It's All About Timing (1).

Definitely Not the Winter Season.

Mojo's Runner, used with permission.

As of today, all is going well re The GREAT Canadian Comeback. I'm running about 4 times per week, between 2.75 - 5 miles, within my limited limits*, feeling very healthy.

And 'healthy' is the key word. I'm walking and running about 40 miles per week and enjoying workouts at the YMCA and on city pathways 5 or 6 days out of seven. I'm putting the time in but not pushing to become that runner I was in the past. 

While sorting photo files I came across one of my favourites of all-time, from a U.S. blogger (James, aka Mojo). And I also found a few of mine that appear to have been taken about the same time of year. So, with my fun and fitness routine marching along at a good and steady pace, I thought I'd tip my hat to familiar paths.

 Harris Park, London. Beside the Thames River.

 As I exit Harris Pk. and head toward Gibbons Park.

 Beside a community garden near Ann Street, south of Oxford St.

 From my front porch, Ground Zero for several walks and runs per week.

 Yes, there are other ways to travel.

The runner in the top photo reminds me of many a winter run while I trained for marathons with a solid group of London runners. Some of them are still out there, putting more miles into the bank.

Not many thoughts enter my mind about increasing my distance to 6 - 13.1 miles this year (e.g., for a fall half-marathon), but if I stay healthy then one never knows.

*limited limits, i.e., around 10 - 11 minutes per mile, a fair bit slower than 15 years ago when I ran most distances from 6 to 26.2 miles at 8 minutes-per-mile or faster. The GREAT Canadian Comeback is more a state of mind than about going faster and farther.

Please link to Running Toward Summertime (2).

Photos GH

Running Toward Summertime (2).

More Notes From a Slacker.

Looking east from Wortley Road toward downtown London.

One of my favourite walk/run routes takes me north from Old South to Baldwin Flats and beyond, e.g., to the 4.0 KM marker on the TVP (Thames Valley Parkway) just north of the University of Western Ontario. I walk for a mile, run an 8.0 km. loop, then walk the last mile home from the Fork of the Thames. Nothing fancy about it, just familiar, with two water stops nicely located adjacent to the TVP.

Middle of the Flats, about 1 km. north of Gibbons Park.

My running speed and stamina (slow and steady) and distances are in a comfortable range. I will never return to the level of running fitness I possessed during my marathoning years but - on the bright side - I am very satisfied with my current running habit that is securely within my limits.

Feeling the breeze blow through what's left of my hair is a very good thing! And svelteness is a worthy goal within my reach : )

Photos from along the way:

 July 18 - 20: I am alternating indoor (YMCA) and outdoor runs/walks

Monthly records help me see how I am doing re speed and distance 

On June 27 I had a PB, i.e., a Personal Best, on the treadmill. 

 Working my way toward another PB after a 10-day break from action

 In the Lifting Weights Dept., I am closing in on 8,000 reps!

In spite of the busy-ness of summertime, I feel I am continuing to have productive times at the YMCA and on the city pathways. Last year I hit the wall during the summer ("Too darn hot and muggy to walk or run today!" I said several times) but the A/C at the Y has helped me maintain a consistent fun and fitness routine.

 Heading south on the TVP in Baldwin Flats

Productive times in my workshop as well. 

Good times on my motorcycle as well. Above, Port Bruce.

More to follow.

Please link to Running Toward Summertime (1).

Photos GH

Running Toward Summertime (1).

A Note From a Slacker.

Now, where was I? Only my motorcycle knows for sure.

My last entry was made here on May 2, 2019. For a guy who claims to be making The GREAT Canadian Comeback I sure don't check in very often with progress reports.

If I was training to go to the moon - and what I'm doing is truly on par with that concept - surely, there would be lots to say about how I'm adapting to my studies about going into space ("Did I pass 'Becoming an Astronaut 101'?"), how I am handling anti-gravity pills and where I finally got my hands on a spacesuit that actually fits my big head and short legs.

My apologies. May was a busy month in the workshop and my motorcycle sits outside my bedroom window and calls to me on sunny mornings.

That being said, May was a productive month. Statistic-wise I broke a record. Goal-wise (re the pursuit of ultimate svelteness), I felt closer than ever. And detail- and number-wise, oh, I've got some fine details, I've got numbers.

"Hear all about it! Hear all about it!" (May records)

When I draw a running shoe in my monthly journal it means I completed a workout of 2 or more miles that day. Above one will see lots of running shoes, 27 during the 31 days of May. Total miles covered in May reached 188.75, my personal best since I started keeping detailed records of such things. Not bad for a geezer.

Example - May 22 - 24.

On May 22 I completed a walk/run of 6.0 miles. The day before I ran 5.0 miles (averaging about 11 minutes per mile) as part of a 7-mile walk/run, and I assume my speed was similar on both days. Slow and steady, I say. Within my limits.

On May 23 I walked to the YMCA, ran 2.25 miles on a treadmill at 8.1 kph (with 4 walking breaks) and, when converted to miles, averaged a speed of 12:15 per mile. And, for the first time in many years (est. 2006 - 2007) my weight fell under 150 pounds. Thus the "YAY" in my journal. The number 7170 (lower right in above photo) refers to total number of reps completed since I started recording my short workouts with free weights at home, and later with free weights and weight machines at the Y.

On May 24 I returned to the YMCA for my 137th visit since November 1, 2018, ran 2.25 miles at 8.1 kph with only 2 walking breaks and averaged 12:09 per mile. Slow progress to be sure, but at least I'm not going backwards.

One day in the future, I will likely see that my progress plateaus or levels out, but for now I can honestly say I am charting improvements with many numbers re my fun and fitness routine. 

I kept track of each walk/run in April and May. Speed slowly improved.

And I dropped walking breaks before May came to an end.

A few of my numbers slowly crept north as the month of May progressed. As well, occasionally, when a pleasant day appeared, I walked and ran north on one of our city's multi-purpose pathways and compared my running speed on tarmac to that on the YMCA treadmill.

I was quite surprised by the results. My outdoor speed is significantly faster than the indoor speed. Though I have been increasing the treadmill speed very gradually, it is not near what I achieve when out-of-doors, and I'm not sure why. 

Might it be because I am not paying as much attention to speed when I'm outside? I don't know, but I'll think about this interesting result.

(Surely there is a simple answer*).

Photos From Along The Way:

Lovely days on London's pathways.

*Maybe I pick up speed on downhills and 'carry it' for 100 metres or so. Maybe I speed up because of a wind at my back. Maybe I'm capable of faster speeds but am just being overly cautious at the YMCA (due to an earlier aggravation with a sore hip). Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about?

: )

Please link to A Better Idea (2).

Photos by GH

A Better Idea (2).

Daily Record Makes More Sense Now.

I record details re my exercise routine, motorcycle trips, and more*.

Many of us take a goodly number of photos per week as a way to "see again" or reveal certain aspects of our exciting lives. A few of us create written records as well, e.g., on a blog or in a journal of sorts, etc. I do both on a regular basis, and some of the items I record in a handy-dandy pocket calendar - related to my exercise/fun and fitness routine - are not only piling up but providing me with a fairly comprehensive look at how I'm progressing toward important goals.

I'm on my fifth yearly calendar (2019). I think I'm getting somewhere.

 My daily entries relate to my weight, distance covered via walks, runs, etc.

 I convert weekly (walk/run) mileage to a 10-week average. It's going north : )

'Total Miles' are higher because (at the YMCA) I regularly ride an exercise bike

for about 40 minutes before a walk/run on a treadmill.

 Record keeping is a good idea for some people!

Now, when I record my monthly totals for walk/runs I can see how I have been doing for the last five years. There's nothing really scientific about the numbers but they help me form a few reasonable impressions about my routine:

I get out the door (GOTD) 80 - 90% of the days per year (93.3% in April).

So, I've got a pretty solid habit re fun and fitness.

My monthly mileage total [for brisk walks, slow runs, and cycling (36 min. = 2 miles)] hovers around a manageable 180 mi.

My average mileage total per outing hovers around 6.5 mi.

My weight is solidly in the 145 - 155 pound range, down from 163 lb.

The number of pushups, situps and reps (on 6 weight machines) is at 2,000 so far for 2019, and approaching 7,000 total (since adding these efforts to my routine).

I have no aches or pains.

So, I feel I have a pretty solid and reliable routine - all within my limits - and keeping a record seems to make good, common sense.

And if I can maintain a positive routine for the next 25 years then I think ultimate svelteness is within my grasp.

: )

  Keep smilin'!*

*Two photos taken in Hamilton during a "boys' beer tour". I have the receipts!

Please link to A Better Idea (1).

Photos GH

A Better Idea (1).

There's Always More Than One Way to Go.

Neon "Great Idea" is found at Merit Brewery, James St. N., Hamilton*

As I get older I feel I am making fewer quick or snap decisions.

I drive slower too - and like it - but that's another story.

In my last entry I said the following:

I am thinking about 'pausing' my YMCA membership for four months, beginning the break near the end of May. And during the pause I will make full use of London's multi-purpose pathways in the hopes of becoming one of our city's slowest, steadiest and sveltest senior runners in modern-day history. So, the GREAT Canadian Comeback continues.

Well, I did think about pausing my Y membership, and well before stepping up to the main counter and saying, "Let's do it now."

Smooth move on my part, because a few good thoughts about 'the pause' have come to mind in the meantime:

I would not have easy access to a great pool during the summer months; I'd have to set up a sprinkler in the back yard and I have no idea if I even have one; I would miss what has become a regular cycling routine at the Y with a good book in my hand; I would miss the regular weight and stretching routine - and that's a lot of good stuff to give up.

So, now I'm leaning toward 'no pause.' Instead, I may just alternate trips to the Y and trips to the paths. I can enjoy both worlds (indoors and outdoors) while working toward the same goals as above, i.e., slow and steady efforts toward ultimate svelteness.

Paul and I pause in front of our reflections in Hamilton*, April 13th.

*My two sons and I walked a lot while in Hamilton for "a boys' beer tour" (the reflection above was captured at Collective Arts Beer Store) and trip to The Brain. All good ideas too, solidly connected to fun and fitness.

Please link to Still at the YMCA, But.... (4).

Photos GH

Still at the YMCA, But.... (4).

Progress is Progress is Progress.

London's off-street pathways will soon be home to a lot of activity.

I started the month of April by saying, "The annoyance of slight pain in the left hip has not returned, so I will very gradually increase the amount of running for a few weeks, with some minor increase in speed... and I will see where that leads."

To date, I have continued to walk to the YMCA regularly and combine 'very slow running' with walking on a treadmill. I cover 2.0 to 2.75 miles, alternating walking at a steady speed for e.g., 0.05 mi., with running for 0.15 mi. 'Easy does it' is my motto and I am gradually increasing my running speed and distance.

Pathways skirt the Thames River inside London. Time to walk/run!

I am thinking about 'pausing' my YMCA membership for four months, beginning the break near the end of May. And during the pause I will make full use of London's multi-purpose pathways in the hopes of becoming one of our city's slowest, steadiest and sveltest senior runners in modern-day history.

So, the GREAT Canadian Comeback continues.

Stay tuned for svelteness updates.

Heading home through Harris Park.

Please link to Still at the YMCA, But... (3)

Photos GH

Photographs: From Along the Way (2).

Road Trip vs Sidewalk Trip!

These late-March snowfalls make me think, "Gordie-Boy... road trip!"

If I had a larger VW camper I'd be packing it right now.

And forget the maps, we'll just follow our noses.

Detroit, the I-75 South, and follow the signs to Nashville. The rest takes care of itself.

But I don't have a larger camper van. So I'll be sticking to the sidewalk.

Photos From Along the Way:

Please link to Photographs: From Along the Way (1).

Photos GH