Journal 2005
There will be nothing fancy about this page. Just the pure, honest facts about
 how it is going and where I am at a given time. 

10-22-05 Since I haven't gotten a lot of feedback on this page lately I am not updating it much anymore. Maybe when I get closer to my first tri I will start giving all the gory details

I managed to get the flu the past few weeks and it has slowed me down enough to go to the doctor. He charged me $40 and gave me aspirin. Go figure. Other than that I have healed from my spinning experience,. By the way , thanks for the warning! Maybe kickboxing would be fun...

I have decided to impart my philosophy on getting to my goal.  Nothing more this week except spinning which is killing legs as we speak...

You would think that being unemployed would make it easy to update. I have spent more time and energy trying to find a job than I did just working at my old job! Go figure. Anyway, I can't believe it has been a month and I haven't lost a pound, especially since I'm putting in about 3 miles a day walking/jogging. I also swim about 400 to 600 yards and bike 10 - 12 miles twice a week each so I am baffled by the refusal of the weigh to go away. No matter, I am almost ready to do my first tri regardless of how heavy I am. Besides, Clydesdales Rule!

I've been spending my days looking for my stolen truck and walking everywhere. You would think that I would have lost some weight but beautiful Galveston Island has a lot of Ice Cream Shops. By the time I walk 5 miles I 'm ready for some cold empty calories, especially with a 104 degree heat index and humidity of 97%. Other than that I'm getting there slowly and I expect to see some improvement in the next few weeks as I really get cranked up again.

Holy Crap! I just returned home and stepped on the scale. What a shock. Who would have thought that 8 weeks cooped up in an office with nothing but junk food and no exercise would make you gain 9 pounds? Achilles and I were back on the Seawall in beautiful Galveston Texas this morning getting in a short 3 mile walk. During the day I managed to go for a swim and then another walk later in the afternoon. It's great being unemployed. I figure I will start really losing weight when I run out of money. 
 

I was supposed to be home by now but my job has me staying over.  I haven't lost or gained anything but my endurance has suffered for sure.  It is very frustrating to work so hard and then not be able to pursue your goals wholeheartedly.

My job has really put a damper on training. I have fallen well behind my goals but I should be back home before long. Eating at fast food restaurants is killing my diet but hopefully that will end soon and I can get back on track.

Another easy week although I planned it differently. The weather and my job have conspired to make it difficult. I did get in some bike and a few runs on the treadmill but I haven't been in the pool all week. The gym has also eluded me due to the long work hours but this should change in the next few weeks. 

I guess the treadmill has to come out of storage and get a little use until I can get home from work before dark. You guys that work 40 hour weeks and then train 40 hours are my heroes. I get home and I'm too tired to eat! 

Traveling is killing my workouts. That combined with truck stop food poisoning has put a real damper on my workouts this week. My body fat calculator has disappeared this week so I have no idea what my % is this week. I'm not convinced that thing is entirely accurate anyway. Let's call it 10% and leave it at that. I had planned to take a week off next week to rest but I think I had my off week already. I'll be back in action this week and add the weights training in again. 

Although I took it easy this week and I was sick a few days I feel better now than I did at the end of last week. The fast food I ate while on the road has me feeling a little lethargic but I'm hoping that will go away now that I'm back home. 

Week 11 Training Log

My workouts have now evolved to a basic triathlon training program that focuses on swim/bike/run. I have dropped the weight training for the past 2 weeks but I will be getting back to the gym by the end of next week. I was on the road for four days and didn't do very well on my diet or exercise (it rained a lot!). I hauled my bike over 2000 miles and didn't get to ride it at all. I thought it never rained in Arizona but I was very wrong about that. Not the best week I have ever had but I'm still plugging along.

This week I have dropped the weights and started working specifically on triathlon. Swim, bike, and run are the only things I have done with a short brick thrown in for good measure. I'll probably add weight training back in this week but it will be lighter than before.  I'm spending some time looking for sprint tri's in the West (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and West Texas) so if you know of any during June or the first few weeks of July email me. 

Week 9 Training Log

I am finally losing weight again after several weeks of very little progress. I'm not too worried about it since my main goal is to finish a triathlon and dropping pounds should be a nice side effect. I am in much better shape than I was 2 months ago and confident that I could finish a sprint tri by the end of May. In fact, I already have one picked out. 

Swimming went well this week with longer periods without stopping to rest and less time resting as well. My first sprint tri will have a pool swim so I am working on open turns (flip turns be damned) and slow steady rhythm. I know I am improving since my 25 yard time has dropped by 10 seconds in the last month. 

Running is coming along albeit slowly. I'm still a bit worried about leg problems but this weeks change in program calls for me to start running a lot more. I found a place to jog that has a soft surface and even though the trail not that long it should work out great for me.

The weather has finally decided to cooperate so the bike did get some use this week. A longer bike ride was planned for Saturday but I ended up stopping to help someone pull a calf. Bet most people have never cut their ride short to help a rancher with a cow.

Its been 4 weeks so change is on the way again. I will be following a beginner program for triathlon since I feel my base is now where it needs to be. I will cut done on the weights and concentrate on the big 3 in the next month. 

Week 8 Training Log

I guess when it comes to weight loss I would now officially be at a plateau. It's hard to believe I could work this hard and not lose weight but that's how it seems to be happening. Oh well, I'll just keep plodding along and hopefully the pounds will start coming off. 

Finally got a bit of jogging in at the end of this week. The guys at On The Run fixed me up with the correct shoe and now I can walk without screaming in pain. Well, it may not be that bad. 

The weather was terrible this week so I didn't get out on the bike at all.  Lots of time on the stationary bike this week so I should be ready to go as soon as the weather breaks. 

I had several swim workouts cancelled due a dome failure. It seems that high winds and inflatable domes don't go well together. I can't believe I wasn't actually in the dome when it collapsed given my luck.

Not a bad week overall. I had a good time at the Galveston Triathlons this weekend even though I didn't participate. It was a well organized event with lots of support so I would definitely recommend it for a first Tri to anyone in the area. Check it out at www.myfirsttri.com 

Week 7 Training Log

I tried jogging a little at the beginning of this week and now I remember why I haven't done that yet. Lots of lower leg pain and a few extra days off. I did increase my mileage a bit so maybe it won't take as long to get to my goal.

I also tried spinning this week and although I did enjoy it somewhat I just can't help but feel I could do better out on the road or even on a mountain bike. The gym charges extra to maintain their spinning bikes and maybe that is nagging at me so I think I will pass.

I have been putting a lot of time and effort into the swimming this week. I am a horrible swimmer and it takes a lot of effort for me to get from one end of the pool to the other so I have been working on technique. Total Immersion is the book I have been basing my workouts on and it seems to be making a difference.  We'll see if I can conquer the pool using what I have learned.

This was Easter weekend and I enjoyed visiting with family and eating their food. They had lots of really good food. I haven't eaten that much in over a month and I was sluggish all day. I'm glad those type holidays don't come around all the time. 

Week 6 Training Log

Nothing but changes as I start a new program for the next 4 weeks. I have changed both my diet and workout to hopefully burn some more calories and take off some fat. The treadmill has been my aerobic staple but this week I joined a new gym with a pool. I have increased the intensity and speed of my treadmill workouts and I'm confident by the end of this 4 week cycle I will be ready to at least jog for extended amounts of time. I also started doing cardio in the morning before breakfast since I read in two different magazines that you burn over 300% more fat if you workout after a fast (overnight). Who knows? I guess it's worth a try.

Weight training has finally paid off as I gained weight and lost a small percentage of body fat in the same week. My jeans have dropped a size and I'm using the next tighter belt notch so I'm happy with the progress. My leg workout proved to be tougher than it appeared on paper. With only 4 exercises I was trying to think of things to add. Turns out if you do squats to failure there isn't much left for anything else. Then if you use perfect form and go slowly that takes the rest of what you have.

My diet hasn't been the best this week as I have been moving into a new office. I tried a whey protein shake but man those things taste horrible! I managed to get one down but YUCK! Maybe I just haven't found the right one yet.  

My new gym has a spin class but it starts at 5:00 am. I'm not sure I can handle the spinning class or the early call time but I might give it a try. Otherwise I plan to add laps at the pool and the stationary bike as cardio. Now I can watch TV while doing the treadmill or bike. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing but it is an option. You would think they would at least have cable. 
Week 5 Training Log

Weight loss has been steady and I have been consistent on my diet and cutting back on all those sweet things I love so much. Actually I have cut all sugar except once a week when I will have desert just to keep from going insane. No bread either... man this sucks.
Week 4 training log

This weeks weight loss is not accurately reflected since I had a bit too much salt yesterday. By tomorrow I should drop the excess water weight and be closer to 253lbs. This being the case, I am happy with my progress. Still, consistency is the key if I want to reach my long term goals. 
Week 3 training log

The diet is going well and lifting weights has actually prevented any muscle loss. High protein and lots of veggies are the basis of every meal. Considering what I used to eat day to day I am now practically a vegetarian. I am happy with my weight and body fat loss for the week but I know I can't continue to loose this fast for long. I plan to be steady and when the weight loss slows down I will change my workouts.
Week 2 training log

The week went well as I quickly fell back into the routine of going back into the gym. No problem with diet and I managed to lose a good deal of weight and almost an inch off my waist. Not that you can tell it. 
I can hear the multitudes groaning about water weight but give a fat guy a break. Any loss is a good loss. 
Week 1 training log

This program will last for 4 weeks and then I will change things up. Click on the links to see the weekly training logs.