Last ride...

Tuesday, August 20, 2013
John was coming over to do a final ride with me and leave me with ‘The Rocket’, his light-weight, carbon-fiber racing bike.  I was planning on bringing both Big Red and The Rocket in the van in the event I had issues with UB Express (bikes MUST be named).  My repair skills are limited, as are the opportunities to visit bike stores on the Tour, so the more I’m carrying as back up, the better.

We rode on the Waite Hill course, but John begged off having to climb the final hill from Squires Castle up to Chardon Road on River Road.

“That thing killed me Sunday.  Can we please skip it?” he asked.

“You need the conditioning.  If we skip it, you’ll only regret it later,” I said, trying to shame him into riding it.

In the end, I let him off easy and skipped the hill, shortening the ride by 4 miles.  We arrived back home in under two hours and took a cleansing dip in the neighbor’s pool before moving inside to make another amazing smoothie.  I wish I had an extra blender for the trip.  I’d pack it in the van, put smoothie ingredients in a cooler and whip one up at the end of each day.  Maybe next time.

After John left, I returned to my maps and computer and put the final touches on the cycling course.  Tomorrow – packing begins in earnest.

Bike duration:  One hour and 53 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1650.

Plan and prepare...

Monday, August 19, 2013
I knew I had a lot planned for the evening, but somewhere in the back of my mind I thought I’d get in a hike or a bike ride.  It was not to be.

Holly needs a new vehicle and so we returned to the Honda dealer, looking at used CRV’s, but again failing to pull the trigger.  We went from there to a birthday party at ‘The Local Tavern’ where I ordered a diet coke.  I’d eaten earlier, having had two more cheeseburgers, and decided against further dining.  Then Holly’s basket of fries, smothered in some kind of mushroom sauce, arrived.  She didn’t really offer me any, though I didn’t let that stop me from eating half the order.

We returned home where I could have done a walk in the neighborhood or spend time refining my cycling course and transferring it to the Ohio Atlas and Gazetteer I’d be carrying in the van for daily updates of where we were going.  I decided wisely that I needed to do more planning and spent two hours poring over choices I’d made and where I’d be camping.  It’s rather nerve racking since so much will remain in the air.  I don’t know how far I’ll get in a day and trying to determine that so we know where to dump the support van is an issue.  I may just leave it short of our destination and when we pass it, one of my partners can drive it to the nearest campsite.  We’ll see…

Taper week begins...

Sunday, August 18, 2013
Though I’m officially in ‘taper week’ and doing much less of everything, John and I decided to get in another bike ride.  I do want to be active with the bike leading into the Tour so I don’t experience the cramping that happened on my last ride.  The forecast for the end of the week is hot and humid…not a good combination for the world’s sweatiest individual.

We rode the Waite Hill course, taking our time and enjoying the ride.  I feel no need to push hard and in fact am trying to make myself ride easier.  If I don’t dial back during Tour Ohio, I will never be able to ride 8 hours in a day – my goal.  I must be the tortoise to be successful. 

I’ve been eating anything and everything lately and had two cheeseburgers for dinner.  I’ve been losing weight and want to make sure I don’t go into the Tour too thin since I suspect I will lose weight during the trip.  Though I will be eating regularly throughout the day, I could be burning as much as 6,000 calories in a day, and that’s not easy to replace.  I can eat a lot, but I have found that exercise sometimes kills my appetite.  Still, a mound of pancakes every morning smothered in butter and topped with maple syrup sounds pretty good right now. 

Bike duration:  Two hours and 12 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1700.

Lots of weeds...

Saturday, August 17, 2013
Since I was going to be on the road for the next three weeks, I scheduled time with Mimi to try and catch up with the yard. 

Weeds.  They were everywhere, just loving the rainy summer.  She had been suffering with gout in her right hand and pulling weeds was practically impossible.  I had some concerns about poison ivy; not wanting to start my ride with blisters everywhere and so covered up well and sprayed some poison ivy prevention stuff on any exposed skin.  I dove into the little arboretum we’d planted in her back yard and actually in the woods beyond the lawn.  The woods had decided to take it back and I spent two hours digging, pulling, and hacking to clear what had filled in.  There was loads of poison ivy and as I pulled the vines from the earth, knew that the dirt I was kicking up could land on me and transfer the oil it would take for another breakout.  I went in and scrubbed thoroughly on several occasions.

I worked until late afternoon and arrived back home with just enough time to prepare for Savannah’s farewell dinner.  She would be leaving for Columbus for her final year the following morning.  After dinner, I plugged in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ for Holly’s dad and me.  It is such a wonderful film though I was surprised when both Jason and Holly joined us to watch.  I seem to forget that it’s not a baseball movie, but one of regrets, forgiveness, taking chances and the simple pleasures of life.  Everyone seems to love it and Holly’s dad was no exception.

So I had to settle for six hours of yard work for my workout.  There is still so much to do to be ready for the trip and I’m counting on my current condition as being good enough.  If not, I’ll ride my way into shape over the first 3-4 days of Tour Ohio.

Yard work duration:  Six hours.

Training Heart Rate:  80 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1500.

Another long hike...

Friday, August 16, 2013
I had Jack drop me off at the park on the way home from picking him up at work.  My intention was to hike around the park for a period of time and then finish it by hiking home.  I was looking for something longer to follow yesterday’s hike so I could break in the shoes…and my feet…a little better.  I also elected to stay off the bike since I was still smarting from yesterday’s ride.

It was warm and I did manage to break a good sweat, but I didn’t have the pack on, which made it easy.  All I was looking for was more time to toughen my feet in hopes of preventing blistering.  The foot doc told me duct tape would take care of it, but I’m thinking I’d like to hike without household repair items wrapped around my feet.  I could feel the hot spots again, but not until I was almost home and close to two hours into the hike.  On Tour Ohio, I will make regular stops to give my feet a break and I’m hoping this strategy will keep them healthy and happy.  If not…duct tape will have to do.

Hike duration:  Two hours and 10 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  80 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  750.

Sweating and cramping on a good double...

Thursday, August 15, 2013
I headed out for a bike ride and noticed early that I was sweating more heavily than usual.  It didn’t feel that warm, but compared to the low 70’s we’ve been experiencing for that last two weeks, it was hot.  The humidity was high as well and combined with little riding over the past two weeks, I found that my quads were cramping after only an hour of riding.  It got progressively worse towards the end of the ride and whenever I was going uphill. 

This is a concern for me.  I know that riding around 100 miles every day for two weeks will likely leave me dehydrated at times.  Cramping will surely follow.  On flat terrain, I can deal with it but in the rolling hills of southern Ohio, I may be in for some very unpleasant days.  I finished the ride and drove to the park where I strapped on a 25-pound pack and hiked for 75 minutes.  Hiking doesn’t seem to cause cramping and it went well though I continued to lose precious fluids. 

I returned home, drank a smoothie and tried to relax.  I could see my legs twitching in about 10 different locations and this continued for the remainder of the evening.  I tried to replace the fluids and had eggs with extra salt sprinkled on top, but it’ll take some time to return to normal.

Hike duration:  75 minutes.  Bike duration:  Two hours and 5 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  85 hiking and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  450 hiking and 1750 on the bike.

An easy walk through Gully Brook Park

Wednesday, August 14, 2013
An old friend from high school, Becky Shanks, was in town and we had coordinated a meeting in the Gully Brook Lake Metropark for a short hike before heading out to dinner.  Gully Brook is a newer park and small; about 170 acres with a 1.2-mile hiking trail.  Its size, and proximity to the North Chagrin Reservation, has prevented me from ever visiting it.  It was convenient to Becky and her husband, who was not feeling particularly well and didn’t want to walk too far.

It was a pleasant hiking trail, but I quickly noticed I was being attacked by biting insects about the size of a black fly.  And they were relentless.  I smashed about twenty or so all over my body as a warning to those who would follow, but they never got the message and kept biting the entire walk.  Neither Becky nor her husband, Glenn, were being bothered.

“I’m a bug magnet.  Always have been.  Walking with me is better than applying bug spray,” I said.

We finished the hike in about 30 minutes, walking slowly to give the bugs maximum feeding time and then drove to The Local Tavern where we met Holly and continued reminiscing about high school days, learning about what we’d done since that time and generally shooting the breeze.  In the end, there was no time for a workout though it doesn’t concern me.  I’ll be doing this and that over the next 10 days; just enough to be doing something but not enough to hurt myself.  I’m as ready as I’m going to be.

A messed up Jeep and some hiking...

Tuesday, August 13, 2013
I picked up Jack from work and drove to Chesterland Auto Body where the Jeep was being stored.  Dan wasn’t convinced there was any damage to the frame and wanted me to drive it over for a closer look.  Though there was a good deal of damage to the right front fender and bumper, the radiator, I was told by Chesterland, was undamaged and the vehicle drivable.  This would soon prove to be incorrect.

I’d driven about 3 miles when I noticed steam rising from under the hood.  The temperature gauge was in the safe zone, but I pulled over anyway for a closer look.  I could see fluid coming down from the radiator and smelled that hot, pungent, anti-freeze odor.  Not good.  I’d had the foresight to bring a gallon of water with me, but could see that the fan was getting hung up due to the damage done during the accident, which made it undrivable.  I also knew Dan was on his way home and gave him a quick call.

“I’m five minutes away…be right there,” he said.

And he was.  He managed to bend the fan enough for it to turn and with the gallon of water I’d brought, filled the radiator for the drive to his place…another 8 miles.

“You drive my truck and I’ll drive the Jeep with Jack following us both,” he said, which was fine by me.

I pulled in behind him and noticed after our first downhill that he was shutting off the engine and coasting wherever he could in an attempt to keep the radiator from completely overheating.  As we drove the final mile down his street and into his driveway, I could see the steam pouring from under the hood.

“Well…it wasn’t pretty, but we made it,” he said.  He knew he’d have to replace the radiator anyway and so wasn’t overly concerned by the steam.  “I could see the temperature gauge and it never got above 210,” he said.

It is wonderful to have friends like Dan, which Jack commented on.  “Years ago we were doing a triathlon and Dan was struggling.  I’d finished an hour earlier, but decided I’d stay no matter how long it took him so I could see him finish.  When he finally crossed the finish line and saw that I was still there cheering him on, he smiled and thanked me.  I don’t think he ever forgot that,” I said.

Jack asked if I thought Dan would allow him to help out with repairs some time so he could learn about cars.  “I think he’d love to teach you,” I said.  He’s just that kind of guy.

I had Jack drop me in the metropark on the ride home so I could hike through the park and then the rest of the way home.  “You’re going to walk all the way from the park?” he asked.  I explained that in three weeks I’d be walking 115 miles in 5 day.  “Walking home is a piece of cake,” I concluded.

I hiked for 90 minutes with only minor discomfort on the balls of my feet.  I just need to keep walking and the falls will toughen.  And if they don’t, then we’ll go with Doc’s recommendation and put duct tape on them.  Either way, I’m getting it done.

Hike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  540.

A refurbished bike...a new shoe

Monday, August 12, 2013

I’d received a call from Performance Bike that UB Express was ready to go.  Since I had a bike I’d borrowed from a good friend and was planning to use on Tour Ohio, I took it with me to have them give it a once over.  Braden, the mechanic that had worked on UB had graciously loaned me his rear wheel as it was more durable and a better choice for the Tour.  He’d done all the work at no charge and was happy to take a look at the other bike.

I quickly went home, switched to my riding outfit and headed out on the Waite Hill course.  I was concerned about detraining since I’d spent so little time on the bike lately, but found that I hadn’t lost anything.  I needed to hurry the ride because I had a meeting scheduled with Mark Mendeszoon, owner of The Achilles Running Shop, to go over a fitness challenge he wanted me to set up and monitor for the store’s employees and to discuss sponsoring Tour Ohio with shoes.

After a cleansing swim in the cool waters of the neighbor’s pool, I headed for the store.  Mark described what he was hoping to accomplish with his fitness challenge; a carrot to get people (him) in shape before the holidays.  “I work better when I have a goal and a deadline,” he said.  I told him I’d do fitness tests on all contestants, help them with training programs, retest at the mid-point and monitor and compare final outcomes.

“I also need a good pair of hiking shoes for the Tour.  I’d certainly be talking about them in my updates and promoting you guys throughout,” I said.

He was more than happy to put me in a pair of trail running shoes that would serve as an excellent hiking shoe. I tried on several pairs and settled on the Brooks Cascadia 7, a light-weight sturdy pair of trail runners.  I questioned him on the proper approach to blistering during the hike, he’s a podiatrist by the way, and his advice surprised me.

“Duct tape.  Put it over the sore spot, use talc and spray antiperspirant on your feet to keep them from sweating too much,” he said.

I headed to the North Chagrin Reservation for a short walk to break them in and ended up going for 50 minutes and finishing in almost total darkness.  They were like walking on pillows, though I still had the hot spots on the balls of my foot from the previous day’s hike.  It was a nice double and left me feeling a little more confident for what was coming.

Hike duration:  50 minutes.  Bike duration:  Two hours and 5 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  85 hiking and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  250 hiking and 1750 on the bike.

A long hike...

Sunday, August 11, 2013
I should have been kayaking all day, but those plans had been scuttled.  Instead, I thought I’d take a long hike with a pack and then maybe follow it with a bike ride.  I loaded my backpack with my overnight camping gear, about 20 pounds, which I’d be carrying during the hike portion of Tour Ohio and headed for the North Chagrin Reservation with the intent of hiking the entire perimeter of the park. 

I started strong, not even noticing the weight of the pack, which was significantly lighter than what I was used to carrying in the Adirondacks.  The temperature was reasonable and as I hiked, I felt like I could do this all day long with little trouble.  I imagined hiking the width of the country on the Pacific Crest Trail, carrying a pack and enjoying the serenity of the deserts and mountains.  Hiking was easy…anything seemed possible. 

Then my feet began to feel like a blister was coming on.  I stopped and switched to a heavier sock I was carrying in my pack.  I continued to feel strong until I hit the three-hour mark.  I’d been walking about 4 mph and so was around 12 miles, but my hip was beginning to trouble me.  Though not significant, I did slow my pace and decided on a brief rest at a pavilion area where I was able to refill my water bottle.  I lay on a picnic bench for ten minutes before continuing my hike, but finding the respite had done nothing to improve my feet or hip. 

I finished the hike of 15 miles in four hours wondering what it would be like to hike another ten in the same day.  I knew I could make adjustments to accommodate my fatigue.  I’d started out walking much faster than I should have and had not taken any breaks for the first three hours.  When hiking the Ohio & Erie Canal Trail, I would be making more frequent stops to speak to people, make notes and take pictures.  My pace consequently would be slower and include rests that would be critical to covering the distances I hoped to do.

Since I’d walked so long and still needed to cut the grass, I was short on time and unable to get in a bike ride.  That and I was really quite tired and didn’t want to ride.  My body is taking a licking, but is still kind of ticking.  I must constantly remind myself not to overdo it so close to my jump off day.  I may not be entirely ready, but slow and steady will get me to the finish line I’m thinking.

Hike duration:  Four hours.

Training Heart Rate:  80-90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1700.

Struggling through the wind and waves...

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Things began going wrong early.  Winds are normally out of the northwest, which is the reason I planned on doing Tour Ohio kayaking from west to east.  On this morning though, it was coming out of the northeast, which would be putting waves on my bow and pushing me back all day.  We’d planned to meet at a park west of Lorain where I was told I could camp by one of Nathan’s friends who knew the area.  The only problem was the park didn’t exist when we arrived at the given address.  We gave up that search and went to the public lake access in Lorain.

After unloading my gear and kayak into Nathan’s Jeep, we left the van and drove to Sandusky Bay where we found a private put-in location on the eastern end of the Bay.  After loading all the essential camping gear into his 13’ Starcraft, I climbed into my kayak and pushed off into a head wind and a light chop.  I needed to paddle west at first and go around Cedar Point…the land and the amusement park.  It was an interesting view, seeing the rides and hearing the screams from the water, which were few at 7 in the morning.  I hugged the shoreline while Nathan boated in the marked channel a hundred yards to my starboard.  I was making almost 4 knots, but I had a favorable wind and the waves were manageable.  I had to paddle three miles to get around the point where all that would change.

I could see the open waters of Lake Erie as I approached the point from the shelter of the coast.  It didn’t look good, which Nathan confirmed.  I didn’t want to quit though, so I rounded the point moving east and began taking the waves head-on.  For the next 15 minutes I worked through a 1-3 foot chop and when large pleasure crafts passed and their wake was added to the mix, I found myself rocking and rolling with little forward progress. 

I have reasonably strong paddling skills from years on the water, but this was something different than I’d experienced before.  I never felt unsafe and in fact, was enjoying the challenge.  The problem was that my support boat was also struggling in the waves and coming along side for any support was impractical at best.  I’d also slowed to less than 2 knots at which speed it would take me all day to get 15 miles…nowhere near our take-out point.  I talked to Nathan and we agreed it was not a safe or ideal situation and decided to abort.  I turned my kayak with some difficulty in the chop and wind and then began the trek back to our starting point.  Returning was a breeze because the breeze and waves were now pushing me and I made it to the take-out in a little more than half the time.  In all, I’d spent 2.5 hours in the water and covered only 6 miles or approximately 4 miles less than I could have in more reasonable conditions.

For the remainder of the day, I struggled with my plans for kayaking as it related to Tour Ohio.  My goal had been to create a trail that included three disciplines and would be something recreational activists could follow.  Lake Erie, with its unpredictable nature, was proving to be a poor choice for the average distance kayak event.  As we traveled, I considered the many scenic rivers that emptied into the lake and how much more I enjoyed kayaking on them.  They were safer, much more scenic, easier to travel alone, and far less intimidating.  I made up my mind that they would be my destination and become part of Tour Ohio beginning with a run of the Grand River in the eastern portion of the state with the mouth reaching Lake Erie it’s a short distance from Fairport Harbor – a navigable distance of roughly forty miles.  To this I could add a stretch of the Upper Cuyahoga, some time on the Black River and possibly the Sandusky River and some of Sandusky Bay. 

So…though disappointed in the outcome, I’d had an epiphany about kayaking, Lake Erie, and how all this fit with Tour Ohio.  I believe the rivers will be a much better choice; more doable for the average, recreational kayaker.  I returned home with thoughts of when I’d pick up the kayaking, but thinking it best to hold off until after the bike/hike.  This would allow me to concentrate my final two weeks on the necessary preparations for three weeks on the road. 

Kayak duration:  Two hours and 30 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90-110 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1200.

Final planning and packing...

Friday, August 9, 2013
I knew what the day held for me and doubted I’d get in a workout of any kind, though that wasn’t the worst thing in the world when considering my itinerary for the next two days.  I’ll admit to be apprehensive.  My first concern was the lake conditions, which are completely unpredictable and could easily thwart my efforts.  The second was the piriformis sciatic pain I’d been getting from being in the kayak for extended periods of time.  Though the thermarest had helped on the last trip, I wasn’t convinced it would serve to keep me going for eight hours.  Finally, I was worried about the second day and whether I’d have a support boat or not. 

Marla Zwinngi and I met with Positively Cleveland in the late afternoon to solicit their support and help with forwarding the mission of Ohio Active, our web-based magazine.  From there, I hurried home to do more packing for the weekend kayak trip, including putting the racks on the van and strapping the kayak on.  Then it was off to Heidi’s art show in the Tremont district where we stayed until 10 p.m.  Once home, I put the final touches on my packing going over my supply list three times to be sure I forgot nothing.  I had to be up by 3:30 a.m. to drive to Lorain where I would meet up with my nephew, Nathan, and leave the van as our take-out point, a distance of roughly 35 miles from Sandusky Bay and one I could cover only if conditions were perfect.  If they weren’t, we’d move to plan B which hadn’t been completely formulated yet.

Blowouts suck...

Thursday, August 8, 2013

I’d taken Jack to work at 6 a.m. because he needed to leave early for his college orientation that afternoon.  I was making excellent time on a reasonably deserted freeway as I drove home, thinking I’d have a chance to get some more sleep before having to get ready for work.  I was cruising at 70 mph when suddenly the Toyota started shaking madly.  I maintained control of it with some difficulty and pulled to the shoulder reasonably certain I’d had a blowout.  I checked traffic and opened the door to investigate.  I found the driver’s side rear tire with a massive hole in the side wall, which meant I’d have to change the tire closest to the freeway traffic.  Damn.

I pulled open the trunk to find that the spare was almost flat, but had little choice but to mount it.  Twenty minutes later I was driving the remaining five miles on 271 to the Wilson Mills exit at 50 mph.  I pulled into the Marathon station and spent a dollar putting air in my tire…and I HATE paying for air.

I spent the evening preparing for my kayak trip Saturday morning.  I reviewed the put in and take out points and wondered about the conditions I’d find and what progress I would make.  On any river or an interior lake, I can typically move at 4-5 knots per hour.  Lake Erie was an entirely different story.  Depending on the direction of the wind and the size of the waves, my speed could vary from about 1 knot to as high as 5 knots.  And no weather forecast could accurately predict conditions on the lake for a time much beyond an hour.  I decided that planning trumped training and took the night off.

A steamy hike in the metroparks...

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

As the date for Tour Ohio approaches, I’m becoming more concerned about my lack of time hiking.  With that in mind and my butt still smarting from yesterday’s ride, I took Dakota to the park with a camera that had a battery for a long hike.

It was quite hot and extremely muggy; conditions I tolerate much better than Dakota.  She sweats by panting where as I use every pore in my body…to excess.  After twenty minutes or so I noticed she was dragging.  I figured she could handle it though and marched on.  My goal was a 2.5 hour hike.

I kept a 4 mph pace for the first 90 minutes, but when she started dropping even further behind, elected to slow it down.  This seemed to please her and once we went off-trail and she had squirrels to chase, she seemed 100% again.  We were pushing up against darkness as we approached our final leg, which took us out on River Road and past the marsh for a half-mile.  I was concerned about cars seeing us and had to get well off on the grassy shoulder at their approach.  Dakota prefers to walk in the road when she’s tired I learned, so I needed to constantly remind her to get up near the trees.  When we reached the car, she didn’t seem to have the energy to jump back into the front seat.  She managed though, and lay exhausted against the seat on the ride home.

I figured out that I need more hiking and Dakota will have to stay home for the long ones.  I really enjoy having her along, but summer conditions are tough on dogs.  My feet were sore and I had a hot spot…the start of a blister…on the pad just under my big toe.  Not good.  I’d been hiking in my running shoes to determine if they’d be a good fit for the Tour Ohio hike and had my answer.  I’d need to go with different socks, as well.  Still so much planning to do and time is running low quickly.

Hike duration:  Two hours and 20 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  85 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  700.

Stupid is as stupid does...

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

I rose early and was in the park with Dakota at dawn.  I’d grabbed my camera knowing the early morning is the best chance to photograph wildlife and often the best time to take great scenery shots with the sun rising and mist often rising off the ground. 

We were nearing the end of the hike and had just come around a sharp bend in the trail when a large, barred owl rose from the trail flopping its wings madly.  Dakota, as started as I, jumped back and barked.  It flew to a branch on twenty feet away and I quickly swung my camera into position for a terrific photo opportunity.  I lined up my shot and depressed the shutter button.  Nothing.

It is very important to remember some simple and basic things when using digital cameras.  They come with a battery that needs recharging.  I never seem to forget this and hadn’t on this occasion either.  What I had forgotten was to take it out of the charger and reinsert it in the camera.  The barred owl stared at me and…giggled.  Stupid photographer.

I returned to the bike shop that evening to check the progress on UB Express.  It was not ready, but the mechanic assured me he’d have it soon.  I returned home knowing I needed a ride and so I pulled Big Red off the hooks for my first ride on it since I’d brought UB home last December.  Every bike has it sizing differences and I needed to make a couple of adjustments as I rode.  I took my Waite Hill course and by the 1-hour mark, was noticing that my butt was particularly sore.  I may have raised the seat too high and was now paying the price.  The second hour did nothing to improve the situation, but I rode on thinking I’d put countless hours in this saddle and it shouldn’t bother me. 

When I finally got off the bike back home, I realized I’d been stupid twice in one day (really not that unusual).  My butt was extremely sore and the pain was again running down my leg.  I should have stopped and adjusted the seat height during the ride and would now pay the price.  Getting older doesn’t always mean getting smarter.

Hike duration:  90 minutes.  Bike duration:  Two hours and 10 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  85 hiking and 120 bpm on the bike.

Calories burned during workout:  450 hiking and 1750 on the bike.

Running smoothly...

Monday, August 5, 2013

Planning is taking up considerable time right now…and I need to be training more.  With the bike in the shop, I turned to running because I can get so much from it in a relatively short time.  It was a muggy night, but cooler in the deep shade of the running trails in the North Chagrin Reservation.  I wondered if I’d feel any residual butt, sciatic pain as I ran, but was pleased to discover it felt great.  I was thinking  I’d do another 40-minute run, but felt so good at 30 that I decided to add a trail and go longer.  As I approached the 50-minute mark, I felt some tightness in my left calf and was very happy I was finishing the run.  In pushing to maximize training over these next two weeks, I need to remind myself that it would be a horrible time for an overuse injury.  The hay should be in the barn at this point.  Anything I’m doing now is for my own peace of mind.

Run duration:  50 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm.

Calories burned:  850.

A very successful kayak trip

Sunday, August 4, 2013

I met Jim Harris at Russell Park about 6:30 a.m.  I’d brought along my thermarest, a thin inflatable sleeping pad that I thought I’d try sitting on while kayaking in hopes that my sciatic issues wouldn’t bother me.  I was not very confident.

We paddled down river for about 50 minutes before pulling out at the SR 422 bridge where there is a bar/restaurant and canoe livery.  I was feeling good to that point and was starting to think the pad might work.  We spoke to the owner and discovered they were once again serving breakfast on the weekends and told her the next trip we’d have our wallets and get something to eat.  They were doing extensive remodeling and trying hard to resuscitate the business.  It had offered canoe/kayak rental for years before ending that part of the business several years ago and it is good to see it up and running again.  The more people kayaking on the Upper Cuyahoga, the better.  The river needs advocates and those who use this magnificent stretch can’t help but become just that.

We continued down river for another 45 minutes before turning to head back.  The current was reasonably strong, which meant we spent considerably longer to return.  When we finally pulled out, I was supremely pleased to see that I’d been in a kayak for 3.5 hours and did so with relatively little discomfort.  Thermarest may have saved my butt…literally and suddenly I felt confidence in the kayaking portion of Tour Ohio.

Kayak duration:  Three hours and 30 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  1250.

Small town, USA

Saturday, August 3, 2013

I slept about five hours and was packing up my gear in the early morning fog.  I was overlooking the lake on a campsite about the size of a Honda Civic and noticed a dead limb reaching out of the water and shrouded in fog.  It was quite eerie.

I began driving in the opposite direction I would be riding, heading west and south back towards the mid-point of the state and the place at which I felt I needed to find a safer route.  I drove through the tiny hamlet of West Unity and noticed a family diner open and serving breakfast.  I passed by and then did a U-turn thinking I’d skip Bob Evans, my normal breakfast destination, and look into the local diner.  I wasn’t disappointed.

I’ve been reading a book called ‘Over the Hills’, which is written by Pulitzer prize winner, David Lamb.  He decided, at age 55, that it might be a good idea to ride his bike from his home near Washington D.C. to the Pacific Ocean in California.  He began his trek with almost no conditioning and smoke and drank throughout the ride.  He got into shape as he rode and took his time throughout his journey, spending almost every night in a hotel and eating anything and everything.  He did make a point of spending time with the residents of the small towns through which he passed; getting their stories and their views on life in their towns.  I’ve been thinking that I should do the same on Tour Ohio and then write a best seller of my own…and if not a ‘best’ seller then maybe an ‘okay’ seller.  Something that sells, at least.

I went into the diner and found it populated by what looked to be a group of retired men, maybe eight of them, sitting at a long table and just chewing the fat.  I sat nearby and listened in until one of them asked if I was there for the garage sales.

“You know…I was about to ask what that’s all about,” I said having noticed about fifty homes with signs as I drove into town on US 127.

“Well son, they have this garage sale up and down US 127 and they say it’s the biggest garage sale in the world.  Been going on since Thursday and runs through tomorrow,” one of the diners explained.

I told them I was not there for the garage sales, though I love them, but instead was laying out the cycling course for Tour Ohio.  I’d brought a copy of the magazine article in with me in the event I’d be able to tell someone about it and passed it off telling them I’d be riding through in about 5 weeks.

“We’ll all read up on this and maybe get smarter,” the diner said.  I promised him I’d be back for breakfast when I rode through.  “And we’ll be here eating and talking…just like we are seven days a week starting a 5 a.m.,” he promised.

It was exactly the kind of experience I was looking for and hoping to have all over the state.  One of the diners mentioned the Fairgrounds outside of town and how they were pretty sure cyclists occasionally camped there when riding through.

“They let them do that?” I asked.

“Seems no one’s there to stop them or really much cares,” was the reply.

I spent the next 12 hours driving routes I hoped to ride.  I managed to find more cycling friendly roads, camping possibilities and other homey, small town communities all along the route.  I like the back roads for riding, though one really needs to visit them before expecting to ride them.  I discovered one county road was nothing more than some gravel between two fields of corn with grass growing up through it.  A sign that said ‘road closed when wet’ led me to believe it wouldn’t make a good cycling route.

I did have a relatively pain-free drive and was home in time to take Holly to the Palace theatre for a showing of the movie ‘Bonnie and Clyde’.  It was as bad as it had been when I’d seen it thirty some years ago, and we left early.  Age does not improve lots of things.

Mapping out the final leg of the cycling course...

Friday, August 2, 2013
I knew I needed to do at least one more trip to the western part of the state and a final reconnoiter of the route I would be riding.  I’d laid out something several weeks ago, but was unsatisfied with the route because of the high speed of the traffic on the primary route I’d traveled.  I felt if I looked at some of the County roads instead of the primary State routes, I might have better luck.   There is less traffic on the County roads, but the trade is usually poorer condition and less of a riding shoulder.

I drove to Oregon, Ohio, just east of Toledo where I met an old friend, Mike Searle.  Mike had been the manager of the Cleveland Athletic Club in the late ‘80’s and I had served as his Assistant Manager and Athletic Director.  We’d remained close over the years and he was interested in Tour Ohio and helping me pick a route that would take me safely around Toledo.  He’d grown up in this part of the state and knew the roads well. 

After two hours of pouring over maps and a great dinner at ‘The Freeway’, owned and operated by a high school buddy of Mike’s, I pushed on to find camping for the night.  I drove to Harrison Lake State Park where at 1 a.m., I pitched my tent, threw in my sleeping bag and crashed.  I had been in extreme discomfort throughout the drive from my aching left buttocks.  The pain was radiating down my leg and I was seriously questioning if I’d be doing any kayaking at all in seven days.  I’d scheduled a long kayak in the Upper Cuyahoga for Sunday morning as the final test. 

Run/kayak double...

Thursday, August 1, 2013
I went to the park for a run knowing that I would be following it with a kayak trip.  I wanted the run because I’m trying to get in more workouts where I have to work against gravity.  Biking is great and does a wonderful job of building endurance and strengthening the legs, but the bike supports my weight and there is no impact.  Though I won’t be running during Tour Ohio, I will be working against gravity when walking and I need to do some pounding on them now. 

I felt strong throughout the 40-minute run and thought that if running was so easy, the first 10 miles a day of hiking would be, as well.  After that?  Blisters, rashes and sore feet will try to slow me down.

I got home, loaded the kayak on the Jeep and headed for the East Branch Reservoir.  I brought the camera and the binoculars, always hopeful for another eagle sighting.  My primary interest though was whether or how much pain I was going to suffer from my sore hip and into my left leg.  Driving and riding has been causing it to flare even more than before I began the stretching and strengthening exercises Nilesh prescribed, so I wasn’t very hopeful.

The water was high and the landscape serene.  I paddled on a mostly empty lake in search of eagles and hip pain.  I found the latter after 30 minutes but just kept paddling.  Through shifting and adjusting my position, I was able to paddle for 80 minutes of mild discomfort.  Paddling all day on Lake Erie in 10 days would be another, quite painful, matter I was sure.

I have to admit that I’m very concerned about the kayak leg of Tour Ohio.  I don’t want to jeopardize the rest of the trip by completely screwing up the sciatic nerve.  The pain and numbness affects my riding; something I can’t have.  I’ll do the first day of kayaking for the Tour and see where it takes me and how I’m feeling.  If it doesn’t work out, I’ll abort and wait to do it after the bike/hike portion of Tour Ohio when I’ll have seen what can be done medically.  I do want to at least give it a try, though.

Run duration:  40 minutes.  Kayak duration:  80 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  140 bpm running and 90 bpm kayaking.
Calories burned during workout:  675 running and 500 kayaking.

H-pylori is a nasty bacteria...

Wednesday, July 31, 2013
The doctor’s office called to tell me I had a bacteria in my stomach that had likely caused the ulcer called helicobacter pylori.  It’s a nasty, little bastard that attacks the protective mucous lining of the stomach thus making it susceptible to damage from the gastric acids essential to food digestion.  By ignoring my pain over the past year, I’d probably allowed the ulcer to develop.  Apparently, about half the population of the U.S. over the age of 60 are infected though most don’t know it and it never becomes a problem.  Lucky me.

I was told to take the ulcer medication for eight days and then to begin the antibiotics that would hopefully kill the bacteria.  I’m not sure why I’m waiting…I’d like to kick the shit out of that bacteria right away…but I’ll conceded that the doctor may know a little more about this than me.

I took a long ride to Dan’s to drop off the title to the Jeep.  He was going to pull the tires and the tail light I needed and then scrap it.  It was kind of sad to see the vehicle I’d driven for many years smashed to pieces.  I again thanked God that no one had been injured in the crash.  We’d get another car.  Life would go on.

Bike duration:  Two hours and 45 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  2300.

Endoscopy...a little slice of heaven.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013
I managed to get an appointment for my endoscopy quickly and arrived at 8 a.m. for the procedure.  It took all of five minutes once they got me on the table, but I remember little after that until late afternoon.  I had some recollection of telling the nurse about Tour Ohio and how wonderful I was, but little else.  Holly filled me in when she came home from work.

“He said you have an ulcer in your small intestine and they took a biopsy to check for bacteria, too,” she said. 

An ulcer?  Me?  She needed to pick up my prescription since I wasn’t allowed to drive, ride my bike or much of anything.  In fact, I found out that she’d notified the neighbors to keep an eye on the garage and to make sure I didn’t try to slip out for a bike ride after she left.  I actually had considered it around 3 p.m., though I didn’t know the neighbors were watching and would have ratted me out. 

I received a call from Alaska Paul while she was out.  “How’s this for an idea.  We take the van and one of us drives to the camping spot we hope to reach that night and then rides back along the course to join the other two.  We alternate who drives ahead each day,” he said.

Normally I think Paul has dumbass ideas…but I had to stop a moment and think this one through.  “That actually might work except I’d never be able to drive since I have to ride every mile of the course,” I said.

I called Todd and told him Paul’s thoughts.  “I was thinking the same thing.  Did that once on a long trip and it worked out pretty well,” he said.

And that would work for the first 10 days.  After that, both of my fellow riders would have to be returning to Cleveland for other things.  I would either finish the ride with panniers, get other drivers, or stay in hotels for a couple of days.  The budget…non-existent…said ride with panniers. 

So…new challenges and new opportunities.  At least I’m getting closer to what ails me and maybe I’ll be able to fix it.  I’m waiting for the biopsy and I’ll be back to training tomorrow.

Another screw-up with the Community College...

Monday, July 29, 2013
Since Jack was without a vehicle, I had to give up some training time to take him to Cuyahoga Community College where he needed to take his placement test they told us he needed.  Only after getting there and checking in, he discovered he didn’t need to take it.

“I scored high on the ACT in math, so I can skip it,” he said, happy not to have to take a test.

We walked to the Counselor’s office where I hoped to get some answers about why we kept doing things here we didn’t need to do.  I tried to be nice, but I’m not sure I succeeded.

“I’ve come up here on three different occasions and asked questions about procedure for enrolling. On each occasion, I’ve been told something wrong or not told something I should have been told.  Like…why wouldn’t you have asked him what his ACT score was before telling him he needed to be here to take a test he doesn’t need to take?”

The clerk was a bit defensive.  “Most people don’t score as high as he did…so we don’t ask,” she said.

“Well…that’s dumb,” I said, wondering again why they don’t just have some form with a checklist of things you need to do to enroll with the school.

The doctor called to tell me that the CAT scan and blood work showed nothing…at first.

“I asked the radiologist about the bump above your naval and he said ‘yeah…that looks like a hernia’,” he told me.  He also said he wanted to do an endoscopy, which meant I’d be having a camera on the end of a long, hose-like thing shoved down into my stomach to look around for whatever was causing me all this stomach pain.  I ended up not doing any exercise for the day.

Hike and bike...

Sunday, July 28, 2013
Holly and I went for a hike in the park for an hour, but I knew I needed more hiking time and told her to drive home and I’d walk.  That added another 90 minutes to my effort, which felt easy.  I’m not so sure it will feel easy when I’m doing Tour Ohio and going 25 miles a day, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I went to talk with my sag team director and next door neighbor, Pat, only to discover he’d been having some chest pain over the past several months and had finally gone in to have it checked.

“I’ve got a blocked artery and they’re going to probably have to put a stent in.  Looks like I’m out for driving the sag wagon,” he said.

I was feeling quite sympathetic…for me.  “Pat…why didn’t you just wait to have it all checked out AFTER Tour Ohio?  I mean what’s a little chest pain?  Since when did you become a little girl?”

Okay…maybe I didn’t say that.  He felt pretty bad and promised he’d still come out on the course to take some pictures.  My mind was swimming though on what I’d have to do at this late date to make things work.  The options?  Find another driver or carry our gear on the bikes.  I wasn’t prepared for a pannier set-up on my bike; didn’t have any of that equipment, and I certainly didn’t want to carry that weight on a questionable, older bike anyway.  I put in a call to Paul and Todd to let them know about the development and to see what ideas they might have.  They both promised to give it some thought and get back to me.

John arrived late afternoon for our bike ride and when I told him the news about Pat, he quickly volunteered to do what driving he could, though it would have to be in the second week of the trip since he’d be having another operation on his vocal cords during the first.

“Why do I have all these friends that are sickly and visiting doctors?” I asked. 

He shrugged and we left for a two-hour ride.  During that ride, I discovered the bike was again having shifting issues and knew that I’d be making a trip to Performance Bike for some maintenance in the very near future.  It was a good ride though, and a decent double since I’d done a long hike in the morning.  I do feel ready physically.  I know that some of the conditioning can only come on the trail and so I have to start and let it happen.  It will…if I stay healthy.

Hike duration:  Two hours and 30 minutes.  Bike duration:  Two hours.

Training Heart Rate:  80 hiking and 120 bpm on the bike.
Calories burned during workout:  750 hiking and 1700 on the bike.