Tag: Fitness Journey

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When a Morning Run Meets a Summer Thunderstorm

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

This morning began with heavy rain tapping against the windows.

Instead of rushing outside, I reached for my weather app. According to the forecast, the rain should ease in about an hour. That sounded like a perfectly reasonable excuse to go back to sleep. So, I reset my alarm and happily returned to bed.

When I woke again, the house was quiet. The rain had stopped, or so I thought. I got dressed, laced up my running shoes, and headed out. Nashville’s weather has been a little unusual this year.

Normally, we receive plenty of rain from early spring into early summer, but this year’s rainy season seemed to arrive later than expected. June finally brought more regular rain, and even July has been filled with thunderstorms.

Earlier that morning, my wife had already gone for her run. She looked outside, decided the weather seemed good enough, and headed out with optimism. She came home completely soaked. Apparently, the weather had other plans.

I usually don’t let a little rain stop me either. When I started my run, the rain was still falling, but only lightly. I accepted that I would probably end up wet and settled into my normal pace.

Being soaked has never bothered me very much. Around the halfway point, however, the rain suddenly became much heavier. I briefly debated whether to turn around or keep going.

Every runner has that conversation with themselves.

“It’s only rain.”

“Maybe it will pass.”

“You’re already wet anyway.”

Then nature cast the deciding vote. A loud crack of thunder echoed across the sky. That ended the discussion immediately. Rain is merely inconvenient. Lightning is persuasive. I turned around and headed home. I didn’t complete my planned five kilometers, but I did manage to get part of the run finished before the weather took over.

Discipline is..

Sometimes we imagine discipline means refusing to stop. I think discipline also includes knowing when conditions have changed enough that continuing no longer makes sense. There will always be another morning to run. There doesn’t need to be another opportunity to test whether lightning can run faster than I can. I have no interest in discovering the answer to that question.

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Maintaining Weight with Chronic Kidney Disease: Every Pound Matters

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Yesterday, I stepped on the scale and discovered that I had lost nearly three pounds.

For many people, that might sound like good news. Maintaining weight with chronic kidney disease can be challenging.

For me, it is exactly the opposite.

Maintaining a healthy weight has become one of the more challenging parts of living with chronic kidney disease. The difficulty is not simply eating more. It is eating more without eating the wrong things.

If I had no dietary restrictions, the solution would be fairly straightforward. After running, strength training, and mowing our steep backyard, I could simply increase my protein intake to help my body recover.

Unfortunately, protein is one of the nutrients my kidneys struggle to process.

That means every meal requires a balancing act.

Last year, after struggling to maintain my weight for quite some time, my nephrologist gave me permission to increase my daily protein intake slightly. Before then, I ate only about 36 grams of protein each day.

It was a welcome adjustment.

Even so, moderation remains essential.

Protein is only one part of the equation. Potassium, phosphorus, and sodium also require close attention. Foods that many people think of as healthy—such as bananas or melon—can become foods that I have to enjoy only occasionally.

Living with kidney disease often means making decisions that seem backward to everyone else.

Our current approach comes from years of careful adjustments.

When I suffered my brain hemorrhage, doctors also discovered that my kidneys had already deteriorated to Stage 5 chronic kidney disease—the point where dialysis or a kidney transplant often becomes necessary. No one could fully explain why my kidneys had declined so severely. I had always exercised regularly and paid close attention to my diet.

My wife and I refused to give up.

Working closely with my doctors, we gradually adjusted medications, refined my diet, and monitored my health as carefully as possible. Over time, my kidney function improved enough that I moved into Stage 3. Today, I generally fluctuate between Stage 3 and Stage 4.

That may not sound dramatic, but to us, it represents years of consistent effort.

My long-term goal is simple.

I hope to preserve my kidney function for as long as possible. Medical research continues to advance, and every year brings new possibilities. If I can keep my kidneys functioning well enough for long enough, future treatments may offer options that don’t exist today.

That thought gives me hope.

This morning brought some encouraging news.

I had regained nearly two of the three pounds I had lost yesterday, putting me right at the lower edge of my target weight range.

I would still like to gain a little more, but I no longer feel as though I am drifting into unhealthy territory.

Sometimes progress isn’t dramatic.

Sometimes it is simply watching the scale move in the right direction while knowing that you protected your health along the way.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll step on the scale again.

Hopefully, it decides to continue cooperating.

After all, the scale and I have been negotiating for quite a few years now, and I would appreciate it if it finally became a little more reasonable.

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Running in Nashville Humidity: When Finishing Is the Real Victory

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Nashville’s famous humidity has returned. It arrived with all the subtlety of an uninvited guest who not only stays for dinner but also adjusts your thermostat. Let’s tell you that running in Nashville humidity is hard.

This year, the rainy season seemed to arrive later than usual, which means we are now enjoying the unique experience of combining heavy humidity with even higher summer temperatures. It is an impressive achievement by the weather, if not a particularly enjoyable one.

Running in these conditions is… memorable.

Every breath feels as though I am inhaling warm steam from an oven. The air is so thick that it almost seems to have texture. Instead of cutting through the atmosphere, it feels as though I am negotiating with it.

By the time I had run a short distance, my shirt was completely soaked.

At one point I honestly wondered whether I was sweating that much or whether the humidity had simply decided to wear my clothes for me.

Running through a Nashville summer can sometimes feel remarkably similar to jogging inside a sauna, except the scenery is better.

Not surprisingly, I finished more than a minute behind my target pace.

That was disappointing.

I have spent a long time gradually improving my running speed, and I always hope to inch a little closer to my next goal. Lately, however, the weather has been making that progress considerably more difficult.

On mornings like this, I remind myself of something that is easy to forget.

The most important part is showing up.

Speed matters.

Improvement matters.

But neither of those things happens without consistency.

When I think back a few years, I realize just how much progress I have already made. I have improved my pace by more than a minute per kilometer. That is not the kind of improvement that happens overnight. It is built one ordinary run at a time, including the frustrating ones.

Sometimes training is about setting a personal best.

Other times, it is simply refusing to let miserable weather decide whether you will run at all.

Today’s run belonged firmly in the second category.

There was one final piece of good news.

The 10-kilometer run did not take off much weight this time. I lost only a fraction of a pound compared to yesterday, which means my carefully negotiated relationship with the bathroom scale remains intact.

Even better…

Cake is still on the menu after our weekly grocery trip.

Sometimes the greatest reward for surviving a humid summer run is not a faster pace.

Sometimes it’s dessert.

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Maintaining Weight with Kidney Disease: The Unexpected Challenge of Summer Exercise

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

When you have kidney disease, you will face the unexpected challenge of summer exercise. This evening, you’ll find me doing something many people would probably envy.

I’m deliberately snacking.

A bowl of dry cereal now sits beside me, and I keep reaching into it every few minutes in an ongoing effort to replace the calories that disappeared during today’s exercise. It may not be the most glamorous recovery meal, but it is crunchy, convenient, and currently working overtime.

Every summer, I face the same struggle: the challenge of summer exercise.

Keeping my weight up.

Our backyard isn’t especially large, but it is built on a steep hill. Mowing it is far more demanding than people usually imagine. It feels less like ordinary yard work and more like a long endurance workout that just happens to leave the grass looking nicer afterward.

The physical activity itself isn’t the real problem.

Replacing the calories is.

Because of my kidney disease, I have to be careful about almost everything I eat. Protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphate all require close attention. Those restrictions eliminate more than just large steaks and salty snacks. Even foods that most people think of as healthy, certain colorful vegetables, dairy products, and many fruits, have to be eaten thoughtfully and in moderation.

Rather than relying on one “perfect” food, my wife and I constantly rotate what I eat so that no single nutrient becomes excessive.

Managing my diet has become something of a long-term strategy game.

Protein and sodium are the nutrients I monitor most carefully. I also take medication for high blood pressure, another condition closely tied to my kidney health. Every meal becomes a balancing act between providing enough energy and avoiding foods that could make my lab results less than ideal.

Last summer, I thought I had found the perfect solution.

Melon.

It seemed refreshing, easy to eat, and ideal for helping maintain my weight.

Unfortunately, blood tests revealed that it contained far more potassium than I could safely consume on a regular basis. So my brilliant nutritional discovery quietly retired after one season.

Sometimes your laboratory results become your least forgiving food critic.

Of course, exercising is not optional.

Running, strength training, and even mowing the lawn are all important parts of maintaining my health. If I burn more calories, however, I also have to replace them.

Hence the cereal.

Tomorrow offers another opportunity to replenish those calories. After our grocery trip, I’ll finally get to enjoy a slice of cake and finish the leftover pizza from last weekend.

Before anyone concludes that I have discovered the world’s greatest fitness program, there is one small detail.

Tomorrow is also my regular 10-kilometer run.

So those extra calories already have a job waiting for them.

Such is life.

Most people spend the summer trying to lose weight.

I spend mine trying to convince the scale to stay exactly where it is.

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Maintaining Weight with Kidney Disease: A Small Victory After Lawn Mowing

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

After finishing today’s lawn mowing, I stepped onto the scale and was greeted by a pleasant surprise. I had finally climbed back into my target weight range. Maintaining weight in kidney disease can be challenging.

Admittedly, I am still hovering near the lower end of that range, but after several weeks of watching the numbers drift downward, I’ll gladly celebrate a small victory.

Summer has a way of turning my weight into a moving target.

Our backyard is built on steep hills, so mowing the lawn is far more demanding than simply walking behind a mower on level ground. If I attempted to finish the entire yard in one session, it would take somewhere between five and six hours.

That is less “yard work” and more “accidental endurance event.”

Before I took over the mowing, my wife managed it herself using a hand-push mower. Looking back, I honestly wonder how she did it while working full-time. She often had to divide the job over several days simply because there weren’t enough hours or enough energy in a single evening.

As my own endurance gradually improved, I began taking over the mowing.

My schedule is considerably more flexible than hers. Although my wife also works from home, her workdays leave little opportunity for yard work except on weekends and holidays. In fact, she used to spend much of her vacation time catching up on outdoor chores.

Now that I handle the mowing, she finally has more time to devote to other projects, and perhaps even enjoy a weekend once in a while.

Of course, mowing the lawn introduces another challenge for me.

Because of my kidney condition, I have to limit my protein intake, making it much harder to replace the calories burned during strenuous activity. At the same time, years of regular exercise have gradually increased my muscle mass. I now carry more than 120 pounds of muscle while my total body weight stays between about 145 and 148 pounds.

Muscle, unfortunately, is wonderfully demanding.

It happily burns calories all day long while politely ignoring the fact that I cannot simply eat everything in sight.

Managing my diet requires constant adjustment. Last year, I even discovered that eating too much melon negatively affected my lab results. Since then, I have become much more careful about rotating foods instead of relying too heavily on any single item. Living with kidney disease often means thinking several steps ahead of every meal.

For quite some time, maintaining my weight has felt like trying to fill a bucket with a tiny leak.

Progress comes slowly.

Sometimes very slowly.

That is why today’s number on the scale felt so satisfying.

It may seem like only a few pounds, but those pounds represent careful planning, disciplined eating, regular exercise, and learning how to work with my body instead of against it.

Now I have one small hope.

That tomorrow’s morning run doesn’t immediately erase all of today’s hard-earned progress.

If it does, I will proceed with the scale and continue our ongoing negotiations.

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Finding Progress Beyond the Stopwatch in Running Endurance Improvements

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

I am finding progress beyond the stopwatch in running endurance improvements.

This morning greeted me with something that has become surprisingly rare lately.

No rain.

Better yet, the air was noticeably cooler than it had been for several days. It was chilly enough that I briefly wondered whether long sleeves might have been the wiser choice. After the recent stretch of hot, humid mornings, however, I was happy to accept a little cool weather without complaint.

As soon as I woke up, I headed out for my usual run.

Within a few minutes, my body warmed up, and so did the weather. Nashville apparently believes seasons can change during a single run. What began as “perhaps I need a jacket” quickly became “short sleeves would have been perfect.”

Unfortunately, ideal running weather did not magically produce an ideal running pace.

I missed my target.

Looking back, I probably should have seen it coming. Around this time of year, morning temperatures can climb ten degrees within a surprisingly short period. Since I usually finish my runs before 8:00 a.m., it is remarkable how quickly the weather transforms.

Apparently, summer in Nashville believes in making dramatic entrances.

Next time, I may pay closer attention to the hourly forecast instead of simply checking the temperature when I wake up. Waiting a little longer before heading out might actually make clothing choices and pacing a bit easier.

Fortunately, today’s run was only five kilometers. Had it been my usual Saturday 10K, the changing conditions would have become much more noticeable by the later kilometers. Also, I have more energy than before after running. I must have gained my running endurance.

After returning home, I moved on to my resistance training.

There was better news waiting there.

This morning, I increased my pull-up total to twenty-five.

I was particularly pleased because many of my strength exercises have received less attention lately. Summer has a habit of replacing gym sessions with lawn mowing, and anyone who has pushed a mower across a steep backyard knows that yard work has a remarkable way of volunteering as leg day.

Still, progress is progress.

Perhaps the biggest change I have noticed this year is the effect of my anemia treatment. For years, I simply assumed that feeling tired was normal. Since beginning treatment, I have noticeably more endurance and energy throughout my workouts.

I admit I have complained more than once about having to visit the hematologist. Medical appointments are rarely anyone’s favorite hobby.

But credit belongs where it is due.

The treatment is making a real difference.

No, I did not meet my target running pace today.

On the other hand, I completed twenty-five pull-ups, something I could not have imagined not very long ago.

That is one of the lessons fitness keeps teaching me.

If you judge every workout by only one number, you’ll miss many of your victories.

Some days, the stopwatch wins.

Other days, the pull-up bar quietly reminds you just how far you’ve already come.

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A Rainy Sunday, Extra Sleep, and the Never-Ending Weekend Yard Work Routine

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

After yesterday’s unexpected skunk adventure and my regular Saturday 10-kilometer run, I decided that my body deserved a little extra kindness. The plan was simple: go to bed a bit earlier than usual and allow myself an extra hour of sleep. Reality, as it often does, negotiated different terms. Today is my weekend yard work routine.

I only managed to get to bed about thirty minutes early, but even that turned out to help. I let my wife know that I planned to sleep later than normal so she wouldn’t wonder whether I had mysteriously disappeared overnight.

My wife is an impressively early riser. By the time I normally wake up, she has often already finished a remarkable amount of work.

While I take care of mowing our steep backyard, she tackles everything the mower cannot reach. She edges the lawn, pulls weeds around the flower beds, and clears the narrow areas along the sides and back of the house. It is work that never seems to end, especially during a Nashville summer.

This year has been particularly rainy, which means the weeds have been thriving with almost suspicious enthusiasm.

Even when the grass is still damp, my wife heads outside to keep it under control. It’s a weekend yard work routine. Experience has taught us that weeds are excellent opportunists. Ignore them for a few weeks, and they begin behaving as though they have inherited the property.

We learned that lesson firsthand.

One year, my wife wasn’t feeling well and had to skip yard work for about a month. When she finally recovered, her first weekend back outside turned into a two- or three-hour battle with weeds that had clearly mistaken her absence for permanent retirement.

Since then, she has adopted a much more effective strategy.

Never give the weeds a chance.

Eventually, my extra sleep came to an end, not because of an alarm clock, but because the sound of the piano gently awakened me.

Apparently, after attending a wedding recently, my wife felt inspired to practice again.

There are certainly worse ways to wake up.

By the time I climbed out of bed, the rain had already begun.

It continued for most of the day and is expected to last into the evening. Fortunately, tomorrow’s forecast looks much more promising. The morning should be surprisingly cool, with relatively low humidity by Nashville standards.

That sounds like nearly perfect running weather.

Sometimes the most productive day is not the one filled with accomplishments.

Sometimes it is the one that gives your body a chance to recover, your garden a good soaking, and your weeds just enough confidence to think they are winning.

Tomorrow, we’ll remind them otherwise.

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A Skunk, an Early Wake-Up Call, and a Humid 10K Run

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

By this evening, I was thoroughly exhausted because of an early wake-up call.

That is not especially unusual after my regular Saturday 10-kilometer run, but today came with a few unexpected complications. The weather turned noticeably hotter and far more humid, and my carefully planned morning began with a visitor who was not on my schedule.

A skunk.

Few things will get your attention before sunrise quite like your phone ringing because a skunk has taken up residence near your front door.

Early this morning, my wife called while she was returning from her run. A skunk had wandered in front of our entrance, and she quite reasonably decided that sharing the sidewalk with it was a terrible idea. Instead of risking a close encounter and an unforgettable fragrance, she asked me to open the garage door so she could enter the house from another direction.

I was more than happy to help.

I was just less enthusiastic about being awake.

Under our front porch is a small opening that has long served as a cozy home for various wildlife. Years ago, several groundhogs lived there. I had not seen them for quite some time and assumed the little underground apartment had become vacant.

Apparently, the local real estate market had other plans.

A skunk has evidently decided that the former groundhog residence is an excellent place to live. I suppose one creature’s abandoned property is another creature’s dream home.

Unfortunately, the phone call arrived about an hour before my alarm was set to ring.

I briefly considered returning to sleep. My brain even presented a compelling argument in favor of the pillow. Unfortunately, once I am fully awake, negotiations with sleep rarely end in my favor.

So I admitted defeat.

I climbed out of bed, put on my running clothes, and headed out for my Saturday 10K considerably earlier than planned.

The run itself went well enough, but the combination of lost sleep, rising temperatures, and Nashville’s legendary humidity gradually caught up with me. By evening, I could feel every kilometer and every missing hour of sleep.

Fortunately, the solution is refreshingly uncomplicated.

Tonight, I plan to go to bed a little earlier than usual and let sleep do what no amount of determination can replace.

Running teaches discipline.

Skunks, apparently, teach flexibility.

Sometimes the day’s training begins long before the first step of the run.

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Recovery Is Training Too: Listening to My Body After a Long Run

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Today has been pleasantly relaxing, not because I have been idle, but because everything has gone according to plan. A recovery after a long run is important.

Most of my chores are finished, and I even made up the weighted squat holds that I skipped yesterday.

Normally, I prefer not to miss a scheduled workout. However, after yesterday’s 10-kilometer run, I was simply exhausted. Between summer yard work, regular training, and the occasional surprise from the weather—or even one poor night’s sleep—my body had clearly voted against any additional exercise.

When your body casts a unanimous vote, it is usually wise not to overrule it.

So, after a brief consultation with my most important training partner—my own body—I decided to skip the workout.

Today was a different story.

By this morning, I felt refreshed enough to make up the missed exercises. Sundays are usually reserved for lighter activities anyway. That lighter schedule gives my body time to recover from a week of work, running, and whatever landscaping projects decide to appear in the yard. After a Saturday 10K, I generally welcome the opportunity to slow down.

Ironically, because I had skipped yesterday’s strength session, I had enough energy to comfortably complete it today.

One lesson I continue to learn is that improvement and recovery are not always the same thing.

Treating my anemia has certainly helped my running. I have more energy, and my pace has steadily improved. Unfortunately, treatment does not magically speed up recovery.

Part of the challenge comes from my kidney condition. Since I need to limit my protein intake, I cannot simply increase my nutrition the way many athletes do after strenuous exercise. Building strength and recovering well are not just about muscles—they also depend on keeping the body’s vital organs healthy. Fitness is a balancing act, and sometimes restraint is just as important as effort.

Tomorrow’s weather forecast has already introduced the next challenge.

Rain appears to be moving in, so the earlier I start my morning run, the better my chances of staying dry. Unlike today, when I happily remained in bed for an extra hour, tomorrow morning will require considerably more discipline.

Apparently, even the weather enjoys testing my commitment.

Still, that’s part of the routine.

Some days, the challenge is running farther. Other days, it’s knowing when to rest. And occasionally, the greatest athletic achievement is convincing yourself to leave a warm bed before sunrise.

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When Staying Healthy Means Trying Not to Lose Weight

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Most people spend the summer trying to lose a few pounds. I spend it trying not to. lose weight. I have a kidney disease, and maintaining weight in kidney disease is hard.

Every year, as the weather warms up, I find myself facing the same challenge: keeping my weight where it belongs. It sounds almost unfair to complain about losing weight, but everybody has their own peculiar set of problems, and this one happens to be mine.

Part of the reason is simple.

I have maintained relatively high muscle mass for my age by exercising consistently for many years. After my stroke, I became even more committed to staying active. At first glance, that sounds like a wonderful success story.

The catch is that muscle is expensive.

Not financially, thankfully, but metabolically. Muscle requires energy every hour of every day, whether I’m running, mowing the lawn, or quietly reading a book. It is like employing a team of energetic workers who insist on being paid three meals a day.

Summer only makes the challenge greater.

Our backyard includes a steep lawn that requires several hours of mowing. Altogether, it usually takes about five hours of work, although I wisely divide it over two days. Add regular strength training and my running schedule, and my body becomes a remarkably efficient calorie-burning machine.

Unfortunately, increasing my food intake is not as straightforward as it sounds.

Because of my kidney condition, I cannot simply eat whatever I want. My diet requires careful moderation. I have to limit protein, avoid eating excessive amounts of potassium-rich foods, and keep phosphate intake under control as well, rather than eliminating everything; we aim to maintain a balanced diet so that no single nutrient becomes excessive.

Even with careful planning, maintaining my weight remains surprisingly difficult.

This morning offered another small reminder of how unpredictable life can be.

I woke up earlier than usual, only to discover it was raining. Rather than racing the weather, I decided the bed was temporarily winning the negotiation and stayed there until my alarm sounded.

By then, almost miraculously, the rain had stopped.

I hurried outside for my run, hoping to finish before the next shower arrived. Fortunately, I accomplished both goals. I hit my target pace and avoided the rain.

Technically.

The humidity, however, had other ideas.

By the time I returned home, I was completely soaked anyway. Apparently, Nashville’s weather makes umbrellas seem merely decorative.

After peeling off my thoroughly saturated running clothes, I stepped onto the scale.

To my relief, I had gained just over two pounds.

I am still below my preferred weight range, but at least I am moving in the right direction. Considering how much energy disappears into running, yard work, and everyday exercise, I have learned to celebrate small victories wherever I can find them.

Sometimes that victory is a faster run.

Sometimes it finishes before the rain arrives.

And sometimes, rather surprisingly, it is simply watching the number on the scale move upward.

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