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I figure The Punisher is a good symbol for this entry. This is from the original Civil War comic book series. Please visit The Bowmanville Zoo this summer.

Mary is inventive. The workout yesterday was not what I was expecting as she changed things up when I thought I’d have to do review. The hips seemed to be the target. Step-ups, squats, but the new one was the kettle ball that you swing up to standing, crouch, then swing between the legs. I was thinking it was a really good way to send your nuts into oblivion. Where do I buy gym shorts? These ones are so loose in the legs that I feel like I’m wearing a damn kilt. I felt the workout take effect right away, but it did leave me with a headache at work. Tylenol did the trick, but I was pretty wobbly.

However, on the downside I had a complete tantrum last night when the BC Gaming people sent a letter to the Hudson PAC asking for documentation I sent them on Nov 23, 2015. I have so little spare time to have to deal with this kind of rubbish that it sent me over the edge.

So now the challenge is to sustain effort without burning out the little processing chips in my head.

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

I’m really looking forward to Suicide Squad, hence Harley Quinn.

Right. Food. Exercise. Too much work. Today is Day 16 and I didn’t ride because it’s raining. Now, before all you all-weather cyclists with your fancy Gore-Tex underpants say how great it is to ride in the rain on slippery surfaces, let me just say with confidence (and the deepest respect and care) that you all f__king mental. For me, riding on wet surfaces is as safe a bull elk riding a unicycle with a plastic bag over its head and antlers. While singing Hey Jude. Today I have a killer Mary Workout. I need all the strength I can muster.

Sponsorship: could you please go to this arts organization and donate money? I’m the Treasurer and my budget isn’t right. Vancouver Bach Choir. Otherwise enjoy beautiful New Brunswick. I have fond memories of Saint Andrews.

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

For sponsorship, try the ever changing moods of Ottawa. Mr. Mulcair might have some insight.

This is the start of Week 3. Self-perception. I think I’m now 100% certain that anyone on a weight loss program has experienced this: no one notices the changes in your body that you’ve noticed. One does not do this kind of work simply, for example, to have the ability to sit more comfortably in economy class seats. People on a diet want people to notice that your lard no longer spills over the arm rests. My wife decided to join in on the removal of wheat and packaged foods from her diet. In two weeks she noticed a loosening and some clothes were fitting better. She has added a 45-minute fast walk in the AM after school drop-off.

But no one sees this and the emotional component of being observed and recognized for doing good work is huge. The advice I give myself is that at the end of the first month, the change will start to be externally visible.

This also makes me glad the weight and other measurements are being hidden until the end. I really want to avoid the “I’m in agony from this effing diet and exercise and I only lost x pounds??”

The other message is to trust yourself. If you feel change in your body, who else is better to judge?

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Spider-man is looking like this so far in the next Captain America movie. For sponsorship, try Halifax.

Today is Sunday. It’s my sister’s birthday. It’s the end of week 2 for this Mutant Diet.Yesterday had too many carbs. However, it was at our friends Jerry, Cory and Ava. I bought the best cut of steak at Costco and Jerry BBQ’d it. It was good. Our friends are very generous to me and without his cooking help, this first two weeks would have gone quite differently. I know have chicken and lamb at the ready. I have ground beef ready to cook. (I can do that at home with enough fans and windows.)

So I feel challenged to do better next week. I want to reduce portion sizes and I want to be more vigilant about carbs.

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

I googled superheroes and bicycles and found this. For sponsorship, try Squamish, famous for mountain biking.

Let’s talk about cheating. Last night I went to The Billy with Catherine to have a quiet moment (well, apart from the live country music) and discuss some items related to her work for which we needed a child-free hour. I had a beer. Then we went home where I tasted some ice cream that Cath got for Tim and a play date friend from Rain or Shine. But here’s the real story. I did the Mary Homework at lunch time and then rode the 9 km home from work. As I was heading around Science World (see my route map below) I realized that I had a lot of energy left.

On Wednesday when I first started cycling my legs were on fire and I assumed that they’d be unhappy.

It wasn’t that I was fooling myself. After I got home, I went and shopped at Costco to buy the metric tonne of meat for the next couple of weeks and then I came home and did three loads of laundry. And I still had some gas in my tank. You can tell by the step counter (15,234) that I was on my feet a lot. (Normal days with cycling are 8,000 – 12,000).

Honestly the only variation I can truly blame is the wheat and rice removal. I’ve not been 100% with sugar (more like 98%) nor 100% with dairy and it’s in my scrambled eggs. This is very much like the stories I’d heard from other people when they gave up wheat.

Regardless of energy levels, I am very glad this is my rest day. Walking up stairs causes the legs to whine.

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Golden Age Black Canary image in honour of this week’s Arrow episode. For sponsorship, try Prince Edward Island.

I can’t believe I made it through yesterday but at the same time I have the true feeling that I kind of suck. Granted I only started cycling on Wednesday so my legs are going to be in shock from the sudden re-introduction of cycling. Therefore for the Mary Homework Session, I left out any heavy leg stuff. However, the pullups and pushups were tough as hell (i.e. my sets were all interrupted before I got to 15). I’m was still sore in the shoulders from previous work. At least, that’s my excuse.

Is this a good sign? As I sat on the change room bench at the gym, I held the bridge of my nose as one does when feeling whipped and wondering oh-my-go-what-am-i-doing? I noticed that I had lost weight on my nose. It felt different. How frigging weird is that?.

As I limped through the rest of the day, I was wondering “how the heck am I going to cycle home and do two hours of karate tonight?”

I took the 3.7 km route home as opposed to the 9 km route home. I had a fast turnaround to eat, feed the kids and arrive at 6 PM karate. I was feeling OK for the start of karate. The legs were definitely wobbly. However, I got through it all – a lot of kicks in this session.

I have another Mary Homework Session today. Will I suck at it or can I make a decent go of it?

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

This is a really retro image of The Thing. For sponsorship, try The Yukon.

OK. Today is a gorgeous day outside and despite the pain in my legs, I felt it necessary to ride despite what my legs and backside were telling me. Ouch. My legs. And just about every other part. There’s now the pushing through process. At what point am I at risk of injury? When is it too much? Honestly, I have no idea. I biked today. (You’ll see I logged 12.7 km yesterday.) I have karate tonight and I have a planned Mary Homework for lunch time. I figure if I avoid leg stuff for the Mary homework and then ride the short route home, I’ll save enough legs for karate, which is two hours tonight.

This week’s Mary Homework is below. (click image to enlarge.)

And yesterday’s log entry is here:

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Cycling today, I thought I was going to croak on Burrard Bridge today. Hey, Brad Wall might be happy today. Please visit Regina.

So, Tuesday’s trainer session with Mary was a new level of intense. The pullups and pushups on an angle with straps as opposed to a machine were crazy. And I got introduced to ball slams and sitting side weight toss. Kind of hard to describe. Sit straight legged. Pick up what looks like a heavy pillow and slam it on the floor alternating either side of you. I’m going to get new homework, which will be fun. The irony is that in order to get more out of the sessions, I need to push myself during homework times so that, in turn, pushes the trainer who then intensifies the next session.

I doubt she’d admit it (for customer service reasons) but I bet dollars to donuts (hmmm donuts) that Trainers hate not being able to move forward at each session. First of all it must be boring for the Trainer and there’s a risk the client will say, “This working out stuff sucks.”

Today I managed to ride my bike to work. I did rescue it from the bike shop and I’m now going to attempt to ride to/from work regularly. The leg muscles seem stronger than last year, but the stamina is rubbish.

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Need to go someplace calm? Try Ucluelet.

Today is my second personal trainer session. I’m feeling stronger so I suspect we’ll be able to up the reps and weight. The other request I’ll have for Mary is a revised homework sheet but with alternates in case something like the pull up machine is being hogged like it was yesterday. Which brings me to the Hulk. For some reason when I left the gym I was really angry but it was not in balance with the annoyance of not being able to complete my workout as planned. Good things happened after that and I forgot all about my unbalanced response. I walked to the bike shop near Granville Island.

It was gorgeous out and I was looking forward to the idea that I would be able to start riding to work.

Then I was told the bike wasn’t ready. Hulk smash. I was in that amp’d up totally pissed off mode again. I was told (in tone more than words) that I was an idiot for coming by when they had not called me to say it was ready. So I confirmed grumpily who should call who and left the shop.

I stood at the corner and let myself amp down. Being told it was ready on Tuesday is not good because Tuesday is the Complicated Child Care Day.

So … What the hell is going on with this diet that’s making me want to go all Terminator T-800 on people?

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

Announcement Post – Day 1 – Previous Post – Next Post

As I kick off week 2 I am wondering about the flip flopping feelings I have on all this. I feel like I have made progress, but I also feel, at times, hopeless. What I tell myself is that I won’t really have a sense of breaking through past habits and physical conditions for a month. There’s a tendency to beat oneself up for mistakes a bit more than needed. I see this as the inner self-attacking-go-to-the-couch-with-chips component of my personality that is really feeling existentially threatened by all this.

(Do you like the Avengers #1 cover? Amazing how the characters evolved. For sponsorship, best to check out Winnipeg as I haven’t mentioned Manitoba yet.)

The one thing I’m looking forward to that will help is that I pick up my bike from the shop after work today. That’s a good thing because I can add some exercise to the equation without taking more time out of the day. I do have to watch out for the lower back because last August I fried my lower back due to not stretching out the hip flexors.

This 92-day plan presumes I don’t get sick during it. This occurred to me when I had a short stomach upset on Sunday, which didn’t last long fortunately, but I do have to watch out.

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