Sunday June 19th Father’s Day 6 p.m.

Decided to make this a lazy recovery day.  Arlene and I drove to Washington Crossing Park to enjoy a stroll and a relaxing picnic along the Delaware River.  I received a Father’s Day conference call from Rob and Kristen while sitting in the shade along the river.  Very nice!  They both want me to include more stories of my coaching career and perhaps some guests appearances from celebrities in the track and field World on my blog.  I am considering both those ideas.  Arl made good use and fun with her new high powered  camera lens. 

We stopped at our community garden on the way home to pick some lettuce for a fresh salad.  The crops are progressing well.

June 18th, Saturday, at 6 p.m.

“These feet were made for walking.”

 On this sultry, sunny Saturday I set out for a 50 minute walk.  I resisted the temptation to start jogging and managed to finish, experiencing no plantar fascia soreness.  This was my longest walk so far. If I have no negative outcomes tomorrow I will attempt a one hour walk. That will complete the walking segment of my rehabilitation program.

It’s  time for mushroom, onion and cheddar sliders on the BBQ and a frosty Goose Island brew.

The patio –

Happy weekend readers and runners!

Stats –

I-Mad –  0

AMHR – 54 BPM

Weight – 152 pounds

Sleep – 9 hours

Workout – 50 minutes  steady walking

June 17th,   Friday,   10 p.m.

Today I spent another hour in the fitness center working on core strength.  I added 8 minutes on the Zero Runner as warm up and some exercises in the pool after.  I am becoming very comfortable at the Centre State Fitness Center.  My 90 day free membership has been working out very well.

Later in the day Arlene and I walked about 2 miles on the boardwalk in Avon.  It was a lovely summer evening on the beach.  On the way home we purchased  some fresh shrimp that we grilled with some brown rice and fresh vegetables for a gourmet  dinner.  All in all a positive day with minimal discomfort to my sore foot.

PLANKING ON THE BOARDWALK

During the half-hour walk yesterday and my visit to the pool today I was very tempted to rush my rehabilitation plan by a few days with some jogging and swimming and water running.  I did resist to stay the course.  This week remains only for walking and core work with a few warm-up drills. The rehabilitation plan is on track.

Aside for track fans;

I was shocked to learn today on the news that the Russian track and field team has been banned from the Brazil Olympics this summer. This is a pretty shocking development. I have been watching track and field at the Olympics for in excess of 60 years. It has always been the USA versus Russia or USSR as it was back in the sixties, seventies and eighties. This is just stunning for a lifelong Olympic track and field fan.  We have always known the Russians were cheating. They always cheated. We kicked their ass anyhow.

Stats –

I-Mad  – 0

AMHR – 54BPM

Weight – 151# after workout

Sleep- only 6 hours   Late night!

Workout – 1 hour  in gym + pool

Thursday,  June 16th,   11 a.m.

I’m  Walking-

Just returned from a 30-minute quick walk around the neighborhood. Experiencing no discomfort in my lower left foot plantar fasciitis injury. Still stretching, massaging and rolling my lower legs. My calves do feel a lot more loose and comfortable. This is probably an effort I should have made a long time ago to be more attentive to this area. So the road back continues as I conclude the first goal of my plan to walk without pain. Monday I will return to water activities and biking and zero gravity running.

and

I’m  Thinking-

I am well aware that the soreness in my foot is a direct result of my decision to be a runner. I am very fortunate that I do not have serious health issues at this stage of my life, which is  well + 70.  I occasionally reflect upon my writing this blog and hear a guy whining about stuff he could avoid by just not running.  Then I remember how much running for the last 4 years has elevated my health and quality of life.  So, I go on about the highs and lows of my running experience.  I hope people who choose to look on my blog find some of it interesting, and in some cases helpful, or in the best-case inspiring.

Your thoughts will help me become a better blogger!

I am thankful to all who have read and responded.

Stats-

I-MAD –  Still 0

AMHR – 54  Back to normal

Weight – 152#

Sleep – 8 hours

Workout – 30 minutes  walk    Painless!

June 14th  Tuesday,   7 p.m.

Summertime and the training is easy!

Today’s workout was one hour of pretty solid work at the fitness center, a nice hot Whirlpool massage on a sore foot and a one mile walk on this beautiful afternoon.  My pain level in my left foot is remaining at close to zero.  I have devised a three week Rehabilitation plan to get back to running. This week is alternate days in the fitness center and simply walking as long as there is no pain.  Starting next Monday I will return to other activities such as swimming and water running and my Zero Gravity running machine.  No impact until the 3rd week.  Week 3, I will begin jogging one mile trying to get to 3 miles by the end of the week. That will take me to around July 4th and I should be back on the road again.

I will have two summer months to get ready for the 5K in Hillsboro, and about nine weeks to get ready for the New Jersey Senior Games at which I hope to qualify for the National Senior Games the summer of 2017. Can’t wait! !

Somehow today felt like a Sunday, all day.

Stats –

I-Mad   – Still 0 !

Weight – 153#

SLEEP – 9 hours

AMHR – 56bpm

Workout –  1 hour  core and 1 mile walk

June 13,  Monday,  Noon

  This morning my I-MAD was 0.  First time ever!☺

  I- MAD is an index I created for myself to measure my chronic early morning Achilles tendon discomfort.        0= No Discomfort

A sad realization that I take from this event is that I have not run for 35 days.  It took 35 days of not running for my Achilles tendons to stop hurting in the morning!  Really?    Now, I have also been rolling and stretching the hell out of my calf muscles for the last 2 days. This certainly can be a contributing factor, but the discomfort in my Achilles has been decreasing on a daily basis since I stopped running.  Now, it becomes apparent that if I never run again I will not have Achilles tendon issues.   and what do I do with this information? There is no chance that I’m going to stop running.  I am enjoying this experience too much.   It has made me feel empowered, and I know I am in better physical condition and in better overall health.  Plus I’m having way too much fun writing this blog,  and I have nothing to write about when I don’t run.  and so that is off the table.  But I must realize that running causes discomfort. Yes, running causes discomfort. So I must be willing to live with the discomfort to get the benefits I just mentioned. But it does seem that a rational plan is required to accomplish the benefits by minimizing the discomfort.

Now one of my stated goals for writing this blog was to share thoughts for +70RUNNERS about training successfully while achieving  those wonderful benefits.  I hope I have accomplished some of that in the past 3 months.

My latest piece of brilliance is supported by an article I re-read today from Dr. Mirkin’s newsletter about going slowly.   Yes +70Runner and anyone beginning to run again after a long hiatus, start slowly and go slowly!    I apologize for the seeming  Simplicity of that thought, but it cannot be emphasized enough.  The body will gradually adjust, and what is slow will gradually become faster but will still remain slow in its relation to the impact on the muscles.

 Does this mean I will never run fast again?  No!  I love to run fast.  But I have to keep it under control.  I am still planning to run very fast at the  Nationa Seniorl Games in the summer of 2017.  It begins September of 2016 at the New Jersey Senior Olympics.    I am totally psyched!

Below is the link to the  research.  It takes I minute to read.

Be careful my friends.  And fast!     LOL

 June 12th,   Sunday,    3 p.m.

Core and injury protocol is all I can do.

Having vowed to abstain from foot activities for 10 days, I headed to the fitness center for a Core workout.  I spent about an hour on the program developed for me by the CentraState trainer.   Hopefully,  muscles will emerge at some point.

On the injury front , I am taking the anti-inflammatory pill, rolling, stretching a lot , massaging and wearing the boot at night.  It’s been 2 days and I have a sense that things are improving.  So, I hope that I will be beyond this very shortly.

In non-running related news, I am working on remodeling Arlene’s closet and keeping up with the salad Garden.

Stats –

I-Mad  – 1    Good

Weight – 153#  Steady.

A.M.HR – 58BPM    Still up!

Sleep – 7 hours

Workout – 1 hour core  and PF protocol

This day started with a visit to the foot doctor at Rothman Institute.  The results of the MRI is that my foot shows indications of inflammation of the plantar fascia. I believe that is what we mean by plantar fasciitis. There is no fracture and no muscle tear  or  tendon tear . That is good news! The treatment recommended is plenty of stretching and a prescription for an anti-inflammatory pill.  No rehab assignment and no boot.  I purchased a device at the drugstore while I was picking up my prescription that is similar to the nighttime boot I wore 20 years ago while I was still working after being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.  It is not for walking around. but I plan to wear it when I have settled in for the night on the couch watching TV and while sleeping if it’s not too uncomfortable. The doctor told me that all of the activities I have been doing while not running still impact the area that is injured.  So to my horror I will be doing no activities at all for a few days that involve any foot movement.  I will have to settle  for my new core routine at the CentraState fitness center until my foot is completely pain-free.

Later at home Arlene and I watched the memorial service for Muhammad Ali. I was touched by the stories of how is life impacted so many people. He clearly was a good and kind and principled man.

In the evening  we went to the College of New Jersey to watch a very emotional and inspiring opening ceremony of the New Jersey Summer Special Olympics. One of the fellows who I played poker with each week is a police officer in Howell Township. Matt carried a torch five and a half miles today through Howell Township on the way to Trenton and tonight carried the torch into the stadium as one of the police officers who assisted in lighting the Olympic flame in the center of the football field. I think Ali would have approved.

Stats –

I-Mad – 1.5

A.m HR – 54BPM    That is a bit of a jump that I have attributed to the fact that I have not run in 35 days. Humbug!

Weight – 152#

Sleep – 7 hours

Workout – resting

June 8th,  Wednesday,  10 a.m.

New Jersey Meet of Champions Day

We will be heading to Central Regional High School today for the Meet of Champions.  Arlene will be taking pictures while I enjoy the races.  The most exciting race of the day for me and for many track fans will be the boy’s mile.  It’s really 1600 meters in New Jersey, but it’s going to be a battle between some of the best Runners to come out of New Jersey in a long time. Projections are that at least three of the athletes could break 4:10 for 1600 meters today.  I will be rooting for Brandon Tubby be the first Hillsborough athlete to win the 1600 meters at the outdoor MOC.

Yesterday I met with Howard from CentraState fitness center for my introductory training session. After speaking with me on Saturday about my goals, he put together a program for me based mostly on improving the strength of my core.  I like to the program that he set up for me and enjoyed going through the session. I must remember to go slowly and be careful. His recommendation was to begin this workout twice a week. Today I feel a little sore in a lot of good places. I am pretty excited about the prospect of strengthening my core muscles.

On that same issue I recently watched a video from a trainer who promotes the idea of strengthening core through standing on one foot. He describes the value of standing on one foot to strengthening all the muscles in the center of the body. Thsee simple activities can be done at random times during the day or during TV commercials.  I currently practice  standing on one foot while I brush my teeth in the morning and in the evening for instance.

I cannot think of anything more important to +70 individuals then to remain strong in the middle. The benefits are numerous.

A strong core will improve your performance whatever your game.

 A strong core allows you to stand erect and walk in an upright position.

 A strong core will help to prevent accidents when balance can be lost for various reasons in everyday circumstances.  That fall can knock you off your game for months.

And finally, there is a spring in the step of a person who is confident of his or her ability to control the body when moving through everyday events.  I believe this makes a person look and feel younger.

After my Core workout I found the Zero Runner machine and did a 10-minute introductory session on that apparatus. It takes some getting used to because it is a complex machine.  It will be a major benefit on the days I want  reduced impact  on my legs.  I then went to the pool and did a 15 minute deep water run with a new waist float. That device made it much easier to run and maintain good form in the deep water. I really like the facility at CentraState and will be spending a few days a week there for the next 3 months I hope.

I have a doctor’s meeting on Friday to discuss the results of my MRI.

Stats –

I-Mad – 1

Am HR- 52BPM

WEIGHT – 153#

SLEEP – 8.5 HOURS

WORKOUT –  YESTERDAY  – CORE + ZERO RUNNER  10 MINUTES + POOL  15 MINUTES        today- rest

Sunday, June 5th, 3 p.m.

I LOVE THIS QUOTE!          I want this on my shirt.

I finally made it to the salt water pool at CentraState Fitness Center. The water was delightful. I swam laps and ran in the 7-foot deep end for about 30 minutes. The effect on my sinuses appeared to be calming rather than irritating.  Hopefully this will allow me to spend more time in the water staying fit while my foot gets over its injury. This is a very positive development.

Stats –

I-Mad – 1.5

AmHR – 52BPM

Weight – 153#

SLEEP – 8 hours

Workout – 30 minutes in the salt water pool,  swim and run