<p>Like idad and CJane, I did the housework exercise set this weekend. Beautiful weather - mid-seventies, and it is supposed to tun to cold and maybe snow as of Tuesday, so I scurried around on the annual clobbering of all the outside spiderwebs on our porches and woodwork, cleaning the outside light fixtures, washing outside windows, washing the woodwork on the porches and outside doors, and vacuuming out all the window sills and ledges. Lots of work over my head, including the ought-to-be-on-youtube one armed lift of the huge vacuum cleaner while using the other arm to get the hose up to the ceiling of the porch maneuver. I was a little sore this morning from yesterday’s exertions, but nothing that didn’t work itself out as I did more today. Celebrate with a nice cabernet sauvignon tonight. Mmmmm.</p>
<p>Watching the evening news… An 11 yr old girl from WA WON the Maui Xterra 5K trail race with a very respectable time of 26:19. This is not run on paved surfaces. Naturally, her last name is… Armstrong, and she wants to become an Olympic athlete.[Xterra</a> 5K Trail Run, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii - JTL Timing Systems](<a href=“Xterra 5K Trail Run, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii - JTL Timing Systems”>Xterra 5K Trail Run, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii - JTL Timing Systems)</p>
<p>I added some leaf raking and mall walking to my exercise routine today.</p>
<p>Leaf-raking & painting for me! DH helped with the raking when I quit, pointing out if I overdid it my hands would be too stiff to play the piano later in the day. At least the leaves did get raked!</p>
<p>I tried making kale chips, which are apparently the latest thing and people rave over them on health/nutrition web sites.</p>
<p>Verdict: interesting, salty, kind of fun, but I still prefer my kale cooked in liquid!</p>
<p>And DH was not impressed at all, so I probably won’t be making them again.</p>
<p>My wife sautees kale with garlic - it makes for a nice side.</p>
<p>Looks like Emily Armstrong’s dad didn’t do quite as well in the XTerra Triathalon:</p>
<p>[Lance</a> Armstrong fades, Michael Weiss wins XTERRA World Championship - ESPN](<a href=“http://espn.go.com/olympics/triathlon/story/_/id/7141497/lance-armstrong-fades-michael-weiss-wins-xterra-world-championship]Lance”>Lance Armstrong fades, Michael Weiss wins XTERRA World Championship - ESPN)</p>
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<p>Emily isn’t his daughter. Just share a name. Yeah- he crashed. I follow him on Twitter. His kids all live in Austin (well, the last 2 with the girlfriend live Austin/Aspen).</p>
<p>Back from the “Up North” vacation with girlfriends. There was no cooking and lots of wine so wasn’t too surprised to see a drastic up turn on the scale. Ugh… This is my first big jump. Needless to say I hit the gym hard this morning… one hour and 47 minutes. I was a real sweaty mess! Rode the recumbent and lifted weights. Back on the nutrition and exercise routine!!! Scarey to see the damage that ladies time away can do!</p>
<p>Reading past weeks posts:</p>
<p>Congrats to you MOWC!!! Wonderful news! Hope the new job is just what you hope it will be! :)</p>
<p>Today was a speed workout. I tried mapmyrun on my phone again, and I don’t know if it’s the app or my phone, but it’s kind of a pain for this kind of run. There’s a lag between hitting the record button and it actually showing that it’s recording, so I have to keep looking at it to make sure it’s started, and then it keeps adding time for 2 or 3 seconds after you hit the stop button, so I don’t know if the times are really accurate. </p>
<p>Anyway, today’s laps according to my phone: .26 mi in 1:52, .25 mi 2:01, .25 in 1:57, .25 in 2:03, .25 in 1:58, .26 in 2:06, .25 in 2:08.</p>
<p>Thanks, NM. I am actually enjoying this week without work and without being stressed out over it. Gorgeous Colorado-ish weather here. 69 now and sunny. 43 low this morning. Ran in short sleeved tech top and skirt. </p>
<p>Blankmind- GottaGettaGarmin!</p>
<p>MOWC, I’m thinking about a Garmin, but I’m not sure my running is Garmin-worthy yet. But I’m assuming that when you hit start on a Garmin, it starts, and when you hit stop it stops?</p>
<p>Yes, once you have locked onto the GPS, which usually just takes a few seconds (unless you are surrounded by forest or tall buildings). It is pretty seamless after that. You will get your average pace, current pace (if you want it), distance, splits etc. The 305s are available very cheaply (205 even cheaper- no HR monitor) and are worth it even for just walking.</p>
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<p>Most of the time, yes! As long as you remember to hit STOP at the end. I’ve had a few times when I forgot and recorded a 16 hour workout. Fortunately, the computer software that the data gets uploaded to allows you to split a workout at any point. Then I just delete the remainder.</p>
<p>The thing I like most for walk/jog intervals is that you can set up the Garmin to count either a specified amount of time (I use 2 minute intervals) or a specified distance (I have been using 400 meters). Then, when you hit the LAP button, it starts the count down for whatever you have set.</p>
<p>If you are into recording heart rates and interval times and speeds and distances, then a Garmin with a heart rate monitor is a pretty cool device. I’ve learned quite a bit looking at the graphs of heart rates. For example, all heart rates are not created equal. I don’t see very high heart rates during weight lifting, even when I am completely gased, panting, and shaking from a hard set, but it is clearly very high exertion. Conversely, I see very high heart rates with even a little jogging, even when I’m not particularly gassed.</p>
<p>Ditto the Garmin advice. Love my Garmin with HR, anyone who is moving is Garmin-worthy in my book.</p>
<p>Repeat workout from earlier in the month. I feel like I am having problems properly fueling my workouts, especially because my calorie counts have been lower and my carb counts have been much lower. The workout felt much harder/ I really feel like I am running out of steam half way through and question if I can finish, but then end up finishing faster than previously. Just weird.</p>
<p>Dynamic WarmUp</p>
<p>5 minutes jump rope double unders</p>
<p>3 rounds</p>
<p>.25 mile run
25 split leg squats each side
.25 mile run
50 kb swings 12 kg</p>
<p>3 miles, 10:06 pace. Ran too soon after a group lunch (pepper steak) and felt queasy on the third mile. 8 minutes of a stretching video this morning and will do some weights at home in an hour (just finished dinner).</p>
<p>I do not get the love for Kale chips at all. They work as a pretty good appetite suppressor for me, because the smell about knocks me out. Some folks had them at an adjacent table in a restaurant, and I found that it was overwhelming the taste of my own food. </p>
<p>Finished up the getting-the-exterior-of-the-house-and-yard ready for cold weather – mid seventies today, but rain tomorrow turning to snow tomorrow night. Off for one last quick walk.</p>
<p>New Rules workout for me today. Nice solid workout. I cranked the step ups (14 inch step) up to two 35lb DBs. That’s really a terrific exercise. I went up to a 35 lb DB on the single arm push press.</p>
<p>Eight good reps with just one assistance band on the mixed grip pullups. I’m feeling noticeably stronger/faster on those. Stuck with the same weight (25lb + 35lb) on the offset front squat. I could probably go up a little, but eight good deep reps with that combo is a challenge.</p>
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<p>CJANE:</p>
<p>I don’t know how you do those workouts. The killer is that you are doing exercises for high reps that aren’t really intended to be done for high reps. Split squats and KB swings are better suited to somehwere in the 6 to 12 rep range. Once you get beyond that, there’s not much to be gained, other than just trying to make yourself pass out or puke. Better to stick with the lower reps and crank the weight up. The only people who do high reps are bodybuilders looking to grow big Arnold Schwartzeneggar size muscles. For athltetic performance and for fat loss, it’s 6 to 12 reps with whatever weight is challenging on the last rep.</p>
In defense of kale chips:
I like them. I make them in my food dehydrator, first toss them with some cider vinegar and olive oil and some salt and pepper. I like their light and crunchy texture, and they taste good to me.
Maybe if made in the oven, they might have a different consistency, but the dehydrated ones are really good.