How Intense?

That is the big question: How frequent and intense should workouts be? It looked to me that too often or too hard and I'd pop a gasket and go RIP on the spot, but not often or not intense enough and I'd die slowly of organ failure.

The solution for me has been variety: I have a base, and add variation.

I warm up, stretch and self-massage every day.

I do something or two every day, but every day is different. Like weightlift every other day, hike outside two or three times a week, bike out once or twice a week, and do cardio machines (elliptic and studio bike) several times a week. And then do something special and motivational several times a year, like week-long backpacking trips, mountain climbs and bike tours.

Every weight workout is different... in form, type, sets and angles/machines/weights. Every cardio is different in location/surface/machine, time and intensity.

Once a month I do heavy weights as well as all-day hikes or very fast hikes and high heartrate elliptic sessions. I rotate these and warm up very well.

Is it working? Yes, I think so... for me. I do well, but still get occasional injuries, for which I have to take time off or modify my workouts to recuperate. I do seem to get elbow tendinitis too often, so am continuously modifying and cold-packing. Could I do better? Probably, but as compared to what? There are not that many old athletes around. I read a lot, discuss and experiment, but I don't have all the answers. I've been working on this particular answer for decades.

-copyright 2014 by Willy

Secret Fitness Techniques

Wow, this year went by so fast that it was a blur!

I was looking over my notes and trying to determine how I did with my resolutions this year. On the positive side: I lost weight/fat and improved muscle tone, and vastly improved my hiking endurance. On the negative side: I did not bicycle enough, I had knee and shoulder injuries, and I did not consume enough protein.

My resolution for this next year is to continue hikes and lifting as is, but increase protein and bicycling, and be more careful about injuries.

I wanted my self-discipline and self-motivation to be stellar this year but it was a year full of stress. Stress may be the reasons for the injuries and for a very long "cold," or maybe it was over-training. So, let's try it again next year, and every year, and let's use the same secret techniques that have produced a good work career for me. To remind myself, what to do...

Set goals. What worked well last year was a target waist size and related weight loss, a defined "easy" hike mileage, and increased reps... when my weightlifting buddy wasn't looking. Begin with the end in mind. At work, it's been the number of technical reports published.

Be proactive. What worked well before was to madly cross-train, using all off-work time (no hanging around the house watching TV!). Just do it, the Nike ads say. At work, my interest takes over. Nobody has to tell me what to do, since I'm doing it. Do keep in mind that I have a desk job.

Do not overdo it. Think no over-training injuries. Allow both the mind and the body to win. Think win-win. At work, it has been distributing success credit to others.

Key is playing nice, smiling, sharing, mentoring, being courageous, keeping integrity, and demonstrating patience... with myself and others at the gym, trail, road, and work/lab. However, I do admit that I avoid some people to...

Be happy, and stay happy. "Do what you can with what you got," is my mantra... and...

Remember to rest. Nothing beats eliminating drama and reducing stress, and thus getting good sleep. The body has to heal itself after the carnage. Add regular massage, too.

Shhh... those are my secrets. Don't tell anybody.


- © 2012 by Willy

P.S., a happy new year to you.

Inside Workouts... Or Not

It's easy to neglect weightlifting and other inside workouts in beautiful weather.

I'm a cross-training advocate, but my tendency this time of year is to go outside on crisp, sunny days for long mountain hikes. Hiking is easier than elliptic or swimming, and more enjoyable than both. Diopter-correction goggles and waterproof mp3 players help with swimming pace (a regular mp3 for elliptic). Bicycling is borderline, since seasonal strong and cool winds take a bite out of my enjoyment.

I enjoy weightlifting, because I can see the results in the mirror... like I enjoy dieting (yes, really). Lifting is easy for me so I have to remember to use perfect form and take it easy or I'll get a joint injury... my muscles are stronger than my tendons/joints. Dumbbells are my favorite over barbells, since the completely flat barbell grip position hurts me for some presses, whereas dumbbell angles automatic adjust to the no-pain level.

I do have a lifting partner. Just like meeting a class... college or gym... a habitual event helps tremendously in maintaining frequency. So, I lift at least twice a week... three times when not lured outside... similarly with elliptic, step, and yoga.

I also have habitual hikes, which are currently on Tuesdays after work, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings (unless I'm bicycling). On some particular bitter Sunday mornings, do I walk the mall (yes, it's boring but not as bad as swimming), but prefer conditioning to nasty weather because nasty weather happens on-trail.

This time of year the Tuesday after work hikes become adventuresome, since it is about sundown when I get to the trailhead. I hike in twilight up to the point, and back on a road in the dark. I do not recommend it, but it is my sixth Winter season doing this: I use the very same trail and know it well, carry a smartphone, umbrella, down vest, shell, poncho, 2 lights and protein bar in a small Camelback. I have contingency plans for several scenarios, and my work buddies know my habits. By the way, I use a red headlight to prevent peripheral vision night blindness, which is normally caused by white light.

Happy trails to you.

- © 2012 by Willy

Colloquialisms and Repetitions

The vernacular or colloquialism for the ubiquitous upper-booty tattoo is tramp stamp, which I learned from one of the sharp young people I mentor (I sometimes wonder if I learn more from them than they learn from me). This tat fact might have been actionable information for me thirty years ago but not now. We also discussed that brainwashing (frequent repetition) is not limited to Madison Avenue, to which she informed me that she already does that... tell all the boys, often, how cute she is. She also states that there is no kill switch on awesome, to which I could not help but LOL.

For twenty-one years I've worked out with younger Dallas, my brother from another mother, who continues to educate me as we press weight while I retell my experience... to laughs from both of us. Here, the reps are essential in order to stay huge.

I also repeat cardio to stay fit. While performing an early-season hike with my old buddy Ray last weekend, I praised him for his endurance (we did 12 miles and 2400 climb-feet in 6 hours). He replied that it was just putting one foot in front of the other, to which I remarked that this was true for life in general, and we both laughed while we bushwacked a shortcut.



Tomorrow is long and slow hike day, again. Today I did my usual early killer step class at the gym, some leftover weightlifting, got massaged and then again met a small group for an easy afternoon bike ride. I'm back to endos... mountain biking... besides my street rides and mountain hikes, whether in rain, wind and cold... or not. This year I'm training to bag a couple of 14ers in Colorado (hike to summit mountains above 14,000 feet). I'm bagging the peaks solo. My daughter says she's proud that I'm a badass. I'm tweaking my cold gear too... adding wicked crampons and killer ice axes, with which I'll boggle my neighbors' minds while aerating my front yard.

No matter the jargon, repetition and training are essential in life. It's all about having fun being bad... over and over again.



- © 2012 by Willy

Recovered Back To Bicycling

The bane of my existence has been injuries. Yes, I admit it... even far worse than divorce, since divorce has happened far fewer times, and I've been rather klutzy. I'm an engineer, not a jock.

During the past couple of months, ever since I developed heel spur plantar fasciitis tendinitis during training, my regular cardio exercise has been swimming. There was no mp3 player and no scenery... I just followed the painted line in the pool, over and over again. Since I'm blind as a bat without glasses, I can't even delight in googling swimsuit beauties.

To me, my plantar fasciitis means a tendinitis tear between heel and arch, on the outside rather than the arch side. I am stressed and the foot tries to supinate. So, I have to think the feet to relax. The body tries to repair this tear/swelling using calcium and I get a heel spur. I've had this many times... my left foot being rather finicky. Walking and hiking on the swelling makes it worse and keeps the injury from healing. It will take months to heal.

The unloaded spin bike was OK, but did not elevate my heart rate like it should for conditioning. And bicycling outside hurt, specially uphills. Today I did a slow and flat one-hour ride, with minimal pain... and only at the end. I had a great ride. I was glad to be out, enjoying the sun, listening to the critters and dodging the cars. Today I had a delightful breakthrough. I will ride once a week and continue swimming so as to heal. I expect the elliptical on tiptoes is next, and will wait for healing before going hiking.

We heal slowly but surely... day by day.

In all aspects.


- © 2011 by Willy

"You Look Terrible!"

I was sweating enough to create a puddle on the floor, ending the second of three hours of cardio at the gym when somebody hit me. I open my eyes on the stationary bike to see Emily laughing. "You look terrible!" she said. I took the complement, got off the bike, wiped the sweat, chit-chatted, and got on the treadmill for an relatively easy last hour. She looks terrific, I told her, since she also exercises constantly. I actually do strive to LOOK terrible, since that keeps women off my back, but I can out-press anybody at the gym at 61 years of age (100-pound dumbbell sets, anyone?), plus out-hike most people except true endurance athletes. I am all about function over form. I drive a junker truck and live a low-key but adventuresome life. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

I'm training for a two-week hike in Yosemite, and 3 hours of cardio a day is the minimum. I've been doing 6-hour 14-mile 2500-climb-feet hikes on the mountain on weekends. This weekend was a hot one, reaching 110 degrees, so I went to the gym today. Two weeks of vacation hiking is a long time for daily foot abuse, so I've gotten Nike Air hiking boots to cushion my heels, although they are VERY purple and gaudy, just the way Nike likes them. It's function over form here too.

Yes, life is good.

- © 2011 by Willy

Start of Bicycle Commuting

It's finally reached the right conditions to start daily bike commuting to work and elsewhere. I've been monitoring The Weather Channel with bated breath: 40 degrees overnight, no initial rain and a rain forecast of 50% or less. Last night's forecast finally showed this, so I was thrilled... I had not bike commuted since October. I pumped the fat tires, laid out shell and lycra, set alarm clocks and went to bed early.

On awakening, I was as excited as a kid going to Six Flags. I flicked on headlight and blinkies, and started off down my mountain. In five minutes legs were cold but fingers were truly frozen (gloves and long johns tomorrow). Car traffic was light, there were no bugs, some birds were awake, met one walker, and had bad night blindness due to passing car headlights... but sunrise twilight started halfway into the ride.

I rode on shoulders, sidewalks and grass. The traffic cooperated when I signaled that I needed to take the lane to get to the checkpoint. A little later I waited on the shoulder for a gap in order to do a left into my bldg.

I took it easy but made the commute in the same 35 minutes it took me last year. I chained the bike to the fence, changed clothes and became a regular working stiff drinking his morning cup but with a big grin. I was happy... and appreciative to have survived the traffic one more time.

The way out had less traffic, since I left early to make a doctor's appointment. The sun was warm, traffic was light, and it was fun showing off my bike garb to the doctor's staff. But climbing up my home hill afterwards was exhausting and slow... I guess I am out of shape after all.

It sure was a great small adventure, and I hope to continue it on a daily basis.

- © 2008 by Willy
.

Operating Temperature

After 12 minutes I shed my sweat jacket, and in another 10 off came the T-shirt. I was then at Operating Temperature and Pressure on the Precor elliptic.

I then raised the ramp to max, the load to 14 and continued on to finish my usual hour of cardio, followed up by a cool down.

I love riding and hiking outside because I enjoy Mother Nature, but I like indoor machines because I can load, instrument and gauge my progress. In either case, I warm up. Warming up and stretching is always required. Years ago I had tendonitis until I figured it out... the human machine has to ramp up or it breaks.

Of course, machines are the same way as my body in the sense that they need warming up too. Mash that accelerator hard right after you crank the car and you've taken a thousand miles off your car lifetime and you're looking for a blown head gasket, rod or main bearing.

There are differences, though. I found that part of the solution to healing my emotionally broken heart was to try to physiologically break it.

That is, give it a hard workout, make the sucker pump and take it to its limits. Associated with that was a serious diet that would allow me to do it. This is both different and the same from the warm up guideline in that both still need warm up, but my heart does adapt and grows stronger emotionally and physically, unlike my car.

I wish I could have somehow taken my heart to emotional Operating Temperature and Pressure before it broke earlier this year.

- © 2007 by Willy
.

Cardio

Of course, losing 40 pounds earlier this year makes a huge difference in how I feel (there is less huffing and puffing, I move faster, etc), but also quantitatively, in my heartbeat, my ride speed and my distance. My heartbeat, given a specific load, has dropped 20 beats! I can't reach my old max heartbeat (165) any more... I seem to be muscle-limited now rather than lung-limited for the same perceived exertion. My ride speed increased 2 mph average on bike commutes, and my long-and-slow Sunday ride miles have doubled.

I do plan to continue this weight loss to drop maybe 10 more pounds... the fat atop my abs... but not at the expense of my hard-earned muscles. I've just now, months later, gotten back to the weights I had been pushing.

So, the plateau being over, it's time to drop more weight... get back to the diet and get serious again on cardio... I am going to add more gym cardio machines to my bike commute, because I can better gauge progress or get a metric with them, since I don't want to overdo it. I am also dangling that new-bike carrot, and my goal is to ride solo a week, credit card ultralight, maybe to the beach.

Hope you're having a great day!

-©2007 by Willy
.