Goatneck

I rode the 41 mile route at the Goatneck today. It wasnt as bad as i expected, but i would not want to go any farther on a mountain bike. I plan to give the Vitus a tuneup and am considering riding in the tour de pants at possum kingdom lake this weekend. I have decided to start lifting heavier weights and dropping the reps a little down to sets of 10 instead of 15 after noticing a slight decrease in my upper body muscle mass. I will also start to take creatine and up the protein intake.

Holland...I wouldnt worry about the scale. It is normal to add some weight when you first get back to lifting weights. Muscle does weigh more so hopefully you are just seeing the benefit of added muscle as a result of lifting and your increased protein intake. Just keep plugging away.

Setbacks

I definitely would enjoy joining y'all for a group workout. The last three days were utter disasters. I've gone up in weight, missed breakfast, and missed the gym--thanks in large part to pressures from work. But the truth is that a little more discipline on my part could have countered the challenges presented by late worknights and early work morning meetings.

So count me in, and let me know when/where. Meanwhile, I'm back on the eggs/oatmeal/blueberries breakfast, to be followed by a disciplined lunch and shrimp for dinner. I've just decided that tuna helped me lose weight before, and since I can't stand tuna anymore, I'll go on a dinner regime of shrimp, with occassional chicken for variety.

Mutual Workout

Tyler and I worked out together today. We plan to make the group workout a weekly thing on the weekends. The competition and support we gave to each other I believe helped us workout longer and harder. We ran to the pool, swam for a tough 40 minutes, then ran back. It was hot, and my lungs felt like they were going to burst at the end of the run, but it gave me an idea of the type of burn i need to reach each workout. Intensity will help. Tyler goes to NY this next weekend, but the following weekend we will have another group workout.

Holland you are welcome to join us for that one. Good job on your first week. It sounds like you are off to a good start. I am of the opinion that the first few weeks are the hardest. After the change is made you actually become addicted to the exercise and eating right. Keep up the fight.

Gut Buster

Well, Ryan's IM chats and our mutual support over poker led to a major change. It's not a change in my weight, yet, but it is a change. I read the list of Power Foods, went out and bought them, and stuck to eating them all week. Every morning, I cooked breakfast for myself (instead of the usual McDonald's drive-through routine yielding Egg McMuffins.) While I cook four eggs on the burner, I warm up a bowl of Quaker Oats Oatmeal mixed with no-fat organic milk, to which I then add blueberries. So far, it tastes great, gives me energy, and isn't much trouble to make. Lunches... need improvement. Dinners... need improvement. But I do have the elements for progress--microwaveable brown rice, canned beans, spinach, and (as of last night) chicken breasts. Tonight I'll take advantage of Ryan's advice to have one meal in a week that has anything I want in it.

Man, am I freaking tired. But I did work out Monday and Wednesday, jogging from Lover's and the Tollway to Normandy, then to Preston, to the YMCA, working out at the Y, and then walking/jogging back to Lover's and the Tollway. I missed Friday, and I missed Tuesday and Thursday's partial workouts (for the gut only.) So there's room for progress.

Now the next step is to tame my tendancy for excess over dinners this week. Also, I need to get to yoga on Thursday and Saturday. That ought to keep a bit limber. Most important of all, I have to get up at 5am and not at 5:30 or 5:45am. That makes me late, puts everything behind, and messes up the day. Last of all, Tuesday and Thursday need some kind of activity... maybe swimming.

But all told, this week has been a major step for me. Now I need to make it last...

sprint tri

I am planning on doing a sprint tri either the middle or end of August. Figure it would be good to see what they are like. I swam 900 meters yesterday in 25 minutes with some littel breaks in between. I am on my way to 1500m.

mini-tri

15 min swim, 15 min bike, 5 min run....then lifted legs

felt good....the swim still needs the most work, but total immersion drills helped alot

i can run at last, run at last

i ran for 20 min on the road before any pain...slowly but progress is progress

i will cyle tonight at the gym for an hour

i am on my way (rocky music plays in the background)

fixed up

I got my hamstring fixed by a guy at work yesterday and I have no pain in my knee anymore post workout. I ran for 35 this morning (3.5 miles) and had no knee pain. WOOHOO.

Turtle Rules!

50 minutes and back on schedule

I went to the gym and rode a very challenging 50 minutes. I pushed myself from levels 7-10 on the resistance. I didnt experience any knee pain which is great news. I followed it up with an upper body circuit. Tomorrow is my day off, but I am officially back on track. Game on!

better get on that training...

Yo Holland,

I am Ryan's roommate from grad school and friend since we were 6 yrs old. I am 6 weeks into my training and I have noticed a difference in both weight loss and increased endurance. The "belly jelly" seems to be going away...but I hope none of that is muscle.

Check out beginnertriathlete.com and then go to training plans and find you a good one. I am doing the olympic plan with a swimming focus. I am sure you find one that will suit you. I would get on top of it quickly though so you do not drown in the lake..hehe

Well, glad you are on our blog...always nice to have new bloggers. Good luck and keep us updated.

Lertyl the Turtle

Episode 999: A New Hope

Howdy! I'm Holland Sullivan, a.k.a. "Hollando", a friend of Ryan Wood's from Baylor. About a year ago, I was studying for exams and eating like a frathouse fatso. So naturally I made a pact with old college friends to lose weight. Or, more accurately, I agreed to post my progress on another Blog. They have lost weight and continue to do so... as the one-year anniversary approaches, I am almost back to where I started. I have been floating around 185, with recent downward progress to 177 lbs. At 5'10" and 27 years of age, I should be much lighter. I'm shooting for 156 lbs.

Yet weight loss is not the only goal. The real goal is a healthy, physically fit lifestyle. So Ryan has invited me to train for some sort of Triathalon that's coming up in the not-too-distant future. I fear that day. In fact, I fear that day enough to start waking up at 5am every morning and doing something about this extra poundage I'm sporting. I don't mind gaining back weight if it represents healthy muscle and not belly jelly. So with a clear goal in sight, and with a regimen in mind, I'm ready to commit.

Any advice is, of course, hereby solicited and appreciated!

Vitus

Would you like to join me and dan for a weekend ride?

this weekend will be Vitus for me...may swim then Vitus

did it anyways

I went ahead and ran since I couldn't swim yesterday and then I swam when I got back and the thunder had cleared. I biked for 75 minutes today...about 20 miles. Like me some training.

Go Turtles.

son of a...

well I jumped in the pool, swam for 8 minutes, the clouds rolled in and then the thunder rolled. That ended my afternoon swim. However, the thunder won't stop my afternoon run...I am headed out in the elements for my 32 minute run.

30 min on stair climber

ran for 5 min...felt small twinge and it got sore after...i did do stair climber for 25 min after that to keep my endurance up

feeling ok

knee is starting to feel better. I can still tell that there is some instability laterally and would not want to run yet. However, i think i could do some light cycling and swimming...i know i can do the stair climber and will start with that to build endurance and knee strength....

by the way Total Immersion is a great book on swimming, it should help alot

time to catch up

yes dunkit

I just did a run/swim brick....ran for 30 minutes on the mill at 6.8mph then swam 38 minutes in the pool. I am liking this....

doctor it is

if Triathlons are for you....then to the doc you should go. You need to stay the course...go to the doc and get this figured out so you can train. I cannot do this alone. Do you think Rambo ever fought without Zane? I am reminded of a great movie qoute that is very applicable....

GET UP YOU SON OF A BITCH....CAUSE MICKEY LOVES YA!!!

YASIM YA!!!

I am off to do Birthday Tri Training.

go turtle go

knee

I have rested and iced my knee for well over a week. It felt pretty good so i decided to attempt a slow treadmill jog....bad news....it hurt about 3 min into the jog and now i have some bad pain and walk with a limp....i am thinking about going to the doctor....i have to shut it down

bad swim

just swam 24 minutes for my short day...a few minutes under what I should have swam but I just didn't feel it today. I will say that I swam fast for every one of my reps that I did. Still...just didn't feel it. Boo for Turtle.

good swim

yesterday I had what I consider to be a very good swim. Swam for 45 minutes in the rain yesterday morning and I made it through the entire thing...only resting a few minutes between sets. I felt very good and I can tell that my endurance is improving with each training session.

Turtle Power.

going strong

well I am sorry about your knee...you better make it usable again. I had my long run yesterday (48 minutes) and running at 6.5 on the tmill I ran 5.3 miles . I felt pretty good...though around minute 42 my quaeds started feeling like they were going to cramp so I shifted my weight so my calves did most of the work. I was pleased with my run and I am pleased with my progress in the training. I have to cycle today for 97 minutes but may not get time so I may swim today and ride on Sunday.

Turtle Out!

Improving

Plan to attempt a light jog as my knee is feeling a little better. I will do some light lifting to try to strengthen my knee. Then Sunday will be my day to get back on track......lesson learned, be careful and ice your friend