Ouch .... Legs Hurt!

A few weeks back my legs started hurting after my runs. Most people would think that if you ran 10 miles you should expect your legs to hurt, but there is a big difference between pain and sore. After a run it's ok to be sore, but if your in pain something is wrong. Looking back about four months ago, I had a similar issue.

I had been running for about four months and logged around 300 miles. My runs averaged three miles, but with one long run once a week and running five to six days a week. Toward the end of my fourth month with my new shoes, I started getting shin splints. Soon to follow, I started feeling like I was running with concrete in my shoes and every stride hurt more than the last. At the time, I was thinking my problem was due to increased mileage, but with some research on the net, I quickly found that my shoes could be DOA.

I proceeded to pick up a new pair of shoes at Fleet Feet in Chesterfield, MO. I re-purchased the same shoes as before, The Beast by Brooks. These shoes are designed for big guys like me, that have flat feet and over-pronate. With new shoes on feet, I went for a run and found that my legs didn't hurt after I was done. Racking up some miles over the next week, it became clear that my issue was shoe related and not me related. I didn't have the pain and I had limited soreness as well.

Prior to running, I would buy one pair of $40 tennis shoes a year. Now that I run, I am looking at buying three to four pairs of $120 shoes a year. It seems a bit crazy, but my health and my legs are worth it.

In an effort to solve today's issues, I ran by Fleet Feet tonight and picked up a new pair of The Beast by Brooks. Unfortunately the price for these shoes increased since last time, but I am thinking about buying a second pair and rotating two pairs. My theory is that running one pair into the ground, compressing them every single day, shortens their life too quickly. If I rotate between two pairs, each pair will get some rest and time to decompress. It's all theory right now, but I think it will make a difference. Never the less, my current pair of shoes cost me .49 cents a mile, so not too bad.

The Results Are In!

I finally took the time out to get my blood pulled and tested again. I had it done two years ago, back when I weighed 260lbs, ate whatever I wanted, and never exercised. The original test showed very high triglycerides and cholesterol. My doctor reviewed the results and decided to give me a shot at fixing the problem, instead of just throwing medicine my way. I hate taking pills, so I really appreciated the diagnosis.

The first change I made was my diet. I starting eating around 1600 calories a day and did my best to make sure it was good food, so not 1600 calories worth of candy bars :). My buddy Matt had lost a lot of weight counting calories, so I followed his process and it worked really well. I also started walking/lumbering down the track at night. I say lumbering, because I still smoked, I was way overweight, and I could only run 200 meters at a time. After about a year, I could run two miles at a time and I weighted 42 lbs less. It was a big improvement, but I wanted to run further and I felt the smoking was holding me back, so on January 1st of this year, I quit smoking.

Now that my lungs have some capacity and the cancer sticks don't have their hold on me, I can run faster and longer. My daily run is usually 3 miles and I try to do a long run of 6-8 miles once a week. I have put 10 pounds or so back on since I quite smoking, putting me at 220, but I have also increased my muscle mass and I DON'T SMOKE ANYMORE, so a few pounds is a small sacrifice.

Now the results.
Triglycerides went from 210 to 80.
Cholesterol went from 279 to 245
HDL went from 41 to 58
LDL went from 196 to 171

The numbers aren't perfect and may never be, but the changes I made definitely made an impact. My doctor still did not prescribe medicine, but suggested I try and get down to 12% body fat, or around 205 lbs. My doctor was pretty impressed with my results and so was I.

By the way, I also no longer have heartburn issues and I get sick much less often, now that I live a healthier lifestyle. Just food for thought!

Set a new treadmill PR

I hate the treadmill, but at times it is a necessary beast. My son had Tae Kwon Do tonight at the J (kind of like the Y), so I ran on the treadmill to kill time. I have pushed myself more and more lately for distance, so today I went for speed. My fastest treadmill 5K time is around 9 minute mile, my fastest 5K road race time is 8:53 minute mile. Tonight I did 8:36 minute mile on the mill for 3.11 miles. It was hell, but my mind won out and I got the time I was looking for. Now if I had only remembered to bring my water bottle, maybe I could have gone faster.