Tired puppy.....

It's time to take a few days (weeks) off the bike. I'm a tired puppy..............

I've developed tendonitis in my left knee again and it's something that only rest, careful exercise/therapy, and lots of time can alleviate. I'd planned a week off the bike anyway, but a few more won't really hurt. It gives me time to do some work at Thomson Trails. Trail maintenance work builds core muscles so it's not a total loss of fitness.

This time also gives me an opportunity to adhere to the diet more stringently since I won't be burning calories 5 days a week on the bike over the next few weeks. After reading several books - or at least portions of several books - and getting input from different nutritionists, I'm embarking on different paths to fulfill nutritional requirements. Portion control is my biggest problem but my mindset has to be the same as when I quit smoking years ago: believe in yourself and keep your mental discipline. I want to drop to 160 lbs. by the end of February but maintain the same power I have now. Dropping more weight would be great, but I think 160 would allow me to maintain sprinting speed while gaining climbing ability. Dragging less up the climbs is always good. All the advice and books state that losing muscle mass is the hardest and more dangerous thing to do, but we'll see how much is lost over the next few months while I'm trying to shed the fat. I've got at least 25 lbs. of fat to lose, so I don't think muscle mass loss will be an issue.

October 8: 184 lbs. Losing 1 pound a week until Feb. 29 (21 weeks) = 21 lbs. lost & 163 lbs.

Nothing to it............