With an Ironman three weeks away, it was time to try out the old wetsuit. After half a mile in the pool, my arms and shoulders were aching. I mentioned this to my 8x Kona son, Nigel, and he said, "Use a straight arm recovery stroke, Dad. In fact, I've been using straight arm recovery for years." Still in OK shape for 78. Can this old dog learn a new trick in the pool by changing his swim stroke? Photo by Maya. PS ... Read more
Ironman training has saved my life several times, in addition to keeping my peripheral arterial disease (PAD) at bay, essentially saving my feet from eventual imputation. In 2010, I was diagnosed with a large abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) as a result of weird symptoms in my fourth Lake Placid Ironman race. This wasn't good news, but having medical training, as a veterinary pathologist, I made had some changes made ... Read more
Best running and body movement book I ever read, all based on Feldenkrais, and the experience of a lover of running, Jack Heggie. So you have peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in your legs (for me it's mainly lower legs), and you want to return to running, but, (a) your doctor told you not to, (b) it hurts too much, (c) you can't run like you used to, so why bother? (d) other? I've been struggling with PAD for ... Read more
The quadriceps, or anterior thigh muscles. Image and copyright purchased from Shutterstock, Inc. I recently described my current training approach to Ironman training with peripheral arterial disease aka PAD (plus being an old fart with an abdominal aortic aneurysm - you should be so lucky). This week I moved on, to a focus on the run, as my swim and bike training was starting to solidify. Last week was my longest ... Read more
Yes! I'm crazy, but I'm getting back after several weeks of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine-triggered, psoriasis hell. Methotrexate is helping somewhat, but will have to increase dose of this anti-cancer drug. They say we are our own worst enemies, so I guess this is right for psoriasis, as our immune system attacks our skin. Two images taken today and presented with the training week, lower on blog post, show lesions ... Read more
As I approach the age of 78, with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) stent graft and progressive peripheral arterial disease (PAD), preparation for the Florida Ironman in about nine months requires some careful conditioning prior to real training to avoid injury. For this I use, (a) lots of long walks, (b) treadmill runs for mastering really low impact style to reduce calf claudication, (c) weight training and ... Read more
Here's my spare Cook Zenith Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Stent Graft - Thank You Cook Medical, for everything. Well, here we go, training for the Florida Ironman, November 7th., 2021. It'll be really tough with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). But what's a little pain versus amputation or sitting in a wheel chair all day? Yes! Exercise is helping to keep my vascular diseases at bay, combined with a largely ... Read more
I've been writing this blog for eleven years, and felt I'd earned the right to do some low-key marketing for my first novel, Scientist in the Dark. What an experience it was. I found that I didn't really write it, because the characters came alive in my head and took over. They sure gave me some surprises, while I was typing what they were doing. If you want to learn about yourself, write your first novel. It was ... Read more
Healthy food for a healthy body and a happy planet.
The secret is to be a Jack of All Trades, but master of one. One that will earn you a living if the grants don't come in.
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