BaycitywalkerBaycitywalkerTribulations and triumphs of a lung challenged marathon walker and wannbe racewaker. Articles
I am humbled ..........again
2007-09-15 01:47:00 I'd like to introduce you to three remarkable people. My friends, Mike, Roxlyn and John.All have severe emphysema, all need supplemental Oxygen.....All are avid walkers and Mike and Roxyln...... are actual Marathoners!!!!Not only do Mike and Roxyln walk/run races with oxygen cylinders in tow, but they do it at 10,000 feet above sea level. As you can see in the pictures ,they have to carry multiple oxygen tanks to get them through their long treks. ( Mike doing the Las Vegas Marathon)(Roxlyn and Mike doing a race in Colorado)Then there's my friend John . He runs a popular COPD website from his home in the UK.John was an avid mountain climber for 35 years before his lung disease put an end to it.John has extremely severe emphysema , and at last report, had an FEV1 of only 15% . As a Respiratory therapist I can assure you , that a lung function of 15% is almost incompatible with life, but John is an amazing person. Desp... More About: Humble , Bled
Holy Crap!
2007-09-13 01:56:00 ....Today ( Sept 12th), I turned 53I started walking when I turned 51 ...Since then, I've walked over 2,300 miles I hope to get a few more of these before I turn 54 More About: Crap , Holy
Odds and Ends
2007-09-10 18:41:00 Thanks Everyone --- For all the advise and tips regarding core strengthening and knee and leg problems.Taper time -- Thank goodness Saturday I did my last long slow walk, covering 20 miles in 6 hours.I was breathing fairly well , but once again was plagued with leg and knee pain from mile 8 which really slowed me down. Next week I have a 12 miler followed by a 10 miler the week after that. Then it's two weeks of NO WALKING (over 4 miles) before the race.Knee Problems-- After doing my 20 miler, my left leg and knee was killing me . I could barely walk without a limp. Immediately after that walk, a good friend ( and a USA Track& Field coach) was kind enough to examine it for me. He thinks it's a pronation or muscle imbalance problem.It appears to have something to do with the way I'm landing on that foot. I seem to be landing on the outer edge instead of directly on the center of the heel, which in turn, is putting too much stress on the muscles that allow you to turn you... More About: Odds , Ends
Core strengthening...harder than it looks.
2007-09-05 21:11:00 In an attempt to slim down my midsection and tone up my abdominal muscles, over the last two months I've been gradually incorporating more and more basic core strengthening exercises into my daily workouts. The problem I'm having, is that because of my obstructive lung disease, it takes me forever to exhale at the beginning of each exercise maneuver.How long does it take YOU to exhale a single breath? A few seconds maybe?Well, on one of my typical breathing days, it can take me up to a half a minute !Seriously... it takes me 15 to 30 FULL seconds to expel enough air, to allow for the proper core muscle contraction to take place. Even if I force the air out with a cough, it's still takes upwards of 10 seconds to get most of the air out, and by the time I do get it all out and tighten the appropriate muscles , I'm too short of breath to maintain the proper breathing pattern for the recommended contraction interval.Is there an alternate , but equally effective way of do... More About: Core , Then , Looks
Training notes
2007-09-01 23:19:00 Well, only 5 weeks left till the Portland marathon , and I'm happy to report that for once, I'm on track with my Long Slow Days. Last year, I had countless interruptions due to my lungs, leg cramps and other annoyances, but other than some minor knee issues, things are going much smoother this marathon season.Next Saturday will be my last long walk ( 20 miles), followed by a very rapid taper.For this marathon, I'm giving myself 4 full weeks of easy walks...nothing over 8 miles. Last year, I pushed myself way too hard at the end , got sick , and didn't have time to fully recover before the race. This time around if I get sick, I'll do the mature thing...and not race.Something else that I've added to this season's already FULL training menu, is some basic strength training. Nothing hardcore, just 15 lb hand weights. I use them to work my biceps, triceps, pecks and a few other muscles , and it seems to be working! I've also begun to do some core strengthening... More About: Training , Notes , TRAI , Raining
The Man
2007-08-31 01:41:00 Got this email today from Stiletto Entertainment :Clear your calendar for September 11 and 12!Barry is taping a new PBS Special "Barry Manilow : Great Songs From The Seventies," and we want YOU to be in the audience. The taping will take place on two days ? September 11 and 12 ? at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York , a return to the city where Barry was born and raised.Steiner Studios15 Washington AvenueBrooklyn Navy Yard, New York 11205For Map and Directions, visit: http://www.steinerstudios.com/mapsdirecti ons.html Doors will open at 5:00pm on September 11.Doors will open at 6:30pm on September 12. -You can go to both shows, but you must specify which show(s) you want to attend.-You must submit your full name as well as the full names of the other guests in your party.-All requests must be received by Monday, September 3.-You will receive a confirmation via email by Monday, September 10.-Dress for the taping is Fall/Winter ?New York Chic.? No summer attire.-You must bring a v... More About: The Man
Pleasant Surprise
2007-08-28 23:23:00 So here I am, half way into my 18 miler, just coming off the Golden Gate Bridge and racewalking down Long ave, when all of a sudden, I hear someone call out my name. There's this little guy, totally buffed, riding his bike up the hill toward me. Sure enough, is was Rick of "365me" fame!I couldn't believe it.. he actually recognized me! He was all decked out in his cycling clothes, on his way to meet some friends in Marin. The first sentence out of his mouth was "how's that knee doing? How sweet is that! He remembered from one of my earlier posts, that I was having knee problems, and was kind enough to leave comments on what to do about it.I have to tell you, in person Rick is like a mini Hulk!Not surprising I guess, since he runs 100 milers for fun. Anyways, we talked for a few minutes, he snapped a quick picture , then we headed off in opposite directions. I finished my measly 18.2 mile walk, in 5 hours flat .Call me sentimental , or maybe even star struck, but aft...
How does the saying go?..... When in Rome.....
2007-08-24 22:55:00 Ok... I think I will !Well, after months of working out the logistics, and obtaining the medical waivers, today I received official confirmation. March 16th 2008, I'll be walking the Maratona Della Citta Di Roma or by it's english name, the "City of Rome Marathon" ...... in Rome, Italy! What better way to see ancient Rome, than to walk a marathon right through the middle of it.... Kinda like walking 2000 years back in time!Check out this course ......"Starting and finishing at the Roman Colosseum, runners and walkers will pass by all the the major landmarks including, the Vatican/St. Peter's Square, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain", etc etc.How cool is that! Plus ... I got great accommodations just 2 blocks from the starting line ( the Colosseum)As you might imagine, this is quite an ambitious endeavor for me and not everyone is exactly thrilled with the idea (especially my pulmonologists). Traveling 6500 miles alone, to a for...
What is it?
2007-08-21 23:41:00 Saturday I did my alternate week 10 mile LSD, and for the 2nd long walk in a row now, I had knee problems. Only this time...it was much worse.I'm assuming it's ITBS , but having never experienced this type of injury before, I can't say for sure. All I know is that pain develops after about 7 miles into a walk, and seems to be located on the outside of my knee about 2 inches below the joint . When I press there , I can feel either a muscle or a tendon bulging out. I don't have any pain above my knee or along my thigh, but the lateral shin muscles are sore.Could it be some sort of shin splint or compartmental syndrome? My calf and shin muscles are over developed,but I haven't had any problems with circulation of tingling in the toes.I'm sure I didn't help matters by racewalking on it after it was already hurting, but I was breathing well that day and I just couldn't resist racewalking a few hundred feet every now and then.Anyways, after I drove home I had a hard time...
These walkers can WALK!
2007-08-18 18:47:00 Womens 20K in RynekMens 50K in Italy More About: Walk , Walker , These
Back on track with 16
2007-08-16 17:09:00 After trashing my legs and my lungs at the SF marathon two weeks ago, I finally felt well enough this past Saturday to continue with my mileage build up. I took that short, but significant leap, from 13.1 miles to 16.25 miles , and because I wasn't in a big hurry, it actually felt easier on my lungs than the half marathon.I did my usual bridge to bridge walk ( from the foot of the bay bridge, along the waterfront, up and over the Golden Gate bridge and back.) This was an LSD walk , but I still finished in a decent time of 4 hours flat.Usually on these longer walks I have problems with leg cramps, but this time I had a problem with my left ITB . Every time I racewalked a little, my knee would starting throbbing, but as soon as I would transition into regular walking, the pain would diminish, so I'm assuming that this has something to do with my leg landing in a locked position. Anyways, by the time I got past the 12 mile mark, the pain was pretty much constant and I had t... More About: Back , Track , Trac
New Reseach study
2007-08-10 22:39:00 Next week I'll be taking part in yet another clinical research project at UCSF. This time it's a study about "dyspnea" ( perceived shortness of breath), related to chronic lung disease , and the efficacy of various self -management techniques , including exercise. They want to find out whether it's better to teach patients these techniques face-to-face, or if it can be done effectively over the internet . The study will last a approx one year.On Wednesday , they're going to do a bunch of pulmonary functions tests , including the standard 6 min walking test and a full blown exercise stress test on the treadmill to get some baseline data on me. If you've ever done an exercise stress test, you know it's not fun. You basically exercise until you puke or pass out!After that I'll be assigned to either an internet group ,or a face to face group , in which I'll be interviewed and/or taught something once a month.What makes me a unique guinea pig this study, is my ext... More About: Study
Dave and Loretta Tie the knot
2007-08-09 22:41:00 My coach and racewalking legend , Dave Mc Govern and his beautiful bride Loretta Schuellin. Now that's classOther world class racewalkers present at the ceremony were, Steven Pecinovski, Tim Seaman, Carl Schueler, Mark Fenton and Mark Varsano. A racewalking match made in heavenCongratulations!( photos courtesy Steven Pecinovski) More About: Knot
New Blog Title and Address
2007-08-06 19:03:00 Same old blog, new a title and new address.Baycitywalker is now BreathinStephenThe new Address is http://BreathinStephen.blogspot.com or www.Breathinstephen.com More About: Blog , Title
New Blog Title and Address
2007-08-06 19:03:00 Same old blog, new a title and new address.Baycitywalker is now BreathinStephenThe new Address is http://BreathinStephen.blogspot.com or www.Breathinstephen.com More About: Blog , Title
Paying for it
2007-08-05 22:43:00 Let's see....Do a three hour 13 miler, get sick for three weeks. Do a six hour marathon, get sick for 6 weeks. Do a NINE hour marathon , and don't get sick at all. What's going on here?That's right ...It seems every race that I've ever done fast ,or PR'd, I've paid a hefty price afterwards. On two occasions I was actually hospitalized as a direct result of "over exerting" myself . Of those races witch I did very slowly ( for whatever reason , Portland for example), I had no significant breathing problems afterwards.Hmmm ...there seems to be a pattern emerging here.I don't know if my disease is getting worse or if I'm flaring up because I'm pushing myself too hard. If in fact, I'm making myself sick by walking too fast , then it must have something to do with intensity, not distance. A possible explanation, is that the faster I breath (due to increasing exertion), the more hyper inflated my lungs become. Because I can't exhale completely like a norm...
Paying for it
2007-08-05 17:00:00 Let's see....Do a three hour 13 miler, get sick for three weeks. Do a six hour marathon, get sick for 6 weeks. Do a NINE hour marathon , and don't get sick at all. What's going on here?That's right ...It seems every race that I've ever done fast ,or PR'd, I've paid a hefty price afterwards. On two occasions I was actually hospitalized as a direct result of "over exerting" myself . Of those races witch I did very slowly ( for whatever reason , Portland for example), I had no significant breathing problems afterwards.Hmmm ...there seems to be a pattern emerging here.I don't know if my disease is getting worse or if I'm flaring up because I'm pushing myself too hard. If in fact, I'm making myself sick by walking too fast , then it must have something to do with intensity, not distance. A possible explanation, is that the faster I breath (due to increasing exertion), the more hyper inflated my lungs become. Because I can't exhale completely like a norm...
SF Marathon
2007-08-01 01:21:00 Well, I managed to squeak past the finish line in just under 3 hours, but boy I'm paying for it today. My lungs and body are totally trashed!I went into this race with the cocky attitude ,that since I had done this race twice before , and that since this was only a half marathon, that I could pull it off with just a single training walk and no hill work....Boy was I wrong!You might not know it by looking at these pictures, but this was not a good race for me.I felt fine at the starting line and was even able to jog a little bit during the first mile, but all the moisture in the air from the dense morning fog really exacerbated my asthma, and the seemingly endless hills made my leg muscles cramp up almost instantly.. (You know, I've done this same race three times , and I swear ..they added a few more hills!)By mile 3 , I was so short of breath, I pretty much walked the rest of the way. My legs and lungs just couldn't handle it .After only the first 6 miles, it was evident tha... More About: Marathon , Mara
SF Marathon 2007
2007-07-31 22:44:00 Well, I managed to squeak past the finish line in just under 3 hours, but boy I'm paying for it today. My lungs and body are totally trashed!I went into this race with the cocky attitude ,that since I had done this race twice before , and that since this was only a half marathon, that I could pull it off with just a single training walk and no hill work....Boy was I wrong!You might not know it by looking at these pictures, but this was not a good race for me.I felt fine at the starting line and was even able to jog a little bit during the first mile, but all the moisture in the air from the dense morning fog really exacerbated my asthma, and the seemingly endless hills made my leg muscles cramp up almost instantly.. (You know, I've done this same race three times , and I swear ..they added a few more hills!)By mile 3 , I was so short of breath, I pretty much walked the rest of the way. My legs and lungs just couldn't handle it .After only the first 6 miles, it was evident tha... More About: Marathon , Mara
Race Weekend is Here
2007-07-27 22:46:00 I always say race WEEKEND , because it's not just the race I look forward to, it's the expo, the crowds, the hype, the preparation , the meeting up with friends and bloggers, the pre-race jitters....it's all those things . This will be my third time at the SFM, and my fifth half marathon in total.As for the race itself , I plan to introduce my own style of marathon walking, what I call ... interval racewalking!Ironically, as I get better at legal racewalking, I've come to the realization, that you not only need good form, you need to go fast ....and stay fast! Obviously I'll never be able to do the "stay fast" part , so does that mean that I'm not a racewalker?Not at all... it just means that I have to break it up in small chunks... hence the term "interval racewalking ". Kinda like run-jogging a marathon, but in this case, walk-racewalking a marathon.If I'm back in the green by then, I plan to do a 1:3 ratio of regular fitness walking to fast racewalking.... More About: Race , Weekend
Race Weekend is here
2007-07-27 17:36:00 I always say race WEEKEND , because it's not just the race I look forward to, it's the expo, the crowds, the hype, the preparation , the meeting up with friends and bloggers, the pre-race jitters....it's all those things . This will be my third time at the SFM, and my fifth half marathon in total.As for the race itself , I plan to introduce my own style of marathon walking, what I call ... interval racewalking!Ironically, as I get better at legal racewalking, I've come to the realization, that you not only need good form, you need to go fast ....and stay fast! Obviously I'll never be able to do the "stay fast" part , so does that mean that I'm not a racewalker?Not at all... it just means that I have to break it up in small chunks... hence the term "interval racewalking ". Kinda like run-jogging a marathon, but in this case, walk-racewalking a marathon.If I'm back in the green by then, I plan to do a 1:3 ratio of regular fitness walking to fast racewalking.... More About: Race , Weekend
A Record of Sorts
2007-07-23 22:47:00 Last Thursday I took my 500th walk across the Carquinez - Al Zampa Bridge !The bridge sits basically, in my front yard, so I include it in my daily 5 mile walk. It also has a wide and secluded pedestrian lane, making it ideal for racewalking.Undoubtedly there are many people have who driven over it hundreds of times, but I'm pretty sure I hold the record for walking it !These bridge crossings alone , represent over a 1000 miles walked, of which at least half was racewalked !In fact, if it wasn't for this bridge, I don't think I'd be where I am today...and I certainly wouldn't be racewalking as much as I do.Click on the bridge , and when the image appears , drag your pointer over it to see what I see, when I'm walking across it!( You'll need Quicktime to view it) More About: Record , Cord
A record of sorts....
2007-07-23 16:20:00 Last Thursday I took my 500th walk across the Carquinez - Al Zampa Bridge ! The bridge sits basically, in my front yard, so I include it in my daily 5 mile walk. It also has a wide and secluded pedestrian lane, making it ideal for racewalking.Undoubtedly there are many people have who driven over it hundreds of times, but I'm pretty sure I hold the record for walking it !These bridge crossings alone , represent over a 1000 miles walked, of which at least half was racewalked !In fact, if it wasn't for this bridge, I don't think I'd be where I am today...and I certainly wouldn't be racewalking as much as I do.Click on the bridge , and when the image appears , drag your pointer over it to see what I see, when I'm walking across it! ( You'll need Quicktime to view it) More About: Record , Cord
Dr. Dougs Big Fat Baseball Adventure
2007-07-19 23:50:00 I'm not a huge Baseball fan , but my Dentist certainly is. He recently became the first ever "Fancaster" for the SF Giants. Back on July 4th he spent two or three days walking all over San Francisco , streaming live video from a webcam that was mounted on his cap. ( courtesy of Justin.TV) And I thought I thought racewalking fans were weird.Click his mug to check it out.(He's not live anymore, so you'll have to check the archives, July 4th -onward, to view his cam)PS... I'm trying to get him to walk a marathon with me and capture it live on his hat cam. More About: Adventure , Ball , Vent , Doug
Dr. Dougs Big Fat Baseball Adventure
2007-07-19 22:48:00 I'm not a huge Base ball fan , but my Dentist certainly is. He recently became the first ever "Fancaster" for the SF Giants. Back on July 4th he spent two or three days walking all over San Francisco covering the SF all star games and streaming live video from a webcam that was mounted on his cap. ( courtesy of Justin.TV) ....And I thought racewalking fans were weird.Click his mug to check it out. (He's not live anymore, so you'll have to check the archives, July 4th -onward, to view his cam)PS... I'm trying to get him to walk a marathon with me and capture it live on his hat cam. More About: Adventure , Vent , Doug
Ready or Not
2007-07-16 22:49:00 Preparation for the upcoming San Francisco (half) marathon , has been pretty much non existent! Other than a few bridge walks , I haven't been able to do any serious speed training-- my lungs have just been too messed up . I did manage to get a 10 miler in on Sunday, and while I was breathing OK at the time, it took still took me 2.5 hours to finish, and today....... I'm right back in the yellow zone again.I'm really starting to wonder if it's the long walks themselves , that are triggering all these exacerbations? Looking back through my own blog archives, almost every severe exacerbation Ive had in the past 6 months , has been preceded by a walk of 10 miles or greater. Coincidence? I don't know..Let's see what happens in SF in two weeks. More About: Ready
Ready or Not
2007-07-16 16:34:00 Preparation for the upcoming San Francisco (half) marathon , has been pretty much non existent! Other than a few bridge walks , I haven't been able to do any serious speed training-- my lungs have just been too messed up . I did manage to get a 10 miler in on Sunday, and while I was breathing OK at the time, it took still took me 2.5 hours to finish, and today....... I'm right back in the yellow zone again.I'm really starting to wonder if it's the long walks themselves , that are triggering all these exacerbations? Looking back through my own blog archives, almost every severe exacerbation Ive had in the past 6 months , has been preceded by a walk of 10 miles or greater. Coincidence? I don't know..Let's see what happens in SF in two weeks. More About: Ready
My Friend Hansi
2007-07-12 22:50:00 I finally got a chance to hook up with my good friend, and elite runner/racewalker , Hans i Rigney.I met Hansi at one of Dave Mc Govern's racewalking clinics back in 2006 , and we quickly became close friends.With family and race commitments all over the world , she's rarely in the country, so when she told me she'd be here for two weeks, I jumped at the chance to visit with her. I picked up my Mom in San Jose and we drove down to Carmel where Hansi has a home.What can I say....except that I adore and admire this women! She's traveled the globe and has run and racewalked in more races , in more countries, than anyone I've ever met. More important though, she's a super person with an unmatched enthusiasm for life. I'm so lucky to have a friend like her.She recently placed at Quad Dipsea ( her first trail race ) and will be doing the Berlin marathon followed by Chicago and New York. She's place 1st at Boston two years in a row, placed 1st at Big Sur several tim... More About: Friend
My Friend Hansi
2007-07-12 18:05:00 I finally got a chance to hook up with my good friend, and elite runner/racewalker , Hans i Rigney.I met Hansi at one of Dave Mc Govern's racewalking clinics back in 2006 , and we quickly became close friends.With family and race commitments all over the world , she's rarely in the country, so when she told me she'd be here for two weeks, I jumped at the chance to visit with her. I picked up my Mom in San Jose and we drove down to Carmel where Hansi has a home.What can I say....except that I adore and admire this women! She's traveled the globe and has run and racewalked in more races , in more countries, than anyone I've ever met. More important though, she's a super person with an unmatched enthusiasm for life. I'm so lucky to have a friend like her.She recently placed at Quad Dipsea ( her first trail race ) and will be doing the Berlin marathon followed by Chicago and New York. She's place 1st at Boston two years in a row, placed 1st at Big Sur several tim... More About: Friend
My Jelly Belly
More articles from this author:2007-07-08 21:20:00 Went to the Jelly Belly Factory for my sugar fix. ( The steroids made me do it!)Hmmmm....... and I wonder how I got MY Jelly belly!Well, I only live a few miles from the factory and you can't em any fresher. But you know what? They're cheaper at the supermarket! There $8.00 a pound at the factory and only $6.59 a pound at Safeway.There's only 4 little calories in each bean, but but before you know it, you've eaten 300-400 of them.Core strengthening or not, I guess I gotta lose the Bellies if I want to loose the Belly!(This place is sugarholic's paradise!) More About: Jelly Belly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
 |
|
 |
