All it takes is a crowd of guys... or just one girl

[K-Court]

Originally posted by Phaedrus49er:
As for the view, I may have reached "dirty old man" status

My gawd, how old was she, man? At your age, you're nowhere near DOM status yet - unless she was 15 that is. LOL

[Phaedrus49er]

KC, I dunno. It's hard to tell sometimes. She looked like she could be legal to drink, but she also looked like she could've just gotten her license. That was a major reason I left off teaching high school. Some of my TENTH-graders could've easily passed for college and beyond. Of course, I never came close to acting on anything of that nature, but when, we'll say, little Claudia didn't have her homework and stayed after class to finish it and some other work while complaining that a bad grade would hurt her chances of getting into the college she wanted, I was SO thankful to have a mandatory open-classroom-door policy. Talk about a bad porno waiting to happen ANYway...

Day 46

Four words this time: WHAT'S MY NAME, BITCH! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Took the same route as on Day 38 but reversed it, and oddly enough, almost hit the exact same time on it. More commentary after stats:

Total time: 43:24 (only about :15 stopped for traffic)
Time in zone (192/156): 40:38
Avg. HR: 179
kcal/fat: 933, 25% (still don't know what the second number means, but it's been getting lower lately)

5-minute walking warm-up and cool-down

I felt a LOT better at the end of the run today, as in I wasn't wishing for a quick and less painful death than I was already experiencing; however, I didn't have enough gas in the tank to sprint at the end. Some changes from the last run on this route:

1. I started about four hours earlier in the day, but the temperature was around 85F, about 10-15 degrees warmer than last time.

2. I had two HYOOGE tomato sandwiches about an hour before I ran (total of four slices of bread, a whole large tomato, a couple tablespoons of mayo, salt, pepper). Usually, I haven't eaten for a couple hours by the time I run.

3. I noticed that my torso starts to slightly collapse forward fairly early in a run, so any time I noticed it, I consciously straightened up and tried to keep my head back as opposed to angled downward somewhat, though I have to look down constantly since the sidewalks aren't very even.

Hey, who knows? Another killer run today. I'm still looking at next week to do my 1x400m walking lunge. Anyone want to chauffeur me to and from the track that day? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[K-Court]

Nice work, Ben - especially being in the zone for 40:38 out of 43:24. You gotta be happy about that.

Good story about your teaching days. These young girls look a LOT different than when I was in high school! I think the mandatory open-door policy and never-meet-alone policy is a must these days.

Congrats on finishing up at school too. Must feel fantastic.

Rob

[Phaedrus49er]

Thanks, man. I'm glad it's officially over, but since I still have another month or two left until all the work is actually finished, it didn't have the same oomph as my undergrad commencement.

Day 47 - off

Day 48

After the best night of sleep I've had in almost a year, meaning I stayed in instead of going out last night to celebrate graduation, I decided that today was the day for the most sadistic workout I could imagine: 1x400m walking lunges *cues the tympany drums*:

Warm-up:
--400m walk
--400m run
--static lower-body stretching
--400m run

200m walking lunges
400m walk
200m walking lunges

Cool-down:
--400m stumble

Stats just for the hell of it:
Total time: 54:15 (includes the midpoint lap)
Time in zone (192/156): 28:56
Avg HR: 154
kcal/fat: 921, 45%

I really didn't have a goal for HR stats. I just wanted to get around the track one time. I broke it up into sets of 8-10 strides (4-5 each leg), rested 10-45 seconds depending on how fatigued I was (had to wait for the dizziness and stars to go away), then did another set. I seriously had trouble negotiating a downslope getting to my car, not to mention driving stickshift back home. Let's just say I won't be doing that again for a loooooooooong time, but I'm glad I did it. Man, who needs a beer?

[gobbla]

ouch!! that's pretty freaking sadistic man.

[Phaedrus49er]

My legs aren't working right this morning...

[K-Court]

Originally posted by Phaedrus49er:
My legs aren't working right this morning...

Yeah, I was gonna ask, man. At least you got yourself out of bed and over to the comp ...

And remember, the second day is always worse ... LOL (sorry that was just mean ...)

Hope you recover quickly, dude. It was a pretty amazing feat you accomplished.

Rob

[Phaedrus49er]

Originally posted by K-Court:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Phaedrus49er:
My legs aren't working right this morning...

Yeah, I was gonna ask, man. At least you got yourself out of bed and over to the comp ...

And remember, the second day is always worse ... LOL (sorry that was just mean ...)

Hope you recover quickly, dude. It was a pretty amazing feat you accomplished.

Rob [/quote]Thanks, asshole... reminding me that tomorrow will be worse... prick... but I mean that in the nicest way possible

I'm still debating going to the gym today for some upper body work, duh. I figure I can get in either push or pull today, then do the opposite tomorrow afternoon. Depends on if I can score a date tonight, which is tentatively in the works.

Man, I've been fatigued and aching before, but I've never had it STING before...

[K-Court]

You're going on a date? No problem - I'm sure she'll be impressed with the crutches ...

"Asshole" and "prick" in one sentence ... geez, have you been talking to my wife, dude? LMAO!

[Phaedrus49er]

Thanks, puddin'. No date, no nothing, no mobility, which leads to today.

Today is no worse than yesterday, though I don't see how it could be. My legs still burn rather than just ache at the slightest exertion, but my functional ROM has improved somewhat. I still lose stabilization occasionally, but that too is improving somewhat. Given that, as much as I hate to do this, I'm taking yet another day off from the gym to stretch and just lie around and recover. My goal is to go on Tuesday afternoons because of the scenery, but I think I'd be better off going next week fully recovered than today and risk making a complete fool of myself by having trouble just walking. Granted, my next workout will be HSPUs and RPUs, but both require substantial lower-body stabilization to get into and remain in position. I have a short work day tomorrow, so hopefully I can go in during a slow time.

I HATE missing workouts. This is almost as bad as being injured. So much for a week off soon, though July holds some promise depending on where I decide to vacation (still taking suggestions and offers for crash space, by the way) [img]smile.gif[/img]

[gobbla]

if you're still gimpy tommorrow try doing some leg curls\extentions followed by walking a mile or two. Attempt your sets with mroe weight than you're used to. It'll hurt something ungodly...no point in tiptoeing around that one...but when it's all said and done you'll feel better [img]smile.gif[/img] *seriously*

[Phaedrus49er]

If? IF??? I have a feeling, literally, that the gimp will be back, but yeah, I know. I was hoping that stretching and a lot of water would lessen the pain. Another reason to go during a slow spell at the gym. That way, fewer people will here the screams of agony or see my crying [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Kirk Fredericks]

Sunday, Fire Fighter Combat Challenge Training:

5 sets, three flights, single steps, warmup, bunker gear.
5 sets, three flights, double steps, warmup, bunker gear.
In ten minutes, as many hose raises (45 lb x 30 feet) as you can do, three people rotation, 9 raises.
In ten minutes, as many force machine drives you can do, 3 sets.
In ten minutes, as many hose pack to shoulder, stair starts as you can do. three sets of ten.
In ten minutes, as many pylon runs as you can do. 18 sets.
In ten minutes, as many 185 pound dummy drags x 100 feet you can do. 3 sets.
49 year old guy drops out at this point. The kids do hose drags; I run the pumper. Suddenly, three groups have passed 2.5 hours.
Nothing is like the real thing eh?

[Phaedrus49er]

KF, very true. That's pretty brutal, though I think I'd welcome that kind of diverse exertion rather than what I did the other day [img]smile.gif[/img]

Days 49 & 50 - obviously off

Day 51

ROM has increased to about one-half from a cold start. After the gym today, only blinding pain (as opposed to debilitating) going through the entire ROM. Maybe, just maybe, a short run tomorrow...

Assisted HSPUs w/ 120RI: 10, 10, 8, 10, 8, 8
Reverse push-ups + 5sec hold w/ 60RI: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3

Those extra couple reps on the 4th HSPU set came after a 180+ RI because some guy came over to ask what I was doing, try it out with me there to check him, etc etc. He'd already done HSPUs against a wall earlier, then did reverse push-ups after we left off talking. I, of course, referred him here for expert guidance and a little fun, so we'll see if he shows up.

After a few sessions of these specific movements, I'm noticing that my arms are getting the brunt of the work. Perhaps that comes from an obese childhood during which most athletic movements would've been performed with the larger muscle groups. I don't know, but regardless, I like to think I'm making progress.

At any rate, the legs are almost recovered. Stabilization is fully recovered, so that's a relief. I want a sweet potato all of a sudden...

[Phaedrus49er]

Day 52

To whoever suggested that going back out and pushing through a workout would kiss it and make it better, I have two words for you: bite me [img]smile.gif[/img] Shorter-than-usual run today for obvious reasons:

Total time: 28:56 (includes 2min walking recovery at midpoint)
Time in zone (192/156): 25:24
Avg HR: 173
kcal/fat: 587, 30% (blah)

I decided to suck it up and go out today since I haven't done anything worthwhile since The Most Sadistic Workout Ever this past Sunday (well, not true; I did have a decent workout yesterday), reasoning that I can do a gym session tomorrow afternoon, then take Saturday off since I have an 11-hour shift plus the likelihood of going out. That leaves Sunday to do a run if I'm not feeling the effects of the previous night after cleaning my new place. If I don't get that run in, it'll be several days before I do anything structured because I'm moving all next week. At least mom will be in town, so I won't have to pay for any food

Also, with Chera whining about shoe fetish pictures, I might take that opportunity to get some progress pics taken as well. I found several pics ranging between 1993 (when I was 13 and 270lbs) and a few months ago, so I'll get those hosted over at Webshots and post them sometime in the near future.

[Phaedrus49er]

Day 53

WOOHOO! Full ROM back with only slight stinging during the most intense contractions. So the full recovery time from The Most Sadistic Workout Ever is one week. Yikes.

Assisted HSPUs w/ 120RI: 10, 10, 8, 7, 7, 6
wide-grip rows w/ 30RI: 21@45lbs, 15@60lbs, 9@75lbs

3 supersets w/ 60RI:
--Swiss ball crunch: 10, 10, 10
--woodchoppers w/ 20lb DB: 10, 10, 10 (each side)

Note to self: allow 72 hours recovery between HSPU sessions. Even though I got more reps (if you don't count that odd RI last time), I felt a lot more leg usage this round. One difference: taller aerobics steps, perhaps by an inch or so. Man, just wait 'til I start stacking those puppies [img]smile.gif[/img]

Two days until I start moving...

[K-Court]

Congrats on your recovery, man. Ready to do the MSWE again this weekend?

Good luck on your move. I hate moving - the last time I did it I said I'd never do it again. But then again, you don't have 3 kids, 3 pets, and all the various accessories that come with it .... Anyway, hope it's not too painful.

[Phaedrus49er]

Thanks. I woke up this morning without pain for the first time in a week--none. About the only time I'll do the MSWE again is if I KNOW I'll take a full week off with nothing going on. Or if I'm really really really pissed off [img]smile.gif[/img]

Yeah, moving for me isn't too bad. I just have a lot of little stuff that doesn't pack well, hence multiple trips. I seriously need to screen my belongings for the bare necessities if I ever leave Charlotte again. Otherwise, it's a royal pain (I won't go into my two stints outside of Charlotte).

[K-Court]

Oddly enough, I find it tempting to try the MSWE. There's a track not too far from my home. Must be some sort of weird masochistic trait coming out ... make me stop, make me stop ..... aaaargggghhhhh....

[img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Phaedrus49er]

You know you wanna It'll help to budget at least an hour and carry water with you.

Side note: no telling when this week I'll be back on a regular training schedule. Did all the heavy moving today, so now it's several trips of my car packed with all the smaller crap, which is not so much physically tiring as it is tedious and mind-numbing. I think I'm getting close to full neurological recovery since I'm itching to get back to running and lifting (no, I don't count moving furniture as a workout, though I'm sure it could be). All I know is that I'll be done by the end of this week, just in time for a crunch at work, then MAYBE I'll get down to training again as well as getting some work done on the new place (which is actually quite old... for me) [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Phaedrus49er]

KC, did you do it yet? You gotta tell me if/when you do. Then I'LL tell you to take a salt pill and walk it off

Moving update: Very nearly finished. Only my desk, computer, and some kitchen stuff to relocate, then a quick cleaning here, and I'll be done. It'll take me another week or so to get everything at the new place sorted and stored, but it's turning out pretty well. There are just enough handyman projects to keep me happily busy when I'm not working or training.

Speaking of which, it's hard to tell if this is an off week. I did all the heavy lifting on Monday, then lots of light but various movements the last few days as the move progresses. However, I am SEVERELY lacking in sleep, like four or five hours per night. The plan is to catch up as best as I can on Saturday, then get back out on the road on Sunday (in a much quieter, neater, scenic neighborhood that is close enough to uptown that I can take runs there). I've resorted to eating a lot of processed foods this week (Wendy's, subs, microwaved stuff), and my physique is showing it. I didn't realize how much I depended on grilled chicken until this week when I haven't been able to really cook.

I'll have one month to get into better-than-before form with my vacation in DC nearing. Might have to start sprinkling in some sprint HIIT again. Can't wait [img]smile.gif[/img]

[gobbla]

I haven't noticed (or asked) but are you setting any kinds of benchmarks to test yourself monthly as you go on?

[Phaedrus49er]

Unfortunately, nothing other than the mirror, the fit of my clothes, and how I feel during and after running days. I suppose the closest thing I can pick up now is to look at my distance runs for times, though that's going to get wacky over the next few weeks since I just moved and so have to find new routes to run.

[K-Court]

Originally posted by Phaedrus49er:
KC, did you do it yet? You gotta tell me if/when you do. Then I'LL tell you to take a salt pill and walk it off

Moving update: Very nearly finished. Only my desk, computer, and some kitchen stuff to relocate, then a quick cleaning here, and I'll be done. It'll take me another week or so to get everything at the new place sorted and stored, but it's turning out pretty well. There are just enough handyman projects to keep me happily busy when I'm not working or training.

Speaking of which, it's hard to tell if this is an off week. I did all the heavy lifting on Monday, then lots of light but various movements the last few days as the move progresses. However, I am SEVERELY lacking in sleep, like four or five hours per night. The plan is to catch up as best as I can on Saturday, then get back out on the road on Sunday (in a much quieter, neater, scenic neighborhood that is close enough to uptown that I can take runs there). I've resorted to eating a lot of processed foods this week (Wendy's, subs, microwaved stuff), and my physique is showing it. I didn't realize how much I depended on grilled chicken until this week when I haven't been able to really cook.

I'll have one month to get into better-than-before form with my vacation in DC nearing. Might have to start sprinkling in some sprint HIIT again. Can't wait [img]smile.gif[/img]

No, Phaedrus, not yet. I buggered up my back working in the garden over the weekend - damned sciatica is nasty. Anyway, I thought I'd better not try this (given your dire warnings ... :0) until I was healthy. I can hardly walk atm let alone lunge. I know .... excuses, excuses ...

Glad your move went OK. It's a pain in the ass but it's always great to be in a new place and get a fresh start. Good luck on getting back into the swing of things.

KC

[Phaedrus49er]

Sucks to hear that, KC. Good luck on a quick recovery. I finished the actual moving part on Friday night and have spent the rest of my time sort of unpacking. It's funny how you find just how much stuff you have that you don't need--EVER. Goodwill may see a windfall donation next month. Too much hassle to list it all on eBay.

Days 54-62 - moving

Day 63

Total time: 37:36 (incl. 5min walking recovery started at 26:30, didn't know how much farther I was going)
Time in zone (192/156): 29:11 (incl. both under and over limits)
Avg. HR: 179 (decent)
kcal/fat: 806, 20% (blech)

Walked another five minutes or so, then alternated block sprints and walks a couple times.

RELOAD, MOTHERFUCKER! Actually, today was a tryout for the most part. Actual city running is a whole different ballgame from suburban running. I felt like I covered a LOT more ground today, even though my time was a LOT shorter than usual. I guess it's because of the density. I'll get used to it, meaning running through downtown will be an easy possibility now that I have some distance perception. Another HYOOGE advantage to running in the city is the regular intervals the city blocks make, so I can easily do block sprint intervals.

SOOOOO good to get back out.

[Phaedrus49er]

I should also note again that my diet over the past week sucked hairy monkey balls, plus my mom had a lot of leftover quiche and miniature country ham biscuits from a meeting she catered. I still have about two dozen biscuits in my fridge, and they are SO good, dammit. At any rate, with a little over a month until July 4, I'll be on a serious body comp diet (in the aggregate) and ramping up my training to at least four days a week (no more MSWE for awhile) if not five. Got to get my cut on.

[K-Court]

Hey Phaedrus, thanks for the well wishes. The back is still feeling tender and I'm not doing any lower body work atm to see if it can heal up. It's not TOO bad though - when I read the sciatica thread on the Injuries board, I consider myself pretty lucky not to be THAT debilitated. I'm able to function pretty normally, just with some pain down my leg.

Glad to hear the move went well and you're enjoying your new "urban" life. Better get a face mask so you don't suck in too many exhaust fumes. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Oh - and miniature country ham biscuits, dude?? What are ya thinkin'? LOL

[Phaedrus49er]

Sorry, didn't mean to come across as if I cared. Suck it up, pansy boy. Take a salt pill and walk it off

The pollution isn't bad in this part of the city because there are SO MANY trees. When I hit downtown on a run, then I'll take note of my air intake. I'll look like I'm paranoid of catching SARS or something.

Yeah, man, country ham biscuits. I LOVE those things, but they're SO bad for me. Geh...

Day 64

20-25 good-form pull-ups over the course of the day, which I was REALLY happy with. Semi-wide pronated grip, rigid body... oh yeah, I rock [img]smile.gif[/img] While I'm looking at the gym tomorrow, hopefully it won't rain so I can run there (about a mile) rather than drive and fight for parking (this branch, too, is now downtown and so brings with it the hassles as well as the convenience of the location). Handstand pushups, here I come! I can't wait to see the looks on these people's faces when this new guy shows up and desecrates one of their beloved Smith machines. Hell, those things were named after me; I can do whatever I want with/to/on them

[Phaedrus49er]

Day 65

Deadlifts w/ 180RI:
10 @ 45lbs
8 @ 95lbs
6 @ 135lbs
1 @ 185lbs
1 @ 205lbs
1 @ 225lbs
1 @ 245lbs
1 @ 265lbs
1 @ 265lbs (grip failed first attempt, switched to mixed grip to complete rep)

Assisted HSPUs w/ 120RI: 10, 10, 10, 7, 10(?!), 7, 7

I'd planned to also do some wide-grip rows and core work, but after the deads, I was, well, dead. My numbers there are pretty sad in that I was maxing at 265 (more due to grip than anything else, and I didn't have my straps with me), but considering I haven't deliberately trained for strength in a few months, I guess I shouldn't complain, but I will anyway [img]smile.gif[/img]

I had a really long workday today plus errands after, so I wanted to get out of the gym ASAP since it seemed to be assholes-get-in-free night (try explaining those HSPUs to some swollen guy with a horrendous internal shoulder rotation who thinks he's God's gift to mankind). Even though it's supposed to rain tomorrow, my gym is now only about 1.5 miles from my place, so I can run that as a warm-up, knock out the rows and core work and maybe something else, then zigzag back through the neighborhood doing block intervals.

On a kickass note, I randomly jumped on the scales after my workout, and holy shit, I'm right at 200lbs! I think I weighed back in March when I started my quasi-Crossfit routine and was around 220lbs. I mean, shit, I'm only 11lbs short of my healthy wrestling weight from high school, and I haven't noticed a drop in strength, only an increase in endurance. I still don't notice a visible difference in my body composition, though, and I don't think I will for awhile if ever. Still some substantial leftovers from my obese days, and I fear that in the long term, the only way to fully remove those areas will be through surgery, though I'll nearly kill myself trying to get rid of them myself before getting lipo (unless it's somehow covered by insurance)

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! !!!!!

[K-Court]

Hey Ben - can you describe in detail exactly how you do your HSPUs? I'm not sure what you mean by "Assisted HSPUs w/ 120RI".

And congrats on the weight loss. 20 pounds in 2+ months is pretty impressive. 189 is staring you squarely in the face, dude. Nice to be able to get back to fighting form. Hell, you're 2/3s of the way there.

Still can't believe the name thing. Though I guess it would be weirder if our names were Schmelzendorfer or something ...