Radical Health Changes Last 2 Years

Mosr recent
In January 2020
Intensive medical procedure days coming up. Wednesday, pre-op for surgery next week to replace kidney stent in left kidney ureter (tube) to my undersized bladder. Ureter has a stricture that impedes flow causing a condition called hydronephrosis. Stent needs periodic replacement.
Thursday involves three things: monthly abdominal bladder catheter change, no fun; PSA bloodwork to check state of prostate cancer that came out of remission; periodic Lupron injection to treat it.
An unrepairable urethra stricture below my radiation pockmarked prostate gland contributes to all the above. Spinal fusion surgery slow recovery adds to the challenges.
Before that
The spic fusion surgery that led to nerve damage also had to to placement of the suprapubic (abdominal) catheter, a sometimes outcome.
And new and current.
Started 4 weeks PT for neck-spine age. woe linked to pain from shoulders to wrists from dumbbells workout, cervical arthritic degeneration and weakness from lower-spine fusion surgery. #age83defiance.
Okay, there are progressive limits with aging but that doesn’t mean don’t try. Even with everything else.
Onward.

PODCASTING ABOUT PHILOSOPHY? A TRYOUT

I've got a Ph.D. in philosophy, interpretation and culture earned at Binghamton University in upstate New York (considered State Ivy and a rigorous place to study). I find myself turning back to this study, listening to podcasts in this realm, and wondering whether I have a voice in this. I'm going to try it out, in a relaxed and unsystematic and unpolished podcast-like way. Below is a kind of into. Link will take one to a post that contains the sound file. Click on the file to listen. Very casual and soft 12 minutes to endure. Comments on this beginning effort are certainly welcome

SPINE INJURY ENDS MY RUNNING EFFORTS.

At age 81, in late January, I seriously injured my lower spine (again), causing a period of extreme pain that ended when I had surgery (microdiscectomy) that eased the pain from a herniated discs in lumbar4 and lumbar5 (L4-L5, L5-S-1) that painfully squeezed the root nerve from L5 and resulted in neuropathy in my right leg and condition know as drop foot.
Since then, the nerve compression has eased a little, helped by my walking and bicycling. More to say about this, maybe. But it looks like now that I can't seriously run again without re-injuring this region, making it worse than it was.

SET TENNESSEE 2-MILE AGE 80 RACE RECORD

Picking up speed like a Model T. Set Tennessee's 2-mile road race record for 80-year-old men (no record there before) in Chattanooga Track Club's Scenic City Scorcher event. Not a great pace but enough to do it - overall net time 23:10, pace 11:33.

REGISTERED FOR TWO 2017 HALF MARATHONS

Registered for 2 half-marathons this year, adapting a 10-week plan to train for the 1st in September. I'll also attend a 4 evening Front Runner camp the next 2 weeks, intrigued by that. It's clear I need to be moderate, turning 81 next month, my 2nd year back at it. Running's been redeeming in my life, and I'm grateful to still be challenged by it. Other runners feel this way, too. #runningandredemption #RunningAgainAtAge80 #buildingabasehopefully

TRIATHLON: RESURRECTING 1985 PEUGEOT BIKE

Want to resurrect my 1985 Peugeot Triathlon bike, which helped me win and place 2nd in an intermediate and sprint triathlon when I turned 50 in 1986, the only tris I competed in. The sprint was in Tioga County NY, and the other at Dorchester Park in Whitney Point, NY, a 3/4-mile swim, 18-mile hilly bike, and a 10K run. Not that I'm thinking of a Triathlon at age 80 #nononononotriathlon Changes took me off the road and bike afterward.

FEEL IS GOOD BUT NEED RUNNING TRAINING PLAN

Decided to keep an eye on the high intensity 3PLUS2 running program from FIRST in "Run Less, Run Faster." Three days of run types, two of cross training. I don't feel I'm ready for it at this time, though. 

 I think I'm more fit to do the RW beginner 10 week half marathon training plan, maybe adapting in a higher intensity workout from the 3PLUS2 now and then. Yet keeping in mind "feel" training, with a plan to catch me when I'm slacking off. 

Continuing confusion on how to proceed when #RunningAgainAtAge80.

FIRST is the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training. 

BOOSTING CADENCE, TESTING QUALITY RUNS

Reflecting, I've been influenced in my running goals by others I know, how I matter in a club context, and as well in a competitive one. Too many cooks, I think. I'm losing the joy in the feel of it. Help helps, for sure. But ultimately only I see the star that guides. Plus how my age may limit me. Okay. 

Working now to boost running cadence from 165 steps per minute to widely recommended 180 spm. Ran slow 3.28 miles in hollow at that cadence, hard to do now, yet did it. Happy underused fast-twitch muscles. Other metrics: 46:05;14:03;124;.64;187^. 

Also, I like how this four-day a week running plan sounds: Speed, tempo, long run, easy, with "feel" the measure. More about quality than volume training. I'd gear it to the next upcoming race, the Scenic City Scorcher 2-miler, with others I might do in mind. 

So, cadence boost and quality runs, limited to four days a week. I can test this. #RunningAgainAtAge80