Thursday, April 30, 2009

Th: exit interview with Heart Dr

Wow, another day with out a photo. But, with less than an hour left in this day, there is only time for the concise details that may be of interest.

I saw my Heart Dr and nurse today. I haven't been in for 18 months and today proved to be my 'exit' interview as I'm doing well and will just monitor myself (much like I've been doing). The echo showed no decrease in EF or any other changes that are a concern. There are no reasons to not do the up coming ride - and he would even like some photos! :-) (I can manage that!) It's very nice to have quality caring medical professionals in your corner. Way to go Dr. M. and Nurse B. The medical description of what I have / had is "Non-ischemic idiopathic cardiomyopathy".

No time for exercise today, other than a short walk with my wife in the AM looking for a lost phone, which was found by a neighbor and returned. :-)

I was able to drive to a bike shop a little further away today and get a box large enough for my bike. So that's a relief to have a box as I'm just a few days away from having to ship my bike. I also bought another tire and some chain lube. Two other things on my list.

Then tonight I was able to interact with my family and finish my letter that I'm going to send to my family and friends giving more details of the up coming ride / missions trip. If you would like a copy of the letter and Wycliffe brochure please let me know so that I can make sure you get one. Those should be going out in the next couple of days. The jersey and brochures also came today, so I'm going to take a new photo of me with my bike in the Wycliffe jersey for the letter. I am hoping to do that tomorrow. I also am putting up a small table at Church and will be giving a brief announcement about the ride during the Sunday morning service. So I still need to prepare for that.

Tomorrow I am planning on mostly taking a vacation day. I have a meeting first thing in the morning and then I'm hoping to go for a long ride - something I haven't been able to do for a while now. Maybe even do the 46 mi loop twice. That'd be my longest ride this year and go a long ways with confidence and preparedness. We'll see...

Those are the highlights that I can think of. Life is full, but things are getting done and relationships are growing.

Wed: 2 to 31 cents...

For the record: life is more than food (Luke 12:23) and exercise (1 Timothy 4:8). I know this not just as a fact in my head, but try to practice it with how I live my life - even with the attention given to health issues, they are indeed secondary to seeking God and other relationships. Life is about relationships: first with God (Gen 3:8) and then with others (Rom 12:10). [Those are the passages that came immediately to mind as I wanted to give a scriptural ref for my beliefs - my 2 cents worth.]

My days are full still, but with other things as I've begun to cut back on the amount of training in preparation for the 6 Days of riding starting in just over a week. I will be boxing up my bike this weekend, making finial preparations and purchases and finishing my letter to send out. I will post it here when I'm done (it's very close...but needs to be finished).

Today I have an appointment to see my heart Dr. I haven't seen him for 18 months. I'm not expecting any bad news, but rather the report from the echo that I had last week and I'll take my blood work results in for him to review too. I'll give a report on that tomorrow.

Exercise yesterday was on the trainer as it was 'wet' again. I like the rain, but it forces me in doors when I have to ride. I made it 128 minutes and at around a 17 mph pace. Today I may not get to ride as the day is full of appointments spread apart but not separated by enough time to justify riding. Hopefully I'll get more preparatory items accomplished instead. I am a little nervous about not getting any long rides in. By long I mean 100+ miles. A week from Sat day 1 will be 116 miles of rolling hills; day 2 will be 112 miles, ... as a newbie to this sport ... it's a little intimidating to say the least.

Yesterday Baskin Robins had their 31 cent scoop night. My wife found out about it, but we weren't able to do it as a family due to youth at church. So instead she took the younger two when we left; the older two went with the youth after church; and I stopped by on my way home and brought some home and ate with/in front of my wife. It worked out nice. It's a great promotion that they do annually. Next year hopefully we'll get to do it as a family. It's something I remember doing as a kid in my family, but as a parent I don't do it very often.

I was up late shopping around on the computer looking for prices of items that I am looking to purchase so I will know what to buy locally and what to mail order. I leave in 1 week - so time is short...

[I added the links to the scriptures so you can jump to the site and do any other searches that interest you. It's a very powerful search engine and I find it fun to track through some thoughts and see how the Bible addresses the thoughts that I'm working on. If you have a minute... follow the like and see what the Bible has to say about what's pressing on your mind and thoughts. ]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tuesday: no exercise...

When I went to bed Monday night (late) I didn't set an alarm and I wasn't planning on getting up early, but rather slept in until 7. I haven't done that for a while. I also made oatmeal for my wife and I-haven't done that for a while too. When I came home for lunch, I fixed lunch for my wife and I and then worked on some paperwork tasks that have been nagging on me for weeks now. In the evening, I cooked dinner and was in the house with the family. And by 10 PM I was putting myself to bed-again with no alarm set.

I was hoping to get in a long ride today, but the roads are wet and the forecast doesn't look to promising. If I can't get on the road, then I'll ride during lunch on the trainer. It was nice to have another day off and to have two nights in a row of waking naturally and getting more rest. I'm sure it will help with my ability to handle my daily life better. :-)

Nutritionally yesterday was good (I had already finished off the ice cream the night before and know better than to replace the supply). My portions are still a point of struggle for me - even eating nutritious food, I still need to cut back on what I'm allowing myself to eat. My wife has been helping me some recently - thanks.

The spike for me yesterday was relationally a misunderstanding gone bad <details removed as they don't belong here>. I guess the bottom line was that I'm thankful for God's Spirit being at work in our lives as believers. And I'm glad that I listen - often. Lastly, I desire to practice forgiveness. It's not very self serving, but is appropriate fruit...

With 8 days left until I leave for the ride - I'm trying to work on the list to make sure I've got everything I need and get everything done that needs to be done. It's a time of many lists...

[Another day with out photos...it must partly be the rain...]

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Monday: meltdown...warning lights

Well, as I reflect back on Mondays events, there were no significant positive milestones in the areas of exercise or nutrition, but rather being up late (not healthy to miss sleep) and eating ice cream (as a pleasure food - my meltdown). :-(

It was an amazing rainy day as I made a short entry on and it was neat to experience the storm and to have all the rain. By the afternoon it was not raining hard and I was tempted to go for a short (hour) ride with Ed, but when it came time to make a decision I decided that it wasn't dry enough and the radar looked to green still. So, instead, I rode on the trainer for 90 minutes at a avg of just over 15 mph and a low avg HR too. (Kind of a ho-hum attitude of just getting it done and lacking the quality.)

I went to my son's soccer game in the evening (he played quite well if I do say so myself) and returned around 10 PM. I then had some chores to do and some reading. That's when the ice cream thought came and conquered me. It's those times alone again. Wow...Eve was tempted when she was alone! That would be a good study; I bet there's a common thread there. I know I've been pretty overloaded with the things in my life that aren't getting done and that makes it very easy to give into little false pleasures and satisfactions. Emotionally I'm also quite full as I almost sprung a leak several times yesterday.

As I write this I'm seeing red lights on the dashboard of my life and am pulling over to take a look. When your car shows the over heating or oil warning, and you ignore it hoping that you can make it to where you are going...you risk serious damage to your motor. So too, when life shows you the warning lights, they need to be responded to. It may be time for a pit-stop: more fuel (purpose), tires (direction), some tweaks to the air flow (seek God for some key scriptures) and have those red and orange lights checked out too. Only a fool or the very ignorant keep driving their cars with several of the warning lights on. So, too, a wise person can see the warning signs in their life and will respond to them. I'm not implying that I'm wise, but am implying that I'd be a fool if I ignored the warnings...

Life is much more than just physical health issues (like exercise and nutrition) and it's difficult to blog on health issues when the real battle is in other areas and it spills over into these lesser ones. For me, Monday is a reminder of how challenging life is and how weeks of 'good' routine can be swallowed up in an instant...So, today is a new day: asking God to wash away my pity party and 'woe is me' syndrome and give me a heart of thankfulness. Not something I can manufacture, but real thankfulness-that's my desire for Today (Tuesday).

Monday, April 27, 2009

Weather and photography

Wow..what a morning for weather! The flashes started around 5 AM with the distant rumblings, by 6 I was getting my camera as the storm was passing over head with instantaneous flashes and wall shaking crashes of thunder. As one who is a transplant from the west, the intense extreme weather that we experience here is such a treat! A month ago it was the boiling of the clouds in the sky. Some times it's the hail, the snow, the ice, the wind, the lightning and thunder: this morning it was the 2" in 50 minutes of rain that finally followed the strobe lights of the constant lightning and shaking thunder. I guess what I'm trying to say is ... IT WAS AMAZING!

I have a Cannon PowerShot A710 IS and am very pleased with the features and quality of the photos that it takes. This morning I was at the back doors clicking away. I was in Shutter Speed Mode trying to capture some of the lightning. The lightning was everywhere, but out of the 135 photos I took before filling up the rest of my 8 gig card, I only captured 3 photos with visible lightning bolts. I think I'll do better next time.

Initially I had the lens open for 15 seconds and was just trying to capture some - which I did. But the problem with that is that the whole sky is over exposed and you can't see the lightning, instead it just looks like a photo that was taken in the daylight instead of pitch darkness. So I started playing with the shutter speed (reducing it) and went to the programmable continuous photo mode and had it take 10 pictures one after another-hoping for a bolt to happen during the time the lens was open. And this happened too - but again it was over exposed. Eventually I was down to short exposure times and just taking 10 shots; one after another.

It was FUN. It also made me think of a few features in my camera that I'd like to improve for future lightning sessions. Next time I'll start in the continuous mode with short shutter speeds. And it'd be nice to not already have a memory card that was mostly full. None the less it was a fun time.

I very much enjoy photography and it's one of the nice things about this blog that I enjoy too - taking daily photos. Cannon has a new PowerShot model out, the SX1 IS. It's a 20x optical lens and has a few other very nice features ... :-)

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Fri & Sat; and confession

Friday:
How could it be more windy...I was very surprised on Friday to get back and checked the weather to see the reported wind gusting up to 40+ mph with sustained winds over 20 mph. But, that would explain why I spent so much time in my lowest gears trying to maintain double digits on the speedometer. It was tough going into that wind. (When I crossed over the two bridges that go over the fingers of the lake, it reminded me of the ocean; with all the swells and white caps.)

The numbers for the ride: 2:30 for 40.3 miles, 45 mx & 16 avg mph, the TT over the bridge was 35.4 mph avg with the exit speed of 42 and 120 cadence. The trip out into the wind was at 13.5 mph avg for 19.6 miles. It's very hard for me to ride long distances in wind like this. Even with the boost on the return trip, it still seems like the cost of going into the wind is not fully recovered.

I also had a Softball game Friday night at 10:20 PM. It was a fun game and we almost got to play the whole game before getting run ruled with ~10 minutes left. It's hard to improve when you only play once a week-but it's still fun.

Saturday:
It's been a little over a week since I first spoke with Ed on the phone - in preparation for riding together while he's here for some work related business. The hope was to get at least 1 ride in together on Saturday and we'll see what happens with the rest of the week. Ed is one of the other 6 riders who are on track to do the Wycliffe 6 day 600+ mile ride (starting in just under 2 weeks now). You can read a post by Ed on the Wycliffe ride blog.

Ed and I had talked about doing the 40 loop twice, but due to time and riding conditions (strong winds) we did one 46 mile loop together. It was fun being the 'host' and taking Ed on my regular route so he could experience what my route is like, what the riding conditions have been like and just to share some time together.

The ride south was into the wind: pretty tough going. We had a very brief light sprinkle, but not enough to become dangerous. We left from my house and stopped at Walgreen's at the turn around point about 1 1/2 hours later. The return trip went quicker with the aid of the wind. We saw speeds in the 20's, 30's and even 40's. There are parts of this route that have some rough road and since I'm pretty familiar with the roads it's safer for Ed to lead so he can navigate with the benefit of seeing the whole road (we also took turns leading so the other could have a rest from pulling into the wind).
Anyways, it was great meeting Ed for the first time. We've communicated a couple times by email but it was nice to meet face to face, to have him in my home briefly, show him the quick family photos and head off on a ride together... both taking turns praying to our God with thanksgiving and requests. The riding conditions were tough, but it was a Great ride!

Confession: It was a bad evening for self control in the area of eating. We enjoyed a nice meal at Red Robin later that afternoon (my wife and two youngest and myself) and I had seconds on the french fries. Then we were going to get a treat on the way home but ended up getting ice cream at the store instead, and I had WAY TO MUCH: I mean I'm to embarrassed to say how much because it was WAY over... So, not only did I over eat at dinner, and eat not nutritionally sound food, but was up late with ice cream... I think it could be related to my stress load, as a hot water heater has a safety valve, maybe mine is pleasure foods. I wish it weren't, but I am thankful that I'm not a total nervous wreck instead. As I've said before, I'm far from having it all together. I have some discipline some of the time. That's enough for now.

Do you ever overeat or indulge yourself? If yes, why? Have to tried to figure that out? (If you know, please share as you may be able to help many others. If I knew the answer to that and how to help people--I'd write a book, or do something to get more traffic to my blog... :-)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Th: windy, new test saddle

[Breakfast: two fried eggs in a bowl with the rest of the Dahl and some fresh spinach added. It was very tasty. Having made the Dahl twice now - it tastes better each time.]

I wrote in the past about my $600 prescription; today I had a mid process check with the Dermatologist, and the cream is working as expected, so I'm to continue for another 6 weeks of treatment. And the hope or expectation is that the skin will be normal after a couple weeks after stopping the treatment. Sounds good to me.

I made it to the bike shop today during lunch. I looked around and was able to talk with one of the guys there who is VERY helpful and generous. Today I was able to leave with another saddle to test out. It's different from others that I've looked at, but he said many people find it comfortable. I was also able to talk to him about bike shorts and explained some of my discomfort and he said it could be my shorts too - not just a saddle problem, or maybe not a saddle problem at all. He showed me how a pair of bib's that they have were different from mine (and mine aren't cheep ones - these were just exceptional ones). That was a good thing to learn - a pearl worth remembering.

As I left for my ride I was very excited about getting to try out a different saddle. It's definitely flatter than mine. It felt different, but not bad. Unfortunately I did reach a point (before 20 miles) where my back side was getting sore. And as the ride progressed in the 20-30+ mph S winds I started to feel like I was sitting on a 2x4. I don't have any plans to try it again tomorrow. I did use some Bag-Balm today and that seemed to help, so maybe tomorrow with my own saddle I'll have little discomfort...I hope.

As for the details of the ride: it was a tough wind out of the south - worse than yesterday. I also got a late start ~5 PM. I tended to back down a bit on the power output (I don't have a power meter so I can't quantify the amount, but my avg HR was in the 120's and my max was only in the 150's. The avg speed was just over 16.

I also made it to visit my Grandma. Which normally includes cleaning and putting a fresh battery into her hearing aid - and today it also included finding it first. Thankfully (to God) I found it in a chair by the cushion and the side. She has a tough time with out her hearing aid in and functioning.

It's almost midnight and I just caught myself falling asleep again - time to call it a wrap for today. For you that read these, is there content that is of interest that isn't here? If you have any preferences, please leave a comment.  Thanks.

[Photo shows a cement plant and the wind blowing.]

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Wed: The routine of life

Today was much like yesterday, and the day before, and several days last week. The extra training and preparation for this 6 Day ride / Missions trip is taking a toll on many things in my life: sleep, aches, tender back side, getting behind on many things. It's like I've added a big rock to an already full life and I'm loosing a lot of water because of it. Unfortunately, it's crunch time and I think I need to keep it a priority, so other things continue to get bumped.

When I first walked out the front door this morning, after noticing the wind (more on that in my ride notes) I saw the moon and that is was very close to a star (I don't know which one though- which one is it HH?). I looked at it and knew that I'd be disappointed if I didn't go take a picture, so I went back in the house and got my camera and tripod. Experience has taught me that time exposure photos really are worth the time to use the tripod and the setting that takes a few shots back to back so that the camera is stable and not moving from me pushing the button. [So, that's the shot for today.]

My work time today was very productive. I should have a required tool ready tomorrow for a colleague to use. It's a nice implementation and fully functional - not a bad job if I have to say so my self. Many in my office are uncomfortable with multi-threaded development, but I find that even my 2 day tools have it and benefit from it: work being done independently, asynchronous updates to different portions of the user interface, ability to do several things at once, snappy response to user input ... the way software development should be. It's been nice to do some technical work again.

I had a dentist appointment this morning - the last one for a bit I hope. I had a temporary put in about 5 weeks ago and this was removing most of the temporary and previous filling and putting in a composite. My last three filling have all been composite in stead of the silver ones that still fill my mouth (full of sweet teeth). This is a health based decision for me: I've decided that those silver fillings are indeed a health risk to me and am not planning on adding any new ones, and will replace the old ones when given the opportunity or need.

Rather than make my lunch this morning, I fixed an egg sandwich (breakfast) instead. So, I enjoyed my breakfast, but didn't have lunch until I came home around 2 PM today. I ate a tuna sandwich on rye with onion, spinach, mustard, spices and olive oil. It was yummy!

I was out the door just before 3 for my ride. Had I listened to my body, I would have skipped today. But I tend to be a little to driven at times and it's difficult for me to skip out on a training session. Especially when these are the "Last Chance" workout weeks. Next week I should start cutting back my distance and add some higher intensity workouts instead - part of the trimming down and preparing for the ride.

Today my legs were still a little sore and tired, and then there was the wind! It was from the South and strong. This means that the route out would be tough and the return should be fast. And it was: the route out found me struggling to do double digits at times with the wind being such a good deterrent. I decided to fill my bottle full of ice today since yesterday it was warm. I also took a third bottle of ice in my backpack. Unfortunately it was still not enough. With about 10 miles left I was skimping on the water to try to make it last. I was out well before my ride was over, and my route has two hills at the end. Those were tough with out getting a little water refreshment after doing them. I guess tomorrow I'll have to take 4 bottles (2 in my backpack), or look into getting a Camelbak. (I have a waist unit from them and have been VERY pleased with their customer support and backing of their product. I had a bag fail and they replaced it - no Grief.) So I'll have no problem buying another product from them if that's the route I go.

When I finally got home from the ride: I took off my helmet, shoes and backpack and just layed down in the shade on the grass in the front yard. I was SO glad to be home. My bathroom scale said I was 6 lbs lighter on my return. That's not good - I need to have more fluids. My HR numbers were 140 avg and 177 max. The avg mph was 16.8. It was a rough ride into a mostly head on strong warm wind.

If you are still reading this: Wow...thanks. I thought I was the only one who reads the whole postings. Actually, there are a few of you beside me that read these (Thanks for the encouragement for being interested in what's going on with me).

I'll close with a passage that I read again last night. It was already underlined. It's good food for thought. Deuteronomy 9:4-6 
After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.  It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. (NIV)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Tue: Tuna, wrestling, cramps, nutrition vs calories

It's been a while since I've had muscle cramps, but today I had two of them after my ride: one in each leg about 10 minutes apart.

The day started with making my lunch in the AM before going to work. I haven't had tuna in my salads for a while, so today it was tuna again...and a reminder of how good it is and a nutritious source of protein in my salads. I tend to eat similar meals until I get tired of it and then switch to another until I get tired of it and then switch again. So, I think I'm back on tuna for a while. My salad was fairly normal for me: tuna, spinach, broccoli, onion, garlic, mustard, cayenne pepper, black pepper, craisns, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and crushed almonds. Tasty!!

Rather than leaving in the middle of the day for a long lunch break (ride) I went in early and just worked through - eating lunch at my desk. I was able to leave around 2:30 and was on my ride by a little after 3. It was warm. I repeat: it was warm (85+). I didn't take a third water bottle as I would have had to take a backpack and I chose not to do that today. Next time I will. Before the end of the ride I was sipping warm water out of my insulated water bottles...not a good thing for replenishing hydration needs. Two 24 oz bottles wasn't enough today.

The numbers: 46.2 miles (again), 2:30 (again), 18.4 mph avg, HR 140/173. They look very similar to recent rides, but it was much harder today. I was feeling fatigued, thirsty and my hopes of doing extra mileage at the start were dismissed by mid ride. It was the first ride in such warm/hot weather. The heat can be a zapper of energy and requires a more thought through plan for hydration and replacing energy than riding in cool weather has. (Or so that is my opinion.)

After getting home, showering and eating Chick-fil-A (we enjoy Tuesday nights fairly frequently as you get a free kids meal with a regular meal purchase - see the nutrition link on the side bar) I was still a bit warn out. But, my youngest still wanted to wrestle. So we did - on my bed (which is the normal wrestling ring). After him was Beth. And this is when I got my first leg cramp: in a muscle in my thigh that I've never had a cramp in before. Then 10 minutes later, still wrestling - with Beth and my wife now, I got a cramp in the same muscle in the other leg. Ouch!! Cramps are no fun...

What I'm drawing from this is that it's no longer enough to drink water only on my rides. I've been eating some bars, but I think I need to get some sports type drinks / powders to mix with my water as the days are heating up, I'm loosing more sweat.

Tonight's "The Biggest Looser" had a good reminder segment on not just focusing on calories, but focus on nutrition. When you are exercising intensely, you need carbs and energy to fuel those workouts. You need protein. You need good fats. This is something that I try to practice in my daily eating. I was surprised that last week I gained weight while doing more intense exercise than I probably ever have before. 

The one thing I've changed for this week is - no sweets. That's all. No chocolate, Sherbet, Ice Cream .. etc. What helps me is to have accountability. So my wife is doing that for me. In my case it's pretty simple. The rule that I have is: "I can't eat any sweets with out asking my wife first." It's not like she has to say "NO", it's just that I have to ask and can't just eat in private/secret. For me that's enough. I've yet to ask and yet to eat some. And I'm seeing the weight come down a little already. 

Most people don't appreciate the number of sweet teeth that I have in my mouth, I don't have a Sweet Tooth .. I have a mouth full of them! So the moral of this story is to know your self and get the help you need when you need it. Usually it will involve interacting with someone else to help you. Accountability and interaction are key with family or friends that you trust and will be honest with.

[Today's photo is of our most recent 4 legged addition to the family. My wife brought him home this past weekend ... to my surprise and ...]

Monday, April 20, 2009

Mon: Echo in the AM - pursuit in the PM

I was on the road early today. I had to head towards downtown with the normal commute traffic. Not being sure of the traffic, and having an Echo appointment at 8 AM, I needed to be early not late: so I left by 6:30 and got there early enough to read for a bit before my appointment.  

[The moon shot was on my way to my car and the sunrise was in route (not recommended: taking photos while driving, but I've been doing it for years...)]

I've seen the same person to perform the Echo procedure since the summer of 2005: 6 or 7 Echos now. It had been 20 months since my last one. I don't have the results from today's procedure yet; I'll get that when I see my Heart Dr later this month. Even though we have a friendship now for the last 4 years, there are also some rules in place stating that they aren't allowed to give any information that can be interpreted as 'diagnosing'. I think everything went fine (and I feel good). It's always neat to hear the valves and thumping, and to see the pictures of all the different parts of the heart and surrounding arteries. Plus I get to 'rib' the person doing the procedure about their 'desire' to exercise and the actual lack of exercise that is done...much like I enjoy doing to most everybody I know it that situation. If you don't want me to nag you about exercise - then don't bring it up. It was a good visit with my Echo technician.

Then later in the afternoon I went for my ride. It was my new 'staple' ride: the 46 mile loop from my house South a couple of towns. There was a little wind doing what it so amazingly does: being a headwind both ways!? 

On the return leg, before starting on the road that goes over the fingers of the lake I stopped for a minute or two to finish my snack and was passed by a guy on a bike. HEY...What's this?? I got a quick pump of adrenaline followed by the thought: "Now I've got someone to chase down. Cool!" So I quickly put my stuff away and started pursuit. A mile or so later I pulled up along him and started talking. We talked for around 5 minutes: I introduced myself and got his name, Shay (I'm trying to work on remembering peoples names), and then said I was going to pick up the pace a little bit. It was nice to interact a little and hopefully I'll see him again and remember his name.  :-)  It's funny how seeing another biker can provide the extra ump to push a little harder: it's great for training, and if you are social, it's good for relationships too.

The numbers: 46.2 miles, 2:27 time, 18.7 mph avg, HR 137 avg & 179 Max. I think I had two recent PR's: Mtn Creek hill 2:12 and TX Plume hill 5:00. With the head wind my bridge TT was 1:07 - 26.7 avg. It was a good ride today.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sat:Trainer and Road time...

My bike was still in/on the trainer from Friday, so with the wet roads this morning and sprinkles that were on and off in the AM hours, I rode on the trainer for 1:45. It was a bit disappointing as I was hoping to put in a long day on the road.

A few hours later and the afternoon was starting to look like it maybe safe and nice for a ride. So a little after 5 PM I was able to head out for a ride. Not sure at the start of what I was going to do, but figured I'd decide as various points came up. I wasn't sure of the distance, but decided I'd try to ride harder--especially if I would be racing against the sun. At about 10 miles in I decided to try to keep my HR up into the 150's or better. My recent rides are averaging in the mid to high 130's, so this was a reasonable target. Even with a slight S wind I was making good time at my possible turn around points on the route-so I ended up doing the regular 46 mi loop in my quickest time of the week.

I have been riding more with my hands on the lower bars and I've also turned them down some. It feels different, but not as difficult or unnatural as it has in the past. And it is more efficient when I'm riding into the wind as I'm down lower and create less wind resistance.

On the return leg I stopped on the dam as the sun was close to setting and took a bunch of photos. A couple of them are included here. It was nice and very relaxing to watch the sunset
(it reminded me of how I often used to go to the beach when I was younger and watch the sunsets). From the point where I stopped on the dam, it is about 5 miles to my home. It was a little tough starting up again as it was now getting dark quickly and my legs were cool from the break (10+ minutes). I had brought a pair of clear glasses in my backpack to wear for just this purpose: to replace the darker one if I had to ride after the sun was down. My blinky lights are even more effective after dusk, so I wasn't too worried about not being seen. And the route is very familiar so I know where most of the big holes and bad spots in the road are - even though it was a little dark for seeing.

The numbers for the road ride are: 46.3 miles, 2:24 time, max 43.3 mph, avg 19.2 mph, max cadence 146, avg cadence 85, max HR 172, avg HR 145. This week I rode 6 day in a row-which was my goal for the week. The upcoming ride is 6 days in a row, so I wanted to have a taste of what that is like and wanted my body to know what it's like, even though the total time and mileage is less than it will be on the ride. This week I rode for ~16 hrs (12 1/2 on the road and 3 3/4 on the trainer); ~220 miles on the road and ~55 miles on the trainer.

Nutrition wise it was an OK day. I made pancakes (from scratch) for breakfast for my youngest after making and eating oatmeal with my wife earlier. For lunch I had a piece of left over cheese pizza (which I didn't enjoy during a portion of my road ride a few hours later). For dinner my wife made some rice and we added spices and vegetables and chicken ... MMMM mmmm. Then topped off with a couple servings of Strawberry Kiwi Sherbet. 

This next week, I'm not sure of the specific goals: many of the things to do are now not just training but logistical and supply related. I still need to get my letter out, I need to get a box for packing my bike and figure out when I will need to ship it for it to be there in time, buy some supplies (personal food items, spare tires, tubes, a second pair of riding shorts, ... there's a lot to do still). The training will probably be the 'easy' and more 'relaxing' part of next weeks preparation. I think I'd like to ride 6 days again (Lord willing) and aim for a long ride on Sat.

This blog sure has been quiet these last few weeks. I hope you are well and doing Good.  :-) 

Friday, April 17, 2009

Friday: Rain...back on the trainer

Due to the rain today, I was forced to ride on my trainer; I had forgotten how difficult it is in just under two weeks of being on the road. Not having the movement, cars, looking around, random thoughts, hills, wind, high speed, out of the saddle, ... all the variation that normally happens on a 2 1/2 hr ride on the road - is missing on the trainer. It was difficult to get in the 2:05 that I did.

It is possible that the rain will clear our in the AM tomorrow, so I'm hoping for an afternoon ride; and kind of hoping for 80+ miles. The ride will be by myself, as is normally the case. (Can you sense the pouting and self pity in my tone?) I am looking forward to not setting my alarm and waking up naturally tomorrow morning.

My wife bought some amazing Strawberries today! They are Huge AND they have Great Flavor!! The pictures don't do them justice. They are some of the biggest with good flavor that I've ever had. I'm sure I'll have one or three in my smoothie tomorrow morning...it will be nice to have a smoothie for breakfast again, haven't had one sense early this week.

We watched the move "Super size me" tonight. I've been wanting to see it but forgot about it until my friend PJ lent my his copy. It's worth watching in my opinion. There were some words used that we don't use in my family and some talking about some activities with his girlfriend, but other wise it was worth watching. There were a lot of facts and information given out...some amazing information that many ignore.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Th: Wings and Wheels...

Earlier this week there was a day where it was just wonderful, with light wind and soft air. Well today was one of those 'wonderful' days too: if only I were a bird (had wings instead of wheels).

The winds across the dam (and everywhere) brought out many soaring birds: able to hover or attain great speeds with what looked like very little effort beyond a few body and wing movements. Me on the other hand, on my bike, it wasn't an effortless day. Had I not been training for the ride (I leave in 3 weeks) I probably would not have ridden--it was just to windy. But, I think it's important and good mental preparation as well as perseverance - so I pushed on.  The ride out into the wind was tough and the ride back into the wind wasn't much better. As I've said before the cost and gain of the wind never gives a net result of zero, but instead it has a cost in both directions...?

I think I'll skip the numbers for today, with the exceptions of saying it was the 46 mile loop and it took me over 2 1/2 hours.

[There is some difficulty knowing the balance of being personal and not too personal in these entries. So, please feel free to ask or comment and I will respond as best I can.]

Quirks / New Experiences
- I've noticed that I have a tendency to ride with my mouth open. How do I notice this? Well, I usually don't until I have some drool run out of the corner of my mouth...then I think, "O yeah, I need to keep my mouth closed." This usually happens many times during a ride. [As I read this to my wife she quickly reminded me, after she finished laughing, that I always have my mouth open: sleeping, wrestling, walking, running .. so I guess it's just when I'm breathing!]
- Another new experience is having a tender bottom side. Not just on the bike, but all the time. It doesn't necessarily hurt, but is more tender than normal.
- Today is the third day in a row where I have wanted another gear on the top end. Not sure why: could be I'm getting used to riding at a lower cadence; could be I'm able to push a little harder; not sure what it is, but it's a new experience.
- Carrying my camera with me on rides in my back pack has given me a freedom to stop and capture something where my normal tendency is to keep on going: don't stop until I'm done. Much like the typically stereo-type of guys and having to "conquer" their events. It's been freeing to be able to stop in the middle.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a rainy day, so I'm not sure what I'll do yet...

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Wed: Taxes are done!

Today was a normal routine in the morning getting into work around 6; taking my frozen smoothie from the night before and two pieces of Ezekiel bread with fruit spread and water.

Rather than doing my ride during lunch, I wanted to get our taxes finished so I worked on that instead. I then made a small simple salad and sandwich and went back to work for a couple hours to finish the day around 2:30. I then went home and got ready to head out on the ride. 

Today's weather was much more typical: strong winds. But they were out of the SE so I went ahead and did the 46 mile loop since I would have some component of the wind helping me on the return leg. I also rode later in the afternoon (starting just after 3 PM), so there were vehicles on the roads which added just a slight increase to the stress of sharing the road. With it being a little gray, and having the two effective blinky's on the back, there weren't any close calls. I will also take a lane when there are two available and a vehicle is coming up behind me and not moving over. Rather than hugging the curb and encouraging the vehicle to try to pass me in the same lane, I will move over a couple of feet (just shy of the middle) to make is so that there isn't any room in 'my' lane. This seems to be an effective means of keeping space between us. I have a mirror on my helmet and use it very frequently (every 10 seconds??). I think it's one of the most effective safety devices I use--besides the blinky lights.

The numbers are: 2:36 for 46.2 miles = 17.7 avg, top speed of 44.5 (down hill), avg cadence 82, max cadence 131, HR avg 136, max 162. This is the end of day 3 of 6 for this week.

Just a short entry today as it's late (as usual) and I want to read and get to bed soon (I'm not getting enough sleep). Getting proper sleep is equally important in good training and health.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tuesday--Cool, Soft Air

Today was much like my last week: riding during lunch outside. I can't run the blender in the morning and it was too late last night, so I took one of my "shaker" containers with soy milk, nestle chocolate powder, carob powder, protein powder, almond, flax seed and some craisins. It's not as good as the options when it goes through the Vita-Mix, but it will do. I also had two pieces of Ezekiel bread with fruit spread and an apple: that was my breakfast today.

The weather today for the ride was just beautiful. The wind was very slight, the air was cool, the sun was bright, the sky blue and the air was soft. (This may not be a familiar term with some, but from my days of riding a motorcycle there are some times when the air just feels "soft". I don't know how to describe it, but it's something that you can feel when you get used to being in the air a lot. And today was one of those experiences: the air was soft. It was Great to have that sensation again!)

Numbers: with the riding conditions so appealing, I added another short leg to my route which bumped it up to just over 46 miles; it took just under 2 1/2 hrs; avg speed of 18.4 mph; avg HR 136.

I made my breakfast smoothie tonight for tomorrow: 2 oranges, grapefruit, carrot, 2 big bunches of spinach, almonds, beat, crasins, protein powder and soy milk. Mmmmm it was tasty...I had to sample it tonight just to make sure. And I made enough for my wife a small container of it too. Not eating junk food continues to be a daily struggle for me. I tend to eat healthy, but struggle with my sweet tooth (or teeth). This often surprises people, but it may be the thorn in my side to keep me aware of my dependence on God; maybe one of the thorns in my sides and arms and legs and head! Where are your thorns?

[There was a first on the ride today...I had to wait for a train. I've never had to do that on a bike ride before, it was nice to have the rest.  :-)]

Monday, April 13, 2009

Monday, another 40

I had the alarm set for 5 so I could use the weights in the garage before going into work this morning, but I was to tired. My second alarm was already set for 5:30, so I just turned off the first one and on the second one and went back to bed for a few more valuable minutes of rest. Even with a short nap yesterday after lunch and getting to bed by 10, I was still tired.

I would like to add a couple times with the weights this week, but not today. The wind was out of the NNW and blowing a fair bit (web said 18 mph, but I think it was more--especially when it was in my face). Our winds typically blow N or S and when I'm doing the South route I prefer it to be out of the S so that it's not in my face on the return leg. Tomorrow it's supposed to be out of the S and if I can get out on time it shouldn't be to strong.

The ride today was the same one I did all last week: the 40 mile route. It took just under 2 1/2 hours. The avg speed was just over 16 mph. The exceptional thing for today was just doing the ride with the wind. I'm starting to feel a little more stamina, but a little loss in my ability to sprint. Maybe a loss of some fast twitch muscle fibers for some slow twitch ones, due to the endurance training that I've been doing most recently. I will have to start adding some sprints to try to prevent further loss.

Tonight it's to bed early (by 9:30 I hope) so I can be rested for tomorrow. I can extend the 40 loop another 6 miles and would like to do that route tomorrow-especially if the winds are out of the S and light.

[The photo is from the dam, looking down one off the fingers of the lake to the bridge that I like to do my little time trial on.]

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Sat: end of record week

Today started with a meet at the Dam for two loops on the 40 mile route. The plan was to do one loop and then eat something similar to a lunch, and then do another loop. That would give a feel for what it will be like to ride before and after lunch on the multi-day ride.

Steve and I rode together today. Numbers: we rode for 79.4 miles and 4:59:48 time. Our average speed was just under 16 mph. Not bad considering the wind and the distance (and a few hills). My Garmin says I burned 5377 calories. (I use 1000 cal / hr as my normal estimate, so this is reasonably close.) My avg HR was 122 and my max was 170. 

The intent for today wasn't speed, but rather it was doing the distance. This was the longest ride for both of us this year. The distance for day one on May 9th is 112+ miles, through the hills. So it was good to finish the ride: for the distance, continuing to get used to eating while riding, getting used to being on a saddle for that long, mental accomplishment, ... it was good.

I've been eating a PowerBar each hour and that seems to be working for keeping some calories and fuel coming in. Today for 'lunch' I had a Peanutbutter and Jelly sandwich. We stopped for 30 minutes and about 10 minutes every 20 miles.

Tomorrow is Easter. I'm looking forward to Church in the morning and then having my family over afterwards for a meal and some time together. It will be especially nice to see my Daughter and Son-in-law and Grand daughter. I'll do most of the cooking and haven't decided what I'll be grilling yet - but it will be good what ever it is!  

Today is the last day of this week; which was a record week for me on the bike. I spent an hour on the trainer and  ~15 hours on the road: ~260 miles total this week. It's a lot. But it's crunch time: 3 weeks of training left before day one of the ride in just 4 weeks from today. I rode 5 days in a row, with a rest day, then the long ride today. If all goes as planned, next week will be another record week. I'd like to ride 6 days in a row to simulate the 6 Day ride. I'm considering bumping the 40 mi loop to 50, and I'd like to see 100 next Sat instead of 80. But we'll see how it all shakes out.

Another aspect of my preparations for this up coming ride is trying to raise funds to help 45 Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) receive Bible translation training at a university level so they can translate the Bible for their own language groups. My goal is to raise $10 a mile for 600 miles, or $6000 towards their support. If you would like to make a pledge towards this goal, please let me know. More will be following on this soon. 

As I've been putting in the extra time in doing what I can to be prepared for this ride, one thing I'm mindful of and thankful for is my equipment. [I have a photo of the 'twin' flashers that I use when riding-even in the daytime. I want to do what I can to be seen.] My bike has worked flawlessly, something I do not take for granted. When my tires needed to be replaced, I bought good quality tires (just as I did when I rode a motorcycle on the street). When you have a quarter of an inch (or less) connecting you with the road, and you are going 30+ miles an hour, with automobiles with in a few feet of you at times...you just can't risk saving a few dollars on a lesser tire (or so I think). I guess I'm trying to say that I'm doing what I can to be safe (in what I buy and how I ride) and am aware and thankful for God's help in this too.

I'm thankful for a safe record week and hoping for another record week next week!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

A Swarm of Bees, dhal, blood, 40 mph, ...

Today's entry is a little more broad in it's coverage--especially compared to the recent short entries. It's late as I write this, but I don't have to get up early tomorrow so I'm enjoying being up and am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

[The photos are of some 'tarka dhal' that I cooked this week. I enjoy cooking and also like middle eastern foods. It wasn't bad for my first attempt--I think it was very good. Can you tell which one is mine and which one is from the cook book?]
 
A couple of weeks ago I had some blood drawn, not for donation but for testing. Today I got the results in the mail. Much of it I will have to look online for to see what it means. I will also take it with me when I go see my heart Dr later this month. But some of the things tested for I recognize: Cholesterol, Total (139), Triglycerides (40), HDL Cholesterol (58), VLDL Cholesterol Cal (8), LDL Cholesterol Calc (73) and that's probably enough for now. The bottom line for me is that I think what I'm eating (and not eating) is looking good in my blood. Having good blood isn't a guarantee of health; but for me I see it as affirming that the caution and extra time and cost in the area of nutrition is bearing fruit.

I take a fair bit of teasing and harassment on what I do and don't eat. Many people say it doesn't matter or make that much of a difference. To that I say: show my your blood work! Now I exercise and try to get proper rest...I realize and practice a more holistic approach to good health. Nutrition is just a main thread, not the only one. But it is indeed a player in our health. (Some of my biggies: filtered water, soy milk, very little red meat, no pork, daily onions, daily garlic, daily spinach, supplements, no butter or margin (only olive oil), no trans fats, no nitrates or nitrites, no hydrogenated oils (even in ice cream), low sodium, lots of fruits and vegetables, routine fasts, ...)

This evening I was wanting something sweet, so I went by the grocery store after my meeting and started reading labels: sherbet, different flavors of ice cream, licorice...I usually go for the Sherbet but was surprised to see it so high in sugar-even higher than the good ice cream. So Sherbet was out. I know I can't manage my ice cream quantity, so I have to say no in the store and not bring it home: so ice cream was out. Licorice: 40 calories per piece...again I can't just have one or two but would have 6 or 10: again no. A short prayer and then it was off to the yogurt. It will satisfy the sweet craving, it's got nutritional benefits and it comes in a single serve container-a good thing for someone who is "Portion Challenged": done. Fifteen minutes of reading labels and knowing myself; I left the store with a yogurt for tonight and 9 more for the future (buy 10 and save $1).

Exercise today: day 4 of the planned 4 days of 40 miles.  With the hour on the trainer on Sunday setting up the test saddle, I've ridden between 10 and 11 hours this week: ~175 miles. That's the most miles I've ever ridden in one week, and I am planning on a long ride on Sat.

The ride this afternoon was a little later than normal (started ~1:45). At the dam (a 4 mile stretch) I had to ride through a swarm of bees. That was a bummer. Thankfully I didn't get stung but did have to stop once I was sure I was through all of them to make sure there weren't any in my helmet or hair. It was really windy so I was very hopeful that they would be gone on my way back across later, but they weren't, and that time I got stung. Just once, but it was like fire! Again there were hundreds of them. I hope they don't stay for long as I like to ride across the dam for most of my rides, but I really don't like getting pelted and stung.

Now the ride was tough on the leg out: strong winds (20-30 mph +). The total time for the ride was 2:21. Six minutes slower than yesterday. I don't know what it is about the wind, but the cost of riding into it is always less than the benefit of it pushing at your back. (If anyone knows why, please enlighten me.) Some Numbers from the ride: 45 mph Max (down hill section), 17.2 mph Avg, no HR data. There were several sections again when the speed was in the 30's, and as I said yesterday--That's Fun!

The highlight of the ride was towards the end on the bridge section that has some how turned into a time trial gauntlet for me. Today I entered the bridge at 29 mph and exited at just over 40. This is the first time I've seen 40 mph on the flat's (even with the aid of a tail wind). That section of the bridge is .54 miles and it took 56 seconds today for an average speed of 35 mph. That was cool and a memory highlight! (The cars passing me at 50 mph weren't going much faster...

If any of this is of interest and you'd like to talk further or hear more-just let me know. Or, if you have similar or opposing ideas or experiences, please share those too. But, if it's only something you think about and don't practice...maybe it's time to start 'Doing'. A simple way to start is just adding one thing you want in your life and removing one thing that you don't want in your life: habits, foods, ... etc.

Third day of 40 miles

Exercise: yesterday was day 3 of my new routine involving riding during a long lunch. There is a ~40 mile route that I've been doing each day this week. Monday it took 2 1/2 hrs; Tuesday it was 10 minutes less; and yesterday it was 5 minutes less than Tuesday. It was one of those neat rides that had maybe 8-10 segments that dipped into that 30+mph range...where cycling becomes very intense and focused: there's a realization that the stakes just got higher and you have to focus in and give your full attention and effort to sustain that experience! I Love it! Anytime I can enjoy speeds over 25 on the flats...I do.

Now, in all humility, it is worth noting that the return leg had almost a true S wind which did aid in the higher speeds-no question about it. I am an amature cyclist with less than a year in this sport...but I seem to have developed a taste for and liking of higher sustained speeds.

Today my hope is to ride the 40 mile loop or maybe 50 and then take Friday off. Then ride again on Sat aiming to get a longer ride in (~80). And I think S. and maybe D. will join me for all or some of it.

Next week I hope to ride 6 days in a row - to experience what that is like. I've only done that once before, but not with these distances; which are only a shadow of what is to come...soon.

[It was nice to wear only a single layer, sunscreen and no backpack today: it was a wonderful ride-even with the winds. Sorry for the short posting and little personal content-I feel like it's crunch time...]

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Tuesday - new routine, day 2

Just a brief entry, as my schedule feels a little more compacted (could be the late soccer game last night, could be the long lunch rides, could be the huge list of undone things around the home, ...)

Nutritionally it was an acceptable day yesterday: healthy meals, a sweet at lunch and some frozen yogurt after dinner.

Exercise: it was my second day of doing the 40 mile ride mid morning. It wasn't as windy yesterday and was really very nice. My time dropped 10 minutes from Mondays 2 1/2 hrs. So my avg. speed was up to the low 17's. My max HR was 179 and the avg was..I think 137. (I don't have all the numbers and will update with those at my next posting. I also stopped to take the photos that are attached while on my ride.) The saddle felt better on this ride. I wasn't able to return the saddle before the bike shop closed, so I think I will try it one more time and return it Wed after work.

Relationally it was a little more challenging. I need to not be lazy here, or selfish .. those are easy places to drop into, but the results never satisfy. My prayer is to do better relationally today.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Monday: a new routine

Today was the first day of my new routine (for the next few [up to 4] weeks). Gone are the days of 4:41 AM wake up alarms; now it's a much kinder 5:30 AM. No more riding my trainer, but I'm out on the road-free and unhindered. But, if the weather turns unsafe, then I'll have to revert back on a daily basis as-needed.

Exercise: even though it was a blustery day, it was still nice to ride outside. The winds were 20+ mph from the NNW-NW and my route is mostly South on the way out and North on the way back. So the out leg had mid 20's - low 30's (mph) and the return leg had 6 - 20's: the return leg was tough. The avg for the two and a half hour ride was 16 mph: 40.4 miles. At times the test saddle was comfortable and at others I just couldn't get comfortable. So, I'm going to ride it one more time tomorrow and then return it.

The forecast is for lighter winds and if that is true, then I'll not cut my route short as I did today and am hoping to get in closer to 50 miles tomorrow. But it will depend on the weather, how I feel and a few other variables. My Garmin 305 batteries died mid ride so I don't have any HR info.

Nutrition: a good start in the AM with a power bar and the smoothie I made last night. Then around 10 AM I ate a grapefruit. I had a different type of power bar on my ride starting at a little over an hour and then more at 2 hrs. Dinner was good too. The questionable foods were the last of the Sherbet (with the kids) and a cookie and a half (cooked this time). Oh yeah, also a piece and a half of See's. (Soon it will be gone and I wont be tempted...I have to fight this battle in the store and not bring food home.)

Misc: while on my ride today I saw two B-1 bombers flying together. They made about 4 passes through the area that I was in. Not sure what they were doing (sometimes they make simulated bombing runs I've been told), but it was quite impressive to see and hear them at close range. The first time they flew over I pulled over and stopped so I could look at them. [attached is a photo from Wikipedia and a free site. If I had my camera I would have a 'better' photo. :-) ]

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Sunday-a reminder to full surrender

Today was, in a word, challenging. If you ask my family they would probably say I was a Grump and yelled too much, and I'd probably have to agree. It was a relationally, nutritionally and exercisingly (yes, I know it's not a word Steve, but it works for me) challenging day.

Nutrition: more struggles with a couple more cookies (3) (in dough form), a piece of See's dark chocolate candy, a serving of Sherbet, but on the good side I did dodge Taco Bell for lunch and made a nice veggie and chicken lunch at home. And made a nice smoothie for tomorrow morning (apple, pear, carrots, beet, spinach, yogurt, almonds whey protein, craisns and soy milk - see photo). I'm going in early tomorrow to work, so I needed to make the smoothie tonight so I don't wake up the whole family tomorrow morning.

Exercise: almost none. I spent 60 minutes on the bike this evening in 'test pilot' mode: testing out and adjusting the position of another saddle. This is the saddle that I am borrowing from my LBS. I was able to borrow a seat post on Friday and today was the first chance I've had to put it on my bike and try it out. So far it's good. My plan is to give it a road test tomorrow. Rather than ride on the trainer in the morning, I'll go into work early and then take a 3+ hr break late in the morning and go for a (hopefully) 50 mile ride. It is my hope to do this several days this week in preparation for doing it more days next week.

With less than 5 weeks until the 6 day 600 mile ride, it's time to get off the trainer and on the road--daily. The winds have been brutal, but I need to have the mind set that as long as it's safe I need to ride. Your prayers and encouragement are welcomed, as training alone can be tough.

When I'm not exercising and allow myself the bad foods, I tend to get frustrated with myself which impacts how I respond to others; mostly my family. I'm aware of this and asking for God's help in these areas. My family still loves me--so that's a good thing.  

The thought that I had today: "What do I have or do that I'm trying to keep from my God? And why am I doing this? What does the world really have to offer me that is more important than my relationship with God?"

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Saturday with my younger kids

Today was my day at home with my two younger kids so my wife and two older kids could go to a conference at church. 

It was a full day - nice and fun too. I fixed omelets and eggs for everyone (made to order of course) for breakfast before half of my crew left for the day. Then the three of us picked up a friend and went to the  Kids Workshop at the Home Depot - something we've enjoyed doing for many years now. 
(We have photos of our oldest when she was young at a workshop :-)  Then it was off to the kids school carnival. Then a soccer game. Then getting some spices for some Indian food that I'm going to fix this coming week. Then dinner, playing in the front yard, vegetables, ... whew I'm tired and sleepy.

Exercise wise..none. Just normal activities. But I have big plans for the next week starting tomorrow, so having today off is probably a good thing.

I was going to sneak out and ride my bike for a bit, but it's after 10 PM and I think I'll do better with rest-even though I have indeed missed my desired exercise for today.

Nutrition wise..today wasn't that great: 2 cookies (in dough form), carob malt balls and two servings of Kiwi Strawberry sherbet, plus vegetable pizza for dinner. Not one of my best days, but days that I don't exercise I do tend to have more struggles in the area of nervous or bored eating.

But as the day is all but over (just need to finish this posting, clean up for bed and read for a bit) I am glad and thankful for the days events and time together. It was a day of priorities and good family choices.

[The photos are not in chronological order: the first one is of me getting a few minutes of rest at Jacobs soccer game (I was awake to see his yellow card though), Beth and her friend at the school carnival with their faces painted, the kids playing on the blow ups and making their bird houses at the Home Depot.]






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