Broke the 170 Pound Barrier!

5 pounds from Goal Weight

It has been over 20 years since I last weighed below 170 pounds.  When I started this quest at almost 189 pounds - being less than 170 seemed out of reach.  I was stuck at 173 for almost 3 weeks and I was getting a bit discouraged.  This morning I was elated.

I LOVE being 20 pounds lighter.  I can really feel a difference in how i feel.  My body is now over 10% lighter and a lot stronger than it was when I started this quest.  I have more energy - I sleep better and overall I feel much better than I have in a very long time.

My goal weight is 165 pounds.  At this weight I should be able to manipulate my body into a "Pike" position.  This will facilitate me spinning during somersaults.  My beer belly prevented any attempt at this position a few months ago.  The beer belly is a thing of the past.  I am finally getting flexible enough to fold myself in half.

So - what I am most looking forward to when I hit my goal weight?   An ice cold Bell's Two Hearted Ale.  165 cannot come soon enough!

My daughter Brighid is one of the main reasons that I have decided to
revisit diving.  She has practice three days a week with Montgomery Dive Club which uses the Montgomery County pools as their base of operations.  Three afternoons a week I leave work in D.C. to travel back to Potomac to pick her up at my home.  From there we ride to Germantown for 90 minutes of practice from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

There was an "open swim" on Tuesday evening after her practice.  I decided I would suit up and try some dives on my own.  The more time I get to spend on the board - the easier the progress will be.  I was finally feeling better after a rough few days of being sore.

I spent about an hour diving with Brighid - her acting as my coach.  The diving is still rusty - but I am feeling as if I can really do this.  There may be a lot of sore muscles between me and my goal, but my confidence is getting high.

I am ready for my second session with the coach on Thursday.

OUCH!

Yes, the title is self explanatory.  Although I was sore the day after my first practice - I am almost immobilized today.  Was it the tumbling with the teenagers during warm up?  Was it the diving?  I am not sure what caused the soreness - but man - I am hurting.

While I trained for 2 months to prepare my body for my first day back on the board - I did not prepare enough.  I lost 15 pounds and gained a whole lot of muscle in the last 2 months - but there were obviously some muscles I missed.  My neck and shoulders are killing me.  While I thought I was past the training pain - I now realize I have some more time to go before I start feeling normal again.

Rather than sit around and hope the aches would go away - I went to the gym to stretch out.  There is a machine there that looks like some kind of mid-evil torture device.  It is a metal cage without any moving parts that has been fabulous in getting me somewhat limber.  After spending an hour at the gym - I felt a little bit better.   I certainly has some of my range of motion back.  The aches were still there. I only hope that I can recover quickly and be able to get back on the board sooner rather than later.

I think if the teenagers I dove with Thursday saw me now - they would be smiling.

WOW - First Day At the Pool....

When I arrived at the pool last night - I was walking towards the stairs following the crowd of swimmers and divers heading to the locker room to suit up for the next practice sessions.  As I was approaching the stairs - the young girl at the desk stopped me and said that parents were not allowed in the locker room or on the pool deck during practice.  What?  I turned and asked her what she was talking about - and she pointed me towards the observation deck and said that parents have to wait upstairs.  When I told her I was here to DIVE - she looked at me quizzically and said...  "Oh!  So sorry!"

As I continued down the stairs to the locker room - I noticed that I was at least 30 years older than most of the other "kids" in the stairwell.  At that point the lightbulb switched on in my brain - I am not the typical participant in this group of athletes.

As I dressed and put my clothes in the locker - I was instantly brought back to my college years.  Everyday I was doing this at the pool.  Chlorine smell, humid air and the clang of locker doors were daily reminders that practice was about to begin.  As I clanged my locker shut - I anxiously walked out to the pool deck.  In a little over an hour - I would know if I can really do this.

As I walked over towards the boards, I could not see anyone that would be a likely candidate for Masters Diving.  There were a lot of high school kids - and I was wondering if I had my day correct.  As I went to the gymnastic mats to start to stretch - I saw another guy in his 40's that was doing the same thing.  I asked him if he was here for Masters Class - and he said yes.  He seemed relieved that there was someone else there - as was I.  Our adventure was about to begin.

We were the only two "adults" that were there.  Since there were so few Masters Divers they had merged us with a high school class.  It was funny to watch the kids faces as they tried to figure out what the "old" guys were doing.  I learned pretty quickly that the high school warm up routine was not going to work for me.  At least not right away.  The warm up almost killed me.  Tumbling and extensive stretching were not being easily accepted by my limbs.

When we finished out stretching and walked over to the boards - we took a lot of time to work on the boards and re-learn our hurdles.  Surprisingly - the hurdle came back pretty quickly.  My required dives also were pretty good.  I think I turned a few heads of the younger divers.  Many were wide eyed as I got out of the pool as their assumptions changed.  Maybe the "old guy" actually can dive.

While the easier required dives went very well - the optional dives were not nearly as impressive. Although I was pleased with my results last night - it also illustrates how far I have to go.  Rock On !

Getting Nervous...

Diving Well with Towers

It has been a long time since I have been genuinely anxious about anything trivial.  I generally have a philosophy of only worrying about things I have control over.  Life is too short to lose sleep about things that are not really important.

With that said - I am not sure how I can categorize my return to the springboard.  I have worked very hard to prepare for getting back in the pool.  The last 2 months of running, gym workouts and mental preparation somehow do not seem to be enough.  After 31 years of being off the board - I really wonder if I can do it.

My first session with a coach is Thursday evening.  I am really excited about going to class - and see what Masters Diving is all about.  Will there be anyone else my age there?  Am I going to be the only one?  All this will soon become clear.  When I told my daughter I was nervous - she rolled her eyes.  I was quickly reminded that EMPATHY is not easily doled out by teens.  Especially from your own kids.

So with that said - I am anxiously looking forward to my first pool session at the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center.  

Week Seven - Feeling Fabulous!

After hitting a plateau for a few weeks - it seems as though I am back on track and making progress.

I lost two pounds last week - and can really feel my body changing.  My slacks are getting baggier - and I suspect that next week I will amend my graphic to show a 33 inch waist.

Although I am not super happy having to go out and purchase more pants - it will be exciting to throw away the old and bring in the new.

My workouts are going well.  I can feel myself getting stronger - and my trainer Ed is pushing me just a little bit further than I feel I can go.  For a trainer - that is the highest compliment you can pay - right?  He gets it.  Maybe even more than I do.

My gut is almost gone.  I can feel as though I have abdominal muscles once again.  I actually may be ready for my debut in the pool with my new Masters coach on the 17th.  Am I allowed to be both excited and nervous at the same time?

Off to work.  I am not sure how I am managing to fit in working full time and training the way I am.  I hope that I can continue to swing it - and I am less than a year away from the National Masters Competition in Colorado Springs.  Bring it on.....

HUMILITY - Learning Every Day

My ego was very quickly smacked into submission on Tuesday.  I met with Ed, my trainer – who immediately told me I was making great progress in my workout regime.  As my head swelled – I was ready to supplement my workout with some additional exercises to strengthen my upper body and arms.

Overall – the workout went very well.  Ed kept me away from the machines that I seem to lean towards –and back toward core resistance and pushups.  I got through all he threw at me – and felt pretty good after the hour appointment.  As the day wore on – I started to feel the lactic acid building in my upper body and arms.  I knew I was in for a rough day on Wednesday – and I was not mistaken.

Wednesday morning I found it difficult to even lift my arms above my head.  The soreness was not debilitating – but a visit back to reality after 2 weeks of thinking I was beyond the intense soreness that I experienced at the start of my program in late July.  Just another reminder of what a long road I face.

I forced myself to walk three miles last night.  I really would have preferred not to – but felt that the activity would loosen me up and make it easier to get back into the gym later this afternoon.  I think the activity did me good.  I am feeling a lot better this morning.  Although I am still a bit stiff and sore – it seems as though my muscles have recovered from the tough Tuesday workout.

Coincidently – I am having lunch with a good friend I have not seen in many years.  Jim and I were divers together at St. Bonaventure from 1978-1980.  It will be nice to see him after all these years.  It has probably been 20 years – and it will be nice to catch up.

Onward and upward – just one step closer to the goal.