On The Move, Eh? 05/16/2012
 
So I've been thinking long and hard about this post and have come to the realization that it's not going to write itself.  I've been thinking of ways to make this funny, and how best to break the news, but really...I've got nothing.  So here goes.
Let me back up and start with the basics.  We're making the move as a family of four and we'll be settling in Edmonton for the next few years.  And let me go ahead and help you out because NO ONE knows where Edmonton is.
And next you're probably wondering: what on earth is taking us to Canada?  Well, my super smart and hardworking husband (hey, I'm allowed to brag every once in a while) was offered an amazing job in conjunction with the new Edmonton Oilers hockey arena.  I selfishly think he's kind of a big deal; you can check him out here.

We'll be in Pittsburgh through mid-July and then we'll be trekking up north.  My hope is to find an awesome house (and great neighbors) so that we can do this.
For real.  I mean, how awesome is that? The dogs would LOVE IT (um, probably not) and in the summer it can become a pool.  I see nothing wrong with this at all.
There's a ton of other things that I want to tell you guys so apologies in advance for all of the upcoming Canada-themed posts.  As a parting gift, I'll leave you with something that caught my eye on Facebook yesterday.  So true, right?
Any advice for me with the move? 
Anything you you want to know about Edmonton or Canada in general?
Do you have experience moving to another country? 
You think we're crazy, huh? 
Tell, tell, tell in the comments below!
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Yes, THAT happened for breakfast yesterday morning.  I give you Banana Split Pancakes loosely adapted from this recipe.  I've seen websites describe these as 'perfect for kids' - or perfect for 29-year-olds like me :)

Seriously, these were so easy and would rival any breakfast out.  Trader Joe's pancake mix with some mashed bananas added to it + warmed cocoa almond spread + fresh strawberries and bananas.  I can't think of a better sweet start to the day!

And then I was lucky enough to spend my Mother's Day with these hams.  I'm convinced life doesn't get any better.  We took a walk for a latte and then laid around in our media room all day long watching movies/hockey playoffs.  I can't tell you the last time I sat still for more than an hour & I loved it.  Maybe it was the rain!
It's also time to get back on the workout bandwagon this week.  With our fun and purposeful 10K coming up this weekend, it's time to focus on good nutrition, lots of stretching and quality sleep.  What's on your agenda for the week?
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Normally I'd be super excited that it's the Friday heading into Pittsburgh Marathon weekend.  But sadly enough, I will not be racing this year.

I know, I know.  The irony.  Yesterday I posted about running the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K to raise money and awareness for VHL.  Earlier this week I posted about The Run Challenge.  So why in the world am I not running on Sunday?

Well, it's not by choice.  Certainly not by choice, because I am the first to admit that I am not always the smartest runner.  I don't train as well as I should, but I do fuel and hydrate like a pro ;)  Gee - wonder why?

Remember back in those glorious sick days when I mentioned that I had passed a test that would have flipped my life upside down?  Allow me to explain.

Not long ago, my dad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  For those of you that are not familiar, this is a disease affecting the heart muscle in which a portion is thickened for no apparent reason.  Most notably, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

Upon finding out that my dad has this disease - which is genetic - I was advised to get tested by undergoing a simple echocardiogram.  I did so back in February and was told that my results all came back clear. 

However, last week, my dad had the opportunity to meet with the Co-Director of the UPMC Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center (say that three times fast!) to discuss his situation and what it means for him and our family moving forward.  Long story short, the doctor would like to personally review my test results, and has also ordered some very specific blood work for my dad (which takes 6-8 weeks) that I may need to follow-up with as well to ensure that I absolutely, positively do not carry any genes/have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

After being strongly advised by this physician NOT to run this weekend (before he can review my test results and possibly order my bloodwork) combined with the fact that pneumonia totally kicked my ass and has left me in the dust (SUCH a humbling experience), I have decided it is not in my best interest to run on Sunday.

If there's one thing I've learned over the past few months, it's that without your health, you have nothing.  This is just one small race in the grand scheme of life.  There will be more half marathons.  There will be more full marathons.  There will be (hopefully) an Ironman.  But it's not worth risking my health for one race.
Picture
Happy and healthy times on our wedding day. Clearly I took it very seriously!
I am keeping up with The Run Challenge - hence the short, slow mileage - and plan to run the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K at a smooth and comfortable pace.  But I am putting my body first.  It's a humbling experience, and I challenge everyone to try it.  You'll be surprised with what you might learn about yourself.
Good luck to all of the 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon runners! 
I can't wait to hear about how each of you do and all the fun you have!
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On May 20, I'll be running the Cleveland 10K with a great group of cousins and friends!  You figure a 10K, no big deal, right?  Well...sort of.  This race is special, as we're running for my cousin Renee as she battles Von Hippel Lindau, a rare, genetic disease that runs in our family.
I will admit that I always take notice of the charity runners in races, but rarely do I ever stop to actually think about what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Since both Renee and this cause are extremely near and dear to me, I've asked her to to share her experience in her own words so that you can learn more :)
Hi Swim...Bike...Running on Empty friends!  I'm Renee, Julie's cousin, and I am so thankful you're allowing me to be part of your day today. 

As Julie said, we will be running in the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K on May 20 for research and awareness of Von Hippel Lindau (VHL).  Von Hippel Lindau is a rare, genetic disease that I was diagnosed with when I was 17 years old.  My dad and brother also have the disease.   It is characterized by the abnormal growth of tumors in certain parts of the body such as the brain, spinal cord, adrenal glands, eyes, kidneys, and pancreas.   Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for VHL. Treatment involves being proactive and early recognition of tumors.  Tumors can essentially develop out of nowhere, so frequent scans and consults with doctors are very important.  Tumors are removed when they start to grow and ultimately become problematic.

Throughout the past eleven years since I was diagnosed, I have met many people that went years, or even decades, unknowingly living with VHL.  They were being improperly diagnosed, and suffering pain from reoccurring tumors.  Hearing about these experiences was one reason why I wanted to sign up for and participate in the 10K.  I wanted to raise awareness for a disease that very few people really know about.   If more people can become aware of the signs and symptoms of VHL, hopefully we can see an increase in people being properly diagnosed!

When you have a chronic illness such as VHL, it is very easy to feel defeated or to feel as through you have little control over your life.  My family and I have lived through lung cancer, surgeries, and countless hours spent in waiting rooms unsure of the news that we were going to receive.  During my most recent trip to the hospital last August, I found out that a tumor on my brain had grown and there was some swelling in my brain.  The following day was the day that I decided I wanted to participate in a race.  By training for the 10K and challenging myself physically, I feel as though I am taking back some of that control I thought I had lost.  Through fundraising for the race, I feel like I am doing my part, no matter how small, to get one step closer to a cure.  I am looking forward to the experience of participating in my first 10K, especially because my family and many of my close friends will be running with me.  We will be “taking strides towards a cure,” and I pray we will get there someday soon!
You can learn more about the VHL Family Alliance here
or on Renee's  fundraising page. 
Have you run a race for charity?  If not and you're interested, Caitlin has a great post today about racing for a cause.  This is something I hope to do more of in the future, but until then, it's time to rock out the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K to beat VHL!
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Happiest of Days 05/02/2012
 
Last night I completed my first run of The Run Challenge!  1.25 steady miles in the books.  And you know what I determined?  Any effort should be celebrated.  It's 1.25 miles more than someone who sat at home on the couch all day and did nothing!

Dinner was a first time go-around with buffalo chicken soup from How Sweet Eats.  Let me tell you, this fellow 'burgh gal can COOK.  And BAKE.  If you're in need of a great recipe, check her out.  Guaranteed she'll have one that's right up your alley!
Shaun and I kicked the morning off with a pup walk and some old fashioned oats!
Old fashioned oats, homemade peanut butter, sliced almonds & fresh strawberries.
In other news, want to know why today is awesome?  It's the birthday of one of the most special people in the world, my mother-in-law, Denise! 

(No, I am not trying to suck up.  It's too late for that!)

Lucky for us, we were able to get together with the family this past weekend to celebrate. The day was beautiful, with the sun shining down on us all.
The cake had peanut butter and chocolate icing and was insanely delicious. 
We never seem to starve ourselves, do we?
My niece Taryn and I took a break from the cake to pose for a pic for Uncle Shaun...
...while my other adorable niece, Ashlyn, kept the right priorities with the gobs :)
Sugar overload and a dance party ensued!  My kind of birthday party. 
Sunshine, good food, great treats and even better company in the form of family.
Happy Birthday, Denise!  Hope your day is as wonderful as you are!
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Bring It, May 05/01/2012
 
Yesterday was my final day off in my mini-vacation and how did I spend it?  At the grocery store, of course.  Actually, two to be exact.

There's a new Whole Foods opening in the north hills of Pittsburgh so I signed my mom and me up for a VIP pre-opening tour to check things out. 
The store seems to be much larger than the other one in the 'burgh and has a pretty killer bulk section, but the drive is definitely farther so we'll see.  I was really hoping for a juice bar in this location but no dice.  Maybe the beer pub will make up for it!

After our tour, we were fed some garlicky kale, pierogies + pork sausage sandwiches.  I had to laugh when I heard the pierogies were made outside of Fitlhadelphia.  Pierogies are a big thing in the 'burgh, and let's just say Philly isn't.
Next on the agenda was Market District to get down and dirty with my real grocery shopping for the week.  I had a lot on my list and 20% off thanks to Foodperks!
Our meals this week include a morning oatmeal bar, turkey sandwiches, salads, hamburgers, buffalo chicken soup and asian noodle soup.  We'll be snacking on fruit, yogurt, almonds, peanuts and carrot-apple-ginger juice.

In other more important news, it's May 1, and that means it's time to bring it back.
That's right, folks.  Back by popular demand - The Run Challenge.  The rules are the same as they were in February.  You must run every day.  At least one mile to count.  Indoor, outdoor, doesn't matter.  And it's not for time.  It's for fun!  And to prove to myself (and yourself) that you can do anything you set your mind to.  Want in?  Leave a comment below or email me at swimbikerunningonempty@gmail.com and I'll add you to the mix in The Run Challenge tab above!  I can tell you from experience that it's a lot of fun and that you'll be surprised at how much you'll gain not only physically but mentally.

What are you waiting for?  Lace up those running shoes and hit the pavement!
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A Little Getaway 04/30/2012
 
Shaun and I were fortunate to have had two days off at the end of last week, and we made good use of that time by heading out of town to rest and relax.

I'm a sucker for a good bed and breakfast and the Lake Pointe Inn in Deep Creek, Maryland did not disappoint!
The property was beautiful, situated on the northern tip of Deep Creek Lake.  When we arrived on Thursday, it was still gloomy and raining, but that didn't stop us from taking in the comfort of the porch during the evening hors d'oeuvre service.
The innkeeper, Ed, was so friendly and fun to talk to.  He and Shaun made a connection over New Belgium beers while he gave us a tour of the property.
In addition to being so warm and cozy - I would love to go back in a blizzard - the inn had tons of amenities, including: bikes, canoes/kayaks, a fie pit with nightly marshmallow roasting, an evening boat ride (during summer months), a library full of movies, the aforementioned evening appetizers + wine, a sauna, and beverages on each floor, including a great selection of beer and chardonnay.

Since it was gloomy, Shaun and I grabbed a buffalo chicken pizza up the road at Mountain State Brewing Company and then settled into our room fro the night.  With a fireplace, steam shower and huge soaking tub, it was hard thinking about being anywhere else!
And what's a bed and breakfast without half of its namesake: breakfast.  In addition to coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice, we were served sliced kiwi with a fresh raspberry sauce to start.
And then our main course came: a dutch baby with fresh blueberries and chicken apple sausage.  Nom nom nom.  I could have eaten three.  But then it would have looked like I was growing my own dutch baby in my stomach!
What's a breakfast without birthday tiramisu?!  I had to let them know we were celebrating someone's birthday, of course!
Our time at the Lake Pointe Inn was definitely too short, but our vacation continued at Fallingwater, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufmann family. 
Believe it or not, Shaun - the pseudo-architect & structural engineer - had never been to Fallingwater, so I was determined to make it happen sooner than later.
It was a cold but sunny day and the house looked beautiful as always!  We don't look half bad, either.  Just haven't perfected the self-photo-taking skills yet.
After visiting the home, we drove through Ohiopyle to take in the gorgeous scenery.
A restful and relaxing getaway, right in our neck of the woods.  Just what every vacation should be.  Can't wait to do it again...maybe next time, in warmer weather!
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Every year in April, there's one really awesome day.  April 16 - also known as Marathon Monday - is arguably one of the best days of the year for anyone who a) loves running b) lives in Boston and has the day off c) lives in Boston and loves having the day off to drink or d) all of the above. 

While I would consider myself Category A, I've also been lucky enough to find myself in Boston several times over the past few years for the race thanks to my full-time job.  Isn't it awesome when you get to work in the industry you love?!

We checked into The Westin Waterfront for our time in Boston and the New Balance branding began.  While adidas owns the race sponsorship rights, New Balance did a great job branding the hotel, hotel staff, etc. and 'owning' their city.
One perk of the Westin brand?  The double shower-head.  Sorry nature, you lost.
And snickerdoodle coffee thanks to Mama Lyons! Made waking up much easier.
While in Boston, there was one staple to my diet: lobster.  I can't eat too much - not in soups, or pasta, or anything heavy - but lobster in its simplest form - a lobster roll not filled with 'stuff' - is simply delicious!
Prior to race day, we had quite a bit of prep work to do and parties to attend.  It's a tough life, but someone has to do it.  Also, proof that my work-life isn't all glamour!
Not to mention the most important prep work: making shirts for our client who was running the race!  We had big plans to surprise her on the course :)
And to make sure she ran fast on Monday, we carbo-loaded in the North End.
Race day started bright and early for us - 4 am! - and luckily, we were equipped with the most important piece of paper that could be found on earth that day: an Official Vehicle sign that allowed us-course access. 

And major props to my awesome colleague and 'driver' Emily!  Not only is she from Boston and practically a built-in Garmin for us, she's run the race before (and knows the course!) and went to BC.  Basically, we couldn't lose :)  Plus, she put up with my horrible backseat driver tendencies.  Enough said!
We arrived in Hopkinton and began our course drive to Mile 3 in Ashland where we'd start placing our motivational signage.  And what a perfect day it would turn out to be for these signs because with temps in the upper 80's and heavy sun beating down, we knew the runners would benefit from every little 'up' they could find.

One of the coolest things we saw that morning was the group of Army men and women who walk the course every year.  So motivational, emotional and exciting!
We dropped our first sign...
...and then this happened.  We locked the keys (and coffee) in the car.  Oops!
Thirty minutes and $50 later we were smiling again and on our way to Wellesley :)
We finished our course setup in record time (especially given our little setback) and drove back to Framingham - Mile 7 - in order to catch Katie running by!
Man was it hot.  The runners LOOKED hot and uncomfortable. 
We were sweating just standing, cheering and watching!
When we saw Katie coming up, we went crazy screaming for her in our shirts!  We were so excited to see her running strong!  (To jump ahead, she finished the race in under four hours.  While not a PR by any means, still an amazing accomplishment for a race in which you had to slow down and listen to your body.  Just crossing the finish line that day was remarkable!)

After seeing her, we drove back to Hopkinton, grabbed lunch at Marathon Deli, and  began the last drive of the course to pick-up our signs.  One thing we had learned at this point? HAVE OFFICIAL VEHICLE PASS, WILL MOVE ROADBLOCKS.
We wrapped the day at 6 pm and basically felt like we'd been running!  It was hot, humid and a lot of physical work, but I know I speak for Emily too when I say we loved every minute together and would do it again in a heartbeat!  The course signage looked awesome, runners commented on how cool it was, and I felt like I was a little part of a day that would go down in Marathon Monday history.
The best way to end another fun Marathon Monday?  A race-week special
Sam Adams 26.2 Boston Brew.  Delicious!
Congrats to all of the 2012 Boston Marathoners! 
You are such an inspiration to us all!
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Although yesterday was a very good day, it was also a pretty crappy day.  I was completely exhausted and everything I ate set off an alarm in my stomach.  So I did what any Pittsburgh girl would do.  I watched the Pens game in the hopes of being cheered up but managed to fall asleep on the couch by 8 pm.  Good thing I did, the Pens couldn't get their act together and that only would have ruined my night.

With an 8 pm bedtime, I practically jumped out of bed when my alarm went off at 7 am.  I always love that feeling...a good night's rest and a body ready to begin the day.  I got myself ready for the day, ate a couple wheat free & gluten free waffles, took the dogs out, and headed back to the chiropractor. 

Today we checked in to see how my espresso-focused work was going.  Turns out, my body is still rejecting it (no surprise there) so we did another adjustment and will see how I am doing on Monday.  I also learned that because this allergy is more severe, it was most likely responsible for my extreme tiredness and stomach problems yesterday.  My body was going into defense mode.  So until Monday, I am on a 'lots of water & green tea only' drink diet.  No one ever said it would be easy, but it will be worth it, right?

So, a green tea latte it was this morning!  (I'm cleared for skim milk - yippee!)
I have a busy day of work ahead and an even busier weekend so it's time to buckle down and focus!  I hope you all have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend :)
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Today is Thursday, March 29, and my friends, it is a very good day.  My lungs are functioning on a level of 9 out of 10 so at the end of this week (three weeks of glorified bed rest) I will be free & clear to begin exercising again! 

This calls for one big, giant leap of celebration! (Just wish I was really at the beach!)
I can't wait to go for a run.  I can't wait to lift some weights.  I mean, I can't wait to do anything that involves physical activity that is not walking my dogs.

But, one step at a time.  Diving back into my previous workout routine full throttle would probably send me straight back to the hospital so I am going to modify my half marathon training plan and work from that and be smart about it.  It's not going to be easy as I know my runs and cross training are going to be hard and my body is going to be in for a bit of shock.  And physically, I'll probably be more exhausted than ever.  But with the right combination of continued rest, not pushing myself too much, and smart eating, I think I'm ready to rock & roll :)

Now, back to all of those GI issues.  Because of course, while pneumonia was here to play, those GI issues were here to stay, too.  With this pneumonia on it's way out the door, I need to reschedule my colonoscopy and check-in with my specialist to review those results, as well as the results of my blood work, HIDA scan and endoscopy.  I'm hoping to do that within the next two weeks.  Fingers crossed!

I've also returned to my holistic doctor who is also my chiropractor, specifically to help with my stomach problems.  To make this as simple as possible to explain, we are doing some food allergy work to determine what my body is currently processing correctly and what my system is shutting down on all together.

I should note that this isn't for everyone.  Some people don't believe in working with 'alternative medicine' and I have no problem with that.  All I ask is that you keep an open mind, because for some, it's the only option, and for others - including several friends and family members of mine - it's worked wonders and has completely healed them.

My first step was to take in a list of foods that I eat.  Then we did an initial test, and everything you see circled below is something that my body is currently rejecting.

Awesome.  And clearly not good.  But extremely enlightening information that gives us a place to begin and something to work against.
Each time I visit, we'll work on one food that's circled on the list.  The goal is to work with my body to enable me to consume these foods without my system going into shock.  So far, I've worked on bananas and almond milk, and we've been able to clear them both so that I can eat them again.  I'm working on espresso now and not feeling as optimistic - this one might be gone for good!  I'll report back on Friday.

Lots to get done before the weekend rolls around!  Hope you have a GREAT day!
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