Historic Post

Feb 7. Arrived at Gym at 0400, upper body lift only.

Feb 5. Still freezing cold, temp up to 15. So, I used the treadmill (which isn’t great but is better than nothing). Arrived at the gym around 0010 and was a bit worn. Lifting went well, heavy on the bench, incline press, biceps and triceps. Also used the calf press. Started jog walk on the treadmill but was too tired, so walked only. 4.69 miles in 84 minutes (includes 5 min of cool down walking). Left Gym around 0320 ish.

Feb 4. Sunday. Off (always).

Feb 1-3. Didn’t run outdoors, as the temp never rose above 15 degrees. On Friday the temp with wind chill was below 0. I prepared to run on Sat (Feb 3), but the base temp was 5 degrees. Treadmill (3.74), lifted on Feb 2.

Jan 23. Good lifting day. My goal on the bench was to do more reps at a lower weight (185 and then 205). My last at 205 was a screw up, as I went one rep too many without a spotter (ok, so I’m a guy. Go figure.) I got the left side of the bar on the lowest pin, but couldn’t get the right side up high enough to seat. So, I had to slide the bar to the left as far as I could, then used both hands to push up the right side of the bar to the lowest pin. I then got up, took a few seconds to rest, then lifted the bar back into place. I then got smart and broke down the bar. So, why didn’t I break it down before lifting it back into place? Well, umm, I a guy, so there! Treadmill 4.5 mi.

Jan 22. Geat effort on the pec deck. I did 5 sets, with the last set being 8 reps with the entire stack (315 lbs). Some of the strength is finally starting to come back.

Jan 20. Great lifting day (night, actually). Started around 0020, did two sets at 225. Didn’t want to go higher without a spotter. My left arm was not too sore. Ran my 8.5 mile circuit earlier in the day. This is only the second time I ran the route during the day, and this time it was at mid-day. The oddity was that I had a real difficulty gauging my pace because I am so used to running at night that I could not recognize my day time speed (or lack thereof). Cold run. When left the temp was 35 degrees, and when I finished the temp had dropped to 32 and light snow was falling. I was very pleased with the time, 1:55:50. Still slow, but getting better.

Jan 20. Lifted at the YMCA.

Jan 19 - Off

Jan 18. Still too icy to run outside. Went to the Gym and hit the treadmill and lifted weights. My left knee is a bit sore so I took it easy on the treadmill; walked 30 and jog/walked 30. 4 mi total. My left elbow is aching, which impacted all of my presses. I did only 1 warm up set on the bench and dumbbell press, and skipped the military and incline presses completely. Did get a great biceps workout, and was able to work through the pain and get a nice triceps workout as well. Hit those muscle groups pretty hard. Arrived at the gym around 2330 ish.

Jan 17. Off

Jan 16. Treadmill only today, left elbow a rest. 3.75 mi, 65 minutes. 0130 - 0235 (approx)
Not really happy with my nutrition yesterday. 59% of my intake was carbs, with only 22% protein and 19% fats. I don’t mind the fats, but the carbs are too high and the protein is too low. I learned over the years that, for my body, I have to keep a 50/30/20 split (carbs/protein/fats), but protein can go higher with carbs lower. I don’t ascribe to any particular dietary theory at all. But, I tracked every morsel that went into my mouth for a year and a half, and closely compared my weight to carb and protein intake. For me, increased carbs ALWAYS means increased weight. I went through a couple week period where I stuck very close to 1400 calories per day (I’m 6'0"), with my carbs around 60 % of my total intake. I weighed myself every day using the same scale. At the end of the two week period I gained weight! After BMR and workout, I ran a calorie deficit of just over 2000 calories. Too low!

Jan 15. Horrible week at work last week. Way behind so I got to the Gym only once and didn’t run at all. Bad weather, too, and I don’t have the nifty cold weather running gear.
Arrived at the gym around 0100. Snowing outside, very cold. I won’t be able to run outside for a few days, unless at least until the side walks are clear. I don’t want to fall again like I did on Jan 3, as I don’t want to risk another serious injury. Lifting went great. I cut down on the number of lifts tonight because of my left elbow, and widened my grip on all of my lifts (bench, incline press, cable curls, cable lat press downs). The end result is that my elbow is not nearly as sore as it was last time (when I had to quit early). Bench was great. Warmed up at 155, then went up. Set five was 3 partial reps at 225 ( I didn’t have a spotter so I did not go all the way down). Sometimes, I will do a partial life on a heavier weight (ie, don’t go all the way down to my chest), which will help build strength so I can lift that weight properly in a few days. This time, the 225 was easier than I thought, so I did another set of three. Went all the way down on all three. Struggled with the last one so, since I did not have a spotter, called it good. I haven’t lifted 225 in a long time. I tried 225 last month with Jennifer spotting, but could not get it off my chest!!
Treadmill was ok. I’m not much of a treadmill fan. It’s easier than the street, which is the problem. Great for weight loss, and the shock absorbers make it easy on the knees. But, I walked much of the way but the machine said I went 4 miles and burned 720 calories. I think both numbers are inflated. I went with my Palm program’s 566 calories. I set the machine on two minute rotation where I run flat for two min, then walk for two minutes at an incline.

Jan 6. 8.5 mile circuit. 32 degrees, 1:58:06. I timed myself by stopwatch and landmark, and I made just over 5 miles in the first 1:02. I was pumped! Then I slowed considerably, and completed the last under 3.5 in a dismal 56 minutes. I left around 2300, returned just before 0100. I ran the circuit clockwise this time. I got a great start, but that meant that I started a long uphill at the seven mile mark. It’s as steep an incline as you’ll find in Lincoln (which, after living Utah and Virginia isn’t saying much), and my time died. I walked the entire 3/4 of so mile up the slope, and then walked the next 1/4 miles because my legs hurt.

Jan 5. Lifted at the YMCA. Worked on Bench, Pecs, the usual

Jan 3. 8.5 mi circuit. Snow, ice, and according to one bank sign 27 degrees. Most of the path was pretty clear, but I slipped and fell twice near the zoo (they have a habitat in a stream adjacent to the path, so I think they don’t salt the path there fear of messing up the habitat). Also, some people and businesses don’t shovel their walks, and I slipped, had slow going, or had to stop and detour, in several places. I made decent time on the cleared portions of the path, but because of slow downs on the icy and snowy portions my time was toast. 2:10:29.

Jan 2. Treadmill (3.74 mi), lifted weights.

Dec 29, 2006. Ran the 8.5 mi circuit this morning. Started just before 0500, ended shortly before 0700. It rained lightly the entire way, and the temp hovered around 40 degrees. I thought my time would be terrible because of the weather, but it was a little better than I expected. 2:03:51. Felt wet but good after the run. Just under a 14.5 minute mile, however. Not even close to good enough. This is my first run with the Camelback. What a great device! I really don’t need it for this distance, but I have to learn to get used to it for the longer runs.
Around the three mile mark I was passed by two thirty-something ladies. They looked like they were walking!