Child's Play

I slept in on Sunday. On Saturday I had a wonderful day with David and Derek, we went to Santana Row. I had an appointment with Natalia at Atelier to have my bangs trimmed so the boys had a glass of champagne and waited. 

I said it would only take 15 minutes, but she was feeling creative or maybe it was the fact we were on display in the window, so she straightened my hair, it took a half hour but looked sleek and silky.


We then met at the bar at Left Bank and ordered a bottle of Champagne as we waited for a table outside, it was glorious weather. A waitress came up and started talking to me, asking me if I frequented another restaurant. I didn't, and she said she recognizes me. We chatted for a bit and she left all smiles. 


"Sister" says Derek, "She was flirting with you!" "Ha ha, yes I could tell!" I responded. We sat down outside, brought our champagne with us, and somehow she ended up being our waitress, and a darn good job she did too! I had a wonderfully healthy and delicious Salad Nicoise. Seared Ahi tuna, avocado, radishes, butter lettuce, anchovies, hard cooked egg, green beans, tomatoes, red peppers and a bit of tapenade and olive oil. I also enjoyed some of their wonderful truffled french fries.

Later David and I went out to dinner, so it was a long day and evening of good food and drink, so when I rolled over and looked at the alarm clock Sunday and it was 4:00 a.m. I realized I was only punishing myself by getting up so early, I switched it off and woke at 6:20, then headed to the gym for Back training.


I went up on all my weights, just as I predicted I would! I felt strong and excited. But my weights took me an hour and a half, and I wanted to get to the Farmers Market for eggs so I decided to skip my conditioning and I would do something later. Anyway, studies have proven that working out much longer than an hour is more detrimental than beneficial.


At 2:30 I decided to head across the street to run sprints on the track. I first hit the stadium stairs, running up and down several times for a warm up, then off to the track. I am a very fast sprinter, I can go like lightening, but not for long, I guess that's what sprinting is huh?


I sprinted the straight, then walked the curve. I did this four times and then at the beginning of the straight I see some kinds, they are trying to talk to me. I pull my earbuds out and say hi to them.


"Are you gonna run?" says the middle girl, she is about 9 I guess. I said yes and the little one, who appears to be about 6 jumps up and down "we wanna see you run!!!" I pop my buds back in and run the straight as fast as I can, then I walk the curve. I run the next straight and I see the girls run across to meet me at the end. I walk as they jump up and down beside me. 


At the start of the next straight is a boy now, along with the two little girls and big sister. I think the big sister is about 14 and the boy about 12. 


The 14 year old wants to talk, I pull out my earbuds. "We wanna see if my brother can run as fast as you, he wants to race you." "Oh, I am sure he can run faster, I am old." "No you aren't she exclaims." "I am 50." I say, and I hear them all gasp.


We line up. I tell them I will not be able to hear anything with my music in, so when he starts I will then start. I see her mouth the words "On your mark, get set, go!" and off he goes, I quickly take off and after 20 yards have easily passed him.  At the end of the straight I turn to look, he appears to have quit halfway through. I walk the curve and sprint the next straight.


Now there is another girl waiting with the other kids, she is older, maybe 16, so there are now five kids standing staring at me.


"You smoked my little brother." says the 14 year old. "Yeah, I did." 


"We wanna see if my older sister can run as fast as you." "OK!" Again, I tell them I cannot hear so I will start when I see her take off.


We start and it takes me 10 yards before I can pass her, then my adrenaline is surging through my body, I take off like a bullet. I end at the curve and look back, they are all jumping up and down, waving at me. I think they want to race more, but I am done, I have had enough fun.


I look at them and wave, and jog up the stairs out of the bowl, and home.


I had fun, it reminded me of what being a kid was like again. I will have to find some other kids to race again soon.

Cardio

Which one of these athletes bodies appeals to you? The fellow on the left is a long distance runner, the fellow on the right, a sprinter.

The choice is quite easy for me, the long distance, marathoner look is not what I like on me or anyone else. It looks haggard, unhealthy, old, tired, weak, frail, not strong at all.

The sprinter? Holy Cow! Now that's a body! This guy is what women must be naturally attracted to, when they are unconsciously looking for a mate- strong, virile, healthy, protective, full of energy.


Now if you are a woman, consider  these two athletes:

Again, the marathoner looks anything but healthy. 


Keep the bodies in mind when you plan your cardio. Do you hit the gym and all you ever do is an hour or even longer on a cardio machine? I did that when I was injured and could not train. 


That's the key- I did it only because I needed some form of activity to ensure I didn't blow up like a balloon. But keep in mind I had been lifting weights and lifting heavy for ages, I had nice big full muscles starting out.


People who only do cardio and do not lift weights will never look good, at least not what I consider "looking good" which is fullness in the body, so you have solid muscle over the bones, with taught skin across the muscles.


Endless, slow cardio will just eat away at your body producing an emaciated look, like our marathoners in the pictures above. You must stop doing this!


If you want to burn calories, then consider training more like a sprinter. I happen to live directly from a rubberized track, so I go out there and Fartlek which means I jog the ends and sprint the straights. Great exercise, really good work out, burns tons of calories and makes your butt look great!




Check out these glutes, these women didn't get to be looking this way by running marathons I can tell you that!

Ah, what legs too!

You can do this type of training on a machine, like an elliptical or a treadmill. Just program it to intervals. I watch one woman at the gym do it on the stairmill, blows me away every time. 

Long, slow and steady may win the race, but it won't win the beauty contest!