Why Gimpy Runs

Since this is my first blog post, I'll provide a little historical background on why Gimpy runs.  It's a bit tedious, so Gimpy doesn't mind if one skips to the end where he hopes to shift to running related topics.  Although he might hit on Family, Genealogy, photography, travel, and other things of interest to Gimpy and his friends.

So back to why Gimpy runs, rewind the timepiece back to early 2004.  Gimpy is turning 45, measure 5'10" if I shift my weight onto my left leg, (left legs longer than the right), and weigh-in at he docs office at nearly 200lbs.  Oh and no one calls me Gimpy yet.  That weight is a long way from the 98 lbs my freshman year in H.S. and the 135 lbs I tip'd the scales just out of high school, ah to be young again.  For this particular visit, the doc says after some A1C checks, 'your pre-diabetic and unless something changes you'll be diabetic and on drugs in a year. Big sigh, crap! no more eat whatever I want lifestyle.

I suppose if I graphed it out, it was inevitable and projecting forward around 2011 with no running intervention I'd be pushing 235.  It seems that 20+ years of two (2) liter Mtn Dew and Pepsi has apparently caught up with me.  The years of gold panning, hiking, and adventuring in Oregon, couldn't keep the pounds off.  Eating sugar out of the bowl, years of free donuts, and a nagging and persistent sweet tooth don't help.

Note: I've had a few teeth pulled over the years and so far they still have gotten the right ones.  Ask my kids who now have to hide the candy when they come home to visit.

So in 2004 what's my choices: 1) Do nothing and invest in Novartis or Merck or 2) Go to the pre-treatment classes and find out about option 2.  At the time I was leaning toward #2 since I get a discount on medical insurance.  Glancing around the room at the a few folks who didn't get the note about the risks of insulin deficiencies soon enough and I'm definitely, kinda, sorta getting on the diet and exercise caboose.  Caboose, cause I think in 2004 I'm along for the ride, and won't be capable of conducting the train for a couple of years.  I'll try to cover some of the early runs in other posts, but my big decision in 2004 was distance, how far and how frequent, cause I had some catching up to do.

I'll digress here to summarize running experience up to 2004, should be quick:

My first running memories, like a lot of kids, were playground stuff, Phys Ed, running into the broad jump pit, and getting away from the bullies around 4th grade.  I decided I liked running and stayed with the longer distances in 9-12th grade, well long for me at 1-2 miles in track and 3-5K in High School cross-country.  Running-wise I was near the back of the pack in the 3-4A schools I went to and near the front in 1A schools.  Needless to say, I liked the small schools, but didn't and still don't have any trouble running back of pack.  Although I do daydream about those gutsy finishes on tough trails and beating out my closest competition, like Mr 'Spike" Rosling.  In reality, Gimpy's often crosses the finish line alone, but never sad, competing against the pain in his gimp and the clock.

In high school, aside from running, at 98 lbs 9th grade wrestling looked like it might be in the cards, however it only took one practice and a 99 lb wrestling partner to get me pinned and break my collar bone about 10 minutes of the first day of practice, thus ended my state championship aspirations.  Heal up and back to running.


Almost made it to State in 4th year of High School, but running gravel roads in thin soled shoes resulted in an unexpected fracture in my right foot, which I didn't know was stressed and ignored it thinking this kind of pain is normal when you run.  It comes from running in shoes that are 3.5 sizes too small, yes 3.5.  I saw the coach taping other runners, so I thought, I'll tape it and go.  The coach wasn't too happy about that and the pain lesson I'm still struggling with, 'is that bad pain or good pain'.  Pain management was a big part of growing older, at least for me, and probably will be for many years to come, like into my 80's if possible.  I did a little running in college, but wasn't competitive enough and eventually tapered to low mileage from 1980's to 2004.  Enter mr pre-diabetes and figuring out what the exercise part of diet and exercise would be for Gimpy McKay.

I finally settled on the 2004 Portland Marathon.  I figured why not go long, put in the extra miles and see how it improves the A1C and regular glucose readings.  Of course, that was before I found out about ultra's.  Maybe I'd have gone longer, but as it turns out, one (1) year of training for Portland, a sub-4 hour run and I hadn't learned my lesson about diet and exercise. Being in the exercise caboose and actually conducting the train it were two different things. William Swint's 'Pain Train' analogy comes to mind and I did get on board briefly,  I made the mistake of not setting my next set of goals after Portland and landed in self-congratulations and singular accomplishment land and stayed there for a couple years, before my weight was back up to 200 lbs again.  The on again, off again running program wasn't working.

Over the next couple of years, Gimpy didn't gimp much.  He took up road biking, returned to school, focused more on family outings, life happened.  It wasn't until higher glucose readings, sleepiness, and general lethargy made me re-evaluate running and kick start a series of running activities from 2007-2011 that have set up running as a important way for me not to just manage my weight, but running also gives me that something extra motivation to get out of the house and experience something more.

It's also helped to get more involved in the running community.  A couple of runners who've played a big role in Gimpy McKay's running this last year are Mike "Coach" Rosling, William "Inspiration" Swint, Eric "Motivator" Jensen, Samuel "Cold hands, quick feet" Ajayi, and Gene "Too fast for me" Wusstig. Of course, I have a few other heroes and motivators to discuss in future blogs (A certain weiner dog and Sasquatch to name a few).

I see this first blog as comparable to one of my early season training runs, hopefully it will get better with time and the style more efficient and enjoyable.  I've logged a few miles on the trail and road this year, we'll see how many of these experiences makes it to Gimpy's blog.

For now, Let's go Gimpy, time to run...