Literary Saturday

Today is going to be short, but before I get started, today is the last day to enter Meg's Yurbuds giveaway over at Watch MeGo Run.  It's quick and easy, so enter HERE. 

Ok, now that that's over with, I'm going to steal a phrase from Meg's most recent post and say...

I Love Me Some Books

It's true.  I definitely enjoy reading.  I read a lot of fantasy fiction, things like the Harry Potter series, Inheritance Cycle, Old Kingdom Series, Godless World series, and such.  However, recently I've been reading quite a bit on triathlons and running.  You may recall I got the Triathlete's Training Bible as well as Dean Karnazes' book 50/50 for my birthday.  Well, about a week ago I got yet another book in the mail (an overly delayed christmas present) - Christopher McDougall's 'Born To Run.'  I must say, the athletic section of my personal library is exploding right now!

I will review each book as I finish them, but at this point I must say I love each and every one of them.  The Training Bible is packed with great information; I will most likely be re-reading sections for decades to come.  Dean's 50/50 makes use of so many funny little stories that it's hard to not laugh aloud while you're reading.  And Christopher's Born To Run is thus far an incredibly well written piece; there's no doubting his skill as a writer!

Like I said though, today is short.  After a week of rest due to this cold, I'm heading back to the pool in an hour and then I'm going to take the day and work on a running post.  Remember how I went to see a world class marathoner last Sunday to get tips on my running?  Well, the post for that is quite long, so it's taken me some time to write it.  Hopefully it will be up tomorrow.

Questions

1.  Are you a reader?  If so, what kind of things do you like to read?

I'm a fan of fantasy fiction.

2.  Have you ever read multiple books at the same time?

Until now, I've never done so.  I always thought I'd get stories mixed up.  But I have four books going now (the three mentioned above and The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb).

3.  What are your plans for this weekend?  Anything exciting?  Any races?

My goal is simply to get back to the gym without worsening my cold.  

Stay fit.  Stay healthy. 

Still Behind

Here I am yet again posting about yesterday's workout. I decided to do a mixed workout because as much as I wanted to do an upper body workout (I had been seeing so much improvement, I wanted to see more), I knew I shouldn't go so long without doing a leg workout.  Therefore, I made a compromise. 

Reps & Weight:
1.  Dumbbell Press (3 sets of 10/8/6 reps with 60 lbs)
2.  Leg Press (3 sets of 10 reps with 220/240/260 lbs)
3.  Seated Bicep Bar Curl (3 sets of 10 reps with 35 lbs/arm)
4.  Sitting Leg Curl (3 sets of 10 reps with 100 lbs)
5.  Side Lifts  (3 sets of 10 reps with 10lbs [side] & 25lbs [back])
6.  Horizontal Leg Lift (3 sets of 10 reps)
7.  Military Press (3 sets of 10 reps with 70 lbs)
8.  Sitting Leg Extension (3 sets of 10 reps with 110 lbs)
9.  Pectoral Fly  (3 sets of 10 with 100/115/130)

** Stretching **

10. Crunch Ups (3 sets of 10 sit-ups and 10 crunches)
11. Side Plank Twists (2 sets of 15/10 reps on each side)
12. Vertical Leg Lift  (3 x 15)
13. Vertical Tricep Dip  (3 x 10/10/5[2/3])

Today is my day off.  Maybe I can get back on track tomorrow (be able to post the workouts for each day ON that day).

In the mean time, I got a suggestion from a friend who is a massage therapist as to a few good anatomy books:
Trail Guide to the Body (by Andrew Biel)
Running Anatomy (by Joseph Puleo & Patrick Milroy)
Swimming Anatomy (by Ian McLeod)
Stretching Anatomy (by Arnold G. Nelson & Jouko Kokkonen)

I'll be reading through these over the next few months I'm sure to work on learning anatomy; first, muscle anatomy since that's what I'm mainly interested in at this point.  The last three books are also available on Google Books for online reading if you're at all interested.  It's always nice to read things for free, though reading on the computer can always be harsh on your eyes at times.  Otherwise, go search for a pirated pdf file and print it yourself.  haha

Ciao!