Two months have lapsed since I last wrote in my blog. The reason being is my work life turned upside down. I could rant and rave about work but I’m staying true to this blog. I’ll write about anything in my life but work. During the past two months I couldn’t focus on writing or much anything else. Like everything if you lapse at it, starting back is the hardest thing. So for this blog entry I’m going to stick to my bread and butter which is pontificating my goals. This entry will focus on my skating and workout goals.
I have been able to skate regularly since winter averaging once to twice a week sessions. However I lapsed at the gym big time. About mid June on a Sunday skate session my back felt awkward. I didn’t slam but something wasn’t right. I skated for a couple hours anyway. During the next week every time I stood up from a sitting position I had a shooting pain in my back. The only way to relieve it was to walk gingerly until the pain passed. For two weeks I didn’t skate or go to the gym, but I thought quite a bit about this new predicament. I concluded that skating hard once a week and doing nothing else athletically might be asking for an injury. The solutions would be to skate everyday, which is difficult while working, or to condition myself physically for those skate days. That means 3 gym workouts a week and skating once or twice a week. The idea is that the strength, endurance, and flexibility will only help my skating.
Two weeks ago I went back to the gym on that Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I skated on my day during the week, one day after work which was great, and on that Sunday. Right away I felt better, and kind of rejuvenated. I concluded I simply feel better when I’m active. Sure I still had stress and responsibility, but also a release.
This past week was difficult in many ways, but a renaissance for my athletic prowess. I went to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I skated Tuesday and Thursday night. So every night of the week I was either at the gym or skating. Today I was going to skate but it started to rain once I got to the park. It feels great to be physically active most days on the week, something I haven’t been for years.
I have a glitch with consistency but now’s the time to do this. I want to concentrate on being a better skateboarder. I talked to a longloarder who does that because it is easier not to have to do tricks. That is fine for that person, but the skating I know you do tricks. If you learn a trick you learn to do it higher, smoother, on or into an obstacle, and then go on to another trick. I’m definitely in the intermediate level or lower, so there is a limitless range of stuff I can learn on a skateboard. I’m not necessarily doing this for recreation I’m doing it to improve and to get good at it. To progress I need to skate a lot. While the days are still long I plan to skate a few days after work in addition to my two days off a week. I think I’ll progress that way. In fall and then winter I’ll have to search for some night spots in Queens. I’d be happy with a simple parking lot with a smooth surface and adequate lights.
The gym I will consider my conditioning. It will be three times a week every week, and that will be a priority. I’ve heard my roommate and others talk of muscle confusion for weight lifting. I’ve always been a beginner at lifting and was never consistent enought with it to get intricate with it. But I wonder if the same concept can be applied to aerobic workouts. I thought this up and I’m going to try it. For two weeks straight I’ll do the stationary bike, then the elliptical machine for two weeks, and then run on the treadmill for the last two weeks. This would be kind of a six week cycle, and might take the monotony out of always doing the same thing. Also in two weeks I can go faster or adjust the time. Aerobic exercise is definitely the focus of my workout because I want to get lighter and stronger. But I’m not a runner anymore, so I don’t need to focus on one type of aerobic activity. For the lifting I’ll stick to the basic two muscle groups plus legs and abs on each workout. If I stick for it until November I’ll change it up or progress my workout. Intensity and consistency is the key for me.
This will be a good thing, my intellectual pursuits may suffer, but I’ll be happier.
****The picture is simple my new deck I got today and skate shoes I got last week. Blogs need pictures, relevant or irrelevant.
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