Getting back into a groove, Yep I sure am.

Getting back into a groove, Yep I sure am.

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Feeling pretty amazing lately has got me thinking about how much I have missed out on because I let myself slip back into some old habits and is solidifying this decision to take control again. One of the best things about this is that I am back on the bicycles again, I have racked up more miles in this past month than the entire whole of the year to the point when I started riding again and I have to admit, it feels good. 

We got out for a ride with some friends on Sunday despite the horrific humidity that day we all had a blast! we rode we hiked then we rode and hiked some more, it was nothing intense, I mean we moved at the speed of a set of 8 year olds most of the time but it was an awesome day none the less. I took the K2 out, my daughter on her little pink Trek and we headed out with our riding partners for some pedal time. My daughter was sort of training the other girl because she is new to two wheels and my daughter has been learning the "rules of the road" for the past month or so. She understands no darting into the road, stay to the right, "on your left" when passing someone, announcing your presence to others on the trails with a foot drag or a bell as to not startle them into running into her etc etc and her friend well.. 

 My daughters ride and the K2 above.

 Our riding partners "cruisers" a pair of electras, This is my friend with the Jamis 29er's Cruiser bike.

After the first hour or so both of the girls were staying where they needed to be but my daughters friend still needed to be guided so her father and I gave verbal ques while my daughter kept on being an example. After about 4 hours of riding and hiking around we decided it was time to call it quits as our friends needed to run some errands at home so we loaded everything up and off w went home. 

This last month or so of me being back where I need to be with diet and exercise has been petty awesome, I am feeling good again and my weight is dropping. Getting out for rides and my daily walks with my other daughter are alone reason enough to keep on doing it let alone the awesome that is going into me daily. 

I am setting some goals for myself with where I want to be and I am still growing the beard until I hit 334 pounds again which.. I am happy that colder weather is coming for that one. To recap on the beard thing, I told my wife that I was not shaving my beard until I got back down to where I was in June of 2011, That was 334 pounds so until I get there I have this beard that seems to catch everything that comes close to my face. I would like to be 350 pounds by Christmas but if I am not there yet oh well and I will continue on, as far as the goal setting I am keeping them light even though there are a few but I am keeping them light because something that I learned is that as long as the quality of life is there the rest will fall into place and thats what its all about for me at this point. 

I hope ya enjoyed some of the pictures from our Sunday ride and I am trying to post a lot more often now so come on back and check in with me more! also if you are a twitter user you can follow me @Zeusmeatball if you care to or send me a friend request on facebook (link is top left of this page)  and with that, another post is done. 

As Ever
Me

My wife asked me to start using protection...

My wife asked me to start using protection...

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So, the little animal... er baby has fallen blissfully to sleep and I had a moment so I thought it was a good time to pop a post up here, yes yes, I could be exercising instead and that I did! I did a push up routine along with some stretches and for now that's what its going to be. Life lately has not been peaches and cream but that doesn't mean that there aren't high points! and with that thought lets us focus on my bicycling for a moment.

A quick stop from last Sundays ride I took a shot of ye olde steed leaning on a rock with her new handlebars/grips installed.

Last year I was riding a just under 20 mile section of a local rail trail and not feeling it besides for the immediate hour after the ride and that stamina deteriorated over a long winter. I started riding again more regular like when the weather warmed up but couldn't really get back to that pre winter oooomph that I had, that is until the last two weeks in the saddle. The week before last we went out for our Sunday ride and by the end of the ride I felt like I could have kept going, it would appear that the stamina has returned? after one week? nope not gonna believe it. This past Sunday we left on the same ride, same bat time same bat channel and waddya know? same deal, felt awesome after the ride so if this weeks ride goes as well I am going to declare that I am back stamina wise on the bike.

In other news wify asked me to start wearing protection a while back...no no pervert get your mind out of the gutter she meant a helmet, and though I wasn't against the idea it just wasn't on the top of the list for me. I happened into a local Eastern mountain sports a couple weeks ago and meandered on over to the helmet section where I saw more than a couple brands and designs to consider so I popped a few onto my bald melon to see how fitment was. Now the fella that I ride with on the weekend has a Giro branded helmet, it seems nice and he said that it worked for what it was suppose to all while being fairly comfy so onto Giro brand brain buckets I went. Finding a Giro Xar on the shelf I placed it onto my cranium and it felt like I was wearing a ball cap, maybe even less bothersome than a ball cap but the price was $130 and I was meh on that. I tried on a couple few more but kept coming back to the Xar because if I am buying a helmet its gotta be comfy or I will just strap it to my back pack and not wear it, I left the store.

My new brain protection unit, I give to you the Giro Xar.

I was extremely surprised when my wife asked me to start using protection after so long as you can see in my expression.

Talking to wify about the choices that I found and the fact that this Xar for $130 was perfect but I did not want to spend that much on a helmet her response was "go back in and get it, I don't care what it costs if you'll wear it its worth it" I told her I wanted to research it first. I got home and couldn't find a bad review online so I started looking around online for a better price since I now knew what size fit and that it was in fact a comfortable fit, not one of the one size fits all helmets that never seem to feel right on my head. I pull up ebay and Viola! found one for almost $40 less than at EMS so using buy it now the helmet was here 2 days later, I haven't had a chance to ride with it yet but it is all adjusted and this weekend I shall give its first test ride.

I need to start gettin down like I know how to again, not because I want to and not because of anything other than I NEED to, I worked more than extremely hard to drop the weight that I have thus far and life is not what it was at 534 pounds. I have to try my best to stay in line and Yoda once said "Do or do not, there is no try", fortunately for me Yoda is just a puppet and I do not hold his words very close to my heart. Try is all anyone can do, we will all slip and fall from time to time and we are not a single one of us perfect and all as human as the next guy or gal, the way I see it is as long as we get back up and keep going we will not have failed.

stick that in your pipe and smoke it Yoda...

That's all I got for now, keep on keepin on and all that.

As Ever
Me