Save your teeth, eat less sugar

One of my goals for the new year was to take better care of my teeth. As my dentist can attest, I have a sweet-tooth, well a few of them. Like many people I don't like the dentist. I swear they make more cavities than they fill by poking our teeth with sharp metal objects. So I am choosing to buy my own equipment and to eat less sugar.

1) After seeing an add and a guarantee for whiter teeth in a week, I broke down and bought an electric toothbrush and also threw in some floss. After paying the equivalent of two visits to the dentist's office, I ended up with a fancy toothbrush that even has a 2min timer to tell me when my teeth are done. I don't know how long I used to brush my teeth, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to extend my brushing longer than a minute, even with a fun vibrating brush. Now I just need to start flossing every day and not only after I eat celery.

2) Now I have the equipment, I just need to reduce my sugar intake. My biggest battle is at the office. My boss has a candy bowl filled daily with treats better than what your kids get at Halloween. It's really difficult for even the strongest of wills to resist the urge for a quick dip of the hand for a tasty Belgian truffle or a snacksize Snickers. I justify it that at least I am having a snack size and not a full size. I'm trying to apply this approach to other carbs as well by choosing smaller portions.

Exploring the Less Developed World

...in Metro DC....and other random adaptations.
It's not atypical to schedule your day around rush-hour traffic, even on a weekend. I've learned to finally adjust my workhours to try to miss the longlines at the red-lights onto the major roads that lead to the highways. Also realized it's actually faster to bike to work, rather than to drive; maybe just as fast if I walked.


As a geographer, it's fascinating watching towns develop in the middle of fields which were actively farmed five years prior. Whole towns have developed along roads such as Ryan, Waxpool, and Belmont Ridge that were once my favorite rural-road rides, my escape from suburbia. Now they are the highways of the new Ashburn suburban-ites.

Loudoun county has been the transportation battle-ground of Virginia. It's the fastest growing county and economic cash-cow for the Old Dominion. The landscape is a contrasting mix of old and new as you can see if you drive along Rt. 15 which takes you along the edge of sprawl as you enter historic 1700s downtown Leesburg. There was an initiative to pave Loudoun county which has an believable number of unpaved roads.

Saturday Judd and I did a group ride with MORE and Potomac Pedalers that took us on a 35mile tour of the unpaved roads of Loudoun County. I didn't know the US actually had that many unpaved roads, let alone in a 'developed' county. It was a lovely tour of the place the developers forgot - the horse and wine country were there are cows to still look at you as you ride by.

As long I can continue to find neat places and have adventures so close to home, exploring previously unseen splendors; I will be able to still continue to call this suburb-topia home.

Start of a New Year

If you can listen to your body and can also admit when you are slightly bluffing, then you are the best judge of your strengths, weaknesses, limiters, and talents. Patience, research, and trial-and-error are what I'm relying on to develop my plan that will hopefully help me raise my athleticism (fitness and mentality). I will probably post my workouts and plans here for anyone to borrow, criticize, or whatever. What works for one may not work for others (heck it may not even work at all...). The key is to believe in your program and believe in your ability - that is called confidence.

My training will be tailored to my ultimate goal which involves Cyclocross season.
My plan for the next few weeks (no number assigned because I will assess my development week to week), since I just took 2 weeks completely off over the holidays, are to start out slowly, and to develop a new routine that balances work and fitness and social life.

Strength: I plan to start going to the gym or workout at home 2-3x week doing very easy reps 8-10 at minimal effort of weight to allow my muscles to get used to the new thing. I tend to get really sore on the 2nd day so will always have 2-3 days off between gym days. Goal is to get some muscles, strengthen core, and have fun.

Aerobic: Ride a bike 45min-2hours a few times a week. Whatever, whenever, wherever as long as it is easy, barely any effort on the pedals, just noodling around. I did notice after today's easy road ride with the DC bellas that my legs weren't used to constant pedaling, especially being on a bike longer than 50mins. Although my fitness is really good right now since I just finished cx season, I still have to relearn how to pedal for an extended period of time.

Cross-train: Will be walk/jog/hiking 3-4 times a week cause I love it and miss it, and doesn't take much time. Will walk slowly and briskly for a few mins, jog for a few mins, etc for about 20-40mins whatever I feel like. Just to get used to the gentle pounding. I'll be doing this on soft surfaces.

Flexibility: One of my new year's resolutions, stretch after every workout and at least once at the office during the work day. Would like to incorporate 1-2 gentle yoga classes a week for overall balance, strength, flexibility, calmness.

Well being: Getting on a routine which includes going to bed and quality sleep, eating well, being happy.

Logisitics

Just calculated the costs to race this past season - just the logisitics, not including gear, equipment, and the 84 hours of just driving time. I did do a lot of driving this year. The total is a little less than I had guessed, but some of the costs, such as for entry fees, was more than I expected. I think it's best to just ignore the numbers anyway. Time to start saving for next year.