Training Log Archive: franmea

Running with 2-pound heavy hands and resting at benches along the way and stopping for water at fountains along the way in Tower Grove Park. The first 3.5 minutes was walking to warm up.

Hopefully I am getting close to finishing the mopping up operation following bronchitis. So I tried running today. But finally for the first time I walked a block first (with 2-pound heavy hands) and then ran and walked the 5 km of Tower Grove Park. There was a run going on in the park and I ended up part of the time pacing with a runner who was on the second 5 km of a 10 km run. These were young women from the PT department at Washington University. After I paced the first one for a while (maybe 700 metrs), I stopped and petted the tiny little dog of one of the direction control persons. Then I resume running. Later ended up with another one of the 10 km runners and paced her a while (maybe another 700 m) and then walked a bit and then resumed running. My breathing and my legs were OK. I am cantoring at the 4:00 pm Mass at St. Stanislaus Church today and fortunately I am not getting post-exercise buildup of fluid in my bronchi. Tuesday I have my appointment with the pulmonologist, Dr. Spence. Pulmonary Function Tests and then a Methacholine Challenge Test showed I have ROAD, reactive obstructive airway disease. My problem (since about the beginning of December) is that when I go up stairs, I get out of breath and my quads call out "Would someone please send oxygen." So Dr. Spence prescribed an inhaler of Advair morning and night, If that had helped, then I have asthma. However, the Advair has not helped at all. I still have the symptom. We might progress on to another test (provided my insurance will cover it). It may end up that I just have to deal with the symptom. One thing I now know I have to do is some walking to get my heart and breathing going before I run. That I can do. But it still bothers me that when I do a simply thing such as walking up a half flight of stairs even, I feel out of breath and my quads complain.

C • Don't feel bad, I get out of b... 1

Wonderful Step/Scupt class with a great teacher, Eileen. I think my efforts to follow the directions on the Step routine may be more important exercise for my brain even than the wonderful exercise for the rest of my body. Trying to follow the step directions is also good for my humility, like orienteering is.

Bench pressed 80 pounds. Arm curl 50 pounds. Practicing for weight lifting at the St. Louis Senior Olympics. It would be nice if I could get my bench press up a little. Then did some of the progressive resistance machines and then some stretching.

My chest hurt today from still coughing in recovering from bronchitis so I didn't run or do other exercise.

Walked part of the first 10 minutes. Recently I have found that I do now need to "warm up" for running by walking first in order to get my heart rate and/or my breathing going. I walked and ran along River des Peres Drive near the border between St. Louis City and County. The County surrounds the City rather than containing the City. The suburb in the County just past River des Peres is Affton where I grew up. When Suzanne was little we sometimes went bicycling along River des Peres Drive, once with my Dad. Sometimes I ran there when Zan was at gymnastics class. "River des Peres" means "River of the Fathers" referring to the Blackrobes or priests.

C • I never thought of that. What... 2

Ran Sprint event #1 by SLOC at the S-F Boy Scout Ranch.

Canoe O' on Lake Nims at S-F Boy Scout Ranch in Farmington, MO. Incredible wind. Some of the most difficult and strenuous canoeing I have done in my life (I started canoeing 50 years ago). Rick and I had a good time and cooperated well. I let him run into the woods to punch in at the controls. He is certainly more reliable at that than I.

Swam 300 yards at South City YMCA

Rode bicycle 30 minutes to St. Stanislaus Church for 4:00 pm Mass. Then rode 30 minutes back home. Lovely warm sunny day.

Ran Tower Grove Park with 2-pound Heavy Hands.

C • Wow! You're climbing the trai... 2

30 min. Abs Class and 60 minutes Step/Sculpt Class

Too beautiful a day not to run. Ran Tower Grove Park

Ran in the neighborhood around St. Stanislaus Church before 5:30 pm Mass. Lovely day. Neighborhood is nice.

30 minutes Abs Class followed by 60 minutes of Step Class

I could feel mildly the running from yesterday and the result in my upper body muscles of walking with the heavy-hands on Sunday

This was my first try at running since bronchitis attacked me on April 6. I ran around Meramec's campus and on nearby streets. A glorious spring day here. Temperature in the low 70s F (low 20s C) and a tolerable breeze. Cloudless blue sky. So i just kept runnning and ran about 4 miles. Breathing and legs were fine. But my right hip has begun hurting in the last week or so and it hurt intermittently during the run. Probably some arthritis. I will probably consult my doctor. Want to get this checked out before our insurance changes June 1.

Walked Tower Grove Park and then home using heavy hands. This is the first I have resumed exercise since 30 minutes on the arc trainer Good Friday (April 6). Spring has returned to St. Louis after a stint of winter after spring had begun in St. Louis. This afternoon attended the Susan G. Komen St. Louis affiliate annual (9th) Survivors' Luncheon. Always a very special and meaningful and inspiring event. With friends who are still here and remembering friends who have gone on to the next life.

C • glad you are better now 1

Still trying to recover from bronchitis. I am in the mopping up stages now. I hope to be able to take a nice spring walk with a friend tomorrow at Powder Valley Nature Center in the suburbs. Hope springs eternal!

Still sick recovering from bronchitis. Tutored one hour this morning. Bought a new Toshiba laptop to replace my first one (purchased in 2000) which the Toshiba authorized repair place confirmed had died (well, you know, a new one only costs $170 more than the repair would cost).

Taught my 10:00 am to noon class at the community college and then came home and went to bed. Cancelled one tutoring appointment and the other two appointments had been cancelled (one student out of town and the other sick). Still sick from bronchitis, but improving.

Sick with bronchitis. Didn't even go to Easter morning Mass at The College Church (we had gone to Easter Vigil at St. Stanislaus on Saturday night). Slept a lot today. That seemed to help me continue to get better along with the antibiotic killing off the beasties.

Was going to Y to work out, but realized I am actually sick with bronchitis. Started taking amoxicillin. Within 6 hours I could tell it was working.

Found time for 30 minutes on the arc trainer at the Y on "strength" at Level 3 before serving as cantor at Good Friday service at St. Stanislaus Church.

I had not done abs for about 3.5 weeks and then did abs class on T and my muscles were still sore. So I took it easy during abs class.

I got back to my class at the YMCA. One class is 30 minutes of abs exercises. Then 45 minutes of a class called "Sculpt/step." Following the directions for the step routine each class is as much an exercise for my brain as for my muscles. Very good teacher and great class.

Ran Tower Grove Park at dusk on a lovely warm spring evening with a full moon and a clear sky with a few starts showing even in the City.

For Rick's birthday, we drove to Pickle Creek Natural Area near Hawn State Park and walked around in the woods on a glorious spring day. When we were on the map of Hawn State Park, we did some orienteering practice. We finished with running a mile on the road from where we came out of the woods on the road back to where the car was parked.

C • Cool birthday adventure! 1