Welcome to my room of twisted ramblings, recovery from a traumatic brain injury, athletic training, vegan munchies, music sensations, confused social barking and such.
This week was ended on a - a note. As I posted earlier in a long Facebook post (I will save my readers and not repost it), I need to reevaluate my fitness and recovery goals somewhat. The week was shorter athletically due to my bike crash and injuries. They are relatively minor, thankfully.
To the point: NBRs continue. Again I think I drank a few extra beers but the new alcohol control system - it is on track. Hopefully this week will have less 'infractions' - still, the awareness has served me well and overall my drinking has been by diminished by at least 95 percent. And yes, increased water consumption has continued as a replacement to the beers.
Week totals:
Running: 44.84 miles
Biking: 2.5 miles
NBR (drinking: 3 glasses of wine (1/2 bottle), 8 beers
Another good week training - plant powered. lots of running speed work and a slight increase in bike volume too. Finishing the week in Atlanta, GA and the cooler temps/lower humidity is such a mental boost. Tonight will highlight the purpose of the trip: The Jayhawks at The Variety Theater. I'm excited but especially so for Mimi. She has never seen them and really loves them!
NBRs has gone well as well. We have kept our drinking down to a minimum and I have replaced it with peasant juice (water). It seems to be working well.
Week totals:
Running: 37.46 miles
Biking: 134.5 miles
NBR (drinking: 3 glasses of wine (1/2 bottle), 5 beers
Ran relaxed for two hours today. A newer route version. Nice weather; windy
10/24/14
Run - 7.72 miles - pace: 7:35 - 139 avg HR
Decent run considering my bike crash yesterday has my legs and arms layered in a crusty road rash.
Reconsidering my athletic goals. I am still motivated, however I may be taking on too much; more than what I can handle related to my physical post-traumatic-brain-injury ability. Since my brain injury I have attempted to regain my past athletic tempo relentlessly. I have trained and raced and suffered multiple injuries (including additional car v. bike accidents). I have improved but my results have caused mostly sadness. I have high expectations. Perhaps life is evolving differently for me now. Should I succomb? Accept my limitations? Life is hard.
10/23/14
Bike: 8:30 - crash - no comment
10/22/14
1:15:00 - 9.01 miles, avg HR 127, even pace.
10/21/14
Travel - flying home today.
10/20/14
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Confederate Memorial
A sad blemish in American history. This bas-relief (worlds largest) of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. In my opinion these Civil War moguls were traitors. Still I did run to the top of it twice today. 5 miles and nearly 1500 feet of elevation gain.
10/1914
Trail run in Georgia, 9.0 miles, 1030' elevation gain, 1:30:00. Good run and very enjoyable. A big and welcomed change from SoFla. 70 degrees. Unfortunately my Garmin kept losing its connection so I may have run longer...
Time to start packing. Mimi and I are flying to Atlanta early in the morning to see The Jayhawks at The Variety Playhouse (www.variety-playhouse.com):
Bike 40.4 mi, 2:04:00 19.5 avg. mph, 119 avg hr, a little cooler out today. Nice!
10/17/14
Run 10.19 miles, 1:19:00, track intervals
scheduled workout:
Type: Run Planned Duration: 1:00 Description: WU: 15' easy jog. Short stretching session. Then do 2 laps around the track jogging the curves and accelerating near top end speed on straights. Then jog another lap easy. Then 4 x 1000m Z6 with 1 lap easy jog recovery between each. Even split each repeat staying at Z6 pace. Then do 4 x 400m with 200m jog recovery between each. Effort for the 400's is Z8, but with good form. If your technique is poor, then slow it down a bit. Then do 10 x 100m on grass infield accelerating from easy to near top end speed. Recovery is 15" between each 100m. CD: Easy 10' jog.
Slowly, I am seeing progress. I have a long way to go, but the hard work is starting to pay off.
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So my light New Balance training flats are past-dead... I was looking in the newest issue of Runner's World this morning and they had an article on 'throw-back' running shoes that are being re-offered. I found these Saucony racers from the early 1980's for $60 on Amazon. Less than 6 ounces; so they are basically a racing flat. I can't wait to try them because if they work for me, I will buy some backups!
Saucony Bullet (vegan racers)
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Ramone loves the beach, the snow, and all humans too.
10/16/14
Run 10.12 miles, 1:17:00, with 5 times <7:00 per mile intervals... I'm starting to feel a touch of the old me (pre-traumatic brain injury). Yay!
As of Oct. 14, it has been 50 years since the civil rights leader won the Nobel Peace Prize. Regardless, as a people, we have yet to realize in full, the dream of Rev Martin Luther King Jr.
10/1514
Bike 38.5 miles, 2:03:00.
Nice ride from Pompano Beach on A1A through Boca Raton and Delray Beach and then back. Wicked hard rain for about 15-20 miles. It actually felt good.
10/14/14
AM - Good run, new route.
Run 9.1 miles, 1:14:00
PM - Bike 27.1 miles, 1:30:00
hot and windy, tired-ish
eat more vegetables
10/13/14
Run 8.12 miles, 1:02:00.
Nice 1 hour run today. Pretty windy. Steady Pace. 1st 10k in <47:00 then a bit slower on the cool down. I called Garmin last week cause my heart rate monitor is not recording accurately. Hopefully the replacement will arrive soon.
10/12/14 Bike - 28.5- mi 1:30:00 (heat, humidity, wind) Early morning ride. Football Sunday - go Cowboys, go Dolphins, go Broncos! Mimi and I have been sharing football Sunday's with Jimbo (her dad); I will allow myself a couple of beers today - maybe - cuz Jimbo is a Milwaukee beer expert/aficionado.
Me and Jimbo sporting our Pabst Blue Ribbon 2013 Christmas vests.
Week 2 of NBRs (New Booze Rules) starts today. Week 1 was easier than I thought it would be... Also it should be noted that Mimi and I are 7 sleeps away from our quick trip to Atlanta to see The Jayhawks at Variety Playhouse.
Well another week is in the books. Training went well, with
some speed work and mental/dietary focus. Further, to aid in my weight-loss
goals, I have decided to put drinking of alcohol on a strict allowance.
Week totals:
Running: 38.2 miles
Biking: 104.75 miles
Drinking: 3 glasses of wine (1/2 bottle)
Not drinking every night of the week is a dramatic
change. I really enjoy relaxing with wine at dinner. The problem is, it doesn't
end there. I usually continue on to beer and/or a second bottle of wine (with a
little help from Mimi). Still, I have to keep my goals ahead of what I think is
quality living. I train a lot and still I am
still struggling with my post TBI weight gain. I have lost most of the 35
pounds that I gained, but now I am in the tough final stretch. Without diligence,
I probably will not lose the last 8-10 pounds that I believe is essential in
order to reach my pre-accident athletic levels. I’m sure, there are other
physical/medical reasons - that I do not understand - but I am certain that if
I want to at least approach my previous level of fitness, I must commit in all
areas.
10/11/14:
Run - 10.1- mi 1:33:00 (975' elevation gain). Ran out at the trash heap today (Vista View Park). Ended up getting a decent amount of elevation gain - for South Florida - and felt pretty good today. No big fade which has been typical as of late. Hot as hell due to my late start.
Top 10 Benefits of Drinking Water: Don't Medicate, Hydrate!
1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue – Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!
2. Promotes Weight Loss – Removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (by filling up your tummy if consumed prior to meals), reduces hunger (hello natural appetite suppressant!), raises your metabolism and has zero calories!
3. Flushes Out Toxins – Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).
4. Improves Skin Complexion – Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!
5. Maintains Regularity – Aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.
6. Boosts Immune System – A water guzzler is less likely to get sick. And who wouldn't rather feel healthy the majority of the time? Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu, cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.
7. Natural Headache Remedy – Helps relieve and prevent headaches (migraines & back pains too!) which are commonly caused by dehydration.
8. Prevents Cramps & Sprains - Proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.
9. Puts You in a Good Mood – When the body is functioning at its best, you will feel great and be happy!
10. Save Money! - Water is FREE! Even if you choose bottled/filtered water, it’s STILL cheaper than that high sugar and fat-filled latte!
10/10/14:
Bike - 29.5 - mi 1:31:00 (1.5 hours with a few 10 minute tempo segments). I swear it is harder riding in the Florida heat, humidity and wind than its is to ride the mountains of Colorado. I don't know the science, but I tend to think training in the wind down here in the Florida swamp is more effective training than climbing Colorado mountains. Here in Florida, there are no downhills. Other than that, I am thankful that the hottest days of summer may be fading away for the year; regardless, I really miss training in the Aspen,Vail and the Leadville, CO vicinity.
10/9/14:
Run (track intervals) - 1:17:00 - 3.25 mile warm-up/jog then 6 x 800 meter track intervals @ 3:20 on a 400 meter cool down. Plus a mile slow jog.
10/8/14
Bike (2 hours) - Steady ride on north on A1A from Pompano Beach and back. Bike needs a tune-up.
10/7/14
Run - (Royal Palm Loop) - 9.4 mi - Z2 - Pretty easy pace. 2nd day in a row that the first 10k went well before I noticeably faded. Booze free again yesterday!
10/6/14
Run - (Royal Palm loop) 9.5mi - Schedule easy run; I picked it up however, for about 5 miles because I felt a little better today than I have for the past few days. My team-mate, Mimi Reeves, flies home from her class reunion today. I can't wait to see her! A team is plural; however I have been solo for a week too long...
10/5/14
I am running a lot. I have logged 2000+ miles for the second year in a row (well over 6000 over the last 3 years). Prior to my traumatic brain injury, I never ran 2000 miles in a single year. Back then I was a much faster runner. I recorded multiple sub 3 hour marathons, a 1:17:00 half marathon and a 35:00 10k. Decent times for an age-group athlete. Now, still recovering; though I run a lot more than in the old days, I am much slower. Still, I battle. I have a feeling it is because I have gained a lot of weight since the August, 2009 car v. me collision. At the time of the accident I weighed in at 138 lbs (5'8"). In November of 2011 I stepped on the scale at 174 lbs despite having logged 1900 miles running that year. I didn't understand it; I was very frustrated. At that time, me and my girlfriend became vegans. Since then, I have shed a lot of the weight but not nearly all. I am still 10 pounds heavy. Further, my running is not near my pre-accident levels. Granted, I am older and in an ongoing recovery, but my expectations remain greater than my results. I can only conclude that even though I count daily, my caloric intake is too high. Reason: I drink a lot. At least a 6 pack per day with multiple glasses of wine as well. I enjoy drinking, but - I want to lose the girth more. My running is important to me and I know that my speeds will increase with the needed weight-loss. As of yesterday, I have committed to giving up the booze (kind of...). Today is day two of no alcohol. My fingers are crossed. I should add that I do intend to drink 'sometimes' but only on special occasions or perhaps, one dinner per week. Presently, I do not know my exact weight; because getting on the scale was becoming obsessive and not helping me. I will weigh myself soon, so that I have a charting of my progress. Also, since becoming vegan 2 years ago, I am down from the aforementioned weight of 174 to 147 pounds. The goal is to be 140 or less. Forward.
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