When i dont work out at home, i work out at a very special place --- the Oklahoma City boathouse
This place is an Olympic and paralympic training center for rowing and kayaking activities --- and hosts many different regattas and events ---
And i will share a few more pics of this awesome place
There is also an Olympic caliber free weight room on the first floor that shares space with the boat storage area
This place boasts a static rowing tank and an altitude chamber ---=
Disclaimer ---- I am not a competitive rower, and do not have a helluva lot of interest in competitive rowing --- that said , for some reason i have cultivated a love of rowing as exercise -----
-- there is not exactly a surplus of high end facilities in Oklahoma City that cater primarilly to elite athletes -------- I have a Concept 2 in my personal gym and it is a valuable tool in many different programs ---- Concept 2 is a training partner here as well as they furnish all the rowers , oars and other things for this facility
For me, --- the free weight center is what makes this place worth the price of admission alone -- it is straight out of a Rippetoe playbook
I think that if you are planning any time in the Oklahoma city area for work or visits, etc, -- and if you are a workout guy or gal --- (or if your not - its worth it to tour an Olympic facility) -- a workout here can be a memorable experience
I have spent meaningful time in the Olympic facilities in Colorado Springs and Chula Vista --- and they admittedly have some things OKC does not, but i am proud to call this place my workout home
But with my vocation as an insurance adjuster and travelling man about town, i have become a bit of a gym tourist and it is fun to seek out the best and most inspiring places to get in a workout or three when you are on the road --- places like Bev Francis's Powerhouse Gym in Syossett NY, as well as the Parisi Speed and Agility Center among a couple
Doesnt that sound like a better way to spend your off time than what you would normally be doing ? (maybe yes, maybe no -- your mileage may vary )
____________________________________________________________________________
The $280 workout
But ............... the tale of woe begins when i went for my workout tonight ---
I rarely swipe a card or any of that business to workout here, but i do have a security card to use places like the altitude chamber, and some other things. I do pay some dues to use the facility though - there is nothing free in life - unless you are one of the resident athletes here , - but their membership isnt free either ----- i may owe the facility a few shekels here and there for access, but these young men and women training for nationals and world cup level events owe them results
----- Its easier - much easier - to pay your dues with a credit card than it is with sweat, effort and results - (hmmm - cool saying - i should patent that )
So i go in for an altitude workout and swipe my security badge -- red flashing lights
repeat 3 more times with the same results so i run to the front to have them re-program it
"Doug, -- your dues are in arrears several months -- you didnt know?"
How would i know? --- i didnt get any notification or a phone call and sadly, i dont look at my credit card statements that close (the card this went on had expired a while back)
So after a short pause where i stood there with a dumb look on my face -- i said "How much?"
280 bucks ! -- thats more than just a month or two -- LOL
It was at that cross roads where i could have either walked off in a huff grumbling and complaining ------ or decide then and there to take full advantage of my very expensive altitude chamber workout
-- so thats what i did --- 10k of LSD rowing followed by a few minutes of 30 sec on / 30 sec off intervals pretty basic stuff really, but as my lungs were burning from oxygen deprivation , and my puny little glycogen depleted muscles were protesting in agony, i started to feel really good, and really positive
Plus , if your not good with math -- you can look at it as if the rest of the month is free ! (never mind the 4 or 5 months of use you didnt pay for at the right time - LOL)
So -- in retrospect -- it was my pleasure to pay almost 300 bananas for one workout - (although i was also paying for 60 or so workouts previously too )
__________________________________________________________________________
Discipline
I write a lot about reinforcing disciplined behavior
Why?
Its because i need the reinforcement too --- I dont look at working out as disciplined behavior, - because the things i generally do most to work are also fun for me --- i mentioned above , mountain biking and the occasional motocross or cross country oriented dirt bike ride, plus rowing --- these are all enjoyable activities
That said --- sometimes a weight workout can be drudgery --- a few sets of squats, high rack pulls, deadlifts and others can get to be real work --- this aspect requires some disciplined behavior , with the payoff being that you should be stronger in your more recreational and sporting pursuits
Even though hitting the weight pile requires discipline ---- its nothing compared to the eating schedule
weights require some mustered up discipline maybe 3 or 4 times a week --- but diet requires some focus and discipline every day , several times a day
Weight loss is one aspect , and it is by far the biggest problem a lot of people face, --- but the folks who take their athletic performance seriously have to deal with this too
planning , preparation, and taking the time to eat at appropriate intervals can be a part time job --- the resident athletes at places like the Olympic Training centers struggle to eat enough during the day , -- because shovelling in pasta and veggies every 3 hours gets old after a while
Its equally tiresome for weight loss clients to eat small portions of Orange Roughy , or bland chicken, and broccoli every 3 hours
Like i said -- although i am writing this, it is just as much for me as it is for you ----- i've had a number of 5 and 600 mile work days lately and it is so easy to forget to eat ----- and as i've written before, if you forget to eat for 9 hours , you have already missed 3 meals and may be ravenous
----- if you dont have a well stocked cooler , at that point, some not so great roadside haunts can look appealing
But if you pick carefully, you can get decent food at these places
but if you stumble into a certain bastion of American fast food --- even the Hamburglar will make fun of you
.jpg)
Speaking of the Hamburglar--- what the hell is he doing to the burger here?
I heard someone exclaim recently --- "I dont have time to lose weight"
I can empathize with the time quotient ------ but it doesnt require training 6 hours a day like an Olympic level athlete --- eating is by far the largest quotient for many
IT requires more time than drive ins and beer parties at Applebees, --- but the time you spend on it is an extension of your discipline
__________________________________________________________________________
I'll close it out with this cool Jeter commercial if you haven't seen it yet -- its un-related to any of this but Jetes is rounding the bend towards being another footnote in Yankee history
Even people who are not baseball fans like the idea of the New York Yankees --- and Jeter, - to his credit, has not been caught in the behaviors that have shed negative light on baseball ---
________________________________________________________________
Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.
Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com to be added to the hard subscriber list
---- Doug
_______________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer: The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice. This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted
No comments:
Post a Comment