Project Ski: Session for 2/8/09 and 2/9/09

I

took Friday (2/6/09) and Saturday (2/7/09) off. On Saturday, Elle and I attended a memorial service in Victoria, Tx. It's about a five to six hour round trip in a car plus plenty of sitting and standing around. But, I and my spine did fine and while a memorial service is never something you look forward to or want to do, I'm glad I was able to do it.

So, Sunday, I met Tim and we had a great session. I felt good. Slept well the night before which always helps. So, here's what we did - a routine that we did back in December:

• 20 minutes of speed intervals.
  • Four rounds of:
    • 50 squats
    • 25 push ups
    • 10 minute speed intervals
• 10 minutes of speed intervals

The four rounds took 56 minutes and 11 seconds. So, the whole session was a little longer than usual at 86 minutes and 11 seconds.

I added weight to the squats by holding an 8lb medicine ball. The last time I did this routine, I managed three rounds that took over 45 minutes to complete and did the squats with my body weight only. One of the keys to creating physical (and for that matter mental and emotional) improvements is something I call "edging". You want to make sure that the drill, in this case squats, creates moderate to high levels of fatigue. Fifty squats at body weight force, now, is not anywhere as tiring as it was in December. So, I had to add some weight (remember, I also move as fast as I can in most drills). An additional 8 lbs. was just about right. During the third set, My legs started complaining around rep #35 and during the fourth set, it was at about rep #20. I finished the rounds, was as tired as I wanted to be and recovered.

Today, I had a more ski-specific routine. Here's what I did:

• 25 minutes of speed intervals
  • Two rounds of
    • 2 minutes of side to side hopping
    • 10 push ups
    • 5 repetitions of 10 squats followed by a 10 second hold in a squat position
    • 15 BOSU squats
• 15 minutes of speed intervals

I was much more fatigued today. I didn't sleep well last night. Monkey mind again. Woke up a lot; why I don't know. I just fell awake. I used my favorite mantra from "Eat, Pray, Love" - HAM SA (hahm-sah), which means, "I am That",  to go back to sleep but I swear I did that about twenty times. I say the mantra in my head and concentrate on my breathing. Sometimes, I fall asleep only to awaken to the very thought I had prior to going to sleep which is, "I HAVE GOT TO GO TO SLEEP!" and yet, I was asleep. The mind is a bizarre thing...or at least mine is.

During the squats, Ross cued me once saying, "Dude, you're barely bending your knees!" Yep. He was right. My BOSU squats were more like BOSU bends. My quads burned and I think I heard them say, "No way. We've done our job. We're out!". I corrected the movement but really struggled to finish.

The side to side hops cover about four feet. I get in a triple flex position (athletic stance - hips, knees, ankles flexed) and hop right then left while trying to stay low. Feels a lot like carving skis on a mountain.

I'm back at it tomorrow and with some sleep expect to have a great session.

DK

**
New to the View? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or sign up to get email updates in the box at the top left hand corner of my blog and then share this blog with your friends.

**

Do you have a copy of my new book, "The Little Book of Sparks"? Here's what one reader had to say about it. "This was great reading. "The Little Book of Sparks" inspired me to live a healthier lifestyle. Each chapter in the book motivates me to do something daily to keep my mind and body healthy and active. This is a book that's entertaining, and filled with simple suggestions that when applied to our daily routines make a positive difference in our health and happiness - David."

You can read a sample and order it here.