Saturday,
February 16, 2019
I went on a three-mile hike
with Dakota because I was meeting with an old friend, Jeff, and his wife Katie,
for a four-mile hike into Fisher’s later in the day so that we could discuss
their current conditioning and nutrition program and she wouldn’t be able to
join us for that. Jeff is the person I
referred to in a recent posting who had, as so many people do, used the scale
as his barometer for success (or failure) in achieving his fitness related
goals. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, but had let his efforts slip after hearing from friends and family how good he looked and thinking, 'yeah - I'm done'. Over the next couple of years, it all returned. He has come to realize the error
in his ways and he and Katie are both all about the lifestyle changes that are
what matters and how they make the real difference in the long run.
“Forget the scale, Jeff. You’re still too focused on it. Realize that if you continue to pursue an
active lifestyle – because you LIKE it – and eat in the sensible and modified
way you’re now doing, weight will fall off over time, your clothes will fit
differently and most importantly, you’ll be in the game and not a spectator,” I
said.
He nodded agreement. We spent most of our time hiking and later
eating, discussing goal setting. I
stressed how important I believe it is to have an event in mind that forces you
to condition yourself if you are to complete it in a satisfying manner. “That’s why I challenge myself with 130-mile
hikes and 1,100 mile bike rides around the state of Ohio. I want to do them and can’t unless I train
hard and for a long period of time.”
It just works. Finding the right thing is the trick. I told them both I’d love to have them join
me this fall for a hike and climb in the Adirondacks. They are outdoor people and if they don’t
take me up on it, I think they’ll challenge themselves with some other event
that will serve the same purpose. I have
no doubt they will succeed. They are
focused and they have experienced what happens to their lives when they aren’t.
Hike:
Two hours.
Training
Heart Rate: 70-90 bpm hiking.
Calories
Burned: 800.
Bonus:
25,000 steps
Friday,
February 15, 2019
Over 230 years ago, some guys
got together who we now refer to collectively as our ‘founding fathers’, fought
a war of independence with Great Britain, started a new country and designed a
system of government outlined in a document call the United States Constitution
to see if they could make a representative, democratic system actually
work. Every American citizen living
today who went through the primary school system has likely (if they were
listening) heard that their government was all about ‘checks and balances’ and
made up of three branches so that no King or dictator-like person would ever be
able to call the shots and rob them of freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights, amended to continue to protect those freedoms as time
challenges and changes what we knew then about such things. This is all a long-winded way of my saying
that whether I agree with, support, or acknowledge President Trump as the legal
leader of our Executive Branch of government, I will NEVER agree with his
latest policy/attempt to circumvent the will of the majority of Americans, as
represented by our Legislative Branch – Congress – to declare a ‘National
Emergency’ and take the funds he needs to fulfill a campaign promise of
building a wall (funded by Mexico for those who want to get technical and refer
back to what he ACTUALLY promised) on our southern border with Mexico. He is being challenged legally as he moves
forward, stripping the dollars to support military projects already vetted by
the Pentagon and Congress, to get the money he wants for ‘his’ wall. He will also be challenged by members of both
political parties in Congress as even Republicans do not like a trend towards
an Executive that can get around the Legislative branch to spend money and do
what it wants even when Congress has declared the intentions of the American
citizens it is sworn to represent.
Anyway…never a dull moment with Mr. Trump as president.
I came home from work Friday
with the intention of running with only one day’s rest. Is it too soon to put them that close together? Probably.
Did it stop me from suiting up and heading out the door to attempt a
15-minute run? Hardly.
The towpath was frozen like
concrete – something I try to avoid when running for the last thirty years, but
options were limited. As I began to run,
I paid special attention to all the things happening to my body that were
indicators that a running life at 63 was different. I find it harder to catch my breath as my
body ramps up from a resting pulse of 55 to a steady heart rate of 150 beats
per minute for the run. The lifting and
lowering of my rib cage, brought on by increased respiration and the aches in
my low back, ankles, hips and knees were all in evidence for the first five
minutes. Slowly, as the blood pumped
through my body, redistributing itself to the parts that were now working the
hardest, I began to feel like my old running self. I was moving slowly, but didn’t care; only
wanting to complete the time with no serious damage – particularly to my left
foot’s plantar tendons. When I reached
15 minutes and still felt reasonably good, I began walking and cooling
down. Though I could experience pains
later, I was happy at that moment.
Dakota and I went from my run
right into her hike and completed another four miles over the next hour. I kept the running shoes on as it is my hope
that they will continue to form to my gate the more I wear them. For now, all is right in my exercising world.
Run:
15 minutes.
Hike:
One hour.
Training
Heart Rate: 150 running and 70-90 bpm hiking.
Calories
Burned: 800.
Bonus:
23,000 steps
Wednesday,
February 13, 2019
I began my second run of my
return to ‘runner’ status with some soreness in my legs. And it wasn’t the soreness from exercising,
rather more of what I’m referring to as ‘old man’ soreness.
Yes…I’m conceding that my body
suffers from aging. I know that the
aches I suffer in my hips, elbows, and hands, to name a few, are the result of
aging. Sure…I could stretch more and do
exercises to prevent these things, but I didn’t used to have to. It’s just that I’m there now. Anyways, I began running and felt soreness in
my ankle and leg that I knew would go away and so I continued on. The towpath was icy and I used caution as I
ran to the farmer’s market for my turn-around.
I was planning to just run the same distance as I had on the first day,
and though that would have been sensible, it wouldn’t have been the cowboy way,
so I continued on for two additional minutes for a total of 13 after which I hiked
several miles with Dakota.
Pitchers and catchers reported
to their big league Spring training camps yesterday and so, despite edicts from
our knucklehead president about walls, national emergencies, and what an amazing
human being he is, all is right with the world again. “Baseball, I think, is the greatest sport,”
stated the legendary Babe Ruth as part of his farewell speech and a truer
statement was never uttered. As I march
the final months towards my retirement and think and plan for all the things I
would like to do, seeing all of the minor league ballparks moves closer to the
top of the list. Hopefully I will be
dragging John, Donnie and Paul along for the ride because I think it is
something worth doing and writing about and will create memories that will last
the rest of our lives.
Run:
13 minutes.
Hike:
One hour.
Training
Heart Rate: 140 running and 70-90 bpm hiking.
Calories
Burned: 800.
Bonus:
21,000 steps
Sunday,
February 10, 2019
“How do you know why a pair of
shoes was returned?” I asked the REI associate.
“It’s here…on the ticket. It says, ‘returned because they fit differently
at home’,” she read.
I was looking for a good pair
of running shoes and had been put off by the $120-plus price tags on the new
stuff. I was heading for the door to go
to Dick’s for something cheaper when I’d spotted the ‘garage sale’ room. REI has a fabulous return policy for all
members, which costs $20 and lasts the rest of your life. Bring anything back, regardless of how worn
and used, for up to one year and receive a full refund. They take these items and put them out for
sale at more than 50% off for bargain hunters like me.
I tried on the shoes which were
like new and walked around in them. I
was looking for something with a lot of arch support to help combat my tendency
towards plantar fasciitis injuries. And
all of this because, as I head towards retirement, have decided I’m too young
to retire from running.
Running – or ‘a runner’, which
am I and what’s the difference? Anyone
who runs for exercise or as a sport knows.
There are plenty of people who run as part of an exercise routine, but
because it isn’t their only form of exercise and don’t do it religiously, will
say that they run but don’t call themselves runners.
For many years, I was ‘a runner’. It began when I joined the track team in
ninth grade, thinking I was fast and would be doing something in the sprint
events. I found out quickly I possessed
simply average speed. The head coach
sent the team out one balmy, early spring day to run five miles. Everyone except the distance runners groaned,
including me. I ran the first lap with
friends in the middle of the pack, but as they began to tire and drop back, I
moved up to join the distance runners.
By the third mile, I was leaving some of the distance guys behind and
running with the varsity. I finished
five miles with that group no worse for the wear and with a new understanding
of my running talents.
I’ve run marathons and competed
in triathlons. I’ve run over 70 miles in
a week and through the years managed to win a road race and win and place in my
age group several times. Nothing great,
but certainly above average and plenty good enough to be considered ‘a runner’.
Then injuries, other interests,
and father time set in. I enjoyed hiking
and backpacking, cycling, and kayaking so much and when I put the Survival
Workout into my routine, decided that the constant problem with injuries meant
I should give up running and stick to the things that didn’t seem to bang me up
so badly. Probably a good decision.
But once a runner, always a
runner and with all the runners I see in my new location in the Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, it’s hard not to dream of doing it again. And so, thinking how to do it correctly, I
found myself at REI.
I took the shoes home, laced
them up and dressed appropriately for a winter run, and headed for the
towpath. The plan in my head was to run
five minutes and stop. As I thought about
where I would be in five minutes, I changed that plan. I did, however, limit myself. I had done a run late last summer while
training for my hike of the Northville/Placid Trail. At that time, I was in good shape and when I
started to run one day, found it to be so easy that I went for 30 minutes
before stopping. The next day my plantar
was inflamed and walking was difficult.
My goal was to avoid a repeat of that stupidity.
I jogged down to the farmer’s
market – about ¾ of a mile away, turned and came back. I ran a total of 11 minutes and called it a
day. I wasn’t done though, picking up
Dakota and doing a 6.5 mile hike. My
legs were sore afterwards, but it was that good kind of sore that was only
letting me know I’d done something, but not too much. I’ll wait three days and try it again,
sticking to the 11 minutes and very gradually moving it up. I will be ‘a runner’ again.
Run:
11 minutes.
Hike:
One hour and 45 minutes.
Training
Heart Rate: 140 running and 70-90 bpm hiking.
Calories
Burned: 850.
Bonus:
22,000 steps
Thursday,
January 17, 2019
“I think we have some mice in
the storage room,” Lisa said.
She keeps all kinds of
wonderful snacks for our many volunteers in a large room that also houses my
two main furnaces. She buys and stores
the food. I buy and store the mouse traps.
“They’ve been in the candy bar
bag here,” she pointed out as she began removing empty wrappers.
I counted as she pulled them
out and when she reached thirty, I knew we had a problem. Now…these are only the bite-sized variety…but
thirty? Either I had a mouse weighing
around twenty pounds and diabetic, or a village. Either way, it was going to be a challenge.
I set the traps with peanut
butter and both were cleaned out the next day without being triggered.
“Okay…it’s more than a
diabetic, fat mouse. I think it’s also a
very clever mouse…like Caesar from Planet of the Apes smart,” I told Lisa the
next day. Then it occurred to me. Snickers was the bar of choice by far and so
I loaded some of the gooey bar into two traps for the night. Next morning, I had one dead and one tripped,
but no mouse. There was a trail of blood
leading from the trap, though.
We were breeding a Super Mouse,
I feared.
Over the next several days, I
disposed of 12 mice and finally three days went by with no trap being disturbed
in any way. Epidemic over, I think, but
the possibility of a Super Mouse – too smart to mess with Snickers-laden traps
– has moved on to other hunting grounds.
I picked up Alaska Paul and
took him to Dodd’s Camera where he was purchasing a mini-camera for his
upcoming trip to Nepal. He will be
spending a week hiking above 17,000 feet and even visiting base camp for Mt.
Everest. Sherpas are mandatory and he
will only be carrying ten pounds a day, but at that elevation tying your shoes
can be exhausting. I have watched so
many different documentaries of climbs in that part of the world and have no
interest in the pain and agony, financial investment, time, and danger people
must put themselves through to be there and climb. Paul is doing his part on the cheap; just
hiking and camping at lower levels and taking in the beauty of the world’s
tallest peaks. He can only do what he
does at his age because he always takes care of himself. He maintains a trim weight, hikes, cycles,
kayaks, or runs daily. He is my hero
when it comes to retiring and seeing all the sites of the world he wants to
see. He’s checking off his bucket list,
and has been, for as long as I have known him and that goes back to high school.
We put in a four-mile hike
before returning to my place where he wolfed down two plates of spaghetti,
quinoa, and garlic bread. He always eats
like he’s been on a 7-day fast. He will
be in town for the week and so I’m thinking we’ll get in some more good
hikes. With a blizzard approaching,
hiking may be our only option.
Hike:
One hour.
Training
Heart Rate: 70-90 bpm.
Calories
Burned: 350.
Bonus:
22,000 steps
Wednesday,
January 16, 2019
Even I’m bored reading about
what I’m doing for workouts these days, so I can only imagine someone reading
because they WANT to. Better times are
coming and I’m going to keep on writing as continued motivation.
I did receive a satisfying not
from an old friend on Facebook yesterday.
It read as follows:
I have started up a serious
work out program once again and I am remembering the things you taught me when
you helped me out years ago. Back then I
was serious but I had a couple fatal flaws with my mind set. I viewed working
out as a near term goal to reach and I let everyone around who praised me for
losing all of my weight go to my head to where I left “I arrived” and
eventually I stopped taking care of myself as I should because I felt I reached
my goal. I am now viewing my health as a lifestyle change.
I
remember taking him to the woods for a Survival Workout and preaching to him
about goal setting and lifestyle changes.
Back then, as now, I need something specific to keep me on task. Yes…I like being fit, but can easily blow off
a workout when I don’t have something specific I’m targeting. Hence – trips to the Adirondacks, cycling
adventures and other challenges that help to keep me working out. My friend is realizing he needs the same and
it’s such a wonderful feeling to know that you’ve had a lasting, positive
impact on another’s life…and that they take the time to share it with you.
Dakota
and I weathered another cold night hiking in three inches of snow. Not too bad, but it certainly adds to the
effort. My heart rate walking usually
hovers in the seventies, but in the snow it is up at least ten beats. We did a short loop, but not before I’d
passed 20,000 steps for the third day in a row.
Tomorrow…Alaska Paul arrives.
Hike:
One hour.
Training
Heart Rate: 70-90 bpm.
Calories
Burned: 350.
Bonus:
22,000 steps
Tuesday,
January 15, 2019
Tuesday is rib night at Fisher’s
in downtown Peninsula and although it was in the lower 20’s, I decided my
workout was going to be a hike on the towpath into town for dinner.
The trip is four miles and it’s
flat as a pancake, but with snow and slippery conditions, it proved to be a
more difficult hike. One of the three
footbridges, closed a year ago for replacement, is still unfinished. If Trump gets his wish and if they start
building a wall because of the supposed ‘National Emergency’, I don’t think
this contractor should be involved. The
wall will take as long as it’s taking the Indians to win another World Series
with them on the job. In any event, I
got around the barrier and crossed on the temporary bridge, as all hikers have
for the past year.
The trail is a good place to
walk and think in the winter. There are
no worries about cyclists needing space to get around or even other hikers to
greet. I was alone and it was dark over
the last mile of the hike. I made it
into Peninsula in a little over 70 minutes, which is just a shade longer than
when the path is dry. I was actually
even sweating as I walked into the tavern to find Miggie, who was meeting me
for dinner and then driving me home.
As much as I enjoy walking, I
will again attest to the power of my Fitbit.
I wanted to hit 20,000 steps for the day and, along with half a slab of
ribs for only $8.99, was the motivator in taking the hike. I needed 9,000 steps when I got home and that
meant a hike of some five miles. Hence,
my trip into Peninsula.
Hike:
One hour and 10 minutes.
Training
Heart Rate: 70-90 bpm.
Calories
Burned: 400.
Bonus:
21,000 steps
