NBC Sports and Ironman have teamed up for the thirteenth consecutive year to bring you two hours of amazing Ironman coverage. From 5-6PM EST on December 6, will be the first of an Ironman doubleheader.

From 8-9pm, NBC will air the signature broadcast of the 25th anniversary world championship. From footage by underwater cameramen, cameramen on motorcycles/cars along the bike and run courses and three helicopters above the action, you almost feel like you are there cheering the athletes in their quest to finish. As you watch them finish, you will understand why the say, “ There is no better sense of personal accomplishment in life than finishing the Ironman!”

An old friend gave me a call today. He told me he was training for a triathlon. He is running 18k+ 3 times a week. He is looking to compete in the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kailua Kona, Hawaii in 2005. He wants to place in the top 100. I found this bizarre because I was just about to tell him what I've been up to and what my plans were. I think its great that I know someone else who is training for the same goal (except for the top 100 part). I invited him to the YMCA event (if I can get it off the ground) Here is the weird part. He doesn't know how to swim. I guess its possible to go from a sinker to a floater in 18 months. I think my strongest piece is the swim yet I doubt I could do 2.4 miles (yet) in open water. There are no lines on the bottom of the ocean to help you go straight, there are BIG waves, no pool ends to grab onto, no rest and 1,600 other guys/gals trying to beat you. I could be wrong but I think he may want to quit smoking before the race. This could push him over the edge to break the top 100. So if you read this Denz GO FOR IT! And don't forget your goggles.

Exercise
3k walk (spent the day putting up Christmas decorations, active rest day)
Diet
Breakfast
Fruit and yogurt smoothie, coffee
Snack
None
Lunch
Mr. Noodle Soup with Leeks and salami
Snack
Cookies
Dinner
Roast chicken, peas, corn, potatoes, V8, Chardonnay
Snack
More cookies and coffee

I had the pleasure of trying this Chardonnay at the "Gourmet Food and Wine Expo" It was a little pricey and I have to admit, I tried it because of that fact. (costs more, must be better) and... it was very nice. Price $36.95 a bottle.

"Earthy, Mushroomy scent, Oak, Orange and Lime flavors"

(on the label) I was eating sweetbreads in a mushroom sauce while I sampled this Vintage which made the wine just that much more enjoyable.
If your looking for a Chard to try, you wont be disappointed with this choice.

Cuvaison Chardonnay 2000, Carneros, Napa Valley, Calf. a>

Hearts and Minds - US style
By Scott Taylor in Tikrit, Iraq
Saturday 29 November 2003, 12:41 Makka Time, 9:41 GMT

Excerpt from Aljazeera article.

As American troops exit the former Presidential Palace complex in Tikrit, the last thing they see emblazoned above the arched gateway is the Fourth Infantry Division motto: Strike First.

I asked my escort Specialist Jack Craig, a military policeman from Minnesota, how he correlated the "strike first" directive with the US military's current policy of attempting to win the "hearts and minds" of the local population.

Jack Craig: "Actually, I see 'hearts and minds' as a tactical doctrine. To me, it means that's where we should aim first," said Craig. "Shoot them in the body or in the head, but just make sure you shoot them first."

Interesting insight on how the US are winning the hearts and minds of Iraqi people?

Found this little treat at the liquor store this week while looking for the Leasingham Shiraz/Malbec 98
It's made byCheviot Bridge - Long Flat Wines, South Eastern Australia and is a Cabernet (80%), Shiraz (10%), Malbec (10%) blend.
At $10.05 a bottle it can definitely hold its own with some of the higher priced vintages.

"This outstanding dry red combines the full flavor of Cabernet with the richness of Shiraz and perfumed aroma of Malbec. A delight to drink now with grilled meats, pasta and Mediterranean dishes"

Under usual circumstances, today would have been an active rest day for me. But Ross came by for a "Y" try.
So I exercised a bit more than usual for an off day. I was able to prepare for the extra work last night by taking a hot bath with bath salts and using some Antiphlogistine (A535) on my sore calf. This combo worked incredibly well, as I had virtually no pain at all. Having someone to exercise with the last 2 days has been a pleasant change from the solitary routine I have grown accustomed too. I found a swimming buddy made very little difference as I spend almost half my time submerged and its virtually impossible to carry on a conversation unless you want to drown. It was quite comical when Ross dove belly flopped into the pool (Big Sign "NO DIVING") wearing goggles. I couldn't see them but I'm sure they were either pushed into his eye sockets or forced violently downward towards his hips lips by the force of the water. Next we went for a run. I think running with someone would have a positive effect on my performance. I found myself thinking, "no way will I stop before he does". I'm sure if Ross could would have ran for 5K I would have set a new personal best. After the run we moved over to the stationary bikes. For me this was where having someone to exercise with had the biggest impact. When I ride alone I am aware of every minute I spend on the bike but because of the conversation the time flew. I felt like I had just started peddling and I was finished. I passed on the weights because I lifted yesterday but I got to play the fitness trainer role, which I found useful because it made me think about my own lifting technique. Not to mention I got to see how much stronger I was than Ross. :) Another month in the books and a great way to end it.

Exercise
750 meters swim
2k run
3.5 mile bike
Diet
Breakfast
Bran flakes with banana and skim milk, coffee
Snack
V8
Lunch
Pastrami sandwich with roasted red peppers, tomato, lettuce and mustard on whole wheat, chicken noodle soup
red wine
Snack
4 Cookies
Dinner
Finger foods, salad, lasagna, antipasto more red wine (Christmas party)
Berries and biscotti for desert
Snack
None

My wife took the day off of work today so we could go Christmas shopping for the kids.
Our purchases this year were heavily weighted towards fitness products, educational toys with out small pieces and a couple of family classic games (Life and Operation)
Toys R Us got almost all of our business even though we went to several other stores.
I can't tell you how happy I am that we did not have to do this on the weekend battling the masses.
Now the only trick left is to keep everything hidden for a month. (Is it mean to tell my 4 year old that monsters live in our basement?)
My leg is feeling moderately better today so it was back to the gym. Today my wife came with me to the gym and we got to exercise together. Tomorrow a friend of mine is going to meet me at the Y in the morning for a workout.
This is quite the change for me after all the solitary fitness sessions during the last several months.
Exercise
Run 4.5k
Walk .5k (almost made it)
Weights

Diet
Breakfast
Bran flakes Skim milk coffee
Snack
V8
Lunch
Sushi
Snack
None
Dinner
Summer Squash soup, (stuff I tried at the food and wine show) pastrami sandwich with tomato and roasted red peppers.

Last summer I was at the liquor store and wandered into the vintage section. Not knowing what I was looking for I choose to purchase "The wine of the month". "Shiraz/Malbec 1998 Clare Valley, South Australia” (Leasingham Wines) This bottle of wine transformed me from a "take it or leave it" wine drinker into a "I really like this red/white stuff" kind a guy. This is one of the best Wines I've tasted to date. Fortunately I had the good sense to take a little card that describes the wine or it would be nothing more than a sweet obscure memory. Unfortunately I tossed the card into the paper junk pile which I’m sure resides in every household. Today while cleaning a neglected kitchen cupboard I found the "card" and decided "Never again". I now have a new category in my blog "wines I like" where I can put information like this. I hope to add lots of other tasty treats over time as I live in the Niagara region of Ontario and since I quit smoking I have the ability to appreciate this beverage on a new found level.

As I mentioned yesterday I seem to have overdone it a bit with my right calf muscle.
Even though its still a bit sore I’m going to take it for a spin tomorrow and see what happens.
My wife took the day off of work so we can do some Christmas shopping and pickup a few things for our upcoming wine tasting party So I will expose her to my world (among other things) of fitness.
I saw a very disturbing thing today while at my daughter’s Ballet class. A mother with her 2 children, they were all wearing identical jackets. Marlboro jackets, (I guess mom was an Indy race fan) I found it disturbing because here were 3 walking cigarette ads and the 2 kids were collectively not old enough to graduate public school. Some people are FUCKED. I wanted to.... at this point I felt like a smoke and ran away :(
Exercise
A slow walk with my kids
Diet
Breakfast
Bran flakes skim milk coffee
Snack
None
Lunch
Mr. noodle
Snack
Wine:) (Long Flat, Cabernet, Shiraz, Malbec 2002 Australian $10.05/bottle) I like very much.
Dinner
Vegetable soup
Snack
Popcorn 10 cups
And the rest of the wine 8)

I've been trying to explain the concept of charity and "its better to give than to receive" to my 2 children (7 & 4) for the past several weeks. A task made all the more difficult by the commercialism of Christmas. My 4-year-olds favorite phrase of late is "I want that!". So tonight I put my words into action. I googled "food bank" and found several candidates in my town, picked one and made up a pitch for the kids.
" Hi, were collecting food for THE SALVATION ARMY and we're wondering if you would like to make a donation of a non perishable food item." After a quick science lesson "dad what does perishable mean" and some rehearsal we were on our way with wagon and dog in tow. Our first stop was at my sons friends house. After his friend saw what we were up to there was no way he was going to miss out on the fun and just like that We were now a troop of 4. Next stop another friends house and yes you guessed it a 5th member joined our food drive:) The kids had a blast and once they were all comfortable with the script they collected solo and we covered a lot of ground. They compared it to "trick-or-treating" and were very persistent in getting the neighbors to answer there doors (one of the boys stood at a house for over 5 minutes ringing the bell) All in all my fellow home owners were quite generous with most of them making a donation. The kids collected about 100lbs of food and were really pumped at the end of the excursion. I tried to plant a seed in the young collective regarding economies of scale. (Look how much food the 5 of us gathered imagine if your whole school did it, tomorrow tell your teacher what we did tonight....) It will be interesting to see where it goes. As I finish typing this entry into my blog I can't help but smile and feel good inside over not just helping the needy but introducing these young minds to what I hope is a life long lesson.

Gotta hate Jonny Fairplay - He lied about his grandmother dying! Not sure who upsets me more, him or the rest of the rubes who let him survive.

Today during my run I came up lame, I hurt my right calf muscle. I need to take a day off.
Exercise3km run
2km walk
Diet
Breakfast
Bran flakes and skim milk, coffee
Lunch
Banana
Snack
V8
Dinner
4 Fajitas
Snack
Popcorn

As I alluded to in my last post I need to reset my fitness goals.
I have a physical scheduled with my doctor for the 15th of December, which may have an impact on what I am about to write.
Long term goal - to compete in a IRONMAN Triathlon in the Spring/Summer of 2005 (these race dates and sign-ups are not posted yet because its too far in the future)
Medium term goal - to compete in one other Triathlon in the year 2004 (other than the YMCA one)
Medium/short term goal - To organize and compete in a mini-tri at my local YMCA in April 2004
Short term goals
- Bring my weight down to under 200 pounds by mid January 2004
- Run 10k with out stopping mid Feb 2004
- Front crawl 2k with out stopping Feb 2004
- Ride 35 miles on the stationary bike with out stopping Feb 2004
- Record a time for the indoor Y tri before the end of the year. (1k swim, 20k bike, 5k run = ?)
Well now that it's in print for all to see time to get busy.

Looks like the Y may be trying to morph my triathlon idea into something else

"Hi Rick:
Great to speak with you yesterday. Our Supervisor of
Health, Fitness and Recreation here at the Y is available on Tuesday,
December 02 at 1:30. Could you meet with us for an hour, do some
brainstorming about a fitness event,to be held in April, tied to the
Annual Support Campaign for the Y?

All the best,

Jane Doe

I have now read or am in the process of reading several books on fitness. (I'm actually making progress now that I have my Yahoo super computer reading glasses) If I could pick out two things they all seem to stress, they would be:

1. Set Goals for you - I know this seems obvious but they all seem to dedicate significant space to this rather obvious detail. Not just vague goals but specific attainable and challenging short, medium and long term goals.
2. Journal your activity - During the darkest days on your personal quest to destroy the one ring in the fires of mount doom. When all hope is lost and you want to say "fuck it" you can look back and revel in your hard work, your accomplishments, your perseverance, and your will to succeed. Journals allow you to measure progress, learn from your mistakes and bask in the warmth of your glorious personal victories:)

Yesterday I achieved 2 of my short term goals
-To run for 30 minutes with out stopping
-To run for 5kToday I accomplished another
-Swim 1k using only the front crawl
I now need to identify my short and medium term fitness goals again.
Anyway
Exercise
Swim 1k (like a fish baby, crawling all the way)
Bike - 8 miles
I tried to do a quick transition (go as fast as I could from the pool to the bike) but got bogged down with a bunch of
Simple stuff like my stupid Lock, the zipper on my gym bag, my too tight socks and my empty water bottle.
I also wanted to do the 20K (12.46 miles) but had to cut it short so I could P/U the kids. Note: Bricking a swim/bike is a lot easier than the bike/run combo.
Diet
Breakfast
Cereal skim milk, coffee
Snack
Ham sandwich
Lunch
Vegetable soup, tablespoon of tuna salad
(I've found that a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a glass of water makes heavy legs go away)
Snack
V8
Dinner
a lot of Pasta with meat sauce and cheese.
Snack
Popcorn, 3 girl guide cookies, 2 chocolate pudding cups, tea, coffee

I've just read a bunch of stuff on Blogging. It started at Joi Ito's blog where he makes reference to John C. Dvorak's recent article on blogging. One of the points John brings up is abandonment.

"According to the survey of bloggers, over half of them are not updating any more. And more than 25 percent of all new blogs are what the researchers call "one-day wonders." Meanwhile, the abandonment rate appears to be eating into well-established blogs: Over 132,000 blogs are abandoned after a year of constant updating"
The most obvious reason for abandonment is simple boredom. Writing is tiresome. Why anyone would do it voluntarily on a blog mystifies a lot of professional writers. This is compounded by a lack of feedback, positive or otherwise. Perseus thinks that most blogs have an audience of about 12 readers. Leaflets posted on the corkboard at Albertsons attract a larger readership than many blogs. Some people must feel the futility. ~John C. Dvorak~

Here is a excerpt from Jim Lynch's response

"As far as the issue of readers goes, there's a very fundamental thing that Dvorak and the Perseus people seem to have missed. People don't blog to have a hundred thousand readers. They blog because whatever it is they're blogging about interests them. They want to write about their passions in a medium that easily allows others to read what they write. And most blogs also offer readers the ability to post comments, do trackbacks, etc. It's not just a one way medium. Blog readers have the opportunity to directly shape the content of the blogs they are reading if the blog owner is willing to let them do so." ~Jim Lynch~

Which leads me to some of my own relatively insignificant thoughts on Why I Blog.
You know when you call an old friend or family member on the phone after not speaking to them for a while.
Old friend: "Rick, how ya doing? What have you been up too? Long time no speak."
Rick: " Not much, Same shit different day. You know how it is. What's new with you?"
Old friend: "Not much...."
Blogging gives my friends and family a window into my life. They can see what I see, know what I'm thinking/doing on a regular basis. And they can do this at there leisure, when they have the time not when "we" both have the time.
Keeping in touch is not a forced event when you blog about life. How many people do we loose touch with over the course of a lifetime because we just can't maintain a positive information flow between each other?

Blogging also makes me more aware of my personal goals. When I write them down for the world to see (even if the world's not looking) Blogging about goals seems to drive me to find the ending to the story.
Hence this story has come to an end.
My 2 cents worth on the subject.

"Fuck its cold out" -Wayne Gretzky as he stepped onto the ice for the November 22nd, 2003 old-timers' game at Commonwealth Stadium.
"Unique" - Wayne Gretzky's final comment as he left the ice.

Saturday's contest, which attracted a NHL-record crowd of 57,167 at Commonwealth Stadium, averaged 2.747 million viewers to become CBC's highest-rated NHL regular-season game ever.

I think-Very cool.

Exercise
Today I ran for 5K on the indoor track at the "Y" It took me about 35 minutes.(so much for that goal!)
If you asked me 3 months ago if I thought I would be able to run that far I would have given you a coughing laugh and said "only in my dreams."
Oh yea I also lifted weights.
I'm going to stick to running and weights Mon., Wed, and Fri.
And brick on Tues. and Thurs -Swim, Bike
Until Christmas. (that’s 30 days)
My thinking is the cross training aspect will negate the over training factor.
I want to start taking the Jujitsu classes at the Y but it’s hard to find time for it.
I've heard its suppose to be a great workout.
Diet
Breakfast
Branflakes and skim milk, coffee
Snack
None
Lunch
Poweraid.
Snack
V8 and V8
Dinner
Nacho chips and salsa
Snack
More nacho's, coffee

The California “Zinfandel Advocates and Producers” (ZAP) were handing out a Zinfandel Aroma Wheel at the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo. Here are some of the more interesting terms a Sommelier might used to describe Zinfandels (or other wines for that matter)
Chemical, Caramelized, Earthy, Vegetative, Pungent, Fresh, Dried, Resinous, Phenolic, Varnish, (yum)Wet Dog, Wet Cardboard, Yeast, Burnt Match, Barnyard or Horsey, dusty, Corkey, Damp Earth, Leather, Tar, Iodine (medicinal), Sawdust, Burnt Toast, Soy, Tobacco, hay/Straw, Asparagus, Green Bean, Pepperwood, Menthol, Ethyl Acetate (nail polish remover), and Black Pepper.

Can you imagine this wine:
" Loose and Unrestrained, this wine from the Love Canal Estate Shows off the character of its soil in an Pungent, Wet Dog sent and a Chemical Varnishey refinement. It's round and complete, with plenty of Barnyard Horseyness to influence the firm Iodine flavor that predominates. The Leathery wet cardboard finish carries the warmth of the wine well. Big enough for a Irish stew or for grilled skewers of Spam meat and cigars."

Today (Sunday) was the day I broke down and bought new Running Shoes. I went to National Sports because they had signs all over the neighborhood promoting a "SALE". When in actual fact, according to the sales guy they were between sales (what ever). I tried on the big three brands, Reebok, Nike and Adidas .I settled on the Adidas cause they felt the best (like when have new shoes ever felt the best?) I proceeded home, put on my running gear and took off down the street confident I could run forever with my new cross trainers.

Exercise
3K run (forever is a very long time)
2K walk (new shoe's hurt)
Diet
Breakfast
Sausage from the food and wine expo and coffee
Snack
none
Lunch
none
Snack
Mango juice from the food and wine expo
Dinner
Chicken, Peas, potato's and a DQ blizzard
Snack
Popcorn.

On November 24th I will be celebrating my 13th wedding anniversary with my beautiful, smart, sexy (hi honey) wife. Each year we exchange a gift and try and do something together like see a concert, catch a movie or go out to dinner. While looking for SIMON & GARFUNKEL tickets this year (which are sold out) I came across an interesting alternative event "The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo" At the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. I sent my wife the link, she agreed and it was a date. We parked on Front Street for 5 bucks, which seemed like a great deal. It was several blocks away from the Convention Center but our destination was within eye shot so we decided to save some money and we walked. Five minutes later we entered the North West doors, 20 minutes, 6 escalators, 2 football field size corridors, 5 floors, and 3 separate venues later we arrived at the Food & Wine Expo. If you're going to the Toronto Convention Centre-South, make note "SOUTH" means far away from the NORTH. You would think after dozens of trade shows, hauling computers, flyers, swag and other trade show stuff over this daunting distance due to a poor parking decisions I would remember to check for the word "south" Doh! Once we arrived we had to stand in line to pay admission ($15.00 but if you printed off the website coupon you got $3 bucks off) and buy Sample tickets (.50 cents a piece). As the lines were long we decided to each stand in a separate line and race (so to speak) to the ticket wicket. We both arrived at aprox the same time (she won by 15 seconds) so it made little difference in the end. Just before you walk in you’re given a wineglass, this is never a bad thing. As I entered the Expo I felt like a young boy in a candy store and headed straight to the nearest wine vendor where I grabbed a glass of Witt’s End South East Australia Shiraz. Next stop FOOD! Over to EDO for some delicious but overpriced Sushi. Continuing down the isle I had to make a pit stop at the Campbell’s Gourmet Soups booth. They had 2 soups (Red Pepper Black Bean and Butternut Squash) of which I tried both, twice. I'm going to buy some of the Butternut Squash with my .50 cent off coupon, it was DA bomb. Next stop, La Forge Estate Chardonnay 2002 and over to Luigi the butcher guy who gave us at least 10 samples of various kinds of sausages (delish). We walked away with $35 worth of sausage,. Kobasa and Proschuto
Next over to the Cheese Boutique for a roast beef sandwich which squirted juice on me while he carved it, very tasty. We sat and watched Chef Kevin Gaskin/Left Bank make sweet potato Gnocchi while I devoured my 1/2 pound roast beef sandwich. Next it was off for some summer squash risotto with Parmesan and balsamic and for desert, a marshmallow run under a milk chocolate fountain (this was awesome) and of course "more wine". As we meandered through the show we also enjoyed "Sautéed Sweet Breads in a Mustard Sauce" While sipping "Cuvaison Chardonnay 2000, Nappa Valley" and listening to a jazz band (with a harp) play "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail - SIMON & GARFUNKEL" We finished the evening with fresh oysters from Oysters r' Us. ;)
If you like food and wine this is a show that’s worth the time, maybe I’ll see you there next year!

Just to keep the records straight, Today was an off day for exercise. I did nothing of note other than walk 4 blocks to a friend's house to watch the Oakville Santa Clause parade and hang several hundred Christmas lights by myself. (My wife did offer to assist me just as I finished though)
so
Exercise
none.
Diet
Breakfast
Cereal and Skim milk, Several Coffee's
Snack
none
Lunch
none
Snack
none
Dinner
Humm This is a post unto its own. See "Gourmet Food & Wine Expo"
Snack
See Dinner :)

Yet another Santa Clause Parade tomorrow. This time for the fair city of Oakville.
We will be watching it from a friend’s porch that happens to live along the parade route.
I wonder if he will tell people who are obstructing the view to get off his property?

Exercise
Weights
2k run (hurt my calf today: (
1k walk

Diet
Breakfast
Cereal
Snack
Coffee
Lunch
Filet O Fish (yep my 4 year old talked me into McD's)
Snack
V8
Dinner
Mr. Noodle
3 Pieces of Pizza
Honey bun
Snack
Orange, 2 glasses of wine, popcorn

Today I went to the optometrist to get my eyes checked for the 1st time in 33 years. I was surprised to find out I could read the smallest type presented with minimal difficulty. I almost broke out laughing during part of the examination, as my doctor looked into my eyes with the flashlight on a stick thing. This part of the examination felt like an alien abduction brain probe the way she rapidly changed her view of my eyeball all the while maintaining a distance of 2 cm from my face.
I also got to look into the “metal face frame eyeball lens thing”. I can't decide which motion picture best abuses this technology in the name of Science Fiction "Minority Report, The 6th day or
A ClockWork Orange" Last but not least she put urine yellow drops of thick goo in my eyes for no apparent reason.
I was diagnosed as being far sighted and given a prescription for reading glasses. I decided to go the cheap route (only the best for my eyes) and drove to the Mecca of cheap "Walmart" where I proceeded to spend $20.00 on new specs.
I am typing this article while wearing my new Yahoo computer glasses" yes that’s right Yahoo makes glasses.
Talk about diversification.
So in closing "I can see clearly now the blur has gone..."

Today I ventured into the dark, dank, recesses of my basement and fished out the box of Christmas lights.
It's funny how the memories of taking them down come back in a rush when faced with the daunting task of untangling 8 separate 25-foot strings of them clumped together in a massive ball. My favorite part is trying to take the broken bulbs out of the sockets. I think these light bulbs are manufactured a special way so they don't last more than 45 days to begin with and if you even look at them funny they disintegrate. But as fragile as they are they always have the ability to draw blood if your not careful. The sockets are another story. Noma should offer courses on how to screw the little fuckers suckers in. But what can you expect for 5 bucks?
Anyway I did manage to get them untangled and all the burnt out bulbs are now replaced. All that remains to be done is affix them to my humble abode. This is no easy feat either as it involves a 40-foot ladder, a schematic, 100 twist ties, a hammer and a bunch of nails. I often wonder why I go through this pain in the ass ritual every year and the answer is simple. I love the way the lights light up my children’s faces when I plug them in:)
34 shopping days left and counting.

I thought it would be a good idea to provide myself with a physical point of reference since I’m doing all this exercise.
So I posted a couple of past/present photos. As far as the scale goes there is about a 5-pound difference in weight between past/present. I will add updates in mid January and just after the triathlon in April. My wife says I've got guts for posting these photos of myself. I have to disagree with her, as I just have one gut, as large as it is, its still only one. I haven't heard back from the YMCA yet so I will talk to them tomorrow when I go for my workout.
A couple of choice quotes on exercising.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
~ Fred A. Allen ~
Exercise: you don't have time not to.
~ Source Unknown ~

Exercise
Swim 1k (I tried to fake an open water swim by not touching the ends of the pool or doing the kick turn)
Today was an active rest day.

Diet
Breakfast
Cereal, with skim milk
Snack
None
Lunch
Ham and cheese on white with lettuce tomato and Mayo, Macaroni salad, 3 cookies
Snack
V8, V8
Dinner
Pizza 4 Slices and 5 chicken nuggets & V8
Snack
Popcorn, Ice cream, chocolate pudding, apple, pear, coffee, rice crispy square, chocolate bar. (I’m still hungry)

I now know first hand why the combo of Bike-Run is called "Laying Bricks"
In a triathlon at the end of the bike leg your suppose to hop off the bike and start running. The objective is to make this transition as fast as possible.
As you take the first 30 or so steps of the run it becomes clear that your feet are the "bricks"
The lactic acid build up in your legs is incredibly uncomfortable, you could equate the sensation to someone taking a syringe and injecting corn syrup into your muscles.
I have a new found respect for people that can do this. It is one of the most unpleasant exercise related experiences I have had the displeasure of performing.
I am now wondering how unpleasant the sensation of jumping on a bike after the swim will be because I always save the swim for the end of my workout (to cool down in the water)
Guess what I'm going to try to do on Friday:)
I think that the term "bricking" refers to performing 2 of the 3 tri events in succession during training.
Learn something new every day.

Exercise
Bike 30 min (@ 90 rpm average speed this works out to about 19.something km's)
Run 4 km (I think I could have done the whole 5 k today if I did not do the bike thing first, ran out of legs)
Walk 1 km (to complete the distance)
Swim 1km
I skipped the weights today so I could do the "brick" thing.
(Weights would have been easier)

Diet
Breakfast
Cereal with skim milk
Snack
None
Lunch
2 pieces of whole wheat toast with jam
Snack
V8 X 2
Dinner
800 Pounds of pasta with meat/tomato sauce with veggies smothered in cheese, milk
Snack
Coke, 10 chocolate chip cookies, glass of skim milk, 2 cups of coffee
(I never mention it in the diet roll but I drink a minimum of 6 liters of water every day)

I found this while trying to make space on my hard drive for more porn Microsoft FrontPage. :)

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?... Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - From Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech (1994)- Correction From Marianne Williamson - "Return to Love"

Now I remember why I had saved it.

Now that I have 60 bottles of wine in my basement it only seems logical to have a party and drink some of them.
After talking it over with my wife we have decided to have a wine tasting party. I did some surfing on the subject and found this site which is full of useful information on how to put one together. I like the idea of being able to try a bunch of different wines in the same night. (go figure) I wonder if I will drink too much?

I liked the book, part of this is due to the fact its an easy read and I need glasses (did I mention I need glasses?)
I have an eye doctor appointment tomorrow. I think I would have liked more specific information on how much to train on the specific events during a training week. Do I run more, bike less, and not swim at all? I think it was a good choice for me as a novice triathlon...guy. There are lots of helpful hints and the idea of keeping a journal to record your progress and map out your training goals seems like a great idea ;)
There is also some excellent information on how not to over train. (see previous post)
The diary is filled with quotes for inspiration like:

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly" ~Buddah, the Enlightened One~

or

"A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood" ~George Patton, U.S. Army General

The book also gives you some heads up things to watch out for on race day, which gives you a chance to prepare, like:

"Laying Bricks
A brick is a double workout that simulates the second transition, getting off the bike and making the transition to a race-pace run with lactic-acid laden legs. These workouts are hard, but vital to getting your body use to race conditions."

This sounds like so much fun I'm going to try it tomorrow.
If you want to read some other reviews on this book click here, you will need to scroll about 1/2 way down the page.

Working out every day is taking its toll, I am not sleeping good, and my legs are always sore. I am not giving my body a chance to repair the damage that yesterday's intense woukout inflicted. I did some reading and I'm going to try "active rest" every other day and a do nothing Sunday (which I seem to have a handle on already)
What is active rest? It's not vegging out on the sofa or reading blogs on the net. It's Moderate physical activity.
The kinds that you’d do during a warm up or cool down before or after exercising. Vacuuming, cleaning your basement or walking the dog around the block are all forms of active rest. Active rest promotes circulation to the joints (hips, knees, and ankles) and prevents stiffness in your muscles (kinda like natural Ibuprofen). This is something that you want on your rest days after an intense workout.

Exercise
5 min bike ride
10 minutes of stretching
30 minute walk

Diet
Breakfast
Whole wheat Bagel with cream cheese, coffee
Snack
None
Lunch
Vegetable soup
Snack
V8
Dinner
Tai chicken stir-fry with rice noodles and lots of hot peppers
Strawberry Sunday (DQ)
Snack
5 chocolate chip cookies, chocolate pudding, apple, Quaker harvest crunch with raisins and skim milk
(oinked out big time tonight watching CSI Miami)

I have decided to keep track of the organizational aspect of this event from start to finish.
I looked and looked for step by step instructions on the web regarding the planning of an event like this but came up with only pieces of what I needed. I'm sure someone else, somewhere, someday will be thinking the same thing and will come across my blog and be able to use some of the stuff. So with out further adieu here is the draft proposal I gave the YMCA.

Draft Proposal for 1st Annual YMCA Indoor Mini Triathlon November 17th, 2003

Prepared by: Rick MacCormack

Introduction: The intent of this proposal is to communicate and layout the framework for an Indoor Mini-Triathlon at the Oakville YMCA. The mini-triathlons focus will be on group cohesion, a positive environment for training, achievement of personal goals, identify with other athletes, Participation and overall fitness (Keep active and have fun!) instead of an aggressive competitive race atmosphere.
The event will also raise funds via participant registration fees and local area businesses for sponsorship to cover costs of the event and all surpluses will be donated to local charities (Proceeds to YMCA of Oakville for Fee Assistance for Kids - Y Camps, Recreational Programs.)



The Event: The event will consist of Swim 1K ( 40 laps in the pool), Bike 20K (stationary bike), Run 5K (indoor track), utilizing the Y’s facilities. Due to the space restrictions (the pool) the actual event will run over the course of 1 week
Participants will be started in-groups of 3 at convenient times (as to not conflict with peak member times or ongoing programs) over a 1-week period.
The suggested Race week will take place during the 1st week of April (4th – 10th)
This will provide ample time for Planning, organizing and Training and will not conflict with things like
March Break and Easter holidays.
Space will be limited to a set number of participants as laid out by the YMCA management.
Rules governing the event will be taken from the Triathlon Canada web site located at
http://www.triathloncanada.com/en/committees/technical/competition_rules.shtml and modified for the YMCA event.
An official web site for the event will be setup and maintained to keep participants informed, before, during and after the event takes place.
All participants will receive a free web journal tool to record there training information/fitness journey. (this is not mandatory) All participants may receive other prizes depending on sponsorship. (I.e. T-shirt, swim cap, water bottle etc..)
There will be an award (plaque or trophy) awarded to (to be determined, best overall time male/female, age groups, each event segment. Etc.) to be displayed at the Oakville YMCA.
An Organizing committee will be established by December 1st to ensure the event is carried out in a professional manner. (The Oakville YMCA will provide a member to this committee)
Volunteers will be recruited for various duties including but not limited to, organization, administration, promotion, and refereeing/time keeping/judging.
The event is only open to YMCA members.


Conclusion: In closing I feel this event would be a fantastic way to promote fitness, and well being with in the YMCA membership community. It would expose YMCA members to the sport of triathlons. It would also help participant members to plan for and achieve personal fitness goals. With the added benefit of being a potential fund-raiser for Oakville YMCA programs or other community programs. The event would also increase the exposure of the Oakville YMCA and potentially increase membership.
I look forward to discussing this exciting idea further at your earliest convenience


Rick MacCormack
Making good on blog promises

Drinking too much is one thing. Drinking too much, running off at the mouth and writing down what you were blithering about is something completely different.
Recap:

Went to a friends house Saturday night to watch the Leafs game, had many alcoholic beverages and came up with the brilliant idea to organize a Mini-triathlon at the local YMCA. I Awoke with a massive hangover and an overwhelming desire to sleep. My kids reminded me that we were going to see the Toronto Santa Clause parade so sleep was out. My blog reminded me that I had committed my new fit self to organize a Triathlon. The parade turned out to be a lot of fun even though it was difficult to stay awake. We also got to watch it indoors from my wife's office (bonus) so the weather and crowds were not a factor. Needless to say I did not exercise on Sunday and my diet consisted of chips, cookies, pizza, and other nutritious delights one might expect when spending the day in the big smoke with the family.

If I had just left it at drunken rants and not written the dam idea down in my blog I would not have felt compelled to prepare a Draft Proposal for the triathlon this morning. I had hoped that the official YMCA response would be
"thanks for your time but no thanks" then I could say "I tried, end of story"
Not the Case.
here is the official response I received in my email no less than 53 minutes after I submitted it.

Hello Rick,

Thank you so very much for putting together the draft proposal for a
member Indoor Mini Triathlon. It is very exciting and could not be more
Timely.

My role at the Y is Fund-Raising and Communication. You may not be
Aware, but we are in the planning stages for our first ever Annual
Support Campaign, running from April 1 - mid May 2004. Funds raised
Will be used to support fee assistance in all areas of the association,
as well as a variety of free programs.

Last week, our Supervisor of Health Fitness and
Recreation approached me with the idea of including a 'Fitness Fever'
type event in our annual campaign.

As you have identified, an event like this promotes fitness, gives us a
Better sense of community within the Y and raises some $.

She is at a seminar today and tomorrow and back into the office on
Wednesday. In the meantime, could you e-mail me a copy of your proposal
so that I can forward to her as well the Chair of the Annual
Campaign.

What times are convenient for you to meet with them?
Are you available in during the day? Let me know a couple of times that
you are available and I will arrange a meeting.

Thank you very much for your interest and commitment. I look forward to
meeting with you.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

Director of Financial Development & Communications
YMCA of Oakville


So It looks like it wont be 18ish months before I do a triathlon after all.
I have to admit I hadn't planned on organizing it.
I have offered to provide trial blogware accounts for all the participants which should be an interesting experiment.

Exercise
(I tried to do most of the triathlon during my workout today to see if I could finish)
Run 4.5KM (hit the wall at 4km)
Walk .5Km
Bike 7.5km (I can do the bike no problem)
Weights
Swim 1km (took me about 30 minutes to do the 1k, its getting easier to crawl for longer)
I will need to benchmark my time for the 3 events so I can see my improvement.

Diet
Breakfast
Beagle with cream cheese, coffee
Snack
none
Lunch
None
Snack
V8
Dinner
5 Taco's
Snack
lots of popcorn.

Had a great idea tonight at a friends
Here is the plan "mini triathalon at my local YMCA"
First, Second and Third place Prizes for the best overall time combined for the 3 events:
(1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes will be awarded according to the three best overall times)
1st = 1year of free web hosting with domain registration (looking for sponsors)
2nd place=1 years free Standred web log account (looking for sponsors)
3rd place = one domain name registration for 1 year (looking for sponsors)
The Triathalon Event
2 km swim
10 km bike
5 km run
in that order, No modifications allowed.
Race runs between Feb 23 and Feb 29, 2003
individuals total race time must include concurent time for 2km swim,10km bike and 5km run. in that order.
Must be judged by an official YMCA race judge during the period Feb 23 through Feb 29
$5.00 YMCA entry fee for YMCA members $10 non YMCA nonmembers fee.
Can I make this fly
or is it just a case of 2 many beers on a Saturday Night :)
More info to follow.

The whole family went to the Y today.
My wife went to spinning class (A 1 hour indoor bike ride to 80's music.)
My son went to Jujitsu class (To practice Judo throws for the upcoming tournament)
My daughter went to "child minding" (We told her she could help look after babys.)
and I...

Exercise
Swim 30min

Diet
Breakfast
fried egg, toast coffee
Snack
Coffee
Lunch
Soup, Pickles
Dinner
Chicken, rice, salad, Pepper Squash
Snack
Beer at Brandon’s (go Leafs)
Brandon is an old friend who works for Prudential Real-estate and likes to try and convince me to list my house (While supplying me with free beerme free beer :)

I'm really beginning to dig this guy.

The problem with email.

There is creative reading as well as creative writing.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~"

"A man is a god in ruins.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~"

Nothing like a day away from the gym to recharge the batteries.
Felt great today. Got there early did my thing. Was done by 11:30
I watched the ladies step class while I did my run on the track. I have no desire to ever take a step class.
I also noticed that I sweat a lot less when I run on the track as oppose to the treadmill.
Must be the breeze.
Would love to get my paws on one of these for working out. FS-1 Pro Speedometer + Heart Rate Monitor + NetLink
Ran into an old friend today, had a smoke. Not sure why. should have exercised more self control.
dum dum dum.

Exercise
10min walk
20min run
15 min bike
weights
20min swim

Diet
Breakfast
oatmeal
Lunch
V8X2
Dinner
Pasta
Snack
the last of the little chocolate bars. and apples

Capitalism strikes again.

I took this snip-it from a comment made to Joi Ito's blog on "A global democracy"
Gotta figure out how this trackback thingy works.

"oh, and a minor point to bring up... we're actually "bombing democracy into them," (welcome or not) not "bombing them into democracy." you see, oppressed people come in many shapes and sizes, and they don't fit the standard bolt pattern on our aircraft..." ----Comment from roj on November 14, 2003 04:38 PM ----

Some stuff happend today yesterday which got me thinking about friendship.
I came across these quotes.
Enjoy.

"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

"Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson,

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend."
- by John Leonard

"When friends stop being frank and useful to each other, the whole world loses some of its radiance."
- Anatole Broyard

"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them"
Unknown

"The best antiques are old friends."
Unknown

"It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us."
- Epicurus (341 - 270 BC) Greek philosopher

"A true friend stabs you in the front."
- Oscar Wilde

"The friendship that can cease has never been real."
- Saint Jerome

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
- Martin Luther King Jr.

"If you should die before me, ask if you could bring a friend."
- Stone Temple Pilots

"I'll keep it short and sweet. family. religion. friendship. these are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business. "
Mongomery Burns

This is a reply I posted to another Blogger.

When I was a kid in grade one my teacher had to put a refrigerator box around my desk because I was such a pain in the ass. By grade 7 I had gotten the strap 5 times (grappling with teacher, being late lots, punching girl in mouth, smoking, pulling string on girls halter top) I did not perform well in high school until grade 12.
Started smoking in grade 6, started smoking pot and drinking in grade 8. Stole stuff, sniffed glue, never made curfew. I did not have a dad. Let alone a dad who cares.
I now am a father of 2, I have a 7 year old boy and a 4 year old daughter.
My son is a very tenacious boy, I have to constantly tell him to do this and don't do that. He has had 4 notes from the teacher so far this year. The latest for chasing kids around with scissors trying to cut there hair.
I often wonder if I am too hard on him, if my words fall on deaf ears. Then every once in a while I hear or see something that reaffirms my commitment to him.
An example - I spoke to his teacher about his behavior re one of the notes. During the discussion she told me "your son never lies" I can not describe in words how proud of him I was. The truth/honesty is something I stress a lot with him. (did I say a lot!)
I know (pray) he will not chase people around with scissors all his life, he will grow out of it. I also know adults that can lie through there teeth, who are of poor character and can not be trusted.
What’s the point your asking.
As the old saying goes "boys will be boys" they will break things, they will not listen, they will disobey, they will be 7. But boys grow up to be men and fathers get old and die.
My son will make mistakes throughout his life, hopefully more when he's young than when he's old. But because of something a primary school teacher said to me I know that my son will become a man of his word, an honest man.
Fight you battles but make sure you win your wars. I’m sure your son will remember you for it, forever.

Today I did not go to the gym.
I did not exercise. (Unless you call carrying my 5 boxes of homemade wine to the basement a workout.)
Because of yesterday’s poor performance at the gym I listened to my body and took a rest day.
I did buy "FrontPage 2002 for Dummies." I do not think of myself as a Dummy. When it comes to making webs I have a basic understanding. But I still suck and have much to learn. I know lots of capable people who are very good at making webs. I have even paid some of them to do just that for me. But the results have been disappointing at best and horribly expensive. So "FrontPage 2002 for Dummies" it is. The worst part is sifting through the 350 odd pages of info to find the 40 or so pages I need to read. Did I mention I really need glasses, I have an appointment with the eye doctor next week. This should help.

Exercise
Day Off

Diet
Breakfast
Yogurt smoothie
Snack
Coffee, Blueberry tart
Lunch
Vegetable soup, tuna sandwich
Snack
none
Dinner
Sub
Snack
Popcorn and Ice Cream

An interesting twist on things. If your a die hard smoker you will love this site.
lots of interesting quotes and articles like the one in the title, related to smokers rights and why smoking is a good thing.
Here is a thought provoking quote I picked off it

" If repeated often enough, a lie will become the new truth. "
Paul Joseph Goebbles, Minister of Propaganda, Nazi Germany

If you’re an X smoker or an antismoking advocate...well. what can I say. Be prepared to be pissed off

Just for fun (Vanity strikes) I typed my blog url into google today and found out my blog is a stock. It's traded on blogshare.com
Kind of cool in a geeky got nothing better to do kinda way if you ask me.

Today at lunch I bottled the Christmas wine. 30 bottles of Shiraz and 30 bottles of Colombard Chardonnay. This is the second year my wife and I have done the Christmas wine making trip.(could be the start of a tradition)
Its a good deal (works out to about $4.50/bottle) and we get to give out lots of presents to friends and neighbors that otherwise would only get a card or nothing. The saying "it's better to give than to receive." is so dead on when I think about how much fun it is to hand out the booze. I have to admit I did not get a lot of feedback regarding the quality of last years batch but how could you not like free wine. Even if all you do is use it for cooking. (Which I did myself on numerous occasions)
The thing about DIY (do it yourself) wine is its best to let it sit for 6 months before you drink it. But hey, who can do that? I did manage to get over to Wine Kitz and get the process started a little earlier than last year but the extra 4 weeks wont make that much of a difference. As Richard Liscumb (local Wine Kitz franchise owner) says" the best bottle is usually the last one you drink because its been able to mature." (Unlike me)
For anyone who has never tried this, I highly recommend it if you like wine because

It's easy- the whole process takes about 2 hours of your time (except for drinking which can take considerably longer)
It's fun- you get to choose your type of wine, pick how much oaken flavor you add to it among other stuff depending on the type you select. You also get to pick your own labels (lots of designs to choose from) You get to drink it. (Need I say more?)
It's cheap - You get lots of pretty tasty wine for mere pennies a glass.

Well that about it. If you happen to get one of my Christmas bottles and you read this please let me know what you thought.
Cheers!!

Today's workout was tough. I've been thinking about why and I've come up with a couple of possibilities.
1. I didn’t eat breakfast.

Nutritionally, eating in the morning is essential because it supplies important nutrients to the body. Studies show that energy as well as vitamins and minerals missed at breakfast are not made up by other meals eaten during the day. Getting off to a nutritionally good start first thing in the morning can pay off throughout the day, too. Because they are not over hungry, people who eat breakfast tend to make better food choices during the course of the day.
---The Complete book of Fitness---

2. I had a glass of wine before I went to the gym.

Every organ in the body is affected by alcohol, but the brain is particularly susceptible to its influence. Alcohol has a sedative effect on the brain. Alcohol Impairs muscle coordination and delays reaction time. Because alcohol does not contribute to growth, maintenance, or repair of cells, alcohol is not considered a nutrient.
---The Complete book of Fitness---

3. Over training.

Rest is an essential part of the eat-exercise-rest cycle. Without rest, the body can't repair itself. A person who doesn't get adequate rest is therefore nullifying all other efforts to attain health.
---The Complete book of Fitness---

It is probably a combination of all 3.
Live and learn, Live and learn.

Exercise
Bike 15 min
Walk 12 min
Run 18 min (had to split it up 12 min and 6 min with a walk in the middle)
Weights
Swim 10 minutes
I started my workout later than usual today and there was a lot of people in the pool and swim lessons for the kids were about to start so I cut it short. (Plus I was out of gas)

Diet
Breakfast
Coffee
Snack
None
Lunch
Salad
Snack
glass of Wine
Dinner
KD, Salad, coffee
Snack
Ice cream

Was trying to find Simon and Garfunkel Tickets for the ACC concert. No luck, sold out.
The tour name got me thinking about Rememberance day.

"Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young." ---Mary Schmich----

"Old friends, winter companions, the old men
Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset
The sounds of the city sifting through trees
Settles like dust on the shoulders of the old friends

Can you imagine us years from today,
Sharing a parkbench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy

Old friends, memory brushes the same years,
Silently sharing the same fears" -----Simon and Garfunkel-----

The last time I saw my grandfather before he passed away we were looking at an old Canadian airforce photo.
I remember him pointing to people and saying " He died years ago, he's dead, he's dead......there all gone"
They may all be gone but I will not soon forget...

I have set my short-term goal
"Run for 30 minutes with out stopping"
Once I can do that I will work on my speed.
I would like to be able to run at a 7mph pace. (Today I ran for 22 minutes at about 5.2mph)
The human body is fascinating. Just 20 weeks ago I was smoking 1.5 packs of cigarettes a day and I couldn't run for 2 minutes with out stopping (for a smoke and a stroke)
The book I'm reading now say's to add incremental stress to your workout every day.
Every time I run I push myself just a bit harder like go a minute longer, today I sprinted the last 30 seconds, Killer

Exercise
Walk 8 min
Run 22min (new record)
Swim 30 min

Diet
Breakfast
Quaker from the recipe that everyone else missed (harvest crunch), coffee
Lunch
Soup, tuna sandwich
Snack
V8
Dinner
Italian Sausage, corn, salad, perogies with sour cream, V8
Snack
Guess who came to my door tonight
10 girl guide cookies

I took Sunday off (no exercise) to give the old body a chance to recoup. My wife had to go to Philadelphia on business so the little ones and I took her to the airport in the morning. Its always-weird saying goodbye to someone you love at the airport. In the back of my mind a little voice goes off (you know the one that whispers of impending doom) I guess I just have a thing about air travel because I never hear the voice for car trips.

I took the kids to see the movie "Elf" in the afternoon. The film was rated PG (not sure why)and the kids loved it.
It had lots of gags for moms and dads. I thought Will Ferrell gave a great preformance overall and had me laughing out loud several times.( the 4 food groups) Great preformances by Bob Newhart (papa elf) and Ed Asner (santa) moved the quick paced film along. Peter Dinklage's part brought tears to my eyes (hilarious). Ferrell & Zooey Deschanel (the girl can sing) do a great duet of the 1949 classic - Baby Its Cold Outside (Frank Loesser)
After I finished seeing this one I want to hang some Christmas lights.
A good family day at the movies!

I have read over 200 articles on dieting, I have listened to people talk about great diets, I have tried a numerous diets. I now know what the perfect diet is....

Diets for the sole purpose of loosing weight are crap. They don't work.
How did I come to this conclusion.
All diets are about restricting/controlling your food intake.
People love to eat food.
People have to eat food or they will die.
One of the easiest things to do in this world for anyone is to eat something delicious.
"Variety is the spice of life" Where can you find variety, in the kitchen.
In today’s society people want everything immediately, including weight loss. The media's obsessive coverage on obesity, what we think a perfect body looks like and North America's self loathing image of self = a multi-billion dollar a year industry for diet book writers, instant weight loss programs and useless nutritional diet aids.

"Americans spent $32 billion in 1990 for weight control products and services to help attain our dream bodies."

Now if you really want to loose weight and keep it off you need to change your lifestyle and exercise.
Weights and cardio, yes sit-ups, pushups, and brisk walks every day, Day in Day out with 100% effort.
Here is the best part. The harder you exercise the more you can eat.
When you exercise you create lean muscle mass (think of lean muscle like muscle that is not marbled with fat i.e. a T-bone steak). Muscles burn calories even when your sleeping, the more lean muscle the more calories you burn.
So, Exercise = fat burn + muscle creation. More muscle needs more fuel = more fat burn = weight loss.
You don't have to be a body builder to make this work.
You do have to commit to an exercise plan and give up an hour of TV/internet every night.
Don’t believe? Try it.
1 hour a day cardio (walk, run, swim, ride a bike, what ever), sit-ups and pushups every day, Give it 110% and eat what ever you want
In 6 weeks you will loose fat, Guaranteed. In 12 weeks you will loose more fat, Guaranteed.

Exercise
15 min bike
10 Min walk
20 Min Run (new record)
Weights
30 Min Swim

Diet
Breakfast
Lots of Harvest crunch with skim milk
Lunch
Huge Salad and more salad.
Dinner
Grilled cheese and Vegetable soup
Snack
Chicken, more salad, macaroni salad, and a bunch of little chocolate bars and some ice cream.

I have finally lost 5 LBS
(I need new jeans though, all my old ones keep falling down around my ankles)

Incase you didn't know, we're going to have a lunar eclipse of our full moon tonight.
it starts arount 6 and ends around 10 with the coolest parts betweek 7:45 and 8:30
1st period intermission for all you Leaf fans.
If your looking for the best view of the event get far away from the bright lights of the big city, they will diminishl the spectical.
For more information on the event check out space.com's Lunar info.
And watch out for warewolves.

Todays exercise consisted of a 30 minute swim
1 lap breast stroke, one lap crawl, repeat:|
The book I'm reading seems to be saying I'm working out too much.
So I may not take tomorrow off.

Diet
Breakfast
2 eggs, toast, coffee, a bit of cheese (some breakfasts seem to sit in your gut like a rock when exercising, This one seems to be ok)
Snack
V8
Lunch, snack, dinner, snack.
Yet to be determined
I do no for sure that there will be beer in there some place.

Came across this little sweetheart of a web site today. I had to laugh.
let me know what you think. Click here

I took my daughter to the Library today, she signed out 18 books! I got 1 " The Complete Idiot's Guide to Running" By Bill Rodgers and Scott Douglas.
Incidentally I prefer being an Idiot to a dummy, it seems to be a more sophisticated word for self loathing.
Since I started "running" this week I thought I might pick up a few pointers and some useful information.
The first thing I've learned is there is no difference between a "runner" and a "jogger" so I now go for "runs" not "jogs". 3500 Calories = 1 pound of fat, 1 mile = 100 burned calories. I'm only 32 pages in (I really, really need glasses) but I've crossed a few quotes worth typing in.
On seeing your doctor before starting an exercise program.

"Doctors are trained to fight disease, not prescribe health."

What your body says when you run for your first time.

" Hmmm, I haven't really experienced that before. This crazy person just might ask me to do that again. I had better be ready"

I also learned that I may be training too hard. I like to think of it as "light days" and "heavy days"
Tomorrow Im just going for a swim as it is a "light day"
I'm going over to a buddy’s house to watch the Leafs tomorrow night, the beer will be flowing and I'm sure there will be a smoker in the crowd. I know this is a trigger event for me and I probably should protect my quit and not go but what good is great health and strong family relationships if you got no friends?

Exercise
8 min walk
18 min RUN (new record, shooting for 30 min)
4 min walk
Weights. (Today was tough, need to recover for a couple of days big time)

Diet
Breakfast
2 eggs, 1/2 tomato, 2 pieces whole grain toast a little cheese coffee
Snack
none (went to supermarket to get V8)
Lunch
A plum (a big plum) and....V8
Snack
Guess? V8
Dinner
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Snack
more chicken and rice casserole and of course V8

Did you know:

V8 IS GREAT
It's better than great, it's the best. Stacked with the mother of all hangover cures, tomato juice then sprinkled with every vege known to humankind, one drop of V8 is said by legend to contain an entire bowl of vegetables.

My wife took my son to emergency on Sunday. He had a blocked bowel and could not make poo. This is a very common occurrence among young children especially after Halloween. It seems the amount of dairy products in children’s diets increases dramatically due to the chocolate collected. Chips do not help matters either. They left for the hospital around 10AM and returned around 6PM that night. (How long does it take to administer an enema or an "eminem”, as my son would say.)
First thing Monday morning I get a call from the Family doctor. "We noticed your son visited the emergency ward on the weekend and we would like to do a follow-up appointment, when can you come in?" I have to admit I was impressed. I proceeded to book a time for today at 4:20PM. So after picking the kids up at school, I proceeded to the clinic. We arrived about 5 minutes’ early and waited 20 minutes in the waiting room before the nurse/helper escorted us into an examination room. While I was in the waiting room I noticed a bulletin for lack of a better word that explained the funding cuts to healthcare would affect our visit and how we may have to wait longer because there were less dollars available for staffing.
(I wanted to ask the doctor if the sign were going to be edited due to the .7 billion dollars in Federal funding that was about to come down the pipe but decided against it.) Next we take a seat in the exam room and continue to wait another 20 minutes before the doctor comes in and asks me "what brings us here today?" to which I responded, "you called me regarding the emergency room visit on the weekend!" She proceeded to ask me questions regarding the consistency of my son’s poo and seemed miffed when I did not know the answers. I was then schooled on poo-ology. I now know to make my kids sit on the can for 10 minutes in the morning.
(Lucky we have more than one toilet) Oh yea NO FLUSHING!!

Exercise
Walk 8 min (warm up)
Jog 17 min (new time record, the previous was 16 min, I figure 7 hours is where I need to be for the triathlon still some work to do)
Walk 5 min (cool down, weird thing, this was harder on my legs than the jog)
Swim 30 min ( I had to share a lane with Mark Spitz today and I can't tell you how much it sucked)

Diet
Breakfast
Corn flakes, banana, skim milk, coffee
Snack
(argh out of V8)
Lunch
2 eggs, slice of diet toast, slice of cheese, coffee
Snack
V8 (YMCA snack bar)
Dinner
1/2 a 12 inch, deluxe, rising crust pizza
Snack
many little chocolate bars-I'm gonna start tossing the little puckers in the trash

How many Bloggers have one or more of these?
This article got me thinking about old crap I may have lying around the web.
Low and behold... tada. :)
Another classic from an old friend
or how about this one
And last but not least from my good friend Ross Rader

"Porter said they are keeping it around as a historical artifact, though that can't last forever as technology changes. "

Apparently Technology over at Look Communications does not change that quickly :)

Just spent the last 4 hours tracking down my OpenSRS affiliate renewals, not sure why the affiliate id wont show up when renewals are made but works no problem when new names are purchased and transfers are made. Can someone at TUCOWS read this and fix the WRI it so it shows affiliate renewals too. Its cutting into my Blog selling time Elliot.

Exercise
30 Min power walk
15 Min Jog (hurts less every day, but still allot)
15 Min bike
Weights (free weights are not free)
30 Minute Swim (Cant seem to get the smell of chlorine out of my skin)

Diet
Breakfast
Cornflakes with Banana
Snack
Coffee
Lunch
3 egg omelet with cheese, veggies and two slices of toast
Snack
Dill Pickle (home made)
Dinner
Spaghetti
Snack
Chocolate bars what else!
only 17 months and 28 days to Triathlon

Ya gotta hate waking up to find out the country you live in is not the place you thought it was.
I find it hard to believe that a Canadian national, carrying a Canadian passport on his way home to Canada from our friendly neighbors to the south could be detained with out Liberty and deported without any consideration of his rights as a Canadian Passport holder.

Amnesty International is concerned that Maher Arar was reportedly expelled from
the USA without being represented at any hearing prior to deportation; and that
the US government failed to provide information on his present whereabouts and
of the date and circumstances of his removal from the USA. The USA also
violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by failing to inform the
Canadian authorities of its intention to deport Maher Arar, thereby depriving
him of the assistance of his consulate

.

My guess is some Canadian racist ultraconservative Law enforcement official decided it would be a good idea to
let our paranoid American friends know that Maher Arar, may or may not be, but could maybe be, but not for sure be a guy who knows other alleged "Muslim" Sleeper cell guys. So the Yanks detained and interrogated him for a long, long time. When they could not get the answers they wanted the logical solution would be to secretly send him to Syria for Torture?
Can you imagine taking your kids to Disney Land for March break, slipping out for a pack of smokes one night, being picked up by Florida State Police because you looked like a terrorist and not being heard from again!!

The land of the free to do what ever the hell we want and the home of the what are you gonna do about it brave

I was watching the Parliamentary channel today (not much on at 2:00 PM) Prime Minister Chretien was presented with a gift-wrapped, House of Commons chair. He made some speech about how his bony ass has been siting in it for the last 41 years and he had cherished them. Very touching. I guess Chretien will never retire, now that he gets to take the seat of power with him.

Chretien said afterward. "But every good thing has to be terminated one day."

Terminated? I'm going to miss his broken language of English talking in the piece of time for the future.

Today I paid the Hydro company $630.00 (they threatened to cut off the power at 11am if they did not get mullah)
That threat coupled with our soon to be new higher electricity rates (which of course more accurately reflect the cost of power in the province of Ontario.) (I am convinced all politicians are two faced liars)

We will keep the price cap in place until 2006. We do not believe that you should pay the price for the government’s mistakes.
But the cap cannot last forever. You deserve a government that will plan ahead, so that when the price cap is lifted in 2006, you will have the ability to control your costs.
The Ontario Liberal Plan will reward responsible behaviour and discourage irresponsible consumption

.

and an eastern seaboard blackout, pollution from our coal burning power plants, inspired me to want to do something about my power consumption. What prey tell can a poor Stay At Home Dad do? First I thought of this idea(almost a $15K investment). Then I came to my senses and drove to Walmart where I proceeded to spend $215.00 on super duper extra, extra long lasting ultra awsome compact fluorescent bulbs! Yes Light bulbs. So what once was 1320 watts of hot wasteful Incandescent light is now 207 watts of beautiful, soft, glowing, cool, fluorescent light. That's 1.113 Kilowatts of saved energy/hour used. I even get the added bonus of not having to change the bulbs again for over 7 years :) So tomorrow when you go outside and take a deep breath of fresh morning air think of me and my fluorescent contribution towards that sweet, clean, breath and get your ass to Walmart and do the same.

Exercise
5 minute power walk (warm-up)
16 minute Jog (3 months ago this activity would have caused cardiac arrest for sure)
20 minutes on the stationary bike
20 minute swim (can you say IRON MAN, ok maybe copper dude?)
My Triathlon is only 17 months 29 days away now.

Diet
Breakfast
Coffee
Snack
V8
Lunch
Tuna Sandwich, bowl of cream of broccoli soup
Snack
V8
Dinner
5 Tacos
Coffee
Snack
Mini chocolate bars (my kids kicked ass this Halloween and it will be a while before I finish them all)

"Tell me why I don't like Mondays?"
Actually Today (Monday) was a whole lot better that Yesterday (Sunday). No throbbing headache, no nausea, no cottonmouth. As an added bonus the memories of all the stupid things one says and does when intoxicated seem to fade just a little.
I have not heard from my doctor as of yet regarding my chest x-rays. So I think its safe to say I’m a hypochondriac.
I am looking forward to my physical (1st on in 25 years) on December 15th, this gives me an additional 6 weeks to work on my temple. OK my ummmm, 1 bedroom condo.
I can't believe I smoked 7 cigs Saturday night. At least I had company as there were at least 5 drunken wanna be X smokers trying to justify weak behavior by evenings end. I liked my lame excuse for smoking the best, "I'm shit faced gimmee another butt!" I can definitely say booze is a trigger for me. It may be time to think about giving up the sauce. (once I get rid of the 60 bottles of brew your own wine I'm about to bring home)
I've decided to try and train for a Triathlon, I mean why not, I've only smoked for 29 years and I’m only 50 pounds over weight. Gotta have a goal, and loosing 50 pounds as a goal just seems so.....lame. I think I want a lifestyle change not a Diet plan.

Today

Exercise
20 minute walk
10 minute jog (I can't express in words how much this sucked)
Weights
Stationary Bike (10 minutes, had to pick up kids or I would have gone longer)
Swim (25 minutes, super hard to notice a sweat in the pool)

Diet
Breakfast
V8
Lunch
Quiznos Italian sub
Snack
V8
Dinner
Banana/Mango smoothie (big one)
Snack
Ham and cheese with lettuce and tomato
Popcorn-Lots
Quaker harvest crunch
Oh yea on Sunday I sat on my ass all day and faded in and out of consciousness (no exercise, lots of water & Aspirin and of course V8 :)

Hi, Like anyone reads this! I'm loaded. Just got back from my neighbours party. Drank tons. smoked 7 butts. Talked about it with the wives. Ate lots of food and listened to 70/80s music all night. Drank zambuca, beer, jello shooters, and more beer. I'm loaded. good luck exercising tomorrow. I have nice people that live around me. I ate lots and drank more. hangover pending. Why do people think other people care what they think about stuff?
as Pink Floyd said " Is there anybody out there?" (why blog in public?)

good Night

My wife and I are off to a grownup Halloween party at a neighbor’s house tonight. I'm going as a pirate and she is a gypsy/fortune teller (tarot cards in hand) I hope the party is void of smokers cause this will be a trigger night for sure. I have been starving myself all day so I can pig out tonight (lots of munches) Everyone is bringing an appetizer
Mexican Stuffed Pizza is our contribution. I bought the super spicy chili and my wife can't eat it :)
Depending on how many of the 12 beers I bought end up in my gut, I may or may not attend the all new, Sunday morning Adult Tai Kwan Do (doe?) class at the Y. I may even walk there and back (15KM). I'm also thinking about the Jujitsu and judo classes. Can you say Jackie Chan? :)

Exercise
50 Minute swim (just under 2KM)
60 Minutes on the bike (about 25 KM)

Diet
Breakfast
V8
Snack
H2O
Lunch
Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Snack
H2O
Dinner
None
Snack
good eats up the wazoo and many beers! Party time

I can't get over how the quality of Halloween candy has improved since I was a little trick or treater.
My kids got jumbo sized chocolate bars, dolls, toys, stickers and even a book!
I can remember getting the sandwich bag full of home made popcorn, the apple, and the lone hard candy.
When I was a kid, if someone was giving out mini chocolate bars, word spread like wildfire and they were cleaned out in no time.
I also find the unwritten Halloween rule that you can only go to each house once, very interesting. Why not just canvas your own street over and over again? Would someone actually say no to a 4 year old princess when she shows up a second time for a 5 cent piece of candy?
TIP for SAD's - November 1st is a great time to get your dress up costumes for the kids at next to nothing, retailers are dying to get rid of the ghostly refuse to make way for the next commercial windfall - Christmas.

Exercise for October 31, 2003Well the month is in the books and I made it through and only missed 2 days of going to the gym
60 minute power walk - 4 Miles (never do this on a full stomach if you can avoid it)
Weights (weights suck)
30 Minute swim (to ABBA no less blaring on the pool speakers while the manatee performed swimmersize)

Diet
Breakfast
2 egg omelet with cheese mushrooms onions and a vegetarian burger patty, coffee, V8 Dietary toast
(This type of breakfast is a mistake when your about to do a 4 mile walk)
Snack
none
Lunch
none
Dinner
Thai noodle stir fry with chicken and veggies
Snack
2 pieces of leftover pizza and 10 mini chocolate bars (aero, caramilk, kitkat, snickers, mars, smarties, OhHenry, crunchy, wunderbar and another kitkat cause there my favorite) big honking glass of grapefruit juice.
and a GM (Grand Marnier)
I've hidden the candy from the kids so they don't eat it all at once, the question is "WHO IS GOING TO HIDE IT FROM ME?"

What Not to Say to an At-Home Dad