Final Day Fireworks

Just a few footnotes on this year that has 35 minutes left.

Forgotten in the Year in Review was today's great 8-mile trail run (race) with the LV Track Club. It was a rutty course, but I'm used to that, into some desolate areas in Far East Henderson that I had never been too. The scenery was beautiful but it seemed like we were going uphill both ways. I was 39 min at 4 and 1:16 at the finish. 2nd in my age group. That's my usual finish. I'll take it.

Now I gotta get back to the coverage of Nina & Kerstin and see what's going on with the rest of this year and next. What's time anyway?

One moment 10,000 years

10,000 years, one moment.

 

 

Year in Review

Well somehow I survived another year. It wasn't too bad.

Here are some of the highlights:

Best Vacation: Montana Lewis & Clark trip with Dad in June.

Best Run: Las Vegas Marathon Dec. 4th.

Best Yoga: Under the Stars at Red Rock with a million stars and Venus overhead.

Well that's it for 2005 and on Jan. 1 there's a guest journal writer.

Happy New Year

 

 

Head Start

OK, how many people can run 12 miles, plan an Alaska trip and stand on their head in the same day? A rather unique combination all in a day's fun and games. On my usual Thursday off, I got on the phone with Amy in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and started talking about the 2006 Alaska Adventure with Capts. Lewis (Ham V) and Clark (Ham IV) and Sacagawea (Amy).

After a strenuous morning of laundry, surfing the net, playing with cats and watching TV it was time for a 2-hr run. Staring at 3:15 pm I finished just as it was getting dark and was able to enjoy some of the Christmas lights in the neighborhood.

Cypresse's 6:30pm Dynamic Flow yoga class was small (seven students) but efficient with personal instruction. Cypresse helped me do a head stand. It was quite amazing. I didn't think I would ever do that!

Today's photo comes from complete set recently purchased from LV Marathon. Look for package  in your mailbox soon.

 

Death by Chocolate

Why is it I can go four months without drinking, have the discipline to run and train for a marathon, yet I still can't say no to the temptation of chocolate? Due to the Holiday Season there are tons of cookies and chocolate candies in the break room at the Hilton. This is not good for a diabetic. The first time I can usually walk by. But then I'll have a cookie. Just one. And then a piece of candy or two. By the end of the shift the tally is deep into double figures. Why do my co-workers and customers torment and torture me so? This is like putting out hundreds of little airline miniature bottles of booze for an alcoholic. Needless to say the blood sugar numbers haven't been right since Halloween. It's been one long sugar holiday all fall. I just gotta say no. I've got to be strong like Crazy Horse and fight for what's right not like his lazy fellow Lakota's who became dependent on the white man's goods. But that's another story.

All I can do is eat right and run. Today I got in a 6-plus mile jaunt. It was a warm 68 degrees but the wind gusts were from 30-50 mph. It was like running into a hurricane on the way out and like a sailboat with wind coming back.

  

Christmas at Fort Clatsop

Captain Clark:
December 25, 1805 Fort Clatsop

At daylight this morning, we were awakened by the discharge of the firearms of all our party and a salute, shouts, and a song which the whole party joined in under our windows, after which they retired to their rooms. Were cheerful all the morning. After breakfast we divided our tobacco, which amounted to 12 carrots, one half of which we gave to the men of the party who used tobacco, and to those who do not use it we made a present of a handkerchief. The Indians left us in the evening. All the party snugly fixed in their huts. I received a present of Captain Lewis of a fleece hosiery shirt, drawers and socks, a pair of moccasins of Whitehouse, a small Indian basket of Goodrich, two dozen white weasels' tails of the Indian woman, and some black root of the Indians before their departure. Drouilliard informs me that he saw a snake pass across the path today. The day proved showery, wet, and disagreeable.

We would have spent this day, the nativity of Christ, in feasting, had we had anything either to raise our spirits or even gratify our appetites. Our dinner consisted of poor elk, so much spoiled that we ate it through mere necessity, some spoiled pounded fish, and a few roots.

Christmas Eve Day Race

Up before 6am, it was a balmy day here for the LV Track Club's 5-mile race along the Pittman Wash Trail. I didn't really feel like racing, much less getting out of bed after what turned out to be a 36-mile week. But what the hey. The course started downhill for the 1st 1.75 miles, uphill for 3.75 miles and back downhill the last half mile. I was a respectable 42:16. But when I looked for my results my name wasn't among the male 45-49 yr olds. I had been mistakenly been placed among the women of my age. But that wasn't the worst part. I still only placed third. After the correction I was still 3rd among the men.

Today's other highlight was an email from runner, yoga teacher, weekend anchor, weekday reporter Kerstin Lindquist at Ch. 3 news. She replied:

"You too Ham!!! Have a Very Merry Christmas and don't work out too much! Even Santa takes a break some times! Oh, I taught the other day at YS, It was a nice homecoming, even one of the teachers spoke to me about you!
Be well in the New Year!
Kerstin"

  

Back to Red Rock

Today's journal entry was written before the events actually happened but here's what occured if the events went down as planned:

We Proceeded on to Red Rock Canyon to finally complete the 6-mile loop from Willow Springs, to La Madre Springs, around the Keystone Thrust and back along White Rock to Willow Springs. Circling a big mountain in the process.

Thich Nhat Hanh says it best:

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child--our own two eyes. All is a miracle."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh, "Miracle of Mindfulness,"

Later, hopefully, I took in Kim's Friday night yoga class with live music.

 

South Bound

If my loyal readers (up to 3 at last count) think entries have been sparse lately, I'm a regular writing machine compared to Meriwether Lewis in 1805. My favorite manic-depressive captain went from Nov. 29-Jan. 1 without a journal entry. They were busy building their winter home at Fort Clatsop. It was worth waiting for the Jan 1 entry. A classic.

Meanwhile, back in 2005, to honor the opening of the new South Coast Casino tonight, I proceeded on to run from home to the new casino. The 12-mile round trip took me by some horse farms and along Haven St., where my 5-yr-old fat cat was adopted and named. Except for some stomach discomfort brought on by a 32-oz Soy Latte, the run went well. The icing on the run were the 20 Marlboro packs I found along the way. That's a record for running but far short of the inconceivable 52 packs found on a Thanksgiving Day bike ride a few years ago.

Listened to the Sabres 10-game winning streak end tonight. You can't win them all.

Now I'm reading The Journey of Crazy Horse, a biography of the great Lakota  warrior from the Indians point of view. He missed Lewis & Clark by about 40 years.

  

Cash Winner

On a cold morning (How cold? 29 degrees), I set out for the Run with Santa 5k. It was at least 10 degrees colder than marathon morning. When the siren went off this turtle started slow. But by MM1 I was at 8:15. The next mile was faster. I was 16:20 at MM2. Then I got faster to finish in 24:39, a 7:56 average mile. Not bad. I'll take it especially after giving blood yesterday. The finish put me 61st overall out of a field of 237. That was good enough for 3rd in my age group (45-49) out of 11 in that class.

It would have been enough just to get the nice framed plaque for my 3rd-place finish, but I also won cash in the post-race drawing. Twenty $1 bills. There's only one thing that can be meant for, too bad I have to work the next 5 nights.

Blood sugar still too high. Talked to Doc. I might have to up dosage. But I'm still serching for that natural cure. Between the natural world and modern medicine I ought to be able to control my sugar.

Under a Full Moon

A new trail explored at Red Rock, a full moon rising over (ironically) Sunrise Mountain as I drove home and Dynamic Flow yoga with Cypresse. Quite a day.

Now that I have a $20 Season Pass to Red Rock I feel obligated to go there as often as I can and check out new trails. Today I went to the furthest end of the park, the Willow Springs Area, and took the La Madre Springs trail. This was a moderate-to-strenuous hike/run/walk behind the big tall west mountains at Red Rock. As it turned out the trail hooked up with the last one I explored a few weeks ago on Thanksgiving Day. On that journey I went around the opposite side of the mountain and would up on the same trail behind. Next time I'll try to connect the two and do a big loop around the mountain. It looks like an easy to rugged 6 miles.

It was awesome driving home from Red Rock watching the full moon rise. And I still had yoga to go. Cypresse's class was great. I was one of 5 in class, 4-1 ratio.

Blood sugar pretty damn good. Fixed an awesome salad tonight.    

Soy Jerky

Driving home from work tonight I discovered another natural food store -- the Sunflower Market. They had everything I was looking for: organic apples and pears, dried apricots, roasted pumpkin seeds, raw almonds, vanilla chai tea and pomegranate juice. But I didn't know soy jerky existed. It tasted pretty good. And the cats went nuts over it. They loved it so much they thought it was real meat.

Still no run today. That's 4 days in a row. The right hip's still a little sore but walkable without a noticable limp. It should be gone in a day or two. The limp, not the leg.

Blood sugar is a little better today. 150 something in the morning but only 86 at night. If only I could middle those numbers I'd be fine.

Try soy jerky. You'll like it! Just ask the cats.

Christmas Flurry

It's always a good feeling to get the Christmas thing done. Wrapped and mailed In a whirlwind of activity I gift-wrapped, cut, taped, boxed, packed (with the Cats in the middle of everything making it very difficult) and mailed gifts to three different states: Florida, New York and Texas.

Running is on hold temporarily. It feels like my hip and right leg don't want to work together. It didn't develop until a week after the marathon. The blood sugar has been cause for concern for the past 10 days. Several readings in the mid to high 200s. Very bad. But I had a 131 Sunday and a 99 Monday. Maybe it's getting back to normal.

Well, here we go again with abstinence. I'm starting a new streak. One week. I made it 4 months before I read the beer-making journal entry. Well, I don't know if I can make it to next September or not, but here goes.

Now I'm sipping some Peppermint tea. It makes it seem like I'm in Alaska on Knik Road with musher Jesse Arnold.  

Back on Track

Only a 2-day weekend this week so I can only do so much. No yoga class with Kim & live music. But I did get in a nice 7.5-mile run along the Pittman Wash in Henderson. This urban trail allows the biker/runner/walker to follow a nature trail with steep ravines, much growth and wildlife unimpeded uphill one way for almost 4 miles returning over the same course on a nice 4-mile descent. This Wash primarily carries stormwater. It is lined with rock and covered with a chain link to prevent or limit erosion. (Located at Green Valley Parkway and Windmill)

The run went well. I'd say I'm pretty much recovered from the Marathon. I'm back to the Abstinence track for the remainder of the 434 Days. No marathons or 20 milers or journal entries where beer was made. So no more beer or wine until Sept. 13, 2006. Well see how the rest of the journey goes.

Besides the bs numbers have not been too hot lately. I gotta do everything I can to get the figures under control which I would say they're not now. We proceeded on...

 

 

Biking the Loop

Seeking a cross-training alternative, I took the bike for a spin on the Mountain View Trail. The entire loop is 30 miles around Boulder City, Henderson and Lake Mead. From Equestrian Park my runs have taken me about 4 miles in one direction and 6m the other way. But I figured with a bike I could see how far the trail went before it turned to dirt. I got a lot further by bike but still I wasn't close to running out of paved trail. My afternoon adventure was curtailed by the setting sun but I still rode about 15 miles.

That gave me just enough time to throw the bike in the pickup, drive home and get ready for Cypresse's Thursday night yoga class. It was a very small class. Only 4 showed up. My partner Nicole from last week was there and we did a little more partner work which went pretty good. Cypresse congratulated me on my marathon success.

All that remained was a quiet organic pasta and salad dinner while I watched the Sabres defeat the not-so-Mighty Ducks 3-2 in OT.

 

 

Post Marathon Mortem

Three days after the marathon and the leg muscles are slowly rejuvenating. Rest, yoga and a massage have brought me back to pre-marathon condition. Monday I took advantage of the day off to get a deep-tissue massage.

Cynthia, the massage therapist, really worked me over good. She said my hamstrings were tighter than banjo strings. Both ankles were swollen. Quads, calves and glutes were all pretty tight. Tuesday, a little home yoga helped and Wednesday I returned to running with a little trail trot.

Through all of this the blood sugar has been like a runaway roller coaster. Several readings in the middle 200s were cause for alarm. But by tonight things have settled down to a more typical 117. Could have been the carb-load, the anxiety, stress, Reisling reaction or any other factor. But I'm just glad that's all behind me. Now to resume this abstinence thing. There's been a few planned and unplanned interruptions but now it's back on course as we proceed on to Sept. 13, 2006. The 200 yr anniversary of L&C ending their 434 day dry spell.

 

Marathon Finish

After almost 5 months of training and buildup, the 2005 Las Vegas Marathon is in the bank. I finished. But like all marathons, it wasn't easy but it was full of pain, joy, humor and excitement.

First the joy: The dawn start at Mandalay Bay with dimming stars and exploding fireworks. I had chills as I crossed the starting line. Then after a cramp dissolved at MM22, thanks to some positive energy from Cypresse and her yoga class, the last 4 miles were as easy as could be under the circumstances. Downhill with a tailwind. And having Dad at the start and along the course was also a big lift. I couldn't break the streak of no family marathon DNF's. Death before Dishonor.

The humor: Dozens of Elvis's, couples married on the run. "Don't do it!", a runner shouted. All kind of wacky outfits. Lot's of reasons to smile.

The excitement: The first 5 miles were right down the Famous Las Vegas Strip with all the glitter. Spectators lined the entire course offering encouragement. With our names on our race bibs, it was easy for the fans to call out our names. Dozens of bands and loud music.

The pain: Besides the cramp that went away, lots of lactic acid. Knees, ankles, feet will all to take a few days to recover. But hopefully my massage Monday will ease the pain.

I was just delighted to finish, get it done and to have Dad here to share in the experience. Now back to serious resting.

 

The Day Before The Marathon

Now it's all over except for the running. Today Dad & I made the final preparations for Sunday's Las Vegas Marathon. We began the day by driving the 26.2-mile course. Beginning at Mandalay Bay the route proceeds north down the Famous Las Vegas Strip. When we got to the Riviera we stopped to take a few pictures with the bronze butts of the Crazy Girls. Some nice Brit chaps were passing by and offered to take our picture. We proceeded on and now we both know how damn long 26.2 miles is.

After a home cooked meal of tomato soup and veggie burgers we headed out to Red Rock Canyon. I took part in a little yoga class to loosen up for the run. Dad passed on the yoga and got in a nice hike.

We headed home for another home cooked meal that couldn't be beat. This pre-race carbo feed featured an all-organic fare of salad with avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, garlic cloves and maybe a few other ingredients.

Many well wishers called to offer moral support from Mom, to Micky, to Susan to just about everyone in the yoga class so that's the most I could hope for on the Day Before the Marathon. Except for the chilly temperatures and the brisk wind it looks like everything is falling into place just fine.

 

 

Dad's Here!

With just 2 days to go until the Marathon things are falling into place. Dad returned to Las Vegas for the 2nd time this year to serve as my support team on race day. After picking him up from his non-stop Southwest Airlines flight from Buffalo at LAS we headed over to the Runners' Expo at Mandalay Bay. There I picked up by bib number and micro chip so I can be electronically timed at the start/finish and various checkpoints along the course. In addition to the free T-shirt I got, I also got a Cool Max Runners' hat ($18) and long-sleeve shirt ($32), three pairs of fast-drying socks ($21),  a pair of shorts ($18) that I'm sure will help me run further and faster but having dad here (priceless).

We went out to one of my favorite restaurants Sweet Tomatoes for dinner then picked up a few things at the Wild Oats Natural Market for my carbo-loading meal. Yes I'm cooking pasta Saturday night. I don't know what's more life-threatening running a marathon or my cooking.

After dinner we watched a little Alaska video on Denali National Park to get ready for our trip next summer and then Dad was in bed by 9 (midnight Buffalo time).

 

Feeling Groovy

Don't know why I feel this good. I'm running 26.2 miles Sunday and I spent most of the day doing housework but I feel great and I'm sober. Must be the multitude of nutritional supplements I'm taking. Who thought coral calcium could get you this high? Or maybe it's the flax seed oil?

Dad's coming Friday so I had to get the place clean. Not spotless like when Mom comes. So I scrubbed, vacuumed, cleaned, dusted, wiped, straightened all while the perplexed cats looked on. My idea of taking a break was going for a little 4-mile run on the nearby railroad tracks trail. How fun and easy that was compared to Sunday's run to hell. Well the first 15-20 miles might be ok but the last 5-10 miles will be pure torture and it's only costing me $100 entry fee plus one of my 28 paid days off from work. Hey this is my 2nd 5-day weekend in 3 weeks. No wonder I feel so good.

But it gets better, tonight at Cypresse's yoga class we did a little partner work that was really great. We sort of climbed on each other's back and I thought I was going to crush this little woman like a bug but the way it was done was very enlightenig for both of us. Then I topped the day off with an excellent live organic salad and lasagna from the Raw Truth Veggie Cafe. Blood sugar has been way under 150 since I took my health nut to the next level. Now if I could just feel this good around MM25. I've got a bottle of fine German Reisling chillin' in case I survive. I know. But this is a rare exception.