The Weak In Rock

Ok, so this week wasn’t great, fitness-wise.  I didn’t get to the gym as often as I’d planned to or do all the workouts in my program.  I did manage to get in 2 runs though, which is good, for a total of 5 miles.  Somewhere along the line though I pulled a muscle in my back, most likely through doing a lifting routine wrong.  I was in agony for about 2 and a half days with this really sharp pain in the middle of the left side of my back, right below my shoulder blade.

The pain didn’t abate until last night when Karen (I owe you a couple for that, sweetie) gave me a gentle backrub.  This was also how we figured out that I’d pulled a muscle because she could feel the obvious swelling where the pull was.  It’s not all better yet, but it doesn’t hurt anymore.  It just feels a bit tight.

In spite of these minor failures I still dropped some weight.  As of this morning I’m at 155.5 lbs.  I haven’t been below 155 lbs. in at least 10 years, so this feels like quite an acheivement.  The other thing that feels like an acheivement is my running progress.  I switched up my running program from what was a pure endurance regimen to give a shot at the Couch to 5K program from Coolrunning.com.   Since I’ve been running for a couple of months regularly I stepped it up a notch to meet my fitness level, which is somewhat higher than the audience they’ve designed the program for.

This week’s running plan was to warm up with a brisk walk for 5 minutes.  For me a brisk walk is at a 4 miles per hour pace.  From there I’d run for 60 second intervals with 90 seconds of brisk walking between.  Since I’d already been running for a bit I set my running pace at double my walking pace, or 8 miles per hour.   I finished up with 5 minutes of cooldown - half at my 4 mph pace and the other half at a casual walking pace of 3 mph.  Altogether this results in just over 2.5 miles distance covered and 30 minutes of a fairly intense workout.  This week I’ll shift up to 90 second running intervals - provided I don’t pull or strain anything else.

Technorati Tags: fitness, running

If you want to know how the new President is doing in relation to his campaign promises then bookmark this site:http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

So far, pretty good.  5 promises kept with 14 in the works, 1 compromise deal made and 1 stalled.  Many other have said it, but it seems like it’s worth saying it again - It’s nice to have a real President again.

That’s not to say I’m going to like everything Obama does - I, for one, think more tax cuts are stupid idea when reduced tax revenue is a given during a recession and the other things that I do want to see the Government do, like healthcare reform, are going to cost a lot of money -  but I do have more confidence that this Administration actually understands the nature of the job they’re there to do.

Technorati Tags: Obama

Ok, so with the momentous inauguration of Barack Obama as the new President just hours away how do I observe it?  By being a smartassed wiseacre, of course.

Naturally, Deadspin beat me to it.  Here’s their list of the Top 10 Ways Sports Can Improve Over The Next Four Years:

1. All youth basketball players must be taught to play man-to-man defense. Zone defense to be banned at any level below college, and coaches must be trained in the fine, lost art of footwork, blocking out, man-ball vision and taking the charge. This will make America strong once again.

2. Dick Vitale, Billy Packer and Joe Buck to be set adrift in the Pacific in a dinghy with only a sextant and a jug of rum.

3. Excessive NFL celebrations not only allowed, but encouraged. And scored by the officials.

4. Soccer gets only a certain number of chances to catch on with Americans, like with Baseball Hall of Fame eligibility. One more shot in 2010, and if it doesn’t take, that’s it.

5. Curb on stadium financing; no more funding elaborate playgrounds for the rich with public money.

6. Creation of a Supreme Court for Athletics. Kige Ramsey is the first Chief Justice.

7. Brett Favre must vacillate on retirement for at least six more seasons. This will keep many newspapers in business and save thousands of jobs.

8. U.S. to withdraw all military from Middle East; invade nations only to stop bullfighting.

9. Wii Olympics to replace regular Olympics.

10. Al Davis to be handcuffed to Richard Simmons for one year for our amusement.

I especially like the last one.  I’d give that old coot about three minutes before even being in close proximity to Richard Simmons would cause him to keel over, thus ending all once and future Raider fans’ long nightmare.

I’m also very much in favor of #3.  I find it beyond absurd that showboating in the end zone is frowned upon as much as it is.  When T.O. called his mom from the end zone I thought it was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen any sports figure do.