<p>Today’s run: 9 x 400. I really didn’t feel like doing this today, but got it done. After about 5 reps, I was thinking about cutting it short, but after 7, I started to feel kind of good. I’m trying to keep my pace around 8 min/mile for these intervals, so I can get used to what that feels like. My range today was between 7:41 and 8:10.</p>
<p>So sorry to hear about the loss of your pets BB and CJane. :(</p>
<p>Back is feeling better. Hope I didn’t jinx everyone! Spent a long time at the gym today. Biked, walked, pushups and weights. Looking forward to a nice hot shower! Will check out the info posted idad! Thanks!</p>
<p>So sad about the pets. I’m sure they are playing together now!</p>
<p>Made it to PA. Nice day (surprisingly). Ran 2 1/2 miles in the early dark before my flight this morning in case something got messed up. Glad it’s done! Streak continues.</p>
<p>I stuck to my decision not to lift weights today, so I skipped my Monday New Rules workout and went for a 5K walk/jog instead. 63 degrees and sunny. Just gorgeous. Got some great music, including this gem from a little known band:</p>
<p>[The</a> Word](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>And the Stones’ Satisfaction. And Wilson Pickett’s Mustang Sally.</p>
<p>Turned the six bonus jog into a full two minutes – all uphill (pretty steep) to my house. Good solid outing.</p>
<p>CJane – So sorry about your beloved pet. I didn’t think that the loss of my kitty would hit me so hard, but I blubbered, and then would find myself tearing up for weeks afterward. </p>
<p>Back still twinging when I twist, so it is walking for me today. Even had the nice young guy at Best Buy come and lug the old, dead microwave out of the car where H had put it, and then lug the new shiny one into the car once I’d purchased it. Got really smart and asked them to unseal the box for me – it had a row of those metal Frankenstein staples holding it closed, and they finally had to resort to using a utility knife to cut them out of the cardboard. I know manufacturers want to keep stuff sealed, but you’d think they could figure out a tamper resistant way to do so that didn’t involve non-consumer-friendly mechanisms. What was GE thinking?</p>
<p>What is harder than running a marathon? Running a marathon while being treated for cancer. This guy is a real survivor:</p>
<p>[NYC</a> Marathon: Ethan Zohn’s Emotional Run to Crush Cancer : People.com](<a href=“http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20543207,00.html]NYC”>http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20543207,00.html)</p>
<p>He is being treated with a recently approved by the FDA first-in-class drug which was developed by a local biotech (we know some scientists who worked to develop the technology). I really hope that he will beat the cr@p out of that disease!</p>
<p>BB…I have also followed this story. Seems like a great guy who has given back to charities. First liked him when he played soccer with the kids in Africa on Survivor.</p>
<p>Making dinner. Having a quick and easy night with grilled Hot Italian turkey sausage and roasted broccoli, sweet potato and onions. Smells good!</p>
<p>Continuing my running/walking thru the glorious fall weather and have to say that one thing annoys me a lot – people who bring their dogs to the park and let them romp off their leashes. Today a very big dog of indeterminate breed streaked across a field right at me, jumped up to my chest and knocked me down. The owner just moseyed over after finishing his chitchat with two others with dogs off leashes and basically acted like I was a nut case for telling him that the park requires dogs to be on leashes.</p>
<p>Am I just getting old and grumpy? This annoys me a lot. I have a dog. When I take her to the park I take her to the DOG PARK. Otherwise if she is outside and out of our yard,she is on the leash. And she weighs 9 pounds. Why would these fools think it’s just fine for their 100-pound canines to romp free?</p>
<p>My son runs around the neighborhood and he will just point-blank tell people with dogs to please control them. If it were me, I’d be inclined to take a picture of the person and the dog and send it to the appropriate authorities.</p>
<p>No, sewhappy, you have every right to be annoyed and even angry at the idiots who do not train their dogs and let them loose in public places. There are no bad dogs - there are irresponsible dog owners! My dog was a real angel, but he walked on a leash in parks not intended for offleash romping. </p>
<p>My exercise session was derailed. Heading off to dinner - I’m happy that I had a say in where we are going to eat and picked an upscale-ish restaurant (= smaller portions, lots of veggies). I also ate a tablespoon of PB prior to heading out so I would not hit the bread basket as soon as it arrives. :)</p>
<p>Tomorrow morning I will bring my pepper spray and if a dog jumps on me I will spray him and possibly his owner, as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for the moral support on this.</p>
<p>Bunsen, your post has me heading to the refrigerator for a spoonful of PB. It will fend off a dessert attack.</p>
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<p>Amen! Those are exacty the changes that I have had to make. It’s amazing how obvious they are and what a small sacrifice they entail. I mean, enjoy a fantastic meal, but just give up pigging out on one or two or three pieces of bread and butter on top of it.</p>
<p>I busted out a container of my Paul Prudhomme chili from the freezer and paired it with a massive salad for dinner. It’s actually one of my highest calorie dinners (1100 calories), and fairly high carb from the kidney beans in the chili, but it’s so good.</p>
<p>I grilled steak tips with Bobby Flay’s garlic, grilled red peppers, grilled vidalia onions, and parsley side/topping over the weekend. Yum. Made enough for two nights – it’s almost as good as leftovers, although veggies the first night were pretty much to die for.</p>
<p>Experimented with an almond flour crust quiche today loaded with fresh vegetables.
Will serve tomorrow and see how it turned out.
Also made a bunch of different varieties of deviled eggs – with curry and yogurt/chipotle mayo/fresh herb/truffle salt and bacon.</p>
<p>I used to dislike eggs, especially egg yolks, but this lower carb thing has me expanding my cooking horizons and I now rely on a quick omelet with sauteed vegetables on a nearly daily basis.</p>
<p>So sad for all of you who have lost pets. I know it’s just a matter of time for us (older dog is 8 1/2) but I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when it happens. Hugs to you all.</p>
<p>3 miles, 9:41 pace, home weight routine and 11 minute on a pilates core routine from Exercise TV that was tougher than it looked on preview. There is a cold or flu going around the office and I hope that I did not catch it - was very tired last night so I took a three hour nap. It could just be daylight savings time.</p>
<p>I helped a friend get through a pet loss this past spring. He was already depressed for other reasons but he found a girlfriend and picked up a new dog from the shelter and is doing so much better now.</p>
<p>A bit of progress on the weight front - 1 pound. Weight has been steady for about two months. The biggest difference between now and the summer when the weight loss was a lot better is the huge decrease in my tennis time. I guess that this could be considered the off season. I could play more with more effort but I have more to do outside of working out.</p>
<p>There have been benefits too - less back and knee pain being the major things. I have gone back to doing barbell squats and they don’t seem to be causing problems on the knee and back so perhaps I can just blame tennis for that. The core is stronger with these random videos that I have been doing and my running feels easier. I would also like to toss out my collection of XL techs and replace them with Ls but that would be an expensive proposition and the XLs are okay if I don’t mind the loose look and feel.</p>
<p>I did a little looking around and it’s hard to find mens clothes in an L size for neck/chest/sleeves and a M for waist. The folks at work usually go with L for comfort.</p>
<p>I know I haven’t posted in ages, but thought I ought to share this with our cycling enthusiasts:
[For</a> the Avid Cyclist, Ride While Working At a Desk - DesignTAXI.com](<a href=“http://designtaxi.com/news/350970/For-the-Avid-Cyclist-Ride-While-Working-At-a-Desk/]For”>http://designtaxi.com/news/350970/For-the-Avid-Cyclist-Ride-While-Working-At-a-Desk/)</p>
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<p>I don’t blame you, Sewhappy. I probably would have fainted if a dog knocked me down. I didn’t grow up with a dog and we have a dog because my H and kids want one. I like my dog, but I’m not a huge dog person. Hate to admit this because I sound like a wimp, but I’m afraid of strange dogs. When I walk, I’m always on the lookout for dogs that are loose and I hate it when we go by a house where the dog is outside and starts barking and following me. Dogs must know when someone is afraid–I’m always the person that the barking dog follows or the one that the dog jumps up on when I go to someone’s house.</p>
<p>cjread - r u following a particular gluten free diet or a certain low carb plan?</p>
<p>i’m following the Wheat Belly blog and will be reading the book soon. he advocates no wheat.</p>
<p>i’ve been able to lose about 40 pounds since january. mainly it’s eating fish/chicken and vegetables, no dairy, no red meat. however, i am moving now towards including cheese as that is allowable on the wheat belly diet. not sure if i will stick with it or go back to what i was doing before. felt like it was time though to change things up a bit since i was stagnant in my weight loss over the summer and now early fall.</p>
<p>I hate when dogs are loose- even small ones. They can nip at you and trip you. </p>
<p>Gorgeous 8 mile run on Perkiomen Trail this morning. Footing a little tricky for some of the miles since the path is a little chewed up from the bad Sept rains. Just sort of uneven with some ruts (crushed gravel). Didn’t look at my splits and tried to keep the effort pretty easy and wound up with a decent pace anyway.</p>