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.
A Before Work Run
Running
Just Another Incremental Marathon Post
This run, combined with the distance I walked mowing the lawn, resulted in 5.35 miles, 10,398 steps, and 67 minutes of exercise time. Yeah, I’ll be exhausted tomorrow.
A Walk and A Run
After not feeling well yesterday, I recovered enough to go for a 4th of July walk with Tina. We left the car at one of the Trail Head parking lots, and I ran 2 miles to pick it up.
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.
On Exercise
I have not posted about exercise for a while now. And to be honest, I had stopped working out just before the Ireland trip. However, a few weeks ago, I resumed running. I also have added pushups and planking to my regime. Nothing severe or onerous. I’m keeping my heart rate from exceeding a 140 bpm average. And I’m not doing pushups or planking to the point of muscle burn. Moderations, after all, are what’s called for now that I have learned about my mild heart condition.
I do not plan to make regular posts about exercising. It serves no purpose and takes time that is better applied to other activities. Still, I wanted you all to know I was still working on my health.
Another Increment
Nothing to add. I am just posting the latest increment of the marathon.
Once More To The Pavement
Now that I know I’ve no blockages in my arteries, I felt confident enough to go for a plodding jog. I maintained a languid pace and never let my heart rate exceed 140. The average was 124. At no point did I push myself into labored breathing. Also, I didn’t feel “thickness” in my muscles. They felt relaxed and limber. In the past three years, I experienced, for lack of a better word, congestion of the muscles. It created a feeling of weight or resistance that bogged down my running.
Today, that wasn’t the case. I felt, again, for lack of a better word, release. There was no resistance in my steps or breathing. Let me stress – especially in my breathing. Even after the slowest of walks, my lungs would feel congested. Not today. Even my sinuses don’t feel as congested. Most important of all, there is no feeling of overwhelming exhaustion.
After the last three years of starting and restarting my exercise regime with disappointing results, I feel hopeful. I won’t make any wild claims of “halleluja! I’m cured!” but I am willing to say that I feel confident. I voiced hope things had changed in the past, but I didn’t feel hope. Today, I feel hopeful that things have changed.
No Blockage!
I have just arrived home following my angiogram—no blockages to report. The procedure usually lasts about an hour. Mine took 20 minutes. They spent more time prepping than performing the procedure. Plus, I had to wait 90 minutes to ensure my artery clotted afterward to ensure I didn’t squirt blood everywhere. Personally, I thought they were being party poopers. What’s wrong with little blood spatters on the hospital walls? It fits with the Gestalt, don’t you think?
However, they did find a small buildup of fluid. So, while I don’t have to take any statins, aspirin, or nitro, I am prescribed Lisinopril. And I’ve been told to reduce my intake of fluids. No more than eight cups of water per day. That’s cool. Most beautiful of all, I am now expected to exercise. I had stopped exercising due to the fear of arterial blockage and the possibility of a heart attack. But that is no longer a fear, and I can resume exercise.
While arterial blockages have been ruled out, there is a need to learn about the cause of the conductive block reducing heart productivity. So, more appointments. Fortunately, reasonable levels of exercise, i.e., keeping my heart rate below 140 during workouts, are called for in combating fluid retention. Oh, and I guess taking Lisinopril should help me lose weight. All in all, a better outcome than I feared.