Running On Faith

A song from guitar great, Eric Clapton...

A lot of training has passed since my last post. Of course, I had to start training over due to the gall bladder issue in mid-October. The 6 weeks that I had built up to running a 6mi run was lost due to endurance atrophy. That was a pretty depressing thing I wrestled with in my head. Partly due to starting over and coming to the realization that I am 37 years old- my body doesn't recover as fast as it once did. More importantly, my body regressed so quickly. I had not expected that was going to happen. Sure, I thought that I would have need to take a step back and ran 4mi instead of picking up and running a 7mi run on what I call "Long Run Saturdays." Nonetheless, I pushed through the physical issues and ran over 7mi. in mid-November.

The following week, Jen and I flew to Virginia to help my parents to Tennessee. While there, I took a running tour of the neighborhood I had terrorized in my youth. Because we had to pack, move and begin the long drive to Tennessee, I completed a shorter 6mi run with relative ease. The following Saturday was a milestone: I was to run the Tims Ford Deer Trail 6 Miler in Winchester, TN. This was one of my preparatory races to mentally prepare to run in a half-marathon race. Obviously, running alone and along side other individuals is a completely different experience, so I was preparing my self for the interaction, initial adrenaline rush, and pacing issues I would face.

Upon driving at the event, I felt great other than a little calf tightness in my left calf. There was about 140 people in varying ages from 12 to 74 ready to run the event. When the race started, the pace was starting pretty quickly, but manageable. The trail took us through numerous turns and up and down pretty steep hills during the first mile. All of a sudden, I heard my Nike+ app tell men that I reached my first mile in a blazingly-fast 8:02: over a minute faster than the pace I wanted to run. Coupled by the fact that I had not trained for the major degrees of incline that I had ran during the first mile, I quickly realized that I may be in for a long day.

The second mile came and went and after a steady incline, I finally made it to the halfway point- at which point , we turn around and run the same course back to the finish. I quickly ran through all the declines over the course and realized those same declines were going to become inclines very shortly! The slight tightness in the calf made itself more of a presence at the start of mile 5. By the end, the calf had tightened up to become pretty uncomfortable and I had started to get a shin splint in my right leg as well. I made it through the finish with two bad wheels in 55:22, which translates to 9:14 per mile. I was hoping to finish closer to 54:00, but I had not trained for trail running, which I now regret.

After the run, I was so beaten down in my left achilles heel that I had only been able to run 5mi last week during my recovery. Sadly, this week has turned out to be the same way.  Another week with 5mi completed. All of this compounded by the fact that I have been eating horribly poor, which masks me feel like a big slug. Fortunately, the pain seems to have vanished, so I will begin running 4 times per week again starting Monday. I am hoping that I am not having to start from scratch once again. The silver lining is that I wasn't out for 3 solid weeks. At least I have put some miles in my legs as I was trying to heal. One thing is certain: the Frostbite Half Marathon that I had been planning to run in February is out. There is no way I can train to run my first half-marathon on trails with steep inclines and declines. I am now searching for the right race to set my sights on in 2012.

There is a toll that missing this time takes on the mind, body and spirit. Jennifer believes that I am becoming obsessive about my training, but in reality, I am very fearful of veering off my regimen because of the issues I have faced over the past two weeks. Not running and over-indulging in foods that I shouldn't eating much of in the first place is pleasing to the person I no longer wish to be, and it is very easy to backslide. The body is willing, but the mind is weak. Your body can do so much more than your brain gives it credit. As another restart begins, I now understand that the mind is harder to train that the body, but it is certainly trainable. Here's hoping that the third time's the charm.

Run, Run, Run Week 1 (Again)

Yep- I am rehashing the title of a previous post from a previous post (review if necessary)...

So I started week 1 of my campaign to run a half-marathon- again. Sadly, I was getting ready to run my longest run of my training so far (6 miles) before the gallbladder attack that sidelined me for nearly 3 weeks. After the surgery, recovery didn't seem to be going so well, so the hiatus was longer than I anticipated. With that much time away from the pavement, I was nervous that I would lose all of the momentum I had created in the weeks prior. I was right to be concerned.

For those not familiar with the struggles of new runner, running on a treadmill has is benefits and detriments. The benefits are a nicely controlled climate, TV to watch as I run, and speed control so all a person has to do is run. On the contrary, running indoors means no matter how fast you run, you never go anywhere and your eyes become fixated on how many minutes or distance you have left before you can stop. Running outside allows for the mind to be clear and enjoy the fresh air. However, it also means that you are at the mercy of the climate.

One thing I was not prepared for was the amount of pounding my legs would feel after my first run outside. The treadmill has a lot of give and also provides a runner with some forward-propelled motion to move to the next stride. Running on the ground provides a tougher surface and does not provide the forward momentum- you body must do all the work. Therefore, I felt as if my legs were beaten with a bat after my first run outside. My legs did not recover for several days. I had to actually push through the pain to complete additional runs while the legs were still sore. Eventually the legs began feeling better and I no longer had the pain in the aftermath of any run since.

I write this in order to say that after 3 weeks off from training, my first run felt the EXACT same way they did the first time I started running again. Hence, I lost all the endurance that I had built over August and September in just 3 weeks. While I was previously running approximately 15 miles per week, last week I was only able to run. a mere 5 miles. It's pretty pathetic to know that  if you don't continue to exercise, your muscles will atrophy to the point that you have to start over once again. All that endurance- gone.

This week I notice that I am building up endurance a bit faster than I did before, so all is not lost. This week I have already ran 5 miles in my first 2 runs of the week, so I should get to 10 miles this week. Next week, I hope to be closer to 12 miles or greater. Either way, I hope that I will not have any problems or illnesses that take me of the roadway in the near future. I am back on my quest for half-marathon!

If you are interested in daily runs, you can follow me as @mrogerson on Twitter, where I post each of my daily runs. If you are running, I would encourage you to use Nike+ which will track all of your runs, so you don't have to the work yourself. Also, with Nike+, you can challenge others and play running games that will encourage you and your friends to keep running. Let me know if you are using Nike+ and I will find you on Nike+ so we can keep in touch. If not, I will also keep you posted here as well. I hope to have a half-marathon completed in Spring of 2012. Depending on my progress, I may have a half-marathon completed by the end of the year! Wish me luck!

Urgent

Well, this Foreigner song puts this post into perspective...

From my previous blog, you are aware that I have set a goal to run through the HealthRally website. The goal was to run 14 times for more than 40 miles. Currently I am at 11 runs and over 34 miles, with a 6 mile run to be completed today. I thought to myself that I was going to crush that goal of 40 miles and easily complete my 14 runs by September 30. But events transpired on Monday this past week which changed the course of future events.

I started getting a very uneasy feeling in my upper abdomen late Sunday evening. Of course, I took some Pepto-Bismol and went to bed thinking I just had an upset stomach. I woke up for my Monday morning run still having this bizarre feeling. Nevertheless, I completed my 5K (3.1mi) run and went to work. Strangely, the feeling was a little worse, so I purchased some other anti-acid liquid that I thought would work better. Unfortunately, I did not get any relief. Tuesday morning, a 4mi run, work, and home with the family, the uneasiness in my stomach with me for the day. I picked up a bottle of Prilosec to help with the pain. Wednesday: a stationary bike ride and a gym workout, work, play drums for church worship, and bed. Again, pain came along for the ride. Thursday: another 5K run, work and home with the kids and hung out with the pain all day. Friday: a full rested morning. On my way to get a water refill at work and I felt a pain along the right side that felt like I threw my back out. It took my breath and almost sent me to the floor. It was such a piercing and intense pain, all I could do was laugh about it. I sat in a chair and tried to push the back of my chair into the location of the pain in order to allow the muscle to release and did not get any relief. After consideration, Jen and I went to the ER to figure out what was happening. The doctor confirmed Jen's diagnosis all along: gallbladder. I was sent home with the gallbladder surgery set to take place on Monday morning.

After discussing the diagnosis with the doctor, he confirmed my thoughts about the cause for the gallbladder issue. In August, I drastically changed my diet. I no longer eat ANY fast food or drink anything but water or milk. I stopped eating anything that is fried, fatty, or any sweets. Whenever I need to eat something on the go, I find a Subway or Jersey Mike's and eat a turkey sandwich. After about 8 weeks on an extreme diet/lifestyle change, my body no longer knew what to do with all of the fluids that are located within the gallbladder. Therefore, it began to cause a problem for the bile duct into my stomach.

All of this to say that I am not happy about this right now. I have been running faithfully 4 times per week for 3 weeks and worked my way up to 15 miles per week. Of course after the surgery, I will have to take some time off my training regimen. At my age, my main concern is my ability to bounce back without having to completely restart my program. I guess only time will tell. I hope to be back out on the road by Saturday next week. More to follow in the coming days. I am hoping to write another blog post-surgery to review the day's events. Until then...

Run, Run, Run - Week 1

A song by The Who will describe this and future new blog posts...

I have really slacked off in writing. Although there are many excuses for not doing so, there is no excuse for my hiatus. With as many great things that has happened in our family over the past several months, I simply never felt inspired to write. For anyone who reads (or cares to read) this blog, I commit to writing more often. Even if there are shorter ones here and there, at least I am putting something out for consumption. Here goes:

For the first few months of 2011, I was in great shape. I was down to around 200lbs and was feeling my leanest in several years. Working out before work gave me the ability to drop and keep the weight off. In May, I started another position in my company, which replaced my gym mornings for overtime. Of course that also lead to not eating so well and the body started hoarding the sugar, fat, and empty carbs. I ended up right back at 225lbs. I had to do something. First, I decided to give up all sodas an only drink water. I also gave up sweets once again. After a few runs, I decided on a quest: to run a half-marathon by Spring 2012.

I started running again in late August- a couple of miles on the so-called "dreadmill" at the gym, a short body workout starting at 6am. It was about a week before finally taking my treks outside in the elements. I knew running on treadmills wasn't the same as outdoors, but I was not expecting such a pounding on my legs. They hurt for 3 days after the first run on pavement.

Starting September 2, I set a goal of running 14 times by September 30 (4 weeks). So far, I have 4 runs under my belt- all outdoors. Three runs in my neighborhood, and one run at the Barfield Park trail. That trail is a monster. The initial hill is at least a 12 degree incline. Overall the run was 2.75mi- not bad for the 3rd run. Tomorrow will be my 5th and I'm planning for a morning on the Greenway in Murfreesboro.

I have also set up a challenge located at HealthRally which allows for people to help me donate $50 to the Blanca's Friends Charity if I meet my initial goal of 14 runs in 4 weeks. Some additional motivation for a good cause. I encourage you to check it out!

I will post more in the coming weeks about my initial run challenge and more about the other great things that have been happening in our lives in the near future.

God Bless-