This week I started my training for the New York City Triathlon. Did a few 3 miles runs and today hit the stationary bike. 10 miles this morning. My legs got tight midway...brings back bad memories of my last TRI when the bike leg kicked my @ss.
Just an FYI for anyone wanting to prepare for any type of event..5k, 10k, Marathon, or Triathlon, the internet can be a great resource for free guides to get prepared physically for the event. I basically have prepared for every race I've done on a shoe string budget so know anything can be done on the cheap. From my training guides to sneakers I have tried to get the best prices available. For the TRI I am probably going to spend about $200 bucks and most of that is renting a road bike from a bike shop to actually complete the race. I will have a follow-up post with some links on Wetsuits, Sneakers, Bikes, Etc... As soon as I dig through my archives from last year.
My biggest savings this year will be on the swimming training. I discovered through my research that the New York City Parks Department has FREE lap swimming in the AM and PM for Adults who want to take advantage of the many Olympic Sized pools in the city. The best part is that it is outside of the normal pool hours so you do not have to compete for lane space with the summer kids. My pool of choice this year is Hamilton Fish on Houston Street in the Lower East Side. Below is a link to the Parks Dept. website. Definitely take advantage of this program...even if just for the work out.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/programs/adultlaps.html
The triathlon was a tough experience last year. Was almost dead last(took me over 5 hours) but it was my first fitness event of any kind until that point so did not know what to expect going in. This year I have 2 half marathons and a few short distance races under my belt so I am feeling a little more confident in what my performance can look like come August 7, 2011.
In closing, this year I am competing on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation with Team Fox. My fund raising page is below should you be interested in donating. But if all you can lend is moral support please do so in Central Park in August. I would appreciate that as much.
http://www.teamfox.org/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=bkIUJbNQKoLaG&b=6376247&sid=agLPK7NBJeJSI3MKLtF
Vaya!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Bikram Yoga
We have a special posting from our correspondent and resident Gordita...and my wife. Leslie Santos. Enjoy.
Bikram Yoga
I have learned, in my weight loss journey, that I am simply not and may never be a "gym rat". In my quest to find new and innovative weight loss techniques, I came across Bikram Yoga. Now, I've always wanted to try Yoga, and stumbled across a great deal for unlimited Bikram yoga for one month. Well, I thought to myself, this seems like as good a time as any.
Walking in, I was honestly excited, nervous, and a bit overwhelmed all at once. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to encounter. Would I be surrounded by pretentious snobs who would look at me like I didn't belong? Or would I be one of many first time yogis, simply looking for where to sign in and and how to get started? While everyone was nice enough, the women's locker room was somewhat chaotic, as everyone seemed to be rushing to make it to class on time. Not wanting to be last, I quickly threw my bag in a locker, grabbed my towels and water, and made my way towards the glass doors.
The first thing that hit me was the heat. I mean, I expected hot, but this was absolutely absurd! As I started to sweat, my nerves kicked in: how the heck was I going make it through 90 minutes if I was sweating before class even started? I tried to calm my nerves and waited for class to start.
I won't go through my entire class, but suffice to say Bikram is definitely an intense yoga workout. The poses are really designed to enforce proper alignment of the spine and proper breathing techniques. This is great since these things factor into numerous other weight loss ventures (jogging comes to mind immediately). While my instructor was most definitely not warm and fuzzy, he was an absolute stickler on proper form and posture; as a newbie, I appreciated the guidance on how to perform the poses properly. Two days later I do sense a tightness in my abs and back, which I'm sure I can attribute to the stretches performed during Bikram. And while I'm still a newbie, at least this time I'll know where to sign in.
Vaya!
Bikram Yoga
I have learned, in my weight loss journey, that I am simply not and may never be a "gym rat". In my quest to find new and innovative weight loss techniques, I came across Bikram Yoga. Now, I've always wanted to try Yoga, and stumbled across a great deal for unlimited Bikram yoga for one month. Well, I thought to myself, this seems like as good a time as any.
Walking in, I was honestly excited, nervous, and a bit overwhelmed all at once. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to encounter. Would I be surrounded by pretentious snobs who would look at me like I didn't belong? Or would I be one of many first time yogis, simply looking for where to sign in and and how to get started? While everyone was nice enough, the women's locker room was somewhat chaotic, as everyone seemed to be rushing to make it to class on time. Not wanting to be last, I quickly threw my bag in a locker, grabbed my towels and water, and made my way towards the glass doors.
The first thing that hit me was the heat. I mean, I expected hot, but this was absolutely absurd! As I started to sweat, my nerves kicked in: how the heck was I going make it through 90 minutes if I was sweating before class even started? I tried to calm my nerves and waited for class to start.
I won't go through my entire class, but suffice to say Bikram is definitely an intense yoga workout. The poses are really designed to enforce proper alignment of the spine and proper breathing techniques. This is great since these things factor into numerous other weight loss ventures (jogging comes to mind immediately). While my instructor was most definitely not warm and fuzzy, he was an absolute stickler on proper form and posture; as a newbie, I appreciated the guidance on how to perform the poses properly. Two days later I do sense a tightness in my abs and back, which I'm sure I can attribute to the stretches performed during Bikram. And while I'm still a newbie, at least this time I'll know where to sign in.
Vaya!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Fat
What if there were AA meetings for fat people..
and you had to declare,
My name is Erik and I am fat,
Its been 4 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, and 8½ hours since I've been skinny.
What if instead of crack, Biggie wrote the 10 fat commandments,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9....Its the 10 Fat Commandments, what!
I've been this size for years,
It's made me an animal,
There's rules to this shyt I wrote me a manual...
Numero Uno,
Never let no one know how much weight you hold!
If you ain't got the dessert say hell no,
I'm gonna want my cake rain, sleet, hail, snow,
What if fat was the new black?
And there was an organization called the National Association for the Advancement of FAT People (NAAFP) that stood up for our rights,
What if the movie was titled Men in Fat?
And instead of Will Smith the star of the movie was Al Roker,
before gastric bypass,
What if being fat was really (Ph)at?
And being called the F-Word was as bad as being called the N-Word,
But it doesn't matter if you hurt our feelings..
We're jolly,
We smile all the time...
We can take a joke,
We're tons of fun,
We're obviously deaf...
What if we were more than just a great personality?
Cuddly, Sweet?
F That!
I think I'm sexy?
You're right...I am FAT!
F*cking All the Time!
FAT,
Fine And Tempting!
I am FAT!
Get on board ladies,
I know there is a fat kid in your life...
and I know you've wondered how it would be...trust me...its great.
We're like Lays chips,
Just can't have one...love handle,
What if we looked up to fat atheletes?
Like sumo wrestlers, professional bowlers, and bass fisherman
and instead of gatorade commercials they appeared on milk shake advertisments,
What if instead of infomercials about exercise machines and juicers I could buy a nicer sofa and a extra powerful remote at 3am in the morning for 3 payments of 19.99?
What if we could just be accepted?
What if you didn't smerk everytime we go up to the buffet
or grabbed the last seat on the bus
or speed walk instead of run on the treadmill
or take the esclator instead of the stairs,
What if we didn't get stares...
or side comments?
Maybe we'd feel human?
Equal,
Try it..
I'm sure your friends,
brothers,
sisters,
aunts,
uncles,
mothers,
fathers,
grandmothers,
partners would appreciate that...
You all know one Fat person,
Even though you probably don't admit it to them,
Just respect them,
Us,
We're FAT...and proud of it.
and you had to declare,
My name is Erik and I am fat,
Its been 4 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, and 8½ hours since I've been skinny.
What if instead of crack, Biggie wrote the 10 fat commandments,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9....Its the 10 Fat Commandments, what!
I've been this size for years,
It's made me an animal,
There's rules to this shyt I wrote me a manual...
Numero Uno,
Never let no one know how much weight you hold!
If you ain't got the dessert say hell no,
I'm gonna want my cake rain, sleet, hail, snow,
What if fat was the new black?
And there was an organization called the National Association for the Advancement of FAT People (NAAFP) that stood up for our rights,
What if the movie was titled Men in Fat?
And instead of Will Smith the star of the movie was Al Roker,
before gastric bypass,
What if being fat was really (Ph)at?
And being called the F-Word was as bad as being called the N-Word,
But it doesn't matter if you hurt our feelings..
We're jolly,
We smile all the time...
We can take a joke,
We're tons of fun,
We're obviously deaf...
What if we were more than just a great personality?
Cuddly, Sweet?
F That!
I think I'm sexy?
You're right...I am FAT!
F*cking All the Time!
FAT,
Fine And Tempting!
I am FAT!
Get on board ladies,
I know there is a fat kid in your life...
and I know you've wondered how it would be...trust me...its great.
We're like Lays chips,
Just can't have one...love handle,
What if we looked up to fat atheletes?
Like sumo wrestlers, professional bowlers, and bass fisherman
and instead of gatorade commercials they appeared on milk shake advertisments,
What if instead of infomercials about exercise machines and juicers I could buy a nicer sofa and a extra powerful remote at 3am in the morning for 3 payments of 19.99?
What if we could just be accepted?
What if you didn't smerk everytime we go up to the buffet
or grabbed the last seat on the bus
or speed walk instead of run on the treadmill
or take the esclator instead of the stairs,
What if we didn't get stares...
or side comments?
Maybe we'd feel human?
Equal,
Try it..
I'm sure your friends,
brothers,
sisters,
aunts,
uncles,
mothers,
fathers,
grandmothers,
partners would appreciate that...
You all know one Fat person,
Even though you probably don't admit it to them,
Just respect them,
Us,
We're FAT...and proud of it.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
My 31st
My 31st.
As I turn 31 many thoughts cross my mind. It was exactly 2 years ago, during my 29th birthday, that I decided I needed to change my life. I was 294lbs, size 42 waist, size 18 1/2 neck, and size 52 suit jacket. I was a very very big boy...
My thoughts are about the last 2 years...they have been both challenging and rewarding. I have dropped weight, i have gained weight back, then dropped weight again. Ups and downs. But in the process I have learned a lot about myself. I have gotten to know my limitations as well as what I can accomplish. As this 2 year mark passes I sit at a bit of a plateau. I am a bit discouraged. Only because I am still recovering from injury and feel hesitant to push through my fear of getting hurt. Just a little over a month ago I felt the strongest I had ever felt. I was running sub 10 minute miles and was cutting my times with every run. Now I feel like I am starting from square one...in reality I know I can regain my form quickly...but the mental block reeks havoc on a weight loss journey. I have been in the place before and I know my first step is to acknowledge my successes so far and set new goals to strive for...and since I am sharing this blog with everyone I will do so here...
Successes so far, currently I am 236lbs , size 36 waist, size 17 neck, and size 46 suit jacket. I must confess that I have been as low as 230 a couple of times and cannot seems to break that weight.
Goals: I want to lose 40lbs by the end of the year. My magic number 100lbs when I started. But I never expected it to be quick but rather a manageable weight loss that I could keep off long term.
So there you have it. I encourage you to set goals for yourself. They don't have to be lofty. It can be as small as eating less bread, or taking the stairs more often. The war is won in battles. My battle tomorrow is to wake up early and log some mileage. Wish me luck...for tomorrow..and for the next 40!
Vaya,
Gordo
As I turn 31 many thoughts cross my mind. It was exactly 2 years ago, during my 29th birthday, that I decided I needed to change my life. I was 294lbs, size 42 waist, size 18 1/2 neck, and size 52 suit jacket. I was a very very big boy...
My thoughts are about the last 2 years...they have been both challenging and rewarding. I have dropped weight, i have gained weight back, then dropped weight again. Ups and downs. But in the process I have learned a lot about myself. I have gotten to know my limitations as well as what I can accomplish. As this 2 year mark passes I sit at a bit of a plateau. I am a bit discouraged. Only because I am still recovering from injury and feel hesitant to push through my fear of getting hurt. Just a little over a month ago I felt the strongest I had ever felt. I was running sub 10 minute miles and was cutting my times with every run. Now I feel like I am starting from square one...in reality I know I can regain my form quickly...but the mental block reeks havoc on a weight loss journey. I have been in the place before and I know my first step is to acknowledge my successes so far and set new goals to strive for...and since I am sharing this blog with everyone I will do so here...
Successes so far, currently I am 236lbs , size 36 waist, size 17 neck, and size 46 suit jacket. I must confess that I have been as low as 230 a couple of times and cannot seems to break that weight.
Goals: I want to lose 40lbs by the end of the year. My magic number 100lbs when I started. But I never expected it to be quick but rather a manageable weight loss that I could keep off long term.
So there you have it. I encourage you to set goals for yourself. They don't have to be lofty. It can be as small as eating less bread, or taking the stairs more often. The war is won in battles. My battle tomorrow is to wake up early and log some mileage. Wish me luck...for tomorrow..and for the next 40!
Vaya,
Gordo
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Urban Dare 2011
This weekend my wife and I participated in the Urban Dare in NYC. I thought I would review it for anyone who is interested...and since this is a blog pertaining to health I can tell you right now it is definitely a calorie burn. We probably covered 4-5 miles in the 3 or so hours we spent running around the city. This is a great way to mix up your exercise routine. Plus it is fun as hell.
First, we were given 12 clues to solve that would uncover locations in the city where we would have to either, have our picture taken or perform a dare. Sounds simple..definitely not. There is no chronology to the locations so it is up to each team to decide where to start and in what order to complete. The questions were so random that i just had to thank God for Google and my Droid phone (minus my battery which almost died towards the end).
So through the course of getting to each location we must have taken 5 trains, a bus, and ran/walked/three legged raced(yes we did!) and in the process covered quite a few miles. By the end we could barely finish but had a great time. We saw places we never thought to find. We learned interesting things about our great city. We sweated like we were running from the law and had one of the best times we spent together in a long time. I always say..the couple that sweats together, stays together.
A few things...
Most certainly would participate again. Not sure with Urban Dare though. A bit disorganized. It started a half hour late yet they did not extend the end time of the race. I don't think they anticipated the turn out...over 200 teams. Not really worth the $$$ we spent, as far as perks/customer service.
If you have a bad relationship do not do this!!! It could easily become 3 hours of arguments.
All in all..a very good time.
Vaya,
Gordo
Monday, May 9, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Always Gordo.
Weight loss,i've learned, is most definitely a journey. It comes with ups and downs, highs and lows, and triumphs and failures. But the key to the journey is never giving up. No matter how off track you get and for how long you, need to stop... Regroup... And start again.
I have been on the weight loss thing for the last 2 years. I would say half of the battle in those 2 years has been regrouping after losing focus. Most recently has been coming off of my ankle injury. It has been a tough month. I have not really had the ability to run, plus my work life has added some extra stress to my everyday life. Everything combined has thrown my eating schedule off and I have barely been able/motivated to burn calories.
I could easily stay in the funk but I know where I was 2 years ago and I know I do not want to go back to that. It is not easy and right now, exercise is the last thing I want to do. But tomorrow is a new day. I owe it to myself. I owe it to those who read this. The commitment to health lasts for a lifetime. And we all can do it. It starts...again...tomorrow. 2 miles in the am.
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