A Day of Rest

The challenge I set for myself early this month is going well in some aspects, poorly in others.

• Well -- I've cut down on restaurant food and delivery drastically, increased my consumption of home-prepared food equally, and definitely feel my diet has increased for the better. Also, I'd say 90% of the CSA food is being put to good use. 
• Poorly -- restricting sweets. Still hitting up sweets once or even twice a day, though maybe in smaller quantities and usually matched with something healthy-ish to make it seem like it's more than it is.

Around 7:30pm last night, I ate the remainder of the pork loin despite eating a lot of meat earlier in the day -- I was worried that my body would not recover fast enough from the day's ride to be ready for the next. I was asleep by 8pm, and when I woke up at 4am, my fears were confirmed -- assorted muscles felt beat up and tired, but most importantly my legs and thighs were sore. I intended on riding around 50 miles yesterday, but due to fun-related things, ended up doing about 75 in some relatively hilly Connecticut terrain.

I got up, ate a bowl of cereal, sprayed on sunblock (the opposite of a spray tan, I assume) and started to put on my cycling gear. Bike was ready in the hall, day bag already packed. As I lifted my legs to put them into the spandex, I was thinking about the day ahead -- on one hand, it was to be perfect weather, the route I had not seen since a year ago, and the food at the rest stops should be good. Psychologically, I was good, and 8 hours of sleep helped. On the other hand, my legs hurt, my body shouted for rest despite 8 hours sleep, and if I were to embark on this trip then quit early (or worse, given my lowered sharpness), it would be very depressing. So despite being on schedule and 90% ready to go, I paused, stripped out of my stuff and hopped back into bed with B. I woke up at 9:30am -- 13.5 hours of sleep, badly needed.

Legs hurt at 4am, but now they are just pleasantly sore, recovery in full effect. Sad I didn't do the Hudson Valley Century, but I made the right choice. Took the morning to lay on the couch and read the paper, in the afternoon wandered over to the local playground with the family to take in the neighborhood at it's most social. Spent the evening on the couch with the TV. A good day.

BREAKFAST: 4am, organic chex with organic dead milk, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5


BRUNCH: 10am, kraft dinner with sauteed veg, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 1pm, health salad, pickle, handful of multigrain pretzels, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Made the health salad on Friday from a CSA cabbage -- added CSA scallion because I had to do something with it. Don't like it, the onion-ness of the scallion doesn't play well with the tangy-sweet dressing and the more vegetal ingredients.


PM SNACK: 2:45pm, slice of cheese knish, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Despite B wolfing down most of this baked item I made last week, a small sliver was found tucked away in the freezer. Recipe definitely needs work.


PM SNACK: 4pm, slice of streetza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5


PM SNACK: 6:15pm, half a slice of streetza, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5


DINNER: 7:15pm, breaded tilapia, kraft dinner with sauteed veg, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5


EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, a few squares of chocolate, a few multigrain pretzels