I miss Robert Stack

Whenever I think about writing another post, I hear Robert Stack in my head. He's very serious, and he's o so dapper, and that one little word just repeats and repeats.

Update.


There's a lot of good news on this end. I've signed up for a 5k. My feet have stopped hurting. I'm starting to...dare I say it...enjoy biking. Don't tell anyone. And I'm continuing to lose weight. My personal goal for this week is to bike 40 miles, which is actually doable, because if I get on the stationary bike (bike actual never goes that far, mainly because of the frakking heat. I can't wait until Fall because there are some most excellent paths here), I'm generally on for 10 miles or more. If I can do 40, then next week, I'll up it.

I remember a time when Billy Blanks and I were like two peas in a pod. That is, if one of the peas was short and fat, and the other had a mouth on 'im like freaking Jaws. I tae-boed my little ass off. Okay, I skipped the cool-down, and I might have used the "Hey, I worked out today, so gimme some Ben and Jerrys" line a little too often. My relationship with Billy, and Gillian, Jack Lalaine (yeah, like you haven't juiced) and that P90x guy have all been very one sided. Much like my relationship to Robert Stack, actually.

A couple of months ago, I joined a site called Daily Mile. It's basically facetwitter for the athletically inclined. And the wanna-bes. And the "like me's". And this site is amazing. I'm tracking my workouts, and five minutes later, I get all kinds of feedback from people all over the country. If I don't post a workout for a few days, I get asked about it. Occasionally, well intentioned flack about it, too. I have a friend from Boston who has cycled over 150 miles this last week, and I'm jacked up for him, too. I'm sure there are a million sites like this online, (not to mention Weight Watchers) sites that thrive on peer feedback. But this is mine, and for the first time in months, I'm starting to feel really good about the changes I'm making. I'm not begrudging my trips to the gym anymore (especially during sharkweek!), and I'm really happy about that. I feel kind of invincible, and it's a groovy thing. The fact that it's all online makes it really easy, too. I know this update (Robert!) sounds a bit like a commercial, but I am no paid shill, ladies and gents. I'm just...happy with myself. I'm really coming along.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Tonight I'm making having some friends over and making spaghetti. It's gross outside, over 100 degrees, but my air conditioner works just fine. I've got some awesome garlic bread, whole wheat noodles, and I just chopped up a ton of veggies for a homemade sauce. What I'm really excited about, is that the basil, tomatoes, Swiss chard, and peppers all came from either my or my friend's garden. I can't get over how sweet the Roma tomatoes I have taste, and the plant is as tall as I am. Hopefully I'll have enough to can, too.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had to stop running, because of my feet. My feet are still killing me, a month later. I really hope I won't have to end up getting a Cortisone shot, or something because I know that once my feet stop hurting, I'll run the risk or re injuring myself by overdoing it. I can report though, that swimming has been going better, and I've been burning miles on the stationary bike as well. I'm down a few pounds since last month, too. In a fit of early morning Math, my brother calculated that 77 times around our parent's pool equaled one mile, and there were a few days when I was jogging around, and around in circles like the world's wettest Nascar driver.

I'm planning on running a 5k in late October, if my heels are up to it, and I'm thinking that all the bike work I'm putting is will do wonders for my endurance. I can't wait for it to cool off, though, so I can grab an actual bike and go adventuring.

That is all the news my fried brain can remember. It's been a quiet month.
Cheers to Dan Bolton who is chugging away on his own projects - If I could be half as productive as you are in a weekend, I'd be thrilled.

I'm bad at this

Plus, I have plantar facsitis. So I can't run for a while. I haven't been able to come up with any decent puns describing my foot woes and I feel like I might be losing my touch. Also, I've decided to take up swimming and biking, to give my feet a workout. Does anyone else think this might not end well?

Glub, glub, glub.



That little guy thirty seconds in, clinging for dear life? That'll be me.

I worked out today

And to celebrate, here's a spider doing a happy dance.

The Sympathy Belly

Know what makes getting turned down from yet another job better?
Candy Bars.

Unfortunately, I don't have any change to hit up the vending machine, so my candy bender is not to be.

I'm trying to set up a couple of internships this summer (instead of working), at different places around town. I'm very interested in cooking and improving my skills, and I would love to be able to head to a confectionery, or coffee shop, or home made wine shop (ahem) once a week to learn whatever there is to learn. And to take back what I learned and make my friends fat.

Which, by the way, is the inspiration for today's entry title. My boyfriend, W, informed me yesterday that he needed to go back to the gym because he was growing a "sympathy belly". For me. Because he is sympathetic to my waistline.

I don't WANT him to be sympathetic to my waistline! I'm not knocked up! My waistline is a pre-existing condition, not an unfortunate car accident.

I laughed at the time (and I'm kind of chuckling now), but REALLY? And the worst part about it is that when he takes his flab off, it's going to take him about three seconds and three sit ups to do it.

Today I'm going to the track and running, if the weather holds. If not, I'll be spending the night stewing about W's sorry assed Buddha belly. But I'll do it with a salad.

Get Back To Where You Once Belonged

Peeps, I have been using Spring as a full proof excuse to not do a damned thing. My last day of spring break is today, and I'm sorry to report (but report I shall, because this partly about accountability) that I have not been to the gym in two weeks. Couple that with a Dr. Who premiere celebration, assorted Spring holidays, countless ball games (complete with beer!) and last night's time traveling trip back to 2005 (A reunion of sorts, most of which taking place in a diner), and I've managed to put a couple pounds back on the scale (Yes, W. Just a couple). I gotta get back to it, because I feel like a sack of potatoes.
Time to set some new goals.

Goal 1 - Post progress, or lack there of, every other day.
I know this'll make my blog pop on your feed more, folks, but I was serious when I said that this was for accountability.

Goal 2 - Get back to the damned gym (or the track, the baseball diamond, SOMEWHERE) every other day. No more "well, I ran around with the kids all day so I don't need to work out". That's just bullshit.

Goal 3 - Get back to eating better. My Easter candy is all gone, I'm about to go back to work, and there are no parties in my future.

This is my week, kids. I can feel it. And yes, I know the week is half over. Baby steps.

In other news, jump over to http://mdhomevintner.blogspot.com/, where my industrious friend is making delicious sounding things. (Very proud of you, D!)

Keep on rocking me, baby.

Danger and dessert at three miles an hour

Is it wrong to watch Food Network while you're on the treadmill?


I do this all the time. There's little I like better (when I HAVE to be on the treadmill) than watching cooking shows while I walk in place. And yet other people seem to think it's a tad odd. I look around, and everyone else is watching something edifying...like the news...or...something inspiring like sports. And I'm watching Paula Dean make lime butter pancakes. Those bastards catching up on their Sports Center who are all thin and who can all run faster than I can, do THEY know how to make lime-butter pancakes?

Probably not.


One of my friends said that watching Food Network while working out was like porn. I'm not sure he's seen porn in a long time, but I sort of understand what he means. Food Network isn't going to lead me to deviant behaviour, though. I'm not going to go home and make lime butter pancakes. That takes work! I was just on the treadmill! I'm tired! I want to collapse on the couch with the next episode of The Wire and a cup of tea.
So it's not like the 'milling and grilling is doing me any harm. The...jogging and eggnogging. The treading and breading. The...I'm out of food references. Joke over.

I'm slowly letting go of the idea that when I get thin, I'll be able to eat whatever I want. I mean, I KNEW that before but I was sort of hoping that it wouldn't apply to me. And watching FN kind of helps me figure out some of the things that I should be steering away from; know what's not appetizing? Sweating so much that you're afraid you're going to short circuit the machine and watching a cupcake minion dump three cups of sugar and three sticks of butter into a blender. I feel diabetic just watching it. So to ME, FN is the equivalent of spending 45 minutes a day watching the "This is your brain, this is your brain on drugs" commercial over and over.

Any questions?