Rain Rain, don't go away....Thoughts from Cleveland.

Motivation:

"How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success?" ~Elbert Hubbard

Notes:

Well, my prediction was right. I had a feeling about the KSTP - Minnesota Twins deal, and sure enough, starting next season, the Twins will be broadcasted on the Hubbard Network (and of course, hundreds of other stations all around the country as Twins affiliates.) That is good, I think, becuase WCCO (aka CBS) had a lot of rules about the broadcast, too many advertisements, and too much non-baseball stuff going on. I will be interested to see how KSTP handles the pre and post game stuff. I think they have a lot of knowledgable baseball folks at that station, so it will be interesting to see what happens with this.

It rained from about 6pm yesterday - and is still raining right now. (Ironically, right now, I am listening to "It's a Hard Rain Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan, on my MP3 player). I am so happy that it is raining, as the dry humid heat has been somewhat unbearable for the fat man. The rain has lowered the temp several degrees and the ground is going to be less 'crinkly' when we walk. I really missed a good rainstorm. I remember nice storms during the summer as a child, and this year it was pretty boring, hot weather. This is a nice interruption.

Looking through my notes of the Cleveland Trip, two things stand out. 1) I get stressed out just thinking about driving in or around Chicago. I don't think I could handle living in Chicago or New York. I can blame my youth for this somewhat, as growing up on a farm gives you the feeling that people should be spread out by nature, and not live and breathe right on top of each other. I really didn't like that part of the trip, driving through traffic in Chicago and the feeling that I can't breathe. 2) The Concert for Bangladesh at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was life-changing. I am not sure I know why, but I was mezmorized. George Harrison was larger than life on screen, perfect teeth, perfect face. His face was kind, concerned, and yet full of life and music. Billy Preston was full of vigor and energy and watching him play the organ was like a dizzy roller coaster. Two drummers completely in time with each other and everyone seemed to konw exactly what was happening musically during the entire concert. It was like watching a relay team that was completely synchopated. Bob Dylan sang the aforementioned "I'ts a Hard Rain Gonna Fall" and I got lost in the words. I couldn't walk away. To me this was the ultimate Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit. It featured an interactive audience, and you could participate with the performers at the time of the event. Seeing the guitar that Eric Clapton used during the concert is nice, but doesn't give me a sense of the event. However, watching Billy Preston getting swept away during "That's the way God planned it." and seeing the rest of the artists all joining in with a true sense of love for music, now THAT is Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll is entertaining, emotional, makes you want to move your body and soul - physical and intellectual. The hooks in R&R are pronounced, and you want to mimic them on your own.

Rock and Roll is not dead as long as the people who do it are moved and want to move others.


Cleveland itself was nice. Everyone we met was super friendly, and the girl (teenager) who ran the hotel gift shop was awesome. I just wanted to buy a Cleveland mug, some gum and get some quarters in change for the toll-booths on the way home. Since I had only a credit-card, she said she would work out a deal that would make everyone happy. During the transaction, the damn credit card machine that prints out the tape kept having problems and jamming. Not her fault, this infernal machine would not work. She called the bank to see what could be done, and this whole event took over 30 minutes. While she was doing this, she continued to help other customers (2 of them) with cash-only transactions. A nice kid came in looking for a toothbrush and toothpaste, and she helped him pick out the right one. During this, I snooped at her papers, sitting on the counter. She had papers of poems and drawings that she was making while waiting for customers. A beautiful poem "these hands" caught my attention, and this was great. She had a drawing of a flower that was blooming that was made with pencil. This girl was talented, and I took time to tell her so. She was shy and didn't quite accept my praise, but I was being genuine. I hope that she does well in life. I look forward to seeing her again in some form.

Jacob's Field was nice. Just nice. It was missing something unique. If not for the Cleveland skyline, I might have thought I was in any other town. There was nothing about the park that made you think "CLEVELAND". At Kansas City, the fountains and shape of the stadium makes you know you are in KC. The Boston Green Monster is unique, and Miller Park in Millwakee also has many unique items and statues outside that are fun and added flair. I hope Minneapolis finds a way to make the new ballpark unique with some flair that shows off Minnesota or the Twins history.

I am now listening to "It's allright ma, I'm only bleeding" by Bob Dylan. This song is hard to listen to because there is so much stuff going on in the song. It is dizzing to listen to the song and try to type at the same time.


On the training side, I have signed up for SnapFitness and met the manager there. He seems very nice, although somewhat scatter-brained. I am going to try to find a Men's Health Magazine that I was saving for a while, with a specific weight-loss program to be used specifically at a place like this.


Here is some more stuff that has been waiting to get into the blog... here we go:

How to Cutback on carbs without going crazy

Hash-Browns
Substitute: Squash for potatoes
Summer squash (the football-shaped yellow kind) tastes similar to potatoes when cooked--but has just a fraction of the carbs. Grate the squash, mix in an egg as binder, make patties, and fry them in olive oil.

Mashed Potatoes
Substitute: Cauliflower for potatoes
Steam some fresh or frozen cauliflower in the microwave. Then spray the cauliflower with butter substitute and puree in a food processor or blender. Salt and pepper to taste. To make it even better, try adding roasted garlic, cheese, or sour cream to the mixture.

Lasagna
Substitute: Zucchini slices for noodles
Slice four to five medium-size zukes lengthwise into three-quarter-inch-thick strips. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp.

Spaghetti
Substitute: Spaghetti squash for spaghetti
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Then place each half--cut side down--on a plate with a quarter cup of water. Nuke the squash for 10 minutes or until it's soft to the touch. Let it cool, then scrape out the "spaghetti" strands and top with pasta sauce and cheese.

Pizza
Substitute: Portobello mushrooms for pizza crust
Cut the gills out of the inside of the mushroom then place the mushroom on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes so it dries out slightly. Add tomato sauce, mozzarella, and other toppings and broil until the cheese begins to melt.

Hamburger Helper
Substitute: Eggplant for pasta
Soften the eggplant. Cut it in half, brush it with olive oil, and then broil for 10 to 20 minutes. Let it cool, dice it up, and mix with hamburger, tomato sauce, and spices.




more later,

Chazz

Aug 1 - 2 months left until 5K.

Greetings!

Well, lots of things have happened over the last few weeks, unfortunately very little of that has to do with being in condition to run the 5k. Sad, I know, but I am still planning on doing the 5K.

SO, stay with me through the months of August and September to follow the big push to the 5K run. It is going to be interesting (note that I didn't say 'exciting' or 'fun').


HOT PREDICTION!

KSTP Radio (AM 1500) is planning a BIG HUGE announcement today at 2:00PM. They aren't saying what it is, but I am now predicting that this is an announcement that they have come to a deal with the MINNESOTA TWINS to broadcast the Twins games on the Hubbard Broadcasting Network. That is my prediction. We will see if it comes true.

Speaking of the Twins, they are doing pretty well and I am having fun watching them play. They are in contention to be a wildcard team and that is a good thing.

I did go to Cleveland to watch te twins and other events. More on this trip to come, once I have some time to think.

I have just been busy with work and non-work activities. It has been really super hot here - 102 degrees here, and I have lost power at my home now 3 times in the last several days, I believe due to the weather and everyone wanting to use their power. Seriously, 3 times is a bit overkill, and the power company has to do something about this problem. I haven't worked out as intense as I should, but I do blame the temperature as part of the problem.
Oh lord, I just heard that some idiotic newsperson in the cities actually did 'fry an egg' on the minneapolis sidewalk. What a moron. Betty: "Hey, John, it is so hot out here that you could FRY an EGG." John: "Betty, now it can't be THAT hot?!?" Betty: "John, let me prove it to you by cracking this egg, and putting it right here on the sidewalk. See it is really that hot. Back to you in the studio John."
What the hell? As an educated member of society, I ask for all newspeople to place a ban on doing stupid things like this that add NO value to a newscast.

The other news is that my gym, NorthwestAthleticClub, is now been bought by LifeTime Fitness. I found this out when going to the gym last week. Here is why this is NOT good news. 1) Northwest was laid back, helpful, and wanted to create a good environment for it's members. LifeTime is 'in-your-face', confrontational, constantly asking for you to join thier 'programs' and 'events' to squeeze as much money out of the customer as possible. They also treat the club as a meat market, instead of actually pampering their customers to increase buzz, therefore increasing membership by treating people well.
2) Now there is no competition for the big health clubs in the cities, and LifeTime is notorious for raising rates at double-digit percentages. The fact that they are the only game in town makes this price increase chance to be even worse.
3) They want all of the former Northwest customers to sign a new contract with LifeTime, instead of just grandfathering them in. This means that my month-to-month contract will turn into some yearly contract that I am stuck with forever, regardless if my personal life changes so I can't use the club.

Either way, this is NOT a good deal for me. I am thinking about joining a small club (if you can call it a club). This place called SnapFitness is within walking distance and is like a Curves for Women, except this is for men and women. There are no special pampering, no showers, no indoor track, but they have all the equipment needed, are open 24 hours a day, and the cost is 1/3 of what LifeTime is planning on charging. I will go there later today to see what happens.

I appreciate all the email encouragement and support. Here are some recent favorites:


From Dr. Chet Zelasko July 31, 2006
Determination
Through all those challenging times, your determination to succeed will get you through. Understand that no one can be perfect--sooner or later, youll miss a workout and youll eat too much. But if youre determined to succeed at attaining your better life, youll get right back on track. The type of body and healthy life you want depends on it.
Desire. Discipline. Dedication. Determination. These are the attributes you should develop to help you permanently change your lifestyle. Think about them. Apply them to your life, and before you know it youll have the body weight and fitness level youve always dreamed about. Believe it!


Dr. Chet Zelasko July 27, 2006
Running
Running is the best exercise. Period. It burns more calories in the shortest period of time and benefits your entire cardiovascular system. Having said that, I know that there are many people with orthopedic problems who cant run. An alternative is running in a pool. With equipment like the AquaJogger™, you can run without your feet touching the ground--the water supports your weight. With a little practice, you can get similar benefits to running on pavement or a treadmill without the joint strain.
But theres something else you should know: you cant outrun your appetite. I know that for a fact because while Im a runner, I still carry too much weight after running for close to 20 years. You always have to watch what you eat--and I dont mean watch yourself eat it. If you can control your appetite, running will help you achieve your weight goals faster. If you havent run before, check out the paper I wrote titled Preparing and Running a 5K for Beginners. http://www.betterlifeunlimited.com/healthtopics/display.asp?file_name=0073&m=wm&s=e You dont ever have to race but if you want to start a running program, this is a good way to begin.
On September 1st, Ill post a new paper titled Racing a 5K in the Health Topics section of our website. This will outline a training program for you to run a 5K for time. If youre ready to take your training to the next level, youll need to strengthen your body to do it, and this special runners package will help you get there. http://www.betterlifeunlimited.com/healthtopics/default.asp

From Men's Health:
Hot Fun in the Summertime
Studies have shown that the only way to learn to endure heat is to work out in it. You don't have to do marathon runs to build up this kind of tolerance, by the way; you can do it by biking, in-line skating, playing vigorous shuffleboard. And the sign of accomplishment is plain old sweat. Why would you want to get acclimatized? If you've ever tried for a third set of tennis on a sweltering day, you'll know the answer. The only way to get there is to exert oneself in the appropriate temperature setting. You can achieve it in a few days, and you lose it in a couple of weeks, but what it means is that you're training yourself to put out diluted sweat -- relatively more water than salt. Retaining salt means retaining more muscle tone. Interestingly, you also tend to grow thirsty sooner, making you more likely to drink and stay hydrated.

The process of acclimatization can be well under way in the first week of hot-weather training (and 100 minutes of hot work per day is the maximum the body can exploit this way). To understand why that's such an important commodity, let's look at the mechanisms by which the body cools itself.

On a temperate day, up to 80 degrees, our bodies at rest are quite comfortable in their surroundings. Above 80, depending on the humidity, the skin's heat receptors send signals to the brain, which in turn begins to slow down the body's metabolism and other body systems that produce heat. One result is a dilation (widening) of blood vessels, which allows greater blood flow at the body's surface as the skin turns from insulator to heat-shedding device. This explains that reddened look pale-skinned people get in a hot environment, as the skin's normal 5 percent share of the blood rises toward 50 percent.

But as the air temperature heats up to the threshold of 86 degrees, air and body temperature are too close for this ordinary cooling process. Now the sweat glands get a signal to give up their water, usually bearing "solutes," mainly salt, of about 2 percent of their volume. As this water passes through the skin and evaporates, it draws off more heat.

Humans sweat more than any mammal, even the horse family. Fine adaptation though this is, perspiring freely is what the physiologists call a "costly" transaction. To walk away from a nightmare plane wreck in the Mojave, for example, you'd need 2 gallons for every 20 daytime miles (1 gallon if you walk at night).

Rationing does no special good -- and for God's sake carry all you can. The sweat that carrying a given quantity of water costs you subtracts only 1 percent of the replenishment you gain in drinking it.

All right, maybe you're not planning on having to suck cactus to survive. That doesn't mean you don't have to be aware of the dangers of dehydration, especially if you're an athlete. If you're running at a typical training pace, you can sweat up to 2 quarts an hour. To keep up, you need to be drinking more than a quart an hour, says Col. John Gardner, M.D., a physician at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences at Bethesda, Maryland -- the military medical school. "If you're thirsty, you're already down at least half a quart," says Dr. Gardner.


and finally,

from Dr. Chet Zelasko July 10, 2006
Desire
Desire implies that there is a passion to change. It may be that you want better health or to change the look on your child’s face when you can’t play catch. Maybe you just want to look better at your high school reunion or your child’s wedding. Some goal in your mind or your life has to be important enough to you that you’ll do what you have to do to achieve it.You have to want it bad. How bad? Bad enough to be willing to do something about it, whatever it takes. That’s desire and the cool thing is that you can create that desire.
If you don’t have that desire, or you’re not really sure you do, start thinking about it and I mean really thinking hard about what your life might be like when you’re leaner and fitter. Write those things down, because desire wanes at times and you’ll need to be reminded. You’ll be able to pull out what you wrote and renew that desire again.So--how bad do you really want that new body?

Discipline
Once you’ve created the desire, the next step is to create discipline in someone who probably doesn’t have enough of it--you. At least not the discipline required in the eating-and-exercise area of your life. I think many people have a negative association with discipline, maybe because they confuse discipline with denial: denying oneself the food you want to eat or taking life easy as a couch potato.Think of it this way. Discipline is learning to do what you know you need to do to accomplish the goal of a better life. That’s not negative or denying yourself anything--it’s acquiring the desirable habits you need whether it’s eating more vegetables, eating less fried food, or working out first thing in the morning. Those are positive things, not negative. You’re not denying yourself of anything by invoking discipline into your life. You’re saying, “This is what I need to do to get the health and the body I want.” What starts as invoking discipline on yourself today will simply be a good health habit tomorrow when it becomes automatic.


more later,

Chazz