Quickly: gave blood after lunch. Before that: walked just over 7 miles: 5 mile “out and back” Cornstalk course. It was really about 7.1 (got shorted a bit later): the 5 mile out and back was fine; then I followed it up with a “perimeter plus a tiny loop” along Moss and University/Main.
Totally painless off of the hills; I just had a couple of tight days in a row. Getting off of the treadmill helped.
I was going to try a Tu, Th, S, S lifting schedule so I could rest more between sets. But I decided to try maybe a M, W, F, S lifting schedule so I can walk longer on Tuesday. And I was a bit too tired to walk long today.
Sunday: leg stuff and a 4 mile walk.
weights: low: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 224. 4 inch: 10 x 271 (not great, but ..well, I did it)
leg stuff: lots of free squats; weights: goblet 4 sets of 5 to the box (low) 2 with 28, 2 with 54. Then 3 sets of belt squats: 10 x 40, 2 sets of 5 x 98
Then a very, stiff, flat walk.
Today: pull ups: 10 sets of 5 (2 chin, 2 mixed grip) 40 second hold.
downstairs: 10 x 94, 3 sets of 5 x 115, miss at 130 that I turned into a pin press and 10 reps with 94.
bench: 3 sets of 7 with 134 super set with curls (3 sets of 10)
Then 2 2-mile commuter walks.
The left glute and back was stiff today; rolled a lot. But I feel like I need an assisted open book stretch. What has changed: maybe the extra squats (these have improved) or all of the treadmill at an incline stuff (at faster paces). No, the pain is nothing like the mean old days, or even like October 2022, or when I was recovering from COVID. The pain does seem to increase in the winter though, even if the pain is oh-so-mild compared to the mean old days.
Oh yes, 10 push ups to remember the movement. And I’ve reintroduced hip-hikes to my PT.
My failed lift plus pin press:
I went on an exploratory walk; was not sure as to how much ice would be left on the blocked off park roads. There was SOME but I now consider the course walkable. Garmin got it at 6.36; call it 6.5 miles. I had some left glute/hip ache early but it went away later as I picked it up and got into my stride.
THEN I tried to lift and where I did all of the exercises (save curls), the fatigue did affect me.
Pull ups: 2 sets of 10 (recorded one of them) then 6 sets of 5. Well, one was a set of 7. Downstairs. Bench was a disaster: 5 x 134, then 1 x 155, 1 x 155, 2 x 155, 3 x 155, 3 x 155, 3 x 155, 2 x 155, 2 x 155. It just felt so heavy, and of course, it wasn’t. Yes, I keep my feet on a chair because of my back and I have to remember this costs me about 15 lb of strength.
High incline: 10 x 94, 8 x 105, 1 x 115 (felt heavy), 5 x 105 and I just quit. For rest: free squats.
This was one of those days when I felt that I needed to rest 10 minutes between sets but I didn’t.
Yes, the women’s game was a disaster from the very start. Northern Iowa (not a good team) shot 78 percent from the field and 83 percent from 3 point land in the first quarter; the lead 34-11 after 1, and 60-30 at the half. Overall, they ended up shooting 67.7 percent for the game, out rebounded Bradley 40-13 (not a misprint) and lead in assists 25-8.
The final was 105-59 and …well, the game was not even that “close.”
I caught the last 8 minutes of Illinois’ 70-62 victory over Indiana and then watched the Bradley men lose 95-86 in overtime to a good Indiana State team. At least those games were competitive.
I am setting into the academic year. I watched our men’s team beat Murray State 71-63 and our women’s team lose to Drake 77-65 (outscored Drake 34-32 in the second half..so there is that…in fact, 20-13 in the 4’th).
Predictably, attendance was low for both games. Though the men are winning (9 wins in a row) the game started at 6 pm on a week night, and, well, the women are not winning.
Today: PT and walked OUTSIDE. I did my 5 loop campus course on non-icy pavement (big puddle at one point though) in 1:14 instead of 1:24:36 (with the ice); this was about 5.25 miles total (14:06). Left hip/outer glute ached slightly; I was having this problem last year about when the weather got cold and stayed there. Ok..then came COVID.
I rolled afterward and I hit a big sore spot. Will have to keep that up.
Yesterday, I decided just to grind on the treadmill (after PT and free squats, of course). It went ok: 1:04:36 ( 12:55) which included a very lazy mile 4 (13:30).
I have an old Sporttech treadmill which is manual; YOU have to keep the pace.
Today: 2 commuter walks of just over 2 miles each (16:28 pace, 16:50) which was mostly a matter of dodging the large puddles. In the morning: weights.
Full PT (added more free squats; getting lower)
Pull ups: 10 singles, then 8 sets of 5 (these were ok) then a 38 second hold.
high incline: 5 x 94, 5 x 105, 3 sets of 5 x 115
4 inch trap bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 228, 10 x 228 (forgot to add the 11 lb plates), 10 x 250
bench: 10 x 134
free squats to the box
Wow..looking at it: it sure doesn’t look like I did much.
Weight: 188.5 upon waking up.
After weights, I went for a walk outside..1.25 miles took me 28:48! I slipped several times. So, I went inside and walked for 30 minutes (2.17 miles; 13:49). I was pretty relaxed.
The weights: pull ups: 10 sets of 5 (a couple were chins)
downstairs for high incline: 5 x 94, 5 x 105, 1 x 115, 1 x 125, 1 x 130 (hard), then 3 sets of 5 x 114.
bench: 3 sets of 5 x 145 (pathetic)
3 sets of curls, and lots of free squats. The latter made me feel better.
I was going to walk to the office, but the walks were hard coated with ice. It should be better tomorrow. I taught online today as the university was closed.
I managed two treadmill walks: 3.29 at 12:47 (back was getting stiff so I stopped) stretched, then 2.38 at 13:52 (much better). So, 5.67 miles all together, which is better than zero miles.
Still, too much treadmill is bad for the back so I should make myself get to the track some, though that was not an option today.
On non workout notes: on Saturday I watched Bradley beat Belmont 95-73. It was close at the start as long as Belmont kept up torrid 3 point shooting, but overall, BU was too much. It was 10 points at the half, and with 2 minutes to go, BU deliberately slowed things down.
Workout notes:
Friday: 1:06:45 for 5 treadmill miles (varied the incline)
Saturday: weights, 2 miles on the treadmill (12:37, 22:30 for 24:13).
Weight details: outside for pull ups: 6 sets of 5, set of 10, 2 sets of 5 (it was -5 F)
downstairs: bench press: 5 x 134, 4 sets of 4 x 155, miss with 170 (fatigued), pin press to 7 x 134
high incline: 10 x 94, 8 x 105, 4 x 115 (tired)
curls: 3 sets of 10
Sunday: lower body: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 4 x 224 (grip) 10 x 224 low, 10 x 271 4 inch:
goblet squats to the bench: sets of 5: empty, 28, 3 sets with 54
belt squats: 3 sets with 40 lb (lame)
Then 5 campus loops outside (warmed up to 10 F at the start, 17 F at the finish). 70-80 percent of the course was dry. 5.2 miles in 1:24:36, 16:17 mpm.
I relearned a harsh lesson today. If I have a limited amount of time to work out, either I should do only a few exercises OR I should keep the high intensity stuff (e. g. deadlifts LIGHT)
PT, pull ups: 2 sets of 10 singles, 1 set of 10, 2 sets of 5, 2 sets of 5 chin singles (50 reps)
downstairs: deadlifts (tried to practice the “hip hinge” without success)
10 x 134, 10 x 184 (harder than it should havebeen), 2 x 224, 5 x 224. Tried 260 with 4 inch handles at the end; gave up as my legs were fried from goblet squats.
5 sets of 5 goblet squats: final 3 were with 54 lb.
HIgh incline: 10 x 94, 10 x 105 (new PR), 5 x 115 (challenge)
Bench: 9 x 134, 10 x 134
Really, the only bad stuff were the deadlifts. I just don’t have the mobility in the low handle position.
Walked 1.2 miles to campus, 3.2 back home
Some glute tightness today.
Back: some stiffness, at times. Workout: PT, 5 mile treadmill in 1:06:50, 1.3 mile commuter walk home for lunch.
Wondering what tomorrow’s lifting session will look like.
Given the snow that might be coming, I’ll be indoors for a while.
Life of an old goat 