9.29.2016

Workout:

45 lb Kettlebell

1. Goblet Squats x10x3
2. Reverse Lunges x10x3
3. SLDL x10x3
4. Chair Step Ups x10x3
5. Swings x10x3

150 movements with the Kettlebell, gotta find the mo to get up to 300.

1. Skater jumps x10x3

Is it a bad idea to do skater jumps with a Kettlebell?  If not then I should do that.

Reading:

Two Towers Chapter 10:  The Choices of Master Samwise

Our boy Samwise brings Shelob down but not before she is able to knock poor Frodo out.  If Sam wanted he could carry the ring to the fires of Mount Doom, but his place is by his master.

My memories of the text were that the portions about Frodo struggling to carry the ring were endless, rereading the story I find that those moments are pretty quick and not laborious at all.

Notes:

I am going to Club Nationals tonight, I've never been to Club Nationals.

9.28.2016

Workout:

Ankle Jump x50x2

4 Star Drill x5x2

Alternating Lunge x20x2

Jump Squats x20x2

Slalom Jumps x50x2

Lunge Jumps x10x2

Low Squat Ankle Jump x30x2

This is ripped from the vert bible, although I love making up my own workouts I see no reason why to completely reinvent the wheel.  

6/10 my hammies were feeling it no doubt.

Reading:

Two Towers Chapter 8: Stairs of Cirith Ungol

I thought that the scene where the Witch King and his massive force march past Frodo and Sam while the hobbits hide in the mountains.  Turns out the scene exists in great detail within the text, who would've thunk?

Notes:

1. If you want thunder you have to bring the lightning.

2. Let's say there is a bowl of chips.  The bowl is sitting on your coffee table.  You are watching the first quarter of a USFootball game.  You know that at half time there will be burgers, and you want a burger.  However, if the chips are in front of you then you will eat the chips and spoil your appetite.  If you continue to supply the chips then you will demand the chips.  You know you want the burger, you know the burger is better than the chips, you are looking forward to the burger.

Here's what I know:  The government is capable of taking the chips away in the cupboard.

Here's my question:  Is there a market force capable of putting the chips away in the cupboard?  If so where can I learn more about it?

9.27.2016

Workout:

1. Resistance Band Warm Up
2. Speed Ladder
1. 1 foot each x4
2. Icky shuffle x4
3. Reverse Icky x4
3. Cutting Drill - See image below
1. I was at a tennis court
2. 1-2 x4
3. 1-2-3 x4
4. 1-2-3-4 x4
5. 1-2-3-4-1 x4
4. 2 tennis court widths x3
5. 3 tennis court widths x2
6. 4 tennis court widths x1

Reading:

Two Towers Chapters 6 & 7: The Forbidden Pool and Journey to the Cross-Roads

We have left Faramir and journeyed to the path to Cirith Ungol.  A dark, treacherous climb lies before us.

Notes:

Shouts out to BK for day one of his Jordan year.

9.26.2016

Workout:

45 lb Kettlebell

1. Goblet squats x10x3
2. Reverse lunges x10x3
3. SLDL x10x3
4. Chair step ups x10x3

120 total "movements" with a 45 lb kettlebell, I am trying to get to 300.

Reading:

Two Towers Chapter 5: The Window on The West

Frodo and Sam learn of Boromir's demise and Faramir learns of Isildur's Bane.

Notes:

Is it reasonable to bet against Revolver this weekend?

9.25.2016

Workout:

Fall League Game

(2 - 10 yards - 0 - 10 yards - 1 - 10 yards - 3) x6

Working out alone makes it easy for me to convince myself that I am trying hard, but getting on a field and trying to chase people around is a big reminder that everyone is trying hard off the field. H.

Reading:

The Economist: Living in a Low-Interest Rate World.  

Turns out propping up a slumping economy takes more than the Fed, who would've thunk?

Notes:

Nationals prediction: Machine out in Quarters.

9.24.2016

Workout:

None

Reading:

None

9.23.2016

Workout:

• 1/2 mile jog
• 25-yard skips - 
• easy
• knee drive
• for height
• backwards
• lateral push
• lateral pull
• 5 tuck jumps into 25-yard sprint x4
• 10-second foot-fire into 25-yard sprint x4
• Footwork
• 6 yard backpedal
• turn towards one of four cones per partner point
• 25-yard sprint
• every 20 seconds for 5 minutes
• 25-yard fade throws
• 6 tries to get 25 in a row
• repeat with opposite throw
• used Abby and Rose

This felt good while it was happening but my legs were feeling it later that night: 7/10

Reading:

I did not read.

9.22.2016

Workout:

1. 1/2 mile jog
2. (((Stairs (18 steps)) x 6) x 5)

Ezpz day: 2/10

Reading:

Two Towers Chapter 4.  Our boy Sam decides to cook so rabbit and his smoke is spotted by Faramir.  Faramir tells them to sit tight and then goes and rocks so southron servants of the dark lord Oliphaunts (Mumakil) and all.

Notes:

Podcast idea:  Pick a frisbee game and "replace the commentary".  Maybe this is more of a YouTube channel idea.  Advantage of YouTube is that we can rewind, slow down, draw things out, and skip the "dead air" portions

Major issue: potential "copyright" hurdles over footage?

Tier 1: "Low hanging fruit" guests for the show:

Zubair

Yngve

Rabuck

Abby

Adam

Matt West

BK

Sur

Colin

Tier 2: "Convincing required" guests for the show

Walden

Carol

Rose

Chuck

Tier 3: "Long-shot" guests for show:

Stupca

9.21.2016

Workout:

45lb Kettlebell "Circuit" (*I am not rushing from one exercise to another, definitely taking my time).

1. 10 Goblet Squats x3
2. 10 Reverse Lunges x3
3. 10 SLDL x3
4. 10 Chair Step ups x3
5. 2 flights of stairs (32 total steps) x3

This workout was a 4, although the difficulty is low it really pumped me up after yesterday's brutal workout which I forgot to score: it was a 9.

Reading:

Two Towers: Chapters 2 and 3.

Smeagol guides Frodo and Sam through the dead marshes and to the black gate.  I remember this portion of the book being brutally boring, it is not.  

Reading through the text is way easier and clearer this time around than it was when I was a child.  I am not sure whether it is because I am:

• smarter
• older
• have seen the movie
• have read it before
• I use huge text on my kindle because I was inspired by this: www.spreeder.com

Notes:

Have you ever tried to tweet every day for 10 days?  I am routinely shocked by how difficult it is to come up with something worth sharing.

9.20.2016

Workout:

1. Warm Up
1. Short Jog
2. Resistance Band Work
3. Short Yoga
2. Shuffling pattern
1. Did the below pattern 8 times
2. Shuffle from 1-2-3-4-1
3. Distance from 1-2 about 10 yards
4. Distance from 1-3 about 10 yards
3. 90 minutes of basketball

1. 108-yard shuttles
1. Basketball court was about 18 strides wide
2. Run "down and back" 3 times
1. Refer to this as 1 shuttle
2. 1 Shuttle took about 23 seconds
3. Run 1 shuttle every 90 seconds = continue until 6 shuttles are finished

Reading:

The Two Towers: Chapter 11 and 1

We say goodbye to the journey of Gandalf and hello to that of the Ring Bearer.  The entirety of Book 4 is focused on Frodo, Sam, and Gollum.  My memories of reading this Book is that it is a long hard slog through some pretty boring moments, the faster I plow through this the quicker we get to the action of the White Rider as he continues his exercise of futility in the face of overwhelming evil.

Notes:

The greatest barrier to growth is ego.  I have been playing with stepping perpendicular to my target when throwing.  Please note: not stepping perpendicular to my teammate, but perpendicular to the space I am throwing too.  I am currently loving it!  The disc gets where I want it to go with the shape I want it.  The problem is Carol taught me to do this more than a year ago and I ignored her because the patriarchy is real.  Wasted time is a bitter pill to swallow.

9.19.2016

Workout:

30-yard sprints.  Every 20 seconds for 5 minutes.  Untimed break.  Every 20 seconds for 5 minutes.

7/10:  Man did my hammies feel it.

Reading:

The Two Towers Chapter 10: The Voice of Saruman

Every time I play LOTR Trivial Pursuit I get this question wrong:  Who is known for having a dangerous voice?  I always say Wormtongue, maybe now I will remember that it's Saruman.

Notes:

There is another side of the equation that I am ignoring: diet.  I eat a ton of sugar, like tons and tons of sugar, like an entire package of Halloween Oreos in a single sitting.

9.18.2016

Workout:

None.

Reading:

None

Notes:

Two days in a row.

9.17.2016

Workout:

1. 300 meters swimming

I am a bad swimmer.  I give this a 4 out of 10.

Reading:

I read nothing.  How is that possible?  I spent an entire day and didn't read a single thing?

Notes:

Malcolm Gladwell's Podcast "Revisionist History" is very good - strong recommend!

9.16.2016

Workout:

1/2 mile warmup jog

Skipping series - forward/forward high knee drive/forward for height/backward high knee drive/lateral skips

Cutting:  each of the below patterns 4 times through.  (Distance between 1-2 is 10 yards)

I scored this at a 4 and Rose called it a 2.  I have work to do.

Reading:

The Two Towers: Chapter 8: The Road to Isengard and Chapter 9: Flotsam and Jetsam.

Notes:

Coffee Shop idea - "The Badger's Cup" - The decor rotates seasonally: Ravenclaw Common Room in Winter, Hufflepuff Common Room in Spring, Slytherin Common Room in Summer, and Gryffindor Common Room in the Fall.

Drink name ideas: Godric's Gold, Hagrid's Happy Sauce, Molly's Bad-Day Picker-Upper.

9.15.2016

Workout:

Using a 45 pound Kettle-ball.

10 goblet squats x3

10 reverse lunges x3

5 SLDL x3

10 Chair step ups x3

I am going to start using a 1-10 "intensity" meter as a way to contrast low-intensity days with "high"-intensity days.

I give this workout a 3.

Reading:

Chapter 7 of The Two Towers: Helm's Deep

In the movie Gandalf says "Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east.n first light of the third-day look East"  in the text it says "Gandalf gave no indication as to when or where he would return".

The Warg battle scene - and consequentially the iconic moment when Legolas mounts the horse - is nowhere to be found in the text.

Notes:

"Whatever that is" is a phrase of the lazy who have no interest in understanding something that they wouldn't use on a daily basis.

9.14.2016

Workout:

1. Basketball - 90 minutes

Reading:

The Two Towers Chapter 6: The Golden King

The action is happening in The Two Towers way faster than I remember.  My memory of Wormtongue was that he took forever to oust from the court of Theoden, the reality is that Gandalf shows up turns off the lights and smashes the slippery-tongued snake in Wormtongue's first scene in the text. Bing-bang-boom.

Notes:

I don't plan on going to Wednesday basketball next week.  It ran too late at night and I don't want to have three nights in a row away from home.  Admitting this bears a heavy weight of implication.  In the name of Ultimate, I have certainly chosen to be away from home multiple nights in a row in.  I have stayed up later than 10:30 with a commute home that was much longer than 15 minutes.  I have knowingly taken caffeine late at night in order to have energy for an Ultimate practice only to get home and buzz away in my bed until 4am.  Did I enjoy doing these things? No.  Did I want to do these things? No.  Would I do it again for? For Ultimate yes, for basketball no.

I took pre-workout yesterday.  I tried to take a half-scoop, so probably 90mg, I thought to myself "heck a coffee is about 175mg I should be able to handle 90mg."

7:30 - all my chronic aches and pains are fading away.

7:32 - Brad's old saying "warm-up in a can" pops in my head.

7:33 - the thought of Brad has me laughing uncontrollably

7:35 - I am alone in my house, but I feel no sense of loneliness, I am currently the most exciting person in the world.  No one has ever told nor heard funnier jokes than I told myself.

7:38 - I am god, I can hear the blades of grass talking to each other, I can smell the vibrations of the air.

7:40 - I am panicking, how am I ever going to fall asleep tonight?  I am tweaking more than the master himself.  

The negatives - I took it 3 hours before bedtime and struggled to fall asleep, I felt anxious, nervous, and incredibly thirsty - why was I so thirsty?

Advantageously I noticed that I was able to push myself harder for longer.  Normally when I try to workout at the end of a day my head starts pounding right away, this didn't happen to me tonight (maybe because my CNS was firing out of control -> that sounds like pseudoscience I'll have to consult Brother Ray).  Part of me felt like Might Guy opening the six gates, I was trashing my muscles and couldn't feel it until I got home and was in bed.

I am currently planning on using pre-workout way less than I originally thought I would.  Which leads to an interesting "sunk-cost" discussion (shout out to my favorite economist Billiam Fralich), the cost of purchasing the pre-workout is in the past, the cost of jitters, nervousness, difficulty falling asleep is in the future.  Spent money is not adequate justification to continue to pay in the future.  I believe it is probably that once I start working at my new job I will have less energy and will then be happy I have some pre-workout in my back pocket.

9.13.2016

Workout:

1. 150 yd shuttles x2

2. 75 Minutes of Basketball 

Reading:

Chapter 5 of the Two Towers: The White Rider

Gandalf reunites with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli in the Fangorn Forest.  Something I picked up on that I missed last time, Gandalf says "I am what Saruman was meant to be".

Notes:

It is shocking how tempting it is to lie on this.  Yngve is the only person I am writing this for.  The weight of expectation from one accountabilibuddy was bone crushing alas I choose, to tell the truth, why? Because understating the difficulty of growth can be crippling.

What was I tempted to lie about? I wanted to do 150 yd shuttles x6.  Why didn't I?  I left my home early to go to the court, on my way I was going to swing by the Vitamin Shoppe to grab some pre-workout.  When I got to the Vitamin Shoppe I realized that I had forgotten my wallet at home, so I ran back home to get my wallet, turned around to go to the court, got to basketball late, squeezed in two 150s then threw in the towel and skipped the other four.

I will note that I was shocked at how taxed I felt after just two 150s.  My glutes tightened up 20% of the way through balling and my right ankle, notorious for terrible mobility, wore down and started hurting about 75% of the way through playing ball.

Why am I using pre-workout?  I never used pre-workout before.  I always thought to myself that I didn't want to develop a dependency on it.  Unfortunately, after a day of working/studying/whatever it can be tough to get motivated so if I can spend $1 on some liquid motivation I reckon it's a dollar well spent.