Thursday, April 29, 2010
Forecast: Sunny and temperature in the 60’s. Perfect ride day…right?
I was planning on riding the bike over to Dan’s to pick up the Jeep and it would appear the stars were lining up with perfect weather for the trip. I haven’t been on the bike in two weeks and was looking forward to the change of pace.
Actually…that’s a lie. I’ve been thinking about running a fourth day in a row. Something told me I could do it and things would go well. I had this plan to put my running shoes and shorts in my backpack, ride to get the jeep and then drive to the park on the way home for a run of between 20-30 minutes. Solid plan for a good double.
And then, of course, it started to rain.
Bag the ride. I went to the park for the run telling myself ‘no more than 30 minutes’. I’d tried four consecutive days about three weeks ago and I’d gotten a pain in the calf. Now, for some unexplainable reason, I felt it would work. After going heavy with the Vaseline, I hopped on the trails…starting very slowly – a pace at which I could easily hold a conversation had anyone been around. No one was so I talked to myself.
I made my steps shorter and focused on not hitting heel first. By the end of the first mile, I was feeling totally relaxed and running very smoothly.
The longer I ran, the faster I went and the less I worried about the calf. I knew I would not be stopping at 30 minutes, feeling like I could run all night. As I reached the last mile of trail, I stepped it up again and was running around a 7-minute mile. I finished the run going uphill and wondering why some days were so easy. I finished with a 43-minute run and a calf that felt no pain. I was also thinking ‘maybe five days straight tomorrow?’
The forecast in sunny and 70 for tomorrow and I still need to get that Jeep from Dan.
The forecast for Saturday is thunderstorms. I’ll plan to ride Saturday.
Run duration: 43 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories burned during workout: 725.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
After-event letdowns
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
So…the first thing I did once I’d changed into my running garb was to slather Vaseline…aaaallllllllll over my body…well…maybe just where I’d developed that oh so pleasant chafing, rash thing. I was feeling really good, otherwise and thinking about going around 40 minutes.
I reconnected with an old friend from high school on Facebook recently. She was in the middle of training for a half marathon walk when we first connected and she just completed it this past weekend. She asked me the question “is there such a thing as race letdown? I'm a little lost now that it's over.”
Is there ever. I’ve been through this on numerous occasions. Trained long and hard for an event and then, once it’s over, you don’t know exactly what to do with yourself. My advice to her was to immediately go out and find another event to do. Keep the focus and the conditioning. I suggested starting to run, or finding a trail race to hike – much more interesting. Getting on the bike wouldn’t be bad either – something she’s done before. The point, of course, is that without a goal, it’s easy to lose the focus and keep the program going. Unless, of course, you just love what you’re doing and can’t wait for the next opportunity.
I’m trying to get that ‘love’ thing for my running. Though I have run most of my life, I can’t honestly say that I’ve felt about it the way runners do in the ‘Born to Run’ book – and I want that. I know if I get it totally, I’ll never have to worry about weight again and I’ll be able to do most anything physical I want to do.
I started the run thinking ‘love’ but feeling sluggish and sore. It’s important to do those body inventories and be in touch with how you feel during the workout. I have to remind myself though, not to obsess over it and enjoy the run even with the discomfort. I do know that, for the most part, it will go away after 10 minutes of running. Once the blood supply gets to those sore areas and loosens them, I’ll feel okay until the start of the next run.
The trails were still muddy, but what a beautiful day! The new green of the budding trees was set against deep blue skies – a site I had to drink in from a perch 300 feet above the marsh. The early evening sun was filtering through the trees, giving the trail that eerie, orange glow. I often take the time to stop and enjoy the beauty of this park – or anyplace I run. Even in heavy training, I know I’m not losing a thing when I stop because I want to. Besides, this is the reason I’m running trails – for the natural beauty of my surroundings. When I’m running, I need to watch every footfall for the roots and rocks that clutter the trail. Can’t see much while doing that – so I stop occasionally and take it in.
By the 30 minute mark of the run, the chafing was starting to bother me. Clearly, I’d gone too thin on the Vaseline. What was I saving the stuff for? The jar had to be 20 years old and they must be still making it. I could get more – right? I won’t make that mistake tomorrow. Anyway, now I was thinking something less than 40 minutes for the run. I had wanted to do the 40 only because it would make the most running I’d done in three consecutive days in ten years. Actually – so would 36 minutes, which is where I was as I approached the car. After the pain from yesterday evening, I concluded that was more than enough. Besides, I was thinking as I ran that I might go for a short run tomorrow and see if the calf would hold up for 4 days of consecutive running.
Run duration: 36 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories burned during workout: 600.
So…the first thing I did once I’d changed into my running garb was to slather Vaseline…aaaallllllllll over my body…well…maybe just where I’d developed that oh so pleasant chafing, rash thing. I was feeling really good, otherwise and thinking about going around 40 minutes.
I reconnected with an old friend from high school on Facebook recently. She was in the middle of training for a half marathon walk when we first connected and she just completed it this past weekend. She asked me the question “is there such a thing as race letdown? I'm a little lost now that it's over.”
Is there ever. I’ve been through this on numerous occasions. Trained long and hard for an event and then, once it’s over, you don’t know exactly what to do with yourself. My advice to her was to immediately go out and find another event to do. Keep the focus and the conditioning. I suggested starting to run, or finding a trail race to hike – much more interesting. Getting on the bike wouldn’t be bad either – something she’s done before. The point, of course, is that without a goal, it’s easy to lose the focus and keep the program going. Unless, of course, you just love what you’re doing and can’t wait for the next opportunity.
I’m trying to get that ‘love’ thing for my running. Though I have run most of my life, I can’t honestly say that I’ve felt about it the way runners do in the ‘Born to Run’ book – and I want that. I know if I get it totally, I’ll never have to worry about weight again and I’ll be able to do most anything physical I want to do.
I started the run thinking ‘love’ but feeling sluggish and sore. It’s important to do those body inventories and be in touch with how you feel during the workout. I have to remind myself though, not to obsess over it and enjoy the run even with the discomfort. I do know that, for the most part, it will go away after 10 minutes of running. Once the blood supply gets to those sore areas and loosens them, I’ll feel okay until the start of the next run.
The trails were still muddy, but what a beautiful day! The new green of the budding trees was set against deep blue skies – a site I had to drink in from a perch 300 feet above the marsh. The early evening sun was filtering through the trees, giving the trail that eerie, orange glow. I often take the time to stop and enjoy the beauty of this park – or anyplace I run. Even in heavy training, I know I’m not losing a thing when I stop because I want to. Besides, this is the reason I’m running trails – for the natural beauty of my surroundings. When I’m running, I need to watch every footfall for the roots and rocks that clutter the trail. Can’t see much while doing that – so I stop occasionally and take it in.
By the 30 minute mark of the run, the chafing was starting to bother me. Clearly, I’d gone too thin on the Vaseline. What was I saving the stuff for? The jar had to be 20 years old and they must be still making it. I could get more – right? I won’t make that mistake tomorrow. Anyway, now I was thinking something less than 40 minutes for the run. I had wanted to do the 40 only because it would make the most running I’d done in three consecutive days in ten years. Actually – so would 36 minutes, which is where I was as I approached the car. After the pain from yesterday evening, I concluded that was more than enough. Besides, I was thinking as I ran that I might go for a short run tomorrow and see if the calf would hold up for 4 days of consecutive running.
Run duration: 36 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories burned during workout: 600.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Chafing sucks
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
First things first. The Metroparks staff is obviously reading my blog. They noticed my concerns regarding dumping in the dark and got right on that light issue and the bulb has been replaced. Good thing because I needed it again today.
Ever had one of those days when almost nothing seems to go right? I’m not whining, but it’s not uncommon in my work to have more no-shows than I actually have people come for their appointments. This can mean a lot of time waiting – something I do poorly. Frustration builds throughout the day – the walk I took had helped - but by the time I left the office, I was in bad need of a running fix.
I decided to do some unusual trails that I hadn’t been on in some time as a change of pace. I figured a general course with the intent of going longer than I had since the beginning of this trek. That meant 70+ minutes. I changed in the now lit bathroom and immediately slipped into the brush behind the ranger station in search of a trail I knew was back there somewhere.
I didn’t find the trail right away, but I did find a new swamp. At first, I attempted to move from it without getting my shoes submersed, but gave that useless effort up in short order. I sloshed through the mud and into the trees beyond until I finally found the hiking trail I was seeking. No one used it. Maybe because it was under 6 inches of water. I continued splashing for the next 10 minutes until I made it to a more civilized hiking trail. My shoes weighed about 5 pounds apiece now, and would add to the workout load for the duration of the run. Oh joy.
Somewhere around the 40-minute mark, I began to notice discomfort in the region where I normally get chafing from my shorts. I had not applied Vaseline at the start – that would have made too much sense – and the rubbing was getting bad. I did some adjusting, including pulling the shorts down lower on the hips, but nothing was working. I had Vaseline in the car and thought about swinging past it for an application, but worried that I might just bag the rest of the run if I took that approach. I kept going down the trails.
Okay…now I’m whining. Out loud on the trails (checked first to see that no one was around – John Locke can’t be seen whining). I kept checking the watch and when I passed 70 minutes, I wanted to stop. I was a short distance from the car though, and plodded the final distance – legs spread awkwardly to minimize rubbing and maximize weirdness.
I walked straight into the bathroom at the Ranger Station and immediately stripped down and bathed the inflamed area with hot water. It helped…but not much. This was going to be a fun evening at home…for Holly. She just loves to hear me complain…or…maybe not. I jumped in the car and hurried home for a warm shower and lots of soapy lather.
It didn’t help much either and I was walking like a bowlegged cowboy who’d spent the last three days riding the dusty trails on my horse, Crotch Hurts A lot. I put some A & D ointment on it and that helped, but I was thinking about tomorrow’s run and what I’d be doing to correct this little misfortune. Vaseline before I started, for sure.
Run duration: 72 minutes. Walk duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 70 walking.
Calories burned during workout: 1,225 running. 225 walking.
First things first. The Metroparks staff is obviously reading my blog. They noticed my concerns regarding dumping in the dark and got right on that light issue and the bulb has been replaced. Good thing because I needed it again today.
Ever had one of those days when almost nothing seems to go right? I’m not whining, but it’s not uncommon in my work to have more no-shows than I actually have people come for their appointments. This can mean a lot of time waiting – something I do poorly. Frustration builds throughout the day – the walk I took had helped - but by the time I left the office, I was in bad need of a running fix.
I decided to do some unusual trails that I hadn’t been on in some time as a change of pace. I figured a general course with the intent of going longer than I had since the beginning of this trek. That meant 70+ minutes. I changed in the now lit bathroom and immediately slipped into the brush behind the ranger station in search of a trail I knew was back there somewhere.
I didn’t find the trail right away, but I did find a new swamp. At first, I attempted to move from it without getting my shoes submersed, but gave that useless effort up in short order. I sloshed through the mud and into the trees beyond until I finally found the hiking trail I was seeking. No one used it. Maybe because it was under 6 inches of water. I continued splashing for the next 10 minutes until I made it to a more civilized hiking trail. My shoes weighed about 5 pounds apiece now, and would add to the workout load for the duration of the run. Oh joy.
Somewhere around the 40-minute mark, I began to notice discomfort in the region where I normally get chafing from my shorts. I had not applied Vaseline at the start – that would have made too much sense – and the rubbing was getting bad. I did some adjusting, including pulling the shorts down lower on the hips, but nothing was working. I had Vaseline in the car and thought about swinging past it for an application, but worried that I might just bag the rest of the run if I took that approach. I kept going down the trails.
Okay…now I’m whining. Out loud on the trails (checked first to see that no one was around – John Locke can’t be seen whining). I kept checking the watch and when I passed 70 minutes, I wanted to stop. I was a short distance from the car though, and plodded the final distance – legs spread awkwardly to minimize rubbing and maximize weirdness.
I walked straight into the bathroom at the Ranger Station and immediately stripped down and bathed the inflamed area with hot water. It helped…but not much. This was going to be a fun evening at home…for Holly. She just loves to hear me complain…or…maybe not. I jumped in the car and hurried home for a warm shower and lots of soapy lather.
It didn’t help much either and I was walking like a bowlegged cowboy who’d spent the last three days riding the dusty trails on my horse, Crotch Hurts A lot. I put some A & D ointment on it and that helped, but I was thinking about tomorrow’s run and what I’d be doing to correct this little misfortune. Vaseline before I started, for sure.
Run duration: 72 minutes. Walk duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 70 walking.
Calories burned during workout: 1,225 running. 225 walking.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Bald is beautiful...
Monday, April 26, 2010
“Hey…are you…”
“Hi…yeah…nice to meet you,” I said in reply. I knew what she was going to ask. I’ve been asked many, many times and particularly when climbing in the Adirondacks with a bandanna covering the little hair my head supports, as we were now.
“Wow…oh…WOW! This is waaay cool,” she said.
“Dad…tell her the truth!” my daughter reprimanded me. I’d told my two daughters at the trailhead that people thought I looked like John Locke and they could expect this reaction – if we ever saw someone. They were too close to the forest to see the ‘John Locke’ trees, but now they believed. I confessed to my new fan, but she was unconvinced and had a picture taken with me…just in case.
I’d never seen the show ‘Lost’ so I didn’t really know who John Locke was. I mean, sure, I’d read the philosopher when I was in college, but…not the same. My kids had gotten me the first two seasons for my birthday and I was about half way through season one this past Saturday when it was time for a hair cut, which Holly performs. Quite well, actually.
“Let’s try a ‘John Locke’ cut,” I suggested. I’d been thinking about a shave for a number of years and now, seeing Locke and agreeing with my public, I wanted to give it a go.
“Are you sure?” Holly was undecided.
About then, Jack walked in and we told him what we were thinking. “Do it,” he said.
So…we did it.
“It’s scary…how much you look like him,” Holly said.
I headed for the mirror. She was right. I mean…damn…he was nearly as good looking as me! All I needed was a hunting knife and I’d have a new career.
So I went to church Sunday and to work on Monday and had a lot of ‘John Locke’ comments. I’m hearing some bad things about the guy now, though. I guess they’re in the last season and he’s not the nicest character anymore. Oh well. I milk it for a while longer. I have to make the decision about keeping it short.
It rained all morning and into the early afternoon. It was a run day, but the trails were going to be underwater. I headed for the park after work, resigned to a mud run. Sometimes, I just splash through the puddles trying to see how dirty I can get. Doing it with someone else is even better – we try to get each other slopped up. After the first couple of puddles, you really stop caring and that’s the way I was.
I started slow, but it was cool and I was feeling pretty good. I had planned on a 40-minute run and figured longer tomorrow, but as I drew near the car, I decided to keep going – it was just a good day. I ended up running around 55 minutes - I got stopped at my last creek crossing by high water - or I’d have done an hour for sure.
Back on that workout horse…
Run duration: 55 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories burned during workout: 925.
“Hey…are you…”
“Hi…yeah…nice to meet you,” I said in reply. I knew what she was going to ask. I’ve been asked many, many times and particularly when climbing in the Adirondacks with a bandanna covering the little hair my head supports, as we were now.
“Wow…oh…WOW! This is waaay cool,” she said.
“Dad…tell her the truth!” my daughter reprimanded me. I’d told my two daughters at the trailhead that people thought I looked like John Locke and they could expect this reaction – if we ever saw someone. They were too close to the forest to see the ‘John Locke’ trees, but now they believed. I confessed to my new fan, but she was unconvinced and had a picture taken with me…just in case.
I’d never seen the show ‘Lost’ so I didn’t really know who John Locke was. I mean, sure, I’d read the philosopher when I was in college, but…not the same. My kids had gotten me the first two seasons for my birthday and I was about half way through season one this past Saturday when it was time for a hair cut, which Holly performs. Quite well, actually.
“Let’s try a ‘John Locke’ cut,” I suggested. I’d been thinking about a shave for a number of years and now, seeing Locke and agreeing with my public, I wanted to give it a go.
“Are you sure?” Holly was undecided.
About then, Jack walked in and we told him what we were thinking. “Do it,” he said.
So…we did it.
“It’s scary…how much you look like him,” Holly said.
I headed for the mirror. She was right. I mean…damn…he was nearly as good looking as me! All I needed was a hunting knife and I’d have a new career.
So I went to church Sunday and to work on Monday and had a lot of ‘John Locke’ comments. I’m hearing some bad things about the guy now, though. I guess they’re in the last season and he’s not the nicest character anymore. Oh well. I milk it for a while longer. I have to make the decision about keeping it short.
It rained all morning and into the early afternoon. It was a run day, but the trails were going to be underwater. I headed for the park after work, resigned to a mud run. Sometimes, I just splash through the puddles trying to see how dirty I can get. Doing it with someone else is even better – we try to get each other slopped up. After the first couple of puddles, you really stop caring and that’s the way I was.
I started slow, but it was cool and I was feeling pretty good. I had planned on a 40-minute run and figured longer tomorrow, but as I drew near the car, I decided to keep going – it was just a good day. I ended up running around 55 minutes - I got stopped at my last creek crossing by high water - or I’d have done an hour for sure.
Back on that workout horse…
Run duration: 55 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories burned during workout: 925.
A crap in the dark
Sunday, April 25, 2010
I’m really getting seriously burned out and I have to do something about that.
I headed to the park for an early hike and photo op. I had less than an hour so it wasn’t going to be a long one, but I planned on going down to the marsh. I was about 20 minutes into the woods when a nature call came knocking. Normally not a problem if I’d have packed some tp – I dig a great cathole - but I didn’t have any. Crap. Or…no…don’t crap.
I headed back to the car and the Ranger Station bathroom. I was walking…or waddling from the car to the restroom hoping no one was using it. A quick knock…no answer…and I was inside. As the door closed, I fished for the light switch, but was having no luck finding it. I opened the door again to let in the sunlight and aid my search only to discover there was no light switch…the light was just burned out. Crap.
I mean I know where my butt is and I could see the crapper before I closed the door, but…you know…the clean up afterwards? Well…this thing wasn’t waiting. I tore off a bunch of tp…this bathroom has one of those giant roll, money saving toilet paper dispensers that I have trouble working when there is light… and placed it strategically near me before allowing the door to close again and throw the room into total darkness.
And I mean…dark. It was like the ‘inside of your shoe’ dark. I managed a successful outcome, but now I had to wash my hands. I know Holly will read this eventually and I want credit for washing…even under such challenging conditions.
The rest of the day was me trying to decide if I was going to do a workout or not. Sunday was family dinner day and that meant limited window between the end of church and guests arriving – if you can call family ‘guests’. I’d hiked for about 40 minutes with my butt cheeks tightly clenched earlier in the day, and, with the clenching, I’d probably burned more calories than usual. Maybe that should be enough? The fact that I was having these thoughts spoke volumes about my burnout level. So I did…I took the rest of the day off. From exercise…not from eating.
We had tuna noodle casserole, nut bread and one of Holly’s great jello salads. I had two helpings… and they weren’t small. I did skip the brownies she’d made for dessert, at least.
Off that workout horse for a day, but I remount tomorrow…
Hike duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 65
Calories burned during workout: 250.
I’m really getting seriously burned out and I have to do something about that.
I headed to the park for an early hike and photo op. I had less than an hour so it wasn’t going to be a long one, but I planned on going down to the marsh. I was about 20 minutes into the woods when a nature call came knocking. Normally not a problem if I’d have packed some tp – I dig a great cathole - but I didn’t have any. Crap. Or…no…don’t crap.
I headed back to the car and the Ranger Station bathroom. I was walking…or waddling from the car to the restroom hoping no one was using it. A quick knock…no answer…and I was inside. As the door closed, I fished for the light switch, but was having no luck finding it. I opened the door again to let in the sunlight and aid my search only to discover there was no light switch…the light was just burned out. Crap.
I mean I know where my butt is and I could see the crapper before I closed the door, but…you know…the clean up afterwards? Well…this thing wasn’t waiting. I tore off a bunch of tp…this bathroom has one of those giant roll, money saving toilet paper dispensers that I have trouble working when there is light… and placed it strategically near me before allowing the door to close again and throw the room into total darkness.
And I mean…dark. It was like the ‘inside of your shoe’ dark. I managed a successful outcome, but now I had to wash my hands. I know Holly will read this eventually and I want credit for washing…even under such challenging conditions.
The rest of the day was me trying to decide if I was going to do a workout or not. Sunday was family dinner day and that meant limited window between the end of church and guests arriving – if you can call family ‘guests’. I’d hiked for about 40 minutes with my butt cheeks tightly clenched earlier in the day, and, with the clenching, I’d probably burned more calories than usual. Maybe that should be enough? The fact that I was having these thoughts spoke volumes about my burnout level. So I did…I took the rest of the day off. From exercise…not from eating.
We had tuna noodle casserole, nut bread and one of Holly’s great jello salads. I had two helpings… and they weren’t small. I did skip the brownies she’d made for dessert, at least.
Off that workout horse for a day, but I remount tomorrow…
Hike duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 65
Calories burned during workout: 250.
A yard work, run double.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
“It’s actually a little sunny here. Are we going to ride?” John asked.
We’d been planning to do the 55-mile ride since the snow-out last Saturday. I’d been watching the forecast and rain was predicted for the entire weekend. That’s why I’d figured it was safe to schedule the ride. What were the odds of the forecast actually being right?
“Its been raining all morning here and I don’t see any end in sight. I say let’s wait until we get a day when we know it’s going to be nice,” I replied.
“You…big…wuss…” he said.
“You’re right. C’mon over. We’ll ride.”
“Um…seriously? Maybe…um…waiting would be okay.”
I’d called his bluff. He sucks at cards. We agreed to shoot for next weekend and I no sooner hung up the phone than the skies cleared and for the next three hours – it was sunny. Cleveland weather – go figure.
I’d already had a pretty good workout. I’d moved a half ton of top soil, trenched about a quarter mile of garden, and done other miscellaneous yard work for a little over five hours. My hamstrings would be screaming tomorrow from all the bending and yard work, but I’d burned some serious calories in the process. More importantly…I’d made Holly happy.
I headed for park and a short run. I had been having some pain in my hip the night before and the ankles were still sore. These are the normal aches and pains I have experienced over the years whenever my mileage got over 30 a week. I think there might be a possibility of it being different this time since I’m being so careful and mixing my workouts. And I’m reading a book about running without pain…which should count for something.
“Slow motion is better than no motion” I always say and I lived it for this run. The first mile was just trying to get the aches and pains to go away and trying to settle the last of lunch somewhere in my digestive system. I started making this rice, corn, beans, mushrooms and onions concoction, which I pull out and eat for lunch or dinner. It’s pretty good, low in calories and gives me protein without the meat calories. I seem to be able to eat it and run in a couple of hours, too, something I couldn’t do if I’d eaten meat. Seemed like about the time I was feeling comfortable…the run was over. Well…I sweat plenty and, combined with all the yard work, now felt justified for a big dinner.
John had invited us over for dinner, but when we got there, he announced he didn’t want his wife, Teri, to have to make dinner so he was taking us out. Cool. We went to this Italian place in Twinsburg and I had this huge portion of cheese Lasagna. I ate the bread, but skipped the butter and had a side of steamed vegetables. Not bad. John was cracking himself up all through dinner.
“I knew this guy named Sebastian. I was thinking about how you’d shorten his name…how does ‘Sebaaaa….,’ sound?” Then he’d break into laughter again and just keep repeating ‘Sebaaa, Sebaaa’. Like a good fungus, he grows on you.
We went back to their place for dessert. Teri had made some kind of apple, berry crisp thing – kinda like pie – and I figured I needed at least two scoops of Breyer’s all natural vanilla with bean specks on top of mine. Seriously…is there any other way to eat warm, pie-like food?
Run duration: 32 minutes. Yard work duration: 5 freaking hours
Training Heart Rate: 140 running (forgot to check during yard work).
Calories burned during workout: 550 running. 1,250 yard working.
“It’s actually a little sunny here. Are we going to ride?” John asked.
We’d been planning to do the 55-mile ride since the snow-out last Saturday. I’d been watching the forecast and rain was predicted for the entire weekend. That’s why I’d figured it was safe to schedule the ride. What were the odds of the forecast actually being right?
“Its been raining all morning here and I don’t see any end in sight. I say let’s wait until we get a day when we know it’s going to be nice,” I replied.
“You…big…wuss…” he said.
“You’re right. C’mon over. We’ll ride.”
“Um…seriously? Maybe…um…waiting would be okay.”
I’d called his bluff. He sucks at cards. We agreed to shoot for next weekend and I no sooner hung up the phone than the skies cleared and for the next three hours – it was sunny. Cleveland weather – go figure.
I’d already had a pretty good workout. I’d moved a half ton of top soil, trenched about a quarter mile of garden, and done other miscellaneous yard work for a little over five hours. My hamstrings would be screaming tomorrow from all the bending and yard work, but I’d burned some serious calories in the process. More importantly…I’d made Holly happy.
I headed for park and a short run. I had been having some pain in my hip the night before and the ankles were still sore. These are the normal aches and pains I have experienced over the years whenever my mileage got over 30 a week. I think there might be a possibility of it being different this time since I’m being so careful and mixing my workouts. And I’m reading a book about running without pain…which should count for something.
“Slow motion is better than no motion” I always say and I lived it for this run. The first mile was just trying to get the aches and pains to go away and trying to settle the last of lunch somewhere in my digestive system. I started making this rice, corn, beans, mushrooms and onions concoction, which I pull out and eat for lunch or dinner. It’s pretty good, low in calories and gives me protein without the meat calories. I seem to be able to eat it and run in a couple of hours, too, something I couldn’t do if I’d eaten meat. Seemed like about the time I was feeling comfortable…the run was over. Well…I sweat plenty and, combined with all the yard work, now felt justified for a big dinner.
John had invited us over for dinner, but when we got there, he announced he didn’t want his wife, Teri, to have to make dinner so he was taking us out. Cool. We went to this Italian place in Twinsburg and I had this huge portion of cheese Lasagna. I ate the bread, but skipped the butter and had a side of steamed vegetables. Not bad. John was cracking himself up all through dinner.
“I knew this guy named Sebastian. I was thinking about how you’d shorten his name…how does ‘Sebaaaa….,’ sound?” Then he’d break into laughter again and just keep repeating ‘Sebaaa, Sebaaa’. Like a good fungus, he grows on you.
We went back to their place for dessert. Teri had made some kind of apple, berry crisp thing – kinda like pie – and I figured I needed at least two scoops of Breyer’s all natural vanilla with bean specks on top of mine. Seriously…is there any other way to eat warm, pie-like food?
Run duration: 32 minutes. Yard work duration: 5 freaking hours
Training Heart Rate: 140 running (forgot to check during yard work).
Calories burned during workout: 550 running. 1,250 yard working.
Change of scenery required
Friday, April 23, 2010
I really need an event to keep me motivated…and I’m not so different from so many people trying to stick with the grind of working out every day. Yeah…I know I talk all about if it’s fun you’ll keep doing it...but sometimes I just want to blow it off. There’s always tomorrow.
I didn’t though…blow it off, that is. I found myself in the Chagrin Falls area towards the end of my day and decided I needed a change of scenery. I always pack at least two forms of exercise in my car for just such an occasion – running gear and a loaded backpack for serious hiking. It was a run day and I headed for the South Chagrin Reservation. The park isn’t as big as North Chagrin, but I like running the trail that runs along the Chagrin River from Squaw Rock north to the Polo Fields, which is typically devoid of human traffic. Today was no exception.
I did cross paths with some horses, though, and was careful to stop and walk – approaching them slowly. Most horses aren’t spooked by runners on the trails, but for the occasional one that is – I take precautions. I’d once approached one from the rear and the horse gave a little buck when it heard me, unseating the rider and landing him flat on his back. He was okay, but I felt so bad that I never again approached a horse without plenty of precautions.
Though I enjoyed the run, I was struggling a little. My legs were tired and sore from the faster pace of yesterday’s run, so I resigned myself to a slower pace. The trail is flat as a pancake, so at least no hills to suck the life out of me.
I managed to put in one hour of running before packing it in for home. Later that night, Jack asked me to take him to East Coast Custard – the best damned ice cream in Greater Cleveland. Now…I’ve steered clear of the place since my workout walk there about a month ago. I had guaranteed any pr’s were worth a trip to ECC, so I had to go. I went in, looked over all the great stuff I like to order and got…nothing. Yeah baby…I fought the urge. We elected to leave quickly because I was breaking into cold sweats, though. Hey…maybe I should get something whenever I pr. Wished I’d thought of that earlier…
Run duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories buduring workoutrned : 1,020.
I really need an event to keep me motivated…and I’m not so different from so many people trying to stick with the grind of working out every day. Yeah…I know I talk all about if it’s fun you’ll keep doing it...but sometimes I just want to blow it off. There’s always tomorrow.
I didn’t though…blow it off, that is. I found myself in the Chagrin Falls area towards the end of my day and decided I needed a change of scenery. I always pack at least two forms of exercise in my car for just such an occasion – running gear and a loaded backpack for serious hiking. It was a run day and I headed for the South Chagrin Reservation. The park isn’t as big as North Chagrin, but I like running the trail that runs along the Chagrin River from Squaw Rock north to the Polo Fields, which is typically devoid of human traffic. Today was no exception.
I did cross paths with some horses, though, and was careful to stop and walk – approaching them slowly. Most horses aren’t spooked by runners on the trails, but for the occasional one that is – I take precautions. I’d once approached one from the rear and the horse gave a little buck when it heard me, unseating the rider and landing him flat on his back. He was okay, but I felt so bad that I never again approached a horse without plenty of precautions.
Though I enjoyed the run, I was struggling a little. My legs were tired and sore from the faster pace of yesterday’s run, so I resigned myself to a slower pace. The trail is flat as a pancake, so at least no hills to suck the life out of me.
I managed to put in one hour of running before packing it in for home. Later that night, Jack asked me to take him to East Coast Custard – the best damned ice cream in Greater Cleveland. Now…I’ve steered clear of the place since my workout walk there about a month ago. I had guaranteed any pr’s were worth a trip to ECC, so I had to go. I went in, looked over all the great stuff I like to order and got…nothing. Yeah baby…I fought the urge. We elected to leave quickly because I was breaking into cold sweats, though. Hey…maybe I should get something whenever I pr. Wished I’d thought of that earlier…
Run duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140.
Calories buduring workoutrned : 1,020.
Friday, April 23, 2010
What a day for a run!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
I had just finished the book “Born to Run” and was more psyched than ever to get to the park for a run. I was planning to go an hour, but finish the last 7 minutes barefoot – part of my strategy to slowly build the strength of my feet with a gradual increase in the spent running unshod. My plan was to go about three times a week, building slowly to 20 minutes with at least one day off between each barefoot bout. This was strength building and I figured to follow a normal weight lifting routine.
It was sunny and cool when I emerged from the car to change into my running gear. A cloudless, blue sky overhead had me thinking about being above the tree line in the Adirondack Mountains, though they were probably still snow covered. It was the kind of day when distance pr’s are run. I hadn’t run in two days and was well rested, and with these conditions I decided it was going to be a faster day.
I selected my park perimeter course where I’d run a pr on my birthday, which now stood at 53:02. I figured I’d step it up a little and get it into the 52’s.
I started off heading up my favorite hill. “Glide” I told myself, taking short steps and leaning forward slightly. I reached the top about 20 seconds faster than usual and felt great. This is going to be a good one.
I kept gliding throughout the run, focusing on breathing easily, enjoying the scenery and smiling whenever I saw someone. I was going to make it fast, but keep it fun. I had determined not to check my watch at any point so as not to try and push myself to pr. If it happened, it happened. Stay smooth.
I watched the ground over the last mile making sure to keep my feet from coming up too high or striding too far. No heel/toe – I kept striking with the flat of my foot. I was getting tired as I neared the car, but made a conscious effort to keep the pace constant – no picking it up towards the end. I was really trying to gauge my pace and whether I’d improved it. Sprinting at the end could improve the pr, but would distort the pace story.
I hit the stop watch as I crossed my finish line. When I saw 48:56 – a new pr by over 4 minutes – I was more surprised than anything. It had really been easy and I’d crushed my previous best. I was confirming my conditioning improvement once again – and without the scale. I looked over to the field where I planned to do my barefoot running, but there was a duffer hitting golf balls. Smart money said stay out of the field. I was pretty happy with the run – and pretty tired – so I decided to call it a day.
Later that evening, I grabbed Dakota and headed back to the park for a hike/jog. I couldn’t help myself – I just wanted to do more. I love that feeling.
Run duration: 49 minutes. Hike duration: 30 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 70 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 825 running. 425 hiking.
I had just finished the book “Born to Run” and was more psyched than ever to get to the park for a run. I was planning to go an hour, but finish the last 7 minutes barefoot – part of my strategy to slowly build the strength of my feet with a gradual increase in the spent running unshod. My plan was to go about three times a week, building slowly to 20 minutes with at least one day off between each barefoot bout. This was strength building and I figured to follow a normal weight lifting routine.
It was sunny and cool when I emerged from the car to change into my running gear. A cloudless, blue sky overhead had me thinking about being above the tree line in the Adirondack Mountains, though they were probably still snow covered. It was the kind of day when distance pr’s are run. I hadn’t run in two days and was well rested, and with these conditions I decided it was going to be a faster day.
I selected my park perimeter course where I’d run a pr on my birthday, which now stood at 53:02. I figured I’d step it up a little and get it into the 52’s.
I started off heading up my favorite hill. “Glide” I told myself, taking short steps and leaning forward slightly. I reached the top about 20 seconds faster than usual and felt great. This is going to be a good one.
I kept gliding throughout the run, focusing on breathing easily, enjoying the scenery and smiling whenever I saw someone. I was going to make it fast, but keep it fun. I had determined not to check my watch at any point so as not to try and push myself to pr. If it happened, it happened. Stay smooth.
I watched the ground over the last mile making sure to keep my feet from coming up too high or striding too far. No heel/toe – I kept striking with the flat of my foot. I was getting tired as I neared the car, but made a conscious effort to keep the pace constant – no picking it up towards the end. I was really trying to gauge my pace and whether I’d improved it. Sprinting at the end could improve the pr, but would distort the pace story.
I hit the stop watch as I crossed my finish line. When I saw 48:56 – a new pr by over 4 minutes – I was more surprised than anything. It had really been easy and I’d crushed my previous best. I was confirming my conditioning improvement once again – and without the scale. I looked over to the field where I planned to do my barefoot running, but there was a duffer hitting golf balls. Smart money said stay out of the field. I was pretty happy with the run – and pretty tired – so I decided to call it a day.
Later that evening, I grabbed Dakota and headed back to the park for a hike/jog. I couldn’t help myself – I just wanted to do more. I love that feeling.
Run duration: 49 minutes. Hike duration: 30 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 70 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 825 running. 425 hiking.
Gotta love a good colonoscopy...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
A doctor, a kindly looking, but confused man, came into my curtained bed space and picked up the clipboard lying across my legs. He wasn’t my doctor and I knew that, but I was curious what he was going to do – so I didn’t say anything. I was waiting to be taken into the operating room where I’d go through my third colonoscopy with the guy who was my doctor. I liked them…so I keep coming back.
He read all the documents…looked at me…leaned outside the curtain and into the next space…leaned back in and looked me over again…and set the clipboard down. He smiled and walked away.
A moment later, a nurse came in, picked up my chart, read my name…and said “you’re Mr. Rolf?”
“Yes I am.”
“Hmm. I lost my patient and you’re not him.”
“Did someone run? Afraid of a little camera up their kiester?”
“I…um…maybe…” she replied and turned to leave.
My confidence in the clinic was flagging. Ah well. I checked my resting heart rate for something to do. I was skipping about every other beat – I’ve skipped beats my whole life and the docs tell me it’s cool…but now I was around 28 beats a minute and figured I might freak out this particular doc. My nurse came through the curtain to tell me all about the unpleasantness I was about to experience, so I told her about the heart rate.
“Oh…that’s kind of weird,” she said.
“Yeah…you want weird…read my blog.”
She must have reported to the doc because when they wheeled me into ‘the room’ the nurse hooking me up to the sleeping juice said they were going to give me a lighter dose. She took my glasses and started to put them under my pillow.
“Can’t I keep them for when I wake up so I can watch the screen?”
“You won’t be waking up,” she said.
Famous last words.
“Owww…that…hurts. Oh…I’m awake. Can I…ahhhh…owww…have my glasses? I want to watch if…I’m…ahhh.”
“He’s awake, doctor.”
“Why don’t you give him his glasses then.”
The nurse handed me my glasses and I slipped them on. I was kind of out of it. I suppose they gave me enough juice to keep me sleeping if they weren’t doing anything too painful, but once that garden hose snaked up my butt and into my colon and they started pumping air into me like I was an air mattress, well, that woke me up. Completely.
“Oh…wow…look at my colon! It’s, it’s empty,” I said.
“Yes it is. You did a good job. It’s very clear, too. No polyps,” the doctor said.
“Yeah…that drink was good. I shit my brains out,” I said – uninhibited by way of chemicals, “and I’m going to write all about this in my blog.”
We chatted some more about the inside of my colon, my blog and how I planned to run after he pulled the hose out. I told Holly all about how I was awake during the procedure later in the recovery room and how I’d shared my blog with them.
“Oh…I’m sure they’ll be reading it now,” she said.
Turns out I didn’t go for that run. I was feeling a little gaseous, but afraid something else might come out if I ran. Instead, I walked up to the school to see Jack’s track meet. Jimmy was there and so I shared the experience with him. He couldn’t figure out why they left all the oxygen in me, figuring they’d push down on my stomach until it all squirted out my butt.
“You were sedated, right? They could have squished it out and you wouldn’t be passing gas now,” he said.
“I was awake…remember? And I’m not a balloon. You don’t let it out – it comes out when it wants to…like right now…”
He stopped bugging me after that.
Colonoscopy duration: Around 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 28
Calories burned: Not sure – but I lost 5 pounds.
A doctor, a kindly looking, but confused man, came into my curtained bed space and picked up the clipboard lying across my legs. He wasn’t my doctor and I knew that, but I was curious what he was going to do – so I didn’t say anything. I was waiting to be taken into the operating room where I’d go through my third colonoscopy with the guy who was my doctor. I liked them…so I keep coming back.
He read all the documents…looked at me…leaned outside the curtain and into the next space…leaned back in and looked me over again…and set the clipboard down. He smiled and walked away.
A moment later, a nurse came in, picked up my chart, read my name…and said “you’re Mr. Rolf?”
“Yes I am.”
“Hmm. I lost my patient and you’re not him.”
“Did someone run? Afraid of a little camera up their kiester?”
“I…um…maybe…” she replied and turned to leave.
My confidence in the clinic was flagging. Ah well. I checked my resting heart rate for something to do. I was skipping about every other beat – I’ve skipped beats my whole life and the docs tell me it’s cool…but now I was around 28 beats a minute and figured I might freak out this particular doc. My nurse came through the curtain to tell me all about the unpleasantness I was about to experience, so I told her about the heart rate.
“Oh…that’s kind of weird,” she said.
“Yeah…you want weird…read my blog.”
She must have reported to the doc because when they wheeled me into ‘the room’ the nurse hooking me up to the sleeping juice said they were going to give me a lighter dose. She took my glasses and started to put them under my pillow.
“Can’t I keep them for when I wake up so I can watch the screen?”
“You won’t be waking up,” she said.
Famous last words.
“Owww…that…hurts. Oh…I’m awake. Can I…ahhhh…owww…have my glasses? I want to watch if…I’m…ahhh.”
“He’s awake, doctor.”
“Why don’t you give him his glasses then.”
The nurse handed me my glasses and I slipped them on. I was kind of out of it. I suppose they gave me enough juice to keep me sleeping if they weren’t doing anything too painful, but once that garden hose snaked up my butt and into my colon and they started pumping air into me like I was an air mattress, well, that woke me up. Completely.
“Oh…wow…look at my colon! It’s, it’s empty,” I said.
“Yes it is. You did a good job. It’s very clear, too. No polyps,” the doctor said.
“Yeah…that drink was good. I shit my brains out,” I said – uninhibited by way of chemicals, “and I’m going to write all about this in my blog.”
We chatted some more about the inside of my colon, my blog and how I planned to run after he pulled the hose out. I told Holly all about how I was awake during the procedure later in the recovery room and how I’d shared my blog with them.
“Oh…I’m sure they’ll be reading it now,” she said.
Turns out I didn’t go for that run. I was feeling a little gaseous, but afraid something else might come out if I ran. Instead, I walked up to the school to see Jack’s track meet. Jimmy was there and so I shared the experience with him. He couldn’t figure out why they left all the oxygen in me, figuring they’d push down on my stomach until it all squirted out my butt.
“You were sedated, right? They could have squished it out and you wouldn’t be passing gas now,” he said.
“I was awake…remember? And I’m not a balloon. You don’t let it out – it comes out when it wants to…like right now…”
He stopped bugging me after that.
Colonoscopy duration: Around 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 28
Calories burned: Not sure – but I lost 5 pounds.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Too Fat to Fight
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
With a colonoscopy on the books for tomorrow, I elected to take it easy. I’d been on a liquid diet all day – not something I really like – and I had to start drinking that foul tasting Mirilax stuff, which was mixed into 64 ounces of Gatoraide, right after whatever I did. Not the greatest way to re-hydrate.
I did a short hike down into the marsh with my camera and binoculars and spent some time trying to spot my eagle…or anything else that flew, walked or swam past my perch. I climbed a tree and sat quietly for 20 minutes before descending and moving to a spot further out in the marsh. Both sites were less than successful for eagle spotting, but outstanding for peace and serenity.
Good opportunity to prepare for crapping my brains out and having a camera rammed up my butt.
I returned home to begin drinking my crapping concoction. I grabbed the paper and read a story in the Plain Dealer “Ex-generals call obesity national security issue”. Apparently, 130 retired generals and admirals have banded together to call for an end to junk food in American schools. This was inspired by an alarming statistic – 9 million 17 to 24 year-olds are too fat to serve in the military.
The military officers are part of a nonpartisan, non-profit group, Mission: Readiness, which released a report called “Too Fat to Fight”. The report included the data above and some other alarming facts about how fat we are and fit we aren’t.
Is anyone surprised? I have no problem with the conclusions, but somehow think that putting it on the schools will never be the answer.
First, we’re only in public school from ages 5 to 18 and only for 180 days of the year. If we assume that only one meal a day is typically eaten in school and that three meals a day are consumed, only 16% of our nutritional needs are met while in school. That 16% goes even lower when you factor in how many kids pack their lunches from home (mine always did). In other words, though it would be wonderful if the schools had nothing but nutritional food in their vending machines and cafeteria lines, it places a distant second to the real source of good (or bad), nutritional food – their homes.
I don’t have the stats handy, but I also know that schools are getting blamed for a lack of physical education requirements. Academics are squeezing out any opportunity to burn some calories during the school day. To a certain degree, the same issue applies here. One of the best reads I’ve had on the subject is Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods”. He describes the real issue, which is that kids don’t get out to play anymore – for a myriad of reasons: indoor pursuits, parents’ fears, neighborhood restraints (can’t build a tree fort?), no open woods, and so on. If kids aren’t burning up calories outside of school, they’re never going to make up the difference in a gym class three times a week.
The issue is huge. Obesity and a lack of physical conditioning is a real dilemma. Better nutrition and more activity is the cure.
As they say in the workplace though – “who owns that problem?” I assure you – if we leave it to the schools, we’ll fail. They can help, but the buck stops at the doorstep…
Hike duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70
Calories burned during workout: 200.
With a colonoscopy on the books for tomorrow, I elected to take it easy. I’d been on a liquid diet all day – not something I really like – and I had to start drinking that foul tasting Mirilax stuff, which was mixed into 64 ounces of Gatoraide, right after whatever I did. Not the greatest way to re-hydrate.
I did a short hike down into the marsh with my camera and binoculars and spent some time trying to spot my eagle…or anything else that flew, walked or swam past my perch. I climbed a tree and sat quietly for 20 minutes before descending and moving to a spot further out in the marsh. Both sites were less than successful for eagle spotting, but outstanding for peace and serenity.
Good opportunity to prepare for crapping my brains out and having a camera rammed up my butt.
I returned home to begin drinking my crapping concoction. I grabbed the paper and read a story in the Plain Dealer “Ex-generals call obesity national security issue”. Apparently, 130 retired generals and admirals have banded together to call for an end to junk food in American schools. This was inspired by an alarming statistic – 9 million 17 to 24 year-olds are too fat to serve in the military.
The military officers are part of a nonpartisan, non-profit group, Mission: Readiness, which released a report called “Too Fat to Fight”. The report included the data above and some other alarming facts about how fat we are and fit we aren’t.
Is anyone surprised? I have no problem with the conclusions, but somehow think that putting it on the schools will never be the answer.
First, we’re only in public school from ages 5 to 18 and only for 180 days of the year. If we assume that only one meal a day is typically eaten in school and that three meals a day are consumed, only 16% of our nutritional needs are met while in school. That 16% goes even lower when you factor in how many kids pack their lunches from home (mine always did). In other words, though it would be wonderful if the schools had nothing but nutritional food in their vending machines and cafeteria lines, it places a distant second to the real source of good (or bad), nutritional food – their homes.
I don’t have the stats handy, but I also know that schools are getting blamed for a lack of physical education requirements. Academics are squeezing out any opportunity to burn some calories during the school day. To a certain degree, the same issue applies here. One of the best reads I’ve had on the subject is Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods”. He describes the real issue, which is that kids don’t get out to play anymore – for a myriad of reasons: indoor pursuits, parents’ fears, neighborhood restraints (can’t build a tree fort?), no open woods, and so on. If kids aren’t burning up calories outside of school, they’re never going to make up the difference in a gym class three times a week.
The issue is huge. Obesity and a lack of physical conditioning is a real dilemma. Better nutrition and more activity is the cure.
As they say in the workplace though – “who owns that problem?” I assure you – if we leave it to the schools, we’ll fail. They can help, but the buck stops at the doorstep…
Hike duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70
Calories burned during workout: 200.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
A little barefoot action...
Monday, April 19, 2010
I feel so lucky. I know what a struggle it can be for many people to exercise and lately, I can’t wait for the chance to get into the woods for my next run. ‘Born to Run’ is helping to have that affect, but I’m just having fun right now and that’s the key to sticking with any program.
The book is bringing back such fond memories of my earliest running experiences and why I ran. I mean…I always ran. That’s what we did when we were growing up. Our games revolved around it. Keep-away, running bases, tag, capture the flag – whatever it was, we were running. Then I found out I could really run when I went out for ninth grade track and the entire squad was sent on a 5 mile run. We ran a one mile loop and by the third lap I was running up the heels of the cross country guys. I’d always thought of myself as a sprinter, but my body was reporting otherwise.
That summer, I went into the woods behind our property and, in a largely open field, I built my own track. I had to cut down small saplings, trim back thorn bushes and other brush, but I ended up with a semi-circular trail of around 440 yards. I’d go out there in my used adidas and run laps as fast as I could. I loved flying over the ground, branches whipping me in the face, curving with the gyrations in my trail and aiming for a new pr. Nobody watched me and no one cared I was there. I did it only because I loved to run…fast. I had kind of forgotten that phase…until I started reading the book.
And now I was going to run the trails again. After two straight days around an hour of running, I planned to back off some. I did my off-trail course down to the marsh and ended up back at the car in around 36 minutes. With all of the reading I’d been doing about the benefits of barefoot running, I had decided I would give it a try. There is a large, grassy field where I park, so I immediately took off my shoes and socks and for the next 5 minutes, circled the field at a jog.
If nothing else good came of it, I loved the feel of the slightly damp grass on my feet. It had been so long since I’d run barefoot on grass that I had totally forgotten how good it could feel. I circled the field being careful to spot rocks, bottles or any other obstacles to tender feet, but encounter none. After 5 minutes, I determined I’d had enough. No sense in taking chances on injuries while experimenting with something designed to help.
Later that night, I could tell the barefoot running had done its job. My arches, ankles, and calves were all sore in that way unused muscles are when you’ve ignored them for a spell. I’d let them rest for 48 hours and give them 7 minutes at the conclusion of the next run.
Run duration: 41 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 675.
I feel so lucky. I know what a struggle it can be for many people to exercise and lately, I can’t wait for the chance to get into the woods for my next run. ‘Born to Run’ is helping to have that affect, but I’m just having fun right now and that’s the key to sticking with any program.
The book is bringing back such fond memories of my earliest running experiences and why I ran. I mean…I always ran. That’s what we did when we were growing up. Our games revolved around it. Keep-away, running bases, tag, capture the flag – whatever it was, we were running. Then I found out I could really run when I went out for ninth grade track and the entire squad was sent on a 5 mile run. We ran a one mile loop and by the third lap I was running up the heels of the cross country guys. I’d always thought of myself as a sprinter, but my body was reporting otherwise.
That summer, I went into the woods behind our property and, in a largely open field, I built my own track. I had to cut down small saplings, trim back thorn bushes and other brush, but I ended up with a semi-circular trail of around 440 yards. I’d go out there in my used adidas and run laps as fast as I could. I loved flying over the ground, branches whipping me in the face, curving with the gyrations in my trail and aiming for a new pr. Nobody watched me and no one cared I was there. I did it only because I loved to run…fast. I had kind of forgotten that phase…until I started reading the book.
And now I was going to run the trails again. After two straight days around an hour of running, I planned to back off some. I did my off-trail course down to the marsh and ended up back at the car in around 36 minutes. With all of the reading I’d been doing about the benefits of barefoot running, I had decided I would give it a try. There is a large, grassy field where I park, so I immediately took off my shoes and socks and for the next 5 minutes, circled the field at a jog.
If nothing else good came of it, I loved the feel of the slightly damp grass on my feet. It had been so long since I’d run barefoot on grass that I had totally forgotten how good it could feel. I circled the field being careful to spot rocks, bottles or any other obstacles to tender feet, but encounter none. After 5 minutes, I determined I’d had enough. No sense in taking chances on injuries while experimenting with something designed to help.
Later that night, I could tell the barefoot running had done its job. My arches, ankles, and calves were all sore in that way unused muscles are when you’ve ignored them for a spell. I’d let them rest for 48 hours and give them 7 minutes at the conclusion of the next run.
Run duration: 41 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 675.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The phone ringing brought me out of my slumber and to full alertness. It was 8 a.m. – not really early – except for Sunday, a day when I usually slept until about 9 a.m. before having to get ready for church. It was my daughter Savannah, calling from Ohio State to wish me a ‘happy birthday’. Couldn’t be too upset with that.
So…I was awake now and thinking…okay…you’re 55 and you still haven’t done the bike ride you were supposed to do. Total guilt. I swung my old legs out of bed, hit the bathroom and then headed downstairs and out the door to check the weather conditions. The forecast had been for sun and low 50’s, but this was the same forecaster who had said sunny and 49 for yesterday when I’d been driving through snow and a high of 39 degrees. In other words – not terribly reliable.
It was raining and 40. Surprise, surprise. I grabbed the paper and thought about what I should do to celebrate 55 years on planet earth. I figured there was no way it would clear up enough to ride, though I’d hold out for that, but I could run another 55 minutes. Sure…that made sense and I actually wanted to do it.
I was sitting at the breakfast table, reading over the Cavs and Indians’ wins from the day before, when Holly came down the stairs to ask me what I was going to do with the day.
“Ride – I hope.”
“How long will that take you?”
“Oh…around three hours,” I said.
She walked out and made a call. When she returned she said, “I’m going to ruin a surprise for you. Savannah is on her way from Columbus to be here for your birthday party so you can’t ride. You’d be out most of the time she’d be here.”
Perfect. I now had something to blame for not taking a ride in total crap weather. That – and all of my kids would be there on my birthday. I might even pick up an extra present. Oh yeah…I’d get to run, too.
The book ‘Born to Run’ was really starting to have an impact on me. I was once again looking forward to running. I couldn’t wait to get back out in the woods and put into practice some of the things I’d been reading. ‘Take it easy’ was one. ‘If you’re running trails and trying to decide between one step or two to get past a treacherous stretch – take three’ was another. Though it didn’t so say specifically, smiling while running – and really being happy, was another. I wanted the chance to give them all a try. I changed and headed for the park knowing it would be muddy as hell and looking forward to splashing through the slop and gliding through the trees.
I had no concerns about my calf. I was going to run light – less heal/toe running and more ball of my foot and gentle placement instead of the hard slap I normally created with every footfall. I started on a hiking trail that winds and climbs for about a mile and normally has me gasping for breath with absolutely no discomfort. I had chopped my stride and was dancing over and around the roots and rocks that littered the trail. It was just so easy. I had determined ahead that I would run off-trail for at least half of the run, which creates all kinds of interesting challenges…and fun.
It did. I was dodging fallen limbs, darting in between trees and branches, and getting some cool scrapes on my legs – all while seeing no one. This part of the park was mine. I’ve hiked this area extensively, which helps keep you from getting lost and keeps other runners from following suit. That – and you can’t run fast at all, but the workout is better than normal running. Constantly running around and jumping over things was helping my balance, working my core, and strengthening all of the stabilizing muscles of the lower body.
I wove my way through the trees, down a steep descent as I worked my way to the marsh. When I emerged from the woods into a creek feeding the marsh, it was to the sound of a woman on a cell phone. She was talking and looking over the marsh standing on the bridle trail that ended at the marsh. She heard me emerge from the woods and looked shocked to see a human coming from someplace where there was clearly no trail.
“Hi,” I said with a big grin. She looked at me like I was the creature from the marsh and went back to her call. Ahhh…to hell with her.
I didn’t stay there long – her cell phone was messing with my serenity – heading up the bridle trail she’d come down for a short time before again re-entering the woods.
I still felt like I was gliding, not running, over the trail. I was close to the end…and it was still easy. As I emerged from the woods for the final mile, I was actually disappointed I was almost done, which is a great feeling. All too often since I began writing this blog, I couldn’t wait for the workout to be over.
I finished by running past the car and making it a 60-minute effort. Now I was pretty comfortable with myself and my guilt and feeling like some birthday cake and large meal of fatty foods would be okay.
Run duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 1,020.
The phone ringing brought me out of my slumber and to full alertness. It was 8 a.m. – not really early – except for Sunday, a day when I usually slept until about 9 a.m. before having to get ready for church. It was my daughter Savannah, calling from Ohio State to wish me a ‘happy birthday’. Couldn’t be too upset with that.
So…I was awake now and thinking…okay…you’re 55 and you still haven’t done the bike ride you were supposed to do. Total guilt. I swung my old legs out of bed, hit the bathroom and then headed downstairs and out the door to check the weather conditions. The forecast had been for sun and low 50’s, but this was the same forecaster who had said sunny and 49 for yesterday when I’d been driving through snow and a high of 39 degrees. In other words – not terribly reliable.
It was raining and 40. Surprise, surprise. I grabbed the paper and thought about what I should do to celebrate 55 years on planet earth. I figured there was no way it would clear up enough to ride, though I’d hold out for that, but I could run another 55 minutes. Sure…that made sense and I actually wanted to do it.
I was sitting at the breakfast table, reading over the Cavs and Indians’ wins from the day before, when Holly came down the stairs to ask me what I was going to do with the day.
“Ride – I hope.”
“How long will that take you?”
“Oh…around three hours,” I said.
She walked out and made a call. When she returned she said, “I’m going to ruin a surprise for you. Savannah is on her way from Columbus to be here for your birthday party so you can’t ride. You’d be out most of the time she’d be here.”
Perfect. I now had something to blame for not taking a ride in total crap weather. That – and all of my kids would be there on my birthday. I might even pick up an extra present. Oh yeah…I’d get to run, too.
The book ‘Born to Run’ was really starting to have an impact on me. I was once again looking forward to running. I couldn’t wait to get back out in the woods and put into practice some of the things I’d been reading. ‘Take it easy’ was one. ‘If you’re running trails and trying to decide between one step or two to get past a treacherous stretch – take three’ was another. Though it didn’t so say specifically, smiling while running – and really being happy, was another. I wanted the chance to give them all a try. I changed and headed for the park knowing it would be muddy as hell and looking forward to splashing through the slop and gliding through the trees.
I had no concerns about my calf. I was going to run light – less heal/toe running and more ball of my foot and gentle placement instead of the hard slap I normally created with every footfall. I started on a hiking trail that winds and climbs for about a mile and normally has me gasping for breath with absolutely no discomfort. I had chopped my stride and was dancing over and around the roots and rocks that littered the trail. It was just so easy. I had determined ahead that I would run off-trail for at least half of the run, which creates all kinds of interesting challenges…and fun.
It did. I was dodging fallen limbs, darting in between trees and branches, and getting some cool scrapes on my legs – all while seeing no one. This part of the park was mine. I’ve hiked this area extensively, which helps keep you from getting lost and keeps other runners from following suit. That – and you can’t run fast at all, but the workout is better than normal running. Constantly running around and jumping over things was helping my balance, working my core, and strengthening all of the stabilizing muscles of the lower body.
I wove my way through the trees, down a steep descent as I worked my way to the marsh. When I emerged from the woods into a creek feeding the marsh, it was to the sound of a woman on a cell phone. She was talking and looking over the marsh standing on the bridle trail that ended at the marsh. She heard me emerge from the woods and looked shocked to see a human coming from someplace where there was clearly no trail.
“Hi,” I said with a big grin. She looked at me like I was the creature from the marsh and went back to her call. Ahhh…to hell with her.
I didn’t stay there long – her cell phone was messing with my serenity – heading up the bridle trail she’d come down for a short time before again re-entering the woods.
I still felt like I was gliding, not running, over the trail. I was close to the end…and it was still easy. As I emerged from the woods for the final mile, I was actually disappointed I was almost done, which is a great feeling. All too often since I began writing this blog, I couldn’t wait for the workout to be over.
I finished by running past the car and making it a 60-minute effort. Now I was pretty comfortable with myself and my guilt and feeling like some birthday cake and large meal of fatty foods would be okay.
Run duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 1,020.
Snowed out on the bike
Saturday, April 17, 2010
It looked like it was going to be a good day. I headed for the park a little after 7 a.m. to sunshine, blue skies and temperatures in the low 40’s. I was sure it would warm by the early afternoon when John and I headed out on the bike and it was perfect for my 55-minute run. I had decided to do my park loop course and add a couple of minutes since I’d been finishing it in around 53:30 recently.
Once into the woods, I remembered why I love morning runs. It is so much more alive! The birds were chattering, I was scaring up deer everywhere and the long shadows cutting through the morning mist created by the rising sun made it serene. The book ‘Born to Run’ was having its influence, too. It talked of running with the terrain and taking what it gives you and I was doing just that. I started slowly and leaned into the hills. I remembered to enjoy every contour, which had me looking forward to the topography changes instead of dreading them. I was moving easily and listening carefully.
By the time I reached the 40-minute mark, I was starting to dread the end of the run. I was having too much fun and would have gone longer, but for the rest of my plans for the day. I reached the car in 53:02 – a new pr by 27 seconds and kept on going for another 2 minutes. Man, it felt easy!
When I arrived home, I pulled the kayaks around to the front yard, ate some oat bran and grabbed my daughter, Heidi, who would be joining me for this leg. We loaded the kayaks on the jeep and headed for Russell Park just outside of Burton and the northern most put-in for the Upper Cuyahoga. It was overcast now and the precipitation that was falling was more white than wet. Heidi was upset that she’d forgotten to recharge her camera battery – she loved taking pictures along this scenic stretch of river, but I had mine, at least.
We were both wearing gloves and I had on pants, t-shirt, and sweatshirt. It was cold. There were a few fishing boats on the river and they had effectively scared off any wildlife, though I did see one beaver. We kept it simple, paddling about 30 minutes down river and then turning back into the current, which is slow, and the wind, which was blowing hard. By the time we returned to the pull-out, I’d gotten 63 minutes of kayaking – more than the required 55. I got out of my kayak and turned to watch Heidi climbing from hers in time to see something fall from her pocket and into the river.
“You dropped something, Heidi.”
“Oh no – my phone,” she said as she plunged her gloved hand into the murky water.
We dried it on the dashboard during the ride home and it was working before we got out of the car.
I stopped at Dan’s in Chardon before heading home to pick up some warm weather gear for the bike ride. I was in the Honda and he hadn’t finished the repairs. When I arrived there, it was snowing pretty hard.
“You’re going to ride a bike 55 miles in this crap?”
“Well…no. If it stays like this, I’ll shoot for tomorrow,” I replied, hoping things would change…and soon. John was meeting me back at the house and I wanted to get this thing done. I drove home through increasing snow and slush and came to the realization that it wasn’t meant to be. I’m persistent, but usually not foolish and riding in these conditions was slippery, dangerous and no fun at all. It could wait a day.
I told John what I was thinking when he arrived and suggested we go for a hike, instead.
“Oh man…I just bought new shoes, a helmet, gloves and this cool tool to work on my bike if we break down,” he whined. It was the whine of relief, though. He wasn’t fooling me for a second. He hated the cold and it was 41 with a snowy mist falling. I again suggested we go for a hike, but he said he didn’t have the gear for that, so we sat in the warm kitchen and shot the breeze for an hour, making plans for a 55 miler next Saturday. I told him I’d likely do one tomorrow for my birthday, too.
So that was that. Mother Nature determined I would do only two of the three legs. It was a great run though, and I love kayaking with Heidi. Maybe I’d have better luck tomorrow.
Run duration: 55 minutes. Kayak duration: 63 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 running. 75 kayaking.
Calories burned during workout: 935 running. 400 hiking.
It looked like it was going to be a good day. I headed for the park a little after 7 a.m. to sunshine, blue skies and temperatures in the low 40’s. I was sure it would warm by the early afternoon when John and I headed out on the bike and it was perfect for my 55-minute run. I had decided to do my park loop course and add a couple of minutes since I’d been finishing it in around 53:30 recently.
Once into the woods, I remembered why I love morning runs. It is so much more alive! The birds were chattering, I was scaring up deer everywhere and the long shadows cutting through the morning mist created by the rising sun made it serene. The book ‘Born to Run’ was having its influence, too. It talked of running with the terrain and taking what it gives you and I was doing just that. I started slowly and leaned into the hills. I remembered to enjoy every contour, which had me looking forward to the topography changes instead of dreading them. I was moving easily and listening carefully.
By the time I reached the 40-minute mark, I was starting to dread the end of the run. I was having too much fun and would have gone longer, but for the rest of my plans for the day. I reached the car in 53:02 – a new pr by 27 seconds and kept on going for another 2 minutes. Man, it felt easy!
When I arrived home, I pulled the kayaks around to the front yard, ate some oat bran and grabbed my daughter, Heidi, who would be joining me for this leg. We loaded the kayaks on the jeep and headed for Russell Park just outside of Burton and the northern most put-in for the Upper Cuyahoga. It was overcast now and the precipitation that was falling was more white than wet. Heidi was upset that she’d forgotten to recharge her camera battery – she loved taking pictures along this scenic stretch of river, but I had mine, at least.
We were both wearing gloves and I had on pants, t-shirt, and sweatshirt. It was cold. There were a few fishing boats on the river and they had effectively scared off any wildlife, though I did see one beaver. We kept it simple, paddling about 30 minutes down river and then turning back into the current, which is slow, and the wind, which was blowing hard. By the time we returned to the pull-out, I’d gotten 63 minutes of kayaking – more than the required 55. I got out of my kayak and turned to watch Heidi climbing from hers in time to see something fall from her pocket and into the river.
“You dropped something, Heidi.”
“Oh no – my phone,” she said as she plunged her gloved hand into the murky water.
We dried it on the dashboard during the ride home and it was working before we got out of the car.
I stopped at Dan’s in Chardon before heading home to pick up some warm weather gear for the bike ride. I was in the Honda and he hadn’t finished the repairs. When I arrived there, it was snowing pretty hard.
“You’re going to ride a bike 55 miles in this crap?”
“Well…no. If it stays like this, I’ll shoot for tomorrow,” I replied, hoping things would change…and soon. John was meeting me back at the house and I wanted to get this thing done. I drove home through increasing snow and slush and came to the realization that it wasn’t meant to be. I’m persistent, but usually not foolish and riding in these conditions was slippery, dangerous and no fun at all. It could wait a day.
I told John what I was thinking when he arrived and suggested we go for a hike, instead.
“Oh man…I just bought new shoes, a helmet, gloves and this cool tool to work on my bike if we break down,” he whined. It was the whine of relief, though. He wasn’t fooling me for a second. He hated the cold and it was 41 with a snowy mist falling. I again suggested we go for a hike, but he said he didn’t have the gear for that, so we sat in the warm kitchen and shot the breeze for an hour, making plans for a 55 miler next Saturday. I told him I’d likely do one tomorrow for my birthday, too.
So that was that. Mother Nature determined I would do only two of the three legs. It was a great run though, and I love kayaking with Heidi. Maybe I’d have better luck tomorrow.
Run duration: 55 minutes. Kayak duration: 63 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 running. 75 kayaking.
Calories burned during workout: 935 running. 400 hiking.
An easy hike the day before...
Friday, April 16, 2010
I was thinking with all I’d be doing on Saturday, that maybe I’d take another day off. I wanted to be rested for the birthday triathlon, but I was also itching to do something. I mean, I’ve gotten to the point where I actually want to do something a couple of times a day. It’s getting scary.
It was raining and that would eliminate a bike ride. I didn’t want to run because I didn’t want to risk messing with the calf the day before a 55-minute run. So…I decided hiking in the rain would be refreshing. I grabbed my rain jacket and umbrella, pulled on my cap, and headed for the trails.
They were sloppy, it was drizzling and I was happy. I had the park to myself and because of the rain, birds and animals were out everywhere. I figured I’d walk the same course I would run the next day, which should take me well over an hour. It did. I walked fast, broke a good sweat and ended with a pretty decent 80-minute hike. I felt loose and light and figured I was completely ready for tomorrow’s journey.
Oh…and a very special thanks to Glenn for suggesting I read ‘Born to Run’. I’m only about a third of the way through, but it’s already without a doubt, the best book I’ve ever read on running. And it’s really not a book about running in the way I’ve always thought of it - training, racing and such, but more about reason we run. I’d forgotten why I did, but after four chapters, it’s completely rekindled that initial love I had for the pure joy of running. I’ll get into this more as the days go by.
Forecast for tomorrow is cool, but agreeable.
Hike duration: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70
Calories burned during workout: 500
I was thinking with all I’d be doing on Saturday, that maybe I’d take another day off. I wanted to be rested for the birthday triathlon, but I was also itching to do something. I mean, I’ve gotten to the point where I actually want to do something a couple of times a day. It’s getting scary.
It was raining and that would eliminate a bike ride. I didn’t want to run because I didn’t want to risk messing with the calf the day before a 55-minute run. So…I decided hiking in the rain would be refreshing. I grabbed my rain jacket and umbrella, pulled on my cap, and headed for the trails.
They were sloppy, it was drizzling and I was happy. I had the park to myself and because of the rain, birds and animals were out everywhere. I figured I’d walk the same course I would run the next day, which should take me well over an hour. It did. I walked fast, broke a good sweat and ended with a pretty decent 80-minute hike. I felt loose and light and figured I was completely ready for tomorrow’s journey.
Oh…and a very special thanks to Glenn for suggesting I read ‘Born to Run’. I’m only about a third of the way through, but it’s already without a doubt, the best book I’ve ever read on running. And it’s really not a book about running in the way I’ve always thought of it - training, racing and such, but more about reason we run. I’d forgotten why I did, but after four chapters, it’s completely rekindled that initial love I had for the pure joy of running. I’ll get into this more as the days go by.
Forecast for tomorrow is cool, but agreeable.
Hike duration: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70
Calories burned during workout: 500
Friday, April 16, 2010
A walk in the woods with John Muir...I mean Jimmy
Thursday, April 15, 2010
“Hey…John,” I heard across the parking lot as I got out of my car. It was Jimmy. He’d just finished a run. I’d done mine earlier, but was back for a hike with Dakota and to burn some extra calories and maybe get a picture of my eagle. I told him this and he agreed to go for a walk.
We were walking my off-trail, marsh loop. Jimmy knows a little bit about everything and a lot about nothing. He’ll ask those kind of questions your average 4-year old will – the ones where you just go ‘where did that come from?'. We were talking eagles and the massive nests they build – when I mentioned they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
“The eagles?”
I turned to look at him. He was serious. I was frightened.
“Jimmy…really…a 2,000 pound bird? How… in…the…hell…would …it…fly??”
I slowed it down so his comprehension could catch up.
“Oh…yeah…the nest,” he chuckled.
It was an enlightening hike from there…he’s always entertaining. We talked about coyotes eating dogs, mountain lions eating him, Dakota chasing squirrels and never seeming to figure out that they can climb trees, and owls that attack you if you call them and they find out you’re a human and they’re not getting sex. Good stuff like that. We also talked about Saturday and my birthday triathlon.
“You’ll never do it all,” he said.
“Seriously? You think something can stop me?”
“Yeah. You’re an old man and old men can’t do that much.”
“Care to join me?”
“Before noon? Nah. I’ll be sleeping.”
I had done a run before meeting with him. Kind of a taper day before Saturday. It was very warm again, but I seem to be acclimatizing because it gave me no trouble. I ran an easy 46 minutes and figured starting with a 55-minute run Saturday in the cool morning air would be a piece of cake. It’s the 55 mile bike that has me a little worried. That and the guy who’s riding it with me.
“Do we have to ride this Saturday? It’s going to be raining and 43 degrees. Let’s wait until next Saturday,” John whined over the phone later that evening.
“Where do you get your weather reports? The Plain Dealer and the Weather Channel both have it as 49 degrees and sunny,” I replied.
He had no good answer and no wait to dispute that next Saturday could be worse.
“Look. You don’t have to go, but I have to do this thing Saturday. Everyone expects it and I can’t seem like a wimp…not doing it because it’s a little chilly!”
“I’ll be there. I’ll be there. I might complain some, though.”
Oh really? How do you know when John’s complaining? That’s right…his lips are moving. Wish me luck.
Run duration: 46 minutes. Hike duration: 55 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 running. 75 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 775 running. 350 hiking.
“Hey…John,” I heard across the parking lot as I got out of my car. It was Jimmy. He’d just finished a run. I’d done mine earlier, but was back for a hike with Dakota and to burn some extra calories and maybe get a picture of my eagle. I told him this and he agreed to go for a walk.
We were walking my off-trail, marsh loop. Jimmy knows a little bit about everything and a lot about nothing. He’ll ask those kind of questions your average 4-year old will – the ones where you just go ‘where did that come from?'. We were talking eagles and the massive nests they build – when I mentioned they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
“The eagles?”
I turned to look at him. He was serious. I was frightened.
“Jimmy…really…a 2,000 pound bird? How… in…the…hell…would …it…fly??”
I slowed it down so his comprehension could catch up.
“Oh…yeah…the nest,” he chuckled.
It was an enlightening hike from there…he’s always entertaining. We talked about coyotes eating dogs, mountain lions eating him, Dakota chasing squirrels and never seeming to figure out that they can climb trees, and owls that attack you if you call them and they find out you’re a human and they’re not getting sex. Good stuff like that. We also talked about Saturday and my birthday triathlon.
“You’ll never do it all,” he said.
“Seriously? You think something can stop me?”
“Yeah. You’re an old man and old men can’t do that much.”
“Care to join me?”
“Before noon? Nah. I’ll be sleeping.”
I had done a run before meeting with him. Kind of a taper day before Saturday. It was very warm again, but I seem to be acclimatizing because it gave me no trouble. I ran an easy 46 minutes and figured starting with a 55-minute run Saturday in the cool morning air would be a piece of cake. It’s the 55 mile bike that has me a little worried. That and the guy who’s riding it with me.
“Do we have to ride this Saturday? It’s going to be raining and 43 degrees. Let’s wait until next Saturday,” John whined over the phone later that evening.
“Where do you get your weather reports? The Plain Dealer and the Weather Channel both have it as 49 degrees and sunny,” I replied.
He had no good answer and no wait to dispute that next Saturday could be worse.
“Look. You don’t have to go, but I have to do this thing Saturday. Everyone expects it and I can’t seem like a wimp…not doing it because it’s a little chilly!”
“I’ll be there. I’ll be there. I might complain some, though.”
Oh really? How do you know when John’s complaining? That’s right…his lips are moving. Wish me luck.
Run duration: 46 minutes. Hike duration: 55 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 running. 75 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 775 running. 350 hiking.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Nothing. That's right. I did nothing.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
If you’ve got money to burn, try driving through East Cleveland and not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. You WILL get busted and it WILL cost you a lot of money. At least to me it’s a lot. I hate doing dumb things that cause police to have to deal with me. They’ve got way more important things to handle than some goof ball who can’t obey simple traffic laws. So yeah…I was mad…at me.
The officer told me I could call the number on the citation and find out what I owed. She was nice…but she was wrong. I tried the ‘calling’ thing and, of course, got into a loop of ‘if you want this…dial that’. After three of those, I tried hitting ‘O’, normally a sound move, but not today. ‘Improper entry. Try…’ I gave it up.
I drove to City Hall and went in to see what the fine would be and how I could pay it. The lady behind the counter was very pleasant…almost sympathetic…she knew where this was going.
“It’ll be $171.00 and you’re early. We don’t even have the ticket yet. You can send a check any time before the 28th,” she said.
I tried not to, but I’m sure I flinched. Maybe I’d run over the sign and hadn’t noticed and I was paying for a replacement. And maybe this is the going rate…I don’t get tickets much, but damn…I was suffering from sticker shock.
Next stop was the doctor’s office. I was going in for a colonoscopy next week – we have a family history of colon cancer and I was overdue. I’ve had two already, but it was time again. The part that was bugging me was coming in for a visit to give them information I knew they already had. Well…it would probably be included in the price of the colonoscopy.
“That will be $15 co-pay. Could you stand on the scale over there?”
So if I was paying $15, I’m sure my carrier was paying $80-90 for the rest. I was really getting pissed. If they’d been reading my blog, they’d know how much I weigh and we could have saved me a lot of time and money. I needed every penny to pay the IRS and the city of East Cleveland.
I went into a windowless office and waited another 10 minutes for the doc. He came in and began asking me questions and writing down things that I’d already filled out on the initial form – which was something that reiterated all the information they already had on me. After the third such question I answered in frustration “it’s right there on that paper under your hand.”
I assure you…it is bad form to get snippy with a guy who’s going to give you stuff to drink that makes you crap your brains out and then puts you to sleep and sticks God only knows what up your…well…you get the picture. I was in terrible form and couldn’t stop the diarrhea spewing from my mouth.
I got out of there and headed for Jack’s track meet. I’ve never felt less like working out in my life. I could see this was going to be a rest day. I love the track and track meets and thought maybe this would revive my flagging spirits. It did. I ran into an acquaintance – Glenn, and old runner like me – and we talked track. He brought up the book on barefoot running ‘Born to Run’ I think – I wrote it down - and shared the theme. I knew he was surprised I hadn’t read it already, but was diplomatic. Enter Mike. He’s another track and running junkie – probably in his late forties and going on 15. His enthusiasm is incredible and we love him. Glenn mentioned I hadn’t read the book…
”You’ve never read ‘Born to Run’ and you call yourself a…a…a,” he was stuttering with incredulity.
“…a learned man? An amazing writer? Coach extraordinaire?” I offered.
I suppose I better read it. Lot’s of folks talking about barefoot running to cure what ails the runner. Right after I finish ‘Bowerman and the Men of Oregon’.
Sedentary duration: 24 hours
Training heart rate: 2
Calories burned: Way fewer than calories eaten.
If you’ve got money to burn, try driving through East Cleveland and not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. You WILL get busted and it WILL cost you a lot of money. At least to me it’s a lot. I hate doing dumb things that cause police to have to deal with me. They’ve got way more important things to handle than some goof ball who can’t obey simple traffic laws. So yeah…I was mad…at me.
The officer told me I could call the number on the citation and find out what I owed. She was nice…but she was wrong. I tried the ‘calling’ thing and, of course, got into a loop of ‘if you want this…dial that’. After three of those, I tried hitting ‘O’, normally a sound move, but not today. ‘Improper entry. Try…’ I gave it up.
I drove to City Hall and went in to see what the fine would be and how I could pay it. The lady behind the counter was very pleasant…almost sympathetic…she knew where this was going.
“It’ll be $171.00 and you’re early. We don’t even have the ticket yet. You can send a check any time before the 28th,” she said.
I tried not to, but I’m sure I flinched. Maybe I’d run over the sign and hadn’t noticed and I was paying for a replacement. And maybe this is the going rate…I don’t get tickets much, but damn…I was suffering from sticker shock.
Next stop was the doctor’s office. I was going in for a colonoscopy next week – we have a family history of colon cancer and I was overdue. I’ve had two already, but it was time again. The part that was bugging me was coming in for a visit to give them information I knew they already had. Well…it would probably be included in the price of the colonoscopy.
“That will be $15 co-pay. Could you stand on the scale over there?”
So if I was paying $15, I’m sure my carrier was paying $80-90 for the rest. I was really getting pissed. If they’d been reading my blog, they’d know how much I weigh and we could have saved me a lot of time and money. I needed every penny to pay the IRS and the city of East Cleveland.
I went into a windowless office and waited another 10 minutes for the doc. He came in and began asking me questions and writing down things that I’d already filled out on the initial form – which was something that reiterated all the information they already had on me. After the third such question I answered in frustration “it’s right there on that paper under your hand.”
I assure you…it is bad form to get snippy with a guy who’s going to give you stuff to drink that makes you crap your brains out and then puts you to sleep and sticks God only knows what up your…well…you get the picture. I was in terrible form and couldn’t stop the diarrhea spewing from my mouth.
I got out of there and headed for Jack’s track meet. I’ve never felt less like working out in my life. I could see this was going to be a rest day. I love the track and track meets and thought maybe this would revive my flagging spirits. It did. I ran into an acquaintance – Glenn, and old runner like me – and we talked track. He brought up the book on barefoot running ‘Born to Run’ I think – I wrote it down - and shared the theme. I knew he was surprised I hadn’t read it already, but was diplomatic. Enter Mike. He’s another track and running junkie – probably in his late forties and going on 15. His enthusiasm is incredible and we love him. Glenn mentioned I hadn’t read the book…
”You’ve never read ‘Born to Run’ and you call yourself a…a…a,” he was stuttering with incredulity.
“…a learned man? An amazing writer? Coach extraordinaire?” I offered.
I suppose I better read it. Lot’s of folks talking about barefoot running to cure what ails the runner. Right after I finish ‘Bowerman and the Men of Oregon’.
Sedentary duration: 24 hours
Training heart rate: 2
Calories burned: Way fewer than calories eaten.
Writer's block?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
I’ve had a bit of a writer’s block for a couple of days. It’s tax season and I’m facing some challenges that have diverted my attention. I should have gone a couple of good runs or, better yet, a week in the Adirondacks where computers, cell phones, and the internet don’t exist. No one can reach you there and sometimes that’s okay with me.
I figured I needed one more long run before the Saturday event. I wanted to make sure the calf was okay and headed for my park loop course. It’s the one that starts out going up…my least favorite thing to do on a run…gravity, you know. I had less than an hour before I needed to pick up Jack from track practice, and the fastest I’d ever covered the course was 53:31 – so I’d have to have a half way decent effort.
Twenty minutes into the run I knew it would be a pretty good one. I decided to push up every incline, and there are many, to make sure I got back in under 55 minutes. I hate the inclines. They suck the life from my legs so pushing through them would be a challenge. By the time I neared the 40 minute mark, I started thinking pr (personal record) for the course. This can be dangerous when you’re recovering from a mild calf strain, but the need to achieve something overcame good sense.
As I crossed my last stream I knew I was 5 minutes from the car and probably a little ahead of my best time – so I made sure to hold the pace. I didn’t try to pick it up for fear of the calf going when it was most susceptible – in a fatigued state. As I crossed the finish point and hit the ‘stop’ on the watch, I felt relief from having made it without pain. Then I checked the time. ’53:29’. A two-second pr is still a pr. Life was good again.
Run duration: 53 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 900.
I’ve had a bit of a writer’s block for a couple of days. It’s tax season and I’m facing some challenges that have diverted my attention. I should have gone a couple of good runs or, better yet, a week in the Adirondacks where computers, cell phones, and the internet don’t exist. No one can reach you there and sometimes that’s okay with me.
I figured I needed one more long run before the Saturday event. I wanted to make sure the calf was okay and headed for my park loop course. It’s the one that starts out going up…my least favorite thing to do on a run…gravity, you know. I had less than an hour before I needed to pick up Jack from track practice, and the fastest I’d ever covered the course was 53:31 – so I’d have to have a half way decent effort.
Twenty minutes into the run I knew it would be a pretty good one. I decided to push up every incline, and there are many, to make sure I got back in under 55 minutes. I hate the inclines. They suck the life from my legs so pushing through them would be a challenge. By the time I neared the 40 minute mark, I started thinking pr (personal record) for the course. This can be dangerous when you’re recovering from a mild calf strain, but the need to achieve something overcame good sense.
As I crossed my last stream I knew I was 5 minutes from the car and probably a little ahead of my best time – so I made sure to hold the pace. I didn’t try to pick it up for fear of the calf going when it was most susceptible – in a fatigued state. As I crossed the finish point and hit the ‘stop’ on the watch, I felt relief from having made it without pain. Then I checked the time. ’53:29’. A two-second pr is still a pr. Life was good again.
Run duration: 53 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 900.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bikini Zone? I don't think so...
Monday, April 12, 2010
“John – where’s your other riding shoe?” Dan was looking around as I emptied the Honda. Yeah – it needed work, too.
“Gotta be right here in the car somewhere. Only a total moron would plan a ride and only have one of his shoes,” I said.
But a thorough search of the car confirmed that there was no second shoe and I was that total moron. Riding shoes are pretty important. They fasten the foot to the pedal making cycling so much more efficient. It’s also a ton safer because your foot doesn’t slip of the pedal at inopportune moments. I was going to be riding the 20 miles home with one riding shoe and one running shoe. I was so styling.
“No one will know. If they see you from this side, they’ll see a riding shoe and assume you’d have another on the other foot and visa versa,” Dan said.
Small comfort for the guy who would spend the next hour looking like a dork. I was planning on taking the long ride home, which would have added another 10 miles, but in this condition – no way. I told Dan how I’d written about him in the blog yesterday.
“Again? I’m getting pretty well known.”
“Well…I think it’s more interesting when I can share a real, live story about someone doing something really dumb. Makes people reading feel better about themselves. I’m always picking on John so it’s nice to have a new target,” I said.
“Pleased I could help.”
“Yeah. Thanks. But this ‘shoe’ thing will make it all about me in tomorrow’s blog.”
I climbed aboard with my mismatched shoes and headed home thinking I shouldn’t insult the guy fixing and charging me for repairs to my vehicle. What the hell…
The ride was tricky with one foot in place and the other slipping all over hell, but I made it okay.
I’d stopped in the park before heading to drop off the car to get in a 30-minute run. I wanted a double before the Saturday triathlon and though this would be a small one, it still qualified. My legs were dead tired as I started to jog. They felt like wooden stumps – not really bending and flowing like running legs should. I knew I was feeling the effects of the 42 mile ride from yesterday combined with two days of no running. I was sweating the calf thing – waiting for it to start hurting, but after 5 minutes, I forgot all about it and the it gave me no trouble.
Oh…and I have this nice, open sore just under the left butt cheek – kind of where the leg meets the butt. The padded liner of my riding shorts ends at that spot and with all of the salt I create in a long ride, it begins to chafe. Hurt like hell over the last 30 minutes of the ride yesterday and for the rest of the evening. I asked Holly if she had something to put on it and she grabbed this cream called ‘bikini zone’ except that’s not what I heard when she went to put it on. I was sure she’d said ‘manly man ointment’.
“This might sting a little, but it really works,” she said as she applied.
It was cool and felt good for about…oh…3 seconds. Then it…hurt…like…hell!
“Sheeeeiiiiiiittttt,” I yelled.
“Does it hurt?”
“Does it hurt? Does it hurt? This kind of pain would kill a normal human!”
The pain lasted only a couple of minutes and I doubt it accomplished anything. I think someone was trying to hurt me. I put vasoline on it for the ride back from Dan’s and it didn’t hurt – going on or riding. What’s she up to? Bikini Zone? What was I thinking?
Run duration: 31 minutes. Bike Duration: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 running. 120 biking.
Calories burned during workout: 525 running. 1125 hiking.
“John – where’s your other riding shoe?” Dan was looking around as I emptied the Honda. Yeah – it needed work, too.
“Gotta be right here in the car somewhere. Only a total moron would plan a ride and only have one of his shoes,” I said.
But a thorough search of the car confirmed that there was no second shoe and I was that total moron. Riding shoes are pretty important. They fasten the foot to the pedal making cycling so much more efficient. It’s also a ton safer because your foot doesn’t slip of the pedal at inopportune moments. I was going to be riding the 20 miles home with one riding shoe and one running shoe. I was so styling.
“No one will know. If they see you from this side, they’ll see a riding shoe and assume you’d have another on the other foot and visa versa,” Dan said.
Small comfort for the guy who would spend the next hour looking like a dork. I was planning on taking the long ride home, which would have added another 10 miles, but in this condition – no way. I told Dan how I’d written about him in the blog yesterday.
“Again? I’m getting pretty well known.”
“Well…I think it’s more interesting when I can share a real, live story about someone doing something really dumb. Makes people reading feel better about themselves. I’m always picking on John so it’s nice to have a new target,” I said.
“Pleased I could help.”
“Yeah. Thanks. But this ‘shoe’ thing will make it all about me in tomorrow’s blog.”
I climbed aboard with my mismatched shoes and headed home thinking I shouldn’t insult the guy fixing and charging me for repairs to my vehicle. What the hell…
The ride was tricky with one foot in place and the other slipping all over hell, but I made it okay.
I’d stopped in the park before heading to drop off the car to get in a 30-minute run. I wanted a double before the Saturday triathlon and though this would be a small one, it still qualified. My legs were dead tired as I started to jog. They felt like wooden stumps – not really bending and flowing like running legs should. I knew I was feeling the effects of the 42 mile ride from yesterday combined with two days of no running. I was sweating the calf thing – waiting for it to start hurting, but after 5 minutes, I forgot all about it and the it gave me no trouble.
Oh…and I have this nice, open sore just under the left butt cheek – kind of where the leg meets the butt. The padded liner of my riding shorts ends at that spot and with all of the salt I create in a long ride, it begins to chafe. Hurt like hell over the last 30 minutes of the ride yesterday and for the rest of the evening. I asked Holly if she had something to put on it and she grabbed this cream called ‘bikini zone’ except that’s not what I heard when she went to put it on. I was sure she’d said ‘manly man ointment’.
“This might sting a little, but it really works,” she said as she applied.
It was cool and felt good for about…oh…3 seconds. Then it…hurt…like…hell!
“Sheeeeiiiiiiittttt,” I yelled.
“Does it hurt?”
“Does it hurt? Does it hurt? This kind of pain would kill a normal human!”
The pain lasted only a couple of minutes and I doubt it accomplished anything. I think someone was trying to hurt me. I put vasoline on it for the ride back from Dan’s and it didn’t hurt – going on or riding. What’s she up to? Bikini Zone? What was I thinking?
Run duration: 31 minutes. Bike Duration: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 135 running. 120 biking.
Calories burned during workout: 525 running. 1125 hiking.
"You eat...what?"
Sunday, April 11, 2010
“The doc wanted me to take cholesterol medication and lose 20 pounds,” Dan told me when shortly after I arrived there on my bike to pick up the Jeep I’d dropped off three days earlier.
“Did he measure you with body fat calipers?”
“Nope,” he relied.
“What were your cholesterol numbers?”
“He didn’t say – and I told him what he could do with his medication.”
Now…both of these things piss me off. I’m trying to decide which one is worse. I know very few doctors have any clue about body composition, or if they do, don’t take the time to find out what it is. They used the almost useless height/weight information and make recommendations about weight loss. They’re probably right most of the time since Americans by and large need to lose weight, but they’d never prescribe medication for something about which they were ‘probably’ right, would they?
Then…there’s the cholesterol thing. I’m bothered that he didn’t even share the numbers with Dan, but why would he move to medication so quickly for numbers he said ‘were a little high’? Dan was right to refuse the medication and since the doc didn’t push it, I’m guessing he knew it. Dan says he’ll lose the weight (he’s down 10 pounds since he met the doc) by making some dietary changes. I asked him what he was doing?
“Well…I stopped eating my peanut butter/butter combination, for starters,” he said.
“Which is what…exactly?”
“I’d put peanut butter on a spoon, smear butter over it and eat it. Go through about 3 sticks of butter a week,” he said.
“Why, in God’s name, were you eating that crap?”
“Tastes good,” he said with a grin.
He already had the answer to the weight and maybe the high serum cholesterol, too. It took me two questions to figure that out. He could make other changes over an 8-week period and go in for a retest of the cholesterol numbers. If they remained high and he had other risk factors for heart disease – then maybe it’s time to push harder for the medication. As a first step though, it seems a little irresponsible. I bugged Dan to pull his bike out and get on it again to do something about the rest of the weight he wanted to lose.
“You’re going to be riding with me again,” I threatened before I left.
Anyway…the last long training ride before the birthday triathlon went well. It was about 60 degrees and overcast. My plan was to ride at least two hours, but as the weather cleared, I decided to go longer. I ended up with a 42-mile ride in about 2:45. I figured the 55 miler would mean three and half hours in the saddle – so this was close. This Saturday should be interesting. I’m hoping for half way decent weather.
Bike duration: 2 hours and 46 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120
Calories burned during workout: 2400
“The doc wanted me to take cholesterol medication and lose 20 pounds,” Dan told me when shortly after I arrived there on my bike to pick up the Jeep I’d dropped off three days earlier.
“Did he measure you with body fat calipers?”
“Nope,” he relied.
“What were your cholesterol numbers?”
“He didn’t say – and I told him what he could do with his medication.”
Now…both of these things piss me off. I’m trying to decide which one is worse. I know very few doctors have any clue about body composition, or if they do, don’t take the time to find out what it is. They used the almost useless height/weight information and make recommendations about weight loss. They’re probably right most of the time since Americans by and large need to lose weight, but they’d never prescribe medication for something about which they were ‘probably’ right, would they?
Then…there’s the cholesterol thing. I’m bothered that he didn’t even share the numbers with Dan, but why would he move to medication so quickly for numbers he said ‘were a little high’? Dan was right to refuse the medication and since the doc didn’t push it, I’m guessing he knew it. Dan says he’ll lose the weight (he’s down 10 pounds since he met the doc) by making some dietary changes. I asked him what he was doing?
“Well…I stopped eating my peanut butter/butter combination, for starters,” he said.
“Which is what…exactly?”
“I’d put peanut butter on a spoon, smear butter over it and eat it. Go through about 3 sticks of butter a week,” he said.
“Why, in God’s name, were you eating that crap?”
“Tastes good,” he said with a grin.
He already had the answer to the weight and maybe the high serum cholesterol, too. It took me two questions to figure that out. He could make other changes over an 8-week period and go in for a retest of the cholesterol numbers. If they remained high and he had other risk factors for heart disease – then maybe it’s time to push harder for the medication. As a first step though, it seems a little irresponsible. I bugged Dan to pull his bike out and get on it again to do something about the rest of the weight he wanted to lose.
“You’re going to be riding with me again,” I threatened before I left.
Anyway…the last long training ride before the birthday triathlon went well. It was about 60 degrees and overcast. My plan was to ride at least two hours, but as the weather cleared, I decided to go longer. I ended up with a 42-mile ride in about 2:45. I figured the 55 miler would mean three and half hours in the saddle – so this was close. This Saturday should be interesting. I’m hoping for half way decent weather.
Bike duration: 2 hours and 46 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120
Calories burned during workout: 2400
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Eating out...101.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
“I’m having the pork fried rice and a couple of egg rolls,” I said to Holly’s mom. We were eating at PF Chang’s and the place was slammed. Good for them.
“But you don’t have any meat there. Here…have some of my chicken,” she said as she dropped a couple of pieces of the deep-fried delicacies into my rice. You couldn’t see the pork in my rice and I think she thought I wasn’t really eating if I didn’t have any meat.
“Thanks…but there’s pork in here…somewhere.”
It’s hard to watch the calories at a restaurant…not that I work it too hard. I don’t go out that often, so I figure to eat what I want. I didn’t take any appetizers, and I’ve never seen bread in a Chinese restaurant, so no worries there. I turned to speak to Holly and when I looked back at my rice, there was another hunk of chicken in it. At this rate, I’d be eating all of mom’s dinner. Cool. I liked hers better than mine.
I managed to eat every spec of rice…I don’t mess with the chop sticks since that only slows me down and makes me drop food heading for my mouth. I did give Holly the last bite of my egg roll, though. Very out of character, but it probably saved me 50 calories. The waitress came by with a tray full of desserts to see if she could entice us. I was thinking about it until she started putting her hands all over the different selections as she described them.
Everyone at the table was ordering, but when she got to me, I had to decline.
“Even if you used hand sanitizer, I’m not eating stuff you’ve had your hands all over,” I said.
“It’s plastic,” she replied.
“Well for sure I’m not eating it, then.” Holly looked at me. She thinks I’m weird.
I mean even if it was real – it was a rip-off. They were serving this one dessert that she said was apple pie in this little shot glass. They gave you a baby spoon to eat it, but come on – I’d have still finished it in two bites! And it was $2. That’s a dollar a bite…fuhget about it. I’m thinking they made an apple pie in the kitchen, lined up about 50 of these shot glasses, and shoved a smidge into each one. That’s printing money - $100 for one apple pie.
So…no…no dessert, either.
I’d gone to the Metropark that morning to drop Jack off for track practice – a run in the park. Dakota came along and the two of us went for a hike while Jack was running. We managed to get in about 70 minutes of hiking off-trail and I managed to work up a decent sweat. I still had plans for a long bike, so this was just bonus time.
Except the bike never happened. Once I returned home, Holly and I snuggled up to our taxes and that was that until I had to pick up Heidi from downtown Cleveland and then on to PF Chang’s. This actually was just what I needed…a day of rest from a really hard workout. It had been a couple of weeks since my complete day off and although I’d hiked, my body needed a day when I wasn’t pushing.
Oh…and Chinese food doesn’t stick with me. By the time I got home from the restaurant, I was hungry. I grabbed the left over piece of pizza Jack and Heidi had eaten for dinner and ate the remains of the Breyer’s vanilla with Natural Bean Specks smothered in chocolate sauce. If I don’t eat it – Jack will – and he’s in training. I’m only doing my parental part…what a dad.
Hike duration: 70 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70
Calories burned during workout: 450
“I’m having the pork fried rice and a couple of egg rolls,” I said to Holly’s mom. We were eating at PF Chang’s and the place was slammed. Good for them.
“But you don’t have any meat there. Here…have some of my chicken,” she said as she dropped a couple of pieces of the deep-fried delicacies into my rice. You couldn’t see the pork in my rice and I think she thought I wasn’t really eating if I didn’t have any meat.
“Thanks…but there’s pork in here…somewhere.”
It’s hard to watch the calories at a restaurant…not that I work it too hard. I don’t go out that often, so I figure to eat what I want. I didn’t take any appetizers, and I’ve never seen bread in a Chinese restaurant, so no worries there. I turned to speak to Holly and when I looked back at my rice, there was another hunk of chicken in it. At this rate, I’d be eating all of mom’s dinner. Cool. I liked hers better than mine.
I managed to eat every spec of rice…I don’t mess with the chop sticks since that only slows me down and makes me drop food heading for my mouth. I did give Holly the last bite of my egg roll, though. Very out of character, but it probably saved me 50 calories. The waitress came by with a tray full of desserts to see if she could entice us. I was thinking about it until she started putting her hands all over the different selections as she described them.
Everyone at the table was ordering, but when she got to me, I had to decline.
“Even if you used hand sanitizer, I’m not eating stuff you’ve had your hands all over,” I said.
“It’s plastic,” she replied.
“Well for sure I’m not eating it, then.” Holly looked at me. She thinks I’m weird.
I mean even if it was real – it was a rip-off. They were serving this one dessert that she said was apple pie in this little shot glass. They gave you a baby spoon to eat it, but come on – I’d have still finished it in two bites! And it was $2. That’s a dollar a bite…fuhget about it. I’m thinking they made an apple pie in the kitchen, lined up about 50 of these shot glasses, and shoved a smidge into each one. That’s printing money - $100 for one apple pie.
So…no…no dessert, either.
I’d gone to the Metropark that morning to drop Jack off for track practice – a run in the park. Dakota came along and the two of us went for a hike while Jack was running. We managed to get in about 70 minutes of hiking off-trail and I managed to work up a decent sweat. I still had plans for a long bike, so this was just bonus time.
Except the bike never happened. Once I returned home, Holly and I snuggled up to our taxes and that was that until I had to pick up Heidi from downtown Cleveland and then on to PF Chang’s. This actually was just what I needed…a day of rest from a really hard workout. It had been a couple of weeks since my complete day off and although I’d hiked, my body needed a day when I wasn’t pushing.
Oh…and Chinese food doesn’t stick with me. By the time I got home from the restaurant, I was hungry. I grabbed the left over piece of pizza Jack and Heidi had eaten for dinner and ate the remains of the Breyer’s vanilla with Natural Bean Specks smothered in chocolate sauce. If I don’t eat it – Jack will – and he’s in training. I’m only doing my parental part…what a dad.
Hike duration: 70 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70
Calories burned during workout: 450
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Ouch...
Friday, April 9, 2010
It was another cool day and I was starting to feel like I could run every day…any day. It was a riding day, but the roads were wet and it was way too cold for this freeze baby to ride, regardless, so…to the park for a short run.
I was thinking 30 minutes would be good and I’d hammer on the bike for over two hours tomorrow. I started off slowly, splashing along on the sloppy bridle trails. I was about 8 minutes into the run when I stopped to try and identify a bird call I’d been hearing. I couldn’t locate the little bugger and when I started up again, felt a twinge in the calf. I stopped immediately. Damn. Four days in a row was too many. How bad was it though?
I walked about a hundred yards and began to jog again. No pain. Still, I was going to be cautious. I knew I was walking on very thin ice at this point. I decided I’d be happy with 20 minutes of running – the minimum I’d set for myself for a day to count as an aerobic workout when I began the blog. I finished the 20 minutes gingerly and figured no running for a couple of days. This thing needed a little rest.
Later that night while walking around the house, I noticed that my Achilles tendon was sore. It’s another common overuse injury/pain I’ve suffered over the years, but one I’d totally forgotten about since I’ve been no where close to running overuse in ten years. The pain was just below the calf and not a good sign.
So…I’ve been talking about the body’s need for rest and how I’ve chosen to ignore it. I’ve been mixing things up in hopes that I’d avoid overuse injuries, but the recent constancy of running has taken its toll. Back to more mixing it up. I think I’ll get that kayak on the water and do some hiking with the pack while the inflammation goes down. Besides – it’s my birthday week coming up and that’s a good reason to go easy. That…and I need to be ready to pound a week from tomorrow.
Run duration: 20 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 340
It was another cool day and I was starting to feel like I could run every day…any day. It was a riding day, but the roads were wet and it was way too cold for this freeze baby to ride, regardless, so…to the park for a short run.
I was thinking 30 minutes would be good and I’d hammer on the bike for over two hours tomorrow. I started off slowly, splashing along on the sloppy bridle trails. I was about 8 minutes into the run when I stopped to try and identify a bird call I’d been hearing. I couldn’t locate the little bugger and when I started up again, felt a twinge in the calf. I stopped immediately. Damn. Four days in a row was too many. How bad was it though?
I walked about a hundred yards and began to jog again. No pain. Still, I was going to be cautious. I knew I was walking on very thin ice at this point. I decided I’d be happy with 20 minutes of running – the minimum I’d set for myself for a day to count as an aerobic workout when I began the blog. I finished the 20 minutes gingerly and figured no running for a couple of days. This thing needed a little rest.
Later that night while walking around the house, I noticed that my Achilles tendon was sore. It’s another common overuse injury/pain I’ve suffered over the years, but one I’d totally forgotten about since I’ve been no where close to running overuse in ten years. The pain was just below the calf and not a good sign.
So…I’ve been talking about the body’s need for rest and how I’ve chosen to ignore it. I’ve been mixing things up in hopes that I’d avoid overuse injuries, but the recent constancy of running has taken its toll. Back to more mixing it up. I think I’ll get that kayak on the water and do some hiking with the pack while the inflammation goes down. Besides – it’s my birthday week coming up and that’s a good reason to go easy. That…and I need to be ready to pound a week from tomorrow.
Run duration: 20 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 340
Friday, April 9, 2010
Cold and wet. Let's run.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Now this is a little more like it, I thought as I exited the car for my run. There was a mist falling and it was probably in the 40’s. Very Northeast Ohio April. Normally, I’d be crabbing to myself about such weather – who wants to run in this shit – but I know I’m a cool weather runner and figured after the crappy runs I’d had lately in the heat, this would be a good one.
I dressed like it was in the 80’s – not my best decision – and started the run. I must admit that I’m just assuming the calf will be fine now and figured on a 40-minute run. This was to be my 6th run in the last 7 days, which is what I used to do when I was a runner and lean. The trails were very muddy, but I splashed along feeling really comfortable in the cool air. I ran a relatively flat trail and passed through my ‘Survival workout’ area where I stopped to do my abdominal workout, which was pretty easy with less gut in the way.
I did some thinking while running. It's tax season and I've got some issues this year and have had difficulty figuring out the best approach. Running seems to help make sense of sticky issues. There are no distractions for me while running and I think I came to some good decisions.
I finished feeling pretty good and had definitely run faster than the previous two days. When I returned home, showered and pulled on a pair of pants I’ve been avoiding for a month, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had room to spare around the waist. You just don’t need that scale to tell you the story and mine continues to be good. I’m approaching a two-inch reduction in my waist and that belly fat was doing nothing good for me. I continue to have cravings for sweet things, but guzzled down a diet pop and that seemed to do the trick. I don’t want to treat myself more than once a week to real sugar.
Run duration: 41 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 700
Now this is a little more like it, I thought as I exited the car for my run. There was a mist falling and it was probably in the 40’s. Very Northeast Ohio April. Normally, I’d be crabbing to myself about such weather – who wants to run in this shit – but I know I’m a cool weather runner and figured after the crappy runs I’d had lately in the heat, this would be a good one.
I dressed like it was in the 80’s – not my best decision – and started the run. I must admit that I’m just assuming the calf will be fine now and figured on a 40-minute run. This was to be my 6th run in the last 7 days, which is what I used to do when I was a runner and lean. The trails were very muddy, but I splashed along feeling really comfortable in the cool air. I ran a relatively flat trail and passed through my ‘Survival workout’ area where I stopped to do my abdominal workout, which was pretty easy with less gut in the way.
I did some thinking while running. It's tax season and I've got some issues this year and have had difficulty figuring out the best approach. Running seems to help make sense of sticky issues. There are no distractions for me while running and I think I came to some good decisions.
I finished feeling pretty good and had definitely run faster than the previous two days. When I returned home, showered and pulled on a pair of pants I’ve been avoiding for a month, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had room to spare around the waist. You just don’t need that scale to tell you the story and mine continues to be good. I’m approaching a two-inch reduction in my waist and that belly fat was doing nothing good for me. I continue to have cravings for sweet things, but guzzled down a diet pop and that seemed to do the trick. I don’t want to treat myself more than once a week to real sugar.
Run duration: 41 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 700
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Who's obese?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
I went to Jack’s track meet last night and was thinking about childhood obesity. The Plain Dealer is doing an ongoing story about obesity in America, and with good reason. Anyone that reads my stuff or has the patience to listen to me knows I’m all about increasing activity levels and setting goals. Watching what you eat is part of the program, but second to activity. I passed a group of girls from a soccer club and a baseball game in progress on my way to the track and, including the track teams, didn’t see too many examples of the obesity issue – oh…except from the spectators and coaches.
Big surprise. People doing stuff were thin and people watching stuff were fat. The big question here is – do they represent the majority of high school kids and…what happens when they stop participating in team sports after high school? I know what happened to me. I gained twenty pounds in my first year of college. I ate the same, but I wasn’t on the track team. No mystery to that.
So I went to do my run. It was freaking hot again. Mid 80’s and humid. I had decided that I’d try the run without the camel back – I didn’t really like carrying it while running, but that I’d bring a stick of gum to chew if I got too dry. I had remembered having a similar problem when I ran my first race in 9th grade. I took second, gagging down the homestretch. There was this girl I really liked and I told her about it and she gave me a piece of Big Red gum to chew for my next race, which I won. When it was announced over the PA the next day in school, she came to me and excitedly took credit – “it was the gum!” I never ran a race without gum for the rest of the year. Thanks, Diana.
I was about twenty minutes into the run and having difficulties swallowing. I pulled out my Trident, popped it in my mouth and began to chew. It worked! I immediately had saliva going again and could swallow. I chewed away for the remainder of a 60-minute effort and had none of the discomfort previously experienced. Gum is the answer.
I’m now ten days away from the birthday triathlon and starting to worry. The ride the other night following a 30-minute run was only half what I’ll need to do a week from Saturday, which left me exhausted, and that didn’t include a 5.5 mile kayak first. I’m thinking I’ll do the run first thing in the morning, followed by the kayak – both at East Branch Reservoir and then home for the bike ride. My biggest concern is that ‘the Whiner’ will be fresher than me on the bike and I just can’t have that. Whose dumb idea was this, anyway?
Run duration: 64 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 1085
I went to Jack’s track meet last night and was thinking about childhood obesity. The Plain Dealer is doing an ongoing story about obesity in America, and with good reason. Anyone that reads my stuff or has the patience to listen to me knows I’m all about increasing activity levels and setting goals. Watching what you eat is part of the program, but second to activity. I passed a group of girls from a soccer club and a baseball game in progress on my way to the track and, including the track teams, didn’t see too many examples of the obesity issue – oh…except from the spectators and coaches.
Big surprise. People doing stuff were thin and people watching stuff were fat. The big question here is – do they represent the majority of high school kids and…what happens when they stop participating in team sports after high school? I know what happened to me. I gained twenty pounds in my first year of college. I ate the same, but I wasn’t on the track team. No mystery to that.
So I went to do my run. It was freaking hot again. Mid 80’s and humid. I had decided that I’d try the run without the camel back – I didn’t really like carrying it while running, but that I’d bring a stick of gum to chew if I got too dry. I had remembered having a similar problem when I ran my first race in 9th grade. I took second, gagging down the homestretch. There was this girl I really liked and I told her about it and she gave me a piece of Big Red gum to chew for my next race, which I won. When it was announced over the PA the next day in school, she came to me and excitedly took credit – “it was the gum!” I never ran a race without gum for the rest of the year. Thanks, Diana.
I was about twenty minutes into the run and having difficulties swallowing. I pulled out my Trident, popped it in my mouth and began to chew. It worked! I immediately had saliva going again and could swallow. I chewed away for the remainder of a 60-minute effort and had none of the discomfort previously experienced. Gum is the answer.
I’m now ten days away from the birthday triathlon and starting to worry. The ride the other night following a 30-minute run was only half what I’ll need to do a week from Saturday, which left me exhausted, and that didn’t include a 5.5 mile kayak first. I’m thinking I’ll do the run first thing in the morning, followed by the kayak – both at East Branch Reservoir and then home for the bike ride. My biggest concern is that ‘the Whiner’ will be fresher than me on the bike and I just can’t have that. Whose dumb idea was this, anyway?
Run duration: 64 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 1085
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Riding with 'The Whiner'
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
After my second gagging session during a recent run, I knew I would have to be doing something to stop this unpleasant experience. In the past, I’ve been able to incorporate water stops along the way, but there are none in the park at this point (fountains are turned off to prevent freezing pipes – after April’s 6th day above 80 degrees. I think they missed the memo about global warming). I’ve seen people running with water bottles on their hips or even carrying them, but neither of the solutions sounds like something I want to do. I had another plan, though.
I grabbed John’s camel back, which he had left with me from my last camping trip. Camel backs are water containers that look like a back pack and you wear in the same way. A sipping hose runs from the pack and is long enough to clip on the shoulder straps and in close proximity to your mouth allowing you to take drinks while hiking, riding or running without any inconvenience. This one holds two liters of water, but I put in about 8 ounces. I just wanted enough to keep my mouth wet and to see how uncomfortable it might be while running. I’ve used it hiking and it’s great for that.
John was coming over for a ride, so I was only looking for a 30-minute run to try out the camel. I strapped it on once arriving at the park and headed for the trails. Talk about noisy. The water was sloshing with every step, but the weight was unnoticeable. I guess after carrying a 60 pound pack, I shouldn’t have been too surprised. I took my first sip after 5 minutes and about every 5 minutes throughout the run. I had nothing close to a gagging incident and felt terrific for the whole run. This really was a perfect solution, though I wonder how warm the water would get on a hot day in the sun on a run of an hour or more. We’ll see.
John joined me for a ride shortly after my return from the run. He was whining before he turned off the car.
“Wow – it’s hot. And windy, too. Are you going to go easy on me?”
“Wah…wah…wah. Quit your whining or I might write about it in my blog,” I said.
“You’d write about it whether I did it or not – so I may as well.”
Good point. He whined that he only had one water bottle on such a hot day – I had two for the two holders on my bike. I suggested that in the future – like for our 55-mile ride next week – he have a second bottle for his.
We started with the wind at our backs and I reminded him of this factor so that he wouldn’t be surprised when it was in our face for the return trip.
“Don’t take me on any hills and for sure don’t take me any where near ‘The Lung’,” he admonished.
Now…unless you’re new to riding around this area…and he’s not…you would know that unless you go up to the school parking lot and ride in circles, you’re going to hit some hills. I elected not to point this out since that would only cause he to whine about it now AND when we actually climbed the hills.
We went through Willoughby Hills (named appropriately) and headed down a steep hill into Waite Hill, the adjoining, scenic burb. He knew where we were and began complaining again.
“Oh man…I hate that hill we have to ride up. Can’t we go another way?”
“John – the only way to avoid going up a hill…since we just came down one…is to stay here.”
“I’m okay with that,” he said.
We rode the hill. And three others before returning home. The wind was a beast over the last half and we both struggled in. He complained continuously…it’s his median. We ended up with an hour and a half of riding and coupled with the run, I was completely played. He’s not in bad shape and I’m sure he’ll be able to handle the 55 mile ride in ten days.
By the way, I figured I needed to treat myself for the double, so I had a large bowl of Breyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream with Natural Bean Specks later that night. I covered it in peanuts and chocolate sauce, too. I mean…what’s the point of all that exercise if you can’t have some rewards.
Run duration: 32 minutes. Bike duration: 96 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 120 biking.
Calories burned during workout: 550 running. 1,425 biking.
After my second gagging session during a recent run, I knew I would have to be doing something to stop this unpleasant experience. In the past, I’ve been able to incorporate water stops along the way, but there are none in the park at this point (fountains are turned off to prevent freezing pipes – after April’s 6th day above 80 degrees. I think they missed the memo about global warming). I’ve seen people running with water bottles on their hips or even carrying them, but neither of the solutions sounds like something I want to do. I had another plan, though.
I grabbed John’s camel back, which he had left with me from my last camping trip. Camel backs are water containers that look like a back pack and you wear in the same way. A sipping hose runs from the pack and is long enough to clip on the shoulder straps and in close proximity to your mouth allowing you to take drinks while hiking, riding or running without any inconvenience. This one holds two liters of water, but I put in about 8 ounces. I just wanted enough to keep my mouth wet and to see how uncomfortable it might be while running. I’ve used it hiking and it’s great for that.
John was coming over for a ride, so I was only looking for a 30-minute run to try out the camel. I strapped it on once arriving at the park and headed for the trails. Talk about noisy. The water was sloshing with every step, but the weight was unnoticeable. I guess after carrying a 60 pound pack, I shouldn’t have been too surprised. I took my first sip after 5 minutes and about every 5 minutes throughout the run. I had nothing close to a gagging incident and felt terrific for the whole run. This really was a perfect solution, though I wonder how warm the water would get on a hot day in the sun on a run of an hour or more. We’ll see.
John joined me for a ride shortly after my return from the run. He was whining before he turned off the car.
“Wow – it’s hot. And windy, too. Are you going to go easy on me?”
“Wah…wah…wah. Quit your whining or I might write about it in my blog,” I said.
“You’d write about it whether I did it or not – so I may as well.”
Good point. He whined that he only had one water bottle on such a hot day – I had two for the two holders on my bike. I suggested that in the future – like for our 55-mile ride next week – he have a second bottle for his.
We started with the wind at our backs and I reminded him of this factor so that he wouldn’t be surprised when it was in our face for the return trip.
“Don’t take me on any hills and for sure don’t take me any where near ‘The Lung’,” he admonished.
Now…unless you’re new to riding around this area…and he’s not…you would know that unless you go up to the school parking lot and ride in circles, you’re going to hit some hills. I elected not to point this out since that would only cause he to whine about it now AND when we actually climbed the hills.
We went through Willoughby Hills (named appropriately) and headed down a steep hill into Waite Hill, the adjoining, scenic burb. He knew where we were and began complaining again.
“Oh man…I hate that hill we have to ride up. Can’t we go another way?”
“John – the only way to avoid going up a hill…since we just came down one…is to stay here.”
“I’m okay with that,” he said.
We rode the hill. And three others before returning home. The wind was a beast over the last half and we both struggled in. He complained continuously…it’s his median. We ended up with an hour and a half of riding and coupled with the run, I was completely played. He’s not in bad shape and I’m sure he’ll be able to handle the 55 mile ride in ten days.
By the way, I figured I needed to treat myself for the double, so I had a large bowl of Breyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream with Natural Bean Specks later that night. I covered it in peanuts and chocolate sauce, too. I mean…what’s the point of all that exercise if you can’t have some rewards.
Run duration: 32 minutes. Bike duration: 96 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 120 biking.
Calories burned during workout: 550 running. 1,425 biking.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Great Two-hour Bike Ride
Monday, April 5, 2010
“So…Dan…you see me in the Plain Dealer Sunday morning?” I had called Dan, my mechanic, to tell him I wanted to drop the jeep off for some work.
“Don’t read the paper,” he replied. “Why were you in it?”
“My blog stuff. Remember when I was out here about two months ago and you were giving me all that crap about riding in the cold?”
“Vaguely. What’s a blog?”
“Let me guess…you don’t have a computer…do you?”
He had one, but no internet. Dan’s a bit of a throwback. I’d met him when I was the Fitness Director for the Back Wall and he was a member training for his first triathlon. I’d done the Iron Man and, for him, that was credibility enough to seek my advice. He was an auto mechanic and damned good at it. We used to ride on the weekends together, but he always felt like he was holding me back. I couldn’t convince him that I liked going with people just to help them along – I wasn’t always looking to push it. On one particular ride, I had a shocking discovery when he punctured a tire…
“How do you get this chain back on the sprocket?” he asked, struggling.
“Haven’t you done this a hundred time?” I asked…shocked to see the ace mechanic struggle with anything.
“Never done it. Take it to the bike mechanic.”
“You what? You – the best mechanic in the frigging world – and you don’t fix your own bike?”
“John – if there’s no motor attached – I don’t bother with it.”
And he was serious. Anyway, I was at his house in Chardon again with the same Jeep I’d left in February. Thankfully, there was no snow this day and I was in much better shape. The ride home was only about 15 miles and I knew I wanted a longer ride. I headed east and south – away from home. I love riding out that way. There are so many roads with moderate to light vehicle traffic. It’s quite surprising what a short distance you need to travel from a major metropolitan area to find yourself in a very rural community. There are even working farms.
I took a pretty leisurely ride. I was just doing it for the calorie burn, transportation, and the sheer joy of riding. Besides, John was planning on meeting me tomorrow for a ride and I didn’t want my legs to be too tired to push him to the limit. He needs a couple of more rides before the 55-mile birthday jaunt and he needs that push from me. Goals do work. My birthday goal is forcing him to do the training necessary to accompany me. I know for a fact that he would not be riding so much right now if I hadn’t goaded him into coming with me.
To lengthen the ride, I dropped down to Chagrin River Road for about 10 miles. For you cyclists out there – stay away. This used to be (and still is for many) the place to ride. But the road is in terrible shape all through Hunting Valley – not that they want us riding down there anyway. I’m sticking to County Line Road...
It turned out to be a solid 2-hour ride. Be careful, Johnny, I’m coming for you…
Bike duration: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 125
Calories burned during workout: 1,800
“So…Dan…you see me in the Plain Dealer Sunday morning?” I had called Dan, my mechanic, to tell him I wanted to drop the jeep off for some work.
“Don’t read the paper,” he replied. “Why were you in it?”
“My blog stuff. Remember when I was out here about two months ago and you were giving me all that crap about riding in the cold?”
“Vaguely. What’s a blog?”
“Let me guess…you don’t have a computer…do you?”
He had one, but no internet. Dan’s a bit of a throwback. I’d met him when I was the Fitness Director for the Back Wall and he was a member training for his first triathlon. I’d done the Iron Man and, for him, that was credibility enough to seek my advice. He was an auto mechanic and damned good at it. We used to ride on the weekends together, but he always felt like he was holding me back. I couldn’t convince him that I liked going with people just to help them along – I wasn’t always looking to push it. On one particular ride, I had a shocking discovery when he punctured a tire…
“How do you get this chain back on the sprocket?” he asked, struggling.
“Haven’t you done this a hundred time?” I asked…shocked to see the ace mechanic struggle with anything.
“Never done it. Take it to the bike mechanic.”
“You what? You – the best mechanic in the frigging world – and you don’t fix your own bike?”
“John – if there’s no motor attached – I don’t bother with it.”
And he was serious. Anyway, I was at his house in Chardon again with the same Jeep I’d left in February. Thankfully, there was no snow this day and I was in much better shape. The ride home was only about 15 miles and I knew I wanted a longer ride. I headed east and south – away from home. I love riding out that way. There are so many roads with moderate to light vehicle traffic. It’s quite surprising what a short distance you need to travel from a major metropolitan area to find yourself in a very rural community. There are even working farms.
I took a pretty leisurely ride. I was just doing it for the calorie burn, transportation, and the sheer joy of riding. Besides, John was planning on meeting me tomorrow for a ride and I didn’t want my legs to be too tired to push him to the limit. He needs a couple of more rides before the 55-mile birthday jaunt and he needs that push from me. Goals do work. My birthday goal is forcing him to do the training necessary to accompany me. I know for a fact that he would not be riding so much right now if I hadn’t goaded him into coming with me.
To lengthen the ride, I dropped down to Chagrin River Road for about 10 miles. For you cyclists out there – stay away. This used to be (and still is for many) the place to ride. But the road is in terrible shape all through Hunting Valley – not that they want us riding down there anyway. I’m sticking to County Line Road...
It turned out to be a solid 2-hour ride. Be careful, Johnny, I’m coming for you…
Bike duration: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 125
Calories burned during workout: 1,800
Monday, April 5, 2010
Turning back the clock 20 years...
Sunday, April 6, 2010
Take out the s…e…r from Easter and what have you got? That’s right…EAT.
And that is what I would have normally done all day…but not this time. Holly was preparing chicken and flat dumplings, a traditional family, ethnic dish that everyone in the family loves, but which has more fat calories than China has rice. Followed, of course, by some wicked dessert. Oh…and for appetizers…home-made peanut clusters.
Not so long ago, I’d have eaten until my belt needed loosening. Sweat pants would be a better choice…but I don’t own any. I just don’t feel like doing that anymore. I try to eat slower and I can actually say ‘no’ to the peanut clusters. Nothing succeeds like success and I love the way my pants have become way too loose and the weight is beginning to melt away. Exercise is getting easier and I feel like I have more energy. The ‘more you do…the more you can do’ may not make sense, but it’s true.
I was also reveling in the Plain Dealer’s notice to the world that ‘John Rolf, a 54-year old Highland Heights man is trying to turn back the clock 20 years’. I’ve already had two old friends comment on the blog I’ve started for them, which can be seen at www.cleveland.com/fighting-fat. You should see my link to the right with a fantastic head shot of me. Holly took the picture so I didn’t notice the sun’s reflection off of my forehead. I surprised it didn’t blind her and completely wash out the picture.
About that ‘turn back the clock 20 years thing’. I have to admit that I’ve become more and more optimistic over the last two weeks. I suppose it’s the increased ability to run that has me feeling this way, but I’m gaining confidence. I’ve never felt so committed and again, I know a big part is writing this blog. There are too many people who know that I feel I would disappoint if I faltered. I won’t.
The family had gathered at our place for the holiday. I had dwindling hopes of a long bike ride as the day progressed and began to wonder what else I could do. I’d run the last two days, so that was out. I was considering a longer hike with the pack in the woods or hitting the bleachers at the high school with the same pack strapped to my back. Neither choice was very appealing, but I HAD to do something before total darkness set in.
Why not a run? Maybe a short one – no more than 30 minutes? I had been telling myself that the day was coming to do a third day in a row and I’d felt so healthy on yesterday’s run…so…
I suited up and headed for the park. Darkness was falling quickly and the temperature was refreshingly cool. I began the run with some residual dumplings bouncing around somewhere in the digestional sewer lines, but the legs felt good. I chose a course with no hills – one of my ‘quick’ loops – and by the end of the run I had dropped my time to around an 8-minute mile pace and was feeling too good.
I could have gone further easily, but was back at the car in just over 31 minutes and decided against pushing my luck. No pain after three in a row. Hot damn. I was actually thinking over the last part of the run about entering a road race again. I hadn’t had a serious thought about that in a long, long time. Good things happen when you push yourself physically and I’m going to keep pushing.
Run duration: 31 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 525
Take out the s…e…r from Easter and what have you got? That’s right…EAT.
And that is what I would have normally done all day…but not this time. Holly was preparing chicken and flat dumplings, a traditional family, ethnic dish that everyone in the family loves, but which has more fat calories than China has rice. Followed, of course, by some wicked dessert. Oh…and for appetizers…home-made peanut clusters.
Not so long ago, I’d have eaten until my belt needed loosening. Sweat pants would be a better choice…but I don’t own any. I just don’t feel like doing that anymore. I try to eat slower and I can actually say ‘no’ to the peanut clusters. Nothing succeeds like success and I love the way my pants have become way too loose and the weight is beginning to melt away. Exercise is getting easier and I feel like I have more energy. The ‘more you do…the more you can do’ may not make sense, but it’s true.
I was also reveling in the Plain Dealer’s notice to the world that ‘John Rolf, a 54-year old Highland Heights man is trying to turn back the clock 20 years’. I’ve already had two old friends comment on the blog I’ve started for them, which can be seen at www.cleveland.com/fighting-fat. You should see my link to the right with a fantastic head shot of me. Holly took the picture so I didn’t notice the sun’s reflection off of my forehead. I surprised it didn’t blind her and completely wash out the picture.
About that ‘turn back the clock 20 years thing’. I have to admit that I’ve become more and more optimistic over the last two weeks. I suppose it’s the increased ability to run that has me feeling this way, but I’m gaining confidence. I’ve never felt so committed and again, I know a big part is writing this blog. There are too many people who know that I feel I would disappoint if I faltered. I won’t.
The family had gathered at our place for the holiday. I had dwindling hopes of a long bike ride as the day progressed and began to wonder what else I could do. I’d run the last two days, so that was out. I was considering a longer hike with the pack in the woods or hitting the bleachers at the high school with the same pack strapped to my back. Neither choice was very appealing, but I HAD to do something before total darkness set in.
Why not a run? Maybe a short one – no more than 30 minutes? I had been telling myself that the day was coming to do a third day in a row and I’d felt so healthy on yesterday’s run…so…
I suited up and headed for the park. Darkness was falling quickly and the temperature was refreshingly cool. I began the run with some residual dumplings bouncing around somewhere in the digestional sewer lines, but the legs felt good. I chose a course with no hills – one of my ‘quick’ loops – and by the end of the run I had dropped my time to around an 8-minute mile pace and was feeling too good.
I could have gone further easily, but was back at the car in just over 31 minutes and decided against pushing my luck. No pain after three in a row. Hot damn. I was actually thinking over the last part of the run about entering a road race again. I hadn’t had a serious thought about that in a long, long time. Good things happen when you push yourself physically and I’m going to keep pushing.
Run duration: 31 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 525
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Cyclists behaving badly
Saturday, April 3, 2010
“Hey…you’re giving cyclist a bad name,” I called from my car window to the rider blocking the road in front of me.
He’d been riding side by side with another cyclist through the park and effectively blocking cars and forcing them to drive over the center line to get around them. They’d been cruising about 10 mph on a road zoned for 30. And they were pissing me off.
I’ve been cycling the roads for over forty years and 100,000 miles. I know what I’m doing and feel qualified to school others. I’ve had every kind of experience – good and bad – you can have with vehicles. Mostly the fault of the vehicles, but I’ve been a butt head in a couple of cases. Anyway…these two were in the wrong. We were stopped at a light and I pulled along the cyclist.
“You’re giving us a bad name riding that way. Drivers get pissed when you won’t let them pass,” I said.
“Yeah? We’re in the park…they can wait,” he said, his voice rising in anger.
“Look…I’m a cyclist, too. You’re wrong to ride that way.”
“To hell with you…I’ll do what I want,” he said as he rode away.
To hell with me? He’s pissing off drivers. Drivers with a couple of tons of metal around them and too much horsepower. Except they won’t hit him. Nope. They’ll brush me off the road because they start to think all cyclist are arrogant assholes when only a few…like this knucklehead…actually are. And don’t tell my about the rights of cyclists to the roads. I know what they are and I know the difference between asserting those rights and getting run off the road by angry motorists. Sometimes…you just have to be smart.
I’d have probably been more angry if I hadn’t just had my longest run of the comeback. Yesterday was supposed to have been an one hour run, but I had felt so lousy in the heat, that I’d quit early. I came back today to remedy that.
It went well for the first 25 minutes, but then I began to feel the cumulative effects of yesterday’s run. I plodded on anyway. At the 50-minute mark, I elected to sit on a log overlooking a steep ravine. Overhead, I spotted an eagle and though I only caught glimpses of it, was very happy I’d stopped. After five minutes, I felt refreshed enough to complete the run. It went slowly, but when I returned to the car, 71 minutes had elapsed since my first step. And still no pain in the calf!
I returned home and decided I needed to check the weight. Tomorrow was Easter and I’d be eating chicken and flat dumplings…in other words…3,000 calories of pure…saturated to the gills…deliciously high in cholesterol…fat. I was thinking what I’d be doing is putting some time in on the bike later to precompensate.
And then that lovely, little scale blinked my new weight… “192”.
Holy mackinoly. I was down 14 pounds from my initial weight in mid-February and four over the last ten days – while I'd been able to increase my running. Let me tell you…I…was…happy!!!
I still thought I’d play it safe for tomorrow, but it looked like a possible thunderstorm and so I elected instead to head for the Metropark and a hike with Dakota. We only made it about 25 minutes before the rains and high winds chased us to the car. Maybe tomorrow I’d try three days in a row of running…
Run duration: 71 minutes. Hike duration: 25 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 80 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 1200 running. 200 hiking.
“Hey…you’re giving cyclist a bad name,” I called from my car window to the rider blocking the road in front of me.
He’d been riding side by side with another cyclist through the park and effectively blocking cars and forcing them to drive over the center line to get around them. They’d been cruising about 10 mph on a road zoned for 30. And they were pissing me off.
I’ve been cycling the roads for over forty years and 100,000 miles. I know what I’m doing and feel qualified to school others. I’ve had every kind of experience – good and bad – you can have with vehicles. Mostly the fault of the vehicles, but I’ve been a butt head in a couple of cases. Anyway…these two were in the wrong. We were stopped at a light and I pulled along the cyclist.
“You’re giving us a bad name riding that way. Drivers get pissed when you won’t let them pass,” I said.
“Yeah? We’re in the park…they can wait,” he said, his voice rising in anger.
“Look…I’m a cyclist, too. You’re wrong to ride that way.”
“To hell with you…I’ll do what I want,” he said as he rode away.
To hell with me? He’s pissing off drivers. Drivers with a couple of tons of metal around them and too much horsepower. Except they won’t hit him. Nope. They’ll brush me off the road because they start to think all cyclist are arrogant assholes when only a few…like this knucklehead…actually are. And don’t tell my about the rights of cyclists to the roads. I know what they are and I know the difference between asserting those rights and getting run off the road by angry motorists. Sometimes…you just have to be smart.
I’d have probably been more angry if I hadn’t just had my longest run of the comeback. Yesterday was supposed to have been an one hour run, but I had felt so lousy in the heat, that I’d quit early. I came back today to remedy that.
It went well for the first 25 minutes, but then I began to feel the cumulative effects of yesterday’s run. I plodded on anyway. At the 50-minute mark, I elected to sit on a log overlooking a steep ravine. Overhead, I spotted an eagle and though I only caught glimpses of it, was very happy I’d stopped. After five minutes, I felt refreshed enough to complete the run. It went slowly, but when I returned to the car, 71 minutes had elapsed since my first step. And still no pain in the calf!
I returned home and decided I needed to check the weight. Tomorrow was Easter and I’d be eating chicken and flat dumplings…in other words…3,000 calories of pure…saturated to the gills…deliciously high in cholesterol…fat. I was thinking what I’d be doing is putting some time in on the bike later to precompensate.
And then that lovely, little scale blinked my new weight… “192”.
Holy mackinoly. I was down 14 pounds from my initial weight in mid-February and four over the last ten days – while I'd been able to increase my running. Let me tell you…I…was…happy!!!
I still thought I’d play it safe for tomorrow, but it looked like a possible thunderstorm and so I elected instead to head for the Metropark and a hike with Dakota. We only made it about 25 minutes before the rains and high winds chased us to the car. Maybe tomorrow I’d try three days in a row of running…
Run duration: 71 minutes. Hike duration: 25 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 80 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 1200 running. 200 hiking.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Damn...it's hot
Friday, April 02, 2010
It was over 80 degrees when I climbed from my car and slipped into my running gear. It takes most regular exercisers a week to ten days to adjust to heat when temperatures start to get consistently above 80. The first day for me is…well…hell.
The most important job the body performs during exercise in the heat is keeping itself cool. You probably run around 99 degrees normally, but once you start exercising in the heat, you’re body is generating its own heat and, without the whole sweat thing going on, your body temperature would quickly get above 105 degrees, which would cook your brain and you’d die. End of blog.
Fortunately, we’ve got some things built in to keep that from happening. To keep you cool, the blood, which is warming up after passing through the exercising muscles, moves closer to the skin where it has some chance of cooling off. Now…it should be in your legs bringing oxygen there so you can run more efficiently, but no…the body has this thing about not wanting to cook your brain so that’s where it goes. For me, this means running A LOT slower.
My cooling system is somewhat dysfunctional. I’ve suffered from heat related injuries in training and racing over the years and it sucks. I have to build into the heat season slowly and wisely. I tend to do neither well.
So…again…it’s 80 and I’m running. Nothing good can come of this. And nothing does. I put in my first 20 minutes at a slog (slow jog) and I’m having troubles swallowing. You gotta love cotton mouth. Anyway, I’m thinking about the places in the park where they have drinking fountains, but realize it’s only the beginning of April and they probably don’t have them on. Let’s be real…it will probably snow before the end of the week. It is Cleveland, after all.
So I’m coming up to this pristine mountain stream and thinking ‘just wet your lips – it will keep you from gagging like a dog’. I don’t recommend this approach…but my stomach has been conditioned from drinking unpurified water from streams all over the back country while camping for and I’ve built some kind of immunity to those cute, little parasites called giardia lamblia – beaver fever…another day.
Well…I did a little more than wet my lips…but not much. It did keep me from gagging, though. A few minutes further down the trail I saw Jimmy – another runner I coached in high school – coming towards me.
“Hey John – you want to run with me?”
“No thanks. I’d rather puke and die without anyone watching,” I said – no – I just thought it. “Yeah, but I’m moving pretty slow. The heat is really getting to me,” I said.
And slow we went. I was shooting for an hour of running, but by the time we hit 35 minutes, I was toast. My skin was getting tingly and red, I was breathing like I’d run a 4-minute mile and Jimmy was jabbering away nonsensically as he is prone to do. I looked for a rock to batter him, but decided to sit on it, instead.
“You don’t look so good,” he said.
“I don’t feel so good, either.”
So we walked and talked for 10 minutes. I hated finishing like this and suggested we run the last mile. Just before making it to the car, I started dry-heaving…and how I love that! It’s just what I have to do to acclimatize to the heat. There will be a couple more ugly runs and then I’ll start to feel better. Sometimes it takes longer in the Spring…what with a week in the 70’s followed by one in the 40’s. I just have to take it slow, drink large quantities of water when I return and the rest of the day, run in the shade and later in the day and wear lighter and less clothes.
The more out of shape you are, the tougher it is to acclimatize, too. It’s nothing to play around with. Heat and humidity do kill…and every year in this country it happens when it shouldn’t. Road races, summer football, hiking in the mountains and lots of places. Sweating buckets is not the same as losing weight. Be careful. Weigh in before you start and after you finish. The difference is water and should be replaced before the next workout. Trust me on this…I’ve been there.
Almost forgot. Squeezed in a late night walk to East Coast Custard and back, which is about 2.5 miles round trip. Yeah…and I got something there that went…oh…about 500 calories. I figured if I ate it on the walk home then turned around and walked back to the store to throw away the container, I’d burn off all I’d eaten. Would have worked, too, but I ate it there and threw away the container before going home. Good plan. Poor execution.
Run duration: 41 minutes. Walk duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 65 walking.
Calories burned during workout: 700 running. 240 walking.
It was over 80 degrees when I climbed from my car and slipped into my running gear. It takes most regular exercisers a week to ten days to adjust to heat when temperatures start to get consistently above 80. The first day for me is…well…hell.
The most important job the body performs during exercise in the heat is keeping itself cool. You probably run around 99 degrees normally, but once you start exercising in the heat, you’re body is generating its own heat and, without the whole sweat thing going on, your body temperature would quickly get above 105 degrees, which would cook your brain and you’d die. End of blog.
Fortunately, we’ve got some things built in to keep that from happening. To keep you cool, the blood, which is warming up after passing through the exercising muscles, moves closer to the skin where it has some chance of cooling off. Now…it should be in your legs bringing oxygen there so you can run more efficiently, but no…the body has this thing about not wanting to cook your brain so that’s where it goes. For me, this means running A LOT slower.
My cooling system is somewhat dysfunctional. I’ve suffered from heat related injuries in training and racing over the years and it sucks. I have to build into the heat season slowly and wisely. I tend to do neither well.
So…again…it’s 80 and I’m running. Nothing good can come of this. And nothing does. I put in my first 20 minutes at a slog (slow jog) and I’m having troubles swallowing. You gotta love cotton mouth. Anyway, I’m thinking about the places in the park where they have drinking fountains, but realize it’s only the beginning of April and they probably don’t have them on. Let’s be real…it will probably snow before the end of the week. It is Cleveland, after all.
So I’m coming up to this pristine mountain stream and thinking ‘just wet your lips – it will keep you from gagging like a dog’. I don’t recommend this approach…but my stomach has been conditioned from drinking unpurified water from streams all over the back country while camping for and I’ve built some kind of immunity to those cute, little parasites called giardia lamblia – beaver fever…another day.
Well…I did a little more than wet my lips…but not much. It did keep me from gagging, though. A few minutes further down the trail I saw Jimmy – another runner I coached in high school – coming towards me.
“Hey John – you want to run with me?”
“No thanks. I’d rather puke and die without anyone watching,” I said – no – I just thought it. “Yeah, but I’m moving pretty slow. The heat is really getting to me,” I said.
And slow we went. I was shooting for an hour of running, but by the time we hit 35 minutes, I was toast. My skin was getting tingly and red, I was breathing like I’d run a 4-minute mile and Jimmy was jabbering away nonsensically as he is prone to do. I looked for a rock to batter him, but decided to sit on it, instead.
“You don’t look so good,” he said.
“I don’t feel so good, either.”
So we walked and talked for 10 minutes. I hated finishing like this and suggested we run the last mile. Just before making it to the car, I started dry-heaving…and how I love that! It’s just what I have to do to acclimatize to the heat. There will be a couple more ugly runs and then I’ll start to feel better. Sometimes it takes longer in the Spring…what with a week in the 70’s followed by one in the 40’s. I just have to take it slow, drink large quantities of water when I return and the rest of the day, run in the shade and later in the day and wear lighter and less clothes.
The more out of shape you are, the tougher it is to acclimatize, too. It’s nothing to play around with. Heat and humidity do kill…and every year in this country it happens when it shouldn’t. Road races, summer football, hiking in the mountains and lots of places. Sweating buckets is not the same as losing weight. Be careful. Weigh in before you start and after you finish. The difference is water and should be replaced before the next workout. Trust me on this…I’ve been there.
Almost forgot. Squeezed in a late night walk to East Coast Custard and back, which is about 2.5 miles round trip. Yeah…and I got something there that went…oh…about 500 calories. I figured if I ate it on the walk home then turned around and walked back to the store to throw away the container, I’d burn off all I’d eaten. Would have worked, too, but I ate it there and threw away the container before going home. Good plan. Poor execution.
Run duration: 41 minutes. Walk duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 65 walking.
Calories burned during workout: 700 running. 240 walking.
The Plain Dealer "needs" me on that wall...
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Remember all that stuff I had to say about the Plain Dealer stealing my idea for blogging about weight loss?
Remember how I said they’d written to me and wanted me blogging and writing for them in the worst way because I was so talented AND good looking?
Yeah…and remember how you all thought I was full of…
Well…check out blog.cleveland.com/fighting-fat-john.
Am I right or am I right? Yeah…I’m right. I spoke with Denise – she’s editor-in-chief of something or other with the Plain Dealer and she was really nice to me. Obviously, she hadn’t been reading my blog. Anyway, she says that “you have an interesting story to tell. That’s why we chose you from the 2 million people who offered to blog with us.”
You heard right. They only picked ten people from over 2 million!
Or was it twenty. No…I remember now…I was first alternate if any of the ten that had responded couldn’t do it and it turns out one of the guys didn’t know what a sentence was, so they gave his spot to me. I know what a sentence is…though I’m struggling with the ‘conclusion’ thing.
Oh yeah. Workout. It was a riding day, which was fine since it was in the 70’s and sunny. I started in the Metropark, but headed for the roads. There was a very strong wind blowing from the south and I was headed uphill and into it for most of the first half of the ride. I knew that meant I would be flying back…and I did, returning 10 minutes faster than I rode out.
My thighs were extremely tired and I resigned myself to a fun ride. I never used to be able to do this – always concerned with how fast I was covering the distance and trying to push…push…push. I just don’t like that anymore and so I ride trying to enjoy the scenery, burn the calories, and not kill myself. I noticed a cyclist a couple of hundred yards ahead of me, which in the past would have meant passing him as if I were riding in the Tour de France. No more. I allowed him to stay ahead and he eventually turned off.
I finished quite exhausted and very thirsty. I’d probably dropped 5 pounds of sweat during the ride – something I would need to put back before night was over. I tend to dehydrate and cramp quite easily with my heavy sweat loss – something I’ll get in to shortly since tomorrow is scheduled for the 80’s and a run.
Later that night, I attended my son Jack’s first track meet and witnessed the way I used to run and you’re supposed to look. He ran the 800, striding effortlessly over the first 500 meters and struggling with the last 300. He hadn’t run over the winter and built the essential base necessary to middle-distance racing, but finished in 2:20, which is quite respectable for a first race freshman. He’ll be running 2:08 before the season ends if he pushes himself. I’ve coached high school runners for 22 years and I know talent. He’s got it.
It’s Easter weekend and, among other things, that means some unnecessary calories. I’ll deal with that on a couple of long rides and runs.
Bike duration: 95 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120
Calories burned during workout: 1425
Remember all that stuff I had to say about the Plain Dealer stealing my idea for blogging about weight loss?
Remember how I said they’d written to me and wanted me blogging and writing for them in the worst way because I was so talented AND good looking?
Yeah…and remember how you all thought I was full of…
Well…check out blog.cleveland.com/fighting-fat-john.
Am I right or am I right? Yeah…I’m right. I spoke with Denise – she’s editor-in-chief of something or other with the Plain Dealer and she was really nice to me. Obviously, she hadn’t been reading my blog. Anyway, she says that “you have an interesting story to tell. That’s why we chose you from the 2 million people who offered to blog with us.”
You heard right. They only picked ten people from over 2 million!
Or was it twenty. No…I remember now…I was first alternate if any of the ten that had responded couldn’t do it and it turns out one of the guys didn’t know what a sentence was, so they gave his spot to me. I know what a sentence is…though I’m struggling with the ‘conclusion’ thing.
Oh yeah. Workout. It was a riding day, which was fine since it was in the 70’s and sunny. I started in the Metropark, but headed for the roads. There was a very strong wind blowing from the south and I was headed uphill and into it for most of the first half of the ride. I knew that meant I would be flying back…and I did, returning 10 minutes faster than I rode out.
My thighs were extremely tired and I resigned myself to a fun ride. I never used to be able to do this – always concerned with how fast I was covering the distance and trying to push…push…push. I just don’t like that anymore and so I ride trying to enjoy the scenery, burn the calories, and not kill myself. I noticed a cyclist a couple of hundred yards ahead of me, which in the past would have meant passing him as if I were riding in the Tour de France. No more. I allowed him to stay ahead and he eventually turned off.
I finished quite exhausted and very thirsty. I’d probably dropped 5 pounds of sweat during the ride – something I would need to put back before night was over. I tend to dehydrate and cramp quite easily with my heavy sweat loss – something I’ll get in to shortly since tomorrow is scheduled for the 80’s and a run.
Later that night, I attended my son Jack’s first track meet and witnessed the way I used to run and you’re supposed to look. He ran the 800, striding effortlessly over the first 500 meters and struggling with the last 300. He hadn’t run over the winter and built the essential base necessary to middle-distance racing, but finished in 2:20, which is quite respectable for a first race freshman. He’ll be running 2:08 before the season ends if he pushes himself. I’ve coached high school runners for 22 years and I know talent. He’s got it.
It’s Easter weekend and, among other things, that means some unnecessary calories. I’ll deal with that on a couple of long rides and runs.
Bike duration: 95 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120
Calories burned during workout: 1425
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Tortoise and the Hare
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It was time for another gut check. I mean I know I’ve lost inches since I’ve got my belt to the last hole and frankly, that’s enough information. Still, I decided to hop on the scale and was pleasantly surprised to see that I am officially down 10 pounds since starting.
The weight loss has been slow…which is truly the only good way to do it. I’ve made changes in my lifestyle – both activities and eating patterns – with which I can live. This is reflected in a slow, steady change in body composition, which is all any of us should want. It means I’m losing fat and probably gaining some muscle. I’d need a body fat assessment to know the exact number, but the clothes fitting differently tells the real tale. I’ve likely lost about 12 pounds of fat and gained a couple of pounds of muscle.
So…yes…I’m the tortoise. The hare may sprint ahead with tremendous weight losses, but the likelihood is that in a year, the hare will have regained some or all of their weight and I’ll still be losing or maintaining. You MUST make changes with which you can live for a lifetime. All others are a waste of time and effort and sometimes harmful to your health.
On to the workout. I was thinking of riding and it was a beautiful day – sunny and in the 60’s, but I got to thinking that maybe my new pattern should be two running days with one day off. If I didn’t tackle this gorilla, I would never know if the calf was truly better. Nervously, I pulled on my running gear and headed for the trails.
I wasn’t into the run two minutes when I felt sudden tightness in the calf. I stopped running immediately, offered up a couple of expletives, and walked about fifty yards before breaking into a slow trot. It seemed okay and I picked up speed (a relative term – I was moving slow). The rest of the run was uneventful…other than running into Jimmy again. We talked and agreed that we needed to meet tomorrow for Jack’s first track meet. We both have visions of Jack running for Oregon as the next great Steve Prefontaine. Okay…maybe only I do, but we’ll go and encourage him.
I finished the 42-minute run very encouraged. I have noticed that many parts of the body below the waist are sore all the time. This is not a new feeling – I used to go through this in my triathloning days. I was always doing a workout and never letting the body totally recover. Soreness becomes your constant companion. It’s balanced soreness right now – it’s everywhere – and that’s okay with me. I’ll be smart and stop for a rest if it localizes…that’s the plan, anyway.
Run duration: 42 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 715
It was time for another gut check. I mean I know I’ve lost inches since I’ve got my belt to the last hole and frankly, that’s enough information. Still, I decided to hop on the scale and was pleasantly surprised to see that I am officially down 10 pounds since starting.
The weight loss has been slow…which is truly the only good way to do it. I’ve made changes in my lifestyle – both activities and eating patterns – with which I can live. This is reflected in a slow, steady change in body composition, which is all any of us should want. It means I’m losing fat and probably gaining some muscle. I’d need a body fat assessment to know the exact number, but the clothes fitting differently tells the real tale. I’ve likely lost about 12 pounds of fat and gained a couple of pounds of muscle.
So…yes…I’m the tortoise. The hare may sprint ahead with tremendous weight losses, but the likelihood is that in a year, the hare will have regained some or all of their weight and I’ll still be losing or maintaining. You MUST make changes with which you can live for a lifetime. All others are a waste of time and effort and sometimes harmful to your health.
On to the workout. I was thinking of riding and it was a beautiful day – sunny and in the 60’s, but I got to thinking that maybe my new pattern should be two running days with one day off. If I didn’t tackle this gorilla, I would never know if the calf was truly better. Nervously, I pulled on my running gear and headed for the trails.
I wasn’t into the run two minutes when I felt sudden tightness in the calf. I stopped running immediately, offered up a couple of expletives, and walked about fifty yards before breaking into a slow trot. It seemed okay and I picked up speed (a relative term – I was moving slow). The rest of the run was uneventful…other than running into Jimmy again. We talked and agreed that we needed to meet tomorrow for Jack’s first track meet. We both have visions of Jack running for Oregon as the next great Steve Prefontaine. Okay…maybe only I do, but we’ll go and encourage him.
I finished the 42-minute run very encouraged. I have noticed that many parts of the body below the waist are sore all the time. This is not a new feeling – I used to go through this in my triathloning days. I was always doing a workout and never letting the body totally recover. Soreness becomes your constant companion. It’s balanced soreness right now – it’s everywhere – and that’s okay with me. I’ll be smart and stop for a rest if it localizes…that’s the plan, anyway.
Run duration: 42 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 715
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