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Post by phillydude on May 8, 2020 13:35:30 GMT
That looks like a good space saving contraption. I don't like K-cup coffee but it'll do in a pinch, but I'm not giving up counter space for the Keurig we have (it's boxed up in the basement).
I don't like the K-cup for environmental reasons, but I agree, for one cup of coffee it's much more practical. Since I might drink one home-brewed cup a week, it's a reasonable trade-off. The more important thing (for me) was being able to brew my full pot of tea. I have the old Keurig it replaced packed up in storage as well LOL.
Went for a walk/java this morning. No Nike+ watch (forgot to charge the battery) so no data, but it was the 5k loop I usually travel. I did not want to go, but I used the old Jedi mind trick to get myself out the door. I did run two short segments of the trip (in the first mile) but once my watch died and I had a coffee in hand, I decided to walk the rest of the way and enjoy what might be the nicest part of the day.
Another three-day weekend for me. Looking forward to getting a solid day of work around the house and knocking out (hopefully) about half of my current punch list. I wish Ikea was open... I'm planning on buying temporary countertops until we are ready for (and can afford) the soapstone ones we plan to install when the kitchen is finished (this will probably be the last major project in the house). I made an appointment with the drywall guy for three weeks from now, so everything behind the kitchen walls (including support cross-members for the cabinets, all of the additional framing for facing walls etc, and the sink plumbing/electrical work) and the master bedroom closets (which just need to be framed) has to be done by then. I'll probably hang a few sheets myself (mainly behind the wall/base cabinets) so all he has to do is tape and sand, which should save some time (which is money in the home restoration equation).
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Post by phillydude on May 9, 2020 14:26:06 GMT
I just watched a short film by a guy named Beau Miles called A Mile An Hour. It's worth twenty minutes of your time.
Anyway, I'm totally inspired by this idea. Here's my plan... PhillyDude style. Let's say I average 15 minutes per mile... typical walking pace.
It's a 1.5 mile round trip from my house to the traffic blinker in town. I'm going to allow a half hour for this walk. It's a 1 mile round trip to the first intersection from my house going towards town. So fifteen minutes for this one.
I love his idea of filling the rest of the time with projects... those little things that only would take 30-60 minutes to complete. I have plenty of those. Off the top of my head, hang curtain rods and curtains (2), hang flat-screen tv's (2), paint coffee tables (2), build Ikea bookcase (1), etc.
I'm not staying awake all night, but I figure 18 hours is reasonable... and I'm building a little flexibility into my schedule (i.e. times are not exact).
So I'm setting up my day like this:
6a - 3 miles (my regular walking loop) 7a - eat/daily life stuff
8a - 1.5 miles 8:30 - project 1a (30mins) 9a - 1 mile 9:15 project 1b (45mins) 10a - 1.5 miles 10:30 - project 2a (30mins) 11a - 1 mile 11:15 - project 2b (45mins)
12n - 5 miles (my extended walking loop) 1p - eat/daily life stuff
2p - 1.5 miles 2:30 - project 3a (30mins) 3p - 1 mile 3:15 - project 3b (45mins) 4p - 1.5 miles 4:30 - project 4a (30mins) 5p - 1 mile 5:15 - project 4b (45mins)
6p - 3 miles (my regular walking loop) 7p - eat/daily life stuff
8p - 1.5 miles 8:30 - project 5a (30mins) 9p - 1 mile 9:15 - project 5b (45mins) 10p - 1.5 miles 10:30 - project 6a (30mins) 11p - 1 mile 11:15 - project 6b (45mins)
That should get me 26.2 miles, and anywhere from 6-12 projects done. My day looks pretty open tomorrow... so who knows?
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Post by shamie on May 9, 2020 16:54:05 GMT
What is a temporary counter top - formica?
Good luck on your marathon.
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Post by phillydude on May 9, 2020 17:26:28 GMT
What is a temporary counter top - formica?
Yeah, whatever it is that Ikea sells as their base countertop... I believe it's a hard laminate over a particle board core. One of the counters is exactly the right size "off the shelf", so that one literally will drop into place (that is also the area of the kitchen that is closest to being "completed - although the base cabinet still needs to be stripped and painted). For $100, it's a no-brainer against the eventual cost of soapstone. The other countertop will require a bit of cutting (to length and to fit around the sink) but I've cut Ikea countertops before and it's pretty easy. We found a finish that is pretty close to the color we are planning for the finished kitchen, so we can live with it for a while and then know better the exact shade we want when we go looking for stone.
Good luck on your marathon.
I just got back from my walk and timed the 1 mile and 1.5 mile segments at two different paces... as a "determined" walk (i.e. focusing on walking as briskly as I can, although with as brisk as it is outside, I couldn't think of a better way to describe it), and as a "leisurely" walk (as someone would do it they were, say, talking on the phone and sipping a coffee and looking around at nature and the neighborhood). Here is the data...
OK, so I changed watches this morning... I put away my leather-banded Swiss Army watch and went back to my old nylon-banded Timex Ironman (partly because I wanted the additional functions of stopwatch, alarm, and timer - and partly because I got a small 1" patch of poison ivy on my wrist and it is right where the band sits, which probably has has absorbed some of the oils and will keep re-infecting me). The Ironman performed fine as I was collecting the data (marking splits, etc) but when I went to retrieve the numbers just now, it fritzed for a second and restarted itself when I pressed the button - so the data is gone (and I had to reset the date/time/etc).
But if I recall from glancing at the screen, my estimates were correct - a brisk mile would be around 15 minutes, maybe 20 at a stroll. The 1.5 mile loop was about 20 minutes if I push it, and about 30 minutes if i was carrying groceries or otherwise distracted. So I think that I can pull this off, if not tomorrow then next weekend.
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Post by phillydude on May 9, 2020 20:44:25 GMT
Just a quick update on the smoker. After not being able to speak with someone from the company on the phone (despite three requests that someone call me) and almost a month of trying to get the parts, I got an e-mail from the operations manager this morning at 8am, and they are sending me a new set of three racks AND a replacement thermostat at absolutely no charge for my persistence. That means I will have four racks (including the new one I found at Walmart) and a back-up for the part that seems to be the one that goes bad (and retails for like $30 on their website). I'm hoping to be smoking something by next weekend... I have two racks of ribs in the freezer and will try to locate some boneless turkey breasts. I'm also going to start scouring yard-garage-tag sales/craigslist/facebook for one of those small home-use 5" blade slicers... I'm tasting lunchmeat-style smoked turkey and turkey jerky in my future!
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Post by seltzer on May 10, 2020 12:33:47 GMT
I like your marathon plan.
Nice to read that the smoker company came through, even though it took a while.
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Post by phillydude on May 10, 2020 13:23:55 GMT
Starting Stats: 175.0 @ 24.0% (41.9 fat/133.1 lean) Week 0 Stats: 175.3 @ 23.3% (40.9 fat/134.4 lean) Week 1 Stats: 173.9 @ 22.2% (38.7 fat/135.3 lean) Week 2 Stats: 169.7 @ 21.5% (36.4 fat / 133.3 lean) Week 3 Stats: 167.3 @ 20.3% (34.0 fat / 133.2 lean)
Week 3 Results: -2.4 lbs / -1.2% (-2.4 fat/-0.1 lean) Overall Results: -7.7 lbs / -3.7% (-7.9 fat / +0.1 lean)
Notes: Another positive week. Nutrition was 100% compliant, and I did get my supplement program started, noticing an immediate boost in my energy and well-being. I completed four out of five cardio sessions (although two of them were just walking), but did no weight training or stretching/rolling. My goal for this week is to address both of those issues,,, the former probably needs some tweaking to the plan for me to be comfortable with what I am being asked to do, the latter is just creating a habit. I'm considering this to be the last week of a four week "pre-season" before starting my twelve week "regular" season, so I need to get these last few things locked down. Also, starting next week I am going to report my progress based off of the Week 0 Stats and not the "starting" stats, which were a one-time point on the graph... since my weight and fat weight did increase for a few days during that first week (between the starting Monday and the following Sunday when I averaged), I think the Week 0 Stats are closer to a true picture of where I was when I started, and will provide a more accurate comparison moving forward.
Non-Fitness News: Another positive day yesterday. I tackled the last area of the house (except for the few boxes of Christmas stuff in the attic) that needed to be "reclaimed"... the front porch. The plan is to rebuild this room sooner rather than later, as the roof is leaking, the walls are literally falling apart, the foundation (or lack of one) is sagging, and floor is rotted (I'm guessing that last part... about seven or eight years ago I did quickly put down a laminate floor out there, but that has buckled from the water dripping from the roof, which I assume has been sitting wet on top of the original tongue and groove). But it had become a dumping zone for miscellaneous construction materials, odd pieces of furniture, and storage for kitchen items (none of which were packed into boxes). So all that is done, and my tenant came over and helped me weed the beds that I had put in last summer along the front walk to finish off the day.
My plan for the rest of the day is to do some personal grooming (i.e. trim the beard for the first time in over a month), take my progress pictures, get my meals in (I already went for a three mile java walk... didn't take anything but music since I knew I wasn't going to run one step), and probably do a cinder block workout (along with a good bit of excavation-by-shovel) to put an apron outside the garage doors.
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Post by seltzer on May 10, 2020 15:44:30 GMT
Nice progress!
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Post by Graham on May 10, 2020 20:02:46 GMT
I enjoyed that video you posted. He did a lot of physical work during the day which would have been tough. I wonder what it's like to complete the miles with relaxation (ie reading) in place of tasks. I don't know if I'd ever try it but it would be an interesting way to 'get a marathon in'.
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Post by phillydude on May 11, 2020 2:33:14 GMT
I wonder what it's like to complete the miles with relaxation (ie reading) in place of tasks.
That would be interesting, especially in a more urban environment, where you could carry a book or tablet and pop into a coffee shop for the down time between miles.
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Post by phillydude on May 11, 2020 18:29:58 GMT
I had my first sub-20% BF reading today. So considering it took me four weeks to lose about 4%, I'm optimistic that I will be sub-15% by the end of the twelve week training cycle that starts next week. I'd actually like to get down to about 12%...
I talked to my trainer this morning, and we're going to stay the course with everything, but he offered that based on my progress, I will be getting an off-plan meal this weekend (probably Sunday afternoon after my last weigh-in for the week).
I was just reading the discussion about buffets in Shamie's journal, and I'm very sad that they will probably never re-open. As you all know, one of my favorite things in Vegas are the cheap buffets. And when my trainer said "cheat meal" (I hate that term) my first thought was all-you-can-eat sushi... even better, a full-line all-you-can-eat buffet that also has sushi (there were a few Asian-leaning places like that near my house in PA, which the boys and I always enjoyed... when they were little, the Old Country Buffet was our favorite - and now that I recall, there was one point in time I was buying take-out from the one in Annapolis and just loading the container with big pieces of beef and chicken, getting like five pounds of pre-cooked protein for like $6.99 at lunchtime).
Anyway, since the buffet idea is definitely out for this weekend, I do think I am going to try a rack of ribs in the smoker, along with a boneless turkey breast and maybe a couple split bone-in chickens if there is room (obviously, that's not all for the one meal... the poultry will go into the fridge for the week). To go along, I am thinking a whole box of Kraft mac-and-cheese, a pint of deli-style cole slaw (actually, the kind I like is called cream slaw... the cabbage etc is finely minced and the dressing is more vinegary but still has mayo), some good baked beans (hmm... maybe I should make my own in the crock pot), and couple of those Kings Hawaiian dinner rolls. I'm still not certain if there will be beer... maybe if I get to the gym and lift a few times this week.
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Post by seltzer on May 11, 2020 20:34:39 GMT
One piece of advice is that the ribs will handle the smoke better than the poultry, which tends to absorb it much more than beef, pork, etc. I generally use a heavier smoke for the latter (mesquite, hickory) and a lighter fruit wood (alder, cherry) for poultry while also using less smoking wood for poultry.
Nice progress on the fitness front P'dude!
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Post by macdiver on May 12, 2020 2:03:49 GMT
Nice progress.
A friend has an electric box type smoker. What he does is starts his ribs first then puts the whole chicken on next. The chicken cooks quicker and as the wise man said above absorbs more smoke. I don't know his exact protocol but he doesn't smoke the whole time. He lets the box of wood chips burn out and lets the meat finish without smoke.
The one mile an hour video was great or maybe not since now I'm thinking of projects I could do while running a 24 hour marathon. 🙄
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Post by phillydude on May 12, 2020 17:10:41 GMT
Thanks for the smoker tips guys... I'm really going to be going "by the book" for this first outing. I ordered a meat thermometer, which should be here on Saturday. Still haven't sourced the turkey, but I'm going to Costco this week (back to Delaware) so I am sure I will turn some up.
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Post by phillydude on May 14, 2020 13:29:29 GMT
Went to Costco (and Walmart, and Home Depot, and Lowes) yesterday, but didn't get any turkey. I did find that Walmart sells 10lb bags of boneless chicken breasts... looks like they are flash frozen with an ice coating, so they are not one big block of meat, but individual portions (not individually wrapped, though). I got two bags... my receipt says they were $19 each, so basically under $2.00 per pound. If they are decent quality, I'll be buying those from now on.
In fitness news... I just got back from a three mile walk/java. I've worked out my schedule so that I can get that done five times a week. The rate of fat loss has slowed considerably this week... but it's still trending downward, so that's good. I'm going to increase my calories back to the recommended level next week (when I start lifting again) and hopefully the combination of the two will kick things back into gear.
One of the nice things about walking around town is that (especially with the quarantine) is getting a chance to not only check out the houses and gardens around town for ideas and inspiration, but getting to meet people who usually aren't out and about. I struck up a conversation with an old guy who lives down the street today... I've lived here for more than seven years, but we hadn't ever met. He said he is 80 but he didn't look it... obviously he was fit when he was a younger man, and he complimented me on my efforts to stay in shape at my age. It struck me that he is 25 years older than I am... so obviously this is the time to focus on getting into the best health possible if I want to try and make it much past that milestone.
Finally, the last few times I checked my blood sugar, it was under 100 (99, to be exact). I just took it (9:30am) and it was 116 without having my Metformin yet this morning (although this was also post-exercise and pre-food intake). This is down from 350ish a month ago... so that's a great improvement (over 125 is considered diabetic, 100-125 is pre-diabetic). Granted, that 350ish number was when I was eating whatever I wanted, drinking daily, and not taking my medication, but still...
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