The Ups, The Downs, The All-Arounds!

Yesterday started off as one of the crappiest days I've had in a long, long time. On Friday, I got something that I hadn't experienced in almost three years: My Period.
I am personally not into swearing. Those words rarely enter my vocabulary and I just have never enjoyed saying them...that being said, by Friday night, I was feeling BITCHY and several profanities were zigzagging through my mind. You see, when you haven't had something like that in a long time, you forget how unpleasant and inconvenient it can be! Don't get me wrong; after being told by a walk-in-clinic doctor that I am infertile (*not by my doctor, it was the first time I had EVER seen this doctor...I saw her complaining of a sinus infection and she made this bold claim before running ANY tests), I am THRILLED to have my period....Dan and I want to have more children and it's been my dream since I was a little girl to be a mother. After this false news was delivered to me a few months back, my doctor as well as in-laws (who are physicians), reassured me that this was NOT true...but I couldn't help but worry and cry over the possibility. I have a beautiful, healthy son and he came as both a surprise and a blessing to my husband and I...and maybe I am selfish for saying this, but I want more! There are so many people out there who want to have children but can't and it's devastating. I feel blessed that I am able too, but for a fraction of a moment, I was told and believed that I couldn't. It was horrible.
So when my period arrived, Dan and I celebrated and were feeling incredibly happy. I went from feeling happy to crampy within hours and I was MISERABLE yesterday! I felt ridiculously hormonal and emotional. I went to see Sex and the City 2 with my mom and cried during the preview for this upcoming movie 'Life As We Know It' with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. (I don't think that the movie trailer was supposed to make people sob). As I watched the movie and saw Samantha's character consuming globs of hummus and yams trying to counter-act her 'menopause', I stared down at the bag of cherry pits and laughed. I literally consumed about 2 lbs of cherries while watching the movie out of a pure act of desperation (tart cherries contain higher levels then sweet cherries of anthocyanins which can reduce pain and inflammation). I also did something that is bizarre and strange for me. I consumed an entire 80% dark chocolate and almond bar (I am not a chocolate bar-craving person at all)...WEIRD....what was happening to my mind over matter???!!! I could feel panic setting in as the cramps intensified and all I wanted to do was lie on the couch in lululemons! So I thought to myself, SCREW THAT and when I came home, I threw on my work-out clothes, runners, grabbed my running belt with water and went on an INTENSE work-out, determined to kick my period's ass!
I am not an angry person on your average day and my workouts are usually peaceful and full of positivity and happiness...but yesterday when I set foot on my run, I ran with intensity, purpose and to see if running could diminish the intensity of my cramps.
I practically sprinted the first 40 minutes of my run. I ran up two huge hills with such force that I even surprised myself! I wasn't going to let my period control me. I thought about how a period comes every 28 days on average and mine lasts for a full week and I can't handle feeling this terrible for an entire week! After 40 minutes I came to a track and ran up and down the stadium stairs 30 times and then did 100 meters of walking lunges. It was interesting because when I started my run the weather was stormy and matched my mood but as I arrived at the track, the clouds had parted and the sun shone down on me and matched my joy and happiness. My cramps had settled and I felt proud of myself for persevering through the initial discomfort. After running the stairs, I followed that with butt kicks and high knees and then did burpees, tricep dips and push-ups. I repeated that and then finished off at the track with some serious ab exercises, jump squats and high jumps. I ran easy home and it took me about half an hour because after ten minutes, my cramps returned (okay, maybe I overdid it), and I had to ease off and give my body a break.
When I came home, I stretched and ate a plate of steamed kale, green beans, peas, hemp hearts and avocado. I read that the best foods to consume during menstruation are fruits and vegetables. A clean diet can really help your pain. So that chocolate bar was probably the worst food-choice I could have made!

Last night Dan gave me a massage and it felt amazing! I felt like myself again and this morning woke up feeling AMAZING! Yes I still have my period, but it's manageable and I feel like I will survive!!!!
Dan just started running last week. We went for our first run together last week and it was the most incredible feeling to share my passion and love, with the man I love! Today was our second run together! My mom took Noah to her friend's farm to collect eggs and mingle with the animals, while Dan and I ran with Maggie around Elk and Beaver Lake. Dan ran his first 10km! We had to stop a bit because he has a sore knee (not something you want to play around with), but we completed it, had some 'just us' time and it felt great!