Dakota has a breakthrough

Saturday, March 20, 2010

I knew I was in trouble last night after the hike. I was really sore and tired. I was really feeling the fatigue in my quads as I ascended the stairs in the house. All signs that it’s time for a break…and I really, really was planning on taking one.

Anyway, Holly, Dakota and I headed for the park shortly after breakfast. The forecast was for rain in the afternoon and so I would have the perfect excuse not to ride. Besides, it was damned cold as compared to what it had been over the last week. We hiked for a little over an hour and, again, I was huffing up the hills. Dakota, on the other hand, was not.

Dakota had paid a visit to the Doc’s about two weeks before I began my own reclamation process. My family had been trying to convince me that she’d been gaining weight, but I just didn’t see it. I put her on the scale at the vet’s and she registered 54 pounds. When we went in to see him I asked about the weight thing.

“Yeah…she’s fat,” he said.

“Fat? How could she be fat? She hikes with me and I feed her just like I eat…you know…only what she needs,” I said indignantly.

“Okay, well, you’re fat too so why are you so surprised?”

Okay – so maybe he didn’t actually say this, but his eyes said it for sure. Anyway, he told me to feed her only a cup and a half of food per day. I’d been closer to two cups. And, I figured, if Dakota had to watch what she was eating and do more exercise, well, so did I. The rest is history.

I told Holly at the conclusion of the walk that we should run up to the vet’s office – it was only ten minutes away – and weigh Dakota. Reluctantly, she agreed. When we arrived as they were locking up, but they’re pretty crazy about me and so allowed us in for the weigh-in. I warned Dakota that if she hadn’t lost, her future feedings were looking grim. She’s been attacking her food since the diet began and looked concerned. She hopped nervously on the scale.

“Okay. She’s 49 pounds,” the attendant said.

Dakota did a back flip off the scale. I reached down and offered my hand for a ‘high five’ which she acknowledged with a paw.

How much easier weight loss would be if my only access to food was determined by someone who wanted me to lose some chubby pounds. We’re headed in the right direction together. She is a damned good training partner. I wish she would learn to ride.

Later that afternoon, the guilt began to overtake me. Today would be 30 in a row…not that I bother with streaks, which would be stupid…and it was getting colder by the minute. I told this to daughter Heidi who stated quite indignantly “it’s not that cold, pappa,”. She rides her bike everywhere and knows how cold it can get on a day with temperatures in the high 30’s. I acquiesced and dressed for the weather.

It was cold. I mean a couple of weeks ago, it would have felt like a heat wave, but my body has been adjusting to 60 degrees. It was easily 20 degrees cooler and there was a nice wind blowing. I sucked it up and planned on a one-hour ride. Naturally, I went beyond that, but paid the price over the last 20 minutes as I began to lose feeling in my hands and feet. I rolled into the garage after an hour and twenty minutes pretty well frozen…and very tired. Tomorrow’s run should be interesting…

Oh yeah. Second straight week of 10,000 plus calories burned during workouts!

Bike duration: 80 minutes. Hike duration: 70 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 125 biking. 70 hiking.

Calories burned during workout: 1,200 biking. 500 hiking.