Mount Tecumseh

 Of course, we woke up late this Saturday! We did get to the trailhead at 11:30 though, arriving to  a drizzling rain. The trailhead can be found at the Waterville Valley Ski Resort. The lot was filled with about 50 cars and actually we saw quite of few hikers on their way down already as we headed up. 

The summit trail is very steep and easy to manage due to the stairs created by the stones....

The stairs were a nice touch, but the rainy, wet leaves on the steep steps were definitely tiring. We finally get to a fork in the steep mountain trail....

The last half mile was challenging , involving some scrambling. We reached the peak ; soggy and tired to cold cloudy views! We quickly ate a small snack and rehydrated. We decided to try an alternate route to descend the mountain. It was a great decision. From the peak we followed the blue blazed trail led us to the ski slope. It was amazing! The views from the ski slope were breathtaking! We hiked right out of the clouds and the beautiful white mountains appeared! 

This took us about fours hours and we were tired and sore. I did use hiking poles this mountain and I think they helped me a lot!  I felt much more sure-footed and the poles took some pressure off my knees on the descent. 

After the mountain, we venture to Bedford, NH. We found a yummy restaurant called T Bones, I ordered a turkey dinner that hit the spot! It was the perfect comfort food 😋😋. 

Training hikes

 This week we hiked two training hikes to prepare for our climb of Mount Tecumseh, a 4000 footer in NH. We hiked in Old Furnace State Park in Killingly on Tuesday, a nice easy hike with a pretty vista that is wicked close to The Ice Box, an amazing ice cream shop that specializes in small batches. I ordered and devoured apple pie ice cream with caramel and nuts - HEAVEN!!!! 

Then Thursday we explored the Blue Blazed trails and started at the beginning of the Shenipsit trail in East Hampton. It went straight UP! The vista is worth the climb, you can see the Connecticut River and on a clear day, I hear you can see Long Island! 

Then we went to Loco Perro, a fun Mexican restaurant and enjoyed some margs and chips! Definitely a fun hike and dinner! 

Mount Moosilauke

 This weekend a group of us trekked to New Hampshire to tackle Mount Moosilauke. We had planned to leave early Saturday morning but living through a pandemic , one of us received a contact tracing email and had to get a rapid COVID test before we left. We practiced flexible thinking and adjusted our schedule. We decided to keep the hotel room and have fun the night BEFORE the hike. 

We arrived at our hotel in Londonderry at about 4:30pm. We changed up and went out looking for trouble in Manchester, where apparently there isn’t any COVID because very few people wore masks. We kept our masks on and went to Tio Juan Margaritas for fish tacos and a flight of margaritas that were delicious. Then we journeyed over to a cowboy bar called Bonfire for some very weak drinks and terrible chips and dip, fun atmosphere, terrible drinks and food. We were home by 10 to get rest before the big climb.

We drove about a hour north to Loon the next morning to the entrance at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. Unfortunately, the parking lot is closed so that added about a mile to the trip. We chose an out and back route on Gorge Brook Trail which you access near the lodge by crossing over a bridge. You cross over two other bridges while hiking that are always fun for a yoga pose! 

The trail consists of 3.6 miles of slippery rocks and leaves. The assent was challenging on the lungs but easy on the body while the opposite was true for dissent. Hiking poles are a must for the hike down. 

The views are the summit are breathtaking and there are plenty of fellow hikers but also plenty of room to share. The total mileage of this trip was 11 difficult miles, well worth the journey and views. 

I really enjoyed the interesting appeal of the frost on the evergreens at the summit. The trees had a magical quality that felt special and unique to this incredible mountain top habitat . 

Mount Moosilauke was a great first 4000’ footer to cut my mountain climbing teeth on! I was sore for about two days and enjoyed a relaxing yoga class upon returning home to give my old bones a break. 

Can’t wait for number two!!! 

It's been too long - Update

 Hello Blogger World!

It is almost ten years since I posted here! I have been very busy raising teenagers and taking care of my health. I had my labrum repaired on my right hip and was told I would be back in two years if I kept long distance running sooooo I needed to adjust. I ran but not as long distance and went for increasing my speed. THEN, I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia that many doctors blamed on long distance running as well! My body was definitely sending me a message. 

SOOOOO I still LOVE chocolate and need to exercise to inhale the copious amounts that I love. I enjoy yoga, hiking and weight-lifting now coupled with low impact cardio exercises. I plan to use the blog to highlight my hiking and mountain climbing expeditions. I plan to climb all 48 White Mountain 4000 footers and take my time doing it. 

 

Stitches Removal!

So here are two scars from the portals of my labral repair. I also learned that they released my illiopsoas tendon. I read some articles that suggested that a tight psoas can actually cause the labral tears. One positive aspect of the surgery was that the none of the labrum needed to be removed due to extreme tearing, they just repaired it and anchored it. My bones are "perfect" too, I didn't need any bone work done. I am definitely getting better because I am getting anxious to workout again. I need to sweat! LOL!

Recovery

Everyday is a little easier. I can drive now with only a little discomfort. I can walk and bear full weight with no pain. My gait is still pretty slow though. I can not lift or twist or bend deeply yet. I get my stitches out Monday! WooWoo! I have gained a few pounds which sucks :(

Driving Sucks!

So I am totally fine sitting around all day watching tv or reading and doing my exercises BUT HOLY TOLEDO DRIVING SUCKED!!! Having my knees higher than my hip just caused so much pain. My physical therapy place is attached to the doctor's office which was a terrible 40 minutes away. My pain number went from 1/2 to about a 7 by the end of the trip. THEN I had to do the friggin PT exercises and then drive home.

 It was awful.

Thank goodness, I don't have another appointment until Thursday!

Day Two - Labral Tear Repair Recovery

So here you see two of the puncture wounds for the ports for the arthoscopy. I continue to feel great and have very little pain. My hip is a little swollen and sore but I can bear weight, walk almost normally. I am just sitting around watching TONS of movies while I do my exercises. The big event for today is showering! I can't wait, I really need one!

Successful Surgery!

So I had my labrum repaired yesterday at St Francis Hospital and the doctor says it was a great success. He said I had a big ole tear that he repaired and he has high expectations for my full recovery! Music to my ears. I am still and sore but I haven't even thought of taking pain meds. Physical therapy was tough today though. I am enjoying being waited on hand and foot as well as just sitting around relaxing.

I love blogging

I have told all of my doctors that I have had the hip pain for about 5 years. Well, i have been reviewing my blog and I noticed an entry from 2006 entitled  'Ouch, my hip hurts!' and I described the pain as localized agony. Yup that is the way it feels. I hope I have enough of the labrum left to repair. If it is so cut up, my hero, Dr Joyce said he would use part of my thigh muscle and glue it in place! Wow just like a paper doll !

I am falling apart!

So back to ovarian cyst drama...back in March my obgyn told me stop worrying, it is nothing, our bodies make these things all the time. BUT as a precaution, I should come back to make sure it is gone in a month. That appointment was yesterday...well that dang cyst is PERSISTENT! It is still hanging out in my ovary. I spoke with the doctor today and he said go ahead with hip labral tear repair and we'll check on this stubborn little cyst next month.

Ok on to the search for a solution to my hip pain...I started with a doctor that performs open surgery to repair labral tears. It would involve a 9' scar (right through my runner-girl tattoo, kinda ironic, right?) drilling through my ball of my hip to reach the labrum. He suggested I get some other opinions from doctors that perform this surgery arthroscopically.

Next stop, Dr Lena in Glastonbury. Very nice but suggested I wait for my tear to heal on it's own. He said we take longer to heal as we get older. I almost scratched his eyes out after that comment. LOL I know my hip pain. I have dealt with it for 5 years or so. I know it is beyond my control now. I haven't run or play pain-free since September.

So needless to say I kept searching for answers.

That brought me to the super surgeon of the stars, Dr. Michael Joyce. I love him :) He told me I had a tear that needed repair and he could do it. Then he went on to say the surgery would be easy to perform since I was young and slender. I think I scared him when I almost kissed and thanked him for that lovely comment. He quickly said well I mean you are going to be a lot easier to operate on than a football player. Cmon, Dr Joyce just go with the young and slender theme HEEE HEEE!

So I have a date for the repair on April 4! I am scared! Like wicked scared. But I know in my bones (Lol) that I won't get better without surgical help. I will be back to chronicle my experience...promise!

Pre Surgery Jitters

It has been awhile since I posted and A LOT has happened! After celebrating with Dianna (the girl with orange hat) and Amanda at a friend's 40th birthday, I decided to really figure out what the heck is wrong with my hip. I have had pain in both hips while running for the last five years.I always thought I had tight illiopsoas tendons. I would rest or get massage or go to extra yoga classes and would always be able to recover. Then this past fall, I tried all my tricks and nothing worked. I knew I needed help.

My first stop was to a chiropractor, Dr. Giacolone, recommended by both Dianna and Amanda. He was fabulous and started performing active release technique on my right hip. After three weeks of  treatment, I saw no improvement at all. He suggested I delve deeper and make an appointment with an orthopaedic sports surgeon. After hearing my story, Lance Morgan, PA ordered a hip anthrography MRI.

I went to Open MRI in South Windsor. They were great. A doctor takes an xray of the hip joint, then he places a needle into the joint and shoots dye into the joint. I got to watch the entire procedure, it was so cool! Then I was wheeled into the imaging room and spent the next 45 minutes hearing techno music sounds LOL.

At my follow up appointment with Morgan, he confirms that I have a labral tear in my right hip. The more disturbing news though was that I had a cyst on my left ovary and he told me to make an appointment with my OBGYN as soon as possible. I was SCARED! After a few appointments and ultrasounds, the obgyn doctors said I am fine. PHEW!

So then Morgan tells me the options I have to fix my tear...open surgery or arthoscopic. He said arthoscopic surgery is tough on the hip though and tells me to be choosy and make sure whichever doctor I go with understands that I want the labrum repaired not removed. Then he sends me on my way...he was such a sweet P.A. He made an appointment with his colleague on his cell phone for me for the very next day!

Part 2 of this story will follow...on to the gym with my Travis!

Flying Pigs Here We Come!

My stepdad and I have registered to run the Flying Pig Marathon in May 2013 in Cinncinati, OH. I have registered for the half while Richard registered for the full. I will be happy to finish the half actually. I feel great working out at the gym and practicing yoga but training for a half will really test my commitment to stretching and caring for my areas that are tweaky.

By the way, I have become the Kathy Bates character from The Waterboy - the highly acclaimed Adam Sandler movie from 1998. I have her voice in my head, "Foosball is the DEVIL!" My middle son, Nick, suffered a concussion during his Friday night game. He had all of the symptoms in the book; slurred speech, photophobic, unstable gait, awful headache, cranky...and he continues to have some symptoms but he is starting back to school for half days this Monday so that is good news. I guess I should consider him lucky since this is his first football injury and he is a senior. His senior season is probably over, but he has indoor and outdoor track to look forward too...oh and all those college essays that he is so excited to write ;)

Warrior Dash Race Review

HOLY MOLY that was sooooo much fun! I can not wait till my next adventure race. I know I have increased my strength with weight training and power yoga, but while climbing over those 20feet walls and cargo nets, I really felt how strong my core has become. All of the obstacles were easy for me and I felt so excited to feel so strong and accomplished.

I am totally registering for another adventure race asap!

Mid-life crisis!

Today while I was cleaning the house, I decided I "might" want to complete an Ironman Triathlon in 2018, the year I turn 50! OMG I have a hard time even saying that age! It is more incomprehensible for me to realize I will be 50 in 6 years than for me to imagine completing an Ironman length tri! LOL

Triathlete Data Team :)

Anyone in education right now knows that the new trend is to analyze our student data to help improve instruction (a model adapted from the medical field). After yesterday's triathlon, I decided to conduct my own data driven decision making meeting on my performance...LOL. Let me preface this ridiculous analysis with the statement that I had a totally awesome experience on Sunday and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I loved the race experience(very organized and lots of support) as well as the time with my sweet athletic friends. I just had a blast!

Here is that data:
2007
July Danskin Sprint    16:40swim 43.29bike 22.42run
Sept Women's Sprint 18:44swim 37:52bike(only 10m) 28:01run

2008
July Danskin Sprint    12:11swim 43:38bike 23:08run

2010
Aug Cranberry Olympic  36:41swim 1hr31m bike 1:03run

2012
Sept Women's Sprint   24:50swim 41:36bike 31:55run

So my swim was pretty awful this past Sunday but honestly it didn't feel as slow as the time reflects. I haven't changed anything and my training was great. Oh well...

My bike continues to be consistent and actually has become my favorite part of the tri race as well as my training. I love my bike. I feel like the little pig in that insurance commercial when I am riding down hills :)

I am nursing a psoas injury on my right leg so my running is almost nonexistent so I am fine with the running time on Sunday, especially since the run was on trails that were sandy and wet.

This race is highly recommended; it was well organized and so much fun. The volunteers were very supportive and the water was clean and beautiful. Oh my the bike ride is fast and scenic. The run was hard but also beautiful.  

Pre Race Jitters

Tracey, Cindy and I picked up our race packets at Central Bike Shop in Farmington, CT today and got totally psyched up for tomorrow's triathlon.

We also went to the race site to check on the swim. It looks doable and not so stress inducing. I love swimming but when I jump in the water with all those swimmers, I panic! I keep my eyes trained on my destination and I can usually keep my wits about me.

More details and hopefully pics to follow post race time!

Obituary For: Alfreda Kowalski | McDonald Funeral Homes of Weymouth

Obituary For: Alfreda Kowalski | McDonald Funeral Homes of Weymouth

She was one amazing woman.

I am tired...

On Thursday,  I woke up at the crack of dawn to head to the gym. I spy a strange mark on the floor of my kitchen, it is red and liquid. I am only half awake so I don't really know what is going on. I go to check on my kids and wake the oldest to help me. He starts to freak out that the liquid might be blood and goes upstairs to check on something, I am not exactly sure what he was checking. LOL. While he was running around, I wake up enough to know I need to be the grown up and figure this out. I apprehensively touch the fluid and quickly realize it is not blood, it was too thin and more brown than red. I realize it is probably a leak from our old pipes.It was 5am so I decide to go workout and plan my strategy upon returning home.

I find a nice plumber that says he will come over that morning. I head to work, it is only day 4 of school and I am brand new to this school, so I am very grateful my oldest son, Tommy,  is able to stay home and deal with the plumbers. I have no office at my new school, so all day I am hiding in the bathroom to get updates from Tommy.

The updates are NOT GOOD. The plumber starts with a 5" by 5" little square and has to keep cutting. Now we have a 6' by 2' hole and the plumber still can not find the bad pipe :( The cabinets have to come down to gain access to the pipes. So from the bathroom, I am coordinating and giving permission to plumbers and carpenters as well as hunting down insurance officials! Not easy!

Then at about 3pm, my sister and mother are blowing up my phone, but I have already spent way too long on my phone! So I call from my car in the parking lot at the end of our school day. My sister tells me my 92 year old grandma has passed away.

Too much for one day...

So after meeting with insurance adjusters, plumbers, carpenters, clean up guys, my three boys and I trek up to Boston for our gramma's wake and funeral. It was a beautiful service and wonderful celebration of her full life. My boys were her pallbearers and I was so proud of them.

Now I am back to reality...my kitchen has machines drying out the water damage, half my cabinets are gone, there is no water upstairs so that means no showers till Tuesday....

Oh and tomorrow I am moving Tommy to UMASS for his sophomore year...just one more thing

Thank goodness this is a long weekend, I am lying on my bed all day Monday...well after I grab a shower a some generous friend's house.

Hello blog world...it's high time I revisited my old blog! I have been trying to google my results from my past races to help set a goal for my upcoming triathlon. It is a lot easier to write about my races here and document progress or bumps in the road :)

Currently I am in a slight drought in my racing success. Last year I was diagnosed with a low thyroid and have been trying to regulate it with supplements and diet. My low thyroid problem has effected my athletic performance quite a bit. In the beginning, I was very tired and had little energy to work out...well little energy to do anything but nap actually! Then the supplements increased my energy level, but I still am not competing with the same intensity I once did. It is like I don't have the mental edge. It is very frustrating, but I am glad I do feel better. We'll see what my next blood sample says!

Another exciting aspect of my life is I am starting a new position for the school system I work for in CT. I will provide English language support for children that speak other languages in the 3, 4, 5th grades. I am pretty psyched. This will provide the change I needed both intellectually and physically. Working with preschoolers the last 15 years has taken its toll on my body, that is for sure! No more diaper changing, shoe-tying, nose-wiping, coat-zipping!!!! Yahhhoooooo! No more adorable stories though either...which will be sad but I am pretty sure 8, 9, and 10 year olds are pretty funny sometimes too.