I agree, Johnny, bulking is sooooo much easier and more fun than cutting or endurance training.

Today: BP: 6x 135#, 3x6x155#.
DL: 6x185#, 3x6 225#
Squats: 3x6 165#
Chins: 3x5

Overall, felt weak. I am waaayy off my previous bests.

Swim day: 2150 yards, 51:00.

I've been working, traveling, swimming, running and cycling and lifting a few weights.

Today: dumbbell bench press: 55# x10, 60#x10, 65#x10, 70#x10, 8, 9
BOR: 55#x10, 60#x10, 65#x10, 70#x3x10

30 minutes on rollers - yes, I can ride rollers

Where are you? Hopefully not being kept out by the passoerd mishap that happened to several of us on the site.

I'm here, Mel. Yeah, I had trouble a couple of days trying to log on, but that is not my excuse. I've been traveling a lot (Philadelphia last week, San Diego this week) but that is not my excuse. I entertained a couple from Australia on Saturday but that is not my excuse. My kids needed help with schoolwork (high school chemistry and LSU essay), but that isnot my excuse. I've been slacking, that is all.

Saturday: entertained couple from Australia. 40:00 on bike trainer.
Sunday: flew to San Diego
Monday: 4 miles on treadmill: 39:30
Tuesday: 5 miles on treadmill: 49:00
Wednesday: 6.2 miles on treadmill: 58:20, 1:30 on stationary bike

I am doing a local half marathon on 12/6 and would like to break 2 hours, but I'll be okay with 2:10. I have never done a standalone half marathon before.

Not slacking... regrouping so you can do your POWERHOUSE next stage training regime you are about to launch. It's all good. We are in this for a lifetime and you know it. People who come to it late in life are like that. I bet you are going to love your next workout.

Thanks Mel. Yeah, once I get within a couple of months of my half Iron in April, I will be working 1.5 - 2 hours every day.

Thursday: 5k on treadmill, 28:40. Mostly zone 2, but some zone 4 at the end. After class, I ran 2 miles to the gym, did 400 yards in pool (it was closing), dumbbell bench press: 55# x 10, 60# x 10, 65# x 10, ran 2 miles back to hotel.

Flew back to Tampa.

Bench press: 155# x 10, 175# x 6, 185# x 5
Pullups: 5, 5
Squats: 155# x 6, 175# x 6, 185# x 5
1 hour on stationary bike: zones 1 and 2. Legs were trashed afterwards.

11/22: 5.5 miles: 54:00

11/23: Fell asleep after class. I'm such a slacker...

11/24: Squats: 155# x 5 x 5, stationary bike: 30:00, lat pulldowns: 2x10

1/25: Dumbbell bench press: 55# x 3 x 10, bent over rows: 55# x 3 x 10
Swim: 2150 yards: 55:00
Stationary bike: 30:00

HI there,

Just wanted to tell you I used you as an example to my mom of overcoming health obstacles... I told her about you and coming back from heart surgery to train for Iron Mans and what not. She is in a bad place health wise right now and has put on a tremendous amount of weight, has sleep apnea, a racing heart and so on. She knows on some levels that her habits have created the damage but she also has stupid doctors that don't mandate she loses weight and seem happy to keep her coming to them every week and loaded up on expensive meds.

I know it is a personal choice to be healthy and make the change but I wish she would get into gear. I get scared she is going to die. What did it take for you to make the commitment to your health? I don't think she has had enough of a "wake up" call sadly. I hope it doesn't take a heart attack.

I'm very flattered, Mel, that you used me as a motivator. Unfortunately, motivation comes mainly from within and an unmotivated person is very frustrating to the people who care about that person. From about the time I was 12 until she died when I was 31, I tried to get my mother to quit smoking but she had zero motivation to quit. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer, she told her kids that she had decided to quit smoking. Very frustrating and very sad.

I had my heart issues while I was conditioning. In fact, my first cardiac issue, a blocked coronary artery, was symptomatic from chest pain that developed during an attempted 50-floor stair climb. (I was at floor 48 when I aborted because of my concerns about the chest pain). I had let myself get too fat and lazy before that which I am sure were contributing factors along with factors I inherited from my father who developed his first cardiac issues at age 53, when he weighed 150#, and which later killed him.

But, I was a lucky one. Many people's first symptoms are a heart attack that can damage the heart and are often fatal.

I wish you luck with your mother. Why don't you sign your mother, yourself and your young'uns up for a 1 mile fun walk/run? Doing it with her daughter and grandkids might make it seem more like fun and not like a workout and she might enjoy it. Baby steps. Good luck!

Friday was a honeydew day. Saturday worked on a rental house.
Sunday: 1.2 mile swim, 55:10
Deadlifts: 185#x5, 225#x3x5
Stationary bike: 30:00
Flew to Baton Rouge for a training class.

1 week until half marathon.

Squats: 5x5 185#, dumbbell bench press: 3x10 60#, bent over rows: 3x10 60#.
Stationary bike: 30:00, 200 watts avg.

Squats: 4x5x185#, 50:00 spin class. I am doing a half marathon on Sunday, my first standalone half marathon, my first race in 20 years and only my 2nd running race ever.

Half marathon time: 2:12:xx, 10 min/mile. I went hard and ran a good race. As my fitness continues to improve, my times will improve.