Slacker

Okay, it's been quite some time since I last posted. When I went for a run on Thanksgiving my Achilles wasn't too bad, so I was pretty sure that I was okay to get back in the game. Since that little run I made my way back to the OC&E Trail and ran 3 days in a row. My tendon was tender each day when I first started, but after a couple hundred yards felt okay.

My major problem now is that I'm fatter than I've ever been, and extremely out of shape. I ran during lunch and only went 2 1/2 miles each time, but my times were atrocious, and I now know what it feels like to run while you're pregnant. Other than the fact that I don't actually have a baby inside kicking my bladder, I definitely have the weight and look the part...if I were to wear a wig on my next run people would be amazed that a woman my age could get pregnant!


It's now been about 2 weeks since I last ran, and I no longer have excuses not to go on a regular basis. Hunting has ended, my Achilles seems to be healed, Doug's games are all at night, and other than the 5 inches of snow we got yesterday the weather's not bad.

Time to quit being a slacker!

Thanksgiving Day Run

A quick post...went for a 2 1/2 mile run Thanksgiving Day and SURVIVED!!!! Went really slow, but managed to run (I'm going to call it "run") the whole way. My Achilles was a little bit sore, but I think if I'm careful I can start putting in some miles now and then. It's colder than I want (about 8 degrees this morning), and I have a nasty cold that I picked up from someone, but when it warms up a little bit and I'm healthier I'll start hitting the trail.

YAY!

Relay for Life

We (the radio station) did the Relay for Life last weekend. It was kind of fun...I wound up walking non-stop for about one hour and forty five minutes at about a 4 mph pace. It doesn't sound like much, considering I've gone on runs that were almost that long, but it almost killed me.

I did find out that my Achilles is definitely not in any kind of shape to exercise for an extended period of time. It wasn't as bad as when I run, but it wasn't exactly a stroll in the park either. I'm now really worried about my upcoming elk hunt...I won't be able to do anything to get in shape, and I'm afraid I won't be able to be as mobile as I need to be to really enjoy the hunt. Guess we'll just have to see wait and see what happens!

4 Weeks

It's been 4 weeks since I last ran...and the same amount of time since I last posted. My Achilles has improved quite a bit, especially in the last week. We had to get 6 tons of hay last week, and it bothered me after we finished, but hasn't hurt at all the last couple of days. I think I'm at the point where I need to be very careful...I want to go for a run, but don't think that that's a wise choice. I'm afraid that if I succumb and head out on the trail, I'll re-injure the stupid thing and be back to where I was a month ago.

I only have two months until we leave for the Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho, and my physical condition is not really conducive to climbing around at 8500 feet. I need to do something to get my legs and lungs in shape, but I'm hesitant to risk straining my Achilles again. I think the best course of action is to follow Laurie's 6-6-6 advice...wait 2 more weeks, and then go for a very short, slow run and see what happens.

I probably won't write again until after that...so if you're holding your breathe waiting for my next post, you'll have to hold it for about 2 weeks.

Limping Along

I went for another little jog last night on the OC&E trail, and other than the fact that I'm extremely out of shape actually felt fairly good. I headed west from the parking lot on Reeder Road so I'd have the wind at my back on the return trip (it was a pretty stiff wind), and ALMOST felt like a runner. My Achilles only hurt for the first 200 yards, and my right knee loosened up after about 600 yards. It wasn't what I would call pleasant, but I felt that MAYBE I'd be able to continue running on a more consistent basis. When I got home I still felt good...no major pains, no stiffening up...good signs that perhaps I didn't do too much too soon.

Today is another story. I just walked the 2 1/2 short blocks from our parking area to the office, and it was brutal. My Achilles is definitely not healed. In fact when I got to the office, I seriously considered calling my wife to see what doctor I should make an appointment with. I probably won't visit a doctor, but I don't know that I'll be running for awhile.

I was planning on an every other day running schedule for a couple of weeks...maybe I should back it off to every third day, or every fourth day, or maybe just wait 6 months and hope that I don't look like a hippo by that time.

Any advice?

Back in the Game!

It's been almost 1 1/2 months since I last posted, and it HAS been a full 1 1/2 months since I last ran. I felt pretty good when I got off work today, so I thought I'd go for a little run when I got home. My Achilles has been kind of tender, but hasn't been bothering me like it was earlier in the year.

My run, if you can actually call it that, almost killed me. I went really slow, and I didn't go very far (3 miles total, with about 1/2 mile walking in the middle) but because I've turned into a blimp and haven't done anything since the last part of April I have no wind and no endurance. It's pretty brutal to try to push my big belly into the wind on the OC&E Trail...I'm really glad there weren't too many people out there to see me.

Right now the attachment point for my Achilles is pretty swollen, but it doesn't hurt too much so I'm hoping I didn't do any lasting damage. I'll see how it feels in the morning, but I think that I might actually be back in the game! Wouldn't THAT be sweet! It's amazing, but running really is addicting. I wish that I had started at an early age, instead of waiting until I was 39! Looking back, that was really pretty young...it's hard to believe that almost 16 years has gone by since we left Newport and moved to The Dalles. I don't remember being as attached to riding as I am to running, even though I know I rode quite a bit over the years.

We'll see what happens in the morning...if it's not bothering me tomorrow, I'll try to go for another little trip. Here's hoping!!!

Still Hurt

I think I'm permanently crippled! I ran last week, and haven't been able to do much of anything since. My Achilles felt okay while I was running, but hurt quite a bit after I sat for awhile (yes Laurie, I stretched after I finished my run!). Since then it's been very tender, and takes some time to be able to walk without limping. When I got up this morning I considered going for a run at lunch because it's raining and I love running in the rain, but when I walked the 2 1/2 blocks from our parking area to the office I decided that that was probably foolish. But then I started looking at our blogs, and after reading Laurie's blog I got excited about going for a run again, so I might actually give it a shot. We'll have to see what happens.