Daily Exercise Log March 2026

 Welcome to March 2026. It's warming, but wet.

monthly, 2026

January: https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/01/daily-exercise-log.html
February: https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/02/daily-exercise-log-february-2020.html
March: https://hobbytreat.blogspot.com/2026/03/daily-exercise-log-march-2026.html

March 22, 2026

Day 5, row (4x4)

Day 5 was the latest 'new' thing to this 12 week cycle. A six day cycle, not a five day cycle. I wanted the 4x4, and needed the day of walk/rest after. There's reasons to reassess every 12 weeks or so.

I felt slow and weak. the numbers on the rower looked better than that. nothing special, i'd guess.

After dismounting, i went to the weight bench and did 50 bench crunches. keeps my back loose.

March 21, 2026

Day 4, walk

Today is Day 4, walk. I wanted to go slow, but long.. Temp in low 30s, and wasn't snowing when i left. Started half way thru.

There's one more 'historic' leg to this path. Turn north on Paul Road, onto Westway. Walk to Chili Ave. turn left on Archer, and keep going. Adds about 1.1 miles. not today ...

March 20, 2026

Day 3, row

Difficult night kinda sleeping. Lovely quiet morning. Naturally, I silenced my 7am alarm, and fell back asleep. Off late to the gym.

All i wanted was the long, slow, easy stretch the rower provides. Still don't feel loose. Nothing 'excellent' in these numbers. Don't care for the declining tops on heart rate chart.

In the continuing effort to keep my back and front in sync, i did 30 bench crunches after the row. my brain's telling me it felt better after. well, ok then ...

March 19, 2026

Day 2, walk

Quiet evening, yesterday, as the wind finally stopped being aggressive. 32 degF on the way out. I was trying to take more time walking, and slowed accordingly. I would have received a lot more PAI points if I'd gone longer But I didn't feel like pushing it. 

I don't know how to test it, but I'm feeling older today than usual. That's not good ...

March 18, 2026

Day 1, weights

Day 1, weights. Today is week 7 of the current 12 week cycle.

The usual set list, nothing changed. Weights felt, not light, but comfortable. No doubt, again, a rest day before, leads into a 'stronger feeling' session. BG per-session were strongly normal, both for normies and me. Good day...

05_ and 09_ were both form challenging. I've done these before, and my form was extra sloppy. All of the others felt like I had to deliberately control proper form. That's not 'normal; I do wonder WTF ...

March 17, 2026

Day 6, walk/rest

Day 6 is an easy/rest day. I smoked myself on the 4x4s yesterday, and I just want rest.

March 16, 2026

Day 5, row (4x4)

Day 5, row (4x4) was 'installed' in the current 12 week cycle, along with a walk/rest day. I wanted something that was hard work and a PAI boost. really, well, not so much.

I'm pretty sure i'm running my energy systems at the edge of my capacity to do work. The issue remains my ability to work hard ('cause UNDER-muscled') and to recover. Recall, I'm old, and that is not going to get 'better'. what to do?

March 15, 2026

Day 4, walk

Day 4, walk, is a recovery day. Put down your noose, i'll hang myself instead. 30degF, damp, steady wind, heavy skies .... Spring. My finger tips got cold. Gloves? Yeah, but I prefer not. Let the cold tell my circulatory system it needs more heat ...

If the nice weather would actually show up, i'd be more inclined to wander a bit more. This day, I just needed to get thru it.

March 14, 2026

Day 3, row

Day 3, row, is intended to be a long, not hard, mostly stretch seeking session The boy inside wants to go faster and harder, and the man who'll feel any pain wants slower and steady. Yes, I'm old.

6 minutes work 1 minute slow row, over and over. The hard part is maintaining pace and form. it's all good. It must be nice....

Oh it must be nice, to spend each day in paradise

You wonder why you've never failed

Your life's a goddamn fairy tale.

Oh it must be nice, to spend each day in paradise

You wonder why you've never

failed Your life's a fucking fairy tale.

March 13, 2026

Day 2, walk

Today's walk was/is intended to support for recovery from my weights session. So, damp and mid-30s degF, off we go. I did most of my longest usual routes Utterly unexceptional.

Post weights day, I'm usually more stiff and occasionally sore. not today. Life's good ...

March 12, 2026

Day 1, weights

Today is the start of a new 6 day cycle. Nothing weighty got changed. I had the damndest hard time counting sets. Counting up to 3 used to be easier. Only issue was on 10_. Balance is important here, because I'm leaning forward, against the weight. Almost lost it on one rep, where the weight wanted to lower itself without my command and control. Whoa, baby. If I let go, the handles whip my legs and then loud noises. If I hang on, the weight stack hits me, as I get pulled backwards into racks. So, get balance back, repress the panic feel, control and lift the damned weight.

March 11, 2026

Day 5, walk.

Well, I didn't. I felt more used from the 4x4 than I prefer. It's damp/misty/raining/pouring outside kind of day as well, so I'm good with just staying home. That's always been a reasonable recovery tactic.

March 10, 2026

Day 5, row 4x4

Long story short: my sleeping patterns are not pristine, and i've not hit my time marks on bedtime and awake time for a week now, i've not felt much recovered this 6 day cycle. so awoke feeling not highly energetic, but intending to go at least row. only 1 cuppa joe on board. So, went, did this, and I feel fine.

After I got away from the rower, i went to the bench set flat, and did 30 crunches. core work/new exercise maybe

quite surprising how little i know my self ..

March 9, 2026

Day 4, walk

Day 4, walk, is a kinda recovery day, because i kinda needed that. it's fine don't quite know what happened around the 18:10 mark to jack my heart rate. could have been a cool breeze, thoughts of warm nights, or .... well, other stuff. just a slow walk.

March 8, 2026

Day 3, row

Day 3, row, is a recovery day. Which means I don't pull too hard. Just putting in the kilometers. Weather was/is dry. part clear, upper 30s low 40s..

Walking yesterday left me stiff today. the stretch from rowing is welcome.

March 7, 2026

Day 2, walk

Day 2, walk, is a recovery exercise. Tried to keep my pace down. The sky was clearing and more sunshine showed. Had to unbutton and unzip my outerwear, starting to sweat. My quads informed me that they'd rather go back home, rather than the extra mile or so down/back Archer Rd. I agreed.

The big dip in hr at about 30 minutes in was stopping to talk to my neighbors. It's all good ...

March 6, 2026

Day 1, weights

At last, Day 1, weights. I used to be somewhat reluctant to lift. Those days are well past, hopefully to never return. Even though I revised the set list, still did it wrong. Such is being semi-awake. Durations seems a bit long, but I did add weight / reps to the set.

March 5, 2026

Day 6, walk

Today is a serious recovery day. 4x4s do me good, so i need rest. I deliberately tried to go slow, got this. feeling used...

March 4, 2026

Day 5, row 4x4

Yes, this is as much fun as it looks. I woke at the sound of the 7am alarm, knowing the 4x4 was on tap. I got up anyway. Beautiful day. Nice walk to the gym, trying to suppress/defeat dread. Did OK. Stopped the tracker before it made it back to my hr reast rate. I wanted the higher average, so i effectively cheated. go me.

Happy Birthday, Debora Wuerges !!!!!!!!

March 3, 2026

Day 4, walk

Mostly ...low 20 degF to low 30 degF. was opening my coats on the way back. bone dry, mostly. the plowed 'snow barriers' opened enuf to allow some cross lot walking.

I declined the opportunity to go south on Archer Rd. enuf's enuf. Hit the 100 PAI target.

March 2, 2026

Day 3, row

Today is Day 3, row. Intended to remove / stretch recovery from residual stuff from Day 1, weights.

As is becoming usual, I pressed the wrong thing from the tracker drop down, and got strength training. Good thing I can see better w/ my glasses on.

Nothing special. Except for the 10 degF outside ...

March 1, 2026

Day 2, walk

Temp was 20 degF, which is a pivot point for me. Cold enuf for my parka, but I REALLY wanted the PAI points. So, I wore my shirt jac over my hoodie. Yes, I got cold. No, I didn't get a lot of PAI points. Also, wore my Xero shoes, because they make my feet feel better.