't get into either program at UT. On more than one occasion, I've thought to myself that it's the best thing that's happened to me this past year. Living in Cleveland has been a great experience for us, and we would both miss Cleveland terribly, if we were to move. I started the Master of Public Administration at CSU's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. I took one class over the summer (stats), and loved it. I am taking Research Methods in addition to the Intro to PA class this semester, and though I am in over my head with the reading, I am enjoying the program quite a bit. I am rather found of the Research Methods class, and have immediately found ways to integrate what I'm learning directly into what I'm doing at work. One of the things I heard about this program was it is an applied degree, which I find extremely useful. I'm in the honeymoon phase with the program, and I'll enjoy it for what it is while that is my mindset.
Work continues to be about the same, except that I am teaching the Intro to University Life class again this semester. I have a great group of students, which I'm looking forward to working with for the next fifteen weeks or so. They are brand new freshman, which is a little different than the group I had last spring, so I need to remind myself they need more direction than the other group. Regardless, they all seem happy with their decision to be at CSU, and I feel lucky I get to help with the transition to being successful students and becoming more comfortable with university life.
When I'm not at home or at CSU, good chances are you'll find me on my roller skates. I am in the process of trying out for the Burning River Roller Girls, Cleveland's first all-female Roller Derby league. I made it through Freshmeat August, which is a one month training program where we really concentrate on learning the skills necessary to be successful in Derby, which also gets us ready to start skating with the rest of the league. I've always loved skating, so I've been having a blast with this. Freshmeat doesn't get drafted to a team until December sometime, and I've heard that we don't even get to play until next spring, which is rather sad, but I enjoy practice quite a bit and the bits of scrimmage that we get to do there. I've been wanting to do Derby for a while, so I'm really excited that things managed to fall into place as they did.
I've been keeping up with running, though I've cut back some. For a while, I was training for a half marathon, but decided against that when I started skating three times a week. Increasing my milage more than 7 miles on my long runs was getting tough on my body, and while I really enjoy running, Derby is way more important to me. I'm still running as a means of exercise and cardiovascular endurance, and it's been a key component to my weight loss, so I'm not going to give it up. Plus, I really do enjoy it. I've decided that a 5 mile run is pretty much ideal for me. I've got a great 5 mile loop that hits both the Detroit-Superior bridge as well as the Carnegie-Lorain bridge regardless if I leave from work or home. It is extremely recharging and refreshing to be out in the sunshine while enjoying killer views of the city that I love. I often run during my lunch hour. If I don't, I end up sitting at my desk while eating and surfing the internet. It's a no brainer, and I always feel so much better afterward.
I also got a new bike this year. I really wanted a road bike since that's what my husband and friends that we ride with have. I'm super happy with the choice. We've been riding as often as the schedule permits, though not as much as I would like. I'm definitely feeling more comfortable on the bike, and going down big hills isn't as scary as it used to be. I still have some issues with the saddle, but I'm getting over that. Tomorrow we're heading back up to my Uncle Mark's place, which is right on Lake Erie. We ride our bikes from his place to a few wineries in the area and then head back. It's a fairly ideal way to spend a summer day. We're taking my mom with us tomorrow. I'm sure she'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Next week I am competing in my first triathlon. I'm a little nervous, especially since I haven't been swimming much. But, the swim portion is rather short (250 yards), and I'm going to start swimming more this week. It's supposed to be a great first time tri; it's women only, and all distances are rather short (swim 250 yards, bike 7 miles and then run 2 miles). I'm looking forward to doing it. I'm going to practice the swim / bike / run tomorrow at my uncle's place. I've only one one brick training session so far, and I was amazed at how heavy my legs felt while running after biking 20 miles. I'm in it not to compete with other people, but to get my feet wet at the sport, so I'm going to do my best and be happy with the results.
Exercise and being active is a much larger part of my life than it was last year, and certainly much more so than a couple years ago. I started actively trying to lose weight again a couple years ago, and forced myself to start running. I signed up for a 5K with a bunch of my friends, knowing that if I was doing it with other people, I couldn't back out. It took a while, but working out because less of a chore and something I enjoyed doing. At this point, I'm totally hooked, and drag my husband to work out with me, rather than the other way around. In all, I've lost close to 60 pounds. People continue to ask me how much more weight I intend to lose, and at this point, my weight is just a number. I really don't care how much I weigh, but I do have some flab that I'd be thrilled to get rid of. Here is a before / after shot. Neither photo is a stellar photo of me, but I think it shows pretty well how far I've come.
The awesome thing is I've done it the safe and natural way - eating well and exercising, though people seem to be disappointed when I tell them that is how it was done. There is no secret for me, except that I've turned my routine into a habit, and one that I enjoy.
I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention how amazing my husband, friends and family are, and what a positive influence they are in my life. I am blessed in my relationships with wonderful people. Not a day goes by that I don't consciously think about how supportive my husband is, and how appreciative I am that he is my partner in life. We complement each other well and have a lot of fun along the way. I don't get to see him as often as I'd like, but I like to tease him and tell him it's his fault for not wanting to be a Derby referee. I expect he'll probably change his mind next year, but for now, I think he likes the time alone at home in the studio.
As for this weekend, it might quite possibly be the perfect holiday weekend. Last night we went out to dinner with a few people from work. We finally got to check out Sokolowski's for dinner, which was an A+ experience. Afterward, we went to the Speak Easy below the Bier Markt to check out a Graduate Student Life event for graduate students at CSU. I was hoping to network a little and meet someone new, and ended up talking to someone who helped form my perspective on what I'm doing and where I should be going which included a couple simple steps to help me get there.
Today, Aleks and I had an awesome interval training session at the gym followed by a delicious smoothie. We're just hanging out around our apartment right now listening to the (very loud) planes fly by that are part of the Cleveland Air Show. Later tonight we're getting dressed up for dinner and dancing.
Tomorrow is a lovely day at the lake complete with biking, wineries and kayaking with my mom and uncle.
Monday, we're running the Cleveland Oktoberfest 5K, which gets us into the Oktoberfest afterward. We'll probably finish our weekend at the Boardwalk on the west bank of the flats hanging out with friends.
I need to squish some homework and reading in there somewhere. I'm sure I'll manage, and hopefully even enjoy it a little along the way.