Deja Vu

It's weird how I'm having to start over in every single way after taking only 2 weeks off. Every single muscle in my body is sore, I'm dying of hunger even though I'm eating enough to feed an army and I feel like I can't walk and crosstrain without feeling like I've never ever done it before. I guess it goes to show just how out of shape I am. This will be good motivation though to remind me to keep it up! And regardless, I'm just as happy as I can be to be able to be doing it again when I had doubts that I'd be able to at all. Keep up the good work everyone, even if you're having a setback. We are all struggling but that is how we get to where we need to be. We are improving and getting stronger and WE ARE MARATHONERS!!!

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much everyone for your encouragement and support during my "down time." My knees are almost normal and my brain and heart are not feeling sorry for themselves anymore. We can ALL learn from this: We will have setbacks. That is inevitable. It will be very hard. We will think we've given up. But we're here and obviously want this so we push and we fight and we lean on each other, and somehow, we get through it! Again, I can't think you all enough. Your comments helped tremendously!

Trying to get back on the wagon...

Well, I lost it there for a while, mentally and physically. I've been dealing with these damn knees and finally the frustration got to me and I totally gave up on myself and on this goal. I knew it would take a while for the knees to heal but I never thought it would take this long. I am almost walking without a limp at this point but last week and this past weekend were pretty awful. I've done no exercise, at all, for 8 days now except for the swimming (if you can call it that) on Saturday after the meeting. My old, bad eating habits crept back into my life this weekend as well so I pretty much let it all go. Like I said in my last blog, I've never been very patient and I've always been pretty much a black or white/all or nothing thinker. (I think this is the "stuff" that Mark is talking about!) But I'm even more miserable now feeling like a failure and I'm damned and determined (as my friend Christy says) to get back in. There's still no walking in my sights for a while, but there's no reason I can't stretch, cross train, and eat right every day. So, starting right now, this is what I'm going to do until my body allows me to officially be back on the wagon. Thank you all for your support. It means the world to me!

Ho hum

Another day, same old problem. I'll stop harping on you all about what not to do and just write about what I am HAVING to do. I played with a 2 and a 6 year old last night and I must have overdone the bending and getting up and down from the floor 'cause I could barely walk when I got out of bed this morning. I took some ibuprofen and laid on the couch with ice for about 30 minutes and it was much better. I did some leg stretching and Robin's recommended leg exercises and was feeling much better. I'm just frustrated that this doesn't seem to be getting any better. Patience is not a quality that I have learned to master. So, until further notice, I'll be doing my marathon training in the swimming pool! Ugh!

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!!!!

If you don't know by now, I didn't buy my new shoes and I RAN in my crappy old shoes after living a sedentary lifestyle for the last 2 years. DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!!!!! My knees are paying the price and I have not been able to do ANYTHING all week except eat lots of ibuprofen and sit on the couch surrounded by bags of frozen peas!

Believe me, it's an awful feeling, having done this to myself by NOT LISTENING TO MARK, and not being able to follow the program after having enjoyed it so much for the past few weeks. Tomorrow I am going to try to slowly do some stretching and maybe do some of the exercises that Robin suggested on my "no impact exercise" post on the message board. I will be not be doing the 1.5 miles with you all on Saturday; I will most likely be in the pool at the Healthplex. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you are a beginner like me and have not purchased shoes, WALK ONLY (NO RUNNING) AFTER YOU GO TO FLEET FEET!

Still sidelined!

Well, I'm temporarily (hopefully) out of the game. My knees felt better yesterday but today they are aching badly again. I've been eating lots of ibuprofen and have done no walk exercising or impact exercise (only stretching and strength training not involving knees), but this is clearly not going to go away overnight. I can't even walk properly or stand up straight. Mark was kind enough to talk to me on the phone and gave me some instructions about ice, more ibuprofen, PROPER SHOES when I'm better, and swimming and recumbent biking if I can. I get to do NO running or walking. PLEASE learn from my mistakes!!!! If you haven't gotten your shoes or have just started running, PLEASE read my last few blogs and go to the Message Board on the MM website and read Mark and Robin's responses to my post titled "No Impact Exercise!"

Ibuprofen: the wonder drug!

Wow! My knees feel so much better already. I went home last night and sat on the couch all night after popping a couple Ibuprofen. By the time I went to bed, I was almost walking normally. This morning I was a little stiff when I woke up but I swallowed those miracle pills again and my knees feel better. I can't express how happy I am that I think this is just going to be a temporary setback! I am in this for the long haul and I am nowhere near ready to quit this. I feel "yucky" not having been able to work out this morning but that is a good thing!!!!!! It's amazing how much I am enjoying this and how much I look forward to my workouts and my new healthy lifestyle. This really is a life change makeover. Thanks again Mark and Robin! You guys are the best!!!!

I did something stupid!!

Well, what did Mark tell us to do FIRST THING? Go to Fleet Feet and get shoes. I promise that I've been meaning to go since my boss told me to go a month and 1/2 ago, but have I? No. Why? No good reason. Didn't get around to it, or some dumb excuse. Now what? My knees are hurting, badly. It hurts to stand, to walk, and I didn't even think about running this morning. I did walk for 2 miles on the treadmill though so that didn't help. Right now it hurts even to sit at my desk. I am very mad at myself and can only blame myself. So I am going to take tomorrow off and do nothing and feel mad at myself for having to do that, and then Wed I'll XT (I have this Joanie Greggains workout VHS tape from 1984, no kidding, that works arms, abs, legs and butts) and I'll go to Fleet Feet Wednesday night so I can get shoes and hopefully at least walk on Thursday. If you haven't gotten your shoes yet, PLEASE GO!!! Learn from my mistake and don't hurt yourself like I did. Other than my own stupidity and stubbornness, I am doing well otherwise.

Saturday was fun, though for some reason I hate the running while I'm running. I got an inhaler and coughed only a little after the run. (Turns out I don't have asthma but I'm having bronchospasms from being out of shape. GO FIGURE!) My nose ran like a faucet again (I filled three kleenexes and had to stop 5 times to blow in 1.5 miles) so my boss ENT doc is going to give me Atrovent to try next week. (If these knees don't get better, there will be no next week.) My exhaustion has passed and my extreme hunger has levelled off and physically I feel damn good. Can I share these really personal things too with ya'll: Are you all experiencing an increase in libido and a regulation of, if not clockwork, digestive system cycle? No wonder people run!

Keep up the good work all! And get your shoes!!!!!

Exhausted!

I've been so pumped and excited and energized, but for the last two days I've just felt REALLY TIRED. I did what I was supposed to do yesterday and was so glad that today was an off day and that I could sleep in. But when I woke up today, I felt like someone had beaten me all night. My muscles are sore which I know is normal, but my body is just generally run down and fatigued. Maybe I'm fighting off a cold or maybe my body is just trying to adjust to this new way of life, but right now I feel like I could lay my head down on my desk and sleep. I'm excited to meet and run tomorrow though and I plan on doing absolutely nothing for the rest of the day after the run. I'm so fortunate that I don't have a spouse or kids that need my time and attention. I have extreme admiration for all your parents out there who are doing this. You all are my inspiration, really.

Loving this!

Who besides me can't wait to get on the computer to check new blogs? I am really enjoying this and really enjoying you all's blogs and comments. We can all do this with each other's support. Keep up the blogging and the moving forward ya'll. You guys are awesome!

I used to love Belhaven...

but I was cussing it like a sailor on Saturday. I was not prepared for the hills and I didn't reach my goal of running the whole mile. I ran half and walked the rest, especially up the hills. I was disappointed and discouraged with myself. But I wouldn't have made that goal had I known I was going to be running on hills, so I have let that one go. I had a pretty decent asthma attack after the run and coughed for the rest of the day. I'm seeing my allergist this week to get an inhaler so I won't have to experience that ever again. I had a great XT workout yesterday and I ran for 10 minutes on the treadmill this morning walking the rest. My goal tomorrow is to run for 10 minutes outside which I'm sure will be very different than on the treadmill. I feel great though! My exercise regimen is solid; I even look forward to getting up at 5:30 every day to work out. Believe me, this is the biggest accomplishment of all since my sleep is sacred. My body feels stronger and my legs hurt and are not as smooshy and jiggly as they were just 2 weeks ago. I am still eating like a horse though and that is bothering me. My food is healthy but it is a lot! I'm sure that will even out soon. The MM group is great and I am inspired by you guys! Keep up the good work.

Energizer bunny

Still going....

I am pretty proud of myself actually. I've only missed one day of training and I'm up to running (really just a jog) for 5 whole minutes on the treadmill. I walk for about 15 to warm up then go for it and really enjoy going back to walking for 10 more minutes when it's done. It is quite an accomplishment for me, really. A couple things though for my fellow glutton's for punishment:

1) Did it take anybody else 2 whole days to figure out this blogging thing or better yet, to remember how to get in to post a blog?
2) Is anyone else having a problem with sinus drainage WHILE running? I work for an ENT doc who says the same thing happens to him. (He's a runner/marathoner.) He says I'll get used to wiping it on my sleeve, but I'm not there yet. He also says I can take more meds (I already take more than I want to for allergies) but I don't want to do that either. Just wanted to share the joy of this with you all.
3) Is anyone else starving to death? I've been trying to eat healthy and not as much as I used to, which was way too much, but I'm ALWAYS hungry now! I guess that's a good sign that my metabolism is up. But I can't tame the wild beast unless I eat a whole lot! Any suggestions? I'm trying to eat at least something every couple hours to give myself continuous nutrition. I feel guilty eating a lot since I'm being so good at exercising. HELP!

I'm really enjoying everyone's blogs. Keep up the good work all!