Month: July 2024

Last day of July 2024

This month has blown by.

Today: the workout was simple: pull ups (harder than normal) 2 sets of 5 (one chin) singles, 2 sets of 5 (one was chins) , 3 “attempted perfect singles), two sets of 5, set of 10, two penalty reps, 1 set of 5, 2 sets of 5 mixed grip. (Quite a few reps)

downstairs: incline: 2 x 115, 3 x 115, 5 x 115 (trying to get it set up)
7 x 125, 5 x 130, 4 x 130
deadlifts: 10 x 134 straight bar, 10 x 184 straight bar, 10 x 234 wagon wheel trap bar, 1 x 280 6 inch (it was hard so I gave up)

I am not putting much into it. Then I walked to the Chiefs game (1.66 via Bradley), back (2.04 via Moss) plus an extra 0.4 to get 4 for the day.

163 miles for July.

oh, the Chiefs game: they lost 4-1; the poor starter came in with a 5.67 ERA and a 1-11 record. He is now 1-12; pitched well for 2 innings but then appeared to tire and gave up 2 in the 3’rd and 2 in the 4’th. But still; a team should get 4 runs.

The game the night before was better; they beat Quad Cities 5-3 taking a 5-1 lead into the 9’th and holding on. Vickie and Harry were there.

I am not sure what my goofy look was about.

Monday and Tuesday

Tuesday (today) was simple. 1:16:21 for 5.2 W. Peoria course (59:30 at the end of Heading). It was warm: 82 F with 70 percent humidity.

Yesterday: weights followed by a slow 5K commuter walk.

The weights: I did pull ups: 5, 5, 10, 10,5, 5, 5, 5, (yes, 2 sets of 10) with the last two sets being chin ups.

Downstairs: bench: 10 x 134, 9 x 145, 6 x 150, 3 x 155

high incline (tied in) 7 x 84, 10 x 84, 10 x 84

3 sets of 10 curls.

Mixing it up a bit

The walk was after my deadlift session: 1:02:25 for a 4.25 mile session; 14:40-14:50 or so. I was a little cautious with my left knee; it was achy last night (especially when raising the leg with the knee bent) but a bit of ice did the trick.

Aging is fun.

As far as the deadlifts: I used sweatpants to protect my shins for the straight bar part:

straight bar: 10 x 134, 5 x 184, 5 x 225, 5 x 230 (overhand grip this time)

wagon wheel (4.25 inch advantage) with trap bar: 5 x 260 5 x 280 (easy)

6 inch trap bar 5 x 300, 5 x 300 (moderate effort)

I did wear my knee brace and it went ok.

Wednesday: love my spotter arms!

Saturday:

Implications of JD Vance’s statements

Frankly, I think too many are too quick to yell “Nazi”, “Hitler” and “fascist” when they don’t like something. Nazi Germany was a rather unique situation and many of the factors that lead to Hitler’s rise to power just aren’t in play here.

But Hitler was not the only fascist in history.

Now let’s take a look at some of the stuff that JD Vance says: he claims that adults with kids should have MORE say at the ballot box:

Now when this was posted, many Trump supporters cried “foul” and claimed that context was lacking. Ok, what was lacking?

You see: he was only talking about the LEFTISTS who were childless BY CHOICE.

So, if he got his wish:

  1. The government would determine your political leanings
  2. The government would determine whether or not your childlessness status was intentional or not.

Hmm, this does NOT sound like “small government” to me; it sure sounds like he wants the government to dictate to you your political thoughts and family size.

Oh…and speaking of kids: wonder what JD Vance thinks about this?

Now, what about Donald Trump? Don’t worry..just vote this time!

Trying to get the right balance

Aging is tough for many reasons. One of them: what your body is capable of changes fairly rapidly; the “right formula” for working/recovery changes rapidly. What worked even 3-4 years ago might not work today.

And I am struggling just a bit; more overall aches and pains than normal.

Thursday: 5 mile walk plus a bit extra: 5.18 in 1:16. I was 1:14 at the 5 mile mark (1:07:40 at the turn around, and 1:06:20 back).

Friday: 10.2 in 2:35, just over a 15 minute pace. Note the return leg was 2 minutes faster than the out leg: to the ball field with one gooseloop in each direction. I felt bad going out (wanted to quit in miles 1-2) but much better coming back (made myself quit).

Though I felt ok after the walk, I was tired that night and kind of sore the next day.

Today(Saturday) slept in and did an unusual workout:
PT (except for monster walks)
2 sets of 5 pull ups
2 miles in 29:40

then 5-5, 5- 5 (mixed) 10, 5 chin, 5 chins
then Moss 2 miles in 29:48 (2.1 really)

downstairs: bench press: 10 x 134, 4 sets of 4 x 154 lb

high incline: 3 sets of 7 x 94 (trying to keep the hips close).

I think that I’ve gained just a tad bit of weight: say 183-185 to 189-191 or so.

Note: left calf/behind the knee is tender. I know what that can mean.

Too Leisurely

I took too much time today: lazy weight session and a super slow 5K commuter walk.

The weights: pull ups: 4 sets of 5, set of 10, 2 sets of 5, chin ups :4+1, 5, then 44 second hold.

downstairs: bench: 10 x 134

low incline: 10 x 120, 7 x 125, 7 x 125, 4 x 134 (failed rep 5, 3/4)

deadlift: low bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 5 x 225 (bad starting position)

wagon wheel trap bar: 5 x 250, 10 x 250

I was a bit fatigued from a tough walking workout yesterday.

Mixed..a bit…

Temperature: 74F, 79 percent humidity. Not Austin, but not comfortable. I wanted to walk a bit faster today but it was too much of a cheat to go into the gym with its air conditioning and springy track.

So, I revised an old friend: the W. Peoria track. They have repaved it and it looks really nice right now.

Slow 2.3 to get there, one extra lap after plus the .75 walk to get home followed by an extra 0.4 to get 8.1 in 1:56:53.

Some ache later in the day. But this was a good preparation workout.

No, this was not the 24:30-25:30 I was doing in 2003-2004 and forget the 21-22 that I got to (when I think that I went illegal). That’s not coming back.

Slow to get going

started my workout too late. Tomorrow: kind of academic schedule time.

pull ups:5 singles, 3 sets of 5, one of 10, then 2 more sets of 5 pull ups, 5 chins.

Bench: 10 x 134 (harder than I’d like) 4 sets of 4 x 154 (went ok)
high incline: 3 sets of 8 x 94, with 3 sets of curls.

Then I had the slowest, sleepiest 5K commuter walk you’ll ever see; 19 minute miles!

Physically, I am feeling just a bit off. But this week I want to get in a 7-8 with speed and a 11-13 at a slower pace. Meeting tomorrow.

Welcome to stupid season

Ok, Joe Biden did the right thing and decided not to run. Yes, he was old, but he was getting the job done as President, but, well started to look and sound more and more feeble. That can happen to someone that age, especially when doing a job that is that stressful.

He endorsed Kamala Harris and, despite noises here and there, that is who I think it will be.

On July 12, I predicted that this would happen (based on fundraising e-mails that I had been getting).

So, we have the Prosecutor vs the Criminal.

But how will it be spun?

The right wing will spin VP Harris as the “DEI candidate” and talk about her sex life. Some on the left will (and already have) denounce her for…putting criminals in jail.

There will always be stupidity in a campaign. It will be off the charts in this one.

But think of all of the contrasts:
Black vs White. Female vs Male. “young” (sort of) vs “old.” Urban/educated vs Populist.

It’s on.

Chiefs collapse but..

First: my workout:

I got in a 4.3 in a very quiet Bradley Park with Pat, after some deadlifts:
10 x 134, 10 x 184, 3 x 225 (what?) 5 x 225 straight bar.
5 x 255, 5 x 260 wagon wheel hex bar
8 x 280 6 inch (bad 8’th rep): good enough to keep some tone; that was about it.

Saturday night: Chiefs took a 3-2 lead but lost it.

.then down 4-3 in the bottom of the 8’th, a pinch hitter came up big with a full count and 2 outs, hitting a single to drive in a run to tie it at 4.

But alas, the Chiefs gave up a run with 2 outs in the 10’th to lose 5-4.

Sunday: though it was 1-1 for a while (good pitching on both sides), the dam burst in the 8’th with the Chiefs giving up 3 runs, and then in the 9’th when the Chiefs gave up 4 more. This was a “it was a good game until it wasn’t” and it ended 8-1. In this case it was just a 9 hit barrage vs weak hitting for the Chiefs.

It appears that the team..and even the stadium announcers just gave up.