Got up at 4:30, and I walked a steady 4.17 in 1:00:33 (14:32 pace). It was ok but it tired me out too much to do my cycling over lunch. I might do that tomorrow. Piriformis is slightly sore. The course was a campus, Moss/Cooper type course.
LOL…yes, there is less outrage this time around. Many of us expected it. As far as DEI: there has been some overreach and, IMHO, too much “groupthink” and feedback looping. Sometimes, it has degenerated into nonsense (e. g. “math is racist”, “women are just as capable as men in the popular sports”, etc.)
And hey, this is what the country voted for, and my throwing a tantrum is just wasted energy.
Ok, as Trump settles in and signs a bunch of performative executive orders…we see the usual rage. There was the “Musk is doing a Nazi salute” thing (he probably was not; it is not as if Nazis are popular in the US).
More importantly: we are seeing the Democrats trying to figure it out. No, I cannot tell you exactly why Trump won; there are probably a number of reasons.
Trump won men 55-43 White 57-42 50-64 age group 56-43 over 65: very close, depending on the poll. This NBC one has 50-49 No college at all 62-36 (support went down up the educational ladder: some college, associate’s degree. Bachelor’s went for Harris) 30-99 thousand dollars household income 52-46 (Harris won 100K and up) First time voters 55-44 Veterans 65-34
I don’t quite know what to make of this.
But what about the Democrats? I have to be careful here. I work in academia and the stuff I am tired of might not be that big of a deal to everyone else. So I cannot say “Trump won because the Democrats did Y and I don’t like Y.”
“Kamala is for they/them, Trump is for you.”
And I think this might have been the crux of it. The D’s are saddled as the women’s / “every social demographic outlier” party; a party that is hostile to the social mainstream and to men (the “privileged” class; the oppressor class)
Note: Harris did NOT run a “woke” campaign; it was very “red/white/blue.” But she was saddled with the “Democrat, oh “yuck”” image.
I cannot say it is all of it, but I believe it was a significant part of it.
Another part of it, I think, is that many of the current liberals have a “are you with me 100 percent or are you the enemy” attitude. Again, I am NOT charging Harris with this; she got help from Liz Cheney and other “never Trump” Republicans. This really helps make the Democratic brand toxic.
This came after weights: pull ups: 10 sets of 5, indoor right away. bench: 10 x 134, 8 x 150, 7 x 150, 7 x 150 high incline: 3 sets of 5 x 105 curls: 3 sets of 10.
I do have a tad bit of left hip/piriformis pain; this isn’t quite the radiating back pain. I think it is due to the bike.
I stopped briefly to tie up the jacket hood; the stocking cap wasn’t enough.
2.2 miles at 15:47; good footing but it was COLD (5 F, wind)
Before that: an extended weight workout: mixed pull ups with PT: 10 sets of 5 (probably not perfect)
Bench press: 10 x 134, 5 x 155, 6 x 155, 5 x 155 High incline: 7 x 94, 7 x 94, 10 x 94 curls: 3 sets of 10 4 inch trap bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 234 6 inch trap bar: 10 x 280
back: slight “almost pain” in the glute again; wonder if it was the overhead work with the kitchen light.
It appears that B and I caught some sort of bug. She is not well today and my nose is stopped up.
Still at the Riverplex: 34:50 for 10 bike miles (I know these are fake) and outside, it was cold and windy but I got in about 4.2 in 1:06 (with knee braces) Pre workout weight (with shoes) was 195; too heavy.
Though today it hit in the 40’s, tonight the polar vortex will allow arctic air to cream us; I am still hoping to walk outside tomorrow (if it isn’t too slippery) after doing the indoor bike.
Today: weights; slow 2 mile commuter walk.
Weights: pull ups: 3 sets of 10 (one with 2 penalty reps), 4 sets of 5 (including 2 mixed grip sets). The sets of 10 are just tiring.
bench press: 10 x 134, then 4 x 160, 5 x 155, 5 x 155, 5 x 155 incline press (high incline) 4 x 105, 6 x 105, 5 x 105 curls: 3 sets of 10.
This really does not look like much, does it.
Commentary on my knees:
My first sign of trouble was in the summer of 1978; I got some swelling in my right knee. I tried to lay off exercises but then a 1 mile run made my knee swell up like a balloon. I had surgery (they thought it was a torn cartilage); it turns out my synovium was inflamed and I had “rice bodies” in the knee. They cleaned it up; I recovered until a few months later: boom. Swelling again.
This time, they took my synovium out (fall of 1979). By December 1980, I was able to run a 3:33 marathon with no issues.
But then in the early to mid 80’s (early 1983-1988) I had several episodes of knee swelling; this lead to 2 lateral releases (one in each knee) in 1984. The swelling continued though (again, sporadic) until my 1988 episode when my right knee blew up due to a staph infection.
After that…the knees kind of steadily (but slowly) improved and by 1996 I could resume running.
I had problems again in 2007 and these ran through 2010; I had night pain, pain behind the knee and once a loud “RIP” upon a flip turn in the pool; this lead to my hobbling then regaining some lost mobility? The night pain returned though, and it turned out that I had a “bucket handle” tear in my meniscus, which was removed by my 5’th surgery in the summer of 2010. I improved enough to do 5Ks in August and a 30 mile trail walk in November. But I was slower in all distances. Sub 7 minute miles were now a distant memory.
Again, no more difficulties until 2020 when even the top of my shin hurt after running. Doctor recommended no more running, and I quit; still walked though. 2024 was my last knee related doctor’s visit; that was due to night pain which HAS cleared up nicely.
But here is the kicker: the doctor said that it was highly likely that I’d never need knee replacement surgery!
And I thought about my wife: she never had the knee problems I had, until she got well into her late 50’s..but when she got them, we are talking “even standing” was very painful problems. She ended up with both getting replaced. And I see those stories everywhere: people who never had the knee troubles that I did ending up with knee replacement.
But *I* am not a candidate despite having “severe patellofemoral osteoarthritis” in both knees. The symptoms just aren’t there.
By this video: my arthritis is at “stage 3” but my symptoms are “stage 2”
According to this video: my only “possible knee replacement” warning sign was the night pain; and even that has mostly gone away.
What I am doing now is: extra knee exercises, reduction of walking (35 miles to about 20 a week), adding of cycling, and using a knee brace for my deadlifts and for some walks.
Kind of sloppy outside, at least during the morning. So: 10 miles on the stationary bike (35:44) followed by a 5K trackwalk: 13:46, 12:38, 12:18, 1:48 for 40:32.
Tonight: we will see.
I might write a bit more later; that Bradley vs. Indiana State game last night was something to behold. This is the best I’ve ever seen Bradley play against a conference opponent: it was 66-33 at the half and it finished 118-65, with everyone getting to play at least a few minutes.
More importantly, B felt good enough to go! It was treat to go out with her again.
I am trying to get back into it, and trying to figure out what seats to get for Illinois football for 2025. Do I jump into club seats or …maybe one of the nicer non-club options?
As far as the workout: very slow 5K walk on campus (slick getting there) after weights: pull ups: 5-5-5-5-10 (3 bad)-1, 5-5-5-5 then a penalty set of 5 (one set of 5 was a chin set) bench press: (progress) 10 x 134, 7 x 150, 8 x 150, 6 x 150 high incline: 2 sets of 10 x 94, 1 set of 4 x 105 (tired) curls: 3 sets of 10.
I messed around too much this morning and didn’t start weights until late. So I walked 2 miles (slow pace) after the game on mostly shoveled walks.
The game: “it was a good game until it wasn’t.” Northern Iowa lead by 2 at the break and by 6 after 3. But a 22-5 4’th quarter was, well, a disaster. Final was 67-44, with UNI getting largely uncontested lay ups in the 4’th.
Weights: 4 inch: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 234 (no bouncing) 4 inch: 1 x 305 6 inch: 10 x 280 pauses at the bottom.
Today: my plan was to do 10 miles on the indoor bike (just under 4o minutes) then walk outside for 3 miles. Well, the outside walk was 2 very slow miles as the bike..well…changing by mile: 1, 2, 3, 4,3,3,3,1,1,5 and the final 3 minutes killed me. It was not quite as hard as racing 5k.
So, the outdoor 2 miler (on mostly plowed paths) was really just a cool down.
Life of an old goat 