OnerMonth Post-Marathon Physical Update

Well, I ran a marathon a little over a month ago.  I thought that I was one of the lucky few who had finished the rigorous training for and completion of this daunting distance race with no lingering or severe injuries.  I ran a week after the race and felt some pain in my right knee.  So I kept running through it.  Roughly three weeks ago, I felt a pretty bad pain on a trail run and decided to see a physician.  I got a new brace for my right knee, took another few days off, ran on it, and still had pain.  I now am trying rest (ish), a brace, and KT Tape for my IT Band.  I seriously hope this recipe works because the fact that I am unable to run is having seriously negative effects on my holistic mental health.  I do other cardio, light lifting, abs, etc, but it just isn't the same.  I guess a few weeks of rest may be my next option, after I finish a Turkey Trot, a new Year's Eve run......

Pork Chop Sandwiches!

Sadly, this post has nothing to do with pork chop sandwiches.  If that upsets you, be prepared for many things in life to rile your ire, as few things in life have anything to do with pork chop sandwiches.  Today has been one of those days when I feel sorry for my wife.  In the past 18 months or so, I have gone from a guy who thought his chest would explode when he ran a mile to a guy who finished a marathon and felt like another 7 miles or so would have been a better cardio workout (never mind how my legs felt).  I now consider myself to be a runner.  This is a step for me because I used to consider myself just a guy who was running to get into better shape.  As I learn more and more about running, I have opened up to more and more running experiences.  Yesterday, I embraced trail running.  Up until now, I have run on trails infrequently and have mostly done road and track stuff.  I live near one of the great resources of Northeast Ohio, the Metroparks, and have decided to embrace the miles of trails offered within.  On yesterday's trail run in my new Asics Gel Fuji Racers, which are super dope for reasons I will explain, I hurt my right knee.  This was no surprise to me.  I have been waiting for my knee to finally give out for about a month and a half.  Now about these shoes.  These trail racers have these ports in the bottom that drain the water out of them as you run.  I love this feature!  I crossed creeks no less than 8 times yesterday and loved the fact that I was able to run right through them with no worry that the shoes would feel heavy after, even with my orthotic inserts in them!  Thanks to my old friend Scott Sipos for the recommendation.  Anyone who wants to run on trails should check these out.  As a bonus, I found the ugly green ones on sale on Amazon.com for less than $60.  Yipppeee!  Now back to my leg.  In April of last year, I hurt my left knee running a half marathon.  I was laid up for close to 2 months.  After I finally saw a Sports Medicine guy, I found out that I had Osgood- Schlatter disease, my legs are different lengths, and my knees are tilted incorrectly.  I have been running in a brace on my left knee since, knowing that the day when I would need one for my right knee was not far off.  Well, I scheduled a visit to the Dr for tomorrow for X-rays, requested a visit with my Sports Medicine guy, and hope to be in a brace and running by this time next week.  Wish me luck.  Now, as for my wife, I feel sorry for her because I have been nothing short of a scathing bitch since I got home from last afternoon's run.  I am on edge and even yelled at our two-year-old today.  I hope to find a way to be less of an a-hole while I am unable to run.  Hopefully the stationary bike and Biggest Loser/P90X DVD's are 1) doable with this bum knee and 2) enough to satisfy my urge for exercise.  If not, I may have to buy my wife a lot of flowers/chocolate/???.  Until next time, pork chop sandwiches indeed!

38

Today is my birthday!  I am excited for 38.  On a recent run, I debated with myself whether or not I was old enough for a mid-life crisis.  I determined that I definitely am.  This was a dramatic realization for me.  There were times in my life when I could not picture growing up.  I am glad that I have.  I have a beautiful, successful, super smart wife (who, luckily for me, is a genius in everything but love), two wonderful little girls, a nice home, a career in which I get to help teens figure out how to better their lives on a daily basis, and so much more.  These were the thoughts that came to me on this run, and several other recent ones.  I came to this conclusion:  I will not have a mid-life crisis.  This may seem to others to be an exercise in futility.  Some may be saying "Everyone has a mid-life crisis.  Jim is just living in denial."  The simple truth is that I am aware that a mid-life crisis is expected and am working hard to not endure one.  Instead, I am enjoying mid-life triumphs.  I have re-dedicated myself to being healthy and happy.  I exercise regularly, pretty much on a daily basis.  I recently enjoyed the pretty big accomplishment of finishing a marathon.  I continue to run and am preparing for future races.  I enjoy life on a daily basis.  Physically and mentally, I am fighting off the crisis which I should, as a rite of passage, be forced to endure.  Please join me.  Mid-life triumphs seem much more beneficial than mid-life crises.  Let's celebrate them together.

On the Blog Again

I am Blogging Again?  Yes, I believe I am.  My friend Zac has inspired me to resume this form of social media and impact the world with my limitless wisdom and wit.  This first post will serve as my welcome back, as well as my effort to prove to others (and myself) that hashtagging is the ridiculous trend that we will make fun of ourselves for six years from now.  The following is a brief list of trends, ideas, etc that were once embraced, adored, celebrated, and maybe even idolized.  I think most will agree that they are now part of the pop-cultural phenomena i will term "The Ridiculous Crap for Which We Now Make Fun of Ourselves/Others."  Enjoy:

• rat tails/mullets
• "Hasta la vista, baby."
• French cuffed jeans
• laser disc players
• New Coke
• Snooki, J-Woww (how many w's?), The Situation, Paulie D...
• beanie babies
• planking
• moonwalking
• cartoon character tattoos
• all of the Ernest movies
• Garbage Pail Kids
• Zubaz
• disco
• fat, Caucasian, middle aged guys in Tap Out shirts
• hood ornaments on necklaces
• Ricky Martin
• hipsters
• Winger, warrant, Ratt...
• breakdancing
• The XFL
• Z Cavariccis
• Punky Brewster shoes
• Cabbage Patch doll craziness of '85
• Skidz
• Hanson "mmmm bop, shoooby dop dop."
• Ed Hardy shirts
• Vanilla Ice
• "Wazzuuup?"
• Kevin Bacon dance fighting in a warehouse
• acid washed jeans
• "That's hot."
• Charlie Sheen's Tornado of Truth tour/tiger blood/cocaine infused pubic megameltdown

So, the next time you hashtag something, ask yourself, do I really want my kids to look on the internet in 15 years and see that I placed a pound sign in front of  a phrase like "gimmesumuvdat" under a picture of a piece of cake, an ice cream cone, some money, a good looking female/male, or anything else?