Training for Saturday, May 6

I saw a workout posted on Instagram I knew would be perfect for today. I wasn't making it into the gym, so home training was going certainly going down on this fine day. The workout was posted by long time Washington Capitals' forward Brooks Laich. He's a player I've always liked, mostly because of HBO's 24-7 Road to the Winter Classic. Man, that program was really something. I actually didn't even like hockey very much anymore before that series aired. The behind the scenes access and the candidness of the players, coaches, refs, etc. created an almost visceral experience for me. I was also interning with the Winnipeg Jets' communications department at the time, and I felt I could relate to a lot of the footage I was seeing in the show. How the players dressed and looked when they weren't in their gear, the dressing rooms, the chatter. It's a shame the show doesn't exist anymore. I think some sort of neutered version still lingers on Sportsnet.

Anyway, I think Laich is with the Leafs' farm team now (I could be wrong) and nearing the end of his pro hockey career. But he really seems to be into fitness and CrossFit specifically. Here's the workout:

100 assault bike calories
50 KB swings @ 53lbs
50 abmat sit-ups
80 assault bike calories
40 KB swings @ 53lbs
40 abmat sit-ups
60 assault bike calories
30 KB swings @ 53
30 abmat sit-ups
40 assault bike calories
20 KB swings @ 53lbs
20 abmat sit-ups
20 assault bike calories
10 KB swings @ 53
10 abmat sit-ups28 mins 25 seconds

I don't have an abmat (I think they make sit-ups harder) and I didn't do the last two rounds (my kids were the basement with me, as I was riding solo today ... their patience with the loud airbike was wearing thin). I finished that in just over 33 minutes. Not a bad training session. 

I also wanted to do some quick hits on The Office. Some of these I'd like to expand on in later posts for sure. 

• Pam is my favorite character. I've never really wavered on this. Michael is probably number two and has definitely flirted with that number one spot though.
  
• I really liked Toby early on in the series, and like him even more now that I know he's not really even actor. The scene where him and Dwight stake out Darryl -- and specifically where Toby calls Darryl (aka his sister) an asshole -- is always a gut-buster for me.
  
• Overall, I'm not a huge Dwight fan. I've thought waaay too much about this ... like whether or not we're not supposed to be fans of his by design and such. I feel he's stronger in short doses.
  
• I didn't like Kelly and Ryan after watching the series the first time. That changed after subsequent viewings, though. Kelly has become one of my favorite characters.
  
• Ed Helms probably has the deepest range on the show. His acting is so good. He does the little things and nuances well.
  
  
• I hated the Will Ferrell cameo at first, but now I think it's brilliant. (I waver a bit, eh?)
  
•  Meredith's character is pointless. So is Creed's ... kind of.
  
• My favorite all-time episode is the dinner party at Michael and Jan's condo. Every scene is lol worthy. 
   
• The Robert California arc was terrible. I'll never waver on that.      

Training for Friday, May 5

Another one-armed-typed post as I ice my elbow. Good news is the injury is finally getting better.

Also currently watching parts 1 and 2 of Jim and Pam's wedding. It's probably the apex of the show. So funny. So endearing. Andy crying during Jim's speech at the rehearsal dinner absolutely kills me everytime. Ironically, the episode preceding the wedding one is the worst overall episode of the entire series (the one with Menthol from Dumb and Dumber). That, and the one where Dwight gets locked out of the jewellery store in the Steamtown Mall, always get skipped.

Today's training.

20 km cycle to and from U of M (80 km for the week).

Lunch:

Prep work for CrossFit
Series of power snatches, front squats, and overhead squats

CrossFit:

Press @ 31X1, 3-5 x 6; 3 mins

For 12 min

100 m Run

12 Hang Power Cleans

8 Front Squats

4 Push Press

rest 1 min

*Choose a weight you can do barbell movements unbroken (I went with 30 kg and went unbroken. Probably could have gone 35 kg)

REST 1 min

For 12 min

100 m Run

12 Alternating DB Snatch

8 DB Goblet Squats

4/arm DB Single Arm Jerk

(due to the TE, I used a 35 lb KB and did swings for snatches) 

rest 1 min

I killed this. Like killed it. I'm working out with a lot of confidence right now. Metcons with running and/or rowing seem to be my thing. I still love lifting, but strength is a long game and I'm not where I want to be at ... yet.

Tomorrow will most likely be home training. I have a doozy lined up. Getcha popcorn ready. 

5 Moments On The Office That Make Me Cry Everytime

[NOTES:]

[I've for some reason numbered these moments like one is better than two, etc. They're actually in no particular order]

[Spoiler alerts]

 1 - When Michael comes to Pam's art show

It's a beautiful scene in what I consider one of the best episodes during the Michael Scott era and a turning point for Pam.

Both Michael and Pam begin the episode riding big highs. Michael has been invited to speak at Ryan's business class ("I am being honoured as a visiting professor emeritus") and Pam enters her art into a local exhibit. Other than when he finds the still-wet cement outside Dunder Mifflin, this might be the most genuinely excited and flat-out happy I've ever seen Michael. The smiles fade for both of them, though, when their weaknesses and gilded talents (too harsh?) are exposed. The only ones to show up from work are Roy (him and Pam have re-lit the fire at this point) and Oscar. Roy, along with his notorious jet ski loving brother, have little-to-no interest in being there for longer than they have to. Oscar's boyfriend (whose name escapes me at the moment ... is it Gene? I think it's Gene) casts off Pam's work as "motel art," saying it lacks honesty and courage, which Oscar agrees with. Of course Pam overhears this exchange unbeknownst to the two gents.

ANYWAY, Michael returns to the office completely broken after his presentation to the class is a complete flop. Ryan sort of invited him to speak on false pretenses (Michael was really there to answer questions about managing a failing business ... but it's hard to know if Ryan truly hid this from him because, well, it's Michael). The students poked crater sized holes into his speech (actually kind of an awkward scene) and Michael ends up leaving the lecture hall pretty pissed off. He might have been angrier with Ryan more than anything though. (Fuck, this post is getting out of hand. I'm not going to recap every scene like this going forward.)

To make a long story short, just when Pam starts to take her art down from the exhibit, in comes Michael. Even after the shitty day he's had, he shows up and almost seems sorry for being late. He's marveled by her paintings ("these could be tracings") and falls in love with a piece she made of Dunder Mifflin. Pam, finally feeling validated, hugs him ... until she feels something odd in his pocket. 
 

 2 - Pam and Jim are having a baby

I'm not going to set the scene completely like I did above, but this moment is from another one of my favorite episodes overall. Highlights include Michael and Holly's interactions at the company picnic, and how Pam is actually really good at volleyball ("... went to volleybawl camp most summas"). Oh shit, the opening scene is also a dime. Michael falls asleep at his desk relatively early into the work day (did he eat a large meal or something? I can't remember ... and maybe it was around lunch time?) and they turn all the clocks to 5 p.m. so they can go home early. Classic.

ANYWAY, during the volleyball game between Scranton and corporate at the picnic, Pam hurts her ankle and is forced to go to the nearby hospital to get checked out. Turns out the ankle is fine, but Pam is pregnant. The scene is shot in silence (Jim, Pam, and the doctor are behind the glass in the doctor's office). All we get are their facial reactions. Jim then leaves the room and takes out his cell phone to call Dwight to let them know him and Pam won't be coming back to the game (Dwight was stalling the match so Pam could get back in). GEESUS I'm tearing up just thinking about this moment. Jim owns this scene like no other (which is saying a lot).

Side note: I'm actually not a huge John Krasinski fan. I mean, Jim is as close to the greatest male TV character ever, but the real life John comes off as kind of a douche in most of the interviews I've seen with him -- which is crazy because he absolutely kills these types of scenes.

3 - When Michael proposes to Holly

Full disclosure: I'm a bigger Michael and Holly fan than a Pam and Jim fan. And that's not to take anything away from Team Halpert. I just love Michael and Holly's repertoire and connection.

This scene always makes me cry and I can only describe it as beautiful. The sprinklers going off (because of the candles) may have meant to be funny (debatable, actually) but it adds more emotion to the already fully charged scene. If I was truly ranking these scenes, this would be a tie for number one with ...

4 - Pam and Jim get married

"I bought those boat tickets the day I saw that YouTube video. I knew we'd need a back-up plan. The boat was actually Plan C. The church was Plan B and Plan A was marrying her a long, long time ago. Pretty much the day I met her."

5 - When Michael leaves

The entire episode is tear inducing. The goodbye song (9, 986, 000 minutes), Michael and Holly's phone convo (when Michael's feeling unsure about leaving Scranton behind), Jim and Michael's goodbye (fuck, what a scene) and of course Michael and Pam's moment together in the airport. Gawd, the whole thing is the epitome of bittersweet. The show was never quite the same without Michael, but I couldn't have imagined a better send off.  

Training for Friday, April 28

After taking a rest day yesterday, I was eager to get back into training mode today. It was nice enough this morning to take my bike to work. So I did that. It was a good ride overall. The morning was still a bit chilly (it's been cold all week, which is why I haven't cycled since last Friday). It's supposed to be nice all next week, so look out bike paths, sidewalks, curb lanes: I'm coming for you.

Today's training:

Cycle to U of M: approx. 10 km

Lunch hour:

Lots of stretching and mobility work. My calves are still sore from Wednesday's 5 km run so I stretched my legs a plenty. I also did my current favorite core workout:

Every 90 seconds, 4 rounds: 

• 6 Around the world with plate above head (15kg, 3ea) 
• 20 Russian Twists and then hold the Hollow Rock position for 20-30sec 
• *Goal is to maximize the amount of time spent in the hollow rock position.

This workout comes via Tia-Clair Toomey's Instagram. Tia is a Crossfit and Oly lifting beast. She's featured pretty heavily in the latest CrossFit documentary (the one chronicling the 2016 CF Games ... not the one currently on Netflix. She actually placed second overall in the 2015 games, but was so under the radar she got zero camera time in that one.) ANYWAY, she's become one of my favorites. Oh, and those documentaries are absolute must watches. Matt Fraser (2nd in '15 and 1st in '16) is a gifted storyteller and an equally gifted workout god. He sets the scenes so well.

CrossFit:

A. Front squat cluster, 1.1.1 x 6; 3 mins
6 sets @ 95% 
10 Power Cleans (35/25kg)
10 S2OH (35/25kg)
10 Lateral BB Burpees
*move as fast as possible 
2:30 rest

Cycle home: 10 km


Not a bad workout, considering I didn't time my meals well today. I went into this training session on a bit of an emptier stomach then I would have liked. Took me just under 19 minutes to the complete the damn thing. Again, probably would have been faster if not for my calves, which currently feel like they're going to explode.

The bike home was brutal. Had to ride straight into a north wind. Not fun. Bonus points for getting by the god forsaken Waverley train just before the crossing arm came crashing down. If you don't already, follow me on Twitter for more of my thoughts on that train.

Also, tonight was date night. To make a long story short, I had a RP free meal. AKA, I didn't follow RP after 5:30 p.m. It's all good. I decided going into this I would probably have one cheat meal/period of eating a week. So there it is.

Sorry my writing sucks right now. I'm tired and I'm not in a comfortable position for this at the moment. And my computer is being a little bitch.

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I've started to re-watch The Office (fifth time doing so). I might write Netflix a complaint letter if they ever take it off the roster. Season 2 is such a treasure. The Dundees episode will always be an all-timer. Pam's Chili's speech gets better with each viewing. Also, I used to DIE laughing at the scene where Pam falls over (seemingly passed out drunk) and a concerned Dwight rushes over, removes his shirt and tries in initiate CPR. The manager's reaction of "people are trying to eat!" gets me everytime. Like EVERYTIME.

I'm going to do an Office post soon. Still figuring some concepts out. So get ready for that.