Tri Time

The Weekend is upon us! I love Fridays! Friday is such a great day for so many reasons. The weekend is practically here and nobody really wants to do any work on Friday so it is an easy work day as well.

For us, the weekends are all about fitness time. Time for long swims, long bikes, long runs and EVENTS. Yes, there is a Tri this weekend. There is a first time super sprint Tri in NLR this Sunday. I am pumped! It is not often that you only have to drive 10 minutes to compete in a Triathlon.

This Tri will hold a special place in my heart. This should be the last Sprint Tri that I do above 200 lbs. My next Sprint Tri will be in August at Lake Degray. I told myself I was not going to compete the first two months of the weight management program. I don't want anything tempting me to get off track. If I travel, fast food comes in to play. If I have to train hard for an event, I will feel like I need to eat more to get ready.

I wish I could relay to you have much I love events. I race cycling Road Races, Criteriums, MTB races, and Triathlons. Last year I think I did close to 20 assorted races. For me, the exciting part is the preparation. I love getting ready for a race. In some cases, I would be happy if they cancelled the race at the starting line, as long I got the chance to prepare for the race. Ask my wife and friends about my race prep. The word "anal" may be mentioned a few times.

Funny story...Several of us did the Four States Tri in Texarakana, TX in May. Being the way I am, my wife and I were at the race site early, just as the transition area opened. We had everything taken care almost and hour and half before race time. We could now just hang out for a while and get in a good warm up. Some friends of ours, the Martin's, were at the Tri. Allison was doing her first Tri. She is a superior runner and a very good cyclist. They pulled up to the race site as we were walking by. Allison turned to her husband John, in a panic, when she saw us already warming up. She looked at her husband and voiced her panic about us being ready for the race. John calmly mentions to her not to worry about it, "Chris is anal that way".

Next week I will give a full Tri report. I will also start talking about the Half-Ironman in Kansas that is just a couple of weeks away. (My wife and Jo are probably getting more nervous as they read this post). Everyone have a good weekend!

The Last meals

I need to thank all of my friends for their encouraging comments. I was blown away by everyone's response. Keep your phones handy, I will need all of you to keep me steady.

I must also apologize to all of you. I was told that just about everyone that read my blog yesterday had a craving for burger and fries and gave in at lunch. My apologies! I will only subject you to greasy torture for a couple of more weeks.

Speaking of torture, I need your help. I need all of you to help me pick my last 3 cheat meals. Take a look at the Poll in the left column. Please pick 3. This will help me decide which pleasures my taste buds will enjoy one last time. Pay attention, this is a very important process. I have decided not to pig out the last 3 weeks before I start the program. I am going to limit myself to 3 good cheat meals.

I will only mention greasy food after each of the 3 cheat meals. After that, the torture will be over and we will move on to a better place.

Two more days until the weekend and a sprint Triathlon. Three weeks until our Half Ironman in Kansas. More on these topics tomorrow.

The Beginning

I just finished a very tasty cheeseburger, fries and DP. Every bite was delicious! The fries were hot, salty and just right. I will forever remember these moments, as they will soon be gone. 36 years of southern fried food is about to end. I have just three weeks before I begin the Baptist Hospital Weight Management program. Oddly enough, I am counting down the days with anticipation. I look forward to starting the journey to a leaner me.

I have been an avid cyclist and Triathlete for several years now. I absolutely love both sports. The people you meet is by far the best part. That was the main reason I entered this odd world where spandex was acceptable in public. I soon learned that going fast on a bike was an addictive rush. I bought all of the equipment and read all of the books. I now have five bikes and a room full of training gadgets. I can tell you about HR training, power output and Lactate threshold. As the paceline kicks up the speed, I slowly drift to the back and watch them disappear.

I am a member of one of the best cycling clubs on the planet, www.fastgirlsslowguys.com. Our jerseys are pink and our riders are fast. Everyone tells me I am fast, for a BIG guy. Isn't that like being called "cute"? Anyway, I have decided I no longer want to be the big guy. I want to be lean and fast.

As all of you know, losing weight is tough. I have never been much of a FAD diet person. I always knew you had to eat right and exercise to lose weight. I could maintain discipline for a few weeks and lose a nice amount of weight. I would soon fall off the wagon and return to my old ways. I have finally decided to get some real help. Much like anyone else with an addictive personality, the first step is realizing you can't do it yourself. I am excited.

I will include all details of this journey in this blog. I will track the the training, the diet, the weight loss and the ups and downs. For you techies out there, I will include numbers and stats. I will also throw in some regular life stuff to keep it interesting. If you know of someone who needs some motivation, or an occasional laugh, send them my way.