I left work heading for North Chagrin Metropark thinking that I needed to get in an abbreviated Survival Workout. Having lain off for a couple of days had done little to improve the pain in my right forearm, but I knew there were some things I could do. Driving north on I271, I couldn’t help but notice the pitch dark skies into which I was heading. They were centered over the park, of course.
I arrived there in a driving rain and what seemed like hurricane winds. Limbs and trees were down, but I climbed from the car to change thinking (or maybe not) that it would all change in the time it took me to suit up. It didn’t. I drove down to my starting point hoping that 2 miles away things would be different. They weren’t. The trail was under a foot of water and the pounding rain seemed to be saying ‘go home and get on the trainer’…so I did.
It has actually become something I’ve looked forward to. I keep finding great nature programs to watch on Netflix…there seems to be and endless supply…that keeps me going. After watching the Imax Everest program, I found an equally interesting series about a group attempting the world’s tallest mountain. I think it was aired as TV special…it’s in episodes…and covers six men and what they must do and overcome to make the summit. One man had lost both his legs below the knees to frostbite years earlier when he had been trapped for 13 days on a mountain in New Zealand. If he reached the peak, he would be the first double amputee to do so. Another is an asthmatic trying to be one of the few to summit without the aid of bottled oxygen. A third was a former Hell’s Angel with more metal in his body from bike accidents than the Bionic Man. I found it particularly interesting because of the depth they were able to go into regarding the necessary acclimatization, the amount of work done by the Sherpa’s to prepare the advanced base camps, the food they would eat and the gear they would wear and need to keep them safe for the 70+ days they would be on the mountain to complete their attempt. Equally amazing…each man had spent $40,000 for the opportunity. I managed two episodes while riding 90 minutes.
Drenched and exhausted, I made my way to the kitchen to put together my energy replenishing smoothie. I’d purchased a couple of mangoes while in the grocery store recently and began an attempt to peel one of them. The potato peeler was not the answer. Next, I reached for a knife and started a spot so that I might attack it like an orange peel…negatory on that, too. Finally, I just tried cutting the skin off like it was a melon…and that seemed to be the answer. I found quickly that it has a huge pit that runs the entire length of the fruit…bummer, since I’d paid so much for the thing and was now finding out that I’d be eating a lot less of it than I’d thought. I dropped the fruit in the blender, added some frozen blueberries, a banana, yogurt, ice cubes and apple cider to make what was the most amazing smoothie I’ve ever had…better even than with the ripe pears. At a buck-fifty per mango though, I’ll make it a special treat…since I’m now saving up for my trip to Nepal and the top of the world.
Bike Duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.Calories burned during workout: 1200.
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