Striving to be in OK Shape

I ran the other day. This was the first time in a month, probably only the second time in 4 months, and first time on concrete in a year. It was not good.


I often delude myself with the idea that I am still in OK shape because I'm not as bad as I once was. This is a bad thing to do, and sometimes you are lucky enough to get your eyes opened. I ran about a mile and a half at a slow pace, and my legs still hurt days later. How can this be, I do aqua-fit, I do spin classes, I swim (although not often enough), and I ride my bike. This can be, because I am not in OK shape.

I’ve just started getting back into shape. I am working on some goals, and I have developed some rules:
• Ice cream only on the weekend, and in moderation (not the whole carton).
• Beer only on the weekend.
• Workout a minimum 4 days in the week.
• HTFU

Bike Rack

I recently bought a trailer hitch and a bike rack for Carols car.This way I can take one of my bikes on vacation with me. We usually take her car on vacation (it is newer, it gets better mileage, its a/c works better, it has cruse control, and it rides better).

Our next vacation is a beach trip. I am bringing my old road bike so I can go out for some morning rides. Traveling stresses me out, even to the beach. I find that if I can get a workout in I am less stressed, and being less stressed around family is a good thing ( nobody likes a cranky John).

Later in the year we usually visit her uncle in the mountains. He lives in a valley that is accessed by a 26 switchback climb up a mountain. Every time we have gone there I thought about how cool it would be to try and climb it. Lucky for me I never had a bike with me so I never had too. Now that we have a rack I'm going to have to try it, and I'm in no shape for it.

I recently attempted Kennesaw mountain (to gauge my climbing ability). Even though I rode it a number of times in the past, I am not in the same shape as I was. I have a lot of work to do before we go to the mountains.

I Am Funky

I can't seem to find my motivation. a couple of years ago I was so into the triathlon lifestyle. I was a member of a great triathlon club (Atlanta Triathlon Club). I rode my bike at lunch and even got my co-workers riding. I swam all the time. I was a triathlete.

Now I'm a fat guy (with no dogs). Recently I started doing aqua-fit with my sweetheart. I figure it is easier to do something when you have someone to do it with. It is a good workout, but it is not triathlon training.

Since moving up north I am no longer a member of the tri club. It is just too far to travel. But, that is an excuse, not a reason. There is a tri club that does stuff up here. We have bike shops that have group rides all the time. I belong to LA Fitness, so I can swim anytime I want to. And, if I step out my door, there is a street I can run on.

Even with these opportunities to train I make excuses. And, it seems any excuse will do:

Re-join ATC- - It's too far to travel.
Go to the gym during lunch - I get all sweaty, and by the time I get there and change it is time to head back.
Go for a run when you get home - It's too hot.
Go for a run in the morning - My knees hurt running on concrete.
And, the list goes on...

I do miss having people to work out with, having people made it easier, but not having people should not stop me. I am in an exercise funk, and I'm not sure how to get out of it. I know sooner or later I will break out of this funk, I'm just hoping it's sooner.

Goodbye Cale

It has been a couple of weeks since I lost baby girl (Cale) to cancer. I still fell pangs of sadness in the mornings when I wake up, and in the afternoons when I get home. This is the first time in 18 years that I don't have a dog. When I lost Tosi, I still had Allie; when I lost Buddy, I still had Allie; when I lost Allie I still had Cale; but when I lost Cale, I have no dog. I feel a little sad and off without a dog. I know we will get another dog in a few months, Carol needs some time. But, the house feels a little bit lonelier without a dog.

Goodbye Cale. You were a wonderful dog.

Aqua Fit Again

I took an aqua fit class again. I know aqua fit is just a less girlie way of saying water aerobics, but I'm liking these classes, even though they aren't going so well. After the first class, I hurt for 3 days and could barley move.The second class was so poorly done, I could have gotten the same calorie burn by taking a nap. The third class was awesome. It was so awesome I had torn the skin off a couple of my toes, and had a blister on the ball of my foot the size of a silver dollar. Yesterday's class was hard. I had trouble breathing, but so did everyone else; the pool was over chlorinated, and the fumes was messing with everyone respiratory system (we had a couple of people that had to leave). We had to stop doing the cardio, but we finished with arms the last 20 minutes.

Aqua Fit and Other Forms of Torture

A few weeks back, Carol called on her way home and asked if I wanted to meet her at the gym. We had been talking about working out together (it is always easier if you have someone else depending on you), but up till then we had only talked about it in general terms.

I met her at the gym, and I decided to run; she rode the exercise bike. I have not run in about a half a year. I had, in the beginning of winter, took a running mechanics class with hopes that it would kick start my running again, it didn't. So this was my first run in a while. And, I could tell.

I ran 2 miles (ran/walked) on the dreadmill. It took about 25 minutes. I ran at about a 10 minute mile (that is fast for me) and walked at a 20 minute mile. It was not a bad start, as long as you don't count the fact that the dreadmill through me off  while I was trying to fix my headphones. I landed on my feet, but I did give all the people on the elliptical trainers a good laugh.

It took me a couple of days to recover before I ran again.. For two days I walked around making old man noises every time I stood up, sat down, or transversed steps. I am so out of shape.

The second week we hit the gym 5 days, and mixed it up a bit. Monday we swam, I did 800 meters (16 x 50m sprints). I discovered I no longer have any swimming endurance. Tuesday we did Aqua Fit (water aerobics, or in this case water boot camp). It was a substitute instructor, and he kicked my ass so hard I hurt for 3 days.Wednesday I walked on the treadmill because my legs were so shot from the Aqua Fit. On Thursday we went to the Aqua Fit at another location (we are trying out different instructors). This was not the same Aqua Fit. This was water aerobics for little blue haired old ladies (I didn't mind, I was still sore from Tuesday's Aqua Fit). I never really got much out of it. Friday I was feeling a bit better (less sore), so I ran again, I ran 2.5 miles.

Carol and I didn't go to the gym during the weekend. We started back Monday, she rode the bike and I ran. I still don't like running on the dreadmill, but at least I'm no longer falling off. I did 2.5 miles at a 10:30 pace. Tuesday's Aquafit was the regular instructor, and she kicked my ass. It wasn't as bootcampy. It was continious, and it worked a bunch of muscles I have not been working in triathlon training. I left the pool exhausted and with blisters on my feet.

The rest of the week my brother was in town, so we didn't go to the gym.

We started back this week, and I'm hoping we can keep the momentum up.

Weigh-In Wednesdays

Has it been a week? My weight went up this week, but I can explain; I sat on the couch shoving food and beer into my mouth. (I didn't say I had an excuse, I said I could explain.)

I still have not found a groove. Since leaving the Engineering Department, at work, I no longer ride at lunch. That use to be a big part of my fitness program. I had fellow riders that helped keep me motivated (and I helped them stay motivated). Here at my new position I don't have that. I started going to the gym at lunch, but more often then not something comes up and throws that off. It is a big hassle to drive over to the gym, change, workout, shower, and drive back in an hour. With the riding, I changed in my office and out the door I went.

I've got to get into some kind of groove because I am not happy with my weight.

Weigh-In Wednesdays

I am starting weigh-in Wednesdays again with the thought , if I have to post my weight, I might just skip the seconds.

It hasn't been going well. After my first lunch time spin class I tweaked my neck and have sit out since. I am hoping to be back in the saddle next week.

An Accidental Athlete

I recently finished the book, An Accidental Athlete by John Bingham. I have read articles by him in Runner's World, Competitor, and Triathlete magazines; and have found him funny. An Accidental Athlete is a collection of stories about his progress from couch to runner. I enjoyed it very much. The stories were short enough to fit in my schedule here and there, they were humorous, and inspirational.


I recommend this to any beginner, or late in life athlete. You may not relate to all the stories, but you will relate to the struggle of change. It is a good read.

Heft on Wheels 2012

A few years ago I read a book called Heft on Wheels. On the cover was the author naked on his bike. I thought, “You can tell why the book’s called Heft on Wheels.” The picture truly showed how overweight he was, even though he was a recreational athlete. I have thought of that book, the title (which I’ve used to describe myself many times, even in this blog), and the photo(which I thought was inspirational (I would picture myself in that pose on the bike and how I would look)) many times as I’ve battled my weight.


As I start the battle with my weight once again, I’ve been looking for inspirations. I thought to myself, why don’t I take a picture like the cover of Heft on Wheels for motivation? So I set up my bicycle and camera and took a few versions of that photo (I took a G, PG, and R version). I edited the R version and posted it in my bathroom and on the fridge as a motivator to get out and to stop grazing. Below is the G version:






If this doesn’t motivate me to work out I don’t know what will. I am Heft on Wheels.

Today is going to suck.

Today I woke up and couldn't get up. I was tired, dead tired. I sat on the edge of the bed listening to Carol sleep as I willed myself to move. Ten minutes later I actually moved. I hopped in the shower and stood zombie like. I had to stand there 10 minutes before I could remember what soap was. I was in a pee soup fog of the brain.


I only just started coming out of my fog as I got dressed, and it's a good thing. Thirty minutes earlier, and I would never have noticed that it was 3am, as I put my watch on.

I got undress and went back to bed. I checked my alarm clock, and it never went off. I dreamed my alarm clock went off, and that is why I got up. Not only does it suck that I woke up early, but it sucks that my dreams are so boring that I dream about sleeping.


I just know today is going to suck.

Back in the Saddle Again

Yesterday was my first day back to working out. I went to a spin class at the LA fitness by work. It wasn’t a cycling oriented spin class, like the ones put on by the Atlanta Triathlon Club (ATC), but it was a good lunchtime workout. I figure the only way I will get back in the swing of things is if I can get my workouts in without impacting the rest of my life too much, and working out during lunch is one of the ways I can do that.

Today I plan on run /walking or swimming during lunch. My plan is to work on my base fitness, and to drop about 10 lbs before I start training for a triathlon. I figure to ramp up in late March for John Tanner. That is when I will probably rejoin ATC.

Much of the next few weeks will be figuring out when to work out and where to do it. I’ve been contemplating the idea of coming in, in the morning, to work out, but I am not a morning person, and getting up 30 minutes earlier just to do something I don’t like, like running, doesn’t appeal to me. But, it is good dead time I could get a workout in with little impact. I’ve also thought about working out when I get home. Carol usually doesn’t get home till a couple of hours after me, and I could use that time. Plus, as a bonus, one of our neighbors goes to the gym at that time, and you know what they say, “You are more likely to stay with a work out regiment if you have someone to do it with.”

I will let you know what I come up with in future blogs.