Mini-Soda Day 2

Sunday! I get to sleep in!

I have no idea what time I woke up - somewhere on the high side of 10 a.m. I levered my rapidly aging butt out of bed and slouched through the basement living room, noticing signs of a rug-rat infestation. The signs are clear and easily recognizable to me since my house has a similar infestation:

• G-rated movie playing on the DVD player (with no one watching)
  
• half-finished glass of chocolate milk on the coffee table
  
• drawings, papers, colored pencils and action figures spread out in a random fashion over every flat surface of the room.

BlueeyedBikinBabe (B^3) likes to make breakfast for her family on the weekends and since I was an honorary member of the family, I was included. Lately they had been on a French Toast kick and since French Toast is in my top 5 favorite foods, I wholeheartedly approved. Mr. B^3 was sleeping off a World of WarCrack binge so it was just me, B^3 and the rug-rat for breakfast.

The Big Day

Today was the day. B^3 had been telling me about her LBS for 2 years and she had been talking about me non-stop to them. Today she was going to take me there.

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but there were no trumpets when B^3 walked through the door...no spotlight...not even any nymphs spreading rose pedals at our feet. It was a bike shop. As soon as B^3 started introducing me, heads started popping up over bike frames, around doorways, etc. It was obvious people were curious and I felt a bit like a trained animal on display. Then again, looking back on my married life, I guess I am a trained animal (all married men are). Soon it was time to leave so we could go on...

The Ride

The ride was out on the Douglas Trail to a place called Pine Island (which is nowhere near water?) and back.
The Trail is a beautiful tree lined Rails-to-Trails path that is very popular for runners, bikers, rollerbladers, etc. and it was a beautiful pre-Autumn day for a ride.

As you can see, some of the leaves were just starting to turn in the hills:
and the landscape was dotted with farmhouses, silos and barns:
Finally, after about 30 miles of beautiful scenery, I was greeted with this view of Rochester on the way back:
Returning home, Mr. B^3 had thoughtfully prepared a wonderful dinner of marinated chicken, seasoned wild rice, and (brown sugar?) carrots.

It was a great day.

Mini-Soda Day 1

4:30 a.m. and the alarm is ringing. I literally levitate out of bed I am so excited to begin my journey to the land of eagle-sized mosquitoes.

I had my morning all planned out - it was like clockwork:

• 4:30 a.m. - Wake up, have breakfast, load car
• 5:15 a.m. - Be on the road with Mrs. Zen and Zen Jr.
  
• 6:00 a.m. - Arrive at airport.
• 6:15 a.m. - Plane departs....

Astute readers will notice the mis-calculation above :). I really don't know what happened except that I was so excited I forgot to allow the 1 hour pre-flight arrival.

I calmly ate a PB&J wrap and drank a cup of coffee. I unhurriedly put my bag and bike in the car. We all piled in and started discussing the fact that we were doing well on time, maybe the family could go in with me and see me off instead of just dropping me at the curb....and then....

The bottom dropped out of my stomach. I looked at Mrs. Z and said, "What time does my flight leave?" She checked her PDA and said, "6:15." At that point I knew I had missed my flight :(.

I sped up to between 95 and 100 miles an hour on the interstate, trying to get to the airport on time. Rushed in to the check-in desk and was promptly told that while I could definitely make the flight, my bike wouldn't. I elected to catch the next flight so that I would arrive with my bike (or so I thought).

I slowly walked to the A terminal (shorter security lines plus I wanted to burn off some nervous energy) and went through the line where I proceeded to forget to zip up my carry-on and dumped the contents all over the floor. Oh, man this was shaping up to be a day alright.

Finally I get to my terminal and have a seat to wait out the extra 3 hours until the next flight. Finally as I am still fighting the anger and disappointment in myself, I call the BlueEyedBikinBabe (B^3) and told her what happened. She suggested to pick me up in the cities and I checked with a counter agent to make sure it would be OK. I was assured it would be so long as I told the gate attendant at the other end I would be skipping the next leg, so as my plane was loading I made arrangements to get picked up instead of flying that last little commuter leg.

Boring 2 hour flight later I land in MSP and called B^3 on the cell. She directed me to just go out at the baggage pickup doors and there she was! OK, my day was looking up, finally. We navigated out of the cities and drove back, chatting and laughing and listening to music. It was good to see my friend again!

We get to Rochester and head to the airport to get my bike only to find it didn't make it. The commuter plane's cargo doors were too small! They tell me it will be in by 11 p.m. OK. Fine. Here's my number, call me when it comes in.

Heading over to the house, I can tell B^3 is stressed. Stressed barely even begins to cover it! Mr. B^3 agrees to lend me his bike, and I had the foresight to pack pedals, shoes, helmet and 1 set of cycling clothes in my carry-on, so I go to work getting his bike ready and changing clothes.

Finally ready to go, we get a call from the airport - My bike is here! OK, cool. Since the loaner is ready to go, we agree to get the bike and just shove the box in the mini-van but I'll ride the loaner.

We park in a church and start off and I immediately know I'm in trouble this week. B^3 sets a blistering pace and I could never get close enough to her to remind her I haven't eaten much and I'm tired from traveling. 25 miles later I'm starting to feel a little weak and mention it at a stop sign, but I know we're close to the end so I decline the offer of a Clif Bar and say let's go! We hammer down the final hill at breakneck speed and make it back to the van in one piece :).

The rest of the evening passed blissfully uneventfully. A quick shower, dinner at a great BBQ place then putting the bike together with B^3's son. Eventually we settled in the basement where I was subjected to a chick flick on DVD (they were inflicted on me nightly - Mr. B^3 expressed his deep and heartfelt gratitude that it was someone else getting it for once).

I went to sleep with a smile, knowing I had a full week of hanging out and riding with my best friend :).

Mini-Soda Overview

As I look back my trip, I see that my days fell into a general pattern:

• Sleep late,
• poke around a bit having coffee,
  
• eat breakfast,
  
• run errands (if we had them),
• prep for ride then ride 30 to 40 miles,
  
• take care of bikes, shower, eat dinner,
  
• watch movies until way too late ;).

Overall, I am extremely touched by the hospitality extended to me at Triple B's by both her and Mr. Triple B. I was treated just like a member of the family. I can honestly say I have never been so comfortable visiting someone as I was at their house.

Lil' Sis's house is a 50's ranch-style house with a finished basement. The basement has a living room with TV and DVD player,

bedroom and half-bath. The stairs opened onto the kitchen so I never had to bother anyone. It was like having my own little apartment.

Now that I've had time to fully integrate the experience, I'll start posting highlights from the various days.

I'm off!

OK, alright. I guess everyone knows I'm not normal, no news there. No, what I'm talking about is I'm flying out tomorrow morning at the sinful hour of 6:15 for a week to visit my Lil' Sis, the BlueEyedBikinBabe, Tiff in sunny, tropical Rochester, Minnesota.
Tiff assures me there is plenty of good riding, if one can avoid the local wildlife.I am a little concerned about the weather. I've heard that at this time of year the leaves are starting to turn and there is a chance there could be just a bit of wind.
I'm sure we'll have a good time - we always do when we get together. I'll try to post updates here as I think about it. Maybe I'll even use some real Minnesota pictures ;).

Ouch

The weekend rides are over for me and my calorie estimates were pretty far off. I figure part of that is this new Polar HRM seems to give higher numbers than the old one and part is that the Peak to Peak century was harder than I thought it would be.

Here is the math:

Peak to Peak: 8399 cals in 104.71 miles = 80.21 cals/mile.

Mt. Evans: 2836 cals in 29.30 miles = 96.79 cals/mile.

Now, for comparison, my (flat, boring, easy) Greeley century comes out at 33.36 cals/mile (using the old HRM - this one would be slightly higher).

Yeah, it was a hard weekend. I think I need a nap.

The Feeding

Low-carbing. Ketogenic diets. Cyclical Ketogenic Diets (CKD). Targeted Ketogenic Diets (TKD).

I have a lot of riding to do this weekend, all of it very strenuous, and I figure I'd better put some glycogen reserves in my system today or I'm gonna be screwed tomorrow. That means today is going to be a "free day" for eating. Anything I want in any quantity I want. Here is the rationale:

Saturday's ride is going to be 103 miles with about 8,000 vertical feet gain.

Figure an easy 5,000 calories. That first 30 miles is gonna hurt.

Add to that Sunday's ride which climbs Mt. Evans to over 14, 000 ft. ASL. I'm figuring another 3,000 calories for this one, probably more.

That's 8,000 calories in activity alone - not to mention Basal Metabolic Rate (about 2,500 calories per day).

Logic tells me I could eat lard by the spoonful today and it would all be burned off this weekend.

So why do I feel so guilty about going off-plan? I guess I need a new definition of the plan.

That's where we come to those terms at the start. Everyone reading this is probably at least passingly familiar with Low-Carb nutrition. I won't take the time here to correct any misconceptions people may have - let's instead talk about something more interesting.


Ketogenic Diet: A diet (e.g. a low carbohydrate diet) resulting in the production of high levels of ketone bodies. Ketones are energy-containing organic chemicals formed as a result of the incomplete breakdown of fat. This condition is known as "ketosis" and is the goal of low-carb diets.

Lyle McDonald gives the most user-friendly but still scientific treatment of ketogenic, ketosis, CKD and TKD in Cyclical Ketogenic Diets Part 1.

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: The "cycling" on and off of a ketogenic way of eating. Typically Monday through Friday are ketogenic days while Saturday and Sunday are off days. The basic idea is to build up glycogen stores on the weekend and use it up during the week. This is a very popular diet with bodybuilders trying to save muscle mass while cutting weight/fat.

Targeted Ketogenic Diet: A TKD is the same as a regular ketogenic diet, but you take in 25-50 grams of carbs about 30-60 minutes before weightlifting workouts to supply energy for the muscles (Note: These carbs will be burned during the workout, and should not be counted towards the 30g/day limit). For some people this can help maintain strength while on the ketodiet.


In the past I was mainly following the TKD. However I realized that I simply can't take in enough carbs prior to long-distance cycling to fulfill my requirements. Thus I am switching more towards the CKD. Friday (or day before) carb-up then total depletion on the rides.

I understand the science. So why do I feel so guilty doing it?

Magic Bullets

OK, I'll admit it. I'm a tweaker and I look for shortcuts. So when it comes to weight-loss I'm always looking for the quick and dirty solution. Instant gratification is waaaay to slow.

Along those lines I take a variety of supplements to help the process along. I thought someone might be interested in my current experimentation (format is dose x times taken per day).

• DHEA (200mg x 2) - It is the most plentiful androgenic hormone produced by the adrenal glands and it is quite important to body builders and athletes because in men, around 50% of all testosterone is derived from it, while women derive over 75% of their estrogen from it and nearly 100% after menopause. (Bodybuilding.com)
• Coconut oil (1 tsp x 3) - Coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride, meaning it is very easy for our bodies to break down and absorb. Essentially, it is a fat this metabolized like a carbohydrate. Along with that, there is some research to suggest coconut oil stimulates the thymus and increases metabolism.
  

• DIM (Diindolyl methane) (400mg x 2) - Diindolyl methane is a dietary indole found in cruciferous vegetables.The health benefits of "enhanced absorption" diindolylmethane are four-fold:
• promotes healthy testosterone levels.
• promotes healthy estrogen metabolism.
• promotes fat loss.
• supports healty breast, cervical, uterine and prostate tissues.(Bodybuilding.com)
• Fish Oil (2400mg x 1) - Fish oils are derived from the fat of deep-sea, cold water fish and are a natural source of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Omega-3 is an important nutrient for maintaining a healthy brain and nervous system. Fish Oils themselves are said to contribute to healthy heart function and joint flexibility as well as supporting brain, nerve, and visual function. (Bodybuilding.com)
• ECA - The ECA stack is a drug combination used as a stimulant and in weight loss. ECA is an acronym for ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin. The effects of the ECA stack in weight loss are primarily due to the ephedrine component. Ephedrine acts both as a beta agonist and stimulates the release of norepinephrine. Increased circulating norepinephrine in the body then acts on white adipose tissue by increasing cAMP levels. This causes a thermogenic effect, raising body temperature and increasing the user's metabolism in conjunction with the rest of the stack (Wikipedia)
  

The careful observer will note that quite a bit of the supplementation is aimed
at raising Testosterone levels. As any article on Bodybuilder.com will tell you:

The physiological actions of testosterone in males are far reaching. For example:

• Increases in basal (resting) metabolic rate
• Increases in red blood cell number and total blood volume
• Promotion of sodium and water retention in the kidneys
• Increases in muscle protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle mass
• Reductions in muscle glycogen breakdown during exercise
• Increased calcium retention in bone

(List edited to show effects I'm interested in)

Another general side-effect is Testosterone helps lipolysis (fat metabolism). Based on articles and reviews I was just reading I'm going to try a new supplement as well that will be taken pre-workout. More on that after I've tried it. I may also start supplementing with Resveratrol, the enzyme found in grape skins which is also shown to have effects on the Estrogen/Testosterone balance.

At the end of the day, I know there are no magic bullets. Hard work, logging food intake, sticking to the Low-Carb WOE is the answer, but, the supplements give me hope that I'm making the process move just a little faster. And, based on the condition I wake up in the morning, I know the Testosterone supplementation is working ;).

The Slow, Fat Kid

Recently my friend pkq asked me to include her in any training rides I was doing this week as she had time off from work moving in to her new place, and she wants to start exercising more again. This request bothered me for some reason - I wasn't comfortable with it and it has taken me a few days to figure out why.

I'm the slow, fat kid.

The story is familiar to many. Fat kid, non-athletic, last picked for teams, teased mercilessly. As a result I hate putting myself into direct competition with another person. I will go out for casual rides on the weekend with anyone, but as soon as peoples' competitive nature comes out I get sick. I've pretty much stopped going on Hypoxia group rides for this very reason. I'm still the fat kid on the bike - the slowest rider, the slowest climber and I will not put myself in a position to be ridiculed for it.

That brings me to this week. Yesterday's ride was a workout, not fun. Hill repeats. If I had someone else along on that ride,

1. I would have gotten competitive myself and not stayed within heart rate or cadence zones, defeating the purpose of the training, and,
2. I would be putting myself in a position to be ridiculed for lack of strength, speed, fitness, etc. I know pkq would never do that to me, but the situation felt too much like it used to.
   

I didn't call pkq. I suffered on the hill alone. Just like I've always been.

The Long Road Ahead

The weight dropped back down to 176 today. I was probably retaining some water from the 2(!) mini pecan pies I had for lunch on Monday. Can you say "Impulse control?"

I was talking to the wife last night and found out she is having similar issues with unexplained weight gain which won't shed. One thing we came up was we aren't taking multivitamins anymore and we aren't eating much salt, and the salt that we do eat is Kosher - no iodine. Iodine is essential for Thyroid function. The thyroid controls metabolic rate.

This morning I bought a multivitamin. I also doubled the DIM supplement I'm taking (still within recommendations on label) and I'm restarting Coconut Oil as a supplement. 1 tablespoon, 3 times a day.

Finally, with much soul-searching I decided to restart the ECA stack for a limited time. I know this will cause some disappointment with some friends but I'm desperate, and I'm going into it with a plan. I have a built-in stop date. I can't take ECA while doing polyphasic sleep - it will interrupt the sleep & REM patterns too much. Also, I don't want to be taking it during my trip to Minnesota, so before I leave, I will use the NLP Swish technique to flush out the compulsion.

I've also restarted logging my food and calories in vs. calories out on FitDay. I will post the link to my journal and I invite all my friends to look at it and help me keep diligent about both logging and food choices. I'll try to remember to post weight fluctuations there too.

Dazed and Confused

Here it is two and a half years since my last entry and a lot of things have changed - some things for the better some not.

One of the things that has not changed for the better is my weight. Those who know me know that I've struggled all my life with being overweight. From the time I was in high school I settled into a high range in the 220s and then would starve myself down to the 170s.

In 1998 I topped out at 230 pounds and found a medication I was on had a major side-effect of weight gain. I dropped the med and started the Low-Carb Way Of Eating (WOE) and eventually got myself down to a stable 155-160.

Over the intervening 9 years I would sometimes "slip" and bounce up to 165 and once even 171 but I would always get back on track and get back into my "comfort zone."

This last winter, however was difficult. Usually in winter I shed pounds from summer's long riding and lack of WOE diligence but this year lack of activity and depression caused a major weight gain. By this spring I was bouncing between 165 and 170. The really disturbing part of this is that summer is typically when I gain a few pounds.

Now here it is almost the start of September and when I stepped on the scale this morning I had to maneuver around to keep it under 180!! I had come to accept earlier this year that with the cycling and weightlifting that my new "stable" weight would be 165. I still looked trim but looked like I had some muscle but 180 is completely unacceptable! The shorts I bought this spring are uncomfortable and the "loose" shorts I bought in July are getting tight. I have no hope of getting into my regular jeans now. Guess it's back to the fat pants :(.

At this point I'm very confused. When I've been tracking my food I've been around 50g carbs/day and usually in the neighborhood of 200 to 500 kcal/day deficit. I'm riding a minimum of 100 miles/week, sometimes up to 200/week. I don't understand what else I need to do.

I'm very depressed about the situation and more than a little panicked. I can't -- WON'T -- go above 180 lbs.

I have 4 months - 16 weeks - from September 1 to January 1. I will see 165 on January 1st.