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.