Hello!
Big update today with all kinds of various information just because I feel like typing!
RealityTV update: Spoilers ahead!! Read with caution...
Survivor ended without a bang. I can say for the first time that I'm starting to get bored with the show...I'll still watch it but it isn't on the must see the same night list. MoJo was booted from
Amazing Race and I liked them...here's hoping the hippies can pull one out on Wednesday night. AR is still the show that I'd love to be on (travel, extreme stunts, etc).
Lost (I know it's not reality but it's close enough)...last Wednesday was a tad disappointing but I know it is just setting up the storylines for the season ender.
American Idol - so rocker Chris is going to be in Fuel, more power to him...although he was pretty good on the show, he sounds like every other alt-rocker out there from the past ten years (Creed, Live, etc) and I think he will rapidly fall into obscurity. Please, please, please don't let that Elliot kid win. He can't sing!! And June 21st we get to choose who will live in the
Big Brother house this summer from an all-star cast! Can't wait!
K...that's out of my system....on to the shout out portion of today's post:
Amy - thanks! Keep me posted if you join TnT or go to the meeting...I looked at the website and they do a lot for you in return for raising money for the chairity. The one in Georgia is currently training for four events. They are definitely on my radar. Hope you had a nice Mother's Day.
Tracy - Scale bashing...hmmm....gotta keep that in mind!! Wonder if the fitness center would be upset if I started wailing on the scale
Anna - thanks for the info on TnT and advice to go check out the fliers at the running store. Congrats on completing three marathons with them!! That's awesome!
Julie - Um....what the heck makes you think that I
WANT to run up hills ??
Those races sound grueling!! But I bet there is a huge sense of accomplishment from finishing one of them....I may be more inclined to belly up to the Hold 'em table though
Everyone else - thanks as always for the support! Makes this whole process not only beneficial, but FUN! thanks!
Here's the update for today...
Thursday May 11th
I didn't feel too great going into Thursday's run. For starters, I was developing a condition in a sensitive part of my chest....let's just say that it is caused by sweating a lot in cotton shirts which in turn causes chafing and extreme sensitivity (TMI!!). Some quick research found that this is a very common issue among men and they make products to help out, most noteably something called Body Glide. REI carries it but I'd have to do with a temporary remedy of vaseline and/or a bandaid until I can get over to the REI store. On top of that, my legs were a little sore and my back was aching more than normal. I think Sunday's bike ride with my daughter caused an issue with my bulging disc and the daily exercise since then has done nothing but aggravate it. With all of that said, I still felt good enough to get a run in so I set out for a 45 minute 4r/1w. All was well until around 15 minutes in. I was really struggling with aches and pains...my calves hurt, my thighs hurt, my shins hurt, my feet hurt, my back hurt (ok, you get the picture) so I started walking longer and longer at a time until I completely ruled out running somewhere around the 30 minute mark. I walked the rest of the way back to the house where I even had difficulty doing my post-run stretches. For the record I did 3.95 miles in 47:04 (11:55 avg mile, 176/153 HR).
For the first time in my training, I was very concerned about my back. To keep a long story short, I battled a bulging disc injury that was pushing on my sciatic nerve for the better part of the last two years. It was painful to walk during that time and I bet that I single-handedly kept Motrin in business. Magically the pain subsided in September and I haven't had any issues since. The injury is still there but my body has somehow adapted to it. I was extrememly sedentary due to the difficulty walking and running and I put on around 10-15 pounds as a result.
So there I was on the couch hoping that I hadn't re-injured myself to the point of not being able to do this any longer. I took some pain killers and rested for the remainder of the night.
Friday May 12th
Things felt a little better in the morning. Legs were still a sore and my back had a dull ache but nothing that I couldn't tolerate. I popped a couple Motrin anyway and decided to take the day off and let my body rest.
Saturday May 13th
I was faced with the dilemma of either scrapping my 6 mile run, delaying it a day or going ahead with it. I usually do my long weekend at the same trail but had to find a new place due to a festival being held at that trail. The new park where I was going to run had just a 1/2 mile loop so I figured that if I did try and run and something happened, I could make it back to the car pretty easily. So I strapped on the heart monitor, strategically placed a band-aid, popped two Motrin and set off to run further than I ever have in my life.
The track at Hobgood Park is a paved 1/2 mile circle around baseball fields. It's mostly flat but does have a 20ft. elevation change (geesh...really sweating the details here, eh?). There were softball tournaments taking place so the park was alive with activity when I got there. I did a one lap warm up and began my run. I felt no aches or pains, had a good pace and some nice rhythmic breathing. The first few miles flew by....my splits were 9:00/9:44/9:48...I felt myself slowing down a little during mile 4, I finished it in 10:23...but then tried to pick the pace back up during mile 5 and did, coming in at 10:05. Mile 6 wasn't as tough as it was just tiring...I had circled the same spot 10 times and was conscious of having been out there for nearly an hour. I just wanted to get it over with so I picked up the pace again and ended up finishing that last mile in 9:54. I completed the 6 miles (4r/1w) in 58:54!! I was extremely pleased to come in under an hour, especially with how I felt the past few days.
I wanted to make sure I relaxed a little after the run so I decided to take my daughter to the movies. Not to get all off topic or anything, but the theater ended up being a promotion-fest. Let me explain....we wanted to see the Disney/Pixar movie called 'The Wild'. As we made our way to the box office, a theater employee asked my daughter if she'd like a free poster. Never to pass up anything free, we thanked him and admired our new poster of the upcoming release called 'Over the Hedge'. Before I could place my ticket order, another worker approached me and said "free posters for the kids and free t-shirts for the adults" Free t-shirt?? I don't even have to run a 5k to get it?? Then she handed me a shiny red Coca-Cola shirt wrapped in plastic and said "don't forget to check out the petting zoo at the end of the parking lot after the movie!". Petting zoo? What the heck was going on here today?? Turns out they were doing a massive Over the Hedge promo with t-shirts, posters, petting zoo, coloring activities and face painting. Sure did add some excitement to a normal trip to the movies!
Anyway, after the movies I was still feeling good so daughter and I decided to take the dog for a walk to the lake by our house....tack on a 2 mile walk in addition to the 6 mile run!
I capped the succesful day off with a few beers and some poker with the neighborhood buddies.
Sunday May14th - Happy Mother's Day!
I woke up and was a little hesitant to move, fearing pain from either my back or my legs or both. Other than a little soreness in my calves, everything felt pretty good! It was an off day with only some light house cleaning and some backyard frisbee with the dog & kid on the exercise schedule.
So after the scare of last week's back pain it's time to get back at it. I won't throw caution to the wind though...if I feel anything abnormal with the back or legs, I'll take it easy and make sure that I don't make it worse. There is a 5k this Saturday that I want to run if possible. I didn't sign up in advance so it can be a Friday night decision. Other than that I think the week will look like this:
Monday - 45 minute 4r/1w
Tuesday - 40 minute elliptical
Wednesday - 40 minute elliptical
Thursday - 45 minute 4r/1w
Friday - off
Saturday - Woodstock Kiwanis 5k OR 6 mile 4r/1w
Sunday - off
I have a love/hate relationship with my scale. Currently it is in the not love state 
.
, my run today was not stellar. But I am really REALLY excited for you!!! You are going to be awesome in the Peach Tree!!! I can't believe you broke 60 on your first ever 10K distance!!! 
) Or there is one during the summer that is a run from the base to the TOP of the mountain - to about 16K ft! It's ONLY 8 miles, though on trails up the sides that twist & turn! Wanna try it???? Some day when I have someone to go with and a day, I'm going to venture up walking and bring the tram down. I hear it's beautiful!! (Gotta watch out for BEARS & Mountain Lions this time of year, though - NOT kidding!! - They're HUNGRY!!)
That's AWESOME! 
Scott! Holy Cow! Check out all those negative splits you ran!!!! Really, I said it before and I'll say it again, super effort AND with an injury. 
.
Congratulations Scott! 
Hippie's Rule! 
