GET SERIOUS

The first week of my schedule didn't go well. Missed runs on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Michele signed us up for the Tom King today, and now that Christmas is over it's time to GET SERIOUS!!!! Started back today with 7 speed runs for .25 miles each (my Garmin won't measure 400 yards). Ran all between 1:40-1:50. The last 2 were the fastest and were about an 8 out of 10 on the Suck Wind Scale. Tomorrow is a 3 mile run at an easy pace and strengthening so I'm thinking maybe doing the P90X Shoulders and Arms, keeping it light, and doing a max of 10 reps with each exercise.

Had the day off work and worked on the floors at home so nothing exciting happened. Did win a race on MarioKart on Wii though.

GOODBYE CELL PHONE

I began the Hal Higdon training yesterday. Starts with an easy 3 miles keeping the heart rate between 65-75%. I figured 135 bpm would do but I had a hard time going slow enough. It was cold with about a 20-30 mph wind. I just wanted to get finished.
Mile 1 slow
Mile 2 slow
Mile 3 slow


The plan called for 6 hills today so I went into town for Jail Hill. It's about a 1/4 mile run and pretty steep.
Hill 1 2:23
Hill 2 2:18
Hill 3 2:12
Hill 4 2:08
Hill 5 2:06
Hill 6 1:51

That last hill was at a 7:46 pace and a max heart rate of 183. On the 1-10 Suck Wind Scale it was a 9.

My cell phone was laid to rest today. Stood from the toilet, pulled the pants up, and everything came up except the phone that went down. I wasn't lucky enough for it to bounce off the rim. It hit nothing but net. Michael Jordan couldn't have slam dunked any smoother. I may have saved it from its death at sea but I hesitated. What would you have done? It was just lying there with the paper and poop, and I seem to remember saying, "OH SHIT"--- how appropriate. Then I plunged, but alas, to late. I have heard that proper dying techniques can save phones so it is now lying on one of the heat vents with its battery next to it. Even if I do save it I don't know if I can ever sanitize it good enough.

PLEASE STOP THE RAIN

Got home from work yesterday and it wasn't raining at the time so I changed quickly and took off for 4 miles. No one on the road except me and a short, round women that lives somewhere in the area and has began to walk. She has been walking a lot lately and I'm proud of her. She always carries a walking stick and was walking yesterday wearing a Glad bag and one of those umbrella hats. If was funny and I would have taken a pic but I didn't take a camera due to the chance of rain.

I had a good run. Faster than usual.

Mile 1 9:16
Mile 2 8:51
Mile 3 8:55
Mile 4 8:23
Total 35:26

I'll start my training Sunday with the Hal Higdon Program to go sub 2 at the Tom King. It looks like a good program for running and strength training together. If someone knows another program that alternates running and strength training please let me know.

DOG DAY

Got in a 40 minute tempo run this morning. 10 minute warm-up, 20 minutes at 8:30 pace, then 10 cool down. Lots of dogs during the cool down. All are friendly. The pic (top right) is a Scottie that started raising hell until I called him Scottie and he shut-up and acted like we were best buds. I don't know, maybe his name is Scottie. The dark pic is a dog that ran up and began jumping on my legs from behind. I said, "NO!!! SIT" and he sat immediately. I bent, pointed at him and started to say something when he put his paw in my hand to shake. Pretty cool so I had to take a pic, and then the pic didn't turn out good.

Not much else happened so I'll tell about a conversation with a friend. Alcohol might have been involved. You decide.

I asked the question, "What would you rather be able to do, fly, or become invisible?" I could see wheels in the brain turning as the electrical impulses passed from one tiny synapse to another. Finally he asked, "Could I be invisible and then visible when I want?"

"Yes."

"What about my clothes, will they be invisible? I don't want to have to go everywhere naked because what if when I get there I want to become visible again. I'd be naked."

"Sure, your clothes can be invisible too."

"What about luggage, like golf clubs? I could sneak out on any golf course and play if my clubs were invisible."

"Whatever you want to take you can make it invisible."

"When I fly do I have to flap my arms like a bird?"

"No."

"You mean I could fly like Superman?"

"Yes."

"That would be cool."

"So fly or invisible?"

Wheels and impulses.

He finally says, "I think I'd rather have a big dick."

P90X

Went into town yesterday for my run. Started at the Rec and ran toward town. The problem with starting at the Rec is that you have to go up hill for the first half mile to get anywhere. I ran 5 miles and when someone runs 5 miles around Manchester they will pretty much run through the entire town - and some places 2 or 3 times. My heart rate was already in the 150's after the first half mile. Also the town is full of hills, which is different than my normal course that is flat, so I got my heart rate up to 178 a couple of times. Not bad for a 53 year old. Let's see 220- your age (53) = your max heart rate (167). So computing by the Karvonen method TargetHR = (HRmax − HRrest) × %Intensity) + HRrest that would be Target HR = (167-65) x 100%. That means I was giving 102%. No wonder my knees are sore today. I'm taking the day off running to do P90X Core Synergistics.

Mile 1 10:11
Mile 2 9:28
Mile 3 9:21
Mile 4 9:32
Mile 5 9:25
Total 47:57

I've seen some blogs about P90X and I'll tell you from my own experience it is an ass kicker. If you are not in at least somewhat decent shape don't even try it. I did it last year from Jan-March and only missed one workout in the 90 days. It is a day of weight training followed by a day of cardio for 6 days a week (7 if you want to do X Stretch). It goes 3 weeks with a routine then the 4th week is just cardio and stretching. Then the next week the routine changes completely so that the muscles can't adapt. These workouts are all about core. The Ab Ripper X is 25 reps and 11 different moves and I still can't get all 25 reps of all the moves. The Yoga X isn't your sissy girl, relaxing music yoga. It's POWER YOGA to the max. There's a part of the yoga called yoga belly 7 that burns the hell out of my abs. The strengthening workouts are best done with dumbbells and a P90X pull-up bar instead of resistance bands. Also be careful, the Plyometrics may cause puking.

When I finished the 90 days I just started over again. I didn't do any running during that time and had already signed and paid for the Country Music Half Marathon. I decided I would run a few miles on the Tuesday before the half marathon just to see how I felt. I felt good so I decided what the hell I'll run, have fun, and try not to injure myself. So I ran slow (I don't run fast anyway), stopped and ate cookies, drank at most of the stands, and walked when one of the bands sounded really good. My time was about 9 minutes off of my normal and I really, really, really didn't try and really, really, really felt good at the end. It made me wonder how I would have done if I would have tried. Also I lost 2.25 inches at my belly line (belly line is more important than waist line for most of us guys).

I'm going to start the P90X series again in January but I'm going to add a running routine in with it, possibly the Hal Higdon routine. My goals are sub 2:00 half marathon, and a 31 inch belly line.

GET OUTTA MY FACE


[Photo]Got up yesterday and forced myself out into the 26 degree torture. It was cold enough that the penguins were out. Just had 3 miles planned but it wasn't to bad. Then I did P90X Ab Ripper. Also did P90X Yoga today.
Mile 1 10:08
Mile 2 9:44
Mile 3 9:22
Total 29:15

Except for the penguins didn't much happen so I'll tell about the gnat in the restroom at work.


I was standing and relieving myself when this damn gnat wouldn't get outta my face. I waved at it, then swatted at it, and then tried to catch it. Of course while this is happening I'm peeing all over the toilet lid and floor. Then the little SOB gets right in my face again so I blow on it. It falls straight into the toilet and begins to splash around in the pee and water. Now I'm at least humane so I fought off the urge to pee on the poor little drowning nuisance. It splashed for a few seconds when suddenly it flew out of the pee and right back in my face again. Only this time it seemed to be back with a vengeance. This stopped my, by this time, trickling stream as now I had a pee coated pissed-off pest hell bent on who knows what to get even. Again I swatted and tried to wave it away without being able to kill it so I zipped up and got the hell out of there. Later at lunch I had to shew away another gnat----no way it was the same one----you think? Naw, no way.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO FART WHILE SLEEPING

Did the 4 miles this morning.
mile 1: 9:45
mile 2: 9:09
mile 3: 9:27
mile 4: 9:29
Total 37:53

Uneventful run except for the new, barkie, pug puppy. I stopped to pet him but he wouldn't let me. He just kept barking.

I awaken this morning a little after 3:00. Someone had farted and it was soooo bad it woke me from a dead sleep. Michele claimed this morning it wasn't her and blamed Peyton (our dog). The problem with this claim is that the smell lingered and I couldn't go back to sleep. So I got up to check on the kids. Peyton was sleeping with them. I told her this and she said that I must have done it. I was asleep, so is it possible to fart while sleeping?

I stopped at a convenience store today that I stop at often to get a drink. Got my drink and fell in line behind a girl with flaming pink and purple hair. She paid for her drink and fried potato wedge, walked out, and got into a car that I swear must have been painted with a spray can with multiple colors. I said to the sales clerk, "I wander if the same person that painted her car painted her hair." We laughed, I paid, then went out and got in my car. Then I noticed the girl in line behind me went out and got into the car with the potato wedge girl. It's really difficult being a smart ass.

No workout tomorrow. Golf is planned. Isn't golf part of cross training?