Always be Within Striking Distance

It's back to my "home gym" Supreme Sports today.  I did like the equipment at the Columbia Gym, but living about 200 yards from the Supreme parking lot makes the choice a "no brainer." Legs are on tap today with a bit of cycling and rowing to finish up.  Starting next week, I may include some swimming as a final bit of my routine on leg day. I'm still considering some competition in the shorter swimming events.

The local schools started today so I expect a few less High Schoolers to be in the free weight area when I show up today.  Not that I mind them being around, but the place has a different atmosphere when it's just the regulars.

I didn't do any training this past weekend, restricting my exercise to 2 walks on both Saturday and Sunday, totaling about 4 miles on Saturday and 3 yesterday.  I feel recovered.  I had played with the idea of a short run and swim before dinner yesterday, but opted for the short walk instead.

I'm looking at a couple of Pro bodybuilding contests later this Fall.  I'm sitting at about 6% body fat having brought it down from about 8% over the past 8 weeks. I always lose very slowly, even when it's only a couple of pounds, ensuring that I don't lose strength or any precious muscle size as a prep.  I could compete at this weight, but am within a couple of weeks of truly ripped condition if I do decide to go for it.

I like to always be within 5 pounds of contest weight, so that I can prep quickly and without much effort, if the mood strikes.  Some contend that you can't get bigger and stronger at such a low body fat level.  I believe that its calories and macros that make the difference no matter what particular body fat level you're at. So if I'm eating to gain, I will gain, even while maintaining single digit body fat.

Always be within striking distance, I say.

Sometimes You're Just Tired

Yesterday was back and biceps.  I'm still traveling to the Columbia Gym while Supreme Sports has it's two week "shut down" for maintenance and renovation.  I worked hard and fast.  It's hard to campare reps and poundages on anything but barbell exercises because slight diffreence in machines can make comparisons tough..  Nevertheless, I did good.

My intent after driving home was to do a 3.5 mile run followed by a few sprints for form and then finish with a 500 yard swim..  Somehow, the twenty minutes it took me to drive home and then change into my running/swimming gear caused me to lose my "momentum."  I was able to complete my run fairly comfortably, but the 97 degree heat index took a bit more of a toll than I thought. 

After finishing my last sprint, which felt great with good extension and range of motion, I turned to head to the pool and was just overcome with the feeling that, "this is too much."  I considered for a moment and then decided that I was indeed just too tired to have a productive swim. 

I walked home, had my post recovery meal, stretched and used the foam roller for a few minutes and then just crashed.  I was just really tired for the rest of the evening and headed to bed at 9:00 grateful that I had heeded my notion to skip the swim.

If this had been even 2 or 3 years ago, I would have pressed on with the swim.  But, I have gotten just a bit wiser over the past 18 months.  I have always been in tune to what my body has been telling me, but often just pressed through.  Now I listen and a recover better than ever. 

Let's hope the new found wisdom pays off in the long run.  Sometimes you're just tired.

Be Consistent but Flexible

I got home from work yesterday still on an emotional high from orchestrating a successful pitch at a cross-organizational meeting.  As I was changing to head to the gym, I mentioned to my wife that I had to keep moving because I knew I would soon have a crash from the physical and emotional intensity I had mustered to carry the day.  She suggested I skip the gym and accompany on a slow bike ride to one of our favorite coffee spots and play a round or two of cards.

In the past, I would have responded with an immediate "no," but now I was able to stop and consider.  I had already done 1800 stairs and walked five miles at work day during my hourly jaunts to decompress and think, the ride itself would be about 7 miles on fixed gear beach cruisers, it was a beautiful dry day after weeks of intense heat and humidity, and my wife is my life. After a short pause, I replied that it sounded great.  And, great it was.  I enhanced my relationship with my wife, I enjoyed the day, and the exrecise was quite enough.

I'll get back into sync today with the "leg day" that was planned for yesterday and do my Thursday and Friday workouts as scheduled.  The two things I will end up missing are a medium distance run and a long swim, not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

I always say "consistency is king" and no matter how long you have been working out, it's always easy to talk yourself out of a workout.  Generally, I only miss a workout once every month or two, but I am open and flexible when it comes to those "golden opportunities" to do something else that makes my life even better.

Balance is always harder than an "all or nothing" approach for me,  At the same time, I have come to better embrace a flexible consistency that provides greater overall satisfaction and, by extension, even better fitness and performance.

Self Doubt is Always an Issue

It's been two weeks since I last wrote anything for this blog.  Part of the issue is that it looks like nobody is reading and part of the issue is that I was experiencing extreme self doubt after the somewhat boastful proclamations in  my previous entry on my strategy.

I have decided that the first issue is not going to block me because I am writing this mostly for myself as a motivational tool, as described in my first entry.  The self doubt is also no longer going to keep me from writing either because, it is always there, even on the days when I/you seem unbeatable.  It's the pressing on, even when you feel the doubt that makes the difference between winners and losers.  In a sense its a "fake it til you make it" kind of philosophy which I have always found to be extremely useful.

Now, I am sure that there are folks who truly, in their heart of hearts, don't have any self doubt.  They are extremity rare and in most cases delusional. I have always been very open minded, open to new ideas, an insatiable reader and learner and, as a result, am often in a position of knowing how much I don't know, even when I'm the most knowledgeable person in the room.  The more you know, the more you doubt.  A paradox, I know, but there you have it.

As well, I understand my genetic limitations and what I have to work with.  Nevertheless, I think it is enough to do what I am setting out to do if I stick with the process of constant improvement and don't try to over-reach.

As an aside, I should mention that I'm working out in a new gym both last week and this week, as the Supreme Sports Club is shut down for it's annual renovation.  I am gettng good workouts at the Columbia Gym but don't like the drive to get there.  Also, my long swim last week was my best ever. 

As a result, I am now thinking about adding a 50 meter swim to my list of competitive activities.  What started as a means to an end, getting better at swimming to enable me to surf and maybe to a sprint triathlon, may now be an end in itself. I'll do a time trial later this Fall to see what I can do.

No limits! (my new sign off)

My Strategy

I had a couple of good workouts this past Friday and Saturday and I was going to comment on those. Then my wife made some good observations about Tim Ferriss' book, "The Four Hour Body" yesterday morning and I thought maybe I'd lead with that.  Instead, I want to talk about my strategy for achieving my overall goal of becoming the best 60 plus athlete in the world.

Quite simply, I intend to be "the last man standing."  I plan to continue to get better throughout the next decade while those around me either drop out of athletics altogether, devolve into "maintenance mode," or try to play "catch up" too aggressively and burn out.

At Some Level You Must Enjoy What You Do

I have always been in shape, I tell my friends.  Sometimes I have been in better shape than others, but I have never been out of shape.  Even before I was involved in training and competing in organized athletics, I was running, jumping, and climbing around my house and neighborhood.  I could shinny up a door frame, to the delight of my Stearns cousins at age 4 and I don't think I ever sat still when playing with friends from the school bell until dark. We invented many a game before the street light came on.

I have just always felt an intrinsic joy in movement and I do believe that that is one of the keys to lifelong fitness.  At some level you absolutely must enjoy moving or exercising.  That doesn't mean there isn't discomfort from time to time and that parts of your routine aren't solely purposeful and aimed at some end, but you must include something enjoyable in the regimen.  If not, you simply will not stick with it and you'll be like so many who repeatedly start then stop and then beat themselves up for stopping. It's just a no win cycle.

If you like to bicycle, do that.  Can't wait to play hoops with friends, do that.  Walk and talk with your spouse, do that.  Make that the basis of your routine and then, over time, add a few more things to round out your fitness. And always try to make it as fun as possible.

Yesterday was cardio only for me.  I cranked up my Spotify 70s radio in my blue tooth earbuds and took a comfortable jog around the lake in the unusually dry August air and then did a series of sprints, working up to three 95% runs at 150 yard and then finished with an 80% effort for 200 meters.  I have been bothered by a chronic strain or adhesion in my left glute for almost two years so I am reluctant to run full out unless I'm feeling absolutely no irritation.  Yesterday was not that day. I do love the feeling of full speed running,  though.

Since I do my sprints next to the neighborhood pool I finished with 250 easy yards feeling myself relax in the cool water. I was tired, and there were some points during the workout where I was struggling for breath or felt the muscle ache and burning lungs of exceeding my anaerobic threshold , but I was able to find joy in each part of the workout.

Follow me on My Quest to be The Greatest 60 Plus Athlete in the World.

I aim to be the greatest all-around 60 plus athlete in the world.  There, I said it. I have been thinking about this as my purpose and "stretch goal" for quite some time but have been reluctant to say it out loud.  I tried it at the gym yesterday, and it sounded a bit prideful and unrealistic coming out of my mouth, but I am now committed.  To me, this is a truly monstrous undertaking that may be beyond the genetics that I have to work with, not to mention the unknowns that Father Time may have in store for me.

Yet, here I sit less than 5 months from my 60th birthday in arguably the best shape of my life and I am looking for that vision that will galvanize my training for the next decade.  (Once you've trained for decades on end, you realize its the mental part of the game that matters most.) This blog will chronicle my efforts to continue to improve and to take on more and more athletic challenges.

Along the way, I will describe my training, dietary, recovery and mind-set methodologies, relaying what works and why, and what fails to produce the desired results. As well, I will offer impressions of other methodologies and emerging studies in the sports performance arena.

As well, I hope to provide an authentic voice about the ups and downs of my effort that all aspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts can relate to, no matter their age or circumstances.

If nothing else, I hope this narrative can help keep me motivated.  At best, I hope my quest can serve as motivation to others.

Remember there are "no limits."