I began the day with a long run through the Metroparks. It was cold…in the low thirties…but I hardly noticed as the sweat began to flow after five minutes of running. The trails were still a partially frozen slush, but mostly passable and the only difficult footing was on the uphill behind Squires Castle. I had the park virtually to myself, passing only three people on the entire run. I did see Reza running a side trail at one point, but he never noticed me…my pace may have made me look like a stationary object…like a tree or a rock.
John Heer stopped by for a visit, but begged off our planned hike because he wasn't feeling up to it. He was going for surgery on Wednesday to relieve the pain in his neck and shoulders he’s been suffering through for the past couple of years. His most recent visit to a spinal surgeon discovered what he considered a significant bulge in his spinal column between C5 and C5 and since John has already tried everything else known to medical science to relieve the pain, surgery is the only remaining option.
“I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. Only one out of three die on the table. Another 20% percent cant walk…but that means you’ve got about a 50/50 shot at being healthy again,” I said. “Oh…and if it doesn’t go well for you, I’ll grab your bike and ride it. I don’t want Teri’s new husband to be out there on that nice bike of yours.”
“Um…thanks for being my friend?” he said.
He was acting kind of weird, too, which is hard to recognize in someone as abnormal as John. But when I offered him one of my kick-ass smoothies, he turned me down. He’s never done something that irrational before. Maybe it was his concern over the pot belly he was starting to develop.
“I’ve gained eight pounds and haven’t worked out since last October,” he lamented.
Eight pounds only took him to 158, but I understand how it feels to know you’re getting out of shape and there being nothing you can do to stop it.
“I was thinking about your recovery time from the surgery. You’ve got to wear that silly-looking neck support thing for four months and you’re not supposed to do anything to vigorous during that time…right? So…that makes it mid-July…if you didn’t cheat at all, which I’m not recommending…mind you. That gives us about 8weeks of some intense work to have you ready for climbing in the Adirondacks by mid-September,” I concluded, having made a careful study of the timing to fulfill my needs.
He nodded agreement, but just wasn’t himself so I lay off a little as he was preparing to leave. Holly commented after he left that we weren’t as obnoxiously loud as we usually were, so maybe it wasn’t my imagination. I know John, though. Exercise is very important to his sense of well-being and time in the serenity of the Adirondack Mountains…in my company, of course…is extremely important. He’ll do what the doctor says to regain his health…and then he’ll let me push him to regain his physical strength. We’ll be ready come September.
Run Duration: 52 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.Calories burned during workout: 585.
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