I mentioned before that I got a bike and was riding it to work. Then, I got an old Nissan Pathfinder and started mixing it in with my day (usually parking my bike at work and biking the two miles to and from the office to grappling class). Being careful, I made it a whole month on one tank of gas. But now the truck looks like it needs an alternator, so it’s waiting patiently in my driveway until the end of the month and another paycheck.
Which means I am back to biking and walking for another week and a half (and most of this month). It’s been good, though my legs do seem to get tired. I am guessing it has to do more with my bike being too small than anything. I do know that I can ride it on harder gears now, and I focus on keeping it “tough” as long as I can when I hit the hills.
I have discovered a bunch of new podcasts, one of which is called “Motivation to Move”. It’s a show with a husband and wife who talk about diet, exercise, attitude, etc — they’re very fun and very energetic. Podcasts like these help the long bike rides and walks pass the time in a productive (and non-boring) manner. It’s kind of like back in the day, when I commuted 45 min each way to work and could listen to audiobooks or interesting talk radio. No real commutes in a town like Montrose, where the trip to work by car is 10 min if it’s a slow day. [about 25 min by bike and about an hour on foot, incidentally]
So, in the previous post, I reappeared out of the cyberspace ether to announce that I was down 120 pounds. I am ridiculously pleased, even though it’s been slow going. In fact, I am planning to start back with a trainer once a week at the local gym in August so I can get going again on some new exercises and some focused weight training. And my diet needs a major revamp, but that has more to do with still learning to budget on one paycheck a month — the end of the month always seems to end up rice and oatmeal and such. Not bad, but it ain’t exactly fresh green veggies, whole wheat pita bread, and turkey breasts. So all I mean is that I am hoping to see another plateau busted through in the next few months. I shall endeavor to keep everyone updated.
Along with that drop of 120 pounds is two more sizes down in jeans. [pics coming soon] That’s right: I bought a pair of size 44 jeans a couple of weeks ago! They are a smidgeon tight, yes, but so were the 48’s I was so proud of some months back. And those can’t even dream of staying up on me now. New jeans, new belt, new underwear — good times. I even bought two 2X buttondown shirts that were on sale, but those are not ready yet. I have a size 2X tshirt I wear to grappling, but the buttondowns are too narrowly cut. Give it a couple of months. This process is a slow one, but it’s a good one.
That’s kind of a weird title, isn’t it? I should explain, since we haven’t talked in awhile. About a month ago, I got a bike to ride to work and to the grappling gym. Now, I haven’t ridden a bike in years. Seriously, we’re talking middle school maybe — back in the 80’s! But it’s true what they say about how you never forget. (Thank goodness!)
It’s about 3 miles to work, another mile and a half to the grappling school, and about 4.5 miles home. Uphill most of the way home. I wanted to die that first week. And the second. And the third. My legs hurt. My tailbone hurt. I couldn’t breathe. And I had to stop and walk a lot. Felt pretty silly walking my bicycle up the bike trail, I promise you. But it had to be done. I’ll tell lots more about my experiences on the bike because there’s fun stuff to share.
But tonight, I just wanted to check in and say — I have now ridden all the way home from work (3 miles) without stopping to walk — TWICE! And tonight, I made it about 75% of the way home from the grappling gym (4.5 miles) before having to walk; and the walk was only a short way. Mind you, I tried a new way home tonight that took me a bit out of the way when I made a wrong turn, too. So next time, I will probably make it further.
I am pretty flipping excited, I tell you what. . .
I am thinking the belt I bought with my 48 jeans is too big. The jeans may or may not be baggy, too. In a few weeks, I am going back to try on the 46’s again.
That’s it. Just didn’t want to stay away for so long. . .
I wanted to mention one other thing. Lately, I have been able to run just a smidgeon in the gym. If I am on the treadmill for about 30-40 minutes, I will keep the speed at 3.2-3.5 and then play with the incline. However, every five minutes or so, I will up the speed to 5.5 or so. That’s a light jog. In fact, it’s not even a 10-minute mile. But it kicks my butt, and I am lucky to make it 1 minute before slowing back down. Recently, I made it 90 seconds. I can do this “interval” workout about four times in a 30 minute period. I recently read in MEN’S FITNESS that a good way to do it is 30 seconds of running followed by 1-2 minutes of fast walking. I may try it that way soon.
It’s really amazing news. You can’t imagine what it’s been like being such a slow-moving person. I still have a LONG way to go, but it’s getting better one day at a time.
I was at Grappling class tonight. During the warmup, I decided to try a couple of lunges. I did them! You don’t understand. I have been trying to do lunges all the way to the floor since I started exercising a year ago. I have never been able to. Until tonight! I told everyone at the gym — “Guys, I just have to share this. . .” They were all very cool about it.
Don’t believe me? Here’s very low-video-resolution proof:
I have uploaded two new photos from tonight, as well. The pants I am wearing are size 2X. Impressed? Wait a minute. I want you to notice that the t-shirt I am wearing is size XL! That’s right, you heard me. I wouldn’t wear it out in public, but you’ll notice it does go all the way around me and leaves no skin uncovered. How cool is that?
Did I mention that I bought those size 48 jeans at wal-mart and have been wearing them every day to work?
It was a good day, even if I did take an accidental elbow to the temple tonight at class.
I went to wal-mart the other day and tried on a pair of size 48 jeans. They fit! And, they were only $11. I didn’t buy any that day, but I will before long. I couldn’t tell you when I last wore anything smaller than a 48. We’re getting somewhere!
So, I am now about 5 weeks into working out at the Grappling school. There was about 2.5 weeks lost in the middle there, when he closed for vacation. Then, I got sick for a week. Uggh, did I feel awful. I think it was just a bad cold, but it was the worst I had been sick since about last May. So, couldn’t work out at all. But got rolling again last week.
It’s really been a good time. Everyone there is very positive and helpful. We usually practice drills of some kind, like armbars or triangle chokes, for about the first 2/3 of class, after we’ve done some kind of cardio (remember the laps after dropping those danged medicine balls??!!). Then, we’ll “roll live rounds”, which basically means trying to submit each other and use some of the techniques we’ve learned.
I always lose, sometimes pretty spectacularly. There was night when I rolled with a guy who must have literally been half my weight and much shorter. He tapped me out three times in a row very, very fast. The little sucker could get around behind me and rear-choke before I had time to realize it! But it’s a lot of fun, and I always try to learn from it. They say that you tend to make certain mistakes over and over and over until one day you figure out how to not make them — diving into a guillotine choke is a big one for me, for example, as is not shrimping to the side when the guy has side control on me.
Sometimes, I get so sore that it kills me. One night, we did calf raises. Everyone else did 500 — I was able to do 400. The next day, I could barely walk. Then the next. Then the next. It took me almost a week to recover from that one! I shan’t push myself that hard again — I overdid it a bit, didn’t I? I know I am getting more flexible, though, and strength is increasing. So, it’s all good.
Today, I rang in at 334 pounds, which puts me above 100 pounds lost for the first time! And, it’s my second weight-loss goal (the first was 350) — I realize I never wrote that one, but it always was in my mind.
The next goal is 319. . .
(I am on my lunch break at work, so I can’t write more. I will post this week to update about grappling school, etc over the last few weeks. Good times.)
