Refrigerator contents circa 10.10.2005.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Rowing: 800k
I officially passed the 800,000 meter mark tonight -- which means just a simple 200k meters to go before I have my million meter t-shirt.
Just nice easy paced 10k tonight to bring it over the 10k.
Just nice easy paced 10k tonight to bring it over the 10k.
Friday, October 07, 2005
I got all of this at the Grand Central Market in downtown LA for $11.65. Super cheap. It probably would have been on the order of $30 bucks at Ralph. The next time I go to the store and downtown, I need to take the camera in to photograph the differences for fun. (Much dirtier at the Grand Central than Vons (safeway) grocery store though).
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Interesting Phenomenon - Desire To Row
ROWING PHASE
For whatever reason, I seem to be currently going through a pretty heavy rowing phase. I figure it's worthwhile to simply go with it -- I mean why fight that desire to do more of a particular type of exercise?
I figure it's a great aerobic (and, arguably some strength) type of workout. It provides me with valid exercise and I seem to be excelling more and more at the indoor sport. Also, the other perfectly valid reason for enjoying the experience is the dead-set ability to benchmark one exact performance against another: my 5,000 meters rowed last week, is nearly identical to the 5,000 meters rowed this week (the only minutely different variable is temperature in my apartment -- but even that is ONLY a difference of a degree or two (70-73 deg F typically); well, there is one difference between teh performance (which is the point): My body's ability to do the work -- and the ideal is rather pure: Increase the effort/work one's body can do and measure that difference and, arguably, one has increased their fitness. That seems like a nice feature of rowing -- and perhaps a bit understated by some.
I continue to attack records -- some with more success than others. It gets more and more fun the better shape I seem to attain ;:-0.
k
For whatever reason, I seem to be currently going through a pretty heavy rowing phase. I figure it's worthwhile to simply go with it -- I mean why fight that desire to do more of a particular type of exercise?
I figure it's a great aerobic (and, arguably some strength) type of workout. It provides me with valid exercise and I seem to be excelling more and more at the indoor sport. Also, the other perfectly valid reason for enjoying the experience is the dead-set ability to benchmark one exact performance against another: my 5,000 meters rowed last week, is nearly identical to the 5,000 meters rowed this week (the only minutely different variable is temperature in my apartment -- but even that is ONLY a difference of a degree or two (70-73 deg F typically); well, there is one difference between teh performance (which is the point): My body's ability to do the work -- and the ideal is rather pure: Increase the effort/work one's body can do and measure that difference and, arguably, one has increased their fitness. That seems like a nice feature of rowing -- and perhaps a bit understated by some.
I continue to attack records -- some with more success than others. It gets more and more fun the better shape I seem to attain ;:-0.
k
Saturday, October 01, 2005
TRIATHLON SEASON - GIRLFRIEND
TRIATHLON SEASON
My triathlon season has come to a non-eventful end for the year. I decided -- mostly because it's tomorrow -- that I'm not going to do the triathlon down in San Diego. Also becasue I've done little riding and swimming in the past few weeks.
WHITE PAPER - FUTURE TRI GOALS
So, I've been trying to workout my future triathlon goals particularly in the 90 days / 6 months, 1 year and 18 month ranges.
I finish school in the next 90 days. So, that's definitely a focus -- I need to ensure I dot all the i's and cross all the t's for school.
After school ends, there are holidays, followed immediately thereafter with a course and then a significant licensing exam. I take mine in February unlike many of my classmates. I'll get the results in May. Hopefully they'll be positive.
So I figure the month of January and February will be incredibly light months for me. Probably 3-5 hours per week of exercise -- so about 12-20 hours per month for each of the two months. No real training can go on then. Nor can any significant training occur during finals in December.
So, it leaves me with some base building potential in March / April / May, which I suppose is fine.
HALF-IRONMAN PROSPECTS
Though I haven't finally pulled the trigger on it, I would like to commit to doing a half ironman next year -- preferably in the fall. In fact, it might even be preferable to some degree to travel to do a high profile race. That's always fun and a powerful incentive to train harder/smarter.
There are a few half-ironmans in the spring, notably Ralph's down in Oceanside -- but because it's held in either Mar/Apr -- there's no real time to make it work. So I could either plan to do it in '07 -- or do a fall half-ironman in '06 -- which seems much more likely.
But what that really means is trying to schedule in hard training during multiple events:
* successful girlfriend;
* new job at Office (after pass test) (hopefully);
* multiple exams immediately before -- and trying to put everything together.
So I think I could commit to doing it, but I'm going to have to get the GF to sign on -- but that's not for a few months before I need to get her to sign on to that program.
TRAINING IN NEXT 90 DAYS
I think in the immediate few weeks, I'm going to modify the training a bit, notably:
* Try to get out on the mountain bike on the weekends to get some nice Pasadena rides in;
* More rowing -- it's easier on my body than running -- and much more convenient than swimming right now. I find it to be a pretty decent substitute for swimming too, because of all of the upper body work;
* I'd also like to get some real miles in on my new track bike too. It should be fun.
NOV-DEC
As Nov and Dec approach, undoubtedly due to less light, I'll be doing much more indoor training. Notably much more riding on the computrainer -- and perhaps a bit of walking here and there -- at least I wouldn't mind trying that.
My Dec goal is to complete my 1 million meters rowing goal -- which should come about pretty comfortably.
JAN-FEB
Light training - I'm going to plan for much lower hours due to the compactness and pressure of preparing for my upcoming proffessional exam.
MAR-APR-MAY
I think this is full on building more and more endurance phases -- with some significant rowing (for speed work) thrown into the mix.
JUN-JUL-AUG-SEP
The heart of the triathlon season next year.
I think I'd like to do:
1. Another xterra, probably in August or so (but I'd like to do it at 15% body fat or lower, not 23%);
2. 2-4 olympic distance tris;
3. 2-4 less than olympic (particularly enjoyed the ventura county tri -- also I'd like to get down to san diego; I also enjoyed the tri way out in san gabriel).
k
My triathlon season has come to a non-eventful end for the year. I decided -- mostly because it's tomorrow -- that I'm not going to do the triathlon down in San Diego. Also becasue I've done little riding and swimming in the past few weeks.
WHITE PAPER - FUTURE TRI GOALS
So, I've been trying to workout my future triathlon goals particularly in the 90 days / 6 months, 1 year and 18 month ranges.
I finish school in the next 90 days. So, that's definitely a focus -- I need to ensure I dot all the i's and cross all the t's for school.
After school ends, there are holidays, followed immediately thereafter with a course and then a significant licensing exam. I take mine in February unlike many of my classmates. I'll get the results in May. Hopefully they'll be positive.
So I figure the month of January and February will be incredibly light months for me. Probably 3-5 hours per week of exercise -- so about 12-20 hours per month for each of the two months. No real training can go on then. Nor can any significant training occur during finals in December.
So, it leaves me with some base building potential in March / April / May, which I suppose is fine.
HALF-IRONMAN PROSPECTS
Though I haven't finally pulled the trigger on it, I would like to commit to doing a half ironman next year -- preferably in the fall. In fact, it might even be preferable to some degree to travel to do a high profile race. That's always fun and a powerful incentive to train harder/smarter.
There are a few half-ironmans in the spring, notably Ralph's down in Oceanside -- but because it's held in either Mar/Apr -- there's no real time to make it work. So I could either plan to do it in '07 -- or do a fall half-ironman in '06 -- which seems much more likely.
But what that really means is trying to schedule in hard training during multiple events:
* successful girlfriend;
* new job at Office (after pass test) (hopefully);
* multiple exams immediately before -- and trying to put everything together.
So I think I could commit to doing it, but I'm going to have to get the GF to sign on -- but that's not for a few months before I need to get her to sign on to that program.
TRAINING IN NEXT 90 DAYS
I think in the immediate few weeks, I'm going to modify the training a bit, notably:
* Try to get out on the mountain bike on the weekends to get some nice Pasadena rides in;
* More rowing -- it's easier on my body than running -- and much more convenient than swimming right now. I find it to be a pretty decent substitute for swimming too, because of all of the upper body work;
* I'd also like to get some real miles in on my new track bike too. It should be fun.
NOV-DEC
As Nov and Dec approach, undoubtedly due to less light, I'll be doing much more indoor training. Notably much more riding on the computrainer -- and perhaps a bit of walking here and there -- at least I wouldn't mind trying that.
My Dec goal is to complete my 1 million meters rowing goal -- which should come about pretty comfortably.
JAN-FEB
Light training - I'm going to plan for much lower hours due to the compactness and pressure of preparing for my upcoming proffessional exam.
MAR-APR-MAY
I think this is full on building more and more endurance phases -- with some significant rowing (for speed work) thrown into the mix.
JUN-JUL-AUG-SEP
The heart of the triathlon season next year.
I think I'd like to do:
1. Another xterra, probably in August or so (but I'd like to do it at 15% body fat or lower, not 23%);
2. 2-4 olympic distance tris;
3. 2-4 less than olympic (particularly enjoyed the ventura county tri -- also I'd like to get down to san diego; I also enjoyed the tri way out in san gabriel).
k
Caliper Body Fat: 23.26%
Checked my body fat today and it remains "high" at 23.26%. I'd like to get it lowered below 20% as I keep saying. Mucho sushi last night (free) so hard to pass up -- but I did drink diet coke all night. Heading out for mountain bike today too.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Derelict in duty
Well, I've been derelict in my duty at posting. Mostly becasue I have a new (and pretty kick-ass) girlfriend.
It's always a struggle, though, to mix girlfriend and copious workouts (and diet). But I actually weighed 218 today, so in the weight department I think I did OK.
ROWING
Today I actually tried to set a new 30 min record (Personal Best, I should say) for myself on the rowing machine and I just didn't have it in me. I may go for it tomorrow.
I still really enjoy rowing as an additional method for working out. It gets a good sweat going and I get a pretty good full body workout from the machine. To date, I've rowed 734,000 meters -- I'm fast approaching the 1,000,000 meter mark (for which, the folks at Concept 2 provide rowers with a much vaunted t-shirt).
TRIATHLON
I think my triathlon season is done -- mostly by default. There's another race or two in San Diego, but to be honest, my training really hasn't been there with the new GF -- so it's tough to make that work.
I have seriously considered -- and I do imagine -- doing a half-ironman next year. I still have a serious commitment to breaking 200 pounds by my graduation date (and/or breaking down below 20% body fat). My goal, long term, in the next 6-12 months remains to get down into single digit body fat, ideally into the 5-6% range. This would definitely help the half-ironman prospects. I also think using the rowing machine as a way to maintain weight -- and to keep in decent shape over the dark winter months -- should work pretty well this winter. What a pleasant surprise that relatively simple machine has been for me.
Indeed, I think I'm going for my 30 min record in the am, when my food has fully digested :-).
k
It's always a struggle, though, to mix girlfriend and copious workouts (and diet). But I actually weighed 218 today, so in the weight department I think I did OK.
ROWING
Today I actually tried to set a new 30 min record (Personal Best, I should say) for myself on the rowing machine and I just didn't have it in me. I may go for it tomorrow.
I still really enjoy rowing as an additional method for working out. It gets a good sweat going and I get a pretty good full body workout from the machine. To date, I've rowed 734,000 meters -- I'm fast approaching the 1,000,000 meter mark (for which, the folks at Concept 2 provide rowers with a much vaunted t-shirt).
TRIATHLON
I think my triathlon season is done -- mostly by default. There's another race or two in San Diego, but to be honest, my training really hasn't been there with the new GF -- so it's tough to make that work.
I have seriously considered -- and I do imagine -- doing a half-ironman next year. I still have a serious commitment to breaking 200 pounds by my graduation date (and/or breaking down below 20% body fat). My goal, long term, in the next 6-12 months remains to get down into single digit body fat, ideally into the 5-6% range. This would definitely help the half-ironman prospects. I also think using the rowing machine as a way to maintain weight -- and to keep in decent shape over the dark winter months -- should work pretty well this winter. What a pleasant surprise that relatively simple machine has been for me.
Indeed, I think I'm going for my 30 min record in the am, when my food has fully digested :-).
k
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
No post in a while
I haven't posted in a few weeks now. Reason: Girlfriend, M, now in the picture. She's really good. But, as always seems to be the case with me, the first few weeks of courting removes a significant amount of my training time (though certainly not all of it -- I've done some pretty good running in the past 2-3 weeks).
Here are the current numbers:
weight ~223 this morning, I think 22 or 23% body fat (it's in the picture log of the past 3 weeks. (with sporadic entries for weeks 4 and 5).
Body dimensions, as of 09.21.2005, 1220am:
N: 15.75
B: 13.25
C: 43.25
uw: 41.00
lw: 38.00;
T: 22.25
H: 39.75
My body fat measurement via calipers is: 23.693%
I'm sure that's up from something.
I was also dreadfully sick over the past weekend. Indeed, I had a 103 deg fever. Bad times.
More to come I suppose.
kc
Here are the current numbers:
weight ~223 this morning, I think 22 or 23% body fat (it's in the picture log of the past 3 weeks. (with sporadic entries for weeks 4 and 5).
Body dimensions, as of 09.21.2005, 1220am:
N: 15.75
B: 13.25
C: 43.25
uw: 41.00
lw: 38.00;
T: 22.25
H: 39.75
My body fat measurement via calipers is: 23.693%
I'm sure that's up from something.
I was also dreadfully sick over the past weekend. Indeed, I had a 103 deg fever. Bad times.
More to come I suppose.
kc
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Monday, August 22, 2005
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Why Has Failure Become Such a Reasonable Option?
I'm not sure precisely why, but I am absolutely failing at the goal of getting to 20% body fat or 200 pounds. My weight has been stagnant (along with my body fat) since July 1st or so.
First let's get the data in so it can be understood:
Date / Weight / BF-Tanita / BF Calipers / (diff between tan-calipers)
08.21.2005 / 221.2 / 20.1% / 22.33% / 2.2%
07.21.2005 / 222.8 / 20.8% / 24.21% / 3.4%
06.21.2005 / 221.6 / 23.0% / 25.23% / 2.2%
05.21.2005 / 228.3 / 23.3% / 25.89% / 2.3%
It's hard for me to understand, deep within the wells of my brain, whether I am seeing actual results or whether I am simply rationalizing the numbers.
On the one hand, in the past three months I have lost 7 pounds -- which is 13 weeks, or about 0.5 pounds per week. I think it should be more like 2 pounds per week, at least a pound. But, on the other hand, it would appear that my body weight has dropped about 3%. And that drop is consistent across different methods (tanita from 23.3% to 20.1% (3.2% drop) and Calipers from 25.9% to 22.3% (3.6%)). These are both significant, and the corroboration tends to show that the drop didn't come from more aggressive body measuring via calipers as I had once feared.
But let's look at the other metric. The metric of body measurements:
08.21.2005
uw
08.21.2005 = 40.00
07.22.2005 = 40.25
06.23.2005 = 40.50
05.21.2005 = 41.00
So it appears I lost an inch from the upper waist.
Lower waist
08.21.2005 = 38.00
07.22.2005 = 39.00
06.23.2005 = 39.25
05.21.2005 = 38.50
Mostly a downward trend, from 38.5 to 38.00 or from 39.25 to 38.00.
chest:
08.21.2005 = 43.00
07.22.2005 = 43.00
06.23.2005 = 43.50
05.21.2005 = 44.25
Body measurement mostly shows a downward trend, with some exceptions.
CALORIC CONSUMPTION
I must confess I believe the issue still remains: Caloric consumption. I think one can only get so far via workouts. And I'm afraid that perhaps I'm at that point. Surely part of the slow down on weight loss has something to do with the change of jobs that puts me in front of massive calories on a regular basis. It'll be interesitng in the fall to see how that changes, given my new schedule.
HOW TO CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
* I think the level of exercise is quite sufficient for the goal at this point;
* I can do a much better job of tracking calories
* do better job of sticking to budget of calories -- I think it should go down to about 2,000 calories and see how that does for weight loss for 4-8 weeks.
First let's get the data in so it can be understood:
Date / Weight / BF-Tanita / BF Calipers / (diff between tan-calipers)
08.21.2005 / 221.2 / 20.1% / 22.33% / 2.2%
07.21.2005 / 222.8 / 20.8% / 24.21% / 3.4%
06.21.2005 / 221.6 / 23.0% / 25.23% / 2.2%
05.21.2005 / 228.3 / 23.3% / 25.89% / 2.3%
It's hard for me to understand, deep within the wells of my brain, whether I am seeing actual results or whether I am simply rationalizing the numbers.
On the one hand, in the past three months I have lost 7 pounds -- which is 13 weeks, or about 0.5 pounds per week. I think it should be more like 2 pounds per week, at least a pound. But, on the other hand, it would appear that my body weight has dropped about 3%. And that drop is consistent across different methods (tanita from 23.3% to 20.1% (3.2% drop) and Calipers from 25.9% to 22.3% (3.6%)). These are both significant, and the corroboration tends to show that the drop didn't come from more aggressive body measuring via calipers as I had once feared.
But let's look at the other metric. The metric of body measurements:
08.21.2005
uw
08.21.2005 = 40.00
07.22.2005 = 40.25
06.23.2005 = 40.50
05.21.2005 = 41.00
So it appears I lost an inch from the upper waist.
Lower waist
08.21.2005 = 38.00
07.22.2005 = 39.00
06.23.2005 = 39.25
05.21.2005 = 38.50
Mostly a downward trend, from 38.5 to 38.00 or from 39.25 to 38.00.
chest:
08.21.2005 = 43.00
07.22.2005 = 43.00
06.23.2005 = 43.50
05.21.2005 = 44.25
Body measurement mostly shows a downward trend, with some exceptions.
CALORIC CONSUMPTION
I must confess I believe the issue still remains: Caloric consumption. I think one can only get so far via workouts. And I'm afraid that perhaps I'm at that point. Surely part of the slow down on weight loss has something to do with the change of jobs that puts me in front of massive calories on a regular basis. It'll be interesitng in the fall to see how that changes, given my new schedule.
HOW TO CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
* I think the level of exercise is quite sufficient for the goal at this point;
* I can do a much better job of tracking calories
* do better job of sticking to budget of calories -- I think it should go down to about 2,000 calories and see how that does for weight loss for 4-8 weeks.
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