Work Harder, Not Smarter
Valentine’s Day fell upon our whirlwind Thursday, and we had to fit about twenty pounds of shit into a five pound bag. Higginbottom gets home around 6 ish, so we had to get groceries, work out, and be home in time to make dinner before Lost came on at 9. Now, dinner was not going to be a difficult undertaking, because we decided on an Asian vegetarian theme (my Asian veggie roll-ups sans carrots and some microwaveable edamame). But we still needed to supply the goods. And since it was Valentine’s Day, we wanted to be all romantical.
We managed to get out of the house by just before 7, after getting ready for the workout. Higginbottom was all set to work out this time, to try out the treadmill. She did, for a half-hour, so mad props to her. By the time we got to the Burbank Y, it was damn near 7:20. My workout usually takes almost an hour, because of the length of time I run on the machines. We had to be out of there by 8, in order to get to the Vons grocery store down the street.
So I decided, I’ll work harder in a shorter period of time. I did 15 minutes on the bike, but I tried to keep the RPMs to above 100 the whole time. My friggin left knee started getting this incredibly sharp pain in the left half, like a crackling pain. But I soldier on, easing down the 100 RPM qualification. I joined Higginbottom on the treadmill next to her. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill, starting out at 2.5, then boosting to 3 at 10 minutes, then 3.2 at 15 minutes, then 3.5 at the 18 minute mark. Not exactly a dead sprint, but for a fattie like me, it was a steady burn. I rounded out on the elliptical, which is my fucking Eliminator. I got in 5 minutes, but I felt like I could probably boost it to 8. But time was of the essence, and it was time to go.
We were out of the Y, down the road, and done shopping by 8:30. Because we pre-plan all our meals, all we really needed was some cheese and some veggies. And soy sauce. Everything we had to purchase was on sale. I love when that works out. Because I’d been a good boy, Higginbottom let me purchase a Diet 7Up for myself. Despite the recent medical study that says your body treats diet sodas and the fake sugars just like regular soda. I don’t know if you can turn the chemical goodness into fat, but leave it to my body to find out. Besides, I allow myself caffeine and diet soda three times a week. Once for each time I work out. I’m trying peoples, I’m trying.
Today being a Lenten friday, we’re doing up some fish and veggies tonight. Lunch is awesome. I diced up some of the veggies from the Asian rollups, and we sprinkled them on the salad, along with soy sauce, avocado, and tuna. Had I thought in advance, we could have thrown some cashews on there. But since our afternoon snack is a bag of peanuts (to ensure we get necessary proteins) I thought it’d be nutty overload. We’ve been able to save money by buying some things in bulk and freezing them, but also by recycling meals. Whatever we eat the night before, we cut up and throw in our salads. It’s been working deliciously.
Though we do occasionally spoil ourselves. Laughing Cow cheese comes in French Onion and Garlic and Herb in the light flavors. And we’ve got an impressive menagerie of imitation flavorings for the Ricotta creme desserts. I had strawberry last night, but tonight is going to be Pumpkin Pie. Oh, hells yeah.
Weigh in is tomorrow, so here’s hoping I cracked the 215 barrier. I feel lighter, and my stomach is deflating slightly. And my calves are awesome. It’s my most attractive part.
