So, here is just an update pic. At 51, I'm still working it, and will for the rest of my life. I feel great, heal quickly, move well, and love helping others reach their fitness goals. I still have goals to work toward and achieve, but the real aim is living in fabulous health at 90+. Looking great is okay too! ;) SEE OLDER POSTS
So, I have a new love, and it's called Pickleball! I was introduced to this fun sport over the weekend, and I have to tell you that it is a lot of fun and a great workout!
I'm not giving up my racquetball, mind you, but Pickleball is something almost anyone can play, and requires minimal equipment. It can be played on a tennis court (with the appropriate lines added), a basketball or racquetball court, so long as there is a net. The playing area is smaller than a tennis court, and you use paddles and a wiffle ball. More specific info Here.
I really like being able to play this sport outside, since there are no outdoor racquetball courts around town anymore. Plus, there's not near as much chasing the ball when it goes out-of-bounds, like I always have to do when I attempt to play tennis.
So, back in November I slipped on the ice/snow and twisted my knee. In the next couple of days, it was a little stiff, sore and swollen, but not all that bad. I even played racquetball on it with little further negative impact. But, the story changed significantly when I went for a run the first time after my fall.
The evening of my run I could feel the knee starting to get much more sore and inflamed. That discomfort lasted for a week, or more. Icing and Ibuprofen helped keep things under control as I continued to play racquetball, and do my regular squat routines, but I decided to put running on hold until things improved. Which they did.
In fact, things improved quite a bit, so I tried another short run. Same damn result, though - inflamed, ouchy knee. To top that off, I had a racquetball tournament in Des Moines a few days later (18 games of racquetball in two-and-a-half days). Bringing home a first-place trophy was great, but my knee was barking loudly.
As hard as it was to admit, I needed to rest, not only from running, but also from my beloved racquetball playing. And the several-week rest really did wonders, with the pain and inflammation subsiding almost completely. Naturally, it was time to "test the waters". So I planned a short, easy run with a friend. The run itself felt great. No pain, no problems. Not until the next day, at least. Swelling and pain returned, but not as bad, and it went away in just a couple of days.
I rested even more. (#**^&%!!!!)
After a few more rest weeks the knee was feeling much, much better - but not 100%. So, rather than repeating the run-and-hurt routine, I broke down and called my doctor for a referral to a sports orthopedic. And after more weeks of waiting to get in to see him, I am happy to report my appointment was this week.
Two sets of x-rays and an exam, with diagnosis from Dr. Todd Johnston is getting me back on the running trail this weekend. He thinks I tweaked the meniscus in that knee. I was given a hydro cortisone shot, with instructions to rest three more days, and then I can resume my normal activities!
I'm super-excited, and cautiously optimistic about the modest run I have planned for this Saturday. I'll be sure to post an update here with the results. UPDATE: 5/24/16...
Last Saturday I ran 3.4mi with a friend, keeping a nice, slow, conversational pace. The run felt great, and now, three days later, my knee continues to feel terrific! I'm playing racquetball for the first time this afternoon, and am confident that I'll hold up perfectly. 7/12/16...
My knee is getting better and better! I've slowly been ramping up running and racquetball. As long as I don't try to do both in the same day, I've been fine, and the next-day inflammation is at a minimum, even after longer runs. My racquetball opponents have noticed the difference in my game, as well! Post-activity icing, and icing at least once a day have been continuing as a precaution, and has become something of a habit at this point. After runs, sitting in a tub of water from just the cold tap has been a good cool-off also.
8/31/16...
My knee is what I would call totally healed now. I am doing any and all physical activities without any thought of my once-sore knee. I'm running up to 6 miles at speed, and playing lots of competitive singles pickle ball and racquetball. This November, I'm entering a 7-mile mud run in Des Moines, which is said to be the largest cross country race in North America. It should be a great experience and lots of fun.
The state of my activity level leaves me grateful for restored health and thankful for future wellness.
So, since my blog is named "Marty's Fun and Fitness" it might be natural to ask where the fun is, seeing that there is much about fitness here.
While it is truly fun to look and feel great at 50, and to be reaching and maintaining my health goals, sometimes it's important just to have fun, for fun's sake. Last week was just such an occasion for me. I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for a few days of nothing but relaxation, entertainment, and FUN! (Well, and maybe a little work.)
Sunning by the pool, enjoying a show, eating at the amazing Stratosphere, hiking in the desert at Red Rock Canyon, doing a little clubbing, getting in a couple of good workouts, and enjoying great company, were just some of the blissful experiences I am grateful to have had. Reflecting on this trip, and feeling so refreshed and energized back home, is a reminder that I need to be more intentional about planning more fun and getaways into my life.
Red Rock Canyon
A new goal I'm establishing is to take at least one week of vacation per six months. This way, I can reset/recharge and be a better, more relaxed me. And, intentional it must be. Otherwise, it will not happen.
So, right now I am putting a reminder in my calendar and on my annual goals list to get this new habit going and pamper myself with a little more "down time".
While my experiences at Vegas may be hard to top every time, I'm sure I'll find other enjoyable ways to get away. OLDER POSTS
This is not a photo of me. I will explain it's relevance in a moment.
A friend messaged me this question yesterday...
"Ok... this is a burning question I've had for a while... How do you stay in shape? We're the same age, but you have the body of a 25 year old." I gave him the link to my blog here, which gives pretty good detail on what I've done to get fit for myself, and I think it's been a winning plan - for me. But the more I think about it, we each work and achieve in different ways, and Google is full of great ideas and tips, many of which I have stolen and adopted as my own. Amazon, too, is full of good books with winning plans and ideas. In reality, though, the how happens automatically (and your how to accomplish it might be a lot different than mine) when you can clearly see a picture of what the final desired result is. That's where the photo above comes in. I don't know who the photographer or the guy in the pic is, otherwise I would credit them both here. But, I found this picture several years ago, and said to myself, "I want to look and feel like that!" I looked at it often, visualized in my mind what it would be like to look that way, and what it would feel like to be in that kind of health. Keeping that mental picture always near, concentrating, visualizing, seeing myself looking and feeling that way, is probably the single-biggest factor in my current physical condition. I wish I could find this guy and the photographer, for I would shake their hands, and offer my sincere and profound thanks! It is this photo that struck a nerve in me, and helped me really identify what I wanted. I still analyze this image, because there are elements of this guy's fitness that I continue to strive for. Find your picture, and then own it. The rest will take care of itself. Cheers! Marty
I'm working on hitting some lofty goals for myself in the next month or two, which will be achieved primarily by strict adherence to my nutrition regimen. Since my muscle tone is adequate for my lifestyle (being fleet, and moving well for racquetball and running) the rest is mainly just aesthetics, (being cut and defined) which will be achieved by general lean-ness.
Currently, I am somewhere in the range of 8%-10% body fat, if the skin fold caliper, and my use of it are correct. (And whether I'm using it perfectly, or not, I do try to use it exactly the same every time, so at least the benchmark and relative progress are trackable.) My goal is to hit (by my calculations, at least) 6%-8% body fat, and/or get my belly skin fold measurement to 6-7mm, currently at 10mm, (See my earlier post on that measurement) without losing any lean muscle mass, currently 165#. From where my weight is right now, 181#, I need to lose five pounds of fat, while I retain my lean mass.
That means, a lean, high-protein diet and keeping up with my lifting regimen. In other words, my normal routine - except with no cheating.
With that in mind, I'm going to post here a "day in the life" of my eating plan, just to help remind/clarify my focus and motivation. Much of this plan is from the Tim Ferriss book, The 4-Hour Body, where he highlights what he calls the "Slow-Carb Diet". I generally eat at two-hour intervals, starting at 6 a.m. This plan has become my normal routine, with some minor adjustments and variations, for the last three to four years now. Snacking - especially sweets - is my Achilles heel, so I'm going to maintain a little extra self control and adhere to my plan as it is laid out here, nothing more, nothing less.
The Plan - 6 Days a Week:
6 a.m.
Boiled Egg, Coffee
On lifting mornings: A protein shake mixed with coffee.
8 a.m.
Egg Whites, coffee, teaspoon of Coconut Oil
How I Cook Egg Whites
10 a.m.
Hunk of Raw Cabbage, Snow Peas
12 p.m.
Protein Bar or My Lean Concoction
-Grilled chicken breast, cubed
-1/3 can of black beans
-2 TBSP diced tomato
-1 TBSP olive oil
-heaping TBSP shredded bacon
-Sriracha or other flavoring
High in protein, good carbs, and fiber @ about 550 calories.
A pile of naked spinach or kale goes well here, too.
"Concoction" Ingredients
The finished product ready to eat
2 p.m.
Protein Bar or My Lean Concoction
These are the ones I like
4 p.m.
Handful (about a dozen) of Raw Almonds
6 p.m.
Sensible Dinner (Lean and Green - to steal a term from the Medifast people)
Grilling is my favorite way to eat lean
One "Free Day" per week, (Friday supper, through Saturday lunch) when I get to eat anything I want. Carbs, yay!!!
That's pretty much it, and has been the core of my diet for the last three years. When I am disciplined with it, and keep physically active, the results are great. When trying to add more lean muscle mass, the protein intake needs to be bumped up significantly. This plan as-is comes in under 2,000 calories, so there is room to add things, and still be okay. Up to 3,000 (good) calories will work for me.
Since my last post, life has certainly included it's share of ups and downs. For various reasons, I've experienced emotional stress like never before.
Thankfully, I'm "over the hump" and in a better place now, and optimistic about better and better times ahead. The support of good friends, family, my faith, and the ability to visualize happiness, have made all the difference.
With all of the upheaval, sorrow, stress, and dismay that was on my plate, one of the things that always made things better, and helped keep me centered and sane, was (and is) physical exercise, and the rewards of good nutrition. Whether intense, focused lifting, the calm of a meditative run, or an all-out competitive match of racquetball with old friends, the effect is always release of stress, and the kind of deep relaxation that gives way to peace and a sense that everything is going to be okay. The simple process of goal setting, and then working for achievement of such, has been a great tool for taking the focus off of difficulties I might otherwise be prone to fret and even obsess over. Also, practicing meditation has been a blessing, and has me always refining my visions of the future.
Speaking of achievement, I have made some notable physical accomplishments in the last couple of years... In 2014, I ran in a half marathon (finished in 1:43, at a pace of 7:55/mi - same as the pace I ran a 10k in the year before) beating the goal I set for myself. Then, I have won two doubles racquetball championships in Des Moines, (with a doubles partner, of course) most recently at the Iowa Open in early March 2016. Also, I set a goal to do 50 consecutive (and strict) pushups by the time I turned 50. I passed that up, and am able to do 60. In the bench/squat/dead lift, I'm lifting heavier than ever before, all while keeping my body fat at, or below 10%, feeling and moving great.
I'll be 51 in about six weeks, and look forward to reaching still more levels of personal achievement. I'm always gratified, too, when I'm able to offer assistance to someone who's journey includes the desire and drive to reach for their own personal achievements. If that's you, I'd be happy to help.
I completed my second week of the 20-Squat program this morning, doing 20 reps of 220#. I make it to 15 just fine, but the last five are killer! Apparently, my strength is increasing, as I have been able to complete the routine at ever-increasing weights.
One thing I have noticed is that my veins are becoming more prominent, even when I'm not pumped from a workout. I snapped a couple pics right before bedtime last night of the veinage in my arms. I had done absolutely no lifting, or exercise of any kind all day yesterday.
That change, and my appetite has been noticeably increasing. I guess that's to be expected, but it requires a little higher level of discipline to resist the bad snacking. Grrrrr.
It's Time To Change It Up My First Impressions Of 'Breathing Squats'
After many months of the same lifting routine, I's time to switch things up a little. While Occam's Protocol has been a really good lifting regimen, I think I am at a plateau with it. I have seen good results in the muscle tone, strength, and vascular response it has helped to achieve - and all with just two 45-minute weight training sessions per week.
So to find something that will give as good, or better results on a tight schedule (I'm giving a 1hr time limit) is a tall order. It must also be challenging, build strength, muscle tone, and enhance vascular response (i.e.: poping veins - admittedly, which is purely vane!).
June/2012
Then recently, I heard a friend talking about a lifting routine he was doing called "Breathing Squats" involving, among other things, doing 20-repetition sets of (free weight) squats, and progressively increasing the weight each workout for six weeks. For a long time squats have been a part of my workout regimen. As much as I value my cardio time (racquetball and running) I believe there are great benefits to weight training, and especially squats.
From multiple sources, the information I have read credits weight-bearing exercises for increased bone health, overall strength, elevated metabolism, and increased hormonal response (especially important to us older guys for muscle growth and other areas of performance - wink, wink). The benefits are many, but let's face it, doing squats, especially 20 in a row, sucks! I think that's why most people shy away from them.
As I researched this 'breathing squats' program, it seemed to meet all the criteria I was looking for. Most of the information talked about a 3x/week workout plan, but there was one I found which was adapted to two per week. Perfect. I won't bore you with the program details, you can Google those for yourself. (Or click here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/irontamer5.htm)
I'm now starting my second full week on the new plan, and it is definitely challenging! By the end of the sixth week I am supposed to be able to squat 20 reps of my old 5-rep max weight, which is 275#. We'll see, but I'm already up 10 pounds from where I started. Today, by the time I hit the 15th rep with 215# I could hardly catch my breath, hence "breathing squats". I barely eeked out the last 5 repetitions, with several gasping breaths in between. I can't wait for Friday's 220#!
Measuring Results (A New Tool)
For the last several months my goal has been to stay at the same weight, but to lose 5 pounds of body fat, while gaining 5 pounds of muscle. According to my calculations using a body fat caliper (see earlier posts) I have gained the muscle, but losing the fat has been a bit more of a challenge. I've become a little sloppy with my eating plan, and my snacking weakness is having it's effect.
Recently, I started wondering what else I could use to track this, something that would give a little quicker feedback for my efforts. Tracking total body fat percentage is good, but it takes a while to see measurable results, as my experience has been that seeing a noticeable change in the numbers is more of a monthly thing, at best. I needed a way to get a little extra motivation and encouragement seeing results more frequently than once a month.
So I reasoned that since my ultimate goal is a lean belly, why not just use the caliper to measure my belly fat at more frequent intervals? And, glory be! It worked. Measuring my belly fat at the navel as often as weekly, I've been able to see the results of my good (and bad) eating behavior.
All I do is use the caliper to measure, in milometers, the skin fold at my navel, and voila! I have a way to track performance weekly. It's cool to see the numbers go up or down, and know that they correspond pretty well with how well I stuck to my eating regimen. (As of 3/18/16 my belly fat skin fold is at 10mm, and was as low as 8mm last summer.)
It seems like about once a year I have a run in the rain, and yesterday was this year's glorious installment.
But before I talk about that, I am grateful to report that I am back to running short distances (four mi. or less, for now) since the plantar pain (heel) is almost completely gone in my left foot! The regimen I describe in the previous post, plus a special anti-inflammatory prescribed by my foot doctor have really been doing the trick. Yay!
Now, about the rain run: Yesterday (Sunday) was one of those days with little, intermittent showers coming through, in between periods of bright sunlight. One shower had just passed by, and a quick look at the radar showed another one on it's way, but not for a while. I'd been wanting to get a run in, and thought this might be the opportunity to do it.
So I threw on my gear, (runners, shorts, -no shirt- hat -just in case it did rain- and GPS watch, to track my performance and distance) stretched good, then off I went after another quick glance at the radar. The rain was close, but I really thought it would miss me.
The conditions were great with temps in the mid 70's and calm. There were a few little puddles on the trail, but the concrete was already starting to dry.
About a mile in, the clouds started to thicken (no surprise), and I could hear a little thunder in the distance. I was prepared to get wet if it did rain, but was ready to turn back if the thunder got any closer! Getting struck by lightening has never sounded like a pleasant experience, especially if I could prevent it.
At about a mile-and-a-half it started to sprinkle, which felt kind of nice, as I was starting to get a good sweat on. Then at at little past half way the sky opened up, and buckets of huge drops came straight down. It was awesome! The temperature was just right, and it was oh-so refreshing. The hat proved to be useful keeping the rain out of my eyes, too.
It was full-steam ahead with new energy, just me, the path, and the rain. There's only one drawback of note, and it's that my shoes got soggy-squishy. Other than that, it was an amazing experience, perfectly timed. Had it been raining when I was ready to start out, chances are that I would have not gone for a run at all. The way it turned out, though, I had a chance to get warmed up so when the rain came it was very welcomed.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the drops stopped coming with about a half mile to go. By the time I walked back up to the house, the sun was trying to peek out again. I will remember this as one of the easiest 3.5mi runs ever. And it felt like I could have just as easily gone twice that far.
After shots of Cortisone the pain in my foot actually got worse, and two weeks later I was still limping around the house in the mornings. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
My pain is almost gone now after using some new and old techniques combined. It seems to have been pretty effective, and I have continued to play racquetball 3x/week.
I'm now icing (heel submerged in ice cube water) 15 minutes twice a day. The second icing is combined with 800mg Ibuprofen an hour or two before bedtime. Also, while I'm at my desk at work I roll a tennis ball around on my instep, giving it a nice massage and stretch. And, of course, all of my footwear has good instep supports in them.
So far, so good. I got out of bed this morning and almost forgot about my heel. If this keeps up for a few more days I'm going to try a trial run.
Okay, this is the second summer that I have had foot pain enough to keep me from running (I'm still playing racquetball, though)! Fortunately, it has been mostly less intense than last year. Now, after a second round of hydro cortisone shots (three injections in two weeks, one in the right foot, two in the left) I am optimistic that this issue will be finally resolved once and for all.
I had it fixed last summer after one injection from Dr. Lantz, my podiatrist, and was good through the winter, that is until I got too cocky on the treadmill and over did it. Lesson learned!
I'm working on hitting some lofty goals for myself in the next month or two, which will be achieved primarily by strict adherence to my nutrition regimen. Since my muscle tone is adequate for my lifestyle (being fleet, and moving well for racquetball and running) the rest is mainly just aesthetics, (being cut and defined) which will be achieved by general lean-ness.
I completed my second week of the 20-Squat program this morning, doing 20 reps of 220#. I make it to 15 just fine, but the last five are killer! Apparently, my strength is increasing, as I have been able to complete the routine at ever-increasing weights.
