another year, another thread, more sweat and tears

Just trying to get back to it. Ran a 1/2 marathon in early Nov. Well ran and walked a 1/2 marathon. Chugging a PBR between miles 9 and 10 didn't give me the boost I was hoping for. This years goal is to just be a better example for my two boys. First run this morning since in almost 2 months. Hoping to get some lungs back before heading to NM in Feb.

The PBR mid-race refuel! Funny!

Walked 3 miles yesterday. I'm on a yo-yo with the Achilles at this point. Inactivity makes it feel really good. Activity makes it sore; however it's a type of sore that I can work with (because it's no longer shutting down my calf), and activity is, well, gonna happen. So I'm yo-yo'ing between feeling pretty normal and limping a bit but it's progress.

I used to do a mountain race- at the halfway point (after a $hit ton of climbing) they had an aid station, along w/ water, snacks, etc they had a little stand w/ margaritas- if you drank one they put a lei around your neck; just the thought made me gag- one time I saw a guy that had three around his neck- WTF?

to the gym today
deadlifts 5/3/1+/10
overhead press 5/3/1+/10
lunges 3x30 yds
chin-ups 3x12
core

got out this afternoon with Tiny E for 4 miles; picked a loop that kept us out of the worst of the wind

5 miles on the trails w/ Tiny E; made me laugh- he likes to roll in the snow when we get started out, he was rolling on the downside of the trail and then took about an unexpected 10 foot tumble down the hill

23 mile road ride, 1500' elevation gain

Another jog in the books with the dog. Wish I had the trails/scenery/elevation that mtwarden has. I know Hank is mucho jealous of Tiny E

no doubt, we are truly blessed with a ton of good trails almost right out our door

6 mile run (haven't ran in a long time :)) w/ Tiny E, TE found a heck of a treat, but got sick of packing it

51 pushups today.

Finally getting back at it. Hoping 2020 goes better than 2019.
Short run on treadmill last week, short hike over the weekend, and 30min on bike trainer this morning after stretching and pushups. Gonna keep it light for a week or two then increase.

42 k gravel bike ride yesterday. Not hurting so far, today :-)

I'm not as hard core as you fellas but I'm walking 5 miles a day at 3mph. Three miles of it at 5% with a 45 pound weight vest. Also 100 curls on each arm with a 10 pound weight. At 60 I don't want to screw up anything by trying to lift too much. Just want to keep the arm strength I have. I cut out refined sugar and have greatly reduced carb intake.

not much hardcore stuff here

4 miles on the trails w/ my wife and Tiny E- finally no need for a headlamp!

You getting daylight already?

a little more than we were two weeks ago, but I'm sure it's a heck of lot more than you're getting

No doubt. 1Feb is when the increase really is noticeable to me. We are starting to get to the steep part of the increase, at just over 3 min per day.

4 miles on the trails for Tiny E and I; this persistent ice we've had keeps a guy on his toes!

4 mile hill workout w/ Tiny E

4x6 bent over row / 4x6 deadlifts / 4x6 lat pull downs and some sprint intervals with a nice easy cool down run.

I do a 15 mile dirt road and trails bike ride on a 40 lb mountain bike about 3 times a week and ride 2-5 miles nearly all other days. I only miss for extreme cold or rain and do 5 miles on the elliptical when I can't ride.

I started this high volume week about 4-5 months ago- I have it between Wendler's 5/3/1+ week (week 3) and the recovery week (week 4), it's for time: ten sets of descending reps 10/9/8/7/6....../1 w/ 70% of your 1RM for squats/bench and 10/9/8/7/6....../1 for pull-ups, while my times haven't really improved, my 70% 1RM #'s have gone up pretty significantly, so I'm lifting more weight each cycle

when I went out the door of the gym today I had to look behind me as something was dragging- it was just my a$$

Easy day. 20mins stairmaster (10min at level 8/1min intervals at 12 for the next 10mins).

4 miles with my wife and Tiny Elvis- snowing like the dickens!

Walked 4 miles yesterday. I'm in a weird part of the "recovery". Couldn't really perceive pain from the Achilles per se but the ankle and foot are working through some "issues", presumably from walking funny on them. But I'll take it. Told my buddy I'd start riding dirt again with him so that'll open up some opportunities as the winter drags on.

^ progress!

a crisp (10 degrees w/ a breeze) 6 miles and ~ 1500' gain on the trails with Tiny E

Translation:

"His kghunt hurts."

You're too fugking stupid to perceive pain.

5 mile out and back with my wife and Tiny E; ~ 1500' of gain

Tiny E discovered another tasty treat

Saw a bald eagle on my walk today, fairly rare around here.

Saw a magnificent pair of female glutes on the gym stair master yesterday at the gym. Not rare, but a magnificent example of the species.

Film at eleven??

Wapner at 6??

Pa is not liberal Colorado. Here, taking videos of nubile nymphs exercising, would most assuredly have one arrested for voyeurism.

Yesterday: Cardio


Treadmill at 15 degree





Stairmaster:

I was wondering why you hadn't posted for a while.

Once again you have shown a unique trait of quickly finding the essence of a situation.

It was a long enduring and difficult time. However, after consideration and taking advise of my counsel, she understands these things, I decided not to pursue charges against the assemblage of young nubile nymphs and milfs, and their I phones. My wearing slightly looser fitting gym clothes for the most part has solved the issue.

Wow, it's worse than I thought.....hallucinations.

No need for jealousy, not after your stash.

I prefer them much more flexible.

Understood, flexibility is key

5 miles on the trails w/ my wife and Tiny E- wind is shifting out of the north, we got some a$$ weather coming soon

Treadmill: 30minutes
Stairmaster:30minutes
Core and weights
Stairmaster: 10minutes

good work everyone; starting the New Year on the right foot!

part 2 of my high volume week
deadlifts 10/9/8/7......2/1 @ 70% of 1RM
overhead press 10/9/8/7......2/1 @ 70% of 1RM
chin-ups 10/9/8/7......2/1

Hour on the hills with Merlot....

Squat 5x5, leg press 5x5, kb lunges 5x5, 20mins on the stairmaster.

I took a walk in the park with a couple of IPAs, does that count?

Most definitely. That is a scary workout. You could fall and cut an artery. Bonus points for living on the edge. 👍

my vote goes for the stroll in the park with a couple of beers !

Tiny Elvis and I hit the trails for 7 miles- finally went above the single digits- boo-yah!

definitely IPA's!

Well, it is a few thousand acres, with a few hills, and I had a weighted backpack on. Not real heavy just yet, but gotta start somewhere. Hunting season is only eight months away.

IPAs are a great way to add a little weight to the pack. It gets lighter as the day goes on.

I get the picture....Couple days beard growth for effect....climbing rope dangling off the pack....big strides up the rocky slope....then at the top, you breakout and IPA and think, I'm a different breed from those down below. .....



I just saw a Tin Cup commercial, and for some reason thought of you....

It is cold in my garage so I brought the rower into the house. Good thing I am single!

You are a tough act to keep up with....

Now I have to leave the addiction for now. Some gal is texting me about "hygge".....Hmmmmm

Yes, I know that you think of me often. I think of you too, but not in that way. Mostly when I see a guy in the gym wearing short shorts and a wife beater, it reminds me of you.

As far as all that other stuff, you have me confused with "sheriff joe." Except for the IPA part, that's accurate.

Battue I have been working on my breathing with the O2 Trainer. Today I got the great idea to use it while rowing. I thought I was going to die. I dam near puked and felt like I could not catch my breath. I'll try again with a big opening this time. I am really liking the O2 trainer the gains are slow but as of now seem to be steady.

I have a place I want to hike into this spring for bear season. Even with the training it is going to hurt getting a bear out of there.

Wife eater, short shorts, did you read that crap?

Anyway, do they make one of those O2 trainers for those who blow a lot of hot air? I would like to send one to Smoke as a gift.

Wife "beater." Meaning, a sleeveless shirt worn to show off muscles, most often by guys who don't have any.

And I don't need an O2 trainer, I use a cough silencer, it's much cheaper.

For those of you that do squats, do any of you get knee pain on long hikes afterwards? Ever since I started squatting again, I have started to get iliotibial band pain after hiking a few miles. I am trying some home physical therapy exercises hoping I can get rid of it. I'd hate to never be able to squat but if the PT doesn't work, I think I am going to have to stop doing squats.

hmmm- I'll often be good and sore after squatting, but I find hiking after helps alleviate that soreness

I did have a weird pain when I first started back into squatting- it's a small muscle on the upper outside of your quad- no longer remember what it was called, when I searched for it online I found it and a few stretches that help, along with w/ rolling it before; fortunately I haven't had that pain in several months

are you squatting heavy? possibly back off the weight a little and go to higher reps for awhile? maybe hike before squatting? if all fails, give up squatting for awhile until the pain subsides and then maybe very slowly ease back into and see

sucks

You have been watching too many old Paul Newman movies. Wife beaters went out of style years ago.

I wear the wool tossle cap and heavy ripped sweat shirt and pants. Always have a plastic bottle of BCAA close by. Ear buds so the rookies know I’m really serious and don’t appreciate interruptions. Just because you walk around flexing your glutes doesn’t mean the rest of us are so full of ourselves.

We are so lucky here to have people like Mtwarden, who keep the thread on track.

Addition: just had to pee in a cup for work. Whew, just finished up on a clean cycle.

Mtwarden? That guy is boring as hell. "Fifteen miles through three feet of snow and 4,000 elevation gain with Tiny Elvis." "Twice on Sunday." How many times can you read that?

Trying to liven the place up here.

well I could talk about the warming huts and the naked woman, but then you guys would lose respect for me

a nice 8 mile loop with Tiny E, the only good thing about getting out in really cold weather is when it turns to just cold weather- it feels warm

Nah, I'd just think you were afraid to pee in a cup, just like Battue. He has similar hallucinations.

Cardio in the gym for me today, 30 minutes HIIT on the stair machine, and then 30 at a steady aerobic pace on the bike. Upper body yesterday, lower body the day before.

Just wanted you guys to know I haven' been slacking off. Or peeing in cups.

In your case HIIT: Highly Intentional Inactivity Training.
Ramp it up, and go for 60 minutes next time.

Bi's, tri's, shoulders, and 20mins of intervals on the stairmaster.

I am not a Dr or a PT but to me it sounds like you might have a muscle imbalance.

That, or tight hamstrings. Tight hamstrings prevent your legs from fully straightening out (extending) with each stride, which in turn puts added stress on knees and lower back. So running or walking long distances has a cumulative effect with each step and causes knee and lower back pain, when your legs don't fully extend.

I learned that about 20 years ago from an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in biomechanics. Went in for knee pain, first thing he did was put me up on the table and extend my legs to see how tight the hamstrings were. They were very tight. Then he drew me a vector diagram and showed me how it worked, with added force on the knees and lower back when the legs don't fully extend. He showed me some good stretches, and the pain went away and hasn't come back.

I doubt highly his hamstring is the problem. Sounds like his calf or quads are torquing the petella. Which is causing the band to get caught.

I would lighten up on the weight for a spell, have someone that I have confidence in take a look at my form to make sure I'm still doing it right, and if not working the stomach enough, would up the mid-section work.

Most PT people are not all that up on serious squat form. First place I would go would be to a serious power lifter that knows.

There's an easy way to find out.

Here's a classic jeff-workout.... grin. Spent about 3 hours under the house fixing a major drain line issue. And a couple more laying on the floor or kneeling and snaking the [bleep]. Good times. I was actually getting cramps in my abs under there, which was funny, because I've been doing crunches at night. Crawling uses everything, as far as I can tell from the aftermath. Pretty tired.

Got a bad cold so that about did me in for the day. And haven't been walking or riding. I think that cold-air "asthma" I had on the one recent ride was this cold coming on. It started in my upper lungs. Tight as a vise.

I wouldn’t say that I squat heavy - at least not compared to young guys. I will do various sets with anything from 225 through 275. I took a break from squats for several month in hopes that it would help. I am easing in again now. It doesn’t hurt until I hit somewhere between 4 and 7 miles but once it kicks in, every downhill step (and some others) hurts.

That is what it seems like. I work in an office and sit a lot. Apparently, all the sitting can lead to a weak hip muscle that can cause the knee pain. I have found no confirmation that squats contribute but that has been my experience. I’m attempting to work on the imbalance.

Muscle weakness in the hip, hamstrings and glutes can all cause knee pain. Prolonged sitting can weaken all three. Efficient running and doing squats starts with balanced hips. Downhill is harder on the knees than the level.

Don’t know what you mean by not being a young guy, but running form tends to weaken as we get older. With age the knees tend to start going south.

Problem could be related to the hips, or the need to cut back on the running and slowly build up to previous mileage. Or the knees themselves.

I’d start with the hips and cutting back on the running distance, along with having an Ortho take a look at the knees.

Running into middle age and beyond, isn’t for all.

Finished up a good week of biking, incline treadmill walks with boots and pack, and some yoga stretching. Hope I can keep up the momentum.

Last day of 2nd archery tomorrow (if weather cooperates) then plan to start shed hunting with pack.

Theeck - check out starting strength squat videos on YouTube.

I’m in my 40s. I don’t run much anymore except very occasionally HIIT on a track. I mountain bike quite a bit when the weather is decent.

“Don’t run much anymore, except very occasionally”, but it hurts after 4-7miles, may be a clue.

Theeck, do you have pain after doing squats when you don't run?

4-7 miles of hiking. I may not have put that in my original post. Sorry

I'd echo the advice to go in and see someone; not just anyone, but someone who specializes in sport medicine

there is a ton of info on the internet for ITBS (it's a common injury among runners-probably hikers too :)), this article suggests a few ways to possibly combat it

ITBS treatment

Best advice yet re a sports medicine ortho. In addition what can be thought of as an ITBS issue, can often caused by a bulging disk. Have had the same issue. Serious PT therapy solved the problem.

Sorry, my original post I mentioned that I get the pain when hiking but I neglected to mention it in the post about 4-7 miles.

I'll try my best to describe the situation. I was a runner until I was in a bad accident in my mid-20s. I ended up having three abdominal surgeries over the course of 5 years. I gave up running and bulked up. I am 6'1" and probably 210ish right now but usually 195 or so in summer (slacking off in the late fall). Ideally, I would be around 180-185. I am not built to be really skinny, I weighed about 175-180 when I graduated high school and was a competitive runner (400 meter through cross country 5ks). I was never a guy that would go out and run 10 miles but I was running 52 seconds in the 400 meter as a 10th grader. Some charts put my ideal weight in the 160s but that is not going to happen.

After being physically limited for several years, I got back into training about 7 years ago. I do some weight training (lame stuff in my basement) but don't get too intense. I started doing squats a few years ago (3.5 yrs or so) but not really pushing it like a power lifter would. I never exceeded 300 lbs and usually stayed around 250. I would do reps anywhere from 8 to 20 depending on weight. I don't do it religiously and even when I am on a schedule, it is only once per week. I am not doing it for cosmetic reasons or to put on mass but just to maintain strength in my back and lower body as I age. I just want to be able to drag deer and carry a heavy pack through the mountains. I never really feel knee pain while squatting. Sometimes I get a little bit of discomfort below my knee cap after or a day later. It subsides quickly and is no big deal.

What started to become a problem was the outside of my knees. About 3 years ago, I was tracking a shot bear through the woods along a steep mountain side. After covering at least 10 miles and side-hilling several of them over rock slide, I started to get serious pain in the outside of my knees. After a couple days of rest, it went away. I figured that it was the boots that I was wearing in combination with the uneven ground. I had never had pain of any kind in my knees before. Since then, I find that it comes back whenever I walk a fair distance in the woods. When grouse hunting, it seems to start anywhere from 4 to 7 miles and I have to wind things down over the next mile or so. I do notice that it starts earlier when I have recently done squats. As a result, I rarely if ever squat during hunting season. Given the timing of the first occurrence (about 6 months after starting to squat) I assume that the squatting is tightening something up that is putting strain on my knee. I have read about IT Band syndrome and the description seems to fit exactly with my symptoms. I recently started some home PT that was recommended online.

I am too cheap to go to a orthopedic doctor unless it is my last resort. I have a $1,000 annual deductible. My sister in law is an orthopedic surgeon and she gave me some suggestions but mostly said that I need x-rays.

as the article I posted suggested- icing/massage (roller)/specific stretches/specific strength exercises would all be good steps; I think backing off the weight of the squats initially wouldn't hurt either

if it still doesn't go away, try eliminating squats entirely and see if you still get the pain when you hit 4-7 miles hiking- you may find it's not the squats or definitively that it is

Frankly, the article is BS. You can't stretch the IT band - it's mostly fascia. Since ITBS is hard to resolve it has become a topic for YouTube quacks that continually regurgitate the same food.

If an exercise causes pain - do less of it or none at all. The modern approach to resolve ITBS is to attempt cross-training or wait for it to go away by itself.

I think the research on IT band pain is still developing. I have been looking for cures for a couple years now. I tried rolling it with only small improvement. This article seems to cove the most current approach, although I could be wrong. The advice in it is part of what I am trying. https://squatuniversity.com/2017/05/30/how-to-fix-it-band-pain/

squats and bench 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85% of 1RM
pullups 5x11
dips 3x30
core

Obviously I am only getting the thinnest of slices of what you're doing in real life, but based on the above your knees get sore after side-hilling for 10 miles. No schIt.

Also, you're trying to address an high end endurance issue with once/week strength training (squats). Good luck with that.

If you want to hunt for miles and hours you have to be willing to put the miles and hours in. Look at at what Mtwarden does and do that.

Take pictures of your legs, front view, side view each leg, and rear view. I have a very close friend that is a PT she has her Phd and is a very highly regarded PT among her peers. I can show her and see what she says. I am willing to bet you have a major muscle imbalance.

made the mistake of doing my hill day AFTER I did squats this morning- ouch; steep SOB- ~1100' in a mile (the other 3 miles we were just cruising :)). had a little company up top, Tiny E very interested!

That is not the only thing that I do. I was just mentioning one thing that gives me a problem.

Did a 10 mile up and back "gut check" hike on Wednesday. 2100' of elevation gain w/ 26 lbs of gear and water on the way up w/ the last 1/2 mile of up being about 40* w/ 120' of 3rd class fractured limestone as a capper. I was ruined at the top. Dumped 16 lbs. of water for the descent and did the "ranger shuffle" back to the truck. The up took 2 hrs and 46 minutes, rested for 15 minutes and then took 1 hour 41minutes on the downhill. Terrain was mostly rocky 2 track w/ about a mile of firm snow at the top. It was a perfect day w/ temps of 42* at the start and 44* at the end.

That is my hardest push since Thanksgiving and overall I was happy to get the time and miles on my feet. Old age is a state of mind that must be resisted vigorously and this forum gives me a lot of inspiration and useful advice. Altra Lone Peak 4.0s are the tits! My feet were tired and sore but no bruising or blisters w/ a light pair of Smart Wool sox.

Hint: lots of stretching and 60mg of Benadry help prevent cramps when taken w/ several G & Ts post hike.


mike r

"Old age is a state of mind that must be resisted vigorously"

couldn't agree more!

Hiking in mountains after squats?

Ouch lol

yup- user error

Treadmill intervals:




Stairmaster:





Added in some high rep weights for arms, back, legs.

got up to 30 degrees here today, feels like Spring! 5 miles on the trails w/ Tiny E

mtwarden,

With your 10.9,8,7,6.....1, lifting routine. Do you go thru the entire sequence with one type of lift, or do you do 10 of that one and then 10 of another, and then go back and do 9, 9, 8, 8, etc.

Also, usual wait time before moving on to the next set number....


Tried it the other day going thru one lift type before moving on to another. Around 45 second wait time before the next drop down. Good workout....

the way I've been doing it is 10 reps one exercise, 10 reps the next and then 10 pull-ups (or chins depending on which one I do)- no breaks between these three exercise, once I complete a full round I have to take a short breather, usually walk over get a drink, gulp some air and then head back for the next round. when I get down to 3 or 4 rounds left, I try to do them all unbroken

as it's done for time, it's possible someone could do the entire thing unbroken- I definitely can NOT

I've been keeping track of time and I am usually right in the 25 minute range, the deadlift/overhead press/chins goes a little quicker (couple of minutes) than the squat/bench/pullup one- my time hasn't improved much, but my 70% of 1 rep max goes up roughly every one month, so while my time hasn't decreased the weight I'm pushing has gone up

I might have to try going back to the weights of 4-5 months ago and see what time is there, I'm guessing quicker now

it is a grueling workout I have to admit, I always am a little sore after lifting, but this high volume workout- I'm really sore!

Thanks,

I think it is a good routine and yes I’m definitely more sore than when doing things my old way.

Hiked a few miles in the hills above Park Ciry yesterday on packed trails. Gonna do some cross-country skiing today.

A real Ludvig on skies. Video please!!!!

Tiny E and I got in a nice 8 miles on the Helena Ridge trail- normally this time of year you need snowshoes for at least a couple of miles of it, but a few short posthole sections here and there was all we encountered.  TE had fun trying to dig voles out from under the snow 

There were five young women following me shooting video, when they get out of the hot tub I'll ask if they'll share.

Ok, be sure and ask nice.

They said no. They want to post it on some website called "hotdudes.com."

Fantastic, paaleese let me know when it’s up. I’ll make sure it gets posted here on the workout thread. Mtwarden is pretty much the only one whose pics prove the authenticity of his workouts. Well, every once in awhile Jeff posts a carp and his boat. But that’s about it. Now there will be you on cross-country skis. That will be some bad ass pics for sure....

strength train this am

deadlifts 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85% of 1RM
overhead press 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85% of 1RM
lunges 3x30 yds
chin-ups 3x13
core

Treadmill warm up:




HR variations intervals on mtwardens 10-9-8, etc routine....It will work you....





Stairmaster:

ahh the stairmaster = stairs of death; imo the best cardio machine ever made

this afternoon 4 miles on the trails with my wife and Tiny- another gorgeous day!

Yes, it sits there and very few of us us it. However, one nymph just burns it up and then gets off and walks away like NBD. She is probably a cross country skier, they are the kings and queen of the cardio. I’m so humbled in their presence. Even on line.....🤔

Would like to have one, but they are expensive and the one at the gym has broken down more than a few times.

Last night was 45 mins of low/moderate cardio (hr @ 130-140).

Tonight will be heavy 5x5 chest (decline, incline, flys, and finishwith pushups) and more cardio.

my current gym doesn't have one, wish it did; my old gym had one- one of the original versions and it would usually have a little dust on it- I think there were three or four of us total that used it

I used to do a workout that had me on the stairmaster for 15 minutes, then the treadmill for 15 minutes, back to the starimaster and then finished the last 15 minutes on the treadmill- that usually did the trick

I prefer the rower and assault bike. I have been known to use the stair master when I was going to a gym that had them. I have a pretty nice home gym now so no need for a gym membership. I have a box for stair stepping and box jumps now much cheaper!

rowers and assault bikes provide a great aerobic workout- but climbing on the starimaster definitely recruits muscles that you use going up a mountainside

Agree but so does the box and a hell of a lot cheaper and way less room.

StairMaster ain't fitting there!

^ true that; they take up a lot of real estate and as battue states- they are spendy as hell!

Was out of town at work last week. 20 flights up and down. Kinda nice to have a long stairwell. Next couple days I did couplets with KB and body weight. Swings & Pushups; Goblet Squats & Rows; Assisted pullups and deadlifts; Shoulder Presses and deadlifts.

Once we get the remodel done and are able to finish the stuff purge and make room, I'm looking to install a home gym setup so I can just workout at home.

Feel fortunate the gym I go to has a stairmaster. You can bust butt on it if you are in the mood or do an easy cruise. Either way I get a good hill stimulation leg workout.

Box step-ups will do the same and perhaps are even harder, in that the box doesn't move. Box jumps are in another realm of fitness. One young Buck at the gym used to hit 5 feet and made it look easy. Then he went to college and got fat on beer!!!!

Best of both worlds, do both (box jumps and stair machine). I feel lucky now, my gym has 15-20 stair machines, and a similar number of squat rack and boxes. That's one benefit of living in the big city. One of the few I can think of.

My trainer says super sets of squats and box jumps are where it's at. I don't know if he's right, but I do know that those will will kick 100% of your ass.

One would have a difficult time disproving him, if one has the back for the game....

3mile woods hike with Merlot.

He is in there....and on the run....







Easier this time....

This may kick your a_s

AMRAP 6 minutes

3 Box over jumps
6 Deadlifts
9 bar facing Burpee's

4 miles on the trails with Tiny E- our gorgeous weather continues!

merlot must be wearing camouflage in the first pic

gorgeous winter weather still- 4 miles this evening w/ Tiny E

I hate friggin burpees.

4 mile run tonight, right at 42 minutes. Training to run the Indy 500 mini marathon on May 2nd. Not easy on an old man....

Then you won't like this one!

For time

20-15-10-5 Burpees
20-15-10-5 Thrusters
20-15-10-5 Hang Cleans
500 meter Row

I was talking to a close friend today, she went to a gym and met with a trainer. He had her do some exercises to figure out her baseline. In my opinion none were a good choice in deciding a baseline.

Flat Bench with 45lb bar-she did 27
Stability Ball crunches-she did 50
Leg Press (she wasn't sure the weight)-she did 71
Pulldowns 75lb-she did 20
bench dips with feet on floor-she did 16

My baseline test would have been

Half bodyweight Dead lifts
pull ups (assisted if needed)
Push ups
Box jumps (establish her max height first than see her max at 24")
500 meter row time
no weight squats (see if capable of doing pistol squats)
overhead press (start with 30lb establish max, 60% of max for reps)
I would also do a few test of her mobility.

I feel this give a very good indication of what a person is and isn't capable of not just a baseline. I want to see their strength, explosiveness, endurance, and mental toughness. That way I know what they are capable of physically, I can see their strengths and weakness, and I know how hard I can push them mentally. The mental aspect of training is what separates good from great. So anyways after talking to her about it all we laughed and she said lets try your test. So we shall see.

from the looks of her "test" looks like she's in decent shape to start

4 miles on the trails w/ my wife and Tiny E; busy packing for my snowshoe trip!

She is in very good shape, but she has never worked out in a gym. My first comment to her was did you go easy on him?

The farm keeps me in shape.

To a degree for sure.

Cardio today, 30 minutes HIIT on the stairs, then 30 at a steady aerobic pace on the bike.

And a bunch of stretching and rolling for my old ass.

I am wondering if you know the difference between interval training and HIIT?

Probably not. But ask me if I give a sh**.

You should as they are two different things.

Yes they are. I was using "HIIT" improperly. Henceforth and evermore, I shall refrain from using "HIIT" improperly, because I have seen the light; although I might not give a sh**, others do.

What I do is set the speed on the stair machine at a baseline pace that puts my heart rate in the 150's, by itself. I do 30-second intervals at 50% higher speed, and that will get my bpm up to the mid 170s; then back to the baseline pace for 90 seconds and my bpm will drop down to 160 or so. That's about as intense as I care to do for 30 minutes, without taking a break.

While we're on the subject of each others' workouts, tell me about the 02 trainer, what benefits do you get from that?

Looks like Hannibal Lecter...

Smokepole I was not criticizing you. I just was bring to light they are different things. HIIT is based off of Interval training, so people do confuse them as being the same.

As for the o2 trainer I have seen good advancement in my breathing both in physical workouts and in everyday breathing. No it did not happen over night but it is working. It is simple to use think of a horizontal 4" snorkel in your mouth. It has different size end pieces that go on it with everything from a fairly large hole to a very tiny hole. It restricts the amount of air you can intake.

No worries MCH. So, how does the O2 trainer work? Does it strengthen the muscles you use for breathing?

If you're referring to the asphyxiation masks, absolutely nothing.

The O2 is not a mask. I've read that there are some benefits, but not as great as the purveyors would have you believe. Never tried one myself so I can't say.

I see. Haven't heard of them I suppose. Living at altitude I need all the oxygen I can inhale.

Wednesday night was low intensity cardio (130-140 hr) for 45mins.

https://youtu.be/uL8ZHCHoHLA

https://youtu.be/uhJUUVcWrzk

Hit the gym, did goblet squats, RDLs, quad extensions, glute bridge, calf raises,leg press, and a bunch of different leg raises.

MCH - the O2 trainer is different than what I was thinking about. I'm going to look into that further since I already have restricted airflow maybe it'll help maximize what I can do.

This is why your guys workout bro hasn’t been here visiting with you all. He’s too busy fighting the good fight against the evil republicans

Here's some interesting information.

https://www.foxnews.com/health/can-elevation-training-masks-improve-your-endurance

Even if it works, you only get a couple weeks of increased oxygen efficiency if one stops using the masks.

Elevation training works because it elevates hemoglobin, red blood cells and erythropoietin and reduces plasma volume. It is a psychological adaptation process that doesn't happen with 30minutes a day and then returning to sea level for the rest of the day. There are certain health conditions where increasing those four markers are not in the best interests in that they cause the blood to be thicker.

Should be relatively easy to prove the masks improve performance by testing for the above markers. Tho O2 trainer says it also improves the elasticity of internal lung tissue. Can 30-45 minutes of low oxygen exercise improve lung function above that of a normal exercise program? And if so, is the difference significant and long term?

Seen a few with the masks at the gym, all of them young male athletes. Have yet to see one keep using them over a long period of time.

Don't be bogarting the procrit....pass it around....

4.5 mile hike with some good climbs. First one! Achilles felt fine.

I think I mentioned a cold a couple weeks ago. It turned out to be flu. It mopped the floor with me, I have not been that sick in decades. Just now resurfacing into the world. I guess the silver lining is the Achilles got a couple weeks of major rest- might as well have been in a walking boot.

The O2 trainer is not a altitude mask. You are confusing the two. The purpose of the O2 trainer has nothing to do with altitude training. It trains you Alveoli, and as the article you post said of course there is a limit to what can be achieved. Much like everything else! Lot's of people talk but few with any real world experience with the O2 trainer. Is it magic? Hell NO. Does it work? Yes it has for me.

I know the O2 trainer is not a mask, I said as much a few posts back. And none of these devices have anything to do with altitude training, regardless of the claims by their purveyors.

The "O2 trainer" works on the same principle as masks, they all restrict your air intake and make it harder to breathe. Not your O2 intake. It ain't rocket science. I couldn't find anything on-line about the O2 trainer specifically, other than promotional videos done by its maker. I tend not to trust those.

The only objective info. is a few studies, the most recent I could find in 2016. It's cited in the fox news piece, which is IMO a good critique on all similar devices.

My response was to Scott. I just took your post as well because it did have the article about the typic.

Partner round robin WOD. Two man teams alternating movements, all movements unbroken.

25 Wall Balls
25 Box Jumps
25 Burpee's
25 Kettlebell swings 62lb
25 overhead presses

Yep, the altitude mask is what I was thinking about. Back when I was on triathlon forums there was a lot of discussion about those and the limited usefulness based on what Battue described. Haven't had time to research the O2 trainer yet.

Got back from a great (but tough) snowshoe trip- day one was 14 miles and close to 6000' gain, just bivied up in meadow under a couple of big Doug Fir's; day two was 18 miles and about 4000' of gain. Saw quite a few deer (surprisingly given the snow), including a bachelor herd of six bucks. Saw a couple of bull elk bedded on an opposite ridge- wolf tracks and lion tracks sprinkled here and there.

We were supposed to do one more night at a Forest Service cabin, but by the time we hit the second trailhead we were close to four -five hours behind and near dark, so we hoofed it back down the road to the original trailhead and called it good- hit the York bar for burgers and beer a couple hours after dark

Nice, I took a 2-hour walk with a pack today, no snow.

IPA 6 pack again?

Hiked 6 miles, 1k feet gain

Time to kick it up a notch mandelbaum style....

Heavy chest. Incline, decline, flys, pushups. Then stairmaster for 20mins...turned up to eleven

Six pack? Surely, you jest.

Hell of a man. 2 hours and chugging along non stop the whole way. I'm impressed....

Last couple days.... A couple Stairmaster workouts, definitely under 11, couple treadmill hill intervals and one concept2 easy row....

I did slow down to pick up trash, picked up two and a half grocery bags full. Part of my loop goes along the lake shore and people go down there, drink beer, and leave their trash.

I hate looking at trash, and stooping down to pick it up with a pack on is good exercise, it's like doing a squat every 50 feet, it's a win/win.

good on you my friend; when I was a game warden I never shed a tear on any of the littering tickets I wrote!

4 miles on the trails with Tiny E- I've found getting out after a hard trip is the very best medicine to help with inflammation and soreness

Thanks man. I like to think that when people see me down there picking up trash, they're less likely to leave theirs there. Cigarette smokers are the worst, they think the world is their ashtray.

Upper body at the gym for me today, cardio on tap for tomorrow.

24 mile overnighter on the XC skis this weekend. Tough trail breaking going in/up on Saturday. Only took about 4 hours to come back out yesterday though.

Dang, you skiiers and snowshoers make me feel like a piker. Which is a good thing.

30 minutes intervals on stairs, followed by 30 at a steady pace on the bike. 700 calories, according to the machines.

4 miles on the trails w/ Tiny E- the trails are still almost solid ice- going on two months straight

5 miles on the trails with Tiny E; packing up for another snowshoe trip tomorrow- this time in the Elkhorn Mountains

Lower body/core at the gym for me yesterday.

well so much for that- we're getting 15-20 mph winds in town, it's double that in the Elkhorns- 30-40 mph winds (gusts higher) kind of takes the fun out of it

strength train this morning
squats & bench 3/3/3+/10 @ 70/80/90/70% of 1RM
pullups 3x11
dips 3x30
core

You slacked off by going to the gym? You'll never get in shape that way.

slacker is my middle name!

4 miles with Tiny E on local trails (ie slacking : )

Upper body in the gym for me today. One of the trainers is a power-lifter, he was dead-lifting over 500. The barbell was bending pretty good, I was tempted to take a photo with my cell phone, post it here and tell you guys it was me in action.

I had a buddy in college that could really deadlift; always impressed to see the bar bending- one time he broke the weight belt he was wearing and they are usually pretty stout leather

Yeah, I used to break those all the time, back when I was in my fifties.....

Cardio in the gym for me today, 25 mins of intervals on the self-propelled treadmill, then 25 at a steady aerobic pace on the bike.

I'm starting to like the self-propelled treadmill. Ours are shaped like a banana, and if you set the resistance high and get right up on the front, it's pretty steep and you can mimic going up a steep slope on the balls of your feet, gets a good load on the calf muscles.

Of course, nothing is as good as the real thing, but it's pretty good, and you can't do that on a stair machine.

^ have never heard of that kind of treadmill- sounds interesting; I do some of the newer ones have very steep inclines AND declines- our gym doesn't

did a little recon for a trip the following weekend with my wife, she have brought skis instead of snowshoes- will know next time

11 miles 6 miles hiking on spikes, 5 miles on snowshoes

25 mile road ride, 1600' vert

An hour and a half with the pack on today.

little weekend getaway with my wife to the Paradise Valley- 3-ish mile hike into Pine Ck Falls (look close there is a guy ice climbing about half way up)

Probably lost a few pounds as well

Yikes, he/she must have some stones

Hey MT, who makes those doohickies hanging from your sternum strap??

I always think of this... click for an animated gif...

Ice Climbing Fail

John

Finished up 3 straight weeks of 3 days bike, 2 days inclined treadmill with boots/pack so I guess I'm back at it. Feels pretty good but need to clean up diet and sleep. Probably start some strength stuff mixed in this week.

smoke- the small pouch on my right is made by Hill People Gear- I keep my inReach and a couple of snack bars in it; the other is also made by HPG- keep a 20 oz bottle in it (that bottle is a ti bottle made by Keith)

yeah I like type A fun, but ice climbing is A+++++! fun

Bit of a setback with the Achilles (sore last couple days, dunno what I did) but just finished a pre Super Bowl 6.4 mile hike anyway.

Back on the wagon. Leg day, and some moderate level cardiovascular training after.

Achilles didn't keep you from being a douche over on the Limbaugh thread.............

You really are the lowest form of life on this planet!

Amen...

His year long Achilles soreness is funny. My wife would run circles around him....

It's hilariously funny watching guys on his safe space thread tiptoe around his stupid ailment updates cause they don't want to say what they're thinking....

4 miles on the trails with Tiny E; my old miscrospikes finally gave up for good- 6 winters and 3000-ish miles so no complaints

beta male . I see disabled vets on a daily basis with missing limbs do ten times more physical work outs then you and never cry and whine

pathetic how weakened needy some "males" have become in our society

at 80 you will say what the hell am I doing this for.

If I'm 80 and still doing this, no I won't.

I'll be down at the gym, flexing my abs and checking out the 60 year-old gals, like Harry.


JeffO is that really you posting that crap on the Hunter's campfire?

Arrived home last night at 4am from a Fla shooting trip. 16 hours to the Burgh from Palm City, Fla. Does a sore azz count for anything?


Smoke, you should head down that way. Your abs will be getting an all day flex. From the coffee shop in the AM till your evening shuffle board game. The young ones at least will giggle at you walking around odd. However, a target rich environment in your area of operations. Have to admit there are some winners residing there in that age class. Weighted leg lifts should help in your walking around in a more natural posture. Just do it.

Heading to the gym. Need to loosen up the glutes. They are a little tight from all the isometrics I did down there.

Cracking walnuts with your butt cheeks again?

A person who can knowledgeably discuss the anaerobic removal of hazardous waste in one post and then there is this....

Walking tall usually accomplishes the goal...Anyway in Florida, pecans are the nut of choice....

Pecans?? Anybody can crush pecans with their butt cheeks.

As in many things, it is not can you do it, but how you do it. A concept some never grasp. 😉

Yes, I am quite certain that a man of your caliber and erudition employs only those methods of cracking walnuts with your butt cheeks that literally reek with panache.....

Pecans, again.....

However, panache is slightly over flamboyant in your description. Feathers are definitely out. And despite it being Fla, no gold chains. No more than an obviously subtle confidence....

Copied 20 minute intervals on my workout idols Assult Runner:
(Stairmaster was broke down....again)




Some core and arm work....

Battue, that is inspiring to this old guy. For me monitoring heartrate is the only thing that keeps me from getting lazy.


mike r

5 mile run for Tiny E and I- very brisk evening, temps in the upper 20's, but a damn 15-20 mph wind!

Lower body/core in the gym for me today. I had to cut it short. When I started on the glutes, women of all ages were swooning.

Hey JeffO,

Any thoughts on the SOTU address? Assuming you were listening rehabbing your Achilles soreness or whatever the newest ailment is ...

And here I thought the only one I influenced was Smoke..

A long time ago I sent him a "Buns of Steel" CD video, and here it is years later and he still is bragging on his azz. He was obviously appreciative, but said he needed it in 8 track format. So I went to the effort of having it transcribed. Sometimes one may think a gesture is insignificant, yet time shows the impact it had on another person....

I heard in Colorado, he is ceremoniously referred to as the "Bunmaster".

Jeffo is passed out on his Mom's couch from incredible pain he experienced from his sore ankle and all the weed he smoked tonite.

I work with severely disabled military vets and I must say Jeffo and his strong character and his ability to overcome such a devastating injury is a brave example we can all admire and strive to emulate

Just 5x5 bench
5x5 overhead press
pull ups, KB rows
15 min yoga

5 mile snowshoe. Not much elevation gain or loss

Ceremoniously?? You mean, officially. The governor says, my buns are the best. And he should know.

Oh that warrior Jeffo.....

5 miles on the trails with Tiny E; another bitter evening- now looks like some substantial snow in our near future

3 mile walk with Merlot.
Concept2 rower: 30minutes
Weights: Chest/arms.

strength train this morning

squats & bench 5/3/1+/10 @ 75/85/95/70% of 1RM
pullups 3x11
dips 3x30
core

4 miles on the trails with Tiny E; now packing for a backcountry ski trip tomorrow

Back in the gym, upper body today. Probably do cardio tomorrow, and a 4-mile walk with IPA on Saturday. If I get another dog, I'm gonna name him IPA, just to mess with Harry.

Another Dog is a great idea. I’ve been waiting to hear just that.
You are going to mess with me anyway. NBD😎

6 1/2 miles with dog on snow shoes in N Idaho mountains ..
Only 800 foot elevation . But better than nothing

Bong boy knows his safe space has been breached....

well for so much for those plans; been fighting a cold for a couple of days and appears I'm losing

managed 4 miles with Tiny E, but no way I could have grinded out 10 miles in 2-3' of powder w/ a backpack on

Shoveled snow for approximately 45minutes. I'll call it back and arms....

Took Merlot for an hour snow trail hike....

1.5hour Merlot walk:

X-Country ski tracks. Finally tracked Ludvig down and caught him on his smart phone asking Siri for directions to Colorado.....




Traditional Merlot pic....

Nice! ^^

5-mile walk in the flats

Three hours of atv plowing, snowblower action and snow shoveling for a six inch blast overnight. Hopefully no wind for a repeat.

I see you crawled out of your hole ya dirt bag.............

Rower warmup: 20minutes




Weights: Back and Arms


Intervals on the Assault run trainer: 20minutes

Did a short (50 minutes) but aerobically intense MTB ride on the logging roads with my buddy. That 29'er is a trip. Still getting used to it.

Quit pretending...

Everyone sees thru you!

Isn't "aerobically intense" an oxymoron?

Much like your glute intervals. Squat, run, hide. Deadlift, run, hide. Wallballs, run, hide. You can hit an intensely aerobic 10 on the scale quickly.

I always thought "aerobic" meant exercising at a pace where you only use your aerobic system, and not pushing it to the point where you go anaerobic.

So by definition, "aerobic" would mean "not intense."

And correct you are....good catch....


However, if he was at 0 on the RPE-rated perceived exertion-scale, it could be thought of as exercising intensely aerobic.

Well Hallelujah- I'm among the living again! Whatever I had, it wasn't a cold- fever, big time chest congestion, achy joints, etc- seems like weeks, but I guess only four days 4 miles on the trails with Tiny E at a relaxed pace, I think he easily covered 8 miles!

Glad you're back with the living. You think it was flu?

Yeah, I know. Your idea of "aerobically intense" is watching an old Jane Fonda exercise video.....

Thanks! Pretty sure; my wife works at an elementary school and they've had rampant Influenza B going around- one day they had 58 kids out sick. She got it about a week earlier and then I got it- the benefits of working at a school.

Just out of curiosity, did you get a flu shot? I got one myself, but you never know if they work or not.

Come on now, Hanoi Jane?????



Denise Austin.

I did; get one every year- but the last three years have been batting 0 for 3 w/ the shot; my hunch is once my wife retires from the school district, our influenza rate will decrease dramatically

Sorry, when I saw that pic of you with the Jane Fonda leg warmers, I figured you for a fan.

Not even close. Those were gifted by Paige Hathaway. Hey it was worth it!!!!


Workout post, after haircut.

Get a facial while you're there. Trust me on this.....

Paige had a giggle over your comment....She said you should worry about yourself....She is soooo cool when she giggles. Opps, I mean she jiggles.... I know I'm bragging, but you wouldn't understand....



Eliptical: 10minute warmup



Weight/Cardio intervals: 30minutes




Assualt Runner: 20minutes





Rower: Easy cool down 10minutes

Skied today. Gorgeous sunny weather

Looks like Schweiter.

5 mile loop on the trails w/ Tiny Elvis ~ 600' gain; my lungs aren't a 100% yet, but getting there

Another week of workouts in the books. Bumped the bike to 75min and upped the intensity a little more. Added 10lbs to the pack for 2.5 miles at 3mph between 8-12% grade along with a little yoga and daily pushups. Need to clean up the diet a little more - mostly back off the carbs.

Not all carbs are the same. Sugar is your absolute enemy. Moderate carbs and keep them good carbs, eliminate all the sugar you can. Drink lots of water!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever this "Limbaugh thread" is, it ain't me. On my children.

------

Got our JMT permit!! Woot woot! Actually, what we got, is a permit for about 95% of the JMT. The full permit is almost impossible to get. My wife pored over maps and figured a hack that gets us on it from a different spot. We can do the short remainder as a day hike or walk-up. Mike, I know you expressed interest, if you decide to go for it let me know and I'll hook you two up and she can explain what she came up with.

Carbs.... you really want to feel like you found a mir'cle drug... quit drinking. I haven't had a beer in ~ 6 weeks and it's pretty awesome. Stuff really puts a load on the system, even in moderation. I got a 2-week head start on it when I had the flu, and decided to just keep rolling.

^ Cool! I'm going to be doing a pretty epic done in a day, run/hike in August, part of it on the JMT- the Rae Lakes Loop, 44 miles and a [bleep] ton of elevation change- should make for a loooong day

A buddy of mine and I still have the Sierra High Route (I think it parallels the JMT much of the time) on our to do list, not this year, but maybe next. He's thinking about coming out here in May and competing in the Bob Marshall Open- not sure why he wants to suffer so much

We'll be on it in August. Hope to meet you there!

Ordering a quilt soon here. Just need to stop throwing all my $$ at the boat, haha. Guess I need a *^%# bear can too. We had to use bear cans on that Lost Coast trip a couple years ago (I borrowed one). If there's a more awkward thing to put in a backpack.... I'd much prefer an Ursack but they are not allowed on the JMT.

Edit: as far as specifics- like the Rae Lake Loop- my wife babbles on and on and on about that (did I mention she's obsessed with this? Lol) and it just goes WHOOSH! right over my head. She could probably draw a map of the JMT from memory. I know nothing. I actually prefer it that way. I mean I'll get maps before the trip, and load my app with maps too, but she'll be watching (again) youtubes and reading blogs... I'd rather hit it "fresh". That was one of the great things about Hell's Canyon last spring. Not many people do it (compared to the JMT) so there's not this huge volume of "intel" out there. Old school hike in that regard. I don't want to see every nook and cranny of a pack on my phone first, I want to see it with my eyes!

yup I hear you

I'm sure she has, but ask her if she's heard of the Sierra High Route- not lots of data on it as it's almost off trail and not a lot of folks have done it

hit the gym this morning

deadlifts and overhead press for 5/3/1+/10 @ 75/85/95/70% of 1RM
lunges 3x30yds
chinups 3x13
core

am happy to report that the flu didn't seem to impact my strength much, I was able to hit 5 reps on both the deadlifts and press on my 1+ lift, which bodes very well for the next phase

I know she's looked into that, I've heard her mention it.

Did your flu present with fever? Mine did not, so at first I thought it was a bad cold. Then I found out that at least in my AO, the flu going aroun at typically doesn't manifest with fever, and it was like, ahhhh.... this isn't the worst two-week cold in history, it's flu. I felt like I'd been hit by a train. For two weeks. Not fun. My primary area of discomfort was upper chest, and it's still not right. Never really got "productive"'just a wracking cough and felt like my chest was in a vise.

I'm quite concerned I've damaged, or at a minimum sensitized, my lungs out in the shop. I use A9 aluminum cutting fluid like it was nothing and have for almost ten years now. These days, one whiff (puff coming off a hot cut) of it and my lungs clamp down. Aargh. Either that, and/or sulphered cutting/tapping fluid for steel. I was way too casual about breathing the smoke from it last couple years when I was up to my gills in that work I talked about. I threaded hundreds of stainless shafts on the lathe. It would get hazy in the shop. Double aargh.

Just got word my customer can't take delivery today, so I'm off the hook. Away I go to spend money on the boat. I've just about got her sorted to my satisfaction. It's helped that the ocean has been insane since early December, nobody has been able to get out, in sport boats anyway. Buying stuff for the "ditch bag" today, which is like a bugout bag for boats, but minus the guns and ammo and paranoia.

JMT gives a great long range goal to train for. It'll be almost 3 weeks on trail and some crazy number of high mountain passes over 10k feet. Yikes.

Yep - I was referring to breads, pretzels, and the such. Keeping the simple stuff like sweet taters and rice. I try to drink 4-5 16oz bottles of water a day.

I had a mild fever, achy joints, big time chest congestion- my cough is now productive (crap coming out of my head too) but fortunately has subsided greatly; I was occasionally having coughing fits where I could barely catch my breathe- fun times

4 miles and ~ 400' of gain for Tiny Elvis and I this afternoon- definitely not a 100%, but slowly will get there

You are on the right path then!

You two need to come to the Burg and have a Mineos pizza or Primanti sandwich....You can run a marathon on either....your choice of protein combos on both and you can run them thru the garden, if extra veges are your thing....

Im not sure if Smoke can handle a Mineos without going into testosterone rage....

well now I'm really hungry!

You wouldn’t leave the same. 😀👍

told you I was hungry

Well ahhh, yes you did!!!!

Weight/cardio sequence: 23minutes: 10x55lb Correction to dumbbell squats into 10 pushups into 10x50pound overhead barbell press, Rest 1minute and repeat x 10.
Flat spots on chart are when the watch doesn't record for some reason.




Treadmill hill intervals: 20minutes

Yeah nothing like feeling like, or rather flat out EXPERIENCING, that you can't breathe. I had a couple episodes that were kinda scary actually. It was legit to panic a bit............ which only makes it worse. Fun times.

In celebration of the permit, pulled off a 6.3 mile hike w/ 1150' vert this evening. Got back to the car just at dusk. Only took Chloe- we have retired Nicky (aka the Albino Wolf) from trail duty on vet's orders, due to him loosing control of his hindquarters a bit from old age. I'm like, I lose control of my hindquarters a bit! Sheesh. Retire a guy for that?! But it's time. Bummer. He was a super athletic little dude his prime.

Usually the light is all wrong for a pic but not bad today. The coast range literally goes north to Canada (and keeps going) and south to somewhere in California.... From Oregon north through Washington is basically a, I dunno, 30 to 60 mile wide strip of virtually uninhabited timberland. Usually BLM checkerboarded with private timber company. Goes on as far as the eye can see obviously.

Carb loading at its finest

You guys knock it off!! Reminds me of the pizza joint we stop at after every elk hunt. They have a pizza with about six kinds of meat on it, including bacon.

I'm bache'ing it for a week while my wife is away, so it's anything goes now

8 mile loop with Tiny E, about a 1000' gain- still can't push the pace much, but it'll come back soon

Why am I in the mood for pizza?

Anyway, 1.5hour woods walk with Merlot. I took it slow, however Merlot has been cooped up for a few days and ripped it for the most part.



He/she thought thought it was hiding, but if you took a line off Merlots nose that wasn't the case. Turned out there were four.
And some wonder way some of us prefer low power scopes. Around 30 yards....

I agree.... I can see why a 30-30 is issued to kids at birth in PA!

The form factor was a bit much in the end, but in every other way the 1.8-5.5x Conquest I had on my .358 M7 was perfecto. Many deer killed closer than 30.... before that was a Leup 2.5-8 that lived on 2.5.

The guy I sold the Conquest to was putting it on a slug gun. I bet he loved it on that.

I did a few miles with the pack in the snow yesterday. I had forgotten how much it sucks to walk through heavy wet snow with a pack and also, how much packed trails suck without spikes. Gave the legs a good workout though.

a nice snowshoe outing yesterday with Tiny Elvis in the Elkhorn Mountains, nine miles and close to 2000' of gain- was able to push the pace a bit today, felt good

to the gym this morning

squats & bench 5/5/5 @ 75% of 1RM with a 2 second pause at the bottom- what a difference that makes!!!!!
pullups 3x12
dips 3x30
core

I need to start posting here again.

This morning was rushed so only the following:
Circuit - no rest between exercises, 1 min rest between rounds - several warm up rounds then 3 working rounds with real weight:

Hang Cleans - 5x
Land Mine Squats - 10x
DB Bench - 10x
DB Row - 10x
Rev Hypers - 12x

6 miles on the trails w/ Tiny E this afternoon; we got caught in quite a sudden squall- luckily short lived!

Dude, you're making my knees hurt, please stop.....

just trying to catch up to you guys!

Hiked 7+ miles (forgot to start Strava) @ approx 1500' ele gain

Right, what'd you do, lap us?

Hit the gym this evening, lower body workout.

Elliptical warmup 16 mins total alternating 1 min forward/1 min backward.

Muy Thai bagwork, 3 min rounds/1 min on elliptical between rounds:
2 rounds light warmup
10 rounds work

Will wonders never cease.... just got word Cyn won us an actual full JMT permit! It's a rolling lottery, resets every day for 21 days after the day you first apply. Only downside is it has us starting a week later than her "hacked" permit, and we have a date later in the month we HAVE to be home for, so there's a bit of a risk of a death march now or at least needing to power through big miles even if hurting or something.... but... woot! Upside is not having to ghetto those first 35 miles, plus (and this could be huge) way less chance it'll be really buggy. There's potentially a huge difference between late July and early August in that regard.

Doing the quick math.... 214 mile hike (!) and we have 19 days max to do it equals 11.3 miles a day average for 19 days.... doable, but not a ton of room for error there.

I best get walking.

Here is a 4600mile hike and you don't need a permit....

https://northcountrytrail.org/trail/hike-planning/

Yikes. I think Cyn is actually plotting a section of that- the part near the Great Lakes, unless that's a different trail. We have a place on Lake Michigan (via her family) and it's a pretty cool region for sure. What I don't get about the NCT is that it goes through some legendarily buggy areas and at 8 months long (!) clearly you just power through that?! No thanks.

The only thru-hike of magnitude I'd have any interest in at all is the CDT. And that's only because I'm so intimate with whole parts of it having grown up hiking/backpacking New Mexico and southern CO. I actually backpacked several pieces of what is now the CDT, way back in the day..... But I don't have the thru-hike bug; Cyn does. Her hike of the entire Oregon PCT last year was, to me, pretty a impressive feat for a mid-50's woman solo and I give her props. But it's not my thing.

However the JMT is legendary so I'll make the exception.

No, I have the ocean fishing bug. On that note---- she's finally laying down enough to let sport boats out, and I'm going tomorrow! I have not had my boat in the ocean since late October 2019, and I've been on a hair trigger waiting for conditions, but it's been one stormy-ass mofo of a winter out there on the big pond. But as a refresher this is what happened in late October. I'm PUMPED.

214 in 19 days; yeah you got that easy

I think so too, Mike. My only concern is I've had these usage issues the last few years... IT band, which now I know how to deal with, that thing behind my knee that hurt like [bleep] when we did two 11-mile days around Waldo last summer, which I DON'T know what to do about and seems to kick in around 9-10 miles, the PF, which is now generally manageable I *think* but is cause for concern with 19 straight 11-milers.... the Achilles..... jeez, walking wounded here, grin... it's the "straight" part. No room for a rest day (without kicking the remaining daily average way up).

At my advanced age <g> what I worry about is pushing through an issue and causing permanent harm. Cyn kind of did that last year on the PCT. She was so obsessed with finishing, she started doing 20-mile days. Her feet paid the price. They still aren't right.

But, yeah. Got done with our 7-miler yesterday and I could've started at the beginning and done it again no problem. Should be fine. Should be.

Weights: Legs



Treadmill Intervals:



Assault runner:

4 miles this evening w/ Tiny E- had an interesting graupel squall hit us, fast & hard

Rushed again this morning so another condensed WO.

Circuit - no rest between exercises, 1 min rest between rounds - several warm up rounds then 3 working rounds with real weight:

Hang Snatches - 5x
Front Squats - 10x
DB Incline - 10x
Lat Pulldown - 10x
Rev Hypers - 12x

4 brisk miles on the trails w/ Tiny E this evening

Rower: 30minutes

Today is the same as Tuesday morning except working different combo's....

Elliptical warmup 16 mins total alternating 1 min forward/1 min backward.

Muy Thai bagwork, 3 min rounds/1 min on elliptical between rounds:
2 rounds light warmup
10 rounds work

strength train this morning; end of a cycle- next week squats & deadlifts get bumped 10 lbs, bench & overhead press 5 lbs and start all over again

deadlifts 5/5/5 @ 75% of 1RM
overhead press 5/5/5 @ 75% of 1RM
lunges 3x30 yds
chinups 3x13

You’re my hero overcoming such adversity rolling thunder

First the horrible step ladder incident then the tragic Achilles injury.

Would you speak at my local wounded vets group? These soldiers could use inspiration from a brave soul like you lol

Did cardio at the gym today, 30 minutes of intervals on the stair machine, then 30 at a steady pace on the bike. 700 calories according to the machines, and I'm in good shape for PBF, according to the other machine.

Been hitting the gym, but not posting much. I'm tired of being lapped by the guy from MT with the little doggie.

As usual I'm pretty whipped post-ocean. As pertains to workout, feeling it in my glutes, hips, abs.... wish I was out there again today. The new boat is much more stable in the sense that she doesn't roll side/side in the swells as much as my 16'er. Still a dang physical day out there when said and done.

LMFAO

At age 70 MWF in the gym mostly cable machines,recumbent bike 5mi., Bosu ball for balance/equilibrium. 1mi. walk every day, try to work in a 2-3 mi. walk a couple of days a week. Lost 60# with this routine, 7# so far this year within 10# of my goal weight.

Weights: 1 hour-chest and arms

Treadmill: 30minute hill climb.

smoke- I can rent Tiny Elvis out if you want, shipping won't be much as he only weighs 13 lbs


just got back from a 10 mile snowshoe loop (w/ an overnight)- got cold last night I'm hear to tell you

Tiny Elvis doesn't look as happy as he normally does in that pic. Has that "I"m freezing my ass off, let's go!" look.

As good as last week was for me, this week sucked. Caught the plague Sunday and just starting to feel close to normal today. Back at in next week.

yeah it got down to -2 last night up high, he wasn't an overly happy camper

So Elvis is the secret?

tiny Elvis is a trooper for sure

what a pathetic clown. Its really a shame you come on here and try and ruin this thread

Got home late so a quick hour:

Rower: 15minutes

Weights: Back 40minutes

Hiked our 7-mile logging road loop late today. Beautiful day to be in the woods. Approx. 1500' elevation gain.

Mike- that's cold. Does Tiny E tolerate being covered up? One of our dogs does, the other does not and freezes all night. You using a bag I take it? Getting ready to order my quilt...

definitely!




it's a "quasi" bag- Feathered Friends Flicker- center full zip, hoodless- so you can open it like a quilt or zip it fully like a bag; it's only rated to 20 degrees so I added a 50 degree Apex quilt over the top- still pushing it for below 0 though

yeah he burrows in a like a tick

Cyn tells me I should get an Enlightened Equipment Enigma... or a Catabatic... I'd rather research boat gear so I'll probably just go with one of those, haha... I'll probably go 20 degree. I have an amazing Marmot down bag (with Goretex shell) from way back that is rated way down there and works great; the quilt is more a summer/ JMT thing. But I'm psyched to give a quilt a spin. I've used that Marmot as a quilt, as much as that's possible anyway, and I love the freedom to sprawl a bit, compared to being squozed like a sausage in a casing in a mummy bag.

I've owned both; more spendy, but I think Katabatic is a better quilt- 15 or 20 degrees should be just about right for the JMT

6 miles on the trails with Tiny E; crazy weather for us- got to 55 degrees today!!!!

gym this morning

squats 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85 of 1RM
bench 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85 of 1RM
pullups 3x10
dips 3x30
core

Had a short weather window between the wind and rain so we snuck a 3.5 mile hike up a ridge behind "Burp Hollow" (yes that's real)..... a good huff, ~ 1000 ft vertical gain. We have each now found a tick biting us as an added bonus.

4 miles on another gorgeous evening- temps in the mid 40's, feels like spring

4 miles on the trails with Tiny E- a fresh 2" of snow on the trails, so much for the spring weather

Did a walk with the pack on Sunday, and lower body in the gym yesterday.

Elliptical: 10 minute warm-up
Weights: legs 45 minutes
Stair master is back: 20 minutes
Treadmill: 15 minute cool down

Upper body today. Gotta get in shape for fly fishing in Scotland.

Cool!!!! Bring a Lass. No a Lass, not Lassie.

I'm bringing my wife. Actually it was her idea, her mom was from Scotland and she's always wanted to make the trip. This year we're doing it, finally.

I'll just have to humor her. And do a little fishing and whiskey sampling.

Lucky you!!!
Take some pics and post them up. Should be a great trip. You run into any O’Neills, another story for another time, tell them I said hi.

smoke- sounds like a great trip! the only way it would be better is if you were going to Ireland

strength train

deadlifts 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85% of 1RM
overhead press 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85% of 1RM
lunges 3x30 yds
chinups 3x15
core

Weights:

Bench Press: 4x10
Inclined Bench Press: 3x8
Barbell Curls: 4x10
Rope Hammer Pulls: 3x12
Crossover Pulls: 4x10
Barbell Bench Press: 3x8

5 miles on the trails with Tiny E; am now packing for take 2 of my backcountry ski trip that got kiboshed two weeks ago when I got sick

Hiked 6.2 miles, the usual basic loop we do with about 1400 ft vertical gain.

Rode my "climb route" for the first time in a while! My buddy hates a short section of highway you have to ride to get to it from my house, and he's right, so we barged the bikes a couple miles across the flats then rode from there. So it shortened the mileage to 23+ but total climbing stayed the same at almost 2400'.

Got back at it this week - 3x 60min endurance rides, 2x yoga, 5x stretching and pushups

20 miles of some tough skiing, but a great trip still!

500m row X 5 reps 1 minute rest between sets. Bench 155lb 20 reps 3 sets. 40kg kettlebell swings 20 reps 3 sets. 30 Double Unders 3 sets

Friday:
Elliptical:10min
Bench: 4x10 150lbs
Incline bench: 3x12 125lbs
Barbell curls: 4x10 60lbs
Barbell bench press:4x10 120lbs
Cable crossovers. 3x10 50lbs
Rope hammer curves: 3x12 90lbs


Saturday
Elliptical: 10min
Deadlift: 4x10 175lbs
Rows: 4x10 125lbs
Lat pull down: 3x8 95lbs
Hyper extensions. 3x12
Easy concept2 row:30 minutes

Today’s: Shoot a bunch of shotgun shells👍

4 miles on the trails with Tiny E this afternoon

1:45 with the pack today. No IPAs until just now.

Thursday night dinner at the cabin- top left, well worth a couple of lbs in the pack

Looks good!

Hit the gym yesterday. First time in almost a year. Squats, Bench, Power Cleans = slightly sore but kept weight low so I can hit it again this week.

^ good deal

in my experience, slightly sore the day after usually means very sore the day after that

yep the second day is always worse, especially when we age

Screwed up week. Had to miss Monday and Thursday training.

Tuesday 2/25 - lifting
Circuit - no rest between exercises, 1 min rest between rounds - several warm up rounds then 3 working rounds with real weight:
Elliptical 15 min
Circuit 1:
Hang Cleans
Powerlifting/low bar Squats
DB Milt Press
Pullups
Rev Hypers
Circuit 2:
DB Curls
Tri Pushdowns
Band Abs
Rev Hyper

Wednesday 2/26 - cardio/boxing
Elliptical 15 min
Muy Thai bag work - 10x3 min rounds - 1 min on elliptical between rounds

Friday 2/28/20 - lifting
Circuit - no rest between exercises, 1 min rest between rounds - several warm up rounds then 3 working rounds with real weight:
Elliptical 15 min
Circuit 1:
Hang Snatches
High bar/Olympic Squats
DB Bench
DB Rows
Rev Hypers

Saturday 2/29/20 - cardio/boxing
Elliptical 15 min
Muy Thai bag work - 15x3 min rounds - 1 min on elliptical between rounds

Sunday 3/1/20 - lifting
Elliptical 15 min
Box Squat/chains - 8 sets, 2 reps, 30 sec rest between sets
Speed bench/chains - 8 sets, 3 reps, 30 sec rest between sets
Circuit (3 rounds, no rest between rounds):
Low row
Calf raise
Static Abs
Rev Hyper

Probably but we'll see

strength train today

squats 3/3/3+/10 @ 70/80/90/70% of 1RM
bench 3/3/3+/10 @ 70/80/90/70% of 1RM
pullups 3x12
dips 3x30
core

Shot Sporting Clays and then took Merlot for a hike and he immediately went to his favorite rock wall. I almost broke and ankle coming back over, while he runs it like a Wallenda....

3/3/3+/10 what does this mean?

Got a late start due to a kid being home from college but we snuck in the 3-1/2 mile ridge huff we do. Found a tick on the outside of my jeans and another on the seat of the car... probably find more as the evening wears on.... Chloe is on Bravura (sp?) early this year because this hike in particular is so damn ticky. But I'm not. Little [bleep].

it's from Jim Wendler- it's the second week (of four), you always finish the heaviest set w/ a +- so as many as you can do; week 1 is 5/5/5+, week 2 3/3/3+, week 3 is 5/3/1+, week four is a lighter, recovery week

the 10 reps at 70% of one rep max I add to weeks 2&3 just to give them a little more volume

it's (Wendler) the best strength program I've stumbled on thus far!

Ah yes 531 it is a good basic strength program. Never seen it written out like that. It lacks hitting your one rep max but you can adjust for that. I think there are better but it is a solid beginner program.

Definitely sore this morning but was able to stretch, do pushups, and ride an hour. Being chairborne today is going to make it worse as the day goes on.

StairMaster: 10minutes

Squats: 4x10
Stiff legged deadlifts: 3x12
Leg Curls: 3x12
Machine leg press: 3x12
Machine calf raises: 3x12
Lunges: 3x10

StairMaster: 20minutes

(My back asks why? )

4 miles on the trails with Tiny Elvis; starting to feel a little bit like Spring

Yesterday:
Stress test and echo of heart. While hooked up and sitting waiting for stuff to get started I got a little concerned after the 4th nurse was called in. I heard them say "he's getting nervous now it's going up". They told me they don't get to many resting heart rates of 41 bpm.

This morning:
Elliptical 15 mins
Circuit, several warm up rounds, 3 working rounds, no rest between exercises, 1 min rest between rounds:
Hang Clean
Zercher Squats
DB Incline
Lats
Rev Hyper

mine is often in the 45-50 range, not a bad thing

I have to get a physical every two years for work and they have to do a ekg- they always say “oh you must be a runner” something on there leads them to that conclusion

45-50?? You must have some really ugly nurses up there.......

that’s Rockwell- not sure what you were talking about?

LOL, nicely played.

Rower: 15min warmup

Bench press: 4x10
Incline Bench: 3x12
Cable Crossovers: 3x12
Barbell curls: 4x10
Rope cable hammer curls: 4x10

Treadmill: 30minute intervals

5 miles the trails with Tiny E- feeling like Spring, but I know better

Catching the first whiffs of spring in the air here. Literally.

yesterday - squats, press, deads
today - 60 min on bike

I imagine its been discussed before, but have any of you guy's ever just tried to get through a few hours of regular outdoor activities wearing 5 pound wrist weights on each arm and 10 pounds on each ankle. I've found out years ago, at least for me that that works better than anything.

Maybe it's paranoia, but a gym sounds like a nearly ideal virus vector... careful guys. Maybe stick to outdoor pursuits for a while?

It is better than nothing. But there are a lot better options out there.

I'm gonna stick to both. Gym during the week and carrying a loaded pack on the weekends.

Today I woke up with chest congestion. Gym, work, eating out, having a crew in to install a wood burning insert, grocery store, Daughters Chickens, that smoking hot Chinese gal from the gym???? Who do I blame????

Three mile hike with Merlot....Coughed more than usual....

3 six packs of IPA are not a loaded pack.. At least not for a serious beer guy....

hot Chinese gal from the gym???? Who do I blame????

Blame Her and tell her you need compensation. If you can't negotiate it with her, call Jorge!

winds blowing 35 mph w/ gusts to 50........ to the gym I go

deadlifts 3/3/3+/10 @ 70/80/90/70% of 1RM
overhead press 3/3/3+/10 @ 70/80/90/70% of 1RM
lunges 3x30 yds
chinups 3x14
core

Can’t let Jorge in on it, she has big ta-tas for a Chinese gal. Next thing you know he will be telling her I don’t comprehend well and be trying to cut in. 😀

Not many people can do 10 reps @ 70% 1 rep max on shoulders. Specially at the end of the sets. Sure in bigger muscle groups most can as in deadlifts, bench, squats. You have some strong shoulders for sure. Your OHS must be very impressive. It is my weakness, I wish I had beast mode shoulders.

thanks (not beast mode yet :)); I am still progressing pretty well w/ deadlifts and overhead press, but my squat and bench are stalling- I'm going to finish this cycle with them and then give Wendler's 5 forward/3 back strategy a go, I'm going to keep going as outlined with deadlifts/presses until I stall out with them

I don't know that is impressive to me. I wish I had shoulders like that.

What is your bench and squat routine? Adding board presses to your bench routine may help. But if I were looking for big gains I would be working more closely to your 1 rep max. I would add a light work day as well and use bands on the bar.

Squats are well dam near the hardest to make big moves on or at least for me. But I would work sets around my 1 rep max and adding a light day of sets to failure.

still pretty much following Wedler's 5/3/1 week one is 5/5/5+ 65/75/85%; week two 3/3/3+ 70/80/90%; week three 5/3/1+ 75/85/95%, I've added an additional 10 rep set (70%) to weeks 2&3 just to increase volume a bit; week four is a recovery week 5/5/5 70%

I add pull-ups & dips to my squat/bench day and lunges & chinups to my deadlift/overhead press day

I've bastardized his workout combining squats/bench and deadlifts/overhead presses into two day; two days a week is all can really carve out and thus far has worked pretty well

one big advantage of his workouts is they don't take very long- I'm only in the gym about 45 minutes

Yesterday:
12, 3 minute rounds bag work
1 minute on elliptical between rounds

This morning:
Elliptical 15 mins
Circuit, several warm up rounds, 3 working rounds, no rest between exercises, 1 min rest between rounds:
Hang Snatches/single OH squat on last rep
1 legged squat (db's)
1 legged stiff legged deadlift (db's)
Weighted dips on rings
Weighted chins on rings
Rev Hyper

5 miles on the trails with Tiny E- a mix of snow/ice/mud and yes, even a little bit of dry trail!

Rode a different route, 23+ miles with 2500+ of elevation gain... at its core is a brutal climb up Grimes road (very obscure rough asphalt 1-laner over the coast range) which I've done before but it's been a while.

Looks like I'm getting back some of that taxing work I talked about last year.... "huh"..... mixed feelings.

Yesterday - yoga & pushups in AM, squats, bench, power cleans after work
Today - stretching, pushups, 60 min on bike

Elliptical 15 min

Circuit:
10, 3 minute rounds bag work
1 minute on elliptical between rounds

Elliptical 15 min

I hit an hours worth of fly balls and ground balls to a team of 9yr olds last night!

If you didn't pitch batting practice, it doesn't count.

That's the rule.

I was the only one that swung a bat at that practice. All defense and base running. And no, I was not the one running the bases.

Yesterday:
Rower: 30min before work
30min watching the Pens

Today:
Elliptical:15min
Deadlifts:4x10
Barbell rows: 4x10
Seated cable rows:4x10
Lat pulldowns: 3x8
Rower: 20min

a nice 8 mile loop with Tiny E, temps were in the mid 60's- Holy [bleep]!

5 miles on the trails w/ my wife and Tiny E- mud is slowly replacing ice, TE was filthy when we were done

6-mile hike, 1340 ft elevation gain. Chloe got a bit muddy too. She spent a lot of time off-trail in the reprod, which did kinda clean most of the road mud off at the expense of getting soaked. With her long fur she looks really different wet, sleeker, which is DANG cute.

2020 Arnold and World Strong Man dam records were broken!

gym today

squats 5/3/1+/10 @ 75/85/95/70% of 1RM
bench 5/3/1+/10 @ 75/85/95/70% of 1RM
pullups 3x11
dips 3x30
core

surprised myself on squats and got 4 reps on my 1+ so going to continue with them w/o a reset
bench I got a single rep (and 3/4 :)) so will reset it after next week's reload week

4 miles on the trails with Tiny Elvis; in hot water with my wife as we were supposed to go to a film festival and forgot- ouch!

Big oops. Especially since the film festival was sold out. Maybe you could blame it in Tiny E

Lets see film festival or being outdoors? Yup Outdoors for the WIN!

just got a text from the boss- it's intermission and she's said it's really good



easy for you to say

My boss went to the neurologist today to talk about trying one of the new migraine treatments, and walked out stunned because he detected very worrisome neuropathy in her legs.... no real diagnosis yet, but at least she doesn't show any other symptoms of the really scary ones- lupus, ALS, MS, and so on......... anyway file that one in the "do the things you love while you can!" file. Also, I will be on the JMT with her in August if I have to crawl it.

4 miles for Tiny E and I this evening

Hit the weights Saturday - squats, press, deads, BB curls, LTEs then a 2 hour walk with my boys looking for sheds - good day
Monday - stretches, push-ups, 60 min on bike
Tuesday - stretches, push-ups, yoga in AM, squats, bench, PCs, dips in PM
Wednesday - stretches, push-ups, 60 min bike

Feels like I'm turning the corner on this where I'm not sore and totally whooped by early evening.

Since I over-shared the stuff with Cyn.... update.... we were totally freaked out and stunned. It's a literally disastrous thing to hear from a doctor. There IS NO good outcome for the onset of neuropathy. It means, basically, nerve death and hers is not subtle. It's what diabetics get, and then those horrifying diseases like MS or ALS.... fawking terrifying, and the doctor's reaction as he discovered this in an otherwise very-healthy-seeming, active, fit woman did not help on bit. HE was freaking out. Anyway she fell asleep early on the couch from the stress of it, I headed out to the shop to reflect on mortality and how the world takes away what you love, and tie up some leaders (went ocean fishin yesterday)..... about 11 pm I got a text; she'd remembered that she had caught West Nile when it came through here about what, 17-18 years ago. She got it so bad that for several weeks she could hardly walk. It was like a light bulb going off. The main terror of the thing was UNEXPLAINED neuropathy. He kept asking her, didn't you feel ANY pain recently, tingling, sharp shooting electrical pains...? Because nerves don't die quietly.

Anyway the whole thing is way less terrifying now that there's a reason. It appears that West Nile killed a bunch of nerves in her legs, and she's adapted and learned to compensate since. For example, her balance is not good with her eyes closed (that's one of the tests he ran) because she can't really feel what's going on in the small leg muscles that tell us when we are tilting or whatever. But eyes open, she's fine. She hikes with her eyes open.

At any rate blood work is still pending but we are feeling so much better about it, words can't really describe.

Glad to hear it's not as serious as you guys thought. That kind of stuff scares the sh*t out of me.

Thank you, appreciate that. Yeah, when you realize that you'd be HOPING for diagnosis of MS, because it's at least somewhat treatable vs. the alternatives..... yeah. Not good.

Blood work is still pending, so fingers crossed there, but there's a universe of difference between the neurologist discovering onset neuropathy vs. discovering old existing neuropathy that has a viable explanation.

Forward!

Yeah, when I read the first post and you said your "boss" I figured it was just some woman at work, I completely missed the point.

good (better?) news indeed

I was riffing off Mike's comment about pissing off the boss.... My "boss" is an a-hole who thinks it's ok to go fishin on a damn Tuesday.

On that note, just got the official word, I pick up castings in Portland tomorrow to resume that work I have mentioned.... ugh. Yay! Ugh. Yay! Gonna eat me up again, but I can't resist the $$. By the time it went away last fall my hands and arms were NOT happy campers. The largest of the castings weigh over 15 lbs, are badly out of balance, and need spun on the lathe around 600 rpm minimum to get the finish on the bearing and seal pockets that we need. Scary. They get capital-F FIXTURED, meaning, my a-hole boss makes me go to great lengths to insure they are bolted/clamped/chucked securely. For a few fixturing steps I can use an impact driver (minimal torque transmitted to my arms) but for most of it, it's just me and my muscles and joints taking the load. And there's a lot of the damn things, and it's always a rush job with these people. But did I mention the $? The things we do for a buck. Like screw up our bodies.

My boss fishin yesterday. That's actually a MALE ling cod, and a big one. The bulge in its belly is a freshly-eaten 12" sea bass! No shït. While we were out there we heard a distress call to the Coast Guard from a boat near us who was taking on water. That was interesting. We raced over and followed her back into port so the CG wouldn't have to deploy. They had a cutter all crewed up and ready when we came in. That boat got the mother of all inspections, and good thing, I went and looked at her and she had no business being on the ocean.

Elliptical: 15minutes warm up

Weighs:
Squats: 4x8
Incline BP: 4x10
Leg Press Machine: 3x12
Barbell Curls: 4x10
Calf Raises: 4x20
Dumbbell Presses: 4x8

Treadmill run: 30minutes





Then a couple hot blonds kept grabbing my phone and went in the dressing room to take selfies. It's 45minute post workout and I'm still sweating....

What the hell Battue I am not much into blonds but lets see!

You wish that magnificent bastid in the pics was you. They were facetiming me, word gets around.

Later, Smoke would being going underground to roid up if I posted them here....Combined with his age, he may pop a cork....

5 miles on the trails w/ Tiny E- started about 50 degrees and sunny (but windy), about 15 minutes in- light rain, about 30 minutes in- light snow; got back to the truck (~1.5 hours) the temp had dropped to 35

Did a variation of our logging road loop, 6.2 miles, ~ 1500' ele

strength train this morning; full steam ahead on both deadlifts and overhead press- next week will be a reload week and then the following, more weight added

* I did wear light (climbing) gloves to the gym today- actually helps a little with bar grip, but not the reason I wore gloves!

deadlifts 5/3/1+/10 @ 75/85/95/70% of 1RM

overhead press 5/3/1+/10 @ 75/85/95/70% of 1RM

lunges 3x30

chinups 3x13

core

Wuss. Scared of some little virus?! Sheesh.

(I think that was smart)

I'll probably stick with the gloves for a little bit

7 mile loop with Tiny Elvis- 3" of fresh snow and evidently, more on the way

So how do you put on and take off the gloves? Is it a public gym? Well the reality is you are breathing the air in there everyone else is.

a public gym, but never very crowded- I just wore the gloves the whole time, in and out- light climbing gloves

Well I already expressed my thunks on even going in a gym right now, so yeah, glad you are taking at least some precautions.

Mountain bike ride with my buddy, nothing crazy but got a solid workout in up on the good ol' logging roads of the CR.

Yes I realize you wore the gloves the whole time. But you have to touch them to put them on and take them off. My point is not the gloves so much as you are all breathing the same air in the gym. Gloves are not helping that. Anyways you are a healthy guy I doubt highly you need to worry.

a nice 6 mile out and back for Tiny E and I, good climb both ways- went earlier to beat the winter storm bearing down on us- calling for 8-10" of snow in the valley, which is fine, but also calling for below 0 temps tonight- not as fine

Elliptical: 15minutes
Heavy Bag: 3x3minutes
Bench Press: 4x10
HexBar Deadlifts: 4x10
Seated overhead press: 4x10
Front Barbell raises: 4x10
Ball Slams: 20lbs 4x23

we got up to a balmy 5 degrees (and add 10-20 mph winds and snow to that), so went to the gym

Half "Murph"

1/2 mile run
150 air squats
100 pushups
50 pullups
1/2 mile run

Another week of 6 day workouts in but going to have to do what I can at home for the next few weeks, Y is closed due to virus.

still too cold for hitting the trails (but tomorrow we should be close to freezing), so hit the gym- it's my deload week, so:

squats 3x5 @ 75% of 1RM
bench 3x5 @ 75% of 1RM
pullups 3x10
dips 3x30
core

Two hours with the pack today, felt good.

Walked a few miles late today, kept it short b/c Cyn is battling some kind of crud...... also 15 hrs shop work this weekend with the heavy parts. Nice, clean, sterile METAL, man. Never looked so good!

Cyn is feeling notably better today (whew!), just walked 5 flat miles, headed out to the shop again.

4 miles on the trails w/ Tiny Elvis- the mud has been replaced with 8" of snow

6 miles on pavement today. Beautiful day out.

5 miles + 1000' of gain + 6-8" of uneven/loosely packed snow = good workout for Tiny E and I

I did the same 6 miles today

Walked 5 flat miles, hand/arm 7 hours

you're my hero and inspiration

4 mile loop with Tiny E, still pretty snowy on the trails (but better than muddy trails!)

7 miles today

Laffin'....

Don't forget you're in his safe space....

Blackjack (21)
For Time
20 Push-Ups, 1 Sit-Up
19 Push-Ups, 2 Sit-Ups
18 Push-Ups, 3 Sit-Ups
...continue this pattern until...
2 Push-Ups, 19 Sit-Ups
1 Push-Up, 20 Sit-Ups

for the curious it ends up being 210 reps for each

Shoveled snow for a few hours today. Normally not a big deal but this was slushy and heavy as concrete. We got about 10" of the stuff.

I was thankful for the exercise with all the gyms being closed.

Practiced a little social distancing today. 20 miles out and back.

Shop day, then walked 6.5 miles, altered our normal flat route so this had one really nice climb to it. Gorgeous day. A surreal vibe given what's going on.

3x morning bike rides this week. Bumped up the intensity since the Y is closed.
5x stretching and (40) pushups each morning. Last few got a little wormy but locked them out.

see you guys in a couple of days

weekend forecast looks good!

Warden takes his social distancing seriously.

I don't need all that fancy gear to maintain social distancing. I use my personality.

Took a walk with the pack today. People out walking everywhere.

three days, two nights and 36 miles on snowshoes-great trip!

Wednesday: 3 mile Merlot hike
Thursday: 30 minute row
Friday: 3 mile Merlot hike
Saturday: 30 minute row
Today: 30 minute row
Lifted some weights in the basement a couple times. Not as much fun without the girls taking selfies with my cell phone.

Come the apocalypse, there will be a girl in every basement.


Said nobody ever.

Did our 6+ mile logging road hike, beautiful day.

Did my first hike of the year with pack yesterday. Kept it short and light - 2.75 miles, 25lbs pack, 1550 ft total ascent. Also first hike with stiff boots. I'd been on the treadmill with them to start break-in but this was first one on/off trail. Found some turkey sign and potential spots for next archery, no sheds though.

I can appreciate that type of social distancing! Well done.

Battue has two or three in his basement. As long as none of 'em spring a leak, he's golden!!

Completely out of place and sad that another would degrade themselves in the manor you just did. However, we all know you have been jealous ever since those hot blonde nymphs started sending me cell phone selfies from the girls locker room. I will additionally add......


Wait...oh yea...gotto go....the nymphs are at it again.....never mind, it is not worth my time to reply....just stunning!!!!....what a set of.....ta-ta....


MtWarden:

Great hike and pics....some of us really get it done, while others....well, no reason to be out of place....nice work....

Did the same "new" road walk from our prop that we did a few days ago... ran Strava this time, 7.2 miles and ~ 375 ele gain. There were a couple other folks out walking, which is only noteworthy because my rural area is not exactly a hotbed of outdoor exercise.

4 miles on slushy (I'm sure soon to be muddy) trails with Tiny Elvis

Weights in the basement....

Seated overhead press
Dumbbell bench press
Curls
Weighted squats
Incline dumbbell press

Rained most of the day, so the getting really boring 30minute Row

25min on the dreadmill this morning. It's been probably a year since I ran on that. Went surprisingly well though I still suck at running.

Sorry man, I didn't mean to let the air out of your stories.

The glute master has spoken. With the closures are you being azz grabbed more or less? Now tell us the whole story!

Less, I'm being responsible and maintaining social distancing. But it's tough when I'm out hiking with the pack, you ever tried outrunning a bunch of 20-something joggers with a 50-lb. pack on??

Well first thing would be I have not noticed any decrease. One of the advantages of the social media phenomenon. The word spreads and the pics keep coming.

Second when a bunch of 20 something joggers are on the chase, I only let the most fit ones catch me. 😉

Regardless of gender?

Na, not a problem....the line of women defines the obvious....

Yep, and I know exactly what happens when one catches up, it happens to me all the time. You wake up.

90 Minutes with the pack today, found a couple of little hills on some open land nearby, just the right height to get good and winded on the way up, and recover on the way back down.

OK, I exaggerated a little....most are probably a little bit out of their 20's....I was just trying to keep up with you....

Anyway, a guy dumped a half cord of wood in the driveway. Measures out to be a face cord. Moved it uphill in wheelbarrow loads for about 20yards and then stacked it. Sometimes I was even a little winded when I got back to the pile. Took a little less then 2 hours.

half Murph, just fractional faster than a week ago

1/2 mile run
150 air squats
100 push-ups
50 pull-ups
1/2 mile run

You exaggerated a little? I know, and I think this coronavirus thing just might affect the stock market.

Did JeffO give you tips on how to move that wood???

No, but if the yard hadn’t been saturated, I would have had it dumped into the trailer and drove all of it around once.

Now if Jeff filled the bed of that Tundra with those big round pieces, up and over by hand.. I don’t want to arm wrestle him.

Referring to covid, hospital had its first scare last night. Went into PICU quarantine. Discharged this afternoon as negative.

Glad to hear it was a false alarm. And no, I don't want to arm wrestle you or JeffO, at least with your dominant hand. I'm sure that both you guys give that thing a workout. Rosie and all four sisters at once!

Must be a Colorado thing.....don’t fret....

4 miles with my wife and Tiny Elvis- fine Spring day!

My wife got a peloton about a year ago, she got me a pair of shoes but I never used them. Today, I broke 'em out and did 30 minutes of intervals, not bad. Also found my son's old chin-up bar, the brackets were still mounted in the basement, so I did three sets.

Then, good old-fashioned push-ups. Didn't have dumbells to do rows, so I layed the spud bar across the picnic table on one side and the Weber gas grill on the other, layed down underneath and pulled myself up, got my rows in that way. Just about the right height, might have to adjust it later.

With all the gyms closed, you've gotta improvise.

yeah a gym kind of spoils a guy

Buried in shop work... not complaining... youngest just moved back today after her last quarter of college was cancelled, so we are attempting a 2-week quarantine of sorts...

9 mile trail hike with Merlot....

7 mile loop with Tiny E, today I wore my spikes- these trails were a lot less icy than yesterday, but there were a couple of stretches that made the spikes worthwhile

Mike, is this gonna mess you up?

"The Pacific Northwest is closing outdoor recreation on a scale never previously imagined.
In the quest to contain COVID-19, and follow state-issued orders for people to stay home, the U.S. Forest Service will close all national forest recreation sites across both Oregon and Washington in coming days, the agency announced Friday.
The total closures amount to around 24 million acres of forest, mountains and coast spread across 17 national forests, two National Scenic Areas, a national grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments.
The shutdown includes all hiking trails, campgrounds, sno-parks, boat ramps and OHV riding areas — any place that is considered a "developed recreation site," officials said. "

I mean, is it coming to your AO as well?

Nope, in Montana, only developed areas like campgrounds, day use areas, cabins (FS) are closed.
Still lots of wide open spaces.
I’ve been socially distancing myself all my life. I try to go where people aren’t. I know Mike does the same.

i hear ya... but if they close the NF's....

Surreal times....

Thank you for posting Rolling thunder. I was really getting worried about your mundane daily activities.Heroes like you will get us through this crisis. God Speed!

yeah we're still in good shape as far as outside recreation; they did surprisingly close Yellowstone Park- I can understand closing concessions (which in March isn't many), but the whole park- in March????

trail races and anything involving multiple folks is out for the foreseeable future

Yep. Down here with the stay-at-home order even in the cities they exempted getting outside for exercise, as long as you can maintain distance. All parks are open, except the spots where people congregate. More people out on the trails then I've ever seen, but no one sitting on the benches or using the picnic tables. You've got to go off-trail to get away from all the people.

Ordered a wide-angle pull-up bar, wall-mounted. It has a couple of different grip options including hammer grip. I think I'll build a stand for it, to put it outside.

Gonna also build a little platform to stand on, about 18-24" tall, and use the spud bar with 5-gallon buckets of water on each end for dead lifts. Should be sporty, trying to keep the water from sloshing out. Adjust the weight with more buckets and a garden hose, you've got to improvise!

I have a door frame mounted bar- it's fair, but nothing more; I'd like to get a good pull up/dip stand (of course a nice squat cage/bench and 300-ish lbs of free weights would be nice too :D)

Right now I'd be happy with a good set of dumbells......

true that! I used to have a pair of bells w/ twist lock ends and took the 1" hole weights- I think I got rid of the setup when we moved six years ago, wish I had them now!

These things are allowed... and it seems impossible they'd restrict... until they aren't., and they do.

Anyway glad it looks like you'll have your trails for awhile at least. Looks like BLM is still open for recreation here and that's mostly what we use for exercise, so, yay.

speaking of the PNW just submitted my backcountry application for the Wonderland Trail (mid September), my buddy applied with the exact same plan, so we've doubled our chances (and we clicked reverse our routes too)- our thinking that after Labor Day few less folks and our application was for mid-week, less people yet

supposedly will get back to us in a couple of weeks w/ a yeah or nay, there is also 30% of the backcountry permits that are allocated daily- so that's a possibility too

Cool! Hope that works out for you.

Poor Cyn... granted, August is a long ways away, but after the borderline mir'cle of getting the JMT permit, as it stands now we wouldn't be able to even DO it. Everything is closed. But, fingers crossed that by then things will have resolved enough that Yosemite is back open, and the trail itself, and just as importantly the necessary support stops like Vermillion, or the shuttle service we were gonna hire. But I got a baaaad feeling.

You're probably aware, the through-hikers have all had to come off the AT, CDT, and PCT. It wasn't just trail closures- the small isolated communities and resorts along the trails made it very clear they didn't want people coming through.

Sounds like this stuff hasn't really started happening in MT? Once it does, it cascades and happens fast. They've closed all the boat ramps on the coast for just that reason- to keep people out of those communities. For example.

not to the degree you're talking about; our state is pretty large and much less populated than most- I'm sure that plays some role in decision making, also not sure how effective the ban would be either given the size of our state- folks in Montana are going to get outdoors one way or another

The directives will come from your capitol, I.E. your urban center(s).

They are freaking out in eastern Oregon, which is somewhat like MT in that there's a lot of space and not a lot of folks. But they are still at the whims of Salem.

Hey---- word to the wise---- Hells Canyon is done April/May. The exact route we did last May is awesome, other than what's in my .sig, which I would not do again. We did it in a week of ~ 10 mile days. You'd probably do it faster. Incredible place. We saw NOBODY on the trail in the core 5 days of it.

As far as the lower Temperance Canyon (my .sig) its incredible in terms of geology. That's where this pic is from. I love vertical, that's not the thing... the canyon is choked with poison ivy. Most of the time you aren't above it, like in the pic, you are right down in the riparian zone. No real trail. We had to sacrifice our rain pants to wade through the poison ivy. That, and over 20 crossings of Temperance, some quite hairy... but as you can see in the pic, other than THAT, it's super cool.

That's Idaho in the distance there.

Edit.... funny, paging back through my imgur account to that pic.... it's all fishes and boats until I got back a ways!

out on the trails with my wife and Tiny E, 4 miles w/ about 900' gain in the first 1.5 miles- calling this my hill workout

You should look into an Ohio Bar and Bumper Plates from Rogue, not overly expensive. Add the ES-1 Squat rack and you have everything you really need to get a great workout in. If I remember right the Ohio Bar, Bumper Plates, and Rack where just under $1000.00 without shipping. I might be upgrading my squat rack if you are interested. That would save you some money both on the rack and shipping.

that is pretty reasonable

of course there is the cost of enlarging my garage too

Depending on year, mosquitos can be really bad on the wonderland. Ive only day hiked it and all around ranier but have camped in there quite a bit. Really gorgeous country and can see a lot of critters. I ran into a wolverine in there 3 years ago.

Well that is a whole other problem! I have that Problem too.

we put in for permits mid September, hopefully bugs are on the wane by then

got bored, so........half Murph, took it easy on the 1/2 mile runs

1/2 mile run
150 air squats
100 pushups
50 pullups
1/2 mile run

11 miles today.

I've been thinking about this too. I have a whimpy bench (I hate it) and some 1" bars and plates. Thinking I'd cancel the Y membership and buy a rack olympic bar and plates. 2 years membership would pay for a decent setup. Like you, room is an issue.

Researching racks - I like the Rev 4000 but considering Titan, ECHO, ForceUSA, and NY Barbell. Rogue is probably out of the budget. Gotta watch the options. Some are brand specific and some racks don't come with anything. Any advice?

Next trip downstate I may swing by York PA and pick up plates and a bar.

Regarding room - this will go in my basement so I think I'll build a platform though I'll keep it smaller (7ft width vs std 8ft). Length is an issue too. There are probably only 2 lifts I'd need the extra outside the rack - room for bench and powercleans. If depth of rack is 30"+ I probably can do them inside too. Assuming I need the extra platform length I thought I'd build the 2ft-3ft extension and when needed set it in place. Drill (2) holes in each section and pin them together with a flat bar and pins. Should be stable.

Rained most of the day yesterday and a couple times it got serious about it.....So stuck.....

Basement workout with the bench, dumbells and kettlebells...all light to medium weight.....Benchpress, seated overhead press, dumbell and or kettlebell squats, kettlebell curls, standing overhead press with a kettlebell, leg lifts....rep number based on exercise, but ended up with 100 of each....sore this morning.....

trying to be responsible and stay local, took out my trail bike around the neighborhood on some trails I normally use my gravel bike on. The trail bike has been getting ignored and I used the excuse that it is more exercise on it, since it's heavier, with bigger tires, full suspension, all that. Besides that, it's way more fun!

they should be but would bring a head net just in case. I have had bad mosquitos in Sept elk hunting second week in WA.

I am sure they are all decent racks. Not sure what they cost but I am sure they are all in the same ballpark. As far as the bar goes I would spend the extra if more for the Rogue Ohio Bar. As far as space goes I believe where there is a will there is a way. Having your own gym leaves you with no excuses, it's open 24/7/365!

ribka- I'll throw in a headnet- weighs all of an a 1/2 oz and definitely worth it when needed!

13 miles in the Elkhorns today, mostly on snowshoes w/ a ton of gain- I'm bushed!!!

Got back to running last week. 4 days worth, but it was sad how bad it was. Gonna keep that up and work in some BW/kettlebell stuff this week with the kids. I'm now the PE teacher.

5 miles on the trails for TE and I

Scott here is my very simple set up. Rack, Bench, Ohio Bar, EZ Curl Bar, Bumper Plates, Kettlebell, Medicine Ball, Box, and green and black bands. Doesn't take up much room at all.

6.9 mile hike today.

MCH - nice setup. My only concern with the squat rack is flipping it on a failed squat. I guess if I bolted it down to a platform and stored plates on the front it'd be less of an issue. Going to rethink this a little. thx

60 min ride yesterday morning. Did a short session in evening - dips, pull ups, BB curls, LTE, lunges, hanging leg lifts. Pretty good workout.

MCH- looks like a nice setup- guessing it's tall enough to squat from too?

do they offer an attachment that goes across the top you could do pull-ups w/?

I have purposely tried to tip the rack over. Not Happening!

It is tall enough to squat but not tall enough to do pull ups on. 70-3/8 tall. last hole is 68-1/2"

My buddy challenged me to a workout today he kicked my a_s!

25 minute AMRAP
5 Push ups
5 Pull ups
5 30" Box jumps
5 Dead lifts 225lb
5 Thrusters 135lb

yesterday

6 rounds

24 air squats
24 push ups
24 walking lunges

What MCH said. A good bar is worth putting $ into....I learned the hard way. Bought 2 cheap 300 lb sets years ago....back then there weren't many options for bumpers. The first time I did hang cleans with 225 the bar bent. I took it back to the box store and they replaced it with the best bar they had...was really nice of them to do that. That bar made it to hang cleans with 275 before it bent. I ordered a needle bearing olympic lifting competition bar from Pendley along with bumper plates and that bar will last the rest of my life. I still use the bent one for squats, bench, etc...but nothing ballistic.

I built a rack years ago....probably 16 or 17 years ago. I love being able to train at home.