Day 57

Lifted weights.

I did less variety but upped the intensity in accordance with the trendy Giles Corey fitness program.  I hit core the hardest, with some attention to back, shoulders, triceps and thighs.  My calves are quite sore from yesterday's run and I was reluctant to hit arms/shoulders too hard after my recent injury.

I hit 175lbs - a local minimum weight, which is a fun psychological milestone   Except for a brief period while in the clutches of Lyme disease I haven't been that low in over a decade.

Other note: This morning I got the results of the first physical I've had since childhood - generally good.  My BMI (24.8) just barely squeaked under the limit for "overweight" so when I refute the wife's accusations that I am fat, I will be technically correct (the most important kind of correct).  I am on track to avoid diabetes, but my LDL is high.  I'll try eating fewer egg yoks and drinking some green tea and see how it goes.

Day 56

Jogged 4.6mi (in 45 minutes).

This was close to my best jog numerically, but I believe it was my best qualitatively. After the 2 minute walk to warm up i jogged 3.1mi straight (in 25 minutes), a personal best. Then i interspersed walking and jogging to finish up.

I am trying to get back on the wagon. My innumerable followers will note that I'd been silent for the last two weeks. It's because I hurt my shoulder somehow -- it was sufficiently painful that i lost two nights of sleep, so i didn't give much thought to running or lifting. Even now, after I'm off of the narcotics and anti-inflammatories I am reluctant to lift or swim for fear of reawakening it. That was pretty awful, and I didn't get any root cause (just a guess that it was a muscle strain, which I reject since the only thing i'd done before it was jog once after spring break).

But I jogged really well today, and if i feel well tomorrow I'll try some easy lifting.

Day 55

Jogged(+walked) 4.56 miles in 45 minutes - a 6.08mph pace.

First day back from spring break -- Despite a week of relative sloth and gluttony my hard-earned fitness and slimness didn't completely disappear.

It was hard waking up at 5:45am ET (after getting used to 7am central) but running wasn't too bad and I am still down around 178 lbs -- I was surprised.

A note about the meaning of the "Day #" in the title and the "Week #" in the tags -- the day represents the days of "official" fitness, which doesn't count weekends or informal exercise. The week represents the calendar week. So after 12 weeks I missed 1 day to illness, 1 day to something else I forgot, and 4 days to vacation (jogged once) - leaving me with 12*5-6 = 54 days. Today is thus the 55th day and the beginning of my 13th week since I started this "program" (on January 21, 2013).

Day 54

Jogged/walked ~3 miles.

Shelley and I are trying to stay on top of our fitness kicks even through our spring break vacation in TX. Here's my estimate of where I went:


View TX Jog #1 in a larger map

Week 11

After feeling like a big loser in week 10 (where I abandoned swimming) and a wimp in week 9 (where I abandoned lifting), week 11 has been very positive:

• My jogging has ramped up quickly -- each day I've gone further faster than before.
• My lifting has varied, but seen higher weights and more free-weights than machines.
• I hit an all time (at least in the last year or so) low weight of 177 (when dehydrated).

I don't miss swimming at all, although i miss the idea of it and admit that it was great when sore.  Hopefully i'll forgive it soon and go back to it.

I'll be away from my gym and travelling for spring break -- hopefully i can fit in some exercise and keep the momentum going.

Day 53

Jogged+Walked 4.62 mi in 45 minutes -- a 6.16mph pace.

I didn't track how much i ran vs. walked, but my average pace was slightly higher than previously so i think it was likely ~3.75mi jogging.

My muscles were still somewhat sore from my lifting days, particularly my core, and my calves were sore from the previous run, but not prohibitively.  Not bad!

Day 52

Lifted weights.

Despite still being sore from Tuesday I was able to do some more variations on my weight routine.  I think the freedom is helpful - instead of doing none when i can't do 12, i do 6 or 8.  I mix weights a little to be able to do more (try lighter for a set to get a break then heavier for a set to maybe get stronger).  I think the free weights are good for me -- they're certainly humbling.

I finished it up with 10 minutes on a stationary bike, burning 100 calories.

I've become a believer in stretching -- I think it's helped me be less sore after running.  So I stretched again today -- I only really do hamstrings and calves, i'm not really sure how to stretch anything else.

Day 51

Jogged 3.75 mi (over 3 stints with an extra .83mi walking).

I jogged 2 miles, then walked .25, jogged 1.1, walked another .25, jogged .65, and walked to cool down to 45 mins.  This was easily my best jog, and comes on the heels of my last best jog on Monday.

Furthermore, in my last three runs I've increased both distance and average speed:

• 3/29: 3mi @ 5.14mph
• 4/1: 4.1mi @ 5.47mph
• 4/3: 4.58mi @ 6.11mph

 Encouraging!

Day 50

Lifted - variations on my main theme as noted below.  Some heavier, some lighter, some on freeweights.  I was pleased with the approach and now want to get better.

• Squat
• Since I'd only been doing 90 lbs (and that while lying down), i figured merely squatting down and standing up would be more than that.  So now i do it sans machine.
• Chest Press
• Instead of 80lbs on a machine, I did 35 lbs in each hand with dumbbells.   Despite lower weight, this was much, MUCH harder.  Did two sets instead of three.
• Deadlift
• Upped the weight to 125 or 135 (from 95, uncertain of total since I don't know how much the new bigger bar weighs).  Did two sets instead of three.
• Crunch
• Did actual situps instead of using the machine.  2 sets by lifting legs against an incline, then did knee lifts.
• Seated cable row
• 90 lbs instead of 80.  Did two sets instead of three.
• Triceps pushdown
• As usual.  Three sets of 60 on a machine.
• Lat Pulldown
• 100 lbs instead of 87.5 - 1 set.
• Overhead press
• Instead of 70lbs on the machine tried two 25 lb dumbbells -- super hard.  Did two sets instead of three.
• Biceps curl
• Weaker than usual - same 20 lb dumbbells, but only did two sets instead of three

Day 49

Jogged 3.1 miles (in pieces with another mile of walking in between).

I jogged 1mi, walked .15 mi, jogged 1mi, walked .25 mi, jogged .7 mi, walked .25 mi, jogged .4 mi, and walked to cool down (about .35 mi) - so 4.1 miles total of which 3.1 was jogging.

I ran about 7.4mph and walked about 3.8.  I did the whole shebang in 45 minutes, so I averaged 5.47mph.

I stretched pretty extensively (that is, for about 2 minutes rather than 10 seconds).  I don't know if it was that or just stronger legs, but i didn't have as big a problem climbing the stairs afterward.  there might be something to this stretching.

I still don't like running, but i don't dread it the way I do swimming.  We'll see how i feel after doing it twice more in a week!