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. 

You Can Taste The Bright Lights But You Won't Get Them For Free

Eating: yet another Harvest Cobb

Drinking: making some Taiwanese oolong

Listening: Schubert

 

20' hill climb, 3 rounds of 3 pullups (actually two rounds were chinups) and 5 knee lifts, 50 bosu tucks, 5 dips, 5 rounds of 5/side 15# overhead and 5 standing rows (40#) plus an extra ten standing rows on a balance board, 15-breath tuck on the balance board ... I feel like I'm forgetting something.  A very good workout.  I went down there unmotivated, shinsplinty, and kind of lethargic, and I ended up doing more than was on the routing.

 

A thought about squats.  They are getting easy, and it's time to max out the reps completely each time and/or to start adding weight.  I still found the jump squats murderously hard so maybe those should figure in more heavily. 

 

Also, my shin splints are pretty bad (they certainly kept me from running today, or would have if work hadn't) but walking uphill doesn't bother them at all.  I also hit the hot tub and did some ankle turns in there, which was nice.  That super creepy gay Italian guy was hanging around, which kind of spoiled the experience.

 

I'm reading Mind of Clover now.  I bought it based solely on the title - I never would have imagined being interested in a book on ethics - but I am finding it quite profound. 

Inglorious

Eating: some Indian food, soon
Drinking: water (had some more puer before)
Listening: nothing, because the monster is sleeping

Just did my sissy version of Bustin' Glory.  5 x (8 air squats, 3 precision box jumps, 5 situps), 5 x (10 side-to-side jumps, 3 pushups) 1 x (10 jump lunges, 10 jump squats).  Whew.  Doesn't look like much when you write it down.  The jump squats were fucking evil.  Pure evil.  I could just barely finish the tenth. 

Just occurred to me that side-to-side jumps were really the only think I ever liked about dryland training.  That and the smell of fall in the air. 

I Never Went South

Eating: just had a banana

Drinking: water

Listening: Ligeti

 

Went running last night, 4 x 4 block sprints.  Fucking awful.  I could feel the outline of my lungs in my chest, and I burned out at the two-block point each time.  This morning I have mild shin splints, which probably means that I was slapping my feet.  No idea what to do about that. 

 

I'm going to do the Bustin' Glory again tonight.  The pussy version, of course, but I do plan to put my boots on for the step-up.  I also want to make sure I have enough in reserve to do the blasters.

 

Obsessed with skiing.  I found a company that does sail/ski tours to Iceland and I am considering actually trying to talk the boss into letting me go. 

Nothing to Report

Eating: just had bagel and lox, apple

Drinking: water

Listening: GOCJ 1 (yesterday was kebyar day and today is Java day)

 

So last night, before meditating for the first time in a week, I decided to do pushups 9 11 8 8, which was the same set I had tried and failed to do as part of a combo, crossfit-type workout last week.  I got six of the first eight done and gave up.  My arms did not feel strong.  I don't totally understand this.  The run yesterday went very well.  I hadn't had any caffeine, I had been sitting at my desk all day, and dinner was kind of heavy, but I still don't understand.  So, I think I'm going to once again drop back a week.

 

Meditation last night (only ten minutes) was pretty awful.  I fidgeted a lot and checked the time once (before throwing the watch over my shoulder).  I have been feeling the lack of meditation lately, so I think it's time to bring it back.  I just did five minutes sitting at my desk and feel pretty good about that.  Probably shouldn't be keeping score ... I was also just looking at the Brooklyn Zen Center website (very close by). 

Another Sunday Run

Eating: had some cereal

Drinking: water, had some coffee

Listening: Grayfolded

 

Ran the loop this morning.  Felt great and even passed a bunch of people.  My legs feel kind of tight and I am looking forward to taking it easy tomorrow and maybe doing some stretching. 

 

I am in the office again, and really in no mood to be here.  I have a lot to do so I hope I can focus. 

 

Getting Serious About Skiing

Eating: nothing yet today
Drinking: 1994 Menghai
Listening: nothing

Just did a shortened, modified version of this.  5 x (8 air squats, 3 box jumps (onto a little stool), 5/side x 2 crunches), 3 x 20 side to side jumps with a leg stretch in between, 3 x (1' stepups (barefoot), 30" tuck, 30" rest).  Tucks are hard.  Side-to-sides are fun.  I am ready for breakfast.  Going to make some bread and do some hip stretches. 

That Achy Lung Feeling

Eating: had some cake and a Larabar at work
Drinking: water
Listening: nothing

Just did pushups 9 11 8 8, no problem (a little tired, insulin?) and the xfit endurance WOD, 4 (should have been 6) x 2' sprints, with 1' breaks.  I feel kind of barfy.

Mirror Ashes

Eating: a Lara bar, having just eaten one of those natural Clif bars

Drinking: Nothing, but I sure should be drinking some water

Listening: Grayfolded

 

At the gym: pulldowns 3 4 2 3, OH barbells (only 10 pounds) / pushups 9 11 8 8 (although I collapsed after 4 pushups on the second-to-last set and did not do the last; lame), knee lifts 10, deadlifts / bosu squats 9 11 8 8 (40 pound bar), crunches 10 / side.  I warmed up by rowing 5 minutes (1098m).

 

I have a new Chinese teacher, whose first act was to assign me a 15 page article, which I haven't read yet.  Ugh.  Off to a good start. 

Ca Commence

Eating: just had some cereal
Drinking: water, but not enough
Listening: La Femme d'Argent

Just ran the Prospect Park loop in exactly 30 minutes. That is three minutes faster than last time, a nine-minute pace. I felt good. I went quite a bit faster at the beginning, then my breathing got a little ragged and I slowed down. Also, it was cold as hell.

Another thing - my calves are very sore. I read somewhere (maybe Vancouver Barefoot) that this would happen, and it did.

Trois Pistoles

Eating: going to have some pot au feu that I fucked up last Sunday
Drinking: water (see below)
Listening: Kebyar

Just did 3 x pistols / side, 3 x pushups, 5 x squats, 10 x single-arm overhead presses / side holding my Sigg (filled up, of course), repeated over 10 minutes.  I feel quite buzzed.  Great, actually.  This is basically a super-pussy version of a Crossfit routine, and also fits with a running program I found (will post later) where Friday is the strength day and Sunday the long run (which in my case will just be 3.3). 

My right knee felt a little crunchy when I went too deep on the pistols. 

I think the whole routine could have been either harder or longer or both, too.  I didn't feel at all sore from the gym yesterday, and that's kind of a sign that it wasn't hard enough.  Well, live and learn. 

Back to the publishing agreement!

Timeless

Eating: just had pulled pork at Ted's

Drinking: just had a Boddington's at Ted's

Listening: My Favorite Things

 

No time to discuss, but I just did 20' climb (3.2 and 3.3), pulldowns 2 3 2 2, pushups on ball 8 10 7 7, lunges 12/side, one-leg squats 10/side, knee curls 12, bosu squats with bar 20 (more like 2 x 10), deadlift bar 10, standing row 10, overhead press 10.  This last was horribly hard and I was sloppy around number 8. 

A Test

Listening: Long Island Wildin'

Eating: another Chop't salad

Drinking: bad old oolong and water

 

Just got back from the gym.  I hill-climbed for only ten minutes, and then ran at a slightly under eight minute pace.  I had planned to do that for a mile, but I was pretty kicked after two minutes and behind schedule, so I stopped.  I failed to hit the goal in both pulldowns (4, 4) and pushups (10, 12, 3), did ten one-leg squats each leg (very hard, esp on left), ten deadlifts, ten standing rows and ten overhead presses.  The last were very hard.  I felt weak and tired.  The best thing I can say about this episode is it's better than not going to the gym. 

 

Meditated for 19 minutes last night.  It went pretty well.  I looked at the time twice, then tossed the watch over my shoulder.  I don't know why I never thought of that before.  Generally today I'm feeling pretty alert and organized.  I've moved the computer so that passerby can see my screen, which is a powerful disincentive to fucking around. 

A Sunny Day in the Office

Eating: nothing
Drinking: water
Listening: Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar

I am on a real Balinese music kick these last couple days. Tenzer came off the shelf while my parents were here, I think because I wanted to show my dad what a gamelan looked like, and since then I've been going through my gong kebyar and gong gede CDs and listening to the new kingklik / rindik CD I just bought.

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I wanted to, but that's how it goes. I was reasonably focused all day, but it wasn't enough. I did manage to meditate. After a while I succumbed to the temptation to look at the watch, and it said eight minutes. Not bad, it had felt like about ten that I had been sitting there. After a while I looked again (lame). It said 12. I had hit stopwatch instead of timer. If I was better at this shit, I would have just sat there all night.

The alarm went off at 6:30 this morning, but I didn't get out of bed until 7:15, which is still not bad. I ran the 3.3 mile loop in the park, mixing it up a bit by hitting the dirt trail that runs next to it for maybe a quarter of the way. I did it in almost exactly 33 minutes, so about a ten-minute pace - not bad, but room for improvement. My left ankle did feel a little tight, although I relaxed it and did ten circles with my hand before running. I started out feeling groggy, with a headache, but that was all gone after about a mile and I felt fine the rest of the way (but did not get into that state where I feel like I can run forever). Some guy passed me, easily, before the hill and I cranked on the uphill so well that I almost caught him. Almost, but not quite. My breathing was getting pretty ragged too, so I was probably going max speed. I feel great now, although my quads are burning from yesterday.

I had hoped to hit the gym today too, but seeing as it's quarter to 11 and I haven't done anything, that may have to wait until tomorrow.

The Solitary Life

Eating: some old roast chicken and a salad of mixed microgreens from the Greenmarket.

Listening: Musique pour la Gong Gede

Drinking: water, not enough

So, I have about ten hours worth of work and maybe five hours to do it in?  Something like that.  Obviously, an all-nighter is out of the question.  Anyway, I have so much work that the Wife and the Baby have gone to the In-Laws for the night.  I am being less productive than I should be, but more productive than I might be expected to be or than I would have been a year ago.  The delights of the internet notwithstanding.  

I had a very, very good meditation last night.  The only analogy I can make is to balancing on a rope, or maybe riding a bike.  The sensation was sort of like using my breath to pull in a line, but combined with a sense of careful balance.  

Being that I'm here alone, I got some good exercising done today.  Pushups 9 11 8 8 (week two of 100), crossover situps just ten per side, and then a Twight workout where I did 60 squats (20-20-20 first round, 6 of 10 second round) and ran 800m at what felt to me like a eight-minute pace.  It felt good.  There is still (still) some tightness in my left ankle that I don't like.  At worst it feels like I'm peglegging, kind of poling myself along.  Not a good feeling, but I'm not really doing anything about it either.  

Tomorrow morning I plan to do the park early, if I can get up early that is.  I think just the three-mile loop, but who knows, maybe I'll feel really energetic.  

back at it

Eating: coconut Larabar
Drinking: nothing
Listening: Rocks Off

Finally made it back to the gym. I only managed to do a 20' climb and 2' of running at an 8 minute pace before I was called back to the office, though. Still, it felt great to stretch out a bit. Back on the wagon!

Another dream and no exercise.

Eating: just had half a Clif bar and going to Insieme for an interview lunch
Drinking: nothing
Listening: some guzheng

We just had another TAP meeting. I am finally getting some summaries done but not enough, and I told YC I'd send them to her tomorrow. On top of that I am probably going to have to turn the PSA tonight.

I had a funny dream last night, that we went en famille to Beijing and turned out to be staying in the same nice but dilapidated hotel as ZA and her husband and kid, and some of their friends. Her husband (who in the dream was an English guy) was kind of a dink, but otherwise the dream left me with a pretty good feeling. I love getting to dream about the Little Monster, it makes me so happy.

No exercise happening today, but I am going to do the desk stretches now.