Sciatica

http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/exercise-sciatica-degenerative-disc-disease

Pacific Crest Trail

No topo, but impressive.

Pacific Crest Trail

Interactive elevation maps
http://www.bearcant.org/elevation.php

Our Vehicles | ECORENT

Bike rental in Tuscany

Sample self guided tour

Our Vehicles | ECORENT

Blood Pressure Chart - Normal Blood Pressure Range

Interesting use of graphics, ranges, context specific (i.e. evening BP) readings, etc.

Blood Pressure Chart - Normal Blood Pressure Range: "Systolic vs. Diastolic Blood Pressure Range - Units = millimeters of mercury"

Phys Ed: Can Running Actually Help Your Knees? - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

These studies partially explain my experience with knee pain. I think they underestimate the value of increased flexibility in the hips and ankles. I also suspect that regular modest stress brings more blood flow to the joint facilitating regeneration. Finally, I suspect anti-inflammatory help slow down degeneration because the degeneration is caused by the inflamation itself -- at least partially.

Phys Ed: Can Running Actually Help Your Knees? - Well Blog - NYTimes.com: "An article in Skeletal Radiology, a well-respected journal, created something of a sensation in Europe last year. It reported that researchers from Danube Hospital in Austria examined the knees of marathon runners using M.R.I. imaging, before and after the 1997 Vienna marathon. Ten years later, they scanned the same runners’ knees again. The results were striking. “No major new internal damage in the knee joints of marathon runners was found after a 10-year interval,” the researchers reported."

Processing 1.0

Thanks to Ugo Sangiorgi's twitter feed for this...

Processing 1.0: "Download

Processing is an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation, and interactions. It is used by students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists for learning, prototyping, and production. It is created to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context and to serve as a software sketchbook and professional production tool. Processing is an alternative to proprietary software tools in the same domain."

The site lists books, material on building from MIT, etc.

Progress in 6 months

Last January 24 I posted:
This week:: 90 minutes @4.0 mph with 1500 ft., elevation gain. HR=151.


I suspect I did not go quite that fast, because until today I've never done that well. Today, however, was a piece of cake:
This week:: 90 minutes @4.1 mph with 1650 ft., elevation gain. HR=140.

A year ago I'd frequently plan on a 4 mph x 1000 ft/hr pace, but I never quite felt like it. Today was easy & its not been a good week for sleep, relaxation, etc.

July 2, 2006 Hotlum-Wintum (Mt. Shasta, CA)

Looks like a nice route for a late spring ski/board trip. Where are the kites?

July 2, 2006 Hotlum-Wintum (Mt. Shasta, CA): "July 2, 2006 Hotlum-Wintum (Mt. Shasta, CA)
« on: 07/05/06, 09:14 PM »
Self-registration is possible at Brewer Creek trailhead (20 miles from Hwy 97), so no need to visit Shasta City or McCloud. Nice camp at 10200', just don't turn over any rocks. Up at sunrise, off an hour later, leisurely non-technical hike to the summit without crampons or skins. 7000' of skiing to within 100yds of the car (1/2 mile from the trailhead.) Slightly sticky corn conditions like Adams SW chutes sounded, with smaller crowds, longer drive (545miles each way.) Much smoother and more consistent snow than Rainier sounded."

Norm values for VO2max

V02Max is often estimated with the Balke Test.
Talk about making things too complicted! Since the real value is almost never available, why not just publish values for distance in a 15 minute test -- with separate tests for runners, swimmers, etc.?

In other words, for most people, its not VO2Max that is important, it is the useful work they can perform -- i.e. distance they can cover.

More interesting, would be a measurement of how fast they recover. A good result with a slow recovery may indicate poor health and strong motivation while a more modest result with a rapid recovery may indicate excellent health and poor motivation.
Norm values for VO2max: "This table categorizes VO2max scores for adult men and women of various ages. These are relative VO2max scores, in the units of mls of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute."

For my money, Cooper's tests make more sense for most people, although a serious understanding of VO2Max and lactate threshold certainly benefit a serious athlete.

No Orcas: Watch out Sun Mountian

Did not get into Oracas. Probably a good thing. But, I'm getting ready for the Sun Mountian 50/25 k on April 11th which will give me much more training time.

This weeks hardest workout was a significant step up -- but I can't make such a big step often -- probably not until after Sun Mountain.

As a bonus, I'll get to see Elsa, Emmet, Cory, Ann, Seth, Jerry and Molly!

Last week:: 60 minutes @ 3.3 mph with 1,000 ft. elevation gain. HR = 151.

This week:: 90 minutes @4.0 mph with 1500 ft., elevation gain. HR=151.

50 % longer; 50 % higher; 80 % more distance.

However, I'm tired. It will take a few days to recover.

That result was a good example of the combination of improved sleep and improved feeding. The latter is only possible when one gets the muscles really tired and then gives them 20 % protein and 80 % carbs -- in a hurry.

I still have a major way to improve diet :: use of R4 as a replacement drink after workouts and diluted by 50 % during workouts -- especially for anything over 45 minutes.

Ready for Orcas 25K on 7 Feb?

No.

I may not be able to get in to the Orcas 25k, but if I do, it will be a real stretch -- its 14 miles and 3500 feet of elevation. I've had little exercise for a month [Nasty cold.] and I was not in great shape anyway.

Here is the plan:

• 8 level 2-3 classes before the race.
• 4 1 hr treadmill workout/tests: pace 3.3 mph; elevation gain 1,000 ft.
• 4 runs in hills 5-8 miles each.
• 3 hikes averaging 5 hours each.
• cut back the plan if the average HR for the treadmill test is above 155.
• place lots of emphasis on feeding; I can't change my fitness much in 3 weeks, but I can get the feeding down and have a good idea about pace.

Results so far:

1. Treadmill test with HR=151; that includes: 5 minute warm up 3 mph @ 5 % incline; one 5 minute break walking on the level at only 3 mph; and one 8 minute cool down walking at 3 mph. 3.3 mph @ 1,000 ft/hr does the 3,500 ft of climbing in 3.5 hours with 2.45 miles to go. So if I can maintain that pace for 4 hours, I'll have a time between 4 and 4.5 hours. I won't be the last at that rate, but I won't be close to the top half. A HR of 151 is about a 70% effort for me; there is some chance I can maintain it.