Staying the Course -- 12/11/2017

[Superbob]

Busy, busy, busy -- welcome to another STC week! Hectic time for many, but if you have a minute to drop by and say hello and a word about how you'e doing, we'd be happy to hear fron you.

We have our annual Mended Hearts party tonight. Small gathering. We exchange silly presents and "steal" them from each other. I am a little tired of doing this same silliness year after year after year, but I will try not to be a Grinch. lol

Thoughts going through my head about whether to resume core fitness class tomorrow. My surgical hand is probably healed enough to take a little work but I am wondering about the rest of my body. Wonder if it is an ego thing taking this class with many 20 or 30 years younger than I, or is it a good thing to keep up with. Does the risk of injury outweigh possible benefits? Am I there just because my sweet teacher humors me? Would I be better off perhaps adding a second dawg walk to the day plus a solo workout at the community center? I realize no one can answer these questions for me, but that's just what I'm thinking.

Meanwhile, ever onward, along our courses. Best to all in overcoming challenges and staying the course.

Cheers,

Superbob

 

[Superman]

Skipped last weeks thread. Busy time of year. Kids with orchestra concerts and Christmas plays and approaching finals week on the class I teach and year end at the day job. Busy, busy, busy.

Managed three spin classes over the weekend (took a four day weekend). They changed up one of the routine's and added a lot of 'out of the saddle' speed work. I find that the most challenging. I don't put as many 'miles' on in a workout as I did with the old version, but I know I'm working hard. I've been bringing my older boys to one of the weekend classes (one at a time, when I can wake them up). It's kind of fun showing off what their old dad can do. I've stopped watching the diet so close and I'm enjoying the season. With the workouts, weight is holding just north of 200 and south of 205, which is my target.

Superbob, wish you well in finding something that keeps you active and engaged, regardless of what it is. Enjoy the party.

Recently I've attended classes besides spinning just to do something different. One was called Body Combat. Woke up some muscles I didn't realize I wasn't using. I was running for a couple months before I started the spin stuff. Then it got colder and darker. Trying weights out and did some pool laps while my youngest two were in swimming lessons too. Regardless of what I'm doing - I've been targeting 3 - 4 good workouts per week, which beats the nothing I was doing for quite a while prior.

 

[user 16827]

I usually cycle through winter but this year i'm just not feeling it, maybe it's the short days and the cold or maybe i'm just getting soft ?
However i have increased the gym to compensate.
Lifting heavy things and cardio too around 5 days week .

SB i think you should do the extra doggie walk & train with the young uns :Face-Laugh:

 

[FredW]

Hello STC friends.

It is a new week and I just realized something about myself that I never shared with anybody before.

(Did I capture your interest?)

Please don’t think less of me for having these thoughts, for sometimes my philosophical, curious and humorous brain just can’t help it.

I start the week collecting garbage into two big black bags and carry them out to the road to be hauled away.

I just now realize that this is a wonderful way to start the week.

It is a long walk to the road, about 150 meters (500 feet).The bags weigh between 25 to 35 pounds (11 - 15 kg). There are two of them.

I realize I start the week getting some good exercises and purge my life of unnecessary garbage.

Isn’t that symbolicly wonderful?

I thought my sharing this with you just might make you smile.

Or, maybe you will shake your head and think, this guy needs to get a life.

Wishing you all to take time out of your busy life’s to clean out some garbage, exercise, and smile.

Staying the Course from western PA

 

[Superbob]

Hey Fred, thanks for the smile -- and also for a good way to think about some of the everyday chores we do. Decluttering and toting garbage does bring an exercise benefit, along with making life a little less complicated.

Re my exercise class, I just got the nicest email from my instructor saying how much they missed me. So I guess I will try to get back today, though for the past month I have done no exercise except wiggle my fingers (at hand PT), walk my roses-sniffing dog, and feed my face (a lot, as at last night's Mended Hearts party), Maybe the invitation means she will cut me some slack as I basically start all over in a class I'd been taking since last February.

 

[Superman]

What incredible and unique gift did you steal?

 

[FredW]

There is no better way to feel good about your wisdom, than to spend time with young’ens.

 

[honeybunny]

Checking in. I can repOrt that I'm doing good checking my glucose levels and keeping them under control. Knowing that I must check them has me paying closer attention to what I put in my mouth. My bro sent me cookies again this year before I remembered that I wanted him to skip the generous gesture this year and yep, I ate 'em!

 

[epstns]

I'm still here, too, just bumping along the bottom of the class. I have taken a few days off from my exercise routine, as I took a long weekend last week (Thursday through Sunday). Then, this week began with my catching a cold. Very unusual for me. I usually skip the colds and go right to the flu. I'm hoping that this one is just a cold and that some extra rest (and over-the-counter meds) will keep it at bay. I also find that I usually catch these things when my stress level goes up, and the last month or so has been more stressful than usual. I'm trying to space out the work and reduce the frenzy, but others around the company don't seem to have any respect for my time. People schedule meetings one after another, then the meetings run late. On top of all that, I had a job to do before the meetings were planned. Such lunacy!

Enough venting. I am still around and mostly healthy. As soon as I'm over this cold, I'll get back to my exercise routine. SB - it sounds like you are genuinely missed at your exercise class. That, to me, is a sign that the class is a cohesive group and that your absence actually makes it seem incomplete to the others. I think that's a great tribute to you and your contribution to the class. I would hate to see you give that up, so add whatever else you can do for extra activity, but I would keep the exercise class going.

Stayin' the Course!

 

[Superbob]

Sympathy on the cold, Steve. As I've noted, DW and I had a nasty upper-respiratory infection we battled for nearly a month. Hope yours is "just" a common cold and will be gone in short order.

Well, I returned to class and got a grand welcome. My great teacher said my sense of humor is a "gift" that benefits the whole class. I am not normally a comedian; however, funny thing, in practically all the exercise classes and PT I've taken, I have injected a little humor from time to time. Helps ease the pain, I reckon.

Anyway, I am staying the course.

Oh, and Honeybunny, these are the days that Christmas cookies abound. Good luck in trying to enjoy them in moderation. I try, but don't always succeed. Tough time for keeping blood sugar under control.

 

[Paleowoman]

I've started well with the specific cardiac related exercise programme I have been given as a result of seeing the new cardiac surgeon. It's focused on reducing my heart rate. I have specific heart rate targets to keep my heart in when I do walking - my heart rate monitor is linked to my iphone so that when I walk I can see my HR and walk slower or faster to keep it within a very narrow range - that is all uploaded to my trainer and discussed at the session. And today I started specific resistance training which is very similar to the superslow weight lifting technique I use with some tweaks that make it different. I also get physio at the end of each session.

Only downside is going into central London. Avoid Oxford Circus and Oxford Street at all costs if you ever come to London - awful, awful. place ! So crowded with people and traffic - even though they only allow taxis and buses and lorries, it is ridiculously crowded and awful !

 

[Agian]

Well, with a name like Oxford Circus what did you expect? And the elephants and the lions, trapeze artists. Must be congested.

 

[epstns]

I'm puzzled here. It seems that London has many "Circuses." Where are the clowns?

Now, here, around the Chicago area, we have lots of areas that we call Zoos. They are just full of animals. . .

 

[Agian]

Steve, I work with animals and clowns.

 

[Paleowoman]

I'm puzzled here. It seems that London has many "Circuses." .

It just means a circular place. If you look at Oxford Circus on Google Earth you can clearly see the circular shape with the buildings forming the sides of the circle:

Doesn't look too busy when they took that view !

 

[pellicle]

I'm puzzled here. It seems that London has many "Circuses." Where are the clowns?

in the morning "team meetings" ... where I used to be stuck

 

[epstns]

Agian and pellicle -- I, too, work with assorted animals and clowns, but often they are no fun. ;-(

Anne - Around here we have no grand circuses, but many of the smaller towns and cities are building traffic circles (roundabouts) at major intersections. They feel that it somehow manages to keep traffic flowing smoothly while reducing the incidence of collisions. Apparently they haven't watched people navigating these monstrosities - especially those who are simultaneously dealing with driving, drinking coffee, smoking their cigarettes, texting and watching their GPS screens. . . sometimes these scenes remind me of some of the videos of traffic in Eastern Europe. Scary. . .

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Seve - Loads of roundabouts in English towns and villages. They do keep the traffic flowing smoothly, unless there is too much traffic in which case they add traffic lights ! But there is no roundabout at Oxford Circus ! It’s just a place with buildings that make a circular shape - built long, long before we had traffic !

I just found out that the word "circus' comes from the Latin for circular - the Roman colluseum and suchlike. So a circus with animals and clowns is called that becasue the tent is circular too.