I love Vick's VapoRub

Our bodies are built with mechanisms to alert us to when we're making poor decisions for it.  Whether it's fatigue from staying up too late, or heartburn from that extra slice of pizza, or a murderous cough from not enough sleep, walking around outside without a coat, and eating fast food all the time.  Needless to say I have wanted to do nothing but lay around my apartment, suck on vitamin-C cough drops, and sip on my bottle of nyquil for the last 5 days.

It's obvious to me that my body is fed up with me treating it like a garbage dump.

Hula Hoops Are Not My Thing

Over the weekend I spent some time with good friends Chelsea and Shelly, mostly messing around with a Wii and shedding most of my dignity.  Over the course of the evening, I discovered that I don't have great balance and apparently cannot swing my hips.  DEATH-TO-HULA.  From what I've been told, the upper-half of my body was doing all the hula-ing.  Put the thing around my neck, I'd probably be fine.  The evening was a success, however, because no one fell down the stairs and all of the tripping over the dog didn't break any bones.

I've written about it before, but balance is important in every aspect of our lives.  Within our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual states...does anyone ever want to admit that they're unbalanced in any of those?  I must admit that I struggled the find the balance in my priorities, and often things turn to chaos because what I want to do at the time may not be the best decision. 

This morning I woke up at 5:00AM to start my new workout schedule.  I had the gym to myself, which was great as I tend to be a bit self-conscious when lifting weights and pushing all of the buttons on the treadmill.  Let's face it people, I really have no idea what I'm doing.  Why is every treadmill different?  They shouldn't be that complicated.

Anyways, I realized how out of shape I was when I finished one mile and that was all I wanted to do.  I did 50 lunges and started lifting...and then almost barfed.  Pathetic.  I've never been good in the morning with anything.  Ever.  And it's safe to assume that will be the case in the future as well.

So as I run from one side of the seesaw to the other (or in Wii terms, stay on that dang tightrope) trying to find the balance between work, fitness, social life,etc., I have confidence I will figure out a solid exercise schedule that will not be interrupted by near-vomiting.  But I can guarantee it won't be at five in the morning.

While you're reading blogs, why not check out Chelsea's thoughts on her intriguing New Years Resolution?  Her blog is located at http://theaveragelifeofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/.

It's The 0-1-1 Son!

Well it's a new year, and it's time to start feeling bad about yourself again.  Heh.  Mr. Positivity is always preaching strong on a Monday morning.  I only say that because it's the time where you make New Years Resolutions, and then look at your track record from the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that... And you also notice a recurring theme.  You didn't keep ANY OF THEM.  hahaha.  I don't know, maybe it's not so funny.  But maybe I'm laughing and crying at the same time.  One of those "Ahahah...uhuhuhuh." *weeps*

So needless to say, we make New Years Resolutions anyway.  Even if we don't keep them, they give us a sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, we'll follow through this year.  They also provide us with somewhat of a "Control+Y" Re-do on life.  We may have already undone what we set out to do this year, but it's time to get back in the drivers seat and start over.

On a more personal note, I have to admit that I haven't done much running since my foot injury.  I've paid for it, because I've gone back to eating my beloved ELFudge cookies and pizzas.  The jeans are fitting a bit tighter these days, and it's definitely time for me to hop back on the treadmill and get my act together.  I'm shooting for 5 days/week in the gym, and I've given up fast food entirely.  Blogging does help keep me accountable, so I've got my fingers crossed. 

Regarding official resolutions...I didn't really make any for the year.  I'm focusing more on the change in lifestyle than on the actual accomplishments.  What kinds of resolutions did all of you make?

Happy 2011 everyone!

So Close...Ugh

Lets get random and drown my sorrows with Hall & Oates. 

My stupid foot has me perplexed.  It's had over two full weeks of rest, a new shoe, ice, and plenty of stretching.  What more could it possibly want?!!  


During my run yesterday I was so optimistic; on that third mile and not feeling any pain at all.  Then right as I turned the last corner I started feeling it again and it accelerated pretty quickly.  I was so close to the end!  At this point I'm just not sure what to do.  I don't want to be over-dramatic, but I feel side-lined.  Depending on how I feel tomorrow, I may need to get an x-ray, though I can't imagine there's anything I can do about it.

Last Thursday I worked out on a bike and an elliptical machine.  I felt fine, but those machines do not provide the same workout as running does, and certainly aren't appropriate for marathon training.  I really don't want to give up on this race in October, but it's about six weeks away, and the furthest I've been able to go at this point is twelve miles...not even half.  If I don't see improvement in my foot, this blog may become more about a quest for healthy decisions and less about running a race.

I guess that proves that while much of running is mind over matter, I have to be responsible and listen to my body.  Hopefully things turn around, though.

The Nefarious Peroneus

Pain is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle.  The process of getting in shape always involves pushing the body beyond its supposed limits.  However, understanding this simple truth doesn't make it any less miserable.

I am no stranger to pain during physical activity.  Whether losing a chunk of my scalp during a soccer game to some fool going up for a header with his mouth open (which, by the way, is a great way to bite your tongue off), or playing basketball with a mouth full of blood after getting nailed in the face (ahh...the good ol' days of braces), this blundering accident-prone guy can take it in stride.  Unfortunately this leads me to where I've been for the last week.

Upon completing my 12-mile run last Monday, I was experiencing an alarming pain shooting up the side of my right foot and into my ankle.  That night my entire body was in pain, so I attributed it to the average aches and pains that plague the body after strenuous activity.  However, it didn't go away.  Tuesday, the pain grew sharper as the day went on, and continued into Wednesday.  I spoke with one of my doctor friends, and they suggested it may be a strained or sprained tendon on my foot or ankle.  That's no good for me.  After a messed up week of irregular routine in Oklahoma, I really needed to get back on my training plan.  But because I couldn't put any weight on my foot, I decided it would be wiser to rest it for a week and come back to the schedule on Monday.

Well...today is Monday.  And I thought I had rid myself of this problem.  I was feeling better this weekend, no longer gimping around and looking like a cripple.  I got around mile 2.5 of a 4-mile run and began to feel the pain shooting back up my leg.  BLERG.

I'm trying not to get discouraged.  I want to be smart and make sure that I'm not pushing myself too hard and end up with possible serious damage, but I also don't want to lose out on my endurance.  This race is coming up fast!  I have roughly six weeks left of training, and I don't want to slow up.

I know I said I was going to get some new shoes...yeah, haven't done that yet.  I'll go tomorrow.

Sweatpants, I have missed you

Who doesn't love to be comfortable?  I have this pair of sweatpants that haven't been worn in like four months because it's been so blasted hot outside.  Well, today was cooler, and after my run I decided to go for something comfy.  Now all I need is a footbath.  This bucket I'm using just isn't the same.  Yes, I'm sitting in sweatpants with my feet in a bucket of hot water.

Today was rough people.  I've been a little off schedule lately due to all of my traveling, and getting back into the routine just might turn out to be torturous.  My legs reached a point during this 12-mile run that they've never reached before, even during two-a-days for soccer back in high school.  They weren't just quitting on me--they were rebelling.  Mutiny of the legs is not something I can have if I have to run 14.2 miles further than I did today, so I will have to beat them into submission.

I'm going to buy new shoes tomorrow.  I know they'll be expensive, but I think it will be a worthwhile investment.  I can't keep running on my cheapo Adidas' that I got at Dunhams.


I've got 14 planned for Saturday...Hopefully I can recover by then.

OKC

Greetings from HOT Oklahoma!  I got in last night around 10:00PM, so I didn't have a chance to run yesterday.  I'm pretty sure I got in a couple of miles of walking in the Atlanta airport though, because my plane was delayed for a while.  I walked four of terminals, so it may have even been longer.  Who would have thought that the Atlanta airport would have a Villa Pizza?  Random flashback to MSU cafeterias.

Anyways, onto the running-in-travel-status experience.  It was roughly 101F today in OKC.  Woof.  Running outside is not going to happen here.  I had grilled chicken and green beans at Earl's and had a really good discussion with one of our trainers who just finished her first marathon a few months ago.  It's always good to talk with people who have already completed a race to get advice and hear things from their perspective. 

I ran five miles on a treadmill in the fitness center of the hotel, which took a lot out of me.  I don't know how to run on a treadmill.  I find the pacing hard to figure out, and I feel like I'm running against a clock instead of what comes naturally to me.  It also just feels like the run will never end because I can't help myself from constantly looking at the clock and the mile-counter as it clicks by .01 miles at a time.  It's killer. But I did it, and I will do it again tomorrow. 

Everything is thrown off this week due to all of this travel.  This was supposed to be a 4-6-4-12 week, and it's turning into a 5-5-12 week with the 12-mile scheduled for Friday night after I get home from Oklahoma City.  I'm going to Chicago with some friends on Saturday, so I won't have time to run in the morning.  I guess it just goes to show that even when you can't keep a concrete routine, one still must remain disciplined and make the time necessary to complete the objective.