Why the blog name change?

I felt that I was at a point where my blog needed some sprucing up and I was concerned that "Rebecca's Blog" wasn't going to get the traffic I desired. So I posted on Facebook that I needed help with coming up with a new name for my blog. The two options that I liked the best out of the suggestions were "Rebecca Rebuilt" and "Becky Brings It". I was most drawn to "Rebecca Rebuilt" but I commented that I am not done with my weight loss journey so I am not completely "rebuilt". The final suggestion was "Rebuilding Rebecca" and there was the new name of my blog.

I felt that this name was absolutely perfect not just because of my weight loss journey. I began my journey because of medical conditions. I wouldn't say that I was necessarily "broken" but I was in need of "fixing". In November 2008, I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), a rare autoimmune-like disease in which immunoglobin A is deposited in the kidneys and eventually damages the glomeruli or the filters in the kidneys. I had no symptoms for years up until that previous March when I was racked with horrible flank pain on my right side and constant and persistent nausea (we later discovered that this last symptom was due to a gluten sensitivity and have been gluten free now for 16 months). It took my doctors 8 months to figure it out after seeing numerous specialists and enduring multiple tests including CAT scans, urological tests, and finally a renal biopsy. Some individuals with IgAN have a more aggressive form of the disease and progress through the stages of chronic kidney disease to end stage renal disease requiring dialysis and/or transplant. Others, like me, have a nonaggressive form that may never progress to chronic kidney disease.  However, my nephrologist (a kidney specialist that I now see on a regular basis) has warned me that my disease could turn aggressive at any point and often times without warning. I am determined to keep it nonaggressive.

I remember being very angry when I was first diagnosed. How could this be happening to me and more importantly why was it happening now. I had just begun my first semester of my first year in the PhD program. I was on the road to becoming the future academic at a Tier I university and I was scared about how this new "development" was going to interfere with our plans.

My nephrologist began my treatment with ACE inhibitors, medication that lowers blood pressure and has been shown to slow the progression of damage to the kidneys. However, I wasn't reacting to this medication very well and even on the lowest dose possible I was constantly dizzy and couldn't think clearly which didn't help with school or work. She subsequently took me off this medication. The pain, however, never subsided and with the constant stress of the PhD program, it only made things worse.

For two years while I was busy completing my coursework I endured the constant pain, nausea, muscle weakness, exhaustion, confusion, and inability to concentrate. This was not like me, I was not one to let something control me or my future path. The final straw came after the second round of prednisone treatment I was prescribed to deal with the pain. The first time I was prescribed prednisone, I didn't have many bad reactions. My appetite was increased but that was about it. The second time, however, was dramatically different. Instead of gradually stepping up the doses as in the first time, the second time I was given the pack where you start out with the highest dose on the first day and gradually decrease the doses. This time the side effects were ridiculous. I was constantly hungry, restless, and angry. I was a bitch on this medication!! I also couldn't sleep at all. Normally, I would have been excited about insomnia so that I could get some work done, especially at the end of my coursework. This insomnia was unproductive. I couldn't concentrate at all and my mind was racing. I had enough. I made the decision at this point that I was done with letting this disease control me. I was going to control it. I was in charge of my destiny and my future and I wasn't going to let this disease take away all that I had worked so hard to accomplish.

So, that following month after my courses were complete and I had time to decompress from the semester, I went on a gluten free diet and joined the BAC with a friend. It took time, but the weight started coming off and gradually I felt better. The pain subsided as did the nausea and I was beginning to transform before my very eyes.

Now, I am 53 pounds lighter, running again (Yay!), completed 4 5K races, and am a Zumba instructor at the Eastern Hills BAC. I never thought when I joined the gym that I would be employee of the gym. I am so much healthier now and I eat better than I ever have before. I concentrate on getting at least 8 glasses of water in a day and 6 servings of fruits and vegetables. I rarely eat fried foods since I need to be concerned about cross contamination and also because fried foods contain acrylamide, something I do not want in my body. I work out 5-6 days a week doing various activities such as strength training, TRX, boxing, running, spinning, and Zumba. Sometimes I'm at the gym for hours or make multiple trips. I have found a new passion with health and fitness and I want to learn everything I can about living a healthy lifestyle and am working to incorporate more of that into my future plans. I am constantly thinking about and searching for our next 5K and considering additional fitness certifications. Three years ago, when I was extremely overweight and unhealthy I never thought I would be thinking about training for a 10K or half marathon.

So I am on my way to being "rebuilt". I may never be whole again because of my disease but I can at least make myself 99% rebuilt. The point is that I feel like I am in control and I know the warning signs of a flare up. And even if that 1% is missing, I still feel stronger than I ever have before.

Daily Exercise Log

This will be the post where I will update my daily exercise activities so that you can see what I am doing and maybe get some ideas to add to your own routine.

Sunday, September 25th
Ran the Linda Yalem 5K Safety Run (See my post on this run for my reflections on the event)

Monday, September 26th
90 minutes of strength training with my hubby

Tuesday, September 27th
Taught my Zumba class (60 minutes)
Taught 1/2 hour and participated in the other 1/2 of a fellow instructor's Zumba class

Wednesday, September 28th
Rest Day

Thursday, September 29th
Taught my Zumba class (60 minutes)

Friday, September 30th
60 minutes of Zumba
Taught a fellow instructor's Zumba class (60 minutes)

Saturday, October 1st
Rest Day- cold, rainy weather is wreaking havoc on my injured shoulder and knee

Sunday, October 2nd
Attended the New Balance Good Form Running Clinic, minimal running but didn't do much else due to extreme shoulder and knee pain

Monday, October 3rd
Attempted a run in my new runners but could only do a half mile...new sneakers seem to be forcing me to land differently and I became frustrated.

Tuesday, October 4th
Taught my Zumba class (60 minutes)
Co-taught a fellow instructors class (60 minutes)

Wednesday, October 5th
Rest day- between meetings and work, no time for a workout

Thursday, October 6th
Taught my Zumba class (60 minutes)
Ran for 2.5 miles, practiced GFR and a few fartleks, great run in new runners

Friday, October 7th
Zumba class (60 minutes)

Saturday, October 8th
Boxing/TRX (60 minutes)
Ran 5K

Sunday, October 9th
Rest day

Monday, October 10th
Ran 4.51 miles!!!! It felt amazing and I'm less than a half a mile away from having the mileage down for the Turkey Trot

Tuesday, October 11th
Taught my Zumba Class (60 minutes)

Wednesday, October 12th
Rest day-knee is not cooperating at all!!!

Thursday, October 13th
Taught my Zumba Class (60 minutes)

Friday, October 14th
Zumba (60 minutes)
Attempted a 5K run, had to turn back, both knee and right calf were killing me

Saturday, October 15th
TRX/Boxing

Sunday, October 16th
Ran 3.25 miles-felt much better

Monday, October 17th
Attempted to run a 5K, again the right calf was bothering me

Tuesday, October 18th
Ran 2.25 miles on the treadmill at the gym, felt good
Taught my Zumba class (60 minutes)

Wednesday, October 19th
Rest day, had a massage the previous day so my body needed some recuperation time

My 4th 5K!!!

Never before did I think I would be saying that I finished my 4th 5K. I still have to re-read that to make sure it's accurate. I completed the Linda Yalem 5K Safety Run at the University at Buffalo yesterday morning. This race, now in it's 22nd year, is commemorate the memory of Linda Yalem, a UB student who was raped and murdered while she ran along the bike path near UB. The focus of this race is also to stress the importance of safety when running and to never run alone. I ran it with my husband who has been the best running buddy and coach ever!! He stuck with me all the way to the end sacrificing his PR. It was a beautiful Sunday morning with blue skies and comfortable temps for a race. I was so tired that morning since I have not been sleeping well the previous 5 nights. I ate what is now becoming my normal breakfast: coffee and plain Greek yogurt with honey. I'm always a bundle full of nerves before any race, so to distract myself I focused on eating my entire energy gel pack (I think this really helped me). The line up always increases my anxiety and then once we are off I get so excited. I'm always saying in the back of my mind "I'm really doing this". I felt good the whole race which I was really excited about especially since I have not run on pavement in over 2 months (Dirty Girl was mostly trails so I'm not counting that). I hit the first mile marker with my best pace time ever! I was determined not to let myself slack and I felt confident that I could finish it at that pace. There were some small hills that I knew about but this time the hills didn't bother me like they did at Dirty Girl or Girls on the Run. I attacked them confidently. The entire route was lined with volunteers and members of various student groups and Greek organizations. They held signs, yelled, clapped, and cheered us on. I gave a thumbs up as I passed most of them and told one group that was the biggest and the loudest that they were the best group on the route! They truly were awesome and encouraging and placed just at the right spot at the 2.5 mile point. Finally, I rounded the last curve and I could see the finish line. I sprinted ahead motivated by some runners who had finished the race and were saying, "push it, you're almost there". I saw the clock and was completely amazed that it said 43:45. I have NEVER finished a 5K, even in practice, in under 45 minutes. I raced ahead determined to not let that clock reach 44 minutes and I crossed the finish line at 43:59. My chip timing was 43:30 with a 14:02 pace! A new PR for me!!! I felt on top of the world!!! I couldn't believe it especially since I had not completed a 5K race in so long. I now know that all of the work I continued to do despite my inconsistent running due to back pain was really helping me. My husband snapped a pic with me all smiles.

I realize that a 14 minute mile is really slow, but for me this was the best feeling ever since I have shaved over a minute off of my miles and nearly 4 minutes off from my previous timed race (Dirty Girl was not timed but I am still counting it in my chart of completed 5K's). My goal for the next few weeks is to work up to 5 miles so that I will be ready for the Turkey Trot in November. Next race on our list is the Niagara Falls International 5K in October.

At the end of the race was the post party complete with a free buffet. I couldn't believe how much food they had for us. There was chicken and penne pasta (which I could not eat), green beans (they were yummy), veggie soup, pb & j sandwiches, oranges, bananas, yogurt, and rolls with butter. All FREE!!! The beans, yogurt, and banana were exactly what I needed. As we were eating we got to watch the Kid's Dash, which was absolutely adorable. I think this would be a perfect family event next year and I know my nephew would LOVE to do the Kid's Dash. Overall, this was one of the best races that I've completed and I couldn't have done it without my amazing husband/running buddy/coach. He has really encouraged me to push and challenge myself. You're the best honey!!

Dirty Girl!!!

Starting Line!

I can get dirt in my nails and not freak out!

See, I can get dirty!

My bruised knees from the tunnels!! Ouch! These bruises lasted 2 weeks!

I had a BLAST at the Dirty Girl Mud Run, my 3rd 5K. This wasn't a timed or competitive event but I'm still counting it on my list of completed 5K's. The event took place at Emery Park in South Wales and was full of hills and the course was a combination of trails and pavement. I was very nervous about the climbing obstacles but was pretty confident that I could complete the other ones (10 obstacles in all). One of the girls in my Zumba class convinced me to join her team which consisted of some of her coworkers and family members. They were an amazing group of women, so incredibly nice and supportive throughout the race. In fact, every single woman I encountered on the run was incredibly supportive; the camaraderie was simply amazing. Everyone encouraged everyone else throughout the race and through the obstacles and it was contagious!! I found myself encouraging perfect strangers but somehow we weren't strangers since we all had the same goal and were all in this together!

I always get pre-race jitters and this race was no exception. I think the jitters this time were more about being able to do all the obstacles rather than finishing the race. I knew I could finish, I've done 5K's before. But 3 specific obstacles frightened me because I though I couldn't climb. Waves up to 150 women went out every 15 minutes. I was with my team at the start line anxiously awaiting our start. We joked about random things, chatted about the Turkey Trot, and mentioned how we were looking forward to the free sangria at the finish line. Finally, the horn sounds and we're off!! We all cheered as we passed the start line, ran down a small hill, around a bend, and approached our first obstacle, The Barn Burner, a pyramid of hail bales. I remember thinking, "oh great! A climbing obstacle just has to be first." I was with one of my teammates, Ryann, and we both climbed up that first bale. I noticed that if I grabbed onto the twine that secured the bales it made climbing up much easier. I mentioned that to Ryann and we both got to the top at the same time and got down one bale at a time. I got to the bottom and ran up the hill with Ryann. A sudden wave of emotions began to surface as I realized that I just climbed that obstacle and I didn't even bat an eye. "I'm really doing this", I thought. The next obstacle, "H2OMG" was so much fun. As a team we climbed into the water pit and at first it was only knee deep and then there was a big drop off and suddenly we were in waist deep water and boy was it COLD!!!! The assent out of the pit was incredibly muddy and one of my teammates got stuck. We got her out and we were off again. At this time I realized how difficult it was to run...my water logged shorts kept falling down. Some of the members of my team stopped running at this point and because of my shorts, I decided to walk it too. Next up was 'Just Get Over It', a wall that had different height options. I took the smallest of the options since after all, I wasn't going to break a nail over a wall! One of my teammates took a higher option so we got to the other side to help her over and encourage her. She did it! I think at this point is were we walked/ran a bit since this was the start of the hills as we enter the woods. The next obstacle we faced was "One Ugly Mudder". Now, I thought this obstacle was just going to be a muddy hill but boy was I wrong. We were deep into the woods at this point and this obstacle involved us getting down into a muddy ravine and climb up a steep muddy hill to the other side. We had a thick rope to help us out but that didn't help me...I slide down into the ravine on my butt!! Okay, so now I'm muddy and wet but laughing hysterically!! One of the girls lost a shoe and we found it and up the hill we go! We are heavily in the woods now and come out to a road. At this point we are all walking, a little pooped from the obstacles, most likely. We go down the hill and pick up momentum as we go down. We round the corner into more woods. Up ahead we see a water station and boy was I excited for a cup of water. At this point, I lost some of my team members but met up with some others. We chatted as we walked along the route. We came into a clearing and up ahead of us was the "Tire Pump" a group of tires that we needed to hop through. I was too worried about falling or twisting an ankle so I stepped lightly and carefully through them. Nearly immediately after, we encounter "The Hangover", a combination of the "Tire Pump" along with hanging tires that we had to maneuver through. Whew! I was happy to be done with those. More trail and road sections along with another hill bigger than the previous ones. Prior to the hill, I told my two teammates that I wanted to run more of it and I sped ahead. Into the woods I go and I trek up the hill. At this point, I'm pretty tired and so I slow down to a walk. As I reach the top of the hill, I see the signs for the next obstacle, "Utopian Tubes" and I notice my husband at the other end of the tubes video taping me. To the side of him is a group of spectators who were yelling at us to "run". A women next to me snickered and I said to her, "Run? Did they just see all the hills we had to climb?". We get into a brief conversation about the tubes to which she said she was unsure of this obstacle. I said to her that I'm doing it and going in the big one. "Okay", she said, "I'm going behind you." Off we go into the tubes. The tubes looked as if they were those large plastic tubes that are used in drainages with ribs on the outside. As I'm crawling on my hands and knees, I could feel every rib from the outside of the tube. Boy is that going to leave a bruise! We get out of the tubes, I wave to Mark, and start jogging down the path. I look back to see if Mark's still there and he's moved on to the next obstacle, so I knew I was in the clear. Whew! I slow down to a walk again. I'm keeping pace with the women from the tubes (I wish I would have got her name) alternating between walking and running but mostly running. Up next was an obstacle (I forgot it's name) in which cargo nets were placed level with the ground with a small mud pit underneath. So with my tunnel friend beside me we both get down on our hands and knees and get under the nets. The mud was very smelly and cold! I could also feel branches and small rocks in the mud, which I knew was going to make my sore knees from the tunnels hurt even more. We emerge from the first one to encounter another net. Yikes! This one smelled even worse. I could feel more twigs and so I yelled out to the people behind me, "Watch out for the branches and rocks!". Finally I get out of that obstacle covered in mud, my hands were caked in it. I run down the hill with my tunnel friend closely behind me. I round another curve and noticed a group of spectators cheering on those that passed by. Included in that group was my husband with the camera. I waved to him with both hands, hoping that he caught my muddy hands on camera, proof that I can get mud under my nails and not freak out. At this point I knew I was near the end. Up next was the "Slip and Slide". At the top of the hill we were splashed with a bucket of water and then had to slide down the hill on the plastic tarp. A few ladies ahead of me walked down the tarp, not for me. I was going to slide down that hill and have a blast doing it. I get drenched and I get down on my stomach and I slid down the hill, only making it halfway down. Later on, I found out from friends in later waves that they removed the plastic tarp and they were able to slide down a muddy hill and as a result were much muddier than I was. I get up and walk down the rest of the tarp. I ran a little more with my tunnel friend through some more trees. We approached a grassy clearing in the woods and I knew there were only two obstacles left, including one that I feared the most. My tunnel friend and I cross through a small tree line, round another curve and there it was...the cargo net. The obstacle I knew I would have the most trouble with and the one that I had been considering going around. I approach it, skipping the turn off if I wanted to go around. My tunnel friend got up to it at the same time as me. She says to me, "are you going up it?". "I think I'm going to attempt it. I've made it this far and I can see the finish line. C'mon we can do it", I said to her. So up we both go. I carefully put one foot into each of the rungs in the rope. I get halfway up and I notice my friend struggling. She says, "I can't do it. I'm going back down". I told her that she could do and she made it this far up, she can make it all the way. Unfortunately, she was determined to get back down and proceeded to climb down backwards. I never saw her again and wish that while we were running that we would have exchanged names at least. She really helped get me through the toughest obstacles. Thank you. I was determined to not let this obstacle get the best of me. I had made it this far and I was going to finish this race!! I carefully maneuver myself up to the top and I get one leg and one hand over to the other side. I struggled to figure out how to get my other leg or arm over to the other side. The rung I needed to do so was too close to the metal support beam and was not an option. Then....I looked down and realized how high up I was. BIG mistake!! I instantly became paralyzed. Thoughts about falling off or falling through the net were swimming through my mind. I could feel other women coming up the net and it shook the net and made me more scared. There I was, straddling the top of the A-frame and I couldn't move. Two women who were coming up the net had reached the top. I told them to please go around me, I was too scared to move I told them. One of those women yelled at me and said, "Get that other leg over. C'mon, you can do it! You've made it this far. Put that leg right here!". Slowly, I got that leg over and put it right where she said. I climbed down the net next to her. Whoever she was, she got me over that net and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you!!! I noticed as I was going down the net that the rest of my team had caught up to me and were also descending from the net. Somewhere along the way I had passed them and I didn't realize it. I waited at the bottom for my teammates and encouraged them as well. They all get down and all four of us ran up to the last obstacle, "PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff)"...our mud pit. We all climb in together after I twisted my right ankle. But I didn't care, I was at the finish line and I was having a blast! I had seen some other women tip-toeing through the pit and decided that I wasn't going to do that. I came here to get muddy and I was going to get muddy. We all get down on our hands and knees and crawl through the cold, muddy water. One of my teammates slipped and was immersed in the mud and water, however, she didn't seem to mind and was laughing hysterically!! We were all laughing! We all got out of the pit and ran to the finish line together. I noticed Mark at the finish line videotaping me and so I ran up to him all smiles!!! I did it! I finished it and completed every obstacle! I have to say that I was very proud of myself for doing things I never thought I could do. Looking back, I'm pretty sure that all of my previous training prepared me for this event. I know now that I can get dirty, I can climb, and I can face my fears head on!

This was an amazing event. Not only was it fun but the camaraderie of complete strangers during each and every obstacle was incredibly moving. This race will be on my schedule next year and I will be forming my own team. Now that I know what to expect, I know how to alter my training so that I can run the entire event. I also proved that I can get dirty every once in a while and I wore my mud like a badge of honor. After all, I am a Dirty Girl!!!

I'm gonna be a "Dirty Girl"!!!

Stay tuned for pics this weekend. I am participating in the Dirty Girl Mud Run. For those of you who know me, know that I am dainty, LOVE anything sparkly, and do NOT like to get dirty. This is going to be an experience for me. Hopefully I don't get too much mud in my hair!!

Exercise always makes me feel better!

It's true. No matter what mood I'm in or how I'm feeling, exercise always makes me feel better. If I'm feeling tired or a little down, an hour of Zumba will instantly perk me up! If I am having trouble concentrating or just need to clear my head, a good run is the cure for that. If I am running low on self-confidence, an hour long strength training session will do the trick! I never thought that a little exercise would become such an integral part of my life to the point where if I'm feeling blue, angry, or frustrated exercise completely transforms my mood. Once I get into my groove, I forget about everything that upset me before and I truly love how I feel afterwards. I'm so ecstatic that I have discovered all the amazing benefits of exercise. Prior to beginning my journey, if I was in a foul mood or feeling sad I would continue to let it fester and would do nothing to alleviate those feelings. My life has truly changed for the better and I hope that others will come to experience the many benefits of exercise that I have experienced. Don't believe me, just try it for a week and see how much better you feel. I dare you :)

"You're an inspiration..."

I hear that at least twice a week from various individuals. Every time I hear it now it makes me smile, but I didn't always react that way at first. Accepting compliments has not been easy for me. I would always respond with a "thank you, but...". What follows the 'but' was always something negative, my way of ignoring the positive. What I lacked was self-confidence and a belief that I could accomplish great things. I am happy to say that I my self-confidence has dramatically improved, but it is still a work in progress. Now I respond with a "thank you!" and no 'but' on the end.

When I began my weight loss journey, being an inspiration to others was the furthest thing from my mind. I never imagined that would happen. Heck, I was just trying to do one more rep or walk for 5 more minutes. Somewhere along the way I did become an inspiration to others, let's call that a happy little accident. I have noticed that through my posts on Facebook, pictures, and "appearances" in the gym I have inspired more people to either begin their own journey, whatever that may look like, or put the pedal to the medal on their current journey. Knowing that I am helping others just by doing what I need to do to help myself, is inspiring to me. I always tell my Zumba class that we have a symbiotic relationship; I motivate them every class to give it their all and provide them with a great workout and in turn they keep me accountable. Slacking is not an option. Those individuals who tell me that I am inspiring to them make me want to do more, they make me want to train harder, add more push ups or planks, run for just one more mile, or sign up for one more 5K. So "thank you" again to all of those who have said I am inspiration to them because you inspire me as well!! Love you all!!