Running with Bob

  Edible weeds? Yes! Dandelions, just like other bitter greens, are a great source of nutrition such as iron, protein, and minerals. They also aid the digestive system while cleansing the liver and balance fluids in the body. The entire plant is edible, from the flower to the roots. The flowers, stems and greens can be eaten in a salad, juiced with other greens or blended into a green smoothie. The larger, tender leaves are best for adding to salad because they are less bitter than the smaller ones. The large, mature plants have the best roots, which can be dried or toasted and used for brewing tea and dandelion coffee. My back yard naturally grows so many dandelions throughout the spring and summer, so I am now beginning to harvest my own since I do not use any chemicals in my yard. I have always enjoyed dandelion tea by Traditional Medicinals and instant dandelion coffee by Dandy Blend, pics added below, but I am excited about trying fresh dandelion and even making my own tea!...

  I have had my ileostomy for five months, and I already feel healthier! In the past five years I had multiple abdominal surgeries which failed, complications and pain as I tried everything else possible before resorting to this. Ostomy stigma is real, as many people do not understand how life giving an ostomy can be. I had endured negativity from a few people about my life altering decision before surgery. Five years in pain before opting for an ileostomy because a past surgeon told me most people would rather live in pain than to have an ileostomy; misconceptions like this are devastating and I wish I had this surgery much sooner. As an ostomate with a passion to spread awareness and help reduce stigma through educating others, I am sharing my story through the Ostomy Awareness Foundation. Below are some links you can use to learn more and/ or help support this cause. https://www.givelocalccf.org/p2p/192038/stephanie-evans-a69208d9-bdbc-4d28-9532-daf6101dd08d https://www.ostomyaw...

 My first hiking trip since before getting the ileostomy! My son and I went to Morrow Mountain State Park in Albemarle, a two hour drive from where we live. We had a great time, and I was able to walk and jog the trails for two hours without worrying  about running to a bathroom. My bag was fine for the duration of the hike, supported with high waisted tummy control undies and high waisted biker shorts, but I carried extra supplies in a nice slim fanny pack just in case. Below are pics from the trail as well as the fanny pack, shorts and undies that I use and love.  Here I am so you can see what I'm wearing and you cannot even tell I have an ostomy bag, plus you can see the fanny pack is small and light.  This is my son, the only pic I was able to get of him on the trail lol This lovely fanny pack is very light and low profile, purchased off Amazon.com, it's called the Ushake Slim Running Belt Just the right size to carry an extra change of supplies These are all the...

 There is nothing like a long, relaxing run to feel better emotionally and physically. It reduces feelings of stress, gives me time to myself and creates a great headspace...all this together releases the cobwebs so I am able to think more clearly and am better equipped for problem solving. I also feel the burn in my legs which is a nice reminder that I'm doing something healthy for my body. This is the good burn lol Today was my first actual run this week; it's been raining a lot the past few days and the cold wet weather makes me want to hibernate. Today was a bit warmer, and it finally stopped raining, so was a great time to find solace and a little sunshine through the clouds. I increased my distance from last week's "long run" but also decreased my time by 17 seconds per mile! I will soon get back to my regular long runs which used to be 12+ miles at least once per week. Five miles used to be my quickie daily run during my lunch hour, sometimes a tempo and ot...

 I ordered this Nu Hope Hernia/Support belt for feeling more secure while working out and running. This is the four inch wide belt with a hole to fit the 2 1/4 pouch flange. So far it seems to work well and without feeling too bulky, and it stays in place without riding up or rolling. The material is thick but can feel a bit scratchy if it moves around [fitting it so it's snug and not loose helps]. They also have a "cool comfort" material that I didn't know about until after I ordered this one, and I'll definitely try that one next time, as it would probably be great for summer! The pouch cover is because I'm wearing a transparent bag which isn't cute lol  The belt comes up above my support panties and high waisted pants, but my stoma feels more secure without too much bulk.

 Today Spot and I just did a little 30 min fun run.... no time or distance tracking, just enjoyed getting out in the crisp evening air. Actually, I can feel the lack of running in my thighs now that I've started back up again. I forgot what the soreness of getting back into shape feels like, but it's nice to hit the pavement again. I will definitely be working on my endurance, get my distance back up as well as doing some speed work soon. These first few weeks, I'm just focusing on getting back into a routine to get out there consistently and have fun with it! 

 This is an important topic for any runner, as we need high quality nutrition to fuel our runs plus hydration. Also, a lot of training and distance running can lead to a weaker immune system if we're not careful. But for the ileostomate this is even more important, as we need to be careful to get enough electrolytes, vitamins and minerals as we lose so much through the effluent and also may not absorb as much nutrition from our food (especially for those with short bowel syndrome). Also our immune systems may be down for a while after surgery as our bodies are working so hard in the healing process. The amount of water and electrolytes I take in daily may seem excessive to most people, but I am always thirsty and feel dehydrated easily; without a colon I was already thirsty and drank a lot of water, but now with my ostomy I am even more thirsty all the time! I inserted pictures below with captions explaining everything I take. How do you keep up your hydration? Let me know in the c...