Does it count?
Concept II Vent closed
1,000 meters warmup
500 2:00 – forgot to start heart rate monitor, start over
5,000 2:00
For 5,000 only
Time 19:59
Avg HR 172
Max HR 185
I got a little carried away with the pace. This us usally my long day but ah well. The last 1,000 meters was steady climb from 180.
Next up, I thought I would play with one of the goals on my list. It’s not on this months to do list but I thought I would give it a go anyway, the towel pullup. I took one of the gym towels and one of my own about the same size and rolled them the long way. Pitched on end of each over the pullup bar and pulled. Surprisingly, I came off the ground.
So the question that came to me was, does it count? I probably could have done this the day I wrote it down, I just had never tried. I decided that trying was almost as important as doing. So yeah it counts. Still, I don’t want to pollute the list with a bunch of easy ones like this. So I’ll have to be careful. I must have misunderstood how hard this was supposed to be. I always got the impression it was a big deal. I was wrong.
I got some passer by to use my camera phone to video it. He was a bit confused and didn’t do much of a job so I’ll get better stuff next Friday at Dumbarton. In the mean time, here is my largely inadequate proof of success.
Towel Pullup 1,1,2,2,1,1
Pullup 3,3,2,2
Standing Press 135 3X8 (jerked the last four a bit)
Seated Row 150 3X8
Dumbell Press 80 3X8
Super Pulloer (nautalis) 150 3X8
Fly Machine 90 3X8
Curl 75 3X8
Tricep Rope Pushdown 60 3X8
Anvil or Hammer 
on October 7, 2007 on 4:19 pm
I agree with the “try it” goals being worthwhile. There are going to be worthwhile things to do that you get the first time simply because you have never tried it before. Competing in a Highland Games was one of mine – every goal does not, and maybe should not be some kind of physical max effort. Expanding your boundaries can be equally important I think and in the big picture maybe more so. Some things you think will be hard will be easy and some the other way around. Getting surprised once in a while can be a good wake up call. And don’t forget you don’t have a “Climb Seneca Rocks” goal on your list!
on October 8, 2007 on 7:13 am
Yeah, I need to add a couple climbing goals. I need to dig out my Seneca book for that. You had an intro route mapped out, it was fairly easy but very exposed. I’d like to put that one on there, then a harder one maybe a 12 or something.
on October 8, 2007 on 9:25 am
Mike – the route I had hoped to use to get you to the summit is actually two routes. The first was Banana (5.6) and the second was Gunsight to South Peak Direct (5.4) – the second one will get your attention. As for a 5.12 – I have yet to to able to climb any 12 there even after doing several at other climbing areas. Being very honest, I don’t see you ever climbing any of the Seneca 5.12s without you becoming a very serious rock climber and losing a bunch more weight than you are talking about. I’ve top roped one Seneca 12 with some rope tension but at my best was unable to lead or second any of them. I’m certainly not saying you can’t do it but training for your other goals will not get you to this one no matter how advanced you become in those areas. In my opinion, that would not be a realistic goal.
on October 8, 2007 on 9:28 am
Chris,
I appreciate the reality check. That is one of the real challenges for me of trying to take this list and push myself into realms I don’t normally travel in. 5.12 is probably too much to ask then, how about a 5.10?
on October 8, 2007 on 10:45 am
I had thought about suggesting a 5.10 for you. One thing you may not be aware of is the fact that the ratings system isn’t perfect from location to location. Seneca ratings are a bit stiff compared to most other areas even though there has been some effort made to bring them more in line with other areas. I was just afraid that making a list of unrealistic goals would – over time – discourage you. I think you have enough brutally hard goals already in those areas where you know how hard your goals really are. Goals outside of those areas should be “softer” perhaps due to the skills involved that you will need to develop.
on October 8, 2007 on 10:57 am
5.10 sounds good then. I’ll put it up. I do know the ratings are ….variable. I also know the gym I have climbed at seems to have been in the habit of overrating its routes. I think you’re right that the further I get from the comfort zone, the “softer” the targets should probably be. It doesn’t mean I have to stop when I hit them, afterall.
on October 8, 2007 on 6:50 pm
It doesn’t mean I have to stop when I hit them, afterall.
That was actually one of the things I used quite often in my 60-60 list. I’d set a bending goal for example – then reach it and set another, and another – the only rule was that one had to replace the other – it was still only one goal, it just kept on moving. That kept me from adding in so called easy stuff but let me hit my targets more often – and that helped keep me motivated. I think those intermediate targets really helped me and in the end allowed me to reach higher goals than I would have without them.
on October 8, 2007 on 9:14 pm
I like that approach. I have been trying to not “walk” my goals in, meaning set a squat of 500 as a goal then 550 as a seperate goal, 600, 650 and so on. However, I also want to be able to eventually check them off, otherwise it’s just goal creep and I’ll end this experiment with 100 goals as well. I’d like to be able to someday say I made it or I didn’t.