Run/spin!

I like this very much, I need to get back on some form of Saturday morning group exercise (masters swim I think in this case rather than spinning) - however it is easier when I am "on vacation," in the sense that I've had three nights to catch up properly on sleep....

Anyway, did some good treadmill intervals first, then spin class.

Run: :31 with 10 x (1:00 @ 6.5mph, 1:30 walking recovery). Did first two too fast (7.0mph, 6.8mph) - it's supposed to be hard work but not overwhelming.

1hr spin

Need to change tube on back tire of bike for the triathlon, not looking forward to that but it must be done!.... (And will ride it around in the parking lot to make sure everything's functioning OK.)

Bench!

Just a short one, and I decreased weight on the work set as I didn't have a spotter and didn't want to take any chances (would have tried for 115 otherwise). World Gym is a really nice place to do this sort of lifting - and I heard the jingle-jangle behind me as I came upstairs and took out my key of Miss Roxy, keen for a visit (she is nuzzling in my ear as I type).

4 x 4 x 105
xclose grip: 2 x 10 x 85 (did one set of 6 at 95, it is too heavy for this sort of work still!)

double-handle horizontal lat pulldown 3 x 12 x ?

incline row: 3 x 8 x 40

3 x 10 front raise, lateral raise with 5lb

:30 upper body

Sea swim!

Just a short one (I wasn't wearing a watch - salt water kills my regular digital one, and the battery's dead in my diving watch), maybe 15 minutes. Then a quick dip in the pool, which was looking especially beautiful. Too hot to stay out longer!

:20 swim

Squats!

Yesterday was a travel day, all went smoothly but it's a long day....

Had a good squats workout just now at World Gym - Josh gave it to me to do while I was here. It is good: I am always a slight bit homesick when I'm in Cayman, with chief things I miss (not necessarily in this order) being NYC weather/park running, cats, library access and the powerlifting club. We had a good lunchtime visit from Max's cat Miss Roxy and then I felt much at home at the gym doing my squats, even if it's a little different (the rack here faces a mirror, it is distracting for me to see how red my face gets when I squat!).

squats: 3 x 3 x 140

pause squats: 4 x 4 x 95 (4-second pause)

Bulgarian split squats: 3 x 5 x 20lbs

cooldown spin

:45 lower body

Bench!

Inching up there - got a decent new PR today of 130. Got my eye on the big wheels!

I am much more endurance athlete than weight-lifter temperamentally, a workout day like this makes me glad I already ran earlier - it is over much too soon!

3 x 1 @ 120, 125, 130

close grip: 2 x 10 x 85

100 shrugs (42.5)

100 cable rope pulldown

about 50 minutes total
10mi bike

Run!

Oh dear - both yesterday and today I did get out for my "morning" run but only at the expense of the person I had my next appointment with! Need to get myself out the door more expeditiously rather than leaving it to the last possible moment and then running ten minutes late for whatever my next campus obligation is (fortunately today's student was stuck on the subway and was even a little more late than I was!).

Weather continues PERFECT. This is my good season for running and I intend to take advantage of that. The post-deadlift tendonitisy feeling in right glute-hamstring attachment continues troublesome - I had a long dinner last night and I couldn't find a comfortable position to sit in without it feeling really rather sore, not painful as such but distinctly uncomfortable - need to think about this. Anyway:

10min warmup

then 7 x 3min with rest as :30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00

38:30 total (not sure I counted this one quite right!)

Deadlifts

No exclamation points left in me - a nice day, but so much too long (I have only just now gotten home at 11:15pm) that I am ready to weep with fatigue! (I guess I eked out one after all.))

The workout earlier was very good.

Work set: 5 x 2 x 226

Deficits: 2 x 1 x 226

Circuit x 4

25 hip thrusts with band

25 banded abs

35 shrugs

Run!

I was determined to make this happen, although in the end it meant going in running clothes to meeting #1 and being rather late to meeting #2 - ah, if only I could get up in the morning without such a struggle! But the weather is gorgeous, and it was really worth getting out there....

:22 with 6 x 10-second strides

Run!

Yesterday was a wash - I had a much-needed Very Long Sleep, the afternoon passed without anything happening other than minor errands, I had a nice late-afternoon visit from a friend and then it was evening and I still had two TRAC chair reports that I couldn't write Friday afternoon because of my colloquium commitment! Got those done, happily, but couldn't drag myself out of bed this morning to run, and then had family commitment downtown midday and a meetup with a former student to talk about a letter of recommendation.

However it turned into the most beautiful day, and I was determined not to just flop on the couch - I got out the door a little late as the sun was already setting, but it was an absolutely lovely run, even running straight into the wind on the way home. Glorious!

Wanted less walking and more work than the spreadsheet workout had me doing (it was just the ladder down from 6 to 1 with equal parts rest), so I did it as follows:

10min warmup
2 x (6r/2w/5r/2w/4r/2w/3r/2w/2r/2w/1r/2w)

Running is feeling really good right now - still woefully slow of course, as I weigh too many pounds, but I'm not thinking about that for now, just enjoying the feeling of strength/power and not being too hot!

1.25hr total

Remote spin!

Nothing too intense, but always nice to catch up with L. I seem to have had an absolutely exhausting week, I'm totally tapped out....

:40 with high-cadence intervals

3 x :30 on, :30 recovery
2:00 set rest
3 x 1:00 on, 1:00 recovery
2:00 set rest
3 x 1:30 on, 1:30 recovery
2:00 set rest
6 x :30 on, :30 recovery

Squats!

It's funny, Josh has been saying all along that as a powerlifter, you will have a different favorite lift in each cycle, and a different one you're hating. The discrepancy between my bench/deadlift on the one hand and squat on the other made that hard for me to believe, it seemed like the squat would always be my least favorite of the three lifts! However I am getting a good glimpse in this training cycle of the possibility that it will beccome a strength rather than a weakness - this is very enjoyable....

5 x 2 x 125

2 x 10 x 95

3 x 8 x walking lunges (25s)

3 x 8 dumbbell hamstring curl (37.5)

1hr lower body

Happy run!

OK, that was better than yesterday - not quite as hot/hazy, legs not full of vim but neither absolutely dead. Nice one:

10min warmup

then 3 x (3min run, 1min walk, 2min run, 1min walk, 1min run, 2min walk)

40min total

Mini-run

Took a mental health morning to sort out my apartment and do errands. Was a bit late getting out the door for my run, still intended to do the workout but combination of tight schedule and absolutely dead legs made me decide just to do a token run today and leave the "real" workout for tomorrow morning.

:20 as 4:1

Bench!

Hahahaha, slightly self-defeating workout in several respects, though I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. I was doing things too quickly today earlier (partly due to compressed scheduling, also I think as lag from a very demanding day yesterday). Threw gym things into bag and rushed to an appointment; got to gym and found I had left my asthma inhaler at home. So, no swim - I can get away with a strength workout with no albuterol, especially upper-body, but it is just foolhardy to do a hard aerobic workout without it. Then I went to get changed and realized I had packed sports bra and 2 pairs of pants instead of one pants and one shirt! (Fortunately the t-shirt I was already wearing was suitable for lifting, but I have nothing dry to change into now.) Then, most foolishly, I overdid my warmup and used up too much of vim before work set (that said, it was an ambitious percentage, and none of us did the full projected maximum of 2-4 x 3-5. ANYWAY....

Note to self: don't take 8 reps warmup at 95, it's something like 80% of max!!!

4 sets at 115: 5, 3, 3, 2

close-grip: 2 x 10 @ 85

incline row: 5 x 10 x 42.5s

front raise: 3 x 10 x 5s

130 abs with band

Anyway, very nice, probably by not swimming this evening I will have a higher-quality run in the morning anyway...

Run!

Did get out in time to run, didn't have time to blog it! Utterly gorgeous weather, could not be nicer - warmer than over the weekend, very little wind, sunny....

10 x 1min hard, 1.5min recovery

:40 total

Spin!

That wasn't bad. Will think about how to incorporate regular evening stuff at the gym post-lifting now that I'm not riding bike down and trying to ride home before dark. Shooting to go to masters swim tomorrow if I can make myself stick around for it! (6:30 start time more realistic than 7 I fear, but we will see.)

1hr spin

DL! Heavy singles edition

I have to confess that as an endurance athlete, I really prefer the days when we do massive volume sets. There is far too much waiting around on a day like this!

(That said, I have just eaten two hard-boiled eggs and a toasted bialy with butter and will go to 6:30pm spin class to get my cardio fix and give myself some slight desensitization to the discomfort of next weekend's very warm sprint triathlon!)

We warm up first at 5 x 135, then at triples for 155 and 185, then switching to singles.

My work set:

1 x 245
1 x 255
1 x 265

Woo-hoo, good 20-pound PR! I gave Tabbitha's 285 a pop but though I got it well off the ground, my hips flew up and I stalled out mid-calf - still got to keep working, the number starting with a three is not yet within my reach but I think it will be some months from now. T. got a nice 305 for her third and final lift, that was very good!

Megan's hills!

Much more enjoyable than in summer months!

Temperature topped out this afternoon in the high 40s, it's windier than yesterday but still absolutely gorgeous - I love running in this weather.

Warmup: 15min (4:1)

10 x 1min hill, c. 1:40 walking recovery

Cooldown: 10min (4:1)

:55 total

Run of bliss!

It's absolutely the best running weather of all - I love this season, with the hint of coming winter in the air - low 50s, sunny, only a bit of wind. I had a funny workout from David and doubled up the work set as it seemed a pity not to do at least an hour. I note that I am fit enough now that two hours of exercise a day feels better than just one one-hour session; it might be that I should do a spin bike session at home later on?

12 x 5 as follows:

2 x 4:1 warmup
2 x (4 x 5:00 as 4:00/1:00, 3:00/2:00, 2:00/3:00, 4:00/1:00, with speed increasing as interval length decreases)
2 x 4:1 cooldown

1hr total

Squats!

Did not have vim for a run this morning - I couldn't fall asleep till really late, woke up very early to see my teenage charge out the door for school (!) (it is temporary but fun!), felt I was on the verge of tears due to exhaustion! However got through work day OK and then workout was great (only I am hungry for MORE EXERCISE still - there is so much rest between sets when you lift heavy weights!).

There were only four of us today, it was really nice and quiet....

SQUATS!

3 x 2 x 145

1 x 165 (easy peasy!)

pause squats: 4 x 2 x 100

Bulgarian split squats: 3 x 8 x 25

hip thrusts with 3-second isometric hold: 2 x 20

1hr lower body

Quick run!

Even as I was waiting for the elevator, I thought I might be able to do my real workout on the order of 45 minutes, but when I actually thought about the time properly it became clear that was misguided - it was almost 10:30, I'm giving a talk at 12 in the department and I'd run out of printer paper so I needed to stop at the store post-run and pick up a couple reams! (INVENTORY CONTROL FAILURE.)

Anyway just did :20 with 6 x 10-second strides. VERY NICE. Now to fuel and shower and don respectable garb....

Bench!

I think we were all still fatigued from yesterday's workout - the main work set was fine, but I don't think a single one of us made the second of our heavy doubles...

6 x 2 x 95

1 x 120

failed at 130

Misc. other stuff, what was it? 100 head-pulls with band, 5 x 10 close-grip lat pulldowns, 4 x 15 skullcrushers with 12.5 dumbbells. Good fun!

Run!

Very nice run, only (a) the weather is disgustingly muggy again and (b) really I am procrastinating on the very pressing task of writing my talk for tomorrow! (Department works in progress meeting - using it as occasion to draft book proposal - but rather behind with everything!)

10:00 warmup

5 x (3:00 hard, 2:00 walking recovery) (NB those two minutes go by pretty darn quickly if you've done a good job with the run intervals!)

c. 10:00 cooldown

47:30

Deadlifts!

Mondays continue to be my favorite day of the week this semester. Gave opening lecture on Tom Jones, then raced home to change and ride downtown to lift. Woo-hoo!

I think I could have had a slightly heavier weight for this, we never got a real max after the last cycle (the day we tested I was fried from masters swim the day before), but it was certainly heavy enough to represent a demanding workout!

After watching us all lift, Josh cut the next set (deficits 4 x 2) and then as two out of four were suffering tight backs (not me) and we had clearly totally lit up our central nervous systems, he basically just sent us home after having done a good day's work.

(Really I like working harder and longer, but it was fun for a change, and I had a lovely ride home along the waterat dusk, very relaxing.)

3 x 8 x 200

Farmer's walk x 4 (3 jogging with 37.5, 1 walking with 52.5 which my grip can't quite manage!)

1 set of shrugs - and then Josh made me stop! I was feeling my oats...

1hr lower body
10mi bike

Glorious run!

I have both a work event later AND a huge pile of my own work to do today, so the morning run was my only chance for decent exercise, and I decided I'd better do more than the minimum. This was a good choice - the weather is absolutely gorgeous (just tipping up from high 50s to 60, sunny and clear and with a hint of fall in the air), and I felt energetic once I warmed up. This week is a little chaotic but I hope I can stick with the routine - I really want to be running more like five days a week, but somehow it hasn't been happening....

:40 as 3:1 with first three for warmup, then last :30 of each run interval FAST

Run!

That was extremely nice, though a bit too dark - I rashly left it till the end of the day, forgetting how much earlier the sun sets each week at this time of year....

Perfect running conditions, though (high 50s, little breeze). Had a very nice one along the Hudson, slightly adapting coach's assignment for ease of use.

70 minutes as 14 x 4:1

first 2 and last 2 straight
middle 10 with :20 fast on the 1:00 and 3:00

Squats!

Null on running yesterday and today mostly through my own fault (for instance forgot the water was being turned off in my building 10-4 today, didn't get out before that and didn't want to be sweaty and smelly for a midday meeting....). ANYWAY good squats workout!

3 x 8 x 125

pause squats: 4 x 2 x 100

Bulgarian split squats: 3 x 8 x 17.5

120 abs with band

1hr lower body!

Bench!

Good work day. Not sure I have all these numbers exactly right as we made some adjustments to what was initially up on the board.

3 x 2 x 120

Board press - heavy singles going up to 155 (all-time high! Not the same as a full bench press, inevitably, but J. says he thinks this means I can "smoke" 135)

3 x 8 dumbbell rows (42.5, 47.5, 52.5, 52.5)

100 shrugs (52.5)

120 abs with band

1.25hr upper body

Run!

Belated post, didn't quite have time earlier. Didn't at all feel like getting out (was up too late last night - I need to follow B.'s advice and do some very easy spinning to counteract the unwanted CNS stimulation of heavy deadlifting Monday evenings!), but the weather's beautiful and it was nice once I was out there.

12:00 warmup

5 x (2:00 run, 1:00 walk, 1:00 run, 1:00 walk, :30 run, :30 walk)

cooldown

:50 total

Deadlifts!

Good workout. Mondays are my favorite day this semester - something about the contrast of lecturing on the eighteenth-century novel and then throwing off my work garb (hahahaha, I'm wearing workout gear underneath!) and cycling downtown to lift heavy weights is just enchanting...

6 x 2 x 185

Rack pulls (heavy singles): can't reproduce exactly, but I pulled 265 on the final one!

3 x 10 x 27.5lb dumbbell hamstring curls

120 abs with band

3 x 12 x single-leg hip thrust

1.5hr lower body
10mi bike

Slog!

To borrow the language of powerlifting, I was grinding this one out....

(My main physical complaint was the tight sore lower back, right hand side; my main mental complaint was that yet again I have left ALL my work for Sunday night, ugh!)

Anyway had to make a few deals with myself in order to get this one done. On the bright side, the weather turned surprisingly nice: 60ish, sunny, after some days of really wintry rainy weather.

Schedule asked for 90min with 30s faster every 5min - I did an approximation as follows:

First hour as 12 x (4:00 jog, :30 fast, :30 walk)
:20 as 4 x (3:30 jog, :30 fast, 1:00 walk)
10min walk

1:30 total

Squats!

Had to miss last night's class but had good makeup session just now. This is great! Finally lifting some real weight. Did a good single at 165 and as Josh says "wasn't even grinding" - I would guess I have 185 in me at current fitness and 200 coming in the near future.  Benefits of training submaximally..

6 x 2 x 95

Heavy singles up to 165 (135 x 2, 155, 165)

4 x 4 x 95 w 4-second hold at the bottom

Bulgarian split squats 3 x 8 x 12.5s

100 abs with band

1hr lower body
10mi rainy bike!

Run!

End of day rather than start, I am not an early riser...

... but temps are incredibly cooler! Will take a little rain and wind any day over heat to run in.

:30 as 6 x (4:1), first two warmup, last four with final :30 of each work interval HARD