Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Day 202: The Corn Is As High...

Update: 208.2 lbs, 50 lb Goal Reached Day 124. 10 lbs to 60 lb goal.

...as an elephants eye, and it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky! Although I couldn't quite say it was a beautiful morning, it was nice to be out on the ol' bike again after almost a 2 week hiatus. But my how things change.

I felt a bit like Gordon Macrae this morning as I took my loop around the backwoods of K-town. While I've been out not exercising, eating more food than I should, and generally just being a bum, the corn that was just beginning to sprout last time I looked has shot right out of the ground into big stalks. For a few moments I actually had chills as I remembered those high school summer days of moving irrigation pipe for the Zielinskis - a job I passionately hated. Although I should have felt right at home with a job my people have done for years and years, I couldn't stand being all zipped up in a hoodie in the 90-100 degree heat, lifting heavy pipe above my head and pushing through rows of corn to set it up at the next location. The only good thing that really came from my irrigation days was driving down the roads to the farm in Nick Lelacs fast back Celica, listening to Howard Jones on his cassette deck. It's a good thing I learned how to work a computer...

Anyway, it's amazing how being off a bike for the past couple weeks makes me feel out of it. I felt sloppy on my bike today even though I still kept a pace of 16 mph for the entire 15 miles. With only 39 days until The Big Livestrong Challenge 70 mile ride, with a bunch of elevation, I really need to focus on some serious training. Golf, camp, meetings and tons of other things have taken away some of the time for riding, but I'm going to have to carve out some time and get going...I don't want the medics to have to cart me off the course!

Yeah, and you read that right at the start...up 3 lbs. Seriously, the food at Triangle, a few too many Fests of All Kinds with friends and family, and I've just lost control of the Calorie Cutback. The ride today kicks off my official return to the wagon. I'm gonna get back to skinnyville one way or another.

Hasta!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, you crack me up. ... the work of your people? I think you'd offend some with that. And up 3 lbs makes you no longer skinny? Not! What you have done is amazing! Keeping it off is even more amazing! Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing great.

Anonymous said...

hey you doing the Thursday night ride with the salem bike club tonight?

paul said...

Depends....who's stalking me?

:)

Anonymous said...

sorry that was me :)

Paul said...

Ahh, I wondered if it might be. You know, I'm actually just walking out the door now to grab a few miles. Got a date with the lady who married me at the driving range tonight, so probably won't be on the loop!