Today, I saw my daughter Binky run her last race as a high school runner.  After 4 years of struggling to improve, she started to break through when we found out it was her low iron levels making it impossible to improve. 

Anemia!

Since she has been put on iron supplementation every race she has run has been a PR.  

If we had only discovered this earlier, who knows what she would have become.

I think that's one of the things about this life sometimes.  It can be filled with what if's.  All sorts of what if's in an innumerable amount of different situations.

There's nothing that can be done, and wishing things had been different is a waste of time.

Approaching it with gratitude that we DID find out before the season was gone, and she was able to see the improvement she worked so hard for.

Breaking a 6 minute mile, after being stuck at 6:45 for almost her entire high school career.

We got to see her improve.  She got to feel that strength for herself.

There's gratitude and joy and accomplishment in that.

Sometimes hard work doesn't pan out the way you want it to, until it does.  Or until it does in a different way that you intended.

The world and life seems to go at it's own pace.  The world has it's own plans for you.

Secret plans.

And really, what we have is right now, and the possibility (but not guarantee) of so many more moments.  What if's are wasted time.

So proud of Bink and her 3rd leg 2:44 800m effort.  She ran strong!

I really, really hate horror movies, but they always seem to grab me with curiosity, and ooohhh.... how I regret starting this one with Binky.  It sucked me in, and then it started to make me feel weird, so I had to stop it after an hour.

Then I mentioned it to my sister, and she said Jake he watched it and it messed him up for several days.

So that freaked me out.

So I texted Jake and asked him if I should continue, and if he regretted watching it.

No regrets, but he said it gets worse.

I'm on the fence now.

It feels like I'm going to end up finishing it, out of curiosity... but if the end result is anything like what Paranormal Activity did to me, I'm in for quite a ride, and a bunch of regret for watching this.

It's by the same director that made Hereditary which I saw.  It made me feel empty inside and it was horrifyingly sad and desperate.

Why oh why do I do this to myself?  

It was nice to have Binks in the iron paradise today when I was bench pressing.  We talked about teen challenges, with cliques and relationships and all of that.  How fickle the teen heart can be. How each day with a teen can be wildly different.

The night went better than she thought it would though, at the CIF dinner.  

Great to hear, but as of now, she's so ready to be done with high school.  She mentioned she's ready to be an adult, and she gets along better with adults.  I get that.  I was definitely not a "main stream" type in high school - or at any time in my life for that matter.

I somehow learned to not like, or buy into, group conformity. There are cliques in adulthood too, and it's quite annoying. :)

I digress... my workout for today with results...

DAY 2 — UPPER STRENGTH

Warm-up

Easy bike — 2:00
2 rounds:
Band pull-aparts — 10
Scap push-ups — 8
Push-ups — 8
Empty-bar rows — 8
Rest 30 sec between rounds
Empty-bar bench — 2 x 5, rest 30 sec

Workout

A. Bench Press

Set 1: 225 x 3
Set 2: 230 x 3
Set 3: 235 x 3
Set 4: 240 x 3
Set 5: 240 x 3
Back-off: 225 x 5 only if set 5 was clean enough

Rest:

2:00 after 225 and 230
2:30 after 235
3:00 before and after 240 sets

RESULTS: As prescribed!  Final rep of set 5 was still a grind, but not a chance of failure.

B. Chest-Supported DB Row

4 x 6 @ 70s
Rest 90 sec
Goal: full ROM, no heaving
If rep 6 turns ugly before set 4, finish last set at 62s

RESULTS: Much better this week, full range of motion with no cheating.

C. Incline DB Press

3 sets
Set 1: 70s x 6
Set 2: 62s x 8
Set 3: 62s x 8
Rest 90 sec

RESULTS: Last rep of set 3 was tough, but everything else was doable.  Bench isn’t quite so upright, it was too close to perpendicular before.

D. Half-Kneeling 1-Arm DB Press

3 x 8/side @ 35
Rest 20 sec between sides
Rest 60 sec between sets

RESULTS: This one is getting easier. 35#’s every time, not a huge problem.

E. Optional finisher only if fresh

Easy row — 6 min continuous
Nasal breathing only
No intensity push

RESULTS: Complete.

Boom! Aced another quiz in the History of Rock and Roll course I'm taking through Ventura College.  (As an aside, the goal is to take at least ONE in person VC class every semester.  My first one was Music Appreciation, which I loved, and this one is The History of Rock and Roll.  Unfortunately it's an online course, which worked well for my aggressive schedule transitioning the business to the buyer...)

In chapter 39 I explored groups that combined different genres of music.  Either using multiple genres in one song, or drifting in and out of different genre's over time.

Rock and rap blends that were discussed included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, and Kid Rock.

Next, we went into bands that span many genre's, beyond just those two.  We explored Radiohead and Beck.

I'm still working toward some dedicated "active listening" time each day.  I have to admit it's a challenge to just sit and focus on listening to music.  Somehow I still feel like there are better things I could be doing and I get antsy and try to do other things - but then I lose focus on the music.

It's something I feel will be useful and enjoyable for me once I make it a part of my every day, even for just a few songs.  

I mean, I can meditated for 10 minutes or more - so I should be able to actively listen to a few songs a day.

Poof, new goal. :)

For now, I will say this: anybody who says they don't like Radiohead or Beck, likely hasn't listened to all of the different types of music they explore.  These two artists/groups change constantly, drifting back and forth between and around genres.

I'll definitely have to explore more of this, as it's so easy for me to write things off too early.

So cliche, but how quickly time slips through our fingers. Today I drove Binky and Squeak to school so we could all get Starbucks together.  As I drove they both mentioned how they miss being driven to school.  We talked about the Poinsettia drop offs, listening to music, talking, and walking all the way to class from the nearby neighborhood where I'd park.

Kalea is graduating in weeks.

Just a stark reminder that a new transition phase is coming my way, and as with all things, it can't be stopped.  One must brace oneself for these times and carve a new path.

Just keeping a record of my workouts here, along with the results.  For all to enjoy! :)

DAY 1 — LOWER STRENGTH + POWER

Warm-up

Easy row — 2:00
Ankle rocks — 10/side
Cossack squats — 8 total
Empty-bar front squat — 2 x 5, rest 30 sec
Jump squats — 2 x 3, rest 30 sec

Workout

A. Box Jump

5 x 2 @ 31"
Rest 45 sec between sets
Goal: elastic, crisp, quiet

RESULTS: Done, no problem.

B. Front Squat

Set 1: 195 x 3
Set 2: 200 x 3
Set 3: 205 x 3
Set 4: 210 x 2
Set 5: 210 x 2 if set 4 is clean
 If not, do 205 x 3

Rest:
2:00 after 195 and 200
2:30 after 205
3:00 before and after 210 sets

RESULTS: 195, 200, 205, 210 X 3, and 210 X 3!

C. DB Front-Rack Split Squat

3 x 6/leg @ 62s
Rest 20 sec between legs
Rest 75 sec between sets

RESULTS: 62#’s for all.  Not too bad.

D. Weighted Strict Pull-Up

4 x 4 @ 50 lb
If set 3 is crisp, go 55 lb on set 4
Rest 90 sec

RESULTS: 50#, 50#, 50#, 55#, not too bad, though a bit of a struggle on the last rep at 55#.

E. Hanging Leg Raise

3 x 10
Rest 45 sec

RESULTS: Last rep for each set not quite high enough.