Random Musings: As I've mentioned here before, the fitness level you get from running is just different. It is problematic in many ways, but just feels like a more fit place than other cardio I've done and I've done lots of cardio.
I was reminded of this over the last 3 weeks when I've shifted to run centered program. Basically I just run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then go for a "long" run on Saturdays. I cross train 2-3 other days and rest on Fridays, but the bulk of the work is the three running days. Much as it was when I trained for a 1/2 marathon in 2006, I am stunned at the gains you make in just a three day a week program. I ran my longest run in months yesterday and felt pretty great (with the exception of my foot, which I'll say more about later). I am pretty certain I'll make to to the Urbanathlon in October, but after that I think I'll need to get in the pool and to spin class for long enough to let this thing actually get better, if it can.
On a totally unrelated note, I was just visiting with my daughter as I was typing this and she was describing her anger at someone who uses a shock collar on their dog. We've talked about it lots of times, but today I was struck by the beauty of the certainty of a 10 year old. She just "knows" that it is wrong, period.
Although I am arguably wiser now that I am older, I really miss the certainty of youth. I used to know so many things that I just knew were true and now it seems there are no real truths out there, just continuums to fall upon somewhere. Maybe that's why people find religion or only watch the news channel from "their side"; it is just so much more comforting to be absolutely sure. Of course as a former history major, I know that people who were absolutely certain of their beliefs were usually the most dangerous historically. See what I mean, everything has multiple sides...
Exercise update: Yesterday I completed the four mile run on my schedule. It's the longest run I've been on since probably June or so. It felt pretty good. I've elected to use the Galloway method on my long runs, which means I just schedule walk breaks in from the beginning rather than running to exhaustion. In this case, I ran four minutes and them walked a minute and then repeated that for 4+ miles. I'm not tracking as scientifically as I usually would, but the whole run took less than 40 minutes, so I'm ok with the pace as well. I'd love to run 7 minute miles, but for now, under 10 will do.
Unfortunately, my foot hurts today (the day after), worse than it has for a couple of weeks. Lots of stiffness and some point specific pain returned. I'm going to bike for cross training today and rest tomorrow. If I can get in to the chiro tomorrow and stay off the foot til Tuesday, I'm hoping it will bounce back. As I've said, it's an on-going struggle.
I'm also glad to say that I'm re-connecting with my trainer on Friday. We were both very busy this summer, so it's been months, but it seems like a good way to keep momentum going into fall. I'll work harder with her than I would on my own.
One more thing, I did cross the monkey bars at Myrick Park this week, so I have hope for October:)
Nutrition update: Not much to say here, because all evidence would indicate I'm not a serious person about nutrition. I'm still trying to compensate with exercise and now a few vitamins. I am frustrated that with months of exercise and fitness goals, my weight loss has been minimal and this is the obvious culprit. The question as always is when will I actually do something about it? I'll update you if I ever do.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Urbanathlon dreaming
Random Musings: I've been a tad lax about posting lately and I apologize. Do not fear that it means I have fallen off the health wagon though. On the contrary, I've been doing pretty well. I'm following my running program for the Urbanathlon and even mixing in some strength training and pull-ups and stairs.
My foot continues to be a mystery. For the most part it seems to be improving, but just when I get too confident it gets sore and a little scary. I'm planning on just managing it and getting my butt to Chicago in October. Today feels pretty good.
Exercise update: It's been a good week. I ran 3 strong miles on Tuesday night and followed up with 37 minutes on an elliptical last night. Today is a shorter run with some strength training. I usually try to blend things by running to the park and doing a few monkey bars. It works well, but can un-nerve parents with kids when they see a solitary man getting in line for monkey bars:)
My long run scheduled for this weekend is 4 miles, which will be my longest run in weeks. Obviously I'll be a bit light on miles in October, but I'm just going there to finish. Even if it involves trailing my brother-in-law all day, I'm going to enjoy it:)
Nutrition update: My weight is stalled even as I exercise more. That should tell us what we need to know about the state of my nutritional behavior
My foot continues to be a mystery. For the most part it seems to be improving, but just when I get too confident it gets sore and a little scary. I'm planning on just managing it and getting my butt to Chicago in October. Today feels pretty good.
Exercise update: It's been a good week. I ran 3 strong miles on Tuesday night and followed up with 37 minutes on an elliptical last night. Today is a shorter run with some strength training. I usually try to blend things by running to the park and doing a few monkey bars. It works well, but can un-nerve parents with kids when they see a solitary man getting in line for monkey bars:)
My long run scheduled for this weekend is 4 miles, which will be my longest run in weeks. Obviously I'll be a bit light on miles in October, but I'm just going there to finish. Even if it involves trailing my brother-in-law all day, I'm going to enjoy it:)
Nutrition update: My weight is stalled even as I exercise more. That should tell us what we need to know about the state of my nutritional behavior
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Building momentum
Random Musing: I'm feeling a tad old today. I woke up at 5:40 a.m. and just stayed up. Not sure what woke me up (although my bladder was in on it), but going back to sleep just wasn't going to happen. Sadly, it didn't really bother me and I enjoyed the quiet of the house for 90 minutes or so. That's what I mean about being old:) Oh yeah and my daughter turns 10 tomorrow, which isn't helping my feelings of aging either. Love her bunches and can't believe it's been 10 years already.
On a totally random note, my stat tracking for this blog says I had 28 hits from teh Netherlands yesterday. I wonder what sort of keyword search brough them here
Exercise update: I woke up with a little foot stiffness today which was disconcerting. But I haven't been icing or taking any ibuprofen, so maybe I need to think a little bit prophylactically rather than waiting and reacting to owies.
Anyway it loosened up so I could complete the 30 minutes of cross training my schedule showed. Today I chose to do 30 minutes on a StairMaster, a machine I haven't used much for years. It seems like a good idea with those Soldier Field steps as part of the Urbanathlon. It was a pretty good workout although I didn't get my heart rate real high.
In addition to those 30 minutes, I spent some time working on upper body strength training. Today's new addition was the pull-up machine. I'd never used it before, but it is basically a set up that allows guys who can't do very many pull-ups of their body weight to do pull-ups with a selected amount of support to lighten the load. It was nice because even though I wasn't moving my whole weight, I was getting in 3 real sets of pull-ups. Hopefully, my strength and my weight will meet in the middle some day and I won't need an assist, but for now this is great.
My Fitbit tells me I wasn't very active the rest of my day. I'll live with that I guess. I'm sort of tired. I'm also a little bummed that I seem to have stopped swimming and biking since the triathlon. training for the Urbanathlon seems less balanced. It is getting me to do some strength training, so I can't complain too much. I'm hoping to hook back up with my trainer in September and I'm sure she'll get some strength work in too, usually more than I want:)
Nutrition update: I feel like I need to really focus on some weight loss with my diet, but today wasn't really a step in that direction. It's not that I pigged out or anything, I just gave in to one of my all-time favorite treats. Anne brought home frosted molasses cookies and somehow over the course of the day, 3 of them have entered my digestive track. One of the yummiest foods on the planet, but not really made for trimming down my frame. Room for growth I guess.
Just a stretch and strengthen day tomorrow, which is good because my whole day will be dominated with staff meetings as everyone comes back to campus. Enjoy the amazing weather everyone.
On a totally random note, my stat tracking for this blog says I had 28 hits from teh Netherlands yesterday. I wonder what sort of keyword search brough them here
Exercise update: I woke up with a little foot stiffness today which was disconcerting. But I haven't been icing or taking any ibuprofen, so maybe I need to think a little bit prophylactically rather than waiting and reacting to owies.
Anyway it loosened up so I could complete the 30 minutes of cross training my schedule showed. Today I chose to do 30 minutes on a StairMaster, a machine I haven't used much for years. It seems like a good idea with those Soldier Field steps as part of the Urbanathlon. It was a pretty good workout although I didn't get my heart rate real high.
In addition to those 30 minutes, I spent some time working on upper body strength training. Today's new addition was the pull-up machine. I'd never used it before, but it is basically a set up that allows guys who can't do very many pull-ups of their body weight to do pull-ups with a selected amount of support to lighten the load. It was nice because even though I wasn't moving my whole weight, I was getting in 3 real sets of pull-ups. Hopefully, my strength and my weight will meet in the middle some day and I won't need an assist, but for now this is great.
My Fitbit tells me I wasn't very active the rest of my day. I'll live with that I guess. I'm sort of tired. I'm also a little bummed that I seem to have stopped swimming and biking since the triathlon. training for the Urbanathlon seems less balanced. It is getting me to do some strength training, so I can't complain too much. I'm hoping to hook back up with my trainer in September and I'm sure she'll get some strength work in too, usually more than I want:)
Nutrition update: I feel like I need to really focus on some weight loss with my diet, but today wasn't really a step in that direction. It's not that I pigged out or anything, I just gave in to one of my all-time favorite treats. Anne brought home frosted molasses cookies and somehow over the course of the day, 3 of them have entered my digestive track. One of the yummiest foods on the planet, but not really made for trimming down my frame. Room for growth I guess.
Just a stretch and strengthen day tomorrow, which is good because my whole day will be dominated with staff meetings as everyone comes back to campus. Enjoy the amazing weather everyone.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A Very Active Day
Exercise update: I was on my training schedule for a 3 mile run today. I'm proud to day I was up and done with that by 8:30 a.m. Oddly today was the first day in the last several that I woke up with stiffness and soreness in my foot. It's odd because yesterday I didn't do a darn thing exercise wise. Perhaps exercise helps it feel better? Anyway, I ran my 3 with a couple one minute walk breaks thrown in and felt pretty darn good frankly. I think I'll re-confirm my brother in law for Chicago in October and start thinking about places to stay. Hope that didn't jinx my health. This next week should see if I can get past that 5k barrier,which would feel like a big deal.
As my title implies, today was really active. We took a day trip to Whitewater St. Park near St Charles Minnesota and hiked for 90 minutes, hut the beach and just generally enjoyed the day with some friends. My fitbit says I'm over 21,000 steps today which is a high for the week. Just my kind of day really. My wife said that if I can run three miles and three hours later hike the bluffsides for 90 minutes, I should be able to do the Urbanathlon 8 weeks from today. She's right, I just won't do it fast, which is always frustrating but is reality at my age, weight and stage of fitness.
Here's an Urbanathlon video for those who are curious http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fFSQ40sgZA
Nutrition update: No major news on this front. I was proud of passing on Mr. D's donuts when my family stopped on the way out of town, but other than that it was a pretty typical day of good and not so good choices. The great caffeine project continues and I now hope to be soda free by September.
Random Musings: No real insights today other than I like active days with my family. It's fun to watch Hannah hike with three adults and not miss a step. I have no illusions that my kids will be athletes (I left them a little short on DNA for that), but I hope they are active and engaged. It's just so good for you on a number of levels.
Still trying to get my head screwed on abotu Urbanathlon in the sense that just finishing would be a win. It's advice I give to lots of people for lots of races, but my mind has trouble buying it for me. Kinda stupid really...
As my title implies, today was really active. We took a day trip to Whitewater St. Park near St Charles Minnesota and hiked for 90 minutes, hut the beach and just generally enjoyed the day with some friends. My fitbit says I'm over 21,000 steps today which is a high for the week. Just my kind of day really. My wife said that if I can run three miles and three hours later hike the bluffsides for 90 minutes, I should be able to do the Urbanathlon 8 weeks from today. She's right, I just won't do it fast, which is always frustrating but is reality at my age, weight and stage of fitness.
Here's an Urbanathlon video for those who are curious http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fFSQ40sgZA
Nutrition update: No major news on this front. I was proud of passing on Mr. D's donuts when my family stopped on the way out of town, but other than that it was a pretty typical day of good and not so good choices. The great caffeine project continues and I now hope to be soda free by September.
Random Musings: No real insights today other than I like active days with my family. It's fun to watch Hannah hike with three adults and not miss a step. I have no illusions that my kids will be athletes (I left them a little short on DNA for that), but I hope they are active and engaged. It's just so good for you on a number of levels.
Still trying to get my head screwed on abotu Urbanathlon in the sense that just finishing would be a win. It's advice I give to lots of people for lots of races, but my mind has trouble buying it for me. Kinda stupid really...
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Building momentum
Exercise update: This is my third consecutive day with relatively little pain in my foot. I am guardedly optimistic as I was able to run 3 miles on Tuesday and 2+ miles tonight. I think the combo of chiropractic, some rest and new shoes just might work.
As I said I ran two miles tonight and I was supposed to do some strength work as well. I didn't really do much strength work but I made the run more fun by going to Myrick park and Emerson Elementary school and trying out the monkey bars that were so tough just a few days ago. I think I may have freaked out some families there by coming through and not having any kids with me, but I was able to do better on the monkey bars, which is to say I made it over 4-5 of them after just hanging in place last week. Two things were different, I was a little more determined and I wore bicycle gloves to protect my effeminate hands:) I also left quickly before the parents called the police...
Things felt better, but there is a long way to go.
Nutrition news: Today is probably a C+. I've backslid on caffeine, although today was alittle better. More concerining was an impromptu trip through Taco Bell for a mid-day burritoand 800 spare calories. It wasn't even that good, it's the type of choice I can't really explain. Diet is certainly my nemesis, but I'll just keep trying I guess.
Random Musings: The last few days have been close to prefection in terms fo weather. Cool nights, warm sunny days and moderate rain... Better enjoy because it will probably change.
Hope everyone is ready for back to school. I'm not really, but school starts anyway:)
As I said I ran two miles tonight and I was supposed to do some strength work as well. I didn't really do much strength work but I made the run more fun by going to Myrick park and Emerson Elementary school and trying out the monkey bars that were so tough just a few days ago. I think I may have freaked out some families there by coming through and not having any kids with me, but I was able to do better on the monkey bars, which is to say I made it over 4-5 of them after just hanging in place last week. Two things were different, I was a little more determined and I wore bicycle gloves to protect my effeminate hands:) I also left quickly before the parents called the police...
Things felt better, but there is a long way to go.
Nutrition news: Today is probably a C+. I've backslid on caffeine, although today was alittle better. More concerining was an impromptu trip through Taco Bell for a mid-day burritoand 800 spare calories. It wasn't even that good, it's the type of choice I can't really explain. Diet is certainly my nemesis, but I'll just keep trying I guess.
Random Musings: The last few days have been close to prefection in terms fo weather. Cool nights, warm sunny days and moderate rain... Better enjoy because it will probably change.
Hope everyone is ready for back to school. I'm not really, but school starts anyway:)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Moving along
Random stuff: Urbanathlon hopes are a little higher today. I was pain free pretty much today after yesterday's run. Let's hope the streak continues.
Certainly busier at work all of a sudden with classes a week away. Lots of last minute registrants and the majority of the faculty made appearances as well. it's good energy for the most part.
I also had a great visit with the people from ahaprocess about the poverty training I'm doing at Western and how they are going to start working with Higher Ed specifically. I'm very excited to see where that goes and how I might be involved. First time in months I could think of a decent reason to go for that doctorate. Not that I'm planning on it right now.
Anne and I spent the night thinning my wardrobe. For a guy that never buys clothes I had accumulated an interesting collection of out of date and too small items...
Exercise update: I went to the YMCA today and spent 37 minutes on the elliptical and did a little bit of upper body lifting afterward. The best news is my foot didn't hurt. Boy I hope I've turned a corner on that. Tomorrow is run 2 miles and strength training. Maybe I'll grab some gloves and run to some monkey bars.
Nutrition update: By most measures today is a success. No fast food, under 2000 calories and lots of water. the only bad mark is that somehow I drank two bottles of soda today. One regular and one diet. My dark mistresses caffeine and Nutrasweet aren't letting me go easily.
I'll keep the fast food streak going and try to work on the soda habit one day at a time. Spoken like true addict.
Certainly busier at work all of a sudden with classes a week away. Lots of last minute registrants and the majority of the faculty made appearances as well. it's good energy for the most part.
I also had a great visit with the people from ahaprocess about the poverty training I'm doing at Western and how they are going to start working with Higher Ed specifically. I'm very excited to see where that goes and how I might be involved. First time in months I could think of a decent reason to go for that doctorate. Not that I'm planning on it right now.
Anne and I spent the night thinning my wardrobe. For a guy that never buys clothes I had accumulated an interesting collection of out of date and too small items...
Exercise update: I went to the YMCA today and spent 37 minutes on the elliptical and did a little bit of upper body lifting afterward. The best news is my foot didn't hurt. Boy I hope I've turned a corner on that. Tomorrow is run 2 miles and strength training. Maybe I'll grab some gloves and run to some monkey bars.
Nutrition update: By most measures today is a success. No fast food, under 2000 calories and lots of water. the only bad mark is that somehow I drank two bottles of soda today. One regular and one diet. My dark mistresses caffeine and Nutrasweet aren't letting me go easily.
I'll keep the fast food streak going and try to work on the soda habit one day at a time. Spoken like true addict.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The numbers don't lie
Random Musings: It was weigh in day today. My scale at home said 196.7, which is less than the 199.1 I weighed a few weeks ago. My negative mind ascribes it to atrophy:)
I also had a health screening at work today which was a follow up to the same event two years ago so our health plan can watch us decay over time. Combined with my most recent labs of the last few years some interesting patterns appear.
I have weight and height from August '09 and August '11 only.
My height stayed right at a solid 5'8" (good maintenance)
My weight was 194 in '09 and 198 today (my scale at home was lighter due to nudity and dehydration...)
My BMI went from 29.5 to 30.0 making me officially "obese." The whippet thin health educator said my BMI was surprising because I look so normal, but then went on to say that shows you just how heavy people have gotten... I now hate her
My blood pressure clocked in at 139/93 but that seems like an outlier, although certainly worth monitoring.
Here are some other numbers of interest:
Total Cholesterol:
8/07: 214
12/08: 198
8/09:181
1/11: 188
Today:185
Good Cholesterol (HDL):
8/07: 32
12/08: 32
8/09: 35
1/11: 35
Today: 29
Triglycerides:
8/07: 160
12/08: 113
8/09: 88
1/11: 126
Today: 139
LDL Bad Cholesterol:
8/07: 146
12/08: 143
8/09: 128
1/11: 128
Today: 128
Glucose Blood Sugar
12/08: 106 pre diabetic
8/09: 98
8/11: 94
So what did I learn? Mostly this looks like 4 years of being stuck in the same place. My triglycerides and BP are freaking me out a bit, and my overall cholesterol is down (although my lack of HDL is an issue), but basically I'm just treading water. That seems about right and matches my perception of the last 4 years.
I'm due for a physical in January and I think I'll ask for new labs to see if I can get anywhere between now and then. If I change nothing, then nothing changes.
Exercise update: It was really hard to get myself out for a run today. My mind is convinced that my foot isn't getting better and then I went to the trail to run (because it's softer) but there were too many people to change comfortably into my running clothes in the car.
By the the time I'd turned around and gone home, I'd convinced myself that I was too heavy to do running (in part because of the health educator saying few of us are built to run) and that I should just work on biking and weight loss for 6 months to give my body a chance to actually run. I was also telling myself that maybe I didn't have the enthusiasm for a big event for the Urbanathlon and what was the point anyway...
So, all that stuff may be true, but it really shouldn't have had much to do with whether I worked out today (run or not). Long story short I went home and ran for 35 minutes around the neighborhood. It felt ok and I'm icing my foot as we speak. Will I stick with the Urbanathlon...TBD. Will I get my fat ass fitter? It is now my top priority in life.
I ran 35 minutes today and walked my dog for 20 more. It felt ok, although my foot felt warmer and more fatigued than the other one. Maybe it's all in my head? Tomorrow is a cross training day so I think I'll work on some strength stuff and some non-impact cardio.
My fitbit says I'm over 12000 steps today and that's a record so far. At this point, fitbit is a sort of steroid laden pedometer, but I like it. I just need to learn what else it can do.
Nutrition update: My biggest win today was not going out for lunch. My heart said Culvers, but my brain (and a phone call to my wife) said go home and I did. I did indulge in some crap after my testing (weird ritual), but overall a good day.
It would seem the key to fixing my HDL cholesterol is diet, so I'll keep trying to improve. Regualr readers know it is my biggest issue.
Bless you all and I hope to soon be less than obese, whether I Urbanathlon or not...
I also had a health screening at work today which was a follow up to the same event two years ago so our health plan can watch us decay over time. Combined with my most recent labs of the last few years some interesting patterns appear.
I have weight and height from August '09 and August '11 only.
My height stayed right at a solid 5'8" (good maintenance)
My weight was 194 in '09 and 198 today (my scale at home was lighter due to nudity and dehydration...)
My BMI went from 29.5 to 30.0 making me officially "obese." The whippet thin health educator said my BMI was surprising because I look so normal, but then went on to say that shows you just how heavy people have gotten... I now hate her
My blood pressure clocked in at 139/93 but that seems like an outlier, although certainly worth monitoring.
Here are some other numbers of interest:
Total Cholesterol:
8/07: 214
12/08: 198
8/09:181
1/11: 188
Today:185
Good Cholesterol (HDL):
8/07: 32
12/08: 32
8/09: 35
1/11: 35
Today: 29
Triglycerides:
8/07: 160
12/08: 113
8/09: 88
1/11: 126
Today: 139
LDL Bad Cholesterol:
8/07: 146
12/08: 143
8/09: 128
1/11: 128
Today: 128
Glucose Blood Sugar
12/08: 106 pre diabetic
8/09: 98
8/11: 94
So what did I learn? Mostly this looks like 4 years of being stuck in the same place. My triglycerides and BP are freaking me out a bit, and my overall cholesterol is down (although my lack of HDL is an issue), but basically I'm just treading water. That seems about right and matches my perception of the last 4 years.
I'm due for a physical in January and I think I'll ask for new labs to see if I can get anywhere between now and then. If I change nothing, then nothing changes.
Exercise update: It was really hard to get myself out for a run today. My mind is convinced that my foot isn't getting better and then I went to the trail to run (because it's softer) but there were too many people to change comfortably into my running clothes in the car.
By the the time I'd turned around and gone home, I'd convinced myself that I was too heavy to do running (in part because of the health educator saying few of us are built to run) and that I should just work on biking and weight loss for 6 months to give my body a chance to actually run. I was also telling myself that maybe I didn't have the enthusiasm for a big event for the Urbanathlon and what was the point anyway...
So, all that stuff may be true, but it really shouldn't have had much to do with whether I worked out today (run or not). Long story short I went home and ran for 35 minutes around the neighborhood. It felt ok and I'm icing my foot as we speak. Will I stick with the Urbanathlon...TBD. Will I get my fat ass fitter? It is now my top priority in life.
I ran 35 minutes today and walked my dog for 20 more. It felt ok, although my foot felt warmer and more fatigued than the other one. Maybe it's all in my head? Tomorrow is a cross training day so I think I'll work on some strength stuff and some non-impact cardio.
My fitbit says I'm over 12000 steps today and that's a record so far. At this point, fitbit is a sort of steroid laden pedometer, but I like it. I just need to learn what else it can do.
Nutrition update: My biggest win today was not going out for lunch. My heart said Culvers, but my brain (and a phone call to my wife) said go home and I did. I did indulge in some crap after my testing (weird ritual), but overall a good day.
It would seem the key to fixing my HDL cholesterol is diet, so I'll keep trying to improve. Regualr readers know it is my biggest issue.
Bless you all and I hope to soon be less than obese, whether I Urbanathlon or not...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Signs of progress
Random Musings: I do apologize for the long delays in posting. I seem to have fallen apart a little bit since the triathlon in July. Since the tri ended on July 23rd, I let a combination of lost momentum and growing foot trouble kind of knock me out of the box. I ran a couple of times, but mostly stuck with dog walking. In fact, I have not swam a stroke and only biked once since the 23rd of July...
So why would I call today's entry signs of progress? Well there have been a few.
- I got on the scale last Friday and had mysteriously lost 2.5 pounds. I verified it again today and it appears to be real. it makes me wonder if training for an event does really impede weight loss, at least in the short term.
- Between getting off my feet last week and getting some treatment, my feet feel the best they have in weeks. Not perfect, but much better. With some new running shoes, I was able to get back out and run 2+ miles on Saturday and it felt pretty good.
- Starting a path towards the Urbanathlon seems to center me emotionally as well. Which is to say I feel better when I exercise, stunning huh?
Actually that last observation has been the one that floored me the most. I went out for a run Saturday after not doing much of anything for the week. I hadn't realized the level of stress I had been accumulating until I went out and just sweat. It's a sneaky thing. For about 10 days, I had been choosing to have a beer (some days) and lounge in the evening because it seemed recuperative, but in reality I felt fatigued and was starting my brain on the very familiar hamster wheel of looking at 11 different life/career pathways that I'll probably never go down...
Taken individually, they probably all seemed somewhat reasonable, but when looked at as a group, it's just crazy agitated anxiety manifesting itself in my own particularly idiom. Good words huh?
Anyway, I think I'm better now.
Exercise update: As I said above, I took an extended recovery period after the triathlon and to see if my foot would bounce back. Last week, I did elliptical and weights on Monday and then ran on Saturday. The good news is my short run felt pretty good, the bad news is that it was pretty short.
I also decided to try to swing on some monkey bars to prepare for the obstacle in the Urbanathlon. That was not good. I am definitely going to have to improve upper body strength between now and then and it is two months from today. I also tried to do some pull-ups but was only able to do a pull-up, singular. There is certainly room for improvement.
I also purchased a new fitness tracker at www.fitbit.com. It's kind of cool, it tracks and syncs my activity with my own website and compares me to my peers. It kind of appeals to the competitor in me and I hope it helps unlock the key to getting my weight under control.
Nutrition update: As I said earlier, I appear to finally be losing some weight. I am now tracking food on the fitbit site and we will see how that goes. I'm working on my caffeine habit and I'm getting close to being off it. I backslid a little bit last week when I returned to work, but I'm down to 1-2 cans a day right now and should be clear by the end of the month. I'm drinking regular soda, so I'm more accountable for the calories. It also cuts down on my Nutrasweet and I wonder if that is connected with the unexpected weight loss?
Tomorrow I have a health screening at work for our insurance plan and should get more numbers to monitor. I'm curious about Blood pressure and Blood sugar as both have been issues in the past. I'll post more when I know more.
So why would I call today's entry signs of progress? Well there have been a few.
- I got on the scale last Friday and had mysteriously lost 2.5 pounds. I verified it again today and it appears to be real. it makes me wonder if training for an event does really impede weight loss, at least in the short term.
- Between getting off my feet last week and getting some treatment, my feet feel the best they have in weeks. Not perfect, but much better. With some new running shoes, I was able to get back out and run 2+ miles on Saturday and it felt pretty good.
- Starting a path towards the Urbanathlon seems to center me emotionally as well. Which is to say I feel better when I exercise, stunning huh?
Actually that last observation has been the one that floored me the most. I went out for a run Saturday after not doing much of anything for the week. I hadn't realized the level of stress I had been accumulating until I went out and just sweat. It's a sneaky thing. For about 10 days, I had been choosing to have a beer (some days) and lounge in the evening because it seemed recuperative, but in reality I felt fatigued and was starting my brain on the very familiar hamster wheel of looking at 11 different life/career pathways that I'll probably never go down...
Taken individually, they probably all seemed somewhat reasonable, but when looked at as a group, it's just crazy agitated anxiety manifesting itself in my own particularly idiom. Good words huh?
Anyway, I think I'm better now.
Exercise update: As I said above, I took an extended recovery period after the triathlon and to see if my foot would bounce back. Last week, I did elliptical and weights on Monday and then ran on Saturday. The good news is my short run felt pretty good, the bad news is that it was pretty short.
I also decided to try to swing on some monkey bars to prepare for the obstacle in the Urbanathlon. That was not good. I am definitely going to have to improve upper body strength between now and then and it is two months from today. I also tried to do some pull-ups but was only able to do a pull-up, singular. There is certainly room for improvement.
I also purchased a new fitness tracker at www.fitbit.com. It's kind of cool, it tracks and syncs my activity with my own website and compares me to my peers. It kind of appeals to the competitor in me and I hope it helps unlock the key to getting my weight under control.
Nutrition update: As I said earlier, I appear to finally be losing some weight. I am now tracking food on the fitbit site and we will see how that goes. I'm working on my caffeine habit and I'm getting close to being off it. I backslid a little bit last week when I returned to work, but I'm down to 1-2 cans a day right now and should be clear by the end of the month. I'm drinking regular soda, so I'm more accountable for the calories. It also cuts down on my Nutrasweet and I wonder if that is connected with the unexpected weight loss?
Tomorrow I have a health screening at work for our insurance plan and should get more numbers to monitor. I'm curious about Blood pressure and Blood sugar as both have been issues in the past. I'll post more when I know more.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
And so it begins...again
I was tryingto think of something deep to post after falling apart post triathlon, but my first ever post captured it fine, so posted my first "best of"
I'm tired... I mean I am lots of things, but mostly I am tired. I'm tired of not sleeping very well. I'm tired of taking my kids to the pool in the summer and not feeling comfortable with my shirt off. I'm tired of my start/stop approach to fitness which has led to a 10 year accumulation of flab around the middle. I'm tired of of being schlubby and schlumpy and feeling a slide into a nondescript middle age.
So, in order to violate the rules of insanity (same action/same results etc.), I'm going to try to do things differently. I'm going to Blog and share whatever happens. I'm going to start with a goal of updating this daily to tell you what I did or didn't do to work towards my goals. Maybe that will be the answer to breaking the pattern of get fit and then get unfit, get fit (but not as fit as before), get even more unfit and so on.
I have some very clear goals.
I want to take the kids to the pool and feel like somebody might look and say, "hey for 40 that dude is in shape", I want to go on trampolines with my daughter at Riverfest, but I have to get under the weight limit... I also want to complete the Urbanathlon October 15th, and I want this project to complete with an Olympic Distance triathlon, which is something I've never done before. I also hope I end the summer with a new take on my middle years, one with a bit more enthusiasm. We'll see how it goes. I just want a new point of view on existence, is that too much to ask?
If anyone ever reads this, thank you for taking the time. It's the beginning of a great adventure.
I'm tired... I mean I am lots of things, but mostly I am tired. I'm tired of not sleeping very well. I'm tired of taking my kids to the pool in the summer and not feeling comfortable with my shirt off. I'm tired of my start/stop approach to fitness which has led to a 10 year accumulation of flab around the middle. I'm tired of of being schlubby and schlumpy and feeling a slide into a nondescript middle age.
So, in order to violate the rules of insanity (same action/same results etc.), I'm going to try to do things differently. I'm going to Blog and share whatever happens. I'm going to start with a goal of updating this daily to tell you what I did or didn't do to work towards my goals. Maybe that will be the answer to breaking the pattern of get fit and then get unfit, get fit (but not as fit as before), get even more unfit and so on.
I have some very clear goals.
I want to take the kids to the pool and feel like somebody might look and say, "hey for 40 that dude is in shape", I want to go on trampolines with my daughter at Riverfest, but I have to get under the weight limit... I also want to complete the Urbanathlon October 15th, and I want this project to complete with an Olympic Distance triathlon, which is something I've never done before. I also hope I end the summer with a new take on my middle years, one with a bit more enthusiasm. We'll see how it goes. I just want a new point of view on existence, is that too much to ask?
If anyone ever reads this, thank you for taking the time. It's the beginning of a great adventure.
Monday, August 8, 2011
briefly
Exercise update: I went to the YMCA today and did 32 minutes on the elliptical machine. I followed that up with 10-15 minutes of upper body weights on the cybex machines. Tomorrow I'm starting a 10 week 15K program I found on the Internet to get ready for the October 15th Urbanathlon. it leaves lots of time for cross training so I can make sure I get the stregth training and interval work I'll need to complete the obstacles. My foot continues to be a challenge, but I got some teatment today and we'll see how it goes. It felt good right after but is pretty sore right now. Tomorrow I'm scheduled for a 2 mile run.
Nutrition update: I tracked everything today so far on myfooddiary.com and I think I'm doing ok. I sent away for a Fitbit to use as a tracker of activity and food when it arrives. it will sync with my computer automatically, it looks pretty cool. it's supposed to measure movement and activity all day (although not biking or swimming, you enter those yourself) and even monitor the quality of your sleep. I hope it works like it appears to.
Random stuff: I went back to work today after a week of vacation. It's always a bit disorienting at first, but I'm glad to say my attitude was better. I'm trying to not take it all so seriously and just try to do a little good for people while providing for my family.
Big election day tomorrow. I'm voting Shilling and I hope everyone else who can does...
Nutrition update: I tracked everything today so far on myfooddiary.com and I think I'm doing ok. I sent away for a Fitbit to use as a tracker of activity and food when it arrives. it will sync with my computer automatically, it looks pretty cool. it's supposed to measure movement and activity all day (although not biking or swimming, you enter those yourself) and even monitor the quality of your sleep. I hope it works like it appears to.
Random stuff: I went back to work today after a week of vacation. It's always a bit disorienting at first, but I'm glad to say my attitude was better. I'm trying to not take it all so seriously and just try to do a little good for people while providing for my family.
Big election day tomorrow. I'm voting Shilling and I hope everyone else who can does...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Back in the saddle post vacation
Random Musings: I've been on vacation all week and apparently that means I took a vacation from blogging as well. I am such a creature of habit that once I stopped blogging daily, I pretty much stopped blogging. I'm hoping to get back to it with more frequency starting right now.
We didn't do a big cross country trip for vacation this year as we have the last couple years. Between an anniversary (10 1/2 years, 11 in a couple weeks) trip to Vegas, a piano purchase for our aspiring rock star son, and a week to Camp Ehawee for my daughter, we thought we'd be more budget conscious this year. So, I took a week off from work and we spent the middle 3 days in Wisconsin Dells. We had a great time.
I had a plan of staying in a non waterpark hotel so that we would go out and do the touristy things we never do on our trips to the Dells. I have fond memories of a similar trip with my Mom when I was a kid, so I thought why not? We stayed in a 2 room cottage at the Black Hawk Motel, which turned out to be pretty nice actually. My kids are not real daredevils , so the regular pool was a treat for them and we had an in room jacuzzi, which my son enjoyed repeatedly (in the nude btw, which he thought was awesome. I fear for the future). I'm not sure what audience the Black Hawk was shooting for with the cottage... It had a queen bed in one room and two queens in another, so it was family friendly, but in addition, it had mirrors on the ceiling and surrounding the hot tub, which would suggest a somewhat different intentionality...
Oh well, it worked for us and we'd stay there again and it was reasonably priced for a two room cottage. If we were more budget conscious even, we could have had even cheaper room in the clean and nice, but dated, motel section. We used the motel as home base to go to several Dells tourist attractions, including Wizard Quest, jet boat adventures (see before pic above), and the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory. We also took a trip on the Ducks and enjoyed each of our little tourist adventures. The trip was exactly what I had hoped for. I even managed to go running on the middle day, which I can talk more about in a bit. We topped off vacation week with a day trip from home on Friday to Lark Toys in Kellogg MN, a neat place for anyone with kids or grandkids. And now we are home, tired and happy and putting our yard back in order and trying to find the rhythm of home life again. I am due back at work on Monday and it will get real busy real fast with school starting on the 22nd and all the preparation that goes into being ready.
Vacation is always needed to me and this one was timely. It reconnected me with the people I care most about and reminded me that children's point of view is sadly lost on us as we grow older and we think we grow wiser.
Exercise update: I am bummed to say that I have partially done exactly what I hoped I wouldn't. I did the triathlon on July 23rd and haven't been working out regularly since. The tri was 2 weeks ago today and my "work outs" have been one bike ride the Monday after, a 20 minute run last Monday and a 30 minute run on Wednesday in the Dells. I might be forgetting one other short run, but I can't remember, so if it exists it must not have been much. My other exercise has been walking the dog, yardwork and my pretty active vacation time.
My plan had been to not treat the tri as an ending but rather as a through point on the way to the next goal, but... well it's obvious I didn't do that. Today is 10 weeks until the Urbanathlon and I can run about 30 minutes comfortably (I'm comfortable during I mean), so I have a ways to go.
The other major issue getting in the way is continued trouble with my foot. Maybe it was the pool time in the Dells or just a lot of time on my feet, but by Friday my foot was pretty miserable. In fact Friday frightened me because I felt weakness in my right leg in the middle of the day which seemed associated with clenching my foot all the time to protect it. It seemed to get better with a couple Advil and some time off my feet. It was much less stiff this a.m., so I'm going to try to give it more rest and ice and Advil for a couple days and see where we are at. I'll probably try to get to the Chiro as well on Monday or Wednesday. I must admit, I was pretty depressed about it yesterday and thought maybe the Urbanathlon was going to be out of reach, but I'm not ready to give up on that yet. I'll focus on what I can do and on healing. Even if that means I don't run until next Saturday, I have 9 weeks to get ready and I can work on strength and other cardio in the meantime.
The foot thing is weird. It goes up and down with soreness, but on Wednesday I decided to run anyway and it feels like it warms up and feels ok running. However, I feel like the next day it's much worse and it worries me that I'm setting myself back. Part of me says just train and trust that running feels ok, part of me worries that I'm making the situation worse, and part of me thinks, I'm 41 and have a crappy arthritic foot that will be an issue from now on...
See, I can even be neurotic about foot pain. I suppose I can still play the MRI card or maybe massage therapy.
Nutrition update: I haven't been using the food tracker again until today. I tried not to go too crazy on vacation, but with all the restaurant food, I'm sure I didn't do great. I'm tracking again today and I will get back on the scale tomorrow and go from there. I'll be stunned if I haven't gained a pound or two frankly.
It feels like a good springboard time for my nutrition because my wife and kids are talking about healthier eating as well, so we can support each other.
As any of you know, I have been beyond frustrated with my lack of weight loss during this project but I am pleased with some dietary growth. I am drinking little or no soda most days and feel on my way to getting that monkey off my back as well. I did much better with this on vacation than expected, so I should be able to build on that even as school year stress sets in. I'm also using fruit as a snack option more often, now to add those salads...
More reports to come (shorter I promise) as I get back in the habit of being accountable to the cyber world from my fitness and nutrition goals and apparently share other random thoughts that people occasionally find interesting or relevant. Or maybe you just feel better because I'm way more messed up than you are and that builds your confidence:)
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