Running Faster

So I've been really working my ass off for the last few months. I've only taken 3 days off since my new training program began back in August, post stroke. Running was easily the most important thing for me when I was in high school - it kept me busy, competitive, and gave me a mental edge. I lost that edge for several periods of my adult life and it feels great to be getting it back.

The key to my workouts has been weekly speed work. I'm down to a 6:48 pace and I can still get a lot faster with continued steady training and weight loss. Since I could run in the low 5 minute pace range in high school and high 5 minute pace range in my late 30's, I think it's realistic to still be under a 6 minute pace for a 5K by early next year. I guess we'll see.

Since you get what you measure, here are my times for my time trial loop since I started tracking it in mid September:

The yellows are new PR's. I ran a 27:35 back in early 2009 after a few weeks of training. I've got a half marathon scheduled for December 16 and I hope to be down to about 195 for that race. Here's a few pics taken after new PR's for the Claremont Standard. Notice that I am thinner and happier in each progressive photo. Have an awesome day!

26:50 on Oct 23

26:10 on Nov 6

25:11 on Dec 5

8 Weeks Post Stroke

Motivation

There's a point in time after a life changing event where things start to get back to normal. It may be a new normal, as it certainly is for me, but you do have to get on with life and you can't keep the particular life changing event top-of-mind forever. The motivation I felt during the first 6 or so weeks after my stroke was intense - I was determied to re-gain my health and I most certainly did not want to exit this world at a young age. But now that things have started to feel more or less normal, I have to find the daily motivation to keep training hard, keep my diet under control and keep my work-social-exercise life in balance. It's not always easy to stay motivated and energized - especially as the weather changes from an absolutely gorgeous long Summer to the cold, sideways-rainy days of Fall.

Mix It Up, Baby

I knew from my past life as an amateur bicycle racer that trying to focus on one sport for exercise would have a near-zero chance of success. So in spite of my desire to race bikes again next year, which would "normally" mean that I ride my bike 6 days a week regardless of the weather, I've been trying to run at least 2 or 3 times a week and spending 2 days per week lifting weights. Mixing it up will allow me to get in an intense run of 4 or 5 miles on those really nasty days - or I can just go to the gym and lift. I don't feel locked in and can train in several different ways based on how I feel and what the weather might allow.

You Get What You Measure

I've been timing a number of set cycling and running routes so that I can check my progress as I improve my fitness. And I'm not just measuring time and distance; I'm also measuring average and maximum heart rate. If I can run or ride the same route faster and at a lower heart rate, then I know I'm making some fitness gains. And if I feel sluggish due to over-training, guess what? I'll be slower for the same or an even higher average heart rate over the same course.

Here's a few examples:

Claremont Standard Run - this is a 3.6 mile course, always run the same direction, that goes from my house and around a neighborhood just to the West. I've been running it for years. In the Winter of 2009, I did a lot of running and dropped my time from 32 minutes down to 27:38. I've run the course 4 times since my stroke and dropped my time from 31 and change down to 27:30, which was a PR for me. Man, was I psyched that day! It was the week before last and I just felt great. I was also really excited about the fact that I had recorded my times back in 2009 so that I could compare. Then, last week on Monday I had intended to set another PR. I had run long on Sunday but I was still pretty confident I could run it even faster. WRONG! It was dumping rain; I was wearing different shoes; my body was tired; and I knew within 200 meters that I was going to be uber slow. I pushed as hard as I could and ended up 3 FREAKIN' MINUTES SLOWER! Unbelievable! Depressing. And my heart rate was about the same as when I set my PR the week before. Ahhh, but I am intelligent, I can learn - the 90 minute hilly trail run had kicked my ass the day before and I paid the price. And of course I'll report my Claremont Standard time again. Stay tuned.

Sauvie Island TT - there used to be an OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Association) event on Sauvie Island every year - the first time trial (TT) of the season. It's very flat and the traffic isn't horrible - and it's perfect for an out and back 10 mile TT. I've used the course before - back in 2001-2003 to train for TT events. My best time was 23:45 back in the good old days. So I decided to set up my track pursuit bike with a front brake and a freewheel so I could do 10 mile TT's once every week or so, with the added benefit of getting used to being in TT/Pursuit aero position on a regular basis. My first effort in mid September wasn't pretty - 30:10. The next week with a slightly bigger gear I did a 27:53. And the week before last I did a 27:05 (the same week I set a PR for the Claremont Standard run). Remember, this is a fixed gear bike so I only get one gear - I chose an 85.4" gear on my last attempt (49 tooth chainring to 15 tooth freewheel).

I have other fixed courses as well. I think it's a great way to keep track of your progress as you train. Why wait for the big event to find out your training isn't working? And if you do have a bad day at an event, which has certainly happened to me before, at least you'll know that you did something wrong in terms of diet or over-training - or both.

And heck, Ski season will be here soon. That should be motivation enough to work extra hard now. Enjoy the Fall!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention my stroke... it was a life-changing event. Nuff said.

Life Style Changes

If you're reading this post then you probably know I had a stroke. It's just over 3 weeks now since it happened and I feel fantastic. Since quite a few people have asked me about my recovery plan, diet, exercise, etc., I've decided to write up a short version of my basic exercise and diet plan.

The BASICS 

1. Exercise 6 days per week
2. Don't eat crap / eat healthy
3. Use a heart rate monitor

Exercise 

1. Walk or Run - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday mornings. I'm doing 3-4 miles when I run. Heart rate is averaging 135 with max around 155.

2. Cycling - Wednesday and Saturday are long rides 2-4 hours. Thursday is 1-2 hours at a higher intensity. always in my cardio zone 115-150.

3. Weights - Lifting on Tuesdays and Fridays. High reps (15+) and 3 sets of each exercise - not quite to failure during last set. Bench, curls, leg extensions, hamstrings, pull downs, seated row, leg press, split squats, abdominals - generally in that order after a 5-10 minute cardio warm up.

4. Play - On Sundays, we play tennis, shoot hoops, walk, do chores - whatever, as long as I don't sit around all day. Having fun is the theme.

The above is my current program and will probably run through the middle of November. Ski season will be here soon and Winter cycling is just not my bag; maybe some indoor cycling on my trainer will work. 

Diet 

I've made a ton of modifications to my diet. I think this has the biggest long term potential to reset the way I look and feel.

1. No sugar or milk in my coffee - just a sprinkle of cinnamon on my espresso - 2 cups max, generally just one.

2. Oat bran or high fiber cereal with non-fat milk.

3. 1-2 servings of fruit - bananas, oranges, smoothie.

4. Nuts - almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts - unsalted.

5. Low glycemic starches only - whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta. Dark is better. Energy level is more constant and you feel full longer.

6. Low sodium everything - soy sauce, lunch meat, etc. Don't add salt. Helps to keep blood pressure low.

7. Oily fish like salmon, tuna, halibut, etc.

8. Red meat once or twice a week only - always the leanest cut possible.

9. Drink lots of water, especially in between meals and while drinking wine in the evening. 1-2 glasses max of red wine per day. Little to no white wine.

10. Non-fat yogurt.

11. Lots of celery, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce - olive oil and balsamic vinegar only for dressing.

12. Avocados, turmeric, pomegranate, broccoli, asparagus, green tea. Cholesterol lowering, heart healthy stuff.

13. No pop, no soda, no fast food, practically no cheese, non-fat dairy only, no butter (just olive oil), no white bread, no added sugar, no added salt, avoid potatoes (because of high glycemic index), no candy, no chips, no cookies, and no ice cream (sorbet is probably ok but just empty calories).

I'm trying to keep it simple here. Hopefully you get the point. Most of this is stuff you probably already knew, right? The best advice I can give it to USE YOUR BRAIN when choosing what to eat.

Two Weeks After My Stroke

Wow. I’ve never been more motivated to put exactly the right stuff into my body. Perfect nutrition for two weeks - well 12 days at least since I was in the hospital for 2 days, one day on an IV drip and one day heating healthy? hospital food. I’ve more or less eliminated saturated fat from my diet. No soda whatsoever. LOW SODIUM (very important). No candy, junk food, fast food, comfort food - lots of salads, fish, chicken, nuts, berries - oat bran cereal with non-fat milk for breakfast. I still have a double espresso everyday but no added sugar - I’m not even using the agave sweetener which tastes pretty good - just a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. I can already tell - diet is a HUGE part of feeling GREAT!

During week one, I walked every day, generally twice a day by the end of the week and rode my bike once. Did some very short (50m to 100m) jogging to get my heart up a bit - 130 max during week one and only one day. The balance of the week was all under 115 BPM. Yes, I did buy a heart monitor and I’ve been using it on all my workouts. My blood pressure dropped consistently every day during week one - from 145/115 when I left the hospital to 115/80 by the end of week one.

During week two, I walked a couple times, biked a couple times and lifted weights twice. My strength is 100% of my pre-stroke strength but my muscles are slightly more sore than normal. This is a key side effect of taking Lipitor, the standard statin drug for lowering cholesterol. My bike rides this week were nice a steady in the 65-75% aerobic range with short hills in the 80-85% range - for me, that’s 110-130 bpm and 140-150 bpm.

I think it’s important to look back at the most likely cause of my stroke - poor diet, stress from work, high blood pressure, lack of exercise. Understanding and controlling these issues is key in getting things back on track and making permanent lifestyle changes. It should be easy, but it never is. I’m slightly more motivated because I don’t want to die or lose any mental or physical abilities - it’s kind of like someone whacking you across the face and saying, "Do this or else." Awesome!

I’ll celebrate the two week anniversary of my stroke at 10:10am this morning, riding my bike on a beautiful sunny morning with one of my friends.

My Dad is the Greatest

I think it’s generally true that most children think their parents are likely the greatest parents on the planet. Now, this can change as they grow up; during adolescence SOME kids will consider their parents to be the lamest, most strict, and boring parents on the planet. Not so in my case; my adolescent kids know that I am not lame, strict, boring or any other way uncool or uncouth.

I have two boys: 14 and 16 years old. My wife has often described herself as a single mother of three - I’m just one of the boys, getting into trouble for not cleaning up, watching stupid TV shows (Wilfred, Tosh, Workaholics), acting retarded (we do this frequently in our household), and participating in (or encouraging) various food consumption contests such as the cinnamon swallow, pepper snorting, leap-for-meat and the standard food-toss-into-my-mouth game. From my kids’ perspective, I’m probably one of the greatest dads on the planet - and I’m invincible. At least that’s what they thought until the saw me in the ER room.

I had given specific instructions to my wife and neighbors to let the boys play their scrimmage as I was being loaded into the ambulance a few hours earlier - wait until after the event to tell them what was going on and explain why mom and dad weren’t at the football field. Dave and Jacqueline (our friends and neighbors) would be the official transporters of the kids from field to home to the hospital. According to Jacqueline and Dave, the kids both played well but did look up in the stands a few times with puzzled looks on their faces. Someone had told the coach already so he could pull them aside - your dad’s in the hospital; he was rushed their by ambulance; no one’s sure what it is. They were shocked. They got a few hugs from other players and were rushed home to clean up. Kyle apparently just sat on the stairs and said nothing; Alex who normally takes showers in the 45 minute range was in and out of the shower in less than a minute.

It must have been right around 2pm when Alex and Kyle showed up in the ER. The intense emotional pain I felt was the most difficult part of entire ordeal. My symptoms were mostly unresolved - no movement in my left arm, face droop, inebriated speech, probably some drool as well. Both kids were choked up and crying. I tried to apologize for my state as I choked back tears myself. My voice was part Scooby Doo and part sniveling toddler. I remember trying to explain what I knew about my medical condition; it didn’t help. Dad was no longer invincible. Telling your kids you’ve just had a stroke and might have bleeding in the back of your brain should rank near the top of “worst experiences in life”.

3 Hours Post Stroke Event

We started recording the changes in left side functionality precisely at 1:11pm on August 25, 2012, just as a second resolution of my symptoms began:
1:11 started to feel better
1:12 hand function 50%, arm 20%
1:13 hand 10%, arm 5%
1:14 hand is zero, arm is zero
1:15 zero arm, zero hand
1:16 ditto :(
Not even a full recovery this time through - my mind wondered if each cycle in symptoms would bring a further reduction in functionality. The clock was racing. Every time I looked up during these states of paralysis, the minute hand jumped another few minutes.

1:25 50% arm, speech much better
1:28 70% arm, 90% leg
1:29 80% hand and arm, 90% leg
Feeling good, talking well again. So doctor, what are the treatment options? Is this normal to have symptoms coming and going?

Dr. B started to explain the options:
The “clot buster” TPA drug but the window is only three hours after the event.
Maybe a Heparin blood thinner drip would be more conservative.
Or we could just go straight to Plavix and Aspirin, both blood thinners.

1:34 70% range arm and head, still feeling good, hoping it lasts
1:36 20% arm
1:37 5% arm and hand
1:38 totally zero, crap

The doctor said my mostly full recovery at 1:29 would reset the clock on the “clot buster” so that was still an option. But the risk of the clot buster is high - 10% of patients have bleeding in the brain which would not be good. The CAT scan showed a tear in the basilar artery - basically a tear in the blood vessel at the back of the brain. Something about not wanting occlusion to occur... whatever that means. Arterial dissection... I was reminded of 9th grade biology as thoughts of pickled frogs and straight pins hopped through my damaged brain.

1:42 20% arm and hand
1:47 5% arm and hand
1:52 arm and hand back to 80%, leg at 90%
1:53 arm at 80% - speech better

Way too much risk with the potentially torn blood vessel for the clot buster. I personally liked the idea of Aspirin and Plavix. Heparin drip was the decision but I don’t remember if they asked me. They were planning to send me to Neural ICU and then off to the MRI tunnel. My boys, Alex and Kyle, were arriving soon - I hoped I could talk and move my arm when they walked into the room.

On Any Saturday...

August 25, 2012 - It was a sunny Saturday morning and I was thinking about going for a quick run before my kids’ high school football scrimmage. I decided to relax and make some breakfast instead. I made a tasty two-egg omelette with a mix of mostly cheddar and a touch of mozzarella; and I was cooking 6 strips of bacon on the grill - 3 for me, not too crispy, and 3 more for my wife, on the crispy side.

I had just taken a bite of bacon, when I asked my wife how she wanted her bacon (already knowing the answer but trying to spread the love). My words came out as though my head was two feet off to the right and a little slurred. Could I have some sort of pork-induced food poisoning? I don’t recall eating any poisonous mushrooms - no mushrooms at all in fact (clearly I’ve watched too many episodes of Law and Order).

The left side of my body felt numb as I quickly moved to the easy chair across the room and advised my wife that something was wrong. My words got more and more slurred as she called 911. It was a total out-of-body experience. No pain whatsoever.

7 Minutes

The paramedics had already arrived and started asking me questions about the date, place and how I felt. Our neighbors and best friends from down the street had also arrived and I could tell by look on their faces that things were not right. The paramedics quickly got me onto a stretcher and began to wheel me out the door. As I was loading up in the ambulance, I discretely waved at my neighbors Paul and Aimee as they drove by in their “totally sweet” Cadillac (black, yellow brake calipers, gnarly exhaust note).

My kids were already at Sunset High School warming up for the football scrimmage. I had been truly looking forward to watching them play. I was still thinking maybe this would all pass and I could still make the 11:00 event. Probably not very likely considering that I couldn’t even move my left arm nor could talk without sounding inebriated.

Off we went to the hospital in the ambulance with the driver calling out all the curvy roads so the paramedics could brace themselves. I was strapped down well but everyone else was basically loose in the back of the ambulance.

They kept asking me the date and if I knew where we were - when I told them we were about to take the Jefferson Street Exit off of Hwy 26 and that it was approximately 10:35am, I think they determined I was an over-achiever in spite of the stroke and paralyzed left side of my body. Maybe they just wanted me to say Portland and August 25?

40 Minutes

It was 10 minutes before the scrimmage was officially starting and I was about one quarter paralyzed and stuck in the ER at OHSU. The emergency room staff was running about and asking a lot of questions about allergies, current medications, checking blood pressure and heart rate, and discussing treatment options. They rushed me off to have my first of 3 CAT scans. No sooner had I returned from the first CAT scan then they sent me back for two more. The second set focused on the base of my skull and an iodine “contrast” CAT scan which is kind of cool because you get a rush of warm right through the center of your body - lasts about 2 seconds.

During the second CAT scan my symptoms “resolved” i.e. I got better. The doctor was pulling on my arm and testing my strength. As he did this, I got complete use of my left arm and hand, full strength. And I could talk again. I self-tested my intelligence by running through a 2 power sequence: 2-4-8-16-32-64-128-256-512-1024-2048-4096-8192-16384-32768, in 13 seconds flat. Since my pre-stroke record was 11 seconds I felt like everything was probably AOK. Dr. Bozorgchany came back over and I pronounced his name reasonably well even though he told me to just call him Dr. B. I asked him if he was magic since he had cured me just by his mere presence.

Unfortunately, while on the way back to the ER to wait for CAT scan results my symptoms “unresolved” right back to the point of drunk-speak and 100% left arm and hand paralyzation. At this point, I demanded that my friend Kristi start recording the relatively quick changes in the use of left arm and hand. How could stroke symptoms just come and go? Once brain cells were dead wasn’t that just the end?