Short Streak: Resting

I've got to take a rest day. At least. I hate to do so, I just can't ignore the fact that the surgery site has gotten more painful as the week goes on. I started to do the gorilla workout this morning and there was no way I could get through even two rounds of the exercises, and it was supposed to be 10 rounds! It just hurt too much. I can take ibuprofen to help, but that doesn't mean that I'm not pushing it too much. It's frustrating! I'm trying to get in better shape and this keeps dragging me back. I'm going to give it today and hopefully go for a ride or something tomorrow. I really want to build back up to riding my bike to work again, I don't know how long that'll take.

Streak 4: Gorilla Time

This morning I made it through the Gorilla workout, and decided not to go out for a run as I'd considered.

Streak 3: Warmer!

I'm going to track my exercise streak, renumbering if I miss a day. I do something similar with my writing (I've written every day without fail for the past 70 days). Counting from Monday then, that makes today the third day. Adding the Gorilla Workout exercises makes it more likely that I'll keep the streak going. This morning I did the Gorilla workout first thing in the morning when I got up, and then went for my ride on the trike a bit later.

The temperature this morning was a balmy 34°F! It makes a difference. My layers handled it just fine (actually got a little too warm), it's when it gets down under freezing that I have more of an issue. Particularly my feet. Even with the shoe covers my feet eventually start freezing. Today I went up around through town and tackled the biggest hill there is nearby — not much of a hill, granted. The trike has a 3-speed hub, so I went into the lowest gear and pedaled on up, stopping to take a picture looking down on the town.
 

Daily Challenge 9: Proof

I haven't been getting out with the cold weather. Today it was up to 34°F when I got home from work, and the sun was just setting, so I took a quick ride! First time on the bike in almost two weeks. I didn't bother with my bike gear, for the most part. I pulled on my light-weight pants over the pants I was wearing for another layer and wind-break, put on my bike sandals, strapped down the pants legs and got my helmet. Then I was out, getting on the bike and riding up into town. I took a quick run to the post office and picked up the proof of the new edition of Dark Matters, the first book in my Moreau Society series.

I'm happy with the proof. It looks pretty good, I think, and is an improved edition. Soon I'll relaunch the second book — The Gingerbread House — and then the new novel in the series, Past Lives.

Daily Gorilla: Day 2

Two days of doing the Gorilla Workout app has reminded me how very out of shape I am! It's one thing to be able to ride the bike for my commute, that works few muscles. I'm out of shape in how poorly I move! Today's exercises in the tiny ape, easy level 1 settings, were 'superman' and 'deadbug' exercises, both movements that shouldn't be that hard to do. I did the exercises, poorly.

Take the superman exercises. On your stomach, arms out above your head along the floor, lift arms and legs so that you're 'flying,' supported on your chest. That was a struggle, just to get my arms and legs up a tiny bit. The deadbug exercise has you on your back, lowering an arm and leg to the ground. Yeah, if I'm on my back, my arms don't move back that far.

My joints are stiff from inactivity. My muscles are weak. So it's a good thing that I'm doing this. It makes a good addition to the other activities. Time to rebuild and get into shape.

And it's 20°F outside right now. My bike gear doesn't work for temperatures that low, so still no riding. Next winter I hope to be better prepared. In the meantime, I can work on other muscles.

Daily Gorilla

Tiny Ape Workout

I am so out of shape. Not good when I want to do things like ride the Tour Divide, or run an ultramarathon. I'm forty-one, and both my day job, and my work as a writer/artist, are essentially sedentary jobs. I like getting out and riding and running, but even that isn't a complete workout. I've been wanting to get started doing body weight exercises, and hadn't found something yet that helped get me going in that direction. Finally, I figured I just had to do it and picked up the Gorilla Workout app.

It is simple. Very basic. On the main screen you choose your fitness level based on the number of push ups that you can do. This is where I swallowed my ego and picked the tiny ape, level one, 0-10 push ups. The screenshot above essentially shows how the app works. Each day you are given a workout. If you want more information about  how to do the workout, you tap the name and it shows you a detailed text description, with a button at the bottom to watch a video demonstration.

When you're ready, you work through the exercises. There's not a lot more than that to the app. I did a short break between each round, and then went on to the next. After you finish, you tap the Workout Complete button at the bottom. No animations, stickers or anything like that, but it does popup an option to share to Facebook and Twitter.

Yes, I'm out of shape and doing the tiny ape workout. Public reporting is a good way to stay on target with goals like this, so I'm sharing my progress. There may be better options. I don't know. I didn't spend a ton of time looking. This seems like it'll work, and get me doing more exercise. It's also nice to be doing something. With the freezing cold temperatures outside I haven't been out on the bike. My weight is still going down, thanks to diet at least!

Daily Challenge 8: Drenched

Last night there was a wind advisory. I woke up hearing the wind howl and the rain pounding down. No way I was going out in that. I'd be crazy.

Yet when 6:00 AM rolled around, I was ready to head out on the trike!

It was pouring. The wind had let up a bit. It was dark. I pushed on anyway, and rode off into the downpour. The dread of the weather is often much worse than the weather itself. Out in the stormy weather, it's actually exhilarating! Still, I didn't have much time, and it was very wet, so I limited myself to a short loop up through town. It was fun!

Daily Challenge 7: Trail

A few sprinkles today, but mostly a nice cloudy day. This time when I went out to run I went off on the undeveloped trail right from the start, and followed it up into town. It's a nice break from the paved trail, if a bit overgrown at points. It obviously gets used, since it isn't completely overgrown.

Daily Challenge 6: Proof

I went out for a quick ride this morning, just up to the post office. The proof for my book Downland arrived! I actually released this book years ago, but this is a new edition with more fixes, better formatting, and original cover art. The ride itself was cold, windy and dark, and fun!

Daily Challenge 5: Trail Running

Off today, so I waited until I had already spent some time writing and painting before I went outside for my run. I've been reading Eat & Run: My Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek (checked out the e-book from my local library). I've been enjoying it so far. Something he said caught my eye. It wasn't anything I haven't heard before, but maybe with enough repetition it'll sink in. He talked about running slow. Walking as needed. Not worrying about time and distance. All good points. The key for me is that I need to put in the time out on my feet. Not run down the street and back, huffing and puffing, gasping for air and call it good after fifteen minutes! So today I set out to do a loop up around through town. I figured even if I walked much of it (which I did), it'd take less than an hour. Mostly because my time to exercise is usually limited. I might have an hour set aside.

It worked out pretty much as I expected. I got too hot, I ran as I could. I left the paved trail for a dirt trail that more or less went the same way, and that was fun. I'd really like to get out more on trails, but to get to most of them I'd have to drive somewhere first. That's usually not an option.

In anycase, it was a nice run/walk. I'm slowly building up my strength and endurance!

Daily Challenge 4: Afternoon

I enjoy my early morning rides. Even the dark and the cold. It's nice, however, to get out in the afternoon when I can see the world around me. This was a good afternoon for a ride. Cold, not freezing. Cloudy, not raining. Not exactly a summer day, but still a nice change from most of my recent rides.

I weighed in today, down 2.5 pounds since the last weighing in December. That's a good way to start the year! With my surgery a couple months ago, and the recovery after, I've gained quite a few pounds. Nice to see those start coming off. I'm still a good 25 lbs heavier than I'd like to be. I've been eating better lately, much more leafy greens and vegetables, little junk food. It isn't quite primal/paleo, because I am eating some grains, pasta and bread and it isn't a raw food diet because I do have cooked foods and meat in there too. I'm taking things from both of those approaches, with an emphasis on raw plants, some meat and allowing some degree of grain-based and cooked foods.

Daily Challenge 3: Icy Trike

I didn't have time to post yesterday about my ride on the trike. I went out at 6:00 AM, as usual, and it was freezing! Even colder than the day before, down to 20°F, everything frosted. Beautiful, though, with a half-moon and clear skies.

I bundled up with multiple layers, and even my shoes covers to help keep my feet warm. At first I was really toasty riding down the trail. I was having so much fun that I decided to go all the way to the connection to the Chehalis-Western Trail before turning around. I hadn't planned on going that far, but it was too much fun.

By the time I was heading back home my feet were like two icy, painful blocks attached to my pedals. Partly, I think, because of the position on the trike. Blood doesn't pump as well to your toes with the feet elevated like that. My fingers, with two glove layers, were pretty warm except a couple finger tips. And my eyelashes kept trying to freeze together.

Still, fun ride. Slow! The last three days made themselves felt in tired muscles, adding to that to the weight of the layers and the trike. I'm taking today as a rest day, planning to get back out on Saturday.

Daily Challenge 2: Freezing Fog

I went out for a run this morning, down to the trail and back. I bundled up before going out. It was 25°F, cold, but not too bad. It was also very foggy (see above), and everything was frosted. No barefoot running under these conditions. Instead I wore my Vivobarefoot Breatho shoes, which are nice. I'll start incorporating more barefoot work when the weather improves!

Daily Challenge 1: Dusting

First ride of the New Year! Partly cloudy day, but cold. I bundled up and headed down the Yelm Tenino trail. I've gotten terribly out of shape and want to build back up to riding to work. That's twice as far as I rode today, each way! So I only did a quarter of what the commute takes. I can cut that distance down by 3-4 miles, depending on the route taken. It's still a good long day of riding.

I wasn't expecting it, but along the trail were areas that had obviously gotten snow yesterday. It snowed when we were in town but I didn't see it sticking anywhere. I guess it missed us!

I'm starting over with the numbering of the challenge posts. I don't know that I'll go out every day, but I'll be curious to see how many days I get in something this year!