Afraid of a little rain...

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

It was a Survival Workout day, but as I drove home through a driving, icy rain, I had second thoughts.  I mean, it was coming at my car sideways, which was doing an excellent job of washing off all the accumulated road salt along with a wind that was pushing me all over, but it just wasn’t the kind of weather anyone wants to exercise in.  I drove home and headed for the trainer.

Seventy-six minutes later and two more episodes of ‘The West Wing’ behind me, I was ready to shower and join Holly to use a gift certificate for a meal at Bravo’s in Mentor.  If you haven’t been there, it’s an upscale, Italian cuisine restaurant with white linen and fine dining…and someplace I really don’t fit in.  We had a $50 gift certificate though, and so that’s where we were eating.  I ordered pork chops, which came with green beans and mashed potatoes…so mostly Paleo…and absolutely delicious.  When I’d cut everything off the bone I possibly could with the flatware I’d been given, I decided fancy or not, I was picking up the bones and getting every last morsel of meat.  We were off to the side and no one seemed to notice me…or maybe they were just being polite and not pointing…but I cleaned them nicely and then licked my fingers to get every last calorie.  We passed on the dessert and I went with a diet coke, as I do normally when I’m out.

We don’t eat out often, but I do find that eating Paleo is so much easier when we do go to a restaurant.  Almost all restaurants serve Paleo when you think about it since all we’re talking about is lean meats, fruits and vegetables.  Fish is always available and I seldom pick up a menu anymore and don’t’ see ‘chicken breast’.  Having said that, when I do go out, I tend to say ‘to hell with Paleo’ and just get back to it when I’m back home, opting for something fatty and tasty.  Anyway, the bottom line on Bravo’s is…good, but pricy.

Bike duration:  76 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  1050.

Enjoying children enjoying the woods...

Monday, February 25, 2013
It was really a beautiful day for exercising in February.  The sun was shining and the temperature was hovering near forty.  So why did I not want to ride my bike? 

I was struggling with my conscience.  I knew I should ride outside since there would be limited opportunities for the next several weeks.  Still, I hesitated and then decided against it, instead driving to the park where I’d convinced myself I’d take a short run to see how the groin injury was feeling and then go home to get Dakota so we could return for a hike.

I suited up for the run and went about 20 paces before deciding the pain was bad enough that it wasn’t worth pushing.  It was improving however, so maybe in a few more days.  I drove home and grabbed Dakota and quickly returned for a long, muddy hike.  My legs just aren’t feeling fresh lately and I guess I was looking for an opportunity to get in an activity without pushing that fatigued feeling.  We hiked around the marsh and up into the woods beyond.  I searched the deer herd paths and the areas they bed down, but was unsuccessful in my quest for more antlers.  In fact, I didn’t even see a deer.  I did see plenty of evidence of their passage though, so I suppose they’ve returned to their old haunts now that the culling is behind for another year.

I was surprised to see a young family traipsing around the marsh on essentially the same path I was taking.  There was an adult couple with two young children between the ages of, I’d guess, 5 and 7.  The kids were laughing and enjoying themselves the entire time as they hiked on muddy trails and with only the woods to stimulate them.  Though I’d never done this with my parents, it did remind me of my own childhood and the thrill of disappearing into the woods behind our house every night after school where we’d play until dark.  I know few children do this today what with parents’ concerns about their safety and I am thankful once more that I was allowed to experience the woods and develop the love for them that I keep to this day.

Hike duration:  70 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  400.

Slipping and sliding through the Survival Workout

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Savannah and I returned to the park for a final Survival Workout before her return to Columbus.  I decided to bring the camera along so I could get some pictures of the new exercises I’ve added.  We were well bundled for temperatures in the high twenties, but at least the snow had melted and would make the trails easier to handle…or so I thought.

I took some pictures of her doing the squat-jump, which I find particularly exhausting, before heading down the trail.  We discovered that the thaw and refreeze had only made the trails more hazardous with a fine layer of ice covering every inch.  We decided against karaoke up the hill and replaced it with some extra picnic table hops and squat-jumps.  We also found that most of the rocks were firmly frozen to the ground, which no amount of jumping on or tugging at, would loosen.  Still, with a little creativity, we managed to get in a good workout.  In fact, just walking without falling has the core working overtime and my legs were as tired as they would have been if I’d been doing my sets of sprints by the time I returned to the car. 

The rest of the day was miscellaneous work around the house and spotty eating of some even spottier food.  We had salmon for dinner, though Holly had made a potato chip topping for it.  I put together another smoothie and got most of my calories from that.  There is too much ice cream in the house including a quart of Fluffer Nutter from East Coast Custard.  Holly had gotten it for Savannah…it’s her favorite…but she eats like a bird and someone had to keep checking on it and eating some to assure that it didn’t suffer from freezer burn.  I can be so thorough.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

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

A really, really cold ride...

Saturday, February 23, 2013

With both the girls in town, we scheduled a luncheon for the family.  The menu was Annie Anne’s hot dogs, potato chips and chocolate milkshakes.  If I were to eat such a meal, I could easily pile on the calories I’d burned off in my three previous workouts…something I really didn’t want to do.  About an hour before lunch, I took a proactive approach by loading the blender with a mountain of fruit and vegetables and blended up a huge smoothie, which I stuck I the refrigerator.

And it worked well.  I passed on the chips and milkshake and had only two of the hot dogs.  I let those digest for about an hour before deciding I’d ride outdoors.

It seemed comfortable outside and when I checked the temperature on the weather channel, was doubtful that ’32 degrees’ was correct.  To play it safe, I dressed as though that was the right number, including two pairs of socks and my cold weather booties on my feet.  As I rolled down the driveway and began to pick up speed creating my own 20 mph wind and a biting chill factor, my doubts disappeared.

I dialed back my initial ambitious plan for a 2-hour ride.  I figured 90 minutes would be safer since I was riding in uncharted waters.  The coldest temperature I’d ever braved before was around 36 and since it was moving towards dusk, I’d likely be finishing in temperatures below the freezing threshold.  There was some snow melt on the shoulders and it dawned on me that this would be freezing into a dangerous black ice as I rode.  I needed to be careful.

I was okay for the first hour, but when I descended a steep hill in the valley at speeds exceeding 40 mph, the chill I created was getting to my hands and toes.  The final 15 minutes of the ride were painful but manageable though I was thrilled to roll in the garage and close the door behind me.

When I returned to the weather channel, there was little surprise the temperature had dropped to 31.  I had a new pr…and frozen fingers to mark the occasion.  I don’t think I’ll try to break that record, or if I do, it’ll be for a ride of less than an hour.  Still, I’d managed close to two hours and I didn’t have to get on a trainer…and that’s a good day in my book.

Bike duration:  95 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1325.

Savannah's in good shape...

Friday, February 22, 2013

Savannah was on the road from Columbus and wanted to do the Survival Workout when she arrived home.  She’d texted to let me know that there was an ice storm in Columbus and that she’d gotten on the road around 2:30.  I started wondering if she’d make it back in time for a workout, so I put on my riding outfit and hit the trainer for a 70-minute ride.  If she made it back – great – I’d do a double.  If not, at least I’d done something.

She arrived around 5 p.m. and still wanted to work out so we loaded Dakota in the car and headed for the park.  She has been running on a treadmill in Columbus and has been playing racquetball a couple of times a week and looked lean and fit.  She managed 15 full push-ups to start the workout and did well throughout.  She was particularly strong in the lower body/cardio sets like the picnic table-hop.  I wasn’t surprised, having played a great deal of handball, racquetball, paddleball, and squash in my days with the Back Wall and the Cleveland Athletic Club.  When played with intensity, these court games are tremendous conditioners.  They all require stop and go sprinting for extended periods of time, which beats steady distance running every time.  By the time we’d finished the workout, she’d done almost 20 sets and didn’t seem any worse for the wear.

I dropped Savannah off and then drove to Akron to pick up Heidi and bring her home for the weekend, too.  Holly prepared a pasta/shrimp dish for dinner and when the ice cream was pulled from the freezer for dessert, I was asked to dish it up.  I served up the girls and tasted a few scoops as I dished, but resisted the urge to fill a bowl for myself.

Spring is just around the corner and I’m going to have to get serious about my diet and conditioning real soon.  I want to go into ‘Tour Ohio’ around 180 pounds and figure I’ll come out of it closer to 170, which is where I plan to stay.  Anyway, it needs to begin now.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.  Bike duration:  70 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm for  SW and 120 bpm on the bike.

Calories burned during workout:  600 for SW and 1000 on the bike.

An easy, cold hike...

Thursday, February 21, 2013
I decided that I’d take the night off from vigorous exercise, but not from recreational activity.  I loaded Dakota in the car and headed for the park and another hike in search of deer antlers, mild exercise, and serenity.  I managed two out of three.

There is a light covering of snow on the ground and if any antlers have fallen, they’ll be hard to spot.  Whenever I am hunting them though, I find myself off-trail and in parts of the park that only wildlife travels.  It makes the going tougher since I’m constantly climbing over and through dense underbrush, but I get to see parts of the park I never would otherwise.  Dakota likes it better because she has more opportunities to chase squirrels and explore and it’s always more quiet since no other hikers are around.  While I was hiking, Holly called.

“It’s really cold outside.  I was thinking of going to the park, but ‘no way’,” she said.

“It’s not so bad.  Dakota and I are enjoying it,” I said, but with difficulty since my mouth was getting kind of numb.

As I continued my hike, I realized just how right she was.  My hands were getting cold and my face felt like I’d been shot with Novocain.   As we crossed into an area near the river that I’d never hiked before, I started thinking about the best way back to the car since even my feet were getting cold with dark approaching.  We made our way back through some dense thickets of briars and when we finally climbed into the car, Dakota was caked in ice and her paws were clearly bothering her. 

It was just one of those wet colds that seems to cut through you no matter what you’re wearing.  Once home, I took a hot shower and quickly regained feeling in my hands and toes.  I decided against time on the bike for which my legs thanked me.  Not really a workout, but not inactive either.  I’ll take it.

Hike duration:  60 minutes.

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

Getting it done when I really didn't want to...

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
My legs continued to have that dead feeling as I climbed stairs at work and around the house.  I could have used a day off, but instead went to the park for a Survival Workout.  After doing my first set of push-ups, I realized that it was more than my legs feeling the fatigue.  I tried some sprints across the field, but the groin pain was still there and I resigned myself to lifting only with some core work.

I completed 16 sets before returning to the car with that dissatisfied feeling.  When I arrived home, I immediately changed into my cycling gear and hopped on the trainer.  Yes…I was feeling sluggish but so what?  If I got tired, it wasn’t like I couldn’t make it home since I was already in my office.  I rode for an hour sweating profusely and feeling every revolution.  When I finished though, I was pleased that I’d persevered and anxious to make a large smoothie. 

I could see that I might easily spend the rest of the evening on the sofa again, so I went to BJ’s to do some shopping instead.  I stopped to visit with Holly’s dad on the way home and then stopped in the park for a late night walk.  I find almost nothing quite as serene as a walk in the park after dark.  There is never anyone there and the noises made by wildlife are intensified.  With moonlight on the snow, walking is easy and there is little chance of tripping.  It was a good thing and beat the alternative…lounging.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.  Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm for  SW and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  600 for SW and 850 on the bike.

Fixing what hurts with ice cream...

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Yesterday’s ride had taken a toll…a good toll, but a toll none the less.  My legs were fatigued when I arrived at the park to a cold, whistling wind and thought about what I wouldn’t be able to do that day.  As I changed, I wimped.  I decided I really didn’t want to put myself through a workout with a chill factor around zero and only able to do upper body work.  That was a formula for freezing my tookus off…something I really don’t like to do.  I climbed back in the car and drove home to the trainer.

Which wasn’t much better.  I pedaled for 75 minutes and could feel spasms shooting through my right thigh as I rode.  It was just tired and so was I, but I sweated and pushed to complete that hour and a quarter that tended to make me feel good about my efforts.  When the stopwatch reached 75 minutes, I thankfully stopped pedaling and slowly swung my leg from the bike. 

At least I had something to look forward to in leftover chili and a huge smoothie.  I downed it all while slumped in front of the TV and then scooped myself a bowl of Breyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream with Bean Specks.  I added some maple syrup to it because it is one of the four basic food groups…and it makes it taste even better...before returning to my perch in front of the TV.  I’d like to say that I was rejuvenated after all that slothing and eating…but I wasn’t.  Tomorrow, maybe I’d go a little easier.  Maybe.

Bike duration:  75 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1020.

Finally...found a way through

Monday, February 18, 2013
Because it was President’s Day, I was off.  Holly wasn’t and didn’t want to be bothered by me, which would have been hard if I’d stayed home…so I decided to take another road trip for ‘Tour Ohio’ mapping.

I returned to East Palestine and then followed a different route down towards Wellsville hoping the roads I’d checked out on google map would be more appropriate for cycling.  As I approached Irondale, I again ran into the issue that had thwarted me on my last try.  The roads were simply not conducive to road bikes and after spending an hour looking at alternatives and talking to the locals, I was no closer to figuring this portion the course out.  I was sitting in Irondale and looking at CH 55, which looked narrow, steep and pitted, but which also might go in the direction I needed.  I was out of time since I needed to get home with enough daylight to ride the bike to Dan’s and pick up the Honda, so if this failed, I was screwed.  I headed up.

Though it was as I said, it wasn’t so bad that I excluded it.  As I climbed, it got marginally better and when I crested the little mountain and drove north towards the point where my course had dead-ended, I could see this was the solution.  It would take me several miles out of the way, but when you’re planning on riding over 1,000 miles, it’s a pretty insignificant hiccup.  I drove home elated because I now had a decent course that would cover the first 230 miles of my ride and take me to Martin’s Ferry.  John and I would pick it up there in two weeks and try to get it south and west to Cincinnati.

I got home about 4 p.m. and with barely enough time to get to Dan’s in daylight.  It was about forty degrees, which is very manageable, but the wind was blowing strong out of the east…the direction I was headed.  That, and Chardon is all uphill.  I wasn’t unhappy about these conditions since they provided an excellent workout, but I was concerned that it would add 10-15 minutes to the ride and put me in the dark.  I considered shorter courses to his place, but elected to take the long route…and push.

It didn’t matter.  The wind was relentless and probably around 20 mph.  I knew I’d be rolling in at dusk, and did.  My feet were frozen blocks and it took most of the return drive with the heater blowing hard to thaw them out.  The Honda’s brakes were working smoothly again though, and I’d found my Northwest Passage and gotten in a killer ride.  Life was good.

Bike duration:  One hour and 50 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1550.

Too cold for Dakota...

Sunday, February 17, 2013
My nephew joined me for the Survival Workout Sunday morning.  It was extremely cold by northern Ohio standards…probably in the middle teens…but he’s been working out of Duluth, Minnesota where temperatures are routinely WAY below zero.  He was dressed in an outfit I’d wear if it was forty.

“You gonna be warm enough?  I’ve got some extra stuff in the car if you need something,” I offered.

“Well…I probably should have brought warmer gloves, but otherwise I’m okay,” he said.

Dakota, on the other hand, was not okay.  The ice was forming rapidly in her paws and she was limping in the short time it took us to do some push-ups and pull-ups.  As much as I hated to do it to her, I put her in the Honda before we headed down the trail.

“I haven’t done much of anything for two months.  I’ve taken over as Chief of Maintenance on the ship and there’s always something going on,” he said.

Which was his way of saying ‘go easy if you don’t want to kill me.’  Well…he’s young, thin and extremely active.  I wasn’t too worried about hurting him. 

We did some sprinting and high knees before disappearing into the woods to find our first rock station, which was buried in snow.  As I expected, he struggled to try and do everything I did…and then one more.  This is admirable, but can lead to serious puking if you’re out of shape as he said he was.  He stayed with me for the first set of everything, but his endurance wasn’t there and on the second sets, he resigned himself to the fact that his old Uncle was in better shape.  We discussed in earnest the ‘Tour Ohio’ and his commitment to joining me, but if past experience is any indicator, he’ll get called out early to return to the ships…and he’ll go.  We agreed that he’d join me in two days for another workout as we entered our cars.

I tackled putting the bedroom back together that I’d painted last weekend.  Holly had done some fancy art work on one of the walls and with that behind, I could wash the floors and return all the furniture.  It’s not a workout, but its good activity for burning a few more calories and scores huge points with the person that washes my clothes and makes great Sunday dinners.  I gladly work for these things.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

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

Where the buffalo roam...

Saturday, February 16, 2013

After my traditional breakfast of cereal and a banana, I hopped in the Jeep and began my drive to the Youngstown area to pick up the ‘Tour Ohio’ bike course and consider some changes before trying to extend the route to south to Martin’s Ferry on the Ohio River.  As I drove through Warren, the snow returned and I wondered if I’d be missing another day of mapping to foul conditions.  Since snow was not in the forecast, I drove on hoping it would pass.  For the most part, it did.

I’d picked a secondary route south of Poland and while driving south on State Route 170 south, was shocked to round a corner to find a herd of bison grazing in a fenced in field immediately adjacent to the road.  I pulled over to make some notes and take a picture just as John called.

“Dude…where are you?” he asked.

I explained in some detail before he cut in.  “Why didn’t you call me to come?”

“Well…I called yesterday and again this morning, but you don’t answer the damned phone,” I said.

He offered some lame excuse about phone not working…blah…blah…blah…but finished by saying he couldn’t come anyway because of this or that commitment.

“So exactly why are you giving me shit about not calling you then?” I asked while forcing him to commit to joining me in two weeks when I planned on returning for another Saturday of mapping.

I spent the next several hours driving the back roads of between East Palestine and Wellsville.  I’m looking for roads that are ideal for cycling with road bikes, which is to say smooth surfaces, decent shoulders, two-lane, and without raging motorists.  Oh…and with camping, small towns, scenic vistas, grocers, bed and breakfasts, and a bicycle shop thrown in for good measure.  I was not surprised to find that I couldn’t find much of what I wanted.

I was particularly having trouble taking my route from East Liverpool to Martin’s Ferry while staying true to keeping it close to the boundary of the state.  The main road running along the border is State Route 7, which changes from a two-lane to a four-lane expressway below East Liverpool.  There is no other direct route through that area, which is okay if you know the local roads from years of riding them, but I don’t.  I’d google mapped the area ahead and thought I’d had a solution only to find that most of the roads marked ‘Township Highway’ was an indicator that they were more like back country dirt hiking trails suitable only for four-wheel vehicles or mountain bikes.  They were also something a mountain goat would struggle climbing.

I have to admit that the hilliness of this portion of the state surprised me.  Though I’d driven through it before on my way to Wheeling, West Virginia, I’d forgotten.  I’d be coming through this segment on days two and three of my ‘Tour Ohio’ and I needed to consider that I’d likely be traveling a lot slower since I’d be loaded with gear.  I’d need to look for alternative camping sites and give special consideration to bike repairs since there would be little civilization through many miles of riding with poor cell reception as a bonus.  Enlisting a sag wagon might not be the worst idea in the world and something I’d have to revisit as the route planning became firm.  In any event, I did not find an appropriate route through to Martin’s Ferry and knew that I’d have to go home and do more google map research before returning for another look.

On the drive home, Holly called to tell me we had dinner plans with family at Champs.  After ten hours on the road without food, I pulled in the driveway sore and hungry.  After 10 minutes, we were back in the car and heading to the restaurant.  It was a good get together because it included family members I planned to abuse for help during ‘Tour Ohio’.  My brother and brother-in-law were in charge of accompanying me on the kayak portion in either a power or a sail boat so I’d have water support.  My sister would be representing ‘Spirit of America’, the boating safety program she headed that planned to have kids along on the kayak segment.  She was also my liaison to the Coast Guard and the Lake County Metroparks for support.  My nephew would be accompanying me on most, if not all, of the trip depending on his work schedule.  He’s a Maintenance Chief for Great Lakes Shipping and is on a large cargo vessel on the Great Lakes for extended periods of time, but is planning to be with me by scheduling time off.  I ate ribs and fries and we headed from there to East Coast Custard to finish up the consumption of hollow calories.  It was quite a day and it did not include exercise.

Preparing mentally for hours in the saddle...

Friday, February 15, 2013
As the result of a late work meeting, I didn’t arrive home until after dark, excluding my hopes of getting in a short run.  I haven’t run since hurting my calf over two weeks ago except for sprints during the Survival Workout and was anxious to give it a test.  Instead, I was forced to climb aboard the trainer where I pedaled for the next 70 minutes. 

Boring time on the trainer is good conditioning for ‘Tour Ohio’ when I’ll be riding every day between 75-100 miles and spending parts of 12 hours on a bike.  No matter what the beauty of the countryside through which you’re passing, any long distance cyclist will tell you they get bored at times.  I know it from experience so a little extra time on a trainer when I’m not going anywhere or seeing anything prepares me more than just physically.

As I rode, I decided that I’d use all day Saturday to map out the next segment of my ‘Tour Ohio’ course.  I’d tried the previous weekend and been halted by snow and I was beginning to feel like I was running out of time.  I don’t figure to be starting the ‘Tour’ until mid-August, but I need the course in place for all the planning required.  I’d left off along the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio down near East Liverpool and Wellsville, but I’d struggled with a way to get around that area on local roads.  I needed to google map the area before heading down there again to try and find an alternate route.  I finished up the ride, showered and returned to the computer and planned for the next couple of hours before satisfying myself that I’d discovered a good alternative.  I’d need to drive it though, to be absolutely sure.

Bike duration:  70 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1000.

Slackers...time to recommit

Thursday, February 14, 2013

My friend Randy notified me that Valentine’s Day is kind of an official time to notify New Year’s Resolution slackers that they need to get back on the horse.  He makes a good point.  It’s been six weeks since the new year began and if someone was following a program of fitness and had made it this far, they’re probably over the hump.  On the other hand, those struggling may have fallen away for a couple of weeks or…like Randy and me…just have those days, which can turn into two, where we really don’t give a damn and do nothing.  One of his suggestions was to go out and do a run for a loved one.  I suppose that could work for him, but I have to focus on me when it comes to exercise and that means revisiting my goals.  Whenever I do that…and I know what they are since they’re quite specific…I have little trouble getting my ass in gear again.

More than anyone, I don’t want to let ME down.  I want ‘Tour Ohio’ to not only happen, I want it to become something special that motivates many people to get out and try something new.  I really can’t make that happen if I slack.  There is so much to do both in my personal training and in the planning so that it happens with an impact.  With that in mind, I’ve decided to take another road trip on Saturday to lay out the next section.

I watched what I thought was a really interesting movie last night.  Denzel Washington stars in the movie ‘Flight’ which tells the story of a hero pilot who saves the lives of almost all passengers on board when he crash lands his stricken plane in an empty field.  He is recognized as a hero for doing what it is felt no other pilot could have done, but what very few people know is that he was high on drugs and alcohol at the time.  The rest of the movie is Denzel wrestling with his demons as he struggles with his conscience and his dependency.  It is powerful for those of us who have had loved ones facing these struggles and I applaud Denzel for his incredible acting talent. 

I threw some new moves I’d checked out on ‘he ‘Real Age’ web feed I receive daily from the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Oz.  He’d had trainers on his show from ‘The Biggest Loser’ and they were demonstrating some exercises, which I thought, looked interesting.  I didn’t like the suggestion that someone could get and stay in shape doing something for 9 minutes a day…sometimes I think it’s better to just be honest and say how long it will take.  I don’t believe in saying what people want to hear just so they’ll work out.  I think it does a disservice because in the end they’ll find out and then lose faith in the ones who directed them.

Anyway, I added a couple of exercises and pushed the workout to 26 sets.  I was played in the end and felt great.  I’d had to baby the sore groin somewhat, but managed to loosen it up and work around it as I went.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm.

Calories burned:  600

Running Brave...

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I headed for my car believing that I was going on a bike ride.  As I walked out into the parking lot, I was surprised at just how cold it seemed.  When I arrived home, I immediately checked the temperature.  It was 31 degrees, which is about 5 degrees colder than I’ve ever ridden any distance in before…and a little too cold for my consideration.

It was not, on the other hand, too cold for Dakota to help me explore the park for deer antlers.  It’s a little early to begin that search…they’re more likely to be dropping later this month and into March, but it would get us off-trail and on a long hike, which we both needed.  I spent the next 90 minutes doing the marsh loop without antler success, but providing a great workout for Dakota who couldn’t pass up any opportunity to grab and wrestle with a stick.  I tossed them repeatedly down steep embankments, which she gladly descended to retrieve them for another toss.  The workout she did on those hill sprints would have killed me.

I was feeling some rather severe groin pain as I climbed; a result of yesterday’s monster Survival Workout, which included extra sprints.  I could tell it was something that would nag me for a couple of days, but was not that serious.  When I got home, Holly told me she was sick and not feeling up to making dinner, so I prepared my specialty scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms, and onions dish for us both.  She headed up to bed and I plugged in the movie ‘Running Brave’ that I’d just received from Amazon.  It is the story of American distance runner Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Tribe, and the only American ever to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the 10,000 meter race.  Many consider it the biggest upset in track history as this unknown runner beat the world record holder and heavy favorite, Ron Clarke of Austrailia, by running 40 seconds faster than he ever had before.  Though the story is poorly scripted and acted, his legacy is immense.  Wikipedia says that he serves as the spokesperson for Running Strong for American Indian Youth,^[9] an organization that helps support projects that benefit the American Indian people, especially the youth.

Hike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  525.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013
It was ‘Fat Tuesday’ and Holly’s dad had invited us to his church for a pancake dinner at six.  I was running low on time and felt the need to do something before we left since I was unlikely to do it later.  I hopped on the trainer and managed a 30-minute, very sweaty ride before having to break it off for my shower.

I got in the line to get my pancakes and when I reached the server, he struggled to try and separate pancake two from pancake three before putting them on my plate.  He had about 30 more and there was only one person behind me.

“Look…don’t sweat it.  I assure you I can eat three pancakes,” I said.  He stopped struggling, smiled and gave me all three.  I ate those with a couple of sausages before returning for the same drill.  On my third visit, he simply gave me everything he had to keep me from returning.  Why not?  They’d made plenty and the old folks were eating like sparrows, which meant the cakes would be going to waste.  I only regret that I hadn’t thought to bring some real maple syrup.  If I had, I’d have taken the entire pan back and entertained the entire congregation.

I was noticing some soreness in my legs and core from the workout yesterday.  I haven’t had workout soreness since the last time I climbed in the Adirondacks and it felt great.  Muscle soreness from heavy exertion or from changing up the routine is good soreness and I welcome it.  It reaffirms that I pushed myself, though there was little room for doubt at the conclusion of yesterday’s workout.  No matter how good my conditioning before heading for the Adirondacks, I typically come down from a day on the peaks fatigued and sore in all the climbing muscles.  Nothing simulates it and it’s to be expected.  I’m sure that regardless of the training I perform leading up to ‘Tour Ohio’, I’m going to be sore for most of that adventure.  Good sore…but sore.

Bike duration:  30 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  425.

Best Survival Workout ever...

Monday, February 11, 2013
I arrived at the park chilled to the bone.  I’d been working all day in an office heated to maybe 50 degrees.  I changed quickly so I could get into the workout and generate some body heat.  I started with the inverted push-ups, but managed only 85.  Since hitting 101, I haven’t even come close again.  That’s okay, because it’s inspired me to push beyond…to 125…before I give it up.  I did some pull-ups, dips, and crunches before sprinting across the rugby field and into the woods beyond. 

I continued to add things as I went along, reaching the cabins at a jog and with heaving sides.  As I was laying on my back doing some more core exercises, I noticed a very large, young red-tail hawk swoop in and alight on a pine tree nearby.  He watched me for a moment before continuing his scan of the ground below for any movement.  Mice and chipmunks beware.  I went and grabbed a rock for some overhead presses, followed by another set of dips and push-ups before leaving the area.  I needed to pass directly under the tree he’d chosen as a perch and was surprised that he didn’t fly off as I approached.  I’d never been so close to one before and he was huge.  If only I’d had the camera, but I’ve certainly got a strong mental image.  As I walked past, he swiveled his head to watch me, but never left.  I just love my workout surroundings.

I finished the workout with a record 25 sets in less than 60 minutes.  I was trembling from my eyebrows to my toes…and it felt great.

I arrived back home with enough daylight to clean dog poops, covered in snow for two weeks, from the yard.  Holly warmed up leftover dumplings, but I passed and ate only the chicken with a smoothie.  ‘A’ for effort on this day.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

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

Practicing the maneuverability...

Sunday, February 10, 2013

I had a lot on my plate.  I was trying to finish painting Jack’s old bed room, leaving enough time for a long ride.  The temperatures were in the forties and though it was windy, would be a perfect winter riding day.  It was approaching 2 p.m. and I needed to get the ride in before dinner at 5:30.  Then Jack walked in.

“Could we practice the maneuverability like you said we could?” he asked.

He was looking to get his driver’s license soon and needed to practice the maneuverability portion.  He had to throw in that ‘like you said we could’ stuff as if I don’t honor my commitments even when I have a golden opportunity to ride my bike outside.

“You thought I was serious when I said that?”  C’mon Jack…I’ve been painting for hours and now I’ve got a chance to ride,” I whined.

“Okay…we can do it later,” he said with disappointment in his voice.

He left the room and I thought about what a schmuck I was being.  I went down to the garage and loaded five trash cans and buckets into the van and went back and grabbed him.

“Let’s do this thing.  Do you have the measurements for the placement of the cones that we’ll need?” I asked.

“Really?  You have time?”

“I said I’d do it and I almost sometimes do what I say,” I replied.

We were practicing with the minivan.  He figured if he could do it with the biggest vehicle, he could do it with any vehicle.  And he did pretty well.  On about 20 attempts, he only clipped the pails four times.  For a first time out, that was rather impressive.  It takes a few times through to figure out what approach you’re going to take…leaning on the mirrors, using the windows or a combination of the two.  I did it myself a couple of times to see if I could offer some advice that would help him.  I did…and I told him…but as so much advice that came my way from my parents when I was his age, he half-listened. 

“Can I take the test this week?” he asked as we drove home.

“I’m thinking you might want to come back a couple of more times and make sure you can nail it.  You’ve got until the end of March before your temps expire and you don’t want to have to take it twice,” I said.

Once back home, I quickly changed into my riding gear.  I had just enough time to get in a 2-hour ride though I was struggling with what to wear.  I decided to go with my riding gloves and no hat, but put back-ups in the pockets of my riding shirt.  I wore tights though I didn’t think I’d need them.

Riding with the new cassette took some getting used to.  I pretty much know what gear I’m going to ride on a familiar course from experience, but the new cassette changes all that.  I’d increased my available gears from 14 to 18 and they offered more range for better climbing.  Since there were more gears, there was less difference between them so I found myself in the wrong gear on a couple of occasions as I was climbing hills.  In combination with a strong wind, I found myself going slower than usual, but loving the smoothness of the rehabbed UB Express.

I’d thought I’d have plenty of daylight and I would have if it had been sunny, but with overcast skies, car lights were coming on during the last 30 minutes of my ride…an indicator that I’m out too long.  I rode into the park to climb up ‘road closed’, but found it covered in ice and snow at about the halfway point.  I was forced to reverse my course and take a different, longer route home and it was then that I realized my fingers and toes were getting too cold.  I pulled off the cycling gloves and threw on my isotoners for the final 20 minutes of the ride.

Holly was preparing chicken and dumplings for dinner, so I put together a smoothie to help me combat the urge to overeat those delicious, fatty calories.  It worked as I stuck to a single helping and skipped dessert.  As calorie burning/fitness days go, it was a good one.

Bike duration:  Two hours and 5 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1775.

Sticker shock on bike repairs...

Saturday, February 9, 2013
I dropped by Performance Bikes to check on the repairs being done on UB Express.  I was hoping to find it was done…and it was.  The clerk slid the final invoice across the desk to me, which I found quite shocking.

“Umm…I was told over the phone that it would come in around $150.  This says $325,” I said.  I was also noticing that my pedals were missing and that there was no tire on the rear rim.

“Well…about the tire, it says the ‘customer will replace’ and that the pedals are worn and dangerous,” he said.

“Yeah…I did say I was going to buy a tire and put it on, but I didn’t say take the old one off.  There was a new tube with that tire, too.  Could you grab it at least?” I said, studying the invoice.

I had spoken to Brad about replacing the rear cassette and I can see where he’d done that.  Unfortunately, he’d not added that into his phone estimate, which accounted for most of the difference in the charges.  It wasn’t that I didn’t want the work done or that I thought it was an unreasonable price, but once I bought a couple of tires, I’d be spending close to $400 and I’d told Holly a LOT less.  We agreed that they’d throw in a new tube since they couldn’t find mine and that they’d mount the tire and tube at no extra charge. 

“What are you going to do about those pedals?” he asked.

“Good question.  Kind of surprised he decided to take them off without asking me about it since riding will prove to be difficult.  I know Look pedals start around $100, which is more than I want to spend after all the other stuff,” I said.

And I knew I had my Trek 2000 hanging in the garage at home with perfectly good pedals I could transfer.  I paid and took UB home with that intention.

Once home, I quickly went to trying to remove the pedals from the Trek…only they weren’t coming off and I was getting frustrated.  I needed to work out still and I had to get the bike ready to ride tomorrow.  I threw UB back in the van along with the Trek and drove back to Performance for them to make the pedal transfer…which they did gladly.

I made it to the park shortly before dark with the intention of trying to incorporate back some lower body work since my calf has felt normal for several days.  I started with a couple of sprints across the snow-covered field, which felt pretty good.  I continued with some karaoke runs up an ice-covered bridle path and my sides were heaving when I reached the top.  I continued the workout with a goal of making it the toughest I’d done in some time and accomplished it by doing over 24 different sets before returning to the car pumped, but exhausted.

I spent the rest of the evening feeling the effects of the workout.  I like that dead feeling in my legs I get when climbing stairs because it’s simply affirming that I did a killer workout.  If the weather cooperated, I’d be going on a long ride tomorrow and would likely pay a price for my aggressive behavior today.  

Survival Workout:  60 minutes

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

Shopping bad at BJ's...

Friday, February 8, 2013
I arrived at the park to change into my workout clothes as the wind was picking up and a cold, wet snow was flying.  Normally, I’d embrace this weather, but my office was cold all day and I was partially frozen and not looking forward to working out in cold slop.  I climbed back in my car and drove home to put in time on the trainer instead.  I managed to get through a couple of more episodes of the ‘West Wing’ before deciding I’d dropped enough sweat.  I showered and drove to meet Holly at BJ’s.

I have to admit that the frozen dinner section at BJ’s really appeals to me.  I’m a convenience kind of guy and I know that I can come home, throw something in a toaster oven and by the time I’ve showered, it’ll be ready to eat.  I also know its likely going to have more of something I shouldn’t eat than fresh food.  Holly will be traveling again soon though, so I grabbed some chicken pot pies and put them in the cart.  When Holly saw them, she decided our dinner plans had been made.  I picked up some other junk that I’ll not mention unless I break down and eat it at some point.  Mostly, it’s for Jack, but I may be tempted in the weeks to come.

I made a smoothie to go with the chicken pot pies, which were delicious and fattening.  I felt bad about not doing the Survival Workout before riding the trainer…if I had, I wouldn’t have felt nearly as guilty about the dinner.  Well…there’s a break expected in the weather for Sunday and if so, I’ll ride long on a refurbished UB Express.

Bike duration:  75 minutes.

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