Fitquest 7/7/07

I didn't even want to run today... just didn't feel like it, but I'm trying to stick to it. I might not run tomorrow... too many commitments, so perhaps I'll squeeze in a Hip Hop Abs workout.

So I did run. It wasn't bad. I beat the rain and had excellent weather.

I was actually not expecting to run this far. Most of my runs have been closer to the 4-5 mile length... I'm slowly getting back to what I'd call the 8 mile in around an hour run... yeah, slowly. But when I got to where I normally get (see, I run out for about 30 minutes then return) I had more time than normal. So I kept running and kinda slowed the pace a little to get to Oakledge Park at about the 30 minute mark. I did end up doing a few minutes of walking... perhaps 5 overall. I was tired and my muscles were feeling wasted.

Actually, I didn't run this exact route. I had to stop by my friend's place to check on his cat. The distance is about he same and I'll reuse this route so I call it a wash.

Fitquest 7/6/07

Yeah, a mundane entry, but I need to try to enter them all. The run today was the same as the 7/4/07 run, but instead of heading toward downtown Burlington, I just completed the return trip home. I believe it's a longer run, but I don't feel like making the map for it right now.

I believe this is my shortest post.

完（かん）

Catching up on random stuff

Transformers - Karen (the wife) and I went to the Monday 8pm showing... a whole day earlier than I originally expected to be able to go. We liked it. I liked it as LOT. Sadly, half of my friends hated it. I'm a music snob, but not really a movie snob. I guess my expectations are more easily met. The trailers made me fear that the Transformers would be too clinical and frankly, robotic. Thankfully after more of them came into play, their personalities came out. Could have been more, but it was there, so I was happy about that. The efx were amazing. The 3d models were insanely good. I wish they gave us a bone with some slower transforming shots. For years I wondered about the literal transformability of them. Probably 5 years ago I started to try to model Astrotrain (my triple changer Decepticon) in Lightwave 3D. I gave up because I struggled with a few details and didn't have a lot of time for side projects that were only for experimentation. Anyway, it would have been a little lame compared to even the Beast Wars or Beast Machines models.Those Canadian [Mainframe] modelers know their shit.

Anyway. The only problems I had with the movie were more about the cinematography - the fast pans and fast action made it nearly impossible to really get to take in the transforming action. Seriously... when we were kids, wasn't that one of the most important points of the cartoons? "How did they do that?" I also detest gun violence... and there was just far too much rat-a-tat-tat machine gun action for me.

The picture above is the costumed I made for the annual Halloween party our friends put on. I spent a solid two days on those costumes after some initial work. They could be better, but I lacked the funding to do a few things I would have done better... not to mention ideas I thought of while making them. The picture also really sucks... I have some that are nicer, but don't show the whole top to bottom of them. Oh well.. perhaps we'll pose some day just for a better picture. :)

There... movie covered. July 4th comes with fireworks, but in Burlington they are on the 3rd. I like that. We go to them every year, and sometimes friends join us. This year, we joined up with Jonathan and his new girlfriend (yeah, I said it) Lauren, and her friend JP. I think we both think that his new girlfriend is a pretty good choice. I like her a lot. She's pretty young, compared to us, arguably a solid two generations behind us, but she's "older" than her age. I like that she speaks her mind, and actually has a mind. Much more so than the typical person of her age I've run into over the last 5-6 years. She also just fits in with the group easily... so I'm happy for him and happy for us. Of course, she goes away for grad school in a month. I guess we'll play it by ear.

I just realized I need to post some more politically oriented stuff. I'm getting soft and I wouldn't want the one or two readers I have to think I've lost my edge. ;)

Fitquest 7/5/07

Simple today... I didn't want to run. So I again did the dual Hip Hop Abs blast. I tried harder to concentrate on keeping my abs tight through more of it, but damn that's hard. I suppose it'll be easier as they get stronger again and I start to get a nicer set of abs under all the flab. The good is that I get winded and sweaty during the total of about 53 minutes of activity. I'd love to know how many calories I'm burning, but I'll live.

I weighed myself after the shower and I was down to 189, which is what I was at before the workout... one should NOT weigh themselves that often... but it's a habit. However, the 189 is nice... I'm hoping I can maintain the downward more than the typical upward jolts. If my target for the summer is 170 lbs., I need to make some other choices to lose more quicker. Pros say losing about 1lb a week is healthy, but I'm hoping that by building more muscle that it'll do some of the work for me in a healthy way. I'm also trying to eat less. 3500 calories a week is a pound, so if I'm burning an average of 500 cals/day during the week, that alone should be a pound off, then limit the food by trying to cut out 3500 cals a week... by the time I get back to school, I should be pretty close... only 8 more weeks though, so that's only 16 pounds - not my goal. I guess to be honest, if I get the body fat % down to 18 or so, that would be good. But still, the weight is an issue for the pole vaulting. that said, I don't intend on getting up on a pole until fall, so I'm sure I'll be battling this crap all year unless I can get it back to my younger self metabolism.

Fitquest 7/4/07

This was the first time I ran south this year on the bike path. Frankly, I like it more, since there's more sun and I literally run close to the lake for a good deal of it. When I run all the way to Oak Ledge Park, it's nice because there's easy drinking water and some other niceties. The north bound one also has its charms. It usually depends on how far or for how long I'll be running.
Anyway, here's the map:


I did stop off at Quarterstaff Games to chat with Jonathan about gaming stuff, then I went to the garden to check on some progress on the plants (I just realized I never mentioned the gardern in my blog, I'll have to post some pix from it... before during and current). I have a serrano that's coming along nicely and the tomatillos are getting huge... err.. the plan, not the actual fruit.

I digress.

Weigh in was still around 190 lbs..

Fitquest 7/3/07

I decided to mix it up today and not run. Actually, in part because me knees are starting to feel the toil. I should start lifting some as well. I'm supposed to have fitness center access at UVM since I'm enrolled in a Continuing Ed course, but I'm afraid of running up there only to be turned away. Perhaps later in the week... plus it doesn't open until 11:30am, which is a little silly. Mid fricken day to me... I prefer to work out earlier if possible.

So, today I threw in Hip Hop Abs. No, I didn't buy it... let's just say I got it form a bunch of acquaintances. Ahem. It's actually a lot of fun. The instructor (Shawn T??) is energetic and not all too fake... sorts plays himself I think, so it's fun. The moves are funky-esque but not something I'd do on the dance floor. Doing those moves on the actual dance floor would make me feel like Ronald (Patrick Dempsey) from Can't Buy Me Love when he accidentally watched the PBS show about African tribal dances instead of American Bandstand or summat, and then did those moves at the high school dance... at which time he was the popular guy, so all the tools copied him like he knew something new. Oh... high school dances... hahaha.

Anyway. I've worked out to Hip Hop Abs before, once or twice, but it's been about a month. The first DVD has about a 30 minute ab routine. I did it and felt like it wasn't enough, so I put on the second DVD for the second routine which was a little less than 30 minutes. I can't say my abs are burning still (about 10 minutes after finishing), but I got a great sweat on, and did feel some of a burn during. I suppose I need to tuck my hips more meaningfully and so forth... so next time I'll work harder on that.

Maybe later today I'll lift the dumbbells a little bit... I need to get some more strength in my arms again... the biceps are looking a little pathetic.

Fitquest 7/2/07

Two days ago, the day after fitquest entry one, I spent the entire day working on repairing the inside of my motorcycle tank. This entailed emptying the tank of fuel, rinsing the tank, washing it with a cleaning solution, rinsing that, preparing the inside with another solution, rinsing that, drying the tank thoroughly (as in bone dry) and then coating the inside with a rust preventing chemical. The tank is seriously difficult to empty, which meant that it required tons of shaking and tilting and rolling. The workout I got seriously made up for not actually running, did I mention the times? I started around 12:30 or 1pm and didn't really finish until around 8pm.

The next day, as in yesterday, I could barely walk. Sore legs back and everything. I'm sure some of that was delayed pain from the sprinting the other day, but still. So, today was my first official exercise day back.

I still had a lot of soreness, but not enough to hold me back.
I did a short route to the high school track:



Even thought I was sore, I decided to try myself out with a 400m sprint to start. Yikes!
400m - 78.91s

Very disappointing. I don't know what I should have expected, but I was hoping to be closer to 70 seconds. Of course, I did just finish a 2 mile run to get there, but still. The sore quads were a factor, but I can say that I had a good stride until the 200m mark, where I slowed for typical race pace, but when I hit the final stretch, I didn't have the juice to kick it in. I didn't go all out, ala old school Chris... where I puked after many a 400m meet race, but I did push.

I walked it off with a walking lap around the track and sorta wandering around, contemplating the performance - preparing for the next sprint, which was just going to be a 100m. By now I had no good expectation for that sprint, but I had to put myself into it. I did some stretching. My quads had tightened up quite a bit. By about the 30m mark, I could feel them really hurting to the point that I shortened my strides. I wanted a good time and a hard workout, but it wasn't worth pulling a muscle, so I slowed it down.

100m - 15.16s

Not even close to the other day, but considering all factors, it wasn't that bad.

On the 29th (fitquest day one) I asked my little brother (is 32 little?) to do a 100m sprint timed... I think he's in better shape than I, not to mention, weighs significantly less. I wanted a basis to judge my times on. He didn't seem interested. Oh well.

Till next time. Tonight we go to an early showing of Transformers - I hope to do a review of sorts... maybe not.