• Home
  • About

A Runner's Story

A Runner's Story

Tag Archives: under armour

Trailer Medicine

02 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Medical Files, Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bangalore, Cigna, MRI, orthopedic, symphysis, under armour

Today was the big event – my first MRI.  I woke up to a half foot of fresh snow.  Much less on the sidewalks and roads.  Not that it mattered, my appointment wasn’t until late afternoon.  The roads were dry and clear by then.  I left a bit early anyway since I’d never been to the Lafayette branch of the Boulder Community Hospital.  Good thing as I mistakenly drove to the Exlempa Good Samaritan Medical Center first.  I figured it out after Registration couldn’t find a record of my appointment.  Still made my appointment on time as the two medical centers are located fairly close to one another.

Registration was quick although Cigna never called in my negotiated rate.  I know I will eventually owe 20%, but don’t know what the 100% is yet.  Fortunately I did not have to pay in advance.  I understand MRIs to cost over $3000.  The Cigna negotiated rate should be about half that, give or take 10%.  I was still ahead of schedule and sat down to read my WSJ that I brought along.  I brought my own newspaper for two reasons.  First, it was delivered late today due to the weather so I wasn’t able to read it in the morning.  Second, I’ve been disappointed lately with the lobby magazine selection in medical offices.  And I say this from experience having been to three others in less than a week.  My Primary Care physician is a woman which might explain the literary tripe in her office.  Then the Orthopedist had a bunch of Yacht Club magazines.  Who the hell even boats in Colorado let alone owns a yacht?  And to his credit, the Podiatrist at least had Time Magazine, but still, my erudite tastes are particular.  I read the Internet.

I just completed a survey of the page one index when the MRI tech stepped in to escort me to the lab.  The MRI room.  The magnetic resonance imaging facility.  We exited the back through sliding doors and walked into the parking lot as she droned on about why her MRI machine was temporarily located in a trailer.  It was one of those modular buildings that often are used as class rooms in fast growing school districts.  She warned me to be cautious navigating the ice as I climbed the pressure-treated wood stairs.

She locked my metallic valuables in a file cabinet and explained the procedure to me.  I was surprised to learn the routine would take 30 to 45 minutes.  My previous experience consisted of 10 minute x-rays.  Good thing I’d dressed comfortably.  Expecting belts and buckles to be an issue with the big magnet, I sported Under Armour fleece lounge wear.  I was both warm and comfy and declined her offer for a blanket.

Recumbent in a supine position, I pierced the alluring grotto feet first.  Soon the machine emitted a noise not unlike a tennis shoe bouncing around inside a clothes dryer, but more synchronous.  A minute or two later I was done.  Apparently I fell asleep to the rhythmic drumming as my iPhone confirmed I’d been in there at least 20 minutes.  So I’m unable to report much more on the details of being MRI’d, but can tell you it’s very cozy.  The pic above is the image of my symphysis pubis after redacting some of the personally identifiable information from the upper right.  Supposedly some Radiologist whom I never met – likely working out of a cubicle in Bangalore – will provide the results to my Orthopedist in about 3 days.  Stay tuned.

40.137598 -105.107652

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Snowshoe

03 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Snowshoe

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

braided pigtails, Brainard Lake, Raymond, Reebok, snowshoe, under armour, Ward

Colorado Jan '11_0608My buddy Rob sent me a Facebook message a couple of days ago saying he would be in Raymond for the week staying at a cabin with his brother Jeff, and his mom Charlotte and her husband.  He asked if I could make it up to ski at Eldora.  I had one day left of my vacation and responded that I’ve been wanting to try snowshoeing.  Rob liked that idea.  So I drove the 50 minute ascent up to Raymond, Colorado early this morning and met them at their cabin.  It’s just off the Peak-to-Peak Highway between Lyons and Ward.  We sat down to chat for a spell and drank coffee while I warmed up to Jeff’s 22 year old bird, Max.

We parked at the trail head to Brainard Lake around 10am.  There’s a new parking lot as it’s a popular place.  Being a Monday, it wasn’t crowded yet.  The lot and road was much more full as we left around 2pm.  Deciding what to wear was the first critical decision of the day for all of us.  It felt warm compared to last week, but the wind was howling at the trail head.  We figured it would warm up and expected the trees to protect us, but at the end of the day you have to make the call to over dress knowing you can shed layers as it warms up.Colorado Jan '11_0609 I wore Under Armour performance tights and a light pair of snow pants.  I brought along a heavier pair of snow pants but left them in the car.  Turned out to be a good call.  I wore two layers of long sleeve shirts – the first a Reebok compression jersey and the second a looser fitting Under Armour Cold Gear top.  I wore black running socks and my Sportiva GoreTex trail running shoes.  The choice of shoes was a gamble along with the light snow pants, but worked out really well.  This would not have worked had I not wore my REI knee-high gaitors.  I also wore two pair of runner’s gloves and a fleece running hat along with a Columbia ski jacket.  I think I made good calls on everything.  Oh, I’m also sporting a New Year’s Day beard that I’m considering wearing until the Austin Marathon in February.

The trail was immediately gorgeous as it snaked through thick pines and aspen trees.  Being the only experienced snowshoeing 50 year old in our trio, Rob took it upon himself to show us some tricks early in our jaunt.  It was awhile before I loosened up and went off trail myself.  I learned that by going into some powder or up and over trees, I could quickly sneak in some anaerobic exercises.  Not only is it easy to fartlek by leveraging the terrain, but you can do it alongside your partners.  While they snowshoe on the trail, you can run along side them in open spaces of deep powder or hills and fallen trees – letting your heart race while your buddies gently glide.

Colorado Jan '11_0635A friendly couple dressed in matching blue ski jackets took this picture of the three of us.  That’s Jeff Graham – stage right, and his brother Rob – to Jeff’s left.  I can’t recall if I’m sitting down because I was tired or if I slipped and fell.  Perhaps both.  This was still early in our trek.  We reached a frozen pond that was pretty cool, but also quite breezy so we continued onward.  The trail was extremely easy to follow until we neared Brainard Lake.  We seemed to lose the trail markers, but apparently all tracks eventually lead to the lake.  The wind returned with arctic-like ferociousness along the lake shore.  We debated whether to hike around the lake but the chinook tempest made our minds for us and we kept to the tree line for protection.  We found a picnic spot and ate lunch.

This picture makes it appear to be snowing, but I’m fairly certain it was just the already fallen snow blowing in the cyclone blast.  In contrast, the picnic table was strategically located over a hill from the shore where the air was nearly still.  We recovered our strength with copious rounds of Woodford Reserve.  This warmed us up nicely and once replenished, we searched for the return trail.  This was a similar scenario to nearing the lake wherein it’s likely all tracks lead back to the main trail.  The one hitch though is we wanted to be certain we remained on the snowshoe trail – some tracks led to Brainard Lake Road – which many others took today but we were concerned it would serve as a funnel for the gale winds.  Plus it seemed boring.  We settled on a creek bed for our exit.  Rob discovered the creek was wet.

The cracking ice was no more dangerous though than the countless mini-avalanches mostly also caused by Rob.  I wouldn’t call anything we did dangerous and would say this 5 mile round trip trail is quite family oriented and safe.  There were a few hills but the terrain was relatively flat or slightly rolling for the most part.  We had a good scare when we crossed a frozen pond and heard the deep-sounding thump of the entire ice shelf cracking.  But no one died.  I wish I had a picture to share of our return to the trail head.  As I mentioned earlier, the parking lot was now full.  As we removed our snowshoes and walked to the car, we passed two stunning women, one blonde and one auburn, both with braided pigtails – as they shimmied their snow pants up over their tights.  They were a living testament to the beauty of outdoor fitness in Colorado.

Colorado Jan '11_0763The mental picture I still have from that glance would have been a decent way to end the day.  Turns out though there is a little shack christened the Millsite Inn brilliantly located halfway  between Ward and Raymond on the Peak-to-Peak Highway.  We ensconced ourselves at the bar and ordered some tasty beverages.  Mike, the bartender, was able to chit-chat on just about any topic, from trail conditions to the superior sound of vinyl records and vacuum tube amps.

I had an unbelievably outstanding time today.  It’s hard to imagine a nearly four hour workout could be such a kick.  Snowshoeing will become a regular part of my winter training regimen.  There’s no impact and my knees felt zero pain afterward.  Highly recommended for your winter fitness maintenance.

40.137598 -105.107652

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Liberty Lake Run

25 Thursday Nov 2010

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Cold Gear, Liberty Lake, run, under armour, UT vs A&M, Washington State

Today is Thanksgiving. I’m with family, visiting the Campbells as I did last year in Liberty Lake – just outside of Spokane, Washington. I discovered this unbelievably picturesque run during my visit last Thanksgiving. I posted a short YouTube of my first run. That is, I just now published the video as I just learned I only posted it to MobileMe last year. It was good cold running weather in 2009, but this year kicked it up a notch. Yesterday was 10o with a 10 mile an hour wind. Brittiboo and her Uncle Chad ran with me. Today feels warmer. While still only 13o , the wind is 4 miles per hour and that makes a huge difference. This picture is of the second mile of the run on Liberty Lake Circle.

I don’t care where you live, the Midwest or Canada, this is the kind of cold that causes you to consider the treadmill – but we all felt good. The Under Armour Cold Gear does the trick. It’s amazingly light and keeps the cold sweat off your skin. Of course, we ran in several layers of Under Armour. I forgot chap-stick yesterday so my lips are now cracked. My face was cold but became comfortably numb. The fleece running hat kept blood flowing to my head. I missed running two days in a row due to work on Monday and traveling Tuesday, so it felt really good to run despite the cold.

As I looked forward to the holidays, I think I might have spent the most time thinking about this run around Liberty Lake. It has everything, rolling hills, pine trees lining the road, a small lake beginning to ice over and radiating fog over the road and up into the hills. The lane was buried under a half foot of snow – softening my footfalls. Visibility today was sketchy from falling snow and I blindly ran onto several private roads not noticing myself branch off Liberty Lake Circle. This was an absolute dream run. If you ever get the opportunity to run in the wooded hills of Eastern Washington State – do it. I’m very thankful for such experiences, for my fitness, and hanging out with family. Chad is busy preparing our dinner as I blog. And we’re all looking forward to the UT vs A&M game coming up later. Happy Thanksgiving.

40.137598 -105.107652

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Running in the Rain

12 Tuesday Oct 2010

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Boulder Chop House, Denver Marathon, gore-tex, la sportiva, rain, run, under armour

I ran in the rain today.  It’s worth writing about because I so rarely do that.  With over 300 days of sunshine a year in Colorado, there’s less opportunity than elsewhere.  And then there’s the wimpy, fair-weather runner attitude to which I am not immune.  But I’m running the Denver Marathon this weekend, so now is not a good time to slack off my training regimen.  And I had an unusual gap between morning conference calls that begged for an early run.  But I’ll tell you this, it’s always a cold rain in Colorado.  It takes a bit of self motivation.

I pulled on some Nike dri-fit shorts and added Under Armour ColdGear pants.  These are sort of a cross between loose tights and tight sweat pants.  It’s a good fit for running.  I added an Under Armour all weather, long sleeve jersey to my workout ensemble.  I then pulled on some Nike dri-fit socks which are specifically fitted for the left and right feet.  Around those, I wrapped my La Sportiva Gore-Tex trail running shoes.  This turned out to be a great call.  I sloshed through a huge puddle near the start of my run in the alley cutting over to Rainbow Ridge.  And the Creekside trail had countless water traps.  My shoes were completely drenched, yet my feet remained perfectly dry the entire 4.5 mile run.  Those shoes are brilliant.

Once I warmed up, the rain became quite pleasant and added to my enjoyment of the seasonal splendor.  The trail was covered in yellow and red leaves.  No wonder everyone visits New England to view the fall foliage, the window of opportunity is closing fast in Colorado.  I suspect had I not run in the morning, the trees would be stripped clean later in the day.

Now for those of you who think I must be a huge slacker to take off 30 minutes from work to exercise, I will tell you this.  I start work at 7am and typically work to 6pm.  I might go out for lunch once a week, but mostly eat at my desk.  Either you believe that exercise contributes to your overall productivity or you don’t.  I do.  There are two types of people in the world – healthy and unhealthy.  My goal is to belong to the former group.  Plus, my work time will stretch out even longer today since I have dinner plans with a business partner at the Boulder Chop House tonight1.  I’m trying to convince you that my time spent maintaining fitness is justified and that I feel no guilt.  But perhaps given all this rationale, I do feel guilty and am only trying to justify it to myself.  Whatever – I’d rather be fit than fat.  Well, as fat.  I figure I could still lose another 10 pounds.  And my stomach has a ways to go yet.  I won’t be running the Denver Marathon shirtless.

1 While I consider business dinners to be just more work, I grant exclusions to the single and lonely, those in dead-end marriages or with more than 2.x kids, and perhaps those who commute to their basement offices and need to get out once in awhile, especially those whose idea it was to dine at the Boulder Chop House.

40.137674 -105.107544

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Search this blog

  • Boulder Marathon
  • Britt&Eric
  • Colorado Trail
  • Covid-19
  • covid-noir
  • cyber war
  • Ellie Rose
  • Geek Horror
  • Marathons
  • Margot
  • Medical Files
  • Novel
  • Other Stories
  • Politics
  • ReBlog
  • Running
  • Snowboard
  • Snowshoe
  • Storytelling
  • training plan
  • Victoria BC

Buy Full Spectrum Cyberwar at Amazon

Buy Cyber War I at Amazon

Buy on Amazon India for ₹99

Buy on Amazon U.K. for £2.27

English Edition on Amazon Germany

Buy on Amazon Brazil for R$11.29

Archives

Blog Stats

  • 134,559 hits

Girlfriend Cult

Recent Comments

Ed Mahoney on Adelsverein
Cynthia L Finney on Adelsverein
Ed Mahoney on Adelsverein
Ed Mahoney on Adelsverein
A lo Hawk on Adelsverein

Recent Posts

  • Adelsverein January 28, 2023
  • A Runner’s Day January 7, 2023
  • Last Run of the Year December 31, 2022
  • Christmas, for me… December 26, 2022
  • Craft Shopping for Christmas December 10, 2022
  • A Slow, Late Fall Run November 25, 2022
  • November Runs November 20, 2022
  • Tech Debt November 19, 2022
  • The Runner’s Field of Battle November 13, 2022
  • Stealin’ from God October 24, 2022
  • A New Start October 23, 2022
  • Baby Margot Birthday October 9, 2022
  • The City of Flowers September 24, 2022
  • Dog Park by the Sea September 19, 2022
  • The Lane of Pain September 17, 2022
  • Run Rabbit Run August 28, 2022
  • Wild Horses August 21, 2022
  • The Day Running Died August 17, 2022
  • Boulder Marathon Training – Week One August 7, 2022
  • Mount Sanitas July 30, 2022
  • The Trail and Me July 23, 2022
  • Mount Zirkel Wilderness July 13, 2022
  • Full Team Hike July 4, 2022
  • Village to Village July 3, 2022
  • Beaver Creek July 2, 2022
  • Summer is Here June 12, 2022
  • Birthdays May 22, 2022
  • Fall River Road March 25, 2022
  • A Tale of Two Gerasimov’s March 11, 2022
  • The Hero February 26, 2022
  • Full Spectrum Cyberwar February 24, 2022
  • Run Nan, Run February 20, 2022
  • Running Sunrise to Sunset February 13, 2022
  • Cyberpunk Runner February 5, 2022
  • A Winter’s Run January 15, 2022
  • Turkmenistan January 2, 2022
  • Counting Families at Christmas December 26, 2021
  • Austin Boardwalk December 23, 2021
  • Like Christmas for the First Time December 19, 2021
  • Restoration November 27, 2021
  • India Kinks November 15, 2021
  • Run a Little, Write a Little November 6, 2021
  • Horizons October 30, 2021
  • The Vitality Kick and other Abnormal Obsessive Behaviors October 19, 2021
  • The Ten Week Plan October 11, 2021
  • Pearl Street Marathon October 10, 2021
  • Confidence Builder October 2, 2021
  • Margot Faye September 25, 2021
  • Due Day September 12, 2021
  • Beats per Minute September 6, 2021

Colorado=Security

Blogroll

  • Alohawk's Blog
  • Barbie's Blog
  • Boggy Creek Lumpster
  • George Schools Blog
  • I, Cringely
  • Prostate Chronicles
  • Shut Up + Run
  • Sustainable Sunrise
  • The Rogue Botanist

Web Sites

  • Amazon Author Page
  • Austin Marathon
  • Bolder Boulder
  • Brit's YouTube Songs
  • Colorado Marathon
  • Colorado Runner Magazine
  • Colorado Trail
  • Girlfriend Cult
  • Lobo Media Ltd
  • My YouTube Site
  • Race Pace Calculator
  • Shoes & Brews
  • Trail Runner Magazine
  • Zaremba Graphic & Web Solutions

Goodreads

Top Posts & Pages

  • Foot Fetish
  • Day 1
  • Day 3
  • Winter Secret
  • Adelsverein

Top Clicks

  • wordpress.com/?ref=footer…

RSS Feed

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • A Runner's Story
    • Join 246 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • A Runner's Story
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: