And once again, I was rejected by Tina when I offered a hug. Oh, and I did 60 push-ups before the run: three sets of 25, 20, and 15.
Another Treadmill Run
Personal Health
Incremental Marathon
I, in all my sweaty, virile manliness, after running two miles in 30 minutes. I’m requesting a hug from Tina, who, for some reason I can’t fathom, does not want to give.
Resuming the Incremental Marathon
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:
Today’s Run
Stats Catch-up
A Pain Like No Other
It hurt in a way I’d never felt before. It was a sharp, narrow pain that started inside, at the belly button, and traveled up internally to behind the sternum. I had all sorts of stories going on through my head. The loudest of which was, “I tore a hole in my intestine.” The other old, overused tale was, “I’m being a wimp. Just tough it out and go to work tomorrow.” I even put myself to bed, only to struggle to find a position that didn’t just relieve the pain but kept it from intensifying. By 12:30 AM, I resigned to the fact I had utterly failed.
I came downstairs and informed Tina I needed to go to the ER. The drive to the hospital was an intimate introduction to every little seam, crack, and bump in the road. Though I had been empathetic when Tina experienced the same thing when her back was acting up, I now also understood her experience. Let’s just say I experienced an AFGE (Another Fucking Growth Experience). But, seriously, Existence, did it have to be about physical pain? Couldn’t I have gained growth from a less painful experience?
Sigh.
Obviously not.
Anyway, arriving at the ER, my emotional weather swinging about like a rope ladder in a storm, I awaited the CAT Scan that would inform me of the appendicitis I was experiencing. Because I didn’t act out the overused tale of going to work the next day, I managed not to have a ruptured or perforated appendix. However, catching appendicitis early meant not needing to be rushed into emergency surgery, resulting in a 10-hour wait until a surgery team and surgery room were available. Thankfully, the antibiotics worked a miracle; with the Torodal and Tylenol, I no longer experienced discomfort.
After the surgery, I only requested an opiate once, right after coming out of the surgery, because that was when I felt extreme discomfort. Otherwise, the blockers they gave me before the surgery did their job, and I only needed Tylenol. And by the time the blockers wore off, the pain had naturally subsided. The surgery occurred on Thursday, and I could return to work by Monday the following week. The surgeon told me I could resume running by Monday. But I decided to wait for the two-week follow-up call from the surgery department to see how I was doing.
The reason I finally decided to go to the ER was due to the pain approaching migraine levels of extreme discomfort.
A Before Work Run
I slept well enough that I woke up feeling rested at 4:30 AM. So, after spending an hour doing my morning routine of meditation readings, horoscopes, and mindful journaling, I went for a run.
Another Incremental Marathon Post
It’s been a while, I know. I was not feeling well and chose to sleep longer instead of running in the mornings. For some reason, I was exhausted for the last week. I don’t know if it was the weather or the stressor of change at work. Others had been commenting on the increased irritation to their sinuses. The air quality was possibly low due to the above-average rain, causing an increase in mold and fungi spores in the air.
I don’t run in the late afternoons or evenings because it interferes with my sleep. Hours after finishing a run, my body continues to feel energized, and that energized feeling interferes with falling asleep. However, the energy helps with my mornings at work, so I prefer morning runs. Also, the energy starts to diminish in mid-afternoon. By evening I am tired and sleep much better.
I feel good this morning. The run wasn’t too slow, and I kept my heart rate below 158, which is max for someone my age. Hopefully, I’ll be able to continue with my morning runs after this brief pause in the routine.
The Incremental Marathon, Sunday Addition
A Sunday Morning run around the Northern Half of Norton Park.
The Return of Strava
I’m back to using Strava as my fitness app. It has the best functionality, tracks more stats, and supplies more charts than any of the other apps I’ve used. Also, it makes creating a post on my Blog much easier than other fitness apps.