Saturday, September 20, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Post #27
i walked hazel yesterday. it was nice. and then i did a little rowing. it really was "a little" rowing - only 8.30 minutes. someone came to the door and interrupted me and then i never went back to it. it was a friend coming by to introduce me to her dog. she has a 9 month old lab - 85 lbs. a sweet, black lab with the softest, most velvety ears you've ever felt. she was fairly calm. hazel did not like her for some reason. i think she detected an air of alpha on her and opposed it as the ruler of our domain. my docile, sweet lamb chop actually aggressed on the visiting dog, using the scary bark typically reserved only for the mailman. i thought she was going to attack her. it was slightly embarrassing.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Sidebar: Pride Street Blast 2008!
Okay, so up until tonight I had never been to a Pride event of any kind. I know, shameful! I was invited to go to the Street Blast with a few friends. For those of you not in the know, the Street Blast is the event held on Friday night – the first night of the festival – where the 18th block of Main Street is shut down so that house music can be broadcasted at ear splitting volumes. Come on, you know it sounds like fun!
In the days leading up to Pride weekend I have felt very ambivalent and apathetic about going. Internet, I know! It seems awful of me not to go in support of our people, but I detest Tootsies as a general rule, with its poorly lit, dingy interior and its nondescript house music. The.Street.Blast! sounded like an outside version of Tootsies. But in the name of research, I decide to go. I wonder what kind of drama will unfold tonight. Think of all those ex’s contained in such close quarters! There are a few people that I do.not.want to run into myself.
Two things I’m looking forward to:
5:00pm – Jay, Dena and I meet in the parking lot across the street from Tootsies. The Street Blast is still an hour away from its scheduled start. For the most part, it looks fairly empty, with the exception of some people setting up. We amble over to Manny’s for some pre-SB chow.
I digress . . .
9:30pm - No soap in bathroom at Tootsies. What a surprise . . . As I’m walking through that smaller room that leads to the bathroom, I hear two Pride Staff people talking about how there should always be someone watching the liquor and that there had not been. I look and sure enough, against the wall is what looks to be twenty cases of bottled liquor. I’d never seen it there before. It was obviously Street Blast overflow. I’ll come back to this in a moment . . .
9:50pm - I just ate a funnel cake. O Supreme Goodness! Seriously. Have you had one of these lately? Amazing! I was curious as to how such a thing could come into being. It’s a fascinating process.
Then, after the prescribed amount if time, shake the new funnel out of the cookie cutter thing into vat of grease.
In the days leading up to Pride weekend I have felt very ambivalent and apathetic about going. Internet, I know! It seems awful of me not to go in support of our people, but I detest Tootsies as a general rule, with its poorly lit, dingy interior and its nondescript house music. The.Street.Blast! sounded like an outside version of Tootsies. But in the name of research, I decide to go. I wonder what kind of drama will unfold tonight. Think of all those ex’s contained in such close quarters! There are a few people that I do.not.want to run into myself.
Two things I’m looking forward to:
- Seeing large qualities of gay people. This is something I don’t often get to witness. I’ve really only ever seen as many gay people that can fit inside Tootsies. And since I don’t go to Tootsies anymore, I rarely see our people en masse.
- The unfettered public groping. You know, the kind of groping that we gays never get to do in public normally? Yeah, that kind.
As a general note, it was troubling to witness the number of people who brought their small children and infants to the event. Who does this??!! Infants. Like four week old babies. Right up near the stage. Next to the very loud house music playing. Poor babies. Look at the child in this picture. This was one of the older ones that I saw. Look how sad and tired she is. Meanwhile, her father chats on a cell phone.
5:00pm – Jay, Dena and I meet in the parking lot across the street from Tootsies. The Street Blast is still an hour away from its scheduled start. For the most part, it looks fairly empty, with the exception of some people setting up. We amble over to Manny’s for some pre-SB chow. [sidebar: I’ve been to Manny’s a number of times. I’ve never realized its proximity to Tootsies. I’m now momentarily disoriented]
5:06pm – (methinks) OMG, WHY is it so HOT? Summer can be so unfeeling and inconsiderate sometimes, no?
6:00pm – We walk back to the closed off block that is now, officially! The.Street.Blast! It still looks empty. I’m slightly disappointed. We decide to “walk around”. You know, check out the scene.
6:02pm – That was thrilling. It took roughly two minutes to walk the length of the block. And really, there is nothing to see with the exception of what appears to be a single, oddly placed, carnival-like booth where you can throw darts at balloons tacked to a wall to win a stuffed animal, some of which were quite large. A word about the stuffed! animals! They were rough looking. From further away the largest of the stuffed animals compel thoughts of a wonderfully plush, parental surrogate. Up close they look tattered and worn. And unloved.
6:10pm – We all file into Tootsies so that I can use the bathroom. Sure, there is an entire row of porta-potties available for use, but I want to use a real bathroom. Wait. Let’s remember where we are. Tootsies and “real bathroom” are not synonymous. Anyone who has ever used the bathroom at Tootsies knows that it is only a half step above an outhouse; however, it did seem better than the alternative.
[rant] It astounds me that Tootsies has been in business as long as it has, making as much money as I’m sure it does and still offers a sub par bathroom experience. Namely, shower curtains in lieu of bathroom doors and what must be the smallest sink known to man. I first went to Tootsies in 2000 and they had shower curtains in the bathroom then. On a slow night you might find soap in the dispenser, paper towels and toilet paper. The perfect bathroom trifecta! On a busy night, forget about soap and paper towels - you’ll be lucky if there’s toilet paper to be had. The only truly lesbian bar in town and this is what my people are subjected to. [/rant]
I digress . . . There is a $2 cover at the door, which, even though it’s usually $5, seems like profiteering in view of the happy occasion (Pride! 2008!); however, we were thankful we paid the usage tax later because we didn’t have to wait in line to get back in. Now, it’s been quite some time since I last frequented Tootsies. Some subtle changes have occurred, mainly in the form of signage. Shortly after walking in the door you are assaulted with excessive signage and then again at the “bathrooms”. The signs at the entryway read: “OVER 21 ONLY” and “MUST HAVE TWO FORMS OF ID, ONE WITH A PICTURE”, which I guess they had suspended for Pride! 2008! since my driver’s license alone is accepted. I say assaulted because the signs are written in all caps. Internet, if you have taught us anything it’s that all caps is not used for emphasis, it’s used for yelling. Bad form.
[sidebar: who goes to a bar with two forms of ID? I don’t even possess two forms of ID unless you count my passport (which is expired anyway). So I’m supposed to show up next time with my driver’s license and birth certificate??]
The second set of signs (I counted two or three) near the bathrooms, yell out “WOMEN ONLY!!!!!” This is obviously a product of the rape allegations that were leveled against Tootsies in April.
[sidebar: I think if a man (and there are many that frequent Tootsies), has the intent to harm and/or rape a woman, a sign proclaiming “WOMEN ONLY” (even if it is in all caps) is not going to serve as a deterrent. Neither are the shower-curtain bathroom doors. Shower curtains don’t lock.]
Finally, there are a few signs at the bar that yell “TWO DRINK MINIMUM”. This is all beginning to feel very Shawshank-like.
6:18pm – We go over to buy our drink tickets. I am aware that you are required to wear an arm band signifying your eligibility to consume alcoholic beverages. What I did not know was that you had to pay $5 for that arm band. Again, seems like profiteering. Also, each day of the festival uses a different colored arm band, meaning you have to re-buy an arm band each day that you want to drink. Jay and I attempt to negotiate and/or argue this injustice, ultimately in vain. We are bitter.
There are few drink options available: water, sodas, some bottled beers and the very exotic sounding “mixed” drinks with alluring names like: twisted tea, Malibu mango lemonade and Stoli blackberry lemonade. Unfortunately, we quickly realize that the “mixed” drinks were mixed . . . in large orange coolers. Like the ones that you used to drink out of at your old soccer games? Yes, those.
[sidebar: Think back to the early 80’s - do you remember that orange drink from McDonalds? It wasn’t carbonated – it was just orange drink. I had it everywhere as a child: at soccer games, at church events, at large family functions . . .]
Jay, a self-confessed germ-o-probe, took one look at the orange coolers and ordered a Miller Lite. I followed suit.
6:30pm – I think the dart game might be fixed. At least that is what Jay proclaims after trying her luck. She pierces enough balloons only to qualify for a stuffed animal from the lowest tier; however, the fast talking “carnie” attempts to dupe her into spending just.$15.more! to upgrade to the surrogate size stuffed animal. She isn’t biting. And she is incensed.
We decide to sit up by the stage (and the very large speakers) on one of the curbs and people watch. The sun has not yet set and is beating down on me from directly over the buildings on the West side of the street. We see the first infant of the night. Here’s something else troubling, although I feel kind of bad for pointing it out. We people watched for over an hour. We saw lots of people – our people. In a word, they looked rough. Like 95% of the people that walked by looked unemployable. And sort of mean. Jay agrees. I start out the conversation like this: “Can I say something kind of rude”? (Jay) “Of course”! I console myself with the thought that it is still pretty early as I wonder aloud which section of The.Street.Blast! contains the professional, employed over-thirty crowd? It was apparently not the section we are sitting in.
8:05pm – (Jay) “Look they’re walking”! Her statement doesn’t register with me at all. My eyes have glazed over by this time. It isn’t until I notice the group of people that have formed two parallel facing single-file lines that I ask what is going on. This is when I learn of the phenomenon that is cat walking. Have you heard of this? It’s where the boys and trans-gendered walk – to pulsing house music – like they are walking down a runway. Complete with all the hip shaking, hair flipping, posturing and associated flair/pizzazz you would expect from any runway model. Apparently, it’s all the rage amongst the trans-gendered community. It’s all taken very seriously and such, with organized practices and everything.
I am fascinated.
8:56pm – Crowd is getting much thicker now. By this time we are down at the South end of Street.Blast.2008! where the previously talk-prohibiting house music was now just a non-descript “thumpa-thumpa” sound. You know the sound. It’s the background music in every Babylon scene from the defunct Queer as Folk.
9:30pm - No soap in bathroom at Tootsies. What a surprise . . . As I’m walking through that smaller room that leads to the bathroom, I hear two Pride Staff people talking about how there should always be someone watching the liquor and that there had not been. I look and sure enough, against the wall is what looks to be twenty cases of bottled liquor. I’d never seen it there before. It was obviously Street Blast overflow. I’ll come back to this in a moment . . .9:50pm - I just ate a funnel cake. O Supreme Goodness! Seriously. Have you had one of these lately? Amazing! I was curious as to how such a thing could come into being. It’s a fascinating process.
First you pour some batter into a cookie cutter like thing sitting in a vat of grease.
Then, after the prescribed amount if time, shake the new funnel out of the cookie cutter thing into vat of grease. 
New funnel should float around in vat of grease for a prescribed amount of time.
Pluck new funnel from vat of grease and place on paper plate. Sprinkle powdered sugar liberally. And viola! There you have it! A little grease endowed slice of heaven right here on earth. Seriously, if I could begin each day with a funnel cake I would. 
10:02pm – The crowd is growing bigger by the minute. At this point it’s getting harder and harder to move around. As a result, there is a lot of standing around and crowd watching. 
These ladies graciously agreed to pose for me. I loved their outfits. They even had matching carry-on luggage that they pulled around behind them (on wheels of course).
Not pictured is the tight fitting mankini that this guy is wearing. I was sad it didn’t make it into the picture.
10:28pm – All is not well. It’s really too early to tell but it appears as if my intestinal tract is rejecting the funnel cake offering – say it isn’t so!
10:30pm – I make my way to the bathroom to check out the disturbance. By this point, there is a hella line to the bathroom, extending all the way to the pool table. Well of course there is. And then I notice what all the cases of liquor are for. It’s the site of the mixing station for the exotic “mixed” drinks! Up walks a Staffer with an empty orange cooler. He dumps in the prescribed ingredients, gives it a stir or two and then heads back out to the street with it. Not exactly the cleanest of environments. What isn’t pictured is the half full ashtray sitting just feet away from the mixing station. Lovely. I finally get through the line into the bathroom to see that not only are their no paper towels but the soap is gone too. Well what was I expecting? It is a busy night after all – Street.Blast.2008!
11:10pm – There is now a large mass of people in front of the stage. We decide to see for ourselves what is going on up there. As we make our way up front, past the throng of people, I realize that the non-descript thumping I have been listening to for the last few hours is actually music! Martha Washington is on stage singing.
11:22pm – The crowd is dutifully whipped into a frenzy at last call with “It’s raining men”. I’m talking, hands in the air, crowd-jumping frenzy. Can you think of a more apt way to end The.Street.Blast?
11:30pm – The.Street.Blast! is ending. We are standing in a disturbingly long line to get into Tootsies. And here is where our previously paid $2 cover pays off. We are able to move to the front of the line. Otherwise, we never would have made it in. Here’s a question you may be asking yourselves: why was I standing in line for Tootsies when I so clearly detest it? Simple - a) I was a little drunk and b) the people I drove with wanted to go.
11:35pm – The smoking ban is definitely not in effect yet here. We are engulfed by the familiar cloud of smoke. Tootsies is filled to capacity!
11:50pm – There is a woman sitting on one of the black leather couches passed out, with a pitcher of beer in her hand. We sit on one of the empty black couches and observe the action.
11:55pm – (me) “I've seen surprisingly little PDA tonight”. (Jay) “Yeah, because it’s mainly singles here now. All the couples have gone home to do it”.
12:01am – (me, as I observe a couple embracing) “Why would a straight couple come to Pride and Tootsies? (Jay) OMG, you can't tell that is two girls”? (me) “My bad”.
12:17am – (methinks) “Sure would be nice to have a nice, warm girl to cuddle up to on this black leather couch”. This kind of sentiment is a sure indicator that it’s probably time to head for the exits.
12:24am – A guy next to us looks for his shirt, which I had inadvertently been sitting on. He spies an unused condom on the floor (which, is kinda gross if you think about it). Jay encourages him to put it to good use. His response: “I don't need a mag! I want to blow it up like a balloon)! Which he then proceeds to do.
12:41am – One last stop to the bathroom yields the unexpected surprise – the soap and paper towels have been restocked!
12:45am – (overheard in bathroom) “It’s hot as balls in here”! (and it was) and “damn it woman, I’m going to do you before we leave”. My chest swells with pride. My people! At this point we decide that we’ve seen everything that we’re going to see and we head out to Chubby’s to end the night.
1:14am - At Chubby’s. Is packed. Had to wait for a table.
2:22am – As we’re leaving Chubby’s we hear this little gem: “I'll just tell the MF bitches that my motorcycle is an extension of my MF dick”.
2:35am – Back home, reflecting on a most interesting evening. Am I glad that I went? Yes, yes I am.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Week 1 - W1
i have received some compelling feedback from a long time reader regarding the 'sidebar' to 'workout' ration - that it's a little out of whack. in response i say, enough with all the silly sidebars! onto the workout portion of this blog!
before going to the gym today i strapped on my polar heart rate strap. first thought i had upon snapping it closed: "sweet jesus! why is it so tight??!!" i winced from the pain. and then i sighed. surely i couldn't have gained that much weight could i? though i had slacked for almost an entire year, fortunately i really hadn't gained any weight at all - at least that is what the scale tells me. why.wasn't.this.fitting? ah, yes. joyous revelation! i remembered that the ex had come by a few weeks prior and randomly wanted to check her heart rate. she had obviously made the strap smaller.
first day back at the gym. i've decided that i'm going to train to run a 5k. i'm using jeff galloway's 5k training plan, which at 15 weeks, is excessively long. most marathon training plans are 12 weeks if that gives you any indication. anyway. my weak and feeble core needs 15 weeks to prepare itself to run those three miles. if i learned anything from the Amy Thompson run it is this: time is my friend. and discipline. oh, and also overall dedication. The training plan is comprised of three run days and three cross training days. On the run days i've decided to also work out on the weight machines.
i have a 'workout person' that i typically meet at the gym. she's 25. she's also bouncy and happy and peppy. all things that i am not. i don't think anyone could or would call me bouncy. but my person, she's a good one to have around.
after running on the treadmill (for clarity i'm going to say 'run' even though we all know it's mostly 'walking' at this point) i worked on the weight machines. i was sweating profusely as well as exerting a great deal of energy. i look up at one point to see my person reclining on the adductor machine, casually reading a magazine. she loves the abductor/adductor machines.
me: dude! you're not laying out by the pool!
person: [looks up and giggles]
me: if you're able to read a magazine then you don't have enough weight on
person: [more giggling]
1. Run
Energy Expenditure: 278 kcal
Average Heart Rate: 152 bpm
Maximum Heart Rate: 186 bpm
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 24:50min
2. Weights
Energy Expenditure: 500 kcal
Average Heart Rate: 152 bpm
Maximum Heart Rate: 171 bpm
Time: 45min
incline press: 60
chest: 40
shoulder press: 30
lat pulldown: 60
seated row: 45
bicep curl: 20
seated tricep extension: 30
abductor: 60
adductor: 60
seated leg curl: 50
leg extension:40
leg press: 120
before going to the gym today i strapped on my polar heart rate strap. first thought i had upon snapping it closed: "sweet jesus! why is it so tight??!!" i winced from the pain. and then i sighed. surely i couldn't have gained that much weight could i? though i had slacked for almost an entire year, fortunately i really hadn't gained any weight at all - at least that is what the scale tells me. why.wasn't.this.fitting? ah, yes. joyous revelation! i remembered that the ex had come by a few weeks prior and randomly wanted to check her heart rate. she had obviously made the strap smaller.
first day back at the gym. i've decided that i'm going to train to run a 5k. i'm using jeff galloway's 5k training plan, which at 15 weeks, is excessively long. most marathon training plans are 12 weeks if that gives you any indication. anyway. my weak and feeble core needs 15 weeks to prepare itself to run those three miles. if i learned anything from the Amy Thompson run it is this: time is my friend. and discipline. oh, and also overall dedication. The training plan is comprised of three run days and three cross training days. On the run days i've decided to also work out on the weight machines.
i have a 'workout person' that i typically meet at the gym. she's 25. she's also bouncy and happy and peppy. all things that i am not. i don't think anyone could or would call me bouncy. but my person, she's a good one to have around.
after running on the treadmill (for clarity i'm going to say 'run' even though we all know it's mostly 'walking' at this point) i worked on the weight machines. i was sweating profusely as well as exerting a great deal of energy. i look up at one point to see my person reclining on the adductor machine, casually reading a magazine. she loves the abductor/adductor machines.
me: dude! you're not laying out by the pool!
person: [looks up and giggles]
me: if you're able to read a magazine then you don't have enough weight on
person: [more giggling]
1. Run
Energy Expenditure: 278 kcal
Average Heart Rate: 152 bpm
Maximum Heart Rate: 186 bpm
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 24:50min
2. Weights
Energy Expenditure: 500 kcal
Average Heart Rate: 152 bpm
Maximum Heart Rate: 171 bpm
Time: 45min
incline press: 60
chest: 40
shoulder press: 30
lat pulldown: 60
seated row: 45
bicep curl: 20
seated tricep extension: 30
abductor: 60
adductor: 60
seated leg curl: 50
leg extension:40
leg press: 120
Sidebar: Leg
while drinking a glass of water last night i noticed, at the bottom of my glass, what looked suspiciously like the severed leg of some creature. i immediately poured out the remaining water, including the leg, into the sink. it wasn't until this morning that i became troubled. has something tainted my ice maker container? say it isn't so . . .
Race Redux: Amy Thompson Run for Daylight
i completed my first race on memorial day. in short, i got schooled . . . by children.
it was a humbling affair.
there were two events: the 8k and the 2 mile. i decided on the 2 mile because i wasn't sure i could finish the 8k within the time limit. and really, it was just 2 miles. i walk 2 miles all the time. well, not recently, but still. 2 miles. 2 miles is easy! i bet i could even run half of it! it's only two miles. i mean really, if i had to, i'm sure i could run three miles. this was the debate that i got into with mary and ann last summer - that if i had to, i could run three miles. like, had to as in if someone was chasing me because they wanted to kill me. we argued about it all summer long - whether or not this was possible in my current state. i maintained that it was.
i digress . . .
the 2 mile was billed as the event for all! ages! what i failed to realize when i signed up was that it really was for all ages. like small children. they were numerous. and they were fast.
i started out running until i couldn't run any further. i prefer to think of this as pacing myself. then i walked as fast as i could until i caught my breath (and the cramp in my side subsided). lots of people passed me. lots. here are just a few of the people who passed me:
it was a humbling affair.
there were two events: the 8k and the 2 mile. i decided on the 2 mile because i wasn't sure i could finish the 8k within the time limit. and really, it was just 2 miles. i walk 2 miles all the time. well, not recently, but still. 2 miles. 2 miles is easy! i bet i could even run half of it! it's only two miles. i mean really, if i had to, i'm sure i could run three miles. this was the debate that i got into with mary and ann last summer - that if i had to, i could run three miles. like, had to as in if someone was chasing me because they wanted to kill me. we argued about it all summer long - whether or not this was possible in my current state. i maintained that it was.
i digress . . .
the 2 mile was billed as the event for all! ages! what i failed to realize when i signed up was that it really was for all ages. like small children. they were numerous. and they were fast.
i started out running until i couldn't run any further. i prefer to think of this as pacing myself. then i walked as fast as i could until i caught my breath (and the cramp in my side subsided). lots of people passed me. lots. here are just a few of the people who passed me:
- small children
- a woman pushing a stroller
- a man carrying a child on his back
- the elderly
- two girls holding hands and skipping
- people who looked way more out of shape than me
i continued alternating running with fast walking until . . . wait . . . is that the finish line? i was overjoyed. that is until someone beside me called out ONE MILE! and then i saw with my own eyes the tape on the street delineating the one mile mark. sweet jesus! i was crushed. how can i only have gone ONE MILE? it felt like i had been running for 30 minutes. and i was only half done.
i pressed on as fast as i could, while the masses effortlessly passed me. when i got to the actual finish line i saw mary, ann, tim and hazel cheering me on. my spirits lifted slightly. i ran the last little stretch to the finish. i finished in 30:05, which isn't as good as i had hoped, but it certainly could have been worse.
and afterwards my body hurt like a mother - why, i have no idea. i think it must have been the shock of running on the pavement. i think i could have gotten the same time with much less pain had i just walked fast.
after i had consumed my post race cookies (the second cookie was really ill-advised) and water i sheepishly admitted to mary and ann: "okay, maybe i couldn't run three miles if i had to". they reveled in my admission.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Sidebar: Oatmeal
oatmeal . . . what a curious thing.
i'm going to confess something that will compel you to ask yourselves "how is this possible"?
i ate oatmeal today . . . for the first time . . . ever!
i know, i know, it's hard to believe. but see, you must understand something. i have a few tactile-based idiosyncrasies, one of which is wet food. i eat my cereal dry - with no milk. i have no issue with milk in itself, but more so with way that it makes my cereal wet and invariably soggy. and so obviously, the same thing applies with oatmeal.
how have i lived 35 years without ever having consumed it? easy . . . anytime oatmeal was offered to me a myriad of other breakfast items was also offered, including cereal and more importantly bacon and eggs!
it was surprisingly easy to make - mix one packet instant low sugar (maple and brown sugar) oatmeal with 1/2 cup hot water. i suppose i can proclaim it fairly palatable. i may need to experiment with the water to oatmeal ratio and possibly use hotter water. i did find the pasty, soggy consistency to be a little disconcerting, but i pushed past that. after all, they eat it all the time on biggest loser, don't they?
i'm going to confess something that will compel you to ask yourselves "how is this possible"?
i ate oatmeal today . . . for the first time . . . ever!
i know, i know, it's hard to believe. but see, you must understand something. i have a few tactile-based idiosyncrasies, one of which is wet food. i eat my cereal dry - with no milk. i have no issue with milk in itself, but more so with way that it makes my cereal wet and invariably soggy. and so obviously, the same thing applies with oatmeal.
how have i lived 35 years without ever having consumed it? easy . . . anytime oatmeal was offered to me a myriad of other breakfast items was also offered, including cereal and more importantly bacon and eggs!
it was surprisingly easy to make - mix one packet instant low sugar (maple and brown sugar) oatmeal with 1/2 cup hot water. i suppose i can proclaim it fairly palatable. i may need to experiment with the water to oatmeal ratio and possibly use hotter water. i did find the pasty, soggy consistency to be a little disconcerting, but i pushed past that. after all, they eat it all the time on biggest loser, don't they?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
I'm Back Bitches!
on the one year anniversary of my absence i would like to just say - i'm back bitches! i declare project jaguar to be reinitiated!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Week 10
post 1:
last night i ran 1.5 minutes instead of just 1 minute on the run part. i know it's no big deal but it was alot to me. i was able to do it although my heart rate did get up to 180 near the end. my left shin started bothering me after 30 min so i went back down to 1 minute. not sure what was up with that. it wasn't sore afterwards. baby steps . . .
Total Time: 77 min
Total Kcal: 7811
post 2:
so i swam for the first time in probably 20 years tonight. it. was not. pretty. not for the lifeguards watching, nor the parents observing, nor the children playing. flailing and thrashing about is an understatement. i knew it was going to be hard but was suprised at just how difficult it was. god! how did i ever swim as a child? i couldn't get enough air when turning my head so by the time i got 3/4th of the way down the length i was completely out of breath. my arms, which seemed to start out so strong from the wall, by the middle of the lane were just splashing around ineffectively. my back end seemed to disappear under the water. i had to stop for a minute or so after completing each length to catch my breath and mentally prepare myself to continue. also, right after starting and somewhere in the middle i felt light headed and a little disoriented. strange. when i got home i went online to read up on freestyle and i was very surprised about all what goes into it. it's actually very complicated to get right. i had no idea it was so difficult. i'm going to get some private lessons from the YMCA next week. i figure it's better to do this sooner than later.
my upper body is sore today, specifically my shoulders. feels like i wrenched one of them. sigh.
what i saw: on my way out i asked the girl at the desk what the length of the pool was. i thought it was 25 yards but i wanted to make sure. it didn't seem to be marked anywhere.
me: what is the length of the pool?
her: ummmm . . . 25 . . . either meters or liters
me: i'm pretty sure it's not liters
her: oh, haahahaha yeah right . . . meters then. i knew it was 25 something.
last night i ran 1.5 minutes instead of just 1 minute on the run part. i know it's no big deal but it was alot to me. i was able to do it although my heart rate did get up to 180 near the end. my left shin started bothering me after 30 min so i went back down to 1 minute. not sure what was up with that. it wasn't sore afterwards. baby steps . . .
Total Time: 77 min
Total Kcal: 7811
post 2:
so i swam for the first time in probably 20 years tonight. it. was not. pretty. not for the lifeguards watching, nor the parents observing, nor the children playing. flailing and thrashing about is an understatement. i knew it was going to be hard but was suprised at just how difficult it was. god! how did i ever swim as a child? i couldn't get enough air when turning my head so by the time i got 3/4th of the way down the length i was completely out of breath. my arms, which seemed to start out so strong from the wall, by the middle of the lane were just splashing around ineffectively. my back end seemed to disappear under the water. i had to stop for a minute or so after completing each length to catch my breath and mentally prepare myself to continue. also, right after starting and somewhere in the middle i felt light headed and a little disoriented. strange. when i got home i went online to read up on freestyle and i was very surprised about all what goes into it. it's actually very complicated to get right. i had no idea it was so difficult. i'm going to get some private lessons from the YMCA next week. i figure it's better to do this sooner than later.
my upper body is sore today, specifically my shoulders. feels like i wrenched one of them. sigh.
what i saw: on my way out i asked the girl at the desk what the length of the pool was. i thought it was 25 yards but i wanted to make sure. it didn't seem to be marked anywhere.
me: what is the length of the pool?
her: ummmm . . . 25 . . . either meters or liters
me: i'm pretty sure it's not liters
her: oh, haahahaha yeah right . . . meters then. i knew it was 25 something.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Week 9
when i got to the gym i decided to do my main running/walking with hazel so i just walked for 20 minutes. again, still breaking in the orthotics so i'm trying to take it easy. because of the walking though, my hr didn't get very high so then i didn't burn as many calories while lifting. that is a bummer. however, if i had done the 1 min / 4 min run to walk then i'm sure it would have been high enough.
then hazel and i went on the trolley trail. it was really nice. i actually ran much faster on the run parts than i normally do - from 5.0 all the way to 5.8. i wasn't trying to run a certain speed - just going at the pace that felt good to me. on the way back, hazel was lagging on the run parts. i guess she was tired so i was only able to go 4.8, which felt very slow to me. i think i will try to go on the TT at least two or three times a week. hopefully hazel can get off her lazy ass and go faster soon.
Total Time: 1hr 56min
Total Kcal: 1078
then hazel and i went on the trolley trail. it was really nice. i actually ran much faster on the run parts than i normally do - from 5.0 all the way to 5.8. i wasn't trying to run a certain speed - just going at the pace that felt good to me. on the way back, hazel was lagging on the run parts. i guess she was tired so i was only able to go 4.8, which felt very slow to me. i think i will try to go on the TT at least two or three times a week. hopefully hazel can get off her lazy ass and go faster soon.
Total Time: 1hr 56min
Total Kcal: 1078
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Week 8
post 1:
today while on the treadmill i wanted to see how long i could run. i went 2 minutes. i know that is nothing to you runners but to me that was twice what i had been able to do. i felt like i could have done alot more. i tried to keep up the 2 min / 3 min run to walk cycle, but then my calves started getting sore. then i decided maybe i should just walk since a) it was my first time back in almost 2 weeks and b) i really haven't broken in the orthotics yet.
strangely, the distance and speed on the polar was almost completely accurate while wearing the orthotics. why would that be? without them it was a tenth of a mile or more off in distance and .2 mph off each time.
Total Time: 72 min
Total Kcal: 788
post 2:
me and a friend took hazel to SMP so that she could swim in the lake and frolick with other dogs. we went about 6pm and strangely, there was hardly anyone there. it was perfect weather. i prefer it with less dogs. the more dogs there are, the more chance there will be a redneck dog that might start something. as we were walking to the lake we passed a rott on a leash. it jumped at hazel and almost started attacking her. thankfully, the dog's owner grabbed him by the collar as we approached so she was able to restrain the dog. it scared me a little. then the owner said "yeah, sometimes he isn't very nice when he first meets a dog." dude! don't freaking bring your dumb antisocial dog to the dog park then!after playing at the lake for awhile, we went walking on the trails for an hour. this was all part of the off leash area so hazel was able to bound around free. i had no idea there were so many off leash trails. it was fun.
today while on the treadmill i wanted to see how long i could run. i went 2 minutes. i know that is nothing to you runners but to me that was twice what i had been able to do. i felt like i could have done alot more. i tried to keep up the 2 min / 3 min run to walk cycle, but then my calves started getting sore. then i decided maybe i should just walk since a) it was my first time back in almost 2 weeks and b) i really haven't broken in the orthotics yet.
strangely, the distance and speed on the polar was almost completely accurate while wearing the orthotics. why would that be? without them it was a tenth of a mile or more off in distance and .2 mph off each time.
Total Time: 72 min
Total Kcal: 788
post 2:
me and a friend took hazel to SMP so that she could swim in the lake and frolick with other dogs. we went about 6pm and strangely, there was hardly anyone there. it was perfect weather. i prefer it with less dogs. the more dogs there are, the more chance there will be a redneck dog that might start something. as we were walking to the lake we passed a rott on a leash. it jumped at hazel and almost started attacking her. thankfully, the dog's owner grabbed him by the collar as we approached so she was able to restrain the dog. it scared me a little. then the owner said "yeah, sometimes he isn't very nice when he first meets a dog." dude! don't freaking bring your dumb antisocial dog to the dog park then!after playing at the lake for awhile, we went walking on the trails for an hour. this was all part of the off leash area so hazel was able to bound around free. i had no idea there were so many off leash trails. it was fun.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Sidebar: My Dumb Back
no workout tonight. my back is bothering me. it was fine all day but around six when i went over to check on jill's cat phoebe, i noticed it was aching. if it stays like this i'll be fine. hopefully its just a wierd pulled muscle or something minor and not a kidney stone that i'm unknowingly passing. i have had a stone in my kidney for the past two years. it just hangs out in there.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sidebar: Blur
i just let out hazel and jack to go to the bathroom. i have not needed to put jack on leash. he just goes to the side yard with me. tonight however, he didn't. i let them out and they were off running across the neighbors yard. i called for jack and then realized he ran all the way around the neighbors house and was coming up the side (next to my side where i usually let them out). jack was running full speed. and then i saw a little white blur preceeding him - a bunny. both jack and hazel were off like a shot across the street and down the block. and then they disappeared. i was immediately worried about the bunny, hoping that jack and hazel didn't catch up to it. i started calling for jack - nothing. then a few houses down a nice guy called out to me. he had grabbed jack by the collar and hazel was right there too. so all was well.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Week 6
i actually went up to the gym today and started walking on the treadmill but then i saw all the coverage about the target shooting. the captioning wasn't working on the news cast for some reason so i didn't know what was going on. i was really distracted and ended up leaving, which was a bit of a cop out, but oh well.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Week 5
post 1:
my calves and feet were sore tonight so i just walked for 30 minutes.
post 2:
my calves and shins were bothering me more tonight so i stopped after 30 minutes. i could have finished, but i wasn't sure if that was the best thing to do or not. i don't know what's up or why this is happening to me again.
what i saw: i got on the treadmill next to a bigger guy that was running at about 7.0. he was panting so hard that i worried he would go into cardiac arrest. it was very disconcerting. mary - you know how hard hazel pants after we throw the ball hard for 15 min? this guy was panting just like that - maybe even harder. and he was pouring sweat. after a few minutes he slowed down to a walk and i thought he was finished. i felt much better because i was really worried about him. but no, he wasn't done. he was doing intervals, much like i do, alternating running with walking. he would go back up to between 6.0 and 7.0 but he kept panting like that. this couldn't have been good for him. i was dying to know what his heart rate was.
Total Time: 65 min
Total Kcal: 465
post 3:
my calves and shins felt better tonight - for whatever reason. maybe two days off helped. the last 10 minutes i was lifting weights i started feeling really wierd - almost light headed. i was sweaty but all of a sudden i was cold. don't know what was up with that but i scaled back a little and got a drink of water. my heart rate was back up tonight during the weight lifting part. i'm sure the low hr the other night was because i didn't get my hr up high enough during the treadmill part.
Total Time: 90 min
Total Kcal: 921
my calves and feet were sore tonight so i just walked for 30 minutes.
post 2:
my calves and shins were bothering me more tonight so i stopped after 30 minutes. i could have finished, but i wasn't sure if that was the best thing to do or not. i don't know what's up or why this is happening to me again.
what i saw: i got on the treadmill next to a bigger guy that was running at about 7.0. he was panting so hard that i worried he would go into cardiac arrest. it was very disconcerting. mary - you know how hard hazel pants after we throw the ball hard for 15 min? this guy was panting just like that - maybe even harder. and he was pouring sweat. after a few minutes he slowed down to a walk and i thought he was finished. i felt much better because i was really worried about him. but no, he wasn't done. he was doing intervals, much like i do, alternating running with walking. he would go back up to between 6.0 and 7.0 but he kept panting like that. this couldn't have been good for him. i was dying to know what his heart rate was.
Total Time: 65 min
Total Kcal: 465
post 3:
my calves and shins felt better tonight - for whatever reason. maybe two days off helped. the last 10 minutes i was lifting weights i started feeling really wierd - almost light headed. i was sweaty but all of a sudden i was cold. don't know what was up with that but i scaled back a little and got a drink of water. my heart rate was back up tonight during the weight lifting part. i'm sure the low hr the other night was because i didn't get my hr up high enough during the treadmill part.
Total Time: 90 min
Total Kcal: 921
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sidebar: Back on track tomorrow
i've felt really out of sorts this week. i'm not sure why. i'm sure it's a combination of factors - things going on in my personal life that have left me feeling distracted, my shin and calves hurting again, not eating enough so i don't have enough energy, etc.
tomorrow i am going to get back on track. also, last night at the gym when i was working out i couldn't get my heart rate above about 120-130 even though i worked out at the same intensity that i have been. i don't get that.
tomorrow i am going to get back on track. also, last night at the gym when i was working out i couldn't get my heart rate above about 120-130 even though i worked out at the same intensity that i have been. i don't get that.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sidebar: Hungry
i'm not eating enough. it hit midnight and i was hungry again. so this time, i passed by the 7-11 (and the evil hot wings) and headed for wendy's. now, before you get all worked up ann, i got the chargilled chicken sandwich and nothing else. i consulted with mary beforehand and she informed me it should be about 7 points. so there.
of course i was sad because in my heart i wanted the spicy chicken sandwich but that is breaded, and therefore evil. and what i had was okay. it wasn't the best, but it was a nice little snack.
of course i was sad because in my heart i wanted the spicy chicken sandwich but that is breaded, and therefore evil. and what i had was okay. it wasn't the best, but it was a nice little snack.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Sidebar: Project J Apparel - Collect them all!
hazel and i rested today. the day wasn't a total wash though because now . . . (dramatic pause) . . . there is project jag apparel! there are over 250 styles available for men, women, kids, and don't forget baby! get yours today!
Sidebar: Hot Wings
it's 1:54am and i'm freaking starving. i ate when i got home at the gym at 10pm but i guess it wasn't enough. with all the working out i really need to increase my food intake. what does one do when hungry in the middle of the night? 7-11 of course!! hot wings . . . love them. and just to clarify, these wings aren't some concoction that 7-11 makes, they are made by TGI fridays and are in the frozen section. perfectly viable.
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