Grandson's first multisport event!

The start of the 8 year old boys and girls. Jeremiah, has the green goggles on.
Jeremiah, waiting for the sound of the horn to start. The other kids took off after they heard ready, set...
Jeremiah, had the fastest transition time of 24 seconds. Most kids were around a minute and half. We practiced transitions last night and it definitely paid off. This was suppose to be a kids triathlon but the bike portion got cut because of the park roads were closed due to flood water damage.
Coming into the finish area.

Watching other kids coming in for the finish. Jeremiah, had a great time and is looking forward to next years race. His sister who watched the whole thing thought she would like to do it next year. My son on the other hand is waiting for a relay race so that he can run and not have to swim or bike.

Hand stands in the water for fun!
Jeremiah finished 17th out of 32 total boys and girls in the 7 to 10 year olds. Oh, and five girls beat him. Final results can be view here

I ended up running my scheduled 13 mile run today even though I'll be racing a sprint triathlon tomorrow. I felt it more important to run than to skip it because of the race. I was able to run it at a 6:44 per mile pace and finished it in 1:27:38.

Umm, Smooothieees!

Today's power smoothie drink was:
about 1 cup (I don't measure) skim milk (we were out of soy milk),
about 1/4 cup Stonyfield Farm fat free french vanilla yogurt,
6 ice cubes,
6 frozen strawberries,
2 tablespoons whey protein powder,
about 1/2 cup cooked oats.
Put it all in a blender and mix for about 2 minutes.

I had this around 6:30 am with my son for our "morning ritual breakfast time". If I don't wake him for breakfast I get the long face from him. We have breakfast together but when he is done he goes back to bed. Normally, we eat some healthy cereal, plus I eat my "gotta have a banana" but I find I get hungry around 9:00 am. When we do smoothies my hunger is curved until 10 or 10:30 am.

Have a great weekend!

My grandson is doing his first triathlon this Saturday and I'll do one Sunday.

A few Demotivators.

Friend: Papa Louie, how did your race go for you today?

Papa Louie: It went well, only 1 woman beat me. And she trains full time. So, what I can expect? I do have to admit when a woman beats me in a race it's a great motivator for me to race harder the next time so she doesn't beat me. Persistence will pay off, eventually. I hope.




I will not succumb to defeat all the time. I am a winner! I guess we need to keep telling ourselves this because one day victory will come to us! I hope.

2nd 20 miler in the bank!

Today, I ran my second 20 mile training run for the Columbus Marathon. I began to run with my new Fuel Belt, that was graciously giving to me from fellow CTC member, DaisyDuc, but found the belt too loose around my waist and it had so much bounce and jiggle that I felt funny holding my jugs, so I handed it off to my wife as she drove past me in the car, while on her way to meet me at the 2.5 mile mark.

A comparison of the 2 runs.
The course was the same for both runs.
1st RUN:
Start - 2 weeks ago at 7:00 am
Weather - light rain, 65 degrees
Company - Brian
Fuel - water from fountains on the trail and 2 packs of gel.
Pace - 7:12 per mile average
Finish Time - 2:24:01

2nd RUN:
Start - 8:00 am
Weather - sunny, 78 degrees
Company - "she who must not be named", (my lovely wife) on her mountain bike, keeping pace with me for 15 miles. She met me at the 2.5 mile point which was past the 2 major hills.
Fuel - plenty of water, no gels
Pace - 7:28 per mile average
Finish Time - 2:29:25

I think my pace suffered today because it was a hotter day and no gels to eat. I have 3 more 20 mile runs to get acclimatized to the heat and figure out the nutrition aspect of running long before the race. I think I'll learn something along the way.

No beating the HEAT! Yet.

No matter how long one has been running, no one can beat the heat when it comes to running in projected times and pace. I am learning this lesson even after 20 years of running.
Today's workout was a track run of 2 x 1200 meters and 4 x 800 meters with 2 minutes of rest between the all the sets.
I knew the temperatures would be rising throughout the day so I decided to take an early lunch break around 10 am and run to the track. Before I took off running I squeezed a jelly pack (raspberry Hammer Gel) in my mouth and washed it down with some water. After running for about a mile and half to the track I was dripping with sweat and feeling the heat.
The splits times were as follows:
Scheduled: Actual:
2 x 1200m @ 3:56 (1) 1200m 4:03
(2) 1200m 4:12

4 x 800m @ 2:31 (1) 800m 2:53
(2) 800m 2:53
(3) 800m 3:02
(4) 800m 2:57
As you can see the actual times do not match the scheduled times. After the first 800 I felt like bagging the workout and just run for an easy 6 miles. But, as it has been said, "If you want to run fast you've got to train fast," and even in various conditions like the scorching heat we had today.

More Maine Pics

These pictures are from Acadia National Park where we spent 2 days hiking and swimming at variouses places in the park. As you can see from the pictures the place is beautiful.
We had so much fun that my diet and training was put on hold while on vacation. We feasted and we played.
Now I have to see how I hold up in this heat on the track today. The heat index is supposed to be 110 today.

Friday Maine Pics

Here are some pictures from our Maine trip on Friday at Reed State Park Beach, Maine

The grandpups braving the 58 degree ocean while PapaLouie checks out a shell

Fleeing from a Tsunami












The making of our beach abode
















We're going to Acadia National Park Saturday morning.
I should have more pictures posted Sunday night.

A Maine weekend

Papa Louie will drive up to Maine this weekend to bring home his grandkids that were visiting their dad. Before they return to Cleveland on Monday they will visit Acadia National Park for some site seeing and hiking. He will also try to squeeze in an 18 mile run and find a beach to do some open water swimming this weekend.
Updates to follow.
Everyone else have a great weekend!

Track then Swim

TSICK (pronounced like the onomatopoeia word tsk) is defined as T for a Track workout, S for a Swim workout, and ICK is the feeling you get while working out on the track in sunny, 80 degrees, and 80 percent humidity.
The track workout began with a 2 mile warm up at a 7:40 per mile pace. The heart of the workout was a 3 x 1 mile repeat with only 1 minute rest between each mile. Each mile was run at a 5:40 per mile pace. The track workout concluded with an easy 1 mile cool down run to the pool for a 20 minute swim.
The "ick" feeling was during the run portion and the "ah" feeling was the relief enjoyed while in the pool.

Monumental 20 miler!

I would have to admit a few days before running my first 20 miler in over 11 years I had some doubt and fear of accomplishing such a run. According to my training schedule this was to be my first of five 20 miler runs and was to be run at a 7:30 pace. It's scary when you think of the distance and the pace. But, thanks to Brian, who emailed me earlier in the week, asked to run the 20 miler with me. The thought became less daunting because I realized that I would have someone to run with. He is also using the same training schedule to train for this coming October Columbus Marathon race.
This morning's temperature was 65 degrees and a light rain was falling down. Brian arrived at my house at 7:00 am. We started our run by heading down to the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area onto the towpath trail.
Brian wore a Fuel Belt for his water and gel needs. I had 2 packets of gel on the waist band of my shorts. We stopped at the 6 mile marker for water and gel. We made it to the 10 mile turnaround in 1:11:31 which was about 3:29 faster than scheduled but it was mostly down hill and I think we were comfortable with the pace. On the return we had a couple other pit stops and managed to run the split in 1:12:30 for a total time of 2:24:01, which is a 7:12 per mile pace. Overall I felt pretty good. I think with the near ideal weather, water and gel supply, and good company the run afforded us a good confidence builder and a setup for continuing the remainder four 20 milers.

Buckeye Lake Triathlon

As many of you who are from the mid west area know that it was one blazing, sizzling, scorching, hot, hazy, and humid weekend. My saving elements from these weather conditions during the International Distance Triathlon were: my water bottle, 3 gel packs, and lots of ice cold cups of water.

Race morning I was up at 5:30 am from a sleepless night of camping at a party happening KOA camp site. It was a camper trailer weekend with special guest Chubby Checker. I didn't take the time to find him rather I went to Olive Garden to enjoy a whole wheat pasta spaghetti meal. For breakfast I had a banana, Cliff Bar, and some orange juice. I drank sips of water up to the start of the swim portion of the race. About a half hour before the start of the swim I slurped down a gel pack and chased it down with more water.

The Swim I thought went well. I did not have much problems navigating the 2 lap swim course and my effort felt like I was working hard but under control. I even felt my bilateral breathing was going well and that I was maintaining concentration on form and technique. It wasn't until I saw the race results that I noticed that my swim sucks. I finished 61 out of 75 finishers. Maybe one of these days I might learn how to swim.

On the Bike I started with a gel pack and washed it down with some water. During the ride I would drink 2 sips of water from my water bottle every 10 to 15 minutes. At the closing miles of the ride I squeezed my last gel into my mouth with the last few sips of water. My bike rank was 19 out of 75. The bike course was a beautiful rolling ride through farm country.

For the Run I enjoyed the 2 water stops where the volunteers were handing out ice cold cups of water. I was glad to hear them say, take as much as you need, because I gulped 2 cups and poured 2 on my head. I thanked them and ran on. My run rank was 5 out of 75. The run course was an out and back with lots of shady areas.

In conclusion, I had a great race probably because I was well nourished and hydrated. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise, a triathlon race does indeed start with the swim. I feel like I have so much catching up to do during the rest of the race but I guess that is what makes the sport so much fun.

To view my 14th overall place view the Buckeye Lake Triathlon Results web page.

Swimming at the beach!

Today I had the chance to swim at Edgewater State Park Beach during lunch time. The water quality was good, and a water temperature of 74 degrees. Life guards were on duty both on the beach and out in the water floating around on a surf board. I told a life guard that I would be swimming back and forth across the beach by the buoys. It felt great swimming in fresh water and not in a chlorinated pool. I am hoping to hit the beach once or twice a week and if anyone wants to meet me for a lunch swim let me know.

Iron Yoga Review:
Anthony Carillo a nationally ranked triathlete guides you through a 60 minute strength training power yoga workout. The workout combines the use of light dumbbells (1-5lbs) with traditional yoga exercises. Since yoga is new to me I first watched the DVD before I followed along doing the exercises. When I did follow along using 5lbs dumbbells there was no way I could perform some of the exercises trying to focus on proper technique and balance. To complete the workout I ditched the dumbbells and even then had to modify some of the exercises from advanced to intermediate to beginner. This is good! I can see if I continue to use this DVD there will be improvement in my overall balance and strength.

Saturday I drive down to the Columbus area for the Buckeye Lake State Park Triathlon on Sunday morning. I will participate in my first and only International distance (1.5 K swim, 40K Bike, 10K Run) this year. I am looking forward to having fun.

Hot and Sunny on the Track!

It was brutal on the track today. The hot sun spanked my butt. I wore sun glasses, and a mesh cap. I brought a bottle of water with me too. I started out with a 1 mile easy warm up at 8:05 and then attempted to run 5 miles at a 6:22 per mile pace.

1st mile flew by in 6:18.

2nd mile I went on feel and did not look at my watch for each lap and did it in 6:40. I thought that's what I get for not paying attention to my pace.

3rd mile was pushed for a 6:08. After the 3rd mile I realized I'm running all over the place and the heat began to take a toll on me and I was feeling nauseous.

4th mile was done in 6:24.

5th mile was a dismal 6:37.

I finished the 7th mile in 8:03. I went home, showered, ate, and crashed for an hour while reading Marathon from Hal Higdon. I'm feeling better now. I need more adjusting for hot weather running.

Home Run!

It is good to be back home from 2 weeks in Alaska followed by a 1 week family reunion vacation in Deer Creek State park, Ohio. The 3 weeks flew by and on most days I couldn't tell you what day it was. I managed to get in some decent training and it paid off on today's 15 mile long run. Today's weather was a hot 81 degrees and 55% humidity. I took off running from my home without any water hoping to find some along the route. By the time I made the turnaround to head back home there was no water to be had. I knew I needed water but my head was still clear and I wasn't hallucinating so I was hoping to survive the last 6.5 miles back home safely. To top off the run there is a 6 to 7 percent incline of 2 miles to the finish. Thinking of the ice cold water in the fridge kept me going to the finish. I managed to keep a steady pace of a 7:04 per mile to finish in 1:46:07. And I know I am tempting the running gods when it comes to hydrating on the long run. I don't think the Greek legend Phidippides wore a fuel belt or had much water on his long run. It was only after running 300 plus miles did he collapse and died. I promise I won't go that far. I'm working on fixing my water supply for my next long run.

More Alaska pictures:

Our ship the Zuiderdam at port in Juneau, Alaska

Cruising in the Tracy Arm near Jeneau

Exploring Mendenhall Glacier

Bus tour in Denali

My favorite picture in the Chugach mountains outside Anchorage.

Alaska

I think we got what we wanted to see and experience in Alaska and more. I would have to say that my wife and I were one of the young couples on the cruise ship and tour. We began with a 3 day cruise ship from Vancouver to Juneau Alaska. On one of the mornings while on ship most of the people woke up to being sea sick including my wife who had scheduled a yoga class that morning but had to cancel. I had fun with a 40 minute spinning class followed with 5 miles on the treadmill. The treadmill run was the most difficult run I ever experienced. It was like running on a roller coaster ride. The food on board was exceptional along with the service.
The land tour of 7 days was a jam packed whirl wind site seeing of the Yukon Territory and Alaska. We traveled by train, motor coach bus, and boat to follow the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. We visited many historical towns and learned about how a romantic life was like to live in the wilderness at that time.

We also did a lot of walking and hiking up mountains.

This was a hike to the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska.

Under a glacier!

Smallest desert in the mountains.

Alaska is calling all those who love the true wilderness and want to experience the last frontier. Don't wait until you retire. You need all your young strength to enjoy the vastness of Alaska.
I wanted to add more pictures but Blogger would not accept more pictures. We are off for a family reunion during the 4th of July week at Deer Creek State Park, Mt. Sterling, Ohio. Anyone want to come visit me for a bike ride along the Deer Creek Triathlon course or swim in the lake can email me for more info. I'll bike Wednesday & Friday. I'll run Tuesday & Thursday. And I'll swim just about every day.

Short Tempo & more

Yesterday's workout:
On the track - 2 miles easy, 3 miles averaging 5:54 per mile, finish 1 mile easy. I used a heart rate monitor for the first time in years. My max heart rate was 151, and my average was 132 beats per minute. During my 3 miles of tempo running my heart rate stayed at 148 BPM. According to the heart rate calculations the 148 is at my maximum heart rate range between 80 and 85%. I guess they call this the anaerobic zone. That is the zone where you cannot speak eloquently. Maybe one of these days I'll figure out what to do with these numbers but for now I've got to run.

Today's workout:
15 minutes of dumbbells on the ball. I love that little jingle, "dumbbells on the ball".
35 minutes of a steady swim in the pool for lunch.
BRICK: 12 mile Bike ride in the park on my way home from work, followed with 2 miles running barefoot.

Saturday 5:00am:
My wife and I fly to Vancouver Canada and set sail on Holland America for our 11 day cruise and land adventure trip. Actually, 3 days on ship and 7 days on land by train, bus, and boat to make our way up to Anchorage, Alaska. We are excited and are ready to go and celebrate a wonderful time together.

I am not bringing my wet suit but I do hope to get a couple days of pool swimming, running (probably on treadmill), strength training, and stationary biking in on early mornings.

Hopefully, I get a chance while I'm up there to update my blog. I'll post pictures later too.

Peace,
Papa Louie

Adventures in marathon training.

Finally, after a 11 year hiatus from running a marathon I am back to tackle the challenge. This past March I have decided to run the Columbus Marathon as a qualifier for the Boston 2007 Marathon. Today's countdown number for the Columbus marathon is 123 days away!
It is also my first day to begin an 18 week marathon training program. The training is similar to what I did for the Cleveland Half Marathon race this past May. The training is basically, 3 days per week of running and 3 days cross training. The running is of intense quality workouts.
To view my marathon training schedule click on FIRST to the Finish. This program starts at 16 weeks but I will start 2 weeks prior to this schedule and then continue with week 16.

I am looking forward to the adventures in this serious 3 running days per week schedule. I think the excitement in starting a new training program is just as exciting as running the race.

Today's workout was 12 x 400 @ 1:14 average (1:30 Recovery Interval)

Sorry, I can't tell you my predicted marathon finish time. Although, I will accept any guesses you might have. A clue from my recent Half Marathon race results should help.

Wendy's Triathlon Race Recap.

Do you know why Wendy's restaurants make their burgers square? According to Dave, founder of Wendy's, said that, they do not cut any corners when it comes to making a great tasting burger. I would have to say that would be the same with the Wendy's International Triathlon, that I ran this past Sunday. There were no corners cut in this well run race.

The Swim was in beautiful Alum Creek State park beach. We swam in warm 72 degree water which was warmer than the 62 degree air temperature. It was a 1/2 mile swim from one end of the beach to the other end. Before the race I was debating whether to use my wet suit or not. I didn't want to lose time in transition by fiddling and fumbling with trying to get the wet suit off.
I went with wearing the wet suit. We swam in about 4 to 4 1/2 feet water which some people would stand up and walk through but I didn't want to cut any corners so I swam freestyle non stop. With the buoyancy, comfort, and confidence I gained from wearing the wet suit I was well pleased with my swim results. I managed to get the suit off in no time standing up by using my legs to step on and pull off the suit without much hands.
1/2 mile swim in 14:26 13th out of 28 in my age group.
T1 in 1:29 fastest transition time in my age group. (not too much fumbling around here.)

The Bike was a fairly flat and fast course. Although, I came upon the result of 2 crashes. One was at a sharp left corner and the other was at an intersection where we had to zig then zag around 2 short corners and around cars that were held up by patrol officers. I think 2 maybe 3 people were involved in that one. As I approached these turns I cautiously went through and found a clear open line for me to sprint about 100 yards to regain my speed.
16.8 mile bike in 48:06 (20.9 mph average) 5th out of 28 in age group.
T2 in 1:43 5th out of 28. (fiddled and fumbled with trying to unsnap chip strap with cold and numb fingers) Next time before I get near transition I will shake and squeeze my hands to get blood flow and circulation in them.

The Run was also on a flat and fast course. This was my chance to catch 4 of the remaining 5 guys in my age group. No problem, since I am a runner turned triathlete. I had the 6th fastest overall run time.
5K run in 18:53 (6:03 average pace)
Finish time 1:24:39
2nd place in 45-49
Wendy's web site results

Water Fast Follow-up

On Tuesday morning after I broke the water fast with a light breakfast smoothie I felt my strength was beginning to come back. For my mid morning snack I ate a home made power bar and an orange. I then hit the pool for an easy 35 minute swim during lunch time. The swim felt good. For lunch I had 2 turkey stuff cabbages and an apple. For my afternoon snack I had a garden salad, handful of pecans, and handful of raisins. For dinner I had 2 pinto bean borritos which I ate about an hour and half before I went to the track to workout with the club. It was on the track that I noticed I had not fully recovered my strength. My legs were feeling tired and heavy during 400 repeats. I averaged around 1:22 for 8 - 400's which was about 7 to 9 seconds slower than normal.
Oh, and I still drank water throughout the day too.

trifrog: I do believe that going through a detox diet does help make you aware that you can eliminate certain "bad" foods from your diet by learning to make healthy choices.

jessie_tri_mn: As of Wednesday I feel fully recovered from getting fatigued during the fast. My hunger is about the same. I eat a morning meal, mid morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and an evening snack. I eat all day to keep my metabolism working. I started eating this way and incorporated strength training 2 to 3 times a week since January and have lost 8 pounds.

Lana: Mondays are my rest days. I did not have any workouts scheduled that day. That is why I chose Monday to have the water fast.

deb: Having nothing to eat but only drinking water for 36 hours was a mental and physical and spiritual discipline for me to experience.

qcmier: Right on with Eddy Money.

Main ingredients for a smoothie is 3/4 cup yogurt, 3/4 cup milk, 4-6 ice cubes, the additions can be whatever fruit and grains you have on hand and to add more protein use 2 tablespoons of whey power.

Today's smoothie additions was 1 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 2 tablespoons flaxseed, 1/2 cup mangos, 1/2 cup diced cantaloupe, and a squirt of pure maple syrup. This stuff fills me up and keeps me satiated until my mid morning snack.

Gimme some water.

On Sunday evening at 6:30 I began a 36 hour water fast (cleansing, detoxification). And not for the reason to starve myself or to lose weight, but for the benefit of its natural healing and cleansing process.
A water fast is probably not for everyone to try yet I think it is good for the body to go through some type of detox program once in awhile.

I started with 1 gallon of Distilled water.

On Monday morning rather than having a cup of tea with my wife I had hot water in a cup. Thus began my long day of consuming only water throughout the day. The day at work went well but after 24 hours (6:30 pm) I felt lightheaded, droopy eyes, and overall fatigued, kind of like I do when I try to stay awake all night. I also had to wrap myself in my house coat because I was cold. I guess getting cold is also a side effect along with a mild head ache. No bowel movement today. I went to bed around 9:00 pm.

I was so happy to wake up Tuesday morning at 6:15 am to break my fast. I took a picture of the 24 ounces of water left in the jug and dumped the rest down the drain. After washing my face I ate a banana and made a smoothie that my son was also looking forward to have with me. I put all my favorite ingredients in a blender (that my son normally would not eat) to blend them together. This mornings smoothie consisted of 3/4 cup yogurt, 3/4 soy milk, 4-6 ice cubes, 2 teaspoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of flax seed, and some strawberries. We drank up and were singing, "umm, umm, good". I felt refreshed and ready to start my day. As the experts say, that the bowels should move within an hour or two after the first meal, I was right on schedule.

While fasting I gained an appreciation of the lesson learned in self-restraint. That is, to be able to control my choice of what foods to put or not to put in my mouth.

I think a water fast is harder to do than any other fasting. I've done a 2 day apple fast and found that to be easy. My next experimental fast will be a juice fast. I'll try that some time in the fall when I can juice apples and pears when they are in season.

An article on Nutritional Program for Fasting can be read on line.

A cheap workout

Did you check out any of these McDonald's promotional deals they are giving out with the new Asian Salads and bottled water? I have all except the Cardio.
The DVD's are 15 minute workouts that have some value.
When I did the Core workout I felt some burn in my abs. I modified some of the exercises by holding dumbbells which gave me more of a challenge.
The strength workout caused my Adductor Magnus to be sore the next day. The soreness came from all the pleia squats with dumbbells.
I haven't done the Yoga DVD but was able to view some of the workouts and decided that it would be a good cool down following the Core and Strength workouts.
If you are looking for a cheap workout then these easy to do 15 minute workouts are a quick fix.

Things are flying in the air.

The cottonwood trees are shedding their furry little seeds this time of the month. Out on today's run in the park I found myself dodging those little white hair balls but they still managed to get in my hair, nose, and most troubling in my eye.
Yet it was kind of cool to run through a white out with fuzzy things blowing all around and on the ground.

I was able to enjoy the run with my wife riding on her bike chasing me. And she was able to keep up with my 6:40 pace for an 8 mile run. I appreciate the time when she can be with me on my runs. She likes it too. But I'm doing the flying while she cruises along.

Backpacking turn Hiking

I promised my wife before we go on our backpacking trip in the Allegheny National Forest, P.A. this memorial day weekend I would mow the lawn, fix the leaking dishwasher, and chop out the tree stomp in our back yard so that she could put the tomato plants in place of the stump. But before I tackled my promises I had to get my "selfish" 57 mile bike ride in with the Cleveland Triathlon Club on Saturday morning.

The bike ride was a challenging and hilly ride. After a great bike ride and getting home before 1:30 in the afternoon I had 2 hours to tackle the chores. My dilemma was that I was pressed for time to get as much done before we were to leave to go on a church picnic and meeting all before 3:30 pm. I began chopping at the stump in bright sun and 80+ degrees for about an hour at which point I had to take a break from dripping sweat and getting light headed. I then mowed the lawn. That was all I could do for that day.

On Sunday morning at 7:00 am I was up and working on fixing the dishwasher which took me about a half hour to fix. So far no leaks. Then I went back out to whacking the stump for another 2 hours and finally the stump was removed from my life.

We loaded all our backpacking gear in the car and drove to the trail head parking lot 3.5 hours away. The Morrison/Rimrock trail is a 12 mile loop. Our plan was to bring all the gear and backpacks but leave them in the car and hike only with hydrapacks and home made power bars (yum, yum), apples, and other dried fruit. If we made the hike in good time we would get the tent and backpacks out of the car, hike a little into the woods and set up camp.


While out on the trail we enjoyed a variety of flora smells and a beautiful hike along the Morrison Run stream. We had a good hike averaging about 2.5 miles per hour and made it back to the car about 7:40 pm. As we finished we considered do we drive 15 miles to a motel 8 and have a nice shower then head over to Perkins for a warm cooked meal or do we get our gear find a camp site and set up the tent, eat MRE's, and retire with a camp fire watching the stars. The motel won the call.

Monday morning we headed out to hike the 8 mile loop Minister Creek Trail. It was another beautiful day to hike in the woods.

We definitely have to go back to the Allegheny's for some more good hiking/backpacking.

Post Card

Yesterday I got a pleasant phone call from my wife. She wanted to tell me I got a post card in the mail. It was from an old running friend I met back in the late 80's. He wrote to tell me about my half marathon race results. His message was so good that it made my wife chuckle and reminded me of something I'll share later. Anyway I have to quote some of it for you.

First Master, 3rd Overall, Cleveland Half Marathon! You are fast, fast, fast...No doubt because of good training and clean living and a supportive spouse! Congrats to Annie!

You see, "congrats to Annie", not to me, but to her for supporting me during my training and not getting too upset with me for missing family dinners, not changing the washers on dripping faucets, the list goes on, or what gets her the most is when I walk in the house dripping with sweat and having a sweet smell of B.O. So yes, congrats to my lovely wife for putting up with me and my crazy training schedule so that I can have the opportunity to race well.

Got to go my To Do list is getting long. Don't want to ruffle her feathers for slacking off.

Rest & Relaxation!

It feels so good physically and mentally to have a time of rest and relaxation from all hard training and to have 4 weeks of unstructured workouts before I start my Columbus Marathon schedule.

During my down time I will focus on strength training, easy steady swimming, and bricks(bike then run).
This week workouts look like:
Monday - Swim easy 25 minutes.
Tuesday - Swim easy 33 minutes.
Wednesday - Strength 25 minutes, Swim easy 25 minutes, Brick(Bike 16 miles then run 2 miles barefoot)
Thursday - Swim, Run easy 4 to 5 miles
Friday - Strength, Swim,
Saturday - Brick(Bike long then run 3 miles)
Sunday and Monday - Backpacking Morrison Hiking Trail in the Allegheny National Forest, PA.

BRICK defined:
Bike-Run-ICK!
ICK is how your legs feel for the first part of the run but very important to implement in training to help the legs get use to the bike/run "ick" transition. After doing them once or twice a week for some months your legs will not feel the ICK. I love bricks, especially if I do the run barefoot.

Little Note:
Thank you family, friends, and fellow bloggers for the funny, kind words, and very nice compliments on my recent race. I appreciate all your support. Love, PapaLouie

Cleveland Half Marathon Results

I'll begin with a big thank you to all those friends, and fellow bloggers, who were racing or as a spectator that gave me words of encouragement during the race. Also, during the race I made it a point to thank and wave to all the volunteers, traffic patrollers, and the fans that were clapping and cheering as I went by. I think with all the words of encouragement and a sense of being thankful I was helped to have fun and run a great race.

My mile splits was an indication of the kind of rolling course it was.

Mile 1 5:45
First mile always goes fast because of excitement and adrenalin. And a good down hill helps.

Mile 2 6:26
What goes down must go up!

Mile 3 5:55
Finding my grove!

Mile 4 5:27
Feeling great!

Mile 5 6:05
Mile 6 6:04
Mile 7 5:58
Mile 8 5:51
Found my grove and maintained the pace!

Mile 9 6:15
Mile 10 6:06
Mile 11 6:19
Mile 12 6:08
Focusing to finish well!

Mile 13.1 6:20
Total Time 1:19:17 Average pace 6:02.8
3rd Overall!!!

Before this morning my goal time was to finish around 1:20 to 1:24 but early before the race I thought why not finish in a sub 1:20 time. That was good thinking!

Thank you Liz for the photo. And yes that is a real smile!

Ready to Rock & Roll

15 hours to race time.
I am ready to race the Cleveland Half Marathon tomorrow morning.
Live runner tracking can be found on the Cleveland Marathon web site. You will be able to see my 10K and finish times live online.
My bib number is 3899
See you tomorrow.

Cleveland Bikes to Work Day!

Have you seen these white bikes around the city?
Today was Bike to Work Day in the Cleveland area. After I spotted one of these bikes downtown and noticed the web site posted on the bike I learned from the web site that a group ride would be departing from my neighborhood Arabica. I met the ride leader 7:10 this morning and since cycling is foreign to lots and lots of people it was just the 2 of us heading into town. Traffic on this wet and drizzly, 41 degree morning was light and we made it downtown at the meeting place of a coffee shop around 8:00am. Free bagels and coffee was provided for the riders that came from all directions surrounding the Cleveland area cities. I hung around, met some people including the president of the Cleveland Bikes Club and continued my ride to work.
Maybe more people might get interested in cycling if the bike (pictured above) didn't look so dismal. Nah, I doubt it.

Timeless Secrets for living well

Good health is a matter of choice.
Only plain, wholesome food should be eaten.
Overeating, intoxicants, and stimulants avoid.
Drink plenty of water...nature's remedy.

Have plenty of fresh air in the bedroom.
Eight to nine hours of sleep every night.
Always breathe deeply in the open air.
Look to the cleanliness of body and mind.
Take regular outdoor exercise.
Heed sanitation, sobriety and safety first.

Look upon life with faith, hope and good cheer, and keep the mind and heart free from hatred, jealousy and revenge.

Source: The Stevens-David Company, Chicago, 1918

I think this should still apply for today. Although, I may have a problem finding the "fresh" air.

Entertainment at the track!

Tuesday's track workout was a 6 X 400 meter repeats. The track was hoping with 2 different high school groups visiting to do some kind of workout. Some of the kids were running/walking and some standing around. For the most part they did their thing without getting in the way of my workout.

I started out entertaining them by running my 1.5 mile warm up barefoot! That was good for a lot of smiles and whispering to one another, "hey you see that old man running with no shoes?" After the warm up I shod my feet with my mizuno's and began my 400 repeats. My intentions were to average each lap around 1:20 but make the last 2 faster.

• The first and second laps I ran well, and I finished them in a time of 1:19, and 1:16.
• As I started the 3rd lap one of the kids thought he could try and keep up with "the old man" but I finished ahead of him in 1:16.
• The 4th lap started with another fresh young spring kid who was able to hang with me until the final stretch where I pulled ahead to finish in 1:12.
• The 5th lap started with another fresh and a bit cocky kid who actually started about 5 steps ahead of me but I maintained an even distance to the finish with a time of 1:09. I told him he made me work on that one.
• My last lap I had no one to pace with so I took it easy with a time of 1:29. I made sure I didn't want to go too hard and blow something out and set me out of this weekends half marathon race.

I am Wired to Win!

Saw this amazing movie at the IMAX theater today during my lunch time. It's only 45 minutes long but worth it's entertaining and educational value.

One of the interesting statements made during the show was, "the brain is capable of generating new neurons throughout our lives".

This is another reason why we Tri; to increase and strengthen the synaptic within our brain through training and racing that we can perform beyond what we thought possible because we are all wired to win!

Woo Hoo! It's Taper Week!!

Well, after 11 weeks of solid, consistent training for the Cleveland Half Marathon I am ready for the last week before the race to have an easy week of running.
My 12 week training was a modified program from the Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training. It basically consists of three quality runs a week which I incorporated into my overall triathlon training program. It works great because on off days of running I can swim and bike.

The Furman program also has a marathon training schedule which I will use to help prepare for the Columbus Marathon on October 15th. This program is not for the weak or faint at heart because of the high demand of quality workouts. I believe this will work best to get me in the best marathon shape while also training and racing for triathlons this summer.

To follow me on race day you can enter my bib number 3899 on the home page link from above.

Annoying Gnats!

How do you avoid
Swarms of gnats
While running or biking in the park?
Those pesky little flies are here to stay
and get in our hair, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth
to frustrate us while out in the park.
Do I have to go back on the trainer and treadmill
to avoid the annoying gnats?
No, I'll keep my dew rag on, glasses on, finger in ear, plug my nose, and keep my mouth shut.

Running Within Quote!

The bottom line on aging and running performance is this: we do not know our limits. The real barrier seems to be the mind, not the body. According to most experts, our true life span is 100-plus years, and whether we make it has much to do with our attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles. Our bodies are simply waiting for our minds to give them permission to go beyond what most of us think is the finish line.Running Within

This is my favorite quote because of the comment on, "our true life span is 100-plus years".
Based on another book I read I like to tell people that when I turn 100 I will ride 100 miles!

And of course our attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles has a lot to do with if we get there or not.

I would like to thank TriFrog for recommending this read!

A time to talk.

This past Saturday morning I had a 2 mile walk in the park with my wife. It was the perfect time to talk with no distractions from phone calls, our kids asking for something, or house chores calling our attention. After the walk my daughter was looking for a running partner to do a 3 mile run in the park. Since I was ready to run long I thought it would be good to start with a nice 3 mile warm-up. We went for the run and had the perfect time to be with one another and talk. It was also a good 22:00 warm-up. I think she was setting the pace. I finished the run with her and continued to run for an additional 13 miles down in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area



Sunday afternoon me and a friend went to ride in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area for a nice 31 miles. It was the perfect time to talk with a close Christian friend.

Recipe to run with!

Before I dole out the 70 dollars for these vibram 5-fingers I will have to try this cool recipe I found.
I like the idea of using these fancy socks while biking and then when I'm done riding I can kick off my biking shoes, put my bike away, and start a 2 to 3 mile barefoot run. So Cool!

How time passes!

When I swim in a 50 meter pool I count every 100 meters. Sometimes I count my strokes and add it to the time it takes to swim a length to find my golf score. I am working on bringing down my average of 120 to 100. I only swim freestyle non stop to accomplish an amount of distance. While swimming after a 10 minute warm-up I'll alternate fast and easy laps followed with a 10 minute cool down. When I swim in open water time becomes my focus rather than distance.

When I bike outdoors I ride for distance and figure my average speed. When biking on the trainer I'll spin usually for 1 hour.

When I run a 6 mile tempo track workout for some reason I find it easier to count down the laps rather than the miles.
In my recent 10 mile race during the last 3 miles I used time as the countdown to the finish rather than how many miles left. I thought it was easier to say to myself, "18 minutes left you can hold this pace.... 12 minutes left and feeling strong... 6 minutes and it'll be over". This was my secret when my mind began to wander and the fatigue setting in causing me to slow down. I was happy in using this method to help me focus on the finish.
On my long runs on the road I'll use blocks of miles (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15) to help pass the miles away. On the treadmill I'll use blocks of time (15, 30, 45, 90 minutes) to help pass the time away.

I find it amazing how the mind plays a numbers game to help pass the time while training and racing.

Azalea in bloom!

I always look forward in watching this bush bloom and will enjoy all it's glory for the month of May. Speaking of blooming enjoy reading it's finally may.

The wedding day!

Saturday morning in Lewiston Maine.
Beautiful clear skies
with
temperatures
around 40 degrees. I was hoping to get a 14 or 15 mile run in on Saturday or Sunday based on my schedule with the family.
I used the web site favoriterun.com to put together a 14 mile out and back route. To familiarize myself with the route I went out and drove it but somehow missed a turn and got lost. I left the map back at the hotel. After driving around an extra 30 minutes I made it back to the hotel. Feeling tired and a little aggravated of getting lost I decided to just run for 20 minutes. Oh well Sunday was another opportunity for a long run.
The wedding was beautiful followed with a fun reception.
Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday's weather conditions. I had a better route picked out which was a 14 mile loop. The moment I took my first few steps I knew this was the day for a good run. My energy was fresh which was fueled from a banana and a carboom gel washed down with 8 oz. Water. The run went well. No water or gels needed during the run. And I finished in 1:46:06. I had a nice 4 day break with lots of good food, family, and fun!

musculus quadriceps femoris dolor

Lunch time! It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun brightly shining through clear blue skies. Temperature was around 58 degrees F. I jog from the office to the local track for a nice 10 minute warm-up. Once on the track I continued running but picked up the pace and tried to average a 6:24 pace for a 5 mile tempo run but after the first mile I was 10 seconds behind. Somewhere between 2 and 4 miles my time slipped down another 20 seconds and after 5 miles instead of finishing with a time of 32:00 I had 32:34 on my watch. I realized my legs and in particular my quads were still sore from the 10 mile race from this past weekend. Instead of going to the track Tuesday I just ran 5 easy miles in the park. I thought that would be enough to allow the legs some rest but I guess that was not enough.
I am looking forward to getting a 14 or 15 mile run this weekend while up in Maine for my son's wedding.
Have a great and safe weekend.
Swim, Bike, then Run.

Fitness for Life Test Results

The fitness for life program at Cleveland State University offers individual exercise program recommendations based on evaluation of physical fitness; safe and supervised group exercise geared to each participant's physical capacities; information on improving and maintaining physical condition, weight control, and prevention of training injuries; and a structure for tracking exercise participation and achievements.

Members receive stress tests; measures of their body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and lung capacity; blood analyses; a health risk appraisal; a baseline to assess level of fitness and set exercise guidelines; and a follow-up at the end of the year to help measure improvement in fitness level.

I have been in the program for 5 years and can proudly say that after taking the once a year tests this past Monday there has been improvement in my overall results compared to all the previous years.

Here is a list of the biggest change in results from 4/23/02 with today's summary:

Weight: then 157lbs. now 142lbs.
Body Mass Index: then 23.2kg/m2 now 21.0kg/m2
Total Cholesterol: then 182ml/dL now 173ml/dL
HDL Cholesterol: then 42ml/dL now 54ml/dL
LDL Cholesterol: then 106ml/dL now 106ml/dL
Triglycerids: then 169ml/dL now 61ml/dL
Glucose: then 107ml/dL then 87ml/dL
Blood Pressure - Systolic: then 138mm/Hg now 130mm/Hg
Blood Pressure - Diastolic: then 90mm/Hg now 86mm/Hg
Max VO2: then 60.0ml/kg min now 68.4ml/kg min
Body Composition: then 12.7% fat now 6.8% fat
And the interesting number is my Body Age which is 35 compared to my chronological age of 46.

It's weird when people at work tell me, "you've lost weight". And that I look trim, lean, mean, and thinner. I am surprised people notice these things because if you ask me I don't think I pay attention to peoples weight gain or loss. Ok, I did unconsciously lose 9 pounds since this past January. But all I did was add 3 times a week of dumbbells with the exercise ball to my regular swimming, biking, and running routine. And maybe I have become more aware of my nutrition intake. I try to follow the grazing method of eating healthy foods throughout the day. As my wife's 90 year old grandma would say, "that's all I know".

Ran like a god!

Today I ran the Hermes Cleveland 10 miler race.
The theme of the race is "run like a god". Hermes, the winged-footed messenger god of classical mythology was the Son of Zeus and Maia, daughter of the Titan Atlas. He wore wings on his sandals as a sign of his swiftness. Hermes was a young athletic man and is credited for inventing foot racing and boxing. I felt like the "wings of hermes" were on my shoes today!
Weather conditions I thought was near perfect with tempertures around 56 degrees with some light breeze blowing off Lake Erie. Speaking of eerie we ran a good portion of the race in a fog! Visiblity at times was less than 100 meters. It was a good thing I knew the course because I would loose sight of the lead runners in the fog. I was able to maintain a steady even pace. Water and Gatorade were at the 2, 4, 6, & 8 mile markers. I made sure to drink one good sip of water at each water stop. The "wings" brought me to the finish line in 6th place overall with a time of 1:01:10. Follow link to see results.

The kids race had about 20 kids ages 10 and under. My son, grandson, and their friend toed the starting line. They ran about 200 meters out to a turnaround cone and headed back to the starting line. I gave them a race strategy of starting out easy and to let the kids run fast at the start but that the race would begin after the turnaround. The strategy worked! My son was the overall winner followed by my grandson in 2nd place and their friend took 4th place.
502=grandson(Jeremiah), 503=son(Nathan), 515=friend(Matthew)

Quotes from books I am reading!

These are quotes from books that I am reading and I think reflects some views on life.

Principles to live by for your well being.

"Exercise hard and you will grow younger!
Care about other people and you will grow happier!
Build a life that you think means something and you will grow richer"!
Younger Next Year

These are good to remember when something goes awry during a multisport event.

"Make the best use of what is in your power, take the rest as it comes".

"The thing that upsets people is not what happens but what they think it means"
Healthy Aging

Triathlon Radio

This post is for all those who listen to podcast shows. I have listed my all time favorites.

EnduranceRadio: for runners, cyclists, triathletes, and adventure racers
Get Your Geek On: for triathletes
Phedippidations: for runners
FredCast Show: for cyclists
SimplyStu: for triathletes
Zen and the Art of Triathlon: for triathletes
Triathlon Radio: for triathletes

I listen to a few other shows but these are worth mentioning because I really enjoy listening to all of the shows I listed. I would like to thank Jeremy Vaught from Triathlon Radio for recently having me as a guest on his show to do an interview.
Use iTunes to search for any of these shows.
To listen to my interview select Triathlon Radio Show # 13

5 weeks left for the big half marathon race!

This past weekend I had a wonderful time with my family celebrating the Easter holiday. Two words: We feasted!
Saturday morning I was able to get a 14 mile run in. I ran from my home down the big hills to the Canal Way bike path for an out and back run. I normally drive the 2 miles down the hills to the parking lot of Canal Way but I wanted to use running back up the hills as a good physical and mental preparation training for the coming fall Columbus marathon and even more the "heart break hills" of the Boston marathon in April 2007. You see mental prep starts the day you sign up for a big race. Now I just have to learn nutrition on a long training run and what foods and when to eat during a marathon. When I did my last marathon 11 years ago nutrition wasn't a science as it is today. Even when I did 20 mile long training runs I wouldn't eat or drink water because the thought wasn't there for me. I am hoping to learn a thing or two about nutrition this year to help with my survival of running a marathon.
Sunday was a 33 mile bike ride. I felt great and glad to be out riding on a beautiful day. I think my strength and speed is where I was at the end of the fall season. This could only mean if all goes well I should be stronger on the bike this summer.
This week will include Tuesday track workout and Thursday 30 minute tempo run and a 10 mile race on Saturday. My son and grandson will race in the kids run before I run the 10 miler. They are excited just as much as I am about the race.

more and more barefeet!

How many barefeet you meet
Barefeet in the morning
Barefeet in the night
Here come more and more Barefeet.

Meet my future running shoes. I just have to convince my wife these are worth 70 dollars of coolness. See the web site Five Fingers to learn more about these cute feeties.

In reply to some of the comments people have left:

• Not sure if running barefeet has strengthen my road running but it is getting easier to run barefoot and I'm having fun.
• I found that when I run barefoot at the track to warm up and then put my shoes on my feet felt loosen and are more flexible.
• I believe with more time of running barefeet the benefits of running faster and farther will come.
• I haven't tried juggling while running or while riding my unicycle.

Dragging legs

Can you believe there is such a thing to relieve tired, aching legs and feet? This week my legs feel like I have been dragging my feet through heavy sand. I have no aches and pains but just tired legs.

Tuesday's track workout began with an easy 2 mile jog in shoes and .5 mile barefoot.

The main workout was: 3 x 400's, 3 x 800's, and 3 x 400's (average 400's 1:15, and average for 800's 2:50)

Cool down was an easy 1 mile barefoot jog.

Wednesday was a 20 minute swim at lunchtime. In the evening I was hoping to ride my bike outside but after getting ready to go out the weather turned bad with dark clouds, thunder and rain so I set up my bike on the trainer and did a 1 hour spin.

Thursday's tempo run on the track included 1 mile easy jog then 5 miles at 31:57 followed with a 1 mile cool down jog.

Even though my legs are tired I am amazed I survived hard workouts this week. Next week training will not be as tough and hopefully the legs will be rested enough for next Saturday's 10 mile race. Instead of buying into the marketing of the magic gel I think I'll just give my legs some rest and a massage.

Tuesday and Thursday also included upper body dumbbell workout with the exercise ball.

Tomorrow will be a 40 minute swim at lunchtime and after work I hope to get in a 40 minute bike ride.

The Road to Boston Runs through Columbus!

I did it! It has been 11 years since I ran my last marathon and I signed up today for the Columbus Ohio Marathon this October 15th 2006.
I chose Columbus for two good reasons:
1. I have to fix my 3:30 finish time in Columbus 11 years ago to something better.
2. It is the road to the Boston marathon. If I finish the race under 3:30 I qualify to run Boston in 2007.
I have to admit the inspiration came to me from listening to some rambling diatribes composed during distance long runs of an entertaining and educational goofy podcast shows of Phedippidations. Thank you Steve Runner of phedippidations for all the great shows that have made me laugh and even shed a tear. My eight year old son also enjoys listening to your show and wants me to tell him when a funny part of the show is on.
My marathon dreams are to run the 3 big ones. Boston, New York, and Chicago. Then I may be ready for the big Ironman training plan. I think now is the time for me to get started. Maybe before I hit 50?

Buzzard Duathlon Race Recap!

It was a beautiful day to be out participating in a duathlon race today! The sun was shining through blue skies. The temperature was about 38 degrees F. The race began with a run of 3 hilly miles around Hinkley Lake on the road. I felt comfortable running a 6:00 minute mile pace. I made it back to the transition area to get my bike and took off riding and still feeling good. After cruising with the 2nd lead pack group (on my 2nd lap of 5 around the Lake) my chain popped off going up a hill. I lost my momentum and could not put the chain back on while riding and had to get off the bike to put it back on. And of course being on a hill I could not get back on and ride so I ran with the bike up the hill. I realized these things can happen and just continued to ride my heart out. I completed the 5 hilly laps of 15.3 miles in 46:10 which is a 19.9 miles per hour pace. After racking my bike in the transition area I attempted to unsnap the chin-strap of my helmet but my hands were so cold and numb from the ride that I struggled with it for about 30 seconds but it seemed more like 2 minutes. With the mechanical mishap of the bike chain and the discomfort of frozen fingers I was still feeling strong and happy to be out racing my heart out. On the last lap of running the hilly course I took the opportunity to pass some of the many people that passed me on the bike leg. I finished 13th overall with a time of 1:24:34. It was a beautiful day!
Male Duathlon Race Results

Jump Rope

I recently came across a post from fellow blogger Hilda and read how she had 30 minutes jumping rope as part of her workout. The thought I had was would I count jumping rope as part of my workout? But then I was reminded that I use to jump rope when I boxed for 11 years and remembered why boxers would jump rope. We did it to improve speed, agility, balance, strength, power, and endurance. Then the thought came to me if the benefits were there for boxing then why not for multisport athletes? Today I dug out my jump rope and scheduled 10 minutes of jumping before my dumbbell workout with the exercise ball. I started my stop watch and started to jump. Two minutes went by and I'm thinking wow, how am I going to survive this for another eight minutes. After about 6 minutes I was sweating but holding onto the ropes. Eight minutes and I tell myself 2 minutes left I can do this. I finished the ten minutes and decided I will include this as part of today's workout.
I am considering to jump rope barefoot but from what I've read most websites state that you should not jump barefoot because the foot needs all the support and cushion a shoe gives while pounding the lower legs. But I'm not sure if I believe all that because I land light and on the balls of my feet. I think 1 to 2 minutes barefoot would actually strengthen the many muscles in my foot that would otherwise not get a chance when shod in a shoe. I do plan on adding 2 to 3 days a week of jumping rope to my regular workout schedule for a few months.

Apple Break - Fast

My little experiment of eating only apples during 2 days proved to me that I:
* have the ability to break ingrained old habits of eating whatever food I want.
* realize a change in diet takes time.
* can make smarter healthy food choices.
* can resist free pizza at work.
* have the strength to swim 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes of weight and core exercises.
* did not feel my energy levels were down.
* can survive 2 days eating only apples and probably can go longer.
* am free from excessive daily flatulence.
* felt my digestive organs were resting.
* still like apples.
* can curb the ravages of unnatural appetite.
* did not get irritable from missing all my wonderful meals.
* can do this again maybe next fall season.
* have so much to learn about proper diet and nutrition.
* thought more of my favorite food (see the picture) than any other food.

This little experiment was fun! It was done on my light week of training. The only workout I did was on the first day. I was supposed to eat 8 apples a day but I only ate 6 on Monday and 5 on Tuesday. When the hour came for me to eat I wasn't quite hungry so I would wait. I basically ate when I was hungry. I tried not to exert too much energy both days and even managed to get a 40 minute nap on Monday and a 20 minute nap on Tuesday. I don't quite know how to explain the restful and inner peace I felt both days but it was in me. Maybe I tasted the magic in apples!

Apple Detox

Today is day 1 of a 2 day apple fasting experiment. I will eat only apples and drink only water for these 2 days. I will eat a mix of 8 organic red delicious, gala, and yellow delicious apples, each day. People ask me why go through 2 days of stressing the body of not eating regular balanced meals and eating nothing but apples? I say it is something I have been considering for a few months. And from what I've heard we all can stand to use a little detox/fasting program to cleanse our bodies from accumulated toxins in our plumbing system. An apple fast is considered for people who are new to fasting and do not want to do a more serious fast like water or juice only.

Let's see how I hold up with my apple fast. I'll report Tuesday evening on my experience of missing my usual daily banana, granola cereal, peanut butter & honey sandwiches, and a good mix of fruits and vegetables. I think I miss my daily habit.