2015 Exercise Log/Challenge

[Crankin]

I know the research is conflicting; the AHA still says the total is just as important as the ratio. Others, not so much. My LDL and triglycerides are OK, one is average, and one right at the upper level of average. There's no history of CAD in my family, my dad had a heart attack at age 85, but given the fact he was a smoker since age 16 and ate crappy since my mom died, not really applicable to me. His dad had a heart attack in his early 60s/late 50s, but he was rather overweight and smoked, too. No CAD in my mom's family, though. I need to email my doc. I have a new PCP, whom I really like. I got the report in December, so in the rush of the holidays, I decided to wait until January. OK, on my list for this week.
Your workout sounds quite difficult! Keep it up.
Not sure about the morning... "wintry mix" predicted. If I don't go to boot camp, I'll do a light spin on the trainer and then one of my functional bodyweight DVDs.

[Catrin]

My LDL is too high, all else could not be better, HDL is well over 80 and triglycerides are at the low end of normal. Heart troubles don't run in my family, though my mom had high blood pressure problems - but she was overweight, sedentary and smoked heavily for at least 50 years. I also have a new doctor I like and it will be interesting to hear what she says.

We are currently in an ice storm, hopefully no problems getting to the office in the morning.

[Crankin]

I did get to the gym this morning. Was just sleeting when I left and kind of raining, but probably freezing on contact when i came home. However, the roads had been treated by then. My driveway, did have a coat of ice in one place, over the crunchy snow, but the anti-lock brakes worked fine.
Class was hard this morning, one minute of everything! I wore my knee support when I got home from skiing until this morning, and it worked. It's been achy and I don't need one more thing wrong! I will be resting tomorrow.

[Crankin]

Rested fully, yesterday. Today I went to the step/sculpt class, which was not quite as crowded, so cooler. I placed my step as close to the huge fan as possible. It was a good class.
I had plans to hike with a friend this afternoon, but she hates cold and it was 20 and cloudy, so we went to the mall and slowly walked/browsed. I did get to see my cousin who works at Nordstrom's and I bought some make up from her, and at least she got her commission for that! My friend would have been OK with snow shoeing, but there is just a crust of icy snow on the trails. Put in an email to my PT. I hope he's still there. I noticed he was not on the McKenzie list any more, but I think that's because he only has a bachelors degree. There's another McKenzie woman I saw for a neck issue, but I didn't like her (she wanted to hug me when my neck got better, yuck) or the owner of the place, who's kind of a religious nut. She did good work, so I'll go if I have to... hoping Walter gets back to me. If not, I'll call over to the chiro office where he has his practice 2 days a week.

[Catrin]

Good luck on getting help from your McKenzie guy!

My thumb arthritis has really flared up - or at least the pain has. The OTHER hand looks much worse, and the thumb is actually less functional, but it doesn't hurt. So I will be getting a bit of hand therapy that will hopefully help. Ironically, this apparently came about because I decided that I wanted to try a less strong/less toxic anti-inflammatory. After two months of failed experimentation I am back on the strongest dose and it isn't working as well as it once did. Perhaps it would have been that way anyway, the x-ray results will be interesting. NO signs of carpel tunnel which is a good thing.

Full rest day today prior to our trial competition tomorrow night. Last night I did a competition set, in that we did a full 10 minute set with only one hand switch. I was going for time though, not volume, so I limited my volume. That won't happen tomorrow night Whether I compete on Feb 7 will be determined on whether I aggravate my bicep tendonitis or strained tendon (different arms) tomorrow night or not. Crossing my finger on that one - I've been cleared but you never know until you do it!

[VeganBikeChick]

Back running again. Was out of commission the last 3 weeks from back to back illnesses. I'm saddened at how quickly my limited fitness deteriorated. Hoping it will be enough motivation to keep going.

[Catrin]

Back running again. Was out of commission the last 3 weeks from back to back illnesses. I'm saddened at how quickly my limited fitness deteriorated. Hoping it will be enough motivation to keep going.

It does seem to go more quickly the older we get Congratulations on being able to run again! I SO wish that I could ride again, I miss it so very much.

I need to find a sustainable type of cardio to balance out my kettlebell sport. I CAN, and do, use kettlebells for cardio-strength but it would be better for my biceps and shoulders to find another way. My knee prevents me from running, I can't ride (though I am going to try a spin class soon, I doubt it could be a regular activity). I can't row for time, only for shorter intense bouts (neck and shoulders). Most cardio machines tweaks my knee - thankfully there is ONE I've found that doesn't. I will work something about, even if it is 10 minute bouts between the rower/rope machine/ArcTrainer to get my time in. I am not about to give up!

[Crankin]

So, the PT never got back to me; he may be away. I need to call the office.
Oy, I almost just got killed riding my trainer. Not sure what happened, but when i was in the last minute of a hard 3 minute interval, standing, the bike listed and made a big noise. I immediately stopped pedaling and sat, and before I realized the bike was just leaning and not going to fall off of the trainer I made a split second decision that it would hurt less to fall on the treadmill as opposed to DH's bike. But, I grabbed the treadmill's small rail near the front to get myself off the bike, unclipped, and ran, screaming down 4 flights of stairs, to find DH, who is installing a new TV in our family room. DH is not sure what happened, but it's fixed. Unfortunately, my new bike has a nick on the chain stay on the left side. It's just the paint, no carbon gouging, so DH will paint it and clearcoat it. I am not one who gets upset about this kind of stuff, but geez. I really thought the derailleur had snapped off! So, my workout was only 45 minutes and I think I need a glass of wine to calm myself!

[Catrin]

Yikes, glad you AND your bike is ok! Very glad you were not hurt and no carbon gouging.

We had our test competition tonight, it was a fine dry run! There are three of us training, and we are each doing different lifts. I was a little concerned going into it since I just got over a strained bicep tendon in one arm, and the OTHER arm a bout with bicep tendinitis, and my thumb arthritis has also been flaring and causing a lot of problems. Thankfully my thumbs are fine with the lifting, at least so far. I went for it :-)

To make my rank, my minimum number, I needed to complete 100 repetitions of the Long Cycle (the KB clean and jerk). This lift takes longer than the others as there are three points of fixation - in short - it takes a lot longer than the other lifts. I needed 100, I completed 106 AND...for the very first time...there was NO bicep pain/soreness/tightness/nothing The real test will be how I feel tomorrow but I don't expect a problem. Now I just need to avoid doing something stupi...errr...ill-advised between now and Feb 7.

Frankly I would LIKE to win, but my shoulders require me to compete with the lightest of allowed weights and I don't expect that I will have a competitor. She would need to be in both my weight class and choose the same KB weight. It is possible but I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen. It looks like I will be in the bottom of my weight class but time will tell. My weight class is HUGE, close to 20 pounds from the bottom to the top!

[Crankin]

Congrats on the 106! It all sounds very complicated to me. Did boot camp this morning. Another one where we did 5 minutes of 3 different things, alternating sets of cardio and strength. The cardio sets were hard, like 10 burps, 10 skate slides, 20 lunges off of the step for 5 minutes. The strength things involved different kinds of push ups, rows, biceps, triceps with a bar or weights.
I am going to TRY and go to her similar class tomorrow. It's at 7:30 AM, and 10 miles away, so...

[Catrin]

Congrats on the 106! It all sounds very complicated to me. Did boot camp this morning. Another one where we did 5 minutes of 3 different things, alternating sets of cardio and strength. The cardio sets were hard, like 10 burps, 10 skate slides, 20 lunges off of the step for 5 minutes. The strength things involved different kinds of push ups, rows, biceps, triceps with a bar or weights.
I am going to TRY and go to her similar class tomorrow. It's at 7:30 AM, and 10 miles away, so...

It probably sounds more complex than it is. Basically it helps to be part hamster as we just keep doing the same thing over and over and...

It sounds like you are really enjoying/getting a lot out of your boot camp! I've yet to try it as I don't really trust the guy who teaches it at my gym. If anyone else ever teaches it I will give it a shot.

I feel fine today but am taking a full rest as I've things planned for the next 4 days.

[Crankin]

I've enjoyed it a lot more since the evil one quit teaching last summer. Well, she didn't quit, she just doesn't teach at 5:30 AM anymore. I know her class was harder, but not in a good way. The one I do now is hard enough! What I like the most is that it's different every time.
I also have to admit I am enjoying going to the step and sculpt class on Wednesdays, since the last few bike group things have been too far away/too easy. I just ignore the other participants! This week, the instructor, who is the fitness director, had 2 songs that were on some of my first cardio tapes when I was teaching classes. It made me smile. Not that I want to teach again... because it would have to be senior classes!
ETA: I *think* I wrote this post and didn't add in the hour on the spreadsheet, so I added it in now. Hoping I am not giving myself an extra hour, but I do remember the total I put in on Thursday, and it was the same when I looked this morning.

[Catrin]

There were only 3 of us today, two of us did the dry competition run on Thursday evening. Our coach was very easy on us and, frankly, it didn't really even feel like a workout - but it was supposed to be more of an easy recovery pace. It certainly was that

Crankin, I've had to do that at least once myself when I posted before editing my spreadsheet entry. It is easy to forget.

[Crankin]

So, I've concluded that I will not ever go to the Saturday boot camp. I can't really do that 2 days in a row, and while I woke up at 6:30, I just couldn't get out of bed, knowing I had to dress and go out in 8 F temperature and drive longer than to my usual gym to get there. Good decision, though. Just came back from a 1.5 hour hike in the Stow Town Forest. There's nothing spectacular about this place, except there is a 350 foot hill, which when you get to the top, feels like you're in the deep woods. We did the climb from the slightly easier side and down the steeper side first, then did the flatter circumfrence trail, for about 3.5 miles. It's all harder and prettier in deep snow, but it was gorgeous out, bright sun, about 23 degrees. I hadn't done any exercise outside in a week, because my friend wimped out on me on Wednesday.
Going to go see the movie Wild with our friends in a bit.

[Catrin]

Sounds like a good choice Crankin - and frankly - I think it is bad for our bodies to do that type of workout 2 days in a row. We need recovery time. Sounds like you had a great hike though! I thought about hiking this afternoon - it is well in the 40's!!! Everything is melting, of course, and the wind is howling. I've settled for turning off my heater, opening some windows, and settling down to a good apartment cleaning. If it wasn't so windy I probably would have gone, but the trails are likely hip deep in mud at this point anyway.