Rob's Reboot

alligatorob said:
Can Cam run with you? I once had a neighbor who was a marathon runner, he had a greyhound to run with him. Said that most dogs can't run long distances.
Click to expand...

That's funny, Rob. Cam can keep up for about a mile and a half right now. I haven't tried to push her but I suspect I can get her to go a few miles eventually. I'm waiting on a hands free leash.

LaMaria said:
More Cam love. And about the healthy food: maybe you could plan to scour the internet for a healthy new recipe once a week and make it? Not everything will be great but over time your repertoire will expand.
Click to expand...

Sounds enticing. I was actually thinking about looking for more healthy meal delivery options for one or two nights a week. In the short-term it's more money but has some benefits including the variety but also ideas for later, freeing up time, less stress at a transitory time.

---------------

My sleep has been improving compared to last year but at a really slow rate. I average just over 6 hours. It used to be less than 5 a year ago.

Another aspect to healing and health change is the amount of time involved. I don't see that reality being discussed in popular advice and discussion very much. I signed up for the Fitbit premium subscription for free for 90 days. It's not a huge difference but they have guided health stuff that I'm checking out.
 
bensanon said:
Sounds enticing. I was actually thinking about looking for more healthy meal delivery options for one or two nights a week.
Click to expand...
You mean ready-made meals? Or one of those boxes that send you the measured-out ingredients (including spices) and a recipe and let you cook basically from scratch but with a lot of guidance? Those would definitely make a great chance and investment in cooking skills.
bensanon said:
Another aspect to healing and health change is the amount of time involved.
Click to expand...
Very true. Cooking from scratch needn´t take a LOT of time but it does take some. As does cleaning up the kitchen. And prepping a proper breakfast and lunch. Not to mention exercise. And if you´re getting an hour extra sleep a night as well (which is amazing!) that´s a whole chunk of your day that´s just... gone.
 
Got a new pair of running shoes I ordered online. Went for an 8 mile run and only made it 3.5 before the pain stopped me. I was on an out and back, so I had to walk the 3.5 miles with the pain. They were expensive shoes. :confused:

Calories in/out sum: -745
Macro %'s: 43-25-32
 
bensanon said:
My sleep has been improving compared to last year but at a really slow rate. I average just over 6 hours. It used to be less than 5 a year ago.
Click to expand...
That's really good. Good sleep is key to so much.

bensanon said:
Got a new pair of running shoes I ordered online. Went for an 8 mile run and only made it 3.5 before the pain stopped me. I was on an out and back, so I had to walk the 3.5 miles with the pain. They were expensive shoes. :confused:
Click to expand...
Was it the shoes? Blisters, from not fitting right, or maybe stiff from being new? I would expect new shoes to be too new to be comfortable at first - is this a women's shoes vs men's shoes thing?
 
Even when I get new sneakers I always have to build up my wear time slowly so don't give upon your new shoes just yet. Hope your back is ok again now.
 
LaMaria said:
Very true. Cooking from scratch needn´t take a LOT of time but it does take some. As does cleaning up the kitchen. And prepping a proper breakfast and lunch. Not to mention exercise. And if you´re getting an hour extra sleep a night as well (which is amazing!) that´s a whole chunk of your day that´s just... gone.
Click to expand...

It all adds up and then you account for the fact that I'm not skilled in the kitchen, it becomes a mental burden that I have to negotiate and I never get over a hump of proficiency and just live fighting it all the time.

Have to tell you about an idea I've been carrying around for awhile now... I'd like to put together a chart of all the things you're supposed to get done every day. All the things we're supposed to do to maintain a healthy, productive and whole life, both physically and emotionally. Things like get 8 hours of sleep, brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes, floss, read for at least 30 minutes a day, cook, clean, grocery shop, 20 minutes of stretching for this exercise or that, commute time, take the dog for a walk, call your mother, keep in touch with friends and on and on and on. (I don't even have kids.) That way, every time someone suggests something that will "just take 15 minutes" of my time, I can show them the chart and ask them what they think I should cut out so I can spend the time on the suggestion they're making. Maybe it would get people thinking and maybe the conversation could change to be more reflective of where the actual obstacles lie instead of everyone constantly throwing out more suggestions that just take more and more time, which if you don't do, you're perceived as lazy or not wanting it enough. Lol. Too much?? This is why money is so important. Money, so you can pay other people to do a lot of the work, is time and health and mental freedom.
 
Last edited:
bensanon said:
Maybe it would get people thinking and maybe the conversation could change to be more reflective of where the actual obstacles lie instead of everyone constantly throwing out more suggestions that just take more and more time, which if you don't do, you're perceived as lazy or not wanting it enough.
Click to expand...
I like that idea. I don´t have kids either and I´m a... minimalist housekeeper with a tiny apartment so I mostly have enough time for everything but when I work I also have to calculate time for "lying on the couch doing nothing" because if I don´t my mental health breaks down. And that´s kind of hard to explain to people. Someone who knows me may not understand it but will agree I´m not a lazy person. Someone who doesn´t know me will definitely assume I´m simply lazy. Completely agree that money (to get someone else to deep-clean your apartment, to order in healthy food, or even to go clothes-shopping for you if that´s something you hate) can be freedom.
 
aiminglow said:
Was it the shoes? Blisters, from not fitting right, or maybe stiff from being new? I would expect new shoes to be too new to be comfortable at first - is this a women's shoes vs men's shoes thing?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what the issue is honestly. I feel pain in my forefoot, especially on the lateral side. I have tailor's bunions and most of the pressure is there. I was thinking they're too narrow but now I think it's just the inside shape. I'm not sure if my feet will adjust but I'm trying. I've been wearing them when not running and they mostly feel fine. Same brand as my older pair, different model and a size larger, a full size larger than my feet measure. Partly why I got them is because I was developing black and thickened nails. Everything you wanted to know about. :)

I ran 8 miles today and walked Cam a couple. I'm having trouble eating enough so my deficit is not too large.
 
LaMaria said:
Even when I get new sneakers I always have to build up my wear time slowly so don't give upon your new shoes just yet. Hope your back is ok again now.
Click to expand...

My back's feeling a lot better lately. The spasming or whatever it was completely disappeared. It must've been the 3 days of rest. Amazing. I hope I learn from this lol.

Also, the reverse hypers are keeping the sciatic pain on the side of my knee in check, I can feel it a little more in my hip instead. I keep mentioning those but I'm blown away by how that's all it took. About a week of them and the pain started to subside.

Both things are giving me a different perspective on how rehab can work for me.

-------------------------------------

All good today. Run felt fantastic. Negative splits, just a smidge with each mile.

Calories in/out sum: -1000
Macro %'s: 43-24-33
 
Glad to hear you´re feeling better again! Awesome in general that you found an exercise that works so well for you. Did you wear your old shoes for this run or are the new ones broken in?
 
I wore my old shoes. They don't have enough cushion on the road. I used to run exclusively on the treadmill. My feet haven't adapted to the new ones yet.

------------

I'm a little worn down today because of the long run yesterday. I felt some pain in my lower back again. I'd like to run again today but I don't plan on going as far.
 
I hope you manage to have a day of comparative rest. Do you have any decent insoles to put in your old shoes for road running until you gradually wear in your new shoes, maybe on the treadmill sometimes?
 
Cate said:
I hope you manage to have a day of comparative rest. Do you have any decent insoles to put in your old shoes for road running until you gradually wear in your new shoes, maybe on the treadmill sometimes?
Click to expand...

Thanks, Cate. That's a great idea but I think the issue is they're too narrow in the forefoot area. This shoe problem snuck up on me. It's always something. It'd be great if I could go to the running store and just talk to them to figure out a good solution. They let you return or trade in for any reason for up to a couple months after you purchase even if you've run a lot on them.

-----------------

Oops, I did another long run, 8 miles with sun beating down, 32 degrees. It felt good but it was tough. My lower back muscle on the right is bothering me again. I think it's time to figure out the right exercise to do to get at it. It's got to be related to the bulging disc issue. Maybe it was pulled because it was overcompensating for the other side.

Food's going well. I'm not letting my deficits get too big. Days like today though are hard to estimate because I'm sure I'm burning more calories because of the heat and the sun. I had to eat more just to get to a reasonable deficit. Hopefully I'll figure out how to spread that out throughout the day on days when I run far.

Calories in/out sum: -923
Macro %'s: 41-29-30
 
I need such wide shoes but luckily G is the same shoe size & he ends up with the ones I can't wear. My shoes are usually men's or unisex.
It's good that you are not letting your food deficits get too big, Rob.
 
bensanon said:
Oops, I did another long run, 8 miles with sun beating down, 32 degrees. It felt good but it was tough. My lower back muscle on the right is bothering me again. I think it's time to figure out the right exercise to do to get at it. It's got to be related to the bulging disc issue. Maybe it was pulled because it was overcompensating for the other side.
Click to expand...
Or maybe it´s a tiny difference that´s getting exacerbated by too much loading and too little rest. I don´t know but it sounds possible given the "oops".
 
It could be to do with your bulging disc but it could also be that your muscles on the left and right aren´t exactly the same strength and level of tension/relaxation (nobody is perfectly symmetrical) so one side is working a tiny bit more than the other and when fatigue comes into the equation that side will start cramping up and throwing everything else off. Bulging discs don´t typically suddenly start to bulge more when you´re tired short-term (although any inflammation already present may increase, and the swelling could put more pressure on any structures that were already unhappy).
 
LaMaria said:
It could be to do with your bulging disc but it could also be that your muscles on the left and right aren´t exactly the same strength and level of tension/relaxation (nobody is perfectly symmetrical) so one side is working a tiny bit more than the other and when fatigue comes into the equation that side will start cramping up and throwing everything else off. Bulging discs don´t typically suddenly start to bulge more when you´re tired short-term (although any inflammation already present may increase, and the swelling could put more pressure on any structures that were already unhappy).
Click to expand...

I've seen several sources mention lower back muscle spasms as a symptom of disc rupture/bulging but what you're saying makes sense too. It came about when I was doing sprints on the treadmill a few weeks ago and hasn't let up with activity since. I haven't had issues before but I understand these small things can surface with the level of running I'm doing. Another symptom that I've heard about that can appear with disc issues, is cramping in your calves. My calves have been really prone to cramping, especially at night. If it is a difference in strength or tension, seems like an exercise to strengthen that area might go a long way. Bird-dogs or some variation seem like they'll help. I'm already working them.
 
I ran another 8 miles today. I was feeling really good and the weather was really nice. My lower back area is a little sore right now.

Food is going well. These deficits are piling up and now I'm feeling the loss. I get cold and angry easily.

Calories in/out sum: -808
Macro %'s: 42-28-30
 
Good to hear that your food is going well, and your exercise sounds amazing, as always.

What's the getting angry easy about? That doesn't sound good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top