Aches and Pains

I have a few aches and pains this morning. Usually I would take a few ibuprofen and ignore the aches. After reading a couple of online articles about kidney failure and running and the association with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, I have decided to stop taking them. I worked as a dialysis nurse and kidney failure is no place I ever want to be.

For today I'm trying a different training schedule. I'm going to run my first complete mile then break, drink a cup of coffee then I'm going to run again to add to today's distance. I plan to do that twice. By then the temperatures will be too high to enjoy running. I have noticed that the humidity decreases as the temperature increases so one element of the weather might actually offset the other.

Okay, managed to run 2 miles straight on my second trip out. Now, can I do that again after this next coffee break? Maybe, but I'll take whatever I can get, one more mile would break a record for me. Okay, I ran one more mile. It's 9:30AM and the temperature is 72 degrees and the humidity is 84%. Should I try for one more mile? I'm going to finish this cup of coffee and give it a try.

I made it! I ran one more mile non-stop and I finished off with 1.2 miles in walking so that I covered the distance in training for a 10K. I hope to accomplish several things over the next several weeks. One is to decrease the amount of time it takes for me to run one mile. Two, I want to begin consistently running 3 miles non-stop and three, at least once a week I want to cover the distance of a 10K, which a 10K is 6.2 miles. When training for the 10K I can walk it or run it, do it in segments or break it up, the point will be to train for that distance.

Ran 1 mile
break
Ran 2 miles
break
Ran 1 mile
break
Ran 1 mile
Walked 1.2 miles.
Total segmented mileage 6.2 miles
Afternoon walk 1.2
Total miles for the day: 7.4

A neighbor came by and ask me to walk with her. That added one more mile to my total.

Note: there is additional walking time because I warm up with a walk and I cool down with a walk. I've taken my blood pressure when I took a break and each time it was very good. When I checked my blood pressure first thing this morning it was 169/82, pulse 62. The last blood pressure reading was 120/69; pulse: 82, so I am recovering in a timely fashion and the running is bringing down my high awakening BP and keeping it down.

During the last mile, which was walking, I noticed some tightness in my hands and minor swelling, so I walked with my arms in the air for some of the time. I did trade one set of aches and pains for another set because I can tell from my joints that I pushed myself today. I hope I can begin doing this kind of training at least once a week.

I've been inspired by watching celebrities talking about the open heart surgery they've had. They have this open heart surgery, but then they must change their lifestyle in order to reap permanant benefits of surgery. If the body can survive having the chest cracked open and all the blood vessels and flow disrupted then I think my body should be able to survive the rigors of training for the "run". I hope this change in my lifestyle will prevent me from ever having to undergo that kind of severe trama!

A couple of articles on preventing or reversing heart disease by lifestyle changes:
Can Heart Disease be Reversed?
Medscape - Can be Reversed by Diet