Looking ahead to tomorrow, Saturday’s are the long runs. Runkeeper keeps me active Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — all leading up to a 10-mile Saturday run. The hitch in the plan is that I will be leaving at the crack of dawn Saturday morning to make the drive to my live fantasy football draft, season 18.

Do I run the scheduled 4-miles this morning and then wake up at the “crack of dawner” tomorrow morning to get the 10-miles in? Do I just run the 10-miler today in lieu of the 4-miles? Well, the final decision was made by my lower back.

I headed out in the morning to get the 4-miles in and I would run the 10-miles late Saturday evening. Plan C. After 1/2 block, it was like a big red, blinking stop sign hit me in the lower back! STOP! Grabbed my lower back, attempted to walk it off, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I always operate with the mindset of it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Plan C would be in full effect …

I managed throughout the day to stretch as much as possible and I popped a couple of ibuprofens around 3pm. I was getting looser, but still not limber enough to even do a toe touch. Interestingly, this back issue helped change my mind on my fantasy football draft and my opinion on The Texans running back Arian Foster. I’m sure he’s doing much more than stretching and Tylenol, but if I couldn’t even run 1/2 block without “STOP” coursing through my veins, I can’t imagine hitting the hole where 325-plus pounders are waiting to greet you. If Foster falls to the 3rd round, I’ll get him.

Plan C … 6pm-ish 10-mile run at an easy pace to free up my Saturday obligations. I was  feeling relatively spry and decided to take my legs and lower back on an extra mile for a total of 11.

Life lesson #75 – When Plan A and Plan B are no longer available, be flexible enough to work towards Plan C.

Morning weight 170.5

Today’s Meals:

• 8:15am – Herbalife Morning Shake.
  • 8 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice
  • 2 Scoops of Herbalife Protein Powder
  • 1 Scoop of Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla
  • 3 Costco Frozen Pineapple Chunks
  • 2 Costco Frozen Strawberries
  • About 5 Costco Organic Blueberries
  • 1/2 cup of spinach
• 10:05am – Chocolate donut
• 12:40pm – Indian Buffet
  • Bhutura (1 scoop)
  • Puri bread (1)
  • Saag Paneer (1 scoop)
  • Dhaal Makhni (1 scoop)
  • Navrshai Karma (1 scoop)
  • Punjabi Curry (1/2 scoop)
  • Pakoras (1 scoop)
  • Vegetable Samosa (2)
  • Papad (Papa Dom) (1)
• 8:30pm – Microwave Madness
  • El Monterey Burrito

Meal 2

Meal 3

Food and Exercise

Today’s Activities:

•  7:05am – Runkeeper training set me out for a 4-mile easy pace run. Got 1/2 block and I was reminded about my workout yesterday. Sharp pain to the lower back stopped me dead in my tracks. Attempted to walk it off, but my back had something else in mind and suggested I stop, put my hands on my knees, and just sit. After a walk around the block, pain increasing, just went home with hopes for the rest of the day.
• 6:15pm – Throughout the day, stretched and popped 2 ibuprofens around 3pm, my back was feeling much better. I knew something was there, but it no longer was stopping me in my tracks, especially just walking up stairs. Today’s schedule called for an easy pace 4-miler and tomorrow calls for an easy pace 10-miler. Saturday is our Fantasy Football live draft and I’ll be gone all day … what to do, what to do? See below for what I did.

Friday Morning Attempt at 4 Miles

10-mile easy, plus 1more mile just because (11 total)

Friday, 08-23-2013