The Oracle of Apollo Snippets from the life of Apollo Lee

Goodbye, Consumating

A little while ago, Ben Brown, the founder of Consumating (my favorite social network ever), mentioned in twitter that CNET is shutting the old girl down.

According to Waxy.org, the last day is March 15.

“Though there hasn’t been an official statement from CNET on the matter, sources close to the company confirmed that the shutdown date will be March 15. Users will be able to download a data dump of their questions, answers, and other social activity as a comma-separated file.”

I’ve been a passionate daily user of Consumating since March 30, 2006. Between then and now, I’ve met lots of amazing people and made friends that I consider to be among my best friends. There were points during which I soured on the Consumating community, but we always come back together with open arms and quick jokes.

I’ll miss Consumating. It’s sad that CNET would shut it down, but I hope the teams that are trying to engineer a replacement do a good job. I’ll be there. Will you?

CrossFit Day 88

Today’s workout was a back squat workout. Since I still don’t have a barbell or the training to do the exercise with the right form, I substituted my 35 pound dumbbells for the barbell. Instead of doing five sets of three reps for max load, I’m doing five sets of ten for time. But, first, let’s do the CrossFit warmup:

Three rounds for time:

1. 30s Sampson Stretch, each side
2. 15 Overhead Squats with Broomstick
3. 15 situps
4. 15 good mornings (standing back extensions with 25# dumbbell)
5. 15 pushups
6. 15 chair dips

This was a pretty good warmup. We did squats and kettlebell swings last time, but we’re just about to do 50 squats with 70 pounds of iron on my shoulders.

Warmup: 18:18, 9:48 zone (basic); HR: 154 avg, 178 max; 221 cal

I took the squats in sets of ten, but I always set the dumbbells back on the mat after each set. Sometimes, I’d take a minute to catch my breath, but this set of work was more intense than it was difficult.

My results: 10:35, 2:45 zone (hard); HR: 164 avg, 181 max; 146 cal

Depth Charge

After today’s run, I took a shower and got ready to head up to San Francisco for Depth Charge at Levende Lounge. My friend, Sunshine Jones was headlining. I haven’t seen him for a long time, so I grabbed my new housemate and headed out.

Sunshine was just taking over the sound system when we arrived. The crowd was small, but very positive. Sunshine played some great tracks, similar to his weekly work on Sunday Soul. He performed classic Dubtribe Sound System tracks live, sang some of his newer stuff, and showered the crowd with an unmatchable passion for his music.

There were a few familiar faces in the crowd. Angelica who always passes out love like candies at a parade was there. Samantha showed up later on. Eric Sharp, who had played a set before I arrived, was still there enjoying the groove. And I was pleased to meet a few nifty people, including Corbin and Emily, a couple from one of the online communities I belong to, who had come up from Southern California for this party.

Sadly, the party ended at 2:15 or so. It was a beautiful party, full of great music and good friends.

Thanks, Sunshine.

CrossFit Day 87

Today’s workout was a 10 km run. I have done this workout twice before, on October 16 and October 19. Today, I’m exactly 20 pounds lighter than the last time I ran this 10 km distance, so I was hopeful for a big improvement in performance.

Due to the incessant barrage of rainstorms lately, the local track was mostly flooded, but was dry enough that I could still do the run. I had to sweep far to the outside on the lower side of the track, so each lap ended up being about 435 meters each. And, since I’m out here, I might as well not just run 25 laps. I decided to do the whole alphabet. 26 laps @ 435 meters each puts my distance today at 7 miles.

It was fairly chilly outside, but once I got moving, I warmed up fast. My GPS unit died (replace those damn batteries) about a third of the way through, but I had my beats and I had my stopwatch. What more do I need?

The numbers:

• Distance: 7.02 mi (5.26 km) [PR]
• Time (total): 1:03:45.36 [PR]
• 10 km mark: 56:42.57 (lap 23) [PR]
• Fast lap: 02:13.06 (26)
• Slow lap: 02:36.88 (17)
• Average: 02:27.12

My HRM: 1:03:59, 2:16 zone (hard); HR: 183 avg, 197 max; 1065 cal

CrossFit Day 86

Today’s workout was a deceptively difficult bunch of work that had me still panting half an hour after I finished. I decided to do a CrossFit warmup before the main event, just so I could make sure I was nice and loose (and to burn an extra bunch of calories). I’ve been lacking daily exercise since the storms that have been pounding California relentlessly over the last couple of weeks started, because marching to the train station is a little of a pain in the ass in high winds and heavy rains. Tomorrow will be two weeks since I made my commute on foot. Honestly, I miss it quite a bit. Maybe next week, the rains will stop.

Since the work today is upper body, I crafted a version of the official CrossFit warmup. Here’s my warmup today.

Three rounds for time:

1. 30s Sampson Stretch, each side
2. 15 Overhead Squats with Broomstick
3. 15 situps
4. 15 good mornings (standing back extensions with 25# dumbbell)
5. 15 kayak squats (air squat with torso twist)
6. 15 kettlebell swings (35# KB)

Not bad. That’s a pretty good warmup. I’ll have to vary this for the workout, but that got my blood going.

Warmup: 16:03, 5:32 zone (basic); HR: 152 avg, 183 max; 195 cal

The main workout was a barrage of upper body work that seemed much easier than it turned out to be. Here’s what I’m doing.

Three rounds for time:

1. 15 dumbbell deadlifts (2×35# DB)
2. 15 handstand pushups (knees on table, dogtag to floor)
3. 15 assisted weighted pullups (2×15# DB in backpack, pullup bar at 3 feet)
4. 15 dumbbell thrusters (2×25# DB)

The deadlifts and pushups were the fastest, the pullups and thrusters the slowest, primarily because of impending muscular failure. I really should figure out a way to get into and out of the backpack faster. But, the handstand pushups were easier than I thought they’d be. Perhaps next time, I’ll put my butt on the table and lean back and down, instead of putting my knees on the table.

My results: 19:44, 1:36 zone (hard); HR: 173 avg, 194 max; 303 cal

CrossFit Day 85

Today’s workout was “Grace”, a 30 rep set of clean & jerks. Since I don’t have a barbell setup, I decided to go ahead and attempt this one with dumbbells, after watching Annie, a CrossFit demonstrator, show how to do it with dumbbells in a video.

After my trailing foot slipped out from under me on the second rep and I smacked my knee into the ground, I decided to put the 35 pound dumbbells back under the table and go after the rest of the workout with the 30 pounders.

Unfortunately, I slipped with the other foot about halfway through the workout and thumped myself in the head and collarbone with one of those. So, I cursed a little bit, mopped up the rain-tracked floor, and grabbed the twenty-fives. I really focused on form on this workout. One of these days, I’ll get some instruction.

My results: 14:28, 2:56 zone (hard); HR: 165 avg, 189 max; 202 cal

CrossFit Day 84

Today’s workout was “Cindy”, which I did two months ago. Last time, I finished 8 rounds, but the pullups were assisted pullups. This time, I wanted to do real pullups. Setting a goal for myself of five rounds, I headed out to the park in the freezing cold.

As many rounds in 20 minutes as possible of:

1. 5 pullups
2. 10 pushups
3. 15 squats

After watching a couple of videos on the site where Adrian from CrossFit SF talks about how to do the kipping pullup, I had good ideas. I got out there, did a warmup practice round of five, and set the timer to go.

I’m still a little tender in my chest from all of the weighted pushups from Friday evening. The pushups were the most difficult because of that lingering soreness in my right pectoral muscle, but I managed to thump out seven sets. Realizing I was on the verge of equalling New Year’s Eve’s magnificent pullup total, I shoved through the extra minute I had left to complete my 40 pullups in one workout. I’m getting there.

So, the final tally: 7 rounds (35 pullups, 70 pushups, 105 squats) + 5 pullups. That, my friends, is a personal best.

My results: 20:13, 6:01 zone (hard); HR: 169 avg, 186 max; 273 cal

CrossFit Day 83

Today’s workout was “Nasty Girls”, which I’d planned to do outside, but due to a suddent violent storm, I was indoors for this one. Last time, I did assisted pullups. This time, though, I decided to go for more of a challenge. I tossed a pair of 15 pound dumbbells into a backpack and decided to substitute the assigned muscle ups for weighted pushups and weighted dips. This should be quite a workout.

Three rounds for time:

1. 50 squats
2. 28 weighted pullups
3. 28 weighted dips
4. 10 dumbbell hang power cleans (2×35# DB)

This kicked my ass. The most difficult part by far was the weighted pushups. Not only is the backpack of rubber dumbbells awkward, but I’m also not endowed with superlative upper body strength. That’s sort of why I’m doing CrossFit. I had to subdivide the pushups into 3s (sometimes 4s), and as I got more and more tired, it was increasingly difficult to get myself to go all the way down. So, some of the pushups were half-assed. The dumbbell cleans went the fastest of any of the exercises, followed by the dips.

I am confident that I will be extremely sore tomorrow, after the 150 squats, 84 weighted pushups, 84 weighted dips, and 30 hang power cleans. That’s a lot of work for a very short period of time. Official time to completion was 28:00 flat. My goal was 30.

My results: 28:26, 15:52 zone (hard); HR: 158 avg, 184 max; 365 cal

CrossFit Day 82

Today’s workout was my first workout in a week. Last Thursday, I was really sore from Filthy Fifty. Over the long weekend, there was a rainstorm and a whole bunch of Apollo making excuses. But, today, I decided to get busy with it again and stop being a little pansy. Today’s work was four rounds of the 400 meter run, followed by a 2 minute rest period after each. My route’s about 425 meters per leg. I’ve done this workout once before.

I waiting until about 11:15 pm to get ready and go out to the sidewalk to do the work. I didn’t really have a goal this time, except to beat my previous attempt. Realizing that I’ve been off it for a week, I thought my chances of vastly improving my time were minimal, but I could still go after it.

I ran well and the weather cooperated with me (it was forecast to be cold and rainy tonight). This felt pretty good and I’m glad I decided not to blow off my fifth straight scheduled workout. That’s totally bullshit and it’s time to soldier up. Hoo-ah.

Laps – (Rest Time) – Elasped

1. 01:34.18 – 02:00.32 – 03:34.50
2. 01:28.89 – 02:00.26 – 07:03.65
3. 01:30.37 – 02:00.51 – 12:08.10
4. 01:33.57 – 02:00.41 – 14:08.51

• Distance: 1700 m (1.056 mi)
• Fast lap: 01:28.89 (2)
• Slow lap: 01:34.18 (1)
• Average: 01:31.75
• This time (run): 06:07.01
• Last time (run): 06:32

My results: 14:12, 2:48 zone (hard); HR: 158 avg, 193 max; 181 cal

CrossFit Day 81

Today’s workout was the return of the 5 km run. Officially, we had a choice between running 5 km and doing the same distance on a rower. I don’t have access to the rowing machine, so off to my favorite track I went.

Last time, I was able to finish this distance in a drizzle in 28:02, so I decided to set my goal at 28:00 even. I’m getting better and better at running, with more and more endurance, so I was sure that if I kept my focus and tied my shoes right, I could break 28 minutes.

Somehow, every time I come out to run on this track, the man with the snarling mutt is always out here. If I come out to this field to do pullups and kettlebell swings, like the Filthy Fifty yesterday, he’s nowhere to be found. Weird.

I got a good kick going, pushing laps faster than 2 minutes at first, but started to slip off my pace fairly quickly. I was running my 2 mile pace instead of the three. In the middle, I sagged the pace a little bit, but gritted down and pushed harder toward the end. It was a damn good run and on the thirteen lap I realized that I could knock a whole minute off my previous time. Finish strong, Apollo. How’s this? 27:00. Yeah, a minute faster than my goal. That’s how you do that.

Laps – Elapsed

1. 01:57.02 – 01.57.02
2. 01:58.03 – 03:55.05
3. 01:57.80 – 05:52.85
4. 02:01.54 – 07:54.39
5. 02:04.78 – 09:59.17
6. 02:06.99 – 12:06.16
7. 02:12.64 – 14:18.80
8. 02:11.15 – 16:29.95
9. 02:07.47 – 18:37.42
10. 02:04.69 – 20:42.11
11. 02:09.35 – 22:51.46
12. 02:08.60 – 25:00.06
13. 02:00.58 – 27:00.64

• Distance: 3.26 mi (5.26 km)
• Fast lap: 01:57.02 (1)
• Slow lap: 02:12.64 (7)
• Average: 02:04.66

My HRM: 27:29, 17:10 zone (hard); HR: 160 avg, 197 max; 355 cal

Mental note: Make damn sure the HR Monitor strap is properly moistened so the reading is accurate. I definitely did not smash a personal best with a heart rate that low.