<p>Sunny this morning but 14 degrees. Wasn’t going to happen. I walked the dogs yesterday afternoon and my fingertips went numb; I couldn’t even hold on to their leashes. I’m going to do some indoor walking today; tomorrow should be warmer. </p>
<p>We have family in the Western New York region - can I just say I do not miss winter there. Stay safe, all you hardy Northerners! </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Maybe i’m blind, but I have almost never seen wildlife on my hikes.*</p>
<p>Look up.
;)</p>
<p>Stay safe and warm, KMC. I’ve seen coyotes on walks in my town–it’s creepy the way they just stare at you. </p>
<p>Did the killer indoor cycle class again today–HR went up to 102% of max. I go into the class telling myself that I’m just going to go at my own (slow) pace, but I get caught up in following the instructor. Whatever she’s doing/saying, seems to motivate me to work harder than I thought I could.</p>
<p>IDad: I don’t see wildlife either–the coyotes were hard to miss. I walk with women who are serious birders and we’re always stopping to look at birds. I can never see the birds they’re talking about right away. By the time I start looking in the right direction, the birds are usually gone. I’d make a terrible birder.</p>
<p>Hah, the one time I have been startled by wildlife was along a deserted ridge trail on Monadnock. Some kind of huge bird (I’m talking 6 foot wingspan) took off from the trail up ahead of me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yeah, that might help!</p>
<p>I guess I’m not the only one doing kettlebell circuits these days. Here’s one posted today on NFL.COM:</p>
<p><a href=“Power Up!: NFL level kettlebell workouts”>http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000430657/article/power-up-nfl-level-kettlebell-workouts</a></p>
<p>Five exercises in a circuit. Repeat three to six times with three minutes rest between sets. Hmmmm. That sounds familiar. </p>
<p>These look like five really good exercises that could all be done with KBs or DBs.</p>
<p>3.5 or 4 mile run outside today. 60 degrees, sunny, light breeze, was just about perfect. I listened to a podcast–Episode 1 of “Serial”–rather than music. What a great diversion; I’m hooked! </p>
<p>I’m a big podcast listener while exercising or hiking. I have a dozen or so podcasts that I update on my iPod and try to crank through the backlog. Some current affairs, some football, some fitness and nutrition.</p>
<p>idad: Those exercises in #40244 – are you planning to get drafted by the NFL?</p>
<p>After a week of frigid temps, today was much warmer. I ran out of time today but did manage 30 minutes on the bike in my neighborhood. It felt great!!! Sunny and 62. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hah. Not hardly. My mom would have never let me play football. :)</p>
<p>Those are all really good geezer exercises. In fact, the first one – the step up and overhead press – was one of the first exercises I ever did, in an iPod nazi workout when I weighed 250 pounds. To a much lower step (one step on the stairs, with a 5 lb DB, but who’s counting!). It remains one of my regulars. Crazy good exercise. Awesome for the butt, and it will get you panting in no time!</p>
<p>The “sumo deadlift” in the video is really just a squat. Some variation of a squat should probably be in everyone’s workout, every time. Awesome for the thighs.</p>
<p>The single arm bent over row is my go-to pulling exercise. I did them on Monday. Really good geezer exercise because it’s easy on the back.</p>
<p>The kneeling presses are fantastic. Don’t need a lot of weight. They force the core to really engage and a great pushing exercise.</p>
<p>The middle exercise – the high pulls (and snatches shown in the video) are the best variation of that kind of power exercise for geezers. Pretty easy to do. Not dangerous. Football players typically do them with barbells, which is requires a lot of technique to do properly.</p>
<p>What really caught my eye about that workout is that it has all four foundation exercises. Something for the butt, something for the thighs, a pull with the arm, a push with the arm. The power exercise (high pulls) is a nice add-on.</p>
<p>To the basement for me. My kitty, Lil’ Bubba Jr. , made a bad miscalculation. Walked between me and the kettlebell just as I was bending down to pick up the KB and do a set of swings. So the poor guy went for a ride on a set of kitty swings! I’m not sure he’ll do that again! I kinda liked it. He’s a lot lighter than the kettlebell.</p>
<p>Stepped up on the single arm DB bench press. Two 45 lb DBs. I do the variation where I start with both weights up and then hold one up while doing six reps with one arm, then holding that one up while doing six with the other arm. Tough. But, I didn’t drop a DB on my head, so that was good!</p>
<p>I was wondering how your kitties were doing, iDad! Kitty swings sound like my speed.</p>
<p>MOfWC, I thought that I needed to mention the quilted shorts I saw at Lulu because it looked like something you might enjoy, but it looks like you are ahead of the curve already ;)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Kitty swings would be no joke with your big kitties! Now that it’s cold and I’ve switched to the heavy down comforter on my bed, Lil’ Bubba Jr. remains permanently curled up there. Miss Scaredy Cat comes for an occasional visit. She prefers watching football curled up on the back of the sofa!</p>
<hr>
<p>A further thought on these NFL exercises… </p>
<p>The thing that makes these scaleable for NFL players and for geezers like me is the ability to adjust the weight. It’s the same exercise whether you do it with 5 pounds or 50 pounds or 500 pounds. Weight selection is easy. If you are doing 10 reps, you want the 10th rep to be really hard, but not so hard that your form completely falls apart. If you are doing 5 reps, then you want the 5th rep to be really hard, so you’d use a little heavier weight. If it’s too easy, do more reps or switch to a heavier weight. The actual exercises are universally beneficial.</p>
<p>I have also been seeing players on TV doing almost all of my warm-up exercises in their pregame warmups.</p>
<p>Aww. Well, my kitten (Hawi) is still light! My fear is one of them getting on the treadmill with me and sending me flying!</p>
<p>Cooking workout for me. I’m making a giant batch of Paul Prudhomme’s Texas Red Chili for the freezer. Starts with cutting up a 5 pound beef roast into half inch dice. And a spice mixture that starts with whole dried ancho and guajillo chile peppers. I’ve got most of the prep work done and will actually cook it tomorrow.</p>
<p>Pill Hill and other hilly “runs” all over the city for me today! 
My butt is actually sore - I was purposefully trying to engage my glutes while speedwalking up the hills. </p>
<p>That sounds like a delicious chili, idad. I’m looking at the recipe here <a href=“Magic Seasoning Blends”>Magic Seasoning Blends; and it looks good, but I am suspicious of the “Meat Magic”. Do you use that, and if so, what is it?</p>
<p>Another 4 mile run for me this morning, outside, when it was in the mid-50’s. Two more episodes of Serial completed.</p>
<p>Lunchtime run. 41 chilly degrees but sunny. 4.5 miles done. Lunch after that was a Fail. Raisin Bran with milk. I wasn’t liking the looks of the other lunchroom offerings today.</p>
<p>A good bowl of raisin bran is nice every once in a while. </p>
<p>iDad, I’ve been missing the cooking reports - chili sounds good!</p>
<p>Fitness center at work again for me today - combo of track/rowing/treadmill - pavement still covered and icy here. 
Hopefully the rain over the weekend will take care of this snow/ice business for a bit. </p>