Power to the People

Especially us. Our power is back!

Yesterday we spent another full day in the yard cleaning up downed trees. Here is Don turning downed trees into firewood and piles of branches. These are basswood trees, flattened by a larger ash tree when it fell.


Mid-afternoon, the power company showed up to figure out how they would restore our power. They needed to bring in big trucks to set a pole, and the power pole location was halfway up a hill and in the middle of a woods.

Hence, we needed a road. Happily, friend Jim and our son both showed up at about that time to help. Together with Sunshine and Sweet Pea, and with three chain saws, we chewed through a couple of hundred feet of woods and cleared a road of sorts to the pole location.


We took down trees, cut stumps to the ground, cleared brush, and sawed through the "top" of a giant white oak that had fallen across the power lines.


Three guys, happy because the project was now entirely in the hands of the power company, who were promising to stay until power was restored, regardless how long it took. And they did.


Linemen at the top of the newly-set pole, attaching the transformer and connecting wires. This was a crew from Minnesota Power Company in Eveleth, MN, brought down here by our power company to help handle the huge amount of work created by the storm.


Today, looking up the new road toward the new pole and power transformer, top center.


Today, looking back from the pole to the street.


I've spent three full days working on this storm damage. Work is done in the yard now, so today is a day off, but there is a lot more work to do in our little woods. Hopefully someone will want some firewood, and be willing to help cut it and haul it out.

All three days I wore my heaviest steel-toe work boots, with the orthotics in them. No plantar fasciitis pain. Plans for a 1.5-mile run last Saturday were interrupted by the storm, but maybe tomorrow.

For more on life without power, see Sunshine's blog.

Perfect Storm

Well, not really perfect, but we're glad it wasn't. As it was, last night's storm took down several mature trees and rendered several more fit only for the chainsaw.

One big red oak came THIS close to the house, but damaged only the deck railing. The branches were actually bent up against the glass doors of the house.


Here's Don sawing and carrying the debris away. It would have been more enjoyable, except the weather was so hot and muggy.


Two well-loved trees fell here. No more morning shade on the driveway. So sad for those trees.


This was a huge red oak that gave shade from the midday sun. It was once quite splendid, but was very mature and this was its time to go. Still, we will miss it. It fell right on top of a woodpile - how convenient!


Our pole transformer is supposed to be up in the air! The pole fell down, transformer and all, skidding part way down the hill. We still don't have power from the power company, but we do have a little putt-putt generator that keeps the water pump, refrigerator, and internet going, though not the air conditioning.


Today was to be the first 1.5-mile run while recovering from the plantar fasciitis, but reality intervened.

One Mile at a Time

Tuesday, Aug 7:

Another mile, jogging, in 9:50. But it’s a victory! No pain in the plantar-fasciitis foot at all, just a little soreness in the area of the hip flexors. What’s that about? From Sunday’s 1-mile run, or from Sunday’s hard bike ride? Can a runner lose his fitness in seven weeks? Curious minds want to know. Anyway today’s run was on pavement, with the new orthotics. Maybe the next run will be a bit longer, Thursday on blacktop trails. Or maybe I’ll try the middle-school track again.

After that short jog, we three trucked ourselves up to the Gateway Trail, where Sunshine and Sweet Pea ran, and I rode 20 miles in 1:19, as fast as I could. If it were a race I would have lost, because a young woman passed me with apparent ease, sitting down, but I went as fast as my ancient muscles could be re-supplied with glycogen, breathing hard throughout, and made a speed averaging over 15 mph for the 20 miles. The portion of the Gateway Trail that we used is relatively flat, and with only a modest number of dangerous (slowing) road crossings. Further, the wind today was light, so this effort probably does indicate the best that I can do right now on my hybrid bike and a flat surface. It’s OK.

Can’t resist measuring myself. Is that a character flaw, or an advantage over others who can resist, or both, or neither? Who cares.

Thursday, August 9:

Another mile, blacktop and boardwalk, 9:58. No problems. Maybe 1.5 miles on Saturday?



Organic whole spelt rollup, roast local no-hormone no-antibiotic lamb, organic romaine, tzatziki sauce (organic yogurt, minced cucumber, organic lemon juice, minced garlic, dill, Jim's parsley), cooked sweet onion. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 6.


Homemade sweet potato pie (organic sweet potato, organic pumpkin, organic eggs, local honey, molasses, organic skim milk, pecans), organic grapes, kiwi, mango, Dove dark chocolate. The sweet potato pie is the main course (vegetables and nuts), not really the dessert, as the honey and molasses are minimized. A post-workout lunch doesn't get much better than this! Estimated Weight Watcher points = 7.


Dinner salad on the road. Organic baby spinach, organic strawberries, organic black seedless grapes, organic apple, organic nectarine, avocado, artichoke hearts in brine, salad vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5. Would have liked some blue cheese with this. But it took quite a while to eat it!

Baby Steps

One mile! I ran a mile yesterday, on a rubbery high-school track, in my orthotics. No pain at all. I shuffled rather slowly, probably ten or eleven minutes, but it felt wonderful! The podiatrist had said that I could try a short run today, ten days after receiving the new orthotics, but to stop immediately if there was any pain and then, if so, wait another ten days. TEN DAYS! But if no pain I can run every other day, building back up very carefully. Easy, easy does it. Tuesday another run, maybe only a mile again.

I got back from a rather hasty three-day trip to Tennessee just today, so I haven’t written to this log in a while. Previous training that I should mention:

Monday, July 30, we three drove to Afton State Park where Sunshine and Sweet Pea ran the hills and I rode my bike for 90 minutes. My first comprehensive visit to this park, it’s excellent for runners who want to run trails and hills. Some trails are open to bikes, but not a lot.

Tuesday, July 31, I rode a 21-mile route that included some gravelly trails and plenty of hills, clocking a speed of about 14 mph. As always. But I’m satisfied with that for now. One day I’ll borrow a road bike and see what I can do on the flat. Except there really is no flat around here, not for more than a mile or two at a time.

Yesterday, after the run, we three went to the nearest park and biked for ninety minutes. That felt good too, riding a fairly tough route and clocking about 13.6 mph for 18.6 miles. Lots of hilly asphalt bike trails, caution at intersections, and plenty of flat but rough trail along the RR track. I can’t decide whether I like roads or trails better. Completely different, of course, each with its own challenges and rewards. Maybe I’ll never decide.


Breakfast:

Organic oatmeal, organic fat-free milk, organic strawberries, blueberries, fresh mango, Dove dark chocolate. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.

Lunch:

Hormone-free antibiotic-free pork chop (small), broccoli with organic lemon juice, fresh mango, watermelon. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4.

Dinner (a different day):

No-antibiotic no-hormone pork chop, organic grapes, organic Ranier cherry, sweet potato pie (organic sweet potato, organic pumpkin, organic eggs, local honey, molasses, organic skim milk, pecans). Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8.

Broken Spoke

Friday Bike Ride:

Nice ride on the trail along the railroad tracks going through Lake Woebegone, if a bit rough, but about halfway through the ride I discovered a broken spoke on the rear wheel. Turns out that my happy little bike actually NEEDS all of its spokes, and the rear wheel bent just enough to rub against the rear sprocket a little bit on each revolution, and probably on the brake pad as well. The bend became progressively worse as the ride went along, as did the rubbing of the tire, and I was happy to get back home after 52 minutes.

Also it turns out that I don’t know much about my bike. I bought a spoke and some cone wrenches, removed the rear wheel with no problem, but couldn’t figure out how to remove the Shimano hub. Another trip to the Gateway Cycle Shop and the mechanic there showed me how to replace the spoke; there is a special tool for removing that hub. It looked quite easy when he did it! They're out of that tool at the moment, but I'll buy one when they come in because do need to be able to replace spokes.

Saturday (today):

Rode to Northland Tennis Courts where the St Croix Valley Runners gather before and after their 5-mile run, then rode the grass trails in the park north of the county maintenance shed, buzzed the runners a few times, stopped to chat after their run, then rode home. Probably about 22 miles in all, a very enjoyable ride. On the long legs I apparently had average speed of about 14 mph. It seems that’s the best I can do with this bike right now. Some minor pain under the right kneecap in the second half of the ride. I guess that’s just going to be with me for a while. It goes away after a day off from riding, if not sooner.

Friend Doug was quite helpful with advice this morning after his run. He’s been an avid biker, even owns a bike stand for servicing bikes. He actually has two sets of wheels for his mountain bike, one for trail riding and another with smoother tires for road biking. The road tires are quieter, and can be inflated to a higher pressure for less road resistance. It’s still a heavy bike, of course, compared with a real road bike. He also mentioned that the most important place to reduce weight on the bike is the tires. I have to think about why that would be. I weighed my bike today after the ride: 37 pounds. Professional road bikes can weigh 20 pounds less! Does that really matter at all on the flat? Of course it matters on hills - it’s as if I weigh 20 pounds more than I do.

Oh man - I don’t want to get sucked into biking. I really do enjoy it though. One of the joys of running is the chance to see lots of countryside that I wouldn’t bother to drive past, but a bike can double that. On the other hand, a runner who keeps his eyes open and head clear isn’t at much risk of serious injury except from external forces like cars, but a biker can get into a lot of trouble all by himself. So far so good for me, but I’ve had some close calls, nearly tumbling into ditches and the like, and I've taken one tumble while trying to jump a low curb. As with all of life, experience will help as long as it doesn’t produce overconfidence.

Running:

The new custom orthotics (previous post) feel just fine. I wore them for almost six hours today, but during most of that time I was riding my bike or sitting, watching the Tour de France. I don’t know if that counts toward “break-in” time or not.


Yesterday was a very good day for eating:

Breakfast:

Organic oatmeal, organic skim milk, mango, blueberries, organic strawberries, Brazil nuts. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5. This is a normal breakfast during fruit & berry season.

Lunch:

No-hormone no-antibiotic pork loin roasted in peanut sauce (organic coconut milk, organic chunky peanut butter, ancho chili powder, organic lime, coriander), organic plum, kiwi, mango. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 7. Magnificent lunch by Sunshine; she exceeded herself. LOVE that peanut sauce, which was supposed to have creamy peanut butter according to the recipe, but is much better with chunky.

Dinner:

Roasted free-range local chicken with vidalia onion, corn/spud dish with Jim's potatoes and onion, organic plum, and "pie" of organic pumpkin, a little honey and molasses, and pecans. The pie is not so sweet as to be dessert; it's a vegetable. :-) Estimated Weight Watcher points = 9.

Custom Orthotics

The custom orthotics arrived today. I had imagined something a bit harder, stiffer, but these are a lot like the over-the-counter orthotics that I already have, except they have more support in the arch. And the support feels like it is more in the middle of the arch, not so much in the inside as I had expected.

Of course I still can't run, because I'm waiting for the plantar fasciitis to heal, but these feel like I certainly could run in them. They weigh six ounces total, three ounces per foot, so they do add to the weight of running shoes, but not an unacceptable amount. When I can run, I will certainly run in them. Except for races, perhaps, eventually.

The podiatrist (if a doctor is called "doc", what is a podiatrist called?) said I could try a little bit of running in ten days after the orthotics' "break-in" period. I think break-in means time for my feet to become accustomed to the orthotics, not for the orthotics to become fitted to my feet. They are made of cushioned rubber and don't feel like they will change any.

Meanwhile I can use the orthotics for one hour today (done), two hours tomorrow, and so forth for ten days. That's August 5. I will try running a very short distance on August 5. Marking the calendar ... aw heck I won't forget that date!


Salad:

Organic romaine, avocado, Danish blue cheese, fresh mango, organic grape for color accent. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3. Sunshine bought a crate of mangoes, so there will be lots more pictures with mango in them.

Salmon dinner:

Sweet Pea's wild caught Alaskan salmon dish with organic fat-free yogurt, dill, and paprika, plus organic beans, nasty corn chips, fresh mango. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 8.

Apricot oatmeal breakfast:

Organic oatmeal, organic fat-free milk, blueberries, organic apricot, Don's "gronch" consisting of dried sweetened cranberries, dried mango, dried, pineapple, and a few more things. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 5.

Salad:

Organic romaine, organic basil, fennel, mango, organic strawberries, blue cheese, strawberry vinegar. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 3.

County Park Permit

Yesterday’s bike ride was wonderful, energetic and very satisfying. After the Tour de France telecast was finished, I announced that I was going out for a bike ride. Sunshine suggested that we put all three bikes on the car and go to the Washington County park to ride there. Great idea, off we went. Though I have been in the park several times this year on foot and on the bike, this was the first visit by car, so we bought Washington County park stickers for both cars. Always a good investment - the parks are worthy of support.

We agreed to meet back at the cars in an hour, and I rode out of the park on a trail that I have not used in years, then explored the city to the west. Why have I never run or biked here before? Out to the county line, north to the railroad tracks, back on my favorite trail along the tracks, then an extra loop through the park and my hour was up.

Along the tracks a “train” of just three engines had stopped, diesels rumbling, with one man on the tracks checking a switch. As I rode by with a grin on my face, he waved and hollered “Have fun!” Further down I re-entered the park, on a dirt road, past a sign saying “Park Vehicles Only,” and past a police car stopped there, ready with engine idling. The officer waved as I rode past smiling and saluting. They don’t mind runners and bikers, as long as we behave ourselves.

This wasn’t as hilly as some recent rides, but it certainly was rough, especially the trail by the tracks, strewn with inch-sized rocks fallen down from the rail bed. Most of the ride was NOT in my hybrid bike’s highest gear. About 13.5 miles in 1:02. I’m quite pleased with my five-year-old $150 Eddie Bauer bicycle from Target; it took a lot of abuse.

And somehow I felt as if I had found a groove yesterday. I’ve learned a lot about the bike in past weeks: how and when to shift, how to maintain leg turnover, when to stand, when to sit, and how to use momentum. The ride felt very good, as if I could sustain this energy level for hours. I don’t WANT to like bike riding, because I’m a runner, but in truth I’m enjoying it more and more. The right “bike knee” hurt only slightly, even though I also rode hard just the day before. The knee is getting better. Life is good.

The plantar fasciitis doesn’t seem to change much. I can barely feel it, only once in a while, but am confident that it would reappear in full if I tried to run. Two months of “hammock therapy,” said the podiatrist, and I’ve only finished week three. Meanwhile I ride the bike.


Frannie is always hungry, even though she gets plenty to eat.


Lunch for me, not Frannie:

Organic swiss chard, pistachios, organic raisins, organic red grape raisins, dried cranberies, leftover chicken/turkey hot dog, leftover lemon-grilled chicken, honeydew melon, organic nectarine. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 6.

Afternoon treat when I need calories:

Orange, organic apple, organic strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, organic fat-free yogurt, Dove dark chocolate. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4. I take my time eating this treat, one little delight at a time, and eat the chocolate last, so that flavor is in my mouth for a while afterward.

Dessert:

Organic red grapes, organic plum, honeydew melon, organic strawberries, blueberries, organic fat-free yogurt. Estimated Weight Watcher points = 4. Take your time and enjoy this piece by piece for a half hour.