Happy Thanksgiving!

Finding the time to ride and train has been a chore this week. With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us and Christmas right around the corner, it's been difficult to avoid being caught up in the typical holiday hustle and bustle. No regrets here though, as I love spending time with my family, and this time of year always seems to bring us together.
As for holiday weekend training, well, let's just say that I have a plan, but I'm not going to stress if things get a bit side-tracked. Here's the schedule:

Thanksgiving morning:
30 mile road ride.

Friday Morning:
Boyette (to field test recent wrenching on my SS)

Saturday Morning:
Tour de Boyette (with some cool cats from SWAMP Club)

Sunday:
Jump rope, stability ball, and weights.

Well, I'm off for my road ride this morning. I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Listen to the Words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuK2A1ZqoWs

Day 1 of year 37

Today I celebrated my 37th birthday, and boy did I have a blast! I wanted to keep it low key this year, so I decided on a small intimate cookout with the family and a few friends over at Little Manatee River State Park in Wimauma. This little gem of a park has a ton of stuff to offer; a great canoe launch, horseback riding trails, a really quaint little picnic area complete with a kick a$$ jungle gym set for the kids, and an awesome Old Florida feel. Oh yeah, it’s also conveniently close to my home.

My oldest daughter, Madelene, and I had brought along our bikes, so, after having a light bite to eat for lunch, we donned our helmets, jumped on our single speeds (my 26” and her 20”) and went for a short cruise around part of the park. I really enjoy days like these, and I am truly thankful for this opportunity to bond with my kid. You see, Madelene’s mother and I divorced back when she was about 2-1/2 months-old, and shortly thereafter my former spouse remarried a man in U.S. Navy man; suffice it to say that it’s been trains, planes, and automobiles ever since. Currently, Madelene lives full time in Battleground, IN with her mom, step dad, and three little brothers.

Hey, I’m not complaining. Although there is distance between us, I learned a long time ago to make the best out of a bad situation. I have worked extra hard to stay in Madelene’s life on a daily basis, I have spent lots of $$ over the years on travel expenses so I can see her as often as possible, and I have made peace with the demons that haunted me for a while after my divorce, for I am committed to being whole, so as to be the best Dad I can possibly be.

I'm proud to say that this paternal commitment has paid-off, and that today Madelene and I share a strong relationship and also a fondness for nature and all things in it. On this day, my birthday, my eldest daughter and I we were able to embrace our common bond, and by doing so we did enjoy all the best that nature has to offer; beautiful green surroundings, a meal cooked over an open flame, and few brief encounters with some of the wild’s creatures… all topped off by an awesome sunset! I love going for a bike ride with my kid, and I can’t think of any other way I would have preferred to spend my birthday!

The Quest

OK, so now that I'm back home at my old stomping grounds, and I am no longer leaving for work at 5:45 a.m. and returning at 7:00 p.m. I've decided that it's time to focus on improving my overall health, and thereby improve my performance on the bike. I plan to tackle this personal challenge in three (3) phases.

PHASE #1

Is already well underway; Get back on the bike!

Since my return from TX, I've logged quite a bit of time (miles) in the saddle. Being self-employed affords me the opportunity to sneak away for a ride or two during the week, and so I've made it a point to take full advantage of this. Although it may not seem like many miles for some, I'm proud to say that I have ridden an accumulated 250+ miles (on both my mountain bike and road bike) since my return on October 3, 2008. My goal is to schedule, make time for, and complete an accumulated 100 miles per week (to be completed by riding at least 4 times week); this will be difficult, especially with it getting dark so early these days.

PHASE #2

Is also off to a good start; modify my diet and daily intake.

Man, I really packed on the lbs during those 5 months I spent in Houston. Unfortunately, the long work hours, lack of time to prepare a good healthy breakfast, and all those high in empty calories lunch meetings rapidly increased my weight and waste size. Although I never did an official weigh-in upon my return, I can tell you that donning the ole jeans was becoming a chore; each time I expected the button to pop-off and go ricocheting around the room. I am confident that I had to be tipping the scales at 190 lb+; on a 5' 7" frame.

Today, through carefully watching what I eat, and added time on the bike, my weight is down to 180 lbs, so I've successfully dropped 10 lbs with relative ease; already, I am feeling much better on the bike and my energy level is increasing.

Recently I hooked up with my man Karlos (Naked Indian) on the SWAMP boards, and he has been kind enough to offer some much appreciated advice on improving my diet. Being the good student that I am, I have heeded his advice and I have done my homework. My new weight loss goal is to achieve a target weight of 165 lbs by January 1, 2009; reaching this goal should come in handy for the upcoming 50+ mile Naked Indian Ride and also the Tour De Felasco.

PHASE #3

Begins tomorrow; add exercise off of the bike.

The formula is simple; lite free weights + (1) stability ball + (1) jump rope = a leaner stronger me. I plan to devote 45 minutes three times per week to working out with the aforementioned tools. My goal is to develop better core and leg strength.

I am a firm believer in the fact that nothing in life worth while comes easy, and I realize that it will take dedication and commitment to meet my goals. I will do a new post to update my progress every ten (10) days, as this is now an official training log for me. Feel free to check-in every so often and offer advice, leave words of encouragement, OR give constructive criticism.

Thanks for reading, and until my next update; "Peace Out!"