Hitting the Reset Button on Life

Every December I take a few weeks off and just read, relax and enjoy my family.   Not sure what happened last month, but I'm not feeling that I got my annual reset.  Maybe too much sugar, caffiene and beer over the holidays without enough sleep.   I need to figure out how to slow things down a bit, relax and refocus.

I had my first long bike ride in a while today (50 miles).  It was tough - it alway is this time of year - but it was great to just mentally unwind for 3 hours. 

Unfortunately I had a sharp pain in my chest about 3-4 miles into the ride - I finished the ride, but the pain is still there 15 hours later - not so acute.  Scary.  Maybe a good nights rest will help.

Had a nice Sushi dinner with Sena tonight - new place 5 minutes from home.  The service was over the top, but that is expected of a place that is 2 days old.

My foot is finally starting to feel better.  Another Prolotherapy treatment next week - hopefully good news.

So, I'll try to take a relaxing day tomorrow and see how that goes.

Bike ride

I scored a high def, point-of-view camera (Hero HD) for christmas.  Great gadget.  Still figuring out the best way to use it.  Here is a early video of a downhill on Allerton Road.
Down Hill Ride

Don't feel compelled to watch the whole thing.  Sometimes when blogging, it is pretty clear that if I had a video, it would be so much more interesting.  I don't think I want to wear it on my helmet all of the time, but I may spring for the handlebar mount (an extra $20) so that if I see something cool (like a 10 point buck crossing the road in front of me), then perhaps I'll have the presence of mind to actually hit the record button without putting myself in jeopardy. 

I've also tried it for swimming.  The underwater shots are a bit embarrasing, since I more clearly demonstrate my poor form, but the surface shot, whilst a bit boring, is pretty cool...

Surface Swim

Now I just need to figure out how to better link my blog with my youtube videos.  Open to ideas.

Oh yeah, what happened to the spell checker in this blogger editor?

Rachel's Birthday

Nice night out with the family. Rachel and I polished off a Sushi boat at Shangri La. Had some laughs and good, relatively healthy food. Yum!

Paddling a couple of weeks ago

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled

Prolotherapy - treatment #3

last post on this here: http://beyondkona.blogspot.com/2009/11/prolotherapy.html

I went in 2 days ago for my third prolotherapy treatment. Each of these treatments is $100 out of pocket. The treatments are 1 month apart.

I was hoping for much more significant improvement, but with the way my foot felt, I am not surprised that there really wasn't much improvement since the last time.

It may be my fault to some extent. I continue to ride the bike, do elliptical, paint the house on a ladder, and after reading "Born to Run", I've been getting around in bare feet much more than I should.

So treatment #3 he tells me is going to hurt much worse and I should have to use pain relievers (but not anti-inflammatory meds). Well, I'm tough and so far haven't used them. Actually, I really don't like to mask pain (to a point). I figure that if something hurts, I should compensate (e.g. walk with a limp or not walk at all).

So yes, it is much more painful (not during the treatment of course, but a few days after). The reason for the additional pain is that he not only put dextrose in, but also fish oil. The idea is to invoke a healing response... that part seems to be working - let's hope anyway.

Well, the good doctor also tells me he is back from a conference where he was showing my ultra sound to his podiatrist buddies and they all seem to have had a good laugh on my account. Bastards! Apparently, the tear was very significant and barely hanging on the bone. He admitted that being the patient in this situation isn't the best thing, but he and his friends were looking to learn a lot from me. GRRR

So I'm trying to take it easy. I'll be swimming for sure. Probably biking. Avoid barefoot walking. Trying to use the boot around the house to stabilize things a bit.

I'll be going back in 4 weeks. Hopefully we have some good progress this time and don't have to resort to PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatment, because each of these is over $800 out of pocket and I'm just not down with that!

Swimming for speed

I swam tonight and whilst driving home, had a few thoughts...

- did 25meters in just under 15 seconds
- did 50 meters in 34 seconds (very fast for me)
- if I learn to flip turn, can I do 50 meters in under 30 seconds?
- can I then manage 100meters in 1:15?
- getting a bit carried away - I was exhausted at 34 seconds for 50 meters
- my swim stroke is just about there, so if I focus on speed, will my stroke automatically get better?
- I've been doing 50m repeats on 1 minute (finish in 45 secs with a 15 second rest) - I recently did this 16 times in a row
- Can I do 50 meter repeats on 45 seconds? sounds painful - would have to do 35 sec 50m - would definitely need to learn to flipturn
-My fastest 100 meter is 90 seconds - I'm not ready to try to break that record

I worked on my kick - my new theory is to do 25m kick, 50m freestyle, repeat... instead of 400m kicking. The reason is that when I freestyle, I forget to kick! I think if I can get my brain kicking, then do freestyle, the kick will start to be a natural part of my stroke. Seems to be working... time will tell.

I'm also working on my pull... something I've never really done, so I'm pretty weak in that area. It really shouldn't be a 'pull your arm' instead it should be a 'pull your body over your arm'. Well, I was pulling my arm a lot and my arms got tired. I've got a lot of work to do on this.

So, I think my body and head position are good. My breathing is almost there. Now if I can get my kick and pull working well, and do a kick turn, I should be on my way to being a moderately fast swimmer. Goal is to be able to swim 2.4miles in open water in under an hour - very challenging goal - my best time so far is 1:09.

rules of the road revisited

In previous blogs I attempted to justify blowing through stop signs and traffic lights. Bottom line, I will follow the rules of the road from now on.

Why the change of heart? I've been reading a lot about this issue and talking to people about it. I'm not in that big of a hurry. I don't really want cars to be be pissed off at me when I'm on a bike. I usually follow the rules of the road anyway. I don't have THAT many stop signs and traffic lights that I deal with. By making my own rules, I run into many cases that are not so clear-cut, so I was sometimes finding myself in precarious situations that really were not necessary.

I've already started this practice and it really isn't that hard. It does take a different mind set. In only a few cases is it frustrating (coming downhill to a stop sign with absolutely no traffic around), but I can live with that.

Prolotherapy

"Prolotherapy uses a dextrose (sugar water) solution, which is injected into the ligament or tendon where it attaches to the bone. This causes a localized inflammation in these weak areas which then increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients and stimulates the tissue to repair itself. "

It turns out that my Plantar Fascia is torn - the wonders of modern miracles - the ultrasound...

So all of this stretching I was doing for a year to improve my PF has probably continued to make it worse... not to mention the night splits and Strassburg sock that continued to pull on my foot at night, not letting it heal...

I've had 2 Prolotherapy treatments - Sept and Oct... next one is Nov 23rd. It doesn't seem to be getting much better - we'll see.

I can always go for the PRP (Platlette Rich Plasma) treatment, but this is $800 a pop out of pocket. My Dr. tells me that will be a much quicker healing process (2-3 treatments), but that's a lot of dough.

So, I'll stick with the $100 Prolotherapy treatments for a bit longer - Dr. tells me 4-6 treatments, but could be more.

Unfortunately this is all taking too long and I'm going to want to run this winter or I might just go insane! I wish I had started earlier in the summer!

Swim Tip - breathing

I read a while ago that you should look straight down at the bottom of the pool when swimming... wrong.

Recently I stumbled upon much better advice that seems to be working well.

First, your head position should be looking slightly forward, not straight down. This position helps with the next step.

Next, try to keep one goggle eye in the water and the other one out when taking a breath. This helps to make sure you don't lift your head too far out.

This seems to be helping me quite a bit. Still working on my right side, which wants to pull my head too far out.... I get it right about a quarter of the time on that side and about 3/4 of the time on the left side.

Squeeky bike... some quick fixes

My bike was making this terrible creaking noise evertime I climbed a hill and put a little torque on the front. It sounded like it was coming from my handlebars.

I hate taking my bike to the bike shop - I want to be the master of my domain as much as possible, so I began my research to try to figure out what was wrong.

Based on advice from 'experts' on the web and my "Zinn and the art of bicycle maintenance", I ended up taking my whole head tube apart and greasing it up. No joy.

It turns out, that all I had to do was take my front wheel off and on again and the noise went away.

The other creaking noise I've found easy to fix is at the cleat/pedal. Just spray a little lube on your cleat and this often solves the problem.

Of course, there may be much more serious problems, but I like to start with the easy fix first.

Group Ride - not so meditative

I recently wrote how long solo rides create a meditative environment for me allow me to experience a timeless internal state of relaxed awareness. The wind blowing in my ears, my steady breathing, automatic shifting of the gears, steady pumping of the legs all contribute to creating that environment for me.

Yesterday was a group ride and there is clearly too much going on at one of these to get that meditative experience. That isn't a bad thing because these rides are great for the social side of things. I got a chance to talk to Jules about his Philosophy instruction business while riding down the road at 20 miles an hour. Jules is one of those interesting guys on these rides - he rides a sturdy (heavy) touring bike - no cleats - cotton T-shirt - sneakers, etc., yet somehow manages to hang with a pretty fast pack of riders in the latest cycling technology known to man. He is a Dutchman that takes multi-day cross country international cycling tours with his family, including children and wife.

We also had a few flats in the group yesterday. Everyone pitched in to help - no complaining even though it was raining and cool. 14 riders all patiently helping or waiting for the task to finish so we can get on with things.

When we got to the 10 mile stretch down 282, 6 of us took off and moved at ungodly speeds, pushing our bodies to the limit. My legs were fried.

time travel

In the zone, you are left to your own thoughts and the world around you zips by and everything is automatic.

I just came back from a medium length bike ride (2 hours) just out to enjoy the fall leaves... no course in mind... no training goals... just go.

I'm not sure if it's the continuous body motion that creates this meditative atmosphere, but time just passes so quickly as if I'm in a trance. Same thing happens on long runs.

do more, feel better, live longer...

A couple of years ago when I started this blog, I put on the title 'do more, feel better, live longer...'

I nabbed this from my company's mission ' to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer '.

It sounded pretty good at the time and I felt that I should shape my life around it.

Last night I was in a reflective mood and starting asking myself if I am living up to this goal? Am I using my good fortune to help others do more, feel better, live longer?

I think so...

Every day at work I am a contributor in a large group people working hard to eliminate or reduce the impact of serious health issues like Cervical Cancer, Swine Flu, Lymphatic Filariasis, Malaria, Aids, and so many more - www.gsk.com. This is a big one for me. I've worked in a lot of industries before, and while Big Pharma gets a bad rap sometimes, the reality is that there are tens of thousands of good hearted people working with incredible passion every day to create medicines to help improve the quality of life and save lives.

In my view, a pill or a shot should be used only when necessary and after already living a healthy lifestyle. So, in my personal life, I focus much more of my time on 'the healthy lifestyle' side of things...

Outside of work, I informally coach people, and challenge riders, runners, triathletes to become stronger / better.

I like to praise people for their achievements, small and large - I am constantly humbled by those less capable individuals working so hard every day just to stay healthy or participate in a race or set an example for their children.

I try to lead a healthy life and share my experiences, and hope to inspire those around me as I have been inspired by others.

My hierarchy of needs starts with good health as my foundation, and I firmly believe that I am much more capable of being a positive influence in the world if I am healthy.

Many of life's pleasures are healthy (riding a bike, going for a walk, eating fresh berries) and I balance that with a moderation of things that are of dubious health benefit (an occasional beer or glass of wine, spicy food, red meat). Keeping things balanced should keep one healthy whilst enjoying life.

...it will never be enough, but I'll keep trying in my own small way... and keep asking myself - am I doing enough?

riding fast - riding safe

A+ ride yesterday – survival of the fittest. It was a good time, and everyone was smiling at the end of the ride. Sure we dropped some people, but we had the A- ride behind us, so they would have been picked up.

One guy got in my face early in the ride telling me I was going too fast… I don’t know why someone would come out to an A+ ride and complain about the pace. Fortunately the ride leader had a talk with him, but only after he nearly took me out by swerving within inches of my front whilst I was leading the group at a fast pace – not sure why he chose that moment to debate the speed of the ride.

Once we got through that early hiccup and the group got into a groove, the ride got to be lots of fun. Dick was there to push the pace with me on the big hills. Tim and Ian were showing me how to rotate quickly through a pace line – it’s a pretty cool skill – something we should practice more – could come in handy if we ever race together. Victor kept everything running smoothly and I did my part to keep things safe at high speeds.

There were a couple of moments where trucks passed the group at precisely the wrong time, endangering an on-coming car in one instance and a couple of on-coming cyclist in another. Near the end of the ride, I was at the front of the group again and my front wheel hit a rock and nearly took me out as I zigged and zagged for a very long 1 second to get it under control. No one else seemed to notice. Fortunately, no harm during the day, but it highlighted one of the challenges of riding with a big group.

After a shower and a burrito and bean salad, I took a nice 30min nap, then did yard work.

Overall, it was a pretty good day.

The curse of the three legged dog and the dead snake

Riding to work yesterday on wet roads, making a 90 degree downhill turn whilst passing an unlikely cyclist on a foggy morning when my tire hits a newly smashed snake in the middle of the road. Fortunately my spidey senses kicked in and I stayed upright - just - and avoided a painful body-hits-pavement scenario.

Riding home on the same day, I'm on a long gentle descent straightaway moving at 30+mph along a row of parked cars when a very cute fluffy black three-legged dog steps out from underneath one of the cars directly in front of me. He/she was as surprised to see me as I was them, and my reflexes once again took over, saving me from that devilish hound.

MTB with Ian to Marshman

So I decided to ride up to spectate Marshman, a local sprint triathlon at Marsh Creek, and asked Ian to join me in a bit of Mountain biking while we were up there.



After a late start, we headed down Hillsdale at 25+ MPH in sub 50 degree weather. It was tough to stay warm in the first couple of miles, but eventually warm blood reached our extremities and we had a nice easy ride up to Downingtown and along the Struble trail. When we got to the trail head, we saw the cyclist racing down the road toward the 282 turn. We made our way 100meters up the hill and carefully crossed, taking some nice pictures of the cyclist before we continued our off-road journey.





After 12 miles on pavement, it was nice to get off-road and do some single track. When we got to where I thought the race start/finish was, we found out it was on the other side of the lake. We took a break and a picture of the fog clearing off the lake, then headed back along the trails to the other side of the lake.


Once on the single track again, I almost forgot about the race and just enjoyed the trails, but this was a fairly short ride in the woods and soon we were back on the roads heading to the race.

It was fun being at the race - the energy level is high and everyone is having a good time. I got to see some friends, including Andy H (he actually one the race!), and met his friend who came in third, then saw Rob J who came in 4th. Pretty funny. I rode with Andy a few times this summer, and of I've run and raced with Rob many times before. Small world.

So we headed back to the trails, and I soon realized that I am way out of MTB skills - just not riding enough. The first clue was when I endo'd going over a pile of logs, which would have been no problem a couple of years ago. Then, about 20 mins later, I was following Ian down a partially overgrown single track, not particularly difficult, but I wasn't really paying much attention and my front wheel went slightly off the track into the wet grass and I was down for the count. Ouch. It didn't help that I only had one treaded MTB tire on the rear, so my slick road tire on the front did not handle tall wet grass very well.

Anyway, most of the riding was awesome. My skill level is spotty. On the way home, we did small section of Harmony Hill which was fun.

Good times. Peace.