Well, I can't say that I have been behaving with my food consumption the last few days. Today for lunch I went to an all you can eat lunch special at Pizza Hut. Can you say MISTAKE? I have no calories left for the rest of the day but of course I need to continue eating. Another poor day. Monday's appointment with the scale will not be pretty.
On the positive side I did get some exercise in over the past two days. Yesterday I ran a 29:35 5k and today I biked a 40:25 20k. Both are good times for me but as I mentioned previously the race date is quickly approaching.
Today is also my last day at work for a week and a half. That is usually a bad sign for the healthy living trend as I need structure to stay on track. Too much free time equates to far too much eating. Have a good weekend everyone!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Down to the wire
So here it is July 27th and I feel very unprepared for my upcoming Duathon on August 14th. I registered for this event months ago and I have been training but it never feels like enough. Maybe I am not cut out for this stuff. This past weekend I mapped out a full distance course by my house (2.5 k run, 20k bike, 5k run). I used my driveway as a transition zone, put on my heart monitor, and clicked start! The first 2.5k run I felt good coming in around 14 minutes. I fumbled around in the transition zone putting on a helmet, changing shoes, etc and then I was on my way on the bike. It was a relatively windy day so the first half of the bike course was brutal. Once I hit the turnaround point things felt better. I have been testing some nutritional products so as I was riding the second half of the bike route I had a Hammer Gel single pack thingy, Apple Cinnamon and it was actually good. It was hot out so unfortunately the gel was more like a fluid and it got messy. The good news is that it did not cause me any abdominal discomfort! So I completed the bike in 44 minutes. For those who are challenged at math this meant I had a 5k run left to do and I was at the 58 minute mark. This is where the fun began. The first 2k I thought I was doing ok but then came the brick wall. I have noticed that when I take a walk break it is all downhill from that point. It is just hard to get a good pace going again and it ultimately results in more walking. In the end my time was 1:29:54 which beat my goal of being under 1:30 but it was close. I wanted a cushion so that I "KNOW" I can break the 1:30 barrier in the real race. Mind games at work here.
A little over two weeks left to train, one of those weeks I am in Orlando on vacation, maybe I should skip this one.
Oh, a additional note, I am over the 50lb weight loss point now!
A little over two weeks left to train, one of those weeks I am in Orlando on vacation, maybe I should skip this one.
Oh, a additional note, I am over the 50lb weight loss point now!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A Quick Toronto Vacation
Well it was a fast three days but we got alot done! It was up early and off to bed late for the entire trip. Our goals were to visit four Universities for my daughter as she is deciding where to apply in the fall, to see Bon Jovi at the Rogers Center, and to see the musical "Rock of Ages".
All three goals were met! We had a great time as we visited the universities. Brittany is considering Pharmacy as a graduate degree so we focused on places with strong life sciences programs for her undergrad degree. We went to University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Guelph University, and Ryerson (just because we were close to it). I think she was impressed by Waterloo the most but she also liked U of T. I thought it was interesting that they sold t-shirts for fathers with "Bank of Dad" on them, not a good first impression of these places!!!
All three goals were met! We had a great time as we visited the universities. Brittany is considering Pharmacy as a graduate degree so we focused on places with strong life sciences programs for her undergrad degree. We went to University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Guelph University, and Ryerson (just because we were close to it). I think she was impressed by Waterloo the most but she also liked U of T. I thought it was interesting that they sold t-shirts for fathers with "Bank of Dad" on them, not a good first impression of these places!!!
We also got a chance to see a Bon Jovi concert and a theatre show. The concert was good as they played for a long time. The entertainment highlight was definitely the "Rock of Ages" theatre show we saw. It was really funny and I would recommend it to anyone who likes 80s rock music. We were even lucky enough to have a conversation with David Bryan, Bon Jovi's keyboard player, who was at the show as well. This was alot of fun for Brandon!!!
The bad news..... I did not get any training in and I only have a few weeks before my Duathlon!!!!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Why Does Everyone Get Older But Me?
If you have children isn't it amazing how quickly they grow up? We cleaned out a room in the house today that was predominately filled with old toys and stuffed animals from days gone by. It really wasn't that long ago but then again, maybe it was.
I am on vacation this week and we have some family activities planned. A couple of concerts in Toronto and also, can you believe it, university visits. My little girl has arranged visits at four of the universities around the Toronto area to get a feel for the "vibe" of the campuses. I mean, is this the same little girl that once played with the "stuffies" I just through out while cleaning out the room? Nah, must be someone else's kid.
At the same time my youngest son is heading into his first year of high school. He will likely really enjoy the experience but his mother and I may not live through it. The clothes need to be a little cooler now and we certainly can't be seen anywhere in his vicinity. Oh, and I forgot, I have somehow lost all intelligence over night. I figure I will get most of it back once he is looking for someone to pay for his university.
Here is a picture of the "baby".
As far as the fitness regime is going, I have had a bad few days. With the travel I have done recently it has been difficult to stick with my regular routine. I did manage to get a 5k run in this morning in 29:40, so all hope is not lost. I just hope the remainder of the week will allow me some more exercise opportunities.
Hopefully all is going well with my blog followers!
That's all for this post!
I am on vacation this week and we have some family activities planned. A couple of concerts in Toronto and also, can you believe it, university visits. My little girl has arranged visits at four of the universities around the Toronto area to get a feel for the "vibe" of the campuses. I mean, is this the same little girl that once played with the "stuffies" I just through out while cleaning out the room? Nah, must be someone else's kid.
At the same time my youngest son is heading into his first year of high school. He will likely really enjoy the experience but his mother and I may not live through it. The clothes need to be a little cooler now and we certainly can't be seen anywhere in his vicinity. Oh, and I forgot, I have somehow lost all intelligence over night. I figure I will get most of it back once he is looking for someone to pay for his university.
Here is a picture of the "baby".
Hopefully all is going well with my blog followers!
That's all for this post!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
How Many Calories Burned?
As I mentioned previously I have been using a program called LoseIt to track my caloric intake and also to record my calories burned via exercise. I have always been suspicious of the exercise calories the program gave me credit for. In particular to golf numbers.
I did a little research and figured out that the most accurate way to track my calories was a heart rate monitor. This device consists of a watch and a strap that you put on your chest. The strap transmits your heart rate to the watch for real time feedback. I looked at many models and went with the Polar FT7 product. I have been very pleased with the investment to date.
What have I found to date? The walking calories burned were very close to the LoseIt programs. The stationary bike numbers were off significantly. With the heart rate monitor my calories burned were 15% less than the program. I had similar results with running, the heart rate monitor recorded less calories burned.
This has been valuable information as I had been overstating my exercise calories burned for many months now. Bottom line, invest in a heart rate monitor if you are an analytical sort (like me).
Today's biking was really really hard! I did 20k in the pounding heat and humidity in 40:42. When I was done I was close to puking, I needed to cool down in an air conditioned room instantly. Be careful out there in the heat!!!
Here is a picture of my daughter and I after a training session!
I did a little research and figured out that the most accurate way to track my calories was a heart rate monitor. This device consists of a watch and a strap that you put on your chest. The strap transmits your heart rate to the watch for real time feedback. I looked at many models and went with the Polar FT7 product. I have been very pleased with the investment to date.
What have I found to date? The walking calories burned were very close to the LoseIt programs. The stationary bike numbers were off significantly. With the heart rate monitor my calories burned were 15% less than the program. I had similar results with running, the heart rate monitor recorded less calories burned.
This has been valuable information as I had been overstating my exercise calories burned for many months now. Bottom line, invest in a heart rate monitor if you are an analytical sort (like me).
Today's biking was really really hard! I did 20k in the pounding heat and humidity in 40:42. When I was done I was close to puking, I needed to cool down in an air conditioned room instantly. Be careful out there in the heat!!!
Here is a picture of my daughter and I after a training session!
Monday, July 12, 2010
2010 - Year of Healthy Living?
So as I entered 2010 most of the aspects of my life were under control. I have a loving wife who is a fabulous mother to our two children. The two teens are growing up into highly functional individuals in society. Our daughter is very driven and strives for perfection, takes after my wife, and my son is a free spirit with no worries except how much he can play guitar, sounds like me!
The only thing that had nagged at me for years was my health. I was overweight and feeling lathargic. It was not a body weight issue but a quality of life issue. I don't want to get old and not be able to enjoy retirement due to my health. I had been at this point before so what makes this year any different. That is a difficult question to answer. I would guess it is that I am ready to make a change this time rather than feeling like I should do something. So what has happened since January?
I began a personal fitness and eating program. This was something I researched and acomplished solo, as opposed to a personal trainer situation. Since January I have either walk/jogged, or road my bike every day (I think I missed a couple days when I had a cold). At first it was a drag but now I am at the point where is I don't do some intentional physical activity I feel like I have let myself down. I set myself a goal by signing up for a Duathon early in May. This involved training to prepare for the 2.5k run - 20k bike - 2.5k run. This provided me with the motivation I needed to keep going. I made it to May and completeds the race in 1:13. Not a blistering speed but good considering where I had come from. I am now scheduled for another race in mid August. This one is longer so will be more of a challenge (2.5k run - 20k bike - 5k run).
I see the corresponding weight loss as a nice by-product of all my training. I am down 49lbs from my highest weight a few years back, most of it since January. I have been using an iPhone app called LoseIt to assist with my daily planning of calories in vs. calories out, and have met some wonderfully inspiring people on that website.
What can I do top my progress during the first half of 2010? Only time will tell........
The only thing that had nagged at me for years was my health. I was overweight and feeling lathargic. It was not a body weight issue but a quality of life issue. I don't want to get old and not be able to enjoy retirement due to my health. I had been at this point before so what makes this year any different. That is a difficult question to answer. I would guess it is that I am ready to make a change this time rather than feeling like I should do something. So what has happened since January?
I began a personal fitness and eating program. This was something I researched and acomplished solo, as opposed to a personal trainer situation. Since January I have either walk/jogged, or road my bike every day (I think I missed a couple days when I had a cold). At first it was a drag but now I am at the point where is I don't do some intentional physical activity I feel like I have let myself down. I set myself a goal by signing up for a Duathon early in May. This involved training to prepare for the 2.5k run - 20k bike - 2.5k run. This provided me with the motivation I needed to keep going. I made it to May and completeds the race in 1:13. Not a blistering speed but good considering where I had come from. I am now scheduled for another race in mid August. This one is longer so will be more of a challenge (2.5k run - 20k bike - 5k run).
I see the corresponding weight loss as a nice by-product of all my training. I am down 49lbs from my highest weight a few years back, most of it since January. I have been using an iPhone app called LoseIt to assist with my daily planning of calories in vs. calories out, and have met some wonderfully inspiring people on that website.
What can I do top my progress during the first half of 2010? Only time will tell........
Friday, July 9, 2010
Welcome!
Welcome to Mike's Ramblings! My intention for this blog is to share details about my passions in life. I am new to the blogging world so we will learn as we grow. I am 42 years old, married, with two teenage children. Clearly with teens I already have lots of topics to rant and rave about.
I have many hobbies to share my experiences about. I love many kinds of music and play guitar. If I wasn't locked up in the corporate world I would pursue being a sound engineer. I tinker with a home studio to keep the creative juices alive. I also enjoy playing golf. I took up the game later in life and I am certainly not a natural but I do enjoy the challenge. It is something that I will never conquer and therefore I continue to enjoy it. I am currently pursuing the top 100 courses in the US. This gets me out into various areas of the US. I also love to travel so be prepared to get updates on our vacations! We have one coming up in a few weeks in Orlando, it should be fun!
Weight loss has also been a recent passion, more on that in future posts.
Well I will keep the first post short and sweet.
That's all for now!!!
I have many hobbies to share my experiences about. I love many kinds of music and play guitar. If I wasn't locked up in the corporate world I would pursue being a sound engineer. I tinker with a home studio to keep the creative juices alive. I also enjoy playing golf. I took up the game later in life and I am certainly not a natural but I do enjoy the challenge. It is something that I will never conquer and therefore I continue to enjoy it. I am currently pursuing the top 100 courses in the US. This gets me out into various areas of the US. I also love to travel so be prepared to get updates on our vacations! We have one coming up in a few weeks in Orlando, it should be fun!
Weight loss has also been a recent passion, more on that in future posts.
Well I will keep the first post short and sweet.
That's all for now!!!
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