Home sick...sort of.

Monday, April 29, 2013

I’ve been struggling with a cold over the past couple of days and after spending most of the day coughing and sneezing in the office, decided to go home and hit the sack.  This lasted a couple of hours, but the dandelions in the yards were mocking me, so I hooked up the weed killer to the hose and sprayed the entire yard.  Holly scolded me and called me in for some hot soup, but when I’d finished, I returned to put the hose away only to realize that I hadn’t made the right adjustment to release the chemical and was only watering the weeds.  I did it right the second time, but was feeling even worse by the time I finished. 

I stayed up to watch ‘Django Unchained’, a rather gory Quentin Tarantino movie about bounty hunting and slavery.  It really was a good story though it would have been even better without the gore, in my opinion.  I’m hoping the day off will have me feeling ready tomorrow.  The forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the seventies for the rest of the week, and that means biking time.

Trouble with the run...

Sunday, April 28, 2013

It was another rainy day, so I elected to head back to the park for a run.  It had only been three days since my last run, which is the closest I’ve put runs in quite some time, so I had concerns about hurting something though I didn’t know what.

By ten minutes in, I was feeling great and wondering if running wasn’t going to fit back into my routine.  What I wasn’t thinking clearly about is that normally I need to build back time and miles slowly and I wasn’t doing that.  I’d run 35 minutes on Thursday and should probably be going only 20 today…but I was aiming at 35 again.  I began to feel twinges in my left calf around 20 minutes and stopped to stretch it out before continuing the run.  By 26 minutes I was through.  The pain was severe and I’d be laying off for a week most likely.

Why can’t I learn?  My training has been less than adequate, but I return to it like I’ve been going hard every day.  I know better, but refuse to learn.  Well…definition of insanity…doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. 

I watched ‘Trouble with the Curve’ with my father-in-law and he loved it.  He said it was the best movie he’s seen in a long time.  I think he related well to the 82-year old Clint Eastwood using experience and years on hands-on knowledge to do a job.  He has lots of spunk in the movie and it’s a great story.  Baseball is the backdrop only and I think anyone would enjoy it.

Run duration:  26 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.
Calories burned:  450.

Biking and yard work...

Saturday, April 27, 2013

I began Saturday morning as I usually do; in Mimi’s kitchen with a good cup of coffee and some world-changing conversation before heading out into the yard to try and make a dent in the endless work out there.  I spent the next six hours putting an edge around her trees and gardens, hauling debris, scraping and painting the back porch floor and an outdoor table with a rusty, metal base.  I was planning on going home to do more of the same, but instead collapsed on the bench in front of our fire pit and talked to Holly for an hour.  It was a perfect afternoon for a bike ride, but I think I was trying to kill time so that I wouldn’t be able to go.  Then the guilt kicked in and I went in the house and suited up.

My previous ride had been a cramping disaster though that had been more about the distance than anything else.  I left the driveway thinking ‘two hours’ and stuck to that plan.  Only towards the end of the ride when I knew I wouldn’t be experiencing cramps did I try to push harder.  I finished the ride in a little over two hours, but feeling like I was getting stronger for long, hot summer rides.

And then I actually did do some of my own yard work before heading inside. 

Yard work duration:  6 hours.  Bike duration:  2 hours and 5 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  1500 for yard work and 1750 on the bike.

Jack's got a new job...

Friday, April 26, 2013

Jackie is going through the same thing his dad and older brother did as he approaches the end of his high school career…what am I  going to do now?

I went to Cleveland State and started taking History courses because I liked it so much in high school.  Career?  We don’t need no stinking career.  I never knew where I was going or what I was doing with it and I had no help from an advisor in high school or college.  Jason took a semester at Cuyahoga Community College when he graduated, but college was not destined to be his thing and he now has a fine career with the City of Beachwood.

Jack is unsure what his next move should be.  He knows he wants to go to college, but is uncertain about what to pursue.  He’s been working for the past two years in a pizza shop, learning that he doesn’t want to work in a pizza shop…and little else.  He’s a very dedicated worker though; I don’t think he’s missed five minutes in those two years.  I told him I’d check with my former employer, Libra Industries, and see if they’d be willing to put him on for the summer to see how he liked manufacturing.

“Do you think they’d hire me?” he asked.

“Savannah worked there and they loved her.  I’ll put in a good word because I know you won’t disappoint me.  We’ll see what happens,” I said.

We reworked his resume and sent it off.  Two days later, he had an interview scheduled for today.  I drove him there and he went in and nailed the interview and will be working there as soon as school lets out.

I spoke to the owner, and old high school chum, discussing the lack of training for kids coming out of high school for manufacturing jobs.  He has organized other manufacturers and they are sponsoring different high schools, working with the student body to create robots for a end-of-year fight off competition.  The students work with the sponsoring manufacturer, having a chance to work with engineers in the design phase through prototype and final product.  The goal?  Get kids excited about manufacturing again.  I don’t care if Jackie goes into manufacturing, I just want him to experience different things and find out, at least, what he doesn’t like.

I went to the park afterwards and pushed hard through a 23-station Survival Workout.  It left my arms shaking as I climbed back into the car; a feeling I really enjoy because I know I did what I was supposed to do…bust my own ass.  Tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be perfect, sunny and in the sixties, and I’m hoping to put in some long hours at Mimi’s before hopping on the bike for a decent ride.  I need to get the legs working again.  I don’t want anymore repeats of that last cramping ride.  I plan to experiment with a supplement in one of my water bottles to try and replace the electrolytes I lose so quickly when I’m breaking sweat records.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm.

Calories burned:  600.

Hail stones cripple unprepared runner...

Thursday, April 25, 2013

I don’t think I’m jinxed or anything, but let me tell you how my run went.

I started by heading for my car from work.  It had been raining off and on throughout the afternoon, but at the particular moment I headed out the door, it started coming down like I’d just loaded two of every kind of animal in the world on a big, wooden boat.  It continued to pour as I drove towards the park where I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about the run I’d been planning.  As I got closer though, the downpour became a drizzle and by the time I changed my clothes and drove to the trailhead, the sun was actually shining.

I took it as a good omen and began my run on a trail that was now more mud than dirt.  I’d reached about the mid-point in what I’d planned to be a 30-minute run when the rain started again.  At first, it was just a teaser, but then it got serious again and the temperature, which had been in the middle forties when I’d started was dropping rapidly.  When something sharp and icy cold whacked me on the top of my bald head, I began to wish I was back in my car.  I’ve been in hailstorms before, but this one was becoming a doozy.  I continued on…what choice did I have…being painfully pelted on my bare, freezing arms as I ran.  My shirt was soaked through and since I was wearing only a short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts, I was cooling off quickly.  If I’d been in the Adirondacks dressed so foolishly, someone would be telling me that ‘cotton kills’ and I’d be worried about hypothermia.  I was within 10 minutes of my car though, and figured I could handle about any discomfort for that period of time.

I was wrong, of course. 

I made it to the car whining like a little girl as I stripped out of my freezing wet clothes and into a long-sleeved, dry t-shirt over which I pulled a jersey.  I came prepared…provided I never left the car.  As I placed a towel on the front seat to absorb some of my wetness, the hail suddenly stopped and, miraculously, the sun reappeared.  I climbed in the car and stared up in wonder.

I’m not complaining about the weather or whining about my misfortune with it, though it might sound that way.  I’m simply pointing out that again, I’m a bad weather magnet and that anyone who is considering ever doing any kind of workout with me should take this into consideration when planning their workout apparel.  That’s all.

Run duration:  35 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.

Calories burned:  625.

The funeral...

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Today was all about family and honoring Holly’s mom.  We met at the church early and had a reception hour before going in for the service.  I was honored to give the eulogy and hope that I did justice to my mother-in-law.  She had specifically requested that I do the eulogy in the notes she left outlining her service preferences.  When I returned to the pew after delivering it, Jack leaned into me and told me I had done a good job.

“Were you nervous up there?” he whispered.

“Yeah, I was.  I wanted it to be special,” I said.

“Well you sure didn’t seem nervous.  I don’t think I could ever do that,” he said.

“I couldn’t have done it when I was 18, either.  But someday I’m hoping you’ll get up there and say some really nice things about me.  Like in a really long time, though,” I said.

We had food afterwards and I ate a sandwich and salad.  That night, John stopped over and I heated up more of the lasagna stuff we’d had the other night.  He brought a half-eaten tray of cookies from Heinen’s that should have been intact.  We worked on those for awhile after dinner with Holly’s dad and just sat around and talked about things that made us happy for a couple of hours.

I was spent by the day’s end.  No amount of exercise exhausts me like the emotional wringer I’d gone through that day.  I probably would have benefited from a good workout, but I’ve got the rest of my life for that.  

A long, painful ride...

Tuesday, April 23, 2013
I left work a little early so I’d have time to work on things for the funeral service.  I also wanted to get in a ride since I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be doing much the next day…except eating.

It was a perfect riding day; sunny and in the sixties.  I decided I’d try to do something approaching my birthday ride, which would mean 58 miles.  I haven’t ridden consistently in weeks, so this really wasn’t a good idea, but when have I ever let that stop me?  I filled both my water bottles to the brim and set off.

After an hour of hard riding, I found myself climbing a long, steep hill towards All Souls Cemetery on Chardon Road.  It’s a good stopping point to refill water bottles on a hot day, and this was qualifying.  I was concerned about muscle spasms in my quads; something I seem to experience on long rides when I’m out of shape and it’s hot…both conditions were present.

I could feel twinges in my quads around the forty-mile mark and began backing off my speed.  While climbing a hill shortly after, both quads went into painful spasms.  I sat down, shifted into my easiest gear and rode with the knowledge that the last 10 miles would be painful, at best.  Though I proceeded slowly, I finally finished the ride.  It was not pretty, but I’d spent close to four hours in the saddle and burned many of the crappy calories I’d consumed over the past several days. 

I ate a lasagna-like dinner and retired to my office where I worked for the next several hours trying to make the eulogy I would give for my mother-in-law something that would have made her happy.  Though I cherish the honor of speaking on a loved one’s behalf at their funeral service, it is quite nerve-wracking because I really want it to be something special.  I think this one will be, but if it’s not, everyone will know that my intentions were honorable.

Bike duration:  Three hours and 45 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  3150.

Squatting Savannah...

Monday, April 22, 2013

Jack has been working out consistently for close to a year now and what a difference.  He has probably put on 40 pounds of muscle in that time and his confidence and self-image has increased proportionately.  He seems to like to pick people up now and his sister, home from Ohio State for her grandmother’s funeral, was his latest victim.

“Jack…be careful!  Don’t drop me,” Savannah called from the stairway. 

I looked up from the family room to see Jack carrying her down the stairs while pretending he was going to drop her to the landing below.  He carried like she weighed no more than a laundry basket and about as carelessly.  When he reached the kitchen, he put her on her feet only to scoop her up again in a fireman’s carry over his shoulders.

“Dad…look at my new squat workout,” he said as he performed deep squats with her dangling on his shoulders.  He did this about 15 times, then held her as I ran to get the camera.

“Hurry up dad, I’m starting to get tired,” he called as I returned.  Savannah was still laughing as he performed two more reps for the photo op before finally setting her down.

I’ve done some fireman’s carries with workout partners during the Survival Workout and know the value of having a moving, wiggling weight on your shoulders as you try to walk.  The core muscles have to come into play to maintain balance while the large muscles of the lower body bear the weight.  Jack said it was the best set of squats he’d ever done even though he used much more weight at the gym.

“Those weights don’t move,” he acknowledged, though I don’t think Savannah was willing to become he regular workout partner.

I went through a rigorous Survival Workout earlier in the day and for the first time in awhile, seem to be almost pain-free.  I know my routine over the next two days will be unusual as we prepare for the funeral, so I will just have to adapt and see what I can fit in.  I know I’ll be eating poorly as food continues to pour in.  I can’t let it go to waste and I can work it off later.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.

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

Another eagle sighting...

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Since Holly’s mom died this past Thursday, we have received generous gifts of food from friends.  One such container was the size of a large pumpkin and filled with salad.  Not many of the Rolf’s are salad eaters, so I figured it was up to me to put a dent in this massive amount of rabbit food.  So when I got up and went out to get the morning paper to read with my cereal, I decided that I’d read it with my morning salad instead. When I told Savannah later how I’d done that, she was quite appalled.

“Yuk…dad…that’ just not RIGHT!  In fact, it’s really gross!” she said.

But it really wasn’t.  The problem with good salads is they’re way harder to make than pouring some cereal in a bowl and covering it in milk.  I think I’d eat salads all the time if someone else would take the time to mix them, keep them fresh and always have them ready for me to eat.  The last time I checked, that someone didn’t exist at 1002 Millridge.

It was supposed to have been the weekend for my birthday triathlon, but things happen to change those plans…and they had.  Still, Heidi was home and she’d mentioned doing a kayak with me.  It was almost idea weather with blue skies overhead and temperatures in the fifties.  I was anxious to go but when I brought it up with her, she demurred.  I know she’s going through so much with the loss of her grandmother and I didn’t push it, but I still wanted to go and loaded the kayak on the Jeep.  I went inside to grab the keys…and found they weren’t on the key rack where I’d told Jack to put them the last time I couldn’t find them.  He was at the store with friends shopping for prom outfits, but hadn’t taken his cell phone.  I was ready to kill him.

I went out and unloaded the kayak and racks from his Jeep and moved them over to Savannah’s.  She’d gone out with her mom to do some shopping and when I went to get the keys for her Jeep after spending 20 minutes transferring the kayak, was none too pleased when I couldn’t find them, either.  In the meantime, Jack called to tell me the keys to his Jeep were in the laundry room.

“Umm…and reason you’d store them there?  I mean other than because you really want to piss me off, that is,” I asked.

He didn’t have much of an answer, but when I found Savannah’s on the floor in the family room, I went with the Jeep that was loaded.  I arrived at East Branch Reservoir and quickly got the kayak in the water.  I pushed off from shore with binoculars and my camera dangling from my neck.  I was determined to spot my eagles.

I paddled past the nest, but saw no indications that it was occupied.  I continued north along the shore and followed another large bird as it headed for an alcove to determine the species when I got it in my head to turn around and check the nest with my binoculars.  When I did, I saw one of the pair perched high in the tree about twenty feet above the nest.  I quickly returned and took some pictures from a safe distance before paddling away and to the end of the reservoir.  Along the way, I passed a fellow kayaker with a dog in the bow of his boat.  He had an open cockpit to allow this; I could never do the same with Dakota because mine was closed though I doubt she would enjoy such a trip since water is not really her friend.

I fought with the wind on my return trip.  It was attempting to turn my 17’ craft and I was paddling without the rudder in the water.  The rudder, of course, is specifically designed to help keep a craft straight when working in windy conditions, but I always considered it cheating…like training wheels…and figured I should be able to correct the craft with strong strokes.  I could and it was a better workout, so I wasn’t complaining but I was having trouble staying close to the shore with the nest.  As I approached, I noticed the male was on a branch just over the water and in a perfect place to have his picture taken.  He obliged me with wonderful photo opportunities and I finished the trip thrilled that I’d come.  I suppose I may someday get bored with these magnificent creatures, but don’t believe it will be anytime soon.

Kayak duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  650.

Horrible service at Burgers-n-Beer...

Saturday, April 20, 2013
I went to Mimi’s in the morning, driving through a flash snowstorm…in late April.  One year ago, I’d ridden hundreds of miles by this date since the weather had been more summer-like for most of March and April.  I was falling behind on getting things ready at her house though, so I drove on. 

Six hour later, I was back home having passed up a workout in the park to do some of the same yard work I’d done for Mimi for myself.  Two hours later, I was really beginning to feel the effects of having worked outside most of the day.  I went in to shower so that we could join my sister and brother-in-law for his birthday celebration at Burgers-n-Beer in downtown Willoughby.

Downtown Willoughby is now the ‘in’ place for going out on a Saturday night.  Growing up in this small community, I’d have never guessed it would end up as such.  We had reservations for 7:30, but it took another 20 minutes to finally get seated.  And that’s when the wheels came off.  I’ve spent a decent portion of my working life in the food and customer service industry and I know bad service when I see it.  What we received that night was the worst I’ve ever had.  What astounded me was that, with the restaurant in total disarray, the owner of the establishment was sitting calmly at a table with another couple, oblivious to what was happening around him.  It took us 10 minutes to be acknowledged by our waitress, 20 minutes to get some water, a coke and a beer (8 people) and an explanation that we couldn’t have a drink and water because there weren’t enough clean glasses.  It was 20 more minutes before our food order was taken (why she didn’t do it when she dropped of the drinks is a mystery) and 45-50 before our burgers and fries were served.  The fries had obviously come up first and had been sitting; they were cold and inedible and I sent them back.  It got worse from there and I won’t go into all the details, but I finally railed when, after waiting another 20 minutes to get a check, found an automatic 20% tip added to the bill.  I told the waitress and later the owner I’d never poorer or slower service and I wouldn’t pay a tip for that.  I did tell him I’d eaten the food and would pay for it, regardless. 

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

“Nothing really.  I must tell you though, you should have tried and I’ll never be back…it was that bad,” I said.

So…no formal exercise but plenty of activity.  Heidi will be home tomorrow and she said she’d like to go kayaking, which works for me.  I’ve been anxious to get out and check the next for eaglets and the weather forecast is good.

Yard work duration:  Six hours.

Calories burned during work: 1500.

"42"

Friday, April 19, 2013

When someone close dies in my family, as with most folks I suppose, normal routines get tossed out the window.  I headed into work in the morning because I had appointments that would be difficult to cancel on short notice, but finished up and made myself available to my family after that.  Savannah was home and would be through the funeral and she had wanted to take me to the new Jackie Robinson movie, ‘42’, for my birthday, so we decided to hit the afternoon matinee.

I have put few public figures on pedestals in my lifetime, but along with Abraham Lincoln, no one rises higher than Jackie Robinson in my estimation.  It was for this reason that my son Jackson goes by the name ‘Jackie’.  I have always admired him for the adversity he faced and the dignity with which he did it.  He suffered terribly but nobly because he knew what he was doing was bigger than him and he had to stay the course.  The movie does a wonderful job of portraying this, and the actor was spectacular in the role.  I highly recommend the movie to people who need role models or want to understand the nature of a true American hero.

We left the theatre and went to Michael’s to find the things we would need to create story boards for my mother-in-law’s funeral service.  Holly had asked me if I would be willing to do the eulogy and I said that I’d do anything she wanted, but when she called to tell me that her mom had written into her funeral request papers that she wanted me to do the eulogy for her, tears sprang to my eyes and I became too choked up to speak.  Though I have done many eulogies, it seems to be my specialty, this was the first time anyone had ever actually requested it themselves…and in writing.  It truly humbled me and I hope I will not disappoint her and her loved ones.

I never even tried to get in a workout.  I could have and would have if Savannah had wanted to head to the park, but it never panned out.  I suspect the next several days will be a struggle, but some things trump working out.

Rest in peace, mom.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Holly and I were in Middlefield at an Amish store when she received the call about her mom.  Hospice had notified her dad that she had taken a turn for the worst overnight and that she may die later that evening, but surely in the next two days.  Tears sprung to her eyes.  The day had finally come.

Holly’s mom had been suffering with Alzheimer’s for several years, but had been slipping down much more quickly since entering the nursing home this past September.  No one who cared about her wanted her to go on this way and we had been praying for a quick and painless ending.  When we arrived at the home to find her taking labored breaths, we knew it probably wouldn’t be two days.  We spent the next two hours there with her, but observing no change.  Holly had a turkey in the refrigerator at home for my birthday dinner.  The girls were on their way home…they were going to surprise me for my birthday…and Holly wanted to make the 10-minute drive to put the turkey in the oven.  We left her father and brother with her mom and went home.

We returned to the nursing home two hours later only to find that she had died 5 minutes earlier.  Holly’s brother said she just stopped breathing and went quite peacefully on her final journey. 

Holly’s mom had had a powerful influence on my life in many different ways.  First, she had destroyed the image of the invasive, obnoxious mother-in-law.  We had always gotten along so well and she had never made me feel like anything but another son.  Second, she had been a wonderful, caring mother and wife and had passed all these qualities on to her daughter.  I had benefited from that example for close to forty years.  Finally, there was her goodness, honesty, loyalty and spirituality; things I had observed and of which I’d been the beneficiary.  I would like to think that I had also incorporated a measure of these qualities into my own life because of her influence.  She was an example for how to live a life and I had been fortunate to witness it first-hand.

I did not exercise.  When we returned from the nursing home with Holly’s dad, brother and all the kids. Holly went into super mom mode, as she often has throughout my life with her.  She put the finishing touches on an amazing turkey dinner with many of the trimmings while the kids, her brother, father and I shared stories and comforted one another for the loss we’d experienced.  She did all that she could to make my birthday special when her mom had just died. It was classic Holly…putting the need of others in front of her own...the mirror of her mentor and mother, Irene Heckler, a very special and loving woman I will never forget.

Another special 'Jack' moment...

Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Tomorrow is my birthday and I was thinking about my triathlon as I headed for the park.  I wanted to do something, but I didn’t want to do so much that I’d be tired for a maximum effort the next day.  I didn’t think I could do hard rides back-to-back right now, so I decided a short run was in order.  I entered the woods on my favorite trail planning on an easy 20-25 minute jog.  And then I started feeling good.

I knew I wasn’t going fast, but all systems seem to think running longer was a good idea.  I was around 33 minutes when I reached the car, but passed it by.  At 36 minutes I was back, but figured why not 40?  I reached that level still feeling good and stopped.  It did get me to thinking that I might have been able to do 58 minutes of running for the triathlon, but that really would have been pushing it.  I needed to be satisfied with the effort and use tomorrow for riding, kayaking and a good Survival Workout.

As I drove home, I received a call from Holly telling me that Jack was locked out of the house because he didn’t have a key and the electricity was out.  He normally came through the garage, but of course the door wouldn’t go up.

“I’ve got a key on my key ring, but it might be to Mimi’s house,” I said.

“Great.  I keep telling you two to carry a house key and now neither of you can get in,” she said.

She was right, of course.  Still, I wasn’t too worried.  Either we’d find a window to climb through or the electricity would come back on.  If neither happened, we’d wait until she came home because she did carry a house key with her, responsible person that she was.  I pulled in the driveway and hit my garage door opener.  The door lifted and so it was a moot point.

I went into the house calling Jack’s name.  I could hear him tramping around upstairs, but he didn’t answer, nor did Dakota come to greet me.  I went up the stairs and found her still in her cage, though I could hear Jack in his room.

“Jack…why didn’t you let Dakota out?” I called loudly, but received no response. 

Then it dawned on me.  I walked into his bedroom and went to the window that led to the roof over the family room.  He was standing on it and when he saw me, smiled, and came over to the window, which was open a crack.

“Hey dad…I’m pretty sure I can get the window open and knock out the screen to get us in,” he said through the opening.

“There’s that…or you could just climb off the roof and come in through the door like I did,” I said.

He looked at me with one of those puzzled ‘Jack’ expressions and then understanding washed over his features.  “Yeah…heh, heh…you’re already inside.”

I really love this kid, but I’m not so sure I should continue to give him the keys to the car and let him out into the world completely unsupervised.

Run duration:  40 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.
Calories burned:  700.

Reaching new heights with the help of a positive attitude...

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I returned to the park to do a Survival Workout, but left a weakened Dakota at home.  It had been three days since my last one, but for some reason I knew it was going to go well.  I tend to rise and fall in my attitude regarding exercise, as everyone does, and know that this attitude has a large impact on performance.  I hooked my feet on the rail of the gate on the side of the road and began doing my push-ups. 

Sixty seconds later I was approaching 90 and wondering if I could break my pr.  When I passed 100 with something still in the tank, I was ecstatic.  I pushed through to 105 before doing a nose dive into the mud, but I’d broken my previous record by 4 and now knew nothing else would matter that day.  I smiled as I moved down the field to my next station, picking up six golf balls as I went.  I was tired from the initial effort with the push-ups, but kept pushing myself.  I knew my 4-set record for push-ups was 310 and that gave me something else to shoot for that day.  When I reached my final set needing another 70 push-ups for the record and feeling the exhaustion from having done 20 sets of exercises already, I didn’t really think I could make it.  As I approached 60, I knew it was within reach and was very satisfied as I past 70, finally collapsing at 75 and a new 4-set total of 315.

The birthday is two days away and there is no triathlon on the horizon.  I’m hoping to spend some quality time with Holly in the morning and maybe take a 58-mile bike ride and do some kayaking and a Survival Workout in the afternoon.  Running has been shelved for now…my body is telling me it’s not on the agenda. 

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.

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

Baseball night with the guys...

Monday, April 15, 2013

Road running’s greatest spotlight, the Boston Marathon, was used by someone as an opportunity to terrorize.  No one yet knows the specifics as to ‘why’, but more people have been killed and injured randomly by unknown or unknowns likely hoping to send some kind of message.  Whatever message they were hoping to send, the world by and large will simply look at them as the latest whack job and completely discount whatever it is they’re trying to say.  Certainly my heart-felt prayers go out to those impacted by this heinous event.

I had a baseball night planned with Don and John.  We’d finished the Baseball Documentary and had decided to gather regularly to watch baseball movies.  I had five or so in my collection, but we turned to Netflix to find something none of us had seen and came up with ‘Diminished Capacity’ starring Alan Alda and Matthew Broderick.  It was an interesting story about a man suffering from Alzheimer’s (Alan Alda) who was in possession of a priceless baseball card, Frank ‘Wildfire’ Schulte, and his efforts to sell it to raise the money he needed to continue to live independently. As a baseball movie, we rated it collectively as a ‘B’.  Our ratings for baseball movies are somewhat more generous than how we’d rate movies generally speaking.

I’d tried to go to the park for a Survival Workout with Dakota, but found that she couldn’t walk the trail and returned to the car and home.  With limited time, I hopped on the trainer for a short ride.  I had to get the spaghetti dinner ready before the guys showed, which was a decent enough reason to cut it short.  The spaghetti and garlic toast with smoothies was a hit and is the perfect meal for baseball night, in case anyone is considering taking this on as a special night with the guys.

Bike duration:  30 minutes.

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

"Grandpa's double my age..."

Sunday, April 14, 2013
I wanted to go to the park for a workout, but Dakota’s condition made me stay close to home.  She started the day unable to get up out of her cage.  I carried downstairs and outside so she could do her business, but she was having trouble walking.  She took her medicine when I covered it in peanut butter, but from there she found her way to a place to lay down and didn’t move for hours.  I knew what was coming next.  I’d be taking her back to the vet’s the next morning and they’d be opening up her intestines and trying to find what was causing the blockage or determining if it was cancer.  This wonderfully conditioned and healthy dog had seemed to become old and infirmed overnight, in front of my eyes.  It was breaking my heart.

I went out to wash the cars to distract myself and when I came back inside later, found her standing at the door, waiting to come out.  She joined me in the back yard, quickly moving to one of the many tennis balls she had throughout the yard for me to whack that she might chase them.  She was wobbling some, but she really wanted to run and she seemed quite different than the dog I’d carried outside earlier that day.  I took her inside and fed her and although she seemed whipped by the activity, at least she was moving and looking somewhat perky.

The family arrived for dinner and stayed late, leaving me no time to work out but plenty of time to visit, which trumps working out.  After they’d left, Jack, always impressed with how well his grandfather gets around, asked how old he was.

“He’s 92.  Not bad for an old guy,” I said.

“Yeah…he’s like double my age,” Jack said.

Holly and I both turned to stare at him.  “What?  He is double my age,” Jack repeated.

“Um Jack…you’re 18.  Double your age would be 36.  He’s five times your age,” I said.

He looked at me like I was a dunce.  “Right…which is double my age,” he repeated.

“Did you mean to say that he’s more than double your age?” I offered, but he wasn’t biting. To his way of thinking, anything that was more than double was double.  His brain works…it’s just different, is all.

Digging out thorn bushes for a workout...

Saturday, April 13, 2013

I started the morning at Mimi’s place prepared to do some painting, but finding it too cold.  Instead, we looked over the yard at the multitude of things that needed to happen.  The property between her and her neighbors is a mini-forest with a creek running through it and many wild flowers growing.  There were huge, downed limbs in the area and I decided to remove them, but as I moved through the woods, my clothes were continually snagged by the wild thorn bushes growing there.

“This will not do, Mimi.  I’m cutting those things out of there so we can walk in and enjoy the flowers,” I said.

I’ve never been a fan of thorn bushes, but who is?  I like to travel off-trail in the woods and never appreciate their presence, which can force me to take wide berths I didn’t want to take.  I grabbed some hedge trimmers to snip their butts, but then decided instead on a shovel.  For the next two hours, I sweated profusely in the cold morning air as I dug them up by the roots.  There must have been fifty different plants with roots running every which way.  I dug and chopped and cursed, but they came out.  I dragged them deeper into the woods behind the house, where I didn’t need to tread, and dumped their lousy carcasses.  Good riddance.

Between the shoveling, raking, picking up downed limbs, and hauling, I was able to work the better part of five hours and burn a decent amount of calories.  It was cold and a rain/hail mix falling finally chased me inside to complete some other chores before finishing and heading to Jason’s rugby match where I again found myself out in the elements and developing a healthy chill.  I managed to keep somewhat warm by moving onto the field to take pictures.  I was using a zoom lens, which can be problematic.  I start to lose perspective as to my placement and the action on the field.  Now and again, I find myself backpedalling quickly as I realize the players aren’t across the field, but actually within feet of running me over.  I don’t think they’d care much except they wouldn’t get my fantastic pictures of the action if they killed me and damaged the camera.

When I finally got home, I climbed on the trainer for an hour, which easily warmed me up.  It’s been so long since I’ve taken a decent ride outside that I’m starting to wonder about riding 58 miles on Thursday.  Though I know I could handle the distance, I’m thinking four hours in the saddle is going to leave me more than a little sore for my turkey dinner that night.  We’ll see how I feel that day.  Attitude is everything.

Yard work:  Five hours.  Bike duration:  60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  80-100 for yard work and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  1500 for yard work and 850 on the bike.

One sick workout buddy...

Friday, April 12, 2013

Dakota was sick again when I got up Friday morning and was reluctant to leave her cage.  I went to work but received a call later from Holly that she wasn’t looking so good.  When I got home, I found her panting heavily and looking very lethargic.  I called the vet and scheduled an immediate visit.

Her temperature was 105, which shocked me until I learned that dogs run around 101 normally.  Still, she didn’t look good and they took her back for x-rays.  I told the doc how she’d been pulling toilet paper rolls off their holders and trying to eat them and when the x-rays came back, he said he thought he could see something in her intestines that just wasn’t passing and causing a large gas buildup.  He thought she should stay overnight so they could again re-hydrate her and see if she’d eat in the morning and what she might pass.  He thought is was possible she’d eaten some dead animal and wasn’t passing it.  He talked about the possibility of surgery to take it out…and he didn’t make it sound very positive.  I left depressed about my workout buddy.

Holly and I went up to Heinens to do some dinner shopping.  We returned and she went into the kitchen to prepare a salmon and rice dinner.  I climbed on the trainer thinking I’d have at least an hour to get in a ride.  I was drenched and really into it when she called from the kitchen that dinner was a bout ready.  I checked my watch.  Forty-six minutes…damn.

I have learned that I should not try to stretch workouts when I’ve been called for dinner and as much as I wanted an even number, like 50, I stopped immediately and headed for the shower.  We tuned in the new version of the movie ‘Footloose’ to watch with dinner.  The original version had starred Kevin Bacon as the young, big city northern boy who moves to a hick southern town where dancing is not allowed.  He rebels of course, and to the consternation of the minister of the local church, starts a dance for the school prom.

In the newer version, an aging Dennis Quaid plays the minister and he does a respectable job, but I was thinking that they should have gotten Kevin Bacon to play that part.  Would have been a nice segue…but no one asked me.  Anyways, the movie pretty much stayed true to the original and featured a whole high school full of kids that had dance moves to rival John Travolta in ‘Saturday Night Fever’…pretty realistic.

Bike duration:  46 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  650.

Back at it...

Thursday, April 11, 2013

With my neck finally starting to feel better and Dakota acting perky after finishing out her prescription, we headed for the park and a hard Survival Workout.  I started as I usually do, but when I went to add a sprint before entering the woods, my abdominal muscles rebelled and I left it alone.

I did do some high knees and I normally do 30 on each leg, but as I completed my 29^th, I felt a stabbing pain in my right calf and backed off that, too.  I was determined to make it a tough workout though, and so added in a couple of rock rowing stations with about 60 pounds of stacked rocks.  As I was moving across my field to the pavilion for a drink of water, I noticed three reasonably fit guys jogging in the other direction and heading straight for the backstop to the baseball diamond.  Without pausing, they all launched themselves at the stockade construction, climbed and swung over the top dropping quickly to the ground on the other side.  I decided to follow them and wasn’t surprised when, instead of walking across Clear Creek on the rocks, chose instead to run through the deepest part of the stream.  My guess is they were preparing for a Tough Mudder and trying out some Survival Workout moves as they jogged through the woods.

I continued my workout and by the time I’d returned to the car, had completed 22 different sets.  I was quite tired and Dakota was dragging as well.  Neither of us is 100%, but we both like to come to the woods to work out our demons.

When I returned home, I quickly changed into my riding shorts and climbed on the trainer for a 50-minute ride.  It’s been some time since I’ve done a double and I felt it as I finished up.  I’m a long way from the kind of shape I should be in for my annual birthday triathlon, but I think I have some reasonable excuses.  Regardless, I’m planning on toning it down this year though I don’t know what I’ll be doing quite yet.  What’s the rush…I’ve got a week.

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.

Servere weather and another day of Advil...

Wednesday, April 10, 2013
It was one of those unusual weather days that tells me whatever I’m going to do, I’ll be doing it inside.  Lightning flashed and hail fell.  Rain came down kind of sideways…or maybe it was coming up from the ground.  Anyways, I decided I wouldn’t be riding or running in the park.  Instead, I drove to Mimi’s and did the prep work necessary to be able to paint the floor of her enclosed back porch.  I was hoping to actually apply the paint, but with the rain coming in through the screens, this proved unwise.

I went home and took some Advil, grabbed my heating pad for my neck and spent another evening doing very little.  Tomorrow’s forecast is for more of the same, though I’m hoping to get to the park for a Survival Workout at the very least.  There’s no reason for not jumping on the trainer, either.  We’ll see where my commitment levels are in 24 hours.