Yesterday was the start of the National Bike challenge for 2016. It runs from May 1 through September 30 and the goal is to ride as much as you can, either recreationally or to commute, during that time period. You earn points which can earn you prizes from national and local sponsors of the event. I got my first ride for this year's challenge in yesterday morning. It wasn't very long but I enjoyed it and to be honest, it didn't wipe me out as I had feared it would with my lack of riding.
I chose to ride a bit challenging of a route as it was uphill all the way to the turn around. I spent most of the ride out in one of my lowest gears and just grinding away, but I made it and I enjoyed the downhill on the way back, if I was a bit timid. I did max out at 24.4 mph but with a stop sign at the bottom of the hill, I wanted to make sure the brakes were going to work well so I used them a few times on the way down. :)
My plan is to get in a ride every day that I can and to do that some days I will be riding before work and some days after. Today will be an after day as I will be helping my grandson get his tube fixed so he can accompany me on my ride this evening.
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2016
Friday, February 12, 2016
Starting is the hardest part
Finally got my butt back on the bike today and 3 things were immediately obvious to me:
1. Not riding a bike for 8 months greatly reduces one's capacity to participate in this activity.
2. There are no flat roads in my neighborhood.
3. Riding my bike is fun and I need to do more of it.
Now the first point was actually something I knew intellectually. It was the wheezing, lung burning, struggle to move that brought the true reality of this statement home. I survived the ride but it was more work than it should have been.
The second point I sort of knew from driving through the area, but when experienced from the seat of a bike it is much more readily apparent. Now Strava and Garmin say I only experienced 71 and 72 feet of elevation gain respectively over the ride, but it certainly felt like a whole lot more!
The last point is one I know and one I am reminded of every time I swing my leg over the bike and propel myself along. I've said it before and I will certainly say it again - I would rather bike 5 times a distance than walk any day.
One other thing I noted on the ride, as I was huffing and puffing my way uphill on Gowan, was that there are other cyclists in the area. I call them cyclists because they were decked out in matching jersey and riding not inexpensive bikes. 2 of the 3 riders, however were just. Not a 'hello' or 'on you left' as they rode by me. Sure I was on my hybrid, in jersey shorts and a t-shirt and I even went heltmetless, but I said hi to them between gasps as they passed.
Anyway this was my first ride of many to come and I enjoyed it.
1. Not riding a bike for 8 months greatly reduces one's capacity to participate in this activity.
2. There are no flat roads in my neighborhood.
3. Riding my bike is fun and I need to do more of it.
Now the first point was actually something I knew intellectually. It was the wheezing, lung burning, struggle to move that brought the true reality of this statement home. I survived the ride but it was more work than it should have been.
The second point I sort of knew from driving through the area, but when experienced from the seat of a bike it is much more readily apparent. Now Strava and Garmin say I only experienced 71 and 72 feet of elevation gain respectively over the ride, but it certainly felt like a whole lot more!
The last point is one I know and one I am reminded of every time I swing my leg over the bike and propel myself along. I've said it before and I will certainly say it again - I would rather bike 5 times a distance than walk any day.
One other thing I noted on the ride, as I was huffing and puffing my way uphill on Gowan, was that there are other cyclists in the area. I call them cyclists because they were decked out in matching jersey and riding not inexpensive bikes. 2 of the 3 riders, however were just. Not a 'hello' or 'on you left' as they rode by me. Sure I was on my hybrid, in jersey shorts and a t-shirt and I even went heltmetless, but I said hi to them between gasps as they passed.
Anyway this was my first ride of many to come and I enjoyed it.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Too much time gone by - time to start again...
I have been hemming and hawing around about what to post on here for quite some time. This is, after all, supposed to be a blog about my journey to getting fit and healthy. Unfortunately that has not been where I have been heading over the past several months Actually closer to a year.
When I finished the Biggest Winner competition last May, my ending weight was 423 lbs. As I stated then, that was a 28 lb. loss for the competition and should have been the beginning of a continued weight loss. Well that didn't happen and by the end of August I was up to 455 lbs. The next time I weighed in towards the middle of September I was up another 3 lbs. to 458. I didn't step on the scale again until a couple of weeks ago when I was at 455 again.
The reason I bring this up is that I need to get my weight under control and I know the largest component of that is to watch my eating. I need to stop just eating everything in sight and not eat for enjoyment. I need to understand, fundamentally that fuel is fuel for my body and I only need a certain amount for it, not to over fuel it because that excess needs to go somewhere and it is going to fat. I need to really get a handle on my eating. If I do this, then I know I can get to where I need to be, where I can do the things I want to do and my weight is not holding me back.
My wife and daughter watch a TV show called My 600 lb. life. It follows individuals who go to talk with a doctor in Texas and have gastric bypass surgery. It shows their transformation over the course of a year or so. These people are losing a good deal of weight. I would say that on average about 200 lbs. over that year. They have both been saying that I need to get that surgery.
This has been an eye opener for me - they are worried about me and are pushing me to get surgery because of their worry. While I don't doubt that the surgery is an effective way to lose weight, I have seen the stories where over time, people who have ad the surgery have managed to expand their new, small stomachs and have gained back the weight in 3 to 5 years after losing it. What I see is that there needs to be a fundamental shift in their relationship with food in order to become healthy and maintain the weight loss.
Yes, I understand that this can be a trigger to make the changes one needs to become healthy, but I think if I can make the changes myself, then I will be in a better position and not have to risk going through surgery. Let's face it, while it is a lot safer than it used to be, anytime someone is put under anesthetic and surgery is performed there is risk. That risk is increased for someone of my size.
So, what I have proposed to Michele, is that I will take the next 6 months to get my mind right and get moving towards a healthier, lighter me. I have pledged that if I do not lose at least 80 lbs. over the next 6 months, then I will call the doctor and make an appointment to talk about the surgery. Towards that end, I got on the scale last night and it read 458 lbs. That means by August 7 I need to weigh less than 378. I know I can do this. I need to focus on eating the right things in the right quantities and getting my butt moving more than it has been.
I plan on riding my bike and walking more than I have. I plan on eating the right whole, natural foods, primarily following the Paleo Diet as it seems to be a good choice for me. I will post updates of my progress at least weekly on here so that you can hold me accountable and follow my journey.
Here is to another new beginning, this time I am planning on making a significant, permanent change.
When I finished the Biggest Winner competition last May, my ending weight was 423 lbs. As I stated then, that was a 28 lb. loss for the competition and should have been the beginning of a continued weight loss. Well that didn't happen and by the end of August I was up to 455 lbs. The next time I weighed in towards the middle of September I was up another 3 lbs. to 458. I didn't step on the scale again until a couple of weeks ago when I was at 455 again.
The reason I bring this up is that I need to get my weight under control and I know the largest component of that is to watch my eating. I need to stop just eating everything in sight and not eat for enjoyment. I need to understand, fundamentally that fuel is fuel for my body and I only need a certain amount for it, not to over fuel it because that excess needs to go somewhere and it is going to fat. I need to really get a handle on my eating. If I do this, then I know I can get to where I need to be, where I can do the things I want to do and my weight is not holding me back.
My wife and daughter watch a TV show called My 600 lb. life. It follows individuals who go to talk with a doctor in Texas and have gastric bypass surgery. It shows their transformation over the course of a year or so. These people are losing a good deal of weight. I would say that on average about 200 lbs. over that year. They have both been saying that I need to get that surgery.
This has been an eye opener for me - they are worried about me and are pushing me to get surgery because of their worry. While I don't doubt that the surgery is an effective way to lose weight, I have seen the stories where over time, people who have ad the surgery have managed to expand their new, small stomachs and have gained back the weight in 3 to 5 years after losing it. What I see is that there needs to be a fundamental shift in their relationship with food in order to become healthy and maintain the weight loss.
Yes, I understand that this can be a trigger to make the changes one needs to become healthy, but I think if I can make the changes myself, then I will be in a better position and not have to risk going through surgery. Let's face it, while it is a lot safer than it used to be, anytime someone is put under anesthetic and surgery is performed there is risk. That risk is increased for someone of my size.
So, what I have proposed to Michele, is that I will take the next 6 months to get my mind right and get moving towards a healthier, lighter me. I have pledged that if I do not lose at least 80 lbs. over the next 6 months, then I will call the doctor and make an appointment to talk about the surgery. Towards that end, I got on the scale last night and it read 458 lbs. That means by August 7 I need to weigh less than 378. I know I can do this. I need to focus on eating the right things in the right quantities and getting my butt moving more than it has been.
I plan on riding my bike and walking more than I have. I plan on eating the right whole, natural foods, primarily following the Paleo Diet as it seems to be a good choice for me. I will post updates of my progress at least weekly on here so that you can hold me accountable and follow my journey.
Here is to another new beginning, this time I am planning on making a significant, permanent change.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Rolling right along
Got up at 4:00 am again this morning to get in another ride before work. It was ride number 11 for the National Bike challenge. I've not gotten in as many rides as I had hoped so far this year, but I have increased the average distance of the rides. So far this year my average is right at 5 miles per ride. Not bad and not good.
Well, this morning's ride was challenging as the winds were out of the southwest at 17 gusting to 28 mph. The direction meant that as I was going up the slight uphill I was not only fighting gravity but the wind too. I'm guessing based on my perceived effort that it cost me about 1 mph on the uphill. Of course you would hope that would mean an increase on the downhill, but it was more of a cross wind and blocked by houses and a wall. Here's the map from strava:
This morning's ride was also challenging due to an idiot in his little white car. On my first lap, at the end of the block, on the short street (Mercer see the little bump in the lower left on the map above), I noticed a car in the driveway of a house with a woman leaning in through the open passenger door. The car was running with the lights on. No big deal.
After I made the 2 turns and headed up Quarterhorse towards Pebble, I heard an engine racing and the whit car came flying by doing about 60 in the 35 mph zone. He passed me with a good bit of room so it was no big deal. he got to the stop sign and merely slow as he took the corner. When I finally made the corner and looked he was already approaching Durango (about 3/4 of a mile away) with his right signal on. He must have been flying down Pebble which has a 45 mph speed limit. I thought little more about it as I made my way around the rest of my loop.
As I got to the end of the block again, I saw the woman standing in the street looking away from me in the direction the car had traveled. As I didn't want to startle her, I moved towards the center of the street. As I was passing her, I heard an engine and saw headlights turning onto Westchester and come flying around the corner. I moved to the left side of the street, next to the parked cars and the car passed about a foot to my right. He probably wasn't even paying attention to what was in front of him. I'm glad I was defensive and had moved to the right or he would have run me down.
I shouted that people shouldn't drive if they were idiots, or something to that effect and kept going on my way. I had thought about stopping and letting the driver know just what an idiot he was, but figured he was likely drunk, it seeming like they were coming home from a late night since it was 4:20 in the morning. My common sense and discretion prevailed and I just kept riding, thinking to myself lots of nasty things I would like to say to the driver.
It figures that there were only 2 cars that passed me this morning on my ride and one of the two was a total idiot. Anyway, when I next passed the house the car was gone and there was no one outside. My guess was that they were dropping the woman off and needed to run to the store to get her something. Th irony is that I ride in the early morning to try and avoid the idiots on the road but it seems they still find a way to find me. :)
Other than that it was a good ride and I enjoyed myself.
So, get on your bike and ride!!!!!!!!
Well, this morning's ride was challenging as the winds were out of the southwest at 17 gusting to 28 mph. The direction meant that as I was going up the slight uphill I was not only fighting gravity but the wind too. I'm guessing based on my perceived effort that it cost me about 1 mph on the uphill. Of course you would hope that would mean an increase on the downhill, but it was more of a cross wind and blocked by houses and a wall. Here's the map from strava:
This morning's ride was also challenging due to an idiot in his little white car. On my first lap, at the end of the block, on the short street (Mercer see the little bump in the lower left on the map above), I noticed a car in the driveway of a house with a woman leaning in through the open passenger door. The car was running with the lights on. No big deal.
After I made the 2 turns and headed up Quarterhorse towards Pebble, I heard an engine racing and the whit car came flying by doing about 60 in the 35 mph zone. He passed me with a good bit of room so it was no big deal. he got to the stop sign and merely slow as he took the corner. When I finally made the corner and looked he was already approaching Durango (about 3/4 of a mile away) with his right signal on. He must have been flying down Pebble which has a 45 mph speed limit. I thought little more about it as I made my way around the rest of my loop.
As I got to the end of the block again, I saw the woman standing in the street looking away from me in the direction the car had traveled. As I didn't want to startle her, I moved towards the center of the street. As I was passing her, I heard an engine and saw headlights turning onto Westchester and come flying around the corner. I moved to the left side of the street, next to the parked cars and the car passed about a foot to my right. He probably wasn't even paying attention to what was in front of him. I'm glad I was defensive and had moved to the right or he would have run me down.
I shouted that people shouldn't drive if they were idiots, or something to that effect and kept going on my way. I had thought about stopping and letting the driver know just what an idiot he was, but figured he was likely drunk, it seeming like they were coming home from a late night since it was 4:20 in the morning. My common sense and discretion prevailed and I just kept riding, thinking to myself lots of nasty things I would like to say to the driver.
It figures that there were only 2 cars that passed me this morning on my ride and one of the two was a total idiot. Anyway, when I next passed the house the car was gone and there was no one outside. My guess was that they were dropping the woman off and needed to run to the store to get her something. Th irony is that I ride in the early morning to try and avoid the idiots on the road but it seems they still find a way to find me. :)
Other than that it was a good ride and I enjoyed myself.
So, get on your bike and ride!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
We took the Bronze Medal
In Monday's post I mentioned that I was proud of my team and that I had lost 28 lbs. as part of the Corporate Challenge's Biggest Winner Competition. Well I'm happy to say that as a team we lost a total of 85 lbs. which equates to 6.16% of our initial body weight. This was good enough to earn us 3rd place and a bronze medal in the competition. YAY TEAM!
Subsequent to that I got on my bike and rode on Monday. I rode 2.7 miles. Not bad for my 5th ride of the year. Yesterday I got up at 4:00 am and rode another 4.1 miles. Increased the distance nicely. This morning I got up once again at 4:00 am and rode 5.4 miles. Again a healthy increase in distance.
I think I've started a trend here I hope to carry on through out the rest of the National Bike Challenge. So far I've gotten in 3 rides for a total of 72 points. I feel like I'm well on my way towards my goal of eclipsing last year's mark. I plan on keeping up daily riding and have a good average so far.
So, I hope you too can get on your bike and ride!
Subsequent to that I got on my bike and rode on Monday. I rode 2.7 miles. Not bad for my 5th ride of the year. Yesterday I got up at 4:00 am and rode another 4.1 miles. Increased the distance nicely. This morning I got up once again at 4:00 am and rode 5.4 miles. Again a healthy increase in distance.
I think I've started a trend here I hope to carry on through out the rest of the National Bike Challenge. So far I've gotten in 3 rides for a total of 72 points. I feel like I'm well on my way towards my goal of eclipsing last year's mark. I plan on keeping up daily riding and have a good average so far.
So, I hope you too can get on your bike and ride!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
A FitBit is powerful
Psychologically, at least. Yesterday sowed me just how powerful a FitBit is. I had unfortunately forgotten my FitBit Ultra at home, having left it in my shorts I wore the night before. I meant to grab it when I was getting dressed, and honestly thought I had. When I got to work, I was doing a few extra trips around, to get some extra steps in when I went for coffee, or to use the restroom. you know, I wanted to increase my total for the day.
At lunchtime I decided to see where my total was for the day. I reached into my pocket to retrieve it and lo and behold it wasn't there. After a momentary panic that I had lost it, I realized that it must still be in my shorts at home. At that point I lost all motivation to do any extra steps. My mind said, "what's the point, they won't be recorded and so don't count."
That mentality lasted all of about 10 minutes. Just until I got back to my desk with my Atkins meal for lunch and I read a couple of posts on Facebook from FitBit users who were posting their Transformation Tuesday pictures. I realized that while the steps didn't count towards my FitBit step total for the week, they did count as far as my health was concerned. So I still did the extra steps whenever I got up from my desk, but my total for the week won't reflect that.
I think the extra motivation from having that little piece of technology is invaluable as it is a tangible result, showing what I have accomplished. I don't have to wait to see any results on the scale or in my body, its almost immediate satisfaction showing that I am doing something.
If you are on the fence about getting a FitBit, I heartily endorse doing so as it will help motivate you to do more than you normally would. Not to mention there is a great community of other FitBit users out there who support and and encourage each other on a daily basis.
At lunchtime I decided to see where my total was for the day. I reached into my pocket to retrieve it and lo and behold it wasn't there. After a momentary panic that I had lost it, I realized that it must still be in my shorts at home. At that point I lost all motivation to do any extra steps. My mind said, "what's the point, they won't be recorded and so don't count."
That mentality lasted all of about 10 minutes. Just until I got back to my desk with my Atkins meal for lunch and I read a couple of posts on Facebook from FitBit users who were posting their Transformation Tuesday pictures. I realized that while the steps didn't count towards my FitBit step total for the week, they did count as far as my health was concerned. So I still did the extra steps whenever I got up from my desk, but my total for the week won't reflect that.
I think the extra motivation from having that little piece of technology is invaluable as it is a tangible result, showing what I have accomplished. I don't have to wait to see any results on the scale or in my body, its almost immediate satisfaction showing that I am doing something.
If you are on the fence about getting a FitBit, I heartily endorse doing so as it will help motivate you to do more than you normally would. Not to mention there is a great community of other FitBit users out there who support and and encourage each other on a daily basis.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Miss my FitBit
As I've written before I own a FitBit Ultra which served me faithfully for almost 2 years before I ran into issues where I could no longer charge/synch it because the docking station/receiver that plugs into my computer broke. This wasn't a poor design, rather an unfortunately accident. I have been without its daily prodding to achieve more for over 6 months now.
I miss my FitBit.
Now I have been looking at the new models of FitBit that you wear on your wrist, the Surge, The Charge HR and the Charge, but I'm reluctant to pull the trigger on one.
I preferred carrying the FitBit on my belt or in my pocket and that worked very well for me. Sure these new ones introduce additional features like Heart Rate monitoring (The Surge and the Charge HR) and even GPS (The Surge) but Something about wearing it on my wrist 24/7 just bothers me for some reason. Since they've discontinued my Ultra over a year ago, I need to get one of these newer models but still, I miss my Ultra.
Looking at the three models above, I am leaning towards either the Charge HR or the Surge. I think the heart rate tracking would be helpful and I like the idea of the GPS, thus being able to replace my Garmin, but there are a few issues that FitBit needs to address. The major one is that it doesn't seem to have a specific Cycling mode for the GPS. Second, I wonder about compatibility with sites like Strava and Map My Ride.
Until I see some updates to the Surge, I am really leaning towards the Charge HR. It tracks activity (steps, floors, active/ very active minutes), heart rate and sleep. This will give me a better understanding of how much I am burning on a daily basis and more importantly I hope, motivate me to do more and increase my numbers across the board. I know the Ultra did that.
So, the only thing left to do is work on my budget to free up the funds to pick on up for myself. Of course there appears to be no hurry as the FitBit site says if I order now (Charge HR - Size XL) its a preorder and will ship in 8-10 weeks. Gives me time to free up the needed funds. :)
In the meantime I need to work on my goals for the year by getting out of my recliner and getting in some walks and rides or I'll never meet my goals.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I miss my FitBit.
Now I have been looking at the new models of FitBit that you wear on your wrist, the Surge, The Charge HR and the Charge, but I'm reluctant to pull the trigger on one.
I preferred carrying the FitBit on my belt or in my pocket and that worked very well for me. Sure these new ones introduce additional features like Heart Rate monitoring (The Surge and the Charge HR) and even GPS (The Surge) but Something about wearing it on my wrist 24/7 just bothers me for some reason. Since they've discontinued my Ultra over a year ago, I need to get one of these newer models but still, I miss my Ultra.
Looking at the three models above, I am leaning towards either the Charge HR or the Surge. I think the heart rate tracking would be helpful and I like the idea of the GPS, thus being able to replace my Garmin, but there are a few issues that FitBit needs to address. The major one is that it doesn't seem to have a specific Cycling mode for the GPS. Second, I wonder about compatibility with sites like Strava and Map My Ride.
Until I see some updates to the Surge, I am really leaning towards the Charge HR. It tracks activity (steps, floors, active/ very active minutes), heart rate and sleep. This will give me a better understanding of how much I am burning on a daily basis and more importantly I hope, motivate me to do more and increase my numbers across the board. I know the Ultra did that.
So, the only thing left to do is work on my budget to free up the funds to pick on up for myself. Of course there appears to be no hurry as the FitBit site says if I order now (Charge HR - Size XL) its a preorder and will ship in 8-10 weeks. Gives me time to free up the needed funds. :)
In the meantime I need to work on my goals for the year by getting out of my recliner and getting in some walks and rides or I'll never meet my goals.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
I'm back and getting fit
Last week my wife and I spent a wonderful 7 nights cruising from Long Beach down to the Mexican Riviera on the Carnival Miracle. We stopped at the three ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. We loved it! I highly recommend it!
That's not to say there aren't some things to watch out for on a cruise, when one is trying to get their body into a healthier shape. The two biggest threats to progress in this direction are food and drink.
OK, I know that these are daily obstacles and challenges one must contend with when on a journey to a healthier lifestyle, but let's just say they are magnified in the microcosm that is a cruise. Take Food, for example.
When you are home you can exert a pretty high degree of control over the food that you eat, primarily by limiting availability within your household pantry, or mostly by cost when you go out to eat. Not to mention that if you eat at home, there likely isn't a huge variety nor quantity. Not true on a cruise. Let's look at all of the food options while on a ship:
First and foremost there is the dining room. Its pretty straight forward with set times and menus to choose from. You have either Breakfast or Brunch, and then dinner. Where at home most people don't usually have multiple courses, every meal in the dining room consists of Starters, Main Entrees and Dessert. Add to that the fact that you can choose multiple items from each category if you so desire and you can see how this is a very dangerous place.
Just to illustrate my point, I'd like to share what I had on our first Formal Night of the cruise. For starters I had the Beefsteak Tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella and then the wild mushroom soup. My entree was the Prime rib of beef with baked potato and broccoli. Then there was dessert - Cherries Jubilee and date and fig cake. What is important to understand is this was just a typical meal.
Then there is the buffet which is open most of the day and evening. There were stations with rotating cuisine like Chinese, Italian and Caribbean. Then there were what I think of as the staples: hamburger, hot dogs, chicken finger and fries. Let's not forget the deli with made to order sandwiches, either. Most of these were open from the morning until 9:00 at night.
Add to all that the 24/7 options of soft serve ice cream cones, pizza and room service where there is a wide selection of starters, entrees, sandwiches and breakfast.
As you can see, if you are hungry on a cruise its your own fault.
Then there are the drinks. Everywhere you go on the ship there are bar waiters offering various mixed drinks or bear and wine. Sure you have to pay for them, but they are such and integrated part of the cruise. On sea days, when we headed to the show room early, we would often get a double Bloody Mary. at meals we drank water or iced tea, but then in the evening it was usually couple of beers or mixed drinks. Nothing excessive or out of the ordinary for a cruise, but it all definitely adds up.
All that being said the common belief is that people gain as much as 10 lbs. during a one week cruise. That is a lit for such a short period of time, I know, but with all of the food and drinks that are consumed, not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
One way to combat that is to have a plan - decide ahead of time what you are going to eat and stick to the plan. Every day you can go on your stateroom TV, or head by the dining room and see what the menu will be for dinner that evening. Stick to the healthier choices, or if you must try all of the great food, split the meal with someone or limit yourself to just half of the dish.
Another way is to utilize the exercise room on board or just get out and walk! The ship we were on is 959 feet long and 105 feet wide. It has 12 decks and lots of stairs. Just walking from end to end along one of the interior corridor would be about 900 feet. With 5280 feet in a mile, if you walk it 6 times you've walked a mile. If that isn't what you want to do, walk the stairs up and down from the lido deck (deck 9) to the restaurant/showroom on deck 2. Beyond that there is also a track you can walk or run up on deck 11. All of this is available even on sea days while you are moving from port to port.
Then there are the ports themselves - great opportunities to get out and explore another country or world and many of them involve physical activity. There is everything from snorkeling to horseback riding to a canopy adventure with a ropes course to just walking and sightseeing. Of course there are also the excursions where you ride a bus and drink tequila (mas tequila) which I have to say has been one of my favorites.
What I'm trying to say here is while a cruise for many (including me this time) can mean a bit of excess eating and drinking and lack of activity, it doesn't have to. There are opportunities galore to enjoy yourself and also burn off many of those possibly excessive calories.
MOVING FORWARD
So, the cruise is behind us and all that's left are the memories and the few extra pounds. Its now time to get my butt back to the task of getting myself in a better, healthier shape. To that end I have been thinking about what I want to do this year and have come up with several goals to move me in the direction I want to go.
First and foremost I need to lose weight. that is a given because the extra weight is really starting to take its toll on me and I'm tired of it. To this end I've adjusted my diet to a low-carb diet which I know will allow me to quickly get started on losing pounds. My goal is to be at 360 lbs. on January 1, 2016. I finally got the scale working this morning and it showed 463 lbs. so, 103 lbs. to lose.
Second, I need to get more active. Obviously the more active I am, the more weight I can lose. To this end I have established 4 goals. Two of the goals are for distance, two for frequency, Two for cycling, two for walking/running.
I plan on cycling at least 1500 miles this year in at least 300 rides with several key milestone rides mixed in: a 25 mile ride, a 50 kilometer ride, a 50 mile ride, a metric century and a century.
I plan on walking/running at least 300 miles this year in at least 180 walks/runs. I also have specific distances here: 5K, 10K and Half Marathon this year.
To keep track of all these goals and my progress towards them, I will be putting together a chart listing the goals and weekly progress and posting it in the right margin of this page. I know I can do this. I know I need to do this. I will do this.
What are you doing to get healthy in 2015?
As always, Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!
That's not to say there aren't some things to watch out for on a cruise, when one is trying to get their body into a healthier shape. The two biggest threats to progress in this direction are food and drink.
OK, I know that these are daily obstacles and challenges one must contend with when on a journey to a healthier lifestyle, but let's just say they are magnified in the microcosm that is a cruise. Take Food, for example.
When you are home you can exert a pretty high degree of control over the food that you eat, primarily by limiting availability within your household pantry, or mostly by cost when you go out to eat. Not to mention that if you eat at home, there likely isn't a huge variety nor quantity. Not true on a cruise. Let's look at all of the food options while on a ship:
First and foremost there is the dining room. Its pretty straight forward with set times and menus to choose from. You have either Breakfast or Brunch, and then dinner. Where at home most people don't usually have multiple courses, every meal in the dining room consists of Starters, Main Entrees and Dessert. Add to that the fact that you can choose multiple items from each category if you so desire and you can see how this is a very dangerous place.
Just to illustrate my point, I'd like to share what I had on our first Formal Night of the cruise. For starters I had the Beefsteak Tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella and then the wild mushroom soup. My entree was the Prime rib of beef with baked potato and broccoli. Then there was dessert - Cherries Jubilee and date and fig cake. What is important to understand is this was just a typical meal.
Then there is the buffet which is open most of the day and evening. There were stations with rotating cuisine like Chinese, Italian and Caribbean. Then there were what I think of as the staples: hamburger, hot dogs, chicken finger and fries. Let's not forget the deli with made to order sandwiches, either. Most of these were open from the morning until 9:00 at night.
Add to all that the 24/7 options of soft serve ice cream cones, pizza and room service where there is a wide selection of starters, entrees, sandwiches and breakfast.
As you can see, if you are hungry on a cruise its your own fault.
Then there are the drinks. Everywhere you go on the ship there are bar waiters offering various mixed drinks or bear and wine. Sure you have to pay for them, but they are such and integrated part of the cruise. On sea days, when we headed to the show room early, we would often get a double Bloody Mary. at meals we drank water or iced tea, but then in the evening it was usually couple of beers or mixed drinks. Nothing excessive or out of the ordinary for a cruise, but it all definitely adds up.
All that being said the common belief is that people gain as much as 10 lbs. during a one week cruise. That is a lit for such a short period of time, I know, but with all of the food and drinks that are consumed, not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
One way to combat that is to have a plan - decide ahead of time what you are going to eat and stick to the plan. Every day you can go on your stateroom TV, or head by the dining room and see what the menu will be for dinner that evening. Stick to the healthier choices, or if you must try all of the great food, split the meal with someone or limit yourself to just half of the dish.
Another way is to utilize the exercise room on board or just get out and walk! The ship we were on is 959 feet long and 105 feet wide. It has 12 decks and lots of stairs. Just walking from end to end along one of the interior corridor would be about 900 feet. With 5280 feet in a mile, if you walk it 6 times you've walked a mile. If that isn't what you want to do, walk the stairs up and down from the lido deck (deck 9) to the restaurant/showroom on deck 2. Beyond that there is also a track you can walk or run up on deck 11. All of this is available even on sea days while you are moving from port to port.
Then there are the ports themselves - great opportunities to get out and explore another country or world and many of them involve physical activity. There is everything from snorkeling to horseback riding to a canopy adventure with a ropes course to just walking and sightseeing. Of course there are also the excursions where you ride a bus and drink tequila (mas tequila) which I have to say has been one of my favorites.
What I'm trying to say here is while a cruise for many (including me this time) can mean a bit of excess eating and drinking and lack of activity, it doesn't have to. There are opportunities galore to enjoy yourself and also burn off many of those possibly excessive calories.
MOVING FORWARD
So, the cruise is behind us and all that's left are the memories and the few extra pounds. Its now time to get my butt back to the task of getting myself in a better, healthier shape. To that end I have been thinking about what I want to do this year and have come up with several goals to move me in the direction I want to go.
First and foremost I need to lose weight. that is a given because the extra weight is really starting to take its toll on me and I'm tired of it. To this end I've adjusted my diet to a low-carb diet which I know will allow me to quickly get started on losing pounds. My goal is to be at 360 lbs. on January 1, 2016. I finally got the scale working this morning and it showed 463 lbs. so, 103 lbs. to lose.
Second, I need to get more active. Obviously the more active I am, the more weight I can lose. To this end I have established 4 goals. Two of the goals are for distance, two for frequency, Two for cycling, two for walking/running.
I plan on cycling at least 1500 miles this year in at least 300 rides with several key milestone rides mixed in: a 25 mile ride, a 50 kilometer ride, a 50 mile ride, a metric century and a century.
I plan on walking/running at least 300 miles this year in at least 180 walks/runs. I also have specific distances here: 5K, 10K and Half Marathon this year.
To keep track of all these goals and my progress towards them, I will be putting together a chart listing the goals and weekly progress and posting it in the right margin of this page. I know I can do this. I know I need to do this. I will do this.
What are you doing to get healthy in 2015?
As always, Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!
Monday, December 29, 2014
Where has it gone?
"Where has what gone?" you might be wondering. Or not. Where has the year gone, has my motivation gone, and my fitness gone? Would be the correct answer. Of course I know where it has gone - right out the window.
First went the motivation. For some reason, once I met my personal goal of riding for 180 in a row, I just didn't have much more motivation to ride. In fact I haven't been on the bike since I finished that personal challenge. This is terrible. This is what has contributed to my overall lack of fitness (not that I had much to begin with). Let's face it, as we age we are either actively working to maintain or possibly improve our fitness or are losing it. Since I haven't been riding I have been heading down the losing fitness road fairly quickly.
Along with the lack of exercise, we have come through the holiday season which is notorious for overeating and I have been keeping true to form in that arena as well. Combine these 2 facts and obviously my weight has been on the increase instead of the decrease. Time to wake up and face reality, I cannot afford to not work out. My metabolism and eating habits just don't allow it.
This time of year is notorious for making resolutions to do whatever and unfortunately most of those resolutions rarely make it past the end of January. That's why this is not a resolution but a commitment. I will eat healthier and be more active starting today. No sense waiting for the new year, for next week or until after my cruise in less than 2 weeks. I have to start today and keep with it every single day.
I have been avoiding the scale like the plague because I know that it will not have any good news for me. I will get on the scale and note the number that it shows. I will use this as my new beginning and move on from there. I am not happy with my current state of affairs, I have no one to blame but myself and no one can change it but me and that starts today.
I hope everyone had a great holiday and am looking forward to a happier and healthier new Year for us all!
Now, get on your bike and ride!!!!
First went the motivation. For some reason, once I met my personal goal of riding for 180 in a row, I just didn't have much more motivation to ride. In fact I haven't been on the bike since I finished that personal challenge. This is terrible. This is what has contributed to my overall lack of fitness (not that I had much to begin with). Let's face it, as we age we are either actively working to maintain or possibly improve our fitness or are losing it. Since I haven't been riding I have been heading down the losing fitness road fairly quickly.
Along with the lack of exercise, we have come through the holiday season which is notorious for overeating and I have been keeping true to form in that arena as well. Combine these 2 facts and obviously my weight has been on the increase instead of the decrease. Time to wake up and face reality, I cannot afford to not work out. My metabolism and eating habits just don't allow it.
This time of year is notorious for making resolutions to do whatever and unfortunately most of those resolutions rarely make it past the end of January. That's why this is not a resolution but a commitment. I will eat healthier and be more active starting today. No sense waiting for the new year, for next week or until after my cruise in less than 2 weeks. I have to start today and keep with it every single day.
I have been avoiding the scale like the plague because I know that it will not have any good news for me. I will get on the scale and note the number that it shows. I will use this as my new beginning and move on from there. I am not happy with my current state of affairs, I have no one to blame but myself and no one can change it but me and that starts today.
I hope everyone had a great holiday and am looking forward to a happier and healthier new Year for us all!
Now, get on your bike and ride!!!!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
One third done
Yesterday was Day 60 of my personal biking challenge and I rode my 60th day in a row. I know for some that isn't a lot, but to me that is proving to myself that I can commit to and follow through on something. Granted my numbers are small compared to some, but I have learned over the last few years not to measure myself against other's accomplishments, but against my own goals.
With that said, let's look at a few of the numbers involved with these 60 days of cycling:
Total Miles: 138.2 miles
Total Time: 11.26 hours
Total Calories burned: 16,807 Calories
Average Ride Distance: 2.3 Miles
As I said, not huge numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but its the consistency and repetition that is key for me. I hope to start increasing the average ride length through the next 1/3 of the challenge but it will be difficult at first as we are definitely in the hottest part of the year, here int he desert southwest.
I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the summertime here in the northern hemisphere and don't forget to...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With that said, let's look at a few of the numbers involved with these 60 days of cycling:
Total Miles: 138.2 miles
Total Time: 11.26 hours
Total Calories burned: 16,807 Calories
Average Ride Distance: 2.3 Miles
As I said, not huge numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but its the consistency and repetition that is key for me. I hope to start increasing the average ride length through the next 1/3 of the challenge but it will be difficult at first as we are definitely in the hottest part of the year, here int he desert southwest.
I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the summertime here in the northern hemisphere and don't forget to...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Feeling Neglected?
Good readers, I do apologize for my lack of posts the last couple of weeks. Not much exciting has been happening on the fitness/cycling/weight loss front.
One good thing is that I am still on track for my personal cycling challenge. I have ridden 24 days in a row now and covered just under 50 miles. Granted my average ride length is short, but the fact that I am actually getting out there on days that I surely would not have is the good news. I am getting to the point where it feels wrong if I haven't been on my bike on a given day. This is good! Now I need to start increasing the mileage. One problem has been the times I am riding and how they are not conducive to long rides due to the heat.
On the fitness front, I have been walking a little along with the riding, but its nothing to be proud of. Distances are very short. Unfortunately I haven't been in the water in a long time as well. Looking ahead to the next few months' schedules, I see very few opportunities to get into the water. Lack of training in this arena has caused me to rethink my plans for the fall. I have decided that I will not be doing Pumpkinman this fall. I hadn't realized how much moving to the southwest part of town would impact my training. When I lived on the east side, near Henderson, there were several pools within 10 minutes of the house. That is not the case, now.
Sure, I know if I really wanted to do it, I would find a way to make the training happen. That's just it, I am not motivated nor excited to do the event and therefore am not going to do it.
I have been looking for charity ride in the fall and I have one.
This ride supports the Special Olympics. From the website: "Pedal to the Medal offers something for riders of all levels and abilities with several route options and a free bicycle rodeo for both children and people with special needs.
I am excited about this ride as this is a cause I do believe in. My nephew participated in the Special Olympics for a couple of years back in Michigan and I saw the wonderful opportunities this organization provides for the athletes. Why not join me on this ride????
Get on your bikes and ride!
One good thing is that I am still on track for my personal cycling challenge. I have ridden 24 days in a row now and covered just under 50 miles. Granted my average ride length is short, but the fact that I am actually getting out there on days that I surely would not have is the good news. I am getting to the point where it feels wrong if I haven't been on my bike on a given day. This is good! Now I need to start increasing the mileage. One problem has been the times I am riding and how they are not conducive to long rides due to the heat.
On the fitness front, I have been walking a little along with the riding, but its nothing to be proud of. Distances are very short. Unfortunately I haven't been in the water in a long time as well. Looking ahead to the next few months' schedules, I see very few opportunities to get into the water. Lack of training in this arena has caused me to rethink my plans for the fall. I have decided that I will not be doing Pumpkinman this fall. I hadn't realized how much moving to the southwest part of town would impact my training. When I lived on the east side, near Henderson, there were several pools within 10 minutes of the house. That is not the case, now.
Sure, I know if I really wanted to do it, I would find a way to make the training happen. That's just it, I am not motivated nor excited to do the event and therefore am not going to do it.
I have been looking for charity ride in the fall and I have one.
This ride supports the Special Olympics. From the website: "Pedal to the Medal offers something for riders of all levels and abilities with several route options and a free bicycle rodeo for both children and people with special needs.
Choose from a 25 mile, 50 mile or Century Ride. The 50 mile and Century rides include an optional timed hill climb up Mt. Potosi."
Get on your bikes and ride!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Biggest Winner Competition wraps up
You may remember that I wrote about the Biggest Winner Weight Loss competition which is part of the Las Vegas Corporate Challenge. The initial weigh in was on March 4 and the weigh out was this past Monday, May 12. I was the captain of our team and recruited 4 other individuals to participate. I had hoped to earn points and possibly a medal for our team. Unfortunately that was not the case.
As with most weight loss competitions the team started out positive, strong and motivated. I had the team check in each Monday with their current weight and the first 3 or 4 weeks were great. Then we hit a couple of snags. Team members suffered injuries and had to curtail some of their physical activities. Easter came and went. There was a reduction of staff at work. Mother's day was the weekend before the final weigh in. It all added up to our placing 12th in the competition.
I know we all have struggles and challenges we face every day, but I had hoped to keep my team motivated and on track., I obviously did a poor job. If each member of the team had simply stayed at their lowest reported weight, then we would have placed 4th overall. That didn't happen. Over the last 4 weeks, and particularly over the last week, several pounds, once lost, were gained back.
I lost the largest number of pounds on our team for the challenge at 23. I also had the largest percentage at 5.23%. The total weight lost by the other 4 team members combined was only 18 lbs. which gave us a 41 lb. total loss representing 3.29%. While I could try to blame my teammates, the failure is mine. I failed to keep them motivated and on track for the challenge. I need to look at what I did and when, and decide what I could do differently to help them achieve better results.
The fact that we had gained back weight points to a failure on my part. I was supposed to keep them motivated and on point for the challenge and my weekly emails obviously missed the mark. There has to be more that I could have done. Right now I'm not sure what that was, but I have reached out to my team mates and asked that very question - what more could I have done to help with the challenge. I hope to get some usable answers so that in the future I can be a better leader.
So, I am celebrating my 23 lb. loss, but the celebration is short lived as I need to keep myself motivated and moving forward towards a slimmer and healthier version of myself. I indulged a bit the last couple of days in the food department, but its time to get back to eating better and moving more.
Get on your bikes and ride!
Monday, January 6, 2014
2013 is done, bring on 2014
OK, I guess its almost a requirement for anyone who is writing a blog to post a year end wrap up and look forward to the New Year. So here is mine.
2013 saw me participate in several events, all of a cycling nature. The first was the Tour De Cure where I was totally unprepared for the difficulty of the hills on the chosen course and I had my only DNF. Next was Fatty's 100 Miles of Nowhere where I completed a metric century of which I am very proud.. After that was the Viva Bike Vegas, which I got to ride with my dad and is the highlight of my year. Last was the BIKE:MS challenge where I completed the 30 miles day one ride with no problems.
Unfortunately I didn't hit my mileage goal for the year and the only one to blame was myself. In fact I was just shy of 1000 miles for the year.
The year ended with a bit of a health scare and 4 days spent in the hospital. Seems I had a bit of an intra-abdominal bleed which caused my blood pressure to drop dangerously low. Among the effects from this was a temporary shut down of my kidneys and very low hemoglobin. The good news is that 4 days of IV fluids, some antibiotics, iron and potassium and I was well enough to head home. Unfortunately 4 days of bed rest has left me bloated, stiff and hardly able to walk, but that is improving day by day.
This was a wake up call and I am actually seeking out a new primary physician and have an appointment coming up this Friday. Time to start taking my health seriously. One major issue is my weight which has unfortunately gone back up. On 1/2 I weighed myself and was not happy - 470.4 lbs. I know several of the pounds are from the fluids I still have to work out of my body, but its still a horrible number. Time for a serious commitment to doing what I know is right.
We have joined a new Planet Fitness opening near our house very soon and will be spending quality time there several days per week. I will also get back on my bike and get more miles in this year. I'm aiming high again - 2014 in 2014.
As for organized events, the only one I have planned so far is the Tour De Cure ride coming up the first weekend in May. I hope to redeem myself after last year's poor performance. The main focus will be losing weight and getting healthy as the title of the blog goes.
I hope everyone has a healthy and active Year.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
2013 saw me participate in several events, all of a cycling nature. The first was the Tour De Cure where I was totally unprepared for the difficulty of the hills on the chosen course and I had my only DNF. Next was Fatty's 100 Miles of Nowhere where I completed a metric century of which I am very proud.. After that was the Viva Bike Vegas, which I got to ride with my dad and is the highlight of my year. Last was the BIKE:MS challenge where I completed the 30 miles day one ride with no problems.
Unfortunately I didn't hit my mileage goal for the year and the only one to blame was myself. In fact I was just shy of 1000 miles for the year.
The year ended with a bit of a health scare and 4 days spent in the hospital. Seems I had a bit of an intra-abdominal bleed which caused my blood pressure to drop dangerously low. Among the effects from this was a temporary shut down of my kidneys and very low hemoglobin. The good news is that 4 days of IV fluids, some antibiotics, iron and potassium and I was well enough to head home. Unfortunately 4 days of bed rest has left me bloated, stiff and hardly able to walk, but that is improving day by day.
This was a wake up call and I am actually seeking out a new primary physician and have an appointment coming up this Friday. Time to start taking my health seriously. One major issue is my weight which has unfortunately gone back up. On 1/2 I weighed myself and was not happy - 470.4 lbs. I know several of the pounds are from the fluids I still have to work out of my body, but its still a horrible number. Time for a serious commitment to doing what I know is right.
We have joined a new Planet Fitness opening near our house very soon and will be spending quality time there several days per week. I will also get back on my bike and get more miles in this year. I'm aiming high again - 2014 in 2014.
As for organized events, the only one I have planned so far is the Tour De Cure ride coming up the first weekend in May. I hope to redeem myself after last year's poor performance. The main focus will be losing weight and getting healthy as the title of the blog goes.
I hope everyone has a healthy and active Year.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
August Challenge Wrap Up.
Its been a long month but I am happy to report I made the challenge of riding every day in August. Surprisingly the last 2 days were among the hardest to get in as the weather wasn't very cooperative.
I am happy to report that I pedalled a total of 220.2 miles over the month. That gives me an average ride length of 7.1 miles. My longest ride was 12.5 miles on the 27th and the shortest was .48 miles on the 18th in the rain.
Looking ahead to the month of September I plan on challenging myself, but with an overall mileage goal and not with a daily riding goal. My goal for the month is to better my August total by riding 240 miles.
Hope you are able to get ob your bikes and ride!!!!!
I am happy to report that I pedalled a total of 220.2 miles over the month. That gives me an average ride length of 7.1 miles. My longest ride was 12.5 miles on the 27th and the shortest was .48 miles on the 18th in the rain.
Looking ahead to the month of September I plan on challenging myself, but with an overall mileage goal and not with a daily riding goal. My goal for the month is to better my August total by riding 240 miles.
Hope you are able to get ob your bikes and ride!!!!!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
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!!!!
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!!!!
Friday, August 16, 2013
August Challenge Day 16 ride 16
The plan last night was to get up this morning and go for a ride with the grand kids. I was thinking we would get out pretty early to try and beat some of the heat. Normally the kids are up by 7:00 or 7:30 so I was thinking if we rode by 8:00 or so it would be good.
Finally at 9:15 I said it was time for them to get up so we can go. We got out there at 9:28 and it was already hot. Jacob, Dillon, Nicholas and PT all went with me. We did a nice ramble around the neighborhood and rode by the house about 1.9 miles into the ride The kids wanted a break so PT and I went on a quick trip around the block while they came in and got a drink.
When e got back to the house. Nick was inside and not going any farther. Jacob, Dillon, PT and I took off for another "lap" but just at the corner, Jacob decided he was done and headed back to the house.
Dillon hung in there and completed a total of 4.1 miles today in the heat. PT and I completed 4.6 miles.
I am proud of all of them for how far they went. They are all riding better and better.
Today's Stats:
4.6 miles
33:29 elapsed time
Month to date:
16/16 rides
123.5 miles
9:54:21 elapsed time
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
Finally at 9:15 I said it was time for them to get up so we can go. We got out there at 9:28 and it was already hot. Jacob, Dillon, Nicholas and PT all went with me. We did a nice ramble around the neighborhood and rode by the house about 1.9 miles into the ride The kids wanted a break so PT and I went on a quick trip around the block while they came in and got a drink.
When e got back to the house. Nick was inside and not going any farther. Jacob, Dillon, PT and I took off for another "lap" but just at the corner, Jacob decided he was done and headed back to the house.
Dillon hung in there and completed a total of 4.1 miles today in the heat. PT and I completed 4.6 miles.
I am proud of all of them for how far they went. They are all riding better and better.
Today's Stats:
4.6 miles
33:29 elapsed time
Month to date:
16/16 rides
123.5 miles
9:54:21 elapsed time
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
August Challenge Day 15 Ride 15
It was a little warmer this morning in the mid 70's and the humidity was up a bit as well to close to 30%. I can hear everyone from other parts of the country say "you call that humidity?" Just remember this IS the desert. My legs were feeling a bit tired and heavy as well.
I did see a rabbit twice this morning. Not sure if they were 2 different rabbits or the same rabbit both times as the sightings were about 20 minutes and a quarter mile apart. Traffic was also the lightest its been all week during my early morning, but there were a couple of drivers who slammed on their brakes at the last minute, obviously used to sailing through the stop signs.
I also saw a teenager on a mountain bike with a back pack. Not sure where he was going to or from, but he was headed south on El Capitan Way at just the wrong speed where I had to slow way down to keep from impacting him as I made my turn onto Mackanos while he continued south. He never knew I was there.
Stats:
10.4 miles
46:02 elapsed time
Month to date:
118.9 miles
9:20:52 elapsed time
Keep those pedals turning!
I did see a rabbit twice this morning. Not sure if they were 2 different rabbits or the same rabbit both times as the sightings were about 20 minutes and a quarter mile apart. Traffic was also the lightest its been all week during my early morning, but there were a couple of drivers who slammed on their brakes at the last minute, obviously used to sailing through the stop signs.
I also saw a teenager on a mountain bike with a back pack. Not sure where he was going to or from, but he was headed south on El Capitan Way at just the wrong speed where I had to slow way down to keep from impacting him as I made my turn onto Mackanos while he continued south. He never knew I was there.
Stats:
10.4 miles
46:02 elapsed time
Month to date:
118.9 miles
9:20:52 elapsed time
Keep those pedals turning!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
August Challenge ride 13
Before I talk about this morning's ride I want to wish my eldest grandson Jacob a Happy Birthday!!! Today he turns 11.
Only 3 things to mention about this morning's ride - some wind,a rabbit and some creaking.
This morning there was a southwest wind blowing 12 to 15 mph which meant I was cycling into the wind on the slower parts of my route. It was definitely a bit more work.
On my 4th lap as I was heading north on Quarterhorse, a rabbit almost committed suicide by running across in front of me. He timed it poorly, though and successfully made it across with a couple of feet to spare. I guess he misjudged how fast I was in fact riding.
At about the 9 mile mark this morning, I started to notice a creaking coming from the left pedal and/or bottom bracket area. It seemed to only do it when I was pushing the left pedal so I need to look at it this evening. To avoid possibly damaging anything I took it really easy on the last mile this morning.
Today's stats:
10.4 miles
47:09 elapsed time
Month to date
98.1 miles
7:50:29 elapsed time
A side note, as of yesterday both my mom and dad were still in the challenge having walked and ridden everyday so far in August respectively. I believe my dad was even slightly ahead mileage-wise for the month. I am so proud of them!!!!
Keep those pedals turning.
Only 3 things to mention about this morning's ride - some wind,a rabbit and some creaking.
This morning there was a southwest wind blowing 12 to 15 mph which meant I was cycling into the wind on the slower parts of my route. It was definitely a bit more work.
On my 4th lap as I was heading north on Quarterhorse, a rabbit almost committed suicide by running across in front of me. He timed it poorly, though and successfully made it across with a couple of feet to spare. I guess he misjudged how fast I was in fact riding.
At about the 9 mile mark this morning, I started to notice a creaking coming from the left pedal and/or bottom bracket area. It seemed to only do it when I was pushing the left pedal so I need to look at it this evening. To avoid possibly damaging anything I took it really easy on the last mile this morning.
Today's stats:
10.4 miles
47:09 elapsed time
Month to date
98.1 miles
7:50:29 elapsed time
A side note, as of yesterday both my mom and dad were still in the challenge having walked and ridden everyday so far in August respectively. I believe my dad was even slightly ahead mileage-wise for the month. I am so proud of them!!!!
Keep those pedals turning.
Monday, August 5, 2013
August Challenge Day 5
Just a quick post on this morning's 4:00 am ride. It was dark, I was running on very little sleep but I knocked out a few miles:
10.4 Miles
46:44 Elapsed Time
Total for August to date:
39.2 Miles
3:01:58 Elapsed Time
One other note, my dad has ridden every day in August so far, and my mom has wlked on the treadmill. I am so proud of both of them!!
Keep those pedals turning!
10.4 Miles
46:44 Elapsed Time
Total for August to date:
39.2 Miles
3:01:58 Elapsed Time
One other note, my dad has ridden every day in August so far, and my mom has wlked on the treadmill. I am so proud of both of them!!
Keep those pedals turning!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
August Challenge
I have been very inconsistent with my fitness lately so I need something to kick-start things heading into fall and better riding weather. So I've decided to create a challenge - ride everyday in the month of August. I'm not putting any restrictions on distance or time, but I will get on my bike and ride all 31 days in August.
I got the idea from Clive Chapman's blog when he accepted a challenge 2 years ago to bike everyday in July. I'm a bit late to the party so I am going to do August this year.
Anyone want to join me in this challenge?
In the past I have set an arbitrary minimum distance for a ride to be counted for a challenge, but I am not doing that this time. The challenge is just to get on the bike every single day in the month. I will post daily on how far my ride was that day and give a total distance for the month as well. I would expect to exceed 250 during the month of August. We will have to see when its all said and done.
As Mr. Mercury said, so eloquently;
I got the idea from Clive Chapman's blog when he accepted a challenge 2 years ago to bike everyday in July. I'm a bit late to the party so I am going to do August this year.
Anyone want to join me in this challenge?
In the past I have set an arbitrary minimum distance for a ride to be counted for a challenge, but I am not doing that this time. The challenge is just to get on the bike every single day in the month. I will post daily on how far my ride was that day and give a total distance for the month as well. I would expect to exceed 250 during the month of August. We will have to see when its all said and done.
As Mr. Mercury said, so eloquently;
"GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!"
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