Procrastination ...

I am not yet back. Tried pushups last evening and could only manage 10 - and belaboured at that! Shame!
All the same, I am getting back on the track tomorrow, at 5.30am, with Jaymo ...

PS. Jack gave me a book on running (Daniels' Running Formula - 2nd Edition by Jack Daniels) that I am yet to read. I start reading it tonight,- will do an hour a day.

Cheers

Baby steps...

Ah, it's been long!
But am back, half-heartedly. I did a 5km walk home from work. Would have loved to walk all the way but my shoes wouldn't let me - they were pinching my feet like hell.
Let's see how it goes.
Cheers

AWOL, be back in January 2010

I have been away from the site and from running and pushups for over a month. It's a mix of many things but I will be back in January 2010 in full steam.
Considering I have a wedding to attend mid-February (in other words: I need to lose weight) and numerous goals for 2010, I am sure a break of the length I've had is a good thing.
Cheers.

100 pushups, Week 2 day 3: repeat

In the last post, I indicated I had done about the right number of pushups for Week 2 day 3 but with the wrong combination. I promised to repeat but with the right combination. And I did it - but with a pushup more: Instead of 12-13-10-10 I did 12-14-10-10...

Anyway, here:
Set 1: 12 pushups
Set 2: 14 pushups
Set 3: 10 pushups
Set 4: 10 pushups
Final set: 26 pushups

Total: 72 pushups

The muscles are not feeling the pain as they were at the beginning. I have the hang of it, I think. I guess it has something to do with the two-day break.
Week 2 done now to the stage that separates the boys from the men (the men from the boys etc).
On this level there are 2146 participants but on Week 3 day 1 we have 3909. I'm heading there folks.

I am duly advised: "Don't forget, now you've completed Week 2, it's time to take an exhaustion test. Perform as many good-form push ups as you can manage before you physically can't do another one."

100 pushups, Week 2, day 3

Yippeeee! Week 2 is done.

This is how it went down ...

Set 1: 10 pushups
Set 2: 14 pushups
Set 3: 9 pushups
Set 4: 9 pushups
Final set: 21 pushups

I did the timing but couldn't trace the paper on which I recorded the times, so ...
Boy, it was tough but good ...

Total no: 63 pushups.

Again, I missed out on the combination; let's say I screwed up the sets. It shoulda been: 12-13-10-10 then a maximum of 15 pushups. Total: 60 push ups, minimum.
Just so that am on the clear, I will do a repeat tomorrow morning. Repeat to myself: 12-13-10-10 then at least 15.

So far so good.
Tomorrow: 12-13-10-10 then at least 15.

100 pushups Week 2 Day 2

Whoever said attitude was everything was right, trust me. I woke up with a 'can-do' attitude, and attacked the pushups 'like a problem.'

Set 1: 10 pushups, 19secs
Set 2: 13 pushups, 29secs
Set 3: 9 pushups, 19secs
Set 4: 9 pushups, 29secs
Final set: 17 pushups, 42secs

Total number of pushups: 58 pushups
Time taken: 13 minutes

The first set was a breeze. I felt like I was on diesel ... Perhaps the 10 pushups I did yesterday contributed to it, perhaps ... But after the third set, why lie, I 'saw' stars... for I got to experience that mocking phrase, 'until you can physically do no more' especially when I did the 'death' set.
I hadn't noted the number of pushups per set, especially the second set where I did 13 instead of 12. Just as well for the previous session I did a pushup less on the second set. The final set asked for a minimum of 13 pushups; I did 17. Excellent!.
Thirteen sessions to go.
I checked the website ... Week 2 day 2 has 1,873 participants ... so far so good.

100 pushups, Week 2 Day 1

Down to Week 2. Took a break, sort of, for I travelled upcountry.
Set 1: 9 pushups, 33secs
Taken very well. Feeling good, but some fatigue/pain creeping in.

Set 2: 10 pushups, 27secs
Good enough but belaboured from the 8th pushup.

Set 3: 8 pushups, 20secs
The muscles are in the mood - sweat, strain and all. Thinking: 8 more to go and I'll be set for the death set.

Set 4: 8 pushups, 28s
Just 8 and I will be done so I psyche myself up and go for them but reaching the 5th, I can't lie, I'm struggling like crazy. I struggle through the last three but manage to finish decently.

At this point, I leave the bedrooom and walk to the sitting room, put on the TV, Kiss Tv to be precise, for some music and all I get is this weird rock music. I retreat to the bedroom for the final dose of pushups.

Final set: 13 pushups, 54 sec
This must be the longest 54 seconds of the morning. At pushup no. 8 am done so have to drag myself all the way to 13. The 13th I just get by and collapse on the floor - all sweaty and breathy like hell.

Total time taken including breaks: 9min, 40secs. Total pushups: 48 pushups.

Day 1 of Week 2 done. Fourteen sessions to go ... then I realise I was supposed to do 9-11-8-8 and a max of 11. I did 10 instead of the 11 required for the second set... aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

I wonder what I can do on the rest day to prepare the arms for the next day's cluster of pushups. Any idea?

Running beckons ...