Running...aarrggh!

It appears that age is slowly creeping up on me. A few years ago I actually ran in a marathon - and finished! Amazingly, I even beat the goal time I had set for myself (3 hours, 27 minutes finish time). Yes, my body felt absolutely horrible over the last few miles of that race, but it was worth it. My weight was where I wanted it to be at that time, and my body felt good.

Alas, a lot can happen in a few years. My weight is now quite a bit higher than it used to be. My right knee, as shown to me on an X-ray, now has less cartilage than it should. One doctor in India even recommended to me that I stop distance running. On top of that, I am now closer to 40 than 30.

I am now determined to drop this weight so I can feel good again physically. We're not talking about a 150 pound loss, but more like a 30 pound reduction. How best to do this in our current situation? The best answer for me is still to get out early in the morning and "pound the pavement."

For any of you who have either hit the big 40 or are approaching it, you can probably empathize with me. My body just doesn't work as well as it used to (of course, it would work much better with 30 fewer pounds hanging on it!) Running just isn't as fun as it used to be. I can't seem to roll out of bed and get going. I now have to walk for a 1/3 of a mile or so before I can begin running.

Despite this situation, I am determined to keep running and lose this weight. One nice thing remains: the runner's high. I still enjoy the great feeling I get after I have been running for about two miles. Unfortunately, this usually disappears and turns into either pain or exhaustion by mile number four.

Let me encourage you if you are in a similar situation. Try to find something you enjoy doing that can either help you get in shape or stay in shape. It does not have to be a sport. Just do something that gets you moving. Try doing something with a friend; that will make it much more enjoyable. Whatever you do, do something! You will feel much better physically, and will be more physically and mentally alert.

So how much longer will I run? I'm not sure. I will say, though, that cycling is looking better all the time. Whatever I choose to do, I know I'm going to keep moving.