Inspired By A Trio Of 1909 Pitchers
Despite a visit to the chiropractor yesterday, I still made it to the Wellness Center for a work out last night. I know the reason my back goes out is because my front goes out-my stomach is too big-but it seems to happen at the strangest times. I might wake up with a sore back and not even know when in the night it became sore. I can get up from my desk at work and have a back spasm. Last Tuesday I tweaked it as I was bending over to tie my shoes. I am sure I made it worse with my work out, but that becomes a Catch 22. I worked out and made my back sorer, but if I don’t work out I will not lose my stomach, and my back will continue to go out.
I did not lift weights yesterday. I did cardio on the treadmill like always. My son would like me to use other machines, and I do understand those machines might put less strain on my knees, but I am either old-fashioned, stubborn, or both. I continue to use the treadmill and only the treadmill. It is hard to argue the results though-I go home with a sweat soaked t-shirt after every work out.
I walked 2.49 miles in 45 minutes. If my calculations are correct, that is 3.332 miles per hour. According to the machine I burned 543 calories, or just over 12 calories per minute. It was not the best work out ever for me, but it was a work out and that is important.
I lost a pound since my last weigh-in, but my last weigh-in was before Thanksgiving. I doubt that I have ever lost any weight after past Thanksgivings. Prior November holidays featured almost absurd eating followed by a nap in my easy chair. Neither happened this year, so a pound lost is at least a base hit for me, call it a single. That is something many baseball teams did not get during the summer of 1909.
My minor league baseball research consists of closing my eyes and opening up the Minor League Baseball Encyclopedia to an unknown season. I amuse myself with odd bits of information, and the book is chock full of odd bits. For example, the first no-hit ball game of the 1909 season was tossed by New York Giant pitcher Red Ames on April 15th. Following the Giant gem were 86 other no-hitters, but no other of the hard ball rarity happened in the major leagues.
On May 18th, Fred Toney of Winchester in the Blue Grass League threw a no-hitter against Lexington. With 86 other such happenings in the minors that year, this seems hardly worth noting. However, Toney’s no-hitter was a 17 inning no-hitter. Starting pitchers simply do not go 17 innings anymore, so Toney’s achievement is unlikely to be surpassed, although Ray Boyd playing for Burlington, Iowa certainly gave it a shot.
On June 18th Boyd threw a no-hitter against Jacksonville, Illinois. Apparently Boyd must have enjoyed his new found celebrity, because on June 22nd in his next outing, he tossed a 10 inning no-hitter against Waterloo, Iowa.
A no-hitter is certainly a career highlight for a pitcher, and these types of efforts are an inspiration for someone like me trying to improve his health and lose weight. A no-hitter shows that with hard work physical goals can be reached.
Thanks for stopping by.
I enjoyed reading your blog this morning. It’s inspiring me to take up the gym gauntlet once again. I want to be healthy. Success to you!
Kim-comments like yours inspire me. Thank you very much. I know the feeling of the gym as a gauntlet. After 45 minutes walking tonight I convinced myself to go five more minute. When I hit 50 minutes, I knew I was not going to settle for less than an hour.
I sometimes get intimidated by some of the people working out at the Wellness Center. Many are in better shape than me, go faster or harder on the cardio machines, and lift a lot more weight than I do. But then I think “so what?” I am working to regain my health, and that is a good thing.
Good luck with your work outs.