Keep on Truckin'

Oh hi there, I didn't know you'd been sitting and waiting... for a month.

I'm not really sure what can be said about that lapse.  I mean, I didn't post for a month.

And yet, life goes on.

First things first.  I have been staying active, and probably been eating healthier than the last few months, too.  The hard work seems to be paying off and I *have* seen a solid decline in weight since I last posted.  So... yeah.  That's good.  I've officially crossed the "30 lbs lost" milestone (never to look back), and Last Friday I was on the cusp of an unofficial "40 lbs lost" benchmark.  That's a lot of weight.  For the official record, here are my last 5 Fat Friday weigh-ins...

• July 1 - 214 (last posted)


• July 8 - 209.6


• July 15 - 208.6


• July 22 - 202.4


• July 29 - 203.6

steady progress... mostly...

Some really good progress there... still more to go.  The current goal is to get below 200lbs before school starts on August 22nd.  Other non-weight related news from July includes:

• I ran a new 5k PR a couple weeks ago.  23:54 - which is slightly better than 8 minute miles... which is sort of a big deal for me because that's been a goal/plateau.  So, yeah... that's been good progress, too, I guess.


• Knee pain has been better (or, more accurately: less often and less severe)


• Kel and I have two kids from China staying at our house for the month


• I sold my bike, Vincent.

And that about covers it (without a single item seeming out of place).  On additional item... yes, I sold my bike, but also... I got a new one.  This one is not light and fast, but it's big and tough and will carry all my stuff.  It's the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

shown here with all the trimmings: fenders, rear rack, frame pump, brooks saddle, and crank bros pedals

So you might notice that this bike is significantly more... errrr... functional than my last rig. The plan is to commute with it to Wheaton Academy this fall.  (that's 15 miles a day, plus whatever I add on weekends... not bad for staying active, not to mention biking to work is awesome).  The Long Haul Trucker (as evidenced by the name) is also ideally suited for long self-supported tours... which might be a possibility in the future (more on this later).  It's also a steel frame, which means durability and longevity.  I'm planning on this being my bike for a long time.

FFF: printed on the chainstay: "fatties fit fine" ... it means big tires (up to 45mm), but I like to think it also means riders

Anyway, I'm excited about the practicality (once I have panniers, I can take most things most places with just my bike) and essentially replace my car... at least until it gets really cold.

Just another way to fight the fat...