Week 52 Update

This has been an interesting week. First off, I hit one of my goals this week: 30 Aerobic Points! Kenneth Cooper, who created the Aerobic Points system says that if you achieve 30 Aerobic Points each week, you will be physically fit, and your heart will thank you by being strong and healthy. This week I got out and walked/jogged for at least 2 miles, 4 times:

I started off on Saturday, by taking a walk on the track close to our home. I walked all the way keeping an okay pace (12:27 minutes per mile).

Sunday, I felt pretty good, so I went out and tackled the track again. (I just paced it off again with my WW pedometer, and 3 laps is 1.13 miles. So, 6 laps is 2.26 miles.) It is not a regular oval track but just a path around the park. I walked the first mile at a good clip, and then I jogged the 4th lap, and a bit of the 6th lap. The brought my time down to 11:53 minutes per mile.

Then near disaster hit. I dropped a several pounds of metal on my foot and did the "unhappy dance" all over the floor for a bit. My foot reacted by displaying a wide range of colors during the week, going from its natural pink, to angry red, sulking purple, and finally disgusted black. The actual point of impact, just behind the base of my toes, looks nearly back to normal today. Just looking at it, you would never know it was hit. However, on four of my toes, starting with the largest and working down, there is about a half inch long pad of black discoloring the tops. My largest toe is slightly swollen still but not bad, and there is nearly no pain. I got off very lucky!

So, back to this week's exercise. I had felt pretty good on my Sunday walk/run but naturally after playing "bounce the panel off Al's foot" on Monday, I was just happy to be able to walk to the car and back. On Tuesday, I thought that, aesthetically at least, my foot was trashed, but like an old "beater" car it still worked. It hurt just a bit, and not really badly.

On Wednesday, it felt pretty good. In fact it felt good enough where I was very tempted to take a walk when I went outside for lunch. But, I have experience with pushing things too quickly in my past, and setting myself back. I held off and didn't walk that day.

Thursday, I had had enough waiting and I headed out for a walk at lunch. I took off my coat, before I started. The temp was too cold to stand around in without a coat, but since I wasn't going to be standing around, my heavy flannel shirt was plenty warm. I set a pretty good pace and walked for 2 miles. My foot felt good the whole way, and I averaged 13:36 minutes per mile.

Friday, I decided to try and do my exercise after work, so I could do a bit of jogging. When I got home, Dotti was getting dinner ready, but she kindly held off until I could get over to the track and back. I walked the first 3 laps, and then I jogged the 4th lap, walked the 5th and then jogged the 6th. I finished the 2.26 miles in 26:12, which gave me a pace of 11:36 minutes per mile.

My walking pace is almost as fast as my jogging pace right now. It is nearly back to where it was back in 1990 just before I quit smoking. I will see where my jogging pace ends up later on, when I can actually jog a couple of miles all the way again. If my knees hold up, I may be able to get up to 3 miles again, or more. But right now, my primary goal is to get 30 aerobic points each week. I have finally done it this week, and that is a good thing. And I did it all without playing racquetball, and just walking/jogging.

I averaged just over 9 cups (75 oz.) of water per day this week. As an average that is fine, but I did miss drinking at least 8 cups on two days. I need to focus on that more.

I have been giving some thought to revamping my standard lunch. I am getting to where I have a large dessert nearly every day with my lunch. And I think a heftier lunch would be healthier for me. (This week on Tuesday and Thursday I had a large Butterfinger McFlurry, and on Wednesday and Friday I had a Dairy Queen Banana Split.) Having a McFlurry or a banana split here and there as a treat is great, but I don't want to get to where I am doing it every day. There has to be a healthier way to get a dozen or a dozen and a half points! I spent my early part of my journey eating in the low to mid 20s for the entire day. One large McFlurry has nearly as many points in it as I was consuming in an entire day then. I am missing out on some great meals by wasting points on these items at lunch. So, I am going to have to build a better standard lunch for myself.

This is the last day, the very last day of my first year on my journey! Wow! A whole year has gone by. I started out on May 12, 2001 and this marks the end of that first year. The Earth has made its 0.6-billion mile trip around the Sun, and I have made a 55-pound trip, and spent nearly half a year maintaining the accomplishment. As Tracy says, "A year from now, you'll wish that you started today." Well, looking back to a year ago, I am very glad that I did start on that day. Tomorrow will be the start of a new year for me. It is hard to say what it will bring. But I can be sure it will be interesting. :^)

This week in books

I have not done a lot of reading this week. Of course I have been working my way a second time into The Return of the King, where Frodo and Sam have returned from their date with the Cracks of Doom, so the end is clearly in sight.

I have been too tired to even pick up a book in the evening most nights this week. I did a bit of reading in The Case of the Stepdaughter's Secret, a Perry Mason book, but I am still very early in the story.

Dotti's and Al's "Excellent Adventure"

This weekend is the time that Dotti and I will "test drive" the hotel that we are looking at for the next conference in Vancouver! We will check in a bit later today and see how well it works out. I am looking forward to a few of the special features of the suite room: Jacuzzi, fireplace, and balcony where Dotti and I can sit together and enjoy the evening air. We will check out the walk to the mall, as well as the hotel restaurant, etc.

I am looking forward to a nice quiet time with the most beautiful woman in the world, free from distractions, and even computers. :^) We may even have some pictures for the board, but not of the good stuff. :evil What a great way to end the first year of my journey, and to kick off the new year!!!

364 days OP, a lifetime to follow.

-Al-

6'3" 239.5/184.0/185 ± 2/BMI:23.0/WK-52
Weight Loss Graph/Maintenance Graph/Success Story