Weights and a run and...

With the kids home for Thanksgiving break, my routine is always challenged. In part from the nights being later since the kids don't have school to go to first thing in the morning. So, I tend to be up later which makes getting up early harder. Today was no exception.

I did get a nice Monday routine in with the weights, but just not as early as I would have liked. I also got a run in, but after work instead of during lunch. I was heading out for my run when I ended up out back bouncing on the trampoline with my youngest - which lead to him discovering the fly. So, I ran in and got my camera and 20 minutes later and at least as many photos, it was to late to get out for a run during lunch. It was a good exchange though - bouncing with my son and a cool fly shoot vs. my normal run. And the run this evening was in the dark with out my Garmin - so it was almost like a naked run; except for the blinky tail light.

A public thanks to Frances for identifying the pretty flowering weed in my last entry: "Even weeds have a name, this one with the pinky flowers is henbit, Lamium amplexicaule." She has a great blog on flowers and gardens and some very spectacular photos too. And she has a Canon PowerShot A710 IS - as do I.

[Photos: weights just waiting to be used, a fly on the trampoline.]

A three week review

It's been three weeks now since I stated in a previous blog entry (I feel the need for some Discipline!) that it was time to get some more discipline and order as my life was running wild, or wild for me. With that week I started back on the weights and trying to run consistently: planned activities for 6 days / week.

This past week I was able to get in all my planned workouts; 5 with the weights and 5 runs - the second time in these last three weeks. My total mileage was 34 with a weekly avg of just under 9 min/mi. Yesterdays long run was 12.6 miles at 8:52 - about 10 seconds/mi slower than my normal pace (which means I should try to push myself a little harder during the shorter runs- something I already knew but have been struggling with).

Strength: as I look over my log from three weeks ago and compare it to the one for this past week I can see similar routines with more reps at the same weight or higher weights or extra exercises:
- pull ups (very hard for me) [4,5,2,2,3,2] Tues week 1 vs Tue last week [5,6,3,2 1/2,3,2] and my pull up ladder on Th went to 4 where the first week it didn't
- bench press has a couple more reps through out the weight range
- most all exercises are showing some small improvements
- I've also added more time in warm up with stretching and I've added some crunches there as well
- I am also noticing that I am putting on a little muscle (hopefully that would be the reason for my weight increasing ~2lbs since starting 3 weeks ago)
- The last two work out this week also felt better - not quite so mentally difficult: this is a good sign.
- Plans: follow the same routine for another 3 weeks as I think there are still benefits here to be gained

Running: has been enjoyable again, but I've not been pushing myself very hard.
- I've been struggling a bit with motivation to push hard and have instead just allowed myself to run at an easy/comfortable pace (usually just under 9 min/mi)
- Yesterdays 1:50 run, when it was all done seemed like I had only been gone 20 minutes!?
- My long run had an AHR of 139 - much like the previous days of this week: 140, 137, ?, 139.
- I know I would have more Aerobic benefits if I would push harder a couple days a week, but I've not been able to successfully do this recently - not sure why.
- Plans: to try again to get at least one run/week in at a higher pace/HR.

Weight: not much to say here. I'm not loosing any weight - actually gained 2 lbs since getting back to the weights 3 weeks ago. I'm not going to say it's all muscle, but I do know my lean tissue is increasing. I would expect by the end of this next three week cycle to see my fat decrease and probably have a reduction in weight. None the less, for each lb of muscle gained - I get the benefit of 50 more calories per day being burned up.

My key reminder this week: life is relational. It's much more than setting goals, attaining goals, being successful, prosperous, or anything else like that: those are some of the many tools of the trade of life, but not life itself. IMO the real work and satisfaction of life is relational - with God, family, friends, strangers, riding buddies, people we see at the store, on the street, ... where ever life takes us for as long as we have. With Thanksgiving coming this week - it's something to be mindful of.

[Photos: a tiny flower on a weed out back, but on close examination it is very pretty and fascinating, a nice yellow flower out front, even a tall blade of grass towers over this pretty flowering weed.]

"Quit complaining and eat your vegetables."

Depending on your age, you have likely heard this and maybe even said it too. It's a saying that tries to capture a couple different ideas and tie them together. Today in my run - that was the thought that came to mind as I was mildly disappointed that I wasn't wanting to push myself harder to run faster; disappointed that it didn't feel better/wasn't easier; basically just wanting more results than my investment has had time to yield.

For me this thought was clear and direct: "Why am I complaining - at least I'm able to exercise?" My runs these days often feel like eating vegetables that I'm not fond of, but will eat (on occasion) because they are good for me. (Beat juice would be one such example.) There are many people that don't have vegetables or food enough to eat; and so too there are many that can't or don't exercise enough to maintain an active lifestyle or even worse yet, don't exercise enough to stay healthy.

So for now I am going to continue to allow myself to run for fun and back off the training aspect of wanting to see to much in the area of pace improvements. I'm going to do the same with the weights. I'm only back in my 3rd week after 8+ months off and the difficulties with some of the exercises (pull ups and dips to name a couple) I'm just going to allow and accept as appropriate for the place that I'm currently at. I need to persevere through this time of investment.

I am seeing results - the vegetables are helping me. Here's to eating your vegetables with out complaining!

[Monday and Tuesday - weights in the AM and runs later in the day. Aiming for 5 work outs with the weights and 5 runs each week. This is an investment that should yield a return .. soon.]

No long run Sat

... instead it was a time with other men and especially my youngest son and even a little bit with my oldest son too. It was the weekend of our Men's retreat: where we head out to some property and eat together, camp, have some teaching, sharing and do some cool things: skeet shooting, hand guns, etc...

I put up a 'large' tent that my youngest son and I slept in. We got there after dark, so It was a little challenging putting up a tent in the dark that I've never seen before. We only stayed Friday night due to a commitment for Saturday night already - but J. likes to camp.

There were parts of the property that were very wet : I got stuck in my pathfinder for about 15 minutes. Others also got stuck and I rescued / pulled out a truck on Saturday from the middle of a field that was difficult even for the 4 wheel drive.

In the morning J. and I went for a walk before breakfast and enjoyed seeing all the different flowers, weeds, animal tracks and etc: he likes to pick them, I like to take pictures of them.

Later in the day we got to do some shooting and that was fun. And towards the end of the afternoon when we were heading out J. and I had a little time with my oldest son too. He spent some time with his little brother (who enjoyed the four-wheeler rides and shooting his paint ball gun) - and I enjoyed seeing them enjoy being together!

[Photos: different shots from the time at the men's retreat.]

Weights & Home work

Friday morning started with my second Friday weight routine. It was nice to get in a second week of 5 times with the weights. This is my goal for the weights. Doing it in the early morning M-F aids in it being a regular time as I'm usually here and don't plan other things.. yet. (But, I knew this was my last formal exercise for the week: sure there is exercise in everyday active living - but that's not what I'm talking about here as formal exercise.)

Once the kids were gone it was into my youngest daughters bedroom where the carpet has been pulled up for a couple of weeks now and get it ready to put down some laminate wood flooring. My friend K. and his 9 yr old son came over and assisted me. Having the extra help was GREAT! They left at noon and it was my intent to stop at noon too ... but the room was so close to being done. So about two hours later I stopped and all but the closet was done. (I had to rip a half inch strip down the last wall and some other custom cutting for the threshold - but it looks very nice now.) Sunday afternoon I finished the closet. Doorways are tough and this was no exception as I made several cuts that were incorrect: probably one bad cut for every correct one - I'm thankful we had the extra boards to cover my mistakes.

It was good to get the "Home work" done with a day of vacation, help of a friend and time on Sunday.

[Photos: flooring and continuous through into the closet.]

A cluttered desk...

... a cluttered desk is often a symptom or sign of a life that is too full - or so it is in my case. If you want to know how my life is, the untouched up photo of my desk from earlier this week (unfortunately it's even worse today) speaks louder than several hundred words here could.

I try to keep the big rocks, but these days it seems like not even all the big rocks are getting done. No answers for this today... I know the simple techniques and choices - but the difficulty comes in making the many daily choices.

Wed and Th morning == two more bricks in the wall. I switched up the Wed leg routine to do different exercises with my bench attachment for thighs and hamstrings still broken (and no replacement part available from the manufacturer) - so I added some light squats and good mornings.

The fullness of these last days has made running one of the big rocks that didn't make it into the days activities. I did take a reflective 4 mile walk Wed around lunch time. That was nice. No walk or ride walks for Thursday.

Friday I'm planning on the weights in the morning and then working on a home project as I use a vacation day.

Saturday is already to full for a long run, so I'll only have 2 runs in for this week ... consistency is so difficult. Hopefully next week I'll get 5 and 5 again. That's my hope; with out sacrificing other big rocks.

[Photos: my desk in it's current state (and need of attention), breakfast this morning when my oatmeal concoction just didn't sound good...]