I'm back on track for the 75+ for RLS!

Joseph Kenney here and I'm back! Yes, I've been away for some time due to a few injuries. Shortly after my last blog post I not only re-injured my right knee but injured my left knee as well. I was devastated and had a very difficult time knowing I would be unable to complete my 75 miles for RLS.  It turned out my right knee was no worse than before. I was suffering from an additional I.T. band strain but the patellar tendon was still in the same shape. My left knee, however, is now damaged but the tendon tear is much smaller than on the right side. Additionally the misalignment of the patella is causing quite a bit of pain.  I contacted the filming crew in NY and informed them of my injuries and cancelled the filming project. It was a decision that has plagued me since.  Lance Armstrong was said that pain is temporary and quitting is forever. It was this quote that has re-ignited my passion for completing this RLS run. I am still preparing to complete the 75 miles. I may not be able to run it but will certainly complete the distance no matter how long it takes. Those suffering from RLS at night have no option to quit in the middle of the night nor should I have the option to quit. My training has changed dramatically since I'm unable to do much with my legs at this point. I continue to focus on visualization and working my upper body. I would appreciate your prayers and support in the coming weeks.  

Please check out a few of the projects I have been working on at www.whatisrls.org. 

75 + For RLS: Tough Day.

75 + For RLS: Tough Day.

Tough Day.

This morning's training didn't go as planned. I've become accustomed to making last minute changes due to illnesses / injuries but this morning's run was one I would like to forget. I left home at 3:30 am for what was planned as a 6 hour run. The primary objective was to simply lengthen the time on my feet ant the secondary objective was mileage.  I felt great for the first 6 miles and then I started to feel my shin splints coming on. My left shin was in severe pain by the end of mile 7.  It was bad enough by mile 8 that I turned around and started heading back home. This is something I've never done and speaks volumes for the discomfort I was in.  As I headed back home I decided to keep moving forward. My mind was battling against itself for the next 10 miles when I started experiencing additional trouble in my right knee.  It appeared my body was finally giving in. My left shin was screaming with pain and my torn patellar tendon was calling it quits. I called upon even ounce of courage I had and pressed on the next 8 miles. I did finish 26.2 miles or marathon distance but I didn't hit my original objective of 6 hours. I finished today's training in 3 hours and 55 minutes. It would appear my body needs a break from the running. I will sit down with Rye as well as my Doctors to discuss the next few weeks and my plans for the RLS run in September.  

Egg Whites and Ham

Today's upper body workout included bench press, bent over rows, lat pull downs, shoulder press, dumbbell flies, curls and an ab workout. We did the ab exercises in sets of 75. Yes, 75 reps for a set. Again building off of and focusing on the # 75!  The workout included traditional crunches and v-ups with a medicine ball. 

Rye has been great to work with and I recommend each of you take the time and check out his website at www.ryefit.com. I would also ask that you take the time to read an excerpt from his new book "Egg Whites and Ham" and then order a copy for yourself as well as a close friend or family member.

To Film or Not Film...that is the question!

I received an offer last Thursday from an ad agency in New York to film the 75 miles for RLS run in September. I have mixed feelings on the issue. On the one hand it will help accomplish what I set out to do and that is raise awareness for RLS. On the other hand it will cloud the solitude that I wibut shed to preserve in the run for awareness. It's entirely possible that the filming will distract me from focusing on finishing and my original intent for running this distance. I have much to discern.

Today's training was a lower body recovery workout that included squats, romanian dead lifts, good mornings, lunges and ab workout.  Rye backed off the weight but left enough resistance to still have meaningful benefits.

Today's therapy included low level laser balancing between the right knee and right cerebellum. Additionally we utilized color therapy & blinking light glasses to help balance my natural right side dominance.

Duct Tape!

Hello from Nebraska. Joseph Kenney with another training update. I'm suffering from shin splints in my left leg. We shot the legs with the laser therapy and my therapist applied 10 inches of kinesiology tape on both my left and right shins. This tape is amazing stuff and adds considerable stability. It's the next best thing to Duct Tape! The therapist utilized electrical stimulation to my right knee as well as the low level laser therapy to balance out the cerebellum and the knee. 

Many of you have asked how best to support or participate in the 75 miles for RLS Run in September.  The RLS foundation in Rochester, MN has a very dedicated staff that has given me tremendous support this past year.  They have established an area on their site discussing my run. Please go to www.rls.org and search for Moonlight Walk for more information. The Restless Leg Foundation is the best source for current information regarding advances in research and medication for those of us battling this monster each and every night.

I discovered a great site for anyone suffering from RLS that is looking for exercise options.  Check out www.stanford.wellsphere.com for great training tips, discussions and support for the RLS community!

A Marathon for the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July from the Heartland. Joseph Kenney here blogging after a refreshing 26.50 miles on the 4th of July.  The purpose of this morning's run was to simulate my strategy for the RLS run.  My plan this morning was to eat every 5 miles and take in 12 ounces of fluid.  As for the hills? I took them pretty easy but quickly picked up the pace on the flats and downhills. It was evident at the 2 hour mark that my mind is much stronger than my body. I clearly need to focus on putting more time on the road but I'm appreciative of the visualization training working as I was told it would.  No more training today and my hats off to all of my fellow veterans past and present that have given service to our country. I am a 4th generation service member and graciously served 8 years in the armed forces. I've served in 3rd world countries and am so thankful for what we have. I hope you are too. Happy 4th of July!

Exciting News

Joseph Kenney here with a training update!  Training started early this morning with an upper body workout that included Bench Press, Lat Pull Downs, Rows, Incline Flies and Shoulder Presses.  Of course we finished with a strong ab workout.  I'm scheduled for a longer run tomorrow morning that will start at 3:30 am!  

I was contacted today about an opportunity to increase RLS awareness via several media outlets which includes but not limited to local tv and several Men's fitness magazines that most of your are familiar with.  It's quite an opportunity to help spread the word about the good work the RLS foundation is doing and long road still ahead. I will keep you posted!

See you at 3:30 am!

Think I forgot about you? Joseph Kenney here trying to catch you up on a few things!  It's been difficult to blog due to the power outages in the Omaha area. We've been without power for several days and our phone/internet/cable lines were just fixed.  

I tested a new ab workout called P90X. The DVD is titled ab ripper and is 15 minutes long. Many of you may be familiar with Tony Horton's training system. It's fantastic and gives you a solid workout in a minimal amount of time. The ab ripper requires you to complete 12 different exercises in 15 minutes. Thus resulting in the completion of 339 gut wrenching sit ups! Check out Tony Horton's site at www.p90x.com 

I completed a short 4.5 mile training run on Sunday night. I focused my attention on attacking the hills. This is contrary to the style of running that I will complete in the moonlight run/walk in September.  I will walk or lightly jog many of the longer hills on the 75 mile course. This is common place in "ultra" distance races. 

Therapy this week has consisted of electrical stimulation of my knee as well as low level laser therapy of my knee and colon.  Additionally we added in the re balancing of the right cerebellum and right knee.

I am scheduled for another lower body strength training workout with Rye. Speaking of Rye, he just finished his newest book titled Egg Whites and Ham and is now available for sale on the Internet.  Rye has several pages of his book to sample at www2.xlibris.com.

Four States? Is it possible?

Joseph Kenney here with a crazy idea. Is it possible to create a route for September's 75 miles for RLS run that would cover the states of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska? Could it be created to still finish in Omaha? I will do a little research and get back to you soon.

This mornings training for the RLS run focused on strength training the upper body. We started with the bench press and moved into Lat Pulldowns, Bent Over Rows, Incline Flys, Shoulder Presses and leg raises for the ab work out.

One change in nutrition includes switching to a slow release protein for the night time snack. This will prevent the body from going "catabolic" and causing damage to the muscles.  The nutrition is going well overall as it is closely monitored by Rye Roberts of Rye Fit Nutrition.  I have reduced my weight from 187.7 to 170.8 in the past 10 weeks. My fat % has reduced significantly and my lean muscle mass has increased dramatically.  We will continue to monitor the weight loss and if necessary begin adding additional "good" calories back into the diet.

I'm scheduled for physical therapy and brain balancing tomorrow.

Visualization of 75 miles

Joseph Kenney here with another 75 miles for RLS update. The morning started at 4:15 with a warm up jog soon to follow. I was scheduled for a lower body and core workout.  The exercises included Squats, Good Mornings, One Legged Romanian Dead Lifts, Step Ups and Crunches.  We added a new twist to the crunches today.  I discussed with Rye the integration of visualization training into the core work-out. It explained the necessity to start drawing parallels from the training room floor to running on the road.  I suggested the "sets" add up to 75 but Rye had a much different thought process. After making my suggestion Rye agreed and started me off with a set of 75 crunches with my legs raised at a 90 degree angle. It didn't stop there and we continued into yet another set of crunches. The next set consisted of 75 crunches with my legs raised straight into the air. Many know these crunches as toe ups.  Neither set was particularly fun but I was certainly able to feel the pain that will be similar to being on the road for 12 -14 hours.  The visualization and counting of each rep up to 75 was just another reminder I have much work ahead of me.  It's now 6:45 in the evening and we (the family) are heading to the track for a sprint work out that will include 100 meter sprints. Tomorrow we will work on the upper body and again.....the core! What's your extraordinary?

Re-balancing

Howdy! Joseph Kenney here with another 75 miles for RLS training update. I have not blogged due to being in Eastern, Iowa for the weekend. We had a relaxing weekend full of fishing, kayaking, & paddle boating. The physical training included moving hundreds of pounds of boulders from the fields into trucks, out of the trucks and back into landscaping areas.

Today wasn't a normal day of therapy / training. My left side has been and still is my recessive side. Many complications have originated on my left side.  It was evident in today's therapy session that my body needed re-balancing. Much time was spent utilizing the Logan Technique in an area near the Sacrum. Additionally, we re-balanced the left and right sides of the brain using the low level laser. Next, I dawned a pair of "Oakley" like sunglasses for my knee therapy.  These glasses had a series of blinking red lights on the inside of each lens. The glasses assist in the re-balancing of the recessive and dominant sides of the body including my eyes. I wore these glasses during the electrical stimulation therapy of my knee. The Dr. Millard feels good about the progress I'm making and indicated I would experience a huge body shift soon. I had to clarify.....a shift in which direction! She laughed. She's very interested to know if the additional laser therapy and brain rebalancing therapy has a positive impact on my RLS symptoms.

Tomorrow's training for the RLS run will include a core workout and a 7 mile High Tempo run.  

Switch in Training

Good evening from Joseph Kenney. An executive decision was made this morning to switch the training session from Hypertropy System Training or HST to traditional strength training. Rye felt this was necessary for today's workout due to missing a leg workout earlier in the week because of the knee injury. Today's 4:15 wake up call included Bench, Chin Ups, Lat pull downs, Squats, One legged Romanian Dead Lifts and an abdominal workout.  We increased the weight and lowered the reps in each of the three sets for the lifts. Changing the objective allowed us to include lower and upper body workouts which is critical for long term sustained growth.  One of the key objectives is to keep the hamstrings, glutes and quads stretched out which will help prevent further injuries.  The core workout included traditional crunches and three sets of some "crazy" abdominal exercise that targets the obliques and the transverse abdominals. Finally, the day's training finished with a 7 mile medium tempo run (slightly under 7 minute miles). I focused my attention on the RLS run in September. The temperature during the run was 85 degrees and used it as an opportunity to work on my form.  Form often deteriorates in under these conditions.  Additionally, I focused on the numbers 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 during each mile of the 75 miles for RLS run. I mentally placed myself on the final 7 miles of the 75  mile race and envisioned what it would be like when finishing those final miles. Tomorrow I have Electrical stimulation and low level laser therapy on my knee.

Tempo Run early on Father's Day

Joseph Kenney here with another 75 miles for RLS training update. I changed this morning's training from a long 5 hour run to a much shorter 2 hour tempo run. I left my home at 4:30 and kept a quick pace until 6:30. I kept a consistent 7:00 minute mile pace which is considerably faster than what's planned for late September. It's necessary to put in these types of miles during the training program. These runs really help reduce the lactic acid buildup late in the race. It also served another purpose. My knee is still feeling the impact of last Saturday's run and my hamstrings are extremely sore from the mid-week workouts with Rye.  I continue to stretch and ice the knee as a management tool only.  I'm scheduled for physical therapy, heavy metals detox and visualization training tomorrow. What's your extraordinary?

Flexibility . . .literally

I've learned to be flexible in my training and today was no different! I met Rye early this morning and we quickly formulated a new game plan. My knee hasn't recovered well from Saturday's run and I was unable to perform the normal Lower Body work out. Rye expressed his concern that my hamstrings will begin to tighten up and thus putting me at risk for more injury in the coming weeks.  He created a new exercise that stretches the hamstrings but with very little weight for resistance. The additional benefits include but are not limited to increasing balance, working the core and giving Rye a pretty good laugh.........I didn't look very athletic doing them. The exercise was extremely awkward.  I will upload pictures tomorrow so you get the idea. I'm scheduled for visualization training tomorrow. 

Today's Therapy

As I've mentioned, I have a partially torn patellar tendon that needs surgery. Due to the nature of the injury I'm in a tough spot. Surgery will prevent me from running in September due to the recovery time and not having surgery puts me at high risk for further damage to the knee and being unable to run period. I've opted for intense physical therapy with traditional and non-traditional means. Today's therapy included Electrical Stimulation of the knee and low level laser therapy. The low level laser therapy helps repair the knee at the cellular level. It's not your traditional therapy but is gaining popularity due to Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods making it part of their recoveries in recent years.  I've made tremendous progress in recent weeks. Five weeks ago I could not run around the block and on Saturday I finished a 20 mile training run. I will be working on the strength of my upper body & core at 4:15 tomorrow morning.

Sharing my story

Hey, Joseph Kenney here. I wanted to let you know why I created this blog. I did it in hopes of increasing awareness for RLS or Restless Leg Syndrome. I have suffered greatly from this and other conditions. RLS specifically dealt me a rough hand of cards from 2001 - 2004. My life as I once knew it to be was turned upside down.  I was a very active husband, father and athlete.  All of this came to a dead stop in June of 2001 when I was diagnosed with RLS, PLMS and exploding head syndrome. I've been searching to find a purpose for this cross in my life and I recently discovered it. Last September I ran from Lincoln, NE to Omaha, NE in the dark of the night to help raise awareness for RLS or Restless Leg Syndrome.  I completed the RLS run on September 23 in 8 hours and 54 minutes.  The response from this event was tremendous and I decided to raise awareness again this year.  I've made a decision to run 75 miles for RLS on September 20th, 2008. I created this blog so my supporters across the country will be able to follow my training for this year's run. I really  hope you check back from time to time to learn more about my training and the syndrome that impacts thousands of great people every night! 

  

Training officially started on April 10th. I will catch you up on the challenges of my first 8 weeks of training soon. Tomorrow's training starts at 4:15 with a lower body workout with Rye Roberts of Rye Fit Nutrition. I am also scheduled for physical therapy at 11:00 on my knee. I suffered a partially torn Patellar Tendon in week 3. The prognosis isn't good and my options are limited. The Dr's advised against running and suggested surgery with a recovery period of 9 months. Obviously neither option works for me and I have opted for intensive strength training and physical therapy utilizing non-traditional means.