13 Miles

Day 31.

The theme songs of running can be diverse. Today, while I didn’t make it three miles and not close to the scheduled running amount for the day, I was singing songs that weren’t on my iPod.

Oh, James Brown, I feel good alright.

I can’t think of a song that explains the effects of stretching your hamstrings, but if there was one, I’d like to listen to it. My hammies are tighter than a rubberband around … say, my gut. But I’m working on it.

I paid special attention to my knee killers today. I stretched the hammies before leaving, after running about half a mile, then again after another half. Then again when I got home. I ran about two miles and walked about a 3/4 mile total. I stretched some other spots, but I was concentrating on the hamstrings.

However, I was running on empty and barely breathing by the time I was ready to walk the line back home again.

And who says you can’t go home and ice, ice baby those cheatin’ knees.

By the way, I also wish the Beatles would have sang “It’s Better Under Pretty Rubies Or Fake Emeralds Now,” instead of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” That would better explain the way I helped start me up.

Have a beautiful day.

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Day 30.

Those five pounds I was happy about yesterday? I think I got ‘em back last night at the ethnic festival downtown.

Enchallada meal + Melissa’s left over BBQ pork sandwich + popcorn at the Grand = More time exercising.

But it was fun, as was biking to work this morning. I’m thinking for tomorrow’s big workout I will do a walk/run along the trail early in the morning.

I hope everyone is getting ready for the half-marathon. My co-worker Joleen Robinson is running in a five-mile race today in Wolbach. I’m hoping to get into a race sometime this summer before the Bill Seymour. We’ll see.

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Day 29.

It is supposed to be a rest day, but we skipped Wednesday, so that became the rest day. I did the same routine as yesterday — bike to Central Catholic, mile around the track, bike home. The right knee was starting to cry like a baby, but I told it wait until I was here, writing the blog, to complain. It usually gets its chance to sing a sad song during this time, as you readers are aware of.

However, this is becoming a happy story. I am running again. While I’ve taken a step back in my running amounts, I am running. And losing weight, which is good.

Because Fridays are still weigh in days. Get this: I lost again. The first week I lost five pounds. The next week one pound. Then four pounds. This week: five more pounds. That’s 15 pounds in 29 days. A month. I love running, biking, exercising and dieting.

Melissa also had a success. She lost a pound this week.

NOTE TO RUNNERS: The paper’s page schedule is changing next week, so the yourHEALTH page is not running Monday anymore, it will run Friday. I will post the running schedule in a blog here so you know what is on tap for the next week. Remember, Monday will be a stretch and strengthen day.

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Day 28.

Grass day. Running day. I’m not Catholic. Three things on my mind today.

Thursday is the day when they come and empty my grass bin. I have to take it to the road. I remember to do this about once a month. So when I mow, I end up jumping up and down on a square board packing grass clippings into the bin. I feel like Michael J. Fox ‘van surfing’ as the “Teen Wolf” in the 80s movie. “Surfing U.S.A.” fills my mind. Then I have to get out, usually with nasty smelling grass from three weeks ago stuck to my legs. So after the surf, it’s not as cool.

That’s why I try to remember the grass day. And that’s today. Usually, Wednesday morning I walk by the bin and remind myself. Last night, at dinner, Melissa reminded me. And, as I was reading in bed, I remembered I forgot. But I was in bed, and thought, I’ll just get it when I go for my run tomorrow. A good plan, since I was getting up at the time they come anyway. And, I wouldn’t have to get out of bed.

Bad idea. When I have something weighing on my mind, I tend to think about it a lot instead of sleeping. I woke up about fifteen times last night. Each time checking the clock to be sure I didn’t miss the grass pick-up.

At 4:15 I finally got out of bed and took it out. I got back in bed satisfied, and tried to get to sleep by the time the alarm would go off at 5. I didn’t. But … I did AFTER the alarm went off. Then I slept soundly until 6. So I was late on my first day back to running.

Because today is running day.

I decided to bike to a track that was suggested, then run a mile or so, then bike back home. Running late, I nearly forgot to fix the bike seat. Did some heavy biking for ten minutes, and got to the track to run. I ran two laps, then walked half a lap and ran another lap and a half. So I did just under a mile of running. Then I biked home to get there in time to get ready for work.

I was running on a nice track. But I felt guilty. I was at Central Catholic. I’m not Catholic. Is that OK? I did no sinning the track, I just tried to be a good person. It made running nice, like the doctor said it would. Much better surface. I like that.

Heavenly.

I’ll try again tomorrow, unless told to go to mass first.

(By the way, the title is supposed to be sung in the tune of ‘Me and My Bobby McGee.’ It’s obscure. Thought I better explain. I listened to the song on the way to work, tried to sing along, only to mumble horribly and get told by my sons to stop singing.)

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Day 27.

A visit to the doctor was filled with information.

Dr. Cohoy informed me, after looking at my X-rays, that I can still run. And I can still train. And I can likely run the half-marathon August 30.

So I’m going to.

Turns out, my knees aren’t what are causing my knees to hurt. It’s my hamstrings. I need to stretch better. Something about the knee cap grinding into the knee joint, inflamation, heat … a few medical terms I won’t try to remember. He suggested I do some physical therapy.

I celebrated by sleeping in this morning. Not by choice. I’ll make it up.

Because I can start ignoring my body and run again.

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Day 26.

I’m not a big fan of motorcycles, but my parents and my brother are “Harley people.” And that’s fine.

A few years ago, when my dad went on one of his first long trips on his bike, he broke down in the pouring rain. Did he learn his lesson about riding with a chance of a storm?

Nope. That’s what rain gear is for. Now my mom is fine with rain gear.

I agree with you, Mr. and Mrs. Regular 13 Miles Blog Reader. Cars. They have built in rain gear … it’s called a roof.

But …

I didn’t ride my bicycle Sunday after the big day Saturday. Melissa strictly enforced the Monday stretch and strengthen day yesterday. So today was finally a day to get back on the killer bike seat and ride.

But it was raining. And I don’t have rain gear.

And I didn’t think driving my car for five miles would have the same effect. So there goes my logic.

I threw on my Gilligan bell hat, jumped on the bike and hit the trail.

It wasn’t pouring down rain; just a light drizzle. But I was getting wet while getting exercise.

So, what I’m saying is … I don’t know the point today. I just told the story. Maybe that rain gear on a motorcycle going 60 miles an hour isn’t the same as rain gear on a bicycle at 12 miles an hour. Or something.

KNEE UPDATE: Not Danny Nee. Remember him? Anyway. I’m going to the doctor today. I plan to leave there ready to run. He’s going to wave a magic wand over my knee and say ‘abracadabra, jum jap kagan, Mr. Sheard you can run again!’ And I’ll be back running. That’s what doctors do, right?

Right?

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Day 25.

How do I know she’s hooked? Oh, I know.

I told Melissa last night that I was going to go for a short ride this morning, instead of a stretch and strengthen day. She said no.

See, she needs me to stick to my plan. Not so much for me, or for my plan.

We’ve got the schedule so we’re out of the house on opposite days. So if I was on a ride today, she wouldn’t be able to go for her walk.

She’d have none of that.

So I was informed I would be doing a stretch and strengthen day. And SHE would go for the walk.

I didn’t even ask if she was tired or sore from Saturday’s half-half-marathon walk. I’m not sure her legs can feel anything but the burn … the sun burn.

But she’s hooked. Oh, yes. She’s hooked.

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Day 24.

Today will be the day of rest. I’ll mow the lawn here in a few minutes, then rest after that. After yesterday, I think I’ll rest.

After the 8-mile bike ride yesterday, I planned to mow. But the kids are at the grandparents house for the weekend, and when Melissa woke up we tried to decide what we could do that we don’t get to do when the kids are around.

We were stumped.

I started looking in the place I know to look: The Independent.

A few festivals peaked our interest. Some garage sales. So stores were having sales. We don’t need a new couch or fridge, but the deal at Slumberlands/Ken’s Appliance was an idea.

Then I saw the ad that would change our day: Dairy Queen had chicken strip baskets advertised in the paper for $3.99. Melissa has a liking of those.

“Here’s the deal,” I told her. “We’ll go to Dairy Queen for lunch, then go see ‘Sex in the City’ at the Island Twin.”

“Sounds good,” she said.

“Here’s the thing: We’re going to walk.”

“Are you crazy?!?”

“A little, but it’s something we could never do with the kids.”

“It’s like five miles each way!”

“Nah, it’s more like two and a half. And there’s ice cream at the end.”

Turns out, it’s exactly 3.75 miles the route we took. And we didn’t make it in time to see the one o’clock showing of the movie. We made it to DQ, ate our chicken strips, and passed on the ice cream. On the way back, we hit the Slumberland/Ken’s Appliance sale - WOW! And we stopped at the mall to shop for more athletic clothing for Melissa.

It was about a half mile from home that we realized we maybe went a half mile to far. Legs were tired, muscles were sore, feet were screaming obsentities. But we made it, all 7.65 miles, according to Melissa’s pedometer.

We realized a few things:

1. Sunscreen would have saved Melissa’s arms, legs and neck from torture today.

2. The thing about the half mile.

3. It’s a good thing we didn’t go to the one o’clock show, we were quite sweaty and the movie ended up being about three days long.

4. We most definately could not have done that with the boys.

5. It was a fantastic day.

And I’m resting today. As tired as I was, Melissa made a good point: 8 miles on the bike, another 7.5 walking … that’s more than 13.1 miles. All in one day.

No running, but my knee feels fine.

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Day 23.

I must have forgot to check the schedule. It’s a light day.

I did a full workout. Well, a full workout for me. I took about an 8 or 9 mile bike ride through Grand Island for 45 minutes. I made a big square.

And I realized something odd.

Distances in cars, are actually farther than on bikes or on foot. Let me explain.

For three years I’ve taken my son Calvin to daycare at Grow, Learn and Play up by Howard School. I’ve always thought this was out of the way and way on the other side of town. Five Points is a city away from my area by Gates School. Grace Abbott Park is another county.

That’s by car. At 7:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

Not by bike at 7:45 a.m.

It’s funny, because Grand Island is, aside from my four years in Kearney at UNK, the smallest town I’ve ever lived in. Indianapolis, Lincoln, South Bend, Ind., Waterloo, Iowa … they are all cities where driving across town is of some distance.

Grand Island is a bike ride away. But when in a car … “we’re going all the way to Grace Abbott for tonight’s ball game … better leave plenty early.”

Maybe it’s the traffic we wait in or the trains we’re forced to pause for. Maybe we have no patience when we have to get somewhere. Heck, I thought as I passed by St. Francis this morning, “I’m really getting somewhere now” only to realize I’d been biking for about five or six minutes. That’s about how far it is in a car — longer if there’s a train. I had to go all over town to think I’d gotten a workout.

Jumping on the bike and circling town makes you realize how small and cozy Grand Island is. But also how diverse, compelling and wonderful it is at the same time. I passed a few dozen garage sales getting started up, a kid who asked me to buy tacos (at 8 a.m.?) and many, many others who were on the trail, walking the sidewalks or otherwise enjoying the beautiful morning.

Maybe they were thinking, too, how nice our little town is. Even from way on the other side of it.

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Day 22.

It is another day of rest.

Which, of course, means I weigh in today.

I must tell you, in case I have not yet, that this impressive exercise kick has not stood alone. I’ve significantly changed my diet.

No more pop — including Cherry Limeades. No more 1,000 calorie snacks. No more second helpings. OK, some second helpings.

Lunches have been replaced by vegetables, plain sandwiches and salads. Portion sizes are smaller. I’m now trying to eat fruit for breakfast … instead of skipping breakfast.

I’ve also cut out brownies, cake, cookies, candy and all the other temptations sitting in, on or around my refridgerator at home or desk at work.

Has it paid off? I lost 5 pounds in week one. One pound in week two. And week three? A week in which I switched from running to biking?

Four more pounds lost! That’s 10!

I explained to Melissa this means I’ll have lost the thirty pounds I set out to lose in six more weeks. She didn’t think it worked that way, so we’ll see. But mathematically, 10 pounds in three weeks equals 30 pounds in nine weeks.

She says men can lose ten pounds by saying they’re on a diet. Well, I’m going on two more diets then.

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