On The Run?

Not as in running, jogging, sprinting.  On the run as in a hurry.

Spent four days in Anchorage, Alaska and did not exercise.  Not by choice.

Got back late last night early this morning.  There is no exercising this morning either.  Five straight days without exercise.  I feel the pain of everyone who struggles to make physical wellness a priority.

There is no easy way.

Well, actually, there is an easy way – simply don’t worry about it until the phone rings, “Excuse me, it’s for you.  It’s your wake up call”.

Lane 8 Is Happy

Lane 8 is happy the left heel pain was minimal yesterday.  It’s sort of funny how easy it can be to find joy and happiness.  We get so busy in our daily activities that we can rob ourselves of the simplest of joys.

Every morning I check out the window as dawn gives way to sunrise. The sunrise is always beautiful, even when it is “ordinary”.

Two days ago there was a Facebook post on my wall, asking for prayers for a teenage friend who committed suicide.  This is a horrific tragedy.  One none of us can comprehend.

The basic act of thinking of a Family (one you never met) and the grief that is overwhelming everyone they know, can be a humble joy. Believing that your thoughts and feelings for them may in some way comfort them.

Part of what makes Lane 8 blog posts about health and wellness so much fun to write about is that every once in awhile, if I feel like it, there is editorial license to blog about something else.  This also makes Lane 8 happy.

Lane 8 Celebrex

Lane 8 is back on 200mg Celebrex once a day. I know. Who cares?

In less than 24 hours, the left heel pain has subsided. When you’re an active mid life adult and stand ( professional speaker ) for a living, foot pain is a huge dissatisfier.

Florida Foot and Ankle Specialists are one of my heroes.  I feel compelled to recommend Dr Curtis Wagner and his excellent staff.

In fact, during the visit yesterday, these words came out of my mouth, “It’s amazing, given the recent pain, that we were able to send me to the World Championships”.

Saying “we” just flowed naturally from my mouth.  While it’s true that I invested all the sweat equity, Dr Wagner provided the “medical advice/coaching” and the protocol to make competing on the world stage possible.

Here’s to our health. Make your day GREAT!  If not today, when? Carpe diem!

Can Barely Walk

Last night I could barely walk.  Foot pain.  Left heel.  Why?  Not sure.

Some of you know I represented the United States at the 2009 Masters Track & Field World Championships in Lahti, Finland.  The first week of August seems like so long ago, when in fact, it wasn’t.  Since then, I’ve completely tapered off on training. Completely.

So why the pain?

What is amazing to me, and something I tried to hide in the Lane 8 blog posts before traveling to Finland, is that I was actually able to compete at all.

“Then why put yourself through all this”?, is a common question.  Roger Bannister, the first human to break the four-minute mile barrier, said it best:

“I sometimes think that running has given me a glimpse of the greatest freedom a man can ever know, because it results in the simultaneous liberation of both the mind and body…..  The runner does not know how or why he runs.  He only knows that he must run…..  We run, not because it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves”. — Roger Bannister 1956

Still In Pain?

Injuries and pain can make exercising a challenge.  No brainer, right?

Well, I’ve been dealing with injuries for five years now.  Guess you could say, “It’s the cost of doing business”.

I hate to complain, because complaining is fairly unproductive. There is one instance that I’ve discovered where complaining actually is effective.

If it causes you to do something positive about it.  This is a tough one. Misery loves company. Another no brainer, right?

So, saying that to ask you this, “How many times have you exercised this past week”? Carpe diem!