Well, Some People Are Still Streaking and Why Vertigo SUCKS!

Well it’s Week 3 in the December 5K a day Challenge and 3 ladies are still holding strong!  Congrats to Raina, Bobbi and Kim!  You ladies are knocking it out of the park!  Not only did you have another solid week, but you are the only 3 ladies left in the competition!

Looks like maybe the craziness of the holidays or this freezing cold weather might have taken a toll on our little group.  In spite of the fact that only 3 ladies “streaked” last week, ten people still logged an impressive 233 miles last week!  Congrats to everyone.  Now let’s finish this final week strong!

Congrats to our Weekly Winner Raina @ Small Town Runner.  You’ve have won these awesome touch screen gloves so you can keep on texting while running even in this cold weather!  Please e-mail me address at weatherlymh01@yahoo.com and I will ship them right away.

I missed my first day(s) last week.  And I couldn’t have been more disappointed.  If I had just gotten to the point where I was too tired and it had been my decision to miss a day I think I could stomach it more….but I feel like my streak was stolen from me.

If you have been reading my blog awhile then you might recall that I had some issues with vertigo in late July after my Half Ironman. At the time, I thought it was induced by some medication I was taking.  However, over the last 6 months I have had two other “attacks” and that’s really the only way I know how to describe them.

On Friday night while in a dead sleep I woke up to the entire room spinning.  This isn’t the type of mild dizziness that we all experience occasionally.  This is heart racing, extreme dizziness to the point where you can’t stand up.  It’s so intense you can even “hear” it inside your head.  It’s like there’s a helicopter in your head.  The intensity luckily only a short period of time, but it leaves you with moderate dizziness for a long period of time.  The first time I had one of these attacks I was dizzy for about 6 weeks, the second time it was about 3 and I don’t know how long this one will last.  Each day it gets a little better, but it’s always there. 

So, not only could I not run on Saturday morning, I literally could barely get out of bed.  The best thing to do is just to lay still and hope it passes soon.  As the weekend progressed I felt better, but even today I am still very dizzy and just do not feel “normal” at all.  It really sucks.  If you’ve never experienced it I truly hope you never do. 

I went to see my primary care physician after the 1^st time who told me it was basically something I was going to have to live with from now on.  I’d just have the occasional “dizzy” spell.  But after this third episode I’ve decided to see an ENT to see if there is anything else I can do.  A full day in bed approximately every two month, followed by a month of dizziness is just way too much.  It just doesn’t feel normal.

So there you have it.  I have done a couple of walk/runs since then, but I just don’t have the focus to really run right now.  I was on such a roll too!  I did manage to run 20 consecutive days, which was definitely my longest streak ever.  I’m happy about that.  So maybe I’ll try this again next December.

On a happier note, my parents were in town for Christmas.  I haven’t spent a Christmas with them in about 15 years I think.  It was nice to have family around.  I got to spend good quality time with my parents and sister, as well as my step kids and grandson and of course Jim.  We had a great Christmas and I got him the BEST Christmas gift ever. The Jim Bobble Head…Oh yes, it’s mini Jim.

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas.