11/28, sore from the BSS and fat bloated and gross from eating pie, I ran 2.4mi and walked back early this AM.
Then a quick surfing sesh.
Legs feel like lead.
3 Likes
BTW FWIW - I dropped out of the 2025 T-ransformation, that was when I was vomiting from walking around the block, changing jobs, dealing with all manner of other issues… but I’m better now, much better, and I expect 2026 to be great.
I’ve also achieved more clarity about my own goals.
I’m IN for the 2026 one - if the person who’ll set it up would please tag me, that would be great - as I’m signed up for two Spartan 10ks, one in April and one in August, and I expect these to blow my previous times out of the water; and a certain amount of lean-ness is part of that.
5 Likes
11/30, Sunday.
Proud of this one.
Brought the 50lb KB to a place with monstrous monkey bars.
Did some BSS with it, then pullups, then 3x3 weighted pullups, then monkey bars, then MONKEY BARS WITH 50LBS AROUND MY WAIST!
Stoked.
I was scared that if I failed and had to drop, I’d break an ankle because these bars are really high and that’s too far to safely freefall with a KB between your thighs.
But i went for it and made it. Took a video, but it’ll require some editing to bring down to postable size.
7 Likes
12/2/2025 Tuesday
Monday went well, it was really just one long day sunday-fly-monday. I rode from the airport to the office and got straight into it. Went to HEB for groceries, ate at the hotel and crashed pretty hard.
Today, Tuesday:
1 mile run
Hotel weights
1 mile run
First mile was an easy one, second mile had a couple sprints which were easy enough.
The weights part: 3x8 (or was it 10 lol) DB bench with 50s, 3x5 pullups, 3x6 BSS with a 50, some cable stuff. Nothing crazy, but a good little hotel session. This hotel gym is really nice, not that it has an unusual equipment selection - it’s pretty basic - but it’s roomy and nobody was in it.
Today’s workday wasnt too bad either, got a lot done. Amazing what I can knock out in just a few days in person that I don’t even hear about when I’m remote.
4 Likes
12/3
there’s a pullup bar in my old office, which I’m visiting this week. Today I walked in there, and did a set of 20 pullups cold. Took a video too, maybe I’ll put it up 
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12/4 - hotel gym workout.
Things started out OK, I wasn’t going to go nuts or anything, in fact was going to be an easy and therapeutic session.
Treadmill warmup
Light upper body warmup (arm swings and such)
3x6 squats with two 50lb DBs
1x8 BSS with a 50
Moving to the cable machine, a set of curls
A set of overhead triceps extensions
-BAM!-
Left side OH triceps extensions, about 12 reps in - and nothing strenuous - I pinced a nerve, and my whole left side wants to shut down. It’s in my neck, and I feel it through my back and shoulder.
Spent the rest of the time in the gym trying to work it out - can’t.
Took a hot shower, still sitting here typing with actual pain and if I look quickly to the right, it’s a shock of pain.
This is rare but not unprecedented. Wish I had a foam roller or something, but I’ve got to work. Hope this clears up soon.
3 Likes
I got you covered on the topic. @TrainForPain is the man running it.
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This has got to be comparable to some kind of crazy ass strongman challenge, right?
First lap is unweighted, second lap (may be hard to see) has a 50lb KB hanging from my waist.
Super proud of this.
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This one isn’t quite so flattering but still, 20 pullups in street clothes.
Little bit of frog-leg action going on there in the last few lol.
This bar is installed in my old office. I remember building the bracket and hanging it up when I first got the promotion that put me there.
Previous to that I’d permanently installed a bar in my older office. Good times.
Haven’t had a permanent bar in my home (I WFH now) since I moved. Need to fix that!
5 Likes
Monday 12/8
Park run workout.
Caveat: It’s pitch black, you can barely see the ground let alone any reference points for distance; it’s just grass, there’s not track or really even foot-worn path to stay on.
I wore my OCR shoes which so far I’ve only ever worn for Spartans and steep hikes. They are awful when you have to be on concrete.
Started with a slow lap around the field. Close to 2:30 so it’s about a quarter-mile, give or take, all around.
Then, 6 laps of about 1/6 mile (from a table to a signpost and back), not stopping in between, like this:
Lap 1 - slow - 1:16
Lap 2 - fast - 1:04
Lap 3 - slow - 1:36
Lap 4 - fast - 1:02
Lap 5 - slow - 1:35
Lap 6 - fast - 1:02
Total for all 6 laps: 7:37
Then a couple minutes of rest and ran the same lap flat-out:
Lap 7 - flatout - 0:56
This seems like a pretty good benchmark for things to improve. I can work on my flat-out time, my 6-lap time, my number of laps at comparable pace, and other things.
I have ZERO experience training running, I’m a bad runner and my form is certainly god-awful ugly, but for the Spartan race this is the key variable.
So I figure a mix of this, and something similar but with half-mile laps, would be a good way to get where I’d like to be.
4 Likes
12/10 Wednesday. No training today. Took about a mile walk, early in the morning.
Why?
Because I’m sick. Realized it yesterday; by bedtime I could barely breathe through my nose, and in the middle of the night I had dreams about suffocation - because of course.
Got up at 4 because trying to sleep was totally miserable, but rather than punish myself by trying to run in this state, I chose peace.
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20 pull-ups is still just so damn impressive to me, nice work man!
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12/12
3 mile run
Slower than 8 minutes per mile.
Alternating speeds every half mile lap.
This was outside.
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12/15 Monday
Actual session at an actual gym - first time in weeks. Was AMAZING.
Snatches - EMOM for 20 minutes. Worked up to 145lbs - a PR for this particular season of life. IDR my all-time PR but this was great - despite snatching only every 3 weeks it seems, I’m making progress!
SLDL - kept the 145 loaded and did 2x10
Clean and front squats, same weight - first set was fine, one clean (full squat) and 3 more front squats. Second set, my hamstring cramped up so bad I had to bail - it was time to be done with legs.
Shoulders - strict presses and BTN presses for a few rounds, working down in weight.
Pullups - lots, as always, including some weighted. Finished off with 8-6-4-2 (20 total) with very brief rests and strict non-kicking form.
Tried to run a mile, and could have done it too, LOL but I overestimated my ability to sprint after that session, and gassed out so hard I had to slow to a walk. Finished out a mile though.
Felt awesome! I love the gym, wish I could go more often!
6 Likes
12/17 another gym opportunity.
Hamstrings are in HORRIBLE PAIN since yesterday evening (the work on Monday caught up to them), to the point where standing up or sitting down is painful and I walk funny.
It’s always my hams - never my glutes or quads. My hams are strong enough, damnit, why can’t my glutes and quads step up and GROW and stop making the hams do all the work!
Anyway I went to the gym and:
-Ran 1 mile in 8:30
-Bench press: Sets of 8 at 95, 115, 135, 155. No need to go nuts.
-Leg extensions: 4 quality sets in the 15-20 rep range. Some I did both legs, some I did just one leg at a time.
-Hangs: Some dead hang, and then some one-hand dead hangs. This is where it’s at, I think, for the next level in monkey-bar-type achievements. If I get to where I can hang from one hand for 0:30 - and I don’t even know if that’s achievable - that will translate into really solid Spartan obstacle performance.
-Pullups: Sets of 5 with weight: 5@0, 5@25, 5@35, 3@45, 2@53lbs
Because when you’re good at pullups, you keep doing them, and neglect anything you’re bad at since it’s not fun!
4 Likes
12/19/2025 Friday
4.8 mile run in 48 minutes.
That’s not fast, but that’s OK. It’s an extremely hilly run as I may have mentioned.
Oh damn, Google Maps says that’s only 4.6 miles so damn LOL. Doesn’t change anything though - that’s my route.
Feeling really, really good - this week has been a good one.
4 Likes
12/22/2025 - we are wrapping up the year, folks.
It’s been a hell of a one for me - huge job/career changes, we got a dog, took a major overseas trip, and we further settled into the new life we’ve chosen.
Everything has just worked out, so far. More changes on the way, with one of the kids school situations changing dramatically after 1/1.
I’m in better shape at least mentally than 1 year ago, I’m pretty confident of that.
OK training,
Monday 12/22 I’ll be going to the actual gym later, if all works out, so this morning was light and low-stress:
-Walked to the bottom of a quarter-mile hill
-3 rounds - run up the hill, then walk back down. That’s 1.5 miles total travel.
-Walked home.
Of note, I’ve had severe sciatica down my right side all weekend. I had it down the left side a week or two prior. This really sucks. And it comes on the heels of some serious hamstring soreness and a decently long (for me) run, don’t know which is a more likely contributor. I hate it and want to fix it. Moral of the story: don’t get old.
4 Likes
Update from later on 12/22
Gym trip.
Today I decided (audible call as I was walking in) that I’d do clean and jerks instead of snatches.
Turns out, doing snatches means you stay pretty proficient at C&J without actually doing them LOL.
Quickly got up to 155lb. Didn’t go above that, but did 2 or 3 reps there.
Then did 6x2 front squats at 155LB, going EMOM.
Then did a few push jerks at 155 and 135.
And, hate to say, that’s it. I was interrupted by a work call, which I should have known better and been on Do Not Disturb; but once that’s in my head, I can’t regain focus, and the gym trip is ruined.
For the new year I’m going to do better about two things - (a) moving my start time from ~4:00 being available (totally synced with central time) to 6:00 being available - not synced with Central time, but still available during core hours.
And (b) getting better about compartmentalizing work, so I don’t look at work messages when I need to be focusing on non-work things. Work will be there tomorrow morning!
4 Likes
12/23, merry Christmas Eve!
First time using my barbell in the garage since moving here.
I’m not at all set up for it. But anyway:
Snatches
20 EMOM
started at 95lb and planned to stay that way. Got bored around halfway thru and upped to 105 and then 115, lets say 5 reps each.
No mat, so crashing hard every rep. Will need to work something out because training from home has some advantages, worth accommodating if i can get the garage organized.
5 Likes
Merry Christmas to you!
1 Like