The Journey

When you grow up with less, you learn how to make a dollar out 15 cents See Langston was right. Life ain’t no crystal stair and grit is only a new concept to the comfortable living high on Maslow’s hierarchy. See when you grow up with little, you can make something out of nothing. You know how to create calm in the chaos.  We know how to maximize with minimal. We’ve been living the game of Chutes and Ladders.  We’ve been watching those who sit securely in the cushy desks slide down the chute while others who have been the backbone of this nation climb up the ladder to save her. See Patti told us Your Ams to Short to box with God. She’s right you know But this is all about show Healthcare is a human right Nah, I’m not one to pick a fight But... Like Stevie said we living on the edge of.. COVID-19 So forgive me this may sound mean For all of those who were against Obamacare and said it was like Government cheese Give your check to essential workers please A...

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Why dedicate a month to diabetes awareness?  According to the American Diabetes Association, over 9.4% or @ 30 million Americans have diabetes type 2.  Chances are if you have 10 people in a room, one out of the 10 will have diagnosed or undiagnosed  diabetes mellitus type 2.  Unlike diabetes mellitus type 1, an autoimmune disease, diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) is related to lifestyle.  This means that this disease process can be reversed through changes in nutrition and exercise. What is Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (DMT2)?  The pathophysiology of diabetes is quite complex.  The simplest explanation is that diabetes is a disease process where there is excessive glucose (sugar) circulating in their bloodstream that is not being used properly by the cells.  Instead of the glucose (sugar) going into cells where it can be used for fuel, the glucose remains in the bloodstream where it builds up an...

Occasionally, I participate in low- key races for the fun and to test my personal limits. It was a great day for sure. I watched my fellow triathlete get 2nd place in her age group and saw many familiar faces in Multisports that I have raced with all season. This was my last multisport race for season so what a wonderful way to end the season. Yesterday, I completed a local Duathlon. After the race, I packed up my belongings and drove to a local supermarket to grab food before heading home. I wore my medal to the supermarket. Someone asked me, “Did you win the race?” I smiled and said, “No.”The lady continued “ How come you got a medal and you did even win?” I smiled with my best Stacy smile thinking should I answer or not. I did. I replied “ Every athlete who finished earned the medal. They trained to get to the starting line and decided to put themselves through a 15 mile course that required them to run then bike then run again. The participants’ ages ra...

The most important thing that you can do is commit 100% to becoming the person that you’re meant to be, living the life you so deeply desire to live. This means more than just saying, “I want this.” It means that you will go after this dream of yours with every ounce of energy that you have. It means structuring your life in a way that can only support your success. You may have to work at a job you don’t like in an unrelated industry; that’s okay. If you’re ready to commit to making your dream a reality, then find a job that allows you to be done at the end of the day. Don’t look for the competitive position with room for growth; look for something that pays and lets you leave when the day is over. Committing 100% means you don’t waste time sitting on the couch watching hours of mindless television. It means you’re reading, practicing, applying, writing, or doing something that moves you closer to your goal. It’s all about hustle, baby! Yes, take breaks, care for...

This is the first triathlon I’ve participated in since 2017.   I have been practicing my swim and participating in other events including relay, fun runs and Duathlons this year.   I trained for the Chicago Tri but the swim was canceled so I decided to sign up for the Baltimore Tri on October 5. I’m anxious about swimming so I needed to see if I actually break through my mental block of having to do my weakest sport first. Swim  This event took place at Hammerman Beach where the Gunpowder river meets the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore County, Maryland. The Bay consists underwater grasses surprisingly with shallow water in sections. Why is this important to know?    Keep reading.   It’s 7:30 am on race day. The water is choppy with sea needles and vegetation everywhere. The water temps were reported as 64.4 degrees then 68.4. The truth lies somewhere in between. Images of a cold sea monsters went through my head. My mind was ...

Ooooooooohhhhh Chicago, Chicago.... I signed up for the Chicago Triathlon on a whim so I could hang out with friends and get at least one OWS tri completed before the end tri season.  Well,  the triathlon did not happen.  The Chicago Triathlon became a Duathlon.  I had to laugh at myself.   I actually completed two duathlons earlier this year.  But here I am on number 3.  They say, three times is a charm right?   Perhaps, the "Tri spirits" were cutting me some slack.  I chuckled to myself when the swim was cancelled.  I was both relieved and bummed.  I seriously wanted to swim in Lake Michigan since I did NOT complete the swim portion of the 2017 Chicago Tri.  (You can read about that triathlon from my 2017 post.)  But I am grateful.  My team mates who live in Chicago were wonderful hosts.  I was surrounded by new and old friends, athletes and volunteers. I count that a win for sure. In triat...

The Hagerstown Duathlon is a fun local race in Maryland. It was one of the first multi-sport races I participated in back in 2013 before I could swim.  This small town family friendly duathlon brings out the local multi-sport athletes from Western Maryland and alike.  It is well organized and great fun to kick off the season.  So I signed up.  This was my first solo multi-sport race since 2017.  For the past 2 years, I have participated in individual sports i.e. running only, swimming only or relay but just didn't have the time to participate in anything more than that.  So I figured " Hey look Stacy, you have nothing to lose just show up."  With my under-trained happy attitude, I decided to participate in this Duathlon.  The course consisted of a 1.8 mile run, 10 mile bike and 5k run.  It was relatively flat and safe.   Yadda Yadda.  As you know, my blogs are really never about the race.  It is all the BSS (Behind the ...