Category Archives: Stats

Record Month

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I won’t be riding any more for what is left of this month.  I need to get well and I’ll busy spending a few precious days with my wife before she leaves again.

I was on track to have 800 miles for the month of June.  Then things got busy, but I was still on track for over 700 miles.  Then I got sick.  If I rode to work and back one day this week, it would put me at 700 miles.  That’s not going to happen.  So my total for June is 665.6 miles.  136.6 of those miles were on the recumbent, the rest on the LHT.

June 2010 is a record mileage month for me, beating out August 2008 with 626.8 miles.

I’m not done.  There’s a new month starting soon.  Now that my daughter has moved out, and my wife will be gone again, I intend to set a new record for July.

Top Months for Bike Miles

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I was really surprised when I took the time to figure out which months I did the most riding in.  Here are the top five, sort by miles.

Month Miles
2008-08 626.8
2010-03 574.9
2009-06 542.2
2009-05 452.0
2009-11 443.9

I knew that March of this year was good.  I assumed it was a new record.  I had no idea that I did more miles in August of 2008.  I had only been riding a few months when I set my record.

I’m hoping to blow that record away this month.  If I keep up the pace that I’ve been doing, I should have 800 miles for the month.  We’ll see.

My commuting bike for this week will be Oria, my recumbent.  I’ve got some “butt issues” that need to heal, so comfort is the word.

Looking Back at My Weight

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I looked back at this chart of my weightloss from the beginning.  The “good weightloss” range was October 2007 to March 2009, with a loss of about 94 lbs.  Nearly all of my weightloss occurred at that time.

During the slower weightloss period I dropped about five pounds from March 2009 to July 2009.

From July 2009 to present I’ve actually had a small net gain.  I actually weight more today than I did in early March 2009.

On the bright side, I think my body fat percentage is a little lower than it was in March 2009.  I have been riding the bike a lot more.  I’ve built a lot of muscle.  I’m on track to have over 5000 miles on the bike this calendar year.

Also being fit (which I feel I am) at any weight is healthier than not being fit at the same weight.  My quality of life has improved greatly.

I just need to keep working to eat better, as my natural inclination is to binge on things I shouldn’t.

Long, Strange Commute

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In addition to work today, I had a number of errands to run.  My route took me these places:

  • Home
  • Post Office
  • Coffee Shop
  • Bank
  • Work
  • Doctor’s Office
  • Coffee Shop
  • Home

It turned out to be 43.5 miles in beautiful weather.  I had to spend a few hours working, and some time getting poked and prodded by my doctor, but overall a good day.

As far as my crushing depression I was having before… It disappeared <poof!> last Thursday.  I did discuss it with my doctor, but I really don’t want to take medication for it.  As far as an existing medication causing it, I should get the lab results soon.

Oh, I weighed this morning.  I’ve gained weight, as expected.  My weight this morning was 211.2, which is about where I was in early February.  So, I lost some progress again.  I’m back on the wagon.

A New Month

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A new month begins tomorrow.  I’ll start weighing myself again, after not doing it for two months.  I’m also going to start tracking everything I eat in a “food diary” again.  I’m not going to track calories this time, but I will be able to review what I’ve eaten.

I’ve ridden my bike 1974.2 miles for the year so far.  Here it is broken out by month:

January 323.6
February 297.3
March 574.9
April 364.9
May 413.5

I would really like to have over 600 miles for June, so I’d better get riding. :)

Not Wasting the Week

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My weight has been just under 200 lbs all this week so far.  I started off not riding my bike to work, although I did ride the 56 miles on the Sunday RCCS ride.

On Wednesday, I was ready to ride.  I took the long way to work wandering down Waterline Road, through Utica, along the river.  I took a mostly normal route home, with a total for the day of 37 miles.

Today, I didn’t ride to work.  I took Nermal to work to use as “lunch ride” bike on days that I don’t ride to work.  I figured it wouldn’t get any use this week, as the weather forecast was calling for thunderstorms.

We had beautiful weather in the early afternoon.  The roads were even dry (good thing too, Nermal is running without fenders right now).  Patrick, who has joined us on a couple of RCCS rides met up with me downtown, and we rode through Old Louisville and The Highlands, before parting ways, and each getting back to our duties.  That was a nice 13-mile spin.

Tomorrow I’m attending a Norah Jones concert with my daughter.  Riding my bike to work is not really in the cards.  So, I took a 19-mile night-time ride now.  I may do another one tomorrow night after the concert.

Beautiful Weather – Day 2

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The RCCS held a ride today titled “Gone With Thee Old Man Winter”.  I’m hoping we’re not jinxing the nice weather we had this weekend.  I’d hate to put the studded tires back on.

Four of us arrived in Edwardsville for ride.  Tim, Dominic, Patrick, and I were prepared for a chilly day, as the temperature was barely above freezing at the ride start.

As we headed toward New Middletown we ran across several members of the Louisville Bicycle Club, and they were moving quite fast.  It turns out they were running time trials.  One of them was Dale, who used to ride with us occasionally, until he preferred riding faster.  As we got into New Middletown we talked to a few more LBC members including Chaz, Tom, and Jen.

As the ride progressed we needed to shed clothing due to warmer temperatures, and actual sunlight!  I know, it was sunny yesterday, but after months of dreariness, this weekend is wonderful.  The temperature topped out in the low 60s.

We went a little off-route, so the total mileage was about 56.  This was probably the best ride I’ve had this year.  The New Year’s Day ride was nice also, but was much colder.

I was also in a cheerful mood because my weight had dropped below 200 lbs as of this morning.  We’ll see if that trend continues.

I rode 126 miles this week.  That’s my highest mileage week this year.  I’m hoping to start next week off with a full commute to work tomorrow morning.

How Much Have I Been Riding?

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This is the chart of my mileage ridden per bike since January 2009.  I didn’t have the LHT until January of this year, so that explains all the zeros.

January and February are up slightly over last year.  That was following a pitiful December.

Poor Oria hasn’t been ridden since November.  I’m thinking about riding her to work one day this week.

Month LHT Nermal Oria Total
2009-01 0.0 214.8 63.0 277.8
2009-02 0.0 77.3 186.0 263.3
2009-03 0.0 63.6 128.8 192.4
2009-04 0.0 290.9 0.0 290.9
2009-05 0.0 141.6 310.4 452.0
2009-06 0.0 268.0 274.2 542.2
2009-07 0.0 184.6 186.7 371.3
2009-08 0.0 71.3 128.3 199.6
2009-09 0.0 79.1 219.8 298.9
2009-10 0.0 313.5 122.6 436.1
2009-11 0.0 348.0 95.9 443.9
2009-12 0.0 91.6 0.0 91.6
2010-01 210.0 113.6 0.0 323.6
2010-02 294.0 3.3 0.0 297.3

Weekly Average Weight for February 6, 2010

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My average weight for the week ending 2/6/2009:
207.4 lbs

Down from last week:
3.7 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
89.0 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
3.22 lbs

Weight until goal:
32.4 lbs

It’s been months since I’ve posted a weekly update.  My weight loss had stalled, so I mostly wrote about bicycle related activities.  That has changed.  I’m losing weight again.  My new diet is working.

I still expect to reach my goal weight of 175 lbs.  I hope to reach it before the end of this year.  My new diet should make it easier to maintain than my previous low-calories diet.

2009 In Review

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What a wonderful/busy/crazy/happy/stressful year it’s been.

Weight

chart-montly-weight-2009

I (mostly) lost weight through the first half of the year, but mostly gained it all back in the last half.  I’m still happier with my weight than I was in 2007 or 2008 though.  I need to have the self-control that I did in 2008 again.

Bike Mileage

Month Miles
01-2009 277.8
02-2009 263.3
03-2009 192.4
04-2009 290.9
05-2009 452.0
06-2009 542.2
07-2009 371.3
08-2009 199.6
09-2009 298.9
10-2009 436.1
11-2009 443.9
12-2009 91.6
Month Nermal Oria Nermal Oria Total
All 2008 712.8 1,525.8 712.8 1,525.8 2,238.6
01-2009 927.6 1,588.8 214.8 63.0 277.8
02-2009 1,004.9 1,774.8 77.3 186.0 263.3
03-2009 1,068.5 1,903.6 63.6 128.8 192.4
04-2009 1,359.4 1,903.6 290.9 0.0 290.9
05-2009 1,501.0 2,214.0 141.6 310.4 452.0
06-2009 1,769.0 2,488.2 268.0 274.2 542.2
07-2009 1,953.6 2,674.9 184.6 186.7 371.3
08-2009 2,024.9 2,803.2 71.3 128.3 199.6
09-2009 2,104.0 3,023.0 79.1 219.8 298.9
10-2009 2,417.5 3,145.6 313.5 122.6 436.1
11-2009 2,765.5 3,241.5 348.0 95.9 443.9
12-2009 2,857.1 3,241.5 91.6 0.0 91.6

I didn’t make my goal of 5000 miles.  I knew I wouldn’t fairly early.  I did ride 3,860 miles for the year, which beats the previous year of 2,238.

Month by Month Review

  • January 2009
    • Biking irregularly due to weather and ice storm
    • First RCCS ride
    • Rode 277.8 miles
    • Average weight of 216.5 lbs
  • February 2009
    • Gave up the idea of living car-free in the near-term
    • I assumed (wrongly) that I’d hit my goal weight by August
    • Rode 263.3 miles
    • Average weight of 208.2 lbs
  • March 2009
    • I met Kristy
    • Rode 192.4 miles
    • Average weight of 204.6 lbs
  • April 2009
    • My car died – spent two weeks without one before buying my truck
    • Kristy and I were engaged
    • Kristy left the state for a few months
    • Rode 290.9 miles
    • Average weight of 206.6 lbs
  • May 2009
    • Rode the 60-mile Tour de Cure
    • Set a new weekly mileage record of 186.1
    • Rode 452.0 miles
    • Average weight of 203.3 lbs
  • June 2009
    • Weight was under 200 lbs for a while
    • Set a new weekly mileage record of 201.9
    • Rode 542.2 miles
    • Average weight of 202.0 lbs
  • July 2009
    • Kristy came home
    • Went to West Virginia with Kristy to meet some of her family
    • Rode 371.3 miles
    • Average weight of 201.8 lbs
  • August 2009
    • Managed a 20-mile ride in Michigan while traveling
    • Almost sold my recumbent
    • Business trip to San Antonio – Too much good food
    • My daughter came to live with me
    • Rode 199.6 miles
    • Average weight of 208.4 lbs
  • September 2009
    • I married Kristy in Florida – managed to bring bikes and get in some riding too
    • Finished The Ride to Conquer Cancer – I enjoyed the achievement, but I’m not really sure I want to spend the (fund-raising) time to do another charity ride
    • Rode 298.9 miles
    • Average weight of 212.4 lbs
  • October 2009
    • Kristy left again for work
    • Rode 436.1 miles
    • Average weight of 209.7 lbs
  • November 2009
    • Went mountain biking for the first time
    • Rode 443.9 miles
    • Average weight of 209.8 lbs
  • December 2009
    • Kristy came home
    • Spent Christmas in West Virginia
    • Kristy left again
    • I’m gaining weight again, it’s going to take work to get back down
    • Rode 91.6 miles – holy crap!  what happened here?
    • Average weight of 215.2 lbs – wow back to January weight

Overall

I’m happy with what I’ve done for the year.  I met a wonderful woman, fell in love, and got married.  Looking back at my posts from the past year, many of them seem rather negative.  I guess it’s easy to focus on the times when things aren’t going as planned.  Things usually don’t go as planned, but work out alright anyway.

That doesn’t mean I give myself a pass on not losing the weight and keeping it off.  I very much intend to achieve my goal weight of 175 lbs, and stay there.  I’m hoping I can do it before December of next year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Settling In

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Kristy, my shiny new wife, has moved in.  Her job has transferred, and we can even do some car-pooling.

We’ve still got of stuff to move from her old apartment, but we’re getting to it.  Although we’re probably still going out to eat too often, we are splitting meals now which is better for the wallet and the gut.

I’ve worked three days this week.  On Wednesday I drove to work.  Thursday and Friday (today) I rode the bike into work, but Kristy picks me up after work.  That seems to work out well.

I’ve been riding Nermal.  Oria needs some work on the wheels, and should probably have the bearings cleaned and regreased after the sand and saltwater spray in Florida.

I am disappointed with my weight.  I’ve been above 210 lbs all of this month, and part of last.  I had been down below 198 as recently as July.

Kristy is supportive of my weight loss and bike riding.  She kicked me out of bed this morning so that I had time to ride.  I love her for that.  :)

Oh No, Yo Yo

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This year has not been good for my weight loss.  I haven’t been weighing regularly recently, and I’ve been eating poorly too often.  I stepped on the scale this morning, and was horrified to see the scale at 215.0 lbs.

215 lbs is about what I weighed back in January.  I’m going to have to really push hard to get back under 200 lbs by the end of the year.  I’m going to Florida in less than a week.  I have another conference to attend in October in St. Louis.  I need to learn better eating habits when travelling.

For now, I’m back at home, and will be back on the bike.  I’ve got some good food around the house, and need to watch how much of it I eat.

Weekly Average Weight for July 18, 2009

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My average weight for the week ending 7/18/2009:
204.2 lbs

Up from last week:
5.0 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
92.2 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
4.42 lbs

Weight until goal:
29.2 lbs

Blah.  I gained 5 pounds in a week.  It’s true I haven’t been as careful with my eating.  I expected to gain a little, but not 5 pounds.

This next week will be a challenge.  I’ll be with Kristy and traveling.  I’ll need to have a little more self-control.

Month in Review – June 2009

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On the heels of my record bike-miles week, I set a new record for the month also.

Month Bike Car
01-2009 277.8 678.0
02-2009 263.0 768.0
03-2009 192.4 1,995.0
04-2009 290.9 1,550.0
05-2009 452.0 1,087.0
06-2009 542.2 1,835.0

My car mileage is up, but I made a trip to Michigan, and two trips to the Danville area.  I didn’t track my bike mileage monthly until this year, and I believe I rode about 500 miles in August of last year, but at 542.2 miles, I’m calling June 2009 a record.

chart-month-2009-06My average weight for the month was 202.0 lbs.  I have been struggling with my weight recently, but I think the last month or so has been due to building muscle mass from more bike riding and weight lifting.

After over riding over 80 miles last weekend, I’m riding full commutes to work this week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  On Tuesday and Thursday, I’m doing a partial commute, and my weight training.  The commuting alone should bring me to 120 miles per week.

Busy Weekend

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DSCF3103I intended to complete two things on Saturday.  #1 Go for a 35-mile solo ride.  #2 Mow the lawn. 

I started out a nice ride, and ran across three young (and friendly) dogs.  I had to stop to avoid hitting them.  They were quite playful, and didn’t want to let me go.  When I finally did get away, I later noticed that one of them had punctured one of my water bottles, and it had drained.  I shortened the ride to 23 miles to avoid dehydration.

I damaged my mower while mowing the lawn, and won’t be finishing that until next weekend.

Sunday was much better.  I met up with Tim for a 61-mile ride leaving from Sellersburg.  We had advertised it as a RCCS ride, but it was last minute and no one else attended.

After the ride, my daughter and I went swimming at Hardy Lake.  It was a nice way to relax after a bike ride.

I set a new record on bike miles for a week.  My previous record was 186.1, my new record is 201.9.  I’m on track to make June 2009 a record month for miles also.  It’ll probably end up around 560 miles.

I’m not doing my normal “weekly average weight post”, but my weight is down a bit.  My weight seems to just be bouncing around at around 200 lbs.  I eat decently and ride quite a bit, but I could stand to improve both.  It may be that I won’t ever reach my 175 lb goal, but I will keep trying.

Weekly Average Weight for June 20, 2009

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My average weight for the week ending 6/20/2009:
203.7 lbs

Down from last week:
0.5 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
92.7 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
4.65 lbs

Weight until goal:
28.7 lbs

The up-and-down at just around 200 lbs continues.

Weekly Average Weight for June 13, 2009

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My average weight for the week ending 6/13/2009:
204.2 lbs

Up from last week:
4.5 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
92.2 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
4.68 lbs

Weight until goal:
29.2 lbs

Getting under 200 lbs was a challenge, but I did it.  Staying under 200 is harder.  Hopefully my diet changes I talked about in my last post will help here.

Weekly Average Weight for June 6, 2009

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My average weight for the week ending 6/6/2009:
199.7 lbs

Down from last week:
1.8 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
96.7 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
4.97 lbs

Weight until goal:
24.7 lbs

I had pizza and beer yesterday.  I had beer today, and 800 calories worth of ice cream.  I haven’t ridden many miles this week, yet I lost weight (until today).  I am happy to have my weekly average under 200 lbs though.

This blog has been rather quiet recently.  I really haven’t been doing much that I can write about.  Everything is going rather well in my personal life (I just wish Kristy would be home sooner).

I have an interesting bike-related adventure going on tomorrow.  I’ll have a camera with me.  Stay tuned.

Monthly Update – May 2009

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Weight

chartmonthly200905My average monthly weight was 203.3 lbs, or a loss of 3.3 lbs from April.  I’ve made up for April’s gain, and then some.  My daily weight has dropped below 200 lbs for three days in a row.

Mileage

Month Bike Car
01-2009 277.8 678.0
02-2009 263.0 768.0
03-2009 192.4 1,995.0
04-2009 290.9 1,550.0
05-2009 452.0 1,087.0

May mileage is improved.  I’m driving less and riding more.  I wasn’t tracking mileage by month last year, but May 2009 could be the most miles in a month for me.

Health

It turns out I have arthritis in my right shoulder.  I probably injured it years ago, and just don’t remember it.  Most of the medication I have been given for it didn’t do much, and had side effects, so I’m no longer taking medication for it.  I have been doing strength training for my upper body with a personal trainer.  This has been helping my shoulder, and is good for the general fitness also.

Personal

kristyKristy is still too far away.  I’ve been focusing on bikes, cooking, and diet to keep the loneliness away.  Kristy sent a picture, and gave me permission to post this one.  :)

I’ve been recruiting some co-workers to go on a bike ride during lunch.  Several people keep a bike at work, and we ride along the riverwalk during lunch.  We ride slow, and it’s not a long ride, but it helps break the day up and clear the mind.

Weekly Average Weight for May 30, 2009

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My average weight for the week ending 5/30/2009:
201.5 lbs

Down from last week:
2.0 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
94.9 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
4.93 lbs

Weight until goal:
26.5 lbs

My last two weigh-ins have been just under 200 lbs.  My weight will probably pop back above 200 lbs for a day or two, but I’m comfortable saying that my next weekly average, and my June monthly average will be under 200.

I’ve done this by eating very light on days that I don’t ride my bike, and eating more food on days that I do.  I’ve ridden a little over 100 miles for the week so far, and still have two more days to ride if I want.

200 – Just a Number

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The scale read 200.0 this morning.  That’s the lowest yet, but I’m only a few pounds lighter than I was in February.

I’ve been waiting for the day that my weight is under 200 lbs, and it’s not quite here yet.  Why an arbitrary number like 200?  It means little.  Even my goal weight of 175 is just an arbitrary number.

We all need goals, and 175 is my goal.  Nice round numbers along the way are signs of progress.  So I’ll take my 200.

Weekly Bike Mileage Record

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I set a new personal record for miles ridden in one week.  I ended the week today with 186.1 miles.  That tops my previous record of 176.8 miles back in August of last year.

I did the miles in four days.  The other three days I did no riding.

  • Monday: Commuting – 33 miles
  • Friday: Commuting and ride to Seneca Park – 47 miles
  • Saturday: Tour de Cure – 60 miles
  • Sunday: Ride with Tim, and my first LBC ride – total of 46 miles

Tim wants more miles, and knows I want more miles, so he arranged the beautiful ride from Iroquois Park to southwest of Louisville.  Once we got off the main roads, the ride was quite nice, if a bit hillier than I bargained for.

After some food and a short rest, I met up with Louisville Bicycle Club “ice cream ride” in Jeffersonville.  The ride goes up to Utica and back, then we have ice cream.  What could be better?

The LBC ride was notable for having four ‘bents (including Tom), so I was in good company.

Weekly Average Weight for May 16, 2009

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My average weight for the week ending 5/16/2009:
205.0 lbs

Up from last week:
1.3 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
91.4 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
4.87 lbs

Weight until goal:
30.0 lbs

My weight doesn’t seem to want to drop.  It just fluctuates between 203 and 207.  I could be in a muscle-building stage right now.  I am pushing myself harder on the bike, and doing some weightlifting.

I just need to keep working at it, and see what happens.