Snow . . .

Tuesday.
Home.
Inches upon inches of snow.
I work at home in my office . . not as hard as if I were at work . . . .but working.

I am going to go to the park late this afternoon.
I am going to take my kids. They need to know what it is to be the first person to walk where nobody has walked.

I am into this right now:
the 2013 Iditarod Trail race . . .350 miles by foot or bike across Alaska. It is going on now .. .

Mt. Marathon ....google it . . . .I am working on my wife to let me at least see if I could get lucky enough to get my name drawn. It is in Alaska . . .if I get in . . I'll figure it out!!!

I need to lose weight!!! I am close to 190 lbs!!! I am going to start doing intervals today at the Y.

I have been working out. I haven't really been eating like crap . .But . . . . .I am scared to run much more than 3 miles and that is not burning enough calories to cut it.

I rode my bike 12 miles on Sunday. I averaged 11.9 mph. My top speed was 29 mph going down Lake Storey hill (toward Henderson Street).

Sunny Sunday . . .

Yesterday I rode my bike 8.5 miles.
I went 21.5 mph down a hill.

This morning at 7AM I met a buddy at the Y for a 3 mile run. He is Ethiopian and has run 12 marathons...including Boston. He has been talking about running with me for over a year. Today was our first day. He has not run in over 3 years and needed motivation to "get out of the door." He kept thanking me for going with him. He said that atleast today he won't feel guilty. Interesting that even with 12 marathons under his belt . . .it is easy to slide backwards in our fitness and lifestyle.

It is going to be over 30 degrees here today . . I am going for a ten mile bike ride.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUTSIDE AGAIN TODAY!!!

Day off today . . .

I don't do very good at taking days off from my work.
Today is one of those days.
I am taking my wife to the doctor in Peoria. I woke up this morning to a 3" snow. I scooped at 5:30AM. I am old school that way.

I went to the hospital yesterday and ate lunch with a friend whose dad is dying. I am sorry for the end of life in deep, deep ways.

I ran a 5k yesterday morning at the Y.
I drove county roads to work yesterday. I am going to ride my bike 50 miles to the Mississippi river in July. I am preparing the way now . . .
I rode my bike late yesterday afternoon because I knew that the snow was coming.

I have ran everyday since Monday . . .I really need to take a day off but . . . . . . I can't.

If your joy is in your family . . .what happens to your joy when your family is gone? If your joy is in your work? What happens when your work is over? Or your health? If you put your joy in the Lord the bible says that "I will never leave you or forsake you." I want this to be really "real" to me and not just something that I say.

I am on the verge of another pair of running shoes. As I have mentioned before Mizuno quit making the kind (Nirvana) I have bought my last 4 pairs. I am looking at Asics Gel Kayanos (had them before) or Brooks Glycerin.

Samantha Crain - Santa Fe. THIS song is trying to make its way onto my funeral CD.

10 miles on the feet . . .5 miles on the road

Only a combined 15 miles this week.
I worked out every day but one.
I just got back from a run . . .20 degrees....sunny...windy. My repaired knee groaned the whole time. I was stiff and hot. I have a tendency of overdressing.

I will be in Chicago tomorrow so I won't be able to do any sort of workout. Sunday is usually the only day that I have time to "get out" and not have to watch my clock. My son and I are going to go and sit in cars that aren't ours at the Chicago Auto Show.

I have heavy things on my mind.

2 hours later . . . .

I keep my bike in my office inside my house. It makes me sick to see it sitting in there . . . .not doing what it was created to do  . . .to be outside. It makes me sick to see myself inside . . . .not doing what I was created to do . . . .to be outside. So I took her for a quick ten minute spin. When I put it in 1-1 (the lowest gear - or highest(?) ) I feel like I could climb straight up a mountain. There are not very many hills where I live . . . .but the ones that I have came across . . .I shred them with this bike.
I praise GOD every day that I am able to run, and ride and be active again. I have been listening to these guys lately: Wake Owl

3 modes of transportation today

5:30AM . . . .Walked in the dark morning

Noon . . . . .Ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill

5:30PM . . . . .Rode 4 miles on my bike

I've got deep things that are worrying me right now. I have given them to God but in my  "human-ness" I still carry them.

This morning I listened to my feet hit the sidewalk.
At noon I listened to my "running" songs.
Tonight I listened to The Avett Brothers when I was riding my bike.

I am going to take the complete day off tomorrow - - -no walking, no running, no biking. I have learned that non-exercise is usually the best exercise I do all week.

16 miles on my bike kind of . .

Saturday.
51 minutes
15.6  miles on my bike . .kind of.

I am not in very good cycling shape. Hills hurt. Wind in my face sucks. I spent most of my ride pissed because I wasn't running!!

I got back and looked at the computer on my bike and it said 15.6 - - 51 minutes.

Later that day I did the math and thought, "that's pretty fast considering it was my first REAL ride."
The math kept not really working . . . .

Turns out . . . . .the 15.6  was in frickin' kilometers . . .so I rode a little over 10 miles not 15.6.
I thought I was going 18.3 miles per hour
I really was going 11.1 miles per hour

Went to a bike shop in Peoria and got a bag that sits under my seat so that I can take my phone and stuff with me on longer rides.

I am going for a run right now with my son . . .it is about 40 and rainy here  . .. I look forward to get out into the world.

I am looking forward to become a better cyclist. It is WAY different than running however I think alot of the mental challenges will be the same.

This is my new bike:

Friday Night . . .

Since Monday . . . .

15 miles on the bike

8 miles running

and

1100 miles driving.

ugh . . . . .

I hope to ride my bike for 45 minutes tomorrow.
I am going to skip a run tomorrow but plan on running on Sunday.

I am starting to lose weight now that I am putting my body in motion. I weighed 179 the other morning at the Y. 175 and under would be better for my brittle knees.

I realize that time down here is short . . .I hope that you do too.

My mind is worn.
I discovered this new artist on my way home tonight listening to Sirius Radio . . . . .this is what I am going to listen to on my bike ride.

My bike . . .

I rode my bike this morning at 5:40AM

It was 25 degrees

Cold for most people . . unless you are an idiot like me.

I went 7.5 miles in about 35 minutes.

I think that I am going to like this . . . .just not full time.

I saw my buddies running . . .I felt like I was cheating on them.

I got a "buzz" being out in the dark morning but not a real "physical activity" buzz . .so.....

I went to the Y at noon and ran 2 miles on the treadmill . . .that was the kind of buzz I was looking for.

I like myself about a zillion times better now that my body is moving.

It was nice to lean on God this morning when I walked out in the cold, dark morning with my bike . . .not really sure if I was going to hit an ice patch, an angry early morning dog or a sleepy driver.

Y early tomorrow morning . . I am going to run 2 miles again and stretch.

Maybe I am starting to become a teenage girl but I dig this song by Imagine Dragons: