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

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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.

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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.