Quick Update

So I'm on Week 3 of the Couch to 5K.  To be honest, it is really hard to do it like the directions say.
I typically get in one or 2 extra cycles, because I want to run/walk 3 miles.  If the whole workout is 27 minutes and I'm going 46, it can't be that bad can it?  It probably is, but oh well.  I just feel like going to the gym or to a path to run needs a run that is longer than the drive to the place.  So oh well. Overall I feel strong.

Krankcycle has falling by the wayside.  Mostly I'm having some more health issues, and I'm having trouble going without anything less than 11 hours of sleep. And since I'm taking MARTA to work, that means I get up at 5:30am, and I get home at 5:30pm, so you can see how sleeping is running my life right now.  I did figure out that my gym bag has to be in the car in the morning.  Going home from the MARTA station is not an option.  I end up walking a dog and then going to bed.  D and I are still lifting though.  (And yes, I have gone to the doctors...).

So other than that we are pretty much getting on the fitness track.  We have gotten back in to the habit of sharing food when we go out, or eating before we go out.  I think 2 months of eating pretty healthy (just don't ask me about the beer), has become standard.  I could probably stand to put some more vegetables in the diet.  I can't really seem to let go of my granola bar addiction, but oh well.  But the Diet Coke (fountain) is a 7 a week thing, down from the high of 12 a day.  Water is up to 15 cups a day.  

Scuttlebutt still can't figure out STAY.  McMenamin is doing it pretty good, and sitting when I finally call him to me.  He knows walking with me is all about treats, which is very nice (he listens). Lompoc learned STAY by watching McM.  Scuttlebutt is just like, "I'm 6 years old.  I'm too old for this shit, now give me the damn treat."

Lompoc knows a treat is coming.  The other 2 are so serious.

Changing Things Up

So when I last left you, was kind of in limbo.

The rain finally stopped for 2 minutes and I was able to go outside and run with Scuttlebutt.  It took us 39 minutes to run 2 miles. Actually we walked more than we ran, because I started hurting.  I felt proud.  About 3 hours later I felt in pain. And I said, "No more."  I wanted a clear definition if I hurt because of the rain or because of my pelvis.

The next day (while it was raining), I called the doctor.    A couple days later, I went to see him.  The X-ray showed nothing.  Still he wasn't satisfied and sent me to get an MRI.  It was kind of whirlwind.  I saw him at 2:15 and by 5:30 I'm a couple of buildings over getting ready to go into a big machine.  I never had been in an MRI.  It really wasn't that bad, but if I were a PTSD victim, I could totally see going off in one of those.  There was a lot of banging and knocking.  The technician gave me a CD and sent me on my way.

Here's my X-ray. It's normal.  It's nice...I didn't have to take off my pants for it.
No, the doc didn't know I took a picture of it.  

A few days later, (and my coworker and I may have looked at the CD), the doctor and I read the MRI results.  No crack in the pelvis and nothing wrong with the muscles.  He said, "Go, run."  Actually he didn't say that, but I heard something like that.  He said to take Advil before every run, only run 3 times a week, start slowly, cross train, and lift weights.  So basically, I'm going to try to train differently than I always have...hopefully smarter.

So last Saturday armed with the knowledge of the first day/first week of the Couch to 5K, and filled with 4 Advil, I went to the gym and ran 2 miles.  I was supposed to go .5, but I got excited.  I ran 8 minutes total (not consecutively).   And I did it.  I didn't hurt.

I've also been able to take the dogs for walks.  I did Day 2 on Monday and no problems.  Tuesday was a bit of an issue.  I forgot my Advil.  We went to the gym to lift weights, but I was walking for 10 minutes.  2 minutes in, I had a lot of pain.  I told D I would wait in the car.  He said no, that he would come with me and we would just go home. I was pissed.  WTF?  I got in the car and looked at the weather.  It's supposed to rain tonight, and my leg/pelvis was letting me know yesterday.  So I'm still a little tentative on everything.  I didn't want to walk/exercise with the pain, not knowing what it was.  I probably could have, but it just didn't work out.  Such is life. Today I'm going to try Day 3 before the rain comes. And with Advil.

In other news I have finally given up driving 30 miles to work.  3-3.5 hours in the car a day is just too much, and unless I plan on getting to work at 4AM to leave at 2PM, it just wasn't working out for me, for D, for the dogs.   I finally figured out the MARTA bus system (I know how to use the train, but wasn't sure how the 2 worked in combo).  Today was the first day I tried.  So far so good.  Of course, I didn't plan on the 80 degree days in the afternoon to walk the whopping 0.2 miles (I kid) to the stop.  But we shall see.  It does seem to be a little freeing to not have to worry about gas and stuff during the day.  Hopefully this will become a regular occurrence.  Although, I will have to learn to wake up earlier, because getting ready for work in 15 minutes (shower included) doesn't seem to make me all that put together.  Oh well.

And it was the Boys' Birthdays yesterday. Here is a shot of them.  McMenamin (in the background) has been working on Stay for a few weeks.  Scuttlebutt (foreground) has too, but seems confused if I get more than a foot away.  He doesn't seem to grasp that Stay doesn't mean follow Mom.  Hopefully in 2-3 more weeks he'll get it.

Scuttlebutt (6) and McMenamin (5)