Posts

Showing posts from May, 2018

Training Over Fifty

As an older but active male I decided to re-evaluate my fitness goals considering my age, renewed commitment to a lower carb keto/paleo way of eating combined with an intermittent fasting protocol. My athletic goals have changed over the last several years moving away from competitive club road cycling and racing to a more balanced approach to fitness. My cycling has become mostly commuting with an occasional social club or solo road ride. More for fun and enjoying the freedom a bike can offer. I continue to play semi competitive ball hockey primarily as a goaltender and practice traditional archery. The main change in activity has been my return to the gym lifestyle. I admit that my gym focus has mostly been on interval training using Les Mills RPM indoor cycling. The club cyclist in me likes the social and motivational aspect of indoor cycling sessions, the effectiveness of interval training and the time saving benefits of shorter yet more intense HIIT training. That said I have d

Under The Green

Image
We are finally getting a some sunny Spring  weather so I opted to take a morning for some bow time. Awoke to a tender knee so opted out of riding either a spin or road bike giving the knee some down time which was the prudent choice. Over the winter I had found another location that would be suitable for archery practice that was somewhat easier to access. Decided today would be a good time to look at the potential sight lines. There are a fair amount of trees but little in the way of alders and other low shrubbery. Not only will it offer the chance for different shooting angles but it should remain relatively tick free. Looking at the target from an elevated position. Facing the target bag and back stop. A view to the target through the trees from a slight rise on the right. Took out the 55#@28 Hungarian composite horse bow. Its a real nice shooter. Nice morning under the green.

Tick Hack #3 - Essential Oil Repellent

Image
There are some interesting articles that are linking the explosion of insect borne diseases to climate change, that warming temperatures are expending the range of and prolonging the duration of potential exposures to ticks and mosquitos. Whether “vectors” will become the new pestilence of climate change is debatable but there is no doubt that diseases such a Zika, West Nile and Lyme are on the rise. I have concerns with commercially produced bug repellents containing Deet and other insecticides so had to look at more natural substitutes based upon essential oils. I began experimenting with types of oils either alone or in blends and was happy with the results. Lemon grass, cedar and citronella seems very effective against our local mosquitos. Peppermint very effective against black flies. I`ve combined different oils into sprays mixing them with water and usually vodka or witch hazel. Placed in a glass spray bottle for ease of application the essential oil repellent is very effec