Recovery at One Year: A Part-time Runner

It's been one year since I found myself in an ambulance, speeding down the interstate, on the way to St. Cloud Hospital for emergency life-saving surgery due to a heart attack.

One year.

Image source: http://soundreason.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/1-year-12-months2.jpg

That year has been spent well, I think. I've followed doctors' orders, I've made tweaks to my diet (really eliminating saturated fats and especially animal fats), stayed consistent with exercise, and tried hard to adapt to my cocktail of medications.

Overall, I'm just damn glad to be around to complain about all of the above!

One of the bigger changes in my life I suppose is that I'm really just a part-time runner now. I spent so many years - decades actually - running nearly every day. I was never quite able to be one of those so-called "streakers" (people who literally run every single day for years and years), usually due to some illness or injury or more-important life event. I did once have a streak of 1805 consecutive days running (that's 4 years, 11 months and 9 days - for those who are counting). That streak came to a stop because of a bad case of the flu that put me in bed for a few days. During that streak, I ran 15,372 miles for an average of 8.5 miles per day. Seems impossible to me now! Last thing about that streak: it was a rather long time ago, ending in 1986, the last year (I think, but correct me if I'm wrong) that gas prices in the US dipped below $1 per gallon. Ah, yes, 1986.

Fast forward to today: By part-time runner, I mean that I'm able to run a bit, but just not every day - and not by a long shot. I get too sore, I get too tired. Typically, I can get out 2 or 3 times in any given week. I am able to go 6-8 miles each time, so I'm not a non-runner by that measure. My other days are focused on cycling or sweating it out on the elliptical. I have been able to exercise almost every day so far in 2015, hopefully that will continue.

But I confess that I do miss running every day. It had a kind of consistent rhythm that grounded me in so many ways. Somehow alternative exercises just don't quite hit the same notes for me, psychologically.

But you know what? I'll take it!

At least I can still get out there and put in a few miles. And deep in my heart I'm not giving up just yet. Perhaps modern medicine will find ways to keep my cardiac issues at bay and allow me to slowly rebuild without all of the side effects holding me back. Time will tell. Hey, maybe arterial plaque-eating nanobots!

Image source: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/f3cKZ4YVXQg/hqdefault.jpg

Lesson: Never take for granted your days of running. Revel in the feeling, appreciate the opportunity you have to be completely alive and testing yourself physically in such a natural way. Every run is a kind of mini-miracle, try not to forget that.

Is Hibernation an Option?

It's winter in Minnesota. That sounds rather mundane, I suppose. But in Minnesota winter should always be written as WINTER, or perhaps WINTER-IN-YER-FACE.

Must. Find. Front. Door.

Earlier this week, I returned from a short family vacation in southern Florida. I took off from Fort Lauderdale, mildly sweaty in the 82 degree Fahrenheit temperature. I stepped out of the airport terminal in Minneapolis about 4 hours later into 15 degrees below zero F - for those of you who are counting, that's 97 degrees colder. 97. Did I mention NINETY-SEVEN?!

I did a couple of short runs in Florida, but I'm keeping my running miles to a bare minimum right now. That's partly because my left hip is continuing to bother me (I'm sure it's my old friend piriformis syndrome, but that's worth another post on another day). And partly because, well, it's WINTER-IN-YER-FACE in Minnesota. I heard on the radio today that people were ecstatic because the temperatures would be above zero today. Ecstatic + above zero should probably not occur in the same sentence.

So, I keep wondering if hibernation might actually be an option.

Zzzzzzzz

Or perhaps technology can offer a solution, so that our winter training program looks something like this:

Minnesota Runners Ideal Winter Training Regimen

How do you cope with cold weather running? I'm usually not that intimidated by cold snaps, but when the temps are below zero for weeks-on-end, I slowly lose motivation. Thank goodness I've got one of these torture devices in the basement. My cat looks at me funny when I'm whirling away on the thing, but it keeps me in shape (and possibly gives her something to cat-laugh about).

No, that's not really me, but that IS really my cat. She's convinced that I'm a complete idiot. 

Here are a few tips for running outdoors in the "polar vortex" winter weather:

1. Layers. This is old advice, but it's truly effective. Wicking layers against your skin, wind-stopping layers on the outside. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on fancy stuff, but you do need to avoid cotton at all costs. And get some nylon shell mittens to put on over your running gloves.

2. Screw shoes. Don't read that incorrectly, it means "put hex head sheet metal screws into the soles of your running shoes". These really, really work. I ran a winter trail race once that was just sheer ice, and I beat at least a dozen younger, faster runners who were simply sliding all over the place. All I did was chug along with my screw shoes providing a firm grip. Here's an good post about how to do screw shoes.


3. Petroleum jelly. I lather this stuff on my lips, nostrils, eye lashes, eye lids, and any exposed skin. It protects against cold and wind burn, and it prevents your eyelashes from freezing together when you blink. Yes, that happens. Did I mention WINTER-IN-YER-FACE?

4. Lights. Winter running often means running in the dark. A headlamp is a must. I like the Petzl Tikka - fairly light, durable, and bright enough. I combine mine with rechargeable batteries and I'm good to go all winter long.

You probably have your own advice to share, go ahead and comment below. Good luck out there, stay warm and stay safe.

Is It Really October Already?

Whoa, 2013, slow down a bit please! Can't believe how fast this year has sprinted along. Does it seem that way to you, too? I feel like I barely have time to catch my breath, and never seem to find a moment to write anything coherent on this blog. I smell a 2014 New Year's Resolution brewing ...

Halloween is nearly upon us, and the racing season - at least here in the northern plains - is winding down. Oh, sure, we've got a smattering of Turkey Trots and Christmas Jogs on the calendar, but trail racing is just about done for the year and that's where I find the most pleasure and satisfaction.

I will be racing at the Great Pumpkin Chase 10k this coming weekend. It's the final race in the 2013 UMTR Trail Race Grand Prix Series. I've really enjoyed the races in this series over the past year, and - unlike last year - managed to stay uninjured and thus hang in there consistently enough to take home the top prize in my age group AND OVERALL. Have to be happy with that! There is a potluck gathering a awards ceremony coming up next month (Potluck! You've got to love the Midwest sometimes).

On staying injury-free: Really, I'm just talking about major break downs, because I've had my share of sore spots and nagging little stuff, like ITB tightness, piriformis twitches, and an intermittent odd pain in my left ankle. Still, I've managed to run at least a few times every week for most of the year. The rest of the days I'm either cycling pretty hard or whirling around on my elliptical in the basement, nose pressed into Netflix on the iPad. I'm going to go on record to say that the elliptical was a good purchase for me as an "older runner". Even though I much prefer being outside (regardless of the elements), the ability to eliminate most of the injury-inducing impact of gravity while still getting a quality and similar-motion-to-running workout has been really valuable. And thank goodness for lots of (mostly old and bad, but what the heck) Sci Fi stuff on Netflix! I've found that I can do a pretty good set of intervals by finding old shows/films with plenty of chase scenes, just a tip. Oh, and comedies are no good for me - I can't workout and laugh at the same time!

I hope you are prepared for winter, and plan to stay fit and active regardless of the season. I'll be back at some point with a complete recap of 2013 and look ahead to 2014. Keep running!