A1A Half Marathon Wrap-up!
This was one of the best races and times we have had in a long time!
I will start with a trip down memory lane. But first……….
I decided to start Saturday morning with a soak in the hot tub!
The hot tub
Now, on to memory lane…..
This is the 11th Avenue Bridge. It is one of the few bridges here in South Florida, that turns instead of going up like a draw bridge. To the immediate left of this bridge, was a home owned by one of my fathers friends. He used to let me come over and crab off of his dock. Good times for sure!
The 11th Avenue bridge.
This is the Evergreen cemetery. It is the one of the oldest cemeteries in Broward County. Back when I was in high school, we used to jump the fence, which was lower than it is now, and have parties til all hours of the morning. The phrase was, we are having a party Saturday night…and everyone was dying to get in!
Evergreen Historic Cemetery
After driving around Broward County for a while, it was time to visit the Expo. As always, this Expo has just about everything you could want for running and fitness. We got our race packet, shirt, poster, sport beans, all in 40 minutes!
Expo
Expo
Expo
Lexus isle at the Expo.
Next, we took Marshall to his Aunt Rose Maries where he got to spend the weekend! After that, time to check into the hotel. When I went to get a hotel for this race, everything was booked, at least what was in our price range. So, we had to “settle” for the Ritz Carlton! The standard rate for this room was $599.00 per night……………unless……you have Marriott Rewards points! Since we use our Marriot credit card for everything, we have an abundance of points, so, 50,000 points deducted, and the room was free!! And what a room!
This has to be the best hotel room we have ever stayed at. Click on the link Ritz Carlton, just to look at the place. Below are a few pictures of our room and the view. As an aside, the service is unbelievable! Everything you want is a fingertip away!
The Bed
Bathroom vanity
The bathtub
The toilet room..with a phone………… and a TV in the bathroom!
The view from our balcony.
The view from the 7th floor pool deck.
After we settled in, we decided to have a few drinks on the patio overlooking the Intracoastal waterway. The Miami boat show was going on the same weekend, but we had our own private boat show!
Bridge opening…..
Sailboat.
A nice boat….
A real nice boat……
A really, really, really nice boat!!
After viewing our own private boat show, it was time for dinner. We decided to walk around to burn off a few drinks and ended up at the Quarterdeck Lounge. This is a place that as youngsters, we used to frequent. Maybe when you get older, you notice more, but this place was a dump. After waiting 20 minutes for service, and none ever came, and being subjected to a smoker who appeared to be in the final stages of some sort of death disease, we decided to eat elsewhere!
We walked around some more and ended up back at the hotel to see about getting dinner reservations. All booked up. We walked back down “the strip”, and ended up at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Looking at the menu, there wasn’t much that appealed to me, so we moved on. Eventually, we arrived at the H20 Cafe.
The wife used her phone to look up the reviews and most were positive, so, we decided to eat here for our Valentines dinner.
We were seated immediately and our waiter asked for our drink order. My current training drink is Jose Cuervo tequila and diet Sierra Mist. It is a zero carbohydrate drink and not as fattening as my normal Tequila Sunrise. Since they had no Diet drinks of any kind, we had to improvise. Tequila, Seltzer water, lemon, lime, and Splenda!
With the drinks out of the way, time to order food.
First was the appetizer, Cozze Posilipo….which is “Mussels in a light tomato wine sauce with red onions and a touch of fresh tomato and basil.”
Cozze Posilipo
Mussels in a light tomato wine sauce with red onions and a touch of fresh tomato and basil.
This was absolutely fantastic! I was tempted to get another order, but seeing the portion size, figured the dinner would be plenty!
Speaking of which, I had the NY Strip Steak and the wife had the Risotto Champagne. Both were outstanding! I highly recommend this restaurant if you are ever in the area.
New York Strip Steak
Risotto Champagne
Risotto with baby shrimp and asparagus in a champagne cream sauce.
The view of Fort Lauderdale Beach from our dinner table!
Time to head back to the room to watch the sunset and go to bed around 8:30 pm.
Sunset…
Sunset….
Nite nite……..
What is that sound? Ah, the alarm…..it is 3:00 am!!!
Remember that hotel service I mentioned earlier?
Can you send us up a pot of hot coffee?
Although it was 20 dollars, it was worth it!!!!! And, it arrived 10 minutes after the call and was fresh and hot!!
Now it was time to bathe, get dressed, and do everything else that you have to do before you head out to a race. We made a phone call to the valet, yes, it is mandatory valet parking, and when we got downstairs, our car was waiting for us! We even picked up a girl runner who was waiting for a cab, and we offered her a ride to the race.
Five minutes later, with a little “creative” driving, all routes to and from the hotel were blocked off and I had to navigate several cones, we were at the VIP parking lot, which is at the finish line. So far, so good.
Next we got on the bus and headed to the starting line, which is normally a 15 minute ride. Unfortunately, due to construction, several of the “usual” roads were blocked off and our driver seemed to have a hard time understanding what some of us locals were trying to tell her! Eventually, we ended up near the starting line, the driver pulled off to the side of the road, and we all got off and made our way to the start.
The Starting Line!
We only had to wait 20 minutes until the Star Spangled Banner was played on a saxophone. Then the wheeled racers were off. At 6:00 am, the race started. This race, unlike the Disney races or any other race we have run, is a mass start race. Everyone gets into position by markers for their projected pace. The only issue with this is that some of the slower runners, jump to the front of the line, which, later in the race, causes some runners, to have to weave around these other runners after you catch up to them.
In any event, I preferred this start as I only had to wait 6 minutes to get to the Starting line as opposed to the half hour or more at Disney.
As I started to run, I realized that I felt really good. I had no pain and also, no tightening up of my calves. I was running effortlessly, but still trying to keep a 13:30 pace. For the first nine miles, I never was slower than a 13:29 pace. The first 4 miles were run in an average pace of 12:55!
5K time:38:48, which is a personal best! The view of the 5K marker, which is now a castle instead of the previous sailboat.
5K castle.
Running along, at miles four and five, the sunrise….
Sunrise…..
Now it was time to focus on running. I was running at a consistent pace, 13:04 or so for a majority of the race. At mile 10, I finally had to urinate as I had been holding it for six miles! Miles 10,11,and 12, were my slowest miles. I was fighting a toe cramp in my left foot, as well as pain in my left hip. Luckily, those pains went away and to my surprise, and I didn’t know this until I looked at the tracker later, my fastest mile was my last! Mile 13 was at a 12:51 pace!
Here are the official and unofficial results:
Endomondo:
Distance: 13.27 miles
Duration: 2:57:09
Average Pace: 13:20
Official time:
| First Name | Last Name | Age | 10k | Gun Time | Net-Time | Pace |
| Eric | Van De Ven | 54 | 1:18:46 | 3:03:50 | 02:56:38 | 13:29 |
Not a personal best, but considering I was 15 pounds heavier than last year, I was only 2 minutes slower. And, no pain except for a little soreness.
Also, using the run/walk interval method and the low carbohydrate diet, I felt fresh after the race.
While waiting for the wife to finish, I took a few pictures of the beach and surrounding areas.
Fort Lauderdale beach!
More beach….
In the instruction manual of our new Canon camera, it says not to look at the lens if you are taking a picture of a bright object…like the sun!
The Bahia Mar hotel..
A cargo ship…that was probably at least a half a mile away. That zoom really does work!
Wishful thinking!
Almost there!
The finish line! I took this picture while running with the wife to the finish!
The best thing at the finish…ice cold low fat chocolate milk!!!!!!
Victory!!!
Now that the race was over, what to do? We got an extended checkout, so, went up to the room, rehydrated, and packed. We called the bellman and they took our luggage downstairs and held it for us. Meanwhile, we went to the pool patio deck and had lunch. But first, drinks!! Now that the race was over, carbohydrate fever! A Mojito for me and a Bahama Mamma for the wife!
Mojito and a Bahama Mamma!
A quick burger and Mahi Mahi sandwich..time to enjoy the view!
Bacon cheeseburger.
Mahi Mahi sandwich!
Bye bye Lauderdale…… 😦
This was a fantastic trip. No injuries and no drama..except for nearly missing the race! 😉
We are already planning for the race next year and it may be a 2-night stay this time!
Next race up….Disney Wine and Dine 2015!
Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon 2014 (race day)
It would appear, that Thursday night dinner would be the high-point for this weekend!
Marshall was a bit Grumpy when he woke up this morning and wanted to “postpone the run until he was better rested”!
We loaded up and drove to Wide World of Sports for the Kids races.
The required picture under the ball at Wide World of Sports!
Marshall ready to run…..He is getting some last minute advise from his coach!
A few trips through the obstacle course, and Marshall was warmed up!
Marshall finishing. If he didn’t trip at the start, he might have finished first in his wave!
Marshall and EJ at the finish.
Now it was time to take Marshall to his grandparents. We got back to the room and ate and tried to rest.
As I was on a gluten-free and mostly low carbohydrate diet, I made six cheeseburgers before we left. They came in handy for race fuel!
We got ready and headed to the bus in front of the hotel at 7:00. We arrived at around 7:45.
We mingled with some friends and got a picture taken:
The air was crisp, temperature around 65 degrees, and a slight wind…..when we arrived at Wide World of Sports!
That changed.
Right around 9:45, it started to rain. Just a slight drizzle. It never stopped!!!!
On to the race……
I was using the backup phone wrapped in a sandwich bag. The apps running were: Endomondo, Run/Walk interval, and Winamp for music.
The Motorola wireless headphones were also used.
Mommy ready to race!
Yours Truly
And we are off………………………………
The Start
Right off the bat, I knew this would be a slow race. Between the large amount of participants, especially in the corral I was in, I knew I would be lucky to finish this race.
Mile Pace
Mile 1: 14:55
Mile 2: 13:33
Mile 3: 13:26 Fastest lap! But, problems developed!!! 😦
Mile 4: 13:56
Mile 5: 14:02
Mile 6: 14:13
Mile 7: 15:01
Mile 8: 14:41
Mile 9: 15:05
Mile 10: 15:31 More problems!!!!!!
Mile 11: 15:55
Mile 12: 16:11
Mile 13: 16:51
Endomondo: 3:13;20 Pace: 15:04
Chip time: 3:21:37 Pace: 15:23
Considering the conditions, and the fact that I weighed 245 pounds at race start, I guess I can live with the results.
Problem one developed right after mile three. The insert inside my shoes, started to move and eventually, was crinkled up under my foot. I tightened up the laces on my right shoe, and that seemed to solve the problem, for that foot! The left shoe, however, was still having problems all the way to the end of the race. I tightened the laces three more times and it got better, but about every mile and a half, I had to stop, take off my shoe, straighten out the insert and re-install it. This cut into my time.
Problem two developed around mile 11. I get a warning that my battery is low in my headphones. Shortly thereafter, no headphones!! I managed to finish by counting on my fingers to forty for the run intervals and 50 for the walk intervals. At some point, it was quiet enough where I could hear the commands from the phone speaker. So could everyone else!
Problem three: While tying my shoes around mile eleven, I got a cramp in my left calf! Great!! The previous races “up north” I have cramped badly. This race I took special care to prevent that from happening. I was taking potassium, drinking a bunch of water and Gatorade, and doing everything to prevent cramping. The good news, was that when I got up to run, the cramps went away. The bad news, I had to adjust the insert three more times! Each time, I feared the cramps would return, but they didn’t. 🙂
After I crossed the finish line, I grabbed my bag and headed to the after-party. I met my wife and we decided that since I was shaking uncontrollably, we should go back to the warmth of our room! Once back to the room, I took a hot shower and then crawled under the covers!!
The aftermath………………………
As with all of these races, it is a battle between your mind and body. Your body keeps trying to find ways for you to go and lay down. Your mind says no. This year, the mind won as going into this race, I didn’t know if I would finish. After the race, I am pain-free. Nothing hurts and I could go out for a run today. I have never felt this good after a race. No pain in the shins, no pain in the knee or feet. I am actually quite surprised as after the race, due to the awkward running style caused by the failed insert, my left knee hurt. Sunday it felt fine and today, you couldn’t even tell I just ran one of the toughest half marathons in my life!
What’s ahead?
Depending on what happens regarding the wife, she fell at mile three, hurt her knee, and continued to mile 7, before finally surrendering to the pain, the next run will either be a local 5K and/or the A1A half marathon in February.
I wish to thank all of those who cheered us on at the event, and those that have wished us well on the blog, and Facebook pages.
Stay tuned……training resumes Tuesday! 🙂
Wine and Dine 2014 1/2 Marathon wrap up (Pre-Race)
Another race in the books!!!
This years race was one of the more enjoyable events, as well as the most painful! We will start off with the enjoyable part first!
Thursday:
We arrive bright and early to our hotel, the Caribbean Beach Resort. Checked in and then, got to the Pirate Room! Thanks Jen!
Now it was off to Epcot for the Wine and Dine portion of this trip!
I had to be careful as to which countries we ate at due to my gluten issue.
We started off in New Zealand, where I had the Steamed Green Lip Mussells. I forgot to get a picture! Next, we skipped around until we got to Morocco for some sangria. Which was the best sangria, hands down at the event. Then we went to France for the Braised Short Ribs and some Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Delicious!! Next, Brazil for Crispy Pork Belly and Black Beans. I had the Frozen Caipirinha…whatever that is!! It was very refreshing! We finished up the eating portion with a trip to Puerto Rico where I had a conch salad and sangria. We ended the Wine and Dine portion in Mexico where I had the third sangria.
Braised Short Ribs in France
Pork Belly and Black Beans in Brazil
Conch Salad in Puerto Rico
Bye Bye Epcot….for now!
We went back to the room, had a snack, yes, hard to believe we will still hungry, and then, to soak in the hot tub.
Time for dinner! Every time we visit Disney, we try to eat somewhere new. This trip, we went to the Contemporary Hotel and ate at “The Wave“.
Contemporary Hotel
The Wave
I started off with Steamed Florida Cedar Key Clams with Chorizo Sausage, Fennel, and Smoked Paprika, which was tremendous!!!
Steamed Florida Cedar Key Clams
with Chorizo Sausage, Fennel, and Smoked Paprika
That was followed by Herb-Salt Seasoned Beef Tenderloin Caramelized Field Mushrooms, Organic Green Beans, Potato Mash, and Sauce Bordelaise. This was also delicious!
Herb-Salt Seasoned Beef Tenderloin
Caramelized Field Mushrooms, Organic Green Beans, Potato Mash, and Sauce Bordelaise
For dessert…and this isn’t on the menu, Gluten-Free Carrot Cake!!! I also ordered a Chocolate martini. This was one of the best desserts I have ever had! If you are ever at the Wave, make sure you order this combination. I was almost tempted to order a “to-go” version!!
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with a Chocolate Martini
After dinner, we watched the fireworks and the castle got “Frozen”!
Frozen Castle
We went back to the hotel and to bed! Day one was tiring!!
Friday:
Friday started off with a trip to the race Expo at Wide World of Sports. We had to get our race packets, bibs, run tracking, and a few supplies. Then, it was off to Animal Kingdom.
Marshall and Mommy at Wide World of Sports
Marshall and Daddy at Wide World of Sports
Marshall in the dugout.
Home plate!
Sports Expo
Off to Animal Kingdom…….
I finally got to see the walking tree lady!!
The Tree of Life
Marshall riding a dinosaur!
A large lizard…………
A lurking bat…..
Mt. Everest
After lunch at the Flame Tree Cafe, we headed back to the hotel. Had a few drinks, relaxed, then it was off to dinner.
Dinner was at the Flying Fish.
A Blood orange margarita
The only picture worth posting is the one above. The food was pedestrian at best. The service and mass confusion was also a contributor to an overall forgettable experience. With such high ratings, we surprised by the experience. Young Marshall did enjoy the mussels though!
Time to return back to the room and rest up….
Next post….Race Day!!!!
Training continues …. shoulder surgery next. :(
As this year comes to a close, it has been quite eventful! A little bit of everything. Running, injuries, and some good times!
I am having shoulder surgery Tuesday, so it looks like the training will be put on hold…for a little while anyway!
Since switching to the new shoes, there has been no pain in my knees over the last two runs. The first run, 10 miles, was a fairly “easy” run.
| Day | Distance | Time | W & D Time |
| Saturday | 0.5 | 0:09:03 | |
| December 1, 2012 | 1 | 0:11:41 | 0:05:40 |
| 1.5 | 0:05:47 | ||
| 2 | 0:10:23 | 0:05:50 | |
| 2.5 | 0:05:53 | ||
| 3 | 0:11:06 | 0:05:46 | |
| 3.1 | 0:01:15 | ||
| 0:43:14 | 3.5 | 0:04:00 | |
| 4 | 0:11:20 | 0:05:37 | |
| 4.5 | 0:05:53 | ||
| 5 | 0:10:53 | 0:05:37 | |
| 5.5 | 0:05:47 | ||
| 6 | 0:11:36 | 0:05:36 | |
| 1:17:27 | 6.5 | 0:05:43 | |
| 7 | 0:10:33 | 0:05:33 | |
| 7.5 | 0:05:55 | ||
| 8 | 0:11:15 | 0:06:04 | |
| 8.5 | 0:05:54 | ||
| 9 | 0:11:54 | 0:05:50 | |
| 9.5 | 0:06:03 | ||
| 1:59:04 | 10 | 0:11:13 | 0:06:18 |
| Totals: | 10 | 1:51:54 | 2:53:56 |
The 1:51:04 time was a 7:10 improvement over my Wine and Dine pace.
This Saturday, I was trying to get a little speed work done so I increased the running interval on one lap in the first three miles to see if my 5K time would improve.
| Day | Distance | Time | W & D Time |
| Saturday | 0.5 | 0:09:03 | |
| December 8, 2012 | 1 | 0:12:26 | 0:05:40 |
| 1.5 | 0:05:47 | ||
| 2 | 0:10:40 | 0:05:50 | |
| 2.5 | 0:05:53 | ||
| 3 | 0:09:44 | 0:05:46 | |
| 32:52 (personal best)! | 3.1 | 0:01:15 | |
| 0:43:14 | 3.5 | 0:04:00 | |
| 4 | 0:10:48 | 0:05:37 | |
| 4.5 | 0:05:53 | ||
| 1:00:21 | 5 | 0:11:24 | 0:05:37 |
| 0:55:02 | |||
| Difference +/- 0:05:19 | 6 |
| Totals: | 5 | 0:55:02 | 2:53:56 | Pace:11:00 |
By running three additional “run” intervals, I was able to finish the five miles in 55 minutes and the 5K in just under 33 minutes, both, personal bests!
When I resume training, I will be changing my run/walk settings to 1:30 run/1:00 walk and gradually, work my way to a 2:00 run/1:00 walk pace. I think this will get me to the 2:30 time I am looking for at the A1A half marathon.
The goals for next year are to lose 22 pounds, which will get me under 200 pounds, for the first time in thirty years!!! I believe that will also increase my speed as well as make it easier to run with less pain. And by pain, I mean the occasional soreness in strange places that seems to come only from running! Also, to run my first marathon and to finish the 2013 Tower of Terror 10 mile race in under 2 hours and the 2013 Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon in two hours.
As I will be out of action, the upcoming blog posts will be reviews of some of the products I use and “The Terrible Teeth” post will be revealed. For those that are a bit squeamish about dental work, you may want to avoid that one!
I would like to wish all of my followers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Run Wild…………………………..Run Free!!!!
Estrella Damm Daura Gluten free beer!
This beer is available at Whole Foods!!
Whoa, quite a claim coming from a Spanish brewery. But they seem to be backed up by a number of awards, recognitions and firsthand accounts. I’m late to this news, but since I’ve yet to see it available, and no distributor has sent me a sample, perhaps I’m not that late to the game afterall. 😉
Where to buy this beer? It happens to be available at Portland’s own Belmont Station, whoo! I will be checking it out very soon. Like, this evening!
Read below for the full-on story…
DAURA, which was launched in Spain in 2006 and is now available in 12 countries worldwide, is the first of its kind within the gluten-free beer category. Unlike other gluten-free options, which use sorghum as a substitute for wheat or grain, DAURA uses barley-malt to provide the “real beer taste.” A proprietary brewing process strips the gluten protein…
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Gluten-Free chicken nachos
As we are having leftovers today, and many have requested it, here is the recipe for my version of chicken nachos!
Start out with a couple of large chicken breasts. Season them with either salt and pepper or in yesterdays case, McCormicks Fresh Pinch Steak Seasoning. Then, grill them until they are almost done. Do not over cook the chicken!!!
Meanwhile, grease or use “Pam” to lubricate your pans. You can use a glass dish or a lasagna pan. We got these handy-dandy plastic/aluminum insert pans a long time ago. You can also get all of the ingredients ready. The ingredients are as follows:
- Chicken breasts
- Tostinos restaurant style chips (1 bag)
- Mild salsa, preferably fresh but the one a Publix in the produce department works well (1 container)
- Refried beans (1 can)
- Cheese spread which is usually found near the chips (1 jar)
- Shredded cheese, the “Mexican” blend works well (1 16 oz bag)
- Sliced jalapeno peppers ( 1 small jar, use as many as you like)
The chicken is almost ready!
Cut up the chicken. Do not worry if it is a little underdone..you will not die from this! It will finish cooking in the oven. 🙂
Begin the assembly. This is very similar to lasagna. Start with a layer of chips. Then add the shredded cheese. Next the meat. Then the salsa, strained through a fork. You do not want a bunch of liquid or everything will get soggy. Add the liquid cheese just dribbling it on. Then, add the jalapeno peppers.
Repeat. If you like your nachos spicy, add a second row of jalapeno peppers. Here, I did not.
Add a third layer of just chips, then cheese.
After everything is assembled, bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Check the nachos and if they look like the picture below, reduce the heat to 325 degrees and cook for 10 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with either an ice-cold beer or margaritas, or, the beverage of your choice and a dollop of sour cream.
Young Marshall enjoyed his!
The pictures above, with the exception of the last one, are actually from 2010. I guess I was going to post this recipe, but forgot!
Enjoy!!
Tuesday and Wednesday…back at it!
First, Tuesdays food diary:
April 3, 2012
| FOODS | Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Cholest | Sodium | Sugars | Fiber |
| Breakfast | ||||||||
| Nature’s Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla – Creamy Vanilla, 2 scoop | 210 | 0g | 1g | 50g | 5mg | 320mg | 0g | 0g |
| Lunch | ||||||||
| Eric’s burgers – hamburger , 1 patty | 200 | 0g | 11g | 22g | 75mg | 75mg | 0g | 0g |
| Dinner | ||||||||
| Steak – New York Strip, 10 oz | 550 | 0g | 11g | 29g | 54mg | 66mg | 0g | 0g |
| Zucchini – Grilled Zucchini, 1 oz | 29 | 7g | 0g | 1g | 0mg | 0mg | 1g | 1g |
| Snacks | ||||||||
| Hillshire Farm Deli Select – Honey Ham – Thin Sliced 142 g (5 oz). 57 g Per 6 Slices, 28.5 g | 35 | 2g | 1g | 5g | 15mg | 375mg | 2g | 0g |
| Nature’s Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla – Creamy Vanilla, 2 scoop | 210 | 0g | 1g | 50g | 5mg | 320mg | 0g | 0g |
| Supplements | ||||||||
| Centrum – Centrum Silver Supplement, 1 Tablet | 5 | 2g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 1g | 0g |
| Patenthealth,Llc – Trigosamine, 3 capsules | 15 | 2g | 0g | 1g | 0mg | 100mg | 0g | 0g |
| Bsn – N.O. Xplode, 1 scoop | 25 | 6g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 235mg | 0g | 0g |
| Nature Made – Iron, 0.25 tablet | 0 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 0g | 0g |
| TOTAL: | 1,279 | 19g | 25g | 158g | 154mg | 1,491mg | 4g | 1g |
As Marshall has recovered from whatever viral illness he has, I am off to the gym, then work later on.
Here is last nights dinner:
Zucchini, marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sirloin steaks on the grill!
An update on the workout today will be posted later today!
I hope everyone has a great day!
It’s Tuesday…..Leg day!
Now that I am back in the swing of things, today was leg day. I would have to say, that working out legs has always been my favorite exercise. I also have to talk to the gym owner about getting more machines or adding weight to the ones currently present as I am already topping out the machines!
The workout:
| EXERCISES | Calories | Minutes | Sets | Reps | Weight |
| Cardiovascular | |||||
| Mowing lawn, general | 589 | 60 | |||
| Strength Training | |||||
| Leg extension single | 3 | 10 | 130 | ||
| Leg extension double | 1 | 10 | 230 | ||
| Leg press single | 3 | 10 | 230 | ||
| Leg press double | 1 | 15 | 405 | ||
| Reverse leg curl single | 3 | 10 | 90 | ||
| Reverse leg curl double | 1 | 15 | 170 | ||
| TOTALS: | 589 | 60 | 12 | 70 | 1,255 |
The numbers in red, are the maximum weight on the machine. I may have to start doing squats, which I hate, and they are not very good for ones back, especially mine!
While I am on the subject of weight, I lost another pound and am back on the path of weight loss.
The iron supplement seems to be helping, although, it also is contributing to the constipation issue. Fortunately, we just happened to have some Fiber Choice – Plus Antioxidant tablets in the cabinet, so instead of taking two, which is the recommended dosage, I took one so as to not use up all of my carbs on one thing. It also says on the package, “may cause bloating”..UUGGGGGGGG!!! Fortunately, the bloating was minimal! 🙂
Speaking of supplements, the Isopure shake is doing what it is supposed to. It provides plenty of protein with no carbs or gluten! The trick is to mix it properly, which is accomplished with one of our trusty shaker bottles that have a screen inside that breaks everything up, and the mixture itself. As is often the case, I read the directions and then, promptly, discard them. Instead of using 10 ounces of water, I use 8 and four ice cubes. After shaking vigorously for 15 seconds, it is in a semi-shake condition and tastes fine.
The food diary will be up later on tonight.
In the meantime, a little update on two issues.
First, the Ducane 4400.
After discovering this:
I contacted Weber, who now owns Ducane and inquired as to the warranty on the fire-box. The response, was less than satisfactory, and here it is:
Thank you for your reply. Thank you for the photos Eric. From what I can see, there is not an issue that warranty a replacement of your firebox. The warranty covers rust through or burn through. Your warranty is also still active until September of 2014 so if it gets worse let us know.
If you need further assistance, please let me know.
For those that know me, our grills are a big part of our lives and need to be dependable.
My response was as follows:
If I remove that rust, I am sure there will be holes there. Is that what needs to be done? I don’t want to make it worse than it is.
Apparently, the folks at Weber do not understand what the sight of large clumps of rust indicate. I am eagerly awaiting their reply!
Issue number two, my beloved Saucony ProGrid Guide 5 shoes. I made a simple, at least to me, inquiry to determine two things, but first, Saucony, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the only shoe in their entire line that comes in a 4E width, is the previously mentioned PGG5.
My inquiry was twofold.
- Do you plan on offering larger sizes for any of your other shoes besides the PGG5?
- Do you plan on offering the PGG5 in any other color in the 4E size?
Two simple enough questions…or so I thought! Below is the reply.
Dear Eric,Thank you for your inquiry. The ProGrid Guide 5 comes the color white/silver/royal in wide and extra wide. The extra wide width is the larges width we manufacture. I am unaware of any plans for the shoe to be made in wider widths than what we currently manufacture. I apologize for any inconvenience.Kind Regards,BruceEcommerce Customer Service
Dear Eric,At this time, this is the only style as well as the only color made in 4E at this time through out 2012. It is possible that we may make more styles and colors next year.Sincerely,CathyEcommerce Consumer Service
March 27, 2012
| FOODS | Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Cholest | Sodium | Sugars | Fiber |
| Breakfast | ||||||||
| Jones All Natural Golden Brown – Breakfast Sausage Link-Fully Cooked, 3 Links | 250 | 1g | 24g | 7g | 45mg | 380mg | 0g | 0g |
| Lipton – Decaffeinated Tea Bags, 3 Tea Bag | 0 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 0g | 0g |
| Lunch | ||||||||
| Claussen Pickles – Kosher Dill Halves, 1/2 pickle half | 5 | 1g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 270mg | 0g | 0g |
| Boars Head – Roast Beef, 6 slices | 240 | 2g | 8g | 45g | 90mg | 240mg | 0g | 0g |
| Kraft Natural Cheese – Extra Sharp Cheddar, 1 oz or 28g | 120 | 0g | 10g | 6g | 30mg | 180mg | 0g | 0g |
| Dinner | ||||||||
| Whole Chicken (Roasted;After Skin/Bones Removed) – Homemade Roasted Whole Chicken, 0.25 chicken (after skin and bones removed) | 300 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 0g | 0g |
| Birds Eye – Steamfresh Fresh Frozen Vegetables Asparagus, Gold & White Corn, Baby Carrots, 1/6 cup | 18 | 3g | 0g | 1g | 0mg | 4mg | 1g | 0g |
| Snacks | ||||||||
| Kraft Natural Cheese – Extra Sharp Cheddar, 2 oz or 28g | 240 | 0g | 20g | 12g | 60mg | 360mg | 0g | 0g |
| Nature’s Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla – Creamy Vanilla, 2 scoop | 210 | 0g | 1g | 50g | 5mg | 320mg | 0g | 0g |
| Liquids | ||||||||
| Lipton – Decaffeinated Tea Bags, 3 Tea Bag | 0 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 0g | 0g |
| Supplements | ||||||||
| Bsn – N.O. Xplode, 1 scoop | 25 | 6g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 235mg | 0g | 0g |
| Centrum – Centrum Silver Supplement, 1 Tablet | 5 | 2g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 1g | 0g |
| Fiber Choice – Plus Antioxidants, 1 tablets | 8 | 4g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 0g | 2g |
| Nature’s Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla – Creamy Vanilla, 2 scoop | 210 | 0g | 1g | 50g | 5mg | 320mg | 0g | 0g |
| Nature Made – Iron, 1 tablet | 0 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0mg | 0mg | 0g | 0g |
| TOTAL: | 1,631 | 19g | 64g | 171g | 235mg | 2,309mg | 2g | 2g |
Monday..Monday…Not a fun day!
After last nights binge on tacos and margaritas, today will be the first day of the actual slim-down portion of my exercise program.
The first month was dedicated to building some strength in my upper body and that has been accomplished. Fortunately for me, I don’t usually get too weak even when I don’t work out and, what ever weakness was present, is usually recovered in two weeks. Being over 50, I can tell you that the loss of muscle mass is not a myth. It is true and it is a mistake many make when solely trying to lose weight.
Most weight loss occurs at the expense of muscle tissue. It is why I feel it is very important that some strength training be added to any weight loss program. Especially for women. Many women fear that they will gain all sorts of weight and also become huge like the “Hulk”. It takes a tremendous amount of weight training combined with a lot of calorie intake to get into that body type. So, women, don’t be afraid of a little weight training! 🙂
Here is the workout for today:
March 26, 2012
| EXERCISES | Calories | Minutes | Sets | Reps | Weight |
| Cardiovascular | |||||
| Stair-treadmill ergometer, general | 354 | 32 | |||
| Stationary bike, moderate effort (bicycling, cycling, biking) | 356 | 32 | |||
| Strength Training | |||||
| Standard Bench Press | 3 | 15 | 135 | ||
| Seated Biceps Curl | 3 | 15 | 70 | ||
| Sit-Ups | 3 | 50 | |||
| Triceps Pull-down | 3 | 15 | 70 | ||
| Bench (Chest) Press, Machine | 3 | 15 | 120 | ||
| Triceps Extension | 3 | 15 | 60 | ||
| Standing Biceps Curl, Dumbbell | 3 | 15 | 15 | ||
| TOTALS: | 710 | 64 | 21 | 140 | 470 |
Here are the numbers from the treadmill:
| Workout Summary | |||||
| Workout type | Manual | Cool down | |||
| Equipment | Treadmill | Elapsed time | 2 | ||
| Date | 3/26/2012 | Average speed (mph) | 2.5 | ||
| Time | Maximum Speed (mph) | 2.6 | |||
| User Data | Distance (miles) | 0.08 | |||
| Age | 51 | Calories | 10 | ||
| Weight | 236 | Totals | |||
| Workout | Elapsed time | 32 | |||
| Elapsed time | 30 | Average heart rate | 110 | ||
| Average heart rate | 110 | Maximum heart rate | 152 | ||
| Maximum heart rate | 152 | Average speed (mph) | 3.6 | ||
| Average speed (mph) | 3.7 | Maximum Speed (mph) | 4 | ||
| Maximum Speed (mph) | 4 | Average pace (miles) | 16.23 | ||
| Average pace (miles) | 16.23 | Distance (miles) | 1.91 | ||
| Distance (miles) | 1.83 | Calories | 353 | ||
| Calories | 343 | ||||
The best part of the treadmill workout was that I ran a solid 20 minutes at a 14 minute pace with no pain at all! 🙂
And the stationary bicycle:
| Workout Summary | |||||
| Workout type | Manual | Cool down | |||
| Equipment | Stationary Bike | Elapsed time | 2 | ||
| Date | March 26, 2012 | Average rpm | 73 | ||
| Time | 9:30 | Maximum rpm | 103 | ||
| User Data | Distance (miles) | 0.32 | |||
| Age | 51 | Calories | 10 | ||
| Weight | 236 | Totals | |||
| Workout | Elapsed time | 32 | |||
| Elapsed time | 30 | Average heart rate | 143 | ||
| Average heart rate | 143 | Maximum heart rate | 166 | ||
| Maximum heart rate | 166 | Average rpm | 81 | ||
| Average rpm | 81 | Maximum rpm | 136 | ||
| Maximum rpm | 136 | Distance (miles) | 6.82 | ||
| Distance (miles) | 6.5 | Calories | 355 | ||
| Calories | 345 | ||||
The bicycle is just for endurance purposes and probably in a month, I will back it down to 20 minutes and concentrate on the running more. After all, an hour of cardio and then a workout, might be getting to be a bit much! I am not 25 years old!!
It has come to my attention that apparently, seniors, do not need iron as the Centrum Silver vitamins have no iron in them at all! It also appears that everything in the world has a tremendous amount of salt which is causing water retention as well as, possibly, constipation. My wife pointed out that my fiber intake is almost non-existent. Fiber is needed to “keep things moving” in the digestive track. I’ll be stopping by Walgreens to get some iron and fiber supplements, and when I run out of the Centrum vitamins, I’ll switch to some that have iron.
I have got the iron, but, trying to find a gluten-free,low carb fiber supplement, not so easy! I’ll be researching this today.
Speaking of gluten, it appears as though some items marked gluten-free, really are not. After last nights explosion, which included some pizza from Fresh Brothers, I woke up this morning with an upset stomach as well as the familiar bloated feeling that is symptomatic of gluten ingestion. I suspect it was a minor amount as according to the FDA, less that 20 parts per million is considered gluten-free, if each item I ate had 19 ppm, then when all the portions are added up, it no longer is gluten-free.
This was the main reason I went to the Atkins diet for this training session.
And now, a quick review of Fresh Brothers pizza. First of all, if a pizza doesn’t contain meat, it is nothing more than a grilled-cheese sandwich with some veggies thrown in! The wife got a cheese and spinach pizza. I happen to love spinach, but, I need a little more for it to be called a pizza. The flavor wasn’t very good and the crust was thin and not real crunchy. Would I get their pizza again? No…if I really want pizza, we have a place, Bella Romas, right up the street, which, although it would cause me a weeks worth of agony, I would be willing to suffer as their pizza is just that good! Disregard the one negative review. This individual obviously doesn’t understand, that great food is worth waiting for!
As I sit here typing, I feel slight pain in my left knee. Time for some ice and I will forgo mowing the lawn until tomorrow.
Tonights food diary:
March 26, 2012
| Breakfast | Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sugar | Iron | |
| Jones All Natural Golden Brown – Breakfast Sausage Link-Fully Cooked, 3 Links | 250 | 1 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 2 | |
| Bsn – N.O. Xplode, 1 scoop | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Centrum – Centrum Silver Supplement, 1 Tablet | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 280 | 9 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Lunch | |||||||
| Lipton – Decaffeinated Tea Bags, 3 Tea Bag | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Certified Angus Beef – Top Round London Broil, 7 oz. | 333 | 0 | 16 | 44 | 0 | 18 | |
| 333 | 0 | 16 | 44 | 0 | 18 | ||
| Dinner | |||||||
| Pork Chops – Thick Cut Grilled Pork Chops, 8 oz | 220 | 0 | 16 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Birds Eye – Steamfresh Fresh Frozen Vegetables Asparagus, Gold & White Corn, Baby Carrots, 0.3335 cup | 35 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 255 | 7 | 16 | 20 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Snacks | |||||||
| Nature’s Best Perfect Zero Carb Isopure Creamy Vanilla – Creamy Vanilla, 4 scoop | 420 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 12 | |
| Nature Made – Iron, 1 tablet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 360 | |
| Hillshire Farm Deli Select – Honey Ham – Thin Sliced 142 g (5 oz). 57 g Per 6 Slices, 28.5 g | 35 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | |
| Kraft Natural Cheese – Extra Sharp Cheddar, 1 oz or 28g | 120 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 575 | 2 | 13 | 111 | 2 | 374 | ||
| Totals | 1,443 | 18 | 69 | 182 | 5 | 395 | |
| Your Daily Goal | 2,570 | 353 | 85 | 96 | 51 | 100 | |
| Remaining | 1,127 | 335 | 16 | -86 | 46 | -295 | |
| Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sugar | Iron | ||
| *You’ve earned 710 extra calories from exercise today | |||||||
The calorie intake is back to around 1,500, which is gross, not net with the calories burned subtracted. The carbs are also under 20 and the iron deficiency has been corrected. Tomorrow, I will attempt to address the fiber issue, as the iron increase has now added to the constipation issue.
Gluten-Free Lasagna
At the request of a close friend, I am publishing my recipe for gluten-free lasagna. This is a very simple recipe and uses ingredients that are readily available. As always, check the labels of any products to make sure they are gluten-free. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer.
I will start out with the fact that this recipe is supposed to be easy. You can make the sauce from scratch and there are thousands of recipes for that available, but that is not the intent of this recipe. Speaking of the sauce, the sauce is the heart of this dish. Without the sauce, it is just mac and cheese! Although a very tasty mac and cheese, it isn’t what we are looking for.
The first ingredient is the sauce. I prefer Prego as it is gluten-free and also, in my opinion, the best “base” sauce. By base sauce, I mean that it is good to start with but almost everything can be improved upon!
As you can see, the sauce is in the pan over low heat, jut to get it warm. This is where you add spices. Oregano, Basil, Salt, Pepper, and Garlic are added. Below is the chopped garlic. Only use half of the chopped garlic for the sauce. After a few bubbles develop, turn the heat down to simmer.
Now comes the meat. I used roughly 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck and 3/4 of a pound of ground sirloin.
Brown the meat over medium heat. You are not trying to blacken the meat, just brown it.
After five minutes or so, drain the grease off and continue browning the meat. At this time, add the other half of the chopped garlic, salt and pepper to the meat. Cook for three to four minutes and then, drain the meat and add to the sauce.
You will notice in the picture above, that the sauce has been transferred to a larger pot. I forgot that this recipe is for two trays of lasagna and since I am only making one, we are going to have sauce left over for either spaghetti or baked ziti later during the week.
This next part is optional. Sausage. I take two mild Italian sausages, cut them out of their case and brown them. Then, using my trusty chopper, I chop them up into fine cubes. Then they are added to the sauce.
I allow the sauce to cook for at least two hours on very low heat, tasting periodically and adding spices to taste.
Now, that the sauce is ready, time for assembly.
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Start the assembly.
Using a glass dish, add a layer of sauce, then one row of noodles. These gluten-free noodles do not have to be boiled and this saves a lot of time as well as noodles!
The next layer is mozzarella cheese. You can use whole milk, part skim, sliced, as pictured above, or shredded. It is a matter of taste and personal preference. Below, I used sliced whole milk mozzarella cheese.
I then add a layer of sauce before adding the next layer of noodles. I have found that in several instances where I have ordered lasagna out, it was dry. This prevents that from occurring.
Time for the next layer of noodles. You will notice that the noodles are opposite from the first layer. This “interlocks” the entire dish and after it is served, keeps everything from falling apart.
The next layer is the Ricotta cheese mixture. I mix in a large bowl, one container of whole milk ricotta cheese, one egg,and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Then I “trowel” it out on top of the noodles.
Then, a little more sauce.
Now, the final layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese and a liberal sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Then, it is into the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Take the lasagna out and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
Some quick tips.
Use one jar of sauce for one tray of lasagna, or do what I did if you want extra sauce for later, use two jars.
Make sure you place the lasagna on the middle rack of your oven. Recently, I made this for a friends baby shower. Unfortunately, as we had Thanksgiving turkey the week before, I forgot to raise the rack to its normal position. After an hour of cooking I smelled that horrid smell of something burning. When I took the two lower trays of lasagna out, the bottoms were burnt. I was very sad but as usual, I can fix almost anything! I waited until the lasagna had cooled in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning. I loosened up all the sides, using my barbecue spatula, broke everything loose from the bottom of the dish, and then, placed a cookie sheet on top of the dish and flipped everything over. The dish came right off and then, I scraped all of the burnt sauce and meat particles away. Then, I cleaned the dish, added some leftover sauce to the bottom of the dish and put everything back together.
As the lasagna had to be reheated anyway, everything should be fine. It was and no one knew what had happened. In fact, this post is a direct request from my friend because the lasagna was so good!
I hope everyone enjoys this as it is one of my favorite dishes. If there are any comments or suggestions, please feel free to add them and enjoy!
Eric Van De Vens Blog 