motivating or brainwashing yourself- either, or

Motivation. Ahh, that wonderful wonderful thing that allows us to do all sorts of things and is sometimes in short supply. One of the problems that I encounter when trying to get many things done during the day, is lack of any time just to sit. I use this as a motivation to get things done. I tell myself that I will take 30 minutes at the end of the day, sit and have a beer. Looking forward to that is great incentive. When it comes to motivating my self for exercise, half the battle is dressing for the workout. This helps set the frame of mind for the workout. Another way to motivate is to read blogs, articles or magazines about health or people that are healthy. It seems like everyone else can get in a workout, why not me? This most powerful tool is what I call brainwashing myself. It helps. Well, time to run...

tres, crack!

Okay, the 3rd workout of the day did not go as planned. I was happily pushing myself at the gym on the expresso bike and my cycling wattage dropped 40 points. Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot to eat between workouts. That is the key to gaining the most from your workout. recovery fueling. I think I will go have a beer or three :)

uno, dos...

So far today 2 workouts have been completed with a 3rd waiting in the wings. I was tempted to bag the second one and wait for Charlene to come home and then we could go to the gym. Then, my OCD friend Roger Sutton called. He never fails to motivate me to get my butt moving. He is a kindred spirit in running. He has the same belief that I do. Anything worth doing, is worth doing obsessively :0 To that end he is an author, painter, golfer, bowler, some kind of engineer running a company and a general freak. The kind of OCD freak that I aspire to be. I dragged my tail out to Umstead to ride my favorite loop. Nice weather and new PR and highest mph I have manged on this loop. It is hilly at Umstead and I flew past women with jogging strollers, people walking dogs and the occasional turtle :)

AM workout:

1 mile elliptical

50 pullups

25 pushups on bosu ball

25 crunches

25 of something else- my memory escapes me

1 mile elliptical

pm workout:

mountain bike

13.27 miles

14.5 avg

54:52

Also attached is a picture of my mountain bike TS- Trusty Steed

Perfect Hour- dissected

When I try to get motivated to workout, part of the problem I encounter is making the workout too complicated. It seems that to be a successful exerciser, one has to be able to repeat some basic workouts over and over. I know some people get easily bored but, it you have a "go to" workout when you are unmotivated it helps. When I get the strength part of the"perfect hour" of exercise I try for this as a basic workout:

pushups- as many reps as possible

pullups- to help the back and arms

dips- to help triceps

crunches- to engage and strengthen the core

squats- to target the legs and core

step ups- to engage legs and core

These exercises take just your body weight, little equipment and all interact to engage the core with other muscle groups at the same time. This helps to create a strength that you can use in everyday life and helps as you get older.

Enjoy the new pic of my cattle dog Axel!

Charlene's Elliptical

Charlene has really taken to working out in the last few months. She is using the elliptical machine and lifting some weights too. She did 6.25 miles in 65 minutes today! She has lost over 20 lbs since February. Iam so proud of her. She is making life changes :) It helps that the elliptical and expresso bike are right next to each other.

Today's workout for me:

10.37 miles Expresso Bike

50 wall balls with 15 lb ball

25 Sumo deadlifts

50 box step ups- 25 each leg

50 seated rows- 25 with 70 lbs fast, 25 with 85 lbs fast

25 standing push press with 75 lbs

50 crunch/ leg extensions

25 standing arm curls

75 walking lunges

Lifelong Athlete

One of the quests in life is to enjoy the outdoors in many different ways. Being outside has a great appeal to me to be in nature and to challenge myself through sports endeavours. Some of the things I would like to try in 2009:

Skateboarding- to enjoy balance and flow of motion.

Surfing- I love being in the water and sun and learning to surf would be an avenue for this.

Snowboarding- I know how to ski but, would love to learn about snowboarding. It appeals to my hippie nature.

Trout fishing- this seems like a perfect way to be one with nature. Catch and release for me.

Surf fishing- yet another way to be outside and learn about seasonal fish migration patterns.

Orienteering- this would help develop my compass skills and help get off standard trails.

Enjoy the photos from this morning.

Life gets in the way

Sometimes, despite my best intentions to work out, life seems to have the upper hand. The times that are the hardest to get a workout in are: when visiting relatives, weekends and during those times when too much is planned. It would seem weekends are the perfect time to get in an extra workout or two but, time, energy, projects and fun stuff get in the way. Today Charlene and I had planned to go to the gym this afternoon but, after cleaning, walking dogs, her painting and my general desire to hibernate on a rainy day, Poof, the day was gone. There is always tomorrow. I posted pictures of the climbing workout room at Triangle Rock for motivation.

pm expresso

No, this is not a drink full of caffeine. Rather it is my second workout of the day. Expresso Bike

Oh Mama course 7.87 mile hilly course in 28:05 @ 230 watts HR 156

1 mile warm up and cool down= 9.87

Enjoy the pics of spring.

Bosu Ball pushups + 300 workout

Today was one of my favorite workouts. 300 reps of pullups, squats, lunges, pushups and crunches. I included a pic of me doing my favorite pushup, a bosu ball pushup. It will work you to death :)

Today's workout:

1 mile elliptical warm up

50 pullups- alternating level of hands

50 bosu ball pushups

50 squats

50 walking lunges

50 step ups onto 24 inch box

50 crunches/leg extensions

1 mile elliptical cool down

Gym Routine

Along the way I have developed a routine for strength that most people can complete in a standard gym setting. I do think that free weights are the way to develop strength, balance and coordination. Here is the routine I try to follow. I have divided these exercises in areas so you can mix and match areas to work on any given day. Enjoy!

Cycle through each week with ab/core work each session

Abs-
crunches-legs in air
sit ups-incline bench
machine crunches- 75% of body weight
roman chair- leg raises
hanging leg raises

Arms-
dumbell Curls
concentration Curls
hammer Curls
barbell Curls
reverse bar curls
wrist curls while seated on bench
machine triceps pushdowns

Legs-
dumbell squats
bar squats max 125 % of body weight
machine leg presses- seated squat
leg extensions
ham curls- seated
ham curls- face down
calf raises

Shoulders-
behind the back bar presses
seated dumbell presses
bent over lateral raises
standing lateral raises
dumbels- arms in front raises
upright rows

Back-
chin ups
dips
close grip lat pull downs
seated rows
upright rows with bar
bent rows
dumbell shrugs

Glutes-
lunges with bar
lunges with dumbells
donkey kicks
bridging

Chest
incline presses
decline presses
bench presses- body weight max
dumbell flys
pushups

Whew. If anyone has any favorite exercises to add. Please send the info my way.

Tempo run-runner heal thyself

In order to rehab my left knee and leg, I have been doing strength work almost daily. I started noticing some changes a couple of weeks ago. I could walk up stairs more easily, I felt like skipping when I was out on walks, I actaully wanted to run. Today I ran a 2 mile tempo on a measured course. I started out uphill and felt okay, when I got to the flats, acceleration came easily. This is the best I have felt in 2 years. Awesome. The legs responded along with the will. The time was nothing spectacular but, felt good.

Time: 13:46

Wicked Workout last night

While riding the Expresso torture bike, I wondered why they would put a workout named "Wicked Workout" in the middle of the course selection. It is even harder than the workouts named Extreme. It is 8 miles of up and down torture. The grades are up to 40%. These are grinders. I did record a personal best by 4.5 minutes but, no weight workout could follow :( I could take it easier... Nah.

Perfect Hour

It seems like time to exercise is alway limited. Over the years I have learned to squeeze a run in, no matter the amount of time. Now, I strive to create a balanced workout that takes only an hour. Understanding there is always travel time, get ready time and clean up, there is a good workout waiting if you have an even 60 minutes. Here is the breakdown:

30 minutes cardio- Walking 4 plus mph, running 6.5 plus, biking 14 mph.

20 minutes strength work- this can be free weights, machines or body weight exercises.

10 minutes yoga or stretching.

Remember, when you are doing the perfect hour, you need to push harder on the cardio and do strength weight until muscle failure. This way you get the maximum benefit. When you have more time, it would be better spent doing cardio at 70% of max. heart rate.

AM. workout:

1 mile elliptical sub 7 min per mile pace

150- ball wall exercises- This is a Crossfit exercise where you toss a 20 lbball into the air and catch it while doing a squat and thrust up again. Lighter weight ball until you see how tiring the exercise is.

1 mile elliptical sub 7

Sunday Ride with Friends

Sunday was such a nice day. My friend Tonya called and invited me to go on a casual ride. Even though I had already done a workout that morning, I was ready to be out. We met near my house and she invited her 2 friends to come along. We went down to the American Tobacco Trail. We had a great time. We saw walkers, runners, baby joggers and even some horses. Great day and we rode 11.5 miles.

Morning workout:

15.0 Expresso Cycle

Bench Presses

Planks

Dumbell Flys

Pullups- uneven hand placement

Seated rows

Vitamin S

One of the things I resolved to do as an aging athlete, is to have a better knowledge of vitamins and supplements. To that end, I have picked a few basic vitamins in addition to eating better food.

Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Fish Oil and a green supplement. In addition to these I drink Whey protein shakes with fruit after workouts and an Amino Acid supplement. During workouts I use Hammer Heed to help with the recovery process and fueling during the workout. Most people can do a hard workout on any given day but, recovering from the workout is half the battle. That is when your body rebuilds itself and you reap the benefits of all the hard work. For all the men out there I highly recommend a Prostate supplement. Most men develop prostate problems in their life. Women can focus on increasing calcium intake and weight bearing exercise to help with the battle against osteoporosis. Enjoy the exercise :)

Todays workout:

10.4 Expresso Bike

25 Lunges

25 deadlifts

25 pullups

100 cruch thrusts

25 Bosu Ball pushups

50 steps up onto 24 inch box with 40 lb handweights

50 air punches with 5 lb weights- jabs and uppercuts

Tire Day

While at Triangle Rock Club this afternoon, I met the owner and started discussing Crossfit workouts and he mentioned he had something no other gym had. I went out back and there was a truck tire. He said he put on a harness and would drag it to the top of the hill on pavement. I was intrigued but, went and did my climbing and WMD( Workout of Mass Destruction).

20 kettlebell swings

4 minutes jump roping

5 minutes rowing

10 deadlifts

30 crunches

planks- 30 seconds with alternating legs off ground( more on planks later)

10 cleans with split legs( olympic style lifting)

So all this was not enough, eh? I started to leave and was in my car when I decided to have a go at the tire pull. I made the mistake of saying it did not look that heavy! I started my pull at a jog pace and half way up the hill I was in full on stumbling ox mode. Then I had to pull it back. What fun:)

Live Free or Die

That is the motto on my socks. It is also something of a personal motto. I want to run free and enjoy life. Today's run was a short 2 mile run. The thing that was special was the ease of the run. I felt like a runner again for the first time in a long time. I was able to run fast and light. This make me think of the changes that the body can accomplish in a short time. 2 months ago my legs were weak. I started some strength training and can tell a big difference already. Yesterday I got some new ink as well. The tattoo is based on a flower that Charlene took a pic of in Ireland. It was fitting that I got it on St. Patrick's day :)

Particular torture

5.4 miles Expresso Bike 13:05

100 crunches on incline board
100 pullups
200 squats

1 mile treadmill run

I will PAY for this tomorrow.

Healthy Diets

About a month ago, Charlene and I went to a nutritionist in Raleigh. http://www.healthydietsinc.com/ We decided it was time to correct some of the long term bad habits we had about eating. My biggest sin was the sweet nectar that is called Mountain Dew. We met for a consultation. We were weighed and had our metabolism tested, along with body fat percentage. After the test, we met with Janie Hoag. She was very knowledgeable and discussed our diets and came up with a diet plan. She determined that I took in too many carbs and not enough protein. This may be a cause for taking in the sugary drinks. She also determined that with my activity level I need about 3200 calories a day. Good calories. Charlene and I have implemented some changes and I eat more often and have given up Mountain Dew and reduced the sugar in my sweet tea. One of the things that made sense was that I can exercise but, need the good nutrition to recover from workouts. These changes had led to fewer energy crashes during the day and quicker recovery from workouts. All Good!

Time to rest and grow :)

Any part of an exercise program or life should have times to let things heal, rest and grow. The body can handle a large workload but, needs time to adapt. When you do too much, take a day off and enjoy your kids, a cold beer or just the sunshine.

Rainy Run on Sal's Branch

Blah. Low motivation this afternoon. I guess the rain did not help. I drove over to Umstead to run Sal's Branch trail. The loop is approx 2.75 miles. I did the loop twice. Loop 1- 21:43 Loop 2- 22:54. It was slippery and all the roots were exposed due to the recent rains. Glad to have it done.

Swim + 300 workout

This morning I decided to venture back into the pool. I am a terrible swimmer but, enjoy the work. I swam for 1000 meters alternating breathing patterns and strokes. If anybody has any tips for a neophyte swimmer, please share. The other part of this mornings workout is the 300 workout. The term came from the movie "300" and the fitness program used to get the actors in shape. This fits nicely with Crossfit workouts and is a challenge. The premise is to do a total of 300 reps of various exercises ,meant to engage the whole body. The reps are supposed to be timed but, since I do these at home or the gym and have to set up or rest, I just try to work through each exercise until muscle failure. If that means I only do 15 pullups and have to rest to get to 25, so be it. I do modify the workout to meet my needs but, keep the core premise. Here is today's 300 workout:

50 step ups onto 24" box- 25 each leg

50 deadlifts with 100 lbs. concentrating on form

50 pushups

50 sit up crunches/ leg extensions

50 clean and press w/ 45 lb bar

25 air squats on bosu ball

25 situps on incline board holding 25lb weight to chest

300 total reps- Whew!

Physical Therapy for You!

During the course of a lifetime of owning your very own human body, you will develop nagging aches and pains. These come from sitting too much(which humans did not evolve to do) or from too much exercise of the wrong sort. One of the most helpful tools I have come across to help, is the foam roller. They come in differing densities depending on your need. I use them to work out my hips, legs and back. They cost less than 30 dollars and usually come with a set of exercises. Luckily you can download the exercises off the internet. They are also a good way to warm up before activity or work out the kinks from a long day at work. Today's workout:

10.68 miles Expresso Bike- 410 miles total for year

25 pullups

30 seated rows with 120.0 lbs.

Expresso Bike Torture

The fitness club Impact Athletics in Cary, where I am a member has some interactive exercise bikes. They are called Expresso fitness bikes. You create a user ID and password and sign in each time you ride. You have the choice of 30 plus different routes with distances from 1-20 miles and easy to extreme courses. The nice thing about riding while following the course, is you stay motivated by chasing down other riders or a pacer or a personal ghost from a previous ride over the same course. The software keep track of your times, mileage, heart rate, wattage power and a national ranking and club ranking. I find it easier to push a workout if I have a challenge. The bike have gearing similar to a road bike and a good feel. You can even clip in with your bike shoes. Yesterday's workout:

1 mile warm up in bike

7 mile moderate course in 23:12

ranked 75 out of 275

wattage 235

2 mile warm down

100 crunches

250 jump rope

20 deep walking lunges

25 olympic style clean and press lifts with 50 lbs

10 dips

25 squat thrusts with physio ball

50 medicine balls tosses with C while on Bosu ball

Does coffee help your workouts?

While at the coffee roasters this morning and waiting for my coffee to be roasted, I was thinking about the effects that coffee/caffeine has on my workouts. It seems I am a better human when I have my morning coffee but, how does this effect the workout? Caffeine is a stimulant and this alone can help you get motivated to go to your workout. Caffeine is also an ergogenic aid. It helps start the process of fat burning earlier when exercising. Normally when you exercise your body uses glucose/ muscle glycogen to provide the fuel to exercise. This allows you to start burning fat. It is like having a car with 2 forward gears at the same time. You have to have the glycogen burning to access the fat burning. This is where caffeine comes in. It allows your muscles to access the fat burning stage earlier. Instead of using blood sugar or muscle glycogen to access the fat stores, the caffeine allows this to happen quicker. That is what you want, to burn fat. It is a more efficient fuel for endurance exercise and we want to reduce our body fat anyway. So enjoy a moderate amount of caffeine before you workout and if nothing else you will enjoy the pick me up :)

Does walking the dog count?

Since I walk many dogs during the day, I wonder if walking dogs counts as exercise? I typically walk between 3-6 miles per day with the various dogs. First a definition of walking:

2 miles per hour- low intensity. This is a 30 minute mile
2-3 miles per hour moderate intensity 30-20 minute miles
3-4 miles per hour moderate to high 20-15 minute miles
4 + mph high intensity. This take concentration on form and effort.

Most dog walks are in the 2-3 mph range. Plus they sniff, wander and poop.

While getting out and doing something is better than nothing at all. It does not meet the basic guidelines of 30 minutes of moderate activity level per day.

That being said, being outside and spending time with your dog has its own health reward. I have only 2 dogs that I walk at what is considered a moderate pace, and they are fit. Enjoy your time and make sure you get the exercise that will help your health.

Bosu Ball

This morning was a fun workout. I look forward to doing push-ups and air squats using the Bosu Ball. This simple piece of equipment provides quite a workout. I do push-ups with the blue side up and my feet elevated on a bench. This helps engage the core and shoulder muscles more. I find doing pushups with hands and feet on the floor a little hard on the wrists. I then turn the ball over to the flat side and do air squats while trying to maintain balance.

Today's workout:

9 mile cycle avg. 237 watts power( more info on wattage training later)

15 bar squats with 205lbs

20 calf raisesw/ 205 lbs

25 pullups

25 lunges

30 pushups on Bosu Ball

40 air squats on Bosu Ball

50 crunches on incline bench

Hackey sack & Yoga

Okay, 30 years of running have made my hips terribly tight. Not that it interferes in the romance department but, walking around like a stiff old man is not pretty. I have tried a yoga class with Charlene and watched in awe as people were as flexible as a 1 year old. To that end I bought a yoga strap to help stretch out. The other thing I am starting up again to help my hips, is the hackey sack. This is fun and cheap and helps loosen me up. Now I need a cool pair of shoes...

Home exercise Equipment+ crossfit

One of the things I like about working out at home is little to no equipment or space is required. I have 2 sets of dumbells, a cedar bench and a pullup bar. With these I am able to do an endless variety of exercises. Today's morning workout:

15 crunches

5 pullups

as many rounds as possible in 30 minutes. I was able to do 15 rounds. This includes a short walk to and from the bench and pullup bar. Have fun.

Triangle Rock Club

Valentine's Day gift. Charlene gave me a membership to Triangle Rock Club for Valentine's Day. We both went on a Saturday for a 2 hour session. We learned to climb and belay. I used my REI dividend to buy some gear. Since then I have gone several times and have improved my strength, coordination and balance. The club also has a hard core gym where I was able to get a weight and rowing workout after climbing. That being said, kids scamper up the walls like it is easy!

Crossfit

One of the things I regret during my 30 years of running is not doing strength work for my legs. I also have found that I need exercises that help work my core. All this helps the leg, glute, back and core connection, which moves you along fast when you are running. In the last few months I have started doing the WOD- Workout Of the Day from the cross fit site. http://www.crossfit.com/ The site gives exercises and I try as much as possible to replicate them at home or the gym. The site gives a video demonstration of the exercises. I have found that I struggle to do as many rounds as necessary but, that they give tremendous benefit. an example of my workout this morning :

25 squat thrusts
25 steps up with each legs holding weights 25 lbs
50 air squats with jump ups on each one
50 crunches with leg extensions

Fallout

Part Deux

The second part of today's festivities was a 51:00 minute run at Umstead. The pace was sub 8 minute miles on trails. All was good until my foot decided to grab a root. Down I went but, my arm and inside of my elbow decided to grab a tree. It gave me some of the worst bloody scrapes I have ever had. Dang! that hurt!

Start anew

Hi,

After retiring my old blog, I decided to create this one to have on online exercise reference. The logs I have kept for years were limiting in their scope. This will allow me to muse, whine, share and encourage. Since my running career is drawing to a close due to ongoing osteoarthritis knee problems, I have found new doors opening to other forms of fitness. The days of every day revolving around "THE RUN" have been replaced with the options of doing multiple, varied workouts. Running is a great form of fitness and I still consider it the best way to stay thin and make you healthy, inside and out. It is cheap and easy, sorta like me :) Charlene's journey to weight loss and fitness have helped re motivate to be healthy and sound as I age. I look forward to sharing my journey as I go.

Today:

expresso cycle - 9 miles = 410 calories -cardio
20 deep lunges- strength and flexibility
10 L pull ups- upper body strength
50 8 lb medicine ball tosses with C, while on stability bosu ball

Weight 175.2