Mandatory pre-Stone Cat post.

Hey, everyone else is doing it...and I've always been a follower ;)

Not.

Several interesting things to report. Still having good days and not so good days, still struggling emotionally some days with what I wish I COULD do, but I am hanging on even if some days its only by a thread.

Sunday I ran in the Busa Bushwhack, a somewhat challenging rocky, root-y, hilly 10 miler. It was a good test for me to see what I had in me for SC. Each loop in SC is 12.5miles, and rolling. I did ok. Not wonderfully, but ok and I certianly enjoyed myself. It was a beautiful day for a run, the woods were gorgeous and due to my blazing speed I spent much of the race alone. When I finished, I felt weak, but not too bad overall.

So, what does that mean for Stone Cat? Well, I am signed up for the 50 and in my wildest dreams I would love to finish. Chances of that? Eh, I don't know. My brain says no problem, totally possible but my body says "What you smokin' woman?" I think it will very much be a lap by lap kind of day. The 10 miles took alot out of me, I hate to admit. I know that running less (ie 4-5m) is probably more realistic. Even running the 26.2 option will be a challenge, but I may give it a go. The time limit is still the same, I would have 13 hours to finish. I am pretty sure I could crawl and finish the marathon in less than 13 hours, lol. So, that is my goal. If I run the first lap, come in and bundle up and head out to walk the second lap I will get a marathon finishers sweatshirt. Considering the last several months...I'll take it. Besides, this is a huge TUG family reunion day and really...I am actually more excited to see everyone than I am to run... ;)

In other news...I now have to eat shoe.
Remember my tirade about where all the raw vegans went? How they were all eating meat now? Yeah...about that...
I have been looking at my diet. Listening to what I am craving (you crave what you need...)and since it seems like what I *would* have eaten is not working for me and my stomach is not loving it....I looked back to what has worked, what I did before I ran/walked the Relay For Life (when I was first really sick) and I thought, hmmm....something tells me I need to revisit.

When I became a vegetarian, then vegan, part of my reasoning beyond simply not liking meat, was that I felt if I could not kill/prepare an animal, I had no right to eat it. (I am COMPLETELY against hunting, however if one hunts, and then preps their own animal to feed their family out of need I have far more respect than if you are hunting for sport)I always felt I could catch and prep a fish, though I never actually have, if I had to. So, in my vegetarian life, I have consumed some fish. I am allergic to shellfish(plus- bottom feeders, ew) so that is not an option.

I thought about eating cooked vegan, as for whatever reason, my body is really not enjoying raw. I will spare y'all the details, but it isn't working. Even green smoothies aren't working. I can do fruit smoothies but add greens and life is not good. Though, under ideal circumstances(ie better health) I would totally not think twice about doing a fruit based diet. Right now though, where my health is generally NOT good and I have alot of healing to do...I need to make some changes. This was very hard for me to accept as I truly believe in the lifestyle I live, consuming a predominantly raw diet. But now I am eating whatever does not make me want to hurl, and well balanced it is not.

So, cooked veggies, quinoa, barley, and salmon have been added to my diet. I am drinking fruit smoothies still, but to get through this time, I am going to need to make some drastic changes. I am still avoiding most grains, (rice, wheat and corn) but cooking my greens, rustic grains and other non-starchy cooked veggies are the basis of my diet now. And, guess what? I feel better. No intestinal distress. None. My achiness has decreased. I have more energy. Go figure.

I am still struggling with my choice even though clearly it was the right one for me right now. One more lesson in letting go, I guess. I need to do whatever is necessary to heal my body right now. If that means I need to forgo the raw diet for now...so be it. Funny, Dr. Jerkface was right about one thing- I needed to be open minded and look at my diet(though this isn't what he meant, the message was there) So, thank you Dr. Jerkface. You were right about this. I will give you that.

My plan for this week is to get a few runs in, get as much sleep as possible and eat really well. Then Saturday will be what it will be. I will head out with friends, enjoy the trails, and be grateful for the opportunity to be there at all. I know in the grand scheme of things I am so much better off than many Lyme sufferers. I thank Spirit for that every day.

InJoy...