Morning Run

Did a walk-run thing this morning. Walked the halfK to the track, where I ran for about 43 minutes before walking home. It was a 2 minute run / 2 minute walk event, as I seek to gather my endurance. I ended with a 100 meter sprint before walking home. 48 minutes, 3.22 miles total. I couldn’t find my heart rate band, so I don’t think I pushed myself the way I usually do.

Slow, but it’s still burning calories. I look at it as more of a mental health break. Eventually I hope to see these runs as rewards rather than as obligations. My dinner date got cancelled, so it’s an opportunity for a squat session.

But the real surprise was having a visit this morning by someone I hadn’t seen since 2006. Back then I was 187 and had a very different shape: round. After reminiscing a bit, she said “by the way, you look great.” Although many of my friends have seen me at various times, a few people haven’t seen me since 2005, when I was at my worst. I was eating primarily white food – potato chips, dips, pasta, rice, beer and ice cream with a twice weekly serving of chicken wings. It was pleasurable, but I was beginning to have a hard time walking around, and I thought I was having heart problems. Fortunately I wasn’t. I was just fat.

So it was a little social proof I needed. Just enough so that I’m ordering a salad rather than Chicken Vindaloo for lunch.

I’ll have it another time.

Current weigh in – 177. Moderate goal: 155. Final, maintenance goal: 140.

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PRs

I’ve been responsible. I’ve had a workout every day this week.

Three times I ran, with one day doing 8 x 100m sprints. At the gym I hit a personal five rep record for the bench press at 195, which means that a one rep max of 225 is within my reach. And since I did four sets of heavy before reaching that, I suspect I’m even within reach of 275.

Yesterday I convinced two friends, after the hurricane, to do a prisoner’s ladder together. That’s doing burpees in descending order. Once one person finished, the next person would begin doing ten, and another person would finish the round. The intervals gave people enough rest, but we kept up the speed up until the very end.

We finished within ten minutes, but even with just that short exercise, one of my collaborators noticed, “I really feel my thighs!” The other just laid on his back, to ensure he wouldn’t vomit.

I told them next time we’ll do 300 pushups and 150 squat jumps for time.

New record: Back Squat #265 ](including 2 at 245), a PR. I think I’m close to 190 for the one rep max. I stopped because I was already 20lbs above my previous max, instead completing a set of three at 225.

I also did a one rep max press at 135, which I did strong.

But I also had different shoes than my vibrams, and I wonder if that made a difference.

I’ve established two new goals. My power clean goal is #215; my snatch to #165.

And now a 25 minute jog to finish out the day.