Life Past 30

Since running the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon, I have enjoyed eating what I want and even started eating red meat again.  I have found roast beef quite enjoyable, but still won’t eat it too often.  Besides that, I have consumed my favorite food, homemade french fries, countless times.  To be honest, I have not worked out much and have been enjoying life without daily training.  The extremely cold weather was one factor that kept me inside most of the time with the exception of going out with my family and going to work.

However, running has been on my mind every day and I have been creating a training plan that will be better than last year’s plan.  Of course, this year’s goal is to run the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon on October 25 at or under five hours.  I have completed a few small runs to assess my current level and now that the weather is mild enough to not cause extreme “lung burn”, I am ready for more training.  The past three months have been challenging in the fact that I have not been able to run as much as I wanted, but now that I’m completely healed, I will commence working toward my goal.

I am excited, but not nervous like I was last year because I know what to expect.  This year, my weaknesses will be obliterated and I will be 100% ready to take on the challenge of running 26.2 miles again.  Just writing about it is enough motivation!

For the past three days, I have been experiencing a nagging pain in the back of my right knee.  That is the knee I had surgery on 10 years ago and for some reason, the pain is exacerbated by sitting for long periods of time.  Another thing I have noticed, besides the pain, is some accompanying swelling.  This is more than likely the cause of the pain behind my knee.  Stretching and massaging the area mitigates the discomfort, but only temporarily.  I am quite sure this is the result of running the marathon, but I do not know why it is affecting me now.  It is almost like it was lying-in-wait until I was ready to start training again.  An ambush.  I am sitting here now and constantly shifting in my chair because movement while sitting helps a little. 

I understand perfectly that marathon running puts a lot of strain on the body and that the healing process can sometimes take longer than expected.  Up until three days ago, everything was feeling great and then this new pain showed itself.  I wish it would go back to where ever it came from.  Its presence is only telling me that I need to run a little and soon!  The only thing I can do between now and Thursday is continue to stretch the area and deal with the discomfort the best way I know how.  Did I mention that my knee issues get under my skin sometimes?   

I was supposed to run this weekend.  The trek I had planned was going to last for 20-30 minutes, just as a test.  This weekend was going to be “the” weekend for me to see where my body is in terms of healing and ability.  Unfortunately, I was not able to get around to it.  Since running the marathon, I have been feeling better with each passing week and now that I am ready for a short run, I have not had the time to do it.  This is where some frustration has been able to creep in.

When I was running on a regular basis, I felt and slept better.  My stress levels were lower than usual, even with the stuff I have going on every day.  Right now, I feel pretty good, but have noticed a slight increase in stress.  No, let me rephrase that.  I have noticed a slight increase in how I have been dealing with stress.  Lately, my patience has not been holding up as well as it did when I was running.  I am becoming easily irritated and do not like it.  Besides listening to my favorite music, running allows me to forget about everything.

It is interesting for me to note the changes I have been experiencing since running the marathon.  After being careful with walking and other daily activities, for the two weeks following the race, I began feeling a little withdrawn.  I am sure it was due to some hormonal changes that were taking place in my body as it fixed itself and adjusted to the strain I put it through on that day.  Now, I am feeling more like myself, but still needing to run.  With that said, I will use the Thanksgiving holiday to try my first run.  The two days off will give me a chance to assess my body and its limits.

For the past week or so, I have added a few extras to my usual meals.  I feel guilty, but I have not been able to stop myself.  Sure, I will start training again in December, but the “bad stuff” has been so delicious.  My usual diet consists of brown rice, lean turkey breast, lots of fish, some shrimp, tofu, pasta, potatoes, and dark green vegetables.  Spinach is my favorite and has completely replaced lettuce in my salads for the past two years.  You can imagine how angry I was when spinach was recalled a little while ago.  I was forced to eat Romaine lettuce instead, but at least it is dark green and has more nutrients than lettuce.

Now, back to my recent unhealthy munches.  I have been snacking on chocolate, chips, and even had a few brownies.  The funny thing is I enjoyed every bite, crunch, and chew while feeling horribly guilty at the same time.  Is that even possible?  Apparently it is and I have proof.  When I went to the grocery store tonight, I bought a box of brownies that contains 6 packs (12 brownies total) for a $1.39.  I convinced myself that I would not have one until tomorrow while at work.  Well, I can tell you THAT plan did not work out well.  I had one pack because the creamy texture of the brownies was just too much to resist at that moment.

I believe this latest snack attack is the result of me wanting to run and not being able to.  When I was training regularly, it was a rarity for me to crave any kind of junk food, but I would indulge in chocolate every now and then.  The healthy lunch of steamed green beans and cod I had today made me proud.  I did not even look at the french fries that were laid out in all their golden splendor.  As of now, the junk fest ends.

For the past two days, I have been on a roll with crocheting some small, wearable crocheted items.  The first one, completed on Wednesday, is a white scarf trimmed in yarn that alternates from off-white to black.  The second is a belt that can be worn with almost anything casual or business-related.  It seems my desire for crocheting has increased as the temperatures have dropped in the area.  It is obviously the result of me having to brave the brisk, cold winds of my commute.  This weekend shall bring to fruition a warm and fuzzy afghan.

The weather this morning was cold, yet mild because the wind gusts were mild.  Luckily, I have not been in pain, even with the cold temps and that is good thing.  Osteo Bi-Flex is proving to be a wonderful supplement.  As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, the happier I become because the time for regular training is also drawing near.  I will have four days off next week (!!) and plan on training and crocheting as much as possible.  I doubt I will overeat, but I will have a second helping of turkey.  I love those birds!  The road is calling me and my feet cannot wait to pound the pavement.  I feel great and look forward to loading lots of fresh air into my lungs.

Here are the pictures of what I made:

I must rescind the “Worst Morning” award given to yesterday’s morning rush hour.  THIS morning was the worst, but crocheting helped me deal with it.  As I progressed in making the scarf I plan on wearing out of here this evening, I stopped caring about the traffic and was happy to have the seat beside me remain empty all the way to the downtown area.  Not one person interrupted me while I crocheted and my ears were not assailed by the screaming of young children.  Don’t get me wrong, I love children, but I cannot tolerate uncontrolled outbursts and fits.  That is just one reason why I do not go to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  Overall, the bus was very quiet and that is always a great thing.   

I woke up in a great mood this morning because, for the first time in a long time, I was able to snag 9 hours of sleep last night.  I honestly cannot recall the last time I was able to do that.  I stayed away from the computer when I got home and was not tempted in the least to log on.  Feeling good as I write this post, my mind is racing with thoughts of running again.  December 1st will be here before I know it and the prospect of hitting the pavement and clearing my head is so welcoming.  I have been perusing a few sites that sell workout clothing and found a few items that will be perfect for running in the cold.  The shoes I wore during the marathon still have a lot of miles on them, but I plan on buying another pair soon.  With the number of miles I plan on running, the new shoes will come in handy.  Now, if only I could find a way to fast forward through the next couple of weeks. 

Normally, I am a very busy person who has a problem with sitting down too long.  The only time sitting for a while does not bother me is when I am blogging and surfing the net or crocheting a project.  My parents used to have to tell me to walk instead of running to get from one place to another.  In school, teachers used to tell me to slow down and that I moved too fast.  I could never understand why everyone was always telling me to move a little slower.  Now I know why.

Since running the marathon, I have been taking things one day at a time and not forcing myself to do more than I feel I can handle.  It is taking some time getting used to because used to doing something all the time, but at the same time, it is allowing me to be able to enjoy things more.  In past, distant and recent, I always placed time restrictions on almost everything I did, including getting ready to see a movie and going to dinner with my family.  To me, completing any task as quickly and efficiently as possible was my goal.  I understand why slowing down a little is so important.

I am taking a break and now learning to savor moments a little more and enjoy my life experiences without feeling weighed down by thoughts of what I have to do next.  Honestly, the slower pace I have been working on has eased some tension, however, I still have those urges to race to the next task.  Surely, with more practice, I will be able to master it, but who knows for how long.  That is a question that can be answered only with the passing of time.

You’ve heard it before.  It has been written and talked about in all forms of media over the years.  People who have sedentary jobs have been warned they are twice as likely to gain weight if they work in an office and remain seated for most of the day.  Snacking while sitting at your desk can also contribute to what I call ”Office Ass” because the gluteus is usually the first part of the body that starts to grow without exercise.  It kind of sneaks up on you until one day you put on your favorite pair of jeans find they’re a lot more snug than usual or cannot be zipped up.  Sitting at a desk all day never bothered me in my 20s because I exercised regularly, but after I had knee surgery, I was forced to slow down.  As I got closer to 30, I became more active when I noticed some weight gain.  At a former job, I used to work out at the gym during my lunch breaks or run around the business complex.  Now that I am in my 30s and know my metabolism will gradually slow down as I get older, I am fighting OA every chance I get.  When I’m at my desk, I perform leg lifts, then I get up to do lunges and squats and walk around the building at least twice a day at a fast pace.  My profession requires me to be at my desk for hours, but that does not mean I have to succumb to OA.  If you have a desk job, don’t fall victim to OA, just fight it. 

I thought this morning would be a normal beginning to a work day.  As usual, I showered, got dressed, fixed my hair, and worked out the budget for breakfast and lunch.  I use public transportation because it is easier than driving.  Tooling around in a car in Washington, DC during morning rush hour traffic is not my idea of fun, so I choose to use the bus.  This allows me to think, read, or crochet during my trek to work.  As I was walking up the street to get to the bus stop, I saw my bus approaching the stop quickly, so I did what is normal and sprinted.  This was the first time I ran since running the Marine Corps Marathon and it felt weird, but I did it.  I made it to the bus, got on, paid my fare and sat down for what would be a 20-30 minute ride.  When I got up to debark the bus at my stop, I did not expect to feel some not-so-nice pain in my feet and ankles.  I got off the bus and had to walk slowly for the first five minutes just to help my feet feel normal again.  I am now convinced that the little sprint to the bus was the cause of the pain.  I will continue to walk like I have been and try not to sprint for anymore buses any time soon.

For those who don’t already know, I completed the 26.2 mile Marine Corps Marathon on October 26, 2008.  Immediately following the finish, I was in pain and ate everything I could to help speed up muscle recovery.  Since then, I have been taking it easy, walking a lot, and watching my diet.  All this aided in helping me become pain-free by Halloween.  Up until yesterday, I was feeling wonderful and decided to go for an evening walk after work.  The pace was normal for me, which is fast, however, I began feeling a little pain in the back of my right knee.  This is the knee I had surgery on 10 years ago.  Luckily, it was not pain associated with an injury, but rather of fluid build up.  I slowed my pace to isolate the exact origin of the pain, soon realizing that the back of the knee was slightly swollen.  When I got home, I immediately began massaging the area and then propped my feet up on a pillow.  From that point on, I relaxed until it was time to go to bed.  The last thing I want is an injury and will take extra care when walking to prevent one.  The walking will continue at a slightly slower pace than my usual until whatever is irritated in my knee heals itself.  When I start training again in three weeks, it will be slow and methodical, yet beneficial.