Nuketown

Geek Fitness

We shall redouble our efforts...

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 8:48am

It's January. I'm tired, sore, and feeling like I need to pack 36 hours worth of work into every 24 hour day. Yeah, it's time to go back to the gym.

This may seem counter-intuitive -- why go to the gm when every cell in your body is screaming you don't have time? -- but in my experience, that's when it's most essential. The reason why is simple: perspective. Exercising for 30-60 minutes causes you to downshift and all but forces you to think about something else.

Moreover, exercise helps loosen you up (at least once you get past the initial soreness of "the return") and burns calories, all of which helps you sleep better. Which helps alleviate stress. Which makes it feel like you have 28 hours worth of work to do in 24.

Hey, I never said it would solve all your problems.

For my part, I'm going to be returning to my standard exercise routine of gym-pool-gym, which mixes things up nicely and gives me a chance to finish my master plan of re-watching Alias Seasons 1 and 2.

Now where did I leave my sneakers?

212.80 lbs: Going Digital

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 8:00pm

So it's been two weeks at the gym, and about two weeks of cutting back my soda intake to about a can a day. It's also been two weeks of getting used to the new digital scale at the gym (thus the decimals in the headline). Previously, the gym had had one of the old fashioned adjustable weights-based scales, which the arcane (and archaic) part of my brain always enjoyed.

Now we're digital, which means no flubbing the weights to say "well, it could be 211, if you look at this angle and if I just nudge it a bit this way. Now it's just the simple, unavoidable truth of a digital readout.

Fortunately, the number went down. Of course, it also briefly went up, so while it would be nice to say I'm making some progress going from 216 to 212, in truth it's all within my normal weight fluctuations. Now if we have another two weeks, and it keeps going down, well, then I'll officially call it a trend.

The big thing is really just this: in the last two weeks I was at the gym more days than I wasn't at the gym, and I made it to the pool twice. Given that there were stretches this summer where I went a month without exercising, I think I'm safe in calling this progress.

216 lbs: Back to the Gym

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 3:29pm

It's been about a year since I blogged anything about my attempts at geek fitness. Not because I haven't been doing anything ... but because I haven't been doing it consistently. I've been going to the gym periodically, but but nothing like the regular 4-5 days a week I was doing it a year ago.

The results show. Last year at this time I was 208 lbs, right now I'm weighing in at 216. I can blame a summer of hard work (mostly the computer kind unfortunately) for a lot of this; in fact, I'd be willing to bet I put on 4 lbs. in July and August alone.  So with the summer crush over, and the start-of-semester one abating, I'm doing my best to get back to the gym.

It's been slow going -- I've been averaging about three sessions a week, four if I'm lucky, but I figure it's better to go some days than no days. I also want to get back to swimming two days a week. It's my favorite form of exercise, and since I do it in the middle of the day I don't have to worry about work crushing that time out of existence when some crisis unfolds at 4:55 p.m.

My immediate goal is to get back to something resembling consistency, and then focus on losing those eight extra pounds (and a few more beyond that). 

OOF 8/25: 60 min elliptical/walking

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 7:20pm

Despite today being the first day of the semester, I was able to get out of work about 15 minutes early, beat the student rush to the gym, and snag an elliptical machine for a solid 30 minute work out.

On my screen: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. I felt compelled to watch it for some reason; it might have had something to do with Playing For Keeps' big day.

After dinner, Luke and I went for a walk around the neighborhood (well, I walked, he road his Big Wheel). Not a hard work out by any means, but exercise all the same.

OOF 8/17: Picnic in the Park

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 11:38am

I'm doing the bachelor dad thing while Sue's away at a PowWow this weekend, so I figured it'd be a good thing if we started off our day with some exercise. I packed some zucchini bread and milk for the kids, loaded up the wagon our baseball mitts and Lucas, then walked to the Cosmic Cup for morning coffee while Jordan road her bike. Coffee in hand, we walked back home, deposited the bike in the side alley, then walked down to Nevin Park for breakfast under the trees.

After that the kids and I ran around on the playground equipment and swung on the swings, taking occasional breaks to play catch. All in all, a good start to the day, the only downside to which was the whining from Jordan about how tired she was on the walk back home.

It wasn't a hard work out, as things go, but it got my heart pumping climbing the hill back from the park, and tired out the kids so I think we can declare mission was accomplished.

OOF 8/14: 30 minutes @ Gym/Elliptical

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 10:31pm

I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, watching Ghostbusters.

OOF 8/12: 30 minutes @ Gym/Elliptical

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Tue, 08/12/2008 - 6:24pm

With the pool closed today, I went to the gym instead and worked out on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes. In my ears: Gut Check Cast #15. On my screen: Ghostbusters.

208 lbs.: Four Weeks Later

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Tue, 08/12/2008 - 5:39pm

After about almost four weeks of consistent (ok, more consistent) exercise, I've reached 208 lbs., down 6 lbs. from my starting weight of 214. It's nice to see progress, and I'm hoping to do as well in the next four weeks.

That said ... it's going to be tough. The start of the semester is two weeks away, which means things are about to get crazy around the college day job. Meanwhile, they've closed the college pool for maintenance, which means I need to fit in my exercise after work, something that I've found all too easy to skip.

Still, I know it's coming, and I'm emboldened by my progress, so I'm going to do my best to keep up the regime. With any luck, I'll be below 200 by mid-September.

OOF 8/10: Access Denied

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sun, 08/10/2008 - 5:05pm

I tried to go to the gym today, but alas, all of the college's buildings are closed for power maintenance. Instead, I ran home got the dog and the toddler, and went out for a walk ... which turned into a rather brisk walk when the thunder started.

In my ears: Order 66 Podcast, Episode 27 - The Pinnacle of Success

OOF 8/9: Pool Party

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sun, 08/10/2008 - 11:58am

No formal exercise today, but I did spend the afternoon at a pool party with the extended family, and managed to swim a couple of laps while playing with Jordan and Luke.