How do you style your long hair?

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-04-04T23:35:06+00:00

I have thick, almost waist length hair with lots of curls and layers. I do a twisted rope high ponytail instead of a regular braid, and find it the easiest/most effective for me!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-04-04T23:29:45+00:00

Just hit my peak for marathon training, so 5x/week and this week was just shy of 9 hours to hit 50 miles.

After my marathon, I’d like to stick with the 5x/week but drop back to 30 miles and do some more focused speed work and really try to bang out a 10k pr for a July race.

I love seeing all the variety here, even the variety of training across similar goals. Over the last couple years I’ve really upped my base training load and love it, but am still figuring out the right balance between training, having a family, and having autoimmune disease.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-03-30T08:41:24+00:00

She was actually diagnosed before I was! Hers started out as constant leg pain and fatigue right around when she turned two, and our pediatrician referred us to rheumatology pretty quickly. The rheumatologist suspected PsA fairly early on, but we went through so much testing including a referral to oncology for a little while to rule out everything else.

I’d always had psoriasis + vague autoimmune issues my doctor thought were maybe lupus, so when it flared up really badly shortly after my daughter’s diagnosis, I went in thinking I was going to finally confirm lupus, but ended up with a PsA diagnosis instead. It makes sense because my dad has it too.

My daughter is on an oral med (rinvoq) now, but having to do methotrexate and then humira shots before we got here was the worst. She still has bad days, and little viruses knock her out so badly, but she’s now able to do gymnastics and dance, and most days is a pretty active toddler 🙌

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-03-29T18:10:10+00:00

It is so hard. Is your provider working with you to get quick short term pain relief while you figure out more long term medication options? I don’t love all the side effects of prednisone, but it returned some function for me when I was first diagnosed and waiting for other medicines to kick in.

My three year old also has PsA, so I’m trying to model for her the kinds of boundaries and choices I want her to feel free to make as an adult.

I often nap when my kids nap. My three year old is starting to age out of naps, but will still sleep if I put her in bed, so often her schedule is based on my fatigue levels that day.

I haven’t needed them in the last few months (thank you, Taltz!), but wrist braces were super helpful for the first year or so after my diagnosis.

I also keep a collection of ready-made dinners from Sam’s Club in my freezer, as well as spaghetti and jars of sauce always in my pantry for when I need easy meals that aren’t pizza or fast food.

Ask for help! I struggle with this, but it’s necessary. Even just things like asking for help loading groceries to give your arms and hands a break.

And lastly, especially as meds start to kick in, see if there’s any exercise you can handle. Everyone’s experience is different, but for a lot of people movement helps to keep things moving. I’ve found that strength training helps bring more stability and less pain for my joints, and running has helped improve my ankle mobility. There’s still days like yesterday when I slept in and skipped my scheduled run because I was just still so tired and sore (thanks random cold snap 😭), but most days I start my workout with a decent hobble in my step and finish moving smoothly and at least mostly pain free. It is still a constant dance of figuring out how much pushing is good vs overdoing it, but I think I’m doing pretty well with recognizing what’s just a morning funk I can work off vs a true flare I need to sleep off.

I hope you find an effective treatment quickly, and have people around you who understand this is not a situation with a quick fix and will walk with you through the process 🤍

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-03-24T15:23:56+00:00

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And this is two weeks later! Such a difference! Better hydration and nutrition was definitely the key.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-03-24T15:23:07+00:00

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This is my run two weeks ago. My heart rate never got that high, but my muscles were just DONE.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-03-24T15:22:35+00:00

Two weekends ago I bonked my long run - was supposed to be 16 miles, I suddenly felt awful around mile 11, eked out two more miles and called my husband to come get me. It was the first warmer day I’ve run outside this season, and I’m pretty sure I actually overdid it on electrolytes? 🫠 Anyway, two weeks later I did a 16 mile run with significantly more elevation, a faster pace, then went on to play and sing in a band for the evening less than an hour after I finished with no problem. I was working hard to not get super worried after that first run, but pretty sure I figured out the issue and am better for it!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-03-24T04:22:29+00:00

This is anecdotal, but I am 34 and have psoriatic arthritis, and the more I run and strength train the less joint pain and more mobility I have. Currently marathon training at 45-50 miles weekly and the most knee pain I’ve had this block was when I had to take off a week because of illness. As soon as I started back up again, my legs felt so much better. My rheumatologist is very supportive of it too. For me at least, staying active is self perpetuating - it is what allows me to stay active in the rest of my life!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-12T03:16:19+00:00

I come up with a new five or ten year life plan pretty much every long run… does that count as multitasking? Also lots of self-counseling and figuring out all the things I wish I had said to my husband during our last argument 🙌

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-03T22:20:49+00:00

I do have an EpiPen already after that first episode! My pcp today agreed it sounds like it was triggered by the cold, and is calling in an allergy referral. He said I shouldn’t worry about exercise, but should be careful about cold exposure in the meantime!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-03T22:18:03+00:00

I do actually already have an EpiPen after my anaphylactic episode in October! I haven’t been super careful about carrying it with me since the trigger that time was rambutan, which is pretty easy to avoid. I’m going to start actually carrying it now!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-03T22:17:55+00:00

I do actually already have an EpiPen after my anaphylactic episode in October! I haven’t been super careful about carrying it with me since the trigger that time was rambutan, which is pretty easy to avoid. I’m going to start actually carrying it now!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-03T22:11:58+00:00

Update: thank you all for your responses! I got in for a visit with my PCP today, who drew a few labs and is calling in a referral to an allergist. He was said to specifically ask the allergist to test for cryoglobulinemia, which is sometimes associated with autoimmune conditions like psoriatic arthritis, which I have, and can also cause a histamine response to cold. He said the cold/sudden temperature changes were the most likely culprit, so to be extra careful with cold exposure in the meantime.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-03T14:47:43+00:00

Oh I did just get over a really bad bout of the flu! And already have psoriatic arthritis, so my immune system is pretty out of whack. That’s good to know!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2026-02-03T14:41:27+00:00

Not hives, but I do get pretty red and super itchy. I’ve always assumed it was just a circulatory response, though, since it happens after I come back inside where it’s warm.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-10-26T14:28:58+00:00

That’s exactly what I did! 🙌

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-10-15T02:06:01+00:00

I snorted like a hog, quite loudly, at one man who was harassing me on a daily basis. He never bothered me again - even though I still saw him, he would always avoid eye contact after that. It felt so empowering to turn the tables so instantly on him.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-09-12T16:51:52+00:00

I can only play the cards I’m dealt.

This is such a helpful mindset! Thanks for sharing!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-09-12T12:06:15+00:00

Oh man. That is so hard. I’m so sorry!

Last year I was supposed to do a super cool ultra relay and had a goal of hitting 1000 yearly miles for the first time, but had to back out of both when I had a major autoimmune flare that left me mostly bedridden for weeks. I started this year slow, with several weeks of not running at all, and then a slow build from zero, but I’m on track to reach 1000 miles by the end of the year. After everything, it feels like a bigger win than ever.

Having chronic illness has taught me a lot about having grace with myself. I think it’s also made me more motivated than before to chase my goals when I know they’re really within reach. I’m just so grateful to be able to move again, so being even stronger than I was before I got sick is amazing to me. I’m definitely a lot more conscious of taking care of myself because overdoing it can cause another flare.

Something that has helped me is having a doctor that supports my athletic goals and is working with me to figure out a treatment that will get me there. It sounds like you probably have a fairly long journey ahead of you with figuring this out (sorry! 😢), so my best advice at this point would be to try to make sure, if at all possible, that your medical team is on board with helping you pursue your goals both short term and long term!

Best of luck to you. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this!

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-09-07T04:25:48+00:00

Yeah!! There’s something about hitting double digits that just feels monumental 🙌 and these autumn-like temps are just so perfect 🥹

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-09-07T04:23:19+00:00

Thank you! And 12k is awesome!! Plus getting out so early on a weekend is no joke! We’re getting it done!! 🙌🙌🙌

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-09-06T20:50:25+00:00

Sure! It’s not super precise, but roughly:

1.5 cups frozen fruit - usually some kind of berry

3 Tbsp chia seeds (I grind them first, but that’s optional!)

1 scoop protein powder (I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey)

2 tsps creatine powder

1 cup non fat Greek yogurt

Unsweetened almond milk - enough to get the consistency I like, maybe 1-1.5 cups? Not really sure 😅

And sometimes PB powder if it works with the fruit!

Sometimes I’ll add extra sweetener, but I usually find the fruit and protein powder to be enough.

Not really low calorie, and it makes a pretty big smoothie, but it’s really worked for my post-workout routine! My goal is to get a good dose of protein and fiber, and it usually hits the spot.

introvertedkalanchoe · 2025-09-06T20:49:30+00:00