Humpback - Summary of the Last Few Days on a Wednesday

Another Wednesday, and another successful day of exercise. Though the right knee still reminds me that I have to "take it easy" and "watch it" and "run less than you think you should", I cannot help but delude myself into thinking that all the weight training that I am subjecting myself to will ultimately shut that sucker up for good.

Case in point, for the past few days I have been feeling, and this is a poor description to be sure, somehow "properly packaged". Not almost any piece of cheap ass electronics that come in those impossible to open, never to disintegrate, clear, hard plastic, "g'damn it why won't you open without a chainsaw!!!" coverings, but rather like everything is starting to work the way it was intended to.

I had a great run last Saturday where I went way faster than I should have, but those 8.25km felt so very good, easily the best run of the year. I really felt like keeping going, but remembered that my body has a nasty way of slowing me down if I don't stick to the conservative plan and so I stopped, happy that I still had energy to spare.

Then, skiing on Sunday was fun and it was just cool to take things easy and not worry about "getting a workout", something I suffer from both in self-imposed guilt as well as physical injury. 12km on the trails with my better half while the kids were taking their lessons.

Monday I had a great leg workout at the gym (things are starting to feel like they are getting stronger, and I actually look forward to doing squats!). In the evening I rode the stationary bike for a half-hour to finish off the day.

Tuesday saw me doing more weights, this time of the upper body variety, and running on the treadmill, where I completed just over 6km holding a nice steady 6.5mph pace even though I had a huge urge to try and match the 7.0mph setting of the guy running next to me. The fact that I didn't inch my speed up to that level shows a level of maturity that surprised me. Am I actually getting smarter, or just old, lazy and complacent? Either way, I was proud to have held back. It also helped that my would be adversary had to stop and stretch out his obviously shitty hamstring at one point before making a failed attempt to resume his run. Ha!

Today was another walk to work, run home day. I walked just over 6km to the office after dropping of the boys at the school bus. I attempted to maintain a decent clip, though I was slowed down by the snow that had fallen overnight, making traction a real problem the entire way. At lunchtime I once again hit the gym for upper body weights and had a good time of it. I am even beginning to like doing ab exercises as I am really seeing progress. Now if only I could limit my intake of highly processed, and ultimately useless, carbs that six-pack of my swimming youth days may actually make a cameo. It's tough giving up sweets for me...

...because they're soooooooo sweet.

The run home from work was pretty good, all things considered. It took a while for the Garmin to locate satellites, which is always annoying, but once the watch was ready I took off at a slow and steady pace towards Owen's school. The snow from the morning, which had made walking a bit tricky, seemed to be completely gone and I was quite pleased with this until I hit the Viaduct and was faced with a slippery, slushy mess. For the entire second half of the run I had to contend with slush, snow, ice and all three combined. This made the run more of a challenge than it otherwise would have been, but I made it through OK, a bit overheated. In the end I completed a decent 8km, changed into a dry shirt at the school, and walked home without freezing my ass off too badly. Some stretching later this evening is definitely in order...

A Little More Treadmill

I went to the gym again at lunchtime and ran a nice and easy 5km on the treadmill. This being the day after my first leg workout, and with my hamstrings feeling a bit sore, I figured it was better to stay really conservative. So I set the speed at 6.2mph and ran for 30 minutes. I felt pretty good, all things considered, and I look forward to walking to work and running home tomorrow.

After the treadmill I did some upper body weights, again really easy and light because I don't wish to be too sore, or worse, in the first week back at weight training. The routine was pretty easy:

• Bench Press 2X15 95lbs
• Seated Rows 2X15 80lbs
• Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press 15-12 20lbs
• Dumbbell Biceps Curls 15-12 25lbs
• Cable Triceps Extensions 2X15 40lbs
• Captain's Chair 2X25

That is all...

Another Full Weekend

Whew! What a weekend.

Saturday: two Birthday parties to attend, one by each loin fruit. Then baseball practice for Owen. Before that I ran 9.1km to complete the week at a total of 27km. Slowly, but surely...

Sunday: Off early to cross country ski, where I managed 13km adult style, and another 2.1km with Owen after lunch (total of 15.1km of skiing, at is was fun!). We definitely were tuckered out when we got home. I spent the evening cleaning dishes, washing kids, folding laundry, and watching the Jets pull off a great upset over the Chargers. Here's hoping they can do it again next week.

Today I went to the gym to do my first leg strengthening session. It was light, short, and I got through it without too much trouble. The routine went like this:

• Crunches 2X50
• Captain's Chair 2X25
• Dead lifts 2X15 (20lbs dumbbells)
• Leg Extensions 2X15 (20lbs, 30lbs)
• Squats 2X15 (10lbs per side, on the Smith Machine because the squat rack was being used)
• Calf Raises 2X15 (75lbs)
• Adductor thingy (1X25)

I really hope that this will eventually lead to complete recovery of my ongoing patellar tendinitis. My right leg is definitely weaker than my left, and that explains the problem I suspect. In fact, I measured the circumference of my legs and my left is almost an inch bigger than my right! Today was the first step towards balancing that out. I'd love to be able to do one-legged squats someday...

This evening I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes and called it a day. I'm not even sure why I still ride the stationary bike on days when I don't run, seeing as I bike 20-25 minutes each way to and from work, but it seems like the right thing to do somehow. I don't count commuting as part of my fitness regimen, though I suspect it does help a little bit.

Tomorrow I am probably going to hit the treadmill for my run unless the weather is really nice. If it is nice I will instead do some upper body weights. That's the plan, anyway...

Back in the Gym

After my regular lunchtime swim, where I managed another 2000m in 30 minutes (doesn't seem like I'm getting any faster yet...) I went to see the doc for another treatment. While there I brought up the whole shoe issue, and my suspicions that the current NB 1062's I've been wearing might be the cause of my foot problems. After a bit of a discussion, and a close look at the shoes I was wearing (not my running shoes since I neglected to bring them with me) it seems I might be looking for runners that offer good cushioning and some stability to support my arches. I guess that's what I will be looking for, starting this Saturday when I visit a great running store in Markham called Running Free. Apparently they really know their stuff, and I will spend as much time and try on as many shoes as possible to come up with something that will hopefully work out in the long term.

Tonight I managed to get back in the gym for some light weights. I feel pretty weak, having missed a few weeks, and I'm sure the candy I've been consuming during and post Halloween is not helping matters either. I took it real easy...

• Crunches 50-40-30-20-10
• Bench Press 12-12 115lbs
• Seated Rows 12-12 100lbs
• Lateral Flys 15-15 15lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 12-12 115lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-12 25lbs
• Triceps Extensions 15-15 50lbs

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Before I get to my day, doctor and all, I just want to report that I have slain the beast Microsoft! After three days of hell, I have worked out all the technical obstacles that Bill Gates has set in my way, like a mean father who moves around the furniture and waits in the dark until you come home past curfew and bash yourself all over the place... If anyone ever needs help embedding multiple audio clips, sent to you in a myriad of formats, into a PowerPoint presentation so that the whole damned .ppt file actually includes audio, just let me know... I will save you much stress.

Now, I get a glass of scotch and continue. (Sorry FrayedLaces, but my abstinence did not account for Microsloth issues...)

OK, big swig later, and ready to blog...

The doctor checked me out, poked and prodded, watched me walk, and stand on my toes. The verdict: plantar fasciitis, but not a bad case all things considered. Apparently it all goes back to my g'damn hips! Man, everything seems to go back to my hip flexors and weak ass muscles. In short, my range of motion in the hip and pelvic area has forced my body to adapt and push off too much from the big toe on my right foot. The big toe was overworked, and as a result inflamed my plantar fascia. I will have another treatment tomorrow, and a few next week leading into the race and then things should be Happy McHapsHaps...

I managed a lunchtime swim today as well. 2000m in 30:55, and my arms felt like lead. I must admit that at the 500m mark I was having real trouble convincing myself that it was possible to not stop for another 1500m, but I persevered. My arms are likely tired because I've taken to doing sets of 30 push ups every evening: my own 100 push up challenge so to speak...

Tonight, after getting home and getting dinner started, I even managed a short weight workout. My wife had somewhere else to be at 7:30, so that didn't leave me much time, but I managed a decent quickie anyway. I didn't get any abs in, but I will maybe try to get some crunches done later on...

• Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs
• Chin Ups 8-6-5-4
• Dumbell Military Press 12-12 40lbs
• Biceps Curls 12-12 60lbs
• Triceps Extensions 12-12 60lbs

The postmortem - It's Aaallllllllll Good!

Yes, the day after I really pushed myself in the 5k and everything seems good. The knee feels great, the ankle is good, and I am rejuvenated to continue with my training as I head towards my first ever running race on October 26th. Also, a big Thanks! to all the folks that left comments on my last post - for the first time I hit double digits in comments! Your encouragement is very much appreciated. A special thank you for the sobering comment from Beachrunner who said "You never learn. LOL" - It's true man, but I try, and fully intend to slow down my runs heading into the race as I slowly continue to up the mileage. I know, Yoda says, "Do or Do Not. There is no Try.", but he's just a freakin' character in some movie based on Spaceballs, so what does he know anyway? I mean, am I really supposed to listen to THIS:


One word: toothbrush. OK two words: toothbrush, hat. And dude, whatever it is you are smoking, you had too much! Watch this for proof, though I have no idea what the images have to do with the skit, which I think was made for radio.

By the time the Niagara Falls 10k starts I will be so jumpy and ready to run fast who knows what will happen. May the Shwartz be with me!

Today was another lunchtime swim, and I was a bit more fatigued than normal. I still completed the first 1500m at my usual pace, finishing 22:54. Then a 300m cool down, for a total of 1800m in about 28 minutes, and I was out. On the way back to the office, as I was totally starving, I decided to hit up this great little Thai takeout that I frequent when I forget to bring my own lunch. Alas, the place was closed! Plan B was good too, probably the best Shwarma in the city, but I wanted more food. The Shwarma is huge by Shwarma standards, but the Thai place lets you load up a container with whatever you want, buffet style, as long as the container can still close. Oh well, next time...

Tonight I squeezed in a short workout at the gym. Not very inspired, and in fact I feel a little worn out, so I just did some light weights and got the hell out of there. Looking forward to the off day tomorrow, and I am alone with the boys for the evening so it should be a fun movie night for the three of us.

Details:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• HS Chest Press 20-20 85lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 20-20 100lbs
• Dumbell Shoulder Press 16-16 25lbs
• Seated Rows 20-20 85lbs
• Biceps Curls 18-18 45lbs
• Triceps Extensions 25-25 40lbs

Wet Wet Wet Wet Wet and a Big Rookie Mistake Bummer

This morning I biked with Owen over to his school for his regular 8am cross-country running practice. The grey clouds in the sky looked like they would hold off until mid morning, so I figured Owen would have a good workout outdoors instead of in the gym, and I'd get to work dry, ready for my all-day meeting. Instead, not two minutes after I left his school the sky started pissing on me hard! I stopped and pulled on my rain pants, but I did not have the right footwear. By the time I got to work my feet were totally soaked. Damn Damn Damn! Didn't bring extra socks...

Oh well, that's what you get when you bike to work I guess... I sat through the morning meeting with wet socks in dress shoes, and that just felt so lovely I can't even begin to explain how happy it made me...

At least the weather cooperated on my way to the pool at lunch time as it was no longer raining. I got there a little late since the meeting went well past it's scheduled lunch break time, and the lanes were clogged with swimmers. I vented on this subject before, so I won't do it again here. I jumped in and was ready for an uninterrupted 1500m, navigating others of course.

The swim was fine even though I had to stop a couple of times when I was hampered in my efforts to pass others. I completed the 1500m in 22:20 and then did another 300m to bring the total to 1800m in about 27 minutes. Then, got out, got dry, got wet socks back on, got on bike, got back workin'...

At the end of the workday, my marathon running manager said that he'd registered his family for the October 18th Zoorun and that he would use the 10k as a warm up for his marathon at Niagara Falls the following week. Excited by the news I went online to finally register myself for the event, and was totally bummed out to find that the event was SOLD OUT!!! Man! I'd been so looking forward to running this event, and made a rookie mistake by not registering early. I was overly cautious with the ankle and knee and didn't want to commit to something until I was more sure that my body would allow me to race. Won't do THAT again...

So, now I had to find a backup plan. The Niagara Falls race looked interesting, and it would be cool to see someone I know run the marathon. So tonight I registered myself and my wife for the 10k race on October 26th! I have no idea how this will work out, where we'll stay the night before, who will look after the boys, or anything else really, but I don't care! I'm going to race!!!

And, of course, I had to rework the training plan a bit.

Prior to the above Internet magic I managed some weights at the gym. It was fun.

• 10 minutes stationary bike warm up
• Chin Ups 8-7-5-4
• Incline Bench Press 12-12-12 115lbs
• Dumbell Rows 12-12 40lbs
• Lateral Dumbell Flys 12-12 20lbs
• Seated Dumbel Biceps Curls 12-12 30lbs
• Dumbell Triceps Extensions 12-12 20lbs
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50

Another Day Gone Swimmingly

Work has been a little nuts as we prepare for a major network migration, and I am the lead for the project so stress, stress, stress... That wasn't going to keep me from my lunchtime swim, though I probably should have stayed back and monitored the situation. What's 45 minutes, I figured? In the end that won't make any difference.

Today I swam 1500m straight in about 22 minutes, once again maintaining a 1:30/100m pace. It was a bit harder than on Tuesday mostly because my shoulders were tired. I then managed another 200m warm down for a total of 1700m in about 26 minutes, then got back on the bike as fast as I could and headed back to the office and the myriad of messages, both voice and electronic, that awaited me there.

On the ankle front, I am quite pleased with how this gimpy appendage feels today. I certainly expected more pain, but it seems to be holding up well. I think if things continue like this I will be able to get that 10k run in on Saturday morning! I have been slowly adding one kilometre per week since the beginning of August to get to this point and feel like 10k is a great milestone. I would like to keep adding onto the distance until I am running my longest in the 15k range, but that depends on how the body responds. This winter the theme will be getting the legs stronger so that next spring I can avoid as much of the nagging aches and pains that I think are attributable to my relative weaknesses in this area. For now, I am happy with how things are progressing and keep telling myself to hold back.

Saturday, I will be taking Owen to Ashbridges Bay Park so that he can run the cross-country course that he will be competing on with his school in a couple of weeks. This is a great idea by the kids' coach, who will be there to help them (and us parents) out. I will have to get my run in pretty early, or in the afternoon should I sleep in too late. In any case, this should be fun for all, and perhaps I will be introduced to another good running spot.

Lastly, you may have noticed a subtle change to my stated goal at the top of this blog. I have changed "to get back in shape" to "to become a runner". I feel like I am in pretty good shape now, having sustained a good routine of at least three workouts per week since last January, shedding about 20lbs of useless flab in the process, and feel like I have reached this first goal. Now I have my sights set on something else, to achieve enough proficiency in running to call myself a runner.

Tonight, another weights routine awaits. Until then, keep your sticks on the ice!

The weights update:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs
• HS Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Dumbell Shoulder Press 12-12 40lbs
• Chin Ups 5-4-3-2-1 (yikes!)
• Biceps Curls 12-12 60lbs
• Triceps Kickbacks 12-12 15lbs
• Captain Chair Crunches 20-20-20-20 (WTF!!! These kicked my ass!)

And Thanks Marcy for your comment - You are too kind!

Stopping is for the weak!

As my muscle stiffness finally begins to dissipate I am faced with a question about training that, in one shape or another, has been on my mind for years. Ever since I was a skinny kid starting out in competitive swimming, and especially after tasting some success, I have equated training with muscle pain. In fact, I cannot break out of this mold and feel like I somehow am getting cheated if I DON'T feel some pain. Looking back on the past nine months while on my quest to get back into shape, I realize that this may be the number one reason why I bounce from one injury to another like a pinball. The ankle will always be a maintenance project, but since January I've had a variety of ailments, all due to over training and none of the acute kind. Is it possible to break out of this cycle of torture? Will I ever get to the point where I am satisfied with just going out for a long, slow jog arriving back home not completely exhausted?

Case in point, today I made it to another lunchtime swim. This is the start of my third week of swimming, so I am not anywhere near in swimming shape (nor do I delude myself that I ever will reach swimming shape with two short swims per week). In fact, I am slightly embarrassed at how slow I am because the training and racing times I used to be able to do are still etched in my head and I compare myself against these. But I digress...

Today I decided to try and swim longer before having to stop and take a short break. So I jumped in and off I went hoping to reach 600m before "adjusting my goggles" (a clear sign of weakness, like a gimpy leg on an adolescent zebra being stalked by a lioness). The first week I only managed 300m and then my shoulders were burning - mission accomplished from a training perspective, though slightly emasculating. This time I was quite happily swimming not too fast, lost in my thoughts, when I decided to check my time while executing a flip turn at the 500m mark - 7:30, which translated to 1:30/100m splits (for competitive swimmers this is exceedingly slow, at best a warm up pace, but for me this was a clear challenge!). By now my shoulders were starting to feel the burn, but the splits made my brain believe that I wasn't working out hard enough, and so I did not stop at 600m, or 700m, or 800m, or... You get the picture.

Upon reaching 1600m I ran out of time and had to get back to the office, "saved by the bell" or I might have gone for a nice round number like 2000m, or more, and ended with biceps tendinitis.
Anyway, I am just wondering if anyone else out there suffers from this "not getting my money's worth" syndrome when training? I simply can't hold back as much as I plan to. Is it possible that I am not as mature as I think I am? (My wife is not allowed to respond to that question!)

For good measure I plan on doing some weights tonight as well; you know, I've once again grown fond of muscle pain...

Dryer Vent Update:

And oh yeah! We also figured out why the fruits-of-me-loin were pouring water down the neighbour's dryer vent hole!!! In their infinite wisdom, they were simply trying to wash out (cover up) the huge amounts of grass clippings that they had stuffed down said hole earlier in the day! Ahhhh... Can a Dad be any more proud? Well done, you freakin' kids! But the huge wad of grass that came back up the pipe once the neighbour started her dryer kind of gave it all away... At least the dryer seems to be working, for now.


Tonight's weights:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• Incline Dumbell Bench Press 10-10-10 55lbs
• Seated Rows 10-10-10 140lbs
• Dumbell Shoulder Press 10-10 40lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 8-8 145lbs
• Biceps Curls 10-10 65lbs 10 45lbs
• Dips 12-12
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50

Managing Expectations, Swimming, and Ankle Issues

My current ankle ailment has forced me to re-evaluate my running expectations. Looking back, I was sidelined for two years, unable to do any load bearing exercise while waiting for surgery. Then, I took things into my own hands and started to diligently stretch and strengthen the ankle to a point where I though doing a little bit of jogging was reasonable. As I continued to improve and my mileage increased I became more and more addicted to running, and over the past month have really pushed myself. In retrospect, the ankle flaring up should not have come as a surprise. I am still very disappointed and hope that I recover fast enough to make that 10k race on October 18th, but have also resigned to try (and this will take some effort) to be more realistic as far as expectations go. I am not wired to hold back and be happy with just the bare minimum, and I lost sight of the ultimate goal: the potential for playing sports with my sons as they grow up. Instead I started to think about how fast I could run. What a joke - I'm a swimmer not a runner, and should have known better...

On the swimming front I managed another lunchtime outing today: 1500 metres done in 500-400-300-200-100 sets with 30 seconds or so rest in between. All free, no kick. The weird part was getting hand cramps near the end! I haven't felt those since my swimming days, and then only when we had long sculling sets. I am really enjoying these lunchtime swims these days, in particular given that I have to stay off the ankle right now. On that front, the pain is not exactly getting better. I sure hope that I start to feel like it's healing soon or I will begin to worry about stress fracture issues, and those take a long time to fix.

Tonight the plan is to get back to the gym for a short weight workout as per usual. It's going to be tough getting this done since my wife has a meeting for this years Beavers (little scouts, for my 6 year-old) and those last somewhere in the waaaayyyy too long range (ie. 7-9pm +). If I get it in I will try and remember to update this post (for my reference, I realize nobody else is interested in how much weight I can lift...)

Now, back to another icing session!

Weights tonight:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-12 55lbs
• HS Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Military Press 10-10 105lbs
• Lap Pulldowns 10-10 140lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-12 30lbs
• Triceps Extensions 12-12 60lbs
• Captains Chair Abs 30-30

That's all I had time for tonight...

Also, thank you for the kind comments on this post. It certainly helps to put perspective on the ups and downs on training.

A Little Swim, a Smidgen of Weights, with a Dash of Bike Accident

Got into the pool just as it opened up today so I was free and clear of any crowds for at least the first part. I managed 1500m, of which 400 was kick, in about 25 minutes and then had to get back to the office. I really like having all my stuff inside a locker at the gym - just remember my student card and keys, jump on the bike, and off I go! Easy.

Weighed myself again while there and the scale stopped at a more reasonable 190.25lbs. I guess my previous trip to the scale at the pool was ultra light because I was uber-hungry.

However, my day took a bit of a downturn on the way home. Somehow I managed to hit an invisible pothole just around the corner from my younger one's school and I went right over the handlebars of my bike, sprawled onto the asphalt. I must admit that the only thing that ran through my mind as it was happening was whether or not I'd be able to make my run on Saturday, which I guess means I am bordering on obsessive or something. Anyway, I managed to walk away with some bruises on both knees and my left wrist, as well as some skinned knuckles. (How the hell did I land to get skinned knuckles, anyway?) My bike was not as fortunate and I had some repairs to get to once I did manage to hobble home, son in tow.

I didn't feel like it, but managed another weight workout despite feeling like I'd been punched repeatedly. I wasn't too sure how the left wrist would hold up and my shoulders felt really tired from the swimming so I decided to go light and play it by ear. In the end it was a largely uninspired workout...

Details:

• 10 minute warm up on stationary bike
• Incline Bench Press 10-10-10 115lbs
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50
• Seated Rows 10-10-10 140lbs
• Lateral Shoulder Flys 12-12 20lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 10-10 30lbs
• Rope Triceps Extensions 12-12 40lbs

Tomorrow is another off day, then I will tackle a fast (10k pace or so) 9k on Saturday morning. I have decided to modify my training plan slightly and have put the "tempo" type runs on Saturdays and the "LSD" type runs on Mondays. I figure since the race I am preparing for is on a Saturday morning my body will be better prepared if I push it on the same day of the week. Does this make sense? All the books I've been reading say the weekend run should be the LSD, but races are ALWAYS on weekends. I don't get it. Is it simply that these authors assume people don't have time mid-week for a long slow run? Maybe those plans are specific to marathon training and not for something short like a 10k.

Swimming Again, and Wasting Away

I managed my first lunchtime swim finally, and it was a bit tougher than I'd anticipated. The cardio was fine, but my shoulders are definitely not used to this and they were the first to feel the burn. I didn't have too much time since a morning meeting went a little late, and then I had to take about ten minutes to select and buy a pair of goggles (mine are packed away somewhere in a box still from the move last May). Once I got my stuff in the locker and was ready to go it only left me about 20 minutes to swim. I managed 1200m, of which 400 was kick. Man, I'm slow!

Vent: I will only mention this here and try my best to never bring it up again, but why do slow-ass people choose the FAST lane and then get the hell in my way??? There were like 2 people in the MEDIUM lane, and one in the SLOW lane! (I considered moving over, but didn't want to piss those people off.) Not only are these folks slow, they swim wide with inflexible arms that flail away like seagulls fighting over day old bread, giving the lane rope the widest berth possible for touching it would be disastrous, and pushing off the wall to do yet another slow-assed lap right as I am ready to flip turn and keep going on my merry way!!!! The lifeguards ignored the whole flailing arms thing of one guy who I'd have pulled out cuz he was struggling mightily at one point - it wasn't my wake that made him choke, BTW, but I almost wish it had been... then again, maybe it was, maybe it was...

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

OK, that's enough of that. Perhaps it's just that there are too many keeners out there starting out a new semester with visions of attaining athletic physiques or something to that effect. I suspect many will drop out and return to their sedentary lives... One can at least dream, right?

On the wasting away bit, I weighed myself at the UofT gym on what I can only assume is an accurate scale - very big, very digital. As the machine was flipping numbers, slowly coming to equilibrium, I had a sick feeling that I was all of a sudden way lighter than I'd ever expected to be. Sure enough, the number shot out at me like a slap in the face:



188.5 lbs!


What the hell! Now I have to be worried about not eating enough rather than eating too much. My strength at the gym has not diminished so I figure that muscle mass is not the issue, but I can't believe I had that much fat to lose. Anyway, I'll have to monitor this a little bit and hope that it stabilizes because, if it doesn't, it won't be long before I start resembling a drought victim! Perhaps the scale IS wrong???

So, tonight I went off to the gym to do my usual routine, and also to test the scale there. This time with shoes, shorts and a t-shirt, as well as two large hamburgers in my belly, I topped the scale 192.5lbs. I guess I can average the two and come out at around 190.5lbs or so, which is still much lower than my target weight of 195lbs. I don't know what to make of this, but I'm beginning to suspect that my goal was set more with what I remember to be a good weight for me and not taking into account all this running. Anyway, I still feel OK, but I don't think I should be getting any lighter - you know, what with winter coming and all...

Details:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50
• Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-12 55lbs
• One Arm Dumbell Rows 12-12-12 40lbs
• Dumbell Military Press 12-10 40lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 8-8 145lbs
• Biceps Curls 12-10 65lbs
• Rope Triceps Extensions 12-12 40lbs

Physio Knows Best, and Weights

So, I got the verdict from the physio and luckily the recipe does not call for a halt to running, at least not just yet. It would seem that I have two major issues that I have to work on, and both will take a bit of time to correct. In fact, I will be working on these forever I suspect! The first is weak muscles in the hips and ass area. (My wife has told me that she will no longer call me "Jackass" or "Dumbass", but rather "Weakass". Can you feel the love?) I have several exercises to perform daily to try and correct this assue. One of the exercises is particularly fun as my butt cramps up after about three seconds, and I'm supposed to hold it for sets of 15!

The other issue is inflexible ankles - very little dorsiflexion (lifting foot up towards shin) leading to an inability to absorb shock properly, which gets sent to the next joint up the chain, the knee. This is the problem that will be hard to fix since I am genetically built with little ankle flexibility in this direction. As such, I will be building a special contraption made of plywood this weekend to help in stretching out this area. When this project comes to fruition I will post some pics for your viewing pleasure...

The other thing that is kind of fun are these things:


Yes, that's right: Prickly Boobs! I am to stand on these things in a variety of ways performing several exercises in an effort to improve the sensitivity of my feet, or something to that effect. They are supposed to be somewhat excruciating (well, maybe that's a strong word, but they hurt the physio when she was showing me the moves) for most people to stand on, but for me they are a pleasant sensation, which is why I am supposed to "activate" the sensory thingamajigs on the bottoms of my feet. Don't understand how this will help the knee, but it should help the ankles and feet. Plus, I can wear them at Halloween!

So, I can keep running as long as my knee pain does not get worse or start to last throughout the entire run. The physio also showed me how to tape the knee in case I was interested in relieving the pain entirely while running. I am considering this, but am afraid to do more damage while pushing myself too much when not feeling the usual knee pain. We'll see if I use this taping thing, but for the moment I choose not to. At least my quads are OK and my IT band is plenty flexible, and this shocked the hell out of the physio! I like to do that whenever I can.

Did some weights tonight. Nothing too much different from the regular routine. I will be starting swimming next week, and have rented a locker at the athletic centre to store my stuff in. Now I will have no excuse to miss it once it becomes more of a chore than a novelty.

Details:

• 10 minute warm up on stationary bike
• Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs
• Seated Rows 10-10-10 140lbs
• Military Press 10-10 105lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 10-10 145lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-12 30lbs
• Dips 12-12
• Hip Adductor Machine 15-15 130lbs (this one proved the ass weakness for sure)
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50

Oh yeah, one last note. I weighed myself again: 194lbs! I'm wasting away! A couple more pounds and I'll have to hit the DQ for a Blizzard treat - YES!

Injury Treatment Pending, Weights Later

I made the plunge and called my physio to see if she'd take a look at my lingering knee issue. As it happens, today is her first day back after Beijing, where she was as part of the Canadian Rowing team. My appointment is on Thursday, and I hope that she does NOT force me to take time off... I think I need to stregthen and stretch some stuff, but need guidance from a pro.

The UofT athletic centre is open again, my tuition is paid, and I will be starting swimming next week! Can't wait, not only because I (for the first time since my competitive days) am actually looking forward to swimming, but also because this will take some stress off the knee. I just hope I can fit it all in between my last course, family, etc... Should be doable, if that's a word.

I am heading to the gym for my usual weights tonight, but am posting now in anticipation of a busy evening what with the kids having finished their first day of school, the spouse planning a gym visit as well, and me being more tired than usual given that my bedtime last night was still on vacation mode it is unlikely I'll be up for computer shtuff after working out. Sad, but true...

Lastly, the New Balance 1062's I bought last week are working out great. They have more shock absorption than my Asics Cumulus 9's, though I would have loved to try out the Asics Nimbus 10's. The 12.5 foot size is a pain in the ass though, and NB are the only store in town that stocks it, so Asics (if you are reading this) you've lost a long-time customer.

Now, back to work!

Weights details:

• 10 minute warmup on stationary bike
• Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-10 55lbs
• HS Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Dumbell Shoulder Press 12-10 40lbs
• HS Lat Pulldown 10-10 160lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-10 30lbs
• Triceps Extensions 12-12 60lbs
• Ab Crunch Machine 15-15-15 125lbs

Vacation Report, Running Barefoot

So, as expected our short vacation in Prince Edward County was great, and wireless internet was not to be had. The place we were staying, having advertised "high speed wireless internet", was anything but ready to supply this convenience. The guy at the front desk seemed a bit put out when I asked him about logging on, and mumbling something about having problems with their service gave me the pass phrase for the wireless network for a Bed and Breakfast three doors over. The pilfered connection was not strong enough and so internet access was none...

Anyway, we had a great time on this short getaway. What with graduate degrees and such vacation days have been hard to come by, so our vacations seem to always be way too short and way too cheap. They are always fun though. Here are some pics of the place:

I'll spare you the requisite pictures of the kids frolicking in the sand and water, and the wife looking displeased that I am taking her picture... So domestic.

On the running front: We drove up on Tuesday and so the usual weights that I would have done that day were off, as they would be on Thursday. I did manage to get a run in on Wednesday. It was along the beach, barefoot! A nice easy 5km, with entertainment to boot: After about a kilometer and a half I came across an old man sitting cross-legged and completely nude. Before I could avert my eyes I'd seen too much, and was left with the thought that I'd have to pass him again on the way back. The beach then became rocky and I was distracted with the job of dodging rocks so as to prevent extra injury. In this mode I continued down the beach, running sometimes on any softer parts I could find and sometimes in the shallow water, and was quite content until I came across something that made the Jabba the Hut impersonator seem tame in comparison.

For the record, I am not at all passing judgement here and feel that if you are not hurting anyone do whatever the hell you like. However, on a public beach at least pay attention to who is coming towards you!!! The three gay guys engaged in an orgy were obviously too occupied to see me bumbling along, and I too occupied with dodging rocks, that we were not aware of each others presence until the very last moment. I mumbled something like "sorry" (for what I don't really know) and they "disengaged", for want of a better word and lunged for towels...

So, I still had another kilometre to go before my turnaround point, and now I had to face these three and Mr. Nude on my return path... Not to mention the rocks. My worries were unwarranted as the gay guys were well behaved as I ran past, and the nude Father Time was wading into the water about twenty metres out. I completed my run at a leisurely pace and was none the worse for the experience...

Garmin don't lie:



Today we returned early on account of a rainy and overcast day, and I managed a quick workout at the gym. Nothing special, felt weak, had no lunch, blah blah blah...
Tomorrow I up the mileage to 7km. Can't wait! Knee's still lingering, but I am optimistic.

Details:

• 10 minute stationary bike warmup


• Bench Press 12-12-10 135lbs


• Seated Rows 12-10-10 120lbs-140lbs-140lbs


• Military Press 12-12 95lbs


• Lat Pulldowns 10-10 145lbs


• Biceps Curls 12-10 65lbs


• Dips 12-12


• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50

Weigh in: 195lbs!!! Not sure if this was because of the lunch I missed eating, or something else. I certainly did not maintain a great diet while on vacation... Anyway, this is how much I weighed when I started my current desk job, and now have lopped off about 16lbs since the beginning of the year when I was at my all-time heaviest.

Designing a Training Plan, and Weights

Having designed a training plan for myself as I prep for my first 10k race on October 18th, I decided to read a little bit to make sure I am not making any serious mistakes. So, I am reading Run Less Run Faster right now, and it seems that my plan is very similar to what they recommend in this book. This validates my approach to some extent, and although I am starting off really easy compared to what the book recommends (on account of the knee and the lack of base mileage) I think I will be able to run an ok 10k by race day. One surprise to me from this book is the acknowledgement that runners tend to avoid weight training because they fear it might bulk them up. Is this true? I lift light weights to stay strong (is that irony???) and not to bulk up, also to maintain a relatively high metabolism now that I am of an age (read 30+) where sitting around at the office leads to extra pounds on the carriage. Anyway, good book, not great. Worth browsing at the store or borrowing from the library, especially for us beginner types.

One thing I learned from my intervals of yesterday - I have a loooooooooooong way to go!!! This certainly puts fast runners like Lifestrides and Nitmos in perspective; "Too much! Too much F'ing perspective." - David St. Hubbins.

Got a short weight workout in tonight since I am going out for some beerverages with a friend I haven't seen in far too long. Feeling some ill effects of yesterday's intervals in the right (aka "wonky") ankle - achilles tendon is more tender than it should be. This tells me that it's really time to get new shoes, which I will hopefully manage to check out tomorrow night.

Details:

• 10 minute stationary bike warmup
• Dumbell Bench Press 15-10-10 50lbs,60lbs
• Hammer Strength Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Dumbell Military Press 12-10 40lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 10-8 145lbs (this was harder than it should have been)
• Dumbell Alternating Biceps Curls 10-10 60lbs
• Triceps Kickbacks 12-12 15lbs (on the first rep my right tri cramped like a s.o.b.!)
• Ab Machine 15-15-15 125lbs

Weight check: holding steady at 196lbs.

Now off to the bar!!! (Tomorrow's weigh in prediction? ... I don't think so!)

Allergic to Weights

Ragweed... The season has started with vengeance. I was not a happy camper today, but sat through a full day of meetings going through a forest's worth of tissues, making people nervous... That part was ok, but the allergies suck.

After getting home I was going to take a shower, but felt that I should at least have some athletic reason for doing that, so I headed for the gym. The workout was not inspired and I felt both tired and weak, a combo that can easily lead to injury for us accident prone types. Happy to report that I did not get injured, but given that I opened the door, the knee is still feeling less than ok. It's a bit of a catch-22 - I have weak quads, which most likely is the root of the problem, but can't strengthen them too much because of the friggin' knee...

Oh yeah, I forgot to report on the book. I finished The Perfect Mile on the weekend and the accolades were well deserved. If my knee wasn't an issue I'd be out there running intervals right now!!! Too many highlights to mention, but I especially like the story of Bannister and the Brits, on their way to Vancouver through Montreal, using penny farthings to buy pop in a machine that spat out Canadian change that was worth more than they paid! I know that Canadians have a reputation for being nice, but this is ridiculous!!!

The training plan calls for starting some intervals tomorrow, but I don't think that will be wise. We'll see...

Details:

• 10 minute warmup on stationary bike


• Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs


• Seated Rows 12-12-12 120lbs


• Military Press 12-12 95lbs


• Lat Pulldowns 10-10 145lbs


• Biceps Curls 10-10 65lbs


• Dips 12-12


• Bicycle Crunches 50-50


• Ab Machine 15-15 125lbs

Short Weights & Too Flexible?

Tonight I squeezed in a short workout at the gym, again skipping the running for yet another day. I am mulling over more and more seriously running a 10k race on October 18th, and as such have been devising a preparation program that will (hopefully) keep me injury free and able to finish the race is a decent time. Starting this Saturday it will be 9 weeks until the race! I've also gotten my wife interested in the idea of running at the Zoo, so we may do it together. Of course, nothing is for real until we register, and I won't do that until closer to the race since my body is still very much adjusting to running. I have no doubt that I can run a 10k, even now, just concerned that doing so will put me out of commission for a while (knee, ankle, etc.), and that would suck big time! The knee's feeling pretty good, though there is still a hint of pain under the kneecap. The hip flexors are screaming for relief, which they can have for the rest of the night, but that's it.

Is it possible to be TOO flexible? I'm stretching so much, especially because of this knee thing, and I am finding that I can go so far on the quads and hamstrings that I am losing the desired effect. When I stretch my quad, for instance, I feel like I'm stretching more stuff above the hip bone than the quad itself. I think I know how to stretch from years of doing it, but maybe I've forgotten more than I'm willing to admit...

Details:

• 10 minute warmup on stationary bike


• Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs


• HS Rows 12-12-10 180lbs


• Military Press 12-12 95lbs


• Lat Pulldowns 8-8 145lbs


• Biceps Curls 12-12 60lbs


• Dips 12-12


• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50

Total time: 43 minutes, jock free for the most part!

Weights, and Navigating Jocks

Warmed up on a stationary bike for 10 minutes, even though the knee is really starting to feel better I'm holding back. As I ice it I'm trying very hard to NOT run until it is 100% for a couple of days. Also, I want to keep strengthening my hip flexors and quads.

Decent workout tonight, but wayyyyy too many posers at the gym taking up precious space. This MMA craze is sure bringing these guys out of the woodwork. They're loud, they swear, they smell, they "spar", they boast, they brag, they compare, they adjust themselves a lot, but they do very little of what one can actually call working out. But they take over the machines and don't relinquish them for anything!

Here's what I managed to fit in on the machines that were not occupied:

• Hammer Strength Bench Press 12-10-10 110lbs
• Seated Rows 12-12-12 120lbs
• Military Press 12-12 95lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 12-10 140lbs
• Biceps Curls 10-10 65lbs
• Dips 12-12

I plan on doing some ab work tonight while watching the Olympics (though that damned paper is still not finished!!!), but I had to get the hell out of that gym. After I ice... And a glass of Scotch...

Oh yeah, weigh in: 196 1/4 lbs. Dehydration perhaps? I hope not; feelin' good.

Update: Got in 150 bicycle crunches in sets of 50 while watching Phelps manhandle the 200 freestyle world. That guy is the Tiger Woods of swimming. It's a shame that we collectively only care once every four years... But hey, it's swimming and I am not deluded.

Treadmill and Weights

After feeling a built guilty for taking some time off (though it was great to hang out with the boys and M. for the weekend) I got back at it tonight, to a certain degree. Jumped on the treadmill, after walking to the gym 5 minutes, for 20 minutes at 7mph with a 2.0% incline. I walked for 5 afterwards, but during the run I wondered why this short run felt harder than my Sunday run which was at about the same pace but lasted 10 more minutes. Is it the incline? Is it that the treadmill is not accurate?

After the run I did a short weight workout. Felt really weak and tired, yawning constantly, but the amount I was able to push was average for me, weak for the jocks and meatheads.

Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs
Hammer Strength Seated Rows 12-12-12 160lbs
Combo Dumbell Biceps Curls / Military Press 12-10 30lbs (this one kicked my ass!)
One Arm Triceps Extensions 12-12 15lbs
Machine Ab Crunches 12-12-12 125lbs

Total time spent at the gym was 1hr. Any more and it usually starts getting really boring.

On the down side, I weighed myself and am still hovering at the 199lbs. Am I gaining muscle mass? Fat? Do I need a haircut that bad? I am not that concerned, but I do feel like I am carrying a little bit too much weight, especially if I want to train for and run the 10k.

Update: I received an email from MotionBased and have been told that my getting lost run should up uploaded by the end of the week. I'll be able to see just how I got lost, and the kids will have some entertainment. Why oh why do the so enjoy when their dad does stupid things?

Just Some Weights

Got a weight training session in this evening; no cardio though. My ankle has improved through the day, but we'll see how it feels in the morning. As far as weights go, here's the routine:

• Bench Press 10-10-10 135lbs
• Hammer Strength Seated Rows 12-12-12 160lbs
• Combo Dumbell Biceps Curls / Military Press 12-10 30lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 10-10 140lbs
• Lateral Dumbell Flys 12-12 20lbs
• Single Arm Triceps Extensions 12-12 15lbs
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50
• Pec Flys 15-15 145lbs

And that completes the month of July. Other than the injury to the knee/ankle, this was quite a success. I managed 15 workouts in 31 days, which is more than my goal of 3 per week. I didn't check my weight, but I tend to do so infrequently. Maybe I'll start checking at the beginning of each month? Perhaps...

Just Weights

Only weight training tonight on account of the sore knee. Here's the routine (a bit different than usual, just to mix things up):

• Crunches 50-50
• Pushups (wobble board) 20-20-20
• Chest Press (machine) 10-10 105lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 10-10-10 140lbs
• Dumbell Military Press 15-15 30lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 10-10 30lbs
• Rope Triceps Extensions 12-12 40lbs

The scale said 199lbs. Not bad, though a couple pounds heavier than I was a couple of weeks ago. Given that I started at 211lbs back in January, I am doing ok. I have gained muscle mass and lost some flab. I'm aiming for 195lbs and see how I feel. If I still feel too heavy at 195lbs I will try to shed about five more to get to 190lbs to keep as much pressure off the ankle as possible by getting lighter.

I also did some extra stretching, and icing, to try and get this knee back in shape. I'll probably take a couple of Ibuprofen tablets tonight to try and get any inflamation that is there to go down. We'll see how it will feel tomorrow.

Saturday Morning Workout

It was tough to get going this morning, but I was determined to get at least a run in since last night did not happen. I also decided to try and put in some weights as well given how the next few days will work against going to the gym. In any case, I had meant to run on the road, but walked by the gym first to see what time it would open given the weights plan and all. Seeing that it was already open, I chose the treadmill over the pavement to save the old ankle too much pounding too quickly (I was feeling really tight in the calves and didn't want to push it). The details are below:

5 min walk @ 3.5mph
30 min run @ 6.5 mph
5 min walk @ 3.5 mph
(all at 2.0% incline)

High 140's avg HR, over 600 calories burned.

Weights:

Bench Press 12-12-10 135lbs
Hammer Strength Seated Rows 12-12-12 140lbs
Lateral Dumbell Flys 12-12 20lbs
Barbell Biceps Curls 12-12 60lbs

I felt really worn out, so I cut the workout short. I think a couple days off the strength training, as much as I hate it, will actually be a good idea.

Treadmill Run and Weights

Got on the treadmill and had a good run, though it felt much harder than it should have. I guess I am fighting something off, given that my throat hurts and my stomach's been off. Here's what I managed tonight:

5 min walk @ 3.5mph
30 min run @ 6.5 mph
5 min walk @ 3.5 mph
(all at 2.0% incline)

My HR average was 147, though most of the run it was about 160. Over 600 calories burned according to the machine. I realize none of the above are accurate, especially for speed, but at least I can guage my progress a bit. I'd love to get one of those GPS watches and run outside more, but I'm afraid of pushing the ankle too far too soon.

Weights:

Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-12 55lbs
Seated Rows 12-12-10 140lbs
Military Press 12-12 95lbs
Lat Pulldowns 10-10 140lbs
Barbell Biceps Curls 12-10 65lbs
Single Arm Triceps Ext. 12-12 20lbs
Ab Curl Machine 12-12-12 125lbs