Those who know me are familiar with my recent adjustments to my lifestyle. For those who don’t, here’s the synopsis: Over the last 7 months, I have quit smoking, lost 50 lbs., and taken up running as a hobby. Some of this change was due to my interest in scuba diving and my desire to be better at that particular physical activity, but it was also in part due to my desire to get back into shape. I say get “back” into shape because I used to be pretty fit in my high school days (13 years ago).

When I was losing weight, I was looking for ways to exercise to help me drop the pounds. I bought an elliptical machine and used that quite regularly for a while. As it turns out, this was a very good way to transition from loafing on the couch watching TV to being more active. I set up the elliptical machine in the living room and watched TV while exercising instead of sitting on the couch. However, once my level of fitness improved, I found the elliptical machine to be somewhat boring (even while watching TV) and yearned for something more. I had (and still have) visions of resurrecting my mountain bike and hitting the trails, but there are only a few places to ride close to where I live. The logical choice for me was to take up running.

I must say that when I first started jogging around the neighborhood, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do very much with my new found hobby. My first runs were short, slow, and painful. That has gotten better now, and my runs are long, slow, and painful. Some days more painful than others, but invariably I will have some kind of nagging pain after a run. Portions of my body have become more accustomed to the abuse to which running subjects it, but others are slower to adapt.

Given that I have come to enjoy my time on the roads, I am now in search of ways to reduce or eliminate the pain I feel when I run. There are different types of pain, and I am sure there will be a solution for each, and I will be sure to update this blog with any solutions I find. Specifically, I am experiencing joint pain in my knees and left hip, and some minor lower back pain while running (this quickly subsides once my run is over). I’m hoping that the joint pain will start to go away as I run more, but it seems to get worse as my runs get longer. Maybe something like Cosamin will help to restore the soft tissue in the joints, and I’m sure that the back pain will go away eventually. If not, I may be looking for new shoes…

For now, the pleasure I get from running through the surrounding neighborhoods taking in the sights is worth a little discomfort.

Stay tuned!

E.