Where I am.

I've written a little about my Lyme disease, with which I was diagnosed in August, treated with a course of antibiotics for 3 weeks, and which flared up about 3 weeks ago, shortly after my treatment ended.

And I've also written about how I am not letting the Lyme stop me, how I am running on and not accepting this stupid disease.

What I have not written about is the roller coaster ride that has been my medical treatment. It has been one huge pain in the butt, extremely frustrating and disappointing, and proof that you're really on your own when it comes to your health.

In a nutshell, after my symptoms came back in September, I was retested for Lyme and told I don't have it. In fact, my doctor sent my two Lyme tests to the county epidemiologist who reported back that not only did I not have Lyme, I never had Lyme.

Really? So, why was I told I had a positive test at the time -- by both my doctor AND the very same epidemiologist? And why was I given 3 weeks of doxycycline (an antibiotic that made me feel totally crappy)?

Well, according to the epidemiologist, she never told me I had Lyme. That's funny to me, considering how she called me, told me she received a copy of my positive Lyme test, and then asked me a series of questions about my symptoms, where I live, if I was bitten by a tick, how long I think I'd had Lyme, whether or not I'd had a bulls-eye rash, etc., etc. But, apparently, she never did this.

Interesting, huh?

In the meantime, since August, I've been tested for tons of different things -- rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin B12 deficiency, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, etc., etc. I've had an EKG, echocardiogram, x-rays, lots of bloodwork.

They can't find anything wrong.

And yet, my symptoms -- all of which correspond to Lyme disease -- persist.

Yup, frustrating. And that's where I am. In the middle of frustration but able to see a little flicker of light at the end of the tunnel: Next week I have an appointment to see a doctor specializes in the treatment of people who have Lyme and similar problems. I really hope I get some answers.

I honestly would rather not have Lyme. But if I do, I'd like to be properly treated. And if I truly don't have it, I'd like to know what is wrong and what can be done to fix it. That's all.

So, it's been on my mind, that's for sure. I haven't been able to post as much as usual so I have tons of review and giveaways that I'm behind on. And I haven't been able to get around to other blogs as much as I'd like to. Just the way things are right now.

OK, that's that. Thanks for stopping by and for continuing to read my little blog! I'll be back to my regular self in no time. I'm sure of it!

~ Felice

My funky Skechers (review)

All summer, I walk around in flip flops. Sometimes I wear my Birkenstocks sandals but I try not to wear them too often because they make me feel all hippy-dippy.

Now that it is fall and the colder weather has settled in, I've been wearing some pretty funky Skechers. Check them out:

They're cute, right? Black, so they don't stand out too much with jeans. But -- and here's the funky part -- they have pink soles. Pink! Just the little bit of flair I need. And a far cry from my hippy-dippy Birkenstocks!

I was sent these Skechers (the SRT-ProTR) to review. They are billed as a SmartShoe with a mid-foot strike, designed to help runners and other exercisers land in a more natural position. The idea is that if you do that, you get more energy back in your legs from the impact of each step.

Sounds good, but did it work for me?

Well, let me tell you. I've had foot and toe problem after foot and toe problem. So, I'm gun-shy. Or, more accurately, shoe-shy. But, I agreed to try out the Skechers and so I did. I wore them on my treadmill runs so I could easily stop and change shoes if they hurt my feet.

They did not. They did, however, make my calves super-tired. I felt like I was working those calf muscles in a much different way than I normally do. Running, I was landing right under my body, so my stride was shorter and the different stride took a little getting used to.

I don't think I would wear these running shoes for most of my runs. At least not right now. I'm too scared to shake things up too much so I'll stick to my regular running shoes.

For cross training and getting out-and-about, though, I love the Skechers. I've worn them for several different workouts and like the way they make my legs work a little extra hard. I've also worn the shoes tons of times while doing my day-to-day activities. The shoes are comfy and stylish. Love the funky Skechers!

The Skechers SRT Pro-TR shoes retail for $80.00 on the web site.

Have you tried these shoes, or any of the other fitness Skechers? 


Thanks to Skechers for letting me try their new shoes! They are keepers in my book.

Have a great day, everyone!

~Felice


Review disclaimer: I was sent a pair of Skechers to review. I was not otherwise compensated and the opinions expressed are entirely my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Race Away Stigma 5K race report.

I had been debating running this (very) local 5K for a while. I figured I would see how I was feeling with my weird symptoms before committing. On Thursday I thought I would not be running because I could barely make it through 2 miles. Granted, I had to run at 8pm so when I felt fine on Friday I chalked Thursday's cruddy run up to evening fatigue.

And I decided -- screw it! -- I was going to run the race.

My plan this morning was to try to run 7:30 miles for the 5K. If I could do that, I would feel very strong in terms of my speed.

And now? Well, let's say I feel very, very, very strong!

Today, I ran a 22:53 5K!


That's just 2 seconds off my PR. Yup. Two seconds. Part of me wishes I just could have run a teensy weensy bit faster to get that new PR but the rest of me is so flippin' happy that I had such a good race.

(Clearly, bringing out my inner Marshall Ulrich is working.)

Best part of the race? My first mile was my slowest and my last was my fastest. As it should be.

Here are my race stats:

Finish time: 22:53 (7:22 pace)
Age-group place (female 40-44): 1st (!) out of 8
Female place: 4th out of 80
Overall place: 14th out of 137


Yeah, I know. It was a small race so I shouldn't get too excited about being 4th female overall. But, you know, you can only race against those who show up and today only 3 women ran faster than me. That amazes me. 


Run on, friends! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!


~ Felice

Planning, planning, planning.

With just 12 weeks or so left in 2011, I'm looking ahead to my 2012 race schedule. So far, I've committed to running the Winter Marathon Relay in February with Suzy and Amanda for the 3rd year in a row. And Amanda has planted the Ragnar seed in my head -- especially since this year the New York relay will start in Saratoga (a mere 40 minutes from here) and end in Lake Placid. I pretty much have  to do it.

But what of other races?

I've had this almost secret goal of wanting to eventually run a 1:44 half marathon in order to secure a guaranteed entry to the New York City marathon. Right now I'm at 1:48:27. The next step is to get to 1:46 (which was my goal for the last half) and then see if I can get down to 1:44.

But -- and here's the kicker -- I don't have as much time to get down to 1:44 as I once thought.

If you haven't heard, the NYC marathon peeps changed the guaranteed entry guidelines and starting with entry for the 2013 race, I will have to run a 1:30 half marathon to gain a guaranteed entry.

1:30?!?! That's 13.1 miles run at a 6:50 pace. I'm not there. And don't think I ever will be.

1:44? I could potentially get there. But 1:30? Nope.

So . . . what to do? Try for a 1:44 this spring and (hope to) run NYC in the fall?

Or do I go after the holy grail? Do I run a spring marathon and see how close I can come to qualifying for Boston (I need to run 3:45 to qualify)?

Maybe . . . just maybe for right now . . . I should shoot to do both. Screw it!

I have a lot of thinking, soul-searching and planning to do. Not to sound like a commercial . . . but as I've started planning I've been using the Best Marathons guide, that Woody from Find the Best sent me over to check out. I like the idea of the tool and the easy-to-read display -- but I'd definitely like to see it post 2012 dates -- or even 2011 (right now it just has 2010). I'd also like to see the entry fee added into the display but I'll cut the tool some slack since it is in beta.

Anyway, for the next few weeks I am going to think, soul-search, and plan. I would like to have my 2012 schedule and some of my larger goals nailed down by early November so I can get moving on them. A 1:44 half marathon doesn't just happen! And, honestly, I would really run one of those.

Have you made your 2012 racing plans?


Thanks for reading!

~ Felice