Took the Weekend Off

But I've made sure both Monday and Tuesday to stop at the gym on the way home. I'm also working my way around the Cybex machines. Some of them are much-newer versions of the machines we had at the Y; some are newer versions of the machines at 24-Hour Fitness. And some are completely alien to me, but work the same muscle groups as a couple of the machines at the Y. Weird. And, of course, I have to completely re-learn how to set each one up. I've also finally remembered which option I like for the elliptical. Still poking along with just 10 minutes plus the 3-minute cool down--such a long way from the hour I used to do pretty easily! Baby steps. It'll all come back.

Just Like Starting Over

I transferred my gym membership from 24-Hour Fitness to Planet Fitness. No pool, but I wasn't using the pool anyway! Did that yesterday afternoon online...well, the signing up for Planet Fitness was done online; when I went to the "cancel" page on the 24-Hour Fitness website, I had to call!

So today I stopped on the way home. It really is more convenient, since PF is in a center that's right against the freeway, with easy off/easy on options, as well as easy to take the streets home. I opted for the more expensive choice, since that gives me access to all the PF facilities. Even so, it's $15 per month less than the other club.

Since I've lost track of where I was on the Walk to Rivendell, I'll just start over. And so today's (exhausting) 10 minutes on the elliptical has me traveling a whopping .52 mile! I don't think that even gets me out of Hobbiton! Baby steps; I really am starting over, and horribly out of shape. I used to be able to spend an hour on the elliptical.

I need to spend some time with a trainer to learn their machines. My first chance for that at my home club will be next Tuesday, so maybe I'll cruise by the local facility and see what their options are.

And I still managed to spend about 30 minutes out in the yard, pulling weeds.

Quite the Difference

The Y is a quiet place, with no music being broadcast into all the rooms, whereas 24-Hour Fitness blasts the staff and customers with an obnoxiously loud sound system.

There are also 3 different kinds of ellipticals there, one of which is lower-body only, while one of the combined upper and lower machines could best be described as the bastard offspring of an elliptical and a stair-stepper. On the more traditional machine, the rise is higher and the stroke shorter than the LifeFitness machines at the Y, so these are going to take some adjustment. I'm also seriously missing the fans that help keep the cardio rooms cooled down at the Y.

Ever since I got the bike(s), I don't spend much time on stationary bikes, but they do have both the upright and recumbant styles

Four TVs in the section of the cardio area where the ellipticals and bikes are located, one on some morning talk show, one on ESPN, one on Faux News, and one on some game show; I didn't pay any attention to what the TVs in the other section (treadmills and traditional stair-steppers) were showing. The TVs gave me something to look at besides the panel on the machines while I was listening to my music.

Less Than 12 Miles!!

The BFFs and I went to the Joint Forces Training Base (formally NAS Los Alamitos [the Navy still holds the lease] but currently being run [down] by the Army, hence the name "change") for their annual Independence Day celebration. We had a good time, but on one of my bicycle tours of the base, I got a flat tire. So today I'm off to the bike shop. This is the same tube I had replaced on Thursday. This just sucks out loud!

One of my coworkers is on vacation this week, so I'll be starting work about 11:30 each morning. That gives me about an hour and a half for a ride each morning, unless I opt to go to the gym.

And how is it that gardening seems to use muscles you don't use during strength training?

Another Catch-Up Post

2008, Week 47
Monday, November 17: Home treadmill for 1.8 miles.
Tuesday, November 18: Home treadmill for 1.81miles.
Wednesday, November 19: Home treadmill for 2.151 miles.
Thursday, November 20: Home treadmill for 1.801 miles.
Friday, November 21: Rest day.
Saturday, November 22: Home treadmill for 2.029 miles.
Sunday, November 23: Home treadmill for 1.0 mile; bike ride for 35.5 miles.

2008, Week 48
Monday, November 24: Home treadmill for 1.282 miles.
Tuesday, November 25: Nothing. Karma cold.
Wednesday, November 26: Nothing.
Thursday, November 27: Nothing.
Friday, November 28: Nothing.
Saturday, November 29: Bike ride for 3.67 miles.
Sunday, November 30: Bike ride for 15.21 miles.

2008, Week 49
Monday, December 1: Nothing.
Tuesday, December 2: Home treadmill for .83 miles.
Wednesday, December 3: Nothing.
Thursday, December 4: Bike ride for 13.19 miles.
Friday, December 5: Nothing.
Saturday, December 6: Bike ride for 21.16 miles.
Sunday, December 7: Home treadmill for 1.505 miles; bike ride for 23.95 miles.

2008, Week 50
Monday, December 8: Home treadmill for 1.808 miles.
Tuesday, December 9: Home treadmill for 1.41 miles; bike ride for 5.23 miles.
Wednesday, December 10: Bike ride for 20.08 miles.
Thursday, December 11: Bike ride for 21.01 miles.
Friday, December 12: Home treadmill for 1.375 miles; elliptical for 3.88 miles.
Saturday, December 13: Nothing.
Sunday, December 14: Make Room for Santa 5K for 3.5 miles.

2008, Week 51
Monday, December 15: Elliptical for 3.63 miles.
Tuesday, December 16: Home treadmill for 1.276 miles.
Wednesday, December 17: Home treadmill for 1.414 miles; elliptical for 2.44 miles; full strength-training circuit.
Thursday, December 18: Home treadmill for 1.8 miles; 1 hour of Pilates; elliptical for 1.83 miles.
Friday, December 19: Home treadmill for 1.8 miles.
Saturday, December 20: Home treadmill for 1.756 miles.
Sunday, December 21: Combined home treadmill and walking a flatted bike: 3.118 miles; bike ride for 20.43 miles.

Total Distance since November 16: 234.51
Distance from Bag End: 3889.437
Distance to Minas Tirith: 139.563

Race Update

I looked through all the results for several minutes, making sure I'd found the highest numbers in both Overall and Female listings. It's kinda hard to believe there were fewer than 800 people in this event, but 788 is the highest number I found. Anyway, 378 out of 388 females, 765 out of 772 Overall, and 6/6 out of Females 55-59. Melissa, who's been at this longer than I have, fared better. She also found, and forwarded to me, a really dreadful picture of me at the River Ride last Sunday. No, I'm not going to share that one; you'll have to hunt it down yourself. My Chip Time was 58:07.0, which is about 4.5 minutes faster than my Stubble Time. Which, I think, isn't too shabby for someone who doesn't really train for these events.

Well, I'm off for a ride before it gets too hot. I also have one more errand to run for a cross stitch project.

Nearly Two Weeks Behind!

Yikes! But my BFF-N spent last weekend in the hospital with some cardiac issues, so even though I didn't pass up any bike rides, I did decide that spending some time with her was more important than posting an update.

Briefly: last Sunday was the LA River Ride, so I now have completed an official Half-Century (50 miles) bike ride! Thank goodness it wasn't a race, because I'm just not a fast rider. I also had an extended break with 18 miles remaining when I had a couple of guys at one of the Pit Stops make some adjustments to my rear wheel and rear brake after I had a spoke break. Monday became a total rest day, then Tuesday I made it to the gym for some upper-body work before stopping at the bike shop. Wednesday, with the bike still in the shop, I again stopped at the gym for some cardio on the elliptical, which made me realize just how much I miss those after-work stops at the gym!! I sure hope the new new guy at work learns the job faster than the old new guy (the one who was—ahem—"released" from service Thursday). Do you realize that with the URI at the end of April/beginning of May and with training people at work, I went very nearly an entire month without getting anywhere near the Y!!

And today was the Downtown Anaheim 5K with my dear friend Melissa, who came close to her personal best in spite of the health hazards of holding an event on city streets only partly closed off to auto traffic. My own unofficial ("gun") time was a fraction under 59 minutes, a personal best for me and my first finish in under a full hour! I even got in a few seconds of what she calls "wogging," which is not quite jogging, but a bit beyond walking. Not too shabby, considering that I hadn't actually done any training for this event and have been quite the slacker with respect to getting out of bed and onto the treadmill!

2008, Week Nineteen Recap

Bicycle only this week. No treadmill time, no gym time.
Monday, May 5: 10.57
Tuesday, May 6: 12.96
Wednesday, May 7: 15.39
Thursday, May 8: 15.07
Friday, May 9: 13.08
Saturday, May 10: 12.35
Sunday, May 11: 15.98
The good thing is that I'm leaving the house at pretty much the usual time, give or take a few minutes, but since I don't have to be at work until 11 (instead of 10) I'm taking advantage of the longer riding time available. The bad thing is that I know that the bike isn't enough, that I need to spend time on the elliptical, the treadmill, the sidewalks, and the strength-training circuit.

Total miles for the week: 95.40
Distance from Bag End: 1843.28
Distance to Minas Tirith: 735.72

I really need to get back on the treadmill, since the Downtown Anaheim 5K is only a month away!!

2008, Week Fifteen

A flop when it comes to the morning treadmill time, as well as elliptical time. But I did get in two weight training days and a couple of good walks on concrete after work. And while I probably should have spent time on the treadmill, I also felt it was important to try to get plenty of rest this week, too. I tried to make up, at least a little, for that with the longer walks outdoors on concrete and asphalt. The bike has also been more comfortable with the changes that were made—this latest saddle plus the raised handlebars and the smaller grips (even though my hands aren’t really all that small).
Monday, April 7: The only day this week with morning treadmill time, for 1.05 miles; then the morning bike ride, for 10.66 miles; and the Cybex circuit at the Y on the way home.
Tuesday, April 8: Morning bike ride for 10.87 miles, then a 1.81miles walk around the lake at Cerritos Regional Park on the way home from work.
Wednesday, April 9: Morning bike ride for 11.19 miles, then the Cybex circuit at the Y.
Thursday, April 10: Morning bike ride for 11.01 miles, then a 2.38 mile walk around Cerritos Regional Park after work.
Friday, April 11: Bike ride only, on the way to work, for 11.41 miles.
Saturday, April 12: This was my rest day. Not even a bike ride today!
Sunday, April 13: The Coaster Run 5K! This event wasn’t chip timed, but I did Shave My 5K, by around 5 minutes. My gun time at Surf City was 1:09:something IIRC and my time for this event was 1:04:37.

Total mileage this week: 63.88
Miles from Bag End: 1635.32
Miles to Isengard: 157.68

These last couple of weeks I’ve been gearing my exercise toward preparation for the 5K, but this week I’ll probably go back to the mixed efforts of the recent past: home treadmill, bike rides, and the after-work gym time alternating between strength training on the Cybex machines and time on the elliptical. And try to get in at least one good long (45-60 minutes) walk outdoors each week, too.

March Recap, April Goals

March recap:
Walk: 18.41 miles (February: 11.92)
Elliptical: 2.63 miles (February 11.64)
Bike: 257.20 (total miles on stationary bikes: 0) (February 186.17; February miles on stationary bikes 0)
Total: 278.24
Cybex Circuit: 6

How I did: Nice improvement in the walking and the biking, but a very poor showing indeed on the elliptical! In fact, the elliptical could be considered a complete flop! Improved performance on the Cybex circuit, too, but need more improvement in the form of making certain I get to the Y at least twice each week.

April Goals: Increase all three distances. At least twice weekly on the Cybex circuit. Increase sets on Cybex circuit.

And in the really good news dept: the monthly weigh-in showed a loss of 5.75 lbs for the month of March, which puts me below 260 for the first time in I haven't a clue how long.

I think...

…I need to increase the incline on the treadmills at the Y. I don't know what the setting is on the one here at home—it's manual, doesn't have a readout, and just isn't very fancy at all—but it definitely seems to be a bit steeper than my usual 3.0 choice at the Y. Anyway, I spent about 35 minutes on the treadmill here at home this morning, and walked 1.32 miles. Puttered around on the computer for a while, then did a bit of stitching, then went out for a ride. Went over to Cerritos Regional Park and rode around there for 10.4 miles, then came home to our Xmess dinner.

Oh, and have I mentioned yet that I ordered a pair of bike shorts online from Terry's Bikes? Thank you, Terri, for the recommendation!

I'm also seriously considering signing up for the 5k to benefit the Speech and Language Center in Buena Park, where BFF-M is employed when she isn't on disability with a broken ankle she acquired just before Thanksgiving trying to make sure one of her students didn't slip and fall and get hurt.

Weekly Report

Wow, a week's gone by already?
Saturday 15 Dec: rest day.
Sunday 16 Dec: Managed to bump the magnetic safety key thingy about a mile and a half into my treadmill time, and my poor grammarian's brain can handle adding .25s and .50s and .75s but gets stretched when it has to do the other stuff like the .28s, so I figured another 40 minutes would get me at least to 5k, and I was right: 3.46 miles on the treadmill. And then 13.26 on the stationary bike.
Monday 17 Dec: Actually hit the home treadmill for .83 mile to start the day! Then the Y in the morning for 1.07 (only 18 minutes including the 3-minute cooldown, so I chose a higher level than I'd normally use) miles on the elliptical to warm up again for the weight-machine circuit. Then the evening stop put 9.45 miles on a bike.
Tuesday 18 Dec: Only managed to put in 30 minutes on the elliptical, for 1.68 miles, on the morning stop, then 1.8 miles on the treadmill for the evening visit.
Wednesday 19 Dec: 25 minutes on the elliptical for 1.47 miles and this time kicked up the final four minutes before cooldown to Level 8! And the weight machines.
Thursday 20 Dec: 25 minutes at Level 4, alternating forward and reverse in 5-minute blocks (so yes, that's 10 minutes going backwards!), then 5 minutes (forward) at Level 5, plus cooldown, for 2.20 miles. The evening treadmill lasted 40 minutes, with 5-minute blocks of time spent at 2.5, 3.0, 3.3, 3.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mph and a 3-minute cooldown, for 2.06 miles.
Friday 21 Dec: .80 mile on the treadmill at home because it was payday, rent day, and the last banking day (I bank at a credit union) before a major holiday, so I knew I would have to skip the Y. And, of course, it turned out to be the day I picked up my new bike.
Saturday 22 Dec: normally a rest day, but a friend was laid off Thursday and when the four of us were at breakfast Saturday morning, we decided that three of us would hit her gym with her membership and her two guest passes. So 1.5 miles on an elliptical I didn't like at all—ours at the Y have a shorter rise and a longer stride, so those differences were throwing me off my stride. And a little time spent on the weight machines. But then my friends, who don't spend as much time at the gym as I do and who've never been particularly athletic anyway, pooped out before I could get through the whole Cybex circuit. Oh well, a little is better than none at all, and I missed Friday's weight circuit with the banking and the bike-buying, so this helped make up for that.
Sunday 23 Dec: Normally I hit the Y on Sundays for a little mindless biking and walking, but today I opted to take my new bike out to the bike paths at El Dorado Regional Park in Long Beach instead, for 10.4 miles. I had a ball, and will probably go riding Christmas Day, too! I'll just have to remember to bring along some water.

Current mileage on the Walk Beyond Rivendell: 776.42. It's 143.58 miles more to Lothlorien.

I really had a lovely time at the park, but the parking's outrageous! $7 on weekends to park in the lots on the east side of the park. There's free parking on the west side, but no bike paths on the west side and no really good access, that I could see, from the west side to the east side via bike. (The park is divided on the north-south axis by the San Gabriel River, which also has a bike path, and something like three or four times on the east-west axis by major streets.) Maybe I'll go over to Featherly Park in Yorba Linda/East Anaheim on Christmas.

Envy!!!!!!

The green-eyed monster reared its ugly head earlier this week, and yesterday at the LNS had it roaring. Hearing Melissa's tale of her bike purchase just made it all the more agonizing that I don't yet have one. And after listening to her tell of the craptacular treatment she received at one of the bike shops nearest us, I didn't feel even the tiniest smidgen of guilt when I asked the young man at that same shop to haul a couple of different bikes down off that rack (unfortunately, only the middle rack, not the top-most one) for me to take to the parking lot to test the adage that you never do forget how to fall off a bicycle.

Well, okay, I didn't really fall off! But the smallest frame size is definitely too small. I was still looking at the Sedona at that shop, so both of the two sizes I test rode were that model. Then I headed over toward the Y, but ended up going on over to Carson Cyclery, the shop near work, to talk to Katie and Steve again. Katie set me up with a Giant Cypress W rather than the Sedona, since she believes, and I now agree with her, that this one will suit me better for accompanying Terri and Melissa on training rides and for doing my own riding. I plunked down a payment, taking advantage of their three-month layaway plan, and Katie said she'll also honor the free-gift offer that they currently have running. I'll definitely need a helmet, and I'm thinking of some kind of basket or something for carrying stuff, and maybe one of those snap-on/snap-off fender sets so I can ride through puddles without showering myself. And a cable type of lock, of course. The bike I'm buying has a dark grey-easing-to-beige finish on it.

Still easing back into workouts at the gym. Today I took a nice leisurely stroll to nowhere for a full hour, but kept the speed to 2.5mph, and held steady with the 3.0 incline. A leisurely bike ride to nowhere, too, though I did get a little more energetic with that, spending a total of 55 minutes (plus 5-minutes cooldown) on the bike mostly at Level 7 but with a 15-minute stretch at Level 8.