Monday, June 27, 2011
Nilesh…the sports doc…called me to discuss my MRI and knee options. “You’ve got a slight tear in the meniscus as we suspected, but I’m not sure why its causing you as much trouble as it has. I’m really reluctant to put you through surgery unless you continue to have flair-ups every few weeks and it keeps you from doing what you want to do,” he said. I like this approach from a doctor. Who wants surgery? I could be off two to four weeks and that would make me insane..er. I told him my thoughts on the upcoming backpacking season and my goals for the triathlon that I might want to do this fall. “You could just throw a pack on and try hiking in the Adirondacks and see what happens,” he said. He offered to write me a prescription I could turn in to Holly so I could go this weekend. And I’m thinking about it. I want to know now so if I need the surgery, I can get it and recover before September when I’m planning the big trip to the Adirondacks. We’ll see what fits…
I went for a ride after speaking to Nilesh…we both agreed that riding should be my primary form of exercise and to stay away from weight-bearing activities. He said that the meniscus never heals…there isn’t enough blood flow to the cartilage to heal it…but it enflames the bone in the area and that’s where my pain originates. Riding doesn’t seem to bother it and I love to ride. I went with a plan to ride two hours, but as often happens, found myself compelled to ride further. It was a decision that ended badly. By the 90-minute mark, I was extremely fatigued and slowing noticeably. I called Holly to tell her I was moving at a snail’s pace, but would be home soon. I had been riding on Auburn Road and elected to return on Sherman instead of Wilson Mills Road, thinking there would be a lot less traffic. I was right about the traffic, but the hills on Sherman wanted to kick my ass…and they did. I’d never ridden Sherman that far east and I’m glad I did…it was a great workout…but it’s the kind of road you’d like to know about before tackling since it takes some mental preparation. Anyway, I made it back about 25 minutes after I thought I would…and was spent.
I decided to stop putting off checking the weight gain from the weekend. In fact, the last time I’d checked, I’d climbed back to 186 so I was expecting to be back over 190. Instead, I hit a new low of 184. That was a shocking, but pleasant update. I guess I just need to eat more burgers.
Bike workout: Two hours and 25 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 2100.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A tough double and then more bad eating...
Sunday, June 26, 2011
I’d been eating burgers with bread for two days and knew I had a graduation party to attend that may or may not be serving Paleo food. I had to take some positive action…which to me means two-a-days. I started with the Survival Workout and pushed myself to make it extremely hard. I managed to work in 17 sets over the various muscle groups of the upper body and was trembling with fatigue by the time I returned to the car. I’d noticed as I was walking that my knee was pain-free…something I hadn’t experienced over the last 10 days. This naturally triggered my brain to think that it was time to run. Now…I’m not stupid…most of the time…but when it comes to running…well…I just am. I decided to shed my shoes and socks and do some short accelerations on the grass in the field near my car. I ended up doing only four 50-yard runs at about 75% effort. I didn’t want the hard pounding that would come with distance running, so to me, this test made sense.
I returned home, did a couple of chores, and headed out on my bike for a 90-minute ride. I was feeling really strong and the course that had taken me 90 minutes a few weeks ago only took 83 minutes. Sweating and fatigued, I returned home, showered and deemed myself ready to eat some more bad food. And I did. I steered clear of the pasta dishes, but loaded up on the meatballs and sausage. To assuage my guilt, I added a salad and a big bowl of fruit.
Once back home, the family appeared for dinner and I was making burgers on the grill…but not for myself. I had some baked white fish and baked beans and washed it all down with a shaker full of smoothie. I was sure I’d gained back all the weight I’d lost over the past several weeks, but afraid to check. Maybe in a couple of days when I’ve gotten good again and done another double.
Kim called to say they’d made 480 miles and were averaging 75 a day. They were in Kentucky and would be crossing into Indiana in the morning. She had some concerns over the amount of food she was consuming and wondered how many calories they were burning. “I can’t say exactly, but if you’re riding 5 hours a day at a decent clip, you’re probably burning 3,500 calories just while you’re on the bike. Add in the rest of the day and I’d say you’re over 5,000 a day. You’ll have trouble gaining weight on this trip,” I told her. Kim is the sweatiest woman I’ve ever known though, and I cautioned her to put back the sodium she was sweating out. “Shake some extra salt on your food and get your hands on that Gatorade that’s packed with the electrolytes. You’ll need it…and if you don’t get it, the cramping will knock you off your bike.” Eating everything in sight and not gaining weight…what a problem to have.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 83 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1200 biking.
I’d been eating burgers with bread for two days and knew I had a graduation party to attend that may or may not be serving Paleo food. I had to take some positive action…which to me means two-a-days. I started with the Survival Workout and pushed myself to make it extremely hard. I managed to work in 17 sets over the various muscle groups of the upper body and was trembling with fatigue by the time I returned to the car. I’d noticed as I was walking that my knee was pain-free…something I hadn’t experienced over the last 10 days. This naturally triggered my brain to think that it was time to run. Now…I’m not stupid…most of the time…but when it comes to running…well…I just am. I decided to shed my shoes and socks and do some short accelerations on the grass in the field near my car. I ended up doing only four 50-yard runs at about 75% effort. I didn’t want the hard pounding that would come with distance running, so to me, this test made sense.
I returned home, did a couple of chores, and headed out on my bike for a 90-minute ride. I was feeling really strong and the course that had taken me 90 minutes a few weeks ago only took 83 minutes. Sweating and fatigued, I returned home, showered and deemed myself ready to eat some more bad food. And I did. I steered clear of the pasta dishes, but loaded up on the meatballs and sausage. To assuage my guilt, I added a salad and a big bowl of fruit.
Once back home, the family appeared for dinner and I was making burgers on the grill…but not for myself. I had some baked white fish and baked beans and washed it all down with a shaker full of smoothie. I was sure I’d gained back all the weight I’d lost over the past several weeks, but afraid to check. Maybe in a couple of days when I’ve gotten good again and done another double.
Kim called to say they’d made 480 miles and were averaging 75 a day. They were in Kentucky and would be crossing into Indiana in the morning. She had some concerns over the amount of food she was consuming and wondered how many calories they were burning. “I can’t say exactly, but if you’re riding 5 hours a day at a decent clip, you’re probably burning 3,500 calories just while you’re on the bike. Add in the rest of the day and I’d say you’re over 5,000 a day. You’ll have trouble gaining weight on this trip,” I told her. Kim is the sweatiest woman I’ve ever known though, and I cautioned her to put back the sodium she was sweating out. “Shake some extra salt on your food and get your hands on that Gatorade that’s packed with the electrolytes. You’ll need it…and if you don’t get it, the cramping will knock you off your bike.” Eating everything in sight and not gaining weight…what a problem to have.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 83 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1200 biking.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Bad potato...
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Not that I’ve needed any further confirmation, but there was an article in the Plain Dealer recently about a diet study that verifies so much of what I’m now doing because of the Paleo Diet. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Harvard School of Public Health recently published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine discussing the results of a study that has been tracking the eating habits of over 120,000 people between the ages of thirty and sixty for the past twenty years. The article caught my attention because of its condemnation of the potato, which was found to be the single food that had the greatest impact on fat gain over time. The study was done by tracking people in four-year increments, taking measurements and then determining what parts of their diet were making the largest impact…positive or negative. Potatoes – in the form of chips and fries – had the biggest negative effect, but even boiled, baked and mashed, consumed on a regular basis, added fat over time. The study’s conclusion supports what others have said already “all foods are not equal and just eating in moderation is not enough.” Nuts and yogurt were associated with weight loss in the study. If I’ve learned nothing else over the last two months, its that paying attention to what I’m eating…every time I eat anything…is the difference for me. Paleo was a means to an end. All calories are not created equal, but counting them and trying to match against calorie expenditure is impossible. Awareness is the key…that and making sensible changes you can live a lifetime with. I’m sure the potato eaters that were gaining weight had other things going on in their life and diet that compounded the issue, but I do buy into avoiding the foods leading to the high insulin reaction…which potatoes seem to do.
I did something I haven’t done in some time…ate bread…or more specifically…hamburger buns. And yes, I had two and there were big, juicy burgers between the slices of the bun. I’d bought them for the overnight guests who elected not to stop on their return trip from the Adirondacks. They’d stayed last Friday, but too much of me gave them reason for pause, so now I had all these burgers and buns and had to eat them. I had four in two days, but that’s it for now.
Heidi and I made our way to the East Branch Reservoir and kayaked for almost two hours. It was a casual pace with picture taking and just enjoying the solitude of the water. East Branch has a horse power restriction and we did see a couple of boats fishing, but there was no sound to disturb the tranquility…except me yapping about the Great Blue Herron’s I saw. “They’re just birds, dad,” she said…chip off her mom’s block. It’s not a strenuous workout, but its burning calories and stress-free. I tend to find that as soon as I push from shore and place my paddle in the water, I feel a sense of peace that I only get when on the water…or entering the woods with a pack on my back. In other words…unbeatable.
Kayak workout: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.
Not that I’ve needed any further confirmation, but there was an article in the Plain Dealer recently about a diet study that verifies so much of what I’m now doing because of the Paleo Diet. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Harvard School of Public Health recently published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine discussing the results of a study that has been tracking the eating habits of over 120,000 people between the ages of thirty and sixty for the past twenty years. The article caught my attention because of its condemnation of the potato, which was found to be the single food that had the greatest impact on fat gain over time. The study was done by tracking people in four-year increments, taking measurements and then determining what parts of their diet were making the largest impact…positive or negative. Potatoes – in the form of chips and fries – had the biggest negative effect, but even boiled, baked and mashed, consumed on a regular basis, added fat over time. The study’s conclusion supports what others have said already “all foods are not equal and just eating in moderation is not enough.” Nuts and yogurt were associated with weight loss in the study. If I’ve learned nothing else over the last two months, its that paying attention to what I’m eating…every time I eat anything…is the difference for me. Paleo was a means to an end. All calories are not created equal, but counting them and trying to match against calorie expenditure is impossible. Awareness is the key…that and making sensible changes you can live a lifetime with. I’m sure the potato eaters that were gaining weight had other things going on in their life and diet that compounded the issue, but I do buy into avoiding the foods leading to the high insulin reaction…which potatoes seem to do.
I did something I haven’t done in some time…ate bread…or more specifically…hamburger buns. And yes, I had two and there were big, juicy burgers between the slices of the bun. I’d bought them for the overnight guests who elected not to stop on their return trip from the Adirondacks. They’d stayed last Friday, but too much of me gave them reason for pause, so now I had all these burgers and buns and had to eat them. I had four in two days, but that’s it for now.
Heidi and I made our way to the East Branch Reservoir and kayaked for almost two hours. It was a casual pace with picture taking and just enjoying the solitude of the water. East Branch has a horse power restriction and we did see a couple of boats fishing, but there was no sound to disturb the tranquility…except me yapping about the Great Blue Herron’s I saw. “They’re just birds, dad,” she said…chip off her mom’s block. It’s not a strenuous workout, but its burning calories and stress-free. I tend to find that as soon as I push from shore and place my paddle in the water, I feel a sense of peace that I only get when on the water…or entering the woods with a pack on my back. In other words…unbeatable.
Kayak workout: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Results of MRI are in...
Friday, June 24, 2011
I couldn’t wait until next Tuesday to hear what Nilesh had seen in my MRI, so I sent him and email and asked for the preliminary assessment. “There are some arthritic changes in your knee that are mild and the medial meniscus shows a very small tear which I’m surprised is giving you so much discomfort,” he wrote in return. He did say he’d like to give it more time before surgery, “but you have given it a lot of time already,” he concluded.
Well…I have given it a lot of time…and it was doing much better until I ran the forty minutes on the concrete golf cart path and then landed oddly on it during one of my survival workouts. My big question for him will be ‘if I give it more time, should I stay away from weight bearing exercises and stick with the bike?’ I’m thinking that if I hadn’t done the high impact stuff…which I was cleared to do…I might not have had the recurrence and maybe I would have healed. The bottom line is I’m just now getting back to being able to squat without pain again…but still can’t run at all. He did mention that even an MRI isn’t perfect and there could be more going on in the knee.
So…I’ll ride. I went out for another long one heading north and east into Willoughby Hills and Waite Hill before jumping on Eagle Road and riding it east and eventually ending up on Auburn Road for a ride south and managing to turn it into a 45-miler. I did have a great deal of tightness in the left hamstring during the ride, but suspect this may be fixed with an adjustment to my riding shoe and where it clips to the pedal and the angle of attachment it creates. I’ll experiment with that on the next ride. Tomorrow Heidi and I will be getting up early and taking the kayaks to East Branch Reservoir for another activity I can do without stressing the knee.
Bike workout: Two hours and 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 2400.
I couldn’t wait until next Tuesday to hear what Nilesh had seen in my MRI, so I sent him and email and asked for the preliminary assessment. “There are some arthritic changes in your knee that are mild and the medial meniscus shows a very small tear which I’m surprised is giving you so much discomfort,” he wrote in return. He did say he’d like to give it more time before surgery, “but you have given it a lot of time already,” he concluded.
Well…I have given it a lot of time…and it was doing much better until I ran the forty minutes on the concrete golf cart path and then landed oddly on it during one of my survival workouts. My big question for him will be ‘if I give it more time, should I stay away from weight bearing exercises and stick with the bike?’ I’m thinking that if I hadn’t done the high impact stuff…which I was cleared to do…I might not have had the recurrence and maybe I would have healed. The bottom line is I’m just now getting back to being able to squat without pain again…but still can’t run at all. He did mention that even an MRI isn’t perfect and there could be more going on in the knee.
So…I’ll ride. I went out for another long one heading north and east into Willoughby Hills and Waite Hill before jumping on Eagle Road and riding it east and eventually ending up on Auburn Road for a ride south and managing to turn it into a 45-miler. I did have a great deal of tightness in the left hamstring during the ride, but suspect this may be fixed with an adjustment to my riding shoe and where it clips to the pedal and the angle of attachment it creates. I’ll experiment with that on the next ride. Tomorrow Heidi and I will be getting up early and taking the kayaks to East Branch Reservoir for another activity I can do without stressing the knee.
Bike workout: Two hours and 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 2400.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Time in a bottle...
Thursday, June 23, 2011
It was my first MRI, though I’d heard my share of horror stories about long periods of time in a confining space. I don’t know of any claustrophobic fears so I wasn’t too worried and once viewing the device, was completely at ease though I could see why people don’t like them. I had a book with me, but was told I wouldn’t be able to read. “We want you to lay as still as possible and not move any part of your body…not just your knee…so the book’s out,” the technician explained. Not moving for a guy who twitches 100 times a minute 24 hours a day could be an issue…but I’d let her deal with that.
She set me up and slid me into the chamber where, as soon as the machine began hammering away, I felt the need to scratch my face. I could see a count down timer over my head and it read 3:30, which to me meant I’d have to endure…but it was making me crazy…as these things will. I thought again “what would Lance do?” and managed to complete the time like a dead man.
The technician took about 5 different pictures and after 30 minutes of rigidity, I was released under my own recognizance. Unlike the x-rays though, I won’t get these results until next Tuesday. I hope these images show definitively what’s going on with my knee because I’m anxious to know what I have to do to get back to being able to do whatever I want.
Holly’s dad had gone through some surgery on his legs and was back home. I needed to get to their place so Holly could go back home before returning to spend the night with them as a precautionary measure. I went to the park to do the Survival Workout, but cut it short for this purpose. Still, I managed to get in half my lifts and by putting them closer together, felt nearly as pumped at the completion. The trails were again under water due to a second day of monsoon rains. I hate doing less than the plan and I’d wanted to do another ride, but I could see that would be out since every 15 minutes another deluge would cut loose keeping the roads wet and slick. I don’t mind riding in the rain once I’m out, but seldom…if ever…start a ride in pouring rain. Tomorrow would be tough as well since we were expecting a return of the overnight guests we’d had the previous weekend. I’m glad I got in the 56-mile ride when I did and think I’ll be doing another to make up for lost workout time this weekend.
Survival Workout duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 300
It was my first MRI, though I’d heard my share of horror stories about long periods of time in a confining space. I don’t know of any claustrophobic fears so I wasn’t too worried and once viewing the device, was completely at ease though I could see why people don’t like them. I had a book with me, but was told I wouldn’t be able to read. “We want you to lay as still as possible and not move any part of your body…not just your knee…so the book’s out,” the technician explained. Not moving for a guy who twitches 100 times a minute 24 hours a day could be an issue…but I’d let her deal with that.
She set me up and slid me into the chamber where, as soon as the machine began hammering away, I felt the need to scratch my face. I could see a count down timer over my head and it read 3:30, which to me meant I’d have to endure…but it was making me crazy…as these things will. I thought again “what would Lance do?” and managed to complete the time like a dead man.
The technician took about 5 different pictures and after 30 minutes of rigidity, I was released under my own recognizance. Unlike the x-rays though, I won’t get these results until next Tuesday. I hope these images show definitively what’s going on with my knee because I’m anxious to know what I have to do to get back to being able to do whatever I want.
Holly’s dad had gone through some surgery on his legs and was back home. I needed to get to their place so Holly could go back home before returning to spend the night with them as a precautionary measure. I went to the park to do the Survival Workout, but cut it short for this purpose. Still, I managed to get in half my lifts and by putting them closer together, felt nearly as pumped at the completion. The trails were again under water due to a second day of monsoon rains. I hate doing less than the plan and I’d wanted to do another ride, but I could see that would be out since every 15 minutes another deluge would cut loose keeping the roads wet and slick. I don’t mind riding in the rain once I’m out, but seldom…if ever…start a ride in pouring rain. Tomorrow would be tough as well since we were expecting a return of the overnight guests we’d had the previous weekend. I’m glad I got in the 56-mile ride when I did and think I’ll be doing another to make up for lost workout time this weekend.
Survival Workout duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 300
Long ride on a perfect night...
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
My MRI was scheduled for the following morning and my knee was feeling pretty good again…not as good as the week following the cortisone shot…but a hell of a lot better than it had a week ago when I’d reinjured it. I didn’t want to go for the exam feeling good, so it seemed like an excellent time to take a 56-mile bike ride.
I started the ride on this beautiful, sunny evening with no particular turn-around in mind. I was heading out Pekin Road, experiencing no pain and not having to share the road with hardly any cars. The nice thing about this route is that it’s an out-and-back, so I can just keep riding and turn around whenever I want to and know my trip distance. It ends for me out in Amish country on Burton-Windsor Road…about 28 miles from the house. I was feeling so good and it was such a perfect evening, that I just kept going.
I did experience some slight cramping on the return ride, but was able to ride 9 minutes faster coming home. Once back, I walked around the yard and was pleased to find no adverse effects on the knee. Clearly, riding is not the stressor with this injury, which is something I wanted answered definitively before the MRI. I had my answer. I made a dinner of baked salmon and skipped the scale. Too much weighing in and I’ll lose sight of the bigger picture, which is life style change and how you feel…not what a scale tells you.
Kim’s partner Johnny has been twittering about their ride. They made 85 miles on the second day to find themselves just north of Columbus. The third day they met some head winds and struggled to complete 55 miles on a flat course. I know that feeling and have wasted some lung capacity on past rides shouting obscenities into the wind. It never worked and was always in my face. They should be getting out of Ohio tomorrow.
Bike workout: Three hours and 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 3100.
My MRI was scheduled for the following morning and my knee was feeling pretty good again…not as good as the week following the cortisone shot…but a hell of a lot better than it had a week ago when I’d reinjured it. I didn’t want to go for the exam feeling good, so it seemed like an excellent time to take a 56-mile bike ride.
I started the ride on this beautiful, sunny evening with no particular turn-around in mind. I was heading out Pekin Road, experiencing no pain and not having to share the road with hardly any cars. The nice thing about this route is that it’s an out-and-back, so I can just keep riding and turn around whenever I want to and know my trip distance. It ends for me out in Amish country on Burton-Windsor Road…about 28 miles from the house. I was feeling so good and it was such a perfect evening, that I just kept going.
I did experience some slight cramping on the return ride, but was able to ride 9 minutes faster coming home. Once back, I walked around the yard and was pleased to find no adverse effects on the knee. Clearly, riding is not the stressor with this injury, which is something I wanted answered definitively before the MRI. I had my answer. I made a dinner of baked salmon and skipped the scale. Too much weighing in and I’ll lose sight of the bigger picture, which is life style change and how you feel…not what a scale tells you.
Kim’s partner Johnny has been twittering about their ride. They made 85 miles on the second day to find themselves just north of Columbus. The third day they met some head winds and struggled to complete 55 miles on a flat course. I know that feeling and have wasted some lung capacity on past rides shouting obscenities into the wind. It never worked and was always in my face. They should be getting out of Ohio tomorrow.
Bike workout: Three hours and 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 3100.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
"Are you sure you rode 100 miles a day?"
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Kim texted me first thing in the morning from her campsite at Charles Mill Lake to say they’d covered 78 miles on the first day of their bike journey to California. After a return text, I did what most older people do at this point…I called.
“How did you ever ride 100 miles a day with all your gear? We were whipped after 78. Are you sure it was 100 miles…I mean you didn’t have GPS back then,” she said. And she’s right…we didn’t have GPS back then. But we did have maps and they did have mileage marked on them and we did know how to add without a calculator. “Yeah Kim…I’m sure we rode a hundred miles a day. In fact, on our second consecutive 100-mile day, we arrived in Kane, Pa. where we went to the local YMCA for a shower. There was a basketball game in progress so we jumped in a played full-court pick-up for the next couple of hours. Todd and I were studs…what can I say?”
She told me that they’d gone through their two tubes on the first day…one to a flat and the other to human error in trying to install it. She didn’t say, but I’m guessing she poked a hole in it with a tire iron when trying to replace the blow out. It’s easy to do and it’s the reason I’d warned her to have about six tubes with her at all times. Hopefully they will make it to a bike store today before further disaster. “People are so nice, too. We stopped at a chicken farm and the owner showed us around and gave us some fresh eggs for dinner,” she said. And I know this is true, too, though I warned her to be careful on the back roads because there are folks looking for mischief, as well. I’ve been through enough of them on my bike to last me a lifetime.
I headed for the park after work and in the muggy, oppressive heat, and completed a hard Survival Workout. I’ve continued to read the ‘Lance’ book and can’t help but want to ride every day, as well. I made it home and since Holly hadn’t arrived from shopping, elected to go for a bike ride. My knee had been almost pain-free all day…encouraging after a 2-hour ride the day before…and I thought a one-hour ride would be appropriate. Lance would have ridden two.
It was a good ride, though I found myself tiring towards the end…probably a combination of not having ridden much over the past few weeks…and the muggy heat. I managed to drink over 20 ounces of water on the ride, something I wouldn’t do normally on such a short distance. I returned home and washed the sweat and grime from the road off by jumping in the neighbor’s pool. Pat loves the challenge of trying to keep the pH balance regulated when I’m using his pool. I like not having to shower all summer.
I went inside to change and decided I needed to weigh in again. I knew I’d be up because I just haven’t been working out as hard and had eaten a couple of pretty big meals. I was shocked to see I’d lost another pound and was checking in at 184.5. I know the day I dipped below 190; I was thinking what a struggle it would be to stay below. In fact, I’ve dropped the next 5 pounds as quickly as I’ve ever dropped weight in my life. The lightest weight I’ve ever achieved as an adult was prior to my Iron Man competitions when I check in around 168…almost 30 years ago. I don’t know if I even want to go there again, but I’m starting to think I could. For now, I’ll just stick to the diet and the workouts and see where it takes me.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1100 biking.
Kim texted me first thing in the morning from her campsite at Charles Mill Lake to say they’d covered 78 miles on the first day of their bike journey to California. After a return text, I did what most older people do at this point…I called.
“How did you ever ride 100 miles a day with all your gear? We were whipped after 78. Are you sure it was 100 miles…I mean you didn’t have GPS back then,” she said. And she’s right…we didn’t have GPS back then. But we did have maps and they did have mileage marked on them and we did know how to add without a calculator. “Yeah Kim…I’m sure we rode a hundred miles a day. In fact, on our second consecutive 100-mile day, we arrived in Kane, Pa. where we went to the local YMCA for a shower. There was a basketball game in progress so we jumped in a played full-court pick-up for the next couple of hours. Todd and I were studs…what can I say?”
She told me that they’d gone through their two tubes on the first day…one to a flat and the other to human error in trying to install it. She didn’t say, but I’m guessing she poked a hole in it with a tire iron when trying to replace the blow out. It’s easy to do and it’s the reason I’d warned her to have about six tubes with her at all times. Hopefully they will make it to a bike store today before further disaster. “People are so nice, too. We stopped at a chicken farm and the owner showed us around and gave us some fresh eggs for dinner,” she said. And I know this is true, too, though I warned her to be careful on the back roads because there are folks looking for mischief, as well. I’ve been through enough of them on my bike to last me a lifetime.
I headed for the park after work and in the muggy, oppressive heat, and completed a hard Survival Workout. I’ve continued to read the ‘Lance’ book and can’t help but want to ride every day, as well. I made it home and since Holly hadn’t arrived from shopping, elected to go for a bike ride. My knee had been almost pain-free all day…encouraging after a 2-hour ride the day before…and I thought a one-hour ride would be appropriate. Lance would have ridden two.
It was a good ride, though I found myself tiring towards the end…probably a combination of not having ridden much over the past few weeks…and the muggy heat. I managed to drink over 20 ounces of water on the ride, something I wouldn’t do normally on such a short distance. I returned home and washed the sweat and grime from the road off by jumping in the neighbor’s pool. Pat loves the challenge of trying to keep the pH balance regulated when I’m using his pool. I like not having to shower all summer.
I went inside to change and decided I needed to weigh in again. I knew I’d be up because I just haven’t been working out as hard and had eaten a couple of pretty big meals. I was shocked to see I’d lost another pound and was checking in at 184.5. I know the day I dipped below 190; I was thinking what a struggle it would be to stay below. In fact, I’ve dropped the next 5 pounds as quickly as I’ve ever dropped weight in my life. The lightest weight I’ve ever achieved as an adult was prior to my Iron Man competitions when I check in around 168…almost 30 years ago. I don’t know if I even want to go there again, but I’m starting to think I could. For now, I’ll just stick to the diet and the workouts and see where it takes me.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1100 biking.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Lance would be riding...
Monday, June 20, 2011
At some point I knew I would have to do a ride. The knee was definitely not as sore as it had been and I was thinking a ride doesn’t pound the way running does and that it might be okay. Besides, I have the MRI coming up on Thursday and I want to make sure that if I’m going to spend all that money, that they at least find something wrong…in other words I have to hurt when I arrive (twisted thinking but it’s the way my brain works). I was also thinking how Kim was riding through whatever was out there…and with about 40 pounds of gear on her bike. Of course, she only weighs about 115 pounds so even with the gear, she’s still 30 pounds lighter than me.
I pulled out of the driveway hoping to go at least an hour. The skies were ominous and I felt a drop or two before hitting the end of the street. I’m reading ‘Lance’ …a book about Lance Armstrong, and I can’t help but think about all he overcame to become the world’s greatest cyclist, including riding in the worst imaginable weather on a regular basis. Rain? Let it come. Torn meniscus? Big deal…you know what Lance would do.
It started as a drizzle, which continued for the first 30 minutes, but as I was headed east on Eagle Road towards Kirtland Hills, the skies opened up. I continued on with lightning crisscrossing the sky and thunder crashing. It was a warm rain and I was soaked to the bone…so why turn around? Besides, riding…like running or hiking in the rain…can really be pleasant when its warm. My knee felt okay and I decided to go for a two-hour test. After 30 minutes of heavy rain, it began to subside and stopped shortly before I arrived back home. I’d stopped twice along the way to help turtles crossing the road…one Painted and one Snapper. Neither appreciated my help but then neither has previously had a rubber tire roll over its back.
The knee felt a little weak when I dismounted, but after walking around the yard, seemed to be fine…certainly no worse than before the ride. Later that evening, I went with Holly to Wal-Mart and walked throughout the store with no pain. I still can’t squat, but I think it is once again healing itself.
Bike workout: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1800.
At some point I knew I would have to do a ride. The knee was definitely not as sore as it had been and I was thinking a ride doesn’t pound the way running does and that it might be okay. Besides, I have the MRI coming up on Thursday and I want to make sure that if I’m going to spend all that money, that they at least find something wrong…in other words I have to hurt when I arrive (twisted thinking but it’s the way my brain works). I was also thinking how Kim was riding through whatever was out there…and with about 40 pounds of gear on her bike. Of course, she only weighs about 115 pounds so even with the gear, she’s still 30 pounds lighter than me.
I pulled out of the driveway hoping to go at least an hour. The skies were ominous and I felt a drop or two before hitting the end of the street. I’m reading ‘Lance’ …a book about Lance Armstrong, and I can’t help but think about all he overcame to become the world’s greatest cyclist, including riding in the worst imaginable weather on a regular basis. Rain? Let it come. Torn meniscus? Big deal…you know what Lance would do.
It started as a drizzle, which continued for the first 30 minutes, but as I was headed east on Eagle Road towards Kirtland Hills, the skies opened up. I continued on with lightning crisscrossing the sky and thunder crashing. It was a warm rain and I was soaked to the bone…so why turn around? Besides, riding…like running or hiking in the rain…can really be pleasant when its warm. My knee felt okay and I decided to go for a two-hour test. After 30 minutes of heavy rain, it began to subside and stopped shortly before I arrived back home. I’d stopped twice along the way to help turtles crossing the road…one Painted and one Snapper. Neither appreciated my help but then neither has previously had a rubber tire roll over its back.
The knee felt a little weak when I dismounted, but after walking around the yard, seemed to be fine…certainly no worse than before the ride. Later that evening, I went with Holly to Wal-Mart and walked throughout the store with no pain. I still can’t squat, but I think it is once again healing itself.
Bike workout: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1800.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Making the Survival Workout tougher
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I went to the park while the Holly and Jack were in church to do my workout. I had to get it in early…Savannah and Jack were taking me to see the Indians for Father’s Day and then the family would be coming over for dinner. It was the only time and since it’s all I’m doing right now, I can’t afford to miss it.
I’ve added some new exercises…doing sets of dips on rocks and benches and using heavy rocks to perform my bent-over rows. I’ve also added another set of push-ups at the end of the workout, which is extremely hard to perform since my arms are completely spent at that point. Still, I’ve managed to get in another 35 at the end, which is decent for an old guy and made this workout the toughest Survival Workout I’ve ever done.
I returned from the workout and decided I needed to see how much weight I’d put back on before continuing the day. Holly was making chicken and flat dumplings…we’ve been over this so let me just say as a refresher that if I ate what I would before the Paleo Diet, I would consume about 4,000 calories during this meal. I wasn’t planning on eating the dumplings or whatever tasty dessert she would offer up, but figured a weigh-in would seal my commitment. I stepped aboard and was shocked to see that I’d actually lost another pound since hurting my knee last Tuesday, weighing in at 185.5. Not only does this not make me want to splurge and have the bad stuff, it actually fires me up even more to maintain the discipline. I’m so anxious to get down to 175 that I’m starting to get a little obsessed.
The walk to the stadium was tricky with the knee squawking on each step. We were in the upper deck and opted for the stairs (what else?) which was a good idea except I was sweating heavily when we finally arrived in our seats. Jack was really getting into it…asking all the right baseball questions…and Savannah always is. She entered the link for MLB (major league baseball) into my phone so I could get instant baseball score updates on any team playing simply by texting the name of the team. The girl is whacked about the Indians.
Rains came in the 8th inning and we had to leave to make the dinner back at home. The Indians would complete a 3-game sweep of the Pirates in the bottom of the eleventh inning when our new second baseman, Cord Phelps, would make his first major league home run a 3-run walk-off shot for the win.
I managed to eat only a small serving of dumplings, instead filling up on broccoli salad and a squash, mushroom and onion thing Holly baked just for me. Though I continue to work at following the Paleo principles for most of my diet, I truly believe that the thing having the greatest impact on my weight loss is the way I evaluate everything I eat and have really given up the hollow calories I was eating at record rates a few months ago. No matter how much working out you do, you can still keep…or gain fat if you eat too much crap.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
I went to the park while the Holly and Jack were in church to do my workout. I had to get it in early…Savannah and Jack were taking me to see the Indians for Father’s Day and then the family would be coming over for dinner. It was the only time and since it’s all I’m doing right now, I can’t afford to miss it.
I’ve added some new exercises…doing sets of dips on rocks and benches and using heavy rocks to perform my bent-over rows. I’ve also added another set of push-ups at the end of the workout, which is extremely hard to perform since my arms are completely spent at that point. Still, I’ve managed to get in another 35 at the end, which is decent for an old guy and made this workout the toughest Survival Workout I’ve ever done.
I returned from the workout and decided I needed to see how much weight I’d put back on before continuing the day. Holly was making chicken and flat dumplings…we’ve been over this so let me just say as a refresher that if I ate what I would before the Paleo Diet, I would consume about 4,000 calories during this meal. I wasn’t planning on eating the dumplings or whatever tasty dessert she would offer up, but figured a weigh-in would seal my commitment. I stepped aboard and was shocked to see that I’d actually lost another pound since hurting my knee last Tuesday, weighing in at 185.5. Not only does this not make me want to splurge and have the bad stuff, it actually fires me up even more to maintain the discipline. I’m so anxious to get down to 175 that I’m starting to get a little obsessed.
The walk to the stadium was tricky with the knee squawking on each step. We were in the upper deck and opted for the stairs (what else?) which was a good idea except I was sweating heavily when we finally arrived in our seats. Jack was really getting into it…asking all the right baseball questions…and Savannah always is. She entered the link for MLB (major league baseball) into my phone so I could get instant baseball score updates on any team playing simply by texting the name of the team. The girl is whacked about the Indians.
Rains came in the 8th inning and we had to leave to make the dinner back at home. The Indians would complete a 3-game sweep of the Pirates in the bottom of the eleventh inning when our new second baseman, Cord Phelps, would make his first major league home run a 3-run walk-off shot for the win.
I managed to eat only a small serving of dumplings, instead filling up on broccoli salad and a squash, mushroom and onion thing Holly baked just for me. Though I continue to work at following the Paleo principles for most of my diet, I truly believe that the thing having the greatest impact on my weight loss is the way I evaluate everything I eat and have really given up the hollow calories I was eating at record rates a few months ago. No matter how much working out you do, you can still keep…or gain fat if you eat too much crap.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
An epic journey about to begin...
Saturday, June 18, 2011
I ended yesterday by passing on my favorite dessert, but breakfast would be the real test. I’d asked our guests if they’d like home made waffles for breakfast and, of course, they did. I love my waffles, but only after I’ve smothered them in butter and topped them with strawberry’s, whipped cream and real maple syrup. You could gain weight writing about it so I have to be careful. Anyway, I made them and no, they are not part of the Paleo Diet. I knew what Lance would do (Lance Armstrong, of course)…he’d be strong and not eat them. I looked at my yellow ‘Livestrong’ wrist bracelet and just said…no. There was plenty left for me, but I opted for my Kashi cereal and fish oil tablets. I’m killing me.
I did a couple of hours of yard work and then headed to Mimi’s. She had a limb that needed to be cut down and water had been running into her porch from the gutters so I knew I needed to get up on the roof and clean them out. I access her roof from an upstairs bedroom which is reasonably easy to do when you’re knee bends…but mine doesn’t right now. Still…I got out there and cleaned them out and water was flowing once again where it should be flowing…down the downspout. I returned home and spent another couple of hours cutting up limbs that had fallen in the yard…about a year ago. It wasn’t a workout, but I created plenty of sweat and burned up a decent amount of calories.
Later that night, I went to Marie’s graduation party. Kim was there and she spent time telling Heidi and I how she was making the final preparations for the bike hike to California…scheduled to begin on Monday morning. Kim’s mom…like mine was about 38 summers ago when I left on my bike journey to my grandparents in New York…was worried about her safety. Kim’s parents had given her some mace, which Kim felt was unnecessary, but I assured her it had two purposes. “First…those country dogs WILL try to eat you and second…there are plenty of knuckleheads out there and a good dose in the face might not be the worst thing in the world for them. Todd and I both had it on our handlebars for the entire trip and you know what a manly man I am,” I said. Her mom also said, “it’s all your fault that she’s going.” She was kidding…no one can make Kim do anything, but I know I gave her the idea and I certainly encouraged it once she started to gear up. I know this will be the adventure of a lifetime and she will always remember it…as I do my 1,100 mile trek 38 years ago. How many chances do you get to do something so life changing? Do it while you can and when ever you can.
I ended yesterday by passing on my favorite dessert, but breakfast would be the real test. I’d asked our guests if they’d like home made waffles for breakfast and, of course, they did. I love my waffles, but only after I’ve smothered them in butter and topped them with strawberry’s, whipped cream and real maple syrup. You could gain weight writing about it so I have to be careful. Anyway, I made them and no, they are not part of the Paleo Diet. I knew what Lance would do (Lance Armstrong, of course)…he’d be strong and not eat them. I looked at my yellow ‘Livestrong’ wrist bracelet and just said…no. There was plenty left for me, but I opted for my Kashi cereal and fish oil tablets. I’m killing me.
I did a couple of hours of yard work and then headed to Mimi’s. She had a limb that needed to be cut down and water had been running into her porch from the gutters so I knew I needed to get up on the roof and clean them out. I access her roof from an upstairs bedroom which is reasonably easy to do when you’re knee bends…but mine doesn’t right now. Still…I got out there and cleaned them out and water was flowing once again where it should be flowing…down the downspout. I returned home and spent another couple of hours cutting up limbs that had fallen in the yard…about a year ago. It wasn’t a workout, but I created plenty of sweat and burned up a decent amount of calories.
Later that night, I went to Marie’s graduation party. Kim was there and she spent time telling Heidi and I how she was making the final preparations for the bike hike to California…scheduled to begin on Monday morning. Kim’s mom…like mine was about 38 summers ago when I left on my bike journey to my grandparents in New York…was worried about her safety. Kim’s parents had given her some mace, which Kim felt was unnecessary, but I assured her it had two purposes. “First…those country dogs WILL try to eat you and second…there are plenty of knuckleheads out there and a good dose in the face might not be the worst thing in the world for them. Todd and I both had it on our handlebars for the entire trip and you know what a manly man I am,” I said. Her mom also said, “it’s all your fault that she’s going.” She was kidding…no one can make Kim do anything, but I know I gave her the idea and I certainly encouraged it once she started to gear up. I know this will be the adventure of a lifetime and she will always remember it…as I do my 1,100 mile trek 38 years ago. How many chances do you get to do something so life changing? Do it while you can and when ever you can.
Saying 'NO' when it counts...
Friday, June 17, 2011
Just because I’m limping all day does not mean I shouldn’t do my Survival Workout…so I did. I’m forced to leave out the many things I do that involve the lower body…jumping over picnic tables, climbing steep hills, high skips, running and sprinting…but there is still plenty I can do for the upper body and I find myself working it even harder since I am so limited in what I can do. Since I have spread my different workout stations out so that I’d have a bit of a run between them, now that I’m stuck walking…or rather limping…its taking considerably longer to complete the workout. It’s time in the woods though, which is always better than time anywhere else.
We had some overnight guests from Chicago and Holly made spaghetti. I went heavy on the salad, but I did have some of the non-Paleo noodles. For dessert, I’d brought home some Breyer’s All Natural Vanilla with Bean Specks…my favorite…just to torture myself. It worked to perfection and being worthless and weak at times, I had a couple of spoonfuls while dishing it up…but that was all. I think I’ve gotten over my ice cream craving by drinking the smoothies. I tell myself they’re milk shakes…and they taste almost as good…and that seems to be doing the trick. Now that I can’t do the aerobic exercise I’d like to do, I’m afraid to get back on the scale. I really have to watch the intake since there is no going back now.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Just because I’m limping all day does not mean I shouldn’t do my Survival Workout…so I did. I’m forced to leave out the many things I do that involve the lower body…jumping over picnic tables, climbing steep hills, high skips, running and sprinting…but there is still plenty I can do for the upper body and I find myself working it even harder since I am so limited in what I can do. Since I have spread my different workout stations out so that I’d have a bit of a run between them, now that I’m stuck walking…or rather limping…its taking considerably longer to complete the workout. It’s time in the woods though, which is always better than time anywhere else.
We had some overnight guests from Chicago and Holly made spaghetti. I went heavy on the salad, but I did have some of the non-Paleo noodles. For dessert, I’d brought home some Breyer’s All Natural Vanilla with Bean Specks…my favorite…just to torture myself. It worked to perfection and being worthless and weak at times, I had a couple of spoonfuls while dishing it up…but that was all. I think I’ve gotten over my ice cream craving by drinking the smoothies. I tell myself they’re milk shakes…and they taste almost as good…and that seems to be doing the trick. Now that I can’t do the aerobic exercise I’d like to do, I’m afraid to get back on the scale. I really have to watch the intake since there is no going back now.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Dealing with a more serious injury...
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I’ve got quite a challenge on my hands right now. I’ve been dropping weight regularly since beginning the Paleo Diet and refocusing my training to include muscular endurance, which I’ve been getting via the Survival Workout. Everything was good until this past Tuesday when I really messed up my knee with the possible meniscus tear.
I walked around in extreme pain throughout the day worrying about what I was going to be able to do to maintain the weight loss, conditioning and momentum I’ve had going for the last couple of months. Running is out. Hiking with a pack is out. Riding is out for now. Those are my bid three and I do not have easy access to a pool should I want to start swimming. Kayaking could be good, but the time necessary to get the boat to the water really limits how much of this I can do. Of course…I can continue to monitor the calorie intake and do the upper body and core portions of the Survival Workout…which I will. I’ll do what I can, see what the doc says next Thursday after the MRI and take it from there. Holding the weight at the current level is my goal for now.
I’ve got quite a challenge on my hands right now. I’ve been dropping weight regularly since beginning the Paleo Diet and refocusing my training to include muscular endurance, which I’ve been getting via the Survival Workout. Everything was good until this past Tuesday when I really messed up my knee with the possible meniscus tear.
I walked around in extreme pain throughout the day worrying about what I was going to be able to do to maintain the weight loss, conditioning and momentum I’ve had going for the last couple of months. Running is out. Hiking with a pack is out. Riding is out for now. Those are my bid three and I do not have easy access to a pool should I want to start swimming. Kayaking could be good, but the time necessary to get the boat to the water really limits how much of this I can do. Of course…I can continue to monitor the calorie intake and do the upper body and core portions of the Survival Workout…which I will. I’ll do what I can, see what the doc says next Thursday after the MRI and take it from there. Holding the weight at the current level is my goal for now.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
No exercise for now...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
I limped through the day at work and sent the appropriate emails to get in for my MRI. I considered what exercise I could do and concluded kayaking was my only option, but the pain was pretty severe and I elected to go home, pack the knee in ice, and read ‘The Last American Man’. It’s a great book Kim passed to me about the life of Eustace Conway. He lives on 1,000 acres of woods in North Carolina in a teepee and tries to bring his message of giving up creature comforts for the simplicity of living off and respecting the land. He has summer camps for kids and adults where he teaches the basics of accomplishing this, but more importantly exposing all who come to a life that embraces rather than abuses nature. Anyway, I’m in the early chapters, but fascinated.
On another happy note…Holly bought me some pants about 10 years ago with a 34 inch waist. I was unable to wear them at the time…she’d gotten them for Christmas and I’d added my winter weight…but I kept them because I was sure I’d be slimming down soon. Well…they’ve stayed on a shelf in my closet because I was too proud to admit I couldn’t get down there again. This morning I tried them on and found that, though just a touch snug, they basically fit. I hung them in the closet determined to lose the next 10 pounds and get to the point where they fit loosely. Maybe I’ll never be able to wear them because I’ll return to the 32” waist of my triathloning days. In any event, I can now confirm that I’ve peeled at least 4 inches from my waist. Good way to start the day.
I limped through the day at work and sent the appropriate emails to get in for my MRI. I considered what exercise I could do and concluded kayaking was my only option, but the pain was pretty severe and I elected to go home, pack the knee in ice, and read ‘The Last American Man’. It’s a great book Kim passed to me about the life of Eustace Conway. He lives on 1,000 acres of woods in North Carolina in a teepee and tries to bring his message of giving up creature comforts for the simplicity of living off and respecting the land. He has summer camps for kids and adults where he teaches the basics of accomplishing this, but more importantly exposing all who come to a life that embraces rather than abuses nature. Anyway, I’m in the early chapters, but fascinated.
On another happy note…Holly bought me some pants about 10 years ago with a 34 inch waist. I was unable to wear them at the time…she’d gotten them for Christmas and I’d added my winter weight…but I kept them because I was sure I’d be slimming down soon. Well…they’ve stayed on a shelf in my closet because I was too proud to admit I couldn’t get down there again. This morning I tried them on and found that, though just a touch snug, they basically fit. I hung them in the closet determined to lose the next 10 pounds and get to the point where they fit loosely. Maybe I’ll never be able to wear them because I’ll return to the 32” waist of my triathloning days. In any event, I can now confirm that I’ve peeled at least 4 inches from my waist. Good way to start the day.
Something popped.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
I was feeling pretty good after yesterday’s run and reaching a twenty year low in weight. I started my workout with 50 push-ups and some log lifting before running easily down the bridle path to my next workout station. Somewhere in that 2-minute run, I felt the knee throbbing and decided I’d back off running between stations. I did however try my high skips and on about the fifth landing, felt something locking in my knee. I stopped immediately and walked it off, but suspected something bad had just happened. I walked the rest of the workout, doing all the upper body and core exercises, but holding off on anything that might further aggravate the knee.
Once home and showered, Holly, Savannah and I headed for the movies. We saw ‘Limitless’ which is a movie that explores what a person can do when he is able to function on 100% of his brain’s capacity. The movie suggested that we normally benefit from only 20%...which is about 18% more than the movers and shakers in Cuyahoga County politics were using before the Feds moved in. Anyway, when I tried to stand and walk after sitting for two hours, my knee rebelled. I limped to the car and decided it was time for the MRI and whatever else followed. I’ve been putting this off because I don’t want the down time I’m sure to have for the surgery the doc has hinted I’ll need to repair a torn meniscus. I need to take care of it though, because I don’t like being limited in what I can do…which right now is everything that includes the use of legs.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
I was feeling pretty good after yesterday’s run and reaching a twenty year low in weight. I started my workout with 50 push-ups and some log lifting before running easily down the bridle path to my next workout station. Somewhere in that 2-minute run, I felt the knee throbbing and decided I’d back off running between stations. I did however try my high skips and on about the fifth landing, felt something locking in my knee. I stopped immediately and walked it off, but suspected something bad had just happened. I walked the rest of the workout, doing all the upper body and core exercises, but holding off on anything that might further aggravate the knee.
Once home and showered, Holly, Savannah and I headed for the movies. We saw ‘Limitless’ which is a movie that explores what a person can do when he is able to function on 100% of his brain’s capacity. The movie suggested that we normally benefit from only 20%...which is about 18% more than the movers and shakers in Cuyahoga County politics were using before the Feds moved in. Anyway, when I tried to stand and walk after sitting for two hours, my knee rebelled. I limped to the car and decided it was time for the MRI and whatever else followed. I’ve been putting this off because I don’t want the down time I’m sure to have for the surgery the doc has hinted I’ll need to repair a torn meniscus. I need to take care of it though, because I don’t like being limited in what I can do…which right now is everything that includes the use of legs.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
"The Curse has attached itself to LeBron"
Monday, June 13, 2011
So…LeBron will have to continue in his quest for a championship ring. Few people in Cleveland were distressed about this news. I was speaking to the most rabid fan I know, Don Alexander, on the subject and he couldn’t have been happier. “You know what I think? I think ‘The Curse’ has permanently attached itself to LeBron,” he said. By ‘The Curse’, he was referring to Cleveland’s inability to win a championship in any sport…our last coming from the Browns in 1964. Ours is worse than Boston’s…something that resulted in the Red Sox not winning a World Series for 86 years, because ours affects ALL of our professional teams…not just the Indians. Don has told me it will persist because there is so much pressure to win placed on any team or individual, that they can’t help but to fail in a critical situation. How do you argue against it?
“Yeah…’The Curse’ saw what he did as SO diabolical, that it decided to attach itself to LeBron. I think we’ve got a chance now. Look at the way the Indians are playing…except for lately…and how about those great draft picks we got in basketball?” Don’s logic was…well…Don’s logic. I hope he’s right.
I did a 30-minute run on my favorite trail wanting to try out the knee after feeling some ache following the run on the golf path during the vacation. It felt good for the run and when I returned home, I weighed in at 186.5. I’m getting close to needing new clothes, but I know I will continue to lose as long as I follow the Paleo Diet and stick to the workouts, so I guess I’ll wait another 10 pounds. I haven’t been this psyched about getting in shape since my old triathlon days over 20 years ago.
Run duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm
Calories burned during workout: 500.
So…LeBron will have to continue in his quest for a championship ring. Few people in Cleveland were distressed about this news. I was speaking to the most rabid fan I know, Don Alexander, on the subject and he couldn’t have been happier. “You know what I think? I think ‘The Curse’ has permanently attached itself to LeBron,” he said. By ‘The Curse’, he was referring to Cleveland’s inability to win a championship in any sport…our last coming from the Browns in 1964. Ours is worse than Boston’s…something that resulted in the Red Sox not winning a World Series for 86 years, because ours affects ALL of our professional teams…not just the Indians. Don has told me it will persist because there is so much pressure to win placed on any team or individual, that they can’t help but to fail in a critical situation. How do you argue against it?
“Yeah…’The Curse’ saw what he did as SO diabolical, that it decided to attach itself to LeBron. I think we’ve got a chance now. Look at the way the Indians are playing…except for lately…and how about those great draft picks we got in basketball?” Don’s logic was…well…Don’s logic. I hope he’s right.
I did a 30-minute run on my favorite trail wanting to try out the knee after feeling some ache following the run on the golf path during the vacation. It felt good for the run and when I returned home, I weighed in at 186.5. I’m getting close to needing new clothes, but I know I will continue to lose as long as I follow the Paleo Diet and stick to the workouts, so I guess I’ll wait another 10 pounds. I haven’t been this psyched about getting in shape since my old triathlon days over 20 years ago.
Run duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm
Calories burned during workout: 500.
Managing to maintain through the vacation...
Sunday, June 12, 2011
I knew John and I would be riding later in the day and since I’d missed workouts for the last two days, felt it was time to slip in a double. I went to the park in the morning and did the survival workout, pushing to do more of everything along the way. I managed to exhaust myself thoroughly, which would likely haunt me when riding later…but I needed it.
He arrived mid-afternoon and spent the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how to attach his bike computer to his handlebars. He didn’t like the idea that he had to use strip ties when the packaging clearly noted a mounting bracket that wasn’t included with the product. By the time he was finally ready; we were forced to take a shortened route and only managed a 90-minute ride.
I weighed in after the ride thinking I might have gained some weight over the past week due to poor eating choices and missing a couple of workouts. To my surprise, I was still at 188, which pleased me greatly. Jack asked me to play catch before dinner and I discovered another benefit of lower weight and doing the workout. I was running easily to chase his errant throws and seemed to have better range of motion throwing, bending and catching. I notice these things because I’d been noticing losing them when I wasn’t working out. Bending, lifting and throwing a 20-pound rock makes throwing a baseball pretty easy.
I guess the bottom line is…I kind of took a week away from my program, but with some modifications and practicing reasonable self-control, I maintained everything. To me, that’s good news.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1350 biking.
I knew John and I would be riding later in the day and since I’d missed workouts for the last two days, felt it was time to slip in a double. I went to the park in the morning and did the survival workout, pushing to do more of everything along the way. I managed to exhaust myself thoroughly, which would likely haunt me when riding later…but I needed it.
He arrived mid-afternoon and spent the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how to attach his bike computer to his handlebars. He didn’t like the idea that he had to use strip ties when the packaging clearly noted a mounting bracket that wasn’t included with the product. By the time he was finally ready; we were forced to take a shortened route and only managed a 90-minute ride.
I weighed in after the ride thinking I might have gained some weight over the past week due to poor eating choices and missing a couple of workouts. To my surprise, I was still at 188, which pleased me greatly. Jack asked me to play catch before dinner and I discovered another benefit of lower weight and doing the workout. I was running easily to chase his errant throws and seemed to have better range of motion throwing, bending and catching. I notice these things because I’d been noticing losing them when I wasn’t working out. Bending, lifting and throwing a 20-pound rock makes throwing a baseball pretty easy.
I guess the bottom line is…I kind of took a week away from my program, but with some modifications and practicing reasonable self-control, I maintained everything. To me, that’s good news.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Bike workout: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 1350 biking.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The things we do to ourselves...
Friday, June 10, 2011
My sister is the Medical Examiner for the eastern part of the state of Kentucky and I was visiting her work place for the first time. She had no intention of showing me her work…she didn’t have anything going currently, but when we entered her operating room, one of her colleagues was performing an autopsy and invited us to have a look. He knew I was a health professional and thought that I might be interested to see how people kill themselves with the way they care for themselves. The person had died when a clot originating in the leg had broken free, traveled through the heart and lodged itself in a lung. He knew the history of the person…grossly obese, high blood pressure, high serum cholesterol, diabetes and no physical activity. She was only 45 years old and someone’s mother, sister and wife. “We see this kind of thing all the time. Folks just don’t take seriously what they’re doing to their bodies. All too often we get them here too early and it just didn’t have to happen.” Though it was not something I was looking forward to seeing, it reinforced what I have dedicated the rest of my life to doing…trying to get the message out and help those who can do something about the things they do to impact their health.
I’d met a man at Holly’s conference and we’d had lunch together. During our meal, he shared a story about having pains in his legs and feeling dizzy. “I went to my doctor and he said it was high cholesterol. He gave me medication to lower it…I take it every day…and it brought it way down,” he said. He was eating a meal that consisted of more saturated fat and cholesterol than I eat in a month. He also mentioned he was taking medication for high blood pressure and was easily 30 pounds overweight.
I’m not sure what bothered me more…the meal he was eating or that his doctor put him on medication without even giving a change in lifestyle a chance. He seemed good with doing and eating whatever he wanted and only having to take a pill to keep things under control. I told Holly I thought he’d be visiting my sister earlier than he’d prefer if he kept up his lifestyle…pills or not.
Maybe…somewhere along the line of writing this blog…I’ll get someone’s attention to the point they will take the steps necessary to reverse similar trends in their own lives. And when I get to help them myself…all the better. For now, I’ll keep writing, working out, eating the Paleo diet and, hopefully, continue to get more quality out of living.
My sister is the Medical Examiner for the eastern part of the state of Kentucky and I was visiting her work place for the first time. She had no intention of showing me her work…she didn’t have anything going currently, but when we entered her operating room, one of her colleagues was performing an autopsy and invited us to have a look. He knew I was a health professional and thought that I might be interested to see how people kill themselves with the way they care for themselves. The person had died when a clot originating in the leg had broken free, traveled through the heart and lodged itself in a lung. He knew the history of the person…grossly obese, high blood pressure, high serum cholesterol, diabetes and no physical activity. She was only 45 years old and someone’s mother, sister and wife. “We see this kind of thing all the time. Folks just don’t take seriously what they’re doing to their bodies. All too often we get them here too early and it just didn’t have to happen.” Though it was not something I was looking forward to seeing, it reinforced what I have dedicated the rest of my life to doing…trying to get the message out and help those who can do something about the things they do to impact their health.
I’d met a man at Holly’s conference and we’d had lunch together. During our meal, he shared a story about having pains in his legs and feeling dizzy. “I went to my doctor and he said it was high cholesterol. He gave me medication to lower it…I take it every day…and it brought it way down,” he said. He was eating a meal that consisted of more saturated fat and cholesterol than I eat in a month. He also mentioned he was taking medication for high blood pressure and was easily 30 pounds overweight.
I’m not sure what bothered me more…the meal he was eating or that his doctor put him on medication without even giving a change in lifestyle a chance. He seemed good with doing and eating whatever he wanted and only having to take a pill to keep things under control. I told Holly I thought he’d be visiting my sister earlier than he’d prefer if he kept up his lifestyle…pills or not.
Maybe…somewhere along the line of writing this blog…I’ll get someone’s attention to the point they will take the steps necessary to reverse similar trends in their own lives. And when I get to help them myself…all the better. For now, I’ll keep writing, working out, eating the Paleo diet and, hopefully, continue to get more quality out of living.
Natural Bridge State Park rocks!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
I hate finding trash anywhere, but particularly when I’m hiking in beautiful state and national parks. It amazes me that some lazy slob was ambitious enough to carry full cans of beer into the woods, but incapable of carrying the empty back out. It puzzles me even more to find trash in such close proximity to trash cans…but in Kentucky’s parks; this seems to be the norm. As I hiked, I found myself constantly retrieving and putting trash into my backpack to deposit in a trash can back at the trailhead. I’d say I wish those who throw garbage on the ground would read this and stop doing it, but I suspect they can’t read in the first place.
I packed up my camp and ate a breakfast of cereal before heading the twenty or so miles to Natural Bridge State Park. Chris had told me it was the one thing I should see before leaving the parks and I took him at his word. I would not be disappointed.
I reached the parking lot in the early morning, but it was already in the 80’s and very humid. The hike to the arch was only a mile from the trailhead, but all uphill. There was a sky lift…like a ski lift I suppose…I don’t ski…for folks incapable of making the climb. As I made the climb, I suspect there would be lots of folks who would find this hike beyond their capabilities, though with some conditioning, most could do it.
Of course I was drenched in sweat when I reached the base of the arch after 30 minutes of hiking, but the trip was easily worth it. The stone arch was humongous (really, really big) measuring 78 feet in length, 65 feet high, 12 feet thick and 20 feet wide. It is believed to be over a million years old. There is a staircase cut into the stone allowing visitors to reach the top where views are spectacular in every direction. Trails leave the top of the arch for amazingly, scenic walks around the top of this ridge with many stopping points for pictures and views. There are no rails anywhere…it would be a travesty to place them in this geological wonder…but the danger factor is immense for those trying to get close to the edge for great picture opportunities (me). The drop must be over 500 feet straight down for much of a 1-mile trail. Despite the warning signs for a $500 fine for carving, many mental munchkins have etched their name in the stone. Like the trash folks, it’s a group I just don’t understand. Carving in trees and stones seems like a way to advertise that your IQ falls way below the level of the thing into which you’re making your etching. Low.
I took the long way back to my car, spending about two hours hiking and site-seeing. Natural Bridge easily out shown anything I’d seen in Daniel Boone National Forest though there was no back country camping allowed. Anyone going anywhere near this park should try to work it into their itinerary…it’s that special.
Hike duration: 120 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.
I hate finding trash anywhere, but particularly when I’m hiking in beautiful state and national parks. It amazes me that some lazy slob was ambitious enough to carry full cans of beer into the woods, but incapable of carrying the empty back out. It puzzles me even more to find trash in such close proximity to trash cans…but in Kentucky’s parks; this seems to be the norm. As I hiked, I found myself constantly retrieving and putting trash into my backpack to deposit in a trash can back at the trailhead. I’d say I wish those who throw garbage on the ground would read this and stop doing it, but I suspect they can’t read in the first place.
I packed up my camp and ate a breakfast of cereal before heading the twenty or so miles to Natural Bridge State Park. Chris had told me it was the one thing I should see before leaving the parks and I took him at his word. I would not be disappointed.
I reached the parking lot in the early morning, but it was already in the 80’s and very humid. The hike to the arch was only a mile from the trailhead, but all uphill. There was a sky lift…like a ski lift I suppose…I don’t ski…for folks incapable of making the climb. As I made the climb, I suspect there would be lots of folks who would find this hike beyond their capabilities, though with some conditioning, most could do it.
Of course I was drenched in sweat when I reached the base of the arch after 30 minutes of hiking, but the trip was easily worth it. The stone arch was humongous (really, really big) measuring 78 feet in length, 65 feet high, 12 feet thick and 20 feet wide. It is believed to be over a million years old. There is a staircase cut into the stone allowing visitors to reach the top where views are spectacular in every direction. Trails leave the top of the arch for amazingly, scenic walks around the top of this ridge with many stopping points for pictures and views. There are no rails anywhere…it would be a travesty to place them in this geological wonder…but the danger factor is immense for those trying to get close to the edge for great picture opportunities (me). The drop must be over 500 feet straight down for much of a 1-mile trail. Despite the warning signs for a $500 fine for carving, many mental munchkins have etched their name in the stone. Like the trash folks, it’s a group I just don’t understand. Carving in trees and stones seems like a way to advertise that your IQ falls way below the level of the thing into which you’re making your etching. Low.
I took the long way back to my car, spending about two hours hiking and site-seeing. Natural Bridge easily out shown anything I’d seen in Daniel Boone National Forest though there was no back country camping allowed. Anyone going anywhere near this park should try to work it into their itinerary…it’s that special.
Hike duration: 120 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.
2nd day in Daniel Boone National Forest
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I’d had to get in my tent earlier than I would have liked to avoid the swarming mosquitoes and no-see-ums. The bastards were biting and I was having none of it. The down side to this move was the heat. It hadn’t cooled much and the sweat continued to pour. I had an unusually loud bird calling a partner from a tree nearby and thought that was pretty neat for about 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the calling continued throughout the night and was still going when I gave up on sleep and climbed from my tent at 6 a.m.
I tend not to eat well when camping and had for breakfast what I‘d had for dinner…a bowl of Kashi cereal with powdered milk. I just wasn’t hungry and had to make myself eat it. My brother-in-law, Chris, was coming to meet me at 11 a.m. to take me into a particular part of the gorge, but that left me with 4 hours and I was determined to fill it with hiking. I drove down a dirt road towards the trailhead for Chimney Arch, supposedly the best vista in the gorge, but found a tree across the road a couple of miles before my destination. I parked the van and hike the remainder of the distance and was rewarded with some excellent views…and no company. I suppose no one else was interested in hiking the distance beyond the fallen tree. By the time I returned, the tree had already been removed and I made it back to meet Chris.
We hiked down into the gorge where I saw the first sign of water since arriving. I was sweating profusely and quickly jumped in the creek in a pool that had formed at the bottom of a small waterfall. When I came out and went to my backpack to get a towel, I realized I didn’t have my camera with me and realized I’d left it next to the van on a fence post at the trailhead. I returned the 1.5 miles to the van and found the camera and returned to find Chris resting in the shade. I, of course, was soaked through again. We hiked back to the car and then made our way to, what Chris told me, was a very famous climbers’ restaurant called ‘Migel’s’. They made excellent pizza…not on the Paleo diet but I smothered it with spinach, mushrooms, and broccoli.
I camped in a different part of the forest but had all the same, wonderful conditions from the night before right down to the annoyingly loud bird. I was camped on one of the ridges, about 200 feet wide and a thousand feet in the air. These cliffs are famous for climbing, viewing, and for people falling to their deaths from them. My sister is the Medical Examiner for Eastern Kentucky and knows the stories all too well. She cautioned me against moving around much in the dark, though I like to think I’m smart enough to stay away from the edges. Around ten at night though, I had a couple of yahoo’s with flashlights walking past my tent and heading for a part of the ridge about twenty feet wide. There was nothing to see and I can’t imagine what drew them there in the dark, but they did manage to return safely fifteen minutes later.
It was a good day with a lot of hiking and sweating and finally a decent meal. Tomorrow…more of the same scheduled for the biggest arch in Kentucky, located in Natural Bridge State Park.
Hike duration: 4 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1400.
I’d had to get in my tent earlier than I would have liked to avoid the swarming mosquitoes and no-see-ums. The bastards were biting and I was having none of it. The down side to this move was the heat. It hadn’t cooled much and the sweat continued to pour. I had an unusually loud bird calling a partner from a tree nearby and thought that was pretty neat for about 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the calling continued throughout the night and was still going when I gave up on sleep and climbed from my tent at 6 a.m.
I tend not to eat well when camping and had for breakfast what I‘d had for dinner…a bowl of Kashi cereal with powdered milk. I just wasn’t hungry and had to make myself eat it. My brother-in-law, Chris, was coming to meet me at 11 a.m. to take me into a particular part of the gorge, but that left me with 4 hours and I was determined to fill it with hiking. I drove down a dirt road towards the trailhead for Chimney Arch, supposedly the best vista in the gorge, but found a tree across the road a couple of miles before my destination. I parked the van and hike the remainder of the distance and was rewarded with some excellent views…and no company. I suppose no one else was interested in hiking the distance beyond the fallen tree. By the time I returned, the tree had already been removed and I made it back to meet Chris.
We hiked down into the gorge where I saw the first sign of water since arriving. I was sweating profusely and quickly jumped in the creek in a pool that had formed at the bottom of a small waterfall. When I came out and went to my backpack to get a towel, I realized I didn’t have my camera with me and realized I’d left it next to the van on a fence post at the trailhead. I returned the 1.5 miles to the van and found the camera and returned to find Chris resting in the shade. I, of course, was soaked through again. We hiked back to the car and then made our way to, what Chris told me, was a very famous climbers’ restaurant called ‘Migel’s’. They made excellent pizza…not on the Paleo diet but I smothered it with spinach, mushrooms, and broccoli.
I camped in a different part of the forest but had all the same, wonderful conditions from the night before right down to the annoyingly loud bird. I was camped on one of the ridges, about 200 feet wide and a thousand feet in the air. These cliffs are famous for climbing, viewing, and for people falling to their deaths from them. My sister is the Medical Examiner for Eastern Kentucky and knows the stories all too well. She cautioned me against moving around much in the dark, though I like to think I’m smart enough to stay away from the edges. Around ten at night though, I had a couple of yahoo’s with flashlights walking past my tent and heading for a part of the ridge about twenty feet wide. There was nothing to see and I can’t imagine what drew them there in the dark, but they did manage to return safely fifteen minutes later.
It was a good day with a lot of hiking and sweating and finally a decent meal. Tomorrow…more of the same scheduled for the biggest arch in Kentucky, located in Natural Bridge State Park.
Hike duration: 4 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1400.
First night in Daniel Boone National Forest
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Last night’s run was a mistake. I haven’t run that far on hard surfaces often over the last ten years and certainly not since my cortisone shot. I was paying for it now. My knee ached as I walked around the hotel getting ready for my camping trip. I filled up my water containers, not knowing what access I would find to water in the forest, and headed out.
My destination was Red River Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forest. My sister had told me about the unusual rock formations and arches throughout the gorge and figured this would satisfy my need to climb things while providing ample opportunities for camping. I had done some reading on the area and discovered that there were over 100 stone arches in the gorge, many easily accessible by short hikes on well-groomed trails. I arrived at a trailhead to Gray’s Arch in mid-afternoon and ran into a couple of experienced Gorge hikers who alerted me to the best places to visit and where to camp. I tend to rely on knowledgeable people who have been in the back country of a Park for information. They understand quickly what you’re trying to experience and always seem to steer me in the right direction. These two were no exception.
I spent the next couple of hours hiking and sweating. The temperature was in the 90’s and the humidity was high. The bugs were loving me and following me everywhere. I seem to be a favorite target and wonder what they would have done for the day if I hadn’t arrived. The arch and rock formations were massive and impressive, and I did manage to find a way to the top of Gray’s by blazing my own trail through the woods. I met a little boy on the trail as I was hiking who made my day. He was probably around 8 years old and enthusiastically and spontaneously shared with me that “a huge butterfly landed on me and my dad took a picture of it.” Sometimes you just need to get them in the woods and let things happen. I’m guessing he thought it was better than any TV show…and definitely better for him.
I finished the day by slipping into a campground and utilizing their showers. I needed it desperately, but when I noticed the request for $5 for taking a shower, elected to leave without paying. I know it’s against some rule or law somewhere…but it seemed like an outrageous fee for a shower room full of bugs and two minutes of luke-warm water.
Hike duration: 120 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.
Last night’s run was a mistake. I haven’t run that far on hard surfaces often over the last ten years and certainly not since my cortisone shot. I was paying for it now. My knee ached as I walked around the hotel getting ready for my camping trip. I filled up my water containers, not knowing what access I would find to water in the forest, and headed out.
My destination was Red River Gorge in Daniel Boone National Forest. My sister had told me about the unusual rock formations and arches throughout the gorge and figured this would satisfy my need to climb things while providing ample opportunities for camping. I had done some reading on the area and discovered that there were over 100 stone arches in the gorge, many easily accessible by short hikes on well-groomed trails. I arrived at a trailhead to Gray’s Arch in mid-afternoon and ran into a couple of experienced Gorge hikers who alerted me to the best places to visit and where to camp. I tend to rely on knowledgeable people who have been in the back country of a Park for information. They understand quickly what you’re trying to experience and always seem to steer me in the right direction. These two were no exception.
I spent the next couple of hours hiking and sweating. The temperature was in the 90’s and the humidity was high. The bugs were loving me and following me everywhere. I seem to be a favorite target and wonder what they would have done for the day if I hadn’t arrived. The arch and rock formations were massive and impressive, and I did manage to find a way to the top of Gray’s by blazing my own trail through the woods. I met a little boy on the trail as I was hiking who made my day. He was probably around 8 years old and enthusiastically and spontaneously shared with me that “a huge butterfly landed on me and my dad took a picture of it.” Sometimes you just need to get them in the woods and let things happen. I’m guessing he thought it was better than any TV show…and definitely better for him.
I finished the day by slipping into a campground and utilizing their showers. I needed it desperately, but when I noticed the request for $5 for taking a shower, elected to leave without paying. I know it’s against some rule or law somewhere…but it seemed like an outrageous fee for a shower room full of bugs and two minutes of luke-warm water.
Hike duration: 120 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Working out after midnight...
Monday, June 6, 2011
It was after 11 p.m. and I was in our hotel room in the Marriott about to call it a day without doing any exercise. Holly and I had driven from home to Lexington, Ky. where she would be working a conference and I would be spending some time visiting with my sister Cristin, their two children, and my brother-in-law, Chris and doing some backcountry hiking and camping in Daniel Boone National Forest. Chris and Cristin, avid hikers and kayakers, had highly recommended the Red River Gorge portion on the Forest for hiking, camping and the opportunity to see…and climb on…some amazing rock formations. “I’m all about the view,” I told them both emphasizing the desire to get someplace high during our dinner with them earlier that evening. We’d hung out with them until my fascinating stories about losing weight and training hard had them yawning for more…which I was about to deliver. I never catch these not-so-subtle hints, but Holly was on it and told me to pack it up.
I was still digesting the roast Chris had made us for dinner when, with guilt overcoming me began to suit up for a run. There was a golf course adjacent to the hotel (I was sleeping as a civilized man the first night) which the bellman had told me I could run. I found my way to the golf cart path and set out on what began as a 30-minute run, but of course, took longer.
It was still in the 80’s and the humidity had to be near 100%, but the occasional sprinkler fanning out over the golf course would catch me with a blast and make the run tolerable. I could barely see where I was going, but assumed the path would be in pristine condition…and it was. When I returned to the hotel room, climbing the four stories to our room of course, I showered and rejoined Holly. It was midnight. “I should have gone out and walked,” she moaned. I knew what to say and suggested we go out now. “There’s a moon and we could walk the golf cart path,” I suggested figuring she’d say no and I’d get great points for encouraging her to work out. I was about to dive into bed when she said, “okay…let’s do it.”
We walked for 30 minutes and were finishing up around 1 a.m. when a security guy patrolling the gaited condo development that surrounds the golf course drove slowly past us and gave a good once-over to be sure we weren’t terrorists or cat-burglars or something. I gave him my ‘John Locke-Season Six’ look and he knew to leave it alone. I was anxious to get a good night’s sleep because I knew the next three on the ground would be less than ideal, though I still say a bad night on the ground is better than a good one in a hotel…hands down.
Run duration: 40 minutes. Walk duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm running. 75 bpm walking.
Calories burned during workout: 675 running. 125 walking.
It was after 11 p.m. and I was in our hotel room in the Marriott about to call it a day without doing any exercise. Holly and I had driven from home to Lexington, Ky. where she would be working a conference and I would be spending some time visiting with my sister Cristin, their two children, and my brother-in-law, Chris and doing some backcountry hiking and camping in Daniel Boone National Forest. Chris and Cristin, avid hikers and kayakers, had highly recommended the Red River Gorge portion on the Forest for hiking, camping and the opportunity to see…and climb on…some amazing rock formations. “I’m all about the view,” I told them both emphasizing the desire to get someplace high during our dinner with them earlier that evening. We’d hung out with them until my fascinating stories about losing weight and training hard had them yawning for more…which I was about to deliver. I never catch these not-so-subtle hints, but Holly was on it and told me to pack it up.
I was still digesting the roast Chris had made us for dinner when, with guilt overcoming me began to suit up for a run. There was a golf course adjacent to the hotel (I was sleeping as a civilized man the first night) which the bellman had told me I could run. I found my way to the golf cart path and set out on what began as a 30-minute run, but of course, took longer.
It was still in the 80’s and the humidity had to be near 100%, but the occasional sprinkler fanning out over the golf course would catch me with a blast and make the run tolerable. I could barely see where I was going, but assumed the path would be in pristine condition…and it was. When I returned to the hotel room, climbing the four stories to our room of course, I showered and rejoined Holly. It was midnight. “I should have gone out and walked,” she moaned. I knew what to say and suggested we go out now. “There’s a moon and we could walk the golf cart path,” I suggested figuring she’d say no and I’d get great points for encouraging her to work out. I was about to dive into bed when she said, “okay…let’s do it.”
We walked for 30 minutes and were finishing up around 1 a.m. when a security guy patrolling the gaited condo development that surrounds the golf course drove slowly past us and gave a good once-over to be sure we weren’t terrorists or cat-burglars or something. I gave him my ‘John Locke-Season Six’ look and he knew to leave it alone. I was anxious to get a good night’s sleep because I knew the next three on the ground would be less than ideal, though I still say a bad night on the ground is better than a good one in a hotel…hands down.
Run duration: 40 minutes. Walk duration: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm running. 75 bpm walking.
Calories burned during workout: 675 running. 125 walking.
Morning after blues...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
I was being bad and playing hooky from church again. I knew we had a graduation to attend in the afternoon and I still had a lot of packing to do for the trip, so I wanted to get something done at the only time I had. So I did.
I made it an extra-difficult survival workout, doing three sets on all the major body parts and running 26 minutes to the different stations. I’d been a slacker of the past two days…trying to fit in life and the track meet…so I wanted to really blast myself. I succeeded and was trembling as I re-entered the car to pick Jack up.
We went to Heidi’s boyfriend Matt’s graduation party later in the afternoon. His family eats about as healthy as you can eat and the fare was excellent for a Paleo man. Matt’s father Mike is an old friend…he was my Physical Therapist when I was doing crazy things to myself as a younger man and I needed help mending from injuries. He was very interested in the Paleo Diet and still wants to get to the woods to see the survival workout. I could use him for ideas on how to attack hard to reach muscle groups with what I have available in the woods. He loves the concept of functional training though, and feels that what I’m attempting to do is clearly the way to go.
I ate chicken and fruit and passed on the amazing-looking blueberry cobbler. The longer I follow the diet…the easier it becomes to pass on desserts that, a short time ago I would have dove into head-first. Later that night, I texted Kim that I was suffering from post-state meet blues. She told me to get someone else to train. Well Jack, I guess that's you for now.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Run workout: 28 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 140 bpm running.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 425 running.
I was being bad and playing hooky from church again. I knew we had a graduation to attend in the afternoon and I still had a lot of packing to do for the trip, so I wanted to get something done at the only time I had. So I did.
I made it an extra-difficult survival workout, doing three sets on all the major body parts and running 26 minutes to the different stations. I’d been a slacker of the past two days…trying to fit in life and the track meet…so I wanted to really blast myself. I succeeded and was trembling as I re-entered the car to pick Jack up.
We went to Heidi’s boyfriend Matt’s graduation party later in the afternoon. His family eats about as healthy as you can eat and the fare was excellent for a Paleo man. Matt’s father Mike is an old friend…he was my Physical Therapist when I was doing crazy things to myself as a younger man and I needed help mending from injuries. He was very interested in the Paleo Diet and still wants to get to the woods to see the survival workout. I could use him for ideas on how to attack hard to reach muscle groups with what I have available in the woods. He loves the concept of functional training though, and feels that what I’m attempting to do is clearly the way to go.
I ate chicken and fruit and passed on the amazing-looking blueberry cobbler. The longer I follow the diet…the easier it becomes to pass on desserts that, a short time ago I would have dove into head-first. Later that night, I texted Kim that I was suffering from post-state meet blues. She told me to get someone else to train. Well Jack, I guess that's you for now.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Run workout: 28 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 140 bpm running.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 425 running.
The 'Drama Queen' runs her last high school race...
Saturday, June 4, 2011
“Second call…girls 1600 meter,” came over the PA stadium in Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus. It was almost 5 p.m. and Kim and I had been sitting in the stadium watching races since 9:30 a.m. It went quickly for me though, probably due to the anxiety of this moment.
I’d been working with Marie for four years. Until last fall, she’d never had a running season end quite like she would have wanted it to. That trend could continue now or it could change forever and this was the final chance…her last high school race.
As I had been the previous week when she’d qualified to the state meet, I was strung out with anxiety. There is nothing a coach can do at this point…the training, race strategy, and motivational things have all been done. The gun goes off and they run…and you watch…and you wring your hands and pray for the best.
I’d started the day at 6 a.m. Sleep was impossible for me in Alum Creek State Park probably because of the trains near by. I did sets of push-ups and dips before heading off to the shower. It would be the only workout the day would allow and I’d missed yesterday’s, as well. We packed up the camping gear…I’d slept under the stars so that was easy…and headed for Bob Evans. Eating Paleo was a challenge, but I handled it nicely with a vegetable omelet and a blueberry smoothie. I figured that would be it for the day with the exception of some fruit we’d packed.
We were in the stadium for Division III at 9:30 a.m., but the meet was delayed when lightning was spotted in the distance. Kim and I killed time in the Ohio State Baseball Stadium when we found the gate open and were looking for a place to get out of the rain that never came. I have a bad habit of trying door handles and found one open to their batting cages. We slipped inside and spent some time taking our swings.
We were called back to the stadium in 30 minutes and finished watching Division III and then Division II. I realized as the time drew closer for Marie to run, I wasn’t paying attention to the races on the track as I usually do. We’d spent some time with her prior to the meet, but I couldn’t stand to sit near her and make any small talk…I needed to be pacing and moving to distract myself.
“Final call…girls 1600 meter run. Final call.” And there it was and there they were…15 of Ohio’s fastest girls walking across the infield to the starting line. In a few minutes the gun would fire and 5 minutes after that it would all be over and I could stop this silly anxiety and get on with the rest of my life.
When the gun sounded, Marie moved out exactly as planned. She was in the middle of the pack as the completed their first lap, but when I looked at my watch, I was shocked to see that Marie had come through in a blistering 70 seconds…and was falling back! She continued to fall back through the second lap and clocked 2:28 for the half…her fastest half mile in a race to date…and was dead last! My worst nightmares were coming true. I saw a disaster developing and knew what a blow it would be to her and how it would demoralize her and cast doubt over a season wasted and what had gone wrong. She continued at the back of the pack for another 200 meters and now, with only 600 meters to go…appeared to be finished.
Yet something about the way she was running told me to wait…to watch. She picked off three girls at the back of the pack as they approached the gun lap and rounded the first turn and moved to the backstretch…in front of us. Clearly Marie was having none of being so far behind and in a matter of a couple of powerful strides, was running all out…and catching runner after runner. She went into the final turn and raced down the homestretch in tenth…then ninth. As I watched her from across the track, it seemed as if the other girls weren’t moving, she passed them so easily. She ran out of track before running out of gas, but managed to pass two more runners and take sixth in the state with a personal best time of 4:59.2…shattering the school…and her sister’s…record.
The top eight runners in every race are honored by standing on the podium to receive their medals of accomplishment and status as All-Ohio runners. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone smile as broadly as Marie did when she took her position for her sixth place finish. My fears were allayed and her high school career would be deemed a success. A year of hard work and dedication to a goal had proven to her that although she couldn’t change history, she could clearly learn from it. Congratulations Marie…I’m going to miss coaching you.
“Second call…girls 1600 meter,” came over the PA stadium in Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus. It was almost 5 p.m. and Kim and I had been sitting in the stadium watching races since 9:30 a.m. It went quickly for me though, probably due to the anxiety of this moment.
I’d been working with Marie for four years. Until last fall, she’d never had a running season end quite like she would have wanted it to. That trend could continue now or it could change forever and this was the final chance…her last high school race.
As I had been the previous week when she’d qualified to the state meet, I was strung out with anxiety. There is nothing a coach can do at this point…the training, race strategy, and motivational things have all been done. The gun goes off and they run…and you watch…and you wring your hands and pray for the best.
I’d started the day at 6 a.m. Sleep was impossible for me in Alum Creek State Park probably because of the trains near by. I did sets of push-ups and dips before heading off to the shower. It would be the only workout the day would allow and I’d missed yesterday’s, as well. We packed up the camping gear…I’d slept under the stars so that was easy…and headed for Bob Evans. Eating Paleo was a challenge, but I handled it nicely with a vegetable omelet and a blueberry smoothie. I figured that would be it for the day with the exception of some fruit we’d packed.
We were in the stadium for Division III at 9:30 a.m., but the meet was delayed when lightning was spotted in the distance. Kim and I killed time in the Ohio State Baseball Stadium when we found the gate open and were looking for a place to get out of the rain that never came. I have a bad habit of trying door handles and found one open to their batting cages. We slipped inside and spent some time taking our swings.
We were called back to the stadium in 30 minutes and finished watching Division III and then Division II. I realized as the time drew closer for Marie to run, I wasn’t paying attention to the races on the track as I usually do. We’d spent some time with her prior to the meet, but I couldn’t stand to sit near her and make any small talk…I needed to be pacing and moving to distract myself.
“Final call…girls 1600 meter run. Final call.” And there it was and there they were…15 of Ohio’s fastest girls walking across the infield to the starting line. In a few minutes the gun would fire and 5 minutes after that it would all be over and I could stop this silly anxiety and get on with the rest of my life.
When the gun sounded, Marie moved out exactly as planned. She was in the middle of the pack as the completed their first lap, but when I looked at my watch, I was shocked to see that Marie had come through in a blistering 70 seconds…and was falling back! She continued to fall back through the second lap and clocked 2:28 for the half…her fastest half mile in a race to date…and was dead last! My worst nightmares were coming true. I saw a disaster developing and knew what a blow it would be to her and how it would demoralize her and cast doubt over a season wasted and what had gone wrong. She continued at the back of the pack for another 200 meters and now, with only 600 meters to go…appeared to be finished.
Yet something about the way she was running told me to wait…to watch. She picked off three girls at the back of the pack as they approached the gun lap and rounded the first turn and moved to the backstretch…in front of us. Clearly Marie was having none of being so far behind and in a matter of a couple of powerful strides, was running all out…and catching runner after runner. She went into the final turn and raced down the homestretch in tenth…then ninth. As I watched her from across the track, it seemed as if the other girls weren’t moving, she passed them so easily. She ran out of track before running out of gas, but managed to pass two more runners and take sixth in the state with a personal best time of 4:59.2…shattering the school…and her sister’s…record.
The top eight runners in every race are honored by standing on the podium to receive their medals of accomplishment and status as All-Ohio runners. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone smile as broadly as Marie did when she took her position for her sixth place finish. My fears were allayed and her high school career would be deemed a success. A year of hard work and dedication to a goal had proven to her that although she couldn’t change history, she could clearly learn from it. Congratulations Marie…I’m going to miss coaching you.
"Henry...stop working so much and get back to the woods"
Friday, June 03, 2011
I was managing the Cleveland Athletic Club in 1998 when a member and great friend, Henry Billingsley, was telling me about how he missed the days when he used to climb and backpack in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. I knew these mountains from my youth, but mostly from passing through them on the way to visit relatives to their north. He told me how he’d lost his climbing partner to a heart attack. “He was only 45 at the time. I took his ashes up to the top of one of those peaks and scattered them there. He loved that part of the country…and so did I,” he said. I told him how I’d camped there when I was 18 and if he ever wanted to go back, I’d love to go.
We spent the next couple of years kayaking and camping in Michigan and Pennsylvania, but finally in 2001, asked John to join us and made our way to the High Peaks and climbed Mt. Marcy, New York’s tallest peak. Like Henry and his friend, I fell in love with the area and have made over twenty trips back, often times bringing first time backpackers and helping them experience the joy of being in this scenic wilderness. Henry, on the other hand, has only made one return trip.
He called me the other day and I did what I do best…lay guilt on him. “I’m pretty good with eulogy’s Henry and I’d be happy to say at yours how much you wish you could have spent more time working.” I’d just asked him about taking our kayaks on the Upper Cuyahoga, but he thought he’d have to wait until 2013 when he wouldn’t be traveling so much. “Good thinking. You’ll probably be in much better shape by then…no wait…you probably won’t do a damned thing and work yourself to death. And how about getting back to the Adirondacks? There could be another Ice Age before you’re not too busy with work and then you won’t recognize them,” I said. I know I shouldn’t bug Henry so much, but I do it because he needs it, I like to go places with him and I owe him for getting me back in touch with my wilderness self. Sorry Henry…but I’m going to keep after you.
Speaking of the wilderness, I suppose people living in Twinsburg (John) won’t have to go to the wilderness…its coming to them. A black bear was spotted recently at the intersection of Routes 82 and 91 wandering the shopping areas…likely in search of an easy meal. There are 20,000 black bears in our neighboring state, Pennsylvania, and the young males tend to wander looking for mates and hunting ground not already claimed. Its only a matter of time before the Ohio population begins to explode (Pennsylvania’s is the largest in the world) and encounters like this become more prevalent. Hopefully, we will learn from our neighbors and adopt the necessary steps to keep them wild and roaming the woods of Ohio eating the food they were designed to eat.
Kim, Jack and I made our way to Columbus and had dinner with Savannah before spending the night at Alum Creek State Park. I was awakened by trains rumbling nearby and the sound of a garbage truck making pick-ups in the development nearby. It’s a far cry from backcountry camping, but beats sleeping inside. Tomorrow…the State Meet.
I was managing the Cleveland Athletic Club in 1998 when a member and great friend, Henry Billingsley, was telling me about how he missed the days when he used to climb and backpack in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. I knew these mountains from my youth, but mostly from passing through them on the way to visit relatives to their north. He told me how he’d lost his climbing partner to a heart attack. “He was only 45 at the time. I took his ashes up to the top of one of those peaks and scattered them there. He loved that part of the country…and so did I,” he said. I told him how I’d camped there when I was 18 and if he ever wanted to go back, I’d love to go.
We spent the next couple of years kayaking and camping in Michigan and Pennsylvania, but finally in 2001, asked John to join us and made our way to the High Peaks and climbed Mt. Marcy, New York’s tallest peak. Like Henry and his friend, I fell in love with the area and have made over twenty trips back, often times bringing first time backpackers and helping them experience the joy of being in this scenic wilderness. Henry, on the other hand, has only made one return trip.
He called me the other day and I did what I do best…lay guilt on him. “I’m pretty good with eulogy’s Henry and I’d be happy to say at yours how much you wish you could have spent more time working.” I’d just asked him about taking our kayaks on the Upper Cuyahoga, but he thought he’d have to wait until 2013 when he wouldn’t be traveling so much. “Good thinking. You’ll probably be in much better shape by then…no wait…you probably won’t do a damned thing and work yourself to death. And how about getting back to the Adirondacks? There could be another Ice Age before you’re not too busy with work and then you won’t recognize them,” I said. I know I shouldn’t bug Henry so much, but I do it because he needs it, I like to go places with him and I owe him for getting me back in touch with my wilderness self. Sorry Henry…but I’m going to keep after you.
Speaking of the wilderness, I suppose people living in Twinsburg (John) won’t have to go to the wilderness…its coming to them. A black bear was spotted recently at the intersection of Routes 82 and 91 wandering the shopping areas…likely in search of an easy meal. There are 20,000 black bears in our neighboring state, Pennsylvania, and the young males tend to wander looking for mates and hunting ground not already claimed. Its only a matter of time before the Ohio population begins to explode (Pennsylvania’s is the largest in the world) and encounters like this become more prevalent. Hopefully, we will learn from our neighbors and adopt the necessary steps to keep them wild and roaming the woods of Ohio eating the food they were designed to eat.
Kim, Jack and I made our way to Columbus and had dinner with Savannah before spending the night at Alum Creek State Park. I was awakened by trains rumbling nearby and the sound of a garbage truck making pick-ups in the development nearby. It’s a far cry from backcountry camping, but beats sleeping inside. Tomorrow…the State Meet.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Busting through the '190' barrier.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
I pulled in the driveway after work just as the Honda was overheating…again. It was time to take my baby out to visit Dan the Car Doctor. I loaded the bike into the back seat, but had a plan for a double. It was my day to do the survival workout and I had to drive past the park on the way to Dan’s, so I figured ‘do the workout…drive to Dan’s…ride home 30 miles and THEN check your weight’. Brilliant.
Since time was somewhat limited and I had run the last two days, I elected to jog between lifting stops, but didn’t add any extra running…as I had with the last two survival workouts. I did do some extra push-ups, lifts and sit-ups though and mixed in 20 minutes of jogging before returning to the car and the drive to Dan’s.
It was actually cold in Chardon. I knew I’d warm up once I started riding, but was actually chilly as I climbed the hill from his house back towards Wilson Mills Road. I took the long way home, heading south and east and eventually picking up Pekin Road where it crosses Bass Lake. Early on I was riding sluggishly…probably from pushing myself during the survival workout, but I caught a second wind around the 10-mile mark and felt strong over the last 20.
Once home, I stripped for a shower, but was feeling heavy and almost skipped the weigh-in. ‘It is what it is’ I thought and finally stepped on the scale. ‘188’ blinked on the readout and I rubbed the salt from my eyes to be sure what I was seeing. Hell…was I ever happy. I hadn’t been below 190 in probably 15 years …or longer. Since I began writing the blog, I’ve dropped 20 pounds and wondering how I ever let it get so bad. Thank God for the Paleo Diet. I was definitely thinking I could not return to the conditioning I’d achieved 20 years ago when I was in peak form…but not anymore. I don’t care if it takes another two years to get there…I WILL make it.
Marie stopped over after her Senior Banquet where she was awarded the Senior Superlative status of ‘most intelligent’. She’s third in her class and in addition to being nice, beautiful and a gifted runner…she’s smart, too. Purdue is going to love her next year. Anyway, we talked race strategy and all of the reasons she should be feeling confident in her chances on Saturday. I’m going to miss seeing her run…so Jack will have to pick up the slack this fall.
Survival Workout duration: 70 minutes. Bike workout: 110 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 700 for survival workout. 1650 biking.
I pulled in the driveway after work just as the Honda was overheating…again. It was time to take my baby out to visit Dan the Car Doctor. I loaded the bike into the back seat, but had a plan for a double. It was my day to do the survival workout and I had to drive past the park on the way to Dan’s, so I figured ‘do the workout…drive to Dan’s…ride home 30 miles and THEN check your weight’. Brilliant.
Since time was somewhat limited and I had run the last two days, I elected to jog between lifting stops, but didn’t add any extra running…as I had with the last two survival workouts. I did do some extra push-ups, lifts and sit-ups though and mixed in 20 minutes of jogging before returning to the car and the drive to Dan’s.
It was actually cold in Chardon. I knew I’d warm up once I started riding, but was actually chilly as I climbed the hill from his house back towards Wilson Mills Road. I took the long way home, heading south and east and eventually picking up Pekin Road where it crosses Bass Lake. Early on I was riding sluggishly…probably from pushing myself during the survival workout, but I caught a second wind around the 10-mile mark and felt strong over the last 20.
Once home, I stripped for a shower, but was feeling heavy and almost skipped the weigh-in. ‘It is what it is’ I thought and finally stepped on the scale. ‘188’ blinked on the readout and I rubbed the salt from my eyes to be sure what I was seeing. Hell…was I ever happy. I hadn’t been below 190 in probably 15 years …or longer. Since I began writing the blog, I’ve dropped 20 pounds and wondering how I ever let it get so bad. Thank God for the Paleo Diet. I was definitely thinking I could not return to the conditioning I’d achieved 20 years ago when I was in peak form…but not anymore. I don’t care if it takes another two years to get there…I WILL make it.
Marie stopped over after her Senior Banquet where she was awarded the Senior Superlative status of ‘most intelligent’. She’s third in her class and in addition to being nice, beautiful and a gifted runner…she’s smart, too. Purdue is going to love her next year. Anyway, we talked race strategy and all of the reasons she should be feeling confident in her chances on Saturday. I’m going to miss seeing her run…so Jack will have to pick up the slack this fall.
Survival Workout duration: 70 minutes. Bike workout: 110 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 700 for survival workout. 1650 biking.
Paleo diet continues...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What a difference 24 hours…or a 20-degree temperature swing…can make. It almost felt cold as I prepared for my run in the park. I suppose it was in the mid-70’s and the humidity was certainly down as I started down the trail. My hamstrings were still sore from Monday’s yard work, but other than that, I was feeling like I could run really fast. I knew better than to try…I’m still trying to take it easy on the knee and I had done something vaguely resembling running the day before.
I cruised through a 33-minute run with no pain in the knee. I always feel like I’ve been launched from a cannon when running on cool days after extremely hot ones. The down side was that I didn’t get to enjoy the refreshing waters of Clear Creek…though I’m sure the summer will provide ample opportunities.
The Paleo diet continues to go well. Holly joined me for some baked flounder which I’d doused in some fancy spiced olive oil that Heidi had insisted we buy for her Mother’s Day meal. I had some Bob Evan’s cold slaw and corn with mine and figured I chase it with a Smoothie later. I was up a pound after the weekend of boating and was reluctant to check the weight again. I seldom do check, but since I’m anxious to see the scale dip below 190, I’ll probably check until I do.
Run duration: 33 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 550.
What a difference 24 hours…or a 20-degree temperature swing…can make. It almost felt cold as I prepared for my run in the park. I suppose it was in the mid-70’s and the humidity was certainly down as I started down the trail. My hamstrings were still sore from Monday’s yard work, but other than that, I was feeling like I could run really fast. I knew better than to try…I’m still trying to take it easy on the knee and I had done something vaguely resembling running the day before.
I cruised through a 33-minute run with no pain in the knee. I always feel like I’ve been launched from a cannon when running on cool days after extremely hot ones. The down side was that I didn’t get to enjoy the refreshing waters of Clear Creek…though I’m sure the summer will provide ample opportunities.
The Paleo diet continues to go well. Holly joined me for some baked flounder which I’d doused in some fancy spiced olive oil that Heidi had insisted we buy for her Mother’s Day meal. I had some Bob Evan’s cold slaw and corn with mine and figured I chase it with a Smoothie later. I was up a pound after the weekend of boating and was reluctant to check the weight again. I seldom do check, but since I’m anxious to see the scale dip below 190, I’ll probably check until I do.
Run duration: 33 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 145 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 550.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any hotter...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It’s the year of record rainfall, so why not follow it up with record heat? It was somewhere around 200 degrees give or take and the perfect day for the air conditioning system in your office building to be down…or maybe not. I sat through six appointments, dripping sweat on my paperwork to the disgust of those poor folks who weren’t prepared to be around the world’s sweatiest guy. I made my way to the car after grossing out the last client. I was thinking how good my apples and orange were going to taste but discovered they’d been cooked in the sun.
I started down the road with the windows open, but finally succumbed to the heat, closed the windows and hit the air conditioner. It wasn’t long before the temperature gauge in the Honda was indicating that it too did not like the heat of the day. I knew the radiator was on its last legs, so I had a gallon of water in the back seat. I made it to the park for my workout and figured I’d let the engine cool while I sweat and then dump some water in for the trip home.
I started jogging slowly. My hamstrings were screaming with pain and in knots from all the bending and yard work I’d done the day before. I knew they’re supposed to loosen up once I got started…but after five minutes, I began to doubt that they knew. I managed to do the entire workout with 28 minutes of slow jogging despite the heat. Maybe because I was thinking how I would be submersing in the waters of Clear Creek at the end of the effort. Maybe because I’m a finely tuned athletic wonder…impervious to the ravages of the heat. Maybe I’m just too stupid to stop. Anyway, I made it to the creek and walked straight in. The water was reasonably warm and I wasted little time plunging beneath the surface. I was floating comfortably in full dress and running shoes when a jogger came by. I could see him upside down as he crossed the rocks and I floated at his feet. He smiled (or was it a frown since I was seeing him upside down) as he hopped from boulder to boulder. He seemed anxious to get away and unconcerned about my well being…which was well.
After five minutes or so, I climbed out and continued back to the car with the accompanying squish of water-soaked shoes with each step. When I reached the car, I filled the radiator and called Dan. He couldn’t get to it until Thursday, but told me if I kept it hydrated, I could drive it until then. Looks like another ride from Chardon in my near future.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Run workout: 28 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 140 bpm running.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 425 running.
It’s the year of record rainfall, so why not follow it up with record heat? It was somewhere around 200 degrees give or take and the perfect day for the air conditioning system in your office building to be down…or maybe not. I sat through six appointments, dripping sweat on my paperwork to the disgust of those poor folks who weren’t prepared to be around the world’s sweatiest guy. I made my way to the car after grossing out the last client. I was thinking how good my apples and orange were going to taste but discovered they’d been cooked in the sun.
I started down the road with the windows open, but finally succumbed to the heat, closed the windows and hit the air conditioner. It wasn’t long before the temperature gauge in the Honda was indicating that it too did not like the heat of the day. I knew the radiator was on its last legs, so I had a gallon of water in the back seat. I made it to the park for my workout and figured I’d let the engine cool while I sweat and then dump some water in for the trip home.
I started jogging slowly. My hamstrings were screaming with pain and in knots from all the bending and yard work I’d done the day before. I knew they’re supposed to loosen up once I got started…but after five minutes, I began to doubt that they knew. I managed to do the entire workout with 28 minutes of slow jogging despite the heat. Maybe because I was thinking how I would be submersing in the waters of Clear Creek at the end of the effort. Maybe because I’m a finely tuned athletic wonder…impervious to the ravages of the heat. Maybe I’m just too stupid to stop. Anyway, I made it to the creek and walked straight in. The water was reasonably warm and I wasted little time plunging beneath the surface. I was floating comfortably in full dress and running shoes when a jogger came by. I could see him upside down as he crossed the rocks and I floated at his feet. He smiled (or was it a frown since I was seeing him upside down) as he hopped from boulder to boulder. He seemed anxious to get away and unconcerned about my well being…which was well.
After five minutes or so, I climbed out and continued back to the car with the accompanying squish of water-soaked shoes with each step. When I reached the car, I filled the radiator and called Dan. He couldn’t get to it until Thursday, but told me if I kept it hydrated, I could drive it until then. Looks like another ride from Chardon in my near future.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Run workout: 28 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 140 bpm running.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 425 running.
Dealing with the heat...poorly.
Monday, May 30, 2011
There was much to do for the day, but one inescapable task was the yard. It was more of a field than a yard. It seemed that the only time I could mow during the past 10 days it was raining. It was still soggy out front, but I couldn’t wait. I spent over two hours cutting, raking, edging, sweeping and other thankless work…all done in the heat of the late morning and early afternoon. Holly’s folks arrived early for a picnic…around 12:15…so I had to stop, shower and try to help getting the food ready. I was drenched and dirty from the work and had actually been experiencing some dry heaves…I was that parched (someone smarter would have gone in the house, lined up a glass under the spigot and gotten a glass of water).
I took the required shower and started the charcoal grill. It was about 95 degrees, though I think it was about 150 next to the grill. By the time I sat down to eat, I was feeling nauseous and decided to go lay down. I promptly fell asleep for an hour and by the time I got up, everyone was ready to go. I continued to feel crappy until late afternoon when suddenly I felt like nothing had ever happened.
“I’m feeling better and thinking of going for a ride,” I said to Holly. She looked at me like I was dopey since it was still smoking hot, but I’d made up my mind. It was almost six when I hopped on the bike, so at least the sun was lower in the sky.
John had called earlier to tell me he’d had the worst ride of his life. He’d gone out around noon. “I felt crappy the whole time. Do you think the heat had anything to do with it?” Even the Scarecrow…before meeting Oz and going through the brain implant and all…would not have asked such a dumb question, but I answered it with diplomacy. “Umm…duh…you rode when from noon until 2…could you have picked a worse time?” Yes…the heat had gotten to him as it will when you’re body is acclimatizing. We’ve had such a cool spring that no one has been able to adjust to the heat. It takes seven to ten days for the body to get used to it and until it does, performance suffers. The last thing you want to do is go out in the hottest part of the day and challenge it. You’ll lose every time.
I began tentatively, but as the ride progressed it became clear to me that I’d completely recovered from the heat illness I’d been experiencing earlier in the day. I began to attack the course John and I had ridden a week earlier…the hilly one through Waite Hill and Kirtland Hills…completing it in under two hours. I was pleasantly surprised not to experience any muscle cramping in my leg and starting to think the combination of magnesium and extra sodium is working in concert to keep me functioning normally.
Kim brought over her new boyfriend Johnny for me to meet. She’d told him I knew everything about camping and biking and texted me after they left that he’d said “he really does know everything.” Well…thanks Johnny and I’ll end with a famous quote from Casey Stengel. When asked his secret to successfully managing the Yankee stars of the late ‘50’s he replied “keep the guys who don’t like you away from the guys who haven’t made up their minds yet.”
Bike duration: 110 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned: 1650.
There was much to do for the day, but one inescapable task was the yard. It was more of a field than a yard. It seemed that the only time I could mow during the past 10 days it was raining. It was still soggy out front, but I couldn’t wait. I spent over two hours cutting, raking, edging, sweeping and other thankless work…all done in the heat of the late morning and early afternoon. Holly’s folks arrived early for a picnic…around 12:15…so I had to stop, shower and try to help getting the food ready. I was drenched and dirty from the work and had actually been experiencing some dry heaves…I was that parched (someone smarter would have gone in the house, lined up a glass under the spigot and gotten a glass of water).
I took the required shower and started the charcoal grill. It was about 95 degrees, though I think it was about 150 next to the grill. By the time I sat down to eat, I was feeling nauseous and decided to go lay down. I promptly fell asleep for an hour and by the time I got up, everyone was ready to go. I continued to feel crappy until late afternoon when suddenly I felt like nothing had ever happened.
“I’m feeling better and thinking of going for a ride,” I said to Holly. She looked at me like I was dopey since it was still smoking hot, but I’d made up my mind. It was almost six when I hopped on the bike, so at least the sun was lower in the sky.
John had called earlier to tell me he’d had the worst ride of his life. He’d gone out around noon. “I felt crappy the whole time. Do you think the heat had anything to do with it?” Even the Scarecrow…before meeting Oz and going through the brain implant and all…would not have asked such a dumb question, but I answered it with diplomacy. “Umm…duh…you rode when from noon until 2…could you have picked a worse time?” Yes…the heat had gotten to him as it will when you’re body is acclimatizing. We’ve had such a cool spring that no one has been able to adjust to the heat. It takes seven to ten days for the body to get used to it and until it does, performance suffers. The last thing you want to do is go out in the hottest part of the day and challenge it. You’ll lose every time.
I began tentatively, but as the ride progressed it became clear to me that I’d completely recovered from the heat illness I’d been experiencing earlier in the day. I began to attack the course John and I had ridden a week earlier…the hilly one through Waite Hill and Kirtland Hills…completing it in under two hours. I was pleasantly surprised not to experience any muscle cramping in my leg and starting to think the combination of magnesium and extra sodium is working in concert to keep me functioning normally.
Kim brought over her new boyfriend Johnny for me to meet. She’d told him I knew everything about camping and biking and texted me after they left that he’d said “he really does know everything.” Well…thanks Johnny and I’ll end with a famous quote from Casey Stengel. When asked his secret to successfully managing the Yankee stars of the late ‘50’s he replied “keep the guys who don’t like you away from the guys who haven’t made up their minds yet.”
Bike duration: 110 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned: 1650.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Boating to Small Bass Island...
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Holly wanted to sleep in some before we headed for the boat and our trip to Small Bass Island, so I started the morning taking a photo opportunity hike around the Catawba Island Club. I was shooting some interesting pictures of a Great Blue Herron, when I saw what I thought was an albino Great Blue Herron. It was a snow-white bird which from a distance, appeared to be every bit as big as a Blue Herron and flew in the same unusual style…legs dangling and it’s long neck in a tight ‘S’ with its head tucked down on top of its body. I would later learn it was a Great Egret, but at the time, I thought I’d found the missing link I was so excited.
I hiked for about an hour and managed to sweat through the first of three shirts for the day…it was already up around 80 degrees (who am I kidding? I was hiking…it could have been 40 and I would have sweat through a t-shirt).
Holly and I went to the boat for breakfast…some healthy cereal and lots of fruit…before Jeff and I go the boat underway (my 15-year old niece was out on the bow helping me with the lines) which we did with great efficiency. Jeff kept harping about the wind blowing the boat off-line and how careful he needed to be. “This thing weighs 11 tons and has a gazillion horse power in those two monster engines down there. How could some wimpy little wind blow you around?” I couldn’t figure that out, but then I remembered how easily I’d pulled the boat closer to the dock while standing on the bow…which again…could just be my super-human strength. Anyway…he said it was a factor and wasn’t moving his eyeballs from dead-on center.
We made our way into the open water where I thought he’d breathe a sigh of relief, but no. “Keep your eyes peeled for logs floating. One of those could sink this boat,” he said. I was thinking that the log would have had to have been a Redwood, fallen into the Pacific Ocean, floated through the Panama Canal and into the Atlantic, up the coast to the St. Lawrence River and then upstream, managing to climb Niagara Falls and making its way through Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and into the path of his boat. Anything smaller would have been snapped like a dried twig...but what do I know? I looked for logs…and spotted quite a few.
We tied off on a friend’s boat at Small Bass Island and spent the next four hours in the sweltering heat (I sweat through my second t-shirt) enjoying the lunch fare, the museum dedicated to Commodore Perry’s defeat of the British Navy on Lake Erie during the war of 1812, and the interesting population of party animals that populated the island. There were also some of the most impressive antique automobiles driving all over the island…the likes of which I have never seen in one place at one time.
We were heading for the boat and heard from a couple of boaters Jeff knew that severe weather, including tornadoes, were ripping through Toledo. We quickly untied the lines and made our way back to Catawba Island, docking as the rains began to fall. Holly and I packed our car and were soon on the road…and driving through hurricane-force winds and hail stones smashing ominously against the vehicle. We stopped and had something to eat, allowing the storm to move on, but would catch the back end of it later as we approached Cleveland. My plans for a bike ride upon our return were dashed by the severity of the weather…what’s new?
I ate poorly throughout the day, having a burger on a bun and fried fish and French fries for lunch. I did pass up the ice cream ...though I was sorely tempted by the ‘Caveman’ flavor. I’ll get back on track tomorrow. I realize I have to make slight concessions to ‘normal’ living…but I don’t have to like it.
Holly wanted to sleep in some before we headed for the boat and our trip to Small Bass Island, so I started the morning taking a photo opportunity hike around the Catawba Island Club. I was shooting some interesting pictures of a Great Blue Herron, when I saw what I thought was an albino Great Blue Herron. It was a snow-white bird which from a distance, appeared to be every bit as big as a Blue Herron and flew in the same unusual style…legs dangling and it’s long neck in a tight ‘S’ with its head tucked down on top of its body. I would later learn it was a Great Egret, but at the time, I thought I’d found the missing link I was so excited.
I hiked for about an hour and managed to sweat through the first of three shirts for the day…it was already up around 80 degrees (who am I kidding? I was hiking…it could have been 40 and I would have sweat through a t-shirt).
Holly and I went to the boat for breakfast…some healthy cereal and lots of fruit…before Jeff and I go the boat underway (my 15-year old niece was out on the bow helping me with the lines) which we did with great efficiency. Jeff kept harping about the wind blowing the boat off-line and how careful he needed to be. “This thing weighs 11 tons and has a gazillion horse power in those two monster engines down there. How could some wimpy little wind blow you around?” I couldn’t figure that out, but then I remembered how easily I’d pulled the boat closer to the dock while standing on the bow…which again…could just be my super-human strength. Anyway…he said it was a factor and wasn’t moving his eyeballs from dead-on center.
We made our way into the open water where I thought he’d breathe a sigh of relief, but no. “Keep your eyes peeled for logs floating. One of those could sink this boat,” he said. I was thinking that the log would have had to have been a Redwood, fallen into the Pacific Ocean, floated through the Panama Canal and into the Atlantic, up the coast to the St. Lawrence River and then upstream, managing to climb Niagara Falls and making its way through Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and into the path of his boat. Anything smaller would have been snapped like a dried twig...but what do I know? I looked for logs…and spotted quite a few.
We tied off on a friend’s boat at Small Bass Island and spent the next four hours in the sweltering heat (I sweat through my second t-shirt) enjoying the lunch fare, the museum dedicated to Commodore Perry’s defeat of the British Navy on Lake Erie during the war of 1812, and the interesting population of party animals that populated the island. There were also some of the most impressive antique automobiles driving all over the island…the likes of which I have never seen in one place at one time.
We were heading for the boat and heard from a couple of boaters Jeff knew that severe weather, including tornadoes, were ripping through Toledo. We quickly untied the lines and made our way back to Catawba Island, docking as the rains began to fall. Holly and I packed our car and were soon on the road…and driving through hurricane-force winds and hail stones smashing ominously against the vehicle. We stopped and had something to eat, allowing the storm to move on, but would catch the back end of it later as we approached Cleveland. My plans for a bike ride upon our return were dashed by the severity of the weather…what’s new?
I ate poorly throughout the day, having a burger on a bun and fried fish and French fries for lunch. I did pass up the ice cream ...though I was sorely tempted by the ‘Caveman’ flavor. I’ll get back on track tomorrow. I realize I have to make slight concessions to ‘normal’ living…but I don’t have to like it.
Running the survival workout.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Holly and I were heading to visit my brother and his wife on their boat on Catawba Island. We were staying overnight, and I knew it would be difficult to follow the diet and get in the workout while there. I had to get it in before leaving, so I went to the park early with the intent of working extremely hard. I decided that I’d combine a run with the survival workout, so I strapped on the backpack with the bands inside and started jogging. I stopped at all the normal places and included a trip up a very steep hill. In all, I managed about 26 minutes of running and did more lifting, throwing and jumping than I would usually. By the time I returned to the car, I’d accomplished my goal…I was exhausted.
The survival workout is designed to be more anaerobic and strength builder, but combining it with a run worked out rather well. The entire workout lasted close to ninety minutes, but I felt like I’d done it all at the end. I’ve decided that I don’t really need to carry the TRX bands since I can innovate and hit all the major muscle groups without them and that will make the running easier…not carrying the pack.
I had an opportunity to use some of my new-found fitness skills once we arrived at my brother’s boat. He has a new, 40-foot power job of some sort…after a canoe or a kayak I’m out of my element…and he had not had it out yet. He was reasonably nervous about taking it out of his slip without bumping (crushing) the boats on either side of him. He needed to get fuel and figured he could use the practice before heading out on the open water tomorrow. I climbed on the bow (front) of the boat and handled the docking lines and stayed there while he backed it out, all the while pushing against the dock posts to keep the boat from touching the dock. The boat weighs 11 tons and it amazes me how easily I could push it away or pull it towards the dock while standing on the deck…possibly my supernatural strength gained from the survival workout…possibly the fact that it was floating…probably me.
I was sweating…but Jeff was sweating more as we got it clear of the other boats and headed for the fueling station…where he had to worry about ramming a dock full of gas. I wasn’t too worried…I’d be on the bow and the tanks were in the stern. If he plowed into something, I’d jump in the water and swim for it…something I do pretty well. He had no troubles though and we were now a good team for taking it out the next day when we’d boat to Small Bass Island.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Run workout: 26 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 140 bpm running.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 425 running.
Holly and I were heading to visit my brother and his wife on their boat on Catawba Island. We were staying overnight, and I knew it would be difficult to follow the diet and get in the workout while there. I had to get it in before leaving, so I went to the park early with the intent of working extremely hard. I decided that I’d combine a run with the survival workout, so I strapped on the backpack with the bands inside and started jogging. I stopped at all the normal places and included a trip up a very steep hill. In all, I managed about 26 minutes of running and did more lifting, throwing and jumping than I would usually. By the time I returned to the car, I’d accomplished my goal…I was exhausted.
The survival workout is designed to be more anaerobic and strength builder, but combining it with a run worked out rather well. The entire workout lasted close to ninety minutes, but I felt like I’d done it all at the end. I’ve decided that I don’t really need to carry the TRX bands since I can innovate and hit all the major muscle groups without them and that will make the running easier…not carrying the pack.
I had an opportunity to use some of my new-found fitness skills once we arrived at my brother’s boat. He has a new, 40-foot power job of some sort…after a canoe or a kayak I’m out of my element…and he had not had it out yet. He was reasonably nervous about taking it out of his slip without bumping (crushing) the boats on either side of him. He needed to get fuel and figured he could use the practice before heading out on the open water tomorrow. I climbed on the bow (front) of the boat and handled the docking lines and stayed there while he backed it out, all the while pushing against the dock posts to keep the boat from touching the dock. The boat weighs 11 tons and it amazes me how easily I could push it away or pull it towards the dock while standing on the deck…possibly my supernatural strength gained from the survival workout…possibly the fact that it was floating…probably me.
I was sweating…but Jeff was sweating more as we got it clear of the other boats and headed for the fueling station…where he had to worry about ramming a dock full of gas. I wasn’t too worried…I’d be on the bow and the tanks were in the stern. If he plowed into something, I’d jump in the water and swim for it…something I do pretty well. He had no troubles though and we were now a good team for taking it out the next day when we’d boat to Small Bass Island.
Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes. Run workout: 26 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 140 bpm running.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for survival workout. 425 running.
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