the scenic route

I ran along the river today at a pace with which you could hold a conversation. My youngest daughter came along riding her scooter and we chatted along the way. She pointed out a runner that needed to increase her caloric intake, a little girl who could reduce hers, and a shirtless runner who could use a shirt. She asked about our destination; if we were there yet; what we would do once we got there.

My daughter called it a playground and I conceded that our destination did look like a playground. The equipment consisted of parallel bars, high bars, rings and a decline-bench for sit-ups and leg-raises. I kept to the high-bars for some front levers and ice-cream makers, leaving the rest to several younger fellows sporting do rags. As I worked the high-bar (front levers (3x3), ice-cream makers (3x7)), my daughter noticed the same under-fed runner burning up the nearby track. I thought, sometimes it's better not to "just do it" and sit down for a sandwich instead.

On the run back we watched some sea-planes landing and taking off and wondered if the fishermen on the riverbank would eat their catch.

The no-mas-ometer barely registered a 2.0 but it was nice to be out with my little girl.

My favorite wall

My favorite wall is on the north side of Houston St. in NYC. It's a canvas for graffiti artists.

I have a love hate relationship with burpees. Today's workout contained a burpee finisher which had me feeling midway that my legs had been substituted with wooden pegs the night before. I'm hatin'. Argh.
-handstand (2'29")
-headstand (1'33")
-HSPU (5x5)
-30kg pull-ups (5,4,3,3,2,2 + 10 sec holds)
-VB50

I'm stalling on the handstands. My left delt feels funny from the previous workout so I wasn't expecting a record handstand. The HSPU are coming together so I plan on increasing the reps/set. Big surprise on the headstand, a 1min+ hold instead of three little ones. It's surprising how much the triceps work to keep you stabile in the headstand position. The 50 burpees were under 5 minutes but sheer agony.

2,560/11,xxx

curious george saves the day

There's truth in the title of the exhibit, "Curious George Saves the Day." We learned, while visiting the Jewish Museum on Manhattan's Museum Mile with our children, that the drawings and manuscripts for the beloved book series helped the authors and illustrators, Margaret and H. A. Rey, escape Nazi occupied France.

The exhibit sheds light on how the peripatetic life of H.A and Margaret inspired the little monkey's adventures. As a child reading the book series, and as a parent reading the books to my children, I wasn't aware of the back story. That the little monkey and the man in the yellow hat emerge from their scrapes with their optimism intact makes the stories all the more poignant.

'snot all cultcha:
- 1-15 burpee breathing ladder

1,780/10,xxx

rambling

Just a few weeks ago, The East Coast was hit with record snow. This was the view from our apartment. The snow had accumulated nearly a foot when this photo was taken. Schools were closed. The United Nations shut down.

This week, the weather has changed quite dramatically. Tulip bulbs have not even sprouted and yet women are sunning themselves in bikinis on park benches. People are walking about in shorts and flip flops. Ah spring! Sorry, no pictures of said women. Just believe me.

With the change in the seasons, you might expect a change in my exercise routine. I suppose I'll be running more. I'm a fair weather runner to be honest. If I were preparing for a marathon, then of course I'd be battling the elements, but that's a long way off. I'm on the 10 year plan: a decade between marathons. I've got seven years to prepare for the 2017 so no hurry. In the meantime, I'll be working on my kettlebell technique, among other things.

I recently discovered a great kettlebell resource in Denis Kanygin. He has written a series of articles that have vastly improved my kb experience, particularly when it comes to grip transitions. Check him out here.


If you've been curious about my exercise routine, this was yesterday's:
-Burpees (50 in 3'20")
-OHP (7,9,9)
-squat (2x10)
-alternating single-arm roll-outs (kneeling)

The squats and overhead presses are intended to develop my core and shoulder stability, same with the single-arm rollouts. Today, it's more burpees & brushing up on kb clean & jerk technique.