Stupid Questions

I have a stupid question on my previous post. The answer is I do!

I did run a little over 5 miles today and actually felt pretty good. I then lifted a few weights and then hit the showers...sounds like high school.

The weather here in central Alabamer is quite loverly. My me-otter has been running wonderfully with the top down. In fact, this morning I pulled up behind Eaglepoint Jim in his red hot mustang with his top down. As you may recall, Jim is the prior owner of my little me-otter.

Tomorrow Alex's running buddies are coming over for a pre-race pasta dinner. So we will have a house full of boys and my daughter is looking for somewhere else to hang out. She doesn't want hang around a bunch of older boys...yeck. Someday she will likely regret that decision (and hopefully she will be out of the house by then ;-)).

Two days of posting in a row. It is a record.

Watching the stock market trying to figure out when I can get back in. Most of my 401K is in a money market fund. I was watching Apple hoping it will drop a little lower. I think the market is heading lower as the financial situation continues to unfold. I don't agree that the "govment" should bail them out. Where is the repercussion for making poor decisions if you know you make a poor decision and someone will be covering your ass. To top it off...several CEO's of these failing organizations will walk away with more money than most people will make in a lifetime (times a hundred).

Alex is scroby...we are not sure not sure if you spell it "scrobe" or "scroby". Even further, we are not sure what it means. My wife is the one that has always said scroby usually in reference to something or someone that is disheveled or unkempt. You know when you go to the beach, get in the water, sun yourself, get back in the water, sun yourself, (you get the picture). Anyway, as you head back to your condo or hotel room, you have this icky feeling AKA you feel scroby. Imagine a homeless person that is stinky and wearing three layers of funky smelling clothes...he/she is scroby. Back to Alex...although he took a shower a little earlier, his attitude is scroby.

I am tired and ready for bed...a common theme lately. So no sense in delaying the inevitable. TTFN.

Who Runs Anymore?

Had to take a quick run to Oklahoma to visit my ailing mother. Ran twice. Headed to Las Vegas afterward for a conference. Did not run for a week. Finally got home after nearly 10 days on the road. Ran once since then. It is hard to get motivated when you don't train for a race. I have a hard time hitting the road "just to stay in shape".

I am now sitting here on the bed on a Wednesday night typing in my blog (which I have ignored for quite sometime). I have a funky sock (Strassburg) on my left leg because of an ongoing battle with plantar fascitis. So now I don't sleep very well, but at least my arch does not hurt in the morning. I hope this $35 sock will heal my aching arch.

Not much going on. Work and stuff. In fact, I don't even feel like typing in my blog cause I took my contacts out and have to hold the laptop fairly close so I can see the words. Funny thing is that when I have my contacts in, I have to wear reading glasses to do the same thing.

The market is down. Elections are around the corner. We are still stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan. North Korea is restarting their nuke plant. Iran calls for the demise of the american power. Lindsay Lohan is dating a girl. Clay Akin is gay. The world is really going to hell in a hand basket.

So what am I going to do? I think I will go to bed. Ta ta for now.

Welcome September

Another month has come and gone. Wow...what a month. Some 'lympics, demo"rat" and re"pubic"an conventions, football, school, etc.

The weather has been quite nice for the past month. Hurricane Gustav left us quite a bit of rain and some cooler than usual weather. Hurricane Hanna had no impact on the 'ham. Now Ike is bearing down on the gulf.

I have been running and lifting weights. I have also gained a few pounds...not sure if the lifting is adding to the mass or I am merely eating more than I am expending.

Okie state is 2-0 with a couple of good offensive games. I was considering flying to Oklahoma to catch a game, but I just don't know if I will have time.

I am still on my flecanaide and have not had any incident of flutter. Still not sure if I like it...I just have not felt quite right since I started taking the medicine.

My running is going ok although I miss the competitive training and races. I ran 6 miles on the 5K loop around the 'hood. My first lap was good, my second one sucked. I actually walked up the hill. I don't think I can stand to try and race a course that is very hilly because I cannot recover very well with a lower than usual heart rate.

There is supposed to be a criterium this weekend (Google Pepper Place Crit). I am supposed to work the registration all day Saturday and then fly to Las Vegas on Sunday. Long weekend ahead.

I did have some stuff I wanted to blog about (Palin, actors, stocks, trucks, etc.). I will do that some other time when I really feel like cutting loose. Now I will watch a little more football and head to bed.

Another 4 Years

Well the Olympics are almost over. I can finally start getting some sleep. It has been great watching ribbon dancing, horse galloping, basket weaving, etc. (not really). I have enjoyed the real sports...running, cycling, swimming and so on. I am Olympiced out though.

Been working hard. I was out of town earlier this week on a business trip to NYC (Brooklyn). I stayed at a hotel just on the other side of the Brooklyn bridge. In fact, I was able to run over the bridge into downtown Manhattan a couple of times. Nice flat run (except for the bridge). The weather there was cooler on Tuesday and Wednesday and made for great outdoor weather.

I have been trying to run more frequently and lift weights. I am not training for a race, but I think I can consider running a few races for fun (aka fun running). I am not planning on doing anything competitive because it would be a waste of time on heart medicine. I think I have come to terms with my "condition" and can live with the situation.

I did manage to run 8.4 miles today in the remnants of Fay as it moves through Bham. It was wet, but otherwise enjoyable. I am suffering from a case of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. Running on the hard pavement has not helped any and I probably need to run on some softer surfaces while icing my foot. I have tried some different things to ease this problem, but I have not been successful to date. Just gettin' old(er).

Congratulations to neighbor Jim who is now engaged!

Horses in the Olympics

Nothing to write about. Just thought I would scribble something in my blog whilst I sit here watching the Olympics (horse jumping - cross country and diving). Speaking of horse jumping in the Olympics, what is up with some (not all) overweight riders. This is not sport. The only one that is physically fit is the horse. Besides, who can afford a horse and take care of it on a daily basis such that you can ride nearly every day to become a "world class" rider? It is a gold medal for rich people that cannot do anything else.

Some poor kid in Africa runs barefoot to school everyday hoping one day to mimic the exploits of his countrymen and escape a life of hard work and poverty. All while some (not all) overweight "cowboy" rides some poor horse that runs to school everyday hoping one day to run free like his fellow mustang.

Horses in the Olympics is not sport - it is animal abuse...call PETA, call Pamela Anderson! On second thought, calling Pamela Anderson and having an intelligent conversation should be an Olympic sport (it would require significant mental fitness...of a four year old)!

Go Michael Phelps...anyone that can swim endless laps in a swimming pool and not go crazy, ROCKS!

Theeeee'rrrreeee Baaaccckk!

In school. Yes the kids are back in school.

Not much going on in the world of Dom. I was out of town the first part of the week (work) and just got back into the office today. The travel must of really wore me out because I felt terrible this morning. Just lethargic and a bit lightheaded. It does not seem like I have been right since I started taking the heart drugs. I just hope it is not something else lurking in the background.

Weekend is coming up, so I will get some rest and hopefully get back to par.

I did run Tuesday (5 miles on treadmill at hotel) and today (5 miles on treadmill at work). It has been miserably hot so running outside just is not appealing. I plan on doing a short run tomorrow and lift some weights.

Time for a popsicle and then the rack.

Another ah hah moment!

As you may recall, I started drug therapy at the beginning of July for atrial flutter (flecainide and nadolol). The nadolol (beta blocker) was unbearable and I called the doc to see if I go on flecainide alone...YES! I did have some effects (mainly lightheadedness and low blood pressure) when I dropped the nadolol cold turkey (only 10 mg per day - the doc did not provide any instruction and I did not think to ask for any - this time). I have been off the nadolol for almost 2 weeks.

I was hoping my running would return to normal. The first week I did not have much time to exercise plus I was recovering from dropping off the nadolol. However, I have been running most of this week and really struggling (heavy legs). As I was doing an hour run this morning at Oak Mtn State Park, it finally dawned on me (as a slogged up another hill about 45 min into the run) that the flecainide was preventing me from reaching an upper heart rate beyond 144ish BPM. My running max is mid-170's. So no wonder I felt like crap late in the run because my heart was not pumping properly and my legs were starved for O2 and lactic acid was not being processed quickly enough. Duh!

Now I am trying to find answers to some questions. Can I reduce my dosage (with dr consent) that will help me elevate my HR and still be effective against the flutter? And/or, should I run in the morning PRIOR to taking my morning dose?

It was not pleasant running today because I normally hit mid-150's when I run up some of the hills at OMSP. That is when I had my ah hah moment. I kept looking at my watch hoping my HR would ease on up to the normal BPM and nothing happened. I am really thinking hard about the cardiac ablation or just quit running altogether and be happy....see me smiling :-(

Randy Pausch died yesterday. Visit his website and if you have not watched "The Last Lecture", you really need to spend an hour and watch it.

Just Another Wednesday

Man, what a scorcher of a week. I did not run Sunday because it was so stinkin' hot. I did run Monday afternoon (5:30ish) and it was still 95F. Oowwee. I did not run yesterday because I got home as the afternoon thunder bumpers started to light up the sky.

I did manage to get out at lunch today. While not quite as hot (86F), it was very humid and when the sun came out from behind the clouds the temp would spike up a few degrees.

The flutters still seem to be in remission. I have had a few instances over the past couple of days that it felt like I was going to have an episode and nothing happened. Maybe this dosage of Flecainide is doing the trick. I still feel a little groggy and lightheaded especially the few hours after I take the pill in the morning. So while I feel better and the running has improved since being off the beta blocker, I still have some side effects (either that or my general disposition has started to turn sour).

I also bought a running journal since my heart rate monitor software (Polar) won't work with the Mac (even using Windows). I cannot get my IR reader to read the watch. Apparently, there is an issue with the USB IR reader and the Mac's USB port. The port does see the reader; however, nothing happens. So I went to the written version which I think I will like better since I really have never used the HR watch and software to their full potential. Using the KISS principle.

Anyway, on to the next exciting events - reading and bed.

Hey...I ran 5 miles today

Surprise, surprise, I ran 5 miles today. Of course, I did not do diddly the remainder of the day other than wash my little Me-otter. Note - I did not do any running while on vacation earlier this week.

I actually felt ok on the run. I did feel slightly lightheaded on my run, especially toward the end. The good thing is that my heart rate was normal during the entire run...normal being 130-150 BPM depending on the terrain. In addition, I have not had an episode of flutter even after coming off the beta blocker. It sure feels good to feel normal.

I will try another run again tomorrow as I ease back into the running thang. I will see how things go over the next week or so prior to my next cardio doc appointment.

Have a good weekend!

Whoa...what is up with that?

Well I did come off the beta blocker earlier this week. However, I had a really strange episode of lightheadedness while at the Biltmore estate on Tuesday. My wife and I had exercised for a little while in the fitness center that morning...no problem. We headed out to the Biltmore later in the morning. It was when I climbed the first set of stairs that it hit me. I felt bad. I thought, I am having a heart attack, stroke, bad day, etc. Well after struggling through the entire tour, I finally was able to find a chair and rest/recover. You could say that I was overwhelmed by the tour, but you would be wrong.

Let me digress for just a moment. Biltmore was built by a man that had never worked. He basically used someone else's money to bring a vision to fruition. Now granted, his vision was excellent, but many people have great visions with no resources to bring them to reality. The other thing is that George had his own bedroom and one for his wife. No wonder they only had one child. The Biltmore is a beautiful work of art and a lot of that effort is due to his grandsons. They had the vision to take a man's self-indulgent idea to a higher plane. What is brilliant is that they got the public to pay for it most of it. And yes, I contributed to the cause.

I can say that George's self-centered vision is not as bad as what I saw in Germany at the various castle's in the Bavarian region. King Ludwig II, the fairy-tale king, was a narcissistic SOB. His bedroom on one lesser castle was full of gold metal leaf and mirrors. He never married and seemed to have more for Wagner that he did for women...

Digression complete...after returning from the castle....errrr...estate, I stopped at grocery store to take my blood pressure (102/58) which was way lower than my usual readings. [side note - they poor smuck ahead of me was 192/101 which is off scale high.] My heart rate was 62. After resting at the room, I went back to the store to buy a BP monitor and measure it again. My BP was closer to normal (128/70...HR 51). I have been measuring my BP ever since then and have not noted any low readings. In addition, I have not noticed any abnormal heart beats. Certainly no flutter.

Today we drove to Mt Mitchell, highest peak east of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway west of the Mt Mitchell entrance is closed due to a rock slide (or something). So you have to take the long way around (40 east to 70 east to 80 north to Blue Ridge Parkway west). The 80 north route is a great route for driving the Mazda Me-otter. It is one o the twistiest, turniest roads I have ever driven. I am not sure my wife enjoyed the ride and much as I enjoyed the drive. I did keep the speed down because it was narrow and I was not familiar with the road.

We had fun hiking one of the trails at the park. The Mt Mitchell summit was not open due to renovation. We hiked to a couple of adjacent peaks and I took some pictures of Mt Mitchell. The hike took it out of me. I did have some lightheadedness initially and I had to stop and pee 4 or 5 times (not sure what that is all about). My wife thinks I may have diabetes (which runs in the family), but I have not experienced any other symptoms before now. All these issues are coincidental with the going on drugs and coming off beta blockers.

I hope to be feeling better soon (today would be great). We head to Cherokee tomorrow and then home on Friday (where my own bed awaits me).

Yea Baby!!!

I had to go to my regular doc today for a chapped ass (no kidding...and that is all I will say about that). Anyway, he has been going through some heart issues similar to mine and we chatted for a few minutes after my "exam." I told him what I was on and he suggested contacting my cardio doc and getting off the beta blocker. So I called the cardio doc (he is probably tired of hearing from me) and told him that I still have adverse reactions to the beta blocker - namely, dizziness, unclear thinking, low resting heart rate (low 30's), and general lethargy. So now I am off the Nadolol and on just the Flecainide.

So I am hoping to get out this drug-induced funk as the Nadolol wears off over the next couple of days. I am excited about being able to run with a normal heart rate.

My wife and I are in Asheville, NC while the kids are at a running camp. I am looking forward to spending some time with her and seeing this lovely place. We took the Miata. I hope we don't buy anything because we don't have any room. Hopefully it will be cheaper that way. We hope to see Biltmore ($47 stinking bucks per person...oooweee), Chimney Rock and Mt Mitchell. Then we will head over to Cherokee and watch this play Thursday evening. Then on the way home we will drive the Cherohala Skyway which I have ridden on my bicycle several times (Cherohala Challenge).

I hope to get some running and hiking in this week and I hope that things will return to normal as the Nadolol wears off.

Another Day, Another Dollar

I recently joined a forum, Cardiac Athlete (see links to the right). It seems to have a lot of folks that can relate to my experiences. It provides a breath of fresh air to read/discuss my issues with others in similar circumstances.

I did not exercise today...had a meeting all day downtown then headed to the house when a thunder bumper came up.

Yesterday, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill (15 walking, 15 at slow jog). Even though I am on 10 mg of Nadolol, I did not see any difference in my heart rate. However, it has only been a couple of days since I reduced the dosage. I did some very light weight lifting with the thought that maybe I will restart my toning routine (that I have not done in quite a while). I like to ease into the lifting so I don't get sore. So it takes a few weeks to develop a regular lifting routine.

Anyway, no other news on the cardio front.

The Flutter Story

To the left is the picture the doctor drew for me as he explained my "condition".

Essentially the heart functions by controlled electrical impulses that start from the sinus node and process through the AV node. The upper two chambers are the atria and the lower two chambers are the ventricles. Blood travels from the atria into the ventricles and the transport is controlled by the electrical impulses from the sinus and AV nodes (click the links for more in depth info). In the right atria, the pulmonary veins from each lung supply the blood from the lungs to the heart. Apparently, this is where my problem lies.

The doc said that my particular condition is caused by errant electrical pulses that are generated where the pulmonary veins enter the heart. The problem is initiated by atrial fibrillation which then results in atrial flutter. So the atria will beat rapidly and with a consistent rhythm (if it were inconsistent it would be atrial fibrillation).

According to the doc, middle age white males that are typically athletic and have cerebral jobs are more likely to develop this condition. Blacks and asians are much less likely. Also, your average middle aged ditch digger is less likely to develop this condition. He said that he just saw a doctor and lawyer with similar issues and asked what I did for a living. I guess being an engineering manager for a nuclear utility would fall in the cerebral category ;-).

He said there was a Norwegian (or Swedish) study done on cross country skiers using a sedentary group as a control. The skiers were four times more likely to develop this condition than the sedentary group. [So it proves that exercise is BAD for you.] He said that cold drinks, large meals, post-exercise, etc. were typical triggers (yep, I can relate to all three). So how do you fix it?

First he explained that he would like to try a drug therapy. Hence the Flecainide which he said is usually effective 60% of the time. He said that if it works, most other antiarrythmia drugs will work and if it doesn't the others won't either. The Nadolol is a beta blocker to help with rate control (which, if you read my earlier post, you will know it works for me). If the drugs don't work or the side effects are not acceptable, then an alternative is catheter ablation.

For my condition, the procedure will be to insert a catheter into a vein in my groin. The catheter is then snaked up into my heart where the doc would essentially ablate the tissue around each pulmonary vein where it enters the heart. Basically, the intent is to create ring of scar tissue around each opening to prevent the random electrical impulses from disturbing my normal heart rhythm. The procedure, for them, has been 85% effective with 1 in 4 needing a second procedure to close any gaps missed the first time around. So what are the drawbacks?

The doctor laid out 4 negatives. First, bruising is common occurence especially where the catheter is inserted into the vein. Second, there is a possibility of bleeding (or fluid buildup) in the sac around the heart which is removed by using a needle to suck it out (I quiver on that thought). He said that they have not had any bleeding issues for nearly 10 years (over 6000 procedures). Third, there is a possibility of narrowing the area where the pulmonary vein enters the heart. This caused by excessive scar tissue formation which constricts the entry area of the vein. Last, there is a possibility of a stroke caused by the formation of a clot in the right atria during the procedure that gets flushed out during a normal pulse of the chamber.

So that is the story with a pretty picture to go along with it. After the last couple of days on these drugs, the ablation is looking mo' and mo' better. Coincidentally, when I walked out of his office I ran into a guy that worked at one of our nuclear plants. He said that he had been on the drugs for over 10 years and was basically sick of it. So he told his cardiologist it was time to do something different. He was referred to Dr. Kay and had the ablation done earlier this year. He said it was the best thing he could have done and wished he had done it sooner!

So I will suffer through the drugs for the next few weeks. Try to run some and if there is no improvement in quality of life, I will ask for the ablation procedure. I just can't see being on a drug regimen for a long period of time and not being able to exercise.

THE low DOWN

Ran this fine 4th of July morn. I ran a very easy pace and my heart rate barely broke 100 bpm. I ran 3.6 miles and I am drained! It is a weird feeling to run so easy and be so fatigued. My resting heart rate this morning was 37 bpm. Waaay low. I am usually in the mid 40's. It seems like my heart rate profile is 30-40 bpm lower than normal on the high end. I am not happy with this condition because I cannot really even run or exercise.

When I was done and showered, I checked my heart rate and blood pressure. Heart rate was 37 bpm and blood pressure was 117/77. My legs are tired and I did not run far. With my heart rate being so low, I guess the transport of oxygen to the muscles is so low that my muscles cannot recover as quickly. So an easy 3-5 mile run feels like 10-15 because the of low recovery factor. Blahhhh.

My next post will cover what the doc told me on Monday.

The Monday Cardiologist Visit

I will write more details when I have time. The doctor was personable and took the time to help me understand my issue. In fact, he drew me a picture and explained the issue very clearly. I will pass on all I learned in a future post soon (before I forget everything he said).

I am on Flecainide (100 mg twice daily) and Nadolol (20 mg once daily). The first is a sodium channel blocker and the second is a beta blocker. He also took me off the Warfarin because he was concerned that the side affects (excessive bleeding and/or internal bleeding) were worse than the benefits. He did not think I was at a point that I needed to be on that particular regimen and suggested 80 mg of aspirin daily instead. I started the drugs on Tuesday morning. The side effects have thus far been minimal. Some drowsiness and dizziness, but nothing too bad. I did have a neat side effect this morning. As I sat down, I noticed as my arms moved up and down in my peripheral vision, that they left kind of blurring trail. The only thing that is similar is when you set up your mouse pointer to have a trail as you move it. That is what it looked like when I "flapped" my arms up and down. The effect did not last very long, but it was kind of cool.

I did run today to try out the heart rate. I was able to get up to 137 bpm when normally I should have been at nearly 160. My max heart rate while running all out is in the mid 170's. So now my max will probably be near 150 bpm. That really sucks. I am hoping that as my body adapts to the medication, my heart rate will go up some. Right now staying on this drug regimen will impede any goals I have for running.

I go back to the doctor at the end of the month to see how things go. This past month, I have had few episodes of flutter so it may be a while before I can readily determine whether or not the drugs are being effective. Once I type up the discussion the doc and I had, you will really understand this issue much better. It is quite interesting and beats anything I have found on the net to date.

It is late and I have been busy at work and traveling, so I am heading to bed. I will get the info up quickly for anyone that is interested in reading more about it. I hope to do some more running to see how this drug really affects my performance. I am not expecting miracles, but....

Jim's Questions

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

I was running just enough to pass the semiannual Navy physical readiness test. However, I was riding my bike quite a bit. In fact, in most of my post-college life, I have been more of a bike rider than a runner. I switched to running a couple of years ago so I could run a local 1/2 marathon. I then switched to running full time when I started traveling quite a bit with work. However, I am looking at going back to mtn biking.

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?

Best is when I ran a 1:31 half marathon (2007)...oh so close to breaking 1:30. This was done on a hilly course. I ran a 3:31 first marathon in late 2007 just missing the Boston qualifier time. I feel I can easily best that attempt...hopefully this year.

Worst is this past year's 1/2 marathon when my flutter kicked in at the start of the race and never quit. It was a really blah race. I thought I would be close to breaking 1:30 especially coming off a marathon and it was a beautiful day. It was not to be.

3. Why do you run?

I like staying in decent physical condition. It also relieves stress. Last, I am just good enough that I can occasionally place high in the results and typically do well in my age group. I race just enough that I typically have good results because I train specifically for those races rather just running them willy nilly.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you’ve been given about running?

I try not to give bad advice. My good advice is speed training. When I suggest it to other runners that are looking to improve their time, the comment I often get is that "I am not fast." That is not the purpose of speed training. Anyone looking to improve their time needs some form of speed work thrown into their training plan. Doing more miles will not make you faster and in fact may slow you down. One thing I have learned is that not all runners are interested in improving their times. So when I get that vibe, I just keep my mouth shut which is good advice.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.

I am not one to share too much personal stuff on the world wide web and I don't think most folks will really care whether or not I spill my guts. However, I have been to the north pole (or at least under it) and the sub I was stationed on is in the Hunt for Red October (flashing light sequence - not in movie credits - USS Puffer SSN 652). In fact, I was the Officer of the Deck during the filming and the guy that did the flashing light was mess cook that knew Morse code but failed out of radioman's school. He actually had a script, but I do not recall what it was and I can't "read" Morse code.

Tag - well I have an extremely low following and in fact, neighbor Jim is the only one I list in my links and he is the one that tagged me. So the buck stops here. Hopefully his other tags will pass the torch.

Running Monkees

I have been running almost everyday...even on vacation!

Last Saturday I ran nearly 1:30. I was running with the few middle schoolers that showed up to OMSP. One got hurt her ankle so I ran to my truck and went back to pick her up (that was the first hour). Then everyone left except one family who was missing a wife and son. So I ran another 30 minutes looking for the when I came upon the realization that they probably missed a turn which in fact they did. They did not turn at the right spot and essentially ran straight uphill (clue #1) until they reached the mountain bike trail (clue #2). Anyway, they were waiting on me when I returned.

We left for a north Georgia vacation on Sunday (no run). Monday I ran about 6.5 miles on trail in Helen, GA. I ran 30 minutes on Tuesday in downtown Helen. We headed for Stone Mountain where I ran the loop on Wednesday (5 miles - 37m 50s) and then walked the rest of the day. After a crappy night's sleep (2-3 hours), I got up and ran two loops (yes 10 miles in 1:29) and then walked around the Georgia Aquarium for several hours. I am hoping to get plenty of rest tonight after little sleep last night.

Heart issues...a couple of bleeps late in the day while walking around. Other than that I have really had no flutter issues. Tomorrow will be a short run with a little speed mixed in.

I have been working on my LSD pace which is how I comfortably ran 10 miles today.

Zowee

I did not run yesterday. In fact, I did not get out of the house except to take the dog out one. It was Father's Day and this father did nuttin'.

Saturday I ran 8-9 miles at Oak Mountain State Park on the trails. The first 30 minutes it was raining, but the tree canopy kept us fairly dry. I really felt good and just got into the groove.

Sunday I still felt good and thought about running. Alas, it was not to be.

Today I ran nearly 5 miles and if it weren't for Chip and Mark running with me, I would have quit after the first lap. Legs were tired. Mind was not motivated. Legs were tired. Felt blah. I am not an afternoon athlete because my body is in the afternoon lull. It is like eating a lot of sugary candy and after the sugar high wears off, you feel bad. That was how I felt. I felt pretty peppy this morning, but no gas in the tank this afternoon.

Got on the scale this morning and I am up to 166.5 lbs. Man, I cannot run enough to keep the weight from creeping up. I am trying to cut back on the eats, but it sure is hard. I usually don't have the weight creep during the summer. It usually hits in the winter. If there is more input than there is output, the weight is put on. I have got to reverse this trend.

Heart wise everything has been rather normal. A little blip of flutter every now again (mainly running), but nothing like it was earlier this spring when it was every stinking day. I will be seeing my new cardio doc in a couple of weeks and I won't be displaying any symptoms...

Friday - No run day

Been running and working in the yard while working and, you know....

I have been doing some speedwork on Tuesday/Thursday while getting in some decent "recovery" runs at other times. Ran nearly 9 miles last Saturday starting at 0800 and it was darn hot. Bleck. I had a hard time trying to get the run done because it was so stinking hot!

This week has been a little cooler and the fast runs were doable though challenging. I did a tempo run on Tuesday and it did not feel good. Usually you do the tempo run and feel pretty good afterward....not Tuesday. It was crappy and I was zonked.

I did a slow run on Wednesday trying to figure out my state of conditioning. I read an article on RRCA's website where you figure out your heart rate using the following formula: 180 - age and then add or subtract some amount depending running longevity, sickness, etc. Anyway, this result should approximate your aerobic threshold. After some serious math, my threshold came out to 139 BPM which I kind of knew from experience. I have not run with a HR monitor in some time because I was tired of over analyzing myself. Once you know your threshold, then you do a warm up and then run 3-5 miles at that threshold while timing your miles. You do this once every few weeks to trend your condition. So as you prepare for an event, say a marathon, then your mile times should drop. On the other hand, as you lose condition because your a lazy slob sitting on the couch watching TV and eating bon bons.

I ran the loop around my house that has some mild elevation change and it really affects your effort. I noticed that I could easily maintain 139 on the flats and then I had to really slow down going uphill and then speed up when running down hill. It was too much effort to alter my pace to keep the 139 average. My average on each lap turned out to be 141 which was not too bad since it shifted from 134 to 146.

Well I have not downloaded my results to see my mile averages. I think next time I will simply run on the track to better determine my 1600 meter times. Although running 4-5 miles on a 400m track does not sound like fun. However, those 10,000m runners run nearly a million laps during their race, so what is 20-25 laps?

I did 6x400m repeats with a jog between each fast lap. My average time on each lap was 1:22. It is hard to believe that I could run 60 second repeats (10 laps with 30-60s rest between each). After I finished the laps, I jogged 1600m and then did 6x100m strides on the infield with bare feet.

Tomorrow we will run the trails at OMSP. I think I will slow down on this run and smell the roses (although I have never seen any..).

Heart issues? Nothing lately. Go figure.

Trail Running

We went trail running at OMSP this past Saturday. It was actually a nice run since we started at 0730 when it was a little cooler (same high humidity). I ran about 4 miles on the trails and 3 miles on the road. Not a bad workout. Then, the highlight of my day, I trimmed bushes all afternoon...whoopee. Nothing like sweating your asterisk off wearing long pants and a long sleeve shirt (my bushes are very itchy). They do look better since there are not wild sprouts everywhere.

Sunday we trimmed the back. I had hoped to get a run in, but the afternoon thunder bumpers rolled through and I do not care to run when it is going KABOOM.

I am in Vidalia today and once again hoping to get a quick run it, but there are afternoon thunderstorms that are keeping me in my room. So I am spending a little time catching up on the blog. Done!