Back from Hiatus

Missed the blog post last week.  Sorry if you were counting on the menu planner, but life/work got in the way.  In more ways than one.  Not only was I insanely busy at work, including a lot of weekend work when I would normally be doing my blog, but a lot of family events/commitments as well.  Worst of all was the impact on diet and exercise.  While I love sharing this blog with anyone it might help or inspire, it's really my own weekly planner to help keep myself on track.  Not composing my workout and eating plan for the week had a dramatic impact.  I only got one LHT workout in, and, though I made up for it with a very long ride today (see ride report below),  I also did not get a chance to run any errands or commute by bike (really need to add a quality light set up so my confidence with night riding is bolstered).  Furthermore, the diet suffered as not having a set plan made it too easy to make last minute decisions to eat out.  And we did...way too many times.  And though I generally ate well, I didn't do as well as I do with my own carefully planned meals.

So this week I plan to be back on track with the two LHT workouts below (see the last post for details) and the meal plan.

And importantly, we kicked it off with with a 49.5 mile ride along the beautiful Santa Ana River Trail.  We started our ride in Yorba Linda Regional Park.  Though it was overcast and a bit chili, the weather forecast, as of our departure, called for the clouds to lift, so we felt confident setting out with our shorts and windbreakers.  And though the clouds did not lift, the weather on the ride out was fairly mild, the wind calm, and we kept a 16-17 mph pace all the way along the river.  The flat route keeps you working the pedals, but the only hills are the short climbs out from under the many overpasses the trail intersects.

As we got closer to the ocean, we saw the breakers in the distance just as we were hitting the 20-mile mark. A short time later, we hit the final overpass: PCH.

 

 We paused to take a couple of quick pictures with 21 miles under our belts and the Pacific Ocean to our backs:

We then road three miles up PCH to find a spot to take a break and have a quick bite.  TK Burgers, just south of the pier, proved the perfect spot.  We refueled on the sticker-festooned patio where we could keep an eye on our bikes and on the ocean.

The ride back was a little more challenging.  We had a terrible headwind to fight as we made our way down PCH back to the river trail.  Once we got on the trail, the wind came and went, but we generally felt pretty good as we headed back up through Orange County.  As we approached Anaheim, the skies darkened, the air chilled, and we felt the first hint of mist in the air.  The drizzle got heavier and steadier by the time we reached Angel Stadium, and the temperature dropped noticeably.  We definitely regretted wearing shorts for those last 9 miles, and we definitely did some suffering with the cold and fatigue.  We crossed a final bridge across the river, and the last mile or so back to the park and our car seemed interminable.  But once there, we felt great for having met the 49.5-mile challenge, and quickly loaded up the bikes and got into some warm, dry clothes. 

We rewarded ourselves with a nice warm coffee from the Coffee Bean and a picture of ourselves in front of the big Christmas tree on their patio.

Here are the workouts and meals for the week:

LHT Workouts

Tuesday, 12/18

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)

Thursday, 12/20

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (2 rounds):

• Russian Swings (max reps)
• Upright Rows (max reps)
• Pull ups, chair assisted (max reps)

 Saturday, 12/22

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)

Meals

Monday, 12/17

 

Meatballs with Red Sauce and Spicy Italian Sausage over spaghetti squash

Tuesday, 12/18

 

Apple Bacon Cheeseburgers

Wednesday, 12/19

Siggy's Greek Gyro Salad

Thursday, 12/20

 

Paleo Pork Fried Rice

Friday, 12/21

 

Mini-Meatloaf

Saturday, 12/22

 

Chicken Fajitas with Roasted Carrot Fries

Sunday, 12/23

Chicken Soup

What's the Best Workout?

I know remember where I heard this or perhaps read this, but a great response to the question in the title of this post was, "The one you'll actually do."  So true.  I have embarked on so many fitness endeavors in the past, and even with the best of intentions or strong initial efforts, I often found myself bored, burned out, injured...or sometimes just flat out dreading the workout.  While cycling has been the sport for me that has definitely kept me inspired--whether I'm commuting, hauling, or riding for sport/recreation (see ride report below), I'm always excited about getting on the bike.

However, the same cannot be said of my regular workouts, which are designed to ensure that I "Lift Heavy Things (LHT)" as per the Primal Blueprint.  I had done Crossfit for almost a year, and while I enjoyed it, the toll it was taking on my body often had me dreading the next session.  I've been trying to program crossfit-inspired workouts for myself, but have been finding both the planning and the workouts themselves tedious.  Recently, I revisited the Primal Blueprint Fitness eBook, which is available with a free subscription to Mark's Daily Apple.  In it, the author, Mark Sisson, greatly simplifies the "LHT" portion of the blueprint.  In fact, he advocates completing just "four essential movements"(see overview and videos HERE) that involve body weight lifting two times per week.  They are simple, easy, quick, and, most importantly, effective.   I've been experimenting with these the past couple of weeks and have been feeling good, keeping injury free, and, while not exactly looking forward to each workout, at least motivated by the knowledge that they will be short and sweet.

I've also decided to modify/augment the approach a bit.  Instead of 4 movements twice a week, I'm working out ever other day and doing 3 exercises each time (in addition to a warm up).  In the spirit of "the one you'll actually do," I've added two kettle bell drills I really like, Russian Swings and Upright Rows.  These make 6 movements which I'm alternating every two days, 3 movements each.  So far so good--I'll keep you posted, and if you're doing the workouts, let me know what you think.

As for this week's ride report, I got no commuting or hauling in this week, but made up for it with a 35 mile ride to the Rainbow Oaks Restaurant on Old Highway 395 down in Rainbow.  We did a circuitous, traffic-avoiding route from our home in Murrieta through Temecula.  The steep climb up to Rainbow Canyon was challenging, but inspiring views helped:

After a tough climb, a fun downhill took us to the restaurant after just a hair under 17 miles:

We got a spot on the patio in the back where we could keep an eye on the bikes:

We then had a fantastic breakfast and much needed coffee to refuel for the ride home:

Unfortunately, the food was too good, and I ate a little bit too much considering I had to tackle the hill back up the canyon to get home--fortunately, on this side of the hill it is a long, gradual climb unlike the steep route we had coming:

Once we made it over, the ride speeding down to the Temecula Creek golf course was exciting:

Back to flat land, we quickly escaped Temecula traffic by crossing the bridge west of Old Town:

This back route is pleasant, and there is an underused bike trail that runs along Diaz Rode next to the wash.  Lots of Heron spotting along the way, though I wasn't quick enough with my camera.

Once we got back to Murrieta, Michelle was all smiles knowing we were on the home stretch:

We were just shy of 35 miles when we reached our house, so we did a quick loop of the neighborhood to finish at 35.25.  Beautiful ride, beautiful day, beautiful riding partner...nice way to end the week.

Here are the planned workouts and meals for the week:

Workouts

Tuesday, 12/4

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)

Thursday, 12/6

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (2 rounds):

• Russian Swings (max reps)
• Upright Rows (max reps)
• Pull ups, chair assisted (max reps)

 Saturday, 12/8

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)

Meals

Monday, 12/3

 

Smoky Bacon Chili over baked sweet potato

Tuesday, 12/4

 

Philly Cheesesteak Melts (without the bread)--inspired by my friend Mary

Wednesday, 12/5

Pho--sans noodles

Thursday, 12/7

 

Easy Curry Chicken over cauliflower rice

Friday, 12/8

 

Mini-Meatloaf

Saturday, 12/9

 

Chicken Fajitas with Roasted Carrot Fries

Sunday, 12/10

Chicken Soup

Fitness Travels

As you can tell, skipped last week's blog post as we were on the road for Thanksgiving vacation.  The primary goal of our trip was to visit some of the Northern California colleges that our daughter is interested in applying to next fall.  The secondary goal was a brief getaway to one of our favorite places on the planet: Monterey Bay.  However, a third, and very important goal, was to maintain...or at least not stray to far from...our fitness plan.  We knew that eating on the road can be a challenge, and, frankly, I did not worry too much about sticking to my normal, strict Paleo diet.  I still avoided wheat grains, but I enjoyed rice and potatoes, and even some dark chocolate covered almonds, taffy, and five-nut brittle (how can you resist five-nut brittle?).  Since diet was not at the heart of the fitness plan, we made sure exercise was.  How?  We brought our bikes along:

Our Thule bike rack was one of the best investments we've ever made.  We love having our bikes, and this hitch-mounted rack enables us to take them easily and keep them secure (though the best approach to security was learned the hard way after having my mountain bike stolen from the rack last fall). 

The best thing about bringing bikes on vacation is that you get to explore your destination, often along interesting bike trails, at a slower pace that enables you to truly "see" the area, while getting great exercise.

We were able to get in two great rides along the bike trails and bike lanes around the Monterey Peninsula.  Here are some pics from the first ride that will give you an idea of why we love exploring this way--I did a total of 20 miles while Michelle did 13 and ran for four (she was doing a "brick" in preparation for her upcoming triathlon):

 We also got to take a nice break along the way at a coffee shop with tables looking out across the bay.

Our second ride was equally fun but extremely challenging.  We not only rode a longer distance, we got caught in a rain storm that had us riding into a strong headwind with rain blowing hard into our faces as we made our way around the peninsula, past Asilomar State Beach, and up to the start of the 17-mile drive to Pebble Beach:

Not a lot of pictures from this ride as we were literally soaked and I needed to keep my iPhone dry.  Though it was a tough, cold ride, we enjoyed the novelty of the experience--a great memory to take home with us.

Here are the planned workouts and meals for the week--you'll note a different approach to the workouts this week which I'll explain in next week's post:

Workouts

Tuesday, 11/27

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)
• Pull ups, chair assisted (max reps)

Thursday, 11/29

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)
• Pull ups, chair assisted (max reps)

 Saturday, 12/1

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups

Workout (2 rounds):

• Air squats (max reps)
• Push ups (max reps)
• Planks (max time)
• Pull ups, chair assisted (max reps)

Meals

Monday, 11/26

 

Meatballs & Italian Sausage with Red Sauce over Spaghetti Squash

Tuesday, 11/27

 

Carne asada lettuce wraps

Wednesday, 11/28

Blue cheese bacon burgers on a bed of lettuce

Thursday, 11/29

 

Yakitori lettuce wraps with grilled asparugus

Friday, 11/30

 

Smoky Bacon Chili

Saturday, 12/1

 

Chili burgers

Sunday, 12/2

 

Grilled steaks with brussel sprouts

Recovering Like the Economy

My recovery from the broken arm last June from the solo bike accident (broken right at the shoulder joint) has been slow and (sort of) steady.  Like the economy, I see hopeful signs, but it's taking much longer than I expected, and I've had a lot of setbacks.  They told me at physical therapy that it would be at least six months before I would feel like I had the full range of movement, and possibly longer before I could return to the level of upper body physical activity I had been doing last year.  At the five month point, I still have a ways to go before I have that full range, but I have gained a lot, especially in the last month.  As for upper body work, the closest I've been able to come to my previous workouts has been some Russian Swings and Upright Rows with a  kettle bell, though at far less weight than I had been lifting.  This past week, I expanded that with some bench dips and push ups.  While I was able to do as many as 10 reps of each, it was not without far more pain than I had expected...and considerable frustration.  I have really noticed the upper body going soft even as my leg work has been going very well throughout the injury.  Trying these simple movements this week, I truly realized I was more or less back to where I was when I first started Crossfit exactly one year ago this week.

So, how to move forward?  Well, for one thing, I do need to remember that when I started last November, I was in far worse overall shape than I am now.  Fifty pounds heavier, very little muscle tone, and poor cardio fitness.  These past five months I have continued to work my core and lower body religiously, and I have kept up the cardio work with consistent cycling and walking.  So I think getting the upper body back should be a little easier this time than it was starting out.  For another thing, I do need to keep perspective.  With any fitness journey, there will be setbacks, and it is too easy to let them derail you altogether (harkening back to last week's post).  I think keeping this perspective is a key to success over the long haul.

The good news is, the shoulder is no longer bothering me at all while cycling, even during long rides.  A good example was our 28.3 miler around Lake Elsinore with our friends Karrie and Dave Carlson:

We had a great time, and even on the rough roads west and north of the lake, no shoulder pain at all.  A beautiful day, as you can see, and a great  way to get a workout without realizing it!

I also got a lot of errands in by bike this week, taking the mileage total over 43.  The toughest was a trip down to Kahoots feed store for propane.  I strapped the 5-gallon tank into the re-purposed trailer--no problem pulling it 3 miles downhill.  The ride home hauling a full tank uphill?  Well, I'd have preferred another loop around the lake!  Still, it was a nice feeling of accomplishment.

Here are the planned workouts and meals for the week:

Workouts

Tuesday, 11/13

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 20 Russian Swings
• 20 ball slams

Thursday, 11/15

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (3 rounds):

• 15 push ups
• 10 split lunges

 Saturday, 11/17

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (2 rounds)

• 15 push ups
• 15 upright rows 
• 15 dips

Meals

Monday, 11/12

 

Pumpkin Curry chicken on cauliflower rice (Didn't have this last night as planned)

Tuesday, 11/13

 

Carne asada and pollo asada lettuce wraps

Wednesday, 11/14

 

Gyro Salad

Thursday, 11/15

 

Yakitori lettuce wraps with grilled asparugus

Friday, 11/6

 

Smoky Bacon Chili

Saturday, 10/27

 

Chili burgers

Sunday, 10/28

 

Dining out on the road...

So Now I May as Well Really Blog It...

So this was one of those weeks....fell a bit short of my 40 mile cycling goal...30 miles short to be exact.  Missed my 3-days-a-week workout goal...by 2 days.  The only consistent exercise was my daily mile walking the dogs.  Not the week I planned, but things simply got in the way...work, family events, general fatigue.  However, there was a silver lining.  In past years, a week like this would have COMPLETELY derailed me.  Not just workouts out the window, but diet as well.  Unlike those past experiences, I kept the diet in check.  I reminded myself of the 80-20 principle.  This principle, which I learned about on Mark's Daily Apple, has helped me keep perspective on my health-related efforts.  This principle basically means that you focus on staying on track 80% of the time...and in the big picture, I know that I have done so.  In the past, I would have taken an "I've blown it" mentality that would get twisted into a rationale for "really blowing it," going hog wild with eating since I was already of track on exercise any way.  In reading about this principle, a line that struck a chord was "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."  That was me in the past--if I couldn't be perfect, I let that become the basis for going back to old habits in both diet and exercise.  This time, the perspective enabled me to stay on track with healthy eating, comfortable in the knowledge that I would get back to my fitness routine soon.  And that has me feeling pretty good...

Here are the planned workouts and meals for the week:

Workouts

Monday, 10/29

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 20 Russian Swings
• 20 toes-to-bar or leg lifts

Wednesday, 10/31

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (3 rounds):

• 15 push ups
• 10 split lunges

Friday, 11/2

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (2 rounds)

• 15 ball slams
• 15 upright rows 
• 15 dips

Meals

Monday, 10/29

 

Meatballs with Red Sauce and Italian Sausage over Spaghetti Squash

Tuesday, 10/30

 

Cheeseburgers on a bed of lettuce

Wednesday, 10/31

 

Crockpot 7-Bone Roast

Thursday, 11/1

 

Carnitas lettuce wraps with guacamole and green chili

Friday, 11/2

 

Brats with peas

Saturday, 10/27

 

Spicy meatballs with bacon-blue cheese Brussels sprouts

Sunday, 10/28

 

Pumpkin Curry chicken on cauliflower rice (Didn't have this last Sunday as planned)

Catching Up on Mileage

So this week was the first in a little over a month where I didn't get on the bike at all Monday-Friday.  No opportunity to commute even once (so of course this was the week I see the blog post: 13 Reasons You Should Start Biking to Work--mocking me!) and no time to run any bike errands.  This put my streak of 40+ mile weeks in jeopardy, so I would have to catch up this weekend to keep the streak alive.  Got several errands done by bike Saturday, including a Plowboys run for veggies and a recycling run--figured out a nice way to use the bike trailer to take in even more bottles and cans by strapping a plastic garbage pail in...much to the embarrassment of the family, who said I looked like "one of those crazy people."  But still, that only got me 8-1/2 miles.  31-1/2 to go.    Fortunately, we planned to make up most of that on our weekly long ride Sunday morning.  This week, we were headed from our house up and around Lake Elsinore.  A nice 28.3 mile loop that always featured a great breakfast stop about 3/4s of the way around at Annie's.  I managed to augment the mileage a bit as well by dropping my helmet mirror and having to cycle back to find it.  In the end, we had a great ride with beautiful weather, relatively light traffic, and little wind.

Here's a picture of my lovely riding partner along our favorite part of the loop:

 And then there's one with me...no, not in pain, just squinting to see the viewfinder:

Note to self--stay out of the pictures!

So pretty good mileage for the weekend, but doing the math at dinner Sunday night, I'm still a little over 3-1/2 miles short of 40.  That's when I got inspired to cast my vote tonight--my flaming-pinko-commie-education-supporting vote--by riding to the post office.  Not my favorite thing to do in the dark considering the poor/inconsistent street lighting on our side of town, but I figured it was quick, direct--and with my front light and rear flasher I'd be ok.  Fortunately, there was little traffic and no hidden road hazards, and I was able to both participate in our democratic system and get another 4.6 miles in.  Bringing me in at just under 42 miles for the week.  Next week, I think I'll try to spread things out a bit.

Here's some totals for this week:

• 41.8 miles biking
• 7 miles walking
• 500  yards swimming
• 2 workouts (missed the Wednesday workout)

Here are the planned workouts and meals for the week:

Workouts

Monday, 10/29

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 20 Russian Swings
• 20 toes-to-bar or leg lifts

Wednesday, 10/31

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (3 rounds):

• 15 push ups
• 10 split lunges

Friday, 11/2

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (2 rounds)

• 15 ball slams
• 15 upright rows 
• 15 dips

Meals

Monday, 10/29

 

Asian-marinated crockpot beef spareribs (didn't have these Sunday as planned)

Tuesday, 10/30

 

Smoked hot wings with collard greens

Wednesday, 10/31

 

Cheeseburgers on a bed of lettuce

Thursday, 11/1

 

Eating Out--TBD

Friday, 11/2

 

Spicy meatballs with bacon-blue cheese Brussels sprouts

Saturday, 10/27

 

Tri-tip with grilled asparagus

Sunday, 10/28

 

Pumpkin Curry chicken on cauliflower rice

Getting Competitive

I often tease Michelle because she is so competitive.  My favorite example was when we did the un-timed, noncompetitive Bike the Bay ride in San Diego the summer before last.  During this race, the Coronado Bridge is closed to allow bicycle traffic--the only time each year this occurs.  The views are spectacular, and most cyclist slowed down or even stopped to enjoy the unique vantage point.  Not so Michelle.  As I looked over to comment on the amazing view as we crested the bridge, she was long gone, head down, weaving through the slowing cyclist, determined to get ahead of them.  I really gave her a hard time for that, though I shouldn't, because it is what really drives her to succeed in the various racing endeavors she participates in, including her current triathlon efforts.  But it's something that rarely motivates me when it comes to sports and recreation.  For example, I always loved playing a fun game of tennis, but as soon as I joined a doubles league and things got seriously competitive, it kind of spoiled the sport for me.  I've never wanted that to happen with cycling, which I love, so I really am not interested in doing any bike racing.  So it was a bit of a surprise when I found my competitive juices flowing on my commute home from work on Wednesday....

I was headed home on the bike a bit late, having done a late afternoon training session.  I hurriedly changed into shorts, t-shirt and sandals for the ride home...definitely not any sort of competitive riding attire, and headed out.  On my touring/commuter bike, with a backpack containing my laptop over my shoulders and pannier stuffed with my work clothes and shoes on the rack, I was designed for anything but speed.  However, as I headed up Adams, I caught sight of another cyclist in my helmet mirror.  He was about 100 yards behind me as I started up the one fairly steep hill just south of Ivy.  There was no mistaking, even in the tiny 1" square view of my mirror, that he was on a racing bike and that he was fully decked out in lycra racing jersey and shorts--the bright (I would say gaudy) colors stood out even in the reflection.  I had no business competing with someone so geared and attired, but something primal kicked in, and I became determined not to let him catch me before I got to the top of the hill.  I kicked it into gear and pushed hard.  I did not look back until I crested the hill--only then did I check the mirror see that while he had gained slightly, he was still a good 50-75 yards back.  Not satisfied, I decided to make it to Ivy without being passed.  I shifted into a higher gear and pedaled hard down the hill, only slowing as I approached the intersection.  Though I could see the other rider pedaling hard, he had still gained only 10 yards or so.  So of course, Juniper became the new goal.  I cranked the pedals furiously and made it just as he caught up...suddenly feeling a little sheepish for so clearly working to prevent being passed in my commuter rig.  When he turned east on Juniper, I continued home at my usual leisurely pace, sweaty, but inwardly quite satisfied with myself.  My only disappointment is that I was concentrating and working too hard to take any pics.

Am I ready to start racing?  Absolutely not.  But I do have a little more appreciation for those racers out there and the rush they get from competitive cycling. Still, you won't catch me in my lycra any time soon, something that no doubt comes as a relief to the general public.

Here are the workouts and meals for the week:

Workouts

Monday, 10/22

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 20 Russian Swings
• 20 toes-to-bar or leg lifts

Wednesday, 10/24

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (3 rounds):

• 15 burpees
• 10 split lunges

Friday, 10/26

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (2 rounds)

• 15 ball slams
• 15 upright rows

Meals

Monday, 10/22

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters with Buffalo cauliflower

Tuesday, 10/23

Smoky Bacon Chili

Wednesday, 10/24

Grilled Pork Chops with Asparagus

Thursday, 10/25

On the road--TBD

Friday, 10/26

Meatza Pizza with salad

Saturday, 10/27

Ribeye steak with collard greens

Sunday, 10/28

Asian-marinated crockpot beef spareribs

Work Outs and Meals for the Week of October 15, 2012

This week, I didn't get on a long weekend bike ride--was only able to find time for a 14-miler with Michelle.  However, I was able to compile just under 40 miles for the week by commuting 2 days (10 miles round trip) and running several errands by bike.   The Surly Nice Rack has come in handy, as has the trailer I used to use to pull Eoin around when he was younger.  Was able to make some trips to the recycling center by bike using this to haul the cans and bottles.  Other than getting hit in the lip by a bee, it was a great way to go!

By far, my favorite option is commuting.  Here's me on the way in last Wednesday:

As you can see, it was overcast and cool, which made for a great ride to work.  Had me feeling good and energized all day.  Even the ride home where I battled a headwind for a couple miles was great.  Instead of arriving home exhausted and brain dead, I felt renewed...ready to play with Eoin, get some dinner going, walk the dogs, and do some evening work.  Best of all, it never feels like exercise!

Also enjoyed some great, easy meals.  I did do the Smoky Bacon Chili, which was a bit involved...but the leftovers for lunch and over eggs for breakfast make it worth it!  But our weekly burgers, last night's mixed grill with collard greens, and tonight's slow cooked grassfed tri-tip took no time at all and were terrific.  One of my favorite things I've been doing is riding to Plowboys for some fresh veggies just before dinner.   Adds nicely to both the meals and my mileage.

 Here are the workouts and meals for the week.

Workouts

Monday, 10/15

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 15 ball slams
• 15 upright rows

Wednesday, 10/17

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (3 rounds):

• 15 burpees
• 10 split lunges

Friday, 10/19

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (2 rounds)

• 20 Russian Swings
• 20 air squats
• 20 toes-to-bar or leg lifts

Meals

Monday, 10/15

Grassfed beef cheese burgers  on bed of lettuce and tomatoes

Tuesday, 10/16

Meatballs and Italian Sausage in Red Sauce over Spaghetti Squash with steamed green beans

Wednesday, 10/17

Grilled Carne Asada tacos

Thursday, 10/18

Brats & hot dogs with Buffalo cauliflower

Friday, 10/19

Meatza Pizza with salad

Saturday, 10/20

Mixed grill--chicken thighs, sausage, and shrimp with collard greens

Sunday, 10/21

Slow-cooker pot roast

Workouts & Meals for Week of 10-8-12

Made a few changes to last week's meal plan thanks for a delivery of grassfed beef that I forgot I had ordered.  We are well-supplied for the next few months!

Enjoyed some terrific carne asada last night--beef was so good my simple olive oil-lemon juice-garlic marinade was just enough for great tasting tacos (or in my case, taco salad).  Am looking forward to tomorrow night's blue cheese burgers!

Logged some solid miles on my bike (and saved some gas along the way!) by commuting to work one day, running several errands, and taking it on short trips to watch Siobhan play volleyball at school and at the club.  With my long ride Saturday morning, I totaled 47 miles for the week this way. 

I added a Surly Nice Rack to my LHT today:

With my panniers, this should make commuting and errand running even easier.  Am hoping to pick up a grocery bag pannier soon so I can do all or most shopping errands by bike.  Still prefer to keep most of this to the western end of Murrieta just because I like to avoid traffic as much as possible, but this still enables me to get to Plowboys, Ralphs, Barron's, and the carniceria on two wheels.  Would like to ride over to Fresh and Easy, but Murrieta Hot Springs is not a bike-friendly route.  Too bad they never opened the one on our side of town!

Here's the workouts and meals for the week:

Workouts

Monday, 10/8

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 30 Russian Swings
• 10 split lunges

Wednesday, 10/10

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (5 rounds):

• 15 ball slams
• 15 upright rows

Friday, 10/12

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (2 rounds)

• 20 Russian Swings
• 20 air squats
• 20 toes-to-bar or leg lifts

Meals

Monday, 10/8

Grassfed beef bacon-blue cheese burgers  on bed of lettuce and tomatoes

Tuesday, 10/9

Slow-cooked barbecued hot wings with rapini and salad

Wednesday, 10/10

Smoky bacon chili

Thursday, 10/11

Gryo greek salad from Siggy's

Friday, 10/12

Dinner out in San Diego

Saturday, 10/13

Mixed grill

Sunday, 10/14

Slow-cooked barbecued tri-tip with asparagus and salad

Workouts and Meals for Week of 10-1-12

So last week's meals and workouts did not go quite as scheduled.  I ended up skipping Friday's workout as I was unbelievably sore from Wednesday.  The ball slams really worked my legs and I was limping around on sore legs until Saturday.  We celebrated two birthdays last week as well, and ended up being taken out or going out to dinner ourselves three times.  While I did well at most of these meals, I went off the track Saturday at my son's birthday party--had pizza and beer...and paid for it later.

So this morning I tried to make up for it with a long, fairly hard ride through Temecula wine country with Michelle and our friends Dave and Karrie.  We put in a nice 24 miler before it got too hot.

It was a beautiful morning, fairly light on traffic, with lots of hot air balloons in the sky as you can see in the background.  We also left early enough to beat the heat.  Mostly rolling country roads with a few tough (and one killer) climbs (about 1900 total feet of climbing). 

Biking has really become my favorite way to follow the Primal Blueprint's recommendation for Low Level Aerobic Activity.  In addition to my workouts, as listed below, I walk my dogs 1-2 miles a day, try to run many errands on bike and even commute to work by bike whenever possible, and each weekend, try to get in one nice long, leisurely ride.  It's all part of my plan to avoid the Chronic Cardio of the past that always led to burnout and injury.  As I approach one full year of following the plan, it seems to be working.  One adjustment that has really helped keep me motivated on my rides has been ditching my road bike.  As many of you know, I had a pretty nasty accident on my road bike back in June that led to a broken arm (at the shoulder joint) that I'm still, slowly, recovering from.  I never felt particularly stable on my ultralight road bike with its extremely thin racing wheels, and my accident made me question why someone committed to recreational riding, commuting, and touring was on a racing-style road bike in the first place.  So I sold it and bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker:

It's got a more relaxed geometry, which is easy on my back, a solid steel frame, and larger wheels.  It gives up something in terms of speed, but I don't miss that, and what it makes up for in comfort will keep me riding longer and with more enjoyment.  I'll also be able to use it for some touring, including my dream ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that I'm committed to doing sometime within the next two years.  In the meantime, it's been great for everything from my weekend 25-40 milers to a quick ride to Plowboys to stock up on veggies for dinner.

Here's this week's plan:

Workouts

Monday, 10/1

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 30 Russian Swings
• 30 second plank

Wednesday, 10/3

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (5 rounds):

• 15 ball slams
• 10 split lunges

Friday, 10/5

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds)

• 30 Russian Swings
• 20 air squats
• 20 toes-to-bar or leg lifts

Meals

Monday, 10/1

Sirlion burgers with fried egg on bed of lettuce and tomatoes

Tuesday, 10/2

Italian Meatballs with Red Sauce & Italian Sausage over spaghetti squash with salad

Wednesday, 10/3

Gyros with Greek Salad

Thursday, 10/4

Slow smoked chicken leg quarters with bacon-blue cheese Brussels Sprouts

Friday, 10/5

Grilled shrimp and tilapia with steamed green beans and salad

Saturday, 10/6

Dinner out with grandma and grampy to celebrate birthdays!

Sunday, 10/7

Slow-cooked barbecued hot wings with rapini and salad

Workouts and Meals for Week of 9-24-12

Back at the blog--going to try to be more consistent by posting just once a week (bit off more than I could chew previously.  Will combine my planned workouts with the meal plan.  Where I am using meals with recipes from websites I follow, I will include a link to that specific recipe.  I am also working on compiling video references of each of the exercises listed in the warm ups and workouts.  I will be doing a post that can be referenced with videos of all the workouts.

One thing to note about the workouts below--I'm still recovering from a shoulder injury I suffered in June when I went down hard on my road bike.  I broke my humerus right at the shoulder joint and, though I just "graduated" from physical therapy, won't be able to do any upper body exercises for another 6 weeks or so.

In addition to my morning workouts, also walked the dogs twice daily for 20 minutes each, and completed a 27-mile road cycling ride around Lake Elsinore with Michelle today.  Great ride, though temp was into the 90's for the last 12 miles or so.

Workouts

Monday, 9/24

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds):

• 30 Russian Swings
• 30 second plank

Wednesday, 9/26

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 rolling v-sits
• 10 mountain climbers
• 10 fire hyrdrants
• 10 twist lunges

Workout (5 rounds):

• 15 ball slams
• 15 box jumps

Friday, 9/28

Warm Up (2 rounds):

• 15 min walk
• Samson stretch
• 15 sit ups
• 15 air squats

Workout (3 rounds)

• 30 Russian Swings
• 20 air squats
• 20 split lunges

Meals

Monday, 9/24

Sirlion burgers with fried egg on bed of lettuce and tomatoes

Tuesday, 9/25

Spicy meatballs with salad

Wednesday, 9/26

Dinner out for Niall's 22nd birthday!

Thursday, 9/27

Hot dogs and hot links for Eoin's 5th birthday!

Friday, 9/28

Grilled pork chops with steamed green beans and salad

Saturday, 9/29

Dinner out with grandma and grampy to celebrate birthdays!

Sunday, 9/30

Slow-cooked barbecued hot wings with rapini and salad

Healthy Choices in Sin City?

Been off the blog for a bit--that time of the school year for me, but now I'm back on track.  A few weekends ago I was presented yet another challenge to my goal of making healthier choices.  I attended a mini-reunion in Las Vegas.  Las Vegas is not my favorite place to visit.  I don't particularly like to gamble, and so on past visits, the only thing I ever found compelling were the cheap and bountiful buffets.  While Michelle hit the slots, I hit the Rio, or Mirage, or Caesar's, or you-name-it buffet.  Basically, I gambled with my weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

While I wanted to avoid the extreme food sins of past visits, I also wanted to ensure I enjoyed this one.  I went with no intention of completing restricting myself (see the 80/20 Principle in the--post).   However, I also wanted to be strategic so I did not come home with any major regrets.

First, we stayed off the strip in a non-casino.  The Embassy Suites is a great place to stay, just a few blocks from the casinos, that offers a fantastic free omelet breakfast.  By staying here, I knew it would be easy to avoid the breakfast buffet temptation, but still be able to enjoy a satisfying meal.

Second, we planned our meal locations carefully.  We again went off strip, first to a renowned steakhouse and next to a Korean Barbecue.  The latter was actually a second choice to a Japanese grill that proved too crowded upon arrival, but as an alternative, gave us what my friend Tracy dubbed an "all you can meat" experience.  Relatively on track with my eating style, but absolutely delicious.

Finally, I wanted to make sure I got my exercise in.  We got up and did our Crossfit workout at the 6am class before leaving Friday so that I had that under my belt.  And on Saturday, instead of going to the casinos, I planned a great hike up at Red Rock Canyon, just west of Las Vegas.  It was a great hike--challenging enough to be great exercise with spectacular views of the amazing rock formations and the courageous (or crazy) rock climbers.

So that's the theme again--balanced approach to make healthier living doable--and careful planning to make healthy choices fit in to any circumstance. 

Here's the meals for the next 10 days--

Tues, 5/22:
Grilled ribeye steaks with steamed string beans

Wed, 5/23:
Crockpot hot wings from the Civilized Caveman with salad

Thur, 5/24:
Crockpot Cuban Pork Lettuce Wraps from Paleomg

Fri, 5/25:
Grilled brats with steamed artichokes and salad

Sat, 5/26:
Prime Rib with steamed bacon-blue cheese brussel spouts--birthday celebration #1

Sun, 5/27:
Dining out--birthday celebration #2

Mon, 5/28:
Dining out--birthday celebration #3

Tues, 5/29:
Bacon-wrapped stuffed chicken breasts with steamed broccoli

Wed, 5/30:
Jambalaya from Paleomg

Thur, 5/31
Grilled smoke sausage with grilled peppers and onions

This week's WODs:

Mon, 5/21:

Push Press
3-3-3-1-1-1

3 Rounds:
10 Deadlifts
15 Pushups
400 meter run

Wed, 5/23:2

Good Mornings
3 X 10

Row 500M
21-15-9
Hang Power Clean (115-95/85-65)
Dips

Meal Plan & WODs for Week of April 23

Behind schedule planning for this week, but still able to stay on track by creating some quick meals using leftovers, such as the pork in the stir fry below and the chicken for the Cobb salad, with lots of fresh vegetables that we had on hand. 

This weekend will be a challenge due to reunion events I will be attending, but following the 80/20 Principle I learned from Mark's Daily Apple, I will enjoy without allowing it to derail me as has often happened in the past.

Meal Plan:

Monday: Pork stir fry with broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and gluten free soy sauce--no rice!

Tuesday: Chicken Cobb salad with uncured bacon and blue cheese crumbles.

Wednesday: Brats with Brussel sprouts and salad.

Thursday: Gyro plate from Daphnes with double salad, no rice!

Fri-Sat: Dining out at reunion events.

Sunday: Slow-smoked chicken leg quarters and grilled asparagus.

Monday WOD: Mountain biking on local trails

Tuesday WOD--Crossfit:

At each 1 minute station, you have 1 minute to complete:
3 Tire Flips
9 Wallball
12 Russian Swings
15 Box Jumps
1 minute rest.
Repeat for a total of 5 Rounds.

WODs, Meals, & Taxes

Nothing could derail my best laid diet plans like a stressful situation. And tax week is among the most stressful experiences many of us face. Last year at this time, I was likely seeking solace from my tax-anxiety at any one of the dozens of fast food drive thrus that have sprouted up on seemingly every corner in our community (I remember when there were only a handful of such restaurants when we first moved to Southwest Riverside County 20 years ag0). Whether I found any comfort, even fleetingly, from these binges is debatable, but the stress was certainly a convenient excuse for stuffing my face.
So how do I combat this tendency? What's working right now is careful planning. The combination of scheduling in my exercise and outlining all of my meals for the week has proven to be a powerful preventative measure. And keeping the meals simple and easy to prepare has been essential. For example, the breakfast scramble you see to the left was a quick and delicious meal this morning that kept me fueled and on track throughout the day. It's simply some gluten-free chicken breakfast sausage, peppers, which I had chopped up the night before while preparing some chili, and eggs. Took no time at all to prepare, but the key was having those ingredients ready because I knew ahead of time that this would be the breakfast meal for today.

Planning dinner is equally important. If nothing firm is set, then it is all-too-easy to go off the rails and head to the drive thru. But again, if the plans call for something too complicated to prepare, then it is also easy to put off that home cooked meal and to instead go out for something quick, easy, and less healthy. The dinner pictured to the right is a great example. Shrimp and tilapia, pan fried in a healthy oil and seasoned simply with Cajun spice, with a side of steamed organic asparagus (frozen). We even garnished with some Paleo cocktail sauce--a simple mixture of Paleo ketchup and horse radish. Took maybe 15 minutes to prepare (and served with a flourish on our finest paper plates). However, if it wasn't planned out ahead of time with all ingredients ready, it would have been easy to skip this meal, especially at the end of a busy, stressful day.

So planning has been the biggest lesson. That's why I'm posting my meal plan for the week each Sunday along with my shopping list to share with you and hopefully contribute to your success. Until I started doing that, it was far too easy for me to be lured in by that Siren call: "Hello, may I take your order?"

WODs this week:
Mon--

Press
3-3-3-3-3-3

8 Alternating Tabata cycles each movement (16 total intervals):
Russian Kettlebell Swings
Pushups

Tabata cycles mean you do as many reps in 20 seconds of the first drill, rest 10 seconds, do 20 seconds of as many of the 2nd one, and so on, until you've done 8 of each drill. You count only the lowest number of reps, which is the big challenge. For example, my lowest number on the KB swings was 11, and on the pushups 6. As you can imagine, it gets tougher and tougher with each cycle.

Wed--

Back Squat
3-3-3-1-1-1

30 Dumbbell Walking Lunges
15 V-Ups
125 Meter Run
30 Dumbbell Walking Lunges
20 Knees To Elbow
125 Meter Run
30 Dumbbell Walking Lunges
30 Sit-Ups
125 Meter Run

Meal Plan for 4-16-12

Meal Plan Week of 4-16-12

Mon: Grilled shrimp and tilapia with Paleo cocktail sauce and salad

Tues: Smokey bacon chili over sweet potatoes--recipe from Paleomg

Wed: Southwest meatloaf--recipe from Paleomg--with bacon-blue cheese Brussel Sprouts

Thur: Crockpot hot wings--recipe from Civilized Caveman

Fri: Smoked avocado lime pork chops--recipe from Civilized Caveman

Sat: Fundraiser dinner party

Sun: Grilled chicken and asparagus

Shopping list:

Eggs
4 lbs Ground beef
Shrimp
Pork chops

Chicken wings
15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
Justin's almond butter
85% cacao dark chocolate
Sweet potatoes
Green peppers
Red peppers
Yellow peppers
Yellow onions
Spaghetti squash
Romaine
Brussel sprouts

WOD and Workout Approach

So you may be wondering why I'm only posting my WOD, or Workout of the Day, about 3-4 times per week. Most of us our conditioned (no pun intended) when it comes to fitness to think that more is better. But my current approach, influenced heavily by Mark Sisson's book The Primal Blueprint and his website Mark's Daily Apple, has a definite less-is-more focus.

I was, of course, skeptical, believing that weight loss success would require at least 6 days a week of heavy cardio. This was the approach I took when I started this journey almost two years ago as described in my Inaugural Blog, and even though I could not sustain it (lack of time/constant injury), I believed it was the correct approach. It wasn't until I started to do some research as I started out with Crossfit IV last November that I learned there was an approach to fitness that was not only more sustainable, it was more effective.

While I will get into more details in future posts, the basic workout philosophy I learned from The Primal Blueprint and have been using ever since is as follows:

• Lift heavy things 3 times per week
• Move frequently at a slow pace
• Sprint, all out effort, every 7-10 days

Of course, this workout plan is only one aspect--the diet is the most important component--and Sisson provides a nice overview of both the diet and workout basics on The Primal Blueprint Diagram page. The good news is, you can essentially follow this from home without any expensive equipment and do quite well--in fact, if you subscribe to Mark's Daily Apple, you will receive, for free, all the tools and resources you need, including videos of body-weight exercises that take care of the "lift heavy things" component. What it looks like for me is:

• Crossfit 3 times per week (I'll explain why this is the best way for me to get my lifting done in a future post) which provides a nice combination of functional drills that incorporate lifting and mobility workouts
  
• Walking, mostly my dogs, every day, 1-2 times per day, along with frequent leisurely bike rides, and at least one long hike or bike ride each week
  
• Windsprints or bike intervals ever 1-2 weeks

I have found this to be a perfect blend--easy to follow and fit in my busy schedule, varied enough to keep me interested, motivated and injury free, and, perhaps most important, fun. As a result, unlike past workout initiatives, I've been able to stick to this one much longer than a few weeks.

So here is today's WOD--and hopefully the above gives it some perspective:

WOD for 4-14-12

Warm Up:
400 M run
Samson Stretch
Air Squats
Abmat Sit Ups
Planks

WOD:
AMRAP 8 (As Many Rounds as Possible in 8 minutes)
5 Man Makers
10 Ball Slams

What's a Man Maker?

WOD for 4-11-12

Workout of the Day:
400 M Row and 2 Rounds of Crossfit Warm Up

30-20-10
Wallballs
Pull Ups

200 M Row

What's a Wallball?

WOD for 4-9-12

WOD: 12-mile ride along the coast, from Venice to Pacific Palisades, with my buddy Jon (pictured). Something about a beautiful view that makes a workout go by effortlessly.

Dinner: Mediterranean chicken salad from the Figtree Cafe, with a view of the eccentric Venice Beach locals. Great company and lively surroundings.

Weekly Meal Plan

My goal is to post my weekly meal plan on this blog every Sunday. My diet is probably the thing I'm asked about most often. And while I've explained how I've been eating and shared a lot of recipes, one thing I often hear from friends is "Just show me what to do." I'm hoping the meal plan can accomplish this.

Planning has been essential. If I don't have the meals planned out for the week and all of the ingredients stocked up, I know I will probably not eat well. I've been there before. It is far too easy to take the easy way out--to dine out, grab some fast food, or make some quick, processed meal. The main reason I've had success thus far is that by planning out my meals using the valuable resources I have discovered, I'm able to create highly satisfying and relatively easy-to-make meals. While I will share more in later posts about how I am trying to eat, for now, I'll just post the plan, often including links to the particular recipe that I will use, and a shopping list of the important things to stock up on.

As I mentioned above, I will explain the eating approach in future posts, but as you look at some of the meals below, you may find some of them counter-intuitive to a healthy approach to nutrition. Michelle, too, was a bit skeptical when we started, but she trusted the research I had done and chose to go along with me in this approach. In addition to the weight loss we've experienced, there have been other clear markers that this has been a healthy experience for us. You may also wonder about the time and money we put into this eating approach. I have many friends who say they don't have the time or ability to cook healthy meals. I basically have selected meals that are relatively quick and easy to prepare--if not, I probably wouldn't have the ability, or the will, to make them, either. And we've actually saved money since eating this way. We've found we waste a lot less food, we eat out far less often (though you may question that when you look at the plan below), and we don't spend money on a lot of processed snacks and desserts.

One more thing: my focus, as you can see, is on dinner. I will explain the 2-3 breakfast choices I basically repeat, for simplicity's sake, throughout the week in a later post. As for lunch, we always try to double the dinner recipes you'll see below so we can have leftovers as our lunch the following day--been working out very well.

So I hope you find this helpful. If nothing else, it will help me remain accountable in my own efforts. Here's this week's plan:

Monday: Dining out with my good friend Jon up in LA. I'll tackle dining out in later posts.

Tuesday: Smoked Avocado Lime Pork Chops--recipe from The Civilized Caveman--with salad and grilled peppers

Wednesday: Fried chicken, using EVO and nut flour--recipe from Mark's Daily Apple--plus salad and steamed broccoli (if I don't have fresh, I used frozen organic broccoli)

Thursday: Late lunch, I hope, with my friend Karen and then late dinner out with another good friend, Ryan, from LA--using spring break to do some catch up

Friday: Grilled shrimp salad

Saturday: Meatballs in read sauce--recipe from Fast Paleo--over spaghetti squash with salad.

Sunday: Bacon Wrapped Beef Franks with Spicy "Relish"--recipe from The Civilized Caveman--plus salad and grilled asparagus

Shopping List:
*Note--I try to buy organic, cage-free, grassfed, etc., when possible and, honestly, affordable--more on this in later post

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 dz beef franks
2 lb large shrimp (I buy frozen from Costco)
8 chicken breasts
4 bone-in pork chops
2-3 lbs uncured bacon (I like to purchase from Fresh and Easy, their own brand, but I also sometimes splurge on uncured jalapeno bacon from Baron's)
1 package gluten free sausage links (I buy big package of these from meat section at Costco that lasts a whole month)
1-1/2 dozen organic, cage-free eggs (both Costco and Sam's Club sell these--well-worth the slightly higher price)
Unsalted macadamias, walnuts, and pecans
Parmesan, Asiago, Romano Shredded Cheese Blend
Avocado
Spaghetti squash
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Peppers
Asparagus

WOD for 4-7-12

One of the things I'll be doing on this blog is posting my WOD, or Workout of the Day. Hopefully, this will inspire you to get out there and get your own WOD done, whether following the same routine as I do or designing your own.

From my experience these past two years trying to find the ideal health and fitness plan (see Inaugural blog post), what I have found works best for sticking to regular workouts is variety. It's why I love doing Crossfit (which you'll hear more about in future posts) three days a week, and then sprinkling in on other days an nice variety of walking, hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, swimming, and other sports.

Today's WOD: 10-mile mountain bike at Lake Hodges. Also added 1.25 mile walk.

If you only know Lake Hodges from the brief glimpse you get as you speed over it on the 15 freeway in Escondido, I highly recommend you take the time to explore its trails, which are well maintained if a bit rocky. Tucked out of view of the freeway is a beautiful lake that rivals some of my favorite hiking spots in the Eastern Sierras.

We started at the trail head across from Hernandez' Hideaway (a great spot for a post- ride meal), and headed along the northeast side of the lake. Most of this trail is gently rolling with just a few technical challenges, but farther out, there are some single track spurs you can take . The hills on these give you a great endurance challenge going up and a true thrill ride going down.

Beautiful scenery, physical challenge, and fun--my idea of a great workout!

Inaugural Blog Post

This is the inaugural post for the Kegger 2 Six Pack blog, which is an offshoot of my wife's blog, The Flabby to Flabulous Files. Michelle's site is designed to share her journey toward a healthier lifestyle, and along the way, inspire others who are on the same road. I hope to do the same, with an emphasis on the male perspective, while sharing the tools and resources that are helping me along the way.

My wife and I have been on a parallel journey for the past two years, with some overlap, some differences, and some varying degrees of success. We started training for our first half marathon just under two years ago. I successfully completed three half marathons, along with other shorter distance races, over the course of the following 8 months. Michelle, on the other hand, has gone on to run...I can't even count how many half marathons and other races during the past two years. Running, clearly, is her thing. It is not my thing. Fortunately, I discovered cycling, both road and mountain, was my thing and have taken that up as my cardio workout of choice.

So we both found our niche when it came to a cardio-focused workout. However, we also both noticed, after some initial success, that our weight loss had stalled. We knew we had to look closely at our diet and add strength training in order to keep making progress. We dabbled here and there with various nutritional and weight programs, but nothing "stuck." Then in November, we discovered CrossFit Inland Valley--and this was the game changer. We not only found a program we loved doing, but an approach to nutrition that has made a huge difference. I will be sharing more about what we've learned at Crossfit IV in future posts, but for now, I will just tell you that we had something that we were able to do together while also being able to enjoy our individual exercise approaches. And thanks to what I have learned these past five months, I know feel that I, too, have something of value to share that I hope,will help and inspire others.

Why share? Well, I feel like I've found a great balance of diet and exercise that is fun, doable, and that has put me on the path that has inspired the title for this blog--getting rid of what I had long called "my kegger"--the huge belly I joked about publicly but suffered from physically and emotionally--constant back and knee pain, fatigue, frustration...even depression. Since November, I've drawn 40 pounds off that keg, and along the way alleviated a lot of the pain and exhaustion that was plaguing me. As others have noticed the changes, they've asked me about my diet and exercise, and I've explained a lot of what I do with them informally...and this has motivated me to share more formally on this site. Through this blog, I hope to not only provide a platform to illuminate the things that are helping me--meal plans, shopping lists, recipes, informational and inspirational resources--with others, but to also continue to keep myself accountable. While I have made progress, I'm no where near having that six pack, but I'm in it for the long haul, and hope others will join me for the ride.