I suppose it happens to all athletes at some point in time. A person can only push themselves so far and for so long. At some point in time the body just can't sustain exertion. Cyclists call it bonking, others call it hitting the wall. That's just what I've done. I'm not sure if it was a combination of the heat and exertion or what but, yesterday I slammed face first into that unseen wall of fatigue and being unable to continue. The feeling is overwhelming for anyone who's faced this I'm sure can understand and for myself was a complete shock to my system. I was ill prepared for the impact.
I started off as I normally do working up my cadence and effort as I cycled along an unknown course. I like to change my scenery often and so, I don't plan ahead of time what direction I'll ride until I get to an intersection. Yesterday, my eyes were set on the mountains. I made my way towards the mountains taking my time and not wasting my energy. Once I reached the base of the mountain I took a deep breath and a few drinks of water and made my gut check. For those who cycle, the mountain is a category 3 climb with 8% inclines in places. Not the most grueling but, for an amateur like myself it's a very intense climb. It leaves my legs screaming and my heart racing. I feel like I've lost 2 pounds of water by the time I reach the top.
Today was a complete gut check. As I made my assent I could just feel my energy levels draining. I was for some reason loosing strength and my cadence slowing. Being that this was not my first time up the climb I am familiar with my normal cadence up the road. I wasn't close. I checked my gear thinking I may have been in a higher gear than normal but, wasn't. I was struggling with only a quarter way up. "What the f&@k," I thought to myself. I was confused and my effort was messing with my head.
Midway and I was doing everything just to keep moving forward. I was yanking on the handlebars as I put everything I had into pushing/pulling on the pedals. I didn't even look up I concentrated on 10 feet in front of me. I didn't want to see how much further I had.
At three quarters I was exhausted. I was sucking wind just to continue breathing. My mouth was dry but, I was afraid to take a drink for fear of losing my breath. My legs at this time were on fire and I was beginning to shake. I was getting chills even though it was 90 degrees out and I was in the sun. I wanted to stop and turn around and just let gravity pull me back to the bottom and go home. I pushed on.
The top has a nice spot to pull off on and rest and that's just what I did. I drank 20 ounces of Gatorade and prepared for the descent. I was completely spent. I couldn't get the lactic acid out of my legs and I still had the chills.
I made my way home. My plan for the day was to make it a long ride but, I knew I'd never make it. My turn off to go home just happened to be blocked by a few trucks and ended up making a detour which I regret. I ended up adding 10 miles onto my ride and once home collapsed in a chair and just sat. I don't know for how long I sat, quite a while by my estimates. I spent the rest of the evening trying to get my energy back.
A day later and I am still exhausted. I don't have much strength. I've been exercising for years and know the feeling. I hit a wall yesterday. It is only the third time I can remember this happening. It is a combination of too much, too often, not following an optimal diet for the effort and not getting enough rest. I should have listened to my body more closely. My diet wasn't bad but, my rest hasn't been there and I knew it.
I'm writing this as a follow up to my last post. Listen to your body and don't tell it to shut up unless you have to or are willing to accept the outcomes. I knew I was in bad shape before even hitting the quarter way mark on the climb yesterday but, pushed on. Smart decision, that's a personal choice. I enjoy pushing myself as far as I can. I know that I will have days like this and just have to refuel and rest to recover. It is something that annoys my wife but, I just can't help doing it from time to time. I feel I improve, even a fraction, after every time I do so. But, know your limits!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
We Can All Live Active Lives
What does it mean to live an active lifestyle? How does one go about living a healthy and active life? These are a couple of questions I've asked myself throughout the years. My opinions have been all over the board. At one point in time I thought weightlifting was the end all be all. If you didn't lift, you couldn't possibly be healthy. Looking back I think to myself, "boy what an idiot," I can't believe I actually bought that crap. My philosophy has changed and become much more diverse. I have realized it takes just a little bit of a whole lot to stay healthy but, a whole lot more to get there.
I started out skinny and very lean so, naturally I wanted more muscle mass. I ate big, lifted big and ultimately got bigger. By the time all was said and done I went from 145lbs. to 235lbs...in the course of 17 years. I took the long road, stopping hear and there depending on my finances and job. There was 5 years of college, then the unknown number of years working 14 hour days and then kids. I was amazed to wake up at 235lbs. one day. It was a goal I had set when I was 15. Of course as I looked down at the scale I had to lean forward a bit, my stomach was in the way. I had not gained all muscle mass as I had set out to do. Yeah, I lifted regularly but, my diet was horrible and all I did was lift. I had no way of burning off the excess calories I was consuming.
Discouraged and depressed I set out to change all this. I had been studying nutrition and exercise since I was 13 and knew enough to get my ass back in shape. I sat down worked out a schedule and dietary plan. Made all the proper calculations, bought all the right foods and got to it. Two weeks later I was craving a McDonald's cheeseburger like you wouldn't believe. Not just, "I'm hungry for a cheeseburger," but, the kind of craving you would be willing to walk through fire for. And, I don't like eating McDonald's. I did what I normally do and fell off the wagon calling it a "cheat day." That day became so frequent it lost all meaning and became my diet.
Time to revise. Went back through and reformatted my plans and tried again. Same results. I think I did this another 2 times before I finally threw my notebook in the burn barrel. The only thing I was doing at the time consistently was cycling. I was borrowing a bike from a friend and riding about three times a week. It was then I decided to just concentrate on that. Baby steps. So, I cycled. I started making gradual changes in my diet and going slow. Nothing drastic and nothing too quick. Within a month or so I had stopped drinking soda, stopped eating junk food and was eating quite regularly. I had a bad habit of skipping breakfast and just eating a big lunch and bigger dinner.
My body responded. I began losing body-fat. I know this because my cloths began to fit looser. By the end of the summer I had actually managed to fit into an old pair of jean I never thought possible. I was ecstatic and disappointed when the weather changed and cycling became unbearable because of the cold. I didn't have the money to afford winter gear and so the bike sat in the garage. I took up barefoot running earlier in the year to cross train my legs and lessen the impact on my knees and so, became my go to exercise.
During the winter I incorporated body weight exercises about twice a week to assist my running. But, either I just wasn't doing enough or I just eat a lot more in the winter I gained several pounds back on and was getting a little rounder again. By the end of winter I had gained about 10 of the 30 pounds I had lost back and was sitting at a nice 210. This time around though I knew what to do. I got back into cycling. I also continued to run. My diet lightened up by eating more fruit and less heavy foods also.
As I stand today I am 180 and carrying about 17% body-fat. I don't count calories or weigh out my food. I don't worry about certain meals. I just listen to my body. I eat desert, I eat pizza and I drink tequila. What I don't do is do any of those things often. I keep it simple. Drink on the weekends, pizza every now and again and only eat certain deserts and in smaller portions. I maintain the exercise philosophy to sweat once a day and not worry about distances or how fast I'm going but, concentrate on time out and enjoying being out. The longer you exercise at a moderate pace and allow your body to burn fat instead of muscle the leaner you become and the more endurance you gain.
I don't go to a gym because of cost and I don't feel like driving to and from a gym to workout when I can perform body weight exercise at home. I have also found some unconventional methods to work out my strength at home also. I lift, carry and throw various logs and stones. Put pull up bars outside as well as in and play with my kids more. It's amazing what wrestling around with two 40 pound kids will do for the arms and back.
Bottom line is that my life has force me to find more efficient ways to get and remain healthy. I don't spend money on a gym, running is virtually free and yes, I spent a nice chunk of change on a bike, I did so by choice. I could have very easily spent very little money on a used bike and gotten the same results. Either way I'm want it to be know most people could get healthier if they just got up and did something and slowly changed their diets. There are no fast ways to do it and to believe otherwise is just plain dumb. Infomercials feed ya a line of bullshit. They may want people to get healthy with their workouts but, bottom line is they do it to make money. I don't know one single person selling their workouts on TV that isn't making money off it.
People just need to take the initiative and "suck it up" for the first few months. Take it slow. Real slow if need be but, do something. Even if you just get up and walk to the end of your driveway everyday for a week. Do something. Then just gradually increase what you're doing as your body responds to it. Start listening to yourself. It's amazing how often we don't listen to our bodies. When I was overweight I felt like crap most of the time. I couldn't hear anything else. Once I started actually doing something my body started talking to me. At first it was in total revulsion that I would make it work but, as time went and I started adding more and more to its plate it would crave being used. I actually wake up looking forward to running in the morning or cycling in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest. I feel good afterwards.
I now understand what living an active lifestyle means. It means just that being active throughout your life. Not just once in a while but, all the time. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying. You don't want to push yourself to the point of exhaustion or cause yourself harm. I've been know to do that a few times because humans have the ability to tell their brains to shut up. Listen to your body. Go slow. Pace yourself but, do something everyday. It doesn't have to be much. Your body will let you know. But you have to know how to listen to it. You know there is a problem in America when our video games are being designed to get us off our asses to play the game. My recommendation is to put the game down and go outside. Just be active. Half the battle is won there.
I started out skinny and very lean so, naturally I wanted more muscle mass. I ate big, lifted big and ultimately got bigger. By the time all was said and done I went from 145lbs. to 235lbs...in the course of 17 years. I took the long road, stopping hear and there depending on my finances and job. There was 5 years of college, then the unknown number of years working 14 hour days and then kids. I was amazed to wake up at 235lbs. one day. It was a goal I had set when I was 15. Of course as I looked down at the scale I had to lean forward a bit, my stomach was in the way. I had not gained all muscle mass as I had set out to do. Yeah, I lifted regularly but, my diet was horrible and all I did was lift. I had no way of burning off the excess calories I was consuming.
Discouraged and depressed I set out to change all this. I had been studying nutrition and exercise since I was 13 and knew enough to get my ass back in shape. I sat down worked out a schedule and dietary plan. Made all the proper calculations, bought all the right foods and got to it. Two weeks later I was craving a McDonald's cheeseburger like you wouldn't believe. Not just, "I'm hungry for a cheeseburger," but, the kind of craving you would be willing to walk through fire for. And, I don't like eating McDonald's. I did what I normally do and fell off the wagon calling it a "cheat day." That day became so frequent it lost all meaning and became my diet.
Time to revise. Went back through and reformatted my plans and tried again. Same results. I think I did this another 2 times before I finally threw my notebook in the burn barrel. The only thing I was doing at the time consistently was cycling. I was borrowing a bike from a friend and riding about three times a week. It was then I decided to just concentrate on that. Baby steps. So, I cycled. I started making gradual changes in my diet and going slow. Nothing drastic and nothing too quick. Within a month or so I had stopped drinking soda, stopped eating junk food and was eating quite regularly. I had a bad habit of skipping breakfast and just eating a big lunch and bigger dinner.
My body responded. I began losing body-fat. I know this because my cloths began to fit looser. By the end of the summer I had actually managed to fit into an old pair of jean I never thought possible. I was ecstatic and disappointed when the weather changed and cycling became unbearable because of the cold. I didn't have the money to afford winter gear and so the bike sat in the garage. I took up barefoot running earlier in the year to cross train my legs and lessen the impact on my knees and so, became my go to exercise.
During the winter I incorporated body weight exercises about twice a week to assist my running. But, either I just wasn't doing enough or I just eat a lot more in the winter I gained several pounds back on and was getting a little rounder again. By the end of winter I had gained about 10 of the 30 pounds I had lost back and was sitting at a nice 210. This time around though I knew what to do. I got back into cycling. I also continued to run. My diet lightened up by eating more fruit and less heavy foods also.
As I stand today I am 180 and carrying about 17% body-fat. I don't count calories or weigh out my food. I don't worry about certain meals. I just listen to my body. I eat desert, I eat pizza and I drink tequila. What I don't do is do any of those things often. I keep it simple. Drink on the weekends, pizza every now and again and only eat certain deserts and in smaller portions. I maintain the exercise philosophy to sweat once a day and not worry about distances or how fast I'm going but, concentrate on time out and enjoying being out. The longer you exercise at a moderate pace and allow your body to burn fat instead of muscle the leaner you become and the more endurance you gain.
I don't go to a gym because of cost and I don't feel like driving to and from a gym to workout when I can perform body weight exercise at home. I have also found some unconventional methods to work out my strength at home also. I lift, carry and throw various logs and stones. Put pull up bars outside as well as in and play with my kids more. It's amazing what wrestling around with two 40 pound kids will do for the arms and back.
Bottom line is that my life has force me to find more efficient ways to get and remain healthy. I don't spend money on a gym, running is virtually free and yes, I spent a nice chunk of change on a bike, I did so by choice. I could have very easily spent very little money on a used bike and gotten the same results. Either way I'm want it to be know most people could get healthier if they just got up and did something and slowly changed their diets. There are no fast ways to do it and to believe otherwise is just plain dumb. Infomercials feed ya a line of bullshit. They may want people to get healthy with their workouts but, bottom line is they do it to make money. I don't know one single person selling their workouts on TV that isn't making money off it.
People just need to take the initiative and "suck it up" for the first few months. Take it slow. Real slow if need be but, do something. Even if you just get up and walk to the end of your driveway everyday for a week. Do something. Then just gradually increase what you're doing as your body responds to it. Start listening to yourself. It's amazing how often we don't listen to our bodies. When I was overweight I felt like crap most of the time. I couldn't hear anything else. Once I started actually doing something my body started talking to me. At first it was in total revulsion that I would make it work but, as time went and I started adding more and more to its plate it would crave being used. I actually wake up looking forward to running in the morning or cycling in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest. I feel good afterwards.
I now understand what living an active lifestyle means. It means just that being active throughout your life. Not just once in a while but, all the time. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying. You don't want to push yourself to the point of exhaustion or cause yourself harm. I've been know to do that a few times because humans have the ability to tell their brains to shut up. Listen to your body. Go slow. Pace yourself but, do something everyday. It doesn't have to be much. Your body will let you know. But you have to know how to listen to it. You know there is a problem in America when our video games are being designed to get us off our asses to play the game. My recommendation is to put the game down and go outside. Just be active. Half the battle is won there.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Vibram FiveFinger Review - One Year in the Making
Being a victim of a bad knee (went 10 years w/out an ACL and have completely torn up my meniscus) I was looking for a way to run w/out the constant pounding of pavement. I would run and have to use a cane to walk the following day when I ran as I always had, heel to toe. Then came the FiveFingers. I took the transition slow, walking around the yard and gravel driveway at first then going on mile jogs and eventually increasing my distance and speed.
I've never been a distance runner, always running sprints in school. I did notice that my distances continued to increase and I wasn't becoming fatigued as I had in the past. Soon I was running 5k's without much effort. Though I wouldn't consider myself a contender, I was running further than I ever had before. And I was doing so without having to ice my knee and use a cane to walk afterwards. Success, I thought to myself and went on a full out promotion of the shoes that held the key to my running happiness. I would show pictures of them to friends and colleagues. I was even able to convince a few to buy a pair for themselves.
Six months in my FiveFingers and I began to notice the sole pealing away from the stretch polymide fabric. I was a bit annoyed to say the least and contacted Vibram FiveFingers customer support about the issue. To say the least I wasn't satisfied with their response that I should just glue em back together. "No kidding," I thought to myself. I took the response in stride and simply "fixed" the problem and continued on.
I ran in my FiveFingers all summer & fall & even tried wearing them through the winter but, ended up with near frostbite one soggy morning. They were put away till spring. When the spring came I was in them almost always. I was using them as my everyday shoe. At some point in time I decided that after nearly a year in them I was going to put them to the test, I was going to wear them in every for every activity I could. I wore them hiking, climbing, running, in creeks, and my go to shoe. They handled well in all situations save one, hiking.
I have written on wearing them hiking so I won't go into too much detail but, the mountainous trails of south central PA are not kind to these minimalist shoes. I think my feet are pretty tough, I mean I can walk across gravel and trails without discomfort. I'm no Cody Lundin but, I would say my feet can handle more punishment than most. Anyways, the FiveFingers were no different than going barefoot on the Appalachian Trail. I tried it, barefoot and FiveFinger'd. The trail was just too much for either. The rocky trails and uneven ground put my feet and knees to the test and I eventually had to go to my cross trainers to continue hiking. I know my pace on a trail has some factor in my discomfort but, there is no denying that there is little protection against large jagged rocks growing up from the earth.
As of this week though I believe my FiveFingers have finally wore out. I have used them to run twice now and experienced blisters each time. I have notice they do not fit as snug and actually move a bit on my left foot. Which happens to be the same shoe I've had to repair twice. I have asked FiveFinges if the shoes, like most running shoes, have a lifespan. I haven't received an answer as of this posting. I am a bit sad by this but, will continue wearing them around the house and out. Running in them is not going to happen though.
Overall, I am happy with Vibram FiveFingers. Though I've had to repair them a few times and their customer service was a bit of a blow off, I still feel the product served their purpose. I have no idea how many miles I put on them and I'm not sure if the particular shoe I have was intended to be used on mountainous terrain. I would have like to have seen them last longer, of course, and perhaps if I had strictly used them for running they would have. I do intend to buy another pair to be used strictly for running and eventually get a pair of their Classics for everyday wear. I've never worn my running shoes as everyday shoes so why should I think FiveFingers different. After a year of use I'd rate them 8.5 / 10 if I was asked. I place them higher than any other running shoes I've worn and can't wait to get a new pair.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Appalachian Trail Experience - Part 2
The trail has definitely pushed my legs to their limits and beyond. I walked off the trail limping and completely drained and sore. My intent today was to push myself to it's limits and I painfully succeeded. I hiked a total of 24.9 miles in a little over 7 hours. Not a great pace but, somewhat respectable. I hiked through Michaux State Forest, more like mountains really. There was very little flat ground and was given a number of opportunities to rock climb. I knew starting out in the morning that the day would punish me but, I wasn't expecting the punishment to be so grueling.For this hike I wore a pair of New Balance cross trainers. I am upset with myself for not wearing my Vibram's but, I knew that I'd never finish the day if I wore them. My feet were still really tender from the previous days of trekking in them or bare foot. It was awkward for a while hiking in them. It was a bit odd not being able to "connect" with the ground but, I was so thankful within the first hour when I came to a quarter mile of medium sized rocky part of the trail. In my Vibram's it would have been a slow and careful navigation to avoid any real pain but, with the cross-trainers on I jogged.
My pace for the first half of the day was quite fast, around 5 mph. For most hikers the average pace is between 1.5 to 2.5 mph for the given terrain and pack weight I had with me. I remember passing other hikers along the path and hearing comments like, "What the f#ck?" "is he serious?" and one older gentleman told me to slow down. I was too "in my own world" to give any recognition to my fellow hikers and just would simply wave, say hi and pass them quickly by veering off the trail to pass. I wasn't waiting for anyone and was focused on my mission. I had a long hike ahead of me and didn't really want to be hiking in the dark. Little did I know my pace also was a hinderance.
The thing about keeping a quick pace in the mountains there are a lot of rough terrain to watch for, steep climbs and tough descents to manage. I am lucky that I have been able to maintain quick foot speed since playing soccer in my youth and am a strong hill climber with the help of a couple years of cycling under my belt, descents though, I got no game. I don't have a problem going downhill technically but, even though I am descend onto my midfoot the impact is still tremendous. My knee started feeling the impact by late morning. I ignored the pain and kept pressing onward. Big mistake.
By mid afternoon my knee had swollen and I was having trouble fully extending my leg. I had a noticable limp and I wasn't even thinking of a quick pace. I just wanted to get to the end of the trail to my pick up location. I was hiking through the woods audibly chastising myself for my foolishness. But, in that time as things slowed down. I began to see things I don't normally see. The wooded mountains began to form into the beauty they are known for. I finally for the first time, saw this beauty. My quick sprint like pace through the mountains the days before and even this morning had hid this artwork from me. Now, I was viewing its' spendor through new eyes. Though I was in pain and pretty uncomfortable I was still able to enjoy the remarkable landscape passing before me. The rock formations that for centuries have been touched by only a limited number of souls. A deer eating in an open section of oaks and maples. Even a rattlesnake sunning itself on a rock formation exposed to the afternoon sun. Most of this would have gone unnoticed if I hadn't been hurt. The pain sucked but, was also a blessing. It forced me to see hiking in a different light. Much of what I do, I do as quickly as I can. By slowing down I was able to savor the experience to embed a memory I'd hope to never forget.
My respect to those who trek out into the wild is at an all time high. To expose oneself to nature and allow oneself to be vulnerable demands respect.
To the hikers who traverse the Appalachian Trail from start to finish I salute your endevours. I am impressed not only by your physical abilities to do so but, by your resolve to endure all 2,180 miles of some of the East coasts roughest terrain. To the hikers I passed by in a blur, good luck and I hope your journey is rewarding. To the Marine I met in Boiling Springs, I admire your overcoming adversity and limitations to endure and push through.
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