Retrospective and Resolutions

I conceived of this post as a 2011 retrospective, with some 2012 resolutions thrown in.  Having looked back on the year through iPhoto, Facebook timeline, and this blog, I came away with a few surprises and a few memories.  Current state probably influences memory more than the past events themselves, so I will say that after a wonderful few days at home, a great afternoon, and a cold beer in the backyard while the kids played, the year's memories seem pretty darn good.  I don't think that's far from the truth.

As far as fitness goes, this was an odd year.  My knee has been "acting up" since October 2010 (and was probably injured about a year before that), so my running has been just weird.  I had a good training cycle through the fall of 2010 despite the knee, and this paid off big time in February 2011 with a P.R. marathon here in town.  Running since then has been spotty, and I am in fact having surgery on my right lateral meniscus in three days.  I do think there is a good chance it will help, and look forward the the post-rehab "Don't call it a comeback..."  The beauty of an injury, in truth, is that it helps you focus on other things.  In no particular order, I have spent a lot of time on yoga, lifting, and road biking.  A highlight of the year was traveling to Georgia with my good friend Gary and riding the Three Gap Fifty, the mini-version of the Six Gap Century.  Yoga has acted as a semi-spiritual bridge between working out and meditation (a need previously fulfilled by running).  Lifting continues to feel good.  Currently, I have also sprained my right wrist, so all my activities are limited, but that, too, has its place and time.

Food has been another focus of the year.  As with most of us, I have been trying to get ride of that "last" 5 or 10 pounds for quite a while -- don't worry, I don't think I'm fat, but I know my weight and body shape when I've been really fit.  After some unsuccessful and perhaps fairly insincere attempts to eat better or less, I finally gave the "Paleo" concept a try, and holy shit, it worked.  For six weeks, six days a week, I ate only meat, vegetables, fruit, beans, and nuts/seeds.  Beer was allowed.  The seventh day was "cheat day."  By the end of the six weeks I had lost 7-8 pounds, was fitting into pants I haven't worn since 2004, and definitely noticed an improvement in energy level.  I try very hard to avoid proselytizing diets (or anything, for that matter), and I am still working to integrate this into my everyday, permanent life -- perhaps cycling the diet for six weeks on and two weeks off -- but it has been quite a good thing for me at this time.

Although this has been primarily a "fitness" blog - a little more varied than in 2010 since I haven't been able to run much, there are more important things in life than fitness.  What else has happened this year?  I continue to enjoy and treasure my family - my wife and our three children - as we grow and develop a sense of internal home-ness. Slowly but surely we are moving forward from the utter shock (and awe) of raising young children after a fairly active and free single and early married life.  We are fortunate to be living near my parents, and to be involved in a wonderful church (not coincidentally, the church I grew up in).  It has been challenging to continue moving around while I complete (slog through?) medical training:  challenging to develop a true feeling of home, challenging to nurture friendships and relationships, andchallenging to feel settled.  We do have wonderful friends here, wonderful friends elsewhere, and a large and loving extended family.

Our major vacation this summer was a long road trip to visit old friends and see family, and it was a true highlight of the year.  This was actually an awakening to what adventures we are capable of in this (still) new phase of life.  While the road trip may have been a crystallizing event, gardening has been the slow-burn, everyday reminder of family togetherness, growth, creativity, and fun.  We are fortunate in Florida to have two growing seasons per year, and although the productivity may not have been high, it has been a tonic to prepare the earth and plant with the children, to eat fresh herbs every night with dinner, and to go and inspect the rows every evening.

Looking forward by first looking backward:  how did the resolutions for 2011 hold up (the first list was of general goals, the second list was fitness-related goals)?
1) Presence.
   --> sometimes2) Develop the less cynical, humbler, and less judgmental self.
  --> still needs to come out3) Meet Jess's needs and wants before my own.
  --> I hope this happened enough, but I want to make it happen much more.4) Garden and eat the food!
  --> Yes!!

1) Maintain consistently healthful diet - devise a sustainable way to deal with temptations, convenience, etc.

  --> Finally, yes.

     - This includes reducing caffeine intake to a reasonable level.

          --> A cruel joke.
2) Regular yoga to lead to meditation alone.

  --> Not yet, but working on it.
3) Real periodization of training. (i.e. approach it like real training!)

  --> Some success

3) Regular cycling and leg strength training to begin after February marathon, to prevent recurrence of knee injury

  --> Happening

4) Regular speed/tempo training (running).

  --> For the future.

6) Repeat p90x with Jess!! (Start date: mid-March)

  --> Not interested for now.

7) Plan +/- train for ultramarathons to progress to 100 mile run.

  --> For the future

8) Less drama about getting up for pre-dawn workouts - just do it.

  --> Unsuccessful.

So what about 2012 resolutions?  Here is what I had come up with as of New Year's Eve:
1. Bike to work consistently.
2. Less caffeine.
3. Regular time of day for exercise.
4. Focus on injury prevention
5. Tolerate more "chaos" at home -- a combination of being present and controlling anxiety!
6. Continue cycled paleo diet.
7. Make a career decision (i.e. get a job versus further training) and don't look back.


But, just today I saw that a friend had posted Woody Guthrie's 1942 New Years Resolutions, which summarize the heart of the matter far better.  So, I leave you with that.

Ephemera

There have been some very memorable moments in the last few weeks, and I even jotted (or the modern equivalent) a few of them down.

Two weekends ago, when the weather was a bit hot, I took a nice long bike ride, added too much powder to my Gatorade, and had to drink a syrupy concoction for nearly three hours. On the plus side, I ran afterwards, making that my first brick in at least five years! I'm not planning a triumphant return to triathlon anytime soon, but it felt pretty good. On same bike ride I had a long burst of unexpected energy - not from a tailwind as is the usual cause.

A more exquisite and ephemeral moment was the first bite of a porcini and truffle oil risotto at a local restaurant (Sabore) in the midst of a very fun dinner with Jess and my parents. In my reality, a slow dinner talking with friends and family ranks right up there with a great run as one of life's true pleasures.

Somewhere in the last two weeks, Max was tired and sat still in my arms while I sang to him. He is rarely still, so just as the other day when he fell asleep across my chest it was sublime. The irony is that we have seen many different sides of Max after an accident/incident one week ago. He had his little toe partially amputated in a recliner, and after a few days of staying calm, the gruesomeness and fear started to sink in for me. It is too easy to brush it off as something minor that will have no lasting impact (which it won't), but really I think this was a big deal for us. No coincidence that for the few days he couldn't walk, his language development went crazy.

Otherwise, life has been good. Work is more stressful than I like, but I am finding much joy at home. Jess and I are both being reasonably good with the paleo-esque diet we are practicing. I've been enjoying workouts but frustrated by a mystery wrist sprain. I am looking forward to run again (more than my current 20-30 minutes), but also enjoy being motivated to cycle more by my friend Gary.

All for now.

Back to borrowed basics

Tonight's workout was simple and old-school:  50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, one-arm single-leg deadlifts, and a running form exercise.  The fun part, I realized as I finished, is that each part is borrowed.  Here's how it broke down:

The pull-up / push-up section, while not an original concept, was taken almost verbatim from Dean Karnazes, in a Runner's World blog post on cross training.
15 standard pull-ups
15 behind neck pull-ups
15 chin-ups
5 standard / chin switch grip
40 standard push-ups (with bars)
20 triangle push-ups
20 wide grip push-ups (with bars)
20 standing (pike) push-ups (with bars)
These were mixed around in various sets.

The one-arm single-leg deadlift is an exercise originally given to me by a physical therapist, and then written about by Tim Ferriss in the Four Hour Body.  Today I did 10 on each side with 30 pound dumbbells.

Finally, the running form exercise, call the 100-up was recently found and (re-)published by Chris McDougall in the New York Times.  This one is to train my legs so I can run well when I get my knee fixed!  I did the "minor" version.

All in all, a nice workout.

-----

As I wrote last time, I have been experimenting with the Paleo diet, or at least my variation thereof.  For those who want to know, it has been:  meats, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and beer.  I also put a bit of soy milk into fruit and spinach smoothies.  The first week went great, although I did feel a bit hungry near the end of the week.  I had my first weekly "cheat" day, which I enjoyed, but starting again this week I have felt no real cravings for sweets or bread.  (Well, except when my kids were enjoying those sweet Hawaiian rolls that Publix sells near the fried chicken).  My compliance has been pretty darn good, if I do say.  My energy level has been noticeably more even (but am I more sensitive to lack of sleep??).  Finally, I have lost several pounds with minimal effort.  Hmmm.  The plan is to try this thing for six weeks or so and re-assess then.  So far, so good.

Mojo reclamation project

The longer you go without writing, the harder it is to start again. After a week goes by, it feels like you have to have something pretty good to say. After a month goes by, it feels like you have to write a deep, lengthy, moving account of your inner life (not too depressing, mind you). But of course, the way to start writing is to just start writing. I started this blog for that purpose, after years of almost no non-medical writing. Running was, and is, a convenient jumping off point. But as this blogging thing has faded a bit in the last few months, I miss the writing, however meager, and I miss the chance to share those random thoughts and ideas that pop into my head.

So, here's what is happening:

My knee surgery is scheduled for January 4th. My latest experiment with a joint injection worked wonders--for four weeks. I hope the surgery helps (not a guarantee by any means), and I hope I have a lot of good running years left in me. If not, thought, I am proud of the fact that I went down fighting, with a PR marathon, and proud of the fact that I have cultivated yoga, cycling, and even some lifting as darn good alternatives. Still, I really hope that sticking a scope and a few surgical instruments into my knee turns out to be a good thing. If I am permitted to remain awake to watch, I'll let you know how the video turns out.

Lifting and cycling in particular have been going well. I have adopted a set of core lifting maneuvers culled from friends, crossfit, and the four hour body, and so far I have been feeling good. These include Kettlebell swings, dead lifts (one and two arm), Turkish get ups, torture twists, and the aptly named cat vomit exercise, in addition to the calisthenics and dumbbell maneuvers that I already enjoy. My cycling resurgence is in full swing, kicked off by a recent mountain ride in Georgia, with some good training rides and another century race coming up soon. Yoga is on a bit of a hold as some weird virus has re-inflamed an old wrist injury.

I  have started a paleo-esque diet, just today, so more on that as it succeeds, evolves, or fails.

Congratulations to brother Joe for a strong finish at the Savannah Rock'N'Roll half marathon!

Finally, my family is amazing, truly amazing, and I continue to gain more satisfaction, love, and enjoyment an I thought possible out of time spent with them. Highlight of the week, month, or year perhaps:

Three Gap / awash in memories

One thing that makes a race really cool for me is doing it somewhere I feel connected to.  Not that I wouldn't love to travel to do a randomly located exotic race, but I have tended to stay in places either closer to home or that have other meaning.  As an example, the ironman I did in 2003 (Great Floridian) was the same race I had a few years earlier watched a friend of mine finish, when the seed was planted for me to do that.  Most marathons and my lone ultra have been near home (Vermont City Marathon, Vermont 50, Five Points of Life in Gainesville, FL).   For bike trips, I rode Ride the Rockies in 2005, days before moving away from Colorado (also the state where both of my parents grew up).

My most recent effort, the Three Gap Fifty, fit into this pattern.  Gary Wimsett, a good friend and a fine upstanding citizen, came up with the idea after we had spent a few months discussing an adventure of some sort.  Unfortunately, we decided to go a mere six weeks before race time, leaving minimal training time.  The actual race, a road bike ride, is the "Six Gap Century," which takes place in North Georgia and has several solid climbs for a total elevation gain of 11000+ feet over 103 miles.  It sounded fun but the reality of training in flat Florida for only six weeks made us realize that the short version was a better goal.  A few of Gary's friends were doing it, and it was in an area I had visited before at least three times, for hikes on the southernmost section of the Appalachian Trail.  In fact, the place names are so burned in my memory that I felt like I would be riding through familiar territory despite never having cycled anywhere near here.   Gary and I planned to do the ride, then spend a few days hiking in the area - the makings of great road trip.

So, we trained as best we could -- in fact, as I wrote last time, I felt that the minimal but efficient training had been fruitful.  The few days before the race I felt good (though Gary was battling a respiratory infection with a little help from the pharmaceutical industry).  We packed up the car and left, each debating for a while whether we out to stick with the plan and do the 58 mile ride, or just go for the century.  As is usual for me, I changed my mind to the 100, only to change it back the morning before the race.

We met up with Gary's friends, Isaac and Dave, and stayed in Dave's brother's cabin (I think I have that right, although the "relative of a friend of a friend" relationship is a tricky one).  A fair amount of trash talking ensued as we ate a gigantic pre-race meal and watched football.  Though we went to bed early, I couldn't sleep thanks to the double espresso I had earlier that day.  Par for the course before a big event.

Riding partner, Gary

 Race day was outstanding, with temps in the high 50s and sun.  We drove to the start, and from the first few miles I knew it would be a good day.  I felt strong, and the climbs were reasonable (in fact, despite being a flatlander I felt as good as I had climbing similar hills after living and training in Colorado at altitude)  What I really enjoyed was the fun of riding, and the purity of climbing.  This is hard to explain but I have talked to others who have had the same experience -- whether walking up a long snow climb with an ice ax, pedaling in low gear for an hour straight, or running up a mountain, the meditative quality of working hard in a repetitive way while in a beautiful place is incredible.  I have never been ashamed to have and use a triple chain ring, and I used it then.  The race was well supported and the cyclists were friendly.   The toughest climb for me was Wolfpen Gap - a shorter but more consistently steep effort than the earlier longer climb up Neels Gap.  The weather got warm later in the day, but this was after the major climbs and we finished up with a sunny ride through a pleasant valley.

Recovery meal.

We finished our portion in just over 5 hours, enjoyed the post-race festivites, and went to Gary's father's house (also in the same area), where our post-race recovery "meal" spanned 48 hours.  A sampler:  spaghetti and meatballs, steak with homemade potato salad, biscuits and ham with grits and eggs, Bavarian sausage and pretzels with beer, fried chicken and potatoes, pancakes and ham.  A particularly gluttonous episode was eating and drinking the aforementioned Bavarian "snack" in Helen, GA at 3 pm knowing that friend chicken dinner awaiting us at 6 pm!  We did hike that  day, enough to loosen up our legs and enjoy the scenery (as well as make me recall, quite fondly, the 800+ mile hike I took with Jess the summer before we got married).

View from hike

Feeling good afterward

All in all, this was a great event and a great road trip.  I plan to return next year for the big boy version, and I think having that goal will provide a nice motivation to cycle more (as well as a nice distraction from not running, depending on how my knee does).  All for now.

Clean and fun living

Currently I'm on vacation at a beautiful lake in western Maine. Life is good.

On the advice of my physical therapist I am revamping my running form to a higher-cadence forefoot striking approach. This style has a name but I don't remember it. It is coming along but it will be a while before it feels natural or efficient. Still, if it enables a return to running I will be happy.

Eating well and trying to focus on local food. Dinner menu from last night: salad with almost all local produce, local sweet potatoes, local wine, and grass fed bison steaks. Tasted good too.

Summer rhythm

This post will be a bit shorter than usual, since I am typing on an iPad and not as used to the keyboard. It's big enough to type in standard fashion, but does require some adjustment. Why typing on an iPad? We are on our old school summer vacation, a three week family road trip extravaganza from Florida to Maine and back.

I've lost track of how far I am into the clean living challenge--probably around day 35 or so---and it is going fine. Even after three days of car travel, I have exercised 2 of those 3 days and only had one unhealthy meal. Yoga and calisthenics are great for the road.

Clean living includes keeping connections with others healthy, and from that perspective things have been great. Because we are driving up the coast, we thought we would visit as many people as we could along the way. So far we have seen family in Savannah, an old high school friend and her family, in Richmond, whom we haven't seen since before either of us had children, and good friends in Providence, where we are now. It is wonderful to actually see people, to meet their kids or see them getting bigger, and to catch up a little bit as the river of time flows by. God I'm feeling poetic. In addition to visiting friends and family, and staying at a beautiful lake for two weeks, our own family is strengthening our connection and developing/reinforcing the rituals that are the backbone of family life.

I'll post some pictures when we get to the lake. I'm off now to do some outdoor yoga in the breeze. More is to come about running and my knee also, since I had my first session with the running physical therapist back in town, and he wants me to revamp my entire stride and form. I've changed long-term habits before, but it's not easy...

Day 28/100: A lotta variety

It's been a good week+ since my last post.  My "clean living" challenge is still on.  The nutrition aspect has been fair.  I've been successful with reduced portions and very few desserts or sweets, although I am still far from true "healthy" eating (whatever that is).  Borrowed and read The Paleo Solution, which was better than expected.  Jess and I may explore the Paleo eating concept more during this 100 days, although I'm not sure it's the ultimate answer in terms of balance and healthy approach.  We will have the opportunity to eat a largely local/organic diet while vacationing this summer, so it might be a good time to experiment.  Exercise and body work are going well also, and I've detailed these below.  Finally, I think I have noticed a change in attitude, a (slightly) more relaxed and accepting approach.  Have others noticed?  Not sure.  I do feel better, but I'm not sure whether that is due more to my intentional changes or to an easier month at work and an upcoming vacation.


The workouts:

Day 20: Mountain Bike ~45 minutes; Yoga 15 minutes (surprisingly intense vinyasa flow)

Day 21: Yoga 30 min, "Yoga 201" on iPad.  This was a very nice practice, with some attention focused on balance poses including crane and sideways crow.  A bit of a breakthrough for me in terms of figuring out what to relax and what to hold in tension in order to achieve balance in these poses.

Tuesday, Day 22: Rest Day.  Although my intent was to do 100 days of yoga in a row, then 100 days of workouts in a row, I accepted a day of rest after 3 hours of sleep the night before and mental/physical tiredness.  I think this was the right thing.

Wednesday, Day 23: Road bike, 21+ miles, 96 degree heat.  Wow, I am somewhat deconditioned but very poorly heat-adapted this summer because I haven't been running.  I rode a familiar course with some very mild hills and got my heart rate up much higher than usual for a short road ride!  So I guess it was a good workout despite the objectively "easy" terrain.  Never underestimate a heat challenge.

Thursday, Day 24: Swim 1200 yards at the good old YMCA.

Friday, Day 25: VO2 Max testing,  Lifting/Calisthenics
This was a really cool day.  I had the opportunity to undergo some metabolic exercise testing on an indoor bike, equipped with oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors.  In addition to estimating my VO2 max (46 ml/kg/min - above average for my age but below average for a good athlete!!), I got a sense of my anaerobic threshold, heart rate response, and several other parameters.  This is actually pretty cool, since I am probably the least cardiovascularly fit I've been in years.  Once I get my knee in line and begin running again, I will repeat this to track progress!
Also did some pull-ups (30), core work (weighted incline situps), and bicep dumbbell sets.

Saturday, Day 26: Yoga 1:05- a fantastic practice from an iPad app ("Fire" TotalYoga TV).  This was the the fastest and most sustained vinyasa progression I've done, along with some inversion and headstand work.  In fact, I've added a few yoga poses to my Fitness Goals list, including headstand and a few others.

Sunday, Day 27: Rest Day.  Best intentions, but long day at work.

Today (Monday), Day 28: Indoor bike power intervals 9 miles / 30 minutes; lift shoulder & triceps (dumbbell work), push-ups, swim planned for tonight.


We are preparing to spend part of the summer at Kezar Lake in Western Maine, where part of Jess's family has gone for decades and where I have had the privilege of joining them now for 10+ years!  This is a relaxing, renewing spot (pictured on the top banner of this blog), and also the site of many a nice run (including a 35 miler around the lake in 2007) and a few nice rides over the years.   This will not be the summer for an epic run, but I am hoping to run a few times, swim some, and generally enjoy the area.

Day 19/100 clean living continues

The last week or so has been a good one for clean living.  My nutritional habits are far from perfect, but in general they have tended towards healthier and smaller portions, with less refined sugar and late-night eating.  Like I said, though, I am far from perfect, as I did enjoy a vintage cola this afternoon.  I had to laugh when I was told it is healthier because it has "real" sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  If we're going to do something unhealthy but fun, let's just admit it!   I have yet to try fasting but would still like to incorporate it in some fashion.  Perhaps skipping a meal to start?  Finally, I am reading The Paleo Solution, a book about a dietary regimen that several of my friends are following.  So far it is mildly interesting but not earth shattering.  However it is not completely full of shit (yet) so I will keep reading.  Reflecting back, I've read a lot of books like this:  Atkins's original book, one called Breaking the Sugar Addiction (probably the best one), and many vegetarian, vegan, and live food tracts.  It's interesting how they often use the same logic to reach different conclusions.  I think in the end we can approach but never reach some very difficult-to-characterize truth about nutrition that incorporates moderation, healthfulness, variety, and minimizing refined sugars.  Or, perhaps that opinion is uninformed because I have never committed to and tried any of these specific diet plans.

Yoga has been going well, although after about 14 straight days I realized that at this point a daily practice was not the best idea.  Logic as follows: (1) in order to maintain a daily practice, I had time for very little other training, working out, etc.  (2) Because of that, my daily practice had to be fairly vigorous, requiring a lot of standing poses with lunges.  (3) These were irritating my knee.  So, instead, I decided to follow my own nutrition philosophy in a different context, and started practicing moderation and variety.  Here is what I've been up to:

Day 19 (today): Yoga (~1 hour) - "Ashtanga Primary Series" from Yoga Today.  Plenty of vinyasa with some standing poses and forward bends.  Also a nice series in preparation for swinging ("floating") through from downward dog to staff pose and vice versa.  The more I explore yogatoday.com the more I am impressed.  These are some nice practices, and many are available for free on Youtube. I may overcome my cheap instincts and actually buy one from the website too.
Day 18:  Lifting.  This was like an old-school workout for me:
Repeat 4 times:  5 pullups
                         15 pushups (various types)
                         15 weighted incline situps
                         bicep dumbbells (2 sets regular, 2 sets static)
                         tricep dumbbells (2 sets bench DB raises, 2 sets kickbacks)
                         shoulder 1 (2 sets straight arm raise, 2 sets overhead press)
                         shoulder 2 (2 sets upright DB row, 2 sets DB fly)
Bonus set:  5 pullups, 15 pushups, 15 weighted incline situps
Day 17: Swim 1500 yd
Day 16: Yoga 30 minutes. "Yoga for sleep" from YogaYak

Day 15: Indoor bike 12.7 miles / 45 minutes / 106W / 17.1 mph
Dayy 14: Lift back / core / chest at O'Connell Center Gym, Swim 1250 yd. (this was a good workout with friends)

Overall it's been a great week, as I reflect back.  Work is a little slower-paced, allowing some time for reflection and a few more dinners at home.  The kids are all doing well and I am enjoying watching them really start to express their personalities, as well as develop genuine relationships with each other that do not depend on us.  And my wife, of course, is amazing. 

Today we went to the Retirement Home for Horses and fed carrots to horses with a few other families.  Great fun, and I even think I am getting used to the summer heat, finally.

Day 12/100: pleasure in daily activities

Today I got up and had a really nice breakfast with my family (eggs, sausage, bran muffin, watermelon).  It seems like a few years ago we had more of these breakfasts, but as life has gotten more complicated and a little busier, they have become a almost noteworthy events.  Lately, Jess and I both work out in the morning as well, so make mornings more hectic.  Today, however, we both slept in.  I'm not sure why breakfast is such a pleasant time--perhaps because everyone is in a generally good mood and not tired, because the food we eat for breakfast is usually quite tasty, or because sipping coffee provides a nice stimulant kick. 

Then I mowed the lawn, something I enjoy quite a bit.  In the grand scheme of things, this represents the continuation of my journey towards becoming more and more like my father (unequivocally a good thing!).  Today was especially relaxing as it wasn't yet hot and I listened to some music while I mowed.

Yoga practice for today was actually surprisingly intense and novel.  This was a YogaToday youtube video called Twisting Away Tension, which not only had some novel variations on both prayer twist and supine spinal twists, but had a great core section with leg and arm movements while holding boat pose.  I felt great afterwards.  It's still interesting to practice yoga while trying to ignore the distractions of playing and occasionally crying children nearby (somtimes next to or on top of me!).

I read with the kids for a little while, then took Cadien out for a bike lesson.  She has made some really good progress in the last few days, and I think I will be able to take my hand off the seat -- such a metaphorical step! -- before too long.  It's amazing to me, though, how these bike lessons are fatherhood in a microcosm:  a delicate balance of coaching, encouraging, teaching, comforting, and pushing.

Finally, I came to work for the evening.  So far it has been fairly low key but fun to get back to my "roots" as a pediatrician.

Day 11/100: clean living challenge

The clean living challenge continues.  There are three parts, if you recall: "clean" eating, yoga, and general approach to life.  I will discuss each individually (though, of course, they are interconnected).

Eating:

Don't worry, I won't list my daily menu for the last five days.  In general I've been doing ok, but not perfectly.  Transgressions include: beer the other night, a few protein bars (heavily processed), quesadillas and a burrito (processed flour, lots of cheese).  Aside from that, this has been going well.  I think my appetite is more reasonable and I don't experience a sickening feeling of fullness after dinner.  No desserts, and much less unhealthy snacking.

Yoga:

Yoga has been great.  I can feel my alignment and control improving, as well as strength in some specific poses, like shoulder stand, crane, side plank, wheel, and a few others.  Still have to watch my knee during some of the backbends and standing poses (warrior series).  I have also been incorporating some upper body lifting, mostly calisthenics, and I got in the pool for the first time in 4-5 years as well.  It is harder to swim 1000 m than I remember.  The highlight of the yoga series so far was yesterday's practice, a 75 minute series incorporating sun salutations / vinyasa, balance, backbends, hip openers, inversions, and pranayama.  One thing I have noticed more often lately is how much easier it is to engage the practice and keep my mind free from outside distractions and free from a sense of past or present.

General Approach to Life:

I can't say there have been any major breakthoughs or revelations here.  Perhaps minor and incremental changes are really the goal?  In that case, I have noticed a slight relaxation in my approach to the demands of work, a slight increase in my ability to be truly present at home, and some good conversations and thinking about our long term vision, as a family, of where our life is going.


In any case, 11 days of 100 puts this "challenge" in perspective, particularly with regard to yoga.  It is a challenge to do somethign every day, without fail, but I think there is something worthwhile there.  So, more than 10% done and hopefully the benefits will not be linear!

Day 6/100: Getting into the Flow

Yesterday (Day 5) I had a great yoga practice, one of my favorite: the "Grounding Afternoon Practice" from YogaYak.  This is a fairly fast-paced, moderate intensity vinyasa practice with a nice flow.  I actually lost myself for the second half of the practice, only regaining awareness of the surrounding world as the practice entered the final relaxation/shavasana.  That happens often in running but hasn't happened too much with yoga (or any other activity).  I welcome the feeling of losing myself.  Nutrition was fine yesterday though I did have a root beer when we had company over.  I actually consider eating with friends to be one of the sacred rituals (and highlights) of life, so it is hard to feel bad about enjoying food or drink in that context.  Breaking bread and sharing conversation is the stuff of life.

Today I haven't done yoga yet, but will later.  Making plans to do some swimming before work in the coming weeks, as the city pools are open early for very cheap per-use rates.

Day 4/100 of Clean Living Challenge

So far, so good.

My biggest triumph was completing my yoga practice yesterday despite a workday that didn't finish until 11:30 pm.  After a short relaxation practice, I squeaked by before midnight.  Otherwise I'm feeling well and enjoying (truly!) the already lessened drive to eat just one hour after finishing a meal.  Have I achieved lightness of being and spiritual awakening?  Well, not quite, but there are 96 days left, and after that, a lifetime.

Day 3: Yoga practice from Yoga Download - "Gentle Hatha Flow #1".  Sometimes the audio sessions are nice, relieving the need to look at a screen from an odd angle and allowing focus on movement and alignment.  Instead of relaxing me immediately, this lifted me from exhaustion and enabled me to fall asleep easily later rather than ruminate about the day.  Food: wheat bagel, boiled egg, banana; hummus sandwich, yogurt, carrots; falafel sandwich (purchased).

Day 4 (today):  Yoga DVD: Rodney Yee's strength building yoga - an interesting and fairly slow paced set of 2 (really 3) sections focusing on vinyasa, inversions, and standing poses.  Contains an intense section of handstand preparations.  Food: bagel (white!) with cream cheese, turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat pita, carrots, apple, yogurt; brown rice/beans/chicken sausage, green beans, yogurt, orange.

I haven't written much about our garden here.  One of my small, daily pleasures is walking into the yard and seeing how the garden is doing.  Cucumbers were an early promising harvest, although the cucumbers, melon, and zucchini are mostly killed by mold now.  We have corn, carrots, tomatoes (lots!), green beans, and peppers growing; the herb row has been providing daily "spice" in our lives for a couple of months now...

It's getting hot, so we'll see how everything does in the summer.

Day 2/100 of Clean Living Challenge

So far it is going well.

DAY 1: Yesterday I did a very intense, vinyasa-based yoga practice with extra push-ups (I am feeling it today!) from a Shiva Rea DVD.  Meals were a wheat bagel with peanut butter, an egg and grapefruit; leftover hamburger with brown rice for lunch, and an excellent stir fry for dinner

DAY 2: A shorter but surprisingly challenging pranayama (breathing) and core practice from a Yoga Today (youtube) video called "Rembering our Rhythm".  Meals: granola and soy milk with fruit; leftover stir fry; beans and brown rice with fixins & little banana bread (whole wheat) for dessert.

Part of the challenge, and the "clean living" is letting go of running for now,  avoiding a focus on not running, and instead focusing on presence at home and work.  Doing ok in that regard for now too.

More later.

100-day clean living challenge - day one

A blog about running and fitness is interesting, at least to some.  A blog about injury and rehab is boring, at least to me.  I've run very little since my last post, with continued knee pain when I do run.  Without ignoring or minimizing how disappointing this is to me, I am going to use this space to focus on the positive aspects:  what will I do?  not: what can't I do?

So, in honor of several friends and acquaintances have made personal challenges or commitments recently, I start today with the "100-day clean living challenge."  This is a combination of a clean-eating and daily yoga challenge, combined with an effort to be more present and spend some meditative time thinking about my path in life.

Ground rules:
1) Daily yoga practice
2) Healthy eating
      a) Eliminate / minimize processed flour
      b) Eliminate / minimize processed sugar (desserts!)
      c) Meals primarily focusing on lean protein and vegetables
      d) Eliminate / minimze processed snacks and foods
      e) Minimze alcohol consumption
3) Treat others with compassion and respect

I hope common sense can come into play as well, allowing some deviation from the nutrition "rules" without ruining the intent.  As the challenge progresses I may also experiment with fasting as well, but we'll have to see.

I'll report on progress here.   If anyone is interested in joining in, let me know!

Trail of Payne and more

My March postings in this blog have been lacking,  though not for lack of desire or (at least mildly) interesting thoughts to share.  I've been busy, mostly with work.  Here is a run down of the month's activities so far:

GARDEN
We planted our family's Spring garden, and our first garden in Florida.  This is our most ambitious one yet, a 12 x 12 foot patch in a sunny part of our backyard.  I tilled the soil with hand tools, took out some roots, and added topsoil, peat moss, organic fertilizer (mostly chicken shit as far as my nose could tell) and some cow manure.  Our own compost will be a periodic addition once it processes a little bit more.  Cadien helped me dig the soil, and both Rowan and Cadien helped plant seedlings today - many herbs, tomatoes, cucumber, beans, blueberry, strawberry, watermelon, broccoli.  We'll add a few more things, and then see what grows well!

RACE
Jess and I ran a trail 10K - the "Trail of Payne" through Payne's prairie - yesterday.  It was a perfect morning, about 60 degrees, and a nice trail.  It was really nice to run a race with no pressure or expectations - in fact we ran together for four miles and then I split off for a couple.  At the finish we ran into people from several areas of our life - work, church, running friends, and other acquaintances.  Brunch afterwards was gut-busting, but fun.

TONY
Jess has started P90X and I am doing it with her, as my knee and work schedule permits.  Maybe this will be the push I need to start getting up early to exercise before work!  (Of course when I did P90X two years ago it was supposed to do the same thing, but I just ended up doing a lot of the workouts in the evening!)  Burpee war has also started again - an Ides of March tradition.

KNEE
Still painful but recovering.  Definitely improved on this recent trail race versus trail runs a few months ago but still quite painful.  Hauling 50 pound bags of soil didn't help.  I'll give it another month or so and perhaps see someone.

DIET?
My weight has crept up to about 10 pounds over my "race weight" - the highest it's been in a long time and probably a good signal to focus on healthful eating.  A good friend of mine fasts once a week but I'm not sure this would work for me.  Just more attention to both quality and quantity.

That was the scattered update.  Life is good.

Long rambling post / feelin' great

Tuesday, December 21:
One hour of yoga outdoors in the warm sun.

    I think this is how yoga was meant to be practiced.


Wednesday, December 22:
Running speed intervals (warmup,  4 reps x 3 min high effort with 3 min easy, cooldown - total 4.5 miles),  using the fancy new GPS/HR watch as well as new lighter running shoes ("minimalist").

    This was a great run, with an interesting realization -- that I can run much faster than I thought at just above my lactate threshold.  This run set me off on a quest to understand and learn more about heart rate-based training - seeking advice from friends (see The Blog of Sean), and checking out a whole bunch of books out from the library.  Some, such as Tim Noakes Lore of Running, try to debunk the notion of a lactate "threshold," while others (such as Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible) give methods of calculating it.  Regardless, the useful concept seems to be identifying the highest effort or heart rate that is sustainable for 20-60 minutes (depending on level of training).  It is an ephemeral concept and a slippery number to pin down, as its noninvasive measurement depends on subjectively recognizing the point JUST BEFORE WHICH you are huffing and puffing and working so hard you will have to slow down in a few minutes.  It's nice in a way to tune in to your body and situational awareness so you recognize the state of being and clues to reaching "threshold" before you actually get there.  Alternately, you pin it to heart rate (though varies by exercise modality) and pay attention to the number.  Or both.

   So, I am off to incorporate some heart rate concepts into my training.  Just as interestingly, while at the library I discovered some very cool books on training, endurance racing, and barefoot running.  Expect quasi-reviews once they are read.


Thursday, December 23:
Rest day


Friday, December 24:
Run 12 miles, 1:51 (~9:15 pace)

   This was meant to be an 18 mile run - the first 12 with friends and the last 6 alone, but I stopped after the first segment because my knee hurt.  I realize that since I started this blog a year ago there have been only two or three months where injury didn't play prominently into my training (or posting):  January, and August-September.  My injuries from last winter (neck, left wrist, and left knee) have more or less healed up, although I still favor the ulnar side of the wrist during lifting.  A few months ago I twisted my right knee somehow, so that in combination with being somewhat tight to begin with, it has been bothering me on uphills and downhills.  (Fortunately this is an atypical year for me.  I attribute the injuries to two things: not enough cycling anymore, and incorporating new workout modalities in 2009-2010).  In any case, I ended this one early to avoid the all-too-familiar injury-reinjury cycle as well as the on-again off-again training that led to poor marathon performance in May.  My plan was to re-evaluate my commitment to the marathon and potentially scale back if the knee didn't recover soon.  On the plus side, this run was easy for me and I didn't feel tired at the end.  I missed out on the chance to push the last 6 miles at my own pace, but have completed enough long runs to not worry too much about it.

   On the nutrition front, we enjoyed a traditional Italian seafood dinner with shrimp, squid soup, red snapper, and anchovy pasta.  Aside from the pasta, this was the closest thing to a "Paleo" meal that I've had.  I have to admit it was a nice meal that didn't leave me unpleasantly stuffed afterwards.

Saturday, December  25:
One hour of yoga

   This was a new workout that emphasized slow, static movements with a focus on forward bends.  Not what I was expecting, but nice.

   Christmas has always been a very family-oriented time for me (not that this is unique!).  We enjoyed the true blessings of our family - in our own house in the morning, and my parents' house in the evening.  It was amazing to bring our own children to a dinner with people with whom we have been having dinner since I was only two years older than my oldest child.  It also brought an especially interesting perspective to the passage of time, and aging, to see an old childhood friend that I hadn't seen in fifteen years!  For me, that is a long time.  The reality is that I am a lucky man, with an incredible wife, three healthy and happy children, a brother as well as many siblings by marriage, and three sets of parents that I love.   The only downside to Christmas is in the overconsumption, in the form of a literal mountain of presents.  To reveal my own inconsistency, I enjoy giving and receiving presents, but as a family we seem unable to moderate!


Sunday, December 26:
Resistance training (pullups, pushups, biceps):
  Repeat x 6 sets:
    8 x 1 pullup and 2 pushups with bars
    bicep DB (1 & 4: standing curl; 2 & 5: concentration curl; 3 & 6: static curl)
  Bonus: 5 pullups, 10 pushups, bicep DB strip set

   This was a really fun workout, with good results in terms of soreness!  I have no idea if it is more effective to extend the number of pullups by doing many small sets vs. several moderate sets, but I certainly reached near-fatigue and got a good workout.


Monday, December 27:
Run to stadium (2.5 miles)
Stadiums (x10) with 5x10 pushups between

   This has become a nice weekly routine with a good friend of mine.  The run was really nice too, as I found myself cruising along at about an 8 minute per mile pace -- a pace that was previously my top-shape cruising speed (we're talking 8 years ago) but has eluded me for quite some time.  The way I felt during this quick warm up run made me think (hope?) that this pace is somehow intrinsic, and I just haven't been able to access it.  Perhaps with more speed training, mileage, and some luck with regards to injury I will attain or surpass this as a sustainable pace once more.  First things first, though, as I have a ways to go to get there.  Currently I think my own personal sustainable pace is closer to 8:55, but I haven't done a long run alone in quite a while to put this to the test.  Hmm.

   My knee barely hurt during the run or the stadiums, so my thoughts drifted back to the marathon after this run and workout.


Tuesday, December 28:
One hour of yoga (vigorous).

   Adding yoga to my training and life has been tremendous.  I started this in the fall of 2009 through p90x, and kept up with the yoga -- for a while nearly daily, now when I can manage and far less often than I would like.    This is the closest  to meditation and expansion of awareness I have come in years.   My core is stronger than ever, and my flexibility and balance are improving.  Yoga, as well as increased resistance training/lifting, are going to be lifelong changes.

Today (Wednesday, December 28th):

8 mile run - relaxed and hilly (for Gainesville)

   Ideal weather and conditions.  This was a test run in many ways.  If my knee hurt, I was planning on giving up on the marathon.  If not, I would commit and do it.  Well, it felt ok (not perfect), and I felt great after this run, so I am going to sign up for the race immediately after this overly lengthy blog post.  To my brother-in-law who is training away (we'll call him "Yosef"), I will see you there, my friend.  To my friend with whom I am scheming about future ultramarathons, let us make the the plans and enter the arena.

COMING SOON:

Future fitness goals and New Year's resolutions.

Stay tuned for the first anniversary post of  B.D.J. Runs.

Barbecue

First barbecue of the season coming up this afternoon, and I think it may be the hottest day of the spring so far (yes, all the way up to 80!). 

In preparation I ran this morning while it was still cool.  What I find amazing is how each run has its own story arc, similar to all past runs but different enough to keep it interesting.   In broadest terms, I guess the arc contains: pre-run/motivation - warmup - running and thinking - post-run.  Today I was quite aware of moving through the story, but barely aware of running.  Some variety of the "flow" state, complete with meta-perception while more or less effortlessly moving through the activity at hand.

Today: run 4 miles, 90 situps

Excellent Results

So, after a full week of relative rest (excepting a little yoga and the sit up contest) I have given my body as much easy time as it's going to get for now...so, I'm back.  All injuries are showing signs of healing.

This morning was a cool, mellow run in clear high-40s weather, followed by a mild calisthenic warmup and some situps.  Felt great and made my day go smoothly, although it made me realize that after we have left Vermont I'll miss the long summer days (light from 5 to 8:30 currently and not even at the solstice)  In the vein of eating healthfully, I had a "Sashimi Deluxe" platter for lunch with green tea and perhaps the slightest thimbleful of sake.  Work was productive, and I came home to my wonderful family.  So, all in all, a positive day.

Last week: situps and occasional yoga
Today: Run 4 miles, 10 pullups, 20 pushups, 80 situps

That's a big burger

I don't write much about nutrition because I try to eat well out of habit rather than thinking too much about it.  In the past I was a fairly obsessive calorie counter and meal planner, but now I am finding it much easier, and just as effective,  to simply stock the house with good food, snack frequently, and forgive the occasional dietary mishap.  Today would clearly be a dietary mishap.  Three meals out (breakfast, dinner, and second dinner), with the "dinner" consisting of a huge burger and fries from Macdonald's.  I only eat there once a year or so, and tonight I remember why.  The food tastes so good it can't be real (yes, I know it's not), and I can literally feel an undigested french fry poking into my stomach lining now, four hours later.

Aside from that, it was not a bad day.  I got in my last gasp of tele skiing in 50 degree sunny weather -- last gasp until who knows when because I'm giving away the torture devices that pass for my tele boots, and because we're moving to Florida soon.  I also took a fun little run in 50 degree sunny weather.  Tomorrow I'll relax and try to prepare, mentally and nutritionally, for my long run on Saturday. (Such preparation is a habit I've fallen out of.)  I'm excited because I have a running partner for this one -- a great topic but one for another time.

Today: telemark ski, run 4 miles, yoga 20 minutes
Tomorrow: PT back exercises