I Feel Like a Runner Again

It's been a bit of a rough go - first I stubbed my toe and was off running for 6 weeks, then as I built up mileage again I got all sick with a bronchial infection.

me running in better times.... warmer times, too

But I've pushed through it, a few times when my chest felt a bit raw and inflamed... slowly plodding and trying to get it all back.

Today I ran a 21.7km LSD - probably ill-advised, as my last LSD was only 17km, but close enough.  First half marathon or more distance run since July!

Average pace on that one was 5:15/km.  Today's pace?  5:38/km... but really it was about the distance, the pace will come back eventually with some hard work.

Peterborough 1/2 marathon coming up in a few weeks - that will be... interesting.  Not sure what to expect or target.  I'll decide closer to the date, hopefully I drop a few more pounds and find some pace.

Intermittent Fasting and Brain Health

Yet more evidence that fasting has health benefits, this time between the ears.

Warning: it's a little dry... and long... Transcript here

Video is too long tell me what I need to know!

OK!

There is compelling evidence that fasting can cause adaptations to your brain that have a protective effect from things like dementia and alzheimer's.

This is in addition to the other benefits that have already been documented to insulin sensitivity and reducing triglyceride levels.

What I take away from this (and he talks about this a bit in the video) is that eating 3 meals a day and never feeling hungry is really not the way humans evolved to eat.  It's a relatively new pattern, and it's looking increasingly like it isn't good for us.

I've documented my experience with Intermittent Fasting here.  It took time to get used to, but now I'm pretty consistent with it and do the 16:8 fast (8 hour eating window daily) most of the time.  It's just part of my life now to stop eating early in the evening and skip breakfast.

To being healthy!

Bronchitis - can Whiskey Cure It? Really?

Turns out no, no it can't.  But I figure I should give it a try.

By the way if you are drinking whiskey, check out this Collingwood stuff - it's fantastic.  Forty Creek, too, especially the Copper Pot.

Anyway I have Bronchitis and have to take antibiotics and no it's not the cold weather (my daughter who didn't exercise in the cold has the same thing).  Sigh.  Hopefully just a couple more days.

In the meantime - Collingwood!

Biking in the Snow in Durham Forest

Great day!

Managed to get out for my first snow ride of the year.  The temperature was just below zero and the snow has been pretty light, so it made for great conditions.

Also the good people of the DMBA (Durham Mountain Bike Association) seemed to have organized a snowshoe walk/run that tamped things down and widened the packed snow on the trail.  Those sections were great!

Big difference in the less packed sections, though - narrow pack, and if you got off line at all whooosh good bye wheel, sunk right in and took all your momentum.  Good recipe for a date with the ground.

29'er vs Fat Bike

Almost everyone out there today was on a Fat Bike - just a handful of us who weren't.

I just used my regular 29'er hardtail and normal tires.  No ice, snow wasn't deep, so it got the job done most of the time.  So give it a try if that's all you've got - it's still great, as long as it's packed enough.

Good-bye 2015, Hello 2016

Happy New Year!

Looking back at my 2014 wrap-up I said:

All in all a successful year.  I felt motivated, saw some results I was happy with, and just generally felt good.

... and this year I feel exactly the same way!

Did a lot more mountain biking than usual (right up to the end of December - bonus!).  Had a few injuries, recovered, got through them.

Weight is my constant struggle - and I finally lost some.  Well, first I peaked at over 200lbs... that wasn't good.  Very sobering.  But since then I got down below 180lb for the first time in years (somewhat reversed during the holiday season, though).  I know I can do it so will get back there very soon, the confidence is there.  Oh and the realization that alcohol and weight loss don't work well together for me...

2016 Goals

More of the same - get out and have fun.

Definitely want to rock out a proper Paris to Ancaster.  Lose some weight.  Run a half marathon (maybe a full in the fall?).

Need to think about it a bit more - for now it's all working so doing what I do.