Hike

Been raining everyday which has produced a very green, cool, and lush forest.  We sat out on the bluff last night, it was beautiful.  It has rained over 4" in the past 5 days. 

Memorial day hike.  We left in the morning and as usual during this time of year, Sewanee was a lush and very quiet place with the students gone.  

Did a total of 3.5 miles including a hike down and back to the Bridal Veil Falls and then to the mountain laurel 'tunnel' at Otey view.  It was surprisingly hard.  HR in the 150s climbing out from the falls.

Forest was very dense and full of a variety of birds.  

Roya left today and I'm on my own for a few weeks.  Playing my niece's wedding in NY in early June, have construction going on in Murfreesboro and hopefully soon here in Sewanee.  So this is like the beginning of summer except unusually, the weather is not yet warm enough for swimming.   It's been in the 70ºs, not 80ºs.  Very cool generally for this time of yr.  Really do miss track training, was the center of my life for so many yrs this time of year.  Trying to get back in similar shape, "400m shape"... is a really high bar.  Hanging around 143 lbs, what I weighed in HS.

Another bike sprint PR

After spending most of yesterday at the US Space and Rocket museum, I did some resistance work last night and this morning.  Today in between bouts of rain, I went for it hard on the bike.  Another PR in my local hilly mtn bike sprint on gravel of 2.5 mi.   Seemed harder than last time.  

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 9:48

Max HR - 174

This time, HR stayed remarkable stable, after 2 min it was 168 and it stayed there for the duration, never wavering more than 6 points.   No weird spike after completion, just a nominal raise to 174 after 20 sec the followed by 15 pt drop in the next 20 sec.   Quite a pump.  

I'm thinking I should avoid all attempts to sprint on the flat for quite some time, as I'm now feeling a bit of progress.   Need to wait until I feel really significant healing.  No schedule.  I'm staying in decent shape as it is.   I do think some of my medial knee issues are exacerbated by my running form, supination, bowleggedness.  When running stairs, I feel less strain on that area when I concentrate on keeping aligned.  

143.2 lbs after workout.  Pretty much the same for the past 2-3 days.  

Pic from yesterday...

Morning bike sprint, resistance, food

 With waves of rain in and out, during a break in the rain I went for a bike sprint.  Hard effort.  Everytime I start one of these things I tell myself, no need for a PR, but I still blast away anyway.  

No PR today but my second fastest.  7 sec short of PR 

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:03

Max HR - 178

Also doing resistance work, pullups, bands, etc...  

HR in the 160s for the first 6 min, 170s for the last 4 min.  No big HR spike this time, just a small one.  Hit max HR at the end and it dropped to 173 then after 30 sec, briefly went back up to 178 before falling 20 points in a less than a minute.  This might be a perfect daily or every other day workout.  Short, hard, doable.  

One of the inherent risks in this course is how fast do I take the gravel turn coming down the hill to my driveway.  Going down would not be worth it.  

Enjoying having Roya here and eating really well.  Huge salad last night, and during the day yesterday, half a chicken breast and an apple.  Tonight I'm going to make a small paella with low carb rice, seafood, and vegetables.  

143.1 lbs after workout.  

Good new for my brother, his latest CT scan of his abdominal aorta and mesenteric arteries show no blockages.  

As with most women I've dated, I do all the cooking.  I've rarely met a woman who can out do me in the kitchen.

Tonight's meal:  Seafood paella - with cod, scallops, salmon, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, fresh basil, onions, peppers, garlic, lemon, paprika, turmeric, garlic salt, and pepper.  Yea, missing the saffron.   The kicker: Lavivia instant shiritaki rice, low carb, less than 1/2 the calories of regular rice.  I calculated less than 800 calories in this entire large bowl.  5 good sized plates of food.

Bike sprint, another PR

 Didn't sleep well last night, probably because of that tea I had before bed to ward off munchie cravings.  Probably the caffeine and low blood sugar.  It was 78 when I got up and it's usually higher in the morning.  

Getting lighter.  In the 143s.  I pushed this bike sprint and narrowly set a PR.  

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 9:56

Max HR - 175

HR pretty much stayed around mid-upper 160s to lower 170s the whole time.  I had a similar post sprint HR spike as last time, but a bit different... it occurred 60 sec after the sprint, had just walked upstairs, HR had dropped to 154, in 19 sec it spike to 175 then dropped gradually to 164 over the next 30 sec and continued down.  Nothing like that 190 spike I had last time.  

I know I'm lighter because I got 22 pullups today, I was only getting 18 when I was 4-5 lbs heavier.  

143.2 after workout.  Feel better already.  Still a ways to go. 

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CHART

I found this chart published by a runners magazine compiled with data from Masters rankings and the IAAF.  It confirms that the 62sec 400m I ran in a time trial last Nov. was at elite level, but just barely.  And nearly all my 400m races in my masters career were as well.   The chart doesn't list John Wright's incredible new M65 WR of 54.92 set indoors this yr.

 

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.