Chromilo Amin

As I write this blog entry, Christmas week is coming to an end and we are preparing for New Years eve. I can't believe 2018 is here and knowing that 2020 is a few years away does not make it any less amazing that we have been blessed to see so many blessings. I traditionally have been making newsletters that I send out electronically to friends and family but since it seems I have missed sending these out in the last Christmas then perhaps it's easier to just list them out on my blog and forward that on. Health The beginning of the year I signed up for the Peninsula Runners 8km Resolution run and this set me up for the rest of the year with other races. I did the UBC Triathlon Sprint in March, Vancouver Sun Run in April, Scotia Half Marathon in June, and Turkey Trot 10Km in October. I have added weight training to my routine at the gym using programs like Strong Lifts 5x5 and Wendler Log 5/3/1. The most telling results from all my workout is the great results from my Q1 bloo...

My wife, kids, and I recently attended a 2-hour food seminar with a registered dietician at our local Fresh St Market and learned a thing or two about healthy eating. Someone once said this about healthy eating and nutrition - that they are "already aware, and just need to implement it". I assume the "it" is the healthy eating part which to me means that until it is implemented, then they are eating less healthy in the meantime. I think this is where the extra learning comes in that comes with attending these quick seminars. If anything, learning that this is a way of life and not a form of diet is worth the cost of going to this very free seminar/tour. DISCLAIMER: These are my own notes and may not be accurate and not necessarily reflect what the dietitian said. It's all reliant on my note-taking skills that day. Eating out at restaurants = no. Prepared foods = yes. Eating well is not not expensive. Plan on buying 5 dinners when you go grocery shopping a...

This is a part 2 of my efforts to fix my Whirlpool Washer and the dreaded F21 error code http://www.chromiloamin.com/2014/09/how-to-fix-error-code-f21-water-not.html . This code means there is a slow drain issue with the unit and that it could easily be fixed by emptying the contents of the lint trap or replace the motor. I have already removed all the contents of the lint trap (which had a lot of gunk buildup) but the F21 error continued to persist so I thought that the next logical thing to do is to replace the drain pump motor. Maybe the lint trap buildup just caused the motor to malfuntion. The water pump part number 8540024 was replaced by part# W10130913 and I was able to source it cheaply from Walmart US for US$70. I could have purchased it from ReliableParts and have it shipped to the store which is close to my house but that would have set me back $173. I ordered thru Walmart US and had it shipped to my mailbox at Blaine via 5dPackages (they only charge $2 for packages un...

It's been more than 3 years since I had any issues with my  11A-410A552 MTD Yard Machine lawn  mower (see previous history here  http://www.chromiloamin.com/2012/05/part-2-black-smoke-from-my-lawn-mower.html ) so it must be time for it to give me some anti-love. The engine break cable broke this past week so I couldn't mow the lawn. It also broke a while back but I was able to jerry-rig a replacement by re-connecting the cut cables with some wires and super glue. Can't believe that it lasted for 3 years.  Instead of doing the same fix this time, I gave in and bought a replacement engine break cable.  I searched around the web for the correct part number to order from MTD's website or from Ebay but my lawn mower must have been made before 1996 because I can't find any manuals for it.   The closest I could find was from Sears with part#746-0551 but said it was a throttle cable. It didn't look right so I just went to CanadianTire and was lucky that MTD so...

I finally completed my first obstacle race called Rugged Maniac. It was a very easy race for me, at 5k in total and 25 obstacles. Perhaps it was because I was expecting it to be difficult like Tough Mudder or the Spartan race so I over trained for it. Or maybe it was just tailored to be an easy race with so that there is a repeat next year. Whatever it is, I had fun.  I went with my friend Greg, Amy, Colin, and their friends this year. They live very close to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds so I just biked it to his house for an easy 6k ride just so I can get warmed up. After checking in, we immediately climbed a chest-high wall to get to the start of the race and this was great teaser.  When our wave time started at 1pm , I immediately regretted wearing white socks as we start out with "shoe catcher" obstacle where you cross a mud pool and immediately find yourself knee-high in mud. One of my favorites was "the ringer" because I didn't think I could do it. I ...

I purchased the SC 700C Solaris Hybrid bicycle over 3 months ago at a discount and was super excited to start getting fit. It helped with my daily dose of exercise, clocking in at 22 km per day on my bike commute. I have been riding to/from skytrain station from Monday to Friday for the past 3 months and love it. Just like wearing my Fitbit Flex consistently, I have gotten used to this routine and love my bike that way. I hate my bike when it affects my routine and takes me off-kilter. I have already had numerous issues with the front and rear derailers so I had tons of practice adjusting it so that it's perfect. The bike also does not go as fast as other bikes because I see riders easily pass me on similar routes using other hybrids. It just seems to lack efficiency which is actually better for me because I end up exerting more effort on a 40 minute bike route. Using Endmondo on my phone, I average around 17 km/hr using this bike and that's on a good day when all my muscle...

Here is my new daily bike route to and from work (marked in blue). The distance is approximately 11 km and it takes me about 45 minutes to complete one way. That's a solid 22 km with the return trip daily, if the weather plays nice. The terrain is not quite flat and has some slight inclines (shown in the pop out) so it takes some getting used to. I plan to cut down the time to 30 minutes hopefully in 3 months time, but for now I'm just happy to be able to complete a day of cycling.