Fitting Fitness into a Busy Life

I was talking to my friend Saul one day about making it to one of his workouts, and how I just didn't have time ... when he said, "You've just got to tell them (presumably all the people in my life -- like my boss), that you've got something more important to do (meaning workout).

It's the truth. What he said. I remember reading the beginning of a book about whole wheat bread baking, The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, which went to great lengths to describe how to incorporate bread baking, or other things, like raising a cow, into one's life. Serious plans for baking bread regardless of work schedules, day care, or any of a variety of other interference.

Making a space in life for the important things, like personal health, is pretty imperative, I suppose. So I quit the climbing gym, and signed up at the Y near my house.

This morning I turned my morning shower in to a workout. I got up, drank some juice and grabbed a hard boiled egg, and brushed my teeth, gym bag, drive, stop for coffee, drive, swim, shower, drive to work.

Normally, it takes me about an hour and a half from my bed to shower, coffee and get the car on the freeway to work. This morning I was up at 6:45 and on the way to work at 8:30, an hour and forty-five minutes. By getting up a few minutes early, I squeezed in a half hour swim. Amen to that.

day/month/year
Swim: 500 yd/100 yd/5650 yd.
Run: 0/0/9.55 mi.
Bike: 0/0/15 mi.
Paddle: 0/4 mi.
Hike: 1.5 mi/11.4 mi/28.8 mi.

today/month/year

Swim: 500 yd/500 yd/5150 yd.
Run: 0/0/9.55 mi.
Bike: 0/0/15 mi.
Paddle: 0/4 mi.
Hike: 2.5 mi/2.5 mi/19 mi.

Weight: 152

Jump-fest with Peninsula CrossFit

Went out with Saul and did a little workout on Saturday. Saul's Saturday workouts are free -- so be sure to check one out.

Focus: Cardio
Warm-up: Jog 800 M then 5 x FlowFit
Skill/Specific Warm-up: Review KB swings

WOD:

2 rounds for time:

50 M Broad jump or bounds
25 Push-ups
50 M Lunges
25 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
50 M Bear crawl
25 Sit-ups
50 M Frog hop

ok -- so -- I'm in pain. But I did manage to complete my first 5.10a route over at the house of pain™ yesterday despite uncooperative fingers from crawling across 100 yards of astroturf.

Phoenix' Seven Summits

That's Phoenix behind me. From the top of Camelback Mountain. Photo compliments of the Happy Hiking Buddy -- © 2005.

Described here, the seven summits. Simple problem; climb each of Phoenix's seven summits. No sweat. Easy. The farthest of the lot is 7 miles to the top of South Mountain and back. I've already done Camelback.

But that's pretty casual. Just to make things interesting, let's do it all in a single day, especially since I am not really close by.

Here are the details:

Shadow	1 mile	440 ft climb	Moderate
Lookout	1	475	Strenuous
North	1.6	614	Moderately Strenuous
Shaw Butte	5	670	Moderately Strenuous
Piestawa Peak	2.4	1190	Strenuous
South	7	1310	Strenuous
Camelback	2.3	1300	Strenuous
	20.3 Miles	5999 feet uphill

Seems like it might make for a compelling hike. Some time in March, while it's still cool. Care to join me?

Damage in the General Direction ...

... of travel. Let's imagine now that we are getting better rather than worse. just for a few minutes.

Some signifigant changes in the bone locations in my right foot (pop, pop, pop) and some popping in my knee, and I'm noticing some more than occasional pain in new places. And these three bruises on my knee. Two in this picture on the inside of the knee, near the lower end of the femur, and one on the outside of the right kneecap. It seems my body might be trying to find a more comfortable position.

I am still mobile, however it seems a bit more painful each day. If I have caught the lucky break, I'll start being able to walk downhill again.