Exhausting day.
As I drove home from work this morning I had a vague idea how the day would go. I'm a "planner", so this isn't anything new. I'm also "forgetful", which is why I overlooked a commitment I made to attend a musical in La Porte. I attended the show, but it sucked up most of my day. Managing all of the planned activities threw me completely off my routine.
At the days end, I had to FORCE myself to workout.
Bike Trainer:
11.03 miles
45:04
14.69 mph
Upper-body workout
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Bike Trainer
About a year ago I purchased a used bike trainer. Shortly after the purchase, I set up the trainer for a short ride. Cycling without going anywhere felt awkward to me. Consequently, it has been sitting in my closet collecting dust ever since.
I gave the trainer another try today with a "real" workout. I positioned the bike in front of the television, which made the time fly by. It felt like a really good workout. During the show I cycled a 5-6 effort and on the commercials I changed gears and rode 8-9 effort.
I worked up a big sweat.
Bike Trainer:
~14 miles
1:00:00
~14 mph
I'm all caught up with the missed workouts.
Workout:
Upper body
Mid-Body
I gave the trainer another try today with a "real" workout. I positioned the bike in front of the television, which made the time fly by. It felt like a really good workout. During the show I cycled a 5-6 effort and on the commercials I changed gears and rode 8-9 effort.
I worked up a big sweat.
Bike Trainer:
~14 miles
1:00:00
~14 mph
I'm all caught up with the missed workouts.
Workout:
Upper body
Mid-Body
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Communication
Why is it so hard to listen these days? In my life I've had two really good friends. Correction, they were GREAT friends. I admired their ability to listen without misinterpreting me and interjecting their biased opinion. It is hard to find a friend that is able to listen without judging, a friend that isn't scarred to tell you when you're being an ass. They know when to offer empathy and when to be a cheerleader. Most importantly they know when to say nothing at all.
Lately, it seems like everyone 'hears me', but no one is listening. I'll be the first to say I'm not a great listener, but that is not what everyone comes to me for. I'm the guy who offers results and fixes things. Lots of my friends come to me for advice to their tangible problems. Most of the time I can help with simple issues. Sometimes I can't, but that doesn't change the dynamics of our friendship. I don't always offer the help they're looking for, but I always try to offer another view point.
This post isn't directed at any one person directly. This is merely observations about the people around me during the last year. When I'm heavy in thought, I don't talk much and that seems to drive people crazy. Everyone wants to talk. In this endless loop of talking, no one is listening. I'm a divorced father of two because of communication, or lack thereof. I was happy-go-lucky-in-love and never had a clue that my wife was not happy. One day she finally opened up to me, but unfortunately she had already "checked-out" of the marriage.
What is done is done, but I wonder if silence is also a form of communication. As I said above, there are people around me that are completely disturbed by periodic periods of silence. I do not want to find myself jeopardizing the relationships I have because I don't talk endlessly, ie communicate. This leaves me pondering, is silence as a form of communication?
I'm struggling to define the roles of communication with each and every friend. I'm learning that everyone is different and each person must be dealt with differently. I feel like I do a fair amount of listening, but no one returns the gesture. That bothers me. People ask my thoughts and ideals all the time, but I'm not sure why. It doesn't seem like they want my opinion at all. I get the sense they are fishing for the answer they want and they'll keep asking people until they get the response they're after.
The two friends I utilized as my sounding board have started their own families and as a result, our friendships are drifting apart. It would seem they have other people to listen to and I completely understand. Now I'm taking a closer look at those people on the fringes of my life. I'm trying to separate myself from fair-weather friends and build a solid base with those relationships where both people share the roles of communication.
None of us are perfect communicators. For example; I don't spend as much time as I should listening to my kids. It is a relationship where they are expected to listen while I bark out, "Do this" and "Don't do that". That is why I wonder if my new role should be, "the listener". I'd like to think at the age of 35 there would be people around me who would share the roles of communication. I suppose that is why I blog. This blog is my voice without someone always trying to judge, show pity, give advice, or encourage me when I'm clearly not asking for it. Sometimes I just want to tell a story. Other times I want an interactive dialog. Perhaps I don't express these thoughts and expectations properly. Don't take any of this the wrong way, I enjoy and welcome comments on my blog. Blogging lets me say what's on my mind without interruption. And most of the time... that is all I'm looking for.
I could go on-and-on, but I'll stop. I seem to be rambling.
Too cold outside to ride my bike, so I went for a walk. Legs feel a lot better today:
Walk:
5.19 miles
1:27:43
16:40 pace
Also went through an upper body and mid body workout. This catches me up from the weekend in Austin.
Lately, it seems like everyone 'hears me', but no one is listening. I'll be the first to say I'm not a great listener, but that is not what everyone comes to me for. I'm the guy who offers results and fixes things. Lots of my friends come to me for advice to their tangible problems. Most of the time I can help with simple issues. Sometimes I can't, but that doesn't change the dynamics of our friendship. I don't always offer the help they're looking for, but I always try to offer another view point.
This post isn't directed at any one person directly. This is merely observations about the people around me during the last year. When I'm heavy in thought, I don't talk much and that seems to drive people crazy. Everyone wants to talk. In this endless loop of talking, no one is listening. I'm a divorced father of two because of communication, or lack thereof. I was happy-go-lucky-in-love and never had a clue that my wife was not happy. One day she finally opened up to me, but unfortunately she had already "checked-out" of the marriage.
What is done is done, but I wonder if silence is also a form of communication. As I said above, there are people around me that are completely disturbed by periodic periods of silence. I do not want to find myself jeopardizing the relationships I have because I don't talk endlessly, ie communicate. This leaves me pondering, is silence as a form of communication?
I'm struggling to define the roles of communication with each and every friend. I'm learning that everyone is different and each person must be dealt with differently. I feel like I do a fair amount of listening, but no one returns the gesture. That bothers me. People ask my thoughts and ideals all the time, but I'm not sure why. It doesn't seem like they want my opinion at all. I get the sense they are fishing for the answer they want and they'll keep asking people until they get the response they're after.
The two friends I utilized as my sounding board have started their own families and as a result, our friendships are drifting apart. It would seem they have other people to listen to and I completely understand. Now I'm taking a closer look at those people on the fringes of my life. I'm trying to separate myself from fair-weather friends and build a solid base with those relationships where both people share the roles of communication.
None of us are perfect communicators. For example; I don't spend as much time as I should listening to my kids. It is a relationship where they are expected to listen while I bark out, "Do this" and "Don't do that". That is why I wonder if my new role should be, "the listener". I'd like to think at the age of 35 there would be people around me who would share the roles of communication. I suppose that is why I blog. This blog is my voice without someone always trying to judge, show pity, give advice, or encourage me when I'm clearly not asking for it. Sometimes I just want to tell a story. Other times I want an interactive dialog. Perhaps I don't express these thoughts and expectations properly. Don't take any of this the wrong way, I enjoy and welcome comments on my blog. Blogging lets me say what's on my mind without interruption. And most of the time... that is all I'm looking for.
I could go on-and-on, but I'll stop. I seem to be rambling.
Too cold outside to ride my bike, so I went for a walk. Legs feel a lot better today:
Walk:
5.19 miles
1:27:43
16:40 pace
Also went through an upper body and mid body workout. This catches me up from the weekend in Austin.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
No News...
At work today.
Walk/run for 3.15 miles. Scott and Todd joined me, which is reflected in my run pace. The actual numbers are separated below:
Run:
1.7 miles
14:28
8:30 pace
Walk:
1.44 miles
23:58
16:40 pace
Lower-body workout
Calves feel a little better.
Walk/run for 3.15 miles. Scott and Todd joined me, which is reflected in my run pace. The actual numbers are separated below:
Run:
1.7 miles
14:28
8:30 pace
Walk:
1.44 miles
23:58
16:40 pace
Lower-body workout
Calves feel a little better.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tight Calves and Baseball Tryouts
My calves have been really tight since the race. Last night I slept a full 8-hours, without any change in soreness. This morning I went for a bike ride, hoping to loosen up my legs. Everything except my calves feel better. My calves remain tight.
Trail Bike:
8.19 miles
41:48
11.76 mph
I missed two workouts while in Austin, so I will be doubling up the next two days.
Workout:
Upper
Mid-body
As promised, here is a funny story from yesterday, as told to me by Andrea:
On the bus back to the start line Andrea told me how she was able to drink water at every water station. She proceeded to tell me that at one stop a man was handing out "sticks with stuff on them". She was listening to the people around her and a guy told a group of female runners, "That is gu. It will give you a burst of energy". Well, most of the running world knows that was NOT gu, but rather Vaseline. I know this because I saw the same guy and his numerous jars of Vaseline. Andrea said she saw a couple of the women eating the "Vaseline on a stick". Andrea didn't stop them because she didn't know what it was either and thought, "that doesn't seem right and I'm not eating anything from a stranger that is not packaged". That story cracked me up!
The next story isn't so funny, but it made me think. I often wonder how people feel about the marathon, those that live on the course itself. I've wondered this for lots of races. About halfway into the 3M half marathon, someone spray painted a HUGE message on a wood fence. The note said:
Marathons are for assholes who don't have to ride the bus. All you yuppies can go fuck yourselves.
I was completely shocked to read the sign. There was no way to ignore it, the entire message was about 20' x 5'. Someone stapled a piece of paper to the bottom of the message. It was too small and I didn't want to stop to read it, but I can only assume what it said! I spent the next few miles thinking how I would have responded... That in itself was amusing to me.
I forgot to mention that Alison had baseball tryouts on Saturday. She did a really good job. Thirty minutes after the tryouts one of the coaches found us and told us that Alison has a lot of natural ability. He said she is doing things, which takes most kids a couple years to learn. Erin and I are really proud of her (nothing new).
Trail Bike:
8.19 miles
41:48
11.76 mph
I missed two workouts while in Austin, so I will be doubling up the next two days.
Workout:
Upper
Mid-body
As promised, here is a funny story from yesterday, as told to me by Andrea:
On the bus back to the start line Andrea told me how she was able to drink water at every water station. She proceeded to tell me that at one stop a man was handing out "sticks with stuff on them". She was listening to the people around her and a guy told a group of female runners, "That is gu. It will give you a burst of energy". Well, most of the running world knows that was NOT gu, but rather Vaseline. I know this because I saw the same guy and his numerous jars of Vaseline. Andrea said she saw a couple of the women eating the "Vaseline on a stick". Andrea didn't stop them because she didn't know what it was either and thought, "that doesn't seem right and I'm not eating anything from a stranger that is not packaged". That story cracked me up!
The next story isn't so funny, but it made me think. I often wonder how people feel about the marathon, those that live on the course itself. I've wondered this for lots of races. About halfway into the 3M half marathon, someone spray painted a HUGE message on a wood fence. The note said:
Marathons are for assholes who don't have to ride the bus. All you yuppies can go fuck yourselves.
I was completely shocked to read the sign. There was no way to ignore it, the entire message was about 20' x 5'. Someone stapled a piece of paper to the bottom of the message. It was too small and I didn't want to stop to read it, but I can only assume what it said! I spent the next few miles thinking how I would have responded... That in itself was amusing to me.
I forgot to mention that Alison had baseball tryouts on Saturday. She did a really good job. Thirty minutes after the tryouts one of the coaches found us and told us that Alison has a lot of natural ability. He said she is doing things, which takes most kids a couple years to learn. Erin and I are really proud of her (nothing new).
Sunday, January 25, 2009
3M Half-Marathon
Last week I sat around wishing my knee would behave enough to run. Over the last couple weeks I've been introducing walk-runs into my fitness regimen. I've had favorable results with this process.
Everyone keeps asking, "What about your knee?" It still bothers me, but I'm learning when to back off and when to change activities. I keep telling them; My knee surgery is scheduled for February 27th and I want to make sure I get my monies worth out of the surgeon!
I had thoughts of trying a walk-run at the Houston Half-marathon, but I had already volunteered my race bib to a person I found on a Kingwood Cycling forum. A local rider put me in contact with some friends of his from Mexico. We exchanged several emails and all seemed well. We talked three times the weekend of the marathon and I thought we had everything worked out. It seemed like a done deal, so I didn't see the need to take off work. In the end, the guy never showed to pick up our bibs. I was VERY frustrated. Not only was I out a bunch of money, but I couldn't run and it was too late to find someone else who wanted the bib. Lesson learned, I suppose. Runners are SO MUCH MORE STABLE than cyclist. lol
Andrea and I were bummed-out about giving up the idea of running a half-marathon. Shortly thereafter we decided to try our luck in Austin.
The race went well for both of us. My only goal was to beat the 4-hour time limit. Andrea was hoping to run as much as possible and finish. Both of us were shocked at our hidden abilities. I came in nearly one-hour faster than I expected and Andrea said she ran the entire race without stopping. Not too bad for inconsistent training.
I really enjoyed this race. By far the best goody bag I've ever received. Too much stuff to list it all, so I attached a picture. Also received a long sleeve shirt, finishers metal, and finishers t-shirt. The course is primarily downhill, but don't let that fool you... there WAS NOT a lack of climbs on this course. I've always loved Austin and this course is one of the reasons why. I don't think we ever ran on level ground. We were either running up or down. I have mega tight calves to prove it!
The course is a point-to-point, so we were bused back to the starting line. Everything went perfect from my view point. I highly recommend this race. There are a couple funny stories to share, but I'll do that tomorrow. I'm tired and need to get a few other things done at home.
Bill:
13.13 mile (garmin)
2:46:22
12:40 pace
Andrea:
13.1 mile
2:25:39
11:07 pace
Everyone keeps asking, "What about your knee?" It still bothers me, but I'm learning when to back off and when to change activities. I keep telling them; My knee surgery is scheduled for February 27th and I want to make sure I get my monies worth out of the surgeon!
I had thoughts of trying a walk-run at the Houston Half-marathon, but I had already volunteered my race bib to a person I found on a Kingwood Cycling forum. A local rider put me in contact with some friends of his from Mexico. We exchanged several emails and all seemed well. We talked three times the weekend of the marathon and I thought we had everything worked out. It seemed like a done deal, so I didn't see the need to take off work. In the end, the guy never showed to pick up our bibs. I was VERY frustrated. Not only was I out a bunch of money, but I couldn't run and it was too late to find someone else who wanted the bib. Lesson learned, I suppose. Runners are SO MUCH MORE STABLE than cyclist. lol
Andrea and I were bummed-out about giving up the idea of running a half-marathon. Shortly thereafter we decided to try our luck in Austin.
The race went well for both of us. My only goal was to beat the 4-hour time limit. Andrea was hoping to run as much as possible and finish. Both of us were shocked at our hidden abilities. I came in nearly one-hour faster than I expected and Andrea said she ran the entire race without stopping. Not too bad for inconsistent training.
I really enjoyed this race. By far the best goody bag I've ever received. Too much stuff to list it all, so I attached a picture. Also received a long sleeve shirt, finishers metal, and finishers t-shirt. The course is primarily downhill, but don't let that fool you... there WAS NOT a lack of climbs on this course. I've always loved Austin and this course is one of the reasons why. I don't think we ever ran on level ground. We were either running up or down. I have mega tight calves to prove it!
The course is a point-to-point, so we were bused back to the starting line. Everything went perfect from my view point. I highly recommend this race. There are a couple funny stories to share, but I'll do that tomorrow. I'm tired and need to get a few other things done at home.
Bill:
13.13 mile (garmin)
2:46:22
12:40 pace
Andrea:
13.1 mile
2:25:39
11:07 pace
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Running behind...
I'm never "that guy" who is late. I would even say I'm pretty-dang reliable. Yesterday is an exception to the rule, kind of. I forgot that Wyatt needed me to work for him 5-hrs in the middle of his shift (3pm-8pm). Having forgot our discussion, I made plans to walk Alison home from school and catch up on a lot of other small things around the house. At 2:45 Wyatt text me; "You will be working with Sean". I sent a quick response, "Oh crap, I'm on my way". I was suppose to be there in 15-minutes. While getting dressed I called Erin to see if she could pick-up Alison and THANKFULLY she said it wasn't a problem . Long short short, he got a call before my arrival. I meet him on scene at 2:58 and I'm still not "that guy". Now, that's FAST....
While at work I walked one lap, ran one lap for 43-minutes. My legs continue to feel tired. I pushed through it knowing Friday is my scheduled off day. Even though I was alternating walking and running, I divided the walk and runs below:
Walk:
1.8 miles
28:56
16:04 pace
Run:
1.5 miles
13:18
9:18 pace
Lower-body workout.
While at work I walked one lap, ran one lap for 43-minutes. My legs continue to feel tired. I pushed through it knowing Friday is my scheduled off day. Even though I was alternating walking and running, I divided the walk and runs below:
Walk:
1.8 miles
28:56
16:04 pace
Run:
1.5 miles
13:18
9:18 pace
Lower-body workout.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Walk/Run
At work.
Run 2.37 miles, walk 2.37 miles. I'm feeling tired and ready for my Friday 'off-day'.
Walk-Run:
4.74 miles
1:00:32
12:47 pace
Upper-body workout.
Run 2.37 miles, walk 2.37 miles. I'm feeling tired and ready for my Friday 'off-day'.
Walk-Run:
4.74 miles
1:00:32
12:47 pace
Upper-body workout.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Wyatt is Riding Again!
Rode my trail bike to visit my friend Wyatt. Last year we were consistently riding. We both slacked off when he was promoted at work. Now he is trying to manage the difficult task of balancing his time with friends, family, work, and recreation.
The route was about 6-miles to his house. From there we went for a leisure 6-mile ride. He's not been riding much, so we took it down a notch and just had a fun and easy ride. The 6-miles back home made for a nice 18-miler.
I'm still trying to warm up. The cold wind was cutting right through me. brrrrrrr...
Time to head to the gym for a upper-body workout.
Bike (trail bike):
17.92 miles
1:31:42
11:73 mph
The route was about 6-miles to his house. From there we went for a leisure 6-mile ride. He's not been riding much, so we took it down a notch and just had a fun and easy ride. The 6-miles back home made for a nice 18-miler.
I'm still trying to warm up. The cold wind was cutting right through me. brrrrrrr...
Time to head to the gym for a upper-body workout.
Bike (trail bike):
17.92 miles
1:31:42
11:73 mph
Monday, January 19, 2009
Steve's Marathon
Took the greenbelts to my buddies house (he's also the Captain on my shift.) I wanted to see how his recovery from the marathon is going. His right knee started hurting him at mile two. From his detailed story, it would appear that his race deteriorated with each passing mile. I have to commend his effort. He never gave up and finished in 5:13.
Bike (trail bike):
13.43 miles
1:05:41
12:27 mph
Lower-body workout.
I'll finish the day at my part-time job....
Bike (trail bike):
13.43 miles
1:05:41
12:27 mph
Lower-body workout.
I'll finish the day at my part-time job....
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Should have....
At work today. I SHOULD be at the Houston Half-Marathon. It's sad to think that I have an overpriced half-marathon entry bib sitting at home, not being utilized.
...there's always next year, right?
I did my own thing at work. One-hour worth of a walk/run regimen. If my math is correct, I ran nearly 1.9-miles and walked 2.5 miles. It took several laps for my knee to ease into the run. Afterwards it felt fine.
Mid-body workout.
...there's always next year, right?
I did my own thing at work. One-hour worth of a walk/run regimen. If my math is correct, I ran nearly 1.9-miles and walked 2.5 miles. It took several laps for my knee to ease into the run. Afterwards it felt fine.
Mid-body workout.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Alison's new bike
Took the entire crew for a bike ride. Only two stops during the ride and both breaks were less than 10-minutes.
Bike:
9.37 miles
1:03:03
8.61 mph
We bought Alison a brand new bike. She was riding a 12-inch wheel bike. During the last six months she has grown so much that her knees were hitting the handlebars. Needless to say it was time for a larger bike. I have no idea how she consistently rode 8+ miles with me. Her new bike has 20-inch wheels. She's in between bike sizes, so it is almost too large for her, but she is riding it like a champ. In fact, the bike is so large she looks funny riding it.
Upper-body workout.
Bike:
9.37 miles
1:03:03
8.61 mph
We bought Alison a brand new bike. She was riding a 12-inch wheel bike. During the last six months she has grown so much that her knees were hitting the handlebars. Needless to say it was time for a larger bike. I have no idea how she consistently rode 8+ miles with me. Her new bike has 20-inch wheels. She's in between bike sizes, so it is almost too large for her, but she is riding it like a champ. In fact, the bike is so large she looks funny riding it.
Upper-body workout.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Work....
Left my part-time job to go to my full time job. Twenty-six hours done. A mere twelve more hours and I'll be homeward bound!
Biked this morning for 5.6 miles, walked 2.25 miles, and completed a lower-body workout.
Biked this morning for 5.6 miles, walked 2.25 miles, and completed a lower-body workout.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Walk
Sitting here at my part-time job. I'm bored, but I guess that is a good thing...
Walked 5.3 mile's this morning and walked another 2.5 miles here at work.
Mid-body workout.
Walked 5.3 mile's this morning and walked another 2.5 miles here at work.
Mid-body workout.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Trying to Run
At work today.
Walk-run for 1:01:47. Walked 3.03 miles and ran 1.50 miles. Felt good. MRI tomorrow morning. My insurance sucks. I received a phone call today from the doctors office, telling me to show up with $640.00
Lower body workout.
Its been a good day.
Walk-run for 1:01:47. Walked 3.03 miles and ran 1.50 miles. Felt good. MRI tomorrow morning. My insurance sucks. I received a phone call today from the doctors office, telling me to show up with $640.00
Lower body workout.
Its been a good day.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Wasted Time?
Too cold to bike. Andrea and I walked the greenbelts. Later we biked to a local sandwich shop for lunch.
I had the entire weekend off and I'm not sure if I got anything done, besides a little exercise.
Walk:
5.62 miles
1:31:00
Trail Bike:
2.73 miles
14:29
11.31 mph
Upper body workout
I had the entire weekend off and I'm not sure if I got anything done, besides a little exercise.
Walk:
5.62 miles
1:31:00
Trail Bike:
2.73 miles
14:29
11.31 mph
Upper body workout
Saturday, January 10, 2009
25-miles
Andrea and I rode 25 miles in Crosby. Enjoyable ride despite the cold, rain, and wind. It wasn't quite raining, but more like a heavy mist and it only lasted for the first 15-miles. We averaged 15 mph for the first half, but lost nearly 2 mph on the way back due to the North wind. Weather.com showed a cool front blowing in around the time we were riding. This makes sense, because it got colder the longer we rode.
Lots of riders out today. I bet we saw 50+ riders.
Bike:
25.02 miles
1:46:13
13.32 mph
Workout: Upper body
Lots of riders out today. I bet we saw 50+ riders.
Bike:
25.02 miles
1:46:13
13.32 mph
Workout: Upper body
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Second Wind
Exhausted as a result of a huge garage organization project. Today's section was shelf building 101. Glad to say that after a month, I'm 95% done. All that is left is a little cleaning.
The project took most the day. I wanted a formal cardio workout, so I hit the bike... and I hit it hard.
Bike:
5.89 miles
27:05
13.05 mph
Nice aggressive pace, for a trail bike.
I lost all forms of energy late in the afternoon and decided to skip the weight training. It didn't take long for me to start feeling guilty. After a couple hours of feeling blah I forced myself to get the workout over with. Glad I did, because I feel better.
Workout:
Lower body
The project took most the day. I wanted a formal cardio workout, so I hit the bike... and I hit it hard.
Bike:
5.89 miles
27:05
13.05 mph
Nice aggressive pace, for a trail bike.
I lost all forms of energy late in the afternoon and decided to skip the weight training. It didn't take long for me to start feeling guilty. After a couple hours of feeling blah I forced myself to get the workout over with. Glad I did, because I feel better.
Workout:
Lower body
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Trail Bike
Two bike rides today. The first ride was a 9-mile trek to the barber shop. The second ride consisted of me following Andrea on my bike as she ran around the subdivision.
Bike:
15.32 miles
1:34:19
9.75 mph
Mid-body workout.
Almost done with the garage organization project. Should be complete by tomorrow. YEAH!!!
Bike:
15.32 miles
1:34:19
9.75 mph
Mid-body workout.
Almost done with the garage organization project. Should be complete by tomorrow. YEAH!!!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Baby Steps
At Work.
Beautiful weather tonight.
Attempted something similar to running. The loop around the station is 0.30. Basically the long side's measure 0.09 and 0.10, while the ends measure 0.05 and 0.06. With each loop I completed, I ran the 0.06 end. I know it's not much, but I did it without any pain. In fact, I feel pretty damn good.
Walk:
3.0 miles
45:58
15:21 pace
Upper body workout.
Beautiful weather tonight.
Attempted something similar to running. The loop around the station is 0.30. Basically the long side's measure 0.09 and 0.10, while the ends measure 0.05 and 0.06. With each loop I completed, I ran the 0.06 end. I know it's not much, but I did it without any pain. In fact, I feel pretty damn good.
Walk:
3.0 miles
45:58
15:21 pace
Upper body workout.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Membership
Too cold to ride my bike. I donned 3-shirts, 2 shorts, hat, and gloves, yet only made it 1/4 mile before calling it quits. An hour later I bundled up and took Lulu for a 3-mile walk.
Walk:
3.01 miles
50:18
Lower-body workout
Talked to the people at Gold's Gym about a membership in Kingwood. Am I the only one that feels like I'm buying a used car when trying to sign up for a membership? They kept throwing all kinds of numbers (contract terms) at me, which was nothing more than smoke & mirrors. I added all their fees and divided by a given number of months, which gave me a unit price. Most of the terms we're within the same price range, although they gave the impression one deal was SO much better than another. I also noticed all the sales team people seemed to be 'pretty people' with more experience in sales than fitness. After a few minutes of their dog & pony show, I started treating them like a used car dealership. I was surprised that it actually worked; I made some advances and the unit price made a drastic drop. I found it comical when she would say, "I'll be right back, I need to go talk to my manager about this deal". The manager was located in an all glass room a short distance away... just like a used car lot showroom! They offered me a decent price if I paid the entire membership up front. The final number the manager gave me was 'suppose' to be everything, including fees and taxes. We completed all the paperwork and the manager shook our hands and welcomed us to the club. The manager took the sales pitch too far and told us, "Don't tell your friends or family we offered you this price, because I'm not suppose to be signing these kind of deals". When the salesperson went to charge the debit card the NEW amount was about 100-bucks more than quoted. The new increase was tax. I tried explaining that our conversation 10-minutes prior stated EVERYTHING was included, a complete and final walkout price. I told them this was a deal breaker. They stood their ground, as did I. I kept wondering is they would chase me down in the parking lot and offer me a counter offer, like a used car salesman. They didn't and now I don't have a membership. Guess I'll stick to my trusty old barbells in my garage.
Walk:
3.01 miles
50:18
Lower-body workout
Talked to the people at Gold's Gym about a membership in Kingwood. Am I the only one that feels like I'm buying a used car when trying to sign up for a membership? They kept throwing all kinds of numbers (contract terms) at me, which was nothing more than smoke & mirrors. I added all their fees and divided by a given number of months, which gave me a unit price. Most of the terms we're within the same price range, although they gave the impression one deal was SO much better than another. I also noticed all the sales team people seemed to be 'pretty people' with more experience in sales than fitness. After a few minutes of their dog & pony show, I started treating them like a used car dealership. I was surprised that it actually worked; I made some advances and the unit price made a drastic drop. I found it comical when she would say, "I'll be right back, I need to go talk to my manager about this deal". The manager was located in an all glass room a short distance away... just like a used car lot showroom! They offered me a decent price if I paid the entire membership up front. The final number the manager gave me was 'suppose' to be everything, including fees and taxes. We completed all the paperwork and the manager shook our hands and welcomed us to the club. The manager took the sales pitch too far and told us, "Don't tell your friends or family we offered you this price, because I'm not suppose to be signing these kind of deals". When the salesperson went to charge the debit card the NEW amount was about 100-bucks more than quoted. The new increase was tax. I tried explaining that our conversation 10-minutes prior stated EVERYTHING was included, a complete and final walkout price. I told them this was a deal breaker. They stood their ground, as did I. I kept wondering is they would chase me down in the parking lot and offer me a counter offer, like a used car salesman. They didn't and now I don't have a membership. Guess I'll stick to my trusty old barbells in my garage.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Group Ride
This morning I put everyone on a bike and took off down the road. Attendees included; Andrea, Alison, Taylor, Preston, and of course... me. Preston got a free ride with me via his bike seat. We stopped every 2-3 miles as part of my planned route which included stops at a couple parks, a duck pond, and lunch.
Nice ride. The girls did fine. Their fitness wasn't an issue, but rather the boredom associated with riding for more than an hour.
Bike:
11.44 miles
1:13:58
9.28 mph
Mid-body workout shortly after the bike ride.
Best Wishes and quick recovery to Joe C. who is on the Disabled List due to a fall. I'm thinking about you!
Nice ride. The girls did fine. Their fitness wasn't an issue, but rather the boredom associated with riding for more than an hour.
Bike:
11.44 miles
1:13:58
9.28 mph
Mid-body workout shortly after the bike ride.
Best Wishes and quick recovery to Joe C. who is on the Disabled List due to a fall. I'm thinking about you!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Friday, January 02, 2009
Still Proud...
Alison has a new cycling distance PR!!
We chose a 2-mile route to Schlotzski's for lunch. On the return trip we decided to take the long way home, which totaled 8.3 miles. Our average speed was close to 10 mph. Unfortunately, there are lots of roads and business driveways to stop at, which made our 'official' average speed 8.4 mph. With two kids in tow, I'm primarily concerned for their safety rather than our average speed.
Preston also tagged along in his bike seat. He must have been comfy, because he slept most of the bike ride.
Bike: (mountain bike)
8.29 miles
59:13
8.4 mph
Most of my day was spent overhauling the garage. Lots of hard work, but it is nice to see it clean and somewhat organized!
Finished the day with a lower-body workout.
We chose a 2-mile route to Schlotzski's for lunch. On the return trip we decided to take the long way home, which totaled 8.3 miles. Our average speed was close to 10 mph. Unfortunately, there are lots of roads and business driveways to stop at, which made our 'official' average speed 8.4 mph. With two kids in tow, I'm primarily concerned for their safety rather than our average speed.
Preston also tagged along in his bike seat. He must have been comfy, because he slept most of the bike ride.
Bike: (mountain bike)
8.29 miles
59:13
8.4 mph
Most of my day was spent overhauling the garage. Lots of hard work, but it is nice to see it clean and somewhat organized!
Finished the day with a lower-body workout.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Day 1, 2009
Believe it or not, but I actually had a scheduled day off for New Years Eve. I didn't make any solid plans and my night suffered because of it. No incidents, just a little blah.
Like most people, I'm looking forward to a healthier year. My new year resolutions list is a little longer than previous years. Again the main theme is weight loss and fitness.
Andrea and I rode our bikes to lunch at Subway, which was one of the few stores we found open in Kingwood. Subway is only a mile away, but I forgot my wallet on our first trip. Afterwards Andrea joined me for a mid-body workout.
The day was finished with a Wedding in La Porte.
Bike (Mountain bike):
4.77 miles
25:03
11.43 mph
Like most people, I'm looking forward to a healthier year. My new year resolutions list is a little longer than previous years. Again the main theme is weight loss and fitness.
Andrea and I rode our bikes to lunch at Subway, which was one of the few stores we found open in Kingwood. Subway is only a mile away, but I forgot my wallet on our first trip. Afterwards Andrea joined me for a mid-body workout.
The day was finished with a Wedding in La Porte.
Bike (Mountain bike):
4.77 miles
25:03
11.43 mph
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
