Bike climb

 Did the Roark's cove bike climb today, for general fitness, calorie burning and to lose weight.   Was tough since it was warm and humid, heat index around 85º,  and ... yesterday was a hard day, on my feet all day and my back felt it.  Also, I've been at less than 1000 cal/day for the past few days, getting down to optimum weight.  Losing that last 5lbs is the hardest.  

It was a tough slog, was at only 4mph during the hard parts, slow but hard effort as shown by my HR data:

Roark's cove bike climb

Time: 24:11

Avg speed: 5.8 mph

Avg HR: 167

Max HR: 185

HR over 170: 14:00

HR over 180: 2:08

Definitely burning off some of the fat.  My goal is 140 lb daily mean, which means 138.5 ish after workouts.  Today I was 143.1 this afternoon after workout and before any meals.  That means about another 5 lbs or so to go.  That will help the joints when I run, which I'm only doing a little once / week and just hills.  

Our meal yesterday was great.  Sautéed zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrot, mushroom, over Lavivia instant Shiritaki low carb rice.  That stuff is awesome, tastes like real rice but has 104 cal per cup cooked, compared with regular rice 240 cal cup and about 1/2 the carbs.  

This very filling meal was less than 400 cal.

After a bad experience with a Oxiline smart scale, I decided to buy a Hume ... because Joe thinks I should constantly weigh, time, and measure myself.  

PR morning bike sprint

Today a big PR in the 2.5 mile bike sprint (on gravel with hills) on the old heavy mtn bike.  I inflated the tires to the rated max and I think that also helped.  It was hard.  Beat the previous by 16 sec.  

2.5 mile bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time:  10:00

Avg HR: 166

Max HR: 174

HR stayed pretty much in the 160s the whole time.  30 sec after finishing, monitor showed a HR spike to 191, but I think that was anomaly ...but I don't know.  That's why I didn't list it as max.  After the finishing sprint I was at 173, then 20 sec later a gradual but steady 10 sec rise to 191 as I climbed a staircase, then drop to 161 after 30 sec more.   

Making some headway on weight.  Was 144 this morning, 3 lbs less than 2 days ago.  Just one meal, a chicken breast and a little salad.   Really hard to lose weight at this age.  Takes some real sacrifice and calorie restriction.  Tricks to curb the hunger.  I've been drinking these low calorie flavored waters by Spindrift.  Once or twice a day, a decaf cappuccino.   

I feel for my brother.  He has had a helluva time.  He's never had dietary discipline.  Feels bad everyday, overweight at 195, claims the Lyrica drug makes him eat too much, on many drugs.  

Not me.  Simon pure.  No drugs. 

But, Joe thinks I should be on drugs.  

144.3 after workout.

What have I been doing? 

Planting flowers of course.  

Morning bike sprint

Hard effort this morning after not doing much yesterday except for 2 set pullups (19) and pushups (25).

2.5 mile bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:45

HR max -169

HR over 160 - 10:24 

It did seem really hard probably due to an aggressive start.  

Hopefully make a dent in my overweightness.  About 146.

Incredible weather continues.  Was 45º last night.  Presently mid 60ºs, bright sun, dry.

Thanks to Joe who suggested that cystatin-c test that my PCP ordered.  

SAVE ME JOE.

Another bike climb, stadium stairs

I stayed til Tuesday on the river, it was so beautiful.  I slept really well.  

I did another bike climb but slow, kept the HR in the 160s mostly.  Took it easy, burned some calories.  Hit a downhill PR of 44mph.  

Tuesday:

Raccoon Mtn bike climb - 8 miles round trip

Time: ~42 min

HR over 160 - 33:47

HR over 170 - 3:07

Wed. was busy.  Collecting things from home, cleaners, school, lunch with Joe, then Drs appt.   Dr. said that my kidney function was still in the "green zone" and cystatin-c test indicated adequate kidney function of GFR at 76.  I made the case for a angiography and he gave me a referral to Vanderbilt Cardiology.  

Before all that, my first thing was to run stadium stairs.  I didn't give myself enough time to one up myself and do 16, had only about 35 min but did 11.  It was still hard.  Am feeling it today, two workouts in a row.  Probably do upper body today.

Wednesday;

MTSU Stadium Stair x 11

I was up at 5:30 this morning, and assisted Isaac in doing some tree work.  Trimmed the big tree over my Sewanee house.  Then took a nap.  Glorious weather.  Only in the 60ºs and dry today, going to 43º tonight.  

Boat is running great for a nearly 40 yr old boat.  

Bike climb, test results

First time out in the boat this yr and the weather was perfect, about 80º for the climb and about 60º at night.  I met Bill M. on the river and we did the ~1500' climb up the mtn, 13 miles round trip.  

I didn't really push hard, wanted to keep my HR under 170 as much as possible.  It wasn't fast.  My PR for the initial climb to the overlook is just under 32 min.   This was only about 41 min.  HR 160-170 for about 30m.  

Latest test results.

Weird that there was so much change from my previous results only a couple weeks ago.  Everything in these latest results were relatively normal.  

Here's a comparison of these tests:

Lipids and glucose - 4/11 vs 5/7:

Cholesterol:  229, 190

LDL: 160, 123

HDL: 49, 42

Ratio: 4.7, 4.52

Triglycerides: 92, 141

Glucose: 89, 100 

Kidney function (blood test)- 4/9 vs 4/24 vs 5/7

eGFR (blood - calc): 68, 57.82, 68.13

Creatinine: 1.17, 1.25, 1.20 

Cystatin-C: 1.00 

Kidney function (Urine Test) 5/7: 

eGFR: 76

Urine Creatinine: 46.2 mg/dl

Micro-Albumin: 0.7 mg/dl

Albumin/Creatinine ratio: 15.1

Everything else including liver enzymes, etc... all normal.  So I guess I'm ok.  I will press Dr for an angiography when I see him on Wed, in light of my brother's issues and the higher LDL and ratio.  

stairs and weighted squat jumps

Earlier this week, I did squat jumps, and another bike sprint yesterday along with pullups, ab wheel, and pushups.

Tues -

4 x 12 squat jumps with 44 lbs

 

Wed - 

Bike sprint 2.5 miles Laurel Branch Trl - 10:38

Pull ups (19), pushups (25), ab wheel (20) 

 

Thurs - 

15 x stadium stairs at MTSU

The squat jumps were a bit hard on the knees but didn't notice til the next day.  Bike sprint was in between rain showers, good and hard but 20 sec shy of my PR.

Today I did stadium stairs.  15, a lot considering my present shape and weight (146).   I was in Murfreesboro for a blood draw and urine sample.  There was a time I could've done these pretty much consecutive, but after 7 or so, I was taking brief sitting rests between each.  Without, the fatigue would have made these a 'march' at the top rather than a run or sprint.   With resting in between, I could really do many more, but it was still really hard.  Knees felt a bit sore at the start but actually much better afterward.   We'll see how I feel tomorrow.  

Bike sprints, diet and disease

Yesterday did the bike sprint intervals.  Today did the 2.5 mile sprint with hills.   Both hard.  I'm thinking these types of workouts plus strength are probably better than these 25 min hill climbs where my HR is over 170 for 15-16 minutes, over 180 for 2-3 min.  I still push it to the 170s but just for short duration.   Maybe do a hill climb once a month or so.  

Bike sprint intervals  - 4 x 400m w/ 2:30 rest  

max speed: 28.4, 27.5, 28.4, 28.5

Max HR - 173

 

------------------------------------- 

Bike sprint - 2.5 miles on Laurel Branch Trl

total time - 10:18 (tied PR)

Max HR - 179 

HR over 170 - 5:18 

Avg HR - 165

 

Going for a blood draw again this week.  Kidney function tests and week after, followup with my PCP, and will press him for an angiography.  

Diet and heart disease

My brother's latest determination of celiac artery blockage was called into question by one of his Drs because it was ultrasound based, so he's pressing for a more definitive test, a CT w/ contrast.

His Dr., a DO, is one of these Keto diet guys.  I'm all for low carb low sugar diet but to be extreme about it is not particularly sensible to me.   I get the low carb thing, carb = sugar. These keto bros / carnivores are totally into this idea that you can eat unlimited fat as long as you eat zero carbs and sugar. The fact is that it does work to lose weight, but for some people, this keto diet will cause heart disease if you’re a “responder” to dietary fat.  And you don't know if you are unless you test prolifically.  Not just standard lipid panels, but more advanced tests like lipid fractionation, apolipo ratios, Lp(a), inflammation, imaging like angiography, etc... CACs are good but not enough, same with lipid panels, and it's ridiculous to draw any conclusions from the once per year lipid panel... but better than nothing. Lipid panels are cheap. Just $23 at Ulta.  

The problem with tests like LDL or Lp(a)  - these are a few of many factors that *may* contribute to heart disease / atherosclerosis. The development of CVD is a very complex and individual process, as we can see with the wide range of anecdotal experiences.   Some have established heart disease yet live long lives. Some are affected by disease from lifestyle factors like diet, yet some aren't. Medical science observes general trends among the population, but there are always a lot of outliers on each end of the bell curve.  You can definitely lose weight on carnivore / keto,  usually by replacing carbs/sugar with protein and fat. Much of the confounding and conflicting data on the subject ignores the fact that there is no general rule for all people on affect of dietary fat. Different people are affected differently by dietary cholesterol as the process for atherosclerosis is complex and dependent on many factors -including genetic disposition. Frankly, looking at it any other way is tantamount to pushing an agenda, a hasty generalization, overly simplistic, or plain disingenuous.   Not much long term data on the results of carnivore / keto diets.  

Anecdotally, I've learned I am a dietary 'responder' to animal fat intake as I learned in 2021 on my brief 'egg diet.'   My brother and I are an interesting case study, albeit ... anecdotal.

A lot of this carnivore / keto diet stuff coming from social media influencers - some professionals - seems to follow the trend of the "RFK Jr - MAGA - bro-science - pseudo-masculine - vaccine science deniers" ... long on anecdotal trends and short term results, short on science and long term studies, and certainly not looking out for individual susceptibilities, and tailoring diet to the individuals based on known vulnerabilities.  They certainly push a lot of generalizations, questionable cherry picked "science," and not much info on longevity and long lived cultures - none of which are carnivore / keto.  I also think diet can be adjusted for athletic goals and training, and can vary and be optimized according to physical needs, time of year, activity level, and body type, etc...