Running again soon?

The answer is yes. Yes, my dear running watch. I know it has been a while. 7 days to be exact. YES I have been counting. I have forgotten how terrible I feel when I don't run and how it changes my entire demeanor (don't believe me? ask Juliet she can tell you how cranky I am when I don't run). If you read my last post then you know that I am/was injured. 

 

I went to the chiropractor yesterday. The chiro did an x-ray and thank goodness nothing was fractured, cracked, broken, or damaged that he could tell. He was able to tell that I was all out of alignment.

 

Before I tell you what he did, I want to start by saying, after my work at GEICO and dealing with people who see chiropractors for 3 months after a car accident in which only a mirror got knocked off, I don't have a hole lot of faith in the chiro practice and I pretty much think it is a "voodoo" type of treatment.  I went into this appointment to just make sure I wasn't broken inside my hip bone or anything. I could see by the x-ray that I was twisted to the side. I could see it in my hip, my spine and my pelvis. so the doc made me lay on the table he felt my ankles and determined my entire right side was "out of alignment" and he grabbed the ankle and nearly jerked me off of the table HAHA. he did a few other adjustments in my lower back and sent me on my way. The good thing I got out of the appointment was that I not only could run, but that I MUST run. They want me to test it out and come back next week. So that means my long run is on for tonight. 10 miles - I can't wait. it is a good thing because the half marathon is 22 days: 23 hours: and 31 minutes away.

 

BABY BROWN

The munchkin is doing well. Mama Brown is tired but moving along. The room is painted. I have begun to put the doors back on the closets in the room. We are planning on an IKEA trip in the morning to have some time to ourselves shopping for the baby stuff. I have no idea what Mama Brown is wanting to get for the room there so it will be exciting.

 

THE GREAT REVEAL

This week God has shown me that apparently he wants me to be a "handy man" haha. when we bought our house they had just put in a new A/C and Gas furnace.  Well the A/C has been working all summer but the heat has never been turned on. I decided this week it would probably be wise to test it since the weather is getting cold here. It didn't cut on - Worst feeling ever. I know nothing about furnaces, or heating units other than where the thing is under the house. I only know that because I have had to go under the house a million times since we bought the house to run cables, or water lines, etc. Well somehow I managed to get the thing running. It appears the gas was turned off. so I turned it on and sat and smelled to make sure no gas was leaking out or anything and we were good to go. I also stopped a leaking shower this week by replacing the washer in the handle.  It amazes me how God has given me the knowledge, the resources, and the understanding to handle issues or improvements in the house.

WEIGH IN
I weighed this morning. I am officially 22 pounds lighter than I was 2 months ago. 238 pounds. It is weird to me when I thought before I still have 40 pounds to go it seemed like such a big thing but 38 pounds is no big deal. If I lose 13 more pounds I will be at my 1st marathon weight but that isn't enough.

So, why am I doing all of this?
This seems to be the question on everyone's mind. Why do you want to run that far? why did you give up meat? Why are you so worried about your health now?

The reason is: The Munchkin, and Juliet. I want this baby to see that being active and healthy is the way to be. The world is full of health issues, and just in my side of the family diabetes, heart disease, strokes, thyroid problems, cancer, degenerative back disease, etc run rampant. I run because to me every step that I take lowers the chance of me dealing with these issues. I also don't want to have a son or daughter that sits in the house and plays video games non-stop. The other reason I run is because it clears my mind, it makes me mentally tough, and it gives me time to think and pray about the things I care about and the decisions I am making. Yes, I know running 10 miles on a Friday night or Saturday morning is not most people's idea of a good time, but to me that is my time. My time to release the stress of the week, to push myself to the limits, and to get a grasp on where I am going to go in my life. I dare you to try it.

 

WORRIED

As I sit in my chair I am feeling a great amount of pain in my hip joint. Not on the outside but it seems to be inside the joint. This injury seems to be one that haunts me. It came up during my Marathon and is one in which ended my running in the past. So far on my "comeback tour" it has been a hit-or-miss pain. Some days I run and I feel nothing, and then somedays like today I don't do anything yet the pain shoots all of the way down my right leg. I am beginning to be concerned. I am going to take a few days off this week, do some work on the bike and possibly do a short run on Saturday morning instead of the 11 miles on the schedule. It is too early in the week to decide that but I am going to keep it in the back of my mind. I am going to listen to my body. I have a half marathon in 27 days 14 hours and 54 minutes and I cannot afford to be injured. I am also thinking that I am going to make an appointment with a doctor to see about it. I just don't want to run through the pain and end up seriously injuring myself. I just hope that this injury doesn't stop my marathon goal in January.

On a more positive and happy note I got on the scale this morning and I am down to 240 lbs. I have officially lost 20 pounds in a month and a half. I was shocked when I discovered that I lost 2 pounds this week. I found myself telling Juliet today that I am not planning on eating meat ever again. WHAT?!?! I can't believe that I am considering never eating meat again. It is weird. We are about to be in a time where the real test is going to occur - THANKSGIVING. No turkey, no dressing, no ham, no macaroni and cheese, etc.... this is going to be intense. but I am just going to focus on the fact that I have been down that road, I know where it leads. It leads to 260 lbs. Now that I think about it It will not be that big of a deal haha.

Please throw a prayer out for me and the hip pain. I have to do what is best for me but my goals are out there and I want to reach them.

WELCOME BACK MR BROWN

WOW... it has been a while. I have so much to say and update. I guess that is why I haven't posted in a while. I have been crazy busy.

My Training:

I have been training like crazy. The Saturday before last I had 7 miles. I can honestly say that was probably the best long run I have ever had. I felt so good afterwards. I say that because I have been trying to deal with the injury that has seemed to haunt me on and off since my marathon. A pain in my hip. It feels like my hip is trying to pop out of place but only when I walk. When I run I feel pretty good and have very little pain. I told Juliet that that tells me that I should never walk and just run around all of the time. SHE DISAGREES. I actually shocked myself after that 7 miler when I did some stretching hoping that I would avoid the hip pain and I realized that I have NEVER stretched after a run. I mean NEVER. One would think that with all of the miles I have run over the years I would have thought this was a good idea. I guess not. Now that I have revealed how much of a dummy I am I will continue on. The 7 miles was great. In the past I stuck to eating gummy bears as fuel during my runs partially because I love gummy bears and partially because it was easy, but during this long run I tried out a 'GU' for those of you who do not know what GU is, think of it as pure fuel. the GU website says

What's in it?

• Carbohydrates - GU provides athletes with a dose of 100 calories in the form of 70-80% maltodextrin and 30-20% fructose (The ratio depends upon the flavor.). Why the mix? It’s a complex carbohydrate, and studies have shown that some complex carbs are actually digested faster than simple sugars like table sugar and honey.
• Amino Acid Blend - GU features a unique blend of amino acids to combat muscle fatigue, accelerate the conversion of carbohydrates into usable energy, and maintain mental focus.
• Electrolytes - Sodium and potassium to replenish what is lost during strenuous activity.
• Caffeine - Some GU flavors are caffeinated while others are not. We add caffeine for two reasons: It acts as a stimulant and it lowers the perceived effort.

I have tried it in the past and I was disgusted, but after hearing some positive things from a few people and doing some research I decided to get this one. It was DELICIOUS. Most people know I do not like sweets but I love caramel and I love salty things. So after that 7 miler Juliet and I went to Academy Sports (the only place I could find them) and bought the entire box on the shelf. 17 packets.  My new go to for fueling. I feel like if I am going to get up on Saturday mornings to run, I should have a treat to go along with it. 

This past Saturday I completed a 8 mile run. It was harder because I was running on only 6 hours of sleep and a bean burrito for dinner the night before (bad choice), but I finished the run and moved on with my day.
  
Now that I have talked about how great my running is going. I have to say I am injured in the worst possible place, my right heel. Last night at church the class I help with went out to the play ground and I got drug into a game of basketball with the boys. The ground is dirt and has rocks, and roots, and bark on it. I was in my work shoes that have no padding and I stepped on a rock in my heel. I am regretting it now. I hope it is better by Saturday because I have a 9 mile run on the schedule.

BABY BROWN/NURSERY UPDATE

The Nursery is almost done. On Monday I painted the ceiling and the crown molding I also used some wood filler on the joints of the other wood in the room and I sanded it down. Luckily some of our family is coming in tonight and is going to paint tomorrow while we are at work. That is awesome because I am running on fumes at this point. We ran into some snags on the way but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is about time because the baby shower is in 3 weeks.

The 'Munchkin' as we have decided to call it seems to be growing like a weed. It is funny to see that Juliet has a 'Mommy Belly' but is not changing in any other way. She is so beautiful and I find myself just watching her sometimes it is strange to be able to sit beside a miracle being performed.  

That leads me to the next portion of this post

THE GREAT REVEAL

Being in the house with a pregnant wife is mind blowing, when I think about the fact that she is forming a human being at this very moment it reminds me how blessed I am. I know personally when I hear about Jesus performing miracles I think sometimes "could you imagine being there to see Him heal the sick or raise the dead?" How could anyone doubt God's presence? look around, pregnant women are everywhere haha. I have no doubt that God performs miracles on a daily, heck maybe even hourly basis. I would consider myself a logical person, Juliet is the emotional one in the family. So when we make decisions it tends to be Juliet that becomes emotionally invested and finds the meaning in things and I look at the different angles to see if it is a smart decision or not or if it makes sense logically. Being a logical person tends to keep me disconnected and unattached to most things. So not too long ago I began praying and asking God to soften my heart and allow me to be a little more emotional and not so logical, and then Munchkin came on the scene. I am astounded how God answers my prayers, It also makes me be careful about what I pray for LOL. God has made me more soft hearted has opened my eyes. I can say without a doubt that I would do anything no matter what for Juliet and Munchkin. GOD DOES ANSWER PRAYERS. 

Rough week

This week has been rough and it is only wednesday morning. I haven't been running all week and I am beginning to feel horrible. I played golf yesterday and I played as though I had never played before. It was disgusting. Right now I am laying in the bed with my head hurting and severe pain in my neck and back- I think it is the way I slept on it but I can barely knowing move.  I took 4 ibuprofen a few minutes ago. I need to do running but if I can barely walk I am not going to push myself to run. I have church tonight so it will be a long day. Wednesday nights tend to be a 4hour ordeal for me since I ride the bus to pick up the kids. Wednesday nights are hard for me because I am not able to eat dinner with everyone at church due to my vegan lifestyle so I end up eating at 9:00 every Wednesday night. I am sorry that this post is so down. I am just struggling this week.  On the plus side I am down to 243 pounds. Only 43 more pounds and I will be at my goal. I can only  imagine what running will be like without all of this extra weight slowing me down. 7 minute mile maybe? Who knows but I have a long way to go. I will post on k y long run this past weekend very soon. I just have to get out of this funk first.

GET A LITTLE PEP IN YO' STEP

Do you ever wake up with a pep in yo' step? This morning was kind of like that. I will have to admit when that alarm went off at 5:00 I did not want to get up and go running!!! (yes that is 3 exclamation marks) But I always know in the back of my mind that I will feel better after my run, So I got up and headed out the door. Today I had 2 miles on the schedule. Since yesterday was a long day, Month end process at work, that was also quarter end. I was there until 5 and then I had class form 5:30 - 8. Mondays are always crazy because of the class thing going on and last night my dinner ended up being a few Pita Chips despite Juliet threatening to beat me. They are totally my favorite thing to eat, but not very good fuel for running the next morning. Those 2 miles this morning were a little difficult. Not too bad but tough.

I am pretty sure that Juliet was having a sugar high after eating her Lucky Charms this morning or else it was the sleep she has been getting since she got her recliner to sleep in. She was dancing and laughing and all kinds of stuff this morning which always makes me happy. I decided that I was going to make today great no matter what the circumstances. It is golf day how can it be a bad day?---- FORE

BABY BROWN

Baby Brown seems to be growing like a weed. I can now see the little kicks and punches being thrown when Juliet lays down. This kid is possibly going to be a Boxer or MMA fighter from the power it has. Juliet said this morning that the baby was dancing around as soon as she woke up and continued to say "I think we are in trouble with this one." I told her we are going to get paid back for all of the things that she did growing up. We wont have much to worry about the things that I did growing up because I was an angel haha. Hey this is my blog I can say what I want and you have to believe it. Like the commercial says "they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true"

NURSEY UPDATE

This past weekend we found a light for the nursery and it has been installed and is working. I also changed the light switch for it. We are getting close.

Things left to do:

• Paint the Ceiling
• Paint the Trim work
• 2nd coat of paint on the walls
• DONE and waiting for furniture

TRAINING UPDATE
Last Saturday I ran in a 10.2K in Warner Robins. It was both harder and easier than I expected. what I mean is my time was better than expected 1:06 for 6 miles. but if you think about it 6 miles does not equal 10.2km. At the end of the race a handful of us took a wrong turn and got the finish line coming the wrong direction. and ending up short or 6 miles. I was mad, mad at myself for not trusting my gut and turning with others when I knew it was too short. So immediately my logical mind kicked in and I got over it. I thought "I am only running in this thing to get my 6 mile training run" the problem was that I was short of my 6 miles. So I told Juliet that the could go to the car because I was going to get my training distance. So I ran through the parking lot until I reached my 6 miles. I was very sore afterwards and I seem to have pain in my hip (much like during my marathon) but it only hurts when I walk. It goes away when I run. Does that mean I should never walk again and maybe just run all the time? that would be weird at Walmart or somewhere. I have 2 miles tomorrow morning, Thursday and Friday and a long 7 mile run on Saturday. I am going to get that 7 miler done early so I can do other stuff the rest of the day.


THE GREAT REVEAL
This morning I did my running and came in got ready and ate breakfast. Juliet was getting ready so I sat down in the recliner and looked out at the backyard of course it was still dark so I couldn't really see anything. I had a sense of peace. I think this is the first moment I have slowed down in a while. It is strange to think about how I am always on the go. Either work, School, House work, Yard work, Golf, Church, running, Sleeping, etc.... the list goes on and on. So anyway I sat there and stared out into the darkness and began to think about this post. I thought about how God has provided for me. I began to think about where I have been where I am now and where I am headed. I never thought I would be married, owning a house, with a baby on the way. Mainly because 5 years ago I said I didn't want any of that. I decided that I would never get married because "I liked being single" I said buying a house was a waste of money and I had no desire to do it "I would rent forever" and I definitely did not want kids because if "I do my life is over". It is amazing how God changes your heart when you let him, and how things just seem to fall into place if you just get out of the way and let him work. Now I couldn't imagine life being different. This baby isn't even born, yet I find myself thinking about what it will be like. What it's likes and dislikes will be, what will it look like, who it will act like(scary thought knowing my family Wink Wink - pawpaw). Then the big question comes and I begin to feel uneasy. "Will I be a good father?" I don't know why this is on my mind a lot. Juliet seems to think that I will be a great dad and tells me that often, but I guess I just want to make sure. It is a scary thought that another human's life will be in my hands. I guess the fact that I think about this will help to ensure that I am a good father.

I feel like I have begun to ramble so I am going to end this post. MORE COMING SOON.