Monday: September 4, 2023
It has been a long few days cooped up in the house. Unable to get out and ride my bike, I’ve been doing what I can in the confines of my basement. What started as a little strength training routine with 15-pound dumbbells and assorted kettlebells has become quite the workout.
I think I’ve found a good combination of high-rep exercises and cardio that does an excellent job of wiping me out. By the time I’m finished (1 Hour and 15 Minutes for this routine), I’m left with trembling muscles and sweat pouring off of me.
Because I can’t seem to leave well enough alone, I’ll make another change shortly. I ordered a set of heavier dumbbells to reduce the reps and try to build strength. It doesn’t compare to what I’ll be able to do in the gym, but I like having the versatility to work out hard at home when I can’t get out of the house.
After this final tweak with the heavier weight, I will lock in the program for a month and see what results I get from it. I plan to shoot for three days of strength training with three days of cardio. I’ll be back to running next week with any luck, as my Achilles Tendonitis is just about cleared up.
Tuesday: September 5, 2023
When I stepped out of bed this morning, I felt a stabbing pain in my left foot. It startled me so much that I almost fell over. I don’t understand what is happening since my Achilles Tendonitis seemed to be clearing up. I don’t think I did anything to push it during yesterday’s workout (it certainly didn’t hurt during the upper body workout).
One thing worth noting was that I was wearing my New Balance Trail Running shoes most of the day. They have some extra cushion in the heel, which helps reduce pain. One odd thing about them is that they tend to rub across my Achilles Tendon. I wonder if the mild abrasion throughout the day was enough to aggravate the injury, and it flared up overnight.
For my exercise today, I took my Mountain Bike out and rode a few laps around the development. It was pain-free but still sore from the Lower Body Workout I completed over the weekend. It made peddling the hills more challenging than usual.
My total ride was just over 8 Miles in approximately 45 minutes. The last lap (2.50 Miles) was tough with sore legs.
Wednesday: September 6, 2023
There isn’t much to report today – things got hectic, and before I knew it, it was time to put the kids to bed (and myself shortly after). There was one thing worth mentioning, though…
This afternoon, I was immersed in work. I lost track of time and got a surprise ding on my Apple Watch. I saw that my daughter’s School Bus had entered the drop zone. I panicked, jumped out of my seat, and ran to the driveway to let her off the bus.
I wasn’t thinking when I ran and didn’t realize what I had done until I was outside. Despite nursing the pain in my foot these last few days, the run didn’t hurt. It makes me wonder if it might be time to start easing back into more activity to help loosen up my Achilles Tendon.
Thursday: September 7, 2023
Today, my wife and I crossed paths. I had just clocked out of work to sneak in an hour of exercise, and she was on her way to the basement in workout clothes. When I asked what she was up to, she told me that she would most likely put on a HIT Workout on YouTube and exercise.
That gave me an idea – I was going to work out, too. Do you want to do my exercise routine with me? She gave me a suspicious look and asked what I planned on doing. I’m going to do my Lower Body Workout – you’ll be sore tomorrow, but it will be fun!
The program usually takes me about an hour to complete, but with added exercises and explanations, it took us almost an hour and a half. By the two-thirds point in the workout, I could tell she was running low on energy. She kept at it and did great – I was proud of her!
At some point in the workout, my wife commented that since she was doing my workout, it was only fair that I join her in one of hers. I’m not too excited to bust out a stepper and get my groove on, but I agreed.
Friday: September 8, 2023
I see a trend developing. The day after a challenging Lower Body Workout, when my legs are fatigued, I have the weird urge to go for a ride on my bike. My quads are burning within minutes, and I second-guess riding my bike. Because I’m stubborn, I push through anyway.
Today was one of those days, and despite the burning in my legs, I pulled off two personal bests. One for the Most Calories Burned on a Bicycle (452) and one for my Longest Ride on a Bicycle (8.50 Miles).
I bought my Fuji Adventure Mountain Bike to ride mostly on Dirt and Gravel Trails around Green Lane Park. I’ve done that a few times but do laps around the housing development much more frequently. This makes me wonder if I made the right choice and might not have been better suited with a Hybrid.
Don’t get me wrong, I like my Mountain Bike, but riding in the development seems more challenging than it needs to be.
Saturday: September 9, 2023
Ordinarily, I think of myself as a laid-back person that is generally positive. Today was not one of those days, and I found myself short-tempered and easily frustrated by the simplest things.
I suppose it all started early this morning. I woke up early on a Saturday to finish some work (which I was behind on and had little motivation to do). Afterward, I wanted to go on a Motorcycle Ride to one of my favorite Coffee Roasters – Four Monkeys Coffee, in Kutztown, PA.
One thing led to another, and before I knew it, half the day was gone, and I had very little to show for it. That is when I started to feel overly stressed and short-tempered. To try and turn it all around, I popped in my AirPods and headed to the basement for a workout. Perhaps I would feel better if I took my frustration out on the weights and sweated a bit.
Exercise wasn’t a perfect stress relief, but I felt much better when I finished.