Unmotivated Start

Today I did not feel the excitement I had been feeling about getting out and starting the day with an early morning run. I felt blank and unmotivated. My body seemed to feel a bit of fatigue. Oatmeal, blah, and coffee. Definitely the few days I have established set my routine and I just decided to proceed with it hoping that maybe my state of mind would change. I could have easily turned around at any moment but I knew that I would be sorry later, plus it might set a dangerous precedent and I might be tempted to take more days off and then slump into ending my resolution less than one week into it. I accidently left earlier than I knew and when I set my timer, I saw that I was a full five minutes ahead of the day before. This immediately lifted my spirits because in this mood, I expected to actually be running behind.


Now with a positive under my belt, I wondered how I might use this extra five minutes. So I ran in the opposite direction for five minutes and then turned back around and got back on my regular path. Of course this added potentially ten minutes to my standard thirty minute run unless I made it up a bit. I decided that is what I should do. So I allowed myself to run a little closer to red line for a little longer.

It was the kind of day that I thought I would end up going into work late. But no, the simple action of sticking to the routine caused things to turn around for the better. I ran for thirty five minutes and actually somehow got back to my apartment earlier than the day before. So I made up some more time. But the best thing about this morning's run/walk was that brief half a second eye contact and exchange of "morning!" I had with that gazelle-like girl. That split second changed my outlook on the entire day. In fact it carried right over through the night and to the next morning.

Repeat

Well today's run was basically a repeat of yesterday's except that already my heartrate is starting to stabilize a bit. Can my heart and circulatory system already be improving? Much too early to tell. My breathing is definitely less labored than the day before. I noticed that about 60% of the people I encounter acknowledge my greeting. I have realized that since I seem to be so far out of shape endurance-wise, and even if I do seem to be improving already, just making this change could be the trigger to cause the ticker to be a non ticker. If so, than at least I will go out on a positive note.

Pushing On

Got out this morning for a short 1/2 hour run on the beach. Not too much to say except that the heart rate monitor is easily hitting 185 bpm. I feel like I can easily go harder but if the monitor is accurate, this will be a short blog. I have to slow myself down, and it is hard to slow down when one is already going very slow.
I started the same way with the boring cinnamon oatmeal and coffee. Ham sandwich, banana and raisins for lunch and ended the day with a couple of slices of pizza and spaghetti and meatballs (takeout). Oh, and not to forget the glass of cabernet. I figure I'll attack one thing at a time. First I'll concentrate on establishing the running routine, then I'll take a closer look at how I fuel.

Lost Day

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With Monday came reality. I ended up waking early, 4:45 AM, working some at home before actually going to work, then stayed at work until about 8:40 PM. Though I did the boring oatmeal breakfast and heart warming coffee, I did not get in the daily 30 minutes of aerobic activity. I will not try to make up the 30 minutes. In fact, the day off will probably do me good. I have to go into this very easy or I'll end up like last time. It is too late now to do the indoor routine. So, I'm letting myself off the hook.

For lunch I had a ham sandwich, banana and raisins. For the final meal I had a pollo bowl and a side of macaroni and cheese. I just happened across this stuff at El Pollo Loco and it is really good. I'm sure it's not great for you though. The pollo bowl, on the other hand, is probably not all that bad for you except for the sodium.

I'm falling asleep now.

Step Up

Today I got up at 4:45 AM, had some coffee and some bland oatmeal with cinnamon only (no other sweeteners) and began the morning with some basic stretches which I really hate. I am so impatient with stretching and I hate it so much. I hear people say that they really enjoy stretching. This is going to take some work.

I left my place at 6:00 AM in the dark in search of a place to go for a jog where I would not be looked at as a suspicious character. Well, there is the park, but it was too dark. Then there is the beach. There are plenty of people out there and this looks like the place for an early jog except that you have to pay to park. What the hell is that about? Pay to park at 6:00 AM when the spaces are wide open? I couldn't bring myself to do it as I need to establish a routine. It will be a while before I will be able to run to the beach. So, since the sun was just starting to peak over the mountains, I decided to give the park another try before I ended up spending the morning wasting gas looking for a place to run.

It was fairly cold, about 43 degrees, but felt colder. I set my heart rate monitor and logged the time. It was 6:38 AM. I broke into a slow jog and quickly found that I was already laboring. This is a clear indicator of my poor physical condition. I struggled to the 5 minute point thinking this was not going to work out. I pushed through. My heart rate was averaging about 143 beats per minute. It felt like forever before I finally hit the 10 minute mark. Here at least I knew that I was committed to at least 20 minutes as I would have to take the same route back. My body's reluctance to run finally leveled off and I made it to the 15 minute mark. This was a point for celebration as I knew that all I had to do was go back to my car and I would have completed my 30 minute target. I was exhaling a large vapor cloud and I am sure my labored breathing was affecting the ducks who had their beaks tucked trying to sleep.

Made it back to my car door at exactly 7:08 AM and I was very happy.

I came back home and made a sandwich with two whole poached eggs, three thin slices of ham, some cheddar cheese and two slices of wheat bread. It was sure good. I have been told that my cholesterol is too high and I should limit my intake of fast food and egg yolks. Typically I do eat alot of poached egg whites, but decided to keep the yolks today as a reward. Maybe it is more like a bullet in the gun but it sure tasted good.

With this second breakfast, I was able to make it by with only a small scoop of potato salad for lunch. At some point, I fell asleep for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. That was fine for this lazy Sunday but it will not work out for the work week.

Also, I feel a dull uneasiness in my heels. I don't want a repeat injury so I think I might adjust this plan to a bike ride every other morning. I'll have to see what the bike ride does for the heart rate.

I am planning a repeat of yesterday's dinner tonight as the steaks came packaged two together.

More of the Same

Went kayaking and fishing again this fine morning. Repeated the McDonald's breakfast, as I figured it was better than stopping off for a donut. I have a problem if I eat only a donut or two. Shortly afterward I get the sweaty shakes and feel faint like I need to get something to eat immediately. I have experienced this all of my life. When just a small lad, it was proposed that I was acting this out for attention. So, I have either taken this to heart to the point that I am still seeking attention or it is real. I have tested for diabetes two or three times which indicated a negative.

For lunch, I stopped off at McDonalds again. This time I had the 1/3 pound Bacon Cheeseburger meal. I thought it was pretty good.

I did the same indoor aerobic routine for thirty minutes this evening.

For dinner I had a lean thin cut of New York Steak cooked on the George Foreman Grill. I also had a nice leafy salad with onions and a vinagarette dressing. Also on the menu were some brussels sprouts and potato salad from Ralphs. In the past I always found store prepared food very bland and poor tasting. I think they have made great improvements. That potato salad is so good. I also had a nice glass and a half of red wine.

So, on this second day of the year, I have maintained my main New Year's Commitment of getting in my thirty minutes of aerobic exercise.

Initiation of Commitments

Well, there is no better time to initiate any New Year's Resolution involving physical activity than on New Year's morning. It is so peaceful out as most people are sleeping off the party of the night before. I traditionally fish on New Year's day so I have kept that tradition going today.

I kayaked and fished Newport Harbor. This is great exercise and very relaxing. Only caught three bass that were released as usual.

This evening, I did my indoor aerobic routine for thirty minutes which basically just consists of a variety of movements like squats, running in place, twists, kicks, etc., at a level that keeps my heart rate elevated between 135 and 170. I know this is well beyond what the charts say you should do. So, I might be writing a log that documents the reasons for my death.

Many "rule of thumb" suggestions floating around are that you can take 220 and subtract your age. This is theoretically your max heart rate. Some suggest that beginners (what I qualify as) should target 50% of their maximum rate. Well, that would have me only thinking about working out -- what's the point? What does it mean if I routinely exceed my max heart rate? I'm not sure, but I have read this same question posted by many people on the internet. So, either my pulse capture mode is defective, the rule of thumb is not valid, I am teeteering precariously on the line at which my heart may fail, or, well, I don't know.

I have experienced pain in my heart at various times throughout my life and even when I was young and used to run, my heart rate was always on the high side in comparison to others. I also tend to get a bit of what I can only describe as very light athsma when I run. I think this history coupled with my age puts me in a position of peril. At one point about five years ago, the pains I felt in my heart (area) were enough to prompt me to check in with the doctor. They put me through the treadmill tests with a heart specialist who determined that there was no problem. My doctor said the pains I felt were muscoskeletal.

I have used two different brands of heart rate monitors, both with the same results. When the rate indicates 185 or so, I will occasionally double check it with a manual pulse count. This usually confirms that the reading is correct. Also, I have had the reading jump up to over 205 beats per minute. At these time I immediately recalibrate the unit (push a button and hold the watch to the transceiver around my chest) and it jumps back down to about 165. So I assume that this is a problem with the monitor. I do have good recovery however. If I stop the activity or slow it down, my heart rate immediately adjusts accordingly, and will return to about 100 in only a few minutes.

Just doing my constant motion aerobic exercise routine easily puts me into the 135-155 heart rate range. Then pushing it a bit and I easily register 185 which is theretically beyond my maximum rate.

For food, I have simply decided to cut out some of the fast food and pre-plan a bit more with smarter options. I still rely heavily on fast food. I had a McDonalds breakfast and a left over take out spaghetti lunch. For dinner, I basically satisfied myself with some cereal and some parmesian crackers with cheese. Yeah, it not looking good for the heart at this stage, but I aim to sharpen this up a bit if I last long enough.

2010 Commitments

New Year's resolutions have generally been looked at by me as something people do to set themselves up for failure. For most of my life I have laughed at people who make resolutions to eat less, exercise more, save money, spend wisely, learn to play an instrument, learn a new language, etc, etc. Just as there are always more students in college classes at the beginning than at the end, there are always many more joggers out at the beginning of the year than there are by Thanksgiving. So, for most of my life, I have evaded the trap of setting myself up for failure. However, I have recently experienced some successes in the last few years by experimenting with New Year's resolutions. I have also experienced some failures but this I expected.

Here I will reveal some recent New Year's resolutions that I failed at. I set about to spend at least 15 minutes per day studying a new language. Actually, I was so overly motivated that I tried to study three different languages at once. Well, even the most casual observer could forecast what the results of that would be. Another I tried was to practice guitar and keyboard for a half hour per day. About three years ago I tried the running thing quite similar to my new 2010 resolution except that I joined a club. Well that part of it backfired on me and took down the whole resolution. Another one I had was to meet three new people a month. I ended up writing down a few names then the whole deal evaporated. I also decided that I would walk or ride my bike to work at least three times a week. I did it a few times, it felt good but was really not practical as I spent too much time at work. A few other years I also tried the running thing and I did establish a regular routine. However, I did something improper along the way and ended up with an extended bout of plantar fasciitis or something that matched that description. I have tried the journal resolution multiple times and did manage to keep it going for two years but reading the entries made me decide that maybe that was not a good idea so I voted to terminate that in favor of writing only when I thought I had something valid to put down.

My successful new years resolutions are, saving money through automatic withdrawal from my checking account to my savings accounts, kayaking nearly every weekend, keeping up a light weight resistance training program 1-2 days per week and logging every damn thing I eat.

Saving money through auto withdrawal/deposit is actually quite easy. One can easily take advantage of that New Year's energy and setup the transfers. Once that is done, the rest takes care of itself. You learn to adjust without the money you are setting aside.

Kayaking is so fun that it becomes an addiction that creates its own motivation. All that is required is jump starting the routine. Weight resistance training feels good and does not require a lot of time.

I started logging everything I eat and have compiled quite a list of the items I routinely eat. When I log an item, I have some key nutrition information on file about each item. I make forecasts about overall calorie intake, fat content, protein, carbs, etc. Though extremely effective in controlling intake and learning about nutrition, this method can be a bother to keep up. I have found that once putting myself through that level of consciousness about everything I eat has taught me to practice better habits. I am going to try to take what I have learned and do without the logging for this year.

Following are my new resolutions:

• Start Aerobic Exercise Plan
• Starting with at least 30 minutes per day
• To include walking/jogging/running as physical condition allows
• Indoor physical activity routine may be used as substitute for above
• Participate in at least one 5k-10k event per month
• Aim to improve performance on each event (subject to physical condition)
• Continue with existing strength training plan
• Continue with kayaking outings
• Try to manage food intake without the logging method previously used.
• If not able to manage this way, return to logging method.
• Add additional commitments if desired (Deadline January 31)