just the facts

sandbag get ups/shoulders (40): 6ea side x3
burpee pullups: 20 in 2:40
squat hop/roller burpee: 5/5 x5

whole thing was brutal. the fact that i am mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted likely doesn't help much.
the workout is helping keep my sanity from slipping completely away, though

feeling a bit dizzy

Still obsessed by the turmoil in the marketplace this week. The screen was mostly green at the close on Friday, but it was a week of severe downs. And ups.
Unpredictable, unprecedented events. Money market funds "breaking the buck". It was a week where you could step away for a moment, take a trip to the ladies room, take a moment to chat with the new guy on the way back, grab an apple and then look again and see unbelievable changes.
I'm still dizzy.

Sandbag squats (60#): 60sec x3
minutes seem veeeeerrrrry long.
Pushup row/burpee/push press (15/10):5 x5
time did not improve, and still went to my knees on some of the pushup rows, but kept 15# throughout...
Cobra Dog Scorpion: 5

good lord dot com

The brutality in the market continues, and chaos reigns on Wall Street. I'm basically living at the office, and feel like all I've got is a bandaid for a broken leg. Unbelievable.

Pullups: 2/2/1/1/1
finally managed 2 a couple times!
Sandbag rows/cleans(40) 5/5 x5
5 good reps on the cleans each time. yay! the lower weight is much better... but it still took effort.
Snatch/Swing/Windmill (25#): 6 ea side x2

thought for the day

My professional life could not be more insane. Yesterday was one for the record books, and the whole week (and more?) looks to be brutal. I'm making a concerted effort to keep one eye on happier things (like pretty sunsets over palm trees).

And these words of wisdom found on an assistant's candy wrapper:
"Out of chaos comes opportunity."
Here's to that!


Sandbag getup/shoulder(40): 6 ea side x3
that one should be a workout all by itself. now i have to burpees?????
Burpee/ Pullups: 20 in 2:51
I was seriously worried about these - ended up being quite a challenge, but not nearly as bad as expected. the jump sure helps the pullup. :)
Squat hop/ roller jump: 5/5 x5
that, too, was insane. this is the toughest day yet...

morning with colver

Yesterday morning I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend some time with Ed Colver, artist and photographer of iconic punk rock scene images, and his lovely wife Lani at their home in Highland Park. I could spend days in that house... artwork, collectibles, sculptures, signs, photographs, EVERYWHERE. Each thing that caught my eye was more interesting than the last. From the rich red satin drapes (originally a funeral backdrop) and the original Warhol (purchased for $5, price tag still intact), both found at flea markets, to the albums, and the endless signs and quotes found everywhere, my mind was abuzz. Mix that with the intoxicating smell of Ed's clove cigarettes, his low-key charm, the pet ducks and the ladder to nowhere in the backyard, it turned out to be a delightful visit.
Ed was also featured in this recent LA Times article
And now I must rush off to meet with family in sandy eggo.

Sandbag squats (60ish#): 1 min x3
not bad. the squats felt pretty intense. cleaning the bag was no prob, because, hey.... I cleaned this sucker 4 good reps (and one crappy one) x3 on Friday. Perhaps I was just supposed to use the 40 on day 1? I thought heavier meant heaviEST, i guess.
Pushup row/burpee/pushpress (15#/10#): 5 x5 in 7:54
ugh. kill me now. how appropriate. I had to modify the hell out of this one. went down to 10# on the last 2 sets and was on the knees for the pushup row occasionally throughout.
5 cobra/dog/scorpions
me likey. good way to end it.

i got jokes

So this guy comes home and there is a penguin sitting on his porch.
A few minutes later, the postman is walking by and asks, "What are you doing with that penguin?"
The guy says, "I don't know, he just showed up."
The postman says, "Maybe you should take him to the zoo."

The next day, the postman walks by and again sees the man and penguin on the porch.
"Hey, I thought you were taking that penguin to the zoo."
The guy replies, "I did. We had such a good time! Tomorrow we're going to a baseball game."

Pullups: 1 x5
Sandbag Rows/Cleans(60ish #): 5/5 x3
this was tough. the rows were difficult but do-able. the cleans... the 5th rep on each set was kinda pathetic.
the squirmier bag is good, tho
Snatch/Swing/Windmill (25#db): 6 (ea side) x2
yikes. really worked hard on this one... thinking maybe i should have grabbed the 20#er. got it all done though. breathing pretty durn hard.

listening to the oldies

Yesterday I heard this more recent version of this 10cc hit, a childhood favorite song, and couldn't stop singing it to myself. I don't think I've even heard the song in decades, and I knew almost all the lyrics. Still. I also realized that as a kid, I didn't even begin to understand the meaning, but I liked it. Suddenly, it was 1975 and I recaptured the essence of those easy carefree days.
My mind suddenly strained to remember other old, forgotten favorites. First to appear were many of the tracks from 'Nuff Said by Ike and Tina Tuner, my very first album. My Dad understood that a 7 year old could have deeper tastes than Sesame Street. Or maybe he just realized that those tiny hands could do some serious damage to his albums, and bought me my own copies of a few that I favored. I also remember LOVING Elton John's "Bitch is Back", in no small part due to the naughty word. Again, I had no concept of the meaning... but, oh boy! it was deliciously rebellious.
Fun fun time!


Pushups from the ground: 8 8 8
Burpee/Push press (15#dbs): 10/10 x5 6:42

decisions

OR


I had planned on making 2009 the year to stay local, in an effort to conserve funds for the 2010 North Pole adventure. Looks like I might be able to have it both ways. My good friend A.J. and I have been talking about doing Kilimanjaro pretty much since we met all those years ago, and the pressure has been on to try for January.
I had the brilliant flash of insight to try for a free flight. I have quite a stockpile of miles on American Airlines due to my fairly frequent travel schedule. That, and the little tantrum I threw last year when I thought I would miss my connection to Bs.As., which was not my proudest moment, but a profitable one. I came home to a very nice letter from the airline stating that the flight staff at LAX informed them of my 'difficult time', and awarded me thousands of miles to compensate. It made me feel like an ass, especially I made all my connections. But I'm still gonna use the miles.
Unfortunately I can't use the miles for Africa, but I've got a free trip to almost anywhere in South America or Europe. We've narrowed it down to Peru or Sweden. Inca Trail or Ice Hotel . I've justified the on-the-ground expenses by calling it 'North Pole training'. The Inca Trail is apparently a moderate to strenuous trek for 3 or 4 days. Sweden will afford the opportunity for some quality time on the skis. The magic 8 ball has given me the thumbs up for both, so I'm leaving the final decision up to my traveling companion. AJ (one of the most traveled people I know) has never been to South America, but lived for a time in Sweden. I guess we'll see if it is a sense of adventure or familiarity that prevails.
Either way..... yippee.

Pullup (1 band): 1, 1, 1, 1
Pullup (2 bands): 8/7/6/4 in 1:52
Snatches (30#db): 30s ea side/15 sec rest x2
Bent row/high pull/swing/push press (15#dbs): 6ea x 4 in 4:18

happy saturday!

Its a lovely Saturday morning, with a nice cool breeze flowing through the house.
I'm off to study some art.
I spaced the blog for my last workout, so here are two:

Thursday a.m.:
Pushups from ground 8 6 6 4
Burpee/Push press (15#dbs) 10/10 x 5 in 6:46

Today:
Squat walk (50#sb) 4, 4
KB swing combo (12kg) 8 8 8 8 8 x3
straight leg deadlift/roller burpee: 5/5 x5

i sink into bliss

I went to the movies yesterday. I hadn't been in ages, due to a self-imposed ban in place after a few viewing choices that were horribly wrong. The most recent being 'Sex and the City' (or is it 'Sex in the City'?), which was decidedly not my cup of tea.
Anyway - after a scheduling snafu left me with a free afternoon, I found 'Encounters at the End of the World' playing a few minutes from home. A Herzog film about Antarctica? Sign me up!
I rounded up a buddy and we spent a couple hours in the appropriately chilly theater.

Werner's narration over breathtaking film of many different aspects of the frozen continent had me spellbound. We saw the pristine landscapes, the mining town-like atmosphere of McMurdo Station, the active volcano on Mt. Erebus, the surreal underwater scenes, a hint at some of the amazing science going on, and the myriad of characters working and living at the bottom of the world.
Everyone seemed to have a dual title: the philosopher/forklift operator was one of my favorites. And of course the linguist/computer guy shown above, who rambled on until eventually Werner's voice over cut in with, "to make a long story short...", and summarized some frighteningly fascinating information about the death of languages.
As promised, a different view of the penguins was also shown. Who can forget the penguin prostitutes? Overall, it was a beautiful glimpse of a spectacular place.
It did inspire a longing glance toward the back of my closet, and a wish for a more immediate reason to dig out my cold weather gear... sigh.
But even more inspiring is the full text of the words on the rail:
Strangers turn to friends
The bonds we make strong and fast
I sink into bliss

Pullup (one band): 1 x5
Pullup (two bands): 8/6/6/5 in 1:58
Snatches (30#): 30 seconds each side x 2 (15 sec rest)
Bent row/high pull/swing/push press (15#dbs): 6ea x4 in 4:20
(much better time.... even though my pants kept falling down. which is really a damn good thing, but a tad distracting.)