So I kind of forgot that I have a blog. But realizing I have one isn’t like the “oh cool, I have a cabin in the woods that I haven’t been to in years” kind of thing to remember. Also, it’s not quite as bad as “oh my God, I forgot I had a kitten when I sat down on my couch just now”. No, it’s more of an “Ah, fuck. I forgot I had a house plant and now it’s dead” kind of thing to remember.
Just add water.
You know how I said I was inspired to do a triathlon? Well, I do. I bought a bike, I bought those five toed running shoes, and I bought a wet suit. I also made a spreadsheet to track my progress.
Actually, Imma step back for a second and explain why training for a triathlon is a big-ish deal for me. See, years ago (like 2004) I was in a foot race with a friend of mine named Luke. Luke just got back from basic and thought he was hot shit. So I took him to school. But, while I was learning him a lesson, I learned myself one too. During our 40 yard dash I felt something pull in my knee, and then I kept right on going (to widen my margin of victory). Since that day, I’ve had illio-tibial band syndrome (or ITBS for short). In case you’re wondering, the IT band connects the outside of your knee to the outside of your butt. And ITBS is when that band rubs over other parts of your knee. It feels a little like someone is spinning a drill bit into the joint every time you take a step. When I wanted to hike, run, walk, bike, or do any kind of physical activity for more than just a few minutes at a time, the ITBS would flare up and I would have to stop. The solution was 45 minutes of stretching before the activity, carrying a knee brace around with me at all times, and not being surprised when I had to take a stretch break every half hour. It sucked big time. Big time.
TL;DR I’ve had a bum wheel for years
And then black magic a miracle happened. I bought those five toed running shoes that I mentioned earlier and then returned them almost immediately (that wasn’t the miracle). I returned them because they say you have to build up the muscles in your feet to compensate for the lack of support from the shoes. But I guess it fosters a more natural footfall. And I guess I’m way too lazy to do that. So the shoes I got instead help with “pronation” (which is when your feet tend to roll inward). What the hell, worth a shot, right? I take the shoes home, can’t find my brace, and start running on a treadmill anyhow. I figure I’ll stop in a like 3 minutes or whenever the knee starts to hurt. And do you know what happened next? I ran for two and a half MILES (miracle). And then I ran the next day for three MILES (miracle). And the day after that I biked for 20 MILES (miracle). Overnight, my seven year ailment is completely gone. Not a trace, not a hint, not a twinge; not even the memory of pain in my knee.
TL;DR new shoes fixed it
Watch out, fother muckers, I’ve got some miles to make up.
So I’ve been tracking my progress. I’ve got columns for running, biking, swimming, walking, hiking, and lifting. But I’m so enamored with just the idea of being able to run that running has been my focus. I came damn near to running a hundred miles last month.
And here’s another nifty little side effect of the running: I lost like 10 lbs and two percent body fat. How cool is that shit? That shit is cool.
More on that as it develops.
Here's a picture of Captain Jack Sparrow
