Ready for War

I've prepared for tomorrow's long run, as if I'm going to war. I've stayed on top of my hydration, massaged my aching shin, my running clothes are laid out, I purchased a couple packets of GU, loaded my ipod with upbeat music, cleaned my shoes, made a general plan for tomorrows food.... well you get the point, I am ready for WAR! War, being the Texas heat.

Today was boring. The off-day gave me a chance to catch up on a lot of neglected things around the house. Nothing worth blogging about.

Here's one of many inserts from "Running Within". In this paragraph, Lynch talk's about simplicity:

The warrior seeks inner victory through simplicity. According to the warrior, less is more. Over the years, we have noticed how complex the sport of distance running has become, as if more is better. Most of us tend to be overly concerned about having the right stuff-watches, shoes, heart monitor, clothing-and lose touch with the beauty and essence of simple running. Runners World editor and author Joe Henderson once said, "Don't let the planning and analyzing interfere with the doing and enjoying." He is right.

Thirteen point one tomorrow, or bust!

Final June Run

I was up late last night, consequently the pre-work morning run was scrapped in lieu of an extra hour of sleep. I ran at work, which is a series of 0.20 loops around the fire station. Seven miles worth of urban, unshaded, concrete loops is less than exciting in my book. I ran at 4:30 pm, so I could eat and go to bed early. The heat wasn't as bad as anticipated, maybe its a combination of: 1. I'm getting use to the heat, 2. The humidity has been fair to us, and 3. I worry more about the distance or pace, so there's not much room to worry about the heat.

The bad news: those big, bad shin splints are back. Yuk! As you can see from the pace below, my left leg was killing me. The rookie on my shift joined me for the last three miles. Isn't it weird how much faster you run with company? I thought I was holding the same pace during the entire run, but I was wrong. The numbers below show some decent running at the end, considering the leg pain and temperature.

I'm so excited about my upcoming Saturday run. If all goes well I will run my first 1/2 marathon distance, 13.1 miles at Cullen Park-Little Bear park. Wish me luck!

If your bored and looking for something to read, I found an awesome blog post about running and donating blood. Check it out, lots of interesting information!

Activity: Easy Run
Mileage: 7 miles
Time: 1:18:16 - 11:11 pace
Splits:
11:26
11:33
11:58
11:44
10:39
10:17
10:36
Location: Humble Fire Department
How I felt: 7

Striders

The Houston Strider crowds are getting larger on Wednesday nights. Maybe everyone senses the start of marathon training in the air?

Today's run was from the aquatic center to the polo grounds while looping Memorial Park. I arrived at the park at 6:30 pm and assumed it would be a tough run due to the heat. Just sitting at the picnic table stretching, I was sweating. Oddly enough though, the heat disappeared after the first 1/2 mile. The majority of the run is in the shade, the humidity was relatively low, and the overall temperature was... ok. Not to bad for late June running weather in Houston, Texas.

The most remarkable thing about tonight's run was the people I met. Strider/HRB'er, Steve Bezner was in attendance. I have read and followed Steves blog for several months, so I feel like I know him... kind of. We have a few things in common, weight loss and running. Only time will tell if my success story will be as extreme as Steve's! I also met and ran with long time Strider Francisco. Hmmm, where to start? Well, here I go. If Francisco isn't a running coach, he should be. Francisco pushed my pace to a new level and he knew what to say and when to say it. He didn't talk about form or mechanics, rather he made comments like "Hold this pace and think about how great you will feel when you finish". Everything clicked tonight. I am still analyzing what the repeatable positive factors were. Francisco and I are similar in height, which made it appear (to me) that we were matching strides. Of course, I know he's a distinguished runner and he was slowing down to match MY STRIDE. I don't know how to write about tonight's run. Things seemed different, but better, way better than normal. The mental part of tonight's run was perfect. No negative thoughts, no concern for aches and pains, just running. I never asked for any help, yet Francisco knew exactly what I wanted to do. On the return trip from the Polo fields I was having problems holding the faster pace, but through his encouraging words I was able to finish the distance and feel great about it. This was one of those runs where I didn't want to stop. I'm not sure if he's out there reading this in cyber-world, but I want to express my appreciation for his time and effort to help a new runner. Francisco is a runner to model after! Someday, I hope to find my place as a runner and help people as he did for me today. It's been said before, but it is worth repeating, Strider Nation Rocks!

*Tonight's average pace was one second faster than my 10k PR!*

Activity: Group Run
Mileage: 5.76 miles
Time: 53:51 - 9:21 per mile pace
Splits:
9:33
9:34
9:22
9:42 - didn't stop my watch when walking over the RR tracks
9:08
6:32 (0.76 mile)
Location: Memorial Park
How I Felt: 10

No news

Nothing worthy of reporting, other than my weight training. I did my lower body weight training late last night. Upper and mid-body completed this afternoon. I'm ready for tomorrows 6-miler.

I finished reading "Running Within" by Lynch and Scott. Today, I started reading "Breakthrough Running" by Bakoulis

Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Total Body
Time: 1.5 hours
Location: Home Gym
How I Felt: 9.5

Monday run + prior week review

I'm changing my normal running routine. For the last few months I have run on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. In an attempt to add mileage, I felt the need to add an extra day. No fancy documented running schedule, I simply tried to find a way to balance my runs with work and the Striders. This week I am going to try running Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Starting next week I will follow a SMART transition schedule Steeve made for me. Thanks Steve!

Below I have listed last weeks average calories, fat, carbs, and protein. The numbers would have been lower, but there were a couple high days. I'm still content with the average. The great news is today's weight and body fat percentage. Compare the numbers below with the numbers from this time last week. I really hope I can get under the elusive 200 pound mark before SMART training.

I'm quickly approaching my one year anniversary of running. Stay tuned for some interesting details. I plan to post various highs and lows on the anniversary date. I may even post a before and after picture, then burn them all!

Ran at Terry Hershey Park tonight with the Striders. This was my first time at this end of the park. I wasn't expecting the small hills on the east side of the park, but they are sure to make me a better runner. The hills were no big deal at the time, but right now my legs are really bothering me. I have to complete my lower-body weight training after this post, so hopefully they will loosen up. Strider attendees included Steeeve, Lee, "Jane", Jennifer, Daniel Boone, Bessie, and myself. Jane is an inside joke... you had to be there to understand. Nice turnout for a Monday run.

Weight: 209 lbs
Body Fat: 24.4%
Fat Mass Weight: 51 lbs

Weekly mileage ending 06/25/06: 28.72

7-day nutritional average, ending 06/25/06
Calories: 2924
Fat: 70 grams
Carbs: 421 grams
Protein: 159 grams

Activity: Group Run
Mileage: 5.03 miles
Time: 47:55 - 9:32 mile pace
Splits:
09:36
09:56
10:04
09:47
08:19 (trying to catch Bessie and Lee)
0:13 - 0.03 mile
Location: Terry Hershey Park
How I Felt: 9

Quality Long Run

I am both excited and proud to log today's 11.5-mile run.
Matt and Bessie answered yesterdays email plea for a 10+ mile long run. This mornings run was tough and challenging. More importantly, it was a quality run. Last night, Matt suggested an "easy run" on League Line Road in Conroe, Texas. Those of you that have run there are probably laughing by now, because you know it is anything but easy.

By Houston standards League Line Road has intermediate rolling hills. A couple of the hills inside the Silverleaf Resort are border-line aggressive. Today's run started at 6am with an enjoyable temperature and a pleasant breeze coming off the lake. We parked at Christ Church on League Line Road and started our LSD from there. We ran the first 2.5 mile leg from the Christ Church parking lot and ending at lake Conroe. After a small water break we did a few tough miles inside the Silverleaf Resort, then back to the Lake Conroe/League Line Road point. We assembled back at the Church parking lot for our final water break before we tackled the last 5k. The last leg was run completely inside the scenic Teaswood Subdivison. The hills were more gradual inside Teaswood, but after the Silverleaf Resort hills, my legs were exhausted.

I finished the first 10 miles comfortably, but the final 1.5 was pure torture! Torture maybe, but I loved every minute of it. I took a couple unscheduled walk breaks (both less than 50 yards), but finished strong with an even 11:00 mile pace for the entire run.

As usual, I cannot say enough kind words about fellow Striders Matt and Bessie. They bring out the best in me and my running. Matt ran today even though he ran 15 miles yeserday. Now, thats a man who loves to run. You guys ROCK! Today's 11.52 mile run is my longest distance to date. Thanks for the awesome run.

If I can find any extra strength, I plan on doing my lower-body weight training this evening. We'll see, right now I am cursing at the stairs inside my house.

Activity: Long Run
Mileage: 11:52
Time: 2:06:42 (11:00 mile pace)
Laps:
10:49
10:56
11:06
11:10
11:26
11:07
10:58
10:39
10:27
11:15
11:08
05:34 (0.52 mile)
Location: League Line Road, Conroe TX
How I Felt: 9

Interview link

Since it is so hot, I thought I would post this cool interview link from Jack Fultz, winner of the 1976 Boston Marathon. Fultz shares his story of crossing the line first in what was the hottest race in Boston history.
Boston Marathon Interview

Want to Run?

No running today. I've sent out a few emails trying to find a group to run with tomorrow. I want to run 10-12 miles at a very easy pace (10:30-11:30). Anyone reading this wanta run? Email me!

My dad is doing great. The doctor told us this morning that he DID NOT have a stroke. All the "stroke" test(s) came back negative. Thank God! He thinks my dad was left too hypoxic during the shoulder procedure. Dad will we released from Conroe Regional Hospital tomorrow. He may need a small amount of rehab for tingling in his right hand, but otherwise he is healthy.

Thanks for all the kind emails & comments I received. You guys and gals ROCK!

Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Upper and Mid-body
Time: 1-hour
Location: Home Gym
How I felt: 9.5

Brighter Day

Two runs today. One run at 5am before work and the second run at 6pm, at work. The morning run was humid. It may have been my imagination, but it felt hard to breathe. After the first mile I was running with ease.
For the second run, I purposely ran in the heat. It was hot, yet I was pleased with the below average pace.


My dad is doing a lot better. He is talking, but has problems composing his sentences. No walking yet, but he's easily moving around. Way to go Dad! The Doc said he might go home this weekend??

Activity: Morning Run
Mileage: 3.52 miles
Time: 36:48 (10:28 mile pace)
Laps:
10:47
10:30
10:14
05:15 (0.52 mile)
Location: Woodland Pines Subdivision
How I Felt: 8

Activity: Evening Run
Mileage: 3.02 miles
Time: 29:39 (9:50 mile pace)
Laps:
09:52
09:40
09:56
0:09 (0.02 mile)
Location: Humble Fire Department
How I felt: 9

Terrible Day

June 2006 has Sucked!
Thursday morning my father was scheduled for an outpatient surgery to remove a bone spur. For the better part of a year he has been experiencing progressive right-side shoulder pain. The bone spur was irritating a tendon, causing him pain. The advanced irritation and friction lead to tissue loss on the tendon, resulting in today's surgery.

After the procedure my mother was told the surgery went well and my dad would be released from recovery within 30 minutes. Two and half hours later my mom was worried and questioned the staff about his condition. Long story short, my mom demanded to see my father and overheard them calling for an ambulance. She heard the doctor use the word "Stroke" with the 911 operator.

My mother was able to see my dad before the ambulance arrived. Needless to say he was in bad shape. The right side of his face was drooping, he was drooling, he could not move any of his extremities, and of course could not talk. Montgomery County Hospital District EMS transported dad to Conroe Regional Hospital Emergency Room.

I arrived at the hospital within minutes and found similar signs and symptoms. I was appalled that the ambulance crew took him to Conroe Regional Hospital, because they DO NOT have a neurologist on staff. Either way, he was in better hands than the outpatient surgery center. My initial sight of him was most upsetting. He was trying to talk, but he could only mumble. He was frustrated with the inability to talk and you could see this weird lost look in his eyes. I've been a paramedic for 13 years, so I naturally thought I would walk in and save the day. But when my dad stared at me with tears in his eyes, I couldn't have been more lost. I did my best to keep him comfortable, but you would have to know my dad... he's a talker. Not being able to talk must have been torture for him.

Within the first couple hours he had regained a small amount of movement in his extremities, yet there was a marked neurological deficit on his right side. The recent surgery made matters worse. Bleeding, open wounds, ulcers, surgeries, and a host of other things are a direct contraindication for any medications they might use to break up the clot.

Per the MD, the prognosis for my father is good. He may have a slight right sided deficit, but he should return to his normal (talkative) self within a couple days. The next 24-hours are the most significant to his outcome. If your the religious type, please say a small prayer for my father: William Wayne Cox, Sr.

While watching over my dad, my mother tells me that she is losing her job to outsourcing. She has been a custodian for the Humble ISD school district for more than 10 years. The heartless bastards at Humble ISD are laying off tons of employees to save a few bucks. Outsourcing the janitorial services has been done at other school districts and failed miserably. Aldine ISD recently tried this and the company pulled out halfway through the contract, leaving the school district high and dry. My parents are really good people and it kills me to see this happening. They live just above the poverty line and now my father has become the victim of a stroke and my mother faces unemployment. Where's the fairness? Why them?

What a day! Oh yeah, when I got home the air conditioning was not working in my house. I'm writing this post inside an 85 degree house. Try to understand if I don't feel like blogging much in the days to come.

Shepherd Hill

Today's theme: You ask for it, you shall receive! Before the start of tonight's run I made a suggestion for six miles. I also opened my mouth and said I should run when it is hotter. Recently, I have ran either very early, very late, or in the rain. Well, tonight was the night to experience the heat. The route was from the aquatic center to Shepherd Hill via Blossom and back via Memorial/Crestwood.

I ran the second half with some very talented Strider ladies (Amy, Bessie, and Melissa). These ladies are quite a bit faster than me, which made the pace uncomfortable. I was very appreciative and embraced the extra effort needed on my part. I could have made six miles at an uncomfortable pace, but coupled with the heat was simply too much for me. When we arrived back at the aquatic center (4.5 miles), I couldn't have done six miles if my life depended on it... so I thought.

Moving on to the positive stuff. The big one... no shin pain! Yeah! This was an excellent training run. I always try to learn from each session. Tonight I learned that heat beats up your mental game a lot more than the physical. In the past, I have gauged my effort by recovery time. Tonight, I recovered fast. Looking back, I assume I had something left. The heat made me think I was done. I'm smarter now having completed this run.
And finally, every Strider run is a Great Run! I look forward to the runs, the people, and the fun each and every week.

Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Total Body (upper, mid-body, and lower)
Time: 1.5 hours
Location: Home Gym
How I Felt: 9

Activity: Group Run
Mileage: 4.57 miles
Time: 44:15 (9:40/mile pace)
Laps: My pace was all over the place.
09:30
08:49
09:25
10:25
6:04 (0.57 mile)
Location: Memorial Park
How I felt: 9.5 up to the 2 mile mark. Score of 7 the remainder of the run

2 Runs = Shin Splint

Two runs today. One sloooooow run before work on the treadmill. Second run at work, around, and around, and around, and around the fire station. The second run was faster, but my shin splint started hurting again. The pain is in the exact same location as before (Left leg, anterior side, medial aspect). Normally, the pain goes away after a mile, but not today. Today the pain was on and off the entire time. Here's the numbers:

Activity: Morning Run
Mileage: 3 miles
Time: 39:00 minutes average pace 13:00/m
Location: Treadmill (1% incline)
How I felt: 8... I don't do mornings

Activity: Run at Work
Mileage: 3.09 miles
Time: 29:35 Average pace 9:31/m
Laps:
10:16
09:38
08:37
0:53 (0.09 mile)
Location: Humble Fire Department
How I Felt: 7

Off Day

Today is a scheduled off day. Both legs are sore from yesterdays run. No pain. Running in the rain created several chaffing "issues".

I didn't count a single calorie this weekend and it shows on the scale. I've been at 211-212 for two weeks. I'll most likely level-off mid-week.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I received an iPod for Father's Day. Thanks, Alison (and Erin)!

Weight: 214.75
Body Fat: 25.6%
Fat Mass Weight: 55.0 pounds

Rainy 10-miler

Happy Father's Day.

Out the door at 05:20 for the Strider long run at Cullen Park. The first five minutes of running was under heavy rain. After the initial downpour the rain backed off and made for a beautiful morning run. I like running in the rain, so no discouraging words from me about the wet stuff.

I settled into a comfortable run at the 4-mile mark (a little longer than usual). At the turn around point I sensed I was running too fast for a long run. I bumped my pace down and let my legs have a small break. The initial pace took its toll after the 8.5 mile mark. Either way, I'm excited to log 10 wet, long, wonderful miles!

Activity: Long Run
Mileage: 10.28 miles
Time: 1:45:16 - (10:14 pace)
Splits:
10:00
10:17
10:37
10:24
10:40
10:12
09:53
10:18
10:06
09:59
02:50 (0.28 mile)
Location: Cullen Park
How I Felt: 9.5

Weekly Mileage: 23.91 miles

HARRA Banquet

Olympian Jeff Galloway and Bill Cox (me)

I was honored to have an opportunity to meet Jeff Galloway. Galloway and I had a great conversation. What a great history of running he has lived! We talked about food, Houston, Gulf-coast weather, and running. Galloway is very complimentary. I see why more than 200,000 people have successfully completed his marathon program.

A few of the Houston Striders in attendance, from left to right; Ruben, Matt, and Bessie.

Tonight the family and I attended the HARRA Summer Banquet held at the St. Arnold's Brewery. Here are my notes from the function:

Large crowd, standing room only from many members
Bayou City Road Runners took EIGHT club awards. Congratulation's BCRR!
New HARRA President and HARRA board members appointed
St. Arnold's Brewery is smaller than I expected
No air conditioning. (They should warn everyone to dress properly. WHEW it was warm!)
Jeff Galloway is a super nice guy
Los Cocas Mexican food is good
I received a cool pair of socks for completing the Spring Series (Ironfoot)

My wife took a picture of the HRB'ers in attendance, but no flash equals, no picture. Sorry guys and gals.

Twilight Zone

Something weird is going on. Before today's run I told myself I would hammer 3-miles, no matter what issues arouse. Secretly, I set 5-miles as a goal. The bottom line was this: Listen to my body and run until I felt the need to stop.

At 7:30 pm I took off in my subdivision (concrete surface), pushing Alison in her jogging stroller. I started 30 minutes before sunset. The temperature was nice, but it was very windy. I accepted the wind as my friend even though it made the stroller canopy into a parachute. During the entire run, I was in some kind of "ZONE". I felt strong. Nothing hurt. At the 4 mile mark, I was wondering if my garmin 205 was shorting out from all the sweat. I truly felt I had only run two miles, MAYBE three miles, but not four! After accepting the 4-mile mark as accurate I looked up and I was within a few hundred yards of 5 miles. I couldn't decide to stop or keep running (five miles was very close to my house). Before I made a definite decision, I realized my house was a 1/4 mile BEHIND me.
I only stopped once the entire night and that was when our blinking LED light hit the ground. I finally decided to stop at 6 miles. I stopped not because I was tired, but it was getting late and Alison had been in the stroller for a hour. She fell asleep reading her books within twenty minutes. I know I could have done 2-3 more miles. Oh well, I'll never be able to prove it.

I felt better tonight than I have ever felt at 6 miles. The pace was nothing to brag about, but you have to love six stress-free miles. Earlier in the day I did upper and mid-body weight training. Motivation to start the weight training session was challenging.

I have a long run scheduled for Sunday. I only hope to experience this utopia again. Since I stopped early I should have enough fuel in my tank for an 8-miler. With those thoughts, I ended an excellent day of running.

Notice the 0:14 second spread among the laps. I'm not sure if that is good. One thing is for sure, they are consistent.

Activity: Easy Run
Mileage: 6.05 Miles
Time: 1:09:44 - (11:32 pace)
Splits:
11:35
11:26
11:34
11:40
11:31
11:26
0:32 - 0.05 mile
Location: Woodland Pine Subdivision
How I Felt: 10+

Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Upper and Mid-body
Time: 1-hour
Location: Home Gym
How I felt: 9

Recovery

I have never been so happy to be sore! With that said, I listened to my body today. My re-entry started Tuesday with a 3-miler, followed by 4.5 miles of trail running on Wednesday. I normally run on Thursday's, but not today. After carefully considering the Big Picture, I think a day of recovery is much smarter.

I learned today that HTML scripts are better off, left alone. I had my blog completely messed up. Fortunately, I was able to salvage all of my post, but the sidebar stuff was long gone. After a couple hours of work... I am back up and running. I made several changes during the "re-build". See them?

All Smiles

Great trail run tonight. No back pain, no shin pain... nothing. Ok, my checks are sore from smiling the entire time!

Lots of Striders came out for the Ho Chi Minh Trail Run guided by Matt "Daniel Boone" Wright. A good time was had by all. Wish we did more runs like this (hint, hint). I like the softer surface. Today's 4+ mile run seemed like a mere 2 mile run. Probably has to do with your attention being focused on your surrounding(s) rather than worrying about distance and pace. Added bonus, the temperature was great inside the trails.
Due to surplus Strider picnic beverages, the post run gathering was a party within itself. Seemed everyone was laughing and having a grand time.
Job Well Done Matt!

Activity: Group Run
Mileage: 4.58 miles
Time: 47:38 - 10:24 pace
Splits:
10:28
11:27
10:22
9:38
5:43 (0.58 mile)
Location: Memorial Park
How I Felt: 9

First June Run

Today I was informed by both a friend and my loving wife that my blog post are too long. During the conversation both admitted they rarely read the entire post due to the length.
Here are my changes for a shorter, less boring, and more action packed blog post:

• Keep my topics loosely related to RUNNING.
• Back off the diet talk and "numbers".
• Weekly average of calories/fat/carbs/protein.
• Weekly average of weight and body fat percentage.
• Positive attitude... LESS BITCHIN, MORE RUNNING

Today was my first run since my injury (June 1st). I feel like a new man! I set out at 10:00 pm tonight with 2-miles in mind. I skipped the treadmill and ran in my subdivision (concrete). Several months ago, I measured a 1.5 mile loop in my subdivision with my bike computer. No worries as my garmin 205 was dead-on for both loops. I placed a small piece of tape over the watch display so I would not be concerned with my pace. I set the garmin on 1-mile auto lap(s). The garmin beeps at the end of each mile, which is how I knew my total distance.

Earlier in the day I completed a lower body workout. Even though I reduced all the weights, everything seemed a little harder than I had expected.
Again, I can't tell you how happy I am with this weeks progress. With a little luck I'll be logging more serious mileage in the near future.

Activity: Run (easy)
Mileage: 3.0 miles
Time: 33:16
Splits:
11:16
11:10
10:50
Location: Woodland Pines Subdivision
How I felt: 9

Activity: Weight training
Body Region: Lower Body
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home gym
How I felt: 9

MD Appointment

Nothing new with the back injury. The doctor took me off the pain medications. He probably did this because I told him I wasn't taking them anymore. He ordered an X-ray of my lower back to rule-out a bone spur. My problem is not a bone spur. I have two herniated disc in the lumbar region of my spine. When the disc bulge or they are compressed it will stimulate the nerve going to my lower back muscles, resulting in involuntary muscle spasms. This is the third time in ten years it has happened. This doctor treated me for the last episode of "muscle spasms". Back then Celebrex was the big drug, which is a WONDER drug for my injury. Only problem is, the drug is under a lot of controversy and he refuses to write me a prescription for it. Celebrex is very similar to ibuprofren, but much, much stronger. Oh well. Life goes on.

I forgot to ask the doctor about running. It is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission, right? The doctor is continuing to keep me off work till Monday, June 19, 2006. I was scheduled to be on duty Saturday, consequently I was not going to attend the HARRA Banquet. With my new and improved attitude, I see this as my silver lining. Now, I will be attending the function with my family. One side note: I'm letting you know now... Saturday is the banquet with Mexican food and Sunday is Father's day... look for the calorie counter to be reset.

My attitude as been a lot more positive since yesterday (and today's) workout. I feel stronger and the post-workout muscle soreness is a welcomed sight! Today was a mid-body training day, which included my back. I was terrified I would have issues. At first everything was tight. I forced myself to take it slow and not push anything. The hardest exercise was my abdominals. You forget the significant role your back plays in a simple abdominal crunch. I'm excited about the regimen of LESS IS MORE. Tomorrow is lower body.

I know running is closer to a new lifestyle for me. I constantly think about running and I truly miss it! I'm going to sneak in a couple miles tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Activity: Weight training
Body Region: Mid-body
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
How I Felt: 10, but very nervous!

Weight: 211.5

Calories: 2853
Fat: 57 grams
Carbs: 322 grams
Protein: 319 grams (way too high)

Day 10

Tenth day of injury. My doctor stated the pain could last up to ten days. So, what is going on? The pain is still present, but tolerable. The doctor stated if I had pain on Monday (tomorrow), he would order a MRI of my lower back. That's not good news for me, because my insurance has a $1500 annual deductible for MRI and CAT scans.

Since the prescribed medications and rest are not working, I've elected to try things my way. I have more pain sitting and standing around than when I'm engaged in an activity. Example: This morning my back was bothering me (no pain, mild discomfort) while sitting down, eating breakfast. Shortly thereafter, I needed to mow the lawn, which I did with no pain whatsoever. Same for yesterdays run with Alison... discomfort watching runners, and pain-free actually running.

Late today, I decided to attempt a light workout. I reduced all my weights by 30% for 16 different upper and mid-body exercises. I reduced the lower body exercises by 20%. I was able to complete an upper body workout, which consisted of eight different exercises. All went well. Being in the gym felt nice. Before I started working out, I planned to do a total body workout. Subsequent to a VERY SMALL discomfort near the injury, I decided to be happy with what I did.

The NEW plan: If all goes well I will complete a different workout each day (upper, lower, mid, upper, lower, mid, etc). My main objective is consistency. I have lost strength over the last month. As noted in a post prior to the injury, my workouts have been spotty at best, so the strength lose is no big surprise. As Vic would say... I'm ok with that.

Activity: Weight training
Body Part: Upper
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
How I felt: 8

Weight: 212

Calories: 2989
Fat: 65 grams
Carbs: 449 grams
Protein: 173 grams

Race pictures

Family Hardware

I had a really good day.

Erin, Alison, and I attended the 1st annual YMCA Trail Run. The race was held at the Conroe YMCA Camp grounds. Both runs (5K and 1-mile kids run) were on scenic trails. A few days before my injury, Kevin and I made arrangements to run. At that time, I promised Alison she could run. Since I'm on the disabled list, today was all about Alison. The YMCA camp property has a lot to do for the kido's. If they continue the race and you have young children I would strongly suggest the race. Your race entry includes: race, snacks, full lunch, horse rides, face painting, clowns, swimming, paddle boats, moon walks, and more.

I was happy to see other Houston Striders at the race. Both Frank and Pam were in attendance. Congratulations to Pam on her age group hardware. I'm not sure of Frank and Pam's time, but I assure you it was quite speedy! New Strider Megan came in at 21:45, which was good enough for 3rd overall female. Way to go Striders!

Usually the kid races are non-competitive, but this race awarded three deep in 5 different age brackets. I had no idea the run was going to be 1-mile for her age group, so I had to run with her. I agree, I shouldn't run injured, but this was a special situation. Alison placed 3rd in the 0-5 age group! I'm VERY PROUD of her. Alison asked me to time her and I was surprised to see that she completed 1-mile in 13:00 minutes even. A reporter from the Conroe Courier took lots of pictures of Alison and said she was doing a race report for the paper. She asked lots of questions, so I hope they make her a STAR!

The one mile run felt great. My back was bothering me early this morning, but the running was 100% back pain-free. My calves felt tight (lack of exercise) and it was really hot, but it was a small price to pay to see Alison so happy. I can't wait to start running again. Maybe next week?????

Kevin came in under 33 minutes for the 5k . Kevins daughter, my cousin, Cynthia came in first place in her age bracket (10-12 year old females). This was her debut race and I'm very excited for her. Cynthia signed up for Cross Country for the upcoming school year and I've made promises to attend her meets. I can't wait for her running to get under way.

The diet thing is still going good. Today's fat grams are high. I try to stay under 100 grams and usually average 40-70. Below are the boring numbers. Does anyone think I should do a weekly average, or is the daily numbers of any benefit? I'll take any and all suggestions.

Weight: 212

Calories: 2868
Fat: 140 grams
Carbs: 327 grams
Protein: 121 grams

Rude RN

My back is a lot better. The pain feels similar to a bruise.

In my last post, Steeeve suggested I try aqua jogging. I called my doctor to ask his opinion. I guess they are busy on Fridays, because the nurse I talked to was completely rude. She advised me to seek such advice from a physical therapist. She also stated the doctor doest have time to personally speak with me without an appointment. I thought this was odd, considering I called two days ago about walking and they all seemed pleasant. On my next visit, I plan to mention the nurse's comments to the doctor. Hopefully this is out of the norm and will be corrected, otherwise.... I will take my self-inflicted injuries elsewhere.

Since I didn't get an answer from the doc, I skipped the aqua jogging and I took Alison to the pool for some general play time. Everything felt good. We spent nearly two hours in the pool. Not enough activity to consider exercising, but it was a lot better than sitting on the couch.
It was nice to be in the Summer heat, that everyone's complaining about.

Today I ate some great food and was able to stay under my 3k ceiling. Due to yesterdays binge I wasn't hungry till 3:00 pm today. Yes, I ate a small breakfast, lunch, and a snack. It was nice to have most of the calories ahead of me late in the day. Ok, here is my secret... just between us, and promise not to tell anyone, but I was able to squeeze in pizza due to a really cool nutritional counter from Pizza Hut.
I like the site (nutritional counter) because it was detailed and specific. All you have to do is select the crust, the size, and the topping and CLICK> it adds everything up for you.

Calories: 2915
Fat: 96 grams
Carbs: 383 grams
Protein: 125 grams

Short Streak

The under 3000 calorie counter was reset today. A mere seventeen days was all I could do. Kind of pathetic, huh.
I gave up counting calories shortly after lunch. I don't know the final numbers, but lets just say I busted 3000 BEFORE the dinner bell rang. Plus, there wasn't any more room on today's diet log.

Probably has something to do with being so damn bored. I need to run. I want to run. I'm going walking in the morning, just to see how it feels.

Tomorrows a new day. I am STRONGER than 17-days!

Family Picture

Family picture taken after Alison's dance recital.

Bored

I'm BORED. I miss Running. I'm tired of watching TV.

I have missed very few Wednesday runs since joining the Striders. It's hard sitting at home, while they're out there having fun! After calling the doc, he said I could try 10-15 minutes of walking this weekend, but no sooner.

Here is the next quote from the book I'm reading, (Running Within):

Keep in mind that ultimate performances are usually created by your passionate moment-by-moment involvement as you run. You don't dance to get to the other side of the floor; you need not to run to get to the end of the workout or race. Enjoy the process and be successful in the moment; true success is measured by the quality of the run, the attention and mindful involvement in each moment. By so doing, you will begin to redefine your running potential and go to new levels of performance-not only in your sport, but in all of life. Remember, in the process of visualization, you are the producer, director, writer, and star of all your imagined scripts. Enjoy the show!

Calories: 2958 (Cut it close today)
Fat: 65 grams
Carbs: 462 grams
Protein: 206 grams (high)

Weight: 212

My weight has not budged an ounce since the injury. That tells me that my activity level, plus my basal metabolic rate are directly proportionate to my intake of 3000 calories. It will be extremely difficult to get under 200 pounds before the end of the month, as I had hoped for in a prior post.

Buzz on, Friends!

Bill the Bumble Bee

My back feels a lot better today. It may be the new medication I was prescribed yesterday talking (darvocet). Sweet, sweet darvocet.

With all the extra down time, I have had an opportunity to catch up on books I recently purchased.
I'm truly enjoying my current book RUNNING WITHIN, a guide to mastering the body-mind-spirit connection for ultimate training and racing. Authors: Jerry Lynch and Warren Scott.
With my injury, this books seems to be talking to me directly. I'm only on chapter five, but I've been reading it slowly and making notes of great quotes. You are sure to see them in my upcoming blogs.

I think its really corny when people give themselves a nickname, but I have found my new nickname. Most of my life, people have called me Wild Bill and most of you know The Penguin, John Bingham. Get ready to met Bill, aka "The Bumble Bee". Here is an insert from Running Within. I found this paragraph in the introduction under Beyond Limits:

Perhaps one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of your running life is the potential to go beyond your self-imposed limitations. You begin to realize that many of your limiting beliefs about what can or cannot be done are simply preconceived restrictions and attitudes taught to you by parents, teachers, friends, and others during your formative years, with no objective basis in reality. The most damaging of these beliefs is in the notion that such restrictions can never be changed and must be accepted without question as blueprints for your future. We are reminded of the bumble bee which, according to experts in the fields of aerodynamics and space engineering, should not be capable of flying. After studying its attributes for many days, the experts concluded that the bee is too fat, too round, too slow, and not strong enough to fly. Fortunately, this little aviator cannot read these findings!

See what I mean, this book is talking directly to me! So, now I have chosen my own new nickname, Bill, the Bumble Bee.

Similiar to Binghams sign off, I will end with:
Buzz on, friends
Bill

Calories: 2845
Fat: 63 grams
Carbs: 437 grams
Protein: 145 grams

Muscle Spasm

After a rough weekend, things are looking better. For those of you who do not know, I was injured Thursday afternoon lifting weights at home.
During a typical lower back exercise I felt a sharp pain that dropped me to the floor. Thirty minutes after the initial injury, I felt better so I thought it would be safe to finish my training (mistake 1/4). That's when things got ugly. I completed a mere two sets of a bicep exercise before I had to halt my training. The pain was ten times worse than the initial injury less than a hour before. If that wasn't enough I decided to go swimming (mistake 2/4). I assumed the cool water would sooth my sore back. It didn't. That night I took a hand full of ibuprofren and asked my wife to massage my back (mistake 3/4). After taking my shirt off, Erin told me she could see a large knot on the right side of my lower back. I knew then, this wasn't going to be good. In a last ditch effort, I asked her to massage the knot out (mistake 4/4), which took the pain to a new level. Mistake 4 kicked the shit out of mistakes 1 through 3. Thursday night I was in a lot of pain, but able to move around on my own free will.
The next morning I woke up to back pain like I have never experienced before in my life. I wasn't able to do ANYTHING. I couldn't walk, roll-over, move my legs... nothing! I called Erin at work to come home and help me. We spent the better part of the morning, trying to determine my next action. The end result was the emergency room. The trip downstairs and the ER visit are stories within their selves, which I will save for another day. The ER diagnosis was severe muscle spasms. Sounds fairly wimpy, but say what you may... I couldn't walk. I was prescribed oxaprozin and tizanidine twice a day. In case your wondering, neither worked any better than ibuprofren.
Friday afternoon things seemed brighter as I was able to walk with assistance, but only for very short distances. The walking ended Friday evening and not by my choice, it simply hurt too much. Saturday was probably the worst of all four days thus far. I still couldn't walk and had to completely rely on my wife and daughter to help me move and retrieve the things I wanted (drinks, food, books, medicines, etc). I wasn't able to bear weight on my feet until Sunday afternoon. That's more than 48-hours on my back, in bed. Yes, it SUCKED! I still wasn't able to move around freely, but I was happy to take a shower and go downstairs.
Today (Monday), I had a doctors appointment. The doc said everything is progressing as planned, but it will be a slow healing process. He told me to expect ten days or more before being pain-free. I advised the doc of my running and then the bad news came. He stated no running at all for 7-days after the last sign of any pain. I was bummed about the news. I've already been off since Thursday, he assumes this will last another 10 days, then on top of that he wants a 7-day buffer! I just knew I would have to start over, but I talked to Steeve and he assured me this sounds normal and everything will work out. I was appreciative for the insight. So, things are not going the way I had planned but, I'm trying to deal with what I was dealt in a positive way.
Today I tried to consider what actions lead to this event and what I could change in the name of prevention. When I start lifting weights again I plan to drop the amount of weight by 30%-40% and increase the frequency (2-3 times a week). Here is what I think happened: I've been "hit and miss" with my weight training. I skipped last weeks weight training and the week before I only did one day. The week before that I also only did one day of weight training, yet I never changed the actual amount of weight. I pushed forward with my usual training & weight amount and well here I am crying on your shoulder.

Before this gets any longer, I want to stop here and thank my lovely wife Erin. She was been wonderful to me this weekend. She pulled triple duty since my injury and hasn't made a single complaint. Thanks Erin, your the BEST!

Obviously, I have no exercise training to log. I was able to remain under 3000 calories. Below I have listed my 4-day average and the 4-day high and low.

Calories: 2857, L-2728, H-2995
Fat: 72, L-61, H-93
Carbs: 398, L-359, H-423
Protein: 182, L-148, H-218

Give me a FREAKIN' BREAK!

This morning started great. Yesterdays run let me know I was back and ready to get more serious.
I planned on the Strider 7-mile run this evening, so I decided to complete my weight training first. The mid-body weight training went well until the last rep, of the last set. I twisted or did something different that threw my back OUT. I went to the floor and not much else has improved since then. I've iced my lower back, sat in cold water, stretched, and taken enough ibuprofren to kill a small dog. Nothing is working. I'm having trouble walking much less entertaining any thoughts of training. I'm going to take some "left-over" muscle relaxers, retire early, and wish for the best.

It's weird how fast things have changed. Earlier, I was thinking of how to compose my exciting post where I was going to announce my lack of injury.

The only good news today: I stayed on course with the diet. Keith helped me set up an "Under 3000 Calorie" counter. Thanks a bunch for the script Keith! Its located at the bottom of the sidebar. Check it out and tell what you think.

Activity: Weight training
Body Region: Mid-body
Time: 30 Minutes
location: Home Gym
How I felt: 10++ before the injury, 3 post injury

Weight: 210.5 pounds

Calories: 2991
Fat: 39 grams
Carbs: 485 grams
Protein: 223 grams

These are great nutrional diet numbers (for me)!