Category: RUNNING STREAK (Page 23 of 34)

I’ve moved to the cold seat, after sitting on the hot seat most of this past week. I thought the heat would loosen the tightness in my hip, but following yesterday’s morning run the pain was unbearable. Oddly, it did not bother me while actually running, but rather due to stiffness after I sat doing my writing on the heating pad. I reluctantly placed a call to the chiropractor and set-up an appointment. I also took a pain pill my wife had leftover from her recent foot injury. Yes, we’re quite the pair, suffering from the toils of growing old. At least, we can share our medication. She also shared her cold with me.

It was this stubborn cough and cold that ultimately led to my hip discomfort. I originally thought the related congestion had settled in this Butt area that had caused me problems before. The chiropractor indicated that perhaps the violent coughing had also partially caused a minor dislocation of my hip. He put it back in place and recommended ice treatments rather than heat. This makes me really feel old, when my injuries are no longer just sports-related. It’s sad that my aging body is becoming so frail that I can’t even fight a simple cold. It’s literally kicking my Butt! 

I did cut-back to just the minimum mile-run this morning to maintain “The Streak” at 4,085 consecutive days. I felt a little light-headed from the overnight medication, but it helped me get a better night’s sleep. The critical I.U. basketball win over Minnesota also made me rest easier. Getting out of bed numerous times during the night continues to be a stiff and sore process. It’s still considerably more painful to sit or lie down than to be up on my feet, but I wanted to reduce the impact on my hip joint by temporarily cutting back the mileage. As soon as I got back to the apartment from running, I immediately put myself back on ice. 

My lungs were on fire, as I struggled with this morning’s run through the streets of downtown Portland. As I try to write about the experience, my hands shake uncontrollably on the keyboard. It’s the dreaded combination of a bad cold and old age. I was glad to take a seat at the computer and let my blood pressure return to normal levels. My pace was much faster today despite not feeling much better. I’m down to the last of my cold medication so hopefully the coughing spells will soon come to an end and the congestion in my chest will loosen its merciless grip on my lungs. 

I don’t know if I’ll go back outside again today even though the forecast calls for more sunshine. Blankie continues to call. I’m now watching Safe on Netflix at the recommendation of a friend. It’s the second Harlan Coben novel made into a series. I also enjoyed The Stranger during this recent bout of sickness. It’s Netflix and Chills, as I shiver under the cover of my Cubs blanket. It has a big “W” on it for worthless, describing my lifeless condition these past few days. I missed a dentist appointment and two get-togethers with friends but at least kept my 4,073 daily running streak intact.  Missing a day would kill me, although I did have to cut back to the mileage minimum on the first day of this unforgiving crud.

I feel like I’m throwing away money by not using our Regal Unlimited passes these past two weeks. The first week we were in Las Vegas, while this week I haven’t been able to go fifteen minutes without coughing or sneezing. They tell you at the theater to turn-off your cell phone, but you can’t just shut off an annoying cough. If I was still working, I know that I probably wouldn’t have missed a day, selfishly spreading my germs throughout the office. It was apparently in my DNA, just like running, an unforgivable sin to miss even a single day. I blame it on the Perfect Attendance Award that I missed out on in kindergarten because my Mom made me stay home. Never again! At least with running I’m not putting others at risk. In retirement, I can stay in seclusion under the Cubs Blankie until I’m no longer contagious. 

It’s a Saturday, now lost in retirement. There’s no longer that anticipation of getting there every week since it’s just like every other day. In three more Saturdays we’ll be in Phoenix, soaking in some solar warmth. In eight, we’ll have been at Alcatraz, and eleven Saturdays from today we’ll be in Bali with the year nearly half over. By then, the Portland weather will be glorious and tempting us to stay. Florida is calling and it’s not just some telemarketer about extending my warranty or saving on credit card interest rates. We will make a life-changing decision mid-year on where we’ll build our “forever” home, and escape from the cold, damp winter temperatures that far too often leads to Blankie time. Bring on the Heat!

A runny nose and constant sneezing were just the first step with this nasty cold. Last night, it evolved into an uncontrollable cough and fever that has me cancelling all outside activities today. I will miss lunch with my friends, but not making the trip to the dentist isn’t quite as disappointing. I got up at the usual time despite a sleep deprived night to let the dog out and do a shortened version of my daily run. I feel exhausted, having spent half the night on my office love seat so my hacking wouldn’t further disturb my wife. She’s getting over a similar bout with a nasty cold that has now become mine. However, I was not expecting the cough that may be the knock-out punch.

I ran the minimum mile-plus to maintain my consecutive daily running streak that has now reached 4,071. It will be enough stimulation to keep me from going back to bed for a few hours. I have a Social Security hassle to deal with, but that isn’t urgent. There’s some paperwork I have to get signed by my wife’s former employer to prove that I was covered by her insurance during the time period after I filed for Medicare. I already went through this once, but apparently the paperwork got lost in the mail. Yesterday, I called the Medicare hotline and was on hold for a half-hour before they informed me I needed to call Social Security for this Medicare Part B issue. That required another hour of patience. The forms they sent don’t even have a return address listed, to make matters even more complicated. They certainly don’t make it easy on us old farts!

I know this sounds silly but I may not have even had the energy to get out of bed this morning if the I.U. basketball hadn’t somehow pulled off a road victory last night. How can a grown man be so attached to a game played by college students? It shows that I’ve never really grown up, yet fully doesn’t explain why my mood often revolves around their success or failure. The much needed win made me smile when I had lost all hope a few days ago. For a few precious days, there will be no backwash on the coach and players, as it continues to be an inconsistent hot-and-cold season. After all these years, I can still feel my team’s embarrassments or accomplishments even though it makes no logical sense. 

On a more practical side, I’m waiting for my state and federal tax refunds, an unexpected windfall that was also a mood changer. It will help manage our expenses and keep me in cough syrup, but won’t have much of an impact on I.U. basketball. We’ll use some of it for our upcoming trips to Phoenix, Tucson, and San Francisco. I might even practically set-aside some education funds for my grandchildren. With a runny nose, achy joints, and nagging cough, it’s tough to think about any of these pleasantries. I just can’t take another rough night!

Where’d they all go? The hundreds of downtown homeless camps that I run by every morning have suddenly disappeared. It was day 4,056 on the endless trail that now approaches 11,000 miles or 17,703 km.(not quite half-way around the world) after my standard 5k (3.1 mile) daily habit. I haven’t missed a day in 11.1 years as part of a personal streak informally monitored by the U.S.R.S.A. The United States Racquet Stringing Association also uses these initials, so don’t get confused if you look it up. If you do click on the link, I’m now #226 on a list of 2,081 active participants (runners not racquet stringers) that have at least run a mile every day for a full year. The amazing leader, Jon Sutherland, stands at 18,518 consecutive days (50.7 years). I will not live long enough to catch him, but will continue to try. My motivation is quite different than the homeless that are usually my only audience in the early hours.

Poof – they were not there to cheer me on this morning. The streets were clear of tents and litter. The City of Portland picked a rainy night to clean things up, so many were surely interrupted from sleep and forced to leave. It must have taken a massive force to complete this unpleasant task that was probably not without resistance. I could not find anything in the news about it, but it was clearly a highly organized effort. There were rumors that the city had organized a task force to concentrate on this highly-criticized problem. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that this is a mayoral election year. 

Poof – I wonder where they all went? A much needed disappearing act. By daybreak, there were few signs of law enforcement in the area. Were the homeless  hauled away, arrested, jailed as vagrants, or simply ordered to relocate? This certainly doesn’t solve the problem, but effectively makes downtown less of an eyesore. Will they all be back tomorrow or will the city hold their ground? As a humanitarian, I try to be sensitive and provide monetary support for the less-fortunate, but I’ve also been burned a couple of times recently. There must be a better way, but no one has come up with a solution. In the meantime, I’ll see how things change on my morning runs?

Just as we started to get back into our normal routine, a trip to the Emergency Room changed everything. My wife had tripped over the uneven sidewalk while pushing her grocery cart and landed awkwardly on her foot. We had plans to go to the movie Cats and decided it was still a good way to keep any weight off her injury, but predictably it began to swell and stiffen. By the end of the movie we were both in pain – me from the movie and her from the discomfort of a throbbing foot. She could no longer walk so we called for an Uber and went straight to the Emergency Room.

About once a decade I take her to the hospital. The first was the Y2K New Year after she cut herself badly trying to prepare our special crab-leg dinner – that was 20 years ago. Ironically, we struggled with ideas on how to make it memorable and this certainly will never be forgotten. The only other time was a kidney stone ten years ago, a painful affliction that we share. She’s reciprocated equally on ER visits for me over the course of our relationship. Fortunately, none of these situations was even close to life-threatening. Naturally, this most recent experience was just weeks after we increased the deductible on her insurance, so it will be costly once we get the bill. She’s not yet eligible for Medicare and COBRA is expensive in this retirement transition. Nothing was broken but she had x-rays and has to temporarily wear a boot. It could have been worse!

As I sat patiently waiting for her to be treated, my thoughts were focused on how fortunate I was to not be in there myself. Every day while running, there’s a real threat of falling, or worse yet being hit by a car or bike in the course of crossing over 50 busy intersections. I’m lucky to have run 4,038 consecutive days without a serious leg injury. As ambulances arrived with those facing much worse, I thought about my two business cohorts already lost this year. My boss from Joseph A. Banks in Austin recently passed, along with a fellow department head at WISH-TV in Indianapolis. Both were younger but faced weight issues, so I’m grateful to have the discipline to run every day in maintaining my good health. May they both rest in peace, and please no more emergencies in my life. 

Occasionally I will feel that “runner’s high” that people talk about. If it happened every time I went out there, it would make the process so much more pleasant. However, most days it’s a chore to make it even a mile. Today, at about the two-mile mark it kicked in and lasted until the end – a pleasant feeling that all is well in the world. I wish there was a formula in producing it because I would definitely bottle it. The heavier rain probably helped today, a distraction from the routine. Dodging puddles became an extra obstacle in my 5k path that loops down by the Willamette River. It was also a Saturday so traffic was not a factor, and the homeless were hidden under cover. It was a good day to get wet.

“Runner’s High” is real, as evidenced by my experience this morning on day 4,038 of my current journey. I did some quick research. “For decades, scientists have associated this phenomenon with an increased level in the blood of β-endorphins, opioid peptides thought to elevate mood. Now, German researchers have shown the brain’s endocannabinoid system—the same one affected by marijuana’s Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—may also play a role in producing runner’s high, at least in mice. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2015, DOI: 10.1072/pnas.1514996112).” Sometimes it’s good to be a rat!

“Running in the Rain” was an inspirational video that we once watched in a sales meeting. Personally, it was no big deal to me because I’m used to facing daily challenges in keeping my running streak alive. Come to find out, “Running in the Rain” even has it’s own song, sounding particularly good when you have a “runner’s high:”

Let’s go running in the rain
I’ve been there and back again
I know how to fix a heart
love’s the cure right from the start
All the love we have we have is true
there is something special in you
since your sun has set and the clouds are all that’s left
oh oh oh

let’s go running in the rain
Let’s go running in the rain
there you wash away the pain
we’ll be running side by side
till we cross the finish line

All the love we have is real
and in time your heart will heal
since there’s no sunshine just thundering in the sky
oh oh oh

let’s go running in the rain
got me singing oh
oh oh oh oh oh oooh
got me singing oooh
oh ooh oh

Now we’re running on the rain
oh I can see a better day
so get ready for the sun
girl I promise it’ll come
I have always loved you
in my mind I would thought you knew
though rain pours down
I will be around
oh oh oh

let’s go running in the rain
All the love we have is true
(don’t you know that it’s true)
there is something special in you
so come rain or shine
I’ll be by your side
so let’s go

let’s go running in the rain
I’ll be running with you rain or shine
let’s go running in the rain
I’ll be running with you rain or shine
let’s go running in the rain

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriter: Jasper Sawyer

When you run everyday as I do, there are mornings when you have to improvise to conquer adverse conditions. For awhile here in Portland, I had a treadmill that I would use in icy weather, but we no longer had the space for it when we moved into this apartment. I also don’t have access to a fitness center that comes with most apartment complexes. As a result, I usually scout-out nearby parking garages and other covered areas, just in case. Fortunately, we have Good Samaritan Hospital just a block away that I’ve been saving for a “rainy” day, or an icy one like today!

The temperature this morning was hovering at the freezing mark with spotty patches of ice. I did not want to take a chance of injury on day #4035 and asked permission from the security guard to use the garage facilities. It was three floors underground and each lap on the flat lower level took about a minute. At first, I was only going to run the minimum mile, but instead broke up the monotony by spending about 13 minutes on each level to complete my 5k goal. I could however feel the pounding of laps completed exclusively on concrete. In the four months that we’ve now lived downtown, this was the first time I’ve really needed to use it, and I’m glad I did. 

I’ve relied on other parking garages, basements, hallways, ship decks, and airport tunnels in my eleven years of running every day. When we lived in Austin, where “The Streak” began, there were torrential downpours. I often used the garage in our corporate apartment building, although there were no flat areas. We also had an exercise facility but the treadmills were constantly in use or broken. In addition, I had a nagging leg injury for months that felt uncomfortable on both level and downhill surfaces, but was somehow less painful when doing the five-story uphill incline that helped loosen it up. It was the one time in my running “career” I actually favored an uphill course, avoided now like the plague.

We moved to a second apartment in Austin that also had treadmill access – if they worked. I soon became an expert on simple repairs and resetting breakers. There was not a parking garage in our complex, but I do remember going down the street to a covered garage on occasion. It was also a place to take the dogs to do their business. My wife would walk them on the dry surface while I circled the lot time-after- time. We then moved to a condo where I had to occasionally drive to a covered garage about a mile away to get out of the rain. 

I recall running in parking garages in Chicago when traveling and on one occasion using an A&W Drive-In in Rochester, Indiana that allowed only a small loop around picnic tables, but at least had an awning as protection from the elements. When we moved to Portland, we started in a high-rise apartment that had plenty of treadmills that were expertly maintained. I’ve also spent many hours on hotel treadmills all over the world, including the instability of those on cruise ships. Fortunately, the USRSA that monitors my running streak allows this mechanical option. If they didn’t I’m sure I would have found a creative way to continue without missing a day.