I am trying to get back on the M, W, F lift, Tu, Th medium walk, Saturday longer walk, Sunday: leg lift type of routine. So today, I did a 5k commuter walk over lunch and lifted in the morning:
pull ups: 5 sets of 5, 10 (sort of), 3 sets of 5, one set of 5 (55 reps, 5 of those were penalty reps)
bench: 10 x 134, 3 x 165, 5 x 160, 6 x 155, 7 x 150 (tired)
high incline: 10 x 94, 6 x 105, 5 x 110
curl: 3 sets of 10
Note: was sore this morning.
Note: this was yesterday’s course:
I walked a modified 8 mile course (8.25 is what I call it) that I walked last Sunday, but this time it was great weather. Time: 2:05…just over 15 minute miles, which is consistent with the splits I was seeing. It was interesting to see the neighborhood waking up as I passed from 8 am to 10 am.
So, do I aim for a half marathon in the fall? The Quad Cities is the day after the USC game. I’ll wait to see if the game is at night nor not. Day game: I am doing both.
Last April, I did 160 plus miles, but my long was only 6 or so. So, in one sense, I am ahead. But in May, I got to 8 and my pace was faster (14:30-14:40). So, I have some improving to do.
Later: Bradley softball: the women won 8-0 after 5 innings, getting a 3 run blast in the bottom of the 5’th while leading 6-0. The Braves completed the sweep.
I’ll admit it: I am often lacking motivation these days. When it comes to working out, the joints are often stiff at first (just a bit). But I make myself do it.
Pull ups: 5 sets of 6, 10 (ok, a few shaky reps), 2 sets of 5, then a 30 second hold
Bench: 10 x 134 Swiss Bar. 3 sets of 5 x 160 straight bar.
inline press: 7 x 134. Miss at 155
4 inch trap bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 234
6 inch: 5 x 280 (sort of disappointing)
high incline press: 3 sets of 6 x 105
curl: 21 (7-7-7)
2 mile easy walk.
Later came a very interesting softball game.
We arrived at 1:30 expecting a 2 pm game, but they had moved Friday’s planned game to a noon Saturday start expecting a double header. We got there in the top of the 7’th inning and Bradley was up 3-0, thanks to 3 runs in the bottom of the 6’th. I figured that the game would be over quickly. Wrong.
Evansville loaded the bases and eventually pounded out 7 runs in the top of the 7’th. BU used 3 different pitchers in this inning!
Oh well…BU was probably out of it. Right? Wrong. Somehow, thanks to clutch hitting and errors, Bradley got 4 runs and tied it. So we were there for extra innings. Then came drama..and no scoring. 8, 9, 10, 11, no runs, and it was approaching 4 pm! Finally in the 12’th, Evansville got a couple of hits and lead 9-7 in the top of the 12’th.
And, of course, Bradley opens up with a hit, a walk and then the bases are loaded with no outs! One walk…9-8. Then a pop up and strike out..still 9-8. Ground ball in the infield…bad throw to 1’st, Bradley scores and it is 9-9 thanks to an error. Then another misplayed ground ball in the infield..Evansville tries to draw runner interference but no avail..Bradley wins 10-9 in a 4 hour plus game, and we saw 2 hours of it!
Lunch walk: 5K at a commuter pace (17:33). It seems as if my pace is finally getting faster.
Morning weights (started too late). Pull ups: 9 sets of 5, one of 7. Varied grip. So-so.
bench (Swiss bar) 10 x 134, 5 x 150, 6 x 145 (bummed a bit)
incline: 3 sets of 5 x 134
high incline (rushed) 10 x 94, 8 x 94
Curls: 2 sets of 10
The pavement was wet. But I did my lower loop course and was 43:30 at the exit and 57:36 at the 4 mile mark for 59:25 for 4.14. Definitely better without a lot of extra effort.
It seems as if April has had miserable weather on most days. Well, we had nice weather for a few hours.
pull ups: 9 sets of 5, one of 7
bench: 10 x 134, 3 x 165, 5 x 160, 4 x 160, 6 x 155 then 5 x 145 on the Swiss bar (tired)
high incline: 2 sets of 6 x 105, 5 x 110 (sloppy hips?)
curls: one set of 10
trap bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 234 (all 4 inch)
then a 2 mile walk at just under 15 minutes per mile, before taking Barbara out.
There was supposed to be a Bradley game tonight but OF COURSE, we had a pop-up thunderstorm that should delay things. Update: cancelled.
Yesterday, we saw innings 7-9 of the Chiefs 13-6 loss to the Kernels (Cedar Rapids) and then the 7 inning 4-1 loss afterward. Both teams got only 3 hits but the Chiefs walked 6 and hit two more batters.
Today: got drenched during my 8.25 mile walk. Very slow: 2:14 for 8.25 miles (16:18 pace; just under 1:04 at mile 4). Strava got it at 8.64 so it might well be 8.4 miles or so..does not matter, really. It was a hodge-podge course; almost to the length of Heading when I modified. I walked through several downpours. It was a struggle..sort of. I never really got tired. But I did not like the heavy rain.
Mostly, I distracted myself by thinking about work and how much uncertainty we/I have. I have too many thoughts, many of which I will not share in public.
Of course, I’ve frequently complained about how I’ve slowed down, gotten weaker, etc. All that is true. And yes, the aches and pains visit me more often.
But my relationships with others has changed too. For some reason, many (most?) of my friends are a bit older than I, as is my spouse. For the longest time, it felt as if we were age peers.
But they’ve entered the period in the life where they age more rapidly than I am aging right now: knee replacements, mobility problems are part of their lives, and I have to make allowances for them. It is as if part of my friends group has entered the realm of “the elderly” whereas I am still “just older”: no worries if I fall, etc. Fortunately, none of them have exhibited much in the way of cognitive decline.
A friend of mine posted this map: it was a poll of who people would vote for if there were a national election right now:
This data represents the top line:
Here are a few notes:
UK Parliament looks like this now (House of Commons)
Note: the next election is not scheduled to occur until April, 2029, though an election can be called for before then. So there is quite a bit of time.
Also: as far as the parties: Labour is like the US Democrats, Liberal Democrats are like a centrist Democratic party, the Conservatives (Tories) are like our “Mitt Romney” type Republicans and the Reform party is a bit like the Trump wing of the current US Republican party.
Note how the Conservatives are not very popular and the Reform party is gaining on them.
But there are the local elections in May and it will be interesting to see how things pan out.
But the “standard conservative”, both here and in the US, appears to be on the way out.
Ok, I had Thursday’s workout written up.
Friday: 15:13 pace for my 4.1 mile lower loop course (1:03) and a slow 2 mile commuter walk.
Today: 2 mile commuter walk to the office to grade. Weights:
pull ups 7-7-7-7, 10 (almost), 6, 6, 5, 5 (yes, 60 reps, last 2 sets mixed grip, 2 sets
Bench: 10 x 134, 3 x 165, 5 x 160, 4 x 160, 6 x 155
incline: 5 x 134
high incline: 10 x 94, 10 x 94, 5 x 105
trap bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 234 (4 inch)
5 x 280 (6 inch) sore hamstring ..did not want to push it.
Chiefs: saw them WIN 9-4 on Thursday night. They got a 9-3 lead and they survived their bullpen; for some reason they throw a LOT of balls to the batter, including to the batters that they retire.
Life of an old goat 