Tempting Fate?

A few weeks ago, I decided the extra weight had to go, and that as much as I dislike running, it would be a great way to shed pounds, build endurance, and generally get fit again. So, I set off for a run, and before I could reach the magical distance of a quarter mile, my calves cramped up something fierce. I stopped, stretched the calves, and ran back home. Little did I know, I was sparking a trip to the hospital.

The great danger for me is to 'learn a lesson' from this and go hard the other way. This has happened before. When I was 18, I was hospitalized with an illness and lost a very unhealthy amount of weight, being a skinny kid to begin with. I resolved to not ever allow myself to become dangerously underweight again, and within six months went from 114 pounds to 195. Lesson learned, problem solved.

What an 18-year-old kid doesn't know. In the past several years, I'd been around 190 pounds, much less fit than before. You know, the typical four inch shift, from shoulders & chest to waist. With last year's back injury at hockey, I stopped exercising and quickly gained 15 pounds.

Knowing myself, the lesson learned would be to not run again, because last time I did it, a trip to the hospital followed. But I can't be a 205 pound barrel with legs. So, I ran last night.

I actually made a full mile, and didn't cramp up hard. Of course, I stretched like crazy before and after, ate a banana and pounded the water. I have the added benefit of a follow-up trip to the doctor today for more bloodwork. Hopefully the kidney functions are back to normal now, and that incident was a fluke.

Now, if I really want to tempt fate, I should go to Cincinnati for a Reds-Indians game tomorrow, then to Moerlein's for beer and munchies...

Update: Got the lab results in and despite my fate-tempting run, my liver functions are all back in the normal range. Hooray!

Now to keep up with the fitness plan.