Low and Slow Appears to Be Working!!

You guys. I've been doing this super slow training where I am very careful to keep my heart rate below 140 (and ideally in the low 130s). It's supposed to train my body to be more efficient. And look! Look at the graph! Jogging at the same pace every time, my heart rate has consistently been lower at every single workout!

It's one thing to read that this sort of training is supposed to work, and another to actually see the data showing that, yep — it's working. Even when I take nearly two weeks off running!

Yes, after sitting around doing zero exercise for 11 days after Marie was born, I felt like a slug, so I jumped on the treadmill and got up to 90% max HR a couple times. See graph, below:

Five days later, I once again jogged at the same slow and steady speed I had in December. And look at the results!

The last few times I ran, by minute 14 my pulse was around 131 bpm. This time, at minute 14 my pulse was at 123! Seriously, it was taking so long to increase that I thought my heart rate monitor wasn’t on properly. So far, low and slow (with the occasional speed work) seems to be working! It’s especially surprising since I’ve done so little exercise over the past two weeks.

Tonight I'm scheduled to do this for 40 minutes if possible. Let's see if I can actually handle it. Will report back.

I signed up for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler — again!

 OK, so a lot has happened since I last posted.

I met a girl.

I moved in with her — PAST the Beltway (ugh).

I got a full time job with benefits making podcasts about the law! For a living!

I got married!!

I’M HAVING A BABY IN TWO WEEKS!!!

Longtime readers of Still Waiting will know that these things just sort of don’t happen for me. I’m the guy who jumps from temp job to temp job, waiting for something to hit… and, yes, the guy who jumps from girl to girl, waiting to find the mythical Perfect Human Being.

Well, I guess I’m finally maturing. Things are happening for me. And yet there’s one thing I have never been able to do: 

Actually run the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run.

This year, things are different. I bought a treadmill. I’ve jogged 7 times over the past two weeks. I have a plan. And I am going to use the Maffetone method, which means I must keep my heart rate around 132, which is RIDICULOUSLY slow. Like, I was “jogging” at 3 miles an hour tonight. It was practically just running in place. They say it will eventually become less stupid, and that my speed will increase, and I’ll be able to go the distance, etc. We’ll see. For now I feel like an idiot.

But! I also feel energetic, and excited, and like this is something I can actually do. I had to stop a couple of times in the half hour I jogged tonight, because (as usual) my calves tightened up. But it wasn’t that bad, and it’s getting easier.

At this point it seems like the most likely thing that could derail my fitness is the new baby. But I will keep trying!

Keep it up, Schwartzie!

A Good Graph

 I crossed the 200 pound threshold in August, and I've been hovering around 197±2!

The downward slope has slowed a bit over the past month, as I'm getting closer to my goal weight. But I'm back on track, and almost down to 195!

190 nears....

LOG

TODAY'S WEIGHT: 202.4

Meals:

• Coffee with hazelnut creamer
• Toast and butter with fresh tomatoes from the garden :)  (and a drizzle of olive oil)
• Protein shake with milk
• Carrots and hummus
• Greek yogurt with blackberries/blueberries/nectarine/cherry and a sprinkle of walnuts and granola

Not bad, Schwartz! And plenty of energy throughout the day.

Don't stuff your face tonight, and you might actually get back below 200 before the month is out!

I miss tennis. I wish my friends were around to play. Hopefully will get to play more this week.

I'm still here!

HELLO FRIENDS

I am still here. I've been hovering between 203-208 pounds for a while, which is fine, but I've wanted to get back below 200 for some time. It's my white whale.

I just wanted to log on to say that I think I have made a breakthrough! Seeing that lots of healthy people eat Greek yogurt, I picked up many varieties at the store to try them. They were tasty! And when I took my vanilla greek yogurt and added blackberries and walnuts to it, it was VERY tasty!

It also keeps me full for a long time.

Lately I've been having coffee with flavored creamer for breakfast (yeah, yeah, I know), and a turkey sandwich with guacamole for lunch (guacamole keeps me full!). I've also been trying to exercise a lot more — luckily I have been able to successfully recruit more friends into my tennis games. :) Staying in shape is easy when it's fun!

LAST NIGHT I was planning to order a chicken teriyaki dish with lots of noodles, but I realized after my tennis match that I just wasn't that hungry. So I just had a mint chocolate Greek yogurt offering, which was quite tasty. Followed it up with a mini bag of healthy popcorn. This morning I was at 202! 200 nears...

ALSO, I've gotten into Perrier. I used to have a beer or two every night, but they didn't do anything for me (my alcohol tolerance has always been too high). So I realized that if I switch out one beer a night for some lime or peach Perrier, that will save 150 calories a day. Spread out over the course of a year, that's FIFTEEN POUNDS.

Is that really how easy this is? Just cut out one beer a day and lose 15 pounds in a year? Check back to find out.....

I worked out 111 times in 2018!

The new year is upon us again, and so I wanted to look back at my accomplishments in 2018. As you can see, my new year's resolution last year kept me going to the gym fairly regularly... for at least the first few months! My strength training workouts gradually tapered off until they became almost nonexistent during the summer. I have no idea what caused this gradual disinterest in growing my muscles. Luckily, in June and July I was on the bike a LOT... maybe too much, as in August I didn't do ANYTHING. Was it just too hot? Was I working too much and had no time for exercise? I have no idea what happened; all I know is that I managed a measly two bike rides the whole month (both on the same day -- a there-and-back sort of thing, no doubt). And NOTHING else! (Other than a strenuous tennis match halfway through the month, which admittedly did burn a ton of calories, but I only did it because my dad begged me to get out there.)

In September, I clearly took stock of my inactivity, and vowed to get back to work. I went to the gym regularly that month, and even started jogging! In fact, it turns out I actually don't hate jogging, especially when I do it with friends. So throughout the fall, I jogged regularly with my buddies.

I can't tell you how encouraging it is to go jogging with friends, especially when you are all equally bad. We joked about how bad we were as we lumbered around the track, and we sang songs of motivation, and we stretched together and laughed together and collapsed together. It was delightful. And it built up my endurance to the point where I can actually try to attempt jogging for real, on my own, with an eye toward something I haven't done in 10 years. (More on that soon.)

December was a tough month, because I'm a singer and December is always incredibly busy. But as I mentioned last time, I actually managed to jog 20 minutes without stopping last week, and I am NOT resting on my laurels. Later this week I will attempt a 25 minute jog. With luck, I am finally close to being able to jog for 30 minutes without walking. And when that happens, it's a whole new world. (Insert Aladdin music.)

All in all, I am happy with my track record (ha!) this year, but there is clear room for improvement next year. My goal is to become Somebody Who Runs (note the title of this blog), and I'm also going to try to ensure that I don't hit the springtime slump again.

To fitness! :-)

I ran for 20 minutes without stopping!!!

I had been doing semi-regular track workouts with friends, easy jog/walks -- jog 3 minutes, walk 1, repeat 4... repeat 5... repeat 6... then up to 4/1... 5/2... 5/1...

This morning, instead of doing the intervals, I just decided, Ah the hell with it, let's see how far I can go?

Before I knew it, 10 minutes had passed! Then 12! 15! 18!

TWO MORE MINUTES I CAN DO THIS COME ON SCHWARTZ

And I did it! 20 minutes, at an average pace of 12 minutes per mile (including a fair number of neighborhood hills).

This is the first time in YEARS I have run 20 minutes without stopping. I'm going to have to check the archives, but I'd guess you have to go back 10 years to find a similar triumph.

And THEN at work, instead of mid-day chips, I had a major craving for broccoli. So I went to the cafeteria and got broccoli.

Onward! :-)

Kickstarted by an Offhanded Comment

It’s funny how an offhanded comment can get you to really think about your choices. I was telling my young Roommate how easy it is to gain a half a pound a Month, and after 10 years, that’s 60 pounds! I was telling him that when people get married, often times they just give up.  He responded: “When did you give up?” Ouch.  The funny thing is, he wasn’t trying to be mean or even funny! I think he thought, OK here is a guy who is a little bit overweight, approaching 40, hasn’t been married… So I wonder when he stopped trying? So, let’s start trying again. Back on the wagon. This morning so far I have had a couple cups of coffee and two eggs on toast. I just learned how to make scrambled eggs incredibly creamy, and now the eggs are delicious and taste like they have cream and cheese in them, even though all I did was cook it on the lowest heat. They almost spread over the toast like butter! I am going to really enjoy my eggs in the morning from now on. :-) Now I am off into the garage to do a workout – maybe leg day? Maybe back and biceps? (Editor's note: It ended up being leg day.) My last weightlifting session was two days ago. Before that, my last was five weeks ago. Far too long. I recently went on some very nice hikes through the forest.  I want to find nature walks around here. Last night I walked 2 miles through the neighborhood while listening to an oral argument for the podcast. I like walking. It’s a way to keep active and to burn some calories and also I like that it helps me think. I have all the ingredients for a healthy life… I just have to start using them! I think the main key, in addition to all this, will be not to stuff my face. Is very easy to do that when I am surrounded by stuff I love, so I have to make sure that stuff is not in the house. :-) Onward!

Meals Today (so far) 2 eggs on toast, with a teaspoon of butter and some onion/peppers - 250 cal, 14g protein Syntha-6 chocolate shake with water and creatine - 200 cal, 22g protein

My absence is a good thing

I feel like I should explain my nearly three-year absence.

Simply put... I figured it out. I figured out how to get down to 200 pounds and below. (At one point, for a minute, I even got under 190!)

Basically, this is the meal plan that leads to my best self:

Breakfast:

Breakfast is typically light, consisting sometimes of fruit (berries or grapes, usually), and nuts (almonds, usually). Sometimes I'll have a couple eggs with toast. These days I'm really partial to avocado toast -- it's delicious and healthy and keeps me full for hours. This morning, for instance, I toasted a piece of whole wheat bread with coconut oil, cut up half an avocado, sprinkled a little bit of garlic/salt/cayenne powder, and put a small handful of chia seeds on it. It was delicious!

I also have a lot of coffee for breakfast, which helps suppress my appetite for hours. If I have access to good cold brew, I'll drink that. I love it because it doesn't need any cream; just a little Splenda. So I have this extremely low-calorie drink that keeps me full. (I also often have 7-11 coffee with lots of flavored creamers, which admittedly is a bad habit and I'm trying to get away from it.)

Lunch:

Lunch is basically whatever I want. Sometimes I get a Chipotle burrito. Sometimes I get a burger from Five Guys. Sometimes I get a curry chicken platter. I try not to stuff my face with really unhealthy stuff like a bunch of french fries, but this is mostly just because having lots of starchy carbs during the middle of the day makes me super sleepy. That's another thing I've noticed: The less food I eat, the more energy I have that day and the next day. Note that this only works down to a point; if I restrict my calories too much, I'm lethargic and foggy. Same with restricting my carbs too much (I'm still rolling my eyes over the one week I spent last year on the "keto" diet, ugh).

When I worked near a Sweetgreen, I went there for lunch most days, and the pounds came right off. I do miss Sweetgreen.

During the day, if I get peckish, I'll have some almonds or berries. Or, if there are treats out at work, I'll often have one - but just a little. One cookie. A small piece of cake. I tend to skip the donuts these days; they just don't make me feel great.

The exception to the "eat whatever I want for lunch" rule comes when I know I'm having a big dinner that night. If I'm going out with friends, for instance, I'll have something light (like Sweetgreen, if it's available). Then I'll feel free to enjoy myself at night. But the key is I can only have a big meal for ONE of my three main meals. If I eat big at two meals, I gain weight. If I don't eat big at any meals, I often never achieve a feeling of satiety, and so I don't feel content, and after a few days of that it leads to bingeing.

Dinner:

On a typical day, when I'm not going out with friends, I will have a light dinner. A couple times a week I like to make my classic stir fry, which consists of lots of veggies (broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, jalapeños, etc), sauteed in olive/sesame oil, with a protein of some sort, and chia seeds, all on a bed of Miracle Noodles. Sometimes I'll wrap that in big lettuce wraps.

Sometimes I'll just have lettuce wraps with chicken sausage and a little bit of hot sauce. Sometimes I'll have a can of soup. Generally, I try to keep my dinner to around 600 calories or less.

Sometimes, I will drink at night. Often, this will consist of a bottle or two of beer, or a glass or three of wine. Sometimes, if I'm still full from lunch, all I'll have for dinner is beer. This is particularly true when pumpkin beer season begins, and I can savor my Schlafly Pumpkin Ale. ☺

I really try not to order a pizza for dinner, because I inevitably eat the whole thing, and I gain several pounds in water weight that take days to come off, and I feel awful about myself. Same with Chinese. I've learned that whatever is placed in front of me, I will eat everything. So the key is often just to make sure the food is not placed in front of me to begin with.

And that's about it. It's a fairly simply plan, and it affords me flexibility. There is also a major component of just listening to my body. Am I having a craving for protein? Fill my body with protein. Do I want beets? Roast beets and eat them with goat cheese crumbles! (An absolute favorite meal, which I only discovered this year.) Does my body really want dark leafy greens? Eat dark leafy greens.

These are true cravings. My true cravings never lead to pizza. They never lead to donuts. If I really want those things, that is a false craving, often a result of poor eating which throws my body all out of whack.

Now, I do have what I will call emotional cravings. These aren't necessarily a bad thing. For instance, I'll be back in Michigan next week. When I'm in Michigan, I always get certain foods. They bring me a sense of joy and nostalgia, and they are damn tasty. You will absolutely find me at Sy Thai and Buddy's Pizza next week. Maybe Sila's Pizza. I won't be stuffing my face. But I will be enjoying my visit. I probably won't gain much weight next week, but I definitely won't lose any. ☺

By following this "plan," the weight melts off. I'm hovering right around 200 pounds now (I was 199 yesterday, 201 today, and by next week I'll probably be 198). I'd love to get down to 190, and go from there. But I'm happy where I am now.

In my next blog post, I'll focus on what I'm trying to do fitness wise.

Please leave a comment and tell me works for you!

On the Importance of Persistence

I have almost tweaked my bike exactly how I like it. It took lots of cajoling and convincing of the bike shop mechanics that, yes, some people actually like to have a more upright riding position on a touring bike with drop bars. They told me my fit was perfect how it was! That my downward angle would give me so much more power and efficiency and let me ride faster and longer!

I told them I didn't care. "I won't ride if I'm not comfortable. Then efficiency will mean nothing."

"Well," he said after swapping for a more upright angled stem, "we can't get the handlebars any higher."

"What about a stem riser?" I asked.

"Well... I GUESS that would work," he said.

Me: "Is there any reason -- besides 'efficiency' -- why a stem riser is not a good idea?"

Him (thoughtful pause): "Aesthetics?"

Yep. That's what it came down to. This guy couldn't comprehend the idea of someone who wanted a bike that fit, that looked, a little different. It would look weird. So much for the wants and needs of the customer.

I eventually convinced him we are going with a stem riser. He reluctantly agreed. I picked one up on amazon and brought it to him the next day. He threw it on the bike and told me to go ride it for a few minutes and then we can tweak.

I left the shop and rode across Key Bridge. And within about twenty feet, I got this huge grin on my face, and I actually started laughing, because the fit was so perfect! I was more upright, and more comfortable, and I could look ahead without straining my neck upward... This was all I wanted!

I rode four miles to Reagan airport and called the bike store. Congratulations, I told them. It's fixed. I won't be returning. :)

It's been about a week and I still love the fit, although I do plan to tilt my seat nose upward a bit, as I've found myself sliding forward a bit too much. So we're still dialing in the mythical *perfect* fit... but even as it stands now, I'm extremely pleased.

My New Bike Will Take Me Across the Country! ...as soon as it fits right

I got a new bike! It's a Trek 520, which is made for touring but I'm also told is great for commuting. I was going to get a Trek 7.4 FX, which is a hybrid fitness bike, but when I mentioned to the salesperson that I dream of riding the trail all the way to Pennsylvania -- and maybe even riding cross country one day -- he steered me directly to the Trek 520. "THIS is the bike you want," he said. The 2013 model was on sale, and I saved more than $200. I love the color -- the dark olive/bronze is so classy!

It's a beautiful bike -- and very different than what I'm used to. I've never ridden a bike with drop bars before, and frankly the position is all wrong for me. They said I'm supposed to ride on the hoods (the part up by the brakes), but I feel so stretched out there. It's not very comfortable. They say I'll "get used to it." The store manager did a fitting, watched me ride and said he would even suggest a longer stem that pushes the handlebar out farther, getting me lower. "It will be much more comfortable, trust me."

NO! I trust no one. I know how I like to ride, dammit. I'm an upright guy. I like to see the scenery. Drag? Inefficient pedaling? Meh. Not important to me. I'm not trying to win a race. I do, however, have a vested interest in staying comfortable. If I'm not comfortable, I won't ride.

I did a quick 10 miles this morning, and while I'm sure I could get used to the more aggressive position, I can't imagine ever really liking it. I found myself on the flats (the top bar) most of the time, which was better but still not as high or comfortable as my hybrid was. Plus there's no brakes up there, so it's less safe.

And so! I will be modifying this otherwise very nice bike. I've ordered a Brooks B67 saddle, which is made for an upright position, and is said to be supremely comfortable. I'll be ordering new pedals. And, most importantly, I'll be taking the bike back into the shop to put in a new stem with a higher angle. That should raise the handlebars an inch or two, and bring them closer, so I'm not as stretched out. If that's not enough, I'll install a stem riser. And if, on the long tours through the countryside, I find the need for a more aerodynamic position or one that lets me pedal more strongly, I'll just get into the drops, which will still be pretty low and stretched out.

I'm very excited because I know this bike CAN and WILL be awesome! But the frame is SO different than what I am used to, with the handlebars SO far forward, that I need to make some serious adjustments before said awesomeness will thrive. For comparison sake, here's an animated GIF showing how much farther the new handlebars are than my old ones were. Yeeeeeeah.

Still on track!

One month later, and I'm still on track to hit 200 somewhere around the beginning of August!

That is with a very conservative weight loss of about 1 pound per week.

Following this diet is proving pretty easy. I no longer have cravings for fattening food like pizza or Chinese! And when I do indulge, it turns out no longer to give me the pleasure it used to. I went to the movies the other day and ordered a movie theater popcorn with butter... and it was okay, but I felt like crap for the rest of the day, and on balance it certainly wasn't worth the calories. I'm thinking of just packing a bunch of grapes and berries the next time I go to the movies -- that's infinitely more delicious.

You'll see a period of about a week where my weight stayed in the 208 range. That's when I was on vacation in Michigan, partaking of all my old favorites (Sy Thai, Buddy's Pizza, etc). As soon as I got back to DC, I got back to my (mostly) healthy eating ways that makes me feel so much better.

So! 200 pounds is well within reach, and this time I'm not stopping once I get there!!! If this pace continues, I'll be back to my pre-law school weight by the fall. What a miracle that would be!

Kale and Berries and Veggies, Oh My

I went in for a standard check up last month and saw that my triglycerides and cholesterol were way out of whack. The doctor told me that if I get my weight down to a healthy level, the problem should clear up on its own. So I decided to start preempting my cravings with a bunch of healthy and tasty food. Blackberries and raspberries and blueberries for breakfast! Delicious salads from Sweetgreen for lunch! Home-cooked dinners consisting of sautéed onions, garlic, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, snow peas, and a bunch of ground turkey breast! And maybe my secret weapon: baked kale chips for a late-night snack.

I still let myself eat the more fattening food I sometimes prefer, but I have found that when I overeat – an entire pizza, or an entire gigantic Kung Pao lunch special -- I feel like crap. So I try to limit portion size there, and I try not to have that stuff too much.

Is it working? Take a look at the graph. If I can keep it up, I'll be below 200 in no time. Will see if I can keep this up, but it isn't too hard, and I like the way I feel, and my old clothing from nearly a decade ago is fitting me again. (I'm glad I kept it!)

Another Cherry Blossom Run...

T-minus 100 days until the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run...

Tonight I went on my first run in about two years. It was pretty cold, somewhere in the low 30s. My plan was to jog until my heart rate hit 160, walk till it got below 130, rinse and repeat. I also brought "The Stick" in case my legs tightened up -- which they did after the third running session. I spent a couple minutes on my calves, and by then my pulse was down below 130 so I set off again.

I felt good. My calves were feeling better and my form was much better. I found myself picking up the pace. My pulse quickly hit 160, but I didn't care. I was going to push this one. 165, 170, 175, and I showed no signs of stopping. I was breathing hard, sprinting ahead, holding the Stick in my right hand like it was a baton and I was on the last leg of a relay race.

I crossed 180. Usually I'd pull back around now, but tonight I didn't want to. Before the run, I had estimated that my max heart rate was about 186 -- and I wanted to see if that was true. 182, 184, 186... 187! I held it there for a couple more seconds, before I felt my body pulling back. 187 -- the hardest I'd pushed things in years.* I walked the quarter mile back to my apartment, tired yet energized all at once.

100 days to go.

Details of Run

--
*Even when biking 13 miles to work, I never got my pulse that high; the highest I usually pushed it was into the mid-170s. There was one time a month or two ago, however, when I decided to sprint up the entire Dupont Circle escalator. I wasn't wearing a heart rate monitor, but I probably got very close to 187 that day too.

**If you click through to the web site, you may notice my pace was pitifully slow. This is normal.  Anyway I am just working on conditioning right now. Speed will come...... eventually.

Still Waiting...

Well, one month has come and gone. Actually it's been more like 7 weeks since I ordered the Brompton from BicycleSPACE, and they said it would be here by the end of April, but it is now pretty close to the middle of May and they are just as clueless as I am. "Brompton told us they shipped it... at this point it's probably hung up in Customs... we don't know if it got stuck in Customs though until the boxes arrive and they're covered with stickers..."

The Brompton has been showing up in my dreams. That's how badly my subconscious wants it. In last night's dream, I had just returned from a choir trip and I decided to head by BicycleSPACE to store my regular sized bike there while I walked around. That's when they told me that, as it happened, the Bromptons had just arrived that morning! "ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME?" said I. They asked if I wanted to come to the store room and unbox them. YES.

Then, in a bit of dream logic, we ended up playing basketball in an attached gym. I kept slipping on the floor because I was only wearing socks. Then I woke up without seeing my new bike.

One Month and Counting...

I've ordered a Brompton. It's a folding bicycle, and it's going to change my life. And yes, I am a wee bit obsessed.  But I hear that's what happens to people once they stumble onto these things, realize what they are, and what they can do, and how they can make everything so much easier.

For the uninitiated, Bromptons are full-sized bikes made in the UK that can fold up in about 10-15 seconds to a package a little less than 2 feet by 2 feet by 10 inches. This puts them neatly into the "carry on luggage" category, and as such they are allowed on the Metro during rush hour. I can't tell you how many times I've planned to ride to work in the morning, but when I wake up I'm too tired, so I just Metro in instead. And because my current bike is full-sized, I can't take it onto the Metro with me until after 10 a.m., which is too late. So I'm left for the day without a bike, and thus unable to bike BACK home, and so I have gone the whole day without a nice long bike ride, which is bad for my waistline and my attitude. I need that ride -- it centers me.

After reading a ton about them online, I went to go see them in person at Bicycle Space. I took a few test rides around the block with various models, and found my favorite -- an "H6R," meaning it's a six-speed high handlebar model with a rear rack.

Here, I tried to capture my excitement.

The store let me borrow a demo model and use it for a couple days. It was pretty awesome! I was able to:

Bike to the Silver Spring metro station in 3 minutes -- shaving 7 minutes off my normal walk -- and keep it next to me during rush hour!

Bring it inside and put it under my table at Starbucks!

Ride 13 miles home on the Capital Crescent Trail!

About the only thing I didn't like about it was the stock saddle, which is fine for a couple miles in the city, but frankly is pretty uncomfortable after a 13 mile ride. It was so bad that even with all the Brompton's merits, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through with it. That is, until I went back to the store and tried one with a different saddle, the Brooks B17. Here's my final test ride:

The B17 rocked. It's a pricy upgrade but it's worth it.

So, I placed my order for the H6R with a Brooks saddle, using the extended seatpost (for taller chaps), and I also picked up a C-Bag which will sit on the front luggage block. Here's a mock-up of my new bike, complete with some Go Blue Cheer!

It's a custom bike, so they have to make it from scratch, and it's scheduled to get here in ONE MONTH. I cannot wait, and every day I notice times when having my Brompton would be so convenient. For instance, I had biked to rehearsal on my full-sized bike, and I was pretty tired and wanted to just metro home. But because it was 5 pm, aka "Peak of the Peak," there was no way a Metro worker would let me take my bike on the train. For that I'd have to wait until 7 pm. So I ended up, in my exhausted state, biking uphill 7 miles to get home. Yeah, it was my exercise for the day, but I'd really rather have had the option to Metro. With my folding bike I'll be able to!

Waiting for Spring

I told myself I would be the kind of bike commuter who rides to work during the winter months. I knew it would be cold, but I prepared with lots of gear. I went on an Amazon shopping spree for gloves and balaclavas and toe warmers and everything. I was ready. Yet I didn't anticipate just how cold it gets, just how dark it would be, just how difficult the weather would be. Snow, I could deal with. But DC hasn't gotten a lot of snow this year; instead we get cold, icy rain. There is NOTHING worse than icy rain -- not only is it super uncomfortable, it's also slippery (as my skinned arm and ripped cycling jacket can attest to). And the wind! It turns out 20 mph steady winds are doable, but those gusts of up to 35 mph are not, especially when it's 30 degrees outside.

I've barely ridden 20 miles this month.

I long for Spring. As the days slowly inch toward warmth, as the sun stays out slightly longer each day, I realize that we're just a few weeks away. Soon temperatures in the morning will be around 50 degrees, which is so comfortable for biking. Anything greater is just icing on the cake. I won't have to wear gloves anymore, and my outer layer can get ever lighter until one day, a few months from now, it will be 90 degrees and the breeze on the bike will provide sweet, sweet relief.

Hitching a Ride

Sometimes I'll ride my bike to work on a Friday, but because I don't like to ride 26 miles in one day, I'll leave it there instead of riding it back home. When that happens, I often drive to the office the next day and bring my bike home on my trunk! Back in the spring I picked up a trunk mount rack from Amazon, and it's proved mighty handy when I just Can't Be Bothered to ride back. Here it is!

Winter Riding

I fully planned to ride my bike to work throughout the winter months, cold be damned! But a quick check of my log shows that I only rode 34 miles in the entire month of November – and the worst part is I went over three weeks between rides. In fairness, I was sick for much of that, and I had a bunch of evening commitments, making logistics difficult. But it was still disheartening (and, sadly, fattening).

I'm doing a lot better this month. With almost half the month complete, I have ridden close to 50 miles. It's not nearly as momentous as what I achieved during the summer, but then, I didn't have to bundle up with five layers and toe warmers during the summer! This morning I rode 13 miles to work -- impressive considering I'd left both pairs of gloves at the office. What did I do? I wore socks on my hands. Not the most stylish, but it worked in a pinch.

It had been a week since I last went riding. I really wanted to go sooner, but my Bionx crapped out on me, and it turns out riding to work without it is not nearly as fun. I can do it, sure, but it takes about 20 minutes longer. And that "quick" 4 mile jaunt from work to rehearsal at the church? It takes a lot longer than 20 minutes when you have to manually power up a 5% incline for at least half a mile! It's hills like that that really make me miss my pedal-assist.

Luckily, my dealer dropped off a spare system while mine is in the shop. He is without a doubt the best shop-owner I have ever dealt with, installing the entire system for free, and then making two housecalls to help with problems I was having. I'm a 45 minute drive from his shop! And he didn't have to give me a loaner system while he tries to fix my faulty battery. He's a real class act and I heartily encourage anyone who's thinking of the Bionx or any other electric system to head down to Green Pedals in Annapolis, MD.

I can't ride tomorrow because I've got an early conference to attend and then a swanky formal dinner at night. But Friday evening I shall brave the dark and cold!

Here's a picture of me this morning:

Under 40 degrees. I wore an under armour base layer,
T-shirt, fleece, Pearl Izumi shell, balaclava!
Also toe warmers.

Healthy Treats

In an attempt to update my blog more than once every three months, I'm going to start posting more pictures, and telling brief tales of exciting adventures that I may have had. Or maybe not. Maybe I'm just making all of these adventures up. Regardless, enjoy.

Today's Healthy Shopping Trip

Never go to the grocery store hungry, they say. So I didn't -- and it was amazing. I had no cravings, no desire to buy BAD food, and so I ended up with this!

I put my bounty into shopping bags, and brought them home - somewhat precariously - on my handlebars. [NOTE TO READERS: Do not do this. It makes the bike hard to control.]

So today was a good day, with 13 miles of biking and a healthy trip to the supermarket. At this point I've got the cardio-as-a-routine thing down; I just have to work on making healthy eating choices.

Captain's Log

It's been about two and half months, and usually when I am silent for so long it means that I have fallen off the wagon. I am very happy to say that is not the case. You see, instead of writing about exercising, I have actually been doing it.

When my focus was running, I used to have to psych myself up for the endeavor. I am not a natural runner. My calves tighten up, I get incredibly tired and sore, and even the best experiences are akin to the joy one feels from successfully preparing vegetables. So blogging was a way to give myself a little pep talk.

I don't need a pep talk anymore! I really love biking, especially with the little push that I get from having the Bionx. It never sucks. Let me repeat that: it never sucks. (Unless, for instance, I forget to bring the Bionx controller and so I have to bike uphill with an additional 20 pounds in battery and motor weight. But even then it doesn't suck nearly as much as running used to suck.)

So I have not been writing, but I have been biking. Here are my logs to prove it:

Date	Distance	Time	Ele. Gain
September 2012	127.1 mi	07:07:59	+5,710 ft
August 2012	142.0 mi	10:12:56	+4,974 ft
July 2012	212.0 mi	13:59:26	+9,933 ft
June 2012	178.5 mi	12:22:15	+8,652 ft

Although my mileage has been lower recently than it was when I started, I chalk most of that up to being extra busy at work -- morning press conferences mean I don't get to ride my bike in to work as often as I'd like. (There was also a bikeless vacation in the beginning of September, a bit of under-the-weather, and some relationship drama sucking up much of my time.) But I've still managed to average over 30 miles a week this month - and the month isn't over yet! I expect to do another 13 miles or so tomorrow, bringing the total in line with August. And I have no intentions of stopping.

--

That said, I feel somewhat guilty about not posting recently, because I do have an awfully high number of (mis)adventures on my two wheels. So let me now briefly highlight what you might have missed:

Downed trees blocked the Capital Crescent Trail!

I got stung by a bee at 20 mph!

Another ride to Old Town Alexandria turned into a
late night ride past the beautiful Lincoln Memorial!

Camouflaging the Bionx

As anyone who has seen a Bionx frame-mounted battery knows, it sticks out like a sore thumb. This is good for sparking conversations, but not so good for leaving the bike outside for any length of time -- I just can't shake the feeling that that big "Bionx!" logo looks really tempting to thieves, even if they don't know what it is. Plus the font doesn't look very high-tech; it's more reminiscent of something you'd see in an old magazine ad from the 1980s.

I looked for bags that might hide the battery, but I wasn't having much luck. I was about to head to the store for some spray paint and rags when I stumbled upon an easier solution: duct tape! I know, I know, it sounds horribly low budget, and it is, but if you use colors that blend well with your frame, it actually works out really well. I chose two colors - "olive drab" (which is actually much darker than it looked online), and a "digital camo" style for trim. A bit of cutting with a utility knife, and I'm very happy with the results:

Before

After

PEDAL HARDER

After an easy ride to work this morning along the CCT, I decided to take a different route home. Rock Creek Park is very different on a weekday, when Beach Drive is open to traffic, and you're pumping as hard as you can on the uphill, heart rate over 170 for 1.5 miles (peaking at 178), acutely aware that there's a long line of cars behind you with no room to pass on this winding road with the double yellow line. Exhilarating... but holy crap, I haven't kept my pulse that high for that long in years. This is a "once a week" route at most.

PS - I passed the 500-mile mark today! I'm averaging around 200 miles per month. I wonder if I'll keep this up when it gets cold out?

Counting Calories

I let myself get hungry Tuesday. I didn't eat throughout the day. I had low blood sugar, and a headache, and cravings. Major cravings. Never order delivery while you have cravings. And never eat the whole thing before you have a chance to stop and breathe and ask yourself what the f@#$ you are doing.

Anyway, when I am bad, I like to get back on track by meticulously planning my caloric intake and expenditure. I thought you'd like to see the kind of plan I make. I've been making charts like this for the past several years and they usually get me back on track... or at least back in the right direction. You'll notice I don't deprive myself of the things I really like (e.g. Potbelly wreck sandwiches, chips, etc); I just make sure I account for it, and don't eat like that all day.

By evenly spacing out my meals every few hours, I ensure I never get cravings. And that's good. Because my cravings are stronger than me. I know from years of experience. The only way I can beat them is to make sure they never get anywhere near me. I'm like the Secret Service! (Yes, this means my belly is the President.)

This projected deficit will lead to a couple pounds of weight loss per week.
I don't always ride my bike twice a day, but when I do it really adds up.

What I Can Weigh if I Put Down the Government Cheese

The National Institute of Health has put together a really cool body weight simulator that takes your height, weight, calorie intake and level of activity, and then estimates your change in weight if you change the inputs. I entered in my stats a little over a month ago, and so far the projection is right on schedule.

Below is a projected one-year graph showing what my weight could be if, for the first three months, I gradually reduce my calorie intake to 2,500 per day and increase my exercise to bike an hour about 4 times a week; and then, for the second three months, I increase my calorie intake to 3,000 per day and throw in a 2-hour bike ride on weekends.

When I input my numbers on May 15, I was 214 pounds. As of this morning I was 210.8 pounds, and that's right about on schedule. If I stay on course -- and the NIH is right -- I should hit 200 in the first week of August, hit 190 by mid-September, 185 around my birthday in late October, and 180 by the beginning of February 2013. And if I keep biking and not pigging out, the gubmint thinks I'll level out somewhere around 175!

Frankly I'd be happy with 190, and 180 would be amazing. That's my Fightin' Weight, and I haven't been there in nearly 10 years. I'll keep checking my progress against the graph to see if those government bean counters actually know what they're talking about.

Pretty cool! Input your own numbers at http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/

•     •     •

In other news, I rode over 82 miles this week! It's my longest distance ever! Note, however, that it's not my longest TimeOnBike ever -- I was on the bike for over 6 hours (74 miles) the week last month when I rode to Old Town and back.  The Bionx lets me go a little faster, so perhaps MilesOnBike is not the best metric. How about DaysOnBike? (5). CaloriesBurned? (4,360).  Either way, I'll take it.  :-)

How to Cheat with the Bionx

I made a big show last week about how the Bionx is not cheating. Having used it with various assist levels for about 80 miles now, I would like to clarify:

You can TOTALLY cheat on the Bionx, if you want to.  I've done it.  You see, in addition to the 4 levels of assist - which provide a torque boost of between 35% and 300% -- there is a little red button called the throttle. Press this, and the bike zips along at up to 20 mph without the need for any pedaling.

When I first got the Bionx, I wanted to really push the system and see how much assistance was possible. I donned my heart rate monitor, put on my work clothes, and endeavored to get to work with as little perspiration as possible.  Along the way, I kept my finger on the throttle button pretty much the whole way, pedaling (on the highest assist level) perhaps 5-10% of the time.

It normally takes me almost an hour to bike the 13 miles to work, with an average heart rate of around 140.  This time it took 45 minutes. My average heart rate was 87 -- I didn't even get into "Zone 1". And I felt like a total schmuck.

For all my big talk about not cheating, holding the throttle most of the way TOTALLY feels like cheating. I didn't break a sweat! I was a lazy bum on my commuter bike and I didn't get a workout at all!

The entire Asian world sees biking mainly as a mode of transportation. There are 100 million e-bikes in China! But we Americans tend to always equate bikes with exercising, and we have this ingrained belief that if we don't sweat, it's cheating. Intellectually, I know this is silly. Biking doesn't HAVE to be exercising, and throttling to work is not "cheating" because there are no rules. I just want to get to work.

I know this. I have argued this. But even I don't really, truly believe it. I don't know if this is a testament to the power of cultural bias or what, but when I'm using my bike as a moped and getting to work without sweat, I don't feel good or smug or anything like that. I feel like an asshole.

So I will endeavor to NOT just keep my thumb on the throttle. It is totally possible to get a great workout in with the Bionx, and in fact on Saturday I did just that: a 30 mile ride in 90 degree weather, with an average heart rate of 150 over two hours! For the flats and downhills, I kept the assist on the bare minimum and hardly ever throttled, and only turned the assist up on the inclines of over 2% or so. And even with that assist, when the incline got close to 5%, I got a real workout – my max HR was 173! The only difference between hills with assist and hills without assist is that I can actually DO the hills with assist, as opposed to getting off and pushing (which is what I used to do).

And it’s still really nice to know that even when it’s hot and I’ve been riding for hours and the only way home is 7 miles uphill, it will never suck. It will always be fun, and invigorating, and in many ways, kind of magical. Here are some pictures from Saturday's ride:

Iwo Jima Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Gay Pride Parade in Dupont Circle

Why the Bionx Pedal-Assist is Not Cheating

This weekend I installed a Bionx PL-350 system on my trusty Trek 7100. It was a hefty investment, but it's worth it because now I can ride anywhere in the city, sweating as much or as little as I want, hills be damned! Why, just yesterday I rode to the National Shrine, to a cafe, and back home - 16 miles of undulating hills that, unassisted, would have killed me and left me exhausted. But with the Bionx on a high level of assist, I rode to church in my Sunday best without getting sweaty, and afterward I turned the assist down and got a pretty solid workout coming home. I was exhilarated and dripping with perspiration by the time I got home, but I wasn't WIPED OUT, like I would have been normally. The Bionx gives me the freedom to ride where I otherwise wouldn't. Without assist, I would not have attempted Sunday's ride; I simply would have driven.

When people find out I bought an electric pedal assist for my bike, there are two common responses.

Average Joe: Cool! I've heard about those. Sounds fun.
Cyclist: THAT'S CHEATING. You're such a cheater, Mister Cheater.

My standard response to Average Joe is "Yeah, it is fun! Really helps with the hills." We both walk away smiling and I am left with the thought that there are lots of friendly people in this world.

Then comes the Cyclist. He is usually very skinny, owns thousands of dollars in Lycra and Spandex, and has a 15-pound bike made of carbon fiber infused with Borg nanobots. And he is looking at me with derision I have previously only seen directed at people who stand to the left on the Metro escalators.

To the Cyclist, biking and sweating are synonymous. He enjoys nothing more than the long haul, dripping, drenched, standing on the pedals and pumping harder. The downhill is your reward for making it uphill. Hills build character. Stop whining. Cheater.

I have developed a few responses to this particular breed of judgmental creature. Each responses satisfies me, but is very unlikely to satisfy the Cyclist.

Cyclist: That's cheating.
Me: ...I wasn't aware there were rules?

I thought this sort of rhetorical response would make them pause and think and realize that, of course, outside of a race, biking has no rules. Cheating is by definition impossible without rules to break. I expected smiles all around, the Cyclist perhaps asking if he could try my Bionx, and then maybe we would all go out for drinks and we would sing drinking songs about our glorious rides past.

Yes, I live in a fantasy land.

Cyclist: Of course there are rules. You have to pedal.
Me: I do pedal! I just use assist on the hills so I can get up them.
Cyclist: Just shift to a lower gear. Hills will get easier.
Me: I have used the granny gears. I don't particularly like getting up a hill at 4 mph and still feeling totally burned out at the top. I don't see what the big deal is?
Cyclist (look of disgust): YOU'RE CHEATING.

So, given that the Cyclist abhors cheaters, and likes to do everything the old fashioned way, with sweat and tears and sore muscles, I change my approach.

Cyclist: That's cheating.
Me: How heavy is your bike?
Cyclist: About 20 pounds.
Me: That's cheating! Mine is 33!
Cyclist: Whatever, I'm still pedaling.
Me: I'm pedaling too. Do you have a road bike?
Cyclist: Of course.
Me: That's cheating! Your tires are so skinny! It's so much easier to go fast on your bike. I have a hybrid!
Cyclist: I'm still pedaling.
Me: So am I. Do you use wicking fabric?
Cyclist: ...yes.
Me: That's cheating! I ride around in a cotton shirt! You're giving yourself all these advantages!
Cyclist: Whatever, I'm still pedaling. Cheater. You are the lowest of the low. Get off my path.

Apparently, every advantage in the book - feather-light materials, skinny tires, racing geometry - why that's just part of the sport! But a pedal-assist on hills? Cheating!

There is nothing one can say to calm the haters. So most times I don't even try. I just smile, bow to their "superior" stamina and character, and let them zoom away. And then I get on my bike and dial in the exact level of assistance that will let me achieve whatever goal I have at the moment. Do I want to get to work in a hurry yet not have to take a shower when I get there? Push the assist up to maximum and make heavy use of the Throttle button. Do I want to get a great workout on the way home? Keep assist on level 0 (nothing), or 1 (equivalent to a nice tailwind), and power up those hills.

That's not cheating. That's smart.

On Hills

I want to talk about hills.

It turns out I have been doing them all wrong.

There’s this major hill by my house, and it’s great because the long 4.6% decline on the way to work gets me up to over 25 mph and is super awesome. It’s a great way to start the day and make my way the 13 miles to work.

Perceptive readers already know what’s coming next: Returning home is murderous. I have never been able to get all the way back up the 4.6% incline without getting off and pushing. Even on the walk-and-push section, my pulse approaches 170 and it Ruins My Day.

I love riding my bike on the flats, and on the declines, and even on the slight inclines. But over 4 percent is just too much for me – or so I thought. After extensive research on The bike forum on the Internet, I realized I’m probably in too high a gear. Apparently that’s a common problem for beginners – we think we need to pedal hard to get up a hill. That’s only partially right. What’s more important is pedaling fast – in a lower gear.

Could I make it up the giant hill that had always bested me? It was time to find out. This massive hill comes after a deep valley of sorts, so there’s always a steep downhill portion that precedes it. On the downhill, I pumped as hard as I could in my highest gear, trying to build enough momentum to take me mostly up the other side.

Gravity soon began to slow me, and I turned the left handlebar gear to “1” and began spinning.  My right handlebar gear was on 7… too hard… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2…

Gah! Chain is not staying! Something’s going wrong! Bike is trying to shift but can’t!

Okay, turn it back to 1-3. Chain is secure. I can do this. Spin spin spin.

Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, I actually made it all the way up that hill without getting off to push. My pulse was 160 and I was going less than six miles an hour and it SUCKED, but I was doing it. After riding at speeds averaging around 7 mph for the next tenth of a mile, I made it over the top, and from then on out, things got better. I hit 25 mph on the next 4 percent decline, and it was awesome.

But a half mile later, I still couldn’t ride through my apartment complex parking lot to my building at the back – which is, of course, at the top of another massive hill. I was just too tired.

In conclusion! Three truths:

1. I can do hills with a 4 percent incline if I shift to the granny gears. I just have to resign myself to going 6 mph.
2. Just because I can do them doesn’t mean I have to like it. Hills SUCK even if I am in the granny gears. And I’m pretty much done for the day after a hill that’s just a couple blocks long.
3. The Bionx is looking more and more tempting each day…

Have I foreshadowed enough?

Join us next time.

Oh yeah, I rode 40 miles

So I have already saturated all my other online media outlets with this news, live-tweeting at five-mile intervals, uploading pictures on my journey, and generally delighting in my accomplishment for several hours and days afterward... but I forgot to mention it here. And I really think I should, since this is, after all, my Fitness Blog of Record:

I rode my bike 40 miles!

This was about 10 days ago, on a Saturday, when I had grown accustomed to my regular 13 mile commute to work, and I wanted more of a challenge. So on a warm and humid weekend morning, I strapped up my heart rate monitor, filled my water bottles, and headed out on the two-trail 20 mile journey from Silver Spring to Old Town.



The ride out took a little over 90 minutes, and entailed taking the Capital Crescent Trail (my daily trail) 12 miles from Silver Spring to Georgetown, then crossing the Key Bridge over the Potomac, and taking the Mt. Vernon Trail the remaining 8 miles to Old Town.

The ride out was thrilling. I'm pretty good at the Crescent trail since I ride it all the time, so that was no problem. After a few minutes of quizzical searching - as I had forgotten to map out exactly how to get from the sea-level trail to the 100-foot-level Key Bridge - I found a roundabout street path that led me there. The next 8 miles were a nice little bit of reminiscing, as I used to ride the Mt. Vernon Trail to get to my old job in Crystal City about 4 years ago.

The Mt. Vernon Trail is mostly flat, so it was an easy 8 miles... I will admit to passing a fair number of people and bikers on the way, as its posted "10 mph" speed limit is utterly ridiculous for a flat trail. On the way there were beautiful views of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, and kayakers enjoying the water.

I felt great until about mile 17, at which point I began to feel a little winded. Fortunately, Old Town was just a few miles ahead of me, and so I soldiered on. After another 15 minutes, I made it!

A friend said this looks like a magazine cover :-)

Having gotten to Old Town, I realized something rather pressing. I had no idea what to do next.

There were definitely a good dozen dead flies on each arm.

I walked my bike around for a while, and eventually settled on Thai food. It was delicious.

I was so proud, I Skyped my parents to tell them all about Matt's Big Adventure!

"You're riding too much! You'll hurt your knees!" --Mom

Fully satiated, it was time to head back. I knew the trip back would not be as pleasant as the trip out, but I didn't realize it was also going to be 10 degrees hotter (mid-80s) and that I would be totally exhausted. It turns out 20 miles is a great distance for me. FORTY miles is insane, at least at my current level of fitness.

It didn't help that the last 10 miles are mostly uphill. After around cumulative mile 31, it was a matter of sheer will to get back home. Luckily I was still surrounded by the beauty of nature, so it wasn't all bad.

When I arrived, I wiped all the dead bugs off my sun-block covered arms, and collapsed on the floor in a heap.  It took about 3 days to recover, but I found that the next time I got on the bike to ride my normal 13 miles to work, everything felt about 20 percent easier. It was incredible! I felt so much stronger! I can't wait to do a long trip again. :-)

I passed 200 miles this weekend... I was having so much fun I didn't even realized I'd hit that milestone. I think I'm up to around 230 now -- and that doesn't count the 16 miles' worth of testing pedal-assist ebikes this weekend................ (DUN DUN DUN)

Join us next time when I explain why pedal-assist is NOT, in fact, "cheating."