We’re bringing in October this year in the great city of Pittsburgh. I’m impressed with what they’ve done here with all the development along the riverfronts. The ballpark is beautiful with the statues of Willie Stargell, Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, and Bill Mazeroski and the corners of the greenspace that surrounds it on the well-bridged Allegany. For a little bit of art culture, we spent some time yesterday at the Andy Warhol Museum. Dinner was $1 hot dogs but lunch was a sandwich feast at Primanti Brothers where the fries are served between the buns and the meat and cheese are piled high. The spicy pickles were a big hit with the kids. The New Cubs beat the Pirates 9-0 in a poorly attended game, handing the Bucs their 100th loss of the season.
My granddaughter, Nora Grace, has yet to see the Cubs lose in three attempts. Her namesake Mark Grace would be happy that this three-year old has become a lucky charm. She rarely but her new bright yellow, foam Pirates bat down all evening, waiting for her turn at the plate. I think she especially liked the Parrott mascot and the Pierogi race that you can only see at PNC Park. The other two grandkids were unimpressed, except when it came to the cotton candy and ice cream.
I ran the bridge this morning over the Monongahela this morning on what felt like a Fall day with blue skies, cool temperatures, and a touch of color in the leaves. My legs were especially stiff and sore after all the walking we did yesterday, but I once again managed to get in all 3.1 miles on day 4,660 of “The Streak.” It woke me up now that September has ended. (See Post #1268)
Tally got very sick last night. I’m not sure which end it came out – maybe both? It was obviously the brisket that we brought home for her from Darrell’s BBQ. Maybe too rich for a puppy but certainly delicious from our perspective. I had the pulled pork and we topped it off with banana pudding. All those things didn’t settle very well this morning when I blindly stepped in a cold pile of Tally’s retching that squished between my toes. It was not a pleasant wake-up call and threw me off my exercise schedule. When I should have been running, I was using Spot Shot and paper towels on the office carpeting. As a result, I shortened day #4654 to slightly over a mile.
I continue to experience some pain and stiffness in my right hip. It seems to be more muscular than skeletal, but picking up a couple of cases of water at Costco yesterday certainly didn’t help. I needed a day “off” after 8-straight 5k mornings of discomfort. I’ve struggled this month with only 68.5 miles in 25 hot, humid days. When is it ever going to cool off? My wife is headed to her Aqua Fit class while I plan an afternoon of college football. IU does not play until later this evening, so I’ll have trouble staying awake to watch it after a dinner at The Sand Trip with some neighbors. Tomorrow is my very first Pickle Ball match.
We continue to fight the hassles of claim forms. We’re still trying to get resolution on furniture damage from the move, travel insurance on our cancelled Tahoe trip, a deductible refund on an auto accident, and warranty issues on our house. This coupled with cell phone transfer problems, health insurance paperwork, a bank loan, and an upcoming trip to Pittsburg have kept me busy on the computer and phone. As I continue to deal with life’s day-to-day ups and downs, I’m reminded that retirement is not without hassles!
Today was consecutive run #4,650, wondering once again how long this streak would ultimately last. Yesterday, I got some news from my new doctor that I might need to have surgery to repair a 5.1 cm aneurysm in my ascending aorta. This was discovered several years ago after a run turned to dizziness and an emergency room visit. Ultimately, they didn’t find anything wrong except for this flaw in my blood vessel that had nothing to do with my light-headedness. The doctor back in Portland didn’t seem to find much urgency considering no one really knew how long it had been there or if it was growing in size. It might even had been a birth defect. “Just keep an eye on it – have it checked in a year,” he urged.
A year has now passed, so I reminded the doc again yesterday that I needed to have it checked. She immediately set up an appointment for an ECG and prescribed a beta blocker. Her tone was setting off some alarms that clearly showed that doctor’s opinions vary. Without even seeing any of the past reports, she practically had me on the operating table. Oddly, my first and only concern was the running streak. I hope that the scan that is being scheduled will show little change in its size and that I can continue to simply monitor this imperfection that no one would have ever known existed without the sharp eye of a technician. I now feel like there’s a bomb planted in my body.
I’ve lived with this situation for nearly three years now without noticeable impact. There are no symptoms and I’ve continued to remain active. Of course, if it ruptured, instant death (and the end of the running streak) would be unavoidable. This has my wife more concerned than me, since all I really want is to get up every day and run. Let’s not panic yet, as we wait for the test results. At least, we know that I have a heart!
I was glad to see my poetic side emerge again yesterday (See Post #1806). Hopefully, it means that my aches and pains are starting to subside. Maybe I can even get off the Advil soon? Turning seventy and the associated arthritis has hit me hard. Although this morning’s run #4,648 was slow and out of balance, I still felt better than normal. Losing about five pounds would really help, but there are too many cookies and M&Ms in the house. The grandkids were over for dinner last night that concluded with Key Lime pie. The beer can chicken that I prepared was once again a tasty hit. I’m just such a messy cook, even on the grill.
Today will be filled with more frustrating football, although I think I’ll watch outside in the sunshine. My tan is starting to fade when compared to my wife who spends much more time outside. At least there was some sun on this morning’s run, but I’ve spent too much time in the cool darkness of my office. Sunshine is my fuel and I can feel it rekindling my spirits when I bathe in its warmth. Swimming with the kids yesterday was cancelled due to rain, just like about everything else we’ve tried to schedule in advance lately. Trips, concerts, meet-ups have been postponed or lost due to weather, Covid, or fires. This year’s travel miles will be comparable with 2020, less than half of what we’ve done in years prior. At least, 2021 has afforded more opportunities to get away, but each adventure much shorter in length. Hopefully, we can still get to Pittsburgh at the end of this month.
IU football and soccer suffered more losses this weekend. Both programs were looking at national prominence, but have instead faced disappointment. The Colts and Bears will look to rebound from last week, but I’m not seeing much promise out of either team. Only the Ducks have excelled, especially the big win over Ohio State last week. Purdue lost to Notre Dame, despite the big drum controversy. Maybe Fantasy Football will bring a little sunshine into my sports world today?
I was back on track today following the visit to the chiropractor yesterday that allowed me to complete the 3.1 mile routine sporting my new Brooks shoes. It was time for a fresh start after weeks of frustration and a rare couple of minimum mile runs to maintain the streak. In fact, I can’t remember the last time that I only ran a little over a mile on two consecutive days. To be quite honest, I felt like a failure yesterday in having to resort to the shorter route. It’s typically reserved for mornings when I’m up early to catch a flight or have a meeting to attend. However, it was a necessary break considering how stiff and sore my legs felt and how much I began to regret getting out of bed to stretch and run.
Babysitting duty was delayed a week and our entertaining duties are complete, so “Tourist Thursday” should go off without a hitch. The work crews are done and driveway is now wide enough to accommodate an extra car, a hassle we experienced with our weekend guest, moving cars around to get out of the driveway. I also cemented plans for a future guest with admission tickets for the Kennedy Space Center in November. It brings back unforgettable childhood memories of both the moon landing and JFK assassination with the renaming of Cape Canaveral in his honor. It’s a tour I’ve meant to do for many years now, so it will be great to share the experience with a dear friend and my wife.
My wife made arrangements for my first ever pedicure later this month. I’m embarrassed to say that bending over to cut my toenails is what aggravated my lower back issues. It’s one of many simple duties that I should no longer do by myself, but I’m concerned about other physical limitation plague those of us in our seventies. Pretty soon my retirement days will be labeled “Chiropractor Monday,” “Pedicure Tuesday,” “Neurologist Wednesday,” “Hearing Aid Thursdays.” “Dermatologist Fridays,” and “Urologist Saturday.” I’ll continue to reserve Sundays for something fun, since most medical specialists are closed that day.
I’m fortunate. While some people face major losses, I’m only dealing with a few more disruptions. After all, this blog is all about hassles that we all incur. We are canceling another trip, starting with our airline reservations. Retirement makes day-to-day living very flexible, but our only option at this point is to just stay home. One of my wife’s daughters just got back from France, so this disruption from our get-together in Tahoe is probably a relief. The other daughter wants us to come to Portland but there are complicated issues in seeing one without the other. I would be in favor of Portland, with a friend to visit that probably needs more than long distance support. However, it’s a long way to go with a sore back, so I’ll travel at a more opportune time.
I cut back on mileage this morning, a disruption from the traditional 5k route. The visit to the chiropractor yesterday did not get all the kinks out and my legs need rest. I’ll run just over a mile each of the next few days to maintain the streak that now stands at 4,636 consecutive sunrises. Matinee Monday was disrupted by Labor Day and a family picnic/pool party. As a result, will go to a movie this afternoon. Trash Day was even changed to this morning, so I’m further confused on what day it really is! I’ll make more phone calls to cancel our Heavenly Valley resort stay and the rental car. The good news is that we’ll once again save some money on dog sitting, airport parking, rentals, concert tickets, gambling, groceries, tours, and dinners for six. We have guests for dinner tonight that we tried to squeeze in before the trip and will have the time now to hook-up with some long lost co-workers from the past.
The Tahoe cancellation is the latest in a string of travel disruptions. The casualties include Bali, Spain, St. Kitts, Egypt, Kauai, Russia, Finland, and Norway. Events like Santana, Jackson Browne, and Spring Training have been delayed in the process. Some of these will be made good in the future, while others may never happen in this lifetime. Life is a precious commodity, as I’ve learned through the loss of a dear friend. We’re in a new resort community with an active lifestyle, grandkids near by, and a lot to look forward to in the future. Yes, there are hassles and disruptions, but life is good!
It’s not saying much, but the first run of my seventies was faster than the last run of my sixties. Today was 4,625 straight days without missing a single run. If all goes well this next decade, I will hit the 5,000, 6,000, and 7,000 consecutive day marks. If not, I’ll be doing something else to try and stay fit. I could feel some aches and pains in my knees, so I continued to switch sides of the road and surface types to lessen the impact. The sun was out this morning and the humidity level back at 100 percent, so I didn’t get any wetter jumping in the pool when I finished the 5k course. Now, it’s time to pack my bags for Tampa.
It was not a routine morning, since we dropped off Tally in “Schnauzerland” last evening. I actually missed taking her out last night and first thing this morning. She’ll spend two days with 18 other pups, including five that are just a week old. I got to hold their tiny little black bodies in my arms, as Tally ran off to join her friends. She’ll be groomed tomorrow before we pick her up. I’ll spend most of today responding to birthday well-wishers on Facebook and talking to friends on the phone while we make the drive north. We intend to stop by the Ringling Art Museum, taking advantage of our new membership, on the way there, have lunch, and check into the Westin Waterfront before we head to the concert.
I’m keeping it short this morning, with little news to report other than Day One of my seventies. Hopefully, every decade of life will continue to get better as has been my fortunate experience. The decade should be filled with world travel, friends, and family. The goal is to stay healthy, while daily running has been the best medicine so far. Word puzzles, movies, TV, collecting, sports, and writing round out my days. Here’s to Day One!
Today is the last day of my sixties and I ran every single day without fail – 3,653 total. The original plan was to celebrate the 1,000th day of my streak on my 60th birthday in Rome, Italy. Tomorrow, on the occasion of my 70th, it will reach 4,625 consecutive sunrises. It’s something that I’m quite proud of, as each effort gets tougher and tougher. Maybe I can look back on this post 10 years from now after somehow keeping it going – another 3,652 runs starting tomorrow. This morning was the first time since we moved to Florida that the humidity was below 90 percent. It was relatively cool and comfortable but my times continue to slip. It seems unlikely that I can continue for another ten years unless I begin to cut back on the miles, but I’ll take it one day at a time – one decade at a time.
I see other old men struggling as I do to put one foot in front of the other at a pace just slightly faster than walking. There are several other septuagenarians on the active list that I look up to. In fact, 9 of the top 10 active streaks in the world are held by men in their seventies. I’m currently ranked #231 of 3,294 who have completed at least one year of running every day. These records are maintained on the runeveryday.com website. There is also one 74-year old that started his streak just over a year ago. Of those with longer streaks than mine, three are over eighty with the oldest being 84. Forty-five are currently in their seventies, so I know that I still have a few good years of running ahead. Despite the stiffness and soreness, it’s just a matter of taking that first step every day.
Tomorrow is the first day of my seventies, as I leave another decade of life behind. I’ve been drinking less alcohol and not popping Advil like candy. The sessions with the chiropractor have been effective, as I continue to work on better posture. However, I’m still a few pounds heavier than normal, despite the daily runs and swims. Sitting is probably my worst enemy at this stage of life as it leads to stiffness. Too much TV! Knee pain has never been an issue thankfully, but my lower back has taken a pounding. I’m grateful that my body has held up all these years. So, here’s to the next ten years of life!
I’ve screwed up Matinee Monday with a mid-afternoon Leadership Zoom, although we are back home from our Singer Island retreat and somewhat back to a routine schedule. We do have our cleaning crew that will also disrupt a typical Monday, so we’ll do some Costco shopping to stay out of their way. Everything has been put back in the lanai since Fred has veered off course and Grace also appears to no longer be a Florida issue. Henri (ahn-REE) has yet to show its ugly face.
I met a fellow runner this morning, a guy that I’ve seen in the neighborhood on several occasions but never stopped to talk with until a few hours ago. His name is Chuck and he’s run 15 Boston Marathons, so obviously much more accomplished than me. He also runs faster and mixes up his exercise routine with some biking. As a longtime Naples resident and head of their running club, I’m sure he knows fellow streaker Samuel F. Johnston, who just surpassed 16,000 consecutive days (43.98 years) and is ranked #14 in the world. Another Neapolitan, John King will soon hit the 5,000 day mark, also ahead of my 4,614 achievement. At least 11 other Floridians are ahead of me in this OCD “race” with no finish line.
Tally was back at the dog park this morning after a weekend with her schnauzer brethren. We picked her up last night from the sitter to return to her seemingly boring life with us after the exhaustion of playing with at least seven other dogs for three straight days. At eleven years old, she’s no longer a puppy but acts like one is the company of fuzzy companionship.
I installed a Ring doorbell last evening. Nothing is easy for me any more with my shaky hands. I thought I lost a screw that supposedly fell in a plant pot but after fruitlessly digging through the soil discovered that it had simply adhered to a magnet. I also had trouble attaching the tiny wires and stripping them properly, so the chimes are not properly set-up. It was two hours of frustration that should have taken fifteen minutes. Ring…Ring…not yet.
After two days of running on the oceanside streets of Amelia Island, I’m back on my standard neighborhood 3.1 mile path. The Streak has now reached 4,600 days, with the hot August temperatures looming. It was nice to have a break from the routine, but the strain of travel and unfamiliarity makes it good to be back home. Today is Matinee Monday, with a short drive to Port Charlotte to see Jungle Cruise. It was over 300 miles of driving on Friday, another 150 on Saturday, and 350 miles yesterday via Palatka, Florida. In the process we saw the new twin great nieces and my wife’s childhood neighbors, a reunion of at least 50 years.
Tally did not have a peaceful trip, especially after the impromptu beach fireworks display that caused her to drag my wife back to the hotel barely holding onto her straining leash. She was reluctant to go outside after that and relieved to get home to ham time. She also got a bit jealous watching my wife hold the twin girls. She’s very good in the car but always leery of where we are headed, considering the six days she spent in the back seat on the lengthy move from Portland to Venice. She will gladly stay behind with her schnauzer buddies on our next island adventure to Singer in a few weeks. It’s only 150 miles away.
I had some concerns about the aging 2007 Solara, our dog car, when we were ready to take off last Friday. The air pressure warning light came on and my first thought was a flat tire from all the neighborhood construction. Also, none of my credit cards would work when I got to the filling station. As it turned out, the WAWA was having computer issues and the tire held air the entire trip. My mind of course went immediately to potential doom even after the beautiful rainbow I saw the other morning. I had visions of us stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire and limited cash, but fortunately everything went smoothly on the remainder of our road trip. Hopefully, our travel luck will continue.