I just uploaded my few rides for the week to my MapMyRide page, and April is looking pretty good - at least on the bike - so far. Some oddly busy weeks have conspired against me, and of course the Michigan weather doesn't always cooperate, but I should be able to get 200 miles in for the month. Which isn't necessarily a lot, until you figure:
April 2010 - 201 miles
April 2011 - 161 miles
April 2012 - 44 miles (yep - but wait...)
April 2013 - 29. Not 290. 29. Ah, I remember April of last year... It was such a bummer I wrote a post about it.
So far in 2014 I have 755 miles on the bike. By some standards that's not a lot, but I am on track for the 3,000 I had in 2010; maybe 3500.
Now about my food intake... Yeah, it's been a month of celebrating, traveling a little, and eating a lot. Spring break was spent by myself at home, but I went out for a few meals (and a few beers) with friends, ordered a non-vegan pizza (or two), and in general didn't really pay attention. So I gained a few pounds, which you will possibly read about in my official monthly update, but I enjoyed myself and got in some good miles.
I'm not going to beat myself up about it, but I did notice some old habits creeping back in. Lots of unnecessary snacking, too much food in general, and far too many animal products. And I can tell by the way my body feels. It's telling me it's not as happy as it was the last few months. (Frankly, I wish sometimes it would just shut up, but I guess I should listen.) A friend on a group ride during break asked how I felt about gluten, for instance. I told him that while I'm quite sure I don't have an allergy/sensitivity to it that I definitely feel better when I'm not consuming it. There has also been some cheese involved. And I'm not even a huge cheese fan. So that's easy to let go of, and I know that, again, I'll feel better without it.
So there you go. A short burst of blogging, to be sure, but I did do one earlier in the week, so I'm kind of overachieving here. See you on the road!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Score One for Pessimism (or How I Had the Ride of My Life)
So I have this philosophy sort of thing that kind of guides my life. It's really more of a thought process. Or maybe a type of motto. See, I'm a pessimist. The glass is always half empty. Truth be told, if the glass is completely full then it probably belongs to someone else... But the upside of all of this is that I am never disappointed.
It's true. If I figure that only the worst can happen, then I can only be pleasantly surprised. I refuse to be one of those happy, excited people who believes that all the good things will actually happen and then get all down and sad when things go wrong. Who does that??
And that brings us to today. Tuesday, April 22, 2014. A day which will go down in the annals (that's TWO n's...) of pessimism history.
The day dawned bright and clear. And cold. Freezing, actually. But, hey, at least it was windy. From the north. Great. First Tuesday Night Ride of the season happening at the shop. I love these rides. Great friends, good exercise, I get paid to ride my bike... But cold and below 50 degrees with a north wind? No thanks. This ride is going to suck. I'm tired of being cold.
I told no fewer than four people how bad this ride was going to be. "This ride is going to suck," I said, in no uncertain terms, beginning to sort of sense a theme here.
But it didn't. Rode to the shop (freezing), and hung out for a while waiting for the crowd. Which was sparse, as expected. Except it wasn't. When we walked outside to get started there were probably 20 riders waiting in the parking lot. Hey, there's Dan, and Brian, and Tim. And a few new folks. And Aaron, Alex, Brad, Jenny, and Sandy, and I were there for the shop.
So off we went. Still freezing. But I felt pretty good. We always start out heading south, which tonight was with the wind. "The turnaround is going to suck." (<-- guess who said that??)
But it didn't! No way! As we turned up Beeline for a slow, annoying climb up the hill, I was still feeling good. I hate that hill. But I started passing some folks (which is OK here; we all wait at the top when we finish, because everyone has to do their own pace), and though we were not racing or even really trying hard, I made it to the front of the pack. So I was accelerating up the hill*. On the way up, Ross, a former student from back in the day, said, "hey, Mr. Walker, where's the rest of you?" Felt pretty good to hear that.
*it should be noted here that I passed professional bike racer Brad White while climbing this hill. It matters not one ounce that Brad was idly chatting with the guy he was riding next to, or that he was not aware that anyone was going to pass him. I passed a pro rider. On a hill. UP hill...
When we made the turn to head back to town, my "open country" lap (I reset my computer when we get away from the stop-and-go corners, etc., in town) showed an average speed of 19.5. For 18 miles or so. Cool. A few minutes later Brad rode up next to me. If "passing" a pro rider wasn't the highlight of the ride, I can tell you that having one tell you how good and relaxed you look on the bike can certainly make your night. "You don't just look strong, you look relaxed. I can see that you have, like, good emotions or whatever on the bike." Wow. Pretty sure I never heard anything resembling that before.
And we zipped back into town and ended where we'd begun. And it was still cold. But hey, at least the north wind was still blowing like crazy. And I'd just finished one of the best rides ever. And I felt good. Hell, I felt GREAT. Can't believe anyone could think this ride could suck. What a great ride that was! Dude. Awesome.
And I'm already prepared for the next one: I'll certainly remember this night for a long time. I'll need to refer to it when I have a crappy one that should be better. (<--- See? I plan ahead for my disappointments...)
It's true. If I figure that only the worst can happen, then I can only be pleasantly surprised. I refuse to be one of those happy, excited people who believes that all the good things will actually happen and then get all down and sad when things go wrong. Who does that??
And that brings us to today. Tuesday, April 22, 2014. A day which will go down in the annals (that's TWO n's...) of pessimism history.
The day dawned bright and clear. And cold. Freezing, actually. But, hey, at least it was windy. From the north. Great. First Tuesday Night Ride of the season happening at the shop. I love these rides. Great friends, good exercise, I get paid to ride my bike... But cold and below 50 degrees with a north wind? No thanks. This ride is going to suck. I'm tired of being cold.
I told no fewer than four people how bad this ride was going to be. "This ride is going to suck," I said, in no uncertain terms, beginning to sort of sense a theme here.
But it didn't. Rode to the shop (freezing), and hung out for a while waiting for the crowd. Which was sparse, as expected. Except it wasn't. When we walked outside to get started there were probably 20 riders waiting in the parking lot. Hey, there's Dan, and Brian, and Tim. And a few new folks. And Aaron, Alex, Brad, Jenny, and Sandy, and I were there for the shop.
So off we went. Still freezing. But I felt pretty good. We always start out heading south, which tonight was with the wind. "The turnaround is going to suck." (<-- guess who said that??)
But it didn't! No way! As we turned up Beeline for a slow, annoying climb up the hill, I was still feeling good. I hate that hill. But I started passing some folks (which is OK here; we all wait at the top when we finish, because everyone has to do their own pace), and though we were not racing or even really trying hard, I made it to the front of the pack. So I was accelerating up the hill*. On the way up, Ross, a former student from back in the day, said, "hey, Mr. Walker, where's the rest of you?" Felt pretty good to hear that.
*it should be noted here that I passed professional bike racer Brad White while climbing this hill. It matters not one ounce that Brad was idly chatting with the guy he was riding next to, or that he was not aware that anyone was going to pass him. I passed a pro rider. On a hill. UP hill...
When we made the turn to head back to town, my "open country" lap (I reset my computer when we get away from the stop-and-go corners, etc., in town) showed an average speed of 19.5. For 18 miles or so. Cool. A few minutes later Brad rode up next to me. If "passing" a pro rider wasn't the highlight of the ride, I can tell you that having one tell you how good and relaxed you look on the bike can certainly make your night. "You don't just look strong, you look relaxed. I can see that you have, like, good emotions or whatever on the bike." Wow. Pretty sure I never heard anything resembling that before.
And we zipped back into town and ended where we'd begun. And it was still cold. But hey, at least the north wind was still blowing like crazy. And I'd just finished one of the best rides ever. And I felt good. Hell, I felt GREAT. Can't believe anyone could think this ride could suck. What a great ride that was! Dude. Awesome.
And I'm already prepared for the next one: I'll certainly remember this night for a long time. I'll need to refer to it when I have a crappy one that should be better. (<--- See? I plan ahead for my disappointments...)
Monday, April 7, 2014
Monthly Update
I was talking with a student the other day who's struggling in some classes to the point that he's ready to give up - he's so far behind that it's causing him to think he'll never get it all done. As I sometimes do, I managed to turn it around and make it all about me, and talked about setting achievable goals, like the thought process I went through last December/January. At the time I was thinking I needed/wanted to lose fifty pounds (50 pounds!!). Not possible. So I started small, with the first goal being to exercise five out of seven days.
Well, here I am 15 months later, and I can tell you that the idea is basically working! "Basically" because I have learned a few things along the way that have surprised me; more on that later.
First, the update:
Weight as of January 1, 2013: 226 pounds
Weight as of March 31, 2014: 194 pounds
Net loss: 32 pounds!
Miles ridden in March: 100 miles (March is always the lowest mileage month for me. Unless April is... Way too much going on in life for March to be too good.)
Total bike miles in 2014 - 575!! (new PR for this time of year!)
The good news: ALL of my clothes fit me. I am receiving regular compliments from people (one former student sent me a text after seeing me at a concert - "you're not allowed to lose that much weight again without telling me!"). I feel pretty good. (I still don't look good in a spandex bicycle jersey, but we've had that conversation...)
Here's the weird thing: I hate getting compliments and stuff about this. Why? Because I think I'm sort of afraid I'll ultimately fail. You've all seen "that guy:" the one who loses a ton of weight, supposedly turns his life around, then starts eating "regular" food again and gains it all back. Sometimes more. Then what does he say to all of those folks who told him how great he looked? What does he tell himSELF?? I can imagine that would do wonders for my fragile self-esteem...
Why should that worry me? Maybe because it's actually happened. I lost 25 pounds back in 1995; became a lifetime member of Weight Watchers (I should write about WW - I really appreciate the help I received from them). Got down to 178 pounds (do the math - 16 more pounds to go to get back there). And at various times in the ensuing years I have gained, lost, gained, lost, etc. If you don't think there's a little voice inside my head reminding me I will fail once again, then you have probably never met me. So, for a peek inside my head (a scary place), you can imagine, "hey, I've lost more weight than I did before," is quickly answered with, "yeah, and you gained twice as much as you lost, which is why you needed to lose again." BUT... So far I haven't quieted those voices with a pint of Ben and Jerry's!
I honestly don't think I look all that different. People say that's because I see myself every day, and the folks who don't can really tell a difference. Perhaps. I'll feel better when my waistbands no longer roll over when I sit down, I guess. On the upside, I actually need a belt for all my pants as a functional accessory, not a fashionable one :)
But back to the "regular food" idea for a minute. What if I don't go back?? Could that possibly work? Because here's the thing, gentle reader: there really might be something to this whole vegan idea. Seriously. You read the post about my cholesterol and other health stuff, right? (really? sigh... go read it right now...) Well, I've done enough vegan-style eating to realize a couple of things:
- If it's plant-based it's probably not bad for you
- I haven't counted calories in several months (except for fun to figure out how many calories might be in something)
- My body is responding in ways I didn't think possible
- I think I can continue on this path for the long term
- I think I have to continue on this path for the long term...
Here's something that I found out based on my own non-scentific research; turns out others are figuring it out as well. Apparently you can't just exercise away all of your weight. That has always been my thing - if I just rode my bike 20, 50,100 miles, I'll eat whatever the heck I want to, thank you very much. And I would lose weight every season. Until I wasn't riding as much in the fall/winter. We discussed this in class a few weeks ago. Seems it's really a thing; your body uses fuel in a certain way. It needs the right fuel to operate properly. So the wrong fuel, like that pizza or pint of B&J's after a ride, won't burn properly. Or something like that. You get the idea.
Check this out: here's an article about a guy who's 59 and runs ten miles a day. And was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Finished something like 130 marathons. Coronary artery disease. Wow. Read this:
- http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579461381883678174?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303949704579461381883678174.html
So there you go. This post is a week late, and possibly not all that good, but I did some editing today and it's better than it was! As soon as the two guys working on my hot water tank and new drinking water system are done, I think I'll go for a bike ride!
Well, here I am 15 months later, and I can tell you that the idea is basically working! "Basically" because I have learned a few things along the way that have surprised me; more on that later.
First, the update:
Weight as of January 1, 2013: 226 pounds
Weight as of March 31, 2014: 194 pounds
Net loss: 32 pounds!
Miles ridden in March: 100 miles (March is always the lowest mileage month for me. Unless April is... Way too much going on in life for March to be too good.)
Total bike miles in 2014 - 575!! (new PR for this time of year!)
The good news: ALL of my clothes fit me. I am receiving regular compliments from people (one former student sent me a text after seeing me at a concert - "you're not allowed to lose that much weight again without telling me!"). I feel pretty good. (I still don't look good in a spandex bicycle jersey, but we've had that conversation...)
Here's the weird thing: I hate getting compliments and stuff about this. Why? Because I think I'm sort of afraid I'll ultimately fail. You've all seen "that guy:" the one who loses a ton of weight, supposedly turns his life around, then starts eating "regular" food again and gains it all back. Sometimes more. Then what does he say to all of those folks who told him how great he looked? What does he tell himSELF?? I can imagine that would do wonders for my fragile self-esteem...
Why should that worry me? Maybe because it's actually happened. I lost 25 pounds back in 1995; became a lifetime member of Weight Watchers (I should write about WW - I really appreciate the help I received from them). Got down to 178 pounds (do the math - 16 more pounds to go to get back there). And at various times in the ensuing years I have gained, lost, gained, lost, etc. If you don't think there's a little voice inside my head reminding me I will fail once again, then you have probably never met me. So, for a peek inside my head (a scary place), you can imagine, "hey, I've lost more weight than I did before," is quickly answered with, "yeah, and you gained twice as much as you lost, which is why you needed to lose again." BUT... So far I haven't quieted those voices with a pint of Ben and Jerry's!
I honestly don't think I look all that different. People say that's because I see myself every day, and the folks who don't can really tell a difference. Perhaps. I'll feel better when my waistbands no longer roll over when I sit down, I guess. On the upside, I actually need a belt for all my pants as a functional accessory, not a fashionable one :)
But back to the "regular food" idea for a minute. What if I don't go back?? Could that possibly work? Because here's the thing, gentle reader: there really might be something to this whole vegan idea. Seriously. You read the post about my cholesterol and other health stuff, right? (really? sigh... go read it right now...) Well, I've done enough vegan-style eating to realize a couple of things:
- If it's plant-based it's probably not bad for you
- I haven't counted calories in several months (except for fun to figure out how many calories might be in something)
- My body is responding in ways I didn't think possible
- I think I can continue on this path for the long term
- I think I have to continue on this path for the long term...
Here's something that I found out based on my own non-scentific research; turns out others are figuring it out as well. Apparently you can't just exercise away all of your weight. That has always been my thing - if I just rode my bike 20, 50,100 miles, I'll eat whatever the heck I want to, thank you very much. And I would lose weight every season. Until I wasn't riding as much in the fall/winter. We discussed this in class a few weeks ago. Seems it's really a thing; your body uses fuel in a certain way. It needs the right fuel to operate properly. So the wrong fuel, like that pizza or pint of B&J's after a ride, won't burn properly. Or something like that. You get the idea.
Check this out: here's an article about a guy who's 59 and runs ten miles a day. And was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Finished something like 130 marathons. Coronary artery disease. Wow. Read this:
- http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303949704579461381883678174?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303949704579461381883678174.html
So there you go. This post is a week late, and possibly not all that good, but I did some editing today and it's better than it was! As soon as the two guys working on my hot water tank and new drinking water system are done, I think I'll go for a bike ride!
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