Archive for the ‘Supportive Partner Woman’ Category

The word of the day is “Whoops”

Posted: June 7, 2013 in 5K, Cooking, Exercise, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking
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Anyone remember that time I was at the gym?

That time when I fell off the treadmill?

Didn’t think so, unless you were there this morning.

See, I was actually done with my workout. I had grabbed a cloth to wipe it down because that’s how I roll. I went to step off the treadmill (and you must know that I am always scared I’ll lose my balance, so I grab the rail to steady myself) and I managed to have my steadying hand slip and I collapsed in a heap. It wasn’t as “graceful” as in in the following video, but it was pretty embarrassing.

Ouch.

I’m going to have a pretty colorful bruise on my right hip, I should think… that’s pretty much the extent of my injury, other than the wounded pride.

So, yes… the word of the day is “whoops”.

In the good news, I managed to do my walk (before my tumble) at a 15:45 pace. Now if I could maintain that for 13.1 miles, I could do a Disney half-marathon, staying barely ahead of the sweep van. I’m not seeing that happen any time soon, though. I still have a long way to go yo just worry about the 5K.

I also managed to mix four batches of chocolate chip cookie dough. I’m now praying the weather holds out so the dreaded yard sale goes off as planned. I have cookies, brownies, water and Supportive Partner Woman (Excellent baker in her own right!) is planning on baking cupcakes. All we need is good weather and hungry customers. I would love to raise a nice chunk of change for Team All Ears, so keep your fingers crossed.

I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Scopa & Ms. Scribner-MacLean

Posted: June 4, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Mickey Miles podcast, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Walking, Weight loss
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I’ve mentioned before that I am lucky enough to call some members of the podcast community my friends. These are fine folks who invest a lot of their time and themselves into doing something they love and something that benefits the community as a whole. I feel blessed to know them and treasure their friendship immensely.

All that being said, I was totally flabbergasted when I was contacted by Michelle Scribner-MacLean, co-host of the Mickey Miles Podcast and a dear friend, who said they wanted to have me on the show as a guest so I could talk about my journey toward that 5K in January.

I was stunned.

Flattered.

Deeply honored.

See, I never thought I’d ever be a guest on a show that was listened to by fit people, unless it was a lesson in what NOT to do. I talked it over with Supportive Partner Woman (Still the best wife EVER!) and agreed… after all, while I might not think my story is that special, Michelle and her co-host, Mike Scopa, obviously thought there was something there worth telling.

Who am I to argue?

So, arrangements were made, Skype was downloaded, times were set, and at the appointed time, the “phone” rang. I had plugged in the old Skype headset, which apparently wasn’t working too well, so after we ironed out a few difficulties, Michelle and Mike laid out the plan.

Say what?!?!?!?

Say what?!?!?!?

Seems I wasn’t just a guest, I was THE guest and the entire show was about my journey.

That was a little bit of a shock. (For an idea of my internal response, picture Kyle’s mom on South Park saying, “Wha-wha-what?”)

I have yet to actually listen to the episode… it’s just been posted, or so I see on Facebook. Give it a listen here.

I hope that hearing my story can inspire some folks on the fence to make a positive change in their lives. It’s never too late to start. If I can think about completing a 5K at age 42, having never run much of anything in my life, with my pronated feet and blisters and missing toe, then, by God, anyone can. You just have to want to.

I want to do this. I want to complete that race. I want to be healthier and live a long time, because I have a reason to.

In short, I’d like to thank Mike & Michelle for the opportunity and for taking the time to create such a wonderful podcast. I’d also like to thank them for their unwavering support and friendship. They are two of the finest people I have the pleasure of knowing and I know that with their support, the support of my Team AllEars gang, the support of my family and especially the support of my lovely wife, I can keep moving forward.

Because retreat is not an option.

Song of the Day: Without Me – Eminem

Things we do for the family

Posted: May 31, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Exercise, family, Footwear & socks, Little Victories, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Yard sale
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Greetings from cow country!

As I drove to the gym this morning, I was stuck behind a slow-moving tractor pulling a manure wagon. It made me think that there aren’t many places left where this is a common occurence. However, smell aside, I like living where we live. On a quiet night, we can here the cattle lowing at the farm down the road. It’s peaceful. It’s bucolic. It can stink to high heaven. But it’s our home now.

I took a half day vacation to handle a few projects for my mom (and to get a blessed haircut), so after my gym session with the boys (totally killed it, too… had the treadmill up to an 11° angle and up to 3.7 mph for a stretch) I headed to the bustling metropolis of Reading, PA.

Now Reading is somewhat infamous for being among the most dangerous towns in Pennsylvania (per capita). It’s a city of around 75,000, lots of city issues, i.e. unemployment, drugs, gangs, prostitution, political corruption. It’s a regular ray of sunshine. My travels did not take me downtown today. I spent part of the time in the suburb where I grew up, and I gotta say, it’s a lot scarier than I remember. Old mom and pop places that I remember have been replaced by tattoo parlors, check cashing places, Walmart, etc. Farm fields plowed under for housing, all the typical stuff you see these days.

It made me sad… I’ve only been out of high school 24 years and the mall I worked in is now I place I will not willingly set foot in.

But, I still have family in the Reading area, as does Supportive Partner Woman (Photographer of great skill!), so it’s a necessary evil that we visit there from time to time, and no, the evil is not seeing our familes, but seeing what has happened to our home town.

One of my daily routines is to visit the Reading Eagle website on a daily basis just to see if I know anyone who got shot, stabbed, or otherwise. I do this every day. There’s just something wrong with that, ya know?

So, I got to my mom’s, moved a big flowerpot for her (and didn’t throw out my back FTW!), and put in her window screens. I don’t see mom as often as I should, but she was really surprised with the changes in me since my operation. She even liked my Beasts. I was very proud of her as she didn’t try to push food on me, as she used to. She understands that my capacity is limited and I appreciate that.

After that, off to work. Now, as for the weekend, SPW will be working (and I might have to work Saturday… the jury is still out on that), but she will be taking time on Sunday to shoot pictures of her parents’ class reunion. As for me, I have to take my mother to a viewing. In a surprise move, she’s not really thrilled at the thought of having to drive into the hood by herself, but since the deceased was the mother of a close family friend, I’ll do it. Dolly was a sweet lady and will be missed.

Next weekend, though, is the Dreaded Yard Sale. This year, all proceeds from the sale are going to Team AllEars and from there to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Should make for interesting writing at the very least. Maybe the fact that the proceeds are going to a good cause will stop some of the cheap bastards from trying to haggle over a nickel.

I doubt it.

Song of the Day: You Just May Be the One – John Flywheel

P.S. As I was at the gym this morning, the “music” channel was playing something from Justin Bieber, prompting me to say, “Is there a volume setting lower than “mute”?

Long weekend

Posted: May 28, 2013 in Cooking, Cruising, Exercise, Holidays, Supportive Partner Woman, Travel, Walking, Wegman's
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So, after a long holiday weekend, I’m back to the grind. However, it’s a Tuesday that feels like a Monday, it’s raining and I’d still rather be off.

Got to go to Wegman’s yesterday and I saw that the price of truffles was up to $999.99/pound. I commented to SPW that even with that price, it’s still hard out there for a pig. We picked up another piece of Copper River salmon which I roasted on a wood plank. It turned out very good. I added a spice mixture called “Mural of Flavor” which I had received as a gift. It’s a nice blend for fish… gives it a nice bit of flavor without drowning out the taste of the fish. Special thanks to Lori and Matt for providing the spice… and the best part is that it’s salt-free!

See? That's not good workmanship!

See? That’s not good workmanship!

So, after a weekend of living in the Beasts, I’m thinking that I now worship at the altar of Brooks. My feet feel so supported and comfortable that I don’t even really notice the extra space at the toe of the right shoe. I plan on consulting with my foot doctor to see if there’s anything that can be put in there as a spacer, just in case. Apparently, SPW is digging her new sneakers as well. I did send my New Balance trainers back to the company, though… there’s a plastic lace guard on the 856 that broke after only two months of wear and the lace is digging into the leather. I emailed the company and they said they would send me another pair. It will be nice to have the trainers available for sessions in the gym and leave the runners for the roadwork.

Grandeur of the Seas showing fire damage

Grandeur of the Seas showing fire damage

In sad news, though, Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas suffered a fire over the weekend that resulted in the passengers being flown back to Baltimore. It was a really nice ship and we had a great time aboard her. It was sad seeing that pristine white hull with fire damage. Hopefully she will be repaired and back in service before too long. The good news is that there were no injuries reported and the ship retained full power and was able to make port in the Bahamas without too much inconvenience.

That about does it for today. Hope that you all had a safe and happy Memorial Day.

Song of the Day: Round and Round – RATT

Surf n’ Surf

Posted: May 26, 2013 in Cooking, Physical activity, Racing, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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One of the pleasures of my new diet is that I can eat lots of protein, and in my mind, the best way to get protein is seafood. I just love fish, mollusks and crustaceans. I had mentioned in the last post that Supportive Partner Woman (owner of new running shoes!) had picked up a small piece of Copper River salmon. Well, we both had off today and after running around, it was time for dinner. We also had a few clusters of snow crab legs in the freezer, so I opted for surf n’ surf, because, well, you can’t go wrong with that.

Rocking my new apron and lovely piece of fish.

Rocking my new apron and lovely piece of fish.

So, after slapping the fish on a piece of cedar wood, I boiled up the crab legs with Old Bay and served them with melted butter (not for me, though), alongside the salmon. It’s just amazing how much more flavor the salmon has than the typical farm-raised stuff. I was also rocking my new apron that was part of my groomsman’s gift for yesterday’s extravaganza. It was a nice end to a very busy day.

SPW and I both went to the driving range. It was a great day for it, if a little windy. I really like my five iron… I was making some nice, straight shots that had a perfect arc on them. I don’t have my distance back, yet, but I am looking forward to a real round of golf with Lieutenant Graham one of these days.

Other than that, part of my day was occupied with watching racing. Specifically, the Monaco Grand Prix. It was nice to see Nico Rosberg win what is basically his home Grand Prix and also to be the first son of a Monaco winner to win the race. Memorial Day weekend is really a good time for racing, between Monaco, Indianapolis and Charlotte.

So, we also paid a visit to Inside Track to get SPW a new pair of kicks. She wound up with a very shiny pair of New Balance 860’s that she said fit wonderfully. It’s simply amazing how getting shoes in the right size can help your feet. Turns out her old shoes were too narrow. Took Mark at Inside Track all of about three seconds to figure that out, and he went in the back and came out with these and it was love. Professionals are a good thing.

At any rate, that’s all I have to talk about at the moment. There’s going to be a big announcement the week after next, so stay tuned!

Song of the Day: 10538 Overture – Electric Light Orchestra

Getting seriously serious

Posted: May 23, 2013 in 5K, Cooking, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars
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Greetings!

It’s been good to be wearing a regular shoe. The Toe. That. Will. Not. Heal. is now the Toe. That Would. Not. Heal. That’s right… the Boot of Shame has been put back in storage until the next time it’s needed.

My first stop after leaving the foot doctor on Tuesday was at Inside Track. This place is apparently THE running store for central PA and I can see why. The owner, Mark, took one look at me and knew I was dealing with overpronation and hammer toes and knew which shoe would work for me. I picked up my Brooks Beasts today and I can’t wait to start breaking them in. He was able to fit me up, knew exactly how these shoes ran in terms of sizing, and was able to get a pair of size 13 EEEE shoes in just two days.

Speaking of our upcoming 5K, I’ll be posting some information regarding fundraising in the coming weeks. I’ll be raising money for the Avon Walk through Team All Ears. Too many of us know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer, whether directly or indirectly, and it’s my hope that we will have a cure in my lifetime. Keep your eyes peeled.

My new Brooks Beasts

My new Brooks Beasts

I’ve always struggled with shoes… I think I kept trying to squeeze my feet into smaller shoes, not for any reason other than I hated trying them on. Plus, the last time I tried a size that was a little wider then what I was sued to, I could feel my ankle grinding. Not a good feeling. But, I figure if I’m going to do this 5K, I’d better have decent shoes for it. Mark assured me that while my trusty New Balance trainers were fine for general use and working out, these would be a far better option for any serious roadwork. I was sold the second I slipped them on and walked around outside (Could you see Foot Locker or Dick’s let you wear the shoes outside?). These have plenty of cushion and the motion control insoles really cradled my feet. I was concerned about the length difference in my feet, but they seem OK to start. If there’s a problem, Brooks will even create a mixed-pair order for me. Good to know.

So, speaking of shoes, I’m in a wedding on Saturday. I went to Men’s Wearhouse to get fitted and was presented with the dreaded rental shoe problem. Is there nothing worse than rental shoes? I mean, they don’t fit, they feel cheap, and they want to charge you $20 extra to torture your own feet. I was worried that I would have issues, so I went in search of my dress wingtips, which I might add I wore to my wedding almost nine years ago. They aren’t the greatest fit ever, but they should be enough to get me through the day, and Lord knows they are a better fit and quality than the rental shoes. I mean, seriously, bowling shoes are much more comfortable and don’t cost $20 to rent.

Other than that, I’ve been managing to keep food down today. My lunch was a crab burrito that we found at the store last night. It’s pretty spicy, not too much rice and loaded with beans, crab meat, and salsa. Oh, and Supportive Partner Woman (Still the bestest wife ever!) located some Copper River salmon and picked up a small piece. If you’ve never had this salmon, it’s easily the best you can find. It’s wonderfully red with no added dyes like the farm-raised stuff. (Also, I love seeing “Atlantic salmon – product of Chile… guess nobody ever looked at a map to see exactly where Chile is) I’m looking forward to plank roasting it and just having it melt in my mouth. The season only runs about a month, but,  well, damn.

We also attended the Friends of the Library book sale at Franklin & Marshall college. Gotta love when you can score three big bags of books for around $35. Plus, all the proceeds benefit the library. After we read the books, we wind up donating most of them back to the library, so they can be sold again. I would prefer to keep them, but storage space becomes a premium in a townhouse.

At any rate, I have an appointment with the boys tomorrow. I think I’ll be breaking out the Beasts and seeing if they get Ryan approval. I’m also going to invest in some decent socks that should help the blister conditions. The guys at Inside Track said that cotton socks are a bad choice because of how much moisture they hold. We will see what happens.

Hope that you all have a great day!

Song of the Day: Nineteen Forever – Joe Jackson

Is it really surgery?

Posted: May 14, 2013 in Convoy, Digestive issues, Foot issues, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman
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So, there is some progress on the Toe. That. Will. Not. Heal.

My podiatrist, recognizing that the toe pretty much has no chance to get better if it keeps rubbing, decided to perform a tendonectomy. Basically, this involved numbing the toe, making a small incision in the base of the toe, then cutting the tendon that was causing the hammertoe. It was pretty quick and painless, and so far, the toe has extended to its normal length. Now, instead of rubbing on whatever footwear I’m wearing, the ulceration is on the tip of the toe and has greater opportunity to heal.

This does not mean I haven’t changed my mind about switching podiatrists. This is the only one of my medical team I’m not 100% sold on, and he was recommended by my wound care doctor, who is top notch. So, I’m going to open the search and see what happens.

The weekend was pretty good. Train Day didn’t pan out, but since I was feeling festive, I went to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It’s a nice facility, located in Strasburg, PA, and there’s a wide selection of rolling stock to view, not to mention a display of railroad themed art, not to mention a substantial archive. I’ve been there a few other times, but this time I was able to take my time and really appreciate the engineering that went into building the locomotives. These are some incredibly massive machines, many weighing over 200,000 pounds. It’s even more impressive when you consider the technology to build them relied on manual labor.

Sunday, Supportive Partner Woman and I made the trek to visit our mothers. My mother was thrilled, as she hadn’t seen SPW since Christmas, so that really made her day. On the way, we got caught up in the Mother’s Dsy truck convoy for Make-a-Wish. That was kind of cool.

Other than that, there’s not too much going on. I can’t work out for at least a week, since the foot won’t fit in a show right now, but if all goes according to plan, I’ll get back to my six days a week soon enough. This has given me a shot of something I was rapidly losing… hope.

Hope you all have a great week.

Song of the Day: Convoy – C.W. McCall

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75

Posted: May 7, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Foot issues, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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So, 305.1 pounds this morning. That means I’m down 75 pounds since I started the program. It’s been ups and downs, and depending on the day, I’m still not sure if I made the right decision. When I step on the scale, I feel I did, however, when I drive past a pizza joint, not so much.

I’m finally off of third shift and settling into a routine on second… my home for the next two months. It is nice to sleep at night and I’ve been having solid nights of sleep, not to mention real, actual dreams. It’s kind of nice, actually. I even see Supportive Partner Woman on a more regular basis.

In other news, I’m still dealing with the Toe. That. Will. Not Heal. It really sucks… I pretty much want nothing more than to be active and this little annoying appendage makes me be sedentary. It’s kind of ironic… I spent all those years being sedentary, and now that I kind of have to be, I just don’t want to. Does that qualify as the whole “other side of the fence” truism?

Deep thoughts for a Tuesday evening.

In other news, I managed to eat part of a wrap. Ham and cheese with a little lettuce and mayo. All on a high-fiber multi-grain wrap. It went down and stayed down. I couldn’t eat all of the wrap itself, but the innards were good and loaded with protein. I also managed to have some chicken pot pie that stayed down. Bacon, though, is another story. Of course, if I can never have bacon again, there might be fighting words, because, well, bacon is awesome!

On that note, I’m going to call it a post. To sum up… weight down, bacon not down.

I’ll catch up with you soon.

Song of the Day: Assault and Battery – Howard Jones

Sixty

Posted: April 22, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Weight loss
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Well, 59.8 pounds, but I think I can round it to sixty.

That’s a pretty big chunk of weight. It also represents about 37.5% of what my weight loss goal is. When I first met with Dr. McPhee, we thought 160 pounds was doable. I’m hoping it still is, especially when I can get back to the gym on a more regular basis. It was a good session with the boys this morning, foot or no foot. I did the X-Ride, 30 minutes of 30:30’s. They are insidious, but they really get the heart pumping. You don’t burn near as many calories, but the cardio is worth it. Also spent 30 minutes lifting weights. I’m noticing the loss of muscle mass since my operation, and the forced inactivity during my recuperation.

Speaking of the toe, I made a small modification to the Boot of Shame that I hope will hasten the healing. My logic is that since the hammer toe rubs on everything, add something that lifts the toe off the surface of the boot. I took heel pads, turned them upside down and put them under the ball of my foot. It seems to give just enough clearance to keep the toe out of harm’s way. I’m nothing if not creative, ya know?

So, I’m ready to head back to work tonight. It’ll feel strange, not having been there for four weeks. I’m actually looking forward to it, though. It will be nice to have something to do. Granted, I’ll probably be ready to be off another four weeks after a couple of hours. It’s how the cookie crumbles, I suppose. It will be nice to see some of my coworkers again after all this time.

In other news, I’ve had plenty of time to think and I’m probably going to start the 5K training (when the foot is healed) with a Couch to 5K program. I realize running the entire race is probably out of the question, but I’d like to run/walk. Maybe I should say “lumber” instead of “run”? Important thing is that I still am looking forward to doing it, especially with my teammates. And Supportive Partner Woman, of course. It’s gonna be epic!

At any rate, that’s what I have for the day. Hope I have more exciting stuff after a night at the office.

Song of the Day: Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

Back to it… kind of

Posted: April 8, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, recipes, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
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Greetings!

I got to go back to the fitness center today. I had to take it easy, on instructions from Ryan and Cory, but that might change after I see the doctor on Wednesday. Here’s hoping I can sweat next time I’m there.

I have another doctor appointment tomorrow morning. The second toe on my left foot (the one next to Wayne) developed a corn/blister that seems to be hanging around. I’ll probably wind up back in the Boot of Shame. So, I’ll let Dr. Miller take a look at it and see what’s what. Maybe I’m being alarmist, but I’d rather not take the chance on there being a problem. After losing the better part of one toe, you tend to be a tad overprotective.

I also am able to start puree foods today. I attempted to overreach and tried some scrambled egg white this morning. That didn’t go so well. The end result was that the egg white’s residence in my digestive tract was short-lived. Hey, I knew it had to happen and I’m glad that it did, in a way. My pureed turkey chili stayed down, though, and actually tasted pretty good. It’s not the consistency that I like from chili, but it was full of flavor and, most importantly, protein. Supportive Partner Woman (not a real lover of chili!) had a bowl of it and pronounced it to be edible, so that’s always good. I also baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies yesterday so she could take them to work and share the awesomeness with her boss. Apparently they went over well.

I think I’ll share the recipe… it’s bariatric-friendly!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (I only had red ones… they work, too)
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup yellow corn
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can of red or kidney beans (15.5 oz) (I use kidney)
1 can of diced tomatoes (I found some with chipotle peppers in the can… perfect)
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 squirts of Tabasco
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium soup pot add some olive oil and cook onions, garlic, corn and bell pepper over medium heat, about ten minutes. Separately brown the turkey meat, drain and set aside. In a food processor, blend the vegetables and return to the soup pot. Over low heat, add the beans (drained), tomatoes, turkey meat, Tabasco, cilantro, cumin and chili powder. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Should serve 4-5.

It’s a nice, healthy dish that will serve up a lot of protein. 3 oz of ground turkey has 23g of protein and a cup of kidney beans comes in a 16g of protein.

If you make it, feel free to customize it. If you’re a bariatric patient, feel free to throw it in the food processor and puree it. Just remember to eat slowly and stop when you’re full.

Have a great day folks!

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