Running in Savannah

While in Savannah, GA for a couple of weeks, we got a few runs in on Hunter Army Air Field.  One of those days we ran 12.2 miles - a loop following the perimeter road most of the way around the facility.  We weren't quite prepared for that distance on that particular day. We ended up walking about half the way back which we rarely do.  Anyway, I think we mostly out-ran our fork that day. 

You can't really see, but the dot in the center of the road, almost out of sight is Dave.

Veteran's Day Solo Memorial Run

On Veteran's Day, last Tuesday, I ran 13.1 miles, by myself, no formal race, to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, whose lives were cut short and are not here to run, as well as to honor those who served and came back physically and/or mentally challenged and can no longer just go out for a long run.  I ran to honor all those who have served over the years, in all our past wars. You see, I did it because I could.  Though 13.1 miles is no easy thing, it was easy enough for me.  The discomfort was nothing compared to what our service men and women have endured.

Before I left in the morning, this was the sunrise I saw.  I walked towards the fields for a better look.  As I gazed out at this beautiful view, I was also thinking about the Veterans who were never able to come home and appreciate a beautiful view like this, or those who came home whose bodies and spirits were broken.

As I ran, I saw a small patch of trees still vibrant with fall colors.

Beautiful Fall Views

We've been out running and I am hoping to build up to doing a 10 to 15 mile run at least once a week.

Marine Corps Marathon

I've run about 4 Marine Corps Marathons but this year, our son, Nick, ran it.  We went to DC to cheer him on. Dave and I were able to see Nick at five different points along the marathon, partly because we were geared up to run ourselves and are fast route-step marchers, and partly because we know DC and the MCM course so well. So we got some good exercise ourselves this day.

Father-son hug in the middle of the marathon.

Father-son high five.

The last mile.

Our son and his SIL who'd run the Marine Corps 10K which ran simultaneously.

Our grandson with his dad's medal.

Morning Run and A Gift of Fall Leaves

I believe that every day there are gifts for us from nature, if only we are open to the experience.

On our way back from a nice long run in Iowa, we crossed a street under this beautiful tree.  I stopped in the middle of a residential street (not a busy one) to take the picture, not even realizing a motorcyclist was waiting for me to clear the lane.  But when I noticed him, he was smiling.

He saw the beauty too.

The Morning Run & The Morning Sunrise.

I've been doing some morning runs.  I am setting my sights on just a mile or so as a trick to get me out there.  Then when I get warmed up and start enjoying myself, I can go further if I like.  I'd like to start stretching my distance out to about 10-15 miles in a day, at least once a week.

Here is the view on one of my morning runs this past week.

An extra bonus to getting up early to run is.....

Erie Marathon: Finished!

Dave and I, and our friend, Ian and his son, Christopher who is a retired Army Ranger, all ran and finished the Erie Marathon on Sunday, September 13th.  Woo hoo! How cool!

It was painful!  None of us really trained for it, or at least, we didn't train for it in the traditional way.

Ian ran a handful of times, with 11 miles being the furthest distance.

Chris ran most days leading up to the marathon, but not doing the distance that is recommended in training programs.  He is younger than the rest of us too, so that was in his favor.  And that Ranger mentality is always helpful when gutting out a challenge.

Dave lost about 25 pounds so he certainly was in better shape that way.

We'd both hoped to have gotten into shape by hiking, and I'd had a vision of trail running up to 20 miles a day before the marathon. That didn't happen. I fought my knees the whole time while hiking. And I suspect that beating up my body like I did with the hiking just set the stage for craving comfort foods, though no excuse, and I didn't get lean and mean like I'd planned. I spent the days we hiked  feeling exhilarated but exhausted and looking forward to burgers and brews after each day's hike. No calorie deficit there.

But at least we finished. Funny thing is that Dave and I both learned we had the same thought while running the marathon, that we should have just opted to support the others to run it.  I could have done that, having run four or five other marathons in my life. I didn't even think of it at the time.  But of course I'd have that thought while in pain and unable/unwilling to quit while running the Erie Marathon. Dave has supported many of our running events over the last few years since he's had trouble with his knees off and on.  He does it well and enjoys it.  But for the Erie Marathon he did very well.

It depends on whose definition of doing well you use though.  If you look at our statistics, Dave was the second to last for his age group, coming in around 5:06.  I was third to last in my age group, coming in around 5:36.  Ian finished a minute or two before me, though I hadn't even seen him ahead of me and Chris finished around 4:30.  But the good news, besides the fact that we finished, was that Dave ran an average of 11 minute miles and I ran an average of 12 minute miles.  To keep that pace up for 26.2 miles, that isn't bad for us.  Actually, Dave and Ian averaged 10 minute miles for the first half of the marathon.  I don't know what I averaged at that distance, but I noticed that I was doing 10 minute miles while at around the 7 mile point.  At around 8 or 9 miles I started falling off my pace and feeling the distance.  By the 18 mile mark I was flat out in pain and dreading the next 8 miles, mentally marking off different distance chunks and just trying to find some Zen to zone out in and pass the time trying to ignore the pain.

My calves kept cramping.  My hips even hurt a bit. But the worst was my feet.  I had on new running shoes and yes, I know it was stupid to run in shoes I'd not run in before.  How did that happen?  I had meant to run in them a few times.  I think the shoes would have been fine though for up to 15 miles so even training in them previously, I'd not have had the foot pain that I experienced at around the 18 mile mark and for the rest of the run.  It felt as if my new Mizunos didn't have enough padding on the ball of my feet. My right foot was in turn going numb on the bottom or feeling like I had a small lump in my shoe.  The sensation of the lump didn't make sense.  I'd get off the cement road for a bit and run in the grass a while.  Feeling would come back in my foot and the sense that the lump was there would disappear.  Strange.  Later I found out there was sand underneath the inset inside the shoe, especially on the right one, so that explains the feeling of a lump and maybe how messed up both feet felt. I had dumped sand out of my shoes but hadn't thought to pull out the lining and dump what might be underneath. That won't happen again.

On the positive, non-pain side, the scenery was absolutely stunning.  I'd read a FaceBook post about what runners think about when running, and a lot of it was about their pace but some of it was about the beautiful scenery.  That is me.  That is mostly what I think about until pain overwhelms me like it did in this marathon towards the end.  The clouds were moving fast across the sky the entire time we ran. It was gusty, windy as all get-out.  I was on and off with a light tech jacket I'd started with.  I'd tie it around my waist then put it back on, then unzip it and zip it.  On and off and up and down with that zipper, the entire race.  But watching the sun shinning off the water, watching the beautiful clouds moving across the sky, seeing all sides of Presque Isle as we rant the road around it, the bay, Lake Erie, it was all incredibly beautiful. I wanted to stop and take pictures.  It is probably a good thing that I had neither my phone or my little Nikon point-and-shoot.

In other marathons I've run, walking hurt almost more than running during the last few miles. This time though, walking didn't hurt and I could even walk kind of fast. But not as fast as my shuffling running pace. As I'd said, I didn't know Ian was just a minute or two ahead of me or I wouldn't have worried as much, but I was afraid all the guys had finished an hour or so before me (and I was afraid I was going to come in at the 6 hour mark) so I didn't want them waiting on my.  My mind always plays tricks on me and I was afraid the Ian's son might be rolling his eyes, figuratively, disgusted at how long it was taking me to finish.  None of that happened though.  All the guys were quite happy that we all finished. I just get paranoid.

The good news is that my knees didn't give me any problems at all!

Before I got into pain, I was thinking I might be able to come in around the 5 hour mark. I was so excited about that. I had visions of getting a personal record. I stayed ahead of the pacer for the 4:55 time until just around the 18 mile mark. I stayed ahead of the 5:25 pacer until around the last 5 miles. After he passed me I got even more demoralized.  But I kept going.  I tried to remember if I'd ever felt that bad running the other marathons.  I know that it is something like child birth in that the body has a way of softening the memory of pain and remembering the good part.

The race was really well supported.  The volunteers were, down to each man, woman and child (and there were several) they were exceptional.  The Erie Marathon is not a big one, around 400-500 runners I think, and is considered a great one to run in order to qualify for Boston since it is flat.  The course does two laps around Presque Island.  That is good and bad: good that you know what is coming and how to gage yourself, bad is that you know what's coming and yet can see others almost finished. I got lapped by the race winner, by a couple hundred yards.  No one was anywhere near him when he finished though (no others doing their final lap, that is).

My favorite signs along the course: You are running better than the government.  And, You have done smarter things drunk.

I saw a runner (who passed me) with the quote on her back that said, "Courage isn't the strength to keep on going, but to keep on going when you have no strength." 

.  

Hiker's Knees

So many older hikers like myself have to ease themselves up and down the hills, the mountains, and over the boulders using hiking poles.  It makes a huge difference.  Both my knees were taking a beating before I gave in and bought the poles.

I had wanted to go without them because I wanted to be able to trail run.  Even when not trail running, I'd wanted my hands free for my camera or to wipe my face or blow my nose with my bandanna that I keep tied to my shoulder harness.  Oh well.  We do what we have to do.

I am also drinking a lot more water, trying to keep my joints lubricated.  I can tell that it makes a difference.  It sure is hard to stay hydrated while hiking in the heat though.  I am hoping my knees will be good to go for the marathon next month.  

Messed Up Knee

I was trail running on the Appalachian Trail.  I was really moving out and feeling good, having fantasies that I would eventually be doing 20 mile trail running days.  What great shape I would be in come marathon day in Erie, PA, in September.  But then my knee started talking to me. Arthritis.  RICE, the doc says:  Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

And Naproxen, 500mg, twice a day.

I also happen to know that arthritis responds well to exercise.  I saw an article on it a while back.  Many people use arthritis as an excuse, a rationalization to sit on their couch and eat potato chips or donuts.  Not me.  No way.

Gonna hike it off.  

Hobo Running

Before heading out to hit the Appalachian Trail for a couple days, Dave and I went for a run in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains. We found a beautiful little side road that wound it's way to and fro into woods and through old farms. Very scenic. But there was no way to do a nice loop run, which I prefer rather then retracing my route, we cut back on the railroad tracks. We didn't try to run on the tracks due to the good size rocks, but it was a nice walk.

We saw dozens of these railroad spikes.

Along the tracks were not only dozens of old railroad spikes and other pieces, but sadly, the remnants of several critters who'd lost the fight with the train, such as deer, a calf, a vulture and a large turtle. As we walked, we heard a train coming and made sure we didn't get added to that list. 

Two Hour Run

Yesterday I got up early, put on my running clothes, my Camelbak backpack, tucked my Iphone in the pocket, and went out on the country roads of Maryland, in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains.  It was a beautiful cool morning. I ran one hour out and one hour back.  Sore today, surprisingly, in the thighs.

We found out that one of the guys who was going to run the Erie, PA, marathon with us will be out of the country. No worries. Hope he stays safe. We will run it dedicated to him.

Running Like a Sherman Tank

On Memorial Day weekend, Dave and I were in Bethesda Naval Hospital getting his foot/ankle x-rayed and examined. We'd just started training for the Erie Marathon and were running the country roads. In Maryland country roads are paved, and a hard surface is harder on the legs than trail running, which we prefer now. Dave was feeling his oats; striding and stretching it out with an interval-like workout. As so as he told me that he'd done some interval training when out of view from me, I wondered if he'd be in trouble.  Sure enough, Dave woke up the next morning with a sore foot/ankle.

I mention that because earlier in the day I'd explained to a friend, when Dave and her husband (he is running the Erie Marathon with us - his first) were not within earshot, that I would be able to go out and run that marathon today if need be. I knew I would finish the Erie Marathon regardless of what kind of training I did but was worried about whether her husband or Dave would finish.  Not that I am in great shape or think my shit doesn't stink. My body, knock on wood, is like a tank. I can go and go and go. I am strong, farm strong. My performance is not pretty or fast but I get the job done and virtually never get injured. We see other high level runners quit races because they are just not hitting their time hacks and they figure it's not a good day for them. And I get it that they are saving themselves for something better in their view, that they go for the victory, for the personal bests at least. I go for the zen, and also just to gut it out and get it done if my zen runs out. I am so slow that my fear is they will close down the race and try to pull people off the course before I get done. When running the Rosaryville, MD, Veteran's Day 50K a couple years ago (my first, and only 50K, so far), I asked Dave to be a volunteer because I knew he wasn't going to try to run it. It wasn't his dream to be an ultra runner (if just for a day) like it was mine. Part of my motivation for asking Dave to volunteer was that I wanted him to make sure they let me finish, to tell them if he had to that he would wait for me, that he knew I would get the job done eventually.

As it turned out, when I slowly, stiffly, painfully made my shuffling kind of running way across the finish line, I had another 45 minutes or so before they closed down the course. And I wasn't the last one.

So I know I can get the job done.  Not pretty, not fast.  But Dave, now, he would/could be a lot faster than me and makes himself go slow to stay within sight of me usually. I appreciate that but yet don't always like it because it starts to mess with my head, making me feel even slower that someone has to wait on me and double back, and force themselves to go slow with me. It messes up my zen.

Along with his great talent for speed comes injuries. And my friend's husband tends to get blisters that he stubbornly refuses to treat until they are nasty, bleeding messes.  I worry that these two big guys with a lot more speed than I can muster, can go the distance at Erie. I fear they will get injured.

If you think I have low standards for competing, I will answer you that I compete on a different level.     Here is how I look at it. How many people never exercise at all?  OK, imagine all the people you know and those you see in your daily life.  Separate them into groups of those who do and those who don't exercise. See how small the group of exercisers is already. And maybe the group of exercises includes weekend golfers, people who walk their dogs, people who rent beach bikes on vacation. So let's whittle this down further.  Mentally separate out how many people decide to train for and compete in a marathon - or any equivalent accomplishment in any sport. You see the group of those who do get much, much smaller. With that smaller group, now separate out who start training for a marathon and those who actually show up on race day still planning to run?  The group just got smaller.  And here we go again:  of those who start the race, how many finish? I am still standing in that group. And it is a lot smaller.

Dave's foot/ankle got better.  It wasn't broken, fortunately.  And what caused it?  Overuse too fast, maybe, or too much weight still, or maybe the fact that we are aging athletes.  All of those, probably.

And we just got done riding our bicycles from DC to the Eastern Continental Divide.  We'd meant to go on to Pittsburgh but thunderstorms and heavy downpours stopped us.  We've ridden in rain before.  In fact our KATY Trail ride across Missouri was done in rain everyday, to the point the trail was washed out in places.  But there wasn't lightening.  I respect Mother Nature.  And thunderstorms were predicted for several more days.  We had other life event time hacks we needed to hit.  So call it quitting if you will, but we were out having an adventure and we achieved that.

But, that story is told because, low and behold, as we got back to our RV, crawled into bed that night all showered and clean, I looked down at my left leg and foot and said aloud, "Well will you look at that? What happened here?"  My lower left leg, ankle and foot was swollen.  Upon closer inspection, I saw I had significant bruising along both sides of my foot just above the tougher skin of my heal.  The bruising ran parallel to the bottom of my foot, about two to three inches.  I vaguely recall a fast start or stop on the bike where I'd put my feet down and had my left foot partially stuck in a rut or something, but I don't remember any painful injury. And I never thought of it again.  We were camping in our Big Agnes tent each night and showers consisted of washing off in the Potomac River or standing beside the water pump at the hiker/biker campsites, splashing water on ourselves.  So I wasn't looking in mirrors or putting moisturizers on myself like I might do if in cushy surroundings.

It's not hot so I ruled out a blood clot.  I've been treating it with my favorite med: Naproxen, and keeping it elevated when possible, taking it easy.   The swelling is going down now.  So, OK, I guess I do get injured.

But remember, I didn't even know I was injured.  I am still a Sherman Tank.

Race With A Fuckload of Grace

The entire linked article is worthwhile. I emailed it to our friend who is running the Erie Marathon with us.  Even though the article is about ultra running and race day prep, it still applies for marathon prep.

I have cut and pasted my favorite part for your reading pleasure.  I hope the salty language doesn't offend you. My excuse is that I was in the Army many years and use and appreciation for the lingo lingers.  My personal belief is that words are just words if being used as descriptors.  If they are being used to insult or belittle, or purposely to make someone uncomfortable, that is where I draw the line.

Be Your Best Self

A lot of times in a race, my number one goal is to have a good attitude. My best races are when my primary goal is to race with a fuckload of grace. Sounds cheesy, but it works.

http://www.outsideonline.com/1975656/jenn-sheltons-ultimate-ultrarunning-tips?utm_source=fitness&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=06102015&spMailingID=22814093&spUserID=MTEzNDExNDY2NDM1S0&spJobID=580950783&spReportId=NTgwOTUwNzgzS0

Novice Marathon Training Program

I am not a novice marathon runner if you go by the definition of whether I've never run one or just one or two.  I've done four or five.  Still, I'm no expert and I've not stayed in shape distance-wise the whole time.  We are more into adventures and whatever kind of exercise comes with that then we are goal-oriented pursuits of victory.

We are going to roughly, very roughly, follow the Hal Higdon marathon train up for novices.  http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51137/marathon-novice-1-training-program

We are in Tennessee and have run a couple loops around the Naval Air Station Mid-South, Millinton, TN which is probably about 6 miles per loop.

Today we stood down because Dave felt his heels might be bruised.  We need to get new running shoes, both of us.  I have new trail-running shoes but they don't have the cushion that I need for asphalt or cement running, which is mostly what we have to do since runnable dirt trails or decent gravel roads are not all that easy to find, or so it seems.

Running, Cycling and Pushups in the Mid South

We've gone for a couple of runs now at the Naval Support Activity Mid-South, Millington, TN (just north of Memphis).

We ran for an hour and 10 minutes Sunday morning, then bicycled yesterday at the Meemen-Shelby State Park.  It had lots of hills so we had a bit of a workout there.

I've started back with the pushups again, doing sets of 10 or 12 or less.

We'd tried hiking at the Meemen-Shelby State park a couple days before the bicycling but the mosquitoes were overwhelming.

I'm still itching at the bites.

But yesterday, with the bicycling, I guess it was windy enough, and with the moving air of cycling, they weren't bad at all.  I'd worn clothing covering me neck to toe though, just in case.  I'm trainable.  

Sighted: Fat Asses at NSA Mid-South

So we got our fat asses out for a run this morning at NSA Mid-South, Millington, TN.  I felt pretty good but Dave was lagging, initially.

I wonder if he lags more when I come out strong. I wonder because he's lagged the last couple of times when I've come out strong. I know that when he comes out strong, I hate the feeling of trying to keep up.  I know many people thrive on that and say it makes them a better runner to run with someone better. I don't like it though.

I like running in my zen zone.

It was in the upper 50's, low 60's today, with a light breeze.

The Naval Support Base had a little nature trail.  Lovely.

Running and Hiking, Maybe Cycling

We wanted to ride the bike loop around Sioux Falls today but it has been rainy and really blustery and (whine, whimper and blather) I have a cold. I never get sick, but there you have it.  We did hike yesterday and ran the day before - and my middle toe on my right foot, that I broke a week ago is better.  We looked up marathon training plans and will initiate that this week.

Gotta Getter Going. We have a marathon to run in September.  And I might have a 35 or 40 mile run to do next month.  Sound crazy?  Yes, I'm am sort of crazy that way. 

Avoid Floating on the Bread Bloat

While out forking off, I avoid bread as a rule of thumb.

We just ate at a diner in Independence, MO.  While ordering, we asked that the waitress hold the toast.  She commented that she'd been holding the toast, and avoiding all bread going on 14 years and 225 pounds ago.

I can relate.  Not to the 225 pound weight loss, but I know my body bloats with bread.  It was hard initially to stop eating it.  So much of the American food experience is based on sandwiches or bread baskets as appetizers.  It was awkward and sometimes messy to try to eat a sandwich with out the delivery system of bread or bun.  But as we started avoiding fast food places as we got healthier, it became easier.  When in most restaurants, you can find entrees that don't need the bread in order to eat it.  Or you can just use your fork and knife and eat the meat or whatever is the goodie inside.

Regardless, it became more important to me to avoid bread than to acquiesce to the American sandwich fixation.

My usual exceptions to the no bread rule are when I need to eat it to be polite, or just to experience what looks like a great taste, or for pizza!!!  If it is cruddy pizza I will often scrape the goodie stuff off and leave the ugly mess of icky sticky doughy yuck-muck despite disapproving looks. If you don't want to do that, cover it up in extra napkins.

If it is good pizza, you bet your bloated ass (or mine) that I am going after that dough as well as the toppings.

Sober Yoga

We took a yoga class last week, free for US Veterans.  It was fun.  The instructor was great.  It was relaxing and challenging and all positive energy.  When the instructor had asked if we'd ever taken a yoga class before, I said no.

It wasn't until towards the end of the class when she told us to scoot up to the wall, laying on our backs facing the wall with our butts touching the wall and our legs and feet straight up alongside the wall....that I started giggling out loud.

I giggled remembering the drunk yoga I'd done with a friend at her house.  Her and her girlfriends had a yoga session once when I was visiting from out of town.  My girlfriend and I were situated next to each other on the floor and had been drinking wine or martinis, I don't remember which, or both.  And more than the other ladies.  When we were doing the butts up against the wall thing, laying side by side, we were giggling and got chastised from the instructor.

So I'd forgotten I'd taken a yoga class before, informal and drunkenly so.

Pushing out the Mileage

I did another long run, adding perhaps, another mile.  The farmland in the foothills of the Appalachians was beautiful.

I spent the time thinking about setting up the informal ultra run on the C&O Canal Towpath, maybe in May, with two male friends who may try for a 50 miler while I do 35.

We hiked about 12 miles on the Appalachian Trail too.

White flashes from the AT.  This one says turn around.  And go under the bridge we just walked across.

So we were outrunning our forks.

Then we went into Baltimore and had pizza.

Embrace the Suck

I went out for three miles and ended up feeling good and pushing on for about seven or eight.

When I first came outside with my husband, I was in that mood of not really feeling like running but knowing I should.  The snow had melted the day before when it was 60 degrees.  There were still remnants of ice here and there, in shady spots and where it had gotten packed down from walking.  But the highways were clear.  I'd rather trail run, but hey, the trails would be all mushy with the melted snow and lots of rain.

We were dressed appropriately, of course, for a good run.  I had on long running pants and a good winter Under Armor shirt, with my Ragnar Relay hoodie over that.  I had cheap little gloves that roll up into a tiny golf ball shape (love them) and a warm headband.

Dave forgot something just as we came out of the house so I stood outside waiting.  Yikes!  The wind came at me.  Ohhhhhhh.....geez.  And I was standing in the shade so I moved out into the sunshine.  A bit better.

As we started to run I felt a little cold with the wind hitting us broadside, but I knew that it was just about right because as my body heated up I'd be fine.

After about two miles out (straight out and back route), Dave said he was turning around to go back and do the exercycle in the basement.  I felt good and wanted to keep going, thinking just another five minutes out and I'd turn around.

But I really began to enjoy it.  Even though my knees were talking to me now and then, and my left foot was creaking and croaking out comments here and there - I just slowed down a tad and made them all happy again.

And I thought about how I'd embraced the suck.  I thought about my mindset coming out of the house - a bit of dread, a have-to-do-chore of running and getting in shape.  I know that mindset is not the right one.  The mindset that came over me while running, like coming out of a fog, was the beauty of being outdoors, of the simple act of being able to use my body to move about this earth, to be able to breath in and out and to look about me at the sights, the rolling farm land, the cows, horses and sheep that stood in the fields watching me.

I realized I'd embraced the suck once again.  And it no longer sucks.  It is magic.   

Signed up for Another Marathon!

Dave and I will run the Erie Marathon on September 19th, near Lake Erie, Pennsylvania.  Woo hoo!! We are going to run with our good friend and his adult son.

But now we need to be able to get out and run.  I've been doing sets of 20 pushups here and there.  After two and a half sets a few days ago, my back was sore, so I "backed off" for a couple days.  I got on it again yesterday.

In the meantime, I am looking up recipes for carrot cake for my daughter-in-law.  We missed her birthday when we were in Iowa so I am going to make something nice.  We also missed our son's birthday.  He voted for carrot cake since he knows his wife likes it, but I know he'd like something chocolatey or cheesecakey so I will make something else fun on the lips for him.

By the way, this is the son who said, "You can't out run your fork."  Smiling.  

Ran 115 Minutes

We ran on Patrick AFB in Florida (near Melbourne) for a almost an hour and a half a couple days ago.  The running/cycling path we were on was cement (not good for feet, especially since I had my trail shoes on and had expected we would run on dirt) and along the water (good for view).  We didn't even realize how far we ran.

However, now my right foot feels like something is not right in there.  I don't know how to describe it except to say it feels a little broke, which, I know, doesn't make sense or I wouldn't be walking on it at all.  What I do know is that this has happened before, this same kind of pain in my foot, and Naproxen takes care of it, so it is something caused by inflammation, and set off by running on the hard surface rather than a dirt or limestone trail.

Suckaroo.

I am doing the 20 push ups a day now though.  I just did 20 and later today I will do another set of 20.

Did you hear that the women trying out for Ranger school have to do 49 push ups? I heard that on the radio the other day.  Hmmmm....Good goal for me to shoot for.

Up to 20 Pushups In One Set

Yes.  Going to increase that to 30 as an interim goal.  Wouldn't it be cool to get it up to 100?  And, did I tell you I am in my 50's?  Wish I'd known how to get into shape with push ups when I was active duty Army. I always suffered through them, barely passing. Except when in Airborne School - then I got pretty damn good at them.

Getting ready to go on 6 months, no sugar.

No More Pancakes

I've been sugar free in my diet for almost 6 months now, all except for the occasional pancake.  That was my only treat.  And I rarely ate them anyway, but since I cut out all other sugars which includes most any sweets, any processed foods made with sugars (almost all are), anything and everything except honey in tea now and then, and fresh fruits.

Well now I'm going to cut out pancakes.  They used to make me sick when I was a little girl.  Now they are starting to do that again.  It is almost immediate after eating them; my gut starts rolling.

I guess that is my body telling me to cut it out; pancakes are bad-for-me-food.

So, got it.  Getting on it.

Running & Hiking

We've gotten in a couple of runs lately and some short hikes.  Doing pushups every other day or so.

Another Run, More Pushups

This morning we went for the first run since before Christmas.  We left Maryland, and our children and grandchildren, our friends, in a hurry shortly after Christmas to go to Iowa where my sister was dying of stage 4 cancer.  I'd been taking care of her for 10 months, during the days, with the exception of a couple of breaks to return to Maryland.  But this time she was admitted to the hospice room in the local hospital and was quickly losing multiple abilities.

So we got back and took the night shift in the hospital.  It was ugly.  Stressful.  Awful.  We did 15-16 hour shifts.  We'd come around 5pm and leave 8am or 9 or later the next morning.  We did that, with a couple of breaks (other sisters spelling us) for almost a month. Even when we weren't at the hospital, I couldn't sleep most of the time.  We went for some hikes in the snow, but no running.  No pushups.

My sister died on Monday, January 19th.  Her funeral was that following Saturday.  Two days later, we left Iowa in our RV.

So now we are recovering from a very stressful 10 months or so, which culminated, of course, in the most stressful time of all, right before she died, as things got so, so ugly.  With the multi-trillion dollar medical establishment in this country, you'd think we could do dying of cancer a little better, but no.

Anyway, so today, we ran for the first time.  Maybe 40 or 50 minutes.  I'm not sure. I forgot to check my watch when we stopped.

And I've already done three sets of 10 pushups.

So rocking out here.

I'm coming back.

From Struggling to Success; Just Do It

Nothing like seeing my blog to get me started again.  I had gotten busy, and we've been traveling, and didn't get those pushups going like I said I would. What to do?

I just dropped and did 5 pushups.

I just dropped and did another 5 pushups.

And another 5.

And 10 pushups.

And 10 more.

OK. So I got that struggle thing changed to progress.

Yes.

Going towards the 100 Pushups Again

For the last three days now I've started back to pushups.  I've started each of the three days with the intention of doing 5 sets of 5 each.  So far I've only gotten to the third set.  Why?  My sister died and I have been a bit of an airhead.

But I am on my way to the 100 pushups goal again.  Stuttering start, but the point is that I keep starting.

I have the urge to go run the 16.2 mile bicycle loop around this small town.  I haven't run more than about 3-5 miles just a few times over the past couple of months, but hey, I always get it done.

Going on 5 months, no sugar!!

Yeah.  I can't say that it is hard. There is something about having decided NOT to do sugar that makes it easier for me.  I know the decision, and my ability to stick to it so doggedly, is tied to my sister's journey, dying of cancer.  When there is little you can control (I've been a caregiver to her for going on 10 months now), and you light on something you CAN control, it feels so empowering, in an otherwise powerless situation.

All the days spent at her house, there was virtually NOTHING healthy in her refrigerator or cupboards, ever, unless I brought it in.  Though her husband, a family practitioner no less, is the worst of the junk food junkies, she and her kids were close.  The youngest daughter was the only one who really feasted on fresh foods, though she had  sweet tooth as well.

And there were always tons of sweets, from cookies, cakes and other desserts that friends brought over, to the professional cookies and treats brought home by the youngest daughter who worked part time after high school at a bakery, to five or six different containers of ice cream, plus ice cream bars, etc.  It was crazy.  So much stuff got thrown away too, only because there was SO MUCH STUFF.

I need to get back on the pushups, and get some runs in, or more hikes.  Since we came back from Christmas early due to my sister taking a severe downturn with her battle, we've been pulling duty at the hospital hospice room (again full of sweets).  Each evening when we come in to get settled in my sister's room, I take plates of cookies left by friends and family in the adjoining family suite, TO THE NURSES STATION.  Yes, I know, they should be eating healthy too.  There is something about a night shift though, that makes them vulnerable to the sweets. But me, I've sworn them off and am so glad I did!  Otherwise I'd be up 20 pounds (especially since this has been over the holidays too) and climbing.

OK.  So I know better than to say I NEED to get back to pushups, et al.  That is a cop out.  I will DO 5 sets of pushups TODAY, and will carry that forward each day, back on the regimen.

Thank you for this blog that no one reads but me in my free association of thoughts on paper.  You help me get my head right.