Jan 27 to Feb1

 

Three times a day I'm out in my hood looking like this

So I'm doing this one a little early on the first, but that is ok. The steps continue to rise - I hit nearly 7800 steps without a workout the other day, just from taking the silly dog out for silly walks. 

Yes, I went there.

Anyway, no evening training sessions at all during this time, as fate and work and the dog all conspired against me. That is the version I'm going with at this time. Truth be told I was in bed most days by 10pm and if not, I was getting my reporting done.

Morning sessions done every day, looked like this:

8-10 minutes basic mobility - baby pose, downward dog to cobra, push ups. 90/90 stretches, World's Greatest Stretch. Thread the needle, more push ups. 

8-10 minutes ab work - swimmers legs, BJJ leg pummelling, putting on socks stretch, groin stretches of all sorts, hamstring stretches too. 

It is usually at this point I am interrupted, so not a lot of work done specifically for arms and back this week. <<Le sigh>>

At least I have plans to get swims done in this week upcoming. And hope that this weather changes ... my province was the coldest place on Earth this past week. Not a joke, that is something y'all can google. 

It is days like these that make July heatwaves just that much more bearable.

Jan 19 to 26

 

My house is in there somewhere

Ok this started off chewy and got to snowy this week. I did a morning routine everyday, just not always in the mornings. I did get lots of steps, until the almost meter of snow that came off the local lake dumped itself onto my lawn and sidewalk. The snowbanks are starting to resemble the Death Star trench ... if you know, you know.

My toe started to ache and the Advil and water helped this time. I'm wondering about what's next to improve my diet - alcohol is not my friend and hangovers now take like three days to disappear. When doing my regular routine, my meals are pretty standard - fruit, vegetables, coffee, some meat, some greens with lots of water too. perhaps a bit too much salt. But when I'm off a regular schedule, all of that goes out the window. 

Speaking of out the window, not a lot of swimming during this time thanks to the same dog and blanket of snow. Went to bed early - and I mean EArLY ... at like 9:30 pm one night, rather than train or go for a swim. 

I've also lost most of the garage gym again for the time being. I can stretch, but DOOM plies are on top of my training equipment, along with snow removal ephemera. 

I'm working on that.

Morning routine was this:

10 minutes mobility - baby pose, plank to cobra pose, WGS and other hip opening stretches. Push ups.

10 minutes on the abs and hips - leg swimming, BJJ leg pummelling, put on your socks stretch, hip thrusts, push ups.

10 minutes CARS with PVC pipe ... until it got piled deeper into the mess that my garage has become. Sigh. Push ups. 

Jan 12 to 18

Not MY Duchess of Teeth, but A Duchess of Teeth

This week was a bit more of a drag than others - a major snow storm and other rather odd events keep shoving themselves into the foreground, preventing evening workouts. 

Even the morning sessions are being shoved around like sausages on a vegan's plate. Sigh.
Puppy Yoga turned bitey and even that had to be curtailed until the young'un can teethe a bit more. Lots of steps for walkies and poop sessions, my bedroom remains poop free and things are generally content on that part of the life. Working, as always, is stressful this time of year. That shows up with minor cuts that take a while to heal, hip pains that just won't be managed and annoyances that turn into calamities in 10 seconds or less. I could complain, but no one would listen, so I will merely mark the time.

Sigh

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. 

For the most part, thanks to one of those irritants, namely a new washer being installed at some point,  had to cut most of my morning sessions off there this week. My garage gym was taken over and I had to avoid the teeth of a knarly little duchess of teeth. Swimming was twice this week. I still am missing the cardio and fun of BJJ and puppy BJJ. 

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 from 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.