Training Log Archive: Charlie

Taking a break from rate filings, and nursing my back, which doesn't much like sitting through rate filings, I spent a pleasant 20 minutes or so in the hot tub. Cool, lovely morning and perfect for the birds, who were flitting about in the trees nearby. A pair of binoculars would have been really useful, but even with the naked eye, which seems to have hit another point of inflection in its path to decreasing acuity, I spotted several nice ones, and glimpses of others that looked most promising.

Most prominent was a handsome male american redstart, but also the more usual bluebirds, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, phoebes, what looked like a black and white warbler, certainly others.

Also a gray squirrel, practicing the division of labor in these parts. Gray squirrels have the run of the middle field and the area around the house. Black squirrels carry out their activities by the barn, side field, down into the woods that side of the driveway. It's been like that for the last 10 years or so. Don't usually see them together.

No bears seen this morning, but the day is still young. They are really out and about these days. I saw two young ones with ear tags crossing the road just down the street when I was coming home on Thursday, and several of the neighbors' trash cans had been violated Thursday morning - presumably belonging to the kinds of folks who put their trash out the night before. Not something I am inclined to try.

Started this full of enthusiasm, perfect weather, good legs, but around 9 miles in my back started to act up, and so I turned back, struggled to get back with the whole left side in discomfort. I've been having various kinds of left side problems since the flight to Milan and the drive from there to MdC. It was better for a while, but I seem to have set it off again yesterday lifting weights.

Event: World Masters Orienteering Championships 2018
 

It was our intention to do a weight workout without Eric, who is busy entertaining his fiancee. Some stretching and warmups, several set of deadlifts at 135#, then I was doing some dumbbell bench presses (themselves fine) but strained my back sitting up with the weights on my legs, so that was the end of the session. Not terrible, but will probably take a day or so to calm down.

I was contemplating the deliciousness of sandwiches today as I was having one, and I am recording some of the most delicious

1. The most delicious was one I had today, and it will only be getting better over the next month or so. Tomato and cucumber with a little mayonnaise and salt. Good bread is essential. I am partial to that of Alavarado St. Bakery, somewhat hard to come by in these parts, toasted. This, in my opinion, is the most delicious sandwich of all, but it would not be worth the trouble to eat one once the good tomatoes are gone.

2. Grilled cheese. Different kinds of cheese are good. We had some particularly nice ones with Brie the other day. Even better is to have some thinly sliced red onion in it, or some sliced kalamata olives. Again, excellent bread is required, and the Alvarado St Bakery bread is perfect. We have them here cooked in a pan with olive oil on the bread.

3. This was close, and might edge out #2. Pane Cunzatu. You could look it up. We first had these in Sicily. A tasty chewy bread, sort of a flattish ciabatta, sliced the long way, toasted and rubbed liberally with garlic cloves. A good drizzle of olive oil. Rucola, mozzarella, roasted peppers, a bit of tomato, olives and/or capers, and anchovies. Good Sicilian ones. You need a lot of paper towels to deal with the dripping olive oil.

4. Tuna salad. Got to be the good imported stuff, packed in oil. No bumble bee or star-kist. A little mayonnaise, capers, good toasted bread.

Of course there are other delicious sandwiches, but these are the ones I seem to like the best.

C • Sandwiches 15

With R&S at Lake McDonough. I was wearing a pair of water shoes because I thought we were going for a short walk and a swim, but I was mistaken. Anyway, they ended up blistering the top of a few toes on my left foot, so the left shoe came off for the last 3/4 of a mile or so.

Long travel day to RI for the rate hearings. Good news is I was let go around 4:30 and went home. An all-time record.

Very pleasant visit last night and this morning with George and Leslie and sister-in-law Linda, all on their way to meet up with George's brother on his AT through hike somewhere near Hanover NH. They will visit with him at road crossing, re-supply him and the like for a week.

Finally got around to putting my maps from the Italian 5-day together:

stage 1
stage 2
stage 3
stage 4
stage 5 part 1
stage 5 part 2

C • Stage 5, Part 2: #'s 12 and 15 4

C • Maps 6

Pretty nice out. Rhonda was going to Stanclift to swim, so we negotiated a pickup there. I overestimated the time and arrived early which was good, since Rhonda decided there were too many people in the water for swimming to be interesting and one quick look confirmed it. A hot day, but pleasant enough riding on shady country roads. Only hot spot was coming across the dam.

Good session with Eric, back feeling about as good as it has in the last few years, but still a bit tired from the travel. Really good on the DLs and goblet squats.

Long travel day yesterday, thought I would sleep this morning, but up at 3:30. Will probably crash later.

Stopped by Francesca's for a short visit with Tullio and Giulia, who are headed home today.

A little gentle swim at Stanclift with Rhonda, who moves a fair amount faster these days.