It's all about Pace: August 2013

Thursday, August 22, 2013

10 tips to keep you near your target weight

Hey you! Yeah I'm talking to you…

Are you anywhere near your goal weight? Why not?

Really? Those excuses again?

Busy eh? Not running as much you say?

Oh, riiiight…

You are lifting weights again and it's all muscle???

Suuure…..

so why are you wearing the same pair of "fat pants" that you wore on Tuesday… and it's only Thursday? And BTW weren't they a bit snug this morning?

Okay listen up Fatboy

1. You have a good reputation to live up to… live up to it… wife, kids, coworkers, family… they all expect for you to eat healthy most of the time… that's good peer pressure… use it!

2. Weigh yourself daily… and log it… some folks say not to… but it helps you keep focus… and is proven to work

3. Keep good snax handy (actual picture of my credenza)

4. Be this guy (race weight is ~178… you can go fast there) think of yourself as an athlete in top condition and act like it with your dietary choices.

5. Not this guy (I weighed 222# in March of 2008)

6. Keep a diet log.. you have one ya know: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/cowart3

7. You don't need to eat for recovery… that's a bunch of bull$#!t… and a handy excuse to eat pizza and drink beer after a 2 hour ride

8. You do not need to carb load…. Ever!!!! Really you don't… especially not for the 65 minute tempo run you did on Sunday… that's bogus

9. Every wine has it's time… and wine time is *not* a continuous flow from 1730 to 2300… that's a stream of awesome, delicious, mellowing, but totally empty sugar calories… moderation is the key

10. In summation….

"In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the differences of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey, which precedeth all others is – I will form good habits and become their slave. " –Og Mandino, Greatest Salesman in the World

You know what to do… and you know how to do it… go get 'em Tiger

The above is an actual conversation I had with….. MYSELF

Odd huh? Or maybe you talk to yourself like this too…

Thursday, August 15, 2013

My 10 Simple rules for Spin Class

I like to ride bikes…. I love to ride bikes outside

But often times getting a ride in outside is just not feasible… bike on the car rack in the morning… off to ride at lunch… Just a lot of work for 30 minutes of pedaling…

So god invented spin class.

At their best they are high energy karaoke dance parties

And at their worst they can be like moving your feet in small painful circles while you are stuck in someone else's car who is yelling at their spouse on the phone and blaring a radio station you hate

And over the last oh… 15 years or so I have been to hundreds of these gatherings of music loving cycle fitness enthusiasts… here are a few things that I would like to share with spin instructors everywhere.

1. It's really pretty much all about the music

2. Keep it simple – steady on the verse faster on the chorus

3. Jumps are fun… but only if you have rhythm and can count J

4. No songs without lyrics – how can we sing along if there are no words

5. No deep album cuts or obscure bands – play stuff we know

6. Smile - if you don't the class thinks that they are ticking you off

7. I don't care if you went to a live show of "Riverdance" and thought it was awesome… please don't try and enlighten us during class

8. You really can't miss with the Black Eyed Peas

9. No Pink Floyd

10. Have fun… it's a workout but it doesn't have to be work - if the instructor is having fun pedaling to music... we all might just want to come along for a ride.