Tuesday, March 24, 2026

High Blood Pressure.

No Thyroid. High Blood Pressure. Still Showing Up.

There was a point recently where I stopped and thought, what is going on with my body? I was more fatigued than usual, a little dizzy, just… off. At first, I did what a lot of us do—I tried to explain it away. Maybe it’s my glucose. Maybe it’s my blood sugar. Maybe I just need more rest. But something didn’t sit right, so I went in.

My blood pressure? Sky high. Not a little elevated. Not something to “watch.” Dangerously high.

Now, high blood pressure does run in my family, so it wasn’t completely out of nowhere. But still—as an athlete, as someone who takes care of their body—it hits differently. You start asking yourself how you missed it, what else is going on, and how you’re going to manage this on top of everything else.

Because here’s my reality: I don’t have a thyroid. I rely on medication every single day. And now I’m managing high blood pressure too. This isn’t just “take a pill and move on.” This is paying attention, adjusting, and being honest with how I feel.

My doctor started me on blood pressure medication, and after about six months, things are coming back to where they need to be. But that didn’t happen by ignoring it. That happened by addressing it.

Here’s the biggest thing I want you to take from this: when you feel off, something is off. Not always something huge, but something worth paying attention to. Too many people push through, ignore symptoms, and assume it’s just a phase. Sometimes it’s not.

I didn’t guess my way through this. I brought my information in, had real conversations, asked questions, and advocated for myself. And I’ll say this loud—find a doctor who listens to you. I’ve been with my endocrinologist for over 15 years, and that relationship matters. When things change, you need someone who understands your baseline.

I could have stopped. I could have said I don’t have a thyroid, I’m tired. I could have said now I have high blood pressure; I should back off. But that’s not how I’m wired. And this isn’t about ignoring your health—it’s about owning it.

Yes, high blood pressure is serious. Yes, there are risks if it’s unmanaged. But fear doesn’t fix anything. Awareness does. Action does. Consistency does. You don’t stop living—you get smarter about how you live.

No matter what you’re dealing with—no thyroid, high blood pressure, hormones, fatigue, stress—we are all managing "something." That doesn’t mean you stop. It means you pay attention, take care of yourself, build the right team, and keep going.

You don’t ignore your body. You learn it. You support it. And then you keep chasing what matters.

#NoThyroidAthlete #IronSunshine #EnduranceAthlete #ThyroidWarrior #StrongOver50

Monday, March 23, 2026

“Be the athlete you want to be.”

How I’ve Worked Through Fatigue as an Endurance Athlete yes again "Without a Thyroid"

Fatigue is something I’ve had to learn how to live with — and more importantly, how to move through.

Not ignore it completely.
Not let it stop me.

But learn how to work with it.

I Built My Life Around Mornings

I’ve always been an early bird even in middle school and high school. I was always the first one in the shower out the door yada, yada.

And one of the biggest decisions I made early was this was going to continue:

Everything important had to happen in the morning. No exceptions.

My workouts.
My training.
My classes.
My clients.

All of it.

Because I knew something about myself: If I waited until later in the day… it wasn’t going to happen.

Real Life Doesn’t Slow Down

Like most people, my day didn’t get easier as it went on. It got busier.

After school, after work — everything shifted to my kids.

Practices. Games. Homework. Life. "I wouldn’t trade that for anything."

Now don’t get me wrong — I still found ways to move if I want to add on or needed to do something I missed in the morning. Lots of times I would have clients at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 am then get the kids off to school go back to work at 8:30 or so finish up with my clients or teaching and I would stay at the gym to do something for myself.

I’d run while they were at practice. Have them ride their bikes while I trained.
Make movement part of our life together.

But structured training?

That had to be done early.

Why I Don’t Sit Down

Here’s something I’ve learned about myself over the years:

If I sit down when I’m tired…
I’m done.

I’ll fall asleep.

And if I nap?

I don’t wake up feeling refreshed I feel like crap.

I wake up feeling worse than ever.

So instead, I made a choice:

Keep moving.

That doesn’t mean going all-out every second.

But it does mean staying in motion, staying engaged, and not letting fatigue take over my entire day.

The Mindset That Changed Everything

This might be the most important piece.

For a long time, I didn’t see myself as an athlete.

Even though I was training.
Even though I was teaching.
Even though I was showing up every day.

But at some point, I shifted that.

I started telling myself:

Be the athlete you want to be.

Because you are what you repeatedly tell yourself you are.

And athletes?

They show up.
They train.
They stay consistent.

Whether they feel perfect or not.

What This Looks Like for Me

With or without a thyroid, this is what I’ve learned:

• Don’t rely on motivation
• Build your day around what matters most
• Train early if that’s when you can control your time
• Stay consistent, even when energy isn’t perfect
• Keep moving forward — even if it’s not your best day

Because not every day will feel great.

But you can still show up.

Final Thought

😏Fatigue may always be part of my life.

But it doesn’t get to decide what I’m capable of.

Because I’ve learned something over the years:

You don’t have to feel 100% to move forward.

You just have to start.

And remember:

A small step still takes you forward.

— Danniela
IronSunshine ☀️

#NoThyroidAthlete
#IronSunshine
#EnduranceAthlete
#ThyroidWarrior
#StrongOver50

Sunday, March 22, 2026

UNDERSTANDING YOUR THYROID LABS: A SIMPLE GUIDE (again)

Not let's start here -Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in your neck — but it has a huge impact on your energy

, weight

, mood

, hormones

, and overall health.

If you’ve ever looked at your thyroid blood test results and felt confused, you’re not alone. Let’s break down the most common thyroid labs and what they mean:

1. TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)

What it does: TSH is made by your brain and tells your thyroid to produce hormones.
Normal range: Around 0.4–4.0 MIU/L (some feel best between 0.5–2.5)

High TSH = Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

Low TSH = Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

2. Free T4 (Thyroxine)

What it does: The main hormone your thyroid makes. “Free” means your body can use it.

Low Free T4 + High TSH = Hypothyroidism

High Free T4 + Low TSH = Hyperthyroidism

3. Free T3 (Triiodothyronine)

What it does: The active form of thyroid hormone that powers your metabolism, energy, and mood.

Low Free T3 = Poor conversion from T4 → T3 (can happen with stress or inflammation)

4. Reverse T3 (rT3)

What it does: A “brake” hormone that blocks the effects of active T3.

High Reverse T3 = Your body may be in survival mode (stress, trauma, illness)

5. Anti-TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies)

What it does: A key marker for thyroid autoimmunity.

High Anti-TPO = Common in Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease

6. Anti-TG (Thyroglobulin Antibodies)

What it does: Another autoimmune marker.

High Anti-TG = Immune system reacting to your thyroid

7. Total T3 / Total T4
These measure all thyroid hormone (free + bound). Less specific than free T3/T4 but still helpful in some cases.

BONUS: Other helpful labs to check with your thyroid