October Entry

I guess I better get on here and make an enty for October before I get shut out. In the last month, I have not lost any weight. I have found a fabulous website for estimating the cost of Medical Procedures. It is called www.healthcarebluebook.com.

According to them, my defibrillator placment should have cost about $24,000.00 instead of $67,000.00. i'll be bringing this to the attention of the hospital who is still trying to collect from me. We are in negotiations...even though they don't know it yet.

Time for Weight Loss.....Again!

I am in a weight loss jag again and this time might be more successful that the ten thousand previous weight loss jags I have had. I feels more imperative to my life this time. I'm 52 and falling apart.

The night before last, I woke up about 1:00 with a searing pain in my right foot. I have been experiencing some weird random soreness in that foot for some time. I would wake up and the top of my foot would be sore. I hadn't banged it, twisted it, done anything to it to cause the soreness, but there it was. Another day it would move to the ball of my foot.

Well this searing pain kept me up for about three hours. I got in the hot tub for some relief, but that was fleeting. I got on line and googled the shit out of "Gout" cuz that what my self diagnosis told me I had. I have had it before so I have some experience, and I believe the diagnosis to be correct.

I finally managed to get a little sleep and when I woke up on Saturday morning, I limped off to the bar for my job. I drank lots of water to help flush the uric acid out of my body and I got a little help from some anti-inflamatories and a couple of decent pain killers from un-named sources.

I'm better now but I've got 19 pounds to remove. That will get me to 200 and I'll be happy with that. Like I said before, it feels more important to my health to have this weight off.

Now it remains to be seen how long this jag will last.

SpokeFest 2009

We took part in SpokeFest 2009 over the weekend. This was a gathering of about 1600 bicycle enthusiasts taking part in a 21 mile bicycle enthusiasmic ride. We did it last year and enjoyed it and we did it this year and enjoyed it less.

Susan is not a large bicycle enthusiast. She prefers the slower running and jogging kind of physical exertion. I had a less enjoyable time due to my failing ability to exert myself.

Last year I set a goal of riding up Doomsday Hill, a sizable climb. I made it. This year...not even close.

We ended up turning the 21 miles into about nine, which was fine with us. It is unfortunate because the ride is a very nice ride along a very scenic portion of the city. I would have liked to have done the whole thing but then I would have been useless the rest of the day.

I needed to be a some value because we planned on going to the fair for the afternoon.

The fair was fabulous because we came away with ribbons for our wine. I will post pictures after the fair is over when I get my wines and beers back.

A sad note: no ribbons for beer.

Da Agony of Da Feet

I apologize for such a cheezy Heading but I am not thinking clearly because MY FOOT HURTS!

It's the same foot.

Continued Betrayal

I woke up yesterday, got out of bed, and immediately felt the wrath of some affliction affecting my right foot. My foot had a tender area, just above my big two on top of my foot. I haven't banged into anything. I've never injured that area. And yet, it is causing me great grief.

So I limped through the day with various degrees of pain eminating from my foot. By the time I went to bed, it was really hurting. Today, it hurts but I can pretty much walk without a limp.

The odd thing is the way my body continues to betray me in sudden and unexplained ways. Last week it was my knee, which my Doctor thinks is bursitis. Who knows what will be next.

Bad Blood

I have been a Blood Donor with the Inland Northwest Blood Bank for well over 25 years. Officially, I have donated 26 units of blood. That is just over three gallons. Frankly, I think it's much more than that.

From here on out, it will be no more than that. I have received a Permanent Deferral due to my Defib. BUMMER! Had I known that, I might not have had it implanted. I would have at least gone in for one last donation.

No more AB+ from me! That sucks. I like donating blood. It's a really easy thing to do that makes you feel selfless and humanitarianismistic toward your fellow humans.

Now I'm going to have to find something else to do to fulfill my humanitarianismystical yearnings. Perhaps I will read to the Blind or help Midgets get stuff down from high places. Or at least call them little people. I guess I'll have to research it.

Weird Knee

I got last night and set about the chore of mowing the lawn. By the time I was finished, I could feel a slight soreness in my left knee, the same knee that mysteriously gave me problems in Iowa at the fair.

By the time I wobbled myself to bed, it was sore, achy, stiff and achy. (It was really achy) But my montra is "I'm not one to complain," and so I didn't complain...much.

This morning, there is a slight ghost of an ache but I'm essentially okay and able to walk without a limp.

Iowa Vacation Hangover

I have just returned from a ten day visit to lovely Iowa, where the humidity hangs from the trees and hits you in the face like a hot, wet, sticky washcloth. We ate and drank a lot while there and I was not looking forward to stepping on the scale this morning. To my surprise, I was 216.7 pounds. I thought I had ballooned back up to 220-something.

We ate a bushel and we drank a tankard. It was like being in Iowa!

It's great to be back.

It Sucks to be Me

I am writing today from hot and muggy Des Moines, Iowa. Susan and I are on a Vacation slash Family Business venture. It has been a very nice visit except for the death and subsequent funeral of Susan's Dad. Gordon had the good sense and timing to pass away just prior to our planned visit.


We went to the opening day of the Iowa State Fair. This is supposed to be the biggest and the bestest of the State Fairs. Having only been exposed to the Spokane Interstate Fair and one visit to the Minnesota State Fair, I can see how one might make that argument. It is huge and there is all kinds of stuff going on.


Similarly, there is all kinds of stuff going on with my body and none of it is good. I estimate we walked about eight miles yesterday and half way through the day, my right knee started aching. There's no reason for it. I've never injured that knee. I certainly didn't bang it on something before going to the fair. But it had this dull ache starting about noonish and stayed with me alllllll day.


I took some Tylenol last night and it feels better this morning. Today my issue is the top of my right foot. It is very sore and again, for no reason.


I'm not going to let these little infirmities keep me down. Susan and her sister have already left for the fair. I'm going out later this afternoon and meet them. I still have lots of things on a stick to eat.

Big Brother Moves In

I have been prescribed a device to probe me on a nightly basis. I plugged it in on my night stand next to the bed. It is attached to a phone line and will scan me every so often and then send the info to my Cardiologist and he will decide if I am alive or not.

Don't know what this thing costs but nobody has billed me yet so I won't worry about it until it comes time to pay the deductible...which I have done in spades!

Attack of the Selective Bugs

I have had a loooooooong absence from blogging here. Been busy and won't apologize. Besides, this will be my update to update everything that needs dating...you know...up.

The bruise has healed on my arm that appeared after the dephib was implanted. My range of motion is almost all the way back in my left arm. I was at the lake over the past weekend and tried to skip stones, but it still kind of hurts to throw.

We had a great time up at Priest Lake with some friends from San Francisco, Bellingham, and other places. We read a lot, drank a lot, laid about, picked huckleberries, and drank a lot.

I had a run in with some bugs. I have never been eaten up this badly before. I have bites on my legs and arms and a few on my neck. I cannot figure out when or where I got them.

I first noticed a problem when I woke up about 3AM on Tuesday morning and my legs were very itchy. I managed to go back to sleep and when I woke up around 7AM, my arms were covered in bites. I went back in a woke up Susan and asked if she had any bites. She didn't.

If there were bed bugs or some sort of multi-legged creature in the bed, why would they go after me and not my wife. It's all very odd.

The welts are starting to recede but I have been itching like crazy since Tuesday. I have tried all kind of salves and preparations. They work for a while but time is the great healer. I wish time would hurry up.

I had several opportunities to ride my bike this week and have pissed away every one of them. I'll try harder next week.

UpDate

I have had a loooooooong absense from blogging here. Been busy and won't apologize. Besides, this will be my update to update everything that needs dating...you know...up.

Turns out there is nuthin' to update

Almost a Bike Ride

I was planning on riding my bike today. There was no reason I should not have other than phatness and laziness...both of which I possess in largely quantitative parcels of hugeness.

Anyay, I didn't ride...I drove...and I did a couple of errand type things. But still, I should have biked it.

Please to put those words on my tombstone.

Follow Up with my Electrician

Today I returned to the Doctor for a follow up. All appears to be well. I still have a big bruise on my arm but the incision has healed nicely.

It turns out that there is a big flat metal thing embedded in my chest. It will pace my heart if it gets out of whack and it will deliver "therapy" if my heart stops. That's DocSpeak for Electrical Shock.

The reason for my limited arm use is that moving my arm can cause the lead into my heart to move around. Once scare tissue has formed around the lead, it will be solidly attached to my heart.

They can read everything that has been going on with my heart since the ICD was implanted. I have had a couple of short irregular heart beats but nothing that required "therapy".

The battery is currently good for nine years.

Soon I will be getting some sort of monitor in the mail. I will attach it to a phone line next to the bed and it will scan me every night. It will only notify the Doctor if it detects a problem.

That's a pretty cool feature but it has me wondering about the Big Brother aspects of all this. Will it be able to sit there and watch me. If so, it's going to get very bored.

Mobility and Not Being Able to Use it

The mobility in my left arm is steadily increasing. Even though I can move it easier, I'm not supposed to. They want it kept immobile as possible to allow the ICD to snuggle into the muscle and tissue into which it is planted.

It is the start of a three day weekend and I'm going to try and be as active as my condition will allow. Traditionally, we go for a canoe ride on the Fourth of July but I am afraid that is out for this year because of the arm.

We will get some biking in and hopefully, that will contribute to my slow but steady weight decline.

Today:215

Time for a Nap

I returned to work today. It was uneventful and all went well. I had a little experience with a racing heart beat but I believe I explained it all in today's entry of the other blog, dedicated to the house, (www.my-life-as-a-house.blogspot.com) so I shall not repeat myself here.

I am surprised by the sudden mobility in my left arm. I am supposed to keep it calm and inactive while the muscles and tissue around the ICD settle in and around the unit. Still, I woke up yesterday with my left arm over my head and no pain from that position. I can say that after a day of work and trying my damnedest to keep it inactive, along with the reminders of every single effing busybody medical expert I work with, I find my shoulder to be rather sore and ready for a night of rest.

I was going to nap when I got home but I decided to wait and just go to bed early. In fact, I could nod off right n..........

A Lazy Sunday at Recovery Manor

I had a good night's rest but I drank too much water before going to bed. I got up three times during the night. There's a nice instance of TMI!

Okay, here's what I'm dealing with now. It has been several hours since I took a pain pill. I think I'm done with them although I'm leaving open the possibility that I'll take one before bed tonight.

Below is a picture of the bandage I'm wearing. I get to remove it tomorrow. The problem is I have several strips of Highway Grade Striping tape hold this big gauze pad over my incision. It is attached to a big fat hairy chest and belly. I'm thinking the removal process is not going to be the most fun I've ever had.

I have just discovered an area by my neck that has been rubbed raw by the tape. I pulled the tape back and placed a gauze pad over the raw spot. I think that will hold me until tomorrow, or 3AM when I spring from bed and frantically remove the whole damn thing while laughing maniacally. Technically, it would be Monday and that's when they said I could remove it.

Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good now and will be happy to put this all behind me.

I believe it is official now. I have entered the realm of Old Mandom. The realm of Old Mandom is that part of your life where you talk about your physical ailments ALL THE TIME!

While I try to be cognizant of when I start to go off, I don't think I spend all that much time talking about my health. If someone else starts the conversation, I'm happy to oblige them with all my recent news.

But I am not the guy who, when asked "How are you?" says, "Oh sit down and let me TELL you how I am. See this welt..." and so on.

However, I am very aware that I am writing a BLOG that is DEDICATED to ALL THE SHIT THAT IS GOING ON WITH MY HEALTH!

Welcome to the Poster Child for A.A.R.P.

In & Out

What follows is my experience of the last 27 3/4 hours involving the installation and activation of the Boston Scientific Teligen ICD Dephibrillator, Model #E102. If you know anything about that particular ICD, you know that it is worlds apart from the Model # E101.

Susan drove me down to Sacred Heart Medical Center where we checked in at 8:30 AM (Not 9:30 like I thought) and proceeded to wait around. Mom showed up about 9:30.

They got me checked into a room quickly enough and got me all set up for the procedure which was scheduled for 11:30. We were told they were running ahead of schedule but that didn't last long. They ended up rolling me into the Operating Room at about Noon:30. They were all talking to me and getting set up and I tried to be attentive and check everything out.

The Anesthetist introduced himself and administered some sort of sleepy potion. I could feel it creeping up my arm. It stung as it climbed towards my shoulder. I was very calm and just ready to have the whole thing over with. I remember feeling a slight dizziness, and commenting on it.

Next they were tapping me on the shoulder and saying they were all done. About an hour and 45 minutes had passed. I was amazed because I felt like I was waking up from a nap. There was no pain and no grogginess at all.

They took me by to see Susan and then into a recovery room for about 45 minutes.

At that point, they rolled me through the cavernous labyrinth of hall ways, with Susan following. Deep into the bowels of the sixth floor we traveled until we arrived at our destination, Room 604. There, I met my roommate, John and we started to party for the rest of the day. "Party" may not be the right word. John is 90 and I feel 90 so perhaps, "Lay there" is a more descriptive verb.

Soon, the effects of the pain medication began to wear off and they plied me with some mild form of hydrocodone, which worked very well.

Susan left about 4:00 as she had to work at the Arena last night and there was really nothing for her to do in Room 406.

I was visited by my close, personal friend Mark, Pastor Gary with his wife Kim, and Ron and Kelly, who brought me balloons, Silly String to keep the Nurses in line, a Baby Ruth and a back up motorcycle battery, just in case.

They also brought a card that was signed by many of the frequenters of Scotty's Bar & Grill.

The night was relatively uneventful and I woke up around 6:30 and took a walk around the floor.

I was then visited throughout the morning by nurses, doctors, technicians and discharge papers.

Susan showed up around 10:30 and now I am home.

I am allowed very limited use of my left arm for the next three weeks and I will visit the Doctor on Tuesday to see how I'm doing.

All this typing has worn me out so I shall now retire to the TV Room and nap in front of the tube. So to close, here is a picture of a picture of me, my wrist band, and a reasonable facsimile of the ICD they implanted in my chest.

De Fib Day

I'm off to the hospital shortly to have a dephibrillator installed. I expect to return shortly and have all sorts of exciting health related issues to prattle on about unil you decide that it's more important to find out the latest developements with Michael Jackson and his funeral arrangements.

Good Day!

Two Days in a Row

Riding the bike two days in a row is enough of a milestone for me to note it here.I've been keeping track over the river flow so here's the latest picture. It's definitely slowing down. It should be to a trickle in a couple of weeks.

I took a new route home on Tuesday. Not really so much different because I still have to travel basically north. This route was on a busier street though. The advantage to it is that I can time the lights on the busy intersections and not lose momentum. I don't think it was any faster or slower, just different.

The main thing is that I actually got some exercise. Weight:219!

More Goals Down the Drain

Well, I no sooner write down some goals and then march on to make sure I can't reach them. I was shooting to ride my bike 12 days this month and to date, I have ridden three. I just can't seem to get myself to work without having some sort of errand to run.

Today, I have to go to a lumber mill to check out the possibility of having some siding custom made for the house.

I have given up drinking beer (or any alcohol) during the week and that seems to be contributing positively to some weight loss. Only a couple of pounds but I haven't really been doing anything else to lose weight. Well, I guess I've been eating a little more sensibly. Anyway, today I weigh in at 218 stones...providing each stone weighs one pound.

What I Saw Today

Things I saw on my Bicycle Ride to Work Today:

• A nail in the street. (Missed it)
• Copulating Birds
• A car being towed by a car that will soon need to be towed.
• The River
• A 70 year old man in a 52 year old body riding his bicycle to work.

My back is very sore and stiff today and I almost talked myself out of riding. But I have missed so many days that I couldn't allow it on a day when my only reason not to was my aching back. What better way to un-ache it than to stretch it out on the bike.

Another Test!

I have an afternoon appointment at the downtown office of my Cardiologist to run more tests. They want to determine my Ejection Fraction, which is a percentage of the amount of blood a heart pushes out as it pumps. A healthy heart is somewhere between 55 and 70%. My ejection fraction is somewhere south of there...about 30 to 40%.

If I am below 35%, they will install the defibrillator. If I'm above 35%, there are other alternatives. The test today will give us a number.

Rain Day

It is a turbulent torrent of terrestrial showers and therefore, today does not count against me in the bike riding goal-a-rama. However, I don't think today was included in my original count due to a Doctors appointment that precludes me from riding.

Fluid Skies and Goals

The forecasters are calling for the possibility of rain today and everyone can thank ME for preventing it. I have prevented the showers by NOT riding my bike. Yup! I wussed out.

I was all set to ride too. I was to the point of rolling my bike out into the driveway. I stopped at my car to retrieve my sunglasses. That gave me the chance to stop and really survey the skies. I ended up decided to take the car.

Partly because of the skies, but also because I have a couple of errands. I could have put them off until after work, but if I get them accomplished at lunch, I will really put myself ahead of schedule after work, allowing for more goofing around time.

By the way, I have decided that if it does indeed rain today, that will not count against me in my riding goal. Goals must be fluid.

Slept In

I slept a little too long this morning and really had to hurry downtown to make the bus. My legs are feeling a little fatigued as I sit here and type but it turns out that I had plenty of time. I rolled up just as the bus arrived.

I think my fatigued legs are more from the head wind I cycled into when I arrived at my stop at Liberty Lake. It was really blowing and made my ride a struggle. It didn't help that I met another guy from work as I started into the wind and he just cruised on like it was nothing. He was a full minute ahead of me in the span of just half a mile.

Last summer when I rode the bike a lot, I mentioned some of the other riders on the bus. I went so far as to draw characatures of three of them. (See July 14, 2008)

Only one of those guys is still on the bus. I called him Tatt.

I have had to update him because he has lost the shaved head look. He still manages to look scruffy though. It makes me nostalgic for last summer and I wonder what has become of Jasper and the Polynesian. Actually, upon further reflection, I think I determeined that the Polynesian should have been called the Injun.

And that's all I have for Politcally Incorrect Thursday.

Bike Riding Again

I made it to work today on my bicycle. The first of many days of riding...I hope. I'm not making any predictions. I'm just going to ride as often as I can. I'll do my best to arrange my life so as to allow Bike Trek.

Okay, who am I kidding? Of course I'm going to make predictions. My life is all about setting goals and then falling short of them.

There are 21 days available in the month of June where I could ride my bike. I have already missed two of those, so I'm down to 19. I know for sure that I will not be riding next Monday, as I have a Doctors appointment. That leaves 18 days.

Okay, here's the goal. I will ride my bike at least 12 days this month. I think that is doable.

I took a picture of the river as I crossed this morning. It is flowing pretty high. The newspaper reports the flow at 19,200 cubic feet per second. It will be interesting to watch this channel as they shut down the water flow. In a month, it will be a flow of rock with a trickle of water.
I took another picture when I got down to the Bus Depot...I'm sorry...the STA Plaza. The sun was casting it's rising glow upon the skywalk and I just had to snap a picture.
It looks pretty good and I know the guys who did the work.

By the way, I forgot to weigh myself this morning so no data there. Just as well. I don't want to get to manic on the weigh-in.

218.7 pounds

One good thing about being sick; it's a good way to lose some weight. I haven't eaten much over the last few days and it certainly paid off this morning on the scale. I'm eating watermelon today so I expect the slide to continue.

I was going to ride my bike today but I decided I needed one more to to get over my cold. What a difference a good nights sleep makes. The weather looks great for the next week so I'll be riding as much as I can.

220.9

I'm still moving in the right direction with the weight loss. Granted, it's an ounce at a time but this way, I can make my goal by age 70.

221.3 pounds

After a weekend of Camping Gluttony, I was expecting to see the scale heading north. Amazingly, I maintained. It must be because I rode my bike a lot this weekend as well as a couple of long hikes.

The forecast says the weather is going to be great for the foreseeable future and so there is no reason why I should not be riding my bike to work.

So here are the reasons why I haven't ridden my bike to work this week.

Monday: Memorial Day. No work
Tuesday: Had errands and some light hauling to do
Wednesday: Planned on it. Slept in instead
Thursday: Considering it, but have after work haircut
Friday: No reason not to.

I rode a total of about 30 miles over the long weekend. That's great mileage for me. It almost makes up for the miles I should be riding.

Oh! I forgot to report on the results of meeting with my Cardiologist. Everything seems okay and there is no appreciable weakening of my heart. However, he wants to install a defibrillator in me. When I asked why, he said it is to keep my heart from stopping. I asked if I was in danger of that and he said I have always been in danger of that.

I have an appointment for the first week in June to talk to the staff Electrician. We'll see what happens from there.

Less Phatness

Whatever I'm doing, it is starting to produce results. I'm down to 221.4 pounds. Not dramatic...but it's going in the right direction.

That run the other night did not have good repercussions. My ankle has been very sore the last couple of days. I was up and down a ladder last night and my ankle was not happy with me.

I'll compensate by working out even harder!

On A Quest

I have undergone all the tests and it appears there are no blockages or problems with my heart. I guess I just really didn't want to run Bloomsday.

I have an appointment with the Heart Doc on Thursday and in preparation for that appointment, I ran last night. I ran a mile in 12:12. Nothing to rave about other than the fact that I ran it and lived to tell about it. I was sore and winded and I cramped up a bit, but there was no chest pain.

It is now time to get the extra weight off. I am determined to loose 15 pounds. Once I get to 210, I will further evaluate my weight loss plans. But for now, the three five pound bags of sugar I have been carrying around are coming off.

No Bloomsday for You!

I went to the Cardiologist yesterday and discussed my problem. Initially, he thought my medication might be working too well. I am on a cocktail of various meds, among them is a beta blocker. It's job is to keep my blood pressure low. He thought it might be working too well and not allowing my blood pressure to rise when the demands on my body call for it. They put me on a treadmill and my blood pressure seemed to rise and fall as it should.

So now I have to go return in about a week for a Nuclear Stress Test. This is a much more involved process that should give them a good idea of what is going on in my veins and arteries.

In the meantime, he said it probably isn't a good idea for me to participate in Bloomsday. I know I said I kind of hoped he would say that, but now that he has said it, I'm bummed. If I can't participate, I want it to be because I decide not to.

I'm a baby that way!

To Run or Walk or just Sit It Out...with a Beer!

I have my Doctors appointment this afternoon. I'm kind of hoping he'll tell me not to do Bloomsday. The forecast is looking cool and cloudy with the possibility of some sprinkles. However, I really don't feel like I would have any problem walking.

I guess I'll find out and then I will report here.

Bloomsday Training Sucks!

My preparation for Bloomsday is not going well. I do not seem to have any endurance and can barely run a mile. I simply have no breathe and my legs scream for oxygen. Until I stop running. Then, I seem to recover in no time and I'm fine. That has got me thinking there may be a cardiac element involved with my training disfunction. I have an appointment to see my Cardiologist on Friday.



I experience no chest pain or any of the other related symptoms concerning heart problems. I just have no stamina.

So, I have been walking and including some hills and I have been riding my bike. Other than being out of shape for those activities too, I'm not suffering the stamina problem. I seem to be able to walk for as long as I want.

Still Fat, but Working On It

I have kept my promise to stay away from fast food. It's been a week and a half now. I have also kept my promise to exercise. I have been riding my bike to work. I have been running. The runs have been only a mile, and a huge struggle. They continue to be a work in progress. Suffice it to say that Bloomsday will be ugly this year and I will be lucky to make my 1:45:00 goal.

I have not kept my promise to go to the Club. I had other issues that have prevented my attendance. Nonetheless, I am happy with my efforts even though they have not produced any results. Again, I will just keep trying.

And now I need to hope that the coming rain will hold off long enough for me to ride my bike back home.

Finally Had Enough

It seems that I have finally reached the point where I am disgusted enough with myself that I willing to make some changes and work to get my fat ass in shape. I opted out of running most of last week and did yard work instead. Well, that is not a valid trade off. I got a lot of work done in the yard but I still have a lot of junk in my trunk. Or more precisely, ma bellie. (You have to say those two words with an Irish accent like Fat Bastard)

One of the things that finally sent me over to the health side is my continued payment of membership dues to a club that I do not attend. It is embarrassing how much I pay for the honor of never going there. If I was smart, I could have figured out many hundreds of dollars ago that I could not go there for a lot less!

So tonight, I went to the club. I got on the cross country trainer for 20 minutes and I got on a treadmill for thirty minutes. I did a little lifting and then I retired to the steam bath. That made it all worth it.

Another item I have added to my health regimen this week is to stay away from fast food. I eat crap almost every day and that has to stop. Not only will I have more money for beer, but I will get better nutrition if I make my own sandwiches.

So far, I have made it one day. That is close to a record for me as far as goal setting.

Endurance Deprived

I didn't ride the bike today because I slept too long. It's a pretty lame excuse as I could have caught the next bus and still arrived at work before starting time. I just didn't have my heart into it and there are a couple of errands I can run at lunchtime.

I made the mile around the park last night in 12:16, but not before I stopped and walked. Then I would get my breath back and I ran at a much faster pace than I normally do. I did that, starting and stopping the last half mile, until I finished. I have to get that endurance up.

I can tell from riding the bike that I am waaaaaaaaay outta shape for that activity too. we'll see how I feel in a couple of weeks.

Bikin' Again but God is Pissed

Today was my triumphant return to riding my bike to work. Well, triumphant isn't the right word. Um...maybe glorious...no, not that word either. How about "colderthanshit". That's a more appropriate word.

But it was triumphant in that I did actually do it and I arrived at work in a safe and timely manner. I have some work to do to get my bicycling legs back. I really felt the burn on more than a couple of hills or even slight inclines. Or even downhill grades with the wind at my back.

I really have to keep an eye on this situation. I seem to have no endurance at all. It has frustrated me on my runs and it felt a bit frustrating today on my ride. There is no chest pain involved so I don't think it is heart related. It is probably FAT related.

The official weigh-in is coming up on Saturday to see how I did on losing my ten pounds over Lent. I can tell you now that as of last Saturday, I had gained six pounds from my starting point. I haven't been very devoted to God during this process.

As cold as it was this morning, you would think I would have gotten the hint that my pants were unzipped. But Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! It took me until I was at work for half an hour before I noticed a breeze.

Mr Helpful Can't Run

It was trying to rain when I started out on my run. It never really kicked in and neither did the run. I was struggling to make it to the half mile mark before I quit. I made it and urged myself on to the end of the next block but gave up. My legs were really hurting and starting to cramp. I could feel the very beginnings of shin splints coming on too.

So I was walking along feeling disgusted with my efforts when I came upon these two ladies hauling a could into a house. They were at the door and having problems fitting it through. I offered to help and they gladly accepted. It was a Mom and daughter and the Mom was well into her sixties.

We got through the door with relatively little trouble and then I continued on my way, feeling like I had accomplished something on my run. I tried a couple more times to resume the pace but my legs would have none of it.

I made the mile in fifteen minutes and was glad to be done with it.

Snow Run

Tonight was a better run. I made the mile, the whole mile and I did it in 11:53. Plus, I did it while it was snowing. Not that the snow stuck. The pavement was wet but not white. That would have made it even harder to complete and I probably wouldn't have done it and then I wouldn't be writing this...now would I!

Sucky Run

The skies to the west were threatening another rain storm as I stepped out onto the Park to begin my run. I did a quick stretch and took off. I should have stretched more because I cramped up at about the half mile mark and that was it for the run.

I made it home before it started to pour but my spirit was already dampened. Damn! I sure can write purty.

Run Run Rake

I've been running but it continues to be unattractive. My Tuesday night run ended up as a walk for about the last three-tenths.

Last nights run turned into yard work instead. My time was crappy but the yard looks great!

Two Mile Psych-Out

I tried all day to get myself psyched up for a two mile run. When the time came to perform, it was not to be. I made the mile but there was no going any further. I'm going to try and run every night this week and get the mile under me before venturing on to the dreaded two miles.

My time was 12:13.

Our neighbors are out of town and insisted we use their hot tub while looking after their cat. I enjoyed a nice soak and a beer after the run. I will definitely try to keep up with that as well.

Run Phatty Run

After a weekend in California and a busy week before that, I haven't run since March 4th. Wow! That's a lot of wasted time. I was not looking forward to it last night and I was surprised to see I made the mile in 12:10. That is my best time this season.

I will try to run tongight but I am not promising anything as I must meet guys for beers. Nothing good ever comes from that.

Non-Thusiasm

With the change to Daylight Savings Time over the weekend, there is about two hours of light after I get home at night. Of course, the daylight is getting longer every day now and soon it will be light enough in the morning for me to run, if I choose. The question of course is, "Will I?" It seems unlikely with my history.

I should have run tonight but the cold has put an extra damper on my enthusiasm. I'll just continue to plod along and do what I can and then get pissed at myself and then workout more until some other reason comes along to encourage me to stop and then the cycle will continue and this sentence will never be able to end.

Thank God I found that period!

Ski Day Number Three

Susan and I celebrated my birthday by driving to Wallace, Idaho yesterday. There, we stayed at the Jameson Hotel. I would describe this place as how you might picture an old hotel in a frontier western town. It has a total of six rooms. There are no phones or TVs. There are no bathrooms in the rooms but there are a couple of bathrooms and showers down the hall.

On the main floor, the woodwork is beautiful and they have a wonderful old bar. We enjoyed a nice dinner and then walked around town to visited several bars.

We got up late this morning after having drank too much last night. The clocks all moved ahead an hour last night so it was even harder to wake up at 8 when it really was nine.

It takes less than 20 minutes to get to Lookout Pass from Wallace. We got ourselves together and managed to log 10 runs over the next several hours. They had fresh, light ankle deep snow and it snowed all day while the sun faintly shown through the clouds.It was a great day, but man oh man, we are feeling it now. Susan is soaking in the tub right now and I may be in there after her. My left knee particularly feels the stress of the ski day. It doesn't really hurt but it feels weak.

So now I'm a year older and because of everything I ate this weekend, I am sure I'm even farther from my goal.

Ski Day Number Two

It took today off and along with my friend Mark, went skiing. This is my second ski day of the season and it was as fabulous as the first. We had a nice sunny day although the sun did not lend itself much to adding actual warmth. There were several runs were both Mark and I had to stop, not from fatigue, but from the massive ice cream headache we had from the cold.

We got in 13 runs. A superstitious person would have skied one less or one more run, but neither of us fall into that category.

I'm going to get another ski day in this weekend as Susan and I are traveling to Idaho to ski at Lookout Pass on Sunday.

I have to bar tend tomorrow but only for five hours. I have a feeling that I will be experiencing the effects of today's ski day tomorrow as I run for the many customers who will no doubt feel compelled to come in for a visit.

No Zen Tonight

I think this is the first time this running season that I have run two nights in a row. It didn't seem to help in any progressive way as I did not feel the rhythm like I did last night. In fact, it felt like a pretty tough run even though I had a good time. My best time, in fact. 12:38!

A Good Showing

The rain has been coming down steadily for the last couple of days which gave me an excuse yesterday not to run. I had no such excuse today and upon arriving home, I went out to pound the streets.

My run always starts out strong but crumbles after that first block. My muscles and joints ache and want nothing to do with this activity. But my mind makes me push on and sometimes it wins. Today was such a day.

I was really struggling through the first half mile. My breathing was labored, everything hurt and I was not feeling terribly positive about my endurance. But then my body fell into a rhythm shortly after turning the half mile mark and I knew I would make the whole mile. It was actually very zen like. Everything came together and I knew I could go the distance, even more if I had wanted, and I knew I didn't.

I made my best time to date this season with 12:42. The worst part of the run is afterwards. It seems I cough and sputter and spew for quite some time. But it feels good to have done the run and to have done it well...relatively speaking.

Regressive Exercise

It's the First of March and time to live up to some of my Lental Decisions. I ran around the park this morning and it was my worst performance yet. I didin't even make it through the first half mile before I had to walk. I continued to ran and walk for the rest of the circuit but it was really quite pathetic. My time was 15:55 and I still weigh 224.8.

This week, I plan to be much more dedicated to my quest of weight loss, which is now at 11 1/2 pounds to be lost. I know that if I just lay off the beer, that will do wonders to kick starting the pounds removal. Since I won't completly lay off the beer, I must really be sure that I exercise every day this week.

No Motivation

The toe is still an issue. That, and my motivation. Didn't lose or gain over the night.

No Motivation

The toe is still an issue. That, and my motivation. Didn't lose or gain over the night.

Wrong Direction

So far, this Lent thing isn't working for me. I weighed 224.8 this morning. I'm going in the wrong direction right off the bat.

I did not run last night. In fact, I got home and went to bed. I was feeling the on-set of flu like symptoms and I wanted no part of that. So I turned the heat waaaaay up, turned the TV waaaaay down and dozed all night.

It must have worked because I feel okay this morning. There is still a little tenderness in my toe but it is much better than yesterday. I think I flushed the bad stuff out. I will continue that strategy today.

I must begin running though. It is crucial to my weight loss as well as my Bloomsday plans.

Relentless Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. I am planning to adjust my lifestyle over the next 40 days to best facilitate Weight Loss. My goal is ten pounds. I weighed in this morning at 223.5.

To that end, I have forsaken my morning Quad Mocha. There will be no cream cheese on my bagel and if my toe cooporates, I'll be visiting the Club after work.

My big Numb Toe on my left foot is kind of throbbing right now. I think I'm having an episode of Gout. It's very tender to the touch and eminating a constant dull pain that makes me limp slightly. I plan to drink a lot of water today and see what that does. Also, no Filet Mignon. Not that I was anticipating that, but Gout is known as the Rich Man's disease. It comes from a build up of Uric Acid in your bloodstream. The Uric Acid comes from too much rich food. I can't think of anything specifically rich I've eaten lately but it could be cumulative. You know, Quad Mocha's, wine, cheese soup last night...that sort of thing.

The Power of Pain

It's been raining for the past couple of days and such was the case last night when I ventured out for my run. I made it down to the end of the park, and then, just gave up and stopped. I wasn't in great pain or short of breath. I turned around to walk the half mile home and then I got really mad at myself. I forced myself to continue.

What makes me angry now is that my time for the mile was 13:05. I wasted a good ten seconds with my indecisive wimpiness. That would have been my best time yet this season.

I'm glad I finished but I have to be more intense about my workouts. Especially now that Lent is starting and my Lental Commitment is to lose ten pounds. I've left it open so that I'm not giving up anything specific but I have to regulate what I eat, drink and do. Hopefully, God will approve.

Buckeroo takes a Ski Day

I took the day off and went skiing. I was fortunate to pick a day when the weather was fabulous. For some reason, all the lift operators referred to me as "the Cowboy" all day long. It was my first day up this season and by the end of the day, my body was not happy.

I am going to chronicle all my runs here. The reason for that was I was skiing alone and had plenty of time to think of things to write. I also like being able to look back and really remember the day.

Run Number One: I arrived at Mt. Spokane a little after 9AM. I struggled my way up the hill to put my skis on and made my way to the beginner chairlift. On my way up the hill, I realized that the chair to the top was not operating so I had to ski down to the intermediate chair.

When I finally began my run, I knew I was in trouble. I was wearing sunglasses that offered no protection from the wind. As I skied, my eyes watered to the point of not being able to see. I skied down to the car and got my goggles.

Run Number Two: This was much better. Goggles are a good thing. I had a good run down the Northwest Passage trail and skied over to the Number One Chair. I ended up spending most of the day on that chairlift.

Run Number Three: My favorite run on Mt Spokane is the B-29. It is not a particularly fabulous run but for some reason, it holds great nostalgic importance. I'm not sure why. This is my "Go to" run when it is fabulous spring skiing. It is located all the over on the southern border of the ski area. It is on the side of the mountain you can see from town. The top of the run is not groomed and on this day was pretty nice. A little choppy, a little wind blown but very ski able.

I enjoyed the run immensely. I also had a nice ride on the chairlift with I guy who turned out to be a former boss. His name is Andy and he was in charge of the Sporting Goods department of the old Crescent Department Store. I worked there about 28 years ago for about two years. We had a nice visit.

Run Number Four: That first run was so good I had to do it again. This time I pulled out the camera and took a video. It wasn't very good. I got too much ski and not enough slope. The run was good though.

Run Number Five: I went for variety and took a run over to the number two face. This is a run I normally avoid because it is awfully bumpy. I was never very good at bumps and at 51, my goodness is even less. They had groomed one side of the hill and left the bumps on the other side so I was able to ski it quite nicely. Since the Number Two chair was not operating, I didn't have to worry about looking ridiculous. Well, I didn't have to worry about people seeing me look ridiculous.

It took a trail called the Lost 200 back over to the Number One chair.

Run Number Six: Back to the B-29 and a better video.

Run Number Se7en: This time I opted for the Number One Face. It was a good safe run on a nicely groomed steep hill. By the way, I can ski okay but I have no endurance. I think I stopped four times on this run.

Run Number Eight: Back to the B-29 and another video session. this time I videoed the cat track at the bottom of the B-29.

Run Number Nine: There is a run between the B-29 and the Number One Face called the Hourglass. It's pretty similar to the B-29 in that the top is choppy and un-groomed and the bottom half is groomed and a lot of fun.

Run Number Ten: By now it is after noon and my legs are urging me to wrap it up. However, my mind is having a great day and I'm not quite ready to quit. I decided to take one last trip down the B.

Run Number Eleven: At the top of the Number One chair, I hiked up to the Vista House. I should have had a beer with me because it is a great spot to take a break and enjoy the view. I called Susan from the and expressed the fun I was having.

From there, I skied to the Northwest Passage and skied all the way down to Chair Number Three for one last run.

Run Number Twelve: At the top of Three, there is a terrain Park for all the thrashers to enjoy. Just below the Terrain Park, there is a run called Swede's Folly. I have always called it "Sven's Good Fun". It is a very short groomed steep run with an excellent fall line. I really can boogie down the hill and then stop and catch my breath.

From there is was a Cat Track to the parking lot and I was outta there by 1:30.

With 12 runs in the bag, my day cost me about $3.60 a run. Plus Gas.

And I felt every penney of it!

13:09 and a New Computer

Tonight's run was painful, but I made it. The pain was in my feet. It almost felt like I was on the verge of shin splints. I want to avoid that. It's long and hard to recover from AND it hurts. The feet problem has been one I have dealt with in the past. They kind of go numb. But not so numb that it doesn't hurt. I'm hoping that the sensation will pass as my endurance and strength increase.

I'm going skiing tomorrow so I figured it would not be a bad thing to be a little bit limber through stretching and running. I'm feeling okay now so I should be okay tomorrow.

On a totally un-related matter, after six years, maybe more, I upgraded my computer. It was long overdue and I am mostly happy so far. I haven't gotten all my data transferred from the old one yet. I'll do some more of that this weekend...I hope.

13:34

I ran yesterday and it was 180 degrees opposite of my previous run. They should have been switched. Almost immediately after I started, I was feeling the burn and the pain and the labored breathing. I wanted to quit at the quarter mile mark.

I was able to overcome my desire to give up and made the full mile. But it was tough. I had to continually push myself to make small goals.

"Just make it to the corner and then I'll stop."

"Okay, I passed the corner and I'm not dead yet. I'll go to the light post."

"If I can make it to the White House, then I'll walk."

"I'm practically home. Keep going."

Of course, my internal dialog had a lot more expletives in between sucking for air.

Feeling the Burn

It has been a day and a half since I ran my measly little mile. I know that because my thighs remind me of it every time I move. I was rather proud of my achievement of making a mile on my first time out. However, I need to remember that pride comes before the fall.

I will attempt to get out tonight and run the mile in less than 13 minutes. It is snowing right now so I'm not sure that tonight's weather will be conducive to running for a pussy such as myself. I will report here in order to share my pride or fall.

One Mile 13:08

It has been nearly three months since I have logged in here and made a post. So long in fact, that I have forgotten how to get to this site. Thankfully, I still remember my user name and password, "Fat motherfucker" and "heart failure".

I am writing again because I have successfully completed two fitness objectives. One: I bought a new pair of running shoes. Two: I ran a mile. Winter is waining and I can start getting out and run again. Soon, I will bike and walk and pole vault.

In the meantime, it is great to be back trying to be fit.

The run felt surprisingly good. I had no expectation of making a full mile my first time out. It was surprisingly pain free and I think I could have gone for two if I had been motivated enough to make that commitment. But hey, it's me! Let's get real, here.