Spring break hiking, biking, and flowers in GA

Spent the week at Roya's house and we did two hikes, not including the visits to 2 botanical gardens, a museum visit, and I did a bike circuit.  The Atlanta botanical gardens were spectacular.  The Gibbs garden was nice too.  In all we did probably 15+ miles of walking/ hiking.  

The daffodils in full bloom in Sewanee today, but they'll soon be gone.  70ºF today, in 24 hrs, will be freezing with snow forecast and 20ºF overnight with windchills in the mid teens.  

Hiking to glaciers, flowers, pastry

Back from Chamonix on Wed.  Did some challenging hiking for my ability.  Hard on the feet and knees.  Also, the diet suffered ... pastries, baguettes, etc...  But my weight is still below 145, so not too bad.  I will need some recovery before I attempt to begin training.  One thing I learned in France was the value of recovery time.   After the ambitious Le Tour hike (like stairmaster x10), we had a light day afterward and I went from slightly painful walking to feeling fine.   It's this I'm going to have to gage properly going forward.

Here's a photo dump.  Will update descriptions later.  First 2 photos show some of the more difficult hikes - to the Albert I refuge at the Le Tour Glacier.  

Hike from Le Tour Glacier to Albert I refuge - Roya in pink

Chamonix town center

Grand Balcon Sud 

Le Tour Glacier

Mer de Glace 

Mont Blanc from Aguille du Midi

Glacier des Bossons

Chalet Cafe des Pyramides at Glacier des Bossons

Breakfast and dessert

Exposed hiking (fall - die) to Le Tour glacier

Le Tour Glacier

Gran Balcan Sud from Brevant to Refuge Belchat

The Track, no running yet

One of many cafes in the Alps - Bossons Glacier

  

gym, stairmaster

At the gym, concentrated on lower back, abs, hip flexors, and thought it would be good to do a 17 min stairmaster since this will be my last workout til I start hiking in Europe next week.  It was pretty hard, HR stayed between 150-170 for the several minutes.

Still feeling a bit of a burning sensation especially when loading hams at flexion.  Hope it goes away.  

My diet collapsed today as I binged on cherries, ate over 2 lbs, then never ate a real decent meal.

I sent a message to my PCP asking him about getting my liver scanned as a precaution due to AFP tests that were a bit high.

We'll see what he says.

Worried about my flight to Geneva.  Delta rebooked it so my layover is just 1:15, really not enough time for an international connection.  According to flight data, the incoming flight to JFK is only on time 34% of the time.  So, I bought flight insurance and called Delta to get on standby for next flights as a precaution.  Hope it works out, have had really bad luck with flights this year. 

Big bike climb, track drills, gym

 Taking it easy since the big bike climb at Racoon Mtn on Sunday with Bill M.   It was nice to be on the river again and the weather was nice, not real hot.    Compared with the climb in May that took 45 min (to the East overlook), this was better, just 38 min, and easier.   I forgot my watch so I have no HR data.

After 3 days of doing very little physically except for some abs and pullups, I went to the track tonight to do warmup, stretches, bands, drills, and some test running.  I did some high knee running and hops, then a 50 yr lope in sprint form.  Felt ok, just slight medial and tibial pain.  Should be gone in a month.  

I was pissed that my 2x45lb plates disappeared from under the bleachers.  I don't why someone would move these.   I hope to find then and used them in the future.

At the gym I worked on my back and upper body.  I did some weight sled pushes with the wheeled 'tank' ... a rolling resistance sled,  Unfortunately, not a wide range of adjustment.  Level 1 is a bit too easy, level 2, too hard to run with.  I also did a 36" standing box jump, first attempt at any jumping since surgery.

I'll have to try this with the harness.

142.2 lbs after workout.

Getting ready to fly to Switzerland on Monday for a week long hiking vacation in the French Alps with Roya.  Hiking, good coffee, pastry.  

swim, water running, stairmaster

Had yet another travel nightmare leaving Binghamton.  Flight out of Scranton was canceled after we boarded the plane, 6am flight the next morning also canceled.  From the time I left Conklin on Wed, it took me 35 hrs to get home, including a stay in a Scranton hotel.  It took me less time to get to Perth, Australia.

I ate poorly, splurged on bagels, pastry, fried food... when I got home, I was almost 150 lbs.  Mostly FOS.  By morning I was 147 and by the end of the day 146.3.  

Friday, I did what I had been waiting for... to the lake!  Gorgeous morning. 

I was there by 11:15 am, spent 90 min there with no other people.  

First did 6 x 120 strides water running.  Approx 75 sec running with 1 min rest in between.  Not easy.  HR was generally in the 140s.

Then I swam across the lake and back.  

Unfortunately, possibly due to a power surge, my home A/C is not working and Tues will be the first time it could be fixed.  Fortunately, it's not that hot, low 80's to upper 60's at night.  

Later in the evening I went to the gym.  My R hamstring is very weak and the knee burns whenever I do even light weight (30 lb) curls or negatives.  

I did 15 min stairmaster level 13 hill program.  HR maxed at 170, 147 avg.  

Now, approaching 5 mo post op, I was looking at my previous surgery and comparing.  Seems I am quite a bit ahead of the previous in some ways.  

1st surgery - 1st Roark's cove bike climb - 19 weeks

2nd surgery - 1st Roark's cove bike climb -  11 weeks

1st surgery - 1st Raccoon mtn bike climb - 21 weeks

2nd surgery - 1st Raccoon mtn bike climb - 17 weeks

1st surgery - first hill runs 3 x 150 - 23 weeks, 1st flat runs 24.5 weeks.

So, as I'm coming up on 20 weeks, based on this, 23 weeks or about July 21 earliest hill runs.  Aug 1 first flat runs.  Of course, this is pushing it.  Probably wait til after my hiking trip to France to attempt any significant running.  

This year's masters nationals.  I doubt I'll go.  Miss it a lot.  

Summer vacation...

Worst travel nightmare

I was hoping to spend the weekend with my parents visiting family, but I never made it, thank you American Airlines.

Here is the rundown of what happened:

1) May 7 flight 5214 scheduled to leave from Chattanooga to Charlotte then to Scranton/WilkesBarre. I had a rental car reserved in Scranton to drive to Binghamton.  Got up at 2:00 am, left Sewanee late (3:20am, add +1 hr for time zone change, Sewanee is Central, Airport - Eastern).  I traveled 75 minutes to airport, speeding up to 95mph in the rain to get the 6:00 am flight.  Flight was delayed 2.5 hrs! ... so because I would miss my connection, I rebooked the same flight next day because I didn't want a day long layover in the airport.  Drove 75 min back home.  Cost approx $30 in gas and airport parking to make the trip. 

2) May 8, flight 5214 I started this trip for the second time, getting up at 2:00am in Sewanee, leaving at 3:00 am with a 75 min drive to the airport  (+ the 1hr time zone change). Flight 5214 May 8th was boarded on time 6:00 am, but sat on the runway in Chattanooga for 90+ min due to "computer error" we were told, flight arrived in Charlotte 9:06 am, connection missed by just a few minutes. I sort of ran or scuffled through the airport to try and make it.   AA refused to take responsibility for this failure and didn't enter a 'reason code' for their failure to leave on time, which may hinder my appeal for a refund.   

Was rebooked on AA423 to Philadelphia with an 8+ hr layover and a 2.5 hour bus ride from Phil to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Seat became open on a 8:30 pm direct flight to Scranton without the bus ride, so I took that.  Flight was delayed numerous times then canceled due to weather.  I booked a hotel room but their airport shuttle stopped running at 10 pm and Uber quoted $70 for a ride, so I spent the next 30min trying to cancel and get refunded for that, which I did.  By that time it was after midnight and all airport hotels were sold out and I was forced to sleep on the Charlotte airport floor on the evening of May 8 after being up all night the previous 2 nights to catch 2 previous morning's 6:00 am flights. Two consecutive flights delayed and missed connections.   I doubt I slept more than 20 min on the marble floor.  

3) May 9 - Was rebooked on a ridiculous itinerary, with a stop in Phil and a 12 hr layover (9am to 9pm) then a 2.5 hr bus ride! Unacceptable. By this time, after being in the airport for 24 hrs, I was exhausted so I opted to return home to Chattanooga on the 11:47am flight, without ever reaching my planned destination.  After having waited 27 hrs in the Charlotte airport for the 11:47pm flight, it was canceled without explanation on short notice!  Later that day, I was lucky to have gotten the last seat on standby on a 1:30 pm flight.  As I was getting clearance to get on the plane, a passenger riot was breaking out behind me.  Apparently I got ahead of passengers with legit tickets who simply didn't hear the boarding call, and ahead of a couple traveling together because there was only one seat left.  I hear this redneck behind me begin to threaten the young black gate agent who got in his face and said, "what you gonna do?  what you gonna do!!?"  I got outta there and down the gangway as quick as possible, fearing they would pluck me off the flight.   

By this time, I had been in Charlotte airport 28+ consecutive hours.  I landed in Chattanooga about 2:30 pm and spent 30 min in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway.  Took me 90+ min to get home.

Worst travel experience in my life.

It's going to take days to recover from this. I could have easily driven from TN to NY and back in this amount of time. I never reached my destination and returned home, feeling sick and exhausted.  

I fell asleep about 5 pm and woke up in the dark disoriented.  It was only 11pm.  I went back to sleep for another 6 hrs and woke up at 5 am.  I literally walked MILES in that airport and my knee wasn't feeling great and I had gotten a foot blister, but after 12 hrs sleep, the knee feels better today that it ever has.  So, at least that's good.  

Rainy cold shitty weather in TN, raining and 57º right now.  Will probably take the day off from working out and do something tomorrow.  At least I lost some weight during the trip despite eating poorly.  Was just under 145 lbs this morning.  

My "bed" at the airport:

surgery

Dr. Justin scheduled me for surgery in 2 weeks, 1/30.  My meeting with him was OK.  He described my injury as a oblique root tear along with other parts of the meniscus.  He noted some wear already on surfaces and couldn't be certain the level of repair he could accomplish 'til he got in there'.  I wouldn't say he was brazenly optimistic, nor roundly pessimistic.  Perhaps a bit aloof.  I do like him, trust him, I like what I've seen from his staff, his prompt scheduling, and his willingness to work with my insurance company to reduce my out of pocket expenses.  He did push the BMAC stem cell treatment which I declined (because I don't think it really works that well and is expensive) and like last time, opted for PRP only.   He also mentioned the MISHA knee device, an internal prosthetic, but I'm pretty opposed to that at this point since it is so new, only FDA approved 4/23.  It would be last resort before a knee replacement.  

The logistical issues involved with doing this in LA, in the W. Hollywood area, are formidable.   I know it will not be at all like it was in Vail at Steadman.  It's basically check in, surgery, and adios.  No PT meetings, just bye-bye.   Followup via zoom.  His post op protocol is far less conservative than LaPrade's.  I'll be flying in Wed, surgery Thurs, home on Friday.  At least I won't need to drive.  One of the worst parts is finding someone to check me out.  They will not release me alone to an Uber.  Roya found someone through her caregiver network that I could hire for $150 to check me out and drive me to the hotel, will be worth it, LA during rush hour.  Good, so I don't have to drive in LA.  I'll checking out of the hotel to the airport shuttle only about 15 hrs after I return to my hotel after surgery.  I'll be glad to get home.  

I remember the trip to Vail, this same time of year, 6 yrs ago, it was truly epic 

 

visit to NY, night at the airport, bike climb

Went to NY to visit my parents.   I attended the SUNY Cortland football game in style with special invitation to the newly built skybox, attended my nephew's 6th grade football game, and met up with a few friends from high school I hadn't seen in 40+ yrs.  More on that below.  

On the way back, landed in the 'eyewall' of the remnants of Hurricane Francine over Charlotte, NC, very challenging approach in heavy rain, zero visibility.  Then my flight to Chattanooga was delayed from 11:25pm to 7:45 the next morning, so ... I slept in the airport. 

I canceled my 2 hrs of teaching today, went back to sleep til mid afternoon.  My foot was a bit sore from walking literally miles around the airport, so I decided to not run today and did a hard bike climb.  It was one of the top 3 or 4 fastest this summer.

Roarks Cove rd bike climb 

time - 21:52

Max HR - 186

HR over 170 - 13:00 min 

HR over 180 (consecutive) - 2:39

Avg HR - 164

Avg speed - 6.45 mph

Weight still up.  144.7 after workout.   

Photos from my trip:

With dad in the Cortland skybox home opener.   Cortland St. won the DIII National Championship in football last year.  Dad is in the Cortland Hall of Fame, so we were invited.  

With dad and mom at their condo in Binghamton

Dad in the back yard

Me and Tim M.  Bill, Tim, and family were in town to move their mom into a retirement home.  She is 90.  Tim I hadn't seen in about 42 yrs I think.  Also, saw Bob S., he was the doorman at the parents condo building.  He was in my graduating class and on our wrestling team.  

My 'bed' at the airport.

Me and Tom

150s at altitude

I said I wouldn't even think about training while on vacation, but after a rainy weekend, Monday was beautiful and we checked out of our hotel, we had some time to kill so we went to the track.

I found the track a bit weird.  It was a 6 lane track, but that wasn't unusual, the fact that there were no markings for the 200m or 400m staggers was weird.   So I started at the estimated 200m mark in lane 5 and ran what I thought was a 200m.  After cruising through the line in 24ish.... it dawned on me.  This is not a 400m track.  It is 300m.   It felt really labored and a bit painful.  The second one was a little better.

Hoka Rincon trainers on

stretches, drills, 100m

2 x 150m strides - 24.8, 23.8

I just got back to Sewanee and I expect the new track should be lined and finished by now.  Going up there later today.  Will be tempting to run on but I should really keep my running to 1x per week.  My feet really took a beating hiking the rugged trails in the Alps.  I used the Hoka Bondi 8s for the first long hike and the Hoka Rincons for the second hike.  The Bondi 8s did ok, the Rincons were too light.  The new Bondi 8's have an exceptionally wide forefoot, especially on the lateral side.  I really like that although too heavy and stiff for running.   

Was almost 149 lbs after returning Wed night.  146 lbs this morning so, not too much damage.  Be back to normal soon.  Need to be to lessen the impact. 

Nice to train at the foot of Mont Blanc.  

 

epic hikes

 

gettin high

 

we made it

No... I won't even think about it.