Dunlops Disease

One week ago i climbed, and it was good. The intervening week has not been kind. i climbed again yesterday and it proved that. i'm a solid 5 lbs heavier than i was last week. Haven't et that much nutrient-free garbage in that concentrated a spell in many, many moons. i think i've overeaten at every single meal for the last 6 or so days. And when i was not busy stuffing glucose down the craw, i was pouring it down in beer and generally not doing anything active. Amazing how fat and sedentary it's possible to be. Amazing and irritating. It takes me months to drop 5 lbs, and less than a week to pack it on.

Last night was a fine example. We went to an aunt's for yet another christmas dinner. She brings out a crab bisque. i'm like Sweet! A nice light meal for once! so i had a second bowl and i felt swell. A meal well done. Then she says, "Well is everybody ready to eat?" and brings out the roast and potatoes and carrot souffle. And dessert. i kinda squinted an eye, and was like Really?! i didn't eat much more, but i felt like a jerk. i just couldn't believe how much food we were expected to eat.

Bleeeeeeeh. Nobody's force-feeding me, i realize. But there's been some social pressure.'Fraid there's no waiting for a new year for some resolution.

On a brighter note i did climb; and even if it wasn't my best work, it was movement and construction. And i got a new max on bench at 245. That'll add some spice to the coming week's session. And i'm going to run if i'm given the chance today.

workouts

Tuesday i did nothing. Seems like we worked till 2330 or so. Wednesday i went in for the sole purpose of hitting a new max on deads. But i didn't. Got through the 5/3/1 thang all-righty-roo: something like 5x380ish, 3x405, then a single with 430. i think i could'a' pulled a double with 430, but i wanted to go heavier (as noted above). But then i stacked 30lbs more on and invaginated. 'Nother one o' them days when i couldn't get the air outta my guts. It just hurt. Didn't even really go down fighting. i dropped to to 455 and it was even worse. Don't think i made it past my socks. Then i was beaten so i cursed and heaped ashes upon my head. And i stripped the bar.

So to punish me, i did the full pullup program too. i did 5x75, 3x85, and 1x95, then realized i hadn't changed the weights to reflect the new max. So i strapped on 115 and locked it out. That made me feel better. Then i a set of 12 with 135 on BB rows, then 2 x 6 x 185. Then 2 or 3 sets of 12 with 115ish on good-mornings. Then 3 x 30 straight leg raises.

Yesterday i did bench. Got 'em all on 3/3/3 day with 190, 200 and 210. Then 4x12xbw on dips, and a bunch of db flyes. Then i swam a li'l bit. Now my gym membership's up, so it's just playing on the hangboard for the next week.

i'll be bringing the belt down for christmas. Methinks we'll be doing deads at yer house.

shoulders

5/3/1 day on OH press. Think it was 120, 135, and 155. Got a double with 155. Tried for a new max with 165, but it didn't happen. i'm gunna blame it on the gay music and general lack of focus. Deads are coming like a freight train, and i want a new max. i can smell it. i'm concentrating on knitting my erector spinae back together as i write. Just read an article on deadlift, and i'm focusing on forgetting all that and ripping a quarter ton off the floor. (Or, you know, closer to a quarter ton than i've yet locked out).

Then i swam some. Now to sleep. Peace.

Friday last

Did a bench workout on friday. It was 5/5/5 day on bench, which i usually dread. i went up a modicum in weight, 'cuz of the shiny new max. i historically fail on 5/5/5 day with lighter weight, so i had low expectations. But i got 'em all. It was 180, 190, and 200. Not horrible for a guy with no pectoral muscles. Then I did some accessory back work. Then i swam a bit. Then i drove home 'cuz my very nice preceptor gave me the weekend off. Very nice to make it home for the anniversary. Breath of oxygen, that was.

i'm hoping for some new PRs this coming week. i'm really looking forward to deads. Really, really looking forward to it.

Peace to you on your monday. :)

Deads

Didn't get off work till 1230 this morning, but I snuck away for an hour to do deads. 3/3/3 day. Got'em all with 360, 385, and 405. Little wobbly on the last rep, but not too bad. Didn't have time for the rest of the workout. But that was the important bit.

P'lups

Did p'lups yesterday evening. 3/3/3 day with 90, 95, and 100. Can't say I really locked out that last rep with 100, but it wasn't a bad workout. Didn't get of work till 2000, and has to be in bed by 2200, so that's all I did. Sposed to do deads tonight, so I'll hopefully finish the back work today.

lull

i, uh, got my hangboards put up today finally. That was something. It was 7 degrees here when i left for work. Don't know how hot it was when i put the boards up this "evening" (at 1600), but i couldn't feel my hands if i took off my gloves for more than a few seconds. It doesn't take long to get enough of that kind of winter. i realize it gets much colder in, say, north dakota; but i can't for the life of me think why a human would intentionally go to or remain in such a place. i didn't go to the pool today 'cuz i am depressed.

i found out i'm on call this weekend, so it's somewhat doubtful that i'll get to go home. Which sucks, 'cuz it's our anniversary. And it'll have been three weeks since i've seen my family if i don't go. i want to break something just at the moment. And the really amusing part is, i probably won't get called in even if i stay. Veeeeery bummed. Mighty bummed. Super bummed.

But there's no damaging myself too badly over it: it's pullups tomorrow. And i can't afford the proper poison anyway. Guess i'll stay healthy. Ish. Healthy and enraged. bleh.

Weekend, shoulders

See here...ummm, swam on saturday and sunday. Think I got over 1,000 units in on one of those days. Yesterday I did OH press. 3/3/3 day, it was. I felt guilty for rounding down, so I didn't. Think it worked out to be 130, 140, and 145. Got four with 145 though. That was a nice feeling. Then superSetted db militaries and lateral raises. Getting a touch stronger at those. Then I swam. Swimming after shoulders is a really really enjoyable experience. Was just getting in to get some blood flowing, but a bunch of other people came in and got my competitive juices flowing and it turned into a 12,000m sprint. That was just refreshing.

Portal Venous Shunting

Going home is looking a li'l bit bleak for the snowy weekend, and i've got a ton of time-consuming tick marks to put in li'l meaningless boxes for school with which to occupy it. So instead i'm gun' post up on the week's workouts.

Seems like i got as far as tuesday with the last post. So wednesday, i did p'lups. Got a new max with 110 the week before, so that tweaked my workouts in a dreadful direction for 5/5/5 day. And the cheap, naxty chinese food at lunch didn't help at all. It was supposed to be 85, 90, and 95lbs. i got 'em all with 85, but there was an ill portent--some je ne sais quios about the set. Maybe it was the gangrene swelling in my gut...but i'll get to that. i got through 4 with 90 before i had to drop and jump back on. Didn't even bother with 95. i just snagged another 3 with 90, then cheated up 2 more to make 3 sets of 5. i guess i didn't feel bad about it seeing as my one rep max was 100# three weeks prior. But i also didn't feel super psyched. It's also funny to think i pretty surely gained 4 or 5 lbs over the holiday since i'd fetched that shiny new max.

Anyhow, then i had the genius idea that i'd just combine that with a 5/5/5 day of deads. (This is where the pneumoperitoneum became important.) Thing is, i don't wanna lose ground on deads or p'lups, so it seems like a fair enough combo, seeing as they don't precisely work against one another. Did a nice long workup, then strapped on the belt for the pain. i think i got the first set with 340 when i got something like air trapped in my chest. Hurt like hell, and i couldn't belch. Figured i'd either dissected an aneurysm, or given me new esophageal varices. Gave it a few minutes and tried the second set with 360, and i think i got one before i let 'er go and went home in defeat. Could not get the air out of my whatever. Funny thing was that the weight didn't seem that bad; just hurt to bear down in the Inzer.

So i went back yesterday to see if i could get 'em sans the Broccoli Beef and sparkling mineral water. And they went like butta' --5/5/5 with 340, 360, and 385. In fact, it didn't feel nearly as hard as i remember it feeling last time. Seems like last time i did the 5/5/5 day with those weights i nearly blew an eyeball out of my skull, and i couldn't hear correctly for a few days. And this made me kinda ecstatic because i tweaked my low back something mildly heinous last week doing SL deads--wasn't a bit sure 5/5/5 day was gonna be a go. So i'm visualizing a new pr in the future. Finished that off with bent o'er BB rows: 1 x 10 x 135, then 2 x 6 x 185. i think that's all i did 'cuz i was outta time.

Today i did chest n triceps. This was 5/3/1 day because i missed a day of it a few weeks ago. Called for 5 x 175, 3 x 200, then 1 with 220; but i made it 225 'cuz the two big plates look cooler. That went up easily enough, so i put 10 more on and got a new max of 235. Tried with 240, but failed. And i feel like it was a purely mental fail. Whatever J Lo song they had cranked up on "Defined TV" not only failed to do it for me, but actually sucked the motive force right outta my nostrils. Ah well: it's a new max after many, many months of no forward progress whatsoever. Finished this up with dips and some triceps press outs. Wanted to do flys, but absolutely every bench was taken. So i did straight leg raises instead. Those hurt, so i swam. And that was nice.

Oh, and there were some guys came in and did squats with chains, you'll be happy to know. Reminded me of yous guys. They lifted in full hoodies. First i was thinking Oooo...these guys must be strong, 'cuz why else would they lift in hoodies with their hoods on? But then out came the chains. They had upwards of 185 pounds of steel on the rack already, then lashed chain on that could have easily anchored a motivated, hungry pit bull to its back yard. This was not stuff you could probably get at K-Mart. This was the stuff you'd have to go to Home Depot for. i mean, at the top of every rep they probably added more than one--several--pounds to the lift. That moved me. That there's how you train to squat more than i squat.

Up-catching

i've been inspired by the Thanksgiving gluttony to start working out in earnest. That is to say, i'm going to try (insofar as my schoo' obligations will allow) to work out daily instead of occasionally. i've seen my weights creep up on the workouts i'm actually doing, and that's encouraging. But i have this longstanding bad habit of nailing the carpet down in one place and ignoring that it's bubbling up in another. Presently my shoulders and lats are getting stronger, and that's just spiffy, but my lungs are growing anaerobes and i'm getting just portly. That's not so useful. Pretty much can't run or bike, 'cuz it's dark out just after lunch now. So i'm a try to swim consistently. we'll see how that works with the lifting. Swam tonight and it felt pretty good. i'm (as i mentioned) way outta shape, so i'm sure i looked like one of those 80 year-old cardiac rehab d00ds churning out laps as though my life depends on doing it very slowly. But no matter! Swim i did. And in fact i intentionally didn't count distance. i'm guessing the pool is 25 yards. Pools are usually 25 units, and it took me 17 strokes to get to the other side (which, in the shape i'm in, i could not have done were it in meters). So i can confidently say i've swum multiple furlongs this evening.

Did OH press yesterday. Your spreadsheet, by the way, doesn't round to the nearest 5lb increment. It rounds up. But i didn't. 'Stead of doing 3 x 5 with 120, 130 and 140, i did 120, 130 and 135; but i did 135 for 6 reps, so it worked out ok. Tomorrow it's P'lups, and them thar're gun' be hard.

Thanks Giving Part Deux

Got a forty-some minute run in yesterday. Definitely didn't feel like a runner anymore. But it was nice to move, and a perfect day for it. i can be happy sucking wind when it's crisp, sunny wind. And i haven't climbed since rotation began. i think my wi'l pinger is finally starting to heal. That's welcome, 'cuz i was starting to think i'd finally done something permanent to it. And an upshot of working out in the Borg Cube is that they have a pool. And i gots me some casseroles i've gotta work off now. But i have to say i enjoyed packing 'em on. May packing 'em back off be even more enjoyable.

Thanks Giving

'Nuther week of cathin' up. They let me off for Thanksgiving, so i squashed my workouts into monday and tuesday. Made for an odd hybrid. i'd already missed my bench workout from the week before, so i mashed it in with OH press for an interesting shoulder day. Really didn't go so badly. Got a new PR of 160 on OH press. 'Least, i think it was a PR. i know i've got 155 before, but i don't remember doing 160. So i'll happily tell me it's a PR. i could use one. It was 5/3/1 with 120, 135, and 150, and i got 2 or 3 with 150 so i put 10 more on, and it went. Don't think i could'a pushed more than that though.

Bench actually went ok. Ish. Supposed to be the 5/3/1 week of the workout, but 'cuz i'd missed bench, it was still the 3/3/3. 185, 200, and 210. i sorta got 'em all, but i fudged the last rep with 210. Wasn't sure i could get it back up, so i didn't take it all the way to my chest.

Tues i did back work. Started out swimmingly. Pullups it was 5/3/1 with 75, 85 and 95. That went easily enough, so i thought i'd max and i locked one out with 110. That's not a PR, but it's been many a moon since i've pulled that. And i weighed at the office earlier that day, and (fully dressed) i was was almost 205lbs. So i can't attribute pulling more weight to my having lost any--i'm fat as ever. Then i did SL deads, and it was too soon since the last workout. i hurt my back. Funny thing too: did an excruciatingly long warmup replete with stretching, but i just wasn't healed. Just got set up for my first set of 4 with 275, and i stood up with the bar off the rack and felt m' back lock down. So i set the weight right back on the rack, stripped the bar and went home. Walked like a 90yo guy the next day, but i don't think i damaged it too bad. But that workout uses so many small agonists, through such terrible vectors, there's just no half-assing it. (No pun intended). Kinda bummed, 'cuz i couldn't do BB rows, which i really dig. But they require a lot of low-back, and i'd dispensed with all of that.

i'm otherwise at a crux. i could only afford this gym for 1 month, but i'm there for 6 weeks. (It was, i think, $50 for a month, then like $35 or so for 1 week). So i don't really have time for a deload week. i definitely will do only rehab on the low-back for a week, but i want to get some damage done to my lats and chest before the meter tuns out.

Pharmin'ton

So i thought i'd do a li'l updatin' here. Hasn't been a super active week, really, on the workout front; but i did squeeze a few workouts in. Got a month's membership at Defined, which is one of those big Borg Cube Fitness Centers like 24 Hr, where your workouts are spectated by a terraced hillside of Golgafrinchans on ellipticals rocking out to Kylie Minogue videos. i find it irritatingly hard to get in touch with The Pain there; yet She and i did indeed cross paths for a few sets, and in fact, she's moved in for a protracted relationship with my hamstrings after hitting straight-leg deads like i was still good at 'em. But it never does fail to boggle me how you can get that much machinery in that large a building without having a single useful piece of equipment. Ah well: if you can get a bar far enough away from the crap it's attached to, turns out you can constructively damage yourself anyhow.

Did overhead presses on mon or tues. That went fairly well. Don't recall the weights, but it was whatever was on my piece of paper, and i did 'em all. Wed was the killer though. Did 3 x 3 p'lups with 80, 85, and 90 strapped on. Those are especially a load of fun smack in the middle of the gym on the cable-cross machine (which, for reasons that elude me, happens to be one of the more popular places for blokes to do obscure biceps curl variants). Then i did the SL deads. Those things just rock. They have a specially built platform, apparently just for SL deads--which was nice, 'cuz i was gunna be pressed to think of a way to drop the bar to my feet otherwise. i'll go through my whole warmup, etc, because i think you should do a cycle with 'em. i did 20 toe-touches, then 20 with the bar, then 14 with 95, then 10 with 145. Then the working sets: 8 x 195, 8 x 215, 6 x 235, 6 x 255, 4 x 275, and 4 x 295. Only i didn't get the very last rep of the last set 'cuz the bar was sweating outta my hands. i haven't really gone up with these ever--- it's the same workout whether i'm strong or weak. Only change is that if i feel good i'll keep the same progression further, and if i'm weak i'll stop at the sets of 6 somewhere. But i don't really bump my numbers up (unless i do more sets) because i'm paranoid about hurting my back. The progression works. And i gotta say they felt a lot easier after a few cycles of doing heavy deads. So i'd like to segue back to heavy regular deads again next, and see if these help me out in the low back.

Then i did bent o'er BB rows. 12 x 135, the 2 x 6 x 185. Like them thangs. Then SL lifts. 2 x 30 then 1 x 15ish. That hurt, so i went home. The dorsal erector set had some trouble supporting me the next day in surgery. Speaking of which: i gots to find me a job doing that. Surgery rocks.

Came home fri evening, so i didn't do chest/triceps yet. Planned that wrong. Gunna try to get it in on mon.

Few mo' days

So tuesday I climbed for what was pretty undeniably the most worthless day of climbing I've had in a millennium. I actually nodded off whilst sitting on a mat waiting for a turn. Had been looking f forward to hitting it all day, and got off work so late I had no gas left.i stayed there a while, but it was bad.

Yesterday I did back and abs. Switched my heavy workout to p'lups from deads. Did it based on 100# for my percents. So it was 5 x bw + 75, 80, & 85. This was friggin' hard. I think I got maybe 3 with 85. By contrast, if I'd have calculated it on 300 the weights would have been 225, 240, & 270. Now,i got 5 with 275 (bw + 75) just fine so i definitely think percents on 300 would be too light. I think it'd work out just right if I calculated out the weight of my forearms from body weight (cuz I'm not actually lifting'em). In other words I'd basically drop all my weights by about 10#. Or I could just get strong enough to lift 285 five times.

Also did straight leg deads again. Very specialized workout, that. I've lost some muscle for those. Started back on straight leg raises. Wanted 3 x 30, and got 2 x 30 and 1 x 10 before I started crying and trying to comfort-clutch my spleen. Finished out with bent o'er bb rows. Went heavy with these since I didn't do heavy deads. 1x135, then 2x185.

Not a bad workout. Now I'll hafta find some iron in the four-corners area.

New Week's Resolution

Went to the climbgym fri to get that v6, and they'd already taken it down. Managed to get in a pretty hard workout anyhow. In fact, I've pretty much hurt my ring finger to the point of needing to rehab it.

So a friend and I went on saturday to a new climbing area. Great rock and a good day, but it was maybe 25-30° and a little breezy for extended comfort. There were snow flurries and a wind that cut to the skeleton. We stayed out there all day and had a ball, but I just don't get folks intentionally waiting for cold days to go project. Actually hung on the rope on a 5.10 right before the chains cuz I couldn't feel my hands... seriously couldn't tell if what i was about to hinge my body off of was really good or really bad. It was a ton of fun to be on rock again though.

Yesterday i started back on the 5/3/1 program with shoulders. Lost some ground over the last month--'specially endurance. The weight didn't seem so heavy, but the sets of 12 on accessory work were murderous. Not too bad, though, after a too-long layoff. Then I did a 40 min run. Very pretty day for it. Gunna try to keep that habitual.

Oh, turns out I'm not going to the south next...heading to farmington just south of durango. Maybe we can hook up a li'l wolf crick action, yes?

record

had a good climbin' sesh yesterday. got a new v5. started working a stiff v6, and got all but the last moves. there's a fine chance that un'll go, and it'll be a sick, sick notch on m' belt if it does. haven't been back to the irongym yet. late work days and no energy. but i'll get back into it. kinda stressed here. but hopefully this school crap will be over soon.

New leaves, corners, 180s, thumb screws, etc.

i climbed yesterday, and it encouraged my soul. It shewed me a few things: 1) Taking a month off from the iron wasn't necessarily the best idea, 2) taking a couple o' days off from climbing now and again is a fabulous idea, and 3) i haven't lost as much as i'd feared. Somehow i've managed to seriously damage a ring finger. Funny thing was it didn't hurt me till the day after we put that building up. Don't know what i did, but it hurts mucho to crimp now. i climbed ok last monday, but it went steeply downhill from there for the following two days. So i finally took a few days off completely from total failure. It was kinda depressing. Wasn't like i just felt down or non-prime; i was falling off of v1s and 2s. Anyhow, yesterday was mo' betta. i sent that 4 that'd tossed me many times first try. i guess that was the last of my list of projects, so it was kinda freeing. So i went in and re-sent a 5 i'd done before. Then i got another thing that's prob'ly 4ish. Then i finally got another "v3" on the 8th or so try. Definitely the hardest 3 i've ever seen. As in, i got frustrated and went in the cave and nearly flashed a v5 in between burns. So: good climbin' day.

Today (and kinda as a result of yesterday's revelations) i skipped my chubby butt to the iron. Wasn't sure where to start, so i maxed on pullups, and did sort of a hybrid all-around light workout just to remind my skeleton that something will again be demanded of it in the near future. i think i'm gunna do heavy p'lups in place of heavy deads, and do straight-leg deads also. There's no skin left on most of my fingers, and i have a wrecked tendon, but once i taped all my fingers to their requisite degrees of immobility, it worked out to be a reasonable workout. Main thing, i got 100lbs on pullups. Just don't know what i weigh these days. But i was pretty happy with that after having not done a serious weighted pull for most of a year now. Don't know whether to calculate the 5/3/1 thing off of 100# or off of (?) 300#. Guess i'll do 300#.

Then i did a 32min run. Been a few moons since last i ran. Need to make a habit of that.

Saddle, the swing, etc.

Thought I'd screeble about my feeble out-workings. Climbed yesterday. And I didn't drink heavily. I'm plumper than I've been in the recent past. But I still got a project. No grade on it yet, but it felt v5ish...in other words, it'll get very soft 6, or sandbagged 4. Anyhow it was a good climb even if it only scores a 4. Don't think I've lost too much power, but I've gotta get back on the wagon and back in a rhythm.

And speaking of saddles, you didn't get yours outta my car.

-------------------------------------------------------
Then:

Snuck a climble in this ev'nin'. Total waste of time. i've done something evil to my wi'l pinger. Looks like it's time for a detox and a change of plan. i'm exhausted. And feel like doo. Tired of this. Gotta start back to lifting 'fore i lose any real strength, and i gotta start running again. Prob'ly do my climbing more good for now than climbing. But: bleh. i hate not climbing.

Tagup

Tiny action report here. I climbed yesterday. Interesting all around. First of all, I think I climbed way harder at the comp than I thought. My hands were still destroyed yesterday. I looked at the score sheet and two guys from the 20-29 age group beat me. And they beat me by less than a climb. I mean, I scored something like 8,400pts on 6 climbs, and the top age-grouper beat me by about 150points. In other words if I'd gotten any of the stuff I was piddling on at the end I woulda had the top score before the advanced category. I beat all the femmes except 1st in the advanced. That was a li'l surprising. So I went in yesterday and got one of those projects first thing. It was worth 1500pts which woulda replaced my lowest score of about 750, and I'd have tagged nearly 10,000pts. But I can hardly complain.

And I think I've finally got a direction for my stoopid paper. I'm really hoping to have that basically done before friday. We'll see. Tiny bit worried.

I've otherwise only done unhealthy harmful things.

winning

So. i got 1st in the Fat Old Guy category. And i'm pretty happy 'bout that. Definitely not my best day of climbing ever, but it sho' weren't my worst. Amazing how bad adrenaline and nerves can suck a brutha dry. So here's how it went: as usual the problems were assigned points on an arbitrary scale, that (very) roughly corresponded to the route's grade. You could climb as many as you wanted, but you only got to add up yer top six scores. i was foraging in the 1,000 pt range (which i suspect would sorta correlate to the v3-6 range). So i was hoping to break 6,000 pts. Long story short, i ended up with nearly 8,500 pts. Thing was, if you got into the top 10%ish of scores, you were automatically bumped up the the Advanced category, and were competing with everyone else in that category. i was not bumped up. So i cleaned up in the 30-39 age groupers. i'm super curious to see how the point spread fell. Anyhow, i got a handsome solid steel trophy (thing weighs at least 10#) and a li'l ego boost for the trouble.

Now it's on to my thesis, and i could use some supplication on my behalf. First draft's due next monday, and i've got no time and a serious writer's block going on. i need to poop something convincing out pronto. Prayers please.

Yank'n's Eve

As per usual, i've trained for this year's comp by getting strong then "tapering" for the two weeks prior by sleeping not at all, deconditioning, and drinking nightly. Ah well: i've been pulling down right mightily, and it'll be fun no matter the outcome. And there's another teeshirt for me if i score no other shwag. And it don't start 'til 1330, so i'm hoping to sleep in a bit. Only regret is that i haven't lost a few pounds. i blame that on not sleeping. Mattereth not! Yea, hark: i'll have fun if i only manage to climb ten or twenty v2s. Should be some good energy flowing there. i'll post pics, even if i shan't manage to get fully muddy, and though there may be no keg tossing involved.

Infinitesimal

Just signed up for yank'n'yard. i'm doing it for the t-shirt. Although if i can heal fast enough, and can put healthy vittles in my skull (which i'm presently not doing), i might just throw down the Serious.

Against Sapientia, i clumb yesterday and the day before. Really not particularly effulgent sessions, but they had their highlights. i was climbing like basest shadoodoo on saturday. Then at the very end, i found some tryers and i started working this v6 that i really thought was absurd. Only i ended up working out all the moves. Just couldn't link. Too tired. So i went back yesterday very motivated, expressly to send that route. i didn't get it. i bounced off the finish at least three times. But i missed it by molecules. i mean, i truly do not know why i didn't send. Literally a matter of friction. Absolutely maddening. i did get a hole in my hand where i tore off a very nice callous. i'm hoping i re-epithelialize before saturday. But i know they're gun' tear that climb down in the next few days, and i know i missed it by thiiiis flippin' much. Staying away is like a meth head about-facing at the pipe. But i'd sure like to feel good for saturday.

On a happier note, i was warming up yesterday for climbing, and i was doing some pullups, and i was pulling up to the bottom of my rib cage and generally feeling fairly gorilla-like, so i let go halfway up a pull, and hung there in a solid one-arm lever for a good long while. Then i switched hands and dead hung in a lever on the other arm for a while. One-arm pullups are not that far away. And that's at 200lbs. And i spent the day in the cath lab today, and that's just good clean fun.

toozdy

Haven't worked out on iron since coming back, and i'm still wasted tired. Can't seem to catch up on sleep. But i did go to climb tonight. Got a hard v6 i've been gunning for. That was a serious shot in the arm. m' projects are all gunna be pulled down for the comp coming up, and i hadn't been making much progress. So it was nice to snag that one. And it was a cool climb too--cool movement.

Spent my first day in the cath lab today. Very cool watching caths under fluoro, and i got to scrub in for several of 'em. But it's amazingly tiring standing there for hours with 30lbs of lead on. And it's even more tiring being right in the middle of everything, and having absolutely no idea what to do. Anyhow, very cool learning experience.

And i got a v6. So not a bad day.

gray

Did deads today. Went all right, i guess. 5 x 340, 3 x 385, and 1 x 430. The last one felt pretty easy, so i piled on 30 mo' and tried 460 just for grins. Did get it to my shins, but the force was not with me--i failed. Funny, but it tore m' wee morale down. Funny 'cuz i really wasn't planning on maxing anyway, and i didn't do the right workup to max. But i ripped 430 up, and i imagined it would go. Could'a' used some ammonia up the nose i guess. i can see that i could use some speed work and rack work. Think i'm gunna shift the 5/3/1 thing to heavy pullups for a round, and do some rack pulls and straight leg deads too. On p'lups i managed a set of 20 bw, then 10 with +25, and 3 x 6 x +45. Then i did 3 x 30 on straight leg raises and call 'er a day. i'd like to climb on wed, and i have a project nagging me, and i want some vestiges of my back intact for it.

Also found out i probably won't be going to Roswell. That's fine. Only i don't have a clue where i'll be going instead. Little bit stressful, that. Biggest fear is that they'll swap my rotations around, leave me here next, and send me to BFE for when my baby's due. That'd bum me royally.

shoulders and such

On fri i worked shoulders. Overhead press did 170 x 5, 180 x 5, then 195 x 5. Then did a set of 10 x 100. Oh, wait! That was your workout. Actually, i did 120 x 5, 135 x 3, a double with 150, and a single with 160. (That was a new pr). super-setted the other shouldery stuff. 


Yesterday i clumb. This was after most of a week off. i still have some biceps tendonitis, and it was an odd session. Flashed a new "v4" first thing. Then got shut down on a sick-hard v5. So i went upstairs to the roof, and got shut down on a "v4". i think it would actually be a v4 if it were about half as long as it is. Then started working on another 5 that i'm not actually sure is physically possible (unless you can span 7 feet with your full splits). So i started working a v6 right beside the other two, and i worked out most of the moves. The grades have left off any sort of contact with sensibility or intuition. 


Ah well: It was a good workout, and my hands are thrashed. Wish i could come to 'marillo next weekend, but i leave for alien town then. i tol' daddy he's got some nearly perfect timing. But it turns out i'll be closer to the Big Yellow from down there than i am from here. So maybe two weeks out? 

Chesterday

As i mentioned before, i've left my weights the same on chest. Did the 3 x 3 yesterday. Got 'em all this time.Lesee...it was 185, 200, and 210.

m' hands still creak from mon's workout. Good medicine, that.

The power of negative thinking

So we finally did go to the mts yesterday. Went to Los Conchas with the fam and some chicks from my class. Very good time. i was afraid the place would be blackened and crispy after the big fire there, but it seems to have spared the actual climbing area. The hills across the street, on the other hand, were charred ash trays.

i did three climbs, of which i led one. One of the girls had never been climbing, and she wanted to lead, so she led this 5.7/8 thing. Annie followed that one and got the whole thing. i was very happy 'bout that. Another of the girls also wanted to lead, so she led the 5.6. i just cleaned up afterwards. But i did do this 5.10d/11a thing. It's kinda my strength gauge. i've sent the thing before, but it's really bouldery at the bottom, and really sustained and pumpy at the top. Always before it was a matter of whether or not i could pull off the moves through the first three bolts. But they were, like, easy-peezy. But the top killed me. Well, the top, and the fact that i had a chick belaying me who'd never held a rope before. i was over-gripping everything, and every time i'd get the last bolt at about ankle height i'd imagine myself taking a 20-footer if i popped. But i made it to the top after a couple of hangs. Li'l bummed, but mostly i was amazed at how much stronger i am than last summer, and how little endurance i have. i mean, i was destroyed after one semi-long, not-particularly-difficult climb.

Then i went again to the climbgym today. Went mostly to study, and i did get a lot of studying in. But i thought i'd at least snag that v5 i'd failed on last time. Over about 4 hours i probably put 25 burns in on that problem. It's something like a four move v5, and i kept popping going for the finish. So as far as my nubbins were concerned, i'd climbed this v5 like 20+ times. There is only this translucent, pinkish, flesh-like fascia stretched across my fingers now. i gave up on the problem in despair after all these burns, and i went to the boulder to read a while. Got a v4 and several v3s and 2s. Then i gave up and went to get my Chacos, but i saw a group of guys working stuff in the cave where my project happened to be. So i thought i'd give 'er one more burn. And it went! (and light shone from Heaven, and there was an angelic choir). Funny what the threat of looking like a wussy baby can do for the motivation. Then i repeated that "4+" i'd done a few days ago, and finally got this "4-" all-sloper prob that was significantly harder than the 4+. Then i went home, ate some raisins, and went to the gym for deads day.

It was 3x3 day, so i got 360, 385 and 405. Hard, but we had that conversation. Thanks for the encouragement, btw. Very nice to have a partner, even if only by cellular network. Was definitely doubtful 'bout whether my hands would hold that bar, but it wasn't so bad. P'lups...i suffered on. 20 x BW, then 10 x +25. But the 2 x 6 with +45 i did last week turned into 2 x 4, and i tried a fifth rep on the last set and couldn't get my butt to budge. M' lats tol' me, "Nope. You've got plenty outta us for the day, thank you very much." The BB rows hurt. The good-mornings actually felt kinda therapeutic. Straight leg raises sucked the chrome off a tailpipe. 3 x 30, but i didn't actually get 'em in 3 sets...more like 1 x 30, then as many sets as it took to get 60 more without vomiting.

Really not a bad weekend, all said and done. If i could just shake this sinus infection and get my floor tiled things would be downright blissful.

Blame it on my ADD, baby.

This is how i show my love
i made it in my mind because....

Right. And i did shoulders last night. Really not a bad workout. 3 x 125, 3 x 135, then that felt easy, so 4 x 145. Then i supersetted the other stuff. Then i went to the grocery store, and that put me in a filthy, murderous mood. But in the absence of anyone to talk to or anything to break, i've opted to take it out on my own renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

But we're off at lunch today, and i'm hoping to go to the mountains. Maybe that'll clear the darker clouds away. i'm planning on not doing deads 'til monday. i wanna be nice and healed, and i'm hoping to have a strong climbing day this weekend without the iron breakdown. Got some projects i wanna lay a lilly on.

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But then, all of a sudden...

...we didn't end up going to the mts, 'cuz we're so unbelievably slow. Not a battle-ready platoon we got us here. So i went to the climbgym. i really, really meant not to; it just happened. i was geared up for a day of chillaxin' on 5.6 in a grassy meadow, so it took my brain a while to rev up to projectin' speed. But it ended up not being a bad workout. Didn't 'xactly pull down impressive numbers, but it edified, nonetheless. And i got a lot of assent to my feeling that the grades have gotten way stiffer on the new round of routes. But i worked with a pal who usually just makes me look bad, and i out-climbed him on several routes. Flashed a 3+, and i finally ticked a "4+". And (even though i didn't get it) i finally put the moves together on a v5 that, when it went up, i didn't actually think i could do. That should go first thing on the next fresh session. Anyhow, it showed me a few things. i think i'm actually getting stronger, for one. i've been sick the entire week. In fact, i ended up waking up at one of the less-holy hours this morning and puking. Still haven't fully shaken the sinus infx either. But i climbed pretty well in spite of it. Then also, the scale this morning said i'm at about 194. Which might account for the strong climbing. And it might be a good reading--i've been eating about half what i usually do 'cuz i can't taste anything. But it amazes me how much better i climb when i drop maybe 5 lbs. i get down into the southern hemisphere of the 190s, and i climb like a different person. And in spite of not eating quite as much, i haven't felt weaker, or lost any muscle. i mean, i haven't missed any iron workouts, and i'm still healing just fine and making progress on that front too. It shows me how neurotic i am about a "positive nitrogen balance". i really think i could go on what i consider a starvation diet and i'd just lose a bunch of lard. And if i could get down to the vicinity of 180, and i could climb v8+. At 200, i'm climbing with folks 40-50 lbs lighter than me. And there's no way i'm under 14% body-fat. That means i have 28 lbs of blubber i'm hauling about. 8% ain't exactly ripped, but that'd have me down to 188 lbs. And that's assuming i'm at 14% now...could very well be i'm higher than that, which means i could lose even more without feeling it.

All that's to say the Yank'n'Yard's coming up in a month. And i'd like to rock it. You should come compete with me. It's a good time.

i think i'll go do deads today. Might get to go to the mountains tomorrow. And that'd be fine.

The wages of sickness

Today my aura is: hammered doo-doo colored. You see, my li'l cold a couple o days ago turned into a full-blown, righteous bronchitis.

i worked out after work yesterday, and did chest. Didn't bump my max up for this cycle. Never really nailed any of my workouts last time 'round. But i got 'em all yesterday. The bronchitis did not help. i've been giving some serious thought to changing the focus of that workout. There's something cool about the thought of pushing a bunch of weight on bench, but it has nearly zero crossover value for me. Although i do think it's helping my shoulders. Dunno. Anyhow, i've thought about switching the heavy focus to weighted dips. Anyhow. Got 5 x 175, 5 x 185, and 5 x 200. And i feel like it would'a' been easier if i could have breathed. Did everything but the pushups. i was just sapped after that.

Today i climbed. i (again) mostly went in to study. But, dude, i was tired on v2s. i mean, i'd do a climb, and i felt like i'd have an admittable serum lactate. Couldn't breathe and couldn't shake the burn. It did get better after a while. i did repeat this v5 i did last time, and i got a big slew of 4s and 3s. But i got shut down on a project again. Now i'm tired to my spine. Feel like i could fall asleep on the keyboard here. 'Bout had it with coughing. Bleh. May sickness not fall upon your houses.

The Undulating Path To Monsterhood

Did deads on fri. It was in line with yer prophecy: it was...different lifting off of 450 than 410. On the order of, it sucked like a black hole. 5 x 340 was easy enough. 5 x 360 was eye-opening. 5 x 385 was not in the tea leaves. Got three in rapid succession. Then i backed up, rallied the boys, and got number 4; but i nearly shot blood outta my eyeballs. (And in fact, it took a while before i regained the vision in the right hemi-field of my right eye.) M' knees actually wobbled, but i locked that sucka' out. Backed up and gave some soul-searching to picking it up again, but i was afraid i might wake up paraplegic. So i moved to p'lups. Changed it up a tiddle. Did 20x BW, then 10 x +25, but then did 2 x 6 x +45. Rest of the workout i left the same, but it felt harder. Didn't do curls. Oh, and only did one set of hanging leg raises x 30. i was taking too long, and i thought i'd dedicate a workout (or stack it in one of the shorter workouts) to a hard ab session.

Today the fam went running again. i've had a cold/bronchitis for the last two days, and i didn't feel like going, but Steph made us. And i felt way better afterward. Then i climbed, and my expectations were very low because of said cold. Not to mention, i didn't really think the back workout would be helping much so soon. i mostly went in to study. But it waren't so bad. i finally sent a v4 that'd vexed me sorely--and one of the hardest v4s i've yet run  into in that gym with the rating. Seems the route setters have upped the ante a touch on a lot of new routes. And that's fine with me. Anyhow, then i went upstairs to the cave and sent a v5 i couldn't send last time i came in fairly fresh. Then i hooked up with a group of pretty strong guys, and nearly sent another 5ish thing. And one of the cooler things was several of 'em are generally stronger than i, and only one of 'em could pull off that v4 i'd got at first. Nice feeling. Then i got on this other v4ish thing i'd sent at the comp, and even though i couldn't repeat it 'cuz i was too tired, i snagged these two slopey pinches and my feet cut loose, and i took three big footless swings on these absurd slopers before i got my foot on a hold. Absolutely could not believe i held on. Wouldn't have thought it was possible 'til i did it. Might have left my finger prints etched into 'em.

Anyhow, it just struck me as funny how Monster Days can find you in spite of all your efforts to suck. i'm thoroughly sick, heavier than i've been in a while, and i fully kilt my back on friday, and i still threw down one of the best sessions of climbing i've had in a while. That's morale on a stick. And i'll take it.

atonement

we started a new p.e. regimen with the kiddos this morning. Took 'em to some reasonably flat open-space trails and we ran. The older ones have been wanting to compete in track, but a team's too expensive. But we can register them for races without the team. So we'll see how they do--if they can stick with it. The Anne is a monster, and i think i could have her in shape for some crazy distance. The boy--he doesn't like pain all that much. He's very fast, but a li'l bit lazy. If he can train through that, (and clean up the steamboat form) he'll crush some competitions.

For my part, i probably got 15mins of running in at a very low hr. But it was running. Reminded me how easily a week of slacking off can turn into a couple of months without thinking about it. Sho' did feel good to run again. Then i went climbing. That makes two days in a row. Nothing spectacular, but i've got a bunch of climbing in over the last two days. Yesterday i clumb particularly unpleasingly, but i got a bunch of fairly easy stuff, then strapped on the harness and did laps on routes. Today i actually managed to send several v4s (one which had spit me off many times) and a ton of easier stuff. Funny how big a difference it can be between when things click, and when your head and hands are off just a li'l bit.

Then i went to the other gym for shoulders. Started the 5/3/1 thing all over again without having done most of the deload stuff. i've taken too much time off, and i don't wanna lose the gains. Reset my maxes with 155 for shoulders and 450 for deads. i'm leaving bench the same. Shoulder presses were 3x5 with 120, 125, and 135. That feels a bit harder. Felt pretty good. Super-setted the DB militaries and lateral flyes. Very tired. Didn't do curls...figured 3hrs of climbing was probably sufficient. i'm looking very forward to the deads workout. Tha's gunna hurt proper. Anyhow, there's three workouts in the day, and i studied and hung out with the kids. Not a bad day at all. And fall's a coming. You uns gotta be looking forward to that some.

What camping is good for

we went camping. i didn't climb on friday cuz we had to pack for camping that night which of course we didn't do anyway. so we got up and packed saturday and were (fortunately) many hours late getting to a place in the vicinity of taos. the camping spot was built into the side of a hill and looked out over the road connecting taos and angelfire, and the mirror image of the hill we were on opposite the road. so we drove for three hours to get a view similar to the one you could get at the park behind our house. but steeper. and it rained most of the time and hailed part of the time. i think i picked up a collective 6 hours of sleep in the 2 nights of trying. now it's 5 o' clock and i'm too tired to go work out. but we were camping in the mountains by golly. and the obnoxious cousins all got to be in the same place at the same time, which only occurs a few precious times per week.

so to sum up life on the health front: i'm more exhausted than i've been in ...can't remember when. which is something 'cuz i thought i was already that tired. just got a haranguing from my preceptor for being a space-monkey this last week. and i'm probably 3lbs heavier laden with lard from staring at my shoelaces and eating processed crap for three days. didn't get the tiling finished on the kitchen. didn't fix the ac. didn't actually hang out with my kids much. didn't (of course) go to a crag whilst there. didn't paint any bookshelves with fun shapes and polar dogs. BUT i didn't have a drink. yay for the home team. just don't get the draw to going camping to go camping.

and a swelling RAAAAGE...RAAAGE

Clumb with the Anne again today. She sent a v1. That was pretty cool. She appears to have a nearly unlimited strength-to-bodyweight ratio. That, i expect, might just come in handy. i was hoping mightily to put in a good day of it for my part. And to be fair, it wasn't terrible. i sent a "v6". The one i failed to send at the comp 'cuz of having worked shoulders the day before. Very shouldery climb. Three moves, i think--- a three-move v6. And it was burly. And i gorilla'd through it. Here's to the shoulder workouts. Then got  few v3s and flashed a v4. But i failed on my v5 project. That must be rectified. i was way tired today. More than i expected to be. But it ended up being a pretty decent workout.

Supposed to do the shoulder de-load today also, but i didn't get to go in for it. Prob'ly try to stack a few light workouts to make sure i stay on schedule. Also found out today that my rotation in Frisco is cancelled. Don't know how that's gunna pan out. 'Preciate the prayers. i sho' do wanna be here to meet my baby.

The Hairy, Scary, Laser, Razor Edge of Tendonitis

So friday the Anne and i clumb vigorously. i can hardly say i clumb particularly well, but i did climb with vigor. Annie, by contrast, climbed both surprisingly well and with about three times the energy of the old man. In the past, it's been mostly exhausting 'cuz she seemed more interested in doing gymnastics on the mats than climbing. Friday, however, she actually inspired me. i'd stop periodically and realize that in the time i'd been sitting on the floor staring at my problem, she'd done three or four laps on hers. Her strategy didn't seem well thought out for winning the comp, but she had fun. And she's been doing pullups during "PE" every day. She's (i've heard) been doing ten per workout. And she wants to bump that to 20. i think she'll be a monster when her arms get a hair longer. For my part, i could barely steer the car home afterwards. Hands were thrashed.

Saturday, i did the 5/3/1 session of Deads/back. Deads were 315, 360, and 400. Did 405 instead to avoid 2.5lb plates. But i was determined to hit 425. Got that, and it was surprisingly easy. So i threw 20 more on, and ripped 445 up pretty easily. So i edged up to 450, and with much straining i got that locked out proper. Then i failed at 455. So i got a new 40 lb pr at 450. Gotta say that was a touch unexpected since i'd never come even close to that kind of weight in training. 'Fact, that was the first time the workout had called for a numeral 4 in the weights. But last night i read an article by Andy Bolton, and it looks like his stock program calls for a similar approach: lots of rack pulls, and speed work, then heavy-ish reps working up to a new max. But he never seems to approximate the target pull till it's day of ME. Anyhow, i'm glad i went for the max. That was a shot in the arm. And my back is still thanking me for it. Also got 20 plups, then 2 x 10 with +25. Bent o'er BB rows were harder than usual. Bumped the Good Mornings up from 4 x 10 with 95 to 105. The 3 x 30 of straight leg raises sucked to a degree that i cannot explain. i think i had to stop twice during the last set for lactate conversion. That was a kick-butt workout.

Yesterday (sun.) i clumb again. Mostly, we were at the in-laws' and i wanted to move a bit without hurting more. Didn't figure i'd get the chance to run, etc. So i went in to see how i felt on some of the problems i'd worked during the comp. And i thought if things were as bad as i 'spected, i'd just do some easy traversing for a long while. But it wasn't that bad, strangely enough. Nothing has a rating on it yet, but i downgraded some of the stuff i'd worked at the comp. Flashed a problem i hadn't even tried to work at the comp. Then i made some serious headway on a sloper problem that'd thrown some strong dudes at the comp. i'm pretty sure that'll go if i get in fresh and healthy. And i'll bet it's pretty solid v5. On the other hand, i couldn't do a problem i'd snagged at the comp, 'cuz it requires a burly biceps lock-off. My biceps did not show up for the workout. Those and the lats are hanging onto their contiguous fibers by their li'l microscopic fingernails. Ah well. i don't mind failing due to exhaustion. There's a light at the end of that tunnel.

---------------------------------------------------
...And the decrescendo:

Did chest today. Did the 3/3/3 thing again since i botched it up so bad last week. Got all the second set with 200, and then got some dude to spot me on 210. Got the first one, then he started lifting the bar off if i slowed down, so i'm not sure how the last set would'a gone. i just don't seem to get stronger at bench. But now i can say pretty much every joint in my upper body is threatening raging, fulminant inflammation. And it really wasn't a bad workout. i've just lost some ground on the chest front. i think worse things could happen than that.

thersdy

Did the shoulder workout heute. Und's war mir etwas schwer. Aber war auch gut, nichtsdestoweniger. did the 5/3/1 bit today. last lift was for 145, and i got it for 3 reps. So i thought i'd give 155 a whirl. And after some serious internal prompting, and several minutes of pushing, she went. That's a good feeling. i think maybe i could get a bit more if i didn't do 3 of 145 first. Prob'ly won't get to the workout till saturdayish, but i'm gunna try 425 on deads. That'd also be a good feeling.

But first, there's a comp at the climbgym tomorrow. And i've permission to go. Didn't do curls today so i'd be a bit rosier for that, but i still have low expectations. But it should be fun anyhow. And i think the Anne goeth with me. But i'm starting to feel a little more wholesome. That's a nice turn. we'll see.

winsdy

Clumb with the Anne today. She's getting better. i think she'd take off like a rocket if she had some other kids to compete with, but she's getting better just climbing with me. For my part, i think i might be as strong or stronger than i've ever been, but i have zero endurance. i mean, i really have been feeling like i have chronic fatigue syndrome, or mono or something. i don't really think i'm sick, but i haven't been sleeping well since i came back, and i'm just worn down. Can't think straight, my pain tolerance has been that of a True Princess, and my joints refuse to heal. Had today off from work, and i got to sleep in some. i think i slept for 10hrs. Did get most of the backsplash done on the counters, and it's looking pretty fine. Li'l less ghetto than when yous were here. That saw rocks dude.

Yeah funny climbing sesh. i almost flashed this thing that'll probably go at around a v5 (and i think i would'a if the goofy rugrats on the climbing team hadn't planted themselves squarely and ignorantly in my LZ), but then i could hardly get back on the climb for a second burn. Same thing on another 5ish thing i'd tried working maybe two months ago: i finally stuck the crux move that'd been vexing me, but i couldn't repeat it for the link up. i wish i could blame you for wrecking my internal alarm clock, but i can't. i've just either been going to bed an hour or so late very consistently, or else i can't sleep when i do go to bed. And it's killing me. Hopefully i'll be back on some semblance of a schedule soon. And keep running, wouldya. It's inspiring me. i'm gonna add that back in as soon as possible.

onit

Once again i've taken a perfectly acceptable, nicely up-sloping fitness level and flushed it down the toily and hawked a loogey in after it. Never ceases to amaze (or depress) me how much i can lose in two weeks. Did chest today. 'Bout a week and a half overdue. Got to the second set of 3 with 200 and got 2 reps. That was all i had. Did do most of the rest of the workout, but it was bad. At any rate, i broke my habit of doing nothing at all, so maybe things'll look up from here. And i have tomorrow off, so i'm hoping to catch up on sleep. A week of not sleeping has not helped my motivation at all. Gunna try to get some workin' out in manana. How's the Mudder training treating you?

clumb

Done clumb with the Anne. Team tryouts are today and tomorrow. She really wanted to try out, but we couldn't afford to pay for it if she made it. Mayhaps next year. But i'd love for her to get some real training. She'd be ... just really fraggin' good. She was kinda amped about the whole thing, and she wants to go regularly with me. That'd work just fine. If she'd go in with me 2 times/week, she'd probably be on their varsity team at 10. i could make her stronger than any of those wankers.

For my part, i'm still not healed from deads and our climbing sesh on mon. i put some serious distance on a v5, but i just didn't have the juice today. i think i slept 10hrs last night. Just can't seem to catch up on sleep. Ah well... that's vacation. i think it'll smooth out when i start back to work.

So you guys decided to move here yet? Steph said she's gunna start looking for jobs for you. That'd be mighty fine.

Movin' on up

Haven't been on here since Denver 'cuz i'm too dumb to configure my router. Had to outsource that to tx. Doesn't much matter, 'cuz i ain't done much since then. We did do shoulders on saturday. Got a triple with my last-cycle's max. That was encouraging. Then monday we clumb. And that was a worthwhile little session. Fun climbing with the bro. Just mighty nice to have another like-minded human to throw some weight around with. Yesterday i did deads and back. Got 3 of 340, 360, and 380. And that last rep convinced me to leave it at 3. Then p'lups: 20 x bw and 2 x 10 x +25. These felt much harder than they should'a. i weighed in at a scosh over 200, which was a surprise--i'm significantly puffier than when i left last week. Again did 3 x 30 of straight leg raises stead of using the ankle weights. Those things suck. i've been just drained today. Hard workout. i wanted to do some singles on deads and feel what 420ish felt like, but i was juiced. Ah well. Still a fine workout. But i've got some sleep to catch up on.

Then the funny bit. i spent all that time talking 'bout how this town ain't just a huge ghetto, but just as i came back from the gym i found a cop car blocking my street. i figured they were at the neighbors' house as is their custom, so i went 'round the block to try a different angle of attack. But there were cops there too. Turned out some dipstick had threatened a house-mate with a machete, and had blockaded himself inside. So rather than storm the place, the cops parked in front of his house, quarantined the street so no one could come in or go out, and blasted his house (and the entire eastern half of the city) with 120db of copsounds. Until somewhere in the vicinity of 2:00 in the morning. So i was locked out till 'bout midnight, and i finally drove up and asked the cop if he could please let me through cuz i needed to take my contacts out and they were dried to my brain and clearly nothing at all was happening at an extraordinary pace. At around two they started shooting. Sounded like shotguns, but i'm guessing they were either concussion rounds or tear gas, 'cuz they didn't report any killin' and all the windows in the dude's house are gone. Anyhow, that did it. And it only took 'em 8 hours. But i still think the whole town's not a ghetto. Just mostly our street. And i still have the worst lawn on the street. :-)

update

Tomorrow's my last day on this rotation. i'm mildly bummed 'cuz i like it here, and it's been a shot in the arm motivation-wise. But i miss my wee family, and i'm amped i get to go home.

Unfortunately, i didn't have my bike up here with me at first, and then when i did bring it, i didn't ride for quite a while. But so far i've gotten four rides in from 30 July-7 August. And i've managed some reasonable density. So in the week or so that i have been riding, i've gone from doing a 12.2mi ride averaging 15mph, to doing a 20.25mi, much hillier ride averaging almost 17mph. Starting to feel like i belong in the spandex again. It was hot and windy yesterday, and i crushed my earlier times on the same loop by about three minutes. Actually held my HR at 191 for a hill climb, and dropped a whole ton of people. Funny thing is i didn't have the same trouble walking down the stairs. Really not a bad ride for a fat old dude. Funny how fast one can adapt if one puts the effort in. Also got a run in on an in-between day. i guess it's just that time of year when triathlon starts sounding really tasty. i just never make it through the winter to racing season. But it feels so good to just open it up full-throttle and time-trial.

Today it's hopefully another bike ride, and possibly shoulder presses at the gym. i'd really like to go to Boulder a last time before i head, but i don't know if i can swing it. Gotta pack eventually.

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Tack-on

Did the ride. Did a hair over 25mi in 1'45". Averaged just under 15mph. Essentially i added 5mi onto yesterdays ride and an extra 30mins, or 10mph for the last 5mi. Strictly speaking, that's not true. For one thing it was way windy out today. Soul-crushing sort of windy. Also i managed to bonk at the hour mark. That is not a good feeling. And also i meandered a lot trying to figure out where i was going. Ah well...it's just nice to be edging the 2hour mark again. That ought'a teach my mitochondria a lesson about slacking off in procreating.

Aged

i was whining on the phone just this morning to Steph about how much my hams and low back were hurting after the deads a couple o days ago. So i did a bike ride today, and it turned out to be a boon. All i had to do was straighten my legs out on the pedals, and my hams would auto-flex my knees back to 90deg with no additional energy expense--like huge, pudgy rubber bands. Funny ride. Just over 1h15m. GPS said i got 20.36mi at just over 16mph. i didn't feel a bit bad about that considering it was all tortuous, hilly path. But i've got some muscle and it is most definitely not there to turn bike cranks. i'm drained to my bones, and could do with a good vomiting. i got out of the shower and changed and went down the stairs to get some nutriment, and if the rail hadn't been there i think i would have taken a swan-dive onto my face. Legs would not work. That was a chuckley moment in life. But it could not have been a more perfect day for riding, and it reminded me of why i like it here so much. Took the 470 trail through Bear Creek park. Very pretty ride.

Now i'm either gonna go to Boulder, or go work chest. It's chest day, but it's also the rare overcast sort of day when it ain't raining, and the sun ain't broiling. we'll see.

And i should praise my li'l Annie too: she made it to the city finals in at least three strokes from the district swim meet. And she got 4th out of about 50 8yos in backstroke. And i heard she trashed her heat in 50 free, but got dq'd for --not quite sure--an illegal turn or something. Bummer, but it thrills my soul to know she's got some distance in her. So however it turns out this next weekend, she's cranked out a pretty nice first season of competition.

-------------------------------------------------------
Later:

Right then. It rained after all. so i did chest. Once again i forgot to recalculate my percents, so i tried bumping all my sets up by 5lbs. Couldn't manage the last rep on the last set though. 175 x 5, 185 x 5, and 200 x 4. The rest of the workout went pretty well. Actually managed 4 sets of pushups to failure. Something like 15, 12, 8 (here i dropped on my face with nothing to stop me), and...2. Fail. Good workout though. Seeing as my back, hams, abs, and now triceps, shoulders and pecs are all destroyed, i have some nagging doubts about the quality of any climbing i might do should i head boulderward tomorrow.

Through today

So yesterday i went back to Boulder. And m' car decided to break down. So i climbed a v3 in my chacos minus the suicidal last move that would have swung me out over the road. Didn't look like a hard move; just one you definitely wouldn't want to not stick. Then my car started by the grace of God, and i came back home. So i went to the gym and started over on the 531 program. Did shoulder presses. Actually felt pretty good for it. Didn't do the curls at the end 'cuz i planned to go back today and do deads and pullups. So i did. Think it was 315 x 5, 335 x 5, and 360 x 5. Had to strap the belt on for that last un. But a very fine workout. Feel like i've lost a bit on p'lups though. BW x 20, then 3 x 10 x +25. But the last few reps were rugged and messy. Kinda kilt me for the bent o'er BB rows. Only did sets of ten with 135, then i could only get 8 for the last set. Totally spent. The GoodMornings with 95 were pretty easy. Think i could bump that up a bit. Then i forgot to take my ankle weights in for straight leg raises, so i did 2 x 30, then 1 x 20. Those hurt. m' tummy felt worked.

Splenopleural fistula

Went for a bike ride today--my first since Thanksgiving. It hurt pretty much exactly as badly as you'd expect it to. i couldn't seem to break up the adhesion between my pericardium and pancreas. Did just over 12 mi at just over 15 mph. That translates roughly from math to "Soy gordo." Right-O. It's hot, it's pretty, i have no one to hang with, and a crash-pad, so i'm gunna head to Boulder Canyon and see if i can't get hopelessly lost. Then i might just come home (assuming i fail to require a search party) and start the 5-3-1 program o'er and see if i can make it stick this time. Far as i'm concerned, i've done all the squats i'm doing today.

Ther's day

Thought i'd note that i didn't get to Boulder today. Did get m' hangboards up though. Got a nice li'l workout in on those. Feels good to demand something from my fingers again. Kind of a stark setup i realize, but it's functional. One-arm hangs on the big round slopers are killer. Forearms are toasty and smouldery.  Tomorrow's gunna be a long 'un, but the weekend's a comin' bruthas. Peace to yas.

post

Thought i'd post up. Maybe it'll help with the motivation. i climbed at a climbgym yesterday. Not so good. i have lost a truckload of strength, admittedly. But the gym was ... ghetto. After climbing at StoneAge for some years, poorly set routes get on my nerves. And a whole gym full of poorly set routes irks something terrible. Ticks me off when all the routes in the gym are set with tiny razor-sharp crimps, and they make the grades harder by making the footholds progressively smaller. And the vibe was just bad. And the lighting. Definitely had that some o' these routes were set in 1998 feel. Bleh. i went to Cold Creek Canyon a few days ago just to feel rock again. It was bittersweet, cuz i had no one to climb with. Did do some low traversing, and climbed to the first bolt on several routes, but it was mighty lonely. Very lonely place this time 'round.

Finally got in to the iron gym for some chest work. i've lost a li'l there too (as though i had anything to lose.) But it felt good to move. After last night's climbing experience, i really believe i haven't quite kicked whatever ailed me in Querque. i think it was a bit more than a sore throat. i've felt like squashed shadoo-doo ever since. i mean, chronic fatigue syndrome style. But i felt a li'l better today. And that was really good for my psyche.

Also bought a guidebook to Boulder Canyon bouldering, and brought my crashpad back with me. i'm hoping to get up there tomorrow for some 'sploring. That'll do good for the psyche as well, i predict. Well peace to yous. i'll try to get back in the game.

Radio Silence

Haven't had either internet or time in a while. To be fair, i haven't worked out nearly enough in the last two weeks, but i have worked out a little. i'll catch up soon. Peace.

Ran again

Did a hair over an hour on G. Mt. yesterday. Good time, but ain't hard enough for that yet. Hucking downhill trying to dodge ankle-breakers with yer heels tapping you in the sacrum... Well, i didn't fall. But i was mighty tired. Can't wait 'til that don't feel so hard anymore. Think i'll keep it up. And i gotta find a gym. Diet's actually been going fairly well.

Ran...

...fer 42 minutes on Green Mt. And that was just fine. 'm not so strong for the hills anymore, but that's just fine too. That can be remedied. Stayed pretty much 'tween the low 160s to the high 170s for a HR. Ran up to that radio tower on top. Just mighty fine. Had a li'l afterglow that stayed with me a while.

'Raddy

First day of ED today.

IT IS SO DANG GOOD TO BE BACK HERE!!!

And i'd say it went well enough. Saw a whole bunch o' pts. And some of 'em had real issues. Haven't worked out properly since i've been here. Kinda piddled with bouldering in Morrison yesterday, but it was really too hot for it. i was melting. And since every single landing there has death written on it, i didn't feel like seriously testing the rock friction. i've gotta find a gym. Went to 24hr yesterday, and they have a pool. But it's so dang gay there. You have to filter out all the stupid gay equipment to see if they have the stuff you'd actually use, and they generally don't. Only reason i'd think of it is 'cuz they have a pool. i was too dumb to bring my bike. Gonna try to remedy that at the first opp.

In other news, went up on Green Mt. to watch the fireworks, and that was really flippin' just awesome. i'm walking these trails i've walked hundreds of times, and my feet knew where to go, and i knew where the turns and dips were, and i felt sorta home. i think i'm gunna go run tomorrow before i head to work.

It is my opinion that yous should plan a trip up here while i'm here. we'll go do some climbing that doesn't suck.

Yeah. i feel like that'd rock.

And i'm having a Tommyknocker's Oaked Butthead just now (in case you were needing more of a fire lit under yer ass to get things planned).

:-D

25% done

Odd week. Just finished my Internal Med rotation. Bombed the final test, but the rotation was pretty cool notwithstanding. Workouts have been spotty. It's the deload phase at any rate. Did shoulder press monday, with pretty good results. That was my last weight workout. Climbed a few times, but that's been sketchy too: mostly been going there to read. i think i jacked up any chance of hitting that v7 with the last few days of climbing. On monday, i was piddling with that v5 i warmed up and cooled down on a few days before. Couldn't get it, so i just kept trying. After the 5th or 6th or 7th try, i managed to hurt my middle finger on a two-finger pocket on it. So i left dejected. Yesterday i went in again with low expectations. Started working a v4 pocket problem, but again i could not manage the crux. And again, i kept trying over and over and over, 'til i was wasted. But interestingly, my finger stopped hurting. So then i saw some guys working that v7, and i threw in with 'em. Got a new high point, but i didn't finish it--way too tired. And i leave for Denver in a couple o days, so i'm afraid my time is up. Might try tomorrow if i can take the fam with me. Getting a li'l anxious 'bout leaving. Too much to do, and no motivation to do any of it.

Gains

Just finished the last of the 5/3/1 week with squats. Lessee, it was 210, 235, and 265. Got a double with the 265, but it was no fun. Did everything else but the ham curls, cuz i was out of time. Problem was i weighed in at 204 lbs pre-squats. That's a li'l depressing. i've loosened up the diet a fairly small bit, and i haven't run in a week or so, but that's it really. Can't figure out why i'm so dang heavy.

On a brighter note, i climbed today with pretty happy results. Warmed up and got this v5 i'd done before. Then i got a new v6. Took maybe three tries, and it was terrible sloppy climbing, but i projectile-vomited my hands toward the finish hold, and stuck. Very happy, 'cuz the qi flowed viscous and fetid through sunless meridians. i then tried another v6--the one i did on monday (just to say i'd done two in a day.)Only i didn't latch the finish hold, so i gave up.

So i went to work on a 6 i tried on wed. i'd failed pretty miserably, but i thought it was because i was tired. In fact, it was because the crux at the finish was just friggin' hard. Really, really flippin' hard. But i got it. i dragged my carcass over the top of the boulder trying not to whimper, 'cuz i was absolutely juiced and i couldn't find anything big enough to hold onto. Totally freaked. Gripped. No way i would'a done that if i didn't know there was a huge fluffy pad a very long way under my footsies. But it went.

Then i did that v5 again on the way out the door to show a bud the beta. i question the fiveyness of the route, but i'm taking it. So that made (nearly) three v6s (two of 'em new acquisitions) and a double rep on v5 at 204lbs.

i'm fat, but that ain't the worst climbing day i've ever had. And maybe it'll be a tad cooler in Denver, and i can make my chunky butt run again.

Payin' the Piper

Day before i rotted and fattened a bit.

Did climb a li'l bit over lunch today. It was ... non-good. Many climbing-like movements, with no finish holds to show for it. i think i got a v3. Bleh. Enough of that.

Just got back from the bench workout, 5/3/1 day. Bench was 170, 195, and 215. i got a solid double with 215. Would'a tried a third if i'd had a spot. Did manage to get 4 sets of 10 on dips. No added weight, but i took a couple of gulps of water in between sets. For the pushups to failure, i got a set of 15, then a set of 7. Then i went home. Absolutely juiced. i really hope i feel more alive for squats on friday. Gonna go puke now.

Yester Day

i have no explanation for yesterday-- one of those strange, anomalous, paradoxically super-human days that so totally defy expectations as to render themselves unrepeatable through any species of conscious bent. Woke up knowing it was gunna be a sluggish, hard-to-cope-with sort of day of functional retardation. Went climbing after work on a short clock. Did a thorough warm-up anyhow, and stretched. i thought i'd feel good after doing nothing whatsoever over the weekend, and having not climbed for three days prior; but i got a flash-pump warming up that smacked me down. For kicks, i got on my v7 project, and didn't even make it to the crux before i peeled. One of those days where i had this nagging fear of twisting my ankle i was so uncoordinated and foggy. Then i fell off of a v4 i've done several times. But then a good mood just floated in from the sky and landed on me. Went in the cave, and (after a couple of bad tries) sent a v6 that'd chucked me the few sessions before. That left me on a happy-cloud 'cuz i was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen. So i put on the harness just to push the envelope, and got on a 5.12 on the auto belay. Then amazingly i sent that after a few tries. Auto belay notwithstanding, that's the hardest route i've ever pulled down. Gunna hafta try that one on lead to make it official. Then on the way out, i jumped on a v5 i'd done a few days ago (just to see) and it went too--again after a few bad tries. Real funny session: i didn't feel very good, my hands hurt, and i was tired and groggy, but i found some happy dark place where i could ignore myself, and routes fell.

Then i went to work and got to do a double knee injection. And the dude didn't kick me in the forehead even after sinking a needle up to the hilt in 'is capsule.

Then i went in for the 5/3/1 day of deads. Zero expectation after the climbing. It was, admittedly, a poorly planned workout day. i really didn't think my hands would stay closed on the bar to pull 390. But i got a triple with it. And it was the stuff aortic dissections are made of. i really thought i was gunna blow blood on the last rep. In fact, my head looked like it was going to pop. But it left me with a big grin, and i stopped caring about the rest of the workout. Did get 20 p'lups, then 3 more sets of 10 with +25. These went much better than last week. Got 4 sets of 12 with 135 on bent o'er BB rows. Wrist was still bugging me from curls on fri. Lessee...4 x 10 with 95lbs on good mornings. 1 x 30 straight leg raises, then 3 x 12 with ankle weights. Turned out to be a good workout in spite of the climbing. Very (happily) surprising. i'm hoping to go running today. It's a little cooler than usual today, and i haven't run in a week or so. Every muscle in my body is sore today.

i'm praying for you guys that you'll get some rain/cold front there. 112 is ridiculous. You should not put up with that kind of weather.

freitag

Did the first of the 5/3/1 days of the 5/3/1 workout--standing pressouts. i guess i texted you cuz i was happy (there, G) but for the record i got 5 of 110, 3 of 125, and managed 3 of 140. Couldn't get a 4th rep up, but i think that should represent some progress at any rate. DB militaries 4 x 12 with 30s, 40s, 45s, 40s. BB curls 4 x 12 with 40, 40, 50, 60. These hurt my wrist. Preachers 4x 10 with 40 lbs on an ez curl bar. Lateral raises with sundry light weights. Good workout. i'm starting to actually like the shoulder work. 'Fact, i'm liking the whole workout. i was needing a change-up in my workout in a bad way. i should be able to finish the cycle before i go to CO in a few weeks. Don't know what'll happen from there workout-wise, but i'll go there stronger than i otherwise would have.

And the curls fell on a nice day. This way i'll get the weekend to heal for working back on mon. Plus i didn't climb today, so if i can manage a weekend off, i might be nice and healed for mon if i get to go. Annie has her first swim meet tomorrow morning, so i'm pretty amped 'bout that. Might just turn her into a triathlete yet.

Clumb Again

Climbed in twixt work today. Starting to feel the breakdown fer real. Mostly, i couldn't get my head along for the ride. i thought for sure i'd snag that 6 i almost got two days ago. Got close, but failed. i did get a v5. And interestingly, i really didn't feel too thrashed. Mostly just sleepy i think. i also got a pretty solid new high point on my 5.12 projecto. Got on the auto belay and got within two moves of the finish. And that ain't bad considering that you can't hangdog. i really think if i go in fresh that it won't feel too hard. That'd be cool. It looks like a nerve-wracking lead, but i wanna give it a try if i can wire it on tr. i was a li'l bummed that i was climbing badly today, but i'm on the verge of sending several pretty stiff problems, so i've got some motivation. Matter of getting in there with the cobwebs cleared.

we went to the peep-in-laws' for dinner and had lasagna. Chased that with cherry cobbler and home made ice cream. And i'm bloated. But i didn't go too crazy. Hopefully i'll be back on track tomorrow.

EvilBread

Crazy day today. i actually worked non-stop from 0800-1700. Mostly i was following docs around a pain clinic, but i got to do a lumbosacral facet injection with fluoroscopy guidance. That rocked. There's something about ramming an 8" needle cath towards someone's spine that somehow smooths out the wrinkles in yer day. Maybe it's the Shadenfreude principle of knowing beyond any doubt that the grass is most definitely not necessarily greener on the other side o' the fence. Anyhow, the dude felt way better afterward, and thanked me for a nice job, and that's mighty satisfying.

Tonight i did the squat workout. Today's ended the "3" piece of the 5/3/1. Didn't strap the belt on for this un. i'm gonna guess my max would be higher if i checked again. That was fairly easy. Did all the leg presses, and those blew. i think i had 180 on the slide, and i thought about how dying might be happier after 5 sets. Did 3 of the prescribed 5 sets of ham curls. Skipped the extensions. Knee was bugging. Did the ab rollers. i like those things.

Diet-wise, i made a good breakfast, but didn't get four bites down before i went in this morning. Didn't get a lunch, so i had a muffin one of the docs brought in. Finally had breakfast at 1700. Then came home and Steph, under the influence of demon hormones, had made a pan of chocolate chip cookie bars. So i ate several. And i felt bloated. Gonna try to take that as a lesson.

Odd one

Today i climbed again. Been putting some thought and effort into not climbing two (or more) days back to back. It's always seemed to just tear me down, and i usually have little discipline for just going in and doing a very light enduro day. But i got a text from friend i hadn't seen in a while, and i went in thinking maybe some nice v0s or some toproping. But no. She hadn't been climbing in a long time, so she's working a bunch of v1s and 0s. (She's actually from sny-town too, and asked how you are, and said to tell you hi. Name's Ivonne Rodriguez.) Anyhow, last time we'd climbed together, we'd been working the same v2s, but i felt like poo carrying on a conversation while i floated her projects, so i started throwing about for some stiffer fare. Dude: i nearly flashed a v6. Didn't get enough finger tip on the finish hold, and i glanced off; but i nearly flashed. i'd looked at the thing yesterday, at the end of a fairly brutal session, and it didn't look possible. i didn't get it, cuz i was juiced, but i did get the finish worked out, and it should go pretty easily. Then i snagged a couple o' 3s i didn't get yesterday, and a 4. Then she took off, and i got on the autobelay and up-and down-climbed a 5.10. Then i was cooked and i was gonna leave, but ran into a mate working on my v7 proj, and i worked the crux out on it.

That was a crazy day of climbing. Definitely didn't feel super healed, but i've been amazed at how torn down i've failed to feel after some pretty intense sessions. Haven't put up any inspiring new numbers, but it's cool to see i can keep some density in the workout without injury. Normally i'd have tendonitis burning up my arms by now. i'm really thinking there's something to this high-quality, trash-free diet thing. Wanted to do some sort of run today, but it didn't happen.

And on the work front, i talked for a good while with one of the docs, who's going to let me follow him at a different clinic. He's a physiatrist--a physical doc--and he works at an ortho rehab clinic transitioning folks from ICU to rehab, and generally managing intrathecal pumps. He said that after a week, they'd have me busy with a full workload. Sounds like a happy change to me.

Anyway, it was one of those days where i ended up thanking God a lot. i was needing one of those days pretty bad. Peace.

Supa Down

Sometimes i think i must have a chemical imbalance. i felt down today like i haven't felt down in a while-e-o. Got sent in to work up a 400 pounder today, and she tells me she's been having some menstrual-like bleeding the last couple o' days. And she's 18 years or so post-menopausal. Did some hard core praying that this was not going to lead to a pelvic exam, 'cuz i was not the man for the job. Praise the Holy One, she'd had a similar incident several months prior, and had already been dx'd with fibroids. And since she's practically inoperable, there was nothing for it but to tell her to have a good morning. Then we were done by nine. i don't know how the dude scores the paycheck he does working 2 to 4 hrs/day, but i took it as a sign that i should go work out.

First of all, climbing immediately before the chest workout turned out to be a way worse idea than it seemed up front. Second of all, i'm glad i did anyway, 'cuz it ended up all right. Ran into some skinny d00d that wanted a belay partner. Funny, cuz for once i really just wanted to boulder and study. But i roped up. He'd been trying a boulder problem that i've been working on, and seemed to be making a little progress, so i guessed he was about my strength. It was sorta encouraging to find that he was not. Ran up a 5.10 (that wasn't really) for a warmup, then got on my 5.12 proj. It was nice to work on toprope, 'cuz i could hang and figure the beta. On the auto belays, you lower every time you fall. i didn't finish it, but i'm two moves away, and i'm pretty sure i can string it together if i get in fresh and light. He couldn't get through the starting sequence, so i chalk one more up for the Clydesdales. i really should not have climbed today, but it wasn't too bad.

Then there was the bench workout. Shoulders were unexpectedly tired from climbing. But i got all three sets of 3 on bench: 180, 195, and 205. Definitely fought for that very last rep, but it went. Actually got 4 sets of 10 on dips (sans extra weight) which is an improvement. And on the "4 sets of pushups to failure" i managed a set of 10, then a set of 8 before i called it. That's also an improvement.

i guess yesterday was technically the last day of the diet for me. But i'm gunna try to stick with it fairly closely. i like feeling like i'm making some tangible progress towards fitness. And i know if i didn't feel like i was on an upward trend, i'd take up heavy drinking and dipping right this minute. Got a mean hankering to abuse me. Maybe i'll go for a run. Or maybe i'll just punch me in the face. Both burn calories, eh.

Additionally, i just found out that my FP rotation that was here in between trips to CO has been moved to Gallup, so that i have three aways in a row...18 straight weeks. You ever just feel like killing a douchebag just cuz you can't think of any good reason they might have to go on consuming oxygen? Prayers please. i'm confident that God is in control of all this. That's the only possible way things could go that perfectly, remarkably, exactly off plan. There's just gotta be a reason.

Post

Yesterday i did the deadlift workout. The deads themselves went fairly smoothly. It was 3 of 3 with 300, 350, and 370. Even strapped the Inzer on for that last set. Did the same p'lups workout as last time, but this time it went markedly less well. Last set with +25 i think i got 6 reps up. On the other hand, i weigh more this time round, and i think i can fairly say i did a harder biceps workout on wednesday. Got all 4 sets of 12 with 135 on bent o'er BB rows, but i had to really fight for the last set. Rest of the workout went swimmingly. i was blasted.

Climbed today with Annie. Had zero expectations for a serious session--cuz i had no lats, biceps, or hands left--so i was not disappointed. It was fun though; and a darned good workout. Got a new high point on my "v7" proj, and i'm mighty confident it'll go if i can freshen up a bit before the next session. i'm not so sure it's a real 7, but it is hard, and it'll be the first thing i've got with the number on it. Also got a new high point on a 5.12 autobelay problem, and i'm sure it'll go on a healed-er day. It won't really count, 'cuz not only is it a TR problem, but the autobelay probably takes a stone off'n my weight. But it'd be mighty fine for the psyche. Did get a It turned out to be a surprisingly good session 'cuz i was wiped out. And sometimes failing beyond the expectations in a wiped-out state gives you a li'l taste of what you might accomplish if you could just get in on yer game.

Sund'y Tack-on

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

Weighed in this morning at 194, so i'm (back) down about 4 or 5lbs from the Vegas debauchery. And Annie and i just did a 36 min run. She did really well. It was hotter than i'd have liked, but we took lots of water, and she did fine. i kept my HR in the 120s to low 130s for the duration, so it was a really light run, but she was taking two steps to my one. So she was working it. She's on the swim team now, and she's good-- like, she just got bumped to the next heat 'cuz she was climbing over the other paeons and threatening their lives to get to the front. So i have secret hopes of making a triathlete outta her. That'd be just fine.

42 min run

Did a 42 min run today. Not as bad as i'd expected. Only i took too long getting ready, and arizona began precipitating on us for the evening, so i cut it short so's not to trash the lungs. Tomorrow i'm slated for deads, and i'm not at all confident i'm gun' be able to hold onto the bar. Trashed m' mitts yesterday. Anyhow, run in; so i should be skinnier and fitter by tomorrow.

Round 2

You'll be proud to know that i turned down a beer--in a pub--with some mates on Mon. That hurt. And i'm planning on having one this time next week to celebrate the victory. But for now i'm swilling an apple, blueberry, pear, cinnamon, and chocolate protein smoothie. And it's pretty darn tasty.

Looking back, the three hour climbing session was probably not the ideal lead-in to the curls today. But it wasn't as bad as it could'a been. Steph pawned the kids off to a sweat shop for a few hours, and she joined me for some Kletterei. i think i got the crux worked out on a v7. Also got a couple of 5.11s, a v4, and a handful of unrated stuff. Pretty hard session. Then i started the "3" portion of the 5/3/1 thang. The standing presses went well. 120/125/135 it was. DB militaries 4 x 12 with 40/35/35/35 but i didn't get that last rep on the last set. Laterals 4 x 12 with 20s. BB curls 4 x 12 with 40. Preachers 4 x 10 with ...don't know what the EZ curl bar weighs, but +40 for a set, then 3 sets with +50. Those were hard. i suspect that those, in turn, will negatively affect pullups on fri. Ah well. Perhaps it will all work together to make me a more serious love machine.

And i now have more confidence in the veracity of my bathroom scales. Weighed in at just a smidge under 200. i knew i'd gained some lard in Vegas. Now i gotta start running again. 

Day 1: Scraping me back on the wagon

i am so sleepy, i just fell asleep reading my email. Vegas is not a healthy town. i'm very glad to not be there anymore. Pretty sure i gained some lard whilst there. 'Fact, it's impossible that i didn't, 'cuz i slouched around eating trash and swilling beer and generally staying as close to basal metabolic rate as possible.

Today i climbed. i was mostly hoping that a week of not using my pingers would give 'em a chance to heal. But it didn't really work out that way. Tendons are still stretched thin. But i am heavier and mildly deconditioned. Notwithstanding, i did finally snag a tricky v6 today. On my 2,000th burn, i sent. And to be fair to my hands, i felt pretty strong for it. Only it took a while to knock the rust off the joints. Ended up climbing just a bunch today. Hands are thuh-rash-ed. One of those days where it's hard to steer the car. And i avoided major debilitating injury.

Still planning on doing that squat workout later today if i can find the time to slip away. i mostly look forward to getting it over with. And it's gun' hurt. It's like the feeling right before you go in for an open abdominal surgery...you just know you're gunna feel like hammered sha-doodoo on the other side, but there's no avoiding it. Anyhow, i'll post about it if i make it through. i'm off for some prophylactic vomiting now. Peace.

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

Post-squats:

That was nigh on... debilitating. Did the squats and leg presses. Did three sets of the curls, and 1 set of extensions. Did all the ab-rollies. i have some doubts about ambulating without a wheelchair tomorrow. i backed off on some of the workouts so i could eventually heal from this, but i'm not sure i backed off enough. Anyhow, don't have to do that un again for a week and a half-ish. Didn't help that i dead-legged a quad on a climbing hold dynoing today.

White meat

Leetle catch up here. Bout to get on a plane fer vegas. I have a feeling i'm gunna miss the squat workout. But i'm ok with that. It's gunna hobble me i'm afeared.

On the other hand, I did get the bench workout in sunday. The bench part of it actually went ok. I really didn't think i'd get the last set but it went. The rest of the workout made me chuckle though. I got a kick out of the "weighted dips 4 x10". I can't do four sets of ten in my underwear. I did do all the reps, but it took more'n 4 sets. Then the "4 sets of pushups to failure" ...I got a sett of ten, then I couldn't do sets of one. I just have no man boobs.

Climbed yesterday. Lil stiff from the iron. But it was a workout.

Deads

Did the deads day today, 3x5--310, 330, 350. Went really well. Haven't done regular deads in a long while, so i had to get used to the form. But with the Inzer on, they felt pretty easy. Did have to give some growl on the last couple o' reps. Kinda liked the workout, though. Very different feel. And i had a crapload more back left for bent bb rows than i do after straight leg deads. Did pullups next. Set of 20 with bw, then 3x10 with bw+25. Was a li'l ragged after that last set. Not so pretty, the form. Then bent o'er bb rows, 3 x 12 with 135. These went well. Then good-mornings. Started with a set of 10 with 135, and that was way too much weight. Think i dropped to 95 for the last three sets. Hanging leg raises i did a set of 30, then (to stick with the schedule) 3 x 12 with ankle weights on.

That's a good workout. Couldn't figure why my arms were so drained on pullups, but i realized i did curls on wed. i think i'm gunna like the program.

Chemistry experiment

Did an "hour" run today. Same run i did a couple o' days ago. Only today it was long about 86deg 'stead of 70-something. HR was consistently about 10bpm higher through the whole run, and it took me 'bout 3 mins longer, so i was running slower at a much higher HR. Then towards the end, i started getting a li'l bit hypovolemic. Couldn't get my rate below 170, and i was barely jogging. Interesting how much difference 10deg makes. Made me appreciate why, exactly, you don't wanna run in that balmy Alabama weather you've got there. i ran out of sweat by the end. Definitely need to be in better shape before summer gets here for real.

Raggin' Day

Today started out well enough. i got a good day of it in at clinic, then got off early enough to climb. It was, for the record, a terrible climbing day. But even that was encouraging, in its own way. Thrice did i wrap phalanges 'round the finish hold on a wee v6, but could muster not the Wherewithal Of Sendingness. i thought, mayhaps i hadn't the Manliness or Fortitude. So i meandered in to throw on another 6 i was surer of getting (as i'd been close on it the last session). Only i couldn't stick the first hard-ish move. So i was assured that, in fact, i don't suck as bad as i was ready to give me credit for sucking; rather, i merely had no intact muscle fibres left in my nubbins. In other words, it's likely curable.

Then i mistakenly involved the estrogen-driven clowns in my school's administration in my day. i requested my immunization record from 'em for the place i'm working, and it came to their attention ('cuz i told 'em) that i hadn't completed my hep b series. This is because i was initially told i'd have to wait 6 mos to finish that series. But in fact i only had to wait 3. So basically, i was able to finish the series about this week-ish. So all of a sudden, it became vitally important that i not see patients until i'd finished that series (even though the place i'm working doesn't require their employees to have the series at all). It was understood up to that point that i'd just get the final shot whenever i was able. So the reason it became so important today was to punish me for not having done it at the first possible moment, even though it's totally superfluous by any standards. So i spent three hours today running around to get a shot i didn't particularly need as quickly as humanly possible just 'cuz someone was having a not-so-fresh moment.

For the last year, i've merely been seriously irritated by that tool shed. Now i loathe it. Less than a year to go.

Gotta go get a 5/3/1 in today. You'll be happy to know i'm skeered. It's gonna hurt. Oh, and the Xcel sheet you shipped me has a three week cycle, then a deload week. Do you do two of the 3-week cycles, then deload, or do you deload after every 3-weeker?

And....

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...There we go. OH press day. But we talked since then.

The day after

Maxed yesterd'y. Got 275 on squats. That's a li'l sad, but it was pure glute fail. Can hardly walk today, so i'm skerd to think what i'll feel like after an actual squat workout. Got 145 on standing militaries. Just missed 235 on bench. So i'll call it 220-225ish. Didn't do deads cuz i'd climbed earlier in the day, but i've gotten 410 in the fairly recent past, so i'll go with that.

For the record, i clumb yesterday too, and got a new v5. Made good headway on a v6 that i think'll go on the next freshstrong day. Even made a good stab at a 5.12-, but i had no send juice left in the tank.

Planning to run here in a few minutes. It's a smadge hot out there today. Oh, and i weighed this morning at 194ish on the br scales. Can't say how accurate that is, but at any rate i've dropped a few gravitations.

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Later:

...And there's an hour run in. Really not a bad run. Even getting stopped both ways at the stop light, i still am only about 5 mins down on that run in really good shape. Kept the HR pretty consistently in the low 150s for the duration.

D'you getchoo a hardy run in then? Looked like you'd need a respirator and some sunscreen. Heheh! If i didn't already, that sure makes me 'member why i'm glad i don't inhabit Tejas any more.