Diary of a Common Cold

They say I'll last only 7-10 days.  We'll see about that.  This old dude is about to be beat down by one nasty creature.  60 somethings only get on average 1 cold a year.  Maybe this will be his last or maybe he'll make it.  Stay tuned.

12/19/2009: The host did a recovery 6 mile run followed by a "Sports" massage.  Later that day Grandson number 2 who is 14 months sneezed in host's face.  The cute little guy is a Day Care junkie and chronic carrier of God only knows how many bugs, viruses, and plagues.   His father claims the child plus his brother are the cause of most of the world's medical crises.  Until now the host has smugly denied this as HE had not been affected.  He is in superior condition as described by the Cooper Institute.  His stress test is stamped "superior" and he has a t-shirt that says so!  While Father was chronically sick, Grandfather who held the same child, cleaned the same noses was somehow insulated from disease.  At least until tomorrow.

12/20/2009: Host woke with a "slight" headache.  Temples on both sides were tender to touch.  Perhaps these will become the "Temples" of virus Doom.  Undeterred, host proceeded to the gym to perform at a high if not somewhat reduced intensity.  A workout of about 1400 calories, put a tiny crack in his immunity.  A tiny crack is all a virus needs to enter and overwhelm the immune system.  Host notices sore throat in the early evening, and thinks, "Oh, this is not a good thing."  He starts sucking on Chloraseptic Throat Lozenges.

12/21/2009: Host wakes to headache, sore throat, aches, and lots of sinus congestion.  The mucus Army is doing it's job, to wash that nasty viruses like us from the mucus membranes in the nose, mouth and throat.  There is no "cure" for viral infections.  The only defense is the body's immune system, the white blood cell army.  The battle is on, virus attacks, white blood cells rush to the area, and mucus is produced to wash away the virus.  The Host is engaged in a full fledged war.

12/22/2009: A virus exists for one reason, to multiply.  This isn't some casual sexual affair, or monagamous relationship.  No, this is full-time in your face (no pun intended)full  frontal nudity all the time, all out multiplication.  It's most active at night because body temperature and heart rate drops.  The body of the host resists by raising the body temperature to fight the fight.  A low grade fever is the result and is natural.  Efforts to reduce the temperature above 102 are well founded, but taking aspirin to reduce a low grade fever is thought to be counter productive and even dangerous.

On this day the host is missing the endorphines from working out and despite being a little tired decides to take a 1 hour walk that turns into 1 1/2 hours.  Although he feels better afterwards, the net result is that the virus will make him pay that night.

5:00 am: What day is this?  We're busy at work and this dumb shit is rinsing us with saline rinse!  Oh, yuck.  He's washing away all that rotting nasty green mucus along with thousands of our virus friends.  It's going to take more than 30 rinses to get rid of us, so rinse on you sorry son of a bitch!  We got more pain coming, revenge for the destruction of our brothers!  He's also using a 50/50 mix of water and hydrogen peroxide to rinse his mouth to fix the mouth sores.  This shouldn't be done for more than 3-4 times a day for 3 days.  Hopefully, he'll OD on peroxide!

Viruses are superior to Bacteria because bacteria can be killed by anti-biotics.  Viruses are destroyed by acid, heat, and white blood cells.  Mucus washes us away to be spit out or decompose in stomach acid.  Many Doctors prescribe anti-biotics in the mistaken belief that they will help a cold.  They don't.  In fact, over-prescribing of anti-biotics is resulting in a strain of super anti-biotic resistance bacteria.  Create a cocktail of those little devils with a few of my virus friends and you got the hospital or perhaps in our dreams the city morgue in sight.

5:30 am: Host is back to sleep.  We never sleep.....

12/23/2009:  Host must alter his normal sleep position to elevate his head.  Otherwise he feels like he is suffocating.  Naturally, this affects his neck, shoulders, and back which contributes nicely to the overall misery.  The pictures of the mucus concentrations in his sinus cavities demonstrated the sheer quantity of mucus being produced.  We sure know how to make this poor bastard miserable.  Between sore throat, swelled tender glands, mouth sores, plugged sinus cavities, and sore muscles it's not wonder he screamed, "JUST STICK A KNIFE IN MY HEAD!" at 1 am.  Poor bastard, LOL!  Did that make him feel better, no, we think not.

Fever helps destroy us, but the host thinks he's getting worse.  Fact is that his immune system is working all out, 24/7.  Host feels exhausted, but all of his energy needs to be directed to getting rid of us before we kill him.  Ideally, he ignores the signs, takes all kinds of meds to cover up the syptoms which are in truth is his immune system at work.  We hope he eats poorly, goes out in the cold, gets little rest, and stops that aweful saline cleanse.  Go get drunk or something!  Once we get past his nose and throat we head for the vitals...his heart, kidneys, etc.  Once we attach to his heart we can do serious damage and make him a more receptive host.

12/24/2009: We think we'll let him feel "better" so he can contribute to our victory.  The sore throat won't be so sore for a few hours.  We're just taking a short term break waiting for nightfall.  More postnasal drip, sorethroat, headache, etc. etc. etc.  Oh, look at that nasty green gunk our host is coughing up.  The books say that's not good.  We hope not!

12/25/2009:  Ah,Christmas is here.  It's the perfect storm of the Common Cold world.  We couldn't have planned this better.  We have an opportunity to make history.  Nobody skips Christmas because of a "common cold" especially with cute huggable snot and virus infested Grandchildren.  Perhaps he will bring home one of our cousins and together we will nail him higher to the misery cross.  He'll help us by eating all the sugary stuff he lays those weepy eyes on!  Sugar you see causes inflammation, which will make him feel MORE congested.  Perhaps his head will explode and gets us in the Viral history books!

Kids with runny noses are like candy to us.  They rock our world.  They get us.  First, they have weak immune systems since they've never seen our kind before.  They get us several times a year until their bodies develop their own defenses.  Second, they are natural transmitters.  They have no idea how to deal with snot, not a clue.  They scream at the sight of Kleenex.  We love whatever  instinct commands them to rub their fists across a running nose and then rub that fist in their eyes?  Another favorite is the "hug me Grandma because I want to rub my runny nose on your new Santa sweater."  We teach them how to sneeze just at the right time.  BAM!  Right into Grandpa's eyes!  Yes, we are good.

All that Christmas cheer makes for a night from hell for the host.

12/26/2009 Black Saturday: Just when the poor misearble bastard thought things were getting better we start the throat tickle.  That's the one where he puts his head on the pillow and just can't help but cough.  This is not just the routine clear your throat cough.  No.  This cough originates at the bottom of the souls of his feet.  This cough pulls a stomach muscle.  There's NO WAY he's going to sleep without help.  He gets it from a raised head, Ricola, a lemon juice/mineral water concoction.

Ricola?  Who's the SOB that invented that stuff.  We want to infest him/her!  It helps calm the tickle long enough for him to get some rest, which is the great natural healer.

12/27/2009: We hate Mexican food. :-(  How can he eat that salty crap?  Between the Mexican food, saline rinses, Ricola, lemon juice, mineral water, and turning up the heat at night to at least 72 degrees things are not looking up for me and my friends.  Host is able to smell odors which indicates that the inflammation is contained in the lower sinus region.

12/28/2009: WE are feeling defeated.  Host wakes up today and decides he's going to the gym and sit in the Sauna.  Sauna!?!  We hate Saunas!  They raise the body temperature high enough to destroy us.  Hope he falls asleep and dreams he's on a George Foreman grill.  Doesn't he know he shouldn't go out in public with that Godfather voice?

Our days are numbered but the ride was fun!

12/29-30/2009: Slight sore throat in the morning and tickle in throat with slight cough.  Resuming workouts, but lower intensity.  Sauna and steam room after.  Nose is clear.  Able to smell odors.  Sinuses very clear during spinning class....breathing only through nose on the inhale during 80% max. heart rate work.

Arthritis

posted March 2009

Arthritis is something we all fear as we age. Once it "takes" over then the effects are multiplied. Normal daily activities are a burden. There's no easy answer to live with the pain. Drugs give relief but they have side effects, some known and some unknown.

Here's my approach to fighting against it:
1. Keep moving
2. Lift weights 2-3 times a week
3. Eat unprocessed whole foods, veggies, fruit, whole grains.
4. Eat good fats (Omega 3 and 6) from raw nuts, fish, and seeds (flax, pumpkin, sunflower)
4. Take supplements: Fish Oil, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Sam-e.
5. Reduce sugar, and high glycemic foods such as wheat pasta, and white flour.

Our bodies will wear out prematurely from LACK of exercise, which seems contrary to logic. Exercise doesn't wear out our bodies, lack of exercise does. The less we move the worse it gets over time.

Bodies adapt to movement. Movement creates stronger muscles, connective tissue, and joints. When muscles support us better we have less joint pain. Bodies adapt to lack of movement. Muscle, connective tissue, and joints deteriorate as we don't use them.

The other side of arthritis is chronic inflammation. Those who suffer from this should consider dietary changes. Gluten, dairy, sugar, and processed foods inflame the body and multiply the effects of arthritis.

Fighting Arthritis is not a simple matter. It's the complete system above that gives results. No one pill will give more than temporary relief. In fact pills mask the decline in our bodies caused by poor exercise and eating habits.

Detoxification

posted February 2009

I worked in an Aluminum, zinc, and magnesium foundry for over 30 years. We used was beryllium copper a known heavy metal/hazardous material. This doesn't touch the surface of materials I was exposed to such as asbestos, oil fumes, open vats of freon, powdered graphite and iron, etc. etc. I loved working in industry but it had a down side.

Today I have issues with gluten, dairy, soy, and egg...these sensitivities raise hell with my immune system. I struggle with the side effects, but am in excellent health otherwise. Eliminating all of these foods is costly and inconvenient, but is a small price to get relief.

The point of this is that we are in a continued state of detoxification. Some are exposed to more toxins than others. Our genetic makeup allows for either poor or strong levels of detoxification. What we eat, how much exercise we get, how much water we drink all have an impact on how our bodies deal with toxins.

Heavy Lifting

posted January 2009

"Periodization" describes a training system that varies exercises and intensity over a period of time. It's designed to improve sports performance by improving power, speed, endurance, balance, and explosiveness. The calendar is broken down over 4 "periods" in-season, strength preparation, high intensity, and plyometrics. There are several different versions of the 4 periods, but the work is essentially the same.

This is the time of year for high intensity workouts. It's when I hit the weights about as hard as possible. Golf begins in April, so I work backwards to prepare for "opening day."

My high intensity workouts go like this:

Monday: Spin for 40 minutes; short rest followed by:
Squats, high pull, leg raises (highest difficulty...legs to bar), and back extensions
5 sets, varying repetitions 5-6, 3-4, 2-3, 1-2, 2-3
Weight: work to maximum with good form
Rest 2-3 minutes between sets

Tuesday: Active Recovery Day...foam roll and 4 mile slow jog.

Wednesday: Hard run...4 miles of intervals...break for breakfast...weights an hour after breakfast:
Dead lifts, pull ups, Wood Chops, Reverse wood chops

Thursday: Same as Tuesday

Friday: Medium Run or Spin is I feel energized...otherwise weights only
Bench press (or push-ups on medicine balls), jockey row, Barbell Clean, Weighted back extension Curl-up.

Saturday: Same as Tuesday

Sunday: 45 minutes walk

After 3 weeks...do an extra rest day on Friday, then back to full schedule for 3 more weeks.

Mid-February to April 1st involves plyometrics which convert strength to useful power.

Measure of Fitness...Heart Rate Recovery

posted Fall 2008

For those interested there is a method to evaluate cardiovascular fitness which is similar to a stress test. This fitness test is as follows:

1. Accelerating through running, biking, or other method to an anerobic level (a pace you can do for only 20-30 seconds... such as a full sprint)
2. Measure the heart rate with a monitor at the end of the sprint.
3. Recover for 60 seconds by walking or biking slowly (do not stop moving!)
4. Measure the heart rate after 60 seconds and subtract that number from the peak.

Caveat: This is not for those with suspected heart issues. Don't attempt this without your Doctor's approval.
The key:

POOR less than 12 Beats Per Minute (BPM) recovery
FAIR 12-20
Good 20-30
Excellent 30-40
Over 40 is outstanding.

The recovery rate is important because this is a measure of the soundness of our cardiovascular system and not just our heart health.

A recovery rate of greater than 35 BPM indicates almost no risk of sudden death from heart disease!

12 or less increases the risk dramatically. People with this issue need to consult with their Doctor before exercising!

"After following over 5,700 men for 23 years, researchers concluded that the faster your rate drops after exercise, the lower your risk of dying of a heart attack. To perform the calculation, first take note of your heart rate at exactly one minute after you've finished your workout. Then, take that number and subtract it from the maximum heart rate you reached during the workout. If the difference is more than 35bpm, there's a good chance you do not face an increased risk.

If, however, it is less than 35bpm, the study suggests there's need for caution. Specifically, if the difference is between 31-35bpm, your risk is increased by 40 percent; 25-30bpm, risk increase is 30 percent; less than 25bpm, risk increase is 110 percent."

Did this test after one hour of my leg routine. Spiked heart rate to 160 on treadmill by running at 12 MPH at 3 degree elevation for 20 seconds followed by 40 seconds at 7 MPH. Jumped off the belt...slowed belt to 2.3 MPH...lowered elevation to 1 degreee and timed 60 seconds. Heart rate dropped to 122 from 160 a drop of 38. Confirmed a second time!

6 months gluten and 17 months dairy free

posted summer 2008

Making great progress, but still have some issues. Most of which are related to Candida, but some absorption issues.

Improvements:
1. don't react to bug bites other than little bumps (in the past I got huge bumps then bruises followed for several days).
2. sense of smell is returning
3. aches and pains are 90% reduced
4. No longer get rashes or itchy breakouts after taking a warm shower.
5. Reduced sleep apnea (from moderate to mild)
6. Only one calf and no foot cramps since December.

Being retested to establish if there are improvements in nutrient absorption.

Still showing signs of candida overgrowth....hives, reaction to sulfates, and stomach issues such as nasty gas.

Overall, improvement is 100% better quality of life!

Improved health

posted April 2008

Despite a challenging workout routine I'm feeling great....better than ever.

The gluten/dairy free diet is a challenge but the results are outstanding. My sense of smell and taste is amazing. There's a lack of soreness that's I've not experienced. My body on Sunday is completely recovered from a week of exercise. This is unprecedented for me in recent years.

There's no cold plunge in Texas and I haven't needed it!

My sleep patterns are better. I'm getting about 7 1/4 hours of sleep per night. Most nights my data A is between 20 and 31. Sometimes I wake with apnea, but that's rare. I have no numbness or tingling of arms. No excess dry mouth in the morning. Several nights no trips to the toilet at 3 am....

My tail bone itches in the middle of the night....that's my biggest complaint! In May I visit with a holistic Doctor to discuss the results of my dietary changes. Maybe we can get at the itching!

I'm suspicious that my diet may be high in acid foods....tomatoes seem to cause water retention/inflammation. Cutting out tomatoes has reduced bloating.

So put on the big smiley face!

Some knee tightness

posted December 2007

After running the hills of Austin for several weeks with no knee issues I suddenly developed "soreness" in both knees back in Michigan. I believe it's from walking the dog in 2-4 inches of frozen snow over the last week. This on top of my fitness routine (Phase II offseason) was enough to flair up the knees. Quads around the knees are sore.

After spending 5 weeks in Texas I didn't gain a pound...same weight and bodyfat.

Sinuses are decent with the infection finally gone (ie no green stuff with flush). Been sleeping great with DATA A over 20 all nights except 3 and those were all over 18. Sinuses and sleep apnea are related for sure.

Burning about 4000 calories per week but not seeing any strength gains. Feeling great other than the knees.

Update 12/15/07: Knees fine...did 4 miles easy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday reload days. Next week phase 3.

Final Phase before Golf

posted over 2 years ago

This week is the start of the last phase of my annual routine prior to the start of golf season. It's an intense split cardio and power program involving plyometrics and core strength.

Been off since for one full week with no intense cardio and no lifting.

My neck is feeling good...no pain when laying on my side. Still a little tight in the left hip flexor, quad, and IT band. I punished them today with tough trigger point therapy. For the moment they are fine.

Anxious to get started!

Been using saline rinse 3x per day due to continued stuffiness. The results are very encouraging. Still some facial pressure indicating infection, but i'm sitting here breathing through BOTH nostirls with my mouth closed and not feeling like I'm going to suffocate! HURRAY!

Certified Spinning Instructor

posted over 2 years ago

Passed my spinning instructor certification with 92%....now I'm ready to start "team teaching" with an experienced instructor.

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Nasal polyps, Windpipe bulge

posted May 2007

I seldom take a good rest without it being because of injury or illness.

I haven't worked out since Monday (5 days ago). Planned a rest week, but was going to be more active. All I've done is walk slowly for 20-30 minutes.

Exercise and diet might help my sinus issues, but the fact is I still have major problems with polyps. Mucus production is very high right now.

After 9 days the neck issue has cleared...at least it doesn't hurt when lying on my right side (weird because the pain is only felt on the left side.) I might have pulled a small muscle deep in my neck when trying to breath through my nose and exhale out the mouth.

Saw a couple of Docs this week to get opinion on the neck. Both recommended a CAT scan of the soft tissue. One did a scope down the throat and saw a "bulge" which might explain the pressure I feel on the windpipe when I take a deep breath. That has subsided. Same Doc wants me to go on Antibiotics, which don't work for polyps. He said he had trouble getting through my sinuses to my throat with the camera due to polyps. I've had them removed 3 times in my life and they always come back. Flonase helps to reduce inflammation when it's at the worst. I may be dairy and gluten intolerant, but not sure. When in Texas last spring...I felt great...no congestion.

Increased my suppliments (probiotics) to stablize good bacteria in stomach. Also, taking more enzemes prior to meals. Using Flonase until I can smell clearly, which means polyps have shrunk.

I need to shrink these polyps. They will destroy bone structure over time and that is impossible to replace. This hasn't been right in years. I've tried every med and non-med solution known and still I suffer with this. IT MUST STOP!

Resting Heart Rate

posted over 2 years ago

A heart rate monitor is essential for seniors and any serious athlete. A monitor allows us to exercise at a safe but effective level of effort. It allows us to exercise intensely enough to show improvement without taking unnecessary risks. For the athlete it guides them to effective training zones and prevents overtraining.

My resting heart rate has increased slightly since about 1 year ago. It was 46 and is 49 now. Wore the heart rate monitor for 2 hours in the early morning. My average HR for 2 hours while sleeping was 52. When I awoke I watched it go from 48-50 over a 5 minute stretch.

The increase could be do to overtraining, so I'm cutting back a bit on intense Anaerobic Threshold training. I'll do a week of 85% of my maximum heart rate, which is my Aerobic threshold. Then I'll resume check my resting rate again.

When to rest?

posted over 2 years ago

Starting to feel a little run down...enthusiasm declined a bit this week. Today started with a "don't know what I'm going to do except spin." Ended with a smart move to eliminate a couple of chest/arm exercises because I'm feeling sore. Focused instead on quads and hamstrings. Did a personal best squat of 250 lbs. 6 repetitions (good form 3,1,1 tempo) followed by 120 lb. leg curls X 6.

Total Calories for the day: 1050

Anaerobic Threshold Training

posted spring 2007

I've been training at a high intensity for several months now. There's no way I'm going to get to be Olympic even SUPER SENIOR Olympic material at least as a long distance runner.

Aerobic training at 80-85% is best for off season and safest for year round. I can sustain 143 HR for at least an hour. Today we spun at around 143 for 40 minutes. I was hardly sweating. When approaching the Anaerobic Threshold I begin to sweat profusely.

When doing Anaerobic Threshold training I need to reload after 4-6 weeks of AT according to Athletes Performance.

I also need to drink more water on the difficult days. 48 ounces isn't enough during two workouts. I should be doing closer to 70.

Recovery status

posted over 2 years ago

Feeling sore today....perhaps it's the lack of cold/hot tub therapy. Left Ilio Soaz is acting up causing some issues with lower left back. Pectoral muscles are tight as well leading to some left elbow discomfort. Did trigger point therapy on Ilios and pecs which relieves the elbow but and some relief to back.

Used NIKE FREEs on my "jog" yesterday. But knees are fine.

Adaptation at work. Hopefully, will be ready to roll tomorrow!

It's amazing how sore I get from basically throwing a medicine ball against the wall, floor, and at the ceiling!

Sinus Problem Gone

posted April 2007

For almost one month I was beginning to doubt my sinuses would improve. I desperately used Afrin nasal spray, flonase, and finally antihistamines to get rid of what started as a minor sore thoat and ended up as chronic inflammation and sinus congestion. I couldn't breath out of my nose. I couldn't smell the worst odors, and I couldn't taste much of anything. It was depressing!

I had not used anti-histamines in almost 3 years!

I floss my teeth with a mint floss. I could NOT taste the mint.

Finally after a week of anti-histimines and flonase my nose started to clear. All the while I had been using "sinu rinse" to "FLUSH" the mucuss from my nose. The "material" was greenish crap that seemed to have no end!

NOW I can smell and taste again 99.9% without anti-biotics which is the VERY first thing the Doc would have prescribed. I continue to "rinse" my nose 2-3 times a day, but have stopped all meds.

Feeling really good!

posted over 2 years ago

Starting to smell odors (good and bad!)....

Today was just a normal recovery day (580 calories). Yamuna for 25 minutes, 45 minute walk at 4.5 mph 5 degrees, some core and stretching 15 minutes.

I tapered off this week trying to eliminate aches and pains. Those back to back double workouts are too much for me, especially when I try to up the weights each week.

Tomorrow is spinning...will do no more than 40 minutes at 85% MHR versus the usual 93% or so.

Have to decide whether to rest next week or start phase I golf or do Colgan hardcore for 3-4 weeks prior to medicine ball/plyometrics.

Lactose Intolerant?

Spinning and Legs

posted over 2 years ago

Last day of phase 6 and it was leg blast day. Spinning am and leg work out after an 1 1/2 hour break. All moving parts still functioning. Nose is still stuffy, but better at the moment (flonase is kicking in).

I'm really starting to wonder if I'm lactose in tolerant. Trying to take an enzime before meals to help.

Still having itches at night for past 2 weeks coinciding with sinus problems. Small hives....

Spring 2007 Fitness Status

posted over 2 years ago

Near the end of phase 6. Burned about 4500 calories on the week.

My weight is up about 6 pounds from last fall. Bodyfat is the same. Strength is up slightly as well. I'm going to be ready to cut some fat in about 4 weeks. Will cut my calories by 500 per day to lose a pound per week. I feel better at 180 than 186. So it will take me about 6 weeks of plyometrics, reduced calories, plus lighter weights and cardio to drop the weight in time for golf season.

Aches and pain inventory:

1. Left hip is fine after trigger point therapy last week...this despite a PR of 270 lbs. dead lift and one legged squats on unstable bench (touch heal to ground plus using 5 lb. weights in both hands. great glute exercise....forces the glutes to engage!) This is awesome for me!

2. Left elbow tight (golfers elbow), but again the trigger point on the pectoral muscles helps. Doing 12 pushups on the ball 3 sets, plus seperate weighted pushups or elevated pushups for chest. This is followed by pullup, which I've managed to boost to 4 sets of 3. This routine is tough on the elbows and wrists considering the very next day I do the heavy deadlifts.

3. Both knees were a little tight (quads just above the knees were tender). Ran very little this past week. Also, breaking in the NIKE FREES by using them during my workouts and recovery walking....but NO running yet. So far NO foot issues! My hard cardio is twice M,F spinning.

4. Back is fine...just a couple of sore spots on Sunday...will be gone by tomorrow.

5. Biggest concern now: sinuses have been the worst in a year. Finally broke down and am using Flonase (starting with 2 puffs 2x a day, and 24 hour OTC antihistimine plus the saline rinse. Will try this for a week. Nothing has changed in my diet or fitness routine....but inflammation in the sinuses is really aweful. Couldn't breath at all through my nose last night. Can't smell except the occasional wiff of gasoline or similar. First time for antihistimine in over 3 years.....

Next week is the last week of phase 6. I'm going to cut the lifting down to two none-consecutive days. Monday: Spinning am Chest back/core pm; Tuesday: Recovery; Wednesday: Legs AM include some running after; Thursday: Recovery; Friday: Spinning only. Saturday: Recovery; Sunday rest...superbowl!

Now I have to decide whether to add some complex lifts or go straight to plyometrics prior to golf season. I've been training hard since October so my body is starting to ask for some serious downtime.

Phase 6 Aches update

posted March 2007

Since last post:

Monday: Spinning AM; Chest/Back/Core routine PM
Tuesday: Combined Legs/Cardio
Wednesday: Recovery
Thursday: Combined Chest/Back/Cardio
Friday: Spinning AM; Legs PM
Sat: Recovery

Totals about 4500 calories burned in the week.

My weight and strength have increased. Bodyfat staying around 14.5%. Last weight 186.6.

Dead lift one time 270 lbs. (did 10 reps of 190 x 3 sets)
One arm row: 65 x 6
Push ups: 15 quality x 3 sets
Pull ups: 3 sets of 3 plus 160 lb. on lat pull down machine.

Aches and pains inventory:
1. L. hip is ok now that I cut back on the running on Tues and Thurs. AND stopping the contra one arm one leg row (do on bench)
2. R. knee a little tight. Could be the new nike Frees...Was fine on Tues after slight injury doing deadlifts on Friday. Tweaked it again and felt nothing until Thursday am. May have been after walking 45 minutes with Nike Frees.
3. Nose still congested...can't smell much...99% gone. :-(
4. R. & L elbow tender after massage therapist put extra pressure after chest/back workout. Got to watch that!
5. Both quads are tight and small muscles around r knee are tight. Not unusual 48 hours after leg workout!
6. Not sleeping that well. Pain not the issue, the nose is.....Data A averaging around 20 mins. the last 8 days after an 8 day run of 26 minutes....
7. Looking forward to rest after next Thursday.

Didn't do cold plunge on Wednesday. Thought being that the cold could aggravate the nose. Didn't notice much difference in congestion. Muscles are a bit more sore on Thursday.

Weights and cardio

posted March 2007

789 calories burned in 1:10 minutes; 128 aver. HR; Weights first then combination of running and rowing for 25 minutes.

Did 2 sets 15 "quality" pushups, then 4 sets of 4,3 reps of pull-ups starting with warm-up of 150 on lat pull down machine (cable). Next "circuit" includes kneeling cable lift, One armed row (changed from one arm one leg contra leg due to hip issue), followed by 10 plyoball pushups. Did 65 lb. dumb bell max for 6 reps both arms. Right is far stronger than left....hard with left arm (form breaking down) easy with right.

Sunday aches and pain inventory

posted March 2007

A party last night caused some issues...no healthy food and alcohol. I've been eating very clean up to last night...had ham, potatoes, bean salad with beef, and dark roll (no dessert at least). I'm guessing about 700 calories, but can't be sure. My stomach was just exploding from within...bloating.

Add to this the cat in the house of the host and my nose just stuffed up something fierce.

Have used flonase and saline rinse for last 7 days. Still lots of rattles and plugging of ear cannals. Man, I hate this not being able to breath right.

Sunday is rest day. Aches include: besides the nose :-), left hip (8), muscles around tops of knees (5), top of right hand when I woke up (6), back under right shoulder blade (7), tricepts above elbows (5), and GLUTES (7)...ouch, upper back 5, left quad (left side) (6). Soreness scale 10 trouble sleeping, 8 modify sleep position to accomodate, 5 normal workout soreness, 1 just slight touch.

Foot is 100% now.

Hip Issue

posted winter 2007

Even though I rolled and had a massage Wednesday and Thursday plus active recovery the hip bothered me enough not to run Thurs. afternoon. So we spent it looking a flooring.

Thurs. AM lifting is upper body with only the one leg one arm rows. This is the exercise that inflammed the hip. Managed to do 10 reps of pushups with 25 pound weight. A few years back I couldn't do a SINGLE push up.

Started Flonase about 5 days ago and today I could smell the body odor. Nose is still stuffy but clearing up fast. I'll stop the Flonase as soon as it's totally unplugged! It's been almost exactly one year since I've taken the stuff and I hate it! But I can at least breath. When the sense of smell returns then I'm fine.

Phase 6

posted February 2007

Start of phase 6 (from core performance) cardio in the AM: spinning 612 calories...lots of good speed work, less with the hills.

Afternoon weights for 45 minutes: 567 calories.

Both my knees (muscles from the quads to the tops of knee cap) are a little tight. This is probably a result of one legged squats on unstable surface (bench). Squated with 1 leg touching opposite leg heal to the ground. From Cody Miller's skiing instruction..I used it to replace boring lunges. This is a challenging exercise!

My left Illio Soaz is still tight(top of Quad). Need to sleep with the leg straight! Biking and sitting at the computer is not the best for this issue!

Broke down last night and resorted to Flonase before bed. Still have very little sense of smell after the cold and inflammation over Xmas. Still stuffy, but not as inflammed (fewer Kleenex used). Used the nasal wash twice yesterday.

Weekly summary January 2007

posted January 2007

Friday was a super intense exercise day starting with spinning 584 calories and ending with 640 on weight lifting. I did my best dead lift ever 250 pounds....plenty left on the legs but the hands were really swelled up (no gloves...can't grip the weight with gloves.)

Started out the morning with a tight right deltoid (outer) and my left Ilio Soaz (sp?). Both my knees were a little sore, but not painful. I thought about NOT working out because of this, but did so anyway. So I was nervous, but everything went fine.

Saturday did active recovery including ball and foam rolling, 14 minutes of light rowing at 120 bpm and 30 minutes walking at 4.3 mph, then some front and side raises, stretching, and water therapy. All together this is a 2 1/2 hour door to door process.

Still nursing rock bruise on bottom of R foot. It 90% thanks to a pair of speedo flip flops.

Tonight I feel decent and should sleep like a rock despite the nasal inflammation.

Inflammation

posted January 2007

Ever since catching a cold pre-xmas my sinuses have been acting strange (one minute open the next plugged with gue). I can smell odors some of the time.

A rash (had it last year too) under my thighs just indicates more inflammation going on. Using steroid cream on the legs. My left Quad (outer) is still tight on the ball.

Tues: weights am. combo running and Men's Health lunge, abs, jump exercise. totaled 997 calories.

Wednesday: Spinning only moderate 540 calories.

Thursday: recovery 560

Tomorrow....intense day.

1278 Calories burned Friday before New Years 2007

posted December 30, 2006

This is the last "HARD" day of the week. Spinning was intense especially since I didn't know how the foot would react. All went well, and 650 calories burned in 40 minutes. That's the top yet. There were a few newbies in the class and this was NOT the day to start spinning. I'm guessing they won't be able to walk tomorrow.

Weights in the afternoon and 628 calories burned.

In the afternoon, I cut out some of the sprints because of the tenderness on the bottom of the foot. What I have is called a pebble bruise by dancers! It's sometimes caused by a pebble on the floor or a seam when dancing on bare feet. That's what happened on Tuesday during the hot/cold plunge on the small tiles. The speedo flip flops did the trick, plus wearing my running shoes in the house. This reduces the chance of hurting the bruise area only.

It's alway difficult to decide to exercise with a slight injury. I'm very leary after pushing my sore elbow 3 years ago all the way to tennis elbow. If anything hurts I stop immediately and decided to reduce the weight or DON'T do the exercises!

The Foot...

posted December 2006

A downside of working out is the occasional pain and injury. Yesterday I did a moderate cardio routine for about 35 minutes along with some stretching. I use the hot and cold tanks daily after my routine. While walking barefoot from the hot to cold tank I felt a "pop" in the outer pad near the little toe on my right foot. It feels like a buise when I touch it. Barefoot is painful, so now I'm wearing my running shoes around the house.

Today I managed to walk for 40 minutes without pain. But the pad is still tender. I bought some speedo flip flops for the shower (floors are hard mini tiles). Hopefully, this will be history tommorrow since it's a two trip day and a heavy one with spinning and my most severe lifting routine.

Good workout post Xmas

posted December 2006

Tougher getting started today but felt strong after an extra day of rest. Morning workout was 3rd week of phase 6.

Ran intervals in the afternoon. Gym was packed with those trying to work off all the cookies.

My calves were tight again after this workout.

If I feel good tomorrow I'll do cardio only, then recovery on Thursday, then 2 workouts on Friday.

That will cut this week to 2 weight lifting sessions.

960 total calories....440 am 520 pm

Recovering from illness and Inflammation

posted January 2007

Last weekend developed a sore throat, then runny nose, which disrupted sleep and reduced sense of smell. By Xmas throat and drippy had cleared without meds. Ate more yogurt and took probiotics. Tonight my nose just plugged up like glue (like the bad old days) AND I noticed "other" inflammation after eating chinese and some pecans, cashews, and pistacios roasted in oil. 3 hours after dinner nose is fine again.

Nutrition has changed, but no dramatic differences in food...other than a couple of pieces of pie, some chinese food (steamed chicken and veggies with some exotic sauce).

Wonder if the slightest changes in my diet bring this on. It's a reminder to maintain my eating discipline and to beware of "exotic" sauces....

Sinus continued

Christmas 2005

Includes a couple of walks at SLOW speed. Beautiful Christmas eve day called for a 1/2 hour walk outside. Cold enough to get my nose flowing...still not as bad as the OLD days when I couldn't breath. However, cannot smell odors except the STRONGEST perfumes. Some dryness in the nose...maybe starting to clear up. Christmas will bring another "rest" day.

Sinus issues

posted January 2006

540 calories 45 minutes on tread mill. Trying to run on balls of feet mixed with walking. Men who live forever article about a tribe in the mountains of Mexico who run with MINIMAL foot protection because they run on the balls of their feet. Supposed to reduce energy used and injuries. Less jarring to run on balls rather than heel strike.

Day after felt tightness in shins.

Sinuses were bad, drippy nose, but no headache and sore throat is gone, just a little congestion in chest. Can still breath out of nose. This is the worst my sinuses have been in 11 months. No meds....YET!

1240 calories burned

posted Feb 2007

625 am in spinning; 615 pm in workout.

Minor sore throat today with congestion. Think this came from daughter who had the same a few days ago. Didn't stop me from working out.

8 hours sleep with minimal soreness after hard workout yesterday. But the sinuses are inflammed.

185.8 pounds and 14.4% BF

posted Winter 2006 or 2007

Last year I tried to gain weight and succeeded in adding weight an bodyfat. This year I seem to be adding more muscle....not much more but more.

Not more than 2 pounds gained since September, not bad considering Thanksgiving and Xmas.

My biggest diet issue is the zone and myoplex bars. I eat 2-3 per day. They are better than cookies and sweets for sure, but they are highly processed.

The good news is that my diet is balanced 40,30,30...40 good carbs, 30 protein, 30 good fat. I'm eating roughly 3200 calories per day to gain about 1/2 pound a month.

Even better news is that my sinus problems are gone except the dry crustations that have woke me up at night. Gross, but hey this is a journal!

Holiday workout

posted December 2007

Combining posts for M_Thurs because of holidays and family visits.

Calories burned and notables
Monday am/pm 1165; 230 deadlift x4
Tuesday: 570 recovery back tight but ok
Wednesday: 600 calories weights and 10 mintutes cardio only
Thurs: 520 recovery minor tight spots on ball, but left IT band near quad very tight..ouchy on foam roll

Hard Day

posted Fall 2007

Over 1100 calories burned total for 2 workouts:

AM Lifted weights....6X4 sets of pushups with 35 pound weight on back...pullups (lat pulldown machine to 150 pounds....deadlift romanian 145; 170; 190; 215 pounds 6x4; walking lunges 40,45,50,55 pound dumbells.

PM ran intervals up to 170 max heart rate reaching beyond the anaerobic threshold which is around 90%. This is only for 10-15 seconds.

Aerobic Zone
The third zone, the Aerobic Zone, requires that you train at 70-80% of your max HR. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. In this zone, your functional capacity will greatly improve and you can expect to increase the number and size of blood vessels, increase vital capacity and respiratory rate and achieve increases in pulmonary ventilation, as well as increases in arterial venous oxygen. Moreover, stroke volume (amount of blood pumped per heart beat) will increase, and your resting heart rate will decrease. What does all this mean? It means that your cardiovascular and respiratory system will improve and you will increase the size and strength of your heart. In this zone, 50% of calories burned are from carbohydrates, 50% are from fat and less than 1% is from protein. And, because there is an increase in intensity, there is also an increase in the total number of calories burned.

Anaerobic Zone
The next training zone is called the Threshold or Anaerobic zone, which is 80-90% of your max HR. Benefits include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you'll be able to fight fatigue better. Since the intensity is high, more calories will be burned than within the other three zones. Although more calories are burned in this zone, 85% of the calories burned are from carbohydrates, 15% from fat and less than 1% are from protein.

Red-line Zone
The last training zone is called the Redline Zone, which is 90-100% of your max HR. Remember, training at 100% is your maximum heart rate (maximum HR), your heart rate will not get any higher. This zone burns the highest total number of calories and the lowest percentage of fat calories. Ninety percent of the calories burned here are carbohydrates, only 10% are fats and again less than one percent is protein. This zone is so intense that very few people can actually stay in this zone for the minimum 20 minutes, or even five minutes (you should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so). Usually, people use this zone for interval training. For example, one might do three minutes in the Aerobic Zone and then one minute in this Redline Zone and then back to the Aerobic Zone

Interval work consists of a repeated series of short, high intensity, runs alternating with rest periods. Regardless of the race distance you are training for, 5k or marathon, interval work will help you run faster. Intervals should be creative, fun, and definitely not done every day. Whether it's 10 x 800m, or a 200m, 400m, 800m 400m, 200m pyramid, continually pushing yourself into a lactate burdened state makes your body adapt. Your aerobic enzymes get supercharged, and you become better at processing lactate.

Washing Machine from HELL!

posted Fall 2007

Sunday was planned as another lazy day with maybe a easy walk outside or on the treadmill then watching football. That burst when the washing machine didn't stop filling and flooded the basement. Oh my....lots of walking up and down stairs and bending over and picking up wet everything. This is the advantage of being in shape. Prior to this I would be dead tomorrow. Now I'm charged up about phase 6. Bring it!

CPR Training

posted November 2007

Am now certified to perform CPR on people who have stopped breathing. Everyone should take this 3.5 hour class. The sections on how to properly help a choaking victim and the Good Samaritan laws were worth the entire class. A good samaritan is protected from liability as long as the victim gives the ok (if conscious), the good samaritan has been trained, and third the GS doesn't stop action after starting.

Reload Week

posted November 2007

About every 10 weeks I do what "Core Performance" calls a reload week. Reload consists of a couple of days of moderate cardio...500 calories in 40 minutes. Then 2-3 days of light work, cardio for 30 minutes at a HR target of 120 for me or 65% of Max. I also do ball rolling and hot and cold therapy.

Recovery Day Routine

posted November 2007

1/2 hour on the ball, 50 minutes on the bike at 117 heart rate, 5 minute core routine, 10 minutes AIS, 20 minutes in hot and cold tanks. ONLY issue is left hip flexor. Bothered me when going to sleep.

AM Weights PM Running

posted November 2007

Cut my run to 3 miles...a little tired. Left hip a little tight. Did 10 mph on the treatmill for anearobic workout. 2 pushups w/45 lb plate on back, 4 with 35, 6 with 25, 5 w/25

Monday Spinning AM; Weights PM

posted November 2005

Spinning 42 exercise minutes Ave. HR 139 and in zone for 36 minutes. 521 Calories.

Finding that not all spinning cycles are created equal. The equipment needs repairing. One had a squeaky resistance pad. The other had an issue with the shoe clips.

Afternoon weight routine for another 27 minutes in the zone and 475 calories burned. Fewer reps higher weights. Curl 2 35lb dumbells then press directly overhead 3 times with one leg up on bench. One legged with straight leg deadlift 55 lbs for 10 reps.

Left hamstring and left hip a little sore after two rounds of golf on the weekend and spinning. Hope the hot and cold plunge work their wonders!

Golf Sat and Sunday

posted November 2005

Body rolled both days prior to golf. Shot 83 and 80 after not playing in 6 weeks.

Recovery Day Routine

posted November 2005

467 calories 33 minutes in the "zone" 115-122 for 50 minutes total bike time

....left hip a little sore yesterday afternoon, but fine today.

Did stretching, abs, starting with Yamuna.

Future instructor?

posted January 2006

Approached today by head of Gym's Director of Group exercise and asked if I was interested in becoming certified to teach spinning and Yamuna. Going to consider it! Especially Yamuna....which I'm a faithful follower of!

Tuesday: another double workout

posted November 2005

Ran intervals AM: 5 minute warm up at 5 degrees and 4.6 mph max; followed by progressively higher speeds 8-10 mph for 20-40 seconds maximum and then slow belt and hold heart rate near 100% for 40 more seconds...total of 1 minute, then 1 minute running recovery to 159 max, then 1 minute at 168 max, 1 recovery, 1 near max. Then 3 minutes fast walk around 4 mph until heart rate drops to 125 then speed up. Repeat cycle 4 times

Result: 3.6 miles in 40 minutes, 569 calories, 150 aver HR....HRM was messed up so that seems high. Sometimes in gym there's interference.

Afternoon resistance training. Had a slight pull in lower right stomach, but worked it out with exercise.

Result: 30 minutes in 118-168 zone; average 123 45 minutes; 443 calories.

Total calories 1012.

5100 calories burned

posted November 2005

Final workout day of the week: Recovery...repeat of Wednesday. Survived week 1 of phase 4. Average heart rate for 50 minutes on the bike was around 116 or 69% low aerobic zone which is best for recovery. Total calories burned 452 including biking and stretching. Didn't include ball rolling time.

Overall, I feel good. My calves and IT band are tight, but the hamstrings feel good. No real ouchy feelings! Forearms worked hard on Thurs and Friday but are doing ok. A good day of reload tomorrow and they should be ready for Monday.

Sinuses are really clear and my sense of smell is great. When I was 60 pounds heavier and UNFIT the sinuses were a disaster.

Total calories burned for the week= 5100.....with 8 hours and 22 minutes of exercise time.

Spinning

posted November 2006

Since reading Younger Next Year I've taken up spinning. Used my new bike shoes with clips for the very FIRST time. They reduce the work of the calves and help focus the big muscles on the doing the heavy work. Yields a better workout for the glutes, and especially the hamstrings. I notice right away when getting off the bike that my quads didn't feel "swelled" like they did after using my running shoes for biking.

Today's am workout was a rigorous spin of 50 minutes, 45 in my zone of 118 to 168 with an average HR of 142 for the 50 minutes (84.5% of max). Calories burned 643. Dipped in hot and cold tanks after 1 minute cycle 2 times, then 1/2 hour sports massage. No major issues.

The highest HR was 159 for about 3 minutes (95%). This is well into the Anaerobic zone. I'm able to sustain this rate for several minutes. Once I start to reach my max. of 168 then I can feel things starting to get "edgy." My breaths are very shallow and short. My muscles burn and feel like they are about ready to quit.

This week was week "one" of phase 4 (core performance) with Athlete's Performance Cardio program designed to improve VO2 max.

PM workout included Movement Prep (warmup) of 6 minutes, Elacticity for 10, Strength for 35 then cold and hot plunges for 3 minutes X's 3 cycles. Strength includes: 4 super sets of 2 exercises each with about a 45 second rest in between. These are the pairings; 1. kneeling cable one are rotational row/russian twist on plyoball; 2. One arm one leg row/Plyoball tuck with one leg; 3. Romanian straight leg dead left on one leg/Plyoball reverse crunch; 4. Cable chop/dumbell press to curl. Repetitions vary from 15 to 2 depending on the day and exercise.

PM calories burned= 405 with an average HR of 116 for 50 mintutes or 70% of max. My heart rate varies widely from 90 to about 160 depending on the exercise.

Recovery Day Routine

posted November 2006

After two intense workout days today is time to recuperate...commonly called recovery day. This is the day where my muscles recover from the micro-tears of day 1 and 2. I've had difficulty with inflammation for many years (sinus, soreness, gum problems, etc.) so I've done tons of reading and listening on the subject.

An hour after breakfast I go to the gym and bodyroll (yamuna) for about 20 minutes. This is a self-massage and is entended to force blood to muscles and to break up adhesions and scar tissue. The pressure also helps to lengthen the muscle tissue. It wants to tighten after being exercised. The point is to help the muscles heal faster. If I sat at home on the couch I would get tight and sore. Muscles need blood and good sleep to heal.

After the ball routine I'm warmed up and ready for 50 minutes on the stationary bike at 65% of my maximum heart rate which is 168.

Then I do a very short ab routine (3 minutes) front and side planks for 30 seconds each.

Follow this with a 15 minute stretching routine. I do 10 repetitions, holding the stretch for 3 seconds max. NO static stretching it cause tears in already tight and stressed muscles.

The final step is 3 minute cold first then hot plunges 3 times for a total of 18 minutes.

Does this sound like a day of rest? Burned about 600 calories with a low intensity workout that should help me prepare for the assault tomorrow.

Hard Day Routine

posted November 2005

Follow me around today and you would find:

1. Breakfast consists of oatmeal, peanut butter, blueberries, skim milk, 1 piece of pumpernickle bread, 4 egg whites, 1 scoop of cookies and cream protein powder. About 600 calories. Get ready for the gym and leave 45 minutes later.

2. AM workout: Warm up for 5 minutes followed by intense interval anaerobic workout for 30 minutes burning 521 calories. Followed by 1 minute in hot tub then 1 minute in cold plunge (55 degrees) this is one cycle. Did 5 cycles.

3. Lunch at the gym with a friend, protein shake with banana, blueberries, and walnuts. 550 calories.

4. Home for 1 1/2 hours.

5. Afternoon workout: Dynamic Warmup, Elasticity drills, Strength training. 450 calories burned. Slimfast high protein right after workout (200 calories). Followed by 3 minutes in cold tank and 3 in hot...3 cycles. Shower then home.

6. Afternoon snack: Yogurt, 20 almonds/pecans/walnuts, 1/2 cup grapes, 1/2 cup tuna blend (yogurt, celery, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, 4 oz albacore tuna) About 450 calories

7. Dinner: Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato, Veggies, 20 pecans, Apple About 600 calories.

8. Bedtime snack Nofat cottage cheese, 10 nuts, blueberries or cherries (frozen). About 250 calories. Sometimes I'll eat a protein bar (Zone or Myoplex lite).

Bed around 12:30 am. Sleep for 7-7.5 hours.

This is typical for M,T,Th,Fr. I'll burn 4,000 calories in that time frame just exercising.

The other days are recovery. I'll post that routine later.

Visit to Ducktown

After 3 weeks of travel including visits to Chicago, Gettsburg, Richmond, Hilton Head, Savannah, Ducktown and Oak Ridge, Tn we're back home. Managed to eat out and still my weight on November 11th is the same as on October 15th exactly 183.8 pounds! Amazing!

Did manage to exercise along the way at least 3 days a week. In Sandusky found a gym built to honor a local donor. It was a great little place South of 80/90. Amazing that a little town had such a nice facility (pool, indoor track,basketball court, day care, etc) It's part of healthclubs.com IHRSA network. The network entitles user to a discount. It cost me $5 to $10 per day.

The Richmond Athletic Club was so-so, but a BIG improvment over Hampton Inns and Marriotts "Fitness Rooms!" The Marriott in Cherokee, NC had one working treadmill and bike. The bikes in most hotels didn't work right. I had them set to Max resistance and could barely get my heart rate up to target.

Breakway fitness in Hilton Head was the best. Cheerful staff (dress for Halloween...the "good/evil desk clerk was really cute!), good equipment, so-so locker room. Managed to take a spinning class. It was there that Donna gave me the most intense massage ever, bordering on torture. But I felt fine the next day!

The best was a 12 miles bike ride on the beach on my "recovery day."

The VERY best was an early morning workout in Oakridge, TN with a dear friend at "The Rush" a very cool gym.

Originally posted November 2005

December 2009 another Sinus infection?

Having similar problems after bout with sore throat and headache... Started eating cashews/pecans/walnut/macadamia nut mix about the same time. So I stopped that mix. Sore throat from Friday afternoon until Monday evening, plus headache and bodyaches. Headache since Friday, but it eased up until Monday morning. No workouts since Friday which was a hard day. (1400 calories weights then spin)

But could this be just your average viral cold?  Starting to think this is just your common cold (caused by virus).

Virus attaches itself to mucus membranes in mouth, nose, and throat.  Immune system response causes, low grade fever (high body temp destroys virus), swelling of mucus membranes as white blood cells are released to fight virus.  The extra blood in the membranes causes them to swell causing stuffiness and sore throat.

Very few people get colds in the summer due to higher temps.  Sauna and steam rooms might help kill viruses.  Decongestants don't do anything accept make us more comfortable, but the mucus needs to flow to get rid of the virus.  Anti-histamines might help if part of the problem is an allergic reaction to other foreign allergens.

"When you see green mucus when you cough or sneeze, you are seeing a sign of where your body is at in the process. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), green mucus actually appears near the end of the illness because the healthy bacteria found in parts of the body, such as the nose, are starting to grow back and is sometimes present in the mucus being expelled from the body. On the other hand, yellow mucus tends to appear when the immune system starts fighting back against the invader by throwing its entire arsenal at the virus or bacteria. Clear mucus is most common during the first parts of the illness as your body tries to wash away the invader."

About Me

60 year old as of 2009 reformed couch potato who now works for a Health Club as a certifed Spinning instructor.

Besides my 3 children, I'm most proud of my health and fitness gains since retiring at the age of 51. The knowledge gains have been passed on to many people including my kids. I hope to inspire others to follow a path to health and fitness by personal example and sharing of knowledge.

During the first 3 years of becoming fit I lost 60 pounds of bodyfat, reduced pant waist size from 40" to 31" and a dramatic improvement in life quality.

I'm a health nut who is repulsed by most modern medicine, which mainly treats the symptom but not the root cause. The only way to a healthy and happy life is through exercise and proper nutrition.

A breakthrough in my health came from the discovery of dairy and gluten "sensitivities."  Today I can smell and taste like a normal person. I use a saline rinse periodically, but have not used meds for years.  The revelation cured my sinus problems, not meds or surgery. Practical expertised backed gained from personal success is what I have to offer.

In 10-2009 my VO2 max was tested to be 51.09 which is off the scale good for +60 year old.  My HDL is 89 while LDL is 101.  I have zero calcification according to a heart scan.  Recently I ran in a 5 mile race and finished in just over 8 minute mile average and 10th place in the +60 group.

Results of my 10-2007 Wellness screen:

BMI 23.5
Waist/Hip Ratio: .86 (Under .95 best for men)
Waist: 31"
Weight: 178
Height: 6' 2 3/4"
Sitting heart rate: 56
Blood Pressure: 100/58
Triglycerides: <45 (so low the machine couldn't read)
Total Cholesterol: 171
HDL: 84
LDL: no reading (too low again)
TC/HDL ratio: 2.0 (below 4 is desirable for men)
Glucose: 88

At the worst my Glucose was 133 (diabetic by todays standards), Triglycerides over 200, Ratio 2.05, Waist 40", and BMI 30.

Having HDL higher than LDL is very rare according to Cardiologists!   HDL was 86 and LDL 81 in 2004.

Turkey Trot 2009

finished in 40:39..... average heart rate 162. Placed 10th in 60-64 age group. 771th out of 2857 timed participants.

Top of right foot sore later in the evening..recurring problem that I haven't seen in a few months.

Stress Test 10/2009

The Cooper Clinic in Dallas used the Balke Protocol.   My VO2 max was estimated to be 51.09 based on the completion time of 25 minutes. A formula is used to estimate V02 max= (1.444 x actual time) + 14.99.  Max. heart rate was 179 which is "superior" for a 60 year old.  The record for my age group was 31 minutes, but after 25 minutes the speed is gradually increased until the client says "uncle."  I REALLY had to push to reach the 25 minutes, but had no chest pain/dizziness, etc.

About one interval session per week. Did 5 mile run at 162 average HR (40:39)...still had some left in the tank but finished at 172 downhill. My bodyfat is down about 1 percent from last year...14.3% Still too high to be a serious runner...but that's ok.

My VO2max calculates at 51.09 based on 25 minute stress test...this is really high and I doubt the formula.

So here are my new workout Heart Rates based on the 179.

Long and slow runs go to 143 maximum.
80% 143
70% 125
60% 107
65% 116
Recovery days: 98-116 (day after hard intervals)
Long Slow Aerobic base building 125-143
Medium intensity: 143-161
High intensity intervals: 166-179

Cooper Clinic Physical Results 10/2009

October 2009:
Weight 181
Height 6'2"
MDCT Scan 0 calcium
Total Cholesterol 206
HDL 89
LDL 101
Ratio: 2.3
Triglyceride 73
Glucose: 93
PSA: .40
Vitamin D: 47
CRP (C-reactive protein): .16
Bodyfat 14.5%
BP pre-stress test 110/67
25 minute stress test at 3.3 MPH grade from 0 to 25 ("Superior")
(record for 60 year old is 31 minutes)
Maximum heart rate 179; Peak BP 164/57
Recovery: 34 in one minute...(dropped from 179 to 145)
Bone Density: Spine normal, hips show bone loss (starting 1000 mg. calcium per day)

Dematologist scan showed no skin cancer, but several "pre-cancer spots" were treated with Nitrogen. Two molds removed... both tested benign.

Why do we work out?

posted November 2008

In spinning class today the teacher asked during a dose of motivation, "ARE YOU HERE TO BURN CALORIES!!??" I chuckled to myself, "working out just to burn calories is just narrow thinking." I'm here for the "health of it" and burning calories, I'm sorry.....ISN'T the reason!

Isn't it odd that in this "modern" world we have to invent ways to be active? We ride "stationary" bikes, walk on a treadmill, lift seemingly meaningless weights. Imagine the consternation of a time traveler from the 1500's who drops into a "Lifetime Fitness" and finds all these strange looking people doing meaningless work! Once they got past the plasma big screens and the skimpy clothes the traveler would be stunned to learn that we travel by auto and not by foot. We get our food from stores and not from the garden. We eat all of the sweets we want and all of the salt. Alcohol is cheaper than water? HUH?

It's upside down world in many ways, but can anything match the way we exercise and abuse our bodies. For years we've invented ways to make our lives less active. Drive-in's, drive through banks, microwaves, automatic car washes and garage door openers, snow blowers and lawn mowers, vacuums, weed killer, electric shavers, telephones and email have robbed us of a reason to move.

Furthermore, we eat too much sugary, salt, saturated fat, and we just eat too much of everything. We eat way more food than we need and gain extra pounds to carry around as our penalty. Another thing that would bewilder a time traveler!

We now understand that a sedentary life leads to premature disability at best and at worst death. Since we have the easy life as a career we had to find ways to move when we are off duty. We do so for the health of it.

Coming Back from a Break in Training

posted winter 2009

I recently took off about 2 1/2 weeks from lifting and upon return CHANGED up my routine without cutting back the reps OR the weight from the previous session. Mon: Chest and Back, medium cardio; Tues: Recovery; Wednesday: Legs and hard cardio; Thursday: recovery.....Legs were really sore, Friday: legs sore! Played Golf, Sat: Legs still sore! Played golf. Sunday legs still sore.

By MONDAY legs were ok back to normal workout..

Lessons learned!

1. After 2 1/2 weeks off we feel great,
2. But should cut sets by eliminating the top weight set during the "comeback" week.
3. NEVER start a new routine after being off for 2 1/2 weeks

10,000 calories burned per week

Summer workout schedule:

posted September 2009

For reference I take no prescription medications or pain relievers of any kind. I do take supplements like glucosamine chondroitin, etc. (all I listed in the file section "Rads Supplements)

I'm 60 and here's my workouts this week:

Sunday: Walked/carried clubs 18 holes of golf (1600 calories)
Monday: Spinning Class 45 minutes, Full body weight lifting workout 40 minutes, 18 holes of golf riding in cart
Tuesday: Light 6 mile jog with 3 dogs, Walked/carried clubs 18 holes of golf
Wednesday: Hard 20 mile bike ride averaging 18 MPH, 18 holes of golf riding in cart
Thursday: 60 hard lifting and sprinting workout
Friday: 16 mile easy bike ride; Walked/carried clubs 18 holes of golf
Saturday: Walked/carried clubs 18 holes of golf

Total calories burned: 10,000....which is about the average per week during golf season.

About every 8 weeks I take 4-5 days off...just walking or golfing.

The new paradigm is that seniors don't have to take meds to perform... This is especially true if we take care in the foods we eat and the quality of exercise and rest we get. Much of the muscle soreness I had in the early days has gone away with elimination of things that cause inflammation. The trick is to find out what they are! For me it was dairy and gluten...

Aerobic Conditioning

posted March 2009

March 31, 2009

Aerobic Base Building is the single most important way to reduce body fat, next to eating wisely. Working out just below the tipping point from Aerobic to Anaerobic is the key to training your body to burn fat instead of sugar (glucose).

For many years I've struggled to understand that despite busting my butt in the gym my body fat remained in the 13-15% range. The reason is that I had trained my body to prefer glucose as fuel by doing weekly Anaerobic sessions. An Aerobic conditioned athlete burns fat for fuel during training. Too much Anaerobic Threshold work turns off fat burning and creates other negative side effects such as cravings for sugar.

To find your Aerobic baseline number use 180-age +/- 5-10 depending on conditioning. Example age 60: 180-60= 120. Add 10 if you are in great condition, 5 if good. Subtract 10 if you're just resuming exercise, and 5 if you're deconditioned. Stay just below the baseline number to train your body to become a fat burning machine. One your reach your targeted body fat then introduce Anaerobic training (about 10% of the work) to increase your fitness further.

If you're working out hard and not getting the desired results then you need to working solely on Aerobic conditioning. Forget the hard stuff until later!

One of the side effects of too much Anaerobic conditioning is the over production of cortisol. This is a normal adaptation response to exercise stimulus. Too much cortisol is an UNWANTED side effect for most people because it results in loss of muscle.

The body needs fuel. Glucose (sugars), fat, muscle, and lactate can be turned into fuel by a body. If you could pick what fuel your body used which would it be? The highly conditioned endurance athlete prefers the use of FAT and Lactate as fuel. This results in a lean and therefore easier to move body! Most exercisers don't want to lose muscle so we need to pay attention to cortisol levels in the blood!

Lactate is a byproduct of the burning of glucose as fuel. The "burn" felt in muscles is caused by the build-up of lactate. Training in the Anaerobic zone teaches the body to tolerate and even burn lactate for fuel. This is one of the benefits of Anaerobic training.

Here's a test for those interested in increasing their level of cardiovascular fitness. It's called MAF (Maximum Aerobic Function). This is for the person who is already exercising 5-6 days a week.

Steps:

1. 10 minute warm-up
2. 20 minutes of exercise on a treadmill (something that measures distance) at EXACTLY 80% of your maximum heart rate. (use the formula 180-age +/- 5-10 depending on your condition. Adjust the speed or resistance to maintain 80% over the entire 20 minutes. Keep the elevation constant.
3. Record the distance traveled for exactly 20 minutes.
4. Repeat in 3 weeks while doing ONLY aerobic exercise (below 80%).
5. You should see an improvement.
6. Repeat every 3 weeks.
7. Once you hit a plateau (distance traveled doesn't increase) then introduce Anaerobic threshold training to improve fitness. Time in the Anaerobic zone should be no more than 15% of your workout time including warm-up and warm-down. Do this for about 4 weeks then return to training in the 80% zone. Retest then start again!
8. For every Anaerobic workout then do a recovery day (65% or less).

Here's what you'll accomplish:
1. Increase Aerobic fitness and all the benefits.
2. Reduced body fat as you train your body to use FAT as it's primary source of fuel.
3. Reduced production of cortisol.

If you tend to crave sugar or sweet things then you'll need to make an effort over the first few weeks to cut back on these foods. Substitute protein, good fat, and carbohydrate from veggies for pasta, rice, fruit, etc.

Update November 4, 2009: Stress test showed maximum heart rate of 179. Bodyfat is around 14%. Been doing Anaerobic drills 2x's a week for about 2 weeks. Hopefully, will see performance gains.

Plyometric Phase

posted spring 2007

This phase is when I utilized Plyometrics to train my new strength to be "explosive." Strength isn't useful for many athletes if it's not translated into power. Track atletes who train with weights only will lose speed. They have to train with weights in the off season to build strength and then use plyometrics to harness that strength.

Friday workout:

AM Workout: Burned it up 612 calories...a difficult 40 minute ride.

Followed by an apple and a protein bar then a 1 hour break.

2nd Workout: 662 calories burned....1/2 hour of explosive moves with medicine ball or jumping. The other half included push-ups on the ball, pull-ups and a rope/cable circuit.

Monday was replica of Friday. Tues and Thursday were recovery days with a massage on Thursday.

Wednesday included Squats (230 lbs x 8), Curls on a machine, Cable work, and plyometric routine similar to Mon. and Fri.

Cardio on Wednesday was running about 3 miles of intervals after lifting. My calves and knees were tight. Slept fine on Wednesday and no pain on Thursday.

Today I feel super!

Tooth Ache

posted  February 2009

More accurately, Jaw ache, same issue as last summer. Started taking anti-biotic again. I hate this stuff, but here are the options:

1. Take anti-biotic and hope it helps my body's defenses kill of the infection at the base of the root.
2. Surgery to clean the infections, clip off the tip of the root, and risking nerves in my face at risk.
3. Do nothing and be in pain not to mention the loss of bone as the infection feeds on my skull.....hmmm will pass on that one.

Symptoms also include facial pain, and increase mucus in throat in nose.

Just when I was feeling really good...DAMN!

Took the anti-biotic...felt better in 3 days.

Discussed with local Dentist and main one in Michigan..decided to have tooth pulled and replaced with a dental implant.

This is a 9 month process. Part 1: pull tooth, remove infected bone and tissue, add bone graft, seal it up with stitches then wait 4 months. Part 2: add titanium post, then wait for 4 months to take hold. Part 3: Have porcelain tooth installed. Then live beyond the porcelain's life expectancy 30 years.

Part 1 took 1 1/2 hours in the chair and was a could be expected. Next day I'm sore but no worse than the tooth/Jaw ache last week.

The tooth root was cracked according to the Dentist (proved later to be true). That's why the infection was chronic.

Unable to "exercise for 4 days...light jog only on Friday. Will see.

Picture: Day 7 after tooth extraction plus bone transplant:

[caption id="attachment_216" align="alignleft" width="800" caption="6 days after tooth removal"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_218" align="alignleft" width="800" caption="Tissue healed Bone Graft"][/caption]

2 week anniversary and jaw aches at times is fine at others...strange. Still some stitches remain, but everything looks fine according to Doc.. ie. not infections around tooth.

Within 4 weeks the transplanted bone was covered with new tissue. In a month I'll have a titanium transplant (false root) which will secure a false tooth. The jaw infection seems to be gone with no side effects.

7 weeks and I sometimes forget that the tooth is gone! A sharp pumpkin seed is quick to remind.

$5000 on the way to becoming the $6 million dollar man....titanium implant installed 2 weeks ago. Oozing stopped in 3 days. Never took pain meds.. (vicadin prescribed) no Motrin...just Ice the first day. Two weeks later it feels great.

[caption id="attachment_215" align="alignleft" width="800" caption="Day of Implant"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_217" align="alignleft" width="800" caption="Implant"][/caption]

As of 11/1/2009 This was a long process, but now I don't even think about it when I chew.... Feels like the real thing!

Update: Implant took hold and new crown in place...starting to forget this is a fake permanent tooth. It handles raw almonds no problem!

Picture of finished crown to follow later!