Karyn's 1st half marathon (without swimming and biking) and/or first ski trip to Washington state

Soooo....    we went to Seattle for Thanksgiving weekend.  Our good friend Catherine lives there and many of our monoski buddies as well - and there are 4 half marathons that weekend that aligned well with my full marathon training plan.  one on thurs, one on fri, one on sat and one on sun.  many people do all of them.   Many also complete all FOUR FULL marathons offered on those same days.

We arrived Wed night and had dinner with Catherine and her brother Tony who was visiting from California.  Thursday was sighseeing in downtown and then dinner with friends of Catherine who all seemed to have a Colorado connection!

Friday morning Tucker, Tony and I headed to meet our monoski friends for a day of skiing at Steven's Pass.   We brought boots and borrowed boards -

 

It was great except for the rain which froze on my goggles preventing any real good sight of what was going on around me.  I took 2 runs and called it a day.   But, it was a GOOD day!

The following day - Saturday - was the half marathon.  It was beautiful and warm (50s).  But, I had never run a half marathon.  I have walked one after some biking and swimming (1/2 Ironman) but have never run one.  I was scared and excited and unsure how things would pan out.  I followed my coach's plan and finished 1 hour faster than the 13.1 miles that I walked in my 1/2 Ironman last year!  (the finisher's medal is a bottle opener)

 

I followed this guy FOREVER and finally passed him around mile 8 or so... thank goodness.   He had the same saying tattooed on his calf.   Odd, but motivating.  He high fived me at the turn around as I passed him!  Such a low key race and such a good crowd!

 

We had brunch.  I took a shower and then we saw the wooden boat exhibit and then were off to Gregg and Darcy's house for dinner!  But first....   it started raining and we headed out with them on their boat to pick up the evening's dinner - crab!

We only got one crab but it was delicious!   It was a great excuse to race, see friends and ski!   Watch out, I might do it again next year!

Ironman Arizona spectating (and signing up)

The weekend before Thanksgiving I headed to Tempe to watch Ironman Arizona.   With many of my past teammates and other IronMonsters (Chicago based Triathlon team that I've made friends with).   The morning of the race started out watching the swim start and enjoying each other's company -

And the day ended - a little sleep deprived and excited to sign up the next day with my buddies at the finish line at midnight!

*I mentioned sleep deprived right???


The next morning 4 of us were in line at 5:20 am.....

We made friend with people that had CHAIRS!  yay!  no sitting on the cold, hard sidewalk for a few hours!


Registration was supposed to open at 8 but we think it opened early since we weren't at the front of the line and were done registering by 8:05.   Here are some of us right after we forked out the money (and our sanity).  (all of us are type 1 diabetics)

I'm really, really hoping to do this race but before then I have a half marathon (the Sat after Thanksgiving) and a full marathon (Jan 20th in Tempe) and who knows what else?!?!?

Today is..... World Diabetes Day..... screw that sh!t.

Today is World Diabetes Day -


I am facing healthcare costs that are more than 2X what they were 2 years ago (not including premium increases) and less tax free dollars to spend on them - thanks to the latest American legislature.

I'm not REALLY blaming Obama but I am.

I'm not usually politically vocal but this change means the new technology on the market is less affordable - a CGM with higher accuracy and better alarms is available NOW.....  I won't be paying the $399 'upgrade' fee but rather wait for my warranty to expire in July (which might cost me more with my copay).   JULY until I can keep better track of my blood sugar.  8 more months that might lead to more ER visits and/or complications.   BECAUSE I'm not willing to pay 'full' price for that 'luxury'.   So the system is still (and/or more) fucked.  Sorry, but I am pissed.

Now my healthcare costs a full $2000+ more per year than it did 2 years ago. 
*edited to add more detail to this additional $2000 - these are costs that my secondary insurance (Tucker's) used to cover for me BUT Obamacare has driven more and more companies to 'Consumer Driven Health Care' - which you can't have at the same time as traditional insurance - a.k.a. HSA.  Google it if you must. ;) 

Oh, AND I can only set aside $2500 tax free in my healthcare spending 'flex' account.(this is new for 2013) - because we thought that limiting this amount would result in more tax dollars to pay for Obamacare.  Sorry that I'm pissed but this hits close to home.   I just got a new insulin pump.  My co-pay?   $1000.  that is almost half of my $2500 of pre-tax dollars.  Guess what?  I normally put aside $4000 pre-tax.  so, this is awesome.  And by that, I mean NOT.  By definitnion, I am not a Republican and I am not a Democrat.

Like the rest of you... I am trying to figure out what works best for me.  This doesn't.  End of story.  If I had gotten my insulin pump on Jan 1st.   That would leave me with $1500 to pay for a years worth of insulin ($50/3mo), meter strips ($50/3mo), copays for the endicrinologist ($30/3mo) plus pump supplies and continuous glucose supplies ($250/3mo).  Plus, my $500 deductible off the bat.  great, just great.  do some math.   $2000.  Plus, any other prescriptions - oh, I'm hypo-thyroid, yay, another auto-immune disease.   I am known to hurt 'something'.  there is the dentist and the ophthalmologist.   why aren't more people pissed about the $2500 cap???  cause there aren't that many of us.  so WHY LIMIT US?!?!?!?!    you think people are using the flex spending account as a tax shelter?  I doubt it.  So, instead those of us with predictable healthcare spending - the chronically ill....  we suffer and put off healthcare we need.   Like an upgraded insulin pump, CGM, a crown at the dentist..... etc.  Guess who suffers?  The chronically ill and the companies we would purchase from- that dentist office, the pump manufacturer, the CGM manufacturer.  Guess what it causes?  More problems downstream. It is not just me/us with diabetes.  I have friends with MS, cancer, etc.
*sigh*
Done ranting but not done being pissed.  Going to watch my 'less acurate' CGM while I train for my next Ironman.  yes, my next Ironman (Tucker-you are supposed to talk to Tony and Karen*)
Diabetes sucks and it's WAY more fuking expensive, for me, than it was 2 years ago - Thanks US GOVT.
*rant done.  thanks for putting up with it ;)
Here is a pic of KarenL's crap that helps her control her diabetes - weird that the running shoes, wetsuit and bike aren't part of it but.... anyway...