Training with Flies

Lifted this morning. The overall loss in weight amount lifted is around 10% less than in May. But it sure is nice resuming the lifting.

Tomorrow is another walk/run of 3 miles at Memorial Park. Destined to be another 83 degrees at dark o'clock.

Looking forward to it.

Thursday's run/walk didn't go as I would have thought. On the first half mile walk switch over to a run, I hit the stop button on the watch, instead of the lap button. Oh, well. On the last 1/2 mile run segment to finish out the 3 miles, I got tired at the quarter mile mark and walked it. Guess my stamina isn't up to snuff yet after 2 lifting days and one run/walk day. However, that will come.

This morning, I lifted and it went well. I've started working on a modified squat of sorts, in order to get my legs strong enough to either be able bend at the knees all the way down to my Achilles or be able to get 1 knee on the ground and then stand up. Then do that with the other knee. A range of motion or functional legs exercises.

Y'all have a good weekend.

Went to lift, this morning. So much like a sauna outside.

I'm gradually increasing a couple of the weights, as the days go bye. Still have a ways to go and it'll take some time. But, I'll get there. I'm not concentrating too much on any one routine or machine and I'm not going to rush it. The worst thing for me to do is to push so far that I get hurt.

Tomorrow is the walk/run for 3 miles. Thanks for stopping by.

You are the most consistent at posting...you'll pass Mark on the top poster chart soon.  

Good to hear you're back to lifting and running.  It's fun to watch your runs progress on Strava.  I know it's probably frustratingly slow from your standpoint but it looks like steady progress from my vantage point.  

Cooler weather must be on the way...

Take care.

nkrichards wrote:You are the most consistent at posting...you'll pass Mark on the top poster chart soon.  

Good to hear you're back to lifting and running.  It's fun to watch your runs progress on Strava.  I know it's probably frustratingly slow from your standpoint but it looks like steady progress from my vantage point.  

Cooler weather must be on the way...

Take care.

Nah, it's like a 1,600 post gap.

Running is still fun. It's slow, but I was off for 6 weeks or so and lost all acclimation and stamina.

The past week has been one of advances on both running and walking, which was a surprise on both efforts. Thursday, I ran two 1 mile segments of my walk/run. First non-stop mile runs since early May. Really satisfying.

Last Saturday, I did the usual walk/run up at Memorial Park. I walked the first of three 1/2 miles, then I hit the lap button and started running. Within the first 30 feet, I realized that I had been heel striking too much. So, I leaned a little bit forward at the ankles and that kept me off my heels enough that I could go a little faster. The downside was that I didn't have the stamina to run another mile. The consolation prize was going faster in 1/2 mile increments with 1 milers on the horizon. I bumped the cadence for the last 1/2 mile run to 154.

154 is pretty easy to maintain, even today's run. Just 1/2 mile runs. For me, cadence is king over distance. So, I'll bump the cadence up to maybe 158 over time because in a month (finger's crossed), it just might be cooler. Or certainly, cooler will be 30 days closer.

My improvement lifting is progressing faster than I thought it would. I figured it would be a 6 week muscle re-building effort. After 3 or so weeks, I've regained half of the 10% lost. Quite a surprise.

That be the update. Thanks.

I did some lifting today. At the gym location is a patch of astroturf that measures about 15 yards by 5 yards (it has yard stripes like a football field). People do stretching, box jumps, and there are 2 pieces of hardware. One is a Tank M4 sled https://www.torquefitness.com/products/tankTM-m4
and the other is a push/pull sled. All of the photos on the link show the person pushing the M4 it or pulling it by using the arms.

I saw a FB page that shows a guy using the M4 with a belt around the waist and hooked on to the M4 and he was walking backwards with a belt around the waist hooked to the M4. The purpose was to build up the shin muscles and the quads which, in turn, supports the knees. The FB page was all about building the support muscles for the knees.

Pulling the M4 isn't a back muscle thing, it's a lower leg thing. And it's rather fun. But there's one catch. Setting up the M4 with the weights (3-45 pound plates, at present) takes up a third of the astroturf patch. So, when I see NOBODY on the patch and I'm between machines or just arriving, I will grab about 6 orange cones to mark the territory that I will be using the M4 for the next 20 minutes.

It's surprising how much of a workout it is. Last week, I used 2 plates, so today's 3 plate required more effort. It doesn't tire you out during or shortly after finishing, but walk about 10 minutes later and your front leg muscles are worked over. Not achy at all, but a little more than just tired.

I just have to be on the look out for an empty patch of astroturf.

Thanks.

A brisk 79 degrees, this morning, at Memorial Park where I was set to begin yet another 3 mile walk/run. Tweaking my heel off the ground on a run segment caused me to exert more energy, so run segments were bumping HR. But now it seems like the body has adjusted to that fact.

Today, the run/walk was going very nicely when about halfway through the 2nd run segment (about 1.2 miles overall) I started thinking about extending this 2nd half mile to a mile. I seemed not too wore out. So, I did. I finished the one mile. It was the second one mile run since staring the running again, this month. Not only did I complete the mile, but I completed it in 14:44, which in the dead of a Houston August is pretty remarkable.

Then, I completed the last half mile in a walk. Encouraging.

The plan for now is to increase the cadence until the first Fall front arrives, which could be another 3 or 4 weeks.

Tomorrow will be lifting free weights. Thanks.

Last Friday was indeed free weights lifting. Most of the time, this involves flat, incline, and decline bench press routines, plus other machines for back muscles. The incline press has been the one bench press that improves the slowest.

I am pleased that I have no soreness, nor stretching issues. Tomorrow, I hope to be able to use the M-4 tank. Over the long weekend, I had the occasion to feel it easier to stand up from a kneeling position. It was the lower part of the quads and the tibialis where I could feel engagement, especially the quads. That's all a result of the M-4.

-30-

It was 79 degrees, this morning. Just enough of a difference from 83 degrees to make it noticeable. The plan was the 3 mile walk/run at Memorial Park, with an option to run farther, if I feel I could do it.

Well, it turned out the basic 3 mile walk/run was all that was going to happen. But I notched another 3 mile loop in my running shoes.

Weather forecast has changed for this weekend and early next week. Low temps in the high 60s with a break in the dew point. Our first Fall front is 2 weeks early. If we can get another front through here in another 2 weeks, Houston just might be able to legitimately claim that hurricane season is over for us. That'll work.

thanks.

Had a good run, last Thursday. Things were in place and the 3 running splits were all in 7:xx times. Looking at it from another perspective, I'm only capable of doing 3-800 meter runs at one time. But there will be improvement. I hadn't run 3 splits all under 8 minutes, since I stopped in May.

Yesterday, we had a much lower humidity as a result of a front. A dew point of 59 degrees, which is 15-20 degrees lower than August. First lower morning temp since May. I ran yesterday to take advantage of brief cooldown. It won't return for at least 2 weeks.

To-be-declared-later-this-afternoon Hurrican Francine will be paying Louisiana a visit with the eye crossing their coast, west of NOLA, before sunset Wednesday. We may get some wraparound rain bands, but if Houston gets an inch of rain, then that'll be a lot. Some in the Houston area won't get a drop.

This morning, I did the Tank plus some shoulder range of motion on a machine that looks like a bicycle turned 90 degrees. I added 10 pounds to make it 170 lbs.

much obliged.

nkrichards wrote:You are the most consistent at posting...you'll pass Mark on the top poster chart soon.    

Geez, considering how I have fallen off the edge of the world, he should! If I can figure out how to give myself demerits for not posting, I will.

Hope the covid didn't have any lingering effects. I've started walking a bit in the morning, now that the temperatures are starting to abate. It was "only" in the upper 70s at 7 a.m. the past couple of days. (With a ludicrously low humidity, of course.)

Catching up on your posts...more details than on Strava.

The M4 tank sounds interesting.  Are you still using it?  Like it?

You've made good progress on your lifting and your running.

Did Hurricane Francine have any affect on your weather...good or bad?

Hope the traditional winter cooling trend makes for much more pleasant running conditions.

Stay safe and active.