Holly tries the Survival Workout...

Sunday, August 7, 2011

I was dragging a bit as moved around the house through the morning. I was thinking I’d get the bike back together (I’d stripped it down to do some cleaning) cut the grass and a couple of other chores around the house before going for a ride with John. Then Holly suggested we go to the park for a walk…which pretty much puts me in the park for a walk.

As we drove, I convinced her it would be a good idea to try out portions of the Survival Workout. She was somewhat reluctant but curious, and agreed. I figured I’d keep it pretty basic…have her do only a few of the exercises…just to whet her appetite and to assure her continued health (and mine). I started her with ten step-ups on the boulder next to my car…a good 12 inches high and an excellent start to a workout because it raises the heart rate and works the large muscles of the gluteus. She did this while I did pull-ups after which I had her doing triceps dips on a gate and push-ups against a fence.

We hiked and talked and stopped at different stations where she gamely tried the exercise and lifts I described. “I don’t like my hands getting dirty,” she said after putting a rock down I’d given her to do rowing exercises for the back muscles. I knew she’d feel this way, but didn’t see myself going ahead of her to find clean rocks…so I let her deal with it. We climbed one steep bridle trail where she incorporated some lateral walking to emphasize different muscles in the legs and hips while I walked as a normal person (man) would do. In all, she attempted 8 different upper body exercise over the hour hike, refusing to do the abdominal stuff…”you don’t expect me to sit in the wet grass to do crunches, do you?” I did…but didn’t push it. On the drive home she said her arm felt a little dead…a good sign that she’d pushed herself.

John arrived ready for a hard ride, but I cautioned him I was still feeling the effects of yesterday’s heat and was thinking of riding a little less today. We were hopping on the bikes at 1:30 p.m. and in the heat of the day. I was sweating just sitting in the shade putting my bike back together and had already done some major sweating in the park an hour earlier. We headed east into Waite Hill and up through Kirtland Hills before turning south on Sperry up near the Holden Arboretum and the return home. I rode the hills hard, but cruised the level stretches to spell myself and had no cramping or heat-related issues.

Holly made some kind of killer dessert/pastry thing that I was forced to taste…and taste. Later that evening, Jack got me to take him to East Coast Custard where I ordered a smoothie…my third of the day. I also had a large helping of spaghetti and meatballs, though passed on the bread. It was a reasonably bad eating day but I was in a calorie-deficit position from the activities of the weekend I was reasonably certain. I never felt full, but I did eat more than I like to…and have since the Paleo Diet began. Weekends are a challenge with guests around and bad food to eat…but if it was easy, everyone would be thin.

Bike workout: One hour and 45 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1,500.