Tag Archive | hypopara athlete

It Will Be What it will Be

May4

Yesterday I met up with a running buddy for our last 10 miler before Brooklyn. Two weeks to go. Training has been going ok, but as I’ve mentioned I’ve been having some low calcium issues. Nothing to write home about, but I know I’ve been low. When you know you know.

So Dawn and I set off. We had no plan or pace, but we kept each other in check…. Kept from running too fast, too slow or too much walking. We met at a park and got looped back around mile 6. I have been adding calcium/cacitriol at this point. I could tell that it was time as I was getting a few finger tingles, but nothing too bad. Took my pills and refilled water and off we went.

I started lopping back to the park only for Dawn to question. I had gotten confused and then was sad to realize that we had more miles because we would have gotten bak at 8 not 10. Oops…. My bad.

We change it up and get back to the park at 9.75 and we get it to 10 in the park. All is good although I’m happy to be done, but nothing too bad.

We take the required picture:)

Then we head off to our cars to get water and at this point I’m thinking I want to take some more calcium. I had been feeling tingles in hands during end of run and now was feeling it in my upper arms.

As we are talking, I get my pills. I start with 1 calcium. I immediately rethink and decide to take 1 more and some more calcitiol which I might not have needed but I was pretty sure a crash was coming.

I was right.

Apparently I said to Dawn, “It’s coming.”

She thought, “What’s coming?”

Then she saw.

Both hands and arms were full on tetany. I thought best option would be to get home. I asked Dawn to drive me as we were only a few minutes away and thought maybe just to add some more calcium. Plus I would be home:)

While she may not have been calm on the inside, she remained cool, calm and collected. As we got to my house, I used voice command to call hubby who came out to get me. When I got inside, I sat took some more calcium and slowly…. Slowly……. My body released.

I texted with doctor…. Continued to add some extra calcium for remaining of the day and all is well.

In retrospect…..

It was much warmer than I realized. I even got some color from the sun. Heat is not my friend.

I had been dealing with low calcium symptoms during the week and probably started in a deficient.

Again – it was hotter than I realized

Those without Hypopara (my friends and spouse included) might have been shocked by what happened. I was not. Although it was worse than the last crash.

It is what it is.

Funny not funny during the run, Dawn and I spoke of my last crash. I had said to her that wouldn’t it be nice to have a monitoring device that could tell you when your levels were off like a diabetic.

Yup…. Wouldn’t it be nice

We also talked about making sure that I could easily get to my pills without having to worry about opening something.

Anyway this did put things in perspective. Yes, I will rethink race day. I will take into account weather. I will make sure to have levels in check prior to race day. I will make sure to put info on back of race bib and will make sure to know where medical tents are.

Most of all, I will not let this stop me. I will just make sure to be smart.

Perfect timing, I already had an appointment for a Hypopara study that I am participating in. I am doing my 24 hour urine collection today followed by some testing tomorrow. I will also get to see my Dr who I will discuss what I need to do.

Even When It’s Hard

Apr29

Last week I’ve been dealing with low calcium symptoms. Nothing major, but knowing that I needed to dial it back a bit.

I skipped a couple workouts. I just couldn’t seem to get to where I should push it. Cramping, muscle spasms and such. Didn’t help that I also forgot my pills at work one day . I was a hot mess.

Muscle spams

Nothing major, but it went on for a bit. Here is the thing, you have to listen to your body. My body was saying slow it down. Besides this close to the haf, it wan’t going to make or break me.

Sunday I went out for my long run. I procrastinated and procrastinated until it was time to go…. I just wasn’t feeling it, but thought it was just that pre run don’t want to go.

So off I went.

Around mile 5 I took a 250 mg calcium. Usually on long runs I do this around mile 6. By mile 6 I decided to take another 250 and my calcitriol as I was feeling tingly fingers. I knew at this point I could no longer push it running, but I really wanted to get the miles in.

So I got them in,

Done in is done and that is all that mattered. I am glad that I got it done and glad I didn’t push it. By time I got home I needed to add some more calcium.

I was toast…. But as someone said

10 miles is 10 miles.

Made sure to rest, recover and take my calcium

Two days later, I am back on track on back on my training schedule. Yesterday was rest day.

Just like I say, I need to train for the weather; I also need to train where I’m at. I could have calcium issues on race day and this will also help me to be prepared.

Jan26

Some might say that I have been doing this for a long time without reaching some of my goals.

Maybe that’s true.

Maybe it’s not.

My goals have changed along the way. My thoughts of what is necessary has changed. What and where I want to be has changed. I know my body has changed and what it can do too. Always moving forward though. Maybe no longer reaching for that golden ring, but happy with the consolation prize. Bobbing and weaving, even when the finish line keeps moving.

So maybe it’s not about reaching the goal, but continuing to reach for it without giving up.

Tomorrow starts my 16 week training plan for the Brooklyn Half. As of now I do not have a goal for the race other than to run it well. To me that will mean to go into this event trained by following my training plan. To continue with the cross training to hopefully also go into this race injury free.

At the 8 week mark, I will access where I am with my training and adjust training for the goal.

So here we go……

Last time I ran Brooklyn in 2015, I ran it in 2:14:47. That’s not happening or anything even close to that. That being said, my last half was 2:59:18. So, honestly, I am starting my training with 3 hours in mind.

Never giving up…. Never baking down…. Still moving….

What more can I ask for?

Letting Go

Jan15

It is so easy to get caught up in the numbers, the data, and if your garmin didn’t record it that it didn’t happen.

I am trying to let that go.

I have been doing my 20 minutes of daily wall pilates. I’ve been walking. I’ve been riding stationary bike and going on treadmill.

Many recorded.

Some not.

You know what if it isn’t documented, it still happened. It is making a difference. I am noticing less aches and pains. I am noticing feeling a little bit stronger. I am confident that this is the way to go.

I am not going from zero to sixty too fast. I am easing into these changes in a way that speaks to where I am and not was or want to be. I am matching my exercise routine with the reality of where my body is today and what it could do.

In my Crossfit days, I was a bad ass. I could lift and do WOD’s breaking into a sweat but get them done. I am not the same, but the determination is the same.

That is enough.

Not if it is recorded by my watch.

Not if no one sees it.

I know…..

And that is enough.

Made it

Jan11

Yesterday was National Quitter’s Day. The day most of us quit our New Year’s resolutions. Since I didn’t make any resolutions and started on December 30th, I’m still going strong. As said previously, it is all about progress not perfection. It is all about being healthier.

It’s funny too because I’ve actually been enjoying eating healthier. It has been making me think about my food choices which has been more satisfying than just grabbing things without thought. I’ve been taking salads for most of my lunches and they have been so good.

Love this container too!

For snacks, I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy cottage cheese with fresh fruit. I’ve also had to rethink drinking my calories. More water even though that was usually my drink of choice. It also helps that for Christmas that I got a Nutribullet.

I think I mentioned the app Reverse Health. I have now completed 11 days of my 30 day challenge. I am starting from the beginning which is where I am at. While I can go out and run pretty much any day, my overall fitness has not been tended to. So back to basics.

So far so good.

I’ve already noticed changes. My lower back pain has improved as have my flexibility in my hips which were very tight. These are the things that I need to work on. I am also working on my running. Today I ran three miles doing some fartleks. No particular speed, just to test and see how I would feel.

On top of that I have lost almost 3 pounds which is also part of the agenda. But slow and steady is the goal.

Progress not perfection.

On top of this, I also through the lottery got into the NYC Brooklyn Half which is in May. So all that I’m doing now is the pre-training for the Half.

Getting Back on the Horse

Sep8

Today’s run was definitely a mental one. Yes, it was physical because I was going for between 8-9 miles; but I was in my head a lot before lacing up.

Every run is a mental run from the procrastinating to the lacing up and getting out the door. There are so many reasons not to run. There are so many reasons to push yourself to get out and run too.

I needed to get out of my head today. I needed to remind myself that I can do this. I would be lying if I didn’t say that last week scared the crap out of me. I would be lying if it didn’t cross my mind to stop pushing so hard, to stay home and just say I’m throwing in the towel. While on my Hypopara journey, I have had tetany before. I have had muscle spasms. I have had the tingles, the brain fog, and been symptomatic. The difference is that I always felt like I still was in control as these symptoms were more annoying than anything else.

I won’t go into again, but last week’s calcium crash was bad. It scared me. It stopped me in my tracks. It reminded me that this is more than just annoying. This is real and needs to be taken seriously. I liked to pretend that it wasn’t and wouldn’t stop me. Honestly, I’ve been more worried about my kidney health than the actual Hypopara symptoms. I realized that I needed to take BOTH as seriously as I should.

This week was a stressful week at work. It was also the first week without summer hours. No longer leaving at 3, but 1. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but for those who don’t know I am also a childcare teacher. This means I am on my feet and really in constant motion both mentally and physically all day.

I wanted to run this week, but I didn’t. I could tell that I wasn’t ready. Yesterday I just didn’t have the energy. I had stayed up too late baking a cake. Oh yeah, I’m also a home baker. So yesterday I didn’t run.

This morning no excuses…. Except I was nervous. I prepared for my run giving myself an half an hour for morning meds to kick in. I filled my water bottles. I have the Fitletic running belt. So I filled 2 with water and one with electrolytes. I then put into the belt some kind nut bars, extra meds, and off I went. I also put back on my running Id that has contact info and also a “Hypoparthyroidism check calcium.” I had gotten a new band and never put it back on. I got complacent.

I started off running streets close to home making grids for the first three miles. I stayed close to home for the remainder of the run too. Not going too far out which sometimes I do for a longer run. Today was about keeping a comfortable pace. Walking when needing to, but not just because I want to. It was about listening to my body. At around 5 miles, I added some full in the form of some of the kind bar. At around 6.5 miles, I took 250 of calcium. Half of my normal afternoon dose. Then just kept moving.

I finished. I got to 8.5. At the end of the run I was thinking of doing a few streets to get to 9, but I figured this was enough……. And it was!

Mentally my head is back in the game. Mentally I know that I can do this but have to be smarter.

Sometimes I Forget

Sep1

When you are a healthy runner, you can still run into issues with your training. You can over train. You can become dehydrated. You do so many things wrong, but usually there is some wiggle room. When you have Hypopara (or any other health issue), you might not have so much wiggle room. Sometimes you forget that too.

Today was a day to remind me of that. A day where I got the not so gentle reminder that there isn’t as much wiggle room as I would like to pretend. It is easy to forget these things. It is easy to pretend that you just take extra calcium and meds just because. Especially when for the most part you are stable. Yes, you sometimes get gentle reminders that you need to take some more meds….. a “dancing” of your leg muscles, a little tingle here or there, but nothing crazy.

Training has been going well. I haven’t necessarily been following the plan perfectly, but enough that I feel comfortable with it. Enough to know that I can run a half in 3 weeks and continue with it to run the Hat Trick in October. I’ve done multiple back to back runs. Some of them have even been a run in the evening followed by run the next morning. All Good.

Yesterday I went for a training run with my friend. We did an easy 6 miles. No issues. Run itself was comfortable and left feeling like I could run more. We did it!

This morning I left for another 5 miles. I was adding some hills, since the Hat Trick has lots of them. I wasn’t going to race. I wasn’t going to be fast. My goal was to try to be steady. Figure out a walk/run plan. I was about half mile out when I realized that I forgot my water. It was hot and humid, but I figured lets just keep going. So I did…..

Like all runners, I monitored the way my body was feeling during the run. Today I was really just focused on completing the miles, watching pace to make sure I wasn’t running too fast, and trying a new walk/run plan (8 to 1). I was trying to run a smart training run.

During the run there were times I felt the tingles that sometimes come when running. I adjusted. I just wanted to push to 5 miles watching my heart rate and pace. I’ve felt these tingles before. These are just little warning bells, but nothing crazy. Once I hit the 5 miles, I walked.

I had 1/2 mile to go and figured a walk would be a good cool down. The tingles became more intense, but again nothing crazy. As soon as I got in the house I made my ice water with electrolyte powder. While sometimes after a hard workout I will take some extra calcium, thankfully today I also took an extra Calcitriol. Minutes later both my hands seized up with tetney or as I call it, the claw hand. I could not open. I could not close. I also having severe tingling and pressure in both arms and lips/face.

I admit it, I got very nervous especially because I was home alone and would be for hours. I wasn’t sure if I was going to pass out. I asked Siri to call the friend I ran with yesterday. She is familiar with my issues and as a bonus she is a PT who understands the body. I tied to be calm, but I think she knew I was freaked out and how I was feeling as I was swearing up a storm. I even gave her my address and unlocked the back door just in case I stopped talking to her. This was no joke. This was the worst crash I’ve ever had…. NO I AM NOT BEING DRAMATIC. Those who have been here understand.

Luckily as we stayed on the phone with my friend little by little my hands became my own. I would happily tell her, “my pinky and tall finger are moving!” It slowly released me after quickly grabbing on. She said she knew when I was feeling better when I stopped swearing.

Once my body was my own again, I texted my doctor. She called minutes after getting my text. I love her so:). We talked about what happened. What I needed to do as far as meds. She felt that we would rather go on side of dealing with high calcium than low…. Although the high never came. She gave me instructions on what to do if the tetney came back…. It was go to ER for possible calcium infusion. Thankfully that never came either.

I am ok now. I literally did nothing for the rest of the day. Resting. Eating calcium rich foods as well as following the regime she gave me for meds.

So today was a reminder. Be smarter. Be prepared. Most of all know that even if one day something works, that Hypopara does what it wants when it wants. That being said, I know hope is on the horizon. Hopefully in 6 months to a year I can be on the hormone replacement. Until then, I am thankful this is (for me) a very rare moment.

Stay safe.

Stay healthy

Most of all…

Never give up.

Hitting 5 miles.

Empty Cup

Aug7

I am following a training plan to run on tired legs. Here’s the thing though…… My legs are always tired, sore and feel like I need to stretch which is why for Christmas I got a leg massager.

Sometimes you feel like your cup is filled.

Sometimes you feel like your cup is half filled.

And sometimes…..

Sometimes you feel like not only is your cup empty, but maybe it has a crack in it and is broken.

Today I had 5 miles on my training plan. I had every intention of running. The weather while rainy had cooled significantly. I was looking forward to it. Then I hit the wall.

As a runner, most of us know that feeling of hitting a wall. Usually this is on mile 20 of a marathon. I’ve done that and it’s not pretty. Sometimes though with Hypopara, you don’t need to be running a marathon to hit the wall.

Today was one of those day. I woke up, went to work as a preschool teacher, and come home with intention of running. I still had some things I needed to do at home and did them. I forgot to take my afternoon calcium which I normally take when I get home. Apparently that was enough to hit the wall.

What does my wall feel like….. It is intense fatigue. I have said to my family that it is not that I want to take a nap, but I NEED to take a nap. Like I can’t go another step. Luckily I don’t hit this as much as I used to, but when I do there is no ignoring it.

So I curled up on the couch and took a short nap. It was enough to get me going. Not to run, but to get other things done that needed to be done

So pushing a run back a day is better than trying to push through on a day like today.

If you know, you know:)

Tomorrow is another day.

Hello is it Me Your Looking For?

Aug3

Hello…… It’s been a hot minute. I thought I gave up blogging. I really didn’t think I had much to say anymore. I didn’t think anyone would miss it. Then I remembered that I started this blog for me and I missed it.

I think one of the reasons that I stopped blogging is because I didn’t really know where I fit in. When I started this blog, I was your average woman in her 40’s working on getting into shape by signing up for an event. I had goals. I had will. That’s what I blogged about. I was a middle of the pack runner who was driving to bbetter. I was making progress too. I had worked with a coach. I completed lots of events. I finished a 50K, multiple marathons and was training to run a 4 hour marathon. It was in reach.

Now I won’t get into how I blew it in 2016 running NYC Marathon like it was a half marathon and paying the price. I’ve already blogged about that. I had chances to correct that mistake….. or so I thought.

Two weeks after that race is when I had my thyroid removed. Those who have been here a while know that took me into the journey of Hypoparathyroidism. It has slowed me down. It has definitely put a speed bump in my path. It has done a lot, but what it has not done is cause me to give up.

It took a while, but I continued to push through. Learning along the way. While I continued to blog and train….. I wasn’t sure where I fit into it all. I wasn’t sure that those that were following my blog previously wanted to hear these new trials and tribulations because really they signed up for a running blog.

I tried…. I tried… I tried….. and tried some more. I just didn’t feel like I was being authentic with every post. This may have been why the posts became far and few between until they just stopped.

Again….. I never stopped.

I’m rebranding. If you’re looking for a traditional running blog, this may not be longer be where you want to be. Although truth be told, I’m not even sure who is her anymore….. The reason I like blogging is that often it feels like talking to myself. So if you’re here, please say Hello!

Hypopara is strange. It is the only time when the body is missing a hormone (PTH) where there is currently no FDA approved hormone replacement treatment available. It’s coming. So they say. Those of us in the Hypopara community have heard this before. We’ve had the rug pulled out from us when they took away Natpara. So we shall see and we shall continue to wait while going about our business.

Anyway, this blog will still focus on my running, but it is going to focus on my running as a Hypopara athlete. There is no one size fits all with Hypoparaa. Our bodies all handle things differently. Like everything in life, we each just do what we can. So if you are new to the blog as a Hypopara athlete, please say Hi too:)

Now that that is out-of-the-way…… Let me tell you what I’m up to.

I have just started training for a half marathon. This half is actually going to be used as a training run because my real goal is to complete the Quadruple Play Marathon Challenge…. NO IT IS NOT A MARATHON. It is a 3.8 trail run on Friday. Then Saturday a 5K followed shortly with a 10K. Then a Half Marathon on Sunday.

I have done this event before. More than once. I’ve done it Hypopara too. The last time I signed up for it, I was not ready. It broke me a little bit because it was my first and only DNS. I was not in a good spot with my calcium levels and training. I only was able to do the trail, 5k, & 10k. I never came back to do the Half. So there’s that. I’ve got something to prove. To no one else but myself.

Game on!

Bringing My A Game

Mar19

When I worked with a running coach a few years ago, she always had me come up with 3 goals prior to an event.

A Goal – A goal within reach, but one that you need to work for

B Goal – A doable goal

C Goal – What is the minimum that you will be happy with.

So for the NYC Half, I kept these goals to myself. I knew going into my training that I really would like to run the half in under 3 hours. While training, I did not train for this goal so much as realize that this was within reach if I pushed just enough. I mostly trained by feel and heart rate. I made sure to do my training runs at a push and my long runs slower than I felt I could push. I always wanted to finish a training run like I could do more if needed. I usually did too.

One thing that I was very conscious of during my training is that I did not want to add extra calcium. What I tried to do was to time my daily calcium in a way to incorporate into my runs.

It has taken me some time since my surgery to get to this point, but I finally finally finally came to the mindset of………. I want to run, but I need to run smart. All the time. I can not push the pace to the point where I need to add more calcium. While it temporarily will feel right, long term it is not for me.

Since my surgery, I have been fighting high urine calcium levels. At it’s highest it was 578. (For those not Hypopara and unfamiliar anything over 250 is high. For Hypopara, your doctors try to keep it in around 300)……. Now it was at the highest, when I was taking .5 calcitriol twice a day with calcium through out the day. I also took extra calcium to run runs the way that pushed my body. My levels have come down, but even with being careful they are steadily going back up. I am currently at levels over 350.

So what does this mean…… basically these higher levels are hard on my kidney’s. I am lucky that currently I have had no kidney issues; BUT I say this as my kidney functions have moderate loss of function. Not enough that I would notice, but until a PTH (Parathyroid Hormone that regulates calcium & phosphate in body) I will need to continue to take medication to regulate. These help me function like a normal person but also are hard on the kidneys. I am not willing to push my kidneys to the limit to run a pace that matters to no one.

Seriously, who cares about my pace?

For a while after my surgery, I did. I wanted to maintain where I was prior to surgery. I wanted to pretend that the surgery and Hypopara didn’t change me, but the truth of the matter it did. It was also about pride. I wanted to run the paces that I could. No lie, I did enjoy pushing myself. Running a Sub 2 half (prior to surgery). Running 9 minute paces. Being a front of the middle runner.

Guess what?

I am no longer a mid pack runner. I am a back of the pack runner. I am starting in the last wave and in some cases the last corral.

Here is what I’ve come to realize though……

I am starting. I am running…… I am still me. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride. Put it aside and know that it only matters to you. When I was able to put pride aside, I was able to train where I am and not where I wanted to be. I was able to train smart. To listen to my body. To run smarter and not harder. By doing that, I was able to actually do what I wanted to do.

I put pride aside. I made a realistic goal. If I hadn’t made it, I would have been ok. But the fact that I made it shows that I am doing what I need to do. Most of all, I did it by working smarter and not harder.

So what does this mean….

This means more running in my future. I even signed up for a fall race. One that I did previously. The Hat Trick. A 5k & 10K on a Saturday followed by a half on Sunday.

Crazy?

Yes.

Exciting?

You bet…. Can’t wait.

Stay tuned because believe it or not, there is more to talk about regarding the NYC Half. Although this is enough for today.