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I originally started this blog at http://www.usahiker.blog.com/ but I am already frustrated with it!  Maybe it's me, as I am new at blogging, but since I have made a commitment to hike for 1000 straight days, I should feel at ease writing my blog in the evening...

I am only on Day #3 out of 1000.  So far, so good.  My entire right leg from the shin to ankle is completely sore.  I wake up in the night in fear that it's going to fall off.  It's the strangest pulsating feeling.  It's not from hiking though.  A couple weeks ago, I played football with the 20 year old's at work.  I am 36 and this is the first time I played ball in nearly a decade.  It was touch ball, so no contact, right?

Wrong.  On the very first kick return, I received the ball.  My own team mate began charging from behind to throw a block on the kicking team.  First play of the game, too much energy, overeager, the guy runs into my leg and flips ten feet in front of me.  I didn't fall, I didn't move; I was tagged by the kicking team.  No gain, but pain.  He hit me in the back of my right calf, just above the ankle.  I thought I was going to Charlie Horse immediately, but I didn't.

I played the whole game, I had a long touchdown run and all was good.  Well, not really.  My leg was bruised.  There's some sort of strange lump on it.  My ankle and foot turned purple.  The bruise is fading but the inner pain is still there...

Well, last week we went out and played again.  On the very first play, I pulled my groin.  Like a fool, I played the entire game.  I couldn't run, but somehow I managed three touchdowns.  One was the length of the field.  On a sloppy field, I juked some dude not wearing cleats, which left me wide open.  I hopped on one leg all the way to the end zone.  TOUCHDOWN!

No matter what, you cannot take away my will power and spirit when it comes to competition.  Later in the game, I played QB because I really could not move.  I threw 3 touchdown passes, including the game winner.  I played defense all game too.  I did the best I could...

Anyhow, this set up my old man concerns.  In the past, I would get fat, weigh 210-215 pounds and then go on a massive diet and exercise regiment.  When I was 30, it was easy to lose 30 pounds and run a 6 minute mile.  Now that I am older, it's not so simple.  Well, my wife and I are applicants for a new reality web series called Focus Rally America.  Part of the application process is to build your social network.  My wife has been on facebook and twitter daily since it's inception.  Me, nada.  Well, I began to help out and found it quite fun and useful.  I know blogs have been around for a decade, but this is an intervention for me.  So, I'm going to get carried away with it...

I decided that my goal is to hike 1000 different trails/places in 1000 consistent days.  This will assure that gradually I will get back into shape and keep that shape for years as I conquer this insane task.  The blog will be my placebo to keep it up, unless my leg falls off.

My first two days were quite interesting but the bottom line is, I pressed beyond my pulled groin and I forgot about the ankle pain; until I got home anyway.  I am doing this and I will complete it, no matter what!

When I get home tonight, I will copy and past my other blog with pictures to here.  I hope blogspot.com satisfies my blogging desires.  Actual, blog.com was fine.  I am just stupid frustrated that my pictures appeared too large on the second post and there was no contact support phone number to help me re size them.  I went into edit mode and thought I did it right, but the appearance did not change.  Who knows what difficulties blogspot will bring, but I think this is part of Google, so I feel a little bit better about it.