Hi again

Wow it's been awhile huh? I need to get better at this whole blog thing.

I've been pretty busy as of late. My job has just switched to summertime operations, it being a resort town and all, so overtime is beginning to spike and I have to fit everything into an even tighter schedule. I've been keeping up on my workout routines though. I've made that a top priority for this summer. I'm trying to drop another 20-30 pounds before we fly to Europe this fall, so the airplane seats won't be tight and uncomfortable for 16 straight hours. This will be the first time that I have ever ridden in an airplane where that isn't the case, so that will be pretty awesome.

The weight lifting is going extremely well. I can tell a definite increase in total weight lifted, as well as reps, since I began taking the Body Fortress Advance Creatine mix. It's an incredible supplement. I can see my muscles beginning to get more defined, and feel slimmer overall since I began using it. The only downside is that I am actually gaining weight because of all the muscle I'm putting on. Hopefully it begins to even out when the fat starts melting off because of this new muscle. It will remain to be seen.

My running is progressing as well. I ran 3.5 miles earlier this morning through the suburbs and broke my PR once again. I'm finally down to a 12 minute pace, which is way below the pace I was 2 months ago. On Monday morning I went out to the beach and ran 4 miles at the crack of dawn, down by the water where the sand is firmest. I went into the run thinking it was going to be excruciating, as I heard all kinds of stories about it working new muscles in your legs. The first mile was a little tough, but then I got into it and knocked out the next 2 miles pretty effortlessly. The last mile however, was very tough. It will definitely have to be something I mix into my routine once a week.

It's pretty neat finding new things to vary your workout, and I'm always looking for that. Anything to get an advantage and burn this lard off quicker in aces in my book.

To close out, how useless are gas-powered leaf blowers? I saw no fewer than 10 people blowing grass clipping off their driveways with these ridiculous contraptions. Is it too much of an imposition to break out the push broom to sweep off your 10 foot by 4 foot driveway? You really have to be so lazy to burn a precious commodity to blow away something the freaking wind will blow right back 10 minutes later, you vain jackass? Don't get me wrong, I can see how a landscaping business can put these to use for efficiency, but there is absolutely no reason why a residential homeowner needs this equipment.

Anyhow, I guess that's enough of my rambling. See ya around.

Who wants to wake up to Jillian Michaels yelling at them?

Obviously... I DO!

I purchased some of her work out DVDs not long ago. My favorite is "30 Day Shred". My at home workout routine usually consists of me waking up at an ungodly hour in the morning, putting on work out gear, drinking a glass of water followed by one of her 20 minute routines on this DVD. Then immediately afterward I do a program on my elliptical machine.

I bought the Schwinn 430 Elliptical approximately one year ago and I have to say it's one of the best investments I've made. Before I had that I had purchased a cheap Elliptical from Walmart which wasn't that great but did the job and didn't last very long. The Schwinn is sturdier and has some great programs available. Over the last week, I believe due to me implementing running into my routine, I've been able to increase my elliptical workout to 3 miles for my last two workouts. So that's just over 1 hour of exercise in the morning.

Her workouts are very good, but very hard. She's old school and doesn't use any gimmicks, she's frank with you and you really listen to her as you push through. There are two helpers with her and one does the more advanced workout while the other does the modified version. I think that's great because it really helps ease you into her workouts. The DVD consists of three separate workouts they are supposed to increase with intensity and are basically levels however, depending on your personal physical strengths/weaknesses you might find the "hardest" one easier than the first one, which I do since I have very weak arms! All you need for this DVD are dumbbells (I started with 3lbs and progressed to 5lbs) and a fitness mat.

The most important thing for me right now though is making sure I drink enough water and eat regularly throughout the day. I've been trying, when I have time, to start the day with a smoothie as opposed to cereal. Having a lunch that's light but filling and taking a snack for mid afternoon are key to me getting through the day - especially when I plan to run that night.

The evil Mount Trashmore conquered with the aid of music!

Yesterday we ran approximately 4.2 miles on the track. Today another 2.5 miles around Mount Trashmore. I love going there, however there are a few negative aspects such as; too many people, people not paying attention to where they are going or considering those around them, and the sneaky inclines!

I did surprisingly well today and actually ran the best that I have so far. Unfortunately my shins and calves were killing me throughout the run and still are! That's all part of getting back into things and I know they'll improve eventually once my body has been reconditioned to deal with the running impact.

I recently purchased a new Ipod Nano since my other one died. I decided to also give the Nike+ a shot. I didn't buy the shoes or anything, I just bought the sensor and then there are lots of companies out there that sell special pouches that you can attach to your own shoes. They readings are pretty accurate once you have calibrated them to your motion. I also think that even though you can say that it's just a gadget, I strongly believe it's a great tool to motivate and also to track your overall progress. I'm really enjoying it so far and I'm currently trying to settle on a decent running play list. I highly recommend going for the sensor pouch and sensor combination because it's about $80 cheaper than getting a pair of new Nike shoes when you already have a decent pair (or even prefer a different brand). I got the sensor starter pack for $28 and a pouch for about $4 from Amazon.com. Then I created a Nike+ account on their website and synced my Ipod with it so I could use it on my next run.

The Nike+ sensor basically records the vibrations from your foot when you hit the ground. It's only been off a tiny bit which is fine for me. If I wanted anything more I'd probably look into getting a GPS training device. Once you've completed your workout head to your computer, plug your Ipod in and Itunes then syncs to your Nike+ account and records the progress of your runs with great visual tools (graphs! Oh my!). You can also set up challenges and goals for yourself. Another great thing about it is that it can also be used for Walking.

Things that are pissing me off today

#1 - People who sit on the bench press station for 30 minutes at a time, doing one rep with a certain weight, then putting more weight on, doing that over and over again. 25 minutes of their whole time there is spent walking around the gym, bothering other people who are there to get a workout in. There are other people who want to use that station, jerk. Speed it up a bit and quit dicking around. And yes, I do go to a gym that has only one bench press station set up, so I guess I am partly to blame here.

#2 - People who come to the gym in jeans and a casual polo shirt and sit on a piece of cardio equipment for a few minutes at a time but sign up for the whole hour. First of all, see #1. What the hell is your point? Most of the time you and your ilk only go for 10 minutes on the lowest resistance possible, usually while reading the newest issue of Star Magazine. You tie up multiple pieces of equipment that people want to use for a real workout, and you effectively kill some people's exercise routine. My gym has a limited amount of cardio equipment (more than just 1, like the bench press though), and to have all of them tied up for hours for people like this is disheartening. You pay 60 bucks to go there, and for what? To sit on your butt and read a magazine? You don't have a toilet at home you can do that on? You people are the worst.

#3 - Losing weight. Yeah I said it. There are downsides to losing weight, even though I want and need to do it badly. First and foremost is buying new clothes every month. I just bough two pairs of jeans and work pants 2 weeks ago and now they are too big already. It's highly annoying, but I guess ultimately a good thing. Still, kind of pisses me off.

#4 - People who take 5 minutes to turn right into a parking lot on a major road. Do NOT get me started on these idiots. Seriously, I could rail on this sometime in the future.

I'll stop here. Check back in a few when I have more to add, because I'm not done by any means.

Stupid Musings

I died a little inside today when I realized that today was the last day I would enter "29" into the elliptical machine at the gym when it asks for my age. Tomorrow is my 30th birthday, a day that I have dreaded since I was able to walk, because it means you have to start worrying about your health and other adult-related things. So when I wake up tomorrow I'll cry a little and then I'll get out of bed and life will go on. Hopefully.

Enough of the sob story. Why was I at the gym today instead of running 4 miles, as was my original plan? Well, I left it too late in the day, and when I got out around 12:30 to run, I quickly realized that I didn't apply sunblock, and the temperature was hovering around 90 with no wind and the sun beating straight down on me. The thought of 4 agonizing, sweat soaked miles ending with a severe sunburn that would put me on the shelf for a week deterred me just enough to drive the 2 minutes to the gym and hop on a machine for an hour. Don't worry, I plan on getting the run in tomorrow morning, before the sun gets really pissed off.

The gym was nice and quiet, which is a rarity. scarce are the days where I can walk right in, get on a machine and ride it for a full hour. I could have gone alot longer if I wanted to, but I'm running 2 miles at Trashmore with Jasmine later tonight so I decided not to push it. You can only reserve the machines for a half hour at a time, which blows, but I usually stay on until someone comes in and tells me they signed up. Normally the gym is packed and you only end up getting 30 minutes of cardio time in, which is why I normally avoid it. Today was good though.

The only guy in the weight room was the balding 40 year old guy who wears khaki pants and a tank top every day to show off his super wicked pecs and biceps. I can't stand the guy. He has to grunt on every lift he does and will stand in front of the mirror and check himself out for 5 minutes a pop, right after doing curls. He literally does about 15 sets of curls a day too. One time he tried to bench about 300 pounds or so and asked me to come off of my station and spot him. I was annoyed but walked over there. About 10 seconds later something on ESPN caught my eye and I woke up to him with the weight on his chest, trying to tell me to take it. Funny, he's never asked me to spot him again. I like it that way.

I guess that's enough for today. See ya round.

Another week down

Sunday is the day we get our weekly weigh-in done. We both came out 4 pounds lighter than last week, so I guess that's pretty good. Naturally, we would both prefer it to be 10 pounds or even more, but such a thing is most impossible. If you can accomplish it, it certainly isn't healthy. I'll take the 4 pounds anyhow. Better than gaining 4 pounds, right?

So Easter was today and we had a nice dinner at my cousin's house, even though I had to rush through it to get to work, which sucks. Hate to eat and run, seems a bit rude and ungrateful. Hopefully in the future we can get together and spend some time. I had a well balanced plate of ham, mashed taters, and Cole slaw. This is pretty good for me. In the past I'd have piled up everything on the table and then went back for seconds. I'd like to call this a victory over my will power. I even declined the dessert: chocolate-peanut butter cheesecake brownies, which incorporates just about everything I love into one compact fat cluster. This is a definite bonus. Pretty proud of myself for that one. I got a little bit to eat for later, which is good, since I don't usually eat after 3 pm.

As for working out, not much has changed. We've been running 3-4 miles daily. Sticking with it and trying to increase our pace and stamina right now so we can put more on our schedule in the future. I will be running 4-5 miles again individually on Tuesday and probably again on my birthday, Wednesday, so that will help me build my own endurance on top of helping out Jasmine. Weights are tomorrow, so that is technically a rest day for me, until we go to Mount Trashmore later on for a 2 mile run. So everything seems to be going pretty well on that front.

Well, guess I'm just blabbering, stream-of-consciousness style now, so I'll stop the monotony. Have a good Easter, for whats left of it, and I'll holler at ya later.

Berry Mango Breakfast Smoothie

To make this smoothie you’ll need a blender of course!  You can find all of these ingredients at any local grocery store. It makes enough for two adults. You can use fresh ingredients if you like however frozen ingredients are just as good and they have no prep-time. These are great for people on the go and can be an excellent way to have breakfast on a day you’re pressed for time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of non-fat yogurt (preferably strawberry flavor)
• Half a cup of skim milk
• 2 slices of frozen Mango halves (can be found at Trader Joes, fresh Mango can be substituted)
• 1 cup strawberries (frozen if you like)
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen if you like) 4 ice cubes

Directions

1. Pour the milk into the blender with the strawberries and blueberries. Blend for about two minutes.
2. Add the yogurt blend for one minute.
3. Add the mango and ice. Blend for two minutes and then blend at liquefy speed for one additional minute or until desired consistency is achieved.
4. Serve immediately and drink with a straw.

Blueberries: Why they are good for you 

Studies show that Blueberries have many health benefits. They are high in antioxidants and possibly play a role in reducing the risks of some diseases, including heart disease and certain cancers. They contain good amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese. Manganese helps keeps your bones strong and healthy as well as helps to maintain blood sugar levels, maintains nerve health and helps the body utilize key nutrients such as biotin, choline, thiamin and ascorbic acid.

The Perils of Road Running

Yesterday I almost died at 3 separate times in my 6 mile run. It started out as a great day. 75 degrees and sunny, I had a run all mapped out in advance, and I felt good. I started out really good, got about 3 miles in and fit hit the shan when I turned left when I was supposed to turn right.

Within about a quarter of a mile the landscape and housing changed from a suburban setting to an overgrown, backwoods, Texas Chainsaw Massacre setting. I could have turned around and went back the way I came but I thought for sure that the main road connected up to the street I was on about a mile ahead. I continued on, keeping a close eye out for snakes but not a close enough eye out for bottomless holes, one of which I almost went head first into. It was covered with various sticks and vegetation. Not sure what was in the bottom of it, but I am fairly certain I would have died there and never been found. So that was cool.

Continuing on I turned down what I thought to be the connecting road, which ultimately turned out to be a really long paved driveway. Once I got far enough to realize my error, I also realized that I was being chased down by a huge black dog. I picked up a stick and stopped and it stood about 10 feet in front of me snarling and barking for about 5 minutes. Every time I turned around to go the other way it would try to rush me and if I backed up he would just follow me. I thought for sure I was about to be in a fight so I lost it and just started screaming at it. Apparently that did the trick because I was able to inch my way out. I got about 100 feet from it and ran pretty hard to the end of the driveway.

The adrenaline boost from that encounter was pretty awesome. I ran the next two miles (back the way I already came) with no problems whatsoever. No aches, a faster pace, no short breath. After the two miles it all fell apart though. Immediately my knees started aching and I felt weak in my quads and calves. I got back to my half way point and realized I still had 3 miles to go. I ran through the pain for about 2 more miles and cut through a yard to get to the next block over, where my car was, to go home and rest.

My knees are not happy with me today. After planning on running 6 miles at the most, which would have been a huge accomplishment in itself, I ended up running 7.5-8. I definitely need a rest day today.

Oh, the third time I almost died? A van saw me running on the left side of the road, 2 empty plastic trash cans on the right, and decided to swerve way out of the way of the cans and almost clip me with his fender. I had to jump out of the way of it. Heaven forbid you take any damage from the plastic lightweight cans dude. Some people here, no check that, most people here are rude and inconsiderate jerkwads. Not angry, just stating a fact.

Til next time.