Veggie Tales?

Yikes it's been a while. So my travels ended well. Hit all the spots we wanted to see. Found out that things (alcohol especially) were more expensive than necessary. I used up most of the film for my Holga, now I just need to find a place that will develop it. The triathlon was a bust as my chain broke around mile 20. But I was moving along at a decent clip, averaging 22mph, although watching people finish the run I am somewhat glad I missed that. Me and Bryan met up with some friends in La Crosse, WI. That was a fun night. I rounded it out with spending a week in Minneapolis helping friends move in.

Now I am back in Hastings, and remembering how hard it is to find a place to workout here. I have the gym, and I can always run the streets, but after spending the better part of a month in Minnesota...I feel like there is no place to ride. I can only do so many out-and-backs before I go crazy. I am also afraid to ride the highways here because cycling is so foreign to this city/state that the motorists are not very receptive. Oh well, one must push on.

It was my sisters 25th birthday on the 14th. Her and her family came up to go out to lunch. We went to Valentino's, an Italian buffet, and I was able to observe American eating at it's greatest. So much waste. It just makes no sense to me. My mom also seemed a little worried that I wasn't eating enough. I have just learned to eat slower, let the food sit, and you become full quicker.

I guess right now I am just at somewhat of a low point. Despite my attempts to train, I keep gaining weight. Right now I weigh 220 lbs. That is around 30lbs more than I weighed during swim season. It is very frustrating, so after some self-analysis I realized it had to have been my eating and sleeping habits (I say this at 1 in the morning, but I really am trying to change my sleeping habits). Me and my mom went grocery shopping this week and I bought more fruits and cereals, less sweets and unecessaries. But I recently stumbled upon a blog that a friend from college has been keeping.

My friend, AJ, was a collegiate wrestler. So he is probably more weight conscious then I am, but has always seemed pretty slim, bouncing around 174-184. He was a pretty solid wrestler, very technical from what I saw, I digress. From what I read in his blog, he recently has taken on a vegan lifestyle. Along with that I saw pictures of him and he is looking more fit then I have ever seen. Looking at him, he looks no heavier than 165lbs but reading about his experiences, he has been LIVING not just existing.

After reading about his last few months of experiences, I was inspired. After reading about how he feels healthier than ever, I think that is just what I need. So once I finish these groceries, I am going to make the attempt. This will be a great chance for me to expand my horizons of taste as well, as most of you know I am not a great fan of vegetables.

The only problem I can see is that me and my dad are taking a trip to the Boundary Waters at the end of this month. The problem is we already submitted the menus to the outfitters so we will be having some meat. But it will be a nice way for me to ease into the life change. I am not sure how it will work in when I go to the Marines though...hmmm.

Anyway, I need to thank AJ for the inspiration of the lifestyle change. And Betsy for pointing me in that direction. I will keep you posted on my experiences with this.