I Think I Can Do This!

So, I have made a commitment to doing a big part of my commuting to school this Summer by bike. I've ridden a couple of different routes and it is well within my reach and ability, however, the logistics of this is causing me to loose sleep. I need to transport me, my laptop, books, change of clothes/ shoes, and a lunch and keep these things dry. The ride is mostly on neighborhood and wide city roads and is 10.4 miles each way, the last time I did it I rode down and back consecutively with minimal walking on some killer (for me) hills. I don't mind getting wet, but my gear has to stay dry. I was thinking about something like the Otivia Cargo Cache to also store my helmet, gloves and shoes in while I'm in class since it locks and is supposed to be waterproof. I haven't made any purchases yet, but need to get moving on this quickly. If anyone has any alternative suggestions, please let me know. I'm still a big boy, and since increasing my riding (not eating more), I've gained a few pounds, but I'm sure that will change the more I ride.

Been a while.

I've not been avoiding you good internet people, I've just been busy. School has been going well and the exercise/ diet thing was going well, until... PNEUMONIA!!!!! I had been feeling lousy for a few weeks with a sinus, cold type thing and a couple fevers thrown in for fun. Last Friday, my chest was hurting and I was coughing up blood so, duh, I went to the ER to find out WTH was going on with me. After nearly twelve hours at the ER (don't get me started on that), I was told that I had severe bronchitis with a burst alveoli. I was given some cough syrup and sent on my way. Come Monday morning, I get a call from my regular doctor's office and after further review of my x-rays, I'm told I have pneumonia. Great, now what am I supposed to do with that? No exercise, no outside, no school, and get plenty of rest. How long you ask? I'm told it could take four weeks to heal. Awesome, things were going too well. On the plus side, I am down to 306 lbs with little effort. Oh well, everything happens for a reason. Stay tuned for more tales of adventure from TheStoutdog.

Done for the weak?

You may have noticed the word weak in the title, if not, look again. I completed my first full week of school in many many years and I am tired. I never gave enough credit to my wife when she was getting all those degrees for her constant abundance of energy. This is harder than I thought. Not just the school work part, but juggling the home, wife, kid, workout, and diet that needs to continue regardless of school. To top it all off, I "misplaced" my pedometer early in the week and somehow lost my motivation to exercise. I did manage to ride a couple of days and walked(in the snow, uphill, both ways) a bit too, but the last two days, I've been drained. I feel WEAK. Oh well, that is behind me now and I get to look forward to a full weekend of shoveling, cleaning, snow hiking, and homework. Health is good, and the normal shoulder/ back pains are at bay for now. I found my pedometer and am back on track for fitness. I never realized that I needed to have the numbers to motivate me, but I learned something new. School is awesome and I feel great about it. Life is good. If you don't agree, do something about it. Life is good. I am done with this weak, time to start anew.

College Boy!!

Made it through my first day at the University of Akron and I am officially a college boy. I had a great weekend eating properly and walking a bunch. Do-do me forgot to weigh in this morning, so that bit of info will have to wait. Gotta go for now, I have to eat and do homework. Yes, homework.

Fourth Day = Pain

Okay, so its not PAIN, but my body is sore. I just have to remember that sore is good. Sore is my body telling me that it is healing. Sore sucks, but is also good. I love/ hate sore. My wife and I ran/ walked 3.67 miles last nighs, came home and made a delicious Asian chicken cabbage salad for dinner and then crashed hard. 5:45am came way too early this morning, but I did it and managed to ride 5.29 miles on the trainer while the wife enjoyed Just Dance 2 on the Wii. Neither of us wanted to get up, but we did it. Yeah us! 316lbs., this is working.

I forgot I had this Blog

So I think I pull my head out of my rear-end and start this back up. This week has been pretty good considering the cold temps. Monday I managed to ride just under 6 miles on the trainer and walk just over 6 miles too. Tuesday was 5.89/ 5.05 ride/ walk and I managed 6.4 miles this morning on the trainer. Eating has been good, either protein fruit smoothie or whole grain cereal for breakfast, fruit/ string cheese for snacks, left-overs from the night before dinner for lunch and waaaaaayy healthy dinners. Water consumption has been steady at just over one gallon per day. Weight is down from 319.8 lbs on Monday to 318 today. Slow and steady wins the race. Stay tuned for more.

Wow!

Dinner last night consisted of salmon fillet, scrambled eggs, bacon and oh yeah, pancakes w/ peanut butter. Hmmm.....not exactly "healthy". Today I had a glass of hot tea, 22 ozs diet dew, an apple, some pirate booty, and a big a$$ burrito from chipotle. Yummy. Exercise consisted of, well, nothing. Oh well, tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful so hopefully a ride is in my future. I guess that is something to look forward to.