Category Archives: Exercise

Exercise, Family, Injury, RVs

MUSINGS FOR SATURDAY JUNE 2ND, 2018

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“Take wrong turns.  Talk to strangers.  Open unmarked doors.  And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing.  Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out.  You’re curious and smart and bored, and all you see is the choice between working hard and slacking off.  There are so many adventures that you miss because you’re waiting to think of a plan.  To find them, look for tiny interesting choices.  And remember that you are always making up the future as you go.” – Randell Munroe

Well it has been a good AND bad week.  I will start with the good….  Getting the RV ready for a little travel this summer.  And it is always somewhat of a process.  Our RV is a thirty-foot class C Diesel Bigfoot.  We have owed it for about 12 years now.  As a family, when the kids all still lived at home, we took two really long trips out to the West Coast. They were both 25 to 30 days in length.  The two older daughters got really good setting up camp each time we stopped.  Of course, I always got the part of hooking up the sewer. LOL There were some good times in the RV with the family!

It seems like that was just yesterday but in reality, the last big family trip occurred about 10 years ago.  Dang where did the time go?  Oh well what are you going to do?  Since that time, Janet and I have done much smaller trips, and a few longer ones in which we stayed in just one place.  One of my favorite spots is at Tiger Run Resort just outside of Breckenridge proper.  I think I could spend the whole summer in this high mountain environment.  Check out there website even if you don’t own an RV.  They rent small chalets.  You can find them here at:  http://www.tigerrunresort.com/

In hindsight, I sometimes think it might have been better to own a trailer or fifth wheel.   Not only do you get a camper so to speak but a pickup that can be used every day.  And there is not as much maintenance required.  Because it is a motor home you have the transmission and motor to maintain if you are not using it year round.  So far, my plan each year has been to start the engine every 30 to 45 days and drive it.  I store it about 12 miles away and this helps in that process.  I usually try to drive it each time about 30 to 50 miles just to lubricate the engine and transmission.  So far it has worked well.  As of 2018 it only has about 20,000 miles on it.

Funny, ever since we got it back in 2006 I have been thinking about getting a bigger one.  I know this does not fit with the 5-wheel idea, but….  A part of me really wants to own a big class A at some point.

A big diesel pusher.  I think that would be so cool.   I have become one of those that likes to go to a new place to camp so to speak and then I want to be there for a while to just explore the area.  To really get to know the new location.  And this idea really fits in with a much bigger RV.   Well…. maybe someday??  Who knows!!  LOL

I have pulled a car behind it since I have owned it.  The first time with a tow dolly and a Chevy Aveo.  And that was always a process, driving up on the ramps, hooking up the Aveo, making sure the straps were tight, etc.….

Now I am pulling a Subaru Outback with a manual transmission, that can be pulled with all four wheels on the ground.  And so far, it has worked really well.  I am happy with it.  A lot less effort needed than using the tow dolly.    I just need to practice with it more often to get used to it.  This may be one of my goals this summer.  To get really comfortable pulling the Subaru behind the motor home.

 

Well, now for the bad news.   The next Ultra is this Saturday or was supposed to be.  I had some right hip pain while finishing a run last week.  Did not think too much about it and it did not bother me over the weekend at work.   Did a 6-mile walk with Janet on Tuesday and still felt pretty good, just a little soreness in that area.  On Wednesday – went for a short run at about 50% effort, just to see if I was going to have some pain to that hip still.  Well I got about three miles into the run, stopped for a bathroom break and that was it.  Damn, the right hip area actually became painful.  Never really had this happen.  Painful enough that I did not feel I could run at all and even walking was hard.  Luckily, I was not too far from home.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS), liac crest, Gluteus medius, Tensor fascia latae, Gluteus maximus,Vastus lateralis, Iliotibial band, Tibia tubercle, Patella, Inflammation of the iliotibial band (ITB) causes outer knee pain and possible pain in the hip, MendMeShop TM ©2011

My best guess is that it is an Upper IT band injury or Iliotibial Band.  Most of the individuals I have seen with this injury complain about it in the knee area, but it does run all the way up to the hip.  That is where my pain is, right at that upper Red Dot in the picture.  And it does feel like the Tensor Fascia Latae muscle that connects to the IT band is also sore.  Not sure how I did it.  But my best guess is not enough cross training this year and I may have injured it initially doing Yoga.   Oh well – no matter how I did it, this will be a slight set back, I hope….  Nothing to do but to give myself time to recover and regroup.

Bummed about the Ultra.  It is called the “Dirty Thirty” and I have run it before.  50k distance or about 32 miles.  Great race and volunteers and I was looking forward to running it again.  Check out their web site at:  http://dirty30.org/.  Well time to heal instead and look forward to next year for this one.  My main races this year are the Never Summer 100k and the Run Rabbit Run 100.  And I want to be as healthy for them as possible.  Well that is it for me this time.  I will post again next Friday or Saturday!!  Adios amigos!!

 

Exercise, Family, Longivity, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, Trail Running, Transhumanism

MUSINGS FOR FRIDAY 25TH, MAY 2018

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“The pessimist is not guaranteed a tomorrow. And, if tomorrow does come, the pessimist does not expect to feel better at the same point in the race…. indeed, it might feel even worse. So, the pessimist plugs on and accomplishes their goals today. And today is the only day that counts.”  Gary Cantrell

 

Well it has been a good week so far. Got to see some of the family this week and that was a really good thing. I have not seen my sister Cathy in a while and anytime they are up visiting their son in Denver (my nephew) I want to take the opportunity to see them. Even though the visit was brief it was good to see them all.

My wife Janet and Richard (my nephew).

 

My daughter Cathryn and my two great Nephews, Ford and Henry.

 

My sister Cathy and myself.

 

And of course, the proverbial group picture.

Not pictured is my nephew’s wife Laura and my brother in law Rick…somehow, they escaped all the pictures?  Thinking about the two great Nephews gives me pause and I wonder where has the time gone.  And that does make me feel a little old.  Older than I want to be.  And what is that about?  I want to live as long as I can and as healthy as I can.  To be able to truly enjoy life when I am 100 and older.  I don’t want to be confined to a Nursing Home.  I am a believer that there is some really smart guy or gal out there right now working on the longevity questions and how to extend life indefinitely.  But not just indefinitely but to be healthy and fully functioning at the same time.  My oh my how that would change things??!

If you are a true believer in one of the worlds mythologies (religions) then how would you wrap your head around this?  I mean really, how would you and still believe?  If it became possible in the future to not die of old age?  To stay alive as long as you want barring any kind of incurable disease or trauma of some kind.  I don’t think we as a species have thought much about this.   But with that said, some have, especially some of the wealthiest individuals in the world today.  They have put a significant amount of money into this research.  As an example of a few:  Larry Ellison (Cofounder of Oracle), Paul Glenn (Venture Capitalist), Dmitry Itskoy (Russian Multimillionaire), Peter Thiel (PayPal and Facebook fame), and Sergey Brin (Google Cofounder) to just name a few.  This give me the belief that in 20 to 30 years, or maybe sooner, we may have some real progress in longevity.  I have heard that the first kid to live over 150 years of age has already been born.  Can you imagine spending 30 to 40 years in one area of work and passion but then being able to switch to a different field entirely.  Spend the same amount of time and then switching again and again and again.  Wow!  Of course, with all that there would be some big adjustments in current life.  Retirement?  Religion?  Environmental? Family? Sociology? Psychology? etc.… To just name a few.  But maybe this would be the best motivation for humanity to move off world and maybe even to the distance stars?  Some might see a reason why this research needs to be curtailed but for me I don’t see these issues as problems, but challenges for humanity.  From the Trees, to the Plains, and then to the Stars….

The futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil believes that we are approaching this point.  His belief is that the emergence of A.I. will usher in this Golden Age of Humanity.  That what seems impossible now will become common place.  That A.I. will create what he calls the Singularity.  A rapidly developing and accelerating technology growth, an explosion in technological progress that happens overnight.  Now before you start doubting this, you should check out a web site called:  https://phys.org  It is a “churn site.”  It does not publish its own data but short synopsis of research that is occurring around the world.  In almost every field.  And it shows when it was published.  And every day it changes, sometimes hour to hour.  It’s the sheer volume of information in different areas of research that is published each and every day that gives me chills just thinking about it.  I believe that Ray Kurzweil has it right when says we are fast approaching a time when a break through in technology will seem just like magic.

It is like we are on a mathematical curve that approaches an asymptote, the y value changes become larger and larger in relation to x.  Almost to the point that the line described is becoming vertical.  Kurzweil thinks this will be when we truly create AI or Artificial Intelligence and then, well then, all things become possible in short time frames we never thought imaginable.  Have a problem…. get an AI to work on it and bingo solutions appear where there seemed to be none.  Wow!  It would be truly amazing if things work out this way.  Just unreal and if you are still in your 50s or younger and reading this…well you might live to see it happen and more?!

Now some see the immortality question from a little different angle.  They see humanity becoming immortal by embracing Transhumanism.  And to some degree this has already happened in several areas of medicine.  This can be thought of the blending of human and machine so to speak.  If you have any of the following then you could be considered Transhumanist: cataract replacement with artificial lens, joint replacement with mechanical parts, an artificial heart valve, implantable penile prosthesis, pacemakers, even amputees from the last middle east conflict that use advanced prostheses.  All of these can be considered Transhumanism.  And as technology move forward, my guess is that we will see much more of this, no part of the body will be off limits.  My personal opinion is that it will be a blending of human and machine that will truly allow us to be immortal.

Well that is probably enough for this week.  In the word of Gary Cantrell, there is no guarantee for tomorrow.  Not yet anyways.  So, I need to get out and do some training for the next Ultra attempt.  It is June 2nd in Golden Gate State Park.  Called the Dirty Thirty.  Check out the website:  http://dirty30.org/  It is a 50k or about 32 miles.  Here’s hoping to no mud, but of course it is an Ultra and in the mountains.  So, you never know what you are going to get.  Take care my friends…  Have a great Holiday weekend.

Exercise, Genetics, Quad Rock 50, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SATURDAY 19TH, MAY 2018

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“Life is good, bad, beautiful and ugly…but it is all experience, so drink it up and guzzle it down my friends, for it is all we are given.”  EB

Well another good week.  RAN the Quad Rock 25 and not the 50 last Saturday and that was an experience…  This was my forth time to run the 25.  And each time it has been different.  This year was no exception.  True to course the weather did not fully cooperate….  Yes it was cool (good for running), yes it did not rain hard (just a light mist), yes there was really no wind, and all of this was fantastic for running…. but it made up for these by giving us runners and spectators a taste of MUD…. REAL MUD!!  Not quite the “Wrath of God” type of mud but close to it.

I have never had the experience of running in mud like this for a long distance.  And what I learned:  It is one thing to just run a mile or two in mud but quite something else to find it on about 40 percent of the course.  Now I am probably exaggerating a little bit because when you are out there in it….  Well it just seemed like it was everywhere.

Think of chocolate cake icing about 3 to 6 inches deep.  Slippery, somewhat sticky to real sticky, and did I say slippery… you get the trail conditions.  Halfway through the first 25-mile lap I was already thinking that one lap of this Mud Fest was enough.  I am a “slow runner” and my best time for this course is 6 hours and 10 minutes.  This year’s mud slowed me down enough that I finished the first lap in 7 hours and 30 minutes.  An hour and 20 minutes longer…. Oh well, that is what I am blaming it on.  It is all EXPERIENCE.

A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers that hung out in the cold and wet.  Without your help and dedication this would have been a much less enjoyable race.  And a shout out to GNAR runners for putting on the Quad Rock.  As always, they put on a great show, no matter the weather.   Will I be back next year??  Absolutely!!  Will I be shooting for the 50 again??  You bet!!

 

Well on a different note this week, I noticed that I have been using an app on my phone to track my calories and food choices among other things, called Lose it!  I have been using the app for about three to four years now. And for me, this is a long time to be using the same phone app.  Wow!  Now you would think my first thought would be I really like this app.  But you would be wrong…my first thought was “WTF” – Where did the time go!!  The “really like part” came as the second thought….

Now, you may be wondering if I have been that “anal” to log every calorie and food choice since I first started using the app….  The answer is no, a resounding no, but at the same time it has really helped me to see trends in how and what I eat and where I could do better.  It can tell me how many calories for the day or week, what are the ratios of fats to carbohydrates and protein.  And one that I have really started to pay more attention to but is not directly related to nutrition.  That one is sleep.  A good way over time to see what your averages are for sleep which can lead to better recovery after those long trail runs.

One of the best features with this app is that it syncs with several other programs.  As an example:  It syncs with Strava, which syncs with Movescount (Suunto Watches) so that my exercise data transfers over in calories burned for the day.  It has helped me to lose about 20lbs since I started ultra-running.  When I turned 50 I was right at 183lbs.  Then over the course of a year I lost down to about 155lbs but became stuck.  I stayed at this weight for about two years.  I would gain a little bit, then lose a little bit.  A kind of Yoyoing back and forth.  Which became very frustrating.

Then I discovered the Lose It app.  Which allowed the better tracking of calories and helped me to drop another 20 lbs.  But, it was not just about the tracking of calories that helped, it was the amount of protein, fat and carbs and the ensuing “change of habits” that really helped.  One of the things that astonishes me now and still does at times, is the amount of food you can put away if you are not being a little more mindful.  As an example, I would come home from work (working night shift) and think nothing of adding a “small snack” before going to bed.  When I started tracking this, the small snack was anywhere from 500 to well over 1000 calories!! Do this a few nights every week and it adds up…. Way up…. It also can give you calories for various types of day to day activity or you can add it after looking up calories burned for a specific activity.   There are also informational sections of the app about food and nutrition.

The developers have recently added one on genetics called embodyDNA.  If you have already had your DNA sequenced by Helix, the National Geographic sponsored one, then for an extra 50 bucks embodyDNA will use it to let you know things about DNA-based insights on BMI, Low Fat Diets, Saturated Fat, Sugar, Exercise and Nutrition.  Also, possible sensitivities like lactose tolerance, gluten tolerance and caffeine metabolism.  I think if you want to get serious about your nutrition and create a food environment to let your body run as efficiently as possible this is one way to do it.   Here is the link to the Lose It! Website:  http://www.loseit.com/  and the embodyDNA site:  https://embodydna.com/

Check them out and let me know what you think!!  Well that is all for this week.  See ya next Friday.  First Columbine Flower for the yard bloomed a few days ago.  Always beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review, Exercise, Psychology, Quad Rock 50, Trail Running

Musing for Friday 11th, May 2018

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Well it’s has been a good week. Lots of resting and waiting and wondering what ifs!!?? The Quad Rock 50 is on Saturday. Did I do enough training, did I do enough specific training… hill work, long steady distance, Aerobic Threshold, Lactate Threshold, and Aerobic Capacity, etc.…. Did I do enough so that I can finish?? Again, I think back to the Ajahn Brahm quote:

“Doing a task is usually easy. Thinking about a task makes it hard.”

So true and add to this the weather change that could be an issue on Saturday AM. Colder and wet? 10 days ago, the forecast was going to be 75 degrees and dry, but now as the time approaches it looks like the best models show a low in the 40s with a high in the 50s and rain? Oh well at least it will be cool but I would prefer not to run in the rain. The muddy trails add some issues but I think this is something to get use to. The unpredictable nature of Ultra Running in the mountains. I do know that once I am doing it……then all this thinking, thinking, thinking and more thinking becomes academic… I am out there doing it.

One of the books that I have read this year is by Matt Fitzgerald called RUN – The Mind-Body Method of RUNNING BY FEEL. I liked the book a lot. For me there were some very useful sections. Chapter 10 was one those. It is titled Anger, Fear, and Speed. Specifically, it was the section that talked about the “Fear of Failure” and the anxiety that it induces. I used to think that the anxiety I experienced days before an event was a bad thing. I would spend countless hours in the days leading up to an event trying to find ways of lessening the anxiety. Not really facing it. And the anxiety would get worse, to the point that I would talk myself out of running. Even after spending countless hours training and planning.

Matt helped me to see the anxiety from an Existentialist view. It is just a symptom or sign that you are challenging yourself. The anxiety is about you pushing yourself into this situation. It is a call to work through the anxiety, fully embracing it, instead of taking the easy way out and just trying to make it go away. By facing the anxiety, the challenge of the race, the pain, you strengthen the core of who you are. It is a chance to step up to what sounds impossible, run 50 miles in my case, and make it possible. The opportunity to move beyond where you are now and become who you see yourself as being. To become more authentic so to speak. And you do this by facing the anxiety, struggling with the anxiety, wrestling with it, and in the end make your decision to race. Success or failure, win or lose, does not really matter, it is that you went to the “abyss” and returned a different person.

You can find the book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/RUN-Mind-Body-Method-Running-Feel/dp/1934030570

On another note I have been working on getting the garden planted. Always a little iffy at this time of year. Colorado weather this time of year can be a little schizophrenic. Warm and dry one day and cold and snow the next. Last year we had a late spring snow. That caused me to have to replant a lot of things. Usually if the forecast is good through Mother’s Day then you are good to go. Last year I believe it was after Mother’s Day that it snowed. I am risking it again this year but except for the rain and cold on Saturday it seems that the temps will stay above freezing.

Tomatoes and peppers

 

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Blackberries – hard to see them with all the other vegetation.

I moved all of the garden plants to the front yard this year. Not enough sun in the backyard when the Ash tree is all leafed out. So hopefully we will get a good crop of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. I also planted several raspberry bushes and black berry bushes. So, it will be interesting to see how it all grows this year.

More peppers with cucumbers and lavender and you can just barely see catnip.

I did plant more lavender this year to attract more bees and winged insects. The catnip plant is coming back with force again this year. I had to prune it back multi times last summer.

The Yarrow and Russian Sage is starting out nicely too.

Well that is the start of the garden this year. As things progress or not I will post more photos. I am hoping that I can coax it along and get a pretty good crop. Now I know it is a lot easier to just go to “Whole Paycheck” or one of the Farmer Markets in Fort Collins to get vegetables. But there is something satisfifying about growing your own food. My parents for several years had a garden and I remember picking peas and green beans as a kid. Maybe that is part of the draw? I am not sure. Or maybe it is just my way of being different… putting it in the front yard for all to see?? Never liked mowing grass and if I could I would cover the entire yard with raised garden beds. I am sure that the homeowners association would love that… Oh well I think that is it for me this time. See ya next Friday.

One last picture….How I feel about running right now!!

 

 

 

Dinning, Exercise, Life and Meaning, Psychology, Quad Rock 50, Religion

Musings for Friday 4th, May 2018

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Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.

Joseph Campbell

It has been another good week. Cathryn and Janet both had Birthday’s this past week. Cathryn turned 20 and Janet turned 57. Or as she likes to call it…she has reached “Level 57”. I think that is pretty funny. Myself at the moment, I have reached “Level 56”. When you say it that way, it doesn’t sound so bad. Like you’re in some kind of video game and the object is to reach the highest level. LOL. Now that is funny.

The restaurant for Cathryn’s Birthday is called Café Vino and I would recommend as very good. It is in Fort Collins. Check out their web site at: http://cafevino.com/

The one that we went to for Janet’s Birthday is in Windsor and is called Chimney Park. And it is very good too but has a little different ambiance. Café Vino is a little more relaxed in my opinion and Chimney Park is something I consider more formal. The difference in food quality is minuscule. There are things I can get at Café Vino but not at Chimney Park and vice versa. Of note there is a better beer selection at Café Vino. For me it really comes down to what I am hungry for and whether I want to drive to Windsor or not. The web site for Chimney Park: http://www.chimneypark.com/

My suggestion is check out the menus online and decide from there. I don’t think you will be disappointed by either.

 

On a different note, I have been watching a video series called the “Human Universe.” It is hosted by Physics Professor Brian Cox and it is on Curiosity Stream. The link for the web site: http://curisotystream.com

The series is composed of 5 one hours shows and are listed as follows:
1. Ape-man – Spaceman
2. Why Are We Here?
3. Are We Alone?
4. A Place In Time And Space
5. What Is Our Future?

It was filmed in 2014, so it is about 4 years old, still fairly recent in the scheme of things. They are all pretty good. But the second one raised a few questions. From the closing scenes of the second show:

“If the Theory of Inflation is correct it explains how our universe appeared apparently from nothing. And it also strongly suggests that there is not just our universe but a vast number, perhaps even an infinity of them.”
“We have known for a long time that we are infinitesimal specks in a vast universe, but now the suggestion is that we are infinitesimal specks in a vast infinity of universes.”
“Our current best theory for the origin of the universe, backed up by experimental evidence, suggest that there are an infinite number of universes. An infinite number of copies of you and me and the existence of the whole thing is inevitable, no purpose, nothing special, you are because you have to be.”

 

Now I don’t know about you, but damn that gives me chills just thinking about it. If this was to be proven at some point. It would be a radical change in our cosmology. “An infinite number of copies of you and me and the existence of the whole thing is inevitable, no purpose, nothing special, you are because you have to be.” Wow! Watching this film series reminded me of the quote that I placed at the start of this blog by Joseph Campbell.

“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”

I think that the quote fits in very nicely with the above idea of an infinite number of universes. The Universe does not need a purpose to exist. We do not need a meaning to act. The actions that we do, give us the meaning. And you don’t need to have some kind of “mystical being” overseeing it all. The quality of our world is made better by US. We are our own validation, we are our own authority. The power to make the world a better place or not resides in us. Again, Wow! A little scary, and to some degree liberating. Definitely something to ponder……

OK, OK enough of the soapbox for now. The film series is a good one to watch. Here is a trailer from the series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF53SrCIQRI&list=PLrBWchMkYBlD6Dg53t3KGdx2AonTwo_Zq&index=6&t=0s

Last but not least just a quick note about training for the Quad Rock 50. In a nut shell it is going well. No injuries so far this year. And I feel pretty good after a 20-mile training run, as if I could continue on without too much difficulty. I believe this to be a good thing.
I am lucky to live where I do. First it is Colorado, second it is Fort Collins, and third the city of Fort Collins has had a great open space and trail program for about 40 plus years. A few blocks from where I live I can pick up a trail called the Powerline Trail that connects with the trail system in Loveland and to the trail system in Fort Collins. Truly I can get in a very long run just from the house with what I call minimal traffic interference, except for one road crossing. The section of the Powerline trail that I like to use most for running is a 5-mile dirt section next to the concrete path. I have nick named it the treadmill. It is useable in almost any weather, 150’ of elevation gain or loss and it is very close. I think that it beats running in the basement with the TV on hands down expect in the most inclement weather. Well that is it for me. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Powerline Trail looking North

Powerline Trail looking South towards Loveland. Lots and lots of crab apple trees in this section.

Exercise, Psychology, Quad Rock 50, Trail Running

Musings for Saturday 28th, April 2018

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“Doing a task is usually easy. Thinking about a task makes it hard.”       Ajahn Brahm

“Do or do not…there is no try.” Jedi Master Yoda

Well so far this has been a good week. Bought a new car!! Yea for us!! A Toyota Plug in Prius. Never owned a hybrid before. Did not want a fully electric car that was totally dependent on charging stations, but instead something that could run for a distance on battery and at the same time would be able to switch over to gas for extended range. Or run on gas only if needed. The car was for my wife Janet. She had been driving a 12-year-old Chevy Aveo that was starting to get a little worn. So, with that being said and being environmentally conscious. I steered us in the path of a hybrid. Not sure how this will work out but ask me in a year how it goes?! Hopefully it will all be good.

Now you might ask why a hybrid? Why not just get a fully gas vehicle that does not have the battery? It would defiantly be cheaper. I spend a lot of time outdoors and I have become very aware of Colorado’s Air quality. You can look up each day’s air quality in real time. Well I guess it is not fully real time, but usually delayed by an hour or so. I think that this is probably close enough. The air quality link for Colorado is: http://apcd.state.co.us/air_quality.aspx

This picture taken on February 24, 2014 shows visitors wearing masks in Temple of Heaven in haze-covered Beijing. Dangerous smog which has blighted swathes of northern China in recent days has prompted a spike in air purifier sales, local media reported Monday, as pollution continued to shroud Beijing. China’s National Meteorological Centre issued a “yellow” smog alert for much of the country’s north on Monday, the fifth consecutive day of heavy pollution which has slashed visibility and seen pollution reach hazardous levels. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Luckily, we don’t have the air pollution that China does. And I want to be part of the movement in this country that keeps it this way. But that does not mean our air is clean. The thing with our air quality is something that shows up in your health down the road. It is like smoking or poorly controlled diabetes. The affects might not be immediate but give it years of exposure and you will start to see problems.

SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

Thinking ahead and wondering if this will be something that we will have to worry about. Or as we switch from fossil fuels to electric will it be something we look back on and wonder how we ever let the environment get that dirty? Now the later would be nice. How many cardiovascular deaths and lung cancers would be prevented just on Colorado’s Front Range if the air quality was a lot better? And this does not even include the rest of the world.

Well on a different note, the training for the first Ultra that I am signed up for is going well. It is the Quad Rock and it is a 50 miler. It is two loops though Lory State Park and Horsetooth Mountain Park. Beautiful hilly terrain that is treed with Ponderosa Pine and has great views of Fort Collins and the Colorado Front Range. This race is behind Fort Collins on the west side of Horsetooth Reservoir. There is about 11,000 feet of elevation gain/loss with this run. The group that puts this race on is Gnarrunners.com. Their race management skills combined with a wonderful group of volunteers, has created a great early season Rocky Mountain Ultra. Check out the web site out at: http://gnarrunners.com/quad-rock-50/
Usually I am not at my best running form this time of year but I changed a few things from last season. This year I am training by Heart Rate and what is known by Heart Rate Variability. I am keeping track of each workout using a heart monitor so that I know where my pulse rate is each time I go out for a specific type of run. I have the tendency to think that I am going easy but in reality, I am going too hard and vise versa.

The second part is every morning the first thing I do is take a reading with the heart rate monitor to see where my HRV (Heart Rate Variability) is for the day. I use an app called “Elite HRV” and the chest strap and sensor are by Suunto. It gives me an idea of how hard to go each day. I use this information to formulate a plan for the days training. Sometimes what I think I can run is not what I should run. And so far, this has worked well or seems to in my mind. I guess the proof will be in the pudding so to speak with the test of the first Ultra.  The web site for Elite HRV is:  https://elitehrv.com/

One more week to go with training and then a few days of rest. THEN SHOWTIME… Always getting a little nervous as the time draws close. Prerace jitters…. This is why I chose the quotes that I did at the first of this blog. The first one is by an Australian Buddhist Monk by the name of Ajahn Brahm. He is a great teacher and I have found many of his talks very insightful. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be Buddhist to understand the message. Check out the website: https://bswa.org/

The second one is by Yoda and always gives me inspiration when trying something hard.

It is so true that we usually can do something once we are doing it so to speak, but the “thinking about it” is what drives us crazy. That is truly the hard part. How many times do we fuss and frit over something but once we are doing it, things that we worried about kind of take care of themselves or don’t and you find you really didn’t have any control over it to begin with. But you keep doing it. So why worry…. Only, if only I could always follow this advice!! LOL.
Well I think that will be if for me this time. I want to do these each week covering different topics as they relate to my life and the lives of others. Let me know how you feel about them, good or bad or indifferent. I appreciate all feedback. Till the next time… Adios amigos!!

Exercise

Smoke and Ultra Running

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Friday 8th, September 2017, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Life is good and I cannot complain too much!!   EB

You can’t control everything.  Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out.  Let go and let life happen.

“Anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”  Khalil Gibran

Well the three weeks of training in Breckenridge was fantastic. Great mountain weather with the occasional afternoon thunderstorm but nothing that would be consider “Noah’s Flood” material.  The temps were in the 70s for daytime highs and the low 40s at night.  Not too bad.   To top it all off, even after three weeks of running different routes I felt like I had only covered a small percentage of it.  This will definitely become a “to do” each summer.  All of this was to get ready for the Run Rabbit Run in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

 

Now that I am up at Steamboat, and ready to run,   I am finding that there are things that I have no control over.   Those “things” are the Forest Fires out in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and of course Colorado.  There are two fires close to Steamboat and the air quality for the last couple of days has been questionable.  This, to say the least, is creating some anxiety in me.

This picture is from Wednesday looking toward the Ski Area and Mount Werner.  The picture below is from Thursday evening in downtown Steamboat.  Now this does not look as bad as the pictures from Montana but thinking that I am going to run in and out of the smoke for about 30 hours.  Well I am guessing that this is not the best thing for my health in the long term.   So….you would think that this would be a “No Brainer” – don’t run.  But when you have put in miles and miles of training, spent money on travel arrangements, rearranged work schedules, etc…. Things become a little more complicated.   What to do…what to do??   I decided to NOT run.  And I rationalized it this way.  We live in a very toxic world that our ancestors did not have to contend with.   Those that chose to run in the smoke will take a significant “hit” to their respiratory/cardiovascular systems and they are going to go back to cities, towns, homes and even jobs, that are much more “toxic” than what their ancestors had to contend with. I do believe that stress like this can be accumulative and in the long run disease causing in the human body.  So I asked myself why risk it?  And the answer was don’t…  I want to be able to run something like this when I am in my 80s  and potentially when I am 90.  There will be other Ultras out there and I want to stay healthy enough to run them.

 

 

Exercise, Trail Running

Friday 11th, August 2017

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Breckenridge, Colorado

“Life is good and I really cannot complain too much…No one would listen!!”

Well I thought it was about time to start my Blog Post again. I think the last one was back in December 2016…Way too long to let it go. I am in Breckenridge Colorado – living in the RV for a few weeks while I get in a couple of days of trail running in preparation for the Run Rabbit Run 100. I have never done the 100 mile distance but I am hoping that the high altitude training and trail running that I do in the next couple of weeks will put me in good shape to finish this distance.

Met a guy on the trail the other day that has done this distance multi times. His advice was to take it really slow to start – to truly “run my race – besides at your age who are you racing against?” Kind of funny but this really hits home. I known this was the truth but the way Rick said it really took it to another level for me. I realize that I needed to go out as if I am going for a long walk/run and I am only interested, really only interested, in how far I can go. To walk/run at a pace that is enjoyable…to keep the breathing and heart rate down. To be mindful, really mindful of how much huffing and puffing I am doing climbing the mountain.

Rick reminded me that the 100 mile distance is a “long way and the real race so to speak does not start until after the first 50 miles.”  After doing the 50 mile distance 5 times now in races…I think that is really good advice.  Well that is probably about it for now. Hope you enjoy the trail porn and maybe I will see you out there on the trail!!

Exercise, Quad Rock 50

FRIDAY 8TH, MAY 2015

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INTO EACH LIFE SOME RAIN MUST FALL
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

SOME PEOPLE JUST WALK IN THE RAIN, OTHERS JUST GET WET
– Roger Miller

Well darn they canceled the Quad Rock due to weather. The park managers decided that there would be way too much damage to the trails if they allowed the race to proceed. I guess that is always a potential for any urban trail race. Horsetooth and Lory State Park are very close to Fort Collins and Loveland. So close that they could be considered part of the Fort Collins / Loveland urban corridor. Not only did the park managers close the race to the event, they have closed both parks to everyone this weekend. My guess is that part of this closure is not just related to trail damage but also to potential liability and safety. You get a group of people out running a 25 or 50 mile race in rugged terrain with a lot of climbing, 5500 feet for the 25 miler and 11,000 feet for the 50, and add in the potential for snow and dropping temperatures in the afternoon on Saturday, well there could be some issues. I am writing on Friday afternoon and the temp in Lory State Park at the moment is 44 degree Fahrenheit. This could really lead to some hypothermic situations on Saturday.

I know how I feel after doing a 50 miler in good weather, not sure how I would feel after doing the same distance in challenging weather. It could become an issue of evacuation or rescue? I recall some friends that I made at last year’s Leadville Training Camp, talking about the previous year’s Silver Rush 50 trail race. According to them the race started off in good weather but towards the very end a large thunderstorm rolled in and preceded to drop what appeared to be “Biblical” amounts of rain, falling temperatures and small hail for the last hours of the race. They talked about how it became more of a rescue than a race for a lot of contestants. Or the time talking with a Steamboat Spring resident about the weather issues at the 2012 Run Rabbit Run 50 miler. Again it was during the last part of the race when a weather front moved in and dropped rain, snow, high winds and falling temperatures. Per this individual “the snow was falling sideways” and people were not prepared. Getting everyone off the mountain and accounted for was a huge struggle for race officials. A lot of participants needed to be rescued.

So what do you do when you have all the training in place, you have rested, you got off work, rearranged schedules, and you have put all the pieces in place to get ready for this one big day. And then it gets canceled!! Aggghhhhhhh!! Good question and I do not have the answer at the moment. It is like getting ready for a big wedding but then the bride or the groom backs out? Then what? Have your own party? I think that most trail races go off rain or shine, especially if the weather is good to start with. But when it starts with marginal weather to begin with, and the forecast is for it to get worse? Well then I cannot blame the park and race managers. Looking at the big picture I would make the same decision. I think tomorrow I will have my own party so to speak in Fort Collins. Maybe a 12 or 24 hour run in the city just to see how far I can go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well on a different note. I bit the bullet so to speak. Told myself that I would not pay that much for a sports watch, but what can I say? When my old Garmin Forerunner 101 gave up the ghost I needed a new GPS for training. My first thought was to just replace it with another Garmin which would have been the cheapest thing to do. But after thinking about it for a while I found what I WANTED, not what I needed, I wanted a better sport watch and that is what I got!  Wow I am glad that I did this.  I was currently using a Suunto Vector for elevation gain/loss measurements, a Polar FT4 for heart rate and the old Garmin for distance. After looking at different reviews I decided on a Suunto Ambit 3 Peak. The nice part is that it replaced all three of the above units. I get elevation gain/loss measurements, heart rate and GPS. I have been using it for about 2 weeks with running and biking and so far I am very happy with it. But this was not the best part, during the research part of this purchase, I discovered the Movescount App, the Strava App and the App called “Lose It!” All three of these are amazing apps in and of themselves, but what really makes this cool is that the Apps all connect. The watch with the Movescount, the Movescount with the Strava and the Strava with the Lose It App. I feel that I get the same kind of feedback that I would get with a personnel trainer. Pretty cool. I am guessing that in the next 5 to 10 years, all watches will be App enable and the Apps themselves will be able to communicate with each other. It will probably not be too long before we all have our own personnel trainer so to speak but it will be an AI of some kind. This gives me a weird, scary, cool feeling all wrapped up in one. Only time will tell.

Well that is it for me this week. Stay safe, but play in the rain a little. See ya out there!!

Just a quick note the Quad Rock was reschedule for Sunday June 14th!!  Yea!!

 

 

Exercise

FRIDAY 3RD, APRIL 2015

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“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
– Goethe

 

The Quad Rock is getting closer and training is coming along slowly. Too slow for my likes but what are you going to do about it? Now that I am a few years over the age of 50 I find that recovery takes a lot longer than when I was younger. Doing heavy workouts day after day can take a toll when you are 25 to say the least but when you are 53 it can be a recipe for injury. Last year was an OK year but could have been better. I did remain injury free until about the middle of August, but then I suffered an insult to my left knee. I believe it was due to over training and not enough rest. This year I am trying to train a lot smarter.

Last year’s late season injury started after a successful run at the Silver Rush 50 in Leadville. There I had improved my time by one and half hours in the 50 mile distance. For me that was huge. Riding on the euphoria from this race, I was really looking forward to another successful run at the Run Rabbit Run in September at Steamboat Spring. I took about 10 days off after the Silver Rush and was feeling pretty good when I started back training. This was around the first of August. After the personnel best at the Silver Rush, I really wanted to nail the RRR. So I had it in my mind that more training equals better performance and maybe that might have been true when I was 25. The reality was that I needed to train smarter, not harder.

While finishing a great trail run behind Fort Collins, I decided to push the last few miles a little harder than usual. And it was that decision coupled with a lot of running the weeks before that started the cascade. After the run my left knee hurt a little but nothing too painful. That should have been the first warning sign to back off. But did I listen to my body, nope, told myself that I needed to run the next day and besides the weather was beautiful. That next morning my knee was still hurting, so I told myself that I would still get out and run – but just make it an easy one. I told myself the same thing the next day and the next. Just do an easy run when what I really needed was rest for a few days. Not only did I not listen to the continued soreness in my knee, I was not getting a lot of sleep – telling myself that I would make it up later. The interesting thing was the knee soreness never really got any worse it just persisted – until about a week later. Well you can probably fill in the rest of the story. Sad to say but it took a good month and a half for it to heal.

So when I started training this year I wanted to do it smarter and just by chance one morning my wife told me about a new book that had just come out, called “FAST AFTER 50” by Joe Friel. Joe used to write an exercise column for the Fort Collins Coloradoan years ago when we first moved to Colorado and being an enthusiastic reader of the column back then – I immediately looked it up on Amazon. Man am I glad that I did. Since his early days in Fort Collins Joe has written and coauthored several books on training and nutrition for the endurance athlete. This new book shows that experience and the research that has taken place in the last 20 years on the older athlete. I am now into my second reading of the book and that is saying a lot. I cannot recommend this book enough. Especially if you are over the age of 50. I would even go as far as to say if you are over 30 then this book can help you. It is for all endurance athletes. Easy to read and easy to apply the principles in training.

Funny – I am not a religious man or even what you would consider a spiritual one but sometimes the “Universe” moves in strange ways. I wasn’t even looking for a new book on training, especially one for the older athlete – denial has always been one of my go to defenses against getting older. I just figured I would look through some of my older books and magazines on running, and see what I could learn and relearn about proper training. But there it was – the door opened – and just what I needed was offered up by the “Universe.” Crazy! I will keep everyone updated with how the training is going over the next several months. This year’s races are: Quad Rock in May, the Leadville 100 in August and the Run Rabbit Run September. Depending on how my training is going and how I feel I might add the Silver Rush 50 in July. But that might just be wishful thinking…. My mother had a saying when she was in her elder years: “Old age is not for Sissies” and she was right.

Well that is all for me this week. The pictures are from running the last few days. The top one is in the Running Deer Open Space looking west towards Long’s Peak, the second one is the Pelican Marsh Open Space and the third one with the Mule Deer is off of the Poudre River trail – all in the city limits of Fort Collins. Hope to see you out there!!