Memorial Day weekend I noticed that I had difficulty running.  It began with stiffness in my left leg, which I credit to a particularly difficult road march.  Old boots caused severe blisters, which changed my gait.  This led to a stiffening of my iliotibial band, a strip of semi-tendonous tissue on the outside of the thigh.  I have had occasional pain in one knee or the other.  Generally I blame it on old shoes, or difficult leg workouts.  However, this knee ache was different.  Then it metastasized up my leg into my hip.

Shogun Marcus’ wife is a massage therapist.  She informed me that my ITB was tight enough to shoot arrows with, and that it was the likely culprit of my symptoms.  After almost two weeks with hardly a spot of cardio and no leg workouts, I am finally back to normal.  IT Band Syndrome is a common runner’s ailment, and with nothing more than ibuprofen and thorough stretching, I was able to rehab my leg.  My cardio does not seem to have fallen off much, but any time not going forward is time falling back.

Otherwise, things are plodding along. Read more

The last few days have been unremarkable.  My trip back from Boston turned into a disaster.  That disaster spread quickly to the rest of my life.

I don’t know why I leave home.  Every time I do, I return to  disaster.

Monday was Back day.  I lumped in my traps – technically a back muscle – with this workout.  Working on about two hours sleep, not continuous, I made the best of things.

Then I got hammered.  Happy Memorial Day indeed.

Tuesday I lumped out my usual leg workout.  I trained without over training, for once.

Today was a Push/Push workout.  Chest and Tris.  Didn’t have time for shoulder work.  Saving them for tomorrow.

Maybe I’ll wedge a lift, a run, and a ruck into one day.

I pushed through my chest/triceps/shoulders routine on Thursday.  I got stuck waiting for someone, and got started much later than I would have liked.  I won’t do that again.  I am tired of waiting for other people for things.

Fucking inconsiderate.

I got to Boston Thursday night.  8 hours after I had planned to be there.  Again delayed by waiting for someone else to be ready.  8 fucking hours.

I am making alternate travel plans to get home.

Went for a run with Shogun Friday morning.  Took Saturday off.  Exercise was limited to random sets of chin-ups on the bar in his hallway.

I did not eat nearly enough today.  As I write this I am feeling lean and exhausted.  Veins protrude on every extremity.  Hands, feet, forearms, calves.

I woke earlier than I wanted.  Again.  The dog next door.  Shuffled out of bed at 6:30 AM, made a big bowl of oatmeal and headed for the couch.  My training partner (the other training partner; it takes two to keep up) would not be up until 8:00 AM.

A comedy of errors precluded him from picking me up for the gym until almost 4 hours later.  I filled the void with food and Grand Theft Auto IV.  We got rolling after 11:00 AM.  I didn’t see home again until almost 7:00 PM.  After an epically long Pull/Extension routine (Back/Biceps/Deadlifts) that lasted 12 movements and 60 sets, I sat in a sweltering truck in 90+ degree heat.

By the time we made it to the racket ball court, I was ready to chew my own leg off.

I was athletic and terrible.  Lunging, jump, diving . . . looking like a true sportsman.  My endurance was fine, but as I poured sweat and fogged my safety glasses I kept opening my racket face and blasting the ball into the ceiling with my backhands.  It fell short, hitting the floor in front of the wall.  I spent most of my time getting served on.

Eventually I found a rhythm, positioned myself properly, and would volley back and forth like I knew what I was doing.  Then he would get a lucky corner shot and I would stop a for-the-fences swing just short of hitting a wall as the ball hummed along millimeters away from it.  We only managed an hour on the court, with me sweating for the last fifteen minutes and begging for “just one more serve”.

I will be a shoddy professional in two months time.  Mark my words.

I biked over to the corporate gym I used to be a member at.  Temperatures were well in the 80’s already.  Three miles over city streets.  With the stoplights and traffic, it took nearly half an hour.

Today was Leg day.  Light on the weight, since this is the end of a protocol.

5 sets of everything. Read more

Height: 5′10″

Weight: 185

I slept well last night.  Sober.  Took melatonin fairly early and relaxed.  Low dose – 300 mcg – but still felt groggy this morning.  Unusual for such a small amount.

After some consideration, I decided to bike over to the Studio.  I hesitate to waste money on a gym that will not serve all my needs.  Six miles is not far, but the hills are a pace-breaker.  I got there feeling loose.  I stretched and pushed through my session. Read more

I have decided to keep a journal to document my training.  Having accountability will help keep me focused.  Measured progress is the only progress. Read more