Our Big Baller Jorge scored some really great pictures from the Tour of California.
If you haven’t seen them...ask him to show you!
Seriously…he has a picture of every big named player in professional cycling. And not just from afar—he is in every photo also!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
40 days & 40 nights
Today is Ash Wednesday.
I’m not a religious person, but for those who are, this is the start of lent. In the Catholic religion we are suppose to give up something that we enjoy 40 days before Easter.
I’ve bucked this “giving up something” for years, but last year I challenged myself—this year I will do the same—I’m giving up….sugar and bad carb foods. I know! I might as well die, but it worked last year. The first week is hard but by the second week you don’t care. Unless your boss brings a large piece of chocolate cake with ice cream on week 4 to a meeting you are leading when he clearly knows you are on this fast. I looked at that piece of cake with lust in my eyes and blurred out in a room full of my co-workers “I’m ready to say F*&k IT and eat that damn cake.” I didn't. Thank goodness everyone thought it was funny because I had no idea what I said until it was out.
Now this is all up for your interpretation, but for me that means—NO candy (ugh!), NO pastries (ugh!), NO bread or pasta (ugh!) unless it’s 100% whole wheat, and No Junk food! I have no idea what I’m going to eat, but I’ll figure out something.
I’m going to apologize now for my irritable attitude for the next 7 days. Take this as a warning.
I’m not a religious person, but for those who are, this is the start of lent. In the Catholic religion we are suppose to give up something that we enjoy 40 days before Easter.
I’ve bucked this “giving up something” for years, but last year I challenged myself—this year I will do the same—I’m giving up….sugar and bad carb foods. I know! I might as well die, but it worked last year. The first week is hard but by the second week you don’t care. Unless your boss brings a large piece of chocolate cake with ice cream on week 4 to a meeting you are leading when he clearly knows you are on this fast. I looked at that piece of cake with lust in my eyes and blurred out in a room full of my co-workers “I’m ready to say F*&k IT and eat that damn cake.” I didn't. Thank goodness everyone thought it was funny because I had no idea what I said until it was out.
Now this is all up for your interpretation, but for me that means—NO candy (ugh!), NO pastries (ugh!), NO bread or pasta (ugh!) unless it’s 100% whole wheat, and No Junk food! I have no idea what I’m going to eat, but I’ll figure out something.
I’m going to apologize now for my irritable attitude for the next 7 days. Take this as a warning.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Spinning at Crosstown
This morning I went to Matt’s class at the Crosstown Life Time Fitness. I heard they remodeled that gym…I didn’t know it was going to be that nice! I also didn’t know there was going to a smokn' hot guy in our class either!!
Good thing I rolled out of bed with my hair pulled back—as much as I could keep out of my face and was sweating profusely, because I didn’t want to look ghastly or anything. UGH!
Class was hard. I don’t mean like the 1 hour standing climb hard—I mean harder! 1 minute climbing, 2 minutes TT sprinting. Repeat for 60 minutes turning up the resistance every 15 minutes until you forget how to speak coherently. Your rest was the 2 seconds it took to change the tension and to sit down.
Maybe the difficulty had to do with my 20 mile run this weekend. Yep you read that right. I don’t believe it either—but I did. 6-ish miles on the track, and 14-ish miles outside. I may have walked a few of those 14-ish miles, but not much. At the end I had McDonald’s happy meals dancing in my head. Thank goodness I was to dang tired to go to the restaurant to get the food.
Why all of this pushing? Cause it’s that time of year! The time that you start making your summer plans and realize those extra LBS are not in the plan—so you better lose it!
Good thing I rolled out of bed with my hair pulled back—as much as I could keep out of my face and was sweating profusely, because I didn’t want to look ghastly or anything. UGH!
Class was hard. I don’t mean like the 1 hour standing climb hard—I mean harder! 1 minute climbing, 2 minutes TT sprinting. Repeat for 60 minutes turning up the resistance every 15 minutes until you forget how to speak coherently. Your rest was the 2 seconds it took to change the tension and to sit down.
Maybe the difficulty had to do with my 20 mile run this weekend. Yep you read that right. I don’t believe it either—but I did. 6-ish miles on the track, and 14-ish miles outside. I may have walked a few of those 14-ish miles, but not much. At the end I had McDonald’s happy meals dancing in my head. Thank goodness I was to dang tired to go to the restaurant to get the food.
Why all of this pushing? Cause it’s that time of year! The time that you start making your summer plans and realize those extra LBS are not in the plan—so you better lose it!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Danny Bonaduce
Last night I was at the gym half way through my run—heart rate was surprisingly low, but my eyes were bleary due to pushing the speed and incline higher then normal—when out of nowhere Danny Bonaduce’s look-a-like walked past me!I’m by far not a fan of Danny Bonaduce, but if you saw at least one episode of his reality show two years ago you would get a kick out of seeing his look-a-like. Especially when you have a look of death on your face.
Thanks to the bright idea of Life Time Fitness to take over the gym with their multiple Team Fitness groups during peak times—I had to cut my run short so they can use my treadmill. I moved over to the weight room to fight the other groups, but luckily Fo-Danny was lifting thus making my frustration towards lack of space seem not so terrible.
Sorry for the photo...I had to add it.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Valentine’s Day
For the past two years I’ve been joking that the most reliable male in my life is my Trek 1500. The Madone is still in training. So for Valentine’s Day Trek and I went for a 22 mile bike ride in the Medina area. First road ride for 2009.
There was no complaining he was ready to go no matter the weather. Although, you could tell he wasn’t very happy with my lack of keeping him in tip top shape. He skipped a little from time to time just to make his point.
The roads were, for the most part, clear. I had to keep my eye open for glass which was hard to distinguish next to the combined sand and salt residue.
The temp was about 10 degrees cooler then what was projected (21 degrees) and with the open land and naked trees the wind was much stronger than anticipated. I would have gone longer but I wasn't able to feel my feet so I headed home.
One thing I learned through my physical frustration, no matter how many hours you spend on the spin bike—nothing can really simulate riding outside other then riding outside.
There was no complaining he was ready to go no matter the weather. Although, you could tell he wasn’t very happy with my lack of keeping him in tip top shape. He skipped a little from time to time just to make his point.
The roads were, for the most part, clear. I had to keep my eye open for glass which was hard to distinguish next to the combined sand and salt residue.
The temp was about 10 degrees cooler then what was projected (21 degrees) and with the open land and naked trees the wind was much stronger than anticipated. I would have gone longer but I wasn't able to feel my feet so I headed home.
One thing I learned through my physical frustration, no matter how many hours you spend on the spin bike—nothing can really simulate riding outside other then riding outside.
Friday, February 6, 2009
2009 1 Hour Challenge
This was the 2nd annual 1 hour challenge in spin class. 60 minutes out of the saddle. I couldn’t wait to do this one again—call me crazy but I love out of the saddle hill climbing! For real. My legs felt good, but after 40 minutes my toes started to go numb. I’m still bummed I missed Sunday’s 90 minute out of the saddle class. It would have been Epic!
So my running shoes aren’t quite hung up. I figured I put in the painful work already to get up to my current condition why not keep going—for fun. Thursday night I went to the gym to run on the track. Aside from the guy that had turrets and sounded like he was coughing up a hair ball every five seconds, I was feeling pretty good. Heart rate was tolerable so I kept running for an hour. Normally, I only run 20 minutes on the track.
So my running shoes aren’t quite hung up. I figured I put in the painful work already to get up to my current condition why not keep going—for fun. Thursday night I went to the gym to run on the track. Aside from the guy that had turrets and sounded like he was coughing up a hair ball every five seconds, I was feeling pretty good. Heart rate was tolerable so I kept running for an hour. Normally, I only run 20 minutes on the track.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Ready… Set….
Here we go! The race schedule has been out for a few weeks now, everyone is starting to make their summer plans. Regulars are back in the gym working off their off-season weight. Jody is in full force. Matt isn’t holding anything back. And today I seemed to be on FIRE!
700 calories burned in Jody’s class, and another 300 for running after class—can I get a cookie now? OK, I’ll pass, but I tend to average about 550 per class. If you are male, add about 75% more to my numbers and that’s the intensity of these classes.
We did a new type of workout today—we simulated a triathlon. You ask, how can this be done? Good question. Throw in a little creativity—i.e. imagine you are doing the other activity by pushing your body as hard as you would if you were actually doing that sport—and crazy transition music (whistles blowing, horns honking, mothers giving birth—ok not this one but close) and you have yourself a triathlon all on your safe spin bike in a climate controlled studio. No helmets required.
Aside from a one sport triathlon, a couple other things concerned me today in spin class.
1. We learned Bill comes to the studio Friday afternoons to detail his spin bike and Monday afternoon to oil and tighten his bike. Hum—no wonder he never complains about his bike and why others feel that it’s the prime spot.
2. Scott has done a triathlon with a helmet but no shoes—I wonder if this “triathlon” is his locker room version? Sauna, Jacuzzi, Steam Room.
3. Last week we learned Matt used a booster seat and peddle extenders in is 1876 car—oops I meant 1976.
Now why would I sit on my trainer at home and miss all this!?!
700 calories burned in Jody’s class, and another 300 for running after class—can I get a cookie now? OK, I’ll pass, but I tend to average about 550 per class. If you are male, add about 75% more to my numbers and that’s the intensity of these classes.
We did a new type of workout today—we simulated a triathlon. You ask, how can this be done? Good question. Throw in a little creativity—i.e. imagine you are doing the other activity by pushing your body as hard as you would if you were actually doing that sport—and crazy transition music (whistles blowing, horns honking, mothers giving birth—ok not this one but close) and you have yourself a triathlon all on your safe spin bike in a climate controlled studio. No helmets required.
Aside from a one sport triathlon, a couple other things concerned me today in spin class.
1. We learned Bill comes to the studio Friday afternoons to detail his spin bike and Monday afternoon to oil and tighten his bike. Hum—no wonder he never complains about his bike and why others feel that it’s the prime spot.
2. Scott has done a triathlon with a helmet but no shoes—I wonder if this “triathlon” is his locker room version? Sauna, Jacuzzi, Steam Room.
3. Last week we learned Matt used a booster seat and peddle extenders in is 1876 car—oops I meant 1976.
Now why would I sit on my trainer at home and miss all this!?!
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