I'm the most unmotivated person in the world...

DogGoneGood

This spring I took up jogging with Linkin as a way for me to get in shape and another outlet for all that energy he has. Coal comes with us, or just me and Coal occasionally, but he's the type of dog that has to stop every two minutes to pee on EVERYTHING

Well, I kept it up for almost a month (which is amazing for me, I'm generally not big on the whole exercise thing) before my sinus infection made me bed ridden for a good three weeks if not more.

I STILL have this sinus infection (long story), and am attempting to make an appointment with an ENT in PG but it's hard to get in because apparently they never answer their frickin phone.

However, it's not as bad as it was... I no longer need two T3's, and a Naproxen to make it throught the day. So I can manage my days just fine, they're just rather phlemy days at times... (eww...)

Second ailment on the list; my knees. I say my knees but I really mean my knees, hips, and lower spine. My knees are just the worst. I've been to countless doctors and specialists and still have no answer other than "it looks like you MIGHT be developing arthritis", although I've had this problem since I was 8 years old and have had at least 8 different diagnoses since then.

I started jogging again last week. I jogged for Wed, Thr, and Fri and then took the weekend off to soak in the tub and play LEGO Star Wars (no... I swear I'm not a geek at heart...). I told myself I'd go jogging again this morning but my knees are hurting and, while it's quit raining, it's pretty wet outside and chilly. I keep telling myself "after this cup of coffee", "after I read this post", "after I check my e-mail" etc. etc.

I'm sure once I get past the horrible pain and gagging for breath part I'll do just fine and my knees might even bennifit from it. I don't do any heavy jogging and mix it up with a lot of walking and do a lot of stretches, designed a way that fits my knees well enough. I've been told countless times that if I build up the muscle in my legs it might help support my bones better and I shouldn't be in as much pain (or so is the theory). Every time I try and get back into jogging I'm just in pain.

However, I've noticed I'm not groggy all day long on days I go jogging, and I seem to be in an overall better mood. This to me, outweighs the pain because it means I'm happy and can actually get something done during the day. I'm very much a night owel so once I get into the habit of staying up all night and sleeping all day, it's hard to get out of and then I'm just tired all the time and get very little done. I think getting up and being motivated to go jogging every morning will help this a lot because I get energy throughout the day then come night time (at a reasonable hour) I'm actually tired for bed.

Does anyone else out there go jogging on a regular basis? How do you get your butt out the door in the mornings (or whenever you go) to actually do it?

*sigh* Okay... off I go. One thing I've learned is when I jog I really think I oughta quit smoking!

Mudra

You are not alone my friend.. LOL! We signed up for 2 years membership in our local gym. In the beginning we go 4 days during the week and once on a weekend to meet with our trainer. The 4 times became 3.. then 2.. Now, we haven't gone back in a month!!! Dh injured his ankle and is currently on foot rehab.. The motivation obviously isn't strong enough.. BUT we do made a commitment with each other that once his ankle is all healed up, we are gunna try to DO our very best to get back on track.

I am the same like you. I am in a better mood if I get my daily run. I feel more lazy and tired when I dont.

melgrj7

I am also in general not motivated to do much. I bike with the dogs at night and walk them everyday because they need it. I was jogging, but biking is so much easier, lol. To help with your knees, invest in some good running shoes and making consider using a knee brace to help support your knees. I have a big problem with staying up way late and sleeping during the day. I try really hard to get on a more normal schedule, but all it takes is one time for me to stay up late and I'm back into the hold habit. I've decided that once you start, you cannot take even one day off. If you do you are doomed, lol.

DogGoneGood

Yeah, getting motivated is deffinately hard. My boyfriend is in the same position. He's trying to get in shape because next Spring he's going to start applying for the RCMP again (did the whole routine before and was SO close to getting in but then gave up on it and decided he wasn't ready for it yet). He prefers to go to the gym or have someone to work out with (but currently doesn't have anyone and I don't think he's gone to the gym in over a month), whereas for me the only other being I feel comfortable working out with is Linkin. He doesn't judge me if I'm hacking my lungs out or lagging behind or sweaty, red in the face and basically look like a sweaty version of death I'd really prefer my boyfriend doesn't see me that way lol

The shoes I own are still fairly new so they still have pleanty of support. However, they're not running shoes but rather skate shoes because I have really low ankles and any shoe that isn't low riding rubs against my ankles something awful. It was manditory to have water proof, good hiking boots when I went to school so I caved and bought a good pair of those, but they ride on my ankle so as soon as I was done my course I tossed them in the closet and haven't worn them since.

I do have knee braces... well technically one now because I accidently had one go through the wash and it shrank really bad. I've tried running with them on before and they tend to slide down to my ankles (unless they're brand new) until I start getting sweaty and then I can't get them off! LOL I've been meaning to get some new ones so I think it might be worth investing in a good pair that is built to be able to breath and hopefully doesn't fall down... I did discover though that if i wore my knee high socks with them, it stopped them from falling to my ankles once I got moving.


I just got back from my run and made it half way down to the lake and back (with short breaks of walking because I kept getting a cramp). I've never jogged down that way before and barely walk that way because of the amount of dogs that come out and bark at us. It is a funner walk/jog though because there's more hills and just better scenery. The dogs didn't bother us too bad today either. The Chi came out and barked at us, and Linkin fumbled but when I told him to nevermind he passed on by it without a second though, and the big Pyr came out but when I told him to go home he did. Ever since I chased him home one day, after he'd been visiting us every day for a week, he listens pretty good when I tell him to go home. I feel like I'm accidently training my neighbors dog or something because I'll be going down the road and tell him 'go home" and then "Oh what a good boy!" when he does lol

RBark

If you are hurting that much after jogging, you're overdoing it.

Run on soft dirt, don't start every day. Start slow, every 3rd day, every 2nd day. It can take a month or two to go from 1/2 mile on soft soil to 2 miles on soft soil. But that's how it goes.

You don't want to be hurting, but you don't want to not be hurting either. Being sore for a couple hours after is OK, but if you're still sore all day and the day after it's overdoing it and you're working against yourself.

DogGoneGood

No, my muscles aren't generally sore all day long... although my claves hurt the first day. It's my knees. I have had problems with my knees since I was about 8 years old. Doctors don't know what it is and have gone through a billion different possibilities and the specialist I went to turned me back to my regular doctor after just three appointments because he had no idea. They don't JUST hurt after exercising, they JUST hurt. Mostly when I wake up in the morning it's like I have brand new legs or something, my knees feel weak and ache. Cold weather and rainy weather hurts them too. Exercise hurts them as well, but I know it's not limited to just exercise. I had to be excused from P.E. class from grade 8-12 because my knees couldn't handle it.

The road I jog on isn't pavement, but it's not dirt either. I can't remember exactly what it's called... seel coat? Something like that. So it is softer than pavement, but not exactly dirt.

I'm not really sure how far I'm jogging either, I'd have to ask my dad because I'm bad at judging distances. I generally go down my road and back, but I don't jog the whole way. I walk for the first 1/4, jog until I feel like my jogging's getting sloppy because I'm running out of steam (if it's getting sloppy it can't be good on my knees because I'm not doing it properly)... so then I walk. Then once I gain some composure back I jog again. I'd say I'm probably jogging about half the way and walking the rest, but not all at once.

I'm also not jogging every day. The days I don't jog I either don't go at all, or just go for a long walk (this is when I bring both dogs because I don't mind stopping every two minutes for them to pee on something ).

So I think I'm doing okay. I don't over do it, but I don't want to under do it either. I did notice that today seemed a lot easier than last week. I was still pretty Gaspy-McGee, but I'm sure smoking isn't helping that at all. I'd like to try quitting again (have tried to quit a BILLION times) so I'm thinking this might be the right motivation to do so. I don't exactlly feel like a smoke right before I go for a jog, or for the next couple of hours after I get back, either.

I'm enjoying it so far... I deffinately have more energy during the day when I do go, and do feel in a better mood. But for some reason getting my butt up and going for that jog seems to be tough.

RBark

How about trying biking in between jogging? It is no impact, it is healthy, it will build muscle in between jogging days.

DogGoneGood

Well I would, and use to bike years ago, except:
a) I'm actually not all that sure as to WHERE my bike is. Although I'm assuming the RV Shelter.
b) Once the snow falls I will not be able to ride it.
c) Since half the reason I jog is to get some energy out of Linkin, and while I'm very proud of how far his obedience has come, the idea of putting me on top of wheels with him attached to me seems like a really bad idea

K8IE

As far as the motivation goes, can't help you there, still working on it... I need to start jogging/running with Coop, but just haven't gotten round to it.. I have to recommend (and I know many will disagree and call me a weirdo) that you see a good chiropractor. They really can do wonders in getting your spine and nervous system and muscles functioning the way they should. Also, do some yoga and pilates for strength, balance, and flexibility.

DogGoneGood

Actually, it's funny you mention that. I've been thinking I should go to a chiropractor. Well, truth be told my boyfriend's been nagging me to go for years, and I'm finally caving. Last time I went was shortly after I got in the car accident... so I was about... 9ish I think, and it scared the crap out of me so I've been too scared to go ever since. I just had no idea the guy was guna CRUSH me and take my breath away, was completely unprepared!

I really do think I should go though... I've had problems with my neck forever, and actually the closest any doctor has come to 'solving my knee problem' was discovering my lower spine is "irregular"... I guess it's crooked a bit. Knowing how everything in the body is so connected, i seriously wouldn't be surprised if THAT was what's causing my kneck problems AND my knees/hips etc. Although the odd thing is that pretty much my whole body has been Xrayed numberous times and they didn't see this problem until last year. Not to mention it started in my knees and then about 6 years later I started having problems with my hips, and then about a year after that my spine joined in too.

I duno...

As for Yoga etc. I looked into it a while back. No Yoga classes here, so that's not an option... I'd have to teach myself. Which I tried before, but I duno... just never really got into it.

Filnyyena

They have this fun thing called a "wii" (no, not a play on words!) now that does it all for you!

You can even fake yourself by playing other games and quickly switching back when your tennis shoes walk in your room.

(This isn't the random thought threat? )

Oh, and a chiropractor is NOT something you want to wait around for..seriously, long-term damage to the spinal chord/nerves can result in neglect to damaged areas..I'd consult one asap if you got in a wreck..You may not feel the brunt of it now (can pass it off as nothing major) but a few years from now (ten..fifteen..two..who is to say?), it can catch up to you. And fast.

If you have insurance, it should (depending on your plan, I know mine does) pay for most, if not all, of the meetings. A good one will take x-rays of your spine/any area which may be affecting you and do alternate tests. Don't just jump into him adjusting your back/neck..I'd go for the tests so he knows WHAT he has to do.

oO

Oh, sorry. I wish you the best of luck with getting better. Sorry you are in pain. Not fun at all! And I hope you can get your dog to stop brown-nosing the plants I would be in full trot..then get whiplashing to the ground when Trek goes to a sudden halt It is even worse because he runs by my side and so I don't have any chance of slowing down or stopping

Oh Trek............I love you but you are, literally, a pain!

K8IE

I have also had some serious neck/back and hip issues (my hips are actually tilted due to my spine being so messed up) and have had a lot of pain and migraines, etc for years. I did not see the chiropractor for a long time but now am on a care plan with this new doc and I love him. He is helping me so much and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. It is very important to keep everything in working order and subluxations in the spine cause nerve interference and therefore pain, so getting adjusted helps immensely and keeps things from fusing and causing arthritis to where there is no going back from. I can imagine when you went while you were so young it might have been scary, but a good chiropractor should not crush you or take your breath away, gentle and safe adjustments are what I am used to, and they actually feel good and relaxing, not painful or scary. Good luck!!!

DogGoneGood

Yeah, my boyfriend has a Wii... I hate it, it's annoying. When I play video games I'm doing it because I WANT to sit on my ass and be lazy lol

The accidently happened when I was little, and I never claimed it because I didn't want to. My boyfriend thinks I'm nuts... but the fees for a lawyer alone are bloody expensive, I wouldn't have gotten much money out of ICBC anyway, and I really don't think any amount of money they could give me would make me feel any better about the mental and physical anguish from the accident. That being said, I'm PRETTY sure a chiropractor would be covered by my health care.

Oh, and I know what you mean about the dog suddenly coming to a hault! Thankfully I can handle it pretty well. I've always got at least one eye and ear on my dog, and especially if I have my MP3 player going, I make sure to watch his body closer. Plus we do these exercises at least once a week that I call "sporadic heeling". He's got a pretty solid heel, but he gets lazy sometimes and zonse out, so in the yard, on leash we do sporadic movements... this includes walking super slow, running, sharp turns and sudden stops - all of this sporadically to keep him paying attention. Naturally, if I expect him to pay attention to me when I come to a hault, I should respectfully pay attention to him if he needs to come to a hault to go pee or something, right? :P
When it comes to obedience, I don't view my dogs as "lower ranking". They're my partner and when we do obedience together I want it to appear as if we're partners, working TOGETHER. When done this way, it's actually quite beautiful. Like watching a dance!

K8IE - I think the only reason I felt like I was being crushed was because I was really not expecting it. I don't really know though cuz I don't remember it very well. I will look into it though. I think there's a chiropractor in Vanderhoof (which is about a 45 minute drive from where I live). I think it's the same guy my boyfriend's dad went to, so I'll have to ask him about it and get the number to set up an appointment or something.

Falkon

As others have said, biking is great. I got a kid trailer and cut the seats out of it and made it into a dog trailer. Now, I trailer the dogs to the dog park, since I ride faster and farther than they could go. It's great exercise and tons of fun.