No I am not dead, but...

This is not a joyous post, so I will start lightly. Take a look at some artwork I stumbled upon… See http://www.dirtycarart.com/, where a portion of his art is above. SO COOL!

Now, life sure can suck... But then again, I have to remember that I have a life.

Oh, ON A SIDE NOTE: The Eli Young Band is going to be at the Cabooze next month. Check out the website if you do not know them. I saw the Zac Brown Band there three weeks before they released their top-selling recording. I will never see them for $12 again. This may not be metalhead music, but it is my kind of music!

It has been a while since my last post. My previous post asked about ice baths, as I have been trying to help with my plantar fasciitis, some tendinitis, and a possible meniscus tear in my right knee.

Kel's suggestion was a well-thought-out reply that was really nice to have. She stated an idea was a protocol to immerse the lower body to the top of the hip bone for 1 minute in cold water (temp 45-50 degrees F) followed immediately by immersion for 2 minutes in hot water (temp 104-108 degrees F). Alternate between cold & hot 5 times for a total of 15 minutes. She stated the study's findings indicated strength, power, and muscle soreness improved with contrast baths compared to the control group, which did nothing but rest. She also mentioned the baths were done immediately after a high-intensity weight lifting session rather than endurance exercise lasting several hours.

I tried this, and it makes the body feel better than just the ice bath. I had been icing the sore area and immediately applying the heat pad in intervals as an option. I will try this later this spring when I get a hot tub close to a bathtub… I will post the results if I get a chance.

With all of that, I am suffering—bad. My plantar fasciitis in my left foot is getting worse, not better. My right knee is worse. It wakes me at night. After waking in the morning or after sitting for more than an hour, I get up in more pain than the day after my successful 77-mile run in 2007.

Bummer, so I have not written much lately, as it is all not positive. I have continued to run, but not more than 20 miles a week, as I want to stay in shape to complete 25 consecutive grandmas. After Grandma's, I will be out as both legs have major issues. I may call the physician and see if he can treat me like Roger Clemons and give me a couple of injections, which might help.

Other things have also occupied me. One is that my work life has not been enjoyable. In this economy, everyone is struggling and reaching everywhere for help, and I have no way to help them. This is sad in itself. I had another friend who is 57 years old just be laid off after 19 years of dedicated service. I thought it was due to the economy, but they also hired new college graduates for those positions at half the pay. That is a reality…

Another is my Grandmother passed away. Although for me, this was not as hard on me directly, it was hard on my Dad. But the death made me relive Dana's death. Death is a funny thing.

I recall as a child, sex was a taboo subject, and death was not. Now, America seems to speak freely about sex, but death has become a subject we'd rather not talk about. I often thought about why I do not talk about death? In general, human beings are afraid of death. It is related to the fear of the unknown. The question is: Is there life after death?

I used to be firmly convinced that there is nothing after death. This made me very afraid and desperate. I remember that as a child, sometimes, while lying in my bed, I suddenly realized there would come a day that I wouldn't exist anymore. It was such a big and horrible thing to think about. I called my mother for comfort, but what else could she do than say that I was still young and it was not my time to go. I pushed my fear away, but it could pop up anytime.

As a young adult, my three-year-old nephew died. I still recall the words from the pastor who stated, "Death is not to be feared or saddened as God has a life for us all." He said, "Aaron lived a full life that God gave him, even if only three years." He challenged us to live the life we have and cherish every moment, as that is what Aaron did?

When Dana died, my fear of death came back in huge proportions. I have always been taught that I should not ignore my concerns but face them. I am not sure I ever faced that loss. I recall wondering if I would never enjoy life again. I haven't talked much about death with my surroundings, although I sometimes have felt the need to. I keep my mouth shut because people don't want to hear about that unpleasant subject. People don't want to be reminded of their finiteness.

Anyway, I am still doing what I can to ensure I will make Grandma's a success, but I am pretty sure I will need weeks, if not months, after that to heal. Plantar fasciitis alone can take a great deal of time, but I have battled it before, and after two years (1987-1989), I had no issues. So once again, I will do what I need to do, and I will get out there again feeling healthy and enjoying the runs.

Until then, I will continue to live the best I can and be grateful that God has given me another day…

Carry on...