Friday, May 27, 2011
I spent the day working, but Marie’s races were never far from my mind. I don’t know why it was stressing me out so much even if it had been my recommendation to run the mile, but it was. This was her last season…the end of her high school career and my time coaching her…and I wanted a great ending. There was nothing I could do at this point though…the hay was in the barn or it wasn’t. I knew it was…the trick was getting her to believe it.
I stopped in Twinsburg to meet up with John so he could go to the meet, as well. Though he didn’t know Marie well, he did know Kim from our camping trip to the Adirondacks…and that was reason enough. I told him being late was not an option, which is not something you should say to John when he’s driving. He did well though, and we made it with time to spare and no tickets.
Marie found me about 30 minutes before the race. It was clear that our conversation the night before had had the desired effect. She was confident and ready to win the 1600. We talked a little more about race strategy…holding back and being comfortable not leading and then outkicking the field to the tape. When the gun finally went off to start the race, I began to relax. I was watching on the backstretch – 250 meters from the finish line and the place I always stand. She came by running shoulder to shoulder with three other girls in the front of the pack. I could tell she was holding herself in check, but she is so fast that, even holding back, she was at the front. She went through the first quarter in 75 seconds…a perfect time and 5 seconds slower than she had run the week before when she had not felt strong in the later stages of the race. She continued to run about three yards behind the lead runner for laps two and three and there was little question that she would be finishing in the top four spots and qualifying to the state meet. As she passed me for the final time on the last lap, she accelerated past the lead runner to take the lead. That runner…not worried about running in the 800 in 30 minutes…responded and retook the lead in the homestretch. Marie stayed with her for a few strides, but knowing she had a lock on the state meet, elected to back off and try to save something for the 800. She finished second in a personal best 5:02, setting the school record in the process.
I pounded Kim’s back, who was standing next to me and jumping up and down screaming Marie’s name. After she calmed down, I asked her when she knew Marie was going to qualify. “When the gun went off,” she stated confidently. I knew what she meant. We’d been worried, but we knew how good Marie was and how hard she’d worked over the last year. It had to end this way. I saw Marie 15 minutes after the race and she couldn’t have been happier. They were calling the runners for the 800…which surprised her…and she asked me what she should be doing with so little time left to warm up. I went over the details, but could tell her heart was not in it. She had qualified in the race she wanted to run in the state meet and nothing else mattered. She went out slowly at the start of the race and was never a factor. The winning time was slower than she had run two days earlier when running her leg of the 4x800, but I was pleased that she had not qualified for both events. Now we had one thing to do…one job ahead…total focus on one race at the state meet.
John dragged me to dinner after the meet and I broke down and had lasagna…which was full of cheese and noodles and tasted delicious. I was sure I’d pay for it when I stepped on the scale the next day, but for that moment in time it seemed like the right thing to do.
I’d written to the doc earlier in the day and described the pain I was continuing to experience. He wrote back that he saw an MRI and surgery in my future…something I dread and will take steps to avoid…if it’s possible.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
"Expect to win"
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I arrived at the park for a run feeling better than I’ve felt about running in a long time. I suspect it was weighing in lighter than I’ve been since I started writing the blog, but I felt like if I wanted to run fast…today was the day. There was a slight drizzle falling (counts as a sunny day with the weather we’ve been experiencing), which felt great. My leg was a little stiff as I began to run, which has me wondering about if I’m healing or not. I decided to go without socks, something I always do when riding but never running. I knew my feet would be getting soaked and didn’t see the value in socks. Besides, my feet were pretty tough from the riding and I didn’t expect to have any trouble with blistering.
As is often the case when it’s raining, I was alone in the park. I splashed through the puddles as I headed for Squire’s Castle. Everything about the run was refreshing and I easily completed a 40-minute effort feeling like I could have gone twice as far. I retuned home to shower and verify yesterday’s weigh-in…actually hoping I’d be below 190. I wasn’t…but I was still at 190 and that felt pretty good.
I spent some time speaking with Marie about her regional races she’d be running the next day. She was experiencing a lot of anxiety about running both the mile and the 800. The mile is first and her concern was she wouldn’t make the top four (only the top four qualify to the state meet) and tire herself in the process to the point where she wouldn’t make it in the 800, either. We had been at the state meet the year before…as spectators…because she hadn’t qualified. Sitting around a camp fire in Alum Creek State Park the night before, she confessed that “I feel like I’ve wasted a year. I didn’t train hard enough to get to the state meet.” I reminded her that the only thing you could do about history was learn from it and that in a year, if she was willing to do what it took to be in a position to win a state meet, I’d put together the program to have her there. “If you could win any race, which one would it be?” I asked. She didn’t hesitate a moment. “The mile,” she said.
“Do you remember what you told me a year ago? You wanted to run the mile. Well…guess what…I don’t care how fast you think those other girls in the race are. Fact is…their coaches are afraid of something…and that something is you,” I said, meaning every word of it. We went through the race strategy, which was pretty simple. “Hang back a little. Don’t be afraid to be in sixth place with a lap to go…with your speed over the final 250 meters, there’s no one you can’t catch. Trust in yourself and all the work you’ve done. You own one of those four spots, so go and take it. Toe that line expecting to win,” I concluded. She thanked me for talking her through it and hung up confident and focused – expecting to win.
Which, of course, puts me in the position of being responsible for what happens…at least in my own mind. I’ve been coaching runners for 25 years now and I’ve never felt such tension over a race. If it’s possible…I want her to get there more than she does herself. Its 24 hours away. We’ll know soon enough…
Run duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 675.
I arrived at the park for a run feeling better than I’ve felt about running in a long time. I suspect it was weighing in lighter than I’ve been since I started writing the blog, but I felt like if I wanted to run fast…today was the day. There was a slight drizzle falling (counts as a sunny day with the weather we’ve been experiencing), which felt great. My leg was a little stiff as I began to run, which has me wondering about if I’m healing or not. I decided to go without socks, something I always do when riding but never running. I knew my feet would be getting soaked and didn’t see the value in socks. Besides, my feet were pretty tough from the riding and I didn’t expect to have any trouble with blistering.
As is often the case when it’s raining, I was alone in the park. I splashed through the puddles as I headed for Squire’s Castle. Everything about the run was refreshing and I easily completed a 40-minute effort feeling like I could have gone twice as far. I retuned home to shower and verify yesterday’s weigh-in…actually hoping I’d be below 190. I wasn’t…but I was still at 190 and that felt pretty good.
I spent some time speaking with Marie about her regional races she’d be running the next day. She was experiencing a lot of anxiety about running both the mile and the 800. The mile is first and her concern was she wouldn’t make the top four (only the top four qualify to the state meet) and tire herself in the process to the point where she wouldn’t make it in the 800, either. We had been at the state meet the year before…as spectators…because she hadn’t qualified. Sitting around a camp fire in Alum Creek State Park the night before, she confessed that “I feel like I’ve wasted a year. I didn’t train hard enough to get to the state meet.” I reminded her that the only thing you could do about history was learn from it and that in a year, if she was willing to do what it took to be in a position to win a state meet, I’d put together the program to have her there. “If you could win any race, which one would it be?” I asked. She didn’t hesitate a moment. “The mile,” she said.
“Do you remember what you told me a year ago? You wanted to run the mile. Well…guess what…I don’t care how fast you think those other girls in the race are. Fact is…their coaches are afraid of something…and that something is you,” I said, meaning every word of it. We went through the race strategy, which was pretty simple. “Hang back a little. Don’t be afraid to be in sixth place with a lap to go…with your speed over the final 250 meters, there’s no one you can’t catch. Trust in yourself and all the work you’ve done. You own one of those four spots, so go and take it. Toe that line expecting to win,” I concluded. She thanked me for talking her through it and hung up confident and focused – expecting to win.
Which, of course, puts me in the position of being responsible for what happens…at least in my own mind. I’ve been coaching runners for 25 years now and I’ve never felt such tension over a race. If it’s possible…I want her to get there more than she does herself. Its 24 hours away. We’ll know soon enough…
Run duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 675.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Little brother joins me for a survival workout...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
I was meeting my brother Jeff at the park to take him through the survival workout. He’d been listening to me talk about it long enough that his good nature required him to join me and see it first hand. I rode the bike to our meeting point and when he arrived, described the vents we were about to do. Jeff has been through quite a bit in the past couple of years. Treatment for prostate cancer left him very fatigued last fall while training for the New York City Marathon and caused him to drop from the race at the 16-mile mark. Since that time, he has found it difficult to do any physical task without getting exhausted rather quickly. He’s not anxious to return to the doctor’s early to complain of the situation and…for the first time in many years…is content to take it easy…and that’s what I’m all about.
We started with the push-ups with me again setting a pr…moving past the big fifty mark and collapsing at 51. I was psyched for the rest of the workout, to say the least. We headed down the trail where I introduced him to Mr. Rock and Mr. Log. We climbed the steep hill off the horse trailer parking lot, and talked as we went. “I’m not sure why I get tired so easily, but I don’t really want to find out, either,” he told me. I wasn’t noticing any fatigue and told him so. “Maybe its not fatigue…I mean who wants to tear out grass around a garden…maybe you just aren’t motivated to do it and you’re giving in to the early fatigue everyone feels when they start doing something physical. I’m not noticing you’re having any trouble with the workout so far,” I said. He pondered this and admitted that there could be some truth. “Having cancer puts a whole new perspective on how you want to spend your time,” he concluded.
He did everything I did and only struggled when he was working against gravity…like the picnic table hop and the high skips. He’s gained some unnecessary fat (as if anyone ever gains ‘necessary’ fat) over the past 8 months and it has a way of reminding you it’s there when you start running, jumping or doing anything vertically. In any event, he got a taste and enjoyed the environment and being able to use it to get a total body workout.
I rode the bike home with an eye to the blackening skies in the west. I don’t know how I managed it, but I pulled into my driveway and rolled into the garage as one of the season’s more violent storms descended on Highland Heights. I went inside to grab a shower and decided to do something I haven’t done in about a year…I weighed in. I figured I’d be down since my clothes were slipping down on my waist. I was pleased to see the tally…190. I know I’ve gained some muscle mass, so the fat weight is down even more. I believe the diet has made the difference. I’ve eaten more fresh fruits and vegetables in the last six weeks than I would normally consume in a year. Eliminating the desserts almost entirely hasn’t hurt either.
Survival Workout duration: 70 minutes. Bike workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 700 for survival workout. 900 biking.
I was meeting my brother Jeff at the park to take him through the survival workout. He’d been listening to me talk about it long enough that his good nature required him to join me and see it first hand. I rode the bike to our meeting point and when he arrived, described the vents we were about to do. Jeff has been through quite a bit in the past couple of years. Treatment for prostate cancer left him very fatigued last fall while training for the New York City Marathon and caused him to drop from the race at the 16-mile mark. Since that time, he has found it difficult to do any physical task without getting exhausted rather quickly. He’s not anxious to return to the doctor’s early to complain of the situation and…for the first time in many years…is content to take it easy…and that’s what I’m all about.
We started with the push-ups with me again setting a pr…moving past the big fifty mark and collapsing at 51. I was psyched for the rest of the workout, to say the least. We headed down the trail where I introduced him to Mr. Rock and Mr. Log. We climbed the steep hill off the horse trailer parking lot, and talked as we went. “I’m not sure why I get tired so easily, but I don’t really want to find out, either,” he told me. I wasn’t noticing any fatigue and told him so. “Maybe its not fatigue…I mean who wants to tear out grass around a garden…maybe you just aren’t motivated to do it and you’re giving in to the early fatigue everyone feels when they start doing something physical. I’m not noticing you’re having any trouble with the workout so far,” I said. He pondered this and admitted that there could be some truth. “Having cancer puts a whole new perspective on how you want to spend your time,” he concluded.
He did everything I did and only struggled when he was working against gravity…like the picnic table hop and the high skips. He’s gained some unnecessary fat (as if anyone ever gains ‘necessary’ fat) over the past 8 months and it has a way of reminding you it’s there when you start running, jumping or doing anything vertically. In any event, he got a taste and enjoyed the environment and being able to use it to get a total body workout.
I rode the bike home with an eye to the blackening skies in the west. I don’t know how I managed it, but I pulled into my driveway and rolled into the garage as one of the season’s more violent storms descended on Highland Heights. I went inside to grab a shower and decided to do something I haven’t done in about a year…I weighed in. I figured I’d be down since my clothes were slipping down on my waist. I was pleased to see the tally…190. I know I’ve gained some muscle mass, so the fat weight is down even more. I believe the diet has made the difference. I’ve eaten more fresh fruits and vegetables in the last six weeks than I would normally consume in a year. Eliminating the desserts almost entirely hasn’t hurt either.
Survival Workout duration: 70 minutes. Bike workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 700 for survival workout. 900 biking.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Running the track in the light of the moon...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
What’s it been…four weeks since something went wrong with one of the cars? Gotta’ be…and so I was overdue. The Honda had been fine all day and I’d been parked down at Mimi’s for the past couple of hours while I was doing some painting on her porch. I finished and did the short drive back to the house with time to get in a workout. I pulled into the garage and turned off the engine. I could hear what sounded like a big wheel kid’s toy on cement and got out of the car looking in the driveway for just such an item. There wasn’t one…but the noise…which I now identified as coming from the front of the Honda…was still there. I walked to the front of the car and was dismayed to discover that the noise was coming from under the hood and was the gurgling of hot fluids bubbling in the radiator overflow. Well…poop.
Naturally, I called Dan and described the situation. He walked me through some process of elimination things…like making sure the electric fan; designed to cool the radiator…was kicking on when the engine began to heat up. It was. He had me checking for leaks and the rigidity of hoses…stuff like that…and then had me put some fluid in the radiator and let it run to see what happened. What happened was it fixed itself…though I’m not completely convinced even after taking a ride out to his place just to make sure.
Of course I stayed out there until after dark, talking ‘Paleo’ diet and survival workouts…interesting stuff like that. As I was driving back, I called Holly and asked her to meet me in the park for a moonlight hike. She declined the offer, so I decided I’d just go there and do a run on the bridle paths. When I arrived there and turned off my headlights and peered down the trail…which was darker than the inside of my shoe…I decided running trails wasn’t such a good idea after all. I had one option left…the Mayfield track.
I’d forgotten just how great it can be to run a track with only the light from a clear night sky to guide you. I’d done some workouts there last summer when I’d been training for the Adirondacks and had been climbing the bleachers with a 60-pound pack on my back. This night though, was just for running. I put in four and a half miles in 36 minutes (Kim runs six miles on the track in that time) and truly enjoyed getting lost in my thoughts. There are few external distractions when you’re running in the dark and it’s a wonderful time to think. I don’t think I could have put in the mileage nearly so easily if it had been daylight…and I won’t know because I’m not going to try. By the time I finished, it was almost 11 p.m. and I was so pleased with myself for rediscovering the track at night and getting in a workout when things seemed to be stacked against me and doing nothing was such a real possibility.
Run duration: 36 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 615.
What’s it been…four weeks since something went wrong with one of the cars? Gotta’ be…and so I was overdue. The Honda had been fine all day and I’d been parked down at Mimi’s for the past couple of hours while I was doing some painting on her porch. I finished and did the short drive back to the house with time to get in a workout. I pulled into the garage and turned off the engine. I could hear what sounded like a big wheel kid’s toy on cement and got out of the car looking in the driveway for just such an item. There wasn’t one…but the noise…which I now identified as coming from the front of the Honda…was still there. I walked to the front of the car and was dismayed to discover that the noise was coming from under the hood and was the gurgling of hot fluids bubbling in the radiator overflow. Well…poop.
Naturally, I called Dan and described the situation. He walked me through some process of elimination things…like making sure the electric fan; designed to cool the radiator…was kicking on when the engine began to heat up. It was. He had me checking for leaks and the rigidity of hoses…stuff like that…and then had me put some fluid in the radiator and let it run to see what happened. What happened was it fixed itself…though I’m not completely convinced even after taking a ride out to his place just to make sure.
Of course I stayed out there until after dark, talking ‘Paleo’ diet and survival workouts…interesting stuff like that. As I was driving back, I called Holly and asked her to meet me in the park for a moonlight hike. She declined the offer, so I decided I’d just go there and do a run on the bridle paths. When I arrived there and turned off my headlights and peered down the trail…which was darker than the inside of my shoe…I decided running trails wasn’t such a good idea after all. I had one option left…the Mayfield track.
I’d forgotten just how great it can be to run a track with only the light from a clear night sky to guide you. I’d done some workouts there last summer when I’d been training for the Adirondacks and had been climbing the bleachers with a 60-pound pack on my back. This night though, was just for running. I put in four and a half miles in 36 minutes (Kim runs six miles on the track in that time) and truly enjoyed getting lost in my thoughts. There are few external distractions when you’re running in the dark and it’s a wonderful time to think. I don’t think I could have put in the mileage nearly so easily if it had been daylight…and I won’t know because I’m not going to try. By the time I finished, it was almost 11 p.m. and I was so pleased with myself for rediscovering the track at night and getting in a workout when things seemed to be stacked against me and doing nothing was such a real possibility.
Run duration: 36 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 615.
New push-up record.
Monday, May 23, 2011
So…I took the magnesium and crossed my fingers. It was sunny and since rain was predicted for the rest of the week, and I wanted to get in another ride…and see if I’d cramp again, so I decided to ride to meet Jeff in the park for our survival workout. I headed back out on the same course I’d ridden Sunday when I’d cramped, but had no trouble until I reached the one-hour mark. My left quadriceps began to twitch in a bad way, so I backed off and finished the 80-minute ride with no further incident. I did manage to get a couple of pictures of a huge snapping turtle by the side of the road in Waite Hill. I’m guessing he was headed for the road…and certain death…after I left the scene. I hope not.
Jeff was waiting in the park and he’d come in shorts this time. He has now lost 33 pounds since beginning on his journey and continues to want to increase the workout intensity. I was prepared to help him with that. We started with the push-ups…I don’t know how many he did because I was in the process of going for my record…46. I hit 46 and thought I could make it to 50, but as I pushed through my 48th, I knew I was in trouble. I did half of my 49th – the half going down – and planted my nose into the turf with nothing left.
We went off into the woods and hit the usual stations for lifts and climbing. Jeff did much better with the high skips and lifting, and almost got up the concrete bunker half way up the hill behind the pavilion. When he reached the top of that hill…its really steep…he had little gas left in the tank. I descended through the woods on the other side and had my abdominals and a set of biceps done when he finally emerged from the underbrush at the bottom of the hill. “That climb up the hill really got me,” he said…and it will. When he’s had a little more training, he’ll find that we’re doing two and three times in a workout. Right now, he’s still working against gravity, but as the pounds continue to come off, everything will be easier.
Jeff had been going through a slight commitment problem lately…work was getting in the way. I reminded him that one of the best ways to stay on task was to work out with someone. It’s easier to crap out on yourself than to let down a workout partner. “Yeah…I thought about not coming tonight because my calves were so sore from playing ball over the weekend…we had our first game…but knew the amount of shit you could give me and decided I’d better come,” he admitted. And yes…I would have given him tons.
When we returned to his truck, I could tell he was shot. It was raining and since there was lightning and thunder, I tossed my bike in the back of his truck and hitched a ride home. “John…I’m having trouble turning the steering wheel,” he said…which made me happy. I like it when I provide a good workout.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1200 biking.
So…I took the magnesium and crossed my fingers. It was sunny and since rain was predicted for the rest of the week, and I wanted to get in another ride…and see if I’d cramp again, so I decided to ride to meet Jeff in the park for our survival workout. I headed back out on the same course I’d ridden Sunday when I’d cramped, but had no trouble until I reached the one-hour mark. My left quadriceps began to twitch in a bad way, so I backed off and finished the 80-minute ride with no further incident. I did manage to get a couple of pictures of a huge snapping turtle by the side of the road in Waite Hill. I’m guessing he was headed for the road…and certain death…after I left the scene. I hope not.
Jeff was waiting in the park and he’d come in shorts this time. He has now lost 33 pounds since beginning on his journey and continues to want to increase the workout intensity. I was prepared to help him with that. We started with the push-ups…I don’t know how many he did because I was in the process of going for my record…46. I hit 46 and thought I could make it to 50, but as I pushed through my 48th, I knew I was in trouble. I did half of my 49th – the half going down – and planted my nose into the turf with nothing left.
We went off into the woods and hit the usual stations for lifts and climbing. Jeff did much better with the high skips and lifting, and almost got up the concrete bunker half way up the hill behind the pavilion. When he reached the top of that hill…its really steep…he had little gas left in the tank. I descended through the woods on the other side and had my abdominals and a set of biceps done when he finally emerged from the underbrush at the bottom of the hill. “That climb up the hill really got me,” he said…and it will. When he’s had a little more training, he’ll find that we’re doing two and three times in a workout. Right now, he’s still working against gravity, but as the pounds continue to come off, everything will be easier.
Jeff had been going through a slight commitment problem lately…work was getting in the way. I reminded him that one of the best ways to stay on task was to work out with someone. It’s easier to crap out on yourself than to let down a workout partner. “Yeah…I thought about not coming tonight because my calves were so sore from playing ball over the weekend…we had our first game…but knew the amount of shit you could give me and decided I’d better come,” he admitted. And yes…I would have given him tons.
When we returned to his truck, I could tell he was shot. It was raining and since there was lightning and thunder, I tossed my bike in the back of his truck and hitched a ride home. “John…I’m having trouble turning the steering wheel,” he said…which made me happy. I like it when I provide a good workout.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1200 biking.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Leg cramps from hell...
Sunday, May 22, 2011
It was stinking hot when I went out to do some landscaping. Holly had been asking me to quarter and dig up four of our oriental grasses, but I was waiting for the perfect time…the time when she’d forget.
I tried to kill those things the last time she asked me to divide them up…but they’re indestructable. They get so thick at the base because each year new grasses sprout between last year’s dead ones…which I cut down in the spring…and they reach a point where it’s quite difficult to dig them up. I take a large cross cut saw and quarter the plant…kind of like you’d quarter a pie (what’s the point of making a pie more than four pieces – they’re not a manly size if you do) cutting down through the middle and into the dirt. Then I grab my shovel and dig under until I’m sweating and cursing up a storm…as I was on this day. I got them done and Holly came out to help decide where we should put the parts I’d dug up. “How about I just move them to the tree lawn for garbage day?” I was loaded with good ideas. She suggested we dump them on a neighbor we didn’t like too much, but she’s always cooking food and bringing it over…so that was out. We walked the yard and came to the conclusion that we already had too many things growing out of control and what would be the point of adding another six or eight…or any.
On the off chance my neighbor would want them, I walked over and asked. “Oh…that would be great, John. You guys are so thoughtful,” she said. And she’s right. “How bout I grab the wheelbarrow and drag the suckers over here right now?” My generosity was overflowing. Actually, I’d palmed them off on her the last time I’d done this…and she really likes them. I suppose they are pretty neat…and they cost a bundle…so free is good.
That task behind me, I headed out on the bike. I was planning to do the ride John and I had done the day before because I thought it was a challenging, quiet (few cars) course. I was riding comfortably when I reached the first climb in Waite Hill. As I rose out of the saddle to climb, both of my quadriceps began to spasm and cramp. I immediately retuned to the saddle and reduced the gear for easier peddling, but it wasn’t helping. The cramping became so bad on the next hill that I thought…for the first time in my life…I was going to have to dismount my bike and walk up a hill. The other option was letting the cramps completely take over which would cause my thigh muscles to stop firing, pitching me forward, and off, the bike. It was an easy decision…I continued to ride. If I crashed…I crashed. At least I wouldn’t be giving in to the hill…and my crazy, spasmodic legs.
I crested the hill still on the bike, but I was 45 minutes from home. It was either ride through this hell or call Holly to pick me up. She was preparing dinner for company and asking her to come out and get me because I had some leg cramps could put me at risk of going through another kind of hell, so I stayed with the bike and rode slowly.
At no point did things improve and I must admit that after 45 years of long distance riding, I’ve never had this happen. I started considering what I’d done that could have led to the cramping and decided it was likely a result of the combination of sweat and electrolytes I’d lost over the past two days. When I finally arrived back in my driveway and dismounted, I immediately pulled out the phone and called Bob the Nutritionist…he’d know. I described the situation and included the fact that my calf muscles had been twitching non-stop for the previous 24 hours.
“Magnesium,” he said. Now…I’d suggested potassium and sodium…I scrape a pound of crusted salt from my body every time I ride and I’m not putting nearly as much back since I began following the Paleo diet. “Nope…its magnesium. You lose it in your sweat and since no one sweats like you, I think you might want to supplement. He’s never steered my wrong before, so I grabbed a bottle from the grocery store when I went to get the Italian bread for our spaghetti dinner and popped a pill. We’ll see….
Bike duration: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1000.
It was stinking hot when I went out to do some landscaping. Holly had been asking me to quarter and dig up four of our oriental grasses, but I was waiting for the perfect time…the time when she’d forget.
I tried to kill those things the last time she asked me to divide them up…but they’re indestructable. They get so thick at the base because each year new grasses sprout between last year’s dead ones…which I cut down in the spring…and they reach a point where it’s quite difficult to dig them up. I take a large cross cut saw and quarter the plant…kind of like you’d quarter a pie (what’s the point of making a pie more than four pieces – they’re not a manly size if you do) cutting down through the middle and into the dirt. Then I grab my shovel and dig under until I’m sweating and cursing up a storm…as I was on this day. I got them done and Holly came out to help decide where we should put the parts I’d dug up. “How about I just move them to the tree lawn for garbage day?” I was loaded with good ideas. She suggested we dump them on a neighbor we didn’t like too much, but she’s always cooking food and bringing it over…so that was out. We walked the yard and came to the conclusion that we already had too many things growing out of control and what would be the point of adding another six or eight…or any.
On the off chance my neighbor would want them, I walked over and asked. “Oh…that would be great, John. You guys are so thoughtful,” she said. And she’s right. “How bout I grab the wheelbarrow and drag the suckers over here right now?” My generosity was overflowing. Actually, I’d palmed them off on her the last time I’d done this…and she really likes them. I suppose they are pretty neat…and they cost a bundle…so free is good.
That task behind me, I headed out on the bike. I was planning to do the ride John and I had done the day before because I thought it was a challenging, quiet (few cars) course. I was riding comfortably when I reached the first climb in Waite Hill. As I rose out of the saddle to climb, both of my quadriceps began to spasm and cramp. I immediately retuned to the saddle and reduced the gear for easier peddling, but it wasn’t helping. The cramping became so bad on the next hill that I thought…for the first time in my life…I was going to have to dismount my bike and walk up a hill. The other option was letting the cramps completely take over which would cause my thigh muscles to stop firing, pitching me forward, and off, the bike. It was an easy decision…I continued to ride. If I crashed…I crashed. At least I wouldn’t be giving in to the hill…and my crazy, spasmodic legs.
I crested the hill still on the bike, but I was 45 minutes from home. It was either ride through this hell or call Holly to pick me up. She was preparing dinner for company and asking her to come out and get me because I had some leg cramps could put me at risk of going through another kind of hell, so I stayed with the bike and rode slowly.
At no point did things improve and I must admit that after 45 years of long distance riding, I’ve never had this happen. I started considering what I’d done that could have led to the cramping and decided it was likely a result of the combination of sweat and electrolytes I’d lost over the past two days. When I finally arrived back in my driveway and dismounted, I immediately pulled out the phone and called Bob the Nutritionist…he’d know. I described the situation and included the fact that my calf muscles had been twitching non-stop for the previous 24 hours.
“Magnesium,” he said. Now…I’d suggested potassium and sodium…I scrape a pound of crusted salt from my body every time I ride and I’m not putting nearly as much back since I began following the Paleo diet. “Nope…its magnesium. You lose it in your sweat and since no one sweats like you, I think you might want to supplement. He’s never steered my wrong before, so I grabbed a bottle from the grocery store when I went to get the Italian bread for our spaghetti dinner and popped a pill. We’ll see….
Bike duration: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1000.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A special day for a determined runner...
Friday, May 20, 2011
Day three after cortisone injection…and also the day I’m allowed to start running. I’ve been pain-free for three days now and more than a little nervous about what would happen when I started running. I’d told Nilesh I’d only do a 30-minute run, which he felt would be fine, so when I put in three extra minutes, I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. Maybe I was being a little jumpy, but just before I arrived back at the car (I was really going for 35 minutes) I felt a little twinge. I stopped immediately and walked it the rest of the way. The true test I felt was not so much what happened while running, but whether I’d have pain later…after sitting for a spell and then getting up.
I drove home thinking of all I had to do…and quickly…if I was going to make it to the District Track Championships by 6 p.m. – starting time. I’d spoken to Kim (Marie’s sister) earlier in the day and she was riding her bike to the meet, which was at Mentor High School. I’d given her my thoughts on the route she should ride to avoid heavily traveled roads and was driving that route to see how far it was. I was heading down Little Mountain Road when I saw her riding towards me…up a steep hill. She noticed me and I pulled over. “So Kim…just where are you going?” She was breathing pretty heavily on the new bike she’d just purchased for her trip to Colorado. “Umm…the track meet?” She’s bright…we were heading in opposite directions so one of us had to be messed up. “Yeah…some bad news. You just rode up that hill for no good reason…it’s that way,” I said pointing back down the hill…the direction I was headed. “Oh maaaan…why couldn’t you have come five minutes earlier and caught me at the bottom of the hill?” This from a girl who was going to be riding thousands of miles in a couple of weeks…including some time in the Rocky Mountains.
She made it to the meet after turning around and like me, and everyone else in the stadium that day, was treated to a very special performance by Marie. She started what is one of the toughest doubles in high school running…the 1600/800 meter races…by winning the 1600. It’s such a tough double because of how close the races are to each other in the order of events. Most distance runners choose the 1600 and the 3200 meter races, which allows another 30-40 minutes of recovery time. Not Marie. She was cooling down from the 1600…which rolled right into a warm-up for the 800 where, running against fresh competitors, she waited until the backstretch of the second lap, before striking. She moved past the front runners and with a strong surge, left them gasping as she cruised to a 3-second victory.
Her day wasn’t over, though. She was anchoring the 4x400 team and received the baton…and a great deal of pressure as she began to run. She was in fifth place and only the top four team’s advance. Additionally, the girl from Mentor was running second and she needed to catch her. Mayfield had the team lead for the District Championship coming into the race – Mentor was two points behind – which meant that if the Mentor runner could stay ahead of Marie they would wrestle the title away from Mayfield…and Marie…and most everyone in the stadium…knew it. Marie surged around the first turn and by the 200 meter mark had closed the 10-meter gap between them. They ran side-by-side as they rounded the second turn and headed into the home stretch…but it was really never a contest. Marie is a girl on a mission who hates to lose. She slowly moved ahead…the Mentor girl had nothing to offer…and she hit the tape ensuring the championship for her teammates and advancing the squad to next week’s Regional Championship. She’ll have a tough time there…competing in four separate races, but the girl knows what she wants and my money is on her.
Run duration: 33 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600.
Day three after cortisone injection…and also the day I’m allowed to start running. I’ve been pain-free for three days now and more than a little nervous about what would happen when I started running. I’d told Nilesh I’d only do a 30-minute run, which he felt would be fine, so when I put in three extra minutes, I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. Maybe I was being a little jumpy, but just before I arrived back at the car (I was really going for 35 minutes) I felt a little twinge. I stopped immediately and walked it the rest of the way. The true test I felt was not so much what happened while running, but whether I’d have pain later…after sitting for a spell and then getting up.
I drove home thinking of all I had to do…and quickly…if I was going to make it to the District Track Championships by 6 p.m. – starting time. I’d spoken to Kim (Marie’s sister) earlier in the day and she was riding her bike to the meet, which was at Mentor High School. I’d given her my thoughts on the route she should ride to avoid heavily traveled roads and was driving that route to see how far it was. I was heading down Little Mountain Road when I saw her riding towards me…up a steep hill. She noticed me and I pulled over. “So Kim…just where are you going?” She was breathing pretty heavily on the new bike she’d just purchased for her trip to Colorado. “Umm…the track meet?” She’s bright…we were heading in opposite directions so one of us had to be messed up. “Yeah…some bad news. You just rode up that hill for no good reason…it’s that way,” I said pointing back down the hill…the direction I was headed. “Oh maaaan…why couldn’t you have come five minutes earlier and caught me at the bottom of the hill?” This from a girl who was going to be riding thousands of miles in a couple of weeks…including some time in the Rocky Mountains.
She made it to the meet after turning around and like me, and everyone else in the stadium that day, was treated to a very special performance by Marie. She started what is one of the toughest doubles in high school running…the 1600/800 meter races…by winning the 1600. It’s such a tough double because of how close the races are to each other in the order of events. Most distance runners choose the 1600 and the 3200 meter races, which allows another 30-40 minutes of recovery time. Not Marie. She was cooling down from the 1600…which rolled right into a warm-up for the 800 where, running against fresh competitors, she waited until the backstretch of the second lap, before striking. She moved past the front runners and with a strong surge, left them gasping as she cruised to a 3-second victory.
Her day wasn’t over, though. She was anchoring the 4x400 team and received the baton…and a great deal of pressure as she began to run. She was in fifth place and only the top four team’s advance. Additionally, the girl from Mentor was running second and she needed to catch her. Mayfield had the team lead for the District Championship coming into the race – Mentor was two points behind – which meant that if the Mentor runner could stay ahead of Marie they would wrestle the title away from Mayfield…and Marie…and most everyone in the stadium…knew it. Marie surged around the first turn and by the 200 meter mark had closed the 10-meter gap between them. They ran side-by-side as they rounded the second turn and headed into the home stretch…but it was really never a contest. Marie is a girl on a mission who hates to lose. She slowly moved ahead…the Mentor girl had nothing to offer…and she hit the tape ensuring the championship for her teammates and advancing the squad to next week’s Regional Championship. She’ll have a tough time there…competing in four separate races, but the girl knows what she wants and my money is on her.
Run duration: 33 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600.
Urban Active gets busted...
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Day two after cortisone injection…and all is still well in my world. Well…not completely since I’m still not supposed to exercise. Now…he did tell me I could work out the upper body, so I headed for the Metropark and hiked in to the cabins where I lifted some stuff, threw other stuff, got dirty and pounded my upper body. It was the best upper body workout I’ve done in a bunch of years…like the old weight lifting days when I’d spend a couple of hours in the weight room.
I probably shouldn’t have, but I returned home and cut the back lawn (front lawn was converted to a habitat for water fowl – no sense in trying to have a lawn out there). The doc never said I couldn’t…which to me means I can. It took an hour with the hand mower and I sweat profusely, so between the two things, I actually feel like I got in a regular workout.
As a former club manager, I subscribe to ‘Club Industry’ to keep an eye on the latest happenings in the fitness world. I’ve been following the plight of the Ohio chain, Urban Active. Most of these chains give me the willies’ with the way they sell because their existence depends on a constant stream of new customers…who they hate to let go. Apparently, a number of former members…102 to be exact…have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau regarding the company’s habit of failing to stop charging their accounts after they had cancelled their contracts. The BBB looked into the matter and when Urban Active was inactive in responding, the BBB gave them an “F” rating.
Somewhere along the line, Urban tried to get right with God…or at least the BBB…and sat down with them to try and smooth things over. “We appreciate the BBB sitting down with us to point out the areas of concern, and that has allowed us to better service our customers,” Urban Active said in a statement to Club Industry. Additionally, it was reported that Urban Active has taken further action to clear up the mess…they hired additional staff to handle BBB complaints. Really…they’ve hired extra people to handle complaints?? Well here’s a bit of advice from a former club manager…do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it and you’ll have happy customers and you won’t get BBB complaints. I’m just sayin’…
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Day two after cortisone injection…and all is still well in my world. Well…not completely since I’m still not supposed to exercise. Now…he did tell me I could work out the upper body, so I headed for the Metropark and hiked in to the cabins where I lifted some stuff, threw other stuff, got dirty and pounded my upper body. It was the best upper body workout I’ve done in a bunch of years…like the old weight lifting days when I’d spend a couple of hours in the weight room.
I probably shouldn’t have, but I returned home and cut the back lawn (front lawn was converted to a habitat for water fowl – no sense in trying to have a lawn out there). The doc never said I couldn’t…which to me means I can. It took an hour with the hand mower and I sweat profusely, so between the two things, I actually feel like I got in a regular workout.
As a former club manager, I subscribe to ‘Club Industry’ to keep an eye on the latest happenings in the fitness world. I’ve been following the plight of the Ohio chain, Urban Active. Most of these chains give me the willies’ with the way they sell because their existence depends on a constant stream of new customers…who they hate to let go. Apparently, a number of former members…102 to be exact…have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau regarding the company’s habit of failing to stop charging their accounts after they had cancelled their contracts. The BBB looked into the matter and when Urban Active was inactive in responding, the BBB gave them an “F” rating.
Somewhere along the line, Urban tried to get right with God…or at least the BBB…and sat down with them to try and smooth things over. “We appreciate the BBB sitting down with us to point out the areas of concern, and that has allowed us to better service our customers,” Urban Active said in a statement to Club Industry. Additionally, it was reported that Urban Active has taken further action to clear up the mess…they hired additional staff to handle BBB complaints. Really…they’ve hired extra people to handle complaints?? Well here’s a bit of advice from a former club manager…do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it and you’ll have happy customers and you won’t get BBB complaints. I’m just sayin’…
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
You can trust Tyler Hamilton...he'd never lie.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Okay…so this cortisone stuff…well…it’s a keeper. For the past seven weeks, every time I’ve gotten up and taken a step, my knee has hurt…just for a few steps…but it’s hurt. I haven’t been able to squat and pick things up and most recently, the throbbing woke me up throughout the night. One day after the shot, I’m squatting normally and the knee has stop hurting following bouts of inactivity. Naturally, I want to rush to the park and do a run…but the doctor said ‘no’ and I’m always a good patient.
Instead, I went to my final training seminar to become a ‘Park Ambassador’ for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I’m not sure in what capacity they will be using me, but the Ranger I spoke with indicated they’d like me to help with the kids who come to the summer camping educational program, which would be perfect for me. Since I had to be in attendance at the seminar, I was forced to miss Marie running in the 4x800 for the district track championships (first of two steps on the road to the State Meet). She again ran the fastest leg…by a lot…leading her team to victory and advancing them to the Regional Championships in one week. Top four at that meet advance to the State Meet. She’ll also be running this Friday in the 1600, 800 and the 4x400, which is a lot of racing. She’s strong and ready and I’m hoping for the best for her.
Finally, there was a retread story in the world of sports. Another known liar, caught using performance enhancing drugs which caused him to forfeit his Olympic medal, says now he’s telling the truth and you can definitely believe him. Tyler Hamilton, preparing to release a book coincidentally (sound familiar?), has come out and admitted that he saw Lance injecting EPO (a performance enhancing drug Tyler was caught using). I hope it helps your book sales, Tyler…as for me, I’ve read about all I can stand about…or from…you.
Okay…so this cortisone stuff…well…it’s a keeper. For the past seven weeks, every time I’ve gotten up and taken a step, my knee has hurt…just for a few steps…but it’s hurt. I haven’t been able to squat and pick things up and most recently, the throbbing woke me up throughout the night. One day after the shot, I’m squatting normally and the knee has stop hurting following bouts of inactivity. Naturally, I want to rush to the park and do a run…but the doctor said ‘no’ and I’m always a good patient.
Instead, I went to my final training seminar to become a ‘Park Ambassador’ for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I’m not sure in what capacity they will be using me, but the Ranger I spoke with indicated they’d like me to help with the kids who come to the summer camping educational program, which would be perfect for me. Since I had to be in attendance at the seminar, I was forced to miss Marie running in the 4x800 for the district track championships (first of two steps on the road to the State Meet). She again ran the fastest leg…by a lot…leading her team to victory and advancing them to the Regional Championships in one week. Top four at that meet advance to the State Meet. She’ll also be running this Friday in the 1600, 800 and the 4x400, which is a lot of racing. She’s strong and ready and I’m hoping for the best for her.
Finally, there was a retread story in the world of sports. Another known liar, caught using performance enhancing drugs which caused him to forfeit his Olympic medal, says now he’s telling the truth and you can definitely believe him. Tyler Hamilton, preparing to release a book coincidentally (sound familiar?), has come out and admitted that he saw Lance injecting EPO (a performance enhancing drug Tyler was caught using). I hope it helps your book sales, Tyler…as for me, I’ve read about all I can stand about…or from…you.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I made it to the Big Show...got my first cortisone injection...
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Nilesh had an opening first thing in the morning and since I really wanted to get the verdict, I jumped all over it. We went through the physical exam…he twisted, probed and moved my knee in every direction saying that he detected a little fluid and that it was clearly sensitive to the probing and twisting. He took some x-rays and looked them over. “You’ve got really young knees for such an old guy – no signs of arthritis,” he said. I called him something other than ‘Nilesh’ or ‘doc’ and he went on talking about what he could…and couldn’t see. “An MRI would tell the story, but I don’t want to go that route because of the expense. We could inject you with cortisone and see what happens. Even if it is a torn meniscus…and I think it is…it could heal on its own with the cortisone helping to bring down the inflammation and getting you back to full power in three days.”
Now...my first thought was 'cool...cortisone...that's what the pro athletes use for injuries'. Then...I started using my big brain again. “Okay…yeah…wait…what? You’re not saying I can’t do anything for three days…are you?” I was panicking and he knew it. “John…no running,” he said. “Oh…okay…so I can ride…” I said. I could see him struggling with what he really thought I should do or if he should give in to my compulsive behavior. I could see him twisting in the wind and decided to help him out. “If I’m good to go on Friday, I won’t do anything,” I said. He looked relieved and threw me a bone. “You can work out the upper body.”
So…I got that going for me. He injected me with cortisone…my maiden voyage…and it felt very strange. My knee was kind of…squishy (medical term for knee joint injected with cortisone). He told me it wouldn’t make it feel better for, at the earliest, three days, but after that I would likely be symptom-free. It didn’t stop hurting right away…in fact it hurt a little more…probably from the way he was twisting, pushing and tossing it around. I spent the day and evening being a good boy, keeping it up in the air and doing nothing…something I do really well between bouts of exercise. It’s only three days…which is much shorter than the time they’re likely to keep me inactive if it requires surgery.
Oh…and how about that Tribe? Spanked KC 19 to 1 and here we are half way through May and they still have the best record in the Major Leagues. Gloat while it lasts, I always say…
Nilesh had an opening first thing in the morning and since I really wanted to get the verdict, I jumped all over it. We went through the physical exam…he twisted, probed and moved my knee in every direction saying that he detected a little fluid and that it was clearly sensitive to the probing and twisting. He took some x-rays and looked them over. “You’ve got really young knees for such an old guy – no signs of arthritis,” he said. I called him something other than ‘Nilesh’ or ‘doc’ and he went on talking about what he could…and couldn’t see. “An MRI would tell the story, but I don’t want to go that route because of the expense. We could inject you with cortisone and see what happens. Even if it is a torn meniscus…and I think it is…it could heal on its own with the cortisone helping to bring down the inflammation and getting you back to full power in three days.”
Now...my first thought was 'cool...cortisone...that's what the pro athletes use for injuries'. Then...I started using my big brain again. “Okay…yeah…wait…what? You’re not saying I can’t do anything for three days…are you?” I was panicking and he knew it. “John…no running,” he said. “Oh…okay…so I can ride…” I said. I could see him struggling with what he really thought I should do or if he should give in to my compulsive behavior. I could see him twisting in the wind and decided to help him out. “If I’m good to go on Friday, I won’t do anything,” I said. He looked relieved and threw me a bone. “You can work out the upper body.”
So…I got that going for me. He injected me with cortisone…my maiden voyage…and it felt very strange. My knee was kind of…squishy (medical term for knee joint injected with cortisone). He told me it wouldn’t make it feel better for, at the earliest, three days, but after that I would likely be symptom-free. It didn’t stop hurting right away…in fact it hurt a little more…probably from the way he was twisting, pushing and tossing it around. I spent the day and evening being a good boy, keeping it up in the air and doing nothing…something I do really well between bouts of exercise. It’s only three days…which is much shorter than the time they’re likely to keep me inactive if it requires surgery.
Oh…and how about that Tribe? Spanked KC 19 to 1 and here we are half way through May and they still have the best record in the Major Leagues. Gloat while it lasts, I always say…
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Time to see the doc again...
Monday, May 16, 2011
I’ve been struggling for over six weeks with a sore knee, but last night was the first time it’s kept me awake. I hadn’t done anything particularly hard on it…not to my knowledge anyway…so I was uncertain why it had ached so much. Regardless…I knew it was time to get in touch with Nilesh, my sports med doc, and let him know what’s going on. I did that via email, explaining how it began and the nature of the pain for these past weeks. He informed that it sounds like a tear in the meniscus and that I need to get in to see him. And so I will. I did some research on the injury he defined and I have to agree that it sure walks and quacks like a duck…so it probably is. It does look like something that is repaired rather easily with arthroscopic surgery and that I can be up and at it in no time. I’m going to see him in the morning, so I’ll have my answer quickly.
I was still considering going to the Metropark for a run as I left the office, but the pain was a little more severe than it had been in previous days, so I skipped it. I’m maturing…slowly. Naturally the rains were continuing to fall, so biking was out. Another forced day-off to old age and injury.
I’ve been struggling for over six weeks with a sore knee, but last night was the first time it’s kept me awake. I hadn’t done anything particularly hard on it…not to my knowledge anyway…so I was uncertain why it had ached so much. Regardless…I knew it was time to get in touch with Nilesh, my sports med doc, and let him know what’s going on. I did that via email, explaining how it began and the nature of the pain for these past weeks. He informed that it sounds like a tear in the meniscus and that I need to get in to see him. And so I will. I did some research on the injury he defined and I have to agree that it sure walks and quacks like a duck…so it probably is. It does look like something that is repaired rather easily with arthroscopic surgery and that I can be up and at it in no time. I’m going to see him in the morning, so I’ll have my answer quickly.
I was still considering going to the Metropark for a run as I left the office, but the pain was a little more severe than it had been in previous days, so I skipped it. I’m maturing…slowly. Naturally the rains were continuing to fall, so biking was out. Another forced day-off to old age and injury.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Creating a better workout station...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
It was going to rain all day…little doubt about it, and so I headed for the Metropark and a survival workout. A young man I’d taught some years ago knew about my workouts and wanted to join me and try one out. He pulled up behind the Honda as I was finishing a set of step-ups and I walked over to his jeep to greet him. When he opened the door, my eyes went immediately to the pack of cigarettes sitting on the dashboard. “You’re going to feel those things once you get going on my workout,” I warned him. One thing you need during my brand of survival workouts is oxygen. When you smoke, the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood is diminished, thus making workouts at intense levels more difficult to complete.
I threw the pack on his back and had him do some step-ups while I did my push-ups. When he was done, I introduced him to a new log I’d found buried in some muck just off the trail where I had him doing some lifts for his back muscles. His hands were slipping and I quickly realized the log was just a little too heavy for his current fitness level. Not a problem…there were many more laying in the mud throughout the park.
I had him lifting rocks and other logs as we hiked and he was doing well, but when we arrived at the cabins and I put him through some band work and crunches, he began to tire. We used another rock to work the oblique’s and when I had him lift it overhead, he started but dropped it quickly and headed for the woods to…well…sometimes when you push too hard with new exercises. I give him a lot of credit though…shortly after the heaves, he wanted to do more. I knew it was a good time to call it a day…we were both soaked to the bone from a chilling rain that had been falling since we started, so we returned to the cars. I know he liked the workout and will be back soon to try the entire routine.
I’ve been wrestling with a way of putting a workout station in my garage. I envision something utilizing a stack of weights, cables and pulleys and went to my nephew, Jon Duer, who owns and operates Great Lakes Rigging, for some help. He really knows about hoisting weight…both sails on boats and iron overhead. He’s a massive person and is currently training for one of those strong man competitions. To give you an example of his strength, one of the events has him lifting an 800-pound truck tire from the ground and flipping it over…with a goal of moving it 50 yards in total…and it’s actually something he can do. Anyway, he’s all over my idea to make a simple, inexpensive, multi-station weightlifting system. I’m going to put it in my garage, make the necessary modifications, and then we’ll have it ready for installation in other clients’ homes as part of their ‘back to basics’ workout routines. My goal is to have something to compliment the bands, logs, rocks, sledge hammers, heavy bags and other things people actually could do in and around their homes with an inexpensive and simple-to-use training station. More on that as we progress.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
It was going to rain all day…little doubt about it, and so I headed for the Metropark and a survival workout. A young man I’d taught some years ago knew about my workouts and wanted to join me and try one out. He pulled up behind the Honda as I was finishing a set of step-ups and I walked over to his jeep to greet him. When he opened the door, my eyes went immediately to the pack of cigarettes sitting on the dashboard. “You’re going to feel those things once you get going on my workout,” I warned him. One thing you need during my brand of survival workouts is oxygen. When you smoke, the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood is diminished, thus making workouts at intense levels more difficult to complete.
I threw the pack on his back and had him do some step-ups while I did my push-ups. When he was done, I introduced him to a new log I’d found buried in some muck just off the trail where I had him doing some lifts for his back muscles. His hands were slipping and I quickly realized the log was just a little too heavy for his current fitness level. Not a problem…there were many more laying in the mud throughout the park.
I had him lifting rocks and other logs as we hiked and he was doing well, but when we arrived at the cabins and I put him through some band work and crunches, he began to tire. We used another rock to work the oblique’s and when I had him lift it overhead, he started but dropped it quickly and headed for the woods to…well…sometimes when you push too hard with new exercises. I give him a lot of credit though…shortly after the heaves, he wanted to do more. I knew it was a good time to call it a day…we were both soaked to the bone from a chilling rain that had been falling since we started, so we returned to the cars. I know he liked the workout and will be back soon to try the entire routine.
I’ve been wrestling with a way of putting a workout station in my garage. I envision something utilizing a stack of weights, cables and pulleys and went to my nephew, Jon Duer, who owns and operates Great Lakes Rigging, for some help. He really knows about hoisting weight…both sails on boats and iron overhead. He’s a massive person and is currently training for one of those strong man competitions. To give you an example of his strength, one of the events has him lifting an 800-pound truck tire from the ground and flipping it over…with a goal of moving it 50 yards in total…and it’s actually something he can do. Anyway, he’s all over my idea to make a simple, inexpensive, multi-station weightlifting system. I’m going to put it in my garage, make the necessary modifications, and then we’ll have it ready for installation in other clients’ homes as part of their ‘back to basics’ workout routines. My goal is to have something to compliment the bands, logs, rocks, sledge hammers, heavy bags and other things people actually could do in and around their homes with an inexpensive and simple-to-use training station. More on that as we progress.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Time for a couple of push-ups...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
I knew early on that there would be little chance for a ride. The long term forecast...which has nothing to do with science or meteorology…I mean who couldn’t be a weather forecaster – “well Robin…looks like it’ll be raining until your 3-year old gets his college diploma. And now…let’s talk about sports…The Indians were rained out again today and will be playing the make-up games some time next January”.
I went over to Mimi’s and did some yard work. She’d been leaving little piles of crap all over the property and by the time I’d scooped them up, put them in a wheelbarrow and run them to the dumping pile in the woods at the back of her property, I was breaking a decent sweat. I was hoping for a couple of hours of this and then home to cut the grass, but the monsoons returned shortly after I left her place and the lawn thing was out of the question. I was running out of time because we had to be at a surprise birthday party at the Winking Lizard, which meant we couldn’t be late. There was no way I was going to run and I could have climbed on the trainer…but I couldn’t make myself ride inside. Instead, I did my push-ups and abdominal work and got ready for the party.
The Winking Lizard was not serving Paleo…we had pizza and wings…so I broke down and had some pizza. I think they forgot to bring the vegetable platter, because it appeared about half way through the party. I went back and loaded up on carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, but it was too late.
I guess the slip was a small one. I’d put my jeans on to go to the party and found that I’d had to put the belt in the last notch because they were so baggy. I’m actually seeing a little more tone in the upper body and I’m lifting and doing more during the workouts. The knee is still bothering me and I know its time to go see the doc…it’s clear that it won’t heal itself.
I knew early on that there would be little chance for a ride. The long term forecast...which has nothing to do with science or meteorology…I mean who couldn’t be a weather forecaster – “well Robin…looks like it’ll be raining until your 3-year old gets his college diploma. And now…let’s talk about sports…The Indians were rained out again today and will be playing the make-up games some time next January”.
I went over to Mimi’s and did some yard work. She’d been leaving little piles of crap all over the property and by the time I’d scooped them up, put them in a wheelbarrow and run them to the dumping pile in the woods at the back of her property, I was breaking a decent sweat. I was hoping for a couple of hours of this and then home to cut the grass, but the monsoons returned shortly after I left her place and the lawn thing was out of the question. I was running out of time because we had to be at a surprise birthday party at the Winking Lizard, which meant we couldn’t be late. There was no way I was going to run and I could have climbed on the trainer…but I couldn’t make myself ride inside. Instead, I did my push-ups and abdominal work and got ready for the party.
The Winking Lizard was not serving Paleo…we had pizza and wings…so I broke down and had some pizza. I think they forgot to bring the vegetable platter, because it appeared about half way through the party. I went back and loaded up on carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, but it was too late.
I guess the slip was a small one. I’d put my jeans on to go to the party and found that I’d had to put the belt in the last notch because they were so baggy. I’m actually seeing a little more tone in the upper body and I’m lifting and doing more during the workouts. The knee is still bothering me and I know its time to go see the doc…it’s clear that it won’t heal itself.
Friday, May 13, 2011
I'm not sure...could it be...rain?
Friday, May 13, 2011
Monsoon season wasn’t over…and I knew that, but the day had started out promising and I was thinking I’d be riding a long one after work. I was thinking wrong about that. The first downpour hit around 3 p.m. but by the time I left work, the roads had dried sufficiently to ride…though there was something about the skies…I don’t know exactly…possibly the blackness mixed with bolts of electricity and a rumbling like what my belly does when I haven’t eaten in two hours…that had me thinking it might rain again.
I drove to the park for a run…against my plan for two days in between runs but out of necessity. I thought ‘maybe I’ll run kind of short and then I’ll go home and ride some if it doesn’t rain’…one of those Sundance Kid moments…you know where he tells Butch, “you just keep thinking…that’s what you’re good at.”
Thirty minutes would be plenty…if I could back it up with a bike. I headed down the bridle trail, but when I reached Clear Creek, the water was running so high from the afternoon monsoon, that I would have needed a good moose under me to have forded it. I detoured around…which meant more time and since I had to return the same way, ended up doing forty minutes instead of thirty. The thunder had been rumbling throughout the run, but the rains held off until I was five minutes from the car. It fell heavily when it came and after I completed the run, just walked out into the rugby field with the Canada Geese and let the rains pound into me. Nothing beats a warm, hard rain at the end of…or during…a long, hot run. I let it soak my shirt to the skin and plodded through the puddles in the low spots of the field until my shoes were saturated, as well. I couldn’t have been any wetter if I’d fallen off my moose and landed in Clear Creek and it felt completely refreshing.
Needless to say, I did not ride the bike when I returned home. Nor did I get a chance to cut the grass, which was now pretty much uncut able for the next day, too. My knee seems to be doing well with the every other day routine, but I’m really not comfortable and feel like I’m courting disaster. Hopefully the rains will abate for some period of time tomorrow and allow me to ride.
Run duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 675.
Monsoon season wasn’t over…and I knew that, but the day had started out promising and I was thinking I’d be riding a long one after work. I was thinking wrong about that. The first downpour hit around 3 p.m. but by the time I left work, the roads had dried sufficiently to ride…though there was something about the skies…I don’t know exactly…possibly the blackness mixed with bolts of electricity and a rumbling like what my belly does when I haven’t eaten in two hours…that had me thinking it might rain again.
I drove to the park for a run…against my plan for two days in between runs but out of necessity. I thought ‘maybe I’ll run kind of short and then I’ll go home and ride some if it doesn’t rain’…one of those Sundance Kid moments…you know where he tells Butch, “you just keep thinking…that’s what you’re good at.”
Thirty minutes would be plenty…if I could back it up with a bike. I headed down the bridle trail, but when I reached Clear Creek, the water was running so high from the afternoon monsoon, that I would have needed a good moose under me to have forded it. I detoured around…which meant more time and since I had to return the same way, ended up doing forty minutes instead of thirty. The thunder had been rumbling throughout the run, but the rains held off until I was five minutes from the car. It fell heavily when it came and after I completed the run, just walked out into the rugby field with the Canada Geese and let the rains pound into me. Nothing beats a warm, hard rain at the end of…or during…a long, hot run. I let it soak my shirt to the skin and plodded through the puddles in the low spots of the field until my shoes were saturated, as well. I couldn’t have been any wetter if I’d fallen off my moose and landed in Clear Creek and it felt completely refreshing.
Needless to say, I did not ride the bike when I returned home. Nor did I get a chance to cut the grass, which was now pretty much uncut able for the next day, too. My knee seems to be doing well with the every other day routine, but I’m really not comfortable and feel like I’m courting disaster. Hopefully the rains will abate for some period of time tomorrow and allow me to ride.
Run duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 675.
Bob meets the survival workout...
Thursday, May 12, 2011
I wasn’t looking forward to working out with Bob. He’d agreed to go through a survival workout with me, which is something I do pretty well…for an old guy, but with the shape he’s in, I didn’t think it would be much of a challenge. Bob runs at around 7 percent body fat, does 80 push-ups at a time, was a National Champion in ballroom dancing (yeah…I’ve taken his ‘Man Card away’), eats perfectly…and he’s nice. He’s also 52. Anyway, we met at the end of Ox Lane in the North Chagrin Reservation and before setting off, I had him do his push-ups while I did mine. He inspired me to a new pr of 46, and then it was step-ups, which I had him do with the 30-pound pack.
Our first stop was the rock lift, which he did well but maxed out at 12 to my 16…at least I had that going for me. We did our second set of step-ups before climbing the steepest trail in the park before descending to my favorite lifting log. I demonstrated the row and the overhead press and he followed with 5 more rows and 2 less presses…we were pretty much even. After setting the log down, he said, “hey…I’m surprised at just how good a workout I’m getting…who needs a gym?” ‘Who’ exactly…which was my whole point and what I wanted him to wrap his head around. We arrived at the cabins where I hooked up the bands and we continued the workout. He struggled with some of the form with the bands, but once he figured it out was able to max out on the various muscle groups with rapidity. We grabbed a slab of concrete and did some biceps curls and then headed to the picnic tables for some hop-ups.
I demonstrated the climb up the swing set pole, the bear and crab crawls and ‘walk the line’ before taking him up ‘the hill’. “Should I sprint up it?” Bob was thinking with his legs and not his head. I told him he could run if he liked, but about 5 steps into it, he realized that just climbing up would be all the workout he would need. We hit the top with heart rates around 200 and climbed back down.
We made our way back to the cabins after some high skips and did our abdominals before the rock carry and throw. To finish ourselves off, we stood back-to-back and passed a 40-pound rock back and forth, swiveling and handing off to each other for about two minutes. “Great oblique workout,” Bob gasped as we finished up and heaved the rock to the side.
We headed back towards the car, but stopped at the log for a final lift. When Bob completed his last shoulder press, he carelessly dropped it on the path. I heard the ‘crack’ as it hit the earth and noticeably flinched. “You…broke…my…favorite…log!” He could tell how upset I was and began to apologize, but I let him off easy…noticing there were more than a few downed trees in the vicinity. I knew he’d had a great workout because when we got to the last rock lift, he paused and said, “I think I’ve done enough for tonight.”
I had, anyway. My next door neighbors had both celebrated birthdays during the last three days and invited us over on separate nights for Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake. I mean…does it get any better? I ate a piece…only one…each time and man…was it ever good. I really miss the desserts and could have easily eaten half the cake. Well…I’m sticking with the Paleo diet. I’m really anxious to see where it takes me.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
I wasn’t looking forward to working out with Bob. He’d agreed to go through a survival workout with me, which is something I do pretty well…for an old guy, but with the shape he’s in, I didn’t think it would be much of a challenge. Bob runs at around 7 percent body fat, does 80 push-ups at a time, was a National Champion in ballroom dancing (yeah…I’ve taken his ‘Man Card away’), eats perfectly…and he’s nice. He’s also 52. Anyway, we met at the end of Ox Lane in the North Chagrin Reservation and before setting off, I had him do his push-ups while I did mine. He inspired me to a new pr of 46, and then it was step-ups, which I had him do with the 30-pound pack.
Our first stop was the rock lift, which he did well but maxed out at 12 to my 16…at least I had that going for me. We did our second set of step-ups before climbing the steepest trail in the park before descending to my favorite lifting log. I demonstrated the row and the overhead press and he followed with 5 more rows and 2 less presses…we were pretty much even. After setting the log down, he said, “hey…I’m surprised at just how good a workout I’m getting…who needs a gym?” ‘Who’ exactly…which was my whole point and what I wanted him to wrap his head around. We arrived at the cabins where I hooked up the bands and we continued the workout. He struggled with some of the form with the bands, but once he figured it out was able to max out on the various muscle groups with rapidity. We grabbed a slab of concrete and did some biceps curls and then headed to the picnic tables for some hop-ups.
I demonstrated the climb up the swing set pole, the bear and crab crawls and ‘walk the line’ before taking him up ‘the hill’. “Should I sprint up it?” Bob was thinking with his legs and not his head. I told him he could run if he liked, but about 5 steps into it, he realized that just climbing up would be all the workout he would need. We hit the top with heart rates around 200 and climbed back down.
We made our way back to the cabins after some high skips and did our abdominals before the rock carry and throw. To finish ourselves off, we stood back-to-back and passed a 40-pound rock back and forth, swiveling and handing off to each other for about two minutes. “Great oblique workout,” Bob gasped as we finished up and heaved the rock to the side.
We headed back towards the car, but stopped at the log for a final lift. When Bob completed his last shoulder press, he carelessly dropped it on the path. I heard the ‘crack’ as it hit the earth and noticeably flinched. “You…broke…my…favorite…log!” He could tell how upset I was and began to apologize, but I let him off easy…noticing there were more than a few downed trees in the vicinity. I knew he’d had a great workout because when we got to the last rock lift, he paused and said, “I think I’ve done enough for tonight.”
I had, anyway. My next door neighbors had both celebrated birthdays during the last three days and invited us over on separate nights for Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake. I mean…does it get any better? I ate a piece…only one…each time and man…was it ever good. I really miss the desserts and could have easily eaten half the cake. Well…I’m sticking with the Paleo diet. I’m really anxious to see where it takes me.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Holly's on a mission...
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Every day is an adventure in some new ache. My right shoulder had been giving me trouble for a couple of days to the point where I’d let a survival workout slip. I didn’t want to miss another and decided maybe I needed to work through it. I started with my 40 push-ups, which seemed to loosen things up and then headed down the bridle trail to find rocks and logs to lift. I thought I’d compensate for not lifting as much…should that prove to be the case…by doing extra step-ups and hill climbing. I reached the cabin area, hooked my bands to a tree limb and did my upper body workout without difficulty.
I’m still holding back somewhat on the sprinting and jumping since my knee continues to hurt when I go into a deep squat. I did climb the hill behind the cabins, which continues to be the most intense part of the workout because of its steepness. It’s so simple…I just have to walk up, grabbing roots to keep from slipping back down, but taking 2 minutes to reach the top and generating the highest heart rate of the workout during the climb. When my knee is completely healed, I’ll do it two more times during a workout, mixing it in between sets with the upper body to keep me moving and spread the load to the different body parts.
I managed to put in 200 step-ups and climb two extra hills during the workout and my legs were feeling the effort when I returned to the car for the ride home. Holly was coming out of the house as I arrived and announced that she was going to the park for a one-hour hike if I cared to come along. She’s been trying to put in an hour a day since I told her how successful Jeff has been since starting my program four weeks earlier. “He’s now lost 20 pounds and is doing it all by hiking an hour a day at the park. Of course, he’s also doing the step-ups and walking off-trail to make it more challenging,” I concluded.
I went with her, but was quite fatigued from my workout and was happy when she said she’d walk alone and I could hike into the marsh with Dakota and wait. I breathed heavily as I climbed the trail leading to the marsh, which is just reaffirmation of how tough my earlier workout had been…a good thing. I may try another run tomorrow because I’ll be limited on workout time. It’s the track Conference Championships and Marie is gunning for a couple of really fast times.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Every day is an adventure in some new ache. My right shoulder had been giving me trouble for a couple of days to the point where I’d let a survival workout slip. I didn’t want to miss another and decided maybe I needed to work through it. I started with my 40 push-ups, which seemed to loosen things up and then headed down the bridle trail to find rocks and logs to lift. I thought I’d compensate for not lifting as much…should that prove to be the case…by doing extra step-ups and hill climbing. I reached the cabin area, hooked my bands to a tree limb and did my upper body workout without difficulty.
I’m still holding back somewhat on the sprinting and jumping since my knee continues to hurt when I go into a deep squat. I did climb the hill behind the cabins, which continues to be the most intense part of the workout because of its steepness. It’s so simple…I just have to walk up, grabbing roots to keep from slipping back down, but taking 2 minutes to reach the top and generating the highest heart rate of the workout during the climb. When my knee is completely healed, I’ll do it two more times during a workout, mixing it in between sets with the upper body to keep me moving and spread the load to the different body parts.
I managed to put in 200 step-ups and climb two extra hills during the workout and my legs were feeling the effort when I returned to the car for the ride home. Holly was coming out of the house as I arrived and announced that she was going to the park for a one-hour hike if I cared to come along. She’s been trying to put in an hour a day since I told her how successful Jeff has been since starting my program four weeks earlier. “He’s now lost 20 pounds and is doing it all by hiking an hour a day at the park. Of course, he’s also doing the step-ups and walking off-trail to make it more challenging,” I concluded.
I went with her, but was quite fatigued from my workout and was happy when she said she’d walk alone and I could hike into the marsh with Dakota and wait. I breathed heavily as I climbed the trail leading to the marsh, which is just reaffirmation of how tough my earlier workout had been…a good thing. I may try another run tomorrow because I’ll be limited on workout time. It’s the track Conference Championships and Marie is gunning for a couple of really fast times.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"You want me to do what?"
Monday, May 09, 2011
I’d given my next door neighbor a fitness test about three weeks ago and yesterday we went over to celebrate her 60th birthday. I immediately began bugging her about starting a workout program with me. She’s been a member of Fitworks for some time, but has been sporadic about going there and was hoping I’d put something together for her to do in the basement with the free weights she has. “I can do that…but how about coming to the park with me and I’ll put you through a real workout where you burn some major calories…and have some fun.” She raised her arms over her head to mimic lifting weight and said, “I need to do some lifting for tone though.” I suppose I hadn’t been too clear on what exactly I do when I go to the park. “I’ll have you lifting rocks and logs and using the bands. You’ll get a complete ‘toning’ (I hate that word) workout while you’re having some fun, getting a little dirty and improving your cardiovascular fitness, too.”
I’m not so sure the woods are for her. Again…it means going somewhere to do the workout, which can be a huge stumbling block to commitment. If she’s got the stuff in her basement to work out, I can construct a program to suit her needs. Personally…I have to get ‘out’ and have goals if I am going to succeed.
I did get out last night, taking a good ride on my Waite Hill course. I found the wind in my face on the first half of the ride…it’s normally the opposite…and so my times for check points were way behind. I thought it was more than the wind…that I was just dogging it, but once I had the wind at my back, I picked up the lost time quickly and made it home in exactly the same time as I had when I last rode the course.
The knee was a little sore throughout the evening so I wrapped it with my cold pack. It’s not getting worse…which is encouraging…but it’s not getting better either. Some of the soreness I was feeling had to do with the yard work. As with any new workout, pain peaks at 48 hours and that’s where I was, feeling every bend I’d done in the yard on Saturday. I think I’ll keep the runs to once every three days and keep it in the 30-minute range. Tomorrow I’m hoping to drag my brother Jeff to the park for the survival workout.
Bike duration: 87 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1300.
I’d given my next door neighbor a fitness test about three weeks ago and yesterday we went over to celebrate her 60th birthday. I immediately began bugging her about starting a workout program with me. She’s been a member of Fitworks for some time, but has been sporadic about going there and was hoping I’d put something together for her to do in the basement with the free weights she has. “I can do that…but how about coming to the park with me and I’ll put you through a real workout where you burn some major calories…and have some fun.” She raised her arms over her head to mimic lifting weight and said, “I need to do some lifting for tone though.” I suppose I hadn’t been too clear on what exactly I do when I go to the park. “I’ll have you lifting rocks and logs and using the bands. You’ll get a complete ‘toning’ (I hate that word) workout while you’re having some fun, getting a little dirty and improving your cardiovascular fitness, too.”
I’m not so sure the woods are for her. Again…it means going somewhere to do the workout, which can be a huge stumbling block to commitment. If she’s got the stuff in her basement to work out, I can construct a program to suit her needs. Personally…I have to get ‘out’ and have goals if I am going to succeed.
I did get out last night, taking a good ride on my Waite Hill course. I found the wind in my face on the first half of the ride…it’s normally the opposite…and so my times for check points were way behind. I thought it was more than the wind…that I was just dogging it, but once I had the wind at my back, I picked up the lost time quickly and made it home in exactly the same time as I had when I last rode the course.
The knee was a little sore throughout the evening so I wrapped it with my cold pack. It’s not getting worse…which is encouraging…but it’s not getting better either. Some of the soreness I was feeling had to do with the yard work. As with any new workout, pain peaks at 48 hours and that’s where I was, feeling every bend I’d done in the yard on Saturday. I think I’ll keep the runs to once every three days and keep it in the 30-minute range. Tomorrow I’m hoping to drag my brother Jeff to the park for the survival workout.
Bike duration: 87 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1300.
Monday, May 9, 2011
It's about the moms...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
It was Mother’s Day and Heidi and I were trying to keep Holly from having to do anything. We teamed up and went to Giant Eagle’s to buy the ingredients Heidi would need to make a Mother’s Day healthy meal. She bought all kinds of fruit for a platter she made, fresh spinach for a salad, some kind of fancy olive oil with a little plant growing in it for bread dipping, and shrimp, cherry tomatoes and some kind of rice noodles she was going to sauté for the entrée. Sounds kind of disgusting, but she made it work.
I was in charge of…well…nothing in particular. I was cleaning the house using methods which would get the John Housekeeping Seal of Approval…but no one else’s. I did manage to vacuum some rooms, wash floors in others and even clean the kitchen window. And since Holly hates to see dead grass clumps in the yard, I even went outside and, against all of my principles, raked the dead grass into piles and picked it up. I was firing on all seven cylinders….
I was still feeling yesterday’s workout and yard work…my hamstrings were screaming every time I bent over as they will do when you’ve done a lot of yard work, but I managed to sneak in a 30-minute run. Again…I moved slowly, trying to make the knee think I was doing anything but running. It seemed to work since I made it through the run without incident, though I did have some soreness later on and found it necessary to put the ice wrap on.
A great day for some wonderful women in my life. And…if I’m not mistaken…not a drop of rain fell for the entire 24 hours.
Run duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 500.
It was Mother’s Day and Heidi and I were trying to keep Holly from having to do anything. We teamed up and went to Giant Eagle’s to buy the ingredients Heidi would need to make a Mother’s Day healthy meal. She bought all kinds of fruit for a platter she made, fresh spinach for a salad, some kind of fancy olive oil with a little plant growing in it for bread dipping, and shrimp, cherry tomatoes and some kind of rice noodles she was going to sauté for the entrée. Sounds kind of disgusting, but she made it work.
I was in charge of…well…nothing in particular. I was cleaning the house using methods which would get the John Housekeeping Seal of Approval…but no one else’s. I did manage to vacuum some rooms, wash floors in others and even clean the kitchen window. And since Holly hates to see dead grass clumps in the yard, I even went outside and, against all of my principles, raked the dead grass into piles and picked it up. I was firing on all seven cylinders….
I was still feeling yesterday’s workout and yard work…my hamstrings were screaming every time I bent over as they will do when you’ve done a lot of yard work, but I managed to sneak in a 30-minute run. Again…I moved slowly, trying to make the knee think I was doing anything but running. It seemed to work since I made it through the run without incident, though I did have some soreness later on and found it necessary to put the ice wrap on.
A great day for some wonderful women in my life. And…if I’m not mistaken…not a drop of rain fell for the entire 24 hours.
Run duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 500.
A long day...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
My front lawn was still a muddy mess. I knew I had to cut it, do the trimming and edging and picking up the downed limbs and leaves that were everywhere. It was also moving day for Holly’s office. She was changing things around…which pretty much meant I was changing things around…with stuff in Jack’s room and other places and I was supposed to be on-call for that. I also needed to drive to Kent to pick up Heidi and deliver her at work and stop by Mimi’s to check out the condition of her yard for work that needed to be done in the coming weeks. Oh yeah…and I needed to ride a couple of hours because it was perfect riding weather and I still need to do the birthday triathlon.
I started with the trimming. Since I’ve given up the tractor for cutting grass, I decided to go with the hand clippers for all the trimming. If it runs on gas or electricity, I’m trying to avoid it in caring for the yard. It’s a nice thought, but by the time I’d trimmed and edged, I’d used an hour and had blisters on my hands. Poor baby. I pulled out the hand mower and tried…and failed…to cut the front lawn. The grass was thick…which just meant I needed to push harder, but it was also wet and my wheels were sinking so far into the mud that the rotating blades were digging into the ground. It just wouldn’t do and I couldn’t wait for the lawn to dry so I broke down and pulled out my motorized hand mower and knocked out the front lawn. The back was drier (and bigger) and I was able to use the hand mower there.
By the time I finished the yard work and moving the furniture, I’d been working for four hours…all physical. I could have called it a day and had a pretty good workout, having burned probably a thousand calories already. And I was fatigued and wondered how well I would ride…but I was going to ride, none the less. I thought maybe I’d take it a little easier and enjoy the scenery. I ’thought’ that, anyway.
The skies were starting to look a little gray as I left my drive…it hadn’t rained in close to 20 hours…a record for the last three months…so I was leery of getting wet. I was headed for Old Mill Road, planning to ride out Pekin Road to Auburn before turning around. This course is about 37 miles round-trip, hilly and challenging…but I was going to take it easy. I reached the top of Old Mill and hit Cedar Road in a hair over 30 minutes…which is as fast as I’ve ever ridden that part of the course. And you know what that means…now I had to keep pushing so I could set a new pr for the entire course…easy ride be damned.
I made the turnaround in 1:05 and rode home in 1:03, breaking my old record for the course by 2 minutes. I haven’t been riding that much and believe the performance needs to either be attributed to a change in diet (not likely) or the bike. I think John’s bike, which was bigger than mine, actually fits me better. I’m able to ride using the profile bars (placed over the standard handle bars and allowing the rider to lean forward on their elbows in a more aero dynamic position, thus riding faster) for most of the ride, which makes me about 1 to 1.5 mph faster.
I was completely exhausted after the ride and did very little for the rest of the evening. Dinner was salad with chicken breast meat on top, which just didn’t hit the spot. I needed something sweet and Diet Mountain Dew just wasn’t getting it done, so I tried making a smoothie with skim milk, a cup of frozen blue berries, a cup of vanilla yogurt and a tablespoon of Agave Nectar. It was really good, but I shouldn’t have used the Nectar…which is pure fructose and probably gave me a bit of a spike in blood sugar. I’ll talk to Bob about that.
Yard work duration: 3 hours. Bike duration: 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75-100 in the yard and 130 bpm for bike ride.
Calories burned during workout: 1,000 for yard work and moving and 1900 for bike ride.
My front lawn was still a muddy mess. I knew I had to cut it, do the trimming and edging and picking up the downed limbs and leaves that were everywhere. It was also moving day for Holly’s office. She was changing things around…which pretty much meant I was changing things around…with stuff in Jack’s room and other places and I was supposed to be on-call for that. I also needed to drive to Kent to pick up Heidi and deliver her at work and stop by Mimi’s to check out the condition of her yard for work that needed to be done in the coming weeks. Oh yeah…and I needed to ride a couple of hours because it was perfect riding weather and I still need to do the birthday triathlon.
I started with the trimming. Since I’ve given up the tractor for cutting grass, I decided to go with the hand clippers for all the trimming. If it runs on gas or electricity, I’m trying to avoid it in caring for the yard. It’s a nice thought, but by the time I’d trimmed and edged, I’d used an hour and had blisters on my hands. Poor baby. I pulled out the hand mower and tried…and failed…to cut the front lawn. The grass was thick…which just meant I needed to push harder, but it was also wet and my wheels were sinking so far into the mud that the rotating blades were digging into the ground. It just wouldn’t do and I couldn’t wait for the lawn to dry so I broke down and pulled out my motorized hand mower and knocked out the front lawn. The back was drier (and bigger) and I was able to use the hand mower there.
By the time I finished the yard work and moving the furniture, I’d been working for four hours…all physical. I could have called it a day and had a pretty good workout, having burned probably a thousand calories already. And I was fatigued and wondered how well I would ride…but I was going to ride, none the less. I thought maybe I’d take it a little easier and enjoy the scenery. I ’thought’ that, anyway.
The skies were starting to look a little gray as I left my drive…it hadn’t rained in close to 20 hours…a record for the last three months…so I was leery of getting wet. I was headed for Old Mill Road, planning to ride out Pekin Road to Auburn before turning around. This course is about 37 miles round-trip, hilly and challenging…but I was going to take it easy. I reached the top of Old Mill and hit Cedar Road in a hair over 30 minutes…which is as fast as I’ve ever ridden that part of the course. And you know what that means…now I had to keep pushing so I could set a new pr for the entire course…easy ride be damned.
I made the turnaround in 1:05 and rode home in 1:03, breaking my old record for the course by 2 minutes. I haven’t been riding that much and believe the performance needs to either be attributed to a change in diet (not likely) or the bike. I think John’s bike, which was bigger than mine, actually fits me better. I’m able to ride using the profile bars (placed over the standard handle bars and allowing the rider to lean forward on their elbows in a more aero dynamic position, thus riding faster) for most of the ride, which makes me about 1 to 1.5 mph faster.
I was completely exhausted after the ride and did very little for the rest of the evening. Dinner was salad with chicken breast meat on top, which just didn’t hit the spot. I needed something sweet and Diet Mountain Dew just wasn’t getting it done, so I tried making a smoothie with skim milk, a cup of frozen blue berries, a cup of vanilla yogurt and a tablespoon of Agave Nectar. It was really good, but I shouldn’t have used the Nectar…which is pure fructose and probably gave me a bit of a spike in blood sugar. I’ll talk to Bob about that.
Yard work duration: 3 hours. Bike duration: 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75-100 in the yard and 130 bpm for bike ride.
Calories burned during workout: 1,000 for yard work and moving and 1900 for bike ride.
First run in a month...
Friday, May 6, 2011
I had squeezed the bike into the back seat of the Honda before leaving for work. I was hoping to get in a ride before coming home since I would be on a tight schedule. I had agreed to work the Mayfield Track Invitational where Kim and I would be serving as Bullpen Officials for the second year in a row. It would be our job to check in all the runners in each race before sending them to the starting line with their lane assignments.
I arrived at the Metropark under threatening skies. I pulled the bike from the car, conducted all the necessary preparations and was about to ride off when the first raindrops began to fall. My annoyance abated when I considered that it could have started 30 minutes into the ride…about he half way point…but then again it could have started just before I wrestled it from the back seat.
I’d been thinking about running and decided this was the time. After getting the bike back into the car, I put on my running shoes and headed off down the bridle path at a tentative pace. My knee has continued to hurt whenever I go into a catcher’s squat…basically the way it began over a month ago, but that was about it. I ran easily for 20 minutes, figuring that would be enough of a test and returned to the car in what had become a hard, steady, but warm rain.
Kim and I officiated through the preliminaries, but when it was time for Jack’s race, the 4x800, we could hear thunder rumbling in the distance. The first flashes of lightning could be seen after the gun had started the race; they were in the distance as well, but moving our way. The runners checking in for the next race were nervously asking if the officials would stop the meet…I said I wasn’t too worried because I’d stand under the concession roof while they were running so at least I wouldn’t get struck…which gave them little comfort.
We did take a 1-hour intermission to let the storm pass, but when we returned, Marie had one of her best days as a runner. She ran the fastest mile of the day, clocking 5:08 and then anchored her 4x400 team with a 58.8 for a quarter mile. There are few, if any, milers in the state that can run as fast over 400 meters…a huge advantage in any tactical race where the result comes down to who can finish the best. If it does…she’ll win.
We were at the meet until 10 p.m. and I was on my feet the entire evening. My knee felt fine…a very encouraging development, though I think I’ll give it at least a couple of days before testing it again.
Run duration: 20 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 350.
I had squeezed the bike into the back seat of the Honda before leaving for work. I was hoping to get in a ride before coming home since I would be on a tight schedule. I had agreed to work the Mayfield Track Invitational where Kim and I would be serving as Bullpen Officials for the second year in a row. It would be our job to check in all the runners in each race before sending them to the starting line with their lane assignments.
I arrived at the Metropark under threatening skies. I pulled the bike from the car, conducted all the necessary preparations and was about to ride off when the first raindrops began to fall. My annoyance abated when I considered that it could have started 30 minutes into the ride…about he half way point…but then again it could have started just before I wrestled it from the back seat.
I’d been thinking about running and decided this was the time. After getting the bike back into the car, I put on my running shoes and headed off down the bridle path at a tentative pace. My knee has continued to hurt whenever I go into a catcher’s squat…basically the way it began over a month ago, but that was about it. I ran easily for 20 minutes, figuring that would be enough of a test and returned to the car in what had become a hard, steady, but warm rain.
Kim and I officiated through the preliminaries, but when it was time for Jack’s race, the 4x800, we could hear thunder rumbling in the distance. The first flashes of lightning could be seen after the gun had started the race; they were in the distance as well, but moving our way. The runners checking in for the next race were nervously asking if the officials would stop the meet…I said I wasn’t too worried because I’d stand under the concession roof while they were running so at least I wouldn’t get struck…which gave them little comfort.
We did take a 1-hour intermission to let the storm pass, but when we returned, Marie had one of her best days as a runner. She ran the fastest mile of the day, clocking 5:08 and then anchored her 4x400 team with a 58.8 for a quarter mile. There are few, if any, milers in the state that can run as fast over 400 meters…a huge advantage in any tactical race where the result comes down to who can finish the best. If it does…she’ll win.
We were at the meet until 10 p.m. and I was on my feet the entire evening. My knee felt fine…a very encouraging development, though I think I’ll give it at least a couple of days before testing it again.
Run duration: 20 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 350.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
"You NEED me, Craig..."
Thursday, May 5, 2011
I attended my first Cinco de Mayo party. I had only a passing clue about what it meant, but did my homework…on someone’s Ipad once we got there…and now I’m an expert. I wasn’t so sure how the food would fit into the Paleo diet, but I was prepared to make exceptions. It turned out that they were serving tacos, which I made with grilled chicken breast, onions, tomatoes, and some bean stuff. I used the soft shell…which didn’t fit…but it was a pretty good compromise. Craig, one of the hosts, queried me on the diet and so I went into some detail…and included my take on fish oil tablets.
Craig’s a good guy…but he’s a physical wreck. He’s got issues with blood pressure and a family history of diabetes. He’s got a bad back, an arm with a surgically repaired biceps muscle he tore lifting something – a beer I think, a bum ankle, and…he’s carrying too much weight. I asked him when he was going to let me help him get back into shape. “Do you think you can help me…even with all my ailments?” I don’t believe in giving people false hope and so I was blunt. “You’ll probably die during the fitness test…or on our first survival workout. I’m hoping it’s on the workout because I can stuff your body some where in the woods and maybe not get blamed. Your collapsing in my house doing the step test might be harder to cover up,” I said. He figured I was kidding.
He will prove to be a challenge because I do have to make allowances for the injury history. He’s clearly a candidate for an assessment with Bob since nutrition could play a huge part in his ability to control his blood pressure without medication and to keep his blood sugar under control. In other words…he’s the perfect guinea pig. He’s a very good client of Holly’s, so I have the additional incentive to keep him alive…for a long time. He’s got a business trip coming up, but wants to get started upon his return. I’ll keep you posted.
I managed to slip in a hard ride before the party. I wish I’d had more time since I was riding so well. I managed to get in 20 miles in an hour, which included a couple of pretty good climbs. I’m also thinking of giving running a try in the very near future. I need to know…
Bike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 900.
I attended my first Cinco de Mayo party. I had only a passing clue about what it meant, but did my homework…on someone’s Ipad once we got there…and now I’m an expert. I wasn’t so sure how the food would fit into the Paleo diet, but I was prepared to make exceptions. It turned out that they were serving tacos, which I made with grilled chicken breast, onions, tomatoes, and some bean stuff. I used the soft shell…which didn’t fit…but it was a pretty good compromise. Craig, one of the hosts, queried me on the diet and so I went into some detail…and included my take on fish oil tablets.
Craig’s a good guy…but he’s a physical wreck. He’s got issues with blood pressure and a family history of diabetes. He’s got a bad back, an arm with a surgically repaired biceps muscle he tore lifting something – a beer I think, a bum ankle, and…he’s carrying too much weight. I asked him when he was going to let me help him get back into shape. “Do you think you can help me…even with all my ailments?” I don’t believe in giving people false hope and so I was blunt. “You’ll probably die during the fitness test…or on our first survival workout. I’m hoping it’s on the workout because I can stuff your body some where in the woods and maybe not get blamed. Your collapsing in my house doing the step test might be harder to cover up,” I said. He figured I was kidding.
He will prove to be a challenge because I do have to make allowances for the injury history. He’s clearly a candidate for an assessment with Bob since nutrition could play a huge part in his ability to control his blood pressure without medication and to keep his blood sugar under control. In other words…he’s the perfect guinea pig. He’s a very good client of Holly’s, so I have the additional incentive to keep him alive…for a long time. He’s got a business trip coming up, but wants to get started upon his return. I’ll keep you posted.
I managed to slip in a hard ride before the party. I wish I’d had more time since I was riding so well. I managed to get in 20 miles in an hour, which included a couple of pretty good climbs. I’m also thinking of giving running a try in the very near future. I need to know…
Bike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 900.
Swimming with the fishes...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
It’s been a week since I began my fish oil supplementation…and time I said something about ‘why’. First…I have NEVER taken any supplements (though I have a big head, I assure you I have not taken whatever it is Barry Bonds claims he has not taken), including vitamins. I’ve always felt that I could get what I needed from my diet and I don’t like popping any kind of pills. Sensible? Maybe not…but it’s just the way I do things. During my last meeting with Bob, my nutritionist, I queried him about what he takes. “Two things…fish oil tablets and Vitamin D,” he said and, as he always does, went into the research and science for his opinion. I truly value what he tells me because I know how thoroughly he researches what he does and more importantly, because of the way he has walked the talk his entire life. Still, though I was willing to begin taking them on his word, I needed to do my own reading as to the ‘why’.
I know a lot of my writing sounds light-hearted…which is intentional of course…but I do take my dedication to fitness pretty seriously and since earning my Master’s degree all those years ago, have prided myself on trying to utilize reliable sources when researching any topic. I started my fish oil search with the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association only because I was looking for recommendations they were making to the general public. I find both to be reactive and conservative, but thorough. If they were on board, there must be something to it. They were. From there, I went to the Dean of exercise research, the American College of Sports Medicine and after reading articles published by them, visited a website they recommended, WholeHealthMD.com, which was founded to provide consumers with professional, up-to-date guidance on the many options and benefits of integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with conventional health care treatments. I know I’m still in the infant stages of understanding fish oil and all it can do for me, but feel I at least have enough information to put something in writing.
First of all…what is it? Fish oils are simply a source of polyunsaturated fats called omega-3-fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids that the human body does not synthesize but are critical for normal metabolism. The health benefits to large amounts of omega-3’s in the diet became widely known in the medical community when researchers, studying the Greenland Inuit Tribe who consumed large amounts of fat from seafood, realized they had virtually no cardiovascular disease. This contradicted what the medical community believed at that time…that a diet high in fat was directly connected to coronary artery disease. In the Greenland Inuit’s though, it appeared that their consumption of cold-water fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, worked to reduce their levels of triglycerides, blood pressure and atherosclerosis. While all fish contain these fats, cold-water fish--salmon, sea bass, tuna, trout, and mackerel--are particularly rich sources because of their diet: plankton packed with omega-3s. Apparently, the colder the water, the higher the potency of the plankton.
Of course to me it was all about the health benefits which are, frankly, almost too numerous to mention. For most Americans, the attraction should be omega-3’s undisputed benefits in the battle with heart disease and high blood pressure…the top killers in our country. Since so much of the research of the myriad of benefits did not begin until the 1990’s, there is still much to learn and confirm absolutely, but there's evidence that these fatty acids can reduce the risk for colon, breast, prostate, and other cancers. For diabetics, fish oils may help by preventing nerve damage and possibly raising HDL ("good") cholesterol. On a basic, cellular level they may also improve the body's metabolic use of its own insulin while preventing coronary heart disease. It is also believed to minimize the symptoms of Crohn's disease and delay the onset of Reynaud’s disease symptoms. It has been shown to improve air flow for asthmatics and slow mental decline in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The fatty acids found in fish oil facilitate the speedy growth and development of the ever changing child’s brain. Nearly 15% of brain development takes place during infancy. Ensuring that nursing mothers and infants receive appropriate amounts of omega-3s is vital to child development. Preliminary data shows that omega-3 supplementation may also benefit children who chronically wet the bed by inhibiting prostaglandin and renal nitric oxide production. There is also evidence that it can ease menstrual cramps and the pain and heavy bleeding of endometriosis. Omega-3s may even aid mental disorders such as attention hyper deficit disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, autism, and schizophrenia. Preliminary findings in people with manic depression (bipolar disorder) link fish oil supplementation to fewer mood swings and irritability.
The skeptic in me has also been looking at the drawbacks, which are present but would appear to be acceptable. Belching, flatulence (those are just nicer words for burping and passing gas…I do these all the time anyway), nausea, diarrhea, and bloating may occur…and could be associated with a poor brand of fish oil tablets. I knew this was a possibility, but Bob assured me he would get me the best stuff and so I’m using LifeExtension – super omega-3 There is also a fear that high doses could interfere with the ability of the body to form blood clots and that if you’re going for surgery, you’d want to make sure to let the doctor know the dosage you were taking. Diabetics should check with their doctor before using because it may interfere with blood sugar levels. I’ve also seen it mentioned that you could emit a ‘fishy’ smell. If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, I’m sure you’d agree that for me, a ‘fishy’ smell would be perfectly appropriate.
It’s been a week since I began my fish oil supplementation…and time I said something about ‘why’. First…I have NEVER taken any supplements (though I have a big head, I assure you I have not taken whatever it is Barry Bonds claims he has not taken), including vitamins. I’ve always felt that I could get what I needed from my diet and I don’t like popping any kind of pills. Sensible? Maybe not…but it’s just the way I do things. During my last meeting with Bob, my nutritionist, I queried him about what he takes. “Two things…fish oil tablets and Vitamin D,” he said and, as he always does, went into the research and science for his opinion. I truly value what he tells me because I know how thoroughly he researches what he does and more importantly, because of the way he has walked the talk his entire life. Still, though I was willing to begin taking them on his word, I needed to do my own reading as to the ‘why’.
I know a lot of my writing sounds light-hearted…which is intentional of course…but I do take my dedication to fitness pretty seriously and since earning my Master’s degree all those years ago, have prided myself on trying to utilize reliable sources when researching any topic. I started my fish oil search with the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association only because I was looking for recommendations they were making to the general public. I find both to be reactive and conservative, but thorough. If they were on board, there must be something to it. They were. From there, I went to the Dean of exercise research, the American College of Sports Medicine and after reading articles published by them, visited a website they recommended, WholeHealthMD.com, which was founded to provide consumers with professional, up-to-date guidance on the many options and benefits of integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with conventional health care treatments. I know I’m still in the infant stages of understanding fish oil and all it can do for me, but feel I at least have enough information to put something in writing.
First of all…what is it? Fish oils are simply a source of polyunsaturated fats called omega-3-fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids that the human body does not synthesize but are critical for normal metabolism. The health benefits to large amounts of omega-3’s in the diet became widely known in the medical community when researchers, studying the Greenland Inuit Tribe who consumed large amounts of fat from seafood, realized they had virtually no cardiovascular disease. This contradicted what the medical community believed at that time…that a diet high in fat was directly connected to coronary artery disease. In the Greenland Inuit’s though, it appeared that their consumption of cold-water fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, worked to reduce their levels of triglycerides, blood pressure and atherosclerosis. While all fish contain these fats, cold-water fish--salmon, sea bass, tuna, trout, and mackerel--are particularly rich sources because of their diet: plankton packed with omega-3s. Apparently, the colder the water, the higher the potency of the plankton.
Of course to me it was all about the health benefits which are, frankly, almost too numerous to mention. For most Americans, the attraction should be omega-3’s undisputed benefits in the battle with heart disease and high blood pressure…the top killers in our country. Since so much of the research of the myriad of benefits did not begin until the 1990’s, there is still much to learn and confirm absolutely, but there's evidence that these fatty acids can reduce the risk for colon, breast, prostate, and other cancers. For diabetics, fish oils may help by preventing nerve damage and possibly raising HDL ("good") cholesterol. On a basic, cellular level they may also improve the body's metabolic use of its own insulin while preventing coronary heart disease. It is also believed to minimize the symptoms of Crohn's disease and delay the onset of Reynaud’s disease symptoms. It has been shown to improve air flow for asthmatics and slow mental decline in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The fatty acids found in fish oil facilitate the speedy growth and development of the ever changing child’s brain. Nearly 15% of brain development takes place during infancy. Ensuring that nursing mothers and infants receive appropriate amounts of omega-3s is vital to child development. Preliminary data shows that omega-3 supplementation may also benefit children who chronically wet the bed by inhibiting prostaglandin and renal nitric oxide production. There is also evidence that it can ease menstrual cramps and the pain and heavy bleeding of endometriosis. Omega-3s may even aid mental disorders such as attention hyper deficit disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, autism, and schizophrenia. Preliminary findings in people with manic depression (bipolar disorder) link fish oil supplementation to fewer mood swings and irritability.
The skeptic in me has also been looking at the drawbacks, which are present but would appear to be acceptable. Belching, flatulence (those are just nicer words for burping and passing gas…I do these all the time anyway), nausea, diarrhea, and bloating may occur…and could be associated with a poor brand of fish oil tablets. I knew this was a possibility, but Bob assured me he would get me the best stuff and so I’m using LifeExtension – super omega-3 There is also a fear that high doses could interfere with the ability of the body to form blood clots and that if you’re going for surgery, you’d want to make sure to let the doctor know the dosage you were taking. Diabetics should check with their doctor before using because it may interfere with blood sugar levels. I’ve also seen it mentioned that you could emit a ‘fishy’ smell. If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, I’m sure you’d agree that for me, a ‘fishy’ smell would be perfectly appropriate.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Hitting the right stride with nutrition and fitness...
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
I was hoping to get in another ride, but with rain falling all day…again…that was out. I’m going for an every-other day routine of doing the survival workout, which meant it was scheduled for today anyway, but I wanted to double it up by riding my bike to the Metropark. Oh well…
I was looking forward to sloshing through the mud though, and I wasn’t the least bit disappointed. No one was there, which suits me fine. I still have this idea that the North Chagrin is my personal park and that I’m just sharing it with the folks that show up every day. I knocked off 41 push-ups in the mud as soon as I exited the car, then strapped on the 30-pound pack, did some step-ups on the boulder at the edge of the bridle path and headed into the woods. I sloshed down the path making my usual stops to lift rocks and logs and do more step-ups. When I reached the cabins, I opted for doing my abdominal work on dry ground under the cabin over hang…because I’m such a sissy marry (do they still say that?). I keep upping the totals of the different exercises I perform for the workout as my strength and conditioning continues to improve. It really is amazing how quickly you can recapture previous levels of fitness when you stick to a program with consistency. And the more I do, the more I want to do…which I have to be careful about since it’s what often leads to my overuse injuries.
I retuned to the car in a light drizzle feeling exhausted but pumped. My arms that had dead-weight feeling that if I’d had hair, I wouldn’t have been able to comb it (got THAT going for me). I went home to a snack of raw almonds and a dinner of chicken and vegetable soup. I’m working diligently at sticking close to the Paleo diet to see the long-term benefits, though I have made some modifications with the help of Bob, my Nutritionist. I’m eating a whole grain, non-sweetened cereal with 2% milk and some fresh fruit for breakfast 2-3 times per week (the milk and fruit keep the insulin spike in the manageable range), but having scrambled eggs with mushrooms on the other mornings. My goal in the morning is to eat enough that I feel satisfied for most of the rest of the day, having regular fruit snacks to get me through. Holly says I look and feel skinnier. I know I’m feeling better and working out harder…and to make life almost perfect, Bin Laden is gone and the Indians still have the best record in Major League baseball. Go Tribe.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
I was hoping to get in another ride, but with rain falling all day…again…that was out. I’m going for an every-other day routine of doing the survival workout, which meant it was scheduled for today anyway, but I wanted to double it up by riding my bike to the Metropark. Oh well…
I was looking forward to sloshing through the mud though, and I wasn’t the least bit disappointed. No one was there, which suits me fine. I still have this idea that the North Chagrin is my personal park and that I’m just sharing it with the folks that show up every day. I knocked off 41 push-ups in the mud as soon as I exited the car, then strapped on the 30-pound pack, did some step-ups on the boulder at the edge of the bridle path and headed into the woods. I sloshed down the path making my usual stops to lift rocks and logs and do more step-ups. When I reached the cabins, I opted for doing my abdominal work on dry ground under the cabin over hang…because I’m such a sissy marry (do they still say that?). I keep upping the totals of the different exercises I perform for the workout as my strength and conditioning continues to improve. It really is amazing how quickly you can recapture previous levels of fitness when you stick to a program with consistency. And the more I do, the more I want to do…which I have to be careful about since it’s what often leads to my overuse injuries.
I retuned to the car in a light drizzle feeling exhausted but pumped. My arms that had dead-weight feeling that if I’d had hair, I wouldn’t have been able to comb it (got THAT going for me). I went home to a snack of raw almonds and a dinner of chicken and vegetable soup. I’m working diligently at sticking close to the Paleo diet to see the long-term benefits, though I have made some modifications with the help of Bob, my Nutritionist. I’m eating a whole grain, non-sweetened cereal with 2% milk and some fresh fruit for breakfast 2-3 times per week (the milk and fruit keep the insulin spike in the manageable range), but having scrambled eggs with mushrooms on the other mornings. My goal in the morning is to eat enough that I feel satisfied for most of the rest of the day, having regular fruit snacks to get me through. Holly says I look and feel skinnier. I know I’m feeling better and working out harder…and to make life almost perfect, Bin Laden is gone and the Indians still have the best record in Major League baseball. Go Tribe.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"John...I'm ready for the second phase..."
Monday, May 2, 2011
It had been exactly a month since Jeff and I had met to get him started on a structured training program. Jeff is a bow hunter and is planning a three-week trip to Colorado to do some elk hunting this August. He knows the terrain he’ll have to travel in pursuit of his quarry could be mountainous and rugged…and he was far from ready for it. He didn’t do well on the initial fitness testing and weighed in at 317 pounds. “I’m ready, John. Design me a program and I’ll do every bit of it,” he pledged after the test.
I wrote him a program that, for four weeks, would have him hiking and biking. I suggested step-ups and hills during the hikes to increase the intensity, and thus the calorie burn. He had a bike and wanted to incorporate that, which I plugged in. After four weeks, I told him it would be time to come and meet me in the Metropark for an introduction to a survival workout and ‘phase two’ of his regimen.
He called right on schedule and we agreed to meet. I told him to be prepared to get muddy and be ready to lift heavy things. We planned to meet in the park at the bottom of Ox Lane and adjacent to the rugby field. “I know the place…I hike by it all the time and I’ve seen people playing there. Looks like a rugged sport,” he said
I took a 45-minute bike ride to meet him there, carrying my backpack with hiking shoes, TRX bands, and my running shorts loaded inside. It’s an uncomfortable way to ride, but it’s better than driving the car. Jeff was there when I arrived…and so was Jason and the Mayfield girls rugby team (he coaches them), so I left my bike with him for safe keeping. “We’re doing the Back to Basics workout,” I told him and Roland…Jason’s roommate, great friend and fellow coach. Both have done the workout with me and knowing what Jeff was about to go through, asked the obvious question. “Um…why are you wearing blue jeans. Didn’t my dad tell you what he’s going to do to you?” Jeff mumbled something about not knowing…which, of course, was totally false. I think he thought if he showed up in jeans I might go easy on him. “Think again…big boy. I’d bring some shorts for the next workout. Now…let’s do some push-ups to get this thing started,” I said as I dropped to the ground at the edge of the practice field. As I completed my tenth push-up…alone…I barked at him to drop to the ground. He did…but after three, complained that he had severe pain in his ribs on both sides. I thought it might have something to do with being out of shape, but when he grimaced in pain and mentioned that he’d pushed a car out of some mud…well…stupid, but I believed him.
We headed off down the bridle path after performing 20 step-ups. I don’t believe in hurting people just to show them how out of shape they are. It’s a technique used in some Fitness Clubs and I think it’s very unprofessional…and dangerous. Anyway, we stopped a couple of hundred yards in and I had him picking up one of my rocks and lifting it overhead. He was struggling after 8 lifts, but kept pushing to 10…then dropped it back in the mud. “Man…I thought I was stronger than that,” he said. When we reached my favorite log, he was breathing heavily from his second set of step-ups. I noticed during the first set that he’d been stepping kind of casually and I’d told him to pick up the pace if he wanted them to do any good for his cardiovascular system.
I demonstrated the proper lift technique and had him grab and pull it from the mud to his chest. After 15 repeats, he dropped it. “Now…get the other end and lift it like this,” I said as I grabbed the log and pushed it overhead. When I went to drop it, I noticed movement in the mud where it landed. It was a beautifully colored garter snake and I was worried I’d crushed it, but when I picked it up again, it slithered off, unharmed.
We made to the cabins where I hooked up the bands and had him do some upper body work before telling him it was time for the abdominals. He grimaced when I said this. “I’ve been dreading this moment. It always hurts so much the next day,” he said. I was surprised he was worried about a particular muscle group. “Jeff…with what I’m doing to you, you’ll never notice your abs tomorrow. You’re just going to be one giant ache from head to toe.” This seemed to give him little comfort as he dropped to the earth and we went through the crunches and lower ab exercises. I showed him how to do high knee skips and then we went over to the picnic tables for hop-ups. After doing one and hearing the table groan, I figured it would be better if we used the concrete steps instead.
He opted out of the bear crawl…the pain in the ribs again…but did some ‘walk the line’ for balance. I pointed to the steep hill behind the pavilion and said “let’s climb…but be ready to slip in the mud.”
I headed up and made it to the halfway point with great difficulty…there was no dry footing anywhere. I hopped on top of the concrete abutment that was strategically placed half way up the hill, and waved him up when he reached it. “How…did…you…get…up…there…?” He was gasping out the words from the stress of the climb. The concrete block is about 5 feet high and requires some upper body strength and a little flexibility. Jeff was short on both at this point in the workout and after trying and failing, declared “I AM going to get up that thing…some day soon.”
We did a few more lifts and returned to the cars. Jason and Roland were waiting and happy to see that I hadn’t hurt Jeff. “He’s down 13 pounds in four weeks and he’s going to peel off another 50 before the elk hunt,” I said. Jeff is one of those guys who aren’t afraid to work, set goals, and share them with others…all the ingredients he’ll need to succeed. People who work like him inspire me, too. Another six weeks or so, and we’ll move into ‘phase three’. Get ready, Jeff.
Oh yeah…I finished by riding home. All in all…another great workout day.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike duration: 70 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout and 130 bpm for bike ride.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for workout and 1000 for bike ride.
It had been exactly a month since Jeff and I had met to get him started on a structured training program. Jeff is a bow hunter and is planning a three-week trip to Colorado to do some elk hunting this August. He knows the terrain he’ll have to travel in pursuit of his quarry could be mountainous and rugged…and he was far from ready for it. He didn’t do well on the initial fitness testing and weighed in at 317 pounds. “I’m ready, John. Design me a program and I’ll do every bit of it,” he pledged after the test.
I wrote him a program that, for four weeks, would have him hiking and biking. I suggested step-ups and hills during the hikes to increase the intensity, and thus the calorie burn. He had a bike and wanted to incorporate that, which I plugged in. After four weeks, I told him it would be time to come and meet me in the Metropark for an introduction to a survival workout and ‘phase two’ of his regimen.
He called right on schedule and we agreed to meet. I told him to be prepared to get muddy and be ready to lift heavy things. We planned to meet in the park at the bottom of Ox Lane and adjacent to the rugby field. “I know the place…I hike by it all the time and I’ve seen people playing there. Looks like a rugged sport,” he said
I took a 45-minute bike ride to meet him there, carrying my backpack with hiking shoes, TRX bands, and my running shorts loaded inside. It’s an uncomfortable way to ride, but it’s better than driving the car. Jeff was there when I arrived…and so was Jason and the Mayfield girls rugby team (he coaches them), so I left my bike with him for safe keeping. “We’re doing the Back to Basics workout,” I told him and Roland…Jason’s roommate, great friend and fellow coach. Both have done the workout with me and knowing what Jeff was about to go through, asked the obvious question. “Um…why are you wearing blue jeans. Didn’t my dad tell you what he’s going to do to you?” Jeff mumbled something about not knowing…which, of course, was totally false. I think he thought if he showed up in jeans I might go easy on him. “Think again…big boy. I’d bring some shorts for the next workout. Now…let’s do some push-ups to get this thing started,” I said as I dropped to the ground at the edge of the practice field. As I completed my tenth push-up…alone…I barked at him to drop to the ground. He did…but after three, complained that he had severe pain in his ribs on both sides. I thought it might have something to do with being out of shape, but when he grimaced in pain and mentioned that he’d pushed a car out of some mud…well…stupid, but I believed him.
We headed off down the bridle path after performing 20 step-ups. I don’t believe in hurting people just to show them how out of shape they are. It’s a technique used in some Fitness Clubs and I think it’s very unprofessional…and dangerous. Anyway, we stopped a couple of hundred yards in and I had him picking up one of my rocks and lifting it overhead. He was struggling after 8 lifts, but kept pushing to 10…then dropped it back in the mud. “Man…I thought I was stronger than that,” he said. When we reached my favorite log, he was breathing heavily from his second set of step-ups. I noticed during the first set that he’d been stepping kind of casually and I’d told him to pick up the pace if he wanted them to do any good for his cardiovascular system.
I demonstrated the proper lift technique and had him grab and pull it from the mud to his chest. After 15 repeats, he dropped it. “Now…get the other end and lift it like this,” I said as I grabbed the log and pushed it overhead. When I went to drop it, I noticed movement in the mud where it landed. It was a beautifully colored garter snake and I was worried I’d crushed it, but when I picked it up again, it slithered off, unharmed.
We made to the cabins where I hooked up the bands and had him do some upper body work before telling him it was time for the abdominals. He grimaced when I said this. “I’ve been dreading this moment. It always hurts so much the next day,” he said. I was surprised he was worried about a particular muscle group. “Jeff…with what I’m doing to you, you’ll never notice your abs tomorrow. You’re just going to be one giant ache from head to toe.” This seemed to give him little comfort as he dropped to the earth and we went through the crunches and lower ab exercises. I showed him how to do high knee skips and then we went over to the picnic tables for hop-ups. After doing one and hearing the table groan, I figured it would be better if we used the concrete steps instead.
He opted out of the bear crawl…the pain in the ribs again…but did some ‘walk the line’ for balance. I pointed to the steep hill behind the pavilion and said “let’s climb…but be ready to slip in the mud.”
I headed up and made it to the halfway point with great difficulty…there was no dry footing anywhere. I hopped on top of the concrete abutment that was strategically placed half way up the hill, and waved him up when he reached it. “How…did…you…get…up…there…?” He was gasping out the words from the stress of the climb. The concrete block is about 5 feet high and requires some upper body strength and a little flexibility. Jeff was short on both at this point in the workout and after trying and failing, declared “I AM going to get up that thing…some day soon.”
We did a few more lifts and returned to the cars. Jason and Roland were waiting and happy to see that I hadn’t hurt Jeff. “He’s down 13 pounds in four weeks and he’s going to peel off another 50 before the elk hunt,” I said. Jeff is one of those guys who aren’t afraid to work, set goals, and share them with others…all the ingredients he’ll need to succeed. People who work like him inspire me, too. Another six weeks or so, and we’ll move into ‘phase three’. Get ready, Jeff.
Oh yeah…I finished by riding home. All in all…another great workout day.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike duration: 70 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout and 130 bpm for bike ride.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for workout and 1000 for bike ride.
A 'most excellent' workout...
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The last two days had been embarrassing disasters…as workouts go. I hate missing time for injuries and Saturday would have been a great day for a long ride. Well…I decided to make up for lost time by doing a double. I started the morning by dropping Jack at church, playing hooky myself, and going into the Metropark for a survival workout. I always begin with push-ups next to the car. Three weeks ago, when I first started doing the workout again, I struggled to get to 25 good push-ups…which was completely unacceptable. I dropped into the mud and knocked out 38 to begin this session.
I grabbed my pack from the trunk, loaded with my TRX bands and a 25-pound bag of salt, threw it onto my back and did 50 step-ups on the 15” rock next to the car. I was feeling good as I headed down the bridle path to my first stop – a big rock I lift overhead about 15 times. I continued to a second step-up stop and did another 40. Next was my favorite log, which I bend over and pull up to my chest for the back muscles. I then grab one end, the other rests on the ground, and push it overhead, lifting and lowering to my shoulders about 12 times before dropping it back into the mud.
I arrived at the cabins after doing another 20 step-ups, where I hook the bands to a tree and do the rest of my workout. Today, it included lifting a heavy rock and walking while pressing it overhead, biceps curls with a hunk of concrete, back, shoulder, and arm work with the bands, and crunches and bicycles for the abs lying in the wet turf.
I was able to do some high knee skips and jump ups on the picnic table…something I’ve avoided since the knee began to hurt and it went well. I started back for the car, stopping to do more lifting and step-ups along the way and getting the entire workout done in about 60 minutes. My upper body muscles have not been so exhausted from a workout in years and my thighs were screaming from 240 step-ups…and it felt great. Now…if I could just do enough work around the house to earn the right to ride the bike…
I built a shelf I will be mounting under Holly’s desk to serve as a keypad holder. It will glide in and out and she was thrilled with it. “Mind if I go for a little ride before dinner?” My timing was impeccable and she shooed me out.
I started the ride with endorphins flying throughout my body…at least I think they were because I felt so good and rode so strongly. I rode my Waite Hill course, something I’ve had to alter due to bridge construction on Dodd road, which has caused me to change my time check spots, as well. I climbed up Hobart to Chardon Road and hit that point about 5 minutes faster than I’d done it the only other time I’d rode this course. I pushed hard for the rest of the ride home and ended up 8 minutes faster than my previous time…and feeling strong for the entire ride.
I’ve changed the diet and I’m losing weight and training better. I’m also started taking a large dose of fish oil, primarily for its anti-inflammatory capabilities which I’ll get into later. For now…great workout day…one of the best in six months.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike duration: 87 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout and 130 bpm for bike ride.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for workout and 1250 for bike ride.
The last two days had been embarrassing disasters…as workouts go. I hate missing time for injuries and Saturday would have been a great day for a long ride. Well…I decided to make up for lost time by doing a double. I started the morning by dropping Jack at church, playing hooky myself, and going into the Metropark for a survival workout. I always begin with push-ups next to the car. Three weeks ago, when I first started doing the workout again, I struggled to get to 25 good push-ups…which was completely unacceptable. I dropped into the mud and knocked out 38 to begin this session.
I grabbed my pack from the trunk, loaded with my TRX bands and a 25-pound bag of salt, threw it onto my back and did 50 step-ups on the 15” rock next to the car. I was feeling good as I headed down the bridle path to my first stop – a big rock I lift overhead about 15 times. I continued to a second step-up stop and did another 40. Next was my favorite log, which I bend over and pull up to my chest for the back muscles. I then grab one end, the other rests on the ground, and push it overhead, lifting and lowering to my shoulders about 12 times before dropping it back into the mud.
I arrived at the cabins after doing another 20 step-ups, where I hook the bands to a tree and do the rest of my workout. Today, it included lifting a heavy rock and walking while pressing it overhead, biceps curls with a hunk of concrete, back, shoulder, and arm work with the bands, and crunches and bicycles for the abs lying in the wet turf.
I was able to do some high knee skips and jump ups on the picnic table…something I’ve avoided since the knee began to hurt and it went well. I started back for the car, stopping to do more lifting and step-ups along the way and getting the entire workout done in about 60 minutes. My upper body muscles have not been so exhausted from a workout in years and my thighs were screaming from 240 step-ups…and it felt great. Now…if I could just do enough work around the house to earn the right to ride the bike…
I built a shelf I will be mounting under Holly’s desk to serve as a keypad holder. It will glide in and out and she was thrilled with it. “Mind if I go for a little ride before dinner?” My timing was impeccable and she shooed me out.
I started the ride with endorphins flying throughout my body…at least I think they were because I felt so good and rode so strongly. I rode my Waite Hill course, something I’ve had to alter due to bridge construction on Dodd road, which has caused me to change my time check spots, as well. I climbed up Hobart to Chardon Road and hit that point about 5 minutes faster than I’d done it the only other time I’d rode this course. I pushed hard for the rest of the ride home and ended up 8 minutes faster than my previous time…and feeling strong for the entire ride.
I’ve changed the diet and I’m losing weight and training better. I’m also started taking a large dose of fish oil, primarily for its anti-inflammatory capabilities which I’ll get into later. For now…great workout day…one of the best in six months.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike duration: 87 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout and 130 bpm for bike ride.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for workout and 1250 for bike ride.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Mowing my way to fitness...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
It is quite difficult to make major changes in your diet. I have found myself craving certain things over the past few weeks as I’ve switched from a diet that included plenty of grains and starches to one that excludes them completely. I miss my breakfast cereal, French toast, waffles, and oatmeal, but I like the things I’m eating and believe that they are better for me and in the long run will help me lose body fat, build more lean body mass and give me the energy I need to work out, but right now…it’s a bitch.
I started the day with scrambled eggs and mushrooms…which I love…but only when I’m eating it with buttered toast. I grabbed some fruit and headed for Jack’s track meet. He would be running as the anchor in the 4x800 at the Mentor Relays later in the day. I do enjoy the meets, but they carve a large hole in the middle of the day, leaving little time for anything else. This meet would be no exception. By the time I got back home, my shoulder was sore enough that I didn’t want to go out on the bike or do the survival workout. Instead, I opted for a lawnmower workout.
I’ve mentioned how I picked up the non-motorized push mower (they must have a name – probably ‘lawnmower’) and managed to get through the front yard with it earlier in the week. As yet, I hadn’t even considered the back yard. There were sticks scattered all over from the multitude of storms that have been visiting Northeast Ohio over the past couple of weeks, a bunch of Dakota droppings, and the bamboo and decorative grasses I needed to cut down…all before I could cut the grass back there. I’d been thinking that if I put it off long enough, it would snow again and I could wait until next year. Holly had other thoughts on the subject.
I spent an hour getting ready to cut and then pulled the mower out and began the process of pushing it through the too-deep grass. It actually went pretty well. I had to charge some spots where the grass, through Dakota-inspired fertilization, had grown quite tall. I also had twigs too small for me to bother to stoop and pick up jamming into the rotating blades and forcing me to back it off and give it a hard shove. In all, I managed to complete the back yard in around 45 minutes. I was drenched in sweat and my shoulders and arms were quite fatigued from the effort, but it felt good to know that I’d cut the entire lawn and hadn’t used any gas…at $4 a gallon…to complete the task. I’d also gotten what would easily qualify as a decent workout. I’d gotten my heart rate well over 100 beats per minute utilizing the large muscle groups of the lower body…which translates in to lots of calories burned. I don’t know how well it will work when the grass gets really thick over the next few weeks, but I’m determined to see it through.
Lawn mowing duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 200.
It is quite difficult to make major changes in your diet. I have found myself craving certain things over the past few weeks as I’ve switched from a diet that included plenty of grains and starches to one that excludes them completely. I miss my breakfast cereal, French toast, waffles, and oatmeal, but I like the things I’m eating and believe that they are better for me and in the long run will help me lose body fat, build more lean body mass and give me the energy I need to work out, but right now…it’s a bitch.
I started the day with scrambled eggs and mushrooms…which I love…but only when I’m eating it with buttered toast. I grabbed some fruit and headed for Jack’s track meet. He would be running as the anchor in the 4x800 at the Mentor Relays later in the day. I do enjoy the meets, but they carve a large hole in the middle of the day, leaving little time for anything else. This meet would be no exception. By the time I got back home, my shoulder was sore enough that I didn’t want to go out on the bike or do the survival workout. Instead, I opted for a lawnmower workout.
I’ve mentioned how I picked up the non-motorized push mower (they must have a name – probably ‘lawnmower’) and managed to get through the front yard with it earlier in the week. As yet, I hadn’t even considered the back yard. There were sticks scattered all over from the multitude of storms that have been visiting Northeast Ohio over the past couple of weeks, a bunch of Dakota droppings, and the bamboo and decorative grasses I needed to cut down…all before I could cut the grass back there. I’d been thinking that if I put it off long enough, it would snow again and I could wait until next year. Holly had other thoughts on the subject.
I spent an hour getting ready to cut and then pulled the mower out and began the process of pushing it through the too-deep grass. It actually went pretty well. I had to charge some spots where the grass, through Dakota-inspired fertilization, had grown quite tall. I also had twigs too small for me to bother to stoop and pick up jamming into the rotating blades and forcing me to back it off and give it a hard shove. In all, I managed to complete the back yard in around 45 minutes. I was drenched in sweat and my shoulders and arms were quite fatigued from the effort, but it felt good to know that I’d cut the entire lawn and hadn’t used any gas…at $4 a gallon…to complete the task. I’d also gotten what would easily qualify as a decent workout. I’d gotten my heart rate well over 100 beats per minute utilizing the large muscle groups of the lower body…which translates in to lots of calories burned. I don’t know how well it will work when the grass gets really thick over the next few weeks, but I’m determined to see it through.
Lawn mowing duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 200.
Another injury day-off...
Friday, April 29, 2011
I went in to the office early to knock out the paperwork that had been piling up. I hate paperwork and tend to put it off until the end of the month, which increases the stress of doing it. After a couple of hours of pounding on the computer, I started noticing stiffness in my neck and left shoulder. As the day wore on, it got worse and by the time I left for Kent to pick up Heidi, I was having difficulty turning my head to look behind me…which is what mirrors are for, so no big deal.
I whined to her as we drove…every bump was sending pain shocks to my brain…and she offered me the same sympathy Holly would later…none. I arrived home and immediately swallowed a couple of Allieve and grabbed the ice pack. I was hoping for a quick cure since Holly and I had to go to my brother’s for dinner. She saw me on the couch when she came home and Heidi informed her how I was just whining about a sore shoulder and should be ignored. I’d figured out that it hurt to let my arm hang normally as I walked, so I tried to fashion a sling from an ace bandage, but it didn’t do much. I let Holly drive to my brother’s, wincing with every chuck hole and bump she managed to locate.
Dinner was more Paleo diet…I had salad, green beans, and filet mignon. I haven’t had steak in a long time, but it’s lean meat and fits nicely. Jeff kept talking about some fantastic ice cream there in Brecksville, saying “it’s almost as good as ECC.” I had to go. I had some kind of custard in a waffle cone and it was very good and very non-Paleo (I’ve researched this and can find no evidence of refrigeration in the Paleolithic period), but I’m sticking to the 80/20 rule…following the diet 80 percent of the time.
I did nothing for a workout. I’ve had these kinds of neck/shoulder issues and they always go away in a little over 24 hours. I’m hoping this is just one of those cases.
I went in to the office early to knock out the paperwork that had been piling up. I hate paperwork and tend to put it off until the end of the month, which increases the stress of doing it. After a couple of hours of pounding on the computer, I started noticing stiffness in my neck and left shoulder. As the day wore on, it got worse and by the time I left for Kent to pick up Heidi, I was having difficulty turning my head to look behind me…which is what mirrors are for, so no big deal.
I whined to her as we drove…every bump was sending pain shocks to my brain…and she offered me the same sympathy Holly would later…none. I arrived home and immediately swallowed a couple of Allieve and grabbed the ice pack. I was hoping for a quick cure since Holly and I had to go to my brother’s for dinner. She saw me on the couch when she came home and Heidi informed her how I was just whining about a sore shoulder and should be ignored. I’d figured out that it hurt to let my arm hang normally as I walked, so I tried to fashion a sling from an ace bandage, but it didn’t do much. I let Holly drive to my brother’s, wincing with every chuck hole and bump she managed to locate.
Dinner was more Paleo diet…I had salad, green beans, and filet mignon. I haven’t had steak in a long time, but it’s lean meat and fits nicely. Jeff kept talking about some fantastic ice cream there in Brecksville, saying “it’s almost as good as ECC.” I had to go. I had some kind of custard in a waffle cone and it was very good and very non-Paleo (I’ve researched this and can find no evidence of refrigeration in the Paleolithic period), but I’m sticking to the 80/20 rule…following the diet 80 percent of the time.
I did nothing for a workout. I’ve had these kinds of neck/shoulder issues and they always go away in a little over 24 hours. I’m hoping this is just one of those cases.
"Don't worry...if it rains, I'll pick you up on the tractor"
Thursday, April 28, 2011
My neighbor was cutting his grass…with a tractor (actually…we bought the tractor together for lawn cutting, but I’m using manpower now) as I came out into the garage to prepare for my ride. The skies were looking ominous and it had been raining off and on throughout the day, but I thought I’d confer with him on the weather. “Pat…if I ride, will I stay dry?” He sat on the tractor, looked up to the gray clouds blocking that thing we used to refer to as ‘the sun’ and said, “…not gonna’ rain…look at the sky.” I looked up again to see what he was seeing, but must have been missing something. “It’s kinda’ gray and ugly…you’ll come and pick me up if I get nailed half way through?” He said if it rained, he drive the tractor to wherever I was.
So…I had that going for me. It was cool as I started, but if the rain held off it would be no problem. I rode south on Lander and headed for the ‘Iron Lung’. I hadn’t ridden that way since the weekend before my birthday when I’d had so much cramping. I was anxious to see if I was getting any stronger and that’s the course to answer the question. I reached the foot of the hill in twenty minutes and began the climb. I measure progress by the gears I need to use to get up the hill and whether I can stay in the saddle the entire way or not. I stayed seated and used a harder gear, pushing the thighs hard to make the climb. I reached the top without incident and three minutes ahead of the pace John and I had set two weeks ago. Things were looking up…and then it began.
The first drops are easy to mistake for sweat…I’ve got a lot of that going on…but it became apparent rather quickly that not even I sweat so much. I was just short of half way when the rains really started pelting me…but what are you going to do? I rode on, wondering if I should call Pat and ask him to ride the tractor out to get me.
When I finally arrived back in my driveway, I’d been riding in a bone-chilling downpour for forty minutes. In a way…it felt kind of good. I thought about Lance and all the other maniacs that are now training to ride in the Tour de France and the kind of inclement weather they put up with every day. ‘What doesn’t break you makes you stronger’ came to mind and I buy into that, as well…particularly when I’m out in the middle of no freakin’ where and have no other options…excluding a tractor ride, that is. I wiped down the bike and as I finished, I looked over to Pat’s place. He was in the picture window, holding a Great Lakes Brew beer and mouthing “you should have called,” with a smile on his evil face.
Bike duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1250.
My neighbor was cutting his grass…with a tractor (actually…we bought the tractor together for lawn cutting, but I’m using manpower now) as I came out into the garage to prepare for my ride. The skies were looking ominous and it had been raining off and on throughout the day, but I thought I’d confer with him on the weather. “Pat…if I ride, will I stay dry?” He sat on the tractor, looked up to the gray clouds blocking that thing we used to refer to as ‘the sun’ and said, “…not gonna’ rain…look at the sky.” I looked up again to see what he was seeing, but must have been missing something. “It’s kinda’ gray and ugly…you’ll come and pick me up if I get nailed half way through?” He said if it rained, he drive the tractor to wherever I was.
So…I had that going for me. It was cool as I started, but if the rain held off it would be no problem. I rode south on Lander and headed for the ‘Iron Lung’. I hadn’t ridden that way since the weekend before my birthday when I’d had so much cramping. I was anxious to see if I was getting any stronger and that’s the course to answer the question. I reached the foot of the hill in twenty minutes and began the climb. I measure progress by the gears I need to use to get up the hill and whether I can stay in the saddle the entire way or not. I stayed seated and used a harder gear, pushing the thighs hard to make the climb. I reached the top without incident and three minutes ahead of the pace John and I had set two weeks ago. Things were looking up…and then it began.
The first drops are easy to mistake for sweat…I’ve got a lot of that going on…but it became apparent rather quickly that not even I sweat so much. I was just short of half way when the rains really started pelting me…but what are you going to do? I rode on, wondering if I should call Pat and ask him to ride the tractor out to get me.
When I finally arrived back in my driveway, I’d been riding in a bone-chilling downpour for forty minutes. In a way…it felt kind of good. I thought about Lance and all the other maniacs that are now training to ride in the Tour de France and the kind of inclement weather they put up with every day. ‘What doesn’t break you makes you stronger’ came to mind and I buy into that, as well…particularly when I’m out in the middle of no freakin’ where and have no other options…excluding a tractor ride, that is. I wiped down the bike and as I finished, I looked over to Pat’s place. He was in the picture window, holding a Great Lakes Brew beer and mouthing “you should have called,” with a smile on his evil face.
Bike duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1250.
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