Saturday, February 25, 2012

2012 Cycling Calendar

Cycling Calendar - 2012

Every year I compulsively schedule cycling training and events as if I had no other life.  So, this calendar is `aspirational' in nature. 

In a nod to some semblance of balance in my life I've reduced training rides to 3 hours, rather than open ended `however long it takes me to do `xx' miles.'  The intention here is to utilize the `intensity' v. `duration of hours' method of training. 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Learning, learning, learning

The profound performance of so many athletes at Sebring this year is inspiring and exciting. 

In conversation with one of the winners he told me that his coach had him substitute intensity for duration.  That is, train in tempo and threshold levels for a shorter period of time.  Although one would be skeptical of this method it worked extremely well for him and for a few others setting distinguished records last week.  He and at least one of the 24 hour RQ winners never trained for more than 3 hours during any one training session.  And look at the stunning result!

Honestly, that is good news for me.  The next several months have been coming at me like a tsunami.  Reconstruction of our house, relocating to a temporary living quarter, being onsite as much as possible during the reconstruction, laying the tile and laminated floor on both levels on my own ... and then fitting in relationships and training?!!

I'm planning to do several ultracycling events this year.  These, in and of themselves will be time and energy consuming.  So I'm going to try to follow the intensity v. duration plan.  There are two local training courses I am anticipating using for this work.  The first is right out my front door.  Over the mountain and back again.  34 miles and as many feet of climbing  The other is what is called the `Air Park.'  the Air Park is comprised of an industrial park and a medical complex.  Spikey and demanding.  One can easily spend 3 hours building both open road skills and hill-climbing power.  Spikey climbs and open road course

Maybe I've clicked to a way to reduce the size of that tsunami. 

Friday, February 17, 2012

Terrain ... terain ... tr ...tr... TRAIN

My patient and loving wife remarked the other day "You're really training hard!" 

Thickheaded Scot that I am I responded: "Not hard.  Consistent.  Better." 

(Nothing passes without some resistance.  Could be the `blood.')

Having committed to doing a 24 hour race in Texas in mid-April (Bessies Creek 24) I'm afforded an external structure in my habits and thought.  Some day I'll have the courage of a Buddhist (let the present percolate into your consciousness).  But for the moment I'm a willing servant to the simple distraction of a carrot in front of my nose.

Bessies Creek 24 is a 21 mile loop course that you keep riding until the 24 hours is up.  BC24 has 80 feet of climbing each 21 mile loop.  And I live in mountainous terrain where I climb 80 feet just to get the mail!

Racing on flat terrain is completely different from climbing 5,400 feet in 54 miles.  To assume that mountainous road cycling translates effortlessly to the steady pacing of a full day of balanced and steady effort is ... a bad assumption.

So.  What am I to do in my training?

Fortunately, though there is nary a level lick of road in these parts ... I've been granted a favor by my new found cycling friend, Mike Cash.  Several months ago he took me out to the Chino Valley Loop.  Just 12 miles north of me there is a rare high plateau in these parts:  Chino Valley.

Today I delighted in several loops of about 9 miles each for just under 3 hours and 44 miles.  Flat! 

Flat Training # 1
Flat Terrain # 2

With the discovery of this local flat terrain added to the steeply challenging hills and mountains ... this is training terrain!

Consistency.  And balanced hard work. 

BC24 here I come!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Complete Blood Count: What is normal for endurance athlete?

This is a great resource for those of us wanting to get a sense of perspective regarding laboratory reports we get on blood tests. 

My frustration with the plethora of `data' and virtual absence of `information' with my most recent lab report generated this. 

WebMD - CBC Interpretation

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Doctors with a `'God' complex

(Oct 2014) I wrote the blog post about the doctor with a god complex in May of 2012.  Since that time I've met many physicians who more than favorably balance the equation.  That is, they are humble, conscientious and place a premium on listening.  I'll refer you to a recent New York Times interview with one of them:   Dr. Laurie Glimcher

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ME: 

(May 2012) New to this area I sought out a doc just to have one on hand in the event I needed one. This guy came well recommended by some acquaintances. I met with his Nurse Practitioner a few weeks ago Monday. She takes my history (did a decent good job) and set me up to see the doc himself that Friday.

You know the drill. They get you undressed and cloaked in a butt exposed `gown.' This of course, has nothing to do with setting the scene so that the doc is top dog and the patient is a vulnerable sot. -;

The guy comes in, doesn't even look at me. Sits at a little table and opens his laptop. Starts barking numbers and concludes: "We're gonna put you on a diet. Your BMI is too high." 

I tell him:
  • I lost 20 lbs in the last six months;
  • ride 200 miles and climb 18,000 feet on a bike every week;
  • that muscle is heavier than fat;
  • I no longer eat meat; 
  • refer him to the BodPod results I submitted when I met with the NP; 
  • and inform him that the BMI is a 19th century metric for people half our size when the average male lifespan was 48 years.

He ignores that and keeps looking at his laptop. Then he says that the prostate exam and full urological workup I had just last May (biopsy that showed NO evidence of enlargement or cancer) was worthless and that nothing is as good as ... and then he just sticks his index finger in the air and waves it.

I didn't respond because this was so stump stupid on his part that I was (believe it) speechless.

I tilted my head, smiled, got my Irish up and said "... and then what? A biopsy and blood work that I just had 6 months ago?!"

He then slammed down his laptop and said: "I'm not accepting you as a patient. I'm not going to argue with you."

I was, again, taken aback and surprised at the crude arrogance. Then he tells me to get dressed and a nurse will tell me what to do next.

I left a few minutes later and pondered deeply as to what this meant. Finally, I found another doc. A few days later I sent this idiot the following letter:

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Dr. X:

I understand your prerogative to decline accepting patients.

I am in agreement with you that it is better that you recognized what would certainly have been apparent at a later time. Being most generous in my description there is an incompatibility between us.

Candidly, I was surprised and am mildly distressed at your behavior.

Having been the Clinical Director of a psychiatric hospital for abused and neglected children and adolescents I have many, many times been reminded of the importance of listening to my patients and staff.

It is my conclusion that you emphatically failed your profession in this regard.
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So, my advice to all of us: don't be intimidated by physicians who are so arrogant that they suffer from a God complex.

From a psychological perspective such people lack confidence in their ability to maintain a interactive and candid relationship with the client / patient.

More, several recent `gold standard' research reports conclude that arrogant and self-absorbed physicians have a much higher `fail' rate and more malpractice allegations than others.

Word to the wise.