31 thoughts on “WGOM Fitness: 12 August 2013, Reboot Review”

1. My weight has held pretty steady since my reboot - I'm still just below 205. I've gone on a few runs and played tennis a couple times. I'm hoping to do a 5K on Saturday, with at least 3 runs this week to prepare for it. I also had run-ins with county fairs and days off, so diet hasn't been great (there have been really good days, and really bad days), but calorie counting has been happening, at least sporadically.

2. I hope you avoided the wild bulls. The only time I've been to the Dakota County Fair, I won our family gambling pool at the Demolition Derby because my sister's cause, while still operational, was pinned behind two that weren't and was DQ'd.

3. I've been pretty bad about my diet for the last couple of months. My weight has gone up a little (about 7 pounds) and each time I decide I'm going to recommit myself I end up failing. That's okay for now, I've always been bad at dieting in the summer. I think if I can stop myself from going overboard until fall hits I can get back into it then.

   What I am proud of is that I've been pushing myself to go out running four nights a week. I can't burn as many calories doing that as I can on the elliptical (I can do an hour on that thing without wearing myself out), but it's been great to be able to chart my progress through the summer.

   1. Made it 3.1 miles last night in 29 minutes. My goal at the beginning of the summer was to be able to run 5K in less than 30. Mission accomplished.

      1. Well freaking done.

         I'm running a 5k on Saturday morning. My goal is to not die.

         1. I did a 5 mile hike outside of Santa Fe with the family on monday. Saw a pretty waterfall at the midpoint (2.5 miles out, 2.5 miles back). The Girl took many, many pictures of fungi and opined that she was looking forward to taking some mycology courses in college. I opined that I was looking forward to several beers.

            I could barely walk by that evening. My hip flexors and calves are screaming at me still.

            1. Last weekend, my wife and I had an overnight backpacking trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness with a couple of friends who were locals. As locals, they knew a nice spot that was off the beaten path. It was absolutely stunning where we camped, but we definitely paid for it. It was about 8 miles in, with 3500' elevation gain, and the last 4 miles were across rough terrain and some snow. (Snow on the ground in August! I loved it.) As an inexperienced backpacker, my pack weighed about 35 pounds and while my hip flexors are fine, my calves have been mad as hell this week.

         2. Couple of weekends ago I hiked in the BWCA. Yes you can also hike it and stay in the same campgrounds as the canoeists.

            First it was beautiful and made me think I need to hit the BWCA from water again (it's been decades).

            Second, it rained the whole freaking time. Even though I have decent rain gear, I was pretty much soaked by the time I got to my car and was glad I didn't have to spend another night.

            It was about 7 miles in and 7 miles out -- was going to do a little more but the rain stopped those plans. Also it's quite hilly with some major ridges to climb. It was as tough as my hike in the Rockies the year before except my lungs appreciated that I was at 2,000 feet and not 12,000 feet. I found that for me climbing the hills is easier. That just takes leg muscles and heart. Going down is much more difficult as that takes dexterity, something I am lacking.

            Finally I wouldn't be able to have done the hike without trekking poles. They look dorky but are essential for hiking. Studies have shown that hiking poles take 35% of your weight off your knees. I would have fallen on my ass and face numerous times without those poles and were they essential in traversing up and down the steep ridges. Regardless of your age, but especially if you're over 35, trekking poles are must have hiking accessory. (and you don't have to spend $150 on a pair of titanium poles, my $20 aluminum poles work just fine thank you).

            I'd like to get one more 15-20 mile hike in this late summer/fall, if only life didn't get in the way.

            1. I have a pair of Leki poles I use extensively in the mountains. Two poles are nice for decreasing the load on your legs, but even a single pole to give you three points of contact on the ground is very helpful on uneven and slippery terrain.

               I have never been in the BWCA but I want to go very bad. The Superior Hiking Trail is another that is on my short list of things to do.

4. Hey Pirate, (or anyone else)

   Wanna go on a Lake Mtka bike ride this weekend? Weather is suppose to be perfect. I can show you the route for your future enjoyment. I'm thinking around 50 miles or so.

   Saturday or Sunday various times work, let me know. I thought we could meet at Bandshell and go from there.

5. This boyo has been hitting it hard. Training for a Century in Sept, then a 1/2 marathon in Oct. Trying to get in the bike miles in the early part of the week, then the run.

6. Half-M training: 8 miles this morning, per the plan.
   Century: did 120 miles last week, 55 for the long ride. Get to do 64 tomorrow AM.

7. 5k this morning. 34:30. I was in worse shape than I anticipated. But I finished a 5k, so there's that!

   1. Way I look at it, if you show up for the race, you win.

8. 57 mile bike ride this morning: Bloomfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Suffield, Enfield, East Windsor. Lots of historic houses along the way from the 1600's in Windsor, which was the first English settlement in Connecticut.

   Rode by the birthplace of Oliver Ellsworth, drafter of the Constitution, and 3rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

9. Long ride this morning started in Old Orchard Beach, ME. Went through Saco, Biddeford, Kennebunk, to Wells, then back. NBBW finished her first Olympic Triathlon today, even doing a mile in cold (62F) Atlantic ocean waters.

10. Gut check.

    So Ehrlich and his colleagues conducted a detailed analysis of the microbes in the guts of nearly 292 Danish people. There were 169 obese people in the group and 123 who were lean.

    For starters, as the scientists in this week's issue of the journal Nature, the results confirmed earlier findings.

    "The lean people had higher microbial diversity than the obese people," Ehrlich says. By more diversity, he means that the leaner folks had more intestinal bacteria — 40 percent more — and many more species of bacteria than the people who were fatter.

    When looking just at the obese people in the study, the scientists found the people with the least bacterial diversity were likelier than those with a greater variety of microbes to keep gaining weight during the nine years the researchers kept track.

    Perhaps even more surprising and important: People who had less microbial diversity – whatever their weight — were more likely to have a variety of risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

    1. Okay, so how does one increase microbes? Is this something you can even do?

       1. Fecal microbiota transplantation. Yes, it means what it sounds like it means.

          1. on a stick!

             but seriously, some great work "coming out" in that area.

       2. Helps to avoid antibiotics- sure, penicillin will kill bad bacteria, but it's also going to kill plenty of other microbes doing it.

          1. So say you can't avoid the penicillin (and assuming you skip the turd transplant), will your body/environment replace those dead good bacteria?

       3. I think there are a few different ways, including by eating fermented food. Michael Pollan had an article about the microbiome in the New York Times Magazine a few months ago. It all sounds very intriguing, but at this point it's not very clear what a person should do to ensure a healthy microbiome.

       4. I assume that eating food that my kids have handled with their filthy hands and probably dropped on the floor counts.
          If it doesn't give me some horrible bird-feces disease first, that is.

11. I will be doing this hike on Saturday. Basically Split Rock Light House to Beaver Bay then ride my bike (which I will have dropped of at Beaver Bay) back to my car at Split Rock. No camping overnight so I will be going pretty light weight, just a hydro pack and some Clif Bars.

    1. Sounds fun. Go Bro.

    2. When my kids are older, I'd like to do some exploring up there. I'll have to chat you up about it in a few years,

       1. Nice thing about the SHT is that there are some routes that are very family friendy, others that will kick your ass. Definitely a place where you can bring kids who haven't hiked much and then over time increase the difficulty.

          1. Sounds quite agreeable. How bad are the bugs?
             (Although Homeschoolin' means that Sept or Oct trips aren't out of the question.)

12. Did the Narragansett Wheelmen Century this morning, starting out of UMASS/No. Dartmouth at around 7AM.

    Originally thought it would be quite cool, which it wasn't, so didn't need any of the cold weather kit that we had brought along.

    Finished well, but learned a couple things along the way from my experienced biking buddy, Frank.

    1) Eat all the time (not when you are hungry, but when you can, stuff more food in your mouth), and then eat all you can at the aid stations.
    2) Rehydrate all the time (not just when you are thirsty, not just with water but with electrolytes). Refill your water bottles at each aid station and add the powder/pill whatever you are slinging for enhancerizers.

    Last 10 miles was tough. Maybe since you know you are near the end, your body starts to whine. Mine did.

    But glad to have done it - this is the bike leg of a full IronMan. I would have only had to swim 2.4 miles prior and run a full marathon afterwards for that.

    1. I've always been in awe of the Ironman. I'd love to do one, but the amount of work I'd have to put in just on swimming more than 3 lengths of the pool would be enormous, much less the rest of it.

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