Cardio Burn (80%HR)
35 minutes
04 OCT (350 cal)

I did 2X15 pushups after the ride, both wide grip.

Level 9 13 pushupsx4
30 minutes
03 OCT (315 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
35 minutes
02 OCT (320 cal)

I did 2X15 pushups after the ride, both wide grip.

I continue to make excellent progress every day. As nice as it will be to get out of dodge for a while, I'm starting to regret that once again I will have to interrupt the program when it is going so well. It will be December before I can truly establish consistency. For now though, I will enjoy the moment.

Level 9 13 pushupsx4
30 minutes
01 OCT (310 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
45 minutes
30 SEP (375 cal)

I did 2X15 pushups after the ride, both wide grip.

Level 9 12 pushupsx4
30 minutes
28 SEP (299 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
35 minutes
27 SEP (304 cal)

I did 2X15 pushups after the ride, both wide grip.

Level 9 10 pushupsx4
30 minutes
26 SEP (281 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
30 minutes
25 SEP (251 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
30 minutes
24 SEP (244 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
30 minutes
23 SEP (228 cal)

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
30 minutes
03 SEP (231 cal)

I'm trying to make a new start. The problem is that I will only have about a month before I will do a three-week TDY. After that, I will go on R&R for one month. That puts me into December, where I will attempt a serious revival.

But for now, I really need to try something. My previous regimen paid real benefits that I started noticing after only a couple of weeks. By the time my inlaws arrived in May, I was back on the path. Unfortunately, I got knocked off.

My body is telling me in earnest that things have to change. I went to the doctor today because I currently am experiencing an infection from a skin disorder. He says it is stress-related. My right elbow became severely swollen on Saturday, and it is still pretty bad. The doctor prescribed me antibiotics and skin creams.

The stress is definitely there, and I know exactly what is causing it. I also know there is no way to eliminate it, so I will have to do my best to alleviate it. One way of course, is to get back into an intensive exercise routine. If I had managed to keep going last time, I probably could have avoided this current episode, or at least it wouldn't have been so severe.

I only hope I can get this under control, so I can attempt a comeback in December. If I'm able to do so, I'll have at least 6-7 months before I leave Taiwan, which should be enough time to get back in some semblance of health. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

For now at least, I'm proceeding under the assumption that anything is better than nothing, so I will do cardio all this week as a warmup. If my elbow heals to the point that I am able to do pushups, I will attempt to start my old program next week, maybe from the Week Three point.

Cardio Burn (80%HR)
30 minutes
02 SEP (200 cal)

WEEK 13
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
30 minutes
20 JUN (261 cal)

Clearly I've suffered a setback. It's all entirely my fault. I've been very busy at work the past few weeks and I let things pile up. Hopefully, I've got a handle on it now, but I've got to decide how much I've regressed (a good deal from the looks of it), and I need to figure out where to go from here.

WEEK 9
Level 10 18pushupsx4
30 minutes
24 MAY (364 cal)

Hot, humid, no breeze. Shoelace came undone during the cool-down which made me hesitant. Satisfactory result, can use a day or two off.

WEEK 9
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
45 minutes
23 MAY (440 cal)

Not hard at all, though I dipped under 100rpm momentarily at two points. I think I need to get a new seat. The one on the bike now is too thick and it's rubbing my inner thighs. I prefer a narrower seat, but I don't know if the shop where I purchased the bike will have any in stock.

WEEK 9
Level 10 18pushupsx4
30 minutes
22 MAY (365 cal)

I am the greatest! Totally smashed through 360. Got there with 30 seconds left in the ride and was still able to tack on another five. No cramp at all today, but still felt winded through most of the ride. The odd thing is, I was going to take back what I wrote yesterday, because for most of today I felt I may be slightly overtrained. However, from about 1430 I had recuperated fully.

Still, I am considering alternating between the Hill and Cardio program each day instead of my current two Hills followed by one Cardio, because I burn more calories in the Cardio and I think it will help increase my endurance. I'll do the Cardio tomorrow and see how I feel. I hung a bit on the final two pushups in the fourth set, but no biggie, got through them.

WEEK 9
Level 10 18pushupsx4
30 minutes
21 MAY (360 cal)

Cracked 360 but it wasn't easy. Very high heart rate (180 at times) and even got light-headed. Still a strong ride. Made it with about five seconds to spare. It may have been my newly shaved head that got me those extra two calories.

I may be pushing myself too hard. I read where you're supposed to have a relaxed feeling of well-being after exercise. Not me, I feel exhausted for at least an hour afterwards. But I prefer doing things this way. I've been sleeping really well, and I'm completely recovered the next day, so I don't think I'm overdoing it.

Reflections After Two Months

I started my ninth week today, and I'm quite pleased with my progress up to now. This weekend, for the first time, I could actually see clear, convincing improvement in my physique. My wife had been telling me from after the first month that she could tell the difference, but I thought she was just trying to keep me motivated.

Of course I can gauge my progress from the training log, but it's another feeling of accomplishment altogether when the mirror gives you feedback. I haven't lost much weight-only 3-5 pounds tops, but my waist is definitely smaller, and my pants fit more loosely than before. My shirts feel slightly tighter in the shoulders and arms-certainly due to the pushups. I think that's why I haven't lost much weight-I've gained some muscle in the upper body, and also my legs. I still have a long way to go, but after another year I hope to reach my target goal of 180 pounds. And actually, weight loss isn't even my primary goal.

The program has paid dividends in other areas of my life as well. I think I have more energy and productivity at work-about 30% in fact. I also believe my general mood and well-being have changed for the better. Not quite where I want to be, but well on the way. The first few weeks were tough, just because it was difficult to see any difference. But I fought through the doldrums and the gains are coming. Now to enjoy the euphoria until the inevitable plateaus...

WEEK 9
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
45 minutes
20 MAY (422 cal)

Upped the time by five minutes and easily broke the 400 calorie barrier. I'm hoping to increase the hill program by five minutes after another couple of weeks; I just don't know if I can take three hill series at over 100rpms each. Maybe the week I'm doing 4x20 pushups will be a good time to make the move.

WEEK 8
Level 10 17pushupsx4
30 minutes
17 MAY (358 cal)

I honestly thought I'd break 360 today; I felt strong through all stages of the ride, even during the peak hills. I was surprised I had this much energy, because my legs were slightly sore when I woke up this morning. The 8.5 hours of sleep last night must have helped, and I think the cardio program at a higher heart rate range played a role. Maybe I should alternate hill and cardio?

WEEK 8
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
40 minutes
16 MAY (376 cal)

The way this ride works is that the bike computes 80% of your heart rate based on age. Tension adjusts automatically to keep you at the correct heart rate. Until today, I was honest about my age, and the heart rate was 143. Today I stepped it up slightly and knocked ten years off my age to 31. That increased the heart rate zone to 151. I like staying over 150 and so will keep it at this setting for a while. I may even knock a few more years off yet.

This ride is not nearly as taxing as the hill program, but I increase the time by ten minutes and it makes for a nice break. I may do this program after every two hill sessions, or maybe after every three hill sessions.

WEEK 8
Level 10 17pushupsx4
30 minutes
15 MAY (356 cal)

Best effort yet, but it took a toll. For the final 15 minutes (including the five minute cool-down, my heart rate was in the 170s or higher. It is one of the most humid days of the year thus far, and though I kept the screen open, there was no breeze. Cramp not an issue today, just the heat. Maybe later in the summer I'll have to use AC, but I like the sauna effect.

WEEK 8
Level 10 17pushupsx4
30 minutes
14 MAY (353 cal)

I took one of my longest layoffs since I started this program: three days. I did ride five days last week, and I was feeling run down after Thursday. But I had planned to do a Level 10 ride Saturday follwed by the cardio program on Sunday. What I did not anticipate was two consecutive nights at The Taiwan Beer Factory, Friday and Saturday. Probably not a great idea.

The ride today wasn't that bad. I did get my cramp, but only during the first peak hill, and it subsided by the second set of hills. I reached my caloric goal, and was just one off my personal best. I hope to break through 360 sometime this week, but this is a difficult level for me. And I think three days off is too long. In the future I'll try not to miss more than two consecutive days.

Pushups were quite easy.

Admin Note: I'll keep cumulative results in quarterly groupings from the first post of that month, so the log for the first three months is here.

WEEK 7
Level 10 16pushupsx4
30 minutes
10 MAY (352 cal)

Not easy at all today. The cramp hit after during the first of the two hill series. It always occurs in the same place: right side, below bottom rib. Still, I managed to break the 350 calorie mark, which is my goal, since that means I've burned 10 calories per minute.

Pushups again were easy, until strangely the last 2-3 reps of the final set where I ran out of gas. Still managed to squeeze them out though. I may need a day off, and perhaps tomorrow will be that day...

WEEK 7
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
40 minutes
09 MAY (353 cal)

nice relaxed ride today. Mark came over last night and I had three pints of Murphy's and half a Kirin tall boy. Going out tonight with the missus so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

WEEK 7
Level 10 16pushupsx4
30 minutes
08 MAY (354 cal)

Clearly a better ride tonight, though the peak hills were tough on both rounds. Stayed over 100 rpms the whole time, and the side cramp much less noticeable and only after all the hills. Just over 10 calories per minute (including 5 minute cool-down). Glad to break the 350 barrier.

Pushups very easy, but I'm sticking to my plan and will not increase ahead of schedule. I've lost little, if any, weight, but I'm firming up somewhat. I think the weight will start coming off once I'm burning over 450 calories per ride. That should be in about another two months or so, at the current pace.

WEEK 7
Level 10 16pushupsx4
30 minutes
07 MAY (346 cal)

I may be here a while. It was pretty rough going, and I got a small side cramp on the final peak hill. On a positive note, I did manage to stay above 100 rpms the entire ride EXCEPT on the first peak hill-right when it switched over I dipped to 99 for just a moment, but that was the only time. Tomorrow's another day.

WEEK 7
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
40 minutes
06 MAY (341 cal)

Easy ride today. I don't think I exerted myself all that much, but I still sweated like a pig. I'm looking forward to bumping up a level tomorrow.

WEEK 6
Cardio Burn (80%HR)
40 minutes
04 MAY (344 cal)

Off to the Taiwan Beer Factory!

WEEK 6
Level 9 15 pushupsx4
30 minutes
03 MAY (332 cal)

blasted through it today. Felt very strong. Was it the beer? Maybe I need to go out more often. It just as likely was the 9 1/2 hours of sleep I got last night. Will increase to level 10 for sure now next Monday.

WEEK 6
Fat Burn (65% HR) no pushups
55 minutes
02 MAY (325 cal)

Ended up going out last night and drank 5 large Kirin beers, so felt dehydrated all day. Didn't want to push myself too hard so took an easier ride today.

WEEK 6
Level 9 15 pushupsX4
30 minutes
01 MAY (328 cal)

Just barely set personal best today, which is surprising because I had much more energy yesterday (it felt to me) and I only managed 322 cal. For some time now I've managed to keep rpms above 100, which is my goal at least until I get to levels 11 or 12, where the 90s will probably be more realistic.

I notice it is a lot easier to get up stairs now, but my knees still sound like they have 100 crickets embedded in them. Well, now if Mark and Wayne contact me to go out later there will be less guilt!

Six Weeks Into the Game

This blog will be a record of my attempt to rediscover the joy of exercise and hopefully improve my mental and physical well-being. I used to be an exercise freak, but somewhere along the way, I lost all motivation. That was more than five years ago now.

I could/can see and feel the effects of the layoff, but I couldn't find the energy to try and turn it around. The more time went on, the worse I felt. The worse I felt, the less I wanted to exercise. It was a vicious cycle. I'm still at the point where I have no desire to join a gym or lift weights again, but I did purchase a Lifecycle C9i last November:



Finally, over four months later on 25 MAR 2007, I started using it. I began my sixth week today, and I've noticed some difference. My wife says there is a clear improvement.

I also started doing sets of pushups the day I began the Lifecycle. My eventual goal is to do 2X25 before cycling and 2X25 after, 100 total. One set is close grip (no more than shoulder width, and the other set is wide grip. I started with 10 reps per set and now am up to 15 (I'm adding one rep per set per week). I'm not rushing the pushups, and will stick to adding four total reps per week, even if I could do more.

The bike goes from Level 1-20. I will mostly do the Hill Program, but I may try other things from time to time. Times shown do not include the five minute cool-down period; calories burned do include the cool-down.

Here is my exercise history to this point:

WEEK 1
Level 7 10 pushups
20 Minutes
25 MAR (158 cal)
25 Minutes
27 MAR (200 cal)
28 MAR (210 cal)
29 MAR (214 cal)
30 MAR Level 12x15 minutes (146 cal-no cool-down)

WEEK 2
Level 8 11 pushups
25 Minutes
02 APR (225 cal)
03 APR (234 cal)
04 APR (237 cal)
05 APR (244 cal)
07 APR (253 cal)

WEEK 3
Level 9 12 pushups
25 minutes
09 APR (260 cal)
10 APR (260 cal)
12 APR (262 cal)
14 APR (266 cal)

WEEK 4
Level 9 13 pushups
30 minutes
16 APR (313 cal)
19 APR (316 cal)
20 APR (319 cal)

WEEK 5
Level 9 14 pushups
30 minutes
22 APR (324 cal)
23 APR (323 cal)
25 APR (327 cal)

WEEK 6
Level 9 15 pushups
30 minutes
30 APR (322 cal)
01 MAY (328 cal)
02 MAY (325 cal); Fat Burn (65% HR)--55 minutes
03 MAY (332 cal)
04 MAY (344 cal); Cardio Burn (80%HR)--40 minutes

WEEK 7
Level 10 16 pushups
30 minutes
06 MAY (341 cal); Cardio Burn (80%HR)--40 minutes
07 MAY (346 cal)
08 MAY (354 cal)
09 MAY (353 cal); Cardio Burn (80%HR)--40 minutes
10 MAY (352 cal)

WEEK 8
Level 10 17 pushups
30 minutes
14 MAY (353)
15 MAY (356)
16 MAY (376); Cardio Burn (80%HR)--40 minutes
17 MAY (358)