Yeah, it’s not deep like it was back in February but there’s snow on all the rooftops. I expect the pavements will be slippery. Out come the big boots.
I’m going to the Winter Wonderland fair in Hyde Park again tomorrow - looking forward to meeting my friends, but not to the freezing cold! I will have to drink a lot of Gluhwein to keep warm!
Well, I haven’t trained since Thursday. Was planning on going today but my back was hurting when I got up so I decided not to. Then, as luck would have it, I tweaked my right rotator cuff picking up the damn kettle to make tea. This is the same RC I buggered up when I was 24 and hasn’t been right since, although it has good days and bad days. Gah! Well I think I’m going to have to dump upper body work for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.
I did get as far as going to the gym to cancel my monthly membership and buy an annual membership instead, because you get 12 months for the price of 10. That saves me close to £100 so it seems like a sound move.
Now that is sad news. RC problems are a bitch. I hope the upper body layoff isn’t as long as you think.
This is one bitch I’ve been living with for nigh on 20 years. The good news is it’s not as bothersome today, but I’m not going to push it. Going to take it easy until Jan when I (hopefully) start 5/3/1.
I didn’t much feel like training today either - sore back, sore shoulder - doesn’t leave me a lot ot play with. But I felt like I needed to at least move, so I went to the gym and did a workout of prehab/rehab stuff and stretching. Foot plate slides, hypers (65 today - PB! Back was on fire), 60 reps OHP with the body bar, clams, bird dogs, whole lotta stretching. Felt better after. So think I’ll do that for the rest of this week and see how it goes.
Getting home from work wasn’t much fun - it snowed, then rained, so I had to walk on slippery slush. I decided to get the train rather than walk half an hour to the tube on treacherous pavements in my Chuck Taylors, but the train journey was even more hellish than I remembered and stepping off, across a wide gap to a slush-covered platform was, frankly, fucking terrifying. They better clear that quick or someone’s going to slip, fall between the train and platform and die horribly.
Bit concerned that the slush will freeze solid overnight and turn the pavements into an ice rink. That will be fun. Not.
Maybe you should get yourself some grippy boots and carry your chucks… 
Yeah that’s what I did today. It wasn’t too bad - felt a bit warmer when I left the house - a whole 1 degree C. Apparently it’s dropping to minus 6 tonight though. Eek!
Gym workout was more rehabby stuff. 70 hypers - w00t! (My attitude to my back pain? Kill it with fire!) And a shit-load of scap work.
Just came back from the dentist after having my crown installed, which was fun.
Only two more days and then I have 10 days off work.
Christmas Day = me, computer games, huge-ass box of chocolates. Bliss.
Cal, I’ve been meaning to ask what kind of gaming you like? My family likes platformers. We don’t play any MMORPG. You?
I’m a PC gamer. I was a games journalist in a past life (well, during the 90s) so I’m pretty hardcore. Most of the games I play now are RPGs of one sort or another - older ones like Baldur’s Gate series (which I still dig out from time to time) up to newer ones like Oblivion, Fallout 3, Mass Effect. I don’t mind sci-fi or fantasy, so long as it’s immersive and compelling. The only MMORPG I played was Ultima Online, which diverted my attention for 7 years, to the point that it became like a job - one I put a lot of time and effort into - but for no pay. This was to the detriment of my career (I remained unemployed for about 4 years, subsisting on my savings and the occassional bit of freelance) and my relationship. When I quit I decided not to try any other MMORPGs for a while as they are way too time consuming.
I do like other types of games - I’ve notched up many hours playing Rollercoaster Tycoon, Civilization, various FPS games, etc, but these days I like to engage in something that has a strong storyline in which I can lose myself, whether it’s a story that involves me eviscerating people with a sword or popping the tops of their heads off with a sniper rifle.
When I was a kid of about 4 (I was still in nursery school) my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, “a knight”. He calmly explained that couldn’t happen because a) we weren’t in the Middle Ages any more and b) I was a girl, and knights were always men.
Well, screw you dad, because I get to be a knight whenever I feel like it, just by turning on my PC. I love games.
whoa whoa wait a minute. you did nothing but play a video game for 4 friggin years? holy hell.
Clearly when you dedicate yourself to something, you do so all the way.
Yeah, I’ve never quite found the same dedication towards fat loss though. Maybe because it isn’t fun.
And Bobbi - pretty much. MMORPGs are eeeevil. Heh.
my past addictions include quake, diablo, witcher, civilization, heroes, oblivion… can’t wait for the new diablo to come out. I have a feeling the husband and I will have to start schedualing PC time again.
oh wow, fellow nerds! I’m partial to the final fantasy games myself…
Video games are one of those things I don’t get into because I’d love them too much for my own good.
I have the Witcher sat on my shelf ready to play but I’m a pretty methodical gamer - if I like a game I’ll play it multiple times trying every option available: character builds, good/evil options, companions/romances, you name it. Once I’ve got everything I can from it I’ll move on, though I may revisit it again later. Can’t say I don’t get my money’s worth.
Dragon Age just arrived in the post today - that’ll keep me busy for a while (once I’m finished with my current game, of course).
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I’m a PC gamer. I was a games journalist in a past life (well, during the 90s) so I’m pretty hardcore. Most of the games I play now are RPGs of one sort or another - older ones like Baldur’s Gate series (which I still dig out from time to time) up to newer ones like Oblivion, Fallout 3, Mass Effect. I don’t mind sci-fi or fantasy, so long as it’s immersive and compelling. The only MMORPG I played was Ultima Online, which diverted my attention for 7 years, to the point that it became like a job - one I put a lot of time and effort into - but for no pay. This was to the detriment of my career (I remained unemployed for about 4 years, subsisting on my savings and the occassional bit of freelance) and my relationship. When I quit I decided not to try any other MMORPGs for a while as they are way too time consuming.
I do like other types of games - I’ve notched up many hours playing Rollercoaster Tycoon, Civilization, various FPS games, etc, but these days I like to engage in something that has a strong storyline in which I can lose myself, whether it’s a story that involves me eviscerating people with a sword or popping the tops of their heads off with a sniper rifle.
When I was a kid of about 4 (I was still in nursery school) my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, “a knight”. He calmly explained that couldn’t happen because a) we weren’t in the Middle Ages any more and b) I was a girl, and knights were always men.
Well, screw you dad, because I get to be a knight whenever I feel like it, just by turning on my PC. I love games.[/quote]
I do Medievil reenactments and we have a female knight and our fighting isn’t fake, it’s a sport and she whips ass at it.
I’ve known a couple of people who have done that. The gear’s pretty heavy - I imagine it’d be a good old workout in itself.
Not an awful lot to report here. Yesterday I didn’t leave my flat but at least I made myself get up and foam roll and stretch a few times. I can’t believe how stiff my sides are - from my ribs down to my knees. I’ve found lying sideways over my foam roller with my top arm extended helps some, but it’s quite painful.
Today is Boxing Day in the UK so my gym is still shut. As it was nice (sunny and not freezing cold now the wind isn’t blowing from Siberia any more) so I finally forced my fat arse outside for a run. This was something of an experiment as I haven’t run properly since spraining my ankle and fucking my foot up in September. Ankle healed, foot really hasn’t. But perhaps it never will and as it’s more of an irritating discomfort than an actual pain, I thought I’d see if I could run on it for an extended period of time.
Answer is, yes, I can. The discomfort doesn’t get any worse, put it that way. I ran about two miles - less than my usual run but as it’s been three months I didn’t want to push it right away. I’m out of practise enough that I got throat burn and jaw ache, but my stamina held up. I figure I could have run further but as my muscles, tendons and joints are also out of practise, I felt two miles was quite enough.
Last year I ran a couple of 5Ks and 10Ks and whilst I know long distance steady state cardio is not optimal for fitness, fat burning and muscle development, I enjoy the challenge of the races and also find my training runs quite meditative.
My main goals are to be able to take part in those runs again, and also to be able to get to doing sprints, because those really kick my arse.
I did notice my left knee was grumbling a bit - I have an ITB issue with it. I’ve been rolling my ITBs and quads but they seem perma-tight (like my calves and hip flexors, as well). I’m not sure how I can get the bloody things to relax. I stretch and roll they remain tight as piano wires. If anyone has any advice, I’d be happy to hear it.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I did notice my left knee was grumbling a bit - I have an ITB issue with it. I’ve been rolling my ITBs and quads but they seem perma-tight (like my calves and hip flexors, as well). I’m not sure how I can get the bloody things to relax. I stretch and roll they remain tight as piano wires. If anyone has any advice, I’d be happy to hear it.[/quote]
I had a left ITB issue for a long while that also wasn’t responding to foam rolling and stretching. Finally went to a physical therapist this spring and he set it right. He diagnosed me with a weak left glute. I did extra glute activation and strengthening for that side and now my ITB is the best its been in years. Moral of the story: the root problem may not be in the ITB, but elsewhere.
Well I know there’s a lot off, with me. I have an APT, my femurs are rotated inwards giving me knock knees and the weight rolls to the inside of my feet. I’ve been doing glute work but I guess it takes time to become effective.
So, anyway, the gym was open again today and I toddled along, though I wasn’t really in the mood. I felt rather sluggish, until I realised that it was 11am and I’d had my last proper meal at 4pm yesterday. (I had some chocolates later, and cups of tea, but neither are particularly effective for fuelling a workout. Silly rabbit).
Did a bunch of prehab-type stuff, highlights of which included 75 hypers (I don’t know how I do it - I’m exhausted coming up to 50 reps and then I seem to find my inner turbo button and bust out 20-25 more reps. Wish I could do this with other exercises!) and three supersets of 8 overhead squats (with the oly bar) and 20 kettlebell swings.
I loaded up the bar to 40kg to do some back squats and on rep three got a bit lower than usual and almost didn’t make it out of the hole. Same time, I get a sharp pain in my right knee. Now I’ve had this pain before, but it went away for a while. I racked the bar, had a breather, stretched my quads, then did another rep and pain was there, so stopped my workout. It may be because I ran yesterday, or it could be because of my almost failed third rep where it took an adrenaline rocket to stop me landing on my well-cushioned arse. But either way it’s not a happy knee. More foam rolling and stretching later today.
Feeling extra masochistic, I decided to weigh myself. I knew I’d put on weight but was rather horrified to find I now weigh 11 stone 8 (162lbs) which is a good 5lbs more than my previous heaviest. Now I know some of that is PMS (boobs hurt!) but a lot of it is too many nuts and too much chocolate. Hopefully, some of it is muscle, but the mirror tells me that Cal has turned into a big fat biffer over the course of December.
Time…to diet.
Tis the season to go on a diet, fa la la la la la la la…
Im betting most of it is water anyway…don’t be too hard on yourself!