Finally.. a run

around the BIG big block again... gave me some time to think about where I am in my life now... Mom home and improving steadily... the arrival of Sophia, my first niece..... I'm an aunt now! and of course, having the Hoff in my life, which has been beyond my wildest, best dreams. If it's possible to cry while running because you're experiencing joy, I did that.

Working at UA

What did I do? Did I do anything? Oh...some cardio.

working at the mum gym

bah

first workout with the Hoff

at the MPD gym... woo hoo!

Leg workout at the UA

Went to the UA and did a fair amount of leg stuff.

Running in the rain

It was cold, nearly dark, and wet, but I ran. It felt good.

I'm getting lazy

Today I was at the gym and started some rowing but didn't do much. Then I was on the elliptical for perhaps five minutes. After that I did an assortment of leg exercises that barely justified the drive down there. Boo.

Visit to the UA

Today I worked on legs, but started with rowing 2000m in 9:00 minutes. Then it was on to the elliptical for eight minutes followed by:

• leg press (but not my favorite kind)
• hack squat
• leg extensions
• Romanian deadlifts
• abductor
• adductor

HOME.

At the MUM gym

Did the elliptical, stair, and treadmill.... maybe about 25 total minutes?

return to the UA with a vengeance!

• 8 minutes on the elliptical
• PULL UPS - when's the last time I did THOSE? YEPEE! Go me! 8, 6, 4 with knee raises
• bench press
• incline bench
• incline fly
• overhead thingies
• lat raises
• abductor
• adductor
• squats
  

run

around the old folks' neighborhood

a bunch of things at UA

is what I did today.

Did the UA thing

So now that my membership is renewed for the cool price of about 22 bucks for 18 months, I'm going to need to motivate myself to go to UA more frequently. I enjoy the gym, but the drive is terrible. That said, I did go there today and started with some squats, but my knee felt a bit odd, so I did mostly upper body work. Maybe I'll post it later. I've been terrible about posting workouts lately.

It's very cold

but I ran outside anyway... did the little block thing.

Vomit smell at UA

Ok, so I would have worked out more today except that there was a nasty, acidic VOMIT smell near the free weights at Urban Active. Yes, you read that correctly: VOMIT. I don't know if one of the guys working out near there just smelled like vomit or if someone had vomited and there wasn't a very good attempt to DISINFECT the area, but yuck... KILLED my workout desire.

That said, I did the following:

• 10 mins on elliptical
• some ab stuff
  
• bench press (no weight, 10 lbs on bar, 20 lbs on bar, 30 lbs on bar)
• lat pull downs
• STARTED SIDE LAT RAISES BUT WAS DRIVEN AWAY BY VOMIT
  

Running outdoors

Oh, always a BAD idea to run outdoors after a leg workout day, but I made it through. My right knee, which I tweaked on my squats yesterday, was bothering me, but I struggled through and finished the run. Of course, by the time I was in the last quarter mile I was feeling pretty decent. Still, it HURT. Wah!

Leg power!

Did a leg workout at UA this morning. Woo hoo! Love the leg workout. It makes me happy!

• leg press
• hack squat
• leg curls
• leg extension
  
• seated calf
• calf exercises with leg press
  
• another sort of seated calf
  

UA upper body stuff

No real cardio unless you count 5 minutes on the elliptical as cardio and I don't... then the following:

• bench press
• incline bench
• decline bench
• seated row
• overhead press
• bench fly
• curls

Leg workout at UA

Warmed up with six minutes on elliptical then a bit of rowing followed by:

• squats
• hack squat
• plate loaded press
• leg press

Then I went home. Averaged about 3 sets on each machine; didn't go heavy except with the plate loaded press when I got up to 8 45 lb weights on the machine.

Trail running...

I ran the trail today and did five turns up the hill. Construction in that area continues, but the path I made on the hill is still visible, which is cool.

I did happen to roll my right ankle as I was running, but I kept going and don't think it's a big deal.

back to Urban Active

So, I wanted to see if I could replicate my 1:53 time, and I did... 1:53.9. I had a 1:51 pace for more than half the 500m. Oh well.

Then I did some upper body stuff:

• bench press
• incline fly
• lat raises
• curls
  

I think I did?

Run outdoors?

Trail running..

Did the trail thing this morning... it was very cold but once I started running, I felt fine. The ground was pretty hard though. Also saw another runner (older guy, thin build, wearing a red GAP hoodie, sunglasses, no distinguishing facial features, maybe 5 8"?) on the trail. Had seem him on Breiel earlier running and noted him. Felt somewhat odd to see someone else running, and brought back memories of events at PSU many years ago, but all was well.

Running like a woman on a mission

Today I ran around the block, and I really do notice that my runs are improving in the sense that I feel more in control of my body and seem to run with greater power as well as speed. Yepee!

That said, my left calf muscle is still feeling the effects of the Monday night pull or whatever I did. It was terrible. It literally felt like my calf muscle MOVED on my leg. Thanks to the Hoff for setting that right.

Urban Active leg stuff

Went to Urban Active and did 1500 meters of rowing in 6:21, then 5 minutes on elliptical before:

• squats
• hack squat
• leg press
• seated calf raises
• plie squats (60, 10 reps; 70, 10 reps; 80, 10 reps)
  
• Romanian deadlifts

I should put the numbers down, but alas...

Ran around the block

and I lost a shirt... well, took it off, because it was so darn warm! Yepee! "Let It Rock"

The return to urban active

Did the elliptical, 2k in 8:38, and a bunch of weight stuff (bench, squat, hack squat, overhead press, decline fly, front and side lat raises, curls, romanian deadlifts, behind the head tricep stuff). I ROCK.

I FINALLY LIFTED

at a secret location!

I ran the block

and I'm starting to be a little concerned by how easy it is.

Hitting the trail hard and fast

Ran the trail today. Felt GREAT!

Not much doing

So I did the elliptical thing for 15 minutes, then did no weight on the incline and reg bench press 3 x each for 15 reps. I also did two sets of overhead presses of 15 reps each with 10lb dbs. Like I said above, not much doing.

My right hammy hurts though.

Trail running...

Just got back from running the trails. They're gorgeous right now, and the scent of dying leaves greeted me as soon as I started running. What seemed odd: the scent of PANCAKES. I was running along the fence line near the golf course, and I can only imagine that someone was cooking breakfast with their windows / screen door open. It's an absolutely fantastic day.

NEW 500m record

1:54.3

The old switcheroo!

Rowed 2000 meters (500 meters then 1 minute rest) and then 10 minutes on elliptical. Then I went home; almost seems like it was a waste to drive to UA today.

I did hit 1:58 for a 500 meter row. I think my first 500 I did at 2:30, then 1:58, then 2:20, then 2:07.

Early morning run soon forgotten

Did the get up, run around the block, and forget I did so by late afternoon. It was foggy, but it felt great. I think I'm getting the hang of this running thing!

10 minutes at 200 watts

on the elliptical. Not much, but it's something.

Back at Urban Active

Watching the debate as I type this; I can barely remember this morning when I worked out.

• elliptical 10 minutes
• rowing 2000 m easy pace 9.39
• walking lunges (no weight; holding 2 15 lb dbs)
  
• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 10 reps; 40 lbs on bar, 6 reps, 4 reps; 20 lbs on bar, ? reps?)
  
• leg press (90 lbs on, 3 sets of 10?)
  

Trail running

Did the whole "trail run" thing today, and it went well. I didn't do a darn thing this weekend, because I was lazy and loving it.

New 2000m time: 8.54.5 and stuff

• 10 minutes on elliptical
• 2000 meters in 8:54.5 on setting 6... basically did a relaxed row until the last 500 m and then killed it
• bench press (no weight, 18; 20 lbs on bar, 18; 30 lbs on bar, 7)
  
• decline fly (10 lbs, 18; 12.5, 18; 15, 8)
  
• overhead db (10 lbs, 18; 12.5, 18; 15, 8)

Then I felt lazy and weak and went home. The End.

Twilight running

Ran the "block" this evening; it felt very good, which is odd, because generally running doesn't feel good.

Running in the dark

So, this morning I did what I used to do all the time: run! While at PSU, I would run in the mornings because I would forget I ran by the time the day really got started for me, so I'd suffer through the morning run and experience amnesia. It worked really well.

Today I felt GREAT running, so that was a strange experience. It wasn't a struggle, and I even saw a colleague running. Weird.

Back on the trail

The damage to MUM's trail from IKE is pretty extensive, but it seems like the crew here has done a fairly good job making it passable. I just finished a run and did the hill five times. Wow, five times. Ok, not so impressive is five times except if you recognize that I was dodging bulldozers to do it. Now you're impressed, I know!

new 500m record... sub 2 minutes kids!

• 10 minutes elliptical
• 500 meters in 1:59.7
• 500 meters in 2:21.1
• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps, 12 reps; 30 lbs on bar, 8 reps, 6 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 12 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps?)
  
• leg press (no weight, 2 positions, 15 reps; 90 lbs on sled, 2 positions, 2 sets of 15 reps)
  
• incline bench press (no weight, 2 sets of 15?)
  
• decline bench press (10 lbs on, 2 sets of 15?)
  
• lat raises (7.5 lbs, side and front, 2-3 sets? of 15?)
  
• plie squats (3 sets of 15 with 60lbs)
• curls with a z bar (2 sets of 15 with 30 lbs)
  

I ran and it hurt

Ran around the block and have absolutely no cardio stamina today and my right knee hurts. Ouwie!

Visiting the MUH Gym aka 18-18-8

Today I worked out at MUH because it was close to where I was. No cardio. Bad me. Just some upper body stuff. The three digit "code" is the number of reps I did for most exercises. Just goofing around.

• bench press (no weight, 18 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 18 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 18 reps; 30 lbs on bar, 8 reps)
  
• flys on back (10 lbs, 18 reps; 12 lbs, 18 reps; 15 lbs, 8 or more reps)
  
• side and front lat raises (10 lbs, 2 sets of 18 reps; 12 lbs, 8 reps)
  
• lat pull downs with bicep pull downs (50 lbs, 18 reps; 60 lbs, 18 reps; 80 lbs, 8 reps)
  
• tricep pull downs (50 lbs, 18 reps; 60 lbs, 18 reps; 80 lbs, 8 reps)
• ab stuff

My lats/back feels sore...

weak workout

i am using lowercase to emphasize how weak i felt at the gym.
here's what i did:

• 2000 m in 9:25
• squats (no weight, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 40 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 60 lbs on bar, 10 reps, 40 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• plate loaded leg press (180 lbs on, 3 sets of 15)
  
• Romanian deadlifts (60 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• adductor (60 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
• HOME!
  

I really don't like the MUM gym....

if I had LOTS of money or even a little, I'd give it to MUM for the gym. Maybe a bequest when I pass?

I suppose there are good aspects to the gym: no wait; no overmuscled guys "supersetting"; no annoying music; no airconditioning (wait, is that a good thing?).

Here's what I did at... you guessed it... the MUM gym:

• 8 minutes on elliptical
• squats (no weight, 15 reps; 50 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 15)
• leg extension (60 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps)
• squats (50 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 15)
• Romanian deadlifts (no weight on bar, 2 sets of 15)
• 5 minutes on elliptical

Maybe I'm just bitter today because I did a wimptastic workout. Boo!
Oh well, I'll make up for it next week.

Powered by Pop'Ems!

Still without power, but that's ok, because I have my handy dandy office, which has power, and well, Lolita doesn't really miss power at the house as long as she has her food, water, and my undivided attention.

So, today I went to Urban Radioactive, and this is what I did:

• 10 minutes on elliptical
• 2000m on rowing machine in 9:10 at wimp level 5
• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 3 sets of 15)
  
• leg press (90 lbs, 3 sets of 15 with different foot positions)
  
• flys on my back (10 lbs, 15 reps; 12.5 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• abductor (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• adductor (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• lat pull downs (55 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• front raises, side raises (5 lbs 15 reps; 10 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• seated db curls (actually, raises led into this) (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 15 reps)

Overall, it felt like a good workout. I still notice weakness in my left shoulder, and there's a weird spot in my right arm - near my elbow - and I really think it started when I fired someone's Glock. Is there such a thing as a firearm injury that doesn't involve being penetrated by a bullet?

Running, running, running

I ran today.

Not much of a workout

Went to UA, and did the following:

• 15 minutes on elliptical ... wattage 150 or so
• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 10 lbs, 15 reps; 20 lbs, 15 reps; 30 lbs, 4 reps and then 6 reps?; 20 lbs, ? reps; 10 lbs, 12 reps) ... I have the reps confused here, but you get the point... up in weight and down in weight...
  
• standing Romanian deadlifts (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• overhead press (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• hack squats (no weight, 3 sets of 15)
  
• seated cable rows (55, 15 reps;70, 15 reps; 85, 6 reps)

Sorry to be so boring, but I'm not feeling particular inspired to write much. And the workout was pretty boring, so...

My idea of fun is not necessarily yours

Just returned from the gym to find that my dog had a wee bit of an accident on the kitchen floor; well, it's not wee. I don't think she's feeling very well. Poor doggy.

So, today I didn't do many things at the gym but I feel as though I exerted myself, which is a good thing. It's about 2pm and I teach tonight, so I thought I wouldn't try to do too much:

• 8 minutes on elliptical
• 2000 meters in 9:44 at level 10 ... just a warmup really. I was rowing at a slow 10 minute pace until the last 200m.
  
• leg press (2 45lb plates, 3 sets of 20; 4 45 lb plates, 2 sets of 20; 6 45 lb plates, 1 set of 20; 4 45 lb plates, 2 sets of 20; 6 45 lb plates, 3 sets of 20) .. lots of weight, oh my poor glutes... but it felt good. This is the sort of stuff I LOVE. I'll feel it later, and tomorrow, and perhaps the day after...
  

Ok, need to clean up after my poor, sick doggy.

2:03.7 and Powered By Apple Pie

So, first, I have to say that I did a PR for the 500 meters this evening: 2:03.7, which isn't quite the two minutes I had in mind, but it's good enough for now. Basically, I warmed up by doing intervals: first 500 was in about 2:21, second 500 in 2:16, then 2:03.7, followed by two more 500 meter sprints at about 2:16 or so. Not bad. I decided to do some upper body stuff. Here's the routine:

• bench press
• overhead press
• side and front lat raises
• incline bench
• decline flys
  
• behind the head tricep thingies
  
• seated curls
• standing curls

Honestly, at the moment I feel too lazy to put the weights and reps in. Instead, I am finishing my "slice" of pie. I had only had two pieces today, but they add up to the half a pie bought yesterday. BAD ME! Great athletes cannot be powered by pie. Guess I need some Guiness too.

Wimpy Setting Rowing Workout

So today I went down to UA; to say that I looked forward to it all day would be ...well, honest.

Here's my routine from today:

• 4300 meters in 20 minutes at 5 (maybe 6) with a 2:10 for 500 meters to start
• buncha ab stuff
  
• loaded plate leg pres (90 lbs, 2 sets of 15; 180 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
• leg press (90 lbs, 2 sets of 15; 180 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
• back to the rowing machine.... I was exhausted because of the leg stuff, but decided to give it a go... was doing great ... less than 2 minutes for a 500 m distance... at 300 meters and then I just gave up. Basically, this tells me that I CAN do 500 meters in 2 minutes. NOTE: Mike confirmed to me that it's not a fair contest if I'm trying to best someone who is 210 lbs and built like a NFL linebacker, but I'm still gonna do it.
  

an itty bitty workout

• 4100 meters in 20 minutes on the rowing machine; I'm convinced that there's a technique to it that I need to master
• bench press (no weight, 18 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 18 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 30 lbs on bar, 12 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 9 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 12 reps)
  

I row, I lift, I cook, I clean, I'm amazing

So, after a long day I headed to UA mainly because I wanted to take some time off my rowing, and I did. I also did a fair amount of leg stuff. Here's the routine:

• 10 minutes of rowing
• abductor (60 lbs, 2 sets of 15, 1 set of 12)
  
• adductor (60 lbs, 2 sets of 15, 1 set of 12)
• plie squats (60 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• squats (no weight, 15 reps; 50 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 12)
  
• Romanian deadlifts (40 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• leg extensions (70 lbs, 15 reps; 80 lbs, 15 reps; 85 lbs, 15 reps)
• ab work
  

I feel like I am missing an exercise or two. I didn't describe some ab work I did and some stretching type things.

Ok, so let me talk about my rowing. I average 2:21 over 10 minutes, which is seven seconds better than the 2:28 average over 10 minutes yesterday. That's a good improvement, but I know I can do better. At the end of the 10 minutes, I was rowing at a 40m/s pace. That's equivalent to what a little buddy of mine did over 500m. I was really in a rhythm and I didn't feel like 40m/s was terribly taxing. In other words, I BET I can do that for 1:41 seconds and match my little buddy's pace. Of course, he's probably better now than he was when he recorded that time. Also, there's the fact that I don't know what sort of machine he uses and whether he has the tension up to 10 (as I do).

Well, lots to do so I'll end this post now. Decent workout; I probably should have done more cardio. Oh well.

Row, row, row your stationary boat...

So, here I am in my study trying to recall the many challenging exercises I did while at Urban Active this afternoon. Where are you right now? Grab another "potatoe" chip and enjoy that convention currently on at least four major networks. ;)

Anyway, here's what I did with a margin of error of plus or minus 10 lbs and 5 reps:

• 5 minutes on elliptical because someone was on the rowing machine and the "free" machine was broke
• 10 minutes rowing faster and more consistently than big slow friends of mine
  
• incline bench (no weight, 3 sets of 18)
  
• hack squat (no weight, 3 sets of 15)
  
• decline bench (no weight, 18 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 12 reps)
  
• incline flys (10 lb dbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• lat raises (10 lb dbs, 2 sets of side and front raises, 12-15 reps)
  
• lat pulldowns (40 lbs, 15 reps; 55 lbs, 15 reps; 70 lbs, 12 reps)
  
• incline curls (15 lb dbs, 2 sets of 12?)
• standing hammer curls (15 lb dbs, 15 reps)
  
• seated curls (15 lb db, 15 reps)
  
• tricep pulldowns (25 lbs, 18 reps; 30 lbs, 15 reps; 35 lbs, 12 reps)

Yep, that about does it, I think. Mere mortals can't keep up with me, I know. The workout felt ok. I could have kept going. I wanted to do more leg stuff, but I think I may have done something to my ankle when I did those calf exercises using the leg press machine the other day. When I got out of bed this morning, my right ankle buckled just a bit. Can't have a buckling ankle.

Overall, pretty decent workout. It doesn't stress me out too much, so perhaps I'm not doing enough. I'm keeping the weights relatively low just because I don't need to build muscle. Also, my left shoulder still doesn't feel right; I bet I really damaged it months ago. Perhaps I need "surgimification" to use a word a friend of mine might make-up - you know who you are.

Have a good night!

I have concrete blocks for running shoes

That's the only explanation for why it felt so difficult to run today. I did my big block. I really felt tight in my hammies before starting. Did I stretch? Not really. Sorry, Patrick aka Running Guru wherever you are.

Then as I was running I felt sore in my right calf muscle. Must be those crazy calf exercises I did the other day.

Then I started to feel my hands swell. It's hard to explain; I think it's a sign of dehydration. They start feeling bubbly. It's not pleasant.

But at least I ran. What did you do???

A little leg workout and a little Ohio Renaissance festival...

Went to Urban Active today. I thought about trail running, but I can do that tomorrow.

So, here's my fantabulous routine:

• 15 minutes elliptical
• walking lunges (no weight, back and forth once; 12.5 dbs, back and forth twice)
  
• leg press (no weight, wide stance, 15 reps; 90 lbs, wide stance, 15 reps; 180 lbs, wide stance, 15 reps)
  
• loaded plate leg press (90 lbs, 15 reps; 180 lbs, 15 reps; 270 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• bend over thingies with bar in my hand (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• plie squats (60 lbs, 2 sets of 15; 70 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• calf exercises on the leg press (90 lbs, 30 reps; 180 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps)

Felt very good to do this and not at all taxing... I AM A MONSTER...well, a leg monster. Ok, maybe not quite a monster of any sort, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE working my legs. The feeling in my glutes (that's just a nice worse for my bubble) is amazing. When I'm doing walking lunges, I REALLY try to tighten my glutes with each bend. Awesome stuff. I could have done a lot more today but I had places to go...

Went to the Ohio Renaissance Festival. I remember as a kid always wanting to attend the one in upstate New York. I remember Dad and I vaguely discussing it but never doing it. When I moved to Ohio, I went within a few months of getting here, and I think my lack of enthusiasm for it really disappointed my neighbor. Oh well. I've been three times - having missed last year? - and it's never terribly good or terribly bad. It's interesting and worth the trip... not worth the full price ticket, but nonetheless it's a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

I will perhaps write more about the Renaissance festival later....

Attack of the Harriers...what's a harrier?

Went to MUH's gym today, because I was at MUH to meet with a student, and it seemed like a good idea to workout while there.

Here's what I did:

• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• side and front lat raises with db (10 lbs, 3 sets of 15; 5 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• overhead pulldown (20 lbs, 15 reps; 40 lbs, 15 reps; 60 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• cable rows (50 lbs, 3 sets of 15)
  
• tricep ex with V bar and cable (20 lbs, 15 reps; 30 lbs, 15 reps; 40 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• one arm bicep curl with handle thing and cable (10 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• bicep curls (15 lbs, 2 sets of 15, 1 set of 8; 20 lbs, 1 set of 8)
  
• one legged bend down things (3 sets of 15)
  
• on back raise legs things (3 sets of 15)
  
• knee lifts (3 sets of 15)
• 5 minutes on elliptical

Am thinking of running MUM trail later, but I don't know. Lots to do around the house given I've been gone for a bit, so I probably should just clean the house and call that cardio.

Overall, today's workout felt good. I could just keep going and going once I'm in the gym, so I really have to watch that I don't overtrain or hurt myself. My left shoulder still feels weak, and I just don't trust it. Not sure what to do about that.

Appreciate the negative aka Oh my gosh two in a row...

So today I headed down to Urban Active. It's an interesting scene at about 5:30 or 6:00pm. Lots of young, pretty people with young, pretty bodies. No complaints from me.

Let me get to the workout then some comments:

• 10 minutes elliptical
• decline bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 15)
  
• overhead db press (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• decline db flys (10 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• flat bench db flys (10 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
• incline db flys (10 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
• squats (no weight, 15 reps; 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• hack squats (no weight, 2 sets of 15)
  
• calf sled thing (no weight, 15 reps; 90 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• seated calf raises (25 lbs, 15 reps; 50 lbs, 12 reps; 75 lbs, 8 reps)
  
• seated db curls (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• ez bar curls (40 lb, 2 sets of 8)
  
• 5 minutes rowing

I was doing the bench and thinking about the negative - you know, the downward push of gravity that most people use as a crutch to help them in their reps - and I decided to slow the negative and explode up with each rep...very cool stuff. I don't want to get too thoughtful here - I mean, working out isn't supposed to be thoughtful - but there was a certain... irony isn't the right word... no.... synchronicity... yeah... with me not merely enduring the negative but actually PROLONGING it by resisting gravity. Sometimes one should listen to gravity... it's a force that can't be resisted indefinitely. It's time for a change, a break, something different.

And I was also thinking about my poor left shoulder, which must really have some sort of injury, because I definitely felt weakness in it after I did the crazy db flys in three different positions... I suppose 135 reps will do that too...even at light weight... but I do think there's something wrong. I felt it, too, when I did squats. Oops.

Overall, an ok workout. I wanted to go a bit longer but I realize I need to ease myself back into things or I'll hurt myself. I'm not a spring chicken anymore. Ha.

Finally, another workout

Went to Urban....

• 15 minutes elliptical
• bench press (no weight, 15 reps; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• leg press press (no weight, 3 sets of 15; 90 lbs on, 3 sets of 15; 15 reps of calf exercises)
  
• 15 minutes stationary bike

Yeah, pretty wimpy, but at least it's something. I'll do more Wednesday, etc.

I have returned!

Due to an illness in my family, I have been unable to workout, so today was the first day back at the gym for me. I anticipate it's going to be rough getting back up to speed, but hopefully the time off helped my left shoulder heal.

So, what was my routine?

• 10 minutes on the elliptical
• bench press (no weight on bar, 15 reps wide grip, 15 reps not so wide grip; 10 lbs on bar, 15 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• leg press (no weight, 3 positions, 15 reps; 2 45 lb plates, 4 positions, 15 reps... twice)
  
• walking lunges (no weights, just walking back and forth twice and SQUEEZING my bubbles!)
  
• overhead dumbbell press (5 lb dbs, 15 reps; 10 lb, 15 reps; 12.5, 15 reps)
  
• incline flys (10 lbs, 15 reps; 15 lbs, 15 reps)
  
• leg plate press (whatever it's called) (2 45 lb plates, 2 sets of 15)
  
• side lat raises (5 lbs, 15 reps; 10 lbs, 15 reps)
  

Secret Plan in Effect

So, today I began implementing my secret plan....rowing. I also did a spot of upper body work but nothing too significant.

Here goes the workout:

• 10 minutes elliptical
• 15 minutes rowing (2750 meters)
• smith machine bench press (no weight, 20 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 20 reps; 40 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 12; 50 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 8)
• lat pulldowns (55 lbs, 20 reps; 70 lbs, 4 sets of 12 reps)
• seated triceps (no weight, 20 reps; 50 lbs, 20 reps; 90 lbs, 3 sets of 12?)

That's it. Not very challenging, but still a decent workout. I'm not sure I'm doing the rowing thing correctly. It just feels odd to me. Perhaps if I were really in a boat, I might notice something (like I was going in circles ...as that's what happened the last time I rowed a boat). Felt like a decent upperbody workout. I'll get the hang of it the more I do it. For now, it's a top secret project.

1 hr of cycling + 1 + hrs of yardwork =

one very tired me.

Popo lets Cadel down...

I ran around the small block just now, but more importantly, Cadel lost his yellow today. Was a great finish to the stage - lots of attacks, etc. But Popo is a real disappointment. Maybe he was doping too when he was with LA? I thought he'd be able to escort Cadel right up the mountain. That would have countered the Schleck attack. Now Evans must deal with several GC contenders within a minute, and TWO ON THE SAME TEAM. That's insane. I don't know about Frank's tt abilities, but Sastre doesn't really worry me too much, so if I were Cadel, and both attacked, I'd be more likely to follow FS than CS.

Need a shower. Missed a shower by a few minutes it seems. Major t-storms headed this way.

"You talk about your woman; I wish you could see mine"

That's a quote from Tommy, of course. I was singing and dancing in the shower; in fact, the TOMMY album is playing in the background as I type this.

Today was a good day at the gym. I think the shoulder is improving, but I still don't trust it. So here's the routine:

• 10 min elliptical to warm up
• pull ups (3 sets of 8) and knee ups :) (3 sets of 15)
• bench press (no weight, 20 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 12 reps; 40 lbs on bar, 3 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 12 reps; 40 lbs on bar, 2 reps; 20 lbs on bar, 12 reps)
• overhead dumbbell press (5 lb dummies, 20 reps; 10 lb, 12 reps; 17.5 lbs, 12 reps)
• side and front lat raises (5 lb, 20 reps; 10 lbs, 3 sets of 12?)
  
• preacher curls (20 lbs, 20 reps; 30 lbs, 12 reps; 40 lbs, 10 reps and 6 reps?)
  
• tricep pulldowns (20 lbs, 20 reps; 30 lbs, 12 reps; 42.5 lbs, 2 sets of 12)
  
• bicep curls (15 lb dummies, 20 reps?; 20 lb dummies, 2 sets of 12)
• behind head tricep thingies (20 lbs, 3 sets of 12)
• 10 pushups
  
• 20 minutes running on treadmill
• some light ab stuff
  

I am sure I have some of the numbers above wrong, but that doesn't matter too much. Basically, I warmed up with a set of 20 on a light weight, and then did 3 sets of 12 with some decent weights. I tried some heavier stuff, but I am WEAK! I don't really care about the weight though; it's more about the appearance. I want to look lean.

You may also notice something new: running on a treadmill. I really can't explain that. It just sorta happened. Bad. Very bad. I hate running on a treadmill, but it happened, so I put in 30 mins of cardio today.

Now my next step is try the rowing machine; not sure I'll do that, but I'm thinking about it. It's a top secret project though.

Ok, off to dress and head to the hot air balloon festival.

-The Gypsy Queen

Ho-hum, I ran the trail, and ran the hill...

So, after the requisite day off after a good leg day, I did some trail running today. I took it at an easy pace, because of the heat and humidity. I also ran the hill 5 times. Felt good.

Tomorrow it's a visit to Urban Active for some upper-body stuff. Wooooo0-hoooooo pull-ups!

I've worn a path on the hill, which makes it easy to follow, but someone needs to do some serious trail maintenance! The paths are overgrown and I'm constantly afraid of getting poison something.

A lil dung beetle advised me to use alcohol to kill anything - I think he meant rub it on my legs, but he may also have meant I should drink it - so that's what I do... rub the alcohol... in fact, it's actually RUBBING alcohol, so it makes sense to rub, not drink.

"You shook me all night long..."

What's the phrase - apropos of nothing? - I chose that for a subject line. Heard the song on the radio, and it's a favorite 80s tune of mine.

So, big day at the gym for my legs. For the rest of me? Not so much.

I admit - and those who know me, probably know this - that I LOVE leg workouts. It's just pure power for me, and I like that. I hate running long distance. I don't like endurance events. But I do love just allowing my muscles to do their thing. I really am trying to improve my endurance and my strength for cycling. I actually wanted to go really heavy today, but I resisted that. Had a very weight tinge in my left knee, which worried me but didn't stop me from lifting. The reason I can stand running trails is that those runs feel more muscle-driven / power-driven than road running. Yes, I know you use muscles all the time, but I like explosiveness that trail running requires just as I like the explosiveness of a strong leg workout. I just wish, wish, wish, wish I could shape my legs more. I think they look like redwood trees.

Here's what I did:

• 10 minutes warmup on elliptical
• front squats (no weight, 20 reps;20 lbs on bar, 20 reps; 3 sets of 12 reps with 50 lbs on bar)
  
• hack squats (no weight, 20 reps; 4 sets of 12 with 50 lbs on the bar)
  
• plate loaded leg press (no weight, 20 reps; 90 lbs on bar, 12 reps; 180 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 12; 270 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 12 reps)
  
• leg press (no weight, 20 reps; 90 lbs on bar, 4 sets of 12 reps)
  
• Romanian deadlifts (just the bench press bar, 4 sets of 12 reps...finished with 24 reps)
  
• seated calves (45 lbs, 20 reps; 70 lbs, 4 sets of 12....finish with 24 reps)

So, perhaps you can see the "philosophy" here... or not. Basically, warmup on each exercise with 20 reps and very little / no weight. Then do 4 sets of 12 reps at a good weight. I was comfortable with this workout; it didn't stress me out too much, but I did feel I was working.

Where's my soigneur? Heck, where's my domestique!? I need a peloton!!!

Cycled a new route today, and the beginning felt terrible. My legs were dead. Luckily, I rode myself into things - at least slightly.

Completed 15.5 miles with a 14.9 mph average.

Hitting the hill TEN times

Inspired by my guy's performance today (I mean Ricco, of course!), I decided to run the trails and hit the hill. Now, I didn't exactly light the trail on fire - I'll leave that to the highschool students - and I abbreviated my normal run, but hey... I ran the hill TEN times!

Did I mention that I ran the hill TEN TIMES?!

There are SOME people I know - and you know who you are! - who wouldn't meet my challenge of running that hill ONCE.

While there, I saw a young kid - middle school age - just sort standing there with his bike. I asked him if he was waiting for someone, because he seemed to be just waiting. He did that middle-school boy response - a sort of grunt - given to most adults (am I really an adult now?! I hope not!). So, I said, "Well, you should try running this hill."

Guess what the young man did? He proceeded to run the hill... he made it up 4 times and was going for his fifth when I was done with my tenth. You go, kid.

*This* kid needs to shower.

Cadel crashes

Watching the first big mountain day, and Cadel has crashed. He has some nasty cuts on him including a torn up jersey on his back. As I type this, he is receiving treatment from the doctor in the medical car - how nifty is that? You hang on to the side of a car speeding at 35mph and get your cuts and bruises looked at?

I wish they had the crash on video, so you could see what happened to him. I almost feel badly for him, because this is going to be a rough day. 6 seconds off the yellow jersey with Valverde and Menchov needing time back, and you crash? You think they're not going to try to take advantage of it? I wouldn't necessarily think they would attack today, but certainly tomorrow. He may be able to make it through today, but he'll be sore tomorrow.

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but air conditioning is so delightful...

I really appreciated the a/c when I came in from my run around the block this evening. Yuck! It is HUMID out, but I was really glad I dragged myself outside to run. The humidity kept me from sweating initially, so it was hard to cool off, but about halfway into my run, that changed. I'm going to have to change my running mix, because it's getting a little old now.

It did feel weird to run after lifting today, because my arms felt like lead. But I only did 10 minutes of cardio at the gym, so the run was a good way to balance my workout for the day.

What will tomorrow bring?

Arms, arms, and more arms

So, I took arms against a sea of troubles... no, not really.
Went to UA and did my thing, which is:

• 10 mins cardio - very light stuff
• pull ups and leg lifts (no weights, 10, 8, 6, 20, 15, 10)
  
• bench press (no weight on bar, 15 reps, 10 lbs, 15 reps, 20 lbs on bar, 15 reps)
  
• incline press (no weight, 2 sets of 15)
  
• decline press (10 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 15)
  
• lat raises - side and front (7.5, 15 reps; 10 lbs, 2? sets of 15)
  
• cable rows (55, 15 reps; 85 lbs, 10 reps)
  
• bicep curls with bar (30 lbs, 2 sets of 15)
  
• tricep thingies with bar (30 lbs, 2 sets of 15?)

So, that was it... not bad, but not great. My arms definitely look ripped, jacked, pumped, whatever you wish to call it. I'm not going for that look - just want to be lean. Oh well.

I may go running on the trail later today. No rest for the wicked.

Silly, silly, you thought the Tour was CLEAN THIS YEAR?!

Beltran out. Beltran, as you may recall, was one of LA's top lieutenants. Think he started using EPO just recently? That's not what L'Equipe says, but I won't say more here. You can read the stories yourself.

Oh, I was waiting for this to happen; perhaps I'm a cynic, but I just think that people are going to find new ways to cheat or are going to believe that they won't get caught doing things the same old way.

I can already anticipate the opening discussion on tomorrow's VS coverage...well, at least that will distract me from the absolutely HIDEOUS shirts that the four men seem to be sharing - how long until we see Bob Roll's pit stains on Phil Liggett's shirt?

Guilted into running... not a bad thing.

Thanks to the questioning of a friend, I took a trip around the block. It felt ok, but my legs are REALLY tight because of the leg workout yesterday. I will be suffering more tomorrow. Gotta remember to STRETCH!

But thanks to my friend who encouraged me to run today. And I DID have that protein shake - black cherry vanilla flavored.... yum!

Cadel slaps a gendarme

Just saw Cadel Evans, who had a mechanical, ride by a gendarme and slap him and then point to his eyes. NOT GOOD, Cadel. Chill. Just chill. Maybe he isn't such a boring rider after all? Ah, no.

Sorry for this interruption in regular programming, but I'm watching the stage to SUPER BESSE - woo hoo! - and I had to comment on this.

An Old-Fashioned Leg Workout (following a rest day)

So, it was a tad backwards; I usually like to REST the day AFTER a leg workout, but so be it. I wanted to try my idea for improving my legs for cycling at the gym, but it didn't really workout very well.

The good news: no cardio. Yepee! I skipped it.

The bad news: I couldn't really find a way to use the straps, etc. to the the leg work I wanted. Still, it was a good trip the gym. Here's the routine:

• messing around with straps and such trying to do something interesting
• walking lunges
• no weights, back and forth
• 15 lbs in each hand, 3 trips back and forth
  
• plie squats
• 80 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• leg press
• no weight, 15 reps
• 90 lbs, 3 sets of 15
• no weight, 3 sets of 20
• 180 lbs, 2 sets of 30 and 1 set of 25
  
• seated calf raises
• 45 lbs, 3 sets of 20
  
• bend over hammy exercises
• 30 lb, 15 reps
• 40 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• leg extensions
• 50 lbs, 15 reps
• 70 lbs, 15 reps
• 90 lbs, 15 reps

For some reason, I can't indent my bullets by just hitting tab. I don't feel like messing with the html, so dela with the bad formatting. You get the idea here. ;)

• 
  

18.37 miles, 15.8mph

Not bad, but not great. I must have been cycling in disguise, because I could have slammed on the back window of a pal as mine as I was coming down into town. Hehe.

I took my new favorite route, and again struggled up Breiel Blvd. I didn't bonk but I did really really really struggle.

The roads in Middletown are as bad as they say - especially for a cyclist. Only a few cars that seemed too close to me, including one cadillac coming up Breiel. I bet the driver was over the age of 70 and probably couldn't see my fuscia jersey. Ha.

For a while I was cruising along at 19 - 21 mph, which felt great. Still I need to find a way to improve my climbing ability. Breiel should NOT kill me like it does. I asked a buddy of mine for an exercise suggestion that might mimic the pulling UP I do with my legs. He said "toe raises." I think he really wanted to write "toe curls." My idea is to do something with knee lifts and some cables to create resistance.

Ok, well I'm at Java Johnny's the locally owned and overpriced coffeehouse, so I better get some work done.

Repeat of trail run from a few days ago

Today did the trail run that finished with 5 runs up the Hill.

Felt great and could have kept running, but I was running with a partner, and you know how that goes. ;)

In other news: Valverde took yellow today. Does he really intend to defend this thing for three weeks? Can't. Must have been just to make a statement. It was a great uphill win; you could see the pure power in his legs. Oh, that stuff makes me quiver!

Chilly, rainy morning led to

a mild, humid, drizzly run around the small big block in my neighborhood. I felt good, and I was glad for the exercise. No pains, so I guess that means no gains.

This too shall pass...

Yesterday I took a well deserved day off from working out. I think I'd done something five days in a row, and that's enough. Today I decided to drive down to UA to do some lifting and such. My left shoulder is still a problem; I probably tore something, and I probably should get it checked out, but then a doctor might tell me something I don't want to hear (ie "you need surgery" or "you can't workout anymore" or "you need a replacement shoulder").

Here's what I did at the gym:

• 10 mins on the elliptical - when I'm on there, I think about watching the cyclists in the peloton and the rhythm of their movements... the movement on the elliptical reminds me of that every time for some reason.
• ab stuff
• 3 sets of 20
  
• leg press
• no weight, 20
• 90 lbs, 3 sets of 20 reps
• 180 lbs, 1 or 2 sets of 20
• 270 lbs, 1 set of 15
• 180 lbs, 1 set of 20
  
• double pulley pulldown
• 20 lbs, 3 sets of 20
  
• overhead press (machine)
• 30 lbs, 2 sets of 20 (didn't feel right with the shoulder)
  
• decline bench press
• no weight, 20 reps
• 10 lbs, 2-3? sets of 20 reps
• 15 lbs, 20 reps
  
• incline bench press
• no weight, 20 reps (shoulder really bugging me)
  
• hack squat
• no weight, 3 sets of 20
  
• calf raises using leg press machine
• 90 lbs, 20 reps
• 180 lbs, 20 reps
• 270 lbs, 20 reps

Oh, so the subject heading refers to my feeling after reading some of the journal I wrote that covers 11/01 to about 2/02, which was a really interesting time in my life (at least to me; perhaps to no one else). It just reminded me of many non-workout related things, so I'll keep them off this page. I did realize that there are three "types" and I'll leave it at that - more a sa reminder to me than to anyone who might read this.

Finally, I am looking forward to the start of the Tour this Saturday, which will be a real treat because it's a REAL stage, not one of these silly 4 minute prologues won by David Millar or someone like that.

All things for a reason

So, today is a gorgeous day out; it's perfect biking weather. You'd think I'd be eager to cycle, but I wasn't this morning. In fact, I wasn't going to do anything. But I thought I might as well run around the block.

I'm coming down Rosedale, listening to my iPOD, and just allowing my mind to wander... I see flying down the side street on the left a kid on a skateboard, and I see coming up Rosedale a red pickup truck. Now, the timing was perfect in the sense that in an instant I saw that kid colliding with the truck - or the truck with the kid.

I didn't even think about it, but I screamed "STOP" and held my hand up. The kid jumped off his skateboard about 5-10 feet in front of the truck as it slowed down. Had that kid not jumped off his board, I'm sure he would have been hit.

Now, maybe the kid SAW the truck; I dunno. Anyway, it both freaked me out and made me feel good in an odd way. Today was feeling like nothing was going well, but then that happened, and it just reminded me.... ah, those cheesy thoughts are for some other blog.

It's NOT a smoothie, Mr. Smooth

I just finished a blueish-purplish colored drink that I made in my blender using my Beverly Protein powder (fine stuff, that powder), skim milk, and fresh blueberries. It looked kinda funny, but it tasted good.

This one is dedicated to Mr. Jazzercise

Today I had a good workout. I'm typing from an ultra-secret location as I consume a fine sesame bagel and have some coffee. Are sesame seeds good for a keyboard? Oops.

Ok, so I did the following while someone else was wearing a purple leotard and dancing around a room - something he considers "working out". I don't have the heart to tell him otherwise.

• 10 minutes cardio - brought the IPOD with me, so that was fun
• some ab stuff
  
• abductor
• 50 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• adductor - this one just feels wrong
• 50 lbs, 15 reps
• 60 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• assisted pull ups
• 70 lbs, 15 reps
• 55 lbs, 15 reps
• 40 lbs, 15 reps
  
• decline flys
• 10 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• lat raises - side and front
• 10 lbs, 15
  
• 12.5 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• integrate overhead presses and barbell curls
• 12.5 lbs, 2 sets of 15

I know I am missing an exercise or two here, but no matter, this is more than Mr. Jazzercise does in a month at the gym.

11 measly miles

was all I managed today. Boo.

Some lifting

Went to Urban Active and didn't really do as hard a workout as I wanted, but I still did accomplish a bit:

• walking lunges
• plie squats
• bench press
• bend over with the bar things
• calf exercises
• seated row

Weights and reps later.

Trail running

That's what I did. Trail running. Then I ran the hill 5 times. Then I walked to my car. Then I drove home.
That's it.

Running when you don't want to run

So, I just returned from a run around the small block in my neighborhood. It's about 3 miles, so it's a decent workout. I felt it, too, because I'm sore from yesterday's lifting and trail running. Although it's the last thing I wanted to do - I rather have stayed on my porch reading Sense and Sensibility - I knew it was something I should do.

Now I have about an hour of "free" time, so I'm going to return to Ms. Austen.

Lifting and trail running...perfect together (in my best Tom Kean accent)

So, I went to UA for the first time in a couple of weeks; I need to check the blog to figure the exact date. I felt very weak. I didn't push myself and didn't want to. So here's the workout:

• bench
  
• no weight, 15 reps
• 20 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• decline bench
• no weight, 3 sets of 15
  
• incline bench
• no weight, 15 reps
• 10 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• leg press
• no weight, 4 positions (including calves) 15 reps
• 90 lbs, 2 sets of 15 with 4 positions
  
• hack squat
• no weight, 15 reps
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• plie squat
• 60 lbs, 2 sets of 15

Then I ran the MUM trails after coming home for a yummy protein shake. I also did a bit of shopping at B&N in between, so I definitely had some recovery time. The trail run felt pretty good. Again, I took it easy. Still, it's good to exercise. My eating habits have been terrible lately. Shame on me!

Corwin to Xenia and back

So, I cycled about 30 miles - about 15 mile an hour pace, which is ok, but not great. Oh well, at least I worked out.

Does running around a pickleball court

count as exercise? Because that's all I did. And I did that for a few minutes.

I ran.

I ran the trail for a bit - a light run, nothing too strenuous given I was using new shoes - it felt pretty good. The trail is overgrown and there are lots of down limbs, which makes it more challenging (and more dangerous). Still, I was glad to get out. I cooled off by mowing my lawn. Ha.

Trying that whole trail running sneaker thing again

So last year at this time I bought a nice pair of trail running sneakers - they were made of Gore Tek. I proceeded to run, twist my ankle, and not run for a couple of weeks. I then tried again. Same result. No more running in trail sneakers. I went back to my regular sneakers, and surprise... no problems!

Well, I decided to purchase some trail running sneakers yesterday - mainly because I still have a gift card to Runners World that I need to use before I lose. I get my regular running sneakers online so it didn't make sense to pay more for them at RW.

I decided on a pair of Mizuno's - their Wave Ascend 2 - but the funny thing is I believe I almost bought the same pair that brought me such trouble last year.

Today I'll test them out; I wanted to try them yesterday but I was too exhausted from a busy week of work.

On climbing and struggle and lying to your body

So, today I rode up Michael Road. If you don't know Michael Road, well, it's probably difficult to appreciate what I experienced. As I wrote in the previous post, it's a long, slow climb. At least it feels that way to me. I love climbing - much more than descending, which just scares me - but it's also something that I don't do as well as I'd like. What does this mean? I need to do it more.

On the group rides I've been on, there's a long, slow climb that we take. It's where you get to see who is really in shape and who is not. I remember my first group ride taking that climb and then being told, "Wow, most people have to get off or stop sometime during that climb their first time," which gave my ego a bit of a boost, but that was quickly shattered as I realized that the climb would win the next few times.

Still, it feels good to pass people in the group, to glide by them, to dance on the pedals and achieve the top of a hill. I also know that those same people will pass me going down, but that's ok.

Today I tried to apply some basic climbing techniques. These include: relax, keep an open body posture, breathe. Relaxing your body is tough; you're struggling up a hill, which creates stress, and then you're trying to relax? Well, I think it works. The more loose you feel, the easier it is to climb. Opening up your body means keeping your arms apart on the handlebars. It helps you breathe better if you have a more open posture. Also this can keep you relaxed. Finally, taking in air, exhaling, etc. are pretty important. I focused my energy on deep breaths. I literally talked to myself at points during these climbs. I'd tell myself, "Ok, just get to that next tree. Then you can stop." The idea is that I'm not going to stop, but my body doesn't know that yet. Yes, I lie to my body.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the morning ride. It was good to be alone, too, because I didn't have the pressure of an audience. I love riding with others, because there's safety in that, but sometimes struggling - and therefore, climbing - needs to be private...until I write about it on my blog.

A well deserved morning tour

This morning I decided to head out on the bike, drop by the airport, do some riding, and then head back home. It was a beautiful, crisp morning when I started. I actually felt chilly, so I zipped up.

Getting out of my neighborhood is such a pain, but I'm doing the back route over the train tracks now, so that helps a bit as I don't have to cross University. Being down at the airport was cool, because there were several planes out, and the weather seemed perfect for flying - not that I'd know. I decided to do the Rt 4 route, but I made a left at Trenton Franklin Road. I then gritted my teeth - well, not really - and started the long, slow climb up Michael Road. Now, I love climbing, but it's torture to me. I focused on staying in my saddle, relaxing my body, keeping an open posture, and breathing. I made it up with a bit of trouble, but nothing terrible. Then it was down some rollers and over to Hetzel before coming back on Browns Run and Rt 4 with a stop at the airport (again!) and a visit to a local tv star. Actually, the latter was more for a bathroom break, but he doesn't need to know that. :) Ssssh!

The ride felt good, and after yesterday's busy day, I feel I deserved it. So, now it's time to shower, grab some lunch, and get back to the business of doing business.

More later.

First Solo Ride of 2008

It seems a bit late to be making this post, but that's how things go. Today I took my first ride out of town, and I was fairly happy with the results.

First I rode down to the airport and had a look around - not much going on there compared to Saturday but still cool to see. I'm more interested in planes and flying these days. I did have this urge to speed down the runway on my bike, but I don't think folks would appreciate that.

Then I decided to head out Rt. 4. Not sure why I chose to do this, because I wasn't sure about the traffic and road quality. Both were fine.

I made a right onto Trenton-Franklin Road, which I took until I made a right onto the bridge and picked up 73. This was a scenic, well paved road. I received a few honks and one shout - not sure what the guy said. Never sure whether people honk to be friendly or to warn me that they could kill me.

From there, I took Breiel, which is awful to ride up, because of the incline and the head wind - is there ever NOT a headwind on that road? I bonked on it. Just bonked. About 14 miles of riding, and I bonk. Ugh. That undermined my confidence a tad.

Still, it felt great to be on the bike. My pace - at least until I bonked - felt fast. Not sure if I'm imagining things. I also think a tuneup does help my bike a great deal. Anyway, lots of work to do, so I'll keep this brief, but YEAH I RODE! WOO HOO! I love cycling! Looking forward to watching the last stage of the Dauphine and the first stages of the Tour de Suisse.

The verdict is in (and the bike is back):

I decided against purchasing a new wheelset for $550. I tested the Easton 90 SLX and they were ok but I didn't feel it was worth the money to make the upgrade. After that, I did a bit of a ride around Lebanon, and that felt good.

More later.

Where's Marianne gone? Has she given up working out?

Heck, no! I took the week off because I've been fighting a bit of a cold. Plus, I'm a big proponent of rest, so taking a week off shouldn't be too terrible for me. It also makes me all the more eager to get back to the gym.

My goal is to hit the gym tomorrow and Sunday. Yepee! Because I haven't worked out in a week, that leaves open all sorts of possibilities. I can do ANYTHING at the gym. Woo hoo!

Non workout post: the God of Thunder is in Yellow and Boonen tests non-negative out of competition for cocaine

So, one of my favorite cyclists in the pro peloton, Thor "God of Thunder" Hushovd, has spent two days in yellow at the Dauphine Libere. That's the good news. The bad news is that another favorite, Big Tom Boonen, tested "non-negative" (yeah, that's what it's called; you'd think "positive" would be easier) for cocaine in an out of competition test. Potentially he could be suspended for up to two years because the drug is on the list of banned substances - and it's just plain illegal, so he's facing legal action. Some may recall a friend of Boonen's being arrested last year and stating that Boonen was his dealer. At the time, concern was expressed about this link, but it was pretty much dismissed. Not so fast, Big Tom. You may be in BIG trouble for this one.

A Beverly Shipment Arrived! YEPEE!

I'm happy. My protein powder and some new stuff - Glutamine Select- I'm going to try arrived today. I'll use the glutamine during rides and perhaps during heavy workouts.

I bought the stuff from Smartbody Nutrition, a service I've never used, but they were quick and cheap, so I'm pleased. UPS ground shipping was free.

"Don't Stand So Close to Me" ... some people really need to take that to heart.

So, here's what I did today at Suburban Urban:

• pull ups
  
• integrated with leg lifts
• 10, 8, 6 reps
  
• leg lifts
• 3 sets of 20 reps
  
• lat pulldowns
• 35 lbs, 3 sets of 12
  
• cable rows
• 55 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• walking lunges
• no weight, back and forth across floor (I know the length of the floor, but no one else does... let's say about 20 paces each way??)
• bar, no weight, back and forth
• 15 lbs on bar, back and forth
• 15 lb dumbbells in each hand, back and forth
  
• side lat raises
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 12.5 lbs, 2 sets of 12 or so?
  
• overhead dumbbell presses
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• leg press machine
• no weight, did three different leg positions, including one for calf exercises, 3 sets of 15
  
• seated calf raises
• 45 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• tricep thingies
• 25 lbs, 15 reps
• 35 lbs, 15 reps
• 42.5 lbs, 12 reps
  
• bicep curls
• 15 lbs, 3 sets of 15 I think
  
• bend over with the bar thing
• 3 sets of 10 reps

Ok, so that's it... not heavy with the weights but a good amount of exercise and reps. Am tempted to go running, but maybe I should not, because tomorrow is my first day cycling if all works out... I am psyched about that!

What's the plan for Friday?

Today I will do some work in the morning, meet a friend at the local java juice joint, attend a meeting, and then do some sort of workout. Still no bike, which bums me out, because I was hoping to get a ride in this weekend.

I have been looking more at two books that a pal gave me - dollar bargains from Half-Price books - regarding ab and thigh workouts. I'll probably try doing some of those today.

Don't ever wear a white t-shirt to the MUM gym

I looked like I had been rolling around in dirt when I left the MUM gym today with my Rutgers shirt on. Yikes!

Today I did a bit of a leg workout...nothing too stressful, but I did realize that my shoulder "injury" is affecting my ability to squat. Yes, think about that for a moment.

• squats
• no weight on bar, 15 reps
• 50 lbs on bar, 3 sets of 15 reps
  
• standing lunges
• no weights, 3 sets on each leg 15 reps, very little rest between them
  
• squats and plie squats
  
• 50 lbs on bar, 3 sets integrated with 60 lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps
  
• some assorted stuff, such as bending over and touching my toes, I can't remember that didn't affect me much

I thought about doing some cardio, but that's as far as I went. I thought about it.

I lied.

I ran. Did you?

Outdoor running forecast: highly unlikely

We're expecting storms here today, so I doubt I'll be able to run outdoors. Although I love a good overcast day - helps me focus on work - I would prefer to run outside. I didn't get a run in yesterday...oops!.. so I feel the need for a good cardio workout. That means using the on-campus gym, which is minimalist (as well as dirty). :)

"Another one bites the dust..." - Queen

I'm writing this from my porch. It's nice to be able to work on my porch and take advantage of the WiFi, the shade, and the scenery.

Today I went to Urban Active. Originally, I wanted to do a really tough workout, but I wimped out. So, instead I just did some upper body stuff. Later, I may go for a short run around the block. I don't know.

Here's today's adventure:

• bench press
• no weight, 15 reps
• 10 lbs on bar, 3 sets of 15
  
• incline bench
• no weight, 3 sets of 15
  
• decline bench
• no weight, 3 sets of 15
  
• pulldowns
• 55 lbs, 15 reps
• 70 lbs, 15 reps
• 85 lbs, 10 reps
  
• flys
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
• 17.5 lbs, 15 reps
  
• curl bar
• 20 lbs, 15 reps
• 30 lbs, 10 reps - I got bored
  
• barbell curls
• 17.5 lbs, 2 sets of something I forget
  
• behind head tricep exercise
• 17.5 lbs, 15 reps
• 25 lbs, 2 sets of something
  
• some ab stuff

Overall, it was an ok workout - didn't push myself; this felt more like light exercise. I think I'd push myself more if I were working out with someone or if I were going for a goal, but I am goal-less.

One thing I do wish to know is why I have such trouble with the decline press. What muscles does it hit differently than the other versions of bench press?

"She was a happy girl the day that I left her" - STP

Just finished a quick run around the small big block. I'm about to hop in the shower after an adequate run. I wasn't going to workout today, but I figured three days of non-official exercise would be one day too much. Tomorrow I'll head to Urban Active to lift.

Oh, I dropped the bike off yesterday, so I should be cycling by this coming weekend. I'm also looking at a new wheelset. Did you know you can send 2k on a set of wheels? That's insane. I won't be spending that sort of money.

Finally, congratulations to Mr. Velasco aka Alberto Contador. He won the Giro with a great ITT performance, while Ricco disappointed. He better work on his TT ability if he wants to be a regular GC contender. He also needs a real team. Saunier Duval is not a real team!

If they have rest days in the Giro...

then I suppose it's ok if I take a couple. I didn't workout yesterday, and I don't expect to workout today.

Spent a couple of hours this morning watching the Giro - hoping Ricco would make a move and destroy Contador, but it didn't happen. Diluca is done though. So, everything rests on tomorrow's TT. Ricco only needs 4 seconds. Sella is the big surprise of the race, I think, and he has a great future ahead of him.

I like to run in the heat

TodayI ran outdoors - just around the former "big" block. Stopped off to meet a friend, who couldn't handle the heat, but he's wimpy like that. :)

Logs are slippery.

I just returned from a brief trail run at MUM, and I learned a lesson today: freshly fallen logs are slippery. Oops.

I was running along on a "new" part of the trail - well, it looked new to me. I had already crossed one log on another branch, an area I know very well. So,I felt fairly confident approach this log across the trail. Instead of just climbing over, silly me decides to try to stand up and cross. Thus, I went SPLAT. I felt my shoulder - the left one, which if you recall is the "injured" one - stretch awkwardly and for a moment I thought, did I break something? Well, nothing broken but I do have some scratches. My left knee had been giving me some problems throughout the run, but nothing major. My big fear falling - other than breaking bones - is getting poison something. I probably should take BG's advice and rub some rubbing alcohol on my legs just to be sure to "kill" anything on there - ie dry out the oil.

However, I must admit there was something sorta cool to falling, being dirty, and having scratches. I feel very tomboyish and it reminds me of being a kid again.

So, logs are slippery. Careful or you'll go SPLAT!

I missed a milestone!

I missed my 100th post...like the 100th episode of your favorite sitcom. Ok, maybe not.

Today was a relaxed day; I just used the MUM gym to do 20 minutes on the elliptical. I did some leg stuff not worth mentioning. I did build up quite a sweat. Sweat is good. I just felt charged today.

Hope it lasts!

When exercise doesn't feel like exercise...2 reasons

One, I won't mention here. The other - well, I can't believe that I just ran 3 miles and I felt fantastic! I could have kept running. I think the heat and humidity help me sometimes. I was telling Mike about running in Goldsboro in 90+ degree heat and 100% humidity. I just did it because it had to be done.

I feel FANTASTIC! My body is just on fire - in a good way!

And now, for a snippet of a poem by a very good poet:

"Our bond is no little economy based on the exchange
of my love and work for yours, so much for so much
of an expendable fund. We don't know what its limits are--
that puts us in the dark. We are more together
than we know, how else could we keep on discovering

we are more together than we thought?"

This poem just resonates with me right now.

And another:
"And I am happy as the young
Tom Jefferson, unbuttoning my collar, imagining his power,
considering my healthy body, how I might use it in the service
of the country of my pleasure."

ENJOY!

A trip down memory lane...

I haven't been to Urban Active in several days, so today it felt like a bit of a nostalgia trip. Well, not really...here it is:

• elliptical
• hack squat
• leg press
• bench press
• incline fly
• lat raises
  
• decline fly
• cable rows
• curls
• tricep exercises

Perhaps I'll put in weights and reps later. It was a decent workout. Now I'm off to run around the block.

I had two donuts today and lunch at Chipotle, so I'm feeling penitent.

I hope working outside counts

as working out! I haven't run nor lifted in several days, which should be obvious to anyone reading this blog.

I did do some outdoor work yesterday, which was good. I did NOT put 22 bags of mulch down as some people did.

Today looks like a rainy day, so I am not sure what I'll be able to do. I'm guessing a trip down to Urban Active.

Update on non-workouts and a non-workout post about robins

I didn't workout on either Friday or Saturday. Yesterday I expected to do a lot of outdoor work but that did not occur. So today I'll do that - probably visit Bern's, the overpriced landscaping place here. I also may goto Urban Active or at least take a run around the block. I don't feel like I've been working out very hard lately, and I have not curbed my eating - my BAD eating (hello, McDonald's breakfast yesterday... sad, very sad).

More importantly, the robin babies have all left the nest. It actually saddens me to see an empty nest. Yesterday was the last day that a baby tried to fly. The baby was in the backyard when I was up having coffee. It was hopping around struggling to fly. Within an hour it was gone. I suppose the learning curve for these creatures is very fast - of course, it has to be.

Well, that's all for now. Bye-bye, babies.

A quick run

around the small big block was all I could muster. : (

Fighting a cold by working out

I am either dealing with a chest cold or with allergies. Either way, I don't feel 100%. So, I decided to hit the gym and do a bit of a workout:

• bench press
• no weight on bar, 15 reps
• 10 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 18 reps
• 20 lbs on bar, 1 set of 15 reps, 1 set of 11 reps (Yes, I was going for 15)
  
• dumbbell squats
• 55 lbs, 2 sets of 18
  
• 75 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• abductor
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 18
  
• 60 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• adductor
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 18
  
• 69 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• elliptical
• 8 mins
  
• some ab work

Not quite a run today

Same route as yesterday, less satisfactory result. I covered the same distance, but only ran about half-way. I walked the rest. Company was good, so I am not complaining.

And of course, those birds were lovely too.

NON WORKOUT POST: Flight school should be starting soon

Late morning I spent on my deck reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a potential selection for my Lit and Film course. Well, I noticed that the baby robins are a lot bigger and more active in their tiny nest, and Mom and Dad are really working to feed them. The mouths have become hungrier and bigger.

An amazing thing happened while I was sitting there - one of the robins began to stretch his little wing out of the nest. He flapped it a bit. It was awesome to watch.

Of course,now I have to worry about those little babies being on the grass in the backyard with Bert lurking about. I hope he doesn't bother them, but that's his nature as a cat. We'll see. I feel like a protective surrogate mother to them.

Sweet potato chips or should that be...sweet! potato chips that are yummy and healthy(ish!)

I am sitting here on my couch thinking about my class this evening and enjoying a few (er, more than the 17 chips per serving) potato chips. Am I worried at high fat, high calorie, high sodium? NO! These are TERRA Chips and they're TERRAFIC! Oh gosh, that was bad.

Honestly, these chips are fabulous! I encourage everyone who likes the munch munch of chips to get a bag. The nutritional information seems almost good to be true for chips:

Plain Sweet Potato Chips

Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 oz. (28g/about 17 chips) Servings Per Container: 6 Amount Per Serving Calories 160 Calories from Fat 90 % Daily Value* Total Fat 11g 16% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 10mg 0% Total Carb. 15g 5% Dietary Fiber 3g 11% Sugars 3g Protein 1g Vitamin A 50% • Vitamin C 10% Calcium 2% • Iron 4% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Now, are these PERFECT ? No, of course not. They are still chips! You're getting 11g of fat in every serving, but these are far better than other chips out there.

Thus ends my unpaid endorsement of TERRA CHIPS!

"Why don't we give love give love give love one more chance?"

That is a line sung by Freddie Mercury in "Under Pressure," which was playing on my "running" playlist on my iPod.

I love, love, that line and Freddie's amazing voice.

So, my four mile run - or "mun" as a I just wrote - didn't work out. Instead of doing the big big block, I just did the big block, which is still about 3 miles. I sprinted the last bit as well. I had some runner's concerns.

Now I'm sitting here in my living room about to make myself a protein shake...POOF, I'm a protein shake.

There's nothing techno about technogym equipment

Today I started with 20 minutes on the elliptical machine; then it was on to a bit of an upper body workout:

• shoulder press
• 30 lbs, 15 reps
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• chest press
• 20 lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps
  
• seated row
• 55 lbs, 15 reps
• 85 lbs, 15 reps
• 100 lbs, 8 reps
  
• lat pulldown
• 30 lbs, 3 sets of 15 (this is not true ) :)
  
• ez bar curls
• 30 lbs, 3 sets of 15

I tried using the technogym equipment for the first two exercises; the machines are not comfortable at all. I rather use free weights. Today was not a great workout, but it was acceptable. I also followed it with a visit to NATHAN'S! I love those hotdogs and fries. Yepee!

Twice the workout, half the time

Today I decided to do two sets of everything. It was a leg day.

Here's my routine:

• squats
• no weight, 15 reps
• 50 lbs on bar, 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• hack squat
• no weight, 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• leg press
• 90 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps wide
  
• bend over thing
• just a bar, 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• leg curl
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• leg extension
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• seated calf raises
• 45 lbs, 2 sets of 15
  
• 10 minutes elliptical
• leg press
• no weight, 3 sets of 15 - 3 different foot positions (no rest between sets)
• 90 lbs, 3 sets of 15 - 3 different foot positions (no rest between sets) **** THIS ONE HURT!!!
  
• 8 minutes elliptical

Overall, I think it was a good workout. I really felt that I was working my legs, and I'm sure I'll feel it even more tomorrow. I think doing the leg press AFTER the ten minutes on the elliptical was a good thing as well. So, I tried to mix stuff up today and I did.

Gas is at $3.96 a gallon, so what do I do?

I drive to subUrban reActive.

No cardio.

Just an upper body workout...shame on me. I should have done some cardio, but I expected to do a bit of walking today on a trail. Alas, that didn't happen.

Here's today's workout:

• pullups
• 3 sets of 8
  
• knee lifts
• 3 sets of 25 (I switched between pullups and knee lifts for each set)
• decline bench flys
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 12.5 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
  
• overhead press
• 15 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• side and front lat raises
• 5 lbs, 15 reps
• 7.5 lbs, 15 reps
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
  
• kickbacks
• 20 lbs, 1 set of 15
  
• behind head tricep exercise
• 20 lbs, 3 sets of 15
  
• a bunch of abwork that I don't really know how to describe
  
  

Overall, the workout felt pretty good. I should have done cardio, but I just did not feel like it. Plus, I really did expect to walk on the trails today. Oh well. I'll make up for it tomorrow...perhaps.

When 4 miles don't bother me... I know

something is wrong. Today I ran the four mile loop, and as I was saying to someone tonight, I could have kept running. I hate running. And this was road running - the worst sort of running. Trail running doesn't really count as running, because it involves so much more than pavement pounding; heck, there's no pavement to pound.

Anyway, I want to reassure my friends and workout fans that I am NOT turning into a runner, and I want to tell one particular person, there's NO WAY he will EVER get me to run the Pig... not even HALF a PIG.

Tomorrow I'm going to have to purge my body of this running and do some lifting or leg work at the gym. I've noticed looking back at the upperbody workouts that I am tending to do the same things over and over again. Any suggestions for varying my routine would be welcome. Remember, I'm not interested in bulk. Bulk doesn't appeal to me. Being lean and cut does...to an extent. But even THAT bothers me a bit. I need some new shots of me postworkout, because the one on this page doesn't do my abs justice. Maybe I can get a professional photographer to volunteer his services in exchange for workout advice. Know anyone like that?

Today's workout:

• four miles with the iPod
  

The babies are here!!!! Mama Robin is a MAMA!

Just returned from my first "big" run in a long time, but that's unimportant, because ...

Mama Robin and Mr. Robin are parents! The nest above my backdoor is now home to at least one baby Robin. I only saw one head pop up to be fed, but I'm guessing there are more there - maybe 2-3? We'll see.

Seeing this absolutely MADE my day...just a beautiful thing to behold. I'm a big mush and dork about such things.

The first year I lived here, robins nested in that same place - that same nest, actually. I was sad to not have any robins return. I contemplated taking down the nest, but kept it there just as a reminder of the first houseguests I ever hosted - other than my folks when I moved in. I'm happy to see that little home get some use.

Happy birthday little robins!!!!

non-workout post: Eddie Izzard wanted a picture with Mike

So, I saw Eddie perform his "Stripped" show. I really enjoyed it; didn't seem as good as some of the stuff I've seen on video for other tours, but his tour is really just beginning, and since it's unscripted, well, I'm sure he has better and fantastic nights. Still, seeing him live was amazing.

No James Mason in this one, but Moses and Noah make appearances as do giraffes who must communicate through coughs about a very stupid tiger. A favorite line - "So Charlie Darwin wrote this book, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, Monkey, You.... Very controversial in the monkey community." I also liked the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome reference... "two enter, one leaves."

Post ovation bit about landing on the moon - not very good Eddie...very good for someone else, but not Eddie.

#####################################################################
We waited outside the stage door for about 40 minutes before Mr. Izzard made his appearance and requested us all to form a nice, somewhat orderly line. We did. I had a program. Mike had a cellphone camera. I forgot mine. Shame on me. The one time I FORGET that silly thing is the time I wish I had it.

I really had nothing of note to say to Izzard just because there were about 150 people behind me, and I thought that he probably rather be having a drink in a hotel bar or something. I gave him the program, and he said, "You'd like me to sign this?" I think I grunted. Seriously, I'm not sure I formulated any real words until I said," Thank you for taking the time to do this." He said "You're welcome" or some polite variation. Here's my chance with Eddie and I say nothing.

Mike snaps his cell pic, and I'm off, but....

Eddie calls, "Don't you want a picture too?"

Mike turns, "Um, no thank you. That's ok."

Eddie implores, "Really, take a picture."

Mike says, "Um, ..."

Eddie again says, "Oh, c'mon take a picture."

So we do. That's the pic above. So, basically, Eddie Izzard begged Mike to take a photo with him. Lucky guy.

Four Sets

I am blogging from my somewhat secret location - the Panera at Union Centre - which has very cool people working the counter. There are two people in particular who are always superfriendly. It always makes me feel better when people are pleasant to me - there's really nothing in it for them. I'm here for my toasted sesame seed bagel and coffee after a workout. I'd come here even if they just gave me my order without being so chipper. Still, I'm sure some corporate-type has said that friendlier cashiers lead to more sales. I prefer to think these two folks are just kind people who happen to work at Panera.

Now, on to the workout, which felt great! I am always happy to have a decent leg workout:

• squats
• no weight, 15 reps
• 50 lbs on bar, 4 sets of 15
  
• hack squat
• no weight, 4 sets of 15
  
• leg press machine
• 90 lbs on bar, 4 sets of 15 (wide)
  
• the other leg press machine
• 90 lbs on bar, 4 sets of 15 (close)
  
• seated calf raises
• 45 lbs, 4 sets of 15
  
• abductor
• 50 lbs, 15 reps
• 60 lbs, 15 reps
• 70 lbs, 12 reps
• 80 lbs, 10 reps
  
• butt buster
  
• 30 lbs?, 4 sets of 15 (I isolated each leg first)
  
• leg extensions
  
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15
• 60 lbs, 2 sets of 15
• I'm not REALLy sure about the weights on this one, but I know I did 4 sets of 15 reps and I believe I increased the weight - I may have gone up to 70 lbs
  
• elliptical
• 8 minutes
  

Overall, the workout felt very good. I did four sets of each exercise because I have not done a leg workout in some time. Plus, with cycling starting soonish - as soonish as I can get the bike in! - I want to work on endurance and strength rather than pure power. Pure power is good, but high reps are better right now for me. I probably should have done more cardio at the end, but I was getting hungry and seeing that it was getting later. Oh well! Maybe next time!

Tonight it's EDDIE IZZARD!!! WOO HOO!

"See You Again"

Um, I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I've been digging Miley Cyrus' song - and I just learned that she sings it. Eek.

But more importantly, here's the workout:

• bench press
• no weight on bar, 15 reps
• 55 lbs, 15 reps
• 65 lbs, 15 reps
• 75 lbs, 12 reps?
  
• overhead press
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
• 20 lbs, 15 reps
  
• seated flys
• 40 lbs, 3 sets of 15?
  
• side lat raises / front lat raises
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 8 reps
  
• gorilla lifts
• 40 lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps
  
• curls
• 40 lb bar, 15 reps
• 15 lb bb, 2 sets of 15 reps
• 20 lb bb, 8 reps
  
• behind head tricep stuff
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
• 20 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• 10 minutes on elliptical
  

a quickie

15 minutes on the elliptical - just enough to get the heart rate going... more tomorrow!

Beautiful weather...

I hope folks are enjoying it. I wish I could go for a long walk on the beach today or go for a run around the block. I promise to be back working out and eating properly in a day.
Until then...will someone burn some calories for me??

Being lazy....

I've decided to be lazy for a few days; I've written before about the importance of rest. I'm allowing myself a few days of not exercising and also allowing myself to eat whatever I choose. In a day or so, I'll be more strict with my diet and exercise. And I'll write about it here, so stay tuned.

Feeling slightly under the weather

What is the origin of the phrase "slightly under the weather"? I need to google that. Whatever it means, I am it, so I'm going to forego any sort of exercise today. Perhaps that sounds like an excuse. Perhaps it is.

Upper body stuff

So, I went to Urban Active and skipped the cardio. Surprise, surprise.

Here's my routine:

• bench press
• just the bar, 15 reps
• 55lbs, 15 reps
• 75 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps
• 85 lbs, 2 barely mentionable sets
  
• decline fly
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 12.5 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
  
• overhead press
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
• 17.5 lbs, 15 reps
  
• side and front lat raises
• 5 lbs, 15 reps
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 8 reps
  
• gorilla lifts
• 40 lbs, 15 reps
• 50 lbs, 15 reps
• 60 lbs, 12 reps
  
• behind the head tricep things
• 20 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps
• 25 lbs, 15 reps
  
• curls
• 10 lbs, 15 reps
• 15 lbs, 15 reps
• 40 lb bar, 15 reps?
  

Not so sure on those curls, but that gives you a general idea of the workout. I didn't feel particularly strong, but nothing hurt either.
I don't feel a real deep desire to improve the bench press weight; I just want to stay lean.

Blogging from a secret location

I am at an alternative secret location for my blogging; I suppose it shouldn't be much of a secret. I'm at the Panera in Deerfield Township. It's an amusing place with a definite "look" to the people who come in here. There's a certain degree of chaos to buying a simple bagel and coffee, which makes me feel like I'm back East.

So, the plan for today is meet a colleague this morning, workout at Urban Active, and then head to campus.

Official Rest Day

Today I'm not working out nor doing much of anything athletic. Sorry if you were tuning in to read about my latest adventure.

My plan is to hit Urban Active tomorrow for an upper body workout; depending on the weather, I may also run outdoors.

I feel unmotivated today. I could go running, but I choose not to. There's also a box of donuts on my table. I could eat one now, but I choose not to...for now.

A depressing leg workout at the icky gym

So, I went to the icky gym to do squats. Those of you who know me know which gym THAT is.

This is what I did:

• squats
• no weight, 15 reps
• 50 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps
• 70 lbs, 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• plie squats
• 70 lb, 2 sets of 15
  
• squats
• 70 lbs, 2 sets 0f 10
  
• bend over things with bar
• 2 sets of 15 reps
  
• 10 minutes on elliptical

The place smelled funny; I smelled funny; we all smelled funny. It was not a pleasant workout. The mirror is a funhouse type mirror that distorts you so much you really have no clue what you're doing. My right knee is still giving me a bit of trouble too. I think it's because of my right foot issue, which has now extended to my right knee. Wah. Not being able to really see what I'm doing in the mirror doesn't help the issue.

Overall, I am not happy with my leg workout, but with the Flying Pig this coming weekend, I won't be doing any more weight stuff with my legs. Tomorrow I'll run.

Today's plan:

SQUATS

Does carrying Lo while hiking count

as an upper body workout?

Went for a bit of a walk on the trails - nothing too difficult - but decided to bring Lo, who was a real trooper. She would have walked for miles and miles, but I picked her up at certain points just because I imagined she was getting tired...even though she didn't indicate that. I tend to watch her tail as an indicator of her mood. It was up and wagging while walking, so usually that means she's good. Once it starts to droop, it means she's tired.

So I suppose I worked out a bit today. Tomorrow I'll probably do a leg workout at Urban Active.

Hiking today?

I think I may go for a hike today...just somewhere local where I can wander for a bit.
Would be terrible to waste this gorgeous day by staying indoors and cleaning, which is what I'm doing now.

The results are in...

Click on the link in the title to see the list, but here are my stats:

98 8/32 Marianne 31/313 Middletown 34 26:07 8:25
That time seems a bit slower than what it showed when I came under the banner (26:06... oh well)

and YET AGAIN a darn CLYDESDALE finishes ahead of me (See the 50 year old who is two places ahead of me).

It's like Noodle is somehow running 10 seconds ahead of me at every race! That's my NIGHTMARE.

But I KNOW Dr. Huffinpuff would need binoculars to see my BACK during a race. And he KNOWS any time he wants to try to bring it, I'll kick his slow rear back to Tennessee.

Riding Levi's wheel

Trent Lowe stays in yellow, I believe. Just saw the end of the stage. Levi couldn't shake Lowe despite a few accelerations. The last 1km hit 25% grade, which is just brutal. I can't imagine cycling that sort of ascent.
Sorry, Levi, that you didn't get your stage win nor the yellow jersey, but maybe if you were a tad less boring a cyclist, I could root more enthusiastically for you. You had two teammates with you; Lowe had none. You still couldn't ride him off your wheel. Bah!

22% and Levi

Watching the end of Brasstown stage... of course, Levi is in the lead. Snooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooze.

16:50!!!!!

at the 2 mile mark....Fooled ya.....

My time - according to what I saw on the clock - is about 26:06. Not bad.

Overall, I had a decent run, and I was definitely struggling at points. I looked like Dr. Huffinpuff at the end of the race....for a moment.

The run was out of the Centerville HS parking lot and into a neighborhood. The roads were decent and I tried to stay in the middle just to stay on a flat surface. It was rolling with no significant hills. The weather was good for running - cool and with a slight breeze to start, but once you are running, you are very warm.

There were a lot of folks - about 650. I always seem to run alone though. I did see another Clydesdale a bit ahead of me. Not sure if he finished ahead of me though. There were some pretty well built guys running near me. I kept trading positions with this one guy; I'm reasonably certain I beat him in the end. For much of the race I was running behind a gaggle of highschool girls (at least they looked that young to me). I'll be curious to see how I placed.

Well I may write more about the run later but I'll end this now.