Face the Pain
Monday, May 22, 2023
I have been wanting to pull this song out for a while for The 32nd Expedition, a callback to my time living out in the country and MANY hours of cardio to UFC events. It seemed appropriate as I subscribed last night for a month. Add that to my new iPad and things at the gym have been significantly upgraded from Jim Jagger's morning weather.
I gotta admit: I love MMA. It is the only sport worth watching—well, I love the recap show that Shaq, Ernie, Kenny and Charles host on NBA on TNT, but today's NBA is...well, this:
Cardio Regimen
I am at a bit of a crossroads: I am considering stripping out a lot of the cardio. You will recall I kicked off a running regimen last week. It was one ACHY week! I had pain on top of my feet throughout the week as I tried to learn how to dial down the stomping power, something you can attenuate with minimal footwear, but you're gonna go full throttle for those pillow pairs!
I have an issue of mass at this sub-225 lb weight. As much as I want to develop my ability to run, there is a reasonable expectation that the repetitive, devil-may-care pounding will jack something up. I have to examine my goals: what is 2023? This year is the time for weightloss, hopefully into the 170s and further still which it ought to if this train keeps charging. When that weightloss objective is achieved, I would welcome a running regimen. That said, I am on pace to hit 163 in September if a trendline via scatterplot means anything, but I do not think it is realistic for me to maintain this rate of weightloss. But, I'm gonna ride this wave!
For now, I have no need to develop my running skill (or my skill of running with a 50 lb backpack). It made me think of my Spin Class-of-One. Why? Yes, it was another approach to shore up my right quad, but my resistance regimen provides that. I do not climb up hills/mountains with a bicycle; why am I training like I do?
I put the same thought toward my strength exercises. It is why I just cannot find an exercise focused on the hamstrings. None of them are practical! Today's stiff-leg deadlifts in theory work the hammies, but it is totally lower back and glutes for me.