Month: November 2013

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2 days – 2 runs

Another successful run yesterday.  I decided to stop after 3 miles since I was a bit sore from Sunday and my heel spur was acting up.

During my run I came up on 3 women out power walking.  They were taking up the left half of the road, so I had to go around on the right.  As I approached them I noticed that the one in the middle had a jogging stroller.  They were talking and having a good time.  I went around them and they commented about me running so fast (which was a pleasantry as I wasn’t running fast at all).  I looked back after I got around them to look at the baby and there was a dog in the stroller!  Ha.  They called out, “bet you thought it was a baby in there!”  That made my run a bit more enjoyable.

So I ran my route and headed home.

All in all it is nice that I got two runs in a row in.  I am not hurting at all today and feel like I might have turned the corner.  Of course I have 10 extra lbs now I have to work on losing, but it could be worse.

Finally, I have had several blog nominations lately.  Thank you to everyone.  I plan on working on them as I get my life in some sense of order.  I really appreciate you all!

Tom

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Random stuff and a 4.7 mile run

Things have been a little tough for me lately.  I don’t really know why.  Maybe it is post marathon depression or just the fact I haven’t been able to run.  Either way, I feel as if I am slowly falling into a hole that is slowly getting deeper.  I could climb out if I want, but I am beginning not to want to, and that is a problem.

Okay, that is more about me then I wanted to share.

Yesterday I took matters into my own hands, feet, legs, etc.  After messing up on the time for church and getting there 45 minutes early, I went to get gas and coffee while I waited. I filled my tank and it overflowed.  Nice.  Now I get to go to church smelling like gas.  I went to the store where I got the gas to wash my hands, but it was closed.  So I went out to find another convenience store.  In that store I got a bottled iced coffee and as I went to throw away the plastic that was over the lid, I poured half the coffee on the floor.  Hmmm.  Not going to be a good day.

I finally made it to church and then headed home.  By this time I was done.  Over my limit.  I didn’t care about my hip, my achilles, my heel spur!  I was going to run.

I got into my running clothes and went out the door.  I think it was the best run I’ve had in a very long time.  I didn’t push it.  I just ran.  I ran my 3 mile route and still felt good so decided to head onto another 2 mile section.  Frankly I felt like I could have gone further, but decided to end at my house which actually got me to 4.7 miles.  All in all it was just pleasant.  The weather was nice, it was quite and I could just be alone with no one needing me for anything.  

Did I say it was my birthday?  I got a Pebble watch.  Pretty cool as it gives notifications from my iPhone directly on the watch.  No more having to pull my phone out of my pocket each time there is a bleep.  Also it shows my running stats from my phone during my run, so I could just look down and see how I was doing rather than having to turn on my iPhone.

Life goes on.  Nothing changes.  I am thankful I could run yesterday.  I hope I’ll run again today.  

Maybe that hole isn’t as big as I thought.

If you can’t run…

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My life at mile 20

I was pretty sore after my run on Monday.  Actually I had pain shooting down the back of my hip all day Tuesday.  Probably not a good thing.

I went to the PT yesterday all ready for a good word on getting back to running.  My website address, 278toboston.com may need to be changed soon if I can’t move past this problem.  My hip problem actually stems back about 12 years ago.  I had such a bad problem, that I needed a handicap sticker to park my car.  I had to have my kids push me in a wheelchair through Walmart.  Not good.  I still don’t think I’d be this bad off now if I hadn’t run trails a month ago.  I had just run 9 days in a row and chose to run trails with TJ.  I just couldn’t pass up the offer.  I pounded those trails and haven’t been the same since.

Back to my PT appointment.  It never happened.  I got there and as soon as I walked in the door they said that with insurance it would cost me $200.  Okay. I exaggerate.  They said it would cost $187.87.  They were nice and said I didn’t need to pay it right then; I could wait until my next appointment.  I did appreciate that, but I don’t do debt or credit.  If I don’t have the money, I don’t spend the money.  Funny, but if they had called me to tell me the cost a week or so ago, I could have figured something out.  They will call me in a couple of weeks to reschedule.

So I walked out, got into my car and headed home.  I decided to walk my 3 mile route.  It was a nice walk.  My hip hurt through the first half and then felt better.

Where do I go from here.  I don’t know.  I imagine if I just stopped running for a few months or a year I would get back to the place where I could take it up again.  Knowing me though, after a year, I would be laying on the bed and eating my Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and weighing 280 lbs.

So the conundrum.  What should I do?

I guess I’ll keep running and walking and stretching and heating and icing.  Heck, YouTube is cheaper than $187.87 and I can find plenty of good stretches on there.

I guess this will be another chapter in my future book.  Maybe next year during NaNoWriMo.  I think I’ll start out comparing mile 20 of my last marathon to my life at this moment.  Sometimes all you can do is tell yourself to keep putting on foot in front of the other and not look back.

Hmmm. Might be an idea…

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My first post injury run

I ran yesterday.

My first run since the first week of October.

First of all, it was a good run.  I ran my 5K route I created while walking for the past few weeks.  The thing I like about this route is that there are no sharp turn arounds or Cul-de-sacs to run around.

The run went well overall – I ran in my Brooks PureFlow’s for the first time.  I like them.  They seem to be the right weight and good support.  I think these might become my go-to shoes.

On to my run.

First I had little twinges of hip pain throughout.  I didn’t try to push myself.  I just ran.  I did take my phone so I could see how I did after I finished.  My achilles/heel spur didn’t act up.  It was a little sore in the beginning, but that went away and I really had no more problems.

I ran my 5K route in 26:53 which is pretty good for an old man who has only run 30 miles in the past couple of months.  I was pleased when I looked at my time.  I wondered if I should have gone slower, but I just ran what felt comfortable and sometimes when I go too slow, I actually end up in more pain.

So all in all it was a good inaugural run… until this morning that is.  I woke up and my hip was hurting.  The good thing is it wasn’t where I got the injection, but I think it is still in my SI joint area.  I stretched before and after, but I did have things to do yesterday after my run, so I may not have stretched enough and I forgot to heat and ice… Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Today I am supposed to go to my first PT appt, but I am probably going to have to cancel.  My Lovely Wife woke up with a raging migraine and I will probably need to take her to the doctor this morning which means I’ll need to work late.  Oh well, maybe I’ll be able to reschedule for later in the week.

This roller coaster I am on needs to seriously stop.  I enjoyed my run and that was my goal.  I just need to find my rhythm in running again.  Not overthink it and not push it.  Just run.

I’m sure Ibuprofen will help with my pains and I’ll continue to stretch during the day.  Obviously there will be no running today, even if I felt better.  There just won’t be enough time.

Until next time (whenever that is).

Tom

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Might run today

Nothing to really report.  I didn’t walk or run this weekend.  It was just a bit too hectic to fit anything in.

So I hope this afternoon to run 3 miles slowly and see how I feel.  Overall I feel fine, so I have no reason to believe that this shouldn’t go well.

I will try to catch up on your blogs sometime soon as life settles down (when life settles down).

Tom

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Results – Running soon!

I got great overall news yesterday when I went an orthopedic sports medicine doctor.

My concerns were my hip, which hasn’t recovered since my marathon and my achilles which we really bad a couple weeks ago when I tried running.

He took X-rays and I told him about my desire need to run.  I told him how I weighed 100 lbs more that I do now just 2 years ago and running was the major reason I am where I am physically.  He seemed impressed and wanted to help.

For my hip, he said I had bursitis.  He said he wanted to inject it and then have me put heat on it and an anti-infamitory cream.  He also wants to send me to a physical therapist to get some help. So he came in with a needle and went to inject me.  At the point I thought he was numbing it, he was done.  No pain from the needle!  By the time I got into my car, I was in less pain.  For the first time in a long time, driving my stick shift didn’t bother my hip.  My walk yesterday afternoon felt great and, though I wanted to “try it out” running, I didn’t.

My achilles does have a spur on it.  He said he could operate on it but that could end my running completely.  He said it looked fine and I think the PT will help me with that some also.  He just said to stretch well use ice.

Before I left, I asked him if there was any reason I couldn’t run immediately and he said no, I can run as soon as I want.  He did say not to run hard for a bit, so no workouts – darn! 🙂

Everything checks out.  I figure I’ll keep walking through the weekend and maybe start running slowly starting next week.

Enjoy your running weekend.  I’ll be right there with you soon!!!