BaycitywalkerBaycitywalkerTribulations and triumphs of a lung challenged marathon walker and wannbe racewaker. Articles
Orange is groovy
2007-07-05 16:44:00 Not all is doom and gloom....These arrived while I was in the hospital . My new orange Loco Bandito racing flats! I'm the first kid on the block to get this new color.OK, First it was the new neon orange New Balance rc152s, and now these ! What's next for me , orange shorts..?I've worn Loco's at my last two full marathons , and while I can't racewalk really well in them , I didn't suffer a single blister! That says a lot , because were talking about walking 7 to 9 hours in racing flat ...with sweaty feet!For fast and legal racewalking, nothing beats my 5.5 oz, bright neon orange NB 152's. Unfortunately, they're designed for sprints and get a little uncomfortable after about 8 miles.This new singlet sums it up:(I requested a blue one) More About: Orange , Groovy , Range
In a holding pattern
2007-07-04 23:06:00 Update:Race plans are uncertain for the time being. Though I'm doing a little better than a few days ago, I'm apparently not out of the danger zone, as evidenced by the following:This morning I was feeling pretty good and thought I would test the waters by doing a short walk. I walked about 2 miles , when all of a sudden.... I went into severe bronchospasm! ( acute attack) When I finally made it home my peak flow was only 150! The inhalers and nebs didn't help, so I had to use the Epi-pen. I don't like using epinephrine because it makes your heart pound really hard and fast, but sometimes it's the only thing that can open up my airways. Luckily it did the trick and I avoided a possible to trip to jail.Lesson learned: It's way too soon to start walking again!Besides the physical limitations, I'm an emotional Zombie from lack of sleep,and my mood swings are driving everyone crazy. I'm up at 3am futzing around the house and analyzing my stock portfolio---ju... More About: Pattern , Holding , Hold
In a holding pattern
2007-07-04 16:00:00 Update:Race plans are uncertain for the time being. Though I'm doing a little better than a few days ago, I'm apparently not out of the danger zone, as evidenced by the following:This morning I was feeling pretty good and thought I would test the waters by doing a short walk. I walked about 2 miles , when all of a sudden.... I went into severe bronchospasm! ( acute attack) When I finally made it home my peak flow was only 150! The inhalers and nebs didn't help, so I had to use the Epi-pen. I don't like using epinephrine because it makes your heart pound really hard and fast, but sometimes it's the only thing that can open up my airways. Luckily it did the trick and I avoided a possible to trip to jail.Lesson learned: It's way too soon to start walking again!Besides the physical limitations, I'm an emotional Zombie from lack of sleep,and my mood swings are driving everyone crazy. I'm up at 3am futzing around the house and analyzing my stock portfolio---ju... More About: Pattern , Holding , Hold
# 86
2007-06-30 00:11:00 Wednesday I went in for a scheduled meeting with my parole officer and ended up back in the slammer for a few days. I'm home now , but I'll be out of commission for a while.Thanks to all the cool Doctors and Nurses who took care of me this time around--- there wasn't a mean one in the bunch!Sorry, if I 've missed out on some of your posts , I'll play catch- up next week.In the meantime, everyone have a Great 4 th of July week!I only have 30 days to get well and to train for the SF marathon... Will I make it?
# 86
2007-06-29 23:08:00 Wednesday I went in for a scheduled meeting with my parole officer and ended up back in the slammer for a few days. I'm home now , but I'll be out of commission for a while.Thanks to all the cool Doctors and Nurses who took care of me this time around--- there wasn't a mean one in the bunch!Sorry, if I 've missed out on some of your posts , I'll play catch- up next week.In the meantime, everyone have a Great 4 th of July week!I only have 30 days to get well and to train for the SF marathon... Will I make it?
The Yellow zone ...in detail.
2007-06-25 23:15:00 On Saturday I was supposed to do a 10 mile walk along the SF waterfront (one that I've done countless times before) , but was I was too short of breath , and was only able to complete 7.5 miles .I probably shouldn't have even attempted the walk in the first place , as I'd been having problems the previous week. It was a beautiful day though, and I thought that once I got moving, I'd press on and get through it. Instead, I got tired and frustrated and just gave up. It's not so much the fact that I was unable to finish the walk that worries me, it's that I gave up so easily. For the first time, I had absolutely no desire in torturing myself over a silly walk. Two years ago, I would have never referred to this as a "silly" walk. It's the curse of yellow zone again !If you've ever read through my posts, no doubt you've seen the little blinking lights at the top of each post, but did you ever wonder what they really mean? Do you really care?Because this blog is as muc... More About: Yellow , Zone , Yell , Tail , Yello
The Yellow zone ...in detail.
2007-06-25 16:17:00 On Saturday I was supposed to do a 10 mile walk along the SF waterfront (one that I've done countless times before) , but was I was too short of breath , and was only able to complete 7.5 miles .I probably shouldn't have even attempted the walk in the first place , as I'd been having problems the previous week. It was a beautiful day though, and I thought that once I got moving, I'd press on and get through it. Instead, I got tired and frustrated and just gave up. It's not so much the fact that I was unable to finish the walk that worries me, it's that I gave up so easily. For the first time, I had absolutely no desire in torturing myself over a silly walk. Two years ago, I would have never referred to this as a "silly" walk. It's the curse of yellow zone again !If you've ever read through my posts, no doubt you've seen the little blinking lights at the top of each post, but did you ever wonder what they really mean? Do you really care?Because this blog is as muc... More About: Yellow , Zone , Yell , Tail , Yello
Time to ramp up....
2007-06-21 01:38:00 It's hard to believe,but Saturday, I start training for what will be, my sixth half marathon and my third full marathon! !With only a little over three months to prepare for Portland , and only four weeks till San Francisco , it's going to be tough ride.I need to get back in my green zone real soon... and stay there , if I hope to do well at either of these events.My plan this year, is do the SF marathon 2nd half as a practice walk for the Portland marathon (which follows nine weeks later) It's a logical progression where one seems to psych me out for the other.Several of my friends, including my walking club buddies and my blogger friends, are doing various events at SF , so regardless of how I fare, I 'll be in my favorite environment, among people I admire.I've been in a mental and physical slump for the last 8 weeks, which has made it really difficult to get motivated, but I'm finally starting to get my enthusiasm back---hopefully my lungs will follow. I'm not... More About: Time , Portland Marathon
Time to ramp up....
2007-06-20 23:16:00 It's hard to believe,but Saturday, I start training for what will be, my sixth half marathon and my third full marathon! !With only a little over three months to prepare for Portland , and only four weeks till San Francisco , it's going to be tough ride.I need to get back in my green zone real soon... and stay there , if I hope to do well at either of these events.My plan this year, is do the SF marathon 2nd half as a practice walk for the Portland marathon (which follows nine weeks later) It's a logical progression where one seems to psych me out for the other.Several of my friends, including my walking club buddies and my blogger friends, are doing various events at SF , so regardless of how I fare, I 'll be in my favorite environment, among people I admire.I've been in a mental and physical slump for the last 8 weeks, which has made it really difficult to get motivated, but I'm finally starting to get my enthusiasm back---hopefully my lungs will follow. I'm not... More About: Time , Portland Marathon
Battle of the bulge
2007-06-18 00:39:00 (Click the Picture) Seeing is believing...After watching myself on video , it has become all too apparent that I really need to loose the gut.....at least some of it.I've taken off ( and kept off ) almost 20 pounds , just from the calories I burned from walking, but I still have a spare tire, and for some reason , it really bulges out when I racewalk.I remember Dave Mc Govern saying once , that while racewalking does wonders for your leg muscles, it does nothing for the upper body. I guess that's why cross training is so important. Until now, I didn't realize that strong abs are crucial if you want to become an efficient racewalker.Well, I don't plan on running down to the local gym anytime soon , but if you know me at all, you know that once I set my mind on something, it's a done deal !I'm committed to getting rid of the belly fat and strenthening those flabby ab muscles , but I'll do it on my own, and at my own pace.Currently I'm doing 3 different types of s... More About: Battle
Battle of the bulge
2007-06-17 23:17:00 Seeing is believing...After watching myself on video , it has become all too apparent that I really need to loose the gut.....at least some of it.I've taken off ( and kept off ) almost 20 pounds , just from the calories I burned from walking, but I still have a spare tire, and for some reason , it really bulges out when I racewalk.I remember Dave Mc Govern saying once , that while racewalking does wonders for your leg muscles, it does nothing for the upper body. I guess that's why cross training is so important. Until now, I didn't realize that strong abs are crucial if you want to become an efficient racewalker.Well, I don't plan on running down to the local gym anytime soon , but if you know me at all, you know that once I set my mind on something, it's a done deal !I'm committed to getting rid of the belly fat and strenthening those flabby ab muscles , but I'll do it on my own, and at my own pace.Currently I'm doing 3 different types of sit-ups , consistin... More About: Battle
eye catching
2007-06-14 23:18:00 NB rc152 It's the end of a shoe era and I'm kinda sad. New Balance finally did away with my beloved rc550's and I've been forced to try out one of their ultra bright neon orange replacement models.Introducing my new NB rc152 racing flats!Tried em out yesterday on my walk in San Francisco, and boy.....did I get a lot of double takes. Nothing like standing out in a crowd! But just imagine the stares I got when I began racewalking in them. The last thing a racewalker usually wants, is to draw attention to themselves.Despite their glow- in- the- dark appearance though, they're actually pretty cool shoes. They're incredibly lightweight ( only 5.5 ounces ), and they have this special lacing system that tightens a band over your mid foot to prevent your foot from slipping inside the shoe. They're extremely low profile and have a non-removable insert.I walked 10 miles in them right out of the box, and except for some slight soreness on the ball of my left foot, I finished ... More About: Eye Catching
eye catching
2007-06-14 16:05:00 NB rc152 It's the end of a shoe era and I'm kinda sad. New Balance finally did away with my beloved rc550's and I've been forced to try out one of their ultra bright neon orange replacement models.Introducing my new NB rc152 racing flats!Tried em out yesterday on my walk in San Francisco, and boy.....did I get a lot of double takes. Nothing like standing out in a crowd! But just imagine the stares I got when I began racewalking in them. The last thing a racewalker usually wants, is to draw attention to themselves.Despite their glow- in- the- dark appearance though, they're actually pretty cool shoes. They're incredibly lightweight ( only 5 5 ounces ), and they have this special lacing system that tightens a band over your mid foot to prevent your foot from slipping inside the shoe. They're extremely low profile and have a non-removable insert.I walked 10 miles in them right out of the box, and except for some slight soreness on the ball of my left foot, I finished... More About: Catch , Eye Catching
Walking to a beat
2007-06-10 23:19:00 .....I'm in the green and wanted to have a little fun for a change, so I took some of the training clips I shot this week , and added the same music that I was actually listening to at the time. Kind of a self critiquing / back to the 70's video/racewalking video.Never thought I'd get into the whole " Studio 54 " thing , but this old disco dance music really lifts my spirits when I'm out there trying to push myself. Gives a new meaning to "tempo walk"..... and Racewalking's MY cure!This is my first attempt at editing something together with background music.Don't worry Dan ( Dan is an editor for Dream Works)... your job is safe, but I can see why people get hooked on this stuff.Have a great weekend! More About: Walking , Beat
Walking to a beat
2007-06-10 20:50:00 .....I'm in the green and wanted to have a little fun for a change, so I took some of the training clips I shot this week , and added the same music that I was actually listening to at the time. Kind of a self critiquing / back to the 70's video/racewalking video.Never thought I'd get into the whole " Studio 54 " thing , but this old disco dance music really lifts my spirits when I'm out there trying to push myself. Gives a new meaning to "tempo walk"..... and Racewalking's MY cure!This is my first attempt at editing something together with background music.Don't worry Dan ( Dan is an editor for Dream Works)... your job is safe, but I can see why people get hooked on this stuff.Have a great weekend! More About: Walking , Beat , Walk
The tab please !
2007-06-06 23:20:00 This is the hospital bill for those 7 days I spent in prison last month.Almost a hundred thousand dollars?? For what ? a bed , some pills and a tube down my throat.? I'm sure the Nurses, Doctors and staff aren't getting any of that money.What really errks me though, are the items I found and circled below.(click) It would be laughable if this was a mistake, but it's not.....They intentionally did these tests.Why on earth would they do a drug tox screen on me? Was I acting stoned or something? I OD'd on asthma... not pot or cocaine! This one test alone cost over a thousand bucks.I was so concerned about this, that I contacted the patient relations dept at the hospital. They told they thought it was probably standard procedure for patients who are intubated, to avoid possible drug interactions . So, let me get this straight...... If I was an 80 year old that needed to be intubated, they would test me for marijuana? Hmmm.Hospital fees are out of control , b... More About: Ease
I'd like to pay my tab please !
2007-06-06 21:22:00 This is the hospital bill for those 7 days I spent in prison last month.Almost a hundred thousand dollars?? For what ? a bed , some pills and a tube down my throat.? I'm sure the Nurses, Doctors and staff aren't getting any of that money.What really errks me though, are the items I found and circled below.(click) It would be laughable if this was a mistake, but it's not.....They intentionally did these tests.Why on earth would they do a drug tox screen on me? Was I acting stoned or something? I OD'd on asthma... not pot or cocaine! This one test alone cost over a thousand bucks.I was so concerned about this, that I contacted the patient relations dept at the hospital. They told they thought it was probably standard procedure for patients who are intubated, to avoid possible drug interactions . So, let me get this straight...... If I was an 80 year old that needed to be intubated, they would test me for marijuana? Hmmm.Hospital fees are out of control , b... More About: Lease , Like , Ease
A Trail Runner is born!
2007-06-04 00:26:00 Saturday I had the pleasure of watching fellow blogger and friend, Adama and his Sister, cross the finish line at the Mt. Diablo Trail Runs in Clayton California.Adama came all the way from Arizona to participate in this race. If you've ever read his blog, you knows he's done a half marathon , PR'd in a million 5ks and has been rapidly taking on new challenges. Today was his ( and his sisters) first trail run, and they both did a fantastic job. Man...you gotta admire people who run over mountains ( literally )... for the fun of it. We're talking about ascending to elevations of 4,000 -5000 ft!Some of the people at this event were doing 8Ks, some like Adama, did the 25K, and quite a few did the 50K .......ouch.Though I'm not really familiar with the "whose who" of the trail racing community, many of the names of the finishers sounded familiar to me. I think I've heard them mentioned in other blogs. I must say also, that I was pretty impressed by the couple who ran this ... More About: Runner , TRAI
A Trail Runner is born!
2007-06-03 23:21:00 Saturday I had the pleasure of watching fellow blogger and friend, Adama and his Sister, cross the finish line at the Mt. Diablo Trail Runs in Clayton California.Adama came all the way from Arizona to participate in this race. If you've ever read his blog, you knows he's done a half marathon , PR'd in a million 5ks and has been rapidly taking on new challenges. Today was his ( and his sisters) first trail run, and they both did a fantastic job. Man...you gotta admire people who run over mountains ( literally )... for the fun of it. We're talking about ascending to elevations of 4,000 -5000 ft!Some of the people at this event were doing 8Ks, some like Adama, did the 25K, and quite a few did the 50K .......ouch.Though I'm not really familiar with the "whose who" of the trail racing community, many of the names of the finishers sounded familiar to me. I think I've heard them mentioned in other blogs. I must say also, that I was pretty impressed by the couple who ran this ... More About: Runner , Rejected , TRAI
Back to basics
2007-06-02 01:38:00 Now that I'm able to breath semi normal again, and have no definite race plans in the very near future, I've been focusing a lot more on my racewalking skills ( or lack of).It only requires a few miles per day, and since I'm kind of a stickler for details anyway, I don't mind the repetitiveness that's required to improve ones technique. I've worked out a system whereby at the end of each walk, I'll make mental notes of the areas I want to work on for the following days walk. Then the following day, I'll do the same thing for the day after that...and so on , and so on.At least twice a week, I'll head out to the bridge and just let loose for an hour or so, without analyzing it to death. I've noticed that when breathing well enough to racewalk fast, that things just seems to fall in place--it becomes automatic. It's like I've been racewalking all my life. Sometimes I'll even get into a rhythm that will carry me two or three hundred yards without stopping.I also like t... More About: Back , Back To Basics , Basics
Back to basics
2007-06-01 23:22:00 Now that I'm able to breath semi normal again, and have no definite race plans in the very near future, I've been focusing a lot more on my racewalking skills ( or lack of).It only requires a few miles per day, and since I'm kind of a stickler for details anyway, I don't mind the repetitiveness that's required to improve ones technique. I've worked out a system whereby at the end of each walk, I'll make mental notes of the areas I want to work on for the following days walk. Then the following day, I'll do the same thing for the day after that...and so on , and so on.At least twice a week, I'll head out to the bridge and just let loose for an hour or so, without analyzing it to death. I've noticed that when breathing well enough to racewalk fast, that things just seems to fall in place--it becomes automatic. It's like I've been racewalking all my life. Sometimes I'll even get into a rhythm that will carry me two or three hundred yards without stopping.I also like t... More About: Back , Back To Basics , Basics
A whale of a day
2007-05-30 03:43:00 This morning I got to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event; Two humpback whales passed within a few hundred yards of my house!The wayward whales, Delta and her calf Dawn , finally made it underneath the Al Zampa ( Carquinez) Bridge , hopefully on their way to the pacific ocean.I had basically camped out on my front deck the entire weekend hoping to catch a glimpse of the whales,but no luck. Then this morning when I awoke, I heard the news on the radio....The Whale s had passed underneath the Benecia bridge and were on the move again in the right direction, heading towards the Carquinez Bridge ( my bridge)!!!Well, I have to tell you...I ran ( not walked) to the bridge , which is only a few blocks away. I , along with a few other locals, watched and waited about 90 minutes when all of a sudden, Delta& Dawn made their appearance .First a large plume of spray from Mom, then a tiny one from the baby....It was awesome! There was a flotilla of Coast Guard and other vessels surroundin... More About: Hale
A whale of a day
2007-05-29 23:25:00 This morning I got to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event; Two humpback whales passed within a few hundred yards of my house!The wayward whales, Delta and her calf Dawn , finally made it underneath the Al Zampa ( Carquinez) Bridge , hopefully on their way to the pacific ocean.I had basically camped out on my front deck the entire weekend hoping to catch a glimpse of the whales,but no luck. Then this morning when I awoke, I heard the news on the radio....The Whale s had passed underneath the Benecia bridge and were on the move again in the right direction, heading towards the Carquinez Bridge ( my bridge)!!!Well, I have to tell you...I ran ( not walked) to the bridge , which is only a few blocks away. I , along with a few other locals, watched and waited about 90 minutes when all of a sudden, Delta& Dawn made their appearance .First a large plume of spray from Mom, then a tiny one from the baby....It was awesome! There was a flotilla of Coast Guard and other vessels surroundin... More About: Hale
Slow recovery
2007-05-25 20:02:00 It's taking longer than I anticipated to get back into action. My recent attempts at racewalking have almost put me back in the hospital. Apparently, my body is not willing to let me resume my usual antics.....just yet.In the meantime, I'm trying to spruce up the appearance of my blog, which should be complete in a few days.Everyone have a great holiday weekend!PS.. Getting a new toy.... they're giving me a pulse oximeter , so I can keep track of my oxygen levels. More About: Recovery , Slow
Bad hair month
2007-05-22 16:39:00 Well, I survived another steroid taper, and while I'm breathing better now, the recent lack of physical activity along with all the wonderful drugs Ive been taking , have really screwed up my metabolism . Last week for example, I gained 6 lbs. This week I lost 11! These past three weeks have set me back at least three months, as far as walking goes, but I'm already on the come back. My legs and feet are still weak and sore, but today I officially resume by scheduled 5 mile daily walks over the Al Zampa bridge. Perhaps I'll even get to see " Delta & Dawn" as they pass under the bridge.. ...if they ever decide to head back to the ocean.Oh yeah, my hair ( or lack of it) ....When I get sick, I can't do a thing with it. I live in my running cap , even when I'm in the hospital ! Maybe I'll just shave it all off. More About: Hair , Month , Mont
Surviving to Thriving
2007-05-20 16:54:00 If you recall, a few months back my sister Sheree launched a new site called the "Survivors Review". Well, she's taken her idea one step further by entering a public radio contest in hopes of starting her own show about survivorship.http://www.publicradioquest. com/audio/user/4788If you have a few minutes, please listen to her podcast and vote and/or leave a comment. Thank You!PS . Today I'm attempting my first 5 miler since getting out of the joint. More About: Ving , Vivi
My next caper
2007-05-19 03:55:00 OK, I'm slowly emerging from this dark hole I've been in for the past two weeks and I think I 've finally found something to cheer me up. A nice hilly half marathon with a non-walker friendly time limit!For sometime now, I've been wrestling with a decision on whether or not to do the SFmarathon 1st half, as a prep walk for the Portland marathon (which is 2 months later.) The strict 3 hour time limit and the climb up to , and over the Golden Gate bridge, has always scared me away. I've always end up doing the much easier, and flatter, 2nd half , which has a 3.5 hour time limit.Well, after taking a closer look at the actual course on the RUNSFMwebsite this morning, it turns out that I've walked this same exact course ( every twist and turn of it) many many times before . This is the same course that I do my Portland and Eugene LSD walks on.Despite all the hills and the fact that I've never racewalked it before, I know this course well enough, that I think this is an obta... More About: Cape
My next caper
2007-05-19 03:47:00 OK, I'm slowly emerging from this dark hole I've been in for the past two weeks and I think I 've finally found something to cheer me up. A nice hilly half marathon with a non-walker friendly time limit!For sometime now, I've been wrestling with a decision on whether or not to do the SFmarathon 1st half, as a prep walk for the Portland marathon (which is 2 months later.) The strict 3 hour time limit and the climb up to , and over the Golden Gate bridge, has always scared me away. I've always end up doing the much easier, and flatter, 2nd half , which has a 3.5 hour time limit.Well, after taking a closer look at the actual course on the RUNSFMwebsite this morning, it turns out that I've walked this same exact course ( every twist and turn of it) many many times before . This is the same course that I do my Portland and Eugene LSD walks on.Despite all the hills and the fact that I've never racewalked it before, I know this course well enough, that I think this is an obta...
The evil candy
More articles from this author:2007-05-16 03:48:00 Thanks everyone for checking up on me. I'm fine! ( well,... almost)I've been out of the hospital for 5 days now, and while I'm finally breathing pretty good, the party has just begun. Thankfully, I'm already well into my steroid taper ( the worse part) and hope to be off it completely by next week. This is once subject I know a lot about because I been there and done it! .... over and over and over again.You see, there are two parts to a severe asthma episode. There's the acute phase ( the emergency part) and then there's the steroid taper phase . Let me tell you.... the latter is no picnic.Although prednisone( the evil candy) can save your life , you pay a hefty price in the form of nasty side effects.For those of you who've ever had the pleasure of taking high-dose prednisone for any length of time , Im sure I don't have to tell you how fun it can be. In my case it's the insomnia, the bloating , the skin bruising, the muscle cramps, the rapid weight gain ... More About: Candy , Evil 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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