Braeden

So, it's been a while. 

I made my hike up the mountain and have photographic evidence. My legs were burning for a couple days after that one. 

In the meantime, I did some exercising, did some not exercising, ushered a son into the world on October 3, and haven't exercised since.

This is Braeden Anthony. He likes to eat and competes with daddy for mommy's affection. She thinks his farts are cute though. Kid's got the edge on me, even though I'm smarter than him. I don't let the air turn solid/liquid most of the time. He's growing up pretty fast. Each day he seems a little more alert, recognizing movement and sounds. He likes his swing, but doesn't care much for his crib. He likes Costco, and the mall but Target makes him hungry. I think he may like cheap beer right now, but I will teach him the way. All kids start out on cheap beer. 

If You're Going To San Francisco...

Be sure to make your flight to Redding. 

Wedding weekend in far northern California. Plan on hiking up a volcano and having a beer. Probably not during my hike, but I guess that would be funny. Ok. Now I've decided that I will have to do that and get a pic of it. I've been exercising the past couple weeks and am getting a little more in shape, so I think I can handle the hill. Weight around 253. Cadbury eggs have been wiped out. Damn things.

Back To Standing Upright

About a week and a half ago I did a number on my back. Just when I needed to be in good condition to do everything that needed to be done in our basement as it nears completion. I believe it was injured during softball on the 22nd, just as I was making a exercise comeback effort. Four chiropractor visits later, I'm probably about 80%. Still a little stiff and some sore. Should be able to start exercising by the wend of  the week. Lots of basement work to be done before Thursday, when the carpet is scheduled to be installed.

On a positive note, the night I hurt my back, I put on an amazing display of sheer power hitting the softball after our game. Probably the best swinging of my life-everything was a rocket off of my bat. Put about out 10-12 out of 30 swings. There weren't any mis-hits at all. I was in the zone. Then I was in the pain. Almost worth it...

The Horse Gives a Bumpy Ride

I got back on the equipment tonight after nearly three weeks off. It wasn't pretty. I pushed myself to the same levels I had before and that resulted in about an average 10bpm rise in the heartrate and noticeable less lung capacity. Burping up the meat stick I had just wolfed down didn't help either. I'll get back on it tomorrow morning and plug this exercise thing back into the schedule.

A Quick Concert Review

KT Tunstall was awesome. The show was sold out in about a 1000 person venue and she does live music really well. Her and her accompanying musicians were as good or better than the studio albums I own. I will go again if she comes around sometime. Paddy Casey was the opening act and we enjoyed him as well. Enough enjoyment to buy his cd at the theatre.

Really Well-Rested Now...

Ok, so I haven't got on the horse yet. I've still been too damn busy. Tomorrow will likely be the startup of the exercise. Tonight we go to the Barrymore to se KT Tunstall. I like her music and it should be a very pleasant experience to see her live. I'll report on the concert tomorrow. A trip to the dentist tomorrow morning. Another damn crown, another $grand. Not so pleasant.

Well Rested and Ready to Rok

Almost two weeks have gone by since the last exercise session. I haven't exactly been laying around-things have been crazy lately. It started with dad coming down for five days of turkey hunting and floor tiling. The hunting ended last Sunday, but the tiling hasn't quite ended yet. Still have to clean the haze off of the tiles. I had to finish that so the base trim can get installed in the basement. I'll be doing that haze cleaning tonight... after exercise. Also, there's been a ton of computer work to be done lately. Finding time for everything has been really tough. Now I should be able to make time with that tiling out of the way. 

What's left for me to do in the basement: Paint the tray ceiling trim and install the rope lighting; clean and poly the windows; install seven speakers into the ceilings; and touch up on paint scuffs. All of that needs to be done before the carpet gets installed so cleaning up afterward will be easier. We're getting closer to having our escape from the summer heat completed and that feels great.

No turkeys were harmed in this year's hunt. As expected. We did see a decent amount of birds though. They just never came in close enough to "harvest".

The Hunt Is On

Today is the start of turkey season for me and my dad. This will cut into my exercise schedule, but that's OK. It will give me a little time to freshen up the 2000 body parts. I'm going to get the bow out for this one. We'll see how that works. I honestly don't believe that I will even see any birds, so I'm not too worried whether or not I can hit the turkey. I guess weight loss will have to wait a week as well. Last weekend and this week are proving to be quite challenging to keeping a diet. In fact, I've submitted to the challenge and have eaten like shit. That doesn't stop today either- there's a birthday ice cream cake in the freezer right now...

Today, I Wear Green

Not because I'm helping change the earth either. But, because it was the color of the t-shirt on the top of my pile. Actually, green does have some significance as I'm really starting to look and feel muscular, like the Incredible Hulk. It's not the same old muscle as I've always had. It's muscle that is obvious upon a glance. I don't see myself busting out of my shirt anytime soon (maybe my pants-but that's for another brag post), but man do I feel powerful. So, that's what my excuse is for my weight going almost nowhere lately. All muscle. I do believe that.

I Ran Four Miles

Title says it all, but my legs would be able to tell you more than that. They were made of jelly for about a half hour after running. I could've went longer, I know it.

Improper Relations and the Ensuing Itch

My improper relations with the sun on Sunday has left my back, which hasn't seen the sun in years, itching like a mofo. The spaghetti fork/scoop thing is at my bedside, ready for service as it is a real bitch to try to fall asleep with all that tingling and itchy feeling. Lotion doesn't help and scratching is only a temporary fix. Why can't it be like the nuts? A little jiggle and things are all good.

I'm retaining like I'm on the rag again. I plan on a run tonight to work some of that water out of my system for tomorrow's weigh-in. Not looking so good in the weight department this week. I may see a gain. All muscle I'm sure...

Fun In The Sun... Until Today

This weekend's plans went to heck and we ended up doing some yardwork Sunday-I raked the straw out of all of the new grass areas that we made last fall. It was awesome out. The birds were chirping, the slight breeze felt great, the sun was shining and I cooked myself alive. Nice and red. My neck is almost glowing. Oh well. Another summer, another lesson learned.

Recovered

Back on the elliptical this morning after the day off. My muscles were still a bit sore from the running on Wednesday, but I worked through it and this afternoon, I feel pretty good. Big plans this weekend- I've got some porcelain tile to lay in our basement entry area, some grout sealing, and a heavy bag to install in the mechanical room. The bag is an Everlast 100 pounder. A heavy bitch- I've got the seams of my t-shirt bruised into my shoulder from hauling it down to the basement- I can't imagine it will be fun to install either. Picked up some black padded training gloves to go with it. They smell like mothballs. I'm sure if you give me a few weeks with them they'll just start smelling like balls.

Pounding It

Tonight I plan on getting a heavy bag to hang in the basement. That will be a relatively inexpensive workout alternative to the usual stuff. Boxing can really burn those calories. And, taking out some frustrations by pounding it sure would feel good. Wait a second, that line sounds eerily familiar...

Day Off By Default

I couldn't get my ass out of bed this morning after last night's run and walk. Apparently I hit snooze for an hour without realizing it. So, my morning elliptical workout didn't happen and it's grocery shopping night, so there will be no workout today... which is weigh-in day. Should still be able to post a loss, albeit a small one.

Oh. That Hurts.

So I laced up the Shox for their first outdoor adventure. I ran for maybe 2 miles or so. Now my calves are ready to 'splode. I washed the pain down with a big ol' Grumpy burger and fries. Just when I was getting reeeealy close to those 240's. Oh well. Maybe next week.

An Introduction To Sugar 101

I had a rosette today. Actually, 1.5 rosettes. What tasty goodness they are! Unfortunately, I feel a bit icky after eating them. Light and crispy and loaded with sugar. Probably not good for the diet.

Walked two days in a row now. I added some running during the walk to keep the heartrate up. I would guess that I may've ran a mile during yesterday's walk. Damn earbud kept falling out of my left ear. Tonight more walking/running is planned since it's warmish, but the wind has been pretty brisk.

Spring In My Step

It's finally nice enough outside to do some walking. Yesterday brought the first venture out of the house this spring. We took the dog for a brisk 75 minute walk. For as much exercise I've been doing so far in '08, walking like that caused a mild soreness in the muscles last night that carried over into the morning. You wouldn't think walking, the least strenuous "exercise" would do something like that, but I guess my stride must've been longer or something and worked my muscles in a different way. I managed to work through the tightness on the elliptical and am all good now this afternoon. More walking on the schedule tonight. The wife likes it, the dog likes it and I like it.

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?!

Blogging at 12:21 a.m. in the Platteville hospital parking lot is not what I call catching up on sleep. 

More Work, Less Sleep

Work has won out again. The day after I get my first 8 hours of sleep this week, I get to stay at work until 1 a.m. That left me with no choice but to skip my morning workout and the afternoon workout is in limbo as I'm pretty much a zombie right now. Hopefully this weekend will give me some relief. I do plan on being good in the eats department through the end of the month to reach my goal of sub-250. Last night was 253.8 on the scale. I may have been a bit dry, but my water percentage was higher than normal- so who knows?

Sometimes Sleep Wins

It's been a rough week on the exercise front. I'm missing a couple of cardio workouts due to late nights on the computer. The body doesn't seem to want to function much when you get a few hours of sleep on consecutive days. I got my 8 in last night and rewarded myself with an hour on the elliptical this morning. I've got a sub-250 goal for the end of the month that I will hold myself to, so I can expect a lot of time on the equipment the next few weeks. Some running will surely be on my plate- I feel it really gets my fat burning. That will be my experiment. 

I've knocked back a few Cadbury eggs in the past week. I believe the count is at 36. I have to start eating them a bit so they don't become hard candies. 

Where's My Damn T-Shirt?

Ran 2 miles tonight. I haven't done that since I was a kid collecting fun-run t-shirts from all over the northwoods. I had more in the tank at the two mile mark, but I didn't want to overdo it. So, I walked another brisk mile to cool down.

I've Got the Runs

Step 1: Bought a pair of Nike Shox Turbo VI running shoes.

Step 2: Put them to use.

I Was RunnING...

I am starting to run a little bit. I figure it can only help by switching up my workouts a bit. Ran for 18 minutes straight yesterday morning. Probably would've went longer, but my countdown timer stopped the treadmill. It's a start. Weight- 255.6

April Fools

Well, I never did go skiing last like I planned. I ended up getting too busy running around the countryside shopping for cribs and other furniture. Did some clothes shopping and closet cleaning this past weekend. The fat clothes have been eliminated from my wardrobe. That means no going back now. Last week's weigh-in was 257.6. I hope to shed 2 or better from that. I guess 2 pounds would be acceptable. That HUGE milestone of sub-250 is getting closer. I'm going to feel awesome once I get there. I almost can't imagine what it would be like to be in the 240's again.

Cadbury count is at 41 after a last minute purchase before the bunny came and took them all out of stores.

Skiing Back on the Schedule

We're in the midst of a 6-9 inch March snowstorm. I think I'll make an effort to get out there and make some tracks this weekend before it all disappears. Upper 40's in the near future will certainly wipe this snow out soon. Plus it will help to change up my workout a bit.

Beef. It's What's for Dinner

Bought a pound bag of jerky. That probably wasn't a good idea. I can't stop eating it and it's so many extra calories that I really don't need. I guess I'm determined to delay the reaching of my goals. I'll just have to really try to make it last a while and not wolf down a meal's worth at once. Cadbury eggs still remain at 35. I'm sure the weekend will claim a victim, but maybe I can hold off. I need to be good one of these weekends. I know I won't next weekend with company coming.

Still a little sore in the chest from lifting Tuesday. Will probably lift again on Friday. Plan on some cardio tonight and maybe an abs workout.

I will try to weigh-in on Thursday afternoons instead of mornings from now on. My weight and water should be a little more accurate that time of the day as I eat and drink about the same each day.

My Weight Goes Up...

...and then down. Repeat. 

I started lifting tonight. I was quickly reminded of how sucky squats are. They sure get a workout out of me. Oh yeah, those exercise balls are also no fun whatsoever. I spend more time falling off of them than getting my set of exercise done on them. I like the hurt after lifting. Anxious to hit the cardio again tomorrow morning.

Slimming Down

I'm starting to graduate out of my fat clothes and am getting into stuff that I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years. I will have to try to wash the "hangar horns" off my shirts, but that's a small price to pay for losing weight and feeling good about it. Hovering around 260 right now, historically a very low figure for me. I've been hanging around the 270's and 80's on average for the past 8 years.

35 Cadbury Eggs Remain

Title says it all. Damn they're tasty.

That's All Folks

Skiing is now finished. The snow last night was very slushy and not a lot of fun, but a heck of a workout. The next time I would be able to ski is Saturday, and there won't be much snow left by then. Oh well, it was a lot of fun while it lasted. All of the skiing this past week had to have helped with a 2 pound weight loss. I'm getting closer to those 250's. 249 is definitely my first major milestone in my book. That will take me a while.

Winter's Last Gasp?

The temps are rising and the snow isn't. Got in 90 minutes of great skiing last night. I ate the snow hard twice however. I'm really surprised I didn't break anything. Possibly the last hurrah for skiing tonight as the temps will be above freezing in the 7-day forecast and I have to work late tomorrow night. So, I'm going to try to get as much in as I can. It sure is a lot of fun and it qualifies as a great exercise. I hurt a lot less after long sessions than I did just weeks ago. Too bad it has to end. Though I'd trade winter in for spring any day.

Back On The Horse

After some stagnant weight loss, I took 4 days off. Had another fish fry on Friday and it was top notch. Got some painting done in the basement- orange and gray are the latest colors to cover the white. 

Started back on track with some skiing yesterday afternoon. The skiing was awesome at 35 degrees. My skis slid through the snow like a hot knife through butter. Unfortunately for the skiing, it's March and things are going to be changing. Today it will get into the 40's and the following days are the same. I may be able to get some skiing in a couple more times and then I'm afraid my exercise will be limited to the equipment in the basement until things dry up. This particular winter sucks though, and I will be the first one to kick its ass outta here. A heart rate monitor should arrive this week. I'll be able to keep myself in the target zone for my cardio then, which will hopefully provide some weight-loss benefit.

36 Cadbury Eggs.

Out of Control!

The weekend recap:

I came, I saw, I ate it all! Friday night fish fry, baked potato, a bunch of bread and a washing down with 4 Southern Old Fashioned Sours. Followed by a big ol' greasy burger and fries Saturday. I did exercise each day and kept my eating OK the rest of the weekend, but those eating out trips had to have set me back a pound or so. We cross-country skied for 95 minutes on Sunday in 50 degree heat. It was quite a bit of fun, but it sure kicked my ass. I was still feeling it this morning when I scraped myself out of bed and did 50 on the elliptical. Old School was the movie of choice this morning. No Cadbury Eggs were harmed in the making of this weekend and the stash remains at 36.

On the positive, I've made #3 on traineo's "Who Works Out the Most?" list for this week with an average burning of 995 calories and I intend on staying on that list. Number 1, here I come.

Looking Ahead

Friday is my "official" weigh-in day. I figure by Friday, I will have worked off the evils of the past weekend. I seem to be much more disciplined during the week when I'm at work and can't raid the pantry. I've managed to avoid Wednesday Snack Day the last couple of weeks. That's a step in the right direction. Who needs a frickin doughnut anyway?

Mmmm.... dooooughnut.

I'm a Failure

Just a hundred-something more calories burned would've given me 10,000 for the past week. Achieving that many extra calories would have been as simple as performing sexual activity for 20 minutes. But, I guess that would be ten days worth of sex minutes and there isn't ten days in a week. Crap. I supposed I could've vacuumed or something.

Down Goes Eggie!

I ate a Cadbury Egg last night. I feel I earned every bit of the 170 calories. I don't know how much stock to put into the calorie counters on our exercise machines, but they added up to nearly 2,200 calories for the day's workouts. Who cares if they aren't totally accurate. That's still a shitload of exercise. That egg sure hit the spot.

Hold the Beans

Today is day one in the experiment. I just got a 16 oz. thermos and I will try to make that the amount of coffee I drink each day. A significant reduction from my daily pot. There's research that coffee has some health benefits, but a whole damn pot can't be good for you.

My Cadbury stash survived the night. I did have myself a Culver's Deluxe burger and split a fries with Karen- she got called out at dinnertime. So, I feel a little naughty about that.

Cadbury Count

After a weekend of staying home I am happy to report that the Cadbury Egg count remains at 37. Temptation was resisted. 

The Foil of my Fitness, Cadbury Eggs

Cadbury Eggs. 

I love 'em, gotta have 'em.

Since they are seasonal, I've stockpiled enough to last me beyond Easter. I've been making this a yearly habit and habits are hard to break. I see a deal on 4-packs of them and I buy them. I guess I'm a sucker for a good deal. My stash is at 37 eggs. I've eaten three in the past week (all last weekend). So, I'm on a five day streak of not dipping into the stash. I guess that could be an indication of a solid mindset against the evils of sugar. I'll keep the Cadbury countdown posted. That will give me some accountability and hopefully prevent an embarrassing eggtastic splurge.

As Al Bundy would say: "Let's Rok!"

I don't know what I'm going to say and when I'm going to say it, but I'll try to say it anyway.