New Muscles Discovered

It appears as though I found and worked out some new muscles yesterday. I have a lot of inner thigh muscle soreness today for some reason, and as a result I didn't attempt the long run. I did, however, ride the stationary bike for 30 minutes on level 7 for 10.8 miles, and then hopped on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes doing a cross-training aerobic workout at level 4. All in all a pretty good workout even though I am limping around a bit this morning.

Paul

Monday Monday...

So good to me....

Had a massage yesterday, and woke up with a few new aches. I headed out the door anyway and started with a short 2.6 mile run (4.7 mph x 30 miutes), and then hopped on the bike for a 30 minute ride for 11 miles on level 7.

Paul

Cardio

Today I hopped on the treadmill and did 35 minutes of running. I ran about 2.5 miles in that time, and bumped the speed up to 5 miles per hour for a bit. I then hit the stationary bike, cautious not to play with the buttons and to get the foot straps off before I started. I rode 8 miles in 30 minutes on a hilly course at level 7.

Good workout, if not a routine one.

Paul

Damn Bike

I started today on the elliptical machine, which was probably a good thing as I got at least that 30 minutes in just fine. After that I hopped on the stationary bike and started a normal workout there. The shoe strap on my left foot popped off about 12 minutes in to the workout. When I stopped to remove the strap entirely, the bike reset. So I restarted it for another 17 minutes. About 5 minutes later I decided to investigate the pause/clear button. Little did I know that hitting that button twice resets the bike as well. So after a little bit of frustration, I hopped off the bike and decided to do 10 minutes in the sauna instead. I will remember to remove the damn straps on the bike before my workout next time.

Paul

UPDATE: Rowed 5000 meters in 24:49.5

Long Run

Today is my regular long run day. I had planned to try and out-do my 6 mile run from last week, but I think I needed a little bit more recovery. I ran 4.56 miles in 65 minutes and was about pooped out at the end of it. I will see what next week brings me for energy.

On a positive note, I weighed in today at 218 pounds, although this appears to be another scale tease. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

Paul

Back to Business

I had a sore shoulder socket most of the weekend, so I ended up missing several workouts with the hopes that the shoulder would be better by today. Well, it was so I headed out and hit the treadmill for a short 2.2 mile run, and a 30 minute bike ride at level 7 for 8.5 miles. Not too bad a workout.

I did notice a new pain in my left shouderblade. It was muscular in nature, but I couldn't imagine what could be causing it. I wasn't exactly doing anything with my shoulder this morning, and it only hurt for about 5 minutes of my run. Guess I just had to work out a kink.

I was really more worried about an injury to my foot that happened yesterday. Apparently my chair had a loose staple or nail, and I was jabbed pretty hard by it. It bled for an hour it seems. But thankfully, aside from light surface pain this morning when I put on my shoes, I had no pain from it during the run.

Paul

UPDATE: Rowed 5000 meters in 24:49.1

Busy Busy

Work is interfering with today's morning workout, as I had to get to work at 5am to finish a report. I'll row this evening.

Paul

Silver

Last night I had weird fitness dreams. Not to go in to too much detail about them, however, when I woke up, I was pretty darn ready to do my workout. I headed out and started with the elliptical machine, and did 30 minutes on the cardio setting. It must have been the fact I had just woken up, but the machine increased intensity pretty darn fast, and made the workout extremely hard before my heart rate caught up and the machine lowered it back to a normal (for me) range. I did like 3.6 miles on the thing.

I then hopped on the stationary bike for a 30 minute ride at level 7. I did like 8.5 miles on the bike as well.

When I got to work and started logging my activities on the Presidential Challenge Site, I found out that I won the silver award. That only took me about 3 months. One more award and I can start the advanced program.

I hope the rest of my day goes as good as my morning started out to do.

Paul

UPDATE: Rowed 5000 meters in 24:45.5

Strength Training - Upper Body

Woke up this morning, and really wanted to go out and do some more cardio, but as today was a planned strength training day, and I already skipped Monday's strength training for some cardio, I decided to go ahead and follow my plan.

I worked my upper body today, and did pretty good on most of it. I was pretty fatigued at the end so my biceps kind of sucked. Here are the stats:

• Chest - 90
  
• Shoulders - 50
  
• Lat - 90
  
• Tri - 50
  
• Bicep - 20
  

Not too horrible, but definitely not my best today.

Paul

UPDATE: Skipped the row today, was tired and sore.

Long Run - Personal Record

Today I headed out for my long run for the week. I planned adding half a mile to my last run, but ended up running 6 miles instead. Only .2 miles left until I have my 10-K distance accomplished. I ran the 6 miles in 1:20:00 and from 4.6-5 mph.

I will probably drag ass all day long as a result. :)

Paul

UPDATE: Rowed 5000 meters in 25:34.4. And I did drag ass as a result. Going to bed early tonight.

On the Road Again...

I woke up this morning, and didn't really want to do the strength training that was planned. I guess the 3 sunny days in a row kinda made me want to hit the road for a nice morning run. So, I got dressed for an outside run, and opened the door, and wouldn't you know it....it was raining. I went out anyway. I ran down to the QFC and back (1.8 miles) and ran it faster than I would normally do. Then I headed to the gym and did another 30 minutes on the treadmill. All in all, a great workout.

Paul

UPDATED: Rowed 5000 meters in 23:42.2

Fun with the Kids

Took my kids out for a walk today, and we toured around downtown Seattle. We walked along the waterfront, and even visited the aquarium. Then we took to the stairs of Pike Place Market and headed home.

Then I did my 5000 meters on the rowing machine in about 24:40.

Paul

Better than yesterday

I worked out this morning, and ran a short 2.5 mile run in 35 minutes. I did push the last 10 minutes to 5mph and the last 5 minutes to 6.3 mph. Then I hopped off the treadmill and jumped on the stationary bike and rode for 8 miles in 30 minutes at level 6-8.

I am happy with today's effort, although I won't again be able to row this evening, as I have to go out and drink many empty carbs in the form of beer. Tomorrow I go back to my normal 1.5 hour routine though. Plus I get to show off my new rowing machine to my kids.

I am down to 222 lbs today. I am encouraged, but suspicious that my scale is playing with me again, and tomorrow Ill be back to 224 again.

Well see.

Paul

Coming down with the lazys

It looks as though the lazy bug has hit me. Today, I tried to get up to work out, but apparently when my alarm went off, I got up out of bed, crossed the room, and re-set it to 6am and walked across the room and slid back to bed. I guess I went to bed a little too late last night.

And with beers scheduled for tonight and tomorrow night, I will need to pull my lazy butt out of bed tomorrow or all my work this week will be for naught.

Paul

One word....Bleah

Today I woke up feeling kinda crappy, so even though I did go out to the gym and work out with my weights some, I didn't do them all. My summary is below:

• Chest - 90 lbs
  
• Shoulders - Nada
  
• Laterals - 90 lbs
  
• Triceps - Zip
  
• Biceps - Zilch
  

As you can see, I did exceed the max weights on the 2 areas I did lift, but my hands hurt quite a bit from the rowing yesterday, and didn't want to wrestle with the dumbbells for the other exercises. I am expecting to row again this afternoon, but will see if the gel-covered bike gloves that I just bought will help with the soreness.

Paul

UPDATED: Rowed 5000 meters in 26:18

Long Run - Personal Record

Today was my long run day, and I woke up feeling a bunch of energy. So I decided that I would attempt 5 miles. I set the treadmill for a 5 mile distance run, and started out.

I am reading a book these days called "ChiRunning" and decided today to try out some of the techniques presented in that book in hopes of conserving energy a bit. I relaxed my arms, back, and shoulders during the run, and tried to focus on breathing normally and on my posture.

Lo and behold, I ended up running 5.25 miles and amazingly, my heart stayed in my chest the entire time. As a matter of fact, my heart rate only peaked at about 172, which took me nearly an hour to reach.

I had a little difficulty sleeping last night. I am thinking it is my pillow, but it could have been the late afternoon workout that energized my body. I am going to row again when I get home from work tonight, and hopefully won't have too much trouble sleeping. I want to be sure to get my rowing in today and tomorrow, as I have evening plans now for Thursday and Friday and will probably not be able to row those days.

Paul

UPDATED: Rowed this afternoon. Another 5000 meters in 24:59

Back to work

Today I am doing strength training in the morning and then Rowing this evening. This mornings workout was lower body, and I did the following:

• Quads - 140lbs
  
• Hamstrings - 80 lbs
  
• Calfs - 70 lbs
  
• Abs - 124 crunches
  

Not too bad a workout.

My plan for the next couple weeks are to work out an hour of the plan below in the mornings, and a half hour to forty five minutes rowing in the evening.

This week:

• Monday - Strength Training - Lower Body then Row 5000
  
• Tuesday - Cardio - Long Run then Row 5000
  
• Wednesday - Strength Training - Upper Body then Row 5000
  
• Thursday - Cardio - Short Run and Bike then Row 5000
  
• Friday - Strength Training - Lower Body then Row 5000
  
• Saturday - Cardio - Bike and Elliptical then Row 5000
  

Next week:

• Monday - Strength Training - Upper Body then Row 5000
  
• Tuesday - Cardio - Long Run then Row 5000
  
• Wednesday - Strength Training - Lower Body then Row 5000
  
• Thursday - Cardio - Short Run and Bike then Row 5000
  
• Friday - Strength Training - Upper Body then Row 5000
  
• Saturday - Cardio - Bike and Elliptical then Row 5000
  

It should be quite the workout.

Paul

UPDATE: I did an afternoon row on the Rowing Machine. Did 5000 meters in 25:28.2

Rowing

Well, my rower came in today, and I immediately hooked it up and tested it out. Very cool. I rowed about 7000 meters in 40 minutes and worked up quite the sweat.

Paul

Resting

I planned on working out today, but woke up this morning feeling like crap. So today is now a rest day.

Paul

Light Workout

Today, I woke up at 4:30AM, but wasn't feeling all that great. I headed out to the gym and started warming up on the treadmill, intending to run, and after about 5 minutes of walking fast, it was apparent that today wasn't a good day for this. I hopped on the stationary bike for 30 minutes at level 7 to get some work out in, but that was it for the day. I just don't seem to have any energy today.

Perhaps tomorrow will be better.

Paul

Minor Milestone

Well, finally today I saw some movement on the scale again. I weighed in at 225, and I am fully expecting this to be a fluke, and tomorrow I am sure I'll weigh in higher than I was yesterday. Suffice it to say, this is 163 pounds lost since I started all this, and I am happy.

Today I did a lower body strength training workout. Here are my max lifts:

• Quads - 130 lbs
  
• Hamstrings - 70 lbs
  
• Calfs - 70 lbs
  
• Abs - 120 crunches
  

I also did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine on a hilly course at level 5.

All in all, a pretty good workout.

Paul