4-30-14

Yoga today. Other than yard work over the weekend, my first workout since last thursday. I did ok, but am not progressing much and clearly need to get it together to make more time for conditioning. It's on me.

4-24-14

Missed tuesday's yoga due to a minor business crisis. Caught it today though and am still feeling it tonight. There was one other guy  today and 4 women. None of them except our leader is in great shape, nonetheless, they outdo me on all the flexibility poses and seem to hold their own on the strength moves, where I think I should shine, as well. Are we actually about equally strong per pound weight, do different proportions give them leverage, or, god forbid, am I not  the man I like to think I am? About the only superior quality I seem to have is stiffness and maybe an unproven ability to  hold my liquor better. I need to work harder at this.

4-21-14

3 mile neighborhood loop with Tate on a day off from work. Pushed it a little harder than recent intervals. Got the time down to 40 minutes from a prior recorded time of 42. Goal is 36 minutes by Halloween. Long way to go to get there, but it is doable. Looking forward to yoga tomorrow to get the kinks out.

4-19-14

In Virginia for the weekend, visiting and looking for a retirement house. My bride and I took a walk in the Ivy Creek Natural Area outside of Charlottesville. 1.6 miles through forest and along the banks of the Rivanna Reservoir. Workout wasn't much but Diane, after hedging about going along, loved the area and took a zillion photos of the bursting spring. Well worth it even if I didn't break a sweat.

4-17-14

Yoga. Me and 5 women in tight clothes. Never mind that though, it was a good workout. I felt progress in the lotus and bow poses where I really think I am getting my head and legs higher than before. I don't seem to be gaining much flex in my hips and hamstrings, but on the  arching side I am definitely better. That said, after these poses are completed, it takes me a little time to unwind them and get my lower back to release. Getting better but still a long way to go.

4-15-14

Yoga today. Memorable because the heat was turned up too high and I finally got my head off the ground in the wheel pose. I can't get anywhere near as convex as some of the women, but am getting more air and managed to get up high enough to rest on the top of my head for a few seconds.Maybe one  of these days I'll be able to touch my toes without bending my knees.

4-14-14

3 mile interval during lunch. Great day, about 60 degrees with a tail wind on the home leg. We reduced our time from 41:56 last Thursday to 40:26 today. Funny, I thought it would be a tough run because of a high exertion weekend and a poor night's sleep last night. But we all felt pretty strong and achieved a good time for early in the year. Here is the link to the Garman data:


http://connect.garmin.com/activity/479959736#.U0wgM5Hmdho.email

4/14/2014

So, back to it.  I did Yoga today.  Probably a good way to ease back into things.  Work has been my excuse and there is some truth to that but, not enough if I'm honest.  The weather has finally turned to spring here though still a lot of snow on the ground.  P has suggested that we try and get out in the Canoe at least once each weekend.  Probably a worthy goal if only for the mental health of it.

4-13-14

80 degrees and sunny. Walked the 3 mile home loop with wife and Tate at about 2 pm. Poorly planned given my wife's tendency to dehydrate. She struggled the last mile as her water got warm and short. Way  better to go in the cooler morning and overstock the fluids to avoid the discomfort. Anyway, we all got out, aired some things we needed to discuss and Tate took a few minutes to play with his favorite girlfriend about half way around.  Just have to remember the hydration lesson.

4-9-14

Finally  a nice day (60 deg) and no conflict, so the runners were out at lunch time. We did our favorite 3 mile interval. It's on a highway access road and some reclaimed mine lands behind our plant. Lollypop type route. We walk about the first 3/4 mile to the top of a very steep hill, then run the majority of the rest of the route. Lots of wildlife (turkeys, hawks, deer, snakes etc). And today, first day out this year, the sun and fresh air felt great. Our time was 41:56, about 2 minutes slower than our better times last fall, but not bad considering. We all enjoyed it and felt good. One of us sported a new Garman workout management device, recording damn near everything about it. Check out the link below. I  don't personally think I need the data, but it is pretty interesting.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477192497#.U0bPNEmydxE.email

4-9-14

Yoga for lunch. Consecutive sessions where down dog was restful rather than painful as in all prior attempts. Finally got to the top of my head in the bridge pose. Also was halfway successful in my first try at side crow. Just need a little more  rotational flex to seat it well. Generally enjoying the experience and happy with my progress.

A wonderful tribute

Went to Philly this weekend to a 30th anniversary celebration of our long time friend Charlie Kennedy's swim coach tenure at Suburban Swim Club. My wife grew up swimming with him and I have known him for 35 years. He was a double major Phi Beta Kappa grad of U of Iowa, while swimming. He is an accomplished musician. He says he received a calling to be  swim coach. He has been underpaid and seemingly under-appreciated for all these years. Last night however he was feted by the friends he swam with and several generations of swimmers. The  cool thing was the  unintentional common theme that the 6 or 7 speakers brought out about him. That is that, while he is a great swim coach, swimming is only the vehicle that he uses to help his kids become better people. The final speaker was Brendan Hansen, 3 time Olympic team captain and holder of 7  medals. He credited Charlie with keeping him in swimming when he wanted to quit after failing to make the 2000 team as a high schooler by .02 seconds in 2 different events. Charlie told him that it isn't how you react to success that defines your life, but how you react to failure and disappointment. Brendan says that this thought is the key motivator in his life, as well as his subsequent swimming success. The club named the pool after him and made a nice contribution to his underfunded retirement fund. The coolest thing was that his parents were there to feel the warmth. His Dad, who is an alzheimers sufferer had a lucid night, completely got what was happening and broke down from his joy several times (as most of us did). And when someone said that he must feel really good about it, answered that, oh no, this is about Charlie, not me.

Charlie is the closest thing I know to pure good. Last night  I learned that many others believe that too, and Charlie, as humble a guy as anyone on earth, can't deny it any longer. What a cool night.

4-3-14

Yoga today. Usual struggles with certain stretches and most balance poses. But, for the first time Down Dog felt comfortable and something like a resting position. That's progress, I think.

4-1-14

Yoga for lunch. The positive effects of the class are spreading. We had 7 folks plus the instructor, about all the room can handle. First time in two weeks for me due to my illness, but I felt pretty good. Still have a long way to go on hip and hamstring flexibility and balance. Something to shoot for.

3-31-14

Missed work today to go to a funeral about 2 hours away. Got home at 5pm with the sun out and a comfortable 55 degrees. So, Tate and I ran a 3 mile interval around our neighborhood. Started out with wet feet since the lake's spillway is ripping and our stepping stones were submerged, but that was a minor bother. Ran the downhills and flats, walked most of the uphills, but generally  felt pretty good. ET 42 minutes. And the great finish happened when Tate's best pal Boomer was outside waiting for him. They finished the run with a vigorous wrestling match, definitely earning their biscuits. Setting a goal of getting the time down to 36 minutes by Halloween.