Weekly Workout Rewind - 2/18/2007

I completed 4 cardio sessions, 3 weight lifting sessions, and shoveled the snow off my driveway one day. I missed working out my triceps and biceps, but no big deal. I am still trying to lose the 5 lbs that I gained over Christmas. I am working hard at limiting and changing my before bedtime snacks. I am eating less food and less complex carbohydrates before bedtime. I am trying to limit my bedtime snack to yogurt and fresh fruit. Time will tell.

10 Things I Like About Winter

Here are 10 things I like about Winter, in no particular order:

1. When I get home from work, it is dark, so I do not feel guilty about taking a nap.


2. Snow makes Christmas much more special.


3. I do not have to mow the lawn.


4. It is too cold to hand wash my car.


5. I can gain some weight and hide it with a baggy sweatshirt.


6. I like wearing boots instead of sneakers in the winter.


7. I like wearing a beanie/skull cap in my cold basement when I workout.


8. I can be late for work because of the weather.


9. I can catch up watching my collection of DVD’s because I spend more time indoors.


10. The Pittsburgh Penguins.

10 Things I Hate About Winter

Here are 10 Things I hate about winter, in no particular order:

1. There are less hours of sunlight. I wake up in the dark, and leave work in the dark.
2. I have to shovel snow.
3. I have to drive in snow and ice.
4. Waterproof boots are never waterproof.
5. My car gets all salted up, and it is too cold to wash my baby.
6. My basement is cold, my workout equipment is in the basement, so I workout in a cold basement.
7. My head gets cold because I refuse to wear a hat which would ruin my hair.
8. I have to wear layers of clothes to keep warm, then I feel too warm because I am wearing layers of clothes.
9. My nose gets dry, so I get a lot of nosebleeds.
10. My skin gets very dry, so my fingertips crack. Very painful.
    
    

Weekly Workout Rewind - 2/11/2007

I completed two cardio sessions and one weighlifting session. I had two "snow shoveling" workouts due to the snow storm last week. Shoveling snow involves both cardio and resistance training. Breathing in cold weather is more difficult than in warmer weather. I wore a full face fleece hood which covered my nose and mouth. This made it easier to breath. Snow shoveling works out a lot of bodyparts: legs, shoulders, back, biceps. When there is too much snow for me to physically handle, I bring out the snowblower. You have to be careful not to overdo it when shoveling snow. Take breaks, and know you limitations. It was not my normal workout routine, but it was still a workout.

Route 8 Snow Woes

In the winter, it is always an adventure trying to drive to work on Route 8 from Route 910 in Allegheny County to downtown Butler. The imaginary line between Allegheny County and Butler County is unmistakable. It is at Valencia, PA, on Route 8, around the Lakevue Athletic Club/Ice Connection Skating Rink. This morning, parts of Route 8 in Allegheny County were actually clear of snow. Of course, that changed when I passed the Allegheny/Butler County line.

The difference was more dramatic on my way home from work this evening. Route 8 in Butler County was still covered in snow. There were small stretches were the road was clear. There were tracks created by numerous vehicles driving over the same part of the road over and over. But, for the most part, Route 8 was snow covered from downtown Butler all the way to Valencia, PA. After passing the county line, Route 8 in Allegheny County hardly had any snow at all. You could even say Route 8 in Allegheny County was almost dry.

Here are my worse parts of Route 8 to drive in the winter:
1) The hill from the Country Kitchen to Kelly Chevrolet.
2) The hill from Kelly Chevrolet, passing AK Steel, to The Great Butler Mart.
3) The curvy part from The Great Butler Mart to Hansen Avenue.

Why is there such a difference between Allegheny and Butler County? Well, here a few excuses I came up with:
1) Butler County is more rural
2) Butler County gets more snow
3) Lack of resources – snow plows/trucks, salt, manpower
4) It has been so damn cold, no amount of salt can melt all of the snow

I do have a right to complain. My local municipality taxes my paycheck, but the City of Butler also takes a piece of my pie. I support Butler County by being a consumer – I buy clothes, food, gasoline, etc. in Butler County. I think Punxy Phil was seriously wrong.

Weekly Workout Rewind - 2/4/2007

I worked all body parts and completed 5 cardio sessions last week. My wrist still hurts from Dequervain's tendinitis. I do not like making doctor appointments in the winter. Why? It's cold, depressing, I do not need anything else on my mind to get me more depressed. I am also the usual stubborn male who puts off seeing the doctor.

Weekly Workout Rewind - 1/28/2007

I completed 4 cardio sessions and shoveled the snow off my driveway one day. I did not complete any weightlifting sessions as I rested my right wrist because of my flare up of Dequervain's tendinitis. It has almost been two weeks of rest, but the wrist did not get any better or any worse. I hate getting old.