Hot Air Balloons, Salt Tablets and Chocolate

New runners nervously joined us today to train for the February 2014 Austin Marathon.  Most of them have never done long distances before.  No worries,  the Round Rock Fit coaches will help each of them through the transformation over the next 26 weeks.

The goal one for the group today, jog and talk for three miles. (I like to listen and so I learned about the importance of having PSA tests with respect to early prostate cancer detection.)

Goal two, learn training, nutrition, and hydration techniques through short post-run seminars. Special bonus, sometimes we witness a Hot Air Balloon Launch in Round Rock, Texas.  We will see a number of the launches during the early morning runs.

Afterwards, I changed into biking gear and switched locations for my training ride.  I really want to work on staying hydrated and fueled. Another hot day.  Long story short, no serious post cramping after the 38 mile ride.  I feel good.  It is great to see the other bikers executing their own plans.  At a water stop one lady offered me a salt tablet.  She was going 60 miles.  My lesson learned, best not to eat a Chocolate PowerBar.  While excellent tasting, it was a messy 3 or so miles while I was licking my fingers and the wrapper.

The Water Run Cycle Makes me Bonk

Yesterday my heart beat faster, I was writing a number for every day in ascending order on the desk calendar  from the October 27th Austin 70.3 Ironman to now.  This is work!  My thoughts are all about it.  Run 13.1 miles, bike 56 miles, swim 1.2 miles,  nutrition, and hydration.   Bigger thought, Tuesday is a holiday in Texas for LBJ's birthday.  Good time to do a brick workout.

A brick workout consists of combining at least two events. In this case the two will be swimming and running.  Previously I have done swimming and biking or biking and running. (Swimming should always be first in the combination of events because the athlete is fresh and not as likely to get cramps or drown from exhaustion.)

My problem  lately is that I have been running out of energy during the brick workouts, particularly the bike / run combination.  Eating and drinking is a big problem.  Simply put, during the next 60 days I have to practice the correct way to eat and drink before, during, and after my training or I will continue to bonk.

Big breakfast on Saturday morning before a six mile group run chased down with a PBJ sandwich, followed by a planned 55 mile ride.  Ooops, not enough water for entire ride. I only had two 20oz bottles of water and a salt tablet which is only enough to complete half the distance, particularly on a hot day. Great news, I did not bonk. Bad news, I needed more hydration along with sodium and magnesium supplements because my calves later in the day looked like they had snakes crawling around inside of them.

Today, I woke up to a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast,  a 1.4 mile swim, a PowerBar after the swim, and a 12 mile run.  Midway during the run I had another PowerBar followed by Honey Stinger Chocolate carb gel 3/4 into the run. No bonks and no snake crawling calf muscles today.  Hydration is still an issue. I consumed 80 oz (26 oz per hour) of water during the training and I still had a net weight loss of 4.8 pounds.  On average a person needs 32oz of water each hour during training.  Based on my numbers, I need at least 40 oz for each hour.  Sixty days to go.

I feel fabulous and I am challenged.

SMART Goals?

On May 3rd, a Friday morning before work, I packed my bag to include running shoes, RoadID, watch, dry fit shorts and a dry fit shirt so that I could get away from work early and drive 62 miles to a small town west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country called Kingsland. My expectation was simply to run, set at least one goal and to fellowship with other men at a retreat hosted by my church. I left work early at 4:00 in the afternoon but it was too late. I got stuck in traffic. I had too much time to think about goal setting. One purpose of the retreat was for each man to walk away with a goal. Not just a normal goal but a SMART goal. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound.


In 2010 I set a goal to run one marathon. Yes a crazy goal considering that the most I had ever run before was a 10k. I wanted to lose weight then so I needed a target. To reach the target exercise was required along with discipline, steady training, and accountability. The goal was specific, to run the Austin Marathon. Measurable - to finish 26.2 miles. Attainable - yes, even if I had to walk it I could do it. Relevant - yes it is relevant to me. Time bound - it would be done by February of 2011.


Something else was also needed, risk of loss, risk of failure and risk of reputation. The "R" in SMART really should be for "Risk." To achieve the "R" I put down the $100 registration fee and announce my goal to my friends on Facebook. Twenty six weeks later, goal achieved. Success came from the friendly letter "R."


Repeat goal for 2011 - 2012 season except add the letters PD and some resistance determination. Not really a handicap at all as I ran my second marathon faster by 45 minutes. Repeat three times for the 2012 - 2013 season.  Now, something more is needed.  What to do for the 2013 - 2014 season? Time waits for no one especially if you are blessed with the letters SMART and of course - PD.

 I was still stuck in traffic but I had a brilliant idea, “SMART - PD - 70.3”. As soon as I arrived in Kingsland I worked on the letter "R" by registering for the 1/2 Ironman with the $200+ entry fee and announcing the October event to my friends on Facebook. Ruth, my wife of 26 years, replied back later on Facebook with a new letter "S" as in, "You are not serious?" She really means, "S" as in, "Support!" She has supported every single one of my recent goals as she receives the collateral impact both positive and negative.


My new goal, I will swim 1.5 miles, ride 56 miles, and run 13.1 miles on October 27, 2013 in the Austin 70.3 Ironman. I just need to work out a few details such as getting a bike and starting the training program.

On Memorial Day, my two sons and I went down to Town Lake in Austin to watch the Capital of Texas Triathlon to see how it is done.  Truthfully, I wanted to see the level of fitness that I needed to achieve or "look."  This particular Triathlon is only half the distance that I will be doing in the Fall.  I can do it! Not yet, but with a good solid training program.

The New Kid, Well I Guess Not So New Anymore

What do I Say to the Next New Kid

After 18 months into this journey, it is not nearly as bad as I originally thought.  

 

Love and Sex

First, see how this sexy story ends with  Love and Other Drugs staring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. Two people fall in love despite the challenges when PD strikes an early blow. The movie excites you at first (watch without kids), then it will scare the hell out of you. PD is a highly individualized disease where each person can heavily influence their own outcome. 

Hope

Second, some hope with an easy to understand explanation.  Andres Lozano: Parkinson's, depression and the switch that might turn them off. Maybe deep brain stimulation is in my future, but just not yet.

Exercise

Third, exercise, exercise, exercise.  The next clip by ABC news shows what happens when a person with advanced PD rides a bike.

 Patients Pedal Past Parkinson's by ABC News.

• time seems to be our worst enemy so the motto is "do it while you still can"
• greater physical activity seems to have a beneficial impact

Austin, Texas is a fantastic place to make healthy life style changes because it is one of the most physically fit cities in the country.  No excuses here for someone with YOPD.   I recommend that you get more information on exercise and nutrition at Davis Phinney Foundation and look over their videos.

Lets have some fun with Dance Walking Fitness Ben Aaron. Time to Dance Walk Baby 

Knowledge

Finally, be informed.  It is worth the money, buy an IPad.  One of the apps that you need is Flipboard. This is a PD friendly content delivery tool that is particularly useful to someone with PD.  I use it to keep up to date on a variety of topics including Parkinson's Disease. 

 

Ready, Steady, Aim, Steady, STEADY . . . Shoot!

"Three out of 26. 

My shots, lower left 3 of 26

Not bad for your first time. You now have something to aim for!" my instructor tells me. He then unloads the remaining 4 rounds into the upper half of my target.

Show off! I don't mind; the instructor is my son. On his target, he was 29 for 30 shots.

My son's shots 29 of 30

Yes, I will work to achieve 27 out of 30 shots on the target. Game on! My first day at shooting practice would make anyone nervous. I was nervously shaking because I had never handled a pistol, much less a Beretta M9, before. I paid $20 for the range and $26 for the box of ammo, which makes it about $15 per each of my 3 holes on the target. Who knows where the other lead landed?
Before I attempted to fire off my first shot, I racked the slide back to chamber the round, and did something wrong. The spring-loaded slide caught the inside flesh of my left pinky and there I was . . .blood dripping off my finger which was now attached to the loaded gun. I said embarrassed, "Son can you get this gun off my finger?"
All said and done, I left the range confident, with a new goal to achieve; despite our scores, my son was actually the shakier one. We did not open the second box of ammo. 

Come and Take It

The Come and Take It flag may touch a little closer to home. In the Texas Revolution, on their way to the Alamo, Santa Anna’s men attempted to retrieve a small cannon from the city of Gonzalez. Rather than give up the cannon, the people of the city made a flag that said, “Come and Take It” with a picture of the cannon above. This showed that they would not give up without a fight, and that if Santa Anna wanted that cannon, he would have to earn it.

When you think about it, these examples serve as battle cries for your fight against Parkinson’s. You don’t have to let it control your life. Yes, pending any significant medical breakthroughs in your lifetime, Parkinson’s may win – just as the Persians defeated the 300 and the Mexicans defeated the Alamo. However, I am referencing those stories because they far outlived the lives of the men they tell us about. The bravery and defiance of those men and women inspired others to win the ultimate victory.

Wake up each morning and make Parkinson’s work for its control of your life. Do not let Parkinson’s conquer you without a fight.

Take pride in your battle. How do you want to be remembered? Will you be remembered as the person who sat at home, and each Christmas lamented about how the disease had taken more and more control of you as the years go by? Or will you be remembered as the one who made Parkinson’s fight for every twitch, every spasm,  every freeze…and made even a terminal disease shudder?

Spartans - Heroic Resisters

Courage, training, equipment, and discipline created the famous legacy of why 300 Spartans and nearly 3,000 Greeks held the pass for over three days against overwhelming odds during the battle of Thermopylae around 480 B.C. The Persians numbered between 70,000 and 300,000.   

 Eventually the Spartans and Greeks were over-run in the battle.

Courage, training, discipline, and positive attitude will equip YOPD resisters in their difficult battle.  Resisters must be high performing.

“This is Sparta” is a way of showing the world that I am a force to be reckoned with. I will not surrender. I will not compromise. If you want to beat me, you will have to toil for every inch of ground you wish to gain. As far as it depends on me, I will make you toil; I will make you pay. And when you overcome me, I will be remembered as the force that made my invincible enemy shudder.

Lesson 3: When you get discouraged, ponder lesson 1 and lesson 2. These are not learned, they are truths.