Support Systems, Sunsets and (Foot) Support Systems

So every Thursday I'm going to highlight some of the things that I'm thankful for that week. Sometimes the negative issues that come with Cystic Fibrosis can overshadow all of the good stuff going on in our lives. I have so much to be thankful for that I will never be able to cover it all, but I figured that a nice little reminder each week could be a good thing. I hope you enjoy.

- I'm so thankful for my support system. This includes my family, my friends, my girlfriend, and all of you bloggy buddies (RSR had 948 hits yesterday!) out there. It's so important to have people to lean on when times get tough and I need somebody's strength and encouragement (or food) to get me through the day or certain period in my life. This is just a small example of something my support system does for me- When I'm in the hospital, I NEVER eat hospital food for dinner, you heard that right, NEVER. My family comes every single night and brings me dinner. Whether it's my mom, dad, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, Mandi or a surprise visit from a stranger, someone is there to keep me company and bring me some "real" food. This may seem like a small thing, but I appreciate it beyond measure and hope they feel as valued as I see them.

- I'm so thankful for the Arizona weather. Sure it's hot, but it's also clear blue skies (mostly) and beautiful sunsets EVERYDAY. I always have access to a pool and I often just bob up and down on a raft and appreciate the crystal clear sky above me. I've lived in AZ all of my life and have yet to get tired of clear, bright and sunny days. The sunsets? I must say "WOW!" 360 out of the 365 days of the year when I look west and see the sun falling behind the horizon. The colors that are produced in the sky are so vivid and wonderful that a picture doesn't even do them justice; you have to see it with your own eyes.

- I'm so thankful that my foot feels better. One reason I chose to start running was because I hated it. Seriously, I've never before run in my life. Sure, I had a couple months out of my life when I would run on a treadmill and such, but I never kept it up. I for sure never wanted to run outside on the hard surface of the streets or sidewalk. No way. Too painful. Too hard. I didn't want to go through the pain to do something that I wasn't very good at and couldn't keep up. So naturally, when I decided that I needed to change some things around in my life and focus even more on my health, I chose running. I needed an enemy to defeat. I needed something to challenge me and mock me if you will. Running does just that. I started to actually "enjoy" running after a while. Not because it felt better, it still hurts like heck every time I run, but because of the challenge. So when that challenge got taken away because of my foot problems, I was upset. I actually WANTED to run and admittedly, I missed it. I recently got some specially made foot orthotics and so far, so good. I'm back to running and I can't wait to defeat this "enemy".

Listen to Your (Lungs) Body

I can tell that I'm coming towards the finish line folks. It's getting harder and harder to fall asleep and then I of course feel more and more tired each morning. I realize it's a cycle that I need to break, but I also have other symptoms that point to needing a tune-up. Where should I start? I'm starting to cough up thicker, larger and greener blobs of mucus. I feel slightly sick after every meal. I'm not sleeping as well due to coughing during the night. My stools are getting to the point that we have to repaint the bathroom after every time I'm in there cause the paint starts peeling from the walls. I'm sure there is a myriad of other things but I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, cause I'm certainly not. My point is, when you know, you know.

As a CFer you need to get a good feel for your body and listen to it when it's either whispering to you OR yelling loudly in your ear. After 29 years of doing this, I'll I need is a whisper from my body and I know it's that time. Too many of my CF friends ignore what their body and specifically lungs are YELLING at them and put off extra treatment or a hospital stay. And I know you've heard this 1,000,000 times from doctors, but lung damage is irreversible. Now that doesn't mean that you can't improve you PFT's, but what it does mean is that if your lung turns to scar tissue in parts, that lung ain't coming back. And if that lung ain't coming back, the chance of your numbers increasing get slimmer and slimmer. You need to stop the downhill slide when you start down the hill, not when you've reached the bottom. Ok, enough preaching for today! Now on to my workouts.

6:00pm: So today was another crazy "off" day. It was busy in parts and slow moving in others, but by the time I was ready to go to the gym, it was too late. Don't get me wrong, I still could have physically went to the gym, but I didn't feel like fighting the crowd. From about 5:30pm to 7:00pm it feels like you're in some packed dance club. I'm not a huge fan of dodging people while I lift, so I decided to stay at Mandi's and use some weights she has at her house to lift on my shoulders. It went well, but I got pain in them shortly after the workout started, so I limited myself to just 3 different lifts. Free weights have a tendency to do that with my shoulders, but I was hoping that they wouldn't notice that I wasn't at the gym :)

After lifting, and eating some Indian food (I think) with Mandi's parents, Mandi and I set off on a dog walk. Jezzabel was super excited for her walk and grabbed her leash and started walking herself before I had a chance to grab it from her. Her excitement did fade a little bit though as we set out on our walk and the temperature of the air hit us like a hot punch from Iron Mike. As I type this (it's 11:10pm) it's still 99 degrees outside. That means that during our walk it was over 100! The sun was setting as we were walking which was beautiful to see, but that beauty certainly didn't stop the sweat from covering my body. I was dripping liquid by the time we got back to the house. In fact, when we got back inside, Mandi's brother said, "Apparently it's still hot outside" after seeing the streams of salt water fall off my body. Here's the best news of all though: My feet don't hurt one bit. Maybe these orthotics are going to do the trick?!

Total Distance: 2.0 miles

Total Distance for Day: 2.0 miles

I Got My Foot Orthotics Today!!! (pics included)

I bring you part two of my journey into the world of foot orthotics. Today was the day that I went to try on the new devices that could possibly put me in a much better position to take care of my lungs.

So, I wasn't starting out so hot. I missed judged how long it was going to take me to get there. I still had over 7 miles to go with only 10 minutes until my appointment. Thank goodness for freeways and high speed limits. I made it to the parking lot right at 11am.

I was excited like a little kid on Christmas to get these orthotics. I really hope they are what is needed to get me back on track...literally :)

While I was waiting for some tweaks to be made to the orthotic I read this story in ESPN the Magazine. It's about a 16 year old kid that sailed solo around the world. It's stories like this that make me wonder "Exactly what are you doing with your life?"

Good bye old normal came-with-the-shoe inserts. You gave it a good run, but you just weren't meeting my needs. Sometimes things just don't work out. Maybe I'll see you around.

And just so you know, Lindsey is also certified to handle breasts, post augmentation.

Well speak of the devil, no wait, angel, here she is with my new orthotics.

She even gave me the moldings of my feet in case I need them in the future...and to hang from my review mirror.

I was obviously very stoked to get them. Here's to new beginnings!

4:00pm: I got a late workout in today. I had trouble falling asleep last night, so I decided to sleep in a bit. A bit, ended up turning into 9am! I'm definitely slowing down some and it's getting harder and harder to get to sleep and then as a result wake up feeling refreshed. It's a never ending cycle that I know a lot of CFers out there can relate to. Rest is very important when trying to take care of yourself, but for me, it hurts my health if I sleep in too many days. There is no doubt in my mind that what is best for me is to get up early in the morning and out the door exercising. I cough up a ton of mucus that way and my lungs will feel more clear throughout the day as a result. Today though, I apparently needed the sleep, so my first (and only) workout got pushed to 4pm.

I went to the gym to do arms and get in the cardio that I missed this morning. Arms went well but felt a little weaker than I thought they would. Chest and back went so well yesterday and I expected arms to follow suit, but they didn't comply. Luckily, I didn't have to decrease any weight on any of my lifts, but I didn't get to increase any either. Other than that it was a pretty normal workout.

I finished it off with 30 minutes on the bike today. I was already sweating like crazy by the time I got to the bike and the bike just made it worse. Worse of course in a good way! I absolutely love it when I'm sweating like a pig. In fact, if I'm not sweating, I assume I'm not working hard enough and step it up. Could be faulty logic, but I'm sure I'm full of that, so I'll just go with it.

Total Distance: 5.5 miles

Side Note: You may be wondering why I didn't test out the orthotics today and try to run. I was told to give it at least a couple days while my feet get used to this foreign object in my shoe. Once I feel more comfortable with them, I can give running a shot!

Total Distance for Day: 5.5 miles

Went to See the Foot Doctor (with pictures)

So if you have been following this awesome little blog for any amount of time, you'd have noticed that I have a bum foot. My stupid foot has kept me from running consistently and at times I have threatened to chop it off and hope a new one grows in it's place. Mandi has reminded me though that I'm not a starfish and I should first see a specialist. Like an angel from the sky I met Lindsey through a CFF fundraiser who happened to be a what, that's right, a foot specialist (she assesses and then makes orthotics). She offered to take care of my foot and got me in to see the doc.

Here is the foot doctor journey in pictures:

POA of Scottsdale

These front doors could represent stepping into a new future of feet...I know a stretch...Sorry

My left foot is the one that has given me the most problems.

Here I am sweating bullets. I'm not at all used to doctors (I hope you can sense my sarcasm)

Why do all examination rooms seem to look the same no matter what they are examining?

If I knew they were going to have to tear the skin away from my foot to diagnose what was going on I wouldn't have agreed to the appointment. It hurt really bad, but I pushed through it.

They had me push my feet into foam to make some specially made orthotics just for me!

Here's the lab where they make all of the orthotics and fake limbs

Here's Lindsey. She's the sweetheart that made this whole thing happen. Thank you!!!!!

So I know you are all wondering what the diagnoses was. It turns out that I have pes cavus which means "highly arched" feet. For years, and I mean years, I've been telling people that I have flat feet. Shows how in tune I am with anything not called my lungs. I also was told that I have a "functional forefoot drop". What this basically means is that my heal and forefoot aren't on the same plane. My heel is constantly trying to get on that plane and by doing so it is affecting my arch. They started by giving me some "heal lifts" to try and even out that plane and then I go back next Tuesday to pick up a specially made orthotic for my feet.

I can't thank Lindsey and POA of Scottsdale enough for taking time out of their schedule to try and help me out. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Some Answers About My Foot

11:00am: So my day didn't actually start at 11am today, but that was the first time that I left the house. I decided to sleep in this morning a bit (until 7am) and by the time I got up it was a little too toasty to walk outside. I was very excited to get to the foot doctor today and see if he could get everything figured out. I got some answers which I will do a full blog on tomorrow with pictures.

3:00pm: It was off to the gym for a little chest and back. I've been a little tired today so I knew it was going to be a challenge to push through my entire workout. Luckily, Mandi wasn't really in the mood to be at the gym, so we were able to be unhappy together while we lifted :) We managed (somehow) to do the full workout and it was actually a decent one. I was able to increase the weight on almost all of my lifts and felt much stronger than I thought I would. I also sweat probably 43 gallons of sweat into my shirt. I was absolutely soaked. It looked like I had entered a wet t-shirt contest in Cancun or something. One reason I was so sweaty was because Mandi and I decided to take very short breaks in between lifts so the "misery" wouldn't last so long today. We both just wanted to jet. Like I've said many times though, if you can stay committed on days like this, imagine how easy it will be on the other days? Current Weight: 187 lbs.

Is a Little Infection Coming My Way?

6:45am: So here's what stinks about Arizona (just a little bit), I got out the door to walk at around 7am and it felt like I was stepping into an oven. It was barely even the morning yet! What's going on people?! About .5 mile into my walk I could tell that J Bell was dragging and to be honest, I think I was as well. I turned back to the house to get back into the comfort of some A/C. I figure that I either need to start doing cardio at the gym or I need to get up earlier. Since getting up earlier is become less and less of a viable option, it looks like the gym is going to have to be the place for the cardio. Luckily, J Bell was happy with her little one mile walk and was pretty pooped from the heat when we got back home.

Total Distance: 1.0 mile

The rest of the day was kind of blah. I had some work issues that were weighing on me a little bit but I think that overall I was just a little worn down. I wouldn't be surprised if a little infection is brewing as well. I've looked a little flushed at different parts of the day and have felt like I was running a bit of a fever. I ended up ordering some inhaled TOBI from the pharmacy that I will pick up tomorrow in case anything is going on. I took it easy for the most part today, but I felt like I had to do something since my walk this morning was only 1 mile. That something was playing in Mandi's pool with her and her brother Josh for about 90 minutes.

We played just about every pool game I can think of. We saw who could hold their breath the longest and I won!...just kidding, I held it for 30 seconds and thought I was going to pass out :) We did Marco Polo, we did sharks and minnows, and we did some other games that they might have not even come up with names yet. Mandi and I did some pool dancing and we tried to do some cheerleader lifts. That didn't go so well, I'm a bit too weak. I did however get some great cardio workout in and was moving some stuff up my horsing around in the pool. Just as a side note: before my last hospitalization I didn't have the energy to do pool games. Mandi even made that comment as we were playing around. It's nice to hear and see real progress like that.

Side Note: I'm going to the foot doctor tomorrow! They're going to check me out and see if a specially made orthotic will help with my foot pain. I'm soooooo stoked!

Total Distance for Day: 1.0 mile

Workout Before Your Treatments

7:00am: Today was probably one of the best mornings of the week. I think stepping it up on cardio definitely helped clear out the lungs and keep them open. It's still harder to get up and rolling out of bed, but once I'm up and start moving, I feel much better. I'm sure I've recommended this before to all you CFers, but I'll say it again: Try to get up and moving around BEFORE your morning treatment. I always cough way more during my morning walk than I do if I do my treatments first thing in the morning. I realize it's different strokes for different folks and that it won't work for everybody, but I suggest that you at least give it a shot!

My foot actually felt decent today too. I heard back from a friend of mine that works at an orthotics place and she said the doctor is on board to look at my foot. I think I will be going in at some point next week. Hopefully it can get figured out and I can get back to running, I really miss it. Today was a good day though in terms of my foot and I was able to fly through this mornings walk. I at least hope my foot can stay at the level it is now. I haven't really limped from the pain for at least a couple of days now.

Total Distance: 2.0 miles Time: 36'17"

4:00pm: I had to rush through my chest/back workout today to be back in time to get ready for game night. I didn't miss any lifts, but I did rest less time in between them. When I was done with my workout I was drenched with sweat. What really got me today was the push-ups. Generally I do 3 sets of 10 with my feet on a ball and my hands at various widths apart. Today I did the same thing except for I did 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 and I put one foot on the ball and balanced myself. Does that make sense? Probably not, but just trust me, it wasn't easy. Although it was much better than a sharp stick in the eye so I'm not complaining. Overall, it was a great workout and I was able to increase the weight on most of my lifts. I really hope I can finish strong these next couple of weeks and be in as good of shape as possible before heading into the Hole.

Total Distance for Day: 2.0 miles

Dang You Global Whatever You're Called Now!

7:15am: Definitely felt a little junkier this morning than normal. Not sure what it is, but I was coughing up mouth fulls of globbery goo. My legs were also still asleep this morning when I woke up due to the intense leg workout that Mandi put us through yesterday. I had to shake them for a while before they would actually respond to any of my commands. When I finally got them to cooperate I was off and running on the ol' dog walk. Ok, I wasn't running, but at least I was off. It was another great morning and to me it seems unseasonably cool out. Don't get me wrong, we're still 100+ during the day, but I always remembered it being way hotter in the mornings. Dang you Global Warming, I mean Cooling, or whatever you're called now. Well whatever it is, I hope it keeps up cause I love the temperature to be in the 80's while I'm walking. So if you're listening Global Climate Change, if you could just keep it where you're at for a while that would be great, thanks!

My legs really started to get warmed up during my walk and my feet weren't sore at all. Maybe that's the key that I can take away from yesterday: stretch out my feet until they hurt so bad I can't stand and then look forward to a pain free day the next. Who knows right? Well I also coughed my brains out on the walk this morning. The good news is that most of the mucus was clear with just a slight yellow tint being in some of it. Bad news is I may have coughed up all of the colorful stuff while I was in bed and swallowed it which would explain my slightly upset stomach. But I did get a ton of stuff out this morning so overall I am very happy about that. I'm just hoping to avoid the lung pain that often follows mornings full of coughing.

The next couple weeks I'll be keeping a very close eye on my lung health cause I know it could be getting to that time to get a tune-up again. I am very pro-active with my hospital stays and as soon as I feel myself slipping, I go in. For me, I need tune-ups to continue living the lifestyle that I'm accustomed to living.

Total Distance: 2.0 miles Time: 38'12"

Total Distance for Day: 2.0 miles

Getting CFers on Film!

6:45am: Let me first say to my mom, I know you don't like hearing about my foot problems if I'm not doing anything about it, but I was trying it my own way and I think I've failed. I've tried different shoes. I've tried inserts. I've tried icing it. I've tried resting it. I've tried not doing certain leg workouts. I've tried just about everything I can think of. Next step is going to be seeking the advice of a professional. I'm going to avoid seeing a doctor (I see enough of them, no offense docs) and first try to have my foot "studied" at a running store. Maybe it could be as simple as having a new shoe or a better insert. I sure hope it is. I'm just tired of not being able to run consistently and my foot being sore even after staying off of it for a couple of days. I haven't done any pounding on it for quite a while now and it feels like I ran a 3k yesterday. The best way to describe the pain is it feels like someone is grabbing my foot and trying to bend it backwards onto itself. It's not the top of my foot that is hurting, it's my arch. I'm going on a little vacation on Thursday, but when I get back it will be Operation NoSoreFeet.

My walk this morning was better then yesterday. If you recall, which I don't blame you for not, I felt pretty tight yesterday and it was hard for me to get stuff up in the morning. It was probably due to not working out on Sunday and moving around as much. After getting back in the saddle yesterday, my lungs felt much better on the walk this morning. I was getting quite a bit of clear to light yellow mucus up and not laboring in my breathing. It was a beautiful morning, actually a little overcast, and it was nice and cool out. It still isn't unbearable yet in terms of heat during the day, but I know it's going to get there fast. If I can get my walks in before 8am though, I think I'll avoid having a heat stroke this summer :)

Total Distance: 2.0 miles

Side Note: So the whole day was spent working, but what I was doing was very enjoyable. I traveled around with Mandi and my videographer David to film CFers and their parents answer some questions about CF and how it affects them and their daily lives. It will all be used in an upcoming project that will hopefully launch in the coming months. If you're in the Phoenix or Tucson area and are reading this and would like to participate in this film, please, just send me an email or leave your email here for me to respond to.

8:00pm: I can't believe it took me until 8pm to get to the gym. I was so tired working out but I think I still had a pretty good session. I'm getting stronger week by week and so far everything is holding up well except for my shoulders. I actually had to change a lift that I do on my chest today cause it just puts too much strain on my shoulders when I'm doing it. The one thing you learn quickly is that if your shoulders are hurt, it can effect almost every lift you do. My upcoming vacation will give my body some much needed rest and I'm looking forward to staying in shape by using the beach and ocean as my gym!

Total Distance for Day: 2.0 miles 

Feet Are Feeling Better Today!

8:00am: So I did the whole "5 more minutes" thing at around 6:45 this morning and wouldn't you know it, all of the sudden it was 8! It felt so good too! I got to bed way later than usual last night so I probably needed it. J Bell was ready to go the minute I woke up and wouldn't leave my side until I told her to grab her leash. I was a bad daddy yesterday and she didn't get her walk so I know she was extra excited. Not doing anything on my feet yesterday was probably a good thing though cause my feet felt better this morning than they have for a long time. I got out the door a little later than normal so it was definitely a hotter out. Jeezy for Sheezy was dragging her tongue quicker than normal and I think I broke a sweat about 200 yards into it. Got to love 90 degree heat at 8 in the morning! 

I was coughing quite a bit on the walk this morning but a lot of it was on purpose. I felt some mucus stuck towards the bottom of my throat, top of my lung area. You guys know what I'm talking about. It feels like there is a rock or something in there and it takes some really deep coughs to get it moving. I was moving stuff up and getting quite a bit out, but was also making myself out of breath in the process. It's hard to cough, walk, spit, and breath at the same time! I just did a quick 2 miler because I wanted to save my feet for cardio later. I have some making up to do for yesterday and I want to put myself in the best position to get it done. 

Total Distance: 2.0 miles    Time: 34'04"

5:30pm: So the day my feet feel better I'm of course swamped with things to do. I lost track of time today and by the time I got my head above water it was to late. We are hanging out with friends tonight for game night, so I needed to get back and showered for the 7:30 start. I was only able to get in my chest workout (which was very good), so I'll have to do arms with back tomorrow. It will be another full day tomorrow though with a CFF pool party to attend. Hopefully I'll be on the ball tomorrow and be able to get in some cardio as well. Me thinks that there will be no sleeping in! Current Weight: 185 lbs.

Total Distance for Day: 2.0 miles

The Trapdoor of the Stomach

7:15am: I was up a little late last night due to the CFF event that Mandi and I attended, so I decided to sleep in a bit. When I finally rolled out of bed and put my feet on the ground, I could feel the after effects of our long walk yesterday and the day before. Both of my feet were sore and my legs were a little sleepy still. I knew that I should cut back a little bit this morning in terms of my walk distance. Jezzabel had been whining since who knows when so I knew I had to get up and out the door in a hurry before she blew a gasket. As it has been, the weather was perfect for the walk this morning. Slight breeze and probably around 75 to 80 degrees. If only it stayed like that all day.

My lungs felt pretty good from the time that I woke up, but I knew that I had some stuff deep down in there to work out. I tried to keep a good pace to really make my lungs work. The whole walk I was occasionally bringing stuff up but most of what I was spitting out was post nasal drip type of stuff. It wasn't until the final push of the walk when I started walking uphill that I really started huffing and puffing. The deep coughs soon followed and then, you guesses it, I was throwing up on the side of the road. I'm sure many CFers out there can relate to this: once it starts, it's really hard to stop. It's almost as if a throw up trap door has been opened and there's no closing it until your body is good and ready. I must have unknowingly swallowed a lot of mucus and snot the whole night because that's all that came up. With me though it's to the point that I barely break stride, I kind of just turn my head, let it fly, and keep walking.

Total Distance: 2.0 miles   Time: 34'44"

5:00pm: Mandi and I hung out at her house today to wait for a sink repairman that was supposed to show up between 12pm-4pm. Yeah, he didn't show. We were able to get plenty of work done, but it messed up the ol' work out schedule. We finally got to the gym to do arms and I felt kind of weak.  I was hungry all day long and just kept eating and eating but never got full. I'm not sure if I didn't get the proper nutrition or I needed a nap, bit whatever it was I felt lethargic at the gym today. I'm also starting to think that the weights actually weigh different amounts at the LA Fitness near Mandi's house as opposed to the one near me. It could also be that the free standing bars weigh different amounts. Mandi thought that some of the lifts today felt heavier too. I was still able to increase most of the weights on my tricep lifts and I actually did dips unassisted for the first time today in what feels like forever. I was only able to do 2 sets of 10 unassisted, but I thought that was pretty good improvement from starting out with 120 lbs of assistance. Hopefully I'll be able to do sets of pull-ups with no assistance soon as well. Current Weight: 185 lbs.

Total Distance for Day: 2.0 miles

Lungs a Little Tighter Than Normal

6:30am: Because yesterday went so well I decided to do another long walk this morning, but this time Jeezy for Sheezy got the invite. She was super excited when I told her to grab her leash and we were out the door in a jiffy. Just to backtrack a little, I had trouble falling asleep last night (and it had nothing to do with the 2 cups of coffee at 9pm :)), but I woke up feeling refreshed this morning. My lungs also felt pretty mucus free although they were a little tight. Anyway J Bell and I took off on our adventure and the weather was again being my friend. It was actually a little hotter this morning, but I think it may have just felt that way cause I was directly in the sun's ray the whole time. Yesterday I was walking in the shade for about half the time. Today's walk was also different because half of it was uphill or slightly uphill. Talk about getting the lungs going!

The walk felt good and my feet almost held up the whole time. The ball of my right foot burned about .5 miles into the walk (which is new) and my left foot didn't hurt until about the 2.5 mile mark. I kept a good pace the whole time and J Bell helped out with only going potty about 4 times and rarely stopping to sniff. I think after the second uphill she didn't have the energy to veer off course and do any sniffing. Her tongue was flopping all over the place and you could tell she just wanted to get home. I could have gone longer, but I didn't want her to have a stroke this morning. My lungs opened up and I was able to get a good amount up and out. They still feel a bit tight, but I'm thinking they will be just fine after a treatment. I just need to ice my feet and suck on my nebulizer and this will be a great start to an even greater day!

Total Distance: 3.0 miles Time: 55'58"

4:00pm: So the rest of the day kind of got away from me. I was working on some stuff that I started this morning and before I knew it, it was 4. I had about 45 minutes to get in a workout before I had to get ready for a CFF event. I thought about skipping today and making it up tomorrow, but I figured that I had time to at least do something. I went to the gym and did two burnout sets. One on chest and the other on back. For chest, I started with 145lbs and did that as many times as I could. Then I took off 20 lbs. and did that as many times as I could and then took off another 20 and so on. I finally got all of the way down to the bar and I was only able to do it about 19 times. My chest felt like it had been torn. For back, I did the same type of thing but I did it with wide grip pull ups and instead of going down in weight, I went down in assistance. For instance, I started with 100 lbs. of assistance and worked my way down to 40 lbs. in 15 lbs. increments and did pull ups each time until I couldn't manage to hold myself up. Have I managed to confuse you yet? I hope so :)

Anyway, the key message for today is even if you're short on time, make sure you do SOMETHING. You've got to get your body into a habit. And for what it's worth, there's not many habits better for your lungs than exercise.

Total Distance for Day: 3.0 miles

Body is Tired, but Mind is Focused

7:15am: So I didn't really sleep in all that much, but I did lay in bed a little while and take my time getting out of it. It is certainly harder to get up and get going than it was say one month ago, but sometimes that just happens. My body is sore and tired, but my mind is still focused and sharp. I love the way that all of this hard work is making me feel and I know that it will continue to pay dividends if I keep this up. It's also great to have all of my blogger friends out there holding me accountable and motivating me to keep pushing. I also have one of the greatest support systems in the world through my family and Mandi. They all make comments on how my body shape has changed and my energy level. Stuff like that makes it all worth it. I would never want to leave this world without them knowing that I did everything I could to fight to stay here. It used to be all about me (admittedly), but now I have great motivation to take care of myself to stay around for others.

Anyways, to my walk. I coughed a bit more than usual this morning during my walk and my mucus was pretty thick. It was clear however so I'm happy about that. I coughed though to the point of dry heaving and it forced me to stop a couple of times and regain my composure. My foot was still sore from yesterday's stairmaster so that was certainly annoying. I want to start running again so bad that I can taste it. Mandi has said that she is giving me no choice and that we will go to a "professional" running store this weekend to get proper shoes. If any one has recommendations I would love to hear them.

Total Distance: 2.1 miles Time: 37'47"

1:00pm: I had a really good session at the gym today! I worked out my chest and back with a little bit of abs thrown in. I increased the weight on almost all of my chest lifts so I was happy about that. It's getting around that time to switch up my workout routine again, although because of timing, I may need to do it in about 2 weeks. So the lifting was great, but not the best part. The best part would be the cardio that I did after my workout. Mandi and I decided to do the elliptical to avoid any pressure or pounding on my foot. I felt strong the entire time and felt like I had a pretty quick pace going. I was sweating like a mad man, but wasn't coughing a whole lot, but when I did I was bringing some stuff up. I ended up doing a full 30 minutes and I could have gone longer but I had to get home to get ready for tonight. I may try to push it to 45 minutes or something next time cause 30 almost felt to easy. Never thought I would say that! Current Weight: 184 lbs.

Total Distance: 2.55 miles

Total Distance for Day: 4.65 miles

Stretch, Yawn, Yawn, and then Stretch Again

7:15am: That's right, slept in a little bit this morning and it felt oh so good. It was just what I needed after a day of travel and busy work day yesterday. My body felt sore when I woke up, but after shaking off the cobwebs it started to adjust to the day ahead. I think most of it is the after affects of the hike. I can tell you who else is feeling it, good ol' Jezzabel. Last night she refused to get off of her bed to go to the bathroom. When I finally convinced her to go outside and give it a go, she stretched for about 2 minutes and yawned 6 times. Then she made her way outside, sat down, and stared at me with the "are you happy now?" look and "can I come back in?" stare. After 5 minutes of trying to convince her that she had to pee (with no avail), I let her back in the house and she promptly went back into her bed. Then this morning, she had to stretch out again before our walk. I could tell that she was sore and was doing a lot more wobbling than walking. It was pretty entertaining to watch and definitely had me laughing much of the time.

For me, the walk went well. I was able to cough up quite a bit and most of it was clear. My foot felt much better than yesterday and I might actually be able to try a little run later on! I really thought I'd be running a mile by now, but my "injury" has gotten in the way. And although I know it's not a true injury, I also know that if I push it I can make it one. It just gets to the point where I start limping even with a walk and so far nobody I have talked to has said that's a good thing. Icing my foot and resting it more has certainly helped, but I'm really itching to start running again.

Total Distance: 2.1 miles

3:30pm: So Mandi and I headed off to the gym for some legs/shoulders and cardio. We did the workout routine with absolutely no breaks in it. While I did a set of shoulders, she would be doing legs, and then we would switch. By the second set I was already sweating. What really got me going was some step-ups that we did. Mandi set the platform so high that it would have been difficult for Andre the Giant to step on to it. After 20 reps of those my heart was pounding and the sweat was drippin'! My shoulders held up well throughout the routine and are starting to feel almost 50% back to normal or so. I probably won't do a normal routine though for at least a month or so.

For cardio we did a the stairmaster. Word of advice if you're going to be doing the stairmaster: bring a magazine. The time absolutely flies by! We did it for 20 minutes but it felt like 5. Both of our magazines (and shirts) were soaked with sweat at the end. The stairs get my heart pumping and work up a huge sweat for me, but I don't do the deep breathing like I do on the elliptical or treadmill. I like mixing them all together though just so I'm not getting bored doing the same thing every day. If you're looking to really use your lungs though, it's the treadmill all of the way. Then again, nothing will get them like running on the road will! Current Weight: 184 lbs.

Total Floors Climbed: 55 floors

Total Distance for Day: 2.1 miles Total Floors: 55 floors

Life Got in the Way

4:00pm: I had another day trip today for business, so the whole routine was thrown off a bit. As you see, I didn't get to the gym until 4, and I wasn't able to fit in a morning cardio session. I really hate it when my routine gets changed cause I feel that I'm short changing myself, but on the other hand, I realize that life sometimes gets in the way. On days like today, I just make sure that I do SOMETHING. I was able to be at the gym for about 90 minutes today and it was definitely a great workout. I was sweating like crazy and increased the weight on many of my lifts. Mandi and I are thinking about doing a hike tomorrow morning to make up for the lack of cardio today. Let's hope I get a good night of sleep so it's feasible. Current Weight: 184 lbs.

9:30pm: I had to sneak in a short little dog walk when I got home from my "trip" cause I always feel guilty if I don't get Jezzabel out of the house. I also figure that she shouldn't be punished for my "busyness". It was a very quick walk, but I know she enjoyed it. I on the other hand was an idiot and just went out in my sandals for the walk. My left foot started to ache about 50 yards into the stroll. Walking in sandals when you have a sore flat foot is never a good idea! This sucker better heal up by tomorrow morning cause it's going to be hitting the ground hiking bright and early!

Total Distance: .5 miles

Total Distance for Day: .5 miles

CFF Pool Parties Ahead!

6:00am: I think I hit snooze about 4 times this morning! Not sure why I was so tired, but I think it may have to do with yesterday's workout. I'm really trying to step it up in the gym and get stronger every single time I am in there. So far, I've been able to steadily gain strength and size, but I want to make sure that continues. The longer you work out, the harder you have to push yourself to get the same results as before. By stepping up my workouts, I'm just hoping to keep that ball moving down field.

Anyway, I was off to the gym this morning to do some cardio. I ended up starting on the elliptical which I did for 20 minutes. I've started bringing magazines with me which really help to pass the time. I learned all about Jon's affair on Kate and how Brad and Angelina haven't been spotted together for weeks. I mean, who doesn't want to know that stuff (before you pile on me, the magazines are Mandi's)? They do help the time fly by though and I would suggest it to anybody who has actually read this far down in the post. After 20 minutes on the elliptical, I moved to the stairstepper which I did for 10 minutes. It's actually a little bit unbelievable how much I manage to sweat first thing in the morning. It just starts pouring off of my forehead and onto and off my nose. I can't think of a better way to start the day though. These morning workouts give me a boost that last the whole day!

Total Distance: 1.65 miles Total Floors: 30 floors

4:00pm: It was arm day today at the gym, so I was definitely looking forward to working out. Arms are fun to do and you get to see instant results since they're not covered up by your shirt. Plus, it gets to the point where I can barely lift my arm to scratch my nose, so it feels like I'm doing something that works. I guess most people would consider your arm being "dead" a bad thing, but I look forward to that feeling every Wednesday and Saturday (or Sunday). I also was able to do abs today. It's harder to get motivated to do abs without Mandi there with me, but I usually hear her yelling at me in my mind, so I guess it's all the same. I ended up doing a variety of crunches, but they totaled about 200 of them. I felt nice and tight in the mid-section, which I hope keeps up cause I have a few CFF pool parties that I have to attend :)

There was no J Bell walk tonight cause my foot was giving me issues. I iced it on and off while I watched the finale of American Idol. Which, if you're wondering, I would have been happy with either one winning. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'd rather go to an Adam concert, but I'd rather by a Kris CD. So, for me, it was a toss-up. It did however warm my heart to see Kris' wife's reaction. Way to go Kris!

Total Distance for Day: 1.65 miles Total Floors: 30 floors

The CF Swallow

6:00am: Another good night of sleep in Ronnieville! I can only remember waking up once due to the oxygen blowing in my eye, so that ain't bad at all!!! My lungs also felt pretty good and I only had one BIG OL' cough this morning that got that night junk up and out. At that point on I only coughed up small amounts of very light yellow or clear stuff. I was coughing quite a bit on the walk due to a slight tickle in my throat. That led to something I like to call the "CF Swallow". I would cough, cough, cough and then swallow to make sure nothing from my stomach made it out of my mouth. I'm guessing that I can't be the only one who has mastered the CF Swallow. I mean, I have it down. It gets to the point where I'll rapidly swallow about 5 times in a row to insure there won't be a blow out. I also get this feeling where I say to myself, "If you cough ONE more time, it's all over". That's when I really concentrate on not coughing for a good 15 seconds or so. So tell me fellow CFers, am I the only one????

The walk itself went well. I took out my shoe inserts to see if that made any difference with my feet. It did. It basically just made my left foot hurt in a different way. I won't know if it was a good or bad thing until later in the day though. It felt like my arch was being super stretched length wise. It hurt and felt good at the same time. As I sit here typing this, my foot is definitely sore. Today at the gym I'll do some cardio since I won't be doing any later due to my Bible study. I'll update you guys on how that goes. Let's all hope for a positive report (fingers crossed).

Total Distance: 2.1 miles Time: 39'44"

11:30am: Headed off to the gym to work out my chest and back knowing that I had to motor through it. I had a meeting with a friend concerning a new CF project that I wanted to run by him and get his opinion on. So at the gym I really had to focus. I couldn't take long breaks between sets and I always had to be moving. Mission accomplished. I worked up a huge sweat and got a REALLY good work out in. I could see some people giving me "that look" cause I was breathing so hard and loud. Whoops, sorry guys...and gals. I really like the new workout routine that I am doing. It's very fluid and can go quickly if need be. I also feel like I worked super hard at the end of each session. Current Weight: 186 lbs.

Total Distance Walked for Day: 2.1 miles

Running Late

4:30pm: So as you see, nothing was done in the way of exercise until 4:30 today! I "overslept" until 8:30am this morning and it threw off my whole schedule. I was rushing to get out the door for church (which I of course was then early for) and I had no time to take Jezzy for her morning walk. After church, Mandi and I did our normal routine of Dunkin Donuts and then back to the house for a little relaxing. By the time 4pm rolled around I was all relaxed out, so we decided to go to the gym. We did a new arm routine that absolutely kicked both of our butts. Even as I type this my arms don't feel like they're attached to the rest of my body. It was a great workout though and I'm really looking forward to what changes this new workout could bring. Current Weight: 186 lbs.

8:30pm: There's no way that a day could be complete without taking J Bell for her walk. I decided though to only do 1 mile cause my foot was already hurting and my stomach was full from dinner. The last thing I wanted to do was lose my feast all over the sidewalk. So I took it easy and Jeezy fo Sheezy just had to deal with the short walk. I'm starting to get a bit frustrated with my foot, so this week I'm going to try my best to figure out a solution. I don't know if I need new shoes, new inserts, or what, but I know that something has to change. My whole goal in all of this was to run one mile straight, that will be a little tough until I figure out how to run on both feet.

Total Distance: 1.0 mile

Total Distance Walked for Day: 1.0 mile

Oxygen Problems

6:00am: Alright! Time for a fresh new week. Not that I was feeling fresh this morning, but I'm hoping my energy level starts to pick up. I didn't sleep well last night and woke up about a dozen times or so to mess around with my oxygen tubing. I would wake up with the cannulas blowing into my eyes, around my forehead, or one cannula in my nostril with the other out. My nostrils were also extra dry last night and possibly starting to crack on the inside cause I had a sharp pain inside of my nose every time I woke up. I guess it just comes with the territory. Sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad. The good being that I usually sleep like a rock at night now and I think the o2 has a lot to do with it. The bad being the bloody noses, pain, and oxygen tubing choking me out in the middle of the night. Oh well, gotta keep truckin!

The walk was alright this morning. I was coughing more than normal, but I was getting a lot up and it was clear in color. I still feel kind of tight so I need to really focus this week on opening these airbags up. My foot is becoming the bigger problem. Even with taking the day off yesterday, besides the morning walk, my foot was already in pain this morning. I really need to nip this in the bud, cause it will be tough to run a mile on one foot. I'm not sure what it's going to take, but I'll figure it out. Who knows, maybe by this afternoon it will be fine and dandy? I'll just have to wait and see. It did slow me down a bit on my walk, so it better shape up or I'll just cut it off.

Total Distance: 2.1 miles Time: 39'13"

3:00pm: I finally got to the gym today after a full day of working on some different stuff on the computer. It was legs and shoulder day which is never very fun. Today was no exception. My shoulders hurt from the very first lift, especially my left one. By the time I got to my last lift it hurt to put my arm over my head. I decided not to push it and only lifted the bar for my last lift to hopefully stretch it out a little. I'll be changing up my routine in May, and for my shoulders, this will include lifts that will strengthen the tendons and ligaments. I won't worry about the muscle for a while. It's getting to the point that I think I'm going to start to do damage.

I blasted my legs today. They were feeling pretty weak from the first lift on, but I challenged them on every lift and increased the weight. When I was done with my last leg lift, I literally had to catch myself on a railing when I tried to walk down some stairs. My legs completely gave out. They were absolute jello. It was such a strange sensation and in some kind of sick way, I enjoyed it. Current Weight: 188 lbs.

6:00pm: My legs never recovered from the workout early and by the time it came for Mandi and I to walk/run they still felt like they weighed about 500 pounds. I didn't want to just sit on my butt though, so we decided to do a quick mile. By quick, I mean, just a mile. We didn't walk it faster than normal, and in fact, took our time. The weather was gorgeous and we just enjoyed eachother and conversation. My left foot still feels a bit strained, so I'm really hoping that it recovers soon.

Total Distance: 1.0 miles Time: 18'17"

Total Distance Walked for Day: 3.1 miles

Strange Day

4:30pm: So as you see from the time of this entry, today was just a strange day. I slept in because of last night's event and knowing that I would have to get up early tomorrow for the Great Strides Phoenix walk. And before you even think it, no, I did not sleep in until 4pm! It would be nice though. I only slept in until 7am and got up immediately to eat some breakfast cause I was starving. I also had a bit of a headache so I needed to get my caffeine fix. After inhaling my breakfast (ham and turkey meat with egg and cheese on an english muffin), I was planning on doing my walk. The problem was, I couldn't shake the urge to throw up. I knew that if I walked J Bell, I would be being blowing chunks all over the place. I was talking to Mandi over IM and she suggested that I just take it easy and wait to walk until the sun went down; So that's what we did.

We went to the gym after Mandi got off of work. She got off a little early again because she went in at 5am a couple of days ago. You got to love strict 40 hour work weeks! We lifted chest and back at the gym and although I was pretty tired, and unmotivated, I was able to get in a good work out. That's the thing with this exercise plan, sometimes when I deviate from it, my body and mind just feel off. That's exactly how I felt all day today. Current Weight: 185 lbs

6:00pm: We were thinking about eating some dinner before the night's walk, but I didn't want what happened this morning to repeat itself. So we decided to just get it over with. Jezzabel was definitely excited that she was going to be walked and bolted out the door as soon as I opened it. The walk went well for the most part. I brought up some stuff, but not too much, and my lungs felt good and open. The only problem was my left foot and back. My foot started acting up again and I had to limp a little bit at times on my walk. My back has been hurting for about a week from doing overhead lifts at the gym. J Bell made matters worse today when she lunged after a cat that was hiding in the bushes while I held on to her leash. I wasn't expecting the sudden shift and I tweaked my back even more. Other than that, the weather was absolutely perfect to walk in and there was a nice cool breeze!

I veered off my "diet" a bit by eating at Taco Bell tonight, but when you have the craving there's nothing much you can do. Now when I say diet, I only mean that I try to eat smaller portions more frequently cause it helps my digestion. Also, I try to avoid fast food cause I rarely feel well after I'm done eating it. Last night wasn't too bad, but I could definitely tell that I had some Mexican food in my tummy. To cap off my night, I soaked my back in the bathtub. Ahhhhhhhh, just what I needed.

Total Distance: 2.1 miles Time: 38'26"

Total Distance Walked for Day: 2.1 miles