Football Epilogue

http://strib.mn/2r31lf7 Here's an interesting read on the matter. A short term study shows that waiting to eat until after your workout, i.e. working out hungry in the morning, lowers blood sugar and does some beneficial things with your fat cells (generation of proteins that regulate insulin, etc.). I've heard the hard-core workout folks say to do this, or to have something small before a workout and have a meal after. This study showed that similar applies to moderate exercise on average people. The big alter-er in weight/fat will always be diet, but this may offer a little boost along the way. http://strib.mn/2r31lf7

I don't know where I'd be, without your dark and roasted bean and let's not forget the caffeine You pick me up in the morning But keep my up and moving Insides churning, outsides grooving And I take you with a little cream Who am I kidding, a lot of cream And need constant refill it would seem If there there's no Coffeemate to be had Then on to the half-and-half and with a touch of Splenda you taste splendid Although I'd drink you straight from the carafe I used to use a Keurig  machine But I found the portion quite lean So now on the weekend I make a full pot Still that doesn't last as long as I thought In the evening I switch to decaf So I can sleep at night Then awaken again tired and groggy Until I pour another caffeinated flight ©2016

I've found that a good "baseline" workout routine for me has been a mix of 30 minutes of cardio followed by 30 minutes of lifting for 4ish days per week. By baseline I mean something that I feel good after without needing to go into a coma until soreness subsides. I guess this is also called a "maintenance" workout. I'm not expecting to make huge gains in endurance/strength with this workout, but I do feel good after it and persistence with this work combined with dietary changes will yield some results. I do cardio first for one reason: TO MAKE SURE I DO CARDIO. It can be easy to talk myself out of cardio after an intense lifting session. If I was pushing for faster fat burning, etc. the experts tend to say do cardio after lifting, but that's outside the scope of this being a baseline workout. If time is limited cardio is your best workout "bang for your buck" as well.

I happen to be more on the "cut carbs" side of the fence, but it overall comes down to eating getting used to running on fewer calories...

Going through some old photos at my folks I came across this gem. 8th grade football squad. Can you find me? The transition from July to August starts bringing dreams of two-a-days and thoughts that I could still play.... #TBT

I've been tired, very tired. Oddly, I find myself wide awake around 6 am, but then the tiredness happens when I opt to roll over and go back to sleep leaving my groggy on my second awakening. There's a lot of stressful stuff going on lately though so I shouldn't be too self-deprecating. I know I mentioned I didn't get a morning run in. Fortunately, I hit the gym last night after I got back to town and put in a 5K on the treadmill and did some lifting: pull-ups (4 sets of 7-10reps), bench press (3 sets of 20reps), biceps curls supersetted with overhead press (3 sets of 10reps) and some triceps dips on the bench (3 sets of 10reps.). Feeling good, but potentially sore tonight/tomorrow.

I'm in Chicago. I was wide awake at 6 am. I hopped out of bed to go for a run in the park across the street. I got "runner ready" which for me means teeth brushed, drink some water, splash some more on my face and get dressed. I was all dolled up to put in a 5K and then realized I DIDN'T PACK MY RUNNING SHOES. This is ironic as I've been accused of bringing more shoes on trips than many more style minded (women) do; from dress shoes to sandals to running shoes, most all in the name of functionality. I was hasty in packing light this time. Oh well, it was a 10 minute walk from my hotel to my conference. I guess that will have to do, although I might have to start recognizing training shoes as acceptible dress with slacks and a tie...

It's been a little while since my last post. Life has been busy. I did however get to spend a week in Barcelona in that time. It was an amazing trip where I now joke with my colleagues that my flat rental there starts in October. From a health perspective, big cities typically mean one thing: lots of walking. Barca has the added feature of being very hot, >100F during the day with a noticeable amount of humidity. With so much to see and do it was worth getting sweaty to see the architecture, walk la rambla and visit the beach. With a conference going on as well there was limited time for food. Spanish portions...along with portions most everywhere else in the world are smaller than at home. Alcohol consumption in the evenings made up for it. This was the first time in a long time I found myself notably dehydrated. After a day or two I found carrying a bottle of water to be essential. There is a lot of orange juice consumed there which was especially refreshing when served wi...

Another in a long line of theme'd 5K races, the  Color Vibe 5K  was this morning in the Twin Cities. The good: Dousing with color packets every 3/4 mile or so was fun and helped break the monotony of the race The course was a flat, manageable "there and back" making it good for bringing kids as turning around early was no challenge One of the best "after party" DJs and music I've come across...although the first "Run for your Lives" Zombie obstacle 5k in MN had original live bands which can't be beat in my book. The bad: It rained (not the races fault) and it probably did help with the parking situation It was in a mall parking lot, not the most exciting location; although given how poorly malls are doing these days it may have bolstered some sales. In all it's fun to get out there with the family and get the kids moving and hopefully this bolsters more fun runs, etc. this summer.

Umpiring kids' baseball/softball games is a hazardous job. It requires thick skin and a decisive resolve (even if you're wrong at times). I've been umping my for daughter's softball team this season. tonight was exceptionally challenging. A couple of the opposing team's parents started chiding right from the first close call. To make matters worse, there is substantial ambiguity from what most people interpret as "out of play" (i.e. beyond the fence) and this league's director foul. On one hand I understand the intent of the latter (don't turn the game into an inside the ballpark track meet) on the other hand the fielders should learn to chase the ball down. This was ill defined coming into the game until tensions rose enough that I called time and we had a ground rules discussion (we opted for the former definition). Then after all was settling I cleared a bat from home plate giving it a little toss away from any players. One of the chiding pare...

Rather satisfying, imho.

Music isn't always a "must have" for my workouts, but it often helps. Like most people older than 25 my tastes consist of what I liked in high school plus a new album here and there. This post was actually inspired by my purchasing The Pretty Reckless's album "Going to Hell" which I think will do me well when lifting. I tend to prefer heavy music in the gym, but some stuff I like elsewhere (e.g. in the car) doesn't often do it for me. An example of this is Guns 'n' Roses "Appetite for Destruction". I love this album and it was one of the first cassettes (kids, ask your parents...what a cassette is), but for some reason it doesn't work for me in the gym. I have no clue why as "Welcome to the Jungle" is, or was, nearly a warm-up anthem during football pregame warm-ups. There are a number of albums I keep coming back to though to give me that extra bump in energy. Here are a few: "Greatest Fits", Ministry'...

The Map My Run website is a handy place to manage and find new places to run, bike, swim, etc. Here's my jogging route from yesterday. It is actually an old bike ride route that I often took as a kid.

I love traveling for work. In some ways it's like a vacation without taking the PTO. This is particularly true of conferences. I'm in Phoenix for the "International Microwave Symposium" (the communications type, not the cooking type). It's sunny and warm for my Minnesotan self. Two things typically suffer when I'm on tavel. My diet and my exercise. Too much beer and hors d' oeuvres are typically consumed as a part of social events and I spend a lot of time sitting in various presentation sessions. Really, I try not to beat myself up too badly, but trips can also have the effect of throwing off my exercise schedule once I'm back home. That said, I have a couple small accomplishments so far this time around: I've taken several walks around downtown, particularly after meals.  I got my HIITs cardio and ab session in last night I've had a salad for dinner each night and managed to avoid most sugary stuff during the day. The goal will ...

Ok. Going on day four sans pastries. Yesterday I opted for carrots with my guacamole instead of chips and actually enjoyed it. I bought some stuff to build salads at work. By the way, strawberries with a little balsamic vinaigrette (as part of a salad) is an excellent flavor combination.  I know that was just one day, but hopefully I can get back on a healthier eating trend. I just need to eat right one meal at a time, right? I also, got back into the gym for a regular workout. My schedule has been a little in flux going through this separation/divorce along with participating in a golf league. I may try going back to high intensity training for a while as the workouts are a bit shorter and they supposedly amp-up the metabolism. The  Men's Health 2008 Total Fitness Guide  has a HIT program that really kicked my butt, but also really worked. I may post some of it if I get this site spruced up a bit more. I'm also contemplating moving my routine back to mornings. I have...

I helped a friend move today. Lots of furniture lifting, maneuvering, etc. It was a steamy day with high humidity in the mid 80s (F). It got me sweating good, breathing heavy off and on (intervals) and has me sitting in bed tonight tired. It's the original cross-fit workout! I think we spend a lot of time these days getting workouts in the gym when being productive, or even entrepreneurial, can provide excellent fitness. Next time I want to get sweaty and tired, I'll just grab a shovel and go to work in the yard or put out an ad to see if anyone needs any moving help. Afterall, while it feels good to run a couple miles or do some lifting, there's huge satisfaction to be had getting your workout AND getting stuff done around the house.

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Tuesday League headline: "Davies horrid on the approach, immaculate around the green: plays his handicap and eeks out the win. Not quitting day-job anytime soon."

After impressing my daughter by doing dips on some steel rails at a local sandwich shop, I hit the gym in what felt like the first time in a month. Well it was actually a week-and-a-half. Some of the slacking was from being on travel for work, getting in a few more rounds of golf and doing some yard-work/gardening with the kids, so it wasn't a total slump. What has slumped some is my diet, I'm having a hard time going a day without either the doughnut or beer fairy visiting. Also my portion control is a little out of ...control. My (ex)wife started doing Weight Watchers  and I know in the past loosely using their "point" system to at least quantify my food intake has helped. Perhaps some healthy eating motivation will rub off on me. It's key to keep looking forward and not dwell on that way too calorie-laden dessert I had the other day. That just results in a craving.

Not to wax sentimental, but I love golf. I'm in the process of acquiring enough "recent rounds" to get a handicap for my 9-hole league which starts on Tuesday. This morning I played 18 holes (two rounds) at the  Brookland Golf Park . The local municipal course I grew up playing. I was on the course even before the club house opened and had the course essentially to myself. I remember always being fascinated by this potentially brutal to the psyche and cost prohibitive game. I have early memories of wanting my dad to get down his clubs in the garage and hitting whiffle balls in the backyard with my next door neighbor. I think what sinched it though was playing the occasional 9 or at least walking along with my uncles in Montana. The golf was fun, the company was good and rolling dice in the bar afterward kept it interesting. Anyhow, I'm glad I have some good before Tiger (BT) experiences to make this more than just a passing fad.