I've been quiet for a very long time. I don't even run much anymore, which is why I started this blog in the first place. But don't let the silence fool you, I've been hard at work, and there are lots of cool things coming. I'll make some announcements and give you heads-up about some cool stuff coming your way soon. For now, keep an eye out for launch announcements!!  Let's get started with what is going on in my world now.  Firstly, I'm launching a series of coaching services, products, and freebies (who doesn't like free stuff?), all based around Every Step's a Victory. The premise is that every single win should be celebrated.  Y'all - it's way too easy  to talk negatively in our heads. Seriously, we are our own worst enemy! What if we could turn that around and celebrate wins? Really - think about it, when you make a choice that positively affects you, even if it's a small one - that's a win for your soul! Drink a glass of water ...

I am sorry, I had to take a break and get myself focused. However, I haven't stopped, and I've been quite busy really. There's been a lot going on and honestly, I've been living out the every step's a victory   mantra. There's been lots of struggles and tons of ups and downs. But I have to say each step toward a healthy, whole life is still victorious. As a matter of fact, revisiting that is why I decided to get the blog back up and going again. I did get a website set up, you can check it out if you'd like. I still have to get the blog up and going on the site It won't be like this one, it will have more general information about healthy eating, exercising and things that are not as much about my own journey, it'll be more educational. Check out the Every Step's A Victory site and let me know what you think so far. For me life continues to be a struggle, I think that may hold true for most people who deal with a chronic condition. It seem...

Whoo Hoo!!! Finally my blood pressure is down to where it should be. It's taken quite a while to get it there - now to make it stay. I've been watching what I eat and guarding it closely and gently exercising. It's been slowly coming back down so this morning I was pleasantly surprised by these beautiful numbers!! This struggle is real! It's difficult to not get frustrated when you are doing everything right and it refuses to come down or just inches down. Just a real reminder that I have to stay on top of symptoms if I want to keep doing what I love to do. To be totally honest, I was very worried last week that my running days were over. My heart rate kept spiking and at the weirdest times. It would shoot up to 120 while I was sleeping!! Not like that's super dangerous or anything - just odd and frustrating. I got on the treadmill for a walk  and it would shoot up to 180 and be all over the place up-and-down-and-up again. Then last week it started settling do...

I found this picture on my memories on Facebook this morning. It's my second race ever. My nephew, Jakob, came down to Louisiana from Oklahoma to run it with me. He had been at my first race the month before and figured he could do that too. So he did! When this picture came up this morning 7 years of memories flooded my mind! I had no idea at the time that I would still be running today. The future was actually very fuzzy at that time and I was barely making it day-by-day. My son and I were staying in a nursing home in a small town nearby and I honestly had no idea what to expect. I had just found running and had fallen in love with it. I'm happy to say that we are still involved in quite the love affair. lol I didn't know I'd reestablish myself and build a home back in Oklahoma and become a full-time caregiver for my son. I didn't know I'd face my own health issues in the coming years. I didn't know I'd run 20 half marathons. I never  dreamed I...

So I have taken this week off after the great overdo of last week. I have walked a couple of miles here and there but have kept it real low key. I'm happy to say my blood pressure is back within a safe range, although it's not perfect yet. My weight hasn't changed in 3 days (and that's monumental); and my heart rate has stopped spiking. It settled down about Tuesday but I'm still being nice. I've been changing my diet over the last few weeks. I've done some experimenting and testing to see what really works for me and what doesn't. We are all individual and have to figure out what does work for us. Even those of us with similar conditions have to figure out our own bio-individuality. So my conclusions include these tidbits: Salt is a no-no, period. My body cannot handle prepared foods, at all. Fast food is poison to me. I can live without a lot of grains/breads. I can eat whole grains like rice and whole oats. I do well with more fruits; and...

This weekend I did a 5K that served as a stark reminder that I do have a heart condition and I do need to take it easier than I really want to. I really don't even like admitting I'm dealing with CHF or any kind of heart issue. I've tried to talk all my doctors out of that diagnosis and no one will budge off of it. Saturday's race has helped me refocus and I'm spending this week resting and regrouping. Here's how it all went down. My blood pressure has been running a bit high and was up a little at my cardiologist appointment last week. He didn't offer me any meds for it as he knows I want to manage it, if possible, with diet and exercise. I was also given some paperwork for being overweight . That kind of hurt my feelings. lol. But I am barely at that marker and if I lose one pound I'm not in the overweight category. (Side note - I've lost 5 pounds since then! lol) Some of it can be water retention - which should also be a clue I pay attention...

Over the weekend I did a local 5K. I really didn't think about it at the time, but after I got home I realized it was the weekend I'd done my very first 5K 7 years ago. My first race ever was the Peach Festival 5K in Louisiana. I left that race to go straight to the computer and find another one. I was in love! This was my 84th 5K. I've now done 137 races altogether. That includes twenty 10Ks, twenty half marathons and one full marathon. Considering the life-challenges makes each finish line I cross just a little bit sweeter. This race was HOT! I figured they didn't know what they were doing when I saw the race didn't start until 9 o'clock - in the middle of June. That's a winter race time - not the middle of the summer race time! I was right too. And..they didn't have a drop of water on the course; not one water stop. It was also billed as the "Bands on the Run" and the whole reason I signed up for this race was they said they would have...

That's it!! So I have been stepping up the miles this week as well as my activity in general. I've also been watching my sodium lots better this week. Last night in a weak moment I finished off the last of the ice cream. Today's the day to go totally clean. As a health coach, I know what to do - but even with the training and knowledge, it doesn't make it any easier. Add to that all the other many factors of having a condition like CHF, and it is an uphill battle. Personally, I battle depression and emotional eating. Am I a failure? Nope. I figure I'm in a better position to help others because I really do understand! Kind of like teaching math. Not only am I good at it - I'm gentle and patient with my students because I also struggled in math. The struggles make us stronger in the long run. With that being said - I am going to the store today and my son and I are both taking the leap. We're going to eat totally clean and raw - as much as is reasonable...

This past weekend was lots of fun. On Friday night, I pushed my son for the first time in his new racing chair. My daughter and I had pushed him in a borrowed one a few weeks back, but this was our first trip out in his own chair. First off, it was hot, hot hot. (We won't do that again!!) It was actually too hot to be safe for either of us and if my friend hadn't helped I would have probably overdone it. Secondly, Chris' chair kept malfunctioning - I gotta make some adjustments for sure. I knew I had to take it easy as the heat and I do not get along any more. My heart rate ran quite a bit higher than I am used to and it stayed up. It wouldn't come down to my "normal" even when walking - even though it really wasn't dangerously high. A lot of it was due to several factors: I have not trained in the heat this year - only on the TM inside I have not been eating right I have not been training right I've gained a little weight back I had not ...

This one sneaked up on me. I knew I wasn't feeling my best, but boy did my body give me a run for the money this morning. After I got off my meds last month I gained about 8 pounds and have only been able to lose a little bit of it. So, it looks like I may need to talk to the cardiologist about going back on the diuretic. I may give it one more week with some major changes to see if it helps first. I felt like I was running (if you wanna stretch and call it running) through mud this morning. I had a spurt or two of feeling "okay" but never did feel good during this race. I kept an eye on my heart rate and it never spiked, but it seemed to have a more difficult time coming back down. It was running a bit higher than normal and taking forever to slow down when I'd start walking. I ended up walking A LOT! Frustrating. The Go Girl itself was very well organized and as always - very well done. Except they changed the course from last year and I swear they did it so t...

Okay, fine. I guess I'm just going to have to be a happy "heart patient." On one of my last visits with my PCP, I argued that I wasn't one, but she just told me we could disagree on that point. Today, for the second time, I asked the cardiologist to reverse the CHF diagnosis. No surprise - it was a "no" again. His nurse did tell me I have the better kind of  CHF though and she agreed with me that it is mild - but must be managed. So I suppose I will just concede and be content to be a heart patient....at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. Sigh. But there is some real good news today and still a few modifications to be made. He had all the results from my tests they did last week. The worst of it is not really all that bad - but several things that just need to be closely monitored. I guess I'll be making more trips out to OHH. I do have a leaky valve but it's not bad - just gotta keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get worse on me. My blood...

This was one awesome weekend! I did finish the Cowtown Challenge by doing a 5K on Saturday and a half marathon on Saturday. In between I rode bikes around with one of my friends. I enjoyed the camaraderie of all the runners and the general atmosphere around the Cowtown is just awesome - Oh - and I met Jeff Galloway himself! He is so kind and encouraging - just like Mark Bravo. I really felt very under-trained for this particular event. I hadn't run much in the last two weeks and had only done one 9+ miler in the last month. I usually have a few 10 milers in, but not this time. But - it all worked out. One of the biggest struggles I have is simply not knowing what my body is going to do on any given day. I have to keep my attitude straight and just be "okay" with whatever I have to work with. Doing a race while traveling adds another struggle - trying to eat out without taking in too much salt. Hey- the struggle is real! One night we ate at Chili's and I asked fo...

I did this local 5K this morning - mostly because it was to raise awareness of heart disease, and partly because I really liked the shirt! It was a very well done race and had several tables set up all geared to help educate about healthy lifestyles and heart health. They even had a cardiologist from the community who gave "heart healthy tips" every few minutes. And the atmosphere was wonderful - lots of dancing and laughing and families enjoying being outside and being active. I loved it. This race was significant for me since I have had some symptoms this week after being free from them for several months. As they cropped back up this week (all mild) I had to remember how bad they used to be and the things I've learned about listening to my body. Actually I started getting shortness of breath early this week after a 9 miler on Sunday. Not sure if it's to blame, but that's the first time I've had it in a long time. Blood pressure was running high too - no...

So I did my first ever trail race this morning. It was a 4-miler but more like 4.33. It was really cold like 27 and stayed at that temp the whole race even though I warmed up quite a bit. I think about mile 3 I could feel my toes again. Lol. I did trip a couple of times, but I only fell once - minor scraped up knee but no biggie. I think I'll try to find some more trail races - but I am pretty sore right now so I might take that back when I try to roll out of bed in the morning. My heart rate ran a little higher than usual, but not dangerous. I'm sure it's because my diet has been a little loose - I'll be tightening it back up starting tomorrow for sure. I figured some of it was from pushing it a little harder since running trails is a little more work - but lots of fun for sure. This race was part of the "Oklahoma State Games." What I didn't know is if you medal in your AG you automatically qualify to take part in the Games of America in 2017. I tho...

So I guess I'm just going to have to get used to going to cardiologists and doctors. My primary care sent me to a cardiologist at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital. I think I like this guy (as much as I can like docs). He was very kind, and looked me in the eye when he was talking with me and I liked that. Of course I gave them my standard "abnormal but not bad" EKG. I also explained about my meds and how the other doc wouldn't call me back. He told me not to trust a doctor who didn't call you back. (I was surprised.) He said it's an integrity issue and it sends the signal that they don't care when they don't call you back. I agreed. At the end of the appointment - he gave me a gentle hug and promised to take good care of me. That was nice I thought. (Even though I'm not too keen on "being taken care of.") My blood pressure was great- didn't even mention taking meds for that. I have to say that's a HUGE win. I believe the drastic ...

So I was able to sustain a 46 day running streak. On one hand I was sad to end it; and on the other was a bit of relief. I had started with a few symptoms so yesterday I felt like it was better to stop rather than my body stopping me down the road. I think it worked because today I was able to get outside for a couple of very nice miles and I felt fine. But it's time to rest....I think. I learned a few things during this run streak - the longest one I've ever done. I learned if I take it easy I can do a lot more than I thought. And that I have learned to listen to my body - but that's not enough. Not only is it important to listen to what your body is telling you - it's equally as important to respect  what it is telling you. That's actually more difficult than listening...but not only is it do-able; it also means there'll be more running days ahead. One thing that's really surprised me over the last few weeks is that I've felt so good. But I'v...

What a way to end the year!! I started the Runner's World Run Streak on Thanksgiving Day and did the last run of the year tonight. Tomorrow's 5K will be the last official day of the Run Streak - but I've already crossed over 100 miles just during the streak... I honestly can't believe I'm still in it - I figured I'd overdo it at some point and not be able to run. I did certainly learn the power of the easy run though! I'm very happy with that. At the first of this year I was struggling so much physically and even emotionally. I was so unsure of what the year would bring and how much running I would be able to do. I've had several times when it was really tough-and-go and I've had a few forced vacations.  But I'm finishing the year on a strong (and happy) note. The challenges I faced this year have taught me a lot - really about myself; and they make this moment of victory just that much sweeter. Let me start with what I have learned. I...

I finished my last race ( not my last run) of the year today. It was a nice 8K up at Lake Hefner in OKC and boy was it windy! I think they said there were gusts up to 45 mph - I can attest to that! This one may go down as one of my favorite lesson teaching runs. First off - let me say I'm still doing the #RWRunStreak where we are challenged to run at least one mile per day from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Today was day 25 and it was appropriate to do a 5-miler I thought. Overall I have thoroughly surprised myself with this run streak. It's the longest I've ever stayed with it first of all, and second of all up until a couple days ago I have felt great. Even though I am barely in the CHF category (meaning it's still very mild thankfully) overdoing it can really knock me on my butt. It's one of my two main goals. One is to refrain from overdoing it - ever; and the second is to manage symptoms. The trouble with overdoing it is that you don't know you...

Things are rocking along real well for me right now. I have all my symptoms under control and I just finished day 20 of the Runner's World Run Streak that stretches from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Day. I did a 10K a couple weekends back - and placed first out of six in my age group. I admit I pushed it in that race. I really did. But I was feeling so good and going at a really good pace for me - I honestly thought the race experience would be worth it even if it meant I had to take a week to recuperate! But I was pleasantly surprised to realize I didn't overdo it at all. What's up with that? I've now been running for 20 days in a row and logged more than 50 miles - with absolutely no overdos.  I'm happy with that. I think I'm learning how to listen to my body better - but I'm also sticking to some changes I've made. I've lost 30 pounds this year and have been able to keep it off. I think that's a big factor, really. I treat salt like ...

Whether or not you battle with a chronic condition - every runner has to overcome stuff to get themselves out the door. We have to rearrange our schedules around running, or is that the other way around? lol. Every runner, every athlete has to sacrifice time they could be doing something else, make dietary sacrifices or adaptations to fuel properly, think about dressing for a run and then showering and redressing for the day. Even though we get used to all the accommodations we make for running in our lives - it's a lot to think about on even the best day. We put a lot into it, period. I know a lot of runners who started running because of a life event of some sort. Many wanted to lose weight, deal with grief, beat a health issue, or any number of other reasons. But running helps us be victorious at life, IMO. It helps us clear our minds, work through issues, de-stress, empty our emotional bucket and just be more fit. So I have to say that no matter why we run - the reward fa...