Running Alternative

No run again today, but I am going to try to get some activity.  I'm going out dancing tonight to get some cardio. Hopefully, my Achilles tendon won't start aching again.  I have very limited alternatives to running, as I lack the equipment or current gym membership.

What to do?

I was a little sore from yesterday's landscaping job, especially in the hands.  I should have trained today, but I'm worried about my ankle. My old bike broke yesterday, and I don't have regular access to a pool.  I'm trying to take it easy, so not to injure myself right before the race.  I'm so used to being very active, that I am not liking all this sitting around.

Broken Spoke

With my Achilles tendon hurting during running, I don't want to go for  run until the race.  I dusted off my old mountain bike and pumped up the tires.  Unfortunately, the chain derailed of the rear tire, and locked up the wheel.  The tire locked up and the chain was wedged between the spokes and the gears.  When I tried to remove it,  few spokes broke.  I don't want to invest more money in this old bike, so biking may not be an option.  It's not an option today, anyway.  I called it quits because the sun is going down earlier.  I did get plenty of activity doing 8.5 hours of landscaping, today, and that will count as my training.

Back to Strength Training

While I can't do much with these ankles, I can get back into building up some muscle.  Although I am working as a day laborer tomorrow, I think I'm strong enough to workout tonight.  I'm gauging this by how I have recently felt the day after working out.

Today I did the following:

• 25, 25, and 30 reps of push-ups
• 20, 20, and 25 reps bicep curls with 20lb weights, at a slow pace
• 15 15 and 20 overhead dumbbell press instead of lateral dumbbell raises, I alternate between these 
• 30, 40, and 50 reps of sit-ups

Ice Cold, While Overheating

I did four miles tonight.  It was 80°F while I was running, and that was not fun.  I can't imagine how people run in the heat.  I guess it must be something you have to get used to, like running at altitude.  I'm much more accustomed to running in cool and often windy weather.

During the first mile, my Achilles tendon on my right foot was killing me.  I stuck to a very slow jog, out of fear that I was injured and may make it worse.  After the first mile, it started to feel a little better, so I pressed on carefully.  I barely picked up my pace, because it would kill me to have to miss out on the race from injury.  I also noticed the pain in my left foot coming back, but not in a sharp way.  It was more of an aching of the tendons in the top of my foot, between the second and fourth toes.  Because of these pains, and how my feet have felt since last Thursday's big run, I decided I should soak my feet in ice water for 10 minutes.  When I found that I didn't have enough ice, I through some frozen cold packs into the bucket.  Not only did that help the water line come up, it also made the water almost unbearable.  My feet did feel better afterwards, so I think I'm going to start doing this every time I run.  My biggest fear is that consistent running will lead to shot knees and ankles by the time I'm 40.
According to Achilles Tendon, footwear with extra cushioning under the heal can help an injured Achilles tendon, by decreasing the amount the tendon stretches and limiting the calf muscles' range of motion during strides.  This is a temporary fix, and should not be continued after the tendon is healed.  I do have some shoes with a high heel, and I plan to wear them throughout the day, instead of my VFFs, for the next few days.
I also took some glucosamine today.  I'm hoping it will help my joints, although supplements have recently come under fire.  First they were good for you, now they are said to be ineffective.  What if they are wrong in them being ineffective? They are cheap, so I'm going to keep taking them.  If they don't actually do anything for me, I will just urinate them out with no harm done.  Also, I'm going to take a dose ibuprofen to help with any swelling in my joints, and potassium, eaten as bananas, for the soreness.

Joint Issues

My ankles are worse after the short run yesterday, so today is a day off.  I loaded up on potassium for any soreness and bought joint supplements.  I know supplements have come into fire in recent days, but there's no harm done if I just urinate them out of me.  If future evidence show that the recent findings on absorption are incorrect, then I'm helping my joints.  If they hold to be true, and I am not really absorbing the glucosamine and my daily Centrum multivitamin that I take, then I have only pissed away a total of $36.50 a year.

Two Really Hot Miles

After what I thought was sufficient time off, after the big run last Thursday, I did two miles in the heat.  I don't know if it was from being tired, the heat, or a combination of the two, but it was hard today.  I had set out to do four, but had to call it quits after only two miles.  My feet are still sore from the big run, and now I'm getting a little worried.  It's not just that they are sore, there is pain in between my ankles.  I loaded up on ibuprofen, and took it easy the rest of the night.