The Journey

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 and causes damage to the body. The most c

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 swirling.   I kept thinking  

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 triathlon, one must hold on to the hope of meeting their goal while gracefully

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 scenes stuff-Mental chatter we tell ourselves).

Spark Joy in Fitness.  Today we live in a data driven world. We track everything from our food intake to how many steps we take daily to how many miles we swam, rode or ran on our watches then download all the data to analyze our personal improvement. Is this you?  If so, you are probably nodding your head, “ Yup, that is me, “ but we know that quantitative data is only one method to assess fitness. In all honesty,  how much time do you spend reflecting on how you felt about your workouts?  Quantity does not equal quality.  As Marie Kondo would ask, “Did your workout spark joy?”  According to Kondo’s KonMari method if something does not spark joy, it should be discarded. No, this doesn’t mean you get to sit in front of the TV and eat cake all day, but one can use Kondo’s concept in their fitness journey.   Are you tied to a number in the scale, race time or training schedule?  How do you feel if you do not get to a goal weight, get a PR or miss a workout?  Perhaps, it’s time to

Exercise from the Inside Out: The Psycho-physiological Benefits of Exercise by Stacy Winters, ME.d MSN CRNP,  Certified Health Coach             Have you experienced low energy, poor quality sleep, or low self-esteem?   Have you considered exercise as a part of your personal wellness treatment plan?   Most people are aware of the physical health benefits of regular exercise.    Exercise promotes artery health, helps to lower blood pressure, improves blood lipid profiles, reduces one’s risk for obesity, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces cognitive decline, but it can also improve sleep, self-esteem, self-efficacy and cognition (Brehm-Curtis &  Ebooks Corporation, 2014; Kovacevic, Mavos, Heisz;  Singh, 2018; Mandolesi et al., 2018).     There are clear benefits of daily exercise on psychological health. Research shows that individuals who exercise have more effective stress management skills.   The ability to manage stress effectively not only reduces   bl