JJSB RunDate 15325: Jimmy just completed a run = Jimmy just took his medicine

Most of you who have read this blog are aware that I use a phone app called Runkeeper when I run.  There is an option to post the run results to Facebook which I often (but not always) do.  I sometimes am concerned that these posts seem conceited and are annoying to my Facebook friends and I stop sharing as often.  However, every time I back off, I have people ask me why I'm not running as much.  When I say that I am but am just not posting the runs to Facebook, they tell me that they like to see my runs posted along with the little maps that accompany them.  Some people tell me that they are inspired by them, even those who don't run themselves.  Other runners use them as a challenge to go faster (not that difficult) and/or further (a little more difficult) than me.  I know there are also a few people who care about me enough to know that, when I'm regularly running, I'm in a better place mentally and emotionally.

For those of you who are friends on Facebook (which probably includes everyone who will read this), I have another reason for you to be thankful when you see my Runkeeper posts: It means that I've "taken my medicine".

Way back in January of this year, I stopped taking the medication that I had been taking every day for roughly 9 years.  It was anti-anxiety medicine and a set of circumstances caused me to just be fed up with taking it.  I decided that I was done.

Now, instead of taking a pill every morning that mutes all of the amplified stimuli that I feel every day, I remain aware of when I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by said stimuli and I go for a run.  The anti-anxiety medicine did little to relieve the bouts of depression that I encountered and will likely continue to encounter for the remainder of my time on this earth; However, the running helps tremendously with this.  When I begin to feel hopeless, overwhelmed with sadness or keyed up, I choose to run.  And it helps.  Sometimes more than others, but it always helps.

So, when you see my Runkeeper posts on Facebook, please think, "Jimmy took his medicine.  Jimmy is going to be Okay."  Feel free to even post things like, "You took your medicine!  Good job!" or "I'm glad to see that you're taking your medicine." or "Thank God you are still taking your medicine!"


As I continue to list a "Song of the Run" from my current top 20 bands, I give you a band that has been a favorite since around 2007 called The Editors.

Here is their song, "Phonebook"  My favorite from their album The Weight of Your Love

"Sing me a love song

from your heart or from the phonebook

It don't matter to me

I'm an apple, you're the tree

I won't fall when you're shook"

JJSB Rundate 15316: The Curse of Smithville Lake?

What I am now referring to as "The Curse of Smithville Lake," continues.
There is a paved running trail that goes around the lake and I've run this trail exactly three times in the last 3 years.

The first time was in late September of 2012 when I chose this location for a 20 mile run on a Saturday morning. This involved running the 8 mile trail, turning onto a highway, going across a bridge and then after hitting the 10 mile mark, turning around and going back.  The first 13-14 miles of the run went pretty well but then my running app lost connection, I lost track of how many miles I had left and the temperature warmed considerably. Because of all this, I had trouble with pacing and the last 6 miles of the run were horrible.

The second time was in early November of 2013 when I attempted another 20 mile run in an effort to redeem my Smithville Lake experience.  This run also began very well.  The temperature was warm but not hot and the forecast was good.  Unfortunately, during the last 8 miles of the run, the sky became overcast, the temperature dropped, the wind kicked up and it began to rain.  The last several miles were tortuous as I ran in a cold rain, wearing a sleeveless running shirt while a cold wind blew on me off of the lake.

Not wanting to be defeated, this weekend, I decided to once again try to redeem the experience.  The weather was perfect with temps in the 50's, clear skies and a nice cool breeze blowing.  I was planning on  running only 14 miles this time which was a considerably shorter distance so I was quite optimistic about this run.

  I woke up with a little bit of a sore lower back.  I'm not sure why because I couldn't remember doing anything that might have caused this.  It's happened a few times before, so I just did some exercises to get my back muscles stretched out and then my wife and I headed out to the lake.  The area we chose to park in was not the usual area where I park and so we had to walk about 75 yards through a mowed field to get to the trail.

When I reached the trail and began to run, each step sent a jolt of severe pain all through my lower back and after about 20 steps, I had to stop.  My wife was several feet in front of me and I said aloud, "I don't think I can do this", but she had headphones in and didn't hear me.  

I dropped to the trail and laid on my back, stretching and extending my body as much as possible while hoping that nobody would come racing around the corner on a bicycle and run me over.  After a minute or so, I tried to get up and my back muscles cramped up, driving me back down.  I laid there for a couple more minutes and then decided I would see if I could make it back to the car which my back seemed to be insisting would not be a possibility.  As my back screamed in protest, I managed to turn over and get to my knees.  I kept trying to get up but every time I managed to get to my feet, I couldn't straighten up all the way and remained bent over at the waist.  Finally, in exasperation, I put my hand in the middle of my lower back for support and was able to straighten up.  I then took a few steps and thought, maybe if I straighten up and arch my back as much as possible, I could try jogging again.  I gave it a try and went a few steps and, although it was painful, I felt like I might be able to power through it.  I decided I might be able to do a few miles and avoid the journey being a total waste of time, so I just kept going and I ended up going the entire 14 miles.  The first several miles, I would run for 3 and a half minutes and then walk for 30 seconds while stretching and raising my hands as far as I could above my head.  The pain was constant but I sort of tuned it out the further I went and eventually it became a dull background sensation.

After the run, I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon/evening in bed.  My back hurt so much that I could barely change positions and couldn't get comfortable in any position.  

I wonder if running the 14 miles was a good or bad idea in light of the issues I was having with my back.  I'm still not sure.  I suppose I did the run because I stubbornly didn't want the Smithville Lake Trail to "beat" me and "defeat" me.

My running experiences at Smithville Lake truly do seem to be cursed.

I'm also now considering whether or not I will actually continue my current running schedule which has me working my way up to 26 miles sometime in February our March.  I'm just not sure at this point.  The idea of spending 3-4 hours out on a run in sub-freezing temperatures at times does not seem wise.  We'll see...

NO SONG OF THE RUN for this one.

Because of my back issues, I decided to run with no music and just lose myself in nature.  I had planned to listen to music the last few miles, but just never ended up putting it on so, for the first time in a long time, I ran the complete distance in silence.

Until next time.  Hopefully, I'll have a more positive experience/message to share in my next post.