Michael: A Step Up

Yellow and brown moth
Mirrors the tree trunk’s colors
When it’s bathed in sunlight.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

This Sunday will be the 4th local race we’ve entered here and the first that had on-line registration. We still don’t pay on-line. We’ll do that right  before the race on Sunday. The previous races we had to go to some office to sign up and pay. So progress is being made.

One glitch in the system was the difficulty in finding where to sign up on-line. The posters spread around town didn’t mention the site. The bank guard that talks to me about races thought the sign up was at a hotel near the race so we had planned to go there on Wednesday. But on Sunday when we were out for our usual trail run we saw a different poster in the little hamlet near the race that had the website.

The website even has a course map. That’s new for a local race as well. Though I’ve run most of the course, knowing the full route will give me a chance to scout it out on Thursday by bike.

All that for the price of $15. That’s a deal.

Michael: Do Pratfalls Count?

The armadillo
Scurried into the tree trunk
Until I passed by.

Monday, August 29, 2016

On Saturday my bike and I prematurely separated for the second time in less than two weeks. The first time could have been a catastrophe. The last time was laughable.

Heading back to Volcan, I noticed a van pulling over to let some kids out. To be polite I decided to stop instead of passing the van which would just end up passing me as soon as it got going again. But I picked a bad spot to put my foot down. It was where the main road meets a steep country road. You guessed it, my cleat didn’t hold and I kept sliding until I fell and let my momentum roll me over sans bicycle.

Last week I did a full head over heals speedy miss a sharp turn tumble off the road and both my bike and I went unscathed. This time, in a slow motion comical sideways summersault, I bent my derailleur hanger. Go Figure.

Although I’ll eventually have to replace it, the good news is that the local mechanic was able to straighten it out enough to make it usable and only charged me $4 for this service.

Michael: A Few New Ones

Parakeets chatter
In their family tree house
Fighting over rent.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

After doing the Quetzal trail now over 40 times in the past year and a half, it’s nice to be surprised now and again.

Today, right out the door I saw a giant green grasshopper that was perfectly camouflaged as a leaf. Problem was it was clinging to our deep blue water tank. And there it stuck out like a sore thumb.

On the Quetzal I saw my first ever in the wild armadillo. And damned if that isn’t one weird looking creature. I don’t know if it’s roots are in the New World or Old World or what it’s related to, but I’m going to dig into that soon.

Not that it was a new experience, but near the end of run I heard the always enchanting call of a howler monkey.

The Quetzal itself is a beautiful trail with or without a new sighting, but when I get to see something I’ve never seen before it really make me appreciate getting out there. Even on Sunday mornings when I’m tired and would just like to take out my tablet and read the news.

Michael: Adios, KIosko Minnesota

Ladybug in size
The glossy black and yellow
Insect clung to me.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

By the time a bike or running route becomes a part of a rotation, you develop certain landmarks that are significant for different reasons. They might signal distance, or a change in terrain or effort needed. Sometimes they just remind you of where you are or what you’ve left behind.

Just about halfway up the road on my ride from Bugaba back to Volcan there is an old shack that had a wooden sign that prominently announced that it was once a business called “Kiosko Minnesota”. From it’s size I’m guessing it was a little fruit stand or snack shop, but really I have no idea as it’s never been opened in our year and a half here. From the looks of it, it was probably abandoned long before that. But today I noticed the sign was taken down.

My mom was born in Minnesota and both my parents were raised there. Our family still has many relatives living there and I’ve always enjoyed visiting them sporadically over the years.

That sign always reminded me how whimsical life is and how strange our ties can be to certain places. Here I am living in Panama with a nice weekly reminder of my family and it’s roots in the states. The shack’s still there, but I do wish they had left the sign up.

Michael: Everything Checks Out Fine

When the sky is clear
We can see the planet mars
Before the sunrise.

Friday, August 26, 2016

August turned out to be a pretty tranquil month here in our little casita in Volcan.

We weren’t struck by lightening. As far as we know our power only blinked out briefly a few times in the middle of the night. It may have blinked out many times in the middle of the night, but since it didn’t cause us any inconvenience, why get nit picky?

Our internet was as solid as it’s ever been. We only had to take the phone off the hook once to restore the connection. So got to catch up with Colbert, watch some old Amazing Races, some current Olympic highlights, then back to an old BBC series about 17th century farm living. If all stays good some lady living in Boquete is suppose to drop me a note on how to watch live NFL games. That would be a real treat as my Vikings are suppose to be pretty decent this year. Although I do feel guilty enjoying a sport that is pretty much known to debilitate it’s participants for life.

Our water’s been flowing uninterrupted all month, even with a decent amount of pressure. We’ve had to resort to our supplementary pump a couple of times, but that’s pretty typical for any month.

We’ve had a few small bites. But again that’s pretty typical. And my left eyelid infection never got overly gross and cleared up pretty quickly.

We’re not under any invasion threats. Nothing’s been crawling or flying in uninvited.

Heck, today the bank guard was even able to tell us where to sign up for next week’s 12k. We do that at Hotel Cerro Punta from 9-5.

Nothing’s needed to be fixed. Visa has received my faxes regarding my fraud claim. I had a bike crash where neither my bike nor I required any repairs. I also completed my first 50k in a couple of years.

I use to dread August because it meant preparing to go back to work. But if retirement August’s can all live up to or surpass this one, it may creep up into one of my favorite months.

Michael: Asymmetrical Aging

The vibrant green hill
Is surrounded by the dark
Shadows of the clouds.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

There are puzzling developments that are beyond my understanding and control as I age.

Right now I’m recovering from my second stye or chalazae within the last 6 months. Why this condition waited until I was 58 to make a regular appearance on my left eye lid is a head scratcher, but even more of a quandary is why just the left eye?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not completely irked by the asymmetry of the small breakdowns my body seems to be going through as I age.
After all, better just look like a freak in one eye as opposed to both I suppose.

Also it’s entertaining in that it keeps me guessing as I have no idea what will twitch, grow, shrink, fail or deform next.

Michael: No Time Off for Old Men

The dog with a limp
Walks along the muddy street
Drinking from the puddles.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

After tapering into a race and recovering out of it, it’s been three weeks since I’ve been in the gym and done any weight work.

To start our coach had Kimme and I work on the chest and biceps. In order to do the prescribed 4 sets of ten repetitions I had to drop the weight down 20 lbs. from the last time I did these exercises. That has me paranoid about taking too much time off again from strength work. I’m so afraid at this age any time I lose strength it’s going to be extraordinarily difficult if not impossible to get it back.

That brings me to periodization training. I haven’t done the research yet but from my very small sample of one, I believe that as I get older the parabolas of the exercise cycles are going to need to flatten out quite a bit. Either that, or I’m becoming more paranoid.

But I’m also hoping I can hang around long enough to become part of a large sample group that will study the effects of how periodization training should be adapted to the aging athlete. I also realize, just as with any athlete at any age, we’re all individuals and adapt differently to various stimuli, but I’m willing to bet that future studies will show that as we age we shouldn’t ever get away from all the types of exercises and intensities we need to practice to stay healthy, fit and competitive for very long.