Another weekend gone

Time passes quickly.

Workout:
Sunday: 2 miles to the women’s game (snowy) and deadlifts:
straight bar: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 225
Wagon wheel trap bar 10 x 260

Monday: 2 mile commuter walk over lunch (snowy)
Pull ups: awful (it was -5) singles and a couple of sets of 5 to get 50 reps.
Bench press: 10 x 134, 2 x 170, 5 x 160 (exhausted), 2 sets of 5 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 2 x 115 (didn’t have it), 2 sets of 6 x 105

Tuesday: 51 laps of Markin in 1:24:35 (I’ll call it 6.2) with one 8 lap section (the last one) at 12:54 This is euqual to or longer than my 10k course in Bradley Park, but there is no way you can compare the difficulty. Pace: 13:39

Bradley Basketball: I’ll first talk about the women: they did very well on Sunday, fighting off a spirited UIC team winning 73-63. Don’t be deceived: it was a 1 point until late.


The Men: well, frankly, the men’s team got run out of the gym. It ended 85-70 but it was not that close: it was a 84-60 with 4 minutes to go.

I expected BU to have one of their patented rallies, but it was not to be on that night.

The shame is that this snowy night drew 6209 fans, the best draw of the season.

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.

Wednesday-Thursday

It is supposed to be -7 tomorrow morning, so classes are cancelled. Ok, they will be online.

Wednesday: 2 mile commuter walk; weights went as follows:
pull ups: 6 sets of 6, one of 8, 2 of 5, one of 4. (touch the chin pull ups)
bench: 10 x 134, 10 x 139, 8 x 150
high incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 115, 5 x 110
wagon wheel dead: 3 sets of 10 x 200

Note: as part of my PT, I did a 2 minute plank. I will probably feature that.

This morning: 10k course in 1:29:03; I was 59:05 so the final 2.2 was a tick under 30. Yes, in 2023, I was routinely doing this course faster. Oh well.

Bradley Basketball: you know the drill. At 6:15, Indiana State lead 68-60 and they were getting open lay ups.

And, they were to score no more the rest of the way. BU finally took the lead 69-68 with 1:01 to play, and it was 70-68 with 17 seconds left. BU won 75-68.

Last day

The walk started at 2 F and ended at 10 F. 10k course in 1:30:07, though I was at mile 4 at 1:00:00. I could not quite get sub 30 for the final 2.2

I took B to the doctor’s office for bloodwork and many, and I mean many were wearing masks. So we got some too. Flu and covid are circulating.

Toward the 3’rd Semester

No live sports this past weekend; just a depressing TV basketball game (88-62 loss to ISU) , some exiciting TV football games and the play 39 Steps. That was funny.

Workouts:
Saturday: a slow 10 mile walk (2:48 at 10) where I found a wallet and gave it to the player’s AD. It was cold (12 F) and the first part consisted of the out and back Bradley Park spur, the 2 mile loop and the 1.15 lower loop, plus extra to get me to 10.

Sunday: cold 2 mile walk; some deadlifts:
10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 225 low (not that hard)
10 x 255 4 inch, 305 (kind of ragged)

Monday: VERY cold; 2 F. 2 mile walk (2.3 actually)
pull ups 6-6, 10, 7, 6, 7, 5, 5
20 minutes for bench: 10 x 134, 5 x 160, 5 x 155, 5 x 155 (not enough rest)
high incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 115, 5 x 110 Again, the lack of rest made a difference.

Sigh

These past few months..ugh. That is something to remember if you marry someone older than you are: when they have a setback, they will be more helpless than a younger person, mostly because their capacity to physically compensate will be diminished.

But, there is work at my happy place (workouts)

Workout notes: 10k walk in 1:30:52 (14:39 pace); I was 1:00:24 at mile 4 and the final 2.2 was done in 30:28 (13:52) That was ok. I followed it with a 2 minute plank.

Today (Friday) 2 mile commuter walk.
pull ups: very hard, again. 6 sets of 5, 6, 5, 3, 5, 5 (chin) 54 reps total. 3 was “touch the chin).
Bench: 10 x 134, 5 x 160, 5 x 160, 5 x 155
high incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 115, 5 x 110.
2:30 plank (hard)

Drowning: sort of.

This has been a busy time in my life; part of it semester prep, part of it is my very needy wife. Living with the elderly is a challenge, especially when they get injured. It is tough for them to shake things off.

But her foot appears to be on the mend.

Workout notes: (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Monday: weights and pushing Barbara 2 miles.

weights: pull ups were really ragged; 9 sets of 6
Bench: 10 x 134, 5 x 160, 5 x 160, 5 x 155 (best in a while)

High incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 115, 5 x 110

Tuesday 5.14 in 1:19:45 (15:31 a mile) before a Dean’s meeting. Then 2 more miles of pushing Barbara.

Wednesday: 2 mile commuter walk.
Pull ups 10 singles, 5, 5, 8,, 5, 5, 5, then 2 sets of 3 “touch the bar with your chin”

bench: 10 x 134, 18 x 134 (wanted 20) 10 x 134
dead: low: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, Wagon 10 x 200

high incline: 10 x 94 then a “drop set” (rest to change the plates) 3 x 115, 4 x 110, 3 x 105, 5 x 94 Felt the burn.


Why I feel some hope for the future

Let me be clear: I am talking about hope for the USA’s future.

I’ve read some anguished posts from friends. And yes, public events range from the embarrassing (talk about Greenland, AGAIN) to ICE shooting and killing a US citizen.

Yes, such things are tough to talk about. One reason is this: I believe in borders and enforcing US immigration law. On the other end, enforcement should be as responsible and humane as possible.

Yes, illegal aliens who form criminal gangs *should* be dealt with harshly but much of the illegal alien population are workers just trying to get by. And it appears that at least some ICE agents are poorly suited for the job: dumb, ill-tempered bullies. Again, I am talking about a *portion*, not all.

So, why do I have hope? Over the past few weeks:
1. a conservative who liked Rush Limbaugh denounced Trump’s toxic remarks about Rob Riener.
2. A life long corporate Republican friend of mine (a Romney gal) denounced Trump’s attitudes toward Greenland
3. Many Naval Academy graduates (classmates) and other former military friends denounced Trump’s actions.

These are NOT “no one is illegal on stolen land” leftists; these are NOT socialists. I really believe that, while there is still a solid 30 percent that LIKE Trump, increasingly, they are the minority.

This does NOT mean that things are rosy for the Democrats; I honestly believe that the hard social left has way too much influence, at least in terms of perception. But I have some hope that the country is turning away from Trumpism.

Time flies; behind again.

I have not kept up; part of the reason is that I am still doing most things around the house. I hope that this changes at least a little. B can now walk just a bit with her boot.

Wednesday: BU absolutely scorched Drake 93-66, but that was deceptive. At one point it was 62-25. BU played a ton of people.

Thursday: 10k course (hill) in 1:30:54; somewhat slower than Tuesday but still 14:40 mpm. This is reasonable, given how slow I’ve become.

Friday: 2.2 mile “push Barbara” walk. The weights: pull ups were a chore: 9 sets of 6. Bench: 10 x 134, then 3 sets of 5 x 155. High incline: 10 x 94, 5 x 115, 5 x 110.

Saturday: yes, I took B to the beauty shop for her hair (I am so hen-pecked) I walked 4 slow miles (ok, 4.2) from the YMCA up the Alan road sidewalk/path; up to Walton Drive and back. This was about 4.2 miles.
After getting home, I did the out and back 5 mile course plus an extra 1.1 (17:04) to get myself 10 for the day

That night (5 pm): Watched a tight Bradley vs. Northern Iowa game. Final was 75-69, BUT it was 71-69 with 12 second left; UNI missed the front end of a 1 and 1. It was a thrilling, exciting game.

I got back in time to watch the Cardiac Bears rally from 21-3 down at the half and 27-16 down with 4 minutes to play to win 31-27. Wild game.

Today: 2.2 mile walk on my own (16 minutes per mile) plus some deadlifts

Low: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 10 x 225
4 inch: 10 x 255, 1 x 305

These are poor numbers for a male my size but at least my legs still work.

Later: Bradley (women) beat Indiana State 79-74 in a game that went back and forth; it was 74-72 with a minute to go. ISU took an early lead due to torrid 3 point shooting but BU’s defense picked up in the second half. I had a guest.