Fun and Games

Very quickly, my daily report.

Goals: AM speedwork and PM long ride

Diet setbacks: small frozen pepsi before bed.

Thoughts: Decided before bed to do my run before work so that I could take a long ride (hopefully 30 miles) after work. AM run goal 6 miles with 5x800 meter intervals. Ran the one mile warm up and began the intervals, as hard as I tried I could not get my pace to my goal for the intervals. After 4 intervals I was exhausted and had to stop. Later in the day I got to think about it and decided to recheck the McMillan calculator for my paces. I had programed the 800 meter pace as the mile pace. I could never get the pace right because I was trying to obtain a pace only 40 seconds slower than the Olympic world record for the 800 meter run. Trying to outright sprint 800 meters wore me down faster than then running them at the correct tempo. After work I had two large bowls of pasta (wheat) as fuel for my long ride. I couldn't wait to try out my new components. I, once again, forgot it gets dark earlier and about 5 minutes out I realized all the cars had headlights on. I still managed almost 15 miles in 55 minutes. Once out of town I was going about 19mph but I was slowed down by stoplights going out of and back into town. I look forward to finding some decent flats one day for a long ride, just to see how fast I can go for a sustained time. Did a lot of out of the saddle sprinting to get back into town faster because it was pitch black. Stupid stuff like this just make me a traffic target. I also want to get a thinner saddle.

Now onto something else-

This week I was tagged twice in two different games of blog tag. (I some how see these as social media versions of chain letter, but I play along).

Both were the same game requiring me to answer 8 questions asked by the tagger and in turn write 8 new questions and tag 8 people.

The following were my questions from Patrick and my answers-

1.You can have one super power, what would it be?

The power to move things with my mind. I would not have to get up for the remote or reach for things on the other side of my office and I would be generally mean spirited with it to skinny people while racing.  AND very mean with it to those 19 year old, 6' 8", solid muscle guys who register to race as clydesdales because they weigh 201 pounds.
2.Which do you see as more important, diet or exercise?
No good answer. I need both. I enjoy most exercise but am a carb junkie so can easily take in more calories than I can burn.
3.If we're forced to become vegetarians by law could you do so or would you frequent the black market for meat?
Black market, but 'd feel bad about it given the whole LEO thing and all.
4.Do you consider the word 'Obese' to be a proper word to define those extremely over-weight, or do you consider it to be improper if not a hateful word?
I do not think it is a bad word but it has developed negative connotation. I do not agree with the definition via BMI or body fat percentage. I was obese by definition and very worried about it so I went to a specialist for help. He told me that people who are clinically obese could not be as active as I was at the time.
5.Do you believe that Elvis died on August 16, 1977 or was his death a conspiracy cover up?
ELVIS IS DEAD!
6.How much water do you drink a day and do you agree that water intake of 8 glasses a day or more is critical to a healthy body?
Water is very important. I shoot for 8oz as soon as I leave bed, another 8 while I am getting ready, 32-48 while at work (more if I workout), another 16 at dinner and 8 before I go to bed.
7.Aliens have invaded earth and landed a mile from your house, do you run for the hills, do you grab a weapon & charge, or do you try and communicate with them?
I probably am called back to work to protect the inmates or activated to standy by with search and rescue.
8.Is your current approach to getting healthy an approach you consider to be fun and can you do it for the rest of your life?
Some days I think I should enjoy what I am doing more. I would like to keep up the exercise for the rest of my life in fact increase it. I hope to round out my diet one day and just be balanced, not putting as much planning as I do now.
 
I was also tagged by River and here are her questions and my answers-
 
1. Who is your hero? Why?
I am not sure who my hero is. I have many people I admire greatly, but none to hero proportions. I look up to everyone who helped my growing up, finding myself in college, and who encourage me now.
2. Do you have a garden where your grow your veggies? If not do you try to buy organic or do you find it costs way too much?
I grow romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatos, sugar baby watermelon, white potatoes, green peppers. That said I yielded one potato, two peppers, and three watermelons. I had about 40 tomatoes of which only 12 were good, but I had more cucumbers and lettuce than I could give away (all in 53 square feet). right now the garden has so many weeds I am thinking about destroying it for the rest of the season. Good news is NC has a double season and at the end of this month I can sew crops again. I plan to triple the size and make some improvements, I want 53 square feet of just lettuce plus add some more crops.
3. Do you use exercise videos? What's your favorite, why?
My ADHD prevents me from being able to workout at home, I will walk off and look at shiny things.
4. Favorite workout music?
When doing more intense workout I listen to Young Jeezy, TI, Little Wayne and other gang/drug rap. Most of it is very driven and intense. When I am in the back country, MTBing, climbing etc. I listen to Sublime and  random punk music.
5. How do you measure your progress? If you haven't reached your goal yet, do you own any skinny clothes you keep to remind you of your goals?
I have multiple sets of goals. Some are clear cut pass fail things (see the 2010 goal page), I also have my weight loss goals I measure in pounds, and I track my running and swimming goals via time trials. I have some clothes from years ago that I hope may fit again one day and I have some clothes I bought last winter after my first bit of weight loss that I hope will look better by this winter.
6. Do you have any secrets to keep your energy up for the workouts or your day in general?
Set micro goals so you can celebrate often and find activities you enjoy so that you look forward to doing them.
7. I like Patrick's super power question so what would your super power be if you could have one?
See above.
8. If you had the opportunity to move to anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I can't pick. I moved almost every year growing up so as much as you would think I would want to settle down, I actually would never stop moving to a hundred different places. I would start with London, England. Then maybe norther California.
 
 
NOW MY TURN- I TAG THE FOLLOWING (no one said no tag backs):

1. River
2. Patrick
3. Adam
4. Laura
5. Caratunk Girl
6. Wendy
7. Andrew
8. Moving Mertle

My questions are:

1. What is your favorite song quote?
2. What is your favorite exercise or workout?
3. Favorite place to go on vacation and activity to do?
4. Do you collect anything, if so what and how did it start?
5. Hardest obstacle you have had to overcome in your weight loss/fitness/training goals?
6. What do you do now and if you could choose any career what would it be?
7. If you could choose and exotic animal to have as a pet what would it be?
8. Do you use a reward system for your goals, (formally set or not) and if so what is your favorite reward?

CHEERS!!