Term Limits?

I went and lifted this morning.  You may remember the postulate that it takes 6 weeks for the mitochondria to manufacture new muscle strands.  Well, I think either for me or for a 64 year old male, it takes 7 weeks.  You see, I increased the weight on the sitting bench press to 130# on September 7.  It had been a struggle to increase the reps on each set (my goal is 3 sets of 6 reps each), even last week.

Today, though, I was able to do 6 reps, 5 reps, and 5 reps, where last week it was 4-4-4.  Maybe some new strands came online over the weekend.

I didn't have any troubles doing most of my routine, except that I had to stop after an hour because I needed to get ready for work.  So, yesterday's hill work didn't affect today's lifting.  

Right now, it looks like I'll be able to get my run done in the morning, prior to the front's arrival.  But timing can change.  Thanks.

I went and plodded, this morning.  It was 77 degrees and a hint of 100% humidity.  The cold front's rain was 100 miles away, except for a lost shower that caught me at mile 1.5 for a few minutes.  Nothing like the wind, rain, and tornado show that came at about 8:30.  Dropped temps by 20 degrees.  Tomorrow's high will be less than this morning's low.

I plodded 4 miles.  So, this should help out on Friday and next week.  The cooler weather is supposed to last that long.

It wasn't a good run.  Guess I communicated that earlier.  I'll see tomorrow morning if it affects the lifting.

I have a basal thing on top of my noggin that'll be removed, next month.  I'm not supposed to run or lift for 10 days!  So, I'm having it yankled on the Monday before Thanksgiving.  I wasn't going to be able to run or lift anyway, so it seemed to thing to do.

Do come again!

I had a good time, yesterday, lifting weights.  Didn't quite have enough time for everything.  The temp was in the low 60s with a sustained wind of 25 mph.  It felt like the outer wind bands of a hurricane, without the curved clouds.

*30*

Today.  Well, today, the temp was 56 degrees with a dew point of 35.  A dry air mass that included 10 mph winds.  Had to wear a jacket for the warm up.  My gnome's battery failed, so I had to maintain a cadence, somehow.

The run went very well, although the first mile and a half was a breathing harder than normal.  Probably because I was running faster.  Oops!  Did I spill the beans too early?  4 miles was the target.

5 miles, 1:11:42, 14:20 pace, 133 avg bpm, 150 HR max, 154 avg cadence, 0.73 avg stride length
1.  14:33, 125 bpm, 154 spm, 73 sl
2.  14:04, 132 bpm, 153 spm, 75 sl
3.  14:09, 133 bpm, 153 spm, 74 sl
4.  14:20, 136 bpm, 153 spm, 73 sl
5.  14:25, 137 bpm, 153 spm, 73 sl

HR zones
zone 2 (108-125)       5:22
zone 3 (126-143)  1:03:36
zone 4 (144-150)       1:14

Going 5 miles was an accident.  I was in a groove and thinking about what needs to be done.  When I looked at the watch, I had ran past the turnaround point and was at 2.3 miles.  So...., I kept going to 2.6 miles and turned around.  It actually worked.  I never really got too tired, but the HR was predictably higher because I was going faster.  The cadence was shockingly very nice because I didn't have the gnome and it was consistent.  No falling off the pier, today!

Boy, such a nice run.  I think 6 is the limit right now.  So, 12 miles for the week.  Next week, no morning lows in the 70s.  The combination of weights and running isn't too bad mixed together in a 3 runs, 2 lift routine.

Y'all have a good weekend.

This morning, it was a tad warmer at 57 degrees.  The idea was to run 5 miles because I need to increase the distances, ahead of the January half.

Starting out was a bit arduous, but I pushed through it because the first couple of miles has become a loosening up effort.  This again was that way.

5 miles, 1:16:41, 15:20 pace, 119 avg bpm, 149 max bpm, 
1.  15:40, 121 bpm, 153 spm, 68 sl
2.  15:49, 115 bpm, 145 spm, 71 sl
3.  15:02, 116 bpm, 147 spm, 71 sl
4.  15:11, 120 bpm, 149 spm, 70 sl
5.  14:50, 122 bpm, 152 spm, 73 sl

I stopped two times to pee, once at the turnaround at 2.6 miles and the other about a mile later, so that made the HR lower than actual.  But the splits for 3, 4, and 5 were faster than 1 & 2 and I was executing it better and easier.  Cadence also recovered closer to the 157 standard.  Now if I can shorten the loosening up distance, that would help the overall run.

The weather will be cooler for the last half of the week.  It's supposed to be 60 degrees on Wednesday morning, ahead of a cold front that will make Thursday-Monday morning lows in the 40s.

Looks like Fall might be here to stay for a while, even though it was 81 degrees, today.  That's fine.

Y'all stay copacetic.

I have not done a good job of checking in as often as I'd like.  I cheat and see your runs on Strava...

Nice running lately.  Distances are increasing nicely but not to aggressively.  Nice hill work.  And overall the HR and cadence both look good.

Here's a couple of the things that stood out as I read through your blog.

• Mitochondria growth and improved lifting ability.
  
• Body tilt improving cadence with no increased effort.
  
• And...drum roll please...high HR with no pain!  
  

Sounds like you've planned your procedure so that it has a minimal effect on your training.  Hope all goes well.

Gotta run...heard there's a ball game tonight.

Looks like you're making good progress, Ounce. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'll try to do better.

Mark B wrote:Looks like you're making good progress, Ounce. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'll try to do better.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!  You found your way back.

It'll all be fine as soon as you get current with your monthly Friendship Payments.

Let's see...last week, lifting went fine on Tuesday.  Wednesday, I was going to go to the parking garage, but I overslept my alarm by 20 minutes.  So, I couldn't do what I wanted in the shortened time.  Therefore, back to sleep for another 90 minutes.  Thursday, lifting where I finally accomplished 180 lbs on the lateral bench press!  Don't think I can hit 190 before 2022.

Will catch up on Friday and today's run on separate posts.  adios.

Friday's goal was to run faster for 3 miles, so the legs kinda know what to expect in the future.  Since I have a time getting the legs to wake up in the first mile and a half, I decided to change up my 6 minute warm up a bit to incorporate about a 100 yards of faster running.  What do I have to lose?  No wheels fell off and I continued to walk until it was time to leave.  It was in the 40's, so I had 2 layers on for the run.  157 was the cadence.

3 miles, 41:51, 13:56 split, 136 avg bpm, 147 max bpm, 157 avg cadence, 0.74 avg stride length.
1.  13:27, 130 bpm, 157 spm, 74 sl
2.  14:09, 137 bpm, 157 spm, 74 sl
3.  14:09, 140 bpm, 157 spm, 74 sl

HR zones
zone 3 (144-147)    00:47
zone 2 (126-143)    38:26

The surprise was my time splits increased with no degrading in cadence nor stride length.  Guess I'll have to think about that.  But, I accomplished what I wanted to do.  Run faster with no jumping off the pier.

Also, running the day after lifting was fine.  So, for the 3 days a week that I'll run, it'll be Monday as a long run, Wednesday as parking garage, and Friday as the sorta long run faster than other days.  2 months and 2 weeks to the Half.

This morning, it was 53 degrees.  A right nice temperature.  So, I figured that I would run 5 miles this morning.  That is, up until about 6 p.m., last night, when 6 miles got into my head.  hmmm...6 miles.  Good progression.  Could probably do 5 and slow into home on the final mile.  Weather is nice enough.  Let's see what happens.  157 cadence.  

Again, I did that little 100 yard scurry, during the walking warm up.  It worked well on Friday.

6 miles, 1:27:36, 14:36 pace, 126 avg bpm, 154 max bpm, 155 avg cadence, 0.72 m avg stride length
1.  15:14, 120 bpm, 156 spm, 70 sl
2.  14:42, 130 bpm, 155 spm, 70 sl
3.  14:57, 123 bpm, 154 spm, 71 sl
4.  14:41, 125 bpm, 156 spm, 70 sl
5.  14:00, 130 bpm, 156 spm, 73 sl
6.  13:49, 130 bpm, 155 spm, 75 sl

HR zone
Zone 4 (144-154)    1:35 (all in mile 3)
Zone 3 (126-143)  43:41
zone 2 (108-125)  40:54

That 100 yard warmup seems to be helping with blowing out the lines to lessen the sluggish legs in the first mile and a half.  The first half of the run was fine enough, however the last part of mile 3 seemed to have a few hiccups on maintaining cadence.  At the turn around point, I relieved myself and caught my breath.  Then, headed back.  That little break caused the legs to get a life in them.

I was maintaining the cadence!  That was really satisfying.  Even though my splits weren't doing well, the endurance was unmasking itself.  I leaned a bit forward during mile 5 and it showed in the 14 split.  While I was swaying a bit in the last mile, I concentrated on keeping my feet exactly parallel to almost the edge of the sidewalk.  That cured the sway and no more wasted time.  So while the time wasn't great, even though the splits quickened for most of the run, the distance at the cadence showed there is endurance in them thar legs.  Finally.

Seems like I should increase the cadence a step, since I am maintaining cadence for the whole run.  I will probably bump it on Wednesday for the parking garage run.  I have two more long runs before I have to take a 10-14 day break from running and lifting for my basal cell yanking on the 22nd.  So, I think that I'll run 7 next Monday and 8 or 9 on the 22nd.  The procedure is at 7:30 a.m.  The jarring from the running and the pressure from the lifting is the reason for the break.  The capillaries have to have a calm environment to mend and meld together.

Being on blood thinners should be interesting.  I'll be all rested.  I'll ask how long before I could just walk.

Tomorrow is lifting.

ounce wrote:Let's see...last week, lifting went fine on Tuesday.  Wednesday, I was going to go to the parking garage, but I overslept my alarm by 20 minutes.  So, I couldn't do what I wanted in the shortened time.  Therefore, back to sleep for another 90 minutes.  Thursday, lifting where I finally accomplished 180 lbs on the lateral bench press!  Don't think I can hit 190 before 2022.

Will catch up on Friday and today's run on separate posts.  adios.

Congrats on the bench press of 180!  You're making excellent progress.

Runs are looking good to.  I was impressed when I saw on Strava that you tackled 6 yesterday.  It may have been a bit slower than you would have liked but it was a negative split and your cadence held up pretty well.  Rotating in a shorter slightly faster run sounds like a good plan.  Your plan looks solid. 

Like you, I found that a bit of speed during my warm up helps.  It doesn't have to be an all out sprint or be very long...just a few strides at a decent clip seem to get my legs going.  I also try to do a bit of what I call mobility work...Melissa calls it dynamic warm up.  It's arm circles and leg swings before I get going and then a bit of skipping, high knees, and butt kicks.  I usually do that portion during my jog but if I'm really stiff and planning on an easy run I'll do the high knees and butt kicks at a walking pace.  It doesn't take much to help get things moving.

Happy lifting...

Thanks, Nancy.  Looking back, it took me 3 1/2 months to advance from 170 to 180.  That's a long time.  14 weeks, which would indicate that I went through 2 mitochondrial muscle cell strand building (6 weeks per) sessions.  This would tend to indicate, all things being equal, that I could be at 200 lbs by mid-August.

I have heard about the butt kicks and the high knees, but only in reference to an advanced training technique for marathons.  I ain't advanced.

-30-

Wednesday, I headed over to the parking garage.  It was 65 degrees.  The over there run was slower in cadence and it seemed like it wasn't going to be a repeat of 2 weeks ago.  It would seem I was tired.  Which might explain why I didn't run last Wednesday, due to sleeping through the alarm.  As a result, I didn't have a whole lot of energy for the parking garage.  Then, I walked back.  I might have to reduce the number of sets I do on Tuesdays from 3 sets to 2.

Today, I did a usual 3 sets and I'm a bit tired, but that was because I did 4 different versions of a bench press.  So, that's 3 sets of 6 times 4.  I did a sitting bench press at 130, flat bench press at 95 (both work the sternal pectoralis major muscle), incline bench press at 75 (works the clavicular pectoralis major muscle), and the decline bench press at 75 (which works the costal pectoralis major muscle).  By the time I got to the decline bench, the muscles were shaking on the 2nd set.  First time that's happened.

It'll be interesting to see how I do the 3 mile sorta long, sorta faster run, tomorrow morning.  Supposed to be in the low 50s, Friday morning, due to a dry line front blowing through around 7:30 that provided rain and soon to arrive drier air.

Thanks again, Nancy.

ounce wrote:Thanks, Nancy.  Looking back, it took me 3 1/2 months to advance from 170 to 180.  That's a long time.  14 weeks, which would indicate that I went through 2 mitochondrial muscle cell strand building (6 weeks per) sessions.  This would tend to indicate, all things being equal, that I could be at 200 lbs by mid-August.

I'll put that on my calendar and check in to see if you on track. 

I have heard about the butt kicks and the high knees, but only in reference to an advanced training technique for marathons.  I ain't advanced.

I have to disagree.  You don't need to be an advanced runner to benefit from a bit of mobility work (dynamic warm up).  I actually just do 4 or 5 of each of these at a walking pace before my easy runs...and again after if I'm feeling tight.  Come on...if a short burst of speed during your warm up helps give it a try.  What do you have to lose?  30 seconds?

-30-

Wednesday, I headed over to the parking garage.  It was 65 degrees.  The over there run was slower in cadence and it seemed like it wasn't going to be a repeat of 2 weeks ago.  It would seem I was tired.  Which might explain why I didn't run last Wednesday, due to sleeping through the alarm.  As a result, I didn't have a whole lot of energy for the parking garage.  Then, I walked back.  I might have to reduce the number of sets I do on Tuesdays from 3 sets to 2.

Today, I did a usual 3 sets and I'm a bit tired, but that was because I did 4 different versions of a bench press.  So, that's 3 sets of 6 times 4.  I did a sitting bench press at 130, flat bench press at 95 (both work the sternal pectoralis major muscle), incline bench press at 75 (works the clavicular pectoralis major muscle), and the decline bench press at 75 (which works the costal pectoralis major muscle).  By the time I got to the decline bench, the muscles were shaking on the 2nd set.  First time that's happened.

It'll be interesting to see how I do the 3 mile sorta long, sorta faster run, tomorrow morning.  Supposed to be in the low 50s, Friday morning, due to a dry line front blowing through around 7:30 that provided rain and soon to arrive drier air.

Thanks again, Nancy.

Nice lifting today!  But it does sound like you may need to cut back a bit as your run training ramps up.

Hope the run goes well in the morning...I'll check for results on Strava.

I, for one, would pay good money to see Doug kick his own backside. 

Mark B wrote:I, for one, would pay good money to see Doug kick his own backside. 

As would I!  Doug may be able to quit his day job soon...

***

Curious to see your commentary on your Friday run.  Looks like some faster stuff in the middle...parking garage intervals maybe?  And then walk home???

Are you making us wait because we mentioned how much we would enjoy seeing you kick your own backside?

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:I, for one, would pay good money to see Doug kick his own backside. 

As would I!  Doug may be able to quit his day job soon...

***

Curious to see your commentary on your Friday run.  Looks like some faster stuff in the middle...parking garage intervals maybe?  And then walk home???

Are you making us wait because we mentioned how much we would enjoy seeing you kick your own backside?

It would be sooner to see me do a pull up, than a butt kick.

Friday was to be a 3 mile sorta long, sorta faster run.  It ended being sorta short, sorta tired, half run, then walk back run.  That run sorta cinched the need to cut back on lifting.

On Monday, I was to run long.  But during the overnight hours, the party in my intestines got out of hand and the bouncer in my intestines shouted, "Okay, we're closing this party down.  EVERYBODY OUT!"  

On Tuesday, I lifted with the idea of doing a 45 minute workout, instead of 70.  I cut my sets back on everything from 3 to 2, with the same intensity.  Just that reduction cut 15 minutes.  I think that may be my tweak.  

This morning, conscious of how yesterday's lifting could affect today's hill workout, I did the hill workout.  The run over to the parking garage was rather labored on the breathing side, but was 14 flat at 157.  I forgot my HR strap.  I did 1 garage loop up to 8 levels and back down.  There are not 8 ramps up.  More like 4 long ones, with a flat spot in between.  The run home was 14:57 at 156 and was an easier mile to execute.  It was 67 degrees outside, which I thought was going to make it difficult, but it didn't at all.

Tomorrow will be lifting 2 sets and Friday is supposed to be 4 sorta long, sorta faster miles.  Monday is to be 8 miles and will be done prior to my Moh's basal procedure on the top of my head.  I will ask if he has the means to fill the hole to make me a walking wi-fi hotspot and satellite port.  I'll have a shark fin attachment, like you may have seen on car roofs.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:I, for one, would pay good money to see Doug kick his own backside. 

As would I!  Doug may be able to quit his day job soon...

***

Curious to see your commentary on your Friday run.  Looks like some faster stuff in the middle...parking garage intervals maybe?  And then walk home???

Are you making us wait because we mentioned how much we would enjoy seeing you kick your own backside?

It would be sooner to see me do a pull up, than a butt kick.



Friday was to be a 3 mile sorta long, sorta faster run.  It ended being sorta short, sorta tired, half run, then walk back run.  That run sorta cinched the need to cut back on lifting.

Good decision.

On Monday, I was to run long.  But during the overnight hours, the party in my intestines got out of hand and the bouncer in my intestines shouted, "Okay, we're closing this party down.  EVERYBODY OUT!"  



On Tuesday, I lifted with the idea of doing a 45 minute workout, instead of 70.  I cut my sets back on everything from 3 to 2, with the same intensity.  Just that reduction cut 15 minutes.  I think that may be my tweak. 

Good compromise!

This morning, conscious of how yesterday's lifting could affect today's hill workout, I did the hill workout.  The run over to the parking garage was rather labored on the breathing side, but was 14 flat at 157.  I forgot my HR strap.  I did 1 garage loop up to 8 levels and back down.  There are not 8 ramps up.  More like 4 long ones, with a flat spot in between.  The run home was 14:57 at 156 and was an easier mile to execute.  It was 67 degrees outside, which I thought was going to make it difficult, but it didn't at all.

Looked like a parking garage workout on Strava.  I do think that the variety is workouts is helpful and this seems to work well for you.  Nice run.

Tomorrow will be lifting 2 sets and Friday is supposed to be 4 sorta long, sorta faster miles.  Monday is to be 8 miles and will be done prior to my Moh's basal procedure on the top of my head.  I will ask if he has the means to fill the hole to make me a walking wi-fi hotspot and satellite port.  I'll have a shark fin attachment, like you may have seen on car roofs.

Hope the procedure and the recovery go well.  Good to see your sense of humor is thriving. I expect you to share a photo once the shark fin has been attached.

Have a great week Doug.  I'll be watching Strava to see how the Friday and Monday runs go.

Before I hit the past couple of runs, I wanted to report on the surgery, this morning.  I ran 9 miles before the surgery and that didn't have any affect on it.

Okay.  Let me hit the high points.  He got it all on the first pass and I was out of there in 2 hours.  It took 15 minutes to cut it out, almost an hour to analyze it, then about 30 minutes to sew it up, well, 7 staples.  The incision was at a 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock orientation.  I don't have the shark fin.  More of a wart or a tiny organ grinder monkey hat on my head.  That's the pressure bandage.  The joke was to be that my choice was either the monkey hat or a conehead.

There was something the doc told me after the local anesthesia wasn't enough.  He asked if I ever had blonde or red hair.  I said, no, but my brother was a red head and when I grew a beard, it was red and brown, blended.  He said that I have the red/blonde hair gene.  Blondes and red heads take more anesthesia to deaden the area AND it takes longer to come out of anesthesia.

At a point during the cutting, he got to an area where I calmly said, "Ow."  He gave me more juice and said, "you didn't move like it hurt."  I said, "well, you had a scalpel and I didn't want to make a sudden move."  

2 tylenol every 4 hours and ice on my head for 15-20 minutes, every 2 hours.  As I type, the pain has grown from a 1-2 on a scale of 10, to a 3.  It's a dull pain.  In the morning, my monkey hat will come off in the shower, because it's easier to run it through water to loosen up the adhesive.  I have this prescription ointment called Mupirocin ointment 2% to put on 3 times a day.  I can leave it uncovered, even outside amongst the people.  If I thought someone would get grossed out by seeing the staples, I could cover it with a non-stick pad.  I clean the wound with either hydrogen peroxide or just soap and water while moving along the route of the incision.

Amongst the many weird feelings during the procedure, the largest was the stitching part.  Because it's on the head, the skin has to be stretched to close the wound.  I felt like I was getting a face lift.  Not painful, but front, side, and rear was moving towards the incision area.  Even now, smiling, raising my eyebrows like Groucho Marx, anything that works the muscle of the skull affects the incision area.  It's really cool.

I go back on the 30th to get the staples yanked out.  I have two pictures at the same angle that I can post, if y'all want to see it.

Last Friday was to be a faster, sorta long run.  It WAS, but not like I would've wanted.

4 miles, 58:08, 14:31 pace, 127 avg bpm, 139 max bpm, 156 cadence, 0.70 m avg stride length
1.  14:42, 124 bpm, 158 spm, 73 sl
2.  14:29, 127 bpm, 155 spm, 67 sl
3.  14:44, 127 bpm, 157 spm, 68 sl
4.  14:00, 131 bpm, 156 spm, 73 sl

HR zones
zone 3 (126-139)   43:20
zone 2 (108-125)   14:07

I'll just have to keep working on it.  I will say that since the sorta long run, in my mind, is to be half of a long run, I indirectly committed myself to running an 8 mile long run on Monday.  Why run 4, if you can't run 8, after all.

Monday's long run.  A front had come through during the night.  I was curious if the cooler air behind the front was going to arrive before the run.  Friday's run was around 66 degrees with the same as the dew point.    Monday morning, it was 60 at the start, but with a dew point of 47. Ca-ching!  And a 10-15 mph wind.  Even better.

So, I wore a short sleeve and a long sleeve shirts, but the wind did not have a bite to it, so a little after 1 mile, I took the long sleeve off and tied it to a wrought iron fence.  That was a good move.  Cadence was set at 157.  I was hoping for mid-15's pace with no 16 splits.

9 miles, 2:13:45, 14:51 pace, 124 avg bpm, 134 max bpm, 155 avg cadence, 
1.  15:55, 118 bpm, 156 spm, 69 sl
2.  14:44, 123 bpm, 156 spm, 70 sl
3.  14:40, 126 bpm, 157 spm, 69 sl
4.  14:36, 126 bpm, 157 spm, 70 sl
5.  14:48, 124 bpm, 157 spm, 68 sl
6.  14:59, 122 bpm, 157 spm, 69 sl
7.  14:49, 125 bpm, 155 spm, 70 sl
8.  14:59, 126 bpm, 149 spm, 72 sl
9.  15:04, 128 bpm, 149 spm, 72 sl

HR zones
Zone 3  (126-134 bpm)     56:41
Zone 2  (108-125 bpm)  1:14:31
this is a bit deceiving because I stopped a few times.

I knew that I was bleeding cadence for the last couple of miles, but it really didn't show up in the time.  Had I ran 8, it wouldn't have shown me how far I have come in the running.  I maybe could have ran a 10th mile, but that would be it.  During the last 3, I was concentrating on running straight.  

But, wow, that cadence held for 7 miles.  That's phenomenal.

I chose to run 9 instead of 8 because I would be off for 10 days or so and I wanted to extend the distance, since I'd have a 'bye week' and could recover.  But I didn't decide until hitting mile 4 in my out 'n back route.  That sly me...I got to 4 and said, 'well, it's only another half mile to the turnaround.'

Overall, this run showed me that I am in a great position to finish the Half in January without having to walk the last couple of miles.  I won't be in as good a position, as I was at the 2020 Half, but finishing without walking is always Goal 1.

-30-

Today, the pain is less intense, like a 1, not a 3.  I've been icing the incision, as directed, and tomorrow is supposed to be the apex of the swelling.  I never was awakened by the pain, in the overnight hours.  There's no bleeding, no oozing, but I do have some swelling on either end of the incision.  I don't think it is a lot, but what do I know?  It does ache, though.  I go back in a week.  Since I can't run or lift, I don't turn on the alarm to wake me up.

Y'all have a good Thanksgiving!  Thanks for dropping by.

Sorry I've been slow to comment here.

Love your colorful description of your procedure.  Sounds like it went well.  Hope you recovery quickly and without any complications.  Did they make you reduce any of your blood thinning medications?  Your comments about blonds and anesthesia is interesting.  Our oldest granddaughter, Emma, had to go under for multiple procedures during the last year and she did not wake up well...she's blonde.

I was pretty impressed when I say your 9 mile run on Strava!  Awesome stats for a much longer run that you've been doing recently.  I did notice that you dipped your toes in the water a couple times during the last couple miles but you did stay high and dry on the pier and never fell in.  Nice run before your forced break.

Enjoy the rest of your break from training...nice that the holidays fell into that time period.  

Take care...I'll be watching for training reports to resume soon.

Thanks, Nancy, yeah the healing has gone well, I'm told.  Tuesday, the staples were yanked out.  I still have the two slight bumps on either edge of the incision, but the doc said there was a lot of suturing under the skin that will gradually dissolve over the next 6 months and the bumps will be gone.  I no longer feel a tug on the skin when I smile or do a Groucho Marx with my eyebrows.  It would seem the bumps relate to the sutures.  I go to the regular dermatologist, next Tuesday, and I'll ask him.

I asked the nurse if the Muripocin ointment would be good to use on scrapes and stuff.  She said it'll put Neosporin to shame.

So, I can start running again, tomorrow, and Monday for lifting weights.  I've enjoyed the time off, from the standpoint of the muscles repairing themselves.  I still woke up at the same time, but then I'd roll over and sleep 2 more hours.  Our weather is above seasonal by 3-10 degrees, depending on the day.  60s for lows.  A high of 69 is seasonal.

In an hour, I head off to the cardiologist for a 6 month follow up.  I don't really have anything to ask him.  Come back and see us!

The cardiologist and I had a good talk.  I explained the angina occurrence a year ago, this coming Tuesday, and the little early pain of last Spring that led to the stress test in June are all part of me gathering parameters for when I have a real event in the future.  I told him that I'm not a fretter, rather I do preventative things, like for a car.  I have to understand the animal that is my heart.

He was pleased with the stress test and that I'm continuing the running and lifting, without pain.  bp was 120/78, hr was 55, and O2 sat was 98.  I go back in 6 months.

Tomorrow, I think I'll run 4 or 5 miles.

Nice report from the doc…both of them. Good to see you got in a 5 miler on Friday. Will check in when I have more time.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Looks like you're making good progress, Ounce. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'll try to do better.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!  You found your way back.

It'll all be fine as soon as you get current with your monthly Friendship Payments.

This is hilarious after just finishing Julius Caesar with my 12 year old.