"By your late thirties the ground has begun to grow hard. It grows harder and harder until the day that it admits you. "
Thomas McGuane, Nobody's Angel
Yes, something was going to have to give and it was not going to be Rose. As athletic as she was, I was sedentary. Another pear shaped professional walking downtown; cardiac event waiting to happen.
Self-loathing had been setting in for a good long while. Rose was kicking my ass and there was no end in sight. The kids were getting big, I was getting bigger. Rose was the tipping point.
Equinox SF was opening next door. I'd been out if shape before, but it had been eight years since any kind of workout and the gap between mid 30's and mid 40's is a wide one indeed.
I walked into Equinox determined to turn the tide in March, 2005. The tale of the tape was grim indeed: Age, 45, 5'10", 240. Waist, 40 and climbing. Resting heart rate, 78. Met a young trainer, Casey K. Skeptical that anyone that young could teach me anything, after ten minutes I knew he knew what he was doing. At the end of the session, he just said: "Sir, I am not ready to cut you loose in here yet." I'd already figured that out.
It was like a switch being thrown and I spent the next two plus years training regularly with Casey. Cardio on off days. Religiously. Weight dropped off, moved around, came back on in different places in different forms, floated around some more; still doing that.
I turn 50 in a week. Presently I fluctuate from 197 to 202. Waist, 35, Chest, 44. Resting heart rate, 53. Thanks Case.
Along the way Casey got his RKC cert and I started working with kettlebells. In May 2007 late to a training session, ran into the gym and with little warm up started the first station of the first circuit, burpees coming up with two 24 kg bells. The first one felt shitty. The second one, pop, and the pain was excrutiating. Had to crawl up the stairs into bed at night. MRI revealed a severely herniated disk at L4/L5, bulging disks on either side.
With rehab by Labor day 2007 it was better. Still no bells. Casey was great at showing how to modify cable machines and dumbells to take strain off the back, but twice weekly training was a waste. Would fool around with rows, but presses were dicey and swings were out of the question.
In January 2008 started yoga. That helped. Started slowly back with bells. Reinjured the disk in May 2008, doing a squat to press with two 12kgs. Frustrated beyond belief I felt like I just pissed away a year. Pain was again excruciating. Had an epidural, started rehab again.
All the prior work had paid off and the epidural helped tremendously. By the end of July 2008 it felt great. Started working with bells again 12 months ago. I don't intend to stop.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Iron
"By your late thirties the ground has begun to grow hard. It grows harder and harder until the day that it admits you. "
Thomas McGuane, Nobody's Angel
Yes, something was going to have to give and it was not going to be Rose. As athletic as she was, I was sedentary. Another pear shaped professional walking downtown; cardiac event waiting to happen.
Self-loathing had been setting in for a good long while. Rose was kicking my ass and there was no end in sight. The kids were getting big, I was getting bigger. Rose was the tipping point.
Equinox SF was opening next door. I'd been out if shape before, but it had been eight years since any kind of workout and the gap between mid 30's and mid 40's is a wide one indeed.
I walked into Equinox determined to turn the tide in March, 2005. The tale of the tape was grim indeed: Age, 45, 5'10", 240. Waist, 40 and climbing. Resting heart rate, 78. Met a young trainer, Casey K. Skeptical that anyone that young could teach me anything, after ten minutes I knew he knew what he was doing. At the end of the session, he just said: "Sir, I am not ready to cut you loose in here yet." I'd already figured that out.
It was like a switch being thrown and I spent the next two plus years training regularly with Casey. Cardio on off days. Religiously. Weight dropped off, moved around, came back on in different places in different forms, floated around some more; still doing that.
I turn 50 in a week. Presently I fluctuate from 197 to 202. Waist, 35, Chest, 44. Resting heart rate, 53. Thanks Case.
Along the way Casey got his RKC cert and I started working with kettlebells. In May 2007 late to a training session, ran into the gym and with little warm up started the first station of the first circuit, burpees coming up with two 24 kg bells. The first one felt shitty. The second one, pop, and the pain was excrutiating. Had to crawl up the stairs into bed at night. MRI revealed a severely herniated disk at L4/L5, bulging disks on either side.
With rehab by Labor day 2007 it was better. Still no bells. Casey was great at showing how to modify cable machines and dumbells to take strain off the back, but twice weekly training was a waste. Would fool around with rows, but presses were dicey and swings were out of the question.
In January 2008 started yoga. That helped. Started slowly back with bells. Reinjured the disk in May 2008, doing a squat to press with two 12kgs. Frustrated beyond belief I felt like I just pissed away a year. Pain was again excruciating. Had an epidural, started rehab again.
All the prior work had paid off and the epidural helped tremendously. By the end of July 2008 it felt great. Started working with bells again 12 months ago. I don't intend to stop.
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