Dec 28 to Jan11

 

Kinda like this, but more teeth on my ankles and licking of my toes

I guess I let a week get away from me there - not hard to believe, as the days are even more blurring into each other now/ On the 3rd or 4th of January I got a dog - A Cane Corso as a matter of rumour. It was a rescue that my wife really wanted and so, we went as a family and picked it up form the centre. 

I am liking the dog's silence and energy so far - I think it was Friday I got pretty close to 9000 steps from just walking the dog to pee. As a result, got close or finished my rings six times in the last 13 days. The other days, got two of the three rings closed. In any case, it does not bark or react to things, but really does like chasing rustling leaves. We are crate training it, as I like my bedroom feces free. 

I have to admit, having some days as "free puppy yoga" days are pretty cool. She is a wonderfully affectionate puppy and is hilarious when trying to help me into some poses. Can't wait for puppy BJJ.

Morning sessions as follows:

8-10 minutes of mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra, butterfly legs, WGS and 90/90 stretches. More push ups.

10-12 minutes of ab work - swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, clamshell stretch ... and push ups. 

10-12 minutes of 35 lb floor db presses, banded bicep curls,, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS, bodyweight squats ... and push ups. 

Rather tediously, the evening sessions were swims in the afternoon or evenings, usually in the 35-40 minute range. Good cardio, good for my shoulders and other joints, not very exciting.  

Dec 21 to 27

 

Not a bad week for me so far - I've gotten past most of the chunks of whatever were piling up inside my sinuses and the big day as well. I did manage to replace my Apple Watch with my wife's Apple Watch. It's a Series 3, so not as many bells and whistles, but good enough for now. I've had a few tough calls this week, including one to my dad on the way to the pool yesterday, but all is good.

I'm coming to grips with mortality this week as well. One or two things inside of me are not working as well as they should. I see that in the way I move and react to food, exercise and sudden physical demands. Sigh, I'm doing the bare minimum, I know that, and yet somehow expecting a lot more results. 

I'm grateful for this week, as at least I get a chance to pause and look up ahead as well as get caught up at work. It is a grey fog of a week between Christmas and New Years, but at least it's a grey fog I can manage to get some rest in. 

Managed to close my rings three times this week, getting close on two other days. I got my planning book for the second half of the school year set up and heard about work in the summer as well. Prep, prep and more prep. 

Morning sessions as follows:

8-10 minutes of mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra, butterfly legs, WGS and 90/90 stretches. More push ups.

10-12 minutes of ab work - swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, clamshell stretch ... and push ups. 

10-12 minutes of 35 lb floor db presses, banded bicep curls,, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS, bodyweight squats ... and push ups. 

Rather tediously, the evening sessions were swims in the afternoon or evenings, usually in the 35-40 minute range. Good cardio, not exciting. 

Dec 15 to 20

 

Lone Samurai (2025) was on the screen this week.

This was a long hard walk - not the hardest, not the longest but it was a slog, man. I did manage to break the sensor side of the Apple Watch. I'm trying to replace it but no bites yet. I did the morning yoga with the Polar chest strap. Funny how my back-up never breaks. It's like the thing eats three bananas or something.  

I'm so grateful for the break, I'm happy that I can get ready for what comes next. What comes next probably won't be pretty, probably won't be happy, but at least I can make myself ready. 

Morning sessions as follows

8-10 minutes mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra pose, WGS, 90/90. Push ups.

10-12 minutes of ab work - Swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, clamshell stretches ... and push ups. Trying to make abs keepers. 

10-12 minutes of 35 and 50 lb db floor presses, banded bicep curls, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS, 8-10 bodyweight squats and push ups. 

I did close the rings once on Tuesday, thanks to a 35-minute swim in the evening. After that I was just trying to make it to the end of the line. As I type this, I do recall that the watch dropped on the tile floor of the pool at that time. That was probably when the sensor cracked. <<le sigh>>

Dec 7-14

 

It's been a long week, marching up and down again. "Boots. Boots. Boots." sort of an idea. I will get there and I will get there. There is no discharge in the job.

Got all mornings done this week, had another sleeping injury and got that dealt with on Saturday. Advil and stretching are awesome, but Advil is the real winner here. The evenings this week were just boring and sitting. But I needed boring to get through the days. 

Morning sessions as follows

8-10 minutes mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra pose, WGS, 90/90, thread the needle and pigeon stretch. I'm just trying to keep things moving.  

10-12 minutes of ab work - Swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, dead bugs, hydrant stretches, hollow ab hold, clamshell and reverse clamshell stretches ... and push ups. Trying to make my abs and spine unbreakable. 

10-12 minutes of 35 and 50 lb db floor presses, banded bicep curls, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS, 8-10 bodyweight squats and push ups. 

I did close the rings once on Sunday night, thanks to a 35-minute swim in the evening. The rest of the days were two rings closed kind of days. Things are all about getting to the Break, I have one week left until it blossoms. I'm hopeful that I can put together a week to get to next week, another step in front of a step, in front of a step. 

Slog - slog - slog sloggin' over working here. 

Dec 1-6

 

I have to watch this before "tis the Season" begins. 

Ok, that was weird. Had to delete the first try at this post for the first time in a really, really long time. NOTE TO SELF: stop playing with the buttons on the top of the WYSISTG screen, Sir. 

Anyway, I'll put the summary of the week this way: Mornings were perfect, nights were occupied by the needs of being a dad or a husband ... or the needs of my employer to be a better worker bee. 

Morning sessions as follows

8-10 minutes mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra pose, WGS, 90/90, thread the needle and pigeon stretch. I'm just moving, just getting the body moving here. 

10-12 minutes of ab work - Swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, dead bugs, hydrant stretches, hollow ab hold, clamshell and reverse clamshell stretches ... and push ups. 

10-12 minutes of 50 lb db floor presses, banded bicep curls, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS, 8-10 bodyweight squats

Nov 24 to 30

 

This constant thrum of medium is getting to me, but at least it is medium and not stop. Got morning sessions done every day this week, as well as three or four evening sessions as well. I closed my rings three times and got awfully close at least two more times this week.

Just kept moving at work, had to stand a lot at work and then Sunday ... slept the whole day, except for driving to a small gathering where I had to be a dad. I did get the morning stretch in, just later in the day.

Shut down a few things in the Apple Watch in order to preserve the battery and that seemed to help the battery get it's groove back. I had to use the Polar system for a morning session this week as the watch died overnight 

Ankle and hip are back working as before November had it's way with them. It's all good and I'm going to be changing up my lunches this December to try and get my nutrition working for me. What's that line about being unable to out train a bad diet ... something like that. 

Morning sessions as follows

8-10 minutes mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra pose, WGS, 90/90, thread the needle and pigeon stretch. I'm just moving, just keeping the body moving here. 

10-12 minutes of ab work - Swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, dead bugs, hydrant stretches, hollow ab hold, clamshell and reverse clamshell stretches ... and push ups. 

10-12 minutes of 35 lb db floor presses, banded bicep curls, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS

The swims in the evening were both 35 minute plus epic sagas, I must tell you. They were both the usual brest stroke and arms only front crawl for the most part. I did get back to using the fins on Saturday. always a bit of silly fun when we take those out. 

Nov 17 to 23

 

A week like the others, with a bit more of a "Ohmylawd" kind of twist. The ankle kept taking the fun out of everything, so I went to get it looked at. Got two ideas back, followed up with strong anti-inflammatories. That did the trick. Yeah, I know what that means. 

As a result, not a lot of walking this week, no hiking, just two swims. I enjoyed the swims, but need to make them more often. Also got some really stupid news from the tax people here in Canada. Why they keep looking back at tax returns from years ago, I'll never be sure. So it goes. Money still makes me blue.

I got two swims in this week, needed a third, but did a garage stretch instead. Also, why did I put my hand up to help with PD at the end of the month? I'm sitting here, just a shaking my head, dude.

Anyway, I've got that, marking and prepping two new things going on at the moment. Lots of grunt work and lots of brain sucking at the moment. I know what I need to get done and we will do it. 

At least the morning schedule is staying the pace:

8-10 minutes mobility - cat/cow, baby pose, push ups, downward dog to cobra pose, WGS, 90/90, thread the needle and pigeon stretch. Push ups. Doing this as a "flow", find it a good way to start this.

10-12 minutes of ab work - Swimming kicks, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretches and rotations, scorpion stretch, dead bugs, hydrant stretches, hollow ab hold, clamshell and reverse clamshell stretches ... and push ups. 

10-12 minutes of 35 lb db floor presses, banded bicep curls, banded overhead presses, standing hip CARS

I have the 50 lb dbs just out of reach on the garage floor, but might be shifting to those shortly.