What’s The Worst? Hole in The Gut + Zombie Tale

 

Okay… well not THE WORST but yesterday was the worst so far of all my runs.

I started around 6 p.m. and did the worst thing I could’ve done which was to go on an empty stomach! I made a decent spinach and kale omelet around 1p.m. with a cup of strong coffee and figured that would hold me until dinner when I got back. I was wrong! To make matters worse, I took an Advil because of my lingering toothache. (May be the reason I was  a little hesitant to eat.)

 

I felt fine on the way down and even went a bit further than the 1.85 mile mark at the Corporate Center. I went as far as Goodman’s Bay Beach and stopped just shy of the entrance because of the sharp, hollow pain in my abdomen. I even had a slight bit of nausea and figured, “well… I’m already half-way, may as well run it out AMAP (as much as possible for a solid workout.)”

I surprised myself and was able to run nearly the entire stretch from the building to straight around go-slow bend and then the beach strip. It was pretty tough trying to track progress while in such pain.

It only got worse after I got home. I thought I was going to die and was keeled over the bed groaning in pain. It literally felt as if there was a gaping hole in the pit of my belly! Thankfully hubby had mercy on me and made me a boiling cup of green tea and urged me to drink it as it steamed.

It worked! After about 15-minutes of lying down, I was able to say the pain was about 80% gone. Thank God! What was up with that? Now I see why older folk blame nearly every pain on gas! It went from the middle of my stomach and at one point, radiated all across my chest! The remedy of the old days, HOT TEA!

I really am starting to see changes in my body already. I had some black Nordstrom pants that were always pretty snug on me and gave me definite curves (all in the right places). Now, they look like I borrowed them from someone how loose they are! That’s great! What will be greater is to find stuff in the closet that aren’t either 2-3 sizes too big or 3 sizes too small!

I’ve been reading up on some of the problems that runners often face and am a tad bit concerned. So far I haven’t had the urinary problem but the gastro-intestinal issue was the first yesterday. I also notice that I spot whenever I run or do something really vigorous and then there’s the cracking joints. I’ve been cracking like Rice Krispies since I was a teenager and just came across the issue over at runnersworld.com.  It says, “Snap, crackle, pop? Crepitus, the medical term, happens when cartilage, the connective tissue between bones, starts to age, says James Wyrick, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. We all start life with quiet, smooth cartilage between our kneecaps and thigh bones, but over time, it becomes gray and old and doesn't regenerate; most people older than age 30 have some mild crepitus. Weak quads or a tight IT band can pull the kneecaps out of alignment and exacerbate the wear and tear.

Your knees pipe up when they bend past 30 degrees because the kneecap tracks into a groove in your femur—that is, cartilage-weak bone grinds into cartilage-weak bone. "The intensity of the pressure and the different contact points in the groove make the noise," says Dicharry.

Running Rx "Cracking knees may lead to problems down the line, like arthritis," says Dicharry. Minimize that chance by strengthening the muscles that control the hips and knees, and keep your lower half in alignment, such as clamshells for the hip; squats for the knees.”

That is horrifying for me because arthritis runs in my mom’s side of the family! I cannot muster yet ANOTHER excuse as to why I cannot run. I can! I will! I must! Thankfully there are exercises to strengthen those vulnerable areas but no amount of exercise will rebuild worn cartilage!

I also have the soreness issue afterwards. Taking two Advil has become somewhat of a habit after I get back but I don’t want to be dependent on pain-killers. I think ice is the way to go since it’s already close to 100 degrees.

I had a horrible night also. First off, I slept poorly and often have trouble getting to sleep in the first place, even after an exhausting workout. I think there’s always too much going on in my head. The only methods that seem to work for me are to try and meditate by focusing on my breath and staring into the ‘blackness’, counting flying people, (as if being blown by a giant fan. Sheep don’t work!), or some kind of intoxicant like Valerian tea or Unisom. None of these even work if I get pissed off or something right before bed. One night (about a month ago) I got mad at hubby and yanked my pillow to go sleep with the kids. That was THE MOST MISERABLE night of MY LIFE! I was wide awake until after 5a.m., dozed off for about an hour after the sun rose and was like a comatose zombie for the remainder of the day! Next time, it’s him who makes that move, NOT ME! I learned my lesson.