Friday

For the record my son states categorically that he has actually tried V8. rolls eyes...

After my attempt at the Beat It Workout yesterday Bubbles tossed over the following email. It's the proper way to do this thing in order to maximize suffering. I'm going to try it again for at least two cycles and give you my impressions but even my messed up version was FUN! Seriously! Try it.

Hi Bill,

BEAT IT WORKOUT:
A longer work-interval workout. This workout is intended to keep you challenged and encourages you to focus on session goals, which I know that you have endured recently.

Step Mill Example:

• Complete a .25 mile, beat your time by five to ten seconds for another .25 mile
• Follow that with 1 minute recovery (lower level)
• Beat your 2nd .25 mile time by five to ten seconds
• Beat your 3rd .25 mile time by five to ten seconds
• Follow that with 1 minute recovery (lower level)
• Beat your 4th .25 mile time by five to ten seconds
• Repeat this same sequence for a few more times exactly how you completed it the first time, with the same levels that you completed during your first mile and working up to 6 miles. Try adding a mile or two every 1-2 weeks on the Step Mill for 8 weeks.

Upright Bike Example:

• Complete 1 mile, beat your time by five to ten seconds for another mile by increasing your rpms (keep the level the same throughout the workout)
• Follow that with 1 minute recovery (lower level and rpms)
• Beat your 2nd mile time by five to ten seconds
• Beat your 3rd mile time by five to ten seconds
• Follow that with 1 minute recovery (lower level and rpms)
• Beat your 4th mile time by five to ten seconds
• Repeat this same sequence for a few more times exactly how you completed it the first time, with the same levels and rpms that you completed during your first mile and working up to 10-20 miles in one session. Try adding a mile or 2 every 2 weeks on the Upright Bike for 8 weeks.

p.s. I'm happy to be of service to you and all of your blog readers.

Jaw drops! Did you read that? Bubbles has offered to do all of our workouts for us! sigh The thing is, all of us endorphin bogarts want to hoard them so Bubbles knows she doesn't have much to worry about, still it goes to show you the level of trainers we're blessed with here! Both Bubbles and Diablo rock hard core! They've always been ready to help out, too cool for school! So talk to them!

Yesterday awesomeGirl stops me in the lobby elated about the news from her physical therapist. She's permitted to be reunited with her one true love, the Stair Climber! I'm smiling at her joy but in the back of my head, "You had a MEDICAL excuse..." but I follow her elation. It's just part of the duality of the exercise thang... you hate certain machines/routines for what they take out of you and develop a strange kind of love for those same machines/routines because of what they take out of you.

It's like AllyMcBeal having to walk on the treadmill - that girl is a born runner and when I see her forced to walk, well she looks forlorn. Same with awesomeGirl and the stair climber. In a few weeks Ally will be pounding pavement again and in a few days awesomeGirl will be bitching and moaning while climbing stairs. And when I hear it I'm gonna smile cuz you know they are happy.

There was a certain malaise at the gym today. I'm doing the new total body thing and believe I'm getting the hang of most of it. The quiet clank of metal, the hum of the ellipticals but it was joyless. Collectively the morning shift of gym rats was phoning this one in.

IronMan is whispering sweet nothings in my ear, "Bob Evans, you know you want to!"

BOY DO I! But I'm battling my own demons at the moment. Tomorrow I leave for LA with my family for a spring break vacation. I have to figure out what to do with regards to exercise. I'll probably do some walking it's pretty hilly, maybe get in a running gang fight, hang with the beautiful people and see what they do, in short I'm gonna wing it!

I'll probably blog it.

I think I'm going to have to increase my cardio - or at least my cardio intensity. On the weight front I feel stalled, maybe I'm entering the realm of The Tough Pounds, God help me. No one told me this would be hard! That explains a lot of the giggling...