Marshall Ramsey

Goal weight: 185 lbs.

I’ve been running a long time now. Not just exercise but in life: Two jobs, freelance projects, family — my plate has been full of blessings. I’ve also had to deal with anger and disappointment, too.  Swallowing that has caused me a lot of pain.  It’s something I wish I was better at.  My body has paid a price.  Exercise and diet have helped me plow through much of it. But I’m still having some problems.

My reflux continues to burn out of the control and I’ll be going to the doctor soon for some tests.  I had an upper GI a couple of years ago and it was determined my excess acid production was because of stress.  Life is much more stressful now. I pray I get good news this time around.

Right now I’m treating the symptoms. But it’s time to take a hard look at the cause(s).

I did run this morning. The cool weather was a seductive siren song that called me out to the streets. The stars were brilliant as I chugged through the neighborhood.  I finished the run at 4.25 miles and took in several deep breaths. I felt more alive than ever.

Goal weight: 185 lbs.

Would you like to know the honest truth? I didn’t want to run this morning. Nope. Not at all. My bed felt good. The sheets were nice and warm and the air in the room was cool. And I was tired. I finished up a book project yesterday and I’ll be very, very honest with you — I’m flat exhausted. But I haven’t run that much since last Wednesday (due to an injury) and didn’t want to lose too much fitness. Add to that, it was cool and not humid. A cool August morning in Mississippi is as rare as a flying penguin.  I struck while the iron was not hot.

My feet hit the floor and I put on my running gear. I stretched while I waited for my GPS watch to find the satellites and thought about how far I’d go.  If my hip injury hurt, I’d limit it three miles. If it felt fine, I’d go for five.  I ended up running 5.20 miles.

My legs felt great. It is amazing what a little rest can do for your body. I didn’t seem to lose much fitness and my heart rate stayed in the 140-155 range (down since the weather was cooler.)  It was dark with no moon and a light blanket of ground fog covering the grass. I listed to Seth Godin in one ear and the bugs sing me a song with the other (I usually only run with one ear phone so I can hear traffic).

I was a good run. A strong run.  A run I needed to burn off toxic stress building up inside of me. I got home, took my shirt off and looked at the pink lines that dot my body.  Like photos stuck on the family refrigerator, they are my memories of some of the challenges I’ve faced.  I have a scar on my head from when I hit the fireplace as a child. I have a scar on my back from where I was bitten by a dog. I have a couple of scars on my left knee where I fell and the pavement carved me like a turkey.  I have numerous scars from my malignant melanoma and other moles that were removed.  They were all little pink reminders of how I recovered from life’s little traumas along the way.

I’ll be honest, it didn’t take much courage to survive those traumas. But it took a lot of courage to recover.  Getting past my desire to be “safe,” to get back in the saddle after I fell off of life’s horse — well, that took courage.

I rubbed my main melanoma scar, smiled and thought how fortunate I truly am.  I then hit the shower and began my day.  Today was five more miles run on my road to recovery.

Goal Weight: 185 lbs.

Haven’t run in a few days. Haven’t done anything (in the way of exercise) since last Wednesday.  And I haven’t been sane since.

I always freak out when I get injured. But in all honesty, I had it coming.  I was pushing my old body harder and resting less. I rushed my stretching just to get out on the street in time.  My body was worn out. And it struck back.

I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but I think I pulled a muscle at the top of my leg.  I ran a really fast run on Tuesday and it didn’t feel right all day after that. I ran a short run Wednesday and the pain was much worse. It was like a groin pull on the front of my leg.  Pain throbbed a dull ache and I didn’t want to keep aggravating an injury. Add to it that I was nearly exhausted from a project I’ve been working on — well, let’s just say, I needed some sleep this weekend.

And I nearly went nuts the whole time I was resting. I must need the endorphins.  I feared that I would gain all 50 of the pounds I’ve lost in four days.

I’m still not 100%. I plan on cross training on my spin bike this week to strengthen the area.  I will stretch more and run less.  This morning, I ran 3.25 miles — still a decent day’s run but not the usual five that I do in the morning.

Remember, when you have an injury, rest and ice are your friends. Ibuprofen helps with reducing inflammation. And time to heal is a must. Especially when you’re an old fart like me.

Just remember, being fit is a lifetime marathon, not a one-week sprint. Repeating that over and over has helped me from going nuts over the past four days.