my exercise gym diary

I lifted weights yesterday but stayed far, far away from anything cardio.  I was afraid to get too near any cardio equipment because I did not think myself strong enough to resist the allure of getting my heart pumping and my lungs heaving.  So, yesterday, although, I missed my cardio training desperately, I said no!  Some times, no matter how much you love something you have to be willing to say no to it and stand by your guns.  What’s that old saying…if you love something you must set it free?  Yeah.  Well, I’ve had to set cardio training free.  This past week I have wept bitterly, I have been overly jealous.  I’ve even stalked elliptical trainers, stationary bikes and, yes, I’ve even fantasized about the dreaded treadmill!  “Oh, elliptical, elliptical…where art thou, elliptical?”  Yes, its been pathetic.  Its left most dumbfounded.  But, the truth is I have missed cardio training but in its place I have lifted weights and I have done lots of stretching.

And, I’ve iced my calf, I’ve used “the stick” on it.  I’ve stretched it lightly some more.  I’ve dipped in warm water and iced it afterwards.  Basically, I have really, really tried to allow my calf to heal.  And, it is healing.  There is hardly any pain on the calf.

Today, after 30 minutes of stretching and just running “the stick” over my calf, over and over and over and over it – I decided to hop on the stationary and bike for 30 minutes on level 8.  Cadence and speed were inconsequential.  I just wanted to get my legs moving, my heart pumping, my lungs heaving and some fresh blood pumping through the calves.  And, I did just that.

At the end of my 30 minutes ride, I had logged 8.59 miles and burned away 204 calories with an average speed of 17.3 mph.  Like I stated previously, speed and cadence were of no importance.

Tomorrow, I’ll 30 minutes on the elliptical and lift weights and, stretch some more.  And yes, roll “the stick” over it again and again and again.  I might even ice it later in the evening.  By this weekend, I hope to be able to run again.  Please pray for me.

Here's "The Stick"'s case. Stupid slogan: "The tooth brush for Muscles". Who came up with that stupid sounding slogan? I don't know.

Just a few minutes ago, I got up to use the bathroom and to refill my glass of wine and noticed that I have a twinge of an ache on my injured calf.  Another reminder to allow myself to heal from this injury.  I’m in no rush.  Boston is out for this year.  So, I have no reason to get back to my former self in running.  Patience and smarts -that’s my creed in training and, in everything else.  Or, I should probably say, smarts and patience.  I gotta be smart about this.  And, patience is part of being smart about.  I’m not getting any younger, you know.  I gotta train smart now that I’m getting to be an old fart.  Young people can afford to be stupid but not old farts.  Old farts can in no way afford to be stupid.  Right?  You should know.

I read an interesting blog from Runner’s World about Running Shoes that I think you will find interesting.  Its not about old people and training smart.  Its about running shoes – do they or do they not cause injuries.  There is no definitive answer to the questions, of course.  Neither way can you prove nor disprove whether running shoes cause damage to runners.  I am one that is very interested in this topic.  I wonder if running shoes have disabled the natural balance of our feet in ways that where the muscles of the calves and the feet would naturally absorb some of the stress and pressure that running impacts on the knees now, with running shoes that stress and pressure is shot straight to and through the knee and on up to the hips.  I just wonder.  That’s why I’m experimenting with the vibram 5 fingers.  My boss along with several other runners that I know disagree with me.  The dark side of Nike & Brooks has won them over.  I think there is yet, some remaining good in me.  I am a Jedi.

Well, my stomach ache has gone away and, that makes me very happy.  Were you wondering what kind of wine I’m drinking this evening while I write this mystical and enlightening running blog entry?  Ok, I’ll tell you.  I’m drinking the Rex Goliath 47 Pound Rooster Pinot Noir that I bought at Kroger for $5.69.  Yes, it was cheap and its actually quite nice.  I’m becoming a big fan of Pinot Noirs.  This wine is climbing up there with my other favorites -Chiantis and zinfandels.  Or, should I say, sangiovese?  Sangiovese is the primary grape in Chiantis.  Anyway, I am really building a taste for pinot noirs.  Good stuff.

I like this pinot noir

Ok, I gotta shower.

Thanks for taking the time to read my mystical running blog.

peace and wine and in running,

dh

01/05/2010

It was another chilly day in Savannah but that didn’t stop me from working out…indoors.  Forget about the great outdoors on these chilly days and evenings.  Nothing worse than running outdoors at night when its cold.  Ok, running outdoors, at night, when its cold in the nude -that would be worse…for me.  And, probably worse for you to see such a sight. Ha.

Well, its four days before Christmas and as you would have guessed it, hardly anyone was at the gym.  During the Christmas  holiday season it seems that only two types of people go to the gym and workout – the diehards and those that don’t have a life or, those two combined -that’s three.  I’m not sure in which category I fall into but there I am, tearing it up.

I lifted weights at first but I didn’t get very far on the weight lifting because I ran into a fellow runner and ended up talking for about twenty minutes about running, races, ultra marathons and the Vibram 5 fingers.  In case you didn’t know, I’m buying a pair of five fingers.  I want to see what they are like.  And, hopefully, I will like these new type of running shoes so much that I will forever abandoned the standard old fashion running shoe.

In the mean time, I did punish myself for an hour on the elliptical and then for twenty minutes on the stationary bike.

I ended up knocking out a little over 6 miles on the elliptical and burned 720 calories on that.  On the stationary bike, I did almost 7 and a half miles and burned up 295 calories in twenty minutes.  Not bad, I think.

I am really missing the outdoors.  I need to get outside and run again.  This past weekend I walked a lot with my dog, Isabella.  We hit the dairy farm on Saturday and Sunday.  That was fun.  I just couldn’t motivate myself enough to step out the front door and run.  Saturday, too cold and wet.  Sunday, too cold and lazy.  Monday?  Too dark and chilly.  That’s why i hit the gym.

One thing I will say…very important pointer for you exercise freaks – never, never.  I mean, never.   And, I emphasize “never”!  Never ever, never ever, go to the grocery store after working out hard.  It will be detrimental to your bank account & your health!  You will want to buy everything in sight!  You will begin to eat your produce in the checkout line!  You will have eaten a bag of peanut M&M’s by the time you reach your car!  Not good!  Not good at all!

Here’s what I had for dinner this evening…boneless chicken breast baked in the over for 45 minutes in 400 degree heat.  Marinated in extra virgin olive oil, inch thick saltless butter, Sicilian lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, black crushed pepper.  I ate one of the pictured breasts with a side of Kellogs Corn Pops (with skim milk) and a glass of Barefoot Pinot Noir.  Does that sound good?  Does that sound nutritious?  I don’t know.  In practice it sounded and tasted great but in writing it, it comes off sounding so very wrong.  Well, there you have it whether right or wrong.  That’s what I ate for dinner and, most importantly, I liked it.  That’s all that counts right?

So, what’s with the WSVH jpg above?  This is all tied in to the title of this blog.  While I exercised on the cardio machines tonight I listened to a live stream of npr on my iphone,

I watched part of zombieland and I read from Michael Chrichton’s Travel’s,

This book is getting interesting, to say the least.  I think I may stick to reading “Travels” while I work out because reading Rilke while working out is just a little too deep for that environment, that moment.  I need something juuust a little bit lighter.  Get my drift?  Rilke is awesome, don’t get me wrong!  Its just not workout material.  Dig?

Well, as isabella will attest,

Life is good.

Thank you for taking the time to read my running blog.  I hope you are enjoying the holidays.  Get some rest.  Enjoy your family and friends.  Try to get out and move around a little.  Go for a walk especially if you have a dog or two.  Have a snowball fight, if you have snow.  If not, use water balloons but make sure the water balloons have warm water because it may not snow in Savannah but it is kind of chilly for us cold weather wimps in the South;)

peace and happiness,

dh

12/21/2009

Turning leaf
Pinot noir
2007
Germany
Price: $7.49 @ target

Happy drinking

Love, peace & be pretty cheap wine

Dh

11/09/2009

I like wine for it’s taste & for the way it compliments a meal, -not to get drunk…that’s what maddog 20/20 is for-ha! I crack myself up.

This Pinot is good stuff. Don’t take my word for it, though. After all, what the hell do I know about wine? Truly nothing. I just drink it & dabble with making it.
Ok, that’s it. A wine view from a total amateur and his iPhone.

Pepperwood grove
Pinot noir
Valle central
2008
Price: $7.99 @ publix

Peace & bananas

dh

10/29/2009

I opened this bottle last night & drank one glass of wine.  It was good. I have grown to love Pinot noir.   I favor pinots as much as Chiantis.

A few years ago I was all about zinfs & Chiantis.  Now, I’m all about pinots & Chiantis.

Anyway, I really like this tasty, smooth, gentle wine. I usually stay away from mondavi wines but at $6.74 for the bottle I couldn’t resist.  I’m glad I bought it.

Robert mondavi
Private selection
Pinot noir
California
2008
Price: $6.74 @ kroger

There you go.  Another wine sampling brought to you from supercooldan’s iphone.

dh

10/25/2009

It’s not the best Pinot n I’ve drank but for an every day table wine it’s good.

Prior to this one I did not know that Australia produced Pinot noir. They produce every other kind of wine. So why was I do ignorant? Because some times I’m just a big dummy.

Lindeman’s
Bin 99
Pinot Noir
2008
Australia
Price: $5.69 at Kroger

Until we meet again on a heavenly day…

Chow

Dh

The drip-stained label says it all.  Actually, I cannot think of anything that it really says.  Its a cool label, though…don’t you think?  Well, I do.

This is actually a very nice pinot noir for under $10.00.  For those that have read my other wine blog entries to get a sense of what kind of wine drinker I am?  If you thought, “a cheap wine drinker” you were mostly right.  I do like inexpensive wines.  They make me happy.  I don’t spend much on them but I get a rich taste out of many of them.  Any wine over $10.00 better be pretty darn decent.  Any wine over $20.00 will be scrutinized intensely by me…and, I better get my money’s worth out of that $20 one or else!  Or else “what?”, you may ask.  You got me.  Or else I’ll never ever ever ever never ever drink that wine again and I will tell everyone I ever ever ever meet to never ever ever never ever drink that $20 wine.  And, there you go.

For $9.79 you get a pretty darn good pinot noir that I will buy again and again and again and again.  That’s how much I like it.

Red Bicyclette

Pinot Noir
2008
Product of France
Price: $9.79 at Target

Good stuff.

Have a great evening and pleasant tomorrow.

Take care.

dh

10/12/2009

Cost: $8.49 @ public

Mirassou
Pinot noir
California
2008

Dan
9/24/2009