Work-Out Update: Closing out 2010

It’s been a year since I took a look at the amount of time I spend working out.

Figures for 2009: Worked Out for an hour plus 220 times or 4.23 times a week – averaging 18 times per month.

Figures for 2010: Worked Out for an hour plus 206 times or 3.96 times a week – averaging 17 times per month.

So… a slight dip from the previous year. There are a couple of reasons that might explain that dip. I was out for a week in June due to injury; some type of pulled muscle and pinched nerve. My entire left side kept going numb on and off, and I had a sharp pain in the back of my left shoulder; I couldn’t lift my arm over my head. All together, I missed out on 5 days when I could have worked out due to injury.

Also, I went on four vacations this year: San Francisco, Duluth, and Las Cruces. The fourth vacation was a mandatory week off from work during the holidays. This year they went so far as to shut the gym down during that time period. All together that represents 11 days I missed out on due to vacation time.

Still, not bad. But not great.

I don’t count any of the hiking/walking time that I put in, figuring that is part of routine life and doesn’t really count as exercise. On the weekends or during holidays, I never exercise, except for push-ups and a few dumb-bell exercises – but only if going out somewhere where my upper body would be scrutinized.

There was a considerable difference in my workouts this year. I made a pointed effort to change things up every 3-4 months in order to alleviate boredom and challenge my muscles. I attended classes (aerobics and strength/core training), did quite a bit of work on the elliptical machines and stationary bikes, and developed a core/aerobic workout that I call “boot camp” which I did once a week for four months. The boot camp work-out is now my fall back routine: the work-out I do when I don’t feel like doing anything at all.

My typical weight/strength workouts concentrated on a given area of my body each day: chest, legs/gluts, core, lats/shoulders, and arms. Each day’s work-out typically began with a series of stretches (incorporating what yoga I have managed to pick up), a minimum of 40 consecutive push-ups, 50 glut maximizers and 100-200 crunches of various types. I really got into doing squats this year, jumping rope, jumping in place, and added running (indoors) during the past two months.

Still a creature of habit, I tend to get into routines that quickly become ruts, but I did my best to get out of my comfort zone and mix it up. It’s my plan to continue to do so this year. I also gave myself permission to drop back on the amount of weights I was lifting on days when I was not feeling my best. On several occasions when there were others in the gym watching me, I purposely made myself lift less – choosing to concentrate on form rather than simply striving to impress others – really trying to get over that whole macho mindset that more weight means you’re more… male?

I’ve started to bring mix CDs and play them on the gym’s sound system so I don’t have to worry about dropping my I-Pod. That has been very freeing. The only time I still use my I-Pod is when I am on the elliptical machines or run. On my I-Pod, I recently discovered the play option for songs, rather than having it on shuffle. By using that setting I can pick anyplace in the alphabet to begin. Hopefully, eventually I will hear everything on my I-Pod. I actually seem to be listening to more variety this way, although I still have to find the time to upload some newer music.

This year I discovered the lost and found box at my gym. After three weeks items are up for grabs. Needless to say I have a new pair if sneakers – well, new to me – and some interesting underwear. I still can’t bring myself to wear shorts at the gym. My legs are simply not impressive enough. Perhaps pumping up my legs is something I should concentrate on at the gym this year

I’m okay with my body. There are contours I never appreciated or noticed before, but my problem areas remain. The concentration on working my core is helping with those, though it is a long, slow process. Given the strides I have made this year, I wonder what I will think of my body next year. One of the benefits of working-out consistently for the past two years has been the number of comments others make about my body, most of which are complimentary. This summer, on one of my first days at the prairie when it was warm enough to walk around in just a pair of shorts, I ran into an acquaintance from the previous year. He immediately commented on how much my body had improved and was particularly impressed with the change in my mid-section. Again, thank you core work-outs!

Speaking of the prairie, it may well serve as the lone beacon of light to help me navigate this bitter, snow-filled winter. Only a month and a half into our snowy season, I’m already battling my tendency towards seasonal depression - working out definitely helps. So does the sex. But I yearn for the days when I will be able to escape into the woods, strip down to next-to-nothing and hunt me some strange. My skin sure misses the sun and moisture, while my soul misses the sanctity of the woods; the strength and majesty of the trees.

As for an update on my sex stats, that will happen in March. I have to say, I struggle a lot with myself about the type and amount of sex I’m having. This may be the last year where I keep track of the stats – mainly because I’m concerned about the influence the recording of those stats is having on the sexual choices I’m making. What exactly am I trying to prove? Sex certainly eats up a lot of my time and energy. It also seems to add a lot of anxiety to my life that I would be much better off without. Then again, without sex and the possibility of sex, would I be so diligent about my work-outs? Faulty thinking? House of cards? Perhaps.

Recently I reread the entry I wrote last year at this time. It mentions a lot of things that I planned on pursuing, such as working on a new musical, taking my dogs for more walks, and seeing my friends on a regular basis. Guess what? I failed pretty badly on all fronts. I also never made it to Chicago or the club I mentioned. Eh, someday.

One of my New Year’s resolutions has to do with playing the piano an hour a day. That has yet to happen. I would also like to get back into writing music again. Playing guitar. But something tells me at this time next year I will be commenting on how those things failed to take root and blossom. Granted, the year is young. I could surprise myself.

I frequently do.

By the way, the pics included in this article are, in fact, me. I’m not ready to share my face with the world. Once you see it, I think you’ll understand my trepidation. Well, that, and the fact that in order to be forthcoming while writing this blog a little discretion is necessary.

Happy New Year! And welcome to 2011. Let’s all have a great one.

Well, time to hit the gym.

My Year at the Gym 2009 and My 2010 Mulling-It-Over List

Looking back at the year’s work out totals. Includes time spent at the gym only. Here are the figures:

Worked Out for an hour plus 220 times last year or 4.23 times a week.

There were a couple of weeks when I couldn’t work out at all due to some minor surgeries I was having throughout the year. I never went in on the weekends or during holidays.

That’s a decent amount of working out. Still, I don’t know why, but I am disappointed in the number. Something to work on for the new year, I guess.

I have also decided to get out of my comfort zone and try new things in the gym. I am slowly working in new ideas – mostly aerobic, stretching and yoga-type exercises. I am also challenging myself to attend some group classes. I did a few in November and December and found that you are so busy exercising you really don’t have anytime to be bothered by the people around you.

It’s very hard to let go of those dumbbells, though and break out of my rut. I end up fearing that I will be wasting my time if I do something other than weight/strength training. I am promising myself that when I hit the treadmill I will not try to run too fast. I promise to continue to concentrate on good form and not get caught up in the whole macho mindset where you find yourself working with too heavy weights.

Things I’m mulling over:

My I-Pod needs some serious updating. There are tunes on there I hope I never hear again. When I work out I keep it on shuffle. There are over a 1,000 songs on the thing, but I swear the same annoying ones keep popping up.

To shave or not to shave? My ass – I have guys tell me not to shave, because it irritates their dick and I have guys who tell me it’s one of the primary reasons they want to fuck my ass. You can’t please everyone, but it would be nice to please someone. That said, the whole body hair maintenance thing is getting on my nerves just a bit. It takes a lot of time. So I guess I need to find the time and do it right. I have yet to shave my back. I would like that done… preferably the day before I go to Chicago on a debauchery filled weekend.

Have a debauchery filled weekend in Chicago. There is this club called Hole I have yet to get to. There is also a naughty movie theatre and a couple of glory holes I would like to check out. I have never done a glory hole in my life, but it looks fun on X-Tube. Whether the filth and smell will outweigh the adventure aspect of it all – well, I guess I need to go find that out. I would also like to go by myself and host guys at my hotel room. I’d live like a vampire and sleep during the day.

I have to start saying no to anyone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It really makes for awful sex and people who mute their lives with those kind of things tend to make poor choices, and I make enough of those all by myself. I don’t need to wake up the next day and deal with the consequences of their previous actions. That said – I need to take a firm stance re: barebacking. I toss this one around all the time – waffling back and forth. It seems sexy. Looks sexy on X-Tube and bbrts. But can I deal with the realities? Am I being a pussy? Or is common sense trying desperately to win out on this one?

I would love to report that I plan on limiting my number of sexual partners in the coming year, but sadly, the gay community will have to put up with my ass (shaved or unshaven) on the internet for yet another year. I know that if I could just find three or four guys who I clicked with and to whom I had reasonable access, I could limit my scope. Unfortunately, that just ain’t happening. The guys I do click with tend to have schedules that do not jive with my own and all we end up doing after our initial couple of fucks is email back and forth trying to ascertain a time that might work for another round of fun. So, expect more slutty stories in the coming year coming from yours truly.

I would like to be with guys who are as interested in my dick as I am in theirs.

I would like there to be more kissing in 2010.

I look forward to the summer and am already harboring fantasies about a certain bicycle enthusiast steering north on Wirth Parkway in order to come to the prairie, where we will get butt-ass naked and do nasty, pleasurable things to one another. Actually, I just want to see him naked. No, actually, I do want to do nasty, pleasurable things to him. (Hey… you get through the winter your way, I’ll get through it my way.)

By the way, I was going to do a year end tally of my sexual exploits (yes, I’ve been keeping a sex diary of sorts). However, I didn’t start the thing until March of 2009, so I will not be posting a full year of stats until then. So look for that posting in March. I recently went for 29 days without getting fucked up the ass. It was a long 29 days. That isn’t to say that my mouth was not busy during that time and I even managed to top a couple of times, but even with that lag in activity the numbers are – well, depending on your take on the whole slut thing – either awesome, awe inspiring, or really, really gross and damning.

My diet. I eat too much. I eat all the time. I want to eat all the time. I need to stop eating all the time. I need to limit my portion sizes. Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi. Shut up already. Okay, the portion size thing is something I could and will try to work on. Also the choices of what I put in my pie hole? I will also try to improve the quality of my food choices. Have you ever noticed that salads are a pain in the neck to eat and/or prepare?

I really need to spend more time with my dogs. They need to get out more. Outside – running somewhere. I need to take them with me. They need more exercise. I want them to live forever. I hate the thought of outliving them. But I could never live with the thought that I wouldn’t always be there to take care of them.

Friends. I will try to do something with one of my friends once a week. Coffee. A drink. Breakfast. Something. This weekend I am going to a birthday party for one of them. So, I think that counts.

And finally… I think I will choose a writing project to complete this year. It will probably be this musical drama thing I have been thinking about for quite some time about Swedish mermaids, a princess, a concert pianist and an psychiatric patient. Most of the music for it is written and scored. I have a half-hearted attempt at the book. It could be interesting. We’ll see.

Well, that is the state of union, for now. I have to go hit the gym. Later.