Two Blog Debuts and an Oldie Too!

*I am doing my challenge up here because for some reason at the end of the blog the enter key does not want to work correctly*

Challenge:

Since I know you all are clicking away on here...

DO SOME WRIST CURLS!

Think bicep curls but only work out your wrists...use a soup can or paperweight if you don't have a dumbell!



Good morning friends!

Today is an exciting day for a few people I know so I thought I'd start talking a bit about them. Both have decided to start blogs of their own, for very different reasons. Most of you who enjoy reading me would also enjoy reading them.

Both are linked right here in the blog and also in my blog list to the right.

Instead of worrying about coming back to find the link, why not just add them to your favs now...I'd better already be in your favs!

First we have My Cousin Michele.

My cousin Michele has been my cousin my whole life but we've been really good friends for the past four years or so. When my parents moved to Australia and we moved into their house her and I really hit it off. We spent a lot of time talking about getting healthy, usually over Chinese (right Michele), and were even known to do an exercise tape together on occasion.

As I type this Michele is getting bariatric surgery. Like me, she has struggled with her weight the majority of her life. During recovery and thereafter she will be blogging her way to a healthier, more confident HER. I am very excited for her and can't wait to see what happens!

I would ask you all, my faithful readers, to check her blog out today, to read her story. At the end she posted a link so that you can send her a note in the hospital. I know some of you don't know her but if you wanted to send her a e-card of encouragement I know she would love it, no matter who it was from! Shoot me an email so I can give you her last name if you are interested in doing that.

Next, we have My Friend Susan.

Susan is the wife of the youth pastor at my church. She is funny and sweet and always seems to have a smile on her face. She has a love for Christ that is amazing.

Her blog will focus "living a healthy walk with God". Listen up folks, she has already written a book so I know she has talent and I'm sure her blog is gonna be good!

Be sure to show them both some love and tell them Healthier Chelle sent ya!

The Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon was this past weekend. I took a moment yesterday to look back at the blog I posted following my completion of the Mini last year -

*How funny that I didn't realize til this morning that it was exactly one year ago today that I posted this - coincidence? Me thinks not!*

Sunday, April 29, 2007

My Mini Moment

Current mood: tired
This is gonna be a long one. Grab a glass of milk and make yourself comfy

I ran the Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon yesterday!

It was 13.1 miles (out of which about 11 were fun) and my finish time was 02:50:07. I was about 8 minutes slower than my finish goal but I am happy I did it. My other goal was to be able to run through all the hills of Iroquois Park. That one I actually accomplished thanks to both LaVonda's encouragement and finally running a race with some MUSIC! Although she probably won't be reading this...THANKS ANNE for letting me use your MP3 player!

LaVonda and I stuck together most of the way but I made her leave me in her dust near the end because my knees just weren't keeping up with what the rest of my body wanted to do. The sound of my pace went from a slow and steady "THUMP THUMP" to a slower and less steady "THUMP DRAG" as my left knee got more and more tired :)

After LaVonda and I reunited at the finish line we headed to the car. I was feeling accomplished and in high spirits. We weren't even out of the parking garage and LaVonda was talking about doing a mini in Indiana that is coming up. I told LaVonda that I would be sticking to 5Ks for the rest of the year (I MEANT IT LAVONDA!).

We were stuck in traffic downtown for about 45 minutes and once we made it to the expressway I felt like I was getting car sick. When we were about two miles away from where I parked my car I started feeling really bad and thought I was gonna puke. I was getting stressed because I was afraid I was gonna throw up all over her van! We made it to the parking lot, I puked out her window, got out and sat on the curb for a minute, thought I was gonna be OK, got back in her car then passed out in her front seat!

She had trouble getting me to open my eyes back up and I was as white as people get when they pass out so she had to call 911. It took me a few minutes and to get back to reality.

I was finally starting to feel better and 6 firefighters show up...SIX! I was sooooo embarrassed. First of all, they were the kind of firefighters you would find in a sexy calendar. Second of all I felt like I was wasting there time. Third of all, I still had my bib number on from the race and I went from feeling accomplished to feeling like a wuss!

The ambulance got there about the same time (more nice looking men) and I was very worried they were gonna be jerks and treat me like a wimpy girl who couldn't run a race. They were SOOOOO NICE. They were concerned about my blood pressure being too low (79/47) so they took me to the hospital. Thankfully LaVonda took care of calling Octavio and giving him directions to the hospital. She also took Oriana for the afternoon so we could figure out what was going on.
At first they told me I was dehydrated, gave me some fluids through an IV. Every time a nurse came in they would ask how far along I was in the race when I passed out. I felt like writing "I FINISHED THE STINKIN RACE" on my shirt. The doctor came in and told me they were going to do an EKG and that I would be able to do home in an hour.

Twenty minutes later he told me that I had to stay the night . My EKG came back looking weird and they wanted to look into it. I met with the cardiologist (Also HOT...I felt like I was on Grey's or ER) and he wanted to make sure that I didn't have a heart attack. I was asked a million times if I was sure I didn't have any chest or jaw pain or any shortness of breath during the race. That still makes me laugh because my KNEES are what holds me back when I run. My breathing is always fine and I haven't ever experienced chest pains during a race.

I had to have a nuclear stress test this morning. They put some stuff in my IV to make my heart act like I was running. I felt gross and I hated every minute of it but everything turned out fine. They also did some time of ultrasound on my heart. That was fine too.

I got to go home at about noon today. I hated staying at the hospital and getting all that stuff done but I am happy to know I have a very healthy heart. I had actually just been talking to a friend about that. I was telling her that although I am working my butt off to get on the right track health wise I wonder what type of damage has already been done.

I was poked in 5 different spots to draw blood and "find" a vein for my IV. I think I am allergic to the tape they use to keep the IV on and to keep the cotton ball in place after they draw blood (I thought I was peeling off the sticky gunk from the tape and it was my skin!). I have blisters on my feet from the race. I also have blisters on the back of my knees from my knee brace and around my waist from my running pants.

Although I look like a mess I feel pretty good considering I ran 13.1 miles yesterday and spent the night not sleeping in the hospital.

My upcoming 5Ks are gonna be a breeze!

Thanks again LaVonda for all your help both during and after! Thanks to Nikki and Mr. Buzz for coming to see me last night in the hospital! Thanks also to Nikki and Alan for taking Oriana to church this morning and bringing us dinner, then coming back again to bring Ori her doggy.

We are so lucky to have the friends we have here!

I forgot to talk about the hottest man I saw in the hospital. He was the one who brought my daughter to see me, brought me clean undies and a toothbrush, communicated my condition to everyone, fixed me lunch, had a banner hung for me congratulating me on the race (before he knew I was sick), let me take a long afternoon nap today and just gave me the best footrub ever!

My how time flies...about two nanoseconds later I was pregnant with Jocie!