Broken cable...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The roads were wet from rain and snow melt and the wind was howling, but it was almost 60 degrees and there was no doubt in my mind as to what Lance would do, so I geared up to ride outside.

I headed north for my Gates Mills course and as usual, found a wind at my back as I rode along SOM Center.  It was blowing hard and I was feeling strong, so I shifted into a speed gear and was cruising along close to 35 mph before turning into the North Chagrin Reservation.  I shifted down to deal with the new conditions when I felt the gear shift go soft and felt the cable snap.  My derailleur defaulted my chain to the hardest gear where it would stay until the cable was repaired.  I pulled into the Ranger Station to see if there was any hope, but there wasn’t.  Rain had begun to fall…hard…and I was 6 miles from home and facing a gale wind for the return ride.  Bollocks.

I turned out of the park and headed south on SOM with the wind and rain blowing in my face so hard that my contacts were drying out and making it hard to keep my eyes open.   I was stuck in the hardest gear, which was making for a wonderful workout but pissing me off at the same time.  I was disappointed that the ride would have to be cut short and that I’d need to go to the bike store for repairs.  UB Express needed a winter tune-up though, and with a cold freeze coming in tomorrow, I told myself the timing was right.  I rode home, struggling against the conditions and arrived with 35 minutes of riding to my credit.  Not enough, but a good start.  I decided to finish the ride with more time on the trainer, taking it 45 minutes.

So…back to bad luck riding.  Two of the last three attempts have been met with some kind of mechanical failure.  I’m hard on my equipment putting on lots of miles and blanketing them in sweat.  It comes with the territory and I’m thankful for having the backup bike on the trainer.

Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  850.

Missed a workout...

Monday, January 28, 2013

My nephew had purchased a new house and there was lots of demolition and work going on that they wanted me to see.  I scheduled a trip over after work and after observing the devastation and offering my painting services, we headed to downtown Willoughby for dinner at Burgers and Beer.  I couldn’t get the taste of that great burger I’d had the previous week and it was sucking me back for more.

I ordered the same thing, but when the waitress asked about fries, we somehow ended up with ‘loaded’ which meant smothered in cheese and cloves and other stuff I’d never put on fries.  Ketchup goes on fries…maybe some salt…but that’s about it for me.  Still, they were there and covered in unidentified stuff, but I didn’t let that stop me.  After the meal was consumed, we began swapping family stories back and forth.  I do this pretty well and can keep it up indefinitely.  When the waitress started asked me to pick up my feet so she could vacuum under them, I took the hint.

I didn’t get home until after 10 p.m. and wasn’t in the mood to climb on the trainer right up to bed time.  That tends to keep me awake and sleep is something I seldom compromise.  Holly’s travel schedule is messing with me.  I’d never go out on a Monday normally, so I suppose it’s her fault I missed a workout.  That, and the craziness of the winter weather to date have made it hard for me to stay in a routine.  It’s a lousy excuse and I need to just be me and do it anyway, but there it is.  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50’s, so maybe I’ll get out for a ride. 

Hiking in snow...

Sunday, January 27, 2013

I came downstairs in the morning to the smell of fresh polyurethane and went straight to the kitchen table to check the results of yesterday’s work.  It was very disappointing.  I could see sanding marks through the new finish that I’d applied and knew that I’d be stripping it and starting over that night.  Well…I needed a project and now I had a good one.

Dakota and I went to the park for a hike.  A heat wave was approaching and that meant all the snow would be gone in a couple of days and I’d yet to hike through it to the marsh.  We started off-trail shortly after parking the car and struggling through shin-deep snow in no time.  The snow was an unbroken blanket of white since no one had gone before us and the additional work of cutting our own trail had my heart rate soaring.  From Snowman’s Ridge, I could hear voices on the marsh and looked through the opening to see two cross country skiers crossing the ice far below.  Seeing them on the marsh changed my plans for where I’d hike and when I reached the marsh, quickly began to head for the beaver lodge.

Only I wasn’t on skies, which offered the value of weight distribution.  I started to go through the surface on my third step and backtracking continued the pattern.  There was only six inches of water at the marsh’s edge, so it was no big deal, but I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go out to the middle to enjoy the unique view it offered.  We climbed back up the way we’d come, sweating and sliding partially back with each step.

I returned to my project once home having to apply a stripper to the surface and then a sanding routine that assured I wouldn’t be leaving marks in the table when I again applied the first coat of polyurethane.  I’d had thoughts of riding the trainer, but after another four hours of work on the table decided dinner and a movie was a better plan.  I’m looking forward to the melt as there may be a chance to slip in an outdoor ride though the roads will likely be covered in a salty brine that I hate getting on my bike. 

Hike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  350.

The party host...

Saturday, January 26, 2013
Holly had left for a business trip to San Diego at 6 a.m. and now I was on my own for a dinner party.  It was mostly family and I was making spaghetti…something I do with regularity and excellence (how tough can it be?), so I wasn’t too worried.  I did have to do some grocery shopping, clean the house and make sure I had all the things we’d need to serve and eat the meal.  I figured I was up to it.

I put the sauce on to cook and headed to the grocery store.  When I returned and cleaned up the place, I called Jason to let him know he should call me when they were on the way over and I’d throw the noodles in the water.

“I figured 1:30 p.m., like you told us,” he said.  And he was right about that…but people do tend to run a little late in our family.  Then I heard his girlfriend, Theresa, mumbling something in the background.  It sounded something like ‘be there at 12:45.

“Um…Theresa says her parents will be there at 12:45,” he repeated.

“Okay…that’s in about 20 minutes…when was it you were going to call me and let me know again?” I asked.

“Yeah…well…um…I wasn’t?” he said.  He can’t lie.

I’d never met Theresa’s parents and that was no big deal.  I didn’t have things quite ready and the house still needed some work, which was also no big deal.  I hung up and ratcheted up my efforts, though.

They arrived 45 minutes early…as I’d been warned…and I reveled them with stories of my accomplishments until Jason and Theresa arrived.  When Jack and my father-in-law were added to the mix, I was making dinner for seven people.  It went off without a hitch since Theresa and her mom brought the salad, dressings, dessert and bread leaving me little to screw up.  They loved the sauce and when they asked about it, I warned them that I didn’t want to have to kill them by telling them my secret.

“Ragu in a jar,” Jason volunteered.

“Well…sure…but I add lots of stuff to it to make it special,” I said.

“Brown sugar,” he said.

“Yeah…that…and, um, other stuff that I, um, can’t …you know…” I said.

After my clean-up and more about my ‘Tour Ohio’, I noticed Theresa’s mom yawning and then head bobbing.  Normally I wouldn’t let that stop me, but I knew they needed to get on the road so I shut up.  Once they left, I began the process of refinishing the kitchen table.  It’s loaded with scratches which drive Holly crazy and I’d decided I’d refinish it as a surprise while she was traveling (she won’t read this while she’s traveling).  It took four hours of sanding and stripping before I could put my first coat on it and by the time I was done, was in no mood to ride the trainer.  I plopped down to watch a movie and had some left-over spaghetti.  Ah yes…worthless and weak again.

Cross country skiing on the horizon...

Friday, January 25, 2013
I hadn’t returned to the park to do the Survival Workout since record setting performance of 101 push-ups the previous Sunday.  The snow and the temperatures had begun to fall and with a foot covering the trails, rocks and logs, I didn’t see much point.  I was getting sick of the trainer though, and really needed to get one in.

I arrived to find that the memo alerting the park’s snow removal crew to clean my parking spot had not been followed.  I drove over to the ‘Horse Trailers Only’ parking lot, which was nicely plowed…and empty…as it would be until, oh, May.  I don’t like to break the park rules on this, but there really is no place to park on the lower part of the North Chagrin Reservation near my Survival Workout trail when the snow is on the ground unless you have a four-wheel vehicle, which the Honda is most definitely not.

I was disappointed in my first effort since the record breaker.  I squeezed out 86 push-ups, though I was at a much steeper angle than usual since I had to find a fence railing that wasn’t plowed in.  I noticed my heart rate was much higher as I maneuvered down the trail, which was extremely difficult to navigate since few people had been on it.  I tried to stay in the tracks of a cross country skier to gain some traction and it got me to thinking how I really needed to break out the skies I’d been given a year ago by a co-worker and give the sport a try.  I have used the indoor cross country ski simulators built by Nordic Track and know what an amazing workout cross country skiing can be.  Opportunities are limited here, but it would be one more choice on frigid, winter days.  I’ve seen the grooves left by skiers’ off-trail in places only I seem to go, so I know they’re highly mobile.  I know there’s a learning curve and maybe I’ve just not wanted to invest the time…I’ve always got some excuse…but if we get snow again this year (the big melt is coming in the next couple of days) I’ll give it a try for sure.

I had to dig through the snow to find my rocks and logs and once I’d lifted them overhead, had the unpleasant experience of snow falling off of them and down the front and back of my shirt.  That’ll wake you up in the morning.  I couldn’t do any lower body work as I continue to nurse a sore right calf, but managed 13 upper body exercises and felt pretty good by the end of an hour.

I downed another large smoothie for dinner after moving a little more snow.  I think the weekend is going to be filled with time on a trainer since a busy schedule will keep me away from the park.  I’m looking forward to the melt though and another chance to get out on UB Express.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm.
Calories burned:  600

'Burgers and Beer' in Willoughby rocks

Thursday, January 24, 2013
I continued to stay inside during the frigid temperatures.  I spent 75 minutes on the trainer again…not enough for the dinner I followed it with.

Holly was leaving Saturday for San Diego, so we went out to get a bite and visit.  We tried ‘Burgers and Beer’ in Willoughby since we’d been hearing such good things about it.  We ordered a basket a fries to share and I had a burger that was about half a cow that was smothered in mushrooms, cold slaw and some kind of cheese.  It was juicy and fat and dripped everywhere, but I ate it all.  Of course, I didn’t drink the beer, opting instead for diet Coke, so at least I had that going for me on the calorie count.  It really was quite good though, and I’m sure I’ll try it again.  I don’t mind eating that way once or twice a month, but I could see how I’d pack on major pounds of fat quickly if I did in more often.  Way too good…way too fat!

Bike duration:  75 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1050.

Just drink smoothies!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The front page of the Plain Dealer featured another story on childhood obesity.  This one spoke to the importance of changing dietary habits of children because of the importance of nipping their oncoming obesity in the bud.  It suggested that one of the easiest changes to make was the elimination of sugary drinks like pop and all the fruit juices that are a far cry from healthy.  There’s an easier way though, and it’s called ‘John Rolf’s smoothie’.

I only wish my parents would have made me the smoothies I’m making myself when I was a kid.  It would have accomplished the task of getting me all the fruit and vegetables I needed…and handled my sweet tooth at the same time.  I made one again last night for dinner and it included the following:

Five small carrots

Frozen spinach – enough for a small salad
Five large frozen strawberries
One cup frozen mixed fruit
One cup Activia yogurt or Kefir
One banana
1/2 cup of fresh blueberries
One Clementine orange
Apple cider enough to fill the blender

I pack the blender with these ingredients and it makes about 40 ounces.  I’ll drink that over the remainder of the evening and will feel no need to eat a dinner or to have something sweet.  I can’t really taste the vegetables because the sweetness of the cider and the fruit overpowers it…but I’m getting them anyway.  I know this drink has been a key to my weight loss and the carbs in replenishes in my system allows me to do the extended aerobic exercises I perform without bonking.  They should be making this in the school cafeterias too.  Obesity wouldn’t stand a chance.

I rode for 75 minutes on the trainer instead of taking a trip to the park for the Survival Workout.  Snow shoveling will have to substitute as long as there’s a foot of snow on the trails because I won’t be able to find my rocks and logs.  I’m going to give that another day and then go anyways and dig for the suckers.  I don’t want to get soft.

Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  850.

Frigid temperatures and plenty of snow to shovel...

Tuesday, January 22, 2013
We had another blast of winter and this time it came with arctic temperatures.  I’d pushed a couple of inches the night before, but woke to school closings and a fresh 12 inches, with 24 plowed into the bottom of the drive.  It was fluffy and light because of temperatures in the single digits, but I knew it would prove to be a good, long workout and that made me happy. 

I finished my own in about an hour and saw my neighbor struggling to get his snow blower started.  He failed and was shoveling by hand, so I went over to help him out, spending another 30 minutes digging out the bottom of his drive.  By the time I returned home, I’d broken a decent sweat and was ready for a second shower.

I would have liked to hike in the park with Dakota, but the temperatures were so low that she was having issues with ice building between her toes.  I decided instead to spend time on the trainer and managed another 60 minutes while watching the second last episode of ‘Friday Night Lights’.  The series has helped me through the last year of indoor training and although it is a silly, drama-filled evening soap, I feel like I’ve gotten to know some of those characters and will miss them.  I’ve got one episode to go and will have to find some other series to distract me while I ride.  Thank God for Netflix.

Shoveling duration:  90 minutes.  Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  100-120 bpm for shoveling and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  900 for shoveling and 850 on the bike.

Setting the course for 'Tour Ohio'

Monday, January 21, 2013
Since I had the day off, I decided it was time to begin laying out my ‘Tour Ohio’ cycling course in earnest.  I’d already driven east out of Fairport Harbor and had a good idea how I’d travel along the lake towards Pennsylvania, but I wanted to start making notes about things like potential camping sites, places to get food and water, bicycle shops, bed and breakfasts (for later use of those who might follow the trail and not be thinking about sleeping on the ground), and laundry mats.  When I left the house, the skies were clear, but by the time I’d reached the Chardon area, there was snow on the ground…and the roads. 

I drove to Conneaut and was pleased with the amenities I saw along the way, but a little concerned about a section of State Route 531 from Route 11 that was 55 mph.  It was a beautiful road, running right next to Lake Erie with no houses to block the view, but the shoulder was narrow and cars would be buzzing by.  I’ll have to look at alternative routes, though I’d hate to miss this section.

When I finally reached the eastern most part of the state and began heading south on Middle Road, I was surprised to find it snow-covered and unplowed.  It was a country road that ran south to Pymatuning Lake, my next destination and a place that offered camping at a state campground, but it was impossible to access the condition of the road.  In fact, I was even unsure if it was paved and had some doubts.  I was driving the Honda and since there was a foot of snow on the road, decided I’d better abort for a day with clear roads. 

And then the snow was gone!  I drove along Pymatuning Lake Road into the state park and continued south along the border with Pennsylvania all the way to Warren.  If I’d been riding the bike, it would have been over 120 miles and so was a good first step.  There was about a 30-mile section of the route that would be without water and food, but I could easily plan for that.  I wanted to find more back roads riding, but not so much that it would be a challenge to people who might not be used to covering long distances without access to the basics.  I stopped in Warren and began my journey home, but in reviewing maps later, realized getting around places like Warren and Youngstown on bike friendly roads would be a challenge.  State Route 7 runs from Lake Erie straight south to the Ohio River and then along the river a good portion of the way to Cincinnati but much of the portion I passed was 55 mph with a lot of traffic.  I’m hoping the parts along the Ohio River will not be so heavily traveled, but I have my doubts and will likely be looking for county roads that can get the job done.

This has been a good exercise for me.  By laying out the course, I am making it more real and doing the other things I’ll need to do to achieve my goals with ‘Tour Ohio’.  I need to get it past the idea stage…and this is the first, and most important step.  I’ll be approaching a bike store soon to talk about sponsorship, but need to have the course ironed out first.  Plan the work…work the plan.

Finally...101!

Sunday, January 20, 2013
Spring ended Sunday and so I returned to winter exercise pursuits.  It had been several days since I’d done the last Survival Workout and nearly reached the 100 mark for push-ups, but I’d put aside any attempt to break it to ride outside while the weather permitted.  It was in the 20’s now, so that wasn’t happening.

I began my push-ups with my feet anchored to the top fence rail next to my parked car.  I reached 50 thinking it was a good day and the 90’s were in sight.  At 90, my mind went to breaking 100, but I was slowing noticeably by 95.  When I completed 99, I wondered if, like during the previous workout, I’d not be able to lock it out.  On shaking arms, I let myself down and then pushed.  Wavering, I reached 100 and dropped again.  I managed 101, but didn’t even attempt another because I knew how that would end.  I unhooked my feet, stood, and let out a Rebel yell to let anyone in the park know that I’d just achieved my goal.  It was cold, early and miserable and I was alone.   Dakota took notice though, and brought me a stick to throw for her as a celebration.

With my calf still hurting from the run on Friday, I did nothing but upper body work for the remainder of the workout.  I managed 17 stations; a good number for upper body, and returned to the car exhausted, pumped, and pleased with myself.  I haven’t decided what I’ll do next.  I suppose I’ll keep doing the raised legs push-ups until maybe 125, though that could be another year.  I need something for the chest though, and it’s a nice challenge.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm.
Calories burned:  600

Three hours in the saddle...

Saturday, January 19, 2013

As predicted, the temperatures began to rise and by noon, it was hovering around 50.  I wore a long-sleeved cotton t-shirt under my cycling jersey and an extra pair of socks to start the ride, but was nervous that I’d get cold so I slipped gloves and a hat into my jersey pockets and hit the road for what I hoped would be a long ride.

It was extremely windy, as it always seems to be on unseasonably warm winter days.  I began riding into it because I didn’t want to face it at the end of the ride when I’d hoped to be tired.  I headed for my Pekin Road course, knowing I could go indefinitely in that direction.  I managed the first couple of hours feeling comfortable and strong with many thoughts about Lance and the thousands of hours he must have spent on a bike.  As I headed into my third hour of riding though, I started to experience all the aches that always come with that amount of time in the saddle.

I suppose I’ll just keep building up my time and hope that the discomfort will subside as I prepare for Tour Ohio.  I think the key will be stopping every couple of hours and spending some time just walking around and stretching my neck and shoulders.  I’m hoping to make the Tour something of a picturesque ride almost requiring me to walk around in areas where I’ll be taking pictures and logging data.  I won’t put in as many miles in a day if I follow such a routine, but I’ll be much more comfortable…which is never over-rated.

As I neared home, my feet were getting cold.  It was going on four and the temperature had probably dropped closer to forty than fifty.  I made my way through the park and covered the last three miles in moderate discomfort in my neck and shoulders.  My legs were strong though with no sign of cramping.  The trainer had kept me in excellent shape and the previous week with two outdoor rides hadn’t hurt either.  The wind made life fun because with all my planning, the final three miles were directly into it and it was blowing so hard that I found myself getting out of the saddle to maintain 11-12 mph on simple uphill’s.  I’m sure it made me a better person, though and of course I’m ashamed for cursing it as I rode. 

Bike duration: Three hours.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  2550.

Now it's time to really 'live strong', Lance...

Friday, January 18, 2013

Lance Armstrong was many things to me. 

First, he was the guy that was “not about the bike”, the man that had looked cancer in the eye and knew that death was knocking at his door and by the grace of God, was given a second chance.  He went back to the bike where he had been one of the best and attacked the greatest, most difficult sporting event on the planet, and won.  There was talk that the field he had beaten in his first Tour de France victory was not the strongest as two of the favorites were serving doping suspensions and not present.  They would be back the following year though, and they would should this brash, young American ‘miracle boy’ that winning the Tour would not be quite so easy with them in the race.  So, he came back the second year with fire in his eyes and a passionate determination to show the world it had not been a fluke.  And he won again…and I loved that guy and felt a pride like my own brother had just shown them all.

And he kept on winning and like the title of his second book stated, “made every second count”.  And I loved that guy, too.  There was talk of doping and cheating, but he kept passing drug tests and saying things like “what am I on?  I’m on the bike” and I watched videos and read about his insane training style and how he left nothing to chance…looking at every angle, testing improvements in his equipment, his riding position, the clothes he wore, the things he ate, the way he trained and the way he raced.  And I loved that guy, too, and it was easy to point to all those things and say “that’s why he’s the best there’s ever been” and I absolutely believed it.

And after seven straight Tour victories, I believed he’d established a record that would never be broken in my lifetime and that I’d always be able to say with pride that Lance would always be ‘the best’…and for sure I loved that guy.

But 2012 rolled around and more and more people were saying he cheated.  People like his teammates…people who would know.  When someone asked me what I thought, I’d say, “he passed every drug test he ever took and he said he didn’t do it and that’s good enough for me.”  And it was until George Hincapie, the rider that was his closest companion on the bike since he was 16, the only man to ride with him in each of his seven Tour victories, admitted to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that he’d used drugs and so had Lance, that I began to have serious doubts.

And then he went on the air with Oprah and she started out by asking him point-blank, yes or no questions like “did you use EPO” and “were you doping in all seven of your Tour de France victories” and he said that one word that I so didn’t want to hear and when he said it anyway, I felt a knife stab in my gut that twisted and turned with every “yes” he uttered.

From that point on, I heard but I wasn’t always listening.  I mean, whoever this guy was with Oprah and whatever he was saying was all-wrong!  It absolutely could not be about my hero…the guy who had concurred cancer…who had held so many thousands of cancer victims deal with their illness…who had written books I tried to live by…who had trained beyond madness to beat all the odds and win the Tour de France seven…freaking…times!!  There was no…freaking…way!!

I watched the remainder of that show and returned the following night for ‘part two’ and more pain and suffering and then talked it out with other people who care like I do and thought and pondered what it all meant…to me.  And I asked myself that really important question…what’s the big deal…really?  Because, let’s be honest.  I don’t even know that guy and he doesn’t know me.  He wasn’t trying to hurt me and I haven’t lost any credibility, money, fame or friends because of it.  All that’s true and in my head I know it…but in my heart, it hurts.  A lot.

Ten years ago, when he’d already won the Tour three times and I already had that serious ‘man crush’ thing working, I was with my church youth group in Boston and walked past a shop window that was displaying the ‘Livestrong’ wrist bands.  I went inside and bought one for everyone in the group and after a little talk about Lance, what he meant to me and to so many people around the world battling cancer, I gave them each one.  I put one on my own wrist and said I’d never take it off until he lost the Tour.  I’m still wearing that same yellow band, but over the past couple of days I’ve asked myself why and had every intention of cutting it off.  Something though kept me from doing that and I’m glad it did.  

Oprah ended her interview with Lance by asking the question, “what is the moral of this story?”  Lance struggled with his answer…I think he has too many issues to deal with to be able to yet sum it up, but Oprah offered a suggestion and it was “the truth will set you free.”  I didn’t see that then and I don’t see it now, but as I pondered the question, I believe I reached my own moral and decided that I will continue to wear that ‘Livestrong’ band as long as I live and here’s why.

I have to say as many others have, that I can understand and overlook/forgive…though he doesn’t need my forgiveness…the blood doping and drug use.  I believe that he truly felt all his competitors were doing and using the same methods to beat him and that the only chance he had to level the playing field was to use them, too.  I’m not condoning cheating…nor is he at this point, but I understand nonetheless.  I can even understand lying to cover it up afterwards…he’d gone too high, the story was too big, and it had all gone  too far to let it all come undone…but I cannot overlook the way he treated and attacked people who were unwilling to cover for him and were telling the truth about his cheating.  He says he knows how wrong that was and that he intends to spend the rest of his life trying to right that wrong…and I believe him.

I remember well a lesson from the bible when Jesus says to a crowd that had gathered to stone a woman to death, “the one amongst you who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”  I remember it, but I don’t always live it.  I tend to lose sight of the fact that I have secrets, too, that I’ve done things I’m not proud of; things I knew were wrong and I’m guessing I’ll do some more before it’s all said and done.  And I suppose the measure of a man is not whether or not he’s ever done anything wrong, but what he does to make amends after he’s screwed up.  Yes…I’ll continue to wear that band because it…and Lance…will continue to inspire me to try to be a better human being.

I know you’ll never see these words, Lance, but I would like you to know that you will be in my prayers as you walk the rocky, rutted path I think you’re walking now in an effort to make things right.  I thought once you were something other than human, but you’re not.  You’re just like me and you can make mistakes and you can deal with the consequences…honorably…too.  I hope the best for you on this journey for it is the journey of life that we all must take.  It is a journey that is all the better when we have such trying challenges to face because, in the end, they give us the chance to make ourselves better people and to truly ‘live strong’.

Hike duration: 60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  80 bpm.

Calories burned during workout: 350.

Protect your privates, guys...

Thursday, January 17, 2013

It was slightly colder than it had been the day before…which was already too cold to ride…but I really wanted to ride.  I felt like I could ask myself maybe for the last time ‘what would Lance do?’ and I knew the answer was ‘he’d ride.’  I suited up.

I was cold early on, but it didn’t take long for my body to warm.  The problem of course are the hands and feet.  I’d decided to go a little longer than the day before and by the end of the ride I was paying for that decision.  Both my hands and toes were getting cold as I climbed the last hill out of the park and turned into the wind for the final three miles to the house.  As I rode, I thought about Lance Armstrong and the interview with Oprah that I was going to see with John.  I’d already had my initial reaction to the news that he would be confessing to doping, but I’d yet to hear it from his lips and so, for at least a little longer, I could pretend he’d been the greatest cyclist that ever lived.  And regardless of drug use, I knew I could still respect his training regimen.  I really was out riding in conditions that were quite uncomfortable because I knew he would train in worse and for much, much longer. 

When I finally rolled up to the garage door, I could hardly feel my toes.  I’d been out for 95 minutes…about 15 longer than I should have.  I hung the bike and went inside to strip out of my gear…much of which was wet from my sweating.  It was then that I started noticing some disconcerting pain.

If you have ever watched older clips of the Tour de France during mountain stages, you would have spotted an unusual, but critical event towards the top of some of the alpine peaks.  Riders would reach these summits sweating and then begin descents that would take them to speeds in excess of 60 mph.  And since they were at 8,000 feet or higher, it would be cold.  Fans standing along the route would be handing the cyclists newspapers so they would have something to stick in the front of their cycling shorts to protect a part of their anatomy that, at those tremendous downhill speeds, would be susceptible to mild to severe frostbite.  On my ride, there were no fans and there was no newspaper down the front of my shorts…and now there was pain.  I headed for the shower and the healing power of warm water.  For the record, I will wear more protection in future cold weather rides.

I went to John’s to watch the Lance interview and was surprised to find that it was a two-part showing with the conclusion being aired the following night.  I will say that I was disappointed in Lance’s demeanor though I don’t think he got to the really hard questions during this show; that will come tomorrow.  I will say that I thought he was very controlled in all that he said.  It seemed that each word he uttered was thought out for the implications they could lead to later.  He seemed very cautious…and not contrite.  I think I'll wait to say much more; to see if the conclusion of the interview will change my impression.  I've been wearing my 'Livestrong' yellow band to honor his achievements for almost ten years now.  I really don't want to take it off, Lance, so please...help me.

Bike duration: 95 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  1300.

A call from 'Alaska Paul'

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

My phone began to vibrate and when I looked at the name, I saw it was ‘Alaska Paul’.  I knew what it would be about.

“Hey John…looks like our buddy really crashed and burned this time,” he said.

Like Lance, Paul is a cancer survivor and an avid cyclist.  Unlike most people though, Paul marches to a set of values that would never allow him to hurt another human being regardless of the discomfort or inconvenience it may cause him.  He is a simple man to whom fortune and recognition means nothing and friendship is everything.  He is a person worth emulating.

“I’m waiting to see what he has to say on Thursday, but I suspect it will make me pretty sad,” I said.

We talked for awhile about what may have motivated Lance to do what he did and then switched gears into what he’s been doing in his world travels since last we met.

“I nearly got myself killed this time,” he said and described a near fatal kayaking incident he suffered through while paddling in one of the inlets off Prince William Sound, Alaska.

“We were a little disoriented and surrounded by ice, but paddling through to what we thought would be an opening to the next inlet.  Suddenly, we’re totally enclosed by ice and it’s pushing us up against the sheer side of an iceberg.  My kayak was at a 45 degree angle and I was about to fall out.  We worked together though and managed to stay in the boats, but had to call in the Coast Guard for a chopper pick-up.  We were going to have to abandon the boats…but then the ice opened up a little and we were able to battle our way through to open water…just as the chopper appeared overhead,” he said.

“How long could you have lasted in the water?” I asked, knowing he’d have been wearing a dry suit for just such a calamity.

“Maybe 15 minutes.  I was sure my goose was cooked.  Next time I’m taking a GPS.  I’m tired of being nervous about my navigational skills,” he concluded.

He’s kayaked all over the world and been in many tight spots before, but said this was the worst.  Still, I want to make my way to Alaska soon and spend a month or two hiking in Denali National Park, kayaking the arctic waters and camping on the Alaskan tundra with Grizzlies…and Alaska Paul.

I made it home with enough daylight to ride if I hurried the tire change I needed to do on UB.  It was about 35 degrees as I mounted the bike.  I’d outfitted myself as best I could for a ride with strong winds and a chill factor that would make it seem like…oh…two.  And it worked out well.  I rode the final ten minutes in darkness and with toes that felt brittle, but it was worth every minute.  I couldn’t help but think about Lance as I rode.  I’ve watched so much footage of him riding and have memorized that face full of determination and effort as he pushed himself to concur all comers.  It inspired me again as I rode through the discomfort.  Tomorrow’s the day, Lance, and until I hear it from you, I’ll continue to hold your achievements in a special place in my head and my heart. 

Bike duration: 80 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout: 1025.

So close...

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A dear friend called me yesterday to see how I was doing with the news about Lance.  He has been going through a living hell as the result of a back injury he incurred last March and was visiting a doctor at the Clinic, but took the time to put aside thoughts of his troubles to ring me up.  He’s a special friend and the person responsible for getting me back into the woods.  I owe him a lot and I intend to deliver when he gets a clean bill of health and can do some exercise again.  I know he would benefit from time on the bike, kayak and a walk in the Adirondack woods.  Who wouldn’t?  Thanks, Henry.

During our conversation, he mentioned that he’s been reading the blog and was worried about the different tribulations I’ve been experiencing.

“You’re the Rock of Gibraltar.  You’re not supposed to get hurt,” he said.

I wish that were true, but as I wrote yesterday, we all get hurt and deal with soreness and pain if we’re doing something.  It beats the hell out of the aches, pains, and medical issues we’ll suffer if we do nothing.

I went to the park with the intention of seeing how much of the Survival Workout I could do with those aches and troubles.  I started with the inverse push-ups and when I passed 50, I started thinking seriously about 100.  Often times pr’s are set when the body has been trained hard and then gets a rest.  Well…I’d had a week off and was thinking that as I approached 90 reps.  At 95, I was moving slowly.  With my 97^th, I set a new pr and as I struggled through 99, I knew it would be close.  I lowered my nose to the ground and pushed on trembling arms.  As I inched up, I knew I was in trouble.  I needed to lock out my elbows to, in my mind, to reach 100.  I held and struggled to complete that last inch of movement necessary to accomplish the task and then…I fell.

So…99.9…but not 100.  I managed to do the rest of the workout without pain in the rib cage and certainly felt good about my efforts.  I know I’ll hit 100 some day soon and then I’ll need a new challenge so what’s the hurry?  Yes…I’ve still got pain and yes...I'm still loving working out.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm.

Calories burned:  600

Ouch...again.

Monday, January 14, 2013

I had a nice plan for a double.  I went to the park for a 30-minute run, which I intended to back up with an hour on the trainer.  I’d been thinking about riding outside, but temps in the low 30’s and frozen toes discouraged that notion.  I leaned into the car to do a calf stretch…something I rarely do before running…and held it for about three minutes.  My calves were extremely tight and the stretch felt good, but they just never seemed to loosen up.

I headed into the run stiff-legged.  I could feel the pain in my left achilles…that was nothing new…but my right was hurting a little higher and into the lower calf.  I’d been running about 17 minutes when I felt it pop.

Oh…the joys of being me when trying to work out.  And yet, am I so different?  I watched playoff football over the weekend and am amazed at the grace and athleticism of these highly trained and skilled professional athletes.  They look effortless in their movements, fluid and without pain.  But who am I kidding?  Every player on every team is hurting…or will be at the game’s conclusion.  The one’s seriously injured are on the sidelines…the rest are in the game and living with some pain and discomfort because that’s what they do. 

So…although something seems to hurt on every workout, I continue on.  When I consider the alternative, there really is no choice for me.  The less you do, the less you can do.  I won’t have that.  I walked for about ten minutes then began a slow jog back to the car.  I was outside, moving and sweating.  Life really is good…it hurts some…but it’s good.

Run duration:  25 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  130 bpm.

Calories burned:  375.

Hike and bike...

Sunday, January 13, 2013

It was still unseasonably warm and Heidi was home and had suggested a trip in the kayaks.  That worked for me, but when she came outside and saw the clouds threatening rain, decided a hike in the park might be safer.  She was probably right, but I’d have risked the kayaking.  Still…the park is good and Dakota could use the exercise, as well.

I placed a warm bucket of water and a rag in the trunk for the clean-up we’d need to do on Dakota before she could re-enter the car after the hike and headed out.  It was extremely muddy, so I steered Heidi off-trail and onto my marsh circum-navigation hike.  At first she thought I was trying to make the hike more difficult, but when my trail merged back onto a hiking trail with two inches of mud on it, she understood. 

It was easier without the snow, but we still managed a decent workout over the next 70 minutes.  Dakota was a filthy mess when we returned to the car, but the warm water did a decent job of making her presentable.  We returned home with about two hours until dinner and skies still threatening.  I considered riding the bike and the chances of rain weighed against a return to the trainer with plummeting temperatures scheduled for tomorrow…and decided to ride.

The thermometer had dropped to the forties, but I still figured it was warm enough to forgo gloves and a hat.  I was mostly right as I headed out, but the temperature continued to drop over the course of the 90-minute ride.  Then… a flat.

I don’t mind changing flats…I’m kinda like the father in ‘A Christmas Story’ acting like I’m in the Tour de France and need every second to get back on the bike and in the race.  I was on UB Express though and didn’t know how easily the rubber would come off.  I was carrying a spare tube, a pump, and a cell phone.  Holly was in the middle of preparing dinner and calling her to pick me up could be risky.  The tire was not completely flat so I opted for pumping it up and seeing how far I could ride.  I was about 40 minutes from home and knew it wouldn’t make it that long, but if I made it ten minutes between pumps, it was doable.

I actually made it 15 before having to stop again.  The next was ten minutes and then eight, but I could smell the finish and rolled in the driveway almost completely deflated…and with ten minutes to spare until dinner.

I’m happy I made the trip.  I rode strongly and love UB.  I can see big rides this spring as I prepare for ‘Tour Ohio’ and believe UB may be the bike for the trip.  I’ll have to see if I can outfit it with panniers, but I feel very comfortable on it and would like to go with a road bike verses a hybrid if possible.

And yes…I know that Lance has conducted an interview with Oprah and that it likely wasn’t to tell her what a good guy he is that he was always riding clean.  I will not lie.  Tears formed at the corners of my eyes as I considered the implications.  I’ll watch the show on Thursday and hear what the man has to say.  Time and again I’ve defended him in this blog.  Yes…I admired his accomplishments, the way he trained and the obstacles he overcame to become the greatest cyclist the world had ever seen.  He was my one and only athletic hero…the first since Muhammad Ali.  I suppose I’ll have more to say in the Friday edition.

Hike duration:  70 minutes.  Bike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  80 for the hike and 120 bpm on the bike.

Calories burned during workout: 350 for the hike and 1275 on the bike.

Riding outside and oriental grasses...

Saturday, January 12, 2013

I’d been reading the weather reports for the past two days that had forecasted temperatures in the fifties over the weekend.  I’d determined that, regardless of rain, I would be riding if it was that warm.  I walked outside to grab the paper first thing in the morning and knew instantly I’d be riding.  The roads were moist from overnight precipitation, but I had some chores to do around the yard and house that could easily take me to noon by which time, with some luck, they would be dry. 

We have oriental grasses all around our yard.  They started out as wee little things several years ago, but as they grew and expanded, Holly instructed my to half and quarter them, transplanting the pieces parts around the yard so that the four plants we’d started with were now around twenty.  She likes them…which pretty much means I like them…but after a summer of growing like…well…weeds, they stand about six feet tall and turn into amber-colored stalks which have to be cut down and bundled up.  Holly won’t let me do this until after Thanksgiving since she likes to see them all brown and dead and then uses cuttings for her Thanksgiving decorations.  I figured I had a little time to whack them down after bird day, but I procrastinated and then five feet of snow fell on them.

Anyway…the snow was gone…the grasses were smashed to the ground…and I had to cut and bundle them and get them to the curb.  It took a couple of hours and lots of sweat, but that was okay because it was making for a good warm-up for my ride.

I hadn’t been on ‘UB Express’ since the snow had fallen and I still hadn’t transferred my saddle bag, water cages and tire pump from ‘Big Red’.  I spent thirty minutes preparing the bike and by 12:30 was ready to ride.  Though not a drop of rain had fallen, the roads were still covered in a fine mist of water.  Not perfect road conditions, but it was in the low sixties in January and I wasn’t complaining.  I headed out with the intention of riding at least two hours.

I pretty much had the roads to myself.  I suppose most cyclists have their bikes loaded away for the winter and with snow still melting onto the roads, I could understand that sentiment.  Fortunately, I’ve overcome that mentality and will take any opportunity to ride outside.  I had two large water bottles in my cages and consumed almost all of it before the ride was completed…it was that warm.  I was slightly out of shape for the climbs after spending the last five weeks inside on a trainer, but I felt I did well and rode hard throughout.

Tomorrow is supposed to be warm though heavy rains are predicted.  Should they hold off though, I’ll be ready for another long, January ride. 

Bike duration:  Two hours and 10 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  1825.