Tiny Freak Goes Ninja

Training
1001

lula, I’m being more deliberate on training the Kroc rows. I’ll work my way up to 5 x 10 with the 45’s and then go for the 50’s!

Last night’s training started late and finished early due to tiredness. Because of my foot injury and the holiday gym schedule, I hadn’t squatted since December 14th and hadn’t squatted with any appreciable weight on the bar since December 4th. That is a whole month, and boy did it show.

Squats
to 3 risers/step
Bar 1 x 5 <–felt awfully low and difficult

to 4 risers/step
65# 1 x 5
75# 1 x 5
85# 1 x 5 <–knee cave starts on last reps ALREADY!
95# 1 x 1 <–slight knee cave
105# 1 x 1 <–horrible, terrible knee cave and barely got it up

So, yeah. Not doing squats doesn’t make them better. Shocking.

Pistols
I can get down and back on my right leg to 4 risers plus a step, but got stuck on the riser trying it on my left leg. (NEWS FLASH: I figured skated for many years and did sit spins on my right leg so its way stronger in this movement).

To bench: 5 on each side

On 2012 goals, I’ve given the subject a fair bit of thought. Goals tied to specific weight I want to squat/pull/bench/military press by the end of 2012 have proven unhelpful to me in the past. So I won’t do that again. I have no unmet goals with respect to physique/weight/leanness, so no need for that sort of goal.

I did enjoy the one-word goals of others on this board, so I pondered what my one word might be. My first and best thought for a one word 2012 goal: gratitude.

Why gratitude? Well, its easy for me to overlook the myriad things that must go absolutely perfectly in order for my 47 year old self to lift, run, bike, ski and fit into my size 25 Hudsons (see avi). When I’m not injured or sick or stressed, I don’t keep alot of room in my head for being grateful for what I have.

However, when something goes awry as it did on Christmas Day when I tweaked a tendon in my foot and came up lame for the best past of 2011’s year-end festivities, I’m reminded to be grateful. To be grateful for the ability to walk anywhere I want to go, pick up heavy things and put them down without regard to what is sore or not working that day, or wake up in the morning feeling rested and well.

So, I’d like in 2012 to be more grateful for all that I can do. Without having to be reminded by injury or illness to make that so.

Today I went for a 3.3 mile run. It was quite cold out (25 F or so) and for whatever reason I feel short of the pace that I wanted to achieve in this tempo run. I was grateful to be running without foot pain, my ability to enjoy the outdoors unimpeded. Only secondarily did I note the missed goal.

I’ll get it next time.

Am I going soft? I don’t think so. My eye is on a few long range goals. But there is no great rush to get there. Its the journey.

There is no prize.

1002

i think that is beautiful kimba. i could do with a little (actually rather a lot) of this myself. now i’m all teary eyed. here is to a great year for you.

1003

Kimba: Gratitude is a lovely word and an inspired goal. Glad you’re running again without pain.

And cold will slow you down and impact your times/pace as much as heat–

1004

Love it!

1005

Very nice post and particularly poignant to me right now in being sidelined (yet again!) with another physical disability. I have really focused on gratitude lately and found that it helps my mood tremendously. Sometimes we get so caught up in the numerics (a 159 lb. squat, 20 chins, etc.) that we lose sight of the pleasure of the training process and the gratitude we should feel at being so fit, hot, and able at our age.

1006

Ive been working on this myself. Life gets soooo much easier.

Yay kimba feetses!

1007

I think you are on the path to wisdom. Sometimes what we want doesn’t have to be definable in a numerical sense but rather in how we react to our efforts.

1008

alexus, thanks for the well-wishes. I hope your 2012 is fabulous as well!

Nadia, cold is interesting. It probably did slow me down but it also energizes me. I’m still amazed that I can dress in as little as I do and go run and be perfectly warm. When I have to pile on the clothes for bicycle riding in the cold and then I’m STILL cold. I’m waiting for the temp to rise as I type so that I can go run without a damn facemask.

Betty, thanks!

Snapper, you’ve had more than your share of “reminders” to be grateful when the body cooperates. I love your spirit – even a major setback won’t get you down for very long. And what you say is true: what level of lifting achievement and hotness we’ve currently got goin’ on puts us in the top echelon of our age-group. Temporary setbacks aside, that is very comforting. :slight_smile:

Bear, its great to see you back. You’ve got lots of good reasons to be grateful: smart, young, healthy, beautiful and strong chief among them.

Joe, that is very neatly phrased. How we react is about the one thing within our control.

Yesterday’s training was squeezed in at home between the work day and cooking and eating dinner at a reasonable hour.

Chinups
9/8/8/7/eat dinner/5 = 37 reps

Lots of rest in between and no supersetting got me 5 more reps than last week. I was especially happy with the first set of 9. I’ll go for 10 next week, which would match my PR.

MPs (5’s day)
45# 1 x 5
51# 1 x 5
57.5# 1 x 5 <–money set, the last one came up slow and and hard.

Doubtless the chinups tired me out a bit for the money set, but I was still OK with getting the reps.

1009

Gratitude, yeah. I was very frustrated at not being able to run, but I can still walk around just fine, and when I see my mother, who can’t even get out of the chair on her own, I realise I’m lucky.

Kimba, I’m totally envious of your chins. I think I need to lose 30lbs to chin like that! (But I won’t, heh).

1010

Cal, I do hope you are able to run soon. That would be very frustrating, but you never let the aches and pains stop you. I do so like that about you!

Today was a beautiful warm day. I took advantage by going for a good 4 mile run, then a 23 mile bike ride (with lunch in the middle of it). It was happy-making to be able to be out enjoying the warmth and the sunshine.

1011

I’m loving the warmth too!!
And I would be completely fine with the weather STAYING as is.

1012

Betty, you and me both! I can drive to skiing just fine.

Today was deadlift day. I hadn’t deadlifted in several weeks due to the holiday and then my foot issue. I was expecting as dismal a performance as squat day was.

I was wrong.

Sumo Deadlift Day
from risers
95# 1 x 5
115# 1 x 5
from floor:
135# 1 x 5
belt on:
155# 1 x 5
175# 1 x 1
195# 1 x 1 <–PR + 5 lbs.
200# 1 x 1 <–PR + 10 lbs.

It wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t too ugly either. I don’t know what happened, but the weights felt light today. First time ever pulling something starting with a “2”. YEAH!

Good mornings
65# 1 x 5
75# 1 x 5

I still happy about the deadlift PR. I weighed in this AM at 111, so I can pull 89 lbs. more than my body weight. Now I wish I added on the fractional plates…

1013

Awesome pr! Congrats. Saw the little elvis leg tremor going on–I get that, but shoot that lift went up quick! Add weight.

1014

Great job girl! Easy for you. I foresee many more PRs to come. Congrats!!!

1015

That 200 went up pretty fast. Nice PR. It amazes me that you can pull with a ring on, I have to take mine off when doing pulls or it cuts/pinches me. And scratches hell out of the ring.

1016

Now that just made my day. And it looked so easy for you. You should have added another 20 lb. Major congratulations.

1017

Nadia, the speed that my pulls were going up today kept surprising the heck out of me. Honestly, I kept double-checking the plates and re-adding them up to be certain that I wasn’t screwing up the loading. I added weight until I just wasn’t going to push the rounded back issue any longer.

DiscoDani, thanks for the encouragement!

DCA, I’m surprised I can pull with a ring on too. I used to take it off to go to the gym. But its just…um…easier…for me to have a wedding ring on in the weight room.

Snapper, I did think about adding weight because I was on a tear. But after reviewing the video I knew that more weight would just mean terrible form. And I wasn’t willing to take the risk. I’m OK with working on my weaknesses and trying again another day.

1018

Damn! Sik work in here.

Me gusta!

Re gratitude… how are you planning on accomplishing this? Gratitude… is an attitude.
/endtwelvestepbullshit

Anyways have you ever made a gratitude list? Can be a crazy effectivw attitude adjustor.

No, I don’t make them myself. I like my attitude cold and dissastisfied thanx!

1019

Kimba, that’s fantastic! Congratulations! I bet you’re still buzzing over it tomorrow. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

1020

I tore a hole in my hand last time I tried pulling with a ring on. After that I’d take it off and thread it through the drawstring of my yoga pants or put it on a necklace. (I don’t wear the ring any more, though).