Monday, January 4, 2010

Week Four, Day One: 40 min Run + 40 min Swim 30 min Trainer

Today is the start of the 4th week of my 1/2 IM Training program.  I was supposed to do a 40 minute swim and a 40 minute run.  Last night when I went to sleep with a bag of ice on my left knee I knew the run was not going to happen!  When I woke up today and both my knees were throbbing I didn't think anything was going to happen.  Well, I got home from work about 4pm and my Quintana Roo was sitting on the indoor trainer looking at me all sad from being ignored and I had to give it a try!




So, I tossed on the lycra shorts with a huge pad in the crotch and jumped on the bike.  My first goal was to just get some training in.  My second goal was to hopefully loosen up my knees some. Both were accomplished because I rode for an easy 30 minutes.  It was only 8 miles (16mph avg) but my legs immediately felt better.  I took a quick shower and then sat down on the couch and iced the knees again.  I am going to try to both run and swim tomorrow.

Over the last week when I was sick I was doing some reading up on vitamins to take for joint soreness and have since started taking Glucosamine.  Supposedly Glucosamine helps with strengthening cartilage and lubricating joints, in particular the knees.  So, I figure why not give it a try?  I have also started taking Fish Oil.  Fish Oil is loaded with Omega-3 Fatty Acids which has compelling evidence in favor of preventing cardiovascular disease.  Another benefit is that Fish Oil helps reduce inflammation in muscles and bone ... aka - arthritis!  Well, I have a bunch on inflammation going on in my legs and with all the broken bones I have had the Fish Oil seems like something I should not be lacking!

Sidebar ....
I am watching "Field of Dreams" right now.  This is one of my favorite sports movies of all time (Disclosure: I am a HUGE baseball fan and stat geek). Anytime I come across it randomly being aired I have to watch even though I own the DVD.  I have probably seen this movie 50 times and yet still enjoy every viewing.  The scene at the end when Ray (Kevin Costner) and his father, "Hey Da...ad,  wanna have a catch .." just gets me every single time.  That scene combined with the mysticism and history of baseball makes, in my opinion, just a perfect film.
..... End Sidebar.


Tomorrow is a 40 minute run and a 40 minute swim.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

6 comments:

  1. Good decision on subing in the trainer for the running. Just reading about you knees make me cringe. I know the feeling all too well. I still have a dull pain in my knees. I need to try so glucosamine to see if that will help me with my knee problem.

    Anyway, take care of the knee.

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  2. ..."No Ray, it was you".

    Speaking of Field of Dreams, did you ever see ESPN's Baseball Tonite satirical commercial of this several years ago? Harold Reynolds played James Earl Jones, Peter Gammons played Ray's wife or daughter..I can't remember, but it was absolutely hilarious.

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  3. Jeff, have you had a chance to see Blindside?

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  4. Boomer - I think the glucosamine might be helping. My joints all feel a little more loose? Could be a placebo effect in my mind but whatever works!

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  5. Steve ... I loved those baseball tonight commercials. Gammons was the wife if I remember correctly ... hysterical! They had a Bull Durham one and some one was Susan Sarandon .. can't remember who ... it may have been Gammons too.

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  6. Boomer- haven't seen the Blindside yet. Everyone says it is very good. My wife keeps talking about it ... she loves those "based on a true story" sports movies ..... did you like it?

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