The Kazoo Spartan

Wed, Mar 24, 2010 - 11.34 mi [Cycling]

2010-03-24T18:56:00.001-04:00

Wed, Mar 24, 2010 - 11.34 mi [Cycling]
11.34 mi in 00:45:26 hours at 14.98 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Nice ride. Just a little chilly Cramped up on a climb too.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Tue, Mar 9, 2010 - 11.23 mi [Cycling]

2010-03-09T13:04:00.001-05:00

Tue, Mar 9, 2010 - 11.23 mi [Cycling]
11.23 mi in 00:53:02 hours at 12.71 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] 1st ride of the year. Lots of cramps. Good ride though.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Rhio Scholarship Essay

2009-11-09T22:01:00.003-05:00

This essay is for the Rhio Scholarship 2009.

Life sometimes has a very unique way of presenting subjects or challenges to you. I find myself seeking scholarships and financial aid for school now that I am nearly 40yrs old. I thought after a little college 10yrs of marriage and 4 kids I was well beyond the school thing. After being of of many people who have recently been downsized or laid off, I needed to return to school. The other happenstance here is the fact that my mother in law passed away in December of 2008 from breast cancer. Then I came across this scholarship.

Tommie, my mother-in-law, was diagnosed in March of 2006 with Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She had not gotten regular checkups, was a lifelong smoker, had taken hormonal replacement therapy, and most importantly ignored and hid all of the obvious warning signs of her condition. Things were not looking good at all. She was told that these things can never be predicted exactly, but she has between 3 and 6 months to live. They could start some therapies for her, but she had better get her affairs in order because she was not going to beat this. Of course this came as a huge shock to all of her family. The cancer was one thing. She also had to deal with the guilt and shame of not seeking help or treatment much earlier. With a very strong support network of family and friends around her she decided that now was the time to throw everything she had at this disease. Her husband Bob is one of the strongest men I know. Never, ever did he look at her and ask why? He was supportive of her from day one. Looking forward and not backward was the key to her fighting. Tommie was able to live a very good life for much longer than any of us ever expected. Only in the final two months of her life did the quality of her day to day health suffer. She was able to golf, travel and spend time with family pretty much until the end. We all miss her very much, but are very thankful that we had the time that we did.

Rhio O’Connor believed strongly in the importance of educating current and future

leaders about the value of “thinking outside the box” when it came to the cause of cancer

and its rational treatment. To read about his story please visit the Surviving Mesothelioma website. Rhio's story sounds so much like my Tommie's. Not in the details of course, but in the spirit that they both had when they found out they were sick. Neither one hoped for anything else except for complete healing. Going into a battle with a demon like cancer and praying for anything less than complete healing is like a football team saying, "gee, I hope we score 14 points today, that should be enough to win." You cannot fight for anything without putting all your heart and soul into it.

Rhio took his fight one step farther. While respecting and listening to his doctors, he took it upon himself to be his own "general contractor". No one other than the patient has their interest more in mind. Like Rhio, I would take everything to the extreme. If I was looking at a particular treatment, I would find all of the information on it I could. Rhio did not have the benefit of a strong Internet when he got sick. Today you can find just about anything on the Internet. That is where I would start. I would find out which hospitals and professionals are the top in that field. I would then go directly to them. The next thing I would do would be to rally as many of my closest friends, classmates and church members as I could. The wonderful thing about friends is they are better than any Internet search could ever be. Too many people curl up and go away when they get sick. They don't want to seem like a burden or seem like they are looking for sympathy. I could care less about the sympathy part, but if my life is on the line I want all the help I can get.

Communication may be the strongest medicine we can administer to ourselves in the time of crisis. Being fulling informed does not mean just asking your doctors questions. It means finding information on your own. It means making those connections that will change the course of your treatments for the better.

A friend of mine was in a car accident 5yrs ago. His small pick up truck was struck broadside at 60mph. He rolled an estimated 5 times into a telephone pole which fell upon the upside down cab of the truck. The rescue crews did not believe he was alive because of the lack of space in the cab area. His wife was told to meet the helicopter at the pad at the hospital to say goodbye. He was paralyzed so badly that he had to be on a ventilator for almost 6 months. Through his persistence, faith and his wife's devotion he is now wheeling himself around in a wheel chair. His wife found treatments that have made significant progress in his recovery. His father-in-law started a web site that mainly provided updates on treatments and allowed friends and family to post prayers and well wishes. Through information received on this site they got some direction and inspiration for some specific new treatments. They are going to Russia every 6 months for stem cell treatments. It is not covered by their insurance or endorsed by his doctors here in the states, but through diligent research and prayer they decided to give it a chance. The results have been amazing. Their goal is for him to walk one day. Based upon his determination and progress so far I believe he will.

That is the type of determination and ingenuity that I hope to be able to exhibit if I myself or one of my family members is diagnosed with cancer. I would engage everyone I knew and let them know I will need their help with my illness and support. Cancer has touched so many lives. Just about everyone has someone who has suffered. That community knowledge base can be more valuable than any electronic search engine.

If you want more information on mesothelioma please visit http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com/.

Mon, Oct 5, 2009 - 11.55 mi [Cycling]

2009-10-05T11:42:00.001-04:00

Mon, Oct 5, 2009 - 11.55 mi [Cycling]
11.55 mi in 00:45:36 hours at 15.20 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] COLD! Had to bundle up again, but I wanted to get out bc it is not raining.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Fri, Sep 25, 2009 - 11.45 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-25T10:06:00.001-04:00

Fri, Sep 25, 2009 - 11.45 mi [Cycling]
11.45 mi in 00:45:26 hours at 15.12 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. Getting a little chilly. Hopefully I can get in 6 more rides this year.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Wed, Sep 23, 2009 - 11.36 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-23T12:40:00.001-04:00

Wed, Sep 23, 2009 - 11.36 mi [Cycling]
11.36 mi in 00:43:34 hours at 15.64 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. Starting to get a little chilly. Might get cold next week. Want to get in a few more rides this week bc of the change coming.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sun, Sep 20, 2009 - 12.43 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-20T18:54:00.001-04:00

Sun, Sep 20, 2009 - 12.43 mi [Cycling]
12.43 mi in 00:55:35 hours at 13.42 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Kinda sick. Just wanted to get my hr up a little. Easy ride down to Best Buy and then back home.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 - 11.59 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-18T12:09:00.001-04:00

Fri, Sep 18, 2009 - 11.59 mi [Cycling]
11.59 mi in 00:44:16 hours at 15.71 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. Good cadence. A little wind, but otherwise perfect weather.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Mon, Sep 14, 2009 - 11.47 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-14T12:01:00.001-04:00

Mon, Sep 14, 2009 - 11.47 mi [Cycling]
11.47 mi in 00:44:57 hours at 15.31 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. Awesome weather. Need to work on foot placement to minimize soreness.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sun, Sep 13, 2009 - 6.37 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-13T11:18:00.001-04:00

Sun, Sep 13, 2009 - 6.37 mi [Cycling]
6.37 mi in 00:25:00 hours at 15.29 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Just a quick maintenance ride. Riding tomorrow too.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Fri, Sep 11, 2009 - 11.39 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-11T11:54:00.001-04:00

Fri, Sep 11, 2009 - 11.39 mi [Cycling]
11.39 mi in 00:44:46 hours at 15.27 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. Not much sleep last night, but I needed to keep up my pace.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Wed, Sep 9, 2009 - 11.43 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-09T10:51:00.001-04:00

Wed, Sep 9, 2009 - 11.43 mi [Cycling]
11.43 mi in 00:44:46 hours at 15.32 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. A little humid. Just rained last night. Cool but humid.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Mon, Sep 7, 2009 - 13.48 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-07T12:22:00.001-04:00

Mon, Sep 7, 2009 - 13.48 mi [Cycling]
13.48 mi in 00:52:33 hours at 15.39 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. Went a little farther than normal. I might just start doing the 13.5 on a regular basis. It only adds 10min.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Back to School (Again)

2009-09-06T14:02:00.005-04:00

Back to school time has a different meaning for me now. Not only are the kids heading back, but I am starting classes again.
I have completed my EMT-Basic classes over the summer and have passed my National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians(NREMT) EMT-B Exam. I am waiting for my State of Michigan License to come through so I can get a job as a Basic EMT. Here in Kalamazoo County the ambulance services hire a few EMT-B's, but all of the trucks in Kalamazoo, Portage and the immediate surrounding areas usually require a EMT-Paramedic to be on board. That is why I am starting my Paramedic classes on Tuesday. Of course the pay is better too. The EMT-P classes start Tues and go thru next fall. Then I will have to pass a NREMT EMT-P computer based exam and then a EMT-P practical skills exam.
Nate, Madi and Cort all started classes last week. Madi and Nate started classes at a new school. Kalamazoo Christian East Elementary closed last year due to declining enrollment. The district was forced to consolidate all the elementary students into one building. Since the West Elementary campus is much newer and had the most students they decided to put all of the students at that campus. They are adjusting well.
Cort is starting her Junior year at KCHS. She is probably the least thrilled of all to start school again. This year will be pivotal for her. Schools look at this years GPA to determine admissions and scholarships. They cannot wait for Sr year classes to end to finalize those decisions.
Niki is starting K at a new school also. We chose to send him to a new school because the teacher was recommended to us. Hopefully the new school, full days and a new teacher will be a painless adjustment for him.

Sat, Sep 5, 2009 - 11.50 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-06T09:04:00.001-04:00

Sat, Sep 5, 2009 - 11.50 mi [Cycling]
11.50 mi in 00:45:46 hours at 15.08 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very good ride. The weather has been fantastic!
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Thu, Sep 3, 2009 - 11.48 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-03T13:42:00.001-04:00

Thu, Sep 3, 2009 - 11.48 mi [Cycling]
11.48 mi in 00:44:26 hours at 15.50 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. Just blowing off some energy while waiting for my test results.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Wed, Sep 2, 2009 - 12.39 mi [Cycling]

2009-09-02T13:16:00.001-04:00

Wed, Sep 2, 2009 - 12.39 mi [Cycling]
12.39 mi in 00:48:36 hours at 15.30 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. Great weather. Had to take a break from studying.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sat, Aug 22, 2009 - 11.61 mi [Cycling]

2009-08-22T15:04:00.001-04:00

Sat, Aug 22, 2009 - 11.61 mi [Cycling]
11.61 mi in 00:46:06 hours at 15.11 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Weather is kinda crappy. Good ride though
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sat, Aug 15, 2009 - 11.53 mi [Cycling]

2009-08-15T08:50:00.001-04:00

Sat, Aug 15, 2009 - 11.53 mi [Cycling]
11.53 mi in 00:42:05 hours at 16.44 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. Little wind. Great cadence. Awesome
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Fri, Aug 7, 2009 - 7.15 mi [Cycling]

2009-08-07T08:50:00.001-04:00

Fri, Aug 7, 2009 - 7.15 mi [Cycling]
7.15 mi in 00:29:00 hours at 14.79 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Not a good ride at all. Weather was perfect. A little cool, no wind. Did not get enough sleep last night and just had no energy today, but had to get something in before the weekend. Weather is supposed to be crappy.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sun, Aug 2, 2009 - 11.39 mi [Cycling]

2009-08-02T11:45:00.001-04:00

Sun, Aug 2, 2009 - 11.39 mi [Cycling]
11.39 mi in 00:44:26 hours at 15.38 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Windy. Good start to the ride, then bonked. Not sure why. Wind? Sleep? Diet? The last 5 miles really sucked!
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sat, Aug 1, 2009 - 11.93 mi [Cycling]

2009-08-01T10:36:00.001-04:00

Sat, Aug 1, 2009 - 11.93 mi [Cycling]
11.93 mi in 00:45:26 hours at 15.75 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. A little windy, plus the trail is broken up in a couple of places.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Fri, Jul 31, 2009 - 6.39 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-31T13:09:00.001-04:00

Fri, Jul 31, 2009 - 6.39 mi [Cycling]
6.39 mi in 00:25:00 hours at 15.34 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Still having tire issues. Did I mention I had presta valves?
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Fri, Jul 24, 2009 - 10.58 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-24T14:11:00.001-04:00

Fri, Jul 24, 2009 - 10.58 mi [Cycling]
10.58 mi in 00:42:00 hours at 15.11 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Flat tire.Windy. Generally a pretty crappy ride.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sun, Jul 19, 2009 - 11.79 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-19T08:56:00.001-04:00

Sun, Jul 19, 2009 - 11.79 mi [Cycling]
11.79 mi in 00:43:35 hours at 16.23 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good not great ride. A little chilly for the dead middle of summer. 51 when I went out @ 6am!
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Thu, Jul 16, 2009 - 11.45 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-17T06:12:00.001-04:00

Thu, Jul 16, 2009 - 11.45 mi [Cycling]
11.45 mi in 00:43:30 hours at 15.79 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great morning ride. These school mornings kinda leave the time short. Have to try to get up that 10 minutes earlier so I don't have to rush as much.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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What's goin on?

2009-07-16T20:59:00.003-04:00

The short answer is a lot.

Robin is working a lot. Her company is in the midst of a merger. She is going thru a bunch of change over stuff involved with that.

The kids are all good. Nate is going to Detroit for the week, starting on Sat with an Air Show at Willow Run. Then he has a week of Fish Camp. I know he will have a blast.

Madi is doing well. I feel kinda bad for her because we did not have anything specifically scheduled for her this summer. She has been doing a lot of activities with friends.

Niki is talking up a storm and is using much more complete sentences. We still struggle with behavior issues with him. He is a great kid, but the challenges can be overwhelming for him and us at times.

Cort is having an up and down summer. She went to Orlando for a week earlier this summer. She spent a week in Chicago on a mission trip with her friends church. That was interesting, because she was without a cell phone for that time period. Somehow, she survived. She is working a little here and there. She is also driving and enjoying all the things that go along with that. Things like, putting gas in a car with your own money, paying for insurance, having dead batteries, following directions while you are driving, and the most fun of all...hitting mom's car in the driveway (very minor damage, and no injuries). Now one of her best friends is not going to be in the same school next year.

Me? I am cycling as much as I can fit in and trying to be a stay at home, going to school dad. School is going well, but it seems like I am constantly studying for Anatomy. EMT class is going well. I seem to be picking things up well enough. I am also getting ready to apply to a number of ambulance services as soon as I can. Once I get done with EMT class then I have to take the NREMT exam. Then it is off to Paramedic school for another year.

Fri, Jul 10, 2009 - 11.43 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-10T06:41:00.001-04:00

Fri, Jul 10, 2009 - 11.43 mi [Cycling]
11.43 mi in 00:41:58 hours at 16.34 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. Perfect weather. Good cadence. Could have done at least 5 more, but I have school this morning.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Wed, Jul 8, 2009 - 6.41 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-08T06:03:00.001-04:00

Wed, Jul 8, 2009 - 6.41 mi [Cycling]
6.41 mi in 00:24:05 hours at 15.97 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Short ride. Worked til 11pm last night, but wanted to get something in b/c wife is going to be away a couple days.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sun, Jul 5, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-05T09:15:00.001-04:00

Sun, Jul 5, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:45:13 hours at 15.78 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride, not great. Back to back days after not having ridden for a couple weeks. The other issue was all the deer on the bike path. Saw three within a 1 mile stretch.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sat, Jul 4, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-07-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

Sat, Jul 4, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:44:01 hours at 16.21 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride for not havign gone for almost two weeks. Wife and kids have been sick along with school. No sleep=no morning rides.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Wed, Jun 24, 2009 - 6.39 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-24T06:41:00.001-04:00

Wed, Jun 24, 2009 - 6.39 mi [Cycling]
6.39 mi in 00:23:15 hours at 16.49 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very short ride. Have a long day today. Also rode yesterday, but weather is supposed to be bad Thurs AM so I needed to get something in today.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Tue, Jun 23, 2009 - 15.63 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-23T09:48:00.001-04:00

Tue, Jun 23, 2009 - 15.63 mi [Cycling]
15.63 mi in 01:00:35 hours at 15.48 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. Went 11.9 today. Today was actually shorter because I crashed big time on Sat, but did not reset the odo or time. Had to replace the rear wheelset as it was badly bent. I only ended up with some bumps and bruises. FYI-Wood bridges are very slippery when wet.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Thu, Jun 18, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-18T07:05:00.001-04:00

Thu, Jun 18, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:41:55 hours at 17.02 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Nice morning ride, really tried to step up cadence. I think I did well. Results are beginning to show.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Tue, Jun 16, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-16T07:13:00.001-04:00

Tue, Jun 16, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:44:55 hours at 15.88 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Nice weather, no wind, felt great, need to work on cadence more, I think I can add miles and speed with better cadence.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Sat, Jun 13, 2009 - 18.59 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-13T10:52:00.001-04:00

Sat, Jun 13, 2009 - 18.59 mi [Cycling]
18.59 mi in 01:13:15 hours at 15.23 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Hilly and and the road was wet. Overall not bad for my first event.
Posted from My Cycling Log

RBC 17mi

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Tue, Jun 9, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-11T06:23:00.001-04:00

Tue, Jun 9, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:45:45 hours at 15.59 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] No rest. Race pace. Good ride
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Thu, Jun 11, 2009 - 9.27 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-11T06:22:00.001-04:00

Thu, Jun 11, 2009 - 9.27 mi [Cycling]
9.27 mi in 00:33:40 hours at 16.52 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] No rest. A little bit of sprinkles. Good ride overall.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Sat, Jun 6, 2009 - 17.50 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-06T10:16:00.001-04:00

Sat, Jun 6, 2009 - 17.50 mi [Cycling]
17.50 mi in 01:09:45 hours at 15.05 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Longer ride, race pace only stopped once at the 9mi mark. Getting ready for next Sat 17mi RBC event.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to Oakland Super 17

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Fri, Jun 5, 2009 - 7.37 mi [Cycling]

2009-06-06T10:15:00.001-04:00

Fri, Jun 5, 2009 - 7.37 mi [Cycling]
7.37 mi in 00:28:30 hours at 15.52 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Short ride to get legs stretched out again. Been cold in the mornings and windy. Also been studying for school a lot so little sleep. Great short ride though
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sun, May 31, 2009 - 4.94 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-31T09:12:00.001-04:00

Sun, May 31, 2009 - 4.94 mi [Cycling]
4.94 mi in 00:22:00 hours at 13.47 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very slow ride. Felt horrible. Decided to bag it rather than push things. It takes too long to recover from a heavy over do it ride especially when you don't feel well.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sat, May 30, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-30T10:28:00.001-04:00

Sat, May 30, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:45:15 hours at 15.77 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Great ride. No breaks. Getting ready for 1st event in two weeks. 17mi.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Mon, May 25, 2009 - 18.49 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-27T21:25:00.001-04:00

Mon, May 25, 2009 - 18.49 mi [Cycling]
18.49 mi in 01:14:15 hours at 14.94 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very hard ride, very windy, added an uphill portion that I did not expect either. The strongest winds were right at the uphill portion.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to Portage 18.5

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Sat, May 23, 2009 - 15.50 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-23T08:14:00.001-04:00

Sat, May 23, 2009 - 15.50 mi [Cycling]
15.50 mi in 01:01:10 hours at 15.20 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Hard ride. Lifted yesterday and did legs so today my legs were a little sore. Got going eventually, but not as well as I hoped. Monday will be a long fast ride.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage-Oakland-15

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Wed, May 20, 2009 - 10.49 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-20T06:33:00.001-04:00

Wed, May 20, 2009 - 10.49 mi [Cycling]
10.49 mi in 00:40:00 hours at 15.74 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] 1st early morning ride. Not bad. still stiff from lifting yesterday. Overall, I am satisfied.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Mon, May 18, 2009 - 15.85 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-18T10:54:00.001-04:00

Mon, May 18, 2009 - 15.85 mi [Cycling]
15.85 mi in 01:01:21 hours at 15.50 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride. A little chilly to start. Good finish. Could have gone longer, but did not want to push it.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage-Oakland-15

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Fri, May 15, 2009 - 11.43 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-15T11:07:00.001-04:00

Fri, May 15, 2009 - 11.43 mi [Cycling]
11.43 mi in 00:44:15 hours at 15.50 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Did some hill work. Need to add the clips. Feet slipping off pedals too much. I will have them before the next ride.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Wed, May 6, 2009 - 7.49 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-06T11:16:00.001-04:00

Wed, May 6, 2009 - 7.49 mi [Cycling]
7.49 mi in 00:28:30 hours at 15.77 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Short ride. It is going to rain over the next few days. Wanted to get one in before it rained.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Tue, May 5, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-05T10:34:00.001-04:00

Tue, May 5, 2009 - 11.89 mi [Cycling]
11.89 mi in 00:45:07 hours at 15.81 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Good ride on back to back days. Feel pretty good now. First ride in weeks without major wind.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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Mon, May 4, 2009 - 10.43 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-04T10:41:00.001-04:00

Mon, May 4, 2009 - 10.43 mi [Cycling]
10.43 mi in 00:40:36 hours at 15.41 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Windy Again! Not as bad as lst week, but twice as windy as forecast.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sat, May 2, 2009 - 19.33 mi [Cycling]

2009-05-02T20:23:00.001-04:00

Sat, May 2, 2009 - 19.33 mi [Cycling]
19.33 mi in 01:23:00 hours at 13.97 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very tough ride. Winds again were a problem, plus I lifted yesterday. THe out portion of this ride is very steep. I just could not get going very well. Winds were 20mph with gusts to 30. I am getting a little tire of these weather forecasts being so wrong on the wind.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwod to Westwood 11.9

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In Season Cycling Weight Training.

2009-05-01T15:42:00.004-04:00

I have started a new in season weight training program for cycling. With help from the Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Cycling by Robert G. Price, I have developed a routine I can do two days a week while cycling 3 to 4 days a week.

The idea is to build and maintain muscular endurance instead of muscle mass. I have nothing against muscle mass. I have definitely noticed an increase in my own since I began seriously training a year ago. My goals are different with this program though.

My cycling tends to be 45-90min. Distances can range from 8-25mi at a time. Especially when you get to the 12+mi range endurance becomes an issue. I am working on diet to help with some of the energy issues, but that can only get you so far. I am also looking into ways to increase my VO2 max or oxygen maximization. That comes mostly on the bike. I will post more on that later.

The chart below details the routine that I will be following. The differences compared a normal weight training program is the weight used and the number of reps. A good rule of thumb in normal weightlifting is to start with 80% of your one rep max. Then complete three sets of 8 reps. If you cannot do at least 6 reps the weight is too heavy. If 8 reps seems easy then the weight is too light. This muscle endurance training focus' on reps rather than weight. This compliments the cycling training.

My target for endurance will be 50-60% of my one rep max in 3 sets of 20. I have modified the recommended areas because the book suggests only one exercise per week for upper body. I also do this routine in a circuit training mode, which allows little overall rest, but allows individual muscles to recover a little. For example, they recommend dumbell bench presses one week and barbell bench presses for chest. That's it. I want to stay well rounded. Posted below is the chart:

(You can click to enlarge)

I will post back later on my progress.

Wed, Apr 29, 2009 - 10.41 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-29T11:16:00.001-04:00

Wed, Apr 29, 2009 - 10.41 mi [Cycling]
10.41 mi in 00:40:41 hours at 15.35 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Windy!! Head wind down and back! Winds are variable 15mph, gusts 25-30. Legs were tight and cold. Terrible ride overall.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Spring has sprung!

2009-04-28T13:58:00.003-04:00

Just a few family items worthy of updating:

Robin had her knee surgery last week. Praise God thinks went well. She is slowly recovering. Patience is not one of her gifts so that might be tough on her.
I am getting a chance to bike more often since the weather has broken. I purchased a used Schwinn Crisscross. It is a much lighter bike and I am learning more about biking and have increased my average speed quite a bit. 2mph may not seem like much, but over 45min that really adds up. I want to work up to 17mph avg by June. I am also getting the bug for a real road bike next summer.
School starts in a few weeks for me. It will be kinda weird getting back into that, but I am looking forward to attending.
Cort is working a lot. She is getting ready to take her driving test. She also has a busy summer planned.
Nate, Madi, and Niki are all doing very well in school. Niki is beginning to potty rain more and more.

Mon, Apr 27, 2009 - 11.88 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-27T10:15:00.001-04:00

Mon, Apr 27, 2009 - 11.88 mi [Cycling]
11.88 mi in 00:43:45 hours at 16.29 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very windy again. 20mph head wind going out with gusts to 30mph. Still very congested too. Coughing up a lot of phlem when I stop.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage 11.9

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Sat, Apr 25, 2009 - 15.52 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-25T11:11:00.001-04:00

Sat, Apr 25, 2009 - 15.52 mi [Cycling]
15.52 mi in 00:58:30 hours at 15.92 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Very windy 16mph steady gust 25-30. Still feeling the effects of my cold. chest congested. Gears still screwed up, but got a great cadence going once I cleared the hills.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage-Oakland-15

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Fri, Apr 24, 2009 - 7.92 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-24T10:44:00.001-04:00

Fri, Apr 24, 2009 - 7.92 mi [Cycling]
7.92 mi in 00:31:30 hours at 15.09 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Head cold. Stuffy, runny nose, chest congestion, cough. Loaded up on meds and had to get at least a short ride in today. Feel wasted, but I think tomorrow I will be fine.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sat, Apr 18, 2009 - 15.13 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-18T23:02:00.001-04:00

Sat, Apr 18, 2009 - 15.13 mi [Cycling]
15.13 mi in 00:59:30 hours at 15.26 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] Longest ride on the new Schwinn so far. 3rd ride in 3 days. Too much. I normally just ride back to back or at least have 1 day recovery. It was so nice today though. The new tires and lube on the chain seem to help. I was able to get a good cadence going eventually.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood-Portage-Oakland-15

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Fri, Apr 17, 2009 - 10.54 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-17T10:46:00.001-04:00

Fri, Apr 17, 2009 - 10.54 mi [Cycling]
10.54 mi in 00:40:04 hours at 15.78 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] 2nd ride on the CrissCross. Still need that rear tire and to fix the deraileurs. Got a better cadence going today than yesterday. Overall the best ride of the year so far.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to portage

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Thu, Apr 16, 2009 - 7.68 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-16T10:54:00.001-04:00

Thu, Apr 16, 2009 - 7.68 mi [Cycling]
7.68 mi in 00:32:10 hours at 14.33 mi/h on Schwinn CrissCross. [Cycling] 1st ride on new Schwinn. I need to get a new rear tire, adjust the rear derailleur, it keeps skipping over a gear. I also need to adjust the front. I cannot get it into high gear. Overall, just a short ride as I already lifted today. It is so nice outside though and I was anxious to ride the new bike.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sat, Apr 11, 2009 - 14.10 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-12T20:16:00.001-04:00

Sat, Apr 11, 2009 - 14.10 mi [Cycling]
14.10 mi in 00:58:30 hours at 14.46 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Kinda of an all over ride. I went to Zoo City Cycle, then down Kilgore to Oakland to Romence over to Breakaway Bicycles. I test rode a Trek there around the bike trail loop. I then took the Garden Lane entrance bike trail back up to Kilgore again. Then I went over to Portage Rd then back home.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Spring Break update

2009-04-09T12:30:00.003-04:00

Nothing too exciting going on here.

I just wanted to give a few personal and family updates.

I have decided to go back to school. I am going to train at KVCC to be a Paramedic. I am starting classes May 18th with a Biology class and an EMT class I need as prerequisites. The actual paramedic program starts in the Fall and goes thru the following summer. This time next fall I should be working as a paramedic with a local ambualnce service.
My wife twisted her knee back in February and tore the meniscus in her left knee. She is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery April 21st. She is very scared about having her knee scoped, but she is also in a great deal of pain. Hopefully this will provide her with some relief.
I was thinking about training for and competing in the Borgess 5k Run. It has been so long since I ran distances (about 22yrs). I have been biking seriously for about 4yrs, but running is such a different animal. Pounding on the joints, expending energy very quickly in large amounts. I might be able to add some running over the next 6mo and then try next year. My heart just is not in to the running right now.
I love biking though. I am planning on competing in the Starkerman Jr. Time Trial 20k on May 15th up in Gayord at TreeTops. I need to get my bike tuned up a little and me also before I tackle that one. There are a lot of hills and I need to get the brakes fixed on my bike first.
I have added on some weight recently. I am sure it is because of a number of factors. I am unemployed, so sitting at home all day leaves many foods open to tempation. I also am lifting more and doing less cardio than I was last summer. Once I get on the bike and start classes, I am sure the weight will come off quickly. I am 223 right now with a little more of a ponch than I had at the begining of the year. That also should come off quickly. I have added some new ab exercises to my routine and they will produce quick results.

Sat, Apr 4, 2009 - 12.11 mi [Cycling]

2009-04-04T16:34:00.001-04:00

Sat, Apr 4, 2009 - 12.11 mi [Cycling]
12.11 mi in 00:52:10 hours at 13.93 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Very windy!! Up to 25mph gusts. Of course most of that was on the way back.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to portage

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Sun, Mar 22, 2009 - 8.64 mi [Cycling]

2009-03-28T00:02:00.003-04:00

Sun, Mar 22, 2009 - 8.64 mi [Cycling]
8.64 mi in 00:36:45 hours at 14.11 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling]
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Thu, Mar 26, 2009 - 6.51 mi [Cycling]

2009-03-28T00:02:00.001-04:00

Thu, Mar 26, 2009 - 6.51 mi [Cycling]
6.51 mi in 00:25:10 hours at 15.52 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Over to KCEE and back
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood2KCroundtrip

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Keeping up hope.

2009-01-11T13:50:00.003-05:00

Due to the recent downturn in the auto industry, I was laid off last week. My wife's company is merging with another bank and causing some very nervous times in her department. My mother in law also pasted away just before Christmas.

I light of all these recent setbacks and sad times one could say that things look bleak and hope is hard to find. I teach Sunday School at our church and we are going through the Heidelberg Catechism as part of our curriculum. I was struck today by the question that we went over today.
Question #26: What do you believe when you say: I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and all that is in them, and who still upholds and governs them by His eternal counsel and providence, is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father. In Him I trust so completely as to have no doubt that He will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul, and will also turn to my good whatever adversity He sends me in this life of sorrow. He is able to do so as almighty God, and willing also as a faithful Father.
That line that says I trust in God so completely is so very true. I must trust in God that he will turn to my good whatever is sent my way. Funny how God shows you the way at the most unexpected times.

Christmas Blessings and mourning Tommie

2008-12-24T10:16:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Jesus' Birthday. This one I will remember for quite some time as my mother-in-law passed away last Wednesday night. She was only 60. Far too young to leave us, but we know God is taking care of her every need now. She has no more pain, suffering, guilt or worry. Today we are celebrating Tommie's life and remembering all that she meant to us. Tomorrow we will celebrate Christ's birth and remember all he means to us.

Tommie,

You always treated me like your own son. I feel so blessed that you and Dad were part of my life. I know one of the things you feared most was leaving your kids and grandkids behind. Please rest comfortably in the arms of The Lord and know that I will make sure Robin, Cort, Nate, Madi and Nick are safe, secure and happy. Niki may not seem like he will remember much of you, but I know he will carry the memories of you all of his life. He will remember Easter at Papa Nina's house and gathering Easter Eggs. He will remember watching the fireworks on your lawn sitting on Nina's lap.

Madi will remember playing dolls with Nina in the kid's bedroom. She will remember Nina always having something. She will remember Nina's candy dish. She won't remember Nina having to rush back up from the cafeteria when she was born, but we'll tell her that story.

Nate will remember Nina going to Grandparents Day at school. He will remember Nina's awesome gravy. He will remember Nina's false teeth and making him smile when she played with them.

Cort will remember Beanie Babies. She will remember spending weekends with Papa and Nina, something she still wants to do with Papa. She will remember Nina coming to school art shows, and music programs (even though Cort hated the clarinet).

Rest in Peace Nina/Mom/Tommie. We love you and miss you. We will meet you again in heaven. We will look after Dad too and make sure he knows that his family loves him and that he has great times ahead of him with his family and friends.

Christmas is a time of great joy and celebration. I am making it my goal to spread that Christmas joy over these next few days. I intend to surprise someone at random with a monetary gift. It will be small, but unexpected. I just want them to pass the feeling along to someone else. They will by telling the story to another. Try it sometime.

Prayer for tough times.

2008-12-04T09:53:00.005-05:00

I thought today would be a great day to offer several things up to God. I have found that allowing God to take the reigns in my life does wonders for the situation and my mental health. Some items I am thinking about right now are my mother-in-law who is sick with cancer and is worse today than she was two months ago. She is stabilizing, but not improving much at all. I am also thinking about the US Auto Industry and all of my family and friends that rely on the auto industry for their careers and income. This country would be devastated if GM, Chrysler or Ford disappeared. I am also concerned for our family friend Allison and her mother. Al's Gramma was diagnosed three months ago with incurable throat cancer. She went down pretty quickly the last month. Her husband was a diabetic and failed to take care of himself recently. On Monday he slipped into a diabetic coma in the morning, then his wife passed less than 12hrs later. One of my close friends is looking for work. Finally my coworker Linda has a daughter who is carrying a child which will be born with un-treatable birth defects that will result in the child dying during or shortly after birth. Like I said tough times and definitely time to turn to a higher power for advice and help.

Lord,
Please let your comforting hands come upon all the situations that I have mentioned above. Your wisdom, guidance and security are needed in tough situations. We rely on you for all our needs and turn to you for healing in these times. We know you are always shining your light of guidance, please direct us towards that light so that we may know what your will is. We know that there is also comfort in that light. We know in seemingly unbearable times you are sitting there right next to us. All we have to do is lean over and put our head on your shoulder for support. Help us to remember that and help us to look for those signs that you have given us. I pray that your will be done in your Son's most Holy name, Jesus Christ. Amen

Fitness Update

2008-11-13T14:51:00.003-05:00

Progress
Weighed in this morning at 219. I was as low as 211 in October, but this month has been sporadic for training and diet. My favorite diet tracking website www.nutritiondata.com changed the way that you can enter food tracking. Now it takes 5min to enter one meal. Way too much clicking for a 5 item entry. That has hurt me a little because the tracking is so critical to keeping my mind focused on how much and what I need to eat or not eat on a daily basis.

Morning Workouts
I have come to a conclusion with my morning workouts. Just Do It. I have a theory about the morning mind and the evening mind. The eveing mind is very rational, but just as lazy as the morning mind. Your evening mind rationalizes so many things that seem so important for you to get up early for and get done in the morning. When morning rolls around those things do not seem so important anymore. I have evidence now that I can use against myself for my morning workouts. I try to wake up by 4:30am so that I can be to the gym by 5am. That way I can get in 20min of stationary bike and 30-35min of circuit training weightlifting. I feel so much better when I do get a chance to workout in the mornings. I stand taller, have more energy, sleep better, etc.

Circuit Training
One of the most effective things to help me get in an effective weightlifing session is circuit training. Circuit training involves mixing sets of different muscle group workouts and cardio in the same session. I do my cardo workout first to help increase my metabolism and my heart rate to get ready to lift. The cardio workout varies from 10 to 30min with a 15min average. I then break into the different weightlifting sessions for the muscle groups I am working on. The circuit part comes into play when I finish one set of one exercise I switch to a different muscle group without taking anymore rest than it takes to get to the other machine. The following is an example of this mornings workout:

Bike 20mi
Sit ups 20 reps
Incline Bench - 8 reps - 90lbs
Sit ups 20 reps
Incline Bench - 8 reps - 110lbs
Sit ups 15 reps
Incline Bench - 8 reps - 130lbs
Side Bends - 9 reps - 110lbs.
Triceps pull downs - 10 reps 90lbs
Side Bends - 9 reps - 130lbs
Triceps pull downs - 8 reps 110lbs
Side Bends - 9 reps - 140lbs
Triceps pull downs - 8 reps 120lbs
Etc...

I also alternated ab crunch machine, chest fly machine and then finished off with iso bench. All done within 60 minutes from the start of the biking.

Thu, Nov 6, 2008 - 7.52 mi [Cycling]

2008-11-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

Thu, Nov 6, 2008 - 7.52 mi [Cycling]
7.52 mi in 00:31:30 hours at 14.32 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Last ride of the year?
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Wed, Nov 5, 2008 - 7.50 mi [Cycling]

2008-11-05T18:45:00.002-05:00

Wed, Nov 5, 2008 - 7.50 mi [Cycling]
7.50 mi in 00:32:00 hours at 14.06 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling]
Felt good to get out for a ride. Possibly the last of the year.

Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Redistribution of wealth

2008-10-16T08:58:00.002-04:00

Communism is a socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production and property in general.

I'm voting Democrat because...

2008-10-09T12:38:00.001-04:00

Nice spoof on some of the Obama supporters.

McCain/Palin 08!

2008-10-07T09:55:00.000-04:00

See latest stories on Yahoo! News

Barney!!

2008-10-07T09:48:00.001-04:00

As Fred Flinstone would say: BARNEY!!

Lawmaker Accused of Fannie Mae Conflict of Interest

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432501,00.html

How the whole mess started!

2008-09-30T15:49:00.005-04:00

This is a video of congressional hearings where Dems were touting the gains made in the "affordable" housing market and covering up the illegal accounting practices at Freddie and Fannie!

And this is the result of the Dem's misguided and foolish policies!

Bush Called For Reform of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac 17 Times in 2008 Alone... Dems Ignored Warnings

Wed, Sep 24, 2008 - 6.88 mi [Cycling]

2008-09-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

Wed, Sep 24, 2008 - 6.88 mi [Cycling]
6.88 mi in 00:33:00 hours at 12.51 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Round trip to Kalamazoo Christian and back
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood2KCroundtrip

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Back Home!

2008-09-22T11:10:00.004-04:00

I am back from my work trip to the F&I Conference in Las Vegas. I was really not sure what to expect. I am not a gambler, not a drinker and I like to get up early and go to bed early. Three things that do not work well with Vegas. I guess I had fun. Came back with down $80. Not bad overall. I was astounded with the scale of the hotels. Here are some pics. Not very good quality with the BB.

View Album

Get your own

I missed my kids and wife dearly also. Madi must have grown an inch. Nate surprised me on Saturday with his football play. Cort is doing awesome with VB and school. Niki was so happy to see me. I don't think he let go of me all weekend.

Niki is doing so well with his speech too. He stunned me yesterday when he approached me placed his elbows on the table and his head in his hands and said, "Daddy? You wanna play ball?" How could I say no! We played a little then we went to Lowe's to get the last of the wood I needed to finish off the porch.

Rebuilding the front porch.

2008-09-07T07:33:00.008-04:00

My father came over and was able to help me finish with the demo and get the main part of the front porch done. I still have to purchase one thing(lattice), but we were able to finish the entire project for $456. That includes demo and replacing the front plate on the house which had rotted.

View Album

Get your own

UPDATE: Sunday September 21, 2008.

Well it is done. I have some minor brackets to put on and I also need to add some weather proofing. I look at some of the work with a very critical eye and I notice some lines are off and some of the railings are leaning. Not sure what I could do about that. Overall it looks good.

Very rewarding project, but very taxing also.

Sat, Sep 6, 2008 - 8.49 mi [Cycling]

2008-09-06T21:54:00.001-04:00

Sat, Sep 6, 2008 - 8.49 mi [Cycling]
8.49 mi in 00:33:50 hours at 15.06 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Normal morning ride. Needed to get something in for the weekend. Also needed to stretch out legs after weightlifting yesterday.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Experience

2008-09-05T14:57:00.004-04:00

Since 1963.
President -------------- Highest Previous Job
Lyndon B Johnson----- Vice President
Richard M. Nixon- ---- Vice President
Gerald R Ford--------- Vice President
Jimmy E. Carter Jr. --- Governor of Georgia
Ronald W. Reagan ---- Governor of California
George HW Bush ------Vice President
William J Clinton ----- Governor of Arkansas
George W. Bush -------Governor of Texas

See a pattern?

I guess the American public value experience in their Presidents.

Hipocrisy

2008-09-03T13:51:00.001-04:00

"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another." ~William Shakespeare

I believe that the world will be blown away over the next few days by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The left is scrambling to find something to stick to her. The hypocrisy of the left is getting quite comical.

First, most of the drive by media was caught off guard by her selection as VP to Senator John McCain. I will be that well over 90% of even political reporters could not even name her as Gov of Alaska prior to Friday. Their next move was to say that she was unqualified. Never mind that Barak was forced to pick someone for his VP who has more foreign policy experience because he lacks that. Their answer for his lack of governance experience was that he is an outsider. Be careful with that one. Governor Palin has far more executive experience than Barak and can still be considered a Washington outsider more thatn anyone in the race. She also has more governance experience than anyone on the Dem or Republican ticket.

Second move was to degrade her as an unfit mother. This attack was and still is being launched in four phases. A Democratic led rumor said that Palin was covering for her teenage daughter by saying that her son Trig was hers when it was really the teens. How cruel and untrue! The second phase was to say that Palin was irresponsible to even attempt to have a child at the age of 40. Third was that she cannot be a good mother to her children especially Trig if she is elected. Finally the absolutely unbelievable attacks on her and her daughter over the pregnancy of the 17yr old. She is being vilified for allowing this to happen, for failing as a parent, for allowing her to marry the father of the child.

I have never talked with Sarah Palin and have never seen anything related to this but I can guarantee you that Gov Palin's priorities are as follows in order: God, family, country. After being a child of God she is first a mother then a wife, then an elected official. When their daughter came to them and told her parents that she was pregnant, I am sure that they told her they were disappointed. The very next thing they did was to be good parents to their kid that needed them now more than any other time in her life. They did not care about how it would look politically. They did not care what people in their small town would say. They simply wanted to help their kid and knew that a family as strong as theirs would be able to lean on each other with God's help to provide a safe pregnancy and support for their daughter and new grandchild.

The left for so long has espoused that a woman can do anything she wants. She can be a working mom, she does not need a man to complete her. Well, guess what a woman is going to be the next VP of the United States and liberals are trembling with fear.

Wed, Sep 3, 2008 - 8.59 mi [Cycling]

2008-09-03T08:17:00.001-04:00

Wed, Sep 3, 2008 - 8.59 mi [Cycling]
8.59 mi in 00:33:00 hours at 15.62 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Regular morning ride. Deer are on the move. Saw 6 this morning.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sat, Aug 30, 2008 - 12.73 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-30T18:39:00.001-04:00

Sat, Aug 30, 2008 - 12.73 mi [Cycling]
12.73 mi in 00:50:00 hours at 15.28 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Morning training ride. Very foggy and very tough on the nose bc of allergies.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Demoing the front porch.

2008-08-29T09:50:00.007-04:00

I will be posting a step by step photo essay of replacing my front porch. It will likely take place over the next two weeks.

Step one is taking down the old porch.

I started with a sledge hammer and got the flower box out of the way.

I tried to use the sledge hammer on the main part. That was proving to be much tougher.

From FrontPorch

I needed to get a jackhammer for the rest of the concrete.

Got the jackhamer and got the top box off.

From FrontPorch

I went to work on the rest of it and discovered that the box was hollow (thank God!).

From FrontPorch

This is what a jackhammer and 7hrs of work will get you.

From FrontPorch

Finished the demo and dug the footings.

Got the left and right footings poured and bolts installed.

From FrontPorchDemo

Next step replace the floor support and rotted sill plate.

Thu, Aug 28, 2008 - 12.10 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-28T13:41:00.001-04:00

Thu, Aug 28, 2008 - 12.10 mi [Cycling]
12.10 mi in 00:46:30 hours at 15.61 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Regular morning ride. Nice weather. Wish it was not so dark in the morning.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Tue, Aug 26, 2008 - 7.96 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-26T08:46:00.001-04:00

Tue, Aug 26, 2008 - 7.96 mi [Cycling]
7.96 mi in 00:32:01 hours at 14.92 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Another quick morning ride. Finding it hard to get back into the longer rides after taking a few days off last week. I felt good this morning. I have a limited amount of time in the mornings because school has started again.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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1st Day of School 2008

2008-08-25T08:33:00.001-04:00

The kids were really excited to go to school today.

Nick starts next Tuesday. I will post some pics for when he starts.

View Album

Get your own

http://picasaweb.google.com/wsm233/1stDayOfSchool2008

Fri, Aug 22, 2008 - 11.80 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-22T08:12:00.001-04:00

Fri, Aug 22, 2008 - 11.80 mi [Cycling]
11.80 mi in 00:46:00 hours at 15.39 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Another ride to get back in the swing of things. Tried to keep it simple and flat.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Thu, Aug 21, 2008 - 6.50 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-21T08:43:00.001-04:00

Thu, Aug 21, 2008 - 6.50 mi [Cycling]
6.50 mi in 00:25:00 hours at 15.60 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Just a quick morning ride. Had to get back on the bike after Sat 45miler. If the weather holds out I will do 15 on Fri.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Sat, Aug 16, 2008 - 44.49 mi [Cycling] South Haven to Kalamazoo! and the Beach!

2008-08-16T19:19:00.003-04:00

Sat, Aug 16, 2008 - 44.49 mi [Cycling]
44.49 mi in 03:03:00 hours at 14.59 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Tough ride. 1st time on Kal-Haven. Very nice trail. Kinda bonked @ 30mi mark. Last 3mi was hard. I'll do it again though!
Posted from My Cycling Log

Kal-Haven Trail

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Pics from the beach and NASCAR Race!

Wed, Aug 13, 2008 - 19.59 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-13T08:15:00.001-04:00

Wed, Aug 13, 2008 - 19.59 mi [Cycling]
19.59 mi in 01:13:00 hours at 16.10 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Good morning ride. i was able to stretch a 17mi ride to 19.5. Getting ready to ride 45 on Sat. Two days rest now.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to Portage 18.5

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Mon, Aug 11, 2008 - 7.57 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-11T08:11:00.001-04:00

Mon, Aug 11, 2008 - 7.57 mi [Cycling]
7.57 mi in 00:30:58 hours at 14.67 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Quick morning training ride. Wed will be a 20mi ride to get ready for Sat.
Posted from My Cycling Log

7mi MIwood-Portage

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Portage Bicentennial Park visit.

2008-08-10T09:49:00.003-04:00

The younger kids, Robin and I had fun. Here are some pics from the playground. If you look closely on the last pics there is a humming bird.

Sun, Aug 10, 2008 - 18.37 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-10T09:12:00.001-04:00

Sun, Aug 10, 2008 - 18.37 mi [Cycling]
18.37 mi in 01:16:42 hours at 14.37 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Tough ride. This route is very hilly. Last Sun I rode it and felt much better. I hope my ride this Sat is better. I will have to make sure I rest Wed -Sat and increase my calorie intake.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Westwood Kal-Haven Milwood

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Fri, Aug 8, 2008 - 17.57 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-08T08:23:00.002-04:00

Fri, Aug 8, 2008 - 17.57 mi [Cycling]
17.57 mi in 01:10:44 hours at 14.90 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] CRASH! Ran into another cyclist on the Portage bike path @ 5:30am. His light and my light were not very bright and I crossed into his lane. My fault. No major injuries or damage. Kinda puts a damper on the rest of the ride. UPDATE Fixed the light issue. I got a brighter 4 LED light on Sat. I is really cool. I can put it in 4 Steady, 2+2 Flashing or 4 flashing mode. It should be a big help!.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to portage

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Wed, Aug 6, 2008 - 18.63 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-06T08:19:00.001-04:00

Wed, Aug 6, 2008 - 18.63 mi [Cycling]
18.63 mi in 01:09:58 hours at 15.98 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling]
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to Portage 18.5

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Mon, Aug 4, 2008 - 11.72 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-04T08:11:00.001-04:00

Mon, Aug 4, 2008 - 11.72 mi [Cycling]
11.72 mi in 00:45:54 hours at 15.32 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Short morning ride. Got a late start so I had to keep it short.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to portage

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Sun, Aug 3, 2008 - 17.36 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-03T08:21:00.001-04:00

Sun, Aug 3, 2008 - 17.36 mi [Cycling]
17.36 mi in 01:11:35 hours at 14.55 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Hill work. Howard Street Hill and Westwood across 131 have some hills.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Westwood Kal-Haven Milwood

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Fri, Aug 1, 2008 - 17.23 mi [Cycling]

2008-08-01T11:35:00.001-04:00

Fri, Aug 1, 2008 - 17.23 mi [Cycling]
17.23 mi in 01:06:38 hours at 15.51 mi/h on Road Master Mountain. [Cycling] Felt good. could have done more if I had the time.
Posted from My Cycling Log

Milwood to portage

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