The rest of week 6

With the days so full and not having a 'hard' goal - my blogging has bumped down a few steps and I'm trying to blog as often as I can make time. This week that is twice..

Signs of progress: as I mentioned in a previous comment - I have made the 5 strength training routines the primary goal right now. Partly because I can schedule them in first thing in the morning and have little risk other than sleeping in of them not happening; and the rest because I do enjoy them (after they are done). The following are signs of progress as I've finished my 6th week:

• I'm taking shorter rests in between each set. I use a timer and set it in advance for the exercise to 30, 60 or 90 seconds depending on the exercise and day.
• I'm doing almost twice as much work on the bench press (3,040 lbs lifted on Th of week one VS 5,420 lbs lifted last Th - those numbers are computed from the reps times the weight for each set).
• Pull ups started with 4 regular on week one and I did 7 this week.
• The pull up ladder on week one went to 4 and was weak and this past week went to 5 with complete reps (1-2-3-4-3.5-3.5-1.5-1 VS 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1, or 18 total VS 25 total).
• Warm up was just punching bag and hanging knees on week one; this last week it is over 10 minutes of core warm up and training: twisting and stretching, hanging knees, knee raises, L's, crunches, Punching bag and a plank.

Training with my wife: This weeks Wed routine was the 3rd time in a row that my wife joined me: and once again it was a good time. I actually wrote down one of the things she said as it made me laugh when she said it. Now it's not likely to be as funny here, but the scene is we are on the last exercise of the circuit, the plank, and she says - "I don't wanna do the plank...". This wasn't said in a rebellious tone, but rather a child like whinny voice - looking for sympathy and an out. (It kind of made me think of someone being forced to walk 'the plank' in a Pirate movie - and them begging for mercy...) So, rather than having to do the full minute (and falling to the sharks in the water below), we agreed to 2 reps of 30 seconds with a very short rest in the middle. :-)

This past week I was able to get in all 5 strength workouts; but I was only able to run three times for a total of 14 miles. My road bike has been calling out to me! It's hanging in the garage .. tempting me as often as I enter. I have some loose spokes and a little bit of service that needs to happen to it and then I'll likely ride it again soon. I've not been on it for ~3 months now: long enough to 'want' to start up again after 5,000+ miles this year.

More big rocks .. as is to be expected, but that's OK. My thorn continues to be wanting to exercise or eat when I'm stressed. Eating is easier, but I prefer to exercise: to much of either is a problem; balance continues to be the goal and will likely be the life long goal that I continue to reach for that is just beyond my grasp ...

[Photos: my son's swim meet, the last stages of a spectacular sunset, breakfast one morning (2 fried eggs, onions, bell pepper, garlic, pepper jack cheese and spinach.]