Frustrating Aches

Old people ache. Fat people ache. Sedentary people ache.

Fat, sedentary, old men who start running ache a lot.

Here's a brief survey of the gremlin's work on my slowly improving frame.

ANKLES

The Achilles tendons are improving and recover faster than a few weeks ago, but they still hurt a few hours after a workout - especially in the morning or when I get up from my chair.

My response is strengthening my calves. I do calf raises at every opportunity, stretching up onto my toes whenever I have an idle moment and nobody judgmental is looking.

KNEES

Mercifully, the knees have recovered from their early pain. I addressed them carefully, using light weights and high reps to strengthen the quads and hams that support the knees. Easing up on the treadmill seems to have helped too.

HIPS

This is a new one, and it has me worried. I have soreness high in my hips, just behind the iliac crest. Running aggravates it and it leaves me limping.

I don't know how to respond to this one. I think it is a combination of weight stressing my joints and weakness in some muscles in there that I haven't been able to isolate. The gremlin keeps telling me that it's my hips disintegrating. That soon I'll be back in my recliner eating potato chips and feeling stupid for trying to get fit. I can deal with the little monster, but need to get some good counsel on the hips.

SHOULDERS

The right one feels great, my delts are discernible for the first time in my life! The left one is still sore in a way I have a hard time chasing down. Rowing my arm back isn't too bad, but pressing forward is worse and lifting to the side is the worst of all. The ache seems to be toward the front of my shoulder, but sometimes it feels deeper into the joint. This is another one that I'm not sure how to help.

RIGOROUS HONESTY

All these things seem to improve when my heart gets pumping and my blood is flowing. But when I'm not exercising, everything just hurts. Halting my way into the gym and limping my way out is not on my top ten list.

Last night I got frustrated with a project at work. On top of everything else, I just went straight home, did a couple of chores, walked with Molly, and went to bed. I'm hoping that more rest and more gentle workouts will help my body to heal. I'm also taking fish oil twice a day and vitamin E in the morning to bolster my anti-oxidants and mend tissues.

I'll get over this, and I'll get well. I know all that. Aches and pains are just part of the program, and acknowledging that is part of telling the truth. The gremlin is my companion for a while, maybe always, but I am determined that he will not be my master.

Peace,
Pennsy