Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, fellow runners, riders, walkers, crawlers. If you're not moving at all, do.

Two in a row

I felt so good today after my 5.26 mile run Saturday that I decided to run again. It was the first time since last April that I have run two days in a row. I certainly didn't try to improve my speed or go long. I started with a 12 min. mile and finished with an 11:07, so I averaged 11:35 for 3.1 miles. If rehab keeps going well, I will pick up the pace a little in January.
With my mileage today, I am sitting at 612 miles for the year, around 800 miles less than last year. That's what happens when you get hurt and don't run at all for over 7 months. There are no plans to ever approach 1,400 miles again. In the coming year I want to mix a lot of bike riding in with the running, concentrate on fitness rather than PRs, and really try to avoid injuries.
That's the plan, anyway. -- Rob

Special meeting of the MRC

The MRC had a stupendous time at its annual holiday gathering, which this year featured the marriage of Emily and Neil. That's Emily in the middle there, and Neil is on her left. Kudos to MRC board member Ken, Emily's dad, who arranged the program. We let him stand next to the bride for this photo. Rob and Mike are on the left, and Bill is on the far right.
Congratulations to the happy couple, and to Ken and Pam. We were all honored to be there.

Improving

I went back and forth this morning trying to decide whether to run outside or on the treadmill, and finally decided to go back to the treadmill where I could be more careful. It was pretty raw outside, too.

I felt very well, so I cranked up the speed a bit over what I'd been doing, and went a little farther than I have been. Certain areas where I've been feeling discomfort are no longer hurting at all (at least not in the last 3 or 4 days), and certain areas still do a little. But it's quite manageable, and I am now getting the sense that I'm actually running. Today's distance was 5 miles, and the pace was 12:20, which is still slow but a lot better than 15 min., which is where I was a week ago. The twice-weekly runs with plenty of recovery in between are speeding the whole healing process. The trick will be to curb my enthusiasm as I feel stronger and stronger, and just build on this slowly. -- Rob

Scorchin'

Went for another treadmill run tonight and cranked the dial a little higher than I have previously, averaging 13:04 min. per mile. Whoo - scorchin'! Guess I got all wound up with all that talk last night about marathons and destination races and such.

Not ready to think about a marathon, though. I ran for 50 min., and that was enough, as I could feel the discomfort increasing. Still, I wasn't any more uncomfortable than previous runs at slower paces, so I guess that's progress. -- Rob

Can not believe it!

No, I just can't believe that I've only hit the bricks twice in the month of November and that's counting biking or running/walking!! Today I walked four miles to loosen up a hip flexor that I strained yesterday while running one lousy block at the Sprint Thanksgiving Day race. The good news is, I think I actually loosened it up, or at least I don't feel the discomfort now.

It was just a super day yesterday by starting it with working the Thanksgiving Day race with Rob and David! We also got a chance to root for Bill. Wish we would have had time to have a cup of coffee after the race but the families were waiting for us to help with other chores of the day.

Looks like just about all the members of the H2C team from KC is on board for the reunion on January 11th for the movie. Man, it's just going to be a super evening and I can't wait so see everyone, it's just been toooooo long!.....MIKE

Thanksgiving Day Race!

Took in my annual Thanksgiving morning Sprint 5k Family Run yesterday. Have run this every year except 2 since moving here in 1996. Lately, it's been more of a quantitative study in aging (slower times every year). Haven't run much, but a 5k is a 5k so I entered and headed out. Mike predicted a 30:01 with an 11:00 mile 1. This was not far off: mile 1 was 11:10 and I hit the 3.0 mile mark at 30:08 (Mike, you would have been right except for (a) my general whimpiness, and (b) that pesky last 0.1 mile) So my finish time was 31:20. Works out to 9:35's for miles 2 & 3. I was breathing hard but doable at that pace, and actually loved the race. Ran 5.5 miles this morning in the sunshine and loved it also. Good to be out running again!

But the big fun of the day was seeing Mike, Rob, and David the Not-Elder DeGhelder working as volunteers at the race. What a great way to start the holiday weekend!

Also ran into Carl and Leslie Vansant and son Chris at the start line. Took this photo with them at the finish line. Carl promised to join us for the Hood to Coast showing on January 11th!

So: Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all MRC and Friends!

Test run

Went to the gym tonight and did 3 walk/run miles. Walk/jog, to be exact. Half a mile at 3.4 mph, and then half a mile at 4.3 mph. My average was 15:04 per mile, but that's not the point. I just wanted to see how I would tolerate it.

It wasn't a completely comfortable workout, but it wasn't bad. I'll see how I feel in the morning. == Rob

The Katy

Three of us - Mike, Sean an I - rode the Katy from Rocheport to Columbia and back. It was a little cool early, but we warmed up quickly and were comfortable all the way. The ride out was taxing, since it was against a 8-10 mph wind, and we were happy to make it to Columbia for lunch and a rest. The ride back was more with the wind and went very fast. We did 36.63 miles in 3:04:32, an average of 11.9 mph. My Forerunner says we burned 2040 calories. Whoohoo! -- Rob

Short One!

Just a nice easy 3 miler due to work obligations. Averaged in the 11:00 minute range so all is good.

Planning on a good ride in Rocheport Sunday with Rob and Sean. Looks like the weather will be perfect! Hope the autumn colors are peaking to make this a great ride....Mike

Smithville Trail in Autumn

With leaves crunching, and the occasional snap of a twig under my wheels, I traversed the Smithville trail. Just a 20 mile round trip but the day was gorgeous. The greens of summer had given way to the reds, rusts, and golds of autumn and I found myself counting my blessings as leaves took turns doing cartwheels across my path. The weather could not have been more perfect! The sky was as blue as it could be and the eagle that flew above was just icing on the cake! Man, what a nice ride! Even the geese had been replaced with hundreds and hundreds of ducks, although the ducks were in the water and not blocking the trail. I even noticed that the trail was clear of goose poop! I've never seen duck poop, so I suppose they poop in the water. Can't wait to go swimming!

If our trip to Rocheport on the 31st is as nice as today, it will be another super riding experience!......Mike

Beautiful Day, Nice Ride!

Kind of a different riding experience for the Interurban Rd. today. Not one car passed me all the way from Ferrelview to Deerborn and only one bike passed me as I was pulling out of the shelter house in Camden Point. As he passed me he asked how far it was to Deerborn. Well, since he obviously hadn't make that trip before, I told him it was only 26 miles or so. He had that lost puppy look for a second or two before I told him it was only about 5 miles. He just laughed! He was on a high end carbon fiber road bike so it was no sense trying to keep up with him.

As I pulled into Deerborn I crossed the main highway and made a turnaround in front of the Corner Cafe. I noticed the aforementioned cyclist getting off of his bike in front of the cafe. I asked him if he had ever eaten there before. He said that he hadn't so I just shook my head. Again, I get that lost puppy look! I just laughed and told him it was actually a pretty good place to have breakfast or lunch and that a ton of cyclists eat there ever Saturday and Sunday. He invited me to join him for lunch and, although I wasn't planning on it, decided it would be a chance to meet another biker.

His name was Mark and he's retired military (Army officer). Talk about a sweet deal, his wife is a director for AT & T and his kids are in school. He can ride anytime! We had lunch together and shared some interesting stories. I had him cracking up with casino stories!

We rode the first mile together coming back and since I told him previously that I wasn't in a hurry and that he should ride on, and he did. All in all it was a nice ride, nice day, and the lunch with a new friend was just a bonus! FYI, Rob, the tenderloin is fabulous! I almost couldn't finish it!......Mike

Well, it's something!

Ran 4.5 miles and felt slow and heavy. Haven't done much the last week so I shouldn't expect much. Like they say, "You only get out of it, what you put in!" Not much in, not much out! On the other hand, I did do something......Mike

Running again, someday

I'm going to tell a story and it might sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself. I'm not, I promise. Well, maybe a little. If not being able to run is the worst thing I have to endure, then I've got no problems.

This weekend was Kansas City Marathon weekend. The races had more than 11,500 entrants, and I knew several people at work who were planning to run. They all wanted to know if I was running, too, and two or three of the novices even asked me for tactical advice. By the time the week came to an end, I'd really heard enough about a race that I wanted to be in, but couldn't.

Things only got worse on Saturday, though, because for the first time a local television station televised the first three hours of the race. I watched, of course, and my envy grew. We headed for a wedding at noon, and it wasn't long before I learned that the groom's sister had run her first marathon in the Twin Cities two weeks ago, finishing in under 4 hours, an incredible accomplishment. In the evening at the reception she was still all pumped up about it, and while I loved hearing about it, it gave me a strange feeling of being left out.

The whole marathon scene this past week really got me thinking, and I finally figured out a couple of things:

1 - I miss the races for sure. I miss all that enthusiasm, energy and excitement. I miss testing myself and being in the discussion with other runners.

2. Maybe more than anything I miss the enjoyment of rigorous exercise. I like what it does for me mentally as much as physically. It's this feeling of well-being, of satisfaction. I imagine my body and mind thanking me - giving me health points - for working out.

I know my injuries will heal and I'll run again, but I'm impatient. It's already been 5 months since I last ran. But I'm grateful I can still ride, and once a week I can ride pretty hard. That helps.

Until I can get back out there I wish all my running friends all the best. I still want to hear all your stories, and I plan to have a few of my own to tell in the not-too-distant future.

Oh, hey, I rode 34 miles Sunday, averaging 14.7 mph. Loved it. -- Rob

Back to the Katy!

Rode down to Clinton, MO, where the Katy Trail terminates heading west, with Rob, and a friend from our Knights of Columbus council. Rode 36 miles on a beautiful fall day and headed back home. The End!...... Oh yeah, I almost forgot, ran into Roy Blunt in the crapper at McDonalds in Clinton. No big deal, I make most of my friends in the men's bathroom. I even made a dollar last Friday in the men's bathroom at the Riverside Red X!......Mike

ASK ME ABOUT THE DETAIL REGARDING ABOVE STATEMENTS. NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

Nice Little Run!

Bike was in the shop so I decided to get a nice run in since it was such a beautiful day and great to be alive, albeit barely, 68 now, you know. Ran 6.5 miles on a very hilly route. I have noticed that the biking I've been doing has really helped me with hill running. Took it nice and easy and walked a full minute every mile. Still averaged in the 11:00s....Mike

Back on wheels

October is here and I finally have the doctor's permission to resume normal activities. Normal, as far as I'm concerned, would mean running again, but I know that is still not possible. The few running steps I've taken in the last couple weeks have always resulted in groin pain. Even walking at a pace faster than what you'd use in the house results in pain. There is something wrong there that has nothing to do with my now-repaired hernia. I have another appointment with the doctor in 11 days.

It seems I can ride, however. I started with 11.6 on Friday, then 15 on Saturday and 20 on Sunday. The last 10 miles on Sunday were into a light wind, and I worked harder than I probably should have. Now, two hours after finishing, my groin is a little sore. The bike's in the shop until mid week, so I'll be taking it easy for a few days. -- Rob

Easy Rider!

Wasn't planning on doing anything today except rest after yesterday's long ride. However, Rob wanted to try and get some kind of ride in, so we went to the downtown airport and rode three laps around the complex. One loop actually figured out to be 3.8 miles and after three laps we called it good. Weather super! A nice easy ride on concrete sure did feel good after the trail ride yesterday........Mike

Prairie Spirit Trail Experience

Finally found time to drive down to the Prairie Spirit Trail on the Kansas side. Sean Joyce, a Knights of Columbus Brother, and I, drove the 75 miles (from where we live) to Ottawa where the trail head began for us. My goal was to ride 60 miles which would have been my longest. We ended up riding 61.25 miles and actually I felt that I could do more ONLY IF I HAD TO! The ride was enjoyable for the trip down to Welda, KS where we made our turnaround. We stopped on our way back and had lunch at a cafe in Garnett, on a recommendation, from some old geezer at the McDonald's in Ottawa. Not sure how many restuarants this geezer had ever been in before, but he really should get out more often, and I don't mean McDonald's. Actually, McDonald's would have been a 4 star compared to this place, but Garnett has two or three restuarants and this was right on the square about 100 feet from the trail. Easy, peazy, but next time I'll pack a sandwich.

As stated, the ride down was great, but coming back we had to fight the wind and a lot of soft fine chat or crushed limestone that was just too deep in places. It was like riding in quicksand at times and it was hard to control the bike, as well. On top of that, there was a bunch, and I mean a bunch of what I think was dog feces to deal with. Most of the time I was able to miss it but not always.

Would I go back? Probably, but not this year.....Mike

Short Ride!

Just a 21 mile ride but it was tough! Rode from the house down Roanridge to 56th St. west on 56th and around Houston Lake. Came out of Houston Lake and continued west on 56th down through Misty Woods to 9 Highway. West on 9 Highway a short ways to the Riverside Trail. Rode the trail until it connects with the dike and returned only in time to have a train cross. Instead of waiting out the train, I repeated the trail ride which added another 2.25 miles. Better than staring at dirty box cars!

Came out of the trail and crossed 9 highway to continue west to Parkville. Rode one full lap around English Landing and headed north on 9 Highway. Jeez, what a nerve racking ride!! I didn't realize there wasn't a shoulder on 9 highway between Parkville and 45 Highway. I couldn't take any more of 9 highway so I turned into Riss Lake and rode around until it connected with 45 highway. From there it was a fairly easy ride back home...MIKE

Great Run - Big Mo's

With the mild temperature this morning, big Mo (Maurice - the standard poodle) and I enjoyed a run by the other Big Mo (Missouri River - at Berkley Park). We completed our 5 mile run in 47 minutes and had a great time. Maurice was ready to head home as I think he did get a little warm. - Ken

Great Morning to Run!

Being still sore from yesterday's bike ride, I was going to just rest, but since I won't be able to ride or run tomorrow, I decided to get in an easy four miler today. Started in the 12:00 to 13:00 minute pace range and ended up in the nines. Seems like the slower I start, the better I feel after a couple of miles. Work tomorrow, but will ride 30-40 on Sunday after the Chiefs/ San Fran game.

Still planning on a 50-60 miler on the Prairie Spirit Trail this Thursday. Looking forward to that ride. I'm hoping to get in a 100 miler before the snow hits me in the butt, but it's unlikely... Mike

Run and Ride

Monthly MRC gathering on Tuesday was one of our best! Initiated a new member, Dan Lara, who was a member of our HTC team as well. Had a good run averaging right at 11:00 minutes for five miles, but the best part was the eating and drinking afterwards! Lots of laughs, jokes, comments and reflection.

Today I rode 28.78 miles. Weird distance but I was riding with a friend who had a time issue so we rode on the clock rather than a distance. Nice change of pace. Actually, the change of pace occurred when we made the turnaround a few miles past Camden Point. Coming back, the wind was right in our face AGAIN at 25-30 mph. Had more of a workout than I anticipated! Still a nice ride.....Mike

Unexpected and Dangerous Surprise!

Had a terrific 51 mile ride on Friday! However, on the way back, about 35 miles into the ride, I saw a dead snake in the road. As I rode past it, I just about jumped out of my bike shorts realizing it was a rattlesnake! I stopped and dismounted my bike and walked it back to where the snake was in order to get a closer look. When I got to within a few feet from the snake it started to slowly coil. Holy crap, the damn thing was alive and was just sunning himself on the concrete! I kept the bike between myself and the rattler and circled around him. It was truely fasinating to just watch this piece of nature. The snake kept his head on the concrete and I'm not sure if he was even concerned with my presence. However, I figured it was time to move on and did so. I really wanted to get him off the highway, but didn't have a 100 foot stick to do it with! Still, it was kind of neat to see a rattlesnake that close......Mike

Starting with a walk

It's not much, but I was really pumped to be able to go out for an extended walk today - 4 miles at a careful pace.

My mental state had been on a bit of roller-coaster this week, because I had been experiencing moderately painful groin pain, the same pain I'd had before surgery. I was bummed out by the prospect that we'd fixed the hernia, but not the groin pain.

But on Thursday the doctor assured me the pain was normal and expected. He couldn't promise it, but seemed pretty confident the pain would gradually subside. Of course, he also wanted me grounded through the end of the month, so I won't be able to join Mike on our planned 50-miler on the 30th.

Still, the doc gave me the go-ahead to walk, so that's what I'm going to do. If I do it religiously, maybe I'll be ready to ramp up on Oct. 1. -- Rob

Welcome Fall Temperatures

Had a nice 4 mile run this morning, along with my poodle. Maurice only likes to run with me if the temperature is below 65 F. Today's weather was ideal. I may be over the trauma of Hospital Hill, especially if the temperature remains mild in the morning.
Looking forward to our group run and dinner next Tuesday! - Ken

Good and Bad of a Ride!

Started in Ferrelview and rode to Dearborn. Weather was great, but on the warm side. Got to Dearborn and was a half mile short of my 17.5 mile turnaround when I saw a lady half off and half on the road. She was picking up something in the ditch that I soon discovered was a little dog. It look like Sandy, Little Orphan Annie's dog, only smaller. The little guy was still breathing but in shock at that time. It was bleeding and badly damaged in the hind quarters. The lady told me that she saw something rolling under the car in front of her and then recognized it as her neighbor's dog. Evidently, the dog got out, or was let out, of his fenced in yard. It was running with another dog when it got hit. The driver that hit the dog kept on going. After all, we are a busy people and haven't got time to stop for trivial stuff!

I helped the lady lay the dog in her trunk on a little baby mattress. He was trying to get up and was pulling himself by his front legs. I'm pretty sure he had some serious back and internal injuries. I started petting him and talking softly to him to give him some comfort. I actually thought the dog was going expire at any time. He started moaning and then howling. I guess the shock wore off and the pain was setting in. It was all I could do to keep from crying myself. The lady, on the other hand, was almost in panic mode and I felt myself comforting her as well as the dog. I was holding the dog down to keep him from hurting himself any more and patting the lady on the shoulder at the same time. She was really shook up!

I took my water bottle and began pouring some water on the little dog's head and upper body to keep him cool. It was fairly hot in the ladies trunk and the dog was laying half in direct sunlight. I don't know if it helped or not, but it made me feel like I was, at least, trying to keep him comfortable.

I called 911 shortly after arriving on the scene and apologized to the operator for it possibly not being a qualifying emergency. She was great and said help was on the way. The help was in the form of an Animal Control officer who was totally inept! I wanted him to just take the dog to the animal clinic to either help him or euthinize him. All this idiot wanted to do was ask question of how, when, who, etc. I told him that minutes could make the difference in whether the little guy makes it or not and if he wanted to ask questions he could call me later. I was more than a little pissed!!!

At any rate it was a long ride back to Ferrelview. All I could picture, in my mind, was that little dog looking up at me with that forlorn, lost look in his little eyes asking me what happened to him....Mike

Tires On The Trail and Wind in My Ears!

Well, that's about all I could hear since there was practically no one on the Anita Gorman Trail in Smithville! I passed only one cyclist. There were no walkers and not even one boat on the lake. It seemed so quiet and serene that it presented a whole new atmosphere for the ride. My plan was to go out and back twice on the 9.25 trail, but coming back it started to sprinkle in the last half mile so I called it a day. I'll ride again on Sunday afternoon and put in a few more miles...Mike

Solid Run!

Decided to tackle an eight miler this morning. Wasn't so sure how I would feel after working my butt off riding in the wind yesterday, but it went just fine. Only problem was a right calf pain that I think is a slight muscle strain. I thought it was a cramp last week, but it's in the same place and I was pretty hydrated to begin the run. Averaged 10:36 on a hilly course and that's counting the walks I took here and there. I didn't walk a minute every mile, like I sometimes do, but I did do some walking in order to drink my Gatorade. My plan, at this point, is to rest totally tomorrow and hit that Prairie Spirit Trail on Thursday, weather and wind permitting....Mike

Cut Short!

Was going to ride 50 miles today but the wind, with extremely heavy gusts, forced me to call Chris to come and get me at 24 completed miles. Almost got blown off the road twice and I'm such a wienie when it comes to broken bones and lacerations. Got a heck of a work out in anyway, thanks to the wind. My Garmin stated that I rode mile 20 at 7.8 mph. Does that tell you anything about the wind?.... Mike

Just an easy four miler

Easy four miles today. Wanted to ride yesterday but the rain kind of killed that. Plan to ride 40 tomorrow by taking the Interurban to Amity and try going east on Amity until I hit 20 miles. I'll report my experience...Mike

Good, Bad, and Ugly!

Well, let's start with The Good. I had a good four mile run at English Landing. Went west out on the farm road next to the river for .83 miles before I ran into a swamp. Returned back to the trail in the park and completed a four miler with these splits. 11:34, 10:09, 9:59, and 9:18, plus I walked another half mile.

The Bad: Was going to take Chris with me and let her ride her bike while I got a run in. However, my bike rack wasn't secure enough and her bike bounced out onto the street. I took it to the shop (Cycle City) and the damage was estimated at around $80.00 (bent wheel, bent derailleur, and a damaged gear shift). Decided to put that money into a new bike instead of putting another $80.00 in a bike I paid $75.00 for used.

The Ugly: Before I started my run I put my keys in the pocket in my running shorts. Checking to make sure they were secure, I began my run. Somewhere around .75 out on the farm road I didn't feel my keys any more. They just weren't in the pocket any more! I stopped my watch and back traced my steps for a quarter of a mile walking slowly so as not to miss my keys. I was trying to remember where I ran in the grass, from time to time, so not to run in the ruts on the path. I stopped due to hearing a clinking sound coming from my running shorts. I pulled my shorts away from my belly and there were my keys right in my, uh, uh, private area. Now, I don't want to hear any crap about not feeling my keys due to being dead in that area!! You hear?? The lining of my shorts stopped the keys from falling to the ground. If that were to have happend I would have probably heard them hit the ground.

To summarize: I Totaled Chris's bike, lost my keys, but still got my run in and still found my keys, albeit warmer than when I put them in the pocket with a hole in it.....Mike

Split Weekend!

My plan was to ride with Rob, his nephew Nathan, and Sean for 12 miles then return to pick up Brandon to ride an additional 15 miles. Brandon is working on his cycling merit badges and needed two ten milers, two 15 milers, and two 25 milers before he can attempt his 50 mile goal. I made the turnaround at Camden Point and headed back to the van. I returned home expecting Mindy and Brandon to show up at 10:30. They arrived at 11:30 and it was starting to get hot. Since Brandon decided to bring a friend, I had to load three bikes in the van, one inside and two on the rack. After loading the bikes, I told the boys we had to get going. I was more than just a little pissed when I found out they forgot their bike helmets! I should have just stayed with Rob, Nathan, and Sean!!! Obviously, there was no ride! Anyway, Brandon came this morning and we got his 15 miler in, but not without incident. Too involved and lengthy to document here in this blog. I'll relate the incident when we get together for our MRC run, walk, ride, eat or whatever....Mike

Close call, and a fall

I was out for an easy ride this morning when I came to a busy intersection. As I approached the corner on the trail that was right next to and parallel to the road, the light turned green in my direction, so I started to head into the crossing. At the same time a car next to me on my left, and heading in the same direction, turned the corner and into my path. I squeezed the brakes and stopped just before he sped past me. We missed each other by probably 30 inches, though it seemed closer than that at the time. I was not quick enough to get out of my clips, so I toppled over to my right. The car kept on going, happily without me underneath it.

I got a little scrape on my right leg, but other than that and a some embarrassment, I was fine. I take the responsibility for not being more defensive, but I definitely had the right of way. I typically don't assume I'm going to get my space, and I don't know why I did this time. I'm just glad I was a little lucky. -- Rob

Bringing up the rear

Rode this 38-miler with Nathan (my niece's husband), Sean (colleague from church) and, part way, Mike. We were riding in the shade with the temperature about 65, so it was downright cold for the first 15 miles. After Mike turned back at mile 12, it was me on a hybrid, and the two young guys on road bikes for the next 26 miles. If it had been a race, I would have finished a distant third (though they were still within eyesight). We all worked real hard on this ride, and our average doesn't reflect the true speed. 7 of the miles were over 17 mph, and 17 were over 15. We had a few miles under the teens because of traffic, and that pulled the average down.

By the time we were done, my quads were shot from trying to keep up with the fast guys. They waited on me quite a bit, but admitted they were hurting, too, at the end.

The GPS reported I burned 1,980 calories, and I think it was every bit of that. Great workout and fun ride.

38.4 miles in 2:33:21 for an average of 15.02 mph -- Rob

Great Week of Biking and Running!

Decided to really test the waters this morning. After the five miler on Monday I thought I would try an eight miler around hilly Lake Waukomis. I walked a full minute after each mile, just to be on the safe side, and still averaged in the 11:00s. Ran the last mile in 8:49 just to finish strong. I am really pleased how this week went with regards to biking and running. From Saturday to today I rode a 50 miler and a 35 miler. I ran the five miler Monday and finished up with the eight miler today. Rest day tomorrow and another 50 miler on Saturday. The ride Saturday will be broken up into two rides, one with Rob and his nephew, and the other with my grandson. FYI, I've lost 12 pounds in the last three weeks......Mike

Green light

Saw the doctor about my hernia and set the outpatient surgery for Monday. He gave me the green light to ride or do anything I was comfortable with until after the surgery, when I will be grounded for 3 or 4 weeks.

With the go-ahead from the doctor, I decided I would carry out my usual exercise routine for the week, and that called for a short but fast ride. I chose a route through the Riss Lake area, which I hadn't used in quite a while. It's hilly and can be quite difficult depending on how fast you want to go. After a slow start to warm up, I pushed it all the way. It was helpful that for a change it was relatively cool and there was little humidity. I didn't even take water along, since I knew I'd be out less than an hour. I was a little surprised by my overall speed, which I think was helped by my new clip shoes.

More cool days like this one would be very nice.

13.72 miles, 55:16 min., 14.9 mph average. -- Rob

Great Weather, Nice Ride!

Got in a real nice 35 mile ride this morning. Left the house at 6:40, unloaded the bike in Ferrelview and headed north. Was going to make it a 25 miler by making my turnaround just past Camden Point, but, since I felt good and it wasn't that much further to Dearborn, I continued north. Rode a little past Dearborn until I reached 17.5 miles on my Garmin and made the turnaround. Stopped at the cafe in Dearborn and sat outside to rest and hydrate. Headed back home and picked up the pace (as usual). Had no problems, but the vehicular traffic was heavy (for the Interurban) going out and practically nill coming back. The reverse could be said about cyclists. I saw zero bikers going out, probably due to my early start, but counted 9 on my return back to Ferrelview. Trip took 2 hours and 46 minutes and averaged 12.5 mph. Nice easy consistant pace.....mike

Easy Run

Got in an easy 5 miler this morning. Nothing noteworthy, averaged a little over 11:00 pace. Very slight discomfort in hip but nothing like it was. Can't help thinking that, not only does the biking keep in some kind of condition, it also may be strengthing my hips....Mike

A few more things about today's ride

Let me just add to Mike's post:

We finished with about 50.5 miles and averaged 13.2 mph. The middle of the ride was roughly 25 miles of mostly flat road (the Interurban), but the rest of the mileage was in pretty hilly residential and business areas. Those miles got to be a bit taxing. In the end, according to my GPS, we burned 2,499 calories, and that's a real plus.

I don't know about this 100-mile stuff Mike is talking about. -- Rob

Gooder and Gooder!

What a great 50 mile ride this morning. Rode from the house with Rob, and our Brother Knight, Sean Joyce. Rode from our house to past Camden Point and back. Had some difficulty in the last two miles going up hills. I think I just had the bike geared a little to high for that late in the ride. Slowly building the mileage and hope to do a 100 miler before it gets to cold. No incidents to speak of, but saw a ton of cyclists on the Interurban Road. Must have seen around 75 or more!

Might add some more miles next week and ride a 60 miler somewhere, but now it's time for a nice nap!.....Mike

Nice Ride!

Rob and I took a nice 16 mile ride last night. We were checking out what might be the best route from our homes to connect up with the Interurban Rd. in Ferrelview. Traffic was somewhat of a concern, but with an early start on Saturday, for our first 50 mile ride, most of that concern should be alleviated.....Mike

New bike shoes

I was riding by myself this morning and trying out my new mountain bike shoes that clip into the pedals. I picked Interurban Road because I knew there'd be shade for at least the first half of the ride.

The shoes and new pedals aren't cheap, but I got a nice discount with birthday money. I'd been looking at the bike shoes and pedals for quite a while because as I've gotten into better riding shape I've noticed that under certain circumstances I was having trouble keeping my feet on the standard flat pedals. The worst cases would be when shifting gears at high speed. If my feet weren't in just the right position, sometimes they would just fly off.

Getting into and out of the clips takes little practice, but I didn't have much trouble getting the hang of it. It's not second nature yet, but I don't think it will take long. The big thing is getting out of the clips at the right time. The trick is to rotate your heel out. When you do, it forces the shoe out of the clip. It sounds simple, and it is, but it still takes a little practice.

I only forgot once that I was wearing the new shoes, and got into a situation where I had to take my feet off the pedals and put them on the ground. When I went to do that, they didn't come off the pedals like I expected. I was out of time and panicked a little bit, and that's when I discovered that with a little extra effort you can yank your shoes right out of the pedal clip even if you don't rotate the heel. It also answered the burning question: if I ride over a cliff, am I still going to be connected to my bike pedals when they find me at the bottom a week later? Probably not. That's a relief.

I don't know if it was the pedals or what, but I burned up the course, covering the distance in record time for me: 34.41 miles in 2:05:17, for an average of 16.48 mph. I even caught and passed three 20-somethings on road bikes on the way back. Score one for the old guy on the hybrid. -- Rob

Nice 5k Surprise!

Wow, what a nice surprise! I entered Deanna Rose Farmland Stampede 5k, at my daughter's request, to run with my grandson Brandon. Brandon is a freshman on the Liberty High School cross country team and was just supposed to get an idea of how far a 5k is. I guess he was supposed to figure out a pace that he could maintain for the 3.1 miles. Brandon told me he didn't want to race but would rather stay with me and run together. I told him that would be great, but if I was having trouble, he was to go on ahead. Somewhere around the 3/4 mile mark, Brandon told me his knees were hurting real bad. I told him that if he felt he needed to walk then it would be best that he walked. I asked him if he needed me to stay with him and he told me to go ahead and he would try to catch up after walking a little.

I tried to select a finish time that I thought I could achieve, since I haven't been doing much running, and figured that I could probably hold on to a pace around 9:30. I hit the first mile in 9:00 flat, mile two was an 8:48, mile three was 8:06 and the last tenth was 50:65 seconds which would have been a 7:54 pace. Finish chip time was 26:46 and I took third in my age group. Got a nice medal and some sun sleeves, whatever they are. Felt a little guilty for leaving Brandon but I couldn't see paying $25.00 to walk a 5k!!! He finished about 4 minutes behind me and was okay.....Mike

Finally, A Bike For Christine!

Well, we finally found a bike for Chris to get back into some cycling. Not exactly the bike I had in mind for her, but, for $75.00, it's a cheap investment to see if she wants to continue the sport. It's a nice multi-speed mountain bike that fits her well.
The goal is for her to get into decent enough shape in order to ride a decent distance on the Katy Trail so we can enjoy a nice dinner together at the winery. Might be awhile since she hasn't been on a bike in many years......Mike

Back To Back Rides

Rode 15.5 miles on the Interurban with Rob on Wednesday evening. Expected it to be warmer than it was, but a nice natural breeze, plus the one created by ourselves, made the ride pleasant, if not enjoyable. Rob informed me of his inguinal hernia, which I suppose you get when you eat too much pasta. At any rate, I wish him a very speedy recovery in order to join his MRC pals on a regular basis once again.

Rode 25 miles with my grandson, Brandon, on Thursday morning after his cross country practice in Liberty. Got started later than we wanted to, due to his practice lasting longer than expected, but got the ride in, albeit a warm one. The temperature was manageable for the most part, but we were glad to see the finish line. Brandon rode the entire 25 miles on a mountain bike that was too small for him. I extended the seat as high as I could, but he still didn't get a comfortable leg extension in relationship to the pedals. He was a real trooper and stated he really enjoyed the experience. I'll have to help get him a new or newer bike very soon if he's going to continue to ride.

Official diagnosis

I started Tuesday with a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis. The hope was that we were finally going to get to the cause of my long-lasting groin pain. The scan was quick and uneventful, and by the afternoon the results had been sent to my doctor's office. The doctor wasn't there, but Kay called me with the results: mild inguinal hernia.

I know I've had this hernia for a few years. Every so often I'd do something to aggravate it, but for the most part it didn't bother me much. Last September I loaded about 1,200 lbs. of large rocks into my pickup, and the next day I had a big flare-up. It faded a little over the next week or so, but I was also in the final stages of training for an October marathon that featured 55-mile weeks. I began to feel it again, and eventually I think it got bad enough to cause severe groin pain. I ran the marathon with that pain, and spent the next 3.5 months recovering.

Eventually, I was running again, and by the time I closed out the month of April of this year, I was back up to 35 mile weeks. Without really training for one, I'd gotten into marathon shape, and if I could have found one, I would have entered.

Then, out of the blue one day on vacation in Arizona, I suffered debilitating back and hip muscle pain. I quit running, and when I got home I visited my physical therapist/chiropractor, and discussed it with my MD. They had different opinions, but I used parts of each doctor's advice. It took over two months to work through all the muscle pain, but after it was gone, what was left was the groin pain. No matter what I did or didn't do, it would not go away.

My doctor couldn't detect a hernia and suspected a pelvic stress fracture. He wanted me to have an MRI, but the insurance company said it had to be a CT scan. I was skeptical that the scan would find anything, but of course had no choice. In the end, the scan provided the information we needed to go forward.

I expect a discussion shortly with the doctor on a course of treatment, but it doesn't take much reading to find out that the only effective thing is surgery. Also, I think I remember that Bill had similar surgery.

I know this is a minor malady compared to the problems many people have, and I thank God for that, but I've dealt with it for so long now that I am ready to get it fixed no matter what and as soon as possible. -- Rob

Bicycling Through The Heat

Mike -- don't feel bad about your run yesterday...the heat was simply amazing! This week, I'm trying out riding my bicycle the 11.5 miles into work. Monday I got in the round trip (42 mintues/15.4 mph inbound, 54 minutes/12.8 mph homebound, which is into the wind and during the 100 degree heat). Bicycling generates its own face wind, so it's tolerable in the heat. Yesterday I loaded my bike in my SUV and drove in so I could run errands and then I biked home. Today I doing the reverse, having left my car overnight at work yesterday. Over time, I'm thinking I should be able to get in 2-3 roundtrip commutes per week, which would give me 2-3 days of 2aday workouts!

Back to the heat: my two home bound rides into the heat have certainly been challenging -- yesterday was more effort and took me a minute longer. I simply don't care for the heavy air/poor air quality we get at 5:30 pm in 100 degree heat. But the bike rides are worth it -- I'm sitting on 4 workouts of 44-55 minutes each and its only Wednesday morning! Yeah!

Like Rob's earlier posting, I'm thinking that bicycling may be a great way to work through the 4 weeks or so of peak heat we seem to get every year. -- Bill

Torture!

Since I had no trouble with my four miler last week, and since Brandon and I didn't get to go on our 50 mile bike ride, I decided to run a six miler today. My plan was to just take it easy and get in the miles. Well, after mile two I realized it just wasn't going to happen. I was already hot and it wasn't getting any better. I walked 15-20 seconds after each mile and a minute and 10 seconds at the beginning of mile five. That mile five was a real struggle to keep moving. Total time 55:55. Mile one 12:06, two 10:50, three, 10:41, four, 10:36, and mile five 11:41....Mike

Surprise, Surprise!

Mindy called me yesterday and wanted me to run with Brandon in a 5k next Saturday at Deanna Rose Farm. His cross country coach wants the boys to experience a 5k in order to get used to that distance. I agreed to run with him, but was pretty apprehensive since I've been having so much trouble lately with the hips. Well, I think all the biking with Rob is paying off! I decided to just run a very easy four miler this morning. My thinking was that if I can get through four miles, I can run a 5k at a moderate speed of maybe around 10:00 to 10:30 pace.

I started with a warm up mile at 12:14, mile two was 11:35, mile three 9:30, and mile four was 8:54. I know that's not fast by our race standards but since I haven't ran anything much lately it was off the charts for me! I felt just great the last two miles! Hopefully, I'm back!......Mike

P.S. Brandon and I are headed for the Katy Trail in Rocheport next Tuesday to bike 50 miles. He needs to get his 50 mile cycling merit badge.

Near Death!

Since becoming a biking fanatic,
Rob's skills have become quite eratic
Took his eye off the trail,
Nearly crashed on his tail,
But his recovery was really dramatic!

Rob Forgot To Mention!!

Rob forgot to mention that during our 40.15 mile ride at Smithville this morning, we both had a near crash. I was going too fast and mis-negotiated a sharp turn. I saw that Rob, who was about 25 yards in front of me, didn't have any trouble with it, but I didn't realize it, until it was too late that I was actually going faster than him! I rode right into the grass and just hung on. Just happy that the grass wasn't wet or I would have been part of the turf. However, Rob had a closer shave with near death than I did! We were riding along at about a 15 mph clip when Rob turned to say something to me. Well, he should have taken a quick peek at the trail to see if he could afford the 5 seconds of turning his head from the trail. All of a sudden, Robbie was off the trail in the middle of a sharp turn. The shoulder, if you want to call rutted and slanted ground a shoulder, was not an ally of poor Robbie! He stuck his legs out from his bike and I'll I could see was the similarity between him and a cowboy riding "Thunder" the Brahma Bull! He hung on for the full 8 seconds and won first prize in the catagory of "I didn't die today!"

All in all, it was a good ride and we beat the hottest part of the day.......Mike

The longest ride

We picked the hottest day of the year to do our longest ride yet, and it turned out just fine. Mike and I kept the pace down because of the heat and humidity, and because we knew we had a long way to go. Since it was a weekday, there were very few people at the lake or on the trail, which meant we didn't have to be so wary all the time. I think we only came across a total of maybe 6 other people all morning. It was probably just under 80 when we started, and it was 90 in the shade when I got home, so it was heating up pretty good. High temp today is expected to go over 100. Happily, we won't be out in that.

My GPS tells me I burned 1,950 calories on the ride. I don't know how true that is, but I'll take it, along with a great big cookie.

40.26 miles in 3:13:16, for a 12.5mph average. --Rob

Long and hot

For whatever reason I decided I wanted to ride 30 miles today, even though I couldn't get out on the road until the sun was right over head. It was getting pretty hot and humid, but I had plenty of hydration and figured I'd just keep moving so I'd always have some wind in my face.

Once I got going I revised my distance plan and set my sights on Dearborn, which would add a bit over 3 miles to my total mileage. I covered the 16.69 miles to Dearborn in 58:30, or a tad over 17 mph average. There was a light breeze, and it was at my back, which was very helpful as it turned out.

That light breeze, so helpful on the way out, was quicksand on the way back. It opposed me all the way. I can't remember coasting at all coming back (maybe it wasn't such a light breeze, after all). Anyway, with the heat and humidity, and the wind, my pace slowed considerably and my overall average dipped to 15 for the whole ride, still pretty good. I stopped twice on the way back to drink and rest briefly, and I was plenty worn out at the end. But, it was a real good workout, burned a bunch of calories, and added 33.39 miles to my log. -- Rob

Bad Detour, But Still a Nice Ride

Rob and I headed back to the Interurban Road to get in a 16 mile ride, or so we thought. We took a side road just to see where it went. Needless to say, it was a mistake! Okay, okay, it was my idea. Just wanted to add a little adventure to our ride. It started off innocent enough, but soon, very soon, we found ourselves riding down a very steep and gravely hill with lots of ruts we had to dodge. The gravel road finally leveled off and it was a fairly nice ride until we had to go back UP! We had to get off of our bikes, well, at least I did, in order to get up the hill. It was so steep I was spinning my wheels in the gravel.

Well, we finally made it up the hill onto a blacktop road. We had no idea where we were, but we had the good sense to pull a Horace Greeley. We kept riding and riding until we came to highway 92. No way could ride on 92 highway even if we knew which way to go. We kept heading straight ahead until we could head in a southwesterly direction. We finally hooked up with Interurban Road, but I think we may have gone through St. Joe to find it.

Everything worked out and we only traveled a couple miles over our planned route. Sure was a workout!............Mike

Only Three Miles But Enjoyable!

Okay, so it was only three miles, but it's three more miles than I ran yesterday, or the day before, or the day before, etc. I haven't ran or biked since a week ago yesterday when I rode 35 miles with Rob.

Gotta keep working at this! .......Mike

Little Blue Trace Trail

I was able to complete a 10 mile run on Saturday (7-24) along the Little Blue Trace Trail. This is my longest run since the fateful Hospital Hill disaster on June 5.

It was warm but I slowed down and averaged 10:40 per mile. I began drinking water and Gatorade on Friday and kept that up through the run and the rest of the day Saturday. I was wiped out and took a 3 hour nap Saturday afternoon.

It felt great to complete a long run. I will continue to be conservative while it is hot outside. The elliptical training inside an air conditioned gym has been a good and responsible alternative to running in the heat. - Ken

Oppressive

Whoo, boy, it was steamy out there this morning. 90 and very humid. Glad I wasn't running (and that's not a problem these days anyway). At least on the bike you are making your own breeze. All the runners I saw looked to be suffering.
I opted to ride the old trail at Smithville Lake this morning. It's hillier, winds more and, as it turns out, much more populated. I had to make my way through an entire running club between about the 5th and 8th miles, and that slowed me down quite a bit. Good thing, though, because if I'd kept up the pace I probably would have worn out early. I'd had enough by the time I hit the finish line anyway.
25.11 miles in 1:47 for a 14 mph average. -- Rob

Tempo ride

I wasn't too motivated for this ride on a hot and humid day, but it was a better option than doing nothing, so off I went. Once I got going I was glad to be getting some exercise, particularly after a frustrating day at work. The route is all residential streets, and there are a lot of hills and turns, so maintaining an average of over 14 mph is pushing it some. I felt like I'd had a good workout by the time I got back. 14.61 miles in 1:00:51. -- Rob

Yeah, What Rob Stated Below!......Mike

Riding long

This is the second longest ride we've taken, but it went real well. We were prepared for a real hot ride, but since we started early with the sun low, we rode out in the shade for the first hour, then some thin clouds blocked the direct rays the rest of the way out and back. It never got particularly hot.

Since we we expected a long hot ride, we didn't push it all that hard. We stopped at the turnaround point in Dearborn and had a home made sweet roll (effectively negating any positive calorie burn) at the cafe there. Total mileage: 35.03 in 2:43:59. Back home by 11. -- Rob

Near Tragedy!

Well, it began as a nice bike ride, for Rob and I, at our favorite trail in Smithville. It was a warm evening, but very nice while riding, due to generating our own breeze. Had a terrific ride to our turnaround point, hydrated and headed back. Things were going along just fine until Rob rounded a corner and just about wiped out a runner who was minding his own business while running on the wrong side of the road. Rob took immediate evasive action and avoided a 911 call by a certain kind of human hair! Nice job, Rob!

We finished our ride and enjoyed a nice ride home by taking a short cut through the country that ended up only a mile and a half longer. Still, it was a nice ride on the bikes and a the ride home.....Mike

Another Bittersweet Run

I've had this feeling fore the last two or three days that I was ready to run again after taking off for three weeks due to the bike accident and the very sore rib cage area. I felt strong, for some reason, and decided to run an easy four miles around Houston Lake (small lake). I walked the first .50 mile, started my watch, and began a slow easy 13:00 pace. I had ran about a half mile when I looked at my watch and saw I was running a 10:30 pace. I felt great but thought it best to back off. I walked a minute to a minute and a half after each mile and started day dreaming about a fall marathon or possibly Dallas White Rock. Man, it was hot and humid, but I was able to maintain a steady 11:00 pace. At the end of mile four I started to get dizzy and stopped. I was still sweating so I wasn't dehydrated. I just bonked really bad, right at mile four, and just walked home. Very, very sore this morning but I'll give it a go again today.....Mike

4 miler

Woke up this morning with sore groin muscle on my left side. I don't know what causes that, as I haven't done anything to stress it. I was sore all morning, and then like a miracle all the pain went away about noon and it felt fine. Strange.

Consequently, when I got home I was ready to go for an easy run. I walked a half mile, then started out at an easy pace determined to keep going without walking if I could. My groin was a little stiff and sore, which gave me all the reason I needed to keep the pace slow and easy. Ultimately, I walked a minute or two in between each mile and was just getting to the point where I thought I'd gone far enough when I hit mile 4. Nice round number, so I stopped. -- Rob

Hard 25

Went to Smithville Lake to ride the south part of the trail. This being Saturday, rather than a weekday, there were a lot more walkers, runners and cyclists on the trail, so I had to keep to the right and hope they were doing the same.

I set out to push hard and come out with a real good workout. Because of the traffic and the many turns, you can't really expect to average 17 or 18 mph, but when all was said and done, my average was 15.1 mph, the fastest I've ever done this particular route. It was one hour and 39 min. for the whole ride.

I was sweating big time by the time I dismounted, and my legs were a bit rubbery, but it was a super workout and a lot of fun. -- Rob

Ken's Daughter Engaged

Pam and I are so excited to share that Emily and Neil are now engaged to be married. They met in February in Arizona and now Neil has started a new job with the Orlando Magic (NBA team). They will be getting married late this year and moving together to Orlando. Here they are toasting the night they got engaged.

As for running, I did get 8 miles in this morning with Runner's Edge - average pace about 10:10. Glad I started at 6 AM.

Walk / jog

It's been a long time coming, but I made a little bit of a running comeback this week.

On Wednesday I put on my running shoes and went down to English Landing to walk. After I got there and had walked a half mile, I decided to try a slow jog, just to see how it felt. My last attempt, a month ago, lasted all of a tenth of a mile and hurt like hell. So, because of that, I was very apprehensive, and my jog was very slow. Out of 3.7 miles I ran 1.25, never running more than .25 at a time, stopping to stretch frequently, and just generally being very careful. Overall I averaged 14.38 min. per mile, a pace that could not be classified as running, since on a good day I can actually walk that pace.

Still, I didn't stiffen up in the car on the way home, and I felt better than usual the next morning.

After a day off, I went back to the park tonight. This time my plan was to walk a quarter of a mile and then run a quarter, and keep that up for four miles. I did 4.23 miles in 56:23, for an average pace of 13:19. Because I can't walk that fast, and because I can define running anyway I want for myself, I'm going to classify this session as a "run."

I felt good enough during some of my quarter mile runs to dip slightly under 10 min. per mile, but most of the time I was around 11. I had a little discomfort in my hips and back, but actually, most of my discomfort was in the groin. I've noticed this for the last few weeks, ever since I've been able to walk at a brisk pace, and I don't quite understand it. I'll keep stretching, and take it easy on runs, until it goes away.

With any luck, I might be able to run with everyone at our next MRC meeting. --Rob

Ridin' in the rain

Returned from a weekend trip to Iowa and immediately accepted an invitation to ride 20-odd miles on Interurban Rd. with Mike and and a mutual friend, Sean.

As soon as we started the ride it started to rain lightly. There was never any thunder or lightening, so we never considered turning back even though the rain got pretty heavy at times. The rain continued throughout all of the first half of the ride and then increased in intensity for the first couple miles on the way back. The downpour let up after that, though, and then quit completely with about 7 miles to go.

We went 23.13 miles in 1:46:00 for an average of 13.09 mph and a top speed of 24 mph.

Little Blue Trace

Mike and I rode the Little Blue Trace trail, a trail we have both run several times in the past but not recently, and were pleasantly surprised to find they'd done quite a bit of work on it. It is now a full 11 miles long, running from the 39th St. area in Independence, north to E. Blue Mills Road, north of Highway 24.

The trail is 100 percent chat and fine gravel, and today it was very dusty. We had a full-sun day, but the route is through a lot of wooded areas, so we enjoyed shade much of the way. Today the temperature was cool and the humidity low. There was a bit of a wind out of the south, which worked against us all the way back. I'm not complaining, though, because while our speed was slow (11.2 mph average) we still worked pretty hard and ended up with a nice workout.

Final stats were 24 miles in 2:10:20. -- Rob

Another Nice Ride!

Rode with Rob for 24 miles on the Little Blue Trace trail in Blue Springs. Nice weather, nice ride with the exception of some thick, fine, loose gravel that felt like quicksand when trying to pedal through it. All in all, a nice day, and a nice ride. Might try to tackle a forty miler tomorrow on the Interurban Highway north of us....Mike

Not Yet!

The plan for this week was to ride with Rob at least four days out of five. Well, Monday was out due to helping my sister-in-law move, Tuesday is documented below, and Wednesday was supposed to be a nice 40 miler on the interurban road. Called Rob, Tuesday night and told him I was out for Wednesday's ride. My ribs were not any better than the day of the accident, I was having trouble breathing and I'm sure the condition was not helped by the moving of furniture, heavy boxes, etc. on Monday. Rested yesterday and will do so again today. Hope to ride a nice 22 miler at Little Blue Trace early Friday morning with Rob......Mike

To run, or not to run...

No riding today, but I eventually got restless and went out for a 3.5-mile walk. Argued with myself all the way whether to run or not. I was sorely tempted.

"I feel good, I should try a few running steps."

"No, at least walk the first half mile."

"There's a half mile. Now I should run."

"Really, I should walk a full mile before I run at all."

"Maybe I'll run a little after the turn."

And so on. I eventually talked myself out of running at all, figuring I needed to gauge the results later tonight or tomorrow. I know I'm not out of the woods yet, so the best thing to do is approach running incrementally, the way a person who's never run before gets started. You walk, then walk and run, then run and walk, and finally, run.

Maybe next time out I'll feel ready to run a few steps. --Rob

Terrific Tuesday!

Rob and I have been planning on doing a lot of bike riding this week since he's on unpaid leave. I guess that's why he kept hitting me up for a sandwich. Anyway, I couldn't ride yesterday due to having to help my sister-in-law move. This morning we went back up to Smithville and tried a different part of the trail that we've never been on before. WHAT A TREAT! We counted rabbits until we lost count, then deer until we lost count. We even came up on a fox making breakfast out of a rabbit. Very cool, unless you're the rabbit, of course. On the way back from our initial 10 miles we ran into about 150 geese blocking our way on the asphalt trail. You know, they can move pretty darn fast when they think their little feathered butts are going to be splattered all over the trail!

The ride was one of the best ever! No serious hills, lots of curves, flats and wonderful lakeside scenery. This was the best ride I've ever experienced outside of the Katy. Getting out early lended itself to plenty of opportunities to catch the wildlife.

Rob and I discussed the possibility of camping out on a Saturday evening and riding a forty miler on this trail. We could fix our breakfast Sunday morning then ride out about 12 miles in the northern direction, return for a lunch break, then ride the southern direction and back for the remaining 16 miles. Just a thought! ...........Mike

Interurban Road

Investigated Interurban Road this morning. Did 22 miles. The route starts in Ferelleview, on the north edge of KC, and goes NW for about 20 miles. It's two lanes, asphalt, narrow and flat. Bikers from all over the metro ride it because there is very little motorized traffic. I'd say no more than 12 cars or trucks passed me in either direction for the 90 min. I was out. Those who do drive the route know to expect bikers. I saw 2 or 3 other riders, which isn't a lot, of course, but it was a work day.

I did 22.19 miles in 1:30:30, averaging 14.7 mph, with a fasted of 22.4 mph. That might have been when the two big German shepherds decided to chase me for a bit. They didn't have a chance.

Came back home and was up on a ladder sanding the window frame on the deck and got a half-inch long splinter under the nail on my right index finger. Had to go to the emergency room, where they deadened the finger and cut off part of the nail. Three hours. Sweet. - Rob

Return to Running Outdoors

After the horrific finish at Hospital Hill, I did try my luck running with Eladio's Runners' Edge group on Saturday, June 24. I completed 6 miles with NO ISSUES! I kept my pace at or above 10 minutes per mile for the entire 65 minutes Saturday. I will generally stick to indoor exercising during the week, but I do enjoy the group runs.

Mike and Rob, let your bodies heal. There is no need to risk further injury.

I wonder if we should try soap box derby as our next activity. - Ken

Is my mattress killing me?

Did a hard, hilly 12-mile ride on Thursday and paid for it in hip discomfort on Friday. Both hips, not just the one that's been giving me problems for 2 months.

So, Friday evening I just went to the gym and lifted weights (no lower body lifts) and stretched. Sometimes I also walk for 30 or 45 min. on lift days, but I didn't do that Friday.

I started thinking about why this rehab is taking so long, and since I am in denial about my age, I'm trying out a theory that my mattress is too hard. I've been complaining about the mattress for months now, and last winter bought a thin memory foam mattress to soften it up. That has worked well, but lately I've noticed that laying flat on my back on it was pressuring my tender hip muscles, and I was waking up in the morning sore.

So, last night I slept on a softer mattress, and this morning I got up with much better-feeling hip muscles. Of course, I don't really know if that's because of the mattress or because I avoided working those muscles for a day. I'll do it again tonight and see how I feel on Sunday morning.

Today I resolved not to choose a hilly course, so I went to the flat and friendly English Landing Park to start my ride. It was already close to 90 and humid. My 18-mile route had a segment on the park trail, which was crowded with walkers and runners; on Highway 9 to Horizon's Parkway, on the levee for a couple miles, and then back again. There were a couple short side trips in there, but no hard hills or other challenges. My goal was to maintain a constant pedal, which I did for the most part. Average speed was 12.3 (I hope you're not reading this, Lance), and my fastest was 20.4

I came off the ride with my hip muscles no worse for the wear. -- Rob

MRC = Men's Rehab Club!

Looks like Rob and I went from the Men's Running Club to the Men's Riding Club and then to the Men's Rehab Club.

As previously stated by Rob, I took a fall off of my bike while dodging a white van on the road on Tuesday evening. At first I thought I had fractured or separated a rib or ribs. Trying to sleep Tuesday night was not pretty. I couldn't turn at all without almost yelping from the pain. I decided it best to go to the emergency room at the VA Hospital Wednesday morning. The news was kind of good in the respect that I didn't have a fracture that showed up on the X-Ray. The doctor, when probing and pressing on the rib bones, resulted in no pain, but when she pushed between the ribs into the muscle, I came out of the chair! It seems that I have some kind of muscle tissue tears.

The doc prescribed Ibuprofen for the pain and inflammation, so I went to the pharmacy at the hospital to have the scrip filled. When I picked up the sack from the pharmacy it seemed kind of heavy for a small plastic container of pills. When I returned home and opened the sack it had four plastic squat containers of 800 mg tablets of Ibuprofen. She gave me 270 tablets, 90 days worth at 3 x daily. Jeez, I hope I have enough!

The pills must be working since I slept good last night and was able to get up without any real pain. I'll be fine by the weekend. Is there a black market where I can unload the remaining 261 tablets of Ibuprofen?............Mike

Call off the ride? Never!

Had a nice 12 mile ride with Mike tonight. Really pretty uneventful.

Well, there was the whole problem with the truck overheating. The temperature spiked just as we were pulling into the parking spot at Zona Rosa, where we started our ride. We immediately mobilized the home forces to bring antifreeze and water. Chris and Kay arrived within 15 min. with the coolant, but by then we were well on our way. Wait for 'em? Naw. Have bike, will ride.

But the ride itself was no big deal, really. Just another out-and-back.

I guess there was the "incident" at 7 miles. Mike crashed and while writhing in pain on the pavement narrowly escaped being turned into road kill by a guy in a big white van.

Mike took a shot to the rib cage, but recovered nicely. He found that if he didn't twist to his right, make any fast moves or, I guess, breathe all that much, he could ride comfortably.

No harm, no foul. All the same, I think we'll leave the bikes in the garage tomorrow. - Rob

Nice Ride, Helped A Fellow Rider!

Decided that I had to something since I can't run, so I rode the bike up to Photographx (that's where they print some of my action photos). After dropping off the CD, I rode over to Walmart. From Walmart I rode back to Barry Rd. and west to Congress. North on Congress to Tiffany Hill Pky, where my intention was to head west to K highway, south to Weatherby Lake and back home for a nice 26 mile ride. However, my plans changed when I came across another biker, who was lost. He told me he was trying to find 9 highway and 45 and that he was headed to Atchison, KS. I told him he was about 3 miles or so off course. Well, instead of continuing west on Tiffany Hills Pky, I lead him back south on Congress, over to 9 highway and then south to 45. He went west and I went east towards home. My regret was not putting him westbound on 152 highway to K and THEN south to 45 highway. It would have been less dangerous that traveling down 45 highway. 152 has a huge shoulder!

At any rate, I ended up with a 14.25 mile ride that took an hour and 26 minutes. I averaged 9.9 mph with a top speed of 26 mph. I had work to do at home anyway, so I'll save my longer rides for next week with Rob............Mike

Hot ride, but fun

Took advantage of a break in company at the house to take a Father's Day bike ride in the heat of the day Sunday. The temperature was 90-something.

The route was through my own neighborhood and then the one to the north, across the highway at 72nd St., south to the 64th St. trail, west a couple miles and then south into Parkville and English Landing Park.

The park, which runs alongside the Missouri River, had been flooded, but the waters had receded in the last couple days. The south side of the trail was high and dry, but the lower north side was completely under water. The river was running fast and full at about 3 feet below bank full.

I rode the length of the park and back, then headed home, pumping up and out of the river valley (actually, this whole route is filled with hills that I, as a novice rider, consider challenging). I finished with 18 miles in an hour and 20 minutes, a 4:56 pace. It felt like a pretty good workout. -- Rob

Still not running

Back better, but I'm still not running. It's really not a back issue anymore anyway; just sore hip muscles (piriformis). The pain has localized some, and I do feel it is getting better, but any kind of running, even one step, irritates it. I ran something like two steps to hurry through an intersection during my walk yesterday, and today I'm sorer than usual.

Besides the hip, my left groin keeps getting sore whenever I push it, even on a walk. I'm keeping up all the stretches and will avoid running for the foreseeable future.

Not Again!

Well, I'm about ready to give up on the running and just hit the bicycle! It seems that I just can't get past this hip problem. It's painful right in the hip joint and I'm at the point where I know I just can't run on it without risking something serious. However, I don't have any trouble with the bike! I think it's time to go to a different doctor! Next stop, hip replacement and a walker with tennis balls on the front.....Mike

Good But Painful!

Ran eight miles from the house around Lake Waukomis and back. Walked exactly a half mile, stretched the hips, and walked one minute to a minute and 15 seconds after each mile. Averaged 11:45 for all miles. Pain in left hip appeared just before completing mile six and was relagated to walking for another quarter mile. After that it was run slow, walk some more, repeat. Mile seven was better and mile eight was 10:02 and that includes walking some of it. Coming home the last four blocks were all in the high sevens. Ibuprofen and ice was on the lunch menu! Feel better now, but am concerned about the hip......Mike

The MRC on the Katy Trail

After running and kayaking on Saturday, the MRC headed to the Katy Trail Sunday for a planned 36-mile ride from Rocheport to Columbia.

The ride to Columbia was relatively relaxing, as we took well over 2 hours to cover the 17-plus miles to the Shiloh restaurant. We relaxed there for about an hour before heading out again.

Rested and energized, our return trip was much faster, especially after we worked out a 3-rider shift in which we had a new lead rider every mile.

After the ride, we settled in at the A-Frame, a wine-and-cheese bar perched on the side of the river bluff. Terraced outdoor decks overlooking a glistening Missouri River - and a glass of the local vino -provided a romantic setting. That may have been what prompted Mike and Bill to pucker up. Happily, order was quickly restored.

Test workout

Biking got rained out yesterday, so I went to the gym to walk on the treadmill. My back felt real good, and I anticipated no problems.
In fact, it felt so good that I decided after a half mile to jog one minute for every 5 minutes of walking. The first couple of jogs went pretty well, but by the time I was done (3 miles) my piriformis muscle on the left side (my back is no longer in pain) was starting to get a little sore. This morning it's sorer than it's been in several days, though not terribly bad.
I know I won't repeat that workout anytime soon. It seems like I can walk OK, but any running, even at a 12 or 13 min. pace, is too much. -- Rob

The MRC conquers the Katy

It had already been a tough weekend for Bill when we took off for the Katy trailhead on Sunday morning. He'd run a 10k, kayaked 9 miles and tended to family matters until late on Saturday. When Sunday came, he was still in recovery mode. At the left, Bill contributes to the scintillating conversation during the 90-min. drive to Rocheport.









Scenes from the ride
We took our time in the early miles of our ride, stopping often for photos. During this portion of the ride we were flanked most of the time by the river on one side and soaring cliffs on the other.

After making the turn to Columbia we were frequently in what felt like deep woods.

This portion of the trail curved and turned and was a bit more challenging of a bike ride. For some reason, without discussing it, this was where we suddenly picked up the pace. We pumped pretty hard for 8 miles into Columbia.

The tunnel picture was taken at the end of the ride, only about a half mile beyond the Rocheport trailhead.

The MRC kayaks the Kaw

Bill, Mike and Rob tamed the mighty Kaw last Saturday, navigating more than 9 miles through treacherous rapids while fighting off marauding pirates and bloodthirsty sharks. The Kaw is tough, man.

The MRC at Hospital Hill

Before and after

On the left, 10k'er Bill modestly starts the race in the middle of the pack, but as he nears the finish line he is clearly out in front of the field.


Giving his all

In the half marathon, a determined, dehydrated and overheated Ken gritted it out to the finish, clocking a Hospital Hill PR. He was taken straight to the medical tent, and
later went to the hospital for treatment of heat stroke. He's since recovered.

Gotta Keep Goin!

Well, what do I do today to follow a two plus hour kayak trip on Saturday and 36.5 mile bike ride
on Sunday? I felt just great after the bike ride and my quads weren't near as sore as they were after a 21.6 mile bike ride a week ago. I was just going to settle for a nice easy four miler to cap the weekend, but for some reason in mile two I just felt so good I found myself picking up the pace. At one point I looked down and saw that I was running at an 8:20 pace and wised up. I slowed the pace to where I was running comfortably without pushing it, but without dogging it. I ended up averaging around a 9:30 pace over all.

Note: Nothing hurt before, during, or right after the four miler, but later on my left hip joint started to really give me some discomfort. Kinda upsets me because I really wanted to get back into my running program........Mike

Bitter Sweet Weekend!

For months we had been looking forward to our annual MRC outdoor adventure weekend. It finally arrived only to be a combination of extreme highs and lows. With Rob and I showing support for Ken and Bill during the Hospital Hill race, along with rooting for Rob's neice, Annie, we looked forward to a celebration with them after their individual races. With Annie and Bill finishing the 10k segments of the event, we waited for Ken to finish so we could get going on phase two of our MRC weekend, our kayak trip down the Kaw River. We weren't expecting such a dramatic and dangerous ending to Ken's finish in the half-marathon!

Since most of us know how Ken's race ended, with a case of heat stroke, I'll omit the details. However, Rob, Bill, and myself included, came away with a new respect for running when the heat is a factor. This includes training runs as well as race events!

With Ken in professional hands at the hospital, and assurances that he would be okay, we went forward with our kayak plans for Saturday afternoon and the bike trip on the Katy Trail on Sunday morning. Needless to say, Ken was on our minds the rest of Saturday afternoon, even after several conversations with him after being released from the hospital.

The rest of the weekend was enjoyable but just wasn't the same without our bud!

Mike