Wednesday, May 18, 2011

More Bike Trail Images

These photos are from the second half of my commute to work, in Richardson, TX. Like Plano, they are doing an outstanding job providing bike routes for their citizens. Soon, when the two cities are connected, it will be the most amazing commute - one of the best on earth, IMO.



 

When I first started riding into work back in 2006, it was just me and no bike rack. Now, I've got a great place to park and lots of company!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide!

Technically, you could say I biked home from work today. But, it felt more like swimming. A large storm system had been edging its way toward the DFW Metroplex all day. I kept a watchful eye on it. So, in the afternoon there came a critical decision point - leave immediately and try to beat the storm home, or stay put and wait it out. Thinking I was good enough to determine its intended path and, given some margin of error, I could still beat it home, I chose the former. Bad choice. I got drenched. But worse than the thorough soaking was the shear terror from the lightening and thunder!

It took 45 minutes to get home, and as you can see from the weather radar, it didn't look too bad when I first headed out. Just a light drizzle. Kind of refreshing, really...


 But, things changed fast and got real colorful just after 15 minutes into the ride...

So,the moral of this post is:  you can try to outrun a thunderstorm, but you can't. And, when it catches you - it will catch you - there's no place to hide. Be careful out there!


Sunday, May 8, 2011

Milk Madness

Just this past week, the FDA announced it has been conducting a yearlong sting operation to expose and end the sale of contraband in Washington, DC. The outlawed commodity and the criminals? Raw Milk sold by Amish Farmers from Pennsylvania!

Luckily, I can get Raw Milk locally at Lavon Farms, the last operating Dairy Farm in Collin County, Texas. There, the Moore Family offers a whole line of fresh, unpasteurized dairy products. BTW, the milk is also non-homogenized, so you can see all the delicious cream floating on the top third of the bottle. Yummy!
So, why drink Raw Milk? IT TASTES GREAT! Better than anything you can get at the store, I guarantee it. But, it is also better for you, because it contains all of the good bacteria (like yogurt, but more) that gets killed off by high temperature pasteurization in store bought milk. People who are lactose intolerant or suffer from allergies swear by it.

From a Primal Perspective, it is chemical free and unprocessed. Raw milk also has less sugar, especially if it is from Jersey Cows. And, the long-chain fat molecules in non-homogenized milk are not broken down like store brands, making it easier to digest and burn for energy. For those who want an effective, truly all-natural recovery drink to replenish glycogen and leptin levels after a high intensity work-out, Raw Milk is an outstanding option.

For a more comprehensive explanation of the benefits you can visit http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html.

Yes, there's a downside, but not if the dairy farmer uses safe, clean, sanitary methods and tests all milk prior to placing on shelves. Lavon Farms does ALL of the above. My take on all this is that humans have been consuming Raw Milk from goats and cows for 9,000 years. Entire cultures, just one step away from a hunter-gatherer Paleolithic existence, have thrived on dairy for countless generations. I'm not going to deprive myself of all that goodness.

If you like to "buy local", what better way than buying fresh milk directly from your local farmer right at the farm? I took it to the next level this weekend by going to and from the farm on my bike and transporting the milk in my pannier (ice packs not included). It is 7.2 miles each way, and fortunately for me, all but 1 mile of the trek is trails! It was a beautiful adventure. Here are some pics...


Fresh, wholesome Raw Milk - packed, "refrigerated", and ready to head home!  :-P

Friday, May 6, 2011

Bike Trail Images

We've been having beautiful Springtime weather this week, so I thought I'd share some images from the commute. These pics were all taken along Chisholm Trail in Plano, TX.
 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

No Whole Milk?

The other night, we were at a gathering of several families hosted at a friend's house. The focal point of the evening was food. I managed to avoid the carb-laden choices - breads, pastas, sugars - and found lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, egg, tuna, and smoked salmon to feast on. Then, I decided to have a cup of coffee to distract myself from the many and varied high fructose sweets for dessert.

After pouring the coffee, I noticed that the only creamer was one of those trendy flavored creamers - it smelled like "French Vanilla" or something similar. Not a fan of flavored creamers and definitely hoping to avoid all of those carbs and processed chemicals, I innocently asked the hostess, who was flanked by a couple of her lady friends, if she had any heavy cream or half and half. "No", she informed me and then added with a tinge of pride, "we only have fat-free milk". Unable to resist the opportunity, I asked, "You don't drink whole milk"?

"WHOLE MILK!?", she screeched in horror, her friends looking equally mortified and appalled. "We NEVER drink whole milk in this house!", her friends nodding is reassured approval.

"Well whole milk is better for you than fat-free, it has less sugar. Plus, it tastes a lot better." Well, it was as if a blasphemer had spoken in favor of witchcraft in 17th Century Plymouth, MA. An observer not able to hear what I said would likely assume I had used the F-word or some other inappropriate, politically incorrect form of speech. They were visibly shocked. Horrified. And, speechless. Not knowing how to respond, they simply walked out of the kitchen, leaving me there with my mug full of lonely, black coffee and an ornery grin on my face.

You see? This is what we're up against! Parents won't let their children nourish their bodies with healthy, wholesome, satisfying whole milk, and yet they'll lace their coffee with "French Vanilla" flavored poison! During a meal over-run with complex carbs and refined sugars, you can't even find good old fashioned whole milk because the mantra of the past 20 years has been "fat is bad". And yet as the mantra gets louder and longer, waistlines and body fat percentages get bigger and bulgier.

Consider this - just one tbsp of Coffee Mate's "French Vanilla" flavored creamer contains 5 grams of carbohydrates and ZERO grams of protein. That's 80 GRAMS OF SUGAR IN ONE CUP vs. 12 grams of carbohydrates (1 less than fat free) and 8 grams of protein in one delicious cup of whole milk. If you understand that it is NOT the fat that makes us fat, but the carbs, you understand the comedy, and the tragedy, of this scene.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

WOW: Work Out of the Week

Warm-up
Bike 12 miles OUTDOORS...ready...go!

First Combo
Full Body: 25 Jumping Jacks with 7.5lb DBs
Upper: Bench Press, 1st Set, Upper: 21 Reps, base weight
Full Body: 25 Jumping Jacks with 7.5lb DBs
Upper: Bench Press, 2nd Set, 14 Reps, increased weight
Full Body: 25 Jumping Jacks with 7.5lb DBs 
Lift: Bench Press, 3rd Set, 7 Reps, further increased weight

Second Combo
Core: 15 Leg Raises on Bench
Full Body: 15 Kettle Bell Raises, Front Up/Downs, 45lbs
Core: 15 Leg Raises on Bench
Full Body: 15 Kettle Bell Raises, Front Up/Downs, 45lbs
Core: 15 Leg Raises on Bench
Full Body: 15 Kettle Bell Raises, Front Up/Downs, 45lbs
Core: 10 Ab Wheel Reps

Third Combo
Core: 15 Ab Wheel Reps
Full/Upper: 30 Left/Right Punching Combos, Heavy Bag
Core: 10 Ab Wheel Reps
Full/Upper: 30 Left/Right Punching Combos, Heavy Bag
Core: 10 Ab Wheel Reps
Full/Upper: 30 Left/Right Punching Combos, Heavy Bag