Like a Phoenix from the Ashes

[Speedster]

Originally Posted by k3vb0

I've had guy friends that were criers too, so I envy all of you as well. Deja was right though and the ending to Gran Torino was pretty powerful.

I think I maybe posted this somewhere else already, but, man, try being a dude who can get emotional (I see life as this amazing and powerful thing that has many, many wonders to it that show up at awesome times, THAT's the problem!) and then being a journalist who has to cover moving events, like a young child (like three or four years old) who has brain cancer and is spending his Christmas in a children's hospital. And when his mom is at the interview and then has to leave him to run errands (she's broke and has to have a friend give her a ride) the little boy doesn't want her to leave and starts crying, and that makes her cry.

And then. I. cry.

[k3vb0]

Originally Posted by Speedster

I think I maybe posted this somewhere else already, but, man, try being a dude who can get emotional (I see life as this amazing and powerful thing that has many, many wonders to it that show up at awesome times, THAT's the problem!) and then being a journalist who has to cover moving events, like a young child (like three or four years old) who has brain cancer and is spending his Christmas in a children's hospital. And when his mom is at the interview and then has to leave him to run errands (she's broke and has to have a friend give her a ride) the little boy doesn't want her to leave and starts crying, and that makes her cry.

And then. I. cry.

Man that made me sad. I think I am too stoic and in control of my emotions and I would be better off if I could let them out more frequently. When my brother died, I couldn't cry because I had to be there to support my parents and take care of all the things that occur when someone close dies. The night before his service when I was finishing a DVD of photos and music to show during the ceremony, I was totally shocked when I broke down crying and couldn't stop. It's a natural reaction to cry at sad things, and I wonder why so many of us guys feel that we can't let those emotions out. You're a healthier person for it Speedster, and don't let anyone tell you it makes you less of a man.

[Seltzer]

You must have written about the wheels before because I remember you mentioning them. I scrolled back a few days, but couldn't find the post so I hope I wasn't just imagining it. What wheelset did you have and what did you get?

I tend to be pretty stoic also, especially when I'm trying to be supportive and a rock for my kids. I know I'm sending a mixed message because on one hand I'll tell my son it's prefectly normal and okay to cry, but he doesn't see me do so. One can only bottle the emotions for so long and then at some point they come out, just as you experienced the evening before the funeral.

When my father was really sick the ton of emotional bricks hit me as I was in the middle of my daily drive to Manhattan to visit him in the hospital. Doing 70 MPH and convulsing with tears streaming down one's face is not a good combination and I had to pull off the road until I gained some composure.

[k3vb0]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

You must have written about the wheels before because I remember you mentioning them. I scrolled back a few days, but couldn't find the post so I hope I wasn't just imagining it. What wheelset did you have and what did you get?

You weren't imagining it. I wrote that I had ordered wheels but not the brand. I bought my Cannondale R800 road bike in 2004 and it came with a Gipiemme Grecal Parade wheelset. This was pretty cool technology at the time but I've since found out that it's not a good set for larger riders, and even at my lightest weight of 190 at 6'2" I'm considered a large rider (I weigh 211 right now ). I have always felt slightly out of control on the Gipiemmes, and I now know they were just too soft for me. I got the Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset which has more spokes and a lower cross wind profile, so I get a nice balance between aerodynamics, ride, and durability. A lot of shops were trying to talk me into the Ksyrium SL wheelset, but I am not a racer and cannot justify spending $1000 on a set of wheels (especially when my bike cost me $1400).

I tend to be pretty stoic also, especially when I'm trying to be supportive and a rock for my kids. I know I'm sending a mixed message because on one hand I'll tell my son it's prefectly normal and okay to cry, but he doesn't see me do so. One can only bottle the emotions for so long and then at some point they come out, just as you experienced the evening before the funeral.

When my father was really sick the ton of emotional bricks hit me as I was in the middle of my daily drive to Manhattan to visit him in the hospital. Doing 70 MPH and convulsing with tears streaming down one's face is not a good combination and I had to pull off the road until I gained some composure.

I completely agree with you that we tend to send mixed messages to our children. I tell MacKenzie it's okay for guys to cry, and yet she rarely sees me get emotional at all (unless we're i kickboxing class and then she sees me get a little crazy ). I think it's better to let our kids see us show emotion on a routine basis, and then when we're in a tough situation like a funeral they don't face the added stress of seeing their father cry for the first time. It's sad that our generation was still raised with that stiff upper lip mentality.

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by k3vb0

You weren't imagining it. I wrote that I had ordered wheels but not the brand. I bought my Cannondale R800 road bike in 2004 and it came with a Gipiemme Grecal Parade wheelset. This was pretty cool technology at the time but I've since found out that it's not a good set for larger riders, and even at my lightest weight of 190 at 6'2" I'm considered a large rider (I weigh 211 right now ). I have always felt slightly out of control on the Gipiemmes, and I now know they were just too soft for me. I got the Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset which has more spokes and a lower cross wind profile, so I get a nice balance between aerodynamics, ride, and durability. A lot of shops were trying to talk me into the Ksyrium SL wheelset, but I am not a racer and cannot justify spending $1000 on a set of wheels (especially when my bike cost me $1400).

The wheelset you bought is the same one that I have. It came as part of the original equipment group when I bought my bicycle and although I have nothing to compare them to I'm fine with them and never felt as if they were holding me back. The weak link in my set up is the engine, not the wheels, tires, geometry, etc. Like you I've had a couple of LBS's try to talk me into upgrading, but I also don't race and can't justify dropping the money.

With the weather being what it's been around here and with ice/snow on the ground for weeks on end I've only been on my bicycle twice this year. I can't wait for that to change.

Originally Posted by k3vb0

I completely agree with you that we tend to send mixed messages to our children. I tell MacKenzie it's okay for guys to cry, and yet she rarely sees me get emotional at all (unless we're i kickboxing class and then she sees me get a little crazy ). I think it's better to let our kids see us show emotion on a routine basis, and then when we're in a tough situation like a funeral they don't face the added stress of seeing their father cry for the first time. It's sad that our generation was still raised with that stiff upper lip mentality.

Yeah, it's hard to break out of the mold.

[k3vb0]

Workout
Muscle Rounds : 10 s rest between sets of 4

Bench Press: 6@135X4 6@135X4 6@135X4
Deadlifts : 6@185X4 6@185X4 6@185X4
DB Military: 6@40X4 5@40X4
Close Grip Bench: 6@65X4 6@65X4
EZ Bar Curls : 6@65X4 6@65X4

Diet
(P/C/F 206/239/91 2502 Kcal)

Life
I completed another satisfying muscle rounds workout. It's sort of deceiving starting off with 4 reps of a weight you can easily rep for 4, but resting 10 seconds and lifting for another 4 reps quickly starts to create fatigue. After the 5th set of 4 reps, my muscles are screaming. And deadlifts done in this fashion push my hear rate through the roof. My diet was off since Mackenzie made brownies again and I just couldn't resist the smell.

Lots of running around yesterday since Beth took off in the evening for a knitting conference in San Jose with 3 of her knitting bitches buddies (their name, not mine). MacKenzie babysat for the neighbors until almost 10pm, so I had the house to myself in the evening, which was kind of nice for a change.

[k3vb0]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

The wheelset you bought is the same one that I have. It came as part of the original equipment group when I bought my bicycle and although I have nothing to compare them to I'm fine with them and never felt as if they were holding me back. The weak link in my set up is the engine, not the wheels, tires, geometry, etc. Like you I've had a couple of LBS's try to talk me into upgrading, but I also don't race and can't justify dropping the money.

The engine on your bike can run marathons, the engine on my bike breaks down all the time. I think you have the better engine by far.

[Seltzer]

Originally Posted by k3vb0

Workout
Muscle Rounds : 10 s rest between sets of 4

Bench Press: 6@135X4 6@135X4 6@135X4
Deadlifts : 6@185X4 6@185X4 6@185X4
DB Military: 6@40X4 5@40X4
Close Grip Bench: 6@65X4 6@65X4
EZ Bar Curls : 6@65X4 6@65X4

Diet
(P/C/F 206/239/91 2502 Kcal)

Life
I completed another satisfying muscle rounds workout. It's sort of deceiving starting off with 4 reps of a weight you can easily rep for 4, but resting 10 seconds and lifting for another 4 reps quickly starts to create fatigue. After the 5th set of 4 reps, my muscles are screaming. And deadlifts done in this fashion push my hear rate through the roof. My diet was off since Mackenzie made brownies again and I just couldn't resist the smell.

Lots of running around yesterday since Beth took off in the evening for a knitting conference in San Jose with 3 of her knitting bitches buddies (their name, not mine). MacKenzie babysat for the neighbors until almost 10pm, so I had the house to myself in the evening, which was kind of nice for a change.

Originally Posted by k3vb0

The engine on your bike can run marathons, the engine on my bike breaks down all the time. I think you have the better engine by far.

I can understand why your heart rate was sky high after that workout. I also imagine your shoulders must have been screaming after the three pressing exercises.

A knitting conference? What exactly does one do at one. Alright, I'm making a bit of fun. Seriously, I do hope that she has a nice time away with her friends and gets to soak up some sunny Cali weather. Did you know that Zen's wife is into knitting also?

I'm probably a better engine than I give myself credit for although having not ridden for so long I'm sure that my first couple of rides are not going to be pretty. That said, I can't wait to get out and ride and the real point I was making with my post is that my bicycle and its equipment group exceed my riding ability. I knew that when I bought it and it's not really a knock on myself, just an objective evaluation.

Best wishes for both of us being healthy throughout the year!

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by k3vb0

My diet was off since Mackenzie made brownies again and I just couldn't resist the smell.

Hmmmm chocolate fudge brownies my wife has a rep among school, friends and church for her ones although they are stephanie alexander ones

You are doing well though if a bad day for you is 2500cal as mine is like 4500cal . Gotta keep slipping in the cardio.

[k3vb0]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Hmmmm chocolate fudge brownies my wife has a rep among school, friends and church for her ones although they are stephanie alexander ones

You are doing well though if a bad day for you is 2500cal as mine is like 4500cal . Gotta keep slipping in the cardio.

Yeah, but you have abs and I have a gut.

[k3vb0]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

A knitting conference? What exactly does one do at one. Alright, I'm making a bit of fun. Seriously, I do hope that she has a nice time away with her friends and gets to soak up some sunny Cali weather. Did you know that Zen's wife is into knitting also?

I think one knits and drinks. I'm sure she's having fun, but for me that would be a form of torture. I do seem to remember Zen saying something downstairs about knitting.

Best wishes for both of us being healthy throughout the year!

Absolutely!!

[k3vb0]

Workout
13.7 Mile bike ride (fast pace)

Diet
(P/C/F 174/211/82 2218 Kcal)

Life
I road after work at a very quick pace. I forgot my monitor chest strap at work, so I wasn't able to track my heart rate. I did ride the route in a higher gear, so I feel like I am making progress.

We were chosen today in the Ride the Rockies lottery, so we will be riding the 385 miles in June. For me getting accepted at the end of February has become a sign that Spring is right around the corner.

[dejavued]

Originally Posted by k3vb0

We were chosen today in the Ride the Rockies lottery, so we will be riding the 385 miles in June. For me getting accepted at the end of February has become a sign that Spring is right around the corner.

sweet!

[jchantelau]

Originally Posted by k3vb0

Workout
13.7 Mile bike ride (fast pace)

Diet
(P/C/F 174/211/82 2218 Kcal)

Life
I road after work at a very quick pace. I forgot my monitor chest strap at work, so I wasn't able to track my heart rate. I did ride the route in a higher gear, so I feel like I am making progress.

We were chosen today in the Ride the Rockies lottery, so we will be riding the 385 miles in June. For me getting accepted at the end of February has become a sign that Spring is right around the corner.

So awesome K!

[k3vb0]

Beth and I both managed to catch the flu from our walking bucket-o-plague daughter. Beth's trip to California was made less fun than it could have been due to a fever, bodyaches, and trying to cough up her lungs. I myself have pushed through it and deadlifted 300 this weekend. OKay, I've barely managed to lift the remote and get theraflu into my mouth, but it's the thought that counts. Dr's appts tomorrow. There had better not be any shots involved.

[k3vb0]

Today I finally got past the worst of the flu. I slept until 1pm and woke up without a headache or fever. We found out yesterday at the Dr's that you can take Tamiflu up to 48 hours after getting the flu, and since we were at 96 hours the antiviral wouldn't be effective. I forgot to get a flu shot this year and will not forget next year. I've lost 5 days of training both in the gym and on my bike, and I feel this was mostly preventable. Beth is still sick and seems to be several days behind me in recovery.

[k3vb0]

Workout
Pre-Exhaust Supersets : 60 s rest between sets

Close Grip Pulldown 112.5X10 12510 125X10
Cybex Row 150X10 160X10 160X8

Pec Deck 80X10 85X10 85X10
DB Bench 55X10 60X8 60X8

Leg Extensions 90X10 95X10 100X10
Leg Press 360X8 360X8 360X8

Leg Curls 75X10 80X10
Stiff Leg Deadlift 115X10 165X7

DB Lat Raise 15X15 15X15
Smith Military 135X6 135X8

Incline DB Curl 30X8 30X8
Vertical Pulldown 112.5X10 112.5X10

Decline Tri Ext 65X10 65X10
Close Grip Bench 65X8 65X8

Seated Calf 70X10 70X10
Leg Press Calf 180X10 180X10

Diet
(P/C/F 228/105/70 1872 Kcal)

Life
Today was my first day back in the gym in 6 days, and it kicked my butt. My lungs are still kind of clogged and I had little stamina, but I really like getting in a workout as soon as possible when I am sick. I feel like I am helping to sweat the "crud" out of my system. If nothing else I got a much needed mental boost out of my workout.

My weight dropped almost 3 pounds while I've been sick since I just haven't had any appetite. And I'm sure I've hawked up at least a pound of green gunk in the last week. Mmmmmmmm.

The temps going to be in the 70's again tomorrow, so I'm going to try and ride my bike. I may hork up a lung, but I want to at least maintain the cardio base I've been building.

[Seltzer]

Sorry to read about yours and Beth's recent illness.

Also, congrats on getting selected for the RTR in July.

[k3vb0]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

Sorry to read about yours and Beth's recent illness.

Also, congrats on getting selected for the RTR in July.

Thanks Paul, we're both almost past this crud. And I am stoked about RTR, always a high point of the year for me.

[k3vb0]

Workout
3-6-09
Fat Loss Circuit : 40 s cardio between sets

Cybex Row 150X10 150X10 155X10 155X10 155X10
Wide Grip Pulldown 125X7 125X7 130X7 137.5X7 142.5X7

Incline Smith Bench 135X8 135X8 145X7 145X8 155X8 155X8
Incline DB Fly 40X8 40X8
Cable Fly 50X8 50X8

Standing EZ Barl Curl 65X8 65X10
Incline DB Curls 30X10 35X7
Cable Curls 70X8 70X8

Leg Press Calf 180X15 180X15 180X15 180X15 180X15 180X15

Diet
(P/C/F 158/125/51 1555 Kcal)

3-7-09 Off

3-8-09
Workout

Diet
(P/C/F 123/184/77 1889 Kcal)

Life
Good workout last Friday albeit a little weaker than normal due to lingering flu symptoms. I've been having problems getting enough calories as well since I am just not very hungry. Still, not a bad day all in all. Saturday was an off day spent cleaning the house and grooming my Briard Stella. The house was a mess since everyone had the flu and hadn't cleaned it the week before.

Sunday I went bike riding with my cousin Justin. It was supposed to be a 40 mile ride and the weather was perfect. We were blasting down a hill at the 7 mile mark and all of a sudden I don't see him behind me. I look back up the hill and see him and it takes him a while to get the rest of the way down. I notice blood on his knee. He's still not sure exactly how he did it but he wiped out, hashing his chin, tearing up his knee, and smashing up his left hand including tearing off have the nail on his little finger. We make it back home and then take him to the emergency room for 3 stitches in his chin. He's pretty chipper about it but kicking himself for screwing up our ride. I'm just glad he didn't get really hurt, and it hasn't put him off of riding. I called Beth from the emergency room to say we were there and her first question was "which one of you was hurt?" I was half expecting her to immediately ask "what did you break or tear this time?"