Training Log Archive: PG

8:35, 7:30, flat. Didn't want to push it after yesterday's over-distance run. One day at a time.

And a nice Valentine's Day dinner (yeah, a day late) at the Blue Heron, a fine restaurant in what used to be our Town Hall.

From the office, Lovers Lane loop clockwise. One day at a time.

Don't know if it was the positive vibes from Friday the 13th, or Valentine's day today, but there has been serious progress on the leakage front (though not yet while running). It may also have something to do with my I-91 workouts, which I have been very diligent about. Life is good.

A follow-up to yesterday's "training" report --

An observer of me cruising up and down I-91 might have noticed that my speed was varying quite a bit, sometimes on the fast side, sometimes on the slow side. It seems while I was concentrating on one part of my body, I was less aware of the force I was applying to the throttle. So this morning I turned on the cruise control, almost never used, and things were much better.

Just one of many things that I am counting on to make this Friday the 13th an especially lucky day.

So far the other bits of good fortune include a file cabinet drawer that has been sticking, the only way to get it open has been to bang on the one below it. And this morning even that didn't work, and the file I needed was in that drawer. But my client was the mechanical type, and in about 30 seconds he had spotted and extracted a long piece of cardboard, probably part of the original shipping materials. Now the drawer works like a charm.

Have to celebrate small triumphs.

And the other good fortune, though I hesitate to claim it yet, is that it seems, when I am just sort of moseying around, that there has been some real progress on the leakage front. Which would be great. Keep my fingers crossed and keep doing my I-91 routine.

Running is still another matter.

9:00, 8:01, 7:47, flat. One day at a time.

More Friday the 13th good news.

One of my clients, a very old lady, well off, got a letter from the IRS saying she didn't report 110K worth of income. I knew they were wrong, but wasn't sure how hard it would be to prove it. Pulled out the file and everything I needed was right there. So nice.

And everyone today, when I tell them that this is going to be a great Friday the 13th, seems to actually get in a better mood.

Training report of a different nature....

When I went to see the surgeon 10 days ago, and we were talking about my incontinence, he asked if I could stop my stream if I tried, and I said yes, no problem. And he thought that was wonderful, that the right muscles were there and working, they just had to get more used to doing the work. I was less optimistic.

When I got home, next time I took a planned pee, I tested myself and discovered I could mostly stop my stream, but not as well or as completely as I had thought. And if I also coughed at the same time, even quite gently, then I had almost no control. And that was a bit surprising. And quite discouraging.

But there was also a good side to this. To stop peeing when you don't want to, you have to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, and also train yourself to contract them at the moments they are needed (sudden movements). Now there is no Nautilus machine for this, no system where you can see if you are getting stronger by how much weight you can handle or how many reps you can do. No way, in other words of measuring how you are doing.

And I've always thought measuring was an important part of training. You need to have a way of getting legitimate feedback of how you are doing. It's why I've often run regular running races over the years, no orienteering, just to see where my fitness was, either to get the satisfaction that hard work was paying off or the kick in the butt that some hard work was needed. If you just did orienteering, it was so easy to fool yourself.

And peeing in your pants, well, it's been hard to measure. But the realization that I couldn't stop my stream as well as I thought was the classic kick in the butt. And also the way of measuring if there is any improvement.

So it has gotten me much more rigorous in doing the exercises every day, especially when I am driving, especially the few miles up and down I-91 each day. Squeeze hard for a quarter mile, relax for a quarter mile, 10 to 20 reps each time. Then at the end, a session for the fast-twitch part of the muscle (seriously), short intervals, a second or two contract, a second to relax, do it 20 or 30 times.

And then every so often test at the toilet.

I think there is some progress, though still a good ways to go. And I very much like the process. Though I don't plan to log the training.

C • training 1

9:01, 8:28, 8:01, flat.

Back streets in Greenfield, sluggish as ever. Though I should note that it was in the 50s and it was a day for shorts. Route.

Usual early Tuesday morning class (as long as I get up in time).

9:37, 8:58, flat.

Snowmobile trails in Montague. Warm, so the snow was on the soft side. Which I would like to use as an escuse for having to stop three times going up the main hill. But mainly my conditioning just sucks. Feeling more and more like a permanent condition.

Just generally feeling a little tired. And way too much work to do. Don't have the time or the energy right now for tax tales....

C • Returning energy 2