Happy Anniversary!

No, not a fat-a-versary.  It's really been a year since I last wrote.  Hard to believe.

I'd love to talk about everything that has gone on since last August, but there just isn't time.  Or maybe, truth be told, there's too much time cause not much has happened.

Let me start from why most of you are here -- to check on my weight success . . . or lack thereof.

It has truly been a year of frustration.  I've been up and down more than the see-saw at the neighborhood pre-school.  For the most part between 260 and 280.  Not at all where I want to be.

I mostly feel fat.  Now, that's a good thing, really.  When I get that feeling, I look at Mr 414 Tub-Of-Lard and remember where I came from.  So, not fat like that, but it's all relative.  It's been six years since I've been that guy.  The memories fade.  So it's a good thing that I'm not thinking like "hey, I'm the guy that's lost 130 pounds!  Good for me!"  It's more like "remember how good I felt when I was in the 220's?"  OY! 

Really nothing has gone according to plan in the last year -- at least weight wise and athletic wise.

It's been mostly a year on the bike, but it started out poorly. 

• Last August I made another attempt at the Hotter'N Hell Hundred and failed at mile 69.  Okay, one of the hottest HHH's ever, but still, I had a plan and just pooped out.  I felt failed and dejected.  I decided that one way or another, I'd do my own century.  Four loops around DFW airport would do it.  Even had a willing accomplice until . . .
• A couple of weeks later, walking around the bike shop, I slipped and fell in my bike cletes.  I have no doubt it was a funny sight, but it put me in a boot for four weeks.  I was pissed.  And devastated. 
• So I ate.

My buddy Dave from MD had planned to come out to TX to run the Cowtown Marathon.  I have a boot on my leg but, sure, I could be ready to run a half marathon by February.  Around January 1, I thought it would be a good idea to start training.  Not so fast, bucko, that ankle isn't feeling so good.  Visit to the podiatrist, not much he can do.  Just keep working it.  So in February I ran walked mostly walked the Cowtown.  How could I not break three hours . . . easy -- train little, eat much, go slow. 

Along the way, my heft was taking a toll on my bike, too.  I'm on my thrid set of wheels, hoping that these do the trick. 

I've probably had six failed attempts at getting back on the wagon, each time lasting anywhere from a day to two weeks.  Each time winding up somewhere close to 280.

Much like my 414 days when 58 pants and 5x shirts were pushing the bounds of comfort, at 280, my 44s and 2x's would push those similar bounds.  So I'd try again. 

In July, we went on vaction to California.  Reality hit once again when I returned and got on the scale.  The results were depressing, so I spent the next week pigging out again.  Deb even commented that she hadn't seen me eat like I did on vacation in all the post-loss days since 2006. 

It's time . . .again.

With Hotter'N Hell looming at the end of August, it's time to make it stick.  If I could lose 30 pounds I'd ride.

Back to the (South) Beach.  I knew that the issues would be with energy.  I can go an hour without carbs, but not much longer.  And I was suffering.  Three rides I would just die at an hour with an hour to go.  Suddenly 16 mph dropped to 12.  Holding back my group.  Had to do something.  With some tweaking, (helped by the Paleo Diet for Athletes -- Thanks Ann Marie), I could ride longer.

Simultaneous to this, my son Zach had his own challenge.  In order for marching band to satisfy his high school PE credit, he had to be able run a 10 minute mile.  No small feat for the boy that takes after dad in some good ways, and not so good.  Zach started running our the block and then we started going to the gym.  Kinda cool to treadmill next to your kid!  A few weeks later, Zach ran his 10 minute mile, but he wants to keep running.  Who am I to say no.  We have a 5 mile run scheduled in October.  From there?  Who knows.

I've waffled a hundred times on Hotter'N Hell.  I can tell I'm riding better and faster, but I'm not down 30.  I also haven't ridden more than 40 miles since May.  Finally , this week I decided, down about 22 pounds, my lowest Texas weight, I'll do the 100k -- about 65 miles.  I've got friends to ride with and feel as good as I have in a long time.

I'm not where I want to be, but at least I'm turned in the right direction.

I hope you hear from me again before the year ends, but no guarantees.  For now, I'm looking forward to riding on Saturday and running with Zach. 

To Life!
L'Chaim!

The Lost Summer

The kids start school tomorrow.  Where did the summer go? 

The summer started out with Zach's bar mitzvah in June.  Year's in the making, our boy did us proud.  There was so much build up, including almost three weeks away from home traveling to and from Maryland, what followed was sure to be a let down.

We had plans to spend lots of time getting the most out of our passes for Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, but the Texas heat was just too much.  Only a couple of sub 100 degree days since July 1 kept us home in the cool comfort of the air conditioned house.  (Anybody wanna swap electric bills?)

I'm disappointed that we didn't do more.  Where did the time go?

Summer is supposed to be peak riding season.  There should be a direct correlation between warm riding months with lots of miles on the bike and overall general fitness, and weight loss, too.  For me, I feel like I've been on a treadmill, though not literally.  Back and forth in the 260's for the most part:  I've been unable to break below of the 260's since we got to Texas.  I have good times, but any emotional change has been met with a break in activity or at least in healthy eating.  It's been very frustrating.

There are some positives.  Last week, I was traveling with a co worker who has gotten into fitness over the last six months or so.  We spent almost as much time talking about biking, running, activity, etc. as we did about work.  There is a definite kinship developing in a good way.  It was great to have those conversations and it most definitely helped ensure that my running shoes didn't just earn frequent flier miles.  They made it to the gym and the parking (for an impromptu boot camp -- from what I could remember from years ago.)  Since then, we've emailed about activity since.  It's been great to have another level of accountability.

Next Saturday is the Hotter 'N Hell 100 bike ride.  It's the culmination of the summer riding season.  Yesterday I rode 55 miles of hilly terrain.  Deb thought a heat-of-the-day ride would be in order for today, so who am I to argue.  I went out for what was supposed to be 25 miles of relatively flat and fast miles.  The result was something less.  Much less.  I knocked off just 21 miles and the pace was slower than yesterday's 55.  Despite the fact that I had yesterday's miles in my legs and the temps were pushing 110, I am still pretty bummed about the result.  Without a doubt, I'm considering this another kick in the pants that I need.

My plan for Saturday is to ride and, unlike last year, to finish 100 miles.

I've said it before, but it's all about the intake.  I know what I need to do.  Just got to put those feelings into action.  I did it before.

So, that's all for now.  Gotta go make sure the 8th and 6th grader's are asleep.

L'Chaim!

A Black Eye

There you have it in all of it's splendor -- a tough bar fight, if I've ever been in one.  You should see the other guy!

Well, not exactly. 

Three weeks ago tomorrow, I was six miles into an evening ride with my group from the bike shop and a the concrete jumped up and wrestled me to the ground. 

Well, not exactly.

I rode right into an uneven pavement joint.  Three back in the group, I never saw it until it was too late.  Went down -- hard.  Surprisingly, concrete is pretty unforgiving.  I was sure my left shoulder or collar bone were broken. 

In addition to the six other riders along who stopped, one cardiologist and two nurses also stopped to help.  One nurse lived near by, went home to get her triage kit and came back to bandage me up.

The damage:  No broke bones!  The black eye you see, six inches of torn up elbow, jammed middle finger, a very sore shoulder, some rib pain, and a nasty hematoma on my hip.  (Best guess is that the middle knuckle went into my eyebrow, turning it purple.)  I knew I'd be okay when I started worrying about my bike ten minutes after the fall.  As for the bike: a bent front rim and torn bar tape.  All in all, could have been much worse!

As of today, I'm dealing with the shoulder and the hip.  Waiting for the MRI results to come in.  The hip will just take time.

I spent a week off of the bike, then took it slowly.  Back riding now.

Thanks to my old buddy Aaron for reminding me about this old blog.  Aaron is another formerly fat guy with an incredible weght loss journey.  Check out his blog by clicking his name above. 

L'Chaim!

Onward

I got a lot of good feedback from last week's post.  Enough so that I thought I'd do it again. 

It's been a good week in many ways.  Last week's travels took me back to Florida and my running shoes again came along for the ride.  Nothing new, except this time, they actually made it out of my hotel room.  I got in two runs on the trip, which is two more than the last few trips before that.  Nothing to get too excited about except that I could see immediate improvement.  Not quite ready for prime time, but at least I didn't forget how to put one foot in front of the other.

Saturday was the bike ride with the bike shop crew.  There would be a 25 mile group and 45 mile group.  I wanted long, but since I hadn't broken 30 since late fall, I wasn't sure I could do 45 (besides, last week's 45 came in at 50.)  I decided to go with the long group and hang on as long as I could.  I felt very good at 20 and 25 miles.  Though I wasn't leading the pack, I was in the pack.  Unlike other rides where I died off between 20 and 25, I held strong to 30, when the pack went up a short climb and left me in the dust.  I worked my way back to the shop and finished at 40.  Feeling stronger every ride.

With travels this week, I knew my number one challenge would be eating.  On Tuesday, I started to track my food and activity with Livestrong's My Plate.  I know that tracking food can provide huge benefits, but I've often avoided it for the exact reason that I should have done it:  I'll know what I don't want to know.

The tracker recommends for me to eat about 1800 calories per day to generate a two pound per week loss.  Add to that any calories generated from exercise -- for example, 3 miles at 5 mph burns almost 700 calories.  The total calorie budget for the day is then about 2500 calories. 

After plenty of exercise and healthy eating this past week, I find myself lighter by about 8 pounds.  That doesn't even include the mental plusses.  Getting back on track for a week isn't a long time, but it's been a long time in coming.  As I sit here gnawing through a grapefruit, I look forward to staying back on track.

L'Chaim!

A Thousand Words

No point in apologizing for almost three months without a post.  It is what it is. 

The last few months have followed a cycle:  activity, eat well, inactivity, eat poorly, repeat.  There have been at least five failed attempts to get back on track since January, even with more than 600 combined miles of biking and power cycling.  Today, things are back in the good, hopefully for more than until tomorrow.

Yesterday, I participated in my first true multi-sport event, the Texas Motor Speedway Duathlon.  (A duathlon is similar to a triathlon, just without the water.  It's a run/bike/run event.)  I was psyched to get back into an event after quite a hiatus.  I had been doing lots of biking, including an intensive power cycling class and I could begin to see the results.  On the running front, not so much.

A group of friends from the local bike shop all signed up for the event.  I knew the run would be an issue since I had done so very little actual running, but what's a couple of miles, twice.



A fine looking crew:  (l to r) Robert, Amy, Dave, Debbie, me and Josh

 I finished the first run in a reasonable time, 21 minutes and change.  Did some walking along the way, but not too much.

On to the bike.  I had ridden the course twice over the past week, both times with stiff 20 mph winds on the course.  The winds work great on one part of the course, but not so great on another.  Yesterday was the same.  Overall, I was pleased relative to my training rides, about a mile per hour faster.  Then off the bike.

Run number two was tough.  In fact, my calf's were screaming and I was relegated to walking the first half mile until I loosened up.  Then run-walk the rest of the way.  (Well, in all honesty, it was more walk-run than run-walk.) 

It's really nice that the multi-sport guru's have a category for fat folks -- for men it's Clydesdale's, women are Athena's.  Gives us a shot at some bling (I guess, maybe some day I'll find out.)  I finished 8th out of 14 Clyde's over 40 years old.  Not bad for a first effort.  Looking at the results, there is plenty of room for improvement on both the run and the bike. 

Then there are the pictures. 

One look at these and I'm instantly reminded of how far I've gone. . . the wrong way.  Have to wonder how that 15 pounds of carbon on rubber holds me upright.  Not a pretty sight, but it's the reality check that I need.  I'm certain now that the bike shop folks are friends, allowing me to grace their jersey in all of my blubbery splendor.  (Notice how I conveniently hid my lower 80% behind the studs and studettes in the group picture above?)  (Photo credits to Tori -- thanks for the reality check!)

Alas, I'm back to where I've been since I moved to Texas, needing to get back from where I came, size wise, at least.  These pictures came with a wagon and I'm officially on it. 

Debbie found another du just six weeks hence and I'm in.  It's longer -- 5k/19m/5k -- and I plan to run the runs and do them 15 pounds lighter than I am today.  I'll still be a Clyde, but a slightly smaller version.

L'Chaim!

I'm Number 32!

40 Inspiring Websites To Motiviate You to Get Healthy

Road to Nowhere

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  My folks were in town and we had a great dinner with them and my aunts, uncles and cousins.

On with the show. . .

After a really good week a few weeks ago, here I am again in the rut.  I've been hanging in the low 270's but can't seem to get out from there.  271 one day, 274 another.  Lot's of riding, running even, too.  Last week was a watershed week for me for this time of year.  Six days of activity, more than 100 miles on the bike, a 5k with the kids and a day in the gym and I'm on a road to going nowhere fast.  If the glass were half empty, I suppose I'd be thankful for holding my own through Thanksgiving.  I won't be making my November goal, but December is just around the corner.

On Saturday, I showed up for the weekly Knobbies and Slicks ride.  When I got there, one of the regulars came up to me and said "Hey, Jerry, I've got some shirts for you."  Well, whomever Jerry is, I'll let him know.  Turns out Doug (who's real name is Dave) used to be a big guy.  At least as big as I am now.  Doug was kind enough to pass on his old 2xl and 3xl bike jerseys to me.  And, if you know me (which is to love me), you'd know that I was most happy to oblige. 

I got to talking to Doug about how he lost his weight . . . down to under 200 now.  He did it though Weight Watchers.  I've known plenty of folks that have had great success counting points with WW.  Might be time to give it a try.  Thanks, Doug!

Be back around, soon, y'all!

L'Chaim!

Half Dozen and Why I Hate Bacon

A week back on the wagon and I've lost six pounds to 274.  Not too bad.  Still, I know there's much more to be done.  Even though I've run and biked and spun (is that right?  spinned?  no.) gone to spin class.  Need to get back on the weights. 
I just saw a note from some buddies in Wisconsin.  They're setting up a weight loss contest for tomorrow through March 1.  Not sure of the details, but more likely than not, I'll be in.  Will keep you posted.

On an entirely different subject. . . I work with a guy that eats everything.  He's 50 years old, tall and lanky and just eats.  We go to lunch and he eats worse than the fat guy that I was.  One day he orders an appetizer of bacon wrapped tenderloins.  I ate one tenderloin, without the bacon.  He ate 11 bacon wrapped pieces and my piece of bacon. Then he ate a burger and fries.  We go to a Mexican place and he finishes with a sopapia desert -- extra caramel sauce, extra whipped cream.  Told me today he weighs less than he did in high school.  (I do too, but I work at it a helluva lot more than he does.)  I accept the fact that our bodies are different, yada, yada, yada, but I don't have to like it!

Thank you all for the positive vibes.  It's good to be back in bloggerville.

L'Chaim!

Clicking

It's nice when things start to click.  I'd have to say this has been one of my best weeks, diet and exercise wise, in a very long time.  It feels good, to feel good.

I woke up on Saturday morning planning to head to Knobbies and Slicks for the group ride.  The first thing that I encountered was the weather.  Now, before I get too far along, I must remind and disclose to all what I wimp I am when it gets cold outside.  Let's make that WIMP!  I had set my biking tolerance to about 43 degrees and even that was pushing it.  My Maryland biking buddies knew that there was a much better chance seeing me at the spin studio rather than on the roads between November and Mid-March.  I digress. . .  back to Saturday.  As you might have guessed, I'm gonna tell you about the nip in the air.  According to the Weather Channel, it was just 36 degrees before 8 am.  WHAT?  I thought this was Texas!  I wasn't ready for THAT cold.  I put on every layer I had, including the new thermal bibs and, teeth chattering and all, headed out the door. 

It felt great to be out there, temps and all.  I hung with a faster group for the first 25 miles or so and truly enjoyed the ride.  By the time we got back to the shop, I had 35 miles on the Garmin at a 16.5 average.  (Going back over my Garmin history, this was my fastest average EVER!)

The change in eating has definitly had a positive impact on my overall mood.  Feeling less lethargic and a bit more energetic.

Looking forward to reinforcement of the week's activities via the scale tomorrow.  Until then. . .

L'Chaim!

Turning Lemons into . . . Carbon!

How do you make this:

look like this:

Well, it's not EXACTLY magic.  You see, the picture up top is of the left rear quarter panel of my car.  One night, not so long ago, Deb and the car met it's match with the wrought iron gate at my house.  The gate won. 

I took the car to be looked at and was shocked a what my little dent would cost to fix.  So much for avoiding the insurance company. 

Fast forward and backward to my bike.  I've been talking about upgrading from my entry level Trek for about a year and a half, maybe longer.  Every time I get close to making a move, something comes up and I won't spend the cash.  Recently I've been hanging out at my new favorite local bike shop (LBS), Knobbies and Slicks.  They've tuned up both of the kids bikes as well as my Trek.  I've gone out on a couple of rides that they've sponsored as well.  I happened to mention to the owner, Bud, that I'd been thinking about a new bike.  Well, that was all I had to say.  Before I knew it, Bud had me on a few sweet machines and I fell in love with a particular set of wheels from Rocky Mountain. 

Anyone that has been in my car knows that I treat it. . . well, like crap.  It's transportation.  It gets me to work, the kids to school and it's safe.  I remind my coworkers that I've got Maryland dust on it since it's not been washed despite four months of Texas.  (I once took my car for a wash and the guy told me I needed to bring it in more than once a year.) 

This is where the "little ding" and carbon fiber collide.  It just seemed logical to ignore the ding and buy the bike.  So that I did!  Thanks, Deb, for the bike (sorta.)  And thank you, too, Liberty Mutual!

Day 2:  Another good day of eating.  A visit to 24 Hour Fitness with a guest pass and a great hour spin.  Best two consecutive days I've had of eating and exercising in quite a while.

L'Chaim!

Day 1: A Run in the Rain

Maybe my little pity party was what I needed to kick myself in the butt. Driving home in the rain, I remembered how much I enjoy running in the weather.  I walked in the door, put my shoes on and headed out.  I wasn't gone long, but it felt good to get out there.  This was a big step in my return to sanity.  Just about 2 1/2 miles, but it's a start.

I ate well yesterday.  No crazy candy consumption.  Nothing fried.  Lot's of green food and some fruit.  It was a good Day 1. 

I wonder if there's some kind of four year itch after the big loss.  I heard from my buddies Mike in Wisconsin and Dan in New Jersey.  We had found each other through our blogs years ago.  We're all going through similar weight pains, having bottomed out at around the same weight and we're all struggling in the mid/upper 200's now.

We did it before, we'll do it again.  We can and we will.

Thank you for all of your support.

L'Chaim!

Finding The Path

November. Incredible how time flies. We've been Texans for more than a third of a year. Before long, my folks come out for Thanksgiving and we head back to B-more at the end of the year.

This past weekend was the Marine Corps Marathon. As I watched my buddies post their excitement and results, I couldn't help but to feel a sense of loss for not being able to be there in person to cheer them on in person. Other than missing celebrating the Jewish holidays with my family, this was one of the toughest "misses" so far. Congrats to all of my Team In Training friends that finished on Sunday.

It's been a time of reflection, too. Thinking back on my personal accomplishments as they relate to this blog, I can't help but to feel disappointment in myself. Just one year ago, October, 2009, I completed the Seagull Century bike ride and the Marine Corps Marathon. Truly a watershed month from where I had come. Since then, it's been mostly a dearth of activity. A DNF at the Hotter than Hell 100 in August, my longest ride of the year since. As for running . . . well, that's been almost non-existent. Last week I struggled to run/walk 2.15 miles in 30 minutes. How far I have fallen.

The understatement of the year is that I'm struggling with food. Many of the old habits that I haven't seen in four plus years are back. I know what needs to be done and I'm ignoring the little guy in my head that says to do it. I handled Halloween poorly and need a plan. It's not that I don't have plans. I've planned over and over. Sometimes that plans go all the way through lunch. But what the hell is it going to take to get my back to my old (good) eating ways.

Last October, I recall struggling with my weight in the 230's. When we got to Texas this summer, I was struggling with my weight in the 260's. This morning I breached 280. Struggling? Yes.

I can tell you about all of the plans that I've had, but if I don't put them into action, they're worthless. I plan to go to the gym. I plan to go for a run (or run/walk). I plan to ride my bike. I plan to eat better and I start the day right, but then . . . I slide down a slippery slope.

I look at pictures from a couple of years ago and struggle to find my current face in the frame on the wall. No need to remind me that I was once the guy in the volcano picture on my blog at 400+. I feel like this part of my life began sometime after July, 2006.

I'd like to share my goals, but for now, they seem so hollow. 260 by the end of November. 250 by the time we get to Baltimore. 220 by next June -- Zach's Bar Mitzvah.

I know where I want to go. Just need to find the path again to get there.

L'Chaim!

Not So Hotter 'N Hell

It's been almost a month since I did this ride and started writing my post. Pardon the delay. . .

Friday night, about four weeks ago, I headed up to Wichita Falls for Saturday's Hotter 'n Hell Hundred. It's about a hundred miles from home, almost all of it on one highway. There's nothing better to get the juices flowing than seeing half of the cars on the road with bikes on the back, on the roof, in the truck bed, etc.

First stop was the expo to register. I must say, this was about as efficient a process as there could be. Five minutes, in and out. Walked around the expo for about an hour drooling over all the bike stuff, then off to the hotel.

The hotel was just about 2 miles from the start. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single non-HHH rider in the place. I brought my bike up to the room, got it ready for the morning and off to bed.

Up early Saturday, well before the alarm, time to get ready. This was a quick process, with all of my gear ready to go. I went down to the lobby, bike in tow, to find a sea of spandex getting ready to ride. The hotel was truly a haven for the riders -- free full breakfast, open at 5 am. Way to go, Holiday Inn at the Falls!

Off to the starting line. Walking outside, it's seems to be a fantastic start to the day with temps in the upper 60's. Actually a chill in the air.

Unlike other organized rides I've done that have a "show and go" start window, the HHH has a 7 am start, just about sunrise. First off are the professionals. Then, the sea of 13,000 cyclists are grouped first by how fast they expect to be for the full century, then in groups for the shorter rides.

It's one thing to be in a mass start for a running event. You just wait until the people in front of you start to walk, then run. On the bike is another. There's that whole clipping into the pedal thing. Doesn't work so well at low speed, especially when you've got four blocks to the start line and carbon fiber and more spandex every inch in between.

After 15 minutes or so, I was off and riding. Once the riders started to break up, I was cruising. There weren't as many pace lines as I had expected. Skipping the first rest stop at mile 10, I pulled into the second after just over an hour -- flying at 19.5 mph. Couldn't help but to think how great the day would be if the pace was anywhere close to that.

A quick stop and back on the bike. By mile 30, my pace had dropped, but just slightly. The course went through the quaint little town of Electra, TX. The population couldn't have been more than a hundred -- all of the out to assist at the rest stop, replete with American flags anywhere that they could put one.

To this point, the course headed west. Now, turning north to just south of the Oklahoma state line, then east. Seems that the great ride so far was turning -- into the wind. As soon as the course turned, it was clear that the pace would suffer. All I could think was how much the next 40 miles into the wind would suck. If only that were to be the worst of my problems.

I felt good, but the ride was now a challenge. There was not much in the way of climbing, but rollers into the wind was not fun, especially without a paceline in sight.

By mile 42, I started to feel some cramping in my thighs. By 45 it was excruciating. I stopped, got off my bike and stretched. By 47, more of the same. Just three miles to the next stop. The next three miles were actually five miles and I know I spent a half hour doing that distance, stopping a couple more times.

As soon as I hit the Margaritaville themed rest stop (sans margaritas), I headed straight for the medical tent. I queued up for the physical therapist who helped to stretch me out. She also offered some pickle juice. Apparently pickle juice helps with cramping. (It is exactly what it sounds like -- YUCK!) Feeling better, but still not 100%, I walked the stop, grabbed some lunch -- grilled sausage, mmmm! -- and considered my options.

Hell's Gate is the point at which, if you don't pass through by 12:30, you don't do 100 miles. The ride diverts to an 80+ mile ride. At 11:15, with plenty of time to get to Hell's Gate, I realized that my day was likely over soon. I could make Hell's Gate in time, but the day was getting hotter and there was no guarantee that I wouldn't be confronted with more cramping.

I got back on my bike and headed for Hell's Gate. It was a slow ride, but I made it with about 20 minutes to spare. At that point, I knew my day was done.

During my earlier long rides of 50+, I had experienced some cramping. I am diligent about my banana a day for potassium, but the cramping keeps coming.

At the Hell's Gate rest stop, at about 12:20, the call went out for the SAG ride back to the finish line. I hopped in the back of the trailer with about 20 other beat cyclists for the 20 mile ride.

At the end of the day, I rode about 63 miles, my longest ride of the year to date. Without the cramping, I know that I would have finished the ride. I don't feel bad about the result, in fact, I feel pretty good about it, given that I had ridden very little much before six weeks leading up to the event.

As for the cramping, I think I've narrowed the cause down to a lack of magnesium. The cure is to take Rolaids before and during long rides. I haven't ridden long since the HHH, but I'll give it a try next time out.

I do have some pictures. Just haven't downloaded them. I'll post separately.

All for now. . .

L'Chaim!

Hot Hot Hot

Since we arrived in Texas, it's been hot. Very hot. Just a few days this month haven't hit 100. Monday was 107. That hasn't really slowed us down, though, other than trying to avoid being outside in the middle of the day.

The kids started school on Monday. (Hallelujah!) (No, make that HALLELUJAH!) Zach started 7th grade in Middle School (which is 7-8) and Matt started 5th grade in Intermediate School (5-6). Deb jumped right in to VP of the Intermediate School PTA. (Shocking, I know.)

Work for me has been good. Since we've been here, I've only been away three nights. This is good.

I'm still riding a lot. Pretty consistently three days a week. Mostly early in the morning and long on Sunday's. One Saturday a few weeks ago, I wanted to feel the heat and did 16 miles at 2pm. What a schvitz!

I've been off and on about Hotter 'N Hell 100. Just about every day. Deb has been pushing me to do it. The biggest issue is that there were no hotel rooms available and it's a 2 hr drive. The thought of leaving home at 4am and then spending 6+ hours on my bike, then driving home was not appealing. As of this morning I was off. Just for the heck of it, I checked for hotels one last time and, much to my delight, there were rooms at the Holiday Inn, just a couple of miles from the start. The forecast is for a cooler hot -- high of 93. (Maybe just a Hotter 'N Heck?) So I'm in. I'm going up myself and I'll ride alone (other than the 30,000 other cyclists), but I know I'd regret it if I didn't give it a shot.

So that's the update. Next update after the Hotter 'N Hell.

L'Chaim!

Don't Mess With Texas

I've written at least a dozen posts since my last one two months ago. Unfortunately, they've all been in my head.

So much has happened since then.

We're Texans now. I guess that's what you'd call us. We did the big move the first week of July and we were in our house on 7/7. Housewise, it was a rough start. We had to replace an air conditioning unit, our water was shut off by the town, our dishwasher was broken. . . then it wasn't. Shortly after that, our 10 year old mini-van died, so we replaced that. Somehow I was thinking that the cost of living would be cheaper out here, but not so far.

We've partaken in quite a bit of the local cuisine. Barbecue, Mexican and Italian have led the way. Not exactly cuisines known for helping dieters . . . diet! But we've all enjoyed it.

With all of the activity related to the move, there wasn't much activity of any other kind. Not that I didn't THINK about exercise (as I was stuffing my face), but it just didn't get done. Looking back on June, easily my least active month if four years -- one bike ride, no runs. Sad.

Inactivity continued through our drive west. My running shoes made the car trip. They just didn't see any pavement.

I was starting to feel that out-of-control old me. Eating whatever and whenever I wanted. No attention to feelings of actual hunger. Mostly drinking diet sodas and coffee, not much plain water. My waist line was clearly expanding. I could no longer shove my belly into the old 36's and 38's that I had been wearing for the past few years. I made a sad trek to Kohl's to buy some Dockers so that I'd have clothes for a business trip. Size 40. Then, a couple of pair of jeans at Costco -- 42's. (No pride here. . . Deb and I joked that I'd need to be sure to wear a belt, lest the Costco label be evident to all. What the hell, they were twelve bucks a pair, and a temporary solution, I swear!)

One of the things that excited me about this part of the country was the opportunity for year-round cycling. As I drove around town during the first week, I'd see cyclists riding and schvitzing in the mid-day heat. I started to crave a ride. And what could be bad about a state with a kick ass vanity plate like this one -- now on my car!

One of my new co-workers, a guy that I had known from my old company who knew me only as Fat Jeff before my first visit to the new company, is a cyclist. We had talked about riding together. I really needed to ride. Finally, on July 11, we hooked up for a ride. Ahhhh.

For our first ride, we did a loop around DFW airport. For 15 miles, I kicked Brian's butt. Then the heat hit. (Or maybe I went out too fast.) (Or maybe it was the extra layer of blubber I was carrying) . I wasn't sure I'd make it back to his house. Alas, the last seven miles were ssslllloooowwww, but we made it.

Since then, I've been riding. A lot. A couple times a week in the early morning. (I knew those lights I bought a couple years ago would come in handy some day.) Long on Sundays with Brian. Even the scale is moving in the right direction. When I'm not riding, I'm thinking about riding. When I'm driving, I'm thinking about whether the road would make for good cycling. When I ride in the morning and see someone riding in the afternoon, I'm jealous.

A few years ago, I came across an ad for a ride called the Hotter 'N Hell 100. It held at the end of August in Witchita Falls, TX. As the move became evident, the ride crept up on my radar. A few weeks ago, I had totally written off the event for this year. Deb continued in her roll as biggest supporter and kicker of my ass, saying I was nuts to write it off, there was plenty of time. After the past week, not so fast. Hoping that Brian will go too. Would still like to drop at least 20 pounds before then, but things are going in the right direction.

So, that's it for now. More reflections on Texas to come. Soon, I promise!

L'Chaim! Y'All!

I'm Alive

So much has happened in the last two months. Where to begin?

The big news is the move. We're moving. Not just any old move across town, a big move, halfway across the country. In another month, we're heading to Keller, Texas, just north of Fort Worth. It's a job related move and I'd say we're all nervously excited about it. It's big for us and we'll be sad to go, but we're ready to take it on.

We've got plenty of room at the new place. Just let us know when you'll be in town for a visit!

While all of this is going on, I've been working in Florida. You might have heard something about this little oil thing in the Gulf of Mexico. Well my company helps to clean up the mess. It's a seven day a week all hands on deck thing, so Deb is left with house duties while I'm on the Florida panhandle.

I'm really missing the family right now. They're off at Ocean City, MD while I'm in Panama City, FL. Wish they were here. Wish I was there.

In the mean time, I'll admit to doing a pretty poor job of taking care of my body. Working 14-16 hour days doesn't leave a lot of time to take care of yourself. Not to mention the endless quick meals -- fast food, subs, etc. I did just join a gym near where I'm staying. Hoping to get into a routine to hit their 5 am classes before heading in to work. Gotta do something. Feeling FAT!

Sadly, I'm conceding the goals that I set for the year. Won't hit the weight goal. . . or the running goal. . . or the biking goal . . . or the blogging goal. Running would certainly be easiest, since no equipment is required. I just can't get moving. When I think back to my training last summer, I can't even imaging running ten miles right now. I've got work to do. I've fallen and I need to get up.

So, that's the down and dirty. Lots going on. Lot's to do. Next report, I expect, will be from Texas (Y'all!)

L'Chaim!

Peer Pressure

Thanks to all my friends for your support and encouragement from the last post. It has truly fueled my return to something more normal (and lookie here, two posts in a week!)

It's been a good week back on the exercise wagon. A workout every day including a nice bike ride yesterday for 23 miles in what might have been absolutely perfect weather.

Last night, I was chatting online with my buddy Dave and he suggested that I join him today for a FREE 10 Miler, including a free t-shirt! Now, free always gets my attention, especially with the lure of a t-shirt.

Only issue was that little 10 miles part of it. I've always been up for a challenge, but man, I'm totally untrained. I've run only 11 miles in all of March and just 22 in all of February. Not exactly "In Training".

Dave was there when I was in a panic before my first 10 miler three years ago. (See my very first blog post to read about that.) He got me through that one, so, of course, I said yes. A reluctant yes, but the peer pressure worked.

I arrived at the shoe store that was sponsoring the event and I ran into my old Team In Training coach, Mohan. Was this a mirage? Mohan and I had always been pretty close in speed. The guy just enjoys the events with no expectations. I knew I wouldn't be alone. (Especially looking around at all the "hard core" runner types that had just finished six or eight miles BEFORE the ten to get in their long runs. Okay, not so long ago, that was me, but I'm just sayin'.)

After the instructions, we just started down the road. Quickly Mohan and his friend and I settled into an 11 minute pace. It was comfortable, but for how long, I didn't know. We ran through parts of Columbia that I've not been through before, so that was cool. By four miles, there was some walking, but mostly running. By six miles, I knew my endurance was about gone. I struggled to seven, but then walked much of the last three miles. Mohan stuck with me the whole way and, as always, I was appreciative of his sacrifice. We finished.

It was good to finish, though there were few options. No SAG support to pick anyone up. I felt good about finishing, but it certainly reminded me of how far I've got to go to get back. But I'm on track and I look forward to sharing more successes.

What's next? I just signed up for the Pikes Peek 10k. This is my favorite race and it will be my third time running it. Just three weeks from tomorrow.

L'Chaim!

Just More of Me

So much for my plan to blog more often. It's not that I haven't thought about it. I've started posts at least half a dozen times. I've got them right here in the blogger to prove it. I've started even more in my head.

The past few months have been crazy. Travel nearly every week. One or two good weeks of exercise on the road, but most trips just one shot at the gym or on the road. It's been tough.

Eating has been tougher. I've tried, but not enough. I get on a plan for short bursts, but then I'm off again. A great weekend of working out turns bad on Monday's travel.

I feel like I've gone back to that fat guy that I'd left behind. My clothes don't fit and I've even been forced to buy new pants and shirts. Size 40 and XXL. (Though I insist on wearing my 36 jeans way-too-tight.) Thankfully, I'm teetering in the mid-250's, sometimes almost 260, and not the 300's or, god forbid, the 400's.

The big boss at my company is impressed with my loss and is generous in sharing my accomplishments with others. I wish I didn't feel guilt that "almost 200" is now "well, about 150" pounds lost.

I've lost such fitness, I can hardly believe it. Running a mile without stopping is difficult. I read my friends facebook posts about 10 mile runs and I cower to think how far that is. Then I recall that just five months ago I completed a marathon!

This was to be the year of the bike. My neighbor and I had talked about doing a 100-mile ride on May 1. Last weekend, I though 22 miles was going to kill me.

I go to boot camp where I could not so long ago push out a couple hundred push ups in the hour, not to mention whatever else Kenny had to offer. Now, I'm reduced to my knees after a dozen or two.

I'm lost. I need to find that mojo that I kept for three years. I need more than one day in a row of good eating and exercise.

It's me. I'm not looking for compassion. I'm not looking for a kick in the ass. I know what I need to do. I just need to do it.

L'Chaim!

Too Cold?

As soon as I planned my travel for this week that included a weekend layover in the Dallas area, I went in search of a run. I've struggled to get any decent runs in. Just one over 4 miles since Marine Corps, and that was just over 5 miles.

Today's event, Too Cold to Hold , had a 5k or a 15k option. In my mind, I kept going back and forth as to whether I would do either and, if I did run, then which event. I knew from history that anything short of getting out there for the 15k would leave me disappointed in myself. I had packed for a chilly day.

Yesterday, I made schlep #1 to register and pick up my packet at the Run On! shoe store. This was the first event that I've ever done with a Clydesdale category. That's for men over 200 pounds. I signed up for the 15k. When checking out, the clerk says: "Are you from Baltimore?" Wow, I said, how did you know? Uhh, the Raven's jersey you're wearing. Duhhh! She's from Havre de Grace, MD, and, she told me when I saw her before the run, she's the cousin of a very famous Marylander also born in HdG . . . Guesses anyone? How about Cal Ripken, Jr! Pretty cool.

Anyway, this morning I stopped for a Starbucks and headed out for schlep #2 -- 45 miles to the starting line, hit the port-o-potty and got ready to go. Temps were in the mid-40's. I opted for running tights, a short sleeve shirt and hat. The course was an out and back half way around a big lake, with one small hill, but otherwise flat.

My goal was to run an 11 mile pace, ideally breaking 100 minutes for the 9.33 miles.

There were about 1200 runners starting out -- 700 for the 15k, the balance for the 5k. As the race began, I found myself with an 11 minute pace group led by the running store. Pure luck, no doubt. I was able to keep up with the group, getting past them at one point. It felt good to be out there and I never questioned my decision to go long.

Other than walking the four water stops and two bathroom breaks, that cost me about 4-5 minutes total, I felt great. I chatted with a number of folks along the way and was very glad that I ran it.

My time was 1:43:07, just over an 11 minute pace. I couldn't be happier with it, given the bathroom necessities.

Of course, the schwag wasn't too bad either. A nice long sleeve t-shirt and a wool cap. Love the cap!

Time to start planning the next one!

L'Chaim!

Out the Window

No other way to put it. Just throwing all of my goals for 2010 out the window. No other choice really. And its a good thing.

Why is that? Well, my "involuntary semi-retirement" is over. (Yeay!)

I started a new job as Director of Special Projects for a company in my old industry, based in North Florida. (No, no relocation planned.) I couldn't be more excited.

It's not that I didn't accomplish anything during my hiatus. I watched the complete The West Wing tv series on cable. There was also the Daniel Silver thriller series featuring Israeli Secret Service killer Gabriel Allon. (Outstanding reading, by the way. Check out The Kill Artist first.) I'm very proud.

There was also the daily morning coffee that I shared with my Mrs. I'll most certainly miss that the most.

The new position will require a lot of travel. Though travel can be diet and exercise destructive, I'm determined not to let it be so. I found a 24 Hour Fitness near my hotel in Fort Worth, TX Wednesday night and had a great spin class and run. Gotta keep that up.

It's time to move on and put 2009 behind me and have a great 2010 and beyond.

L'Chaim!