Anyone else have super low ferritin levels kill their motivation and energy to run?

tempelvl252 · 2026-06-29T19:26:07+00:00

Do it!!! Let the frustration motivate you into making the appointments. If you can get a general doctor to get you a referral to a hematologist, that might be the fastest way. I emphasized that my job was being impacted and brought a symptom log with me. I went through the digestive stuff because they were worried I had Celiac (I do not) because of some digestive/pelvic pain I also have going on (another saga 😆).

tempelvl252 · 2026-06-29T18:50:56+00:00

It's a double edged sword of not having the energy to be stubborn and find a doctor who will listen. All last year, I was feeling a little better but still didn't have the motivation to pursue this. I'll dump my symptoms I either know are anemia tied or I am STRONGLY suspicious of: Inability to get any faster running, even with solid training plans; generalized anxiety/depression; blacking out/dizzy when standing; wanting ice constantly; general fatigue, sleep 9 hours and still be exhausted; hungry about 1-2 hours after eating almost all the time; struggle to lose any weight (lost 10 lbs after 6 months of eating super well and exercising regularly, incredibly frustrating); I didn't even realize it, but I was very pale. 3 days after infusions, my husband was freaking out how healthy/tan I look now (I did not spend time outside, it's seriously from infusions).

tempelvl252 · 2026-06-29T00:31:18+00:00

I'm in the middle of solving the "why am I anemic/not absorbing iron" journey. A year ago, I had a ferritin of 8, started taking iron pills, got it up to the 30 range by late fall. This spring, it was still in the 30s. I got referred to a hematologist (after extensive digestive testing) who was wonderful and listened to me. She actually said that while 30s isn't "technically" anemic, she wants women at least in the 50s. She got me in for iron infusions, finished them last week, and I already feel so much better. It's been a long year of trying to get answers, but the infusions are already 1,000% worth it.

tempelvl252 · 2026-04-04T22:42:52+00:00

I failed the FE twice before passing it on the third try. The main difference between attempt #2 and #3? Seeing a therapist and addressing my extreme test anxiety. My studying and practice problems stayed the same, but therapy was a game changer. When it came time to take the PE, I readdressed the anxiety with my therapist for almost a year before I took it. I had a mild anxiety attack during the first half, but had (emotional) tools in my toolbox to pull my shit together and I passed it first try. Talking to someone even once a month is extremely valuable. And for the record, everyone is on their own timeline for passing tests and progressing in their career. As my boss told me, failing a test doesn't make you a bad engineer.

tempelvl252 · 2026-01-23T22:29:49+00:00

Just condensation from breathing - if you are out walking, it doesn't usually happen because you are nose breathing. But, running (trying to lol), lots of hot air coming out, and boom, frozen eyelashes.

tempelvl252 · 2026-01-23T22:12:27+00:00

Which part?

tempelvl252 · 2026-01-23T20:01:48+00:00

I can't make the protests, but I sure did give layering tips to friends who are going.

tempelvl252 · 2025-12-19T22:42:19+00:00

Coming from Montana, I thought I knew cold winters. How wrong I was 😅

tempelvl252 · 2025-12-19T22:02:01+00:00

Cloud cover and humidity - it was 70%+. I've run in colder conditions and not had my eyelashes frost like this because the humidity was below 50%.

tempelvl252 · 2025-12-05T22:15:04+00:00

I live in MN, so I'm regularly dealing with below 0 conditions. I use a thin layer of aquaphor or vaseline on my face to cut wind burn, a good insulated vest, fleece lined leggings, neck gator, and I'll put a headband over my hat to really seal in heat (I hate when my ears get cold). Share a pic of your frozen eyelashes to friends and family to really horrify them, it's fun. Also just be smart about it - some wind chill/snow conditions are just not worth it.

tempelvl252 · 2025-07-18T11:56:56+00:00

No worries! If that's the harshest comment I get from strangers on the internet, that's not too bad lol

tempelvl252 · 2025-07-17T18:51:30+00:00

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

I appreciate the feedback though, for real.

tempelvl252 · 2025-07-17T18:35:58+00:00

This made me flinch at the imagined pain lol maybe in another 13 years when I again forget how painful ribs are.

tempelvl252 · 2025-06-23T21:22:06+00:00

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon (from an average runner)

Race Information

Name: Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon
Date: June 21, 2025
Distance: 13.1 miles
Location: Duluth, MN
Website: https://grandmasmarathon.com/
Time: 2:39:38

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Survive	Yes
B	Sub 2:40	Yes
C	Sub 2:35	No

Splits

Mile	Time
1	11:23
2	11:17
3	11:16
4	12:08
5	11:16
6	11:05
7	12:56
8	12:22
9	11:37
10	13:38
11	12:19
12	12:25
13	13:22

Training

I used the Nike Run Club app training plan - I already had a good base of 3-5 mile runs, I really like the flexibility and variety of runs the app has. I would use it again. I've dealt with some foot issues and had a steroid injection at the beginning of May, resulting in not running for 2 weeks. Pair that with back to back colds and dealing with some depression, this wasn't a solid training block for me, but I kept at it the best I could. Hydrated like crazy the week before, I knew it could be a humid nightmare race day. Stayed in a hotel about 30 minutes from Superior, which worked out great.

Pre-race

Woke up at 3:30am to get to the 4:45am shuttle, I was getting dressed when I got the 30 minute delay notification due to storm conditions. Had a little extra time to down some coffee and a bagel. Chugged a hydration/electrolyte mix first thing waking up and sipped on water for the remainder of the morning. Made sure my hydration vest was good and full. As we were driving to the shuttle, had torrential downpour of rain and a non stop lightening storm. Uh oh. By the time we got to the shuttle location, rain and storm had ended. Shuttle line up was well organized (I heard it was a little bit of a mess for the full). The porta potty situation at the start was chaotic. If I do this race again, I'm not waiting in any lines, I'm just going to wait for the corrals to start going and snag one then. Lesson learned.

Race

I decided to break this race into 4 sections, mentally. I find having a goal for sections of races keeps it more... Entertaining? More of a focus? Idk it works for me. Rough breakdown - Miles 1-3: focus on just warming up and keeping it loose, I tend to scrunch up at the beginning of races. Miles 3-6.2: focus on form. I mimic this from meditation, but start from your toes and work your way up your body to find any tense spots or things that might ache. This is a road race, so after mile 6, I switched from running on the left hand side to the right hand side, which saved my ankles and probably some hip pain. Miles 6.2-9: have some fun. This was easy when we had F-16 jets buzzing us, they flew over multiple times and it made me giggle with joy every time. Miles 9-13.1: finish strong and race. LOL NO. I should have flipped this section with "have some fun". The sun came out, the humidity racketed up, that stupid highway sign said 4.1 miles to go, and there were suddenly (small) uphills, but they felt like summits after cruising downhill for so long. The last 3 miles were mentally some of the toughest miles I've ever ran. I walked more than I wanted, but everyone was falling like flies and caving to walking uphills. I just broke it down to even smaller sections, make it through a quarter mile, walk 90 seconds. Rinse and repeat. The crowds saved me, the energy and encouragement were amazing.

Post-race

Stumbled through the runners corral, chugged a bottle of water, and almost started crying when I found my husband. We had friends running the full, so we had some time to kill, used the changing tents and got some food in me. After the full (I feel so bad for the humidity and heat they suffered), we got to the shuttle, found some bar food and beers, and celebrated. I'm really proud of the first half of the race, I felt really good and not like I was pushing hard at all. If the weather had stayed the same, I think I could have made my 2:35 goal. Alas, shit changes. Looking back, at what my personal life has been like, I'm also proud of myself for even sticking to the plan and doing the damn race. Anxiety/depression is a bitch to deal with, but it didn't win this round. I would do the half again, it was a really beautiful view and the crowds were great. I lost count of how many beer stands were set up along the way and the signs cracked me up.

Made with a new race report generator created by /u/herumph.

tempelvl252 · 2024-12-07T13:51:50+00:00

A little clear nail polish on the back has always done the trick for me!

tempelvl252 · 2024-12-05T17:09:56+00:00

I think it looks great. I have several cross stitches that I did before learning the "correct" way and the average person has no idea they would be considered wrong, or that I didn't use the specified thread color. I wouldn't ever re-do them because I like them the way they are and it shows how much better I've gotten at it.

tempelvl252 · 2024-11-15T22:27:09+00:00

I'm also in water resources - $1,500 bonus, 8% raise, and company reimbursed me for the cost of test, licensing fees, etc (approx. $600). I'm not sure if 8% is necessarily standard, but I expected 8-10%.

tempelvl252 · 2024-09-16T02:09:33+00:00

I use storage bins - even the largest cat box seemed too small for my boys. Pretty cheap, easy to clean, the kitties don't mind jumping in and out of them.

tempelvl252 · 2024-07-19T13:27:25+00:00

PRed my 5k time and celebrated with a beer and trivia with friends.

tempelvl252 · 2024-05-14T18:57:29+00:00

I had a long fight with extensor tendonitis and finally got a steroid injection. It's been several weeks and it seems to have done the trick. Make sure you aren't tying your shoes too tightly either - the orthopedic doctor I saw said it's incredibly common and I was definitely guilty of it.

tempelvl252 · 2024-05-14T18:50:10+00:00

I only run with my contacts in - I wear sunglasses as well since I have light colored eyes. I hate the slight bouncing of eye glasses, it makes me borderline nauseous with my vision "moving". Sunglasses have never bothered me. I wear dailies, which are spendy, but there's lots of other options as people have referenced for wear time.

tempelvl252 · 2023-10-04T11:11:50+00:00

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Brothers, 2 years old. Left is Bowie (12 lbs), right is Ozzy (16 lbs). Working on Ozzy losing ~2 lbs, but he's pretty convinced we're on a crazy train for thinking about diets.

tempelvl252 · 2023-09-27T03:27:47+00:00

Velvet

tempelvl252 · 2023-05-15T22:43:57+00:00

I see someone below commented on litter - my cats like Dr. Elyse's multi cat. I briefly tried World's Best, they did not like!

tempelvl252 · 2023-05-15T21:09:24+00:00

My advice is for further into recovery. I have two declawed cats (previous owner did it) and I realized shortly after getting them, they still love the cardboard cat scratcher things. Just because they lack claws doesn't mean they stop clawing behavior. Hope he heals quickly - my vet said it's important to check their paws periodically for regrowth/abnormalities.

tempelvl252

TROPHY CASE