Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Saturday I did my customary 5K at the Y. The kids like that time at the Youth Center, and 30-40 minutes on the treadmill is manageable from a mental perspective. In fact those workouts are good for training my legs to maintain a regular consistent pace.
I decided to try a different route on Sunday, and also left Spotty at home. One, because I was getting a little tired of her antics with other dogs, and wanted to scout a route with fewer other runners and dogs to contend with. Two, this route starts and ends at the house so I wouldn't have to drive somewhere first.
Here's my Sunday workout results
As you can see, not my best run. I mean I averaged a decent pace, but I definitely had a hard time and ended up walking a lot more than I ever do. Part of that was the route, which was definitely mostly uphill, even if it was a low grade. But I still felt good about the run, and liked the route enough that I can do it again next week, with Spotty, as I pretty much had the trails to myself.
Regarding my thoughts on Friday, I did discover the Body-Fat ratio. And after doing the simple self measurement determined I was not where I want to be. I am within the 'Acceptable' range, but still not where I want to be. Which gives me a better idea of a goal than just simple weight loss.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wondering just how much muscle gain is impacting weight loss
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Here's the thing, I made a plan at the beginning of the year to lose some more weight. I chose to do this by doing 2 things. First, reset my Lose It application on my phone, and set up a goal weight with daily calories intake etc. Second, set up a pretty ambitious new training schedule: running 4 days a week, with 3 days of strength training (push ups, sit ups, knee bends).
Initially that worked well, a couple of pounds washed off. Then the cold snap hit and I wasn't able to stick to my running program, and subsequently had a harder time hitting my net calories. Not a problem I though, once I can resume my training as a regular habit I should be able to get back on track with the weight loss.
Well that has not been the case, I have had 2 good weeks in a row now, with net calories coming in below my goal for the most part. Especially this week, I was really good since my running distance increased. And I have even found a decent balance as far as the cursed evening snacks. And yet the weight is stuck in a plateau.
Now I now these plateaus happen, and that the best strategy is to just hang in there, be patient, keep up with what I have been doing, and the weight comes off. But the question that is nagging in the back of my head is this: I now I have been building muscle all this time, I can see and feel this. And I know I can do more physically then I would have even thought a year ago when I was at roughly the same weight. What if everything I have built up is actually resulting in some of that increased weight (since muscle is denser than fat)? What is the best way to find this out? Because I don't want to start beating myself up every week over my weight not going down, when by all measurements it should have decreased.
This is just what is going through my head today. I am not going to let it really get to me, I will keep counting the calories and burning whenever I can. This is just something I will be looking into, and if anyone reading this cares to comment feel free.
Here's the thing, I made a plan at the beginning of the year to lose some more weight. I chose to do this by doing 2 things. First, reset my Lose It application on my phone, and set up a goal weight with daily calories intake etc. Second, set up a pretty ambitious new training schedule: running 4 days a week, with 3 days of strength training (push ups, sit ups, knee bends).
Initially that worked well, a couple of pounds washed off. Then the cold snap hit and I wasn't able to stick to my running program, and subsequently had a harder time hitting my net calories. Not a problem I though, once I can resume my training as a regular habit I should be able to get back on track with the weight loss.
Well that has not been the case, I have had 2 good weeks in a row now, with net calories coming in below my goal for the most part. Especially this week, I was really good since my running distance increased. And I have even found a decent balance as far as the cursed evening snacks. And yet the weight is stuck in a plateau.
Now I now these plateaus happen, and that the best strategy is to just hang in there, be patient, keep up with what I have been doing, and the weight comes off. But the question that is nagging in the back of my head is this: I now I have been building muscle all this time, I can see and feel this. And I know I can do more physically then I would have even thought a year ago when I was at roughly the same weight. What if everything I have built up is actually resulting in some of that increased weight (since muscle is denser than fat)? What is the best way to find this out? Because I don't want to start beating myself up every week over my weight not going down, when by all measurements it should have decreased.
This is just what is going through my head today. I am not going to let it really get to me, I will keep counting the calories and burning whenever I can. This is just something I will be looking into, and if anyone reading this cares to comment feel free.
I change the focus of my web presence (again)
So I am changing my web presence (again, what can I say, I embrace the change thing). Here is what is going to happen:
"Society is like a stew, if you don't stir it up all the scum rises to the top." Edward Abbey
Mike Ruch
- I will change the focus of this page (again). This page will focus on my development: training, health, etc. but it will no longer have family updates, pictures, etc. That will be found at
- Our new Family Web site This will be where you can go for family news, updates, pictures. In addition I will have a shared calendar there if you want to find out where we are.
- My Tumblr site will continue to focus on my hobbies and interesting links I find.
- My Twitter feed will post links to all 3 sites as will Facebook, but I will try to make clear where the link is going so those who do not care about family updates (or my hobbies, or about my running-training thoughts) won't always be directed there.
"Society is like a stew, if you don't stir it up all the scum rises to the top." Edward Abbey
Mike Ruch
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Reaching out feels good on it's own
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
As the youngest child in a family of 7 (well 8 if you count the younger foster brother but he came later so he doesn't count) I developed a habit of making sure that when I did something good I had to almost demand notice. It's not easy to get noticed in a family that large. So when you did something, especially as the youngest, the way to get acknowledgement was to figuratively jump up and down and yell: 'Hey I did something, notice me!' And unfortunately that is a habit that became somewhat ingrained in my life. And along with it a tendency to let what I didn't do just fade into the background.
What this has resulted in is that often when I do something good, something altruistic, I still feel I have to jump up and down. And since the accompanying humility of being the youngest meant that the effort to jump & down was hard I tended to not do that many good things just for the sake of it.
Well last week I mentioned that I had decided to make it a point to 'pay it forward' regarding my efforts to lose weight and put myself out there with some friends who are trying to do the same thing. The funny thing is that I have discovered how easy it is to type in the advice and atta-boys on Facebook. And how good it feels to do so, even though there is no expectation of quid pro quo. I guess this whole post is a way of my jumping up & down for that attention. But that's not the point, it's more to share that I have crossed that point where I have learned to do something good just for the sake of doing it.
As the youngest child in a family of 7 (well 8 if you count the younger foster brother but he came later so he doesn't count) I developed a habit of making sure that when I did something good I had to almost demand notice. It's not easy to get noticed in a family that large. So when you did something, especially as the youngest, the way to get acknowledgement was to figuratively jump up and down and yell: 'Hey I did something, notice me!' And unfortunately that is a habit that became somewhat ingrained in my life. And along with it a tendency to let what I didn't do just fade into the background.
What this has resulted in is that often when I do something good, something altruistic, I still feel I have to jump up and down. And since the accompanying humility of being the youngest meant that the effort to jump & down was hard I tended to not do that many good things just for the sake of it.
Well last week I mentioned that I had decided to make it a point to 'pay it forward' regarding my efforts to lose weight and put myself out there with some friends who are trying to do the same thing. The funny thing is that I have discovered how easy it is to type in the advice and atta-boys on Facebook. And how good it feels to do so, even though there is no expectation of quid pro quo. I guess this whole post is a way of my jumping up & down for that attention. But that's not the point, it's more to share that I have crossed that point where I have learned to do something good just for the sake of doing it.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Enjoying my freedom: freedom to argue, freedom to run, freedom for my family
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Enjoying the trends in the world today, while simultaneously enjoying the fruits of my labor. Had a nice, productive, enjoyable 3 day weekend. Loads of family time, filled with fun events, productive planning and relaxation. Also glad to feel my focus on sports gradually receding weekend by weekend.
Family
A good weekend, with some fun events, planned and unplanned. Saturday I did my normal run at the Y, then the library. Then we went to an unplanned birthday event for one of James' friends from school. Which was a good time for all the kids as they had chances to run around a different house with a bunch of friends/other kids. I enjoyed the company of other adults, talking about our kids and school etc. It was a nice change.
Sunday we took the kids to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Which was a really good time, the kids enjoyed all of the different exhibits. And we went ahead and became members so we now have that as an option on weekends, provided we are willing to make the drive to Denver.
Monday was a day to just relax, plus plan a little for the basement. I took advantage of the decent weather and free time to take a decent walk with Spotty as well. That has to be a new focus, she needs more exercise, and more importantly more socialization so when I take these walks her reaction to other dogs is not to just bark and jump at them. That habit of hers is making my runs a little harder than they should be.
Training
So my training went well over the weekend. With good runs and then walks every day. My eating did not fare as well, but that is just a matter of habit as much as anything. I am really enjoying getting back onto the roads and trails and feel stronger every day. My sit ups are just not progressing for some reason, but I keep at it, while the push ups are slowly building. Overall, I just feel I am in a really good place physically.
Politics
It's all about freedom now. While the people of the Middle East are letting their voices be heard, even risking death to do so, and freedom is spreading, the people of America are finally waking up to the real agenda of the corporate GOP. And they are standing up for their rights to, letting the politicians know what is and is not acceptable. And it's not just a handful of Tea Party activists, this is a real movement, with continuing demonstrations numbering in the thousands for over a week. I hope that this is a sign, that once people saw the true fruits of the GOP agenda, as symbolized in the House budget over the weekend, and the war on the poor & middle class, that maybe the line has finally been crossed.
Projects
We spent much of the drive up to Denver sketching out exactly all of the plans we have for the basement, and what obstacles we will have to cross to complete the projects. I think we are mostly in agreement there, and have a good idea of what we are planning to do in the long run. It's going to be a lot of work, and not easy to get done until the contractors have done their part, but I am excited for this process to begin.
Enjoying the trends in the world today, while simultaneously enjoying the fruits of my labor. Had a nice, productive, enjoyable 3 day weekend. Loads of family time, filled with fun events, productive planning and relaxation. Also glad to feel my focus on sports gradually receding weekend by weekend.
Family
A good weekend, with some fun events, planned and unplanned. Saturday I did my normal run at the Y, then the library. Then we went to an unplanned birthday event for one of James' friends from school. Which was a good time for all the kids as they had chances to run around a different house with a bunch of friends/other kids. I enjoyed the company of other adults, talking about our kids and school etc. It was a nice change.
Sunday we took the kids to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Which was a really good time, the kids enjoyed all of the different exhibits. And we went ahead and became members so we now have that as an option on weekends, provided we are willing to make the drive to Denver.
Monday was a day to just relax, plus plan a little for the basement. I took advantage of the decent weather and free time to take a decent walk with Spotty as well. That has to be a new focus, she needs more exercise, and more importantly more socialization so when I take these walks her reaction to other dogs is not to just bark and jump at them. That habit of hers is making my runs a little harder than they should be.
Training
So my training went well over the weekend. With good runs and then walks every day. My eating did not fare as well, but that is just a matter of habit as much as anything. I am really enjoying getting back onto the roads and trails and feel stronger every day. My sit ups are just not progressing for some reason, but I keep at it, while the push ups are slowly building. Overall, I just feel I am in a really good place physically.
Politics
It's all about freedom now. While the people of the Middle East are letting their voices be heard, even risking death to do so, and freedom is spreading, the people of America are finally waking up to the real agenda of the corporate GOP. And they are standing up for their rights to, letting the politicians know what is and is not acceptable. And it's not just a handful of Tea Party activists, this is a real movement, with continuing demonstrations numbering in the thousands for over a week. I hope that this is a sign, that once people saw the true fruits of the GOP agenda, as symbolized in the House budget over the weekend, and the war on the poor & middle class, that maybe the line has finally been crossed.
Projects
We spent much of the drive up to Denver sketching out exactly all of the plans we have for the basement, and what obstacles we will have to cross to complete the projects. I think we are mostly in agreement there, and have a good idea of what we are planning to do in the long run. It's going to be a lot of work, and not easy to get done until the contractors have done their part, but I am excited for this process to begin.
Friday, February 18, 2011
New Goal: Paying it forward
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
First, looking forward to an official 3 day weekend (opposed to all the partial weeks I have had of late due to kids illness, weather etc.). Probably doing a family trip to Denver to see the Museum on Sunday, since there will be no time constraint on what time we all get home and get to bed that night. Hoping for some news from the contractor today on the basement work. Glad for a full week of workouts and training per my actual planned routine. Which leads me to this:
Paying it Forward
I have been very lucky, for lots of things, and thankful to everyone who has chipped in and given things to us or just helped out when they can. This year something kicked in that is a bit of a surprise to me. Last year while I was training and losing weight I had some people to look to for inspiration, and some mutual support. But this year something new has raised it's head: people looking to me for support, inspiration, knowledge while they try to lose weight.
One of my best friends, my 'eating buddy' (like a drinking buddy except we met to eat and enjoy meals together) is trying to lose weight, and looking to me for knowledge and support. Another work friend has contacted me as well for the same thing. This is a bit new to me, I have normally been the person seeking advice on things like fitness etc.
But this week I decided to take this on as a more of a personal challenge. To be more active about this support, checking on these folks and their progress. Giving them tips as they ask, providing the support I received last year. Not only is this really the right thing to do, it feels good to impart my knowledge. And it will help me retain my focus on fitness as well.
First, looking forward to an official 3 day weekend (opposed to all the partial weeks I have had of late due to kids illness, weather etc.). Probably doing a family trip to Denver to see the Museum on Sunday, since there will be no time constraint on what time we all get home and get to bed that night. Hoping for some news from the contractor today on the basement work. Glad for a full week of workouts and training per my actual planned routine. Which leads me to this:
Paying it Forward
I have been very lucky, for lots of things, and thankful to everyone who has chipped in and given things to us or just helped out when they can. This year something kicked in that is a bit of a surprise to me. Last year while I was training and losing weight I had some people to look to for inspiration, and some mutual support. But this year something new has raised it's head: people looking to me for support, inspiration, knowledge while they try to lose weight.
One of my best friends, my 'eating buddy' (like a drinking buddy except we met to eat and enjoy meals together) is trying to lose weight, and looking to me for knowledge and support. Another work friend has contacted me as well for the same thing. This is a bit new to me, I have normally been the person seeking advice on things like fitness etc.
But this week I decided to take this on as a more of a personal challenge. To be more active about this support, checking on these folks and their progress. Giving them tips as they ask, providing the support I received last year. Not only is this really the right thing to do, it feels good to impart my knowledge. And it will help me retain my focus on fitness as well.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
News that gives me hope that not all is lost
Dear James, Daniel and Emily
2 days of more than 10,000 protesters
As the people of Wisconsin are finally waking up to the fact that the Republican solution to the budget mess brought on by their own attempts to repeal the laws of math is to balance the budget at the cost of those who can least afford it. Of course these people aren't 50 tea baggers carrying misspelled signs and protesting the President's citizenship so it's not front page news.
Any way, I can only hope and fear to some extent that this is the result of people realizing that when you keep electing politicians who think the only solution to any budget problem is cut programs, instead of raising taxes and asking those who can afford it to pay their share to do so. I don't know what the final result of these proitests will be, but I can hope this is a sign of the people who have been really feeling the effects of this economy realizing that we do live in a democracy and that it is up to them to hold the government accountable.
2 days of more than 10,000 protesters
As the people of Wisconsin are finally waking up to the fact that the Republican solution to the budget mess brought on by their own attempts to repeal the laws of math is to balance the budget at the cost of those who can least afford it. Of course these people aren't 50 tea baggers carrying misspelled signs and protesting the President's citizenship so it's not front page news.
Any way, I can only hope and fear to some extent that this is the result of people realizing that when you keep electing politicians who think the only solution to any budget problem is cut programs, instead of raising taxes and asking those who can afford it to pay their share to do so. I don't know what the final result of these proitests will be, but I can hope this is a sign of the people who have been really feeling the effects of this economy realizing that we do live in a democracy and that it is up to them to hold the government accountable.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Fighting children's illness
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Monday James came home early with a fever, then yesterday he woke up with a 101 fever, and stuck with that most of the day. So I stayed home yesterday, other than taking him to the Dr. and then a couple quick errors for me. Which was pretty unproductive, I spent most of the time reading and trying to keep from nibbling too much.
So far so good on my outside running, got up yesterday and handled the 30 minute run pretty well. Although I can tell that while I am doing a better job of handling my pacing that is resulting in my wearing out a little earlier, having lost some of my edge that I had before the holidays and cold snaps. But I am comfortably averaging 30 minute 5K's right now, which means I am at least ready for the first race in March.
Now in the waiting period on the basement restoration as the contractor submits their estimate to insurance and the insurance company gives it an Okay. But in looking at it last night I am really looking forward to making some changes down there. I really want to make that transition to having the basement become the 'family room' again as opposed to the kid's play area.
Monday James came home early with a fever, then yesterday he woke up with a 101 fever, and stuck with that most of the day. So I stayed home yesterday, other than taking him to the Dr. and then a couple quick errors for me. Which was pretty unproductive, I spent most of the time reading and trying to keep from nibbling too much.
So far so good on my outside running, got up yesterday and handled the 30 minute run pretty well. Although I can tell that while I am doing a better job of handling my pacing that is resulting in my wearing out a little earlier, having lost some of my edge that I had before the holidays and cold snaps. But I am comfortably averaging 30 minute 5K's right now, which means I am at least ready for the first race in March.
Now in the waiting period on the basement restoration as the contractor submits their estimate to insurance and the insurance company gives it an Okay. But in looking at it last night I am really looking forward to making some changes down there. I really want to make that transition to having the basement become the 'family room' again as opposed to the kid's play area.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wishing all a Happy Valentines Day, celebrate with a good run
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Wishing everyone a Happy Valentines Day. Up until about 14 years ago, I did not look forward to Valentines Day. But life has changed and I just want people to have a good day, especially my children as they start to hit the ages where Valentines can actually mean something. I especially want my lovely wife Kim to have a splendid day (which she gets to start off with a visit to the dentist), because it is her presence in my life that allows me to enjoy a day like today. Of course, like all other days that have come to symbolize excess and consumption in our culture I recommend taking the time today to get out and celebrate with some form of exercise, so you can enjoy all those other sweets you will consume.
Family
Had what amounted to a lazy, but relaxing weekend. I had a couple of appointments with contractors to measure the basement. We took the kids to the park and enjoyed the nice weather both days. I resumed the electronic game ban during the day (10 -4 roughly), much to the boys dismay. But we also got the house cleaned up, and tackled a big shopping trip.
So we took a long drive on Sunday, and while discussing possible things we might do with the basement Daniel out of blue stated that he wanted his own room. So we took the chance to discuss how we might partition part of the basement as a room for James. And how we could do that, and even figured out a transition plan to test it out before we undertook a major renovation. So that's a potential big change we might be looking at this year.
Emily had been having a rough time going to be on time lately. Partially due to inconsistent scheduling due to the time off. Also partially due to her fighting the colds. But I decided to try something, as those things were gone and she still refused to go to bed on time. I pushed her bed time up 30 minutes, so her & Daniel shared the same bed time. So far that has worked, we have avoided the 30+ minutes of screaming and histrionics, so we will see if that works going forward
Training
I returned to the roads and trails this weekend! Saturday morning I ran early, since I had the contractor coming, which made the Y unworkable. Sunday I took Spotty for our trail run. And boy did it feel good to get that early start, and get in the fresh air. But I did notice that I held to my pace better, which I can attribute to the time on the treadmill. So I will probably still do that on Saturday mornings, because the kids seem to enjoy that time out of the house, and there is a benefit to those runs on the treadmill.
Wishing everyone a Happy Valentines Day. Up until about 14 years ago, I did not look forward to Valentines Day. But life has changed and I just want people to have a good day, especially my children as they start to hit the ages where Valentines can actually mean something. I especially want my lovely wife Kim to have a splendid day (which she gets to start off with a visit to the dentist), because it is her presence in my life that allows me to enjoy a day like today. Of course, like all other days that have come to symbolize excess and consumption in our culture I recommend taking the time today to get out and celebrate with some form of exercise, so you can enjoy all those other sweets you will consume.
Family
Had what amounted to a lazy, but relaxing weekend. I had a couple of appointments with contractors to measure the basement. We took the kids to the park and enjoyed the nice weather both days. I resumed the electronic game ban during the day (10 -4 roughly), much to the boys dismay. But we also got the house cleaned up, and tackled a big shopping trip.
So we took a long drive on Sunday, and while discussing possible things we might do with the basement Daniel out of blue stated that he wanted his own room. So we took the chance to discuss how we might partition part of the basement as a room for James. And how we could do that, and even figured out a transition plan to test it out before we undertook a major renovation. So that's a potential big change we might be looking at this year.
Emily had been having a rough time going to be on time lately. Partially due to inconsistent scheduling due to the time off. Also partially due to her fighting the colds. But I decided to try something, as those things were gone and she still refused to go to bed on time. I pushed her bed time up 30 minutes, so her & Daniel shared the same bed time. So far that has worked, we have avoided the 30+ minutes of screaming and histrionics, so we will see if that works going forward
Training
I returned to the roads and trails this weekend! Saturday morning I ran early, since I had the contractor coming, which made the Y unworkable. Sunday I took Spotty for our trail run. And boy did it feel good to get that early start, and get in the fresh air. But I did notice that I held to my pace better, which I can attribute to the time on the treadmill. So I will probably still do that on Saturday mornings, because the kids seem to enjoy that time out of the house, and there is a benefit to those runs on the treadmill.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Refreshed and ready to hit the streets & trails this weekend
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Maybe it was a little S.A.D. but these last couple of weeks have really taken their toll. But I hung in there, and the world is thawing out, and the promise of returning to regular outside runs is right there. And maybe even a return to the parks this week, or at least some time on a hike possibly. No major projects or plans on tap.
Family
It's been a tough couple of weeks, for Kim & I at least. The kids have enjoyed all the time inside for the most part, as well as the days off. But this weekend I plan to do something with them outside, even if it's just a walk in the park. Or maybe a swimming excursion at the Y, just to get out of the house.
I have contractors coming this afternoon and tomorrow morning but after that no other plans. I intend to run to the library on my lunch break today, so there will be no reason to have to go to the library, and since I intend to run in the neighborhood because of the timing for the contractor no trip to the Y either.
Training
It's all even after the last couple of weeks weight wise. And after a week of the new stretching routine added to the sit ups & push ups I am feeling better about that work out as well.
With the thaw hitting I see no reason to run outside tomorrow morning, especially since the contractor is coming in the middle of the morning, which puts a crimp in my ability to go to the Y and use child watch anyway. And of course Sunday morning Spotty and I should be able to return to the trail.
Sports
I can feel the power of the NBA calling, it's been less than a week since the Super Bowl and already that part of my brain that is focused on following sports is turning it's attention to basketball, it's like a drug. But I really want to be strong and resist the pull, there is no good reason this year to spend the sunny days inside the house watching sports all weekend. And the emotional toll that following a team can take is unreasonable. So I will endeavor to persevere.
Maybe it was a little S.A.D. but these last couple of weeks have really taken their toll. But I hung in there, and the world is thawing out, and the promise of returning to regular outside runs is right there. And maybe even a return to the parks this week, or at least some time on a hike possibly. No major projects or plans on tap.
Family
It's been a tough couple of weeks, for Kim & I at least. The kids have enjoyed all the time inside for the most part, as well as the days off. But this weekend I plan to do something with them outside, even if it's just a walk in the park. Or maybe a swimming excursion at the Y, just to get out of the house.
I have contractors coming this afternoon and tomorrow morning but after that no other plans. I intend to run to the library on my lunch break today, so there will be no reason to have to go to the library, and since I intend to run in the neighborhood because of the timing for the contractor no trip to the Y either.
Training
It's all even after the last couple of weeks weight wise. And after a week of the new stretching routine added to the sit ups & push ups I am feeling better about that work out as well.
With the thaw hitting I see no reason to run outside tomorrow morning, especially since the contractor is coming in the middle of the morning, which puts a crimp in my ability to go to the Y and use child watch anyway. And of course Sunday morning Spotty and I should be able to return to the trail.
Sports
I can feel the power of the NBA calling, it's been less than a week since the Super Bowl and already that part of my brain that is focused on following sports is turning it's attention to basketball, it's like a drug. But I really want to be strong and resist the pull, there is no good reason this year to spend the sunny days inside the house watching sports all weekend. And the emotional toll that following a team can take is unreasonable. So I will endeavor to persevere.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Carpe Diem, or capitalizing on momentum from this week
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
It's been a good week, save for Tuesday. With the weather returning to more normal temps for this time of year I will hopefully be able to fight my out of the plateau I have been on this month. The most positive thing has been some new developments this week, one I actually stumbled onto last week and put into practice this week.
New discoveries
1. I was talking to a friend at work about stretching, and remembered that Dad had given me a book on stretching once upon a time. So I looked through my library and happily discovered that the book had survived my various purges. And found that among other things it contains a good 10-15 minute routine that I can follow daily. Which I promptly added to my schedule.
2. One day last week I had done my morning routine, and for some reason decided to eat after that, instead of my customary jump into the shower. And that actually resolved 2 niggling little things for me. First, by eating right away and then showering I find it easier to keep myself from just sitting and nibbling cereal to fill up time. Second, I know that it is better to eat and then brush my teeth rather than brushing before eating, and this resolves that long standing habit.
So here is what I hope to be my latest (revised) training schedule:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Mornings: Stretch (following routine in rediscovered book), Sit ups, Push ups, Knee bends (or air squats)
Lunch: Walk 15-25 minutes
Tuesday, Thursday
Mornings: Run per training schedule
Saturday, Sunday
Mornings: Run per training schedule, Stretch routine
This schedule should allow me to keep up with all the exercises, and see improvement in how long I run etc. Also, by exercising in some fashion every day I can have some calorie burn to offset the possibility of losing some will power in snacking.
It's been a good week, save for Tuesday. With the weather returning to more normal temps for this time of year I will hopefully be able to fight my out of the plateau I have been on this month. The most positive thing has been some new developments this week, one I actually stumbled onto last week and put into practice this week.
New discoveries
1. I was talking to a friend at work about stretching, and remembered that Dad had given me a book on stretching once upon a time. So I looked through my library and happily discovered that the book had survived my various purges. And found that among other things it contains a good 10-15 minute routine that I can follow daily. Which I promptly added to my schedule.
2. One day last week I had done my morning routine, and for some reason decided to eat after that, instead of my customary jump into the shower. And that actually resolved 2 niggling little things for me. First, by eating right away and then showering I find it easier to keep myself from just sitting and nibbling cereal to fill up time. Second, I know that it is better to eat and then brush my teeth rather than brushing before eating, and this resolves that long standing habit.
So here is what I hope to be my latest (revised) training schedule:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Mornings: Stretch (following routine in rediscovered book), Sit ups, Push ups, Knee bends (or air squats)
Lunch: Walk 15-25 minutes
Tuesday, Thursday
Mornings: Run per training schedule
Saturday, Sunday
Mornings: Run per training schedule, Stretch routine
This schedule should allow me to keep up with all the exercises, and see improvement in how long I run etc. Also, by exercising in some fashion every day I can have some calorie burn to offset the possibility of losing some will power in snacking.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Digging out after the storm
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Planning to force myself to get outside at lunch today and take a walk, all of this time inside, albeit necessary due to the weather, is starting to take it's toll on my mental state. I am really missing the outside runs, and am really looking forward to the weather returning to a point where I can do that again. I know I can run if it is cold, but when the sidewalks are covered in snow and/or ice it just isn't worth it. Hopefully the pending nice weather this weekend will remove all that white stuff so I can resume my training.
I dug out my stretching book, that I had forgotten I had until someone mentioned it the other day, and added a lengthy stretching routine to my MWF sit up, push ups routine, along with my newly added knee bends. My goal is to actually feel like I have really put in some effort on those mornings. And couple that with a lunch time walk, and I should be back in a good exercise routine.
The thing is I am a creature of habit, but also have an urge to tinker. So that conflict makes it hard some times to find a regular routine. But, so long as I am actually doing something, I know I will feel better. I have definitely reached a stage where too many days of inactivity take their toll.
Planning to force myself to get outside at lunch today and take a walk, all of this time inside, albeit necessary due to the weather, is starting to take it's toll on my mental state. I am really missing the outside runs, and am really looking forward to the weather returning to a point where I can do that again. I know I can run if it is cold, but when the sidewalks are covered in snow and/or ice it just isn't worth it. Hopefully the pending nice weather this weekend will remove all that white stuff so I can resume my training.
I dug out my stretching book, that I had forgotten I had until someone mentioned it the other day, and added a lengthy stretching routine to my MWF sit up, push ups routine, along with my newly added knee bends. My goal is to actually feel like I have really put in some effort on those mornings. And couple that with a lunch time walk, and I should be back in a good exercise routine.
The thing is I am a creature of habit, but also have an urge to tinker. So that conflict makes it hard some times to find a regular routine. But, so long as I am actually doing something, I know I will feel better. I have definitely reached a stage where too many days of inactivity take their toll.
Monday, February 7, 2011
I can and will triumph over the winter doldrums
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Had a good weekend, despite a good portion of time spent in clean up and recovery from the pipe problems. But we had it all back together and looking decent, thanks to some hard work and team work, James even pitched in and did his part. Found my way to a couple of decent workouts, although not exactly what I would have liked. Had a good party, and good company to enjoy the big game, which was a good game, and a good way to end the season and my focus on sports.
Family
It was a nice, relatively relaxing weekend. Chose not to over reach on most projects. Actually got the kids to bed on time most nights, although Emily had another rough weekend. She just can't shake this cold and cough, although having night like last night where she just refused to go to be don't help her recover.
I had a nice dinner out with my buddy on Saturday. Celebrating his birthday. I ate too much, but it was a good time, talking family, politics, current events and giving tips on eating and training.
Sunday went smoothly, with a good selection of friends and family there to attend. We had a good spread of food, and while I did indulge myself it wasn't overwhelming. And it was a good game.
Training
Saturday I did my run at the Y, that new habit is proving to work quite well for me and the kids. My only challenge is eating a light meal prior to the run. Sunday I chose not to do a trail run, and instead waited to go to the Y, which proved a bit of a mistake, because I was clearly not the only one with that idea, the only machine I was able to get on was a recumbent bike. Which was a workout, but no where near the workout I would have liked.
Doing these runs at the Y are good, but I miss the surge I get from that early morning run, so I am more than ready for the weather to return to normalcy. Although that doesn't look to be the case this week. I am also looking to find some new things that I can do on my off days in the mornings to get my breath going, the push ups and sit ups are good, but I want to get the cardio some workout as well, partially for the calorie burn and partially for that morning surge.
Football
So the season is over. It was a decent season, lots of interesting narratives, and again there was no overwhelming favorite that just ran away with things or a blow out for the Super Bowl. Any more I am finding that if my team (and even then that's not a requirement) is not on top I prefer new blood and no overwhelming teams. I guess that's one of the reasons I like football, the mode of the league in recent years has been one of new blood, no overwhelming favorites and the championship teams have been by and large competitive.
Projects
So now we are on to the next phase in the basement, that is we figured out what to do and how to arrange things so they are functional for now. Now we have to negotiate with the insurance company and figure out what they will pay for, or at least how much they will give us, then we figure out from there what direction we want to go. We are actually in agreement that we would both want to make the living area nicer, and more suited for us to be down there so the whole family uses the basement, instead of it being the place we banish the children to.
Had a good weekend, despite a good portion of time spent in clean up and recovery from the pipe problems. But we had it all back together and looking decent, thanks to some hard work and team work, James even pitched in and did his part. Found my way to a couple of decent workouts, although not exactly what I would have liked. Had a good party, and good company to enjoy the big game, which was a good game, and a good way to end the season and my focus on sports.
Family
It was a nice, relatively relaxing weekend. Chose not to over reach on most projects. Actually got the kids to bed on time most nights, although Emily had another rough weekend. She just can't shake this cold and cough, although having night like last night where she just refused to go to be don't help her recover.
I had a nice dinner out with my buddy on Saturday. Celebrating his birthday. I ate too much, but it was a good time, talking family, politics, current events and giving tips on eating and training.
Sunday went smoothly, with a good selection of friends and family there to attend. We had a good spread of food, and while I did indulge myself it wasn't overwhelming. And it was a good game.
Training
Saturday I did my run at the Y, that new habit is proving to work quite well for me and the kids. My only challenge is eating a light meal prior to the run. Sunday I chose not to do a trail run, and instead waited to go to the Y, which proved a bit of a mistake, because I was clearly not the only one with that idea, the only machine I was able to get on was a recumbent bike. Which was a workout, but no where near the workout I would have liked.
Doing these runs at the Y are good, but I miss the surge I get from that early morning run, so I am more than ready for the weather to return to normalcy. Although that doesn't look to be the case this week. I am also looking to find some new things that I can do on my off days in the mornings to get my breath going, the push ups and sit ups are good, but I want to get the cardio some workout as well, partially for the calorie burn and partially for that morning surge.
Football
So the season is over. It was a decent season, lots of interesting narratives, and again there was no overwhelming favorite that just ran away with things or a blow out for the Super Bowl. Any more I am finding that if my team (and even then that's not a requirement) is not on top I prefer new blood and no overwhelming teams. I guess that's one of the reasons I like football, the mode of the league in recent years has been one of new blood, no overwhelming favorites and the championship teams have been by and large competitive.
Projects
So now we are on to the next phase in the basement, that is we figured out what to do and how to arrange things so they are functional for now. Now we have to negotiate with the insurance company and figure out what they will pay for, or at least how much they will give us, then we figure out from there what direction we want to go. We are actually in agreement that we would both want to make the living area nicer, and more suited for us to be down there so the whole family uses the basement, instead of it being the place we banish the children to.
Friday, February 4, 2011
It didn't rain, but it did pour (into our basement)
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
On a day when I returned to work after a 2 day layoff due to school closures, faced off and conquered the variable will power of exercise, I was met by a mid afternoon call from Kim along the following lines:
"(indecipherable expletive) How do I turn off the water in the house, a pipe burst and it's pouring all over the basement!"
After talking her through finding the water turn off, I packed up and went home while she took James to his basketball game. I was surprisingly calm (not known for facing such calamities lightly in the past). I had a plan, and put it into play as soon as I got home:
1. Change shoes into water shoes
2. Take pictures of as much damage as I could
3. Call Insurance agent to start the claim process
4. Call plumber (it took 5 tries until I got someone who was able to make it that day)
By that time Kim had returned and Connie showed up and we began cleaning up.
1. Clear off the shelves and floor, throwing away toys that were obviously shot.
2. Move furniture off the deeper water areas
3. Started emptying water buckets at which point the plumber showed
4. Plumber fixed the pipe
5. Kim made executive decision that I agreed with to just remove the sopping wet carpet. Had this been summer and we could have just opened the windows etc it might have made sense to try and dry it out, but it wasn't. And with the expected deductible and likelihood of third party water clean up crew not arriving until today it made no sense to just let the water sit on the soaked carpet when it would probably be called a loss anyway.
6. I carried the pieces up stairs and out to the trash area while Kim and Connie took up the carpet in pieces and gradually sucked up the standing water. We finished around 6:30. So now the main area has no carpet, there is a good sized area of the ceiling with no insulation or sheet rock. And the shelves on the kids toy shelf were soaked and ruined (particle board does not handle that sort of thing well).
7. Now it will be up to the insurance company to figure out how much we get back to replace things (I am not super confident of how this will go). Worst case scenario is we get to replace it all out of pocket.
On the positive side of all this:
1. We operated as a team, getting things done without fighting or anger or disputes. Not that that happens often, but there have been times that we have had catastrophes and I (and occasionally Kim, but mostly me) have not handled the resulting stress well.
2. We can approach the kids play area with a bit of a clean slate, and maybe organize things in a way that works a little better at managing the inherent chaos.
3. We had talked about redoing the flooring in the basement, now we have no choice.
On a day when I returned to work after a 2 day layoff due to school closures, faced off and conquered the variable will power of exercise, I was met by a mid afternoon call from Kim along the following lines:
"(indecipherable expletive) How do I turn off the water in the house, a pipe burst and it's pouring all over the basement!"
After talking her through finding the water turn off, I packed up and went home while she took James to his basketball game. I was surprisingly calm (not known for facing such calamities lightly in the past). I had a plan, and put it into play as soon as I got home:
1. Change shoes into water shoes
2. Take pictures of as much damage as I could
3. Call Insurance agent to start the claim process
4. Call plumber (it took 5 tries until I got someone who was able to make it that day)
By that time Kim had returned and Connie showed up and we began cleaning up.
1. Clear off the shelves and floor, throwing away toys that were obviously shot.
2. Move furniture off the deeper water areas
3. Started emptying water buckets at which point the plumber showed
4. Plumber fixed the pipe
5. Kim made executive decision that I agreed with to just remove the sopping wet carpet. Had this been summer and we could have just opened the windows etc it might have made sense to try and dry it out, but it wasn't. And with the expected deductible and likelihood of third party water clean up crew not arriving until today it made no sense to just let the water sit on the soaked carpet when it would probably be called a loss anyway.
6. I carried the pieces up stairs and out to the trash area while Kim and Connie took up the carpet in pieces and gradually sucked up the standing water. We finished around 6:30. So now the main area has no carpet, there is a good sized area of the ceiling with no insulation or sheet rock. And the shelves on the kids toy shelf were soaked and ruined (particle board does not handle that sort of thing well).
7. Now it will be up to the insurance company to figure out how much we get back to replace things (I am not super confident of how this will go). Worst case scenario is we get to replace it all out of pocket.
On the positive side of all this:
1. We operated as a team, getting things done without fighting or anger or disputes. Not that that happens often, but there have been times that we have had catastrophes and I (and occasionally Kim, but mostly me) have not handled the resulting stress well.
2. We can approach the kids play area with a bit of a clean slate, and maybe organize things in a way that works a little better at managing the inherent chaos.
3. We had talked about redoing the flooring in the basement, now we have no choice.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Fighting the arctic chill and it's effects on motivation
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
My week is now all messed up. 2 days being stuck at home with the kids due to school closures has destroyed all semblance of consistency. So now I am trying to pick up the scattered pieces of my sanity and motivation.
I tried to monitor my eating habits and restrain myself, and thought I did a pretty good job. But there is something about being stuck at home, indoors, that keeps the body in some kind of ravenous state. It was the eternal battle of 'I'm bored, or not focused on this book/TV show/Movie so maybe I'll nibble a little something'. When the weather is bad, like it was the past couple of days, my only defenses against this were keeping busy (tough because there just weren't a lot of projects) or play computer games (since the PC is no where close to the kitchen).
Because the weather was so bad I missed out on my Tuesday run, and have postponed todays till lunch. Which means my grand training plan has been disrupted for the second week in a row. Very frustrating, I have to remind myself that it's not always about what I do today or this week, it's what I do for the whole week, or month or year.
The plus side of the 2 days at home was that Emily got 2 more days of rest to recover from the cold that kept her out of school Monday and prevented her sleeping well for several days before that. That and Daniel was even kind of excited to get out of the house and back to school.
Bottom line, sometimes life (or the weather) throws a curveball, and you have to adjust. Take the good with the bad, and move on. I will get the running schedule back, and the overall fitness program going at high speed. I just have to endeavor to persevere.
My week is now all messed up. 2 days being stuck at home with the kids due to school closures has destroyed all semblance of consistency. So now I am trying to pick up the scattered pieces of my sanity and motivation.
I tried to monitor my eating habits and restrain myself, and thought I did a pretty good job. But there is something about being stuck at home, indoors, that keeps the body in some kind of ravenous state. It was the eternal battle of 'I'm bored, or not focused on this book/TV show/Movie so maybe I'll nibble a little something'. When the weather is bad, like it was the past couple of days, my only defenses against this were keeping busy (tough because there just weren't a lot of projects) or play computer games (since the PC is no where close to the kitchen).
Because the weather was so bad I missed out on my Tuesday run, and have postponed todays till lunch. Which means my grand training plan has been disrupted for the second week in a row. Very frustrating, I have to remind myself that it's not always about what I do today or this week, it's what I do for the whole week, or month or year.
The plus side of the 2 days at home was that Emily got 2 more days of rest to recover from the cold that kept her out of school Monday and prevented her sleeping well for several days before that. That and Daniel was even kind of excited to get out of the house and back to school.
Bottom line, sometimes life (or the weather) throws a curveball, and you have to adjust. Take the good with the bad, and move on. I will get the running schedule back, and the overall fitness program going at high speed. I just have to endeavor to persevere.
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