Blog changes

Thanks to everyone who followed Training Because I Can! over the last nine years. This blog started with Addison's Disease, hypothyroidism and a crazy idea of doing an Ironman distance triathlon. My life has changed and so has this blog. I am using this blog strictly for Addison's Support topics from here on out. I hope to continue providing people with hints for living life well with adrenal insufficiency.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Trying to get my mojo back!

I've gotten some wonderful advice from endurance athletes with much more experience than I (Thank you Colleen, Lisa, Kathryn and Mike). They all are telling me to put much less pressure on myself with the next two weeks of training.

Because of this advice, I took a trail run yesterday. I haven't done a trail run in weeks. I love and miss being on the trails!! I parked at the top of Teton Pass and ran on the trail that goes to Black Canyon. The temperature was a cool 80 degrees (it was 95 down in the Valley), I was in the shade and I didn't see any humans or animals. It was perfect! Before I got back to the parking lot, I ran through a big, beautiful patch of fireweed. It was the biggest, brightest stand of fireweed I've ever seen. That was a great end to a very nice, badly needed trail run.

Summers in Teton Valley are incredible. I am looking forward to spending much more time out on the trails in August training for the Teton Races 50 mile race.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

NADF

In case you are wondering what the NADF is raising money for:
1. ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF DEATH FROM UNDIAGNOSED ADRENAL DISEASE by reminding the entire U.S. diagnosing medical field with a highly illustrated, color educational flyer which lays out what the various symptoms of the adrenal diseases are, with visuals.

2. INSURING IMMEDIATE AND ADEQUATE EMERGENCY CARE FOR ADRENAL INSUFFICIENT PATIENTS by nationwide distribution of NADF Emergency Care Sheets to emergency care facilities, both
stationary and mobile. This emergency care sheet saved my life when I went to the ER in June of 2006. I submitted it to the Medical Director of the Vineman so they would know how to treat me if the need arose!

3. NADF News® the quarterly NADF newsletter with the latest information on adrenal disease and, in many cases, the sole source of information and emotional support for persons not located near one of the 34 NADF-affiliated support groups.

4. NADF WEBSITE. Because of the generous volunteer contribution of valuable skill, time and labor, our website has been renovated by member Nancy Ronning, and transferred to our own domain name, www..nadf.us Since Nancy’s resignation, the NADF website is being managed by Nancy’s friend and generous volunteer Kate von Tungeln of The Good Geeks
• Distribute the NADF News® using it, which would save us much needed funds.
• Offer paid members a registration-only section which will house the complete archives of the NADF News® and other information.
• Offer the ability to donate and register online.
• Eliminate our current dependency on AOL-Time Warner, again saving funds.

5. ADRENAL SUPPORT GROUPS oversight of and affiliation with over 30 support groups across the nation.

6. INFORMATION AND EDUCATION
• with The Facts You Need To Know pamphlets for four adrenal diseases
• distribution of NADF Emergency Care Wallet Cards
• distribution of NADF Emergency Crisis Care cover letters, and instructional hand-outs
• distribution of the latest crisis care cortisol injection information
• distribution of the hand-out “Quick Reference for the Most Common Symptoms of Adrenal Hormone Replacement Excess and Deficiency”
• mass e-mail distribution of the latest news important to people with adrenal disease ((as in influenza vaccinations, medication shortages and discontinuations,.support group meetings,
current research, etc.).

Facts to remember about NADF:
• Our services are provided under the supervision of a team of highly-qualified, board-certified endocrinologists volunteering as Medical Advisors.
• NADF is a 501(c)(3) fully tax-deductible non-profit organization dedicated to providing information, education and support to persons with adrenal disease.

Confessions...

I'm tired, there I've said it.

I am very tired mentally and physically.

I wish the triathlon were tomorrow so I could just do it and get it over with! I've felt like this prior to each marathon I've done so perhaps this is just how I feel after training for months and months and before a big challenge.

I worry about my preparedness and my energy on the day of the event.

I worry about swimming in open water. Paul and I will head out to a lake about 45 miles from here where I will do an open water swim next week.

That said, I am so thankful for all of the support I have gotten from everyone!

Thanks to JeannieBe in Florida for her wonderful, supportive emails, thanks to Wanda for looking at so many of my pictures and listening to me babble on and on about my training, thanks to my family for putting up with me, thanks to Virginia for her coordination efforts, thanks again and again to the NorCal NADF group for coming out and supporting me physically and emotionally! Thanks to my family and friends who have to sit through me saying, "What if...?" And they come up with some good reasoning to put my mind at ease. Thanks also to Colleen, my inspiration to do this race and my voice of reason.

Pictures of the Greater Yellowstone Area


Jackalope in Yellowstone
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The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone. This is the most beautiful I have ever seen it!
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The whole family taking a break from floating the Snake River
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Zane's never liked the smell of sulfur hot springs!
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Paul and Dusty in Grand Teton National Park at Bradley Lake
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UPDATES!


Sorry to be so inconsistent about posting! I will try harder to put more pictures and posts up between now and August 4th.

We've been busy, as I am sure all of you are! Paul's family was out for a few days from NJ and above is a picture from their visit. We are so fortunate to be able to entertain here. We floated the Snake River through Grand Teton, hiked in Grand Teton, visited Yellowstone and rode the chair lift up to Grand Targhee. We were like tourists in our own neighborhood. Fun!! If you're wondering about my training, I hiked up to the top of Targhee and ran down (with Paul). I think the hiking in Yellowstone and Grand Teton was enough training too!!

As soon as our company left, I got yet another migraine. That put me out of commission for a couple of days.

Now I'm back - Watch out!