Getting Physical

20070718
Worked out at the gym for the first time in a number of weeks. Switched to an evening session with my trainer, as mornings just weren't working. I asked to focus on our basic balance-ball routine:
15lb tricep extension
25lb chest press
20lb bicep curl
15lb shoulder press

(and repeat)

Then some core/abdominal work:
Prone iso ab
Side iso ab
(you need to search down a bit for the pictures of these exercises)

Crunches (left, middle, right) 15 reps (that is, left-middle-right counts as a single rep; 45 crunches total)

Ran home to get water, then, inspired by the Tour de France, returned for spin class with Liz. She's a great spin instructor: always on time, always ready with a pre-set play list, and ready with goals for each song. And she remembers my name and the fact that I had last taken her class with a co-worker. So awesome! She doesn't program any off-time into her class, so I have to purposefully do some higher-cadence, lower resistance recovery in the short time she leaves between songs. It's not hard to remember to do as my legs are burning with lactic acid at the end of each song. She's in amazing shape, doing high cadence "runs" out of the saddle during songs while shouting encouragement to the rest of us. My ego is usually a help to me in spin classes, as I want to walk out feeling like there wasn't really anyone there who was putting out more than I except the instructor. This class, I'm working so hard that I barely have time to check out how hard my bike-neighbors are doing.

Liz has an iPod, which I remember I was telling her she should get.
"Honey, this was a Christmas present! Has it really been that long since you were here?!" Oops. Probably. I think it's been morning classes exclusively since the new year. Perhaps I should be doing more evening classes on non-dancing days. Hmmmm....

I'm completely wrung out at the end of class. My shirt is soaked. My shorts are soaked. I've only taken in a liter of fluids during the hour, instead of the 1.5+L that I average, but get in another liter over the next 20 minutes.

Here's a graph of my effort (heartrate):

Wow, that's really interesting to see. You can clearly see a 10 minute warm-up period, after which I really don't really dip below 135 bpm until the warm-down. There are spikes where I tickle 170 bpm, and times where it's clear that I'm spending extended periods of time trying to maintain maximum effort (well, minutes at a time as opposed to 15 second peaks).

Contrasted with a leisurely 45 minute ride I did with Moms and Sis on the 16th:

I barely break 140 bpm during the entire ride. Not surprising, really. It was more about getting out on the bike with the family than doing any kind of strong ride.

Instead of heading straight home, I run by Sears to pick up the mini version of the George Forman grill ($20), then head by the grocery store for pre-marinated chicken thighs ($2.50/lb). Bachelor dinner on the small scale is a bit easier with this appliance. I'm going to try some veg from the Fullerton Farmers Market tomorrow. Grilled tomatoes! Zucchini, perhaps? Oh, and I'll try to remember to get more Heed fluid replacement from Banning's Bikes; Pure water just isn't cutting it during spin).

I'm still literally soaked through with sweat while running these errands. I'm lucky not to be dripping.

I sleep well and feel that nice touch of soreness the next morning. Enough to remind myself I worked, but nothing debilitating. I spend an embarrassing amount of time flexing in the mirror. I'm finally losing enough abdominal fat to see the beginnings of a hint of the abdominal six-pack. Pictures to follow. No, not really.