My day today began at 5 a.m. when the alarm clock blared and Ryan and I seriously debated sleeping in. I knew I would feel better after a workout and tried to psych myself up as we drove to the gym. Thankfully I started to get into my grove when I was about 10 minutes into my workout.
Today’s gym session began on the stair master with an interval workout that looked like this:
It was a good one and I was super sweaty by the end of it! I finished my workout with some strength training that focused on my shoulders and calves.
Reebok Nano Speed Review
During my workout I wore my new Reebok Nano Speed sneakers that I absolutely adore.
These are, hands down, my favorite Reebok shoes to date. Through our ongoing partnership, I’ve been able to try a handful of their sneakers and I feel like these shoes are perfectly suited to my workouts. Plus, they are so darn comfy! (I think they fit true to size, but I talked with Anne who also works with Reebok and she thinks they run a little big.)
Like the Nanos, the Nano Speed is lightweight and has a low heel to toe drop, but the main difference I noticed between the two shoes is the flexibility of the sole. The sole in the Nano Speed shoe is much more flexible than the traditional Nanos which I really appreciate for workouts that incorporate short bouts of running. The low profile still allows me to feel very stable during exercises like squats and lunges, but the flexibility in the sole makes them a better fit for me during boot camp workouts that incorporate some running. I’m a big fan!
I also like the way they feel as just a casual sneaker outside of my traditional workouts. I wore the Nano Speeds all over the Outaouais region of Canada zip lining and on a short hike in Gatineau Park and my feet felt comfortable the entire time.
Sometimes when I wear traditional running shoes for activities other than running, I feel like they are too bulky, so the Nano Speeds are a great alternative for me.
Breakfast
Once Ryan and I made it home from the gym, it was time for food.
On the menu for today was a batch of scrambled eggs with chicken sausage and a Jazz apple on the side.
I ate breakfast as I typed up my morning blog post and then hopped in the shower to rinse off before heading out to a doctor’s appointment.
Allergy Testing
Two weeks ago I scheduled an appointment with an allergist. Back in July I had an allergic reaction that freaked me out and then I actually had another allergic reaction a few weeks later that never made it on the blog. I made an appointment with an allergist to see if we could uncover what set off my reactions.
After the doctor asked me a series of questions, he scraped an “X” mark on my back and asked me some more questions before checking my back. He told me that the scrape he performed on my back caused my skin to raise, indicating that I have dermatographism, a condition that occurs in 4 to 5 percent of the population. The skin of those with dermatographism becomes raised and inflamed when it is scratched because mast cells on the surface of the skin release histamines without the presence of antigens.
As for what exactly caused me to break out into hives during my first allergic reaction and experience hives and slight difficulty breathing during my second reaction, the doctor said it will likely never be uncovered. I’ve never had any sort of reactions to food in my entire life and he said that testing patients like me rarely uncovers anything at all. It’s kind of confusing to me, but we have a follow-up appointment in four weeks where I’ll be able to ask more questions. It was an interesting morning!
Question of the Afternoon
- Have you ever been to an allergist?
- Are you allergic to anything?
I am not severely allergic to anything that I know of, but dust, pollen and cats make me sneeze like crazy. They also make my eyes water and the back of my throat itch. No fun!
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I went to an allergist when I was younger but nothing big was found. I know at some point I should probably go back simply because your allergies can change as you get older.
That looks like a great workout! I’ve only ever been on the stair master for five minutes, but I might just do this soon!
The Reebok Nanos look like fabulous shoes for working out. I love doing functional circuit workouts like you, so I think those would be my ideal shoe!
And I don’t have a severe allergy to anything (that I know of). I used to have pretty severe eczema though.
Those Reeboks look awesome! I may need to look into those.
Hopefully you can get some clearer answers about the allergy!
I am the same way when it comes to cats, dust and pollen. Constant sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and throat. In August I had some pretty bad allergies, I think it was Ragweed. Not too sure though!
Whew, my buns are burning just reading about that stair master workout 🙂
When I was 16, I became allergic to bees. I’ve spent my entire life living in the country, and getting stung at least once a summer was a part of life. One day, I stepped on a honey bee and blew up like a balloon!! Now, I have to carry an epi-pen with me but one thing I’ve always done and thankfully had on hand the day I had my reaction is Benadryl. The reason we actually had it in the house was because my dog was allergic to bees and would have anaphylactic reactions. So, if you don’t already, DEFINITELY stock up on some because it can help you AND Sadie, heaven forbid someone had a reaction.
We keep Benadryl in the house for our dog too! He got stung by something and his eye swelled up.
AlHi there!
So interested in what you thought about allergy testing!
Did it hurt? My Lil man aka 19 month old grandson is maybe going to have to be tested. Tubes did not seem to resolve the never ending ear infections.
I hope they get to the problem for you!
I would get a 2nd opinion. They should have tested you. If both of your reactions happened when you were eating something, they should have done food-borne test. I have environmental allergies and was tested for dust, mold, pollen, grass, cats, dogs, and a couple of other things.
I’ve been getting allergy shots every week for the past 2 years and can tell a big difference. I didn’t have allergies (at least that bothered me to the point of I was so stuffed up I couldn’t breath) until I was 25.
I had a sinus infection over a year ago and I seriously considered breaking my own nose because I was so miserable. I made an appointment at the ENT to get some serious nose meds only to discover that I had nasal polyps caused by severe environmental allergies (cute…I know). So a few weeks later I had an allergy test and found out that I am allergic to literally every tree, grass, mold, pollen, etc. in the state of South Carolina and had literally NO CLUE. Grrreeeeeaaaatttttt. I had the sinus surgery and have been getting allergy shots ever since and have not even had the sniffles this year.
I’m allergic to avocado and just developed that allergy this summer. Makes me sad because I LOVE guacamole buuut there are worse things in life than not being able to eat avocado. 🙂
I’ve heard such good things about the Nanos! I wear Nike Frees for all of my non-running activities.
I am allergic to like every environmental allergy you could have (as well as cats) and I started getting shots for these 4 years ago and now I never get seasonal headaches and I am okay to be around cats now. Allergy shots totally worked for me and I am about to stop my treatment at the end of the school year, since I am “cured”!
I know exactly how you feel! I’ve had several unknown reactions just like that, I even went to the ER once. I had scratch tests done, and I’m allergic to grass and ragweed, but it doesn’t explain most of my reactions. Each time I had a reaction it was after a workout, so I think it has something to do with sweat. I guess I’m allergic to working out! Hope you can narrow down yours!
Good luck with the testing I hope the solve the issues!
My freshman year of college (7 years ago) I was living in a dorm, and anytime I scratched an itch or even carried a bag of grocery’s on my arm, I would get the same puffy “skin writing” symptoms! The condition eventually went away after a few months. Maybe it was the water??? IT came out of no where, and then just stopped happening.. The human body is so weird sometimes!!
I have seasonal and environmental allergies and asthma that is triggered by exercise and my allergies, which is a challenge when you live in upstate NY and love running outside! I started allergy shots (3 shots a week!) back in March and while my allergies are just starting to improve, my asthma has improved drastically, and I can run outside faster and for longer distance without my inhaler! Allergy shots are a beautiful thing 🙂
Don’t be afraid to ask for skin testing to see if you’re allergic to something. They test allergens in different concentrations, so it may detect something using higher concentrations that would otherwise go unnoticed until the reactions got worse. Plus it can’t hurt (at least in a figurative sense). Good luck!
I’ve got dermatographism, too (we call it dermographism here). From the ages of 8-11 I had random allergic reactions which gave me severe hives and difficulty breathing for no known reason and had all sorts of blood tests. I used to have to carry an epi-pen and inhaler. Then they completely disappeared until my mid twenties when I suddenly had another bout. I went to a dermatologist specialist who told me that I have dermographism which essentially are “spontaneous allergies.” Which is fun. Like the person you went to see, I was told there isn’t much point in testing as there are so many things to test for we could be here forever. But he also told me that it is incredibly rare to suffer effects with this that could be potentially life threatening. I don’t need to carry an epi pen or inhaler anymore. I’ve had maybe three episodes since then resulting in hives and slight difficulty breathing (all in fairly close succession) then nothing apart from random itchy hands occasionally for the last couple of years. It can be scary and stressful though. Hopefully that will be the end of it for you!
this is so interesting! it sounds like we have very similar experiences!!
I had all of the symptoms of seasonal allergies so I had testing done. I was pricked all up and down my arms and not one spot broke out. I was essentially allergic to nothing! Diagnosis = “Non-Allergy Rhinitis”, Translations …hay fever, not caused by allergies. Basically I get seasonal allergy symptoms but no actual allergy exist. My symptoms are worsened by changes in the weather. A rainy day makes me miserable! The worst part is since there is no allergy that means that antihistamines don’t relieve my symptoms. The whole thing really is a pain in the butt!! I just have the sniffles some days and now that I am expecting Baby #1 the symptoms are intensified because of swollen sinuses. Its a joy!! Good luck!!
I have dermatographism too. I had to go off my allergy medication (zyretc, swear by that) for the allergy testing. They couldn’t even do the testing on my skin because of how sensitive I was. So they checked off a list of things that I thought I could be allergic to and I had it done by a blood test. I had to stay off my allergy medicine but by doing blood testing, it’s almost as accurate as the skin pricking test. I would definitely ask for your next appointment to have allergy testing bloodwork. That should hopefully help you figure out what is giving you an allergic reaction. Don’t let this go! Be an advocate for yourself. 🙂
Allergy shots can never hurt! You may not uncover anything but allergy shots have helped me so so so much so it may be worth a try.
I also have seasonal allergies to pollen and get an itchy throat and eyes and sneeze a ton in the spring and sometimes fall too. During college I developed oral allergy syndrome which is connected to seasonal allergies. I ended up having a slight peanut allergy (when I used to eat peanut butter every day) and now have allergic reactions to raw apples, peaches, nectarines, and pears. People with oral allergy syndrome often have reactions to different foods so it may be worth a google search to see if anything rings a bell. For oral allergy syndrome, your body confuses the proteins in the food with the same part of the pollen that causes seasonal allergies and for me, when the food is cooked (such as in apple pie), the proteins die and I don’t get a reaction. Maybe ask your doctor about it!
I have oral allergy syndrome too! It’s pretty rare so always exciting to find a buddy 🙂
I all your crazy colored sneakers! They really do give you some pep in your step.
When I was younger (middle-school age) I used to be allergic to tomatoes and oranges, causing me to break out in hives on my face. But somehow I outgrew it or something (not quite sure how it happened), so it’s no longer an issue for me. I still get occasional hay fever/seasonal allergies, but it’s usually easily resolvable by taking allergy meds.
My boyfriend has dermatographism, too! We play tick-tack-toe on his side when we get bored. Which is fun, until he gets really itchy and whiny! 😉 I also often suggest a game where I write words into his chest that he doesn’t get to see, then he has to try to guess what the words are based on people’s reactions… bonus points if he gets slapped! He doesn’t usually say yes to that game, unfortunately.
I went to the allergist in 2010 because I felt my allergy symptoms were getting worse. I did a different skin test, where they inject you with small doses of 50 or so potential allergens all over your arms. WOW – I puffed up like a blowfish, and the allergist said he almost never sees someone so allergic! Trees, pollen, dust, grass, mites, cats, dogs, you name it and I’m probably allergic! And to think I didn’t even realize it before (aside from cats and dogs, which was always very obvious). I’ve been undergoing allergy shots for almost 3 years now, and even though I hate (from a hassle perspective and a health perspective) having to get shots every week, it REALLY helps – so much that I hope we can get a dog someday :). I’m sorry you weren’t able to find answers for your allergies!
Great stair master workout. I always set it to fat burner and sweat a ton by the end!
That’s crazy you have that! So glad you went and got that figured out. I have zero allergies. So strange because everyone in my family has an allergy! I guess I’m lucky!
Those Reeboks are super cute! I’ve luckily never had a major allergic reaction of any kind so I’ve never had to see an allergist. That’s really weird that they don’t know what triggers it!
I have had a lot of allergies throughout my life. One really interesting thing I’ve learned along the way is that you can develop an allergy. Basically, the more you are exposed to something you’re allergic to, the worse your allergy gets. For example, I recently found out that I am allergic to seafood. I had never had a problem before, but I also hadn’t eaten it very often, probably only a few times a year. About a year ago I got a job serving at a seafood restaurant. I started noticing I would get small patches of hives but I figured they were just a skin irritation. Then I woke up one morning with them all over my body and they were much worse. I went to urgent care and they said it was an allergic reaction (duh!) and sent me home with some benadryl. Over the next few weeks it kept happening and then I talked to my grandmother who suggested it was seafood because she is allergic to shrimp and it also runs in my family. Basically, my allergy got so bad that I ended up having to quit my job because I couldn’t even be around the smell of the seafood. So, long story short, an allergy can get worse the more you’re exposed to it. I would test it out if I were you and keep track in a journal of everything that happens if/when it does happen again. That way, you can eventually see a pattern. Hope this helps and good luck!
I actually need new sneakers! I do most of my workouts inside, and most of my running on the treadmill. I wonder if these would be a good fit for me?! I have no allergies but wait until you have kids….it’s so scary and nerve-wracking because you never know if or what they could be allergic too! I hope you stay reaction-free!!
-Sammy @ peaceandloveandicecream.blogspot.com
Oh girl, I am allergic to EVERYTHING. Sadly, I wasn’t born with any allergies but grew into them when I was 13-14. Apparently whenever our bodies go through big hormonal shifts (puberty, pregnancy, menopause, etc), these huge changes can affect everything! Wanna hear a list? It’s kind of depressing: a ton of raw fruits & vegetables (cherries, bell peppers, kiwi, banana, carrots, celery, eggplant, plums, peaches, some types of apples); avocado; soy; shellfish; raw tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts); tons of different pollens (especially birch pollen); and I have a gluten sensitivity! I find allergies really fascinating and quite strange. I’ve been to allergists lots of times and know how frustrating it can be. Having food allergies is actually pretty scary because I’m always afraid to try new foods when I’m out.. you never know what hidden ingredients can be in them. I take an epi pen around with me everywhere I go just in case (lots of my allergies produce swelling of my throat). Good luck with everything!
No, but I need to go to one! I’m scared that I’ll be alone and try some new exotic food and that’s how I’ll find out I’m allergic to something :/
Oh man. At least you have a name for it & a sort of explanation!
I am not allergic to anything but tobacco smoke. CAN . not. stand. it. And it really makes me sick too–so I have to be careful.
I really REALLY new shoes. I haven’t been into running anymore (too cold and my body isn’t designed that way I guess) so I’ve been doing a ton of cross training… in my worn out running shoes. I desperately want some Reebok shoes that have good arch support (I have crazy high arches so this is a need) and are great for cross training. Any ideas?!
This was very interesting to read, as my doc recently recommended I see an allergist (she believes I’m suddenly allergic to latex). It sounds like you didn’t get many answers! Is he going to do a food test on you?
Wow! I have this also and never knew it was an actual thing. My friends as a joke would scratch their names on my arm or back and it would raise up and last for about 20-30 min. Wow what a strange thing I didn’t realize it was such a rare condition!
That’s crazy about the allergy testing! Hopefully you can get more of your questions answered next time. A random question…for your strength workouts, how do you decide which body parts to strength train together and on which day?. Just curious. That is something I have never been able to figure out!
I am sniffly, sneezingly allergic to cats.
Same thing happens to my skin…interesting to know there’s a name for it!
I got allergy tested during my first year of college when I started breaking out in hives all over my body multiple times a week. Turns out on top of being allergic to pretty much every kind of tree, plant, and grass I’m also allergic to all kinds of foods like potatoes, wheat, soy, and the worst – Peanuts! I almost cried when my doctor told me I could no longer eat my beloved peanut butter! 🙁
Wow, that is so interesting about your allergies. When I was younger, I had allergic reactions to wicker baskets. As random as that sounds… one time I was visiting family and they had a wicker couch. We were little, so my cousins and I built forts out of cushions from the wicker couch and I had a major reaction. It was a benedryll-filled evening. Since then, I have stayed away from wicker and haven’t had any other reactions. I’m praying for you and that even though you may not be able to figure out what the problem is, that you can find someway to prevent it.
I am allergic to bananas and anything in the banana family like mango and kiwi. They make my throat swell shut in 20 minutes.
I’m allergic to Quinoa and I do better when I don’t eat any wheat at all or very minimal. I got tested for celiac but I’m lucky I don’t have it.
Hi Julie! Just want to say that I’m a huge fan of your blog…especially when I’m in need of a little inspiration. I have a question for you, how often/how much would you say you stretch after a workout. I tend to skip out on it when I’m short on time and regret it later. I realize this is a general question depending on the type of workout, but I thought I’d just let you answer however you felt was best.
Thanks for the workout motivation! It was a great one! I hope you get your allergy situation figured out. Whatever it is….at least you’re not allergic to peanuts! 🙂
I’ve heard of that but by a different name. Scary stuff to think of reacting w/o knowing what you reacted to?
I have dermatographism as well! I used to take Zyrtec 10mg daily (it’s available over the counter) to keep it under control, and this worked very well for me. I recently switched to a prescription medication called Xyzal which is even better because it doesn’t make me drowsy. If you have any questions or need advice before your next appointment, let me know!
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This is a personal question that I understand if you don’t answer: Are you on the Pill? I was on it for a few years and around the age of 32 started to get crazy bad hives without warning. It became so bad that I literally had hives every single day, several times a day. I went to my doctor and they couldn’t really pinpoint any specific thing, they said it was unexplained uticaria. I tried an elimination diet and found out that when I ate wheat I would get hives. I read somewhere that being on the Pill can cause women to have a reaction to wheat later in life. I have been gluten free and hive free for 3 years now. Just a thought!
Sorry to hear about your allergy. I have something similar… developed skin rashes when I was in my early 30’s and no known cause. I went through a series of allergy shots… nothing helped. I now take an allergy pill daily to control the hives and it works. Good luck to you.
I have the worst allergies, as a kid I could only take dance classes as bring outside meant out breaks from pollen and grass. I ended up getting allergy shots for a majority of my younger years which helped me out. Good luck with your journey love+ shine Courtstar
Yuck! Allergies suck! Especially when you don’t know what it is. You’ll figure it out!
I am allergic to Quinoa. Ugh. My throat closes up and I don’t function very well. Last time I took some Benadryl and it knocked me on my ass. I’m also allergic to Penicillin and Sulfa, so when I get sick and have to go to the doc, it’s not fun.