I felt like the picture below.
I am going to do this again. I will because it is the best way to get into shape again. Once again, I have registered for Grandma's Marathon this year. If I can run Grandmas and finish, this will be the 29th consecutive year I have done so. I am really not looking forward to doing that race again. Still a good race, although I am tired of going up there and running the race. It has lost all its luster and is no longer any fun. I drive up the night before, sleep in my car from the face, and then come home.
I am also going to a nutritionist to find out why I gained weight even though I have monitored every little crumb I eat and assured myself I was at 1,800-2,200 Calories, nutritionally sound, and exercising at least 500 Calories a day. There may be an issue with long-term Prednisone and antibiotic use. I had read that they could create a digestive imbalance and goof up the metabolism. The only thing that makes sense is that I am not eating.
For 2013, I have decided to try again to achieve my goal of commuting on a bicycle at least 3000 miles to and from work. It depends on how I try to work; it is between 17.3 and 20.4 miles. Sometimes, the 20.4-mile ride is much easier when the wind is strong from the south. 17.3 miles is everything on main roads and not as safe. The best ride for ease and safety when the wind is low is 17.8 miles. So I need to ride 85-88 days. Unlike last year when it was 70° on St. Patrick's Day, here we are in April, and we had snow on Friday. I will not get much of a jump on my goal for this year like I did last year. However, last year I missed the goal by 4 commutes. That was really kind of disheartening. Oh well, it happened!
My girlfriend and I decided to visit Colorado in early May. She will fly back after spending 3. I will spend an additional 6 days helping my son clean up and build a desk. My son will take a trip to Europe after school is out and then return to a nice job for the summer. This will be the best time for me to spend some time with him before he goes and has a busy summer. While I am there, we'll look at new road bikes that I may get him so he can ride to work if he chooses. Right now, he uses my 1985 Cannondale SR 400 bicycle, which is in good shape but will not be as safe and dependable as a new road bike.
Shelley picked up a new bike. It is so nice! It is a women's Felt ZW4. Shimano 105 components: I am looking forward to 60 miles of rides this summer. She will do that without difficulty on this bike. It just glides, and shifting is smooth.
It has been 15 months since I quit all tennis officiating. I miss it occasionally, but overall, I don't miss the politics of sports officiating. It is really hard to do sports officiating when, at times, certain people's politics and favoritism come into play. Officiating is becoming a lost sport where you can depend on doing the right thing and not be ridiculed constantly.
I will never do sports officiating again. I have been repeatedly asked to return to tennis and other sports, but it's not in me anymore. I did sports officiating because it made me feel good about what I was doing, and I enjoyed it. That went away, again, mostly because of the politics of a few people who think they are above the rules. In one way, sports officiating is losing out on someone with a great passion for it, but the ultra-running world is picking up somebody who enjoys volunteering and helping out at these wonderful races.
As mentioned above, I will see my sports nutritionist next week on Saturday. I will see the person for return visits for about 3 months. If she can't get me back on track, I don't think anybody else can. I have not reached my peak, but I have gained 82 pounds since my lowest weight in 2006 when I completed the Superior Hiking Trail 50-mile race. I would like to lose about 60 pounds. It would make me feel so much better and happier. We can only wait and see what comes out of it.
As I close, Shelley is heartbroken. The fifth love of her life tore his ACL. Surgery is needed. No, it is not me, as I know I am only 4th in her love hierarchy. I understand her girls are one and two. Her parents, three and four, Jackson, the post-divorce male in her heart, has a torn ACL. It is a very expensive fix, but Jackson is her third love. She has known Jackson longer than she has known me. I am her fourth love and am very happy about that position!
Wish me well!
