Swim to the shore, swim out to sea
Jul. 9th, 2021 04:56 pmSo my exercise lately is going for a swim. (I swam to the shore and back in that image, not exactly endurance swimming but I'm building up.) Sometimes a bike ride and a swim. The sea surface temperature is up to a balmy 15C - well up from the 9C of back in late April, even if it's not exactly a Mediterranean sort of blissful, stay-in-all-day temperature.
What else is new with me? My beloved wife has offered to celebrate with a nice meal if I reach 50K words on my novel-in-progress - if I stop shying away from it, acting like what I write could never have value. (She didn't say that, exactly. But she's right, I should try to have more self-belief.)
Here is a poem I was reading:
The Blue-Green Stream
by Wang Wei
Translated by Florence Ayscough and Amy Lowell
Every time I have started for the Yellow Flower River,
I have gone down the Blue-Green Stream,
Following the hills, making ten thousand turnings,
We go along rapidly, but advance scarcely one hundred li.
We are in the midst of a noise of water,
Of the confused and mingled sounds of water broken by stones,
And in the deep darkness of pine trees.
Rocked, rocked,
Moving on and on,
We float past water-chestnuts
Into a still clearness reflecting reeds and rushes.
My heart is clean and white as silk; it has already achieved Peace;
It is smooth as the placid river.
I love to stay here, curled up on the rocks,
Dropping my fish-line forever.
Gym log, Wednesday 16th January 2019
Jan. 16th, 2019 04:06 pmWeigh-in: 109kg approx.
Benchpress: 1x5 at 50kg. 5x5 at 55kg.
Squats: 5x5 at 90kg
Bent-over row: 5x5 at 35kg
Deadlift: 3x8 at 45kg
Overhead press: 3x10 at 10kg
Lat raise: 3x10 at 7.5kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x5 at 5kg/arm
No cycling. I have to come back to the gym tomorrow for a physio appointment, so I'll do cardio then.
Benchpress: 1x5 at 50kg. 5x5 at 55kg.
Squats: 5x5 at 90kg
Bent-over row: 5x5 at 35kg
Deadlift: 3x8 at 45kg
Overhead press: 3x10 at 10kg
Lat raise: 3x10 at 7.5kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x5 at 5kg/arm
No cycling. I have to come back to the gym tomorrow for a physio appointment, so I'll do cardio then.
Gym log, Saturday 1st January 2019
Jan. 5th, 2019 04:47 pmIt's been a couple of months since I made it to the gym, between house-moves and holiday season. I had some anxiety over going back, and anxiety too about the state of my physical body.
But I feel a lot better for having gone.
Weigh-in: 108kg
Benchpress: 5x5 at 55kg
Squats: 5x5 at 80kg
Deadlift: 3x8 at 40kg
Bent-over row: 3x5 at 20kg
Lat raise: 3x10 at 7kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x5 at 5kg/arm
Cycling: 7.72km in 20:00
I also booked myself a set of six fencing lessons starting next Friday. Because I need structure, dammit.
But I feel a lot better for having gone.
Weigh-in: 108kg
Benchpress: 5x5 at 55kg
Squats: 5x5 at 80kg
Deadlift: 3x8 at 40kg
Bent-over row: 3x5 at 20kg
Lat raise: 3x10 at 7kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x5 at 5kg/arm
Cycling: 7.72km in 20:00
I also booked myself a set of six fencing lessons starting next Friday. Because I need structure, dammit.
Gym log, Wednesday 17th October 2018
Oct. 18th, 2018 12:30 pmBenchpress: 2x5 at 60kg, 3x5 at 65kg, 1x5 at 60kg
Squats: 5x5 at 95kg
Bent-over row: 5x5 at 30kg
Deadlift: 3x8 at 45kg
Overhead press: 1x8 at 20kg, 2x7 at 20kg
Lat raise: 3x10 at 7.5kg/arm
Cycling: 2km in 05:35.
I remembered that I went to the gym on Monday but I can't remember anything else about that day. Apparently stress really does interfere with short-term memory.
Squats: 5x5 at 95kg
Bent-over row: 5x5 at 30kg
Deadlift: 3x8 at 45kg
Overhead press: 1x8 at 20kg, 2x7 at 20kg
Lat raise: 3x10 at 7.5kg/arm
Cycling: 2km in 05:35.
I remembered that I went to the gym on Monday but I can't remember anything else about that day. Apparently stress really does interfere with short-term memory.
Gym log, Friday 5th Oct 2018
Oct. 5th, 2018 08:42 pmWeigh-in: 110kg approx.
Benchpress: 3x5 at 55kg.
Squats: 5x5 at 90kg
Bent-over row: 3x5 at 35kg
Deadlift: 3x5 at 35kg
Leg lifts: 3x5
Back extensions: 3x5
Lat raise: 4x10 at 6kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x10 at 7kg/arm
Treadmill intervals: 0.3km at 10kph between BE and LR; 0.25km at 10kph between LR and BC.
Cycling: 1km in 02:32
Rowing: 2km in 11:30.
Benchpress: 3x5 at 55kg.
Squats: 5x5 at 90kg
Bent-over row: 3x5 at 35kg
Deadlift: 3x5 at 35kg
Leg lifts: 3x5
Back extensions: 3x5
Lat raise: 4x10 at 6kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x10 at 7kg/arm
Treadmill intervals: 0.3km at 10kph between BE and LR; 0.25km at 10kph between LR and BC.
Cycling: 1km in 02:32
Rowing: 2km in 11:30.
Gym log, Wednesday 3rd Oct 2018
Oct. 3rd, 2018 09:44 pmBenchpress: 1x5 at 60kg, 1x3 at 80kg, 1x2 at 85kg, attempt at 90kg, 1x2 at 80kg, 2x5 at 60kg, 2x5 at 55kg.
Squats: 1x5 at 90kg, 4x5 at 95kg
Bent-over row: 5x5 at 30kg
Overhead press: 4x5 at 20kg
Lat raise: 4x10 at 7kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x10 at 7kg/arm
Treadmill: two intervals of 0.25km between OHP and LR, and LR and BC, for 0.5km total. Approx 10kph.
Bike machine: 5km in 14:00
Rowing machine: 2km in 12:00
Bike machine: 12 minutes at minimum 80rpm, km not measured.
Squats: 1x5 at 90kg, 4x5 at 95kg
Bent-over row: 5x5 at 30kg
Overhead press: 4x5 at 20kg
Lat raise: 4x10 at 7kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x10 at 7kg/arm
Treadmill: two intervals of 0.25km between OHP and LR, and LR and BC, for 0.5km total. Approx 10kph.
Bike machine: 5km in 14:00
Rowing machine: 2km in 12:00
Bike machine: 12 minutes at minimum 80rpm, km not measured.