# Beach walks



## John cycling (Dec 18, 2022)

*The end of a dream*
Having been a runner for most of my life, wanting to always keep running was my dream.
Due to a knee pain that dream came to an end in early 2016.  I tried to keep going but the pain got worse
over the next year spreading through my hamstring and my glut, making even sitting on a yoga ball quite painful.
I swam for 2 years, used a ski machine for 2 years, and overlapped that with an indoor bike for 3 years and counting.

The pain vanished with the different exercises, but my ability to stand in one place very long and then start
walking again would leave me unbalanced especially when turning.  Cycling wasn't enough.  I needed to do more.

*Coming back*
Realizing the gravity, I determined to start walking again the end of last March.
My first efforts were only a couple of minutes, soon expanded to 10' at 3 mph on the treadmill.
That Sunday I went to a nearby 3/4 mile triangle loop and felt quite wobbly but was able to complete it.

This continued most Sundays, the next month beginning a 15 week streak at the College.
I measured a 500m rectangle through the campus adjacent to the track, which was usually closed.
The first week I averaged 20:15 per mile for 3.5km (2.2m), and the 15th week 16:04 for 5km (3.1 m).
The problem at that point was speed, as I could maintain a 3.8mph pace, but had a hard time going any faster.
A few weeks later I did two 10kms (6.2 miles) in subsequent weeks at almost the same place.

*The neighborhood*
Then I started walking around the neighborhood with a couple of different courses.
Shortly after starting this, a neighbor friend joined me and we walked about 4 miles each morning.
This continued for a couple of months until a pain flared up in my glut which was caused by an office chair.
I fashioned a new seat out of wood, and the pain disappeared.  In the meantime however, my schedule changed.

The colder weather was the reason, plus I wanted a change from doing the same moderate daily pace.
I returned to my earlier method of 10' on the treadmill each morning, plus 60' cycling on the indoor bicycle.
I've adjusted this the last few days to 12' treadmill and 48' cycling, plus walking/running outside at various locations.

*Beach walks*
My only two outings these last 6 weeks have been beach walks (hikes) with a seniors group.
These were fun outings with a chance to meet other seniors, so I'm looking forward to more of them.
The December 8th beach walk *in this photo < * was cold. The walks are good, but most of them are too far away.

*Upcoming plans*
I want to visit the dirt road where I used to run by the levee, and maybe the park that is close to it.
Maybe running outside again will be possible, which I am already doing some of slowly on the treadmill.
My plan is to visit the College again when the weather is warmer, with the aim to keep improving my results.

Thank you for your comments.   Let me know any questions you have.


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## Nemo2 (Dec 18, 2022)

John cycling said:


> Having been a runner for most of my life, wanting to always keep running was my dream.
> But due to a knee pain that dream came to an end in early 2016.  I tried to overcome it but the pain got worse,
> over the next year spreading through my hamstring and my glut, making even sitting on a yoga ball quite painful.
> I swam for 2 years, used a ski machine for 2 years, and overlapped that with an indoor bike for 3 years and counting.
> ...


Good luck!  When I had to quit running I started cycling......doing 50 miles a day for an extended period after my late wife died.  Then my neck hurt and lost a lot of flexibility, (oh, and did I mention the acquired contact dermatitis on my butt)....stopped cycling, sold the bike....and the dermatitis went too.

Now it's stair walking and elliptical.


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## hollydolly (Dec 18, 2022)

I have a treadmill here at home. I walk at 4 or 4.5 MPH.. for about 10 or 15 minutes before my knee gives out


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## Paco Dennis (Dec 18, 2022)

Thanks for sharing this was us. Many of us are suffering from "something" and we all would like to feel better. Keep us informed on how you are getting along.


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## Nemo2 (Dec 18, 2022)

There's hope/inspiration for us:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...lenge-raise-money-armed-forces-charities.html


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## Gaer (Dec 18, 2022)

I sure respect your tenacity, John.


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## Alligatorob (Dec 18, 2022)

Very impressive John! 

I know what living with knee pain is like, you have really worked hard at it.


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## Nemo2 (Dec 18, 2022)

Ran a marathon (my one and only) in Jeddah, Feb 1984......tensor bandages on both knees, (actually, now that I think about it, I consulted with a Team Canada doctor who also ran, and wrote for a running magazine.........this, I guess was in the early 1970s.  He asked if I'd consider giving up running...when I said no he replied "I didn't think so"   -  he arranged orthotics......made in a local hospital, waaaay different from the ones I have now).

Had a hip replacement, January last year......can still manage the knees, no hurry to get them done....it's the "Shut things down for recuperation" time that I don't like the idea of.

Onwards & Upwards.


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## John cycling (Dec 21, 2022)

*The levee*
I drove to the farthest entrance on the levee this morning to see how I was going up and down on the ramps.  First I walked down the dirt frontage road a ways, ran back, then ran up one side of the ramp, jogged back down, then the other side and repeated it once.  That was enough to see I'll be fine with the hills on an upcoming hike in three weeks.  Then I went to the closest entrance, down the steeper entry hill and back up which was fine.  Now I'm looking forward to that hike.

*The sidewalk*
Afterward I drove another block over (to keep an eye on my car), to run and walk back and forth on a quarter mile sidewalk that I'd marked the 110 yard sections for quite a few years ago.  Fortunately the marks are still there.  I wanted to test my "running" since a few months ago it was slower than my walking pace!  Which was strange because 7 years ago my running was much faster but I had apparently lost it all in the meantime and was back to being an infant again, at least in that regard.

*110 yard runs*
Today was better.  I did 12x110 runs with equal distant walks after each of them, and today was comparable to my walking speed at the College several months ago.  That doesn't seem like much, but compared to what it was then it's an improvement, and any improvement at this point is quite welcome to me.  All to the good, this result will hopefully lead me on a path to further improvements.

*Sidewalk hazards*
This particular sidewalk has some sticking up sections, which twice caused me to trip and fall straight forward when running 10 to 15 years ago.  Falling straight forward is quite scary, especially running a good pace, but fortunately though scratched up quite a bit, nothing was broken.  The second time after getting up I walked back to see the issue was a sidewalk section sticking up on one side.  I came back later, painted every slightly sticking up section for the entire quarter mile stretch, called the city, and had them come out to grind down the dangerous parts.  Typically, however, they just stuffed asphalt up against the edges, leaving them just as dangerous as before, but hopefully more obvious.  It's probably best that I continue to avoid that section from now on.

*Upcoming schedule*
Today I figured out why the treadmill has been so unstable is because it's so bouncy that it's hard to get a good rhythm.  It's okay for a day to day 10' warmup but that's it.  My plan going forward is to keep doing 110 runs + walks once or twice a week, as in order to go faster I need to go faster.  On weekends when it's warm enough I will drive the 2 miles to the College, and midweek walk to a 110 section long ago measured along main street, which gets more traffic but doesn't have any noticeable cracks.  I've done it a few times before and have to turn around more often but that's fine.  I've doing an hour up to 2 hours a day, either all walking, or making up the balance on the bike.


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## John cycling (Dec 24, 2022)

*Crossing the street*
Early this year my neighbor friend had asked me to pick up their mail when they went on a trip, which I was happy to do.  However I had only been doing essential walking for the previous 6 years, my ability to stand in one place, turn around quickly, and balance without falling down had been diminishing.  I was concerned with crossing the street, and needed to practice to improve my ability and be more confident.

As a result, I started walking down my driveway every morning, across the street, over the hump in the middle to the other side, back again and repeating 6 times.  Then I would get their mail every day, walk up to their front door to check for packages, and back home.

*The beginning*
This crossing the street exercise is what started my return to regular walking again.  Starting to use the treadmill again came later.  Thank goodness for good neighbors and friends.     

*New route*
The sidewalk near the levee is potentially dangerous, so I need to avoid it from now on.  That left only the 110 strip on Main Street which is busy, or the College that's too far away for regular usage for timing my progress.  For another option, I used Google Maps to measure a new 100 meter (110 yard) strip farther up on a side street off Main, and took computer photos of the markings, start, finish, and the 50m turns on each side.

I'd been a little concerned about walking there and back as I've not been walking around the neighborhood since October.  However since yesterday I've been looking forward much more to this morning and the results turned out great.  I ran and walked up there, marked the nice newer smooth sidewalk, ran the repeats and they were a substantial improvement.  Now 'm looking forward to do them again in a week or two.  Update:  Sunday afternoon it's 82 degrees!   and rain is forecast for most of the next 10 days. 

@Paco Dennis, I'm south of San Luis Obispo.   
@Gaer, Thank you my friend.  Happy holidays for you too.  
@leastlongprime, I lived in Seattle from 1980 to 83, worked at the U, and ran many times around Green Lake.


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## Paco Dennis (Dec 24, 2022)

John I noticed you are from central California. I was raised in Cupertino...Santa Clara Valley, probably North of you a ways?


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## Gaer (Dec 24, 2022)

John, I hope you have a most wonderful Christmas, my friend!
I sure hope you feel so much better!


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## leastlongprime (Dec 24, 2022)

I try to do a couple of miles of walking, flat land, city blocks and walk/bike trails. 
Tomorrow, Christmas Day, weather will be in the low 50's and wet (Eastside Seattle) so I'll take the Ebike for a ride. Weather for the past week has been very cold for Seattle, light snow, and finally a freezing drizzle. 
I tried beach walking, south Tillamook co. Oregon, but I was too afraid of sneaker waves during high tides, and the beach gets mighty lonely in the off season.  Walking against the wind is a lot harder than walking with the wind.


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## John cycling (Dec 29, 2022)

Rain, rain, rain.  There was a brief respite yesterday so I headed out, *did the 100m strip again* and chopped off more time.  The forecast is more rain for the next 10 days but if there's a break one day I'll head out and do it again.  My goal is to keep improving at shorter distances for as long as possible, and to keep maintaining my endurance.

I looked at a *Precor 523 elliptical* last July, procrastinated and finally decided to get it last month. It was still on Craigslist just the week before but when I looked again it was gone. I should have gotten it in July. I used it back then for 15' and the price was good at $300 but I wasn't sure at the time. Now with the colder weather and rain I was ready but when I inquired, it was sold. The vendor had another one with a broken incline that was stuck in the up position he was having trouble to repair. I'm considering to call after the 1st to inquire if he still has that one, because if he could fix it in the down position then that would be fine with me. I'm still not sure about getting one, but think it would be a good addition & alternative to the treadmill and bike. Would that seem to be a good deal?

Being in the house is often quite deceptive, tending to create a feeble mentality, perhaps a result of not being out as much moving around in the sunshine.  The more I get out, the more that errant mentality goes away and the skies breathe new life into me.

I always do *a warmup before exercise* which I've done in different variations for quite a long time. My current one consists roughly of the following:
>  short quick steps down the 20' hallway and back, gradually getting faster and/or higher, i.e. bouncing slightly off the floor kind of like penguin hops;
>  alternating this with walking back and forth;
>  standing back from a doorway with hands on the frame, hopping a little back and forth from one foot to the other while swinging the opposite leg forward, - not difficult to do and quite fun, doing about 100 at once or else broken up into sets;
>  sitting in a full squat with feet apart, walking out on my hands, gluts in the air, walking out to being straight, back up to an angle, back to the full squat position ... standing up, maybe repeating just the squat a few times, especially important to have full range and lubrication of the knee joints:
>  full squats with feet 12 inches apart, body erect, 5 times straight down and back up;
>  bending down putting hands on the floor, keeping one foot under my chest and reaching the other behind me, then reversing back and forth a few times, i.e. split squats, also very good for the knees.

That's followed by 10' "running" at 3.4 to 3.6 mph on the treadmill, then 50' on the bike or else walking/running outside.



Nemo2 said:


> I have a *Precor EFX 521i   *https://www.allellipticals.com/precor-efx-521i-elliptical-trainer.html that I bought on sale maybe 15 years ago....had to have the computer panel and the belts replaced a few times, (parts still under warranty but I have to pay for the tech call)...still chugging along.



@Nemo2, how do you like the Precor?  My concern with the tech was parts wearing out and the cost for him to replace them.


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## John cycling (Dec 29, 2022)

This was a poem I wrote about 25 years ago.

*Today did not wait for me*

Waking to the day in my room;
Full of things to do, places to go;
People I can see, so much there is for me;

To experience all I can be.
Soon it's two o'clock and then four, then evening comes;
Let me read for a bit, if I can find time for that;

Well those places to go,
I can still do them tomorrow;
I will rest today and tonight, to be ready;
It will be nice to get out, freeing, giving life to me;
Thank goodness for tomorrow.

But I won't think of that now;
I wonder where, did today go;
It was here, and I waited;
But today did not wait for me;

I feel sad, so sad you see;
Oh why did it leave me;
I had so many plans,
But life went away from me;
Oh where did it go;
Oh why wouldn't life wait for me.

Well tonight I will sleep, if I can;
Dreaming my dreams, of what could be;
and would be, if only..
If only...
If only I could live for today;

But tomorrow will come to me;
I must get ready now, for tomorrow;
And for waking to the day, in my room.


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## Nemo2 (Dec 29, 2022)

John cycling said:


> I looked at a *Precor 523 elliptical*


I have a *Precor EFX 521i   *https://www.allellipticals.com/precor-efx-521i-elliptical-trainer.html that I bought on sale maybe 15 years ago....had to have the computer panel and the belts replaced a few times, (parts still under warranty but I have to pay for the tech call)...still chugging along.


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## Nemo2 (Dec 30, 2022)

John cycling said:


> @Nemo2, how do you like the Precor?  My concern with the tech was parts wearing out and the cost for him to replace them.


The model I have is solid.....no arms, leg work only......yeah, I've had to get some parts replaced, but like the old Timex ads "It keeps on tickin'".

I broke a couple, non-Precor, units before buying this one......ah, but I was younger then.


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## Tish (Dec 30, 2022)

Very impressed with your progress.


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## John cycling (Jan 3, 2023)

Yesterday was quite eventful for me, as I obtained a *Precor 546 elliptical*,  my first ever purchase from FB marketplace. The sellers had their sons home for the new year, and generously moved the elliptical to my home garage. Normally I would have bargained, but was so happy to find one that I paid their full asking price of $320. However, doing so kept me awake last night thinking "why did I do that!" 

Then I kept wondering if it would work okay this morning.  Fortunately it did, as I used it for 50', plus 10' on the treadmill.  The different movement will take some getting used to, and there appears to be variation in resistance at a given setting, but other then that and a few random noises it felt fine.  I'm hoping this elliptical will be quite a bit better for my walking than the bike and therefore replace it.  We shall see in a couple of months.

The console shows time and distance, but otherwise was poorly designed and is mostly useless.  There's no pace display which would have been helpful. Every time the machine starts it changes the elevation to 10 and the speed to 1 plus displays several useless questions until it finally starts the time and I have to change them all back.   Hopefully there will be a way to stop it from doing that.

Last night I got a reply about a second Precor (546i) elliptical  that I'd also inquired about yesterday morning which is listed for $100 with no battery.  I had coincidentally already watched a video about replacing the battery, so this one has my attention as well.  Yes, I could put one foot on each one!  If not, maybe I could repair it for a friend.

On another note, I will probably not attend the next senior group hike on the 12th due to ongoing rain and a several minutes long steep downhill, as I haven't done any downhills for quite a long time.  Their next hike after that on the 26th is too far away to attend, so my next outing with the seniors group won't be at least until February.

There still is quite a bit of rain in the 10 day forecast, so my next Panther workout might be delayed for awhile, but springtime weather is months away, and the elliptical gives me plenty to work on in the meantime.

Thank you, @palides2021.    I still get tears from reading it.


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## palides2021 (Jan 3, 2023)

John cycling said:


> This was a poem I wrote about 25 years ago.
> 
> *Today did not wait for me*
> 
> ...


Wow! That was amazing, @John cycling! You have a talent here! You captured the feeling of "But life went away from me;/Oh where did it go" very well. I also feel that way sometimes. Writing down our thoughts is quite a good thing to do. Kudos to you!


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