A Spring Breakthrough

The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail several weeks ago

It’s an understatement to say that the winter we just experienced here in the northern U.S was especially brutal. As soon as one wicked snow storm passed through, another quickly followed, often dumping several more inches of snow on the several inches already on the ground. To make matters worse, the extreme cold greatly slowed the melting process, seemingly making large snow mountains permanent features of the landscape. For all the problems the snow caused, it was often beautiful to look at.

As snowy and brutal as it was, I managed to defy Old Man Winter’s ruthlessness. Isn’t the whole point of fitness being able to meet a challenge anyway? So I managed to joggle for hundreds of miles, mostly by running in loops around the few precious areas where the snow was cleared. At times the brutally cold wind sounded like Old Man Winter was laughing, but I persevered.

The snow, ice and very cold air greatly slowed me down, but I figured that my persistence would eventually pay off once spring arrived, and I was right. At first I merely wanted to match my pace from autumn of last year, but I did better than expected and joggled a half-marathon in 1:39:17, my first sub 1:40 half-marathon or 13.1. I dropped twice. This wasn’t even a race, it was a training run. Sure, I’m not nearly as fast as Michael Kapral(1:20:40 half-marathon), who was recently featured in Runner’s World for his incredible joggling achievements, but it’s an improvement for me.

To improve my speed, I didn’t drastically alter my diet(vegan as always) or training, or take any supplements, except that I am doing less upper body strength work these days. I think once a week is better than twice. All the hill training I do is really just a form of strength-training for the legs.

Let this be a lesson to everyone that persistence pays, when it comes to running or anything else in life.

When I Couldn’t Outrun Arthritis, I Learned to Joggle

Rather than write my own blog post about joggling and arthritis, I thought it would be much better to let my friend Dana Guglielmo be a guest blogger for this topic, since she has arthritis and is an amazing joggler who holds a world record certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Without further delay, here is her inspirational story.

When I Couldn’t Outrun Arthritis, I Learned to Joggle

By Dana Guglielmo

It was the camaraderie and entertainment that first lured me into the sport of joggling (juggling while running), and when I say entertainment, it’s a two-way street. I try to make the people around me laugh with the joggling; in return, the runners and spectators make me laugh with their hilarious comments. Joggling is basically an open invitation for people to talk to you (and make inappropriate ball jokes).

“What, did I seriously just get passed by a girl juggler? You just completely emasculated me!”

My new hobby has inspired countless laughs, but perhaps the most important gift it brought me was a new approach to battling a chronic condition: Inflammatory arthritis.

***

“You know, Dana, when you run so many miles it makes me wonder what you’re running from,” my friend joked.

I was heading out the door for my second run of the day; that week I had run close to 50 miles. I laughed about it, but there was some truth to her statement – I was definitely running from something.

I began joggling last year, and as I faced the challenge of running with three hacky sacks spinning in a cascade pattern, I also faced a new challenge in managing my arthritis.

Not only did my medications stop working for me, but I began having serious side effects from them. But lowering my medications risked damaging my joints; increasing them risked damaging vital organs.

I couldn’t win.

After trying to outrun my arthritis for seven years, I realized my arthritis had outrun me.

Gone were the days that I could wake up, pop 8 pills, inject more medication into my stomach and expect to feel amazing on a 15 mile long run. The same medications that enabled me to outrun the disease for seven years had stopped me dead in my tracks.

Change was in order. So I stopped trying to outrun my arthritis, and instead, I began learning how to manage it along with being an athlete.

I met with a new rheumatologist and dietitian that both fully support my dream of running marathons. Under their guidance, I lowered my medications and altered my diet. As it turns out, the best diet for arthritis patients is the same diet that nearly everyone should follow to be healthy.

For the first time in my life, I took it easy. I chilled out. I let go of my need to perfect every little thing. I exercised based on how I felt, and not what my training schedule said.

With my new lifestyle and positive mindset, the juggling ball of arthritis became significantly lighter. I stopped running with fear and denial, and began moving forward with confidence.

In time, I stopped running from my arthritis. Joggling helped me to manage my health in a way that running never could do on its own. Sure, there will be days that I “drop a ball” and have pain, but you’re allowed to drop a ball – even in an official Guinness World Record attempt!

Whether it’s juggling my hacky sacks or juggling arthritis, I hope to be juggling everywhere I go – running included.

Funding Research To Cure Arthritis

Joggling4Arthritis

Dana Guglielmo’s blog – Beating PRs & Beating Arthritis

Follow Dana Guglielmo on Twitter

The best joggling site – Just Your Average Joggler

For those of you who really want to learn everything there is to know about joggling, the best site by far for this is Just Your Average Joggler. The “average” joggler who runs the site is Perry Romanowski, author and cosmetic chemist. He’s been joggling for over 2 decades, has the second longest joggling streak in the world, and holds the world record for the fastest time joggling a 50 mile ultra-marathon. He regularly joggles half-marathons and marathons, and is planning on doing a 100 mile ultra-marathon. That’s freaking amazing!

His inspirational site has great tips for beginner jogglers and as well as advanced jogglers. Also has lots of excellent, science-based general health and fitness advice, and product reviews. He closely follows the world of joggling, and his site includes interviews of many accomplished jogglers.

Although I have mentioned his site before, it deserves to be mentioned again, since his humorous site helped me get started in joggling more than any other(granted, there are very few joggling sites). Should joggling become much more popular, a lot of, if not most of the credit should go to Perry and his website. Make sure you stop by and say hello and read all you can!

Just Your Average Joggler