Thinking about starting over with C25K

I'm thinking about starting over. I'm on W4D2, but am struggling a LOT! I think I might just start back at W1D3 and run with the wife on her journey. I love running with her and she needs me with her to push her. I ran with her on her last two runs and felt great.

I'm just wondering if it would do me some good to start over and run as well as work on my core and walking on my off days. I feel like if I do start over, that I will be doing so with the benefit of knowing what I am doing a lot more than before and up to this point. I have the shoes that I need as well as the things that I need to make my runs better for me.

I'm just thinking that this may be the best thing for me and the smart thing to do. I am having problems with my form. HAVE had problems since day one. This will give me the time to build up my body more with the knees and back before I start doing this for long term running.

I'm not sure yet...but I'm thinking.

More later, guys!

Hills and trails and knees, OH MY!

Hey guys...attempted week 4 day 3 today, but I attempted it on a trail instead of my usual flat, paved paths. Did NOT go well.

As soon as I came off of the asphalt onto the dirt, my knee popped. I thought I tore something, but after flexing and stretching it, it felt ok so I pressed on. Got about halfway through the first 5 minute run and there was a hill. A LARGE hill. Hills are my enemy, but I decided to tackle it.

As I started up, I kept saying to myself "pick your feet up...pick your feet up...". Well, I didn't pick my feet up enough. I hit a root and face planted! To make it worse, I face planted in front of someone walking down the hill. Embarrassment set in big time.

i made it up to my feet and trudged on until my lower back started giving me fits. I just locked up. Couldn't run, couldn't walk, couldn't sit...all I could do was hold on to the fence beside me until the spasm eased off. Downhearted and broken, I turned off my c25k app, turned off nike+, then limped back to the car. The wife finished her W1D3 while I limped back.

Today was NOT fun! I need to figure out what I can do to strengthen my back to keep it from tightening up on me. I know I need to lose this gut and that will help, but Im trying to do that as well. It's not coming off real fast and I need it gone like yesterday!

I think I need to walk on my off days and maybe strength train again. I used to power lift in another life and was really strong until I traded the weights for the fork. It has been 25 years since I have been in any kind of shape and this is hard trying to get BACK into shape.

Injured...

The knee pain came back! It was there after my run on Thursday. I ran with the wife on her w2d2 and then did my own w4d2. I have never ran on a trail before and we decided to do a trail run. I say it was a trail, it was gravel and dirt and uneven so I would consider it a trail.  Anyway, I felt fine during the runs except for my lower back started hurting a bit.

After the runs, my knee started hurting but I didn't think much about it until the next morning...that is when the pain set in. I iced it, elevated it, and rested it. Haven't done a run since then. I think I will go out today and get it in, though. It is feeling pretty good right now.

Will post later...just wanted to update here for now.

Feeling STRONGER...PR for me today!

Hey guys...Today I set a personal record for me. Let me tell you about it.

My wife decided that she wanted to start C25K today and start running with me. If you follow this blog, you know that I am on week 4 day 1 of the program. She started at week one day one today. I decided to run her part of the program to give her some moral support. I ran with her on her entire run today and felt really strong! Wasn't even winded.

Once we finished with hers, I decided to just run mine since hers was a little more than a long warm up walk for me. So I went ahead and ran my program run today as well. It felt really good. NO WAY I thought I was going to finish without even running her run, much less after...but I did!

I ran W4D1 and only had a little trouble at the end of it, but I pushed right on through. Ready for the PR? 3.2 miles! Read it again...3.2 miles! I have never even WALKED 3.2 miles in my life at one time. I was strong...I was not in any pain...I just felt awesome!

I simply felt stronger today...MUCH stronger! My lungs weren't on fire, my legs felt good, the run itself was very enjoyable and I had a great time, just me and nature.

Speaking of nature, I ran in a whole different place than normal. We went to the Silver Comet Trail today. This place is simply awesome! VERY beautiful trail with a paved runner/bike/walking roadway where no cars can even ride down. There were a lot of people on the trail running, walking, and biking. The scenery was breathtaking. The thing is, this trail runs from Smyrna, Ga. to the Alabama state line. Sixty one (61) miles long. The part that I ran today was mile marker 0...the beginning. I would LOVE to see this whole thing. When I say breathtaking, I really mean it!

It was such a pleasure to run here today. MUCH better than the track that I run around in circles on most of my runs. I hope I never see that track again. I have found me a running home, I think. There are a few other trails i want to experience as well. People tell me that they are as pretty as the Silver Comet Trail. I can't wait to see and experience those as well.

Today was awesome...I loved it!

More later, guys!

To Weight Watch or not to weight watch...

That is the question?

I'm on a quest and my head is spinning. I have changed my way of life drastically since I have started running. I have come to the conclusion that I need to do more. I want to lose about 70 pounds. Yep, I am now on a quest to get rid of some extra baggage.

Right now, I'm about 281 pounds and I am looking for a long term goal to get under 200 pounds. I thought that just by running and eating better...making better choices in what I put in my body, that I would lose weight. Well, I will, but not as much as I need to lose. I have to make a real drastic change to get rid of this weight. I am thinking about joining Weight Watchers to help with that portion of changing me.

I have spoken to a lot of people and have read a lot of stuff and weight watchers seems to be a good choice. I hope so. I really want to be HEALTHY! So, I am going to look into getting into the WW plan and see if that will help me.

With losing the weight, I also have set a few goals for myself as far as running and health. I want to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) by October of 2012. My ULTIMATE running goal is to run a full Marathon with the coup De gras being the Boston Marathon. If that will ever happen, I have no clue, but that is a long term goal for me.

Call me stupid, or call me crazy or call me what you will, but I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to do. A marathon, much less the BOSTON MARATHON, is something that seems impossible for me, but it is also something that I can work towards doing. It is a long term goal, and it is a REACHABLE goal as long as I train for it and do the right things.

So, I have changed my way of thinking about my health, I am changing the way I think about food, and I am changing the way I feel about running. I NEVER thought I would run a mile never mind running 13.1 or 26.2. I have my head on straight and I have my priorities in line...

More later, guys!

W3D3 DONE!!

Today, I went out and ran week three, day three of c25k and it was the best run that I have had since I started this whole running thing. The new shoes were perfect and helped with my knee pain. In fact, I haven't felt ANY pain since I have put them on today.

I was having problems with the three minute runs in men first two runs this week. Breathing was off, pain in my knee, couldn't even finish the three minutes. Today, I finished the three minute runs and felt strong. My calves did tighten up because I found myself trying to run in a different form than I am used to. But that tightness went away.

Not feeling real good at the moment. Ill post more later.

I LOVE my wife! NEW SHOES!!

I posted earlier today about the perils of the clodhoppers that I was running in and the pain that it was causing me with my left knee. I told you how the Dr. today told me to never even WALK in those shoes again. Well, I also told my wife what the doctor said today.

Now, normally, we watch our pennies because we are both unemployed at the moment. As soon as I told her what my Dr. said, she looked at me and said, "Well, we can't have you quitting the running after all you have already done, and Im not going to see you hurt yourself". She then put me in the car and drove me to the Big Peach Running Co. in Kennesaw, Ga. since she knew I had already been analyzed as far as my gait there.

Once there, she bought me these! The Brooks Ghost 4 running shoe as well as three pair of Asics running socks. As you may well know, Im diabetic and I dont need to get blisters from my socks moving around and holding water in my shoes. The girl that was waiting on me asked if the socks I had on were the one's I ran in and I told her yes and more just like them. I told her I needed some tech socks because of the diabetes and she said the magic word - blisters. My wife jumped all over that and bought the socks as well. She is also a diabetic and knows the perils of getting blisters on your feet.

So, we get the shoes and head straight to the track so I could get my run in before it got dark. I am on W3D2 of C25K and as soon as I hit the track, I could tell a major difference in these shoes from the ones I WAS wearing. These Brooks shoes had some SPRING in them! It was like as soon as my foot hit the ground it felt like it was catapulted up and forward with very little effort on my part.

As I ran, I did feel a little bit of knee pain, but nothing like what it was. The pain just was there for a bit and then it was gone. I feel it a little bit now that Im sitting, but again, not like it was. I sincerely hope that the pain goes away and that the shoes was my problem.

Finished my c25k run and now Im sitting here after a hot shower and feeling good about my day!

Knee PAIN! But Good News

Just got back from my Doctor. Good news on two fronts...

First and most important is that I have my diabetes under control. It is still a little on the high side, but she is impressed with my numbers. So, that is awesome news for ME! I was being threatened with insulin if I didn’t rein it in.

Second...my Dr is also a runner. I old her that I was having some ferocious pain in my knee. it has been hurting since I started c25k but I pushed through the pain. I tried to run today and couldn't. I was actually limping on my warm-up.

Her first question was,  "Does it normally go away after warm-up?" Yes was the answer to that. Her second question was, was I wearing the shoes that I normally run in to her office. Yes was the answer to THAT question. 

She looked me in my eyes and told me she wouldn’t even recommend WALKING in the shoes that I have. They are OLD (about 2yrs) NB sneakers. She said my problem was my shoes and that until I get some, not to run in these again or the pain WILL get worse. She said, "get some running shoes. Get fitted at a real running store...not Dicks or Foot Locker. Have them analyze your gait and buy the shoes. The pain will go away." I didn't bother to tell her that I already had a fitting done and that I just need to go buy the shoes.

So, I’m going to have to spend some money and get some shoes. Won’t be running again until I do. She was REAL impressed with me starting C25K and the fact that I’m getting off my ass and moving instead of sitting around and letting my health go. I am super pumped now about this visit with her and am more anxious than ever to get moving even more!

Supposed to do W3D2 today, but if I don’t get some shoes today, I wont be doing it. We will see.