One Step More And You Die

Eating:  cocoa mole Larabar and green apple

Drinking: water

Listening: Needles In The Camel's Eye

 

Another great trip to the gym.  I did a repeat of one of the cardio workouts I did in FL, 4 x (4:00 on, 2:00 off).  Rest pace was 20:00/mi, and running pace was a blistering (for me) 7:30/mi, except for the second section which was 7:00/mi.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  I felt pretty relaxed throughout, except right at the end, where I thought I was going to die.  Otherwise it felt like a nice trot, totally within the realm of the possible.  Checked my hr after 2, 3 and 4 and it was over 160 each time.  Form seemed ok too, quick little steps.  I am trying to focus on moving my strike zone back, but it's not easy.  No slapping or pounding though.  And, just fast enough - any faster and I would have had to bail around 3:00 on the last repeat. 

 

So, in other news, I got my first comment yesterday.  Frankly I am amazed by this.  I don't use my real name, I don't link to much else, and I didn't really ever imagine that anyone would actually read this.  It's public only because it's the kind of thing that I would be entertained to stumble upon, and because its publicness keeps me honest and motivated.  The comment was from Drew Baye, and what a comment it was.  It's not something I often think about, how easy it is to be encouraging to someone and how much it can mean to the person you're encouraging.  Anyway, it was very motivating for me, and especially nice in light of the fact that I wasn't totally positive about his blog (I guess because it seemed too weightlifting-centric).  I hereby retract that.  This post in particular is amazing, and right on the money.  Now that I'm stronger than I used to be, I find myself using using it a lot - dragging my ass up four flights of stairs after a long day at work, for instance.  Who knows when I might really need it?

Another Good Decision

I have been full of good decisions lately.

 

Eating:  some pecans, almonds and hazelnuts that I brought from home, and some fancy chocolate with coconut in it
Drinking:  water, and I am making some mystery pu'er

Listening:  "Andy Warhol"

 

Tried something I read on Drew Baye's probably-not-worth-regularly-reading blog, modified because I am soft, of course.  (5 120# pulldowns, 5 pushups, 10 bosu squats) x 20 minutes.  I managed to do 11 reps!  Quite a feeling of accomplishment.  I feel like a million bucks.  I could easily do the same routine with just one or two actual pullups, if I ever find myself near an unclaimed pullup bar (the pullup bars at the gym are part of the cable machine, and there are always a million people using those).  Still can't believe I did 55 pushups and 110 squats.  Should also mention that I have been eating like a king lately.  Went to Nougatine with my mentee yesterday and had foie gras and skate, and today I'm going to Wu Liang Ye with MC, ML, BK and some friend of BK's. 

Yesterday

I ran the loop again.  I didn't feel slow, but sort of out of breath a lot, and I did the whole thing in exactly 30', which if I'm not mistaken is about two minutes slower than last time.  I did show some tenacity, passing one guy that had passed me and turning it on for the hill.  I would like to be a lot faster though. 

 

One possible cause is that I got ultra drunk and smoked one of Belov's cigarettes on Friday.  So, I can't exactly complain.

Another Tabata

Eating: some chocolate

Drinking: 2005 LBZ

Listening: Grant Green

 

Went to the gym at lunchtime.  BK and I stood on bosus and tossed a 10# medicine ball back and forth for a while.  Then he went to spin, and I did a warmup: 10 pushups, 10 situps with 10# ball, 10 back situps, 5, 5 dips, 5, 5 150# pulldowns (close grip), 10 jump squats ... I don't think I'm forgetting anything.  Then I did a hillclimb tabata - 15 degrees and 10 minute miles.  I felt like I was going to die, yes, but I finished and I didn't feel as close to puking as I did last time.  Might try a faster speed the next time this one rolls around.  I kind of collapsed at the end, then took a sauna for about 10 minutes, which felt really good. 

Slow End to a Slow Day

Eating: shitty green apple

Drinking: nothing

Listening: Les Grands Gong Kebyar des Annees Soixante

 

Back from the gym.  Warmup: 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 back extensions, 10 jump squats, 10 jump lunges, 10 pullups (3 pu 3 cu 2 pu 2 cu), 10 (5, 5) dips.  5 x [10 45# deadlifts, 10 box jumps], 5 x [5 20# oh press / side, 10 40# bosu squats].

 

Well, that felt pretty good.  I pretty much just went down there and banged it out.  The rough patches were the pullups and the squats - again, not so much the weight as the incredible effort it takes to stay upright.  When something is that hard, it must be doing something good. 

 

Chinese class was good today too.  I asked him to bring some shorter articles, and he came back with one about TWC and two about Coke buying Huiyuan.  I sight-read them and did pretty well.  I think I might read NH's article on the way home. 

 

Had to go on his Facebook page to find the article.  Damn that guy is a player. 

Back in New York City

I hardly know where to begin.  Just spent five days in AMI.  I exercised a fair amount.  First day there (Friday) I did 4 x 400m (more or less) runs with 20 sqauts and 20 side-to-sides after each.  One other day I ran 3.3 miles in 30 minutes, and another day I did 3 x (200m, 400m, 600m) except I didn't finish that one.  Finally, yesterday I did 4 x 4 minutes on, 2 minutes off.  Not enough strength, obviously!  And not enough stretching. 

First Tabata

Eating: Chop't harvest cobb, jesus christ

Drinking: nothing

Listening: Penguin Cafe

 

Pullups 2 and dips 3 to exhaustion (5 sets).  2 x 10 jump lunges (should have been 3 x 10).  5 x (5 overhead press 20# / side, 10 bosu squats with 2 20# dumbbells).  This last was interesting because it is so much harder to do a squat with dumbbells balanced on the shoulders.  Again, I don't think I am close to maxing out my leg strength, so I should be using a bar at least some of the time, but this was significantly more difficult both in terms of balance and effort.  It reminded me of what Twight said - if your arms are too weak, your core has to take over.  Very hard, just barely finished.  And, the main event: hillclimb Tabata.  I warmed up with a little flat walking and the about 2' at 3.0 mph, then ramped up to a 9 minute mile pace.  I wanted to do 8 x 20"/10", but five and a half was more than enough.  I felt like I was going to die.  It was the exact psychological sensation I get when I realize that I have completely overdosed on alcohol.  I staggered around thinking I was going to puke for a bit, and then took a shower, which made me feel much better.  If I'm gymless (for instance in sunny Florida) I could do this with jump squats. 

 

I need to deadlift.  Should set up an appointment with a trainer. 

 

I told the main person on my other deal (AH) to more or less leave me alone yesterday.  It was undoubtedly a bad career move, but it has made me feel so much better about my job.  I worked to 12:30 last night and didn't even think twice about it. 

First-ever WOD

Eating: Key Lime Larabar

Drinking: water, and some 1999 XZH Meng Sa that has been in the pot all day

Listening: Musique Pour Le Gong Gede

 

Well, I finally did a WOD, albeit a watered-down one.  3 x (800m (actually .4 mi) at 6:58/mile, 20 situps with feet pinned, 10 back situps).  The situps and back situps were supposed to be 50 each - yeah right.  My other plan was to do the endurance WOD, basically a hill-climb tabata, if I didn't feel like puking after the main event.  I don't know that I felt like puking, but I didn't feel like having a coronary event, so I skipped it.  I mean, my face was purple.  And, I feel like Superman, which is good because work has really, really been getting me down lately. 

 

Something about that kind of interval training makes it the perfect antidote to work-related drudgery.  Going down to the gym and doing 20 minutes of hillclimb is like sitting at my desk and doing 20 minutes of work - I can get through it, but I wouldn't call it fun.  I would prefer to be in a more reactive setting, and that's what today's workout was. 

Yet Another God Damned Saturday in the God Damned Office

Eating: nothing at the moment - had corned beef on rye at Ben Ash for lunch

Drinking: Oriental Beauty from TM

Listening: Esquisses Hebraiques

 

So, here I am, in the fucking office once again.  It's getting old.

 

This morning, I did a modified BG.  5 x (8 squats, 3 jumps, 5 situps) (I need to get something that is higher and sturdier to jump on), 5 x (1' step-up (to chair this time), 30" tuck, 30" rest).  Then, as this all took place at 8, I broke off, as the Wife was worried any jumping about waking up the nice people that live downstairs.  I resumed around 9, and did 5 x (10 side-to-side, 3 pushups), 2 x (10 jump lunges, 10 jump squats).  The jump squats are fucking murder.  I need to start in on heavier weights too, although I've hardly maxed out what I can do with bodyweight.