Goodbye, Grandma Helen...

Thursday, November 29, 2012
Like a bear coming out of hybernation, I woke up hungry.  It had been about 35 hours since I’d last eaten and I was definitely ready.  I’d had a good night’s sleep without any stomach pain and though I was ready for breakfast, decided I push it out another five hours or so to see if my stomach pains returned before having a meal. 

I went into the office and had a cup of green tea, but no food.  By noon, I was getting a little light-headed and decided it was time.  My stomach was in a little discomfort though I was beginning to wonder if it was just hunger pains.  I had my normal breakfast, kashi cereal with almond breeze instead of milk.  I could have easily eaten a second bowl, but disciplined myself against the urge.

I went to the park for a Survival Workout after work, having experienced only mild stomach discomfort.  I went through the entire routine and returned to the car feeling that things weren’t completely normal for me and that the fasting hadn’t accomplished much.  I went home to find our neighbor had sent over spaghetti and decided I’d eat it and see what happened.

Earlier in the day, I’d received news that my grandmother had died.  She was 106 years old and in reasonably good health until a couple of months ago when she’d developed pneumonia.  She had lived a wonderful life with no regrets, though I think she knew it was time.  She’d lost her hearing and vision over the past couple of years and needed help throughout the day, which was provided by her three living children.  She’d outlived her oldest daughter…my mom…by 13 years.

I may not get to the blog for a few days since I will be traveling to the north country for the services.  Her death and celebration of life will draw relatives from around the country and it will be a gala affair.  I will have moments of sadness when I think of her and all the others that have preceded her who were such a part of my childhood and early adult years, but mostly my cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles and I will laugh as we share stories of our past that she shared and shaped with and for us.  Below is a shot of her at her 100th birthday party with my brother Jim, her first of 16 grandchildren.

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

Trying a fast...

Wednesday, November 28, 2012
I tossed throughout the night with an upset stomach, finally nodding off around 4 a.m.  Clearly something is wrong though I don’t know what.  I’ve contacted my sports med doc, but as I expected, he said he doesn’t know much about stomachs.  I’m wondering if it is food related, and decided on a course of action to make a determination.  I’d finished eating the previous evening around 9 p.m. and figured I’d go 24 hours without eating to see what pain I’d experience and at what level.  Since I was reasonably pain-free in the morning and had an empty gut, if the pain returned and I hadn’t eaten anything, I’d know something.

I did drink water throughout the day, but had no interest in eating.  I went to the park following work and ran 35 minutes and without knee pain.  I returned home to the trainer where I added another 40 minutes of cardio.  Holly came home while I was riding and I told her about my fasting plan.  She rolled her eyes.  She’s been bugging me to go to the doctor and probably figures I’m doing this to avoid going.  I’m not really, just hoping to have some solid information from which they can make an educated start to their analysis.  I told her I wouldn’t be joining her for dinner.

Since I was getting hungry and hadn’t slept much the night before, I decided to go to bed early so that I wouldn’t keep thinking about food.  My stomach as feeling much better, so maybe I was onto something.  I figured I might skip breakfast too and shoot for forty hours before having a meal.

Run duration:  35 minutes. Bike duration: 40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running and 120 bpm biking.
Calories burned during workout: 550 running and 425 biking.

Wildness still in those woods...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The knee soreness continues to plague me, so I limited my lower body exercises to four 50-yard sprints.  Though the pounding from a sprint is much harder than what I’d get from jogging, it’s less than doing the skips or picnic table hops, so it’s kind of a concession.  I added more to the upper body and core and still pushed myself to 24 sets, which took 70 minutes and was quite strenuous. 

At one point during the workout, I ventured off-trail, and as is often the case, discovered something unusual.  I was on a little plateau above Clear Creek when I noticed that the leaves in an area about the size of a small bedroom were completely flattened.  On closer inspection, I noticed clumps of animal fur.  I continued to poke around until I stumbled over a deer carcass.  It was a full deer…ribs, legs, skull and all and had been ravaged by the carnivores of the Metroparks.  Little was left in this epitome of ‘the circle of life’ and it had me wondering how many different creatures were sustained in their lives from this single death.  These parks are so civilized, yet on fifty feet off the bridle and hiking trails, we can find evidence of the savagery of these woods as they were and have been for thousands of years.  Though I don’t like to see the results, it is comforting to know that there is still wildness in these woods.

We went out to a hamburger joint in Akron for Holly’s birthday though I elected to have a Caesar’s Salad instead of beef.  I’m trying to eat lighter fare in hopes that eating foods that digest more quickly will give my gut less trouble.  It was a solid plan, but once back to Heidi’s place for presents and cake, I managed to down two pieces of Dairy Queen ice cream cake.  I am helpless before it and went down without a fight.

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

Smoking? Bad.

Monday, November 26, 2012

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler has ordered tobacco companies to publish corrective statements that say they lied about the dangers of smoking, actually laying out what the ads need to say. 

Each corrective ad is to be prefaced by a statement that a federal court has concluded that the defendant tobacco companies "deliberately deceived the American public about the health effects of smoking." Among the required statements are that smoking kills more people than murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes and alcohol combined, and that "secondhand smoke kills over 3,000 Americans a year."

She has ordered the cigarette companies to use statements based on specific findings of the court proceedings which began in 1999 when the government brought charges against the nation’s largest tobacco companies under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO).  The statements Kessler chose are as follows:

·         "Smoking kills, on average, 1,200 Americans. Every day."
·         "Defendant tobacco companies intentionally designed cigarettes to make them more addictive."
·         "When you smoke, the nicotine actually changes the brain -- that's why quitting is so hard."
·         "All cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attacks and premature death -- lights, low tar, ultra lights and naturals. There is no safe cigarette."
·         "Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer and coronary heart disease in adults who do not smoke."
·         "Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, severe asthma and reduced lung function."
·         "There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke."

Spokesman from the two leading tobacco companies both said they are studying the court’s ruling and deciding on their next steps.  Now there’s a job a momma can brag that her child has landed and is doing.   I can remember pretty clearly  how my father, after reading the Surgeon General’s report that tobacco smoking may cause lung cancer, decided he should quit.  That was 1964 and he went from being a three-pack a day chain smoker to non-smoker overnight.  My mother continued to smoke the same brand in the house for the next year, but he never slid back.  I didn’t understand what it took for him to do that at the time, but it later years as I worked with smokers and gained a clearer understanding of their addiction, I gained new respect for his tenacity.  In any event, for those of you still smoking and living in a cave somewhere with no possible communication with the outside world for the last fifty years…someone needs to tell you that cigarette smoking is really, really bad for you.

I got home after dark and found the only exercise option left to me was a ride on the trainer.  I spent the next hour sweating and pedaling…and missing daylight savings and summer days.  Momma said there’d be days like this…

Bike Duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 850.

Chilly day on the water...

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Kim and I had talked about kayaking Sunday morning on the previous Friday, but as I looked at the forecast the night before and noted the temperarture in the thirties, I wondered if she’d still be game.  I texted her the question and without hesitation, she replied she was excited to go.  Damn.

We arrived at the East Branch Reservoir close to noon.  It was cold and once you’re on the water, it’s even colder.  There is nothing to break the wind on the open water and you’re essentially sitting on top of something that’s about forty degrees and sucking your body heat out of you.  As you stroke, water tends to run down the paddle and onto your hands, which can make keeping them warm and dry a challenge.  Having said all that, we pushed off, excited to see what we might see and to enjoy the serenity that, for me at least, always accompanies time on the water.

We spent the next two hours paddling almost every inch of the coastline, including the inlets along the way.  I showed her two eagle’s nests, though neither offered any signs of occupancy.  I used my binoculars to scan the trees as we paddled, but never saw any of the four eagles I’ve spotted here over the last few weeks.  The wind was creating a bit of a chop and with 17-foot sea kayaks, the added difficulty of keeping the craft headed in the intended direction.  These kayaks are equipped with rudders to help with that matter, but I seldom use it.  I feel my paddling skills are good enough to keep me heading where I want to go...and Kim, the novice, would learn paddling skills more quickly if she had to make adjustments with her paddle and not the rudder.  She had little trouble after I showed her a couple of simple, corrective strokes.

Other than my toes, I managed to stay reasonably warm the entire time, which had me rethinking the definition of the ‘kayak season.’  In the past, I’d be done in October and not consider using it again until late March.  All that changed with this trip.  As long as I stay upright...and I’ve never gone over except on purpose...I can stay warm with gear similar to what I’d wear for winter biking.  I tend to paddle in shallow waters, so even if I flipped in chilly waters where the danger of debilitating hypothermia would occur in less than ten minutes, I’d be okay getting to shore.  I don’t like being limited by the weather in the activities that I do through the warmer months, and I think kayaking...like cycling and the Survival Workout...is going to be part of this winter’s routine.

Kayak Duration: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 80-100 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1,000.

Spending numbers down for Black Friday...

Saturday, November 24, 2012
I read that spending was down overall on Black Friday and the analysts were wondering how much of an impact opening on Thanksgiving by the large retailers like, Sears, Walmart, and Target might have had.  I’d think it’s a no-brainer.  Let’s face it retailers, there are just so many people willing to put themselves through the madness of ‘Black Friday’ shopping experiences.  You have to be just a tad different to want to go through the crowded stores, issues of parking and driving around shopping centers, pushing and shoving of folks in search of ‘the deal’ and all the other unpleasantness that this kind of shopping has created.  By opening on Thanksgiving Day, you don’t increase the number of knuckleheads, you simply have them coming out earlier.  When the money runs out and the deals they were looking for are gone...a day earlier...they’re done shopping.  All you’ve created is extra costs to open and operate the stores and many unhappy employees and customers who now have to forgo the pleasure of Thanksgiving to work and to shop.

I arrived at the park for the Survival Workout with the most soreness I’ve had in my knee since overdoing it on the bike during the four weeks following surgery.  I suppose I’ve added a little too much stress with the sprints, picnic table hops, high skips and kareokee’s.  I’m willing to back down some, but I don’t want to baby myself since I know adding the sprints does so much for overall fitness.  I elected to leave out the picnic table hops again and the high knees, but did five sprints of fifty yards as a compromise.

I think I’ve found the answer to my achilles issue.  I’d been wearing a work shoe with very little heel support, but since switching back to a traditional dress shoe, the pain has subsided.  I was wearing the same footwear recreationally and stopped doing that, as well, by returning to a good hiking shoe around the house.  I’ll know for sure when I start putting runs closer together, but I know things are better because I no longer have the soreness I was experiencing as soon as I stand and walk after having been off my feet for any extended period of time.  Self-diagnosis and treatment at its best.

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

Kim survives Survival...

Friday, November 23, 2012
Kim was in town for the holidays and looking for a good Survival Workout.  Though I’d done mine the day before and always took a day off in between, I never miss the opportunity to push someone who likes to be pushed.  I picked her up and as we drove to the park together, she described the running she’d been doing.  There was no mention of any upper body work; she knew she was out of shape for the workout, but was still willing to put herself through it.  She's got pluck.

I showed her the push-up/stationary bear crawl and she began with gusto.  I had her grab the tree branch for pull-ups and then jump/pull herself through the full range of motion before sending on her first couple of sprints across the rugby field.  She’s a runner, but sprinting has not been a part of her routine since her competitive days, which was a distant memory as far as her legs were concerned.

The thing about Kim, and any competitive athlete I’ve worked with, is there’s no quit in them.  No matter what I suggest or have her do, she just does it without complaint.  I suppose it is this personality type, when combined with extraordinary physical tools, that leads to exceptional athletic performances and athletes which she is.  But seeing this is a strong reminder to me that regardless of your athletic talent, you’ll improve when you bring her attitude to the game.  She inspires me to be the best 57-year old athlete I can be.

I had her doing the normal lifts with rocks and logs, climbing the hills and swing sets, and a new twist – walking with a large log stretched between us and hoisting it from one shoulder to the other on my command.  On the final hoist, she called that she couldn’t get it over to the other shoulder, but instead of dropping it, she continued to walk.  Tough cookie.

When we finished the workout with a couple more sprints, she commented, “I’m going to be pretty sore tomorrow.”

“Well, I hope so.  I’d hate for you to do what you did and not hurt.  It would be a slam on the Survival Workout if you weren’t,” I said.

I went to my sister’s after-Thanksgiving party later that night, but only after I’d eaten a reasonably healthy post-Thanksgiving dinner of my own at home.  She had the house loaded with the most delicious, but awful choices I could have made and I was glad not to be too tempted when I walked past them.  I’m coming through these holidays lighter than I went into them, so strategy and will power is everything.  Some extra workouts wouldn’t hurt, either.

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

Thanksgiving...

Thursday, November 22, 2012
For me, there is no close second to Thanksgiving Dinner.  I love the food, family and the relaxing nature of the day.  It didn’t require hours and days of decorating, weeks of shopping or loads of preparation (though Holly might have a slightly different opinion).  At our house, it’s simple and direct…and completely enjoyable…and I give thanks for it all. 

There is though a great amount of calories available and it is my job to consume some of them and avoid others.  I know I’m weak, so I try to get in a decent workout before the whole thing begins. 
I started the morning by driving Heidi to run in the Cleveland Turkey Trot…a five-miler that attracts over 7,000 runners and making it one of the largest races of the year in Northeast Ohio.  Heidi invited me to join her, but I know the damage five miles of racing on pavement could do to my legs and declined the offer.  I did drive straight to the park for my workout, though.

I decided to push the envelope, incorporating a record 24 stations into the workout including more sprinting, high knees and extra core work.  When I returned to the car spent and sweaty on a beautiful morning, I found a text from Jason waiting for me.  He wanted to let me know he was playing in his annual Turkey Bowl football game to be followed by the first Thanksgiving Rugby match.  I’m his official photographer so I hurried home and returned to the high school in time to take some pictures of the action.  Dakota joined me…and then the game.  She seems to think anything involving running and a ball should also include her.  I pulled her from the action and ignored her while I took some pictures.  When I called her, she came from the bushes on the edge of the field, head down and looking guilty.  This could mean only one thing…she’d found something dead to roll in and would stink like hell.  As she drew closer, she was preceded by that fragrant, rotting corpse smell animals enjoy so much…and humans abhor.  Unfortunately, I would have to ride home with her in the Honda to give her a bath.

I managed excellent self-control during dinner.  My plate held corn, broccoli, turkey and sweet potatoes.  I passed on the mashed potatoes, dressing, noodles and the gravy.  For dessert, I took a small piece of Holly’s homemade apple pie.  That was it.  I left the table under my own power and was able to do the dishes without napping first.  I actually felt good…rare for that meal.  Well…there are leftovers and I will have to continue my efforts of self-discipline. 

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

Shopping madness...

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I just don’t know how I feel about people who, year after year, camp out in front of stores offering huge Black Friday deals.  I mean, I like to camp and it would be quite an adventure, but the materialistic nature of the event leaves me feeling sorry for them, I suppose.  I know some of the deals are out of this world and if I had to have something that was a necessity and could save $300-400, I’d do it.  But the sense I get from the articles I read is that many people do this each and every year, skipping Thanksgiving, which I know isn’t a be all – end all holiday like it is for me…to shop?  It seems as though they’re already planning next year’s campout with no idea what the ‘deal’ will be simply because they ‘have’ to buy the thing that everyone else is trying to get.  Reminds me of an old Temptations song “Keeping Up With the Jones” and their advice that you’ll be better off if you “leave the Joneses alone,” which is what I think I’ll do again this year.

I started suffering from stomach pains again in the late afternoon and by quitting time, had had enough.  I went home and laid around hoping they would subside in time for me to make the trip to Akron to pick up Heidi for the holidays.  They didn’t and Holly made the trip instead.  I kept thinking that, no matter how bad it got, I would still be eating turkey the next day.  By the time I finally went to bed though, that thought was in jepordy.  I actually considered going to the emergency room…it was hurting that bad, but then it began to go away and finally, I nodded off.

"He can dunk it with his eyebrows"

Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Yesterday’s workout had left me a little sore, but feeling good about myself.  I felt I needed only a run this Tuesday evening as I began final calorie-burning plans for my Thanksgiving feasting.  It became a 40-minute run with my achilles basically pain-free.  Maybe I’ve turned the corner on that injury, though I know it means another is coming somewhere on my body and real soon.  Been there.

I went to meet with Jack’s teachers for conferences and again brought up his athleticism with his history teacher who happens to coach baseball.  I told him about Jack’s basketball skills and that “someone ought to point him out to the head basketball coach.” 

“He can throw a ball through a brick wall, too,” I said.  “I’ve got a pretty good arm still and he makes me look anemic.”

“Well…you should tell him to come out for the team,” he said.

Now…this is from a guy who has Jack in class every day.  If I ever had the opportunity to coach, I’d be the kind of guy who would be scouring the halls and gym classes looking for the next great athlete who would take my team to the state championships.  Maybe I think differently and you should just sit back and wait for who shows up, but I’d want every advantage I could possibly have…and I like nothing more than discovering talent for and in kids that had no clue.  I’d also told him how Jack could shoot the lights out with a basketball and asked him how many kids could dunk in the school without a running start.

“That would be none,” he said, but added, “though a coach would have no way of knowing a kid’s talent just seeing him in the halls.”

I suppose if I were the basketball coach of a perennially mediocre team and I saw some lean, muscular, 200-pound kid walking down the halls and towering over the rest of the class, I’d pull him aside and ask him to show up to the gym sometime after school.  That’s me…call me crazy.

Run Duration:  40 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 700.

Why do my legs hurt so much?

Monday, November 19, 2012
As I climbed the steps to the second floor of my house, I wondered why my legs ached so much.  If anything, I feel like I’m doing less exercise lately, but the past couple of days my thighs have seemed so dead.  With that thought, I changed into my workout clothes and headed to the park for a Survival Workout.

I began as I always do, completing a set of push-ups, chin-ups and dips before heading down the trail.  I was thinking I’d make this a particularly hard day with extra sprints, picnic table hops and other lower body moves.  I also pushed hard on all lifting stations, being sure to hit the exhaustion point on each set.  When I reached the open field where I like to scavenge for golf balls at the end of the workout, I decided to add an extra sprint to the workout, and it was then it dawned on me.  I’d added sprinting, picnic table hopping and I was pushing hard on the uphill karaoke’s over the previous week.  Sprinting and jumping is quite different than riding a bike and jogging.  The muscles of my hips and quads were naturally sore and when I was walking up stairs, they were reminding me that, at age 57, I should expect them to be sore.

So...mystery solved.  I wasn’t worthless and weak, but getting stronger by challenging dormant muscles.  I was still sore though, so I came home from the workout and put in 45 minutes on the trainer to try and loosen them up...and to burn some extra calories for the Thursday turkey fest.  I may avoid the trimmings, but I’ll surely eat a few thousand calories of dark meat before the day is over.  Just banking some exercise calories.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes. Bike duration: 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW and 120 bpm biking.
Calories burned during workout: 600 for SW and 625 biking.

Another day on the water...

Sunday, November 18, 2012
I’ve been in a bit of a ‘bad eating’ rut, but that is about to change.  I’ve decided to dedicate myself to trimming down through the holidays...a time when I’d normally do the opposite.  I love Thanksgiving dinner, particularly the turkey, but I’ve never been too shy about the trimmings either.  This year...heavy on the turkey (and maybe sweet potatoes) and light on the rest. 

Heidi was home for the weekend and both she and my sister had seen the pictures I’d posted of the eagles and wanted to go kayaking to see if we could spot them again.  Though not as much of a workout as cycling might have been on this warm fall day, I didn’t want to pass up any opportunity to share time on the water with family...so out we went. 

Spotting eagles is certainly luck to some degree.  It helps if they’re nesting nearby, but they have quite a range and their eyesight is legendary, so if they see you coming and don’t feel like being photographed there is little you’re going to do about it.  This would prove to be one of those days.

We paddled for about 30 minutes with me up front and scanning the treetops with my binoculars for any abnormally large objects perched at the water’s edge.  They were behind and gabbing the entire time, not even considering that stealth might be a superior approach to eagle photography.  Actually, I don’t think eagles hear particularly well, but they weren’t even looking up.  I guess they either didn’t really care (they’re just birds) or were counting on me to sound the alarm.  I stayed away from the nest, not wanting to put undue stress on the young couple for fear they would abandon it.  Finally, after almost an hour of paddling, one of the two immature eagles flew overhead.  I snapped a couple of pictures, but the girls were way too slow with their cameras.

We paddled near the shoreline where the camping sites are located and I pointed out the upscale lean-to 50 yards from the shore.  “It has a fireplace inside, a picnic table, running water nearby and is almost completely enclosed so the cold wind won’t be too much of a factor,” I said.

To no one in particular since they didn’t seem the least bit interested.  Like Holly who felt that roughing it was a night at the Marriott, I don’t think they were impressed with the outdoor accommodations..since they were most definitely outdoors.  I, on the other hand, think I will reserve on sometime soon.  I think it would be a peaceful and serene way to spend a weekend particularly since I wouldn’t have to worry about keeping my food away from black bears.  There is obviously great kayaking, but also terrific hiking/running trails and wonderful country roads throughout Amish country to cycle. 

We returned to the put-in point after 90 minutes on the water and it was then that I spotted another large form in an oak towering over the parking lot.  I could walk to the tree and when I trained the camera on it, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing, though I suspect it was an Osprey.  I loaded the kayaks on the Jeep and headed for home where we had a dinner of hot dogs and beans.  That’s it for now.  Healthy eating from here on out.

Kayak Duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 80-100 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 750.

Paleo Diet and me...

Saturday, November 17, 2012
I met with my nutritionist, Bob, for a bad breakfast.  I try to eat well in front of him, but we were at Kleifeld’s in Willoughby and to me that means ham and cheese omelet, home fries, and a double order of rye toast.  He had a cup of coffee because he was doing an intermittent fast (no eating for 14-18 hours before an exercise bout).  He went into a lengthy explanation about intermittent fasting and its benefits, including HGH (human growth hormone) stimulation and its effects on weight loss and muscle gain and I’ll talk more about that later.  Anyway, I ate poorly, but with gusto.

We’d talked about health and fitness for over an hour after I’d eaten, which was about enough time for me to have digested some of my breakfast.  I drove to the park and decided to push the Survival Workout by including lower body sets.  I managed 22 different stations before I was through, including some wind sprints, picnic table hopping and karaoke’s.  It was a great workout and I was completely spent.

Later that day, I received an email from Bob leading me to an article on the Paleo Diet.  I read the article and replied to him saying that, again, I thought the article was missing the point of eating Paleo.  There are many benefits to eating Paleo (lean meats, fruits and vegetables) as our ancestors did before we began to farm and keep animals for food.  I’ve seen the argument that the ‘Cave Man’ may have eaten lean meats and foods he could gather, which was fantastic for combating the typical self-inflicted diseases of the 21^st century, but how come they died so young?  Of course, there are many reasons for this that don’t really matter if you’re eating Paleo for the reason I’m eating Paleo.  I do it to keep my glycemic index down and to lose body fat.  Foods high in sugar raise the glycemic index (a number from 0 to 100 indicating a food’s propensity to raise insulin levels after consumption with higher being greater reaction) leading to an increased insulin reaction, higher storage of calories as fat, and shorter periods before you’re hungry again.  I don’t worry so much about living longer, though the Paleo Diet would likely help me do that, but living fitter and more active.  The diet, in conjunction with my Survival Workout, helps me to increase muscle mass, which is the key to the weight loss, since it helps to raise my metabolism. 

I’ll keep beating this drum for as long as I’m writing and preaching about fitness and exercise, I suppose.  I know the benefits...intellectually and first hand...and feel compelled and inspired to continue spreading the faith.  And as I’m writing this, I’m thinking about how horrible I’ve been lately about my diet.  I’m going to give this intermittent fasting them a go...so you’ll be hearing more about it soon.

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

Love those Eagles...

Friday, November 16, 2012
When a company declares bankruptcy and 18,500 people lose their jobs, it’s a tragedy.  That’s what will happen when Hostess goes out of business and the world is deprived of Twinkles.  So much blame is being heaped on the strike by the Bakery Union and this may be the straw that broke the camel’s back, but slumping sales are more likely the culprit.  In an era when the consumer is bombarded by concerns from the health community about obesity and diabetes, should it come as a big surprise that Americans are buying less Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Ho’s, Dolly Madison pastries and Wonder Bread?  I mean even if you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this stuff doesn’t build stronger bodies twelve ways (youngsters are forgiven for not remembering this advertising angle for their Wonder bread).  So…as sorry as I am about the jobs, when you’re pedaling poison, you run some risks.

With the last of the leaves on the ground (almost), I spent an hour raking and hauling them to the tree lawn…before going to work.  It turned out to be a beautiful fall day, as predicted, which made me happy that I’d driven the Jeep to work with the kayak on top.  I headed straight to the East Branch Reservoir from work and amazed to find the water level back to normal as I drove up to the put-in.  On my last trip…prior to Sandy…the levels were down at least six feet, making navigation difficult in many places and impossible in others.  The reservoir stretches from the dam on Route 608 north to Mayfield Road and beyond.  On my last trip though, the water levels were so low, that I couldn’t paddle to the Mayfield Road bridge, coming up short by over a quarter mile.  Not today.

I unloaded quickly and grabbed my binoculars to help me try and spot the eagles I’d seen on my previous trip.  There is a nest north of Mayfield Road in the nature preserve and is the reason that spotting the pair and their young somewhere on the Reservoir a likely proposition.  I’ve been fortunate on a number of occasions, but find myself coming on them unexpectedly and having them fly off before I can swing my camera into action.  It was my hope that I’d spot them first with the binoculars and then make a slower, less threatening approach.

With the leaves off the trees surrounding the Reservoir, I had no trouble spotting my first two.  They turned out to be the immature youngsters…about the size of an adult, but without the brilliant white head and chocolate brown body.  As is the norm, I paddled to within about a hundred yards before they decided I was close enough and flew off.  I paddled to the end of the Reservoir at Mayfield Road and peered under the bridge at the nest in the Nature Preserve just beyond wondering if the parents were hanging around.  They weren’t and after five minutes of combing the surrounding trees with the binoculars, turned my kayak and headed back towards the put-in. 

I was headed in a direction that was bouncing the sun’s rays off the water and making my treetop scanning difficult.  When I saw something in the distance high in a tree where nothing would be normally, I reached for my binoculars and was pleased to see it was an adult male.  I paddled out further from the shore to pass it with the intent of turning and approaching from the rear so the sun would be at my back and make picture taking a stronger possibility.  To my surprise, the eagle allowed me to drift directly under it and so I did, snapping over 200 pictures as I did.  It dawned on me that I’d seen the pair flying together on my last trip here, so I began looking behind me for the mate.  I quickly made out the other magnificent adult less than fifty yards to my rear, but when I turned the kayak and took a couple of strokes in its direction, the show ended.  It took to the air and was quickly joined by its mate.  Since it all happened before I’d anticipated any flight, I was caught holding the paddle instead of the camera.  Thrilled with what I’d already seen…and photographed…I made my way for home, excited to download my shots.


I wasn’t disappointed as I began scanning the photos into my Iphoto program.  They were spectacular.  I’d managed beautiful close-ups and was witnessing detail on the birds I’d never seen before.  I posted a dozen shots on facebook and made my favorite shot my screensaver.

Sometimes you get lucky.  I’d kayaked on a serene body of water for almost two hours, photographed four different eagles, gotten a decent workout and lost myself in the setting and nature.  I was wind burned, my butt was killing me from sitting in the kayak so long, my elbow was sore from loading, unloading and paddling the kayak, and I couldn’t have been more satisfied or happy.  For me, it’s the simple things.

Kayak Duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 80-100 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 750.

Busted.

Thursday, November 15, 2012
“It was the best of times…it was the worst of times.”

I made it to the park before dark with Dakota in tow and binoculars and my camera around my neck.  I’d decided to take an extra day between Survival Workouts since my elbow was a little sore from my last session.  I was armed and ready to spot something interesting and photograph it.  I’d even had the foresight to take Dakota’s jangling collar off and place it in my pocket so she wouldn’t spook wildlife as we made our way towards the marsh, but after 70 minutes of hiking on this cool, grey evening we had nothing.

I drove home thinking I had to do more.  I changed into my cycling shorts as soon as I got back and immediately jumped on the trainer so as not to lose my resolve.  In no time the sweat was pouring down my sides and onto the towels I used to drape the bike and floor beneath me.  I managed an hour of this mundane torture before calling it quits.

For dinner, I made one of my delicious smoothies crammed with spinach, carrots, fruits, yogurt and cider.  I was feeling pretty good about the whole day, but as the 10 o’clock hour approached, I began to feel the need to chew something.  I rummaged through the refrigerator, but didn’t find the answer there.  I was getting weaker by the moment…and then I broke.  I reached into the ‘forbidden’ drawer where we kept untouchable foods.  When I pulled it open, my eyes went immediately to a small, cardboard box with rectangular pastries called ‘poptarts’ featured on the outside.  I grabbed a pack, stripped it down and threw them in the toaster as fast as you could say ‘shitty food.’  While they were toasting, I poured a glass of milk and dumped in some Hershy’s chocolate syrup.  The toaster dinged that my treats were ready as Jack was entering the kitchen.  He sized up the situation in a glance.

“What are you doin’ dad?”

“I’m having a little…um…snack,” I said.

“But dad…poptarts and…what’s that behind your back?”

“It’s…it’s…milk.  Chocolate, if you must know.  Look…I hiked over an hour and I rode the trainer for an hour.  I’m craving some carbs to replace what I burned,” I said, defensively.

He just looked at me and shook his head.  “I’m so disappointed in you.”

And this from a kid who six months ago could smell Breyer’s vanilla ice cream from the neighbors and consume a quart in the time it took me to peel a banana.  Well, I suppose I’m proud of the monster I helped create, but it would be nice to have to deal only with my own conscience when I want to eat poorly.

Hike Duration: 70 minutes.  Bike Duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 80 bpm running and 120 bpm biking.
Calories burned during workout: 350 running and 850 biking.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word...

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Talk about biting your nose to spite your face.  I can see no other explanation for the way Shena Hardin is treating her actions.  She regularly drove on a sidewalk to avoid waiting for a school bus loading a disabled child.  Her actions were reported to the police and when they staked it out and caught her, she was arrested and charged.

She pleaded guilty, but offered no apologies and showed no remorse for her actions, so the judge decided to try and reach her and help her understand the seriousness of her actions.  She ordered Shena to stand on the corner where she likes to drive on the sidewalk with a sign that said “Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.”  Yesterday, Shena spent an hour on that street corner with her sign.  She’d also brought along her music, cell phone and cigarettes.  All she lacked was a table and chair and maybe a little coffee service.  Basically, she was saying “f… off!” to the courts, the people she could have injured and kids getting on and off a school bus.  Sorry?  Not in this woman’s vocabulary.

So again I wonder…why will she be driving again in 28 days?  She doesn’t appear to think there is anything wrong with what she has done, which to me means she’ll do it again if she thinks she can get away with it.  She is a menace to society…like a repeat DUI…and should not be allowed to operate a vehicle until she demonstrates she can do it safely.  Maybe I’m nuts and she has rights and this is no big deal…but I don’t think so.  Well, continue on flipping off the world, Shena.  It seems to be working for you and maybe you’re happy.  I can only hope that the worldwide negative publicity you’ve received will somehow sink in and you’ll change your ways.  It really doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon, though.

I decided to put in a 30-minute run and test the achilles.  It was sore for the first five minutes, but after that was reasonably pain-free.  Maybe, like the elbow, it’s slowly healing.  I love running this time of year because the cooler temperatures make it so pleasant.  I’d be satisfied with a run every third day while filling the rest of my routine with time on the bike – inside or out.  We’ll see how it feels in the morning.

Run Duration:  30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 525.

"This isn't a baseball movie..."

Monday, November 10, 2012
I had just finished riding the trainer for 75 minutes when Holly popped in the office and asked me about going to a movie.

“It’s called ‘Perfect Pitch’ and it’s playing in about 30 minutes,” she said, which would leave me just enough time to shower and have a bowl of chili.

I was surprised that she wanted to see a baseball movie, but I’m always up for that.  We arrived after the movie had started and I was surprised to hear singing that wasn’t the National Anthem.  After about 10 minutes of girls and singing and stuff, I discovered ‘Perfect Pitch’ was actually ‘Pitch Perfect’ and was about college acapella singing groups and not baseball players.  It turned out to be a decent flick with some fantastic singing and a half-way decent story line.  I like a light, entertaining movie as long as it has a somewhat believable story line and Holly loves musicals...and hates baseball come to think of it.  Well...she’ll be going to see Clint’s new movie ‘Trouble with the Curve’ which is for sure a baseball movie.

Bike Duration: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1050.

Closing on the century mark...

Sunday, November 9, 2012
Ninety down...ten to go.  That’s how many more reverse plank push-ups I need to do to reach my goal and move onto some other kind of torture.  I’ve found that doing push-ups with my toes elevated above my head causes the blood to flow downhill as you might expect and cause a heavy pulsing in my temples as I struggle with the final repetitions.  As I approached my old pr of 86, I kept thinking I need to get to 100 so I can be done with this madness.  At 90, I dropped my feet from the rail and stayed on all fours trying to catch my breath.  It would be another couple of weeks at least before I reached 100...and most likely longer.  Well...I don’t know what I’m going to substitute for this version of a push-up, so I suppose ‘what’s the hurry?’

I hit another 21 stations before finishing the Survival Workout.  My arms were leaden, but I felt good about the effort.  I texted Kim, who would be home for Thanksgiving and doing the workout with me, that I was getting too huge to get back in the Honda at the conclusion of the workout.  She replied “I told you to lay off the cookies.”   Smart ass.  In any event, I’m getting stronger again and reaffirming to myself that even in my late fifties, I can improve my fitness.  Kim will get hers when she arrives.

I’d already put in four hours of painting before arriving at the park.  John’s trying to rent out the house they lived in before moving to the one I spent countless hours painting last fall and he knows my penchant for painting, so he asked for my help in getting it ready.  It’s not strenuous, but it burns more calories than sitting on the sofa watching football would have, so what the hell.  I got to help a friend and burn off some energy.  The only downside was not getting on the bike for a long ride on a picture-perfect Indian Summer fall day.  In fact, when I arrived at the park for the workout, I had trouble finding a place to park.  People were everywhere, probably thinking this may be their last chance for a hike before the snows set in.  Now, don’t get me wrong...I love that people were getting out and doing some form of exercise...but I don’t appreciate their taking MY parking spot in MY park without checking with me first.  Well...they’ll be gone tomorrow when the grey skies and temperatures in a seasonal forties returns.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes. Painting: 4 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW and 75 painting.
Calories burned:  600 for SW and 1000 painting.

A good, long ride...

Friday, November 7, 2012
Temperatures were hovering in the mid-fifties and as I looked at my schedule for the weekend, I started thinking it might be my only chance to get in a long ride.  I’d committed to working at Mimi’s on Saturday and painting with John on Sunday, both of which could keep me off the roads.  I needed to ride and I needed to do it immediately.

It was slightly cool at the start with only my doo rag under my helmet as any concession to the temperature.  I rode up through Waite Hill and was at the highest point in the ride and sweating pretty heavily when I decided I’d take the rag from under my helmet and complete the ride without protection.  I shot down the hill towards Mulberry Road and immediately felt the ice crystals forming on my bald head.  When I reached the bottom, I stopped again and put the doo rag back on my head.  Though it was damp from perspiration, it trapped some warmth next to my head and deflected the cold air whipping across my hairless dome.  I was instantly warmer.  Sometimes, it’s hard to be me.

I managed a beautiful two-hour ride and felt exhausted as I coasted back up the driveway.  I’d need every calorie I’d burned for what I smelled as I entered the house.  My brother Jeff and his family were coming for dinner and Holly had baked ‘Grandma Paula’ chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  I immediately made my way to the cooling rack to access their quality.  Since I couldn’t be sure from the first three, I reached for a fourth before heading for my shower.  Damn...but they’re good.  And yes...I can be worthless and weak.

Bike Duration: Two hours and 10 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.

Quiet time on the marsh...

Thursday, November 6, 2012
I returned to the park with my camera and Dakota for what I hoped would be another eagle sighting on the marsh.  I’d made the necessary adjustments to the camera, undoing what Heidi had done to make me miss my last eagle picture opportunity, and camera in hand, hiked into the marsh for some quiet time and possible nature shots. 

The marsh is quite serene.  There is no human activity there and only the sound of passing cars some distance away can disturb the tranquility.  The sounds of the water fowl and the winds rustling the tall grasses surrounding the marsh are about all you will hear…unless you have Dakota with you.  She tends to charge ahead of me and the jingling of her collar and tags alerts the ducks and geese that will kick up a commotion and send anything worth photographing scrambling for cover.  On this day, I had her stay behind me, which makes her crazy, as I approached.  The thickets making up the portion of the marsh I was entering sheltered me from view and if there was an eagle to be spotted, this I felt was my best opportunity.  I stood inside the cover for ten minutes with Dakota standing silently behind me as I scanned the treetops of the forest surrounding the marsh and the dead timber still standing in the marsh.  Nothing.  Finally, I emerged onto the bank of the marsh and sat on a huge, fallen tree.  Dakota leapt over the log and into the water, sending the ducks quacking and into the air.  I stayed there for another 30 minutes until dark set in without a sighting.  I knew taking Dakota along lessened my chances, but I feel awfully guilty going without her.  She’s like a kid in an ice cream store at the park; I’ve never seen such a happy dog and I hate to leave her behind.  My next move will probably be an early morning arrival and some quiet time with my camera on this exact perch.  There is good cover and it is so peaceful.  I know when I sit and wait, something drifts into my line of vision.  And even if it doesn’t, there’s nothing nearly so relaxing.

Hike Duration: 45 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 80 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 225.

Something's missing...

Wednesday, November 5, 2012
It was almost bed time and I knew something was wrong.  I was feeling depressed…like something was missing from my life though I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly.  Then it dawned on me.  For the last month, I’d felt quite popular.  I was getting information on my door and in the mail.  I was receiving emails and great promos on my computer and throughout facebook.  I was receiving phone calls every evening and people like the President were calling…and they knew me by name!  And here it was…the first Wednesday in November…in the rest of my life…and no one was calling.  No one was writing or knocking on my door.  They were all gone, and if I was noticing their absence, what were they going through?  Fortunately, I’d anticipated this and had recorded political messages from the phone and the TV so I could play them back for the next couple of years until we have another election.  Yeah…right.

I did the Survival Workout with no jumping or running.  My surgically repaired meniscus continues to ache so I’m thinking it needs a little more time.  My achilles hurts as well, so I’ve decided to bag running for a time, too.  There is excellent weather on the horizon with predictions for sunny and 60’s through the weekend, so I’m hoping to knock out a couple of long rides to make up the difference.  I must admit to being pleasantly surprised that the elbow is marginally better despite doing the Survival Workout in earnest for the last week.  I’m still avoiding exercises that stress the biceps, but have added pull-ups back and with no adverse effects…yet.

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

What is that thing in the sky?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012
As I backed the car from the garage, a strange sensation happened…I couldn’t see.  I reached for my sunglasses, covered in the dust of my unkempt car, blew them off and put them over my eyes.  The sun had returned after 11 days.  How do people in Alaska cope with the endless night of winter?

Dakota and I made our way to the park for a picture-taking hike.  We made our way to the marsh and circled it in hopes of catching up with an eagle or a beaver.  Neither appeared, but I continued to snap pictures of the waning sunlight reaching across the water and vegetation of the marsh.  I reached the far side when I noticed a large bird striking out across the sky with a wingspan that marked it as an eagle.  It landed on a dead tree in the middle of the marsh, so I waited for the next 20 minutes to get another shot of it.  From a distance, it appeared to be an immature eagle; it lacked the white head of the mature bird.  It finally took flight again and I snapped several more shots through my telephoto lens. 

I returned home and hopped on the trainer for a one-hour ride.  I was excited about down-loading the pictures, but knew if I didn’t get the ride in first, I might not do it at all.  I showered quickly after finishing the ride and returned to my office and downloaded my pictures.  As they were downloading, they flashed across the screen of my monitor as mostly overexposed whiteouts.  Something was wrong.  It was then that I remembered that Heidi had used my camera the other day when her battery was low on hers.  She’s a professional photographer and would never consider using the ‘automatic’ setting I’d left it on.  I’d watched her changing all the settings in the ‘manual’ mode, but never gave a thought to needing to change it back.  Well…I did…need to, that is.

I could see enough of the bird flying across the marsh to confirm my suspicion that it was likely the same immature bird I’d photographed earlier in the summer.  I know they can keep their youthful markings for four years, so this one was still just a young teenager…so to speak.  Clearly though, he likes the marsh and so I’ll need to get back there soon since the weather is going to be so favorable through the weekend.  I returned the camera to settings any amateur can handle and put it back in the car.  I’ll be ready next time.

Hike Duration: 70 minutes.  Bike Duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 80 bpm running and 120 bpm biking.
Calories burned during workout: 350 running and 850 biking.