Great pork chops...

Wednesday, June 29, 2001
I was meeting Val at what was quickly becoming my favorite place to eat out…Texas Roadhouse. I really, really like pork chops and they’ve got these plump, juicy ones that I could eat every night. I kind of like the pail of peanuts on the table for an appetizer, as well. Though they aren’t Paleo, I had my share while waiting for the chops and discussing diets, exercise and what we’re each doing about it. When her meal arrived, I pointed out the Paleo verses the non-Paleo items in both our meals. She had the sweet potato…which I love and gave up. I mentioned the article in the PD about potatoes and wondered why she hadn’t read my blog the following day for the enlightening information. She had no good answer.

I made it home around 8 p.m. and realized that, with dark coming after 9, I could probably manage a quick ride. I had been planning a trip to the track and some bleacher work, but the ride was more appealing. I quickly changed, filled the water bottles and pedaled out the driveway. I pushed hard for over an hour with an average speed close to 21mph…nothing special for a cyclist but good for me. I typically ride closer to 18mph, so it took considerable effort and concentration to maintain this pace. It’s easy to lose focus on the bike and find yourself riding casually instead of working out, though casual riding is better than no riding. Still…when you want a good bike workout, you need to pay attention to your effort for the entire ride.

I beat the dark by a little and was exhausted at the finish. I still haven’t made up my mind on the trip to the Adirondacks…I’m still pushing the knee to see what it can do. I really don’t want to be half way up a peak and find that the knee doesn’t hold. I’m thinking about a trail that will probably have other hikers on it, but they are typically few and far between. I need to be able to get myself back or just not go. I’ll figure it out tomorrow…

Bike workout: 73 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1100.