Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Some times it just doesn't pay to be a good guy...

Sunday, January 08, 2012
I went to the North Chagrin Reservation for my Sunday morning workout wondering if I’d come close to my last performance on Friday.  I didn’t think so and wasn’t surprised when, after my first set of push-ups, felt lethargic.  I decided then and there to make the workout more about the lower body, sprints and power moves that would engage my aerobic system along with the normal sets for muscular endurance.

Over the next hour, I spent time on uphill sprints, Indian runs through the woods, sets of high skips, picnic table hops and an extra couple of sets of lifts and core work.  I was looking to compensate for my inability to lift for as many reps by doing more sets.  I would have gotten as much from doing the reduced counts on my sets provided I’d driven myself to the exhaustion point on each set…and I knew that at the time…but I kept feeling like a slacker whenever my totals weren’t as high as usual.  By the time I returned to the car, I’d been out about 15 minutes longer than usual and done more than I had in months.  I was shot…but it felt great.

Once home, the workout continued.  I moved about 30 boxes of Christmas decorations to the attic, filled the shed with outdoor Christmas stuff and helped vacuum and rearrange the house back to its pre-Christmas look. 

Later, as I sat watching the Steelers/Broncos playoff game, guilt began to set in.  Why was I just sitting and watching when I could be doing some exercise?   It’s a sickness for which there is no cure, so I went and pulled the trainer from the office and rode while watching the second half…a thirty minute half of football takes 90 minutes to be played, by the way.  I rode until the end of regulation…it was tied and headed for overtime…and during the brief intermission and coin toss to determine who would get the football first during overtime, I went to see how Holly was doing and if I could get her anything – she was still sick and in bed.

I returned five minutes later to watch the overtime only to find that they’d switched to the regularly scheduled show – 60 Minutes.  Really?  Skip overtime for 60 Minutes?  I don’t get any Cable stations that cost money – ESPN and the like – and figured that was where they were showing the overtime…and I was pissed.  I didn’t learn until the next morning when I opened the sports page that Denver had scored on the first play of overtime, ending the game.  While I was trying to earn some gallantry points with Holly…I missed the end of the game…and she didn’t want anything anyways!  Well…I tried to do the right thing.  Next time…I stay on the bike.  I was sorry to miss the Steelers losing, though.

Survival Workout: 75 minutes.  Bike duration: 75 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW and 120 for the bike.
Calories burned:  750 for SW, 1050 for the bike.

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