David G.

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Well..just got back from the Dr and I won't be running my first marathon in Baltimore this fall.   I have a severe IT Band (ITB Syndrome) injury in my left knee.   

This is the same injury I had last fall on the right side...only worse.  

I have already pulled my registration back to the half marathon in Baltimore in an attempt to complete the MD Double this year.   Even if it is only the halfs.  

For those that care, I was in week 12 of an 18 week training program.   I was up to about 40-45 miles a week with long runs of about 16-18 miles.   I would have had a 20 mile run next weekend.

I was able to complete the Annapolis 10 miler last weekend (before my trip to the ortho), but I probably should not have.   I just could not stand the thought of not getting my finishers jacket!  :-)

So now it is 2 weeks off of running.   4-6 weeks of Physical Therapy and a very slow return to running after that.   He is aiming to get me to a point where I can run the 1/2 on October 11th.  

Very dissapointing...but this means that my first full will either be the Shamrock Marathon in Va. Beach or Frederick.   If I run Frederick then I will run the Marine Corps marathon in the fall.   If I run Va Beach, then I will run Baltimore in the fall.   Also...if I run Va Beach, then I will probably run the Frederick 1/2 and Baltimore Full to obtain a second MD double medal.

Oh well..off to do some stretches and ice my sore knee.

Dave

Well...I did it.   I ran my first 1/2 marathon.   If my plan holds, it will be my only 1/2 marathon this year.   I am scheduled to run the full marathon in Baltimore in October.

For those that don't run...a half marathon is 13.1 miles.   

Goal:  2:11:00 (10min/mile pace).  

Results:  Clock time (does not account for the fact that it took almost 2 minutes to get to the starting line:  2:04:22

Chip time:  Actual start line to finish lne:  2:02:34 or a 9:21min/mile pace.

I can't imagine doubling this distance, but if I am to complete my first marathon, that is what I will have to do.   

I am a bit sore the day after the race but all in all I am in good shape.   

I dropped about 10lbs during the race.   I have put back 5 of those.   

Now on to training for my first sprint triathlon on June 1st.   Then I start my training for the full marathon in the middle of June.

Yikes.   

I am pushing my running beyond anything I ever thought I could do.   But in the process, I am learning what over use injuries are.   

I am dealing with left and right knee issues.   My hips are complaining...but not as bad as my knees.   I am also beginning to get some cramping in my left foot during my long runs.

After talking with a couple of different folks (a PT, a long time runner, my PCP, and a friend that works with elderly patients), I have come up with my plan of attack.  

First, I am going to back off of my goal of finishing my first 1/2 marathon in under 2 hours.   I may end up doing it, but it is not going to be a goal.   I am simply going to try and finish.   This means that I am going to back off my running times.   I want to be training in the 11-12 minute/mile range.   Right now, I am in the 8:30 - 10:00/mile range.   

I am simply putting too much strain on my body and it is fighting me.   

I am also going to give my self a little rest this week.   I am skipping my run tonight.   I have already skipped my cross training on Sunday.   Tomorrow, I am going to swim and jog.   Both for 30 minutes.   The swim will be hard, but the run will be a jog.  No more than 2.5 miles.   

Thursday, my run (45 minutes) will be no more than 4 miles.   Then I have a day off and my long run.   This week, a two hour run, will be on a realtively flat course and will be no more than 9 miles.   

Backing it down a bit might mean that I get to compete in the 1/2 marathon.   My knees and hips are telling me to slow down...and I better listen!  

Dave

I have had a couple of folks ask when I was running this year.   So I figured I would post a list here (rather than on the MD board).   

Note:  I will be running some 5ks or 10ks over the summer...I am just not sure which and how they will fit my training schedule yet.

1.  Frederick Running Festival - Distance - 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles).   
     Sunday May 4th 6:30am (yes...am).     
    Web Site:  http://www.frederickmarathon.org/site4.aspx


2.  Cascade Lake Triathlon - Distance - .31 Mile Swim, 15 Mile Bike, 3.1 (5k) Mile Run.
      Sunday June 1 ~ 7:05 - 7:15am (depending on wave)
      Web Site:  http://www.piranha-sports.com/Race32.aspx


3.  Baltimore Funning Festival - Distance Marathon (26.2 miles).
     Saturday October 11 8:00am.
    Web Site: http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/site3.aspx


Plans:

I am looking for a 5k to run with my daughter in late June or mid July.   

I am looking for a sprint distance tri to run in late August or early September.

I am looking for a 10miler to run in late July or early August.


I am taking part in the Charm City Run Fall 2008 Marathon Training program (Timonium).   These programs are excellent.   They provide a great training plan, expert coaching, and people to run with.   They also provide a great deal of motivation.    

Enjoy,
Dave 

My goodness.  It is amazing how quickly a year passes.

My surgical anniversary is less than two weeks away.   I have my first appointment with my surgeon, since my 3 month check up, in about 2 weeks.   I also have my first full physical the following day with my PCP since the December before the surgery.   I will fill you in on that later!

As I look back I notice that time has dulled many of the sharp pains in this journey.   

The surgery is but a blur.   Yes, I remember the highlights...but for the most part it is now reduced to 1 and 2 minute highlights or lowlights.   

The recovery and hardships of figuring this new liftestyle out are all but forgotten.   They are simply part of the rules that I now live my life by. 

The episodes that had me calling the Dr with urgent requests seem silly now.   Even the night I headed to the ER with severe abdominal pain...is mostly forgotten.

So what remains.   

Hmmmm...

What remains is how great things seem now, the friends I have made along this journey, and the new things in my life.

I think what I will do here is list a few things I have done over the last year that I could not have done before this surgery (some of which you will find on my list of things I wanted to do but could not - an early blog posting).

1. I rode the Superman roller coaster at Six Flags!  WOW!
2. I ran a 5K.
3. I ran a 5K in under 30 minutes and another with my daughter.
4. I competed in the Baltimore marathon (only the relay though)
5. I bought clothes at Old Navy that fit.
6. I bought a pair jeans with a waist size of 34.
7. I bought a suit, off the rack.
8. I bought a Northface jacket.
9. I bought a sweater that was a medium
10.  I now wear the t-shirts that are given to me as give-aways.
11.  I now like to sit in booths at resturants.
12.  I have a bike.
13.  I swim.
14.  I run.
15.  I have a gym membership - and use it.
16.  When I walk through the gym, no one stares.
17.  I sat next to a stranger at a movie and they did not make any comments.
18.  My youngest daughter made the comment "...not that I ever was...but I am not embarrased by you anymore!".
19.  My older daughter hugs me and can touch her hands behind me.
20.  I weigh less than one of my friends (who is in pretty good shape).
21.  I can get into cars without hurting myself.
22.  I can put my seat belt on without getting to the end of the belt.
23.  I can mow the grass without having to change clothes afterwards
24.  I have to tell myself to eat...even when I am hungry.
25.  I run into people that have known me for 10 years, but have not seen me in over a year and they don't know who I am. 
26.  I am self conscience about how my body looks.  (a good thing!)
27.  I think my ears got bigger! :-)
28.  I need smaller glasses.
29.  My clothes wear out before I out grow them.
30.  My shoes don't wear out on the sides first anymore.
....

There is lots more, but I need to wrap this up.

A year out from surgery, I am down to 185 pounds.  This was my surgeons goal and seems to be where I leveled out.   I met my goal at about 9 months out through following the plan and lots and lots of running.   I am not typical in this respect.   But I do feel very good about where I am and how I look.  

It will be interesting to see where things go over the next year.   But looking back...all I can say is....things are good.

Dave

Well...my knee injury has been officially diagnosed as an IT Band injury.   This means it is really not a knee injury but a strain of the Iliotibial Band.   This is a large muscle that runs from your hip to just above the knee.  It ends by connecting to a tendon that runs down the outside and then directly under your knee.   

There is no easy way to correct the problem.   It involves not running (ugh), stretching, and some weight work.   I have tried the first ideas on healing this injury and they have failed.   That invovled taking about 2 weeks off, no steps, and slowly start running again.   

I had been slowly increasing my distance until yesterday when I got back up to three miles.   But the pain is back.   So now I start course number two.   I have to rest for 4 weeks.   Then when I start again it is low milage, low speed and flat only.   No hills, and no camber.   This means no road running.  Only track and treadmill.   

If all goes well, that means I can start running again around Christmas and I won't be back to any distance until February.  Ugh.   That is going to give me just enough time to get ready for the half marathon in Frederick in May.  

If this flares again, then my hopes of running a marathon next year will be done.   Oh well.

I guess I should expect this when you take up running at the young age of 43!  :-)

Well...Tuesday (10/30) was a bad day.   I was driving to work on the Baltimore B-Way and traffic had come to a stop.   No big deal.  When you drive the west side every morning...stop and go traffic is a way of life.   I came to stop (not paniced) and watched as the car behind me changed lanes to get into the slow lane.   

I heard a huge crunch...I yelled...next thing I remember I was face down on the steering wheel with something dripping down my forehead.   I touched the liquid and it turned out to be my coffee, which was dripping from the windshield.

Bottom line.   I was hit by a van changing lanes.  He never hit his brakes.   Hit the back of my van doing between 35 and 50 mph.   Drove the back of my mini-van into the into the back seat hard enough to collapse the seat and tear it off the supports.   

The intial impact threw me back against my seat hard enough to break the seat, and knock me out.   I, reflexively, jamed my foot onto the break pedal hard enough to break the pedal and tear my calf muscle.   

They found my glasses in front of the back seat.   

Even with my brakes fully applied (and then some) I was driven about 20 feet forward and hit the car in front of me with a glancing blow.   

Two interesting comments were made in the aftermath.   

Comment 1.   After hearing that I had had weight loss surgery, the EMT said they would not have been able to get me out of the car if I had still weighed 300lbs.  

Comment 2.  My PCP said that because I had been running so much and had built such muscle in my legs, it probably saved me from a broken leg.  The insruance adjuster said he had no idea how I had not broken my leg.

So...bad story...but because of the weight loss...good outcomes.

Dave

Well...I did it.   No...not the whole thing...but my little part.

I ran the 4th leg of the Legg Mason Relay in the Baltimore Marathon.   We finished in the bottom third.   We did not even break 4 hours.   But we did finish.

I ran the last leg, which was 7.3 miles.   I covered the distance in 1:03:54.   That is an 8:45 pace for the entire 7.3 miles.    

Now...I had a fairly easy course, but I still had to run it.   

What a great day.   

To watch the "real" marathoners go by.   To see the tens of thousands of runners stream past.   To take the hand off and become part of the festival.   To run around the streets of Baltimore.   To run around Lake Montebello.   To run past the old Memorial Stadium.   To run through Charles Village...and yes they were out offering beer if you wanted one (no I did not).   To run past the lower part of Hopkins.   To run down Howard Street.  To run past the 5th regiment armory.   To run past Lexington Market.   To turn onto Eutaw street and hear the bells ringing in the churches at 12 noon.   To see the crowds grow as I got closer to Pratt Street.   To run down Eutaw street in Camden Yards.   To run under the finish line at the Baltimore Marathon.   

Yes...this was a great day.   

This was a day that reminded me just how lucky I was to have done something about my obesity before it was too late.

To see my kids faces when I got home.   No, they could not be there because they had their own commitments with soccer and performances.   To see the card I got that had nice little messages from my wife and kids.   To see the balloons with congratulations on them.

Yes....this was a great day.

This was a day that reminded me of how lucky I was to have a wonderful family that cared enough to support me through this journey.

To sit at my computer and tell my friends at OH about what I did today.   To look to my right and see my race number.   To look to my left and see a silly little medal with a crab on it that tells me that I really did do this today.   

Yes this was a great day.

This was a day that reminded me of how lucky I am to be alive.

Alive and healthy...again.

I really love days like this.   Don't you?

You know...It really is all how you look at things.

When I was 350lbs, I knew I was fat but hey...I wasn't as fat as some people.   At least that was what I kept telling myself.

LOL....

I am now hovering around 200lbs.   Probably about 12-15lbs above a "normal" BMI, but very healthy for a "normal" person.   You know what?   I know look at me as fat.   

ROTFL.....

My wife and friends are telling me how great I look.   My kids make comments like "I'm not embarrased for my friends to meet you anymore".   I feel great.   I can buy clothes in sizes that don't have numbers in front of them.   I can by pants at any store I want.   Heck...I can shop for styles again instead of sizes.   

Yet...I look at the skin hanging from my stomach and I don't like the way I look.   I think I can now understand (maybe not completely) what someone with anorexia goes through.   

Your self perception is a big part of this whole process.   

I am not sure how I will deal with my emotions or the state I am in with my weight.   I do know that I now have a completely different view on plastic surgery.   When this all started, I said, well if it looks really bad and my insurance company will pay, then I might look into it.   

Now....HA!   I will save the damn money and pay for it myself if I need to.   I want my stomach gone.    Well...not my stomach but the skin and other crap hanging over my belt.

I am actually at my goal.   Yes...not even 6 months out from surgery, I am at the settled on goal weight that my surgeon suggested.  

208.   

But now that I am here, I am reminded of the saying, "It's not the speed that kills but the sudden stop at the end.".  

Wow...I dropped 110 lbs since March and close to 130 lbs since January (I lost 20 on the pre-surgical diet).   My BMI is now just above the normal range (and that's ok with me).

But I got here so fast that I am now applying the brakes.   And I am not applying them in a subtle way.   I shot right past my 208 goal and went down to 203.   I started adding calories and a little more fat to diet.   This originally had almost no effect.   I started this process at about 212 when things had slowed a bit.   

Well...it just pointed out even more how fascinating our bodies and systems really are.   My body examined what I had done.   Paused for a moment and then kept right on burning the fat and whatever else it was doing.   I began losing again...and fast.   

I went camping for a weekend and came back 6 pounds lighter.   In spite of eating more snacks and food than I normally do.   

So I have put the brakes on hard.   I watch my weight daily and add or remove foods accordingly.    But my body is still adjusting.   It takes what I give it and then adjusts.   So who knows if I am just in a holding pattern or if I have really gotten control yet.   Only time will tell.

This morning I was at 206.   I have a rough week coming, so I have added lots to my diet.   But then, I thought I had really over done it yesterday and everything remained the same.   So...who knows at this point.

I will say this though.   I love the fact that I get to act like a "normal" person.   I put on a few pounds and then take them off.   I drop a few and put them back on.   

This is the way life is supposed to be.   And wasn't that the point of the surgery?

Enjoy.
Dave