Life change and test results

It will be end of coming week before I hear anything from Dr. LaPrade.  He will have both my Xrays and MRI arriving before he comes in on Jan. 2.   

Previously with my other knee injury, I trained on it for almost 2 months before surgery but not this time.  I'm doing nothing really except pullups, pushups, rubber tubing shoulder rotations, weighted bicycle crunches, ab wheel, but nothing to raise the heart rate near max and run the engine hot.  I fear it may affect my CV health and promote faster aging.  The best thing to do would be to get into the pool but it's closed til 1/13.   I could probably bike or row with no pain but I don't want to make my meniscus worse.  It will be already a difficult enough repair, assuming it can be.

During my normal lifestyle when training, so many things are centered around this.  What and when I eat, when I go to the bathroom, the weather (wind direction, rain, etc...), what type of workout I will do, what my goals for the session are, etc... It is a total life change.  It has brought me back strongly to guitar practicing where I'm playing so much more.  I played a community concert in FL on xmas night with a guitar I purchased and had sent to my parents house.  It turned out to be a spectacular guitar, a 48 yr old Takamine C136s in near mint condition, worth 3 or 4x the $500 I paid for it.  Definitely among the best guitars I own.  Astonishingly loud and easy to play.  

LIPID Blood work

I had the blood drawn for 4 lipid tests and I have results of 3 of them:  Apolipoprotein B1/A ratio, standard lipid panel, and MMR Lipid fractionation.   (They screwed up and didn't take enough blood for the Lipid ion mobility fractionation test).

Results were generally ok, some good and bad.   It had only been 8 weeks since my previous blood draw and I tried 3 things:  500mg niacin, bergamot juice and capsules, and cutting down on espresso coffee.  

Here is the standard lipid panel - first number Oct 18 blood draw, second - Dec 12.

Total Cholesterol: 215 - 169 

Triglycerides: 152 - 107 

LDL: 158 - 113 

HDL: 42 - 35 

Ratio: 5.17 - 4.8 

Slight improvement, but the HDL dropped with the LDL, which always has been a problem.   Overall, improvement, showing the supplement regime working.  Odd that all three indicators:  Total Chol, LDL, and TriG all dropped by the same exact amount, 45-46 points, which is significant - especially in just 8 weeks.   

My Apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio came in at 1.05. B was 104 - considered borderline high, A1 was 99 considered too low (under 120). Any ratio over 0.9 is considered higher risk (Mayo C).   Pretty much confirms the bad ratios I've always had, around the borderline risk area.   

A study showing this as the best prognosticator of CVD risk: 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8277048/

The lipid fractionation MMR came in with mixed results, but mostly that I have more small dense LDL and less large molecule HDL.   

Confusing because the small LDL-P came in at 853 nmol/L which is high risk, however, the overall LDL size was in the normal range - 20.9 nm (over 20.5 is good).   

HDL-P, Large HDL-P came in low, which is considered high risk,  especially the Large HDL-P.  The overall HDL size was just into the high risk level (8.4 nm, anything under 8.7 is high risk) 

My most anomalous reading was VLDL-P (Large VLDL particles).   Elevated levels of large VLDL particles is bad.  Anything under 3.7 nmol/L is considered optimal, mine was off the charts low, listed as <1.5 nmol/L ...  which is very good.  My overall VLDL was also good, anything under 47.1 nm is optimal, mine was 43.8 nm, also good.  

Very hard to understand what all this means.  It's a very complex science, a lot of intangibles.

I also found another interesting food supplement I'm going to try.  It's called mangosteen juice.  I read some studies on it and heard some anecdotal testimonies from someone I know that it is has strong anti-malignancy and anti-inflammatory properties.  Recent study on that: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104366182200576X 

  

I met up with my friend Jeff for dinner, a multi-millionaire physician.  We again went to his facility and looked at our carotid arteries with the ultrasound, we both were clear.  No sign of calcium on the walls of the artery, just a tiny amount on the outside.   He and another physician friend of mine are really against statins for non obese people.  He insists that it won't do much to extend life.  But I think it has for my parents.  

I visited my parents in FL last week.  I did gain a few lbs but by today I was back just under 141 lbs.  The worst thing I ate was a cannoli.  I snacked mostly on fruits and nuts besides my one meal / day.  

I think my parents look great.  Mom will be 83 in a month, dad 85 in April.  My dad is 25 lbs lighter than last yr at this time, weighing about 205 lbs.  My mother is definitely a bit overweight at 5'4" 140+ lbs.  My parents... they eat steak and potatoes, processed food like store-bought cookies and pies (with mile-long lists of ingredients), artificially flavored and chemically sweetened beverages and foods, they don’t read food labels, they eat butter, eggs, ice cream …. all the stuff I would never eat.  My mother at least eats vegetables, my father eats nothing really that is healthy.  He hates all the good stuff, berries, cruciferous vegetables, greens.   They are both on statins, my dad had a CAC scan Agatston score of over 1200 12+ yrs ago, they both have had a stent installed. Me, age 64, no beef or pork in 33 yrs, Mediterranean diet, only organic chicken and wild caught seafood, organic produce. I try to get my parents to eat better, but they say…"But we’re 85."   What can you say to that? 

We celebrated their 65th anniversary day after Christmas.  They were married Dec 26, 1959.   My mother was a month away from her 18th birthday, and my dad was to turn 20 that April.  Growing up in a hurry.

stadium stairs, new shoes, food sweetener

Yesterday morning at the MTSU stadium stairs.  It was one of my worst sessions on the stairs.  This 40m stair sprint is one that I've done 30x in a session (10 yrs ago).  Usually try to get 20.  Today, only could do 12, and took generous rest between the final 3.   2 yrs ago about this time I did 16, then a week later, 19.  I'm really out of shape.   By the end of these last stair sprints I was not even getting off the ground between the last few steps due to fatigue.   A reminder that it goes away fast.  I'm sore today.

I had my blood drawn on Thursday morning.  I tested my blood twice that morning.  Blood glucose was 77 and an hour later, 79.   I was up early on not a great night sleep to take my car in for some tire work.  Then had my blood drawn.  Was tired.  I'll bet my T-level will be low.  I think my T and my glucose was higher last time because I did some squats in the morning before my test.  Not really interested in T level, just want to be under 100 for glucose to get the wellness rebate.  After my blood test, I had a sandwich and some sweet coffee and tested it again a bit later, it was 140.  

 

Hoka trainers on 

stretches

12 x stadium stair sprints

141.0  lbs after workout.

I heard recently of a study linking zero calorie sweetener erythritol to negative health effects due to excessive platelet activation which can cause blood clotting which could lead to heart attack and stroke.  Not sure if this would show up in a blood test as an increase in platelets, or if it just enhances the clotting of platelets at a normal level.   Erythritol is in both sweeteners I use - a blend containing stevia and monkfruit.  Still preferred above sucralose and acesulfame potassium, but I'm going to do what I had been doing before, mixing it half and half with raw sugar, reducing my use of both.   Disappointing for sure.  

I got the Hoka Rocket X2s in today.  They are 6.7 oz, almost an ounce heavier than the Vaporflys.  Still very light, comparable to the Rincons.    Just tried them on, will probably not run until Monday if I'm smart.  The feel and fit is really different from the Nikes.   First impression is that the Nike Vaporflys are 'plastic-y' in the upper and non-flexible, like the Maxflys.  The Hokas in comparison are 'rubbery' in the upper and have a stretchy snug fit, a lot like my Adidas Prime SP2 racing spikes, and like the Adidas Takumi Sen 8s.  Not really easy to get on, but still quite comfortable on first impression.   Just walking around the house, these Hokas feel like no other shoe.  Very hard to describe except I feel tall and springy.

Planning to up my running workouts to 2x week - Mon/Fri.  

.

back on track. 2x300m

After 4 days off, back on the track today.  It was good to be back.  Low 60ºs and windy today, bright sun.  Really cool for this time of year.  This weather pattern is supposed to continue until Thurs then abruptly change to warmer and wetter for the foreseeable future.

My groin and foot soreness was better, but still not 100%.  Good enough to get a brief workout in.  Didn't want to do too much today and reinjure.  Also, have gained a lot of weight.  Woke up at nearly 147 lbs.  Probably due to a bread binge.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100, bands

100m stride ~ 15

2 x 300m - 43.87 (13.69,14.74,15.44), 43.87 (13.78, 14.63, 15.46)

Yes, that's right ... two 300s exactly the same time.  Pretty rare but I've seen it before.  I had to look at the splits to make sure my watch was reset and functioning.  These were about 60-61 400m pace and I did them with 12-15 min rest, not full rest.  My pulse was still pushing 130 when I started #2.  

I'm going to get back on it Thursday and maybe... just maybe get it together and run in the Emory college meet 2 weeks from today.  I need to get my speed endurance happening and lose some freaking weight.  Was 145.0 lbs after workout.  Heaviest in months.  

I'm usually no more than a week or 10 days away from snapping back to race weight.  That is due to my conscience about diet.  I know when I'm cheating, and I know that it is not sustainable as an athlete.  If I were to continue the carb/ bread binge for more than a week, it would accumulate and be even harder to get back, especially if taking a break and sedentary.  I can only imagine if that were my consistent lifestyle over the months and years.  I would easily be 180 lbs.   That would be the path of least resistance and a priority on comfort.   I spoke to my brother today, his weight fluctuates hugely.  He said he weighs in the 190s.  That would be like me about 175, or 30 lbs heavier.   I'm really the only person in my family who seems to really care about diet.  I just find it astonishing that people eat food and never read about or care about the ingredients that make up what they're eating, never read nutrition labels, and apparently don't even understand them or care.  I've tried unsuccessfully to help them, but these binges I go through give me insight into their issues.  There are certain foods that I just love and will eat them even if I'm not real hungry because of the taste and texture.  But for now, its back to chicken breast, raw broccoli ... but I have my protein ice cream.  Nice to be able to eat ice cream and not consume massive amounts of fat and calories ... thanks to the Ninja Creami.   Coffee/ Cappuccino is a staple and a definite food group... low cal food and a hunger suppressant.  

Back to the track on Thurs.  Maybe I'll try a tempo workout.   

Thoughts on the athletic lifestyle, longevity and general health

Waking up this morning in Sewanee was wonderful.  The view was nothing but white fog.  Wind and light rain blowing across the bluff, I opened the windows and it feels great with a light breeze blowing though the house.  Temperature about 68º.   

For me, the thing about the athletic discipline and training is that it affects so many other aspects of lifestyle, far more than any job, artistic, or academic pursuit.  It affects what, when, and how much I eat.  It affects how well I sleep, and sleep affects how well I recover, heal, and train.  My training schedule structures the day and affects when I eat and sleep and when my leisure time is.  It affects my overall health - cardiovascular health, blood quality, disease prevention, longevity, aging, stress management, etc...    I dare say I haven't aged at the same rate as my longtime colleagues at the college who are sedentary.  

On the way back from Finland, I sat on the plane from Munich with a high level cancer researcher, a physician and medical college faculty.  We talked about aging and disease.  The gist of what he told me is that there is so much we don't know about disease and a lot of it is random.  The cure is definitely on the genetic level and environment plays only a partial role.  I told him I had some theories on disease prevention and lifestyle, he said, 'ok, let's hear them.'  After telling him, he essentially agreed I was likely right or at least on the right track.  

This is an expansion on what I told him:

Food and nutrition:   eat less, maintain low body fat, intermittent fasting.  Eat simple whole foods, read labels.  Avoid anything fried, processed, burnt, refined, artificial.  Know what you're putting in your mouth... READ LABELS!   Avoid a lot of saturated and animal fat.  Moderation, periods of plant based only nutrition.  The more you eat, the more you want to eat.  We've all experienced food so good that you want to keep eating long after you're full.  Avoid such addictive foods.  For me it's carbs, baked goods, bread, cereals, grains, pasta, chips, fries, etc...  combine these things with either a lot of salt and sugar - even worse.   I avoid at all costs things like pasta, french fries, boxed cereals, store made cookies and junk like that.  I do like artisan bread - (typically with an ingredient list of just grain, salt, yeast, water)  but when I'm getting down to low body fat, I eat no bread or starchy carbs.  Losing the last 5 lbs is the toughest.  There are so many good alternatives to choose.  Like konjac noodles instead of wheat or rice noodles, purecane sweetener instead of sugar, ice cream made with protein powder and skim milk (with the Ninja Creami), etc...    Also, eat foods that pass quickly through the digestive system... a slow digestive system has the potential to retain waste and for toxins to be absorbed by the blood stream and affect the quality of the intestinal lining.  Exercise is also a stimulant for an efficient digestive system.  I think any form of extremism or purism to a ridiculous extent is counterproductive.  That includes everything from veganism to keto.

Exercise:  A recent large scientific study again links longevity to vigorous exercise.  LINK  Further, I think that HIIT (high intensity) interval training that progressively pushes the heart rate to the max (160+ bps) for short (less than 5 min) periods of time 1 to 3X a week is extremely beneficial for cardiac health and for hormone production (HGH, testosterone).  Such hormones are essential for healing and I believe also for disease prevention.  As the Dr. mentioned, our success at disease prevention comes from the ability to heal and regenerate.  Good natural hormonal levels (not artificially supplemented) are key to this ability.  I think you can get away with higher lipid levels in the blood without having plaque stick to your arteries and heart when one engages in this type of exercise.   Other benefits include a marked decrease blood pressure.  Hours after workouts, my resting blood pressure plummets to very healthy levels, often below 108/60.   Also, cross training - biking. swimming, weights, and just being up on your feet a decent part of the day, walking, things that require one to stand and move around are particularly good, like yard work, cleaning, building things, maintenance, etc...  But, these things won't ever take the place of, or yield the benefits of high intensity training.  As we age, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) is a natural condition that can be remedied by weight training.  It also has benefits in producing a healthy and strong tendon and skeletal system.  Again, resistance training with free weights or machines is not the best way to get high intensity training in my experience, unless you're rowing, stationary biking, or some machine where you can sprint.

General lifestyle:  

- Sleep is huge.  It is one area I'm always trying to improve on.  It's important for both physical and mental health.  Nothing is better than long and sustained sleep.  Naps are ok and I get some, but I rarely sleep the recommended 8 hrs uninterrupted.  Good sleep hygiene is important.  Also, never having to set an alarm clock is good for me.

- Low stress, structure.  Living in a natural environment, away from crowds, in and around nature, plants, trees, etc... is good. Asians call it 'forest bathing'.   Having some structure but limited stressful responsibilities is good, a few days a week is just enough structure to keep one balanced and sleeping well.  Working as most Americans do at 40+ hrs a week is too much IMO for optimum wellness.  Having goals and projects to challenge the mind and give structure is import, as opposed to just mindless entertainment, like sedentary TV / media consumption.   Also, constant traveling and living in an ever changing environment can be stressful, especially for short visits.  

- Vigilance, evaluation, health care.  Excellent health care in the US is available but varies significantly per region.  Also, healthcare insurance and benefits are really uneven and inconsistent.  The system definitely has flaws.  However, preventative medicine is just common sense.  Health issues like cancer, blood pressure, heart disease and other diseases can go unchecked and do far worse damage than if they are found and dealt with sooner.   I really think the yearly physical and blood work is the bare minimum and would like to see real time blood monitoring come to fruition at some point, which is clearly inevitable.  Those who have never had colonoscopies, or have been checked for common diseases,  like heart, BP, prostate, intestinal, skin cancer, etc... are going to be far worse off if they find the disease once it has progressed.  And at that point, it will be life-changingly expensive for the uninsured.  I have had numerous friends have such cancers who had to have surgery because they found out too late.  Some died young, one of skin cancer at age 50, one of intestinal cancer at 46.  Several lost their prostate, one his bladder, etc...   Some of this is random of course, and can't be prevented but those who refute the necessity of adequate monitoring are simply science deniers and putting themselves at risk.  You have only one life.  Good health care goes a long way.  My dad is an example, he has been very vigilant with his and my mom's healthcare.  It likely has extended his life, considering he is an obese and sedentary person age 82, now living longer than the average US male.  I'm not a fan of taking pills for every malady -  like statins for lipids, BP medicine, psychiatric mood stabilizers, etc... I think it is far more healthy to address those issues with lifestyle rather than pills.  However, once you're in your 80s, medications can probably extend life.   

- Drugs, alcohol.   As a former user of cannabis and occasional drinker, I can say light use of those drugs are probably not going to affect one much, but for me, I can do without and not feel like I'm missing something.  I might drink a few beers a year or get high once a year but there seems to me no benefit physically from these drugs, although cannabis has apparently had medicinal effects for some.  In the past it had helped me stay interested in long practice sessions on the guitar and even provided some inspiration and alternative perspectives on some technically challenging musical problems.  I do think that the 'medicinal cannabis revolution' of sorts that is taking place is over hyped, except in proven cases where it has helped people with seizures and such.  Of course, smoking anything is bad for the lungs. And, as I said previously, the fewer pharmaceutical medications you take, the better.  It is far more healthy to address those issues with lifestyle rather than pills.

- Body weight, orthopedic issues.  Athletes put a lot of stress on their bodies and joints.  Particularly lower body and spine.  The #1 thing to lessen the potential for damage is to retain a healthy body weight.  Non-athletes tend to have knee and joint injuries in later life if their weight is higher than it should be.  What is the optimum weight for an older person, especially a masters athlete?  Simple answer:  the same as it was when you reached maturity and/or were at your athletic peak in high school or college - somewhere typically age 17-23.  (The exception to this is if your were an obese teen who was not athletic / active or of normal weight).   If you want to prevent injury to your joints, endeavor to weigh what you weighed as a high school senior or in college - or even less, since at this age we do not regenerate or heal at the same rate.    For me, I weighed 143 as a high school sprinter, and as a 62 yr old masters athlete, I like to be not more than 141 lbs when I compete.   A lot of masters athletes look disparagingly at the BMI chart, but I can tell you that in masters track, those that are in the top 50% in performance, I would estimate 95+% of them are a normal BMI.  That is generally the case with any athletic endeavor that doesn't depend on physical size (like football), and involves running or swimming.   (Body builders are nearly always overweight on the BMI scale, and that is appropriate, because they are carrying far more bulk than necessary and conducive to athletic performance, and generally don't compare favorably with athletes in strength to weight ratio.    Make no mistake about it.   Body builders are NOT athletes).  

UPDATE:   Just saw this article in CNN about ultra-processed foods being linked to dementia and Alzheimers.  Here's a quote:

“... prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza and ready-to-eat meals -- isn't good for our health. Nor is gobbling up all the pleasure foods that we love so much: hot dogs, sausages, burgers, french fries, sodas, cookies, cakes, candies, doughnuts and ice cream, to name just a few… a new study has revealed eating more ultraprocessed foods may contribute to overall cognitive decline, including the areas of the brain involved in executive functioning -- the ability to process information and make decisions… "

"men and women who ate the most ultraprocessed foods had a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline compared with people who ate the least amount of overly processed food, the study found.”

I've often said, hotdogs and donuts are about the worst things you can put in your mouth.  Now the proof is that it not only affects your body, but your mind as well.

----

After the meet, I indulged in a once a year cheater meal.   On the way home, I had a baguette with a tub of honey walnut cream cheese.   My friend Gary, a heart surgeon told me: cheat meals a few times a year are ok, but NOT a few times a month.  I weighed 145.5 before I went to bed, but the damage only comes if I kept up eating badly for 2 or more days in a row.  I was relatively back to normal today at 141.5.  It's not hard to keep a low body fat once you're there.  It's just real hard to get there, especially on a plant based diet due to the carbs.

Anyway, that's all for now.  I've been sitting too long and the rain has finally stopped.  The competition season is over but as Alan reminded me, the season for athletes never ends.  Cheers!

300 tempo

Warm with a S wind at the Sewanee track, mid-upper 70ºs at sunset.  

Tempo day.   I wanted to one up myself but failed to finish.  Started out too optimistically. 

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 100m

3 x 300, 200 w/ 3 min rest - 49.57, 49.65, 51.25, (200m) 32.5

200m - 29.10

I was disappointed in myself bailing 100m before finishing this set.  This time I was taking my pulse just before starting the next rep and I knew I might not make it because as I started my last rep, my pulse was still pushing 160.  I still wish I had gutted it out, even a 21 sec last 100m would have given me an improvement over last time and a 51 avg.  

I think I really need some form work.  Something seems off with my stride, I'm not running as tall ... or something.  Tomorrow is the last dry day for a while, maybe I'll get out tomorrow night and run, maybe just some drills and a few race pace 200s or something. 

I do feel more fit, although a ways to go.   139.8 lbs after workout.

Food

Been eating pretty minimally to lose the last of this fat and I'm just about there.  I had been making this low cal protein 'ice cream' with skim milk and protein powder in ice cube trays.  But it was always a chore to remove the cubes, fully frozen, quite hard and not resembling ice cream.  Well, I bought a Ninja Creami, a glorified blender/processor that creates ice cream like textures from solid frozen cups of whatever... fruit, milk+protein powder, coffee, etc... I was really impressed with the result.  

One pint of my protein vanilla ice cream, and it is exactly the same texture as ice cream, has 320 calories, 38g protein, 28g carbs, 4g fat.  Compare with a pint of premium ice cream that has 1065 calories, 15g protein, 96g carbs, 70g fat.   My ice cream has 1/3 the calories, 1/3 the carbs, 1/20 the fat, 2.5 times the protein.  The machine has a 'mix in' feature where you can add nuts, berries, chocolate chips, whatever. 

I can see affogato for breakfast... (ice cream with espresso)

 

More stadium stairs / Blood work results

Thursdays are becoming my stadium stair day.  Yesterday I did 16x.  Better than the previous 13x.  Left quad was a bit sore last night, but this morning OK.  I think I'll try to increase by 3 each week til I run out of daylight.  

Stretches

16x stadium stairs 

My weight is still good.  I'm eating fish again and more protein.  141 lbs after workout.

Blood work

After trying a egg heavy diet in Feb - April, my May blood work showed a elevated cholesterol of 281, LDL 201.  The LDL was considered 'very high'.  I spoke with my friend Gary, the heart surgeon, and he also recommended other tests, inflammation markers: Sed Rate, CRP.    My doc challenged me, he said last May, "The ball is in your court.  We'll retest you in Sept."  ... also with a mention of possibly going on statin drugs.  That was enough of an initiative.  

I gave up eggs 100% immediately in May.  Only skim milk.  No more butter blend, just olive oil.  After track season, I gave up all meat and the only non-vegan food I was eating was skim milk and an occasional scoop of whey protein powder.  

Here are the pertinent results:

Total Cholesterol:

May: 281

Sept: 161

LDL:

May: 201

Sept: 105

Testosterone:

May: 256

Sept: 477

The results were quite dramatic, but I also think the time of day being tested had a lot to do with the real low T level in May.  I got tested very late in the day while I was tired, hungry, and run down.  256 T level is low.  477 probably right in the mid range for a 61 yr old. 

I must say, after looking at some over 50 fitness groups, the prevalence of testosterone abuse is epidemic.  I can't believe how widespread it is.  I'm happy to be involved in a sport that naturally increases my hormone levels and strictly forbids the use of such PEDs.  I would never use that stuff, even if I were not competing.  

That said, there is an individual who is quite high in the sprint rankings in M60, yet he has apparently never competed in an event in which there is drug testing - like a USATF or World Championship, despite apparently competing in other non-testing events in the same location, and no one in the masters track community knows him.  It does raise suspicions, and not just with me.

Anyway, happy for these results.  Definite proof of the dietary effect of egg consumption, for me... anecdotally of course.  

I've gone back to eating occasional lean meat protein.  But still often eat vegan meals. 

Here's the veggie pasta I had last night with konjac noodles.  TWO huge plates of this are less than 300 calories and very low carb.  If these were traditional pasta noodles, it would be more like 1000 calories.  It's called 'having your cake and eating it too' ... you make compromises.  The benefits are big.

Reminder... it goes away fast. Bike and Stadium stairs

Monday, biked up Raccoon Mtn, with Bill.  We did it at a fairly easy pace, about 42 min, where our PR is 35-36 min.   Beautiful morning views in the gorge.  I'll post some photos below.

Thursday, Stadium stairs at MTSU.  Not sure when the last time I ran stadium stairs but I think it may have been as long ago as April.  I can usually knock out 16-21X of these, but yesterday, a meager 13x and I was a quivering mess.  I really did the first 2 or 3 all out, probably too fast.   I've done as many as 30 in a session, with rest between sets.  We'll see if I get sore, but so far, ok.  Stadium stair training always gets the quads and calves.   

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 50m jog on turf

13x stadium stair sprints

It was much harder than any recent stair workout. 

The pubalgia issue is fading and I should be 100% by Oct.  I think I can start doing some easy running or hill running as often as every other day now.  

Schedule

It looks so far that early season indoor meets will be more plentiful in AL at the Crossplex than in Louisville at the Norton Center.  I may be able to race the first 2 weekends in Dec in AL.  We'll see.  Not much info yet.  

Health

Yesterday, I got another rescue injection for the carpal tunnel and when the effects wear off, I'll get the surgery.  I'm hoping it won't be until mid Nov.  I'm actually playing guitar pretty well now and hopefully get some recording done this month.  

Also, yesterday, I had fasting blood work, primarily for lipids, inflammation, and testosterone, the latter 2 my physician is not interested in but I am.  Having been on a plant based diet for 4 weeks prior to the test, it should tell conclusively if my cholesterol is 'diet-induced' or naturally produced by my liver.  I won't get the results til the end of the month. My first test came at a time I was training much harder, weighed a few lbs less and was eating lots of eggs and animal protein.  

I got tested Thursday morning, I had fasted Wed, eating only 2 apples the entire day, and Tues, just a bowl of lima beans.   By Thursday morning, I was just under 140lbs (139.9), I was starving and did a big diet cheat.  In the next 24 hrs I ate 2 Panera baguettes with reduced fat honey walnut cream cheese, and preserves.  Still under 144 today but glad I got that out of my system.  Back to the good diet.  

Raccoon Mtn on left.  Below, eagle in flight.

250s / diet

Another perfect day in Sewanee, sunny, cool, crisp, dry, low to mid 60ºs, light NW wind.  I wanted to do relaxed and near race pace long sprints today and decided to do some 250s from the 400m start.  The track was covered in places by tents set up for graduation, but lane 4 was fortunately free.  I specifically ran these conservatively and relaxed.   I took a generous rest in between, almost full recovery.  All were 3 step rolling starts except the last one.

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2x100, bands

2 x 50m

250m - 34.12 (12.78, 14.1, 7.24 / 26.88, 7.24)

250m - 34.34 (12.94, 14.19, 7.21 / 27.13, 7.21)

250m - 34.26 (12.94, 14.00, 7.32 / 26.94, 7.32)

100m on the turn from lane 1 - 12.91

200m from the line - 27.37

I like 250s.  My first time doing them.  They are a good pre race workout because unlike 300m event runs, they aren't so tiring that I can do 3 of them without major fatigue.  

At race pace, 34 or just under would be a good target.  To get 57.5 that would require a final 150m of 23.5.  That would be 7.5 250-300m, then 16 on the last 100m. 

Race Saturday

Unfortunately, I have to leave real early to get to Brentwood for the meet.  The track looks good, but it's a 6 lane track and they put me in lane 1 for the 200m.  I may not run the 200m.  I'm still a work in progress.  The real season starts on Memorial Day weekend where I will race 2 (maybe 3) weekends in a row.  

Diet

Well, I thought I could get away with eating a lot of eggs but no, my cholesterol test came back high, so I'm ditching the eggs for oat bran.  Eggs are a satisfying, relatively low calorie high protein zero carb food. They have helped me get my body fat to very low levels.  Mistakenly, I thought being at less than 10% body fat and my training would negate the cholesterol, but no.  My bodyweight bottomed out at 135 lbs at one point, but today, was 139.6 lbs after workout.  Eggs are a relatively new food for me to eat in quantity.  I was hard boiling them and eating them 2 or 3 at a time with parmesan cheese, as many as 6/day, 2 doz/ week, too much!   So, I'm switching back to the mostly low/zero fat meat, dairy, fish, and plant based diet that got me to the levels I had before.  Niacin, raw garlic, ginger, etc... Even at best in recent years, I've been borderline high, around 200 total cholesterol, which is hereditary / genetic.  But, I know what to do to get back to where I was.  Not particularly worried since I had a calcium CT heart scan that yielded a ZERO score - zero plaque.  Fortunately, the local grocery has excellent quality low fat organic chicken, organic skim milk.  No more rotisserie chicken, toast and butter, eggs and cheese... unfortunately.   Still haven't eaten beef or pork in over 30 yrs.  I'm going to retest in 4 months.  If I'm still high (which I doubt), I'll have a more detailed CTA heart scan to see if there are any issues.   If there are, I may consider a low dose statin, but I doubt it.  

A close friend of mine was on the heavy animal fat 'keto diet' and he suddenly started having heart problems, ended up in the hospital and is now on statin drugs for life, he's only 51.  Problem is, he never knew he had a problem because he never went to a Dr.  It was only an emergency heart arrhythmia that put him in the hospital that he found out.  Keto diets are problematic in my opinion... all that animal fat.   My sister in law is 5'3" 105 lbs, very fit and had a cholesterol of over 400!  You can't escape your genes.  The liver produces cholesterol, and it's not all from diet.  Fasting will actually raise your cholesterol, and I do intermittent fasting, so that may have contributed. 

 

shots and weights

As I mentioned, I fixed the glute machine.  The cable wasn't long enough but it seems to work just fine with one lower pulley instead of 2. (see bottom of photo)

Now I can bust some butt.  I loaded it up tonight with 140 lbs - two 70 lb dumbells on top of the 150 lb stack.  I did 5 x 50 each side and it worked perfectly.  I'm inclined to order the correct cable, maybe the machine would last longer, but for now, it works and the cables do not rub anywhere on the machine, although close.  

I couldn't wait for the PRP injection in my carpal tunnel to work so I got yet another steroid shot today, so hopefully I can sleep.  

Yesterday, got the 2nd Moderna covid vaccine,  ZERO side effects, none.  Fully vaccinated now. 

I had a student drop off my teaching schedule for the next 2 weeks so I can train Monday and Tuesday nights in the weight room if I want.  

Tomorrow is speed day and it looks beautiful.  Sunny, near 70º.  After Wed, winter returns.  It will be below freezing for 3 nights in a row, but sunny for a week + and a warming trend.   Friday will be crisp and cool for overdistance, sunny and a high of only about 50º.   

This body weight experiment is working, I'm feeling far less wear and tear and/or pain in the foot or joints since I dropped below 140 lbs.   I haven't felt the need to train on turf for a while.  I'm eating basically high protein, low fat, low carb.  Mostly chicken, fish, eggs, milk, shredded parmesan, berries, raw vegetables,  juices - orange, cherry, pomegranate, coffee, Hammer Recoverite, protein powder, and collagen powder.  Also, ordered some BBQ salmon skin chips.  Great snack food but a little expensive, a great nutritional profile - 10g protein,  5 g fat, zero carb.   Recently, just started adding occasionally a little oat bran and bread.   One main meal after training.  

Was 137.7 after weights tonight.  

 

sprinter food and body weight

 As I lose those last few lbs, I'm really watching my diet.  I can feel a big difference in my speed on the track.    I eat once a day after training and have been starchy carb free for pretty much 4-5 weeks now.  I'm getting a decent amount of protein, although I do think protein intake is often believed to be over done, I don't think you need that much.  The most protein I ever eat in a day would rarely be over 100g.  I definitely couldn't do it in a vegetarian diet.  A large 12 oz can of tuna has 72 grams of protein with zero carbs and only 360 calories, that's a massive amount of protein for very few calories.  I'm definitely not KETO either, since I'm not consuming much fat and I do eat a little sugar.   Fats are a big part of the KETO diet and sugar is forbidden.  

All fall, I had been eating a lot of chocolate and nuts as a sweet snack.  For a sweet snack, I've replaced that with this:  A fruit or berry parfait with a 'cream' made from french vanilla stevia sweetened protein powder and milk.  It's amazingly delicious, less than 200 calories, 25 grams of protein, relatively low carb and less than 200 calories.   Below is the raspberry protein parfait. 

Well, that's desert first.  

Salty snacks ...  fresh salsa (not out of a jar) with raw vegetables like celery, radishes, zucchini, etc...   

Tuna I often mix with onions, tomatoes, and other raw vegetables ... add mayo and mustard.

 I've been eating grilled chicken and baked fish.  

About a lb of chicken breast marinated and grilled with broccoli on the side.  (3rd pic) Sometimes I'll cook a huge plate of steamed kale with my fresh tomato garlic balsamic salsa, and eat less meat.  (2nd pic)

I think my favorite is the 'tin foil tent' method of cooking fish and vegetables.  On a cast iron pan, I put down fish filets, then a variety of vegetables, cook at 420º for about 40 min and it's perfect every time.  The fish seasons the vegetables perfectly.  

It's all low carb.  When eating a lot of vegetables like big plates of kale, I can easily lose 3 lbs over night and 5 lbs in a day, because much of the intake is water.  

Another thing I eat is konjac noodles.  They make a great chicken or seafood pasta and are basically carb free and super low calorie.  

As people get older, they have less of an ability to build large muscle mass while at the same time, due to decreasing hormone levels, tend to store fat much easier.  That's why it's vital for me to weigh less than I did 5 yrs ago to maintain somewhere close to the strength / weight ratio.  Maybe not as important in the short sprints, but definitely in the long sprints.  I think my race weight is a 'well fueled' 140-142 lbs.  The weight I put down on my blog is my daily minimum, usually after workouts.  I can finish a workout at one weight and easily weigh 4+ lbs more after dinner.    

Don't want to sound too obsessed with weight, but I really notice a difference with just 3 - 4 lbs.    A delightful lightness of being.

cross training

Past 2 days I've done weights, swam, and Tues. - 20 min Stairmaster, and Wed. - biked up Roark's Cove Rd.   I'm hovering around a mean weight of 145.5 but fluctuating.  It used to be a rare and difficult thing to climb the mountain on Roark's Cove Rd. on the bike, but I do it a few times a week now.  My best is about 22:30 min, but not that fast today.

I've found what I think I need more of to rehab my knee:  negative squats to 90º.   Everything I've been doing like biking and stairmaster has lacked 'a negative squat'  ... the kind of work you'd get when walking slowly and controlled down stairs.  I've discovered this is what I need to do more of, or fast squats with slow and extra negatives.

I think some hiking will help but I do remember, hiking the from Eagle Creek to Shuckstack in the Smokies last year was the last real strenuous thing I did before injuring my knee.  Maybe we won't do that hike this weekend when we go.

Seems like it's harder to shed fat.  I need to replace the fat I eat with vegetables.  Last few days I've eaten basically cherries, grilled chicken, nuts, and chocolate.   Just haven't been to the store and I'm essentially eating one meal a day, with a few snacks and coffee.

Looking forward to visiting the Great Smoky Mtn Nat'l Park by boat.

hill climbing on the bike then time off

Last week I took the boat up the river to Chattanooga and through the beautiful TN River Gorge.  On Friday morning I awoke to a gorgeous and unseasonably cool sunny morning, in the 50ºs and decided that it was the day to do the Raccoon mountain climb on my bike.

 It is a 12+ mile round trip and the hill is a relentless 1400' climb that goes on for about 5 miles.  I waited til early afternoon to start, which was a mistake because it got quite warm by the time I started, but still only low 80ºs but feeling hot in the sun.  Normally I would try to make this without stopping but I did stop a few times on the way up.   The vistor's center was cool and the views tremendous.  It was hard, I never thought I'd do it again... but I did, about 18 hrs later.

That night I met my HS friend Bill and he said he was in, he wanted to do the climb.  Bill is an endurance runner and he said he'd be bringing Dianna, his friend who is a top triathlete, about 10 yrs younger than us.

They showed up next morning at 6:30ish AM and I met them in the parking lot. They both had nice road bikes, Dianna's was a super light carbon bike.  I was on my much heavier entry level mountain bike.  After the first two miles, they were gone ... ahead of me and out of sight, Dianna leading the way.   This encouraged me not to stop so I kept going, pushing all the way to the top.  It seemed easier than last time, but certainly not 'easy'.    They were not at the visitors center so I took a loop of the lake before I finally found them, we took a few photos at the top.  

Bill and I made it down quickly and we were rewarded with a real close sighting of a bob cat crossing the road during our rapid descent, probably about 40+ mph. 

During this trip, I suspended my diet, and ate pasta once, some other carbs and developed a real fondness for Whole Foods brand chocolate almond butter cups.  

Aside from one ab session and a set of pull ups (16), I didn't exercise for most of 3 days after my return and my slacking on my diet caused me to backslide a little, still hovering around 145 lbs but getting a tad soft, so today, I need to do a hard bike and get to the gym.  

I've put aside this week to refocus on music as I've been learning some new pieces on the Baroque lute, which has been great fun and challenging.  

I hope to do more boating this season.  The boat ran great but when I got back to my truck, the starter was failing but I managed to get it to start one final time to get me home.  Also, the boat has a new modern  vacu-flush head that I installed, and the new exhaust manifold I installed is working well. 

This photo was from the top of the mountain and to give you an idea of scale, that tiny white dot at the left side of the parking lot is my boat.

As far as my other toys, my 2 Kawasaki dual sport Sherpa motorcycles are going to be very costly to repair, so I've been riding this street legal Suzuki DR 100 mini bike around.  It's 32 yrs old and amazing it still runs well.  With my truck in the shop, it is my only motorized vehicle.   I took it to the lake for a swim the other day.  Still relatively cool for almost summer in the south.  On and off showers and only in the 70ºs today and tomorrow.  

Love these long days.  Love this time of year.  A good life for sure.  

Stairmaster and rowing, article

Traveling to see Dr. LaPrade tomorrow, so I won't be working out tomorrow and I did a harder one today.  Weights + 20min hill program on the stairmaster and 2000m in 9 min on the rower.

Was 142.5 lbs after workout.

Regarding diet and intermittent fasting, I saw this interesting article:

An Evolutionary Perspective on Why Food Overconsumption Impairs Cognition

"Obesity impairs cognition and increases the risk for some psychiatric disorders and dementias.  Continuous availability and consumption of energy-rich food in relatively sedentary modern-day humans negatively impacts the lifetime cognitive trajectories of parents and their children. The cellular and molecular mechanisms by which intermittent food deprivation enhances cognition and overfeeding impairs cognition are being elucidated."

Almost there

Did another hard mtn bike trial today, came up just short of my PR in 23:40.  Have been eating real lean, and dropped below 144 momentarily after doing some projects all day - one of which was changing out a manifold and riser on my Mercruiser boat engine.   What a job, went extremely well.

Mercruiser Chevy 5.7 exhaust manifold

I had a slight shoulder injury in a freak bike mishap, but it's no problem.  I can do pull ups but not yet pushups.

I'm feeling like I can comfortably jog but I'm just testing.  I do think a return to the track and stadium stairs is certainly within a month.  No hurry to sprint.  Expect to be doing foundation for some time.

Shedding fat has been quite a hobby and motivational.  I've found good substitutes for carbs and sugar, but I'm still eating extremely light, probably avg about 1000 cal/ day.  It may sound like a sacrifice but it's easy for me.  Besides my one main meal, I may have sweetened (no cal) iced coffee with a little chocolate and nuts.   Not the healthiest thing, as some days this Belgian chocolate and nuts account for 50% of my daily calories, as my meals are very low cal.  (Fortunately, I'm almost out of chocolate).  When I reach my leanest point, I'll shift my diet and training to include more cals, protein, carbs and more strength work.  I'm thinking 2 weeks.  I'll see what Dr. LaPrade says in 10 days.  Right now, I'm upping my ab work, doing body weight exercises.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the hell out of this vacation.  Practicing music, making improvements in my boat and motorcycles.

losing the fat

Weight / fat is coming off after almost 2 weeks of calorie restriction.  My daily intake has ranged from about 1300 calories to a few days where I was under 500.  I was busy and on my feet during those light days so I really saw a difference.  Weighed 145.2 this morning but my daily average would probably be about 147ish. 

Working more on abs and upper body, can do 16 pull ups and 40 pushups so I think my strength is increasing.   

Last 2 days was busy with visitors and had not worked out much so I'll be back into it today.  I've not by any means lost my abdominal fat completely.  It's a process that will take probably 2-3 more weeks of careful diet and by the time I see Dr. LaPrade in June, I'll be able to start building muscle mass back up again with a bigger diet, more protein, some supplements, and soon .... a little running.  

The dangerous thing about doing these quasi fasts, real low calorie days while being active is that the less I eat, the less I want to eat and lose my appetite.  But now I'm back to a nominal diet and eating really well but small.

For example, this is a common dish for me, very simple and super tasty, high protein, very low carb, and low cal for a main meal.  This is about 380 calories:

shirataki noodles

32 medium shrimp

broccolli

snow peas

tomato

anchovies

olive oil

The fitness life

Officially on summer vacation, living the fitness life.  Training daily, mostly bike and weights.  

Yet another PR on the mountain bike.   I always start like 'ok, not going not go for the record' ... but did it again.  10k course with numerous hill climbs.  A third on gravel, 2/3 on paved.  Increased my record by one minute!   It was all on the second half of the course as my splits were about the same as the previous record.  

splits:
5:12 - end of road  

12:15 - turnaround

24:28 - Total 

This is the last week the gym is open til 11pm.  It's great, I was there until 10:30ish and it was a ghost ship.  Only 2 other people there.  What is astonishing is that with this lightly used facility, with most everything I need to train, including an indoor track, Sewanee is building a second fitness center on campus.  Seems ridiculous.  I heard it was due to the money being earmarked for that specific purpose by a wealthy donor, I think it was $30 million.  For that money, they could expand the track and create a real banked 200m mondo, and maybe get some more hi tech machines - like the Alter-G running machine.  There's one in Chattanooga I can use, and my friend Tom in Atlanta actually owns one.  It costs like $40K new.

I did 2 sets of all legs, actually doing light leg extensions and curls, 70º leg press and squats, all with much lighter weight than I normally use.  I didn't due the hip glute machine due to a slight hip pain I was having.  Also did some A skips and some brief high knee drills.

I was concerned I wasn't getting enough protein, but thinking back to previous training, at my peak, I'm sure I wasn't getting more than 60-80g per day at the peak of my speed.  So with my present level of training, I'm thinking important to get lean so I can start eating carbs and protein and build lean mass.  I'm counting my calories for the first time, making notes on what I eat, and even have a scale to weigh stuff.   So, I'm staying easily under 1200 calories and working out daily so I should be able to lose this fat by June.  I'm averaging about 150lbs, want to be 143.  I have tons of time but feel the urgency to get fit.

I'm just 16 week post op, which means I am at the point where I'm just able to start light leg ham resistance, although I've been doing it for a little over a week now.  According to the chart, no running for 8 more weeks... which seems like a long time.  I'm thinking maybe a week after I see Dr. LaPrade in June, so maybe 6 weeks.  I'll certainly ask him.  No hurry!   I really don't have to be in full training mode til early next year.   I'm not even supposed to start Stairmaster or rowing for another month.  Unfortunately,  the pool is closed for this week and summer hours start Monday, when the gym closes at 9pm.  I can do a lot at home, like my ab routine, bands, etc...

No matter what I do, the fitness gained by the specificity of running is impossible to duplicate any other way.  I'm sure my butt will be kicked when I do start running again.  I'm sure I won't be attempting any sort of meaningful track workout til late summer.

With this new food scale, I was able to weigh my shoes:

Clifton 1    - 7.1 oz
Clifton 3    - 8.1 oz
Puma training spikes v5 - 5.8 oz
Puma racing spikes v3 - 5.2 oz

Swim / nutrition

First time in the pool with aqua running and swimming.  Since a new exercise, I just did an easy 20 min 'jog', trying to maintain good form.  I followed with a brief 150m swim.

Trying to stay active, I did a leisurely bike ride for almost an hour around campus.  I ran into the local HS track coach, who I thought had retired, but he said he was back into it.  I rode over to the SAS campus and briefly watched their track practice.  Heh... watching a HS track practice, guess I really miss track.  I'd normally be getting ready to leave for Penn Relays this week.  I took the brace off to ride a bit, felt fine.  Not much difference.

Was lightest I've been in a while this morning, 148.5 lbs, but that doesn't mean I've lost much fat.   It just means I ate really light last night.  Today, I ate much more because tomorrow I'm fasting for 24 hrs for my annual blood work.  I weighed 153 after dinner.  Eating very smart though, pretty much zero carbs.

I've also drastically cut my sugar intake by using this natural sweetener:  Whole Earth Sweetener.  It's a mixture of stevia, and monk fruit.  Best sugar substitute I've had.  Use it in coffee/cappuccino, tea, and most of all, in limeade - very low calorie, which I've been drinking a lot of instead of the usual high calorie orange juice.

I made a real tasty protein snack last night, salmon jerky.  It's really a delicacy, it took over 3 lbs of salmon to make just one pound of jerky.  I swear I could eat the whole pound in a sitting.  It's a really great snack or compliment to a meal.  Packed with protein, low carb.  It has 15 grams of protein per ounce.  It's similar to eating bacon but more meaty and without the grease and dangerous nitrite preservatives.   I'm going to have to make this more often.  It's easy.

    salmon jerky

yum

Food review: 'miracle' pasta

In a search for low carb low calorie food, I tried the konjac noodles today, also known as shirataki noodles ... and they were ok!  Really not much different than a traditional Asian rice noodle.

The brand: NOoodles has a somewhat 'miraculous' nutritional profile:  ZERO calories and ONE gram of carb:

So, when eating something with a nearly miraculous zero carb / zero calorie rating, you can't expect it to taste like wheat and egg pasta. Actually, if it tastes ok and has decent texture, then it's a huge win... and this pasta is just that.  It has no real flavor of it's own, and takes on the flavor of the sauce or what it's prepared with.  I wouldn't say it's particularly 'filling', but it fills the bill as a pasta dish.  The NOoodles brand comes packed in lime water.  Just 3 ingredients: water, lime, yam flour.

I prepared my first test as follows.  Empty water out of package, soak for a few minutes in warm salted vinegar water, dry fry on high heat, remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, Italian spices, paprika, and minced garlic.  Sauté at med heat for a few minutes.  It was ok!  Not bad at all!  Not real filling for a half pound serving but I didn't add much to it.  The 'angel hair' pasta isn't really as small as regular angel hair, but like small spaghetti.  The $3 cost per serving is a bit high compared to traditional pasta but it's worth it. $36 for a 12 pack/ 8 oz.  This would be good in a Asian pho-type soup with seafood and vegetables.

What is it?
It's from the Chinese konjac yam.  From Wiki:

The dried corm of the konjac plant contains around 40% glucomannan gum. This polysaccharide makes konjac jelly highly viscous and may be responsible for many of its health benefits as used in traditional Chinese medicine, detoxification, tumour-suppression, blood stasis alleviation and phlegm liquefaction. Konjac has almost no calories, but is very high in fiber. Thus, it is often used as a diet food. Konjac fiber-rich flour contains neither gluten nor fat, almost no carbohydrates, and has just 60 calories per kilogram, compared to 3,680 for wheat.  The dietary fiber from konjac is used as a component of weight loss supplements. Konjac supplementation at modest levels has been shown to promote increased butyric acid through improved bowel flora ecology and increase bowel movements in constipated adults.

Glad to have discovered this.  Wow... only 1.6% of the calories of wheat.  THAT is pretty miraculous.

Here was the first trial:

UPDATE:

My spicy shrimp pho... a filling meal and under 125 calories.  Really.  Might be under 100.

more 800s

Back in Sewanee, 76º and very humid... but not as bad as FL.   Today was the first day the ham felt just about normal.  Only a slight tinge of soreness but it feels fine and will probably be able to sprint race-speed in a week and do tempo sprint intervals in a few days.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 800m - 2:31 (75/76), 2:35 (75/80) 

200m strider

Afterward, I got to the weight room and did a set of seated leg curl negatives, glute ham raises, and kettlebell swings.

I really hate 800s.  I really didn't want to run another after that first one.  But I did.  These were not all out efforts, but certainly hard effort.  Reminds me to not attempt an 800 race but then again, many of the world's top M55 400m runners are also top 800 guys.  There's a new US M55 guy, Peter,  who is one of the fastest M55 800m guys in the world (2:10) and has signed up for the 400m at Nationals.  He's got some serious foundation, having run a 17min+ in the 5k.  Big strong dude.

Anyway, I've weathered this injury pretty well.  I feel in good shape, the hills yesterday in FL gave my butt a good workout.  I really regret missing the TN Games because I thought I was really moving toward a peak, and the track where they held it, was just resurfaced a wonderful blue.  I also was worried Stan would run a faster time than I have run but no, he ran 57.27.... respectable but slower than my last 2 races.

Today, I reached a milestone:  first time under 140 lbs in possibly years.  139.7 lbs after workout.  I think this is due to both the good diet, low carbs, and the efficiency of my digestive system which quickly and efficiently processes food, and disposes of waste.  I credit my digestive health to eating more kimchi, a real great probiotic and a tasty side.

pre race day shake out and thoughts

Very warm in Sewanee, mid 80ºs at midday and sunny.  Just went for a brief warmup and shake out.  Yesterday, when I got on the track and started running my warmup, was feeling achy but after drills and two hard long sprints, I walked away feeling great.   Funny how that works.

Today I noticed the feet a bit sore but everything ok.

Hoka trainers on 

warmup, stretches, drills, light resistance bands 

50m strider 

200m - 28.5 (14, 14.5)

I wanted to run the last 200m of my 400m race at a pace that would bring me a PR.  Now, if I only could do that after a 26 opening 200m, I'd be in business.  I ran just one, felt ok.

USATF GA Masters/Open Association meet
I decided to go to Rome, GA for this meet instead of the closer meet in Huntsville - the AL State Games.  My reasoning is that even though it is almost twice as far, it is a smaller meet, mainly open and masters, has just one or 2 heats of everything.  The Huntsville meet is an all ages meet and the last time I did it, there was sooo much waiting and standing around.

I have good competition from younger masters.  In the 400m, I have Karnell, who is arguably the fastest M50 man in the world, he ran 23.1 last week in the 200 and has run 11.3 in the 100 this season.  Crazy fast ... about my speed, when I was 18.  He has a legitimate chance to break the M50 400m WR tomorrow, my guess is he'll run at least 52 low, a WL, so I won't be seeing much of him.  It sure would be great if we both ran WL times in the same race.  Easier for me.   I have lane 3 and M48 David is in lane 6.  He ran 56 low last meet and has always been a bit faster than me, so to see him is good.  Lane 3 isn't too bad.  The last time I ran 55 outdoor, I did it from lane 2.   In the 200m, I'm in 5, David is in 6.  He ran 25 flat last week so it will be good to see him in front of me.  Weather looks ok, low 80ºs for the 400 and approaching 90º for the 200, 30% chance of showers, little wind.

The problem with this meet is that the 400m is scheduled for 10 am, which is 9 am my time and is 2 hrs away.  So to get to the track an hour early, I have to leave no later than 6 am, and be up to eat at 5am.  I guess I'll sleep well after it's over.

I ran pretty well last weekend, and it's hard to keep improving 3 weeks in a row, and one race does not make a season, so... I don't want to be too disappointed if I can't improve.  I haven't had long training cycles in between races.  However, I feel like I'm capable of improvement if I execute.  I was probably more fit and capable in my first Nationals in '11 but executed so poorly in the finals of both my 400 and 200, I finished out of the medals with substandard times.  So, it's more than just being fit.  Sometimes you hit it, sometimes you miss.

One thing is for sure, my weight is very good.  My diet has been really good.  Eating mostly fish and kimchi, which is a great combination as it passes through very quickly.   Also nuts/nut butters, water melon, blueberries, an occasional protein shake... and just started eating egg sandwiches and toast.  I sometimes have to force myself to eat because I am never hungry before at least mid afternoon.  Today, I'm 142.9 lbs after dinner.  Could I be stronger, lighter, faster?  Yes, and I intend to be.  It's an interesting hobby.

Waiting for that cloud to give me some shade