Today was Camino Cycling: 20.69 solo kilometres. It took about an hour and 6 minutes (did you catch that I was using the GPS) so my average speed was about 18.8 km per hour. But it of course not about speed. But it sort of is about speed. The Tour de France just finished and the average speed for the winner was 39.78 km per hour. That of course is for the whole thing; average for flats and the ups and downs. Near the end of my ride there is a bit of a downhill where I hit just over 40 km per hour. I go gaga when I hit that - it is as fast as I go. During a flat I can hit,for a few hundred metres a speed of 27 km per hour. That is a touch faster than the first Tour average speed in 1903. So it is about speed.
We are getting faster, the Tour is getting faster, the stats matter, the reading on the GPS matters, the top speed matters. But why? Why does the speed matter? If I could do this little route I have of 20.69 kilometres in less than an hour would that be good? Would it be better for my health? Would it be better for my heart? Would it be better for the Camino experience.
I have no answers, I am still tossing things in the stew pot and maybe will have a chance to think things out on Sunday.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Today I decided to walk 7 kilometers of Camino. I did it close to the house and it was sort of 4 out and 3 back - that is because my wife, drove by bearing iced coffee and I hopped on for a lift. And I had a nice chat with a neighbor with whom I have not really chatted with before now.
So what are my observations? Well, you likely meet more people walking than you do running, cycling, or kayaking. I had a very nice talk with my neighbor (well he lives a kilometer away) about high speed internet, the summer, mobile phone safety while driving, and jobs. He did not really know me before the talk but now he does and I know him a lot better. So you get to know people by a)taking your time, b) stopping to talk, c) stopping to listen, and d) making the effort to say hello. Valuable lessons that need to steep.
And a Wife Bearing Iced Coffee is a lesson that shows me that what I really need is really simple and close to home. I enjoyed the walk but was thankful for the ride and thankful for the refreshing beverage.
These lessons are in the pot and steeping.
So what are my observations? Well, you likely meet more people walking than you do running, cycling, or kayaking. I had a very nice talk with my neighbor (well he lives a kilometer away) about high speed internet, the summer, mobile phone safety while driving, and jobs. He did not really know me before the talk but now he does and I know him a lot better. So you get to know people by a)taking your time, b) stopping to talk, c) stopping to listen, and d) making the effort to say hello. Valuable lessons that need to steep.
And a Wife Bearing Iced Coffee is a lesson that shows me that what I really need is really simple and close to home. I enjoyed the walk but was thankful for the ride and thankful for the refreshing beverage.
These lessons are in the pot and steeping.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Today is the Feast of St James and some may say: "who gives a hoot?." Well St Jimmy takes care of milliners, pharmacists, sock makers, and pilgrims and that is good enough for me. I lose enough socks in the washing machine so I need sock makers and I am going on a pilgrimage. He also brings forth good weather and battles arthritis and rheumatism; he was before Tylenol.
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St. James was the son of Zebedee and an apostle of Jesus. He was never a Big Gun apostle, and I cannot see Jesus of my understanding calling him James ; so he is St. Jimmy to me.
His relics are by tradition located in Santiago de Compostela,Spain and for a 1000 years people have done this journey of up to 750 kilometers. People I guess walked for penance, they walked for forgiveness, they walked for inspiration , they walked to walk. Well, one of my favorite spots on the planet, the Galilee Centre in Arnprior Ontario is doing a Virtual Camino Walk. It starts today on the Feast of St Jimmy and goes until Canadian Thanksgiving .
I did my first steps today. I was eager to move quickly and be at the front of the line to show off my ability but ended up at the back doing a slow walk and having an engaging conversation. My Personal Camino mediation is below : Funny how it is starting to come forth the first day.
My wish in this journey is to learn how to listen,
To heed the messages and signs from my body,
To hear the songs of the birds and of the insects,
To feel the heat of the sun and the cool of the wind,
To understand the silence of the stars and the moon,
But I really want to hear my Soul and Spirit,
And not have their message muted by Want and Desire,
As I step forth, I wish to learn how to listen.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
St. James was the son of Zebedee and an apostle of Jesus. He was never a Big Gun apostle, and I cannot see Jesus of my understanding calling him James ; so he is St. Jimmy to me.
His relics are by tradition located in Santiago de Compostela,Spain and for a 1000 years people have done this journey of up to 750 kilometers. People I guess walked for penance, they walked for forgiveness, they walked for inspiration , they walked to walk. Well, one of my favorite spots on the planet, the Galilee Centre in Arnprior Ontario is doing a Virtual Camino Walk. It starts today on the Feast of St Jimmy and goes until Canadian Thanksgiving .
I did my first steps today. I was eager to move quickly and be at the front of the line to show off my ability but ended up at the back doing a slow walk and having an engaging conversation. My Personal Camino mediation is below : Funny how it is starting to come forth the first day.
My wish in this journey is to learn how to listen,
To heed the messages and signs from my body,
To hear the songs of the birds and of the insects,
To feel the heat of the sun and the cool of the wind,
To understand the silence of the stars and the moon,
But I really want to hear my Soul and Spirit,
And not have their message muted by Want and Desire,
As I step forth, I wish to learn how to listen.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
So , time to talk about investing the gift. If, through the grace of a power that is greater than myself I am alive and well, what do I do with the gift of life? The first thing that I am doing in enjoying life. I love my wife and I like being with her. In the mornings it is somehow my routine to make the coffee. I grind the beans, I make the coffee, and bring it to my wife.
I remember that, after getting my "adult" job a good 150 kilometers from my parent's house I would still visit an awful lot on weekends. My dad would, without fail make me morning coffee and deliver to my bedside. I was still a very young man, often recovering so to speak from a late Friday Night and the smell of the instant coffee next to my bedside was often not greeted with full enthusiasm by me. But something in my knew that of course the coffee would not last forever, that likely my father would leave the mortal world well before me and he did indeed die in 1990.
So it is with the coffee for my wife. The day will come when either I will not be there to make it, or she will not me there to receive it. But today I was able to make and give her coffee. It is a very, very, small payback but it helps me start the day.
I try to leave each day doing the right stuff for me, a sort of personal investment. I take my drugs: The morning is a baby aspirin, a beta blocker, a calcium blocker, a fish oil pill, a multivitamin, and a hit of extra fibre. At night it is another beta blocker, a statin and more fibre.
Then there is the food. I have a few things that I have done well. I love Frito Lay Ruffles but I only eat them on Christmas Eve. I have not taken up smoking or drinking. I have cut down drastically on my consumption of diet soda pop. I eat no more that two eggs a week. I never (well almost never) add salt at the table. But ice cream (soft cones) have entered my life a bit more than the summer heat should allow. I am getting careless on portion size. But I am trying to me mindful.
I try to move 30 minutes a day over and above what I have to do. Jogging, cycling, padding, and walking are what I do. Doggie walking does not count in the equation. The heat is making me lazy but each step, each stroke is an investment
More to come .....
I remember that, after getting my "adult" job a good 150 kilometers from my parent's house I would still visit an awful lot on weekends. My dad would, without fail make me morning coffee and deliver to my bedside. I was still a very young man, often recovering so to speak from a late Friday Night and the smell of the instant coffee next to my bedside was often not greeted with full enthusiasm by me. But something in my knew that of course the coffee would not last forever, that likely my father would leave the mortal world well before me and he did indeed die in 1990.
So it is with the coffee for my wife. The day will come when either I will not be there to make it, or she will not me there to receive it. But today I was able to make and give her coffee. It is a very, very, small payback but it helps me start the day.
I try to leave each day doing the right stuff for me, a sort of personal investment. I take my drugs: The morning is a baby aspirin, a beta blocker, a calcium blocker, a fish oil pill, a multivitamin, and a hit of extra fibre. At night it is another beta blocker, a statin and more fibre.
Then there is the food. I have a few things that I have done well. I love Frito Lay Ruffles but I only eat them on Christmas Eve. I have not taken up smoking or drinking. I have cut down drastically on my consumption of diet soda pop. I eat no more that two eggs a week. I never (well almost never) add salt at the table. But ice cream (soft cones) have entered my life a bit more than the summer heat should allow. I am getting careless on portion size. But I am trying to me mindful.
I try to move 30 minutes a day over and above what I have to do. Jogging, cycling, padding, and walking are what I do. Doggie walking does not count in the equation. The heat is making me lazy but each step, each stroke is an investment
More to come .....
Saturday, June 11, 2011
I don’t know why I have strayed from blogging … maybe too much is going on and that is good but if this blog is the one thing that survives the future I had better update my history for the future anthropologists from three solar systems over.
The big news for me is that I had my cardiac checkup on May 30th. The cardiologist basically (in a nice and professional way of course) told me to “Get Out and Stay Out”. My blood flow is restored, the blood work is good, I am on the right meds, I am on the right path.
So I have been given a great gift. As I have stated in previous posts, the vast majority of people on the planet do not have access to this sort of surgery and for the vast, vast, history of humanity this surgery did not exist. My total out of pocket expense for this whole journey has been a couple of hundred bucks; parking and Tim Horton’s coffees and sandwiches. I take a daily baby aspirin, two beta blockers, a calcium blocker, and a statin. You need money to do this, or a drug plan and I am lucky enough to have both.
I have the time and ability to run or cycle or kayak. I have a stable job for a wonderful employer. I have a spiritual home in many places (Galilee Centre is just one) and at many times, although Thursdays do come to mind. And I come home to love with my wife of over a decade. And then there are a collection of 20 legs and 5 tails that challenge, sooth, and instruct every day.
So what do I do with this gift I have been given? I am mindful of the The Parable of the Bags of Gold in Matthew 25 (14 to 28 for those interested). Here is the quick version. Dude goes traveling and puts homeboys in charge of cash. Homeboy One and Homeboy Two invest cash in markets and provide returning dude with original investment plus bonus. Homeboy Three stuffed loot under mattress and returns it a bit sweaty but otherwise untarnished BUT no bonus, no interest, no nothing. The dude was , to out it mildly, pissed , in fact megapissed. Now I am no theologian, but I do not think that Jesus was advertising mutual funds. I think he was saying, if you have a gift, if it has been granted to you by the grace of a power greater than yourself.
Stay tuned on how I am investing the gift …..
The big news for me is that I had my cardiac checkup on May 30th. The cardiologist basically (in a nice and professional way of course) told me to “Get Out and Stay Out”. My blood flow is restored, the blood work is good, I am on the right meds, I am on the right path.
So I have been given a great gift. As I have stated in previous posts, the vast majority of people on the planet do not have access to this sort of surgery and for the vast, vast, history of humanity this surgery did not exist. My total out of pocket expense for this whole journey has been a couple of hundred bucks; parking and Tim Horton’s coffees and sandwiches. I take a daily baby aspirin, two beta blockers, a calcium blocker, and a statin. You need money to do this, or a drug plan and I am lucky enough to have both.
I have the time and ability to run or cycle or kayak. I have a stable job for a wonderful employer. I have a spiritual home in many places (Galilee Centre is just one) and at many times, although Thursdays do come to mind. And I come home to love with my wife of over a decade. And then there are a collection of 20 legs and 5 tails that challenge, sooth, and instruct every day.
So what do I do with this gift I have been given? I am mindful of the The Parable of the Bags of Gold in Matthew 25 (14 to 28 for those interested). Here is the quick version. Dude goes traveling and puts homeboys in charge of cash. Homeboy One and Homeboy Two invest cash in markets and provide returning dude with original investment plus bonus. Homeboy Three stuffed loot under mattress and returns it a bit sweaty but otherwise untarnished BUT no bonus, no interest, no nothing. The dude was , to out it mildly, pissed , in fact megapissed. Now I am no theologian, but I do not think that Jesus was advertising mutual funds. I think he was saying, if you have a gift, if it has been granted to you by the grace of a power greater than yourself.
Stay tuned on how I am investing the gift …..
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Just like a year ago today, May 15th is still my birthday. A few details: I did go into emergency to check out that side pain (can't be too careful) and it turned out to just be muscle pain due to my raking - that felt good! (no, not the pain, but the relief at it being muscle pain) .
I was up north of Massey Ontario fishing for the last few days. I was with some life long friends and their kids. Other than that making me feel old, it was a lot of fun and I am glad that they let me be part of their family. It was a lot of driving - 1200 kilometers in four days and kind of tiring but I am glad that I was able to do it. It really made be grateful for my health.
Today I woke up in a warm house with my wife at my side and a beagle and assorted cats near by. I read birthday greetings on Facebook. I had local fiddleheads for dinner. I had a rhubarb custard tart (more like a pie!) for dessert. Yet again my cup runneth over.
I was up north of Massey Ontario fishing for the last few days. I was with some life long friends and their kids. Other than that making me feel old, it was a lot of fun and I am glad that they let me be part of their family. It was a lot of driving - 1200 kilometers in four days and kind of tiring but I am glad that I was able to do it. It really made be grateful for my health.
Today I woke up in a warm house with my wife at my side and a beagle and assorted cats near by. I read birthday greetings on Facebook. I had local fiddleheads for dinner. I had a rhubarb custard tart (more like a pie!) for dessert. Yet again my cup runneth over.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Yesterday, I had a full day of raking and picking up branches strewn about in a recent storm over at Galilee Centre in Arnprior. (it was a Work Bee) Being in a cushy day job that involves either sitting, or driving, or yapping, or meeting, or doing deep thinking the physical effort on my part was perhaps a bit more excessive than a wiser man would have done. We had a group chili dinner and as I sat up after the meal my muscles did a bit of a rebellion. I got home, did a soak in the tub and then it was off to bed.
This morning I woke up and noted a bit of soreness in my chest / left side. CHEST PAIN!! So what should I do? I suppose that I should have thought about heading off to the local hospital. But the pain was very mild. It did not migrate. It did not radiate. It seemed to get a bit more noticeable when I moved my left arm. So I decided that it was muscle related to raking.
A week ago yesterday I participated in a 5K run - a actual race! Here is my race time: 196 37:44.1 7:33 1203 (196th out of 227 runners with a time of 37 minutes and 44.1 seconds, I paced 7:33 per km and 1203 was my bib number, not great but I am proud of myslef). I have been running 15 to 18 K a week. I am careful of what I eat, I take my drugs like I am supposed to, so I find the idea of chest pain very irritating. So I took it to be muscle pain due to raking. As I compose this in the evening I find it (the pain) hardly there.
So am / did I do the right thing by ignoring? Stay tuned.
I blog to capture my feelings and to a certain extent be cute. If I for a second thought that something was really awry, I would go to the hospital. I am not suggesting that anyone ignore chest pain or discomfort, I am just saying that I think I know my body better than anyone and I am doing the right thing.
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This morning I woke up and noted a bit of soreness in my chest / left side. CHEST PAIN!! So what should I do? I suppose that I should have thought about heading off to the local hospital. But the pain was very mild. It did not migrate. It did not radiate. It seemed to get a bit more noticeable when I moved my left arm. So I decided that it was muscle related to raking.
A week ago yesterday I participated in a 5K run - a actual race! Here is my race time: 196 37:44.1 7:33 1203 (196th out of 227 runners with a time of 37 minutes and 44.1 seconds, I paced 7:33 per km and 1203 was my bib number, not great but I am proud of myslef). I have been running 15 to 18 K a week. I am careful of what I eat, I take my drugs like I am supposed to, so I find the idea of chest pain very irritating. So I took it to be muscle pain due to raking. As I compose this in the evening I find it (the pain) hardly there.
So am / did I do the right thing by ignoring? Stay tuned.
I blog to capture my feelings and to a certain extent be cute. If I for a second thought that something was really awry, I would go to the hospital. I am not suggesting that anyone ignore chest pain or discomfort, I am just saying that I think I know my body better than anyone and I am doing the right thing.
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