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spoonieironman

• Spoonie & Patient Advocate
• Chronic Illness BA 🤒💪
• Triathlete 🏊🚵🏃🏅
• Dogs 🐶
• Financial Adviser 📈
👇 New Website - The Spoonie Ironman

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On a scale of 1-100, how tired is Aspen? 💯

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Roll Call! Tag someone you know who is making progress!

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Two weeks ago I was in Burlington, VT. If you haven't been to this tiny waterfront city, I highly recommend you go. The best way I can describe Burlington is a combination of Boulder, CO and Lake Tahoe. Bonus, the food is incredible too.

One thing that does make me sad when I'm in Burlington though, is the fact I wanted to go to school here. I would have loved living in northern Vermont. Skiing, climbing, having fun, enjoying the scenery, and oh studying too.
But my college years were some of my worst with chronic illness. And I wasn't able to be far from my doctor's, far from my hospitals, far from home for that matter.
Still, I try to look on the bright side and I'm happy I can enjoy this great city now, without having to worry about my chronic illnesses at all.

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When my triathlon season ends, I always fall into bad habits. I feel like this is normal after being so disciplined for almost 9 months every year. After a lot of pizza, Buffalo wings, and generally eating poorly, it's time to start a healthy routine again.

I know that eating poorly if temporary for me and I'm always find my way back to a clean life. But we all need a break from time to time, and to indulge a bit. That time is over though.

Best part, in just a few short days of eating healthy I will start feeling stronger again. Can't wait.

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New Blog Post: Why The Spoonie Ironman? Link in my bio!⠀
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If you've been following my new blog this year, you might have noticed I recently changed the name to The Spoonie Ironman. Since I've been asked a few times, I figured I'd share a quick post about the new name.

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Last week I was in #LakeGeorgeNY, where I was lucky enough to find #fall. This is my favorite season, but sadly it always feels like the shortest one. Whenever I find myself in an area as beautiful as this, I can't help but look back on my life and reflect a little bit. While there have been plenty of lows in my life with doctors, hospital stays, surgeons, and more, it's important to take a breath and remember that life can still be amazing. ⠀
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If you haven't been to #LakeGeorge in the fall, plan a trip. You won't be disappointed.

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Someone got a fresh cut and is looking sharp!

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An amazing day in Lake George, NY. Can't complain about good friends, good food, dogs, and fall in the mountains.

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Work and ski movie kind of night!

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A little overcast and the waves were a little much for Aspen at first, but then she got in and we couldn't keep her out. She really does love the water. #daddysgirl #dogsswimming

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New Blog Post: AbbVie IBD Warrior Event To Benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation - Link in my BIO. ⠀
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I had the honor of speaking at the IBD Warrior Challenge to benefit the @CrohnsColitis. Here's more about this incredible trip and the great work @AbbVie and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation are doing. Thank you AbbVie for sponsoring my participation and inviting me to tell my story!

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@ironmantri Barcelona is going on right now and it reminded me of my run in this AMAZING city. Hopefully one day I'll get to go back and experience it even more during the 70.3 half Ironman race there.

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So Aspen had her first day of paid work today as a dog model in NYC! Now she's PTFO after a really long day. Have a feeling she's going to retire after day 1.

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Mental health should always be a high priority for every spoonie! It can help get us through the bad times and allow us to enjoy the good times even more.

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On the first cold and rainy day here in the NYC area, I'm thinking about my last night in Disney Springs last week which was PERFECT! I had such a good time down there while raising IBD awareness and sharing my story.

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#TBT to my 70.3-mile half Ironman this year (the last picture shows my awesome medal and how exhausted I was) Forgot to post a recap, but the short version was a LONG day. I was hoping to perform better, but with a hospital stay a couple of weeks prior my body just wasn't in the right place for the race.⠀
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The 1.2-mile swim went well and I finished the two loops in 46 minutes. I would have like to be a little quicker, but the sun was low and the sighting was HORRIBLE. ⠀
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The 56-mile bike went well also. I was actually around my goal speed of 17 miles per hour which for a very hilly course I was quite happy with. ⠀
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The 13.1-mile run wasn't really a run at all. I had an inflammatory response, swelled up, and could hardly run. Plus it was super hilly which never let my hips and legs get into a rhythm. ⠀
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In the end, I battled through the 70.3 miles and got another medal to show my chronic illness whos boss, which I am happy about!

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This isn't the rollercoaster anyone wants to ride. Not only is it a ride we are currently on, it's a ride we can never get off. ⠀
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Plus, looking into the future and knowing there will be ups and downs just adds to the frustration.

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Living her best life on a Tuesday! Aspen was a really happy girl at the beach today.

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Accepting your disease and the journey that comes with it is one of the HARDEST things we have to do. The sooner we begin to accept what's ahead, the easier it will be to take on the challenges we face.

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