Blahg

Had a good morning workout at 5:15 AM.  I know I shouldn’t have done bicep curls, but I went kind of light, and it didn’t hurt too badly.  I think it is getting better.  

    * 45 Degree Leg Press Machine    3 x 5 x 560#
    * Lateral Lunge with Single Arm Row    4 x 10 x 130#
    * Single-legged Seated Leg Curl    5×90#, 5×140#, 5×110#
    * Seated Calf Raise Machine    4 x 10 x 100#
    * Low Pulley Rows     5×100#, 5×120#, 5×140#, 10×100#
    * Narrow-Grip Lat Pulldowns     10×110#, 5×130#, 5×150#
    * Arm Curl -Cable EZ Bar     5×85#, 10×65#, 10×45#, 10×65#

I run tonight, so hopefully I will be able to push past any soreness from this morning.

Have an outstanding weekend.

This could be my little quirk, kind of a George Constanza over analyzation, but noting kills the mood of a good run for me more than people who won’t wave back and say hi.  I want to turn around chase them down and ask them what could be so damn bad that they can’t pull the corners of their mouth up and say, "Hi!"  I run down that cart path thanking God for the ability to do that, and for the beauty around me.  I swear, I feel like I am getting away with something living here.  How can anyone not see that?  I guess the more we get, the more we are unhappy with what we don’t have.

BUT yesterday was one of those great days when there were lots of people out there, 99% gave me back a big smile and a wave.  That makes all of the difference in the world!  I even got a few, "lookin’ goods" and "how are you doings?" On my way back, one guy whom I had passed earlier said, "that was quick!"  It rocked.  It was a zippity-frickin’-doo-dah day for a run.  Even the 95% humidity that keeps the sweat from evaporating and makes me look like I am running home from the pool did not get me down.

I also found a really cool podcast series.  I say really cool because it is a really cool idea for a podcast.  The music and the guy on there are not outstanding, but it is built around the couch to 10k training program.  The guy comes on and says, "okay it’s time to run…" or "good job!  Now you have 90 seconds to walk and recover before your next run."  I like it because I am not looking at my stopwatch or gps to tell me how far I have gone.  I just keep running until he says i have gone far enough.  There is some kind of psychological advantage to that I think.

Rest day today, and then tomorrow is a brutal day for my legs.  5:00 AM legs, biceps (light), back, and 7:00 PM run.  I actually can’t wait.  I hope I can barely walk on Saturday when I go in for chest-tris-shoulders-abs!

My second chest, abs, shoulders, tri’s workout in a row this morning.  Went heavier than yesterday.  Love love love the big weights! Cardio/5k training on the way tomorrow.  So far so good there.  Feels good to know that I am not letting up.

Got up and did my chest.. Shoulders.. Abs workout.  Did my run last night using a lame but useful podcast made for the couch to 5k thing.  It’s free! And it was my birthday. Good day.

Normally it’s legs back and biceps, but I am leaving out biceps letting that frickin right arm heal.  Did high reps today and killed it!  I can tell cause I walked in from the car to the house like I had been out drinking all night… Legs were doing their own thing. Ha ha!  Have a great Sunday!

The Overtrained Underfed Blues

wrote a song about it.  Wanna hear it?  Here it go.

Round here they call me dad
Had a day that was bad
It was really bad, what a day dad had!

Think I’ve been training too often
Cause I didn’t wanna soften
Now my bicep and shoulder pain got me feelin real mad!

I ain’t gained no mass
Though I’ve been working off my ass
Gotta up my calories and put some pounds on real fast..

But I got my run done
And it was really kinda fun.
As for improving my mood it really helped a ton.

So I gotta heal
Until no more pain I feel
Just gonna work my legs and core, you know that I’m for real.

Looking at the half full glass
Cuorgor my run I could last
And i’m a hell of a lot healthier than I have been in years past

I’m gonna keep on tickin’
And eatin’ lots of chicken,
And before you know it I’ll be totally ass kickin’

Thank you for your time
And for listening to my rhyme..
What’s my favorite jello? Well of course you know it’s lime.

TH

Call me nuts, but when I wake up at 4:15 AM, drag myself out of bed, fumbling around to get dressed and gulp down a shake in the dark, and then get to the gym and work really hard, I FEEL GREAT!  Sure there are those days when I sulk a little because I didn’t feel like I could do as much as I wanted to, but even those days are good ones, because they get me closer to being stronger and more resilient.  I’ll go ahead and warn you, the early morning workout is not for everyone, and it take a little while to get into it.  But now. not only is it one of the best parts of my day, but it actually puts me in a better frame of mind to deal with the rest of my day.

Today was chest-triceps-shoulders-abs.  My right arm still bothers me, but it is getting better.  I did a little more weight than earlier in the week, and I concentrated on keeping my form.  I tend to want to pile it on at the expense of doing the movements correctly, which one of my trainer friends calls "the guy thing," as in, "if it wasn’t for the guy thing, you would be lifting a little less weight and making a lot more progress."  I try to stave off the guy thing, but let’s face it, it feels SOOOO GOOD to lift heavy!

Hope you have a fantastic workout, and a great weekend!

I learned today that training for a 5k and trying to add muscle might be counterproductive.  I want your input please.

That is what I am doing. No marathons, no 10k’s, I just want to add muscle and get to the point at which I can run a 5k.  That’s the goal I am going to reach.  The question is, how do I do that?  I am eating lots of protein.  Not a whole lot of carbs and fat.  Do I need more carbs?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  I am really good and lean right now, so I want to add MEAT!!

No weights today.  Just ran my intervals.  I look like I just got out of the pool, and my ticker sounds like a tack hammer!!  Sopping.  Tomorrow I am going to take a break before hitting weights again and doing my intervals.

Hope y’all are well!!  Love ya.  Mean it.

TH

Got to the gym and realized that I forgot my access card.  Ooooooh!  I hate when that happens, especially at 5:00 AM.  Saw one of my friends in there setting up for bench presses, so I knocked on the window and scared the poop out of ‘em!  

The first thing I did was run a mile in slightly under 10 minutes. That surprised me on several levels.  1, it was 5AM, 2, I had just run the night before, 3, I had just done a heavy leg day the morning before.  But I did it!  Just goes along with my new attitude, which I will tell you about momentarily.

I went on to have a really good chest, shoulders, triceps, core workout.  It rocked.  

So far I am right on target.  I haven’t missed a thing.

Now, the new attitude.  I am releasing a new version of myself.. Tickingheart 3.0.  (2.0 came out 2 years ago, I think.)  I was talking with a really good friend yesterday.  We were just catching up on how each other’s lives are, and I remembered a question that occurred to me that morning.  This is one of those friend who just tells it like it is.  No sugar coating.  Not trying to make me feel good all of the time.  So I took a deep breath and asked, "What do you think my biggest weakness is?"  There was almost no hesitation. "YOU ARE TOO COMPLACENT."  I asked for clarification, and it made perfect sense.  I often say things like "I am going to try to…," "If possible, I am going to…," or "I sure hope I can…"  I have just kind of let a lot of things happen, hoping for the best.  And as for the stuff that I try accomplish, I have always left that "try" word in there just in case I can’t.  That feature is officially no longer available in the new version.  

The new Tickingheart 3.0 is going to accomplish and surpass whatever goal is set.  I won’t leave room for what if… Another feature of the new Tickingheart 3.0 is that I am phasing out my heart as an excuse for not succeeding.  My heart rocks.  It is almost at normal function, and it will be at normal function and better.  There’s no excuse there for not pushing myself.  I am unrestricted, and the only Dr’s. order that I have is "Do NOT stop exercising."  It’s fixed, by the grace of God, and am healthier than I have ever been.  I’ll still share that story with people, but I’m not leaning on it as a reason to expect less of myself.  

I have my fitness goals set.  I am going to set some additional personal and professional goals, and then 3.0 is gonna get them done!

Have a great workout!

TH3.0

Had a great time working out this morning.  Legs, back, biceps today. Did 600# leg presses!! Didn’t know I could do that!  I will admit that the last rep of the 2nd set of 600# just about swished me in the 45 degree leg press.  Trying to carry on a conversation with that much weight was just not smart.  My right bicep pain really held me back.  It’s right in the inside crook of my arm.  Guess I’ll just keep stretching it and icing it and heating it.

UPDATE- did my intervals tonight.  It was pretty easy!  Actually ran further than the plan called for.  Can’t wait to run the heart walk!  .