I have to apologize for being completely miserable about posting on a regular schedule. Life has it's ebbs and flows and lately life has been fairly busy. Last time I checked, I'm down to 238lbs, so I only have another 40 pounds to take off and I'll be where I want to be. Though in all reality, I'd be just fine with redistributing that 40 lbs instead....

In the window I'm typing this in, I can see what I dubbed "The Blue Marshmallow" picture from Ironman Wisconsin. I was really bummed when I saw that shot... because in my minds eye I'm smaller than that. Oh well, someday, someday. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.

cycling season has begun again. With this spat of really nice weather, I've been able to get out a couple of times. Took the Fuji into the shop a little over a week ago. It's done, and I want to pick it up, but mid week last week my wallet, checkbook and cellphone got ripped off. The theft meant that I haven't had access to any of my money for the past week. It's been interesting living without buying... and I think that I've come to the conclusion that I'm not very good at it. Not having access to the checkcard that I use everyday has been a really big pain.. and because of a lack of access, my bike remains stuck at the bikeshop awaiting liberation.

anyway, that's the current news. I'll write more tonight hopefully, when I have more time to think about what to say.

-Bri

Stuck in the office making dubs of some products that we need to send to Florida really quickly... there's still a lot of snow outside of the window, but instead of being cold and pallid, I know that it's close to 50 degrees out... the knowledge of this REALLY makes me want to be outside riding. I don't feel so bad about not being out riding right now though because I've kicked back into training and it feels REALLY good.

I was reading the new issue of Bicycling this morning before coming in to work, and there was an article talking about weight loss through cycling and a guy who put himself through hell to go from 250/260 down to 180. Part of me wants to put myself through hell to get to that point by August the wedding. A couple of weeks ago I realized that I needed to get back to work... my pants weren't fitting as well as they seemingly did at one point, and I just didn't feel comfortable in my clothes. I felt the kick in the butt that gets me going again. I had signed up for bicycling.com's online trainer a couple of months ago and hadn't really used it, so I went back and created a new program, and have been on it for about two weeks now. I think I'll start posting each days workouts so y'all can keep track of me. I also need to figure out what rides/races I'm going to do this season. If you have some suggestions let me know...

I missed Wednesday's workout, and did it yesterday instead, so I'm thinking I might double stack and do these back to back today...

March 13, 2003
 Any cardio exercise 45 Minutes RPE/HR Goal 6 130/141

March 14, 2003
strength exercises    weight     reps    
Shoulders      
Seated Dumbbell Press 45 lbs  8       
  45 lbs  8       
  45 lbs  8         
Lateral Cable Raises 15 lbs  13       
  15 lbs  13       
  15 lbs  13       

Trapezius      
Barbell Upright Rows 45 lbs   8       
  45 lbs  8       
Barbell Shrugs 115 lbs  10       
  115 lbs  10       

Triceps      
One-Arm Dumbbell Extensions 25 lbs  8       
  25 lbs  8       
    25 lbs  8       
Rope Extensions 35 lbs  10       
  35 lbs  10       
  35 lbs  10       
  Abdominals      
Hanging Leg Raises -  10       
Hanging Knee Tucks -  20       
Flutter Kicks -  20       
Incline Sit-Ups -  20       
Bicycle Crunches -  20       
  -  20       
Side Crunches -  20       
  -  25 
I really like the weight workouts that the program gives, but it's cardio workouts leave a bit to be desired. I wish it would give me specific program options instead of just Rate of Perceived Exertion goals. Plus, I think their RPEs are a little low for me. In any case, it's a starting point.

I don't know that I ever posted these photos, but I thought I should probably post them at some point.






Anyway those are me... all 240 some pounds.

Hopefully tonight I'll get a chance to sit down and write another entry on depression and triathlon. It's been one of the other thoughts I've been thinking about lately after reading Tina from the IronMOO boards letter in Triathlete (Hi Tina!) I agree with her on quite a bit, now if only I could compete with her... someday, someday.

I'm looking out on a cold, pallid white front lawn right now and it's kind of depressing because I really need to get back on my bike. The jeans are tighter... and that too is depressing. It's been too much of an extended off season and it's been hard getting back into things. that first week off because of too much stuff to do at work ends up turning to 2 weeks, which moves into a month, and then it's towards the end of February with almost 2 months of an extended vacation. Maybe it's just Minnesota weather. I'm not entirely sure. The one thing I know is that I'm uncomfortable resting on laurels, but that's where I sit right now. I need to sit down and start working on my novel again. It's started, and someday will be finished, but I really haven't worked on sit since November. Why does time go so quickly?

I'm excited that the cable company has just added OLN to it's lineup. Assuming I don't move to Colorado Springs until late July I'll be able to watch quite a bit of Tour coverage. It's got to be better than OLNs coverage.

Dave Mathews 'Where are You Going' is playing in my headphones, and I still find it amazing how vivid memories attached to songs can be. My aunt and uncle were over for my birthday in early February and I played them the highlite video from Ironman Wisconsin, at the end of the tape, they're playing that song as they show shots of people finishing towards the end of the night and it makes me cry everytime. "I am no superman, I have no answers for you. I am no hero that's for sure, but I do know one thing that where you are, that's where I belong." Supernaturally pulled towards the finish. After 16 hours and some odd minutes, I just wanted to be in Angela's arms. I'll never forget the kind of hushed silence that creeped around the streets. Talking subsided as we exited Fort Randall Stadium weighing the enormity of the situation at the end of the day.

The enormity of that is what makes coming out of the off season so difficult. There's a certain lethargy that creeps in with this time off. Seeking out comfort becomes a sort of feedback loop where the seeking just turns into more seeking and less exercise. The strange thing is the rational thought that exercise to me, actually brings more comfort because I feel that I'm working towards looking and feeling better. Maybe there's some sort of hybernation gene. If there is a gene, I wish they'd find it and show me how to turn it off. Although, maybe this coming move to different surroundings will help that turn off. I thank God for a fiance that wants to be active. A fiance who's willing to indulge my flights of fancy within reason like someday riding across the country.

Angela said the most romantic thing the other day that she's since regretted she said. We were talking about triathlon and she mentioned that if she got into it, she might do an Ironman someday. The thought of being able to share with her what I experienced would be the greatest thing in the world. Like I mentioned, she took rephrased it after she said it, but the thought about being out on the course with each other really excites me for some reason. Who knows what the future will bring.

Angela and I have been working on wedding invitations the past couple of days. We're both kind of movie junkies, so we had the idea to take a DVD case, put a parody sleeve on top, and have the invitation itself sitting in the DVD tray, cut into a circular shape so it fits like a DVD would. These are the two we've done so far. We're probably going to make up a couple more and see which one we like best.