between the rock and the cold, cold sea

Weigh-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: 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.

Benchpress: 1x5 @65kg, 2x5 @67.5kg, 2x3 @60kg.
Military press: 3x10 @5kg/arm
Lat raise: 3x8 @7.5kg/arm.
Pathetic pull-up attempts: 3x5
Decline situps: 15
Jumping jack pushups: 5.

Cycling: 10km in 27:00.

Running: Intervals of 3x 01:00 @11kph.

That's the first time in many months that I have trust my ankle enough to run on it at all, really. It's a little tender now, but god that felt good.

Weigh-in: 108.8kg.

Today began at 1000, after five and a half hours' sleep, when my mother bounced into my bedroom and said GET UP IT IS WARM AND THE TIDE IS GOING OUT LET'S GO SWIM, or words to that effect.

(It was emotional bouncing, even if no physical bouncing actually occurred.)

This is how I came to be standing thigh deep in the Irish Sea before 1030, awake for less than a half hour, my entire bodily frame much less enthusiastic than usual about this whole cold, wet business. A mist was rolling in, and a group of regular strong swimmers were also about in the water - water clear and grey-green when you open your eyes under it.

I swam even more weakly and pathetically than usual, but I swam.

Then I went to town to spend the afternoon in the library, chasing citations, before hitting the gym for a good session.

Gym:
Benchpress: 1x5 @65kg, 1x5 @67.5kg, 2x5 @70kg, with a spotter.
Assisted pullup: 2x5 @25kg assist.
Unassisted pullup: attempt x5, nope.
Squat: 2x5 @20kg
Military press: 3x10 @4kg/arm
Shoulder fly: 3x10 @6kg/arm
Leg press: 3x10 @80kg
Treadmill: 0.5 mile in 05:00, constant running; 1.00 mile in 13:00, intervals.
Exercise bike: 35:00, in excess of 12km
Second treadmill: 3 intervals of 00:40 at 12.5kph, rest intervals 01:00.
Rowing machine: 1km in 05:30
Third treadmill: 02:00 incline, slow jog.

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Now my knuckles hurt, but at least I've had an exercise. Benched more today than I did last week, which is something.

Benchpress: 2x5 @70kg, 2x5 @65kg.
Assisted pull-up: 3x5 @25kg assist
Leg press: 3x10 @80kg
Military press: 3x10 @4kg/arm
Chest fly: 3x10 @6kg/arm
Bicep curl: 3x10 @7kg/arm

Exercise bike: 35:00, 12km and change
Treadmill: intervals, a mess. Went back and managed to run four minutes together @10kph, which is better than I've managed in a while.
Rowing machine: 6:00, 1km.

And yesterday I swam in a sea that was only just beginning to attract its summer complement of common jellyfish, and ate a panini in a lovely café in the sunlight afterwards.

And today the sun is still shining, and I bought myself new teas in advance of my birthday (because if I don't get myself something nice there'll be no prezzie at all), and then I went to the gym.

Benchpress: 1x5 @60kg, 3x5 @62.5kg
Leg press: 1x10 @90kg, 2x10 @86kg
Lat extension: 2x10 @5kg/arm
Seated chest press: 3x8 @8kg/arm
Bicep curl 3x5 @12kg/arm
Some other things with small weights, whose names presently escape me.
Treadmill: 1.6km in 12:00 intervals
Exercise bike: 11km in 30:00
Rowing machine: 1km in 05:30
Treadmill: 03:25 minutes on a programme with increasing gradient

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Maybe one day I'll get my running back.

So I went to the gym. And to the library. This is like work, yes?

Gym:

Treadmill: mile in 13:10 in intervals.
Exercise bike: 7.1km in 20:00
Rowing machine: 1km in 6:00

Benchpress: 4x6 @60kg
Assisted pullup: faily 3x5 @30kg assist
Some other minor weights in single sets, because tired.

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A thing happened today that - along with the sunlight and marvelous blue skies - made me feel remarkably happy, and, y'know, welcome. I ordered a soup at Insomnia Café on Nassau St., and it turned out that this black bean soup (which smelled gorgeous) should probably have been labelled "black bean and chili soup." I can't eat chili, so I abandoned the soup as a lost cause and went and got a panini there instead.

Halfway through my panini, one of the nice people who work there came over and gave me back the money for my uneaten soup. Just because. Without me asking or hinting or even (I don't think) looking sad.

That about made my day.

Two 0.5km intervals on the treadmill, 3mins each.

2x5 @60kg benchpress
2x5 @65kg benchpress
2x5 @30kg assist assisted pullup
1x4 @30kg assist assisted pullup
3x10 @6kg/arm chest fly
2x10 incline situp

15mins exercise bike, resistance 8, 5km.

ETA: Forgot legpress.

1x10 @73kg legpress.
2x10 @80kg legpress.
1x10 @86kg legpress.

15:00 treadmill, with 07:00 minutes running at 7mph (intervals).

15:00 exercise bike: 4.2km at resistance 15 out of a goal of 5km.

15:00 rowing machine: 5.25km out of a goal of 6km.


Mass: 109.5-109.8kg.

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I should probably talk about more than to-do lists and the gym, but it would probably be mostly whining. So I'll wait.

Life does continue.

Yesterday I arranged to get photographs of my grandmother made and framed. It was about all I succeeded in doing, and at that, was more than I achieved on Sunday.

Today I went to town and wrote 600 words of thesis chapter. Dropped in on my supervisor: she showed me a video of a 1919 dance by Denis Shawn, "Gnossien," inspired by things Minoan, and arranged to see her next week to discuss the chapters I sent her in October.

Went to the gym, too. Managed a mile in intervals over fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes of cycling, and 3 sets of 6 reps and 1 set of 5 reps on the benchpress, at 60kg. I weighed in at 110kg, and reconfirmed my own feeling that this is at least 10kg too heavy: it doesn't feel good on the bike or the treadmill, and it really doesn't feel good on incline crunches.

Anyway. Hopefully tomorrow I can get up earlier and do more and actually attend the Classics seminar, and start being more present in my academic life.