Cupid's Cup 5K Recap

I know this recap is late, but I need to catch up. On Sunday, February 7th I ran the Cupid's Cup 5K out at the Pinnacle Athletic Campus in Victor, NY. It is a newer athletic complex that offers a variety of sports, classes and programs for all ages.

This was a new race, and if you hadn't guessed, the race was a Valentine's Day themed race. The dynamic of the race was different as well. When participants registered, they were able to select their bib color based on their relationship status. Green for single runners, yellow for " it's complicated" runners, and red for those in relationships are who are married. They also allowed runners to change their bib color if necessary. With the idea that the single runners could mingle and maybe light spark.

Another interesting incentive for this race was that when registering (at least by January 29th) you received a Cupid's Cup with your registration (it was a cute coffee mug). I thought this was great because the last thing I need is another race t-shirt. Not that I don't like them, but I'm running out of drawer space.

I met some of my Team RWB buddies around 10:30 at the athletic campus, and can I just say it was a BEAUTIFUL day, and perfect running weather. I actually over-dressed for the race. We hung out inside the complex until it was about time for the race, and then we made our way to the start.

(Hanging out at the Kiss 106.7 booth)

(Eagles soaking up the February sun)

The race started right at 11, and thankfully the start was right at the top of a hill so we were not required to run up that. The race started on Phillips road, then almost immediately the course turned left onto Main Street/Fishers Road. We ran about  a mile on Main Street/Fishers, then we turned left onto Wangum Road. Runners were then met with a HUGE hill. I'm not going to lie, I walked the entire thing. I hadn't been running enough throughout the winter to charge the hill. We ran on Wangum for about 3/4 of a mile and then turned left onto Victor-Mendon Road. After about a half a mile on Victor-Mendon Road we turned left back onto Phillips road and ran back to the athletic campus where the race finished inside the complex on the turf.

(Course map: Source)

Given that I have not run as much this winter as I did last winter, I was slower than normal, and like I said, I walked the entire hill on Wangum Rd. I still finished the race in 37:24 (according to my apple watch), so I'll take it. Two of my RWB teammates finished before me, so one of them snapped pictures of us coming into the finish line.

(I look so serious, haha)

After all of my teammates finished the race we walked over to where the race sponsor had a refreshment spread. They offered fruit: Oranges and bananas, Bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, and cookies and chocolate. We munched on a few snacks and chatted before making our depart to enjoy the rest of Superbowl Sunday. Overall, I really enjoyed this race. I would have to say the weather had a lot to do with that, it was unseasonably nice for a February run. I can definitely say I will consider running this race next year. Another pro was that the race only cost $22 if you registered by 2/5, and there was no online processing fee.

QOTD: Did you run any races in February? Any Valentine's Day themed races?

Time To Catch Up. What Are You Grateful For?

I realize it's been months since I've posted, so I figured it was time for an update. To say life has been busy is a bit of an understatement, but I can say that it's all been good.

First I'll start with this. It's been exactly 10 months since I was discharged from the hospital after my open heart surgery. I was discharged on April 28th, my parents wedding anniversary. Second, I wanted to just what to say how grateful I am that I was able to wake up this morning and enjoy a Yoga class, and that I was able to enjoy 2 runs outside this weekend.

(Saturdays morning run was a chilly 26 degrees)

(And then there was todays run, when it was 65 degrees)

We had a beautiful day here in Western New York today, and temperatures reached 65 degrees on my thermometer here at my house. I also went to a different yoga studio this morning just to check it out, but I'll post about that on a different post.

So, I started doing Crossfit at the end of last year. I'm still only going once a week, but it's something to get my body engaged a little more than yoga. I'm also still going to yoga (at least) once a week, and I do feel like I'm getting stronger. Not sure if I'm getting more flexible, but I know all these things take time.

Back to crossfit. Dan convinced me to sign up for my first Tough Mudder. It's also the day before my 30th birthday. I joked with him that he had better come visit me on my birthday when I'm in the hospital in a full body cast. I'm actually very nervous. I'm not a huge trail runner, and this is anywhere between 10-13 miles of trails with obstacles. This is where I need to start getting my butt in gear and get to crossfit more than once a week to build up some upper body strength if I'm going to be able to do some of the obstacles.

(Yeah, I'm probably going to die)

So, for now that's my big fitness goal for the year. I don't believe I'll be doing any half marathons. 5Ks and 10Ks are more my jam (at least for the time being), and I just can't see torturing myself if I'm not enjoying the distance. That's not to say I won't ever run a half marathon again, but for now, I'm good.

As for races this year, I have run one 5K, it was the Cupids Cup 5K, and that was the weekend before Valentine's day. I will also post a recap of that race here in the next few days. I'm currently registered for a Shamrock 5K in March, I will be doing the Heart 5K in April, the Color Run and April and the Stroll for Strong kids in June. So, slowly but surely I'm filling my race calendar.

Aside from all of that, things have been going well. I haven't had any issues from a cardiac standpoint. I go back to see my cardiologist in April for a one year follow-up, and after that I should be back to my regular annual follow-ups. So far the year is off to a positive start.

QOTD: Do you have any fitness goals for the year?

runDisney's Wine & Dine "Half of a Half" Marathon: Part 2

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays. Food, family and football, what's not to love?!

I apologize for the delay in posting the second half of my race recap. Life has gotten away from me lately, but it's time to get back on track. Last I left off, Lily and I walked down to the bus stop on time and were feeling better about things after the fiasco of getting to dinner on time, etc. Once we were on the bus we could breathe a sigh of relief. However, it was not over. Like I said, Fate was trying to tell me something.

We made it to the ESPN sports complex in no time at all, and made our way through the security bag check. We made our way over to the gEAR check, and got rid of our bags, then found a place to sit and relax while we waited to head to the corrals.

(Wilderness Explorers are ready for a 13.1 mile adventure!)

After a while we decided to hop in line for the port-a-potties so we would be ready to go once we headed to the corrals. While we waited in line we commented on all the neat costumes we saw. We saw two people dressed as churros, they were super cute. We also saw some other Wilderness Explorers, some even had full on backpacks with pots hanging from the back. Now that's dedication! I have to say, that the churros may have been the best costume we saw. As we waited, out of nowhere the wind began to pick up. Although it felt nice because the humidity was so high, we knew it was not a good sign. It couldn't have been 10 minutes later, that the runDisney announcers told us that there was severe weather in the area, and that we needed to be evacuated to the ESPN stadiums until further notice. Of course there was a mad rush because people started to freak out.

Lily and I made our way to one of the stadiums, and decided to head to one of the bathrooms in there since we never made it up to the port-a-potties, then we made our way to the bleachers and had a seat. While we waited, the people around us were watching the weather Doppler on their phones. Of course there was this big orange spot over us.

Finally after about an hour, they let us go back outside, and it had never even rained. We made our way back to where we were originally waiting, and people started making their ways to the corrals. Lily and I jumped in line at the port-a-potties one last time. We were trying to rebuild the momentum that we had lost while sitting in the bleachers. While we waited, the couple behind us was checking facebook and told us that because of the weather delay, runDisney was shortening the course. They posted the new course, and we calculated it out to be about 6 miles of the race. They decided to cut out all of the Animal Kingdom. We were both disappointed, but there was nothing we could do at this point. At least they didn't cancel it all together.

We went to the bathroom, then made it to our corral, where we quickly made some new friend while we waited to start. So, let's fast forward a bit. Lily and I finally crossed the start mat at 11:23 pm, and we maybe made it about 3/4 of a mile and we were both DRENCHED in sweat. Since it hadn't rained, the humidity level was still at 85%. We trudged along, and unfortunately because of the shortened course, it was SO congested the entire time. Before we knew it we were heading into Hollywood Studios and right through the Osborne family spectacle of lights!

(Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights)

We snapped more photos, but this one is my favorite from Hollywood Studios. We waved through Hollywood Studios, and before we knew it we were running out the front and along the water towards Epcot. I think by this point, Lily and I were over this race, and just ready to finish. We ran along the boardwalk and finally into Epcot. We ran past spaceship earth and weaved our way back out of Epcot and towards the finish line. I gave Mickey a high five, and Lily and I crossed the finish line together. THANK GOD that was over! Our clothes were completely saturated. We separated to go through our respective gEar check lines to grab our dry clothes, and met back up after. Then we made our way through the drink line and finally out to where we could breathe.

(The smiles... I think we're just happy to be done.)

This next part is a little sad. We slowly made our way back toward the after party at Epcot and made it through the bag check line.Once we made it inside, I ran into Chris, so I said hi and chatted with him for a few minutes. We must have been right by each other in the bag line because I was walking in JUST behind him. Chris went on his way and Lily and I slowly made our way past Spaceship Earth and towards World Showcase. We made it to the Cranberry bog and we both literally had had enough. We were both so tired, still soaked, and just didn't know if we could honestly even make it around the World Showcase. So, yes, we turned around and left.

We slowly made our way back to the resort buses, and thankfully there was a bus there waiting. We climbed aboard and plopped into a seat. It felt so good to sit down. Once we finally made it back to our resort, I hopped in the shower first, and it was ridiculous trying to peel my clothes off. I threw them in a pile on the floor and decided I would deal with them in the morning. Once I got out of the shower, I crawled right into bed with the box of leftover pizza from dinner, then it was lights out. It must have been after 2 am.

Sunday morning we took our time getting up and getting around. We certainly were in no rush to get to Magic Kingdom because we also had tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, so we were going to be at the park until around midnight. I threw my medal in my bag, but wasn't all that thrilled about wearing it since we didn't actually run the half marathon. I still had Lily snap a quick picture with me wearing it, then it went in my bag for the rest of the day.

So there you have it. The mess that was supposed to be my great half marathon comeback. All in all, Lily and I still had a good time even though the weekend didn't go as we planned.

QOTD: Have you ever had a race not go according to plan? Ever have a race completely cancelled on you?

Monster Scramble 10K and 6 Month Post-op Follow-up

MS Monster Scramble 10K:
Sunday, October 18th, my friend Lily came out to Rochester so we could run the MS Monster Scramble together at Mount Hope Cemetery. We had never run together and with our half marathon fast approaching, we desperately needed to get in a test run together. We also agreed that running more than a 5K was needed for both of us. I have not been training as rigorously as I should be considering all that's been going on lately. We also decided to test run part of our Wine and Dine half marathon costumes.

It was FREEZING that morning, and snowflakes were even floating in the air. Lily met me at my house that morning, and we drove up to the race together. The website had us park off site and we were shuttled to the start, which was hassle free. The event had packet pick-up at the start location, which is really one of my only beefs about this race. Pick-up lines were divided, the top half of the alphabet, and the bottom half. Once we got our packets, we pinned our bibs on and ditched our bags they gave us in a tree near the start. Then we found a sunny area to stand in while we waited for the race to start.

(Love a good candid... not)

The Monster Scramble offered a 5K option and a 10K option - which we ran the 10K. I have to admit, early that morning when I woke up, I was really regretting that decision because it was so cold, but ultimately, it ended up being perfect weather for running. The race started at 10 AM, and both the 5K and 10K runners started at the same time. The 10K route was 2 of the 5K loops. The good thing about that was that Lily and I knew what to expect the second time around.

Of course right at the start of the race was a HUGE hill, and I was definitely not looking forward to running that again. There were a few other hills throughout the remainder of the course, but nothing that we couldn't handle. There were also some areas of the course that had old cobblestone instead of pavement, so that was a little dicey. Overall it was a beautiful course, and I would definitely run it again.

(Certainly not the best shot, but whatever)

Overall, I feel Lily and I did well. We finished the 10K in just under 1:18:00 (because there was no timing mat at the start), and we averaged 12:37 min/miles.

(Course map and elevation details)

I really enjoyed this race, and like I said I would run it again. It was definitely something different for me as I have not run at Mt. Hope Cemetery before so it was different scenery, and it was perfect for a Halloween themed race. My only complaint about the race was the packet pick-up the morning of. I honestly didn't know that the race had pre-race packet pick up, and this is my fault as I had been so busy with other stuff the week leading up to the race to even check into it. I'm sure it was held at Fleet feet.

(Pre-race selfie in the sun)

Pros:
Price: It was cheap for a 10K. If I remember correctly, it was $25.00.
Water Stop: The race itself had one water stop (which since the 10K course looped twice it was 2), which I think was plenty for a 10K.
Volunteers: There was an adequate number of volunteers, and they even joined in on the fun and dressed in costumes.
Refreshments: Your typical spread, post race refreshments included fruit, bagels and water.
Shuttle: It was great that the race offered a shuttle from the parking area (it was necessary) The wait to catch the shuttle to and from where we parked was minimal.

Cons:
Race Day Packet Pick-up: I hated that this was held at Mt. Hope Cemetery so we were unable to ditch our bags in my car. I wish they had held it at the Al Sigl building where we parked. Again, my fault that I wasn't paying attention to pre-race packet pick-up.

6 Month Post-op Follow-up:
A few weeks ago I also had my 6 month post-op follow-up with my NEW Cardiologist. I found out who my new Cardiologist was going to be when I called to tell them I found out my new valve was leaking. So then I went right to the URMC website to look him up. I have to say, just reading about his training (residency and fellowships), I was quite impressed.

Once I met him and we started talking he mention that he had been going through my old Cardiologists notes to get to know his patients but he also wanted to hear from me about how I thought things were going, etc. So of course I went into the story about I had volunteered at RIT for the echo students so they could scan me as see some pathology, and that's when I found out it was leaking. I told him that the valve looked like it had more than a mild leak, but it wasn't quite moderate, etc. Then I mentioned that I was a sonographer, and that's how I knew. He mentioned he saw that on my patient information sheet, and we continued talking. He and a student that was shadowing him for the day listened to my heart and lungs, and then he said he wanted to get another echo just to compare it to the post surgery echo I had the day I was discharged from the hospital. He said even though I will have read the echo, we would reconvene after to discuss.

The lead sonographer came to get me from my exam room and she walked me to her echo room. I mentioned to her that my valve was leaking, and that I knew there wasn't any post surgery. While she did my echo we chatted, then after she walked me back into an exam room so my cardiologist could come talk to me once again. He agreed that the valve had a mild leak, but that it wasn't uncommon for all valves to leak, and most of them do directly out of surgery. He said my pulmonary pressures hadn't changed, and that he believed that this would be my "new normal." He said I have no physical restrictions, so I can still run, etc, and if I feel there are any changes I can call him. If not, he wants to see me back in 6 months so we can re-evaluate just to make sure that nothing changes. All of that sounded good to me. He doesn't feel comfortable setting me up for annual visits just yet, and that's fine. I'd rather he be thorough.

Aside from the Monster Scramble and my follow-up, I've been keeping busy. This past weekend I ran another Halloween themed 5K (which I'll be posting about in the near future), and I also had a Halloween party which was a lot of fun. Tomorrow morning my friend Lily and I finally leave for Disney for our half marathon!

QOTD: Did you run any fun Halloween themed races this year?

Women Run the Roc 5K Recap

Today I'm officially 16 weeks post-op, and it's so hard to believe how far I've come! Saturday, August 8th, I ran the Women Run the Roc 5K for the second year in a row. This race is sponsored by Fleet Feet and run by Yellow Jacket Racing, and is a race specifically for women (and one lucky guy). Friday night I actually stayed in a hotel on the east side of the city because my cousin and his fiance got married on Saturday, so my brother and I had a room for the weekend for the wedding. My coworker, Linda, and her daughter, Trish, picked me up at the hotel and we rode into the city together.

This year the race was actually moved to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. In past years it was held at Frontier Field. We parked just past the RMSC on the road and walked over the where race day packet pick up was being held and just hung out for a bit. Trish decided to go for a light jog to warm her muscles up, and Linda and I decided to take a walk around the block. Once we got back it was almost time for the race to start. We snapped a quick picture and jumped in the sea of women and waited.

(Selfie before the race)

The race started right at 8 AM, and Trish took off! I hung out around the middle of the pack and stuck to my intervals which I'm so used to (1 minute run : 1 minute walk). It was a beautiful morning and already starting to heat up. I was thankful that I took my warm-up off and tied it around my waist before I started the race.

The course had a few small inclines, but nothing horrible, just enough to let you know you were working. About halfway through the race I started to feel a little tired and very warm with the sun beating down on me, so I changed my intervals to 1 minute run : 2 minute walk and felt comfortable with that.

(Source: Yellow Jacket Racing)

I finished the race (according to my watch) in 34:37. I'll take it - it averaged out to be 11:01/mile. I'm SO close to breaking through that 11 minute mile barrier! I'm slowly improving, and I'll be honest, I haven't been training as consistently as I should be. Shame on me, but now it's seriously time to get back on track because the runDisney Wine and Dine 1/2 is roughly 85 days away (yikes!). Trish, the speed demon, placed first overall, and Linda placed 4th in her age group!

(Another pre-race picture)

After the race we hung out and waited for Trish to receive her award. While we waited we grabbed a small bite to eat from the spread offered by the race. Bagels (with cream cheese or peanut butter), bananas, carrots, and cookies. After Trish got her award, we headed out in search of some coffee. Then I had to head back to the hotel to get ready for my cousins wedding. I always enjoy running with Linda and Trish. They're both so fun and encouraging, and I strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle that they have set for themselves.

Pros:

Race location and course: Not that I haven't enjoyed the course in years past, but the new location offered a change of scenery which I thought was great!

Price: As long as you registered by August 5th it was $22.00, which I think is one of the cheapest races I've run in a few years. If you registered the day before the race it was $25.00, and race day it was $30.00 (still not bad).

Post Race Food: The food was provided by Mario's Cafe which is located within the RMCS. Not that the spread was anything special, however, some races don't even provide a post race treat.

Cons:

Cotton T-shirt: This is seriously my only complaint. In years past, the race swag was a Women Run the Roc Sweatyband, and I LOVED that because it was different from other races. This year they gave out a women's cut cotton tee. I like that the shirt is a women's cut, so it actually does fit me, but mine also has a hole in it. And it's cotton...

All in all, I would highly recommend this race to my female friends looking to run a race - especially a first timer. Especially with it being female focused, it's not as intimidating as other races could seem.

16 Week Post-Op Update: As I stated above, I have not been running as consistently as I should be, especially considering I'm training for a half marathon. However, I have noticed improvements in my running. My speed is slowly improving. I've also noticed that while running, my legs don't cramp up as much as they used to, and during my run/walk intervals, I've noticed my heart rate recovering much quicker than it used it.

I had my co-worker do a quick echo on me last week (mainly because my Attendings were curious) to see how my heart was recovering, and if it was normalizing in size and function. My right heart is now within normal limits for size, however, my right heart function is still just mildly reduced.

(Normal in size)

Unfortunately, I tried to upload a video of my heart, but it won't work. Boo. :(

QOTD: Ladies, have you ever run any women's specific races? Guys, have you ever dressed up as a princess for a race?

Recovery Motivation and Moments of Frustration

Time to switch gears a little. Instead of talking about how my recovery is going, I thought I would talk about some of the things I love that are motivating me to recover, and getting me through my moments of frustration.

runDisney:

runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon: This is one of my biggest motivators! If you remember, back in March I took a gamble and registered for the runDisney Wine & Dine half marathon. I had received a letter at the beginning of April stating that my surgery could be rescheduled at any time up to, and including the day of surgery. The thought that I had registered for a half marathon back in March, and receiving this letter a few weeks later made me extremely nervous, especially knowing my surgery could possibly be pushed back. Thankfully, as you probably know, my surgery was moved up, from a Monday to the Friday before. So that definitely worked out for the best!

I made reservations at a Disney Resort for Lily and me a few days after registering for the half marathon, and shortly thereafter received a small booklet about our vacation and with a list of important dates:

As you can see, I was able to start booking dining reservations on Sunday! Somehow I managed to delete the e-mail that had my reservation number to link to my MyDisneyExperience account. So I was on the phone with Disney Sunday morning getting my number to link. Without linking my reservation number, I would have been unable to book dining. Once I got that done, I was on the hunt for the dining reservations that Lily and I talked about.

Unfortunately, Lily and I wanted to dine at Be Our Guest Sunday night, but there were absolutely no reservations available. So I made us one for lunch instead. I guess that's better than not dining there at all, especially since I have not been there yet. Next I wanted to make us a reservation at Il Mulino for early Saturday evening before our race. I figured that would give us adequate time to digest and time to get ready for the race. Once again, there were no reservations available. I was striking out all over. Instead, I made us a reservation at Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe - the menu offered Italian dishes that didn't seem too over the top before our race.

Since I was unable to get the 2 reservations I really wanted to get for us, I decided to book us a nice dinner for Friday night. I know we planned on some park time on Friday after we get there. I will have an annual pass by then, and if Lily get Park Hoppers, we will be dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall with the princesses. I have dined there before with my friend Nita, and it was wonderful, s I'm really looking forward to dining there again. So my dining plans weren't entirely a bust, and this week I'll start looking at flights. I also updated my proof of time for the half, which calculates my estimated finishing time based on the 10K time I submitted. It will also determine my corral placement. I'm starting to get more excited for our trip in November - which is great motivation for my recovery!

Walt Disney World Half Marathon: I also never wrote about this as it was so close to my surgery, but last year I had to defer my Walt Disney World Half Marathon registration to 2016, so I am re-registered for that. I have yet to make reservations for that, but I should probably get on that soon.

Aside from planning for my upcoming Disney Trips, I've been doing a lot of relaxing out in the sun. I can't do much of anything, but I can get a tan, ha ha. It's been unseasonably warm for May, but I'm not complaining one bit. Most weekday mornings I wake up and watch Live with Kelly and Michael, and then I typically venture outside for a bit to read in the sun. I cut some old running crew neck t-shirts, so that my incision is covered but my arms and some of my sides are exposed to the sun so I can get a tan. I have to be extremely careful of my incision until it heals.

(The weather has been unseasonably nice for May in Western NY)

I'm starting to get a base tan which is great! Before surgery, I also bought a lot of magazines (mainly fitness and running magazines) to occupy my time. My coworkers also gave me quite a few to read. I've slowly been making my way through them. The fitness magazines have also served as excellent motivators for my recovery. I've marked pages of articles and workouts I want to try when I'm allowed to workout again.

Yesterday I gathered a few magazines and was all set to sit outside for a bit. Then just as I finished putting my sunblock on, the sun went behind the clouds. Bummer. It was still warm out though, so I did sit outside until my mom came home for lunch. Once she got home, she handed me a package. It was from our friends in Texas. I opened it to find 3 puzzle books and a Women's Running Magazine!

So excited to receive this recovery mail, it gives me a lot to do while I'm sitting out in the nice weather.

So what has me frustrated? To be honest, I only have a few things that frustrate me. The biggest thing is the amount of fatigue I feel. I know this is natural after a major operation, but for someone who is constantly on the go, it's hard for me to be so fatigued. I'll sleep between 8 and 10 hours a night and by 2 pm, I'm in need of a 2 hour nap. Especially if I go to the grocery store or out to lunch with my parents, I need to rest when I get home. I've read that is this to be expected and I should be planning to rest for a few hours in the afternoon, so I'm trying not to let it get me down.

I'm also getting a lot of palpitations (PVC's/PAC's). This is also common as the hearts tissue has been disrupted and in other words is irritated. I notice them more when I'm up and moving rather than when I'm resting. The higher my heart rate gets (which isn't high because I'm not doing much), the more I get. Just everyday tasks get my heart rate up, like taking a shower. Finally, the amount of time it takes me to do things. Clearly, there is not much I can do about this, but it takes me twice as long to do anything. I know this will get better as I recover and am feeling less pain, so for now I have to suck it up and deal with it.

QOTD: Who's signed up for any of the runDisney races over the next year?

Johnny's Running O' The Green Race Recap

Saturday, March 14th, I ran the Johnny's Running O' The Green for the 2nd time. This race is a 5 mile run held on the Saturday before St. Patrick's day when the city holds its other festivities, and the race is sponsored by Johnny's Pub.

This year both Nita and Mel ran the race, so I offered to pick Mel up and drive down to the start. This worked out well as we both needed to leave shortly after the race ended. Nita met us at the Blue Cross Arena as she was going to be at a friends downtown for the day. Mel and I found a spot in the parking lot next to the arena and text Nita to let her know we had parked. While we waited to hear from Nita we sat in my car hiding from the cold and the rain.

(Hiding from the rain)

Once Nita text us, we ventured over to the arena to meet her and the rest of our Team RWB buds.

(Group pic before the race)

Nita and I decided to run the race together, and we agreed on a 1 minute run to 30 second walk interval which we later switched to a 1 minute run to 45 second walk interval. 

I like this race because it's a out and back course in downtown Rochester. It starts at the Blue Cross Arena and travels down Exchange street. Runners turn left and run across the Ford Street bridge then veer right onto Wilson Boulevard. The course travels along Wilson Boulevard for about 3 miles (1.5 miles out and 1.5 miles back). Wilson Boulevard travels along the edge of the University of Rochester campus and the Genesee River. Once runners have looped back down Wilson Boulevard, they once again veer left and cross the Ford Street bridge. Finally turn right back onto Exchange and head to the finish at the Blue Cross Arena.

(Map of the course. Source)

Once Nita and I had reached around 1.5 miles to 2 miles into the race, runners were starting to make their way back toward the finish. Nita and I cheered for the first few runners that passed by, and between our conversation we cheered for others. We also cheered for friends and teammates that we saw pass by on their way back to the finish. We saw our teammate Ashley running back toward us and we high-fived her and we ran past. We also had a random runner come up from behind us and yell "Yeah, Team RWB!" and he gave us both fist bumps!

We finally made it out to the halfway point where we turned around. We grabbed a small cup of water and kept going. At this point the runners had dispersed enough that we weren't uncomfortable and weaving in and out of people anymore. At this point I checked my watch and I noticed we were ahead of our last years time, so I was hopeful we'd keep with the pace!

On our way back down Wilson, another runner came up from behind us and started talking to us about our team RWB shirts. He said he had interviewed a few people who run for Team RWB on his radio show. We chatted with him for a few minutes and then he was off. We made out way up to the Lululemon staff who were out cheering. They had a table with gatorade and beer. Nita and I both grabbed a small cup of Gatorade and pressed on. It was lemon-lime (not my favorite), but still a nice gesture.

We finally made it up to the Ford Street bridge, as we crossed I told Nita what our current time was. We were both excited because we knew we were going to PR from our time from last year. I told Nita we should try for under an hour, but no matter what we'd still have the PR. She agreed. We pressed on, continuing our intervals. We finally made it to the home stretch and our teammates were all there cheering for us as we made our way to the finish line!

(Coming up on the finish!)

As I crossed the finish line, I stopped my watch and looked at my final time. 59:25, we had done it, we finished in under and hour!! Ashley and a few of our other teammates were right there at the finish. I gave Ashley a hug, and we congratulated each other. Nita grabbed us both waters, and we hung out a chatted for a few minutes with our friends.

(Photo Cred: Victoria Freile)

Nita and made our way into the Blue Cross Arena to find Mel. Inside we found more of our teammates, and we hung out for a few more minutes.

(I look like I might be dying here, haha)

Mel and I decided to head out after this picture was taken. She and I both had plans for the day that we needed to get to.

This was my second time running this race, and I absolutely love it! Here's why:

Pros:

Course: The out and back course is quick and easy. Again, I enjoy this because I'm not a fast runner, but it allows me to cheer for other runners, teammates and friends as they pass by and make their way back to the finish line. There's really not much change in elevation, just very small changes. Enough to make you feel it, but not make you cringe.

Distance: This is a 5 mile race which I personally like. Don't get me wrong, I love 5K's, but the longer distance makes me feel like I've accomplished more first thing in the morning.

Price: The race in inexpensive (though I'm sure that depends on who you ask). I paid less than $30.00, and that includes the Eventbrite online processing fee.

Swag: Registration for the race also includes a long sleeve cotton tee (which I love bopping around the house in, or wearing on my treadmill in the winter as my basement is freeing).

(I really liked this years shirt design)

Post Race Refreshments: I didn't partake in since I had to get home, but I think there were bagels, fruit, coffee and juice. There may have been more, but I didn't investigate.

Cons:

Processing Fee: This is just something we as runners have to get used to when registering for a race online. I believe all websites that offer race registration (Eventbrite, Active, Etc) all charge a processing fee. It's just annoying.

This was the first race of my running season, and I love that this one is my first one, even though my running season is going to have a bite taken out of it with my heart surgery this spring. If you live in or around the Rochester area, I highly suggest running this race in the future. I'm already looking forward to next year!

QOTD: Do you have a race local to your area that you like to run to kick off your running season?

For Every Setback There Is An Even Greater Comeback

What a grand comeback it will be!! I'm very excited and looking forward to a girls weekend in November at Disney World for the Runner's Night Out!! Some of you may think I'm crazy registering for a half marathon before even having my surgery, not knowing how things are going to turn out. It's best just to think positive! Besides, I need to set a goal for myself and have something to look forward to, I'm hoping it will make for a speedy recovery.

Today was the day I had been waiting for for a few months now. The runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon registration opened up today at noon! I have been planning on having this half marathon be my "comeback half" after my heart surgery for sometime now. This is my FAVORITE runDisney race for multiple reason, and why shouldn't it be?! Let's review below:

(The many reasons why this race is AWESOME! Source: runDisney)

I logged onto the runDisney website at noon and clicked register at 12:01 PM. At that point another tab opened up on my browser and it said I was in line with an estimated wait time. Oh god. This instantly made me nervous, especially the part that says "There are more than 100 users in front of you"

I messaged my friend Lily to see if she was in line as well. She said yes, and that her estimated wait time was 2 minutes. At the time I messaged her, my wait time was 12 minutes. I watched as the time slowly ticked down, and FINALLY I was transferred to the Active registration page.

I quickly filled out all the information, trying to be cautious not to mess anything up that would cause me to lose time. I filled in my credit card information, double checked it, then clicked submit payment. After a few seconds, I received my confirmation that I was successfully registered for the race!! Phew, I could breathe a sigh of relief (and celebrate)! Lily had since messaged me to let me know she was in, and to see if I got in yet. The entire process from when I clicked register on the runDisney web page to receiving my race confirmation took 20 minutes. A very nerve-racking 20 minutes.

(Yay!!)

Now that the stress from registering was over with, I was free to grab a bite to eat for lunch. I sat down with my coworkers, and while eating I was curious to see how quickly it would sell out. Right after I received my confirmation, the runDisney website said it was already 50% full. I knew that the Annual Pass Holder and Disney Vacation Club early registration sold out in roughly 10 minutes two weeks earlier (however, there were a limited number of race registrations for AP/DVC pre-sale). I kept hitting the refresh button on my phone. 70%, then 90%, and then when I checked by 12:40 PM, it was sold out. According to the runDisney Twitter, it was sold out by 12:35 PM.

I took a screenshot on my phone to send to my friend, Nita. I had been texting her with updates on my registration process and how quickly it was selling out. Then I sent her this and said "Gone."

The runDisney races have become wildly popular over the past few years. Nita and I were reminiscing just last week about when we were able to still register for the races during the second and third price increase tiers because race bibs were still available during those times a few years ago. Not anymore, if you don't get on the website at noon the day registration opens, you're not running unless you run through a charity and raise money. This makes me wonder if runDisney will ever switch to a lottery system like a lot of the larger races do to allow for an equal chance for anyone to run (as long as you've registered for the lottery).

Now for the fun, I need to figure out a costume for the race! I have a few ideas, though I'm sure I'll change my mind a thousand times before the race actually gets here. First I was thinking Doc McStuffins, then Mary Poppins in her white dress, but now I'm not so sure.

QOTD: Who else is registered for the runner's night out? Have a costume in mind yet?

Consultations and Realistic Expectations

It's been a month since my last post, and honestly, I've been battling myself for weeks debating whether or not I should actually publish this post. I've had a majority of it typed out for a few weeks now. Any way, New years day I posted a picture of all of my race bibs and bling from 2014 with the caption: "Another year measured in race bibs and bling. 2014 was a year I won't soon forget, but 2015 has big things on the horizon for this girl."

(Last year I ran 19 races, this year I'll be lucky if I run 5)

Big things indeed. This spring I'll be having open heart surgery. So how exactly did it get to this point? Let's rewind.

If you've been following along on my running adventures and race-cations, then you may recall back in May when I posted about my appointment with my Cardiologist regarding my hands. If you remember, my hands were swelling when I ran. My cardiologist didn't think the swelling was due to my heart, but rather a histamine response while running. He asked me to take Benadryl before my runs just to see if it would help. He also had me return a few weeks later for a Metabolic stress test, and that's really the last thing I posted from a cardiac stand point.

My Cardiologist reviewed the results of my echocardiogram and Metabolic Stress test at the pediatric cardiothoracic surgical conference, and as I mentioned in a blog post, that was another story for another day. I guess that day is today.

July 8th, 2014, 10:33 am: I missed a call from my Cardiologist regarding the recent pediatric cardiothoracic surgical conference where he presented my testing. He asked me to please call his office back at my earliest convenience.

July 8th, 2014, 11:30 am: I returned the called to the Children's Heart Center and spoke to my Cardiologist. He told me that after presenting my testing, the team agreed it would be best to go ahead with a cardiac catheterization with the idea that I would have a valve placed within a year. He said the cath could be done anywhere up to a year in advance of the procedure, but that it probably could not be done before the end of summer. I told him it wouldn't be done until nearly the end of the year as I had already planned for 3 more half marathons before the end of 2014. All was fine with that. He said he would have his office call me to schedule.

November 24th, 2014: I had my cardiac catheterization. I've had a handful of these in my lifetime, however, none that I actually remember, until this one. The last cath I had was when I was 16, and it was under general anesthesia because they were closing the hole in my heart with an Amplatzer device. Honestly, it's one of the strangest feelings. When they inject the contrast dye, you truly get an idea of how fast the blood is pumped through your body. I mean, being a cardiac sonographer, I know our bodies pump roughly between 5-7 L/min, but dang, you definitely feel the contrast rush through your body! It was pretty cool to lay there and look at my heart on the screens, though I was slightly out of it from the conscious sedation. I remember my cardiologist asking me if I was bored yet, and I just responded "Meh."

November 25, 2014-January 22, 2015: Honestly one big blur. I had exchanged a few emails with my Cardiologist regarding my cath results, and plans to go ahead with valve surgery as discussed. Mid January I still had not heard from pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, so I took it upon myself to call and get the ball rolling. The woman I spoke to said she'd pull my chart and give it to the Nurse Practitioner, and then get back to me. No call back, so I called again the next day. She told me that they couldn't schedule my surgery until I had my cardiac MRI. That was news to me, so I emailed my cardiologist again and asked about that. After a few days, I received word that the Cardiac MRI was not necessary, and that the surgical team should be calling me within a few days to schedule my surgery.

January 22, 2015, 11:07 am: Finally, after jumping through more hoops than I can count, they called. I was able to schedule my consult and surgery. Let's just say surgery is scheduled and leave it at that.

February 3, 2015, 11:00 am: I met with the surgeon who is going to be doing my procedure to discuss details and go over the list of questions I had. Honestly, I didn't have any idea what I was really in for. Things were a little more complicated than I had originally anticipated, and more needs to be done than just the valve. When he showed me my cath I felt all the color and expression leave my face. I won't go into detail, but I will say this, I'm honestly surprised I'm not having more symptoms than what I've been experiencing.

My surgeon said they're going to be very strict about my breathing exercises. He said the first day after surgery when I get off the vent, they're going to make me cough. Sounds horrible, thankfully they give you these special pillows to hold against your chest while you cough. He expects me to be in the hospital for about 5 days. My surgery will be on a Monday, and discharge on Saturday, but could be Friday for good behavior (and by that I mean if I'm diligent with my breathing exercises), and of course if there are no complications.

All that aside, I continued with my questions although most of it is a big blur because I couldn't even think straight. Thankfully, I had all my questions written down on paper. I asked basic questions like if I needed cardiac rehab, how long until I could drive again, start doing physical activity, etc. He didn't come right out and say it, but it didn't sound as though I had to stop running between now and my surgery. I finally asked him my most important question... if it would be unrealistic that I'm recovered in time to run a half marathon by mid November. He made it sound like it wasn't an unrealistic expectation - so for now, I'm planning on being recovered in time for the Wine and Dine half at Disney World mid November. If worse comes to worse, I can always walk it, or defer... again.

My surgeon seems great though, and I can tell he really loves what he does just by the way he talks and explains things in detail. He asked me if I had looked up what my condition was (Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum), and I told him I am a cardiac sonographer, so I knew exactly what it was and what he was talking about. However, he took a lot of time to explain things to my parents and answer all of their questions as well, and I really appreciated that. After my appointment we went out to grab lunch, but I wasn't very talkative. I couldn't even enjoy lunch with my parents, let alone stomach anything, but I forced myself to eat a side salad.

By the time I got back to work that afternoon, I had tears streaming down my face. It was just a lot to take in, and I guess not exactly what I was expecting. My coworker followed me to one of our echo rooms and gave me a hug as I began to explain things to her. She looked at me and said, "Stace, honestly, you've done an amazing job at managing all of this in until now." She was right. Since finding out in July, I had run two half marathons, three 10K's, and a handful of 5K's. I had studied, sat and passed a board exam, and not once did all my stress break me like this did. It was finally sinking in.

It's been a few weeks since my consultation, and the dust has finally settled. In the meantime I've been spending a lot of time going through blogs and websites reading up on what I should do to prepare for surgery, what to expect after surgery and during recovery. Yes, I've had open heart surgery before, but considering I was only 1 day old and 3 days old at the time, I don't exactly remember any of it. There are even blog posts on what to pack for the hospital which I have found to be quite helpful. Some of these things I would not have thought of, but they make sense. Two of the Physician Assistants I work with have both told me to take items with me that will make my hospital room feel more like home (blanket, pillow, pictures, iPad, etc), that way I'll be more comfortable.

I went to my parents this past weekend, and that was the first time I had seen them since my appointment. We actually had time to talk about things since I basically went mute after my consultation. I'm also starting to realize how much paperwork I'm going to have to deal with - and I can already feel the headache coming on. All that aside, mom and dad gave me a few gifts this weekend. They bought me a new heated blanket for when I'm home recovering. Mom also handed me a little gift bag with tissue and said she thought my surgery was going to be sooner than we had it scheduled (we all did, but that was out of our control), but they wanted to give it to me now to let me know how much I mean to them. I removed the tissue and saw two Alex and Ani boxes.

(My new Alex and Ani bracelets from my parents)

One was the Little Brown Bear bangle, representing loving, happy, comfort. Mom said she thought the bear was fitting and knew I'd need the comfort during my recovery. The other was the bangle of the month, Key To My Heart, representing secret, love, soul. They wanted to give this one to me because of its heart shape. They have always given me heart shaped jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, etc) because it's fitting for my condition. I'm sure I'll be happy to trade in my hospital ID bracelet for my new bangles, and honestly, I'll probably wear them while I'm in the hospital.

All this aside, since I was not told I had to stop, I will continue to run up until the day before my surgery. I'll enjoy being with my friends and my weekly running group. I will also still plan on running with Linda after work when we can (and when there's not a below zero windchill). I figure the healthier I go into this, the faster I'll come out of it.

QOTD: Can you think of anything exciting I should do before I have surgery? I need an adventure!