Diet alternative

An alternative for one of my comfort foods:  buttered toast and tea or coffee.  

We have a truly great artisan baker here on the mountain, The Bread Peddler, but as delicious as the bread is, it is really high in carbs and calories.  Tests prove butter and eggs make my LDL skyrocket, bread and carbs do the same with my triglycerides.  

Alternatives are never as good as the real deal, but for me, a person with a family history of heart disease and a polygenic predisposition to high ApoB, I always seek alternatives and happily adapt.  Self indulgent entitlement mentality doesn't make for a great diet.  As my friend Gary, a heart surgeon told me, "It's ok to cheat a little once a month, not once or twice a week."  

I do cheat sometimes when I'm out for dinner, but that is rare.  Usually about once a month on average.  After not eating butter or margarine for almost a year, I started an alternative:  

Royo bread - high fiber, low carb, 30 cal a slice

Homemade 'butter' - curdled skim milk blended with olive oil.  Ingredients: skim milk, olive oil, few drops of lemon juice, salt.   

It's good.

Lately, social media has been flooded with ridiculous fad diet stuff, anti-science influencers, etc... promoting all meat high fat diets.   When you look at the followers, it's the usual people... anti-science conservatives, vaccine deniers, MAGAs, and MAHAs.  This political correlation is now being documented: 

 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02474-9

Best to test, know your vulnerabilities, push the heart occasionally, and for me, a varied low fat, low carb, low - moderate sugar Mediterranean diet is my chosen regime.  

My latest lipid panel was decent, improved.  Total cholesterol 166, LDL 112, triglycerides 119.  Not yet on any medication.   

bike climb

Tuesday, badly in need of exercise I went to Roarks Cove Rd for a hard climb.   It was good weather, fair, mid 60ºs.   I pushed pretty hard, almost broke 23:00, but no cigar.   I didn't get the avg speed due to an equipment problem, but got HR data:

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 23:06

Max HR - 183

HR over 156 - 17:09

HR over 170 - 5:02

HR over 180 - 0:23 

Avg HR - 158

Pretty good workout.  

I need to be more regular with these workouts and now is the 'climbing season' on the bike.  Bill M. and I may do Raccoon Mtn on Sunday.  Also, my boating season.  I expect to spend some time on the river in the weeks ahead.  

After a busy last 2 days, yesterday which involved driving to Nashville - 98 miles in torrential rain to meet students at a high school, my yearly wellness visit, the next 10 days look glorious for the fall color peak.  No rain, temperatures in the 60ºs and sunny.  More seasonable with the possibility of light frost in the next week.  

This morning:

Lab results, home tasks, food

Nothing too extreme in my lab results.  CA19-9 unchanged at 72.  All previous results have been around this number.   Cystatin-C at 1.04, high normal, eGFR calculated to 72.  Not alarming.

Yesterday, made a great paella with tuna filets and shrimp.

Today, did my morning workout with 20 pullups, 30 pushups, and 25 ab wheels.

Decided to replace the seals on my log splitter shaft.  Was a bitch.  Used the motor and hydraulic pressure to remove the shaft.  It blew out explosively, a 40lb metal shaft like coming out of a cannon.  If I had been in front of it, it would have been bad.  Bu, got er done.  $20 seal kit.  Back to working.   

With all the physical tasks, haven't been focused on biking or trying to run again.  Actually feel like I'm still recovering from the big hike.

Roya and I did a hike yesterday in the rain.  Was miserable weather, rain all day, 50º.   Beautiful today though, in the 70ºs.

initial lab results

Initial lab results coming in.  Had a urine analysis, CMP, CBC, lipids, PSA, cystatin-c, and CA19-9.  So far, everything but the cystatin-c and CA19-9 is in.

The only issue so far is the urine Albumin/ Creatinine ratio was a little high, 40 ug/mg.  High end of normal is 30.  However, blood creatinine was where it always is 1.2 mg/dL, providing a calculated GFR of 66.57.  

The lipid panel.  

I had this big dissertation on making the case for a CCTA scan, and making a decision on taking statins or Repatha... and after living on Kind Bars on my boat for 4 days, I was thinking this lipid panel would be bad.  It wasn't.  I didn't prepare for this test with an excessive fast or a change in diet.  

Fasting glucose - 85 mg/dL

Total Cholesterol - 166

LDL - 112

Trig - 119

HDL - 40

ratio - 4.19

Any cardiologist would look at these numbers, a zero CAC 2 yrs ago, and probably not recommend a CCTA, or even statins.  This was a better than usual lipid panel for me.  

The only other thing was my liver enzymes, ALT/AST.  Usually in the high teens low 20s, this time 32 and 31, higher but still normal.

Everything still not optimal, but not particularly dangerous.  My biggest risk remains the organ cysts.  My PSA was ok 1.2, hoping for a good CA19-9 and cystatin-c.

Did hard work today removing a fallen tree, cutting, stacking, and splitting wood.  Real hard on the hands.  I got attacked by yellow jackets, stung 3 times.  My truck must have run over the nest.  After a while, I went back and started my truck, it was unreal.  They attacked one side of the truck, sounded like it was raining, must be a huge nest.  I was trapped inside for more than 10 min.  Got to find that nest.  

Holding steady at ~143 lbs.  Fat scale says 12.2% body fat.  

Amazing weather, was 83º today, flowers still flourishing.  No frost in the forecast.  

Hiking vacation in GSMNP - Photos

One week ago I tested my body with some short sprints on turf, just 7 sprints ranging from 30m to 60m, 80-90% effort.  And it reaffirmed the fact - there is NO parallel exercise.  There is nothing that uses the hams and hip flexors quite the same way.  Despite the small workout, my hams were sore for 5+ days, and I could still feel the soreness at the start of the hiking trip.  

We left Friday evening for Fontana Lake, 180 mile trip, put the boat in after midnight on a sketchy earth and gravel ramp at Almond, NC.  Fortunately, it was dry, would have been dangerous if wet.  The lake is low, down 40' from full.  With the heavy load, I had to use low range 4x4 with hubs locked and back down super slow.  We didn't get to bed til after 2am, as I boated several miles to the center of the lake where cell service was the best and I could get reliable internet.  It was cold, clear, in the 40ºs.   

In this complex lake, knowing the shear depth of the lake and trusting my instruments, once I get into the open water, I can cruise at night virtually blind, fogged windows etc...  But we had a full moon and that helps a lot.  

Day 1, we did a mostly flat 6 mile hike at Forney Creek, actually saw a few other people, which is rare in this extremely remote part of the park, only easily accessible by boat, but it was Sat.  

Day 2, took it easy and walked a few miles to the ghost town of Proctor at the end of Hazel Creek, no one there.  We also walked around the dam and went in the visitors center on the last day it was open. 

Day 3, the big hike.  In years past, this was the 'short hike' but now, it was a maximum hike. The hike up the Appalachian Trail from the lake at Fontana Dam to the Shuckstack tower is about 8.5 miles round trip, it has a vertical climb of 2400'.  I remember running up this trail 20 yrs ago with Scott S. and summiting in about 75min.  Today, with numerous short rest breaks and the need to patch a heel blister, it took 2x as long, about 2.5 hrs.  The weather was perfect, sunny mid 70ºs at the lake, low-mid 60ºs at the tower.  The climb was tough in places, about 28% grade.  My HR during the steeper climbs stayed in the 130-150 rang while Roya's was 110ish.   The fall colors were awesome, approaching peak above 3500', about 10 days away from peak at lake level. 

 

To get from the lake up from the boat took a serious steep climb up a driftwood strewn bank to the paved road coming across the dam.   I've always done this to save the extra mile of walking across the dam and back, and provided a hidden place to leave the boat for 5 hrs.  Roya did not like the climb. 

We got to the tower and had it to ourselves for 45 min until another couple arrived just as we were leaving.  It was spectacular as usual.  I was hungry, ate 4 Kind bars with hot tea at the top of the tower. 

Going down took almost as long even without breaks.  It was harder on the knees.  I definitely had some knee pain and weakness on both by the time it was over.  

Roya didn't want to climb down the steep back to the boat so she elected to walk the half mile across the dam and meet me at a 'beach' below a tourist overlook picnic area.  That set up an unfortunate circumstance.

I get down to the boat OK, motor over to the pickup spot and Roya is not there.  I assumed maybe she went to the toilet at the visitors center at the dam.   So I get on the toilet in the boat, and from the window, I hear her yelling from the dam, telling me to come up.  I couldn't really understand what she was saying.  That was the last thing I wanted to do at that point but I did, I put my shoes on and ran up the bank, thinking she might have some problem.  When I get there, the problem has abated and she said she was delayed because of a bear on the walk path.  I was pissed.  What was I supposed to do about it?  She along with 2 tourists scared the bear away so that she could pass.  By the time I got there, the issue was over and I painfully ran up there for no real reason.  She was upset that I was upset.  Well, at least I DID respond and go up.  I was more worried that she may have been accosted or approached by a redneck, walking alone across the dam at dusk. Oh well, she got over it.

Day 4, did some light hiking up to the Cable cemetery and went for a wonderful swim in these exceptionally clear and clean waters.   Water temperature was higher than normal for this time of year, 71º.  Cool and brisk for swimming but with full sun and air temps in the mid 70ºs, it felt great.

I am continually astonished by this place.  The only lake where I've ever been on a weekend and seen almost no other boats, maybe 2 over the whole day.  A true wilderness experience and such a pristine environment.  It's quite an ordeal to get here but well worth it and I hope to return every year.  Sometimes I wonder if that would be my last hike to Shuckstack.  I know I've likely taken my last hike to other more distant peaks, High Rocks - 15 mile round trip, and Clingman's Dome from Forney Creek - 25 mile round trip and nearly 5000' climb.  

I'll be back on the bike this week but no more attempts to run for at least a week.  Recovery is everything at this point.  

Still maintaining a decent weight, around 143.  My diet has lapsed a bit and this week's blood work will be revealing.   

short sprints on turf, bike climb, concerts

First exercise in a week.  Today went to the track and first did a full warmup, drills, and some short sprints.  I probably did more than I should for first time out in a long time, but I did most with the brace.  

Hoka trainers on

Stretches, drills, bands

All sprints on turf - 85% effort

50m stride

50m - 3 step rolling - 7.91

60m - 3 step rolling - 8.90

60m - standing start - 9.18

50m - 3 point start - 8.10

2 x 30m accelerations

I did the first 4 sprints with the brace on.  It all felt pretty good.  Need to take it slow and see how the knees respond.  They will either adapt or not.  Not particularly optimistic, but no significant pain although a lot of noise in the joint. 

I then did a relaxed bike climb, trying to keep my HR mostly below 170, unlike last time where I was over 170 for 11:13.

Roark's Cove bike climb

Total time - 25:19

Avg speed - 5.6 mph

Max HR - 174

HR over 156 - 17:38

HR over 170 - 3:25

Avg HR - 157

Plan is to try to run once a week on turf, or short hill.  See how it feels.  Should keep the brace on.  Am pretty light due to all the stress of performing I think.  Now that Roya is here, I'm eating ok, but still eating a lot of Kind bars, fruit, nuts, and a little chocolate.  

Going on a hiking vacation to Fontana in the Smokies Fri- Tues.

141.5 lbs after workout.  Fat scale says my BF% is holding steady at 12.3%

CONCERTS FINISHED - free at last

Concert season concluded last night at MTSU and wow, what a relief.  The "big one" - Sewanee Monday night was a success.  Just under 100 attended, and I got through it pretty well.  The mental gremlins got me briefly in a few minor mistakes, but minimal and finished all pieces strong, most were near flawless.  Successfully walking away from the Rameau at halftime was a major accomplishment.  Kept the mistakes undetectable as I powered my way through the pieces with no stops, refusing to get rattled.  I held it together, received a stand ovation in what may have been the first Faculty Guitar Recital ever held in the historic landmark All Saints Chapel in the 160 yr history of the University.  The pressure was big, 90% of the people there were hearing me for the first time.   If I had blown it, it would have been difficult to ask to play there again.   One woman in her 70s said it was the best solo concert she'd ever seen on campus. 

 Played MTSU last night, was tougher.  Felt a little tightness in my forearms.  Shouldn't have played 2 nights in a row.  But it went well.  

It's really all mental.  I probably over practiced for Sewanee, put in at least 5 hrs on the day of the concert, but I really needed it to go well.  Of course, over training has been my thing, for better or worse.   

Check out the poster below, guess how old that photo is?  False advertising.  

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.