Thursday, July 05, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Bike To Work Day
Although I commute to work daily, the end of June is bike week and the Wednesday of bike week is bike to work day. What is special about this day?
BREAKFAST STATIONS.
Aka, Tour De Breakfast.
In years past, it was a game to hit as many stations as possible on the way to work, trying to find the best one. The first year Whole Foods opened, they won with made to order omelettes and a full spread of fruit, coffee and juices. Nobody has lived up to that since.
However, my favorite, for the past few years is Premier Members Credit Union, who serves breakfast burritos. Oh yummy.
BREAKFAST STATIONS.
Aka, Tour De Breakfast.
In years past, it was a game to hit as many stations as possible on the way to work, trying to find the best one. The first year Whole Foods opened, they won with made to order omelettes and a full spread of fruit, coffee and juices. Nobody has lived up to that since.
However, my favorite, for the past few years is Premier Members Credit Union, who serves breakfast burritos. Oh yummy.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Good Mountain Biking In Colorado
...Gosh. Lots of peeps on a ride near Estes Park...
The bikes of poseurs, posing! ;-)
....but there was some riding by the poseurs.
The bikes of poseurs, posing! ;-)
....but there was some riding by the poseurs.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Bolder Boulder
The 10k Memorial Day road race, attracted about 50,000 amateur runners this year. The weather was great, a little warm, but great for being outside and experiencing a huge event like this.
On the elite side, there are winners:
Edna Kiplagat
....and Ridouane Harroufi who came from behind in the last minute to pull off a spectacular win.
Then there are the sufferers. It's hard when you train so hard and give it all.
On the elite side, there are winners:
Edna Kiplagat
....and Ridouane Harroufi who came from behind in the last minute to pull off a spectacular win.
Then there are the sufferers. It's hard when you train so hard and give it all.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Centennial Cone Glow
Renee and I rode Centennial Cone Park near Golden Colorado today. It was fun except for our friend Dan almost chopped off his finger with his bike disc brakes. This happened in the parking lot before the ride...
Otherwise, it's a great trial if you like smooth and long extended gradual climbs and descents. Nothing technical to note.
Lots of good views too.
I'd say check it out and make sure you either do it weekday or on an even weekend day. it's on an alternating hiker/biker schedule.
Centennial Cone
Otherwise, it's a great trial if you like smooth and long extended gradual climbs and descents. Nothing technical to note.
Lots of good views too.
I'd say check it out and make sure you either do it weekday or on an even weekend day. it's on an alternating hiker/biker schedule.
Centennial Cone
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Fruita = Fun
The gang headed to Fruita, CO this past weekend to exercise the rubber and it was a joy. The trails were packed and perfect. Although the weather was on the edge of sketchy, it worked out for us. We had a wonderful time.
Renee and Kim on Horsethief Bench.
Michael working on a slab.
Renee and Kim on Horsethief Bench.
Michael working on a slab.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
playas play with lite
...or something like that.
I gotta say that photography is about capturing light...and there are lots of controls on the camera to modify that. The aperture of the camera..the time you expose the image, the speed of the film, or in digital, the sensitivity of the image sensor.
...And then there is the other side of the story--the light source.
Gosh, that equation has even more variability. You can modify the number of sources, where they are, what they are pointing to, the intensity of each, the color of each, ...and prolly more things.
just using a couple of flashes has changed the way I look at this mess.
I gotta say that photography is about capturing light...and there are lots of controls on the camera to modify that. The aperture of the camera..the time you expose the image, the speed of the film, or in digital, the sensitivity of the image sensor.
...And then there is the other side of the story--the light source.
Gosh, that equation has even more variability. You can modify the number of sources, where they are, what they are pointing to, the intensity of each, the color of each, ...and prolly more things.
just using a couple of flashes has changed the way I look at this mess.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Spring in full bloom
The tulips are poking out....erotic isn't it? ;-)
...and the things that keep me on the trail are getting some use.
...I'm not even mentioning how fun the bedroom is :P....
Yay spring!
...and the things that keep me on the trail are getting some use.
...I'm not even mentioning how fun the bedroom is :P....
Yay spring!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
So Pathetic
The current Terror Alert status is
..Which it has basically been since the Alert Status has been invented--except for a couple of occasions (when it was ORANGE).
Here is the history of the alert status changes.
Here is the chart for Terror Alert Status.
But if you look at the chart, there is blue and green below them. If you think about what blue means, "General risk of terrorist attacts" That basically sounds like normal. But what is normal? Aren't we in a normal situation now? Why didn't they use the word "normal"...why "general?" Then there is green. Low risk of terrorist attacks. Has there really been a low risk of a terrorist attack since the word "terrorist" was first used?--long before this chart. Green almost sounds like it's impossible, especially when someone defines blue as "general." WTF? I guess green is used in the movies.
I think this is a perfect example of bureaucracy and pointless waste.
Besides, how many people check the chart on a daily basis or before they fly--to see how safe it is? Maybe it should be on the weather channel?
"Honey, it's not going to rain today and the terrorist alert is blue, so your drive to work will be safe today."
BTW, I think they changed the red one a little. I remember it saying terrorist attack underway or something like that--no really!
..Which it has basically been since the Alert Status has been invented--except for a couple of occasions (when it was ORANGE).
Here is the history of the alert status changes.
August 1, 2004 - Advisory - Homeland Security Advisory System Increase to Level ORANGE for Financial Sector in New York City, Washington DC and Northern New Jersey.
May 30, 2003 - Advisory - Homeland Security Advisory System Lowered to National Level YELLOW
May 20, 2003 - Advisory - Homeland Security Advisory System Increase to National Level ORANGE
April 16, 2003 - Advisory - Homeland Security Advisory System Lowered to National Level YELLOW
March 17, 2003 - Advisory - National Threat Level Raised, Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge
Here is the chart for Terror Alert Status.
But if you look at the chart, there is blue and green below them. If you think about what blue means, "General risk of terrorist attacts" That basically sounds like normal. But what is normal? Aren't we in a normal situation now? Why didn't they use the word "normal"...why "general?" Then there is green. Low risk of terrorist attacks. Has there really been a low risk of a terrorist attack since the word "terrorist" was first used?--long before this chart. Green almost sounds like it's impossible, especially when someone defines blue as "general." WTF? I guess green is used in the movies.
I think this is a perfect example of bureaucracy and pointless waste.
Besides, how many people check the chart on a daily basis or before they fly--to see how safe it is? Maybe it should be on the weather channel?
"Honey, it's not going to rain today and the terrorist alert is blue, so your drive to work will be safe today."
BTW, I think they changed the red one a little. I remember it saying terrorist attack underway or something like that--no really!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Bust My Gut Update 10
Well some progress finally.
Original weight in November when I started this was 194 lbs.
Current weight as of today is 188 lbs.
I have been riding my bike a minimum of 4 days a week to work and at least one weekend day for the past 3 weeks. The other major thing I have been doing is skipping breakfast on most days. Yep, skipping breakfast. The usual problem that people think is when you skip breakfast is that you are so hungry you eat a larger than normal lunch. Well I'm usually starving at lunch but still try to eat a salad with my meal or as a meal.
The positive thing here is that I feel good and feel some acceleration happening in my progress. Once I hit that point, it's easy to be motivated, and things start falling into place. The nice weather is certainly helping.
I set a goal of 5 lbs lost by April 1 and it appears I will not only hit that mark(I already have), I might even lose 7 lbs by then.
Goals
April 15: 184 pounds.
May 1: 181
May 15: 178
June 1: 175
I'm also considering ramping up my bike ride time to 15 hrs a week to really improve my riding conditioning. Right now, it's around 7 to 8 hrs a week of steady riding. Racers usually put in 15 to 20 hrs a week to get into peak conditioning. Upping my riding time will increase my calorie burn to another 5000 a week or almost 1.5 pounds of fat per week. Thus, I would be in a mode where I would actually have to eat more food.
Now that is some exciting stuff.
Original weight in November when I started this was 194 lbs.
Current weight as of today is 188 lbs.
I have been riding my bike a minimum of 4 days a week to work and at least one weekend day for the past 3 weeks. The other major thing I have been doing is skipping breakfast on most days. Yep, skipping breakfast. The usual problem that people think is when you skip breakfast is that you are so hungry you eat a larger than normal lunch. Well I'm usually starving at lunch but still try to eat a salad with my meal or as a meal.
The positive thing here is that I feel good and feel some acceleration happening in my progress. Once I hit that point, it's easy to be motivated, and things start falling into place. The nice weather is certainly helping.
I set a goal of 5 lbs lost by April 1 and it appears I will not only hit that mark(I already have), I might even lose 7 lbs by then.
Goals
April 15: 184 pounds.
May 1: 181
May 15: 178
June 1: 175
I'm also considering ramping up my bike ride time to 15 hrs a week to really improve my riding conditioning. Right now, it's around 7 to 8 hrs a week of steady riding. Racers usually put in 15 to 20 hrs a week to get into peak conditioning. Upping my riding time will increase my calorie burn to another 5000 a week or almost 1.5 pounds of fat per week. Thus, I would be in a mode where I would actually have to eat more food.
Now that is some exciting stuff.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
The Bust my gut Bust!
So back in November I started the bust my gut project with a goal of 170 lbs by March first. What a disaster. I lost a pound.
What happened: (not excuses, but observations).
--I ate too much.
--I didn't exercise enough. I let the poor weather be an excuse.
--I drank too much booze.
I feel like a gave myself a big slug in the (big) gut. I committed to doing this, and posting the progress here with hope it would motivate me and help others see what devotion can do. But I failed and actually made this look like a really difficult task. Well it is a hard task, and the older we get the harder it is, it seems.
However, I'm certainly not giving up. I think what I will do is change my goals.
First, I won't make losing a 25 lb goal over three months. I will make smaller ones. Since it's the first week of March, my goal will be more short term. 5 lbs by April 1st. That is just over a pound a week, much less aggressive than the 2 lbs per week I had before.
The good news is the time is changing and the weather should be improving, making the probability of me riding my bike to work much higher.
Renee told me about this article she read in Men's Journal about why people exercise and don't lose weight. It was very interesting and included:
**pushes the reset button***
Here we go...............
What happened: (not excuses, but observations).
--I ate too much.
--I didn't exercise enough. I let the poor weather be an excuse.
--I drank too much booze.
I feel like a gave myself a big slug in the (big) gut. I committed to doing this, and posting the progress here with hope it would motivate me and help others see what devotion can do. But I failed and actually made this look like a really difficult task. Well it is a hard task, and the older we get the harder it is, it seems.
However, I'm certainly not giving up. I think what I will do is change my goals.
First, I won't make losing a 25 lb goal over three months. I will make smaller ones. Since it's the first week of March, my goal will be more short term. 5 lbs by April 1st. That is just over a pound a week, much less aggressive than the 2 lbs per week I had before.
The good news is the time is changing and the weather should be improving, making the probability of me riding my bike to work much higher.
Renee told me about this article she read in Men's Journal about why people exercise and don't lose weight. It was very interesting and included:
- Overexercising can cause one to eat too much after and put those calories right back in the body.
- When we overexercise, we tend to feel tired, then sit on the couch rather than move around, thus we offset the gains in exercise with sedentary activity.
**pushes the reset button***
Here we go...............
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Hoar Frost
The world was white this morning, as everything was covered in the beautiful layer of hoar frost.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Snow breeds desperation...
Sifting through photos of the past, ones that represent warm, but warmth in a way that has similiar suffering of the cold snow I have been slogging through lately. It might be insanity to wish such a thing.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
Snow: Round Three
It just keeps piling up. At least I got some exercise.
The ice has been so bad lately, it's dangerous to take the dogs out. I have snowshoes but although there is a lot of snow, there are lots of clear paths too that make snowshoes really clumsy--especially if I choose to walk on the street. Unfortunately those paths and the street can have some serious ice. I feel like I'm doing the Saturday Night Fever split dance move or some sort of yoga position several times a walk. A groin pull is something I really don't care to have, not to mention falling on my ass.
A coworker recommended some Yaktrax and wow, that was a good recommendation. They slip on like slippers and grip like crampons. Probably one of the best things I have purchased in a while. They stay solidly on my feet too. I feel so confident in them, I feel I could play basketball on an ice rink. But conversely, walking on my tile floor is them IS like walking on an ice rink.
The ice has been so bad lately, it's dangerous to take the dogs out. I have snowshoes but although there is a lot of snow, there are lots of clear paths too that make snowshoes really clumsy--especially if I choose to walk on the street. Unfortunately those paths and the street can have some serious ice. I feel like I'm doing the Saturday Night Fever split dance move or some sort of yoga position several times a walk. A groin pull is something I really don't care to have, not to mention falling on my ass.
A coworker recommended some Yaktrax and wow, that was a good recommendation. They slip on like slippers and grip like crampons. Probably one of the best things I have purchased in a while. They stay solidly on my feet too. I feel so confident in them, I feel I could play basketball on an ice rink. But conversely, walking on my tile floor is them IS like walking on an ice rink.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Bust My Gut update 8: derailled
Snow, snow, travel with gobs of food and hardly any exercise....I didn't even bother...except i weighed myself yesterday and came out at 193 lbs....that is at least hopeful.
As I type it's snowing.
I can't even run very well due to the trail ice. I did grab some yak tracks at the hardware store tonight so hopefully if the snow and ice doesn't melt, I can still get something going on.
Otherwise I have a very positive attitude....
As I type it's snowing.
I can't even run very well due to the trail ice. I did grab some yak tracks at the hardware store tonight so hopefully if the snow and ice doesn't melt, I can still get something going on.
Otherwise I have a very positive attitude....
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