Sure!

And then I just disappeared!
Started off well in January - lots of good workouts, ski vacation was wonderful - 5 days of pure telemark skiing! Figure something like 1000 lunges per day? New skis are fantastic! Came home to craziness with the annual conference - week of prep, week of the conference, week of exhaustion to recover. Then sick for 2 weeks, sheesh! Just started back up this week, so I'll go forward from here.

Monday (137.8) 3/4/13
BOSU with 5kg medicine ball, BOSU leg/balance work
Lunges - 3 songs worth of lunges - some on BOSU, some step back with 5kg ball, new tick/tock lunges
Triceps side lunges with 50 lbs
Single arm rows with twist @ 60 lbs
Achilles tendons exercises with 15 lbs, good roller session

Tuesday (137.4) 3/5/13
Needed high heart rate cardio today (stress!!!!) so did spin bike for 42 minutes
HRM showed low HR Variability of 122 - clearly I'm not where I was a few weeks ago before getting sick. Took a while to get my HR up but did finally hit a max of 165 and stayed above 160 for about 5 minutes.

I'll get it back!
 
I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Welcome back :)
 
Thanks, Ryan.

Hanging steady at 137.8 lbs. Thinking if I can hang here another week, it will be the new, fairly easy 'norm' for me as 3 weeks usually does the trick.

Second day soreness had me moaning and groaning this morning as I got up and started moving. Those lunges are just brutal!

Headed to the gym today (we are sooooo close to morning outdoor workouts - of course with rain/snow in the forecast that will slip away again) with plans for my favorite EFX elliptical workout, but someone else had claimed my machine and was puttering away. I tried not to notice that she wasn't working very hard - I'm very likely a horrible person for wanting to tell so many of these people to let go of the hand rails...

I mentally switched gears and went for incline treadmill. 8% grade, 4.3 mph for 32 minutes - was headed into a cooldown when I hit the big red stop button by accident, so just jumped off and went upstairs to roll.

The walk felt good and I was pleased to have increased the speed a couple of tenths throughout and was sure I could have upped it another notch or two. Always tough to decide between going faster or going steeper...

Anyone have any thoughts on that? Ideas about benefits of steeper vs faster?
 
In my experience, steeper --> more calves; faster --> more glutes and thighs. As far as cardiovascular benefits go, I don't think one is inherently any better than the other, however the one that causes you to fatigue quicker at the same HR (due to muscular fatigue or other non-cardio-related causes) will obviously result in less cardiovascular stress (and thus less cardiovascular adaptation) than the one that allows you get a greater workload at the same HR.
 
I'll have to experiment a little while wearing my HRM. The fun/'push myself to the limit factor' is with going steeper. On a day like today where I had limited time, I like to do what is most tiring in the shortest amount of time...

Both things (faster/steeper) are beneficial in terms of training to do what I like (really long hikes with significant climbs). Hmm - I love self-experiments. Thanks for your thoughts, Ryan.
 
I had a great workout today! (138.4)

More incline treadmill - 9.0% and 4.2 mph (14:17 minute miles), METS 9.4, WATTS 145.6 - I was pretty much at the limit of what I could do for the amount of time I had planned (35 minutes).

I like to assess whether I could bump the incline half a percent or increase the speed by a couple of notches - not today! I think I could have gone a full hour, another aspect of my self-assessment, but I'm not positive...

Avg HR was 159, max of 169. Climbed almost 1200 feet.

Achilles Tendon exercises (not making much progress as far as reducing pain), roller, and stretching.
 
136.6 today but no workout - life gets in the way sometimes! Big snowstorm, car repair logistics, spouse has medical appointments... did get in 2 good sest of the eccentric calf raises with 20lb added weight for my Achilles Tendonitis - sure would like to be magically cured of this stupid problem.

Given the new snow and the fact that is seems like it is going to be deep, I'm hopeful for either XC skiing or a good snowshoe this weekend!
 
Sounds like a great weekend workout plan! Snowshoeing is so effective, as is XC skiing. You can snow in Arizona? Is that common for March?

In Minnesota we have a ton of snow, but this weekend it'll be heating up into the 40's so we are crossing our fingers and hoping it'll disappear (we're already had ENOUGH snow!).
 
Yep, I'm in Flagstaff and live at 7300 feet, so yes, we get snow. It's been a decent snow year, but not great. I like it when we get a lot. What I love about spring snow storms is how quickly it goes away!

We will get 8-12 inches from this storm, but we are forecast to get up into the 40's by Sunday and into the 50's early next week so the snow won't last long. It makes me motivated to get out and play while I can.

I got a pair of running/racing snowshoes for Christmas this year. I've been out running with them maybe 3 times - really hard work but so fun! Our basement has a separate entrance and I fear we didn't close the cover over the stairwell (like a mid-west storm cellar), so I may not be able to get into the basement to get the snowshoes... big dig is good exercise too, right?
 
I like winter running on snow and ice, with the snowtrax on my shoes. Done XC skiing years ago, but not really a lot of snow where I am.
Considered a bit of a freak here in the UK where everyone's idea of a nice day is hot and sunny while I find this oppressive for training and prefer much cooler weather.

Nice reading your journal, good to see someone else who likes to experiment and find the best/ most intense version for them. Hate treadmills so faster/ steeper no idea with them. Personally find hill training is great as combines both really well, run up gives the steep back down give the pace. One spot I remember that was great had a 1.3 mile uphill, getting steeper for the first mile and then slightly less the rest, there was a road I used to go back down to the start that wound a lot more and was just over 2 miles. Was interesting trying to recover on the downhill and increase speed at the same time.
Naturally better at going up hill than down, but beign heavier than I used to be, I am finding this starting to even out a lot and uphill is getting hard. Middle aged spread and all that.
 
CrazyOldMan said:
I like winter running on snow and ice, with the snowtrax on my shoes. Done XC skiing years ago, but not really a lot of snow where I am.
Considered a bit of a freak here in the UK where everyone's idea of a nice day is hot and sunny while I find this oppressive for training and prefer much cooler weather.

Nice reading your journal, good to see someone else who likes to experiment and find the best/ most intense version for them. Hate treadmills so faster/ steeper no idea with them. Personally find hill training is great as combines both really well, run up gives the steep back down give the pace. One spot I remember that was great had a 1.3 mile uphill, getting steeper for the first mile and then slightly less the rest, there was a road I used to go back down to the start that wound a lot more and was just over 2 miles. Was interesting trying to recover on the downhill and increase speed at the same time.
Naturally better at going up hill than down, but beign heavier than I used to be, I am finding this starting to even out a lot and uphill is getting hard. Middle aged spread and all that.
Click to expand...

You really have to watch out for and fight that middle aged spread! I am longing for spring and getting back outside to run. I generally do hill training a couple of times a week - one day of a long uphill (about 3 miles) then turn and run down, and one day of hill sprints. I have 3 different pair of new running shoes in the mail (I won't keep them all... maybe) and am so ready to get back outside!

Saturday (137.4) was a blizzard, so did 3 indoor DVD workouts, kettlebell, medicine ball, and then dumbbells - feeling some sore stuff today! Was really grunting with the Turkish Getups - haven't actually done those with weight before and 15 lbs seemed to be a lot. Later, the wind and snow eased off to the point where it wasn't accumulating so I also dug out the root cellar and basement stairs. Heavy, wet spring snow - so easier to shovel than the powdery stuff, but heavy!

Sunday (136.6) a dark mental state descended and is still with me, so today (136.6) was just survival. Treadmilled it for 3 12 minute miles (walking) at 1.5% for medicinal purposes.

Recommitting to being wheat free, as it seems to be a problem for me. Blood test tomorrow, but no matter the results, I feel better physically and mentally when I don't eat any wheat.
 
Doing some better today. (138.4)

Fasted, gave blood, found coffee, and became slightly more human - then because I was close to the Buffalo Park exercise course and it was a lovely morning with bright sunshine, I walked the 2 mile path. Wow, tough going and a good core workout because the foot of snow that arrived on Friday had been trampled and melted into a blotchy, chunky, mishsmash of ice, snow, mud and made a wonderfully uneven surface.

Seem to be doing yet another round with the crud - nasty green gunk in my lungs, lots of hacking, so was good to be outside where I wasn't around anyone and wouldn't scare them or possibly infect them with my germs. Next week I'm on the road and will be in the desert - hoping that will help dry me out!
 
Trained through illness many times in the past. All it ever did was extend the illness period. Of course patiently waiting to get better is unbearable but I prefer that option.
Fortunately I am rarely ill, but when I am I take it very badly, real bear with sore head syndrome.

You have my deepest envy with your location. I love going for walks in picturesque areas.
 
Thanks for the well wishes. I've scaled waaaay back, can't really call this training, just moving to keep the crud from really settling into my lungs. I am usually super healthy so it is a real brain twist to have been 'sort of sick' for 3 out of the last 4 weeks.

The green goobers and I did another walk in Buffalo Park this morning (138.2). Too cold for Shoe Hill Loop at home, but the extra 50 minutes it takes to get to town bring the morning temp up a lot - was just about at the freezing mark when I started and getting warmer - read ice was starting to melt - as I walked. Much of the chunky blocky snow from yesterday had melted into a slick layer of ice.

Funny thing, my audio book this morning had a chapter on the acid/alkalai balance in the body, noting how so much of the western diet pushes the human body toward acidity which it [the body] doesn't like, so our bodies rob from our bones to neutralize it. So of course, the book got into weak bones and bone fractures in women 50 and older. While 50 is still 6 months away, and I've done a lot to prevent these problems (few grains, moderate animal protein consumption, virtually no soda) it is something I think about because I know a bad fall could totally wreck my ability to hike as far as I want to.

So, back to my walk. I'm having a great time - working the core, skating along on the slick spots, loving the sunshine and being outside, wondering if I can possibly do the planned winter ascent of Humphries this Saturday (climb 3500 feet up to over 12,600???), and thinking that maybe tomorrow I'll start doing some of the exercise stations in addition to the walk when POW! My foot slips and in classic form I am down hard, bouncing on my butt. Hmm - not so much padding back there as I once had, but I'm fine. A little wet, but fine. My bones must not be too fragile just yet!!!
 
As with many 'age' related things bone health is linked to general health, diet and activity.
I have known people in there 40s crippled up and unable to climb stairs without taking a break, others in their 70s more than capable of anything they pleased.
Age has it's effect but not as much as the 'any excuse' brigade make out.
For the record I am a decade behind you, so for you I am crazy young whipper snapper.
 
Dang, enough with being sick! Went down hard last Wednesday afternoon, was in bed Thursday and Friday when I wasn't busting a lung coughing, got up for a few hours Saturday but was totally wiped out by doing the dishes. Sunday I was some better and we made a short excursion to town to get groceries, but I had to nap when we got home. So my movement has consisted of walking Charlie Very Fat Cat around the loop (1/3 mile) each day followed by a shorter excursion with Dillybug. Weight is down to 134, not that it is meaningful, I just don't care to eat.

Drove to Parker today and will be on the road all week. Thought my eardrum would burst as I dropped in elevation west of Kingman. I found a decongestant in my bag and very, very carefully blew my nose to ease the pressure in my head. Just like being on plane - really painful.

It about broke my heart to just drive by Buckskin State Park and not stop for a run in the desert. We've had enough moisture recently that the landscape has a light coating of green and spring flowers are in bloom. So pretty and it would be wonderful to be out running on the trails at the park. I love the hills there, but there was no way. I just have to rest and get over this stupid bug so I can return to living and playing!
 
Was up much too late working in my hotel room last night, so overall, felt a bit worse today. And we worked straight through, no stopping for lunch - I just ate my apples and cheese, but, we got PHS to a good place in terms of scheduling for next year. So, worthwhile I supposed. Left town about 5 to head for Wellton.

I still feel quite yucky (read inundated with mucus) but.... as I was driving south, I decided I could take a short excursion, maybe break a little sweat, and do something fun! My happy factor quadrupled!!! Temps in the low 80's by the way - it is the AZ desert! Actually 80 is lovely here since humidity is about -30. Anyway, I saw the sign for Palm Canyon and while it has been about 15 years, I remembered it as being a fun, short trail to see a high desert canyon with the only native palm trees in AZ.

It's a half mile trail, climbs enough to make one notice, and it was wonderful to be outside moving! Native spring flowers and shrubs are blooming, there has been enough recent rain that the hardy desert plants are green, and the KOFA mountains are so rugged and beautiful - well, it totally made my day.

I coughed and gasped and was horrified to actually notice that I had walked this mile, but it was sooooo worthwhile!

T called as I was getting to the hotel, he got in a good weight workout today - pretty envious of that as it has been ages since I did anything along those lines. I am dreading the next time I do my pushup/pullup/t2b series.
 
Still feeling yucky - when will this end????

Did do some planks this morning as part of a group challenge of 'do something involving stomach and 10'. Front planks - 4 for 30 seconds each intersperced with side planks 3 each side for 30 seconds each. Might try a short walk later along the canal.
 
Well, I may not be able to shake these stupid bugs, but at least I'm not destined to die of heart disease! Got my blood test results back:

LIPID PANEL: Your LIPID PANEL recent lab results are normal
(Collection Date: 03/07/2013)
CHOLESTEROL 185, Range: <200
TRIGLYCERIDE 49, Range: <150
CHOL/HDL RATIO 2.3, Range: <4.5
HDL CHOLESTEROL 82, Range: >45
VLDL CHOLESTEROL 10, Range: <30
LDL CHOLESTEROL,CALC. 93, Range: <100

I'm pretty happy about this - had to laugh when I was reading about "very high" HDL. Guess there really isn't an upper limit, but above 80 is considered very high. And then T says "I wonder why your LDL is so high? You should work on that." Ugh!
 
It seems we've both had blood tests lately. Mine came back in the realm of very, very boring. The only thing remotely interesting was that my vitamin D levels were on the lower end of normal; not a very remarkable fact, especially considering no one around here has seen natural light for the last 2 months.
 
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