I CAN do anything.

18 hrs to go

(1 day 13 hours...

...is the amount of time I have left to back out of this.) Just kidding ya'll :) 

Ya'll I got the Bronchitis!

Seriously? Yes, it's true. But it's only "a little bronchitis". How is that different than a big one? Did it make a difference in the fact that I couldn't do my 18 mile ride this morning? NO. Stupid lungs. Instead I've spent the past few days in a codeine induced haze texting my friends telling them how much I love them. That's going to be really helpful next weekend when I'm riding a bike for 23 miles. I guess I'll just put my stupid inhaler (YES, I HAVE AN INHALER) in my stupid bike bag, so when Lance notices me wheezing I can just whip that out and BAM.

Grrraaaah!!!!!

(No) Doubt

Here's the situation: I've been off the bike for a LONG time. I thought since Pelotonia is oh... 14 days away, that I had better go on a long ride. My last long ride was 14 miles, the day after I had gotten my Remicade infusion (means I was also infused with 'roids see: The USA Today. Lance is doing it too.)

Anyways I was a bit worried that the steroids were what got me through those 14 miles, (and I had an hour long break half way). Well, guess what world, I WAS WRONG!

This morning I planned on riding 10, but went ahead and did 12 instead (suck it Crohn's disease!). Turns out I was wrong to doubt myself. I always quote John Locke "Nobody tells me what I can't do!", but it turns out that I was doing the telling.

No more doubts (at least for today!).

Now please excuse me while I bathe in ICY HOT.

Vacation Training!

Clearly, the above is an example of my vacation training for Pelotonia. I swam in pools, and in Lake Erie (cardio, check), I biked to the coffee shop, the ice cream store, and then I did a 6 mile ride today (biking skills, check). I threw medium sized children off of my shoulders into Lake Erie (strength training, check), and hula hooped frequently (core training, check). 

I love vacation. 

Ground Control to Major Robyn

I pride myself on the creativity of my workouts (read: unplanned happenings where I am forced to move around, and sometimes sweat).

My favorite "workout" is playing with my 5 year old neighbor. She is one of the most delightful creatures on the planet, no question. Myself being one of the dumbest creatures on the planet, suggested a week or so ago that we play "Rocket Ship", where I superman her around into space creatures (mainly the neighborhood cat gang), some astronauts (her parents), and other spacecraft (my honda civic).

To my chagrin, "Rocket Ship" is now one of her favorite games. We have had several variations when my arms and shoulders get tired (example: I carry her and tell her she is flying First Class. She gets the option of a hot towel, or a beverage). Today's variation included fake mustaches, so we because Cosmonauts. Her first class beverage was a nice vodka, and we landed her in the Kremlin.

Here are the take-away's from today's blog post:
1. I am an awesome Rocket Ship.
2. My tiny friend's energy and imagination are giving me one hell of an upper body workout.

PS: I will be off the grid playing with family for a week or so, they are all in perfect shape and move around a lot. If you don't hear from me in a few weeks, I have either (a) joined the USA climbing team, or (b) died of exhaustion.

Getting stronger!

After a month of infections and doctor's appointments and tests and being poked and prodded in various ways, I'M READY TO GO! I started my training again last night at the ARC, go me. Also, with everyone's help I've raised my $1000, so THANK YOU*!!

Training continues Saturday at the crack of dawn with a walk for some cause that is good to support. Yea for causes!

Stay tuned... :)

*(I am also secretly cursing you, because now I definitely have to ride.)

Please stand by

My body is experiencing technical difficulties.

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The Minuses to Sinusitises

I have a mega sinus infection, another week screwed out of training. Damn you, immunosuppressants!

Bring on the Illinoise. (Bring on the Illifunk? Nope, that didn't work.)

Training was resumed this weekend in the lovely city of Chicago, with one Ms. Karlie. Training on Saturday involved a medium-to-moderate paced tour around Shedd Aquarium (I love fish & water, and Ms. Karlie so it was perfect), then a jaunt around the Division street festival to look at a bunch of stuff that I couldn't afford to buy, but it was definitely more than 30 minutes, sooooo I'm back!

Sunday we meandered around Lakeview and I got to watch some awesome sailboats and puppies playing in the water. Basically we did a lot of walking, and watching the puppies play made me tired so I'm counting it as cross training (as in, I crossed several states to make it happen).

Thanks to Karlie and Bill for a rockin' weekend. Time to get back on the bike!

Ice Cream!

Picture from the CD101 page of us at the ice cream truck. See how tired I look? See how blue our teeth are? DELICIOUS!

Tummy Troubles

My stomach has been bothering me since Wednesday, so thought I would take the day off of training. Well, it didn't really get any better so it's turned into taking a week off of training. Typical Crohn's stuff. I am feeling better today, so hopefully tomorrow I can at least go for a 30 minute walk, and ease back into some training.

It's hard for me to feel like I am making progress in my effort to have the quality of life that I would like when I have a stretch of days of this much discomfort. What I have come to realize is that there are still a few more pieces of the puzzle I need to figure out, and that is ok with me. I'm still moving forward.

Pass

I'm taking a pass on exercise and working late and responsibility for the evening.

I am being a bad trainee. I've been have tummy troubles all day and I'm exhausted. Instead of doing my 8 mile ride (which I will attempt tomorrow) , I went and got my hair did.

Part of having a chronic illness is knowing and accepting your limitations. Today my body tells me "not going to happen".


Now excuse me as i take a pass on finishing this blog!




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Human Resource

I've got this awesome resource at my disposal -- this resource is my roommate. She is the ultimate physical fitness machine (at least I think so). She is also acting as my trainer (she's good). This morning, she adjusted a few things on my bike (seat height, gears), and with her encouragement (and her not telling me how far she thought we were going) we rode about 15 miles today! 15 miles!!!!!!!!!

We rode from Clintonville to Genoa Park on the Olentangy Greenway (aka bike path). There was a dragon boat exhibition to kick off the Asian Festival (which is next week, you all should go). So we did take a few hour break in the middle of the 15, but OH MY GOD! To top it all off, the CD101 Ice Cream Truck was hanging out  at Tuttle Park when we passed, so we got some delicious free ice cream.

After all of that excitement I had no choice but to come home and take a 3 hour nap. All in all, an awesome end to week 3 of training, thanks to my HUMAN RESOURCE!

Infused!

I am sitting in my lounge chair at the clinic getting my 2 hour Remicade drip. I'm 3/4 of the way through my training this week, go me, I feel good and now I'm about to feel much better! Tomorrow I try for 7 miles on my bike, wish me luck!!!


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Location:Davis infusion clinic

WOAH! I'm halfway there!

Thank you donors! 

I hit the halfway point in my fundraising tonight, only $500 left to go. Help a girl out!

Ups and downs

Everybody has days where they don't feel great. As a crohnie I have considerably more down days than most people. I was having two of those days over the weekend.

I didn't really want to write a whiny post about being sick, but I also need to be true to my experience so others can understand what a crohnie does every day.

I managed to squeeze a ride in before I got too sick, but canceled everything else to rest.

Despite being down for two days in a phenergen haze, I am back at work today and feel ready to go back to the gym tonight. I try to take things day by day, and today things are looking up! So begins week 3 of training!


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Don't call it a COMEBACK!

Really, don't call it that, it was a minor sinus infection and I missed 6 hours of work and was asleep for most of yesterday.

I did rock out my training today on the scary eliptical which moves both your arms and legs (I'm surprised I didn't fall off of it, there is still time). I finished up time from training day 2 (stair climbing *shudder*), and my 30 minutes today.

Also, special thanks to my donors this week, who helped me reach $200.00. If you haven't donated yet I'll come get you. Robyn said KNOCK YOU OUT!

Mountains

As Jon Kabat-Zinn would say "Today was not a good day to see the mountain". (I am the mountain of course).

The mountain was up early taking care of it's belly ( typical morning), then foolishly decided to reset the alarm which got reset to 7:50pm instead of am.

This means I had to work late which cut out my training time for the evening. The thing about making a commitment to something like this is that I need to get it done. Sssooo I split my lunch break into 10 minute intervals which I used to climb up and down the stairs of our building, (there are 110 stairs, I counted).

I wasn't feeling so well so I only got 2 of 3 intervals done. I am going to cut myself some slack and make up those other 10 minutes later in the week after I get some new medications.

The moral of the story is, although it was not a good day to see the mountain, I started climbing it anyways.

P.S. There is no rule that says I have to climb the entire mountain in one day.




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Ouch

Day after vigorous rowing.


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Location:Bed

Love Letter to OSU Rec Sports

Dearest OSU Rec Sports,

How do I love thee? Let describe the ways in non-poetic sentence fragments:


Your facilities are cavernous and full of new shiny machines that are programmed to turn on when I sit down.


You have a ROCK WALL.


You have not one pool, not two, not even three but FOUR pools. Michael Phelps is jealous (it was one of the reasons we ended our relationship).


There are TVs to watch to distract me from the pain i'm feeling when i'm working out.


Finally, you hold soccer tournaments for young fit intelligent (i'm assuming) male specimens that I can watch while I'm exercising. I forget that I'm exercising.   I forget to breathe sometimes.


                               Love Always,
                Crohie With an Overactive Imagination

BikerBabe

So I have this amazing family member who is really into cycling. I'm talking riding bikes on the edges of mountains, across entire states, and in different countries (that's right -- total nutbar). We'll call her BikerBabe.

I accidentally mentioned to BikerBabe that I might be doing this ride and got a LOT of tips about tuning up my bike, what tires to get, and a lot of excitement. Maybe she might be more excited about this than I am.

I am currently taking suggestions on how to convince this superhero BikerBabe to ride FOR me.


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Training ADD

Clearly, I am out of shape. Girl needs to start training ASAP or they are going to be following me with the ambulance and oxygen tank all the way to whereever/whomever it is I'm riding towards (during the ride I will be imagining Stephen Colbert holding a delicious cupcake).

My first day of training was to be 30 minutes of "CT" (the hipster abbreviation for Cross Training), and boys and girls I CROSSED. I began with a 10 minute walk down the bike path, then ran into my roommate who was running the other direction and crossed my training to run for 5 minutes with her.

After we reach our destination, I walked up and down the back porch steps for 5 minutes, and then crossed my training again with our 4 year old neighbors' hula-hoop. The hooping was mild to moderate for the first 5 minutes, but I kicked up my intensity for the last 5

BAM 30 minutes of CT completed. Let's hope all days are this interesting.