Where I'm at

I haven't posted in a while; too busy with work, home renos, and a lack of interesting workouts for the past bit as I am nursing a sore knee. Because of this, I started a new joint formula supplement called SierraSil that is supposed to decrease inflammation by providing trace minerals that we are deficient in. I'll post later on how that works out.

I have received Mark Sisson's "Primal Cookbook" recently though, and tried his indirect method to grill steak (to help keep the free radicals and charring down). It worked great, and had our top sirloin about medium in around 20 minutes. Very tender, too. Unfortunately, the camera was not located in time to snap a photo! Next time...

Here's the deal as usual for the first bit and then the start of recovery week(s?) with mostly walking and swiming:

Monday 7 June: Walk 20 min; Swim 1,000 yds, 20:11
Tuesday 8 June: Walks X 2, 45, 20 min; Walk up 9 flights of stairs to an appointment (maybe the problem with my knee)
Wed 9 June: Walks X 2, 20, 45 min; LHT/Wicked Awesome Dumbbell Workout
Thursday 10 June: Walks X 2, 25 min each; Ashtanga Yoga at University, 50 min
Friday 11 June: Walks X 2, 20 min each; Mowed lawn; Started removing baseboards and acasing
Saturday 12 June: Walks X 2, 20, 25 mins; Remove baseboards and casing
Sunday 13 June: Walks X 3, 20, 30, 20 mins
Monday 14 June: Walks X 3, 25, 15, 25 mins; Painting
Tuesday 15 June: Walks X 2, 20, 45 mins; Swim 1,000 m, 24:15
Wednesday 16 June: Walks X 2, 20, 15 min
Thursday 17 June: Walks X 2, 20, 40 min; Swim sprints (500 yd warm up in 9:57, 6 X 25 yds in 18 s on 60 s gos, 200 yds cool down)

I hope that between resting the knee from weight, yoga and sprinting combined with the mineral supplement, that the pain will subside and I can resume some more vigorous activities. I'll just have to wait and see.

Back on track

I have been very remiss in posting these, so for the sake of brevity and catching up, I'll get right to it.

Sunday 9 May

• LHT/Wicked Awesome Dumbbell Workout: 
• 10 X push ups
• One arm (right) neutral grip dead lift, biceps curl up to standing overhead press, Turkish getup, standing overhead press and biceps curl down to one arm deadlift down; repeat on left side
• Two arm deadlift up, lunge left/right, split squat left/right, two leg squat, two arm biceps curl to standing overhead press, biceps curl down, neutral grip deadlift down
• Repeated this X 6, first 2 with 2 X 20 lbs dumbbells and the last 4 with 25 lbs dumbbells; TULs between about 1:48 to 2:00
• Walk, 1 hr 35 min (with > 60 min walking) to the pet store (via Starbucks!) with the whole family on a nice sunny day!

Monday 10 May

• Walks X 2, 20 min each
• Swim sprints; 250 yd warm up in 4:40, 6 X 25 yds in ~ 16-18 s with about 60 s rest between each, 250 yd cool down in 5:14
  
  
  

Florida Fitness

I have no other good reason for not posting for over two weeks other than the fury that characterizes the end of the academic term. Throw in a conference on the other corner of the continent (Melbourne Beach, Florida - the view one morning from my balcony is above) and a reasonably successful attempt at getting more quality sleep and well, here I am with some catching up to do. Because of this I may beak it up, posting the lost weeks of fitness and other miscellanea in separate posts.


Here's the Florida fitness deal:


Monday 22 March

• Walks X 3, ~ 20 min each

Tuesday 23 March

• Travel to Florida
• Ashtanga Yoga; ~ 40 minutes just before bed

Wednesday 24 March

• Walk, 60 minutes, barefoot on the beach (!!!!)

Thursday 25 March

• Ashtanga yoga; 40 minutes, sun salutations to the sunrise through the sliding doors and large windows that face the ocean in my room!!! See the photo above for a representative morning. What a way to start the day.

Friday 26 March

• HIIT/Bodyweight/LHT
• 60 s each of: Jumping jacks (X 53), Burpees (X 13), Wall sit, Plank, Prisoner squats (X ??), Side plank (Left side), Lunge jumps (X ??), Triceps dips (X 40), Side plank (Right side), Plank, Child's pose
• unreal, 11 minutes of exercise, < 15 minutes total duration, all done in my room, and all done in when complete

• Walk ~ 30 min on beach, barefoot

Saturday 27 March

• Sprinting (on the beach! wore shoes - need some 5 fingers):
• walk 5 min to warm up
• 6 X ~ 15 s @ 50% with about 30 s rest between each
• 6 X ~ 10-15 s @ 75-80% with about 60 s rest between each
• walk 5 min to cool down

• Walk ~ 40 min barefoot on the beach

Sunday 28 March

• Travel back to Edmonton/St. Albert
• Sprinting from one end of Denver International Airport Concourse B to the other, carrying briefcase!

I'll get last week's fitness posted shortly...one more class to teach this term, and then it's time to make some progress on our research. Until next time.

Time keeps flying

Once again the week passed by in a blur. Lots happening at work and at home. I visited the kids' school twice, once to talk about my work (that seemed to go well) and once with the SO to see informational/fundraising presentations by Daughter #1's grade (very well done I must say!). Things are ramping up a bit at work with talk and poster preparations for a local conference this coming Friday and then an international conference the following week. This on top of the usual manuscript editing, lecture preparation and lecturing, midterm administration etc. All in all, running on all cylinders. At least everything seems to be going more or less as planned.

On the exercise side of things, the workouts have been pretty good, even great. The only slight hiccup this past week is that my knees are giving me a bit of a twinge here and there. Nothing major, just letting me know that they are there and that I should pay attention to them. I am not certain what is causing this but I have played around with wearing my orthotics and, for the most part as I have been doing for a while, going without them. I don't notice any difference in the knee department but I do feel like the orthotics seem to overstretch my plantar fascia.

One thing I am thinking of trying this week is to replace my LHT/TUL/SS workout using weights with a bodyweight workout, in case the weighted squats and/or deadlifts are aggravating my knees. Richard over at Free the Animal recently posted about changing up his LHT routine and the positive results that he felt. Reading this and with my knees talking to me, I figure I should give it a whirl. Not to mention that I have been on the weights for a while now, and with reducing my LHT workouts to once a week I miss the bodyweight workouts that I used to do in addition to the LHT weight workouts. I came up with a couple of bodyweight/HIIT type workouts that take between 10-15 minutes of actual exercising and will work just about every muscle group and, if history holds, will leave me out of breath and wishing I was on the weights! I'll post again to update with what specifically I use for the workout; I plan to do this tomorrow morning.

In the midnight hour (and the rest of the week, too)

Given the time I am finishing this post and the subject of the photo above, I figured the title of the post was fitting. Not to mention, I haven't been away on purpose at this time of night very often lately.

I can't believe that here it is Saturday again. The week was filled with the usual things like taking the kids to school and to their activities and the normal work stuff (lectures, manuscript editing/writing etc.). We also had a prospective graduate student visit the lab so there were meetings and meals out to chat and for her to get to know what we are all about. On Friday, I participated in a "work/life balance forum" for the graduate students in the department. I didn't feel particularly "balanced", but my wife and I seem to make it work most times, so I guess I had something to offer.

Speaking of balance, I did manage to maintain a good diet and keep up the exercise in spite of the busier than normal week. When going out to dinner I chose the grilled tuna salad for dinner and for lunch the next day wings with sweet potato fries. The fries were "lightly breaded" with something (likely a grain product) but on balance there was a higher sweet potato content than whatever the breading was made from. Tonight there were some wings and sweet potato fries again (habit? rut? you be the judge) and then some dry ribs. There was no breading on these fries (different restaurant) but there was something that may have been corn meal on the dry ribs. I need to ask about these things before ordering, but again, there was way more rib than the light coating, whatever it was made of.

There were also some fitness activities of many varieties this past week.

Here's the (long) deal:

Sunday:

• About a 30 minute walk at a brisk pace with the dogs.

Monday:

• LHT/TUL/SS;
• Bent over rows - X 13, TUL = 1:30, 60 lb barbell
• Standing overhead press - X 7.5, TUL = 1:09, 60 lb barbell (need to keep slow)
• Deadlifts - X 13, TUL = 2:31, 70 lb barbell (stopped when form broke down)
• Bench press - X 8, TUL = 56 s, 90 lb barbell
• Squats - X 10, TUL = 1:15, 80 lb barbell
• Curls - X 6.5, TUL = 59 s, 2 X 25 lb dumbbells

• I also went for a walk with the dogs in the morning (~ 40 min) and at night (~ 20 min brisk).

My week in review

This week was a busy one. Maybe a bit busier than normal and next week promises to be even be busier. I didn't even realize that it had been almost a week since my last post. I don't think I have any photos of my family, dogs, or cooking exploits, so I'll just stick provide a quick activity overview here.

Monday's exercise consisted on a 45 minute walk with the dogs after dropping the kids off at school, and another short one at night. Tuesday was much the same with a morning and night time walk. Wednesday I has a great Ashtanga yoga practice at the University and the usual short amble about to get the dogs to deliver their messages. Thursday I walked with the dogs in the morning and at night. Friday I had a solid 1,100 yd/1,000 m swim.

Here's the deal:

• 250 yds free in about 4:40
• 250 yds pull in about 4:38
• 250 yds free in about 4:40
• 375 yds pull in about 7:30

I felt pretty darn good, I think in part because I rested (other than some walking) on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Today I helped out one of my students by stacking some boxes in their moving van and may go for a short walk tonight, but I believe that allowing my body to really rest on days that I do not lift, swim, sprint or practice yoga is working out for me. I do kind of miss not sprinting this week, however, so I'll have to try to squeeze one in next week. If my body agrees with my decision, that is.

Second half of the week and weekend round up

Thursday the SO and I walked the kids and dogs to school. Later on I channelled some of daughter #1's sprinting fever and took Finaly and Libby along with the SO to the park at the kids' school for some outdoor sprinting in the snow, the first sprinting outside since last fall. .It was a great day, bright, sunny and right about +4 C.

Here's the deal:

• walk to the park ~ 10 minutes for warm up; stretch
• 6-7 X ~15s/~ 60 m @ 50% with about 20-30s rest between each
• 6 X ~12s/~60 m @ 85% with about 60 s rest between the first 3 and then less between the last 3
• walk home from the park ~ 10 minutes for cool down

Later on we walked to and from the school again to retrieve the kids.

On Friday, we (the SO and I) walked the kids to school and went for a bit more of a walk afterward (~ 25 minutes) and then I made it to the University and had a very good 1,000 m swim.

Here the swimming deal:

• 250 yds freestyle
• 250 kick (mostly all flutter kick, but some whip kick)
• 350 yds pull
• 250 yds free (a length or two of breast mixed in here)

It was pretty fair considering I am only swimming about once a week, down from the 2-3 times I used to swim.

Saturday I took it easy and just went for a walk with the SO of about 25 minutes before the pub night fundraiser - I had more confirmation that I am not young any more, and after that little excursion, I think it is just as well!

On Sunday the dogs and I took our kids and our friends kids (who slept over) sledding at the park. Here's a shot of our very own future skeleton racer, daughter #2, literally "heading down" the hill.

Later on that afternoon I cut my rest between lifting workouts from 7 to 6 days and did my LHT/SS (Lift Heavy Things/Super Slow) workout, with a couple of twists. Instead of only doing the "Big 5" a la Body By Science, I added 2 more exercises to make it a "Big 7".

Here's the LHT/SS deal:

• bent over row - TUL 1:06, 13 reps, 70 lb barbell
• standing overhead press - TUL 56 s, 7.5 reps, 70 lb barbell
• dead lift - TUL 2:00, 12 reps, 70 lb barbell
• bench press - TUL 1:26, 12 reps, 70 lb barbell
• squats - TUL 1:35, 14 reps, 70 lb barbell
• curls - (a) TUL 27 s, 2.5 reps, 70 lb barbell (b) TUL 1:43, 12.5 reps, 2 X 20 lb dumbbells
• pull ups - TUL ~ 20 s, 2.5 reps

I need to keep my form, but did a better job at it this time. I also need to start my watch before the barbell is on my shoulders for squats! For this workout I defined "failure" as when my form seriously broke down. This may not be "true" failure, but I think I will still get benefits while keeping myself safe and injury free by maintaining good form. Tomorrow, maybe I'll do some yoga in the morning.

Here's a couple of shots of my tasty brunch; a red onion, blue cheese and Hungarian salami omelette. This with a French press of my Greg Danks Burundi coffee and 18% cream was just about as close as you could get to a perfect brunch meal.

Oh, and here's a shot of Finlay watching the Canada-USA Olympic hockey game. His interest reflects the way the game went for Team Canada.

Family Day LHT/TUL workout through to Hump Day

For the Family Day Holiday I did a LHT/TUL Body By Science Big 5 for Free Weights workout. I am still tweaking things here and there, but this is coming along, and I think that lifting heacy only once a week (with some yoga, sprinting, swimming and walking) seems to be working for me.

Here's the deal:

Bent over row - 16 reps; TUL = 2:03; 60 lb barbell

Standing overhead press - 9.5 reps; TUL = 1:21; 60 lb barbell

Deadlift - 14 reps; TUL = 2:02; 90 lb barbell

Bench press - 6 reps; TUL = 48 s; 100 lb barbell

Squats - 17 reps; TUL = 1:50; 70 lb barbell

I still need to watch my form (back) on the deadlifts and maybe up the weight a bit on squats and the overhead press. The one issue with the squats is that I could really use a rack to get the bar heavy enough and into position more easily that just man handling it up the way I am doing now.

Later on Family Day the SO and I went for a nice, brisk 35 minute walk together with the dogs; I did the usual putzing with the dogs to get the "job" done before we all went to sleep. Tuesday I went for another walk with the dogs after taking the kids to school (about 35 minutes again) followed by the evening stroll.

This morning I got up early after a solid 7 hour(ish) sleep, and did a 53 minute Eoin Finn Yoga practice ("Strong, Free and Happy") before walking the kids to school with the dogs and SO and getting to work.

I got to sneak a peak at daughter #1's track meet at the University, but missed seeing her team win their heat (but I did see one of the boys' teams from her school win their heat). I'll try to channel their enthusiasm when I do my own sprint workout tomorrow, possibly on the same track!

More sleep, more better, more often

I have been trying, for the past few nights, to make a real effort to get more, quality sleep. Sunday and Monday night were pretty good with great sleeps in the 8 hour range; Tuesday and Wednesday weren't quite so good, but better than average. I think this is making a real difference in how I feel, so I am motivated to keep at it, in spite of the fact that I easily find things to keep me up at night (reading stuff online, for instance), but I need to balance this off against the real benefits to good solid rest and how it is critical to maintaining good health.

The exercise this week was great so far: Tuesday consisted of a couple of short walks (am and pm walks to the school and at night so the dogs could do their business respectively); Wednesday was a short walk in the morning (kids and dogs to school), Ashtanga yoga at the University at noon (a tough, satisfying 50 minute practice), and then another bedtime stroll with the dogs; Thursday (today) started with a nice about 25 minute walk with the SO and then at noon, sprinting at the University's indoor track.

Here's the (sprinting) deal:

• walk to the track (used as warm up in lieu of walking/jogging at the track)
• stretching
• 6 X ~ 60 m in about 15 s (~ 60%), walk back to the start, go again, about 40 seconds rest between each
• 6 X ~ 60 m in about 11 s (~85%+), walk back to the start, go again, about 60seconds rest between each
• 5 minutes walk/job warm down (4:1, walk:jog)
• stretch

This was a great workout. Things I learned: left Achilles is still a bit tender so best to sprint flat footed and not so much on toes; didn't wear orthotics this time and no ill effects as of typing this up, 8+ hours later, so we'll see, maybe wear them next time? All in all a good workout that went better and was easier on the knees by doing straight line sprints not sprints on the corner using the inside lane as I did last time that led to a tweaky knee.

Tomorrow I will try to make it to the pool for an easy swim, a great, relaxing way to end the week.

Where did the weekend go?

I never did make it to the pool on Friday, and instead just did a few pull ups (5 to be exact, slowly in 42 s) and then went for a short walk with the dogs at night. Saturday I did a 50 minute Eoin Finn yoga practice ("Strong, Free and Happy" practice from the Power Yoga for Happiness DVD) and then took a lovely brisk 30 minute walk with the SO.

On Sunday the dogs and I went for a very long walk, about 55 minutes, that was nice and relaxing.

Back to the reality of the work week, there was no relaxation, as it was my LHT day and the third time I did the Body By Science Big 5 for Free Weights workout. (Although, as a side note, I did get a good 8+ hours sleep last night as part of my continuing resolution to get more, good rest.)

Here's the deal:

• Bent over row - X 11, TUL = 1:40 (70 lb barbell)
• Standing overhead press - X 5 (+0.5), TUL = 1:12 (70 lb barbell)
• Deadlift - X 4, TUL = 57 s (90 lb barbell)
• Bench press - X 7, TUL = 1:09 (90 lb barbell)
• Squats - X 7, TUL = ~ 60 s (90 lb barbell)

I really should have read my notes from last week, because I would have seen that then I used 70 lbs for deadlifts; it was plenty then and would have been plenty today, too. I will drop the weight down to 70 lbs for deadlifts next week so that I can move slowly through the reps but with good form. I also think I should drop the bent over rows back to 60 lbs (and maybe the standing overhead press too) so get a few more reps and a little more TUL with good form. I know that I worked though, because by the time I reached squats, I didn't put the bar behind my head because it was a struggle enough just to get it to chest height, so I did the squats with this modification and didn't risk muscling the bar behind my head just to get it stuck there after completing my set.

Once this was done (early this morning before 7:00, easy to do since it takes less than 15 minutes), the SO and I readied the troops, took the kids to school and then went for a nice 25 minute-ish walk. Nice!

Work was an array of editing/meeting, meeting, seminar, meeting. Busy, but productive and enjoyable. I'll take the dogs for a stroll later in hopes of them, and us, settling in for an early and restful sleep. Here's a sweet omelette I made this weekend...mmm...eggs, cheese and ham!

End of the week, start of the weekend!

Wednesday was a great, relaxing day (on the exercise front anyway) with a nearly 60 minute walk in the morning with the dogs (the duration extended in part due to 2 dropped dog boots and associated back-tracking) followed by a great Ashtanga yoga practice at noon. My feeling of "Zen" didn't last as long as I might have liked, but it's a process, right?

Yesterday I just tooled around the nearby "home" blocks in the morning and at night with the dogs for some fresh air and for them to make a few "deposits" and send their, as someone on the MEC site once commented, to send their "p-mail". I'll have to take them for a longer walk today, but limited my activity to those short walks made it restful in spite of working and then delivering a lecture.

Today I have an early morning talk (9:00 am) to attend, will flounder around the pool for a few lengths (update to follow), meet up with some colleagues at the University and then take Libby for her shots at the vet with the kids and the SO. And then there's also the ongoing reading, reviewing and editing that I need to continue to make headway on.

Here are a couple of "creations". One is a nice mix of quinoa, halibut and hot sauce with a large salad with Red Swiss Chard; the other is a "tropical" snack that I made the kids the other night (that I helped to eat, of course!).

Rest day

From exercise, at least, it was a restful day. (Unfortunately the same can not be said for work etc. but that's life and the weekend is almost here!) The dogs and I went for a slow walk after dropping the kids at school, about 45 minutes of so in a crisp -20 C (with the newly exchanged down jacket that performed perfectly, I might add!). Then I did some work, went to the University, did some more work, taught a lecture, came home...and cooked this dish that started as left over roast beef and veggies and ended up as a curry.

Follow up: After a 20 minute putz around the block so the dogs could do their thing, and thinking about some of the great points in this post by Leo at Zen Habits (that I was pointed to from Fitness Spotlight that I also read) I thought I should add this as we all can use some more Zen in our lives. Namaste.