Category: whining

Divas and Drama Queens

The title is intentionally vague.

I’ll limit myself to what I can say.

Monday: 2 mile commuter walk before a Dean’s meeting. Morning: pull ups were a bit of a drag: 5 sets of 6, then 6, 5, 5, 5. I think I didn’t rest enough between sets. I did one pair of mixed grips, one set was chin up style.
Bench: 10 x 134, 3 sets of 5 x 160, 2 x 170
high incline: 10 x 94, then 2 sets of 6 x 105. Kind of tired.

This morning: 10k course in 1:25:55, slightly slower than 3 weeks ago, but one of my faster ones. I was especially pleased since the road was slick with rain. And I wore shorts! It hit in the 80’s today; big storm due tonight.

Alienated

I am just feeling sort-of alienated, though I wonder if a lack of sleep might be an issue. And, well, I think that I want a fight.

Instead, I had a workout on the porch. Beautiful weather for this time of year: I did pull ups in short sleeves!

It went 6, 10, 8, 6 then 4 sets of 5 (3 sets were chins)
bench: 10 x 134, 8 x 150 (boo!) 10 x 134
trap bar dead (low) 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 225
high incline: 10 x 94, 4 x 115, 5 x 110
2 minute plank.

2 mile commuter walk later.

Tumbling through the funk

One thing: I am going to have to cultivate a news habit: I’ve fallen so behind. I am wondering if I should have a newscast to lift weights to.

Speaking of which: warm day (by February in Illinois standards) and I walked 2 miles to go to lunch.
Weights: pull ups: 8 sets of 6, one of 5 (not as good as I had hopes)
bench: 10 x 134, 1 x 170 (harder than I thought it should be), 5 x 160, 6 x 155, 6 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 10 x 105 (ok; lock out on the left arm..not quite), 10 x 94

Weekend gone

Valentine’s Day came and went, and I am still married, so there is that. We went to a play (The Importance of Being Earnest) and enjoyed it. Yesterday, it was a double header movie day on the couch.

I got some working out in as well.

Saturday: I had a tough 10 mile walk in 2:34:44; I did several loops in Bradley Park: the spur, that mixed loop (about 2 miles) then a 1.3 mile Corn Stock loop then just enough on campus to get to 10+.

Sunday: 5k walk (16:48 pace) after deadlifts:
Deadlifts: 10 x 134, 10 x 134 (wanted to record my form at a non-challenging weight), 10 x 184, 10 x 225 (kind of ragged)
6 inch handle: 4 x 300, 5 x 300, 5 x 300

Thursday-Friday

Well, I made it to the end of the work week. I have not slept well, though my mood has been much improved over the past few days.

Thursday: hilly 10k course in 1:26:46 (14:00); best time for the course, post knee episode last year. In fact: maybe over the past 18 months? I had to get it done to take my “wife/friend” to the doctor’s office.

Today: 2 mile commuter walk. As far as the rest: pull ups: set of 10, then 4 sets of 6, one of 7, two of 5
Bench: 10 x 134, 1 x 175, 4 x 160, 6 x 155, 5 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 110, 5 x 110

curls: 7-7-7 set (decided to bring these back)

Midway through the Super Bowl

I’ve had a chance to blog but haven’t taken it.

Workouts: mostly with rage:
Slept horribly on Thursday night. Friday: was a zombie. What happened:
Pull ups went well: 5 sets of 6, 10, 4 sets of 5.
Bench press: 10 x 134, 5 x 160, 5 x 160, 6 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 115, 7 x 105

2 mile commuter walk prior to a talk.

Saturday. West Peoria plus extra 10.15 in 2:33:17 (15:06 mpm)
Later: pushed my…not sure what to call her…my legal wife but really sort of a housemate…around for 2 miles on the wheelchair.

Sunday: 2 mile commuter walk.
Deadlifts: straight bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 225
Wagon wheel trap: 2 x 300 (waited too long between sets; reminded that I missed my Dad’s birthday yesterday due to petty concerns..sure he died 22 years ago but that isn’t the point…) then 10 x 260

Later: pushed my “good friend/legally my wife” for 2 miles on the Riverfront. I enjoyed it.

Bad dreams

I had a couple of weird dreams. One involved my being tabbed to play on two different college baseball teams, without any practice of any kind. Another had someone in our house, making changes..wiht my wife’s consent. And she had not asked me beforehand! Weird stuff.

Now back to my even more boring stuff.

Thursday: didn’t want to do the track again, so 4 treadmill miles in 57 minutes then a cold 2 mile slow walk outside.

Friday: oh, that’s today….the department halls were a complete morgue. Empty everywhere.

2 mile commuter walk; weights first.
Below zero outside so pull ups were terrible again; got my 50 reps though.
Bench: 10 x 134, 2 x 170, 2 x 165 (wanted 3), 5 x 160, 5 x 155, 5 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 2 x 115, 7 x 105, 5 x 110 The 2 was an aborted set.

Baseketball
The Bradley women held off a spirited Drake squad 75-69. One player had 32 and the two freshmen really worked well together.

Barbara didn’t want to go (cold and still snowy) so I had ChatGPT give me a date.

In a fog

I’d like to get back to reading, and this has been the perfect week, given that there have been no games. But…I ended up vegging. I have reacquainted myself with some old math, though.

Weather: probably not decent anytime soon; February will be bad, I think.

Workout notes; 2 miles on campus; there was enough snow and ice off that I might try tomorrow’s walk outside, on campus. Or..maybe half and half.

Weights: 0 F outside so pull ups were very bad, again. But the gloves worked..better than nothing. 50 reps.
Bench: 10 x 134, 10 x 150, 10 x 134 (glad I got 150 again)
high incline: 10 x 94, 4 x 115, 6 x 110.
Wagon wheel: 10 x 200, 10 x 200, 10 x 230

Brrr January 2026

Friday’s classes were moved online. I taught them from my office. Decent attendance!

Friday’s workout: It was -5 F outside and windy; fingers got cold. Pull ups were “do what you can”: sets of 5-6 until the final one of 4 to get my 50 reps. Some were sets of singles with gloves.
Basement: bench: 10 x 134, 1 x 170, 2 x 165, 5 x 160, 5 x 155, 5 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 7 x 105, 7 x 105
Walk: very cold over lunch; 2 miles and my hands got cold

Today: did my out and back plus 2 mile Cornstalk plus 1.1 mile lower loop; did the “long way home” plus enough loops to get 10.1 in 2:49 (16:46 pace; faster after leaving the park). But I was steady and totally layered.
Wool socks, bicycle tights under sweat pants, t-shrit, long sleeved, Chiefs tech stretch shirt with hood, and the high teck jacket with a windbreaker over the top. Gloves: fleece mittens under fake leather ones. 2 hats plus the hoodie hood. My face got cold..for brief periods of time. Note the beard cicles and the ice under my windbreaker sleeve!

Of course, the Women’s Basketball team played their game, as scheduled. It was 51-21 Bradley over Valpo at the half and it ended 79-39. BU played everyone.