Had to leave town for family issues.

Will check in next week.

Meanwhile, enjoy this shot of Angliru – one of the most brutal climbs in all of Spain… imagine the descent.

Eat better.

Ride your bike.

Never give up.

Watch out for the road idiots

One half pound down from last week. Not great, barely good, but going in the right direction. At this pace, I could lose 26 pounds this year.

I am just starting a descent. A massive descent. It will be long and technical and scary and at times slow, and sometimes lightning fast. But I have started the descent.

The descent to 180 pounds.

Eat better.

Ride your bike.

Never give up.

Fair winds and following seas, Willy

215.

That’s the number.

I could lie to you and fudge the number a little, but we have all shared too much for that. Besides, that would only hurt me.

215.

That is what I weighed on the morning on January 4th, 2012. After dropping to a low of 198 back in November of 2010, I have put on nearly half the weight I lost that year. And the worst part? I did it all in just two months.

In October of 2011, just after completing the Livestrong Challenge Austin, I weighed 205 pounds. Not the 199 I managed the year before, but still thirty pounds lighter than when I started the 2Kin2K10 Unfat Project.

215.

I put on TEN POUNDS in TWO MONTHS. How? It was quite easy. I need do only two things.

1. Not ride my bike

2. Eat lots of crap.

It would be easy to sit back and make excuses – the holidays, work, needed family time, blah, blah, blah.

There are no excuses. I ate when and what I should not. And I did not ride when I should have ridden.

My body was complaining – I have now ridden enough in these last two years that my body wants to ride. Needs to ride. Just like it used to want to eat fried food, and needed to be fed to be comforted emotionally.

Bollocks. (That’s for Gaz and Clive)

My non-riding excuses were the ones we all use; too cold, too windy, not enough time for a worthwhile ride, I have to work, I want to be with my kids…

Bollocks.

Being with my kids is WHY I have ridden nearly 5,000 miles since I began this project. Is it truly worth it to “be with my kids” an extra hour here or there if it means I will die sooner? Wouldn’t my kids want me to NOT be with them several extra hours a week here or there if it means I will be around several extra years?

That’s 1st grade math in my opinion.

And in 2011, I failed 1st grade math. Well, in November and December.

Before I began this project I weighed between 235 and 245 pounds for several years. A lot of years. Yes, some of you weigh far more but see my author’s note at the top.

In 2010 I dropped to below 200 for the first time since… let me check… 1995.

And in one glorious year I erased 15 years of fat and unhealthy living.

Then in two months I began to piss it away.

But I stopped the free fall. I have caught myself. I have looked into the mirror and said, “No freaking way, Tubby. You Ain’t getting away with it.” Or words to that effect.

2012

“The Dozen” is what I have named 2012. So when you see the cool kids trending this on Twitter and hear it in movies about teen angst, you’ll know it was Fizz who started the pop culture craze.

The Dozen. The year I take back my life.

I have been so inspired by you all. Gaz, Clive, Steve, the list goes on and on. And I feel I’ve let you down as well as myself. I told Gaz I would challenge him to see who could come closest to losing 40 pounds in 2011.

Um… Gaz, you win.

But enough whining. Let’s get back to The Dozen.

I am back in Cycling Mecca. Last year I rode over 1500 miles in less than six months in Cycling Mecca. And 95% of that was riding only on weekends. I am back and ready to take full advantage of CM. I want over 2,000 miles before I leave this time.

I do not think I have ever been this focused or dedicated to healthy living/weight loss since midway through 2010. How focused?

Not only did I bring The Goat to Cycling Mecca, but I brought The Unfat Machine to have sitting on the trainer 24/7 so there will NEVER be an excuse not to do some sort of pedaling.

How focused am I?

Last night I loaded up at the grocery store. Bought everything I need for my little apartment. Last year I bought some pasta, a few fruits, almost no veggies, and many, many chips (crisps, Gaz), and other treats. After all, I knew I was riding hard and needed to be rewarded, right?

This year? Well, let’s take a look inside Fizz’s icebox; 8 apples, 4 oranges, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, carrots, boneless skinless chicken breasts, iced tea, avocado, eggs, and skim milk cheese. Gone is the nitrate-filled lunch meats, the two loaves of bread, the mounds of cheese, the bacon (God, I love bacon), the ice cream sandwiches, processed fried chicken nuggets, sausage, and other assorted yum-yums.

In the cabinets are whole-grain gluten-free pasta, brown rice, black beans, and gone are the potato chips, white rice, regular pasta, etc.

The only thing in this apartment that resembles even a hint of last year’s diet is a single box of Triscuits.

See, last year, while I was riding and climbing and riding and climbing, I was also eating crap. Not a lot of crap. Not a daily craptacular intake of enough fried food to fill an SUV, but still… crap.

This is why I did not drop another 5 or 10 or 40 pounds even though I was riding more than I did in 2010.

Eat better.

Here’s the other focused thing that is on like Donkey Kong in The Dozen: eating out.

Eating out less and not eating crap when eating out.

See, I love restaurants. I mean, I freaking love the event of dining. Check my twitter from last night and you will see how much I freaking love eating out.  @Fizzhogg

But in 2011 I would say 90% of my dining out consisted of some level of crap in each meal. Not just a side of bread, but fries and cheese and fries and did I mention fries?

I wrote here about Ladyface Ale House last year. I love Ladyface. Great food, great people, and a futbol match on at all times. Their menu has some wonderful, healthy items – which I ate last year. And their menu has the single best moules-frites (mussels and fries) I have ever had in this country.

And I ate a lot of Ladyface moules-frites last year.

Now, I’m not saying I’m turning into a food nazi. I know I cannot deny myself any moules-frites. But what I can do is be focused enough on the big picture (my gut) to only order them maybe every third or fourth time I go to Ladyface, and more importantly, go to Ladyface Ale House less.

Eat at home more. Cook my own meals more. It saves money and is much, much healthier.

Last night I went to Scarpetta – the single greatest restaurant in all of Los Angeles. I had a 7-course meal that was the single greatest meal I have ever had in my life. Nothing was fried, but master chef Freddy Vargas certainly used some oils and butter and whatnot to achieve those flavors.

That meal was a farewell to my body. The one I currently occupy. I could have found the best burger and fries in Los Angeles and said goodbye with that. But I wanted something good. I wanted something epic. All the ingredients were farm fresh and while there were many, many calories consumed, it was so much better for me than a box of chicken nuggets and two large order of fries.

It was an indulgence. Something I did way too much of in 2011. And something I will do much, much, much less this year.

2012. The Dozen. The year I take my life back.

I could set goals here – 5,000 miles, losing 30 pounds, blah, blah, blah. But goals can be tough and they leave room for excuses – “At least I tried.“

No goals this year. Only resolutions.

“New Year’s Resolutions” has become such a cliche in this world that people forget what it means.

Resolve. Having resolve.

Starting today…

I resolve to eat much, much, much healthier.

I resolve to hold myself accountable publicly – I will post my weight on this blog once a week.

I resolve to NEVER have a bag of potato chips (or tortilla chips) in my apartment at any time. Ever.

I resolve to NEVER eat after 7pm at night, unless it’s a fruit or veggie.

I resolve to manage my portion control.

I resolve to ride my bike whenever I can.

I resolve not to be lazy.

If I follow all of the above the weight will come off. It will fall off me faster than a dress off a cheerleader on homecoming night.

I want to thank you all for riding on the handlebars with me the past two years. It has been fun. It can still be fun, but it’s time to get very serious as well. I believe part of why I didn’t do so well in 2011 and really tanked in the final two months is because I wasn’t talking with you all.

Holding myself accountable. To you. I resolve to blog more in 2012. We can laugh, we can have fun, and we can get healthy. What this blog will not be used for is excuses. What is the point of having a blog like this if ever third or fourth post is “So, I ate crap yesterday, but starting tomorrow I will do better!”

Bollocks.

Gaz… Gaz is our poster boy. Our leader. Our knight battling the dragon. When any of us (especially me) thinks we can’t do it, it’s too hard, it’s too cold, too windy, I’m too tired, I want to be with my family, I deserve a treat — when any of us think any of that, we need to immediately hit the web and go to Gaz’s before & after page.

We need to remember the words of Ken Chlouber that I have hammered into you all ad nauseam:

YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 2012… The Dozen. The year WE ALL take back our lives.

EAT BETTER.

RIDE YOUR BIKE.

BE ACCOUNTABLE.

You’re very good, you are you are

Ups and downs I think non-cyclists call this.

There were some amazing highs in 2011: Discovering Cycling Mecca; Joining the Conejo Valley Cyclists club; climbing Rock Store; taking ownership of Unfat II The Goat; making new cycling friends; raising money for Livestrong; my son meeting the Garmin-Cervelo team; riding in the Livestrong Challenge Austin and finishing it despite battling food poisoning; completing several things on my OHTTDI2KD list; and the highest of highs – riding the Tour de Donut and El Tour de Tucson with my son.

But there were also some very low lows: losing my mother-in-law to cancer; being away from my family for so long; my father-in-law’s current war with cancer; and on the cycling front – finishing the year with so few miles in November/December after such a strong start; falling back into horrible eating habits; ending the year weighing MORE than I started.

That’s right. I put ON weight this year. And I did it all in the last 6 weeks of 2011. I feel like it was akin to… giving up.

I quit.

I went against everything I preach here. I stopped trying.

I got off the bike.

My next post will cover in greater detail my weight issues and 2012 plans. And believe me, I do have plans. But for now, I want to be positive and drink in what it is about this sport/hobby/past time/obsession that we all love and share.

WHY I LOVE CYCLING

These are not in any order other than the way they’ve popped into my head as I thought about it… and I would love to hear from you – why you love cycling, or hate it, or whatever.

I love being outside. I love the too hot and too cold days as much as the perfect weather days. Okay, not as much. But I still love them. Feeling the sun on warm days, feeling your lungs sucking in that crisp, cool air on cold days. I love it all. There are many wondrous things we can do indoors (let’s not get naughty here), but being outside is simply better.

I love that cycling is just like writing. What? Yes, it’s true. Cycling is this solitary endeavor; just you out there on the bike alone (this is not a tandem blog), with nobody to help you, to stop you, to encourage or discourage you. But it is also the greatest communal activity I have ever experienced. There is NOTHING better on certain days than riding with a group. Being with fellow cyclists is so much fun. Being around anyone – stranger or friend – who shares a passion with you? You can’t beat that.

Riding together, swapping stories, talking about why Shimano is so much better than SRAM, talking about work, family, Lance, the pro tour, the continental tour, local bike shops, climbs, food, drink, cars, motorists, cops, robbers, women, men, or the very best part – being there to push each other.

To pull someone up a hill, or have them pull you when your tank is empty. To encourage you that you can push harder, you can go farther, or to try and discourage you! To challenge you, to talk trash, to try and drop you and vice-versa, I simply love riding with others just as much as I love riding alone. Neither is better. They are both amazing.

But wait, how is all that like writing? Well, because writing is also a completely solitary endeavor. Just you and the keyboard or legal pad. No one to push you but yourself. No one to help you create worlds or characters or stories. No one to tell you what you can and cannot write… except network executives, but that’s for another blog.

But writing can also be this great communal activity. In television writing there is nothing better than sitting around with the other writers coming up with stories, or walking down to someone else’s office when you’re stuck in the middle of a third act that doesn’t work and borrowing a cup of writing.

Talking writing is one of my great loves. And being with other writers is just like riding in a peloton. People doing what you are doing, sharing that same passion, there’s nothing better.

Writing and cycling – total solitary endeavors that are some of the best group activities, too.

I love the challenge. I love pushing myself beyond my own expectations. I love pushing myself beyond what I’ve ever done before. I have talked here ad nauseam about Ken Chlouber of Leadville and his quote that I now try to live my life by:

You are better than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can.

It is true. If you haven’t experienced this yet, it is because you have NOT pushed yourself hard enough. Because it is gospel. It is more true than taxes or death. And it has changed me not only as a cyclist, but as a person. I have taken that quote and used it in other aspects of my life and guess what?

It works there just as well as it does on the bike, when you’re suffering up that last climb of the day and your body is screaming that it has nothing left, and yet you crank a little bit harder and find a little bit extra and you do something you did not believe you could do… on or off the bike.

I love that I am just like Mark Cavendish and Levi Leipheimer. Um… huh? Yes. Here’s is another truly amazing thing about cycling. We are all the same. Let’s take the Leadville Trail 100 as an example.

Leadville is arguably the toughest single day bike race in the country. And people like you and me attempt it each year, just like Levi and Lance and other pros do. And despite the fact that Levi might finish five or six hours ahead of us, we both suffered the same.

What? Yes. The riders finishing six hours behind Levi suffered just as much as Levi and the other leaders did. Here’s why — in order for Levi to his very best out there he had to give 100%. He had to push himself to his absolute limit and beyond. Don’t think so? A quick Google search will show you Levi’s post-race press conference where he says exactly that.

And regardless of who you are or what shape you’re in, when you push yourself to that point… it all feels the same. Levi was hurting just as badly after six hours of riding as was the rider who finished in 13 hours. The only difference is Levi’s recovery is probably a bit quicker. Same with Cavendish. Listen to him after winning the Worlds or after finishing a grueling mountain stage in the TDF. It’s the same with any rider – pro or amateur – who pushes him/herself to that point.

We all suffer the same. We can sit down after a long ride and talk with a rider who finished hours ahead of us and share things in common.

We all suffer, and we all fall in love with the suffering.

2011 was a disappointment for me on several levels. But I am going to be positive and learn from my mistakes. I am going to use the negativity to fuel my going forward.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012 and beyond.

EAT BETTER.

RIDE YOUR BIKE.

NEVER GIVE UP. 

Fair winds and following seas, Willy

Prior to this weekend, my son’s longest ride was the Tour de Donut in July – where he rode 31 miles, consumed two Krispy Kreme donuts and had an awesome time. If you have 5 minutes to spare, here is a video of that event:

As morning broke on November 19th, I heard Bucky say (at least eight or nine times), “Dad, I’m really nervous” or “Dad, I’m scared.”  The amazing thing about this boy is that unlike a lot of other kids his age, he does not run from fear. No matter how nervous or afraid he is of something he still pushes forward and does his best. Nothing makes a Pop prouder.

I kept telling him it was okay to be nervous. I reminded him that his hero or heroes Leo Messi says that he still gets nervous before each match. And then, the grand boys of Garmin-Cervelo once again showed their class and awesomeness.

Tommy Danielson tweeted GOOD LUCK BUCKY! And the entire Garmin-Cervelo team – @Ride_Argyle – tweeted GO BUCKY!

When I showed him those messages he smiled and said, “Okay, now I’m ready.”

As in the Tour de Donut my son wanted to start at the very back of the pack, wanted to be the last rider crossing the start line. His bike is still a bit too big for him and so starting and stopping are his achilles heels right now. Plus, he likes to see how many riders he can pass. Competitive to the end.

There were just over 1200 riders for the 43-miler and the only folks starting behind us would be the Mavic Support vehicle.

His uncle – Hova – a professional cycling coach was going to ride with us and would meet us somewhere around the starting line. Once the race started it was thirteen minutes before we crossed the starting line. But Hova was there, along with the PT – Bucky’s aunt. The plan was we would all ride for him. We were his domestiques; we were Jens to his Andy; Hincapie to his Lance.

Bucky was feeling “nervous but okay” as we rolled under the Starting Line banner. We were trailing the entire field which was good because his biggest fear is riding in packs. He is not yet comfortable riding around a lot of other riders. So we rolled up the 1/4 mile straight start and then made the big left turn…

And encountered some of the 6000 other cyclists riding in the 111-mile, 85-mile and 60-mile events.

Even behind his sunglasses I saw my son’s eyes widen as we went from having no one around us to having – literally – hundreds of riders around us. I saw him take a deep breath. Once again he was going to conquer his fear or go out trying.

Hova was masterful as he led Bucky through the maze of riders. I was trailing, videoing it with my helmet-mounted Contour. And I must admit I was really nervous. I thought Hova was pushing Bucky beyond his abilities – not only having him weave in and out of riders, but riding at much too high a pace.

When Bucky and I did the Tour de Donut, his average speed on the flats was usually around 11 or 12mph. Hova was having him crank at around 15-16mph while going through dozens of riders!

I turned to the PT at one point and said, “He’s going to blow up. This pace is too high.”

Obviously I was projecting some of my own neurosis from last year’s El Tour. She assured me Hova knew what he was doing.

We pedaled our way through many, many riders of all shapes, sizes and ages. One particular rider Bucky was on the lookout for was a kid about two years older than him whom he saw at the starting line. The kid was on a slightly larger bike than Bucky’s and looked very intimidating except for the silly plastic propeller on the top of his cycling helmet.

My son is a kid and loves life, and loves fun kid stuff. But there are two things that are sacred – soccer and cycling. Just as one would never wear hiking boots onto a soccer pitch, one would never wear a propeller atop one’s cycling helmet.

Bucky took one look at that kid and said, “There is no way I am letting that guy beat me.”

So as we rode, I could see Bucky eyeing every younger rider we came upon, searching for his target. About six miles in we rolled up on “Propeller Boy” and as we passed I saw Bucky turn and give him a stare that was every bit as intense as Lance’s look to Jan Ulrich.

At our first aid station stop we drank and ate GU’s, and Bucky’s family showered him with praise and took numerous photos. He pulled me aside and said, “Dad, I really like doing all these cool things, but the part I hate about it is everybody always wants to take my picture.”

We pushed on, weaving our way through hundreds of riders. Bucky stayed right with his domestique, getting in some drafting at one point, and even going full aero on a long descent.

At mile 30 we hit Rattlesnake Pass. It’s considered the “climb” of the ride, and though it’s not much of a hill as far as gradient, it is over horrible chip seal roads and it hits you when you’re really starting to feel the ride. Especially if you’re 8.

Bucky was excited though because he likes to climb more than anything. He finally got a chance to get out of the saddle and attacked a climb with all his might. He passed adults walking their bikes and passed some riding their bikes. He crested the summit and was happy, but tired.

This was the first time we began to see a crack in Bucky’s armor. Mile after mile he started to get a little more quiet, a little more frowny. For the first time he asked, “How much farther?” But in all this suffering he never dropped his cadence, never slowed down.

At mile 36 we stopped to drink and eat. He did not look good. Was not happy. Not enjoying it anymore. But he did not want to stop. He turned down our offer to rest a while, downed a GU, nodded, and was ready to finish it out.

As rolled off for the last 9 miles I informed him that we had ridden 37+ miles in the same amount of time he rode the 31 miles of the Tour de Donut. That information coupled with the power of the GU – let me pause here to say that GU PRODUCTS ARE AMAZING - Bucky cranked that final 9 miles dead into the wind. As he’d done the entire ride, he rarely drafted on Hova, choosing instead to ride it “himself.”

We made the last turn and headed for the Finish Line. Hova told Bucky to get on his wheel and I witnessed what it must be like to be riding in the peloton when Dean leads out Farrar, or dare I say… no, I can’t… but yes, I will…

Renshaw leading out Cavendish.

As the speed increased… 16mph… 18mph… 20mph… Bucky continued to crank.

42.5 miles into the ride, the last 10 dead into a headwind, this little boy was in his biggest gear cranking with everything he had, staying within 6 inches of the back wheel of a professional cycling coach. Not only did the crowd start going crazy for him, but the riders he was passing all began cheering.

Just before the Finish Line, Hova launched him. “GO JACK GO!” he yelled, and he went.

I will let you all witness the spectacle for yourself (forgive the screaming father riding behind him:

I’m not sure if Bucky was anywhere near as proud of his accomplishment as I was. Not just for finishing, but doing it the way he did. Digging so deep at the end. Suffering on the bike and pushing through it.

1,278 riders started the 43-mile ride. Bucky started at the very back of those 1278 riders. When he and his timing chip crossed the starting line, it was nearly 13 minutes after his timing chip had been activated.

Bucky finished 620th overall. The Junior Division was 12-years-old and under. There were 53 junior riders (NOTE: I am not counting tandems in all this).

All but one of the top 9 finishing juniors were either 11 or 12 years old.

Eight-year-old Bucky finished 10th.

And 5 of the 9 juniors finishing before him were less than 13 minutes ahead of him.

Propeller boy finished 17 minutes behind Bucky.

Congrats to Bucky, and special thanks to Hova and the PT for being the best domestiques any rider could have. Bucky sends a special thank you out to the boys of GARMIN-CERVELO and JV for inspiration.

What does it feel like to dig deep and do more than you think you can? It feels like this:

Eat better.

Ride your bike.

Dig deep and find glory through suffering.

You’re very good, you are you are