One party down...one to go

Friday, December 9, 2011
I arrived at the Metropark with the intention of getting in a short run.  A light snow was falling, a condition in which I love to run.  I put on my minimalist shoes with the intention of going another 30 minutes landing on the forefront of my foot as I’d done during the previous run.  My calves were still a little sore from doing this kind of running two days earlier, but I assumed that once I got started the pain would dissipate.  Wrong again.  I made it about 10 minutes when I felt an acute pain in my left calf...the same one that has given me grief over the last 10 years...and immediately stopped running.  I figured I was done for the day and would have to ride longer when I got home, but after walking a couple of minutes, I started up at a slower jog and managed to get back to the car without further damage.  I think I need about four days between runs and may have to alternate running styles until I build up the calves for the stress of running on the front part of my foot.

Once home, I hopped back on the trainer and returned to the movie ‘Secretariat’.  Disney did a wonderful job telling the story of what many feel is the greatest race horse in American history.  Certainly what he did in winning the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown...a 30 length victory in the Belmont Stakes...stands as the most astounding race since horses have run the oval track.  It was like watching the Green Bay Packers play Mayfield High School...absolutely no contest.

Holly and I found ourselves at Kirtland Country Club for a Christmas party later that night and the menu was loaded with calories.  I’d burned plenty during my workout and before coming, had made a huge smoothie to take the edge off my appetite.  I didn’t have any appetizers and drank only diet Pepsi during the cocktail hour.  For dinner, I had the Caesar’s salad, steak and lobster...but skipped the butter on the lobster and left the potatoes on my plate.  I did have a small piece of banana cream pie for dessert, but compared to Holly’s, it was minor league.  I believe I made it the first step of Christmas party weekend burning more calories than I ate.  Tomorrow is another day...live in the moment.

Run duration: 20 minutes.  Bike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running, 130 for the bike.
Calories burned:  350 for the run, 850 for the bike.

'Secretariat'...what a horse.

Thursday, December 08, 2011
The Survival Workout was less than my best effort today.  I started pretty well...83 push-ups and lifted my log more times than I ever had before...but that was about it.  I added a new lift...10 clean and jerks with a 50-pound rock.  Its great core work...and really total body, including cardio if you put 10 together in quick succession.  I was able to climb the swing set post again since the pole was dry...but very cold.  I kept bumping up against deer wherever I went, too.  At one point, I had eight watching me lifting my rock. 

I returned home, plugged in the movie ‘Secretariat’ and began to ride.  It’s a great movie and if Holly hadn’t come home, I’d have ridden until the end.  Instead, I made it 95 minutes before quitting. 

Holly suggested we go someplace good for dinner and I threw out Pizzazz and calzones.  It’s not exactly Paleolithic, but I love their Sicilian calzone.  I had a diet Pepsi to wash it down and nothing else...so not too heavy on the calories.  Tomorrow...Kirtland Country Club for a Christmas party and more temptation.  I’ll do my best not to be ‘worthless and weak’.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.  Bike duration: 95 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW, 120 for bike.
Calories burned:  600 for SW, 1330 for bike.

Learning how to run...again.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I’d been watching the video of my interview with the running shoe doc, playing it over and over and concluding that I really hadn’t listened to his advice about breaking the minimalist shoes...or my feet...in slowly.  More importantly, I hadn’t changed my foot strike at all and that was surely where my heal pain had come from.  I went to Google and began searching for the Tarahumara runners and found everything I needed about foot strike, barefoot running and running in minimalist shoes.  I could see what they were doing...striking primarily on the outside of the forefront of the foot.  Since I was again ready to do some light running, I’d decided it was time to make a conscious effort to make that change.

I laced on my old running shoes figuring I should work on one thing at a time...the first being the foot strike and only after I’d perfected it would I try out the shoes again.  I started slowly down the trail, purposefully landing on the front of my foot as I’d observed in the videos.  I felt like I did playing the outfield in baseball...up on my toes.  My first impression was that I was running faster than usual and when I reached a checkpoint...I was.

I probably should have run about 10 minutes and called it a day, but once I’ve started anything there is little chance I’m going to stop soon...or sensibly.  I ran for 30 minutes and towards the end of the run, I could feel the stress I was placing on my calves by running so differently.  This was good and bad.  Good...because it told me I was running correctly.  Placing the front of the foot down first increased the stress on the calf muscles and was to be expected.  Bad...because I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow...and the next day.

This was a work in progress and would take continued concentration as it was an unnatural way for me to run.  I headed home knowing I needed some time on the trainer...and something to watch to deal with the boredom.  I chose a disc with the episodes of the Andy Griffith show from the first season.  It’s my favorite sitcom of all time, but only while Don Knotts in the show.  I watched three episodes and managed a 75 minute ride to go with the run.

I had another decent dinner eating vegetable soup into which I put about 6 ounces of chicken breast.  To that,  I added a great smoothie with two bananas, an orange, a cup of blueberries, yogurt and apple cider.  I suppose my discipline is being aided by the simple fact that Holly hasn’t yet made any Christmas cookies.  I do have two holiday parties to attend this weekend so I think I’ll keep doing doubles until then.

Run duration: 31 minutes.  Bike duration: 76 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 running, 130 for the bike.
Calories burned:  535 for the run, 1125 for the bike.

Another great double.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Though the rains had been falling for 48 hours, I had to go to the park for a Survival Workout.  I had packed my boots that morning figuring the trails would be extremely sloppy...and I was not disappointed.  I pulled on my water-proofed gloves and dropped to the ground for my first set of push-ups...which became my new pr with an 88-count.  I tried for 89 and made it three-quarters of the way up before collapsing back into the mud.

The workout continued at that pace...high numbers at every station.  I tried some picnic table hops in the boots, but by the second trip over, I felt a twinge in the groin and aborted immediately.  I also elected to walk up the hill instead of trying to sprint.  When I reached Clear Creek and found it swollen to impassable, I decided to find and alternative route.  I hiked upstream and found heavy logs on the bank and wrestled them into the water as a makeshift bridge.  It took an extreme effort to lift and roll water-soaked logs in this fashion...making for yet another interesting addition to the Survival Workout routine.

Once over the creek I added another 83 push-ups.  I was now in a position to break my three-set pr if I could manage 70 for my last set.  I continued to do extra lifts along the trail knowing I was hurting my chances to finish with more than 70 push-ups but also acknowledging that I was behind in my workouts and wanting to get the most from this one for every muscle group.

I returned to the car with arms swollen and exhausted with the effort of the workout.  Ignoring this, I dropped in the mud and started counting.  I moved past 70 on wobbly arms and finished with 73 and a 3-set record of 244.  I’m sure I can make it to 100 by the new year now, but I’d like to get a 3-set record of 300 as well.

Once home, I hopped on the trainer and plugged in the movie ‘A River Runs Through It’ for a one hour ride.  I love this movie about two brothers growing up together in Missoula, Montana and fly fishing the Blackfoot River.  The cinematography is amazing with shots of the river with the mountains of Montana in the background.  Makes me want to head west every time I see it.

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.  Bike duration: 65 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW, 120 for bike.
Calories burned:  600 for SW, 850 for bike.

Interviewing Mark Mendeszoon

Monday, December 5, 2011
As so many of you know, I’m the new ‘In the Long Run’ columnist for Ohio Sports and Fitness Magazine.  The December edition is an on-line magazine and my first assignment included visiting with and interviewing Mark Mendeszoon, owner of the ‘Achilles Running Shop’ in Mentor.  My biggest interest was in finding out more about the minimalist running shoe movement...the pros and cons of barefoot running.  As you may also know, I received a pair of those somewhat minimalist shoes that day and ran in them for a week before experiencing severe heel pain and putting them aside.  My own fault, naturally.  I ignored the doctor’s advice and did too much too soon in a pair of shoes designed for more of a forefoot strike while still running heel/toe.  Anyway...check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=afrJE8jCkLA

It was another day without activity.  I was trying for a Survival Workout, but the unrelenting rains pushed me to the sidelines.  I cooked a Paleo dinner for Holly and me, at least.  I scrambled some eggs and mixed in chicken breast, onions, mushrooms and spinach.  I’m trying hard between parties to control the calories.  If I can make it through the holidays gaining only a few pounds, I will consider it a huge success.

Injured in my sleep...again.

Sunday, December 4, 2011
I don’t know what I’m doing while I sleep, but for the second time in a couple of months I woke up and couldn’t walk.  This time it was the right groin and the pain was so severe, that my leg gave way when I stepped from the bed a 4 a.m. to make a bathroom visit.  I caught myself on the dresser and forced myself to make it to the toilet…peeing on the floor was not an option.  I limped back to bed and rolled to my back…the only position in which I could find any comfort but from which I snore loud enough to shake the pictures from the wall…which pleases Holly not at all.

I don’t know what did it.  I went to bed feeling fine.  I had ridden hard and felt some twinging as I pulled up on the pedals during some rapid ascents.  I spent the day sitting as much as possible and was forced to cancel a planned Survival Workout with Paul.  I did get to catch up on football, though watching the Browns was no treat.  By the end of the day, I was beginning to feel better…and lazy…and concluded that I could at least do some push-ups.  I did one set in the family room which felt entirely wrong.  I’ve been doing everything outside…usually on cold, wet earth with twigs and pebbles poking in my palms…and the carpeting was just…foreign.  I only managed 72 reps, which I attributed to my unnatural environment, so I took it outside next to a dog turd I’d yet to clean up…and popped 82 for my second set.  The sweet smells of nature give me strength.

By the time I went to bed, I was about 80 percent and really wondering why something that made it almost impossible to stand could come and go without my knowing why.  Sometimes fitness hurts…and that’s all I have to say about that.

A perfect December riding day...

Saturday, December 3, 2011
I started the morning by picking up Alaska Paul and driving to Kleifeld’s in downtown Willoughby for a ham and cheese omelet, coffee and conversation.  We needed to go visit John so Paul could see all the wonderful painting I’d done.  Paul brought up how he would like to have a vacation property in the Carolina’s for getaway trips.

“Forget those Carolina’s.  We could find a fishing cabin in some remote part of the Adirondacks for practically nothing and then we’d have our jump-off point for all of our serenity trips to the mountains.  I could take folks up that were trying to get in shape for some great hikes and climbs to cap their conditioning,” I said. 

He liked the way I was thinking.  I would like to get up there for some winter activity…snow shoeing, skiing and maybe getting up some of those peaks and taking the beautiful winter pictures I’ve seen from these mountains. 

Afterwards, I made my way to Mimi’s for some simple tasks that didn’t really burn any calories.  I was busy trying to fix an outdoor lamp that had been ruined in a wind storm, but after an hour of trying, figured the 40+ year old light was not going back together.  Mimi hurried me because she knew I wanted to get in a ride on what was a perfect day…for December.

I was on my bike by 2:30 and looking forward to a 2-hour ride without too many layers of clothing.  It was somewhere in the low 50’s and sunny…in December…as I headed for Waite Hill and my favorite course.  It began to cloud over and the temperature dropped a few degrees during the ride, but even flying down Wilson Mills at 50mph didn’t have me shivering.  I pulled hard throughout the ride, but was noticing some discomfort in my right knee and thigh, and backed off a little over the final miles.  I managed a little more than two hours and felt I’d done enough to combat the Christmas party calories I’d be getting later that evening.

And it was close.  I worked my way around the hors’ devours table, nibbling on things I didn’t recognize in the hope that I’d like something.  There were no vegetables or lean meats and I was hungry so I ate about anything that would fit on my little, plastic plate.  After consuming bunches of hollow calories, I had a couple of peanut clusters to finish off the night.  My commitment to make it through the holidays with a modicum of sensible eating was off to a horrible start.

Bike Duration:  Two hours and ten minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1900.