Just two lifting workouts in the past two days.
Last night was a lower body workout with kettlebell swings, barbell Bulgarian split squats, snatch-grip Romanian deadlifts, and then swiss ball hip bridge/curls. I didn't feel like I'd done enough after the scheduled workout, so I added in a few straight deadlifts and some rack pulls. My glutes are telling me today that I worked hard enough last night.
This morning was an upper body day, with some new lifts. After my warm-up, I did pull-ups, barbell shoulder presses, seated cable pulldowns, alternating dumbbell shoulder presses, Cuban rotations, straight-arm cable pressdowns, and kneeling cable x-rows. Four of those were lifts I'd never done before.
Tonight, my son and I will play racquetball for an hour or so.
Tomorrow, my wife and I will run for a couple hours.
Sunday, I'll do a bike ride with a friend. And after my bike ride, my wife and I will have a nice dinner to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary.
And just like that, it will be time to go to work again.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Finally
It's been a long time since I've done any running just because I wanted to run. Somewhere after Western States got cancelled last year, running seemed to just become a chore. Something I had to do for my fall marathon. Something I had to do for WS this year. Something I had to do just because it's what I do.
But, I wasn't running because I wanted to run.
And then in April, I got hurt. Running became even more of a chore. It still is a chore. There is not flow, no easy stride to my running. It's all work.
But, to be honest, except for what happened to my Western States training and race, that hasn't bothered me. If I'm hurt, I don't have to run. At the Vermont 100, I volunteered to pace, but my heart wasn't really in it. I gave everything I had to two different runners, but I wasn't there because I wanted to be.
The past few days, I'm finally feeling like I want to run again. I was unhappy when the rains hit last night. I'd mapped out a course that would finish at the pool with a swim, and my wife was going to pick me up. I know the run would have been tough given how my hamstring feels, but I wanted to go. I'm looking forward to my next run.
And, I'm really looking forward to the visit to the doctor next week, to see if we can find a way to make some progress with my hamstring. I have a race I'd like to do this fall, and I am starting to feel like I want to train for it. I just need to get healthy enough that running can be fun again.
But, I wasn't running because I wanted to run.
And then in April, I got hurt. Running became even more of a chore. It still is a chore. There is not flow, no easy stride to my running. It's all work.
But, to be honest, except for what happened to my Western States training and race, that hasn't bothered me. If I'm hurt, I don't have to run. At the Vermont 100, I volunteered to pace, but my heart wasn't really in it. I gave everything I had to two different runners, but I wasn't there because I wanted to be.
The past few days, I'm finally feeling like I want to run again. I was unhappy when the rains hit last night. I'd mapped out a course that would finish at the pool with a swim, and my wife was going to pick me up. I know the run would have been tough given how my hamstring feels, but I wanted to go. I'm looking forward to my next run.
And, I'm really looking forward to the visit to the doctor next week, to see if we can find a way to make some progress with my hamstring. I have a race I'd like to do this fall, and I am starting to feel like I want to train for it. I just need to get healthy enough that running can be fun again.
Stupid Weather
I was planning to run after work yesterday. It was warm and humid all day, and surely enough, that generated afternoon thunderstorms. Our local area had rain reports of more than an inch up to 3.5". There were local flood watches in effect. And, there was too much electricity in the air to even consider running. My son and I probably should have played a game of racquetball, but I guess we were just being lazy, and we did nothing.
So, I decided I'd try running this morning before work, but that meant getting up at 4:30, and after sleeping just a few hours in a car the night before, that didn't work either.
Today is a lower body lifting day. I'll lift after work. Tomorrow is an upper body lifting day (morning) and maybe I'll run some.
Saturday, I'll run with my wife, and Sunday, I'm going to try to do a long bike ride. But, Sunday is also my wedding anniversary (23 years), so I need to make sure I don't take up the entire day with my ride.
It's now been over two months since I stopped drinking alcohol. It's also been almost a month since I returned from our vacation to CA and Western States. In the past two weeks, I've finally gotten my diet really dialed in to where I want it to be, and the weight I needed to lose before WS is starting to disappear now.
In 8 days, I see the sports doc about my hamstring.
So, I decided I'd try running this morning before work, but that meant getting up at 4:30, and after sleeping just a few hours in a car the night before, that didn't work either.
Today is a lower body lifting day. I'll lift after work. Tomorrow is an upper body lifting day (morning) and maybe I'll run some.
Saturday, I'll run with my wife, and Sunday, I'm going to try to do a long bike ride. But, Sunday is also my wedding anniversary (23 years), so I need to make sure I don't take up the entire day with my ride.
It's now been over two months since I stopped drinking alcohol. It's also been almost a month since I returned from our vacation to CA and Western States. In the past two weeks, I've finally gotten my diet really dialed in to where I want it to be, and the weight I needed to lose before WS is starting to disappear now.
In 8 days, I see the sports doc about my hamstring.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
For Those About to Rock...
It was a very interesting show. It was certainly the loudest concert I've ever attended. I wore earplugs the entire show and had no problems hearing anything. People who didn't wear earplugs are probably having problems hearing today. I could feel the bass pulsing through my body.
Essentially, they played a few songs from their newest album (the best songs, IMO) and then the classics. Brian Johnson doesn't have the vocal range that he had in 1980, and he especially seemed to struggle on some older songs originally sung by Bon Scott.
And, surprisingly, You Shook Me All Night Long, perhaps their most popular tune, was probably the most bland tune of the evening.
But, the real show was Angus Young. He has to be close to 60, but he spent half the show stripped down to just his standard knickers, dancing around with his guitar like a madman. The final song of the main set was a 20+ minute version of Let There Be Rock that was essentially an Angus solo effort. He was amazing and he owned the show.
For an encore, they played Highway to Hell and For Those About to Rock. They used film, fireworks, other amazing pyrotechnics, a large "crashed train engine" on the stage, a giant inflatable "Rosie", huge video screens, cannons, the Hell's Bell, and other props that I'm sure I've forgotten. It was classic large stadium rock and roll.
I'm glad I finally saw them.
Right now, I could use some sleep. I'm planning to run for at least an hour after work today and then I'll get to be early tonight. I did an upper body lifting session before we left for the show yesterday.
Essentially, they played a few songs from their newest album (the best songs, IMO) and then the classics. Brian Johnson doesn't have the vocal range that he had in 1980, and he especially seemed to struggle on some older songs originally sung by Bon Scott.
And, surprisingly, You Shook Me All Night Long, perhaps their most popular tune, was probably the most bland tune of the evening.
But, the real show was Angus Young. He has to be close to 60, but he spent half the show stripped down to just his standard knickers, dancing around with his guitar like a madman. The final song of the main set was a 20+ minute version of Let There Be Rock that was essentially an Angus solo effort. He was amazing and he owned the show.
For an encore, they played Highway to Hell and For Those About to Rock. They used film, fireworks, other amazing pyrotechnics, a large "crashed train engine" on the stage, a giant inflatable "Rosie", huge video screens, cannons, the Hell's Bell, and other props that I'm sure I've forgotten. It was classic large stadium rock and roll.
I'm glad I finally saw them.
Right now, I could use some sleep. I'm planning to run for at least an hour after work today and then I'll get to be early tonight. I did an upper body lifting session before we left for the show yesterday.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
"Turn Back the Clock" Day
It's 1979. I'm in high school. I spend all my spare money on albums. Vinyl. LPs. Some of you youngsters can ask your grandparents about this ancient technology. (I still listen to and buy vinyl, by the way). I was a couple years away from starting to waste my money on intoxicants, and like many teenage boys, I was addicted to music.
By 1979, I'd graduated from Kiss, but I preferred heavy metal. Yeah, I listened to Steve Miller and Styx and Kansas and some other popular stuff from those days (Meat Loaf, anyone?). But, Zeppelin was near the top of my list. Aerosmith too. Black Sabbath. And, I was starting to discover other metal bands.
In 1979, AC/DC released an album called "Highway to Hell". I forget how I heard about it, but I bought it. And listened. Again and again. Wow! I was hooked. I started buying older albums by AC/DC. Powerage. Let There Be Rock. High Voltage. I heard of an album called "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". It was an import and available as a special order for about $15. That was a fortune to me, but I ordered it as well. I wonder if it's worth anything today.
Then, early in 1980, "tragedy" struck. AC/DC's lead singer, Bon Scott, became another rock and roll statistic - dead from alcohol-related asphyxiation. Oh well, I had the older albums and I was about to discover Judas Priest and the Scorpions. But, AC/DC didn't actually disappear. They added a new lead singer, Brian Johnson, and before 1980 had ended, they'd released Back in Black. Yeah, Johnson wasn't Scott, but the new album rocked. It became the best selling album in the band's history.
Then, I headed off to college and I discovered "New Wave" and "alternative" music. The heavy metal drifted to the back of the stack.
Sometime in the 90s, when I'd finally been forced to convert to CDs, I bought Highway to Hell and Back in Black on CD. I'd listen to them on occasion. The great albums never go out of style.
In the past few years, my son (age 16) has really gotten into music. He went through all of my discs and listened. He found his favorites. He likes a lot of stuff, but he really loves metal. Iron Maiden. AC/DC. Aerosmith. Black Sabbath. He loves '90s grunge - Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains (I'm not quite sure where to categorize these guys - grunge, metal, something else?), etc.
For Christmas last year, he asked for AC/DC's new release, "Black Ice". I was surprised that they were still putting out new music. I'd heard some of their singles since Back in Black - Thunderstruck, Who Made Who, For Those About to Rock, etc., but they'd ceased to exist as a current band for me.
I will admit that Black Ice doesn't do a lot for me. But, the release did get AC/DC back onto the road. Expensive tickets. A long indoor tour last winter. My son wanted to see them, but the ticket prices were absurd.
Then, they announced a very short outdoor US tour - 9 dates, 4 of them in California. The first show is in Foxboro, where the Patriots play. Tickets were ridiculously expensive. I told my son that I just couldn't justify the cost. But, a funny thing happened. I don't know if the band is just too far past their prime, or if it's the economy, or if they were never really as popular as they were in my mind, but tickets didn't sell. Eventually, they had to drop the ticket prices.
Last Wednesday, I got an e-mail from one of those big ticket companies. I'm on all of their mailing lists. Apparently, good tickets still existed and the prices were lower. They were offering deals on cheap seats and good seats. I wondered how good the good seats were. Fifteenth row? Wow! I checked with my wife and my son. My son offered to buy his own ticket. My wife had zero interest, but said we should go.
So, I'm working half a day today and then driving to Foxboro. Almost 30 years ago, this would have been my dream concert (well, an AC/DC and Zeppelin twin bill would have been my true dream show). Tonight, I'm looking forward to some old time heavy metal, and I'm hoping they mostly play the old stuff. And, I'm hoping they can still PLAY the stuff.
The earplugs are packed.
I'm guessing this will be a much different crowd than we saw at the Green Day show.
Next week, we are seeing Social Distortion in a club. I'm guessing that audience will be a lot different than tonight's crowd.
Now, where's my black T-shirt?
By 1979, I'd graduated from Kiss, but I preferred heavy metal. Yeah, I listened to Steve Miller and Styx and Kansas and some other popular stuff from those days (Meat Loaf, anyone?). But, Zeppelin was near the top of my list. Aerosmith too. Black Sabbath. And, I was starting to discover other metal bands.
In 1979, AC/DC released an album called "Highway to Hell". I forget how I heard about it, but I bought it. And listened. Again and again. Wow! I was hooked. I started buying older albums by AC/DC. Powerage. Let There Be Rock. High Voltage. I heard of an album called "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". It was an import and available as a special order for about $15. That was a fortune to me, but I ordered it as well. I wonder if it's worth anything today.
Then, early in 1980, "tragedy" struck. AC/DC's lead singer, Bon Scott, became another rock and roll statistic - dead from alcohol-related asphyxiation. Oh well, I had the older albums and I was about to discover Judas Priest and the Scorpions. But, AC/DC didn't actually disappear. They added a new lead singer, Brian Johnson, and before 1980 had ended, they'd released Back in Black. Yeah, Johnson wasn't Scott, but the new album rocked. It became the best selling album in the band's history.
Then, I headed off to college and I discovered "New Wave" and "alternative" music. The heavy metal drifted to the back of the stack.
Sometime in the 90s, when I'd finally been forced to convert to CDs, I bought Highway to Hell and Back in Black on CD. I'd listen to them on occasion. The great albums never go out of style.
In the past few years, my son (age 16) has really gotten into music. He went through all of my discs and listened. He found his favorites. He likes a lot of stuff, but he really loves metal. Iron Maiden. AC/DC. Aerosmith. Black Sabbath. He loves '90s grunge - Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains (I'm not quite sure where to categorize these guys - grunge, metal, something else?), etc.
For Christmas last year, he asked for AC/DC's new release, "Black Ice". I was surprised that they were still putting out new music. I'd heard some of their singles since Back in Black - Thunderstruck, Who Made Who, For Those About to Rock, etc., but they'd ceased to exist as a current band for me.
I will admit that Black Ice doesn't do a lot for me. But, the release did get AC/DC back onto the road. Expensive tickets. A long indoor tour last winter. My son wanted to see them, but the ticket prices were absurd.
Then, they announced a very short outdoor US tour - 9 dates, 4 of them in California. The first show is in Foxboro, where the Patriots play. Tickets were ridiculously expensive. I told my son that I just couldn't justify the cost. But, a funny thing happened. I don't know if the band is just too far past their prime, or if it's the economy, or if they were never really as popular as they were in my mind, but tickets didn't sell. Eventually, they had to drop the ticket prices.
Last Wednesday, I got an e-mail from one of those big ticket companies. I'm on all of their mailing lists. Apparently, good tickets still existed and the prices were lower. They were offering deals on cheap seats and good seats. I wondered how good the good seats were. Fifteenth row? Wow! I checked with my wife and my son. My son offered to buy his own ticket. My wife had zero interest, but said we should go.
So, I'm working half a day today and then driving to Foxboro. Almost 30 years ago, this would have been my dream concert (well, an AC/DC and Zeppelin twin bill would have been my true dream show). Tonight, I'm looking forward to some old time heavy metal, and I'm hoping they mostly play the old stuff. And, I'm hoping they can still PLAY the stuff.
The earplugs are packed.
I'm guessing this will be a much different crowd than we saw at the Green Day show.
Next week, we are seeing Social Distortion in a club. I'm guessing that audience will be a lot different than tonight's crowd.
Now, where's my black T-shirt?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Weekend
Overall, I had a great weekend, with only a couple short workouts.
Friday night, I tried to install the bike rack on my new car and discovered that the rack doesn't fit the bars. Considering that the rack and the bars are both Subaru parts, I'd think they'd fit just fine. I'm going to the dealer today to see what's up.
Saturday morning, my wife and I got up early and did five miles with a friend. On our way to the run, we dropped our dogs off at the kennel for an overnight stay. By the end of a hilly 5, my hamstring was complaining some, so I stopped, but my wife ran a couple extra miles to our local farmers market. I drove to the local coffee shop to get us some coffee while she finished running. Then, we did our weekly produce shopping and headed home.
By early afternoon, we were on the road to Albany to see Green Day in concert. I've been going to concerts on a regular basis for about 30 years now and this might have been the best show I've ever seen. Previously, I would have ranked a 1983 show in Philadelphia by Talking Heads at the top, but I think this show exceeded that show in many ways.
Billy Joe, the lead singer and true leader of Green Day was just full of energy for about 2.5 hours. He expected the audience to participate in many, many ways. Some people were brought onstage to sing, others to play guitar, one small boy was used as a "prop" in the intro to a song, and another small boy was brought onstage to shoot a water cannon at fans.
They played about half of their new album, half of their previous release and then most of their hits from earlierreleases. They also goofed around, bringing in small snippets of Sweet Home Alabama, Crazy Train, Ironman, Freebird, Swanee, I'll Be There and Earth Angel.
The audience was "required" to sing a lot of the lyrics, and for a punk/power-pop band like Green Day, not ever lyric is easily understood. The show wasn't even sold out, but that didn't seem to deter the band at all. They were simply full of energy and enthusiasm for the entire show. This show came at the mid-point of their current tour, so I'm guessing that they've got any kinks worked out and they aren't yet burned out in any way. How Billy Joe can throw out that much energy night after night is amazing.
We got home late after the show and then slept in on Sunday. When I finally got out of bed, I started getting ready for a bike ride and then it started to rain. So, we went for groceries instead (mostly proteins to eat with Saturday's veggie haul). The weather turned out OK, despite a nasty forecast, and I could have ridden, but it wasn't a big deal. Instead, after shopping, my son and I played racquetball for an hour. Then, I let him practice driving for a while. I offered to let him drive the entire way home, but he doesn't feel ready for real traffic yet, so I'm not pushing him.
Then, a nice dinner of fresh veggies and chicken on the grill, and the weekend was over.
Tonight, I'll lift after work.
Friday night, I tried to install the bike rack on my new car and discovered that the rack doesn't fit the bars. Considering that the rack and the bars are both Subaru parts, I'd think they'd fit just fine. I'm going to the dealer today to see what's up.
Saturday morning, my wife and I got up early and did five miles with a friend. On our way to the run, we dropped our dogs off at the kennel for an overnight stay. By the end of a hilly 5, my hamstring was complaining some, so I stopped, but my wife ran a couple extra miles to our local farmers market. I drove to the local coffee shop to get us some coffee while she finished running. Then, we did our weekly produce shopping and headed home.
By early afternoon, we were on the road to Albany to see Green Day in concert. I've been going to concerts on a regular basis for about 30 years now and this might have been the best show I've ever seen. Previously, I would have ranked a 1983 show in Philadelphia by Talking Heads at the top, but I think this show exceeded that show in many ways.
Billy Joe, the lead singer and true leader of Green Day was just full of energy for about 2.5 hours. He expected the audience to participate in many, many ways. Some people were brought onstage to sing, others to play guitar, one small boy was used as a "prop" in the intro to a song, and another small boy was brought onstage to shoot a water cannon at fans.
They played about half of their new album, half of their previous release and then most of their hits from earlierreleases. They also goofed around, bringing in small snippets of Sweet Home Alabama, Crazy Train, Ironman, Freebird, Swanee, I'll Be There and Earth Angel.
The audience was "required" to sing a lot of the lyrics, and for a punk/power-pop band like Green Day, not ever lyric is easily understood. The show wasn't even sold out, but that didn't seem to deter the band at all. They were simply full of energy and enthusiasm for the entire show. This show came at the mid-point of their current tour, so I'm guessing that they've got any kinks worked out and they aren't yet burned out in any way. How Billy Joe can throw out that much energy night after night is amazing.
We got home late after the show and then slept in on Sunday. When I finally got out of bed, I started getting ready for a bike ride and then it started to rain. So, we went for groceries instead (mostly proteins to eat with Saturday's veggie haul). The weather turned out OK, despite a nasty forecast, and I could have ridden, but it wasn't a big deal. Instead, after shopping, my son and I played racquetball for an hour. Then, I let him practice driving for a while. I offered to let him drive the entire way home, but he doesn't feel ready for real traffic yet, so I'm not pushing him.
Then, a nice dinner of fresh veggies and chicken on the grill, and the weekend was over.
Tonight, I'll lift after work.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Two weight workouts
Lower body last night - warm-up followed by front squats, back squats, rear lunges, and lateral squats.
This morning, it was bent-over DB rows, incline DB presses, corner presses, corner rows, push-ups and inverted rows. The last two are brutal - 50 reps of each as fast as you can pull it off.
Today ended a four-week cycle and I get my workouts for the next four weeks tomorrow. I'm guessing we will start to see some interval work in the next month in addition to the weight work.
Tomorrow morning, my wife and I will run 10 miles with some friends, if my hamstring and other portions of my legs allow me to go that far.
Then, we'll head to NY to see Green Day tomorrow night. My son and I are also going to see AC/DC on Tuesday and we are going to see Social Distortion the following Tuesday. My ears may be ringing for weeks after these shows. It seems that many people "of my age" have stopped going to concerts, but I still really enjoy seeing rock shows, and I'm looking forward to all three shows. I've seen Social Distortion before, but not the other two bands. The reviews of the current Green Day tour have been fantastic.
Sunday, if the weather cooperates, I'll do some bike riding.
This morning, it was bent-over DB rows, incline DB presses, corner presses, corner rows, push-ups and inverted rows. The last two are brutal - 50 reps of each as fast as you can pull it off.
Today ended a four-week cycle and I get my workouts for the next four weeks tomorrow. I'm guessing we will start to see some interval work in the next month in addition to the weight work.
Tomorrow morning, my wife and I will run 10 miles with some friends, if my hamstring and other portions of my legs allow me to go that far.
Then, we'll head to NY to see Green Day tomorrow night. My son and I are also going to see AC/DC on Tuesday and we are going to see Social Distortion the following Tuesday. My ears may be ringing for weeks after these shows. It seems that many people "of my age" have stopped going to concerts, but I still really enjoy seeing rock shows, and I'm looking forward to all three shows. I've seen Social Distortion before, but not the other two bands. The reviews of the current Green Day tour have been fantastic.
Sunday, if the weather cooperates, I'll do some bike riding.
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