The Photo Shoot...

Friday, April 27, 2012

I started the day by joining Holly for her morning hike.  We went 45 minutes and though it will never count as a workout for me, it’s nice to burn extra calories at a time I might otherwise be in bed.

I returned after work for the Survival Workout and managed a new reverse plank push-up pr of 71 reps.  The rest of the workout was uneventful and I needed to have it done in time to meet the photography team at for Ohio Sport and Fitness at Squires Castle.  I was the subject of a photo shoot for the cover and feature story of the June/July issue and I wanted to make sure I was nicely pumped for the pictures.  I had my kayak, bike and backpack in the Jeep to include in the shoot since the story was about the triathlon I was planning for next summer that would include all three disciplines…and more.  I told them about the ridge above the sled riding hill just down River Road and overlooking the Chagrin River.  They liked the idea and loved the spot when we arrived there.  I had to drag my 70-pound kayak up the hill, which I decided could make an nice addition to the Survival Workout.

They took about 250 pictures of me sitting on the kayak, standing and holding the bike and my hiking stick while wearing the backpack and shots of me running on the trails, as well.  The triathlon will include a 55-mile kayak across Lake Erie, a 1,000 mile bike ride around the state camping along the way, and a 110 mile hike/run of the Ohio/Erie Canal.  It will easily be the biggest challenge of my life. I’m writing the article now and will post some of my thoughts in the blog as I move through it to give further insight into my reasoning for the event.  It may sound outrageous when taken as a whole, but my intention is to demonstrate that anyone…at any age…can handle almost anything they set out to do with the right kind of training.

Hike duration: 45 minutes.  Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate:  75 hiking and 100-150 for SW.
Calories burned during workout:  175 hiking and 600 for SW.

Ride inside...

Thursday, April 26, 2012
I drove to the park after work undecided about what I would do.  It was a Survival Workout day, but I figured I needed to do more than just that and thought I’d add a run.  I exited the car and began to change.  It was cold and wet and a slight misty rain was falling…and I was having none of it.  I suppose I’m getting spoiled.  A year ago, there was seldom a stretch of two days when I wouldn’t be getting wet during a workout.  Not so this spring…it’s almost always sunny and dry…and I like it.  My brain started saying ‘don’t work is this cold, wet crap’ and my body was listening.  Still…I was there and the rugby field was in front of me and likely holding some errant golf balls.  I went out in the wet grass and found a few before heading home without doing a thing.

Guilt ate at me for an hour or so before finally getting me on the trainer once again.  I looked through Netflix for something inspirational and settled on a movie about a young, troubled teen that had his life changed by taking a solo trip down a river in a canoe while saving a kidnapped teen and corralling two very bad guys.  I discovered that even if a movie included canoeing and camping did not automatically mean it was good enough to maintain my interest for a 91-minute ride on a trainer.  I mean for God’s sake, the guy had a cotton sleeping bag in an open canoe and not in a protective, water-proof bag of any sort.  Even after flipping it two or three times, his bag was still dry and usable at the day’s end.   Problematic, at best…ludicrous in reality.  I should have just braved the rain and done the workout in the woods.

Bike Duration:  91 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1300.

"You know something...that may have been more than just a bird"

Wednesday, April 25, 2012


Holly, you may remember, is not exactly into the whole outdoor thing.  Like regarding camping and sleeping in tents, she says she considers the Marriott as ‘roughing it’ and blasphemes on a regular basis saying that eagles “are just birds.”  So whenever we head to the Metroparks for a hike, she pretty much wants to stick to the bridle paths.

“Mind if I take you on one of my more interesting hiking trails today?” I asked as we approached the park.

“You know I don’t like walking through the woods and climbing over all those things out there,” she said.

The things she didn’t like were trees that had fallen, and the roots and rocks that had the audacity to protrude from the forest floor.

“No…nothing like that.  Just some hiking trails.  Fewer people on them and some great sights you don’t get to see on the bridle paths,” I assured her.

She agreed…reluctantly…and for the first part of your hike she was pouting…but puffing.  After fifteen minutes of this, she began to come around.

“This is prettier…and I’m working harder than I do when I’m on the bridle path,” she said as we reached the top of another rolling hill.

I explained that she was doing so much more for her core by walking on an uneven trail…constantly forcing the muscles to adjust and balance itself...something it didn’t have to do on a level path.  She was generating a higher heart rate and burning more calories…her whole point in hiking in the first place.  Since all the same benefits apply to the use of these trails when running, it’s no mystery why I use them.  Anyway…she actually conceded that I’d made a good choice.

We’d walked for a little over and hour and were reaching the end of our trek, when I happened to look up and to my amazement, noticed a Barred Owl sitting on a branch less than ten feet off the trail and no more than six feet off the ground.  I grabbed Holly’s arm and pointed it out.  We both pulled out our phones…my camera is still in the repair shop…and took a picture.  I moved closer and took a second one and then closer still for a third.  The Owl had had enough and suddenly spread its wings and swooped down from the tree…and directly at Holly.

“HEY…” she yelled, stumbling back as it passed about a foot from her legs.

“Wow…that was really cool!” I said as I watched it fly away.

Holly didn’t turn to look…probably thinking she didn’t want to witness death from above should it renew its attack.  I could tell her heart was pumping harder than it had any time during the hike.  She certainly was a lighter shade of pale.

“Now Holly…you gotta admit…that was more than ‘just a bird’,” I said.

She looked at me with her eyes still bulging from her near-death experience.  “I’ll give you that one…it really was more than a bird.”

Hike Duration:  70 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 80 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 350.

Hard run and 'Hunger Games'

Tuesday, April 24, 2012
I began researching my Ride Ohio bike route on the web site ‘Map my Ride’.  If you’re a cyclist and don’t know about this site…check it out.  It’s great for mapping out what you’ve already done to see how far you’ve gone, know the elevation changes you rode and to access your average speed.  It’s fantastic for planning routes, as well…which is what I’m doing now.  I’d done a quick look at the perimeter of Ohio, plotting the distance and was surprised to find it was around 1,000 miles.  Now that I’m actually looking for roads I would find safe and interesting to ride, I can see it will be even longer.

I had one of THOSE runs today.  It started out okay with a planned time of forty minutes.  I was running my South Chagrin Metro Park river trail which begins at Miles and River Road and heads north along the Chagrin River to the Polo Fields.  I reached the Polo Fields in a little over 22 minutes and after a short break to enjoy the scenery, turned for the run back.  On the short, uphill grade leaving the Fields, my legs felt like they were moving through Jell-O pudding…chocolate, of course.  My breathing was labored and the effort was a drain.  I hate that feeling…like I’m completely out of shape at a pace that would have given me the time to watch paint dry.  It’s down right discouraging and would have me feeling that way except that I know on my next run I’ll likely go a minute per mile faster…and feel great doing it.  I have no physiological explanation for this phenomenon and if it were an important race, I suspect I could have run through the feeling and come closer to what I’m capable of doing…but it just didn’t matter how fast I ran so I did what I could do.

Holly and I went to see ‘Hunger Games’ later that night and I must admit I enjoyed the film.  I’ve not read the books…but intend to now.  I can see why the younger generation has gotten swept up in the series and how it has inspired so many to take up the sport of archery.  The heroine makes me care about her and her situation from the start and emotional involvement is often how I judge the quality of a movie.  I want to be pulled in and care…it makes it so much more interesting.  And she’s totally into the woods and survival skills…my kind of girl.  Like everything I see and do lately, it also has me yearning for some time in the Adirondack backcountry.  I see a trip forming very soon.

Run Duration:  45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 765.

'The Way' is inspiring...

Monday, April 23, 2012
With an aching elbow, poison ivy spreading up my arms, and a stomach that couldn’t seem to figure out if it hurt or not, I went to the park to do my first Survival Workout in several days.  I wasn’t expecting much and started by falling 7 reps short of my reverse plank push-up pr.  Bummer.  I did notice a large, rotted tree had fallen across the trail about a hundred yards from my starting point and decided moving it from the trail would be a good addition to the workout.

It weighed in around ton...probably a rogue Redwood…and it took considerable work to hoist and carry into the woods, but I managed it.  The rest of the workout was pretty solid, though I found myself backing off towards the end of certain lifts as the elbow pain increased.  I probably need ‘Tommy John’ surgery…repair of the ulnar collateral ligament that connects the humerus of the upper arm to the ulna of the forearm.  My pitching days are through...but so are my lifting days if I don’t do something.  I should give it about 4-6 weeks off to see if it heals, but that would be WAY too sensible and probably make me crazy.

I watched what I thought was a wonderful movie.  ‘The Way’ is the story of a young man played by Emilio Estevez (written and directed by him, as well) who dies while on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail.  His father (played by his father…Martin Sheen) goes to France to identify the remains and decides to continue the trail his son began, spreading his ashes as he travels, and learns some wonderful lessons about himself, the way he interacts and judges others and most importantly, that, as he son told him when they last saw each other, “you don’t choose a life…you live one.”

Now, having seen this and also having viewed a documentary recently about walking the Appalachian Trail and riding the Continental Divide, I am more inspired than ever to put together some kind of long distance excursion.  I don’t know what yet…but it’s definitely coming.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150.
Calories burned:  600.

Breakfast at Kleifeld's...

Sunday, April 22, 2012
I started the day with a run…which always makes it a better day for me.  I found out quickly that I wasn’t prepared for the conditions after five minutes on the trail in shorts and a t-shirt.  There was a gentle drizzle falling…a welcome addition to days with temperatures above 70 or so…but it was more like 45 and the breeze was blowing.  I was without my do rag as well, so my head…bald as a pool cue…was also feeling the cold.  As with every run, I had a time in mind which was only really a suggestion to the rest of me.  I think it was 30 minutes…but that’s irrelevant.  I had about 60 minutes before Jack needed to be picked up and planned to use most of them running once I got started and as long as my calf remained solid.  It did and I managed 50 minutes and climbed in the car with exactly enough time to get Jack.

He entered the car and announced he was hungry.  He’d been up late and rolled out of bed with about 3 minutes to get into the car so I could take him to his babysitting job while I’d been running.  Naturally…he’d missed breakfast.  I decided to treat him to a breakfast at my favorite place…Kleifeld’s in Willoughby.  It’s an old diner that hasn’t changed much since they opened some time during the American Revolution…including serving large portions quickly and that taste good.  Jack tried corned beef hash for the first time and found that he liked it.  I ate a ham and cheese omelet with a double order of rye toast and a side of home fries.  I figured I’d run 50 minutes and had plans for more work when I got home so I’d burn the calories.  We did what dads and sons should do…just talked about what he was up to and what life was like when I was his age and doing things he shouldn’t…or at least shouldn’t tell me about just yet.  They wouldn’t be funny until he had kids.



We got home and the yard work began.  Since I’d spent six hours on Mimi’s landscaping yesterday, I figured Holly would notice if I didn’t at least make an effort on ours.  I spent considerable time putting just the right edge on the driveway and along the sidewalk…and it was quite an effort since not doing it for eight months or so does nothing to make it easier.  I even went back and swept up the mess...something I’d normally let the wind take care of.

I’d hoped to add a Survival Workout to the day but found that my stomach was acting up again and I was kind of played out.  I made a smoothie and skipped the family dinner…and for me to skip a meal should be a signal for a visit to the ER.  I held off, though.  We’ll see how tomorrow goes.

Run Duration:  50 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 850.

Not quite 100%

Saturday, April 21, 2012
Though it was cool and a slight mist was falling, I was determined to sweat out the demon that had been plaguing my stomach for the past two days with some good old-fashioned manual labor in Mimi’s yard.  I spent six hours digging, transplanting, weeding, hauling, and putting an edge around trees, flower gardens, and the edge of the yard amounting to a little over the length of a football field.  By the time I was finished…I was finished.  My hands would hardly close around the handle of the edging spade as I tried to return it to the tool shed.  It wasn’t a weight workout or cardiovascular in any way…but I burned a bunch of calories and exhausted myself in the process.

I drove from there to the Metroparks trying to talk myself into doing something more.  I was losing this battle, though, as the mist continued to fall cold and miserable.  I climbed from the car and walked the rugby field looking for golf balls and found eight, but the combination of the yard work and my stomach continuing to nag me helped the decision to get back in the car and drive home.

I went into my office and began working on the computer…but something was looking over my shoulder and pressing the guilt…a bike on a trainer.  I finally gave in, went and suited up, dialed in Netflix and climbed aboard.  I spent the next hour and fifteen minutes watching a documentary about Buck Brannaman, the horse trainer used in the filming of ‘The Horse Whisperer’.   I knew I really needed to burn some more calories because we were headed for my sister’s place to celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday with an eating fest. 

And that’s what it was.  I had split pea soup, shrimp, a couple of pieces of chicken and some sweet potatoes…not very paleo…and not so good on an upset stomach.  I did manage to pull my self-control together long enough to refuse Dairy Queen ice cream cake, though.

Yard Work Duration: 6 hours.  Bike duration: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70-100 for yard work and 120 for the bike.
Calories burned:  1800 for yard work and 1050 for the bike.

Two days of stomach pain...

Thursday and Friday, April 19 & 20, 2012

The stomach churning and pain continued throughout the day.  I was never nauseous, but my stomach continued to feel like I’d done an incredibly hard abdominal workout…sore to the touch and painful.  By the end of the work day, I was sick of feeling sick and went home to lie down thinking that maybe I’d get some bike time in if things cleared.  They never did.

Friday was more of the same.  I’d feel good for a time, but the pain would return without warning.  I wiser man would have seen a doctor, but I didn’t really have one to see about a stomach ache.  Besides…hadn’t I been treating myself successfully for years?  I could handle this one, too.  What I couldn’t handle was missing workouts.  I’m a junkie and there is no satisfaction in forced days off.  While my stomach hurt, there was no thought that riding a bike would have been a good idea, but between that feeling I wished I was doing something.  I have work to do for Mimi tomorrow and that will surely get the poisons from my body and I’ll follow it with something.

Finally...the complete birthday triathlon

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I had the alarm set for 5:45, but didn’t make it until then.  I was up and eating my Kashi cereal with a banana by 5:30 and at LaDue Reservoir with my kayak ready to roll by 7 a.m.  I was going to do all three events again, but time was limited since I had to visit Holly’s parents and drive to Akron to meet Heidi for dinner.  There was no time to dally.

I’d decided on LaDue on the drive to the upper Cuyahoga River.  I had to cross LaDue to get there…it was another 15 minutes…and decided any body of water would do – why pass one?  It turned out to be a good choice.

I paddled south on the Reservoir and found myself in the shallows after twenty minutes and had to reverse my course.  When I did, I had a large, immature eagle fly overhead and back in the direction I was going.  The chase was on.  I spotted it on three different occasions and it would let me get within about 200 yards before flying to another perch.  My camera is being repaired and the one I was carrying did not have a telephoto lens…so I needed to get closer.  It never happened.  It did get me to kayak longer than I’d planned though, and so by the time I returned to the take-out, I was behind schedule.

I had perfect conditions for the run.  It was cool and sunny as I entered the woods to the hoot of an owl.  The sun was filtering through to the forest floor, giving it that golden glow that makes me want to run all day.  I felt strong as I started and continued feeling that way throughout.  My concern was for my calf of course, particularly since I’d run an hour on Saturday and wasn’t sure if doing it again so soon was really a good idea.  I had some twinge at 45 minutes and I was close to three minutes ahead of the pace I’d run on Saturday, so I slowed a little to make sure I’d make it.  I hit Clear Creek in 54 minutes…3 minutes faster than Saturday…and ran the final 3 minutes to make it 57 for the day.

I was now certain nothing would stand in my way.  I drove home planning my outfit to allow for the cooler temperatures I’d deal with on the ride.  Once home, I showered, and decided I’d refuel the tank.  I remembered what my cousin Donny had told me on Saturday when I’d told him what I’d eaten for breakfast.

“John…what were you thinking?  You should have eaten French Toast smothered in butter and doused in maple syrup…about 8 slices…like you used to when you were young.  That’s all carbs and that’s what you need…right?”

So I broke out the eggs and milk and whipped up the batter while heating the griddle.  I ate only seven pieces…it was all the batter I had…and I felt like I had lead in my belly as I climbed aboard the bike.  Why do I listen to that guy?

I packed three little roses in my saddle bag and headed north for Willoughby.  I rode past the house where I’d grown up and made my way to the cemetery to visit the graves of my parents and Jim and place a flower on their headstones.   From there, I swung through Mentor to say hello to my sister and grab some juice to re-energize myself for the long push home.

It was a cool, breezy ride, but I felt strong throughout and with no leg cramps.  My hip was still a little sore from the spill on Sunday, but I finished the ride feeling tired but like I could easily have done more.  The worst soreness I was experiencing continued to be the hamstrings from the edging I’d done on Monday night. 

I made a huge smoothie to replenish my depleted muscles and headed for Akron and dinner with Heidi, Jack and Holly.  We went to a burger bar and had an amazing hamburger.  I passed on the fries and milk shake, but when the waiter found out it was my birthday, he offered to make me a shake on the house.  I couldn’t say no to such a generous spirit…though I wish I had.  By the time I went to bed, my stomach was churning…probably from the abnormal amount of fat I’d consumed.  But it was a small price to pay for a perfect day.

Kayak duration: 75 minutes.  Run duration: 57 minutes.  Bike duration: Three hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120 for the kayak, 140 for the run, 120 on the bike.
Calories burned:  750 for the kayak, 1000 for the run, 2500 for the bike.

A new client...a tried and true solution

Tuesday, April 17, 2012
I met with a new client last night who described himself as “the fastest fit man you’ll meet”.  He’d been a high school and college runner and pole vaulter…sports that required low body fat and a good strength to weight ratio.  He’d been able to run a 5K in less than 16 minutes…a very respectable time with a mile pace below 5:20.  That was then…

Now his body fat was 24% (probably 5% in his competitive days).  He was training to run the half marathon in May, but I talked him out of it when he described and injury he was trying to work through in his calf.  I talked him out of it because after hearing more about his goals, which included training for two triathlons…the first coming in June…I could see that the half marathon didn’t fit with these goals.

“You needed to establish a baseline of fitness…and we’ve done that now.  Now…you have to decide what you want to do well and focus in on that,” I said.

I could see he was someone who responded to the challenge of beating himself and challenging others.  These are good things because they’re measurable.  I can draw up a specific program of training to meet his objectives…and as I told him, “you’ll never achieve them if you don’t lose the body fat.”

He agreed and liked the concept of the Paleo Diet and a return to the hard training that had made him a fast runner and good vaulter.  He needed direction and measurable objectives…like most people…and after listening to him, I was able to reduce them to paper.  We mapped out a daily training schedule including bike and track workouts and time in the pool, to make him faster.  He had specific dates to run these races, which simlified...and focused...the effort.  I have no doubt he will accomplish those goals.

I had a goal for tomorrow, as well.  I had felt bad that for the third year in a row, the weather had interfered with my ability to do the birthday triathlon all on the same day.  I’d done two hugely difficult days over the weekend…but again…they weren’t consecutive.  Tomorrow’s weather report remains favorable, so I’ve taken the day off and plan to be up early and have the kayak in the water by 7 a.m. with running and cycling to follow.  With that coming, I took the evening off.  My body is sore…but mostly from bending and trimming the weeds with hand clippers on Monday night.  The stretching that places on the hamstrings and the pain the follows for the two days after leaves me cringing every time I stand.  Tomorrow’s triathlon…on the heels of a monster weekend…should have me completely spent.  We’ll find out shortly.

More fun driving with Jack...

Monday, April 16, 2012
My hip was still sore when I woke.  I could tell it was mending quickly though, and likely would be strong by Wednesday, should I take another shot at doing everything on the same day. 

I went to the Metropark wondering what effect the weekend’s workouts would have on my ability to do the Survival Workout.  I figured it wouldn’t matter since so much of what I’d done was lower body and the Survival Workout’s focus was on upper body muscular endurance for this day.  I started with my reverse plank push-ups and managed a new pr of 67.  If I hadn’t unhooked my feet from the rail on 67 though, I’d have done a nose plant into the dirt.  When you reach your last one, there is no trying to squeeze out another.  It’s over.

It wouldn’t be the only pr of the day…I managed 32 on my overhead log lift and climbed the pole three times quite easily.  I’m looking forward to adding a couple of new moves in the routine which will involve lower body squats and lunges, but don’t want to do them until I get past the birthday since I want to protect the calf for one more long run.

I came home and was feeling like I could easily take a ride.  I decided against it for two reasons.  First…the wind was blowing like that day it picked up Dorothy and Toto and deposited them on top of that wicked old witch who's toes curled when houses landed on her.  Second…if I should decide to take another shot at the triathlon on Wednesday, I could use the recovery time.  I was feeling great though, so I did a bunch of yard work until dark.

Jack asked me for another driving lesson and I agreed.  It was after nine, so it was dark and as he started the car in the garage and prepared to put it in reverse, I asked him if there was something he should do that might come in handy.

“Umm…open the garage door?”

“Okay…that would be really good for a couple of reasons…but it’s open already,” I said.

“Look behind me?” he offered.

“Another great idea…but not what I was thinking.”

He looked stumped and so I gave him a hint.  “Pretty dark out there…huh?”

“Oh yeah…the lights!” he said as the bulb in his brain finally blinked on.

We ended up driving down River Road where there are no overhead lights, so I got him using his brights.  He clicked them on and off a number of times to get the feel and I told him as soon as he saw a car approaching, to turn them off.

“How come?”

“Well…they’re pretty obnoxious for someone driving towards you and they make it kind of hard to see.  You also want to turn them off when you come up behind someone because the glare in their mirrors does the same thing,” I said.

He seemed to have it down, but on the third car we saw, he missed the bright switch and just turned off the lights altogether.

“Jack…this is not a good way to drive.  Lights…lights…” I said as he fumbled, putting on the wipers and the turn signal before again finding the light switch.

Every ride is some new adventure…and I kind of like it.  I suppose I’m a bit of a thrill seeker and I have a strong heart so I’m thinking I can handle whatever Jack throws at me over the next seventy some hours of driving instruction.  Time will tell.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150.
Calories burned:  600.

Ride...crash...cramps...thank you, sir...may I have another?

Sunday, April 15, 2012
Holly asked me to take a hike in the neighborhood first thing in the morning and I didn’t want to say that I was saving myself for the long ride and workout scheduled for later in the morning.  After all…wasn’t I in fantastic shape?  As we walked though, I began to feel a dull ache in my hip…probably from the one-hour run of the previous day.  We did a quick 40 minutes and then I was ready for the bike.

I didn’t have a particular course in mind.  I’d decided instead to ride through Waite Hill, but then detour over to Kirtland and head east through Kirtland Hills and out towards Chardon.  It was a challenging course and I wanted to see some new things.  I found myself on Auburn Road near I90 and headed south on that route for some time.  It’s a busier route than I would normally travel, but it provided new scenery and some challenging climbs.

I had packed a banana and an apple in my little saddle bag, but was also feeling the need for something other than water to drink by the 2-hour mark.  It was warm and I was a lot of fluids and electrolytes…which for me spelled ‘cramping’ if I didn’t do something to replace them.  I stopped at a little gas station mart at the intersection of Mayfield and Bass Lake Roads.  I purchased a 32-ounce Gatorade, drank a third and poured the rest into one of my water bottles.  With the apple and the banana and some time off the bike, I felt rejuvenated and continued the journey. 

I again turned east on Butternut and continued riding in that direction until I ran into buggies and horses.  I was turning to come back at Burton/Windsor Road when I let my front tire slip off the edge of the road and get caught in the soft berm.  I quickly lost control of the bike and crashed to the pavement landing heavily on my left hip.  I knew it was a minor injury and quickly remounted and began riding.  I could feel the ache in my hip, but figured the best thing I could do for it was to ride.  Besides, I was almost 30 miles from home…what else could I do?

My legs began cramping shortly after, forcing me to switch to easier gears and back off my pace.  The remaining ride was more of a death march as I plowed forward into a stiff head wind.  Though it took longer than I would have liked, I arrived back home over four hours after I began and with 70 miles of riding to my credit.  The original goal of 57 had to be eclipsed to make up for the fact that I’d had to ride it a day later than the run and kayak…I was feeling guilty.  I hobbled into the house knowing my day was done.  I had no intention of trying to load a pack on my back and hike on a damaged hip.  Though it doesn’t happen often…I can use common sense on occasion as it relates to my working out.

I quickly blended a large smoothie and reminded myself that this is why I do what I do…the opportunity to enjoy and savor the time after the craziness…and that I can still do it.  The birthday’s not until Wednesday.  Maybe I’ll just do it all again then…the forecast is good.

Hike duration: 40 minutes.  Bike Duration:  4 hours and 15 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm during the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  150 hiking and 3500 biking.

Birthday Quadrathon partially washed out...

Saturday, April 14, 2012

I was up at 5:30 a.m.  I wanted to be on the water by 7 for the first leg of the Quadrathon.  Rain was in the forecast, which did not bode well for a bike ride of more than three hours.  I’d prepared everything the night before, so I only needed to eat a good breakfast and head out.  I had my normal bowl of Kashi cereal and a banana.  This would get me through the kayaking and running and then I figured on a large smoothie before beginning the bike leg.

There was some sunshine breaking in the east as I was crossing LaDue Reservoir, but by the time I had the kayak in the water at Russell Park twenty minutes later…it was gone for the day.

I found the parking lot empty at Russell and for the next two hours, would be the only person on the Upper Cuyahoga…which is just the way I like it.  I paddled hard downstream, planning on going around 58 minutes and then figuring if I worked even harder, I could make it back…against the current…in around an hour.  It wasn’t a practical plan…but mine seldom are.

Being alone on the river gives me the opportunity to be the first around every bend, and at dawn that means if there is any wildlife to see…and photograph…you get first dibs.  I spotted two beavers…the first I’ve seen this year, five great blue heron’s and more waterfowl than I could begin to count.  It was cool and crisp and I had a long and a short-sleeved t-shirt on, but on the return trip upriver, I began to break a good sweat, which is always my intention.

I made the return trip in an hour and two minutes…not bad for paddling uphill…and quickly reloaded the kayak on the Jeep.  I’d planned on doing an hour and 57 minutes, but I was over by five and that was okay.

I drove to the North Chagrin Reservation for the run and wasted no time in getting on the running trail once there.  Conditions were perfect for running…but deteriorating for the bike ride.  It was cool and  a light rain kept spitting as I ran.  I felt great for about 40 minutes, but I haven’t been doing too much running since the calf issue and began to fatigue at that point.  By 50 minutes I was slowing some to allow for a twinge I’d felt in the calf, but it never got worse.  I spooked up on a couple of whitetails on the run and saw almost no one in the park.  When I reached Clear Creek in 57 minutes…my goal time…I figured what could it hurt to run the last three minutes to make it an hour?  So I did.

I was still a half-mile…and one steep hill…from the Jeep.  My legs felt the climb and I knew I would be feeling them even more over the 57-mile bike ride.  But so what?  I’m young.  I’m in shape.  I’m a little whacked.

I returned home and decided a shower would be in order.  No sense in riding with all that salt caked on my body and the chafing it could accelerate.  I’d be creating more sweat quickly…better to start with a clean slate though.  I made a huge smoothie and took it with me to the bathroom, where I guzzled as I prepared for the ride.  I was dressed and ready to go in ten minutes and made my way back to the garage.  And that’s when things went south.

The driveway was wet from the rain that had started falling while I showering.  I will not start riding in the rain…particularly a 57-mile ride.  I don’t mind the rain so much on me, but don’t like what it does to my ability to control the bike…stopping, cornering and climbing.  It was chilly too, and hypothermia and I are friends but not someone I was looking to visit with today…or any day.  It was a very gentle sprinkle, and I had time…it was only noon…so I thought I’d try to wait it out. 

By 4 p.m. I gave it up.  Another birthday triathlon turned to Quadrathon foiled by the weather.  We’d had such wonderful weather for so long this spring that I was certain it would work out.  Like the Indians…maybe next year.  I knew the forecast for the next day was much more favorable and decided I’d do my long ride and Survival Workout then making it kind of a birthday Quadrathon weekend.


Kayak duration: 2 hours and 4 minutes.  Run duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120 for the kayak and 140 for the run.
Calories burned:  1200 for the kayak and 1020 for the run.

Killer smoothies...

Friday, April 13, 2012

A scheduled day off!  I’ve missed some days since I began writing this blog over two years ago, but they’re normally because I’ve injured myself or just talked myself out of doing something at the last second.  I seldom plan to take a day off…I should…but on this Friday, I did. 

We were meeting Craig and Kay for a dinner at Fisher’s Tavern in Mayfield Village, but they stopped at our place first.  Holly does some work for Craig and when he took a large, rectangular box from his car and brought it into the kitchen saying if was full of files for Holly, I should have bought it…but I didn’t.

“That is one weird shaped box to hold files,” I said as I opened up the top.  I had to see how these files were inside since I’d likely be the one carrying it upstairs to her office.

Only it wasn’t files.  It was my new IMac 24” computer.  Holly had purchased it from Craig…he was upgrading…and I was the beneficiary. 

“Happy birthday,” Holly said.

I really shouldn’t be so nosey.  Craig set it all up and we headed out to dinner.  I noticed the Pork Chops on the special and stopped looking at the menu at that point.  I almost always order Pork Chops out since it isn’t something we have often at home.  I had green beans and cold slaw for sides and stayed away from the bread.  When the waitress asked about dessert, I told Craig and Kay that I’d make my special smoothie for them back at the house.  Craig is trying to trim a few pounds, so I knew he was avoiding desserts and I had explained how, with my constant battle with a sweet tooth...the smoothie had come to the rescue.

“You’re going to love my smoothie,” I assured him confidentially.

Kay studied everything I put in the blender.  Apparently Craig cannot handle such sophisticated kitchen equipment…at least if it means remembering a recipe.  I made it with bananas, clementines, frozen mixed fruit which included mangoes, grapes, strawberries and peaches, some vanilla yogurt, a couple of ice cubes and, of course, apple cider.  They loved them…but why wouldn’t they?  I make the best damned smoothie in…like…the WORLD.

And the computer rocks.  Nice job Holly and Craig.

Final touches for the Birthday Quadrothon

Thursday, April 12, 2012
This was to be my final day of exercise before the big birthday quadrathon, so I was definitely thinking I should take it a little easy.  I started as I always do…with push-ups, but they were the pure, rigid plank-style and I knew I needed to get to at least 57 by Saturday.  As I hit 40, I knew I’d make it and managed to squeeze out 60…a new pr.  I made my way through the remainder of the workout pushing hard on every set.  I was thinking that I’d follow the workout with a ride…it was cool but not too bad…and so I hurried, minimizing time between stations with some jogging. 

I finished the workout by cutting across the field where all the rugby programs meet…and where the duffers come to practice their golf swings.  Most of those duffers are having a hard time finding all of the balls they hit, so I’ve pretty much made it my job.  I have a box in the trunk with a couple of hundred in it already, and found another 13 on my way to the car.  That’s a very good day.

Once home, I quickly suited up for a ride.  I was thinking of doing around 90 minutes when it finally occurred to me that I didn’t really need to do more preparation and that a 90-minute ride at this point would only steal something from my legs for Saturday’s event.  And it was kind of chilly.

I went back inside and decided that since I was done exercising that maybe I should begin carbo-loading for Saturday.  Carbo-loading refers to an old practice utilized my long distance, aerobic athletes like runners doing a marathon or cyclist in long races loading up on pastas and other carbs to be sure that they had enough in their muscles for the coming event.  Muscles fire on glycogen, which is the name given carbohydrate stored in your muscles, and there is about enough for around two hours of continuous exercise when you begin.  Carbo-loading is a practice that actually allows you to store even more and thus prevent “hitting the wall” or “bonking”…two expressions commonly used by runners and cyclists to describe what happens to them when they run out…and slow WAY down.  Been there…done that…and it’s not pleasant.

So anyway…cookies and candy left over from Easter…you know – sugar – is, of course, carbohydrates.  I ate what was left in the house for a snack before wolfing down a couple of large plates of Holly’s wonderful tuna noodle casserole.  I was totally loaded by the end of the evening…though I would probably need to do a little more the next day.  Preparation is everything.     
                                                                                         
Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150.
Calories burned:  600.

"On your right!"

Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I am pretty sure that I’m not a sexist, though this next comment may make it seem that way.  Yet, I’m confused about something that, in my experience, all women do.

Some years ago, I was in the car wash business.  That’s a long story, but the relevant part is I would regularly assist women trying to line up their cars to enter our automatic car wash.  Often times I would find them cutting the steering wheel in the wrong direction and putting their cars up over the guide rail designed to keep their vehicle in the proper place during the wash.  In this situation, I would approach their car and tell them that they need to turn the car to the right or the left, as the case dictated.  In 100% of those incidents, whatever way I told them to cut the wheel, they would turn in the opposite direction.

“Hi there…you’re driving over the rail.  Turn your wheel to the right…no…no…your other right,” I’d say when they began turning to their left and making it worse.

I was riding up a hill in the North Chagrin Reservation recently on an all-purpose trail shared by hikers.  As I approached a couple of women from behind who were jabbering away and unaware of my approach…and taking up the entire trail…I had to determine a course of action to keep from hitting them.

“On your right,” I called loudly as I approached and moved my bike to the far right of the trail to pass.  The woman walking on the right, heard me and quickly moved further to her right and forcing me to ride off the trail to avoid hitting her.

“Oh…I’m sorry…I thought you said you were on my right?” she said.

“That is what I said…and that is where I am…in the ditch on your right.”

She looked at me like I was making no sense and the lady with her was also confused.  I guess I know the answer…if you mean right and you’re talking to a woman…say “left”.   I’m just wondering why it’s this way?

Bike Duration:  75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories Burned: 1050.

Planning the Taper...

Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Whenever preparing for some big or important competition, I have always tapered my workouts so that I would be properly rested and ready on the day of the competition.  Saturday should be my big day, consisting of an hour and 57 minutes of kayaking, 57 minutes of running, a 57-mile bike ride and a hike in the parks with 57 of this and 57 of that.  In all, it should keep me exercising for 7-8 hours and pretty much kick my ass.  With that in mind, I’ve been trying to lay out my workout week to get something done every day, but not risk injury or have me too pooped to participate.  Running is my biggest concern and so I decided on one more fairly long run with maybe a 30-minute effort onThursday.

I’d only had one day’s rest since the 50-minute run on Sunday.  I’d been taking two since coming back from the calf injury…but what the hell.  I planned to do 30 minutes…which meant I’d probably do 40…and that’s just what happened.  I ran pain-free and reasonably fast over a hilly, root-covered series of trails.  My legs were feeling the all-out effort of the previous day’s ride, but I ignored that and went home to jump on the trainer.

I found a movie I thought would be worth watching called ‘Last of the Dogmen’ and starring Tom Berenger.  The recap said it was set in the wilderness of the Montana Oxbow and was about a drunken scout, his dog and a lost tribe of Cheyenne Indians.  Sounded plausible.  It wasn’t though, but the scenery was beautiful…it was filmed on location in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada wilderness.  I got a kick out of the way they traveled and camped…on horseback and with a pack mule.  No tent or sleeping bag for Tom…it must never rain there so why bring the extra weight?  Anyway…it got me through 60 minutes of riding and left me feeling a little less guilty about eating the remainder of the custard dessert Holly had made for Easter. 

Run duration: 40 minutes.  Bike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 for the run and 120 for the bike.
Calories burned:  675 for the run and 850 for the bike.

Tough ride in the wind...and lots more...

Monday, April 9, 2012
I’d been thinking for some time that maybe my new style push-ups were coming too easily.  I place my feet on the top rail of a fence or a picnic table top and in this inverted position, I begin.  I started noticing early on that if I kept my body rigid…as I do when doing a standard push-up…I tend to slip off whatever I have my feet perched on.  To avoid this and smashing my nose into the ground, I started bending at the knees…and my number started climbing quickly.  I hit 84 the other day and knew that 100 was close at hand.

So I decided to return to the more perfect plank-like form and see what I could do.  The result was disappointing.  Fifty-seven.  But it’s an honest 57 and now this time I’ll keep that form.  It’s going to take some time though before I see 100.

I hurried through the Survival Workout so I could get home with enough daylight to do my Gates Mills route on the bike.  I had it in my mind that I was going to push hard…start to finish…and attempt to beat my 1 hour-43 minute pr for the course.  I headed out with a wind at my back and knew it was a dumb idea because it meant that over the final 40 minutes of the course, I’d be riding into the teeth of a very tough wind.

I reached the top of Sperry Road Hill in 53 minutes…a couple of minutes faster than I’d ever gotten there before.  That was with some help from the wind though so I knew it would be practically impossible to shave any time off my best unless I was ready to ride hard…and then puke.  I asked myself, ‘what would Lance do?’  Well…first of all, he’d be done and having a cool one when I was asking myself the question…but he’d ride and puke.  So I pushed.

The wind knew what I was up to and pushed back harder.  I found myself off the saddle and working every little…and big…hill as I struggled home.  The final stretch down Wilson Mills, which is completely open to the wind, was extremely difficult, but as I pulled into the drive in 1:40:30, having shaved two and a half minutes off my best time ever, I was quite pleased.  It’s unusual to be in good shape so early in the biking season.

Now…I was tired.  So when Holly asked me if I’d like to go to the park so we could hike the hills, I was thrilled.  We put in a little more than an hour and I felt every step going up…walking level...and coming down.  I was ahead of her though, so it didn’t matter.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes. Hike duration: 70 minutes.  Bike duration: One hour and 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for the SW, 75 for the hike and 130 for the bike.
Calories burned:  600 for SW, 350 for the hike and 1500 for the bike.

Fifty-minute run. Ready for the Birthday Quadrathon

Sunday, April 8, 2012
It was Easter Sunday and we were hosting dinner shortly after church.  I knew we’d have a house full for most of the day and I’d likely eat all kinds of crap and not feel like exercising after they left, so that provided only one opportunity…run before church.  I took it.

I decided ahead that I’d go for fifty minutes and if it went well, I’d plan on doing the birthday triathlon the following Saturday…weather permitting.  I can only wonder what hold my birthday has over spring snow showers since they’ve visited on my previous two but with the way the spring has gone so far…I might just get it done.  And since I feel like I’m going to knock it off pretty easily, I’ve asked my crippled friend John who would normally be accompanying me on the bike to join me for a hike in the woods where I’d do some crazy shit while he watches…turning it into a ‘quadrathon’.

I headed for my favorite trails and said a prayer to the risen Lord.  I mentally monitored almost every footstep…particularly after 30 minutes, but it went too well.  I thought I felt something in the last 60 seconds, but stopped at the car, did some stretching and left feeling no calf pain.

I was bad in church, checking my resting pulse standing and sitting.  It was back to the high 40’s before the service was over.  We scooted home quickly…company was due in an hour…and I made and drank about 32 ounces of smoothie just before they arrived.  Holly had made chicken, ham, dumplings in gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, zucchini casserole, and broccoli salad for dinner to be followed by sticky buns, homemade peanut clusters, some kind of custard and a carrot cake for dessert.  I was adding weight breathing in the kitchen.  The smoothie was self-defense…a good offense is a good defense…or something like that.  I just figured it would take the edge off and I’d eat less bad stuff.  And it worked.  I limited myself to the sweet potatoes, corn and zucchini and had only enough dessert to be polite. 

Like my exercise program, I know that eating is planning.  I have trouble saying no to certain things and need to take preventive action.  Try it out.  It works.

Run Duration:  50 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  850.

Kayaking the Upper Cuyahoga with Heidi

Saturday, April 7, 2012
Two games in this young Cleveland Indians season.  Two outstanding starting pitching performances from the staff.  In the 70’s, that would mean we’d be 2-0 and have a perfect start to the season.  Instead, both games ended with starting pitchers getting pulled while they were doing  a fantastic job because of pitch counts and bringing in the bullpen.  Both times the leads were blown and the Indians chalked up extra inning defeats… 0-2 instead.  Like I said…wait til next year.

Heidi and I loaded the sea kayaks on the Jeep and headed first to the Metroparks to watch Jason’s rugby match.  From there, we would head to the Upper Cuyahoga and some paddling serenity. 

I don’t quite understand the rules of rugby, but Jason loves it when we come to see him butting heads with his fellow ‘boys’ (that’s what they call each other throughout the game).  We managed the first 60 minutes, but when I told him we were heading for the river, he pleaded with us to stay and see him play the final 30 minutes since he’d be at his favorite position where he could really do some damage.  We stayed…and he did pound out a couple of great runs and near scores.

The water remains high on the Upper Cuyahoga and there are many trees in the river that have not been removed…particularly when heading upriver from Russell Park just south of Burton.  We tried that route but found that unless we were willing to exit the kayaks and pull them up on shore…we’d be turning around.  So we turned around.

There were numerous kayaks on the water since it was mid-afternoon and a perfect day for boating.  I don’t like sharing the river if only because people ahead of me tend to stir up the wildlife leaving none for me to photograph.  I’d normally be on the water  at daybreak…but someone had been up too late the night before and was looking to sleep in.  Still…a bad day on the water beats a good day doing chores in the yard so I wasn’t complaining.

We didn’t pull the kayaks from the water until around 5:30 p.m. and by now, were both pretty hungry.  Burton was around the corner and I had a burger on my brain and couldn’t shake the thought loose.  We found a diner offering burgers and I gorged myself on a third pound of beef and then finished half of Heidi’s chicken wrap something or other.  I ate her chips and my fries, as well.  I did have a Diet Coke though.

Kayak Duration:  90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 90-100 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  550.

Starting to think 'Adirondacks'

Friday, April 6, 2012
I was taking Savannah through the Survival Workout and at one of our dip stations, I mentioned how the site reminded me of the Adirondacks.   It’s an open lot surrounded by pines, oaks and maples and backs up against a steep hill.  Later that evening while driving Heidi home, I made a similar comment.

“Doesn’t the road ahead look like the Route 12 heading north out of Utica and into the Adirondack Mountains? I asked her.

She admitted it might…a little.  I need things to motivate me and hiking in the Adirondacks always does that.  Normally, I wouldn’t consider going there before mid-summer.  Often in May, the trails are still snow-covered making reaching the peaks difficult.  June is black fly season…a misery that is hard to imagine if you’ve not lived through it.  Like Northeast Ohio though, they had limited snowfall this past winter and they’ve also experienced the early Spring.  I’m sure the trails are clear and even though the black flies would be out, I’m thinking of heading up there for a short trip in mid-May.  It would certainly give me something upon which to focus my training.

Savannah continues to improve in the Survival Workout…and I had a pretty good day too.  I pr’d on my modified push-ups, hitting 84 with my feet hooked on the top of the fence.  I did realize that I have a bend in my knees and that if I’d do them as more of a plank…hold my core solid as I would in a traditional push-up…they would likely be more difficult.  I put the bend in my knees to help me keep from falling on my face while doing them.  I’m going to try the plank on the next workout and report back.

Savannah has been doing a version of the workout in Columbus and it shows.  She managed 18 regular push-ups and pumped her biceps for me to feel.

“I’ve got a muscle here where I didn’t have one before,” she said as she squeezed her fist and bent her arm at the elbow.

The good news is…she’s seeing improvement and it’s motivating her to continue.  And she loves doing it outdoors.  How could you not?

I finished the evening with another driving lesson with Jack.  We went out on the side streets of Highland Heights and he did pretty well until I told him to pull into a driveway so that he could turn around.  I thought he understood what I wanted him to do, but when we were all the way up the drive, I told him to stop.

“We’re not here to visit these people Jack…I just wanted you to use the bottom of their drive to turn around.”

He backed out into the road without putting much of a turn into his maneuver such as it would take to have him pointing down the street in the direction…and lane…he needed to go.  When I told him to pull back in the drive and try it again, he gave it the gas before taking it out of reverse.  We jumped the curb behind us, which shook him up.

“It happens, Jack.  Don’t sweat the small stuff…but you do have to do some thinking when you’re driving,” I told him.  No harm…no foul.  I’d like to say that I never backed into a basketball pole in my driveway and sent it crashing to the ground…but I can’t.  He’ll get it.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150.
Calories burned:  600.

Riding the Continental Divide

Thursday, April 4, 2012

Maybe Manny Acta has been putting too much faith in the movie ‘Moneyball’ which idolizes baseball statistics and makes them the bible of on field decisions.  The holy grail of baseball today is the pitch count.  No pitcher can avoid it, it would seem.  When a certain number of pitches has been thrown…statistically speaking…it is time to take that pitcher out of the game and go to the bullpen.  The Indians’ Justin Masterson was pitching a fantastic game through 8 innings and had a 4 to 1 lead before a sell out crowd on Opening Day.  He’d thrown 99 pitches and regardless of his effectiveness and whatever a gut might be telling a manager…it was time to take him out…so out he came.  The Indians closer then blew the lead and the Tribe lost in 16 innings…spoiling Masterson’s performance and ruining Opening Day.

I’m reading a book on the life of the greatest pitcher in baseball’s history…Cy Young.  He won 511 games in his major league career when the thought of counting how many pitches were thrown would have been thought ridiculous.  The managers then didn’t need pitch counts…when the other team started whacking the ball all over the place, they figured their pitcher needed to be pulled…and not until.  I will grant you that the pitchers may have been used too much and became less effective towards the end of the season, but like so many things that may need a little tweak, the pendulum swung too far…and appears to be still heading in the wrong direction.  Oh well…we’ll get them next year.

I rode the trainer for 80 minutes…the length of the movie I was watching called ‘Ride the Divide’.  It’s another documentary on bike riding/racing, but much different than the Tour.  This race pitted 15 riders less against themselves and completely against the terrain and the elements that make up the Continental Divide.  The race starts just across the border in Canada and proceeds down the Continental Divide through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and finishing just across the border in Mexico.  Almost all of the course is ridden on dirt trails, old logging roads, over snowy passes and through complete wilderness.  There are some small towns along the way, but supplies have to be carried and much of the race finds the riders sleeping in bivy sacks overnight.  Encounters with bears are not infrequent and the total distance covered is over 2,700 miles with 200,000 feet of elevation change thrown in just for fun.  And of course the riders on not on sleek road bikes, but much heavier and slow moving mountain bikes.  Damn…my kind of event.

I threw in a one-hour hike prior to the ride, spending some time exploring off-trail in hopes of finding and antler drop, but without success.  The season for this is past, but any time in the woods and off-trail is time well spent.

Hike duration: 60 minutes.  Bike duration: 80 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 75 for the hike and 120 for the bike.
Calories burned:  250 for the hike and 1125 for the bike.

Jack first driving lesson...

Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I knew I needed a real test to determine the odds of my running 57 minutes as part of my 57/57/57 birthday triathlon in two weeks.  I’d done 30 minutes on my previous run without calf pain, but did have considerable pain just walking around the next day.  For today’s run, I decided to push it…go for at least 40 minutes and find out where I stood.

I planned my course to be on my favorite trails as a tribute to the life of ‘Born to Run’ character, Micah True, who died running a trail in Gila National Forest at the age of 58 this past weekend.  I started the run imagining how the Tarahumara people and ultra runners like Micah run up to 100 miles at a time on trails that make the roughness of my Metropark paths look like…a walk in the park.  Still…it’s what I have and 40 minutes is what I can do right now. 

I ran twenty minutes thinking about my calf, but completely enjoying the perfect, sunny and cool evening.  The conditions could not have been better for a run and the trails were completely dry…something I haven’t been able to say for over a year.  I could see the deep blue of the sky through the budding trees and hear the constant thumping of Pileated Woodpeckers in the trees as I passed.  By thirty minutes I was sure that nothing would mar this day and I would be completing forty minutes unscathed.  In fact, as I approached the car, my watch moved to 41:00.  I stopped and stretched a calf that felt strong and healthy again though I will baby it over the next two weeks so as to be ready for the triathlon.

Jack and I went out for his first driving lesson.  I drove to the high school parking lot, gave him some instructions, and exited the car to switch spots with him.  When he climbed into the driver’s seat, his first question gave me pause.

“What gear is it in?”

I looked at him to determine if he was serious he was.  He looked serious.  “What gear do you think it’s in when both of us are outside of the car and it’s not moving?”

“Umm…park?”

He scares me sometimes.  We did some driving in an almost empty parking lot as he got his first taste of maneuverability and found it was a little tougher than he thought.  As with most new drivers, he seemed to be afraid of the curbs and spent his time running down the middle of the lane.  I warned him of this, so when we came to another turn, he slowed to ask another question.

“Can you see the curb over there?”

I looked to him and said, “more importantly…can YOU see the curb over there?”

He figured out that he wouldn’t be able to rely on me for the placement of curbs and that either he’d have to see them…or run into them.  When he rolled through his second stop sign, he announced himself ready for the road.

“You aren’t driving out of this parking lot while you’re still rolling through stop signs.  Just because I do it doesn’t mean you can.  You’ll fail your driver’s test every time if you do that.  We’ll try the road on our next lesson,” I said.

Holly has let me do all the driving instruction with the kids and has no intentions of letting that change anytime soon.  And John is the one with the ulcers…

Run Duration:  41 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  700.

Micah True found dead in Gila National Forest

Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The running community lost one of its greatest proponents recently with the passing of Micah True, the ultra-marathon trail runner who gained worldwide notoriety as Caballo Blanco by author Chris McDougall in his book ‘Born to Run’.  He was found dead in Gila National Forest after an extensive search when he did not return from a 12-mile trail run he’d left to do the previous day.  True is the person who more than anyone may be responsible for bringing the Tarahumara people of Copper Canyon, Mexico and their unique running culture to the attention of the running world.  More than any one person, he also brought us barefoot running.  I’ve copied over a portion of the tribute written about him in the Runner’s World magazine forum:

True was also a raw athletic specimen blessed with both a big aerobic engine and the keen sense of adventure necessary to excel as a trail runner. He had dabbled in a lot of sports when he was younger, including running, cycling, mountain biking, boxing and kick boxing. But by the mid-1980s, when Boulder was mostly known as a training ground for national- and world-class marathoners and cyclists, True was out running trails too rugged for most people to hike, taking a penchant to ultra-distance trail running long before it was recognized on the mainstream radar.

True won a handful of races before veering away from racing in the early 1990s, but more important than his foot speed was how he embodied the salt-of-the-earth spirit of trail running. In a town that became known for top-tier athletes in a dozen sports, True saw himself as a mere commoner who understood the physical and spiritual dynamics of ultrarunning.

True became a reluctant celebrity after Christopher McDougall’s mythical portrayal of him as “Caballo Blanco” in the 2009 bestseller Born to Run. It was never his intent to profit off the Tarahumara; instead it was much the opposite. He started the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon because he was inspired by how distance running was ingrained in the life of the Tarahumara at such a primal level and wanted to find a way to help the impoverished peoples help themselves. Although he later embraced the notoriety because he knew it gave him a greater platform to help the Tarahumara, he didn’t seek it out and was never completely comfortable with how he was portrayed in the book.

He may not have been comfortable with his portrayal in the book…but what a character he made and what fantastic story.  Any runner would enjoy it and his story, but so would anyone with a sense of adventure and an interest in a free spirit.

Having watched Graeme Obree breaking the one hour cycling record in the movie ‘The Flying Scotsman’ the previous day, I rode out of my driveway inspired.  I wasn’t trying to ride particularly hard for the first 30 minutes, but when I found myself at Cedar and County Line Road only a minute behind my pr pace for a one hour ride on that course, I began to push.  I cruised past my previous one hour record in 58 minutes, meaning that I’d made up 3 minutes over the second half of the ride…and kept on going.  I rode Pekin out to State Route 44 before turning for home…a good 42 mile effort.

Bike Duration:  Two hours and 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  2200.

Graeme Obree, the 'Flying Scotsman'

Monday, April 2, 2012
I spent another day riding the trainer…and actually enjoying it because I’d found another inspirational, cycling movie to watch.  This one was the called ‘The Flying Scotsman’ and was based on the true story of Graeme Obree, a cycling time-trial specialist who twice won the World Championships in individual pursuit.

His story is more about his battle with clinical depression; he twice attempted suicide, and his cutting edge innovations in the design of his track bike.  He found himself wanting to break the one-hour distance record for track racing…an all-out ride to go as far as you can in one hour on a bicycle track in a Velodrome…but lacking the sophisticated bike to complete the task or the money to purchase one.  Instead, he decided to design and build his own.  He created a machine that brought the pedals closer together…the width of a banana between them…and a set of handlebars that were little more than a short pole upon which he rested his chest while he rode.  He also determined, while watching his washing machine spin at 1,200 revolutions per minute, that the bearings necessary to allow it to spin so fast were likely superior to standard biking bearings.  He disassembled his machine and put them in his bike.

In 1993, he attached the World record for one hour, which stood at a little over 51 kilometers…or 31 miles.  Failing on his first try, but having rented the velodrome’s track for 24 hours, he went to his hotel to get some sleep and again attempted the feat the following morning…breaking the existing record by over 400 meters.  He went on to win the World Championships that same year and his bike’s unorthodox design began to catch on.  For reasons and motivations known only to them, the governing body of international track racing, the Union Cycliste Internationale, began a determined effort to disqualify Obree and his bike from competition.  They began to change and modify rules for bikes to disqualify his innovations…often times without warning and effectively disqualifying him from defending his world title.  I’ll end my narration here for those of you interested in seeing the movie…and it’s a good one.

I’d done my Survival Workout before the ride on a cool but sunny evening.  I had to back off on anything involving the biceps, which was really sore as a result of the hard work out I’d done Saturday.  I did wrap it in ice for thirty minutes for the first time and that offered some relief, but I need to do more of this or my pitching days are over.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.  Bike duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW and 120 for the bike.
Calories burned:  600 for SW and 1250 for the bike.