Lapped Again

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Another poky day.  I just seem to be running about ten or fifteen minutes behind all week.

It's the last day of the month.  Thank goodness for that.  I'll need to remember to weigh in tomorrow - I have a feeling that things have slowed down this week with the stumbles.  Plus I'm going out tonight so there will be a few beers and that won't help anything.

Breakfast:  ~ 3 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, a little coffee.  I think I've been underestimating how much salami I've been eating given that I bought a pound and it's rapidly disappearing.  Definitely more like 3 oz than 2.

Lunch:  Jimmy Johns #17, salt & vinegar chips

Dinner:  Spicy beans with turkey, a couple oz of salami

Beans, turkey, deliciousness

Also:  4 pints of beer (3 were Bell's Two Hearted Ale, forget the other), chips and onion dip.

Exercise:  Morning walk, somewhat abbreviated.  I lopped off the loop that goes west given that I'd be walking directly into a stiff wind.  The pedometer said 3.0 miles in 57 minutes.  Super slow, I wonder if I'll ever walk at a faster pace.  I only really saw two other people out there, they came up behind me and blew right on by like I was standing still.  They were walking.  Granted I was being cautious because it was icy out there but come on there is no reason I should be this slow.

The forecast for tomorrow is dismal, don't know if jogging will work or not.

41.4

Paying the Wages of FAIL

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

As expected, didn't feel great this morning.  This is what happens when you eat a bunch of junk and don't exercise.  Interestingly, I think I continue to adjust to my dietary changes - I think among other things I'm becoming more sensitive to vegetable oil (in this case from the chips)  and it just doesn't taste as good.

Mentally it's been a good morning thus far, I think I'm bouncing back.  This is a good thing.

Evening edit:  A good day for the most part.  Big day tomorrow, will conclude with some drinking so it will be another FAIL day - especially if the weather stinks in the morning.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee.  The usual.  Didn't bother with a picture.

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup, 2 bubbies dill pickles

Now with even more glare!

Snack:  A bunch of peanuts in the shell.  Almost done with the big bag.  Ate too many.

Dinner:  Spicy beans with turkey.  Also finished off the potato chips I started on yesterday.

I thought it would be more than this.  

Bottom line, don't keep junk in the house or it WILL be consumed.

Exercise:  C25k week 5 day 1.  Jog 5 minutes, walk 3, jog 5, walk 3, jog 5.  I have to say it was not pretty. My legs, knees on down, were not keen on the idea of jogging, so the first segment was a little awkward but thankfully not too painful.  The second was decent.  The last one was pretty sad.  I made it through but at a snail's pace.  I would have been lapped by any competent race walker.  I forgot to reset the pedometer but working backward I think it showed 3.3 miles in about 57 minutes.  I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to clock something under 45 minutes in May.

I just looked at the schedule and holy cow, this is the week where the intensity jumps big time.  On Friday I'm supposed to do a couple of 8 minute segments and then on Monday 20 minutes without walking!

39.6

The Bizarre

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

I awoke at the usual time this morning, hoping to go for my usual walk.  No such luck.  A quick look at the radar confirmed what my disbelieving eyes and ears were reporting - there was a pretty strong thunderstorm going on.  In January.  Huh.

So today already feels weird and it's still early.

Breakfast:  ~ 3 oz salami, ~ 2 slices cheddar, a little coffee

I was more rushed than usual so I was careless about what I grabbed and I definitely had a couple more slices of salami than usual.  The cheese stuck together and I didn't quite get full slices.  Whatever.   No picture.

Lunch:  Qdoba naked burrito, usual style.  As usual they don't know what really light rice means.

Snack:  2 McDonalds grilled onion cheddar burgers

Dinner:  A couple of turkey slices.  Chips and onion dip.  LOL.

Exercise:  None.   It feels so strange to type that and I'm not real happy about it.  I considered squeezing in a mile after the rain finally abated, or doing some calisthenics or something but I didn't.  Instead I just dozed on the couch for a couple hours.  I would say that I hope that a rest day helps me be ready for another bump in intensity tomorrow but since today is going to be filled with stress and probably some poor eating I'm not exactly counting on it.

39.4

Strange Days Indeed

Monday, January 28, 2013

In a much better mental place so far this morning.  We'll see if it can hold for an entire day.

Evening edit:  Most a good day.  Only a minor dip, nothing close to the weekend.  I think I figured out enough to beat it and I also got some minor good news on the work front.  I also had a decent conversation - nothing epic and just a hint of awkwardness at the end (which is just me running out of things to say) - which was definitely helpful.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices sharp cheddar, coffee

Standard breakfast.  I did not take a picture, rushed through it.

Lunch:  Bowl of vegetable soup.  2 Bubbies dill pickles

At least I remembered to take the picture before I ate too much...

Absolutely nailed this batch of soup.  The only way it could possibly be better (hyperbole alert) would be if I had used stock instead of water.  It is really good though.  Also, I need to learn how to do my own pickles this summer.

Snack:  A bunch of peanuts in the shell.  I'm making a pretty good dent in my huge bag.

Dinner:  Huge bowl of spicy beans and deli turkey.

Magic beans yo

I used up the last of the prior batch and also threw in a bit from the batch that I made yesterday.  Delicious.  And way too much, I am stuffed.  Finished off the crummy turkey so tomorrow (probably) I can get better stuff.  Which reminds me that I should check the ads.

Also:

Exercise:  C25K week 4, day 3.  Same as the last two - 3 min jog, 90 sec walk, 5 min jog, 2.5 min walk, repeat.  Really struggled this morning.  Knees weren't real happy and had some calf soreness too.  Pace was laughably slow at times but I made it.  Barely.  Not looking forward to the increase coming on Wednesday.

The weather did not help.  Ice overnight, the roads were too slick to take the usual route.  There is a 3 block stretch that's clear so I did that loop several times.  Pedometer showed 2.33 miles in 38 minutes.  I've said it before, my "jog" pace is slow, slow, slow but today was extreme.  It's what I had to do to make it through.

39.0

So Poky

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Feeling a bit better so far this morning but dragging pretty good physically.  The 3 or 4 glasses of wine I had last night probably aren't helping, though I don't really feel them.  It's early, we'll see how it goes.  Edit:  Still early but another roller coaster so far.  Yikes.

Afternoon edit:  This is just dumb.  What.  The.  Eff.

Breakfast:  Omelet with bacon, sausage, ham, tomato, mushrooms, cheese & sour cream, diced redskin potatoes, sourdough toast, coffee

Out to breakfast.  I rather like doing this, though it shouldn't be every Sunday.  More potatoes than usual today and they could have used another minute or two on the grill.  Otherwise fantastic and too much food.

Lunch:  Leftover spicy beans with deli turkey

Photo skills could use some work, obviously

Still delicious, even with a crappier grade of turkey.  If I'm going to buy the stuff I need to spring for the good kind.  I think this was the end of the batch I made two weeks ago, just pulled a fresh batch off the stove.

Dinner:  Can spaghetti with ground beef and parmesan cheese, salad no dressing, 3 slices garlic toast

Family dinner.  This stuff used to be one of my favorites, now it tears me up.  Ugh.  Trying to go to bed early.  Finally feeling a little more stable this evening.

Exercise:  Ever so slightly modified route today.  Took a different way home that I usually avoid due to traffic.  There is no traffic on Sunday mornings.  Still, I like the other route better.  The distance shouldn't be more than a block or two different.  Pedometer said 3.63 miles in 1 hour 12 minutes.  As usual the time seems right and I was really poky once again.  I'm tired and a little sore.  I probably should have just rested today but my OCD nature said no.  I hope I feel better tomorrow (since jogging is in the cards).  The weather forecast sounds pretty dismal - if it's icy no way am I walking let alone jogging.

37.6

Weighted Down And Low

Saturday, January 26, 2013

This morning has been a struggle.  I dragged myself through my walk, physically tired (for obvious reasons - lots of walking yesterday and precious little sleep) and emotionally down.  I can't say that my mood has improved a great deal, either.  It's going to be a tough day, a tough weekend.  I'm hoping that pushing myself to do a few things I'll get some momentum and it'll get my mind off things.  I have cooking, cleaning and a little shopping to do and then I should really do some time at the office.  I might put that off until tomorrow - hell, I don't want to do it at all but I really do need to - but some combination of these things needs to happen.

Breakfast:  Oatcakes, 5 slices CF hickory smoked cajun bacon, coffee

Does it count as an egg pic if the contains an egg?

Absolutely fantastic.  The only part of this breakfast I'm not crazy about (you see what I did there?) is the cleanup.

Lunch:  Qdoba naked burrito, extra steak.  My request for light rice went pretty much in one ear and out the other, oh well.  Otherwise, standard and very tasty.

Not just alright, it's good.

It's going to be a carby day.  At least there probably won't be pizza involved.

Snack:  Too many peanuts in the shell.

Dead soldiers.

Dinner:  Bowl of soup.  The usual, last week's batch.  Forgot to take a picture.  I have a fresh batch on the stove as I type this too.

Also:  A couple of glasses of pinot noir.  Starting early tonight, we'll see how deep I get.

Exercise:  Usual morning walk.  As mentioned above, I really, really dragged this morning.  My heart wasn't in it and there wasn't enough recovery time.  But for the power of routine (and OCD) I probably would not have gone.  The pedometer said 4.0 miles (I did have to dodge a lot of snowplows), 1 hour and 13 minutes. Poky, poky, poky.  I skipped the push ups etc again.

There is no goddamned reason for this.

Edit:  Bonus exercise.  Shoveled several inches of snow, including plow debris.  Then I did a lap around the mall before lunch.  Doesn't amount to a great deal but every little bit of activity helps.  I ran into a neighbor I haven't seen in a couple of months and he added to the list of people that know me that have said nice things about how good I look.  Which I do appreciate, but still, long ways to go.

37.0

Forward Paid

Friday, January 25, 2013

Shaky morning thus far.  I just feel out of balance, out of sorts.  No particular reason or explanation.  It's not exactly spurring productivity either.  I need to shake the funk and get busy.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee

I think I took a photo but haven't uploaded it.  It looks exactly the same as yesterday so I may not bother.

Bonus breakfast:  4 strips of thick cut bacon.  An unexpected treat.

Lunch:  Omelet with bacon, sausage, cheese, ham, sour cream; redskin potatoes, sourdough toast, coffee.

Same thing I had on Sunday, no pic this time though.

Snack:  Some peanuts in the shell.  I'm actually making a dent in my supply of these.

Dinner:  ~ 3 or 4 oz or more of deli turkey, ~ 2 oz of salami.  Cleaned out the fridge.

Also:  Decaf coffee, ~ 2 glasses of zinfandel.  Finished off the bottle.

Exercise:  C25K Week 4, Day 2.  Same as on Wednesday - 3 min jog, 90 sec walk, 5 min jog, 2.5 min walk, repeat.  This one hurt a bit.  I didn't get enough sleep, was a little fatigued and my knees were a bit stiff and sore.  I did manage to make it through - very very slowly - and will very much be looking forward to two days of just walking.  3.4 miles on the pedometer (same ol' 3 mile loop), 56 minutes.

Bonus exercise!  Because I'm stone crazy I walked downtown through the snow tonight to check out an event.  Pedometer said 4.3 miles -- while I did have to dodge a LOT more traffic, it wasn't all THAT different than my usual route...  About 1 hour 20 minutes.

I am now tired.

38.8

Finding the Doors

Thursday, January 24, 2013

There is that saying, which I'm probably butchering horribly, that when one door closes, another door opens.    That's all well and good when you're in a place with lots of doors -- right now I kinda feel like I'm fumbling around in the dark trying to determine where the doors might be.

Kinda gray this morning.  Not weather-wise - it was clear, crisp and beautiful.  Just my world view.   Everything is a little dark.  Intellectually I know the sun will come up and things will brighten but sometimes intellect doesn't drive the bus.

Also, yes, I was definitely super dehydrated yesterday morning.  Wow.

Edit:  Rest of the day was pretty good.  The sun came out, I got out and about, ran into more people who showered compliments.  It's humbling that people notice.  Also I have noticed that I get more "hi"s, this is kind of nice.  Let's keep it rolling.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee

It's almost like I've eaten the exact same thing every day this week...

Same old same old.

Snack:  A few peanuts in the shell.

Lunch:  3 egg omelet with bacon, cream cheese, avocado; sausage; coffee.

Yep, a repeat.  Had a nice time out to lunch.

Dinner:  Spicy beans and turkey

Yeah, it appears that I need to run the dishwasher tonight...

This is just good.  Took some more beans out of the freezer, looks like I should make another batch this weekend.  I might have to really load the freezer if I'm going to keep eating this.  Loaded it up with extra turkey tonight, I was a little hungry.

Also:  A few more peanuts.

Exercise:  Usual 3 mile loop.  Other than being cold again, it was lovely.  I felt good - really I could stand to find a way to up the intensity on these non C25K days a little bit, but I'm not sure how.  Shoveled the snow that accumulated last night when I got home, all in all the pedometer claimed 3.9 miles and 1 hour 15 minutes.  The time at least is right - I left about 15 minutes late and was late getting in to the office, not that it matters one bit.

38.8

Surprisingly Upbeat

Wednesday, January 23, 2012

So it appears that an appropriate response to a rejection is to have a couple glasses of wine (or more), hang out and engage in impaired interneting.  Not sure how much was the alcohol and how much was the people but it was great to get a few laughs.  I could not tell you how long it's been since I've had that much to drink (an entire bottle of riesling plus two glasses of zinfandel).  Glad I was at home and could just tumble into bed.

I thought this morning might be a bit rough but it really hasn't been too bad.  Whatever headache I had went away once I went out for my walk - another cold day but I don't even notice it.  I will probably need to get some extra sleep tonight but otherwise I feel pretty decent.  Decent.  Sober and clear-headed.  I can even find the humor in what happened yesterday.

It isn't any big deal.  At least that's what I keep saying.  I may even believe it.

On a completely unrelated subject, apparently having a mostly liquid dinner is good for weight loss.  Either that or I need to check the batteries on my scale.  I weighed in today for kicks and it was down noticeably from last week.  I'm sure it was just dehydration (got rid of a lot of liquid yesterday) but it was still pretty epic.  I re-weighed and it was even lower.  Yay!

PM edit:  Random weight loss compliments continue to come.  Two women I don't really know from a nearby office made a point of commenting & they were pretty effusive.  And a friend stopped in and asked how much so far.

Also, I had a pleasant chat this afternoon with the rejector.  Nothing related to that, just a general chat, same as always.  Hoping to still be friends, that's pretty much it.  Mental health holding up so far, just the smallest bit of sad.  I'm doing a pretty good job of being objective about things and hey, I have a ways to go.

Breakfast:  Usual ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee

Maybe this was yesterday's picture.  They look the same and I'm too lazy to check.

No more words needed.  Hell, the picture isn't really needed.  It's the standard 2 minute breakfast.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup, 2 bubbies dill pickles.  I don't think I remembered to take a picture.

Snack:  Some peanuts in the shell, shelled.

After the fact pictures count, right?  This is how many I ate...

Dinner:  Meijer turkey and spicy beans.

Yum.

This is amazingly good.  I think I'll be eating a lot of this.  I'm almost out of turkey but I might have enough for one more meal.

Also:  A glass of zinfandel.  Probably going to keep it to one tonight and crash early.

Exercise:  C25K Week 4, Day 1.  Great time for a spike in intensity, right?  LOL at my thought process.  Today's routine was 3 min jog, 90 sec walk, 5 min jog, 2.5 minute walk, repeat.  I did the usual 3 mile loop, starting earlier than usual.  The first jog was no problem at all.  Second, no big deal.  3rd was uphill, not as much fun.   Last one started rough but finished OK.  Hey, guess what:  I can now jog (at a very, very, VERY slow pace) for five minutes straight!  Super short strides today, icy out there.  Other than being really slow, it felt almost natural.

I also shoveled the driveway when I got back.  Forgot to reset the pedometer, trying to mentally subtract yesterday I want to say it was 3.6 miles and just over an hour of activity.

36.4

Deep Freeze

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Coldest day in years I believe.  It was right about 0 degrees this morning, but the wind wasn't too bad.  Windchill was only about ten below.  Light flurries coming down.  Nobody out but the plow trucks.

It was beautiful.

And with the proper gear it wasn't even uncomfortable.  I think I'd like to add a wool bottom base layer for mornings like this but that's only a small issue.

Even better, I knocked off the mileage without the slightest difficulty, then grabbed a shovel and pushed the few inches of snow around without batting an eyelash.  I cannot believe how far I've come in terms of physical condition.

On the mental side, I made an important decision yesterday.  At the risk of jumping the gun I've got something I'm going to do months earlier than planned.  I will probably encounter rejection, but that's OK.  Better that than a missed opportunity.  I am nervous as hell about this.

Edit:  Shot down.  Crap.  No longer nervous.  Mostly past sad but still a little ways to go on that.  Intellectually I know that it just means an opportunity to go in a different direction, but still .... shit.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee

Exciting my breakfast pictures are not.

Pretty standard stuff.  I bought too much salami last week (it was on sale) - I just finished it off.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup.  I don't remember if I took a picture or not, it was the same as yesterday though.

Dinner:  Leftover spicy beans with a couple ounces of Meijer lower sodium turkey mixed in.

Turkey and beans.

I'm surprised, but I liked the turkey better than the pork.  This was stupid easy and very good.

Also:  Chateau Ste Michelle riesling.  Opened a bottle.  Quantity to be determined, but it's like to be most of the bottle.  It's a drinking night, for which I will pay come 4:30 am.

Exercise:  Usual walk.  I had to backtrack a few times to avoid snow plows.  I also shoveled the driveway when I got home.  The pedometer said 3.9 miles in 1 hour 13 minutes.  Time is about right at least.  I just plain forgot to do push ups and sit ups, I might have to remember to do those tonight.

Feel really good today.  Quality rest, good food, exercise, happy nerves.

40.6

Weather Non-Delivery

Monday, January 21, 2013

We didn't get slammed overnight as expected, just a little powdery snow.  It was bitterly cold, though, with a windchill down just below zero.  As a result there was nobody out an about - I only saw one jogger.

It's going to be a busy week.

Edit:  Had a decent conversation this morning, so I'm a little upbeat about that.  Also had someone I don't see often say nice things when I ran into her yesterday.

Evening edit:  I may have worked up enough gumption to ask a question that I've been planning on asking ... several months from now.  If only I can find an opportunity to do so.  I thought I had one tonight but I blew it.  I have no expectations - the answer almost assuredly will be "no" but I think I'm going to ask anyway.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar, coffee

Not the most exciting picture, is it?

Glad to be back to the regular cheese.  I should really start buying the local raw milk stuff, next time I hit the health food store I'll look at it.

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup

Soup, good.  Photography skills, not so much.

A day in the fridge was helpful, the soup was very good.  Might be my favorite meal (non-pizza division) right now.

Snack:  Peanuts.  I received a ton of peanuts in the shell for the holidays, had a few.

Burned several calories getting them out of the shell...

I have not idea on count/quantity/weight, probably a couple ounces.

Dinner:  2 Bubbies dill pickles, ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, leftover pork tenderloin and spicy beans

Kicked up a few notches...

Grazing.  It was enough.

Also:  1 glass red wine.  Finished off the bottle, it was a good one.

Exercise:  C25k Week 3 Day 3.  It was cold so I stayed closer to home, less of a warmup.  Pedometer said 2.85 miles in 47 minutes, including the 90 sec jog, 90 sec walk, 3 min jog, 3 min walk, repeat routine.  Felt good other than a few moments of knee grumbling to start - actually, today was probably the best I've felt while jogging.  It actually felt pretty natural.  Super short stride length to keep my footing at all times.  Not fast but that's OK, it was enough.  Once I got going I wasn't even cold.  A good day.

Big step up in difficulty for Week 4 on Wednesday, I need to remember to get good sleep on Tuesday night (like I did last night, yay!)

41.4

Extra Screwed Up

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Ugh, ugh, ugh.  Totally out of sync today.  I went to a show last night and didn't get home and in bed until 11:30.  And then I woke up an hour later to the wind howling and tree branches crashing down on my roof (gusts up to 70 mph).  I got up when the alarm went off, observed that it was bitterly cold and still blowing hard, and proceeded to doze on the couch for a couple of hours.

I have a lot of stuff to do but I'm having a very hard time generating the enthusiasm to do any of it.  I'm in a funk again today and this is getting very, very old.  I need to recapture the balance, if not pure joy.

Breakfast:  Omelet with bacon, sausage, ham, mushroom, onion, sour cream.  Some diced potatoes.  2 slices sourdough toast.  Coffee.

No idea why I got 2 slices of toast this time.  At least they use real butter.  Stuffed.

Lunch:  Deli turkey, 1 slice 2% cheddar, sauteed onion, jalapeno mustard (pictured), plus a couple more slices of turkey, a slice of cheddar, more onion and mustard, 3 slices leftover CF hickory smoked garlic-pepper bacon (not pictured)

Yum.  Could be more filling though, which is why I had more.

Snack:  2 corn dogs.  There is a reason, not worth going into it.

Dinner:  Casserole with pork, minute rice, celery and cream soup, green beans with cheddar cheese, roll with butter.  Yeah, Sunday dinner problems.

Exercise:  No morning walk due to abysmal weather.  Trying to decide if I can manage a mall walk or something this afternoon.  More stuff to do than time to do it - and I'm way short on ambition.

Edit:  Managed to make myself do two laps around the mall.  2.1 miles in 43 minutes according to the pedometer, not so good.  It's supposed to snow a bunch tonight so jogging tomorrow is likely to be a problem.

42.4

Wineover

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Thank goodness for the weekend.  A little sluggish again this morning - I think I had about 3 glasses of wine last night and it got to me a bit.

Extra quiet out there this morning.  Didn't see any joggers or walkers, just a handful of cars.  40 degrees, perfect for walking.  Too bad that today is the end of it, it's going to get much colder and snowier for the next week or so.

Breakfast:  2 eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, 3 leftover oatcakes, a little coffee

I don't know if I can produce eggs better than this.  Just absolutely PERFECT.

Delicious.  I don't know why I even bother brewing the coffee.  I have a little when I wake up and by the time I come back to it the heat has switched off and it's lukewarm at best.  I dislike coffee at any temperature short of scalding hot.

Lunch:  A few slices of Meijer lower sodium deli turkey, 1 slice 2% cheddar, jalapeno mustard and some stovetop grilled onions.

Grilled onions are so good.

I had to test out the onions (part of this morning's cooking) and was ready for some food so there you go.  Turkey was on sale yesterday so I'll be having this a couple times.  The only problem is that there isn't a lot of fat, thankfully I'll have regular cheese again shortly.

Lunch (part 2):  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup.  I went back and topped it off after taking the picture...

Fresh out of the pot...

This batch is not quite as good as the last one.  A little more time on the stove probably would not have hurt and I really do need to make some beef stock so that it's beefier (I just use water).  Still very very good.]

Snack:  A couple of ounces of Meijer peanuts.  They're gone now.

Dinner:  Pork loin, marinated in buttermilk & spices.  Spicy pinto beans.

Pork.  And beans.  Yes.

This was pretty good.  The pork was super juicy but needed more aggressive seasoning.  Thankfully the beans had some kick.  A solid pairing.

Also:  32 oz Miller Lite

Exercise:  Usual morning walk.  3 miles (3.35 pedometer) in 1 hour 3 minutes.  Pace felt pretty slow this morning.  I've been pretty lucky thus far as far as injuries (none) and general aches and pains (few) but my right knee is beginning to complain a little.  Just soreness, but I have to watch it.  It's possible I may need to take a day or two off even though I certainly don't want to do so.  I'm quite obsessed with the walking.

Also:  Bonus exercise!  No snow on the ground and it got up into the low 40s, so 9 holes of golf, walking.  If I'd figured out that it was nice out there an hour earlier I could have easily gone 18.

41.6

Waiting On Snow

Friday, January 18, 2013

Thank goodness it's Friday.  Dragged big time this morning - snoozed for a few on the couch before getting going about 20 minutes late.  Super sluggish during exercise.  Managed to get out the door only about 10 minutes late.  Between the bad food and the staying up past 10:30 I knew I was in for a rough go today.

Breakfast:  2+ oz salami (probably closer to 3), most of a slice of 2% cheddar, coffee

On the run, just grabbed and left.  FAIL.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover homemade vegetable beef soup, 2 Bubbies dill pickles

Last of the soup and the pickles.  I forgot to take a picture.  Oops.

Snack:  ~ 2 oz Meijer peanuts

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, 1 container Fage 2% yogurt w/ frozen raspberries

Also:  A couple glasses of wine.  Bowers Harbor dry red, opened yesterday.

Exercise:  C25K week 3, day 2.  Same as last time - 90 sec jog, 90 sec walk, 3 min jog, 3 min walk, repeat.  Usual walk a mile first, total distance covered 3 miles (3.25 on the pedometer), 58 minutes and change.  I can't believe it was that fast because I had several extra blocks to walk to get home compared to Monday.  The only time I really felt good was during the last 3 minute interval -- I think "jogging" downhill helped.  Super, super poky today.

In case I haven't already said it, I'm really looking forward to the weekend, going to get rested and caught up on a few things.

42.2

Some Bad

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Busy day thus far.  Fairly tired this morning, dragged home on my walk.  I need to try and grab a good night's sleep tonight and yet I have several items on the to do list that will push me well past 8:30.  Ugh.

There was also some good - despite eating way too many peanuts yesterday -- seriously, I was quite uncomfortable shortly thereafter -- the scale teased me with a lovely low number before settling on one that was still acceptable but not quite as exciting.  It's coming, though today will not help.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice 2% sharp cheddar cheese, coffee

On the run, no picture.  I didn't even finish my coffee.

Snack:  A couple handfuls of microwave popcorn

Lunch:  Jimmy John's #17, salt and vinegar chips

No time for lunch, five minutes to bolt this down was all I could manage.  As you might expect from so much starch I'm now dozy mid-afternoon.

Dinner:  Qdoba naked burrito, the usual one.  On the go, shoveled it down.

Also:  2 McDonald's cheddar onion burgers, chips & onion dip.

FAIL.  Not extreme FAIL, but FAIL.  Going to pay for this tomorrow.

Exercise:  Usual morning walk, 3.33 miles on the pedometer (3 in reality), one hour and 3 minutes.  As mentioned above I dragged home, glad I wasn't jogging.  I skipped the sit ups and push ups today and did some reading about core exercises instead.  If such a thing is possible, I'm more confused than I was before. But I do think I have a couple other things I can work into the mix so that's good.

41.0

A Slight Bump In Intensity

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I was glad that I decided to check the weather forecast last night.  I had heard that today is supposed to be windy and I was wondering whether I was going to have to put my OCD walking obsession to the test this morning ... but I learned that the wind won't pick up until later.  It was actually quite nice out there.  It sounds like some seriously cold stuff is moving in, though, and that could prove interesting, especially if it's backed by a bunch of snow.

Turned up the heat a tiny notch on the exercise, details below.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 3 slices 2% cheddar, coffee

I did not eat the waxed paper.  Stupid reduced
fat cheese sure likes to stick  though.

The soup that I took out of the freezer last night was still quite frozen so I'll have that either for dinner or for breakfast tomorrow.  I need to remember to do that 24 hours in advance.  I also took out a pork tenderloin for Friday and need to remember to take out some beans too.  It's pretty convenient having all this stuff in the freezer -- I wonder if I can figure a way to make an even bigger batch of soup - I'm guessing not, I don't think my pot will handle a true double batch.  Maybe 1.5x and I do something else with the rest of the ground beef.  Hmm.

Lunch:  3 egg omelet with bacon, cream cheese, avocado; sausage; coffee.  Out to lunch, old favorite.

Snacks:  Lots and lots of meijer peanuts.  Like 5 or 6 oz worth.  Waaaaaay too many.

Dinner:  Bowl of leftover homemade vegetable beef soup.

Photo taking FAIL.  Oops.

It was still pretty frozen.  It may be that I have my fridge set too cold.  Fortunately since I ate soooo many peanuts I wasn't real hungry and could wait to heat it on low for a long time.

Also:  I feel a glass of wine coming on.  Not sure if it will be riesling or a red.

Exercise:  C25k Week 3, day 1.  Today's intervals were 90 second jog, 90 second walk, 3 minute jog, 3 minute walk, repeat.  It went reasonably well and I now know that I can do three full minutes (duh, I did it twice).  The second one hurt a bit - it's not a huge incline but it was definitely going uphill.  I didn't check the mileage or time but it was the same old favorite 3 mile loop lead off by a mile walk to the start point.  I had a little further to go to get home so I'm going to guess it was pretty much a full hour.  LOL at my jogging "speed".  If I can break 45 minutes in May it will be miraculous.

On a related note, I signed up for a mile walk/fun run in February.  I'm just planning to walk for fun, but it's still the first one I've committed to in a long, long time.

41.2

Post Title Forgotten

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Not much to say this morning.  Great conditions for the walk, not as cold, no wind, everything clear and dry. Saw a couple joggers and a couple walkers, not much else going on.

Breakfast:  Leftover vegetable beef soup, coffee

This is what lunch yesterday looked like, minus coffee...

Confirmed nailed it.  So good.  Decided to have it for breakfast and have breakfast for lunch.

Lunch:  2 large CF eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 5 strips CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, one large avocado.

Hey look, eggs!  How about that!

All around excellent.  Eggs perfect over easy.  Incredible bacon.  And the avocado I thought was overripe turned out to be just fine.  A lot of food and quite a few calories but it was needed.

Dinner:  Leftover spicy beans, 1 container Fage 2% greek plain yogurt with some frozen raspberries

Not pictured:  The yogurt part of the proceedings.  Or the wine...

I like the beans but I think I'm going to experiment with the spicing a bit.  I just don't think it's quite right.  Part of the equation may be that I need to buy a new chili powder, I'm sure mine is quite ancient.

Also:  A couple glasses of pinot noir.  Probably going to finish off this bottle.  A nice treat.  The Bearboat is decent, being open (corked) for a couple days may actually have improved it some.

Exercise:  Usual 3 mile loop (3.25 on the pedometer) in 1:01.  A couple minutes faster than usual.  Felt good this morning, a couple of minor complaints threatening though.  Hopefully they turn out to be nothing.  Also did 15 girl push ups, 15 sit ups and 4 x 7 count leg lifts.  Sit ups and leg lifts are notably easier, push ups are still quite hard.

Not Sharpest

Monday, January 14, 2013

Another week is upon us.  I was a little more ready than usual ... which is good.  On the flip side, I forgot to take meal pictures at breakfast and at lunch so I may not be 100% all there...

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar cheese, coffee

FAIL on my part - I discovered that I bought 2%, reduced fat cheese.  Doh.  I mean, at least it wasn't fake cheese -- I like to think I would have just thrown that junk away -- but come on.  How can I possibly have missed that??

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup.

From yesterday's batch.  Nailed it.  So good.

Dinner:  ~ 8 oz CF ribeye, broiled.  Spicy pinto beans.  Also had a couple Bubbies dill pickles.

Yeah, I was a little hungry.  Not any more though!

Good, not great.  I took the lazy approach with the steak since I don't really care to smoke up my kitchen at all (and I wanted to eat relatively fast).  Beans were made yesterday, best batch yet.

Also:  A glass of pinot noir

Exercise:  C25k Week 2, day 3.  Same ol' deal - walk a mile, do the routine, walk the last couple blocks home.  Same intervals (90 sec jog, 2 min walk, repeat x 6).  Felt mostly OK, though I can sure tell when I push it or when it's uphill.  A long way to go, but it is coming.

On a related note, registration opened and I signed up for my 5k the first weekend in May.  Either I'm going to do it -- and it would be great if I could manage something under (LOL) 40 minutes -- or I'm going to fail spectacularly (and lose $25 in the process).  I never thought I'd be excited about this ... but I am.  I can't deny it.

45.4

Weather Mercy

Sunday, January 13, 2013

As expected, the weather turned overnight.  We were quite fortunate, though, that it stayed warm enough that the precipitation stayed in the form of rain.  I don't even know that it rained real hard.  I'm just thankful that it wasn't ice.  Ice is hard to handle.

Breakfast:  Oatcakes, 4 slices CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee

Weekends sure are wonderful.

I can't even describe how delicious this was.  Might be the perfect breakfast (I mean, other than the fact that it's higher in carbs than I'd truly like).

Lunch:  2 bowls of homemade vegetable beef soup

So good I had a second bowl...

A fresh batch ... and I have 4 jars for the fridge/freezer.  Hopefully it'll last the week...

Dinner:  Broiled chicken breast, spanish rice, black beans, about a dozen Tostitos chips with salsa

The usual Sunday dinner issue.  Eh.

Exercise:  Usual loop, walking, about 3 miles.  I could go check the pedometer to see what it says today, but  since I know what the mileage is I may or may not bother.  Felt OK, maybe a bit sluggish.  Also did 12 girl push ups, 12 sit ups (both using good form, nice and slow) and 4 x 6 count leg lifts.  I'll be looking to bump those up, though the push ups are still quite hard.  A decent workout.

44.0

Morning Is For Thought

Saturday, January 12, 2013

My thoughts were all over the place during my walk this morning.  It really is a wonderful time for thinking, especially on days like today when nobody is out there.  Since it's the weekend I managed to keep them off work and for once they were largely off the subject that's been bothering me lately.  Unfortunately that means I didn't really solve anything or gain any great insight but it was still a lovely hour.

One thing I did think about was the curious link between my change in lifestyle and the increased variation in my mental health.  The holiday blues hit fairly close in time to the point when I started getting up earlier and stretching out the morning walk.  I don't think there's a direct relationship there, but if I'm honest about it, it probably hasn't helped that I spend more hours alone and in the dark.  The thing is, I like getting up early and walking.  I don't really know how I'd fit it in otherwise.  Maybe it'll be different this summer but for now (and at least through early May) I'm pretty committed to doing it this way.  If I knew something different would produce the same results and I'd be happier I'd switch but I don't.  Thankfully getting back to the regular routine and being busy was helpful

Breakfast:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup, coffee

This is a weirdly good winter breakfast.

Yum.  Last of what I made last weekend -- I think I'll make another batch this morning.

Lunch:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky before golf, ~ 2+ oz salami after golf.  I guess we'll call that lunch.

Dinner:  Taco salad, spicy pork

Couldn't eat it all.  Probably a good thing.

Pretty good, not the best one I've had lately.  It's hard to get everything exactly right.

Also:  A couple glasses of wine.  Bearboat pinot noir tonight.  We'll see how deep I get.

Exercise:  C25k, Week 2, Day 2.  Usual stuff, I walked a mile, got set up, did the routine (90 sec run, 2 min walk, repeat x6), walked the rest of the way home.  3.25 miles in 57 minutes according to the pedometer.  The time seems right - it's a mile to start, which is 20 minutes, the routine is 30 minutes, and I had about six blocks left to get home after it was over.

I had good energy while walking this morning, which was a bit of a surprise.  I was a bit sluggish getting up -- I'll chalk that up to having a couple drinks and some fried garbage yesterday -- but as soon as I got out there it melted away and I was perky.  Okay, perky-ish.  The jogging wasn't great - my knees were not keen on it today, but I was slow and super careful so I made it through.  I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't hurt too bad - I did luck out and caught the biggest incline on a walking stretch, though the 5th repeat was up the 2nd  biggest incline and into the wind.  That one wasn't much fun.  Overall, though, I'm feeling like I'm making some modest gains.  Looking ahead at the program, it takes some pretty serious jumps - as it should to get to 5k in less than 3 months - but today at least I'm optimistic that I'll make it.  I will be slow as hell when we get to the longer runs, but my goal will mostly be to not fail.  To not walk, no matter how slow I jog.

Also, I know I've said this before, but I cannot emphasize just how surprised I am that I am actually enjoying this.  Not only is the walk the best hour of the day, I'm even enjoying pushing myself a bit with the C25k.  I don't know this me but I like it.

Bonus:  9 holes of golf, walking.  Pedometer said 3.75 miles which is of course inflated.  Could have easily gone another 9 no problem.  Feeling good.

43.6

Walking In Rain

Friday, January 11, 2013

It rained this morning.  Not super hard and definitely not sideways, but a steady rain.  Thanks to the proper use of rain gear (a novelty to me), I not only did not get wet, I was warm and dry throughout my walk.  I don't think the jacket would hold up to a serious rainstorm but it did just fine today.

Super glad it's Friday otherwise.  It's going to be a very busy day but (hopefully) it should move right along.

Edit:  Wow, it seems like this morning was days ago!

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, coffee.  Running late so I grabbed and ate on the go.  I didn't even take the time to open a new package of cheese.  No picture, either.

Lunch:  Qdoba naked burrito, usual light rice, pinto beans, extra steak, pico, hot salsa, sour cream and cheese.  Wow was it busy!  I didn't have time to stop home, glad I had time for this.

Snack:  1 Miller Lite, about six assorted fried things.  I had a dill pickle, a cheese stick, a mushroom, a couple jalapeno slices and one or two unidentifieds.

Dinner:  3 oz Meijer CAB deli roast beef, 1 Fage 2% yogurt w/ a few raspberries.

Also:  A couple glasses of pinot gris.  Bottle almost gone!

Exercise:  ~ 2.25 mile walk in the rain.  I sliced off six or eight blocks from the usual route, being a little unsure as to how things would turn out ... and a general feeling of fatigue.  I wasn't dead tired or anything but I was definitely dragging today.  Quite glad that I had already decided to postpone the jogging intervals to tomorrow due to the weather.

Needless to say there was not a single other person out there.  Lots of traffic, though, dodged a lot of cars today.

44.0

Less Dodgy

Thursday, January 10, 2013

It was much cooler this morning, but with no wind it was a very pleasant day for the walk.  Tomorrow is likely to be a washout so I was glad to get out there.  There wasn't a lot of activity - I didn't see any joggers, missed some of the regular walkers and I only had to dodge about three cars.  No idea why.

I continue to be up and down emotionally and it's honestly baffling.  I've been generally content for many, many years, it's really strange to me to have all these highs and (mostly) lows.

Edit:  The UPS guy dropped off a box for me this afternoon.  I picked up a Columbia rain jacket - good timing, huh? - though I don't know if it's up to a real soaker.  Regardless, I need to be ready to deploy it.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee

I am a creature of habit.  This really IS not a duplicate picture

Same as yesterday.  Salami is definitely sliced thicker this time, a serving of four slices may even be more than 2 oz, I should probably weigh it.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup. 2 Bubbies dill pickles.

Apparently I kicked it up more than enough, this had ZIP.

Yum.  No other words required.

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, Fage 2% plain yogurt with a few frozen organic raspberries

No picture.  Just grazing around a tour of the local YMCA.

Also:  Glass of pinot gris.  Making a dent in this bottle.

Exercise:  Usual walk of 3 miles (3.33 on the pedometer, 1 hour and 3 minutes).  I do love that loop.  Also did 10 girl push ups 10 sit ups and 3 x 5 count leg lifts.  Changed my approach on these - instead of cranking them out I went long and slow and focused on correct form.  No question that I pushed it.  Also added the leg lifts, not really sure how to measure those.

45.8

Grapefruit Addition

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

First day with the new contacts went well.  They're a lot different than the ones I had years ago, but I'll figure them out.

Great morning for a walk.  Temperature up in the low 40s, only negative was a bit of wind and a couple of slick spots on the road.  Not bad at all.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee

I for one welcome the return of grapefruit seaon

Again running just a few minutes late today, I dawdled just a bit getting ready.  I need to try to leave five to ten minutes earlier.

Lunch:  2 CF large eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, 2 Bubbies dill pickles.

Pictured:  Eggs.  Bacon.  Not pictured:  Pickles

I'm mystified as to how one of the yolks broke - I'd swear it was fine when I cracked it in the pan.  Not that it matters a great deal but still.  Also, that bacon is really, really, really good.

I was going to have soup but the jar I took out of the freezer (last night?) was still frozen solid.  So plan B kicked in and I had eggs.

Dinner:  Leftovers - pork chop, spicy beans and a fresh jalapeno pepper.  Reheated, cut and mixed up.

Those jalapeno slices sure look impressive, don't they?

Not bad.

Also:  I'm sure I'll have a glass of pinot gris when I do the dishes later.

Exercise:  C25k week 2, day 1.  90 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes walking, repeat x 6.  As usual I walked a mile before starting and did my favorite loop.  Pedometer read it as 3.25 miles today, 57 minutes.  To be honest, the increase in intensity hurt a bit.  The last couple jogging segments were up a modest incline and into the wind and they burned.  I made it through, though, and am pleased.  I definitely should think about repeating some days and taking this very slow.  I still have nearly 4 months to be fully ready.

45.8

Some Excess Removed

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Loving the morning walk.  It truly is the best hour of the day.  I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do on Friday - the forecast is for heavy rain Thursday night into Friday.  I will be disappointed if I can't get my walk in.  I wonder if I have sufficient rain gear to go anyway...

Getting back in the routine.  I'm struggling a bit at work, not highly motivated.  Crisis mode is about to engage, though, so I'll push through.

Edit:  On the personal front, today is proving to be a milestone day -- I washed up a brand new shirt the next size down this morning and it not only fits, the neck is actually a little loose!  Hooray!  I cannot wait to banish my assortment of bigger and biggest shirts to the trash and/or Goodwill!

Also, I had an eye exam and decided to get contact lenses for the first time in more than 15 years.  Wearing them right now, in fact.  It's a different look, that's for certain.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese, coffee

Aside from the coffee mug, this could be yesterday...

Ho hum.  It's not great but it is quick.  I could still use to be about 10 minutes faster getting through the morning stuff and to the office.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup, 2 Bubbies dill pickles

I mean, I could have had eggs...

Confirmed that this was a good batch.  Yum.

Dinner:  CF pastured pork chop, pan fried in a bit of butter with rosemary, salt & pepper; leftover spicy beans with 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped

Pork + beans = WIN

This was quite good.  I totally winged it on the chop, browning it over medium high for about 90 seconds on each side and then cranking it down to medium low.  Came out just about perfect.  The addition of the jalapeno kicked up the beans a bit, all in all a delicious meal.

Also:  1 glass pinot gris.  Not a real big glass, either.

Exercise:  Usual morning walk of 3 miles.  Clocked at 3.33 on the pedometer, one hour and three minutes.  Felt very good the whole way, no aches or pains.  Also did 20 girl push ups and 20 sit ups, so-so form on the push ups.  An all around pleasant workout.

46.4

Post Weekend Bloat

Monday, January 7, 2013

Yesterday came to an abrupt end.  I wrenched something in my back playing last night and it hurt like crazy. I could hardly walk.  Fortunately it looks like it may have just been a muscle issue, it felt quite a bit better this morning and I was able to get in some exercise.  I'm still being careful though, that was no fun at all.

Considering that I had potatoes at all 3 meals yesterday it's no wonder I feel a bit bloated this morning.  Not terribly worried about it but I think that I need to do a better job on the weekends.  Between Qdoba on Saturday and the mess that was yesterday I was way over quota on carbs both day.  I'm not following a strict low carb plan but I do notice a difference when I restrict them and intend to do so.

It's going to be a hellish week, I need to get at it.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese

Action shot!

Finished off the salami I bought a week ago.  A bit more than I would usually eat.  It's been a while since I had a picture of that so there you go.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover homemade vegetable beef soup, 2 Bubbies dill pickles

Exciting?  No.  Delicious?  Yes!

This is one of the better batches I've made.  Very tasty and obviously very easy.

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, 1 container Fage total yogurt with a few frozen raspberries

Grazing, not super hungry.  Yogurt was on sale at a different store this week and they had the Fage full fat version (unlike Meijer, which does not carry it) so I grabbed one.  Better flavor in my opinion, less bite, better mouth feel.  Still under 200 calories for the container.

Also:  1 glass pinot gris

Exercise:  Day 3 of C25k.  Same deal, 1 minute jog, 90 second walk, repeat x 8.  I did my usual loop, about 3 miles, but did not do the extra loops during the jogging session - the roads and sidewalks were all clear so I didn't have to worry about footing.  Pedometer clocked it at 3.25 miles in 58 minutes.  I don't "run" very fast.  It went pretty well, though the fifth interval was up a decent incline and that hurt a bit.  I have a long ways to go before I'm in any kind of shape.  Felt pretty decent otherwise.

On that subject, I'm debating as to whether I should repeat the first week stuff a couple more times.  The pros of doing so are I will theoretically build a bit more of a base before moving on to week 2 and I can monkey with the calendar so that the "weeks" start on Monday.  Then again, I'm not so sure that bumping up the intensity on a Monday is all that great, doing so on Wednesday might actually be better.  Thankfully I'll have at least an hour tomorrow morning to think about it!

50.6

Hit Hard, Fighting Back

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Another super peaceful morning.  I only saw one other walker, no joggers and I only had to dodge 3 cars.  I do love the early hours -- how the hell did I never know?

Rough afternoon and evening yesterday.  I finally managed to pull myself out of it but since it's uncharted territory I don't really have a lot of experience doing so, nor do I have a lot of tools.  I'm looking forward to getting back into the usual routine tomorrow and golf season can't come soon enough.

Breakfast:  Omelet with all kinds of stuff - bacon, sausage, ham, tomato, onion, jack cheese and sour cream.  Diced redskin potatoes, 1 slice sourdough toast, coffee

I have not mastered the art of suavely taking
 a good photo when dining out.  Sigh.

I know that I need to not eat out so much.  It's true that I love me some breakfast prepared by other people though.  One of these days I should ask them about their preparation methods - I'm sure there is some kind of (ugh) vegetable oil involved in the preparation of the potatoes, but at least it's not noticeable.

Also:  Portion sizes.  My stomach must be shrinking, I am STUFFED.  Completely full.  Right to the very edge of uncomfortable but thankfully not over.

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup

This might be my best batch yet!

Didn't need a lot, this hit the spot.

Dinner:  Meatloaf, boxed potatoes, green beans with cheddar cheese.  Ate quite a bit.

Exercise:  Usual morning loop, pedometer said 3.5 miles today.  It's still 3.  Also did 20 girl push ups and 20 sit ups with better form.  Those are starting to come a bit easier, though I pretty much died on the last push up.  If I can get to 50 maybe I'll try real push ups.  Oh, and I really should add leg lifts.  I always hated leg lifts, but they would definitely help strengthen the abdomen.

48.8