Happy Halloween

I celebrated by waiting for a Comcast tech (who was WAY on time) and by also waiting for my car to get an oil change. Fun, fun!! At least my car is back and there's working cable in my bedroom . Yay! Now I just answering the door, handing out candy, and getting a good look at the kids costumes. Seen a minion, some witches, a ninja turtle, and a very cute Simba. It's been light kid wise so far, but it's not even 8 yet. It's drizzling a bit here too. At least it's in the upper 50s for the kids. Anyways, here was the afternoon's workout:

Legs!

1)Weighted barbell squats

a)65lb-5 reps b)75-5 c)85-5 d)95-5 (no personal record settings today, lower back is a bit sore)

2)Weighted dumbbell lunges

a)15lb-10 reps b)18-10 c)18-10

3)weighted dumbbell calf raises

a)50lb-15 b)70-15 c)80-15

4)stability ball rolling hamstrings

a)12 b)12 c)12

Finished with a 20-23 minutes on the elliptical for about 2 and 1/2 miles. Did a few crunches and ab work.

Happy Halloween!!!

Another Beautiful Day on the Trail

I got a nice 4.5 + mile trail run in today. Upper 50s, Capri track pants, long sleeve tech shirt, and the sun shining up above. Another beautiful day! Had a little bit of slight knee pain, so I'm going to ride the elliptical until Saturday. Better safe than sorry. Temperatures are going to be close to 70s Thursday and Friday. Nuts! I hope winter doesn't clobber us with snow and ice later this year. It always seems to work that way.

Playlist: Arcade Fire: Reflektor 

End of October

Man this month flew by! November is only in a few more days. Before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving! Speaking of Thanksgiving, the King of Prussia mall will be open at 8pm on Thanksgiving! WTF! I don't work at the mall, but that's ridiculous! Can't folks enjoy a day off with their families, sit down and eat dinner with them, and spend time with each other? Does the mall really need to compete with Target, Walmart, and the other big stores? It should be optional. I worked at the comic store at that mall for many, many of years. There is NO reason for a small independent shop to be open at 8pm on Thanksgiving. The normal 5 or 6am is fine on Black Friday. This news really angered me. But I guess it's a sign of things to come. Sad really.

Anyways, I had some decent workouts the past few days.

Saturday-A nice chilly 5 plus miles trail run. Really beautiful out. Love runs like these. A nip in the air, running through a leave covered trail, hearing the currents in the river humming.

Sunday-An elliptical gym day. I rode the elliptical for 45 minutes while I watching the Chelsea v Manchester City match. I finished with some push-ups and some crunches. And even better, Chelsea won 2-1.

Monday-Upper body strength training and elliptical gym day. I lifted for about 20-25 minutes and finished up with 25 minutes on the elliptical. 

Tomorrow if it's not raining, I'm going fit a run in. Off to bed!

Playlist: Hank 3: A Fiendish Threat, H2O: FTTW, Thicker Than Water

Chilly Wet Tuesday

After a legs workout with my dad, a got in a little over a 4 and 1/2 mile run on the trail in Valley Forge Park. It was a little wet, but not bad at all. It was drizzling on and off during he 40 minutes. The trail was absolutely desolate. Just the way I like it! 

Playlist: Honky Tonk Hustlas

Spooky Monday

Spoooky!!! Love seeing the Halloween decorations up in my run around the neighborhood this morning. Orange lights, skeletons hanging from trees, and pumpkins on porches. I have a couple pumpkins on the porch. One I carved a cat into, then two nice sized orange and white pumpkins. Halloween is right around the corner!

Here's this morning's workout:

Warm-up with a 1/2 a mile run.

10 swimmer's press

10 hammers

10 tricep kickback

7 pull-ups

10 alt shoulder

10 curls

20 bench dips

7 pull-ups

10 upright rows

10 curl/hammers

10 tricep flip grip

7 pull-ups

10 shrugs

10 dumbbell bench presses

10 overhead tricep press

7 pull-ups

10 lawnmowers

10 concentration curls

10 tricep pull down with band

7 pull-up

REPEAT (switch pull-ups w/ push-ups, decrease reps to 8)

Finish with a mile/mile and a half run.

I used 15lbs excepts on tricep flip grip, tricep overhead press (12lb) dumbbell press, lawnmowers (18lb) and shrugs (30lbs)

DONE

Yesterday was a gym day. I watched most of the first half of that brutally boring Cowboys v Eagles game on the elliptical. I did about 40 minutes then finished with 5-7 minutes of abs. Glad I didn't stay home and sit on the couch all day to watch the game.

Playlist: Lawrence Arms

Mid October Run

This afternoon has a little bit of an overcast but temperatures are in the mid 60s. Why the hell not go for a run?? Since the government is back in business (for a couple months) I hit up the Valley Forge River Trail again. Always a nice flat run. I ran a little over 5 miles and came home to do a little ab work. Now what to do with the rest of my Saturday? Maybe Zim and I will drive up to Zern's farmer's market for some jerky. They sell the best jerky EVER. So good. I wonder what pastries they have? Hmm. Happy Saturday!

Playlist: Hank 3: A Fiendish Threat

Thursday Workout

Here goes:

Leg extension machine (75lb/10, 95/8, 105/7)

Leg flexion machine (75lb/10, 100/8, 115/7)

Calf machine (240lb/15, 280/15, 300/15)

Seated leg press (200lb/10, 250/8, 275/5) Heavy!!!

Body squat 15 reps x2

Rolling hamstrings w/ stability ball 10 x2

Walking lunges 10 x2

Hip abduction machine (115/12, 130/10, 160/8)

Hip adduction machine (100/12, 120/10, 135/8)

5-10 minutes of ab work

End with 20-25 minutes of cardio on the elliptical.

DONE

Playlist: Jayke Orvis and the Broken Band, Coke Bust

Happy weekend!

Monday Back to the Grind

5 minute warm-up

10 swimmer's press

10 hammers

20 dips

10 pull-ups

10 alt shoulder

10 curls

10 tricep kickbacks

10 pull-ups

10 upright rows

10 concentration curls

10 tricep flips

10 pull-ups

10 lawnmowers

10 curl/hammers

10 tricep pull down w/ bands

10 pull-ups

10 weighted barbell behind the back shrugs

10 barbell bench press

10 overhead tricep curl

10 pull-ups

REPEAT (replace pull-ups with push-ups and increase weight)

I started with 15lb and 12lb on tricep exercises and increased to 18 and 15. Shrugs were at 70lb bench press was 65lb.

Finish with a 10-12 minute jog and some ab work.

Playlist: Jayke Orvis and the Broken Band.

Nashville Vacay

First a workout. Legs!

5 sets of weighted squats of 5 reps

a)65lb b)80 c)90 d)100 e)100

3 sets of elevated weighted back lunges 8-12 reps

a)no weight/12 b)12lb/10 c)15lb/10

3 sets of plank hamstring rolls 10 reps

Ab work

...and now for Nashville. Zim and I landed in Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. The town was LOADED with Kansas City Chiefs fans. (Who won against the Titans) We dropped off our bags and headed to Broadway to feed our hunger. Every place was PACKED with football fans, tourist, bar flies, and the local folk. Strangely, unlike in the Northeast, everyone got along and was friendly. After finding a restaurant with a couple open tables, we shoved some fish tacos and beers down. Then it was off to wander the bar lined streets with live country and southern rock pouring onto the sidewalk daring you to wander in and dance. So we bar hopped, filing in accordingly to what was candy to our ears. We hit four different bars, downing some Pabst, tapping our feet and just eating up the atmosphere. I felt like I was in college again. There's just something about listening to old school country in a dark bar, with a crowd that is really into it. It was a blast!

Monday we hit up the Country Music Hall of Fame which was directly across from our hotel. It was pretty cool. We saw a bunch of old guitars of Johhny Cash, Hank Williams, Johnny Paycheck etc. There were a ton of boots, costumes, instruments, even Elvis's gold piano. The coolest to me was the Trans-Am used in Smokey & the Bandit movie. AWESOME. We then headed about a 1/2 mile away to go to Jack White's (White Stripes) record label and store called Third Man Records. I bought five 7", and a pin. It was small but a pretty interesting shop. Glad we decided to walk there.  Afterwards we popped into a bar for some lunch and then made our way to see the Tennessee capital building, state park, and the University of Tennessee. That night we walked to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium to see the Queens of the Stone Age and The Savages. QOTSA were awesome. I missed them the last few times in Philly. I would definitely see them again.

Before we knew it, it was time to go. I miss you already Tennessee!!!

October Already!

I've been meaning to keep my blogging up, but the past month I've been filling in at work because of a co-worker's surgery, trying to fit in workouts with my father, and also preparing the gym for a boxing tournament for PAL this month. Never the less, things are returning to normal and Zim and I even squeezed a short trip to Nashville,TN. Our boss wanted to reward us for all the time we've spent helping out at work and putting the extra hours in that he told us to go on a mini vacation. So we booked a trip to Nashville. It was a TON of fun, but I'll blog about that later. Here's a post vacation whoop yer butt back to work:

1 mile warm up run

10 alt shoulder

10 hammers

20 dips

10 pull-ups

1 min run

10 swimmer's press

10 lie down bench press

10 tricep kickback

10 push-ups

1 min run

10 shoulder shrugs

10 curls

10 overhead tricep 

10 pull-ups

1 min run

10 upright rows

10 curl/hammers

10 tricep flip grip

10 push-ups

1 minute run

REPEAT

Finish with a 1 mile run

Then 5 minutes of ab work.

DONE

Playlist: Scott H. Biram, Touché Amoré.