No checks or cash....

It's now about a week since we arrived in Orlando, Florida.  One of the first things we had to do upon arriving was to obtain a rental car. What happened next is but a glimpse of why we have economic problems.

I read an article about the issue of saving and not using credit whenever possible. One of the issues mentioned in various sources about  our economic woes has to do with how Americans don't save enough. How we all live in a credit driven world.

I tried on this vacation to be as frugal as possible and not rely so much on credit cards.

My first taste of reality and how impractical this has become happened right at the rental car company. Yes we had reserved the car months in advance and you have to give them a credit card number to do this.

The thing about the whole experience is related to trying to use my ATM/VISA to pay for the rental. I figured no one refuses cash. The car company did! They wanted a real credit card! I was told I could not use my ATM/VISA because people apparently have used it before and then claimed they did not rent the car. I'm not sure how one accomplishes such a dastard deed but I was about to be put through the ringer.

I asked if they knew of a bank near by so I could get some cash. It did not matter, the car rental company does not accept cash. Safety reasons.

My bank does not allow me to take more than $600.00 cash so that was a moot point since the bill was $1400.00.  I ended up renting the car with a credit card. Had no choice but to do this. I'll pay the whole thing off soon enough but it just seems that the whole country has been cajoled into a lifestyle that inevitably leads to what we are enduring right now.

Yes, Americans are not saving. Just be aware that having saved your money does not stir you clear of this mess. The sings usually say: No personal checks accepted. Soon they'll be changed to: No cash or checks accepted!

Kettlebell Flight

My family and I are going to visit relatives and friends in Florida this month of December. I wanted to take my kettlebell on our trip for maintaining our exercise routines. I'm travelling on JetBlue so I called them last night to find out if there would be any problems in me taking a kettlebell with my luggage.

The person I talked to was very nice and looked up as much information as she could. She was not familiar witht kettlebells. I had the pleasure of introducing them to her and I described it as a bowling ball with a handle. Bowling balls are Ok to take on trips I was told so my kettlebell is going with me on this trip.

The particular kettlebell I'm a talking is called the 'Bulldog Kettlebell". You can see it here:
http://www.artofstrength.com/OnlineStore/reloadable/tabid/351/Default.aspx

Now the site does mention that they have taken their kettlebells with them on flights but I had to check on my end. In any case, the lady seemed very interested so I referred her to the site above. She was thinking of buying one for her son who plays baseball in college.

I got my answer and introduced her to something new that perhaps she will start using herself. In any case it seems that I made a sale. Where's my commission? :-)

Speedy Gonsalez

Recently I came across some information in the various fitness sites about workout duration. After workout calorie burn and Tabata protocols are the rage.

To tell you the truth, spending as little time as possible exercising is appealing. No more long bouts, dragging yourself off the tarp, barely making it to the shower.

The link below explains some of the concepts in more detail.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler62.htm

I'm adjusting my workouts accordingly. I have been doing the exercises described in the bodybuilding link for a while but for longer periods of time. Enough of that. I'm giving the shorter workouts a try.

One thing to note is that the intensity has to be brought up a notch or two or four, depending on what you have been doing. I have been exercising all year so I can put up with sprints and short intense bouts.

I'm now involved in a fat loss program mixed with Escalating Density workouts.

Today's workout went like this:

Five minutes stationary bike warm-up (two twenty second sprints thrown in there for good measure).

Deadlifts: 15x5 for about fifteen minutes. (155lbs)
Bulgarian Split Squats with Press 4x3 (20lbs)

Five minutes stationary bike cool down (two twenty second sprints to finish off).

One more week of this and I'm off on vacation. I'll be doing this type of workout while in Florida.

Sandy's departure

I found out today that the service IwantSandy from iWantsandy.com will be shutting down on December 8th, 2008.

It's funny but I became attached to my cyber personal assistant. I'll have to go looking for a new one. I liked Sandy!

Anyone out there that can recommend another service like Sandy?

Off to Google I go. :-(

Wine and Dine...

Today was another day of grilling. These kind of things take a long time. What to do? My video gives you an idea. I've done a similar thing while Earning my Carbs.

Here is to all my friends. Go here Wine and Dance!

Kettlebell creativity

My kettlebells have now become an important part of my workout routines. The variety they offer allows for interesting workouts to say the least.

Some time ago I thought of using them on my barbell instead of plates.  I mainly use them for dead lifts since they are easier to control. The barbell becomes unstable and you have focus on what you're doing.

Using them while performing Deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts are the most comfortable for me. I just have a feeling of insecurity doing squats with them. When you lift the barbell swings as the kettlebells settle into position. It's not a large swing but you can feel the movement ever so slightly. Adjustemnts on teh spot are then necessary.

In addition I'm using the shoulder pads designed for doing squats on the barbell. This creates a semi-solid fat bar. That coupled with the kettlebells and you have a total different workout.

Roll with the punches

roll with the punches

to adjust to difficult events as they happen.
She had to perform shortly after her brother died, but she rolled with the punches and put on a great show.

Etymology: based on boxing, from the literal meaning roll with the punches (= step back or to one side as you are being hit), so that you do not receive the full force of the attack

From theFreeDictionary.com

---

I had fun plans for today. I was going to perform and excellent workout. Do some chores around the house, visit a museum, get some work done.

The first punch came in the form of my Honda  Accord not starting. Not having another car around left me stranded, sort of. I was in front of my home, not in real danger!

The second punch has been coming for a while. I could not find my Triple A card, I procrastinated in trying to locate it so I was really hit with the problem today. I could not call a tow truck to take it to the car shop so with the help of my son-in-law we tackled the problem.

A call to a friend with experience on auto mechanics suggested that we change the old battery cables. I had recently bought a new battery so that was assumed not to be the problem.

The plan was then to change the cables and get going.

Rolling with the punches.

I needed to go to the a car parts dealer to get a pair of new cables. I had no car, so I called my daughter in law who fortunately was home and borrowed her car and went to the autoparts shop and bought a cable. I thought I had bought two. By this time I had returned the car and she needed to go to work. I was car less again. I needed to get another cable. Darn!

I got on the bike and rode to the autoparts dealer. Yup I got my exercise in this manner. Only thing is that once I got back I realized that both the cables I had bought were not the correct ones. I really needed to go to the Honda dealer. We were rolling so I went and got the correct cables. My daughter arrived by this time so we drove in her car.

Finally the cables were back on and the car...did not start! The previous cables were bad and the battery had completely drained (this is the story so far). Jumped started my car and everything was fine again. I'll go check the battery tomorrow to make sure nothing else is wrong. This took all of five hours. Meanwhile I did squats, ran and rode a bike.

I was completely exausted and took a nap, I felt asleep as soon as I hit the bed for about twenty minutes. Everything is some much better now. I feel good and car is working order.

Rolled with the punches.

Cinq étoiles Sleeping

Taking care of ourselves and living a healthy lifestyle seems to revolve around being very active.

What is often forgotten is the amount of inactivity we do need!

Through sleep that is: http://www.bettersleep.org/

A little Color in your life!

The color RED as in red wine to be exact.

Red wines have Reservatrol which according to Men's Health: prompts a reflex in your body that improves tissue maintenance,
which seems to extend life by cutting down on the degenerative diseases of aging.

Cool huh?

The downside to this is that you need to drink 4 to 5 five ounce glasses. That my friends is a whopping 20oz of wine.

That will put on weight on my frame quicker than a big Mac! Which will end up shortening my life.

Moderation is key as in all things. There is such a thing a having too much of a good thing!

The word is out

Tom is coming out with a new book. Looks promising.

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/10/announcing_tom_venutos_new_har.php

Mom was right!

Eat your veggies, slow down!

Oh the wisdom in those words!

Studies (there is always a study), have confirmed the health benefits of veggies in all their glorious colors; to get the best of them and anything else you eat, eat slowly (another study). Not only will you enjoy your food more but as a natural consequence get full faster making you eat less without really trying. Neat trick!

Now for the real deal, work on years of eating fast. I've got the vegetable part down having veggies in most meals during the day. I have to slow down though, that is still my 'challange'.

Sandbagging

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -

sand·bag [sand and-bag] noun, verb, -bagged, -bag·ging.

–noun
1. a bag filled with sand, used in fortification, as ballast, etc.
2. such a bag used as a weapon.
–verb (used with object)
3. to furnish with sandbags.
4. to hit or stun with a sandbag.
5. Informal.
a. to set upon violently; attack from or as if from ambush.
b. to coerce or intimidate, as by threats: The election committee was sandbagged into nominating the officers for a second term.
c. to thwart or cause to fail or be rejected, esp. surreptitiously or without warning: He sandbagged our proposal by snide remarks to the boss.

6. Poker. to deceive (one or more opponents) into remaining in the pot by refraining from betting on a strong hand, then raising the bet in a later round.
–verb (used without object)
7. Poker. to sandbag one or more opponents.
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Above are all the possible definitions of sandbag from Dictionary.com. I would like to use the term to refer to a specific workout method. It will help in the battle of the bulge and build muscle.

It has been stated and documented all over the web that our bodies adapt fairly quickly to our fat loss efforts and exercise routines.

So we'll sandbag our body into submission.

Sandbag workouts can be fun, another side benefit of using such an item. The unstable nature of sandbags allows us to recruit different muscles and fire up our nervous system which will trigger a 'what is this you're doing' response. This is good and different.

Due to having to use our entire body to pick up, lift, throw, squat, row and anything else we can come up with, workouts will have a life of their own.

A couple of other benefits involve the use of very small area to perform the workouts. Making your own bag is inexpensive. Three bags of 25lbs each cost me $10. My wife has actually bought them at a bargain price of $1.48 each.

Yes there is the beach and parks but I'm not sure that's legal. The zip lock bags cost around $2.00 for 15 of them. My gym bag is an old one, can't remember what I paid for it.

Of course one could go to the beach and build your sandbag there, workout and leave the sand back where it came from. I'm going to do the very inconvenient thing of taking my preloaded bag to the gym. I'll have to drag it, put in my shoulder and go at it. That's my warm up!

My sandbag (the fat loss stunt gun) then, consists of zip lock bags, an old gym bag with handles on the sides, useful for doing rows and throwing it over your shoulder. A couple of trash bags to further isolate the zip lock bags and some painters tape. One could use a duffle bag as well. There are many sold online. I suppose after I rip my current gym bag after heavy use, I'll need one of those fancy ones. For now, this is more than enough.

One important note: It is imperative that you have your sand in smaller sealed bags to prevent having sand all over the place. That almost happened to me on the first try. Besides it allows for adding or taking some weight off the bag. You'll also keep your mate happy. Nothing like having sand in the kitchen.

It's amazing how using it raises your heart rate. The movements are explosive and fun. That's key. You're actually playing and working up a sweat.

Fat one! Be gone! :-)

P.S. Using them is no excuse to pig out after the workout. That will certainly sandbag your efforts to lower body fat.

A fun workout

Being that I'm taking a small vacation
off the barbell I been thinking of new things to do. I went and bought
three bags of sand. I'm not exactly sure how much they weigh but I
could only handle two of them. Three is my goal now.



This is what I did. Put each bag of sand into five zip lock bags and then used a gym bag to hold them together.



The fun workout for today then:

100 full squats, alternating the "sand bag" on my left and right shoulder and doing at least twenty front squats with the bag.



I also did over 70 bent rows in this order:

1x20

1x15

1x12

1x11

1x10

1x10



The last one was the most fun. My wife came over to see what I was
doing, so I lunged at her, grabbed her by the waist and put her on my
shoulder.



I did two full squats with her screaming and laughing all the way. I
wanted to do at least five but I started laughing and I almost dropped
her. I would be sleeping with my dogs tonight, came very close! It was
fun though!



Calories spent? Who knows!

Fun factor: 10+



P.S. The zip lock bags did not work too well. One of them burst and I
have sand all over the inside of the gym bag. I have to put less sand
in the bags and use a tie to hold them tight. Lesson learned.



Next workout. Put the bag at the end of the yard, pick it up walk with
it put it down at the other end, pick it up and do it again. It's going
to be a crazy week.

I found that using painters tape to seal the bags works well!

New Things Learned

I skipped my workout during lunch today to listen to a webinar on dieting. It seems like there is something new to learn or to actually solidify your understanding of certain issues.

What I realized is that while my eating is really good, I'm eating too much! Well...Ok, I had come to that realization a long time ago, but in addition I'm able to pinpoint when I'm doing this.

I eat seven times a day. I usually have a snack before going home so I'm not starving when I get there. Dinner (which is usually some wonderful dish prepared by my wife) is served and I'm not measuring. I'll just have half as much and eat slowly. My wife is always pointing how fast I eat so there it is; one of those "I told you so" moments.

Today I will consciously eat a slower rate, talk some more, allow my brain to recognize this feeding opportunity and enjoy every bite.

Begone, fat one!

Dog Tricks

Some weeks ago I started a fat loss program. If there is one thing I've learned is that you can work out all you want, but if your food intake is not where it should be, progress will be slow if any. In the last few weeks I've worked hard and definitely improved my strength. I've actually gained some weight but not necessarily a bad outcome. Arm, neck, and thigh circumference has increased. I did increase just a little bit waist wise but not that you can tell the difference. All my clothing fits.

What I'm doing is tweaking my food intake and start tracking again. The old adage "too much of good thing" holds true. While I've been eating healthy ( @90%), it has been too much. More calories than I need. So back to fitday I go. One of the things I've incorporated in my training is a full body exercise as show below. What the heck, I'm also teaching my pooch how to do it as well.

The battle of the bulge goes on!

Saturday 6:00AM

Sunrise is definitely at a later time by now. It was dark at 6:00AM this morning. The sun has risen by now and I'm sitting on my park bench in my front yard at this moment. There is a cool breeze coming or going South West as I perceive it. There is nothing spectacular about this Sunrise, but it really depends on how you look at it. It's another glorious day.

I can hear the birds chirping, slowly the sounds of the city begin to take over. The light gets stronger and my energy levels rise as well. Now a few dogs are barking in the distance. Crows are moving about and our local wild parrots are approaching. Coming in the same direction of the wind. The music they make is now at its peak as they fly over me. It's hundreds it seems. My neighbors have a fig tree and they usually come to feast on it. Some fly in pairs other in larger groups. As they call out to each other the morning is in full swing.

While for many one more day is another day of suffering, mixed feelings overwhelm me. I count my blessings. I have beautiful friends, a wonderful family and much to live for.

My dogs are now barking as the Yellow Pages are delivered by a group of workers. I greet him and smile. The Sun is now more apparent behind the neighborhood trees. The parrots are mostly gone and I can hear their faint calls in the distance. The normal chirping of regular birds returns and everything is a little quieter for a few seconds.

It is another day in Whittier, Ca. The various hues of green are more apparent now. As the strong light from the Sun goes over the crest of the trees in the distance I see the humming bird activity rising as well.

Well I'm about to get hit with 10,000 light luxe. It's good to be alive. The difference of where I sit and other parts of the world is amazing. Time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all.

Fat Loss Part Deux

Today I end the high rep phase of the program. I'll be doing Squats followed by bent rows. Lunges, Presses, abs and Hip Extensions. My reps today will be in the 20s instead of 15s. Just cause I like to experiment. Inches have been lost but weight fluctuates a lot. I'm still happy with the results.

Tracking (again).

My progress has been up and down (mostly flat). I was reviewing my old training logs and it dawned on me that I could not review what I have done in the last nine months.

Simply I have not been using my workout log. So who knows what's going on! How many servings of Ice Cream have derailed my progress? Don't know! How many days have I worked out? Don't know! Has my weight improved (muscle vs fat)? I don't know!

I have the darn logs sitting there and have not used them. I log things on my fitday account and at PrecisionNutrition but it sure is handy to have a book that does not require batteries or the like.

So back to tracking it is. It will allow me to use my time wisely and record electronically in more detail.

Now all I have to do is find those water proof ink pens (sweat tends to make regular ink smear).

Wave Workout

The object of this workout called a "Wave", is to do sets at higher weights progressively. You do a one repetition set at a higher weight. Then you do your regular set at a lower weight. The idea is to overload on the one rep set and make the subsequent set easier.

Hard work as you'll see on the last one set rep.

The "Wave" then goes something like this (I'm doing deadlifts, you can apply it to other safe workouts).

135lbs deadlifts set of 5+ reps
225lbs deadlift set of 1 rep
205lbs deadlift set of 5+ reps
275lbs deadlift set of 1 rep
215lbs deadlift set of 5+ reps
305lbs deadlift set of 1 rep
225lbs deadlift set of 6 reps
375lbs deadlift set of 1 reps (this is where it gets difficult)
Succeeded at 325lbs for set of 1 rep

Checking Dead Lift Form

I shot this video of myself because I always wanted to see if I'm doing the lift correctly. Comments are welcomed. Videos are great for use as mirrors when other eyes are not available to help you out.

The weekend -- Labor Day

I had another chance to barbecue this weekend. There was some dancing as on my last episode but I was tired.

The day begun with real world dead lifts. I had agreed to re-arrange our pond's design and that involved moving all the pebbles and rock arrangements.

I had forgotten how heavy some of these rocks were. It's one thing to pick up a barbell with let's say 200lbs. There is the bar and the weight is balanced. A rock weighting 150lbs is much more of a challenge because there are no handles. I picked up alright, then I realized.. now what? That was just one rock. I needed to move various rocks around the yard over the deck and into the waterfall area of the pond.

A real world dead lift workout. The whole affair took three to four hours. Moving it here, move it there under the watchful eye of my gorgeous wife.

Once done came time for the grill. I setup my laptop as before, my speakers and tuned into Pandora.com for uninterrupted music listening. It was great but I was still a bit tired and dancing was not as energetic.

All in all it was an excellent weekend. My workout today will not involve lifting of anything!

That was my feeling until I went to the gym. I talked myself into doing front squats and as soon as that was done I did four twenty second sprints with full rest in between. So much for taking it easy.

Earning your carbs!

I accomplished two three things today. I was outside and got some good sunlight. I danced (workout) for a good two to three hours and I grilled a bounty for a party tonight. The video seems a little long so after some more editing I should probably shorten it quite a bit more.

My setup allows me to do various things while grilling. I can choose to use the weight rack or transform it as I did today into my video editing station. :-)

Here it is:

Nordic Run

This is my early morning Nordic Run. I woke up at 4:15AM, saw a bit of the Olympics (Darra Torres) and went out for my run. Our new trail is almost complete, the bridge that connects the two sections now open. This is what it looks like when you're up early. It's just you and the trail.

Diffused light

This morning was overcast. My energy level was not as high as it has been in the last few weeks. The alarm actually go to me this time.

Two things happened. I did not get up immediately and I did not go outside either to walk. My drowsiness level therefore remained a little higher than usual.

Diffused light such as that produced by overcast day is great for photography. It's also darker as far Exposure Values (EVs) are concerned. Apparent sunrise is much later than normal even though it has already happened by 6:00AM.

Lesson learned. Even if I don't go running, I must step outside and catch the light for a little bit. Melatonin is reduced or increased by the amount of light present.

This is an excerpt from Wikipedia on Melatonin:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

" ... melatonin is produced by pinealocytes in the pineal gland (located in the brain) and also by the retina, lens and GI tract. It is naturally synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan (via synthesis of serotonin) by the enzyme 5-hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase.Production of melatonin by the pineal gland is under the influence of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus,which receives information from the retina about the daily pattern of light and darkness. Both SCN rhythmicity and melatonin production are affected by non-image-forming light information traveling through the recently-identified retinohypothalamic tract (RHT).The light/dark information reaches the SCN via retinal photosensitive ganglion cells, intrinsically photosensitive photoreceptor cells, distinct from those involved in image forming (that is, these light sensitive cells are a third type in the retina, in addition to rods and cones). These cells represent approximately 2% of the retinal ganglion cells in humans and express the photopigment melanopsin.^[11] The sensitivity of melanopsin fits with that of a vitamin A-based photopigment with a peak sensitivity at 484 nm (blue light).^[12] This photoperiod cue entrains the circadian rhythm, and the resultant production of specific "dark"- and "light"-induced neural and endocrine signals regulates behavioral and physiological

Circadian rhythms.

Melatonin may also be produced by a variety of peripheral cells such as bone marrow cells,^[13][14] lymphocytes and epithelial cells.

Usually, the melatonin concentration in these cells is much higher than
that found in the blood but it does not seem to be regulated by the photoperiod.

Melatonin is also synthesized by various plants, such as rice, and ingested melatonin has been shown to be capable of reaching and binding to melatonin binding sites in the brains of mammals.^{[15][16]' ...}

Light dependence

Production of melatonin by the pineal gland is inhibited by light and permitted by darkness.
For this reason melatonin has been called "the hormone of darkness" and
its onset each evening is called the Dim-Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO).
Secretion of melatonin as well as its level in the blood, peaks in the
middle of the night, and gradually falls during the second half of the
night, with normal variations in timing according to an individual's chronotype....

^"

The light difference and why we still live in caves!

Much is said about our modern age. We pat ourselves on the back for all our accomplishments. And rightly so, there is been a lot of good accomplished through collaboration, exploration and just plain curiosity and determination to not let one failure or one thousand ruin the party.

There is of course the dark side of the picture but we sure have so much potential. We as humans though keep tripping over our success and sometimes we just need to go back to basics. Take the issue of light in our environment. Why do we choose to still live in caves? It may seem that the two are not related but let's explore the connection.

The typical home or office has a number of light fixtures, windows and other light sources. The earth has one, Ok, two main sources. The sun and the moon. The moon reflecting light from the sun.

Why could we categorize most homes as caves. It's the difference in ambient light. Office buildings where we work are not much better. Even when large windows are present.

As a photographer, familiar with the 'sweet light', Sunrise to about Ten or Eleven AM and from Three PM till just after Sunset, it dawned on me that indoors it is dark! Yes we run inside to stay away from the heat and Ultra Violet radiation (which is really more a problem during mid day and worse I suppose near the Equator), but therein lies the problem.

Light is good for you. Especially Sunlight. I learned this when I was in Kindergarten. Something happened between the occurrence of skin cancer, and marketing advertisements that sent us all packing inside or wearing Sunglasses at all times. Common sense (which is experienced base), is necessary here.

What is the difference in ambient light indoors as opposed to being in less just say in the shade outdoors. It is amazing how much light difference there is. We just don't sense it because our eyes adjust to it.

This morning I took my light meter (I had never thought of using in it this manner) and measured the ambient light inside my home in the kitchen. It's rather bright in there. If I were taking a photo with my camera, one setting would be and exposure at 2seconds and at aperture of F5.6. So leaving setting the same, I went outside. This is the same lighting present at just before Sunrise. 2 seconds at F5.6. The brightest part of my house then (the kitchen), has the ambient light similar to pre-sunrise lighting outdoors. That is pretty dark.

I went on the web to find out when Sunrise would occur today and it turns out that would be at six AM this morning. I waited for a few minutes and measured the light again. The difference was a seven to nine exposure steps. I was amazed. It did not seem that much brighter to my eyes. My meter told a different story. Two seconds would then require and exposure of F45 or F64.

It's a cave in my home. I have fixed some of this and brought the light difference to four steps in some rooms.

The next time a calculation of what that means in terms of light and measurements at my office.

More light measurements

My office lighting is roughly two steps lower than sunrise light.

I retrieved my light meter's manual to get a conversion to lux. Just after Sunrise lux measurements are at 5000. With additional lighting in my cubicle lux measurement goes from 1300 to 2600.

Not quite there but better than 700 without additional lighting using only overhead lights.

More measurements are in order to get an good average. It was cloudy this morning so I'm not getting quite as bright readings. UV measurements are also necessary to get the whole picture on light exposure.

I woke up as usual at around 5:00 but was a little more tired than usual. I'm thinking I'll have to move my floor lamp to my office because it is brighter than my desk lamps. We'll see what other tweaking I have to do.
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July 29, 2008

Still cloudy but I have a better handle on lux measurements. My light meter readings are EV (Exposure Value) readings which need to be converted. With the meter on the floor, readings are at EV 6.2. That tranlates into 160 lux. That's very dark. As I raise the meter to my desktop level EV readings are 7.7 to 8.4. Those readings tranlsate to 400-900 lux. Just a little above sunrise which Wikipedia reports as being 400 lux.

The link here shows a table that converts EV values to Lux:

http://www.sekonic.com/support/support_2.asp#

The brightest spots on my cubicle read EV 9.x which translate to 1300-1800 lux. Without my additional lighting I go back to EV 7.4 which puts me back to 450 lux. Quite dark and not really noticeable because our eyes adjust. This low level of light while pleasant does not trigger the suppression of melatonin levels sufficiently so that feeling drowsy may last longer than needed. Coffee is the answer most seek which is probably not the best way to deal with this issue.

More measurements coming..
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July 30, 2008

We experienced an earthquake at around noon, we are asked to leave the building so we all got a little sunshine. Problem is that around noon the UV levels are quite high. The weather service alert I receive posted an alert of 11+ The safe range is five or below. This link: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvalert.html provides more information on UV index.

Getting enough sunlight is becoming a very delicate dance; but remembering that UV radiation is best avoided during the hours of 10:00AM and 4:00PM should give us plenty of light before and after. This morning for example the EV reading on my meter at 7:30AM was 10.6, a healthy 3600 lux. No UV worries at that time and the clouds presented an excellent soft light photo opportunity.

I'm waiting for a special light source called the LiteBook. Supposedly it improves energy, mood and a few other things. I'm giving it a try. The most appropriate time for testing it will be during the mid-afternoon when my body temperature drops and I feel the need to sleep. I would take a nap, I have a break during that time but it's very difficult to find a quiet spot to this in the shade.

Since I started applying some of the principles of light therapy (unbeknown to myself), my level of energy has improved. Most days I get up without an alarm as I have mentioned. The only change to this is when I wake up in the middle of a dream and can't go back to sleep.

Last night's dream is a case in point. I woke up in the middle of a brawl (in my dream), and I took a swing at one of the ruffians in my dream. I hit the night stand with my left fist, full on. I'm still hurting this morning. Since I woke up at 3:00AM yesterday, it changed for one day my energy levels. Then the earthquake hit, did not go to the gym and I was done. My energy levels were lower than usual in the afternoon.

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August 2, 2008

This is the first real sunny mid day I've measured. The EVs starting from inside my home were 3,9, at the porch 7.9, underneath the shade of my Mulberry tree 9.6. At the edge of the shade. 11.6. Full sunlight 15.6.

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August 9, 2008

Bright sunny day, I was out getting some light by 5:30AM and stayed out until 7:00AM when I finished my kettle bell workout.

I've received my litebook elite. This little device emulates sunlight without the UV radiation. I use in my office and at home since it's portable. it's hard to tell about the energy benefits so far since I'm getting as much light as I can during the day. In any case my dear wife is on the bandwagon. It takes about 30 days to start seeing results. The real test will be in the fall when it gets darker earlier.

The morning show

It's about 4:45 and I'm awake, I beat the alarm again! I usually go for a run this early and catch the sunrise. This morning I'm taking a break. I've made my breakfast and I'm sitting in from of my house under my Mulberry tree along with all the other critters enjoying the sunrise. No coffee necessary.

Since hardly anyone is up at this time, I've chosen my front yard to do kettlebell workouts on alternate days before anyone notices. I could do them in the back yard but then I would have to deal my dogs wanting some attention and I probably end up waking someone up. Ah here comes the Sun!

Ever since I started applying the suggestions in the powerful sleep system I recently acquired I generally have more energy and have no trouble sleeping.

Among them are:

• Going to bed at the same time everyday no matter what (90% compliant).
• As soon as you get up go outside, get some light (this is what I'm doing right now).
• Take a nap sometime later in the day. This one is difficult because the office environment does not cater to this type of behavior.
• Not in the book but I've given myself permission to just get up.
  

More....

3d Week 100Pushup Challenge

Today I started the third week of the 100 push up program. It's getting tougher to say the least. I completed 82 push up split into five sets. I was holding on to dear life at the end. I may have to go down a notch to be able to do this. Or change the rest periods between sets.

82 is quite an accomplishment so far. Adjustments are coming for sure!

When going to bed

I have modified my sleeping habits quite a bit and my energy and sleep patterns are much better.

Our room goes completely dark at night. I made some covers for the windows which block must of the light coming from outside. We make sure to cover alarm clocks, phones, radios and anything else that emits the smallest hint of light. There is also no Television in our room. There never has been and don't have plans to put one in either.

Recently I took out a basket of books I had on my night stand. No more reading in the bedroom either. Our room is now formally declared a sleeping zone.

As far as the alarm goes, I usually wake up before it goes off so it's just a precaution. Once in a while I'll take a little longer to get up. The important thing is that I have to get to bed by 10:30PM. That's my threshold. If I don't, I'll still get up around 4:30-4:45AM but my energy levels will be off a bit. Especially later during the day. Try four hours later which puts me in a collision course with office hours. I should have an alarm instead to let me know it's getting close to go to bed.

Getting enough and solid sleep is essential for the next day's activities. The first of which is going out for a run/sprints/Nordic walking and the rest. Catching the sunrise is a nice thing to do. Being alert at work is a good thing as well. More productive and such.

The one other modification I've made is brightening my cubicle area with full spectrum lamps. It's nice! I can actually see how dark hour office space really is.

My sleeping routine includes a mandatory nap between 4:00PM and 6:30PM. It's only ten minutes but the office is really not setup to do this sort of thing. So I try to take one nap just before going home at 6:00 or so. It really energizes me and makes for a pleasant evening. My mood is so much better as well.

Another thing that really wakes me up is listening to upbeat music. It sure gets my heart pumping and I'm ready to go again. The only danger is that I really want to start dancing and I sure can get carried away with that :-) To all my friends who let music, life and proper rest invigorate them.

Cheers.

Sunday's trek

After this morning's 'trail' run I had the pleasant surprise to find myself locked out of the house. Apparently someone borrowed the house key and I did not notice it this morning when I went out on my little hike poling expedition.

It was a good thing! I was able to enjoy the run the clouded 'sunrise' and not worry about how I would get back in without waking everyone up. When it was time to get back in the house is when I realized the key was missing. It's still early enough to postulate that I may have dropped the key on the trail but that would be strange. The rest of the keys are intact, unless the house key slipped out of the key ring by itself. Keys are insensate so I don't think that's the case.

I was a little upset and started thinking, who took the key out of my key chain? :-( I took a deep breath and realized that no matter who, the important thing was what was I going to do? I am standing at the front door, completely soaked and in need of a shower because of the mephitic odors emanating from my wet clothing.

I decided to sit in front of the house (I have a nice park bench in front of our Mulberry tree) and read via audio books on my Ipod. After a while I decided to call in with my cell cuz I had to really go now (if you know what I mean)!

I was going to call my wife but the resulting tsuris from waking her up I surmised would not be worth it. So I called one of my twin boys who obliged and opened the door for me (they run often with me so I figured understanding of my predicament would be forthcoming). I was inside the house, finally! What should have taken an hour turned into two hours. Fortunately I had a super shake prior and during the run so I was able to cook my oatmeal calmly (after the shower) without waking anyone else up.

The oatmeal, ahh. What I joy.

Steel cut oats.
Green tea.
Half a banana.
Handful of almonds.
Psyllium Husks.
Vanilla Whey.
Cinnamon.

I feel good!

Sunday Sunrise

Woke up around 4:50 (body temperature rise), out for a run at 5:30AM.

Getting the most out of sleep!

This past week and a half, I have been consistently getting up before the alarm and going out on the trail to run/walk and catch the sunrise. It's cloudy today maybe that had an effect on me. I woke up at around the same time but made the mistake of not getting off bed.

I finally realized I was not going to sleep any more and here I am outside taking in the light. Feel so much better. I think I have discovered and finally understand the concept of keeping your sleep pattern the same even if it is the weekend.

Here is to having more time to enjoy life and making the most of your sleep time.

Week 2, day 2...

Today I again woke up at around 4:45. Did not want to wake my wife up so I sneaked out of bed as quietly as possible. Had a large drink of water and went out hike poling. It's really nice to be out early morning. I practically own the trail at that time. I specifically went off trail (on the dirt). Wanted to work on my balance and while I was not huffing and puffing I sure did perspire quite a bit. The mephitic odors coming from my high tech shirt are a sign that I need a good scrubbing :-).

I was conscious of not over doing it. I have another bout during my lunch (the 100 push up challenge program) and there is a concert after work. Yes sir! This should be fun! Staying alive, staying alive.... oh, sorry, I was donning a white suit there for a second. Actually not a good site, completely white.. makes me look fat!

The expected workout for today is then to hit a max of push ups after four sets with 90 second rests in between. Exactly what that is I can't remember. The hundredpushups.com website is refusing to let me in.

94.6, 96.7, 97.1, 97.7

Body temperature throughout the day. I'm trying to figure out what is the best time to take a power nap and where to perform better at my job. Today drowsiness came in at 4:00, went away and back at 5:15. My idea is to park the car underneath a shade to be able to take a 10 minute nap. Let's see how this project goes.

The ladder workout

How to use a ladder to workout without really trying.

In the last couple of days, actually it's been the last couple of weekends, I have been doing work around and inside my home.

From getting on the roof to get access to tree limbs to cut them to light and fan installations. All required the use of a ladder.

Yesterday my legs were sore. And I knew I had gone out for a fast walk in the morning, I had done some sprints the previous day but nothing out of the ordinary. Not the kind of soreness produced by those particular activities.

Then it dawned on me. I had been climbing up and down the ladder. Which really involve lunges, single leg squat variations and presses when holding fan motors and tools above your shoulders for minutes at at time. I was not counting but therein lies the source of my 'soreness'. Going up and down really worked me and being on my feet balancing on the ladder was far longer than most workouts I engage in.

So there you have it. Next time you need to do work around the home do it with gusto, give it all you got and you will earn your lunch snack or dinner.

The third day is coming...

On Friday July 11th, 2008 my third workout building up to 100 push ups. The plan is to hit a higher amount of push ups overall with a little longer rest between sets. Again I did not pay attention to the instructions on the last bout and I did not rest long enough between sets. I still did good but I certainly will be paying attention to the rest periods on this next attempt.

Day 2 (100 push up quest)

After a good rest yesterday, I performed my second day of the 100 push up program. It consisted of push up in sets of 1x9, 1x8, 1x6, 1x5 and 1x10 plus a bonus 1x3. I'll be doing some more stretches in a bit to make sure that I stay limber or at least improve.

The one thing I can say is that I felt really strong. I did a total of 41 push up plus a 1.5 mile walk and sprints. I earned my carbs today.

Day three is next and I can feel the improvement already.

Onward!

The Saga Continues...

Today is my second day of training to get to the 100 push up max. I'm including a stretching program on my routines on a more structured basis to prevent injuries as experienced last week. Nothing major but certainly annoying!

I need to be more limber and the tightness around my shoulders and generally my left side are somewhat inhibitting.

This morning I had beef stew, chicken and vegetabels for breakfast. I should have warmed up more. My mistake was not measuring the portions. I'm not entirely satisfied. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

100 pushups

I began my quest to hit 100 consecutive pushups yesterday. Typical guy, I read the manual carefully after I started and found some parts that did not fit anywhere. So I went back to review the program.

Where I got that I was supposed to do them every day, I have no idea. But here is what happen. I did 10 pushups on my initial test. That same day (Sunday), I did 3x9 and 2x8 for a total of 43 pushups. Today I did 5x7 for a total of 35 pushups. I'm supposed to take a day off tomorrow and hit it the floor again on Wednesday with the following: 1x9, 1x8, 1x6, 1x5 and the last 1x(max) at least 7. I'm supposed to rest 90 seconds between sets.

I've done two days in a row, thank God I checked the program cause I was hurting today. This is supposed to be a rest week and I'm going crazy with this. No kettelbell workouts for sure.

There you have it, the beginning of a new peak. Check out the program here: http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html

Onward!

Pancakes after a workout

Since I joined the Precision Nutrition forum and getting the plan, I've learned a few things that have helped me break the plateau I was stock in for months.

I'm eating vegetables on most meals in the day. The other is the timing of eating carb loaded foods like pancakes. This is the recipe I've adapted to my life style.

I call the kettle bell pancakes not necessarily because of the ingredients but the manner in which I make them.

The ingredients are:

100% Whole wheat flour.
100% Bran (additional fiber).
Steel Cut Oats (ground on coffee grinder).
Ground Flax seed.
Egg whites (sometimes the whole egg depending on how I feel).
Vanilla Whey protein powder.
Milk (your choice).
Blueberries
Coconut Oil

While cooking each pancake set of two, I perform kettle bell moves. 30 to 45 swings per side. In twenty minutes you have an excellent workout plus you really have earned your pancakes. Green tea is also consumed while working out.

Today I made a batch of about 20 pancakes. Enough for the whole family and tomorrow!

Onward!

Strength "Challange"

While visiting the Precision Nutrition forum I came across a program called Greasing the Groove (GTG). It's designed to improve workout performance in certain exercises (push ups, pull ups, sit ups). So I'm on it. Coincidentally I came across this site: http://www.hundredpushups.com/ which details a program to increase your push up max to 100 plus. Six weeks to a hundred push ups. Interesting and will give this a try as well.

Swimming bout

It's been a while since I've been in the pool. I just saw the Olympic trials and while the only competition I'll see is if I join the masters, I'm ready for a dip in the fast lane. Mike Phelps and Dara Torres sure look smooth in the water. That's what I have in common. Not speed but smoothness. So here we go. Time to get my swim workout book out. And for the las time, Dara Torres is NOT OLD!

The new kid in town

This is my new acquisition. Lead shot, sand, these and other items are what could go in it to vary the weight. The handle is quite large. We'll see how it goes.

More info here: http://www.artofstrength.com/OnlineStore/reloadable/tabid/351/Default.aspx

Kettlebell Pancakes

The healthiest pancakes on the planet!

What I’m about to describe is highly classified. The recipe described therein is highly energizing. No need for coffee if you do this.

Disclaimer: Following the recipe below should be done only if you are in great shape or getting there. I’m no a doctor, consult your doctor before following any strenuous activities. Damage to your kitchen is your responsibility as well.

Ok, having that out of the way let’s proceed with our soon to be famous Kettlebell Pancakes.

Measurements are for you to decide, all I know is that I ended up with a stack of nine 6” pancakes. They were thick as well 1/8 to ¼ inch. I loosely followed a recipe out of the Precision Nutrition cook book.

Here is the mix:

Whole Wheat Flour

2 table spoons Psyllium Husks

1 egg white

24 grams of vanilla whey

1 cup of blueberries

1 cup of milk

Cinnamon

Two scoops of flax seed (ground)

Water in the mixture until smooth.

Table spoon of coconut oil.

You know the drill mix the stuff up, place on grill after coconut oil has melted and wait till bubbles are visible before turning.

The other part of the recipe follows.

While cooking each side of the pancakes, do as many swings with your kettlebell as possible. I have it down to 45 one arm swings per side.

While making the pancakes taking breaks between flipping the pancakes this is the workout:

30 two arm swings (first time so I stopped and checked the pancakes).

Flip

30 military presses on each side (stop take cooked pancakes out, put in the next batch).

While cooking the second batch:

45 single arm swings per pancake side (total of 90 after pancakes are done).

Next Batch;

30 swing and snatch per pancake side (total of 60 after pancakes are done).

One you pancakes are done:

10 pushups and 10 half get ups.

I picked a 25lb kettlebell for my workout. Take a shower and enjoy your pancakes. These are Post Workout meals so you must do something to justify the grub.

One thing I must emphasize, doing kettlebell workouts in the kitchen are not really recommended. But if you must (like I did), make sure to do safe swings, no flipping, no one are switches in mid air, none of that fancy stuff. Dropping a kettlebell on your kitchen floor (I have tile), will set you back hundreds of dollars. Stick to the basics. Make sure to wipe the kitchen floor (sweat), so that your poor unsuspecting mate or other family members don’t hurt themselves because you left a mess on the floor.

Last but not least, clean the counters. Your mate will love you, really. Otherwise the “wrath of Khan” will be upon you.

There you have it, the healthiest pancakes on the planet.

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54:05.4

My new PR, running home. I beat my previous time by 32 seconds. Other numbers. Average heart rate 148bpm. 808 calories. On my way.

I'm also beginning to see some photos of my daughter's wedding. Hoping for more soon.

54:37

My new PR, running from work to my home. In a couple of weeks I'll beat this time if only for a few seconds less.

The week after

Still waiting for the wedding photos and the video. Being that I've photographed many weddings before, not having many photos of my daughter's wedding is driving me patty!

And so it happened

After all the pre-wedding caos (see previous post), everything came together. This photo taken by a good friend of ours just does it for me. I feel really good when I look at it. Now the only thing I wished is that the festivities lasted way longer than they did. Hey that's an idea. We're going to have another party, soon!

My daughter and friends who made the whole thing possible!

Project Management 101

A project has been defined as something that has a starting and end date. A wedding for example is a project. It begins at a given date and ends on the wedding date. A bathroom or two to be remodeled are also a project. The project ends when remodeling of bathroom(s) comes to a completion.

What is required for successful completion of said projects? Definitely a project plan is needed for each. The main objective is set, interim goals to be reached, risks to the project, and last but not least the projected end date. Lessons learned as a vital part of the project which really must be done at increments with a final overall lessons learned session.

Every project is different, no matter how many similar the old and the new project seem to be. Having experienced one makes it easier to handle the next one, but there will be differences nevertheless.

I’m seating here, enjoying a scoop of ice cream reviewing in my mind the progress of two projects I have recently experienced.

My daughter’s wedding and yes a two bathroom remodeling projects. This all happening within close proximity of each other (actually concurrently)!

My daughter’s wedding project had its beginnings when Sani met Salem. The bathroom project began when the need to entertain guests for my daughter’s wedding became a reality.

Promises were made, gifts were exchanged and the race was on! May 10, 2008

I have been quite content with the plans to my daughter’s wedding. There have been a few glitches which I must relate. Without those glitches it would have been quite un-eventful.

Four months ago was the starting date for the bathroom remodeling. They were supposed to have been finished by February of 08. Giving us plenty of time until the wedding date of May 10^th, 2008!

Now the real story!

There was not project plan, at least not a written one. This means that everything lay hidden in the neuron connections deep inside the brains of my daughter (Yosani), Sani for short and my dear wife Rachel. My job was to be the sponsor (this means pay for everything).

May 10^th is very close to what? Hmm let’s see. MOTHER’S DAY! Ok so what! Well let me tell you what! Flowers during this particular weekend are three times as much as any other weekend. We almost had no flowers! It’s also PROM Night! Do you know how much limos cost around this time? And then there is the color of this or that not matching. Timing is everything.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the bathroom project is now delayed and it begins exactly one month and a half before the wedding. I tried as the sponsor to convince our bathroom project manager to postpone that until after the wedding. It was almost as if I was trying to postpone the wedding! Well I also tried that. As you may have figured out, neither project manager acquiesced.

Back to the wedding, a wedding shower for both Sani and Salem was scheduled. We rented a small place in La Mirada, CA and had friends and family get together, promises were made, and gifts were exchanged. Food was great we had a slide show of the kids growing up and I did shed a few tears.

Then there was that incident of the brown chairs. Let’s see, we rented chairs. I did not know that the rental facility had chairs (they all do, don’t they). It turns out that the facility chairs did not match the décor and theme of the wedding shower. That’s why my precious daughter had chairs rented. After the event, who ever was supposed to return the chairs to the OTHER rental place could not do the delivery due to an emergency. So who get’s stuck delivering one hundred brown chairs on a Monday morning. Yes, you guessed it. It was DAD, the sponsor. I lost half a day of work on this. I managed to put all one-hundred chairs neatly inside our highlander. I must admit that was a work of art.

Back at the ranch, the bathroom projects are now experiencing difficulties. Tiling did not go as quickly as expected. There was some issue with the floor boards. Actually they had to be changed; there was a previous undetected water leak that ruined the floor board on both bathrooms so replacements were made. A full length mirror was removed with the idea of putting a framed mirror. Behind the full length mirror, was what appeared to be an in-wall cabinet hole! Another little surprise that needed to be handled! Oh, and by the way, since we’re tiling the bathroom, let’s change the shower faucet covers. That turned somehow into the shower faucets breaking. My home is an older home, so finding the replacement faucets was a two day ordeal with intervals of no water at home.

Part of this particular project involved a new cabinet on one bathroom. That went well, until the sink was put in and the faucets and the original plumbing did not exactly line up. Now we have no sink, and one of my project managers decides to start the other bathroom.

The Sponsor turns into a dictator.

The guests are soon to arrive; both bathrooms are now out of commission. I fired my project manager and took over the projects. I had my wife back. Rachel was upset, but things are somewhat in order now. I fixed the sink problem. Put a stop to the second bathroom project and postponed any further craziness until after the wedding.

Our guests and dear friends arrive at my home tonight, I think I hear them knocking! We will laugh at all of this some day.

Oh, I almost forgot. The flowers!

Because the arrangement requires a flower tree, cement blocks had to be created to hold these flower trees. How do you get them to the wedding reception? U-Haul truck, that’s how.

I’m sure they’ll look beautiful! The father, daughter dance is going to be a smash and a surprise for everyone.

In the table arrangements I've asked for a single table to be setup with one chair for me, with a sign saying Father of the bride, you may kiss my ring!

Onward!

Fitness Hype

Some time ago (six years to be exact), I begun a journey. I went to get a health checkup and found out that I was borderline diabetic. Is there really such a thing as borderline anything? Ok, was getting very close to it. My weight was 284lbs. I blamed it on my clothing and my shoes. Of course eating a whole box of Italian cookies did not help.

For the first time I looked at myself without the rose colored glasses. I remember someone asking me once how much I weighed. After telling them they said to me that I carried my weight well. What kind of nonsense is that? And why would I believe it. Yeah I looked good I thought. Idiot! I’m talking about me. The other person didn’t know any better.

The thing was that I would commute by bike to work, twenty-miles one way, I would do this thrice a week. It became a game and a challenge. I would race against the bus. People got to know me, sort of. At every bust stop where they would either get off or be waiting for the bus, they would tell me about where they had seen me down the road. It was fun. During winter I would gain a little weight, come riding time in the spring, the weight would come off. And so it went for many years. I never saw that every winter, a little bit of that weight really stayed on.

In addition to this delusional state I was in (I carry my weight well, yeah right!), I thought I could eat anything I wanted (there are some fitness and diet books that use this line to hook you in). Yep, fries are good for you, they promote a healthy life style and the oils they are fried on, apparently don’t clog up your arteries. Two large burgers in on shot are really not that bad for you. Common sense should have prevailed but they tasted good. This was before the super size craze became the latest thing.

At the other end are the confusing and contradictory information that is spewed out in droves through many publications. Drink x amount of water. If you drink that much you may die! Carbs are good for you! No they are not, avoid them at all cost. Bacon is good for you! Not that one either, Canadian bacon maybe. Just exercise, melt it all away. Corns is good one day, the next is bad. Even whole grains have taken a hit. You need to smoke if you want to stay thin! Eat this not that, lift weights, not so much. Be careful to breathe, I bet that’s next. Workout early in the morning before breakfast! No don’t do that either. Don’t lift weights early in the morning, that’s another one. If you’re hungry, drink water, you may be thirsty. What if you are really hungry? Take your protein supplements. In fact, just take supplements, don’t eat at all. It’s a mad, mad, world.

There is one thing I guess everybody agrees on, you are an experiment of one. It works because you are you. It may or may not work on somebody else. As of this writing, I’ve lost 54 lbs. And that’s where I’m stuck at. My body has adapted and the borg principle has taken over.

l’m running from work to my house the next opportunity I get. That’s going to be on Monday May 5, 2008. Perhaps I’m running away from something deeper than just fat. The fitness hype!

2.74

This morning I went out for a short walk/run. According to my GPS it was 2.74 miles give or take a few feet. I averaged a speed of 3.8 miles per hour. What's in between is the important thing. I warmed up with a 2 minute walk followed by a 5 minute run. After which I did eight (8) all out wind sprints. The whole thing took only about 30 minutes in which I used 457 calories.

This type of workout burns more fat than just running or walking at a steady pace (so I've been reading). In any case my regular runs do feel easier because of the sprinting of workout. I'm happy to report that my beautiful wife is on the bandwagon. She is doing kettlebells and walk/fast walks with me thrice per week :-). Other friends at work may be infected as well or soon they will be.

Mixed workouts

I finally broke my plateau. I had gained some weight, lost some it, got it back and I'm finally back in control. We're only talking a few pounds. It just seems that this happens to me most often when training for Marathons. This year I trained and missed the Marathon. Got some extra pounds out of it.

What I'm doing now is mixed workouts. My kettlebell workouts are fantastic. I sprint or do very intensive workouts for no more than 20 minutes and twice a week I do a fasting cardio workout. I had done the fasting cardio before but there is difference this time. I was doing intense cardio while fasting. That did not work for me at all. I felt mostly dizzy. Now that I do it at a very moderate pace, I actually feel good.

Tomorrow, I'll be getting up at 5AM and start the process all over again.

Onward!

Change is constant...

Yesterday I found out that a colleague of mine is moving on to another company. I'm both happy and sad.

I'm happy because good and capable people need to be where they excel and are supported. Their influence is for the better to all concerned. Good managers are hard to come by, our loss will definitely be someone else's gain. Light must shine where there is a hint of darkness and water that does not move becomes pungent. Winners always leave you with knowledge, wisdom and pleasant memories (which is true in this case). Which in turn makes one grow. Moving on to tackle other challenges keeps one young as well. So I'm glad and happy. I think of a plant gloriously being bathed by the light of the sun. It thrives and benefits others. In whatever window of life it rests, a glow of contentment will follow. So it is a good thing. My growth is directly related to that as well.

I'm sad (this section should be smaller), because there is a loss associated with bettering oneself and others. It is part of the package. Yes, momentarily there will be a gap, something missing. To be exact the positive flow of energy that emanates from those that actually know what they are doing. I will have to catch my breath and face the reality of change.

So my best wishes to not just a colleague, but to someone who has grown to be a inspiration and a friend. I will strive and do as well. It has been an honor. May others see what I've seen as well. The whole experience prompts me to be and further become better myself. After all, change is constant!

I dedicate this to all who in like manner have affected others for the long term in a positive manner.

I am an energizing force,

a magnificent waterfall,

which refreshes and inspires others to excel.

My P.I.N. applies to said colleague perfectly.

Ancient Fertility Rites in Our Modern Age

Ishtar day.

The Marathon that never was and the 10k that humbled me.

Imagine arriving at location of an event you've been anxiously waiting to attend. Only to find out that the location was right but the event has long since occurred (three weeks or so before).

The end of a run!

The LA Marathon came and went. Due to injuries and conflicting schedule, I was not able to run it. I now own and $85.00 T-Shirt. Lesson learned. You take a chance entering so soon after the last run. Anything could happen. I’m not sure I’ll be doing this particular Marathon again. I will be running a trail run in a couple of weeks in Catalina Island Maybe trail running will be more to my liking.  Of course, this is how I feel at this time.

 

Influencing my feelings is the fact that a least a couple of my fellow runners have sworn not to run the LA course again. We’ll see. The Catalina half and full Marathons are a mystery to me. There is a lot a hills I’m told and there is that boat ride to the start of the run. Maybe this will be the start of a new tradition. I’m anxious to participate. My sons and I are fully trained and ready.

 

Onward!

Back on track...sort of

Well, we're going to attempt the Catalina Half Marathon. But just in case, sign up will not happen until a day before. I already donated my fee to the LA Marathon (non-refundable), and I'm not too eager to do the same with the Catalina event.

Onward!

Farewell training run...

My boys and I ran 4.5 miles today. My left foot did not bother me and Yonathan's (younger twin) knee did Ok as well. As long as we don't run on the asphalt we seem to do fine.

What could have been...

This was the weekend that would tell all. The grand finale. The last long run.....It's a sure thing. We're not doing the LA Marathon and neither are we doing the Catalina Marathon. What started out as a nettlesome problem, has turned into a full fledge obstacle. Injuries have taken their toll and I think is best we just let it go.

My left foot has not really healed from that basketball injury from a few months ago. Now one of my boys is having serious knee problems. We must now concentrate on resolving these issues. Maybe in a few months we can resume the quest, but there is always next year. I've enjoyed this training season more than any other. We really have learned a lot. I'm actully glad that what has befallen us did not actually occur on the day of the Marathon. Nothing like something popping the day of the race and having a memorable but miserable time.

My boys and I are much closer now. Whatever the future holds for us, we still have each other, and the laughs and stories will go on for a long time. We're going to do a run walk on Sunday (2/24/2008), kind of a farewell training run.

I think we hear the fat lady singing.

Onward!

Long Run

Our 23 miler did not happen.  We're doing the best we can and run under a slight drizzle. We'll see how it goes.

My food log for today

2700. That's the amount of calories I ate today. 622. The amount of calories used in my kettlebell workout at noon.  I hit 168 on my hear rate monitor. My weight 233lbs. Not necessarily square one, rather a new beginning.

Indian Food

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to Indian food by a fellow employee at the office. I have been hooked ever since. Lately a group of us have been trying out the vegetarian menu and I can recommend it wholeheartedly (if you like vegetables of course).

Yesterday, I went with a friend to experience the "veggies" once more and it was as they say "the bomb". Little India in Artesia, Ca has a few restaurants along Pioneer Blvd so we have more to try out. The Nan and Masala breads are great.

One word of caution, just because it's all veggies does not mean you can throw caution to the wind. You can over do it and I think I did.

Back to training!

My collection

I'm pretty much set for now.

Below are the kettlebells I'm using for my family workouts (my daugther and my twin boys are using them).

I wanted to see how hard I was working so I wore my heart rate monitor on one of these workouts. There is a reason I'm winded (quickly). My heart rate goes as high as running sprints and depending on how you push it, close to max.

My goal is to be able to do the whole Providence routine in good form and do two rounds w/o rest and work up to three w/o rest. For now, I'm struggling just to finish the fourteen round workout. I must admit I like the routine.

Running Mad

This morning it seems we got up on the wrong side of the bed. I was not in good, mood, my boys had a slight disagreement (read heated argument) and I did something to upset my wife.

We decided to go for a short run anyway. For the first 3/4 mile, we were all quiet, mumbling here and there. Thinking and re-thinking our issues. After a while of manuvering on the dirt trail we ran our first leg. I snuck up on one of my boys and sprinted past for a few seconds. The run was really on.

We begun laughing and running some more, very soon we forgot what the whole affair was about and why we were upset. We picked up the pace, smiled at a few of the folks around the trail and we were now focused on our pace. We did only four miles today but the 'Mad' part soon dissapeared. We were back home before we knew it.

After all was said and done, we had a wonderful blueberry smoothie. I'm glad we ran mad today.

Kettlebell Providence Routine

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning. I can’t say that the whole affair could be cataloged as extempore, but it sure felt like it. I did feel better at the end of the workout but I’m still having trouble with two particular rounds. There is a Romanian dead lift done on one leg, holding the kettlelbell with two hands. It seemed like an easy thing to do; nevertheless, it is really taxing me. The other round is doing a reverse lunge while passing the kettlebell to the opposite hand. The pass is done from one hand to the other, under the leg that takes the step backwards. It is a balancing act and it sure puts some load on my abs. I’m working with a 16kg,  a 12kg and an 8kg, depending on the round.

 

On second thought, I may be having more trouble than I’m admitting. Onward!

A new recruit

My daughter has joined the kettelbell ranks. Her first workout was last Monday (February 4th, 2008). She only completed half the workout. Today I'm happy to report, she did the whole 14 rounds of Providence. She did not do the last three minute challenge but this is good news. I'm glad, next victim...my wife!

Run and Kettlebells

After catching a cold and fully recovering (90% at least), I resumed my training.

 

I did the Providence workout on Monday February 4^th, 2008 (14 rounds of 2 minute bouts with a 3 minute ‘challenge’ at the end). Boy was I beat. Rested on Tuesday and did two running bouts today (February 6^th, 2008), one at 5:30AM for 45 minutes and another one at lunch for about 20 minutes. A total of 6 sprints at about 80% exertion level.

 

Tomorrow, early morning, the Providence workout awaits.

 

Adjustments and tracking...

Year Six. 

I've kept fifty lbs off my frame for this long now. I'm pleased. My weight does fluctuate a little but nothing major. I feel pretty good most of the time as long as I get my beauty rest. So I ususally go to bed no later than 10:30PM. This allows me to wake up well rested.
 
I'll be doing another kettlebell workout this coming week. Have to recover from a cold before proceeding, I'll take it easy and see how it goes. I've not been really sick in as many years so it's been a good ride. My chest is still a little congested but I feel so much better.

The one thing I stopped doing was tracking my progress. Have to get back to that process. Starting now. I walked for two miles on the mill at an incline of seven.

I started using steel cut oats again (cooks in about thirty to fourty minutes), I really like the taste and it really satisfies me for quite a few hours.

Catalina Marathon is coming up soon. Have one more twenty-three miler to do and we're set.

¡La flor desconocida!

My contribution to poetry, this written in Spanish dedicated to all those who go unnoticed and taken for granted. Inspired by people I know and some that will never cross my path; but who nevertheless fit the description. I hope those who fully understand these words can see what is expressed here in people they know.
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… existe otra flor. Tan bella y atractiva que despide su encantadora fragancia todo el año, no solo en primavera o en verano. Su color es singular y entre todas las demás hasta casi produce un desmayar, despide rallos de luz que como espejo reflejan la luz del sol a través de una singular sonrisa que refresca como una suave brisa. Sus raíces vienen de la tierra del café, el cacao y el Quetzal y aunque no es reconocida por los botanistas en general, su presencia es tan cautivadora como cualquier monumento nacional.

Ha veces su encantadora sonrisa proyecta alegría o tal vez simpatía pero nunca falla de llenar lo que falta en otros a través del día. Cuando no sonríe, será por tristeza o serenidad o melancolía por su tierra natal, no falta de causar intriga y curiosidad. Es en verdad otra flor hasta ahora desconocida que inspira en realidad.

En una tierra lejana fuera de su país natal, fue descubierta esta bella flor por ojos observadores de la belleza natural. No será catalogada como las demás por ser única y especial. La realidad del caso es que no se puede en un libro o en letras en papel catalogar ni describir en pleno su impacto total.

En altas horas de la noche o la madrugada a través de visiones y sueños cautivadores esa bella flor adorna el jardín del corazón, por que es fantástica, dinámica y divina no es sin razón que produce tal sensación; y aunque no llena el requisito de la botánica en general, no es inferior y no deja de ser muy superior.

Doctos en la materia dialogaran, pondrán al frente mucha especulación, polémica y discusión y no hallaran razón. Pero no se dan cuenta que esto solo se puede ver a través de los ojos del corazón. Lo singular y distintivo es que al pasar el tiempo no pierde su valor ni su encanto como cualquier otra flor. Su color vuelve a resaltar y hace el corazón palpitar por no ser verde como las demás pero mejor se describe su color como miel oscura dulce al paladar y piel morena más atractiva que rozas en docena.

Si tan solo se pudiera anunciar al mundo este gran descubrimiento y no dar por sentado lo que de seguro otros por una razón u otra no han notado pero que a mi ser a cautivado. Existe en otro jardín y solo a distancia se puede describir lo que a tientas y sombras en el bello atardecer sus destellos de luz dejan iluminar y presenciar.

O que flor, existe otra flor, sí, era desconocida pero no para siempre y seria imposible que en ese estado fuera a permanecer. Sí, esa adorable flor no se puede con el sentido del tacto acariciar, pero no por eso se ha de despreciar. Si alguien logra en realidad presenciar la belleza de esta flor, de cerca o de lejos, no pasara desapercibido lo que en estas pocas letras y palabras he reconocido.

Escrita por Otto Astorga (c) 2008.

Providence Workout

Today I did the Providence workout. It's 14 rounds of 2 minutes each with 1 minute rest in between. Once you finish that you do a three minute one arm snatch and press to really torture yourself.

If I can I'll post a video of what I look like after the workout. Pretty sad. I was struggling by the 8th round and the kettlebell size kept getting smaller but they sure did not feel lighter.

I mainly used the 16kg, 12kg and 8kg bells. I also did some lateral arm raises standing on a balancing board with 4.4kg kettlebell to warm up. Boy, I have a long way to go, that's for sure!

The workout video I own, was ordered from TheArtOfStrength.com. Most kettlebells I ordered from PerformBetter.com. I'm not sure if I'll be ordering anything bigger than the 16kg for now. It gets really tough by the end of the work out to hold the 8kgs.

I had a nice protein shake right afterwards with some eggs and vegetables. In the words of the father of Soul: "I feel good!"

Onward,, Going long!

Kettlebell par deux

I finally have a good assortment of kettlebells. 4.4kg, 8kg, 12kg and 16kg. The 4.4kg is nice for doing lateral arm raises. I do this while standing on a balance board. I find the workout more exciting and challenging this way. In fact I've incorporated the balance board while watching TV.

I'm looking forward to my next kettlebell workout now that I have all necessary bells; we'll see how I do. I know my boys have already started the kettlebell workouts with their friends and they now realize that the workouts are tougher than they appear. A good changeup from our normal routine.

I've taken the kettlebells to the local community gym where I regularly workout and they have been pretty well received. It would be nice if the gym acquired some, this way I would not have to carry them in every time I need to use them. On the other hand, since the kettlebells are my personal property, I have exclusive use of them during my workout. So I guess things are fine as they are.

Next, a seven mile fast run. Onward.

Almost twenty...

My twin sons at the fourteenth mile mark or our twenty mile run / walk this past
Saturday. Took a different route this time. Went up Turnbull Canyon Road in Whittier, Ca. It was our first time running up the old fire road. I was particularly concerned that due to my previous basketball injury, completing the twenty miles was not going to be possible. Our day's accomplishment put a quietus to the issue as I did fine and recovered quite well.

We're coming up on twenty-three mile distance in a few weeks, we will do more of Turnbull Canyon next time. Hope the weather is as nice as this time. They will be twenty this coming October as well. We'll have our Marathon training experiences to share and hopefully the real thing this coming March 15th, 2008.