127 Hours

Oh my gosh my legs are so unbelievably sore.  I did like I said I would.  Tonight, after letting my dinner of rice and vegetables digest, I rode the trainer for 40 minutes and then like a nut, I did the leg workout of P90X.  Ok, well I didn't finish it, but I gave it a shot.  I finished about 20 minutes of the leg workout.  By then my legs were shaking so bad that I couldn't even squat without my hamstrings wanting to seize up.  I think I'm in for a surprise in the morning.  I have a feeling I'm going to be walking like an old man for the next couple of days.  We shall see.

About a week ago I had pre ordered the movie "127 hours".  The movie arrived today and its nuts.  I put it in my laptop and watched the first 40 minutes while riding the trainer.  Now I'm watch the rest while hoping my legs don't cramp up.   If you can put up with a bit of cussing (mind you, if I was in a canyon with my arm pinned under a boulder, in the middle of no where; besides prayer, cussing would be a huge part of my vocabulary)  this is really a good movie.  Click here if you want to view the trailer.
What would you do in a situation like this?  Would you have the guts to cut off your own arm??  This is truly an unbelievable story of survival and the human will. 

Well I'm gonna go watch the rest of the movie.  Have a good night.

Winter Almost Over??

What a gorgeous weekend.  I know most of us are ready for spring, but soon we'll be whining about the 98 degree temps, so we may as well make the most of it.    I spent the weekend indoors installing our laminate flooring (We've been living on plywood for the past 6 months).   I had to take a break a make a WalMart run so on the way I stopped to take some pictures of Show Low Lake.  I love this place.  As a kid I spent a ton of time here and try not to take it for granted.   Just the other day my oldest son and I were driving by and he said, "it'll be weird dad, when I'm older, to think that the other side of the lake will be a resort".  I'm not sure if any of you know this, or even care, but a while back the city of Show Low changed the zoning around the lake so that the new owners of that land can build this huge resort.   Now I'm all for growth, but Show Low Lake is really the only lake we have left that hasn't been developed in someway.  Fools Hollow is a prime example.  I used to go there as a kid too.  The city of Show Low thinks though that for something to be enjoyed, they have to poor concrete all around it.   Oh well, it is what it is.  For now though, I will enjoy and cherish the beauty that we so often take for granted. 

My diet is still going well.  I've decided to up the intensity of the workouts though.  Since my girly legs are still suffering from having no muscle and muscle is going to be in dire need when I go to Colorado, I'm going to start the leg workouts in P90X as well as ride the trainer.  I'm not sure how many of you have ever tried P90X but it's a real butt kicker.  The only workout in the program that I've ever been able to finish is the Ab workout.  I know, what a pansy, but my goal for now is to be able to finish the Leg workout without my legs feeling like they're gonna fall off. 

Looks like it's going to be a warmer week so get your butts outside and start walking, running, or riding.  Oh and it looks like I'm going to have to come up with a different question for the last giveaway.  Apparently most of you don't have degrees in organic chemistry ( I hated that class).   I'll have to think of something else, so I'll post something as soon as I can come up with something creative (not an easy task for my little brain). 

Anyway, I've got to get some work done.  I'll leave you with a picture of my gorgeous little Keevan.  Hope you all have a great day.

 

The Scale is Finally Moving

Hola Vato's!!!!  It's a gorgeous Thursday morning!  Well maybe it's not so nice outside, but the scale is looking friggin awesome.:)    I've been doing really good with my diet and have been getting up and riding the trainer at 5:30 in the morning.  It doesn't even come close to the pleasure of riding outdoors, but for now its getting the job done.  After work yesterday I hopped on the scale and here's what I saw:

162.5 lbs!!!!!!!!!!

I actually didn't believe it at first so I had to double check my math.  150 + 12.5=  162.5. Oh ya!!!

I spoke with Newell yesterday (another friend who is planning on racing the Ironhorse), he's down to 156lbs.  Realize though, the guy is only 5'7" :).   He's got these dang tree trunk thighs though and I know he has more power than me on the bike so I have lots of work to do to get my power back.  

My goal was going to be 160lbs but at 162.5, I can still see I have much more flubber to lose.  So as long as I continue to feel good, I'm just going to see how it goes.  

Have any of you checked out the Challenge Standings lately??  Frenchie just broke the 10% barrier!!  SnowWhite and Big Mamma are right on her tail though.  I know I say this a lot, but the amount of weight people have lost so far is just so dang awesome!!  It's not easy.  I've noticed that the more I lose, the easier it gets to stay motivated. 

Ok, it's been a while since the last giveaway.  The first correct answer that is emailed (mail) will win a gift certificate for an hour massage at Spa Estique.  When we eat, in order to get energy from our food (that was a hint), our food goes through what we call the Kreb's Cycle, also known as the Citric Acid Cycle.  What is the end product of this cycle??  I want the Chemical name. Hint: Energy

So google your little hearts out and good luck.   

Hope you all have a great day.



In the Whole Scheme of Things

I was watching "Gold Rush Alaska" last night.  Ok, it was all re runs but I hadn't seen most of them.  If you haven't seen the show, it's about 6 families who have given up everything (all they're money) in hopes of striking it rich with a claim in Alaska.  First, I must say it is inspiring to see these guys working so hard for the "American Dream".   These guys are set on making millions and that's all they talk about, that is until a little girl suffers some sort of seziure and ends up being flown out to a childrens hospital in Anchorage.  It is at this point you must ask yourself, in the whole scheme of things, what is truly important?  In an instant, they forget about making a fortune and focus 100% on their little girl.   In an instant, things change.  In an instant we must evaluate what's important.  Why do we wait for "the instant"?   

Some friends of mine stopped by the office today.  They were unfortunately one among millions who had to give up their home because of finances.   It was a gorgeous home in a great neighborhood.   Once they moved out, they opted to remodel a much smaller cabin.  A cabin with only one bathroom and two bedrooms.  Mind you, they have 3 kids.   They said they couldn't be happier.  It was a definite change, but they said it was all worth it.  Isn't that awesome?? 

Have any of you been keeping up with Ronan's blog?   Fortunately most of us don't have to go through such a fearful experience.  Today she posted this quote, "When you lose your parents you are an orphan. When you lose your spouse you are a widow(er). There is no name for a parent who loses their child because it is just too unspeakable."   Can you even imagine having to even come close with having to deal with something like this??  Not a single problem I have ever had comes anywhere close.  You can take everything I've got, but don't take my kids. 


We are reminded daily of what's important. Maybe it's not a personal experience but I think it's our responsibility to learn from those around us. Sooner or later, we will be a part of that experience. 

Finally Getting Skinny

I think I'm finally getting skinny.  I'm still doing really good with the diet. I weighed in yesterday and lost 2lbs over the weekend.  My only sweets have consisted of a handful of Good and Plenty's:) .  Other than that, it's been fruit, some rice, and a piece of broiled chicken.  As I mentioned earlier, I had a good ride on Saturday with some friends but didn't ride at all on Sunday.  I got home yesterday with the intention to ride the trainer but had a major headache.  I relaxed for most of the evening then finally around 9:30 pm I talked myself into riding just a little.  Well that didn't last long.  I think I got in a total of 15 minutes before wimping out.  But all was not lost.  My wife and I made a deal to get up at 5:30 and she would run for 1/2 hour on the treadmill and I would ride for 1/2 hour.   Surprisingly we actually got up and stuck to the deal.  I ended up riding for about 40 minutes.  I've got 8 lbs to go before the Ironhorse. 

This is miniscule compared to what most of you have lost.  I feel like such a pansy, but hoping to change that real soon.  I hope to at least give a few of you a run for your money.   Do you realize there are only 39 more days left of the challenge??   I'm anxious to see how many pounds some of you lose.  It's impressive how well everyone is doing.  

Ok now I have to get on my high horse for a few minutes.  Has anyone been watching the uproar in Wisconsin?  The unions are whining about being asked to pay a little more for their healthcare and their pensions.  They are being asked to contribute 5.8 percent to their pensions and 12.6 percent to their health care. Currently, educators pay 0.2 percent for their pensions and 4 to 6 percent of their health care costs.  Every state in the union right now is broke!!  They are whining about having to pay 12.6 percent for their health care costs?  I would love to only pay 12.6!! Heck I would love to only pay 15%.     People, We are broke!!!   What part of cutting spending do people not understand.   For the last 3 years, the govt has cut our reimbursement almost 18 percent.  I'm not whining and I'm not out picketing.  Oh and I have to pay 100% of my insurance.   Did you hear what the average pay was for a teacher in Wisconsin??   $50,000!!!!!!  Our teachers would be in heaven with that kind of pay.  

Ok I'm done complaining for now.  I'm sure I'll think of something else to whine about later.  Hope you all have a good day.

Still Doing Well

It's been a super weekend so far. Not that I've done anything super fantastic, in fact my lazy butt hasn't done much at all.  The good part is, I've done great with my diet.  I'm not sure I've strayed from it even once.  

Saturday morning, my son and I went over to a friends house to ride the trainers.  We rode for an hour and wow what a difference it is riding with great company.  We put on an old 1999 video of Lance Armstrong winning his first Tour de France and just pedaled away.  As I've said before, I'm super out of shape and have a long way to go but, ya gotta start somewhere.

Here we are getting ready to ride.

And here we are just pedaling our little hearts out.  What a great way to start the morning.

It's my son taking the pictures.  He was looking for any excuse to give his butt a break from the bike. 

If you've ever ridden a trainer indoors, you'll know that it's the most boring thing in the world.  I've learned that riding with company and a good video is by far a better way to pass the time.  I've found out that we have a record amount of people from our area riding The Ironhorse this year.  Right now I know of eleven people making the trek to Durango over Memorial Weekend.  It's gonna be a lot of fun.  If you're somewhat interested, you should give it a try.  It's a super hard ride, but something you would be forever proud of accomplishing. 

My humble apology.

I'm really having to humble myself with this post.  On Friday, I received a text from Spuds stating that with all the pathetic junk that he had been eating, he had still maintained his weight of 184 lbs.  I thought to myself "there's no way, I know his metabolism is supposedly high, but the way he eats there's no way he hasn't gained any weight".   

Well Friday happened to be payday at our office.  Spuds said his wife would be up to grab his check.  I let him know that I wasn't going to give him his check until he weighed in on the office scale.  I know it wasn't the most ethical thing to say or do, but I had to see for myself.  I finally coerced him to come in and weigh on our scale.  He even took a camera with him to prove to me that he was telling the truth and that his home scale was just as accurate at our office scale. 

Can you believe this!!!  184lbs!!!   Ok I felt like a scum and have to say, "Spuds, I'm very sorry for doubting you." 

I know that in the past 3 days, Spuds has eaten at Taco Bell and El Rancho.   These are only the places I know about, I can't imagine where else he has eaten nor can I even imagine what pathetic fattening foods he has ingested.  I truly hope it goes straight to his gut (and I say this from the heart).  I know life isn't fair, but it's just not right for someone to eat this bad yet not gain a single pound. 

Here's my thoughts.  Spuds is only about 5'4" (kidding), I think he's about 5' 9".  I just put those numbers into the calculator on Health Central.com and it say's "marginally overweight".  So there you have it Spuds, keep on eating all that mexican food.  I'm sure when you're my age, your cholesterol levels will be similar to mine. :)  

Anyway Spuds,  once I again I apologize for doubting you.  Hope you are having a great weekend and keep eating those tacos. 



Coffee Friday

It's been a really good week.  I strayed once from my diet and that was last night.  I didn't finish with my last patient until almost 8pm.  I was in Snowflake and was super hungry so I stopped at the gas station and bought a small bag of Cheetos.  Other than that, I've been good all week.  Even today, which is Coffee Friday, I got fat free milk and no whipcream in my yummy Cinnamon Dulce Latte.  Doesn't taste quite as good but I'll survive. 

Some of you sent in some pretty impressive numbers this week. I am truly impressed!!!  It's definitely been motivation for me.  It sounds like the weather is supposed to be pretty crappy so it looks like I'll be spending most of the time on the trainer this weekend. 

Yester my doctor leaves me a message telling me that I only have 3 months to lower my serum cholesterol.  If I don't lower it, he wants to put me on medication.  Is it even possible to lower your cholesterol in 3 months??  I'm not sure but I'm definitely gonna try. 

We had our last basketball game yesterday, so starting next week I'm hoping to start riding my bike to work.  So to Stubs,  oh I mean Spuds,  your going down pal.  I just had a friend walk in this morning and wanted to bet me that SHE (that's right, I said she) was going to have a better time than me at the Ironhorse.  Her best time in the past was something like 4 1/2 hours, mine is 3:01.    The problem is, I know she's been riding a lot lately.  She has legs like Arnold Schwarzenegger and they can definitely pedal a bike.  I used to race with her husband (he too will be racing and will blow me out of the water I'm sure).  We'll just have to see, but it's just more motivation to start getting in some good long miles. 

Well I gotta get to work.  Hope you all have a great Friday. 

Update

Well I am back on track baby!!!  My cholesterol numbers were quite the wake up call.  The doctor threatened me with statin drugs and there's no way I'm going to damage my liver if I don't have to.  I haven't strayed from my diet at all and feel really good.  I even got in a 20 mile bike ride today with a few friends.  It was a bit windy,  but it was great to be outside and riding in a paceline again. 

I'm not sure what's been going on with the PHAT Riders but they are really putting the hurt on everyone.  Where the heck is Sexy42011???   Feisty and Spuds have no drive whatsoever.  Their idea of dieting is cookies and cheeseburgers, oh and diet pepsi.  Hey H and Andi, how the heck are ya??? 

How are the guys doing??  Speedo and Chubby Hubby, you guys aren't falling off the wagon are you??

Well I'm feeling really good and I'm about to put the hurt on all of ya.  My girly legs are about to start pedaling daily.  My son just signed up for the Quarter Horse portion of the Ironhorse so I'll be out riding with him as well.  My original goal was 165lbs but now I'm going to shoot for 160.  That's 10 lbs I've gotta lose by May.  Many of you have already lost way more than that.  You are OSSM!!!!  Keep it up.  I'm gonna have another giveaway soon so stay tuned.  I'm not sure  what  I'm going to offer up as a prize.  I thought about an hour massage at Spa Estique (no I don't frequent the place, but I have a friend who works there)  or something like that.  Let me know what you think.  I'm open to just about anything. 

The System

I'm not sure if any of you have been keeping up with Ronan's Blog, but my heart and prayers truly go out to his family.  I've never had to experience their level of fear or frustration, but I've been through the system before and I see people go through it daily.  Without stepping on any toes or offending anyone, I think most people would agree that there are some amazing physicians out there as well as some who uhhhh let's just say they're not so good.

I'm blessed to have some really good friends who are doctors.  I have the luxury of being able to call them on their cell phones if I ever need anything.  In fact our family doctor, on several occasions has told us just to bring our kids over to his house if we ever needed him right away. When I was going through my thyroid issues, I was misdiagnosed twice before a cardiologist friend of mine insisted on a more thorough test that showed my thyroid function was hyperactive.  I'm not sure how long I would have had to deal with it had he not stepped in. 

The frustration comes with the system as a whole.  Most people whether you choose to accept it or not, are just another patient in the waiting room.  You speak to the front desk people first.  These people don't know you from Adam.  They don't care why youre there to see the doctor, they just want your insurance card and your personal info.  You have a seat in the waiting room, read a few magazines, stare at the other patients doing the exact same thing.   Finally your sent back to your room.  They take your vitals, ask you a few questions then tell you the doctor will be in shortly.  Has this become just a routine for this person or does this person really care about why youre there?  I'm not saying one way or the other, but if your the patient you can tell the difference. 

You can hear the doctor grab your chart from the door.  Does he/she even read it??  Do they know why your there??  Are you just another patient for the day, or does is the doctor sincerely concerned with helping you? 

We've all been there.  I know some docs are just burned out.  Some may just have a bad day once in a while. Then there are those doc's who are just friggin awesome!   They sincerely care for you and make you feel like you are the only patient they have.  These are the docs that make the difference in the lives of many. 

One thing I have learned over the years is that you truly have to take charge of your own care.  Insist on the best.  If you don't get the answers to your questions move on or insist on getting those answers.  If you don't have faith in the care receiving or feel like your just a chart among many in the office, go somewhere else.  There are doctors out there that are both brilliant and still have a heart. 

Now on the flip side.  Are you one of those patients whom are never happy??   Are you going to be happy even with the brightest and the best??  We've all seen these people.  These are the ones that take all the positive energy out of you.  Doctor, nurse, healthcare provider, whatever you are, these people just have the ability to suck the life right out of you.  Bad doctors, bad patients, their part of the system and we all have to deal with them, but wouldn't life be great if we didn't?  I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Mean People Suck".  Isn't that the truth?   Why do people have to be such asses sometimes??

Anyway, back to Ronan and his family.  I've googled all the terms Woody (Ronan's Dad)mentioned in his letter to his doctor.  Can you imagine knowing and understanding all these terms??  This is what the Cancer Community has in common.  They all speak in terms of variable types of Chemotherapy.   I can't even imagine what is going through the minds and hearts of Maya and Woody right now.   All they want is the best and most effective treatment to save their son.  I hope and pray that whatever road they choose to go down, that in the end, they will be a family again with 3 beautiful boys and look back on this and just see it as something that made all the difference in their lives. 

Please keep them in your prayers.

On the road to a heart attack

As if I needed something more to motivate me to eat better.  I got my lab results back today and my cholesterol levels are horrible.  My total cholesterol is 259, my triglycerides are 184 and my LDL is 168.  If I stay on this track, there is bound to be a heart attack or stroke in my future.  My doctor has given me a year to get my numbers down with diet.  If I can't lower them by eating better than my only choice will be medication.  Drugs are not an option for me.  There is a reason they check your liver enzymes while on cholesterol lowering drugs, and the reasons aren't good.  Today my diet consisted of two bananas, one can of tuna, and a can of whole kernal corn.  Sounds yummy huh??  I've got the Ironhorse in 3 months and really need to get down to 165 lbs, even lower if I can. 

I'm going for a road ride tomorrow on my bike and going again with a friend on Wednesday (hopefully before the bad weather gets here).  Hopefully soon, I'll start seeing the pounds start to disappear.  

We'll it's getting late and I'm barely staying awake.  Hope you all have a good night. 

Hannigan Meadow

Is the weekend over already??  As much as I love coming to work, I could really use a few more days off.  This is even after having a beyond relaxing weekend.  A few years ago we had won a gift certificate for a 2 night stay at the Hannigan Meadow Lodge.  We weren't sure if and when it was going to expire so we made the reservations (apparently you don't need them this time of year) and headed over after work on Friday.  What a cool place. I've lived here my entire life and have never been there.  They have no televisions or cell service so you have no choice but to relax.  We spent the weekend reading, watched a few movies on the laptop, and even played a few hands of cards.  I had a really good time. 

After breakfast the first morning, a gentleman there asked if we had seen Blue Vista Lookout and the Arrow Tree.  We hadn't, so after we allowed our awesome breakfast to digest, we headed south for about 7 miles and suddenly you could see the world from where we were.  Well not quite, but it was gorgeous.  I believe the elevation where we were was about 9300feet.   Someday I want to ride my bike on this road. 

After getting out and enjoying the views from the Vista, we drove a few more miles to see the Arrow Tree.  I'm not sure of the history behind it (if there is any) but it's impressive to see.  I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a bow, but obviously bow hunters are a much better shot.  This tree is full of arrows. 

We hiked down to the bottom of the canyon in hopes of finding some arrows that had missed the tree (cmon someone's gotta miss once in a while) but all we found were one good arrow and two that had been broken. 

Time flew by while we were up there.  We thought we would be bored to death, but in fact we didn't want to leave.  Check out was at 11:00 on Sunday so we headed back and we're home by 1:30.  It was so nice outside that when I got home a spent some quality time playing catch (baseball) with my 8 year old.  I'm so ready for Spring.  I see that we have another storm coming in around Thursday (figures).  I hope it's short lived as I'm ready to start putting in the miles on my bike. 

Well that was my weekend.  I'm ready to face the upcoming week.  We're slammed at work plus I have my final two basketball games this week.  I'm hoping next week to start riding my bike to work.  We'll have to see how that goes. 

Hope you all have a great day.



More Kid Talk

About a week ago, I took a box into my kid's bedroom and told them to put all of their electronic games in the box.  Along with the DS games, I took my oldest son's phone, and I also took the Wii.  It wasn't out of anger, but more out of frustration.  Everytime I walked in from work, that's all they were doing.  I know I'm old school, but we were never in the house as kids.  Even when it was freezing cold outside, we were outside playing something.  My kids have more toys then I ever dreamed of having yet I don't ever feel like I went without anything.  In our minds, we always had plenty to keep us busy.  If we didn't, then we could count on my dad making us work.   What does it take for a kid to develop their imagination?  Do you need to force it on them or will it come over time??  I think they develop it on their own, yet if they have a game boy or DS game in their hand they have no motivation to build their imagination. 

How many times do you see a young kid walking down the road, head hung low (quite often wearing black hoodie), and listening to headphones???  Some of these kids look so lost.  This morning at Starbucks (ya it's starbucks friday:) )  There was a family in line in front of me.  A mom, a dad, and a son.  The son had these enormous looking headphones on, just keeping to himself.  Ok people,  where is the interaction here??  Do parents not interact or communicate with their kids anymore??   Step outside your comfort zone and participate in the life of your child.  That's all kids do anymore is listen to their Ipods.  Walk through Walmart and see how many teenagers have ipods on.  

We as parents need to step up.  Do homework with your kids.  Call their teachers.  Eat dinner at the table as a family (There's a concept).  I know were all busy, everyone is.  But your kids are only young once and we often don't get a second chance to keep our kids on track.  Teach them about integrity, about character.   

Have you ever watched the show "World's Strictest Parents?"  It's a show where two troubled teens are sent to spend time with families who are "strict" with their own kids.  When the teens arrive, it is always a battle at first.  They fight tooth and nail not to abide by the "rules".   By the end of the show, these disrespectful lazy teens amazingly turn around.   They learn to value the rules.  They learn to respect the work that is asked of them.     Kids want structure, whether hey admit it or not, they appreciate someone "caring" for them. 

Make it a point to spend time with your kids this weekend.  Even if it drives you nuts, swallow your pride and selfishness and play with your kids.  If you have a teenager, talk to them!!!   Family has got to come first.  Even in the eyes of your kids.  Go bowling, go sledding, do something.  If they don't want to go, make them, they will be glad they went. 

Hope you all have a good weekend. 

Uhhhh Headaches Suck

I woke up this morning with one of the worst headaches I've ever had.  One of those that hurts all over and the more you move the more it hurts.  Why of all the things God created, did he have to give us the gift of headaches??  It hurt to even open my eyes.  I  got up with the intention of going to work.  I went straight to the shower in hopes that it would help make my throbbing head feel better.  Nope, not even close.  I walked into the living room, kids were ready for school, wife was making lunches, and I was pretty much useless.  Sat down in the recliner and then came the nausea.  I haven't thrown up in a long long time.  Now I just felt like major crap.  When your head is throbbing and your stomach proceeds to push a 1000lbs of pressure upward toward your head, the pain is intense.  I was done for the day.  I grabbed blanket, sent a text to Dan saying I wasn't coming in, said goodbye to my wife and kids as they walked out the door and I'm guessing about 20 minutes later, I was out.   Then as usual, my phone rang.  It was nothing big, but it ruined a good nap.  I must have slept for about an hour.  I was freezing when I woke up so I got up to put more wood on the fire.  Huge mistake.  That sent me hobbling back into the bathroom trying not to puke.  I think I turned my stomach inside out cuz nothing came up but it hurt like heck.  So back to the recliner I went, covered up, and went nighty night again for the second time.   All  of this before 9 am.  Needless to say it was a rough morning.

With all that said, my 5th-6th grade basketball team had their biggest game scheduled today.  We were to travel to Sun Valley (little private school) to play a team that really excels at basketball.  We won our first two games, but this one was going to be a major challenge.  It was all I could think about.  Who was going to coach in my spot?  Nobody knows these kids like I do.  Nobody knew what position each kid played.  I really didn't want to miss this game.  Win or lose, I wanted to see these kids give it all they had.  Fearing that I would puke either driving over or even worse inside the gym, I proceeded to prepare some 3x5 cards for whoever they sent in my place.  Some were notes about positioning but some were personal notes to the kids.  "Don't be afraid to take a shot", "slow your offense down", "work the corner if you can"......each note was for a certain player.  I didn't want them  to forget anything we had worked on at practice. 

I'm so busy at work that I usually find myself complaing about having to go to practice.  What I realized today though is that I have really grown to love this team.  I love this group of kids.  I'm sure that all they were thinking is that they got to leave school early today, but all I was thinking is that I didn't want them to go into this game without their coach.    I go through this everytime I coach a team.  Whether it's baseball or basketball or whatever,  it's the growing that you do together that makes it all worth it.  Try too or not, relationships are built and quite often those relationships last a long time.  Coach John Wooden said, "coaching isn't about teaching a sport, but instead it's about mentoring young men".  That is so true. 

Anyway, back to being sick and our team having their biggest game.  About 11:30 a text comes across my phone.  The game had been postponed due to the 5th6th grade coach being sick!!!  Holy Cow!! What a blessing.  The other school agreed to move the game to Monday.  How cool is that??? 

The headache is slowly going away (as long as I don't move my head:)  )  .  I'm feeling like a cup of coffee but I'm going to go make me some hot tea.  Kids are home from school now so it's chore and homework time.  Hope you all have a good day. 

Uhhhh who taught this guy how to add??

It was brought to my attention that a few of the weigh in percentages were posted incorrectly.  When I got to work this morning I went through all the updates you guys have sent in and all I can say is,  "man, I'm such a dork!!!!"    To all of you who's numbers I messed up, I'm super sorry.  In order to keep from completely embarrassing myself, I won't mention the names of everyone I had to update, but if you check the standings now, some of you are going to be pleasantly surprised at your percentages.  I sure wish one of the screw ups was with my percentage but noooooo, I'm still straggling behind. 

Busy day today so I've got to go for now.  Have a super day.

Shout Out to Big Mamma

Since I'm not posting actual weight losses, but instead only posting percentage of weight lost, it's hard for anyone (except myself) to see how much weight is really being lost.  Big Mamma, you are doing an amazing job!!   You make me feel like such a pansy when it comes to trying to lose weight.  I'm back to 172 lbs!!!  My goal is to reach 165 by May and for some reason I can't even get below 170.  I say "for some reason" but I know the reason.  My lack of commitment has been horrible.  Big Mamma, SnowWhite, Sexy42011, WideWife, Wiggly, Andi, and the rest of you have been a real inspiration.  The numbers you guys have sent in have been nothing short of impressive. 

Speaking of Committment, I hired a new delivery driver last week.  For now I'll just call him JF.  Him and his wife are doing the HCG diet.  First, I have to say that I could never even think of being successful with this diet. I don't know much about it but I do know it limits you to 500 calories a day.  Are you kidding me???  My morning coffee has that many calories.   Anyway, with all the food that has been coming into the office, JF hasn't wavered.  He's been faithful to his one piece of fruit in the morning and his 3.5 oz of chicken for lunch.  The cool thing is, JF has lost 16 lbs!!!  I have my doubts as to the possible health effects of the HCG diet, but if it works for someone than so be it.  In the morning I'm going back to my "anticancer" diet.  Back to no sugar and white flour and lot's of green tea. 

I had my yearly physical today.  Doc says I'm going to live to be 100.:)  I highly doubt that, but it was nice to hear.   Doc asked me how old I was this year.  Knowing what he had in mind, I said 39 (I knew I'd be 40 in August but I knew before he even asked, I was going to say 39).  He proceeded to tell me that starting at the age of 40, all of his male patients get the good ol "finger".  The good ol prostate check.   Working with cancer patients all day, I should be more open  minded to early screening, but I just wasn't mentally ready for anything beyond my usual physical.  So now I've got about 365 days to get my mind around having something put where God never meant something to be put:).  Sure  hope that makes sense.  Man it sucks to get old.    With all the medical procedures I've had done in the past, I'm not sure why anything should bother me.  Heck if Katy Couric can have a colonoscopy done on live TV, surely I can deal with having a prostate exam.  I sure hope he doesn't check my blood pressure on the same day, cuz I know it's going to be through the roof.   Oh well, I've got a year to think about it. 

Well I gotta get up early and head to the lovely towns of Carrizo and Cibecue.  Hope you all have good night and super day.

First outdoors ride of 2011.

After a month of freezing cold weather, I finally decided it was time to take the bike outside.  It wasn't exactly balmy outside, but it was above freezing.  In fact after this past week of having temps hover in the low teens to windchills that were sub zero, anything above 32 degrees was appealing.  The downside to riding in the cold, is the time it takes to get ready.  In the summer you can throw on a pair of cycling shorts, a jersey, and your on your way.When it's cold though, you have to be a bit more picky about what you wear. If you wear too much, you will sweat your butt off, then freeze to death once your sweat starts to chill (doesn't that just sound gross). If you wear too little......well your miserable from the start and it doesn't get any better. If you're a little cold when you start, typically you will be just right once you warm up into the ride.

Here's the clothing list for todays ride. Riding pants, Riding Shorts (they're padded, the pants aren't), Jersey, Windshell, Toe Warmers (these go over the toes of your shoes, they're great), Insulated Socks, Head Sweat (bad name but it keeps your head and ears warm), Cycling Shoes, Helmet, Glasses, and of course the ever so necessary Ipod.

  I rode from my house (which is near the hospital) up to Hondah Casino.  Of course it's mostly uphill up to Hondah and today it was uphill with a tail wind.  That made the ride up, very comfortable.   Not so much on the way home though.  That tailwind that I so enjoyed at my back for 11 miles, was in my face and blowing very cold on the way back for the other 11 miles.  My fingers and my ears were feeling the pain, but all in all it wasn't too bad.   In fact it was great to be outside.  I wanted to make it at least to McNary, but there was just too much ice on the shoulder of the highway and ice and skinny tires just don't mix.   Being that it's early February  I'll take whatever I can get.  I'd much rather ride 90 minutes outside than 15 minutes inside.  It was good to feel the burn in my legs.  Nothing beats a good workout to clear the lungs and the head. 

I'm definitely out of shape. Today my heart rate averaged about 144 for the entire ride.  When I'm in shape, I can maintain that heart rate all day long.  Today was a struggle.  It took all I had to even hit a rate of 157 and even then it wasn't for very long.  When I ride the Ironhorse in May, my heart rate will never go below 160.  Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do. 

I'm sure most of you saw the Super Bowl.  What a great game!  I'm a big Vince Lombardi fan so of course I was going for the Packers.   Either way though, it was a good game.  At least it wasn't a blow out.  Close games are always much more fun to watch. 

It's getting late and everyone is asleep.  Gonna throw in one more load of laundry then I'm hitting the sack.   Have a good night. 

Tights and Socks

Oh it's finally Friday!!!! This has been a super long week and I am so far behind (not that I'm ever caught up).  We're doing our last interview today for Janelle's job.  It will be good to at least make a final decision.  My big goal for the day though is to find my desk.   You would never believe it by looking at my desk, but clutter drives me nuts. 

This is what my desk currently looks like.  The small  cleared out piece is only because I pushed everything from one side to the other.   I'm in and out of the office so much, I just run in, throw paperwork down then head back out.   It will look better by the end of the day.  I try to live by the notion of "touch everything only once", but so far I have yet to master it.  Typically all I end up doing is moving piles from one place to another.  They are still the same piles, just sort of relocated.  :)   BW, if your reading this, don't give me heck!!  Oh and hey!! Do I get your kid on my LL team this year?? 

So is everyone cheering on the Packers this weekend??  Dan has proceeded to teach my 2 year old to say "Go Steelers".  I've tried teaching him Go Packers, but so far no luck!   I'm not a big Rothlisberger fan so I'm for the Packers all the way.  Lombardi will be looking down from heaven and cheering on his hardworking Packers. 

I'm going to weigh in when I leave the office today.  My goal by the end of the weekend is to lose 3 lbs. Uhhhh ya whatever. It's SuperBowl Sunday!!!  Ya can't watch the SuperBowl without food.  Maybe I'll just eat a lot of celery sticks.:)  I'm feeling pretty chubby lately so I need to get serious about this.  I can't let all these women kick my butt at losing weight.  Heck, even Speedo Sporter and The Man are working me over. 

Oh and here's a final thought that will make you all nausious.   We all know it's been beyond freezing this week.  Well I've only got two pair of long johns.  Seeing as how I'm not going to do laundry every other night, this morning I decided to wear a pair of my cycling tights under my pants.  Now if your on a bike, nobody really seems to say anything about how unattractive tights are on a guy, especially a guy with wimpy girly legs like mine.  Well it was another one of those mirror moments.  I was getting dressed, first the tights then the socks, and then the mistake of looking in the mirror.  Dear Lord, I looked like a complete idiot.  I'll be 40 years old this year and things are starting to look that way.  I want a six pack!!!   No, not of beer, but I want some abs!  Not that I'm stuck on looks but if I could just lose this little saggy gut (doesn't that just sound wrong) I would be much happier.  I doubt though that no matter what I do, nothing is going to make me look better in just tights and socks:)    (maybe a blindfold)

Is it cold yet?

So how is everyone liking the balmy weather???  It was -8 when I left the office last night and amazingly it was -8 when I got back this morning.   This is crazy!!  When I checked the weather on my phone this morning the windchill was -18.  This is Arizona not North Dakota.   I've lived here my entire life and don't remember weather this cold. 

I had my shoulder looked at on Monday.  First the doctor injected the joint under fluoroscopy.  The joint looked good but he said the muscle looked funny.  We then went to a different room where he looked at the muscle with ultrasound.  As the tech was moving the probe across my shoulder he says "wow"!!  I'm like, "uhhh what"???   He then tells me he's never seen that much fluid under a muscle like that.   I have no idea what a normal and abnormal ultrasound looks like but his "wow" didn't make me feel too comfortable.  The Doc walks in and is impressed with the swelling and proceeds to put a needle in my shoulder to pull out the fluid.  Now that was cool to see.  I could see the swelling literally go down on the ultrasound.  After that he put a little cortisone where the swelling was and I was good to go.  Lo and behold, my shoulder is 99% better.  Thank God for modern medicine.

I'm not back to doing P90X yet but hopefully soon.  I've only ridden the trainer 2x this week but I'm hoping to have more time soon.  I've been working late putting new software on the work computers on top of coaching and going to physical therapy.  Speaking of physical therapy, it's progressing slower than I had hoped.  I realize my problems didn't happen overnight so I should expect a miracle cure.  One thing that I have learned over the years is that if you ask 10 therapists the same question, you re going to get 10 different answers.  Everyone has their own opinion on what treatment is best.  My degree is in human physiology so I'm not completely clueless when it comes to what needs to be addressed.  I'm just going to take is slow, put in my 2 cents and hope for the best. 

Well I've got to go see my first patient at 9am so I best be going.  Hope you all have a super day.

Update

Holy Cow, some people are turning in some super impressive numbers!!!  Frenchie has taken the lead with SnowWhite and  Sexy42011 not far behind.  I am both so humbled and so impressed with everyone.  I realize you guys see only percentages but I know how much poundage each of you have lost, and it's amazing.  Big Momma, Andibean (where did you get the name), Team Sexxercise, and many others, wow!!!  I'm impressed.   I should be trying to keep you motivated but instead your doing a darn good job at keeping me motivated.  

Feisty has finally figured out how to post on the forum so now all of you will see how mean she can really be:)    I think at one time she was probably pretty nice,  but hanging out with Spuds has made her borderline psychotic.  If you've ever met Spuds, you would understand why.  

Andibean, can you explain the meaning behind the name.  I've tried making sense out of it but I'm clueless.  And where is Sexy42011???  She's needs to up the instensity and put Spuds in his place. 

Everyone keep it up.  Another give away is coming soon so stay tuned.