20070416

Time to Make A Change

Ok, I decided tonight right after I got in my car that I will not be running five times a week any longer. Instead I will be riding a bike on two or three days and running the other two. I made this decision for a few reasons. Let's examine the big three.

A) My knees are killing me. There are nights when I get off the treadmill and feel like someone has taken a baseball bat to them. It's about one out of every three times. Maybe four. I think it's because I feel like I have to constantly push myself to hit the goals I set for myself.

B) My focus is on calories, not distance. I came to this conclusion about a week ago. If I burn 800 calories in 5.5 miles, it's just as good for me as if I did it in 5.70 miles. Right? I did the same thing to my body in both scenarios.

C) I'd like to work on different muscle groups. It's as simple as that. I want to start to mix it up a little bit more.

I wonder how many calories I would be burn on the bicycle? It'll be fun to find out!

So how did I do today? Well, I set out to hit 840 calories and ended up with 845. Sweet! I also ended up at 5.71 miles. Both are new highs. For dinner, my wife prepared some steamed vegetables, baked beans, and some small chicken tenders. She baked them as opposed to frying them. She marinated the tenders in soy sauce for a while prior to baking them. It's amazing how much flavor is added with just a little bit of sauce. It's been around an hour since dinner and I feel pretty good aside from the knees feeling a little tight. Dinner seems to be sitting very well. I have to applaud my wife for helping me along. She's trying to make some changes inher lifestyle right now and it is comforting to know that she's got my back and ecourages me. She makes smarter decisions for dinner each week. Whether it's portion size or the actual items, I think she's done a lot for both of us lately to make sure we are going to meet our long term goals. It's kind of like having a partner that works out with you at the gym. Things are much easier when you have someone watching your back and pushing you.

I think I had somewhere around 56 ounces of water in the time since I started running tonight. That's a pretty fair amount in 3 hours. I also had around 48 before I left work. Not to shabby. Water always helps curb little appetites. I can't say enough about the benefits of it.

So tomorrow I will be biking. I have ZERO idea as to how well I will be doing. I hope to burn an equal amount of calories if not more. We'll see!

2 comments:

S.C. said...

Well, first I'd like to commend you on staying so on-track. To be honest, I thought you'd be like me and fall off the wagon already. I was wrong. You've been a monster, and it actually inspires me. I plan to get back on track. I never liked biking, or stationary biking at the gym. I actually hate it. I hope you have better results. I love running on the treadmill in front of the mirror. It sounds hella corny, but I always imagine myself running from the police in some action packed drama movie or something. Wild imagination. I'm interested in seeing your results. I'd also like to see more of a report on the lifting/strength training. You don't want to end up looking like Marilyn Manson. You've got a good frame for an L.L. type build. Holla.

PS - No homo to all of that.

Anonymous said...

Glad I can help honey! You push me more that you know. I'm very proud of you. You look awesome. I know that you will make your goals because that's just the type of man you are. And know that I stand by you in all that you do. I love you!