The first of March is upon us. We can see a light end the end of the winter tunnel and hope it is not a train. I need to get the blog up to date in preparation for another summer of travel.
Sandy and I both started the new year on a low note. With no immediate deadlines or responsibilities, we just laid on our respective couches and watched TV. It had all the hallmarks of depression, but there was no sadness involved. We saw the doctor in mid-January and he said we were OK. Sandy actually improved in her answers to his test questions on depression and I said I'd be fine. I was chastised for an A1C that was back up to 10.0. He also told me I should get back to the gym, somewhere I haven't been since last March.
As February began, I looked at a few tasks I was stressing over related to Safe Ride Home and put them on indefinite hold. My first objective was to address the blood sugar so I started a strict diet of protein and green veggies. It took several weeks, but the daily number slowly declined from 15 (270) to 6.5 to 7.5 (117 to 135). It could be better, but the improvement so far has been massive.
The next task was to address my weight, which averaged 208.9 pounds in 2017. How do I know that? Come on, this is me. I measure and record everything, and then chart it. So far this year the average is only down to 205.7, but I have only been working on it for a month. Once I get past the set point at around 202, things should progress quickly. I expect lower weight will translate into even better blood sugar levels.
The last thing I needed to address was the gym. I plotted my activity since the end of 2001 when I joined the YMCA. Faced with the cold hard data, I had to accept that I have not gone to the gym nearly as much as I thought I did after the first couple of years. I only spent four days there in 2017, all in last March. So, on Monday February 19th, I took my gym bag and left the house shortly after 6:00 AM. I got to the Y to find it was Family Day, a statutory holiday in Ontario, and the Y would not open until 8:00 AM. Rather than go home, I drove to Lively and got a coffee at Tim's. Then I drove to Val Caron and checked the Freedom Riders PO box. By the time I got back downtown, it was 8:00 AM. I have gone every second day last week and this week. I plan to upgrade to every weekday next week. The target right now is 40 minutes of cardio at a sustained heart rate of 120 to 125 beats per minute. So far, so good.
The NASCAR season started on February 18th with the Daytona 500. OK, it actually started a week earlier with the Clash, but that wasn't a points race. Yahoo cancelled their NASCAR Fantasy League where VROC has participated for years, but Jamey T set up a new league at nascar.com. It works differently but should be fun to figure out. I didn't do well in the Daytona Demolition Derby but rocked it in the second race last weekend at Atlanta.
Although the weather was exceptionally cold at the beginning of the year, February has been quite warm. Regular excursions above the freezing mark have resulted in significant snow loss. Hopefully this means an early spring but, if March comes in like a lamb, it might go out like a lion. Regardless, I am ready for both the motorcycle and the golf course. I renewed my membership at Cedar Green Golf Course this past week. Our trips are planned. So hurry Spring. We're ready for you.
5 years ago
