Loooooong day

So i obviously corrected the logging-on problem. Guess i'll put up with the Oriental salesmen.

Did get that chest workout in last thurs. Actually a good workout. Did some bench, which didn't hurt 'cuz i utilized my new-found supa'form. Did some shoulders. Then i did some dips. Maybe 3 x 10 at bw. i was very sore thereafter.


Went to Las Conchas on sat. Ended up being cloudy and 'bout 65 degrees. Perfecto. Did some ver' nice climbing. Finally redpointed that .10d-.11a on the front wall. Funny thing was i got halfway up and there was this old guy on a route next to me. On the ground we'd been conjecturing about the grade 'cuz the route had been put up since the guidebook was writ'. So i clumb up even with him, got to a rest and asked him what he thought about it. He didn't seem to notice i was hanging from a heel hook and was gritting my teeth, and he just kept on opining. Made me chuckle, and kinda' distracted me, so i sent.

Unfortunately, i also climbed at the gym yesterday (mon) instead of doing back at the irongym. This was a bad session---although i did get a v4 i'd been trying for a few days. And a big load of v3s. Still just didn't feel healed. No endurance.

Next few days are gonna be long. Got a pharmacy test on thurs that's making me have nightmares. i will feel very happy when that one's over with. Be safe in houston, man.

windsday

Went to the climbgym with a friend yesterday. Definitely not fully healed...in fact, i think i did some sort of grievous injury to my already-damaged middle finger. This chafes, because i need that finger. It is, in fact, my least avoidable finger, in addition to just generally being my favorite, and strongest finger. In spite of all this, it was a fine workout. i could tell i was broken down, 'cuz i'd run outta gas way too fast on a route, but i still got a nice enduro workout in. Bunch o' v2s and v3s; then i got on the auto-belays and did some good distance on a stiff 5.11, got a couple of .10s, couple of .9s, then did maybe 8 or 10 laps on a couple of 5.8s. Left with some nice toasty, sauteed forearms.

Today i'm hoping to get in to the irongym for some chest and shoulders. i think it's helping my posture.

annieand daddy

Annie wrote my title. Drawing a straight blank. Did work out this last week a few times. Got a bad climbing session in on mon, and a better one in on wed (i think). Yesterday (fri) i went to the irongym for some chest/shoulder action. Turned out to be a good workout...at least by my humble standards. Paid some serious attention to m' form on bench, and i didn't hurt, so i'm happy and motivated. For future reference:

Random Shoulder Motions:

1,000,000 x some weights

Bench Press:

30 x bar
10 x 135
5 x 155
2 x 5 x 175

Funny feeling to arch my back and drive with the legs with 135lbs, but it was a nice warmup and it didn't hurt. Didn't push super hard--partially cuz i didn't want to damage m' shoulder, and partially cuz i didn't have a spotter--but it felt mighty good to do some bench again without pain.

Shoulder Flexion:

3 x 5-6 x weights

Lat. Shoulder Flexion:

same, but different weights

Pec Deck:

something x 14
more x 8ish

All in all, a good workout. Mostly i didn't injure me. And i can't quite lift my arms above my head today. Think i'm gunna go climbing and/or running in a few minutes. i'm working a cool li'l v4.

Later that evening...

Well. i went running. i gather it was somewhere in the vicinity of 100deg. This was not a good idea. Did a run that usually takes me a hair under 1 hr, and it took closer to 1.25 hrs and my HR was consistently 20bpm higher than usual. i finally stopped running after an hour and some change cuz i was so exhausted and i couldn't run slow enough to get my HR below 165.

Then i went climbing. That went much better. Got a handful of v4s, and just generally climbed better than i had in a while. Overall some good workouts ('cept for that silly heat exhaustion bit).

ketchup

Uuummm...where did i leave off? Um: we went to Las Conchas on fri with some friends from school. Fun times. i clumb suboptimal fa' shizzle, after two fairly hard days of climbing in the gym prior; but it was mighty nice to be outside. And it was a perfect day weather-wise.

Swam on saturday. Can't complain as it'd been nearly a month since last i moved in an intentionally-aerobic fashion. Could have been way worse.

Lifted yesterday (mon). Now i hurt; but i did get 4 with 395 on straight leg deads, so i'm getting back into right form. Didn't do weighted pullups after the warmup set of 20. Kinda' felt sluggish after the climbing, and someone else stole my machine, and i didn't care. Rest of the workout was pretty decent. Planning on getting some new running shoes today or tomorrow. i gotta lose some weight. i'm experimenting with cutting cheese out of my diet for a week at a time. Very confusing: i don't think i yet appreciate how much cheese i eat. And i'm gonna go mostly veg again for a while. i'm tired of feeling fat and sluggish.

Loans came through today, and i went and purchased some new Sauconies. went for a 45 min. run to test 'em out. It's been longer than i thought since last i ran. i'm feeling the pain. But the shoes were a nice ride, anyhow.

Attitude Check

Well, you should be proud of me: i did a real live chest workout today. That's right--i forced my man-boobs to push some weight.


Yesterday i did a skeletal version of my normal workout. It'd been a week and a half since my last workout, and i wanna move it back to sun, so i thought i'd take it easy. i'm gonna say the workout reflected my portliness, some staleness, bad pre-workout nutrition and just a generally bad vibe in the gymnasio. Only got up to eighty or so on weighted pullups. Figured i'd do less damage to my back by maxing on regulars than doing heavy straight leg deads, so i tried for a new max. Not only did i fail, but i couldn't even get 405 up, which i did a double with last time. i had an excuse though: i had a few liters of air in my stomach, and i couldn't belch to save my life. Tighten the Inzer down, and i felt like i had a baseball in my thorax lifting 385 twice. It seriously felt like i was giving myself tamponade. Also, there were probably 10 people in the gym, and all of 'em were standing in the same corner as me talking. And i didn't have any chalk. But i think if i could'a' belched, i would'a' had 405 easy. i still think i've got 425 in my wee back if i can summon the right rage. Rest of the workout was fine, but losing on deads got me down.

Today a friend from school talked me into going with him to Planet Fitness for a bench workout. we worked up from 135 by 10lbs in sets of 2 to a max; then worked back down at the same speed, but doing as many reps as we could. i actually got 200 up, which surprised me. my shoulder did start bugging me on the way back down, but i still got a good workout in, and i don't think i damaged it. That's a good sign: maybe i can start pushing again. Also did a few sets of triceps pressouts. That's another muscle i haven't worked in a few years. i've every expectation that shan't be able to move for the next few days, but i'm glad to have it done. i think we're gonna try to make a habit of it.

i also bouldered a bit today to test the waters. Short workout, but it felt good. i think my destroyed middle finger might be on the road to recovery. i got a "v4ish" that went at solid 3, then several new 2s. Nothing hard, but i can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Report from Heaven

Well if the JWs are right, and heaven's here on earth, i'm guessing it'll look like a few places in CO. That was a good time. i'm probably 5lbs heavier than when we started, and i'm needing to go through a bodily detox in a big way; but that was some spiritual detox. Hanging with Shawn'n'Kirsi (and playing in the mountains a li'l bit) was a breath of fresh air to a drowning guy. we went the first weekend to Green Mt. lake and i got a decent back workout in by up-hauling a sail for a couple hours. Tried m' hand at wakeboarding, and that sucked. i really wanted to get up on that silly board, but i couldn't. This last saturday, Shawn and i went to Eldo, and he made me lead all three pitches on Wind Ridge. i think it goes at 5.7 or so, but it was still killer. It'd been probably 8 years or so since i'd last done a trad climb, and i was a li'l nervous 'bout my anchor-building skills. i'd sit there at some spots 'til my calves were quivering trying to get a piece in. Then i'd finally just say screw it, throw in a rattly bit of metal to calm my nerves, and run it out another 30ft. There's something about being 300 ft off the deck that makes even a 5.7 feel epic. i need to do that more often. And i think Shawn wouldn't mind so much either. Let's plan us a trip, eh.




Anyhow, then we sloped off to Illegal Pete's for 3,000 calories of wholesome goodness.

The people of Wal-Mart

Crazy world.

Food as big as your head

Well. we're chillin' fer the moment in Steamboat. Not too bad. i think i could make a living here. Hung out at S&K's for a few days. That's good times. Got schooled in windsurfing at Green Mt. Li'l too much wind for a n00b. Then i tried wakeboarding. i think i have never swallowed that much water at one time ever. Very hydrating. Hypothermic in a drysuit is a bad way to be. i can't think how someone stuck with that in the first place long enough to think it was fun. Anyhow, then we broke out the water skis. That i finally got up on for 2-3 seconds at a time. i could see how that would be fun if i weren't blue. Very nice to see S&K. i miss those guys. Also got to get a couple o' routes at Clear Creek with Shawn. we're gonna go back to hang with them this next weekend also. i miss Colorado.

Weekend of it

A couple o' friends and i went to Las Conchas for some climbing on saturday. Mostly, i got a nice sunburn; but we put up some nice routes. Bestest of all, we did some climbin' in that li'l valley with the stream, which is shaded. Got a 10b route in there. Guess that was the highlight. Didn't get to have a go on my 10d-11a--it was fully in the sun, and was way too hot.

Yesterday i got into the irongym for an almost full-bore workout. Got 3 at 290 on straight leg deads. Felt a spring coiling in my low back after that third rep, so i quit. Hopefully next week i'll break 300 again. Got 2 pullups with 90 strapped on, but i struggled with the second rep, so i didn't go to 100. Starting to feel better again though.

Today's Tack-on:

Got in to the climbgym today for a nice enduro session. Taped my middle finger 'til it was practically splinted, then did a long traverse warmup. Couple o' weeks ago the gym put in an auto-belay, so i jumped on that and did laps on a couple of 5.8s. Gave a few goes at an 11-, but i was too fried from the weekend. Nice, warm workout at any rate. i'm gonna do that more often--no hard crimping.

No one but a Chinese spambot

i think this was my first full irongym workout in about a month. i took it a bit easy. Not a bad workout though. Got a double on p'lups with 90lbs, but i didn't feel like a got totally locked out at the top, so i left off. Went back to straight leg deads, but stopped after 255 x 6. Didn't see any reason to throw a spring after three weeks away. Definitely felt a li'l toxic--'specially on the weighted leg raises. That sucked. Anyhow, next week should be a happier place. Hopefully this stopped the downward spiral. i'm to a point where i have to take some time off of climbing (else my left hand is gonna ossify and crack off), and conveniently i'm nowhere near a plateau on iron since i haven't lifted in a month. That means i have something to keep me from getting bored till my tendons knit.

Funny how you can sometimes intuit that you're somehow getting more and more toxic; then you can go for a single workout and the foghat is removed and you know just how poisonous you've become. i guess i'm thankful for those eye-openers. Better now than at 50.

Osteoarthritic

i climbed on tues. This was not a good idea. i was bored of school, and needed to get some blood flowin', but the fingers didn't want to work. i'm gonna try really, really hard to lay off this next week from climbing. i'm gonna go (hopefully today) to the irongym for a hard session. Annie's off after tomorrow, so i should be able to run and swim more in the mornings.

Steph just went through a week of a gallbladder cleansing diet. Positive Murphy's, positive Rovsing's, and no insurance for surgery; so she tried a diet. She lost four lbs. and feels a million times better today. She had to get on the wagon, give up coffee and cheese, and live on shredded beets and parsley, but she very obviously feels way better. That's happy. Now i'm thinking about trying it. i surely do need to detoxify. Eleven hr. school days followed by four hours of writing busy-work assignments is not so beneficent on m' health.

Anyhow, here's to losing some weight and rebuilding the PIPs stronger than they were before. Peace.

Forgive me, father, for i am insomnolent...

...It has been 12 years since my last sleep.

Thursday, i went to the climbgym and failed to send two projects: one a v5, and one a (very stiff) v4. Friday i went back and sent 'em both. This makes me very happy. i feel like less of a loser than i did on thurs. i must'a' put in 20 or 30 burns on that goofy 5. Could not stick the final crimp on link. Finally got a fresh perspective (after a month or so of not touching it) and some fresh beta, and it went pretty easy.

Today i played in a kickball tournament. Who knows? Maybe i have a little better tan than i had before. i hope to get back into the irongym tomorrow. i hope to have a beer and sleep tonight.

Status post midterms

Swam on sat. Failed to work out on iron. Gunna try to get a thin workout in, but i'm kinda' ok with doing some hardcore healing this week.

Of water rights and beer rights

Went climbing with a friend today. we did some leading in the gym. It's odd: i'm good for about 6 moves, then i'm cashed. Zero endurance. Ended up doing 5 or 6 routes, but i had to hang on an 11, then again on a 10-. Then i took off the harness and sent three v4s in a row--two of 'em i hadn't done before. methinks i'll see the next level in climbing fall when i spend some quality time doing routes, and get my endurance up a bit.

Anyhow, about that beer...When's it gonna happen, gents?

Overdoin' it.

Did a 2hr. run today. Ran to the top of U-mound in the foothills. Thought my heart was gonna explode. Might'a' been a hair excessive. Think i might have compressed a few discs. Ah well...that's out of the way now. i can say i'm back up to a 2hr long run. "What doesn't kill you," and all that. S'poseta' climb tomorrow. See how that goes. At any rate, midterms are over. i may have flunked outta school, but they're over with. Happydance completed.

How vivid is your false memory of that conversation?

Speaking of autoimmune destruction, i seem to have an allergic, hypersensitivity reaction to sleeping less than 6hrs/night for weeks at a time. Midterms are over after today, an' i'm gunna do one o' those Mary Poppins-like jumping heel-clicks. my body is gelatinizing, and i'm jonesing to get back on the wagon. Gotta stop dipping, for starters. And i'm thinking about sleeping again soon. This is what happens when one chooses to learn 5 weeks of material in 3 evenings.

Clumb monday and yesterday. Actually, of monday i can hardly say i clumb; rather, that i went to the climbgym and cussed a lot. Yesterday, though, was a better day. i was actually healed and strong enough to properly re-injure the tendons. i can hardly ask for more than that.

Speculatively, i'm gonna go really light at the irongym this week. i am broken down, and i want to heal properly. And i would like to be able to touch my toes again before i hit it hard again.

Immersion therapy

Yesterday i got to go to Los Conchas with a couple o' friends. (That's the place we camped). That was a good time. Tried that 10d/11a beside the easy 6, but i melted down--maybe 5 feet from the chains. Took a 10 foot fall, but swung into this scooped out bit in the rock and whacked it with my knee. That opened me up pretty good. Nasty lookin' scar that'll leave. Anyhow, i got back on and finished it; but it was a li'l bit frustrating that i didn't get the send. i just wasted too much energy figuring out the bottom sequence. Got me a flash pump, and couldn't shake it out. There was chalk caked on literally every possible bump and nubbin below the second bolt, and by the time i tried out ten different sequences, i was fried. i did get back on a few minutes later, and got it in a go on toprope, but i should have had it on lead. Blah...i'm whining about being in one of the prettiest places in the state, and getting to climb on a perfect day. Still though, i've got a grudge against that route.

Today i got us a year-long family membership at the pool. Did kinda' the same swim--5 x 100s on a 2:00 interval--but this time i added in an extra 500m of straight swimming for 1,600 total. i wasn't sure i could pull off 500 without drowning, but i kept making turns and feeling good 'til i was done (even if i may have been a li'l pokey). That's encouraging. Gives me high hopes i could swim 1K soon.

Tomorrow i'm hoping to take a break from the straight-legs, and do a ME on regular deads. i'm gonna be a tad mo' conservative and see if i can break 405 proper. Turned out 450 was a li'l too big a jump.

You guys need to come up here this summer for another man-weekend. Conchas rocks. we started on that 5.6 and just worked our way down the rock. Ended up doing six or eight routes between 5.6 and 5.9. Lots of chilled-out, easy climbing with nice views. That was a breath of oxygen.

Sunday add-on:

Got me a PR on regular deads yesterday. Got a double with 405, then (finally) got a single with 410. And i got it listening to soul music. i'm developing a new superstition. Missed 425, but i think it'd go. Got 'er to my knees, but i couldn't lock it out. i needed some ammonia and someone screaming obscenities at me. Also worked up to 3 with 90 on weighted pull-ups: a clean single and 2 negatives. Reasonable workout. Low back is sore today. m' decrepit fingers are also starting to thaw a li'l bit.Might be some hard climbing again in the foreseeable future.

thank you for you to make me learn more,thank you∩０∩

captain's log, stardate, um, 3:

went for a reasonably hard hour-long run on fri. Then i went for a swim. Same basic swim as last time, but i actually did my 100m intervals on a 30sec interval (as opposed to just whenever i quit wheezing). Yesterday (sat.) i went for another swim--again, same swim; only this time i left on the 30 which punished me for swimming slow. So i was averaging probably a 20sec interval 'tween sets. If that don't get my buoyant butt a li'l mo' streamlined, then i don't know what will. i have only gossamer hope for squeezing an irongym session outta today; but hope is hope. Looking to be a busy coupl'a weeks at school. Maybe that'll buy me time to mend the IPs and lumbricals.

Actually broke out the Gnats yesterday, thinking about where to put them. Those things are schmall. i think i'm gonna put a couple of 'em on the wall proper for when i'm feeling particularly manly. i'm gonna set up a dyno to 'em. Moving off of 'em without feet is not an option, but i think i could stick a dyno for a second...like if my other hand is on a jug. Vamos a ver.

Tack-on what since nobody looked at the last post:

Sneaked into the irongym for a quickie today. Only striking thing 'bout it was that i took chalk in with me. Got the set of 4 at 295 on the box (str. leg deads); then put a couple o' fivers on and got 3 at 305 on the box for a PR.

So Blue talks now

Yup. Even Blue has been prostituted to the I.Q.-free masses. i guess the simple-minded, semi-retarded two-year-olds of America couldn't pick up on the communicative subtleties of a dog that didn't overtly tell 'em what to think. Turns out he's (she's?) even more irritating singing in Elmo-ese. Just can't shake the feeling that we're ripe for an apocalypse--or at least some sort of really widespread cataclysm.

Um, where was i? Ah, yeah. Finished monday's workout on wednesday, i think. Did some fairly heavy one-arm rows, chest flys, bent-o'er bb rows...that's pretty much it. Absolutely trashed. Then yesterday i went to the climbgym with a friend from school. Not a worthwhile session. Got a couple o' v3s, but i fell off of another 3 maybe six times before i gave up. It was bad. we were there for a long time, but mostly so he could climb. It's cool to see someone get infected with the disease, and get into a route 'til they've got it worked.

i feel arthritic today. Gonna try to swim or run if i can dredge up the motivation. Gotta stay outta the gym for a while. i'm thinking i should take up piano: mebbe my decrepit bones could handle that kind of stress.

Avoiding homework

As Providence would arrange it, i ran into two folks today at school with whom i got into talks about cycling. Each conversation, in turn, bent toward triathlon. It inspired me. i added all this in my constantly-swirling toilet of a brain with your suggestion that long-distance steady-state cardio is no way to cut fat, and i ended up in the pool this evening for intervals. That rocked! i haven't swum in some years now, so the bar was set nice and low. But it felt pretty rad to be back in the water. i was, of course, totally outta shape for it, but the recent lat work and running have actually kept me fitter than i would have expected. Did a 300m warm-up, 5 x 100m sets (very slowly, i'd imagine), and 350m cool-down. Not too bad a start, in my opinion.

Anecdotally, for the first time since early high-school i was totally unable to do a single pullup. Tried one when i got home: didn't work. Definitely put some muscles through the rigors that haven't been imposed upon in a while-e-o. Now to see if G's theory 'bout the weight loss is on track.