The Bay

The Bay
Originally uploaded by aham23.

How sweet would it be to ride this route weekly!! Who cares if it was 90 degrees before noon.

The Ride Views

Scenic Ride Route
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The Ride View

In Action
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Vacation Time

I am soon to be headed to the Gulf Coast of Florida for some much needed vacation time. Plan is for 5 to 7 days, but this will be our first time away from Baby J, so who knows.

The wife is insisting I bring my road bike..........uh, OK, you don't have to tell me twice. I gmapped out a nice out and back totaling 36 miles. According to bike site I found this route has bike lanes on both sides, is a tree lined road, and has awesome views of the bay it runs along!!!! Should be kick arse. Later.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=227441

Bell Sweep R Helmet

Bell Sweep R Helmet
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Just showing off some near gear!

I can not stop buying gear. But hey, If I want to be a roading I got to dress the part. So I picked up a new 2005 Bell Sweep R helmet off eBay. Got a great deal on a great looking roadie helmet.

The Slip Stream

The Slip Stream
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Just showing off some near gear.

This is a small 50oz road specific Camelbak pack. It is suppose to sit high on the back to allow access to your jersey pockets. It should be good for those long solo rides in the middle of the boonies.

Mission Complete!!!!!

Since January 4th, 2006 I have been on a mission to loose weight. It started at 236 lbs. and I am currently at 189 lbs!! Yep, I have once again met another weight loss goal. Do you remember the goals? They kept getting readjusted, first 220, then 215, 210, 205, 195, and finally 190 lbs was put on the board. The train just kept on rolling.

At 6'3'' and 189 lbs. I have people telling me I look skinny! Some even seem worried that I may have lost too much. Nothing could feel better. I have done it in a healthy way. I have realized my diet was extremely poor and needed a change. I actually eat and like Spinach, Fish, and Apples now. I run on a treadmill. I can ride my bike 100 miles in one day, heck six hours! Who knew

It is crazy, 47 pounds, and it wasn't easy. I had to put the time in for exercising to jump start my loss. I had to go to bed hungry in the beginning when I downsized my portions. However, it's a science. Manage a 500 calorie deficiency a day and you will loose at least one pound a week. I tracked it all and I met the goals and I lost the weight.

I still want to drop 3 more pounds just to round off the loss at 50 pounds. However, I am where I need to be weight and health wise. I likely will continue to track calories on FitDay, but it's summer and time for fun. Time for Centuries and the weekend DQ Blizzard.

In fact next week it is time for a Florida vacation and a visit to The Waffle House and my favorite Hooters in Destin on the beach. I think I will bring the bike and ride along the coast!! Later.

My Udder Century

You can remove me from the list of people you know who have completed A century. Yesterday I completed my Second Century. Here is the ride report.

Great weather, great ride, and great people. The IL Chapter of the Bikeforums.net Cycling Culb is officially going strong. My ride went like this......I made sure to have all my gear ready the night before as my 5am wake up call would leave me with only 30 minutes to get out the door. 5:30 am depart and I arrived in Union around 6:45am. Registered and met up with the Club and awaited the rest of the gang.

Not sure what time we departed, but it was 7:15 to 7:30ish. Miles 0 to 25 were easy for me. Lots of group chatter and I felt good on the bike. First rest stop was around mile 25 and was packed with riders. Miles 25 to 45 were good for me too, but things were starting to stiffen up. I should have stretched better at this stop.

Miles 45 to 65 is were my pain kicked in. The neck and upper back were not happy with me. This was a tough stretch for me, but in the end not the toughest. The 65 mile rest stop was much needed.

I hit something around 70 to 80 miles and I am pretty sure it was a wall. I dropped off our four man group and struggled into the wind. Singal11 and the "Lurker" were nice enough to slow up and wait for Psimet2001 and I. The 80 mile rest stop was my favorite!!!

Miles 80 to 90 I felt great, but at the 90 mile mark I began to stuggle up the final hills, ok, rollers, that lead to the finish. There was a sweet long decent at the end were we hit 30 mph! I finished with Singal11, but only becuase he waited for me, twice, on this last part. We rolled into the finish at 2:30pm.

My Stats: 100.8 miles, 5:53 ride time, 17.1 avg speed with 30.4 max, 84 avg cadence with 105 max, 136 avg heart rate with 166 max, and 4567 calories burnt.

It was great meeting those who showed and I look forward to the next one.

Later

Done!!

Done!!
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The Udder is Complete.

The Udder Que Sheets

The Udder Que Sheets
Originally uploaded by aham23.

100 miles at the Udder requires two pages for the directions.

They didn't scare me soo much this time.

The Udder Century Map

The Udder Century Map
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The 100 mile Udder route took us to the lovely state of Wisconsin!!

Century Prep

Got a nice little pre-work ride in yesterday morning. It was overcast, but in the 70s with light winds. I am trying to get myself ready for the Udder Century, which is this Sunday. I am not sure if I am ready for 100 miles, but will give it a go. My legs felt heavy and tired during this ride and I have not topped 40 miles since my first century, The Sudden Century back on May 7th. Wow, I am full of excuses!!

The Ride Stats: 32.1 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes, 17.3 mph avg with 24.7 mph max, 87 rpm avg candence with 106 max, 137 avg heart rate with 160 max, and 1459 calories toasted.

Now, off to Performacne Bike for final preperations, which means purchasing more roadie gear. Later.

What's the freaking number?

Man, I have been on one serious weight loss roll. The little magic number was 191 lbs this morning. I guess two miles is the magic number for running off a weekend binge?? Really, it is simple, less in, more out, you drop weight.

Crap, I have my second century coming up this weekend. It is four days away and I see no time in my future for training. I have put almost 300 miles of saddle time on the board this month, but can I ride once a week and still tear off a 100 miles in one day? We shall see. Later.

Almost Forgot....

I did get a nice little ride on Sunday. I got out early to avoid the heat. I departed around 7:30 am and it was already in the 80s. Plus, I was in Southern, IL, which actually has some real Hills!! Besides the damn sweet burning my eyes it was a great ride. I need to pick myself up some type of sweat band to wear under my helmet.

The Stats: 37.8 miles, 2 hours 14 minutes ride time, 16.9 mph avg speed with 33 mph max, 85 avg cadence with 113 max, 143 avg heartrate with 166 max, and 1883 calories burnt.

My second century is coming up this weekend, The Udder Century, in Union, IL. My schedule looks busy this week with limited time for training, but I am still pumped for it. Later.

Tuesday Already, Part Deux??

After a long hot holiday weekend filled with the in-laws, beers, and crappy camp ground food I cant believe it is weigh-in day. Well, call it officially postponed until tomorrow. My fat arse has to get on the treadmill tonight to limit the damage. Later.

Tuesday Already?

Life seems to move so fast once you hit your 30s. Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah. OK, it is Tuesday so I weigh-in then report the results here like I have since January 4th. Let us not waste anymore time......192.6 lbs. Despite my best efforts to sabotage my diet last week I still lost a freaking pound. I think I got this thing figured out. I have put myself in a position where I can now eat a bit more then before and still lose weight. Crazy, I know. Today, I had a real chocolate candy bar and it was goooood. Don't worry, I know this stuff can creep up on you. One today, one tomorrow, and bam, 238 lbs.

As a result of the candy bar issue I had to get out on the bike. Besides the day of my century back on May 7th this was the nicest weather I have seen while out riding. Pure sun with 72 degrees and light winds. I ran the same route as Saturday to see if I could top that time. Despite running a higher heart rate average and feeling like I was kicking arse, I came in just over Saturday's time.

The Stats: 31.4 miles, 1 hr 49 mins, 17.2 mph avg with 23.2 mph max, 141 avg heart rate with 168 max, 85 avg cadence with 99 max, and 1496 calories burnt.

I love riding. Later.

My Bike Says Hello!

Got my butt, literally, out on the road bike yesterday for the first time in over a week. Excuses? Crappy cold rainy weather and stupid work and stupid bills which make me have to stupid work.

I had my first roadie encounter while on this ride. I very fit dude with aero bars came flying up on me while I was chugging at 16 mph into a crappy 15 mph headwind. We chatted a bit and I could see he wouldn't mind having a ride partner. However, this guy was serious and he dropped me before I could even try to grab his wheel. Maybe next time?

The stats: 31.6 miles, time 1 hr 46 minutes, 17.7 mph avg with 23.8 mph max, 138 avg heart rate with 159 max, 83 avg cadence with 103 max, and 1417 calories burnt.

It was a short quick ride, but I really felt it. It was a workout. I think that is my fastest average speed to date! Cool and the gang.

Ok today, no ride in sight, but we got yard work galore and car washing duties lined up. Later.

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I took a ton of pics, but being under the influence (BEERS) and low light very few turned out. This one did and it is pretty cool. The band really rocked it out for two plus hours.

The set list was awesome. They played some classics from Ten and tore up the new stuff. The new album is Rock-N-Roll all the way and they seemed to play these tunes with energy and passion. Check out the set list.

Set 1: Release, World Wide Suicide, Life Wasted, Severed Hand, Comatose, Given To Fly, Low Light, Corduroy, I'm Open, I Got Id, Even Flow, Unemployable, Daughter/(W.M.A.), Present Tense, Do The Evolution, Jeremy, Save You, Porch

Encore 1: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Better Man, Come Back, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Alive

Encore 2: Go, Blood/(Atomic Dog), Indifference, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

The Beetles tune was played accoustically by Eddie Vedder, not the dog, himself. It was pure magic. In fact, Encore 1 was my favorite part of the show. A Beetles classic, State of Love and Trust, Better Man, and my all time favorite, Black. Wow, that was awesome.

Today is bike to work day! Did you remember? I spotted 4 roadies who did on my in to work this morning. I give them props as Traffic is Crazy Heavy during the Burbs Morning Rush. I mean my trip to work is 20 miles and it takes me one hour.

I didn't bike to work, but hope to bike after work. Later.

Late Reporting...

You can put it on the board..............YES!!

193.6 lbs. is the magic number for the week of May 15th, 2006. I am closing in on 190 lbs. With that being said I am poised for a let down in the coming weeks.

Maybe even next week. See, it is Wednesday and I have NOT worked out since Sunday! I have not been on the bike since last Thursday, but that mainly is do to really crappy cold and rainy Midwest Weather pattern. AND, my diet has gone to crap. Check my Fitday and you will see.

Last night I attended the Pearl Jam concert at the United Center in Chicago. It was totally rocking and kicked all forms of arse. They played for well over two hours and played some of my favorite less played Pearl Jam tunes. Black had to be my favorite of the night.

What goes with being at a rock concert? Yes, BEERS. Lots of BEERS. I got home and in bed at 1am and was up at 530am getting ready for work. Ouch, I am hurting today. Had to have McDonald's this morning to help fight the feeling and just polished off some Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. Calories, Calories, we love Calories! It's crazy, but I feel like crap for binging or indulging or whatever you want to call it. It is like I feel if I cheat just once I will instantly gain back all the weight????

Man, I am tired. Later.

Some Funny Stuff

Very funny video I found over at YouTube.com.

Corn?

Corn?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Nope, this farmer is growing grass. Who knew you could make a living selling grass. Lawn grass that is.

Safety First?

Cockpit in Motion
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Really, can this be safe?

On The Road Again

My Route
Originally uploaded by aham23.

With bad weather looming for the rest of the week, I sprinted out for a quickie yesterday.

The beautiful flatlands of the Midwest. From this pic would you guess I was 40 miles from the Windy City?

The Stats: 26.4 miles in 1 hour 30 minutes, 17.5 mph avg with 23.3 mph max, 81 avg cadence with 98 max, 137 avg heartrate with 159 max, and 1180 calories burnt!!

Later.

The Sudden Century Route

This is the route for my little ride this past Sunday. Also, despite most opinions there was some elevation changes. OK, not much, but still it's some. I can not take credit for the map or chart as I found them posted by GTDBiker (Mr) over at bikejournal.com. I just thought there were cool to see.

The Route, The Chart, The Post


Later.

What To Do Now?

So, I have radically changed my eating habits, began exercising regularly, lost close to 40 lbs in five months, and just completed my first century. What is a guy to do next?

Well it is Tuesday, so first I weigh-in, 195.8 lbs. Check below and see that is almost 3 lbs for the week. Then I get my arse on the treadmill after work for 3 miles of basement fun. Finally, I cook up some chicken and veggies for dinner.

In other words, I keep keeping on man. Life is good. Later.

The Story

I frequent bikeforums.net and read a lot of "My First Century" post. Well, my time has come and this is my story.

First, let me provide you a quick background. I purchased my road bike last June at a time when I topped the scales at 235 lbs. By the end of summer a long, hard ride was 20 miles and it would wipe me out. I managed around 300 total road miles by the end of 2005.

January 2006 I began what I call, "Cleansing 2006." I am eating less and healthier, running, biking and lost close to 40 total pounds, currently weighing in at 199 lbs. My longest ride prior to Sunday was 47 miles.

Background complete, now my story. I headed out at 6:30 am for Downtown Joliet, IL to sign in for the JBC Sudden Century. This would be my first group ride and first organized ride of any kind. When I say group, I mean I have never even had the pleasure of riding with one single other roadie.

I pulled into the downtown area and there were roadies, bikes, and lycra everywhere. I immediately began to get nervous or was that MORE nervous. I had preregistered so I only had to check in. At check in I was asked what route I would be doing?? The pressure! I requested the cue sheets for the 70 and 100 mile routes. Seeing my first ever cue sheet sent the nerves skyrocketing. I mean, check the pic below, it seems so confusing. I had to ride my bike 100 miles while reading the directions?

Luckily, I had planned to meet up with a fellow bikeforums.net member who was an experienced roadie. However, I was running a bit late and there were roadies everywhere. Everyone seemed to be waiting or looking around for someone. Then I spotted CyLowe97 dart off on his blue Felt in the Hampsten/Cinghiale jersey he said he would be sporting. I caught up with him and introduced myself and the century began.

I never would have finished the ride solo and riding with CyLowe97 was awesome. I learned some group riding etiquette and the fun of drafting. Just the general conversation eased my nerves and thoughts of six hours in the saddle and 100 miles!!

The weather was fabulous with sun and light winds. We stopped at all the rest stops 25, 45, 75, and 85 miles. Average stop was say 10-15 minutes with the 75 miler being the longest and the 85 miler being the shortest. I had a contact issue that required one other stop at a gas station.

Miles 45 to 75 were the toughest for me. This was a loop out in the middle of no where that lead us from the rest stop then back to it. My neck and shoulders really began to tighten up and ache. I have a chronic neck/shoulder issue and figured it would be the one thing to limit my riding. I managed not to panic and once we stopped at the 75 mile rest stop I stretched it out enough to make the finish.

I am really surprised how well my legs felt, reacted, and feel today. I never felt like I lost them, or was going to. I attribute that to the running and weight loss I have achieved over the past 4 months. I think I felt the best during the last 20 miles of the ride.

Anyway, we rolled back into downtown Joliet around 2:30 pm, I think. Despite there being NO finish line or crowd of fans cheering me on (didn't anyone get the memo, this was my First Century?) I felt a great since of achievement. I had just done something I never dreamed I could do. I road my bike 100 miles in one day!!

The Stats: 101.7 miles in 6 hours 15 minutes, 16.3 mph average speed with 26.5 mph max, 136 bpm average heart rate (71% max) with 164 bpm max (85% max), 77 average cadence with 103 max, and 4835 calories toasted.

Later.

The End

Mission Complete
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I thought a Century was 100 miles? Looks like I am an overachiever.

Stay tunned for the standard "My First Century" ride report!

Left Or Right?

How Far?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Wow, seeing my first cue sheet I was a bit intemidated.

The Century Fuel

The Fuel
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Pre-Ride prep for my first century. Will I really eat all this while riding a bike?

Cliff Bars, GU Energy Gels, and Fig Newtons. Plus, riding gloves and cool Tifosi Riding Shades.

Warm Up

Took a nice little spin this morning as a warm up to Sunday's Century. It was cold, very sunny, and light winds. I rolled out 9 miles and headed back in. Everything felt great and I think I am ready for tomorrow (maybe?). I plan to get all the gear ready tonight and head out around 6am and be on the road by 7am.

Todays Stats: 19 miles in 1 hr 10 mins, 16.2 mph avg with 22.7 max, 80 avg cadence with 95 max, 120 avg heart rate with 157 max, and 712 calories spent before 10 am.

On The Road Again...

Finally, after 6 days off the bike I managed a little me-and-the-bike time yesterday. I know you are wondering........Yes it is still very windy in the Midwest.

I planned to get at least 40 miles in and should have done 60. See, I have a Century coming up this Sunday. Yep, a planned and organized group ride of 100 miles in one day! I do not think I have enough training or saddle time to do the full 100 miles. They do offer other routes of 30, 50, or 70 miles. I think my goal will have to be 70. We shall just wait and see what comes.

Ok, the ride, it was nice and sunny, 55 degrees, and windy! Some Ride Stats for your pleasure:

47.5 miles, 2 hours 49 minutes, 16.8 mph average with 28.1 max, 80 average cadence with 113 max, 134 average heart rate with 156 max, and 2130 calories fried.

Not too bad for a rookie. Weather is crappy and cold today. I plan some low intensity treadmill time today for recovery and hopefully a short ride tomorrow morning in prep for the Century, err, 70 mile ride. Wish me luck. Later.

It's Official....

According to CaloriesPerHour.com I am healthy.

The result of your BMI calculation is: 24.8

BMI Category: Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5-24.9 Normal Weight
25-29.9 Overweight
30-39.9 Obese
Above 39.9 Morbidly Obese

Are YOU ??

I want to RIDE MY BICYCLE!

NOW. But first the number please, 198.4 lbs !!!!!! I have made it to the promised land of sub two hundred weight! I really have no idea how I am doing it. OK, I do. Controlling calorie intake and cardio 4 to 5 times a week. Some of the cardio comes in the form of 20 to 40 mile bike rides that just eat up those evil calories.

This past weekend was crappy weather wise. With the rain and the winds I got NO rides in. Not one single mile. This is going to make my up coming Century this Sunday a bit of a toughie! I hope to get at least one 40 mile ride in this week if I can jet out of work early.

Finally Check Out My Awesome Weight Loss Run:

1/3 236
1/10 232
1/17 233
1/24 229
1/31 225.5
2/6 226
2/14 223
2/20 218
2/28 217
3/7 216.5
3/13 214
3/20 213
3/28 210.5
4/4 207.5
4 /11 206
4/18 203.4
4/25 201.4
5/2 198.4


Later.

Are you kidding me?

When I grow up I want to do this, TI v.2!

Yeah, you got it right, 320 self supported miles across gravel and B roads of Iowa. I can't wait to read the post race write ups. Later.

Weekday Ride.....

I get great pleasure riding my bike on my employers time. Anyway, I managed a nice little ride this afternoon. Little ride use to mean maybe 10 to 15 miles, but this is a new year.

The ride was 29.5 miles in 1 hour 40 minutes, 17.5 mph avg speed with 24.5 max, 138 avg heart rate with 161 max, 80 avg cadence with 98 max, and 1346 calories exhausted.

The legs felt great, but my neck and lower back were tight. I do have some chronic neck issues from years of bad posture and it was also bothering me. I did stretch it out prior to the ride and plan some more before bed. I am thinking a message may be in order to work some of the kinks out of the neck before my century on May 7th. If anything holds me down it will be this physical issue I think.

Next ride is the big one planned for the weekend. I need a solid 50 to 75 miles completed to feel good going in to the century. Ride on. Later.

That Time Of The Week.......Again

Man, as I have aged the weeks seem to fly by so fast. Heck, who am I kidding the years are zooming past me like seconds. It's Tuesday, which means me and the scale had a little face off this morning. The results were suprising to me, 201.4 was the number.

I did have a big ride and a couple of high intensity cardio sessions, but all week I felt a little chubby. Wow, I sound like a girl? This weight loss thing is weird?? However, it is true, I felt fat and sure I was going to gain a few pounds back, but I didn't .

I put in the work and got results. Sacrifice is the key. If you want to binge, eat out, drink, whatever it is, you got to follow it up with sacrifice. Get up early the next day and workout. Push your workouts past your perceived limits! Make it hurt. That is how you know you are putting in the time needed to meet your goals.

OK, enough of that. Work blows and will likely prevent me from riding this week. I may only get one ride in and that will be this weekend. How the heck am I going to ride a century May 7th? I may have previously answered this question for those paying attention.

Off to watch Chris sing classic love songs on AI5! Then my favorite show on TV, SCRUBS!! Later.

My Cycling Milestone

I had a goal and despite the struggles the wind presented me mentally and physically I achieved that goal. It is very satisfying setting goals, whether that be weight loss or riding, then meeting the goals despite the struggles that take place.

I am hoping to participate in a Century on May 7th. Yes, in two weeks I want to ride 100 miles in a local organized Century. Yes, 100 miles in one day. Not a race, just an organized ride with other crazy roadies.

So, I need some saddle time and headed out yesterday for a ride. The plan was to head to Silver Springs State Park then turn around and come back. It is 23 miles west of my starting point. It would be my longest ride, EVER.

It was a sunny and beautiful morning with seemingly little wind ( from my driveway that is). Temps were in the 50s and going up to the low 60s. I had on my cool new Nike 10/2 thermal long sleeve jersey and tights. I had two 24 oz bottles of Accelerade and three GU gels. I geared it up and headed out.

Once I cleared the city and hit the open farmland roads the wind said hello. Most of this ride is directly west on the way out and the wind was blowing crazy steady. It had to be steady at 15 mph with gust up to 20-25 mph. I was crawling at 12 mph into it. Does it ever get easier to ride into the wind? Maybe I need some wind riding lessons?

I had to stop at mile 15 to compose myself and motivate myself to keep going westward. I did and strolled into the park with great joy. I rode around the park a bit then took a 15 minute potty break. Then it hit me, no not the wind, but I had to go back. I wasn't home. I had 23 more miles to travel.

The ride back, mostly east, was pure speed. I was going 25 to 30 mph most of the way back. That is crazy fast for me! My legs were burning as I was totally hammering it with that tailwind. Good Times.

When I arrived home and dismounted my legs were screaming at me. Plus, my stomach was growling and I really didn't feel that well. It was weird, but I was kinda dizzy and sick feeling? My thought is I didn't take in enough carbs while on the bike. I gulped down the two bottles of Accelerade and had two GU gels. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

I showered up, had lunch, and took a nap, which all helped me feel better. Today, I feel great! Maybe even manage a short recovery ride once I am relieved of baby duty (ha, I said duty!).

The ride stats: 46.80 miles, ride time 2:48, avg speed 16.70 mph with max of 31.50, avg cadence 85 with max of 113, avg heart rate 144 with max of 164, and calories burnt 2,402

Picking Up the Pace....

Weather was outstanding yesterday here in Chicagoland. Temp in the 70s, sunny, and seemingly light winds. I couldn't wait to get home, gear up, and head out. So I did just that.

Strange thing is, that damn wind kicked up when I hit the farm land and was blowing right in my pie hole. It's all flat land out where I ride, but the wind makes it feel up hill at times. To counter the wind at 10 miles out I headed South, making the West blowing wind a minor cross wind nuisance. Ha, take that you evil wind doers.

The Ride Stats for you; 30.8 miles, 1 hour 49 minutes, 17 mph avg with 25.4 max, 83 avg cadence with 97 max, 135 avg heart rate with 156 max, and the best number of all 1375 calories sent packing. Plus, I even got a little sunburn on my arms.

I ate like a horse at dinner time, but still came in with a huge calorie deficiency for the day. That is the joy of working out.

Tonight it is a special Wife Birthday Dinner at the fancy shmancy Sullivans SteakHouse. Get your calculators ready and let the calorie counting begin. Later.

800 Club?

I am juiced to hit the 190s so I skipped out of work early (perk of being in management) and went to the gym. Had an hour as I am on Baby Pick Up Duty (ha I said duty) tonight.

I burnt up 800 calories in 45 minutes. Oh yeah, I can see the fat melting away right now. It was 30 minutes on the elliptical machine for 3.22 miles and 522 cals toasted. Then I ran on the treadmill for 15 minutes, 1.83 miles and 296 cals fried.

One banana and 12 oz of Accelerade Fruit Punch Drink and I think I am ready for more? OK, maybe not more, but I feel good.

Hopefully I can get a road ride in before the weekend. I already have Saturday booked for riding, but if I plan to ride a century on May 7th I need a ton more saddle time. Later.

The In-Laws......

Why must you make me drink and eat so much? I mean, I am on the pathway to healthyness and you just keep shoving vodka at me. Yes, I spent the Easter Weekend at the In-Laws. Really, it could have been a lot worse. I was way up in calories for each day, but what is a guy to do?

With that being said I was primed for a weigh-in let down this morning. I have had two binging weekends in a row and thought something had to give. I am still running and riding, but no way I drop weight this week.

Well, the magic scale has me at 203.4 today. Some quick math (206 last week) and that is 2.6 lbs this week. WTF? So working out 5 days a week really makes a difference. I can treat myself every now and then and not gain like 20 lbs? Who Knew???

Wait, 203.4, holy crap dudes that is sooo close to NOT being in the 200s anymore. Time to strap it in and get it done! Here I come 190s. Later.

I fought the wind.........

and the wind won! Got a nice little pre-holiday ride in this afternoon. It was 4pm and 80 degrees here in Chicagoland and it was beautiful. Got geared up and while sitting in the driveway I thought, "Interesting, no wind. This ride is gonna kick arse!"

Did I say geared up? Yeah, I have gone full blown roadie. I had a nice new Pearl Izumi Jersey and Performance Ultra Lycra biking shorts on and I looked good. Plus, I got my new Tifosi Q3 Fototec Road Riding Shades. Check them out here. Plus, I had two Polar water bottles filled with Accelerade Fruit Punch Sport Drink. Plus, one time at band camp..........what? Never mind. So, I was geared up!

I hit the road and the wind hit me in the face. It seemed to be waiting for me, just hiding or lurking around until I made my move westward. It had to be blowing a sustained 20 mph with stronger gust. It would move me and my bike. It was the hardest 13 miles I have ever done. I could only muster 11 mph into that beast of a wind. I felt like I was climbing an Alp, or not, but it was not easy for me.

AND then, I made the turn for home. Sweet tailwind I miss you already. I was humping it at 25 mph for most of the ride back home. All in all, twenty-six miles later the gear was awesome, the workout was awesome, and I feel awesome.

How about a Survivor note? Terry is the cocky one? Heck no, those six are the most arrogant and cocky alliance I have ever seen. Go Terry!

Later.

Tuesday is Scale Day

Yes the work Biggest Loser Contest is over and I am the official winner, but life goes on. I got goals and the quest to be a lean, mean, cycling, running, and maybe swimming machine. So come with the number...... 206 lbs. !! It is still moving in the right direction.

Weather has been awesome, but work has not. I hope to skip out early one day this week and get a nice 40 mile road ride in. If not the bike will be traveling with me this holiday weekend. I did hit the treadmill here at home for 3 miles tonight. Ran two nine minute miles and walked one mile.

Later.

What Gut?

What Gut?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Still like me some beers, but just got smart about it. What to you think? How is my progress? Pictures are worth a 1000 words or in this case about 30 lbs. Later.

Almost There!!

Almost There
Originally uploaded by aham23.

April 9th 2006 and I have shed 30 pounds. Weight is 205 and still dropping.

The Fat

The Fat
Originally uploaded by aham23.

BEFORE, the profile shot. Holy crap that is one serious gut.

How about some After shots you ask? SOON you shall see the payoff, to date that is because this diet tran is rolling towards 190s. Later.

It Happens.....

The BINGE happens. I have been hardcore dieting since Jan 4th. I have had miss steps and I have fallen of the wagon, but always manage to get back on track, ASAP. In fact, most of the poor diet choices I have made were planned out. I mean, you gotta have some Chicago Pie (pizza, get you mind out of the gutter) every now and then.

The points is, last night I attended a Jimmy Buffett Party at a resort in the Burbs. Yes, Jimmy Buffett means frozen drinks and Corona Beers. Not real sure of my final number, but I estimated close to 5000 calories for the day. Who freakin knew a Mai Tai had so many calories???

Prior to the party I did three miles on the treadmill. Today I put in a 26 mile road bike ride. See, we can endulge or binge every now and again, but we got to be smart. Plan your binge. Enjoy the binge. Then get right back to it.

Anyone catch the Paris Roubaix Race on OLN today. Just finished watching it (TiVo) and WOW it was exciting . Poor freaking George Hincapie. His bike broke? How does that happen. His handle bars just broke and were dangling in the wind at 30 mph. He could do nothing, but fly over the top of the bike. I can not find any info on his current condition. I hope it is not too bad. Alright, I am out. Later.

Tough Week So Far.......

Working out this week has been tough. My body is really sore and may be trying to tell me something? Let me retrace my recent steps; Saturday = 14 mile mountain bike ride, Sunday = 3 miles on the treadmill, Monday = 600 meter swim followed up with 1.5 mile run, Tuesday = 1.25 mile dog walk, Wednesday = 30 mile road bike ride, and Thursday = Nothing as I actually had to work a regular day.

On my 30 miler yesterday my neck and shoulders were super stiff and it was uncomfortable. I have not swam since last winter so It could be soreness from getting back in the pool. I say that like I am or was some accomplished swimmer?? I mean I swam some a year ago when I tried to get healthy for 2005 Summer.

Needless to say my neck, left shoulder / arm area are sore today. This is an old issue for me as the left side is a chronic pain giver. Years of bad posture got me all out of whack. I think doing nothing today is the man cause for my legs barking at me so loud. I needed some type of recover ride, run, or walk after doing my all time one day high 30 road bike miles. I aint no Jeff Kerkove, but we all need to recover.

The diet has been solid this week, so far. Jimmy John's for lunch racked up over 700 calories, but I still kept my daily total around 2000. It's weird how I kinda feel guilty when splurge and eat out. It was only 700 calories, but deep down I think I wished I had my normal low fat sandwich and yogurt.

I am out. Later.

And The Winner Is........

me you big silly goof! the work biggest loser competition is over. i am the proud winner of a totally new healthy lifestyle and $150 bucks of my co-workers hard earned money. it feels good.

my at home weigh-in for today is 207.5, which is a THREE POUND loss this week. the stuff is just melting away. ok, not really, i have been working my butt off, literally! yesterday it was a 600 meter swim followed up with a 15 minute treadmil run for 1.5 miles. yeah, i may be gearing up for some mini (sprint) triathalon action, but i got to see how the swimming action affects my bum left shoulder.

this train is going to keep on rolling down the tracks. i have a readjusted, for the third time, weight loss goal of 190 lbs.! that is soo crazy to type, but i did and i will and i can, cause i will.

i have lost 28.5 lbs since January 4th. it took a total health melt down and fast food binge and work contest to get me started. i track it all! every single calorie that goes into my mouth and i do it with my normal obsessive nature. i love it. fitday rocks. i work out at least 30 minutes 5 times a week. i burnt 6000 calories riding my bike over 100 miles in the month of March in Chicago.

my clothes don't fit anymore and i love it. hey, this past weekend i picked up a medium sized Nike Dry Fit running shirt! yes, a medium!! a size i have not seen since high school. running shirt? not sure which is more unbelievable, me wearing a medium or me running?!? who knew.

the biggest reason for my success is the support of my wife. she has been on weight watchers plan this entire time and lost 20 lbs. her workout time is much more limited then mine, but together we have stuck to our new eating habits and pushed each other beyond our known limits. good times man!

i am telling you that you just need to get started. get on the train and stay on the tracks. you can find that healthy lifestyle and weight loss success you search for. you can do it!!! later.

I am coming to get you.....

Two Hundred Ten and half Pounds = 210.5 lbs. !!!!!!

This is week 12 of my 2006 cleansing life changing get healthy now or die soon diet plan AND I FEEL GREAT. The math don't lie, I have lost 25.5 lbs. to date, can run a mile in 8 minutes, and can ride my road bike 30 miles with minimal difficulties. If you put in the hard work, stay focused, rebound from your failures, you can change you life.

It doesn't hurt that I am entered in a Biggest Loser Style contest at work either. It gave me the initial motivation I needed to change tracks and get healthy. I am winning that contest with co-workers by miles. It ends next Tuesday. I will collect $200 bucks from them for my hard work, but this is just the beginning.

I can see you 200 lbs and I am coming to get you. Later.

100 miles and counting......

todays ride was sweet. it was chilly, but the wind was minor at 5 mph NE, so the 40 degrees was doable. my goal was 30, but i had to cut it just short of that due to a pee issue. the issue was i had to go pee really bad. that ment turning off the main route and heading back until i could find some tree cover. hey, i had to go.

anyway, it was my longest ride at 27.5 miles. the stats please; 27.5 miles, 1 hr 39 mins, 16.6 mph avg, 25.9 mph max, 88 avg cadence with 110 max, 145 avg heart rate with 166 max, and the best number of all, 1463 calories sent packing. you gotta love that. i felt really good after the ride. i think i could have managed 10 to 15 more miles. stupid bladder!

some may ask, or none may ask by the looks of my traffic, but some may ask what the hell am i doing. the obvious is living a better and HEALTHIER life. i do have some other goals though.

first, is the weight loss. 205 is no longer the goal. its officially 200 lbs. second, i plan on riding a century may 7th. a century is an organized ride put on by a local cycle club. the have mapped out routes with on course SAG and stops with food and what not. it is 100 miles. uh, yeah 100 miles in one day. i have 101 days to prepare for the 100 miles. third, i plan to ride a metric century july 4th, same deal as a century, but its 62 miles. get it, metric system? finally i am seriously considering participating in a Sprint Triathalon. its a mini tri consisting of a 500 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 5 k run. holy crap, a guy drops a few pounds and suddenly i am lance freakin armstrong. hey, we gotta have goals???

last but not least. todays ride put me over 100 miles for the month of march. not too shabby considering not one ride saw temps over 50 degrees.

later.

Who Knew........

that i could be so pumped for 40 degree temp at 10am on sunday morning. winds are projected at only 4 mph which means 40 should feel like 40. i hope cause i gots to get my ride on. later.

It Feels So Good.......

hit the good old YMCA today for my workout. it was 32 minutes on the elliptical burning up 530 calories. yes he said, "530 calories!" that felt so good i hit the treadmill for a nice 16 minutes of running. all told i covered 4.7 miles and toasted over 700 calories in that 48 minutes between 9am and 10am. what did you do this morning?

running is amazing, or i mean it is amazing i can run. at close to 240 lbs running was never an option. it was just too much trauma on the knees. but i aint near 240 lbs any more and running is the bomb. it is still hard, but sooo rewarding both physically and mentally.

the diet has been solid this week. i have been intaking more calories the last two weeks as i feel my body needs them. with that being said i have averaged 2200 cals per day the last month. by my estimation this is 600 below my BMR number which provides me a nice calorie deficiency needed for losing weight. what? well, it all means i feel good about putting up a low number at my next weigh in.

plan for tomorrow is RIDE TIME. i hope it warms up to 40 degrees with slight on no winds by 9am so i can hit the road. i need a minimum of 20 miles to reach 100 miles ridden for the month of march. not bad being i live in the Midwest!!

you all can do it. stay positive. later.

Another One Bites The Dust.......

213..............213............213........213..........213

213 lbs is what the magic scale has me at today. 23 lbs lost. i can see you 205 lbs. you cant hide anymore. later.

What is a Bradley Brave??

and why are they in the sweet sixteen. and WTF happend to my Fighting Illini. and why couldn't Dee Brown get his game on? and why must i have so many freakin questions???

so check it out. yesterday it was cold, well 45 degrees cold, so i loaded up the mountain bike for some WaterFall Glen raging. i hit it for 20 miles in 1 hr 45 mins, 12.7 mph avg, and 29.7 mph max. i estimate if burnt up around 1000 calories. oh yeah i was hammering down them hills. speaking of hills i dont see too many on my road bike, but WaterFall Glen is a nice double wide limestone path 10 mile loop with rolling terrian and my legs feel it today.

however, i jumped on the treadmil this afternoon for a nice recovery walk of 38 minutes for 2.7 miles. tuesday weigh-in is just around the corner!! later.

The Madness.....

i love March Madness, but it can be a devil in disguise if not controlled. like last night, i head over to a buddy's house to view the Fighting Illini on his new 50'' plasma boob tube in his newly finished Irish Pub Themed basement. what is the harm? well, 8 miller lite beers is 900 calories and i feel guilty. i feel like the next time i step on the scale i will be back up to 236 lbs. it 's weird and crazy, but i got the cheaters guilt.

AND it is good old St Pattys Day. it would be nice to go out and get a bite to eat. no skinless boneless chicken tonight, but what can a calorie counting guilt feeling middle aged man eat out and about? i use to hit Chilis once a week and i love their burgers. so i did some searching and holy crap balls batman it is straight madness how bad this food is for people. check it out;

Bottomless Tostada Chips w/Hot Sauce [1 Basket]
= (480 cal/36 g fat/4 g fiber/26 g carbs)

Chipotle Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger
= (1090 cal/71 g fat/3 g fiber/57 g carbs)

Homestyle Fries w/entree
= (430 cal/26 g fat/4 g fiber/43 g carbs)

you can do the math and it is amazing. prior to my cleansing of 2006 i really had no idea that in most meals i was eating the RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance in one freaking sitting. think about it. think about all the people who have no idea that they are consuming 2000+ calorie dinners.

now, if i could just find the damn number for Chilis call ahead seating. i kid, maybe. later.

tickerfactory.com

That Wall Aint Got Nothing On Me....

twenty-two pounds and counting. you got it, i am at 214 lbs as of this morning. i wasn't a real fatty prior to jan 06, but at 236 lbs (6'3'') i was headed in the wrong direction. i was the tall guy with the beer belly and a love of hot wings and pizza. still got the love, but the belly is going bye bye. i plan to post some before and after Biggest Loser Style pictures in about three weeks. my goal was 215 by April, but as i previously blogged it demanded to be readjusted, so i got crazy and made it 205. we shall see.

only had time for 30 minutes of cardio today as i was on after work baby duty. managed 1.5 miles running and 1 mile fast pace walking in that time. my diet is still in check which you can see by clicking on my fitday link to the right.

later.

We Have Sun!

AND WIND, but i will get to that later. yesterday it was in the 60s, but clouds and a freakin vicious wind made me not ride. i know, what a sissy. we had rain too. this morning was a different story. the sun made an appearance and temps were slated to be near 50 degrees. i did the baby thing until mommy woke up around 9am (she had a run in with a bottle of wine last night!) (oh wait so did i!!) and then prepared to hit the road.

it looked awesome out and i geared up and headed out. immediately i knew the ride back in would be a bitch. WIND, cold steady wind of about 15 mph was pushing me west at an average of 23 mph,which is super fast for this beginner. i mean i was barely working it and still maintaining that pace.

ten miles out i made the turn to head back east and bam, how you doing, the wind smacked me in the face. i was just spinning like crazy with my head down and it took all i had to maintain 10 mph. it was pain and perhaps the best workout i have had in years. i think i loved it? plus i spotted 5 other roadies challenging the wind too!!

the stats please; well get over to bikejournal.com (link to your right) and check them out. ok, no need for profanity, here you go;

1 hr 26 mins, 21.6 miles, 14.9 mph avg & 27.9 max, 84 avg cadence & 103 max, 145 HR avg & 164 max, 1338 cals toasted.

that makes over 40 miles this weekend, a record for me. warmer weather will only bring more miles! later.

Spring Time ?

it hit 55 degrees today and it is suppose to top 60 degrees tomorrow. is this spring, summer, fall or winter. the world really is messed up weather wise.

i bolted out of work early with enough time for a ride. how about some stats? well i have a second favorite website, behind fitday.com, and it's bikejournal.com. a great place to track you rides and progress and what not. check it out, my bike journal.

for those who prefer to stay it broke down like this; 21.9 miles in 1 hr 24 mins, for over 1100 calories burnt. i hope to hit it, the road, again tomorrow. later.

PEARL JAM !!!!!!!

the greatest band in the world has a new album coming out May 2nd and their new single is available for FREE (with no digital rights act crap, cause that's how they roll) over at PearlJam.com. plus, as a member of the 10c (ten club) i was just able to pick up four tickets to their May show at the United Center in Chicago. Can I get a Hell Yeah!

not to mention, i have been kicking the workout to a new level. yeah, i am still pissed about not losing any weight last week, so! today it was running for 30 freaking minutes. did some intervals, average 5.1 mph, 2.6 miles, 413 calories burnt, 141 avg heart rate. i feel those pounds melting right now.

i am out to watch American Idol. later.

The Wall?

is this the wall? have i hit the wall head on or just fallen off the top? man i hate this freakin evil doer, the wall.

yes, i weighed in for the weekly number and i feel the wall is holding me down. 216.5 is the number for week 9 of my weight loss adventure. since dropping 5 lbs three weeks ago to hit 218 i have stumbled to a mere 1.5 lb loss for the past three weeks.

the last two weeks i feel like i have picked up my cardio big time. read below, i kicked some cardio arse this weekend. so WTF? i know, this is real life and not NBC's fabulous reality show, The Biggest Loser, but why cant it be? don't get me wrong i am sticking with this program as i have dumped almost 20 lbs in two months.

i was bummed today, but when i got the gym i was pissed. so i hit the elliptical up for 2.94 miles, 30 minutes, 513 calories toasted AND then, oh yeah i said it, i hit the treadmill and ran for 15 minutes, 5 mph avg, 1.37 miles, with 238 calories sent packing. come one wall, you want some!

i am out. later.

Weekend Complete.....

well this weekend was a success on the diet front when compared to last. i did partake in some Chicago style pizza Saturday, but a man needs his pizza. i ended this week with some solid cardio.

Friday it was the elliptical machine and 500 calories toasted, Saturday it was the treadmill where i ran a mile in 9 mins 30 seconds and walked another 1.6 miles, and today it was the treadmill again with an 8 minute 45 second mile and 1.5 walked. at the start of this year i couldn't run for 3 minutes let alone spend 35 total minutes on a treadmill.

i got in 5 days of cardio and kept my calories low all week so i hope to drop a nice number with my Tuesday weigh in. temps may hit 50 near weeks end but right now its freakin snowing out. hopefully i will be riding by Friday though. later.

Ride Time

Temps were projected to hit 50 degrees today so I managed to make some time for a road ride. This would be my first significant ride with all the new upgrades. Hey, including my upgrade, er downgrade maybe, to 217 pounds.

I got this kick ass new Polar CS200cad cyclocomputer that tracks everything but the stock market. First though, it was more like 45 degrees at ride time with a nice chilly 15 mph wind out of the North East. It felt like 40 and the 8 miles into the wind were a killer.

The stats please: 17.8 miles, 1 hr 8 mins ride time, 15.8 avg speed, 26.7 max speed, 151 avg heart rate with a 191 max, 79 avg cadence with 100 max, and 1130 calories burnt. Holy crap that's a lot of numbers from such a tiny wireless device. Now I just need someone to tell me what they mean for a 32 yr old 217 lb male????

The bike road sweet. The 105 components shifted like butter. It was kick arse going 25 mph on average with the wind!

I didn't run into any pig heads, insert one of my favorite daily reads Jeff Kerkove , but did see one other roadie out. He was flying with the wind as I was chuggintg into it. Seriously, that is a picture of a pigs head. Later.

Week Eight AND.....

Despite my own sabotage attempts I weighed in at 217 lbs this morning. My original goal was 215 lbs by April 4th, but I am adjusting the goal to 205 lbs. It is nice to adjust the weight loss goal downwards!!! Later.

Diet?

Damn you Waffle House!

The Cockpit

The Cockpit
Originally uploaded by aham23.

New Polar cs200cad cyclocompute and shorter stem, Easton EA70. With upgrades complete, for now, i took her for a short ride. it was 45 degrees in Chicagoland, but it felt like freakin 25 with that wind. seven miles, one chaing drop, but all in all i am happy.

i re-weighed myself this morning and i was 218.5 lbs, so it looks like it's official! i don't like to weigh in multiple times, but glad i did.

later.

The Upgrade

The Upgrade
Originally uploaded by aham23.

My 05 Trek 1000 has gotten a face lift. New 105 shifters, FD, RD, Ultegra Cassatte, and SRAM 9spd Chain. I have done the unthinkable and upgraded an entry level road bike!! I should be ashamed, but uh, I am not. I can't stop, maybe wheels next, or something. Later.

Can We Have A Number Please?

why, yes you may. how does 218 suit you? that is freakin right blog world! the little magic scale has me at 218 pounds this morning. i checked it three times. lets scroll down, then back up, and do some math................you got it, 5 pounds lost this past week...........again...............down, up..............for a grand total of 18 pounds since 01/01/06. thank you and have a nice day.

wait, while i am excited about this number i think it may be a bit off? why you say. well, 5 pounds in one week is a lot. i did some type of cardio 5 out of 7 days last week. including running, elliptical machine, and dog walking. i may weigh in tomorrow just to verify this number. i lost weight this week, but think 3 pounds is more accurate??? who am i to argue with the scale??

and yes i still watch TV, or TiVo. survivor, AI5, my name is earl, scrubs, the shield, is what i am down too. looking forward to the new amazing race and what not, but i am just so obsessed with this weight thing and changing my life and blah blah blah. i am out. later.

Jealous Boy?

Little Baby
Originally uploaded by aham23.

This dog makes me smile!!!

How You Like Me Now?

As one cool 90s rapper once said.

223 Lbs for the weekly weigh in. Yeah that is right, I lost three pounds last week. Word! Treo Out.

Hello Gym........

how have you been? it's been too long my friend. i sound like a county song? the local YMCA is brand spanking new and open for business AND ten minutes from my house. Of course, i am its newest member. it is amazing to me how just eating better can improve fitness. the proof is in the pudding, man i like pudding......it was 32 minutes on the elliptical machine which resulted in 2.83 miles and 535 calories burnt. it felt so good i tackled the stairmaster for 10 minutes on my way out the door. all this and it aint even noon!!

hey, anyone know where my sitemeter went? it seems to have dissappeared from the bottom of my page. must find it. it could be lost and lonely.

later.

And in this corner...........

we have 226 lbs. boo boo boo, you suck, we hate you, yeah what he said.

well i didnt expect to lose weight every single week, but it sure has been a nice run down to 225, er, 226 lbs. the breakdown and recap to date:

• 1/3 = 236 lbs
• 1/10 = 232 lbs
• 1/17 = 233 lbs
• 1/24 = 229 lbs
• 1/31 = 225.5 lbs
• 2/6 = 226 lbs

i will take it. the earlier pic is in reference to the fact that i am home alone with Baby J while the wifey works late. before you jump me about the diet, it was regular coffee and not some fancy frapalapachapaslapameinthefacechino. regular plain old black coffee has minimal calories which really makes me happy.

this just in, the superbowl was a super suck fest. could that game have been any worse? no! the refs blew, seattle blew, big ben blew, the bus stalled, that seattle big mouth tightend had catching the ball issues. just a real piece of crap game. however, i did manage to partake in 12 amstel lights and a crockpot of little barbecue weenies. holy crap, no wonder i didnt lose any weight. i am out. later.

Fuel

Fuel for baby duty. Ha I said duty.

THE BIG GAME?

that is all i have heard on the radio for the past two weeks, THE BIG GAME, and every time i do, i am like WTF? really WTF is THE BIG GAME. then i remembered that those punk arse richer beyond belief peeps that run the NFL copyrighted the phase SUPERBOWL. so unless you are a paid sponsor, or become a paid sponsor you can't say SUPERBOWL in any manner that could be construed as a money making statement. you got that? THE BIG GAME!

uh, whatever. so as you know i am hooked on fitday.com and it is helping me kick the ass of fatness. i log exactly what i eat and try to keep my calories under or around 2000. it really has jump started my Cleansing 2006. once i start to level out on the weight loss it will be hello gym, how you doing.

my point is, today i will be taking a break from fitday and the calorie counting starting around 4pm. i have little barbecue weenies, miller lites, chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, veggies and spicy ranch dip, and THE BIG GAME. it's a must. i love football and all that is THE BIG GAME. the commercials, the hype, the 8 hour pregame shows, man i dig it all. so let there be no diet from 4pm on, and go BEARS! Da Bears 29 Steelers 3. later.

Are You Messing With Me?

i think my scale may be fucking with me. why? cause it's trying to tell me that my current weight is 225.5 lbs. jump back jack. so just by reducing calories consumed i can drop pounds. that is just crazy talk. what if i were too really start working out?????

this fitday.com is the key for me. it makes tracking my calories kinda fun. it is amazing to see the calories of the stuff i use to eat. i had to be taking in at least 3500 calories every day. my friday and saturday eating out dinners likely topped 2500 calories just on their own. anyway, so for so good. off to work. later.
'

Uh, Your In My Chair

Uh, Your In My Chair
Originally uploaded by aham23.

It has been too long with no pics of Eddie Vedder, the dog! Later.

Who Wants Some?

i am really enjoying The Cleansing 2006 version 1.0, and with that today's number is 229 lbs !!! using fitday.com is really keeping my calories in check. plus, the wife is hitting the weight watchers program and we are actually helping and motivating each other, i think. i have not had a ton of time to work out. see, the gym is too far away, i got a promotion which means more work, and i got this little bundle of joyness, baby j. amazing thing is i have discovered that consuming less calories then i burn is easy. i am a big dude and most charts have me burning like 3000 calories just being me. i am targeting around 2000 to 2300 for my daily consumption. i did manage 2 miles in 30 minutes last nite on the home treadmill. so far i have cleansed 7 lbs and i feel good.

to totally flip it for real i would like to remind the world that kobe bryant is an admitted adulterer and alleged rapist. just cause he put up 81 pts doesn't change those facts. lets not run to recrown him the NBA King. i don't care if he puts up 181 pts i wouldn't want my kids idealizing him. the parents should be a kids hero, but we all know the sports superstars seem to get this role more than not. hopefully the kids can find a better sports hero. i am out. later.

Who's Gonna Shovel?

Who's Gonna Shovel?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I shouldn't be too bummed. I mean I live in the Chicago Burbs, it's January, but yet I have managed three road rides in the last two weeks. However, I really do not enjoy the snow. I guess it is time to tear apart the road bike and break my virgin wrenching status.

On the cleansing front I only have this to say; "Damn you evil Chicago Deep Dish Pizza! Why must you be so delicioius?" Evil Bastard!"

Later.

Holy Crap.......

just took some Biggest Loser Style pictures of myself and they confirmed that i am a heavy dude. why take the pics? so i can post them in 6 months when i have dropped like 60 freakin pounds. yeah baby just like on TV. or something like that.

anywho, i have been messing around with fitday.com and think its the tool for me and my calorie counting. i normally do great until dinner time and then BAM double my calories for the day. what up with that? another great site that i have blogged before is caloriesperhour.com. check them out. the link to fitday.com is actually my daily chart.

it was around 50 degrees today in the WINDY City. i went for a quick road ride after work. managed 13 miles at 15 mph average in 50 minutes. did i mention the wind? going out it was a nice cold 20 mph avg sustained right in my pie hole. riding into the wind is totally hard.

i am soo behind on my reality TV that i have not even started American Idol yet. i did finally watch The Shield season premier and it was off the hook cool and the gang. best show on the boob tube. i am out. later.

The Funk....

i cant shake the bears funk? that game really funked me up. i hate that game. i hate the bears. man, this funk is deep. my cleansing 2005 has me at 233 lbs this morning, so i got that working for me???????? i am out. later.

Chicago Blues......

I got nothing. With Da Bears sucking ass and laying an egg yesterday I got nothing. Nothing but a case of depression coming on. I mean it is winter and I mean full blown winter in Chicago, the Bears are abruptly no more, the Bulls suck, hockey always sucks, the Cubs will suck, and we still got two to three more months of nasty cold winter. Why? Where is the sun? This blows. Treo out.

What?

i am sooo bummed i can only repeat what i have already said:

"uh, i dont feel so good. my thoughts on da game da bears played.....i have none. just a dirty arse taste in my mouth. i mean like hello, steve smith is good. how about some freakin cleats that dig in to the turf, dirt, painted dirt, whatever that field was. RUNNING GAME i miss you. peanut tillman...........not even worth it. i am so sad."

later.

Wrenching?

The Upgrade
Originally uploaded by aham23.

So instead of dropping $2K on a new bike I decided to spend much less and do some upgrades to my 2005 Trek 1000. I am going 9sp, mainly so I can upgrade the brifters from the Shimano Soras. I got new 105 brifters, 105 front and rear derailleurs, Ultegra 9sp cassatte and a Sram 9sp chain. Oh yeah and for a better fit I picked up a used Easton EC70 stem. Put that together with my new tool set and repair stand and I guess I am ready to wrench???? I'm Scared. Later.

Winter is BACK!!

IT was 50 degrees yesterday and I even managed a quick 14 mile after work road ride. Today it aint 50. We got some ugly rain/snow/winds beating us down right now. I hate winter. Yes, I have a window view of the Interstate at work. Treo Out. Later.

I'Id do her......

uh, why do i still find her hot? who you say? get over to alimartels and check out the brittney pic she blogged on monday (1/9). its too hot. or not. but i cant stop looking at it. later.

Slow Going.........

232 lbs

its freakin hard to find time to work out. or really do anything when you have a newborn. we only have one. how the heck do peeps handle two, three, FOUR, oh no you didn't. its tough. we haven't really found our happy place when it comes to scheduling and balancing all the new things or new thing in our life. she is sooo damn cute though!!!

so i have lost 2 pounds in a week. i am basically eating much better, but not finding much time to exercise. me and eddie hit the road Saturday and Sunday for a total of 4 miles. It's walking, but at a rat terrier pace. that would be a slow run for me.

Saturday night was a bad eating night for me. oh yeah, i need to amend my original declaration of cleansing to allow for drinking when its presented with a free $100 steak dinner at a top notch Chicago steak joint. yes, i had several glasses of whine and four beers Saturday night while partaking in a 22oz bone in kansas city ribeye.

and get this, my wife brings home girl scout cookies last night. wtf? dont worry i only had one box, in two nights. damn you woman. everything else has been solid............................this sucks, ten days in and i have fallen off the wagon.

tomorrow i have another work function involving free gourmet food, but i will have fish and i will like it. plus, temps are projected to be in the upper 40s the next two days. that is too cool for us Midwesterners. i must get the road bike out on the road!!!!

big season premier of the shield tonight on FX. or should i say right now. great show. gotta go. later.

Solid Start........

to my cleansing. i resisted evil office temptations such as delicious fudge chocolate chip muffins and ate well all week. basically it is two breakfast cereal bars around 6am. my filled up coffee mug on the way to work. then two more cups of coffee while at work. then lunch, consisting of two ham sandwiches from home and yogurt or soup and salad when we eat out. several afternoon cups of water and one green tea. dinner consist of something with boneless skinless chicken breast. then i go to bed hungry. its all for the good of the cleansing. i needed a week like this.

not much working out. about 4 miles of walking and some sit ups. i plan to put in 2 miles of walking today. despite that i am already feeling much better then i did on new years day.

my bike obsession is still around, if you were wondering. i have decided to do some upgrading to my 05 trek 1000. the parts are flying in as i type. i have found some nice deals on shimano 105 components. i will be upgrading to a 9 speed and changing out my brifters, rear derailleur, and front derailleur to shimano 105 versions. the black ones! the cassette will be a new ultegra 9 speed and the chain is a sram pc 991. finally i am putting on a shorter stem for a better ride fit and picked up a used easton ea70 off eBay. i love eBay. now, i know nothing about bike mechanics, but i got a bike repair stand and basic tool kit to get me started.

oh no I didn't........

234 lbs..................if i wasn't 6'3'' this would be really bad. i mean it's bad, just not really bad. must work out. must not eat crap. must lose weight.

on a side note due to my recent promotion and new arrival at home i am finding little time to blog from home. so, since i am now management i say why not blog from work? not about work, besides the occasional work sucks or pic of me hiding in the bathroom, just from work?

my job use to be 70% field work and 30% office work. now its more like 90% office and 10% field. the official corporate hours are 745am to 415pm. corporate peeps get two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute lunch. they even have grade school style buzzers to keep them on time.

well out in the service or branch offices we start and end at the same times, but we really don't take breaks. unless we want too and normally we take an hour lunch. i mean who can eat in 30 minutes.

wtf am i blogging on about? blogging from work. i got two 15 minute breaks i can spend blogging to the world about my cleansing. yeah for the world.

ok, back to the cleansing. bowl of honey oat cherrios for breakfast, 4 cups of coffee, two ham sandwiches, yogurt, and granola bar for lunch, and four 10 oz cups of water so far.

did i mention that the weather was really crappy in the windy city.

later.

Let the Cleansing Begin....

four eggs with veggies and 3 cups of coffee for breakfest. one salad with tuna for lunch. cheese and crackers for after lunch snack. dirty rice that included hamburger, green and red peppers and onion for dinner. oh yeah a pre-dinner coffee with gingerbread coffeemate creamer. two 32 oz glasses of 100% cranapple juice and four 32 oz glasses of water. throw in a two mile walk and it has begun. i will weigh in tomorrow morning with hopes this journey begins under 230 lbs. later.

CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i feel like total crap. oh yeah, happy new year. i am done with it all. i have ate and drank my self into some type of sickness that has hit me hard today.

lets see, there was that drunken Christmas Eve with the in laws. two prime rib dinners Christmas Day. back on the hooch two days later. of course i have followed up every drunken holiday night with an excessive day of fast food feasting. crap i say.

last night it was a $135 dinner at Hugos Frog Bar. i had some 22 oz bone in rib eye, mashed garlic twice baked something, and blah blah blah. followed that up with some brownie ice cream cake thing. oh yeah 4 sam adams, some whine, some water, some more beers at home and man i dont feel good.

then today it was mcdonalds for lunch, then a taco bell feast for dinner. i bought everything on that big value menu thing. how the heck does one spend $11 bucks at the bell?

what have i done. this is one really serious Holiday Hangover. it is back to basics for this dude. i started this blog to track my path back to fitness. well one year later and i may be bigger then ever. so i say no more booze. i must go atleast two months with no booze. i must cleanse myself. however, if the chicago bears make the super bowl i will partake in a few miller lites. fast food no more. soda pop no more. candy and chocolate no more. coffee...............wait a minute, coffee is still allowed. it will be my two month cleansing program. it begins now!

happy new year to all. later.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!

that's right i said it, MERRY CHRISTMAS. if you don't like that then go back to your own damn county and call it whatever you want. yeah that's right. you are reading this correctly.................MERRY CHRISTMAS. the good old USofA is a nation founded on Christian beliefs. sure we got freedom of religion. worship whatever and whoever you want. just don't be telling me the freaking wally world greater can't say MERRY CHRISTMAS because it offends you. you are the minority in this Christian founded land. so, piss off if it offends you. its freakin MERRY CHRISTMAS. what, you are at wally world picking up gifts to celebrate a MERRY CHRISTMAS, you know the day Christ was born, but we can't say MERRY CHRISTMAS. who put sour milk in my starbucks gingerbread latte today????

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

later.

The Holidays..........

So at around 8am this spread was laid out at work. Consisted of coffee cake cheese ball spinache dip sausage cheese crackers lil weenies chocolate candies.....ect...... All this at 8am. Plus I have had four cups of coffee heavy hazulnut cream and sugar. Good time to start my new diet? Later.

somebody stop me...........

yes, i have decided to be lazy and not capitalize where needed or follow other proper english speaking, typing, whatever, etiquette. if it bothers you, then piss off. or is it, than piss off? anyway, piss off.

so i cant stop searching eBay for a new-to-me road racing bike. i must have a trek, say 03 to 05, carbon fiber racing bike. its been two months of constant eBay'ing for me. just looking, asking questions, busting scammers, and general obsessing. why used? well i can get more bike for my budget if i buy used and gosh darn it i love eBay.

anyone know what a reasonable asking price for a 2003 trek 5500 with full dura-ace, chris king headsets, and low miles is worth? i really want one. one in particular that is.

survivor...............what the heck was up with the two fugly chicks? danni had some lip work done? collagen or something. those lips was fat or phat. like the season but the end was dull. the gayman, rafe, what a dumb arse. say good bye bye to one million dollars. good bye bye.

daycare lady has called in sick for tomorrow. can they do that? looks like me and baby j are working from home. can i do that? i am management now? shit i dont think i can do that? well, fuck'em if they cant take a joke or go a day without me.

i am out. later.

Let It Snow!

Snow in Chicago means two hour commutes! Snow Blows! Later.

Happy Holidays

Grande Gingerbread Latte!!!!

Scumbags.............

Where the heck have I been? Not a statement, but a question to myself. I do not yet have that answer????

Survivor is very goooood this season. I had Judd in the office pool and was looking so nice until he got Jersey Cocky. I think it was a bad move on Stephs part to vote him out. She is clearly on the chopping block next. Everyone loves her, but she sure is dumb when it comes to the non physical parts of this game. Oh yeah that would be like the most important parts of the game. Second chance got her on the jury, but its time to dump the dumbie.

Do I find myself cheering for the Weavers? Maybe? I mean why do the other teams hate them. There must be some stuff not making the final cut or I just don't get it. I mean it seems like the other teams really hate them. I don't care for all the praying. Doesn't the almighty have better things to do then help the Weavers with directions? AND Production errors? WTF? Get a portable battery charger and stop draining the leaders car battery. If the Linz get screwed because of that "Production Error" I am done with the Family Edition.

Freakin Pete!!!! I started this blog and so so excersie working out stuff about a year ago because of The Biggest Loser. This second edition was just fabulous. How do they top it. How do you lose 185 lbs? Are you kidding me? Pete lost 185lbs. He looks like he is all muscle. Just the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen. AND Matt, I dig that dude. Screw your friends who don't get it and make fun of you cause you aren't drinking. You just won $250,000 in cold hard cash and likely got hotties lining up at you door, you skinny arse stud.

To answer the earlier.......................newborn, promotion, newborn, holidays, promotion, and newborn. Later.

Thanksgiving Hangover......

Thanksgiving Hangover......
Originally uploaded by aham23.

He didn't eat to much turkey, but he played non stop with a 80lb Doberman. My boy is tough. There were five dogs in total at the family feast. Later.

I Love.............

........The Biggest Loser, but Matt what the heck are you thinking?

........Eddie Vedder, the dog, but why did you poo on the floor?

........The Amazing Race, but just not this family edition crap!

........My Name Is Earl, Tuesdays on NBC.

.......The FIRST place Chicago Bears!!

........My little Baby J, but why must you wake screaming at 2am?

........Being a Daddy who has no clue what day, time, or year it is.

........Later.

My Spot.......

My Spot.......
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Holy crap where have I been????? I mean freakin Pete of biggest loser, judd, bobby jon, bonaduce, the white sox, so many great things to blog about.....and i blog nothing. did i mention eddie vedder the dog is famous? later.

Eddie Vedder, the dog, is officially a STAR!!!!

i dig flickr and flickrdogs is one of my favorite groups and blog. eddie vedder has made the cut. get over there and check it out. later.

flickrdogs