Between Trips Check in

I’m back from the Jamboree and head out to Phoenix on Sunday.  The Jamboree was AWESOME!  Most of my time was spent between our onsite tick pathogen testing lab and assisting the installations pest control division with complaints (mainly yellow jackets, wasps,  and hornets).  The days were long, hot, and tiring, not leaving much energy for running.  Alas, I still haven’t returned to a normal schedule.  Here are a few pics from the jamboree.

My daily obstacle course.  It took forever driving anywhere.

Patch trading is a BIG thing with the scouts

 

Scouts having fun on the lake (The whole reason we were there!)

The awesome pest management team.  Most of the soldiers were reservists and they did a hell of a good job.

The pest group with our equipment.  It was fun driving the off road vehicles around.

Mass vespid carnage!  With yellow jackets, we removed the nests instead of just spraying them.       

 

Digging out a yellow jacket nest.  You can’t tell but they were flying all around me and nope, I didn’t get stung once!

This was one huge hole, nearly 4 feet down to get the nest.

On the health front, My last day I came down with a bad cold.  I’ve been fighting it off and trying to recover since then.  Mostly better but tired.  My feet are still bothering me.  I haven’t been incapacitated again, but dull pain continues to bother me.  it seems like it’s deeper in the joints than before.  I don’t know if that’s a good sign or not.  Right now, both big toes are sore and I’m unsure about this next week.  I have a 10K to run a week from now and hopefully I’ll be able to get rid of this pain by then.  I’ve returned to daily use of the NSAIDs to try and push it off.  Once I’m back from phoenix, I will be consulting a podiatrist regarding the best medicine for my gout and going to stick with it.  I think it’s time to give up on the alternative methods and go with the prescription meds. 

I’m looking forward to this week.  The conference isn’t packed full of relevant stuff for me, it’s mostly for military doctors, so I should have some free time to relax and do some things around the city.  A few of my coworkers (Army Captains) and I talked about doing some early morning runs this week.  I really hope I can do them!  

I hope everyone in the Blog O’ Sphere are doing great.  I plan to catch up on everyone this week as I’ll have my laptop with me. 

Catch ya later!

Finally Broke the Streak

Last night I finally was able to get a run in.  Be it only 2.6 miles, but it felt great!  My foot was feeling mostly better on Saturday and I planned to hit the NCR Trail on Sunday, but woke up to a rough case of diarrhea so there was no way I was heading out with that kind of issue.  Since it had been two weeks since my last run I figured I'd better take it slow and easy.  Fala-Bala our little dog came along for the ride.  In the past she's done great on runs, but not this time.  Before I got home, while Paige was walking her she had a run in with a neighbor dog and it must have scared her.  She was jumpy!  Then, about 1 mile in, we came across a man walking some sort of lab mix.  The dog wasn't aggressive but was wanting to sniff her. Boy, did she flip out.  I ended up having to pick her up by the leash.  After that, it was down hill.  She jumped at every car, person, or sound that came along.  As for me, the run wasn't bad.  I did a 2/1 run/walk at a slow pace.  Well, it started out slow but as soon as Fala realized we were headed back home, she did not want to stop. The run went well, and I felt great afterward. And the best part was no relapse on the inflammation!  

So now it's time to resume our regularly scheduled program!

EDIT:  I just registered for a 10K on August 15th.  This will be the day after I return from Phoenix.  More of an incentive to run the next two weeks.

Three Things Thursday

1.  My wife was given two tickets to tonight's Oriole's game.  She has to work tomorrow but I'm off.  Guess who's hitting the ballpark?  That's right!  Paige and I are going.  It's been awhile since we had a "date".  We used to do it about monthly.  We started it when Connor was born so that she didn't feel left out with a new baby in the house.  It will be her first baseball game and my first Orioles.




Oh, the best part is they are awesome seats.  3rd row right by 3rd base!

2.  I woke up this morning around 4:00 with my toe throbbing.  Damn this gout!  I'm having to get my runs in mentally, and boy have I been doing awesome!  Today I completed 6 miles in under one hour.  It was a tough workout (for my brain), and afterward I had a good cup of green tea.  If only my real runs were so good!

3.  Tomorrow is the kids and me day.  Since I'm off, and about to head on two work trips back to back I'm doing something special with them.  What that is I don't know.  Maybe we'll hit the park for a picnic.

Not in the Clear Yet.

Yesterday I had thought I was done with this flare up but alas, it just moved locations.  What was pain on the top/side of my right big toe has now moved to the bottom of it.  That's the trouble with gout, you think it's going away, then it reaches up and bites you in the ass again, just to let you know who's in charge.  So another few runless days and hopefully it'll clear out.  After this episode I'm going to have to talk with my Dr. about going on the meds.  For the last year or so I've been using alternative methods to manage it and they've worked ok, but it looks like they're no cutting it.  I'm not fond of going on another prescription.  I'm already on blood pressure medicine and it's looking like the dosage is going to need to be increase (I thought getting in shape was supposed to help lower it!).  I can't start them in the middle of a flare up as it can make them worse.  Man is my body out to get me lately!

I still haven't forgotten about reviewing the Run/Walk/Run method.  I've been giving it a lot of thought and will have a through review soon.

My Body Hate Me! But I Don't Care!

I've been sidelined from running for over a week now. Gout flared its ugly head again.  A full on attack.  I haven't had one of those in a long time.  For the most part I've had my gout problem under control.  Small twinges here and there but a good dose of NSAIDs and it's gone the next day.  Not this time.  It came on slow but hit me pretty hard.  Not incapacitatingly hard, but hard enough that I haven't been able to run since my race last Sunday.  After a ton of ibuprofen, naproxen, and indomethecin, it's feeling much better.  Still a little bit sore but just barely.  Tonight I'm going to attempt a 3 mile run.  Wish me luck!

Sometimes I feel like my body just does not want me to be a runner.  Last week was one of those times.  But DAMMIT! I'm not listening!  So I've been patiently waiting for the pain to subside, then I'll be back out there pounding pavement with the rest of you. 

In ten days I will be heading to the Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree.  My mentor and I are splitting the mission and I get the second half.  It's going to be a busy, stinky, hot, teenager filled week.  They are having a 5K run one of the mornings.  I'm looking forward to that.  After I'm done, I'll come home for two days then fly out to Phoenix for a week long conference.  It should be a great time.  My sister lives there so I get to hang out with her some. 

When I get back from the conference it's time to start my Army Ten Miler training.    Until then, I'm going to run when I can, just enjoy it.  Come August 15th, I'll be "bringing it!"