Well, 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.
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.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Pool of Tears, Bag of Chips
I 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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
---------------------------------
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
---------------------------------
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.
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.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
200
It'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.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Yo-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.
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Whole New Thing
So 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):
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.
B) 15 laps in the pool. I'll break it down in swim team terms:
25 free
100 breast
200 IM (50 each of fly, back, breast, free)
100 back
200 IM
100 breast
25 free
(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.
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.
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.
(Did I even mention on this blog that I joined a gym? I hope so. I did, btw.)
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.
B) 15 laps in the pool. I'll break it down in swim team terms:
25 free
100 breast
200 IM (50 each of fly, back, breast, free)
100 back
200 IM
100 breast
25 free
(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.
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.
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.
(Did I even mention on this blog that I joined a gym? I hope so. I did, btw.)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Join The Club
So 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.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
I Am Not Going To Run
Yeah, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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