The New Year

We'll we've got about 1/2 hour before we hit the new year here in Arizona. I'm excited for 2008. Why...I have no idea. I just hope to make it a great year.

I got in a 30 mile ride on Saturday and it kicked my butt. Normally, 30 miles is usually a cake walk. It was proof to myself at how out of shape I am. I'm going again tomorrow for I think what comes out to be between 30-35 miles. I'm going from the Show Low Park to the Mormon church in Pinedale and back. Were supposed to have a high of 45 degrees so it should be a nice ride.

I had my last coffee today. I'm definitely going to miss that habit. I love that stuff. I don't think it would be such a bad habit if I just drank normal coffee. The problem is, I love Lattes. Pumpkin Spice to be exact. I'm not sure how much sugar is in these foo foo drinks, but I'm sure it's near the upper limits of "not healthy". I hope just by eliminating this one habit that I will soon see/feel a difference.

20 minutes till new year. I'm barely going to make the new year (awake that is). I'm on call tomorrow so I don't exactly have the luxury of sleeping in. We'll I've got to get busy updating the website. Have a great night and best wishes for the new year.

1 More Day

One more day of Coffee. Well I'm giving up coffee for 2008, and I'm going to enjoy the heck out of it tomorrow. Since it will likely be a hectic day at work, I should have ample opportunity to make several stops at the drive thru Coffee Hut. They just told me today that they have a new Peanut Butter and Chocolate Latte; sort of like a drinkable Reeses peanut butter cup. So needless to say, I'll definitely give that a try.

I'm actually looking forward to 2008. I'm psyched about the weight loss challenge as we've had a great response as far as signups are concerned. My goal now is to keep everyone inspired. I want everyone to see success. I'm going to be posting a page on the website regarding information on setting goals. I'm a big fan of goal setting but I'm not sure how good I'll be at putting my thoughts down on this blog. We'll see.

I've spent most of today trying to organize all my cycling stuff (spent the day cleaning out my dresser and my closet). The worst part about winter riding is finding all the clothes it takes to stay comfortable. I bought a big cedar chest just for my cycling clothes but so far my wife has it filled with Christmas stuff. That's going to come to an end really quick.

With regards to setting goals for 2008, it's super important to write them down. If you keep the ideas locked in your head, then that's all they are.....ideas. You've got to put it down on paper. Even after writing down your goals, you need to write down specific ways your going to reach those goals. IE. Let's say your goal is to Lose more weight.

Now you have to write down exactly how your going to do it. And no you can't just say "diet". Write down what foods you are going to allow yourself to eat? What foods are off limits?? Is exercise involved?? If so, how often, when, what type? Your goals (resolutions) have to be precise. I'll post mine (the non-personal) ones on the challenge website as an example.

I hope everyone has super plans for 2008. There will of course be the typical downs, but let's all do our best to stay positive and use our struggles as experiences to learn from.

See you in 2008!!!!!!!!

New Year Almost Here

I hadn't realized it had been 8 days since my last post. We had a wonderful Christmas. I built a zipline for my boys and they love it. We've got an acre sized lot and it goes from the middle of the yard to the very back, about 100ft. It's been freezing cold outside, yet they've zipped at least 50 times.

I got a cool helmut cam for when I go out for rides. I'm anxious to see how well it works. I'm actually going on a 40 mile ride tomorrow, if I'm motivated to read the instructions, maybe I'll give it a try.

Only 4 days before the start of the weightloss challenge. I'm really looking forward to it. My goal is to be at or around 160 by May. Even more important though, I hope to see the other participants have a very successful challenge. I'm going to do my best to help everyone do well. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to help, but I'll figure something out.

As for myself, my success is going to be a combination of long bike rides and a mostly natural food diet. I figure if the sun grows it, I can eat it. The best thing about riding a bike is that it serves several purposes. It's an unbelievable stress reliever, it keeps me focused, it's a great fitness tool, and most of all.....it keeps me happy.

Off subject a little, we were slammed at work today. It's RSV season and it has hit hard. RSV is a respiratory virus that can seriously effect infants. Rumor has it two little ones passed away this past week because of it. We averaged one oxygen set up every 90 minutes today. Every one of them was a child. My 5 year old son has asthma and seems to get every virus that comes along. He was on and off of oxygen all the time when he was younger. Looking back, it was sort of a blessing in disguise. Everything I learned from him, I'm now able to apply when working with these other sick children. I can relate to the stresses and worries the parents are feeling. There is nothing worse than when your baby is sick.

Ok back on subject.....I'm looking forward to my ride tomorrow. My friend Rick is up from Phoenix (he's going to freeze) (it was 3 degrees this morning) and he's training for an April Triathlon (yes he's a triathlete but we won't hold that against him). Speaking of Triathletes, why do they climb hills in their AeroBars??? Doesn't that go against everything physiological???? It makes more sense to sit upright so you can get more air into your lungs while getting more power to the pedals. Maybe they know something I don't. If someone knows, please inform me.

Well I think thats it for now. I'll post more tomorrow after my ride.

Just Ramblin

First of all, the weight loss challenge signups are going well. I'm both excited and proud to see these people step up and meet the challenge. Besides myself, we had the first guy sign up today. Hats off to "Hotforteacher". We'll see how he does. He's a good friend of mine and I know he's at the gym every morning so he may be some stiff competition.

I was blessed with the chance to get a few hours of riding outside this week. I got in an hour on Monday and another hour today. It was great. It's always nice to be able to ride outside this time of year. I'll take 5 minutes outside versus an hour on the trainer any day. That thing is so tedious. I've thought about getting my wife one, just so I'll have someone to ride indoors with. Here's some pictures of my rides this week. To all you east coasters, yes it does snow in Arizona. We are blessed here in Eastern Arizona. I think we have some of the prettiest country around. And like most, I tend to take it for granted.

I passed these Apache Cowboys rounding up cattle for branding. I wish I would of hung around to get more pictures. I was a farrier for 10 years before starting our medical supply business. I enjoy watching horses perform, whether it be rounding up cattle or jumping in an arena. They are truly a magnificent animal. I know these cowboys must of been thinking, "whose the guy in the tights with the camera?" "He ought to get himself a horse."

I guess it's supposed to start snowing again tomorrow so it may be a while before I get out again. Let's see, I think I had an avg HR of about 160. Probably not ideal for this time of year but it was nice to wake up the lungs. I used my "Italian Cycling Mirror" for he first time today. I loved it. I'm not sure it will save my life, but it's pretty cool to see what's going on behind you. I was actually surprised when riding back into town, how many people actually did move over into the farther lane. I was both shocked and appreciative.

My thyroid levels still haven't leveled out but I'm optimistic they will soon. I'm still on the 125mcg with the addition of 137mcg once a week. I still think I'm low in that my legs hurt like crazy, I'm moodier then heck (my poor wife), and I can't concentrate worth a darn. But I'm hoping I'm on the downhill side. I really want to start off 2008 on a good note.

The Biggest Loser

I'm sitting here watching the finals of The Biggest Loser and I find myself both unbelievably impressed and touched by what these people of done. It is absolutely awesome. I've never been big time over weight but I have definitely had my share of gains. I know when I had my thyroid gland destroyed I gained quite a bit over a very short amount of time. It was nothing to have a client say "have you gained some weight".

I look at some of the people on The Biggest Loser and hear their stories and my heart goes out to them. The struggles they all share is nothing but heart wrenching. The cool thing though, look at how they have stepped up and done something about it. I think of the measley little 20 lbs I want to lose and it doesn't touch the dedication and hard work these guys/gals have accomplished.

It just makes me more psyched to get this weight loss challenge going. I hope and pray that those involved will share the same accomplishments that I saw tonight. It's all possible. Just don't lose sight of your goals.

For those of you interested, they have a cool website. Click HERE to go there.

Being a Dad

I've got a few friends that are about to become fathers for the first time. I remember before we had kids, I didn't really think it would be a very big deal. Well that idea changed really fast. When my oldest son was born, I can remember thinking, wow this is my own flesh and blood. I am actually a father to this little bitty thing (They look like a "thing" when their first born). I wasn't really close with my dad when I was younger and to this day that really bothers me. My goal is to have a relationship with my kids, one that I didn't have with my dad. We have two boys, 8 and 5. Thankfully they both love to ride bikes. Ryan, the 8 year old can pedal forever. Coby on the other hand, well a mile is about it for now. They are such a blast. Neither of them know it yet, but we're putting up a zip line as one of their Christmas gifts. Not just some chincy little thing either but about 150 feet of line. They're going to love it. So will dad. Those boys are my reason for living. Every decision I make, in someway usually revolves around them.
My dad was pretty harsh growing up. We definitely feared him. Don't get me wrong, he provided for us and taught us what it meant to work, but now that I'm a dad, there's a lot more to it than that. I want my kids to grow up to be responsible, caring, hard working young men (doesn't everyone). When they were both toddlers, (and I was less mature) I thought I wanted them to grow up being the star athlete, the stud jock. As I grow, and as I watch them grow, my idea of success is rather changing. I do think sports are important. They teach, dedication, teamwork, self esteem, and desire. I want them to know what it's like to compete, to bust your butt for something you want really bad. But I no longer care if they become that stud jock. I hope they grow to stand for something they believe in though. Anything. I want them to believe in themselves and have the confidence to try and maybe fail. And if they fail, I want them to know it's alright.
I guess as a father, the most important thing to remember is that you aren't just raising little kids, but your hoping to raise responsible young men. If I correct them today, it's more then just because they did something wrong, but because I'm hoping to help mold them into successes tomorrow. You know when you hear a dad tell their son "this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you"...... this is so true. I hate disciplining my boys. It kills me sometimes. But it's one of those necessary evils. The coolest part though, twenty minutes later they still love you.

Motivation????

Man, I'm not sure where my motivation has been this week. I'm on my 5th day of my increase in thyroid meds (125mcg), and I'm waiting for the energy to appear. I did the P90X workout on Tuesday evening and felt great. Yesterday was a good day. Today......oh man I just felt like crap. A little nauseous most of the day and tonight I'm wiped. On monday, I'm going to see how many days straight I can ride my bike to the office. Of course this will depend on the weather. (My only allowable excuse is Snow/Rain) Riding seems to minimize the butt kicking symptoms of my thyroid. My wife will agree that it also helps keep me in a tolerable mood.

My diet has been....well....non existent. I'm eating whatever my hand puts in my mouth. I think I can quit using the excuse "it's the off season". Since most of the early season races are down in Phoenix, February becomes a very busy month as far as racing is concerned. While those guys are enjoying perfect riding weather, we're up here freezing our butts off. Where's the love??? Like P.O.D. says, time to harden up!!! Another way to look at it is, When your not training, your competition is. I'm not too worried about winning right now (or ever), but I definitely don't want to be dropped from the pack at the beginning of the season.

As far as the Weight Challenge is concerned, we're starting to get some good feedback. It's a couple of weeks before weigh ins. I hope we have a good response to this. I think it can be a lot of fun and it has the potential to help people be successful with their weightloss.

Well tomorrow is another day. Trying to live by my own words, I'll make it the best day I can.