Ice Trees - 196 Days

Workout:

Hit the gym as planned today. About 6 miles accomplished. Reading for work on the treadmill is not easy, but doable. Chafing legs reminds me that I’m fat. Duration and cardio at a fat-burning zone is the key here in the beginning. Consistency and dieting will help me ramp up the engine in a couple weeks. Under 230# this morning, and have vowed to NEVER be this heavy again. BMI 32, so I’m technically OBESE. At 211#, I’ll crossover to overweight. 19 pounds at 2 pounds a week is 9.5 weeks or just over 2 months. March and April. Consistency and Dedication. It will take me the entire spring and summer to get me down anywhere close to a BMI of 25, but here’s for trying!

Also today:

Bought a new snowblower, and had delivered before the storm hits tonight. Should be about a foot of snow by tomorrow. Bring it on!

Brought to you by Toro…But if they see this, I’m open to sponsorship!

Frozen Reflections - 197 Days

First day of daddy daughter solo time, and managing work from home has been challenging. Keeping my little one busy playing in the snow as I shovel has allowed me to get some cardio, but is not the training I had in mind. Tomorrow We’ll plan to hit the gym and daycare.

Snow Plow - 198 Days

When life gives you lemons….make a Tom Collins… Then just stare at it until your work is done.

Right when I thought things were going to let up at work, and allow for me to get back to a normal routine, the team got a curveball. This morning I wasn’t able to get a workout in before work, but last night I did get a workout moving piles and piles of snow. I’ll run my little one this weekend sledding and plan to get my cardio that way. Until then, it’s virgin Tom Collins and shakes until I lose the weight I need to. When you can’t get a workout in, do some sit-ups and pivot.

Snow Trees - 199 Days

Gear prepped for a quick workout in the AM (run). Shake put together. Today will be a good day. Time to get on top of work and start getting back to “normal”. This weekend will be daddy-daughter solo time Friday, Sat, and Sunday. Can’t wait! 

Snow Path - 200 Days

My partner leaves today. Enlisting family for help. 10 min spin at 10pm is a win for today. Prepped for morning workout.  

Cold Path - 201 Days

Late night, prepping for company, sledding before the storm hits, then working late!

Week in Review: OT

Last week was a bust with a LOT of overtime (OT). I’ve got a packed week again this week with my partner leaving on an airplane. Although I’ll have help, it will take a lot to be disciplined. Sleep, Shakes, and Swims/Light Runs is the name of the game to get me under 230lb, and to stay there. Wish me luck!

Weekend Work

This weekend was not the best, and yet not the worst. I did not get my workouts done per schedule, but did manage to get the furnace fixed after a day of running around. Saturday I took for play with my little one and recovery, and Sunday was another day back at work. Back at it early this morning as well, but I’m hoping to catch a workout in the PM if all goes well today.

“Do not try this at home...”

Dig

Today I was in early for a run  after a late spin last night. A 12 hour shift later, my Uber driver pulls up to my house and goes, “Where is your driveway?” to which I respond, “Great question!”

My ice caked driveway has been covered with large snow drifts. Mean looking snow devils licked across the banks as though I had just l arrived on Hoth. My empty garbage can’s lid whipped, clanging as I trudged up to my door. Without a snow blower, I turned around after a quick change, and plowed out a path by hand with a shovel and prayed it would be enough for my wife the next day. This counts as cardio. Period. Passing out after two back to back shifts to prepare myself for a loaded day. I know I won’t get a morning run in, but since I haven’t seen my little one in more than two days, I’ll be going home to chase her tomorrow after work. Diet will be parimount. 

February

Big Day at Work - Passed Out

Sleeper Agent

Literally my best accomplishment yesterday was going to bed when my body was calling for it. Espresso yesterday only made me functional, serving to simply re-focusing my fuzzy eyes. As soon as I read to my little one that night, I spent 15 minutes with my partner before going to bed around 7:30pm. Falling alseep by 8PM with a sleepy pill was glorious. This morning I woke up at 5AM to my alarm, but I’m afraid the pill had a drowsy effect that put me back under until my next alarm at 5:50AM. Wow, I must have needed that! 

Suited up with a workout bag that was already packed, I headed out over the snow-covered ice to the bus. Today will be a quick lunch run with an after work swim. I’ll need to make up the 45 min spin, but that might have to come this weekend or chunkated over the next few days with some extra morning or night crunch sets. Right now I’m not necessarily concerned about reps, it’s all about endurance, duration, and consistency. 

As much as I hated getting off slightly yesterday, I feel successful having listened to my body and preparing myself to double down and hit it hard today.  

 After a marathon 12 hour day, I spun in the garage for over an hour. Done!

5 Degree - Pant Weather

The heat wave has passed. It’s time to bundle up again, so let’s reflect on yesterday. Monday’s are easy. When you have the weekend to prep, it’s easy to adhere to a schedule as seen below:

 When one gets home later than wanted, and has less time with the family, it’s easy to want to spend some extra time with them. I allowed myself to stay up until about 9:30pm, instead of winding down at 8/8:30pm. This snowballed to me prepping for the next day later and not getting to bed until about 10:45pm, and not falling asleep until a little later. With an alarm set daily for 5AM, this was just a little too much for me to pop out of bed this morning. 

There is a balance of being rested and being burned out. Today I’ll have to readjust to get more sleep and get back to 5AM tomorrow. Now to plan how to keep all of my planned activities green:

I have the luxery of being able to possibly adjust today. Maybe run over my lunch or right after work. It was tough getting the extra 15 min strength training completed, so perhaps as it gets warmer I’ll work on getting up closer to 4:30AM to check-off before going to the gym for my morning swim and run. 

I also struggled not having a dinner shake. After the extra workout, I had a headache and felt I needed food when I came home. I’ll work on tracking food more closely today, and sticking to my schedule:

• 10oz Water Upon Wake (5AM)
• Nutragen Shake Breakfast by 8AM
• 10oz Water at 10AM
• Sensible healthy lunch around 12PM
• 10oz Water at 3PM
• Nutragen Shake Dinner around 5PM
• 10oz Water before bed around 8PM

Alas, try as I might and not surprisingly, I wasn’t able to get away from my work for a quick workout and the weather worsened, making me get home before a workout. On the bus ride home, I communicated with my partner about my hopes and expectations for the night to carve out 45 min to spin on the trainer instead. 

Update: yeah that didn’t happen either. No workout today, but I did have a shake for dinner and did well calorie-wise. Going to bed early tonight... 

34 Degree - Short Weather

10:30PM - [Scene Opens: Macbook lit] After spending waaay too long to sign up for NUT 50K and purchase flight - Go on TrainingPeaks.com to re-tweak Annual Training Plan (ATP) for 2019 and set training plan and goals (6 hours of Running, Swimming, Biking, and Strength) for next week  

11PM - Lay in bed debating if I should have signed up for 100k

11:15PMish - Imagine 5k of climbing through the woods of Oregon feeling effortless

11:30PMish - Wish I had taken a sleepy pill, but too late to start now

11:45PMish  - Listen to wife snore, rain starts to pound the windows [End Scene]

*** 

5AM - [Scene Opens: Laying in Bed] Mind Yelling “Move Legs!!!”

5:05 - “If you don’t move now, you might as well cancel that flight and race registration. These next 5 minutes will determine your success or failure over the next year” 

5:09 - Body responds in begrugeoned peon voice: “Yes Me-Lord...” 

5:10 - Music in, Spotify on Workout Mix, Bathroom, Weight, Multivitavin, Brush, 10oz Water, Shave (in that specific order) - Body starting to feel awake half-way through shave

5:15ish - Scramble to find backpack, coat, and cram swimsuit and work clothes in bag because I didn’t pack the night before (slept in running shorts and workout top). Can’t find sweatpants, so I run to the bus in short shorts and winter parka zipped so only my eyes show. 

5:36 - Bus arrives, boast to wide-eyed bus driver that “Ten more degrees, and it’s t-shirt weather” like a real Minnesotan. 

5:56 - Listen to Keanu Reeves by Logic, feel like a gangster

6:05 - Start first workout of next 215 Days [Scene Just Begins]