They Killed Granny + Picture Touring Paloosa

The bike shop killed my granny! With less than 1000 miles on my Raleigh Venture I messed up the back wheel, 6 spokes broke and a bad brake cable to boot. In fairness you’ve got to figure I weigh like twice an average weight person and add in doctor’s notes and medical records being a bike messenger in my mail pouch means that bike likely say somewhere around 350+ pounds. Moreover, my riding is lots of stress on a wheel, from accelerating, braking, and weaving. I wouldn’t say I pummel the bike, but it has seen a bit of “air” occasionally jumping a curb in an emergency as well as a bit of gravel trail riding. Still, I think I’m a bit disappointed with the quality of the stock rims.
A picture of my mighty bicycle in front of some mighty impressive artwork that some very skilled artist did on a wall in Portsmouth NH. I wish I could say it was my art but it's not. It's very Rockwell isn't it? Nice work!

Back to the death of my granny… the bike shop was originally going to replace the spokes but it looked like they needed to remove outside spokes to get to inside ones… in short heavy labor. So they bike shop guy finds a used wheel that he swapped in to save me a bit of cash. They set back was the wheel has a gear set that has a much higher ratio “granny gear” (the lowest gear I use a fair amount of the time to pedal fast but easy to make it up steep hills.) the new gear ratio “feels” like 1st is now 2nd or maybe even 2.5? Going downhill or flats I can really boogie though! So all that celebrating on those hard hills… well, it’s like the hills just got a bit steeper! I tried my hardest hill I made before and could still do it with a light load but I was puffing like a cog steam engine climbing Mount Washington!!!

I went to the Fair and saw a smash up derby!!!
The wild thing is they stopped the derby when the car had got hit so hard it flipped on it's side. a bunch of guys pushed it back over and it started back up and continued!!!
At the end of summer I’ve tried to get in a bit of activity and local travel. Wow time flies since I posted (sorry about that!) but I’ve got to Portsmouth (The seacoast of New Hampshire) and to Hopkinton State fair and saw my first live demolition derby. Got to love watching people senselessly pummeling automobiles into each other over and over until they won’t move! What’s not cool about that? Of course I ate too much… but holding at about 306ish right now. Along this journey I like to drop more weight but I’m glad to say I’m more fit and doing more activities. The other pictures are from the seacoast in Portsmouth.

A image from Portsmouth waterfront... an area that's neat.


At Foolsfitness we encourage people to wreck their cars, (just not by running into us)!- Alan

Kick the Ball Charlie Brown!

One of the hills going out of town has mocked my bicycle riding skills forever. It’s reasonably steep but fairly long as well. I always run out of steam about half way up the hill. Yet like Charlie Brown wanting to kick that football, futile attempt after futile attempt each time I get another pedal stroke higher up the hill before giving out.

Yesterday was different. I decided to ride up the hill to the top to rent a dvd movie and as always tried to find the balance between getting enough run on the hill, yet not exhausting myself. Three quarters up the hill I had to stop pedaling but in a few gasps of air I still had a bit of momentum… a bit shocked I figured why stop there and put my head down as my heart was threatening to pound out of my chest I pushed on. ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! I was really too tired to celebrate at the finish.

When I made it back home I needed a nap! (And a major shower!) Forgive the "recycled" art I did from one of my other postings but I'm really still tired a day later. I seriously red lined.

Gee, I only have like two more hills in the whole town that I can’t make it up! Those however I don’t think many people can. But you never know. Keep trying to kick the football Charlie Brown, someday it might just work!

At Foolsfitness We officially race bicycles… to the corner store for sodas and candy bars!- Alan

Stalemate?

I finally saw a number on the scale this morning that wasn’t between 297-300… the unofficial 294.5 beats that wall I’ve been hitting for the last few weeks. I also for the first time in a while can say yesterday I ate reasonably balanced and in somewhat sane amounts.

Last week’s planned trip to race had a bit of a twist. I got misinformation and the flat oval I had been training for and ready to ride on was NOT the course. They had a race they refer to as the “frontier” which takes the bicycles all over up and down hills and corners everywhere. I’ve made progress here but getting my mass up a hill is still a challenge, never mind trying it at any reasonable speed! But I came to ride and I figured I would give it a go.

I got in about three laps and decided to not officially run the race. There was one point that whips down a hill into a 90 degree switchback left and immediately uphill. I’m white knuckled hauling downhill to start and then throw in the sharp curve and need to switch gears for a climb… insane! It was a very creative course but best left to more serious bicycle racing professionals than my current skill set! I retired the bike and waited until the end of the race and went back out on the course to use up the last slivers of sunlight. The course is such a maze that on my own I took a wrong turn someplace and ended up a bit lost. All in all about 7 miles, which doesn’t seem like a lot but they were rather very intense miles. At points of climbs I was seriously doing my Darth Vader imitation.

The flat oval course is today. Alas as much as I really want to go and do what I planned I think it may not happen as coming up with travel costs and track fees for two times in two weeks rather pushes my budget uncomfortably. I feel a bit defeated, but I wouldn’t have imagined even thinking of trying the “frontier” this time last year. Maybe it will be a goal for next year but I doubt I will try to run it but I have to admit that the course was somewhat terrifying with watching out for other cyclists too. Even watching I saw some very close calls with guys who run it seriously, a near crash and multiple missed shifts and pedal slip offs.

At Foolsfitness we are not sure if we are winning or losing, We are not even sure which side we are playing on!- Alan

Off to the Races! Again!

Last year I had a goal of “showing up” at the New Hampshire Cycling Club oval race at New Hampshire International Speedway Nascar Track to ride. I had a goal to just try to ride a few miles… I think in the end I had ridden almost 12 miles. I remember at the end I thought I was going to collapse and pass out. I was proud I peddled my little sears and roebuck 10 speed so far though. I was so determined to ride last year I borrowed a friends jeep when my car broke down to get to the track.

What a difference a year makes. Last night one of my “training rides” came in just under 14 miles. This time last year I think I was about 8 or 9 pounds lighter, but my fitness level has jumped by a huge margin. This year the “goal” is to actually finish the distance or at least ride 18-20 miles. Next year maybe, just maybe it will be able to keep up with the other riders! Last year I actually won my racing Class, however there is the slight detail of being the only rider actually in “D” class (For the beginners, “A” being serious athletes, “B” being just a bit slower than them) I always joke that “D” class indicates a speed of “D” for dead… how fast dead people can go?

So what’s with the picture you ask? It’s a gift from a friend. It’s an old Peugeot Corbier road bike. This friend knew I was looking for something a bit higher quality than my current road bike I nicknamed “Frankenstein” because it’s built from four parts bikes. This new (well old) French bike is lighter and we will test it by fire at the race track to see how we work as a team!!! I just got it this morning! The friend got it off a Church Auction for $25. It's bigger than my car!!!

Tune in soon for the next post the race results. Well, “race” is a strong word… for the ride results as all the others pass me twice on each lap!

At Fools fitness we just want to know one thing, “Are You Going to Eat That?” - Alan

I'm Hungry!

1 caboose, two cabice? Ca-boos-see'? How about a whole lot of em?!

I wish I could say I have eating right down pat as it’s still elusive. (As Rettakat mentioned if I had that I’d have this weight thing whooped in short order!) My bicycle riding miles have just gone through the roof lately… Nearing 200 miles just this month alone. A ride with a bicycling partner on Tuesday for 19 miles plus my daily miles bumped it to over 30. We ended the ride in the dark with our little blinky lights and headlights on. If you look close I’ve got a new (rather old) teardrop light on the bike I traded for. It’s heavy but it looks just so darn cool! I’m thinking to convert it to LED lights to extend the battery life.

Today I’m riding my racer 10 speed “Frankenstein” for a bit, but it’s too hot to really rack up any serious miles. I chose it this morning just because I’m not wanting to carry the heavy Boba bike up and down the stairs. I unofficially weighed at about 296.5 today this morning mostly keeping an eye out for water drops trying to stay the same weight drinking water. The bank thermometer only said 89 but I’m dripping with sweat.

A rail trail caboose yard in Tilton, NH is one picture and the other is the bridge that spans the river between Franklin and West Franklin NH. I did this ride last week but took the bus again because now I explored I wanted to ride the trail both ways and go a little further out. The ride between Northfield and Franklin is a great one; my only wish was it was longer!

I found another rail trail that went from 140 to the edge of Tilton Main street but be fore warned that if you try it on bicycle that there are *many* areas washed out by draining water, I had to creep along through it and in one spot I didn’t dare drop the tire off the edge through a pot hole but inched over walking it.

You might want to pass on congrats to Lisa at http://inweighovermyhead.blogspot.com/ if I read it right she just past the 100 pounds off mark! WOW!

My current numbers are around 45 off since the start (actually lost the same weight twice now! It’s sort of 80 pounds off?) and roughly 16 pounds up from lowest in blog. I wonder if this picture has anything to do with it… that bike in front of the Chinese food place looks awful familiar?! (Hey, at least I rode there?)
At fools fitness we are always tempted to put on a baseball card in the spokes of our bicycles to get the little clicky sound! - Alan

Am I Reading Your Blog?

We are in this together! Please share a note about your weight or fitness blog in the comment section of this post. We are in this war on fat to fitness together! I’d hate to thinkI was missing checking out your blog. Now the disclaimer if we need one… Foolsfitness doesn’t “endorse” any products (I don’t do any magic diets or super suppliments) nor will I offically endorse blogs per say I don’t think but I do want to share in reading your trials, ideas, adventures, and journey into better fitness and a healthy weight ... I draw a lot of inspiration from you, as well as encouragement and ideas from your comments! So share a link to your weight/ health… even Art blogs! ( But please *don’t* put up links to porn thanks.)



So the current adventures have me off with the Granite State Wheelmen for a ride a couple of days ago for 23 miles with them. After I casually did another 4 to cool down and stretch. (that tank picture was taken along the ride)The day after I tried doing a rail trail in Derry NH I had done last year.


If you’ve followed my blog somehwere last year I think I posted a picture of this little tunnel from the other side. I always think of a hobbit hole. The pond area was also taken along that ride.
Things I learned on a group ride. I need to bring extra-extra water! I’m thinking having a gallon jug in the car might not even be over kill. Of course over these couple of days I did see temps at 95 degrees at 4pm too (OUCH!) My first ride with the GSW was good. I even held my own with the “Turtle group” (Slowest group), didn’t come in last, and even helped someone fix a double derailed chain.

Right now I’m unoffically hovering about 4 lbs up from last weigh in… I’ve been extremely active but not watching what I eat at all. I’m attempting to get back on track with that. In the last 7 days I think I went over 80 miles total. Of course for “real” bicycle riders that could be a day but I think it’s a pretty big accomplishment. I’m also slowly repairing and upgrading my 12 speed frienze whioch now is a ten speed because the used rear hub was 5 cogs and not six. I’m nicknaming the blue bike “frankenstein” as it’s got three other bikes parts on it now. I bought a new tire but am trying to build up the courage to take the other one off.

Don’t forget to leave a comment and mention your blog, leave a link (I think they let you?) if I find it goes to spam I’ll try to restore it. Maybe this post can be an unoffical link hub? Again please no links to something you wouldn’t want your mother to be seeing!

Foolsfitness… the emerging cyclomaniac!? - Alan

Fools Fitness Adventurer Extraordinaire

As promised the picture with the tiger written about in last posts, but now on to the next adventure! Firstly, some neat number’s lately. Last official weigh in 298. Last weeks bicycle riding over 60 miles with the biggest single total over a day ride (lots of stops and breaks though) over 31 miles! My weight still fluctuates in such a large range so I think I can really only say that I am flirting with the 290’s. I actually got stopped on the street today by someone who said, ”I’ve been meaning to tell you that you have dropped a lot of weight and are looking good.” As odd as it sounds sometimes those compliments make me a bit nervous. I’m not totally sure why.

(in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s this area was known for being a mill town area getting it’s power to the mills by waterwheels… this I think was what was left of a paper mill that burned down long ago) I love old places and things. Maybe thats why I love old bicycles? It's like I can almost hear whispers of the past.

This is not just about a number on a scale though. It’s about gaining the ability to be able to do new things… and sometimes the courage to do them. I found a local bus that you can take a bicycle on and rode it as far away from my home as I could. Then I took about riding through three towns for an 11 mile or so ride, popping into a couple of flea markets, a library, and then to the main event of the trip… a river bike/pedestrian trail that was an old railroad bed. I didn’t factor one thing though… I was traveling upstream!!! Most of the hills were very mellow but for future reference if you’re following a river downstream might be a bit easier! But if you’re anything like me with dealing with weight you might chuckle as it’s symbolic as it’s an upstream battle getting more fit and healthy. I didn’t ride completely back home on my own peddle power, the last few miles I got a lift back into my town as there is a patch of road that is very busy, narrow, twisty, and has zero shoulders on the side of the road. I’m not sure if I will ever try that stretch, if I did I’m thinking there is small a chance I would end up a hood ornament for a tractor trailer.

If you are out there and are just starting out or on your way in this journey of weight loss and getting fit I hope I can encourage you with this. I have a long long way to go. But in a couple of years even with the ups and downs I’ve gone from barely being able to ride a bicycle for 3 miles to over 30 miles in a day, and over 40 lbs (actually twice). My only special superpower I’ve found so far is the ability to strike fear in the owners of Chinese Food Buffet restarants… If I can do this, just maybe you can too!!! Do it safe and all (have a doctor check you out) but don’t miss out!!! Life isn’t in the fridge. Life is out there, go and see.


(This is not part of the miles you count when you take your bike out for a ride!)

Foolsfitness will sign off for a bit and see what next adventure awaits!- Alan

I Joined the Circus!

I couldn’t resist a photo of my race bike with the side show booth. You got to admit a 300 pound guy on a road bicycle might just be a bit of an oddity?!

My trip to the circus included me being daring enough to get my photo taken with a real live tiger… Hopefully I can post a copy of it soon (I need to figure out a way to scan it). That tiger and I looked into each other’s eyes, and I was pretty excited, I mean how often to you get to stand next to a tiger less than a foot away?! It was odd. I thought about fear and how it holds us back from so much… sometimes it can protect us, but it also needs to be managed like a adviser, taking it’s suggestions and considering the options.

It was odd in the end that the fear was overcome with excitement, at least for me with the tiger. It’s almost like after we had locked eyes he looked away deciding something. I’d like to think that I had established alpha male or he understood I was no longer a slave to fear but becoming a wild eyed predator of life too! Of course in reality it was likely just bored by all the people for so long over the night and just wanted a cat nap!

As I mentioned to briefly in last post I actually sat in one of those plastic one piece lawn chairs. At the circus you could “upgrade” your ticket for $2 and get ring side. I sat in the bleachers for a long while and saw an empty chair right in the front row… just under the 300 pound mark I decided on courage instead of fear. During the show I was concerned as it wasn’t feeling totally rock stable but it held with no crack or bang or anything.

It was a sweet success to sit in the plastic chair, face a tiger, and just smile and say “no thanks” as vender after vender guy walked by trying to convince me of the need for popcorn, cotton candy, or peanuts.

I think tonight with be an “official” weigh… not sure, I’m thinking over the last couple of weeks I’ve gained and lost again… I predict somewhere around the last weigh number.

At Foolsfitness the circus is always in town!- Alan

Laconia Motorcycle Week Pictures + MORE (Part II)

Happy 4th! As promised some more pictures from Laconia Motorcycle Week are below. As we celebrate July 4th (Independence Day in the U.S.A.) I’ve been thinking about the freedom from about 45 pounds of fat I am experiencing. It’s all about freedom. It’s called “weight” for a reason. All that extra baggage weighs you down and you just can’t experience some things at certain weights. I think about this new freedom of zipping up a flight of steps, bending over tying my shoes without being completely dizzy, and *YES* riding my bicycles!!! I wonder what the next 45 pounds off will let me do?

Several people have pointed out my evolving love affair with the bicycle. It’s a new freedom, I remember that first time going up one of the steeper hills in my town and having to stop. I couldn’t even keep up with a lady pushing a stroller up the hill… I’ve got a long way to go but I’ve already traded in my double chin for sort of a turkey gobbler neck! Finding bones here and there that are starting to emerge from under all the excess…

Yesterday I did something daring. I joined the circus! Well, not exactly… but in my next post I hope to share and incredible experience of the emerging freedom to be able to do things I just couldn’t plain do 50 pounds heavier. It ends with a real live tiger, (yes I’m serious) that I will tell next time but let me start with this…

Anyone who is big knows the horror of seeing one of those plastic lawn chairs. I’ve even broke one in the past. But not yesterday. I wanted that seat and a little nervous I sat… and… it held. Wait till next time to hear about the real live tiger! Oh, and also my obsession with bicycles that continues!

Yes, at Fools Fitness we bought *another* bicycle! (One was traded as a swap and one was given away to a person in need… now the “fleet” is at 4, that’s two functional and two very close to functional!) Details next post!!!

But now on to those promised pictures of motorcycle week...enjoy! Happy 4th of July to all!!!- Alan
Don't you love it?! I want an M+M motorcycle. Some folks get so creative and the motorcycles are real art
It's hard to really show how many people are in the area... But's it's really elbow to elbow in places. They have rows of motorcycles on both sides of the street and two rows of them right down the middle of the road, (the road is closed to cars in places)
Amazing airbrush paint work on many of them the murals are just incredible!
Again, Happy 4th to everyone!- Alan

Meet Firenze and His Fantastical Tale

Buy a Stereo and get a FREE bike? I did an internet search for my new (used) bicycle curious about their history. If the lore is true it’s got a neat history. Apparently these bicycles wouldn’t make certain safety specs when they wanted to import them into the USA but somehow found out that they could “give them away” as promotions in some legal loop hole. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I did have the bicycle shop go over it to be safe.

I’m not sure when they say taking your bike out for a ride they mean to carry it? I now know what 90lbs maximum and high pressure tires mean. I’m having to make small adjustments…the new (rather old but new to me) bicycle has thinner tires and higher pressure. I apparently put in 91 pounds? I leaned the bike against the wall, put my pump away and shut the door. The vibration was the hair trigger needed to set off what sounded like a shotgun blast, my rear tube popping, or more vividly exploding the seal ripping a 4 inch hole in the tube, proving once again I still need adult supervision? I had to carry the bicycle on my shoulder back to the bicycle shop to get them to put on another tube.

I spent a bit of the morning putting on one of the two water bottle holders (nicely coordinated with the yellow and blue theme too!) I tried with the other but I think they make the little bolts just a tiny bit shorter than what was needed to fit the bar. After fiddling forever I just gave up on the second until I can get a longer set of bolts. Then I’ll have two water bottle cages just like those racers!!! Next stop bright neon plastic rubber lycra outfits and shaving my legs?! (Well, um likely *NO*)

This 12 speed along with having 2 more gear than the black racer I used to race at the speedway last year also is bigger. It’s taken a bit of getting use to being on your tip toes at a stop light however the ability to stretch your legs better as you peddle I think is making a huge difference in power. I don’t have a speedometer on it yet but I’d say it’s dare fast and may be even more so when I can really develop aerobic endurance. I’m actually only in the easiest 3 gears so far. I can’t fathom the speed (or for that matter the effort to peddle) at the top ones!

This last week an a half has seen some unofficial gains in weight (maybe up to 7-8 pounds?) I haven’t been sticking to a decent food plan or in reasonable volumes. Yesterday was the first day in a while I capped the caloric intake under 2000 calories once more. Really bummed I’ve gained of course but who’s the one to blame for eating ice cream and pizza in vast quantities? Today I did better with something high calorie I kept a reasonable serving size. I’m hoping to get back to something with some reasonable nutritional value too. I won’t “ban” goodies but I also don’t think it’s a good idea to make the funny bones and Doritos your two main food groups!

With a couple of days left to the month I’ve bicycled over 160 miles in June! About 30 more than May! The whole year last year I could barely make 200, so it goes to show if you keep on trying you got a good chance at getting better!

Time to get peddling!- Alan

I Admit It. I Killed Her!

I swear I didn’t mean to kill her! I don’t know what happened exactly, it was a crime of passion?! I was trying to fix up the old Irish girl, my dear Green Lady and what have I done!!! Now she’s just laying on the garage floor in pieces!!! Maybe she’s not really dead and won‘t really die? But gee the prognosis doesn’t look good! It doesn’t look good at all! There might be a happy ending somehow, right?! It can’t end like this!
I meant to post Part II pictures of Motorcycle week, but I think that will happen next time. I just had to come clean about it and what I have done. This 70’s era vintage Raleigh grand prix 10 speed was a yard sale find last year and it was in horrible shape. The front derailer was rusted frozen as well as the brakes both stuck. The tires were petrified on cracked with the ages to the point I can‘t even read the size of the tires.
Looking for my next goal I was thinking about doing more serious mileage riding on a road bike rather than just on my hybrid bicycle Boba. So I set to work on the old girl. Half a can of spray oil and wrenching I got the old brake cables front and rear off as well as both the seizing brake calipers. For the life of me I reefed and reefed but can’t get the broken seat off yet to fix it.

A trip to my trusty friends at the bicycle shop for parts didn’t go so well. Adding in new tires, replacing the cables, rewrapping the handlebars… I had hoped to do neon green theme to highlight the beautiful green of her paint… the price kept going up and up near the 200 dollar mark. What to do?! To a vagabond like me that’s a serious bundle of cash that isn‘t easy to come up with! Not to mention the couple of races I hope to ride in coming up are going to need entry fees and travel gas…

So I end up sitting on the curb next to the local corner store with a coffee, and trying to work out the plans and goals and praying what to do… if the goals are worth going for. I asked God quietly out loud “How am I going to pay for this?” Then I look down and find a penny and another penny… I laughed, apparently God gave me his two cents about what He thought of my plan?! Then I found another two cents and a dime… coincidence? Perhaps, but I took it as a sign not to give up just yet.

So I went to another Bicycle shop to see if he might have some cheaper supplies from different sources. I saw an old bike in far better shape rust wise with the same old style brake set ups kind of just leaned haphazardly in the corner. Out of curiosity I asked if that one was for sale and how much. He said he’d part with it for $30 then a moment later said, “Naw, actually just take it. The bike needs a bit of tinkering though.” I had to ask him four times *Really*?! She's below... Isn't she pretty?

I’m not sure how this story ends yet because it’s still playing out. The bike shop is doing some very basic stuff to the newer 12 speed including hopefully finding an old junk seat to refit it with or fix it because the other was broken. Hopefully there isn't anything major they find. I’m not sure if the wheels might actually transfer over to the old Raleigh size wise and gear wise. But I also have a basic set of bell cables I got at the department store to try to replace on the old Raleigh. I haven't given up on the Raleigh! Hopefully with all the tinkering one of the two will be ridable and I will have a true skinny tire race bike to replace the old black “shade” that I used last fall to race with, the one with fat sized tires.

Actually since I promised, I will post two pics from motorcycle week to give you a little something till next time. My favorite sign above I spotted at a vendor, “unattended children will be given a shot of tequila and a free puppy” and a shot of a custom bike build modeling show below.



Till next time Fools Fitness Fine Friends- Alan

Laconia Bike Week 2011 Part I

Going into the Weirs Beach on Lakeside Avenue in Bike week I (perhaps like many celebrities?) got a personal police escort by two bicycle police! I’ve got a few photos to share in this and the next post…This photo was taken on the go as I rode my bicycle behind them via my cell phone camera… gee technically isn’t that distracted riding? Well, anyone who refers to himself as “Fools Fitness” likely needs a bit of adult supervision anyways right?

Today (June 20th) I hit about mile 112 for the month so far on “Boba”, the 7-speed Raleigh Venture… It works out to be about 55 for April, 130 for May and with now I’m around just a touch under the 300 mile mark for the year! Originally, I figured since I did a touch over 200 miles last year to shoot for 300 or 50 miles per riding month this year. At the start of the year that seemed huge, now wildly it was apparently a pretty low figure! I figured 150% of last year would have covered it! Guess not!!!

Keeping on with my bicycle wanting it’s picture taken everywhere possible here is a row of “bikes” I think you can click on the picture to enlarge it. Bike, bike, bike… wait a minute? Hey, they said BIKE week! I can’t help but think of that old Sesame Street song they use to play when I was a kid, “One of these things is not like the other…”

Stay tuned within the week I hope to get some general Motorcycle week photos up. Some of the motorcycles were true artworks. Moreover I tried to get a few shots to get you a feel of how many people were in the area. Stay tuned for more on Laconia Motorcycle Week, hopefully by the end of this week on Foolsfitness!

Now getting back to my riding goal. I think goals are important in what ever it is you do. To have a vision of where you want to go and a future you are working toward. To close your eyes and be able to really envision yourself at a point is critical. It makes walking away from the extra helpings easier.

Last year I had a goal of doing a bicycle race, and a bicycle marathon fundraiser that helped me stay on track… this year was the 300 mark. Now I’m thinking about what’s next. I know there is a neat bicycle race event coming up in September but that is more for serious pros. I’d like to go see it though and maybe have a goal of bringing a bicycle along for a goal of a ride. I’m even pondering about trying to get the “Green Lady” my old yard sale find of a Raleigh 10 speed from the 70’s ready to ride again and back on the tar. She's going to need a lot of TLC.

This last week has been horrible eating choices, and perhaps its time for more of a Zen spiritual goal like bringing back the spirit of that old bike. Without a goal in my mind I drift. What that goal will be I'm not sure yet... but it needs to be there.

At Foolsfitness it’s time for a goal. Then the attempt for the extra point after too?- Alan

Weigh Crazy and Crazy in General

Hovering on the edge of being in the two hundred some things is driving me a bit more insane than my normal insane! My “official” (IE someone besides me saw it) weigh for last weekend was 301 for another 4 pound drop. WAIT! That number says 299!!! I sort of did it not thinking unprepared with jean shorts on and a belt. As you can see at home I can hover under that magic number… somehow 301 seems so much more than 299!!! Weighing can drive you insane, if you wear the wrong clothes, have eaten or drank something, time of day, need to use the rest room… are wet from a shower?! they all can bounce those darn numbers around!

I’m trying (with some but not perfect success) to focus on weighing ever two weeks and getting off the scale between times. Daily (even multi-times daily) weighs can drive you bonkers.

It’s been a bucket load of oddities lately, travel, rain, super hot weather (I saw the bank thermometer over 80 one night after 8:30 at night!) various stressors… now it’s motorcycle week in the area, and the sleepy little city seems to gain double it’s population for a bit. I couldn’t resist riding my bicycle yesterday even in the mist got in about 13 miles. I headed toward Weirs Beach and kidded some of the people I saw as I peddled along with my bicycle amongst a thousand motorcycles, “I thought this was *Bike* week? I’m so confused!” Or found groups of people sitting on the side of the road watching the motorcycles ride by and I ching chinged my bell to cheers. I got a feeling some of those folks might have had a bit of “liquid encouragement” in them if you follow my meaning.

Hopefully later this week will have a decent day and I can make another trip up there and get a few pictures to share. During my last trip I got a new pair of amber yellow shades and a stretchy cargo net for my bicycle adventures. I’m thinking if I might want to go all out and get a battery powered light for night riding, as some of my rides push the border into sunset.

I’ve gotten to the point where I seem to be collecting pictures of the bicycle with odd things in odd places. One ride recently I got this shot with my Boba bicycle below a rocket in Concord, New Hampshire (In the United States of you are somewhere else in the world that is the state capital and in the northeast of America) I think you can click on the picture to enlarge it or just look close at the base of the rocket and you should see my bicycle



I hope everyone is well and keeping on the road to becoming more healthy- Alan AKA Fools Fitness

Faster Than A Locomotive!

How fit am I becoming? Well, I’ve started racing trains on my bicycle for sport! The pictures you see are of little two person railroad service cars, I think they are nick named putt-putts. As I was bicycling I bumped into a group of 20 or so on the railroad. A group of people restore them as a hobby. I happen to be riding in the same direction and noticed that if I ground my gears I could actually keep up with them!

Then I thought the game was ON! Being a messenger I knew most of the side streets and where the railroad lines go, I started racing them, me riding the streets and meeting and waving to the group as it passed each railroad crossing. Then I pummeled the pedals of my bicycle Boba to the next crossing down the line. Doing some bicycle messenger work I rarely ride aggressive, but I really let loose for fun sake cutting corners and hopping curbs… I can honestly say I got a tiny bit of air bouncing the bicycle around and used all gears including the very insane top gear. On a flat I can get that cargo bike doing about 17 miles an hour or so for a bit, my max on a downhill is about 34. I’m not certain when the last time was I rode that hard.

So over the next 6 miles or so I met them at about 5 railroad crossings all the way from one side of the city to the other! Once the group saw what I was doing as we ran parallel in some areas they whooped and cheered me on. After that I knew the next crossing was a town away and up a rather long hill so I had to wave goodbye for good. However I can now say I am faster than a locomotive, actually several! OK, not real locomotives… but some small putt putts anyways!

After the “race” I had really pushed my physical limits. I was working at nearly top aerobic level for a good while and a few times crossed to the burn of anaerobic. I bonked my glucose level in my muscles and was on total empty. Moreover I had involuntary muscle spasms twitching and shaking for a good time after. I popped into a convience store for a majorly needed snack and had to hold my cup of soda with both hands so I wouldn’t drop it. It was a hoot… a loss of a bit of dexterity meant I struggled putting the cover on and trying to unwrap a sandwich from the plastic was an awkward endeavor for sure. Where I sat on the curb I literally drenched with sweat. I’m thinking in the future I might carry a couple packets of honey on my bike.

At Foolsfitness we chase cars and trains too, but like dogs wonder what to do with them after we catch ‘em! - Alan

Proud to Be an Idiot!

Last winter I took a shot of this guy snow blowing. There had been so much snow he didn’t seem to have anywhere to put it… I couldn’t help but think how bizarre it looked to snow blow it all of ½ foot away into a 20 foot tall snow bank! I didn’t use the word “idiot”, but I couldn’t help but laugh and take the picture at what looked like a really futile battle.

This last week we’ve had wonderful bicycle riding weather and I’ve only really stopped because I couldn’t peddle any more… If you ride your bicycle for any distance at all you are very likely to get screamed at by someone in a passing car. This last week I put on one of my best weeks in the saddle with over 60 miles in seven days and actually over 130 miles for the month of May, thus I was bound to get screamed at sometime.

I’m on my cargo bicycle at a stoplight next to a car waiting for green and someone turning screamed, “Get out of the road IDIOT!” To some of you folks this might seem like a horrible thing to happen. However while I did get out of the road it was because I was laughing so hard I almost fell of my bicycle. Why was it so funny to be called an idiot some of you might ask? Most all the time the usual scream of something like “get out of the road” is directly tied to some rude comment about my weight with it. Now, I’m so proud that I’m just another idiot without the vivid and creative weight descriptor!!!

An official weigh in (I call it official because someone besides me witnessed it) hit the scales Sunday at 305! That’s another 5 pounds down since last post or about 7 in the last two weeks. Eyeing the 200’s club again!!! Soon… very soon! I’m an official person again because I no longer max out my digital home scale with the dreaded O.L. but have a number. My scale officially acknowledges I’m human!!!

There is lots’ of positives but a rather large negative. But I think part of the reason for upping my riding is that the relative I mentioned in a post before passed away and I’ve been riding to clear out my mind. I didn’t get to see him in person but I did get a message to him via another relative that was looking over him at the hospital that I was thinking and praying for him. I just couldn’t go remembering what cancer had done to the other relative. I don’t think I will regret it even though I’m sad I couldn’t see him one last time, because I did what I could. His funeral is this week. I will go to that. No funeral is “fun” or “easy” but I expect it will be very hard. He was only 53.

At Foolsfitness we urge you to try to live life more fully each day, because not many of us have forever here.- Alan

Encounter with a 10 Foot Tall Polar Bear!

Last weekend I wondered around a house built in 1625, went to a wedding, and saw Wild Bill Cody’s signature as well as a four legged baby chicken (it was a genetic mutation) and a 10 foot tall polar bear. I even ended up at a folk concert in the middle of the weekend. Oh yeah, there was also the part where I lost another two pounds since last week!!! About 310 right now. I got to see this very nice museum that had curios of all kinds of odd stuff. I literally walked through the jaw of a sperm whale. I know I’ve gotten a bit smaller but gee, seeing a polar bear that the tip of my head barely makes it to his arm pit and seeing that whale jaw, let’s just say a person would be like an M+M size in our mouths… if that! It makes me feel down right tiny!

This weekend was the first real daring eating on the go I’ve tried. Running around in another state and all about I just tried to keep a rule of moderation. What do runners eat anyways? Eating out I instantly divided the food in half to a takeout container before digging in, and avoided the cake at the wedding. I still don’t feel comfortable guestimating calories at all. All in all I think I was up a few calories over the weekend but not a ton.

I’ve gotten more adventurous with this developing body with somewhat unlimited energy! Maybe a bit intoxicated by the new things I can do almost like a little kid, “Look what I can do!” bouncing around like Winnie the Pooh's pal Tigger... It was a riot to dig out old dress clothes for the wedding I went to. I put on the pants and could have easily tucked in a couple of small lap dogs in with what’s left of my lap! After belting up I had to carefully bunch up the pants to make them look pleated. Perhaps by next year they will look like MC Hammer pants on me?! People are starting to comment now, sometimes it’s kind of odd because it should be a cool compliment but I feel really awkward sometimes.

It’s not all roses though I do have many blessings. Some of the darker side of the weekend is I have a relative that is among the closest blood relations I have left and he is dying of cancer. I tried to go visit him in the hospital but just couldn’t make myself go as I drove by. He has cancer similar to another family member that passed a few years ago that I still have trouble with. It’s really hard to wrap my mind around it. Another thing is with all the travel over the weekend and being spent emotionally I’ve not officially exercised in a few days. Hopefully tonight I can get in a volleyball game, the last of the season.

At Foolsfitness we love ten foot tall polar bears and four legged baby chickens!- Alan

Dropping Pounds... and Comments?

I got my “official” weigh in for the last two weeks… 5 pound drop. I was getting greedy for a while with my 4 pound drops per week for the last couple of weeks and wanted 8 but it’s nothing to sneeze at. Things are moving in the right direction, about ½ of my winter weight has been shed. I’ve actually started wearing a few XL shirts in public as well as my “skinny” shorts.

Has anyone lost comment posts? I think Blogger had a shut down last week and I’ve lost a couple of comments. Please note folks I did not delete you! In fact I really live for comments. I don’t see them in the spam and don’t know how they got deleted… Anyways, sorry but I didn’t do it and don’t forget that comments charge me up and keep me going!

So yesterday was the second to last Volleyball night for the league, next Tuesday is the finish for the season. The games were intense and I was sopping wet with perspiration at the end. My team ended the night loosing more games than winning. However, I had the highest scoring game I’ve ever played in… in the rules a team needs to win by two points. Normal games go to 15, but in this one game we couldn’t get two points before loosing the ball and the other team was the same. That final score was 21-23! We made the other teams earn those wins for sure. A couple of the other games were fought up a couple of points or only lost by two or three. Those games I don’t mind. Its no fun when one team runs over another like 15 to 8.

Another question to fellow bloggers… I’ve recently gotten a couple of requests to guest blog, I’ve blogged as a guest a couple of times but I guess I’m nervous when someone writes requesting to blog on my own site. I’m uncomfortable “endorsing”, I’ve tried to keep this walk away from the fad diets, tricks, and quick fixes and such. I’m not saying people asking to guest on my blog are any of those but I just get nervous about it. I even struggle with sharing links to resources at times. I honestly don’t want to lead people astray.

At Foolsfitness Ice cream is a food group- Alan

Thinking Small

I’ve been trying to set lots of “mini” goals on my way to a more fit and healthier me. One of those goals is to go 50 miles a month during the fair weather months on my bicycle. On the bicycle today I *HAD* to stop by the library to send off this quick post… Month of May, gee in only 11 days I’m actually over my 50 miles for this month!!! I had a free day today and I just ended up riding for miles and miles. I think like 14 miles or so, the highest single day number of this year so far.

Thinking small can add up for sure… a few miles here and there start turning over the odometer miles. A goal of keeping the calories under my 2000 mark and a little goal of just getting out and doing 3 miles 4 times a week, string a few of those days together and suddenly little things are adding up!

I played Volleyball last night, but my finger is still pretty sore and not completely mobile from last the week before’s injury. Still, I’m glad I played… there were some intense and seriously fun games. My normal serve was impossible due to whacking that finger on the ball, so I improvised… some of my serves were so weird aimed and off speed that people had trouble adapting to them. My serves suffered for sure but I seem to adapt by trying to play a bit more tactically. I couldn’t spike but I’d focus on tapping the ball to odd spots.

I’ve been trying to not be so psycho with the scale, attempting to curb my weight checks to once every two weeks. I’m itching to see what it’s going to be on Saturday. I haven’t eaten perfectly but pretty close and I’ve been getting a good amount of movement in. I know clothes are fitting differently. Last night I almost lost my shorts in attempting to jump up for a block on the net!!! Time out! I need to redo my belt!

What small goals are you setting for yourself?

I May Need Adult Supervision?

Being more mindful of what I am eating, including tracking everything has given me an opportunity to reflect. In the last two days I’ve eaten oddly. One days total complete food intake list was two scoops of Sheppard’s pie, ¾ lb of turkey burger, and some yam fries with mustard. In the next day a 57 percent of my calories were “invested” in ice cream and the day after 30% in chips!!!

I personally have a no rules policy when it comes to banning foods. I guess it makes sense if you’re diabetic to watch your sugar or someone with peanut allergies really shouldn’t have a PB + J sandwich… but I’ve found banning foods just makes me want the “forbidden fruit” more. However, I am increasing efforts to obtain some nutrients beyond those found in Doritos and Funny Bones. Right now I’m trying to keep it fairly simple asking myself if I’ve had something from the major groups meat/protein, bread/starch carbs, milk/cheese, veggie, fruit, and the junk food group. I’m doing well with the last one.

I am the type of guy who runs with scissors and thinks the 60’s Batman theme song makes the best ringtone for your phone. Maybe some people are just wired differently, think differently, and need general adult supervision. Overweight people have got to be wired differently. Somehow it makes sense that a pizza is a serving to people like us. I’m not saying we are in any way lemmings that need to be herded for our own good and general protection… I’m just saying maybe we need to relook at some of the first impulses that cross our mind before acting on them.

I’m thankful I’m keeping a food journal. It’s a reflection I look at then ask myself things like well if a big cookie is an OK breakfast is it ok to just buy a package of cookies for the day and skip veggies altogether? Hey, its seems to work for Cookie Monster…

I’ve gone to three places in search for my funny bone cupcakes, this time for breakfast and after giving up looking for them I figured since it was brunch time I’d find something else. I noticed a sign up at Cumby’s for wraps. I picked up the southwestern style turkey wrap and thought overall this is better nutritional choice than some of my standards. For 520 calories you get zero sugar and 36 grams of protein. Moreover it’s a serving of a whole package (one wrap is cut in half) so if you ate a half wrap it would be a manageable snack at 255 calories. I think my main complaint was that the sodium is pretty high at 1040MG! Also beware if you use one of those sauce packets, some of them are like having heavy salad dressing and lots of it. It makes me tempted to start making my own wraps as I know I could keep a better eye on the sodium.

AN UPDATE: someone just replied to my blog (Rachel) about the hospital food… she says the hospital she knows *Does* fry their stuff and some of their food seems to rival old high school café type menus. I guess it shows you got to ask and be constantly aware, I would have thought hospital food would have been of the same level everywhere but no. I guess I have a blessing at my area. They did tell me they bake everything here but they do have some of those heavy soups and occasional foods I do tend to avoid… Thanks Rachel.

Another example of being constantly aware is the difference between the two wraps on sale at Cumby’s. My glance at the hummus one saw it was over 700 calories. I didn’t compare the nutrition after seeing that the general calories were higher than I had planned to spend on a sandwich at that time.

At Foolsfitness we occasionally treat ourselves to an apple, but usually try to wash the taste out of our mouth with chips after! - Alan

Things That Fit, But A Mind That Doesn't

There are some things in life that you can not appreciate, or perhaps even fully realize that are out there until you experience them... like a BBQ grill in the shape of a pig! I gained a good chunk of weight over the winter, but am working very hard and shedding it quickly. My clothes once again are starting to get “breathing room” in them. I tried on my skinny guy shorts (the smallest pair I own) the other day, and they are at the point of near wearability. I can button and zip them up but they are not quite at the point of being comfortable. . I’m starting to eye XL shirts again. Not really ready fully comfortable ready yet either, but I can jam myself into some of them. One of my friends mentioned about how her ring fit different as her weight changed and I got a kick out of putting on my old college ring again. One serious shaking and it goes flying off.

So I got a new experience today. Picture three parking spaces beside one another. I pull my car in the middle one, there is a car on both sides. The spot was just a bit “mind the door” tight but I got out with minimal effort and walked over and I started talking to a guy in the spot next to me who has an old truck next to my passenger side. I like antiques so we get talking… now next to my drivers side a woman who is a passenger of the other car gets beside her and my car and says loudly, “How am I suppose to get in there!”

I heard this and step to the side saying, “Oh, did I not park in the lines?” I was going to move but realized I wasn’t out of my space, neither they theirs, we were both in our respective spots… I guess they just are small parking spaces. Now the guy in the old truck suggested she just wait for the driver to back out of the spot first before she got in. Never underestimate the power of the practical wisdom of an old farmer.

She sort of grumbled but they figured it out in short order. As they pulled away I shrugged looking back at the farmer guy in the old truck and said, “I got out of my car ok?” sort of earnestly puzzled as it was snug but I didn’t think the thing was really impossible or even really difficult beyond just being careful not to ding their door. If I had gotten out how couldn’t she have gotten in? It didn’t make sense.

Now the thing that made my day… the old guy shrugged and without the slightest hint of sarcasm says, ”Well, she’s bigger than you.” Just a very simple, matter of fact, obvious explanation that makes perfect sense said only like an old farmer in an old pick up truck can. He said it so off the cuff and moved on like it was nothing, I was so truly blindsided by it. I almost stumbled away. I’m starting to bump into people who weigh more than I do now. No offense to them… hey I’ve been to the point where I think a 350lb doctors scale would not have covered it at one point… but now somehow there are people that are bigger than me?

It sort of made my day in one way, yet perplexed me and threw me off the whole day to no end. Perhaps some of you out there can understand? There are times where I think my self image goes to both ends of the spectrum. I honestly don’t think I can “really” see myself much at all. Whether I’m blocking it or twisting a perception, I really am blind when I see myself in a mirror… up or down. Had you honestly asked me about that woman I wouldn’t have thought of her as big, never mind bigger than me.

Even when I get on a scale. Naturally I like those numbers going down and all but somehow they don’t seem real. The only times I really seem to pick up on my changing form are occasionally I’ll be lying in bed and somehow brush an elbow or something and it feels sort of alien, I guess because part of it sort of isn’t there. The other times is in bicycling, the first couple of times I make a new hill without stopping… or suddenly notice I’m in a higher gear than what I’ve been using.

This happened once before with finding my wrist bones. I remember it was such an odd experience I actually questioned if I broke something at the time. There are times when my mind doesn’t fit. It works the other way too. The other night I really wanted to keep riding my bicycle, yet my body just couldn’t do any more miles… my body just wouldn’t “go” as much as I wanted to and tried to.

So much for the mind/body connection? Both of them have to check their day planner first before getting together?

At Foolsfitness we wonder how much Ego can we cram in a smaller body?

Bicycle Scavenger Hunt

In this picture you can see my 7 speed Raleigh I named “Boba” in front of an official tobacco store cigar Indian. My challenge to you is to get out your bicycle and ride to some place to take a picture of your own bicycle in front of something unique and post it up on your blog. Maybe you can find a neat named street sign, an old car, or in front of a nice backdrop. Let’s see who can find the oddest thing to take a picture of their bicycle with. Let’s have some fun while getting fit too.

Last year I put on about 205 miles on this cargo bicycle and this year I’m planning to do at least 300… perhaps more. A basic goal of 50 miles a month in the “fair” weather months. April was right on at about 56 miles. May so far I’m about half way to this month’s 50 with a few days to the middle of the month to spare. You can see a pick of my bicycle odometer…


I attribute a lot of my getting more fit to being in the saddle of the bicycle. I haven’t burned off all the winter fat yet, but I’m on my “weigh” (bad pun!) At least I haven’t popped a tire in the spring of this year (yet).

Happy and safe peddling! Foolsfitness- Alan

Going to the Hospital

I got my first “sports injury” playing Volleyball Tuesday night. If you look close at the pictures in the top one my right ring finger is rather puffy. I’ve put up a picture of the other hand to show the vast difference in size below it. I almost look at it as a badge… See this right here, I got that playing sports!

I haven’t gone to the hospital for it. A couple of days it’s still puffy, sore, and doesn’t bend well but I doubt it will need to be chopped off. What I *DO* go to the hospital for believe it or not is dinner or lunch a few times a week. Crazy? Isn’t hospital food terrible?

Hear me out. First of all the hospital bakes all their foods rather than frying them. Second they are cheap, for example I can get salads for 1.50 less a pound than at the supermarket. Lastly, one of the things I’m trying to do is learn serving portions. The hospital café tends to be inexpensive, reasonably healthy, and not completely heap the plate. At home one of the things I’ve adopted is measuring out my cereal and milk with a measuring cup. It’s so easy to just pour a double serving in a bowl otherwise.

There is one flaw to my hospital café eating plan I noticed last night. The nice lunch ladies there are starting to recognize me and seem to be starting to increasing the amount of food on the plate, perhaps out of trying to be nice and wanting me to get a good deal or something? It was a huge error last night as it seemed to trigger me to also add in some bread and a brownie for dessert… somehow I ended the day with like 3,100 calories!!! I’ve got to share my plans and goals with them and get them on my side. Sure I want a good deal for my money, but I either got to take some of it to go or get a half serving or something.

Now for something totally irrelevant to weight loss. But I have to rant… I watched the new Green Hornet Movie last night. I was so disappointed. I’m a huge Green Hornet fan, the comics and also the old radio programs… they made the Green Hornet into a buffoon. The “tech” and effects were great (I loved machine guns in the suicide doors!). I did like that they respected Kato more but to make the Hornet into someone who just “lucks” into stuff… I don’t think they paid it proper due. I guess it’s a hard movie to make because he’s a lot like Batman. Brett has more class than that.

Over 55 Pounds Gained?!

(The picture is the conflicting scene at my works break room... Did you see the donuts or the scale first?!)

Speaking of conflicting... Well I’ve enjoyed quite the roller coaster gaining 55.5 pounds of winter fat!!! Last years low was about 282 and at the end of the winter I had skyrocketed to 338 pounds! That’s a mere 5 pounds away from my starting weight a couple of years back!!! All that work and poof in six months!!!

Though fear not. This is indeed Fools Fitness but even a fool can learn, abet slowly. In the month of April, naturally April 1st I tried to renew my commitment to a more fit me. In April I dropped 21 pounds!!! Currently I am 317.

So what have I learned? What has changed? Wow there seems like so much. Some of it seems so elementary yet it really takes me a while to pick up on stuff.

1) I am *way* more active in the summer. (example Aprils bicycling over 50 miles, March zero) At lot of the fitness I enjoyed centered around walking and biking.

FIX: Now Set a rule of minimum 4 days a week walking (or bicycle) at least 3 miles. OR during bad weather an hour in the pool doing my Alan Paddles. (I don’t call it dog paddles because it would insult dogs. A simple goal of to keep moving.) It usually ends up more miles and more days a week but the minimums get me out.



2) I may have set myself up for failure in setting my calorie intake too low and never eating anything of any seriously nutritious value… then starved and binged.

FIX: bumped up my calorie intake to 2000 calories a day, and try to hit all major food groups. Even that tracked at a consistent 4 pounds dropped each week for 3 weeks. This works when I am active.

I even take a multivitamin from time to time! My rules of all foods stands though. I still have pizza, Funny Bones, gooey yummy Chinese food, ice cream, peanut butter, and Doritos. Big Macs are still tasty! Anything goes! But not everything of anything! I try not to do them all at once!!!



3) I fail to continue to pay attention. I also get a bit overconfident as I succeed.

FIX: I’ve started to write down all my food in a journal as well as the exercise I do, every day. No exceptions. Tracking it keeps it fore front in my mind. it’s a bit of work but I think pays in the end. I can see trends and writing it down physically makes it real and tangible. Also the blog journal. If I stop paying attention and start my evil super villain laugh it’s a set up for a failure.


4) I can’t cut corners loosing the gym membership.

FIX: I need the mood and energy boost, especially during bad weather… rain or snow. That membership is very expensive, but it’s also very expensive to get in a funk and gain 55 pounds!



5) Food is not medication and it will not fix my car!

FIX: awareness and reminding myself that some comfort food really isn’t a good long term fix for what ever is going on.


6) Staying connected… The blog and friends are key elements too!

FIX: there is a correlation when I dropped writing and started gaining and I don’t think its coincidence. If that means bringing a jump drive with a blog entry to upload at the library it’s still worth the effort. Also having feedback (on the comment section as well as with friends off line) is helpful. It gives me a third person perspective, keeps me thinking, and with new ideas. I’ve got to stay connected somehow.

55.5 pounds x 3,500 calories= 194,250 calories gained in six months… Mind boggling. Am I a bear needing a winter coat? I may be in a cage, but I’m still a panther!!! Doctor Chinese Food and his Diabolical Ice Cream Minions armed with Hunger Ray Guns won a round… but don’t count out Captain Unbelievable yet! 21 pounds gone… AGAIN! A month ago I was devastated, but these things I think I am learning are gems of incredible value. Gaining 55.5 pounds is a victory at Foolsfitness.

(Captain Unbelievable, Doctor Chinese Food, and the Diabolical Ice Cream Minions with their Hunger Ray Guns are intellectual property of Fools Fitness May 1st 2011... Get your own Superhero and arch nemesis… before they are all gone!) Foolsfitness- Alan

The End of the World is Coming, I Got a Planner

When I was in school my friends and I made a pact because we were *real* artists. We’d never be “sell outs” painting sail boats or light houses, and never own a daily planner! The end of the world would be near before we’d start producing general pretty picture flowers junk commercial art!!! We were Artists! (Notice it’s even with a capital “A” too)

I held on to that pledge actually for quite a while. I don’t know when it happened but I think someone gave me one of those Kitten Planners that are so tiny and innocent looking all 3 by 5 and costing like a dollar. I thought it was rebel too, big ruff and tumble me with the little booklet with 2 little kittens on it.

One year I got totally out of hand. I got a planner given to me with post it notes complete with duplicate carbon copy sheets and even a calculator. The corners of the pages had tiny perforations to tear away so you’d instantly flip to the right date. I kept a pen clipped in the planner! The sickness of it. Now addicted to planners last year I actually started buying my own, my mind twisted by imposed indoctrinated thoughts of systematic conformity I even shelled out *15 bucks* for one with tabs! What was I thinking?!

Today I started the year off in a normal Fools Fitness random manner. Some people have resolutions to catch up on bills, loose weight, or stop smoking…I ate more Chinese food than I should, spending money I really don’t have, started smoking my captain black pipe tobacco, and buying another planner. Just to be safe I cancelled my gym membership in December too. (Yes, all this is true) But my new planner was under 4 dollars, so I‘m not a complete sell out am I?

Most people break their New Years resolutions… So I’m playing the odds. I’m also trying to figure out a way that I can buy lottery tickets but somehow bet on that they are actually non-winning tickets. Maybe I could bet the people in line at the connivance store that are buying them that they won‘t win? Think outside the box my friends. Make your resolution to loose weight another day than in a News Years resolution… like me on April Fools Day!

Back to my new planner date book. I actually do find it helpful to keep track of appointments, write down the odd note, and make lists at times. I think it’s important to have a plan and refer to it over and over to see if you are heading in the general right direction. However my great plans for world domination seem to be always encountering unforeseen, ill prepared for, or just plain development in general that I could have easily avoided if I wasn‘t so full of myself laughing manically not paying attention and losing focus.

Isn’t that the way though? It’s so easy to make a plan, “I want to lose weight”. After all I have a planner and I can write it in there. It’s so simple, yet then there are the details and following through, keeping on course, dealing with the random events… Like the end of the world. I’ve penciled it in for a possibility for May 21, 2011 or just a general massive Earthquake and Tsunami that wipes out the eastern USA on December 20, 2011... And am trying to keep a general open calendar for all of 2012.

I don’t think anyone is suppose to know the exact date of the end of the world but I figure someone is bound to hit it eventually. Maybe those Mayans just got tired of making the calendar and stopped writing. I’d go on strike too if someone told me to keep going after I made a calendar that covered a couple of thousand years. Maybe they just ran out of room. After all I only got an 18 month planner at the store.

Just a few parting thoughts about my new “plan ahead” CVS 4 dollar planner. Does anyone find it really helpful to have those sections like the “weights and measures” that gives you the fact that 40 rods equals a Furlong or the CIA‘s website address? (Both are really preprinted in my in my planner)

At Foolsfitness paintings of lighthouses and sailboats will be gladly made in exchange for food, rent, gas, guitar fund, captain black pipe tobacco, or general cat care supply funding.-Alan