I have found my perfect workout album. It is the 1990 Rykodisc reissue of David Bowie's 1972 masterpiece Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. It rocks, it's emotional, it's energetic, it's catchy, it's the right length, I don't have to turn my iPod up and down to hear the whole thing clearly, and it's very familiar to me. Last night I listened to the whole thing (including the five bonus tracks, which are everything that bonus tracks should be - two songs that were released at the same time in a different format, one alternate mix of another such song, and two revealing, high quality demos of key album tracks - it's a total mystery why the two labels that have released this music yet again since 1990 did not include these perfectly selected bonus tracks. Anyway...)
while I did 35 minutes of elliptical and five upper body strength exercises recommended by my coach. Then I did another 20 minutes of elliptical, cooling down with the bonus tracks from disc two of the 2006 reissue of Kristy MacColl's Titanic Days. By then it was somewhat late and after 600 calories of elliptical fat burn I had the pool to myself, racing through my 15 laps.
Some of you have heard the story of what happened the last time I attempted to be even moderately friendly with a stranger who spoke to me at the pool. Well, another such circumstance occurred last week. I was relaxing a bit, down to my final length of the pool. The woman in the lane next to me asked me how I could stand to swim in the water. Then she noticed I was only temporarily without goggles, having momentarily tossed them to the deck in exhaustion. I said that it was indeed really tough and that the first time I tried it without goggles and I could hardly see the next day (true). Then it occurred to me to offer her my goggles. I've never been thrilled with them and she didn't have any. I thought it would be a Christ like thing to do. But, based on my previous experience (ask me if you haven't heard) I simply put them back on my head, swam my final length, and went to the locker room without another word.
Fast forward to last night. I see the pool is uncluttered, shower to appear polite, then go to put my goggles on and SNAP! Broken band. I got them tied together awkwardly so I could at least swim right away but I kind of wished I had given them away after all! I can't win.
(Incidentally, if purchasing the above albums, it'd be a good idea to confirm exactly what edition you're getting beforehand with the seller you select. I almost bought an old version of TD without the second disc from a seller who wasn't paying enough attention to exactly which pages he was using to offer his wares.)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
New Thing
I'd plateaued. I was bored. At the advice of my new coach I've added some strength conditioning to the workout to break through a plateau. Bride is my coach for this, having extensive experience in this area dating back to the early 90s. So far I have learned that in addition to my near certain inability to run the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon I am also not particularly strong. But this is good. I can build from here.
I took January off completely figuring the club would be all full of resolutionaries. I've gone only twice in February but am trying to get back into an at least once a week kind of groove. That's where it's at.
I took January off completely figuring the club would be all full of resolutionaries. I've gone only twice in February but am trying to get back into an at least once a week kind of groove. That's where it's at.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Layoff
Well, I haven't been going to the club because I am guessing the club would be miserable what with all the New Years Resolution crowd clogging it up and hogging everything. But I will go sometime before the end of the month and I am armed with a new workout designed by Bride to get me past the 200 pound plateau I seemed to have hit.
I say "seemed" because I was at 196 this morning. Pretty cool. I feel good. I think it might be all the shoveling, plus good sleep and healthy, reasonable eating.
I say "seemed" because I was at 196 this morning. Pretty cool. I feel good. I think it might be all the shoveling, plus good sleep and healthy, reasonable eating.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Pool of Tears, Bag of Chips
I skipped yoga this week because I was having too much fun with my kids, my shoulder hurts a little, and it was really snowing and I was going to either miss the beginning and/or have a way too small space in the crowded class, probably near a wall, door, closet, office, etc. Been there. No fun.
I went much later and did 45 minutes of elliptical. Because I was late and well after the after work crowd, I got the most desirable elliptical machine - the one where a giant support column blocks the view of tv showing Fox News. Ah. Listened to the last four tracks of Moody Blues Anthology disc two, with which I am less familiar than some of their other work, then most of Tropical Brainstorm by Kirsty MacColl, always a favorite.
Hit the pool, thinking I'd be the only one there, but no. A man was there with his young daughter. She was probably seven or so. As it was about ten at night my first thought was somewhat judgmental - "why isn't she in bed?" But in between sets of swim team memory inspired assignments to myself (I can hear coach Blackburn saying, "200 IM on the top!" - which means down and back one time each with fly, back, breast, free when the second hand reaches 60), I caught the sounds of them playing and looked over once in a while.
He was being so kind to her, they were having so much fun, and she so obviously loved him and reveled in his attention that it brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to say something like, "God bless you for being so kind and spending your time with your family," or "This time you're giving her now is going to pay off a thousandfold, brother," or "You and the people like you are the people who are really making a difference in the world, my fellow father."
I really thought about actually doing it. But of course I didn't. Who am I, Mr. Rogers? Would it have been appropriate and affirming or just awkward? Knowing myself, most likely the latter. But here's to you, unnamed man. Salud.
---------------------------------
There is about a quarter of a bag of guacamole chips in the pantry at my house. It has been there since before I started going to the gym. I do not eat it. Why not? Because I am in the habit of not eating it.
I like guacamole chips. They're probably my favorite chip in the chip family if such a thing exists. And I certainly do get hungry after dinner, especially if I'm going to watch a DVD with Bride. However, it has now become a habit to go look at the bag, think about the green chalky fingers that would result, and then not eat anything. It's like insurance against late night eating. Weird, but it works.
I went much later and did 45 minutes of elliptical. Because I was late and well after the after work crowd, I got the most desirable elliptical machine - the one where a giant support column blocks the view of tv showing Fox News. Ah. Listened to the last four tracks of Moody Blues Anthology disc two, with which I am less familiar than some of their other work, then most of Tropical Brainstorm by Kirsty MacColl, always a favorite.
Hit the pool, thinking I'd be the only one there, but no. A man was there with his young daughter. She was probably seven or so. As it was about ten at night my first thought was somewhat judgmental - "why isn't she in bed?" But in between sets of swim team memory inspired assignments to myself (I can hear coach Blackburn saying, "200 IM on the top!" - which means down and back one time each with fly, back, breast, free when the second hand reaches 60), I caught the sounds of them playing and looked over once in a while.
He was being so kind to her, they were having so much fun, and she so obviously loved him and reveled in his attention that it brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to say something like, "God bless you for being so kind and spending your time with your family," or "This time you're giving her now is going to pay off a thousandfold, brother," or "You and the people like you are the people who are really making a difference in the world, my fellow father."
I really thought about actually doing it. But of course I didn't. Who am I, Mr. Rogers? Would it have been appropriate and affirming or just awkward? Knowing myself, most likely the latter. But here's to you, unnamed man. Salud.
---------------------------------
There is about a quarter of a bag of guacamole chips in the pantry at my house. It has been there since before I started going to the gym. I do not eat it. Why not? Because I am in the habit of not eating it.
I like guacamole chips. They're probably my favorite chip in the chip family if such a thing exists. And I certainly do get hungry after dinner, especially if I'm going to watch a DVD with Bride. However, it has now become a habit to go look at the bag, think about the green chalky fingers that would result, and then not eat anything. It's like insurance against late night eating. Weird, but it works.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
200
It's just a number in our arbitrary system of measuring things's masses as they interact with Earth's gravity, but I am at it as of this morning. Very exciting. I feel lighter. I remember talking to Chazz when I was interacting with Earth's gravity more to the tune of 210-215 and him saying we should both lose 10%. I thought that was kind of nuts, but now...maybe. 190? Could happen. What would it be like? Would I like it more or less? Maybe I'll find out if I stay on this healthy path.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Yo-GUH! Yo-GUH!
That is how I prefer to spell it for my own reasons. Another great workout last night with Yoguh, elliptical, and pool. Weight 203 this morning. That got as high as 215 this year, so that's pretty good. I'm feeling good.
Oh, also the 15 actual rare tracks from R.E.M.'s somewhat ripoffy 2 disc Best Of 1982-87 make a terrific 45 minute elliptical workout soundtrack. Volume level is very even, drowning out the Lifetime Video Channel "music", on which I've seen each video at least twice now, as well as any cell phone or other conversations going on around me. That's how I workout best. I did have to re-sequence the tracks into chronological order but that was a snap with iTunes. "Decide yourself if radio's gonna stay! Reason it could polish up the grey!" YEAH!
Oh, also the 15 actual rare tracks from R.E.M.'s somewhat ripoffy 2 disc Best Of 1982-87 make a terrific 45 minute elliptical workout soundtrack. Volume level is very even, drowning out the Lifetime Video Channel "music", on which I've seen each video at least twice now, as well as any cell phone or other conversations going on around me. That's how I workout best. I did have to re-sequence the tracks into chronological order but that was a snap with iTunes. "Decide yourself if radio's gonna stay! Reason it could polish up the grey!" YEAH!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Whole New Thing
So what I'm doing now is I go to a beginner yoga class whenever my schedule allows and get to the gym about twice a week. I do the yoga class if it's that night then I follow it with the following (or do the following alone with no class):
A) 45 minutes elliptical machine on the "Fat Burn" program. I stay in my easy burnin' zone of 120 HBPM while watching the World Series or Chuck or music videos or political discussion or all of the above. The place has TVs growing out of the ceiling like mildew and (mostly) irritating music on everywhere, including the freaking locker room. I honestly wish it had neither so I could just listen to my magical iPod. Oh well. WPP.
B) 15 laps in the pool. I'll break it down in swim team terms:
25 free
100 breast
200 IM (50 each of fly, back, breast, free)
100 back
200 IM
100 breast
25 free
(25 = one length of the pool.) I start at the deep end and take my rests in the shallow end. Depending on how hard I push myself my heart rate gets up around 170. If I've done the yoga class that night and pool is my third exercise category - guess what? I don't push it that hard.
It's a great workout and I would do it every other day if my schedule allowed. I don't weigh myself every day (good advice, Chazz) but when I weighed myself a couple days ago just out of curiosity I was at 205 fully dressed. That is a big improvement. That's like 2 percent weight loss.
I've also been eating pretty well. I call it the "eat what you feed your children" diet. I get far more fruit than I did as a bachelor and I haven't seen the inside of a Chinese Buffet in, I believe, years. It's pretty much three squares these days as opposed to the starve-gorge-repeat on no predictable timetable. Good times for my body and its interlocking systems. Totally on track now to not run the 2009 Twin Cities Marthon in under four hours, which is, of course, the point.
(Did I even mention on this blog that I joined a gym? I hope so. I did, btw.)
A) 45 minutes elliptical machine on the "Fat Burn" program. I stay in my easy burnin' zone of 120 HBPM while watching the World Series or Chuck or music videos or political discussion or all of the above. The place has TVs growing out of the ceiling like mildew and (mostly) irritating music on everywhere, including the freaking locker room. I honestly wish it had neither so I could just listen to my magical iPod. Oh well. WPP.
B) 15 laps in the pool. I'll break it down in swim team terms:
25 free
100 breast
200 IM (50 each of fly, back, breast, free)
100 back
200 IM
100 breast
25 free
(25 = one length of the pool.) I start at the deep end and take my rests in the shallow end. Depending on how hard I push myself my heart rate gets up around 170. If I've done the yoga class that night and pool is my third exercise category - guess what? I don't push it that hard.
It's a great workout and I would do it every other day if my schedule allowed. I don't weigh myself every day (good advice, Chazz) but when I weighed myself a couple days ago just out of curiosity I was at 205 fully dressed. That is a big improvement. That's like 2 percent weight loss.
I've also been eating pretty well. I call it the "eat what you feed your children" diet. I get far more fruit than I did as a bachelor and I haven't seen the inside of a Chinese Buffet in, I believe, years. It's pretty much three squares these days as opposed to the starve-gorge-repeat on no predictable timetable. Good times for my body and its interlocking systems. Totally on track now to not run the 2009 Twin Cities Marthon in under four hours, which is, of course, the point.
(Did I even mention on this blog that I joined a gym? I hope so. I did, btw.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
