Busting through the '190' barrier.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

I pulled in the driveway after work just as the Honda was overheating…again. It was time to take my baby out to visit Dan the Car Doctor. I loaded the bike into the back seat, but had a plan for a double. It was my day to do the survival workout and I had to drive past the park on the way to Dan’s, so I figured ‘do the workout…drive to Dan’s…ride home 30 miles and THEN check your weight’. Brilliant.

Since time was somewhat limited and I had run the last two days, I elected to jog between lifting stops, but didn’t add any extra running…as I had with the last two survival workouts. I did do some extra push-ups, lifts and sit-ups though and mixed in 20 minutes of jogging before returning to the car and the drive to Dan’s.

It was actually cold in Chardon. I knew I’d warm up once I started riding, but was actually chilly as I climbed the hill from his house back towards Wilson Mills Road. I took the long way home, heading south and east and eventually picking up Pekin Road where it crosses Bass Lake. Early on I was riding sluggishly…probably from pushing myself during the survival workout, but I caught a second wind around the 10-mile mark and felt strong over the last 20.

Once home, I stripped for a shower, but was feeling heavy and almost skipped the weigh-in. ‘It is what it is’ I thought and finally stepped on the scale. ‘188’ blinked on the readout and I rubbed the salt from my eyes to be sure what I was seeing. Hell…was I ever happy. I hadn’t been below 190 in probably 15 years …or longer. Since I began writing the blog, I’ve dropped 20 pounds and wondering how I ever let it get so bad. Thank God for the Paleo Diet. I was definitely thinking I could not return to the conditioning I’d achieved 20 years ago when I was in peak form…but not anymore. I don’t care if it takes another two years to get there…I WILL make it.

Marie stopped over after her Senior Banquet where she was awarded the Senior Superlative status of ‘most intelligent’. She’s third in her class and in addition to being nice, beautiful and a gifted runner…she’s smart, too. Purdue is going to love her next year. Anyway, we talked race strategy and all of the reasons she should be feeling confident in her chances on Saturday. I’m going to miss seeing her run…so Jack will have to pick up the slack this fall.
Survival Workout duration: 70 minutes. Bike workout: 110 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm for workout, 130 bpm riding.
Calories burned during workout: 700 for survival workout. 1650 biking.