Time Crunch = "Speed Work"

So, Tuesday has once again rolled around. After last weeks somewhat disappointing news at the doc's I was hoping for a clean break today. Alas things colluded and my day was sold somewhat short.

My alarm went off early but I lay there feeling blah. No other word for it really. I listened to the radio for a while then dragged my carcass out of bed and got a cup of coffee from the machine I had set to come on for Alison at 530. I turned on the lap top on the kitchen counter and sipped my coffee. It was half light outside. I had planned to take Sam to school and to have my mountain bike on the car and to ride from his school. I realized that I hadn't put the rack on last night and that I would have to drag it out of the garage, put it on the car and check the bike. I found reasons not to do this. Ok plan B. Run instead of cross train. Better idea.

I got Sam up and dressed and had him at school a little early. I had dressed for running so all I had to do was stretch, put on my Garmin and go right. Well, no not really. I couldn't find my woolly hat, my gloves or my Garmin. Ah, you have guessed it. They were all hiding in the mudroom where I had last left them. Grrr.

I finally made it out of the house after a shorter than usual stretching session. Then my Garmin would not lock. It finally did and I was off with MP3 tunes spurring me on. I decided I had enough time for maybe a 2 mile run. Ok I thought, Speed Work. Ha. A Hippo doing speed work, this ought to be good.

Living in the bottom of a funnel, I set off up THE steepest hill and was quickly reduced to fast walking. On I plodded until I reached the circuit road that rings the Valley. From here I started to run at an even pace, nothing fast though. Once on the flat I began to slowly increase my pace. The hard part was the ice on the sidewalks. Although my trusty Asics Trebuco's were on my feet, this was ice that had melted and refrozen over a couple of days. It was pretty slick. I pressed on walking where it was unsafe and running where I could.

I eventually turned into one of the cuts to the open space and followed this all the way through to the stables at the bottom. This path had been scraped but had remained crunchy and footing was good. I eventually turned to the south and entered the big open space. I crossed the dam and made it home without incident. I had just enough time to spare to have a shower before picking up Sam from school.

So kind of a crummy workout BUT my pace was higher than it had been at the Turkey Day race in Highlands Ranch. I am a little unhappy at the way things are going right now.

6 Month Check Up

Today was the day I was to find out if some or any of this stuff I have been doing has had any effect. I had been trying to get to see my PCP (Dr. P) for three days but was unsuccessful in getting an appointment. On the second attempt the receptionist told my why. Dr P is P - as in pregnant! Way to go Dr. P! Today I managed to get in to see her.

I arrived at the appointed time and was soon inside the exam room. The assistant took weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature and went over my meds most efficiently. My B/P was ok but not as low as it has been, I was a little nervous about this visit. My resting pulse rate was 67, woa. Now that's good for me. 1 for 2 then in my eyes. Dr P entered the room. After exchanging pleasantries (and congratulations) we got down to business. did I get my last set of labs as they had no record of results? I had. I remembered the phlebotomist had dropped a glove when I entered the room and had put it on. I had asked her to change gloves, after she had rewashed her hands. That did not go down well. (I have never understood this. Where I work we ENCOURAGE patients to do this if they feel uncomfortable in any way.I have even stopped minor procedures and scrapped all of the equipment if I felt I had broken a sterile field. All this had been was a blood draw. People take patient safety issues WAY too personally) Any way, the practice has a rapid HbA1C (HgA1C) machine so a finger stick drop of blood was sent to be tested.

The results were a little disappointing. My initial had been 6.7, then 6.3 now 7.3. That equates to an average BGL of 163. Hippo now makes a sad face. At that point in the proceedings I felt I had not done very well at all. I did though wonder what I would have been like if I had NOT done any of the work I have accomplished. What would things have looked like then. Ok, so a small bright spot. Still, not a Happy Hippo.

Dr. P and I discussed the options. I chose to increase my medication regimen and I solemnly promised to be far better at what I was eating. I did venture that eating whatever was around at work on the basis of I am so damn busy running between patient rooms was probably not as valid as I was kidding myself it was. Dr. P agreed and suggested a tighter regimen. She did however volunteer that taking the med change was probably the best course. This is why I like this PCP, she gives you the info but lets you make the decision. Power to the Patients!

So, here I am. Somewhat unhappy yet resolved and determined to carry on. Dr. P was impressed at the progress. She does see some measurable changes such as the resting heart rate and the blood pressure. The message I left with was: keep up the good start. Thanks Dr. P. Good luck in the upcomming weeks.

Like many a race, this event is not a sprint. It's an endurance event. I'll go back in 3 months to see if I have made headway.

Running In An Icebox.

I woke up this morning with Al at Oh-dark-thirty. (The first digit on the alarm was a 5 on a non-work day - ugh). I reminded myself that I was doing this be be selfless and swung my legs from the bed onto the floor. Doggie snores shifted their notes as they turned over to face away from the lights they knew were coming. I walked through to the front of the house. Ah yes, more snow. I dressed and went out to clean the car and to warm it up for my deserving spouse while she got ready for work.

After Al left, I showered & I dressed in three layers of running gear. A base compression layer, a warmer mid and then a windproof upper. I added a fleece top. On went the amazing Gel-Trabuco 12's (with Gore-Tex) and then got Sam up for school. The highway reminded me of Minnesota in the winter. The snow was blowing off of the shoulders and the snow-dust was scudding at a 45 degree angle to the median. Brrrrr, frigid! 7 News website said ti was 7mph from the East at 6 degrees F and with a windchill of -5F! Like I said Minnesota.

After dropping Sam and heading home I went into the house to get my Garmin and to stretch in the relative (wind free) comfort of the house. With the MP3 playing and, ski gloves and a stocking cap on my head, I set off for the open-space and a course I know to be about 3 miles long. My feet were wonderfully comfortable. Warm and happy. The Trabuco's are well 'run in'. I got them from Zappos earlier in the year and I have run on the trails of the valley in them as well as using them on the mountain bike. They are super comfortable. Despite the miles on them (in them?) most have been done on trails so the cleats are still very deep. My face on the other hand was almost instantly frozen. Each breath was harsh. Man, I felt so alive. By the time I had reached the circuit road from the open space I was fizzing and probably beginning to be borderline hypothermic! A deep freeze runners-high.

Turning South was a relief (the wind seemed to be from the North and not the East as Channel 7 said) as finally I was running with the wind. I followed the circuit road on sidewalks that had been cleared probably yesterday. It was like running on a groomed ski slop. The deep frozen, small flake snow scrunched at every step. The trees had a coating of the stuff and around me the snow continued to fall. The air was sharp and crisp but with a muffled quality that falling snow gives the world. The music kept me paced and, although I was not going to break records on such a cold day, I was fairly warm and happy. My feet were particularly happy and if my feet are happy, the rest of me is happy too.

I reached the second stop sign and crossed the road into the South Valley. As I climbed, the wind rose as I cleared the shelter of the houses tot he North. Suddenly my wind proof layer was not as 'proof' as it had been. The wind blew the fabric onto the next layer and my convection heat loss was added to by conduction. About 150 yards into the trail. I turned about and headed North into the teeth of the wind. I crossed the road and was sheltered by the houses. Still cold but better, definitely better.

I meandered through the houses making my way back to the open space to reach home. As I ran up the drive I was relatively warm and very, very happy.

Vinni, Viddi, Finis!

... I went, I looked about for a bit, I FINISHED!

It's been a little while since I sat at a keyboard and wrote anything regarding this project called Me. However, fear not. All things have continued save for the blogging. The Hippo has continued to haul around KCR and the vicinity in a vain attempt to become a Lesser person while becoming More. The run/walking has decreased BUT the miles under the wheels of the mountain bike have increased dramatically. I came across several people in the blogsphere who were attempting what I was striving for. They too had begun to run but found it somewhat demoralizing as they lacked the basic core strength. Self defeat abounded. People floundered. A couple of them though decided that a little cross-training was in order and took to their bikes. I have followed suit. The effects have been both rapid and very, very pleasing. These efforts have culminated in today, Turkey Day.

On Tuesday I was sitting reading the Denver Post in a coffee shop while Sam was being cute. In a section called 'fitness' I read about the upcoming Turkey Day 5k races around the city. I became very interested when I realized 1: I was off and 2: I really really REALLY wanted to take part in one of these events. I pored over the article and decided I should go for the Highlands Ranch Turkey Day 5k. It was close to home and strollers were encouraged! As Al had to work, this was excellent. I took notes and went home buzzing from a 4 shot Large Latte and the prospect of actually entering an event.

Entering on line was so easy. I could even pay with Paypal. 100% secure. Within 10 minutes of reaching home, I had my entry confirmed by email. Damn, I was in. Hummn, I was now in and the event was 2 days away. Better get prepared. I downloaded the course map and studied both it and the entry info online. Yes, I was having an attack of analitis.

I had a hard time sleeping last night. It was a mix of fear, excitement and erm, fear. Ok so I have run 3+ miles before. I have been able to complete the run in pretty good times but I have never been in a running group. Etiquette, I needed etiquette. Back to the computer. More googling. More answers. More questions. Deep reading of back copies of Runners World. Ok. I felt I knew enough not to embarrass myself. So, the bare bones: Know where you are going. Get there early and take your time. Relax. Drink a modest amount of fluid (Naked Juice Protein) and water. Go pee early (no lines). Get your race number, chip, t-shirt and other shwag early so you can take it back to the car. Pee again. Then walk to warm up. Stretch well and line up somewhere near the back (but infront of the strollers and the dogs). Start. Sounds easy eh?

The start was just off of Santa Fe and Town Center Drive. It had plenty of free parking. I was there by 0730 and the event staff were still setting up. I got my bearings, my number (344), my timing chip and my shwag. I took the schwag back to the car and sat with the radio on and the heater off. The wind was blowing outside and I wanted to keep "at temperature". I made the first pit stop and then set out to warm up. The stadium has a couple of full sized baseball pitches in the center of the site. I walked nervously around them. Others were walking, jogging and running around the same paths. On the South side of the pitches I realized this was the end of the race route. I passed the 3 mile marker and followed the route to where the finish was set up. Good future tip. End of race strategy to sprint in set up!

I made my second pitstop. The center of the staging area was now filled with people. Lots of people. People, kids, dogs and strollers. Everyone was generally milling around to keep warm. I stretched well. Finally the speakers announced that we should make our way to Town Center Drive which had been closed to traffic for the start. I put myself on the center line of the road just in front of the strollers and the dogs. (And the strollers with dogs). I was about 2/3 back from the start. It was a party. Everyone was chatting and trying to keep warm. One minute the speakers announced. Thirty seconds. And, we were off. As I crossed the start mats, I started my Garmin. Damn. I realized I was in an actual race. It did not feel natural but oh well.

We set off along Town Center Drive at a modest walk. The group slowly began to thin. Walking became fast walking then jogging then a loping run. Hell. I was doing this. I was actually doing this.

I glanced at my Garmin. We had already covered almost half a mile. The course turned right and then the hill began. I shifted from running to fast walking and began to pass some of those who had passed me and not paced themselves. The next half mile seemed to take forever. The group was well strung out now and there was no issue to pass anyone or to be passed. Some of the stronger stroller people passed the group I was with. Everyone was finding their ability group to pace with. Finally the one mile marker was here at an elementary school. The course now turned into a neighbourhood and meandered passed homes and tracts of open space. I (and many others I noted) had sneaked my Walkman and the music was a perfect match for the route and the pace.

The course turned flat and then a gentle downhill slope started. I was running again. Mile 2 came up way quicker than mile one. My Garmin agreed with the course markers so I guessed the route was correct. At mile 2 there was also a water station. I had brought my own so I kept to the left as others dived for the water to the right. At the aid station the route turned right and entered the open space. The path descended and I ran again. I began passing some people I had not seen before so I guessed they had been ahead of me. The small group I was with was pacing ourselves well. In the distance were the floodlight towers I had walked past earlier during my nervous warm-up walk. I glanced at the Garmin, my pace as great. There was a chance I would beat my goal time of 48 minutes.

We turned into the paved area next to the ball fields. As we reached the last turn to put us on the assembly area I could see the finish. I took off. I entered the chute and people were shouting "sprint, sprint, sprint!" to the finishers. I pulled my phone from my pocket and tried to take a picture of the finish as I entered the chute. I looked up at the time clock and reached to the stop button on my Garmin. I crossed the finish line in 42' 14". Wow. I had done it and I was under my goal of 48 minutes.

Through the chutes I gave back my timing chip and headed for the lines passing through the refreshment tables. I felt such a sense of achievement. From not being able to walk far let alone run anywhere, I had finished my first 5k! Vinni, Viddi, Finis. I went, I looked about for a bit and I FINISHED. I was not last either, something I felt could happen.

So, now what? I came home and spent a little time surfing to see upcoming races. 5k's and 10'k's and Duathalons........ but I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's get over this one and look ahead a little. I want to build on this. I want to run the whole race. I want to be more solid in my performance. I want to reduce my times. I want to do better, push myself further. I am hooked.

Round The "10 mile" Route

Where'd The Extra Mile Go?

After yesterday's near marathon distance yesterday I heeded all website and blog advice. I reduced the distance to give everything a break and effectively had a recovery day.

Sam and I waited for the wintry weather to pass. We had a downpour of hail. Quarter sized to 1 inch hail. Over about 15 minutes. I was just so glad that we had changed the shake shingle roof a couple of years ago for a composite metal one. The clouds parted and a pleasant afternoon ensued. Sam helped me put his trailer together and to hook it onto the the hitch on my bike. With helmets on and music in my ears, we began to recreate what has become the 'regular' route.

Out to the South Valley and through the trail system to Deer Creek Canyon Road as before. This time though have all 24 gears on the bike. The Diamondback was a find. It's a hard-tail with front suspension. The thing that really attracted me to the bike was the front and rear disc brakes. It feels so much more stable going down hills than a regularly braked bike. Now with the full complement of gears, the bike can reach speeds it wasn't previously able to reach. Sam sat behind me squealing with delight. We zoomed down the hills and crested each next hill without much effort.

After leaving the canyon we headed up the dreaded hill towards Kippling and the C-470 intersection. Now, previously I had turned right into the new build area that is the southern most build out before the green belt of the Denver Botanic Gardens property. For some reason I turned left onto Kippling and not right into the housing. It might have been the traffic flow or just me being dense but I turned north and not south.

We joined the C-470 bike path and the chatter behind me stopped. I glanced behind me and the familiar sight of a small child napping in the trailer was seen. I slogged up the hill to the entrance to the valley and crossed under the highway. Once again we had made it home but this time the Garmin was telling me I had fallen short. The prior runs had come up a 10.2 miles, this one was only 8.94. Hummnn. How had I done that? Ah, by turning left and not right. Bugger. The overall time taken was 54:10 and the average pace was 6.03 minutes per mile. Definitely not stellar. Pretty poor in fact, still yesterday was well up there.

23+12=21.28 (r226)

Math Is Not My Strong Point:

but I know that this calculation is CORRECT! Let me explain. I had been running my Diamondback mountain bike with only 23 gears having first cracked then broken about four teeth out of my 12 cog. This is the smallest in the cassette of cogs on the back wheel and it represents the 'overdrive' for the bike. I have been without it for months. Since starting this endeavour and especially since taking Sam out in his trailer, this has been a real handicap. I cant pedal any faster than I am yet I could do with a gear change. As I mentioned last week I ordered a new Shimano cassette and the specialty tools to change it. Well it arrived and yesterday it too about five minutes to fit it. It needed 'breaking in.

A Great Route

Sam and loaded the bike and the trailer with all of the stuff you just can't do without and we set off. We arrived at the car park at the southern end of the Mary Carter Greenway. This fantastic trail follows the Platt River from where it runs under C-470 at Santa Fe through Arapahoe County to join with the Denver trail network that leads up to Confluence Park. It is concrete all the way but for most sections there is a gravel path that runs next to the trail for runners and horse use. There are mile posts and the whole system is very well signed. To keep small children riding in trailers interested there are many bridges to cross, tunnels to ride through and tons of interesting stuff to see. The entire trail is relatively flat too so the 24th gear gets plenty of use!

From the carpark at the newly created reservoir (a former gravel quarry used for T-Rex expansion of the I-25 corridor) we set off to the north. There was a good mix of cyclists, runners, walkers and dogs along the entire length of the trail. Everyone was playing well with the exception of two cyclists who seemed to feel this was their own closed road on the Tour de France. They came past us on a wide section of the trail and were not heeding the narrow section warnings and were riding the trail as if they were the only two on it. Most people were just going about their business. By the attire and pannier loads of may cyclists heading south, this is a popular commute route between the Highlands Ranch area and downtown Denver.

The route follows Santa Fe and the Platt River. We passed through the Littleton Greenbelt and the route passed behind the Aspen Grove outlet mall. We crossed and recrossed the river on well maintained and purpose built bridges. The main roads that cross the trail have both ramps to allow access to these roads and tunnels that pass beneath. It's like a freeway. We passed behind the Dish Netwok building and continued north from Bowles Avenue. Sams favourite section was a little north of here. It's the transfer station for Waste Management! He has this thing about trash trucks.

One of the more interesting things about the trail is the way it integrates and passes the chain of golf clubs along the route. At the Columbine, the Centennial and the Englewood golf clubs there is another large bridge that takes the trail over the river to avoid the course. At the intersection of the trail and the golf-cart road there is a roundabout. Everything is orderly and well signed.

t the new development around the Hampden Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue intersection, the trail has been fully integrated into the new builds. There are ramps to all of the facility areas of both shopping and entertainment. Yet another bridge puts the trail on the west side of the river next to the new cinema complex. Another tunnel passes under Hampden and you ride past what was the much lamented and now lost Cinderella Twin drive in. We continued north with the miles ticking off as we went. Eventually we hit 11.5 miles just as we came up to where Florida Avenue crosses the trail. It was here we turned around and headed south. To help keep my passenger happy, we made a stop at a very large park next to the trail that had a really extensive slide and activity set. Sam ran around here for about 20 minutes to help burn off his energy. His dad liked the break and water stop too!. We mounted up and headed south, retracing the trail back to C-470.

The Stats:

In 1:49:18 we travelled 21.28 miles. The average pace was a stellar 5.08 per mile on what was a relatively flat course. Now the Calories burned (according to the Garmin) were 3748. I really am not sure this is accurate. I was able to keep my heart rate up in an aerobic area (140-160 bpm) but still, over 3000 calories????

The last number in the calculation? Oh the r226 (remainder 226) That's my weight this morning. Happy Happy Joy Joy!.

A Better Day Redux

So todays challenge was to rerun the route of Tuesday but this time without the 40 or so pounds of small child trailering behind me.

On Your Marks.

We were off. I planned to follow the exact route I had with Sam on Tuesday but this time solo. I really wanted to see how fast I could do it without the extra weight and the drag of his buggy.

I set out up to the valley's main road and followed it along to the point the South Valley bike trail starts. I shot down the paved trail. The flat spots did not slow me and the descents did not feel like someone was pushing the back of the bike along. Anyone who has towed a trailer wihtout having the brakes set properly will know what I mean. I turned towards and the entered Deer Creek Canyon. This time the cars were a little closer but everyone was playing well.

After leaving the canyon I hit the hill that had required so much effort with Sam. It was way less effort this time and I reached the Kippling/C-470 intersection feeling way fresher than Tuesday. After waiting for traffic I joined the C-470 bike trail heading North. Again the trail was more comfortable and faster. I was really missing my 12 cog today. A new one is on it's way and should be here soon. In no time I was entering the valley and was soon back at home.

Ah, the stats. Well the trip took 46.12, a 3+ minute improvement over Tuesday. Not as much difference as I thought it would be so I guess Sam's fun will continue. Today though I completed the 10.2 miles having burned 1578 Calories. Hummn. That's almost 500 more than Tuesday but I did complete the run at an average pace of 5.06 a full minute per mile quicker. I guess the discreps are losses are from traffic etc.

An Odd Thing:
My BGL this morning was 176. I was quite amazed by that. I had not cheated yesterday and, unless I am sleep-eating (I don't take Ambien though) I can't account for it. After the ride I was a pleasant 104. I will accept comments or ideas to do with this high level. Any clues?

A Better Day Redux

Running Up That Road and Running Up That Hill.....

Ah, you have to love Kate Bush. I know, I know her music is kind of old now but sometimes you just have to admire a lyric.

Massey Draw
This is a small watercourse that runs from West Ranch (erm in the West) down through The Valley and eventually enters Chatfield Reservoir in it's North West corner. It's a small and spidery thing at best but a couple of times a year the water sluices through it and has carved a reasonable little gully in the earth. A couple of years ago it even did damage across C-470 near to Meadow Ranch golf club. It flooded out some basements and the County rebuilt the waterway with a more controlled (read concrete) channel. As the watercourse leaves The Valley it also takes a lot of the storm drain water with it.

The Valley trail system has a non-developed trail that runs from the circuit road up the gully to West Ranch. It starts off nice and tame. Mown back grasses reach side of the trail until you cross the Colorow Trail that run to the North and pretty much follows the contour line up the valley. From here the Massey Draw Trail begins to climb as you enter the brush oak and the few trees that line the upper banks of the waterway. At this intersection there is a red stone bench which gives a great view through the Dakota Hogback and out towards the buildings at Arapahoe and I-25 many miles away.

Now the trail climbs into the main tree line. The mix of oak, pines and aspens broaden and the trail is now in cool shade with a pleasant breeze. The watercourse is almost completely dry at the moment as it has been several days since our last good storm. As I entered the canopy three whitetail deer were grazing quietly on the other bank. The trail again climbed a little steeper and began to zigzag across the contours. In places there were definite signs of "work" but mostly the trail was pleasantly undeveloped. There was a small wooden bridge that crosses the dry bed and the trail then continues on the south bank. I passed one fellow trail user who was jogging down and we both continued on our ways. The trail became less distinct as fewer boot marks were to be seen, the mountain bike tracks had long since ended. The trail began to twist again this time to clear a group of large boulders. Here I met a couple also descending. Their dog was enjoying running on a head. We exchanged greetings and again I was alone on the trail. Eventually the trail comes to a very large boulder with a large fissure that is the continuation of the trail up to West Ranch. Light was failing and I decided I did not want to boulder. At that point, only 50 or so feet from the top. I turned to descend.

The descent took very little time. Once emerging from the brush into the open parkland I decided I need to add some distance. I turned North along Colorow Trail and followed it until I reached the Lost Canyon trail. This is a minor but more developed trail that the Rangers use to access this part of the open space. I followed it down to the houses and following it's descent met up with the main road in the valley and headed for home.

The Stats. I covered 3.76 miles in 1:09:16. Now this is not stellar for the distance BUT the trail climbs just over 1000 feet to the point I turned at in 1.5 linear miles. My average pace was 18.26 with a total energy expenditure of 754 Cal. My BGL was a nice 110 after the fact.

A Better Day.

Well after yesterdays disappointments on Green Mountain we set off for a more aces sable and perhaps more complete adventure.
Sam was not too keen to go out in the trailer today but after we got back from the mundane tasks of grocery shopping he was more easily persuaded to come out again. He didn't want to drive anywhere (he can be so bossy) but was excited to put his helmet and get into the buggy.

We set out straight up the road this time and turned south on the road the runs around the valley. Nice paved roads made for a fast and comfortable ride for both of us. At the main intersection we turned onto the bike trail we have been on before and runs through South Valley Park. This is down hill for a lot of it's length. Now not long after I got the Diamondback I clipped a rock with the back of the bike. The stacked gears on the back of any derailleur gear system is called a cassette. I knocked about four teeth and the the ring they sit on off the cog that is the smallest ring in the cassette. I didn't do any other damage and I have been riding it this way for a year or so. The only disadvantage is I don't have a high-speed cruising gear. I have 27 and not the 28 the bike came with. This is a disadvantage going down hill at speed with a squealing 3 year old. I can't go any faster!

We turned off the end of the trail and rode down towards Deer Creek Canyon Road. Now I had thought using this road might not be a good idea with Sam in back, There has been issues on this road between cyclists and drivers. I have had lots of experience of this when I was in the Fire Department. This road is in the District we served. I bit the bullet and turned to the east. As we rode along I hugged the white line. Much to my amazement all cars gave us a wide berth. All the way through the canyon cars and their drivers were courteous. We emerged from the canyon and found perhaps the reason for the courtesy, a sheriffs cruiser sitting watching traffic.

The hill from where the road emerges through the Dakota Hogback is punishing if you have 40 pounds or so of small child hooked to the back of your bike. About half way up I pulled off the road to allow my heart rate to drop a little. A lady on a road bike passed me and shouted a hello. She was kind enough to note it's much harder with a trailer. Once the road turns to the east again, it flattens out. We finally made it to where Kippling crosses C-470. We crossed under the highway and joined the bike path that runs the length of the road. We finally made it to the Valley again and crossed back through into familiar Open Space.

The stats for today are much improved over yesterday. 10.2 miles in 49:34 at an average pace of 6.06. Not bad for a bike with one gear short. The Cals were good too 1013. I did remember to check my BGL both before and after the ride. Pre was 100 and post was 114. Such a good ride.

A Hill Too Far.....

What To Do?

Monday again. After the usual early busy start and a busy afternoon there was very little time left to do anything. I felt we should attempt something a little more challenging today rather than the usual soft start to the exercise week. I decided to try Green Mountain.

We drove along C-470 to the new exit at Alameda Avenue, turned towards the West and after passing the Dinosaur Ridge exhibit center, we drove onto Rooney Road. The car park for William Frederick Hayden Park as it is better known is a nice, paved area between Rooney Road and C-470. To access the park on the East side of 470 there is a handy bridge.

After putting the wheels on Sam's buggy and getting him set up for the ride, I hooked the trailer onto the back of the mountain bike and we set off. The bridge is a neat solution of how to access the park. We made it over the bridge without issue and then we were faced with a choice of trails. I looked at the width of twoof them and rejected them Sam's buggy would not work well on such narrow trails. I opted for the left hand trail. It was wide and gravelled. So easy. Right. The trail hooked back on itself and began to climb rapidly. Very rapidly.

After about five minutes I was panting like a dog. I stepped off the bike and looked at Sam. He was smiling and enjoying the ride. Back on the pedals and I was already down through the gears. We rounded a corner and then I realized I had been enjoying the easy part. The hill took off seemingly vertically. The rough trail was offering less and less traction until the back wheel broke away. I dived on the brakes and stopped. Sam was still smiling. I was exhausted. I had climbed about 500 feet from the highway bridge. I looked at the trail ahead and I realized that this was probably not possible with the trailer on the bike. I made a decision that we should cut out losses. I turned the bike around and we shot down the hill. I was really glad I have dual disc brakes on the Diamondback.

We made it back down to the bridge and I turned to the North. We followed the paved trail to it's end. To shrieks of delight from behind me going through the tunnel was a treat. Even better was riding back through it and finding another tunnel down by Alameda. He loves tunnels. The ride was disappointing because of the inability to get up the hill with the trailer.
The stats are pretty poor this time with the exception of the Cal's burned. 5.52 miles in 40:07. The average pace was a disappointing 11.52/mile. Like I said, the Cals were ok through, a reflection of the steepness of the hill 831.

End Of The Weekend

Mowing:

So, here we are at the end of another "weekend". Thursday is my Sunday so today I again busied myself with the lawns. I did though have a helper today. Sam has a toy lawn mower that he pushed around in my wake and he generally helped out with both the mowing and the repair of a sprinkler.
Just for a laugh I wore my Garmin while I mowed. I walked 1.4 miles during the trimming and mowing. Who knew! We don't have a huge lot but I guess it really does all count.
I did damage the mower though. That resulted in a trip to the local home improvement store. I caught the blade on a strip of the aluminium edging that runs around the garden. The Craftsman mower put a hole in it at the expense of the blade. $19 & tax later I was back in business.

Not Mowing:
I decided to give myself a day off today so I did one of my short-course loops through The Valley. After the rattlesnake encounter yesterday I wanted to avoid that kind of surprise at all costs so I mostly kept to the paved trials. I am also now beginning to feel the value of stretching prior to heading out. I shudder to think that I used to just strap on the Asics, turn on the music and go.

I set off towards the open space and crossed the Dam. Once again I am tight, winded and breathless but this improves as I go. I have been doing some reading and I feel I should start with walking THEN transition to running. It's male pride that has me set out from the driveway running. By ramping up to running it is a warm up for the whole system, not just the legs.
I turned onto the trail that leads past the equestrian center and within a quarter of a mile had passed 4 very different dogs. A HUGE mastiff, a greyhound, a shitzu and a "Doodle" cross (might have been a labradoodle or a spaniel). All nice dogs with good and sensible owners. I turned up the trail that eventually takes me across The Parkway and up towards The Manor House.

Once I began to climb the hill into the next sub-division I realized that I was tired. It had been a long week and I had pushed myself over the previous three days. I silently cursed my schedule for being 3 on 4 off. I have to telescope my exercise into the four free days. Two days on the bike with Sam in tow and now two days on foot. I passed by the usual turn back into the open space and pressed on up the longer hill. The road turns south and as I hit the highest point I saw a house for sale to my left. It backs onto open space and it's above almost all of the properties in The Valley. The Sun was behind me about to disappear into the brush along the ridge from West Ranch. I could see through the Dakota Hog Back and over towards the area miles away at Arapahoe Road and I-25. To the North East I could see Downtown Denver in the distance. Damn, we are so fortunate to live in such an amazing place. That house location is nice too.
I turned to the East and descended toward the Parkway again. After turning South I headed towards the open space to the back of the road we live on and I cut short the trip.

Stats:
Well, not a great time, distance or anything really. I completed the 3.63 miles in 51:13 with an average pace of 14.05 per mile. The BGL after the run was 100 even. I really must try to make the effort to check my BGL before I set out. I usually think of it when I'm about a quarter of the way around.

Soft Shoe Shuffle (With Rattles)

Wednesday. One of my favourite days mostly because it's our Saturday. It's the first day Alison and I are off together. We are a family again.

After a slow start and a late lunch, a spoke was put in the wheel of the day when Al started to tell me she was feeling the aura that precedes a migraine. For her that's flashing lights and disturbed vision. As we sat eating our late lunch, she told me she couldn't even read the words on the front of the shirt I was wearing. That is a very bad sign. We decided to cut our losses and to take Al home.
After that Sam and I headed down to the outlets at Castle Rock. Eddie Bower had given me a $10 coupon and I wanted another technical tee shirt. The other thing I was looking for was a rack for the back of the Durango to carry two bikes. Sam wants his Mom to ride with us. We did find one at Sports Authority (it will always be Gart's in my mind). $58 was the final damage. A Bell product that fits the Durango perfectly and holds two bikes. Perfect.

Once back home I was really wanting to hit the trails tonight. Last week I had headed North from the Valley's entrance, tonight I wanted to go South. The Cathy Johnson Trail is another, rough single track that runs along the West side of the Dakota Hogback. Just like the Hogback trail, as soon as you enter the trail the world pretty much disappears. To the left a 350-500 foot ridge towers above you. To the right is a 150-250 foot ridge. The trail begins with a short climb then, once over the ridge the trail begins a descent. This trail runs from Ken Caryl Valley Road to Deer Creek Canyon Road, about 2.2 miles. The trail mowed back and judging by the number of horse hoof prints, of Mtb tyre tracks and the number of boot prints in the soft sand it is a popular trail. In the distance are views of White Deer Valley are spectacular. Tonight they paled due to the deepest blue-grey sky.

The storm had been brewing all afternoon. Sam and I had seen lightening when coming back from Castle Rock but now the sky was full of portent. About half way along the trail I stopped and stared at the sky. High above was a long finger of steel grey cloud. The winds were pushing this lower cloud into the oncoming main clouds. It was starting to turn. Counterclockwise. Hummn I thought. That does not look good. I turned off the music on my Mp3 player and switched to radio. I scanned the channels to see if there was a Weather Service warning but all I found was the usual shows. I was just trying to figure out how to carry a scanner to receive the weather warning broadcasts when the winds changed and the clouds suddenly dispersed. Oh well.

I continued down the trail and without warning I had a huge adrenaline rush. In the local paper today was a reminder to all of us dear reader to watch out for the local rattlers. I passed by what looked like a thick stick. I had music in my ears and I was jogging along. Like a scene from a movie as I passed the "stick' my camera panned and followed the stick behind me as I passed. It then did something sticks don't do as a rule. It moved. Wha? I did a double take. Up came the tail and over the music I head a rattle. Woa! In one smooth move I turned back and legged it swiftly down the trail legs tingling as I went.

Three quarters of the way down the trail there is a branch to the east called the Columbine Trail that takes you over the Lyons Hogback and out of Ken Caryl's trail network and into the main trails of the South Valley Park that belongs to Jeffco Open Space. I spoke to a guy on a Mtb at the trails intersection and we joked about the article in the local paper about my snake sighting. I tried to chase him up the trail. but he was too fast. We are now leaving the Ken Caryl Ranch trail system and enter then enter Jeffco trails. There is a slight but subtle change in the trail. We leave behind the rough and gently managed trial and enter a world of stone steps, rock trail edges and signs. The trails are wider and subtly 'more managed'.

With another storm front appearing above West Ranch and cloud to ground lightening spattering the hillside, I picked up the pace and cleared the ridge along Coyote Song Trail. The rest of the outing was accompanied by louder music now that I was on pavement as I felt I was safe away from the brush.

The walk/run was fun. I am finding my "run" parts are longer than ever. It's funny. When I get my long stride figured out and the breathing is going well I am so surprised that I break my stride. I do the same when I find myself counting paces between breaths. That throws everything off and so I start again. One thing is for sure, my stamina is very notably better than it has ever been.

The stats for today: A total of 4.83 miles in 1:13:50 at an average pace of 15.17 minutes per mile. The Garmin feels I burned 929 calories but it was silent on the query of the rattlesnake. My BGL back at home was 108. A fun and above all entertaining run.

Bear Creek Park Revisited.

After last weeks fun ride through this Lakewood park I decided today that we should repeat it. Although hopefully this time without the wasps.
After an early start changing the front brake pads on the Dodge, Sam and I had a full day planned. After yesterdays marathon like ride in Chatfield State Park I hadn't taken the bike or Sam's buggy out of the car. I loaded Sam up and after filling water bottles and picking up a camera, we set off to to complete errands with an eye to visiting Bear Creek Park later in the afternoon.
We got to the park at around a quarter after four. As we have an annual pass for this park it meant another day without having to fork over money at the entry station.The early afternoon storms had passed over the area ans so we headed to the boat ramp under the main dam. Once there we built the trailer and put the front wheel in the bike. It was helmet's on and we were ready to go.
The first mile or so was hard. I had not been able to follow my usual post-exercise routine of scarfing down a lot of water and two bananas. That usually helps my system to regroup pretty well overnight. I had forgotten to buy bananas yesterday but I did manage to drink copious amounts of water. My legs felt passed through lactic acidosis and continued towards feeling like Jello. The lady on a mountain bike who came along the curve just ahead of us when we joined the circuit road was a mere speck in the distance. Ugh. We never did catch up with her. The pace was well off the mark.
By now we had reached the entry road for the park and my legs had warmed up some. I was still huffing and puffing though when I turned onto the bike trail to climb up to the area above the Soda Lakes. These are the lake areas that can be seen from the highway. The Western-most one is used for water sking with the others for quieter, less frantic endeavours.
We passed the main swim beach and the sailing school. Things were doing a little better. We headed down over the Turkey Creek bridge, the river that flows down along US-285 and Sam squealed with delight as we crossed the small humped-backed bridge.
Once on the south side of Turkey Creek we turned further south following a trail that began to rise through a series of switch-backs. The trail rises quickly here to cross US-265 between C-470 and Simms on a dedicated bridge. The bike traffic had increased significantly with people heading both North and South. There seemed to be a number of commuting cyclists as well as the recreational group out. Everyone was friendly and a nod or a wave was given and received as bikes passed. I was pumping away at the pedals all the way up the trail until we finally reached the top next to a home improvement store. This seems to be the continuation of the cycle trail that runs along C-470 that eventually takes you to Golden.
At the top we had a brief pause for water and then we headed back down the hill into the park. Exploring has no real point sometimes other than just to see where a road goes.Once back in the main park trail system, we turned east towards the dam and another long climb.
This time I did not get lost. We cruised up the side of the dam trail and then crossed down in front of it to get back on the north side of the lake. After a brief excursion to the top of the dam on the north side to establish were the trail ended up (it heads east into Lakewood) we again turned around and headed back towards the car at the base of the dam.
The weather was particularly humid today and I had lost a lot of water on the way. Sam was again cool and happy in his air conditioned trailer (the flaps were open) while the sweaty hippo rode along in front!
We completed the 8.85 miles in just 1:05:00 at an average pace of 7.20 I guess the initial mile didn't hold us back too badly. The Garmin felt I had burned 1686 calories and I want to claim each and every sweaty calorie. I forgot to pick up my BGL meter as I left the house but I had been 140 when checked at the beginning of the day. Another good ride. I am looking forward to a solo walk/run tomorow though. My butt could use a rest!

Free is Always Better

Mondays are often hard as for me it is the first day after the work-weekend. In the Step-Down unit we see many sick people, some old and some way too young. Perhaps the greatest thing is to be around someone when they receive bad news. When someone receives good news its not hard to be a nurse but when the news is of the other sort, that's when you have to be truly on your game. Focused. You have to be There for them. I am starting to crave the freedom of walk/running or on my mountain bike as the work-weekend draws to a close and I am starting to get antsy. Exercise is becoming my antidote.

Today Sam and I set out for a new adventure. We headed down to Chatfield State Park. Chatfield in a piece of land with a 1,450 surface-acre lake that gathers its water from Deer Creek and Massey Draw among others. It was originally a 720 acre ranch belonging to Isaac W Chatfield in 1879. The rivers flooded several times over the years and in 1965 13 people were killed by the flash floods. The Army Corps of Engineers built a large dam in 1967 as a flood control device.
We drove into the park to be greeted by a sign on the Port of Entry saying "Today Free" That was nice and it saved us $7! We picked up a map and headed to the car park next to the swim beach. There were quite a few people there and many of the vehicles had out of State plates on them.
After pulling out the Diamondback and putting Sam's buggy together, we put on our helmets and readied ourselves for the ride. With Sam securely strapped in and with some toy cars, some milk and a snack on board, we set off to the South side of the Res.
The trails in the park have varied surfaces but the majority are concrete paved and well maintained. As we were following the reservoir edge, the route is relatively flat with some gentle up's and downs. We followed the main bike trail down the side of the res and then turned east over the Platt River bridge. The trail then headed off into some areas with mature trees and climbed towards a section of the res called The Heronary. Blue Heron's visit the res and supposedly nest there.
We came upon an area that is a large fenced boat storage and next to the park headquarters, was a great find. There is a small cabin built of trimmed logs with a sod roof called The Slocum cabin. It is set overlooking the lake and looks much as it probably did when it was built in the 1880's. The cabin was moved to it's present site and historic Mountain Men and Women days are celebrated there.
After scoping out this photo opportunity, Sam and I continued around the res. Off to the west we had been noticing regular lightening and we had been keeping a weather eye. When one bolt shook the prairie just to the South of us, we headed for cover and found it at the RV park shower and amenity building. From here we watched the front fly through. Sam got to meet a gentleman who now travels the country with his wife in a very large RV. They snow-bird to Arizona and the Pacific North West each year. Sounds like a decent life.
After the back of the main storm passed we mounted up and started to retrace out route. Around half way I noticed the chatter had ceased behind me. I glanced back to find Sam sound asleep. As it hadn't taken long to retrace the 4.5 miles to the car I continued towards the dam on the north side of the res.
After climbing to the dam wall height I was happy to find a rough but paved road along the top that ran for about 1.5 miles one-way. We came back along the top and then headed for the car. Just as we were almost back to the car park, Sam woke up after his nap. Must be nice!
Well the whole trip (excluding the 25 minutes lay-up due to the storm) took us 1:40:25. We covered a really healthy 14.77 miles at an average pace of 6.47 minutes/mile. As I said, pretty flat. The Garmin claims 2822 calories burned. Now, with the flatness of the site and towing Sam I would like to claim most of these. :)
Sam really enjoyed it and told his mom all about it when she cam home tonight. A great sign as it tells me he really is enjoying sitting behind the sweaty hippo who is riding up front.

Up hill and down dale....

Adventures in The Ranch's open space today.
Ah, how quickly Thursday night rolls around. It means work looms again tomorrow. With this in my forbrain I find myself increasingly doing odd things on Thursdays. I guess it's to offset the time I cant get out during my 3-day work week.
Today I ventured into the open space trails on the East side of the valley. What is commonly known in these parts as The Hogback is really a misnomer. You have to be more specific than that as there are TWO Hogbacks (Hogsbacks, Hogs Backs?????). To the West side of the highway only one is visible, this is the Dakota Hogback. The other upthrust of land to the West of The Ranch is called the Lyons Hogback. Today's adventure took place on and around the Dakota.
I set out across the open space and the earth dam, a little like yesterday. Instead of turning up towards the equestrian center I went up the bank to the crash barrier at the roadside. I hopped it and set out down hill towards the ambiguously named Hogback Trail.
This is one of the lower points in the valley which means ITS ALL UPHILL FROM HERE. And it was.
As soon as I entered the trail, the world disappears. To the East is the ridge of the Dakota Hogback some 300 feet above. To the West, it the Lyons Hogback Ridge at around a hundred feet above you. This trail sits almost plumb between the two and climbs steadily some 150 feet. This is a nice gentle and constant hill to work against.
It was cooler again today. It was quiet with only the sounds of the birds twittering (where do they get cell phones from?), the chattering of the prairie dogs, the wheezing and the heavy Hippo-like footfalls of me. Fortunately the last two were masked by my companion, the MP3 player.
I made it to the top (it's about 1.5 miles long) and felt great. The trail is basically an infrequently used single track that only the Rangers can access. They do however gang-mow it to almost 3 times the width to allow horses and other users to pass safely. Quite a good thing as it allows people who have trail shoes but prefer NOT to slip-n-slide in the mud to keep clean and safe. I alternated between the center hump of the track and the flattest side I could find.
At the top I looked onwards and upwards. I headed into unknown territory of the more northern area of the valley. They are a little snooty up there so I minded my P's and Q's as I went. The trails followed the terrain and became mere foot tracks that had also been over mowed.
I eventually came to the end of the valleys main trail system. The even-more-northerly-valley (even snootier, it has it's own golf course - Purlease) beckoned. I entered an area that is Jeffco's but The Ranch's Rangers maintain it for them (at least that's what the signs say). I headed up up up to a place where I spotted some flattened grass that was an obvious trail that headed up the dizzying hights of the Dakota. I headed up it and began to climb quickly. That's another 400 feet in 6/10ths of a mile quickly. I reached the scrub line and turned to look South West. This was THE view of the Ranch I had been looking for. A perfect pic. Now if I had only had a camera :)
After taking this in I looked to the North and saw ugly clouds heading over the Lyons Hogback. I decided that I should not be on the highest ridge for miles as this looked like a storm front. (It wasn't). I turned South and West for home heading on as much trail as I could and avoiding the roads.
The stats: 6.83 miles in 1:54:44. Not fast but the trails were harder going. More walking than running but with that high BPM accompaniment of MP3's. The Garmin claimed 1413 Calories for the trip with the miles passing at a sluggish 16.48 pace. However despite these seemingly less than stellar stats I did complete over the distance of a 10k in less than 2 hours. Not too shabby for the state of things. The BGL afterwards was 98! I have even stood on the scale as I cam out of the shower. Down to 227, dripping wet.

Mad dogs and Englishmen............

...... go out in the afternoon drizzle.

OK so it's not quite the line from the song about Brits going out in the midday sun but we have had precious little of that in the past couple of days. It's been the coolest July for ages. We have had so much rain it's looking more like Seattle here than Colorado. 12 months ago we were in drought conditions and we looked like the high plains desert we should. In fact Seattle was 20 degrees warmer than we were today. Weired.
Speaking of weired I have the bug good and proper. The running bug. Going out on the bike and hauling Sam yesterday was ok. It is good for stamina building and it lets my knees rest. It isn't running though. Alone. Feet on the trails and just the world passing by to the sounds on the MP3 player.
It had poured most of the afternoon. Really poured. It's feeling like England here at the moment only the temperature is too high. :) I had waited and waited for a break in the rain because I really wanted to get out there.
After 6pm the break finally came. I changed into the running clothes. Alison looked at me like I was quite, quite mad. I put on my Asics and thanked my foresight in getting a pair of trail shoes that have Gore-tex in them. I am not a fan of cold, wet feet.
After some stretching while the Garmin found it's bearings, I started the Sony MP3 and off I went. Then something happened. I ran
I ran from the house and out onto the open space. I ran out onto the dam and crossed the open space to the other side. I then glanced down at the Roadrunner and stopped. I had been running for three and a half minutes. What the F%*k? What just happened? I stopped and stared. I HAD been running. I had loped along for 3.5 minutes solid.
Now Ok I realize this is no WR or anything but we are talking about me here. The Hippo. Who doesn't run. Wow. The running too is, well, odd. The stiff-leg gait is gone. The knees have come up, the shoulders have dropped and the stride has lengthened. Whats up with that? It's like I came out of third and found fourth.
As the shock cleared I punched the MP3, dialed up some high BPM music and off I went, walk running around the valley.
It felt AMAZING. The feeling of freedom was back. The tension left me. I have read people who describe running as if it's a drug and I think I know what they mean. It's all you. Your muscles. No wheels or bearings helping you along. The machine that is US moving you along. There is effort. There is reward. I think it's the hypoxia talking but hey, this is damn fantastic.

The stats: Ok here we go. 3.02 miles (yes its the short-course) in 40:37. The average speed was 4.5 mph. This is a new PR. (Now there is something I NEVER thought I would write).
OMG Wow. The BGL afterwards was 97. I am SO happy tonight. I am so encouraged.

Hauling a small child.

It's Tuesday and it was time to emerge from the week long lay-off.

We had all travelled down to Durango in South West Colorado for a week long break to help give Sam another railroad "fix". Alison and I had been on the Durango and Silverton railroad a number of years ago but we had travelled in the winter when the train runs only part of the line due to snow slides over the track. We had an incredible time and we were able to indulge ourselves in hours of steam trains, travelling and photography. Some of our family's favourite past times.
We also managed a visit to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I set out at each overlook with a camera, two lenses and the old Manfrotto tripod. I hiked out both at altitude and relatively high temperature. I felt so good and was able to hike out with abandon. The hours pounding around the valley at home were perhaps starting to show results!
Well we made it home late Thursday night and Friday was a day off with a full and busy day. Saturday and Sunday were the usual work days and Monday was also filled with "stuff". Are you seeing a pattern here?
Well Tuesday opened with overcast promise. Around 3pm I packed Sam, the mountain bike and Sam's replacement trailer into the car and set out for new trails.
Just to the North of us to Bear Creek Park. It has a large lake behind a Corps of Engineers dam, playgrounds, a campsite, a stables and lots of trails.
We arrived and Sam was installed in his new trailer. This is SO much better then the old one yet was made by the same company and cost only $30 more. It has real 20 inch wheels and the interior fittings are better. The safety straps are easier to set too.
I helped Sam put on his new helmet, put on the seat straps and off we went.
It was mostly relatively flat trails with only a couple of off-road excursions along the way. The new trailer sits right behind the bike. Sam is pretty much at rear-wheel mud-in-the-face-level but there is a mesh cover that fits snugly over the front of the trailer. To supplement this there is also a clear plastic cover that clips and Velcro's over the mesh. It makes the trailer totally weatherproof. (And child throwing things out proof too).
We headed out towards the big dam and after a lot of huffing and puffing we reached the top of the dam. Unfortunately that didn't get us very far as the trail stops there. We doubled back and found the much lower trail that took us along the shore level of the dam. We found ourselves on the main road for one section of the ride, that's when we decided to go off road a little. The trailer was fully buttoned up and off we went. Sam was squealing with delight as we ran along the multi-use trails that were heavy with mud. The front of the trailer, the bike and parts of me were plastered.
At one point in the trail we stopped on a bridge over Bear Creek. Sam & I were watching the high water flow beneath us when I felt a sharp pain on my left ankle. Thinking horse fly or mosquito I looked down to see a half dozen wasps hovering around my leg. I spooked and jumped on the pedals. That was when the wasp on my left calf stung me. Two stings, great. Fortunately Sam was safely enclosed in his trailer.
We made it to the end of the trail without further stings! We had made such good time and had covered the ground so quickly we headed for a second tour of the lake. We got to the foot of the dam and I glanced behind me to see a small child sound asleep in the trailer with his helmet still in place.
I took pity on him and turned the bike around and headed back to the car. We had covered 9.6 miles in 1:08:10 When we got home my BGL was 126. Not stellar but before the ride I was 146. Aside from the sings, a ride that will be repeated.

The Work Week Is Over

Well it's Sunday night and another work "week" is over. The longer I do this job the more I realize that, aside from "it's all about the people in pajamas", it should ALWAYS be considered a good day when no one dies. This weekend has been good.

Now I can hear you thinking "What has this got to do with weight loss, running or Hippos?
Well the unit I work in is a long hallway. One end has a nurses station with computer, charts and at the other is a medication preparation room. One hall has 10 rooms and there are 12 in another.

We do a lot of walking in this job. Several of us have carried pedometers during shifts. We have AVERAGED between 13,000 and 17,000 steps per shift. The median of 15,000 steps multiplied by the three shifts equals 45,000 steps. My walking pace sits at about 3 feet. 45,000 times 3 equals 135,000 feet. 135,000 divided by 3 is 45,000 yards. 1,800 yards to a mile equals a whopping 25 miles! Ok, so it's all on the flat but hey, movement is movement and miles are miles.

Keep on waddling.

"Rest day"

Yeah, right.
No running, riding , jogging or purposeful walking today. Today is my Sunday and, as may be tradition in some quarters, I attacked the yard work.
I removed four Aspen trees the HOA decided were dead (they were too). The biggest was as high as the house, some forty odd feet. I chainsawed it onto the drive (after removing the cars first). Just as I made the last cut into the wedge (the direction I wanted the tree to go) the tree decided to make a 180 and head for me. I ran (it has payed off) and killed the saws motor as I went.
The tree twanged onto the roof as it fell. Fortunately there was no real damage. We replaced the roof a couple of years ago with a composite metal one after the hail destroyed our shake shingle. Phew!
Al and Sam appeared at the window having heard the tree hit the metal roof. After gingerly opening the front door Al helpfully suggested I should have called her and she would have gladly pulled on a rope to have prevented the near disaster. Thanks Love!
I was limbing the tree when one of my neighbours stopped to chat. He too offered to pull on ropes. Great. Next time perhaps.
Well after the next three trees toppled to the mighty chainsaw I was left to pick up the hundreds of dry twigs left everywhere. I guess those trees had to come out after all.
I mowed the front yard, repaired three sprinkler heads and finally collapsed after a shower.
Zero miles today BUT the BGL was 98 after all of the work.
Tonight's treat was Pizza!

A Jog in the Sunshine

After the success and failures of Tuesday, the family spent Wednesday shopping.
Ah retail therapy.
We started by finding a replacement for Sam's towable trailer. After parting with a little over $135 we had a replacement for the old one with the disintegrating straps. All is not lost however. The old one is to be converted into a Scottie trailer for use later this year. Al has a cruising bike and this will go behind her. It will be for comfy trail use only!
Sam was very against going out today. I think he was needing a break after the previous two days.
I changed into my Hippo gear and after a reasonable amount of stretching while the Garmin figured out where it was, off I went.
I decided to be a little adventurous and take to the less prepared trails where I could. I set out along the earth dam again and then hit the hard trails.
I was again following the FatLoss4Life.com plan. Kind of. If I felt I could I went further jogging than the plan called for, if the legs were getting tired, then I went short. Let's just call it an adaptation.
What I realized as I went on was that I rely on the speed of the music to really pace me. Some tracks on the MP3 get skipped while others are sought out to help with a difficult stage. I think I need to start a "What got me home" music list.
I felt winded pretty early into the trip. after about a mile and a half I was hurting. I couldn't figure out why but felt a little congested in the upper airways. I though my allergies were done for the year. Maybe not.
I pressed on.
I went higher up the valley and found a gravel trail I had not used before. This is another treat of living here. Lots of places to explore.
I selected a Norman Cook remix of a Tim Deluxe track and went for it. About half way up I spooked a whitetail doe in the long grass and she bounded away. Rabbits were out and the sun was sitting just above the western hill. Magic.
I finally turned for home and was back in 1:06 after 4.38 miles.The pace was not stellar, 14.51. That winded section really did me in. The Garmin claimed 817 Kal so a lot of good hill work on this run/walk. BGL pre was 146 and post it was 100! Way to bring down the A1C.

Ridin 'n' runnin

Well it's been a couple of days since I last sat at the keyboard. Things have been moving forward though, I have not been sitting on my laurels (or anywhere else for that matter).
I took Sam out again on Tuesday. After the success of his jaunt in the ATS I decided to give my knees a break and to pull out Sam's trailer that attaches to my mountain bike. I dragged the thing from the nether reaches of the garage where it had spent the winter and was dismayed to find it a mess. The nylon(?) straps that act as seat belts were almost dust. The grey material disintegrated as I coupled them together. My only guess is they are less than UV resistant.! Kind of an issue at 7,000 feet.
I managed to cobble a set together (the trailer is able to carry 2 kids) and was able to make one set from two. Sam was excited to see his other 'buggy' again and was happy to let me put him inside. Then we found his "Thomas the Tank Engine" helmet really didn't fit him at all. Arrgh! Off with the helmet and after some adjustment of the straps, we were finally ready to hit the trails.
I decided I would repeat some of the route I had taken when testing my knees. I set out from home and went into the open space trails. I have to tell you that we live in a funnel. Almost.
In any direction, road or trail, the elevation is UP! There are though gentle Up's as well as steep Up's. I chose the gentlest up there is. The 40 pound addition to my bike was very noticeable but I was able to make it all the way up the hill without having to get off and push! Thanks Shimano.
We made it up to the main road and followed this flattish route that allows us to enter another valley to the South. Back on the trails away from traffic we made better time. Sam was sitting happily in the back (although he didn't look comfortable) making fire-truck siren sounds as we moved along.
At the end of the trail some two miles later, the trail and the road merge again. After a brief water stop for us both, we made a 180 and set off back along the trail.
The return was harder but the trail makers had made the grade run with some flatter parts between. This allows for some harder peddling followed by flat recovery areas. The road though is a constant incline.
After crossing the main road, we set off down the steep and long descent to the main valley entrance. I kept the speed down for Sam. His trailer has small 12 inch wheels and the tyres don't give a lot of comfort. That trail has has quite a lot of wash-out with the rains this year.
At the bottom we crossed the road and went back up into the open space for a well earned break at one of the play equipment areas. Sam took full advantage of the break. Off came the helmet and slides, swings and running were the order of the day.
It took some persuasion to get him back into the trailer but he bravely sat there for the ride home.
The total trip was 8.23 miles completed in 1:05 (not including the slide stop) with an average pace of 8.05. My Garmin suggested I'd burned 1679 Cal but of course you can't believe that as the last time I checked, the wheels turn for free going downhill. The BGL was 121 at the beginning but 122 at the end.
The best part was no knee pain at all.

Pounding the pavement (and the mud, and the grass)

Another weekend of fun and joy has passed in the world of Progressive Care. I am once again able to not stress about charting, medication interaction and wild 88 year olds who wish to claw the very skin from my face. That's when they are not biting. This did happen to me one week ago. I was able to successfully discharge the patient back to whence she came during this past weekend. My right arm still reminds me of the Tdap had on Tuesday after the clawing.

I was finally able to get out with Sam today, the first time in almost 10 days as I had hurt my knees. The left more than the right it would seem. I rode motorcycles from the time I was 16 until I was 22. I didn't have a car licence until the day my then employer realized I did not. As you know, I have also been overweight most of my life. I also ski on long (200) shaped skis. I have had this love-hate relationship with my knees for a while now. If I am tired they also ache like heck.
This all started 10 days ago I was getting over the snottiest damn cold. I had even left work early one day, I felt that bad. The day of the 'run' I felt just well enough and I was SO motivated to get out and walk/run. (I hope someday to progress to run/walk and to finally achieve "run".) I strapped on my Asics and set out on an invigorating 5.91 mile extravaganza covering the trails and the roads of this great neighbourhood. I returned home. Checked my blood sugar, had LOTS of water and felt really good. Until morning came. Then both my left and right knees began punishing me. That dull ache I usually experience when I am very tired was there upon waking. Uh ho.
After anti-inflammatories and trying a couple of different topical pain relievers, I was able to dig through the web and I found that what I had done was BAD on a number of levels. Very Bad.

1. I had NOT tapered up after a break
2. I had not stretched properly or long enough
3. I had pushed myself WAY too hard after an illness.

As Homer would say, Doh!

I have spent a long time researching how I should get over this and in the intervening days, what was broken may now be healed.

Staring out with the least hilly route from my house, I took Sam out into the open space, over the earth dam that divides it and around the paved trails . He was happy in his ATS (All Terrain Stroller) watching the horses, the bunnys and other assorted wildlife that we share this area with. I was happy with a variety of kikkin tunes on the MP3 Walkman. 2.5 miles later we were back home. Sam was happy to have been out in his buggy again and I was feeling no pain at all. I had done this in daylight though. I just know the local paper will have letters reporting Hippo sightings again.

My Garmin tells me I did this in 39:13, which is no record with a healthy 480 kCal burned. I did not factor the 30+ pound 3 year old or his ATS into the Garmin's calculations. My weight is stubbornly hanging out at 231 pounds. The Blood sugar after exercise was 126. I have fallen behind again. This time though I am going to take it gently.

Introductions all round

As a husband, a father and someone who has changed careers in the past couple of years, I decided I should also change my lifestyle. At 46 I now have a career (RN) that requires me to be able to respond to my patients needs at a moments notice. After 22 years in my previous career (broadcast engineer) that involved mostly sitting on my duff with brief spurts of activity, it was the rising of my HgA1C that truly led to this 'new me'.
I have done something so radical, it's almost funny. No it IS funny. I have taken up running. Ok, I will repeat that, RUNNING.
Now ANYONE who knows me knows I do not run anywhere. For anything. Seriously. It's just not me. From an early age I have been "large'. Ok. Overweight, Fat. Big. I was the kid who would sneak whole cans of baked beans, puddings and other assorted stuff from the larder. I drank Coke. Ah, Coke. I loved Coke. I could drink a 6-pack a day, sometimes more. All through my adult life I could not really understand just why I always was sweating. Always just leaking sweat. Well my blood glucose was probably up in the 200's. My body was trying anything to rid itself of this sugar stuff.
This sudden urge to better myself has come at a cost. My immediate neighbours and fellow inhabitants of this part of the fair State of Colorado have had the unfortunate vision of a large, adult hippo waddling around the neighbourhood. For this sight I can only apologise. Profusely.
Ah well. So much for the past.
I have been married for 12 years to the love of my life Alison. After a number of losses we were able to have Sam. Samuel James was three years old back in March and is the apple of his mom and dad's eye. He has three 'fur siblings'. Angus (10), Ivy (13) and Hamish (11 ish). They are all Scottish Terriers. Angus came with us from England while Ivy and Hamish were both born in the States. Both were rescues from puppy mills. In spite of the two rescues terrible starts in life they now have been with us longer than they were in the mills. All 3 live and play together as if they were all from the same litter. Ivy though is in charge. Scottie World is matriarchal.
We all live in the Foothills to the west of Denver, Colorado.
The purpose of this is to share this journey with those who may be coming along after. After what I am not yet sure but; here it goes.