Traveling home...

Sunday, June 23, 2013

I was up early as is usually the case when traveling, and had the French toast batter ready before the kids started moving.  They hoped to be home by 7 p.m. and with a planned stop in Cape Vincent to see my Uncle Bill and Aunt Eunice, that meant they needed to get their asses in gear.

I fed the crew and then wolfed down five pieces myself before putting the final touches on packing the car and driving out of Donnie’s place.  We made good time to Cape Vincent and managed a 2-hour visit and lunch, which was a great break for the pain I was continuing to suffer in my buttocks and down my leg when sitting in the car.  If there was any doubt that I needed to visit Nilesh and figure out what the cause of the pain was, it was gone now.

The remainder of the drive was basically freeway…and boring.  We arrived home around 7:30, but after emptying the car and putting up the camping gear, it was beyond any opportunity to exercise. 

I set the date to begin the biking portion of Tour Ohio as August 23^rd in an effort to accommodate a couple of riders who will be joining me.  That leaves almost 8 weeks to get the cycling and hiking legs ready for what will easily be the toughest thing I have ever done.  I really don’t know what to expect and likely won’t have my answer until the third or fourth day on the cycling trail.  If I make it that far and still feel reasonably decent, I know I’ll make it the rest of the way. 

Hiking out...

Saturday, June 22, 2013

It was turning out to be the strangest Adirondack trip I’d ever taken.  Normally, these trips are filled with long hikes up steep mountains, plenty of sweat and sore hiking muscles and a feeling of complete exhaustion when finally getting back in the car to head home.  Not so this trip.

I woke around 6 a.m. and slowly began the process of packing up my gear.  Naturally, I was the only one awake and so I took my time and rekindled the fire to accompany my efforts.  It was a beautiful, peaceful morning on Round Pond with a slight mist rising off the water.  I love this time of the day and when camping, I typically have it to myself.  I’ve yet to meet a camping partner who rises as early…with the exception of Alaska Paul.  The only sounds are the slight rustling of fellow campers and the birds and wildlife already on the move for something to eat.

I knew I needed to get the crew moving if we were to achieve our goal of hiking out, having breakfast at Noon Mark, and being at my cousin’s place before the party began at 1 p.m., so I started making noise and shaking tents.

We were packed up and in the car by 8 a.m., but I needed a stop at Chapel Pond for a cleansing dip.  Since there was no one around and the site lines to the Pond are indirect, I wore my birthday suit into the water for a refreshing, exhilarating swim.  Warned off, the kids spent their time in the car.  I returned clean and awake for the drive to Noon Mark and my ham and cheese omelet. 

We arrived in Massena after a beautiful ride through the mountains and the Mohawk Indian Reservation a full hour early and with plenty of time for the kids to get showers and still help with the final party preparations.  I had managed only a 25-minute hike for the day’s exercise…hardly worth mentioning…but sometimes that’s just the way it is.  Since rain was falling throughout the day, I elected to sleep inside.

Hike duration:  25 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  125.

In the Adirondacks...

Friday, June 21, 2013

Kyle arrived at 1 a.m. and after some final preparations and repacking of the trunk, we were on the road at 2.  Everyone nodded off quickly since they hadn’t slept that night yet, so I had the silence of the night to myself.  I did a lot of thinking as I drove to keep myself occupied and my mind alert.  I’d gotten 4 hours of sleep and though I normally get more like 7-8, heading to the Adirondacks always has me jazzed and keeps me from getting tired.  I would have preferred to plug in my audio book, but didn’t want to disturb my fellow travelers…so it was thinking for the next several hours.

Dawn came early on this summer solstice morning.  I could see light on the horizon before 5 a.m., earlier than at home since I was heading east and approaching Buffalo.  It would be the earliest sunrise of the year and by 5:30, was easily light enough to kill the headlights.  I made Utica by 7 and began driving the back roads through the park that made the ride so much more interesting.  We hit Speculator, NY around 9 a.m. and took some time to stretch our legs.  I’d been holding off on buying gas to this point so I could spend money in one of the small towns of the park, but discovered that there was no service station in the town…at least not on the road I was traveling.  I continued on for the next 75 miles before finally finding a station near the entrance to Interstate 87, which I’d be driving for a short distance before again entering the part of the park where we’d be camping and hiking.

We made the trailhead after 9 hours of driving and packed in our gear to a campsite about 25 minutes away on Round Pond.  I discovered the site a couple of years ago and love it.  Located in the eastern High Peaks, fires are permitted and since it is tucked into a col, it blocks all sound from the road we’d just left.  Situated right on Round Pond, a clear, cool mountain lake with stunning views of Dix and other surrounding mountains, it’s serenity is undeniable.

We pitched our tents and headed back to the car for a short drive to the trailhead for our hike.  The group had nixed my idea to climb Jay Mt., opting instead for an easier hike to take in a waterfall or two.  Disappointed because I always want to climb something with a view, I went along a led a 2-hour hike along the Ausable River.  It was easy going providing plenty of opportunity for conversation and exploration. 

We returned to the car and drove to Chapel Pond for a cleansing dip that I sorely needed before eating.  We went to Noon Mark Café for dinner where I ate a mushroom burger with a diet coke.  I drove them to Lake Placid for a tour of the famous city before returning to the trailhead for a hike back to our campsite and some more conversation around a campfire made from downed limbs we’d scavenged in the woods around the site.  Though not as challenging a hike as I would have liked, we’d spent almost four hours hiking through the day.  And besides, any time in the Adirondacks beats about anything else I can imagine.

Hike duration:  Four hours.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  1400.

Running and packing...

Thursday, June 20, 2013
I had a lot of packing and planning to do for our trip to the Adirondacks, but I still wanted to do something.  I drove to the park with running on my mind and suited up for that endeavor.  I went to my favorite trail with the intention of going for 20-25 minutes and then stopping at the track for some bleacher work. 

As I began the run, I started thinking about the hike I was planning for the next day on Jay Mt.  Jay is a beautiful peak in the Adirondacks with open ridges for at least half of the 3-mile trek to the summit.  Relatively speaking, it is an easy climb though it does have 2,000 feet of elevation change from trailhead to peak.  My conditioning is more than adequate, so I wondered aloud why I would risk some kind of injury by running too much and adding in bleachers the day before the trip.  That would be foolish and I’m never foolish.

I ran easily for 30 minutes…a little longer than originally planned, but it felt so easy and pain-free.  I decided the bleachers were not a good idea and went home to begin the packing process.  Kyle would be driving from Columbus to join Savannah, Jack and me for the trip, but wouldn’t be leaving until he completed his second shift job.  I packed the camping gear and food we’d need for one day and one night in the woods and went to bed around 8 hoping to sleep at least 5 hours before his arrival and a 9-hour drive.  I tend to fall asleep pretty easily and figured coffee and chewing gum would keep me awake on the drive if I wasn’t rested enough.  Solid plan.

Run duration:  30 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.
Calories burned:  525.

Solo Survival Workout...

Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Savannah was scheduled to meet me in the Metroparks for a Survival Workout, but by the time she remembered she was stranded at home without a car, I was already done with my first set of push-ups and ready to move on.  I went solo.

It turned out to be a very good workout again.  I included a couple of sprints and managed another 24 sets.  I’ll be missing workouts for the next several days as I will be traveling to New York, but I feel that as long as I manage two a week, I’ll be able to maintain much of the strength and conditioning I’ve achieved over the past several years with the workout.  I have reached the point that I’m not noticing progress, but simply maintaining what I’ve built…and that’s a good thing.  I can still sprint when I want to, play any sport without fear of injury, lift heavy things around my house and Mimi’s without throwing my back out and pretty much act like a conditioned 30-year old.  It’s a very good feeling and one I hope to keep for the next few decades, at least.  Since my son Jack likes to carry his sister around as part of his workout, I’ve also gotten a commitment from him to carry me part way up peaks I can’t quite manage when I reach that point.  I want to do as much as I can for as long as I can.  That’s all.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.

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

'Parks and Recreaton' is not about camping...

Tuesday, June 18, 2013
John came over for a ride, which I told him we’d keep to an hour.  Actually, that was my intent.

We headed out on my Waite Hill course, but I cut it short to accommodate the 1-hour time limit.  We rode slowly and talked about Tour Ohio and my theory that I could ride day in and day out if I just kept my speed and effort down…as we were doing.  I told him I didn’t really know any other way to prepare for back-to-back 100-mile days of riding when limited by time.  It worked for me before, though I was 18 at that time.

John tired climbing the last hill and when we pulled in the driveway and I said I thought it had taken a little more than an hour, he looked up from his GPS.

“We rode 90 minutes, you dork,” he said.

“No way.  Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.  Are you trying to kill me?” he said.

John is still recovering from back issues and the crash of 2011.  He really needs to take it easy and not be in the saddle for prolonged times.  I miscalculated badly.  Oh well…that’ll teach him not to crash anymore…or to trust me.

We had Italian sausage on the grill, which is a little on the fatty side.  At least I washed it down with a large smoothie and all while watching ‘Parks and Recreation’, a sit-com Savannah has been insisting I watch to replace reruns of ‘The Office’.  I must admit I’ve been interested in the series since I figured it must have something to do with the outdoors.  It did…loosely…and was extremely funny.  And yes…I’m hooked. 

Bike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1200.

Planning is eating up a lot of time...

Monday, June 17, 2013
Planning for Tour Ohio is starting to take on a life of its own.  I met with my sister to talk about camping opportunities along the Lake Erie shore for the kayaking portion of the trip.  There are some state sites already, but as I told her, I felt there needed to be opportunities every 10 miles to accommodate all levels of paddlers if it was to become a permanent trail.  I had told the same thing to Andrea Irland last week.  I suggested to my sister that there had to be private clubs and maybe even individuals such as her and her husband Chuck, who lived on the Lake and believed in paddling recreation that might open their properties to the occasional paddler on some kind of pre-arranged schedule.  She agreed and was very willing to assist me as the time draws nearer.  More importantly, they both will help me finding the support I need to travel the waters safely.  I’d like to have a boat with me at all times to keep speed boats and jet skis from getting too close and swamping me with their wake or even running me over.  My plan is to stay close to shore, but safety is my first and greatest concern.  I ran out of time to get on the bike as a result and will have to redouble my efforts in the coming weeks to get my mileage up around 200 per week.  I may put aside the Survival Workout for a time and concentrate most of my effort on cycling. 

Parking ticket dirty pool...

Sunday, June 16, 2013
It was Father’s Day and with the Indians at home, Savannah secured tickets to take me to the game.  Since we’d be having a family dinner following, I knew the morning would be my lone opportunity to get in a ride…so I took it.

It was cool and the roads were still a little wet from an early morning rain.  The forecast was for thunderstorms, which would threaten the game as well.  I rode with trepidation, but I needed to put in some miles.  I rode hard for the next two hours and arrived back with barely enough time to shower and make a smoothie for the ride to the game.  We drove down and parked on a side street near the stadium where we’d been parking for years and walked the short 10-minute distance to the stadium.  It turned out to be a perfect day for a game, with the sun mostly obscured by clouds but no rain to slow the play.  Corey Kluber pitched magnificently as the Indians won the game 2 to 0.  When we returned to the car to find a parking ticket, I, as were many others, were angry and frustrated.  People took pictures of their cars with tickets and that lack of signage designating the area as ‘no parking’.  I don’t quite understand the Cleveland Police in this instance.  There is nothing indicating you can’t park and fans have been using the area for years.  To suddenly harass them without warning…or signage…seems wrong and petty.  It is one more reason to not come downtown since parking is so expensive and we’d already spent $60 just to see the game.  What can you do?  I’m sure the department will be getting an earful from the many ticketed fans who felt unjustly handled, but I doubt they’ll get anywhere. 

Bike duration:  Two hours and 5 minutes.

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

More poison ivy and a great Survival Workout...

Saturday, June 15, 2013
I went to Mimi’s determined to work through her weeds without further exposure to poison ivy.  I think she has a little manufacturing plant for the stuff and the more I tried to avoid it, the more I found.  I put on a long-sleeved shirt which I tucked into my gloves, but stuck with shorts.  As I pulled weeds and dragged debris into the woods, I saw it everywhere.  I actually took hold of it in the gardens and discovered just how viney it was; pulling up long segments as it meandered through her flower beds.  She had some kind of itch-preventing spray, which I applied generously after washing up following my final load.  I’ll know by Monday whether I took enough precautionary measures.

I drove to the park where Savannah met me following my four hours of landscaping for a tough Survival Workout.  I’d been feeling so good lately that I decided it was time to tackle uphills with my karaoke runs.  My hip felt fine the entire time and I managed 25 different stations over the course of the hour workout.  By the time I returned home and showered, I was spent from the exercise and the time in the sun.  My workouts have been sporadic and I see more of that coming with the trip to New York next week.  With only 8 weeks until Tour Ohio, I have to be careful to make sure I’m ready.  I suppose to some degree, much of the conditioning will come from actually doing the tour.  What choice will I have?

Yard Work: Four hours.  Survival Workout: One Hour.

Training Heart Rate:  75 for yard work and 100-150 for SW.
Calories burned:  1400 for yard work and 600 for SW.

One long day of driving...

Friday, June 14, 2013
In planning the cycling trail through Cincinnati, I’d reached out to cycling club in the vicinity seeking advice on cycling friendly routes either through or around this major metropolitan area.  I struck gold when I received a response from Glenn Talaska, an extreme cyclist who pedaled some 10,000 miles every year!  He replied to my email with a detailed trail he laid out on Map My Ride, a free internet site where cyclist could create and store routes they had ridden.  I had downloaded the information, printed out the route he’d suggested and was now preparing to drive it to see how viable it was and to make notes about important features.

I packed up my sleeping bag, showered and jumped in the car before 7 to begin my drive towards Cincinnati.  I kept telling myself I’d find a Bob Evans and stop for breakfast, but by the time I saw one, was too caught up in exploring the route to stop and eat.

Glenn had known his business.  He had me entering downtown Cincinnati from the east and riding along the Ohio River past the football and baseball stadiums.  There were several sections that offered marked bike routes on the shoulder of the roads and although I had to make many turns onto various side streets, I could see the route was very doable and as cycling friendly as a route could be in such a large city. 

I reached the western outskirts of the city and began to swing north.  As I left suburbia behind, I began to note the differences between these roads and those of Northeast Ohio and my home riding turf.  Though country roads in every sense of the ones I would ride back home, they were also straight and flat.  With a posted speed limit of 55, that meant cars buzzing along well over 60 because there were no curves or hills to slow their progress.  It also made for boring riding, but as I looked at alternative routes, there appeared to be little difference. 

I drove to my northern most point in the state on the route I thought I would be riding before heading east for home on the interstate.  I would be left with picking a route from Toledo to the western outskirts of Cleveland, where I would pick up the Emerald Necklace through the Cleveland Metroparks for the final leg of the ride.  In all, I’d spent 14 hours driving that day and was exhausted when I finally pulled into my garage.

More work on the Tour Ohio cycling trail...

Thursday, June 13, 2013
I climbed in the car after work packed and ready to go.  I drove south to Portsmouth, Ohio on the Ohio River with the intention of picking up the Tour Ohio cycling trail where I’d left off two weeks earlier with Holly.  I’d been told by the Service Director of that city that I could use State Route 52, which appeared to be a 4-lane highway, to ride safely beyond the city limits heading west where I would pick up SR 125 for a ride through Shawnee State Forest. 

By the time I reached Portsmouth I was hungry and it was getting dark.  I stopped at a Bob Evans, ate and planned the next day’s drive.  I drove over the Scioto River on SR 52 and if the construction is done by the time I return on my bike, it should work as a connector route.  I ended up in Shawnee State Park around ten, rolled out of my car and into my sleeping bag for a night under a clear sky and thousands of twinkling stars.

Progress on the kayak trail...

Wednesday, June 12, 2013
I’ve begun to pick up the pace with contacting folks who can help me developing Tour Ohio.  I spent thirty minutes on the phone with Andrea Irland of the National Park Service, who is working on the creation of a Lake Erie paddling route along Ohio’s 312 mile-long coast.  I explained to her what I was hoping to accomplish with Tour Ohio and she seemed extremely excited.

“I’m talking with so many different groups about forming this paddling route, but you’re the only person I know that is actually getting their kayak in the water and trying to do it,” she said.

As we talked, I discovered that she’d just been at a meeting with my sister, Cecilia, as a representative of her ‘Spirit of America’ safe boating program.  She also mentioned that her brother, Brian Fowler, Lake Metroparks Chief of Outdoor Education, was there.

“He says you should let him know when you’re traveling and he’ll issue permits for you to camp,” she said.

And this is just the kind of cooperation I will need to flesh out the trail and make it something sustainable for all the residents of the state.  For me, it was an exciting call and fueled my enthusiasm to continue the work necessary to making this a reality.

I rode my Waite Hill course hard, trying to see how it would affect my hip.  It didn’t seem to, though my calf was sore and cramping towards the end and I’m really starting to think there is a connection…possibly the sciatic nerve.  Nilesh will answer those questions, I hope, upon his return. 

Bike duration:  Two hours and 5 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1750.

"Piriformawhat?"

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The pain in my buttocks continued unabated and made sleeping difficult.  I got up in the morning knowing that it was time to communicate with Nilesh, my sports med doc.  I sent him an email describing the pain and what led to the onset.  He replied with concerns that I was suffering from piriformis syndrome.  I had no idea what this was, but it sounded ominous.  A little internet research of WebMD returned some useful information. 

“Piriformis syndrome is an uncommon neuromuscular disorder that is caused when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. This muscle is important in lower body movement because it stabilizes the hip joint and lifts and rotates the thigh away from the body. This enables us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to another, and maintain balance. It is also used in sports that involve lifting and rotating the thighs -- in short, in almost every motion of the hips and legs.”

The article went on to say that this pain is often brought on by prolonged sitting, as in driving a car.  It didn’t mention sitting in a kayak, but I’ve had the second worst pain when driving long distances, so I think Nilesh may be onto something.  His email told me he was going on vacation for two weeks and that I could see his associate, but I’ve opted to wait for his return.

Savannah and I did the Survival Workout despite my walking pain.  Since most of the workout focuses on core and upper body right now, the soreness, while bothersome, did not interfere.  When we returned home, I baked the salmon I’d purchased and made some rice with eggs mixed in.  I anxiously await Holly’s return for some better cooking.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.

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

A throbbing hip...

Monday, June 10, 2013
I tossed throughout the night trying to get comfortable with a hip that had other ideas.  It perplexes me that I’m having so much pain and discomfort simply from sitting in a kayak.  I could understand if I’d run, hiked, or cycled to this injury, but I was doing none of the above.  So…I’ll leave it up to the doctor to figure out what’s wrong.

I planned to meet Savannah at home and then travel to the park for a Survival Workout to be followed by some bleacher work.  I’d found that walking around during the day had loosened the hip somewhat, though it was still painful.  Walking up and down the bleachers was probably the wrong thing to do, but I didn’t want to tell Savannah I was a baby with a little hip pain.

When Savannah walked into the house, she noted that I was ready to go but began a quick backpedal.  “I’m REALLY tired.  I’m not so sure I want to work out tonight,” she said.

Normally, I’d have started giving her a load of shit but I was feeling much the same myself.  I decided the hip would give the rest of me the night off for recovery and see what tomorrow would bring.  Sometimes, I do the smart thing entirely by accident.

Kayaking with Heidi...

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Heidi was going to be out of town on Father’s Day and decided that she wanted to meet up with me a week early and go for a Father’s Day kayak on the Upper Cuyahoga River.  I’ve done very little kayaking and really need to get moving on it if I’m going to be doing 120 miles of Lake Erie’s shore in two months.  The last few times I have kayaked, I’ve experienced so much pain in my left hip that it has become very unpleasant.  I’ve tried adjusting the pedals for the rudder and hope that will make a difference.

Heidi has been training for a half Iron Man triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 mile run) for a couple of months.  She is getting really fit and when she came out to help me load the kayaks on the Jeep, hoisted them easily overhead.

“You’re getting some serious guns there Heidi,” I said, referring to her upper body strength.

She beamed with that and helped strap the kayaks to the rack.  We arrived at Russell Park and began to unload the kayaks when the deer fly began to attack.  I’d put bug spray in my car for just such an occasion…but we weren’t IN my car.  As we paddled down the river, they began to bite in earnest.  I followed my standard protocol, smashing them against my body and leaving their entrails for others to witness in hopes that they’d stay clear of the killing zone.  And as always, they continued to bite. 

We traveled slowly down the river taking in the serenity of the water and solitude of the river.  If not for the bugs, it would have been perfect.  I felt good for almost an hour, but once the pain started in my hip, there was no relief.  The last 20 minutes were extremely painful and I concluded that I’d have to see my sports med doc, Nilesh, for some relief.

We did spend 90 minutes on the water and though I didn’t drop copious amounts of sweat, I considered it a good workout.  I really need more time in the saddle, on the water, and doing easy hikes to be ready for Tour Ohio.  Intensity really isn’t that important to completing my trek.

Kayak duration:  90 minutes.

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

Another amazing state meet...

Saturday, June 8, 2013

I was standing in front of the Chipoltle menu board and the server was asking what I would like to eat.  It was noisy in the store and my hearing isn’t the best, so I leaned my head over the plexiglass that served as a barrier to the customers and the food.

“Sir…could you please move back,” he said politely.

I moved back and watched his lips move, so I knew he was asking me something else.  I leaned in again to hear him and he again asked me to lean back.  I pointed at my ears to indicate I couldn’t hear him, but he kept asking me things in that soft voice.  He passed me along to the next server who would be adding a meat and other ingredients to my burrito.  His lips were moving, too, though I only heard about every third word.  I leaned in again.

“Excuse me, sir, but you have to keep your face behind the plexiglass,” he said.

“If I do, I can’t hear a word your saying.  And besides…your face is right over all the food and you don’t have a mask or hairnet, so what’s the difference?” I asked.

He didn’t have an answer to that, but I suppose they delouse and sanitize themselves inside and out before starting their shifts so that no unwanted germs drift from their persons to the food they’re serving.  Though I don’t want them sneezing or drooling on my food, I really don’t worry too much about germs floating onto what I’m about to eat.  I have an immune system that I try to keep strong by introducing it to these things so I’ll be able to fight them off.  You simply can’t avoid all germs by using hand sanitizers, gloves or even a plastic bubble.  I figure I just have to face them head on.

As usual, the state meet was full of amazing competition, including for the first time in the state of Ohio, wheelchair competition.  Ohio became the 17^th state to add wheelchair events to their track and field itinerary and there were probably 8 different competitors in the 100, 400, 800 meter races and the shot put.  They received a huge ovation when taking the track and again as they received their awards.  It was impressive and moving.

The sun was beating down on us all day so we opted to leave between Division II and I to find some shade.  With the Ohio State softball stadium immediately behind us, we made our way there and into the dugout for the 1-hour intermission.  Towards the end of that hour, it occurred to me to go and check for open doors on the building next to the field that housed the batting cages Kim and I had snuck into and used two years earlier.  To my surprise, they were open again.  I hurried back to the dugout.

“You guys need to grab your stuff and come with me,” I told Savannah and Marie.

They followed not knowing what to expect and when I led them into the building and they saw the cages and bats, quickly got nervous.  “Should we be in here?” Savannah asked.

“Look…the door’s unlocked and everyone knows I come to Columbus every year to watch the state track meet.  If they didn’t want me in here, they should lock the doors,” I said. 

Savannah didn’t was too much time pondering, but instead grabbed a bat and headed for the cage.  I was already at the pitcher’s mound with three balls in my hand.  I started throwing and she stared whacking.  After 20 swings, Marie stepped in while Savannah manned the camera.  When someone knocked at the door, both girls froze like bank robbers with a handful of twenties.

“Don’t worry…the door was open and we’re just hitting balls.  It’s what this room is for and it’s always easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission,” I hypothesized.

It was just some kids pulling on door handles like I always do and they quickly left when they found a door with people behind it…people who acted like they belonged where they were.

I suppose it’s not the best lesson to teach young folks entrusted to my care, but it was fun and we cleaned up and left no trace of our presence.  I think Marie enjoys going along since I tend to stir up trouble with each trip; something she feels comfortable with.

I ate poorly all day and didn’t do much of anything resembling exercise.  It was the state track and field championships though and I enjoyed the best entertainment of the year.  I slept without guilt that night.

Hiking, bleachers and camping out before the state meet...

Friday, June 7, 2013
As the time for Tour Ohio draws closer, I start to think about how little hiking I’ve done.  I suppose I’ll be counting on all my cycling training to carry me through hiking 20 miles a day for several days, but that really isn’t a solid approach.  I need to take some 10-15 mile hikes to get my feet and walking muscles in some kind of shape or the hiking could lead to some small, nagging injury that could become debilitating on the trail.  I was heading to Columbus for the state meet camp out and didn’t have time for a long ride, so I opted for a hike in the park.

I don’t really break much of a sweat hiking and my heart rate never goes over 100, so I wrestle mentally with calling this a workout.  It still is and is an important part of being ready for Tour Ohio, but as I climbed into the car after hiking for an hour, I felt the need to do more.  On the drive home, I pulled into Mayfield High School and drove back to the track where I parked and headed for the bleachers.  I managed 14 sets before noticing that time and the need to get home.

I showered and began the process of packing the car for a one night campout.  It ended up just being Marie and me for camping, but we had a nice campfire and good conversation about running, Tour Ohio, the Purdue track program, injuries and everything in between.  We hit our tents a little after midnight and I was just falling asleep when someone pulled into the camp site next to ours.  Never giving any thought to those around them, they attempted to build a large fire (failed because they didn’t know how) and generally raised a commotion for the next hour.  Either they didn’t have a lick of common sense about the disturbance they were making for those trying to sleep or they just didn’t give a shit, but either way, they kept me awake for the next hour.  They finally petered out and turned in themselves.  I figured I’d get up early and see what I could do to wake them up.

Hike duration:  70 minutes.  Bleachers: 10 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm hiking and 130 for the bleachers.
Calories burned during workout:  400 hiking and 150 in the bleachers.

Working out in the rain...

Thursday, June 6, 2013
It was raining but warmer and I had gear in the trunk.  I decided it would be a good day for a Survival Workout and texted Savannah to see if she wanted to join me.  She is almost always game and today was no different.  We arrived at the park to a light drizzle and plenty of mud, which would make climbing hills and swing sets out of the question.  I’d already done my push-ups, so I watched Savannah as she did her first set.

“Hey…perfect form.  You’re not bending your back and you’re going really low.  Nice job,” I said. 

She had clearly gained strength.  She was doing 15 ‘boy’ push-ups with perfect form.  We made our way to the first rock lifting station where she continued to impress me with her strength and the way she pushed to the final rep.  The most gains in strength are made when you’re challenging yourself and struggling with the final lift.  She was doing this consistently.

We made our way over a swollen Clear Creek and on to the cabins and swing set.  I attempted to climb, but the poles were simply too slick from the rain.  I would be missing those reps today, but added in some extra overhead rock lifts and rock rowing to make up some of the difference.

We finished up in a little over an hour, muddy and wet.  It was a day to do nothing and we’d managed to get in a decent workout anyway.  I always feel better when overcoming the elements and once you’re wet, it really feels pretty good to be out in the rain.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.

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

Biking for a cause...

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

My friend Bruce called to say that Todd was in town and they were going for a bike ride with some of the guys doing the ride to ‘MS Pedal to the Point’ in August.  Pedal to the Point is a 150-mile, 2-day trip dedicated to raising money to combat multiple sclerosis.  It has been going on for 27 years and is a wonderful way to get into distance cycling while making a difference in someone’s life…likely yours.

“We ride slow and I know you and Todd are pros, but you’re welcome to join us,” he said.

I’m not much of one for riding in groups, even small ones, and I knew they’d be riding busy roads around Willowick, Willoughby and Mentor…not my first choice by any stretch.  Still, Todd was in town and it would give us a chance to discuss Tour Ohio, which was approaching rapidly.  “I’ll be there,” I said.

They’d be riding 15-20 miles on flat terrain so I knew I needed something extra to make it a good workout.  I left my house and headed south towards hills and Old Mill Road.  I figured I could ride 90 minutes in a huge loop and arrive at Bruce’s place in time to join them, then ride hard coming home afterwards.  It was a good plan.  At least I thought it was.

I put in about 30 miles and arrived in his driveway sweating and tired.  Todd looked ready to chew steel.  He was in outstanding cycling shape and could toast me easily.  I could do the same to the other three riders, so they must have been completely intimidated by him.  We headed east at a leisurely pace when I noticed one of the riders, a retired firefighter and wearing a shirt about safety, wasn’t wearing a helmet.

“Where in the hell is your helmet?” I asked.

“I really don’t like them.  People give me shit about it all the time, too,” he said.

“Ever wonder why?” I asked.  I wasn’t letting up.

He continued with some lameness…he knew it was lame…and so I backed off.  It was his funeral, after all, but he looked so strange riding without one.  I suspect it’s a requirement to ride with one in ‘Pedal to the Point’, but if it’s not, it should be.  Later in our ride I proved that point when we came to a stop light and I found myself leaning the wrong way with one foot still clipped in the pedal.  I fell and landed hard on my hip, embarrassed but not injured.  The point?  Anyone can fall anytime and it doesn’t take much of a clunk on hard pavement to severely hurt an unprotected noggin.

It was getting later and we were heading further east…away from Highland Heights…when I realized I was going to have trouble making it home in daylight.  I told the others as much and that I needed to turn around.  Bruce encouraged me to just ride back to his place for burgers and a beer after which he’d throw my bike in his car and drive me home.  It was tempting…the burgers part anyway…but I could see that I’d get in around 60 miles if I kept riding and since it was a perfect night to ride and I was already out, I declined and pedaled on.

I arrived home just before dark road weary and covered in crusted salt.  I’d been on the bike for three and a half hours and felt strong.  The conditioning was coming along and I was gaining confidence that if I paced myself correctly, I could ride 75-100 miles a day for a couple of weeks as I would need to do during Tour Ohio.  It was a comforting feeling.

Bike duration:  Three hours and 45 minutes.

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

A short run and a little pain...

Tuesday, June 4, 2013
I had a meeting after work to discuss OhioActive and Tour Ohio.  I told my partners about the excitement of having the Cleveland Metroparks supporting my trip and went over issues I was encountering laying out the cycling course.  We decided that the trip should be a big part of the kickoff of the magazine, utilizing the notoriety Tour Ohio should create and how that can bring meaningful attention to OhioActive and its mission.

I left the meeting and drove to the Metroparks to try and squeeze in a short run.  I was thinking that I could handle 30 minutes since my calf has been feeling strong and I went 20 minutes with bleacher work on my previous effort.  I started slowly, but picked up the pace after five minutes and felt great…until I didn’t.  As is usually the case, I could feel a tightness developing in my calf and a warning to stop.  I’m about 50/50 for paying attention to the warning, which means about half the time I do the right thing and the other half, the stupid thing.  I did the right thing and began to walk.  I could hear rugby play in the distance and knew it would be Jason’s team practicing.  It took about eight minutes to walk there and I spent the next 20 watching the team drill and talking to some of the players.  I re-entered the woods and headed for the car with my leg feeling normal again and so, quite naturally, began to run.  I climbed my karaoke hill at a slow jog pace and made it back to the car…a little over 8 minutes of running…without pain.

There is no sense to what goes on with my calf.  It has been giving me trouble off and on for 12 years.  I don’t know what started it, but do know that too much running triggers it.  I thought it had gone away completely with all the running I was able to do over the last couple of years, but when I took a break from running regularly and then tried to return to quickly, it was back.  My doctor has no clue.  Honestly though, it’s now just a supplement.  I enjoy riding more than ever and with the kayaking, backpacking and Survival Workout, I can survive without it.  It remains a nice filler though because I can do it anywhere and burn so many calories in such a short time.  I’ll keep trying to have it in my fitness routine.

Run duration:  20 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.
Calories burned:  350.

Keeping training partners healthy...

Monday, June 3, 2013

John was coming over for a ride but I had some extra time and hadn’t done my Survival Workout since Friday, so I headed for the park to complete the first leg of a double.  I hit it hard, doing 23 stations and feeling like I was ready for some bounding and sprinting, but decided to leave something in the tank for the ride.  Though I’ve not ridden with John since last summer when he had the accident and I know he’s not in the best cycling shape, he is riding ‘The Rocket’ again and that bike does 20 mph all by itself.

“I can maybe go an hour before my back starts bothering me,” he said when he arrived.

He’s been struggling with back and neck issues for the past few years and the crash did nothing to improve either.  “I can’t go to the state meet on Friday because I have to get an injection in my back that day, too,” he said.

We headed out with me in the lead and setting a decent, but not punishing pace.  Whenever we came to slight inclines, he seemed to struggle and dropped off considerably on the climbs.  We rode for a little over an hour and were approaching Kim’s place when I noticed he’d dropped way off.  When we stopped, he said his back had reached its limit and was affecting his right leg and the ability to put any pressure on the pedal stroke. 

“If you were a horse, we’d have shot you years ago,” I said.

We let Kim know she should come over in an hour to watch ‘Dances with Wolves’ with us and was welcome to join in the spaghetti dinner, too.  The last couple of miles home were slower.

With all my aches and injuries, I consider myself a lucky man when I start comparing issues with John.  Through it all, he perseveres because he loves to ride, camp and be in shape.  I don’t know if I could have done so well and admire him for it.  He’s been my training partner for years and I’ll continue to do my part to egg him into shape.  A good training partner…and friend…are hard to find.  You hang onto them when you do.

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.  Bike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm for SW and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  600 for SW and 1250 on the bike.

Welcome back, poison ivy...

Sunday, June 2, 2013

I woke up early and realized I had some itchy blistering on my left hand.  Poison ivy was back!  I hoped that I hadn’t touched myself in a dozen different places as I had last summer when it had ravaged my body from head to toe.  I didn’t think so, but the next few days would answer that question.

Holly had been weeding for a couple of hours and kindly left them in piles throughout the yard for the ‘weed fairy’.

“It’s so cool.  I pull weeds and just drop them.  I come back later and they’re gone,” she said.

“That is cool.  I think Mimi has a ‘weed fairy’ too,” I said.

Her piles didn’t include poison ivy I was pretty sure.  My sister from Kentucky was arriving around noon and I was in charge of the waffles…made from scratch, of course…but I figured I had time to be the ‘weed fairy’ and get the lawn done with a cleansing dip in pool to boot.  I made it with moments to spare.

Waffles with whipped cream, butter, strawberry sauce, and real maple syrup and some bacon for good measure make an excellent training meal.  I downed mine and then prepared for a ride with Kim.  We went for almost two hours, though I can’t honestly say that I’d worked off the entire meal.  I did my final dip for the day with the cycling clothes on - which is easier than washing them - before dinner.  For me, that amounted to little more than a smoothie.  I needed to get something good in my system.

Bike duration:  Two hours and 45 minutes.

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