tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16549122692438715132024-03-08T05:03:19.815-06:00I Am Not Going To Run...I am not going to run the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon in under four hours. Not a chance. But I am going to try to change my diet and exercise more, lose some weight, and live longer. Check the <a href="http://notgoingtorun.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-am-not-going-to-run-2009-twin-cities.html">first post</a> for details.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-56061878887901831642010-06-30T14:04:00.003-05:002010-06-30T14:15:12.229-05:00Yesterday's ChallengeI signed up for this year's triathlon to give me a goal and a concrete reason to eat right and exercise. (Beyond the maddeningly nebulous "You'll feel better and live longer.") Assuming all goes well and I complete it I will be able to accurately say, "I do triathlons." Present tense and plural, see? Something I never got to with the single, measly marathon I ran. "I ran a marathon." Yeah, well. Is it still 1996? No, it is not.<br /><br />So yesterday I biked about 13 miles, the distance of the bike leg of the triathlon I have currently only done once, then immediately ran a little under two miles. I felt the feeling of rubbery, almost missing legs that I remember experiencing for the first time at last year's triathlon. This run-bike combo is something I intend to do a few more times so I get used to it. Got plenty of sleep last night and am feeling good today, so I feel like I got back on track after four days with no exercise.<br /><br />The tough thing will be the swim, as I no longer belong to a club and don't have access to a place to practice swimming. But that's so ingrained from junior high swim team that I'm sure I'll be at least middle of the pack.<br /><br />Time to beat: 1:41:57. After yesterday's workout and against my superstitious nature, I'm calling it right now: I WILL beat that time.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-90163996722058274662009-11-05T12:20:00.002-06:002009-11-05T12:44:02.156-06:00The Ten Percent ChallengeSometime last year I was talking with my friend Chazz Vader and he said that some people in his family had decided on a ten percent weight loss challenge. They were going to try to lose ten percent of their weight to get healthier. I was somewhere between 210 and 215 at the time and I thought that was pretty much out of the question for me.<br /><br />Fast forward to now. This morning I was actually at 188, down more than ten percent from 210. How did I do it? During the summer I exercised; running, biking, swimming, and competing in a triathlon. That was pretty easy, as I enjoy getting out to exercise once in a while.<br /><br />More recently I did something far more difficult. I stopped overeating and stopped eating junk food. Mostly. This was partly possible for me because I am reading the book <a href="https://catalog.hclib.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12574N611UG61.26779&profile=elibrary&uri=link=3100018~!1272037~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab13&menu=search&ri=1&source=~!horizon&term=The+end+of+overeating+%3A+taking+control+of+the+insatiable+American+appetite+%2F&index=UTL">The End Of Overeating</a>. The book is very scientific, but I can sum it up, or at least what I've taken away from it so far, fairly briefly.<br /><br />In the last thirty years food has become "hyperpalatable". In other words, it tastes better, combining sugar, fat, and salt in ever more creative ways. This heavily processed food has become easier to eat, requiring less chewing than any naturally occurring foods. This interacts with our body's reward systems in such a way that we can eat a lot of food without hardly even noticing it.<br /><br />The takeaway for me is sort of a Buddhist thing. I can experience desire for food and then pinpoint the sources and reasons for that desire without actually having to fulfill the desire by eating. When I sit down at a restaurant, especially if someone else is paying, and I haven't eaten for a while, I am tempted to order, for example, Chicken Wings, Diet Coke, Burger, Fries. In the past, I have done this and by the end of the meal I've eaten a lot of hyperpalatable food - far more than it would have taken to end my hunger. I've often felt bloated and slow.<br /><br /><b>How Does That Play Out In Real Life?</b><br /><br />Recently I went to a chain restaurant that serves exactly the brand of hyperpalatable, huge portion food that the book The End Of Overeating speaks of. Everything is cheesy, saucy, fried twice, and the portion served is way, way more than a person needs to eat. Plus, free chips and salsa! What did I do?<br /><br />I didn't have ANY chips or salsa. I ordered a relatively modest burrito (It was the smallest meal at the table) and ate it. I drank water instead of pop or beer. I ate slowly enough that the parts of my body that register satisfaction would have time to do so before I had eaten more food than I needed. I didn't finish everyone else's leftover food. I let them throw it away or take it home. It seems so simple when I spell it out like this, but it was pretty much a completely new approach to food for me.<br /><br />It was as though I could see more clearly than I'd ever seen before. All the cues for me to overeat were there and I could see them and appreciate them instead of thoughtlessly responding to them. In that sense it was very Buddhist as I understand that devotion.<br /><br /><b>A Superflous Headline To Further Break Up This Long Post</b><br /><br />On an average day I drink no soda, no caffeiene, and no alcohol. I probably eat about ten percent less than I used to. We'll see what the holidays do to all this, but I feel great so far. I feel more agile and less sluggish. It's hard to believe I actually lost ten percent, but there it is.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-9379614646609088062009-08-03T20:21:00.002-05:002009-08-03T20:37:02.439-05:00Relax Your Face! Relax Your Face!Here are the details of a first time triathlete. This is the extended mix. There is no single edit. Endure.<br /><br />I was up around 5 a.m. and decided that all the sleep I'd gotten the previous two nights had left me perfectly ready to get up just that early. I did my five back/legs Yoga exercises. I got all my stuff ready and went down for breakfast. Dad made me four scrambled eggs, toast, and soy bacon. I had a third of a cup of regular coffee, as recommended by the book I read. Perfect. I was awake and fueled.<br /><br />We put the bike on the back of the car and my support team and I went to Cleary Lake. We parked in a far grassy field. I was very nervous, unsure whether my preparations and training would be enough. I felt reassured when I entered the "transition area" and everyone seemed friendly and it was plenty spacious.<br /><br />Dad acted perfectly as my valet, holding whatever I didn't need at that moment and walking back to the car for a towel when I realized that would be helpful in the first transition. (After swimming that is. Seems like an easy one but it hadn't occurred to me.) We sorted through the stuff in the bag I was given after we found the registration area. It was mostly freebies and ads, but I got the race number and ankle strap with an electronic timing chip. I got my number (280) written on my arm, hand, and leg in magic marker at the area where that was going on.<br /><br />We went back to the transition area and I set up my bike, helmet, and jersey. I asked a volunteer if I needed to wear my number in the water. He asked someone else to make sure and it turns out I did not. I attached the number to my new jersey and left it by Dad's bike. (Right this second I'm listening to iTunes on shuffle and Neil Diamond's "Headed For The Future" is not, technically, a very good song. Or is it? Good Lord it is something. It is definitely headed somewhere, seemingly straight for the excesses of mid 80s synthetic pop. I might call these excesses "wretched" if I were a self-aggrandizing rock critic who made his own tree seem taller by cutting down other peoples' (ahem, Greil Marcus!) but I am not and I actually kind of like them and see the logic behind them.) <br /><br />Anyway, I headed down to the beach in my triathlon shorts, feeling very exposed and chilly. I had my goggles and yellow swim cap, which color identified me as a 35-39 year old man to swim in the fourth heat at 8:09 a.m. I waded into the water and put my cap on. I put my goggles on and the band snapped. I crudely tied it to the frame of the actual eyepiece. The first three heats took off to the "Ready...(gunshot)" and my heat was called. Ready...BANG!<br /><br />I can't describe how very, very strange it was to try to swim fast in a straight line with only dark brown water below, a wavy surface, and bodies crashing all around me. Seaweed brushed my face and my skin over and over. I was glad I'd practiced breathing straight ahead to find my way. I was glad I'd read some books that told me it would be weird. I felt a slight urge to panic, but easily calmed it with some rhythmic, strong swimming and mental discipline.<br /><br />I found that I was one of the faster swimmers in my heat, which was a surprise. I kept crashing into people's feet until I just went ahead and passed them without worrying about them catching back up with me and/or feeling put upon. It's a race after all. I think I was well within etiquette and no one passed me. I was pleasantly surprised by how fast a quarter mile goes by when you don't have to do a flip turn every twenty-two and a half yards.<br /><br />I ran happily out of the water, stripping off my cap and goggles and waving to my parents. My dad wore a Memphis, TN t-shirt and shouted, "Go Memphis!" I understood later that he'd worn that t-shirt on purpose and was excited about it. Typical supportiveness from both my parents throughout this whole enterprise. They told me later I was third or fourth out of the water in my heat.<br /><br />I got to the transition area, dropped my cap and goggles, dried off a bit, and put my jersey, socks and shoes, and helmet on. I walked the bike out of the transition area then hopped on that particular bicycle for the first time ever. My mom took some pictures as I rode off towards the park entrance.<br /><br />The bike ride was long and I had similar decisions to make about who I would actually be faster than and who might be mad that I passed them. It was a whole heck of a lot more spread out, though, and I got over it. Never had an unpleasant encounter. All were friendly and there was plenty of "on your left" and "coming up on your right" and so forth. The long country roads were all very hilly and I felt very sensitive to variations in grade. I tried to keep a steady rhythm using whatever gear would facilitate that. It was tough and about twice as many people passed me as I passed.<br /><br />If there was one thing I would do differently (and there is) it would be to have a hydration system installed on the bike. Guys were whipping by me with fantastic combinations of handlebars that allowed them to lean forward and straws that allowed them to drink at will and easily. I am pretty sure I got dehydrated. Early on in the bike part I ate a Vanilla Bean goo tube, which mostly seemed to make me thirsty. I was very glad to turn back west and then north. I was even happier when a woman yelled that I'd passed the nine mile point. I got back into the park and one of the almost finished runners (with whom bikers briefly shared a path) yelled some encouragement like "Keep going strong, Buddy!" and I felt good.<br /><br />I came in towards the transition area and my folks cheered for me. I hung my bike back up and started the run. My legs felt like I was still on the bike. They weren't in pain but were nevertheless crying out to just stop for a second and get their bearings. I did not do this. I was too eager to reach that water station at the first mile. I felt that if I stopped I was not sure I would start again. My legs felt very, very strange. It was something completely new, which one doesn't necessarily get every day.<br /><br />I felt like I'd never get to the first water station. A young woman was a little ways ahead of me and I kind of paced myself by her for a while. That or I kept my head straight down looking only at the ground directly in front of me. I couldn't bear to think about how much distance I had left to cover, even though (unlike the marathon in 1996) I was absolutely not in pain. To sum it up, I was dehydrated and my legs felt weird.<br /><br />I'll always be grateful to the woman who shouted at me shortly after that first mile of the run (at which I got two cups of water). She said, "Relax your face! Relax your face!" and made appropriate hand gestures regarding which direction the muscles in my face might go if I relaxed them. It is very good advice and it's amazing how different a run feels when you're not grimacing and squinting. I relaxed my face, my shoulders, and felt ten times better. Plus I'd finally drunk some water. I started pushing it a little when I got to the spot on the path that said 4K. I didn't want to leave any energy unused.<br /><br />I was wondering how much time had gone by the whole time and there were no indications of that anywhere. I was very pleased when I ran in and saw that I was under two hours. I was hoping to finish under three hours. I turned in my timing chip, they read something that sounded kind of like my name, and I got my finisher's medal. I walked quite a ways off into the picnic area by myself to cool down. I was very happy and not in pain. My training and preparation were adequate, my support team was outstanding, and everything about the race exceeded my expectations.<br /><br />My parents hugged me and said how proud they were. We got some free fruit and drinks. I ate a packet of Organic Energy Chews my dad had kept in his shirt pocket for me. After a while I ate the protein bar I'd put there as well. He had a hot dog and we had gatorade and water, all sitting at a picnic table talking about the race. We sat there for a while then stood near the presentation area near the finish line and watched the drawing winners get their sweatshirts and the race winners get their trophies. My parents noted that if either of them had entered and finished it they would have won their gender/age group as the sole entrant.<br /><br />So, hey, what were my results? I was 170th out of about 300 overall, 28th out of 32 men aged 35-39, with a time of 1:41:57. It was great and I intend to do it again.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-30380985518301764142009-06-27T12:11:00.002-05:002009-06-29T19:12:15.258-05:00Eeee-Yyyyeeeeaaaaaaaah!I just had a great, great ride along the Willard Munger trail. The bar where we're playing tonight and last night put us up at the <a href="http://www.mungerinn.com/">Willard Munger Inn</a>, which I can't recommend highly enough for cycling enthusiasts. The proprietor was very friendly and communicated well. (Her expectations about us as a rock band were hilariously off the mark. "We're not that kind of band." said Justin when she respectfully asked us to not party loudly late into the night. Ha ha ha.) Anyway, they offer free bicycle rentals for guests, which I noted beforehand so brought my new shorts and old helmet.<br /><br />The ride seemed really tough on the way out and I was somewhat out of breath, but partly because I was singing when it occurred to me to do so. I find that singing while I bike takes the place of the iPod I use when I run. There was not a soul in sight for most of the ride. I went out a little over seven miles according to the markers.<br /><br />On the way back it seemed much, much easier and I think it was downhill. I believe I was literally on a mountain and I certainly was on one figuratively and mentally. Gorgeous views, light rain. And about a mile away from the hotel (The trail begins twenty yards from my room's patio) I stopped when a deer was in the path ahead of me. I stared at her for a while without moving and let her decide to run away on her own. It capped a magical ride through bluffs, forest, hills, and panoramic views near Duluth.<br /><br />I have now accomplished each part of the triathlon. I have yet to put it all together but I have a little over a month left. I feel good.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-4790140888041771812009-06-15T17:09:00.003-05:002009-06-15T17:28:32.620-05:00Brief Ride, Long RunI rode my 15 year old Trek bike to Erik's Bike Shop this morning as soon as they opened and dropped it off for a tune up. I asked the guy if there was someone in the store who could offer me advice on triathlons.<br /><br />"Like what?"<br />"Well, like, I don't even know what the order is. What comes first?"<br />"It's swim, bike, run."<br />"Swim, bike, run. Okay."<br />"That guy over there, James, he's more our triathlon guy."<br /><br />But James was with one of those customers who looks like they're lonely and just wants to talk and so has commandeered someone in retail whose job it is to be nice. (How do I recognize such a person? It's easy once you've been a bank teller, believe me.) So I left and ran home as I'd planned. But at least now I know that. Swim, bike, run. Got it.<br /><br />Also, I noticed that "triathlon" has only one total "a".<br /><br />Listened to David Bowie's "Stage" album while running and it was great. I know you can't listen while in an official race but I love to when I'm not officially racing. Here's a representative quote from that album:<br /><br />DON'T LOOK AT THE CAR- PET<br /><br />I DREW SOME- THING AWFULONIT<br /><br />I love that line and the way it is delivered. "Low", which has the original studio version of "Breaking Glass", the song referenced here ("Stage" is a live album), is the album of the month at our house and I like it more every time I listen. And we listen a lot. Side B, which is largely instrumental, can turn my seemingly normal suburban neighborhood into a mysterious cypher spilling over with silent secrets as I run through it. Angelo Badalamenti, who scored Twin Peaks, obviously listened to the album a few hundred times.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-13841338145964552762009-06-13T23:55:00.003-05:002009-06-15T17:19:21.736-05:00Good WeekFor the first time in a long time I ran three times this week. Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. Plus I did yoga a few times to stretch and strengthen my legs and back. I got my bicycle out of the garage and reinstalled the front tire and inflated both tires. I'm going to take it to the shop for a tune up. I need to plan my training so I don't end up a wreck like I was after the marathon in '96. That's going to take some time and I will probably use some online tools at active.com but basically I am starting to feel like I will be ready to do the triathalon. Sweet!Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-39783442518338681402009-06-10T16:02:00.003-05:002009-06-15T17:19:44.139-05:00I AM Going To Run, Bike, and SwimI have signed up for a triathalon. My knee has been feeling good and yesterday I stretched out a little bit for my longest run of the year with no discernable problems. I've been doing some yoga and that feels good. A 13 mile bike ride, 5K run, and 1/4 of a mile swim might be just the thing. Well, it better be because it was almost 60 bucks with the b.w.c. fee. (bank insider's term meaning "because we can") Sweet!<br /><br />Anybody know a good bike repair shop?Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-79504706759374396072009-04-30T14:51:00.004-05:002009-04-30T14:59:12.507-05:00More Pool MadnessSo I took the whole family to the pool. We're swimming around, the kids are making friends with other kids, we're talking to a fellow parent, and the whole right side of my swimsuit just tears itself to shreds. Yeah, it's old. Yeah, it's been decimated by the chlorine content of and frequent use in the LifeTime pool. Yeah, I have to stick the pin through it to hold my key while I swim and avoid the $40 lost key fee. But as Gob Bluth might say, Come On!<br /><br />I sort of pinned it together with the key and held it together for the mercifully short walk to one of the family changing rooms. And thankfully, while I am not a nevernude, I keep underpants on under the suit and its liner, which didn't tear at all. It was merely awkward, not illegal.<br /><br />So I had a reduced workout this week of elliptical and weights and no swimming while I wait until I'm back at my weekly Target visit to exchange the swimsuit I bought to replace it with the next size up.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-44969267635633235202009-03-31T14:22:00.013-05:002009-03-31T15:00:24.766-05:00Ziggy Played GuitarI have found my perfect workout album. It is the 1990 Rykodisc reissue of David Bowie's 1972 masterpiece <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ziggy-Stardust-David-Bowie/dp/B0000009NI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1238528366&sr=8-1">Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars</a>. It rocks, it's emotional, it's energetic, it's catchy, it's the right length, I don't have to turn my iPod up and down to hear the whole thing clearly, and it's very familiar to me. Last night I listened to the whole thing (including the five bonus tracks, which are everything that bonus tracks should be - two songs that were released at the same time in a different format, one alternate mix of another such song, and two revealing, high quality demos of key album tracks - it's a total mystery why the two labels that have released this music yet again since 1990 did not include these perfectly selected bonus tracks. Anyway...)<br /><br />while I did 35 minutes of elliptical and five upper body strength exercises recommended by my coach. Then I did another 20 minutes of elliptical, cooling down with the bonus tracks from disc two of the 2006 reissue of Kristy MacColl's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Titanic-Days-Kirsty-MacColl/dp/B0007VUEW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1238528867&sr=1-1">Titanic Days</a>. By then it was somewhat late and after 600 calories of elliptical fat burn I had the pool to myself, racing through my 15 laps.<br /><br />Some of you have heard the story of what happened the last time I attempted to be even moderately friendly with a stranger who spoke to me at the pool. Well, another such circumstance occurred last week. I was relaxing a bit, down to my final length of the pool. The woman in the lane next to me asked me how I could stand to swim in the water. Then she noticed I was only temporarily without goggles, having momentarily tossed them to the deck in exhaustion. I said that it was indeed really tough and that the first time I tried it without goggles and I could hardly see the next day (true). Then it occurred to me to offer her my goggles. I've never been thrilled with them and she didn't have any. I thought it would be a Christ like thing to do. But, based on my previous experience (ask me if you haven't heard) I simply put them back on my head, swam my final length, and went to the locker room without another word.<br /><br />Fast forward to last night. I see the pool is uncluttered, shower to appear polite, then go to put my goggles on and SNAP! Broken band. I got them tied together awkwardly so I could at least swim right away but I kind of wished I had given them away after all! I can't win.<br /><br />(Incidentally, if purchasing the above albums, it'd be a good idea to confirm exactly what edition you're getting beforehand with the seller you select. I almost bought an old version of TD without the second disc from a seller who wasn't paying enough attention to exactly which pages he was using to offer his wares.)Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-13697472945030523982009-02-23T16:27:00.004-06:002009-02-23T16:41:01.115-06:00New ThingI'd plateaued. I was bored. At the advice of my new coach I've added some strength conditioning to the workout to break through a plateau. Bride is my coach for this, having extensive experience in this area dating back to the early 90s. So far I have learned that in addition to my near certain inability to run the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon I am also not particularly strong. But this is good. I can build from here.<br /><br />I took January off completely figuring the club would be all full of resolutionaries. I've gone only twice in February but am trying to get back into an at least once a week kind of groove. That's where it's at.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-37715756446277965622009-01-15T12:33:00.001-06:002009-01-15T12:36:27.751-06:00LayoffWell, I haven't been going to the club because I am guessing the club would be miserable what with all the New Years Resolution crowd clogging it up and hogging everything. But I will go sometime before the end of the month and I am armed with a new workout designed by Bride to get me past the 200 pound plateau I seemed to have hit.<br /><br />I say "seemed" because I was at 196 this morning. Pretty cool. I feel good. I think it might be all the shoveling, plus good sleep and healthy, reasonable eating.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-47233569202283200282008-12-09T14:12:00.003-06:002008-12-09T15:04:35.008-06:00Pool of Tears, Bag of ChipsI skipped yoga this week because I was having too much fun with my kids, my shoulder hurts a little, and it was really snowing and I was going to either miss the beginning and/or have a way too small space in the crowded class, probably near a wall, door, closet, office, etc. Been there. No fun.<br /><br />I went much later and did 45 minutes of elliptical. Because I was late and well after the after work crowd, I got the most desirable elliptical machine - the one where a giant support column blocks the view of tv showing Fox News. Ah. Listened to the last four tracks of Moody Blues Anthology disc two, with which I am less familiar than some of their other work, then most of Tropical Brainstorm by Kirsty MacColl, always a favorite.<br /><br />Hit the pool, thinking I'd be the only one there, but no. A man was there with his young daughter. She was probably seven or so. As it was about ten at night my first thought was somewhat judgmental - "why isn't she in bed?" But in between sets of swim team memory inspired assignments to myself (I can hear coach Blackburn saying, "200 IM on the top!" - which means down and back one time each with fly, back, breast, free when the second hand reaches 60), I caught the sounds of them playing and looked over once in a while.<br /><br />He was being so kind to her, they were having so much fun, and she so obviously loved him and reveled in his attention that it brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to say something like, "God bless you for being so kind and spending your time with your family," or "This time you're giving her now is going to pay off a thousandfold, brother," or "You and the people like you are the people who are really making a difference in the world, my fellow father."<br /><br />I really thought about actually doing it. But of course I didn't. Who am I, Mr. Rogers? Would it have been appropriate and affirming or just awkward? Knowing myself, most likely the latter. But here's to you, unnamed man. Salud.<br /><br />---------------------------------<br /><br />There is about a quarter of a bag of guacamole chips in the pantry at my house. It has been there since before I started going to the gym. I do not eat it. Why not? Because I am in the habit of not eating it.<br /><br />I like guacamole chips. They're probably my favorite chip in the chip family if such a thing exists. And I certainly do get hungry after dinner, especially if I'm going to watch a DVD with Bride. However, it has now become a habit to go look at the bag, think about the green chalky fingers that would result, and then not eat anything. It's like insurance against late night eating. Weird, but it works.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-74799955990370736632008-12-04T12:04:00.005-06:002008-12-04T12:06:54.847-06:00200It's just a number in our arbitrary system of measuring things's masses as they interact with Earth's gravity, but I am at it as of this morning. Very exciting. I feel lighter. I remember talking to Chazz when I was interacting with Earth's gravity more to the tune of 210-215 and him saying we should both lose 10%. I thought that was kind of nuts, but now...maybe. 190? Could happen. What would it be like? Would I like it more or less? Maybe I'll find out if I stay on this healthy path.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-68651574814230941032008-11-18T09:09:00.003-06:002008-11-18T09:17:20.948-06:00Yo-GUH! Yo-GUH!That is how I prefer to spell it for my own reasons. Another great workout last night with Yoguh, elliptical, and pool. Weight 203 this morning. That got as high as 215 this year, so that's pretty good. I'm feeling good.<br /><br />Oh, also the 15 actual rare tracks from R.E.M.'s somewhat ripoffy 2 disc Best Of 1982-87 make a terrific 45 minute elliptical workout soundtrack. Volume level is very even, drowning out the Lifetime Video Channel "music", on which I've seen each video at least twice now, as well as any cell phone or other conversations going on around me. That's how I workout best. I did have to re-sequence the tracks into chronological order but that was a snap with iTunes. "Decide yourself if radio's gonna stay! Reason it could polish up the grey!" YEAH!Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-28657687100891999662008-10-29T16:05:00.004-05:002008-10-29T16:26:14.148-05:00A Whole New ThingSo what I'm doing now is I go to a beginner yoga class whenever my schedule allows and get to the gym about twice a week. I do the yoga class if it's that night then I follow it with the following (or do the following alone with no class):<br /><br />A) 45 minutes elliptical machine on the "Fat Burn" program. I stay in my easy burnin' zone of 120 HBPM while watching the World Series or Chuck or music videos or political discussion or all of the above. The place has TVs growing out of the ceiling like mildew and (mostly) irritating music on everywhere, including the freaking locker room. I honestly wish it had neither so I could just listen to my magical iPod. Oh well. WPP.<br /><br />B) 15 laps in the pool. I'll break it down in swim team terms:<br />25 free<br />100 breast<br />200 IM (50 each of fly, back, breast, free)<br />100 back<br />200 IM<br />100 breast<br />25 free<br /><br />(25 = one length of the pool.) I start at the deep end and take my rests in the shallow end. Depending on how hard I push myself my heart rate gets up around 170. If I've done the yoga class that night and pool is my third exercise category - guess what? I don't push it that hard.<br /><br />It's a great workout and I would do it every other day if my schedule allowed. I don't weigh myself every day (good advice, Chazz) but when I weighed myself a couple days ago just out of curiosity I was at 205 fully dressed. That is a big improvement. That's like 2 percent weight loss.<br /><br />I've also been eating pretty well. I call it the "eat what you feed your children" diet. I get far more fruit than I did as a bachelor and I haven't seen the inside of a Chinese Buffet in, I believe, years. It's pretty much three squares these days as opposed to the starve-gorge-repeat on no predictable timetable. Good times for my body and its interlocking systems. Totally on track now to not run the 2009 Twin Cities Marthon in under four hours, which is, of course, the point.<br /><br />(Did I even mention on this blog that I joined a gym? I hope so. I did, btw.)Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-22896690131373702352008-09-15T19:54:00.002-05:002008-09-15T19:59:01.405-05:00Join The ClubSo Bride's company is run by a guy who used to work at a health club. Now we have a sweet deal and have joined the club. So far I have done 25 minutes of eliptical and ten laps in the pool. I think this will be great, but I learned the hard way not to even try to go on a Monday night (parking a nightmare), which is why I am here and not there. Still not going to really test the knees, but I think I will make eliptical then swim part of my weekly routine somewhere in time. May even try to figure out the advertised shuttle bus system and get to the Monday night beginner yoga class, but we'll see. Fool me once...don't mess with Texas.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-16272030014881345542008-09-09T18:49:00.003-05:002008-09-09T18:57:15.696-05:00I Am Not Going To RunYeah, I am living up to the title of the blog. I have one of those lingering summer colds that just makes me feel crappy most of the time. My knees don't feel 100%. I am going to try to solve that problem by buying some new everyday shoes tomorrow. I tend to hang on to shoes until they are falling apart and my current pair are no exception and they are providing little to no padding or support. I don't know when I'm going to run or even walk (boring) for exercise again. This has been something of a lost season for me. Me and Michael Cuddyer. I'm pretty much feeling in "maybe next year" mode.<br /><br />On the positive side, I love winter and am eager for all this bright sunshine requiring sunscreen and all that to be a distant memory. Shoveling will be good and force me to do yoga for the sake of my back. Wow, that was a real stretch as far as positivity goes. Anyway. See ya.<br /><br />Oh, another positive is that with the stuffed up nose and a sore under my tongue I am not eating a whole lot because it is not enjoyable to eat! Is that really a positive? No, no it is not.<br /><br />Also, I forgot to bring the list of things I was going to get done on the internet to the library. This has been a typical Tuesday, which means I will be glad when it's over. Unlike yesterday, which was awesome all over the place. Typical Monday of Accomplishment and Purpose.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-19103285721312099802008-09-02T12:46:00.001-05:002008-09-02T12:49:09.676-05:00Walking: BoringWell, I went for a walk yesterday just like I said I would. I listened (finally) to the iPod playlist Bride made for me. It was fun, but because I was walking not running it ended a little more than halfway through my route.<br /><br />Hey, know what? Walking alone through a path you've been through many, many times is boring. I wanted to run. I disciplined myself though, and just kept walking. My knees feel fine today. I'll try again tomorrow morning, I think.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-57859261349210819922008-08-20T14:37:00.004-05:002008-08-20T14:43:33.126-05:00EatingI think for my exercise/diet plan this month I will do the following:<br /><br />Not go to the State Fair<br /><br />That should save me some pounds and a few points off my cholesterol while my knees continue to heal for the big return to running next month. Last night I should have gone to bed hungry but I was really hungry after the show so I scavenged some leftover french fries wrapped in corned beef plus trail mix with mini-M&Ms and watched The Princess Bride - a movie that still holds up remarkably well 21 years later.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-36562002106603871762008-08-18T19:28:00.002-05:002008-08-18T19:30:50.019-05:00Still HurtsI tried a little exploratory running between songs at a recording session on a farm and my knees are acting up today and letting me know that was not necessarily a good idea. The plan now is for a nice, slow walk on Monday, September 1, early in the morning. If nothing else, I will finally get to hear the surprise iPod playlist Bride created and loaded up for me. Weight has been around 208-210.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-82563370500077283142008-08-14T11:00:00.002-05:002008-08-14T11:02:46.438-05:00In Case You Were WonderingMy knees still feel a little twinge every now and then so I am considering shutting it down until September 1st. It's strange, but I feel like I have some new insight into how, say, Michael Cuddyer might feel. Would I feel worse or better if someone were paying me 10 million dollars? Okay, that was a dumb question.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-73544373504763315292008-08-08T15:21:00.002-05:002008-08-08T15:23:29.155-05:00Not RunningA lot of work has been causing Bride to go in to the office at such hours as I would have to get up well before dawn to run. Plus I'm letting the knees have another week or so to recover from dramatic overuse. Hoping all the stars align for Monday, August 11 as a running morning for me.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-16758862630361134592008-07-30T19:09:00.006-05:002008-07-30T19:21:29.231-05:00More Injury: Wounded KneeWell, my right knee is acting up. As is, to a lesser extent, my left knee. I did maybe overdo it a little, running four times and doing yoga once in an eight day span. But I was restarting my exercise program!<br /><br />I ran Monday morning and my iPod played everything exactly in order, skipping nothing. I should maybe not have tagged on an extra time around the pond at the end just so I could hear "You're Gonna Miss This" in its entirety. My finishing sprint was non-existent because the knee had been really hurting for a while. It hurt all day and all day the next day, but today (Wednesday) it feels better. Still, if I learned anything from the left big toe it's DON'T PUSH IT. So I'm calling it. No more running this week. Crap.<br /><br />This is a double shame, because Bride just created a custom iPod playlist for me on her computer and loaded it on to my iPod. Given the fascinating predilections of Bride I am understandably eager to hear it and run to it. Double crap. (I am, of course, forbidden to listen to it until I am running. Duh.)<br /><br />See you Monday, when it starts again again. Only stronger. And smarter.<br /><br />Incidentally, I am adding more albums to my running playlist. Steve Winwood's voice and upbeat, encouraging spirit is really working for me, so Traffic's Smiling Phases two-disc best-of is going on there. Also Genesis Invisible Touch - no one does thunderous ear-to-ear toms like Phil Collins.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-90931659955130917962008-07-24T12:11:00.004-05:002008-07-24T12:24:45.273-05:00My iPod Is Causing Magical ThinkingThis morning I ran with a couple new tunes on there. I put on "Tears In Heaven" because I have always found that song to be absolutely the perfect tempo and often played it in my mind for long, long periods of time as I ran pre-iPod. I also put on "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins, which made me sob uncontrollably. Thankfully I did not pass anyone while this was playing.<br /><br />Then, the weird. The iPod shuffle completely skipped the R.E.M. part and most of the Mellow & Catchy to go straight to "We Belong". I want to emphasize that it was NOT on shuffle mode. It should logically have played Judy Collins's "Both Sides Now", which would have allowed me to gain control of myself and finish my run with dignity, if not necessarily a burst of power.<br /><br />As it is I finished very, very strong with a sprint and as I cooled down and came within sight of my house to see Bride watering our front yard bushes iPod mischeviously threw Juice Newton's "Angel Of The Morning" at me and I sang along as I approached her in her work clothes and she instinctively shrank from the possibility of a sweaty hug, which I am old enough and smart enough not to think would be funny.<br /><br />So what's the deal, iPod shuffle? Are you trying to control my emotions or what? I don't mind, I'm just asking. If you've become sentient I want to know. I won't do anything about it (I've seen TNG "<a href="http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episode/68376.html">Measure of a Man</a>" and I know your rights) I just want to know.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654912269243871513.post-60624643372284579432008-07-21T19:14:00.005-05:002008-07-21T19:33:10.764-05:00More iPodDespite going to bed before 9 p.m. last night, I was so sleepy this morning that I almost didn't run. Then I thought of the Steve Winwood albums I'd loaded on to the iPod and got up and went. It was a good run. I mostly listened to 1980's Arc of A Diver album. The "keeper" tracks from that are Arc of a Diver, Spanish Dancer, and Night Train. It's interesting to learn what my standards are for music on the run. They are definitely NOT the same as music in the house.<br /><br />I need lots of snare and toms - lots of pounding. Hi-hat and other cymbals just mess with my pace. The only time tempo is an issue is when there's a constant high frequency ticking - Hi-hat mostly. Catchy hooks and inspiring lyrics. Not lyrics that make me laugh or think, just powerful, emotional encouragement. R.E.M.'s Living Well Is The Best Revenge is working great for me, for example. Very, very different from what I like in the house! I need POWER POWER POWER.<br /><br />Flying To My Home followed by Arc was as far as I got. Didn't even reach the R.E.M. or Mellow & Catchy segements today. I think I was running pretty fast. I felt like I could have done more, but I just kept to the known, sustainable course. Maybe next week I will add a little bit extra.<br /><br />I also drew up my exercise chart with the system I described in the previous post. I put an "E" down for July 21, the first day of the rest of my life. Had a great day with the kids - everything right on schedule, good naps, lots of fun. Felt really good all day.Memphis Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06247585274410314133noreply@blogger.com1