Life Without Running

Well since my running has been non-existent, I’ll switch it up and use my strength training as a blog post.
Yesterday was arm day and as a change of pace I decided to superset biceps and triceps.
I started with a few warm-up sets of curls and extensions. Isn’t this stuff riveting?

Needless to say I kept most of the weights lighter than normal to ensure finishing the higher rep sets.

I know it’s not like telling someone how fast you ran mile three and what the terrain was like when you hit mile six.
Or how far you have to run to get in your daily recommended mileage for an upcoming race.
I have a doctor’s appointment on Monday and I’m going to ask how soon before I can run. Whatever the doctor tells me, I’m going to subtract two weeks. That’s how desperate I am to run. This is what a junkie must feel like without their drugs.
My fantasy Biggest Loser team is lingering at the bottom. I thought Bryan and Phil (I think that’s who I have) would do great but they’re only getting small numbers. I have to come up with a better strategy for picking my team.
I’m also trying to find some Cool-fit type shirts for our Downtown Running group and I’m not having any luck. Has anyone ordered T-shirts for a group before?
Okay, time to go push some more iron around!
Lastly, the Green Bay Packers are 3 – 0, Go Pack!

Mo' Stuff

Well I’m finally able to go up and down steps without any discomfort and most of the swelling has subsided. I can actually get a knee brace on without cutting off my circulation.

One thing that has occurred a couple of times for no apparent reason to me is my kneecap makes a slight shift that causes some pain. Now this never happened prior to the surgery, so I’m wondering if this is the healing process or what?

Since they did go in and smooth out that area, maybe they took too much off?

Sandy got her winter assignment for TNT and she’ll be going to Disney for the half and full marathons. So anyone go to be Goofy that weekend other than her?

The days are getting shorted and I am getting antsy to start doing some type of cardio exercise. I have people asking me why I’m spending so much time in the weight room. Well it’s either that or the cafeteria!

I am officially a fantasy league bust.

The new television season has started and I only have a few shows that I watch but NBC has raised the bar somewhat. I watched Journeyman and it had a pretty interesting premise. Let’s see if they can maintain the storyline. I’m sure that once I get hooked they’ll move it to another night and time.

It's Planning Time

Well my little time away from TNT is almost over. I just received my request to create the training schedules for the 2008 Country Music Marathon and the BMO Vancouver Marathon. Where did the time go?
It’s truly out of character for me to be planning what I going to be doing on Sunday May the 4th in the upcoming year! But that’s Marathon Sunday in Vancouver.
I’m not even sure of what I’m going to have for dinner tonight and now I have to schedule fifteen upcoming Saturdays in my calendar for group runs. I’m already looking at Memorial Day weekend for 2008, I need to ask for some vacation time.
Wasn’t Memorial Day just a few weeks ago?
I guess I should be glad that I’m on the inured reserve list and have the time to plan so far in advance.
Haven’t checked my Fantasy Biggest Loser yet but it has to be better than my fantasy football teams.

I Must be Taking Crazy Pills

How do people not go outside? I hobbled out for a few minutes just to enjoy the warm temps of the day. I miss running and it’s only been a few days.
What is the world coming to, O.J. is in jail and I’m not running. Now is this guy that stupid?
I spent all day Sunday watching football to the point where I was tired of it.
I have to get the swelling down on my knee just so I can drive without any problems. I’m taking an additional day off from work to ensure that I don’t do anything stupid that will hamper me from recovering. Of course it’s another beautiful day in Michigan and I have to sit and watch everyone else enjoy it. Is it just me or when you’re sick or unable to do anything, the world is full of options and everyone is super busy.
Has anyone out there had their knee scoped and came back better than ever?
I’m looking for any type of encouragement that I can get.

Ouchy

Ouch, ouch, ouch! Okay the drugs have worn off and now I feel like someone stabbed me in my knee.
Oh that’s right, someone did.
I was feeling really good yesterday, although I kept falling asleep wherever I was.
The doctor said the surgery went well and it was just a matter of cleaning out the area.
He mentioned that most of what he did was due to arthritis and some floating particles.
I have to keep my leg wrapped for 48 hours then I can see the damage.
I plan on being a really good patient and doing whatever they tell me to do.
I have the Vicodin out just in case.
I’m doing laps around the dining room table to stay in top conditioning for the half-marathon.
Okay, time for another nap.

Who Needs Running?

I called the surgery center to check and see what number I was in the surgery service line. I am numero one, I have to be there at 6:15 AM in the morning!
Don’t they realize that I’m taking the day off work?
It’s amazing the stories that people have when they finds out that you’re having surgery. Fortunately for me I haven’t heard any nightmares, yet!
People have asked if I’m going to have the event filmed and if I would take the movie home for later entertaining evenings with popcorn.
I’m just concerned if I’ll be able to attend a pub-crawl that is scheduled for Saturday evening. Priorities people, you have to keep them.
I’m sure that I can put my running shoes away for a few weeks so, I’m becoming a weight lifter, body building, and steroid-taking gym rat.
Since I’ll be on the IR (injury reserved) I’m going to dedicate all of my efforts in the weight room.
Okay not all of them, but I have to do something while I rehab.
Of course the weather is just beginning to turn into perfect running weather! The morning temps are in the fifties and the evenings even better.
But do I care, Nooooooooooo, because I’ll be pumping iron and looking at myself in the mirrors at the gym.
On a different note, I’ve made my two selections for my Fantasy Biggest Loser team. I’ve selected David, the ex-football player. I think he should have the mindset to get through a lot of the crap. My other selection is Lezlye, she’s a survivor of Hurricane Katrina (nuff said).
So far Bryan has lost 15 pounds in the first week, which puts me in fourth place tied with a few others.

We made it through another September 11th without any terrorist attacks or significant issues. There was a ceremony in the park downtown where police and firemen honored their fallen heroes. Someone sent me an email showing photos from that fateful day and it brought back memories of where I was and what was running through my mind at the time.
Our Tuesday running group met and no one even mentioned the World Trade Center or anything associated with 9/11.

Have we forgotten or are we trying to forget?

Are you Ready for some Football?

It was a non-running weekend for me. I just couldn’t get motivated to run any distance knowing that I’ll be rehabbing in a few days. I can honestly say that missing days of running is getting too easy. I have to get out of this funk!
I was able to log a few miles on the bike, so it wasn’t a total couch potato weekend. I’ll probably put the bike on the trainer and begin my winter basement training. I plan on actually riding through an entire Spinerval DVD this winter, no matter how bored I get!
Sandy and her team came in 102nd place in the 100k Dances with Dirt Relay in Hell, Michigan. She took a couple of face plants but everyone survived. It took them just over ten hours, which makes for a long day.
On Sunday we attended the Sex Ferry bike ride, which took the place of the normal running Hash. Due to potential rain we cut it short and only rode on four ferries. Overall we completed about 34 miles and a few beers.
The Green Bay Packers won their season opener against Philadelphia, which was pleasantly unexpected but a win is a win.
The University of Michigan lost another game, could they go an entire season without a win? Will Lloyd Carr retire after this season?
Football as we know it is topsy-turvy, even the Lions won.

Fantasy World

Now I know that I have way too much time on my hands!

I just signed up for a Fantasy Biggest Loser League.

That’s right, from the television show ‘The Biggest Loser’.

I found it on ‘Note to Self’ blog and since I’m a fan of the show, what the heck.

I chose Bryan for my number one draft pick, you have to pick the first team member blindly.

Our league is still forming so feel free to peruse and see what you think. You have until the actual show premieres on Tuesday to enter.

So now I’m in three fantasy football leagues and now a fantasy loser league!

Now see boys and girls, this is what happens when you stop running on a regular basis.

I could have gone the route of cigarettes and alcohol but I hope to eventually be back on the roads logging miles.

One week from today I’ll have my knee scoped and hopefully sending out an encouraging post.

It Came from Vegas

They lied about things staying in Vegas!

I brought back a summer cold that is kicking my a$$!

I’m sure it was handling strange dice or maybe the cards at the Blackjack table.

I thought that I was consuming enough alcohol to kill almost any germ.

Now I’m taking cold medication at night that helps me sleep but I wake with medicine head. So I spend the first half of the day in a fog at work, boy have I been productive.

Just eight more days until my surgery and I’m beginning to think it was well overdo. I’m getting knee pain from doing absolutely nothing!

I can be standing and it just starts to hurt.

Maybe it’s just mental, where the brain is sending out pain signals.

People are asking how long I’ll be out of work or if they’ll put it in a cast?

I’m just hoping to be able to run in October.

It's Five o'clock Somewhere...

Money you take to Vegas stays in Vegas!

Sandy and I had a great time in Vegas for the nuptials of Tim & Kathy Emmett.

I can’t believe that the high temps were above 105º each day we were there.
I know, “it’s a dry heat”. Well dry heat or not, it was hot. Sandy ran each morning while I nursed a weekend long hangover.

Why is it we feel obligated to take that free beer from the waitress?

Or my other favorite, ..”It’s five o’clock somewhere”.

Even though I didn’t run, we walked the entire length of the Strip several times each day.

We stayed at the old Aladdin, which is not the Planet Hollywood Resort. I guess it was better to rename an existing hotel rather than demolish and build a new on.

That being said, they’re still building bigger and more elaborate hotels on and off the strip and with whose money?

Alas, we had to leave Vegas and return to the Winter Wonderland. Now when the travel plans were originally shown to me the red-eye looked like a good idea. We would be able to stay in Vegas another day and not pay for the hotel room.

Okay, I was soooo wrong, I hated flying back in the middle of the night, it sucked.

We even had exit row seats!

Sleeping on the plane was impossible for me and I paid the price on Monday.

I walked around the entire day like a zombie…..

Now it’s time to get back to work and send those kids to school!