Ablation Anniversary - One Year Ago

Ablationaversary

Exactly one year ago today my heart would be changed moving forward. After my diagnosis in June 2018 of having an arrhythmia issue I chose to have an invasive procedure done called the Ablation!

Most of you know my story by now but if you just stumbled across my blog you may want to read my very 1st post.

This past year has been quite the roller coaster ride of emotions and anxiety but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The tribe of family & friends that have been there for me I am truly grateful.

As I sport this 14 day Holter where I will post numerous pics of wearing these electrodes aka pasties as it monitors my heart.

As I reflect on the past 12 months I can summarize the following:

3 months - the toughest part of recovery for a cardiac athlete is actually letting your body heal. Having to slow down was extremely hard and I learned that Dr Google is the worst physician 

6 months - learning from the previous 3 months it was nice to get back moving and running as if I was finding my fitness. It was an amazing lead up to race weekend and to represent the Ottawa Marathon as a Team Awesome ambassador and of course supporting other runners as Xtra Mile Crew.

So heart wise mine was quite full meeting team members and helping many friends cross that finish line or just running with them even if it was just a short distance.

9 months - this was the absolute toughest block. I shall dub these the Michelle months. If you’ve followed along my social feeds where I rolled my ankle and suffered the worst sprain ever without breaking a bone. It was traumatic to say the least. BUT heart wise it somewhat helped. Weight wise it did not as I sunk into food as my comfort to cope but couldn’t get out of that funk which lead into the next three months. But one salvation was meeting my cankle buddy that helped bring me some perspective and knowing that I wasn’t alone. She reached out when no one else did. Probably because she had just come off of her own debilitating injury. So it was Cankley meets Michelle IRL (In Real Life).

Year 1 - the only saving grace was accomplishing one goal I had set out which really wasn’t a goal but to have fun but along the way. However recovery wiser I managed in:

1. Doing a furry fun run with my oldest & Shade.
2. Seeing my youngest get her G1 and
3. Completing one final run; one final race & one final way to redeem myself by doing the 1/2 marathon at 9 Run Run.

The last few weeks have been a mix of burnout and just general anxiety. I took a break of almost three weeks of any activity feeling sorry for myself but after talking to my tribe the problem wasn’t me and I had to move on and get over it...so I did. I volunteered to do photos for ArboRace2 (some cool photos if I do say so) and then Santa photos at the Old Fashioned Christmas Fair. Then I went back to the gym and crushed a workout then started heading back with the trail running group. It was those feelings I was missing. Those calls I was making silently weren’t being heard and within me I snapped myself out of the fitness funk I was in. I think just getting back out with people that just get me and understood who I really am and what I needed. So to those that listened me in those chats thank you! You know who you are.

So as I celebrate the one year Ablation Anniversary my wisdom to you all is

1. Stop chasing people! Cherish the tribe that want to talk to & hear you. Those are your people.
2. If you’re in a fitness funk it’s OK. You’ll find your way back. Take a breath! Just read wisdom #1 above. Reach out to those people that know you.

Hopefully at my next update you may see me as a graduate from the Heart Institute ️

Some photos from the last few months that depict the roller coaster ride that goes from heart condition to fitness funk to finding fitness and the tribe that just gets me!

Happy Holidays all.

It wouldn't be the same if I didn't add a Hamilton reference

one of my tribe posted this and it helped me refocus

During that 9 month point I had one goal which ended up being a support for these two lovely ladies

If you know me this is me volunteering and giving back

ArboRace2 - collision course/obstacles

Volunteer Crew for the Goulbourn Museum Old Fashioned Christmas Craft Fair

You'll find me here almost every Saturday

The main crew and the 💓 of my life

The U2 - UltraCliff and Unicorn Chaser

Ottawa Mother Runners

I may not be a "Mom" but this crew gets me also!

8 Months Post Ablation - Michelle Update - Ottawa Marathon Runner of the Month

8 Months

I don't have much to report other than mandated rest and recovery due to Michelle. But I did have the least amount of activities according to Strava at a whopping 3 activites for 20km.

I know stellar, but having my first DNF at MEC Fortune Fell that resulted in my lack of activity, but on the bright side it just meant more mandated rest and recovery.

Michelle Update - Timeline

July 7 - As you know it was my first DNF and my Gr. 3 sprain

July 8 - After a trip to the ER ankle was all swollen and I await seeing my doc.

July 10 - After seeing my GP he told me to get an aircast

July 11 - A lot of pain and even the T3's didn't really help much.

July 14 - volunteered at the Hintonburg 5K w/Michelle and saw a lot of people out at the race.

July 16 - Met my saviour to date Dr. Joanna Taylor and was told at least 8 weeks before I can run again!

July 17 - volunteered at the Farm 5/15K with the girls including Michelle.

July 18 - met my EP since my ablation and that's when I received the best news of the NSR since May. I made an appearance at work which was almost impossible to do work when I needed to elevate that Diva Michelle.

July 19 - bruising increased to side of my leg which meant a lot more tearing along the sides of my leg.

July 22 - Made the Runner of the Month with Ottawa Marathon and the most praise to be given to my cankle buddy Michelle

July 23 - Session 2 with Dr. Jo and she did a lot more manipulation and needling...the joy. Also she said time to get rid of that boot and get a more flexible brace! So I did.

July 25 - Session 3 with Dr. Jo and my 1st exposure to Shockwave Therapy.

July 27 - another volunteer gig with Somersault Events seeing the cyclists zoom by.

July 31 - Session 4 with Dr. Jo and more needles and manipulation. 

Aug 2 - Session 1 with PT Taylor and she did some more manipulation and allowed me to be on a recumbent bike. W00t!

Aug 6 - Session 5 with Dr. Jo and more of the usual treatment.

Timeline in pics. They may/may not match the dates, but you can see the progress.

Day 2

Grades of Sprain

Les bruises

Hintonburg 5K Flyby sighting of Becky

Yes I felt this way...A LOT!

Bruising means more tearing along the leg

RO Run Crew and me as a volunteer

My girls helping out at the water station

Telling my Electrophysiologist the outcome of my Fortune Fell

Still bruised and swelling going down finally

Elevating and no aircast

Bedazzled update with a lace up boot

More volunteering

My Saviour and how she loves that we name our major injuries

Fast Forward to progress moving to a softer brace

K helping with some traction

My Cankle buddy Kathy and me with the XMC crew

Blogger won't let me put videos in so I'm trying a link. Maybe it will work.

Acupuncture w/ Electrical current
Shockwave Therapy #1
Shockwave Therapy #2

Ottawa Marathon - Runner of the Month

I have been honoured to be the July Runner of the Month for Ottawa Marathon and it was very humbling to be selected. I never realized the impact I had on social media and the run community but I was more than happy to be selected. Thank you Run Ottawa/Ottawa Marathon! Oh the link is just the sub-heading 😉

Oh and I was also honoured to be a guest with a new run club Evolve Run Club organized by Trevor and Leah who are very spirited run leaders I met at the Westboro Running Room and have seen cheering runners on and as well at some events on the trails.

VIP guest me and Michelle

Great chat at Bridgehead

2019 Ottawa Race Weekend

Race Weekend Timeline

Thursday

I decided to book off the Friday of Race Weekend and I had thought about going to pick up my race kit on the Thursday (which I probably should have) and get in on all the goodies, but seeing as though I carpool and had to go all the way to Stittsvegas and then I would have to fight rush hour traffic to get back. Anyhow I opted out and decided to put my feet up and do nothing. So I get home and was ready to watch the telly and then I see the phone ring. It's the Heart Institute. It's Guy-Anne! She has my stress test results. (Heart goes flutter in anticpation) She told me that the report isn't up on the system yet, but she managed to get a copy from them and wanted to share the news since she knew I was running in the race weekend.

Guy-Anne reviewed the results and said that everything looked normal. I was in normal sinus rhythm and there didn't see any signs of the Ventricular Tachycardia that was present. So during exercise when I had the Holter may have been a blip, but I was on the treadmill for 12 minutes and there were signs of PVC's but that was normal during recovery as she said they expect that after a workout. My fitness improved from 9 METS to 10 as well during the test my HR peaked at 179 and was steady. She was happy which made me ecstatic.

So she gave me some leeway in case I wanted to "race" this weekend so she upped my steady pace HR to max 160 and for interval to target between 150-170ish, but I need to recover back down to 125 which could be tricky when it comes to speedwork, but definitely will look at this as a positive recovery milestone.

We chatted some more as we always do and I mentioned that one of my gym rat buddies saw a photo I had posted and she said that they worked together. Small world. So Mina (?) was another PT that works with Guy-Anne so as always we got off topic. So basically I went into euphoria and was happy to hear the good news and literally running into the weekend.

Note: I'll be just cutting and pasting from my FB post since it's just as long on race weekend. I will add some stuff I didn't post on FB. (We shall see how if you actually read this ha!)

Friday

I took the Friday off to "rest", but I ended up running a bunch of errands. I went to Service Ontario with Kiera to finally transfer over the SUV (Plates) to my name and then I get a call from the DD15 that she needs a ride home so I had to head out to the high school to pick her up. I attended the President’s reception and met several of my Team Awesome teammates that could make the trip on Friday. We enjoyed chatting, drinks and snacks. On my way out of the Shaw Centre I somehow crossed the road, made my way up the spiral staircase and tripped on my own clown feet and bashed my knee. Perfect! Just right before race day. 😡 In any event I iced it and applied some Voltaren that night and all day Friday ( morning and pre/post race).

Team Awesome

Team this is why we're awesome

 

Race Kit

Flat Dan

Official 2019 Race Gear by Surge Activewear 

Social Media Champions

Dan Pak Fan Club 😄

Team Heart, but Shirt was too small 😞

Saturday

I met up with Team Nuun at Noon and met other ambassadors. Learned about when some products may or may not make it up from the states all depends on Health Canada. 
Then Jennifer Tuthill and I hung out as she was taking over the IG for Ottawa Marathon. Also ML was my usual valet/Sherpa/Pak Mule to hold my gear. 
ML and I went to the Rideau Centre and had lunch. So of course I had Asian. 😉🤪
Then we went back and found Jenn and relaxed while we waited for the 5K to start so we could head to the VIP area and cheer on the speedy 5K folks. 
Then I went off to stretch with Team Heart and loosen up for the 10K. Then it was off to the yellow corral where two of my teammates Chantal and Sonia found me. We all started together but soon Sonia peeled away. 
The highlight was the RCAF flybys. Definitely deafening and awesome. Thebrain held off until about 3K and then it rained. I never saw Sonia but did find Leanne and ran with her until her walk break. I continued and saw Jamie and Rebecca and gave them 👋🏼. The next cheer section was the OCRC gang and they were loud and saw Suzanne and Brianna I had a comfortable 1st 5K and then I increased my speed along the way for the back half thanks to the community of support and finished in a respectable 1:08 for my 5th race of 2019. Oh and thanks Éveric for the finish line vid merci beaucoup! Tu es formidable! 
We finished off the evening by cheering on the last of the 10K runners still on the course. 

Nuun at Noon

The dreaded spiral staircase to the start corral of the new course

Yellow Corral

My TA crew

RCAF fighter flyby

10 K race - 5th Road race of 2019

Negative split

Earned the bling

Sunday 

I traded my Team Awesome shirt for Xtra Mile Crew Ottawa as well I went downtown early with my fellow 37K crew members Cathy and Deena and we wanted to see the elites as they went by. We all went to the 37K point and saw the lead groups again and then just began cheering all the runners of different paces. 
I saw several run friends (too many to tag) but definitely inspired by your perseverance in the drastic weather that is HOttawa aka Race Weekend. I ran with several runners and ran at least two in all the way. Oh and thanksNicole for the water 💧 One was Mei Ling who I saw as I dropped off someone at the medic table and then who I found later on just past Rideau and ran her all the way in but had to make a stop with the Bad Ass lady gang where she did a burpee 😂
We stuck together and then I went back out to help others. 
One of which was my GP who had a hunch and sent me on my journey with the Heart Institute. So we chatted and I left him to walk himself to the end. It was his 30 something straight Ottawa Marathon streak. 😲 
I have to say wearing the Orange shirt was an honour. There are runners afraid to ask for help but definitely some that just said run with me. Very gratifying. 
When the last of the remaining Marathoners were coming in the rest of the crew all ran together to the finish and we posed for a group photo. It was definitely an amazing weekend. Congratulations to everyone that had many firsts and for running in temperatures that we have not seen very often. Wear that bling proud! You’ve earned it. 
🏅🙌🏼🍻

Ready to cheer on the marathon crew at 37K

A few more showed up

Choose wisely

Cathy and I

 

Deena and I

Cam

Peggy

It's a tad hot on this stretch

Found Mei and brought her to the Bad Assery

Bad Ass Lady Gang

Not having any fun at all

Best finish line run in

Run/Walk the equivalent of a 1/2 marathon and some

That's it for us!

Finish line group photo

Race Photos

So I wasn't going to buy the photos, but I did anyways as I wanted to show the Cardiac Athletes gear and of course the weather and how quick it changed. Thanks Marathon-Photos!