Ogden Marathon - 3:50:25

No, I didn't run this. Wish I had the stamina. Cathi did this marathon early this morning. I stayed up late last night and made Cathi this poster. I finished it around 2:00 in the morning and then went to bed. Cathi got up two hours later (0400) and left for her Marathon while I slept for a few more hours.

At 7:30 I got up, got the kids all ready and hustled them into the car while we drove up to the Pineview Dam to meet Cathi at the 17.5 mile mark of the marathon. We were there about 30 minutes early. I setup the chairs for the kids and gave them each a donut and some juice. Then we saw Cathi running across the Dam. I ran back and got Oliver and Sam out of their portacrib and we all gave her a high five as she passed by. She was there earlier than we thought. This was a good time for her.

I told Bill and Roceil that they should hurry down the canyon to the finish to try and catch Cathi without waiting for me. They took Lucy, Jonas and Isaac. I hurried with the other kids to the van and we rushed back over through Mountain Green to get back to the the Ogden Memorial Garden's where the finish line was. When we got there it was 3:30 so we made it!
I put Jacob up in a tree to look ahead and look for Cathi. I didn't see Bill and the kids, or any other relatives for that matter.

Then I saw Cathi about 50 yards from me running towards me. It was only 3:49! She was going to slaughter her old personal record! We were about 200 yards from the finish. When she crossed she stopped her personal watch which she started when she crossed the start line. It read 3:50:25. Great new record!

We met Cathi back at the park where all the runners were waiting to meet up with their loved ones. We looked all over for Bill and Roceil and the kids but nothing. We had the guy at the stage page them. Waited. No show. Then paged "Lucy Gridley". Nothing. Figured I must have misled Bill with directions in how to get here and that he was pretty frosted at me for telling him 2550 S and 2 blocks "west" of Wall, rather than "East" which is where the finish line was. We waited for probably 45 minutes after she met us in the park. We went home and were worried when they weren't at our house, and no message on the machine.

Found out later they were in the bleachers and didn't see Cathi at all and figured she must have hit a brick wall on the way down the canyon. Aunt Kathy and Diane were there too. They were in the bleachers under the HOT sun. I felt bad that it turned out the way it did. They totally missed the finish. She just flew right by.

I'm so proud of Cathi! She finished strong and killed her old time of 4:05 which she set just 2 months ago in the Salt Lake Marathon. We checked the Boston Marathon qualifying time and to qualify for W 35-39 she needs to get 3:45. So she would only need to improve her time by 5 minutes. She cut her time this marathon by 14. So 5 more shouldn't be too much of a stretch, especially considering she didn't take my advice of taking a caffeine pill at the starting line.

I had a great experience with the 5K yesterday and attribute a certain degree of that success to the caffeine supplement I took. She planned on taking it, but left it home accidentally she claims.

Great job Cathi! When Cathi qualifies for the Boston Marathon, we will definitely plan on doing it.

Bluff Ridge 5K race - new PR (23:58)

Today is the 5K race. I haven't done a 5K since May of 1996. My time was 33 minutes or so. My goal for this afternoon's race is under 30 minutes. My 5K personal record was set in the seventh grade where I did it in 25:25. Easy number to remember. I don't think I'll come close to that, but would like to be able to run the whole thing without walking.

I wasn't able to sleep very good last night. Last time I looked at the clock it was 12:15pm. This morning I was feeling very groggy so I took a caffeine pill. I also read recently that Caffeine has a positive effect (barring any side effects) on distance races. The pill was taken at around 10:00 am, so I plan to take one more pill around 2:30 in order to get an even more enhanced affect for the race. They're 200 mg pills, so it should pump me up pretty well. Similar to about 80 fl oz of Mtn Dew without the calories. The key thing though is to not turn into a regular user. After today, no caffeine until a triathlon or something.

Will update this blog with the results tonight....

OK I just got back from the race. I am totally excited. I got a new PR! I did the 5K in 23:58 which shatters my old 25:25 time in 7th grade. That is a 7:48 min/mile pace. Which for me is awesome. I kept the goal of not walking except for the two times when I took water at station 2 & 3. I only walked as long as it took to drink 4 fl oz and splash 4 oz on me. Total walking time was only around 15 seconds.

I was breathing like an old man at the end, but I had enough energy to go back about a mile and get Jonas and run with him to finish and fireman carry him about 1/2 of that last mile.

Jacob took second place in his group, and Cathi took second in her division (18-39 yr old). Cathi's time was 25:40 and Jacob's time 24:10. I took first in the family. Granted Cathi was pushing the double stroller with Sam and Oliver and it wasn't going straight so she had to keep lifting the front wheel to correct. She would have probably cut a full minute without the stroller.

I took fourth place. Had I known I would have sprinted harder at the end. I caught up to the guy in front of me and at the end he sprinted when he saw that I was. I wasn't in the race to compete against anyone really, just to get the time I wanted so I let him stay just in front of me. Had I known there would have been a medal to win I would have definitely beat him. Oh well, I'm still very happy about the time.

In fact I'm going to look for a couple other 5K's this summer and try to beat that time. That means I'll have to train more. I didn't have any knee or back issues at all. Cathi rubbed out the huge knot in my back before the race which was a huge help, and the caffeine pills I took really got my wired.

Now I'm off to WFTTC with Austin. Cathi is running her Ogden Marathon early tomorrow morning too.

Racquetball

Hit snooze a couple times this morning without really realizing it. Rushed off to the SDRC and got there at 7:00 and played cutthroat with Dan and Shawn. Shawn kicked butt of course. His shot is to hit the side wall about a foot after hitting the front wall and that takes all the forward motion out of the ball and it just drops to hit twice real fast. I hate that shot, but its a good one for the guy who makes it.

Need to practice that one.

Then played Steve. Met him for the first time. He lives in Orem and commutes up here to play. Now that's dedication. Anyhow I beat him 15-0 the first game. Then we switched out Shawn's red ball for my purple one which was totally charged up. It was about twice as bouncy as Shawn's. We played another game and I won 15 - 4. Then I was gonna go swim, but that would've left Steve alone so I played another. This time I didn't play with nearly as much energy or drive and Steve won 15-14. Then I went and swam.

Long bike ride this morning

Left the house at 6:40 am to bike to work. Still need to figure out how to work the computer. Only can clearly understand the current speed and cadence. Need to know how to reset the tripometer and read average speed, etc..

Realized halfway there that I left my lock and cable at home. So I stopped at Mom's in Rose Park to see if she had one. She didn't so I borrowed her car (so I wouldn't have to leave my bike in front of the store) and went to Smiths real quick to get one. Then I rode the rest of the way to work. Its about 33 miles and I did it in 2 hours not counting the stop at Mom's.

That's about 17 mph average which is not good. I didn't have much wind or hills to deal with. Would like to get my average over 20 mph sometime soon. I plan on taking the Frontrunner back home tonight.

Going for the Tom Cruise look

Ever see someone who has a relatively normal upper body, but biceps that are disproportionately large? I call that the Tom Cruise affect. Tom Cruise has massive biceps for his tiny frame. No other muscle group on him is very impressive, except for his Biceps. Even his forearms are tiny.

Well some guy in my ward has a Tom Cruise look and while I accept it for what it is, it still make me self conscious about my own arms which lack any real "peak". So I worked on arms today:

Preacher Curls: 18 @ 70, 15 @ 75, 4 x 15 @ 80
Alternating DB Curls: 6 x 15 @ 30
Concentration Curls: 3 x 15 @ 25
Armblaster Preacher Curls: 3 x 15 @ 75

10 minutes of crunches (good burn)
1 minute pushups (88)

First Antelope Island Ride

Yesterday evening I had my Scout patrol camping out on Antelope and we invited the patrol to bike home (14 mile ride). I took my new bike and rode slowly for most of the boys but when it was down to just one boy and his Dad (The rest put their bike in the trailer when they got tired), I took off at a normal speed and just went home at my own pace. I had a fun time and wanted to go more, so in the afternoon I hooked up the trailer and the train to my Mountain Bike and took the whole family on a 4 mile easy ride.

Total miles = @ 18 miles

No other stats sorry.

Suffering and cussing

Had troubles keeping my mouth clean when playing Eric. We played four games and I only won the first one. He made several errors on the first game which I benefited from, but the next games he got several good bounces and also did well on the short game. Basically Eric has a better shot selection that I do. My strategy is to just pound the hell out of the ball most of the time and try and get the opponent out of position. Eric is a great hustler though and is able to get many shots that fat people wouldn't be able to. He has a deadly forehand off the back wall so I have to avoid that spot.

I then played Shawn and had a better game, but still lost. Then went and swam 1 mile. I think I pulled something in my lower back. It's giving me hell.

New Personal Record - 100 push ups in a minute

During the last two weeks while on vacation I have been working on fast pushups. Try to do as many as possible in a minute. I did 80 - 90 while on vacation. While today while listening to this song I decided to break a record and go for 100. I did it! 100 exactly in one minute. That's pretty much going fast the whole time and not stopping at all.

Here's the whole workout:

45 minutes Elliptical - 520 calories burned
10 minutes ab work
Pushups in one minute: 100

Tough Run

Today at lunch I ran on the treadmill downstairs and it felt good to get a good hard sweat:

3.00 miles - 4 x (.6625m Run, .125m walk @ 3.5mph) 6.5 mph Sets 1&2, 7.0 mph Sets 3&4 all at 2.5% grade

1.00 miles - 4 x (.125m Run @ 8.0 mph, .125m Walk @ 3.5 mph) 1st set 3.0% grade, 2nd - 3.5, 3rd - 4.0, 4th - 4.5% grade

4 miles total

10 minutes of crunches

Got my bike and first ride (and flat)

Yesterday late afternoon I went by Bikers Edge in Kaysville and picked up my bike. Shannon was the person who helped me. I also bought:

• A good helmet


• A waterbottle and cage which rests between the aerobars


• New peddles and Tri shoes - The shoes allow for better draining of water since coming from water. Thy are also well padded so they can be worn without socks. They also can be left right on the peddles and have a real easy way to tighten while attached to the pedal.


• A stationary trainer stand - for those days when its rainy or cold or need to stay home, but need to still train.


• Cat eye computer - They guy who installed it for me had the cadence and speed sensors switched so I had to reinstall it properly.


• A decent lock for when I need to lock the bike up


• A stowaway case for going under my seat (which is tiny by the way).


• Biker shorts - so nice to have the padding in the crotch. The seat is tiny and relatively hard.

Shannon told me to practice on grass and getting in and out of the pedals. I didn't really do that as I felt comfortable with it after a few tries.

I put the water bottle cage on and set it up with my GPS on top of it and mp3 off to the side. The water bottle can stay in place and there is an extendable straw so I don't have to move it. I can just keep my hands on the aero bars.

They fit me to the bike and made some adjustments to maximize the best power and comfort. I went home and went on a quick 13 mile ride. Felt great.

Then this morning I rode in to work. I biked through West Layton - Farmington. When I got to Shepherd Lane and Shepherd Creek Parkway there is a 4 way stop there. I obeyed Shannon's advice to make sure to twist my left foot out of the clip before I get to stop sign. But I rested my foot on the pedal thinking I was clear, but it had clicked back in without me realizing it and here I was stuck with both feet in the clips at a complete stop. I wasn't expecting it or I would've tried the balancing trick that I used to do fairly well back in the day.

There was a school bus, several other cars in the intersection and they must have laughed watching me struggle to get my left foot out real quick, but ended up just falling on my left side. In embarrassment I hurried to get to my feet, but my foot was still locked in and I fell again! I felt so dumb. Kind of wish I had a video of it so I could youtube it. There was a little scuffing on the left of my handlebars, but no other visible damage to the bike. I was bleeding just a little on my left knee, but seriously not bad. Could've been alot worse. Took a minute for the gawkers to move on while I moved to the sidewalk, adjusted my mp3, GPS and water bottle which had spilled 1/2 way all over the road.

I continued on down Shepherd Lane and went through the heart of Farmington down to the Frontage road in Centerville (which doesn't have a good shoulder for bikes by the way!) Crossed over I-15 on Parrish Lane overpass then went through West Bountiful - Woods Cross - 3300 W in SLC down to 700 N and then cut through my old Morton Meadows neighborhood and got to 400 N and Redwood and turned that corner to connect with the Constitution Park trail when I noticed I had a flat on my back tire. I turned around and headed north on Redwood to go up to my parents house (625 N Redwood) and noticed that within 1/2 block it went from flat to completely dead. I jumped off before it was dead and switched into my work shoes and walked the rest of the way to my parents house.

When I started walking the odometer read 33 miles. With a 17.5 mph average. I will have to repair the flat when I get back from our Hungary trip. Cathi and I are going to Hungary and I'm gonna miss my new toy! I was really nervous this morning when I left thinking the weight of the 20 lb duffel bag on my back, and the slimness of the seat would leave me suffering all afternoon. I don't even think I'm sore! That was seriously one of the funnest rides I've ever done. I just wish I hadn't got that flat! I will definitely do this again. Just think! I can workout, save gas and get to work without dealing with traffic all at the same time!

So fun!

Back to it

Today I did Elliptical for 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of lifting:

Alternating Overhead Military Press: 3 x 15 @ 95
Crunches: 3 x 50

Fairly good workout. Need to step it up. Getting slack lately.

Cathi's SLC Marathon for Andrea - 4:04:19

While Austin and I were at the Utah Valley Open Tournament Cathi was downtown SLC running a marathon. I am going to copy what she wrote in her journal:

Today was an excellent run! I got in the "grove" right away and could tell that it wasn't going to be tedious. It was going to be a "gazelle" day. I had a picture of Andrea on my shirt. Just a few people asked me about here. I gave the opening prayer at her funeral She had been at the U of U hospital from injuries she got in a fall. It got infected so they had to reoperate and during that surgery she didn't get enough oxygen to her brain. It was very sad.

Here are the things I will miss most about Andrea:

• How she squeeled with delight and said "Oh, Cathi Gridley!" That always made me feel so good!


• How she'd cover her mouth and laugh so cute.


• How she'd pat my hand when she sat next to me


• How she'd write me little notes and put them in a baggie with a purple zipper and put a mini candy bar with them.


• She'd bring the kids all a mini candy bar when she came to visit.


• She' come on a Friday night and bring a movie. We'd get pizza and spend the evening watching Jungle Book and sang and danced.


• She love our dates Sat at 2:00 and we'd go to the Centerville Dairy Queen and get a Blizzard. Then she couldn't wait to write on the calendar our next date.


• She was forgiving if I'd forget a date, which I did a few times even though she was very disappointed.


• She gave out birthday invitations MONTHS in advance because she loved her parties.


• She'd look at you with big intent eye and push her lips together.


• She'd sayd "YES" when she was excited about something.

I will miss Andrea Phillips! I was one of her favorites and she was one of mine. So I ran the race in her honor.

I felt great the whole race. It started at the University of Utah and went down to 6400 S. Then from 2300 E to 500 E then to 1700 S then to 400 S to 400 W to the Gateway. My new MP3 music walkman would not work so I was out of luck then. I only really talked to 2 people.

Gordon and Austin were at a Table Tennis Tournament so my cheerleaders were Marcia, Elayna, Stacey and Kaylee at Miles 16 and 22. It was so refreshing to see them and it meant so much to me that they would come to cheer.

Then at the finish line was Steven, Meg (Steve's Girlfriend) and Michele, Madison and Taylor. Steve found me right at the end and hugged me. We found the others and chatted for a bit. I was so grateful for my cheerleaders today!

My finishing time was 4:04:19. That is my best time by over 3 minutes. San Diego, June 6th, 2004 I got 4:07:24. I looked at my watch at the 1/2 marathon mark and it said 2:02. That means that I was on track for my best time ever. Especially on the last 6 miles or so I could tell my pace was rockin! I picked it up for the last mile. I had a little bit left.

What an awesome race! I liked the course. A lot of down and just a little bit up. There was wind against us on our way south on the first half. Then the wind pushed us to the finish. A gust would come every once in a while and I would think this is a gift from Heavenly Father.

I cried at the end. It was so emotional to finish and finish so hard. No walking today! Great Great Race!

2008 Utah Valley Open Table Tennis Tournament

Austin and I got to the Pleasant Grove Community center at 8:10 and helped John Pratt set up the tables.

At 9:00 the age group events started and Austin played five other boys. He lost one game, but after the event three boys had all lost one match to each other for a three way tie. So it went down to how had won the most/lost the least. Austin had lost only 3 matches so he took the first place medal. Jason Jung took second and the boy who took third was they guy that Austin lost his 3 matches to. It's weird how some styles can do better against other specific styles. Austin played a friendly rematch afterwards and won so he felt better.

In the afternoon Austin and I played doubles but lost all of our matches. We didn't play so hot together.

In the late afternoon Austin played in the B division Singles and I played in the A division singles.

In determining which division each player would be in there was a ladder competition. I beat Nanda 3-0 and then lost to Meg 0-3. But the matches with Meg were tight and had several really good rallies.

I had to play Bryce Parkinson first. He won the first match and then I won the next three matches for the win. Bryce is a fantastic looper, but he landed maybe only one loop during all the matches. Just wasn't his day.

I then played Lonnie. He is from Pleasant Grove and a more tactical player that likes to serve fast, and also hits quickly off the bounces. He had beaten me 2 to 0, but I came back and won three in a row for the win.

I then played Paul. Paul is David To's old coach from Rock Springs. I've beaten Paul before, but it isn't easy. Paul won the first game, but I won the next three for the win.


I then played Kelvin who is also a Utah County local, I beat him three in a row. This put me undefeated in the division and I won first place! I was rated 1354 before this tournament and am very eager to find out what my new rating will be. Both Bryce and Lonnie are rated higher than that so I'm hoping to be in the 1400's finally. We'll see.

So Austin and I both won individual 1st place medals. Austin - 14 and Under. Gordon - Class A division.

There were about 18 people in this tournament. Much less than the 32 maximum. Not sure of the reasons why. Last year's tournament wasn't as organized and the rapid ranker system ruffled alot of feathers last year with people. This year though was a round robin and tables were constantly being utilized. The tournament this year was a night and day improvement in its organization and flow. Dr. John Pratt held a great tournament this year. For those who are higher ranked in the state that did not play. If the reasons were to protect points. Shame on you!

Score!

Today I went early to the Bountiful Rec Center and played Racquetball with Dan, Dave and Shawn. Shawn mentioned last time we played that he would be getting a new racket and that he would give me the one he got from Blair. I played a little with it last time. It is fast! So he gave it to me this time. It is so cool.

I played Dave and was up 8 to 2, but for some reason played like crap and he came back and won. Then I got kicked around by Shawn. He's gotten so much better. His backhand is so low and his "pinch" shot is a killer. He's noticeably stepped up his game.

Then I played Dan. He beat me one and then I won the next game. During our play I was ahead of him and didn't look back to see he was right next to me and he hit me with his racket right in the back of the head a little on the right side. It immediately went numb and I was surprised how much it didn't hurt considering the amount of force that went into it. I have a decent welt on the back of my neck. I wish I could have seen it from a different perspective to see how much swing went into it, cause I think the swing might have only been about about Dan's 50%. 100% probably would have knocked me out. It really was my fault for not being more aware of my surroundings and giving him more room. I'm glad I didn't turn around and get it in the teeth.

After we played I went down and swam for a bit.

At lunchtime today I played table tennis with Gyan. He won several games so he did good. My entire body is sore from all the exercise this week. Will skip swimming tonight so I can recover enough to be fairly energetic at this Saturday's Utah Open Tournament.

In the evening I took Jacob hiking up to "the rock" which is about 1.75 miles up from the mouth of City Creek Canyon. We ran down which was easy since it was downhill, but still considered jogging. Didn't swim tonight cause my body is feeling real achy and I have a tournament on Saturday and don't want to be hobbling like an old man.

Extremely tasty, nutritious, low cal meals that don't cost alot

Breakfast


I have several options for breakfast (which truly is the most important meal of the day):

1. Old Fashioned Oatmeal
- Not the instant crap that comes in individual packets. I get this stuff. Sure it takes a little effort to prepare, but its so good and healthy. Just put about 1 quart of water in a pot and get it started to boil. Once the water is boiling good, I'll turn the heat to low and put in enough oatmeal to make it relatively thick. Stir for about 20 seconds, keep on low for another minute then remove from heat. Let sit for another minute and add some brown sugar and/or honey to taste and if you're getting bored with it try adding granola, grape-nuts, or a small amount of coconut. So good!

2. Bagels - I recently went to Einstein Bagels and oh my gosh it was so good. But that doesn't make my list cause Einstein Bagels are expensive. You can get bagels at the grocery store at a fraction of the cost, but beware, the cheaper they are the least good taste I think. I bought some fairly good bagels at a good price and got some low calorie whipped strawberry cream cheese to top it off and oh boy its so good. Problem is you don't really want to do this every day, cause it isn't really low calorie. I'll go with this option to reward myself for something or when I simply don't have time.


3. Grapenuts - Rarely do I go with anything other than oatmeal, but once I went with grapenuts and that was good and less than 300 calories for a good sized bowl with milk.

Breakfasts to avoid

1. What got me in trouble to begin with was getting sucked into that damn monopoly promotion and trying to get a monopoly to win something, which I never did!. I'd get two Sausage Egg McMuffins, two hashbrowns and a large OJ. I'd take one bite out of the hashbrown and then stack it in my McMuffin. (My mouth is watering right now really bad) I did that some weeks two or three times. Now that is expensive! And will give you a big bum, like I did.

Lunch and snacks:

1. Green salad with lots of goodies - I just buy the "Dole Greener Selection" salad at the grocery store. I'll take one string cheese and break it up all over the salad. Earlier in the week I'll grill 3 boneless chicken breasts and marinate them in Fat Free Italian Dressing. Then take 1/2 a breast (3 should last all week) and break all over the salad, then put 3 TB of low cal ranch on the salad. Oh man, so good, filling, cheap and good for you!


2. Chocolate Quakes - WARNING: This low-cal snack is so good you might eat the whole dang bag, and then it wouldn't exactly be low cal! But if you are able to leave the bag at home and just put a handful in a baggie for later, you're better off. I think I got these at Walmart for $2.50 a bag and if you're smart, you'll make it last a couple days at least. I'm amazed that one serving is only 60 calories. Even if you do eat the whole bag it's 700 calories. But beware they're addicting, better than eating a whole bag of potato chips I guess.


3. Hardboiled eggs - While you're putting water on for the oatmeal, get another smaller pot and put about 3 inches of water in it to allow for an egg to be nearly submersed. Don't wait to get a boil. Put the eggs in at first to allow them to heat up gradually along with the water. Once you get a hard boil, let them hard boil for at least 5 minutes or so. Then remove from heat, drain and replace with cold water. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for a few minutes. Then you can take them for a snack throughout the day.
   I typically remove the yolk which takes the calories down from 70 to 17. The yolk isn't bad, just if you want to really watch the calories, you can remove it and still enjoy the whites. Sprinkle a little salt on it if you can't stand a plain hardboiled egg white.



4. Beef Jerky - when I'm feeling real low on protein (you know if you're Non-vegan and feel like a steak) I'll go with Beef Jerky. For me though it's alot like the Quakes and I have to use great willpower to not eat the whole bag, but its lots of protein with a very small amount of fat (depending on the brand you get). Jerky is expensive though so its at the very bottom of my list. I only get it once a month or so.

Dinner

To be honest, if you really want to lose weight, dinner should be some veggies, or some fruit. Don't feel guilty if you get most of you're calories in breakfast and lunch with snack, and you end up skipping dinner (or having another green salad). If you get most of your calories throughout the day that's better than loading up at night for when you're just gonna sleep. Nothing's better than eating a real hearty breakfast when you're hungry knowing you didn't load up the night before.

Run which kicked me out of the 200's

Before the weigh in this morning I got up with Cathi and went running:

3.0 m - 3 x (.80m run, .20m walk)
1.0 m - 4 x (.125 sprint, .125 walk)

4.0 miles total

Then went and weighed in.

At lunchtime I lifted chest:

Legs up Flat Bench: 6 x 15 @ 135
Incline Press: 15 @ 115, 15 @ 95, 3 x 15 @ 80
Decline DB Press: 4 x 15 @ 50
DB Flys: 3 x 15 @ 40
Dips: 2 x 15 @ bw (200)
Pushups: 1 x 40

I know it's light, I'm not that strong. Need to do more strength training instead of so much cardio.

Finally under 200!

Ever since January I had a timetable of weight loss and I have actually kept with the time table and met the goal of getting under 200 this week. I did it! I weighed in at 199.0 this morning and boy was I glad to hit that milestone! I am not done though. I want to get down to 185. But this is the main goal I had at the beginning of the year.

Before:
After:


Thanks to Cathi for motivating me. I remember we were driving somewhere and she asked if I would join her. This isn't the first time she's asked me to be "good" with her. But this time I kept my eye on the prize and didn't lose focus the entire time. I had a few "bad" days, but not days where I lost control. I remember when I first hit 200 pounds. I was at Ricks College with Cathi and had been married for 5 months. It was January of 1995 and I just hit 200. Cathi and I went down to Arizona to see Joey Emig. I was so depressed during that trip. Hitting 200 was a milestone I wasn't proud of. Now I'm feeling like I'm going back in time and getting my body back. I really want to get that 185 so stay posted for even more amazing results!

This season's biggest loser was also a huge motivator for me. That's a great show when it can inspire people and cause action rather than just be a one hour form of entertainment.

The Top Five fitness tips I've used to help lose weight/get fit:

1. Avoid the elevator, take the stairs


2. Count your calories - If you don't count em, you don't care and anything can go in


3. Exercise at least 2 hours per day


4. Drink water! Its zero calories for crying out loud. It will fill you up and helps you pee.


5. Log your efforts so you feel accountable

Committed to Felt S32

Yesterday on the way home I stopped at Bikers Edge in Kaysville. I found a serious biker here in SLC who is an avid blogger named Brandi Gorden who suggested two bike shops and Bikers Edge was one of them. I went to their website and found the Felt S32. I read reviews about the bike and it seems like it is a very good bike. They didn't have one in stock, so I had to special order it which meant a 20% down payment which also meant I'm committed now as that money isn't refundable.

I ordered a 56 and it should be here next week. I will have a bike very soon to train on!

Last chance workout

With tomorrow's weigh in I wanted to get a good lunchtime workout today. I did:

3.0 m - 3 x (.80m run, .20m walk) 1st - 6.0/3.5mph @2.5%grade, 2nd - 6.2/3.5mph @ 3.0%, 3rd - 6.5/3.5 @ 3.5%
0.5 m - 2 x (.125m run, .125m walk) 1st - 8.0/3.5mph @ 4.0%, 2nd 8.5/3.5mph @ 4.5%

3.5m total

Stretched out for 4 minutes before and after the run then lifted one set (ran out of time):

Deadlift: 3 x 15 @ 135

Good workout. Run was intense. I used a brace on my right knee so I wouldn't have the next day knee pain.

In the evening before leaving I watched The Biggest Loser Couples for an hour while I did one hour of elliptical training. Good for another 640 calories gone. Only had a String Cheese for dinner.

Balanced Man Triathlon 2008

This was the first Triathlon for Cathi and myself. This Balanced Man Triathlon was held by Utah State University's Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. I was worried at registration that it wouldn't be very well organized. They were an hour late in getting the registration booth setup and they didn't have maps to give out, but you have to refer to a copy and then leave it.
But the race itself was well organized and laid out. Cathi and I were in the first heat which consisted of swimmers who signed up as being "fast" or participating in a team. Cathi and I shared a lane. We swam side by side and had to swim 400 yards. At the beginning there was a guy to my left who was jumping up and down like at a swim meet getting all psyched up.

They claimed that it was a 25 Meter pool and not 25 yards, but they don't know what they are talking about. I could clearly see that it was marked out on the side of the pool as 75 feet, which is 25 yards, not meters. I did 400 yards in 5:19 earlier this week. So I was hoping for a 5:15 or so. I dove in when they started everyone and I had a good start and was ahead for the first pull, but three guys were ahead of me at the other end.

The jumping blue capped guy at first was ahead by about 5 yards or so, and two others just by one or two yards. Within 100 yards I was in second place behind "jumpy". But at the flip turn at 150 I had him beat. I kept the same pace and kept getting more and more of a lead on everyone.

By the time I finished the 400 I was ahead by about 20 seconds. I jumped out and looked at the clock. It was 4:52!

That was after I had gotten out too. I probably touched the wall at 4:48 or so. That's a little over 1:12 per 100. That is fantastic! I was very happy with that time. I was the first one to the bikes and it felt great to have such a lead. But by the time I got my socks and shoes on and my shorts and shirt I was the second to start on the bike. My transition wasn't very fast.

The bike was fairly flat for the first 1/4 of the race. Then really good downhill for the next 1/2. But the last 1/4 was some serious up hills. I had to put it in
first for quite a while and pump up on my feet for a while. Cathi told me after the race that she had to get off and walk with the bike it was so bad. There were about 4 or 5 bikers that passed me who all had fast road bikes and had all the gear. Serious bikers. I didn't get my split on the bike portion, but it was 10K and I'm thinking I did it in about 20 minutes, but not sure.


When I started the run my quads were feeling it. The start of the run was very poorly identified and many other people started the run in the wrong way. I was lucky and followed somebody until I could see the blue chalk arrows showing the running path. The first 1/4 was flat and then then next 1/4 was serious downhill which was good cause I just lifted my legs and let gravity take me. But the next 1/4 was serious uphill. I made it about 3/4 the way up the main hill when I started to walk. I figured I would start back up once I got to the top, which I did. I was passed by three runners on the running leg, and I passed one of the bikers who passed me during the run! The last 1/4 of the run was flat so it was nice to be able to get that second wind after the hill to have a strong finish.

When I crossed the finish line I didn't know what my time was. They didn't have the clock setup. After I took a breather I went over to the timer and looked at my number (10) and saw they had me down with a total time of 51:01. My goal was under 1 hour. So I was pleased with that. They setup the clock which was in the pool area and I was able to walk down from the finish to cheer for Cathi. Cathi came around the corner and Jonas and I yelled for her to sprint the last 100 yards and she came in at 57:28.

Eric left in the fourth heat so he was 35 minutes behind me. We cheered for him as he came with his bike and started his run. I'm sure glad I was done. Eric finished with a time of 56 minutes.

With this being our first we were pleased with the swim. With the swim you don't have to deal with hills so every race will be about the same intensity. No surprises. This experience made me even more determined to get a better bike and to really train (especially on hills) on the bike. And to maintain my running 2-3 times a week. My knees didn't give me any trouble at all during the race (which isn't surprising considering the run was only 2.5K). Very excited to train extra hard this summer and get ready for the next one in July where I will only be doing the swimming leg for one of the Tomax teams. I hope I get first in the swim in that race too.

Almost there....wait for it!

This morning I woke up and my knee was much better, but still not enough to run on so I did 45 minutes of cycling downstairs.

Went up and weighed in at 202.4 pounds. I wanted to get under 200 this week, but it looks like it will have to be next week. Only lost 1 pound this week. Wasn't very good on my diet on Saturday and Sunday.

Will be tapering for this weekend's Balanced man triathlon in Logan.

Knee problems

Yesterday's run did a real number on my knee. I'm wearing the knee brace today and will put a heat pad on it tonight. Not good.

Today at lunch I did:

30 minutes Elliptical,
10 minutes Ab work
25 minutes lifting:
Cross Face Tricep DB Extensions: 15 @ 30, 15 @ 25, 2 x 15 @ 20
Dips: 4 x 15 @ bw (@ 205)

Good work.

New Personal Record

Today at lunch I played Table Tennis with Gyan for the hour. After work I ran the following with Cathi -

4.5m - 3 x (1.4m run, .1m walk)
1.5m - 1.0m run, .5m walk

6.0 miles total

Felt really good about this run. I planned on running the last set just like the first set, but my knees started hurting more than normal. With the triathlon this Saturday didn't want to risk an injury so I just walked after that. Still though, a personal best.

Went home and took care of the kids and put them to bed and met Cathi at the pool to swim.

Racquetball this morning

Again I only got 5 hours sleep and got up early for Racquetball. I talked Cathi into getting up early as well so she could go run.

When I got there Eric was already playing with Shawn and Dan. I played with Blair and Scott. Scott was very skilled in his shots. He likes taking them off the back wall and the hits low and fast into the front wall to get two bounces before going 6 feet or so. Scott won the first cut throat and Blair the second. I then played Scott singles and only got to 7. Then played Dan and Scott cut-throat and Scott won again. I played Dan singles and he had me 10 - 2 and I came back and won. I didn't play that well today. Need to make better decisions with my shots rather than just powering through them. Then I went swimming.

Rainy Run and good weigh in

This morning Cathi and I went on our "loop":

4.5 miles - 6 x (.65m run, .10m walk)
.5 miles - .25m run, .25m walk

5.0 miles total

Then I went home and weighed in at 203.4

I'm very happy with that considering I did terrible on Friday and Saturday on my calories. Didn't work out at all on Saturday or Sunday. Only 3.4 pounds to my major milestone, but that isn't the ultimate goal.

At lunch I did:
30 minutes Elliptical followed by 10 minutes ab work
then lifted:

Seated Preacher Curls: 6 x 15 @ 95
Standing Alternating DB Curls: 5 x 15 @ 30
Standing Cable Curls: 4 x 10 @ 50
Concentration Curls: 3 x 15 @ 30
Wrist Curls: 2 x 12 @ 30
Palms in Pullups: 5

Fantastic workout. Went and got a salad for lunch. 199 here we come!

Elliptical again

Did Elliptical at lunch for 60 minutes. Burned 640 Calories. Followed by 15 minutes of ab work.

At the end of the day went back down and did another 30 minutes of Elliptical followed by 10 minutes of abs, then 30 minutes of lifting:

Legs up Flat Bench: 6 x 15 @ 145
Decline DB Press: 6 x 15 @ 50

Really want to be 205 tomorrow morning. Swimming tonight.

Stood up for Racquetball

This morning I got up at 5 and went to Layton Surf N' Swim to meet Blair and Shawn but nobody showed up! I practiced shots for about an hour and left at 6:35. That sucks.

Traffic was a nightmare I could tell coming home. I check commuterlink and it was. So I stayed home and went to work after lunch.

Late in the evening before coming home I did:

1 hour Elliptical Trainer followed by 12 minutes of ab work.

This last weekend up at the cabin I didn't track my calories. I'm sure I was over and was around 3000 Calories on Saturday.

Will do better this week. Hoping to be 205 on Wednesday morning.

Exercise while laptop is diagnosed

Did 30 minutes of Elliptical while my laptop was being looked at. Spent nearly 300 calories. Didn't have breakfast this morning (I know that's bad), but today is Cameron's farewell luncheon at work and we're going to Redrock. I'll just get a salad or something, but need to really watch my calories today cause Friday's are typically really bad.

Racquetball after 5 hours sleep

I need more sleep!

Went to bed at midnight and got up at 5:10 for Racquetball. Got there at 6:15 and played cut-throat with Eric and Dave. I was up 11 to 4 on both of them and they both caught up and Dave won. We then played two doubles matches Eric and I versus Dave and Shawn. We won both of them. Thanks to Eric. I played like crap.

Then at 7:30 Eric and I went down to swim. Which was a good thing cause my right foot was starting to hurt.

Worked right through lunchtime today and just before leaving to swim with Cathi I did one hour on the Elliptical machine (605 Calories)

Gliding in guilt

Didn't run today. My right foot feels like it has a broken bone or something in it. I did 30 minutes of cycling instead. Afterwards weighed in at 207.4 pounds.

At lunch today I was about 15 minutes into my Elliptical trainer workout when Randy came in. He typically uses that machine and not the treadmill so I felt guilty going for a full hour. So I only went 15 more minutes to go to half an hour so he could have a turn. I went and lifted the next 30 minutes.

Lying Tricep Extensions: 6 x 15 @ 75
Close Grip Barbell Rows: 5 x 20 @ 45
Bent Over Close Grip Rows: 4 x 15 @ 115
Seated Wide Grip Cable Rows: 3 x 15 @ 120
Standing DB Military Press: 2 x 15 @ 40
Pullups: 3.5 Failed on 4th.

Knees aren't happy again

Tried running again this morning with Cathi and my knees fought the whole time. I let them win after half a block. Went back home and did the stationary bike for 30 minutes burning 400 calories.

Have a dentist appointment this morning so no breakfast.

At lunch I did 1 hour on the elliptical and pushed it pretty good. According to the machine I burned 598 calories during that 1 hour. Had an apple and a small bowl (yet very tasty!) of oatmeal (flavored with brown sugar and cinnamon with raisins). Weight this morning was higher than I wanted. Not recording it, but hoping that I can lose 1.5 pounds today by really being good and exercising a ton. Will swim this evening for sure.

Long run with Cathi again

5.25 miles - 7 x (.65m run, .10m walk)

Average speed 6.3 mph

Didn't have mp3 with me and it wasn't too tough without it. Wore new running outfit Cathi got for me. It was very comfortable. Good workout. Skipping swimming tonight cause of overcrowding on Monday and the fact that I need to catch up on more sleep.

Lifted at lunch the whole time

I lifted:

Squats - 5 x 135

Started feeling pain in right kneecap. Did a few squats with no weight. Same issue. What's up with my knees!!!! Switched to Deadlifts instead - don't have any knee pain with DL.
Deadlifts: 6 x 15 @ 135
superset with 6 x 30 crunches

I went to use the elliptical and it was taken and even both treadmills, so I decided to go do another big set of lifting:

Dumbell Military Press: 6 x 15 @ 40
superset with 6 x 30 crunches

Racquetball then swimming

This morning's racquetball went well. Played doubles against Blair and Shawn(Thanks for the correction Eric). They won two and Eric and I won one. Then played cut-throat with Blair and Shawn and I was up, but Blair ended up winning. Then played singles with Dave. I had him 11-3 but he slowly closed the gap and won it. I had lots of hustle plays and made him run, but he had more skill in shot selection.

Then I went Swimming

Early morning run - last chance workout

Got up and the clouds were there, but non threatening so we ran:

3.75 - 5 x (.65m run, .10m walk)
.25 - .125m run, .125m walk
.10 - .05m spring, .05m walk

4.10 miles total

Knees were fine. Ran a little slower than last time (5.9mph avg including walks). Worried that my weigh in would not be that great, but it was (208.4 pounds).

Fantastic day!

Elliptical for an hour

Today I did the elliptical trainer for an hour and spent 553 calories. Would have been good had I not pigged out for dinner and accumulated over 3600 Calories. First day this week that turned out bad for intake. Need to step it up on exercise this evening and tomorrow morning.

Weighed in at 209.6 this morning and that was good, but I should have been smarter eating today. I was just so hungry! Need to drink more water when I get hungry instead of letting it build up for when I get home and gorge.

Benching with Chains then Elliptical

Saw Randy in the locker room which meant there would be conflict on the Elliptical trainer so I lifted first:

Flat Bench Press with Chains: 10 x 15 @ 135 + chains

Elliptical trainer: 33 minutes @ 320 Calories

Went home and ran with Cathi:

5.25 miles - 7 x (.60m run, .15m walk)

This is a lifetime best. I'm never run more than a 5K in my life. Granted I didn't run straight, but this is still a record.

Then went swimming...

Racquetball

This morning after my swim I went over to Layton Surf N' Swim and played racquetball with Austin and Jacob. Dan was playing with Tina for a few games and then afterwards, we played. We only played three games and I won all three. I was pretty fired up after last week's loss. One game I game from 0-10 to win 15-10. Didn't get my heart rate up very much. I think I'm getting more in shape to the point where I'm at my prime again.

Racquetball this morning

This morning I was a little late getting to SDRC and noticed Blair Tingey playing cut-throat with Dan Harmer! What a small world. I didn't know he played. I joined Dave and Ted in a cut-throat game and Dave came from behind and won. We played again and he won again.

I then played cut throat with Dan and his friend Steve. I was down most of the time, and was at 10 for a long time, then I got 5 in a row and won. I must have gotten hit by the ball about 5 times today. Nothing terribly bad, but a couple were fairly good hits. Usually I get hit once every few times, but today it caught up to me. I played for an hour and a half and then went swimming.

An hour before leaving for Swimming with Cathi I went down and did ab work for 50 minutes:

Crunches: 5 x 25
Captains Chair (Reverse Crunches): 5 x 15
Windmills: 5 x 25
Seated Cable Crunches: 5 x 30

Then did Elliptical for 15 minutes and then left to meet Cathi at Surf N' Swim for more swimming.

Last Chance run

This morning we got up early and ran the following:

3.75m - 5 x (.60m run, .15m walk)
0.5m - .25m run, .10m walk, .10 run, .05 walk

4.25 Miles total

Afterwards weighed in at 211.4 which was a total shock. I expected to be 212 something. That is a loss of 3 pounds since last Wednesday. Very happy with that.

At the end of the day I did the Elliptical trainer for 32 minutes (300 Calories) and met Cathi and the Bountiful Temple for a session at 7:00. Didn't get to swim tonight.

Running strong

Today is the first day running on the treadmill with the new Mizunos. Ran strong and felt great doing the following:

3.0 m - 4 x (0.60m run @ 6.0mph, 0.15m walk @ 3.5 mph)
0.75m - 1 x (0.60m run @ 6.5mph, 0.15m walk @ 3.5 mph)
0.75m - 3 x (0.125m run @ 8.0 8.5, 9.0 mph, 0.125m walk @ 3.5 mph)

4.5 miles total

I think 9.0 mph on the treadmill is the max. It was making a strange noise and the belt I think was slipping because it registered 8.5 and then dropped down to 7.0 range but I was booking and I know was going more than 8.5. Will have to make the max 8.5 so I don't ruin the thing. Worried about tomorrow's weigh in. I don't think it will be a good week. I ate too much this week. Hoping to be below 214 though.

New Mizuno shoes and first run with Cathi

Cathi agreed to buy me some Mizuno's (out of her weight loss winnings) if I ran with her at least once a week. I weighed in this morning when I woke up at 217.0 pounds. I knew I would have gained since I had a terrible weekend with my diet. I ran:

3.75 - 5 x (.60 mile run @ 6.5 mph, .15 mile walk @3.5mph)
0.25 - 0.125m fast run, 0.125m walk
0.10 - walk from the corner to the house

4.10 miles

Took the GPS to get my distance/speed readings. I planned on only running .5m and walking .25 but felt good so I changed it. Average moving speed was 5.8 which was faster than I thought I would go. The shoes were nice, but not overwhelmingly so. My knees were giving me trouble the whole time, but not so much that I gave up. I need to keep my knee braces and shoes together at all times. I weighed in after the run (and after a BM) and weighed 215.0. Loss of two full pounds after a run and a good BM!? I told Cathi I would run with her again on Wednesday morning and hopefully I can lose two pounds again that morning!

I plan on doing the elliptical trainer at noon today for an hour and swim this evening for an hour, so I should have plenty of calories to burn.

Racquetball

Played some racquetball this morning at 6:30 - 8:00. Played Dave two games, we each won one game. Then we played cutthroat with Dan. Dave won all of them. There were several short shots that I was able to run up on and get. Made several mistakes with sots off the back wall. Went down low real good, but it hit the floor. Need to square up on the court better and hit through the ball rather than swat it.

I have SCJP study group today so I won't be exercising at noon today, but I'll count today's racquetball as today's workout. Will definitely swim tonight though.

I plan on swimming 3500 yards and playing 3 hours of racquetball this Saturday so I should definitely have enough cardio this week to have some fairly good weight loss. I'm also counting my calories via Lifeform this week. Of all the parts of dieting actually documenting what I eat is the toughest.

Much Better

Today my knees thanked me:

1 hour of Elliptical training - 538 total calories burned

I sweat as much if not more than if I had ran 3.5m.

I'm going to start alternating these into the mix. Probably run twice a week and these twice a week. Felt great.

Halfast workout

Today I did the following:

1.5m - 2 x (.65m run @ 6.0 mph, 1.0m walk @3.0mph)
0.25m - Walk

I had some terrible cramps going on thank to some chili I ate yesterday so I cut the workout in half. Didn't feel very good. Hoping tonights swim goes alot better.

Fantastic run and lift

Today I stepped it up a little. I really want to get down under 216 for Wednesday's weigh in:

Stretch for 5 minutes

Put grade at 3.0%:
3.0m - 4 x (.65m run @ 6.0mph, .10m walk @ 3.5mph)
.5m - 2 x (0.125m sprint @ 8.0mph, 0.125m walk @ 3.5mph)

3.5 miles total

Stretch for 5 minutes then lifted Upper Back:

Seated Wide Grip Cable Rows: 15 @ 150, 3 x 15 @ 120
superset with 4 x 10 Situps slow and deliberate

Close Grip Bent Over Rows: 4 x 12 @ 135
superset with DB Shoulder Shrugs: 4 x 12 @ 40

Surprised I could even do the situps. I haven't done real situps in about 10 years. I've done crunches lots of times, but never real situps. Went well and I didn't even get a terrible burn. I should have done sets of 15 instead of 10. Next time.

Frosting

Today was the frosting for the week. Was able to get a good run in at lunch even though I have a ton of work to do. Decided to lift if I get done what I need to at work later this evening, but at lunch I did this:

Set Grade to 2.5%
1.5Miles - 2 x (0.6m run @ 6.0mph, 0.15m walk @ 3.5mph)

Set Grade to 3.0%
1.5Miles - 2 x (0.6m run @ 6.0mph, 0.15m walk @ 3.5mph)

Sprint sets
.5Miles - 2 x (0.125m run @ 8.5mph, 0.125 walk @ 3.5mph)

3.5 Miles total

After work I did:

Bench Press:

15 @ 135
20 @ 135
15 @ 135 + chains
15 @ 115 + chains
20 @ 95 + chains
25 @ 95
30 @ 75

Had to go to Russ and Lonnie's party after that.

Running Repeat

Today was an identical repeat of yesterday's run:

3.00 miles - 4 x (.60m run @ 6.0mph, .15m walk @ 3.5mph) at 2.5% grade
.25 miles - 0.125m fast pace @ 8.0 mph, 0.125m quick walk @ 4.0 mph

3.25 miles total
Stretched for 5 minutes

Then lifted:

Standing Military Press: 6 x 15 @ 95
superset with
Standing Barbell rotations: 6 x 15 @ 95

DB Lateral Raises: 3 x 15 @ 30
superset with
Good Mornings: 6 @ 95, 8 @ 95, 10 @ 95

Good workout. Forgot to stretch before my run and felt really tight and burning calves about 1/8th mile into my first run set. Almost stopped and stretched but figured I'd just fight through it. Burning went away after 1/2 mile and just because numb. Felt great about today's workout. Weighed in at 216.4 this morning. Stoked about that.

Arms and Run

On the way to the treadmills I saw the two ladies that sometimes use the treadmills on the way there too. I was ahead of them and my instinct was to run to the treadmill to make sure I got there first, but I realized I'm not a little kid so I turned around and asked them if they were going to use the treadmills. They said "Yes". So I said, "I'll go lift first then.". They appreciated that and I did bicep work:

Seated Preacher Curls: 6 x 15 @ 75
superset with 25 jumping jacks

Standing Reverse Curls with Armblaster: 6 x 10 @ 75

Stretched legs for about 5 minutes and then ran:

3.00 miles - 4 x (.60m run @ 6.0mph, .15m walk @ 3.5mph) at 2.5% grade
.25 miles - 0.125m fast pace @ 8.0 mph, 0.125m quick walk @ 4.0 mph

3.25 miles total

Stretched out real good after the workout for about 5 minutes. Hoping to weigh in @ 216 or so tomorrow morning.

New record - 3.5 miles

Today I not only surpassed my PR on distance, but I increased the running portion as well:

3.0 miles - 4 x (.60m run @6.0mph, .15m walk @3.5mph) using 2.5% grade
.25 miles - .125m sprint (8.5mph), .125 walk @3.5mph using 2.5% grade
.25 miles - .25m walk @ 3.5mph using 4-7% grade increase every .05m

3.5 Miles total

Stretched out before and after this workout and then followed with 100 crunches.

This was an awesome workout! I then had a very healthy lunch: Salmon fillet and cup of tomato soup. Fantastic day!

Chest and run

Today I lifted first:

Incline Bench: 2 x 15 @ 135, 12 @ 135, 10 @ 135
Decline Bench: 15 @ 135, 15 @ 155, 15 @ 165, 15 @ 175
DB Push Row ups: 2 x 8 @ 25, 2 x 8 @ 20

DB Push Row ups are where you take dumbells and do pushups off them and after every push you row one arm at a time up to your chest. These are tough! Saw Bernie on biggest loser doing these and looks like they were good work. They are.

Then ran, half way into my first set I knew doing 4 was going to be tough so I compromised and increased grade and walked more.

2.5 miles - 3 x (.5m run @ 6.0mph, .25 walk @ 3.5-4.0mph) @2.5% grade with additional .25m walk at 4.0% grade.

Perhaps only getting 5 hours of sleep last night contributed to my less than ideal condition. Tried recruiting swimmers for my 500 Mile challenge.

Legs very sore, but running through it

Canceled last night's swim with Cathi to help her fold the week's laundry. Plus I needed to get to bed early so I could play racquetball this morning in Bountiful with Dan and his crew, but I ended up skipping that when I woke up and found that my leg soreness from this week's squats had not eased, in fact worsened.

Yesterday I weighed in at 219.0 pounds. Which is a new record for me. I haven't been that weight for probably 10 years. Need to keep going though. I want to get down to 190. That would be the ultimate weight for me.

Today's lunchtime was spent in a Java study group so today's lunch break was taken late in the afternoon and here is what I did:

Leg Stretches
3.0 Miles - 3 x (.5m run @ 6.0mph, .25m walk @ 3.5 - 4.0mph), 3 x (0.125m run @ 8.25mph, 0.125m walk @ 3.5 mph)
Leg Stretches

I got an email from CriticalBench.com that I get every quarter with tips and the big tip was to increase natural Testosterone production is to incorporate 30 seconds of sprints into your workout which I tried today a few times near the end of the run. Although I felt like the treadmill was doing along of the work. I would put my leg down and the treadmill would whip it behind me. When you get going fast, then it seems more like the treadmill is pushing me rather than I'm really running. Hope to get down to @ 216 next Wednesday.

Definitely swimming tonight.

Strong run

Even though my left glute is a little sore from yesterday's hike in the snow I went ahead and ran the following:

3.0 miles - 4 x (.5 run (6.0 mph on first 3, 6.5 on last set), .25 walk (3.5mph on all 4)

Lifted:

Squats: 5 x 10 @ 135

The squats were tough. Right knee was giving me just a little trouble but since I did such a light weight it wasn't too bad. Had to hurry to get back upstairs for a meeting so I didn't have time for more. Felt strong on the run.

Not very energized

This afternoon I lifted the following:

Legs Up Flat Bench: 4 x 15 @ 155, 2 x 15 @ 165
superset with
Captains chair: 5 x 15

Run: .5 mile - .25 run and .25 walk.

The run wasn't good. I stretched out real good before the run, but started having bad thoughts ("Give up, you're tired, and you've run all week you poor man!") and succumbed to temptation.

Looking forward to the weekend up at the cabin. Hope to go on some hikes with Cathi and lots of ping pong with the boys.

Joined another weight loss competition

The neighborhood biggest loser competition is good, but people are dropping out or not weighing in and I'd like to join something else as well for more motivation so I joined this group New You in 2008

Running at home

Cathi wanted me to spend $1.50 and go to the track. I said no way am I paying for something I can do at home so I went downstairs and ran:

3.00 miles - 4 x (.5 run, .25 walk) no grade, 4.5, 5.0, 5.0, 5.0 mph, 3.0 mph walk.

Didn't have time for a lunch today, so I had to wait to do this in the evening. Had a good swim tonight too. Found out I am the biggest loser in this week's neighborhood weight loss group. That was my goal. Need to keep it up.

Working from home today

This morning I wasn't feeling so well. Have a sore throat and a very dry cough. Did get alot of work done from home though. After work I went downstairs and ran:

2.25 Miles - 3 x (.5 run, .25 walk) ran 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 mph, 3.0 mph walk

Our treadmill sure is "harder" than the one at work. Feels like I'm running on bricks versus a real rubber track. My knees are asking me nicely to stop, but I'm gonna have to feed them some glucosamine instead.

Last chance workout

Feeling like I need to really work hard today and get every extra ounce of weight loss possible for this week (Start of week is on Wednesday morning), I did the following:

Running: 3.00 Miles - 4 x (.5m run, .25m walk) 2.5% grade on everything. 6 mph on run, 3.5 - 4.0 mph on walk.

Lifting: Preacher Curls - 6 x 15 @ 95, Concentration Curls: 6 x 15 @ 30

Felt really good about the run. Felt really strong on those and while it was hard I wasn't feeling like quitting. Had a great swim yesterday and plan on having another good one this evening.

Shoulders and run

Treadmills taken at 12:15pm so I lifted first:

Bent Over Rows: 15 @ 95, 15 @ 115, 2 x 15 @ 135
Seated Cable Rows: 4 x 15 @ 130
DB Shrugs: 4 x 15 @ 40
DB Lateral Raises: 4 x 15 @ 35

Running:

2.25 miles - 3 x (.5m run, .25m walk) @ 2.5% grade and 6mph on all run and 3.5mph on all walks.

Run felt strong. Increased the grade by .5% each .05m on the last walk set.

Evanston Table Tennis Tournament

Here is a 4 minute video with highlights.

The drive up to Evanston was nice. The roads were dry and we made it up just over an hour.

We started with Austin and I in doubles. There were about 20 teams in 2 divisions. We were put into the A division. We first played Slobocan and Joey. Slobocan is a good player. I overheard Ryan Gubler, the best player in the state tell Joey who was looking for a partner that Slobocan was in the top 5 in the state. Austin and I were able to beat that pair 3-0 and advance in the bracket.

We then played Braxton and Jazva. These two players are from Provo and we usually see them in every tournament in Utah. The first four games ended up in a 2-2 draw. We played one more and barely squeaked by with the win. I was sweating that we were going to the losing bracket after that one.

Then we played Matt and Bryce. This couple had also kicked two teams into the losing bracket. Matt is currently rated 1179 and Bryce 1406 for a total of 2585. Austin is currently rated 686 and I am rated 1344 for a total of 2030. So we were the underdogs. Bryce asked me during lunch how we have been able to do it. I said “lots of luck”. He said something like “Yeah right, with lots of skill mixed in.”. Then when he heard that we were to play next, he said “Goodbye luck, goodbye skill”. It would take a near miracle for Austin and I to beat this team.

We started out and won the first match. They won the second. We won the third, and then the fourth. Austin and I were shocked. Austin was ready to throw a huge party. I warned him that it wasn’t over. In fact the next match would determine whether we took first or second. The losers bracket resolved back down to its final which ended up being Bryce and Matt again.

We played them in the finals. Austin and I were able to beat them 3-0 straight. I took video of this finals match.


We were really blessed today and Austin was thrilled. I was very pleased to have such a great partner who was hitting great and making some fantastic shots. We were able to take the first place medals for the A Division Doubles.

Then we started singles. To determine which bracket you play in there is a ladder format where you play significantly better players to find out what bracket you should be in. Austin lost to Reiner Eysser (rated 1645), a man who is very commonly used as a coach at the club. Austin lost and then lost to Braxton 2-3. This really upset Austin and he spent nearly an hour crying and mourning that loss. Jacob (rated 449) played Dale Majors (rated 1568) and lost. But that didn’t bother him. He kept having fun at the Rec Center and went swimming with Jonas.

I played Reiner Eysser in the ladder and beat him 3-0. They were all close games and Reiner was a great sport and complimented me several times on my game. The results of the ladder put me in the Open (The highest division), Austin and Jacob both were in the C Division (The lowest division). I told Austin that he would have more fun and success in that bracket and not to be depressed about it.

In each singles division it is a double elimination round. Jacob lost both of his first matches and visibly had a great time. He had a few great shots, but consistency is something we need to work on. He went on to just play on the climbing wall at the Rec center.

I played Jeff St. Clair (rated 1632) and took him to 2-1. Then he gained some momentum and won two more in a row to beat me 3-2. He also complimented me several times on my game and was a good sport. I was in the losing bracket now. I then played Bryce (rated 1406) and beat him 3-0. I had several “edges” which I apologized for because those can be frustrating especially when you get a lot of them.

I then played Dale Majors (rated 1568) and had a 1-1 match on him, but then he beat me two in a row to kick me out of the tournament. I had several good shots, but his forehand loop was unstoppable.

Austin was undefeated in his bracket and played an older gentleman, Jordan in the finals. He lost the first match 2-3, but since Austin was undefeated and Jordan was in the losing bracket, Jordan had to play another match with Austin to claim the C division medal. I sat Austin down and told him to calm down and not let anger or frustration consume him (I used master Yoda’s teachings). That he could not be successful if he used his emotions to dictate his play, instead of his instincts and techniques. He played much better and I stayed nearly out of Austin's view so he could use his own inner strength to play instead of constantly looking to me for advice. He did much better and won 3-1. Austin took first place for the C division.

We all had a great time at the tournament and enjoyed the company of all the players there. We’re looking forward to the Utah Valley Open in April.

Racquetball rocks!

This morning I got up at 5 am, cooked up some hot oatmeal on the stove. Cathi and I had a romantic breakfast together. I then left to the South Davis Rec Center for playing Racquetball with Dan Harmer and his group of coworkers. Their website sucks, but their facility is great! Makes me want to move to Bountiful.

Played cut throat with Dan and one of his friends. Pretty close game. Played singles with the guy (I suck at remembering names) and lost 15 - 9. He had to leave so I played cut throat again with Dan and a new guy we met named Tim. He said he hadn't played in a couple years, but he was definitely keeping up. During one of the rallies when it was Tim and I against Dan I hit the ball in the backcourt with my backhand around Dan. Tim had looked straight back and I nailed him right in the face. It wasn't an overly hard hit, but definitely not fun. I apologized a few times. I felt bad. But at the same time, if you look backwards instead of using peripheral vision, you risk injury.

Anyhow I won that round. So I played for 1 hour 45 minutes and made several great hussle plays. Sweating profusely and quite aerobic. Great workout. Definitely going to keep doing this weekly. Plus I got to work at a decent time since I cut the traffic commute in half.

Killer workout

Today's run was even tougher than yesterday! I honestly felt like giving up half way into my first running set. Instead of doing that I turned down the speed. Today's workout was a little bit slower, but was able to get the distance I wanted:

2.25 Miles - 3 x (.5mile run, .25mile walk) (6.5 -> 6.0, 5.5, 5.0 mph)

Lifting:

Deadlifts: 5 x 15 @ 135
superset with
200 - 4 x 2 x 25 crunches

I should stretch my calves out before running, they were burning and tight only a minute into it which was pretty painful.

I'm officially registered in our neighborhood's biggest loser. I weighed in this morning at 224.6 pounds. Cathi did great this last week. She lost 5 pounds.

Triceps and run

There were three people already in the treadmill room so I lifted first:

French Press: 15 @ 95, 3 x 15 @ 65 (Form was really bad on first set, not gonna worry about how wimpy the weight is and do good form and get a burn rather than joint pain).
Dips: 4 x 12 @ bw (225)
Cross Face Tricep Extensions: 4 x 15 @ 30
Standing Cable Tricep Extensions: 4 x 15 @ 60

Two other guys came in and lifted too. That's great! Hopefully they're regular and we can coordinate something. We'll see.

Went in to the treadmill room and Jaron was on one but the other was open so I jumped on and did the typical run (with 2% grade):

2.25m - 3 x (.5m run, .25m walk)

The run was really tough this time. I was sweating profusely and my ankles hurt, but I didn't give up and kept going. All the runs were at a 6 mph pace and walk anywhere from 3 - 4 mph. Today is my first day doing Cathi's strategy of having a really good breakfast and dinner and then nothing for dinner (fruit in case of emergency). Munch on baby carrots throughout the day and drink alot of water. Want to get down under 220 by Valentines day. Had a great swim yesterday.

Running, then chest

2.25m @ 2% grade - 3 x {.5 mile run, .25m brisk walk}

First time running with someone else on the other treadmill. Hope it doesn't get more crowded than that! Cause there is only two.

Flat Bench: 4 x 15 @ 185
Incline Press: 4 x 15 @ 95 (easy)
Flat DB Flys: 4 x 15 @ 40

Ryan Gubler at the table tennis club last Friday said I should put the treadmill on a 5% incline when I run so I end up doing the work rather than the treadmill just pushing my legs. I tried 5%, but that was too overwhelming so I moved it down to 2%. I'll try that for a week and move it up more to maybe 4%. Then back down to zero and increase to four reps or something.
Looking forward to tonights swim. I'm going to time and video a 825 yard swim (750 Meters) for estimating what my time will be for team Tomax at the Echo Triathlon in July.

Run, then do legs

Same old routine for the week on running:

2.25 Miles - 3 x (.5m run, .25 walk) (6.0, 6.5, 7.0)

Squats - 4 x 15 @ 115
Hamstring curls: 4 x 15 @ 25
Quad Extensions: 4 x 15 @ 35

Felt good about the workout.

Run at home on the crappy treadmill

Today I worked from home and during lunch ran the following:

2.25 miles - 3 x {.5 m run, .25 walk} (5.5, 6.0, 5.5 mph)

Very tough. I think the treadmill at home is a little faster or something.

After work run and lift

Today I worked straight through lunch and had to work on something that I never actually figured out by the end of the day. Frustrating day at work. Afterwards I went downstairs and did:

2.25 miles - 3 x {.5 mile run, .25 walk} (6.0, 6.5, 7.0mph)

Bent over Close Grip Rows: 4 x 15 @ 135
DB Lateral Raises: 4 x 15 @ 30
Seated Wide Grip Cable Rows: 4 x 15 @ 120

Felt good about the workout. Snowed a bunch today. Convenient to stay late and let traffic subside a little. Looking forward to tonight's swim which has been logged here.

Chest and run

Legs up Flat Bench: 2 x 15 @ 155, 15 @ 165, 15 @ 175
DB Flys on the floor: 4 x 15 @ 40
Axel Pushups: 20, 25, 30, 35

Axel Pushups are where you take a 45 pound bar and put 10's on each side, then rest it on the ground like an axel for a train or something. Hold the bar at shoulder width and do pushups off it. It will have a tendency to move just a little so you have to use small twitch muscles to stabilize it. Not too tough.

1.5 miles - 2 x {.5m run (6.6mph and 7.0mph), .25 walk (3.5mph)}

Soreness in triceps from yesterday and light soreness in legs from all this week's running. Glad it's a weekend so I can rest up a little.

Arms and Running

Preacher Curls: 5 x 15 @ 75
French Presses: 5 x 15 @ 75
Arm Blaster Curls: 5 x 15 @ 75
Nose Breakers: 5 x 15 @ 75

1.5m - 2 x {Run .5m + Walk .25m} - This was tough. I put the speed at 6.5 on the last run. @ 330 paces running = .5m, 30 paces = .05m

Legs

1.5 miles - .5 mile run, .25 walk, .5 mile run, .25 walk

Deadlifts - 4 x 15 @ 135
Midrack pulls - 4 x 15 @ 225

The run was at 5.5 mph for the first set and 6 mph for the second. Walk is at 4 mph.

Shoulders

Standing Lateral Raises: 4 x 15 @ 30
Standing DB Rows: 4 x 15 @ 30
Standing Overhead DB Press: 4 x 15 @ 30

Really need some new tunes, the MP3 music isn't very inspiring lately.

Chest

Flat Bench: 5 x 15 @ 155 (with chains)
Incline Press: 5 x 15 @ 115
Dips: 5 x 10 @ bw (@228)

Dips were tough and the tower isn't very stable. It shakes a little which is annoying. Wishing I had a partner.

Back 2

Good Mornings: 4 x 15 @ 95
Raised Bent Over Rows: 4 x 15 @ 115
Seated Close Grip Cable Rows: 4 x 15 @ 120
Windmills using bar: 2 x 15 @ 45

Arms are not as sore as last time so I'm getting more used to this.

Curls

Seated Preacher Curls: 5 x 15 @ 75
Alternating DB Curls: 5 x 15 @ 30
Concentration Curls: 5 x 15 @ 25
Reverse Grip Curls: 5 x 15 @ 45 (Speed)

Biceps should be sore tomorrow.

Chest

Bench Press: 4 x 15 @ 155
Decline DB Press: 4 x 15 @ 45,50,55,55
Flat Bench DB Flys: 4 x 15 @ 35

Upper back is a little sore, but not bad. I'm liking the lighter weights. Getting a pretty good burn.

Later in the evening I did 20 pushups for every commercial break of biggest loser. For two commercial breaks I did the 20 pushups with Jacob laying on my back (+80 pounds). Total pushups @ 120.

Upper Back

Deadlifts: 3 x 15 @ 135
Bent Over Rows: 3 x 15 @ 115
Seated Close Grip Cable Pulldowns: 3 x 15 @ 60, 100, 140

Lower back feeling tight near the end of the Deadlifts, but not too bad. Time to step it up a bit.

Lifts I don't normally do - and weight loss plan

Good Mornings: 15 @ 65, 15 @ 75, 2 x 15 @ 65
superset with: Jumping Jacks: 4 x 25

Alternating Overhead Press: 4 x 15 @ 65
superset with Captains Chair: 4 x 15

I know this is wimpy, but I'm trying to not be concerned with heavy, but quality and reps (15 minimum). I also setup a weight goal plan.

Date	Goal	Actual
Jan 7	230	231
Jan 14	226
Jan 21	222
Jan 28	219
Feb 4	216
Feb 11	214
Feb 18	212
Feb 25	210
Mar 3	209
Mar 10	207
Mar 17	206
Mar 24	205
Mar 31	203
Apr 5	202
Apr 12	201
Apr 19	200

With my Lifting, swimming, dieting and occasional racquetball and table tennis playing, I'm hoping that should be enough to reach this goal!

Little bit of chest

Just enough to probably rend me sore:

Flat Bench: 4 x 15 @ 155
DB Flys: 4 x 15 @ 30

Not very motivated today, but know this will be enough to make me sore.

Starting with Shoulders

On Monday I did two exercises (three sets each) of biceps, but it was after work and before I went home. Today I did shoulders:

Standing Military Press: 15 @ 95, 3 x 15 @ 105
Standing DB Lateral Raises: 15 @ 30, 3 x 15 @ 25
Seated Widegrip Rows: 4 x 15 @ 100
Arnold Presses: 4 x 10 @ 30

Christian came in and worked through ten minutes of lifting, pretty much no rest. That was about as much work I do in one hour so that looked tough. Haven't swam in over two weeks thanks to the vacation and the holidays. First night back tonight.

Almost there...... Stay on target

Since the last week's chest workout I have been recovering. Yesterday was the first day without a trace of soreness. I can't believe a simple workout like that would make me sore for an entire week!

Last Friday I was able to finally fully assemble my new table tennis paddle which consists of:

• Joola R*1 blade - ($60) Thanks to Bryce Parkinson for the good deal on it.


• Juic Shenron - Two sheets at $39/sheet - from Paddlepalace.com

That's $138 for this ping pong paddle which is a new record for the price I'm willing (or dumb enough) to pay for the latest thing. Austin, Jacob and I are taking the family down to the US National Open next week.

Almost there... Stay on target!
In order to not completely choke I'm practicing a little bit during lunch instead of lifting, not to mention to avoid becoming so sore that it makes me hobble around in pain.

So watch for more activity in the lifting arena come Dec 26 onward. I'd like to participate in a virtualmeet sometime next year.

Just a touch of bicep work

This week has been crazy at work. I didn't get to take a lunch break a couple days. Which has been fortunate really because I've been so debilitating sore in my chest from Tuesday's workout. Today Austin came to work with me and I did this workout. In between sets we played some foozball which was fun.

Preacher Curls: 4 x 15@95
Standing Alternating DB Curls: 4 x 15@30
One Arm Concentration Curls: 4 x 15@25

Swimming quite well lately, but lifting leaves much to be desired. It's funny (in a sad way) that it only takes three measly exercises to make me overwhelmingly sore for a few days.

Light Chest workout

Bench Press: 20 @ 135, 15 @ 185, 15 @ 175, 15 @ 165
DB Flys: 4 x 15 @ 30
DB Press: 4 x 15 @ 45

Let's see if just three exercises gets me sore. Cause lately four has been kicking my butt!

Short Back workout

Since I am significantly sore in my Traps and Upper Lats I only did three exercises today:

Bent Over Close Grip Barbell Rows: 4 x 15 @90
Wide Grip Seated Cable Rows: 4 x 15 @100
Lying Bent Arm DB Pullover: 2 x 15 @40, 2 x 15 @50

Going for some breath control and speed swimming tonight.

Shoulders

Holy crud was I sore all of last week! Didn't lift due to soreness and Thanksgiving weekend. Today did light shoulders:

Standing Overhead Press: 4 x 15 @95
DB Shoulder Shrugs rotate: 4 x 15 @30
Standing DB Lateral Raises: 4 x 15 @25
Close Grip Upright Rows: 4 x 15 @75

Bala surprisingly was in the weight room when I started. Hope I'm sore, but not half as sore as my arms were last week.

First day back - Light Biceps

I set a goal a while back that I was going to get back into the gym just after Christmas (after the US Open). But after the past week's performance at lunch time and at the Utah Open, I've decided that I'm officially at a plateau with my table tennis so I started today to lift at lunch time which will continue on work days until around September of next year where I will go back to table tennis and drop lifting at lunch.

Here is what I did today:
Seated Preacher Curls: 4 x 15 @ 75
Alternating DB Curls: 2 x 15 @ 30, 2 x 15 @ 25
Concentration Curls: 4 x 15 @ 20
Standing One Arm Reverse Curls (With Armblaster): 4 x 15 @ 15

Nothing heavy at all, just alot of reps (no less than 15 per set) to get a good pump. Part of my motivation is swimming. Would like to tone up so I don't look like a fast whale.

Alternative method of fitness

Sorry to have been such a slacker with lifting lately. I haven't lifted in well over eight months. My weight has remained the same, even though I'm sure I'm much weaker. Cathi has really stepped up her own weight loss plan and has encouraged me to do the same and has offered me $1000 to reach a reasonable goal which I set.

I figured that getting down to 200 would be the goal that I would like. We purchased a family membership to Layton surf and swim and have been swimming every Mon - Thur Night. Starting out at just over 1000 yards. The first two days were a little tough, but already its getting easier. Hoping to be up to about 1800 yards (1 mile) in about two weeks.

If you feel like checking on our progress you can check out my old school swimming log which I started many years ago. But I definitely don't have plans to hit the weights again until well after the new year. I have the U.S. National Open Tournament in December and am dedicating my lunch periods to training for that. I spend on average about 12-15 hours a week to table tennis. Weight lifting while training for table tennis hurts my game because I'm usually sore and that either affects my ability to move or hit the ball properly. Swimming doesn't leave me overly sore or stiff. That's probably in large part because I'm terrible at doing stretches which would probably minimize this, but another reason I like swimming is because I have a dedicated partner and I also get to go on a date with my wife every night. That's a huge perk.