30 days to Cardio Improvement

Okay, well my knee still hurts but it's not as bad as it was and I have been able to walk and work out at the gym. So I'm very grateful for that!
Monday morning I did my walk outdoors with friends: that is SO much nicer and more fun to me than working out on the treadmill, I can't even tell you! Especially on a beautiful spring May morning with peonies about to pop and the sun so much higher in the sky at 8:00 am than it was the week before. The bird song. The smells. All excellent.
I try to time my treadmill work to coincide with programs I want to watch on TV, like Dancin' with the Stars. So last night, my workout at the gym began at 8:30 pm and ended at 10, when the place closed. I got five sets in, 10 minutes each, at 15 degrees elevation, wtih 5 minute rest periods in between when I did all 5 sets of my PT exercises to strengthen my knee. Getting the speed up to about 2.3 mph on the walking without going over 160 heart rate.
Encouraged, this morning I got to the gym about 8:30 am and did three sets at 10 degrees. I was getting the speed up to about 2.8 mph. Definitely sweat a lot; I had to go home and shower before going to work,
Didn't make it back to the gym tonight but hope to get up early and hit it when it opens tomorrow morning and then maybe again later in the day, if possible.
Talked to my golf league tonight about the frustration of not knowing whether the Grand Canyon trip is going to happen in June or be cancelled. It's out of my hands, at least the variable of whether or not we'll be able to spend at least one night in the Canyon. And that's a requirement, as far and we're concerned. It's clear that our trip leaders are putting forth extraordinary effort and doing everything they can to pull it off. In the end, if it doesn't work, it just wasn't meant to be.
But meanwhile, I have already paid for a gym membership until June 15. So why not take advantage of it and get my money's worth by building up my cardio fitness? Whether we end up going to the Canyon in June or later on, it's still worth it and a worthy goal, right?
It's funny; I've always said I'd continue to walk outdoors every day for at least an hour or two after I got back from our trip. Well now, life is testing me to see whether or not that's true, isn't it? The journey to better health and staying fit is a valuable habit to cultivate regardless of what happens regarding our vacation.
But can I tell you? I truly enjoy the outdoor walks and hiking and will be glad and motivated to keep doing that. But if I wasn't so cheap (tight, Scotch), I doubt I'd be doing this treadmill work every day without the goal of hiking out of the Grand Canyon to the North Rim.

Stuff Happens

I think having a strong will is usually a blessing but it can also curse. Went to the gym Saturday morning at 8:30 am and did pretty well on the treadmill with five sets at 10 degrees. Thinking how I can do this and see improvement already after only a few days. Hubris!
Then my knee went out while I was doing my PT exercises. I could feel it sort of go out of alignment but I couldn't get it back in again and now it hurts all the time, especially going downstairs. Scares me. But it feels just like it did when I got that cortisone shot back in November and after that, everything was okay. I've already got one of those shots scheduled June 3, right before the trip; maybe I should just try to get it sooner.
When I was worried about my breathing and cardio fitness on uphill hikes, I took how good my knee's been feeling lately for granted. Not so, now. But then, a phone call from my trip mates telling me to check my email inbox. Apparently, there may not be a Grand Canyon trip because we don't have overnight spots at Phantom Ranch or Bright Angel Campground and we can't hike rim to rim without knowing we have a place to spend the night, eat, etc. (At least I can't!)
About that will thing. Boy, it's hard not to be devastated or freak out when when I want gets thwarted! But maybe learning how to live with that is the blessing.
Maybe I'm not meant to go in June this year for some reason. Maybe we'll be able to hike the Grand Canyon some other time, when Laurie and Traci can come too. Stuff happens. Usually for a reason, though I may not know it at the time. Maybe things will still work out. We'll see.
How often have I said how enjoyable the journey to getting fit for this trip has been? A lot! Even if we're disappointed in our hopes to hike the Grand Canyon next month, I feel like I've already been on vacation this year: at least once a week in my own hometown.
I guess I don't need to worry about going to the gym and working on the treadmill tomorrow morning but I'm still going on my daily walks, even though my knee still hurts. I didn't treadmill today because I had the privilege of hosting Mother's Day brunch for my mom and dad and family. This afternoon, I did plenty of walking up and down the basement steps getting my patio furniture out and setting up the porches.
What will tomorrow bring? That's the biggest adventure of all, isn't it?!

Perfect is the Enemy of Good

Like "Beware of what you wish for cause you might get it!," "Perfect is the Enemy of Good" is one of my favorite and most-used cliches. I think it was true for me today.
Last night, Jenny and Margie and I walked up the 500 steps to the top of Mt. Adams. I was encouraged because a few years ago when we took an 11-mile backpacking trip in the Hocking Hills, I couldn't keep up with Margie and she was always having to wait for me. But last night, it seemed like she couldn't keep up with me. And I was keeping pretty good pace with Jenny, who works out all the time and who I consider in way better shape than me.
So, the not-so-perfect parts were that we went for a cheeseburger and a beer after the hike:) And I just couldn't get going this morning and missed working out on the treadmill and my regular weekly walk.
Still, I did make it to the gym an hour before they closed and got three and a half 10 minute sets in at 15 degrees and 2 mph. Heart rate stayed below 150 the whole time, which seems better than earlier this week.
And I can go twice tomorrow, so I plan to do my first hour at 3 mph and 10 degrees and then hit the 15 degree sets later in the day.
Now for a nice juicy steak and some spinach; yum!

Making the Time

They say to look at two books to see what you're giving priority to: your checkbook and your datebook. The first money I've actually spent on my training, aside from buying good hiking boots and socks, is the $20 a month it costs to go to this gym nearby that has the treadmills. I went again for an hour last night and did four 10-minute intervals at 13.5 to 15 degrees at 2 mph. Taking 5 minutes rest between each of the four intervals, my heart rate starting each one progressed from 104 to 119. When heart rate got over 155, I didn't want to lower the mph, so I just lowered the elevation instead, from 15 at the beginning down to 13.5 at the end.

I'm thinking that what I need to gain confidence doing is 10-15 degrees elevation at 2-3 mph, right?

The good news is that I'm not unusually sore or tired today and did my regular walk in the park with friends this morning for an hour. Tonight we're going to walk up the 500 steps from Montgomery Inn Boathouse to Immaculata Church on top of Mt. Adams. Today I'm carrying weight: my backpack with the water and food I plan to have for the Canyon.

What I've found is that much like with painting, if I don't make an appointment on my calendar to do this stuff, and keep it, it doesn't get done. The datebook is harder than the checkbook for me, because I have to make sure I do enough painting every day, take good care of the part-time work that keeps me financially secure, and then train for this hike.

So I made calendar appointments for 2 separate hours each day on the treadmill: 1 at 10 degrees starting at 2.5 mph and shooting for 3. The one's easier. Then, later in the day, another hour walking 2 mph at 15 degrees. Having done that the last couple of days, it seems like it will be good for me to work cardio for a target heart rate of 145-155 two hours a day. I'm sure I'll have some days off here and there, but I still have appointments set to do the treadmill at least once every day.

I've heard plenty of horror stories about hikers who were not up to the challenge of the Grand Canyon! One girl I met on a hike got so dehydrated, she was helicoptered out. A trainer I met at the gym said she did our same hike last summer with her mother-in-law and father-in-law, only they started on the North Rim and walked out the South. She said if you walk in, you have to walk out on your own two feet, no matter how bad you feel. And that they don't helicopter in lightly because that's so dangerous, rescuers have been killed by downdrafts. This trainer's mother-in-law was in trouble the whole time: it took them 12 hours to hike down and 17 hours to hike up and she was sick and miserable the entire trip. I DON'T WANT THAT!!

So I'm taking this seriously. Having walked at least 1-2 hours outdoors every single day since January, I'm seldom ever getting too tired or sore walking longer. Being able to walk uphill all day 10-15 degrees is my goal. Doc says if we leave at 6 am, he'd like our group to get to the top of the North Rim between 1-4 pm. That's 6-10 hours. I think it's 14 miles. If I could walk that at a steady 2 mph, it would take 7 hours, right?

Getting to 3
I have sweat (sweated?) more in the past three days than I have since I can remember! Doc said walking 3 mph at 10 degrees incline vs. 2 mph at 15 degrees would be good too. So this morning, I decided to see if I could make it at 3 mph.
Pleasantly surprised to note plenty of treadmills still available at the gym at 7:30 am; yay! Decided to do my PT stretches before the first 10 minutes of tread. Also looked up heart rate on the Internet this am. Looks like for my age (55 this year), I should shoot for 140-150 to get a good cardio workout but stay below 160-165.
My resting heart rate before I started walking was 104. Started slowly at 2.5 mph and 10 degrees incline. Over the course of the 10 minutes, I tried to bump it up 0.1 mph at a time. Per Doc, took 5 minutes off between sets instead of only 2 minutes.
By the 4th and last set of 10 minutes, I was getting up to 3 mph but my heart rate was up to 160 then too. In fact, my face was still red 20 minutes after I got home. Maybe not a good thing?
So, tonight I'm hoping to go back over there again and do some more sets, this time at 15 degrees from 2-2.5 mph. I figure if I do treadmill twice a day, I'll do one hour at 10 degrees and 2.5-3 mph and then the other hour at 15 degrees and 2-2.5 mph.
Tomorrow I have 2 walks planned instead: 1 hour in the morning (flat) and will do the stairs at Mt. Adams up to Immaculata after I'm done painting up there early evening. Maybe Lana or Glenda will join me.

Treadmill Surprises!
All year long, as I have reveled in walking outdoors, I've been down on treadmills. But now I need one. One thing I'll admit: I haven't broken a sweat walking outside the way I have the last 2 days on a treadmill!
I'm kind of encouraged by today's hour at the gym. Yesterday I couldn't finish 4 intervals of 10 minutes each at 15 degrees and 2 mph. My heart rate was over 160 and I quit before the last ten minutes was up. Today I finished 5 intervals of 10 minutes each at 15 degrees and 2 mph and my heart rate was around 140.
Tonight I'm going to golf for about 3 hours, walking with a pull cart at a hilly course, so I didn't want to overdo the treadmill today.
One of the biggest challenges is fitting workout time into each day. I'm looking at my calendar today and trying to schedule in 1-2 treadmill works every day. The gym's close by and is open plenty of hours, so early mornings and late evenings are possible. Have to check my walking schedule that I already worked out for May to substitute treadmill time, unless the hiking holds the potential to give me the cardio work I need.
Some of the things that surprised me about the treadmill are the following:

• It has a built-in TV that I can plug my iPod headphones into and watch while I walk. Wow, how high-tech is that?!
• It can count the minutes up or down; the trainer told me a lot of people get a psychological boost having it count down vs. up. Go figure.
• I can put my hands on a bar and it tells me my heart rate. And there's a display right in front of me the whole time that shows when I'm getting good cardio workout vs. too high (you wouldn't believe how red my face was when I stopped yesterday)
• I can pause it for 2 minutes and get a drink of water from my bottle or do some PT exercises to strengthen my knees in between sets
• There are actually picture windows to look out of and see the sunshine too

So once again, my prejudice against something has caught up with me and I've been proven wrong. You'd think I'd learn from this eventually, wouldn't you?

38 Days Starts Today

We're hiking down from the South Rim about 11 miles and spending the night at Phantom Ranch. Seven months ago I was worried about the downhill trip but now I think my knee will make it. I'm more worried about the next day, 14 miles up the North Rim.

It will take about 6 hours at 10-15 degree elevation at 3 miles per hour, so I was advised to begin on a treadmill at 15 degrees walking 10 minute intervals as fast as I can. Currently I walk 3 miles per hour on flat surface without elevation, so I started out at a 2 mile/hour pace.

Oh no!! I couldn't even complete four (4) ten minute intervals at 15 degrees and 2.1 miles per hour. Oh well. I guess this is just like not being able to make more than 1 loop at Miami Whitewater. I'll have to start at ground zero and work my way up.

So my plan is to go over to the gym 2-3 times a day until I can do five (5) ten minute intervals at 15 degrees 2 miles per hour. Then I'll put on my backpack and begin doing it with weight on my back. Then I'll try to start upping my speed from 2 miles per hour in small increments until I get up to 3 miles per hour.

I have 38 days. Can I get to the point where I can do 3 hours a day 15 degrees at 3 miles per hour with a loaded backpack? If I do, how ready will that make me to hike out the North Rim? I was sweating and breathing hard going less than 40 minutes at 2 miles per hour today and my heart rate was 150-160.

Being Slow and Running Out of Breath

When I started walking in January, I could barely make one loop of the 3 loops at a trailhead in Miami Whitewater forest. I got down but friends encouraged me, telling me if I kept walking, I'd be able to do more. And, sure enough, by March I could do all 3 loops, no problem.

Advice from our tour guide suggested carrying backpacks containing as much weight as we'll carry on the trip (mostly water). My personality is such that I'd want to put in all 4 one-liter bottles the first time out but I started with one bottle. At first, even that slowed me down on morning walks through neighborhood streets. But then when it got easier, I added a second bottle until I could carry that easily.

The big scare came when I tried a 3 hour hike at Fort Hill with the OKI Trailblazers. It started with a steep hill and I was breathing hard and just couldn't keep up with the group. I could make it, just so much slower than everybody else! They were nice and left a "sweep" person with me but I realized what a ball and chain I might be to the rest of our group if I don't build up my cardio before the trip.

Corey says I should be able to go up and down 30 flights of stairs without hurting or getting sore and up 5 flights fast without getting winded. Checked my progress by "summiting" Mt. Adams from the Friendship Park to the top of Immaculata Church steps. I can do the 30 flights but getting winded is a problem. I have about 38 days to solve it!

Being Outdoors 2 Hours a Day

One of the biggest benefits I've already received from this trip is spending at least one hour outdoors walking every day. Our friend Laurie laughed when I told her how good it felt, because she followed Dr. Spock's prescription in his book about raising children even though Ryan complained that she made him go outside every day, rain or shine.

Spock's book advocated 2-3 hours a day for kids. Based on what I've experienced, I swear by that advice for adults too!

Starting January 2, I began walking outdoors every single day for 1-2 hours. I don't like to walk alone and it was dark a lot this winter so I began checking out web sites like www.meetup.com for walking groups and found the Tri State Hiking Club and OKI Trailblazers. Then I discovered organized hikes via the online calendars published by the Hamilton County Park District and Cincinnati Nature Center.

It was great! Even on the snowiest days, I was taking evening walks in local parks with groups of people and meeting new friends. I've been learning how and what to plant this spring and seen all kinds of wildlife that inspires my painting.

Sedentary to Grand Canyon Hiker in 7 months

Ever since my friend Suellen lived in Arizona and hiked into the Grand Canyon for her 25th birthday, I have dreamed of doing this trip. Because I broke both legs on a ski trip with Suellen, she allayed my fears of the risks of this trip by signing us up with University of Wisconsin Stevens Point's Adventure Tours, a group trip led by an M.D. and exercise physiologist who has hiked the canyon successfully numerous times.

As of 7 months before our trip, I could barely walk down a flight of stairs because my left knee hurt so bad. Booking this trip forced me to see the orthopedic surgeon who put my knee back together after the skiing accident 25 years ago. He gave me the green light and my first cortisone shot, which made me feel like I had a new knee and took care of the soreness.