From Surgery Recovery To Safe Exercise And Training, Case In Point: Back To Back Inguinal Hernia And Prostate Repairs

Question from a reader on a comment stream of this blog: "Kevin, I recently had both surgery to repair a hernia, as well as prostate surgery. Because of decreased capacity because of the hernia as well as the trauma of the two surgeries, I have lost a fair amount of muscle mass, strength, and tone. What kind of training regimen do you suggest for me to get back in shape? What exercises should I avoid to let my ... Read more

Balancing Your Inner And Outer Journeys, A Key To Successful Aging And Lifelong Endurance Training

Inner Journey Body Meditation by FitOldDog: sit cross-legged and interlace your fingers. Fine! Now reverse your legs, upper knee lower and vice versa, and reverse your hand interlace, lower thumb to upper - it will feel very weird, even uncomfortable, at first, but relax, watch the tension melt away over a period of 15 mins. You'll discover areas of tightness in your body you never knew were there, and they'll melt ... Read more

Learn To Move The Load Around Your Myofascia To Fix Quad Cramps On The Bike, And Other Cycling Tips

Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! Fear is a great motivator, and I'm scared of hill number two on the Mountains of Misery 200k Double Header Bike Ride, which is only two weeks away, so I'm working on bike hill climb and distance riding. Of course, this is all preparation for the Lake Placid Ironman in July, but that ride, and especially hill #2, can be pretty intimidating. The only answer is conditioning, ... Read more

Message To FitOldDog From His Ironman Coach: “You need to manage yourself OUTside of training better in order to have better training!”

  Hi folks, If you decide to undertake endurance sports I strongly recommend that you find yourself an experienced coach. Chris Hauth of Advanced Ironman Protocol (AIMP) has been coaching me for some time now, and I have found him to be a man of few words. His main goal is the success of his athletes, but he doesn't do this by patting them on the back all the time, instead he points out where you are ... Read more

A Trip Down Evolutionary Lane With FitOldDog’s Walk-Run Trail Workout For Fun Exercise

A Trip Down Evolutionary Lane With FitOldDog's Walk-Run Trail Workout For Fun Exercise

In order to make your mind and body happy, you need to exercise, and the only way to really make this work is to invent fun exercise for yourself; you know what you enjoy. When I talk to people about exercise motivation, especially if they are obviously out of shape and stressed, which usually occurs when we're raising kids whilst simultaneously trying to build a career, they react. This reaction is usually one that ... Read more

Building A New Engine Using High Volume Aerobic Ironman Training Allows You To Enjoy The Ride And Rescue A Turtle Or Two

  Hi folks, There seem to be two main approaches to the training of endurance athletes, intensity or volume, and I've experienced coaches of both persuasions. I consider my coach, Chris Hauth, to be a volume guy, with intensity carefully added to the mix. He got me to the Boston Marathon. Chris also gave me two chances to go to Ironman Kona, but I messed those up by (a) failing to go to the roll down ... Read more

Enjoying The Aloneness Of Ironman Training With My Girly Triple

  Hi folks, There is a big difference between loneliness and aloneness. I used to feel lonely a lot when I was younger, but that seems to have faded as time went by. Aloneness is another matter. I find that I really need alone time in order to recharge my batteries and deal with the complexity of people again. In this respect, Ironman training is perfect. You undertake these races on your own, with the ... Read more

Ten Key Pieces Of Exercise And Training Advice From FitOldDog

  Hi folks, I was riding the bus from Alicante to Torre Vieja on the east coast of Spain the other day and I espied the 'Chez Ollie.' I prefer to think of it as a salt farm, where salt is harvested from the sea as it has been done for hundreds if not thousands of years. I admire this kind of human invention, with local resources being exploited to create a whole industry. I then started to muse as the ... Read more

Disclaimer: As a veterinarian, I do not provide medical advice for human animals. If you undertake or modify an exercise program, consult your medical advisors before doing so. Undertaking activities pursued by the author does not mean that he endorses your undertaking such activities, which is clearly your decision and responsibility. Be careful and sensible, please.