Monday, January 9, 2012

Budget body

This blog post, I am sharing with you now, more from a certain pressure to perform, than from a full-on inspired state. I have been feeling the guilt as my own fav. blog, myhappyhive, has blown out three potty-mouthed posts in the last week, shaming me to action with her crappy crafting.

In my exuberance to re-enter the competitive class, I have found that there is a little housekeeping to be done beyond the simple shave-and-tickle. To prevent serious injury and therefore setback, I have implemented a plan of core and strength exercise so that I can walk after working out.  Since I cannot justify the green involved in a trip over to Momentum Fitness, I have instead elected a "Rocky" approach that is both manlier and low budget.

I kicked off this new tangent toward in-home honing with a stop off at Helena Industries thrift store. I may have made the trip in order to solve one of the problems that has been plaguing me as of late (see top photo).
This is seriously my entire glove collection
So I didn't find any righties, but I did stumble across two low-budget pieces of fitness equipment that have got me rolling right. The first deals primarily with an incredible weakness of the groin-ish area that has rendered me unable to do a number of not-so-important activities, the breaststroke for example, and also walking and moving downhill.  My solution was a knock-off model of the Thighmaster, made so famous by aging Threes'-Company starlet Suzanne summers in the 1990s. This one feels like a real treasure, though after a week of use, I fear that it may be a little too much due to ridiculous spring strength. 
The main problem is not the actual squeezing, but issues surrounding the uncontrolled action of  flinging your knees apart upon recoil. If only I hadn't passed up the real deal those 1,857 times as I watched the commercial as a pre-teen.

My second purchase was a far superior investment, being a $1.00 bowling ball with bag. I'm predicting its weight at about 13 lbs. and am pleased to report that my new medicine ball is drilled custom for someone with hands identical to my own.

Though I have been doing well with my diet and exercise, having dropped from 180+ to 174 pounds as measured this week, the only thing making me feel somewhat Rocky-esque are the new mittens thrifted by my very own Adriane at the same locale.
Just 14 weeks until my first bout with Apollo, the 30th annual Grizzly Triathlon. After an atypical 13th place last year, I'm to need some impressive early-season fitness to impress race officials by raceday. 

2 comments:

  1. Jeff, you inspire me! Have you had your eggs-in-a glass for breakfast? (Yuck).
    Let me know if you have any more fitness equipment needs. I will keep my eyes peeled for you at my thrift stores!
    BTW, Betsy looks great, too!
    Hugs, Laurie

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  2. Send me the fake thighmaster immediately. I have many activities that require ridiculous spring strength.

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