<p>VH, true - we are ALL only human after all!! No one plans on getting injured - Just slowly get back up on the horse ! </p>
<p>VeryHappy- that sounds awful. I’m glad you are through the worst of it and ready to start up again at the gym.</p>
<p>Today was terrible. I truly could barely walk, and of course EVERY SINGLE PERSON at work who saw me trying to move around had to ask me about it (not that I blame them) and be upset about my streak FOR me. I think I may have finally gotten it settled down enough now that I’m home so that I can at least move around the house. Going to try the elliptical was not an issue, since I was afraid to try to even walk into the gym. I can walk if I grab my glutes or dig my hand into my lower back. Otherwise, not so much.
The streak was really the only thing I had going for me with my running these days and it’s going to be a real blow to say goodbye to it. I was totally accepting of the fact that it would have to end one day and was very rational about that- until it is actually happening. Now I feel like I’ll never run again and never want to run another race. Of course, I just ordered some new Altra shoes that aren’t even here yet! And Brooks sent me some really cool new shorts.<br>
It especially helps (not) that I had a massive dinner last night (Cajun food- family style with 2 desserts and 2 beers) with my husband’s bike group. It’s pretty amazing that my athletic friends do nothing but eat. I guess I come by it honestly. My weight this morning was at a 2 year high, after being at a year low last Monday. Funny thing about not being able to exercise… It has to be done with food, anyway- I know that. I just don’t do it. Everywhere I turn there is a social event with more and better food and drink than the one the previous day, it seems. </p>
<p>Feeling the pain for both of you, MoWC and VeryHappy 
I hope tomorrow brings you better.</p>
<p>I went to the gym with S2 this afternoon for a treadmill warm-up (mixed running and walking) and followed up with some upper body weights. S and I took a stroll this evening when it started to cool off.</p>
<p>Aw, man… it’s the walkin’ wounded, huh?</p>
<p>VP:
It hurts just reading about your bad back. Those things will bring you to your knees, literally. It’s amazing how you can be scared to even move. Hope it’s on the mend.</p>
<p>MOWC:
Aaargh. I know that it’s killing you to be out of commission. None of us can match your record of 960 days in a row. I am definitely not worthy! ^:)^ </p>
<p>I know it the last thing you want to hear, but letting go of the streak is probably the best thing that could happen to your healthy and fitness. I bet that in the not too distant future you’ll look back on it as the thing that made running fun again!</p>
<p>Not that I’m complaining, but the weatherman sucker punched me today. Forecast was for mid 60s and mostly sunny. Best day of the week, so I took off for my weekly hike. 20 minutes in, I had to stop and don a hoodie. 50 degrees, gray skies, brisk wind, and spits of rain. The rain mostly stayed away, but it was raw. I was “this close” to going for the gloves. </p>
<p>Nice solid workout. 5.5 miles with a total elevation gain of about 1800 feet up and over two small mountains with views of Squam Lake (“On Golden Pond”). Some pretty nasty little rock scrambles. Not scary scrambles, just climbing up through jumbled rock falls.</p>
<p>Just back from a two-week vacation, and I spent an hour or so catching up on this thread. More important than unpacking.</p>
<p>Teri: Hope for a fast recovery
VeryHappy: Take care of yourself.
Dad II: congrats on the marathon.
MoWC: My daughter was practically paralyzed by a problem with her piriformis muscle. It hit her out of the blue, she couldn’t get out of bed. Still bothers her, three years later. I don’t think the PT did needling. I’ve had sporadic problems with my sciatic nerve, but this sounds just horrible. I am sending healing vibes to you, and sympathies about your streak ending, but getting better seems more important than keeping the streak alive.</p>
<p>This was a jam-packed sight-seeing vacation – no time for running or weights, but I walked miles and miles every day, and did two half-day bike tours. We were in an Asian country, where the portions are small and much of the food is not to my liking (not to mention my spastic use of chopsticks) – so despite eating tons of rice, I lost weight. I didn’t mean to. One of the striking things about travel in Asia is the slimness of the people. It’s quite a shock when I returned to a US airport and saw all the obese Americans walking around. It’s hard not to see the difference. (One major difference is plate size: all of our meals were served on teeny tiny plates.)</p>
<p>Ran 3+ miles today, and felt great.</p>
<p>That Mio is in the mail.</p>
<p>I saw an article about Fed Up (the movie) while on vacation, and immediately thought of this thread.</p>
<p>There’s a race on June 1 I want to do. Debating whether to sign up for the 5K or 10K. </p>
<p>Hoping the jet lag doesn’t last too long.</p>
<p>MOfWC, that REALLY sucks. Take care of yourself. Screw anyone who says that a 960-day streak is not impressive.</p>
<p>Ran 2 miles (1 inch heeled Chanel flats, tights, pencil skirt, and cotton blouse) through the downtown today trying not to miss the bus with a very limited schedule. I think this is my exercise for today. I’m shocked that my body is not that sore after the yesterday’s run which was followed by a 3-hour weed digging session.</p>
<p>Cardio and weights for me this morning – plus back out to the never-ending yard work. As much as I don’t enjoy the weeding, etc. the weather is spectacular – sunny and warm, but not scorching and humid. And the bugs are still almost non-existant.</p>
<p>fireandrain – your comment about being struck by the sight of so many overweight Americans in the airport reminds me of D’s comments when she arrived back in the US from her semester abroad. She had been in India, China, & South Africa for 4 months. She was totally overwhelmed when she walked into the airport in DC.(That whole experience put her on her current career path.)</p>
<p>I am very</p>
<p>^^^Yes??</p>
<p>Thank you all for your good wishes. I did go to the gym and did some very mild stuff and now my lower back is quite achy. So maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all. I’ve never had a problem like this, ever. And now I realize how physical almost everything I do is. I am not happy. </p>
<p>MOWC: All good things must come to an end. You will not gain a ton of weight – probably just a pound or two. Heal yourself, and then you can do other amazing things.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Did she do one of the IHP programs?</p>
<p>India and China are both seeing diabetes rates skyrocket at epidemic rates.</p>
<p>Baby kiddo, our future MPH, thinks that rising rates of obesity and heart disease in countries where these diseases were never considered to be a problem would be a good topic for her research. </p>
<p>Finished The Big Fat Surprise. Gotta go back through it again and click through the massive number of links to the studies cited.</p>
<p>One of the most eye-opening things to me was just how extreme the nutrition recommends are. For example, the American Heart Association is essentially recommending a near-vegan diet for every man, woman, and child:</p>
<p><a href=“American Heart Association | To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives”>American Heart Association | To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives;
<p>
</p>
<p>To put the 13 gram recommendation into context:</p>
<p>If I have two eggs scrambled in 1 pat of butter for breakfast and put 1 ounce of blue cheese on my dinner salad, I am over the limit for the day by 2 grams. Two scrambled eggs and 1 ounce of cheese and, according the the AHA, I can have no dairy, no meat, no fish, no nuts, no tropical oils, nothing. That’s an extreme diet. Virtually no population in the history of mankind has eaten a diet that low in saturated fat. There’s virtually no research that suggests a health benefit of such extreme low levels of saturated fat. Yet, this the extreme diet currently recommended by the American Heart Association. Not for people recovering from a massive coronary. For everyone…</p>
<p>Yes, following the AHA diet is not easy, and probably not doable for even the majority of people who’ve had massive coronary events! Thank goodness there are other cardiologists chiming in on what really works. Like Dr. Stephen Sinatra. This came across my FB page today: . <a href=“Is a Low-Fat Diet Good for Your Heart? - Dr. Sinatra's HeartMD Institute”>http://www.heartmdinstitute.com/video-library/web-shows/myth-buster-series/412-eat-a-low-fat-diet</a>. I was able to order The Big Fat Surprise from the library. Woohoo. Can’t wait to see it.</p>
<p>Easy day today at the gym. I walked on an incline for 25 minutes, did some leg and body weight resistance exercises.</p>
<p>Wondering about MoWC. I’ve been so inspired by your dedication to fitness! </p>
<p>If you think low cholesterol diet is unattainable, try the low salt diet. Equally unattainable. </p>
<p>“If I have two eggs scrambled in 1 pat of butter for breakfast and put 1 ounce of blue cheese on my dinner salad, I am over the limit for the day by 2 grams”</p>
<p>Silly idad! Eggs are bad for ya. You should eat a low fat muffin loaded with sugar for breakfast. Or sugary corn products from boxes with cartoon characters. That’s healthy! ;)</p>
<p>Thanks. I feel like I’ve completely lost all conditioning and fitness. I’m in total withdrawal. I basically can’t do anything at all until this nerve stops impinging. I can walk better today- but not at all pain free. I took a screenshot of my streak page on runningahead so I have it memorialized, since it will never happen again. 960 days. I think it would be stupid to try the elliptical since it still hurts so much to walk, and it looks like the pool is tied up with swim team practice after work. Discouraged is an understatement. I’ve dialed back the eating- but not enough. It’s been a week since I ran (not counting the streak miles since last Tuesday). I had the one 1000 yard swim which was apparently pretty worthless since I didn’t even get sore. </p>
<p>When I got I got injured and could not run with the stupid painful knee, I felt exactly like you did. As soon as I straightened out that issue, the crazy BP spike happened… I involuntarily learned that dialing down on activities was a good thing for my body, but boy… mentally it is so hard to do so! I wonder if a steroid shot or an oral course would help a bit in your case, MOfWC? Maybe you should see a pain doc (I went to see a pain specialist when I wrecked my back, and he was super helpful).</p>
<p>I trust the PT (he treats many of the top runners/triathletes here) pretty much. He’ll tell me if he thinks I need to see a doctor. I’m hoping he can manipulate the muscle (and do the stupid needles) and it will release. In 2010-11 when I went through all the upper hamstring tendinopathy stuff I had those epidural steroid shots and I’m not in a hurry to do that again. The PT didn’t think this injury was very bad- and it wasn’t last Wednesday. Hopefully he can get it back to where it was and then I can improve. In the meantime I’ll just whine. I have 2 good orthopedists- one is a surgeon and one is not. Both are good diagnosticians. </p>
<p>^ Apparently Botox is an effective treatment for this. </p>