Done R-U-N-N-O-F-T

Got an hour and a half run in yesterday. Didn't take the HR monitor with me, but i tried to keep it to what felt like high 140s/low 150s. However, it was a tit nipply out, and i still ran a reasonable time. Man i dig autumn.

Got a radiology test this afternoon, so i won't get m' lunchtime swim in. Hopefully i can pull it off after school tonight.

Speaking of posing in a banana hammock

Ran an hour yesterday. Good run.

Swam o'er lunch today. Good swim. Think i did 1400yds total. 300 wu. Then did 5 hard 100s on a 5sec interval. Those sucked, and i wanted very much to vomit. Rested a sec, and did 2 x 250 "fartleks" with about 20 secs between. These were 100 easy/50 sprint/100 easy. These, too, sucked, but were character-building. 100 of cd.

The Muse

Inspired by Tiny "I-think-I'll-just-slope-off-and-disencumber-the-earth-of-1,000lbs-for-a-spell" G, i put in a righteous back workout yesterday. Worked up to 3 sets of 2 with 90 on pullups. Worked up to a set of 4 with 295 on straight leg deads. Admittedly, i didn't lock my shoulders back on the very last rep, but that was a durn good, disc compressing workout at any rate. Did rows with both arms, narrow grip this time. The bilateral biceps tendonitis reared it's vile head, and i didn't want to do more damage, so i went both arms. Been a long time since i've done that. Different feel. i kinda liked 'em. Also did bent o'er BB rows with a warmup and 2 x 6 at 170, 3 sets of 10 with 100lb DBs, and 3 sets of wide-grip high rows and worked up to 6 at 210. Good workout after about a month of lay-off.

The plan is to go run here in a few minutes. It's a nice, cool day, and i'm hoping for a good one. Still holding at 191lbs as of this morning.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Many minutes later:

Did get that hour run in. The west wind was brisk, brought a smile to my face, and fairly flattened the hills. m' walking round the house getting ready heart rate has again been haunting the low 50s, so i believe i'm getting in better shape even if i ain't a whit faster. At least it's getting fun again. And the weather's getting crisp and perfect.

Schnellkritzelei

Yesterday--for reasons as yet unclear to me--i went climbing again. i was sure i could finish a project. i was in the bouldering cave watching some guys working it (badly), and one of their girlfriends decided to stealth climb over my head, bail, and fall on my head from somewhere near the ceiling without apprising me of her plan beforehand. She didn't (by the grace of God) break my neck, but she addled me pretty good, and i had a crazy headache and a numb arm for a while. Ah well; at least she apologized. i finished the climb in smooth style, only my numb arm wouldn't clutch the finishing giganto-jug. i was mildly irritated as this represented a breed of mechanical error i thought i'd engineered out of the system. i'm totally willing to blame that chick. Anyhow, the climb'll definitely go--i think at stiff v4. But i didn't get it. i should not have clumb, but i got roped in by a friend who ended up bugging out on me.

Today i got in an hour-and-a-half ride. Very nice ride. Actually had to pull out the sleeves. Definitely getting a bit stronger on the bike. So i've graduated from "miserable" to "mildly embarrassing". But one does not go out clad in lycra seriously worried about how one comes off to the public. Been holding at 191lbs the last couple o' days. i do think i'm working out better with the re-intro of cereal and more carbs into the diet. Gonna try to get some chest/triceps in this evening. Vamos a ver.

Corpusitis

 i think maybe when you get biceps tendonitis from swimming, it's perhaps time to take a rest day. Got in a 12-1300yd swim with a 300ish yd cd over lunch. Yesterday i climbed. This did not go well. i'm done broke down. And i stayed up 'til 2 this morning studying. methinks i shall tuck it in earlyish tonight.

G, gimme a shout and let me know if you made it home safe, eh.

...Yada yada yada...

Did indeedy get a swim in, at the home pool. So i did a pretty snappy 1200meters for a continuous set, with 600m of wu/cd. Pretty good swim. There is hope that i might one day be fast again.

...moreover...

Sunday i did a strange, half-fast hodge-podge of an irongym workout. Wanted to get a workout in, but i was still torn down from the comp. Started out doing back. That looked to be the road to tendonitis, so i switched to chest. Did 20 sluggish pullups, then did a set of 5 differential pullups on each arm (where i used a strap and lowered one arm to start at about shoulder height). That was no fun, so i did incline DB press. Did maybe three sets, and i felt like poo. Didn't feel weak, just supremely unmotivated--low pain tolerance or something. Finished out with 3 sets of 8 on dips, and some flys. Then i went home and concentrated on getting a better night o' sleep than the previous night.

Yesterday (mon.) i did an hour run. Actually got an ok time on it. That is to say, i'm getting back to where i was before The Poisoning, and i can imagine getting much faster. It didn't hurt to do the run. i wanted to ride, but the bike was flat. That's the price you pay to ride in this place: i had at least ten goatheads all the way through my tires. 'Fact, i just dropped a c-note on a couple 'o new tires yesterday. Finally starting to get back into shape i think. Prognosis is kinda' bleak for a workout tonight, but i might squish a swim in tonight. we'll see. Hope things are going well in Allen. Sounds like a really good time.

Wednesday onward

In fact, i did get a workout in on wed. Got in a 1.5hr bike ride. It cost me on my pharm test, i expect; but i don't care. It was a pretty good ride. Thursday, i didn't get a workout in. Zero time. Yesterday (Fri.) against the very voice of Wisdom, i did my first bike/run brick in several years. Did an hour bike and a half-hour run. As always, i got this weird asthma-like thing when i transitioned to the run. It's like my heart and lungs don't much appreciate going from working hard at a 45deg angle, and then being asked to work hard at a 90. But it sure is a good workout. Today was the Yank-n-Yard at the climbgym. i guess i climbed ok. Fun times at any rate. i missed some problems i should have gotten, but i flashed some problems that strong guys fell off'n. And i got a t-shirt. But if i'm gonna climb v10, i need to keep up the power gains and weight loss.

Ooo, and i'm reading a book i want you to read. i'll send it to you. Peace.

One Week Wedge

Today is the one month mark for the green faces thang. i've felt pretty good all in all. i've eaten more greens and fruits than (possibly) i've eaten collectively o'er the antecedent bit of my life. Good times. i've definitely felt better, and i think i've been healing faster. i'm gonna try to stick with basically the same thing henceforth, 'cept maybe i'm going to add in a few more breeds of food. Like the occasional beer. Mostly, i'm going to try to stay off the cheese, corn, white bread (tortillas, etc.) and hfcs. i think the main takeaway is to keep up the 6-7 days/week workouts, and mo' green veggies. On the other hand, Stone's Vertical Epic 10/10/10 is out tomorrow, and i think that is pretty important for my health.

i did do that chest workout on Fri. It was a good 'un. In deference to my beleaguered shoulders, i did no form of straight bench. Instead, i did inclined DBs, and dips. Before that, i did pushups, dips, and some walkouts on the rings. Them thangs're torture. Highly recommended.  Also did some triceps pressouts. Saturday, i did something exercisy, but i don't remember what. Sunday i did an hour bike ride. Went well enough. me diggy the cooler weather. Yesterday (mon.) i climbed for what i plan to be the last time before the comp (assuming i stay and do the comp...ain't decided yet). Went in mostly to tick that v5, but they'd already pulled it for the comp. Half the gym was closed for construction, so i did some easier bouldering (which was not necessarily in line with "light, curative, forearm-perfusing climbing). Then i got with a friend and did a bunch of toproping. Did a bunch of 5.10s and an 11 or two. Anyhow, i don't think i did more damage to the pingers, so i've now got 4 or 5 days of finger tendon healin'.

Today i sped to the pool for the lunch break (in spite of the prof running 20mins into the hour) and got in a quick 1,000 with no wu/cd. Felt pretty durn good. i'm hoping tomorrow to get in a longish endurance workout of some form--hopefully with a bike involved. i'd reeeeeeally like to edge my weight below 190 before sat. i was at 192 yesterday. If that means going bulimic 'til saturday, well, small price. Otherwise, i'm planning on laying off the strength workouts for the week. i want the strength tank to be as full as possible.

i do hope all's going well out there on the backroads and backwaters of Tejas. i'm praying for yas.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday edit:

Just for the record, i had a mini Reese's PB cup last night. Then some friends and i went to a pub whereat i partook of a couple o' beers and nachos. Then i went home and had a glass of Scotch. i slept like crap, but woke up to have a waffle with berries on. The waffles i'm considering doing again. The rest wasn't worth the bad karma. The Scotch especially wasn't worth the trouble. Amazing how filling a little cheese can be. i've gotten used to eating until i'm bored of it, and still not being terribly full, but i eat a saucer-full o' cheddar, and i felt bloated. Can't imagine finding a slot to get a workout in today, but i'm gonna try anyhow. Weighed in at 190-191 this morning. Sub-190 is possible by Sat.

Logging in

Ummm...stopped at last tues i think. Lessee: i've kinda' been alternating climbing days with other stuff. Nothing particularly eventful, but i want to put down what i've done. Climbed (poorly) wed. Didn't even try on that v5, 'cuz i was broken; but i did log some climb time and was there. Thurs (yesterday) i swam again. Got another 1,000yds straight with some kind of wu/cd. Makes for a nice lunch break. Today i met a friend and clumb again. Actually got on the lead line for some routes. Liiiiiii'l bit rusty. Sent an 8, a 9, then hung three times on a 10. Silly, but my head (and to be fair, my wi'l peengers) weren't too into it. Then got on an overhanging 10, and onsighted it in 30secs. Then we went upstairs and i tagged the gigantic double-dyno crux on that v5, and finished the problem. But i (again) didn't have the juice to link it after the first three moves. Kinda' frustrating, 'cuz i know i could do it if i were fresh and crisp, but i doubt i'll get to that state before it gets pulled down. The Prime8 is this next saturday, and i'm wanting to be healed for that. i'm hoping not to have to tape my mitts for it. i want to crimp so bad! So i'm planning on maybe climbing once for a remind-my-tendons-that-they-have-a-purpose session, and spending the rest of the week avoiding--and perhaps divesting myself of--obesity. Gonna try to do chest today, here in a sec, and i'm actually gonna try to get in a bike/run brick tomorrow. Haven't done one of them there in a coon's age.

Three weeks of meat and greens

i'll just post up what i've done this week to mark it. Sat. i went climbing for a pretty bad session. Mighty broke down, but it was a session. Spent almost the whole time working a v5. Pretty cool problem with this huge backward throw. Didn't have the juice for it saturday, but i think it'll go if i can get in fresh enough before they take it down for the comp. Sunday i did a 1'20" run. That wiped me out bad. Felt good for the run (although i think i was pretty slow...haven't figured out the distance exactly) but i was dead the next day. Gotta do that more often. Yesterday (mon.) i did the full back workout. Felt really good through that. Starting to get strong again. Worked up to basically four negative reps with 100lbs on pullups. Actually felt good, and pushed it hard through the whole thing. Today i got a swim in for lunch. Did at least 1,000yds straight plus a li'l warm up and cool down for about 1400 total. (Lost count several times, so i round down).

On the diet front, i was sorely tempted to have a beer studying at a friend's a few days ago; but i managed to refrain. Had a cuppa peppermint tea instead. Yesterday studying pharm, i wanted a dip so bad it hurt. But i couldn't get any, so i refrained (and am very glad. God had my back there.) i seem to be stuck at about 193lbs. But i definitely look and feel better. i expect that i'm building up glycogen in muscles that haven't been called on to contract in many, many moons. And i do think i'm losing some blubber. But one more week and i'm having a beer. Stone's 10/10/10 comes out in 5 days. i'm looking forward to that.

Oh hey, read my last post too when you get a minute. i still want some criticism on the workout.

Two weeks of green faces

Did the other half of sunday's workout yesterday (Wed.). Definitely felt stronger on these than when combining 'em all into one; but it remains to be seen if this will negatively affect my climbin'. i said i'd post this up for your perusal/retooling. It's been a little hodge-podge--partially 'cuz i'm just getting back into the lifting scene, and partially 'cuz i'm trying to hammer out just what i need to concentrate on to climb like a monster. So i'll put up my workout for the whole week (which should be a fairly good overview of a normal week). Play with it, suggest, throw out the deadwood, and add what's missing; only take yer time. i want a solid workout, but i've cobbled this mess together 'cuz it's pretty climbing-specific. That's the main theme here.

Let me think....

All right.
Chest/Delts workout
  (i usually do this one on Thurs.)

DB Bench:
10 x 50
8 x 60s
2 (or 3) x 6 x 75
(editor's note: i did this yesterday, and it killed my shoulder)

Incline DB press:
Just started these so i'm just pushing around weights that don't hurt my shoulders.
2 (or 3) x 8ish x 50-60
(ed.: Interestingly, these didn't hurt my shoulder at all. It was pretty cool to push something to failure because of muscle fatigue instead of knife-like pain. i think i worked up to a couple o' sets with 65s)

Dips:
Whatever i can manage.
(ed.: Couldn't manage. Think i got a set of five before i wanted to cry.)

Delts:
Again, this is new, so it's kinda' still shoulder rehab.
Been doing shoulder flexion with DBs and lateral flexion.
(Didn't do these yesterday, except for some very light sets to get blood into my shoulder.)

Shoulder extensors:
Just added this back in yesterday. Start up high on a cable press about shoulder width, and press the bar down, elbows straight. i like this exercise.

Back/Abs:

i usually do this on sundays.

Pullups:
20+/- bw
8 x +25
7 x +35
2 x 6 x +45

Straight Leg Deads:
wu: 20 with the bar
14 x 95
10 x 145
8 x 195
8 x 215
(i haven't worked back up to the weightier sets, but here's what i normally work up to. Also, this is where i stopped on Sun.)
6 x 235
6 x 255
4 x 275
4 x 295
(and occasionally)
3ish x 305

Hanging Leg Raises:
30 x legs
3 x 10 x +leg weights
(i need to add some more stuff for abs. Need more obliques.)

One arm Cable Rows:
10 x 90
8 x 105
6 x 120
6 x 135
4 x 150
(These i do on a cable machine, and i'm pretty sure the weights are a bit lighter than what's printed on 'em, but i've done these on a bench with DBs and i can get reasonably close to this, so it's not too far off. Anyhow, i like the machine 'cuz it's harder to cheat, and i can't stabilize my shoulder girdle with the other arm, so more force is vectored through the paraspinals. i am thinking about either exchanging these, or else just adding in a wider grip routine to work some more muscles. Or just replacing it altogether for rows on the rings.)

Bent o'er BB Rows:
(i use a supine grip on these, 'bout shoulder width.)
10 x 135
2 x 6 x 175
(i like these things too. Kinda' just re-introducing 'em back in, so i was a li'l weak on 'em.)

DB Shrugs:
(Again, just started these, but i like 'em.)
14 x 90s
10ish x 100s
8 or so x 105s

Wide grip High Rows:
(These i do leaned way back, pinkies hanging off the bar on a wide bar.)
10 x 180
2 x 8 x 195
(These torture the lats and low traps, and remind me of climbing out of a cave. Very nice feeling.)

That's it for the iron work. In the meantime (wow, that just brought back a Helmet song) i'm trying to ramp up the triathlon and the climbing. The climbing i'm trying to intensify with a view to allowing my widdle pinger tendons to knit up properly. Ergo, i've been doing a tonne of endurance and toproping. It seems to be doing brilliant things for me: went from falling off of v2s a couple of weeks ago to getting within spitting distance of 5.12--still on splinted fingers that i can't crimp on. If i can edge down below 190lbs and heal a bit in the next two weeks, i might just have a good day of climbing at that comp.

With respect to the triathlon, i'm still trying to get a feel for the school schedule, but i'm trying to find the energy to cram a workout into every pore and orifice in the planner. Last sun. i did about an hour ride. Yesterday at lunch i got in a 1000yd swim. (Turns out there's a nice city pool a couple o' blocks from the school). Today i got in a 1.5hr ride with some stiff climbs to boot. i've been running fairly regularly, but i don't think i got one in this week. Anyhow, if i can miraculously maintain through the winter, i might just get a race or two in next season.