Channeling a Little Bit of Forrest Gump

Mama always did tell me I should get some exercise... so I am approaching 110 days in a row of walking or biking at least 30 minutes. Any time I walk, it's at least 2 miles, and that's most of the days. Biking days are 6-8 miles.

Thankfully, the pains I was experiencing around days 1-59 have subsided. It seems like day 60 began a time when there was not much pain in my leg, butt, back, foot, etc. Sure, I'm still a little stiff when I first get up after sleeping or sitting, but I shake that off pretty quickly now, and I don't have to stop mid-walk and stretch out my pains. For that, I am grateful.

I seem to have reached that zone where I get the endorphin rush. Ie. by the end of each day, if I haven't walked, I have the urge to walk. I need to walk. I want to walk. I like to walk. Unlike running, I don't dread walking. Sure, I run a "little" while walking, but within 50 feet I am reminded that running is not something I could do every day. At least not yet. So to a great degree, my walking "habit" is a success.  I also think the consecutive day pattern I'm in is wise.  Walking 6 out of 7 days, or 45 out of 50 days, for example, is just to tempting a "compromise" for me to make.  So I don't skip.  I walk.

The only downsides I am seeing with walking are (a) finding time and (b) boredom.  And I think I've done well to address both those matters. I have generally planned each day with my walk in mind. Somehow each day, I make sure I can get away for 30-40 minutes to walk. This often involves walking when I otherwise would have been "waiting" such as at soccer practice or tutoring. This has not cut into my reading time, normally enjoyed during those long waits, because I have downloaded  audio books to enjoy while walking. Additionally, I've registered for free online US History courses through Hillsdale College, which can be delivered via audio. So, mentally, my walks are fulfilling.

Visually, I've aimed for variety. I try to walk a different course every day. If I had to walk a track or the same route each day, I would have quit by now. I also take advantage of being in new places and finding walking time while there. Also, while walking, I've seen all sorts of things to which I would not have normally paid attention.

I've had some close calls on getting my walk done each day. Weather has been a mild obstacle, but I see the cold, wind, rain, ice, sleet, and snow I've endured as challenges to overcome, not excuses. I think the hardest walk I did was at Windy Hill Beach in driving rain and sand and 30+ MPH wind. I needed goggles that day! I have to say, this has been the coldest Spring I can remember. I hope it translates into being a mild summer. Frankly, if anything does me in, I predict it will be the hot humid NC summer.

A recent wintertime business trip to Chicago presented scheduling difficulties, both with my flight in and out, as well as after work, and before business meals. Despite walking in as much as 6" of snow, and a fall on the ice, I did log walks or workouts every one of those days.

Other than the satisfaction of recording each walk or ride with the "mapmywalk/ride" GPS app, I have enjoyed other benefits. I honestly feel better. I don't get tired when walking stairs, or doing other routine physical activities. I think I also have a better mental attitude. Additionally, for the times when Lori has walked with me, we've enjoyed having some time together to talk without interruption. She does really good to keep up with me being that her stride is not as long as mine.

The benefit I was expecting to experience in abundance is weight loss. Unfortunately, until a few weeks ago, I had not lost much at all. I attribute this to my snacking to make up for the additional hunger I am feeling from burning some calories each day. I've made some course corrections on my diet such as eating high protein Greek yogurt as a snack, instead of junk food. I also have resumed the use of Alli, and have doubled up the strength for major meals. Those actions seem to have kick started the weight loss. I am now down about 10 pounds.

Walk, Blain, walk.

Walking This Time

It's been months since I posted anything to this Blog, and years since I posted anything reflective or substantive. Facebook is half to blame. The iPad on which I type this is the other half. Facebook - because I have otherwise been writing and sharing my pithy thoughts and ramblings in the "status" box of Facebook. iPad - because there is so much to do on this thing... read a Kindle book, play Words with Friends, check email, check the weather, play Words with Friends, etc. Who has time to write?!

Today marks the 30th day in a row I've walked at least 2 miles. Along with that has come a feeble attempt at eating better. Combine the two, and there's yet another diet in the works. I knew I had documented my Diet of 2008 (D08) pretty extensively, and this afternoon I went back and read my Blog postings about it.  Someday I need to do a postmortem on that adventure and try to learn something!

Since D08, I've also lived through D10, where Lori and I spent a few thousand dollars at Metabolic Research Center to lose weight together. I think I lost almost 30 pounds then. We took a couple of pictures of our new selves, then headed back in the other direction. Then there was the short-lived D12, where I tried to go "au naturale" and actually just eat a healthy diet, while also consulting a psychologist for "mental help." When I told him my theory of how I equated diets to relationships, his eyes got real big.  I think he determined he was over his head. Well, at least I did.  I think I lost about 12 pounds during D12.

Anyway, this time around I've been walking. My theory is that I need to pick a healthy habit that I can do every day.  I can't run every day.  I can't run occasionally, and increase my duration or speed.  Well, I could... But it just doesn't last.  I'm thinking if I set a bare minimum goal that is relatively risk-free of injury, and also has no pressure to do more or faster, then I can stick with that longer.

That's all for now.

Grades and Caleb

Caleb is in 6th grade now, which means he is getting real grades for the first time.  After a few weeks of school, we're starting to see some results coming in, and overall we are very proud of him that he has an A or B in every class.  The only blemish was some math assignment where he got a 45.  Tonight I was driving him to his tutor and we were talking about it.

He said, "Yea I got that 45.  But I lost 5 points for turning it in late.". 

"I think that's your only assignment where you have something other than an A or B.   That's really good Caleb," I said.  Caleb then began recounting all his assignments, which it appears he has memorized.  "I got an A, an A, an A, an A, an A, an A, an A, a B, a B, a B, a B...".  

"Wow!  You remember all your grades," thinking he's got a plan.  "Are you trying to get all A's?" I asked.  Not one to be tied to a commitment he might be tracked on, Caleb shot back, "Oh no... I'm not trying to do anything!"  

(I Really Hope that My) Guys Read

Last summer I had some success with reading incentives for my kids, despite the group think on the Internet that says you shouldn't reward kids for reading.  (Those articles written, of course, by people whose kids already love to read voluntarily).  As for me, I'd rather reward them for reading than anything else they are likely to spend time on this summer.  So I set out this summer to find an incentive program that would be easy to manage and fun to do for boys.

I didn't find any canned programs, or apps, for that matter, that would help.  But I did find some good sites with resources encouraging kids, and boys in particular, to read.  One is http://guysread.com, and I even went as far as to buy a T-Shirt from them.  Another is http://readkiddoread.com/, which is an endeavor associated with book writing machine James Patterson, who also has several books series aimed at middle school students and teens.

I decided to roll my own incentive program, complete with 20 levels (from Barney to Avengers) and two Tiers, based on ability.  Tier 1 is for my younger boys, and Tier 2 for my teenager.  There is a financial incentive associated with each level that escalates the further you go.  So you may only get $1 for "clearing" the Barney Level, but $6 for clearing the Wolfpack level.  So if you are cranking out books come late July, you will have earned some good spending money - and hopefully read some great books!  We are also planning to incorporate sleepover privileges and some gaming privileges with clearing certain levels.  There are some other kids in the 'hood who are also going to join in.  Results will be tracked on another good reading resource site http://www.goodreads.com/. 

Anyone is welcome to borrow and modify the table below, which I am providing with the hopes that other parents will get their guys (and girls) to read, if they are not already.

		Pages of words (cumulative)
	Incentive Level	Tier 1	Tier 2
1	Barney Level	75	150
2	Bob the Builder Level	150	300
3	Lego Star Wars Level	225	450
4	Panther Level	300	600
5	Falcon Level	375	750
6	Wolfpack Level	450	900
7	Eric Staal Level	525	1050
8	Philip Rivers Level	600	1200
9	John Cena Level	675	1350
10	George Washington Level	750	1500
11	Ronald Reagan Level	825	1650
12	Columbus Level	900	1800
13	Thomas Edison Level	975	1950
14	Mozart Level	1050	2100
15	Copernicus Level	1125	2250
16	Steve Jobs Level	1200	2400
17	Albert Einstein Level	1275	2550
18	Neil Peart Level	1350	2700
19	Isaac Newton Level	1425	2850
20	Avengers Level	1500	3000

Luke has Hat Trick in Win Against Defending Champions and Former Team

Luke had a soccer game yesterday at 5pm against his former team, The Revolution, and 2-time consecutive champion (they won once with him, and once after he changed teams).  It was tied at 0-0 in the 3rd period, and one of our kids finally scored.  Then moments later, Luke broke away and scored... Then again... The coach left him it at mid-center (his favorite position)... then he scored again.    Three goals against his undefeated former team.  It was a great game for him, and we won 4-2!!   

He has such great athletic instincts.  He's just a natural at whatever sport he tries.  I have him signed up for Wolfpack Boys Soccer camp this summer for 1 week.  It's a day camp at NC State taught by State coaches and players.  I hope that he will enjoy it, and will want to stick with soccer.  He says he doesn't really like it, but he's so fickle that that changes from month to month.  I'm sure he liked it yesterday!  I really think that if he were serious about it, that he could get a scholarship.  Right now, it's just fun.

Here's a picture I took LAST week...  (we won that one 2-0)...   I love this picture because Luke's eyes are looking ahead to where he's going with the ball...  towards the goal!

Not sure where he got his soccer skills... surely not from his parents!!