I won't be posting on my daily blog this week as I'll be attending to my wife, Suzie.
Suzie is having surgery on Tuesday. This came up suddenly. She went for an annual OB-GYN check up and they found a cyst on her ovary. The tests say this is a cystic mass and not cancerous, but they will not guarantee that until they take it out and do a biopsy. The doctor said due to the size of this thing, big like a football, he is going to do a total hysterectomy. She'll be in the hospital four or five days and out of work six to eight weeks. I plan on visiting her everyday this week in the hospital and still work my regular 12-hour shift.
I had requested a day off this Tuesday from work, but haven't yet received notification that I can have Tuesday off so I can be at her side. Nevertheless, we'll be arriving at UMC Hospital at 5:00 a.m. with surgery around 7:00 a.m., hopefully I won't have to work my 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. shift so I can be support her during this stressful time.
Between working, squeezing in my runs, and visiting Suzie in the hospital it's highly unlikely I'll have any time for the computer this week.
Suzie is in high spirits and is looking forward to having the next six to eight weeks off from work.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Oranges
Daily Quote: "Eat enough oranges and you may experience less muscle soreness after hard workouts such as downhill running. Why? Oranges supply over 100 percent of the DV for the antioxidant vitamin C, and a recent study from the University of North Carolina Greensboro showed that taking vitamin C supplements for two weeks prior to challenging arm exercises helped alleviate muscle soreness. This fruit's antioxidant powers also come from the compound herperidin found in the thin orange-colored layer of the fruit's skin (the zest). Herperidin has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and high blood pressure as well." --Liz Applegate, Ph.D.
I haven't been eating oranges lately, and the above quote reminds me to place "oranges" on my next grocery list!
Today's workout is very similar to yesterday's four-miler, with almost the same result.
9:00 a.m. Easy Run. 4 miles. Time 39:35. Overall pace, 9:56 minutes per mile. Out and back on Westwind Avenue that has loose gravel along the side. Cloudy, 54 degrees, winds south at 10 mph. Average heart rate, 140 bpm. Cardiac Drift, 146 bpm. (Note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm.)
The bottom of my left foot doesn't hurt as much today as I wore thicker Thorlo socks that helped prevent bruising, but I did feel a little discomfort under my foot, probably feet not fully recovered from yesterday. Tomorrow I'm planning on a eight miler, which will be on stable asphalt!
I haven't been eating oranges lately, and the above quote reminds me to place "oranges" on my next grocery list!
Today's workout is very similar to yesterday's four-miler, with almost the same result.
9:00 a.m. Easy Run. 4 miles. Time 39:35. Overall pace, 9:56 minutes per mile. Out and back on Westwind Avenue that has loose gravel along the side. Cloudy, 54 degrees, winds south at 10 mph. Average heart rate, 140 bpm. Cardiac Drift, 146 bpm. (Note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm.)
The bottom of my left foot doesn't hurt as much today as I wore thicker Thorlo socks that helped prevent bruising, but I did feel a little discomfort under my foot, probably feet not fully recovered from yesterday. Tomorrow I'm planning on a eight miler, which will be on stable asphalt!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Bars, Drinks, Gels, OH MY!
Daily Quote: "Remember that the calories in the energy bars, sports drinks, and gels you consume during a run add up, even though you're running. Consume them only as needed." --Nancy Clark, Nutritionist
I only drink sports drinks when running over an hour in hot conditions...lately I have not taken any energy bars nor gels on my runs as I just don't need them. During my previous marathons I preferred Jelly Belly Sport Beans, but must look for something more substantial for my upcoming ultra-marathon, "The Labor of Love 50k," on April 25th.
9:00 a.m. Easy Run. 4 miles. Time 39:39. Overall pace, 9:56 minutes per mile. Out and back on Westwind Avenue that has loose gravel along the side. Cloudy, 55 degrees, winds south at 3 mph. Average heart rate, 141 bpm. Cardiac Drift, 146 bpm. (Note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm.)
The loose gravel is good training for my upcoming ultra-marathon and ran very slowly as not to twist my ankle and allow my feet to adjust, unfortunately, the bottom of my left foot is bruised. Indeed, I need more practice on loose gravel.
The weather is perfect today, high in the mid 70's! We're about to have a change of weather as rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.
I only drink sports drinks when running over an hour in hot conditions...lately I have not taken any energy bars nor gels on my runs as I just don't need them. During my previous marathons I preferred Jelly Belly Sport Beans, but must look for something more substantial for my upcoming ultra-marathon, "The Labor of Love 50k," on April 25th.
9:00 a.m. Easy Run. 4 miles. Time 39:39. Overall pace, 9:56 minutes per mile. Out and back on Westwind Avenue that has loose gravel along the side. Cloudy, 55 degrees, winds south at 3 mph. Average heart rate, 141 bpm. Cardiac Drift, 146 bpm. (Note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm.)
The loose gravel is good training for my upcoming ultra-marathon and ran very slowly as not to twist my ankle and allow my feet to adjust, unfortunately, the bottom of my left foot is bruised. Indeed, I need more practice on loose gravel.
The weather is perfect today, high in the mid 70's! We're about to have a change of weather as rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Lose Weight Slowly
Daily Quote: "Shoot for a gradual loss of body fat. You're more likely to put the weight back on (and more) if you drop weight too quickly." --Nancy Clark, Nutritionist
I enjoy shows like "The Biggest Loser" and "Celebrity Fit Club," but do realize that losing weight too quickly promotes a yo-yo effect on the body...the body thinks it's in famine and therefore slows metabolism and stores fat. Personally, I'll shoot for 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week, nevertheless, I'm often impatient when it comes to my own weight loss goals. I was tempted to join about.com's forum weight loss challenge, but decided against it, afterall, I'm not that overweight (179 pounds on a six foot frame) and would rather lose my last 10 pounds slowly.
Visited the gym after I awoke this morning rather than immediately after work as I was exhausted from a busy day driving a cab during the "World of Concrete" convention.
9:10 a.m. 24 Hour Fitness (Alta & Rainbow). Warmup, 10 minutes on the upright stationary cycle. Weight Circuit Training, 2 sets, 15 reps, for 25 minutes. Cooldown, 10 minutes on upright stationary cycle. Thankfully, I only live five minutes from home and can squeeze in my scheduled run as well.
10:30 a.m. General Aerobic Run. 7 miles. Time, 1:06. Overall pace, 9:28 minute miles. Out and back on Lindell Road. Weather, partly cloudy, 58 degrees with no wind. Average heart rate, 143 bpm. Cardiac drift, 147 bpm. (note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm)
Nice comfortable run with beautiful weather! It's unusual that I run so late and now must rush to get ready for work...will eat a cheese pizza Lean Pocket on the way to the company yard.
I enjoy shows like "The Biggest Loser" and "Celebrity Fit Club," but do realize that losing weight too quickly promotes a yo-yo effect on the body...the body thinks it's in famine and therefore slows metabolism and stores fat. Personally, I'll shoot for 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week, nevertheless, I'm often impatient when it comes to my own weight loss goals. I was tempted to join about.com's forum weight loss challenge, but decided against it, afterall, I'm not that overweight (179 pounds on a six foot frame) and would rather lose my last 10 pounds slowly.
Visited the gym after I awoke this morning rather than immediately after work as I was exhausted from a busy day driving a cab during the "World of Concrete" convention.
9:10 a.m. 24 Hour Fitness (Alta & Rainbow). Warmup, 10 minutes on the upright stationary cycle. Weight Circuit Training, 2 sets, 15 reps, for 25 minutes. Cooldown, 10 minutes on upright stationary cycle. Thankfully, I only live five minutes from home and can squeeze in my scheduled run as well.
10:30 a.m. General Aerobic Run. 7 miles. Time, 1:06. Overall pace, 9:28 minute miles. Out and back on Lindell Road. Weather, partly cloudy, 58 degrees with no wind. Average heart rate, 143 bpm. Cardiac drift, 147 bpm. (note: my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm)
Nice comfortable run with beautiful weather! It's unusual that I run so late and now must rush to get ready for work...will eat a cheese pizza Lean Pocket on the way to the company yard.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Busy Tuesday!
Daily Quote: "While on sabbatical at the University of Oxford. I attended lectures given to medical students on the dietary causes of heart disease by one of their prominent professors of medicine. He went on and on about the adverse effects of saturated fat and cholesterol intakes on coronary heart disease as if these were the only dietary factors that were important. He was unwilling to concede that animal protein consumption had anything to do with blood cholesterol levels, even though the evidence at that time made it abundantly clear that animal protein was more strongly correlated with blood cholesterol levels than saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. Like too many others, his blind faith in the status quo left him unwilling to be open-minded." --"The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II
Today is the start of a very busy week for us cabbies, it's the huge Concrete World Convention! I'm going to need to rush to bed after work tonight, I barely had 7 hours of sleep last night.
Easy Run, 8:45 a.m. 4 miles. Time, 38:43. Overall Pace, 9:40 minute miles. Out and back on Alta Road (THE bike route to Red Rock Canyon). Weather, clear, 55 degrees, with no wind...another perfect day for running! Average heart rate: 138 bpm. Cardiac Drift: 144 bpm.
A very comfortable run, a little too comfy as my heart rates are slightly low for my 140-145 bpm recovery range, I'll need to increase my effort a little tomorrow. No aches nor pain and feelin' fine!
Today is the start of a very busy week for us cabbies, it's the huge Concrete World Convention! I'm going to need to rush to bed after work tonight, I barely had 7 hours of sleep last night.
Easy Run, 8:45 a.m. 4 miles. Time, 38:43. Overall Pace, 9:40 minute miles. Out and back on Alta Road (THE bike route to Red Rock Canyon). Weather, clear, 55 degrees, with no wind...another perfect day for running! Average heart rate: 138 bpm. Cardiac Drift: 144 bpm.
A very comfortable run, a little too comfy as my heart rates are slightly low for my 140-145 bpm recovery range, I'll need to increase my effort a little tomorrow. No aches nor pain and feelin' fine!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Protein
Daily Quote: "Runners focus so much on consuming their carbs that their protein needs sometimes get forgotten. Protein is used for some energy and to repair tissue damaged during training. Protein should make up about 15% of your daily intake. Runners, especially those training for long distances such as marathons, should consume .5 to .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Good sources of protein are fish, lean meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, egg whites, low-fat milk, low-fat cheese and some vegetables." --Christine Luff, About.com Running & Jogging Guide.
I agree with Christine with the importance of protein, but I'm beginning to question the idea that quality protein is not animal protein after reading the research in "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II. I'm slowly weening myself off from animal protein diet and replacing it with plant based diet.
Went to bed earlier than normal last night due to no bowling league because of Super Bowl Sunday, hence awoke and ran earlier than normal.
7:00 a.m. General Aerobic Run. 6 miles. Time, 57:33. Overall pace, 9:35 minute miles. Out and back on Lindell Road. Weather; clear, 40 degrees with no wind. Average heart rate: 143 bpm. Cardiac drift: 148 bpm. (Note, my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm)
I discovered that the side route of Lindell Road has more traffic than normal at 7-8 a.m. due to the several schools on that route, don't kids ever walk to school anymore? No aches nor pain and body is adjusting well.
I agree with Christine with the importance of protein, but I'm beginning to question the idea that quality protein is not animal protein after reading the research in "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II. I'm slowly weening myself off from animal protein diet and replacing it with plant based diet.
Went to bed earlier than normal last night due to no bowling league because of Super Bowl Sunday, hence awoke and ran earlier than normal.
7:00 a.m. General Aerobic Run. 6 miles. Time, 57:33. Overall pace, 9:35 minute miles. Out and back on Lindell Road. Weather; clear, 40 degrees with no wind. Average heart rate: 143 bpm. Cardiac drift: 148 bpm. (Note, my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm)
I discovered that the side route of Lindell Road has more traffic than normal at 7-8 a.m. due to the several schools on that route, don't kids ever walk to school anymore? No aches nor pain and body is adjusting well.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Summary: January 26 - February 1, 2009
Daily Quote: "Standard portion sizes may actually be smaller than you think. For example, three ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. One serving size of pasta or rice is about the size of a tennis ball. Try putting smaller amounts of food on your plate or using smaller plates. If you put more food in front of you, you'll eat it because it's there." --Christine Luff, running guide at about.com
My portion sizes are good during the weekdays as I make my own meals, but the weekends we're off from work and often eat out with larger portion sizes. I need to be more disciplined and not eat everything off my plate when dining at restaurants.
10:20 a.m. Today is my rest day from running, but I still accomplished a weight circuit session at my gym (24-Hour Fitness on Rainbow and Alta) where I did my typical two set, 15 repetitions session with the weight circuit training machines, afterwards I cycled 30 minutes on the stationary cycle watching "Monk" on the television monitors above. Next week I might run on Sunday as to return to running seven days a week, it all depends on what how my body feels at the time.
SUMMARY: JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 1, 2009
I continued to run six days a week for a total of 30 miles! I also weight circuit trained for three days this week. My body is now 100% and can slowly add even more mileage for my upcoming "Labor of Love 50k Race" on April 25th...only 12 weeks from now!!!
I'm still 179 pounds on a six foot frame and undoubtedly once my mileage increases my weight should decline even more. I still need to focus on no binge eating during my days off on the weekends.
I accomplished three sessions of weight circuit training last week and increased the weights twice as my upper body is getting stronger, although on the flip side I'm heavier due to the bigger muscles I had developed during last week.
I've continued to get 7-8 hours of sound sleep nightly and my morning heart rates are getting better, 40-42 bpm.
A short recap of last week's training:
Monday: Easy Run, 5 miles.
Tuesday: Easy Run, 4 miles.
Wednesday: General Aerobic Run, 6 miles + weight circuit training.
Thursday: Easy Run, 4 miles.
Friday: Easy Run, 4 miles + weight circuit training.
Saturday: General Aerobic Run, 7 miles.
Sunday: Weight circuit training.
Total weekly mileage: 30 miles.
You can almost see my developing pattern for future training; Long Run on Saturdays, Medium Long Run on Wednesdays, and easy recovery runs filling out the rest of the week.
My portion sizes are good during the weekdays as I make my own meals, but the weekends we're off from work and often eat out with larger portion sizes. I need to be more disciplined and not eat everything off my plate when dining at restaurants.
10:20 a.m. Today is my rest day from running, but I still accomplished a weight circuit session at my gym (24-Hour Fitness on Rainbow and Alta) where I did my typical two set, 15 repetitions session with the weight circuit training machines, afterwards I cycled 30 minutes on the stationary cycle watching "Monk" on the television monitors above. Next week I might run on Sunday as to return to running seven days a week, it all depends on what how my body feels at the time.
SUMMARY: JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 1, 2009
I continued to run six days a week for a total of 30 miles! I also weight circuit trained for three days this week. My body is now 100% and can slowly add even more mileage for my upcoming "Labor of Love 50k Race" on April 25th...only 12 weeks from now!!!
I'm still 179 pounds on a six foot frame and undoubtedly once my mileage increases my weight should decline even more. I still need to focus on no binge eating during my days off on the weekends.
I accomplished three sessions of weight circuit training last week and increased the weights twice as my upper body is getting stronger, although on the flip side I'm heavier due to the bigger muscles I had developed during last week.
I've continued to get 7-8 hours of sound sleep nightly and my morning heart rates are getting better, 40-42 bpm.
A short recap of last week's training:
Monday: Easy Run, 5 miles.
Tuesday: Easy Run, 4 miles.
Wednesday: General Aerobic Run, 6 miles + weight circuit training.
Thursday: Easy Run, 4 miles.
Friday: Easy Run, 4 miles + weight circuit training.
Saturday: General Aerobic Run, 7 miles.
Sunday: Weight circuit training.
Total weekly mileage: 30 miles.
You can almost see my developing pattern for future training; Long Run on Saturdays, Medium Long Run on Wednesdays, and easy recovery runs filling out the rest of the week.
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