Motivation stays strong in some areas....

Lets face it:  When a guy has a few goals, some hit the mark and others seem to fall by the wayside.

And so it is with this guy. 

Goal number 1: Running the Clam Beach Run.

I been maintaining a regular gym attendance.  About 5 days out of the 7 day week.  Pretty darn good.  I have lost 6 pounds (I'm sure I could lose a little more were I to really alter my diet, but I end up so hungry after hitting the gym I just want to keep eating).  But my cardio level has gone way up.  I don't really pay attention to my heart rate when I am running the treadmill, but I do on the elliptical trainer.  My target heart rate is 149 for a cardio session, and I have to really work my self in order to get my heart level that high.  Further, I am currently doing a little over two miles on the treadmill.  On a 15 week training program, I am looking at being right on target for the 5 3/4 mile run on January 29th. 

Goal number 2:  Blogging:

I don't know why it is I can't seem to make time to sit down and hammer out a post.  Over the course of the last week I have started several entries, but to no avail.  They all seem to be swallowed up by the murky abyss that is a jumbly concoction of procrastination, writers block and sheer laziness. 

And of course, the time I feel most motivated to write anything is at work?  When, arguably, I should be doing other things. Weird.

So OK, there is the update as it stands.  Its not huge, but its progress.  And with that, I am happy.

I'll be hitting the elliptical trainer tomorrow morning before bed time, that should kick me up to nearly 10 miles in total distance this week so far. 

I can see the finish line now....

Weekend Update

Well, as is usually the case when a person goes a week and a half between posts, there is a certain amount of catching up to do.  And so it is, with a whole lot of pomp and circumstance, I will jump right into the meat of two different subjects.

Update Numero Uno:

About two or so years ago, I came to the conclusion it would be necessary to remove the deck from the back yard.  There was actually a two part post about this whole subject at the time I started the project.

You can refresh your memory of Part 1 and Part 2 by clicking the links respectively.

This last weekend, my father-in-law and I decided to tackle the project head on and get it finished.  In part 2 of the refresher coarse, you could see a pretty nicely laid out square, with a wooden border and gravel filling.  This was quite an undertaking at the time, and the half finished project was actually better looking than the deck itself.

Over the course of 2 and half years, though, it became rather unfinished looking.  But money and time kept getting in the way of progress.  But now, the money was there, and oddly enough so was the time.  And I had a willing helper there in the form of a father-in-law. 

The bulk of the project took the better part of three days.  A full yard of gravel and nearly 2 full yards of sand, and 167 12" x 12" paver stones.  And thus, we have the finished project.

Over all, I couldn't be much happier with the project.  Of course, as the guy who did the main bulk of the paver laying, I could sit and tell you all the little imperfections in the finished project.  But instead, I will tell you how much nicer the yard looks.  And, if you'll not the to BBQ's offset  from the side of the patio, I'll take a lot of the credit for.   I wanted my BBQ's on the new patio, but didn't want them taking up a lot of room on the patio itself.  So we made the simple addition.  And now, I can grill in comfort.  As time goes on, I plan to get some patio furniture and fire pit as well.

Its a welcome addition to our backyard, and a tremendous improvement. 

Update Numero Two:

The quest to complete a 5 3/4 run continues.  My plan of action seems to be on track at the moment, and after this week (of about 2 miles at a shot on the treadmill) I'll be upping the distance to about 2.5 miles at a shot.  I can see the finish line now.  Its a little far off, but its completely attainable.  

More to come in the near future. 

Ankle pain, I scoff at thee; or, How I got motivated to actually run a race.

I'm beginning to feel a bit like a broken record.

"I want to blog."  "I want to revitalize my blogging."  "I wan to do this... I want to do that...."  The worst part about this habitual complaining, which is promptly followed by absolutely zero followthrough, is it has slowly affected other portions of my life as well.

My prime example, and general focus of my posting here, is my gym membership.  I have had a Cal-Courts membership for over 3 years now.  There was a time, at the very beginning, where I was a regular attender.  And in the space of about 2 months, I had whipped myself into the what was arguably the best shape I have ever been.

But of course, as with anything that actually requires commitment and follow though, its so blasted easy to skip a day here and there.  And once you start down that path, you get to where I am.  I am no longer in a state of fitness.  I am in a state of Un-Fitness.

Yes I know, that's not really a word.  But it is certainly a state of mind and overall well being.  Lets rewind the clock about 20 years, shall we?

Afflicted with habitually sore ankles, at the ripe age of 12  I found myself undergoing major surgery on both ankles.  The Doc, who mumbled a lot and had the bedside manner of a Troll with a bad case Giardia, was actually a brilliant surgeon.  Even still, his prognosis for continued happiness when it came to my ankles was bleak.

"You'll be looking at ankle fusion at the age of 20," he mumbled.   And so it was I mentally limited myself in all things strenuous.  I couldn't possible do cross county with all my friends.  That would hurt my ankles.  I couldn't possible run in track, that would hurt my ankles.  I couldn't possibly do many things in life that boys the age 12 and 13 should be doing because I wouldn't want to hurt my ankles. 

Really?  That was my excuse for being a completely lazy teenager?  What a joke. 

Now, at the ripe age of 34, I seem to be suffering from a bad case of Motivation.  I want to go to the gym.  I want to be active, and I want to do some of the things I have always told myself (for some stupid reason) I could not do.

So its back to the gym I go.  This time, however, its not just a half assed attempt at being a little more active.  Remember, I've got Motivation.  So I actually have a plan.  Yes, a plan.  And as part of my plan, I have a goal.  Something to strive for at the end of a finite time.  A simple and yet realistic and totally attainable goal.

First, the Goal.  After all, its the goal that determines the plan, right?  What is one thing I have always held myself back from doing? Running.  And what, around here, and all over California, do people do all throughout the year?  They run races.  So I got online and started looking around.  There are two main runs here on the Lost Coast. 

The Foggy Bottom Milk Run, which is in March.  After a little consideration, I decided this was too far in advance.  I needed something closer and more attainable. 

And so it was I decided to run in the Clam Beach Run.

Every year, in January, hundreds of people gather to run from the city of Trinidad, down Scenic Drive, and then to Clam Beach, ending at Strawberry Creek.  Its cold, its wet, and people look like they are having one heck of a good time.  This is an attainable goal.  The CBR is broken into three run lengths: 3 miles, 5 3/4 miles, and 8 3/4 miles. 

And so it is I chose to make the 5 3/4 mile run my goal.  And now, a plan.

First off, register for the race as soon as possible.  My logic here: although the entry cost is only $18, any money spent will bestow a certain amount of obligation to see matters through. 

Second, a training regimen that will prepare me for the run.  I have about 15 weeks to get myself ready.  And so it is I am back to the gym.  I found a 9 week training schedule for the purposes of preparing a complete couch potato (like me) to run 3 miles (or what is typically known as a 5K).  With a little imagination, I was able to extend this program out to have me running 5 miles within the required time, which at the start of this plan was 15 weeks. 

Three days a week I'll be running the training program and working an easy weight lifting regime.  This, in and of itself, should have me in a general state of Fitness (not Un-Fitness) in about 2 months.  On the off days, I'll be using the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes of solid cardio training.

I have a note book with my schedule in it, and I'm tracking my progress on a daily basis. 

And finally, in order to cement the idea in stone, I called my pops, who has been an avid runner for as long as I can possibly remember.  Both he and mom, a couple of fitness junkies, are both in for the challenge.  And besides, something like this should be done in a group.  It should make it far more enjoyable. 

And so it is I'm setting out to do something I have never done before.  At any time in my life, I think the farthest I have run in one stint is about 2 miles.  So I am looking to up that by 3 1/4.  Not too shabby.  I have to admit, I feel a little sill about the whole thing.  After all, I'm 34.  I should be in better shape than I am now.  I shouldn't have waited all this time to actually do something like this.  On the flip side, there is a first time for everything.  And you have to start somewhere. 

And so it is, with all the gusto I can muster, I'll be going to the gym.  A lot.  But I have the support of my wife, and the support of family, and even some friends. 

How can this go wrong? 

More to come later....

I procrastinate the heck out of everything.

Three things: One, I love camping. Two, I actually enjoy the chore of preparing for a camping trip. And three, I am a horrible procrastinator.

Lets break things down, one by one, shall we?

1. I love camping:

Ever since I was a little child, even as far back as I can remember, we have been a camping family. As a child I have fond memories of racing our bikes around the loop at Fallen Leaf Lake, or hiking to the crater at Mt. Lassen, driving for hours on end as we made our way into Canada in order to do genealogy projects, or just taking a road trip across the salt flats on the way to Utah to see relatives who live in Holiday.

Back then, we didn’t have DVD players in cars and we didn’t have iPods. We drove station wagons, and our entertainment came from each other, from the use of the CB Radio (which we always had when traveling in a family caravan). And if all else failed, we always had books (What? Reading? What is that?). So for hours on end (and if you have ever driven across Nevada on Interstate 80, you know there is almost nothing to see there; once you get to Utah and salt flats start, there is even less to see). But as a whole, I don’t remember complaining too much about being bored when traveling. Once we reached our destination, tents were made, fires were lit, bikes were ridden, and lakes and streams were swum in. And once things settled down, we sat around the campfire pit and roasted marshmallows and ate smores.

Now, a few years later in life, I still enjoy all of those things, except maybe the bike riding around the loop. But I love to swim, I love to sit around the campfire, and I love to be away from the hustle and bustle of life at home while I sit around the campfire with a warm cup of coffee.

In a few days, Iver and I are headed to Albion for five days of fun on the California coast. The worst part (or the best, depending on how we look at it) is our wives are not going. And without them there to keep us in check, there is a good chance the two of us will do something stupid.

So what’s not to love about that??

2. I enjoy the chore of preparing for a camping trip:

When I was young and just a lazy kid, I rarely had to go through the pain of actually making sure things were ready for a camping trip. So I can’t say much about that. That particular task probably fell to my father who never bothered to check in with me about what he was doing. But now, if I want to go camping, the task falls to me. And this is something I enjoy.

Sadly, the next two nights are going to be very busy for me. I have a union meeting tonight, I have to go to the gym, and I haven’t done a thing to actually prepare for this trip (which I will be covering in more specific detail in the next section). So tonight, after I run at the gym, I’ll be in the garage getting things together for my trip down to the coast. And I can’t wait. I enjoy going through my gear, finding the things I need, weeding out the things I don’t need. And for this particular trip, I’ll actually be packing pretty light. I don’t need a tent, or mattress. So I don’t need the tarp or some of the other accoutrements that goes along with that. I don’t need to pack a stove, nor any other cooking utensils.

I need my sleeping bag, a pillow, clothes and personal items, my dive gear, and some miscellaneous food items. And that’s it. Sounds easy right? So why on earth, after having three days off, did I not get this all done when I had plenty of time to do it?

For this answer, I come to the next section.

3. I am a horrible procrastinator:

This, in and of it self, should be pretty self-explanatory. What else is there to say, really? I had three days off. And I had very little that actually needed doing. And I got none of it done. So what can I really say about that? Procrastination has always been one of my weak points. In fact, as far as I can remember, it’s always been one of my weak points. So I’m simply planning on it always being a weak point that I need to over come.

So tonight, I will begin the process of getting packed. I have tonight and tomorrow night that I need to get this done. Saturday night, after work, I’ll be going to Iver’s to load up the truck with firewood. And Sunday morning we are planning on leaving.

So I need to get the packing complete so the stupidity can begin.

My chicken was curried.

When I was a wee lad I had to make my own lunches for school. At a quick glance, one might think my mother was either uninvolved or simply uncaring, but nothing could really be farther from the truth. In fact, my mother was quite involved and caring, and made my lunch for me every single day, up until the day when I complained so relentlessly over the contents of my lunch she told me something like this, “If you don’t like the lunch I make for you, you can make your own.” And so I did. And if I didn’t make a lunch, I simply went hungry at school, and I had no one to blame but myself. And thus I began to cook for myself.

Over the years I had spent more and more time in the kitchen, but my forays into the culinary world were somewhat brief and rather timid in their very nature. It all began with the egg sandwich. A devilish little bugger, the egg sandwich can be varied according to whatever whim strikes you at the moment. Want ham on that? You got it. Want a different kind of cheese? You got it. Want a biscuit instead of bread? You got it.

And thus I entered the realm of making food according to my own desires and whims. Granted, this wasn’t a very big step towards culinary greatness, but it was a step none the less.

Over time, my ambition into the realm of food has grown, and I have found myself taking bigger and bigger steps. This is not to say there hasn’t been some stumbling along the way. For example, I made some fried bananas not to long ago and was extremely disappointed with the results. Our friends, who were with us for dinner and attempting to eat this dessert, made a good showing of pretending to like it. Of course, there have been some great successes long the way as well. For example, I tried my hand at baking not to long ago, and made crepes for a desert. And wow, were they tasty. Tasty!!

I am somewhat sad to admit, though, I am a timid chef. For one, I am completely lost and confused when it comes to the subject of spices and herbs. Any baboon probably knows salt, pepper and garlic are one of the sweetest combinations on earth. So what about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme? According to Simon and Garfunkel they go well together; but even if they do, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue what type of food to prepare with such a concoction.

And so it is with me. I do love food. And there is so much of it out there, and so many ways to prepare it, and I am too lazy to look for them.

Pathetic, I know. But now I am working to overcome this deficiency. This weekend, I am going to prepare one of my favorite dishes: Yellow Curry Chicken over Rice. There are lots of types of curry in the world; this particular version originates in South East Asia.

I have spent my entire weekend here at work obsessing over this venture. I have scoured the internet looking for curry recipes. I have read eleventy-billion comments people have written on the different recipes. What I really want to do is basically recreate a recipe from a little diner in Arcata, called Japhy's.

Japhy's, located in hippie heaven, is really quite an amazing little restaurant. Soups made to order and the curry of the day.

And the curry, wow. So good. Thus far, I think my favorite is the yellow curry. And it is worth the drive to Arcata just to try. I highly recommend you do so.

So with some determination, and a little bit luck, I set out to recreate this recipe. I had an idea of how I wanted to do it. So first I went to the Asian market. Ten bucks later, I was on my way home with some curry paste and coconut milk. I did a little chopping of vegetables, and a smashing of garlic, and everything went into the slow cooker. I threw the chicken into the cooker as well, thinking to let it just sit in the combination of broth and milk and spices for about four hours before I return to it.

About 4 hours later I returned and removed the chicken and shredded it. Then, stirred it back in, added in some cilantro, and let it sit for about another two hours. And walla!!

So good, so juicy, so tender, and poured over rice, so comforting in the belly.

What?? I strayed from the easy and predictable formula and found myself doing something new and fun and wham-o! Dinner was a complete success.

So what does this tell me? I need to stray from the formula a little more often.