Fitness 2014

[Maladict]

So how did you do in your race?

It was ok. Had to drag my mates to the finish line, but that was expected.
The strong head winds I did not expect. Thanks for not taking over the lead even once, guys 
All that said, it is a very beautiful area for cycling, and much more hilly than I expected 

Next time in May I'll be cycling with friends who are much better than I am, that will be interesting.

[Brazen]

I did a new gym class yesterday called TwentyFour, which was basically a 24 minute bodyweight HIIT class, like a social version of Insanity. I've never worked so hard. I passed out asleep on the sofa half-way through unpacking my shopping a couple of hours later, and was in bed by 9.30pm.

Looks a bit like this, with a pumping drum 'n' bass soundtrack, and a robot woman counting down the intervals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyKHjrRr_AY

[mongers]

So how did you do in your race?

It was ok. Had to drag my mates to the finish line, but that was expected.
The strong head winds I did not expect. Thanks for not taking over the lead even once, guys 
All that said, it is a very beautiful area for cycling, and much more hilly than I expected 

Next time in May I'll be cycling with friends who are much better than I am, that will be interesting.

Excellent. 

Headwinds in a race must be a bugger.

[Brazen]

Swam yesterday morning to ease things up a bit.

Did that TwentyFour class again today, this time at 7am. Didn't like this teacher as much - he read the exercises from a sheet rather than doing them with us. In case that wasn't enough, afterwards there was a "how many burpees can you do in a minute?" challenge. I only managed 24, but the women's leader only managed 34, and she's about 20. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

I like the results I'm getting from tough classes, but I need advice on fitting in everything else I want to do, not least running.

I have one of the cats to "thank" for waking me up at 5.30 every morning for my new-found morning workout enthusiasm 

[alfred russel]

I'd also like to look good. I'm taking a balanced approach. Mobility, strength and stamina are all important.

I think the marine corps personal fitness guidelines are a good guage of fitness. To get a perfect score you need to do:

3 mile run: 18 minutes
100 crunches in 2 minutes
20 pull ups

Back to reality, that is really intense, but I think the exercises are a good guage of upper body strength, core strength, and cardiovascular endurance.

Personally, I hate core exercises so I ignore the crunches. If you can do the running and pull ups, you can probably do respectably in the crunches anyway.

Trying to get to the minimum standards in the test, 27 minutes in the 3 mile run and 3 pull ups, is a reasonable goal. If you really want to do core work and improve flexibility, yoga is a way to go. I go through phases where I attend yoga classes, but haven't been in a while.

[Capetan Mihali]

"Presented to: Dorsey4Heisman.  In recognition of outstanding physical achievement and exceptional dedication to the ideal of a sound mind in a strong body.



My congratulations to you on this accomplishment.

B. Hussein Obama
President of the United States"

[alfred russel]

"Presented to: Dorsey4Heisman.  In recognition of outstanding physical achievement and exceptional dedication to the ideal of a sound mind in a strong body.

Why are you trolling me? Discussing a standard doesn't mean I can meet the standard. FWIW, I'm no where near maxing out that test, and doubt I ever will be able to. I still think it is a really good test of all around fitness though.

[Capetan Mihali]

"Presented to: Dorsey4Heisman.  In recognition of outstanding physical achievement and exceptional dedication to the ideal of a sound mind in a strong body.

Why are you trolling me? Discussing a standard doesn't mean I can meet the standard. FWIW, I'm no where near maxing out that test, and doubt I ever will be able to. I still think it is a really good test of all around fitness though.

It just reminded me of the fitness tests we used to have to do in school, and when I was looking that up, I thought the certificate was amusing. 

Also the patches:

[Ed Anger]

When I was a kid, I wondered why the hell Jimmy Carter demanded that I do chin ups. Bastard.

[Norgy]

When I was a kid, I wondered why the hell Jimmy Carter demanded that I do chin ups. Bastard.

To prepare you for the inevitable Soviet invasion. Which was also why we were told to sit under our desks at school during nuclear attacks.
As for fitness, I am ragingly unfit these days. I've done some cross-country skiing this winter (and coughed up at least one lung), and now I am preparing for not managing to run a few miles in the woods.

[mongers]

New fitness plan, I or a friend pick a spot on the map I have been to or not that familiar with, I bike there at as good a speed I can manage, then do some exploring thereabouts of bits I've not seen before, then I cycle home at a leisurely pace as a sort of warm-down session. 

[PDH]

Did the same route as last week, but decided to go up the 2 mile, 700 foot climb before my turn around.  It got a bit chilly at 8000 feet, it felt good to do it on just the second ride.


View at the turn around.  Snow and no chance of leaves on the aspen trees yet.

[mongers]

Nice terrain, good clean air up there no doubt.

hills are good for you aren't they. 

[PDH]

Hills suck balls climbing them, but they are fun on the way down.  Later in the season I ride that one up, then down, then up, then down.

[PDH]

Did the same 25 mile round trip today.  Got passed on the hill by some young lycra woman (who was in far better climbing shape than I am), but my greater mass meant that on the downhill I caught up.  Then it was 10 miles back into the wind following a couple of hundred yards behind, never able to catch up.

It's not a race, but having a lead like that meant I worked harder than I would have alone.  Good time.