Finally

I have finally hit a little rhythm with good workouts in the past week or two.

My sister and I bought a package of free visits to a bunch of gyms in NYC. It was 60 bucks and we have over 100 gyms to attend. It is a bit of a racket for sure, as in I could probably just show up at these gyms and say I am interested and they would give me a week to try it out. However included in the package are fencing lessons, free bowling, gymnastics, karate stuff, etc. I would probably pay $60 just to jump from a trampoline into a foam pit.

The first gym I went to coincided with a visit to Columbia University. It was on a roof top on the upper west side that overlooked the river and had a great view of the skyline. I did a warm up and then launched into 3 of these sets of exercises with like a minute or two rest between:

5 KB clean and jerks @ 35
20 mountain climbers
10 push!ups
16 walking KB swings
6 pull ups
10 squats with a 45lb sand bag
10 clean the sand bag to shoulder

I did some lat pull downs and some DB presses to fill out the upper body work and some reverse lunges from defecit and hamstrign curls to finish out the lower body work.

Next was Crunch! I haven't been to a mainstream gym in a long time. It was quite refreshing. Towels, tons of space, full boxing area with gloves, nice locker rooms, etc. I hit the bag for a while, which I haven't done in 6 months. I did some deadlifts for the first time in ages at a whopping 205. Elevated rear leg lunges at about 35. Next I cranked the treadmill up to 10, ran for a 1/4 mile and then hopped off to do 10 burpees. Finished with some push presses and some pull ups.

Third was some stupid little gym near NYU dental school which has cheap emergency dental work that I needed cause a filling fell out. I hit the bag for a while and then did this circuit a few times:

10 airplane pushups
10 step ups, 10 side step ups
10 med ball slams


I missed a couple but this post is like 3 weeks late.

Im having trouble posting with any regularity. A 9 to 5 really promotes good blogging.

Ho-Hum

Looking back on my posts from this summer, I lament losing access to such an amazing gym. Reading the diversity of exercises that I was doing makes me really cherish the time I spent at TPS and I would push anyone in the Somerville/Medford area to get there immediately.

Ultimate was fun on Monday. I felt alright, but my lower back has been rebelling against my renewed interest in an active lifestyle. It makes it hard to get low and cut. Other than that and some terrible decisions I played well. My quads still get abnormally sore the day after a workout. Not like a diffusive soreness, but a soreness local to where I had my pulls/tears. Im trying to work it by rolling on the PVC.

I'm not sure how to get my back in shape except to keep plowing forward. I think the stress on it has come from basketball, especially trying to keep huge guys out of the pain. I get assigned big, strong dudes almost every game. On Tuesday I played 2 v 2 against some old guy and this guy who was built like Zach Randolph. The old guy sucked so he just kept feeding this dude in the paint. Luckily his shirt was freshly laundered cause I had my face buried in it for 25 minutes as I tried unsuccessfully to stop a huge guy with above average post moves from scoring. We lost. I had a series during the next game, 3 v 3, where I got 4 offensive rebounds in a row and missed all the put backs. For all that I am playing a ot better. I am also getting some handshakes when I arrive. One kid said, after I apologized for playing terrible for one game, "but you got that hustle, I wish I had that shit". He addressed it as if hustle was a pull up jumper or a crossover.

Making the transition back to an active lifestyle

I had a busy week. Tuesday and Wednesday I played basketball. Thursday I worked out. Working out means mostly doing crossfit work. Clap pushups, mountain climbers, cleans, step ups, pull ups, all in a row.

I played some snow goaltimate on Saturday which was very fun.

I played basketball today. I had a bad first couple games, but game back with two good games including the...wait for it...game winner! I should just stop now cause I am guaranteed to suck next time out. The dude in the last game wore me out. He wasn't all that big, but I bet he was cut out of some sort of metal or stone. He tired out at the end, but my team kind of lost it and we ended up 2-2. Whatev's, it is fun, and I get a lot of "good hustle" comments, which is all they can really say after I do things like launch 3 balls that hit off the top of the square, never hit rim, and ricochets over everyone and right out of bounds. I swear I had a good game though and they actually chose me over some other dude when there were 7 of us for a 3 v 3.

My plan is to play some outdoor pickup tonight. Not sure if I will make it. Fingers crossed.

More Stuff

Let's see.

Friday I went to the gym. I did a couple sets of front squats and back squats and as I walked away from my last set my legs felt like I had removed my hamstrings. It made me realize how long its been since I've been under the bar.

Saturday I skied at Bromley for my annual one ski day of the year. I wish I could get out there more. I love skiing. Left the mountain with only a scratch on my cheek when I led my way out of the glades with my face. I also survived my attempt at a 360 even though my body resisted so much that I only made it about 90 degrees into my 360. I'm sad to say that that part of my life might be over. Sad.

Basketball yesterday. Some dude worked me out for like 30 minutes. He made sure my feet were under me for my jump shot and actually helped me out a lot. I ended up having a decent game. We also had a dude who was maybe 5'7" and at one point hit 4 or 5 threes in a row. Check, pass to this guy, 3 ball. That helped.

Running, but where am I running to?

Tue:
2 fartleks
30 sec jog, 30 sec faster jog, 30 secs fastest jog; I really struggled.

Thur:
2 fartleks
30 secs jog, 30 secs faster jog, 30 secs run; felt a bit better

1 (6) 10 sec sprint, 20 secs walk


I went for two runs this week. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but it was a for me. It marked the first time I have singularly exercised outside since a couple weeks before nationals. I am pretty sure I have the glimmer of a pooch starting to form or at least the closest thing that I will come to one for some time. Mired in injuries and self loathing, these last few months have been rough and my body is showing it.

From national's 2008 till now I've spent like 3 months healthy. I wrecked my hamstring at 2008 nationals and chronicled the frustrating rehab here. I finally got back out there in June and had probably the most successful summer of training I've ever had, but it seemed that my body wasn't ready for all that work. One thing led to another. I got a nasty charlie horse in my calf that set me back two weeks. A few weeks later I strained my quad and in my haste to get back severely strained both of them the next weekend which effectively ended my season, which I will elaborate more on in a later post.

After nationals I shut myself off to ultimate and really caring about my body. The new year was when I had planned to get back in shape and low and behold Alexis and I wander past a New Years hat tournament after brunch. Seemed like a good sign and I cleat up and walk over. I felt pretty good and played decent right up until I tried to get to a disc I had no business of trying to get to. I landed awkwardly on my knee and it immediately went numb. Like the whole thing. It was scary, but has been more of a nuisance since. I almost have total flexion back, but there is a quarter sized spot right below my knee cap that is still numb to the touch.

Here is my plan. Run. Run, run, run. Running for me is fartleks (jog, run, run faster), tabatas, 200's and 400's. I plan on starting to lift next week. I will elaborate on all of this stuff within the next couple weeks including my overall plan for the year. I still think my July-August last year is the ideal way to train for ultimate. I think I went after it 2 months early though. More to come.

You Guys Are Annoying

Dont know why i didnt publish this last week.

Some really inspiring comments last post. Thanks for the support.

I worked out yesterday. It wasn't much, but I am sore. Every massage/PT guy who I've seen in the past year or two has told me that I my glutes aren't firing when they should be. Because my glutes aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing, my hamstrings and lower back have to exert themselves more to compensate. This imbalance has aparently led to a lot of injuries. To restore order I am gonna be focusing on my ass. In that vein I did some band work, some step ups and some good mornings.

Why is this so hard?

I'm struggling to find the impetus to go out and get in shape. The only thing driving me right now is my increasing unflat stomach. I just don't know where to start. I banged my knee super duper hard at hat tournament I stumbled upon after new years. There is a section of my knee that is still completely numb to the touch from that incident and it is a bit painful at times when I try to run. The one good thing that I have done is sworn off cookies and muffins. I fucking love muffins almost as much as I love Subway chocolate chip cookies. Have you ever had Subway cookies fresh out of the oven? Best deal in fast food. While I was writing all of my college apps I would inevitably find myself in a cafe with a coffee and a muffin. I've probably averaged 2-3 muffin like items a week. Terrible. I hit a similar low with Dunkin Donut coffee cake muffins when I was in Chelsea.

I want to start working out in the AM cause that is when I have time right now. It's just weird for me to workout in the morning. I love leaving a 9-5 and getting a workout in before a big dinner. My plan is to start swimming and doing fartleks. Hopefully I get in one of each before Sunday. I need some inspiration though.

Bar Run: 01/29/10

My first exercise in 3 months was Ironside's second annual bar run this past weekend. 10ish miles, 10 bars, about 30 dudes. It wasn't as insane as last year, well it wasn't for me. Last year I got there around bar 4 and started doubling up on shots so I had about 10-12 drinks in about 3 or 4 hours. Trouble. I ended up putting a newly engaged friends engagement ring up my nose. I took it easier this time as you can see by the summary. Not sure what the times were.

bar 1: Ironside Grill
#1 soco and lime
#2 car bomb
chicken wings

ran

bar 2:
Dirty Milly's
#3 shot of rum

ran

bar 3:
Alibi
#4 IPA

ran

bar 4:
Delux Cafe
#5 pineapple bomb
#6 jack and coke
quesadillas

ran

bar 5:
Bleacher Bar
#7 red headed slut

ran

bar 6:
TC's
#8 soco and lime

ran

bar 7:
The Paradise
#9 car bomb

ran

bar 8:
White Horse Tavern
#10 some shot
bought indian food

walk/run

bar 9:
Bus Stop
#11 shot of gin
#12 beer, beer and a half
ate indian food

rolled a huge spool/ran

bar 10:
#13, #14 shared 2 scorpion bowls

walked

colin's:
#15, #16 more beer

Bar
1 Ironside
2 Dirty Millies 0.8
3 Liberty Hotel 0.8
4 Delux Café 1.3
5 TC's Lounge 0.9
6 Bleacher Bar 0.6
7 The Paradise 1.3
8 White Horse Tavern 0.6
9 Bus Stop Café 0.9
10 Tommy Doyles 0.9
11 Colin/Seth 1.3

The Land of the Living

I kind of fell off the workout boat for a long time. Injuries combined with GRE's and grad school applications did not leave me much time to do anything. I have been workout depressed for a while, which I will talk about as well. I plan on coming back slowly but surely over the next few weeks. I will include a welcome back to reality plan and a month by month breakdown of what my plans are for the spring, summer and fall.