"a little light refreshment"

At the end of a challenging day at work, sometimes a light workout is just the thing to shake off the stress and negative emotion without getting too amped up before bed.  Today is such a day.

12 pullups (6 std, 6 chinup)
25 pushups
85 situps
PT stretches and back exercises
2 sets 8-10 reps each max weight dumbbells:
  bicep curls
  shoulder press
  tricep kickbacks

Excellent Results

So, after a full week of relative rest (excepting a little yoga and the sit up contest) I have given my body as much easy time as it's going to get for now...so, I'm back.  All injuries are showing signs of healing.

This morning was a cool, mellow run in clear high-40s weather, followed by a mild calisthenic warmup and some situps.  Felt great and made my day go smoothly, although it made me realize that after we have left Vermont I'll miss the long summer days (light from 5 to 8:30 currently and not even at the solstice)  In the vein of eating healthfully, I had a "Sashimi Deluxe" platter for lunch with green tea and perhaps the slightest thimbleful of sake.  Work was productive, and I came home to my wonderful family.  So, all in all, a positive day.

Last week: situps and occasional yoga
Today: Run 4 miles, 10 pullups, 20 pushups, 80 situps

At a crossroads

The title of this post may be a bit melodramatic, but I do feel that I'm at a crossroads in terms of fitness and working out.  I already reached, and took, a cross-road several months ago (about the time I started this blog) when I started to pursue a more wide-reaching definition of fitness, including lifting, power-based training, and yoga.  Now, three more or less simultaneous injuries later (knee, wrist, and neck) the crossroads I am at relates to how to pursue these activities in a balanced and sustainable way.  Although some may disagree, it seems no use going for a personal pull-up record if I'm going to sprain my neck and be essentially out of condition for heavy upper body work for months and months; similarly with the wrist and yoga poses that are too advanced.  The knee is different; I've recovered from so many inflammatory running injuries that I am not too worried about this one.

So part of my nature has become to try and push my limits, to delight in exhaustion, and, yes, even to embrace some pain.  How to modulate this to avoid injuries, or at least multiple injuries?  No easy answer here.  Food for thought as I (again) take an easy week.

Yesterday: yoga 20 minutes, 45 situps
Today: 50 situps

On the road

Yesterday: 35 situps, core workout ("ab ripper X"), 20 min bike trainer intervals @ 150W;
Today: Run 4 miles, 40 situps

A new contest

Even though the burpee war is still going on, a cruel reminder of my own lack of toughness, its instigators have started a milder (at least at first) situp war.  So we've been adding five a day for several days, and I feel like I might have a shot at this one.  I've only done a thousand situps a few times but I'll bet we get there.

Otherwise it's been a restful week with a nice run this morning after it rained last night.

Thu: rest / 20 situps
Fri: rest / 25 situps
Today: run 4 miles, 30 situps, 2 x 15 chair dips, 3 sets: (10 wide + 10 std + 10 military pushups) + an extra 10 to total 100 pushups; PT stretches / back exercises.

Traveling, Traveling

Running often grounds me during traveling, and it's a great way to explore a new (or old) place.  It's quick enough to get somewhere, but slow enough to see and experience a neighborhood, a trail, or a feature of the terrain.

I was in Florida last week and had a great time on some old familiar running routes; this weekend I was in Vancouver, BC (an incredible city that is new to me) and got a chance to see a couple of great areas while running.  It was 90 minutes from when my plane touched down to when I had my shoes on and was running -- all I had to do from the airpot was takean  inexpensive and quick train into town and check into my hotel.  I ran a third of a mile on city streets and cut down to the seawall, where I ran for a few more miles along the ocean smelling the salt air and feeling spitting rain and a breeze.  I turned around after reaching Stanley Park, which I explored again two days later on a sunny and calm day.  Anyway, the trip was nice but the running (and other workouts) seemed to enable the enjoyment of dinners, the conference, and other parts of the trip.


Here is  the view from our hotel room (the city streets) and, above,  the view from the convention center (notice the floatplane landing).

Sunday: run 4 miles (Vancouver)
Monday: yoga 55 minutes, core workout, 40 pullups (28 std, 12 chin), 20 situps, assorted pushups
Tuesday: run 4.1 miles (Vancouver), 10 situps
Today: rest, 15 situps

Been a while

As the title says, it's been awhile.  To the many (2-3) faithful followers of this blog, don't worry.  I was busy at work, then in Florida looking for a house for when we move in 2 months.  So, don't call it a comeback, I was here to begin with.

I'm still in Florida, always beautiful in April, where it is 55 and sunny in the mornings.  Perfect running weather?  I think so.

I've had some nice workouts this week, and done a lot of thinking about training and my goals for the next year or so.  I've been having a lot of fun running but not feeling so good about the upcoming marathon or the long runs.  My distance training was going fairly well up until six weeks ago, but I haven't really done a long run since then.  I meant to go 20 yesterday but ended up at 13.1.  It was great run, through a rural road shaded by old oak trees, and I just stopped while I was still having fun, not wanting the solitary slog-fest that usually comes in the last third of the run.  So, I am going to put the marathon on hold for now until I get my head right (because don't get me wrong, this is purely a head issue -- sometimes I choose to push through the slog-fest and sometimes I don't).  I like the idea of doing 10-15 mile runs regularly for six months or so, mixed in with speed work, cycling, and a variety of strength and power training; then with a stronger base and overall fitness ramping up more quickly for a marathon or so in early 2011.  I think I peaked too early this time, mentally that is, spending all of my energy and joy fighting the snow and cold.  I may run the marathon for the fun of it but I'm not going to sweat the final long run.  Mixed feelings as it's been a while since I've planned on doing a race and then changed my mind, but it feels right.

Here's what I've been up to this week:
Sunday: 14 hours flying (and boy are my arms tired!)
Monday: run 4.5 miles
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: run 13.1 miles
Thursday (TODAY): yoga 40 minutes, core workout, 120 pushups (3 sets each of 10 wide, 10 std, 10 military).
Friday (TOMORROW): run ~5 miles