Road to Health #8 - Tandem Bike

About 15 years ago, we made one of the smartest purchases of our life - a tandem bike. A tandem bike is a great way for a couple to be active together. We have used almost every day that the weather has allowed since we bought it. We have literally put thousands of miles on it. 

We've also brought it with us when camping at places like Itasca State Park and the Badlands of North Dakota. We even brought it down to Florida a few years ago.

Several years ago we discovered that they make baskets for small dogs that can be attached to the bicycle. This added a whole new dimension to the experience. While Ollie was still living, we would ride to the park together and then walk around the park together. Unlike some exercise equipment that is used for a few days and then set aside, this bike is still being used every day.

Lake Region Run

 

Yesterday was the Lake Region Run in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. What we did this time was arrive at Maplewood State Park, about 40 minutes north of Fergus Falls, on Friday afternoon, camp there overnight in our pop-up trailer, and then head over to the race early in the morning.

It was a beautiful day - maybe a little too beautiful - about 73 degrees and sunny at the start of the race. 

Here we are waiting for the starting gun. I'm back in the middle of the crowd. I didn't want to hinder faster runners by being up front.

The gun went off!

This is a hilly race. Most of the first half of the race is up-hill. I was a little concerned. My time didn't seem very good. Then I started to pick up some speed on the down-hill sections.

It was shortly before this photo, with about 2 minutes left in the race, that I realized I could end up with a pretty good time. That gave me a real boost.

I came in third place with my best time since 2014!

Update to post: I didn't notice until looking at statistics afterward that I just barely got third place. This gentleman, Jeff Legge, was just three seconds behind me! See video here.

LifeCare Walk/Run

This morning was the LifeCare Walk/Run. This run focuses on wellness and community.

This was right up there with one of the coldest 5Ks I remember running. It was about 40 degrees with 10 mph wind and a slight drizzle. I wish I would've dressed a little warmer with and extra shirt and gloves. Oh well - no over-heating concerns today.

I ran pretty much exactly as I was hoping to run: first mile 9:52 pace, second mile 9:43 pace, third mile 9:43 pace. Overall time: 29:36. I think my pacing was just about perfect. I don't think I could've finished any faster.

I was exhausted at the end. There weren't any age-rated medals today. I assume I was first for my age group. I will add to this post later with more information as I receive it. 

Year 15!

Year 15 of 'Running Every Street' has begun. I've actually been doing for a few weeks now. But with the cold weather, it hasn't been fun...

This year's shoe is the Brooks Adrenaline 24 GTS:

They're not 'super shoes', so I probably won't be running a sub 2 hour marathon anytime soon. If I can run a sub 29 minute 5K soon, I'll be happy.

A 3.3 mile run today...

Road to Health - #7 Man's Best Friend

Perhaps an unexpected entry near the top of a health plan is a dog. For me a dog is a great motivator. Dogs need walks every day. And walking is their favorite thing to do. They're not afraid to let you know it's time their walk.

This is my most difficult post so far. Our precious little dog, Ollie, our dear friend of fourteen years, just passed away a few months ago. I took him for walks twice a day since he was a pup. I miss him so much. 

And exercise is not the only benefit of having a dog. There's also the social component, the love, the companionship. Yes, having a big part of this list.

Road to Health - #6 V8

The first thing I listed on my Road to Health was how I stopped drinking pop. When that happened I needed to come up with an alternative beverage to drink with meals. Of course, just plain water is a fine alternative, and I often do drink water with meals - especially at restaurants. But, at some point I discovered V8.

Thankfully, unlike some people, I like the flavor of V8, so it has worked out well for me. 

Now, V8's marketing claims that each serving provides two servings of vegetables. Does that mean it's a perfect substitute for eating vegetables? Absolutely not. But, I do believe it is a healthy choice for people who may not be getting as many servings of vegetables in their meals as they should.

V8 is high in sodium. If that's a concern, drink the low sodium version. Another concern with any juiced product is that they're losing the fiber. For me - I drink the high fiber version. And, of course, I recognize it's still not as good as eating vegetables, but it sure beats drinking pop with my lunch.

Here's a link to a video listing 5 reasons V8 is healthy.

Road to Health - #5 Bulging Disc

Back in the early days, two issues nearly nipped my running career in the bud. One, I already talked about: plantar fasciitis. The other was a bulging disc. 

One day, after a very hard sprint, I developed serious pain in my lower back. Looking back, I suspect my mistake was not warming up properly. It was serious pain that ran down my leg. It persisted. 

I finally decided to go to a chiropractor for the first time in my life. I'm thankful that he was able to diagnose the problem as a bulging disc. Unfortunately, he didn't seem sure of what to do about the problem. He did suggest that, perhaps, an incline table might help. But he didn't have any exercises or physical therapy to recommend. I looked up info on incline tables, and it seemed that the jury was still out on them.

I was concerned that this might be the end of my running career and that I may be dealing with serious pain for the rest of my life. Fortunately, when discussing the issue with my friend Dwight, he recommended a book titled "Treat Your Own Back" by Robin McKenzie, a specialist in spinal disorders from New Zealand. 

The book provided me with some exercises I could do for a couple minutes every morning. Very soon I had relief. I still have the bulging disc, but 99% of the time it doesn't bother me. I still do the exercises every day and plan to for the rest of my life. And, thankfully, I am still running.