Day 73 - Thanks

This morning, Denise and I hopped up after a very enjoyable day yesterday with extended work family. Where I work, we traditionally have a potluck where we invite our families to the office for the afternoon and then enjoy an exciting tradition of pre-Thanksgiving Plasma Car races on the parking garage roof. We are a bit competitive. (don't let the picture fool you, I won that race). The food was great, and the company better. I found the food mostly inappropriate for PCP and enjoyed walking around and talking to people without having to balance a plate and wine glass. Nice. It was a really great day. Now, I have a few days to be devoted to my own schedule, workouts and errands.

Today, we also headed to the Whole Foods store for fixin's to make a healthy pumpkin pie and small cornish hens for some protein. Thanksgiving needed some recognition, so I am going to make a #raw crust of walnuts and dates, then a pumpkin filling of organic pumpkin puree, flaxseed, tofu and spices. We are pretty excited. Then we threw everything in the refrigerator and treated ourselves to the gym for some gravity defying pull-ups before they closed. A few pics uploaded, and we are getting ready to create a healthy meal where we know all the ingredients and can choose our portion sizes.

Today, I am thankful for our health and how we are so fortunate this year to be able to workout, enjoy healthy real food, and share a little joy with others. I hope everyone is having a great day with friends, family and loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving PCP'ers and Patrick.

Day 7* - I'm Baa-a-c-k

Okay,

One root canal, one mild "fainting goat" type episode, and soft butternut squash for restorative nutrition and we are back in the game. Almost. Sharp stabby pains are no fun, so I am particularly glad to get back to the pain of mild muscle soreness and temporary aches. The most fun I have had the last two days was wearily moving from place to place with and Advil bottle in close proximity at all times until the Dentist could do his thing.

The interesting bit is the last few years have really brought about some conscious health choices. A few years ago, I would have taken antibiotics and fought a major dental procedure at all costs. Now, I understand the relationship of a body running smoothly and the long term effects of decisions we make today. Is this Peak Condition Project related? I actually think so. I easily made the decision to have a root canal without kicking and screaming. Why? I know it is best for my body to remove the bad things (dying nerve), focus on what we can control and keep by body healthy. No more worries about future re-infections or worse. The things we do today (PCP) to maintain our health will be repaid with interest in the future.

I missed a few days, but my body was way stronger going into the endodontical procedure than it had been in a long time. I feel recovery coming on fast and my body already asking for the next workout. It won't be much more than stretching and some upper body tonight, but the holiday weekend ahead will allow me the time to reset my workouts. Thankful.

Catching up and almost ready to rock.

Day 65 - Coasting through the Pain

I haven't been able to workout the last two nights. Seriously. This sucks. Tonight, it is some simple stretching and strength exercises, but not a full workout.

So far, I have overcome a knee injury, the flu, and now... inflamed tooth root with some bad azzz throbbing pain. Bouncing through some jump ropes and sucking in cold air was out of my league. I totally wussed out. Went to the dentist today and he prescribed pain killers and I have an appointment Monday for some extensive work. So, what do you think? Will pain killers help with muscle soreness? I am betting so. Heh.

I am pretty frustrated as we hit the home stretch. I am seeing some really impressive results. I mean, it's like every day I find a new muscle or striation I had not noticed before. Sweet! So, the goal is to keep at it and find out what works without jarring my head. Still, coming up with some muscle def and doing this, but without clenched teeth is a treat. It is a new form of concentration to do planks or the last set of bicep curls without clenching teeth. Heh. Go ahead, try it. You know you want to.

I have one other advantage. Tooth pain makes it especially hard to eat, but the egg whites are easy peasey! Y'all are rocking it, I am just a little slower at the moment, but right there with you. I will keep you updated, but for now... breathe in and out, and don't lock that jaw!

Day 58 - Speed

Patrick's email was so kind and warming to read. I know he is just looking out for us. He said something along the lines of wanting us to get the best out of these last few weeks. I know he cares about us, but right now I can barely type since my pecs and arms are blown. #$@#$!!!

We rocked through the workout tonight being very mindful of time between sets and moving quickly to the next exercise. We hadn't really slacked before, but might have easily taken a minute or two in some cases to check on the pups, or setup ropes. Tonight, the race was on and I think Denise and I had a slight competitive eye on each other. It worked, we were done in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

My body feels it, not pain, just some muscles seem to have forgotten how to move. The all too common aroma of steaming broccoli is wafting through the house, only to be replaced by menthol rub soon. Unker's is my new best friend. It used to be tiger balm, but a larger quantity was needed. ;-)

Patrick, it's a win this round. Muscle failure.

Day 55'ish - Cheese and Wine

This is a bit of recap from my weekend indulgence. It all started so innocently. A trip to one of my old haunts, Central Market. The cheesemonger and I have been acquaintances for nearly 5 years or more. Virginia's face brightens when she sees me... It's been awhile and I feared she may have forgotten me. Instead she quickly comments that I am looking great!? eep.

Instead of the normal four or twelve artisanal cheeses, I carefully choose three. Montenebro, a creamy goat from Spain. Capri, a blue ash covered goat and a aged Grand Cru Pecorino from Italy. Yeah... this is getting good. Not to be outdone, I also snagged a few slices of Serano ham from the deli. A nice ciabatta bread and an Italian red wine. Done! The evening is set.

After settling in at home, we created our indulgence plates. I added a bit of fig spread to balance and we were off! Flavours? Hellz yes. I thought my eyes would roll back in my head. Okay, they sorta did, but I recovered. But, wow the darn ham was salty? Yikes. I don't remember that. Cheese and bread was unbelievable. I loved it. The wine didn't seem to have the same finish as pre-PCP, but it was still worth it. However, by the time I finished my plate, I was very full. Even though my stomach was full of rich foods, I swear I could hear my body screaming for more fats and carbs as an instant craving. I didn't get any more cheese, but I did sneak one more slice of bread with just a sprinkle of olive oil, salt and pepper as a final bite and another half glass of wine. My tummy and palate were sated.

Ummm. What happened next I am not all that clear about. I had picked up a copy a new magazine "Cheese Connoisseur" and was settled in to read some of the articles including creameries in Vermont and the making of Comte' from France. Then, sleep hit. And, I mean the crawl towards the bed and put a blanket over me while I drool sleep. I was near comatose until morning. Talk about an early evening. A bit of cheese and wine and I was out! Craved water in the morning and felt sluggish all the following day. My legs seriously felt like I had ankle weights on during jumps. It took a good 3-4 hours after waking up to feel like a normal person with some kind of personality. Before that, guttural vowel sounds were my main form of communication.

I loved the indulgence, flavors were great and near explosive. Salt was a problem, and I felt it the next day. Even my ring finger was swollen. Wine, I think was okay, but it sure cut short the evening. I can't see me giving up cheese forever, but I think I can work in a future indulgence now and again. Hopefully Virginia and Central Market will survive with my limited visits.

Day 54 - Gym workout

We went to our local gym last night. It was kind of a treat to work out with plenty of mirrors around and watch our progress. Nice to see the muscles elongate and contract while working. It is a good motivator for me. Most people thing we are strange, because we use the bands and typically have to hook them to a heavy machine. Well, Denise uses them more than me, i still grab a free weight now and again. They prolly think we are nuts for not using the muscle isolation machines right there in front of us. Heh. But, I never got into that much anyway. We work out at home mostly, but we sneak over to the gym now and again if it is raining or something. We don't have enough space in the house to work out and don't have a garage. I love working out at home and using all my muscles, but admit to missing some of the time and focus at the gym. Sorry Patrick. There it is. Long term, I look forward to a mix of home natural workouts and the occasional gym trip.

We have used the aerobics room with soft wooden floors for jumping before. Easy on the knees. There was some sports team dance troupe practicing in there, so we didn't jump and took a break to use cardio machines. To be honest, a bit of a nice break from the jumprope. I am a fiend and love the Concept II rowing machine. But, I think I had some of Shelly's blue moon and just took it easy on the treadmill. One of the other benefits of going is they have an assisted pull-up station. I haven't been getting a good deep stretch and strong chin above the bar sets of pull-ups. I wanted to know what it feels like to do a full set, even if not pulling all my own weight. It felt great and I can't wait until I can do that on my own. Personal goal. Someday do a set of behind the head pull-ups. Wow.

Tonight, workout at home, stay focused and think about my lavish red wine and cheese plate for this weekend's indulgence.

Day 51 - Feats of Normalcy

Many people on the Peak Condition Project will not relate to this post. But, sometimes I like to note the small wins. In the last couple of days, I have closely noticed a few subtle changes in my habits. These aren't huge (still can't do a full set of deep pull-ups without assistance), but remarkable in their normalcy.

In the last week I have:

• Put on my socks and tied my shoes while standing
• Consistently raised myself out of a chair or couch while carrying objects

If you have never been overweight, these may not ring true for you. But, let me explain. You know the person that has trouble seeing their shoes? Okay. Now imagine that person trying to stand in one place, raise their knee and double over to tie their shoes while balancing. Yah. Not so easy. Now it is easier for me to bounce around the dressing area getting ready without always needing to find a place to sit. My tummy doesn't get in the way as much and I have better balance and control.

Ever notice your elders struggle to get up or down from a chair? Or maybe even struggle your self after a tough night of lunges? (raises hand) There is a slight wince and you might use one hand to help stabilize the body as you get up or down out of a deep chair or couch. I notice I raise up and down at will, even if I have objects in my arms. Cool. Gone are the lazy, crawl out from under the blanket, push up with both hands from the couch and barely get up moves. Not really. They still have their moments on a cold autumn evening.

It's not much, but just another sign my body is working more like it should and a post to realize the things I should not take for granted.

PCP wins when you live in small tight spaces. Booyah!

Day 48 - Time Delta

Time Change!

Yesterday was a fantastic workout, one of my strongest feeling ever. I stopped about half way through when I would have grabbed a energy bar or goo gel in the past. This time? Fresh fruit. A big large plum. Then, off to the remainder of the workout and it was great. Today, I am paying for it. Ouch. Lats feel like they are bruised to the touch. I am sure they are growing, because we really got the breakdown on some of those darn fibers. But, I probably need to take it easy on the workouts and remember I am not quite the spring chicken any more. I have had muscle soreness plenty of times in the past and the best medicine is usually stretching and a light workout. Now, bruising to the touch is kind of new. Oh well... off to stretch it out.

Today has been out of sorts with the extra special muscle soreness and time change. Woke up and couldn't figure out what time it was all day. I loved having the extra hour all day and seemed like there was lots of time to do things. Now it is late in the evening and I am just plain pooped. We got a lot accomplished today and we have pretty much figured out how to travel around most of the day and stay on good PCP diets. We did forget to take egg whites with us, but had plenty of fruit and milk. But, the tiredness has set in and my body reacts differently than pre PCP days. In the past, I could stay up late, keep going, have an energy drink the next day, and keep pushing through. I know now, if I stay up late and don't get proper rest, my body pays me back with muscle soreness plus body and mind fatigue. Not fun. So, off to bed soon even though the clock says it is too early for bed.

Good night and good luck with the time change PCP'ers.