I'm A "Raft Guide School" Drop Out!

Remember my blog entry; "Summer Colds are the Worst"?  It turns out that "Spring Colds" are pretty bad as well.  The second weekend of my Raft Guide class it rained all day Saturday and it was fairly cool relative to how the weather has been here in Western North Carolina this spring.  And of course we were out in the rain running the rapids all day long.  Sunday was still cool but at least not raining.  I woke up with a little bit of a sore throat but trudged off to class anyway.  By the end of our mourning outing down the river I could feel my throat closing off so I begged off the afternoon raft trip.  By Monday morning I was done.  This has to be one of the worst/longest colds I've ever had.  By the following weekend I was still seriously under the weather.  I must have had a low grade fever because Friday and Saturday I alternated from hot and sweating to cold and clammy.  After that I started feeling better but then I developed that persistent and annoying after cold cough where throughout the day you're convinced you are about to cough up a lung.  As of right now it's just an inconvenient hack that always surprises me just as I'm about to drink something from a full cup.  I think I've gone through a roll of paper towels cleaning up the spills from those ill timed coughs.

The class was great fun for the most part.  The first day the outfitter sponsoring the course, French Broad Adventures, took us down the river as tourists so we could experience what is expected of a guide from a patron's perspective.  Our guide was the only one ejected from our raft going down the rapids.  Apparently it was his first day back for the season and he was just a bit lackadaisical securing himself into the raft.  The second day came the reality check.  After our morning trip down the rapids we spent the whole afternoon taking turns lifting six-man rafts up to the top of a school bus.  In addition to learning to guide (steer) a raft we spent time on the rapids learning things that you might not think were all that important like knowing the names of all the rapids or the "commercial route" through each of the rapids.  The first was in case of an emergency so you could identify your exact position for emergency responders.  The second was for liability reasons.  If for some reason you got into trouble because you varied your trip off the prescribed commercial route you could potentially expose the outfitter to more serious legal consequences.   

Having taken a raft trip down the Colorado river and several trips on the Kern river, even though there are class 2/3 and 3/4 rapids depending on the water level, I perceived that the rapids in the section of the French Broad river we were running were perhaps not as challenging as some of the other trips I had been on.  I said something to our Guide Instructor one day and his response was basically; "This is likely the first raft trip down any rapids for most of the patrons.  And if you don't have any other frame of reference, it is exciting!"  Which I guess is true enough.  In addition to losing the guide instructor from our raft during the two weekends I did manage to attend, one of the rafts (not ours) completely flipped at the bottom of one of the trickier rapids and several rafts (including ours) managed to get stuck on rocks, one so securely (not ours) that river just washed over the top of it.  We thought that raft was going to be stuck until the water level went down but, after a little clever maneuvering, that group managed to get off the rock and back in the current to join the rest of the flotilla. 

So with those disclaimers, French Broad Adventures seems to be a great company and I'm adding that to my list for activities to share with our guests if they're interested in that sort of thing.

Today would have been my last day of class but it's cooler today than it has been all week, and it's raining!  So although my cold has been effectively reduced to the above described nagging cough I decided, under the circumstances that discretion may in fact be the better part of valor and, to skip the last of the class as well.  However, I'm looking at taking what I have learned and dipping into some white water kayaking on that section of the French Broad river and it would not be out of the question for me to sign up for the Guide Class again next spring.  We'll just have to wait and see.

I shared in an earlier blog that Liam had chosen his major, Construction Management, at Western Carolina University. Liam's first observation was that all the other students had some level of construction experience and he had none. Well Liam has his first construction job this summer. A local small general contractor who happens to be in the Weaverville Lions Club with me has taken Liam on as an intern/laborer. On about his third day on the job Liam sent me a text, the exchange went like this; 

Liam: "Hey dad thanks for getting me this job"

Me: "Are you having fun?"

Liam: "Wouldn't say fun but it's good for me

Me: 👍 

Two days later I received this text;

Liam: "When is the last time I had my tetanus shot"

Liam is ok, just a small cut.  Welcome to construction!

I've spent my entire morning sitting on my back porch watching the rain, having my coffee and writing to you.  All of our patio furniture is in my shop at the moment so I'm reduced to a folding chair and end table from inside the house.  I pressure washed the porch in preparation for treating the deck, posts, and railings but the weather is not cooperating, not that I mind.  Sitting on the back porch while it's raining is one of my favorite things to do.  I think I'll go in and persuade my lovely bride to accompany me downtown for a couple hours to have a Guinness and catch the Celtic jam session at Jack of the Woods! 

I hope everyone is having as lazy a weekend as we are!

Until next time, take care!

Rick   

Younger Next Year* - A Book Report And A Case Study!

It has been almost exactly a year (within a week or so) that I professed to my doctor; "by my birthday I will be off all my medication!"  I had my one year follow up last week with my doctor, with one of the main questions to be answered, could I stay off my cholesterol medicine permanently.  The outcome of that exam to follow shortly.  

One year ago I started my journey back to a healthier lifestyle somewhat blindly just walking and cutting out processed foods.  But being a slave to my overly analytical personality (according to every personality test I've ever taken) I also set out on a quest for guidance.  What would be the best, most sustainable, path to fitness and just general wellness for my future, hopefully for years to come.  I found my answer in primarily two books, one of which will be the subject of this blog entry which I've titled; "Younger Next Year* - A Book Report And A Case Study!"

The book, "Younger Next Year* Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy-Until You're 80 and Beyond", by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, M.D., although I found to be very interesting, is not what I'd classify as a page turner.  However, I'd like to make the case why it could be a "must read" if you also have an analytical bent like me and the "why" is just as important as the "how".  As luck would have it I just happened across this book at a used book store and picked it up for about two dollars.  If I had found the book on amazon and read the one star reviews (which are only 5% of the reviews) first I might not have even read it.  After reading the book myself I believe most of those reviewers missed the point.  The entire book can be summarized by reviewing "Harry's Rules" found on the first page of the Appendix.

1

Exercise 6 days a week for the rest of your life.

2

Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.

3

Do serious strength training, with weights, 2 days a week for the rest of your life.

4

Spend less than you earn.

5

Quit eating crap!

6

Care.

7

Connect and commit.

Rules 4, 6, & 7 are concerned with your mental and emotional well being which the book argues you likely won't have good physical health if you don't have a good balance emotionally.  My purpose is to review the physical and I'm hoping to encourage everyone to read the book for themselves so that's all I'll say about those three rules.

Rule 1 & 2:  Exercise 6 days a week for the rest of your life; and, Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.  You remember the old advice from your doctor; "exercise 20 minutes a day, three days a week"?  It's just not enough.  Your doctor was just making his or her best attempt to get you off the couch.  The book makes the point that you need to elevate your breathing and heart rate for at least an hour a day to stay healthy.  The reason is that exercise triggers a rebuilding process.  We all know that our bodies are constantly breaking down and rebuilding our cells.  Apparently the breaking down part is automatic and continuous.  However the body only triggers the rebuilding process if it thinks you will need or are going to use the new cells.  That is the essence of our bodies decay over time which leads to most of our internal organ failures, blood clots, hardened arteries, everything bad.  The good news is even just walking fast for that hour is enough to trigger the rebuilding process.  And as a case study I've proven (at least to myself) that just walking fast for an hour is very effective for jump starting your weight loss efforts.

Rule 3:  Do serious strength training, with weights, 2 days a week for the rest of your life.  This one is simple.  If you want to be able to open the jar of pickles, move the couch so you can vacuum, or just lift the grand-kids and be able to play with them, some level of strength training is necessary.  It's the old "use them or lose them" theory.  And I'm not referring to that pair of five pound dumbbells you have stuffed in the back of the closet that you used to waive around in the past when you professed to "exercise".  You actually have to stress your muscles to break them down and help them grow.  The book makes one point in this section that I found very interesting.  "Old" people don't trip or get caught off balance any more than "young" people.  The difference is that older individuals no longer have the strength and/or balance to catch themselves.  Legitimate weight training goes a long way towards reversing, or at least delaying, the degradation of your ability to just "catch" yourself.  Maybe instead of that "Life Alert" we just need to get a good set of adjustable dumbbells and use them.

Rule 5:  Stop eating crap!  I've already shared my "One Ingredient Diet" theory with everyone.  Although I'm not particularly fanatical about it, I've more or less been very disciplined when it comes to what I eat these days, within reason.  

So what about the case study, me?  This is the longest I've ever stuck with anything resembling a consistent exercise and diet program.  A lot of the good things the book professes I was already doing by chance or from other research.  I've had to add a mile to my walk/jog everyday because I was getting my daily route finished in under 40 minutes by the time I read the book.  The results from my follow-up doctor's appointment?  My blood pressure and A1C (blood sugar) were still good and my cholesterol was 167.  So I have successfully managed to get off all of my prescription medication and for now it's permanent.  I do have to admit, I have gained back close to 10 lbs.  However I don't think I need to be worried about the little extra weight.  If you recall, back in October I reported that my weight was roughly 150+. and that I had to get all new clothes because my waist had gone from 38" down to 32".  And, although my weight is now more consistently at about 160+, I've recently had to go out and purchase all new shorts and swimsuits with 30" waist bands.  I had to order them online because none of the stores around here have that size of anything in the men's clothing section.

One thing I do want to say about the weight training.  If you are looking for a recommendation for an exercise regimen to start weight training.  I recommend "Body for Life" by Bill Philips.  That is the second book I alluded to earlier.  You can ignore the dieting portions of the book.  Although I believe his theory is sound, trying to follow that dieting script would require hiring a full time cook or personally giving up every other activity in your life, including weight training, just to prepare the meals.  Stick with the one ingredient diet you'll be fine.  Body for Life has a ton of before and after pictures with motivational anecdotes if you're into that sort of thing.  But mostly it has a very adaptable weight training program that you can follow at the gym or even at home easy enough with a good set of adjustable weights and a weight bench.  I'm using the nice set of Nautilus Adjustable Dumbbells I got with my retirement gift for my upper body exercises and I just do squats and calf raises for my leg muscle workouts, although I am lusting after a good leg machine.  

This will likely be my last health update blog entry.  But for my friends still looking for that small bit of inspiration or motivation to get started towards a healthier lifestyle.

Remember!

    

My last little note for today.  You'll notice I threw in the need to purchase new "swimsuits"!  When we first moved here I made a great fuss about wanting a kayak and how much I enjoyed the river.  Well, I'll bet none of you will ever guess what class I'm taking through the local community college.  

OMG!  You all got it right!  

I'm currently in training for my certification as a "White Water Raft Guide"!  Which is very likely to be the topic of my next blog entry.  I mean, how can you raft rapids as a guide trainee twice a day for eight days, plus various side trips for some additional experience, and not have at least a good story or two?

Until next time, take care!

Rick