Never say Never

We've all heard the saying Never say Never.

I said it all the time.

Here is a write up about how in October of 2017 I vowed to never say 'never say never' again.

I Don't Run

https://diabetesstrong.com/started-running-type-1-diabetes/

The numbers are a changing.

We've made it halfway through the year.

My exercise competition with Jenna is going strong.  As we've done quite often, we've modified a few things.  The last I talked about it I detailed the addition of the 7 Minute Workout as well as a daily stair requirement.  It would be no fun if things didn't increase each month, right?  I mean, how else are we supposed to continue to improve... or beat the other?

As of the end of June, we are tied for the number of months won.  It's been a close competition most months.  There have also been a couple months where the winner reached the goal more than a week ahead of the other!  Want to know why?  Because they were beat the previous month.  Back when we first started this competition (over 2 years ago!!) we would check in daily once we completed our water intake and let the other know where we were on our miles.  It was a great motivator.  It helped me to keep pushing.  Now, we don't talk about it at all.  It's become more of a motivator to NOT know and keep pushing as hard as possible.  That, and we don't want the other to know how close we are getting to the goal.

As the title states "the numbers are a changing".  As we've progressed through we have found areas that needed to be modified in order to keep us on a more appropriate workout schedule.  The rule used to be the first person to the monthly goal won.  No specific requirements other than to reach the goal.  That worked great until we discussed the fact that neither of us wanted to non running/walking workouts until the goal was met.  We both can go much further than 2 miles in an hour which is what the minute equivalent is.  So the first change we made was a minimum number of miles achieved in minutes, no matter how many actual distance miles were already completed.  I know this made a huge difference for me!  I didn't feel guilty for missing my Strong class on Wednesday mornings, and my yard work started picking back up a little.  The next change we made, effective this month, is the 7 Minute Workout is no longer a requirement.  It was great, don't get me wrong!  It served it's purpose well and had me doing exercises I wouldn't normally have done.  The reason we changed it from being required, other than we both were cussing it every day, is that the exercises it was having us do we both were doing anyway with the classes and trainings we were doing at our respective gyms.  I still will highly recommend it to anyone who asks for an app to help them start working out.  I will actually still use it, especially on the weekends when I don't get to the gym.  But this past weekend knowing it wasn't required was such a sigh of relief!  Removing that element from being required meant we needed to modify how mileage was earned as it was tied in with our daily water intake requirement.

For a recap here is how we earn our miles:

Miles ran OR walked count the same

30min workout = 1 mile
Bike riding 3:1 (3 miles equals 1 mile credited because of coasting times)

72oz of water consumed by 5pm = .25 mile (if not met must subtract .25 miles)

Flights of stairs = .25 (minimum) or .5 (suggested) (if not met must subtract .25/.5 miles)

And here are the monthly requirements: 

January                                    February                                        March

60 miles total                            60 miles total                                 70 miles total

4 flights of stairs daily               6 flights of stairs daily                    8 flights of stairs daily

72 oz water & 7MW daily         72 oz water & 7MW daily               72 oz water & 7MW daily

April                                          May                                               June

70 miles total                            70 miles total (20 in minutes)        70 miles total (20 in minutes)

10 flights of stairs daily             12 flights of stairs daily                 14 flights of stairs daily

72 oz water & 7MW daily          72 oz water & 7MW daily              72 oz water & 7MW daily

July                                            August                                           September

80 miles total (25 in minutes)    80 miles total (25 in minutes)         80 miles total (25 in minutes)

8 min/16 max stairs daily           9 min/18 max stairs daily               10 min/20 max stairs daily

72 oz water daily                       72 oz water daily                            72 oz water daily

October                                      November                                      December

70 miles total (20 in minutes)     70 miles total (20 in minutes)         60 miles total (15 in minutes)

10 min/20 max stairs daily         10 min/20 max stairs daily             10 min/20 max stairs daily

72 oz water daily                        72 oz water daily                            72 oz water daily

We *may* have been told a few times that we are obsessed and a little crazy, both of which we already know. The spreadsheet we use to keep track of all of this is extensive and detailed but very necessary.  I may have a good memory, but not good enough to remember all of this off the top of my head.

This is year 3 for us, and I've not yet won a year so I'm pushing extra hard.

Rest Well, Dean

Losing a loved one is hard.

"She is in a better place."
"She isn't suffering anymore."
"She isn't in pain anymore."
"I'm sorry for your loss."

And while they are all good and true, they don't always help ease the pain and loss of those still here.

Losing someone you weren't "supposed" to care about hurts too.

This last Saturday, my ex-husband's wife succumbed to her three year battle with cancer.  She fought hard, but the cancer still won.

Dean and my ex-husband got married in February of 1999.  They had two boys.  One born in 2000 and one in 2003.  I've watched these boys grow up and have laughed and cringed right along with their parents.  After all, boys will be boys.  My daughter benefited from the best of both of these worlds.  At my house she was an only child, and at her father's house she was the oldest child.  She has little brothers that she can mentor and torture and yet she also has a place where she doesn't have to compete.

When my ex-husband and I divorced, one of the very first things we agreed on was that no matter what happened between him and me, our daughter would never be a pawn.  We would never bad mouth the other in front of her, and we would ALWAYS support each other in our decisions when it came to raising her.  That meant, if she was grounded at my house but it was his weekend, she would be grounded there too and vice versa.

A few years later, Dean entered the picture.  I believe it says a lot about a person's character if they embrace marrying into a "package deal".  Not only are they now a parent to a child that isn't biologically theirs, but they also get the pleasure of an ex-spouse to deal with as well.

I won't lie.  I know there are things about me that probably bugged the crap out of Dean just as I know there were things about her that I didn't necessarily like.  However, the same rule applied to her as applied to my ex-husband.  No bad mouthing her in front of my daughter, and always support.  I remember the day I told my daughter that if she wanted to call Dean Mom, it was okay by me and I would not be offended or feel like I was being replaced at all.  She was, after all, her mom also.

For 18 years this woman has been a part of my life, for better and for worse.  We've help raise each other's kids.  We've stayed under the same roof.  We've been frustrated with each other.  We've been a source of support for each other through loss of family, jobs, and health.  We've laughed.  We've cried.  We've grumbled.  We've hugged.

And now she is gone.

I was never "supposed" to care about you, but I do.  I've been questioned more times than I can count why I did.  "She is just your ex-husband's wife, why do you care?"  I care because you're more than just my ex-husband's wife.  You're the other mom to my daughter.  You're the mom to my favourite boys.  You are a beautiful woman with a huge heart willing to take in and love others.  I miss you, and always will.

Rest Well, Dean

Favourite Feature

We're going to think back a few years on this post.  

In high school I was in the marching and concert band.  Every year, about 2 weeks-ish before school started we had day camp at the school.  It was mostly for the incoming freshman to learn the basics of marching, everyone to get music for the season, and get to know the people that we'd be spending a lot of time with a little better.

One of the questions that was asked each year was, "Name one part of you that you like and one part of you that you don't like."  The director usually had a freshman answer followed by a senior.  The freshman usually had to really think about it to come up with one thing liked, but many dislikes.  The senior usually had to be stopped because they were naming so many likes and had to be reminded to list a dislike.  Was it because the senior was arrogant and the freshman shy?  I don't think so.  I think it was more because as we grow up, we realize that there is more to us than what others think of us.  It's a maturing process that we all go through.  Some faster than others but we all do it.

I remember my freshman year dislike was my feet.  My feet are far from small, and for a female that isn't usually considered "attractive".  Even now, my feet are not my favourite feature.  They have served me well over the years, but have also demanded more attention and surgeries than any other part of me.  I wish I could tell you what my likes were, but I honestly don't remember them.  However, I do remember that as the years progressed I was able to respond with more likes and fewer dislikes.

What about today?  Is my list of likes continued to grow while my dislikes shrink?  Is my likes list significantly larger than my dislikes?  Yes.. yes it is.  Another interesting fact is that my favourite features aren't necessarily physical either.  Now, don't get me wrong there is a physical feature or two that I do like.. but I feel that my heart is at the top of the list.  As it should be.

What about you?  What is your favourite feature?

As the dust settles

A few weeks ago I sent a cleaning crew in here to clear out the dust.

They did an excellent job *sneeze* and now I'm ready *cough* to begin again.  *sneeze sneeze*


For those who are curious, yes I'm still in an exercise competition with my best friend.  As with years past we have increased the monthly mile goal and added extra components.  The two main items we added this year was stairs and a daily 7 Minute Workout.

I am always excited about stairs, as anyone who has gone walking with me will attest to, so the addition of stairs made me smile.  Then I saw what our monthly goal of stairs was.  For the first few months it was no big deal as we slowly build up.  My office is on the 3rd floor of the building, so achieving 4 or even 10 flights a day can easily be accomplished.  However, come September the daily goal is 20 flights.  So the last quarter of the year if you need me, look in the stairwell.

The other addition, the 7 Minute Workout, was to replace our daily core exercises.  We needed a variety daily and this fit the bill perfectly.  The app was inexpensive and comes with one pack of exercises.  The additional packs can be earned by reaching certain achievements.  For example, after one full month of exercises daily you can earn "for free" the bonus pack 2.  Bonus pack 3 can be earned after two solid months of exercises... or as I like to refer to it as "two months of torture to save 99 cents".  So far, for the year, the various packs have done me well.  The variety is great.  7 minutes is really no time at all.  The problem that I keep having is remembering that I haven't done it as I stand in the shower.  I need to work on that.

A few weeks ago I also attended my fourth Diabetes UnConference.  As always, it was amazing, fulfilling, and worth every cent and second I invested in it.  No group of people on Earth fills my heart quite like my Tribe.


So with this brief update on the life and times of Jenn I leave you with this (it is from a greeting card that I saved and have hanging in my office):

May your days be warm, bright, blue, nice, and full of hugs!

It's dusty in here....stay tuned.

It's a little dusty in here.  I should take care of that... in 5 minutes. 

 

Stay tuned.

Exercise Catch up... I really have been exercising

SO... I just realized that February was my last Exercise Competition check in.  Talk about slacking!  Thankfully I haven't been that much of a slacker in the actual exercising... at least not until recently (I'll get into that in a paragraph or two).

Let's start with some housekeeping:

March (goal of 50 miles):

Miles walked: 20.49

Minutes exercised: 970 = 32.33

Water intake: 26/31 days = 5.25

Core completed: 8/31 days = -3.00

TOTAL: 55.07 miles

April (goal of 60 miles):

Miles walked: 32.84

Minutes exercised: 1,390 = 46.33

Water intake: 25/30 days = 5.00

Core completed: 15/30 days = 0

TOTAL: 84.17 miles

May (goal of 60 miles):

Miles walked: 14.38

Minutes exercised: 1,200 = 40

Water intake: 25/31 days = 4.75

Core completed: 19/31 days = 1.40

TOTAL: 60.53 miles

June (goal of 60 miles):

Miles walked: 7.71

Minutes exercised: 1,885 = 62.83

Water intake: 27/30 days = 6.00

Core completed: 17/30 days = 0.80

TOTAL: 77.34 miles

Notice a trend?  Other than I am significantly below where I was last year, core seems to be something I will shrug off.  I really shouldn't as not only would it help with.. well.. bell flab, but it will also help with the sacroiliac issue that I continue to battle.  Yet... I just am not motivated to do the core.

Come to find out... neither is she.  We thought that maybe we increased the daily requirements to quickly, so we back off for the 2nd quarter.

Nope.  We still slacked.  

When confession time happened we both admitted to doing an extra lap around the block, or another 10-15 minutes to make up for what we would lose.  This was completely counterproductive.

We decided we needed to up the consequences.  We debated different ideas but settled on an "all or nothing" approach.  Complete water AND core or lose the mileage for both.  We didn't change the time for water completion, that still had to be done by 5pm, but if we didn't finish core by midnight we would lose the water miles.  

Can I tell you something?  This sucks!  I don't know why I don't do the core.  I really isn't that bad, especially if I were to spread it out throughout the day.  A total of 200 second of wall sits is easily completed while waiting for my lunch to heat in the microwave.  20 squats can be done while brushing my teeth.  20 crunchies is easy to accomplish, especially when playing with the cat.  200 seconds of planks... this is where I falter.  I could/should break it up to 5 sets of 40 seconds.  That would be simple.  Looking for my shoes under the bed takes that long.  Then why am I not doing them?

I. Don't. Know.  But I need to break the mental block.  

Lately.. I've been slacking a lot more.  Maybe it's because it is danged hot outside.  Maybe it's because life got busier.. or I think it has.  Maybe I was relying on my morning workouts more than I should have, and not my walks.  Maybe I need to get to sleep before the next day so that I can get up earlier and do my walks and watch the sunrise.  

I can maybe until the cows come home, but that doesn't solve my problem.  I *KNOW* that after any workout I not only feel better physically, but mentally as well.  I *KNOW* the soreness and pain will subside and my endurance will increase.  Yet I *DON'T KNOW* how to push the activate button to get me moving consistently.

This slump will end, that I am certain, but will it end before July is over?  July's goal is 70 miles and I am currently at 43.51.  I have another 26.49 to complete in 12 days.  I have no doubt that I will not win July, but I really don't want to have to pay the "laziness penalty".

2016 Diabetes Blog Week: The Healthcare Experience

Most people who live with a chronic illness end up with a lot of experience when it comes to dealing with healthcare.  How would you improve or change your healthcare experience?  What would you like to see happening during medical visits with your healthcare team?  How about when dealing with your health insurance companies?  What's your Healthcare Wish List or Biggest Frustration?  Today is the day to share it all.

(Yes.. this prompt was supposed to be yesterday's but life got hectic and I didn't get anything written.  My goal is to catch up by tonight.  We'll call it #BlogGoals.)

This is a LOADED question and I'm sure many have sounded off on insurance issues, physicians not listening issues, being rushed issues, and a number of other issues that just add to the frustration of living with a basically invisible disease.

How would I improve my healthcare experience?  Other than not having to go ALL THE TIME, I would like to see more personal interaction.  My endo's office is the perfect example.  They all know me there... true, I'm there every three months for an appointment, and additionally once a month for our local networking group, but still.  I feel welcomed, at home, and totally heard on everything.  My doctor, herself, is always checking on me.  Her first question each time is "How are YOU doing?".  She doesn't ask about numbers, or insulin, or test strips, or anything traditionally diabetes related.  She asks about ME.  If there is even the slightest "eh" in my voice she puts everything down and we talk first.  THAT, in and of itself, is huge in my book.  It reminds me that I'm still human.  I'm still a person.  I'm not a disease.

Dealing with health insurance companies?  That is a headache and a half.  I've been blessed to have very good insurance coverage, but that doesn't mean there haven't been problems.  Some of the carries I've had people have had MAJOR issues with, but mine seem to minor when looked at in comparison.  I've had the "limiting test strips" battle and the "must switch insulin" battle.  I've dealt with having to switch supply companies because the one I loved wasn't on the preferred panel of my new insurance.  I've had supply companies be bought by someone else, and therefore their services and how they bill items change, which caused denials by my insurance.  That was a battle that thankfully ended in my favor and not out of my wallet.

My Healthcare Wish List:  my own parking spot (I'm there often enough), a prepaid Starbucks card for reward after my A1C is checked, and to be able to get what I need when I need it without any extra battles or exceptions.

2016 Diabetes Blog Week: Language and Diabetes

There is an old saying that states "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me".  I'm willing to bet we've all disagreed with this at some point, and especially when it comes to diabetes.  Many advocate for the importance of using non-stigmatizing inclusive and non-judgmental language when speaking about or to people with diabetes.  For some, they don't care, others care passionately.  Where do you stand when it comes to "person with diabetes" versus "diabetic", or "checking" blood sugar versus "testing", or any of the tons of other examples?  Let's explore the power of words, but please remember to keep things respectful.

Words.

We have all been hurt by words and we have all hurt others with our words.

Words, and how we use them, are very important.

When I was growing up I was always reminded to say "Please" "Thank You" and "Excuse Me" or whatever other polite phrase was appropriate at the time.  I have raised my daughter to do the same, with a few  At meal times, especially when eating out or at someone's home, she learned to say "I'm not very fond of that" or "It's not my favourite" if there is a dish she didn't like.

Words can do a lot of harm.. and a lot of help.

Hearing someone call you and idiot or incompetent can lead to you doubting your own abilities or second guessing your choices.  However, hearing someone say "ME TOO" can heal so many wounds and remind you that you're not alone.

Labels can be just as bad...if you let them be.

I have diabetes.
I am a person with diabetes.
I am a diabetic.

Let's face it.. no matter how it is said it hurts.  It reminds me that a part of me doesn't work like it originally did.  A part of me broke another part of me.  I now have more check boxes to mark with each new doctor I see.  I see my doctors more often that I see many of my family (talk about things being upside down!).

For the most part, I'm okay with the above statements.  I'm not fond of any of them, but I understand that no matter how it is said the fact is that diabetes is a part of my life forever remains.  I will continue to care for myself and educate those around me and not concern myself too much with wording..until there is a cure.  Then I will INSIST on these words instead:

I HAD diabetes.
I am a person who HAD diabetes.
I WAS diabetic. 

Those are the words I can't wait to hear.

2016 Diabetes Blog Week: The Other Half of Diabetes

Today's Diabetes Blog Week prompt is:

We think a lot about the physical component of diabetes, but the mental component is just as significant.  How does diabetes affect you or your loved one mentally or emotionally?  How have you learned to deal with the mental aspect of the condition?  Any tips, positive phrases, mantras, or idea to share on getting out of a diabetes funk? 


If I were to have answered this question a few years ago, it would have been a different answer than I'm going to give today.

As time has progressed, and I've gotten more in tune with my diabetes, I have a better sense of when a low or high blood sugar is going to effect my mood and attitude.  Not every time do I get grumpy when I'm high.  Sometimes those nasty highs sneak up on me and I don't know a problem until it's time to eat and when I check, my meter says 356.

The emotional impact that I didn't have then, but have now (and should have expected) is the "I just can't do this another day" feeling.  And the "I try and I try and I still fail" thoughts.  Or the "Maybe if I had just been a little more diligent" guilt.

All of these, and more, play out, and quite often when one hits, the others hit at the same time.

So what do I do to pull myself back and keep going?

• I have allowed myself that ugly cry.  It's amazing how cleansing to the soul tears can be.
• I warn my husband that I'm about to go off and it isn't his fault and he can't fix it... then I go off.
• I do something that I KNOW I have more control over.  Weed pulling is one.  Now before you say, "How do you control weeds from growing?" I can't.  But what I CAN do is clear a section of my yard and feel the success of personally making something look better.
• I also get together with others who get it.  I have attended every Diabetes UnConference so far and the emotional renewal I have after each one is incomparable to anything else.

I believe that the mental and emotional aspect of diabetes is way too often overlooked, even by those who have it.  I know I did.

I'm working to fix that now.  

I tell myself that it's okay to be angry, hurt, sad, happy, goofy, and most of all... it's okay to be ME.

2016 Diabetes Blog Week: Message Monday

Hey everyone, remember me?

Ya.. I'm not too sure who I am myself, some days.

Today is the kickoff of the 7th Annual Diabetes Blog Week.  We have to thank Karen for her amazing talent in putting this together and keeping us connected.  I know without her, I would probably forget I had a blog.

Life has been busy and sometimes the longer I put something off, the easier it is to not do it at all.  Have you ever had that problem?  Well, I'm hoping that by participating in this year's Diabetes Blog Week, that I'll get back into a more consistent blogging rhythm.  So without further ado...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lets kick off the week by talking about why we are here, in the diabetes blog space.  What is the most important diabetes awareness message to you?  Why is that message important for you, and what are you trying to accomplish by sharing it on your blog"

So, why am I here?

I'm here so that I can perhaps share my story and someone else will see it and realize that they're not alone.  Yes, I'm sure you will read that quite a bit today, but that, in itself, is the point.  We are NOT alone in this journey we have with diabetes.

I haven't always, and still don't always, feel that way.

There are times when the blood sugars are the most misbehaving thing since a two year old hyped out on Mountain Dew and Chocolate Cake, and I feel that there isn't a soul around that gets my frustration, my anger, my defeat.  That's where the blog-o-sphere is a great place to retreat to.  I can reach how someone else is trying to tame that two year old (my diabetes is actually 11 years old).  It reminds me that I really truly am NOT alone, and others "get it" too.

Or I can read about some one's vacation to the islands and it reminds me that life will go on.  This is just a blip on the radar of life, and there are other... and much better... days ahead.

Not being alone.

Even for those people who don't like to "people" much, knowing you're not alone huge.
Knowing that someone understands, gives you comfort.
Knowing that you're not crazy, gives you peace of mind.

That is what I've tried.. and will pick up and try again.. to accomplish.  Even if it is just one person, I will consider it a success.

February Wrap Up

Yes.. I realize that March is ending in just a few days.  A lot happened in March and trying to recap my February exercise challenge was at the bottom of the list of necessary items to do.

So.. without further delay (so I'm not TWO months behind) here is February's recap.

February (goal of 50 miles):

Miles walked: 45.60

Minutes exercised: 1,505 = 50.17

Water intake: 24/29 days = 4.75

Core completed: 16/29 days = 0.60

TOTAL: 101.12 miles

 

Core stopped hurting as much and I know that's because I actually DID more core. 

 

I also won February. 

 

So.. we are two month's down and 10 to go.

 

Who do YOU think will win the year?  (So far, we are tied one month each).

Starting the year with a change

Hey everyone!  How did your January go?  Any resolution makers and breakers out there?

I always broke them faster than I could write them down, so I stopped.  I found goals were much easier to maintain.  It may just be a word change, but it really helps me.

If you've been keeping up, you know that for 2016 my exercise goals and competition were ramped up a little.  We added a core component in hopes of keeping things new and fun....and to help with some body areas that needed some work.

Things changed.

Even after redoing my living room floor, I hadn't reached the goal before my friend did.  In fact, she reached it around the 9th.  That was the earliest either of us ever reached the goal.  It almost seemed too soon.  Her husband stated that since we've been doing this for a year already, dialing all the way back to a 40 mile goal was probably doing us an injustice.  He suggested that we add 10 miles to each month's goal.  It made sense to us... so we did.  A few days later, she officially won.

Here is how my month turned out:

January (goal of 50 miles):

Miles walked: 35.54

Minutes exercised: 1,275 = 42.50

Water intake: 30/31 days = 7.25

Core completed: 9/31 days = -2.60

TOTAL: 82.69 miles

 

Yes, you see that right.  I had negative miles for core.  Core hurts.

 

Remember way back when I was dealing with pain in my sacroiliac joint?  Well.. it still likes to rear it's ugly ugly head.  The physical therapy I did at the time did help, but not perfectly heal.  Some regular day to day activities can have me breathing like I'm having labor pains and looking for a a chair as fast as possible.  Those activities include doing dishes, grocery shopping, and laundry.  Certain exercises I do are supposed to help, and they do, but in the process they hurt.  That includes planks.  Tightening and strengthening my core will help the most (partially why we added the core component this year).  This is why I had more core fail days more than I successes. 

 

I realized that this wasn't working out well, so I went back to the orthopedic.  I also bit the bullet and took a cortisone shot.  The blood sugar highs were insane, but with some careful calculations and temp basals, I was able to not soar above 350 for very long, and got them back into normal (for me) range in just a couple days.  The shot did seem to wear off after 2 weeks, but the more I walk the better it feels.  It may just be the gorgeous sun and beautiful weather we've had, but I bet the cortisone did it's job.  I will probably need one more shot before I'm back to physical normalcy.  In the meantime, this month I've been completely the core exercises more than I've not been completely them and I consider that a win!

 

 

 

2015 Exercise Wrap-Up and Plan for 2016

Hey everyone... remember me?  The crazy cat/penguin/walking lady who blogs every now and then?

Life got really hectic there for awhile and some things (like this blog) took a back seat.  It happens.

However, I do want to bring my 2015 exercise competition to a close, and I can't do that without wrapping up the reporting here.  I also need to share the 2016 goals.  We've added a core component to keeps things interesting.. and might I add, a bit more painful.

So without further ado here are the remaining 2015 totals (I did end up winning November and December):

October (goal of 50 miles):

Miles walked: 38.98

Minutes exercised: 800 = 26.67

Water intake 29/31 days = 6.75

TOTAL: 72.4 miles

 

November (goal of 40 miles):

Miles walked: 34.91

Minutes exercised: 630 = 21

Water intake 23/30 days = 4

TOTAL:  59.91 miles

 

December (goal of 40 miles):

Miles walked: 22.34

Minutes exercised: 1035 = 34.50

Water intake 26/31 days = 5.25

TOTAL:  62.09 miles

Notice the trend?  As the holidays approached we stopped moving and by stopping moving we slowed our water intake.  It really isn't a surprise that the two go hand in hand.

The prize for winning the year (most months won) went to Jenna. 

Winning Months:

      Jenna:                                      Jenn:

      January                                    February

      March                                      April

      May                                         August

      July                                         November

      September                              December

      October

 

It was a great year.  I am a little bummed that I didn't win my birthday month, but that is totally okay.  Just increasing our activity and water intake it has assured that I'll have more birthday months in my future.

 

We had so much fun with this competition, not to mention that it's good for us, that we are continuing it.  We have added a core component just to keep things interesting and to add attention to an area that wasn't specifically getting any attention last year.

 

2016 Rules:

 

Miles ran OR walked count the same

*30min workout/exercise = 1 mile

*Bike riding 3:1 (3 miles equals 1 mile credited because of coasting time)

*Water intake of 72oz per day is worth .25 mile.  If not completed, must subtracted .25 mile.

*First person to reach monthly goal gets a $10 gift from the other (must be mailed).

*If you fail to reach monthly goal you have to also send a $5 gift card to a cheesy location (ie: Toys R Us)

*Person with the most miles at the end of the month has bragging rights.

*Person with the most monthly wins at the end of the year gets a $50 gift card to a restaurant of their choice

(and here are the additions)

*Once per quarter we must participate in a virtual 5K (the registration fee goes to different charities based on the 5K you choose).  This will be credited as double miles.  If NOT completed, we must donate $40 to a local charity.

*Daily core completed = .20 miles.  If fail to complete we must subtract .20 miles  Daily core consists of squats, planks, crunches, and wall sits.  These increase quarterly as the year progresses.

• First quarter:  10 squats, ten 10 second planks, 10 crunches, and ten 10 second wall sits
• Second quarter: 20 squats, ten 20 second planks, 20 crunches, and ten 20 second wall sits
• Third quarter: 30 squats, ten 30 second planks, 30 crunches, and ten 30 second wall sits
• Fourth quarter: 40 squats, ten 40 second planks, 40 crunches, and ten 40 second wall sits

2016 Goals:

January through March: 40 miles
April through June = 50 miles
July through September = 60 miles
October = 50 miles
November through December = 40 miles

Once again, our goal is not to necessarily loose weight or fit into a favourite old pair of jeans.  Our goal is to get moving and stay moving.  Moving is key.  



Part 2 of day 4019

The second half of day 4019. 

After finishing the stairs we stopped at the care right where we had parked.  It felt great to sit down, cool off, and eat food.  We even scored some free water to refill our water bottles.  Thank You!!

Our next stop was Hollywood Bullyvard.  (Yes, I realized that is not the official correct spelling however, that is now how I spell it.)

Since it isn't spelled out on the sign either, I call it fair.

I wasn't too sure how the parking situation would be.  We totally lucked out with our parking at the stairs, but otherwise it had been pricey, and scarce.  Thankfully there was a lot that didn't bankrupt us.

We headed out to see the stars.

It was never discussed any particular names we had to find, or if we would walk across every one.  Keep in mind, we had just walked a ridiculous amount of stairs.

One of the first stars we came to was one that made me say, "Oh ya.. I'd almost forgot that he was a real person."  You see.. in the town that we both grew up in, the main road was Andy Devine Ave.  As a little kid I learned the name of the road, not the history behind it's name.  That didn't come until years later.

This should be how the street signs back home look.
 

As we continued on you could tell that we are very much alike.  We would point out a name to each other, and it was usually said about a second...or less... apart.

There were quite a few we stopped and took pictures of.  Some I took were to share with my family.  Names my husband talks about, or actors from some of his favourite shows.  The same for my daughter...and my cat.

Yes.. my cat.  You see, we adopted this adorable white cat back at the end of June.  Her name, Gypsy, came with her.  My daughter decided that her full name (yes... my cats have middle names, how else are they supposed to know when they are in trouble) should be Gypsy Rose Lee.  My daughter is a theater major and an upcoming performance she'll be assisting with is "Gypsy", a stage musical made from the 1957 memoir of Gypsy Rose Lee.

Not every cat can say they have a Hollywood star.
 

We kept walking and randomly taking pictures of stars. 

I'm sure I could think of something about six degrees here, but my math brain is exhausted.

Rest in peace, dear Robin.  You are one of the greats.

Growing up I always had a teddy bear with me, specifically a Winnie the Pooh bear.  In fact, stored in a secure location away from damaging elements is the second Pooh Bear I was ever given.  Had I returned home without a picture of Pooh's star I think my husband would have sent out a search party to find his real wife.

It's like it was there just for me.

One of the best things about not having a time schedule is being able to do anything we wanted to on a whim. 

We did have to escape the sales pitch of a guy selling a tour to stars homes, twice.  He followed us.

We stopped at the Chinese Theater and looked at all the signatures and feet and hand prints of some stars.

This did continue on with Jenna's undeclared goal of getting a picture of everything Tom Hanks.

We found Tom Hanks' star.
 

She stood in his feet.

She even got to share a piece of chocolate with him.

As you can see, we also visited the wax museum.  I had quite a bit of fun standing next to the figures.  I will admit, a lot of them are creepy real. 

After exiting the wax museum we encountered some street actors.  Now, I'm not sure what it is about Zorro, but the last time I was walking down a major street like this, and there were street actors, I also encountered Zorro.

Not quite Antonio Banderas, but Zorro none-the-less.

Jenna was privileged to tap into her super power Spidey Sense.

Invisible web.

This Spiderman actually cracked me up.  Here we are on Holly Bullyvard totally crowded with people and I believe he was a germaphobe.  These street actors accept tips and as Jenna was getting cash out she had to hold the bill in her teeth while she put other things back.  Spidey freaked out.  He said, "Ewww.. don't do that!  Don't don't don't do that."  He then took the bill by the very corner and shook it.  I couldn't understand how someone who is grossed out by germs could work in close contact with total strangers.  Then it dawned on me.  He was in a full body suit; no actual contact.  Nice move Spidey, nice move.

By the end of our walk across the stars we had walked across EVERY star possible.  There was one section that was under repair so we didn't see those names, but we walked across every other one, even the very beginning of the Walk of Fame.  I'm sure there were times we sounded funny.  Every time we stepped off the curb we moaned or ouched and laughed.  We were quite the pair.

The symbols in the middle of each star finally made sense.

You would think that we would have had enough walking for the day by this point.

We didn't.

After returning to our room and resting for a little while, it was time for dinner.  So we grabbed a few things... including our soda bottles... and headed down to the Santa Monica Pier.

This was when Jenna's Type Awesome status was put to the test, and proven. 

The pier was about a mile and a half from our room.  It was after 8:30 and was dark.  We were not quite half way there when I didn't feel too good.  Before we left the room my blood sugar was on the lower end, but pretty steady.  To prepare for the walk I ate two fig cookies (20g of carbs each) before heading out.  I normally wouldn't have done that much, but we had already walked so much, and I knew that exercise would catch up with me.

It did.

I wasn't feeling well and I told Jenna.  We looked at my CGM and I was in the 70's with a downward slanted arrow.  That means my blood sugar was dropping.  I immediately reduced my basal to 0 (basically turned it off) for 30 minutes and we kept going.  I knew I would be okay, the cookies hadn't hit yet.  She didn't know I would be okay.  Remember those skittles that I had been carrying in my pocket?  We didn't.  They were back at the room on the table.  That's when she felt like she had failed.  It was her job to be me for the day, and she felt she had failed by leaving the snacks behind.  In fact, leaving the snacks behind made the situation more real.  How many times have we left home without enough snacks? I've done it more times than I can count.  You'd think after so many years we'd learn.  Nope.  All we have learned is to keep snack stashes everywhere; in the car, at work, in each room of the house, etc.  That doesn't help when you're not driving or at home. 

I kept reassuring her that I would be just fine, and reminded her that the cookies hadn't hit yet.  She still worried.  We didn't sit down because I didn't want to, I just wanted to get to the pier.  She worried.  We kept talking and laughing about the stupid skittles.  She kept checking the CGM and worried. 

We made it to the pier and found a place to eat.  By this time, my blood sugars had stabilized and were no longer dropping.  I had settled at a more comfortable 110ish range.  Jenna was feeling more relaxed, and her fingers stopped fidgeting.  I had a very tasty cheeseburger and fries, and she had a chicken sandwich.  We walked through the carnival area and had to laugh at the street sign we saw.

We can never escape Route 66.

Route 66 goes through our home town.  We see memorabilia everywhere.  So to see it while we were on vacation was just hilarious.

We didn't ride any of the rides, it had been a long enough day as it was and we were ready to call it.  A picture of the ferris wheel and we headed back for some much needed sleep.

Next time, ferris wheel, next time.

The walk back to the room seemed a lot shorter than the walk to the pier.  We kicked our shoes off and laid down.  Curious as to exactly how many steps I had taken, and how far I had walked, I looked at the status screen for my FitBit.  I was about two hundreths of a mile away from a perfectly even mileage distance, so I stood up and paced the room.  Yes, I actually did that.  Two trips from side to side and it clicked over the even mile.  I was happy.  I was exhausted.  And I was done.

I hadn't logged my water intake, but it was well over 72 ounces for the day.

That was a wrap of day 4019.  Jenna did an awesome job of being me.  She didn't kill me.  She asked questions.  She didn't judge.  And I believe she came away from it with a bit of new insight to what a day in the life of a person with Type 1 diabetes is like.

Thank you Jenna.

My birthday trip wasn't over yet.  We still had a day and a half before we had to be home.  An educating moment, a safari, and some interesting coffee.



So excited about the stairs! AKA: Day 4019

Saturday was our busiest day.  The recap will be broken into a couple posts so as to not be excessively long.  There are quite a few pictures here, and I didn't even post all I took.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second day of my birthday weekend started out fantastically!

Even though our exercise competition for September was already decided, we still got our walk/run in.  This time, however, it was on the beach.  Early Saturday morning, 7am-ish to be exact, we headed out and enjoyed the peacefulness of a morning beach walk.

Couldn't have asked for a better morning.

As with all vacations and trips away from home, you should always be friendly and meet new people...or animals.  Sometimes those animals are real, and sometimes they will squirt water.

Isn't he cute?  He now resides on my shelf at work.

For 90 minutes I walked and listened and watched.  I walked a total of 3.69 miles.  I listened to quite a few chapters in my book.  I watched all the people.  There were small children dragging their parents into the water.  There were surfers waiting for the perfect wave.  There were military men running in full gear.. soaking wet.  People watching is so much fun.

After our walk/run we headed back to the room to get changed for the rest of the day's adventures.

Once cleaned and relatively sand free, it was time to hand over my diabetes management.  We had agreed weeks prior that on my birthday Jenna would manage everything for me.  She did quite a bit of homework prior to our trip and felt confident that she wouldn't kill me (I did promise her that I wouldn't let her kill us, so that was good too).  She also calculated how many days it had been since my diagnosis...4019.  Holy cow!  Anyways, while she was studying and calculating days I was planning and arranging so that I would need a complete insulin pump site change on that day.

Ahhh... a fresh site.

She did great!  It didn't hurt and she learned a little more about my specific pump.  Win Win.  I handed her my Dexcom, she made sure we had the bag of Skittles, and we headed out.

Hollywood!!  Here we come!!

So what do you think the first thing we did was?  Something touristy, yes, but not traditional.  Why be normal, right?  Find something different, unique, and totally story worthy.

Stairs.

Jenna not only researched diabetes, but also fun free stuff to do in Hollywood.  She came across a list of "Secrets Stairs of LA".  The night before we read up on the different locations and decided on the "Beachwood Canyon Stairs".  It is listed as 2.6 miles long, 861 steps, and would take approximately 1 hour.

 "This is a vigorous hike through Hollywood history, utilizing some of the steepest and most charming staircases in the city, and affording breathtaking views from Downtown to the sea."

We found a perfect parking spot right next to a cafe.  It would come in handy when we finished and wanted lunch.

The entrance to Hollywoodland.  There was a second arch on the other side of the road.

Most of the stairs were made from granite back in the late 1920's.  We could tell that not too many people opted for this adventure.  The stairs were in good repair, but there was leaves and overgrowth everywhere.  

First set of stairs.  This is when we realized we left our sodas back at the room.

Don't be fooled.  Not all the stairs were this wide, but most of them were this steep...or steeper.

Much more narrow.

There was hardly anyone around.  The few people we did see were either locals coming and going from home, or construction workers.  We did meet one creepy little guy.

The gnome there on the right..ya, he was creepy.

There were railings at each set of stairs, which was nice, because this set had a single unbroken run of 84 stairs.  Even with all of our exercise, that was a lot of stairs with no flat landing in the middle.

Lots of leaves, overgrowth, and uninterrupted stairs.

Even with permission to have shenanigans, we followed the rules.  In our stair guide it said, "Land panting at the top on Hollyridge Drive..." and that's exactly what we did.  This is where we took our first break.  I was reminded that I had been "So excited about the stairs" and we both laughed.  However, this break allowed us to view a fake castle wall.

There was no mote, California is in a drought after all.

As I stated, there was hardly anyone around.  For someone who isn't overly fond of crowds, it made the experience that much better.  Not only were we not getting trampled or bumped, we had unimpeded views.

What trip is complete without a picture of this?

It was at this point that we discovered the battery in Jenna's camera was dead.  She had fully charged it a couple days prior, but there was nothing.  Thank heavens for smart phones. 

As we continued we came across the first set of stairs that went down.  Yes, I realize that technically ALL stairs can go either up or down, but we were following the rules, remember?

This set of stairs was also the newest.  It was made from concrete instead of granite.

About this time I was beginning to not feel quite right.  Jenna had been doing a good job of watching my dexcom, and I had been hovering in a good range even with all the stairs, heat, and humidity.  However, I knew that I was dropping.  So we stopped and took another break and had a handful of skittles.  We BOTH had a handful of Skittles.  She figured that if she was going to be me for the day, she was going to be as me as she possibly could...anything I ate, she also ate.  

Directly across from where we were sitting on the curb was this mural of Prince Valiant.

Prince Valiant

And directly at my feet was this unused (thankfully) poop bag.

I bet this isn't on the normal Hollywood Sign tour.

Fifteen minutes later, and I was ready to start climbing again.

Our next stair case was the Granddaddy of the Beachwood stairs.  Originally built in 1928, it was declared an historical-cultural monument in 1991.

The center section, when originally built, was a stream.  Now it is planter boxes and resting benches.

As we climbed, there were doors on both sides that led to backyards.  One door in particular really stood out.  The colour was very familiar.

Ah yes.. the colour matched our toes.

I'm not sure what we would have said if someone had walked out that door at that moment.  I know this, I'd still be laughing.

No good map following is complete without bad directions and getting lost.  We had that too.  One part says to go around a couple bends and there would be two white stakes marking the next set of stairs.  We followed around a couple of bends but didn't see any white stakes.  I knew we were missing something when I saw this sign.

I wonder if I could post this at work.

In the map guide, this sign came AFTER the white stakes and lots of stairs.  So we back tracked.  We  found the white stakes...or should I say stake.  It wasn't after a couple of bends, it was across the road.  That's okay, I was really excited about the stairs, remember?

This set of stairs was the least steep and best hidden.  Even if it weren't for the white stakes hiding, the stairs themselves were so close to the houses that they were practically hiding themselves.

I almost felt like we were trespassing.

But remember I was so excited about the stairs.  Some could say that I was a bit TOO excited about those stairs that I was seeing things, like a pink elephant with painted toe nails.  Honest!  Our water bottles only had water in them.  

Pink elephant with painted toe nails.

Back on the proper path we got to the top of the neighborhood.  From this vantage point we had a spectacular view of down town.  The smog was even coorperating.

Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

We had many opportunities to get pictures of the Hollywood sign.  I won't share them all here (there are already a lot of pictures), but we did need proof that we were actually there.

This was when we were almost out of water.  We planned on the hike taking an hour, and it was over two before we finished.  Our water bottles were running dry.  We thought about talking to the construction workers and asking for a fill up.  There was even a guy that drove in to a driveway with a bag of ice in the bed of his truck.  When we saw him lift the case of beer out of the bed as well, we figured they probably wouldn't be willing to share the ice.  In the end, thievery was the solution.  We found a garden hose out front of a house that actually had water to it (the first one we found wouldn't work at all).  A quick glance around and talking in hushed tones, we filled out bottles.  Shenanigans.

We came across a HUGE castle like wall.  Far up in a guard's hole there was a stone creature that looked like Yoda.  

This was HUGE!  The picture is cut off at the
bottom at about my shoulder level.

Guarded well, this castle wall was.

Many adventures, you will have.

Continuing on we were able to locate Lake Hollywood.  We could have trotted on down to the shore, but we settled on a picture from up top.

Who knew there was a lake?

A few more corners to turn and we came upon our final set of stairs.  It was bitter sweet.  Not only was the leg of our adventure complete, but we were going to be able to have lunch!

At the landing there was a surprise.
You'll have to stay tuned to see what it was.

 This concluded our adventures in stair climbing.  It took us two hours to complete the path.  Not bad considering we had to back track at least a half mile.  Jenna did a great job in keeping me alive and managing my diabetes, but it was only 2:30pm and we still had a lot to do.  She was truly earning her "Type Awesome" title.