Week

It's been a busy, hectic, slightly stressful week. I didn't get any bike mileage due all the usual factors: family schedule, cold rain, Afib. Yes, that again. I woke up at 4.40 Wednesday quite suddenly and soon realized that I was Afibbing again, something I hadn't really done much of late. Not knowing the situation with my former flecainide druggage, I proceeded to spend all day suffering from AF. It's doable but exhausting and I spent all day wondering whether I would have to go to the ER to get paddled. Bleh! I went to bed Wednesday hoping for the best and I got it; it was gone Thursday. And a bit later that day I found out that I can use the "Pill-in-pocket" and pop a flecainide and probably get rid of the immediate AF. I imagine strongly that I have an Ablation in my future. Although I posted no bike miles, I did manage to walk M, T, W and F. I cannot deny that I've grown to enjoy my early morning walks very much. It's a bit insane to be up at 4.45 in the morning, especially when it's getting cold, but I'm out the door at 5.00 and usually put in about 45min, which at my walking pace is about 3m. It's quiet, calm, dark, and contemplative. I usually listen to a podcast or some tunes, but it's mostly a chance to get into a rhythm and "stroke", so to speak. I think I like the rhythm of it just as I like the same of a good pedal stroke. An excellent day would be 30min of walking 5.00-5.30 and then a commute to work; it's been challenging, though, to do my morning thing and to facilitate the new high-schooler's morning thing too. And that's alright. I sort of like being involved in his school schedule, something I've been removed from previously.

I've spent most of the Fall doing bike projects and I'm near finished. One will be officially debuted next weekend when we undertake some mixed-terrain up Apertome's way. I have another one, a BIG one, up my sleeve for late winter. To be honest, it's an amazing one and I'm just getting over the embarrassment.

I'm down 25lbs from my high weight in early August and close to 20lbs from my 2010 "maintenance" weight. The past few days have been a bit sketchy with my first ice cream in a *long* time, some pizza, some cheese sticks and some small snacking. I feel better when I fill the tank with salad, whole grains and good protein. It just so happens that I also feel looser in the pants when I eat the latter, so forward and onward. It's been a great Oct/Nov, a fresh, positive span full of doctor's visits and a reality check. I had my physical today, hopefully the final visit in a long line since mid-October. With a mixture of modern drugs and my recent health focus, my numbers were all quite good and I want nothing more than to build on this early success. Hope everyone else can feel some sense of their own accomplishment.