u/-that-short-girl-

I have been running for 1 year now, I started from being sedentary with low endurance. I've gotten up to being able to consistently run 10km for my long runs and I'm pretty happy with that. I ran through the my first very cold Michigan winter, and

I've also improved a ton from when I started!
My 5K time has gone from 57:18 on 6/7/25 to 38:11 on 4/5/26!
I ran my first 10K less than a year ago and gone from 1:43:13 on 7/13/25 to 1:27:09 on 4/3/26. I run almost 5 times a week now and if you told that to me last year I would not have believed a word.

I have lupus and for the first time since I got ill (~5-6 years) I feel like I can workout without needing 5-7 business days to recover. Running makes me really happy, I'm a better student, a better partner, and sibling. I'm more creative (I started writing again!) and I get to enjoy nature and my city more.

But I'm still what I would consider markedly below average with my pace. I know that it doesn't make me less of a runner but gosh darn it I like to be good at things and it is so hard to be bad at stuff. I'm a perfectionist and I think the increasing number of people running outside again is making me feel very slow, shuffle-y, and just otherwise out of place.

TLDR; I love running but it is hard for me to love something I am distinctly bad at - mostly because I think other people think I'm lame/slow/other mean things I won't write about myself.

Hi all, I (26F) have SLE, coming up on my 3 yr diagnosis anniversary. On hydroxychloroquine (3yrs), lisinopril (1.5yrs), and Benlysta (1yr).

My lupus has never manifested as skin issues (other than sun sensitivity but that is also because im very pale).

However in the past few (3-4) months I’ve developed some what weird circular patches of raised, dry, red skin on my face, earlobes, and behind my ears. They aren’t itchy at all and I don’t notice them unless im touching my face or looking in the mirror. Im not experiencing any other flare symptoms.

Messaged my rheum but he was out of office and another very unhelpful doc responded lol.

I’ve added some pictures and would appreciate if people with experience with non-malar rashes could opine on if these spots look lupus related or not. They don’t really respond to much of anything, if I over moisturize they can develop into papules but that doesn’t happen easily.

The one on my jaw has gotten bigger. The ones under my eyes are symmetric but I’ve only ever had one side flare up at a time (right first, left currently)

Pictures in order (jaw in March, left eye currently, jaw currently) sorry the pictures are bad it’s so hard to take a good picture bc I can’t have my glasses on lol.

TYIA

I love running but I'm tired of being slow