February 2007 Running and Journal notes on Glucosamine & Knees

Last Tuesday Beep and I did a half marathon on the Community Club track. We were hoping for a 20 mile long run for pre-marathon training, but 14 miles or so was good.

That is more than 750 corners..... And my knees said Enough Already!

It is good to recount the progress: how far those knees have come from a cancelled surgery early last June! Late last April I injured my knee with an over-ambitious workout on exercise machines. In May the surgeon predicted I could start the Fargo Marathon but I wouldn’t finish.
Not so many corners in a marathon: Beep and I sailed over the Fargo finish line in spite of misty rain and cold winds and my fragile knees.

Some good encouragement from friends... to take lots of glucosamine and chondroitin... including an anecdotal story by the friend of a friend, who, years ago took the same glucosamine that he gave his horse for cartilage rebuilding. I took about 2500 mg for several months. Now, after being distracted for a while and taking maybe half that much, I am back.

Whatever that stuff does, with no recorded serious side effects, I have not experienced last May’s knee pain.

Not only did we finish Fargo Marathon.. but also made an unofficial time in Twin Cities Marathon and then finished the New York City Marathon..... Plus running a season of about 35 shorter races.

Yesterday 6K on the indoor track.
Today: 7K.
Beep took off running on nearly every lap, and we each ran some laps with Cancer Man.
I took it easy on the (banked) corners, did some running and some walking: Feels good!!

I long to be running outside with corners no more frequent than a city block.

Minnesota is in an Arctic blast right now, cooling the evidence for global warming, but spring will come for running. And the horrific truth of global warming may bring some governments, corporations, and the people to face the hard choices for reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.....hopefully....

It is the best day: the one we have... and it is good to run.

“Write on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.” Emerson