Holding pattern

Ok, I know its not much of an excuse but I know me so it's pretty valid.  I'm holding off starting any real plans for getting healthy and losing weight this year until after my cruise next week.  Yes, I said my cruise next week.

The wife and I are heading out of town on a big boat full of lots of enticing food for a 7 day holiday in celebration of our 20 years of marriage.  I could spout off how I'm planning on watching what I eat and limiting my intake over those seven days but I would just be setting myself up for disappointment, having been on several cruises in the past.  I know the siren song of the buffets and the ice cream and the wonderful foods at dinner will be hard to resist and I will fail to resist.

Instead of making promises to myself and to you that I know I won't keep, let's just say I will limit myself to not eating myself into a stupor and look to get at least some exercise every day while on vacation. That is something I can do. Then, when we get back it will be time to start seriously taking care of business in terms of getting healthy and losing weight.

Part of this cruise will be to relax and refocus myself on what needs to be done.  I will be formulating a plan and posting the details of my goals for this year when I get home. I do know that 2015 will see me getting much healthier and more fit, no exceptions.

I hope you will also set and meet your goals for the new year.

Another Registration...

When I was looking for rides this year, this one particularly caught my eye.  Its called the BIKE MS Vegas Challenge and it is a 2 day event on November 9 & 10.  The goal of the ride is to raise funds in the fight against MS.  If you would like to donate, here is the link.  It is a very worthy cause.

I liked this ride when I saw it as it is multiple days and it is a distance I feel I can manage.  On Saturday there are several ride options - a 100 mile, 65 mile or 30 mile route.  I decided the 30 mile route is for me.  Here is a link to a map of the route.  What I like about this route is the chance to ride along the strip, even if its not at night like the Viva Bike Vegas ride.

On Sunday there are 2 routes, a 50 mile and a 30 mile route.  Again, with my current fitness level I figured back to back 30 mile rides would be great.  Here is a link to the Sunday 30 mile route map.  What I like about this route is that it heads out to my old stomping grounds along Boulder highway up into Henderson.

While MS has not touched me personally, I have known a couple of people that it has touched and this disease is one of the worst out there.  It is dastardly in that it affects the body and makes it impossible to accomplish even simple tasks, but leaves the mind sharp so that the afflicted know full well what it has done to them.

Please take a minute and donate what you can so that a cure can be found.  In case you missed it at the top, here is a link to my donation page.

Enjoy life, get on your bikes and RIDE!!!!

Twelve and a half weeks...

and counting. I just realized, looking at the calendar that I only have 12 and a half weeks until the Pumpkinman Triathlon on October 23.

Twelve and a half weeks.

On one hand it seems like a long time to wait to find out something. On the other it certainly doesn't seem long enough to prepare.

Twelve and a half weeks.

Its funny. When I first thought about, and then decided, to complete this triathlon I went looking for information on how I should train. I found 8 week training plans. I found 10 week training plans. I even found a 12 week training plan. At that point I told myself, I can do this on my own. I don't need anyone else's training plans because I've got all the time I could possibly need to get ready. Sure it was easy to say that then as I had over 24 weeks until the event. it would be no problem to slowly ramp up my training and be ready in time.

Twelve and a half weeks.

I now realize that my time is starting to slip away and I'm not quite where I had hoped to be in my preparations at this point. Between mechanical issues, the heat and my carefully constructed plan meeting the realities of life, I'm not in the shape I had planned to be in by now. I had planned to be riding 12 miles 4 days a week, walking/running 5 miles 3 days a week and swimming at least 500 yards 2 or 3 times a week.

Twelve and a half weeks.

Its now time to seriously reevaluate the training and put some realistic numbers in place to achieve my goal of completing the Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon. Now, I have said that my main goal is to simply finish it, but I do have a certain number in mind that I would like to beat time-wise. Would I be disappointed to finish, but be beyond that time? A little. Would I be ecstatic to finish and beat that time? Definitely! Without a doubt.

Twelve and a half weeks.

I have started getting serious as I purchased a new (used) bike this week. Its a Univega Alpina Trail. Its a late 90's model, but it has lots of life left in it. I also love the additional gearing and flexibility it offers. I am planning on swapping out the mountain bike tires for street tires and getting it tuned up at JT's bike shop this coming weekend to make sure its good to go and will serve me faithfully. I rode it a couple of times over the weekend and find that instead of averaging 12.5 mph, I was averaging 13.6. A definite improvement which I think will increase by changing out the tires.

Twelve and a half weeks.

Its time to get in the pool. Its time to seriously start to increase my speed and distances on the bike and on foot. Its time to rewrite the plan and then stick with it.

Twelve and a half weeks.

That's how long before I will know if I did enough to prepare and conquer my first race.

Twelve and a half weeks.