THE BLOG
Articles from the world of fitness, family and (of course) Duran Duran
But I'm Dancing On The Valentine
It’s my birthday and every year since 1984 I’ve needed to hear “The Reflex” on my birthday. When I was younger I imagined that every time I heard the lyrics “…but I’m dancing on the valentine”, it was a special happy birthday message from Simon just for me. Crazy perhaps but wishful thinking and teenage hormones can make one’s brain believe just about anything.
Maybe one day I’ll get to meet him. Maybe one day he’ll take the Tweetbait and wish me a Happy Birthday for the world to see. Likely not but maybe.
Have a great Valentine’s Day and if you […]
The Pity Party Turnaround
Tomorrow is my birthday and while I originally had a very exuberant post in mind, my back has started acting up again and I’ve been indulging in my own little pity party.
Wild Boy is in a Lego Phase so…Image by kalexanderson
I’m frustrated that I can’t run and I’ve had to take a step back in PT but I realize that it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the fighters I know and have featured on the blog – Jon, Danny, Helena and even my guest poster Rachael so I’ve decided to buck up and change my attitude. […]
Living With A Congenital Heart Defect – A Guest Post
Hearts are special to me. I’m the valentineRD because I’m born on Valentine’s Day. Whether you like Valentine’s Day or not, hearts abound in February. February is Heart Disease Awareness month. You may have heard of the national “Go Red For Women” campaign to bring awareness to heart disease in women but my first guest poster, Rachael Faught, wants to tell you more about the significance of February 7th – 14th during American Heart Month.
I am more than honored that my friend Rachael has chosen to tell her story and let her dual worlds collide (she writes two very different blogs) here at thevalentineRD.
Greetings and salutations. I’m Rachael Faught and I run the food, travel and event blog Glass of Win. By trade, I am a writer – a good gig if and when I can get it. My career, however, is a long and arduous body of work; a life calling that has was thrust upon me at birth, nearly 31 years ago. I am a Professional Patient. I was born with the #1 birth defect in the world: a congenital heart defect. Transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect with a heart that sits center-right stage (we’re kind of a showboat), to be precise. I am legally recognized as disabled, though you’d never know it by merely looking at me. Invisible Illnesses are tricky like that. Hence, invisibility.
Before the age of nine years old, I’d already underwent three open-heart surgeries. At the age of twenty-two, I went for the Jaime Sommers makeover and received a pacemaker. Everything is about maintenance at this stage. A tune up here, an oil change there.
Sounds of Saturday – Icehouse
In keeping with the theme of love for February, I’m bringing you an Australian band called Icehouse. You might have heard their song “Electric Blue” or “Crazy” if you were a New Waver like me in the 80’s.
Today’s Sounds of Saturday highlight is “Heartbreak Kid”. Jay had the 1987 “Man Of Colours” CD and I have vivid memories of him playing this song for me at SUNY Binghamton where we met and fell in love.
Enjoy and see you Monday!
Back In the Game – Running for Color
Image by Josie Chow
In case you forgot, I’m injured. Since January, I’ve been going to Physical Therapy for my lower back and haven’t been able to run. I’ve been doing my exercises at home diligently and I was given clearance to walk (not run) The Color Run in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium.
Deemed the Happiest 5K in the World, The Color Run is a 3.1 mile course where participants wear white clothing so that when you reach specific “Color Zones” you are doused with colored (blue, yellow, orange, pink) cornstarch and at the finish, you wear a piece of the rainbow.
Image by canihazit
Image by canihazit
Image by ValentineRD.com
The Truth Behind 6 Common Myths of Healthy Eating – Guest Post for Mr. Pasadena
Image by pmecologic
Hi readers!
I don’t normally publish on Thursdays but I wanted to direct you over to my very first guest post for my friend, Mr. Pasadena. He’s the social media mayor of Pasadena, CA and his quest for 2013 is to get healthier. I wrote this post to help him out. I hope you’ll check the post and www.mrpasadena.net out today:
http://mrpasadena.net/2013/02/07/the-truth-behind-6-common-myths-of-healthy-eating/#