Training...

5/18/09

Mon: Stairs - 10 sets of 175, ran 2
Tues: Ride bike to work
Wed: Lift weights
Thurs: 3-mile hike w/ 50 lbs
Fri: Nada
Sat: Yardwork
Sun: Some good 'ol lumberjackin'

I pushed my squat workout on Wednesday and paid for it the remainder of the week. I was going to go on a 20-mile hike on Sunday, but I was feeling a bit burned-out. So I decided to take advantage of the cool weather, and chop down some trees and saw them into sections (all by hand).

Mon: Stairs workout (175 big stone steps x 10 --- ran 6)
Tues: Abs
Wed: Ride bike to work, 22 miles round-trip
Thurs: Mow lawn, pack for Adks
Fri: Drive to Adks, 7.5 mile night-hike
Sat: A 7-mile 12-hour jaunt through hell (Trip Report coming soon)
Sun: 5.5 miles out, drive home

Heel blisters aren't bothering me now (yea!). I finally feel like things are coming together.

5/4/09
Previous Week:
Tu: Ride bike to/from work (22 miles)
W: Lifting
Sa: Hike 16 mi w/ 30 lbs
Su: Hike 10 mi w/ 30 lbs

"One step at a time" is a good motto. I, on the other hand, took many steps this past week... 55 miles worth to be exact. I have a couple hot-spots on my heels to show for it, but I'm not complaining. It felt soooo good to finally get out there and hike on a regular basis. Unfortunately, my weight yo-yo'd dramatically. After losing 13 lbs over Lent, I began to eat processed foods again. I noticed that one day after eating a high-sodium side dish with a meal, I gained 3 lbs. I lost those three pounds within two days. I also introduced wheat, rice, and other grains to my diet this week, and ended up gaining 4 lbs by the end of the week... and remember, that's including burning through 55 miles worth of calories! After feeling great through all of Lent, I now feel back to "normal" (i.e. - bad). After one last horrah at lunch (burger w/ bacon and fries), I'm going back on the "no processed foods diet"... and I foresee myself making this more of a lifestyle change than a diet. So, at the end of my one-week case study of eating my typical diet (which by comparison is still much better than my perception of the typical American diet) , I have reached two conclusions:

1) I have an intolerance to wheat/grains
2) Processed foods are merely tasty poison

Lent is over, but I feel so good, that I'm thinking I'll generally continue the no processed foods "diet". I may try adding grains, but yesterday's 2.5-pound gain (after introducing grains, and yes, a few sugars ) might nix that idea. I'll give it a go for a week, but I have a feeling that grains don't agree with me. Either way, my new diet will be based on a low glycemic load. Overall, during the 46 days of Lent, I lost 12.5 pounds. It also made me realize how much of the American diet (even a healthy diet) is comprised of grains. I'm thinking that might not be a good thing. A bout of poison ivy interfered with the exercise program... but overall I did OK. I did some more bushwhacks, but that might be ending soon. I had at least 4 ticks on me at the end of Saturday's bushwhack. Warm weather is a blessing and a curse. Over the next 6 weeks, my goal is to abs or stretch every day.

I lost another half-pound. I thought it'd be more judging from the difference I've seen in the mirror. I got out a few times for some bushwhacks... not as much as I'd like, but better than the past few weeks. Got messed up in some poison ivy, chiggers, or something else that gave me quite a few itchy blisters, but it ain't gonna stop me. I love the woods at this time of year.

I finally was able to get out and exercise! Walked the (hilly) golf course with my wife and three-year old daughter one day (beautiful day, but March is apparently too early for golfers). My daughter was running hills with me, and she actually beat me up one! Granted, I was wearing 50-lbs of weight, but she was bookin'! Bushwhaked some extremely steep glacially-carved hills this weekend, and cleared brush on Sunday. Worked in the field yesterday, and followed it with a run up a 1200-foot hill. There was still snow at the top. I lost another 1.5 lbs, bringing my 5 week total to 11.5 lbs. Hopefully I can get out this evening, lift again tomorrow, and begin riding my bike to work.

3/16:

I finally was able to jog! Did about 6 hilly miles yesterday and I felt it (and I'm still feeling it). But it felt great to get out again. The no processed foods diet is going well... and I lost another pound.

3/9:

The "no processed foods" diet is going quite well. After not lifting for the past 8 years, I was afraid I'd be struggling low weight. But to my surprise, I was able to deadlift 300 lbs for an easy set of 6 repetitions... so it seems I retained some core strength over the years. This past Saturday I went hiking in the Adirondacks... an ascent up a ridge with several knobs, so there's a lot of up and down. We didn't reach our goal, but the footing was quite horrible. After uncountable postholes, slips, and falls we finally gave up 5.5 miles into the hike. It had taken us 7 hours. We definitely pushed ourselves and we were happy with the effort. All told, I lost another 2 pounds last week, and I keep feeling better.

3/25/08:
I went to a Rolfer (deep tissue massage) on Tuesday for some relief from my back spasms. I've heard horror stories about how much Rolfing hurts, but I actually liked it... and I felt much better. Until about 1/2 hour later when the intestinal bug hit me {sigh}. Spiked a bit of a fever that evening, and took the next day off work. I felt weak until the weekend. On Saturday, I did a lot of chores, shopping, etc. We also rearranged the laundry appliances in the basement. Long story short, I don't have access to my weight bench until I rearrange things further. On Easter, despite the cold and wind, I went for a 3.5-mile hike with my bro-in-law. Yesterday I did a 7-mile trail run. Being the first trail run in awhile, I really felt it, and needed to take a several short breathers. Before work this morning (with a temp of 12*F), I hiked 3.5 miles. Diet was OK, not great, but I lost 1.5 pounds.

3/17/08:
This is a summary of the past few months. Overall, very disappointing. THE GOOD... I've lost 7 pounds so far this year. I did a few winter bushwhack runs of 5-7 miles. I woke up early and hiked before work a few times. THE BAD... my weight ballooned back up into the 190s before the holidays. Due to holidays, home, work, and weather I didn't get much training in. I only climbed two mountains this year. The furthest I've hiked in a day is 14.5 miles. THE UGLY... I pulled a hamstring on New Year's eve. Then I got the worst head cold of my life. As of today, I don't think I've totally recovered from it. Last week, I experienced the worst back spasms of my life.

10/8/07:
It was a bad week for me. Didn't exercise. Didn't eat well. Stressed out at work. I feel like I'm in limbo since the wife has gone back to work (she's a teacher). I don't know if I should wake up early and exercise, or do it in the evening... so I don't do it either time. But on Sunday I sure got a workout... chopping down some trees. I literally think my whole body was sore yesterday. Weight has remained in the low 180s. I just read through the past couple month's Fitness Updates, and I now realize it's time I started DOING some of the things I had talked about.

10/1/07:
Diet was very good this past week. More vegetables would have been nice, but I didn't eat crap. I've found that FROZEN smoothies make for a great late-night snack. It takes so long to scrape and eat it, that I only ingest about 100 calories... and it's all fruit! Plus, I probably spend about 50 calories scraping the ice onto the spoon! I lifted once and did abs once during the week. I think I went for a walk or jog too. For the first time, I did abs with one of those giant inflatable balls... WOW... that was definitely a workout. This past weekend I was in the Adks. On Saturday I hiked a little over 16 miles with over 7,000' elevation gain/loss including a good deal of bushwhacking (14 hours); and Sunday I did 14 miles with about 5,500' gain/loss (7 hours). I nearly bailed on Sunday's hike due to a sore knee, but as I pushed on, the knee loosened up. On Friday, I weighed in at 181. Dammit... 180s again! By Sunday evening I was 175. This morning I was 179. I typically don't weigh myself so much, but it is fun watching my weight bounce all over the place. Hopefully I won't be losing weight next week due to the unfiltered water I drank on Saturday.

9/24/07:
Monday I ran 8 miles... would have gone further but darkness was closing in. Tuesday I did stairs (30 flights - 5250 stairs, 3600' - a new personal record!), Wednesday I did a 2 mile hike with the family, Thursday/Friday I still to sore from Tuesday, and I did yardwork the entire weekend. Diet was much improved. I've done a good job at cutting out sugars. Carbs (grains) at night is still a bit of problem, but I may have found a way around that: seeded watermelon and seeded concord grapes. It takes so long to eat around the seeds, that I end up eating a small volume of food. That said... I gained a couple of pounds. I'm now up to 179. Yikes! However, I checked my bodyfat calipers, and it looks like I'm holding steady (up just slightly). I plan on doing some weekend hikes before the snow flies in the Adks, so that should help melt off any excess fat. I think I may try to run to my father's house this Thanksgiving... 27 miles. I've walked it in the past, but have never run it. If nothing else, it'll be a good goal to keep me motivated.

9/17/07:
I trail-ran twice, bushwhack-ran once, lifted twice, and did a nice easy hike. The hike was a "bushwhack" up a tributary (gorge) of one of the Finger Lakes. Ended up being very interesting, geologically speaking... there were a series of cascading waterfalls that were covered with a type of natural concrete (I assume due to high lime content of water), and boulders imbedded in shale (assume from an ancient mudslide). During the bushwhack-run, I was moving through some chest-high weeds, but didn't see the low-lying wild rose bush. The cuts were bleeding pretty good, and the leaves of the weeds smeared the blood all over my shins. When I got back on the trail as planned, I laughed at the expressions on the faces of everyone I passed... they must have thought I got in a fight with a rabid raccoon. Diet was a bit better. Weight remained stable.

9/10/07:
I received the wake-up call!

Not only have I gained 10 pounds in the past 6 weeks (granted, the 167 measurement was biased low); not only have I not done any formal exercise in the past 6 weeks except for one jog and a few weightlifting sessions, not only has my diet begun to slowly deteriorate, not only am I feeling tired and having trouble concentrating... yesterday I went on a measly 4.5 mile trail run and it prit'near killed me. Two months ago I was trail running 11 hilly miles without needing any rests and feeling great. Yesterday I needed about 5 rests. My feet felt like lead, my legs felt like rubber, my lungs were on fire, and I felt like I was overheating although it was only 65* with light rain. Today, my knees and legs are slightly sore. Hard to believe that 2 months ago I was in great shape, ready to tackle a 9-day, 200-mile hike over 50 mountains. I didn't realize I'd regress so quickly. Starting today, I'm going back to my "good diet", drinking more water, and doing some form of exercise at least 5x/week.

9/4/07:
The only formal exercise I did was one session of lifting. Good news is that I wasn't sore afterwards. Although I didn't do much formal exercise, I was in constant motion... especially this past weekend. I did a lot of labor on Labor Day. I impressed myself yesterday. We have a new two-person cedar swing in the back yard that I wanted to bring into the garage to shellac. It weighs 450 pounds. I disconnected the swing from the frame, and was able to carry the frame (about 300 pounds) over my head the 40 or so yards to the garage. Same with the swing. Now THAT should be a Strongman event! Diet was better, but only to "OK" status. Carbs at night are still my nemesis.

8/27/07:
Not much to report here... lifted a couple of times, and ate like a pig. August was a crappy month for exercise and diet. I've gained 10 lbs since my ultramarathon was cut short at the end of July. I'd like to get serious again, but I've been extremely busy/stressed out at work, which isn't helping any. On a positive note, I made a chin-up bar in the garage, which can double as a bar for vertical sit ups (one of my favorite exercises). Now I just need to strengthen my abs to the point where I can do verticals!

8/20/07:
I had one good lifting session, and one good run. The run was approximately 6 miles, and I basically just straight-lined from Point A to Point B at the local State Park... which meant bushwhack-running through open forest, limited thickets, field/scrub brush, and chest-high grass. The highlight of the run was descending down two open gullies... blowdown = hurdle! On Saturday, I bushwhacked at the same park (but didn't run) through some old growth forest, found a huge tulip tree to sit beneath, and read part of the Tao of Pooh. I then bushwhacked over to the Indian Ovens (strange limestone block formations) and read more there. Very serene, but I deserved it, since I couldn't do any exercise or rest anytime during the remainder of the week/weekend due to being just plain busy. Weight stayed the same. Trying to limit carbs in the evening.

8/14/07:
Hurts so good...

Began lifting again last week. Only compound movements (bench, deadlift, shoulder press, etc), and only 3 sets of 15 per exercize, but I'm feeling it. Actually, I'm the perfect amount of sore... feels like I did something, but doesn't hurt. Once I get these joints back into shape, I'll be able to start piling on some weight. After last Sunday's near pass-out at the end of my bike ride, I've ridden twice more. First was the same as the "pass-out" route, and it wasn't a problem. Second was a much harder, hilly route, and I flew through it. I was gonna ride this weekend, but we went to a rennaissance faire on Saturday, and my truck broke down in the early afternoon on Sunday. Had to work late Mon and Tues... hopefully I can get out today. Never fails, the nicer the weather, the busier I am.

7/30/07:
I hadn't done much at all after the Big Hike... just recuperating. Diet was lousy but I didn't gain any weight. I had to go to the Adks for work, so I drove up Sunday, and jogged 7.5 miles (about 850' vertical) to/from the Avalache Lean-To to pick up a cache we had stashed. I felt the inactivity catching up to me. On Sunday, I woke up early for a jog up the ski slopes on Whiteface Mountain. I expected only to be able to jog a few hundred feet up before needing to walk, but I was going to use my effort as a baseline for future fitness levels. I ended up jogging all the way up Little Whiteface... a 2,500' ascent! I really surprised myself. Whiteface itself would have been a possibility except that I didn't have the time. Maybe that will be my springtime goal (or late fall if no early snow). For the first time in a very long time, my legs ached the next day. It was great! Gonna start some actual cross-training, including stairs, trail running, cycling, weightlifting, basketball/tennis, and "strongman" training.

7/23/07:
Hiking-wise, the Adk Ultramarathon was a failure. However, I did burn enough calories to weigh in at 169.5 over the weekend. First time in the 160's since my competitive weightlifting days. Although I don't have a 6-pack, I can see the outline of my abs. Another 5 lbs or so and I'll be ripped. Now that the ultra-marathon is over, it'll actually be nice to be able to do some cross-training... especially riding my bike and lifting weights. I've noticed that I can now hike forever, but I have absolutely no strength or explosiveness. I used to be able to jump and touch a basketball rim, and now I can barely reach the net. Time to train them medium and fast-twitch muscle fibers!

7/2/07:
Another disappointing week... this time due to work. Busy, busy, busy. I got out on Thursday for an easy hike carrying the baby-backpack. My 17-month old daughter impressed me, as she was able to walk two 1/4 mile stretches. If I had more cookies, she could have gone a mile!!! Sunday I did a 12-mile hike with a full pack, and I felt great. Later that day, I was helping a neighbor remove a lilac stump, and long story short... I think I broke my pinky toe. Definitely not what I needed less than 2 weeks before my ultramarathon. Thankfully the swelling and bruising has gone down a lot, and it's really not bothering me... good enought that I'm going to test it a bit tonight during a stair workout. I missed my goal of 170 by 7/1... I weighed in at 172. That's OK, since I want to gain a few pounds before my ultramarathon anyway. It's just that I now can't pig out for two weeks straight! I've got some training tonight and Wednesday (if the toe allows), and then it's rest until the ultramarathon on 7/14... just some very short easy hikes and stretching to stay loose.

6/25/07:
Monday was another day of active rest (yardwork and gardening). On Tuesday, I had a photo shoot with the local newspaper during my stair workout (the price of celebrity... ha!). I did 24 flights (4,200 stairs) on this very hot and humid day, and it wiped me out. My knees continued to be a little sore on Tuesday, but the weather was so damn perfect, that I talked myself into doing another workout. I went to the local State park with the intention of turning around when my knees started bothering me. They never did. I just kept running and feeling great... ended up doing 8.5 miles with about 1,400 elevation gain. I would have gone for 10.5 miles but my right calf cramped twice (very minor) so I decided not to push it. Thursday I went to the village park with the babe, and on Friday I drove to the Adirondacks. Saturday was the Great Range hike (about 20 miles and 9,500 vertical feet in 17 hours). It was a breeze compared to the other two times I did it. The cool weather definitely helped, but I never got winded on any of the peaks. Considering that the Great Range will be the last day of our 9-day ultramarathon, I got a big boost of confidence after this hike. Sunday was spent driving home and doing more yard and garden work. I'm now able to start picking veggies from our garden... so that'll definitely add some more veggies to my diet. Weight remained stable at around 171.5. My goal was 170 by the end of this week, so wish me luck!

6/18/07:
Not much to report on this end. I was too exhausted to do a workout on Tuesday. I cut Wednesday's workout short because I was still exhausted. I took this as a subtle hint, and rested for the remainder of the week. I spent the weekend buying and testing some new gear for my upcoming ultramarathon... that was fun! Diet could be better, but it's not bad. Weight remained stable.

6/11/07:
Lost another pound... one more to go!!!! On Tuesday, I did 24 flights of stairs (4200 total). It was a cool breezy day, and I forgot my pack, so it was really easy. Wednesday I was working in Rochester, and at the end of the day, stopped by a county park to trail run. Got a trail map, headed out, and was soon turned all around. Long story short, there were a multitude of unmaintained unmarked trails intersecting the main trails, many of the intersection markers were missing, and in at least two occassions the signs were wrong (apparently tampered with). At that point, after approximately 1.5 miles, I decided to get outta there. I was PISSED! Thursday was a rest day... did some light yard work and gardening. A radio show was supposed to call me on Friday afternoon/evening to discuss my upcoming "ultramarathon", so I didn't plan any workout... worked in the garden instead. Of course, the radio station didn't call. Drove to the Adks on Saturday to do some scouting for the ultramarathon. Hiked about 7.5 miles to a lean-to, then bushwhacked about one mile through some very thick blowdown. Set up camp in a small clearing, and ascended/decended a slide up Cliff Mtn. Next day, we bushwhacked over to a drainage on Redfield Mtn, and ascended it to a pass. We then bushwhacked through VERY thick woods to the summit... the thickest I have ever encountered... our pace could be measured in hours per mile. I feel great today, except that my chest muscles are actually sore from parting and pushing through all of the trees on Redfield! Only three more weeks of intense training, followed by one week of light-moderate training, then a rest week before the big hike!!!

6/04/07:
I reached a new low weight (172) and bodyfat % also decreased. I've been slacking ever so slightly on my diet, but realize once again that I need to cut back on the grains and increase my veggie intake. I backed off on the training a bit due to sore knees, limited workouts to Wednesday and Sunday. On Wednesday I did 23 flights of stairs (4,025 total) with a 30-lb pack. It was hot and humid, but I just kept plodding along and got 'em done. I met two teenage boys at the bottom of the stairs. After completing my next set, I was headed down, and they were resting halfway up. They asked "Wow... do you do three of these?". I responded, "No, 23." Their jaws dropped to the ground. I rested again until yesterday's 26-mile (6,700') hike. Before the thunderstorms moved in, it was 90*F and humid. As such, I went through water quickly, and went through my first 3L halfway through the hike. It has been very dry here lately, and my options to filter some surface water were limited to a nearby stream, or a river a couple of miles away. Bad thing about the stream... it parallels a horse trail. Bad thing about the river, it is very slow moving and in the middle of some recently-sprayed corn fields. I opted for the stream. Long story short... I don't know if it was the horses or the seafood I ate for dinner, but my stomach is tossing and turning today (I'm blaming the horses). A unique thing happened to me on the hike... I was divebombed by a goshawk. Let me tell ya, those things look awful big from 3 feet away!!!

5/29/07:
Monday was rest. Tuesday I did 18 flights of stairs at the State Park. Wednesday and Thursday I watched the babe. For the weekend, I drove to the Adks to scout a couple areas and do an equipment "dry run" for my upcoming ultramarathon. Friday evening I hiked Porter Mtn, bushwhacked down into Railroad Notch and camped just above Little Meadows. Saturday I bushwhacked Big Slide, traversed Yard Mt, bushwhacked up Phelps Mtn, then hiked the 8 miles back to my car (included another 1-mile bushwhack). Plan was to hike to the base of the Dix Mtn. slide on Saturday evening, but due to a "hot spot" on the ball of my foot, I decided to crash at Kevin's house... just in case it turned into a blister overnight. My foot felt fine on Sunday, so I hiked up the slide and back to my car via the parallel trail. It was 67*F and sunny at the trailhead, 42*F with wind and pouring rain on the summit.

On Sunday's hike, I could feel the hot spot acting up on a couple of occassions, but overall it didn't bother me. As of today, the hot spot is still there... barely. What worries me the most is that I don't know what's causing it... I've never had a blister there in my life. Oh, and I rolled my ankle coming down Phelps Mtn (accompanied by a loud CRACK), but I was able to hike out w/o a problem, and it hasn't bothered me since.

For the week's total, I hiked about 50 miles and climbed approx. 17,000 feet. However, unlike recent weeks, I felt it. I was a bit stiff and sore after each weekend hike. I think that the bushwhacking added another dimension that I hadn't really trained for... a lot of step-ups and pushing my feet forcably through brush all while using those small balancing muscles.

5/20/07:
I did more yard work on Monday. On Tuesday I went for a hilly 10-mile run. It was a sunny, warm day (82F), and the heat (and the extra water I had to carry) definitely slowed me down. During the second half of the run, my right knee kept tightening up... which it is prone to do. I stopped twice during the run to rest it. Although I only rested for about 2-3 minutes, the knee felt fine again and I was able to push through the next few miles. That said, trying not to overheat was still the limiting factor on my run. On Wednesday I did 15 flights of stairs at the local State Park (175 stairs/flight). This was up 3 flights from last week. Unlike last week, however, I wasn't sore the following day. On Friday, I did stairs again... this time 18 flights. Saturday was more yard work... the beginning-of-the-season stuff is nearly 100% complete. Now just routine maintenance for the rest of the year. After reading Liteinmind's post about stretching to prevent knee pain, I did some vigorous hamstring stretching on Saturday night. Yesterday, I started the day with some more hamstring stretches. Then I did a 20+ mile hike/run with approximately 5,000' elevation gain/loss. I had been over most of the trail before (ending at a lean-to), but the last mile or so was new... a steep 700' bushwhack descent through open decidious forest. At an unmarked junction, I ended up goin south instead of northeast (of course, the one point where I checked my compass, the trail was headed northeast). Once I found my bearings again, instead of retracing my steps back, I just found a good spot to head downhill, and aimed northeast. Long story short, I found another entrance to the gates of hell. It is well guarded by endless brambles. Cut, scratched, and punctured, I finally found the road at the bottom of the hill. However, I was not looking forward to going back up through the thickets. I hiked north towards some high voltage powerlines, hoping that there would be a service road along them. But to my amazement and relief, about halfway to the powerlines, what did I see but a marker for the Northcountry Trail! This slice of heaven through the depths of hell lead me back to the lean-to. I hiked back to the car in the same time it took me to reach the lean-to. I covered the 20+ miles in 7 hours total including breaks and a painfully slow bushwhack. And I had absolutely no knee pain... THANX LITEINMIND!!! My legs and back are a little stiff this morning, but not sore. I also reached a new low weight... 174!

5/14/07
Things really improved this week. First, I met my goals of being able to breathe out of both nostrils and having my ears "pop". I've started doing abs every night, and I'm already seeing results.

I had a couple of tiny blisters from my Sunday hike (5/6/07), so I just did some yard and garden work on Monday. I did stairs at Clark Reservation on Tuesday. Twelve sets of 175 stairs... and these are BIG stairs (8-9" avg). I've been doing these for years now, and they don't get any easier. On Wed and Thurs I was sore from the stairs, so I finished lopping and burning all the cuttings from my apple trees. I drove to the Adks on Friday, and on Saturday did a trail work hike up Mt. Dix (13 mi, 5,000'). Yesterday, I did a scouting hike of Porter Mtn (11 mi, 4,000'). The trail up the mountain was one of the best I've ever hiked. The trail down was one of the worst. I jogged the final 1.5 miles of trail, and then ran on the roads from Marcy Field to the Garden trailhead where my car was parked. All in all, I did over 14,000' of vertical last week; and other than the stairs (which was a new movement), I wasn't sore at all.

I hit a new low weight this morning (176). I also hit a new low bodyfat % earlier in the week (down 2%). There was also a big difference in the mirror this week. Hopefully I can continue the progress and reach my goal of 170 by July 1.

5/7/07
Wow, I can't believe it's May already. Bad news... the sinus infection/chest cold had me laying low most of the week. Good news, I got a lot of yard and garden work done. I just wish that:

1) I could have gotten the cold two weeks ago when I was actually planning on taking a week off from training
2) The two weeks that I was sick weren't perfectly sunny, with mild temperatures, and low humidity.

On Thursday I felt good enough to do a flat 2.6 mile hike with the wife and baby. On Saturday, I went to a local Nature Conservancy park and took a nice leasurely 4-mile hike. Although I gained 800 feet in elevation, I stopped often to take photos with my brand-spankin-new digital SLR camera. Yesterday I seemed to only have remnants of my cold left, so I did an 18.5-mile hike with 4,500' elevation gain in just under 6 hours. I was tired at the very end, but I felt good enough after the car ride home to do some yard and garden work. My legs are just the slightest bit sore today... barely noticable. Diet is still good, although I did have 2 pints of Ben & Jerry's during the week (New York Super Fudge Chunk and Vermonty Python). I was REALLY craving fats. It didn't seem to matter since I lost 2 pounds. My goals for this week: to have my ears "pop", and to breathe out of both nostrils!

4/30/07
I've been fighting off a sinus infection all week, so my energy level has been up and down. On the days I did get out, I did trail runs of 10 and 6.5 miles. The 10 mile run was done in DRY conditions!!! To the best of my knowledge, the first time since November! I was planning on an 18-mile hike on Saturday, but I woke up late, the weather wasn't nice, and I had a bit of a stomach ache; so I put it off until Sunday. However, I had a pounding headache on Sunday, so I bailed on the 18-mile hike in lieu of a leasurely 3-mile hike with the wife and baby. Diet was good and weight remained stable, but I looked "softer" in the mirror. I don't know what's up with that... maybe holding water due to the infection. In the grand scheme of things, though, things are looking good. I just turned 36, and I can honestly say that I'm in the best shape since I was a competing weightlifter... about 10 years ago.

5/1/07:
I've been fighting off a sinus infection all week, so my energy level has been up and down. On the days I did get out, I did trail runs of 10 and 6.5 miles. The 10 mile run was done in DRY conditions!!! To the best of my knowledge, the first time since November! I was planning on an 18-mile hike on Saturday, but I woke up late, the weather wasn't nice, and I had a bit of a stomach ache; so I put it off until Sunday. However, I had a pounding headache on Sunday, so I bailed on the 18-mile hike in lieu of a leasurely 3-mile hike with the wife and baby. Diet was good and weight remained stable, but I looked "softer" in the mirror. I don't know what's up with that... maybe holding water due to the infection. In the grand scheme of things, though, things are looking good. I just turned 36, and I can honestly say that I'm in the best shape since I was a competing weightlifter... about 10 years ago.

4/26/07:
Twas a strange week. Monday and Tuesday we experienced a nor'easter that dumped about 10 inches of "wet concrete" snow. So other than shoveling the snow/slush, I stayed inside. On Monday, I cleared out the garage near my weight bench, and I did 4 sets of bench press. On Tuesday, I did some dumbell curls and shoulder press. Although the weights were light, it felt SOOOO good to be lifting again. On Wednesday, it appeared that the snow had melted, so I went to the local State park to trail run. Long story short, I ended up running nearly 10 miles in slush and mud. Tough conditions, but I felt good. Thursday was a beautiful day, so I did a flat 3 mile hike with the wife and baby, carrying a 30 pound pack. On Friday, I started a 7 mile run, but I felt very tired, and bailed at the 1.5 mile point (3 miles round trip). I now see there were many contributing factors to this poor performance... a kinda Perfect Storm of failure. Considering that it's the first time this year that I bailed during a run, I didn't let it get me down. Saturday and Sunday saw gorgeous sunny weather with temperatures in the 80s, and I spent the entire weekend doing some strenuous yard work... definitely a workout.

4/16/07:
Not much to say this week. On Monday, I did a 9.8-mile run with 1400' vertical, and I felt it... in my calves, ankles, shins, knees, andlungs. I quickly came to the conclusion that I was overtraining and decided to rest for the remainder of the week. Felt good enough to runon Saturday, but yardwork kept me busy. Nor'easter started on Sundaymorning coating everything with 2" of slush, so I wasn't able to run. Today and tomorrow are probably out as well. Maybe I'll lift weights instead. Diet was good, and weight remainded stable.

4/9/07:
Weight fluctuated between 177 and 182 (this morning). Diet was a bit off, especially this weekend, but overall it wasn't bad. On Monday, I ran 9.5 miles... the furthest I have ever run! And it included more than 1,300 vertical gain. Legs were a bit tired at the end, but otherwise I felt good. Tuesday I tilled the garden once more, and continued to trim my apple trees... only one more to go!

On Wednesday, I ran 7.1 miles. I tried pushing the pace a bit, and I felt it. When I crunched the numbers after my run, I realized I had only averaged 0.3mph faster. Disheartening. It seems like I (trail) run at 6mph no matter how hard I try to push the pace. Thursday was whiteout conditions, and Friday I was just tired from a stressful work week. I wanted to catch up on some work at the office on Saturday. I drove to the office, only to find that I left my keys back home. So I ran some errands, then went back home. I had just enough time to run before we had to head to Jeri's parents for the Easter weekend, so I did the same 9.5-mile route as before... only this time it seemed easier. Crappy conditions though... equal parts mud and ice, with some snow squalls and a brutal wind. I actually planned on running Easter morning, but awoke to 4" of snow on the ground. Where's Spring?

4/2/07
I gained 1.5 pounds, but I'm doing everything right, so I'm not worried about it. Diet remained good. I was able to trail run every day except Saturday, which I spent tilling the garden, (severely) trimming apple trees, and other misc yard work. FINALLY, I didn't have to contend with snow on my runs! Since I had solid ground to run on, I think I pushed the pace too hard early in the week, and I felt it (anaerobic). It was almost harder than running in snow. I then backed off the pace the pace a bit, and was able to do runs of 6, 6.5, and 7.2 miles (approx 1,000 ft elevation gain) with absolutely no problems. Felt like I could have run another 7 miles. Of course, it's forecast to snow later this week.

3/26/07:
Mon - Wed: I did some good trail runs in crappy conditions... basically running through 4" of thick slush. Thurs: I couldn't exercise due to a company dinner. Fri: A 3.5 mile snowshoe to an Adirondack "warming hut" that I was manning over the weekend. Sat: A snowy night hike of Gothics. Sun: Hiked out from the warming hut, then climbed Cascade... 2,000' in 1hr 5min! Came back down in 30 minutes (jogging the steeps, walking the flats). At one point, I was descending 130 feet/min! My legs are a little sore today, but my triceps are screaming from using my poles on the descent. Diet has continued to be very good. And last week was the first that I stayed in the 170s for the entire week! Now that the snow is gone and I can up my trail running distance (and stay aerobic instead of anaerobic), I expect some additional pounds to melt off in the next couple of weeks.

3/19/07:
I was able to run Mon-Thurs. Monday was running w/ snowshoes, Tues was bareboot in soft conditions, and Wednesday’s run was quite unique: Due to recent warm temps and 1-2" of rain earlier in the dayr, I expected trail conditions to be a bit "mushy". But I was surprised by the myriad of different conditions I encountered... Crumbly ice, Hard ice, Water-coated slippery ice, Soft snow (ankle-deep), Crusty snow (ankle-deep), Snow with water beneath, Knee deep drift snow, Knee deep drift snow with water beneath, Slush, Slush on ice, Slush below running water, Bare earth, Mud layer on top of frozen earth, Ankle-deep mud, Thigh-deep standing water, and Knee-deep running water. In summary, I ran 4.5 miles in waterlogged boots that day. On Thursday, I ran 6.2 miles w/ 800 feet ascent on grass! For the first time since early January, I ran on solid ground! However, halfway through Thursday's run I felt a little "twinge" in my right hamstring, so Friday's workout was merely a 2.6 mile walk to the Carrier Dome and back to get tickets for SU's NIT game. I rested Sat/Sun, and now my hamstring feels good again. Today's workout will be walking to the Dome tonight. Go Orange! Although my weight remained stable for the umpteenth week, I continue to appear more defined in the mirror.

3/12/07:
Once again, weather thwarted my trail runs during the work week (severe wind chills). I finally got to run on Friday, and it was a good run. I've finally got the hang of running on snowshoes. On Saturday morning, I began running, but was feeling VERY tired. So at about 1 mile in, I began walking. I was very disappointed. After a few steps, I noticed that bowlingball-sized chunks of snow were sticking to my snowshoes with every step. No wonder I couldn't jog! Anywho, I finished the morning route by walking and it was tough. That afternoon, I walked the plowed park road pushing the babe in her stroller. So I ended up hiking 10 miles, 1000' vertical on Saturday. On Sunday morning, my legs felt tired, so I skipped out on a tougher hike, opting to carry a 25-lb pack on the road walk w/ my wife and babe. My legs felt fine in the afternoon. It's 45*F and sunny today. I'd really like to trail run, but fear the snow conditions will be horrible. I may just stick to the roads for next few days. Diet was good, but I've really been craving fats and salts... so I allowed myself a few good portions of ice cream and potato chips (but not at the same time!). Weight has remained stable. I forsee a quick melt-off of about 5 pounds when I'm finally able to run on solid ground, and cover more distance when running.

3/5/07:
Regarding workouts, I fell off the wagon. I can't remember why I didn't exercise Monday. Actually, I may have run on Monday... I don't remember. Tues/Wed I had to watch the babe. Thurs was freezing rain... not only didn't I have enthusiasm for running in that weather, but I also didn't want to park my vehicle on the side of the road. Friday I drove up to the Adks. Saturday I did a 9-mile 3,500-vertical-foot hike. Yesterday I did a 2.5-mile run at the local State Park. Trail conditions started off good, and then got progressively worse. It ended up being a run where every footstep randomly either stayed on top of the crust or broke through. VERY tiring. Diet was good and weight stayed constant. I'm gonna up the intensity of my workouts. Last week, I finally decided to embark on a 9-day 200-mile charity hike in the Adirondacks in late July. Not wanting to die in the wilderness is a great motivator!!!

2/26/07:
Not much "new" to report here. Steady as she goes. I noticed my resting pulse was slowly increasing along with a general malaise, so I took a couple of rest days on Thursday and Friday. I felt much better after the rest. So far this year, I've run/hiked 91 miles with 21,000 elevation gain. I'm psyched that I've actually managed to stay in shape this winter.

2/19/07:
I've been able to exercise 12 of the past 15 days, which is really good considering my schedule and the recent weather. We got around 4' of snow this past week. I only took one day off from running... and that day was spent shoveling about 4.5 tons of snow (being a geek, I actually calculated this). Shoveling that much snow has to be THE best ab workout, bar none. Mon was a tiring run on soft pack, but Tues' run was on wonderful hardpack (first of the year). Wednesday we got 2.5' of snow, and I shoveled. Thurs I broke 1 mile of trail through knee-deep snow, then doubled-back. Friday we got another foot of snow, and I broke the same mile of trail through thigh-deep snow. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. I walked over my broken section of trail, and then proceeded to break another 2 miles before heading back. Sunday was another sunny day, and I was able to break 4 miles of trail. Very hard work, but I was rarely out of breath, and I'm not the least bit sore. After all this winter trail running, my legs are like iron. Diet was very good, except for the chocolate chip cookies. But I ate those before breaking trail, so they 100% converted into energy. Weight remained stable.

2/12/07:
'Twas a tale of two weeks... I started the week at 181 lbs. By mid-week, I had gained 3 lbs, but my body fat % was down. By the end of the week, I had lost those 3 lbs plus one more. Consistently weighing in at 180 now-a-days. Diet has been consistently good. I'm beginning to eat a small bowl of corn or other veggie instead of cereal or ice cream for my evening snack. I was able to trail run every day except Wednesday (planned) despite the cold and snow. Temps averaged about 10*F and we got about 2' of snow during the week. Trail conditions consisted of about 6" of dry unconsolidated snow on top of loose hardpack, with drifts up to 2' deep... imagine running up sand dunes... brutal. I knocked off 2,100' vertical on Saturday by hiking up a steep 700' hill 3x... again in unconsolidated conditions. Would have been much easier if I had remembered my crampons. I still need to write down my goals for this year. And drink more water.

2/5/07:
I wasn't able to jog at all last week. But yesterday I jogged 3.6 miles (with 570' vertical) in subzero windchills through 12-18" of dry, fine, unconsolidated snow. I thought I was going to have a coronary a couple of times, so I needed to stop and catch my breath. Good thing was that I got my breath back within 20-30 seconds. I kept telling myself that if I can run in these conditions, I'll be a machine come April. Weight has stayed steady, but I'm noticing improvements in the mirror.

1/29/07:
Got down to 180 lbs... the lowest I've been w/o being sick. Diet still going strong, although I did have some chocolate chip pancakes this weekend, and some cake and ice cream at my daughter's birthday party. Wasn't able to jog during the week due to very cold temps. However, I climbed a steep snowy 700-foot hill 3x on Saturday, so I came within 500 feet of my weekly goal of 2,600 feet. Each 700-foot ascent took about 20 minutes, so I was climbing at a 2,100-foot/hour pace... not bad for winter conditions. I expected to be a little behind my weekly goals at this time of year... just kinda hard to get outside and jog when the temp is hovering around zero. One thing I'm definitely behind on is making additional goals for this year. I think I'll add stretching, abs (my current weakness), and my favorite... weight lifting.

1/22/07:
I finally felt good enough to jog 3x this week. Since the sun is still going down early, and the local park closes at dusk, I chose a seasonal road to run on. As I stated in last week's update, the first day was interesting due to the fog/snow. The second day last week (Wed) I had planned on running the whole 750 feet up to the radio tower at the top of the second hill, but the clouds were thick and darkness fell quickly. Since the road up to the second hill is not closed, and sees a good deal of high-speed traffic, I opted to turn back at the top of the first hill. Friday was a fun run... cold, howling wind, and blowing snow. I was able to run during the daylight hours, so I jogged up to the top of the second hill... felt like Rocky! Got some very strange looks from passerbys in their warm SUVs. Drove up to Lake Placid on Saturday, and hiked on Sunday (Gray and Skylight, 18 miles, 4,500' elevation gain). Winter finally came to the Adks, and we were able to wear our snowshoes. It was -6 when we started, and warmed up to about 5 above. The wind was ROARING on top of Skylight... a very alpine experience. I feel fine today, except that my lower back is very sore (not used to carrying a backpack). I'll rest up today, and jog tomorrow. Diet is going well.

1/16/07:
I FINALLY got over my stomach bug on Monday. At the max, I lost 6 lbs... down to 178. I've been wanting to see 170s for the longest time, but this was not the way to do it! Nasty, nasty bug (norovirus). Now that I'm eating relatively normal, I'm back up to 181, but holding steady. On Monday evening, I jogged up a 500-foot hill w/o difficulty (2.8 miles round-trip). Halfway up, the drizzle turned to snow, and the fog was so thick I needed to hold my headlamp in my hand and search for the side of the road next to my feet. Going down was even more interesting. Good to be back on the wagon.

1/2/07:
After gaining 6 lbs over the past month for no apparent reason, I lost 6 last week for no apparent reason... which gave me a total of 20 lbs lost last year. Not bad. I'm amazed at the difference, and it's funny to read my training notes from early last year... things like "Ran 2 miles [on flat road]. Wheezing. Shoulders and neck hurt. Calves cramped. Took 1/2 hour to recover." I'm now weighing in at 182, and last weekend trail ran 7.5 muddy miles with 2,100 feet elevation gain, and only needed to walk (briskly) on the sections that exceeded 20% grade. I recovered the second I stopped running.