Musings - Ragged

"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
Mark Twain

Bad week due to trial.  No yoga, been a very long time since that has happened, and only 15 miles on the feet.  Did get three training sessions in.

No body work Tuesday, all day trial prep, not knowing whether we would be starting trial Wednesday, call at 4 from court meant it was kicked, more hurry up and wait.  But had already missed yoga and too tired for gym work.

Wednesday up, to gym early and went like this.

10 l/r cp, 24kg, alternating sides, flip to ten push-ups
12 single leg squats l/r down to bench, 12kg in rack for one set, just for fun
BUP 12kg l/r 5/5/5/5.
12 front squats, 24 kg.
3x

6 windmills l/r 24kg
30swings, 24 kg
TGUS 2/32 2/24, l/r
Figure eight to hold, 10 24kg, 10 16kg.
3x

BUP new, 12kg flopped around on the left side first circuit but fixed that by actually paying attention.  Force myself to do these so can increase.
32 getting better, swings too.

Thursday, six miles on the elliptical, nothing else.  Boring.

Friday, court for four hours in the am, leaving at 6:30, race back to the office to get sod's done from trial two weeks ago.  By 5:00 fried, no gym,  Johnny Walker Black at Max's across the street and home to too much red wine.

Saturday, up early and felt like death.  Left at 8:30 for marsh walk with Ian and Rose, Ian joined me with no cajoling and was really nice.

Home and into City for client meeting  at 12:00 and then to gym, that went like this:

15 pushups, feet on 75 cm ball
12 step back lunges, l/r 16kg in rack
12 lateral cable pulls l/r, squat position, not on seat, 60 plate
10 true deadlifts, 155, 175, 185
3x

60 snatches, 16kg, 10l/rx3
5 l/r windmills, 24kg
TGUS 2/24kg l/rx2
one minute plank, foot up 10 sec/side
3x

All that was good, but will be better tomorrow, kbell clinic in the pm.

Musings - Going Arboreal

"A limb on a tree and an tree in a hole and a hole in the ground and the green grass grows all around and around and the green grass grows all around"
Anonymous

In 1983 after graduating from Cal I spent ten months in Taos, New Mexico ski bumming.  On powder days I'd get off the lift and had straight into the trees, only to emerge at the bottom; my buddies would laugh and say "T's gone arboreal."

I'd hurt myself badly in there now.  But rocking out on swings today going hand to hand for the last ten at the end felt like swinging through the jungle, feeling giddy like Taos in the trees.  Ok, its a stretch but it felt really good.

Sunday was only three miles in the marsh, too much work and stress and family event in mid afternoon, so no long hike.  Rose was delighted.  Monday office was closed but grinding 9 to 1 and pried myself up for the gym at 2:00,  Went like this:

10 pushup to renegade rows, l/r, 55 down to 45, focus on form and keeping shoulders level, ala mc article here, www.begin2dig.com/2009/05/renegade-row-dynamic-strength-and.html.
12 bulgarian split squats, 16kg locked out overhead on active side
10 cleans, to five press, 24 kg, ok on right side, weak on left, ony managed 3,2,3 on left finish with 16 kg, way light
30 walking lunges bodyweight only
3x

6 windmills, l/r, 24kg
30 swings, 24 kg
TGUs, 32kg l/rx2, 24kg 1/rx2
8 single leg deadlifts l/r, 2 plate cable machine
3x

The cable work at the end had not done for years, good to do something a little off.  Have to start adding more swings, 30 takes sixty seconds now, need to increase cause 24 is feeling lighter and lighter.

Musings - Long Day

"I learned . . . the real limitations of training are NOT what workout you can conjure up, but what you can recover from."
Mark Reifkind, Master RKC

I have never met Mark but I like his blog because he is into yoga and has been around long enough to have his own collection of nagging injuries to manage which I can relate to.

Thursday spent six miles on the elliptical and that was it; had to get home and feed the masses and keep Rose ball happy.  Expected to train Friday, but early trial call stretched to mid morning and now trailing again, not knowing whether we will start again on Wednesday, so back to grinding.  No workout, but probably needed the rest anyway.

But I like to try to get at least 22 miles, two yoga sessions, and three circuit training sessions per week.  Which left a busy Saturday.  Morning was another drenching 90 minute vinyasa class; a lot of plank and core work early, then into crow, which I held ok.  Series from warrior two, multiple slow variations then to warrior three left front leg screaming, half moon was great, good opposition in the arms, totally locked down; the one leg stuff later was shaky.

Came home, Marsh walk with Ian Brigid and Rose, which got weekly mileage to 23.  Neede to finish with a workout, to line up for next week.

Seemed implausible but starting around six went like this

28kg rows 12 l/r
single leg deadlifts, 16kg 10 l/r
clean & press, 20kg 5 l/r
two bell deadlifts, 28kg and 22kg
3x

windmills, 20kg 8 l/r
30 swings, 28kg 10, to 20kg 20
TGUS 2 28 1/r x 2
Snatches, 20 kg 5 l/r x2
3x

Clean and press had not been in since early August; shoulders were trashed.  But this felt great, felt like I could have done five with the 28 on the right side, left sucked the first circuit, but felt ok for the second two.

Wanted to do 3,2,1 ladder on the TGU with the 28kg, but had never done a 2/2 and the three felt like it was really questionable.  2/2 was hard enough.  Overall a pretty light session, but had been a long day . . . long recovery hike tomorrow to start the week, and a hard blowout Monday.

Musings - Reflection

"It would be ridiculous to suggest that ours was anything but a makeshift expedition."
Log From The Sea of Cortez, John Steinbeck

The above was taken around 1:00 p.m. on the trail from Alpine Lake to Kent Lake via Carson Falls in the MMWD watershed on July 14, 2001.  By 8:00 p.m. I would be swacked out on vicodin with a broken ankle resulting from a slip on the trail shortly after this was taken.  I was 41, out of shape, and supposed to be taking then eight year old Ian fishing.  I slipped for no reason other than I was weak, broke my ankle, and slid down the trail on my butt to the fire road where we had to walk for hours and eventually get picked up by a ranger.  The hike I had taken many times when much younger without a thought drove home the effect of age; poor Ian was enraged at the lost fishing opportunity, throwing rocks at me while I limped down the trail, one of many disappointments for him.

We have taken many longer hikes since and I never want to feel like that again.

So yesterday got to the gym by 7:30 with all intentions of a full six miles, but after four, the depo starting at ten was weighing too heavily so I broke it off, to get to the office.  Long grinding day.

Home by 6:30, no intention of marsh walk, but Rose was persuasive, which was going to turn my four mile day into a seven mile day, and I liked the way that sounded.  Left at 7:45, back by nine, all happy.

Circuit training this am, hammies felt shot but wanted to push through it, went like this:

First circuit
14 pushups to T side plank, 7l/7r
10 squat to press, 80 lb bar
8 curls, 80 lb bar
30 walking lunges, body weight
3x

Second circuit
20 renegade rows, 24kg
60 snatches, 10l/r 3x16kg
figure 8 to hold, 15 24kg
One minute, tripod on 75 cm ball
3x

Last snatch set was 10 24kg and 20 16kg, but had to drop down to 16kg on the figure eight to hold on third circuit, could not keep the handle on the 24.
Shoulders to knees humming.

Great 60 minute vinyasa class at 5:15, felt good even with ruckus in the morning.

Musings - Back On It

"Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly
Had a nice long toke
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee"
Wagon Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show


After last week needed good road songs and got them in spades all weekend.  More on that.


Monday marked the sixth of what would be nine days of trial; forced myself to do three miles on the elliptical, and left court at 4:30 to catch a 60 minute Vinyasa class, strong and good.


Tuesday was a short day, two miles in the am and then to the gym in the afternoon, went like this:


First Circuit
20 alternating chest press with 24kg, flip to 10 pushups immediately
10 single leg squats, l/r 12" box
assisted pull ups, 42 pounds, 5 wide grip, 3 close, 3 neutral, 8 lat flares
20 tactical lunges
3x

Second Circuit
5 windmills, l/r, 45 lb oly bar
60 snatches, 10l/rx3
TGU's, 3,2,1 descending ladder, alternating left right, 24kg
20 figure 8 to hold, 16kg

Gut busting workout, the oly bar was an adventure and the snatches into TGU ladder left sucking wind.

Wednesday, eight hours of trial and thrashed at the end, waiting to finish Thursday am.

Thursday, great closing, happy client and back to the office for 90 minutes, left for meeeting, cancelled en route, back to gym.  Went like this:

First Circuit
10 slow deep push-ups into renegade rows, l/r 55lb dumbell
20 body weight box squats, clean 2 16kg and ten more squat to press;
10 wide grip lat pulls, 10 plate, switch to five underhand close grip
16kg single leg deadlifts, 10l/r
3x

Second Circuit
5 windmills, l/r, 24 kg
30 swings, 24kg
10 reverse pull ups off smith machine, elevated feet on 12" box
10 woodchoppers, 10l/r 6 plate
3x

Fled home and arrive by 5 to take rose on three mile marsh walk; sublime, heartstoppingly beautiful night done with court and feeling very good about it.

Friday was Day 1 of HSB, three kids to AOS until 2, then John Prine and Lyle Lovett, Prine wonderful.  2.5 mile push/pull with Barry.
Saturday, up at 4:30 to stake out turf; back to Day 2 of HSB, Marshall Crenshaw to start, killer Boz set, Gillian gorgeous in white dress, closing with REK and rocking out with Barry. Ian took Rose on a long hike up Burdell, god bless him.
Sunday nearly skipped Day 3 but glad we did not, unbelievable Booker T and Drive-By Truckers, sweet Rodney Crowell, just too old for Amie Mann, but Todd Snider was, as always, a hoot.  Race over to catch the Knitters and OCMS, the latter great energy and a great close, with Barry all shit eating grins.  Great great weekend with B.

Up at 6:00 this morning, resolved to get back on it.  Got three circuit training days last week, but yoga and cardio fell off and week before, which was first week of trial a disaster. Five miles on elliptical this am, back to Stones and the Vault; long day in the office, then return for circuit training, went as follows:

First circuit
15 pushups, feet on box, hands on medicine balls, very unstable, one foot up 8, witch for 7, last circuit failure at 13
10 l/r sideways lunges with 35 plateall,
10 l/r 16kg presses kneeling on 75 cm ball, new trainer complimenting the core strength which is always nice
12 front squats, 24 kg
3x

Second circuit
5l/r 24kg windmills
30 24 kg swings (60 seconds)
TGUS, 2 l/r 32 kg, 2l/r 24 kg,
60 second plank
3x

Just started the 24kg windmills, was worried abut my friend at L4/5 but they feel really solid; can't say the same for the 32 kg TGU's, but they got better each circuit.

Cardio tomorrow and 4:30 yoga if I can get there.

Musings - Stargazing

"Have you seen the stars tonight, would you like to go up on the deck and look at them with me?"
Have You Seen The Stars Tonight, Paul Kantner

Writing it was no help; grinding all day Friday, left court at 5:00, calls coming in at 5:15 from those who had felt neglected for the last week killed all hope of a pm workout.  Instead, 45 minutes on the phone in the Laurel Village parking lot before racing home to Brigid's breakfast for dinner feast.

Resolved to take Saturday off; went in for drenching 90 minute flow class, double pump on all vinyasa, felt wrung out but strong, but some of the progressions just sucked, particularly dancer to half moon and back.

Filled with good intentions to circuit train for the first time in eight days and to walk Rose in the marsh; heat sucked that out of me.  Too hot, napped instead.  Late bbq, dark by the time we ate outside, adjourning to the lawn to stargaze with Brigid until the sprinklers came on at 10:15, heaven.

Sunday, worked for four hours preparing close.  Not going to deny Rose, left for three mile marsh walk in the heat of the afternoon at 3:00, very happy dog, eating bobcat shit running away from me; it was all great fun.

Back home by 4:15; knew I could not be done but had no energy with the heat.  Watched ETK and headed out for circuit training at 6:00, went like this:

1st Circuit
15 slow deep pushups, feet on 12" block, one foot up eitght, switch and seven
15 front squats, 20 kg
12 rows l/r, 28kg
10 step back lunges, l/r, 20kg in rack
3x

2nd Circuit
10 windmills, l/r, 16 kg
30 swings, 50 seconds, 22kg
TGU, 2l/r, 28 kg, 2l/r, 22kg
20 figure 8 to hold, 16 kg
3x

That took an hour with a short break to start bbq.  Brutal, first circuit training in 9 days and felt strong on nothing but swings and windmills.  TGU's surprisingly tough.  Glad I did it.  More tuesday; am too old to take that much time away without adverse consequence.  Good dinner and conversation with the two younger teenagers, they are so themselves.

Musings -Dead Week

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers,"
William Shakespeare

Lost week due to trial.  Started out with a resolution not to spend pre-trial mornings drinking coffee and reviewing stuff I have reviewed six times before and instead get to the gym early.  No dice.  Three mile walks with Rose Saturday and Sunday, trial call Monday; three miles in the morning, got a court assignment, told us we would start Tuesday.  Got a yoga class in Monday p.m..  Two miles Tuesday morning, nothing in the p.m.; working pretty much straight through Rose has been getting ball play in evening, nothing Wednesday/Thursday but work.

Want to go tomorrow night for circuit training after court adjourns at 5:00, and then yoga Saturday.  Maybe writing it here will help make it so.