D75: 05.29.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~8.75mi/~45min
Driver: Slaughter House: Face Reality
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Today started as mostly a "better than nothing" workout, very, very casual. I got some weird Calf pings, but overall, I guess it turned out mostly ok.Ass was unusually sore, though.

May has been a really rough, uneven month, from the start of it and now ending it again on more question marks. Thursday I was dizzy and nauseous almost all day...most of that has subsided, though I'm still a touch queasy even now. I also was getting really weird Leg pains on and off from that day on, though Wednesday was pretty clear (and I felt like I could have gone again). No idea what the fuck, but looking at another workout tomorrow, even though some of my music technology is busily shitting the bed...

D74: 05.25.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~7.75mi/~35min
Driver: Skyfire: Spectral
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Sprint Day again today. Ran the sprint distance a touch higher, .4 mi (except for the top of the tree, which was .3 mi) vs. .25 mi the previous session and distance keeps increasing accordingly. I *almost* think I can increase duration as well, but am holding off on that for a bit longer. Today was a bit harder than I was anticipating and it will be a game day decision as to whether or not I increase sprint distance on the next session.

Legs felt pretty good yesterday, like I could have gone, but today were oddly a bit sore going in. I was able to stretch and warm that out, but it was kind of strange. Knee is back to normal, which is good since my fucking braces have not arrived yet...still.

D73: 05.23.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~9.1mi/~45min
Driver: Alice Cooper: Dragontown
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: The ugh is finally clearing out, I think. It's hard to tell as yesterday was really bad and got a lot worse in the afternoon, to the point where it more or less laid me out. On the good token, I'm right at the edge of pushing past my body's ability to recover and it's at that exact edge I want to stay. Legs were obviously in solid shape today, at least for this workout and air, while not really tested, was also notably better than yesterday.  

I feel a lot lighter, now that the bloating from a couple posts ago is down. That is a consistent fight I have, but my face is starting to lean out a lot. My body likes to move fat from everywhere else and leave the front of my body, particularly the stomach area and tits, for last, but hopefully in the next month or two, I will go from looking like an out-of-shape slob into something closer to a bodybuilder in a bulking phase, though I don't think I will quite make that all the way until I can get back into the gym again.As I intend on doing strength training nearly exclusively (cardio will be the Air Dyne and maybe the live bike and possibly also a stairmill to break it up) once I do return, that probably will be the look I settle into...next spring, if all of these projections hold, will be when I start moving into more of a toning sort of thing...at least that's the plan for now.

D72: 05.22.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~9mi/~45min
Driver: Alice Cooper: Brutal Planet
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Been a bit of ugh the last couple days, so glad weekend workouts are lower key. 45 minutes not a challenge physically, but mentally a bit of a slog, which made it a bit grindy towards the end. Air was not challenged for this workout.

D71: 05.20.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~7.5mi/~35min
Driver: No Return: Machinery
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: More allergies today, so a bit of pull-down for Air. I'm getting pretty happy with my Legs starting to regain their former resilience. I felt yesterday like I could go, but I really want weekdays to be more about performance and weekends duration, so I kept it as an off day. No real issues today. My right Knee is more cooperative now (though I do have knee braces coming, because fuck the dumb shit). I did quarter mile "Christmas tree" sprints [low - medium - high - medium - low, in terms of cadence speed] and managed to get all 5 today. I may change either the distance or start the tree in a higher cadence or just do some top-downs, which were one of my favorites, or even statics, where I pick 1 speed and distance and then hit it over and over. 

I have also now, with this post, posted more times in this year than I have in all the years previous of this blog combined. I'm feeling pretty good about returning to the gym in the fall...that seems very do-able. Less do-able is probably starting the video channel I had in mind this year. I will almost certainly not be in good enough shape for it, though I may be able to get back on the bike by this fall also...

D70: 05.18.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~6.8mi/~32min
Driver: Hammerfall: Glory To The Brave
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Air was a bit problematic today, more allergy stuff. Today (posting today ties all the other cumulative years postings combined, next workout will exceed it) is roughly two months of returning to regular Air Dyne workouts and first day of sprints. Air got pushed and is not up to the task, or at least wasn't today. I did 4 pretty solid sprint runs, up and down the tree, in degree of difficulty, and was going for number 5 but my right Calf started pinging pretty hard, so that was a no-go. I am going to continue with sprints, though, as it was a lot of fun for a bit, but also I can't reasonably move to a live bike (and especially not the video project I have in mind) if I can't do sprints...

Weigh-in today was 260, which is +5 from last week, but not a real surprise, as I've been feeling pretty bloated the last couple of days...I may need to do some sodium tuning possibly...

I also dug out the car bike rack...I think I'm going to try fitting it to the car I have now a bit later on today...

D69: 05.16.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~6.75mi/~35min
Driver: Norther: N
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Air was still not great for this workout and today was especially grindy. My left Calf would not loosen up (possibly due to not having the Achilles brace on yesterday) and about halfway through, my CD player ran out of charge. I tried to keep it alive, but the incidental music on the biking video I was watching ultimately annoyed me to the point I had to turn it off and I just wound up giving in to the pinging muscle. 

I keep thinking I should really choose another weigh-in day, but I keep constantly forgetting to do it at all, so it probably doesn't really matter right now which day I "choose"...

Unrelated, but I've decided when I do return to the gym, despite hating to do that, I think I'm going to use gloves, as people are filthy. Still deciding on the mask part, but if I go before my son is vaccinated, unlikely, then definitely will...once he's vaxxed...still undecided.

D68: 05.15.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~8mi/~40min
Driver: Satryicon: Now, Diabolical
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Air was pretty trashy earlier today...almost feel like I'm fighting off, which would account for my recovery being compromised, I suppose, which I feel it has been lately a bit. Ordered new knee sleeves. Yay. Workout today, by the time I was ready, was solid...I really am liking this every other day and then doing longer duration on the weekends...so, I'm thinking Tues/Thurs intensity and weekends duration. I went for 45 minutes today, but my left Achilles, despite me being worried about my ailing right Knee, starting pinging pretty hard around 35 minute, so I cut it short. Will be back with the ankle sleeve tomorrow.

Also dug my bike out. Nowhere near ready to get on it yet, but I needed to clear shit out of the way. I'm getting super frustrated with missing so many great spring day (riding in summer is not always a good plan, given 100+ temps frequently) rides. I know there will be more (and fall rides, as well, which are better), but I'll still never get those passing days back. There is no upside to being a fat ass...hopefully, I will never need to learn that lesson again.

D67: 05.13.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~6mi/~32min
Driver: Satryicon: Rebel Extravaganza
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Air was pretty poor today prior to the workout but was not tested because...I also had  both a headache and some annoying abdominal cramping, which is problematic on an exercise that requires one to largely be seated. So, very casual today. Everything was fine, though I may need to get a knee brace for my right Knee. Both knees have been problematic over the years, so nothing new here. 

Yesterday, my schedule got really screwy and I ran out of time for the workout before I had a meeting. Forgot weigh-in also, but did it today...holding steady at 255 (0), so no change from Sunday. I may go every other day for a while, change things up, and then doubles on weekend...will see how I feel tomorrow.

D66: 05.11.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~7.1mi/~35min
Driver: Satryicon: Nemesis Divina
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Air was pretty poor today...probably should have taken an allergy pill, but I get so fucking sick and tired of having to take them. That aside, I also decided to test the left Achilles and went without a brace. Workout was fine...will see how it goes from there. Right Knee is still a bit wonky, but nothing too far out of the ordinary. 

I've decided that, starting today, the new baselines are: time 30+ min, distance 5mi. Stretch goal for distance is 5+ mi. Cadence was pretty high today, but I have yet to work up a sweat in any of these workouts since returning this year, maybe through the history of the blog (would have to go back and look, though I don't recall tracking that). I think I need to focus more on duration than distance, however, as that will fit in more neatly with the pressing weight-loss goals, which will also help with the cardiovascular part of things.

D65: 05.09.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~5.25mi/~30min
Driver: Satryicon: Volcano
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Legs were super touch and go today, but they seemed ok enough for me to try to get in a Baseline workout (baseline time is still 30 minutes, baseline distance is 5 mi.). I again loaded off, so there was no way it was going to go beyond that and the last little bit took some pushing. I don't want to push into an injury, so even if I had not already planned for tomorrow to be a rest day, it would be. Today almost was, but I really want to try to get back to planning off days, as that seems to me the next checkpoint I need to hit.

Could not talk myself out of a weigh-in and was 255 today, which is -3 from last weigh-in. I'll take it. My weight was generally around 220 when I was gym ratting all the time, but without it, I feel that goal is more like 200, which means I still need to lose around 1/4 of my current weight. I'm going to get as close as I can before hopefully resuming the gym this fall, but once I hit 240, will also feel a lot more comfortable to push cardio much harder, which is kind of the main goal. I'm not sure I will be getting on a live bike at that weight, but probably around there somewhere, I imagine, depending on if my son wants to learn to ride this year...

D64: 05.08.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~8mi/~39min
Driver: Amon Amarth: Twilight Of The Thunder God
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: I should have probably taken an allergy pill today...started off ok, but allergies caught up quick. Air was kinda trash for this workout...also, as somewhat expected, Legs had a really hard time getting warmed up today. Cadence was decent, but I couldn't quite make the 40 minutes I was aiming for, as I didn't get my loading quite right this morning.

I've decided that I'm going to go for longer durations on weekends. If I have time during the week also, may do it then, but weekdays may be more for sprints. Also need to do a weigh-in, at some point, but if I wait much longer, may as well wait until Wednesday rolls around again...will play by ear. Diet has been pretty clean, but I'm really nervous I stalled metabolism rate last week...

D63: 05.07.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~6.5mi/~30min
Driver: Amon Amarth: With Oden On Our Side
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: Timing of everything got way screwed up today, so I wound up doing the walkaround time before the Air Dyne. The interesting part of that was that I was able to skip the warm-up nearly completely, which is why today, even without sprints, was the same as yesterday. I do not want to do this too much, though, as if I run it later in the day, it may infringe on recovery.

Workout today was also a breeze. I approached it as casual and was kind of surprised how easy it was to keep a fairly high cadence (comparatively). Everything was way good and I definitely need to start pushing time up a lot higher. I didn't have a ton of time, hence why I chose a 30 minute video for accompaniment, but 45 would have been fine today as well.

D62: 05.06.21

Workout: Cardio
Equipment Used: Schwinn AirDyne
Duration: ~6.5mi/~30min
Driver: Enslaved: Isa
Calories: ???

Quality Level: N/A
Observations/Intel: After a series of increasingly bad allergy days that were flattening me, I got pissed enough to spend some extra time trying to find a vaccine shot, so all that time off wasn't completely worthless. So, vaxxed up with Janssen now, so that's at least off my plate for a while. After waiting some obligatory time for both some minor related side effects of that and the allergies to cool off, even though I don't feel fully back, I couldn't wait any longer and threw on the new Saucony trail kicks I got for biking only and went for it. Air was shit for this workout, but I did manage baseline cadence quite a bit higher and even threw in a sprint at the end. Warming up took a really long time today, which was kind of annoying, but hopefully it will be better towards the end of the month. New shoes also had the kind of grippiness I was hoping for.

My diet got really funky (wasn't sure today was a go, so carb loading was definitely off) since the shot, so I've skipped the scale, but I believe I kept things pretty clean, though well under an appropriate caloric level, considering...appetite was kind of wrecked and I definitely need to lose pounds anyway, so hopefully I'll luck out and it'll be a wash...

Spent a lot more time putting some hard numbers to the biking project I have in mind, particularly as to feasibility for 2021 and it seems a lot like unless I'm really hankerin' to throw $3K at it, plus a lot more once I expand it as I kind of have in mind, it might need to be shelved for a while. I do really want to do it, however, I need to be in a lot better condition physically for it to make much sense and I also need to build basically an entire new computer system in order to run the software, which I also need to buy, I would need to process the footage in the way I have in mind...as I do not even have a capable action camera, nor have the bike tuned up, nor in any shape to get on the bike in the first place, I probably need to dial the desire down a bit and focus on being able to get back into the gym this fall...