It’s been a while since I’ve posted a run. The last time was on March 2nd. I had been doing quite a bit of running, with only short breaks lasting 4 or 5 days. But then, towards the end of July, my left knee acted up – again. It got so bad that I had to wear a knee brace just to be able to walk. Thankfully, I only needed the brace for one day. However, since then, both my knee caps have been aching.

Before going on about that, I have to add that I was prescribed a new statin to battle high cholesterol around the same time. I do not do well with statins. They cause severe lower back pain to the point where I can’t straighten up. I worked with my cardiologist and was taking a non-statin medication, but my new insurance company won’t pay for it. Hence, resuming a statin in July.

That brings me back to my knees hurting. My lower back is also aching. I’ve learned a couple of things about statins. One, do not take them just before bed. And two, take them with food. Now, it doesn’t eliminate the pain statins cause, but it sure as hell reduces it. So, despite taking the statin at dinner time, I still have low-grade aches and pains.

The knees have been more problematic since I committed to taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator. That means four flights of steps, sometimes five. And with my heart medications causing a need to urinate, I end up taking the steps often. The closest bathroom to my office, located on the fifth floor, is on the second floor. Most days, it results in the iPhone’s fitness app recording 30 minutes of exercise daily. So, I have been getting my exercise by taking the stairs instead of going for a run.

Well, today, I went for a run. I didn’t do too badly either. For a 63-year-old, overweight, and out-of-shape man, I managed to get two miles in 30 minutes. Now, I have over four months of running stats on Strava, so I’m not going to attempt to catch up on posting. I’ll just start fresh. So, here is the latest run: