Moonlight workout in the bleachers...

Saturday, July 16, 2011

You take some things for granted…things you just think everyone knows or that common sense would tell them the answers to without having to go through any formal education…but its never good to assume anything.

I was on site at the Beaver Marsh in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this past Saturday where I volunteer as a Wildlife Watcher. It’s a busy station right on the towpath with many cyclist stopping to observe the marsh and the wildlife thriving there. Two older gentlemen…my age or more…got off their bikes to have a look. I pointed out the snapping turtles and the great blue heron when one asked me what he could feed the turtles. “Actually…it’s against the law to feed any animals inside a national park…but even if it wasn’t, it’s a bad idea,” I began…going into my ‘Leave No Trace’ training. He looked puzzled. “If people don’t feed them…how do they eat?” I could see he was dead serious and so I explained that they find food naturally in the environment without our help and when we do try to help, we tend to really mess the balance of nature up. He seemed to understand, but I suppose it contradicts a possible upbringing that may have included feeding bread to ducks and fish (I did that at a pond near my grandparents home in New York), back yard bird and deer feeders, or maybe even a house pet…I didn’t have time to delve that deeply. And he was one of three separate people who asked the question in the two hours I was there.

I had a late lunch that included two burgers and a smoothie. Later that night, Holly and I attended my next door neighbors’ retirement party at the Winking Lizard. I hadn’t done a workout yet, but my plan was to get home from the party and head to the track for a bleacher/run workout. With this in mind, I ate a huge salad and a chicken breast with a couple of diet cokes…so…easy on the calories.

I made it to the track around 10 p.m. The moon was almost full, but just below the trees so lighting wasn’t the best. Still, I managed 10 repeats up the 46 steps of the bleachers with 30 pounds on my back. I found that taking two steps at a time was a little hard on my knee, so I switched back to hitting every step. I stripped off the pack and ran a mile after the first set, but the knee just didn’t feel right, so I stopped after one. I really needed to use the bathroom and there was restroom next to the track, but I figured it would be locked. It wasn’t…but there were no lights. I could see well enough to get things done that needed to get done, but when I emerged from the bathroom, it seemed as though someone had turned on the flood lights. I suppose it was a combination of adjusting to the almost pitch dark of the bathroom and the moon having gotten above the trees…but I had no trouble seeing in the bleachers as I completed another 20 repetitions.

I staggered back to the car after 40 minutes, drenched and ready for a dip in the pool. Pat was still at his party when I pulled back in the drive so I knew I wouldn’t be disturbing anyone as I slipped into his beautifully maintained water…and completely screwed up the pH balance again. Ah yes…I love having a neighbor with a pool…

Track/Bleacher workout duration: 40 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600.