Journal/Blog

A Struggle

It's a struggle. Too many interests and not enough motivation to use all the hours in a day productively. I restarted my pursuit of learning Calculus. Unfortunately in high school in my senior year, I started working at night. I had an excellent math teacher (same one for 4 year high school). From Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and then Advanced Tri/Pre-calculus. My grades dropped. I wasted the 4th year of math, the rest of school was pretty much a waste of time. I don't even remember what else I had for courses in my senior year. Now, it hurts. But, when you're 18, have bought your own car, beer in the trunk and folding money...and it did help establish a good work ethic. I'm not sure if it was a bad thing. I was sick of school in my junior year and came very close to dropping out.


Let bygones be bygones, it is what it is. I'm doing online courses for math now. I started with Algebra I as a review and I can still remember much of what I was taught. Admittedly, I did try to keep those skills active throughout my working career. Now, I'm straining my brain to learn something I have absolutely no real-life need for. However, it does keep my brain working. Being at the age when dementia can raise its ugly head, I do try to keep my braincells active.


Meanwhile, I'm also taking an online course in writing and keeping up, not doing assignments but they aren't required. I do plan on saving all the lessons for future review and if time permits, I may go back and do some of those assignments. It's in the back of my mind.


Tomorrow I turn 70. Wow! I never expected that. Both of my brothers (older) have heart issues but, knock on wood, I'm fortunate in that aspect. My mother had a healthy heart and it appears I inherited that aspect. I have been quite active in cardio pursuits over the years, not constant but my resting heart rate in in the low 60's and 50's. Once I get back onto my bicycle, I expect it to be consistently in the mid-50s like it was when I was actively running. I never enjoyed running but it was something to do while in my off hours while stationed in the Navy in Guam. I took it serious for a while. However, getting married and adapting to married life put a halt to running. I'm not sure why that is.


Over the years, I have ridden bicycle off and on. Not casual riding but putting effort into it. However, I was never an endurance rider. I got started again this summer after having to take many years off due to stability issues, medication related. I've been having to take a pause after shoulder surgery since the doctor is very concerned I'll fall and smack the shoulder and screw it all up. I've determined that the weekend after turkey day I will start up again. That will be 7 weeks post surgery.


I did start walking again. In years past, I walked a lot. 5 or more miles was nothing. Then the knees went south, the back went south and my hips started to complain. I started this time since I can't ride and was going every other day. This week I've started daily but I only go a half mile. The end of my street is sloped, only a 14 foot elevation change but it is tough. When I go to the VA hospital, it seems like the places I need to go are on the third floor so I take the stairs. Whew! I am huffing and puffing after two floors. I think the walking will help with that. I hope to work up to a mile a day in a few weeks. I also started taking one of the dogs with me. They are very overweight and don't get exercise other than running around the back yard. For them a half mile seems about right, maybe a bit much for the collie but she should work into the. The Belgian Malinois also seems to get pooped at a half mile but that breed will run 10 miles, get a drink and run another 10. I'm sure she'll adapt quickly. Both enjoy it but the collie wasn't near as excited at the halfway point yesterday.


I thought when I started riding again that I would drop some weight. I didn't even though I was really pushing it. I'm not a speed demon but I tried to stay under 10 minute miles. I had some very hilly terrain for my routes. I try to stay off the main road and just ride through subdivisions but they are all relatively small so it took major effort to get up to a decent distance. I was up to 12.5 miles once and had a total of over 45 for the week. That was leaving out one seemingly forever hill climb since I would have not been able to go as far had I included it. The plan is to do shorter rides but include that hill. I'd like 30 miles a week but I may have to satisfy myself with 25. That's still 100 miles a month.


A bigger question is if I can continue my walking as well. Not so much for me but the dogs really need it. I'd like to have them drop several pounds before their next vet visit next year. Interestingly, since I started walking I have actually lost several pounds.I was at about 212 for a long time (not all that many years ago I was pushing 240). I got down to 210 range, then 204 but I took two courses of prednisone for bronchitis and went up to 208 and could not get it to drop. Finally, back down to 204 and gradually down to 202 but the 200 mark seemed impossible to break. I started to track calories but eating less than my body needed didn't seem to have much of an impact. The walking does seem to have been the key though as I broke below 200 this week. My target for years has been 180 but I revised that to 170 due to my lower back issues. When I went in to boot camp I was 163 and I was solid muscle. My job was quite physically demanding. Boot camp was not as much the case and they made me eat 3 times a day, I gained 10 pounds and I've only gone up from there.


I think I've rambled long enough and it's getting to be my bedtime. I'll call this a wrap.It's a struggle. Too many interests and not enough motivation to use all the hours in a day productively. I restarted my pursuit of learning Calculus. Unfortunately in high school in my senior year, I started working at night. I had an excellent math teacher (same one for 4 year high school). From Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and then Advanced Tri/Pre-calculus. My grades dropped. I pretty much wasted that year in school, well, I wasted the 4th year of math, the rest of school was pretty much a waste of time. I don't even remember what else I had for courses in my senior year. Now, it hurts. But, when you're 18, have bought your own car, beer in the trunk and folding money...and it did help establish a good work ethic. I'm not sure if it was a bad thing. I was sick of school in my junior year and came very close to dropping out.


Let bygones be bygones, it is what it is. I'm doing online courses for math now. I started with Algebra I as a review and I can still remember much of what I was taught. Admittedly, I did try to keep those skills active throughout my working career. Now, I'm straining my brain to learn something I have absolutely no real-life need for. However, it does keep my brain working. Being at the age when dementia can raise its ugly head, I do try to keep my braincells active.


Meanwhile, I'm also taking an online course in writing and keeping up, not doing assignments but they aren't required. I do plan on saving all the lessons for future review and if time permits, I may go back and do some of those assignments. It's in the back of my mind.


Tomorrow I turn 70. Wow! I never expected that. Both of my brothers (older) have heart issues but, knock on wood, I'm fortunate in that aspect. My mother had a healthy heart and it appears I inherited that aspect. I have been quite active in cardio pursuits over the years, not constant but my resting heart rate in in the low 60's and 50's. Once I get back onto my bicycle, I expect it to be consistently in the mid-50s like it was when I was actively running. I never enjoyed running but it was something to do while in my off hours while stationed in the Navy in Guam. I took it serious for a while. However, getting married and adapting to married life put a halt to running. I'm not sure why that is.


Over the years, I have ridden bicycle off and on. Not casual riding but putting effort into it. However, I was never an endurance rider. I got started again this summer after having to take many years off due to stability issues, medication related. I've been having to take a pause after shoulder surgery since the doctor is very concerned I'll fall and smack the shoulder and screw it all up. I've determined that the weekend after turkey day I will start up again. That will be 7 weeks post surgery.


I did start walking again. In years past, I walked a lot. 5 or more miles was nothing. Then the knees went south, the back went south and my hips started to complain. I started this time since I can't ride and was going every other day. This week I've started daily but I only go a half mile. The end of my street is sloped, only a 14 foot elevation change but it is tough. When I go to the VA hospital, it seems like the places I need to go are on the third floor so I take the stairs. Whew! I am huffing and puffing after two floors. I think the walking will help with that. I hope to work up to a mile a day in a few weeks. I also started taking one of the dogs with me. They are very overweight and don't get exercise other than running around the back yard. For them a half mile seems about right, maybe a bit much for the collie but she should work into the. The Belgian Malinois also seems to get pooped at a half mile but that breed will run 10 miles, get a drink and run another 10. I'm sure she'll adapt quickly. Both enjoy it but the collie wasn't near as excited at the halfway point yesterday.


I thought when I started riding again that I would drop some weight. I didn't even though I was really pushing it. I'm not a speed demon but I tried to stay under 10 minute miles. I had some very hilly terrain for my routes. I try to stay off the main road and just ride through subdivisions but they are all relatively small so it took major effort to get up to a decent distance. I was up to 12.5 miles once and had a total of over 45 for the week. That was leaving out one seemingly forever hill climb since I would have not been able to go as far had I included it. The plan is to do shorter rides but include that hill. I'd like 30 miles a week but I may have to satisfy myself with 25. That's still 100 miles a month.


A bigger question is if I can continue my walking as well. Not so much for me but the dogs really need it. I'd like to have them drop several pounds before their next vet visit next year. Interestingly, since I started walking I have actually lost several pounds.I was at about 212 for a long time (not all that many years ago I was pushing 240). I got down to 210 range, then 204 but I took two courses of prednisone for bronchitis and went up to 208 and could not get it to drop. Finally, back down to 204 and gradually down to 202 but the 200 mark seemed impossible to break. I started to track calories but eating less than my body needed didn't seem to have much of an impact. The walking does seem to have been the key though as I broke below 200 this week. My target for years has been 180 but I revised that to 170 due to my lower back issues. When I went in to boot camp I was 163 and I was solid muscle. My job was quite physically demanding. Boot camp was not as much the case and they made me eat 3 times a day, I gained 10 pounds and I've only gone up from there.


I think I've rambled long enough and it's getting to be my bedtime. I'll call this a wrap.