Health Update

Back on August 13th I posted about how disappointed I was with my fitness Tom Faranda’s Folly: Health update; with my inability to complete my simple bench press test, and how puffed I was walking up Breakneck Ridge. I said I’d have to "step it up" in the gym.

Well, I am doing better. My performance is better in the gym, on both the exercise bike and the ellyptical trainer, and my endurance when I went on the lemon squeezer walk was fine.Tom Faranda’s Folly: Through the Lemon Squeezer

And my bench press is getting there. My test for years was to do five sets of five repetitions with my knees bent and feet up on the bench. I used the bar and two big discs (135 Lbs. – peanuts to most of my rugby friends) and took a minute between sets.

I am getting close. Did six sets of three reps yesterday, so I think by the end of the month I’ll be back to my old, mediocre, standard.

I’ve also made a BIG change in when I go to the gym. Since I drop Joe at the train station around 6:30 in the AM, it makes sense to go to the gym at that point (the gym is two minutes from the train station and three minutes from my house – I’ve no excuses!). This morning I did 30 minutes of cardio, stretched, and did my whole weight routine before 8AM. If someone told me a year ago I’d be in the gym lifting weights early in the morning, I would have rolled around the floor laughing. Of course, a few people get to the gym at 5AM and do their whole routine.

I am scheduled for a CT scan as part of my quarterly check up (CAT scans are every 6 months) on November 28th. Then I see Dr. Zelenetz a week later on December 5th.