Saturday, December 29, 2018

Dec 25 to 29

I did do a pretty long cardio session on Christmas. I needed to take care of my family and then proceed to take care of myself before trying to engage with my extended family.

Boxing Day was more of the same - people rushing around the malls, so I stayed away and kept the focus on the six inches in front of my face. I got a fair number of things off of my Christmas Break Projects done and a bunch more work on others. Seems I have to get rid of a bunch of stuff to make room in various parts of the house in order to more forward.

Thursday and Friday were light sessions on the Elliptical with Friday having a second session of kettlebells in the mix as well.

I also made an offer on two 24 kilo bells for a hundred bucks and I got them Saturday morning.

I picked up the bells and now have what I consider a complete set of bells - even though I know it’s like drum sets for musicians and there really isn’t ever a complete set. It’s weird, too as I bought the blue and yellow ones on New Year's Eve a few years ago, and picked up these monsters on Dec 29th. Anyway, for 250 bucks total, I now have six competition bells. I’m pretty satisfied.

Saturday I dropped by my fitness club and got a pretty good 45 minute CrossFit type workout done.

Two minutes on the elliptical
Two minutes dumbbell work - snatches and presses and windmills

I did that for six rounds then did this for four rounds:

30 feet farmers walks x 4 with the last 30 feet being with 40 lb bells overhead.
10 dumbbell flies

Man, it was a pretty good session.

I do know I have to add deadlifts back in the mix. I will do that, I’ll do it. I’ll do it.....


via GIPHY

Monday, December 24, 2018

Dec 16 to 24

Man, I’m on an iPad with this post, so if it doesn't go well, that’s why.

I’m trying to be mindful in my choices in what I have in my EDC. I’m trying to lighten and streamline what it is that I have in my backpack for work and for the other parts of my life.

For example ... I have two punching bags in my garage gym right now. Why did I hold on to them? I’m not using either one and I haven’t thrown a punch either in training or in anger in quite some time. To be frank, I miss using the stand-alone bag and probably wouldn’t get rid of it, but what about the other one? Why did I buy it, why keep it if it only stands in the corner?

I’m asking myself that a lot these days, and not just in my garage gym. Why carry a MacBook Air if I could use an iPad and lighten the load? Why use a fat pouch to hold my kit when I could use a portfolio? Why do this instead of that? Why hold on to things that clutter my mind and my life?

Indeed.

I’m in a public library as I write this and I certainly am glad that I recently started to carry noise-blocking earplugs in my backpack. I’m sitting in relative silence and have finished the work I came here to do. I’m wondering if I brave the world and go see a shop or two, or just duck down and get home.

The last 10 days or so have been fraught with stress and a lot of crap I just didn’t need. Less sleep, more idiots and just too many demands on me and my time. Ugh.

I’m on break now. I’m still dealing with what I like to call the “Stress hangover”. It’s a killer. I have to nap a lot and I have to care for my children, too. But I’ll be better when I get past Christmas. As it is, with today’s work done, I have a clearing sky, so to speak. Sunshine in the forecast for my mind.

Lots of walking, not much else these days. I keep getting up at 6 am to get walks in during the week and then do my good workouts at Cedar Springs when they fit into the schedules of my family. I’m also walking in the stupid early on the beach. I went to a local Provincial Park to walk/hike this morning but it was closed. I found out later it didn’t open until after I had gone home and had coffee with my wife. I do need to go and collect a yoga schedule for that Cedar Springs as I think that is what is next for me. I need some stretching and relaxation in my life that does not involve me sitting on my butt.

Anyway, I’ll post a pic of the Polar Flow app at some point today. This IPad doesn’t like doing that. Which is a strike against, I guess. Not enough functionality for me ... or at least I’m not used to this thing. I will keep working on that.



Saturday, December 15, 2018

Dec 5 to Dec 15

Well, I recovered from that sinus thing, man.

Took a while. My throat and my nose are much much better. However, my ears are still clogged with the remains of whatever it is swimming around in my head.

It's like I'm underwater with the hearing these days. Muffled things ... I keep having to ask people to repeat things. Kinda annoying.

At least I got back to training. Sunday the 9th was a big day with a great walk on the beach. That was just incredible. Mondays and Wednesdays are still training nights at Cedar Springs. Usually five or six rounds of:

2 minutes on the elliptical trainer
2 minutes of kettlebell lifts

as a finisher, I've been doing four or five rounds of farmers walks and chest flys with 40 or 45 lb dbs

Not bad sessions. Friday the 14th was a tough day. Stayed up late on Thursday and didn't get a walk done in the morning. At least I got a fitness test done and it showed I was improving my fitness a little. Friday night was a gong show after my physio appointment. Meh, I survived.

I'll have to add another training session next week, and possibly start doing the heavy lifts by the end of the month. I am still not able to run, but I can at least get on ellipticals and other cardio equipment. Got to get down and start running.

I also still need to be consistent with the nutrition. I get some days that are perfect and other days where I still too much wonderful food in my mouth.

Meh, I get it done.


Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Nov 26 to Dec 4

Well, I have been doing mostly walking during these days.

It's work and being a dad. I'm up early. I mean stupid early these days. Monday I was up at 5:50am. I never thought I'd honestly ever do this ... and here I am.

I'm also just getting to the end of a rough week for my health. I'm still wondering what and how it happened. Lots of goo in my nose and ears. Lots of trips to the sauna, too.

But walking ... always walking. Not a single kettlebell lifting... which is a real negative. I was suffering for most of the weekend and got through it. A real negative. But at least I got through it and I can write about how much walking I did.

Man ... I also got a bit of running, too.