Zen and the lifting of heavy things.

11:14

7:37

7:34

8:41

9:20

7:34

== 51:53

No excuses.

So last night I was chatting to Andy the carp, who is quite the fitness freak (biking, running, kayaking, you name it), and he suggested we go running together this morning. I was looking forward to getting my arse kicked, but he brought a friend of his who is in decent shape but not, as he puts it, in running shape – my first big hill was a struggle, my second did him no good at all, and from then on we joggeda little, walked a little. So a relaxed 5k today, and no times.

But it was useful because he brought a calibrated pedometer! I think what I’ve been calling 3k is more like 4, which makes the 5 more like 6.5 and the 7 more like 9. Not that it really matters, so long as I’m doing the same route and trying to improve my own time, but kinda interesting to see just how far I do run.

After getting back into the weights yesterday, I am sore sore sore. Today, I think I have a bath and stretch. Being a fitness bunny I can handle, but stretching? I think I’m turning into a hippy.

Bleh. And I know, I’m nursing an injury, and I know, I’ve just run 7K. Still bleh.

db rows: 2×8@54

Front raises: 2×8@22

db squats: 2×12@44

Vertical rows:2×12@44

Bicep curls:  2×8@22

kb lifts: 25/20@54

num-dip-crunch-super-invert: 23/25/30/45s/40s – 22/25/40/45s/40s
(That’s writing numbers, dips, leg raised crunches with 22lb weight, superman and … superman the other way round)  Could have gone harder on the first set, judging by the numbers on the second.

10:45

8:04

8:01

8:43

9:33

7:04

== 52:10

8 seconds. Fuck. I was pretty sure I’d be slower (and so I was!), but in the last 2 minutes I thought “Fuck it, I can make it!”. 8 fucking seconds.

The last 2 weeks I’ve run 29k each week, split over 5 days. This week I’m trying to boost that to 35k – 7 a day, 5 days. We’ll see. I’m also going to start lifting again – no excuses. The shoulder is fine for everything except Bench Press, that’s a whole lot of stuff I could be doing. In addition to 4 trapeze sessions and 2 straps classes. It’s time to really get serious….

To which end, thanks to my lovely wife, I now own a watch.  Todays 7k breaks down as follows (these are not “per kilometre”, these are defined “stages” on the run:

10:22

7:27

8:10

8:10

9:35

8:17

== 52:02

Since I’m not doing lifting, I have less need to keep daily track. So, herewith a wrapup.

Ran 25k. 4 (maybe 5?) trapeze sessions. 2 straps classes. 2 sessions with Ji.

That’ll do.

So. Still no lifting because of the shoulder – physio say it’s just muscular imbalance caused by compensating for various breaks and aches over the years. I have some exercises for it, and I’m still doing trapeze, yay, hopefully back to light lifting tomorrow. Tonight I do straps!

So in the meantime I run, a lot. I have a “short course” that I’ve arbitrarily decided is about 3K, and then I turn around and do most of it again for 5K, and then turn around and do it a 3rd time for 7K. The numbers are probably off, but it doesn’t matter. So this week, after Beijing, I’ve done 5, 7, 3, 3. I do 3 on Boot Camp days, because I know Ji is going to work me hard. That’s shaping up for 25K a week, which is decent. And the fat does seem to be coming off! I need to start lifting again to maintain the muscle, but I’m starting to be pleased with how I look and what I can do.

So I haven’t lifted for a while – been resting the shoulder. Still doing trapeze a few nights a week – I took 2 days off and felt much stronger coming back. I need to see physio about my shoulder – that’s booked for today, then 3 days off in Beijing to rest it either way.

What I have been doing is jogging. I doubled my distance a week ago, and this “week” (weeks start on Thursday now) have done the doubled distance every day, and on one day even turned around and tripled the original. Jogging seems to ease the broken heart, it’s a good time to think, and gives good endorphins.

Next week, I’m going to poke Ji about private sessions once or twice a week as well. I’m really starting to look buff. Very excited!

db flies: 3×8@25.

Front raises:  3×8@25.

Bicep curls:  3×8@25.

kb lifts; 2×20@54

Push-num-dip-crunch: 40/25/30/30

So up a little from last time – the shoulder is still sore, but I think strengthening. I doubled my jogging distance yesterday!

db flies: 3×8@22.

Front raises:  8@32, 8@22.

Bicep curls:  3×8@22.

kb lifts; 2×20@54

Pushcrunchdips: 30/20/20/30 – pushups, numbers, dips, crunches. The crunches are done as slow as possible.

This, again, is maintenance on a dodgy shoulder. Trapeze tonight, also.