Not Quite So Fat!

This is the standard Body Mass Index chart that is used by most folks concerned with such thing. Doctors, nurses, diabetes educators, etc. all use it show where you fall in according to industry standards. 17-25 is considered healthy, 25-30, overweight, 30 to 35, obese, above 35, you better push away from the buffet and get some help.

At an appointment at the diabetes center a few weeks ago, the nurse/educator said she couldn't figure how I did what I did as far as exercise.
Her - Your BMI is 35.1, you should really lose some significant weight before doing such intense cycling efforts.

Me- I don't feel super obese, my heart rate monitor tells me when to cool it off a bit. I don't worry about it.

She - Let's use our new super-duper electronic BMI machine and see where you're really at.

Me - Cool.

Down the hall, into a different area of the center.

She- Step on this machine. Hold still while I hook up theses self stick pads and hook the leads to them

She - Hold your arm straight out.

The nurse hits the buttons, enters data, sends a current through me, and gets the reading.

She- This can't be right, let me do it again.

She- It reads the same. 29.3 Weird, can't be right. (implying I'm a certified fat bastard and somehow the machine can't figure it out.) We'll try another day.

Yesterday, Linda and I went and had our BMIs' check and protein levels evaluated. I'm up first for the BMI test. My weight was down 21 lbs. My BMI is at 28. The gal doing the test can't figure it out, either. She thinks her machine is also FUBAR. So, she tested Linda. Right on the money. She gets out the calipers and tape measure. She finds the machine is right! Now I only need to drop 58 more to be on low side of healthy. Piece of cake!

Sunday

It looked like rain, but it never did. I rode up the Munger Trail, then into Jay Cooke Park via the multi-use trails, which were still soft from all the rain, so I didn't spend too much time in the woods. Didn't encounter any other cyclists, but met several equestrians enjoying a ride.  I got back to the pavement just in time to hear crows raising a ruckus about an eagle sitting in a tree overlooking the Thompson Reservoir. I'm not sure why crow dislike eagle, but they do.

So far, the new 29er is working perfectly. Not a missed shift, the brakes are fantastic, and it rides both on and off road way better than expected. I pounded out a couple of hour of tempo on the pavement with the fork locked out and it has the feel more of a road bike. I wasn't so sure about the need for 29 inch wheels on an MTB, but now I'm sold. What about my road bike? I still feel a bit heavy for it, though I'm probably not. Another ten pounds off, and I'll be back on it. Plus, the roads and trails seem to be in the worst shape in years, so the fatter tires on the 29er are just the ticket.

Nice Monday Ride

Got up early, coffee with Linda while reading the paper and news, out to my folks for some chain saw work to clean up wind fall around their house, lunch, the finally, out for a ride. And what a nice ride it was.

                                               Taking a rest on West Skyline Parkway

I took my 29er for a cruise on the Munger Trail and West Skyline Parkway, along with some side excursions on some single track. Not a lot though, as the trails are rather muddy and I didn't want to tear them up. The WTB Nano 2.1 tires don't leave much of a track anyway, seem to float over things more that dig in, but still grip very well. And roll very nicely on pavement.

I got this bike for the main purpose of riding gravel and two track, but the way it rides and handle single track was amazing. I cleaned some areas that I had to hike a bike before, climbed out of saddle up some steep grades without loosing traction, and made some drops with ease. Speaking of climbing, the close ratios of the 10x30 drive train make it almost impossible to be in the wrong gear. The quick, positive shifting, along with the lock-out fork really helped my confidence in getting up the tougher grades. Love this bike!

                                                   Morgan Park from West Skyline
I never got to the small ring, even though I almost did on some steeper pitches. I just stood up and dropped a gear and powered up. I was amazed that I could shift under power without that sickening grind you get with some other systems. I guess there is something to this new Dyna-Sys chain and cassette design Shimano has come up with. I think it would be the perfect system on a loaded touring bike, being very close ratio and super quiet.

Earlier in the day, we spotted two pheasants along the side of the road. I pays to carry a camera just for occasions like this. They sure are pretty birds. Plenty of deer with fawns around, too, so be careful on the roads and trails. Heading out back to grill pork chops for dinner. What a way to end a great day!

Trainer Time

Yes, it's that time of year, folks, when the weather outside is frightful ( if you don't have studs, that is ) and you're a masochist craving torture. That's Willow camped out next to the bike, waiting to see his master suffer riding the road to nowhere. I wonder if the Beetles were riding the roller when they wrote "Nowhere Man". On the bright side, every minute here is one less minute trying to regain form in the spring. Funny thing, as I write this, a thought hit me: Why don't I have my MTB hooked up instead of the road bike. I have a set of Specialized Fat Boys on the spare rim set ready to go, so why not put them to use. The position would be a bit more upright and I'd save wear and tear on the road bike.

I'd love to have one of the many dedicated trainers on the market, such as the Giant, CycleOps, or even the new LeMond. The folks down the street have the Lemond, but I haven't heard how they like it. The LeMond is a hybrid which uses your frame, but eliminates the rear wheel by having a built-in cassette, so you hook up you're bike like you just changed a wheel. Reviews have been positive, saying it's the most realistic ride feel, but the fan is way too loud. I have a fan drive trainer back in the early '90's, and it was annoyingly loud.

As far as the diabetes goes, it's still an uphill battle. Late afternoon and late night bouts of low blood sugar attacks are frustrating, to say the least. At least I recognize the signs and react more quickly than I used to, so recovery time is much shorter than it used to be. Here's a scenario as to what happens: You suddenly feel hot, even though the temp hasn't changed. Then, a clammy sweat breaks out. Soon, you get spacey, like you're no you, but observing someone else. If you let it go too long, you can end up in a comma. Or, though rare, die. My father nearly did a few months ago while driving. My folks were coming up Haines Road when this episode happened, and don't have a cell phone. My mom got him off the road when a passing cyclist with a cell phone stopped to offer help and called 9111, then he called me to let me know what was going on. I was only 5 minutes away, but by the time I got there, paramedics were already giving him glucose, but it still took quite some time to raise is sugar levels back to normal.

Another problem with these lows is that you get very hungry. Since your mind is in the process of shutting down, you don't realize how much you have eaten and over-do it, then your level goes way too high. From hypo to hyper, it's a vicious circle. When you go low on the bike, it's even worse. I once rode for an hour on empty, thinking to myself that I should stop and take an energy gel, but I couldn't make myself do it. Now, no matter what my reading is, especially if it's in the 80-100 range, I add a Hammer gel or two for safe measure. Reading Team Type 1's blog gave me some insight on this, as their riders tend to start a race at about 180 and add glucose on a specific schedule. It's better to be a bit high than bonking from not eating enough. Lessons learned, the hard way, by me on the road.

Now, back to the road to nowhere......

It's Trainer Time !

Now that I'm finally over the bug that slowed me down for a couple of months, it's time to get some sort of conditioning and weight loss program going again. This last summer/fall was great, losing 30+ lbs, getting a lot faster on the bike and so forth. After I got my new road bike, I set some personal bests for me lately. Not close to the old days, but I was much younger and stronger back then. But, I was still improving none the less.

When September came around, I felt a bit sluggish, even on the flats. Steeper hills were getting harder, my heart rate was running higher for the perceived effort, and I was getting slower. I started riding shorter routes than normal, and my motivation dropped. I wanted to ride, but I was just weak and lethargic. After a 30 mile gravel ride with Doug and Jeff, it took a full week to recover. My weight rose and my fitness hit the deck - hard.

I've started riding the trainer in the pain cave here at the BD hq. When I moved into L's house, the basement was more of a dungeon. At least the bathroom and shower were in decent shape, but the rest was a pit. The wind came right through the gaps and holes in the plate, cob webs and general grime was everywhere. We cleaned and evaluated the situation at hand. I foamed all the air leaks shut, added insulation to the plate, and installed 2 baseboard heaters. Had I mentioned it was cold? It was, but not anymore. My office area is cozy, L doesn't even mind venturing down to do the laundry. She used to hate it. I also added another electrical circuit so the vacuum didn't blow the breaker if anything else was on. The lighting sucked, so I put in several pot lights on a dimmer. A nice touch.

There was an older entertainment center that I cleaned up and set up the TV and DVD player in. My futon acts as a couch and my nice leather recliner has a spot again. Office, man cave, house of pain, all without much cost other than time.

I put in a nice 1 hour zone 2 effort yesterday and another today with some intervals, without much discomfort. My heart rate stayed in zone, good snap on the intervals, and my legs feel good, not like logs as they did last fall. I've got a library of cycling DVDs, several Spinerval and CTS videos to train by. I really need to get some studded tires for my MTB, but haven't taken the plunge yet. A cross bike is in the works if my secret plan comes together, and that would get studs. Logical, me thinks.....

Gravel Trail Ride

This morning Doug, Jeff, and I met at the trail head off the Moccasin Mike Road heading out of Superior for a nice gravel trail ride. To get some miles in for winter biking. To start some training for winter racing. 33.489 mile later, I am cooked. I've got cramps in both inner thighs. My legs locked up in the shower. I feel weak. Boy, does it feel good!!!

Here's a link to the festivities.

I really enjoy riding with Doug and Jeff, and I think they enjoy dragging my slow, old, fat butt around. Gotta make 'em feel better about themselves. It would me.

Training Block

I started a new Polar heart rate based training block yesterday. It's mainly to keep up the off season fitness on the bike. The rides are short enough to do indoors on a trainer if the weather is too nasty for all but the most dedicated year around riders. Folks like Doug, Jeff, Charlie, and rest of you out there know who you are. It will probably take me a few rides to get acclimated and today was a better than yesterday. Nothing got cold or even uncomfortable. Yes, it was a balmy 35 degrees, so one shouldn't get chilled. As they say, "man's game".

Speaking of winter riding, Walmart carries studded MTB tires. First, carbon bottle cages, now studded tires. Who'd a thunk it? BTW, the Bell carbon bottle cages are as good as I've used, and are now under $20.00. What will they off next? A full carbon framed bike? Actually, they do. Special order only, of course. Weird. But, at least they recognize the bike culture and are offering some better products. I doubt that they will rattle up the real bike shops. At least I hope not.

Sunday's Plan

Today, I get to ride hill intervals as part of my Polar training plan. After a 20 minute zone 2 warm up, it's 3 minutes at a cadence of 50-60 uphill in zone 3, a six minute cool down in zone 2, then repeat 5 more times. Lester River Road should be perfect for the task. Can you say "flaming quads"? Feel the burn !!!

Friday Stuff

Today was supposed to be a 3 hour hill zone 2 ride. How the hell can I stay in zone 2 on a hilly ride ? Walk ? Beats me. I didn't do it because my blood sugar has been all over the map today, the lower part of the map mostly. This causes me to be tired, edgy, lethargic, but mostly, some gastric distress that doesn't go well with a bike ride. It will have to wait until tomorrow.

Yesterday's zone 3 interval session was a true suffer fest. High cadence accelerations for an hour left my quads very sore this morning. First time in a while I've felt this way, and to be honest, it's refreshing knowing the pain means progress for a change. I'm fired up to see how I do on the hilly route I plan on riding tomorrow. Should be fun.

Speaking of fun, my new bike is a gas for intervals. It responds and just accelerates when getting on it out of the saddle and stomping hard. A the while, riding as smooth as can be. That's with 140 psi in the tires.

BTW, my old bike is for sale on Craigslist if you know anyone looking. Great components if some one is looking to upgrade an older frame, or just wants a new ride.

Training Day

Today was a fabulous day to be out on a bike. Perfect temps, sunny, dry, all you could ask for. Now for the million dollar question - when are we going to pay? Knock on wood, hopefully not for a long while. We deserve a little global warming around these parts occasionally.

My 2 week Polar heart rate based training camp called for a 2.5 hour zone 2 high cadence spin. High cadence meaning 90 or above. It's not so easy to keep your heart rate low while spinning that fast, but it does make you aware of what's going on at all times. I can see why the pros can ride all day while turning some serious r's.

I headed down the Munger Trail from Carlton south. After the last 4 sessions, this was an easy day. Sunday was a 20 minute zone 2 warm-up, a 1 hour zone 3 session, low (50-60 rpm) followed by 100 rpm spin, the back to the low, power building grind again. Then a 20 minute zone 2 cool down to end the day. I'm finding that 20 - 30 minute cool down to really be the key to being fresh the next day.

Now that I've figured out the ideal blood sugar readings to start my rides at, and how often to add some fuel, the bonk hasn't reared it's ugly head. My legs just turned the pedals as prescribed and the time flew by. Bucking a head wind on the way back caused me to go out of zone a bit now and then, but the alarm would sound telling me to back off. Also, the new bike rides and handles so well, fatigue doesn't seem to come into play. Tomorrow calls for flat, high speed intervals, then Friday, a long hill zone 2. I can't wait.....

An interesting side note - This month's Road Bike Action magazine reviewed the bike I just acquired, the Motobecane Immortal Force, and gave it a very favorable rating, especially for handling, ride and value. They also reviewed the Ellis custom frames and were very impressed. Doug's custom Ellis looks a lot nicer than the one featured in the article. His has much nicer paint work and a more custom look over all. Cool to see both in the same mag.

Please Read This Dis-Climber

I am not a climber. Now Doug, of MN Bike Commuter fame, is a climber. He and I set out for a little ride this morning from the start of the Munger Trail, but Doug wanted to go to Carlton via Jay Cook Park and take the Munger Trail back instead. I agreed, after all, I've got my sleek, new carbon fiber wonder bike and it needs to do some climbing. But, it's engine needs some work. Said engine is hauling around an extra 40 lbs of ballast to be effective in the hills of Jay Cook State Park. The engine even stalled out a few times due to spending too much time at red line.

Doug's engine, on the other hand, was hitting on all cylinders and cruised up those same hills ala Alberto Contidor. Him and his Ellis custom bike are a thing of beauty in the hills, a well oil climbing machine. I was sorry I held him back, but he put up with the fat man and actually seemed to enjoy our ride. He's a top notched riding partner and I look forward to dropping some more weight as to try to keep up with him in the hills. But, all that said, today's tour was a very nice way to enjoy this fantastic fall weather we're having. I needed a break from all the projects I have going and so did Doug. Now, back to work.

This Is Bonkers !!

Yesterday morning, I had a routine yearly eye exam. My left eye seemed to be "spotty", like some of the info transfer was missing. The doctor found some macular edema and have referred me to the specialist I'd seen in the past for a retinal bleed. This condition causes swelling in the eye which distorts the images transmitted to the optic nerve. Not a serious condition, but another pain in the butt to contend with. Repairable with laser surgery. The hits just keep coming.

Later in the afternoon, after my eyes un-dilated, I took a nice long bike ride from Carlton to Barnum and back. 37 miles on a beautiful 81 degree day. I took my blood glucose level reading when I got to the parking lot at Carlton. It was 119. A little low for the start of a ride, it should be closer to 150. A pack of Cliff blocks was in order, which I consumed, then got my gear together and set off South on the Munger Trail. About a half hour into the ride, I thought I should have a gel to keep the BG up. I was right to do so, because I was on the rivets and only going 11 mph. Then I realized I couldn't feel my legs, my tounge was numb, and I couldn't decide to stop, though I knew I should.

Well, I finally did stop, has a gel, a Cliff bar, and half of a bottle of Hammer Heed. Ten minutes later, good as new. It was a nice ride otherwise on a perfect day. What was even better was finishing the ride stronger than starting it. I've been mixing in some intervals instead of just riding at a time trial pace or just grinding out the miles. The snap is finally coming back along with the endurance. It's about time.

Thursday Group Ride

The Continental Ski & Bike starts here at the Coffee Cabin on Rice Lake Road every other Thursday at 6:00 pm. I joined the bunch this last Thursday and had a good time to be sure. Earlier in the day, I gad ridden 41 miles down in the Moose lake/Sturgeon Lake area solo and decided to join this ride at the last minute after dinner. It's a no drop ride and does about a 25 mile loop north of the start on roads I know well, seeing that the ride goes right past my current residence. I started the ride strong at the front, but after about 8 miles, my legs said enough was enough. I was going to cut it short by taking the Schultz road back to the Rice Lake Road, but was talked out of it. My left knee has acted up again and was getting sore, but I eased off the gas and took it easy for the later part of the ride. I would catch up on the downhills and fall back on the climbs. I'm a rouleur, after all. That's how we roll. A nice group of people to ride with and I'll be a regular on this ride all summer.

So what's with the knee? A biff on the MTB, a kind of slow motion twister tenderized it, then a trip on the stairs over bent it. 66 miles in a day kind of put the hurt on it, so I rested up yesterday and skipped Heidi Jo's planned 50 miler today. Finishing a long ride by climbing Lester River Road would have been a slow torture, so I passed. I'm going to ride some flat stuff this afternoon, and next week, too, until the knee quits swelling.

Here's a link to the ride data and map:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=436730

YEEEEEOW !!!!!

I've never had back pain in my life. Though I've done plenty of hard, manual labor, lifted very heavy things incorrectly, played tough sports, and had many nasty crashes and accidents, I had never hurt my back. This being said, of course I finally did it. This past Saturday, I hauled a very heavy tube-type television out of the basement and back to my estranged wife's house. Awkwardly lifting and carrying this outdated behemoth up a steep set of stairs, I felt it happen. That twinge of pain I had never had before. But, I didn't stop because I couldn't at that point. Out the door, into the van, and off to deliver it. Then out of the van, into her house, and set it down on the living room floor. I figured the pain would go away, but that was not to be. I rested the last couple of days, hoping it would just go away. It didn't.

Yesterday, I was going to go for a quick ride around the block. My block is about 12 miles. I suited up and tried to clip in. The twinges in my lower back dashed my plans. I figured a little more rest may help. This morning, nothing changed. Like Einstein alluded to, doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition on insanity. What to do ? I figured a good core workout might help. But would it ?

Yes it did. After some back stretch, I did a couple of sets of long, slow crunches, then some bridges, slow twisting crunches and then my regular whole body routine. I feel like a new man. I've been neglecting the exercise ball in favor of the bike, but this back pain forced me to revisit this vital component of my health routine. I won't let it happen again. It makes me feel so good after a short 30 minutes of work. Get one, there cheap and so effective, it's a no brainer.

The Sign Sez It All

There I was, riding along minding my own business, when it struck. Legs felt like concrete, my tongue felt fuzzy, no power too the pedals, and I didn't really know where I was. I was on the Last Train To Bonksville. But there was no one to meet me at the station. Now, I just said I was minding my own business, but I clearly wasn't. Being diabetic, the bonk, or hunger knock, is to be avoided at all costs. But, I wasn't paying attention.
To make a short story long, let's start at the beginning. Thursday morning, I planned a 40 mile ride down highway 61 from Barnum on South. My new pedals were begging for some real miles to real prove they were worth the money. And, speaking of money, the guys at the Ski Hut called and said the new nose pieces came in for my Tifosi sun glasses. The are 4 years old and the stem rubber had fallen apart, which Tifosi replaced free of charge. Then, one of the nose pads had fallen of. Again, a gratis repair. Top notch service from both parties. While I was there, I inquired about bib shorts. It just so happens that their Specialized line is on sale for 20% off. This brought the Pro bibs down about 30 bucks. That was my price point, so I got them. Now, I have been crushing the Pearl Izumi Attack shorts for the last few years and had good luck with them. The Specialized Pro line has a quite different chamois than the Attack line has, thicker and more defined is all I can say. These too, wanted a test ride to see if they were worth the scratch I doled out. Aside note: I think that the Specialized "S" logo is one of the coolest brand connotations in the world. But that's just me.
Back to the ride. 78f and sunny, wind from the west. Not a bad day to ride at all. Traffic was light, which was nice, because the side wind was trying to push me into the road and kind of backwards. I was glad I started into this wind, as on the turn around, I would be able to fly back.
As Lee Corso would say, "not so fast my wind hating friend" At mile 25, the wind changed, coming out of the north west. It would be a 15 mile grind back to the start of the ride. That's when it hit me, I was weakening and hadn't eaten anything yet. Duh! I pulled over and had a Honey Stinger gel, along with some Hammer Heed. I looked over at the Bonk sign and thought how ironic it was to be sitting there trying to recover. I've ridden by that sign many time and had never even thought about it. Strange.
After about 10 minutes, I got back on the bike and road back, having another gel on the way. My mind registered and filed this ride under lesson learned. You see, these days hunger and thirst doesn't register at the time they happen. I can go most of a day without food and not be hungry. The endocrinologist I see says it may be due to neuropathic nerve damage interrupting the normal flow of information to the brain. That does make sense, since many diabetics have mild heart attacks and don't even know it. So from now on, I'll set my watch alarm to 45 minutes during rides to remind me to eat and drink.
As far as the shorts and pedals, high marks for both. The fit and padding are perfect on the Pros, and no hot spots on the bottoms of my feet after 40 miles with the new pedals. But, I do lay awake at night with the vision of that Bonk sign in my head!

A Tale Of Two Rides

This last Sunday, I met up with Jeff, Doug, Dave, and Dave T. It was Dave T's ride, starting at Starvin' Marvins and heading up Hwy 2 to the Canosia Road, then north. I was a mess the first half of the ride, which was mostly uphill. Into a head wind. Need I say more? I suffered untill we hit Twig, where the ride went east, and featured a nice tail wind. Just what my dead legs needed. I felt great all the way around Pike Lake and back to the start point. 22.8 miles at a 13.2 mph average. Not tip top by any means. But, Doug was riding his gorgeous, classy, new Ellis custom frame. The paint and details are very well done. He said it was a super smooth, comfortable ride. He just seemed to be floating along on his dream machine. These guys were great to ride with and I look forward to another meet up with them.

Today, I took a solo 40 mile cruise on the Munger Trail. I started at Barnum and headed south 20 miles, turning around a little past Rutledge. Saw some deer, enjoyed the near 70 degree weather and loved the lack of wind. Since I felt strong, I mixed in some intervals which I have been neglecting lately. I averaged 14.4 mph for 40 miles. That's more like it. Tomorrow, some rest and core work. Then back to it. I have to stay on track to loose more weight. I hate being slow on hills and holding up the group.

Against The Wind

30 mile in 2 hours and 14 minutes. The last 12 miles grinding it out at 8-15 miles per hour. The first part of today's ride featured a top speed of 42 miles per hour. Yes, you guessed it : my nemesis, THE WIND!!

42 degrees, winds to 30+, not the ideal riding conditions. But, if fitness and blood sugar controls are your goals, then kit up and get going. I've had to cut back on the insulin due to dropping weight and adding fitness. Example: This morning's reading when I got up was 112. Toast and scrambled eggs with the boys at 6:30am, used 8 units of insulin. 2 hours later, pre-ride, 118. Perfect. After ride including cool down, 80. Just what it should be. And, for me at least, the harder the effort, the longer the effects last.

I really had planned an hour and a half of zone 2, fat burning spinning. Mother nature had other plans. The quote Mr. T in one of the Rocky movies when asked for a prediction on the fight "Pain". You just can't spin into that 25-35 mph wind. You just sit back and make like Stuart O'Grady and Jens Voight when they're trying to pace Cadel Evans to the front. Mash, apply the power, no dancing on the pedals. And riding alone makes it worse, what with no one to share pulls with.

On the flip side of this coin, is the fact you really appreciate the warm, calm days when riding just seems effortless, like you always have a slight tail wind. Plus, it builds strength and character, that you didn't turn around and head back home. Gutting it out just seems to make you a better person in the long run.

I haven't been riding with head phone lately, no music or pod casts, just me and my thoughts. I usual don't on the road, just on the bike trails. That's just me, self preservation when the traffic is so heavy around here. I've got a lot of things to sort out, such as my possible divorce, possible relocation for a job, a permanent home, relationships, and so on. When everything you thought was real, wasn't, when it looks like your life has been dashed on the rocks, you've got plenty to occupy your mind. You can turn all that energy and time into something positive. And the bike gives me just that.

Effective Exercise

As I reported in my last post, I installed the Allsport GPS training program in my Black Berry. One thing it has is a calories used log as part of the program. Many people think they can get into shape by walking. Me, it just doesn't seem to do anything. Maybe I'm just not a fast walker. That could be because I'm not really interested in walking much. Hey, I have bikes. Much more efficient than walking to me.

My point? Last week, I walked 2.111 miles in 44:00 and burned 310 calories. Yesterday, I took a semi-hilly ride around the Fish Lake area at a moderate pace on my MTB,what I call the North Loop ride. It was 12.721 mile in 1:08:47 for a 11 mph average. Calories spent? 1147. quite a difference, I'd say. And I enjoyed much more country side than a walk of similar time. Don't get me wrong, walking is great for a lot of people, just not me. Plus, the blood sugar lowering effect seems to last so much longer after riding than walking.

As you can see, the ice is still covering some of the inland lakes. I'm surprised that there was nobody ice fishing. Just kidding. But, I have seen it in the past.

Fast & Furious

The heavy weather has been hitting pretty hard already this winter. I'm glad we've got a good snow blower, as I've already used it as much this season as the last couple. I even had to blow out a bigger area for the dogs to take care of business.

So most workouts are now in the basement on the trainer, ball, or Wii. The cross training takes the edge off of the cycling boredom that sets in after grinding out intervals or just base cruising to keep the legs working. But, the XC trails should be good soon, so that will add another dimension to the training regimen. Fun, fun, fun !!

A Dose Of Reality

The cold weather has set in here in the Northland. So has the pain in my left knee. Arthritis, according to the ortho doc, is the main culprit. Not much can be done about it, even all the supplements I take don't seem to help much. Less stress on the joints, more muscle to support the joints and better posture all combine to help the situation, according to the doctor. This brings me to the point of this post. I'm not as strong, fit, or balanced muscle-wise as I thought. Not even close.

How do I know this. Wii. As in Nintendo Wii. My wife brought one home on this last Black Friday. I was against the idea, reasoning it would be another fad gadget that would be collecting dust in a couple of weeks after the novelty had worn off. She also got the Fit system with it. This piqued my interest a bit, so I rearranged the basement kid's play area and set it up. The scale / balance sensing platform syncs with the Wii, measuring weight, balance, movement etc. You enter your personal data to complete the fitness data base, your starting point.

My numbers weren't very encouraging. It determined I needed to work on strength and weight loss. My balance was good, muscle balance was not, strength a bit too low, BMI too high. It said my body age is 4 years older than my actual age. Reality can sometimes suck. I've started a program of yoga, aerobic, balance and strength training, all of which the Wii keeps track of. The better you get, the more advanced programs it adds. All in all, the starting point of this program is humbling, to say the least. But, motivating at the same time. And who couldn't use more motivation?