Bike sprint, back home

Badly needing a workout, I got back to Sewanee in beautiful weather, mid 70ºs dry and clear.  After unpacking the car and taking my plants out, I hopped on the mtn bike for a 2.5 mile sprint.   It was hard.  Out of shape, been a while since a serious bike workout.  My HR pretty much stayed around 168 for 9 min.

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:11

Avg speed - 13.4 mph

Max HR - 170

HR over 156 - 9:34 (inc 1 min recovery at end)

HR over 170 - 0:07

Avg HR - 161

Even though the perceived effort was hard, the HR wasn't as high as my hard rides of the previous weeks, one where I was over 170 for 4:12.

Have gained a little weight, living on Kind bars, fruits and nuts.  Not bad, about 144-145. 

 

walks, short hill sprints, water running, FL concert, music

In FL, at my parents place tonight.  Last 2 nights I spent in a nice hotel with a private pool side patio.  I played a concert last for a good crowd.  We donated the ticket sales to a guitar scholarship fund, raised $800.  Concert went OK.  They thought I was just brilliant, but I had some gremlins and brief memory slips.  Overall it was OK, best of the 3 I've done.  It's crunch time.  The big one is next, a week away.

On my morning walks, I've done a few short hill sprints, about 30-40m and they felt ok, no pain.  It reminded me that there is nothing but nothing that quickly pushes the body and HR like sprinting.  Before the end of the month, I'm going to try to start doing a running workout of some type, just brief, probably up a hill or turf with the offloader brace.  We'll see how the body adapts.

Last night I hopped the fence and did some water running and swimming in the pool about 1am.  It was still about 80º outside.  It was great.  I did 15x split squats with just 20lbs in the fitness center.   My glutes were actually sore next day.

This week, I'm not teaching private instruction and going to Murfreesboro for a short day on Thurs.  6-8ish.   I'm really going to be practicing guitar more than I ever have in decades this week.  I hope my hand health holds out.  It did pretty well in the concert, no significant numbness, just the usual fatigue.  Playing the Rameau variations reminds me how actually athletic music is.  If you don't have the physical part, you can't be expressive and nothing else works.  When playing music of this difficulty, not even hours of practice can prevent mental mistakes due to stress, doubt, etc...  So, that's another element.  And of course, it's not good enough to just play the notes, it has to be expressive, varied, creative. 

Work starts tomorrow when I get home, should be mid-late afternoon.  I have 3 days in a row, Sunday 10:30 playing the entire service at All Saints - this could be a big crowd.  Monday, All Saints concert; Tues, MTSU concert.  Then it's over for a while.  Planning a hiking boat trip to Fontana the following weekend.  Looks like sunny and beautiful weather all week, mid 80s, then turning cooler on the weekend, lows hitting the 40s.  No rain.  

At my concert, I met Pamela Bauer, the daughter of a swing era guitarist Billy Bauer, who played with the most famous and influential jazz musicians of the era.   I had never heard of Bauer, and he wasn't as influential as other swing era guitar players (like Django R. and Charlie Christian).  She gave me a card with this photo.  She must have been at least 85 yrs old, which would have made her ~ 8 when this photo was taken of her dad (N.Y. 1949)... sitting with the single greatest jazz musician of all time.  (In terms of instrumental brilliance, innovation, and influence, his work is studied by jazz players as much as Bach is studied by classical players).  Pretty cool.  

If you don't know who the guy is with the sax and the cig, you're culturally deprived.  

Billy Bauer with Bird, NY 1949

Can't believe I actually bought a seat for my lute. 

weekly bike climb, lifestyle issues...

 Did a hard climb today, needed the exercise.  Maybe too hard.  This one was much harder than last one in terms of effort and HR.   I stayed off of the lowest gear as much as possible.  It was about a minute faster than last time but way more stress on the body and CV system.

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 23:09

Avg speed - 6.2 mph

Max HR - 184

HR over 170 -  14:49 

HR over 180 - 3:19

Avg HR - 165

It was a tough day as Wed night I only slept 3 hrs due to a new fingering I was working into the Rameau piece, and worked all day Thurs, and got 6 hrs sleep Thur night, got up before 7 to start practicing for a performance for a 9 am Music class in Sewanee.  The performance was substandard and sorry I agreed to do it so early.  I got back and fell asleep immediately for 2 hrs, got up and did the climb.  After rest I started practicing with the help of some coffee.  Instead of eating a proper meal, I ate poorly, quick snacks - like fruit, nuts, and chocolate, just didn't want to spend the time preparing the meal.  I eventually did - arugula salad with chicken breast.  

I wonder if doing these high HR climbs is damaging or beneficial.   Last climb was a minute slower but HR was really much lower:   today's HR over 170 was 14:49 vs 3:34 last time.  Over 180 was 3:19 compared to max of 177 last time.  Avg HR was 165 vs 154.  Avg speed 6.2 vs 5.9 mph.

Concert Mon, but it's just a short program (40 m) at noon.  Will go to hotel in Franklin TN Sunday night.  Then to Florida next weekend.  This Monday or Tues after my concert I will hopefully do some exercise, might be my last opportunity.  When I get back from FL, one week to the big concerts.

Weight still ok, mid 143s after workout.

Bike climb, concert

My posting here will be sporadic as my concert tour has begun.  I'm presently in Clarksville, TN getting ready for my first concert tonight.  

I did the bike climb last Friday up Roark's Cove.  I was really trying to keep my avg HR down and not go really hard and I did.  About a minute faster than the one a week before but a slower avg HR.

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 24:06

Avg speed - 5.9 mph

Max HR - 177

HR over 170 - 3:34

Avg HR - 154

As I once said, I know colleges by their concert hall or by their track.  This college, APSU, I've done both.  

APSU is the track where my masters career actually started with a 100m race back 15 yrs ago in 2011 at a early season college meet in March, called the 'APSU Spring Fling.'  The first outdoor meet I had run since high school.  I ran 12.56 at age 50.  (Interestingly, I ran faster at age 61 in '21 - 12.43).  

The following year I returned to race there in one of my best meets as a masters, running a 55.14 400m / 24.94 200m.  It stands as the second fastest 400m of my masters career, and second only to the 55.11 I ran indoors at Vanderbilt 3 yrs later.  

I've performed at APSU twice in their big grand concert hall, but tonight I'll be in their smaller recital hall.  

The guitar feels really good today.  I've prepared pretty well, so just like racing, it's really just mental from here on.  Remaining confident, expressive, and not over thinking and letting doubt distract from the flow.  

This is the first time I've ever used FOUR different instruments in a concert:  

Lute - renaissance dances

Guitar - mostly Spanish stuff (Traphagen)

Guitar tuned in G - for the Rameau (Ruck)

Guitar in 'Turkish tuning" for Koyunbaba (Turrentine)

Kinda ridiculous but this is the only opportunity to actually play my full program before the big concert at All Saints in 3 weeks.  My other concerts are either short or involve travel and I can't take the lute.  

Still doing my strength workout every morning (except today), and going to try to get one hard bike workout in a week.   All this is over on Oct 20.  

Bike Sprint

 One of my fastest, hardest 2.5 mile mtn bike sprints.  I think this was my second fastest.   I needed it.  A lot of butt time and a few extra lbs.  

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 9:36

Avg speed - 14.1 mph

Max HR - 175

HR over 156 - 9:49 (inc 1 min recovery at end)

HR over 170 - 4:12

Avg HR - 166 

I hit the turnaround at 5 min flat, about 5 sec off record pace.  It was hard, standing up most of the hills.       

hot climb

Needing to burn some calories today after overeating yesterday.   I waited til the hottest part of the day and did the Roark's cove climb.   It was 95º at my house with a heat index of about 100º, but was a few degrees cooler on the shady north side of the mountain.  Training in the heat is great as long as there is shade.

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 23:41

Avg speed - 5.9 mph

Max HR - 182

HR over 170 - 11:13

HR over 180 - 2:00

HR over 156 - 19:08 

Avg HR - 163

Happy with the time considering conditions.  Stayed seated the whole time.  HR over 170 for 11:13 but it was probably over 167 for several minutes more.   

My Hume pod says I'm at 12.0% body fat, which is inaccurate because I know I've been leaner and lighter than I am now and it said higher.  I have been able to slightly increase muscle mass with a very small about of work, less than 5 min a day, but every day.   Just one set of 21-23 pullups, and 30-35 pushups, (and ab wheel or hanging abs sometimes, dumbells sometimes).  

 

 

 

But lately... this has been my workout.   Flamenco falsetas are good for you, do them daily:

Yet another bike sprint

Needing a quick compact workout, I did the 2.5 mile bike sprint again and it was exactly the same time as yesterday, same split at the halfway point, and same exact finish time.  Very weird for an event lasting almost 10min.   Oddly, the avg speed was 0.1 mph slower.  

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 9:53

Avg speed - 13.7 mph

Max HR - 173

Avg HR - 161 (inc 1 min recovery at end) 

HR over 156 - 9:44

HR over 170 - 0:19

The only major difference was the HR over 170 was much less where the avg was about the same.  

Was 3 lbs lighter today than yesterday, 146.3 yesterday, 143.4 today.   Yesterday, my main meal was a blueberry and chia pudding with almond milk.   Tonight, cod and salad.

Was practicing at the church yesterday at 1:30 am, so I got to bed by 4am, which is ok, was up by 10:20.  

 

Hard bike sprint

Pushing 90º at my house late this afternoon.  Nothing but 90º weather and dry days in the forecast for this week.  I was feeling bad about gaining some weight so I did a hard bike sprint.   Perceived effort felt close to max, very hard, but still 14 sec slower than my previous, although HR data very similar.  Seat was too low, had it adjusted for Roya but I'm off the seat about 20% of the time anyway.

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 9:53

Avg speed - 13.8 mph

Max HR - 172

Avg HR - 160 (inc 1 min recovery at end) 

HR over 156 - 8:37

HR over 170 - 2:21

Night before last, I stayed up til well past 4 am practicing.  I've reasoned it's not good to do that and lose my entire morning, so I think, be to bed by 2:30 ish, unless I'm recording in the church.   

Will work on my diet.  The problem is I often use drinks like tea and ices coffee as appetite suppressants. Not the healthiest thing.  

145.8 after workout.  3.4 lbs heavier than when I did the same workout 9 days ago.  My Hume pod still tells me I'm at 12.2% body fat which is bogus.  When I'm lighter it says higher.   

bike climb, easy

 It had been a 5 days since I was on the bike.  Still doing the daily pullups and pushups but a lot of time on my butt practicing, the musician lifestyle not as conducive to fitness than the full time sprint training lifestyle.  I've often said there are great parallels between music training and athletics, but where they are different is time.  Even in the most intense week of sprint training, I might up put in to 12 hrs a week between track, bike, and weights... 6 days a week.  For concert preparation it can be easily 30+ hrs a week and always 7 days a week.  There are no days off.  It's repetitious and methodical.

Have gained significant weight.  Was waking up at 142-143.  This morning hit a month long high of 146.8.   I'll be able to correct that.

Bike climb yesterday was not "easy" ... never is, but I didn't push hard as I did last week.  Wanted to keep my HR lower.  It was cooler, heat index in mid 80ºs instead of mid 90ºs.  

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 25:10

Avg speed - 5.6 mph

Max HR - 176

HR over 170 - 4:54

Avg HR - 159

Last weekend, HR on this climb was over 170 for 11:37 vs 4:54 min by comparison, and over 180 for 1:36, and almost 3 min slower.   Afterward I went to the track and did a little stretching.  

I need to do a more 2.5 mile sprints on my road.  On Thurs had a weird issue with my left knee, I did some squats before I went to bed and it was sore when I woke up, almost bad enough to cause a limp.  It went away and feels fine now. 

Weather continues like summer, 90ºs forecast and no rain for the coming week.

Bike interval sprints, running test on turf, WMAC

Cooler today, 70ºs by evening.  Got the bike out to campus to do the 400m sprint intervals.  Hard workout and not as fast as usual.  I even failed to remain standing for the full 400m on the bike.  Did go hard though. 

4x400m bike sprints w/ 2:30 rest

top speed: 27.6, 26.1, 26.0, 26.2

Max HR -164

Interesting that again, max HR recorded after reps, not during. 

At the track, did my usual warmup and stretches.  Then put the offloader brace on for some run testing.  Started with some drills and high knee running on turf.  Then accelerated out of the high knee drill cautiously for short distances, 20m of actual running.  Felt fine.  Did it again.  Felt real good in fact.  So I did the same thing one final time and accelerated to sprint speed and held it for about 40 yds.  It was awesome!   Felt zero pain for the first time running in a while.  I really wanted to do more but I shut it down.  

Hopefully, and cautiously, more running to come.   However, my return to running is going to be super slow, especially as I enter concert season.  I'm thinking once every 2 weeks or so, maybe something like 4x50m on turf w/ 30 sec rest to test the waters.  Then ramp up slowly.  

Ate REALLY poorly last night, carbs.  It put me down into a very sound nap, I woke up at 9pm, made tea (gave up my caffeine fast), and practiced for 3+ hrs.  Then at 1:30am, went to the Cathedral to play my program, got home at 3:30 am, finally got to sleep about 5am.   Musicians lifestyle not real healthy.  Got to fight that.  It was my first test of the high strung guitar in All Saints.  I'll post some video on my other blog at some point.  

Just a day of poor eating and I gained a few lbs,  was about 145 when I woke up.  

WMAC:

I've heard people saying that if more former elites were involved in Masters track, people like myself wouldn't be winning championships.   Probably true, but here's an interesting data point: 

This year's WMAC M60 400m champion, Tim M. was an elite, part of the World Championship 4x400m relay team for the Bahamas, and Bronze medalist Olympian.  His winning time in Daegu was 56.24 at age 60.  I ran 56.23 at age 61.   Just saying.... 

bike climb, hard and warm

When I left the house, the heat index was over 105º, but I really think it was at least 10º cooler on the N side of the mtn where I bike up Roark's cove rd.  This was a strong effort, I think my 2nd fastest of the yr.  

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 22:14

Avg speed - 6.3 mph

Max HR - 181

HR over 170 - 11:37

HR over 180 - 1:36

My post op PR was back around Memorial day when I did a 21:38.  I was pretty tired toward the end of this and didn't do much stand up sprinting.

Was pretty light for this climb which helped, probably about 141.5.  

Today, I have a miserable job to do when I should be protecting my hands and practicing.  Have to go to Murfreesboro and clean out my newly rebuilt shed and throw a bunch of stuff away while the dumpster at my house is still available.  It's not even noon yet and the heat index is already 111ºF.   Better to do this today and not closer to my concerts.  First concert 3 weeks from Tues.  

hard bike sprint

Went out into the hottest part of the day to do a hard bike sprint.   Heat index over 100ºF.  This one was closer to a max effort and I have now resumed stand up sprints on the bike.  I didn't do the entire 9:39 standing up but maybe 15% of it on the climbs.  

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 9:39

Avg speed - 13.8 mph

Max HR - 172

Avg HR - 162 (inc 1 min recovery at end) 

HR over 156 - 9:46

HR over 170 - 2:23

My 3rd or 4th fastest run of this circuit, and hard due to the weather.  Just 18 sec off my PR.    

I feel I can now do stand up biking without stressing my knee and can do it often.   This is my 4th biking workout in 5 days.  

142.4 lbs this morning.    Did my usual workout, 22 pullups, 35 pushups, dumbells.  

My body fat is at 12.2% according to the Hume Pod.

Things are coming together, I have now 5 concerts set up in the 4 weeks beginning Sept 29.  More on MUSIC and GUITAR that on my other blog.  Actively posting again on Bill's TN Paradise.

Biking in the heat wave, WMAC

Did my usual 2.5 mile bike sprint course today and yesterday, not all out but hard.  The heat index briefly hit 101º today when the temp spiked to 94º hottest since July 3.  

Yesterday's seated bike sprint 

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:38

Avg speed - 12.9 mph

Max HR - 171

Avg HR - 155 (inc 1 min recovery at end) 

HR over 156 - 6:37

HR over 170 - 0:04

Today's bike sprint with a little standing 

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:11

Avg speed - 13.4 mph

Max HR - 164

Avg HR - 152 (inc 1 min recovery at end) 

HR over 156 - 4:12

HR over 170 - 0:00

It was well over 90º heat index but it didn't feel like it on my shady road.   

Been eating carbs again.  Had a paella yesterday and quinoa today.  Was over 144 lbs today for the first time in a while.   

Heat wave is supposed to continue and peak on Friday or so.   Temps in the mid 100ºs in Murfreesboro, could reach the mid 90ºs here.  I like the heat.  Maybe I'll do a bike climb during the hottest part of the day Friday.  

Last two tests came in, ApoB high 127, Lp(a) low <10.   About what I expected.   May test homocysteine on Thurs to see if my coffee / tea abstinence had any effect.  

WMAC Daegu

My age group 400m finals were as expected,  WR holder John W. ran alone winning in 57.71.   Second was Richard W. in 60.07 and Christian S in 3rd with 61.46.   If I had recovered as I had hoped, easily would have medaled considering I was running 62 with just 6 weeks of training 10 mo ago.  

bike climb, long swim

Saturday did a bike climb in 90º+ heat index, and a long lake swim on Sunday.   Summer continues, forecasts of 90ºs this week on the mtn, 100º down in Murfreesboro.  

Roark's Cove bike climb  

Total time - 23:39  

Avg speed - 5.9 mph  

Max HR - 182  

HR over 170 - 6:38 

HR over 180 - 1:09  

Avg HR - 160

Seated the whole way, almost exactly the same time as last time, slightly slower, slightly longer duration high HR.

We went to the far end of lake Jackson and swam the entire length and back, taking it easy.  Roya did well.   It was a great swim.  

Lake swim - Lake Jackson

Length - 1218 yds

Time - 53:00

Avg HR - 107

 

Still light, 141s - 142s have generally been my daily weigh in.

I see my PCP this Thurs.    Going to try and make the case for a CCTA.  Also should probably get my skin checked by a dermatologist, get a referred to a nephrologist, and maybe revisit the CA19-9 test to see if there's any changes.   

track, gym - equipment issues, concert season, weird test

Went to the track tonight to do a warmup stretch, some drills, and try the brace out with some high knee running and a few steps of actual running.  Felt ok.  Still not going to try and actually run for a month.  

We went to the gym and I was bummed to see the new glute machines - two of the same kind, down in the varsity gym and inaccessible to me.  This is a new policy that occurred after renovation and new equipment.  I had been waiting for these forever.   I doubt they'll give me special permission to go in there.  It's a card swipe and I think the students go in as a team.  Not sure.   I know the track coach and the AD but I think that was his idea, so not going to ask, but I will tell him I'm disappointed to see both those machines down there.  They won't get used so much that they need two.  It's a stupid gym... has nothing but bars and weights down in this 'varsity gym' ... they have about a dozen benches, free weights, some plyo boxes, the glute machine is the only machine in there or one of the few.  All the machines are upstairs in the 'public area'.  It sucks, not what it used to be.  

I did get an ok workout tonight.  At least they have leg press, leg extension, ham curl, abductor machines, and a bench and some free weights.  The usual machines for upper body but nothing for back and abs.  Rowers are downstairs and accessible. 

They also have wheeled weight sleds.  Would not be a bad idea to start pushing those. 

Music

Anyway, the music thing is snowballing.  So far, 3 concerts set up for the next 5+  weeks.  One of the most important concerts in a long while for me is 7 weeks from Mon.  On Oct 19th, I will present likely the first ever faculty guitar and lute recital in the famous Sewanee All Saints chapel.  This is actually the first public announcement of this event being confirmed.  The way this community supports music, the rarity of the event and the way Sewanee publicizes things, I wouldn't be surprised if the crowd there is 4x that of my MTSU concert the following night. 

I need to nail these and I need to get diligent.  The 10,000 hour principle works.  Really getting my technique back to virtuoso level.  It's absolutely required to execute music as difficult as some of the music I'll be playing, particularly the Rameau.  Haven't performed it in at least 15 yrs.  

More Tests  

These my PCP ordered long ago.   Standard lipid panel.  LDL went up 115 to 132 but Trig down 157 to 130m which was good.  HDL also up from 35 to 42, improving my ratio.  Still waiting for 2 more but here's the weird one.... my fasting glucose.  

The BIG MYSTERY.  Glucose was Extreme: 166.  Must have been lab error.  Claude Ai thinks it was because I was less than an hour after a huge concert I did for the Music School convocation, and Claude thinks it was an "acute stress event".   I would say yes, it was very stressful, but it went well, and I felt 100% relaxed by the time I had blood taken, but Claude is sticking with the theory.  I call BS on the machines.  Lab error.  Claude sticks with his own kind.  Could be human error too.   My A1c was normal, 5.6.  I was absolutely 12 hour fasted, just water with a squeeze of lemon (few drops)... for 12+ hrs.  Last night I was so hungry, I ate sweetened dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and an hour after I tested glucose at 108 (my home kit).  The only time I ever measured glucose close to that high was after a very hard track workout.  Anyway, will try to remember to repeat the test after a similar situation.  Very strange.  I test a lot.  I'm usually about 100-105 in the morning and it goes down throughout the day if I don't eat which I usually don't til noon or after.  Before dinner it usually below 100.  

Anyway, hope it's not some 'condition.'

swim, water jog

Went to the lake with Roya late afternoon.  Perfect weather, low 80ºs, sunny, water temperature 88º.

Swam across without stopping, about 100 strokes, 150 yds.  Then leisurely swam along the opposite bank.

Did a water jog back, notice I said 'jog' instead of 'run'.   This was just relaxed strides, not pushing hard like I do in the 60 stride intervals.  It took a long while to 'jog' across the lake.  

Lake swim 

distance - 150 yd.

time - 2:40

Max HR - 158

Aqua jog 

552 strides (R/L) - continuous

          Avg HR  ~ low 120s

Glad we went.  Could have just stayed home and done nothing.  Burned a few calories.  Still doing daily pullups every morning.  Today did 23 cheater pullups.  

Really light.  Yesterday at 140, today at 141 lbs.

Ate a big meal last night and still light.  Basically what is in this photo + a second plate of salad.  Pretty much what I eat every day.  

Music

Tomorrow is a huge performance for me at the MTSU Music Convocation as one of the 4 featured faculty performers.  I'm happy to play because it will probably be the biggest crowd and the most exposure to students and colleagues where I work than any event this yr.   I'm playing Koyunbaba, an incredibly evocative piece that is really unforgettable for anyone hearing it the first time.  I call it 'the machine gun' because of it's rapid fire final movement which is one of those pieces that sounds impossibly difficult but in fact it's not. 'Big bang for the buck' type piece.   It has a huge dynamic range, really the biggest you can possibly get from an acoustic guitar due to the drone tuning specific to this piece.  

Ready to rock.  

Bike climb

Sunday, cooler weather, in the 70s, did another seated bike climb, the usual...  up Roark's Cove rd.  Was amazed that it was more than a minute faster than last time and with less effort.  HR over 170 - 5:58 min compared with 9:17 last time.  Avg HR was the same.  

Roark's Cove bike climb  

Total time - 23:38  

Avg speed - 6.0 mph  

Max HR - 182  

HR over 170 - 5:58 

HR over 180 - 0:32  

Avg HR - 160

Felt fine afterwards, rode some more with Roya, stopped at Greens View.

Watching the results come in from World Masters in Daegu.  Miss being there with my colleagues.  It's a magnificent stadium.  

I remember having to park there on the morning of my 400m world indoor final in 2017, because the normal route to the indoor track was closed due to the marathon.  What an intense time that was.  I was lucky to find a bus ride and a good samaritan to get within a half mile of the stadium, so I didn't have to walk 2 miles to my race.  I got there an hour before race time.  during my warmup, I remember texting with a friend who had just successfully beaten bladder cancer.   And what a race it was.  55.17 for Silver, and Benoit beat me in final 40m finishing in 54.39, faster than his M55 national outdoor record which still stands.  I went out in 25.5 in that race.  Probably the peak of my speed as a masters.  Ran 3 rounds of the 200m there, 2 of them in 24.84 and 24.82.  

Looking at it from afar, it just doesn't seem as important as it used to.  Especially with the juxtaposition of seeing videos of the races in that 95% empty stadium.  (Stadium holds 64,000... there might be 1000 in attendance for the WMAC).   John W is unbeatable, at age 67 set another WR in the 100m at 12.03.   I wonder how long he'll be doing it.  He knee was strapped with a ton of K-tape.  

Another friend of mine is 69 and just ran a 5k race in 23 min just 11 mo post op from a total knee replacement.  Too soon imo.  He's really overzealous, I hope he doesn't mess it up.  (I beat him at nationals in the 800m back in '21).  

Today I did a short 20m test run up a hill on my walk.  Felt fine.  Will wait 4 more weeks before I try to run at all.  

141.4 lbs 

 

 

Water running, lake swim

Was really surprised to have the lake to ourselves for over an hour... on a Friday with all the students back.  It was a great time.  Did a set of water running then swam the 150 yd lake without stopping.  Glad Roya could be there.

Water running

6 x 60 (R/L) strides with 60 sec rest

150 yd lake swim - 100 (R/L) strokes without stopping

150 yd return swim - easy

It was a decent exercise.  HR max for the water running was only 145, avg 114.  Seemed harder than that.  Of the three types of exercises I did this week, I think the seated bike climb was the best, and the knee felt good afterward.  Will probably do one / week. 

141.4 lbs this morning (Sat).  

Senior citizens now 65 and 66.
 

 

 

bike sprint, test results, performances

The usual bike 2.5 mile bike sprint with the offloader brace.  A good effort, a few seconds slower than my last one. 

2.5 mile mountain bike sprint - Laurel Branch Trl

Time - 10:04

Avg speed - 13.4 mph

Max HR - 170

Avg HR - 162 (inc 1 min recovery at end) 

HR over 156 - 9:29

HR over 170 - 0:40

Felt a bit harder than it probably should have.  My previous was 10 sec faster with higher HR.  I stood up to climb most of the short hills.  

Started the day with 22 pull ups.  Did a  15x slant board squats after the workout and some step downs.

Test results showed improved lipids, not optimal but improved.  HDL is too low (35), Triglycerides too high (157), but a big 40 pt reduction in total cholesterol to 177, LDL from 147 to 115.  No folate or B12 deficiencies measured.  Marginal kidney function and the worst result was an increase in homocysteine to 18.6.  Possible remedies for this are B6 and B complex vitamin supplementation and eliminating coffee and black tea.  Need to test for B6 deficiency and possible thyroid cause.  

Otherwise, relatively healthy, 141 lbs.

Just got cleared to perform a concert in the big cathedral Oct 19, and MTSU next day.  Possibly the Villages on the 10th.   Practicing a lot.  School starts next week and I'm performing for the Convocation, which is a big deal.   

Bike climb

Needed some good cardio work so Tues, I did a seated bike climb up Roark's Cove Rd.  Not trying to set any PRs, just a good strength workout, burn some calories.   Not as hot yesterday, heat index in the mid 80ºs instead of upper 90ºs.  

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 24:49

Avg speed - 5.7 mph

Max HR - 180

HR over 170 - 9:17

HR over 180 - 0:24

Avg HR - 160

Afterward I went to the track and did some stretching, resisted the temptation to run and did some skips.  Knee really feels better.  Did my first slant board squats in a while, much less clicking and popping.

After weighing less than 140 lbs past couple days, I was 140.8 lbs this morning.

Awaiting on one final test result from my recent batch.  Will post about it next.  So far, lipids markedly improved, kidney issues continue.  Nothing severe.   Claude AI has been really helpful with the interpretations and recommended next steps.  

Ate a little more tonight, a stew with a little shrimp and quinoa.