Bicycling Magazine

A few months back I saw a tweet from Bicycling Magazine asking for readers/riders who have lost substantial weight from cycling.  I responded to the tweet and then received an email from them asking my story.  Another few weeks passed and I received another email asking me to sign a release and send in a head shot because some of my quotes may be used in a future issue.

That issue finally arrived this week and I flipped to the article and found that they used three of my quotes for the issue.  I finally have my 15 minutes of fame.  HAHA!  The article is really impressive, the 5 or 6 featured cyclists lost a profound amount of weight.  It really is motivating to see so many others having so much success.  I applaud everyone who was in the issue, great work!!!

Here are the few features where I sprung up in the magazine.

In case you were wondering, that's not me that is Patrick Dempsey, he made a much better cover model than I would have.

This is the first page of the article

"Create a system that helps you face facts about your progress.  Keep a journal to document sucess and failure. Be honest with yourself if you want the best results."

 "Try different types of riding.  Mountain biking is a better full body workout.  Road cycling is more about endurance, pace, and mental toughness, and nothing can replace the thrill of speed."

I am really excited about this magazine this really made my week!  Hopefully if you are reading and thinking about losing weight you can go pick up this issue and get some motivation of your own.

Get out there and get healthy and fit, it's the best gift you could ever give yourself.

Velocitoddler

I am sure many people my age have seen the movie Jurassic Park.  While I can usually pull funny movie quotes from thin air, movies like Jurassic Park usually are not immediately quotable.  Christine and I set up the Christmas decorations the other day and we wanted to try to prevent Noah the Destroyer from pulling all the ornaments off the tree...or worse pulling the tree down on himself.

To prevent that we set up our tree and then put up a portable play-yard around the outside of the tree.  While not the most beautiful setup, it has been moderately effective at keeping the tree upright and the ornaments in one piece.

This brings me back to my Jurassic Park reference.  In the movie when they first learn about them breeding Velociraptors the conversation turns to the reptiles intelligence and their ability to problem solve.

Dr. Alan Grant: [about the velociraptors] What kind of metabolism do they have? What's their growth rate?
Muldoon:  They're lethal at eight months, and I do mean lethal.  I've hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move
Dr. Alan Grant: Fast for a biped?
Muldoon: Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles an hour if they ever got out in the open, and they're astonishing jumpers...
John Hammond: yes, yes, yes. That's why we're taking extreme precautions.
Dr. Alan Grant: Do they show intelligence? With their brain cavity...
Muldoon they show extreme intelligence, even problem solving intelligence.  Especially the big one.  We bred eight originally, but when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others.  That one...when she looks at you, you can see she's working things out.  That's why we have to feed them like this.  She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came.
Dr. Ellie Sattler: But the fences they are electrified though, right?
Muldoon: That's right, but they never attack the same place twice.  They were testing the fences for weaknesses, systematically.  They remember.

Watching Noah "attack" the gate daily trying to find the weak spots makes me think my son is part velociraptor.  He systematically pushes, presses, and pulls at different spots of the gate each day trying to get to the ornaments.  He has found weak points in the setup and regularly exploits them to sneak behind the tree  or get in close enough to the hallmark ornaments that he can activate with a push button.

I really can't help but laugh when he does it because it's probably our fault that he wants to get to the tree.  He obviously probably realizes that he can't have what is behind the gate so therefore he will do everything he can to get behind the gate.

We are really getting excited to share our first real Christmas with Noah, sure last year was the first but this year will be the first year he will probably get excited about some of the presents.

Christmas at the Zoo:

Just keep on (g)rowing

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Moving is breathing and breathing is life, 

Stopping is dying, you'll be alright

Life is a hammer, waiting to drop.

Adrift in the shallows and the rowing won't stop.

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Can't see the sky, nothing on the horizon

Can't feel my hands and the water keeps rising.

Can't fall asleep cause I'll wake up dead.

I just keep pulling, I just keep rolling.

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Rowing is living and living is hard

But living beats losing all that we are.

And all that we know of and all that we feel

and all we remember imagined or real

All we remember imagined or real.

I heard and echo but the answer had changed

from the word I remember I started out saying.

Living is cheating if you're not pulling oars

But the current is leaving, I'll get mine, you'll get yours.

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Rowing is bleeding and bleeding is breathing

Breathing is feeling burning and freezing

Keep getting dirty but I started out clean

I keep on rowing, I keep on rowing (x4)

Don't know where I'm going, I just keep on rowing.

I just keep on pulling, gotta row.

Don't know where I'm going, i just keep on rowing. 

I just keep on pulling gotta row.

Soundgarden "Rowing"  

I recently picked up the new Soundgarden Album "King Animal,"  I really enjoy the music but one song keeps resonating over and over in my head and that is Rowing.  Basically for the last month or two I feel like you could replace the word rowing with growing and you would have the story of my last eight weeks.

Having a toddler can really create some bad eating habits.  Noah gets a diet rich is yummy fats, because they are essential for his brain development and growth.  Things like whole milk, whole milk cheeses, butter, as well as healthier options like fruits and veggies.  He eats 3 squares a day as well as snacks which could be anything from cheez-its (a boy by my own heart), cheerios, kix, or yogurt.  While this doesn't sound terrible for me it does if you add that Noah loves to share his food.  He offers up handfuls of cheese and macaroni to me...how is a dad to say no?  Well, I don't usually and because of that I have been slowly creeping back up the fat dad path.  I by no means have fallen off the wagon, and thanksgiving didn't help much either.  I have put on about 5 or 6 pounds in the past 8 weeks.  My clothes don't fit worse, I don't feel less fit but I am heading in the wrong direction for meeting my goal weight.

Until Christmas I am back on the calorie counting and more intense workouts.  Ramping up running and cycling distances (albeit many miles will be on the treadmill or kurt kinetic trainer) should help improve those numbers.


Aside from working out and not losing weight I have been doing a vast amount of playing.  Something that is much more rewarding than anything a workout can provide.  So in the coming weeks, I will playing as much as I can with this guy:

Avoiding this as much as possible...empty calories really aren't what I need right now even if they are scotchy and delicious.

 And throwing in more of this:

Adding in a dash of this:

And by Christmas hopefully at my lowest weight yet.

#justgorun #fitdad

Thankful.

It's been a while since my last post, life in the fitdad kingdom has been rather busy.  Changes at work, holiday planning, birthday parties, swim lessons, workouts, it all adds up so quick and my writing gets pushed aside because it is not a priority during the busy times.

I like every other blogger it seems feel compelled to write the obligatory and sometimes cliche thanksgiving post.

I am thankful every day for a wife the accepts me for who I am, loves me even when I am ornery, and forgives me when I fail.

I am thankful for a healthy, happy, and vibrant son.  Someone who brings life to me everyday with every smile and every laugh.  My life has never meant as much as it means now, because this little person depends so heavily on us to help him grow.

I am thankful for my parents and my in laws, who are both wonderful human beings as well as beautiful influences on Noah's life.  They have done more for us in the first year of his life than we could have ever asked for.

I am thankful for my siblings, all of whom are exceptional people, forgiving, and understanding.  I wish for more time to spend with them every day, but understand when our schedules just don't connect.

I am thankful for my friends who keep me grounded, keep me sane, and make me laugh.

I am thankful to live in the greatest country on earth.  I am thankful for my freedom and for the chance to live the life I choose to.  The worst struggles of my life would be heaven on earth for others, for that I am thankful and blessed.

I am thankful for turkey, for stuffing, for mashed potatoes, for corn and green bean casserole,  for bread and butter, gravy and pumpkin pie.

I am thankful for running and biking because without them I couldn't eat without some form of guilt.

I am thankful for those who can't be with us today because they are fighting for our freedom overseas, or protecting us from those that would do us harm.  I am thankful for the military, the police, firefighters, and emergency responders.

I am thankful for failure in my life because it makes me stronger, better, and keeps me humble.

I am thankful for an education, for the blessings it has bestowed on our family because of my career.

I am thankful for Noah's laughter because if you don't enjoy a childs laugh, you probably haven't heard one.

I am thankful for books that help me understand what I don't know about parenting.

I am thankful for the handful of people that read this blog, because you give me a reason to keep writing.

I am thankful for my health, my weightloss, and my will power that has kept me sane on the days I most wanted to just go back to my old ways.

I am grateful every day for the positive and the negative that comes with each passing sunset.  I try to live everyday like I should, do the right thing, and be a positive influence on those around me.   When I am not, I am sorry and beg for the forgiveness of those around me.

I hope all of you enjoy the time with your family and friends today.  I hope the day is full of laughter, full bellies, and the joys that you all deserve to have.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Trax Farm

We spent a day last week at Trax Farm in their pumpkin patch.  Due to it being a weekday it wasn't very crowded (great for pictures) but they were not offering any hay rides, or other fun fall festival activities.  Honestly that is ok by me because Noah is still a little too young to really appreciate those.  He is also nearly impossible to photograph in a pumpkin patch because he is more concerned with the pumpkins, rocks, tractors, and things all around him.  You will see below in the pictures.

Family is everything.

I have a really close relationship with my family and my friends, I consider myself incredibly lucky and blessed.  I read this online today and had to share it, it's not my words and I take no credit for it except to copy and paste it share it with you.

Enjoy, Have a safe weekend.

"A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles roll

ed into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend"

That sinking feeling.

Up until Sunday I feel like we have always been one step ahead of Noah, whether it was making sure we baby proofed the house early, catching him before he falls, or helping him avoid serious injury.  On Sunday I got to feel my first oh sh*t!! moment as a parent.  That sinking feeling, that pit in the stomach ache for your child that makes you feel like the worst parent in the world.

It started off like a normal day, Noah was up early we played, had breakfast and were otherwise having a great morning.  Christine and I were getting ready for church she was back in the bedroom and I had Noah with me in the kitchen as I prepared a snack bowl with kix and cookies for our time in church.  Normally we close all the doors in the house and just let him roam between the kitchen and our bedroom because he just likes to wander up and down the hallways and can't open the doors.

I heard him leave the magnets on the fridge and disappear behind me figuring he was walking down the hallway to our bedroom to find mommy.  Moments past and I heard a crashing sound like boxes falling.  I immediately dashed around the corner in the kitchen thinking he had gotten into the sliding doors on the hallway closet.

I saw the basement door was wide open...and my stomach sank.  That sickening feeling overcame me...and I dashed to the top of the steps.

I saw my beautiful little boy red faced on his belly trying to get up to a crawling position and moving back towards the stairs I yelled for Christine and rushed to him.  I saw he was moving (which was a plus), I scooped him up and began searching for signs of serious injury.  He was crying hard and really shaken up.  Mom came to us and he went to her and she spent a few minutes calming him down and assessing the damage.  Fat lip, couple good welts on his forehead, and a scrape/bruise on his back.

We decided since he fell such a far distance that we should get him assessed by a physician just to make sure that everything was ok and there was no risk of brain swelling or concussion because he did hit his head.  We packed him up in the car (already back to his cheery self) and headed out to Children's Hospital ER.  The staff there was wonderful and very compassionate.  I definitely felt like less of a sucky dad after talking to the Doctors and Nurses there.

After about 2 hours of observation and checking his ears and eyes and reactions.  Making sure he was walking normally and not favoring anything.  No signs of nausea/vomiting or unusual changes in his demeanor we were given the green light to go home.  (Although they did find signs of his ear infection coming back so we get to go through another round of antibiotics).

We drove home and Noah dozed in the car, stopped at work and picked up the antibiotics and headed home.  Noah woke up shortly before we got in the house and we went upstairs gave him a bath and played. It was like nothing happened to him he was just the same happy, delightful little boy.  I was still having some internal conflict, beating myself up and really kind of feeling down.  Like I should have done more, like I should have been there to protect him from himself.  Eventually those feelingS subsided but even throughout the night last night I still couldn't stop thinking about it.  I woke up around 3am and wandered down the hall to his room, fixed his blanket and tucked him back in.  I probably stood there and listened to the quiet rhythm of his breathing for about 10 minutes before I smiled and went back to bed.  That's when it set in that this was past him, it should be past me too.  The only thing I can do now is learn from this, learn that you NEVER EVER EVER underestimate a 14 month old.  Never assume that because he couldn't do something yesterday he can't do it today.  Noah proved me VERY wrong yesterday, and just to test that theory I took him back to the basement door.  He immediately reached up and turned the knob, although how he managed to get the door open so quietly remains to be seen...he must be a ninja.

My mom said something very poignant and touching this morning.  "Glad he is ok.  Be sure to forgive yourself. It was an accident.  Show yourself the same kindness you would extend to someone else who had the same situation occur."  Truer words have never been spoken mom, thanks for the advice it means a lot.  We are blessed that aside from some bruising and bumps our little boy is fine, this could have been much worse and we are very lucky.

While I must say that the new Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh is beautiful and a world class facility...I don't want to see it again...ever.

Thanks for reading.

Lake House and Playground

Noah and I did a little weekend guys get a way to my parents house on the lake last weekend.  Noah spent plenty of time chasing their dogs and Dem and Papa around.  He had a world of new things to explore at their home.  We spent some time on the lake on my aunt and uncle's boat and Noah waved at the water and loved the boat cruising along on the lake.  It was a nice quick weekend away from home spending quality time with my parents.

We also have discovered that Noah loves to climb on the playground in the park and loves to go for rides on the swings!  There is an amazing playground near our home that looks like a castle with secret passages, tunnels, slides and swings of all kinds.  Noah is fascinated with ever acorn, leaf, rock, bug, and kid that he discovers climbing around on the playground.  It's also a wonderful experience for us because he gets so tired that he usually crashes for an extra long nap when we get home.

Usually mom and dad could use a nap as well after chasing him around for an hour or two!

I'm a slacker.

I'm a slacker... well not in the physical sense.  Workout wise I have been having some great ones, but not showing any weight loss to go along with it (frown).  I need to lose 10 more pounds, 10 more stingy, not going anywhere anytime soon pounds.  But my blogging has been put on the back burner due to an increasingly busy work schedule and just as busy schedule at home.

I have been religiously biking (mostly on an indoor trainer), running both indoors and out, eating...ok not that well.  I need to add some sort of resistance training aside from push ups and sit ups to my regimen though.  I am considering a TRX suspension trainer so that I can work out from home.

Here is a highlight from one of my most recent runs along with some scenery.  Probably one of THE BEST runs I have had in a long time it felt amazing and the watch agreed with that statement.

On the homefront we have been increasingly busy with Noah.  He has taken quite well to this whole "walking" thing.  It is now his primary mode of transportation, he still remains ever cautious, plopping to his diaper padded bum when he feels unsteady.  His personality in the last few months has just grown ever more silly and enjoyable.  He has become quite the ham, he imitates funny faces, makes funny sounds, and generally finds himself, mom, and dad to be hilarious.

He is an absolute joy, and also a holy terror as he seems to be able to find his way into every bit of trouble he can when he is motoring around the living room.

Here are some rather adorable pictures I took the other day while we were trying out a Halloween costume with him.  Enjoy, more blogging to come soon.