New Year's Resolutions . . .

. . . or not. I don't intend to post a list of all the things I'm going to do better in a few days. I believe that 2008 is going to be another year of gradual improvements for me, just like 2007. Another year of getting my priorities straight, another year of losing a few more pounds, another year of fighting off the ravages of age.

I've been terrible about posting lately, mostly due to the fact that I've been sick, for weeks, really. Another sinus infection. But we've had a wonderful, low-key holiday break, and I'm beginning to feel like a human being again. Other things I've been up to:

WEIGHT: Well, I've gained a few pounds over the past few weeks but I'm not freaking out about it. I decided that I'm going to allow myself to be human when faced with holidays and loved ones. And one of the things we did a bunch of this holiday time was have dinner and good conversation with a number of friends and family members. It has been a very relaxed, happy time for us. A few pounds is a suitable price for such simple joy.

EXERCISE: The Treadclimber is still great, except that I have to watch my feet because I don't trust my clutzy self to fly off the back of it. But it really builds your muscles quickly, and also works my heart really well. It was a good investment. My bike--what can I say? I love my bike, and getting to ride it inside has been fantastic. (Note to file: I love this bike. Did I say I love my bike? I love my bike.) And the gym is still a warm and welcoming place for me, where I can take a spinning class when the mood suits me, and use the weight machines. I have a good handle on exercise. I promise to start posting more often. However, it's seems so routine to me now. Maybe I'll talk about spring training.

GOALS: We have set some goals--big goals. A small cabin in our 5 acres of hardwood forest in northern Michigan, probably in another 2-3 years. A motor home--this year. Millard staying in the workforce until some key bills are resolved, and then into retirement so that he can do the general contracting on the cabin. I am planning a two-week road trip some time in March. This will be to Austin, Las Cruces, and a few other places to visit friends. The bikes will be on top of the car and go with me; Millard will fly into Albuquerque and spend a few days biking and visiting with me, David and Donna in their new home. I've already put a number of long bike rides on the schedule. Back this year: Zoo-de-Mack, One Helluva Ride, Ride Around Torch, Hancock Horizontal Hundred, Leelanau Harvest Tour. New possibilities for this year: Amish Lands, Sea Gull Century. And I'm going to stay up all night on November 15 so that I can register us for the Death Valley Century in March 2009. I'M GOING THIS TIME. And a trip in the RV (with the dogs) to Glacier-Yellowstone-Grand Tetons in September.

It's been a good break. And a nice wrap up to a complicated but happy year.

Thursday's Time Waster

22

Become an Ultrasound technician

Tuesday Spinal Update

So, I've been seeing my chiropracter for almost three weeks. We reviewed my xrays last week and it was truly enlightening. For one thing, my scoliosis is much worse than I had believed. And unlike most cases of the deformity, where the curve in one area results in an opposite curve in another area of the spine, I have a pronounced curve to the right in my lower lumbar region, but the rest of the spine is completely straight from my waist to my neck. This creates a tremendous amount of imbalance for me, and is certainly one of the reasons I have worn out the cartledge on the outter aspect of both knees.

The doc is adjusting me three times a week, so I'm tender most of the time. However, I'm already seeing some improvement to the pinched sciatic nerve and I think I'm somewhat straighter. The real problem area is actually not the lower back, but the upper spine, in my neck, where I have several instances of fusion happening already. The goal is to get those discs operating more efficiently before it is too late.

This morning I was just too sore to lift, so I did an hour of yoga instead. It was awesome, even with the "dog helpers" who felt that my face needed washed on a regular basis. I've been using Rodney Yee's Yoga for Athletes DVD and I like it a lot.

Tomorrow will be weights and cardio at the gym.

Another Example of Why the Press Sucks

I found this buried in the Bicycling.com site:

http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-3-9-16142-1,00.html

So, when you are accused of doping, you are guilty without trial or investigation, but when they finally absolve you of the sin, they are under no pressure to let the world know. Let alone make up the for the loss of income and opportunity to compete.

Sucks.

On another note, 30 minutes this morning on the Treadclimber, it is awesome and fun.

Regrouping

So, thanks to Craiglist, I now own a fairly new Bowflex Treadclimber TC3000, for cheap. Jess is downstairs working out on it as I type. Following this weekend's ice storm, I'm more happy than ever that I did it.

We have a Cycleops fluid trainer, with computers for both bikes, and use that set up for "long" rides (Saturdays). We still hit the gym for cardio + weights three times a week; Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. But I wanted another kind of cardio to use for cross training. The power walking was not a good option. My knees kill me afterwards, and with the amount of terrible weather we get around here, it's also not very feasible. Hence the Treadclimber. I will update everyone on how well it works; suffice to say, you sweat buckets after a few minutes on it. That might mean something good.

Speaking of weight workouts, I am still doing just one heavy set per machine, but I'm trying to concentrate on the NEGATIVE part of the rep and make that twice as slow and the exertion part. It's really much harder than I realized. Everything I've read suggests that for strength (which is my goal, not muscle building or even sculpting) one set of 10-12 reps as heavy as you can manage is the best. It certainly works well for me, especially when I stick to the "circuit" pattern that the gym has set up, which lets you do the exercises such that you work opposing muscle groups if you do them in order.

The weights really make a difference for weight control. Over the past month, I've picked up another 3 pounds, but my waist and hips have stayed the same size. This I credit to the extra muscle (although I need to get back on the weight loss plan. Enough, already).