Yeah!

Today is a hot day, high of 32 C.  It was about 22 when we got out this morning, and humid, plus I'm having an off-day (oddly enough, I'm often forewarned by a certain dream theme, and such has been the case today) so we walked.

And then I got on the TM, loaded an appropriate lecture (I've started two new courses), and jogged for 80 minutes.

Then legs and the daily double.  Let's talk about legs a bit; not much to say except that I tried out the 50 lb dumbbells on deadlifts, with mixed but promising results.  3 reps seems to be the ticket--I tried a fourth one set, and it was just a little too much.  I got a little twinge in my neck (gone now).  However, the major limitation is my grip strength.  Admittedly, my gloves were actually my husband's, and thus they're large for my hands, but the extra material hasn't been too much of a complication until now.   But my hands are fundamentally weak.  One, they were frostbitten when I was 17; two, I spent umpteen years developing finesse/speed to the apparent detriment of strength while studying harpsichord.  However, I'll get used to it.   Having 35 lbs on the dumbbells was an awkward grip at first, but now I don't notice it.

Plus, though the new plates have holes too wide for the dumbbells, they probably will be fine if sandwiched between dumbbell plates, and thus I can have the intermediary 40 and 45 lbs.   Actually, I was considering putting 40 lbs on them today, but this was at the end of my workout when 50 lbs was tiring, and likewise simple math.  At first, I correctly thought that, oh, 2(10 lbs) + 4(5 lbs) = 40 lbs, and then I erroneously reconsidered that I would end up with 50 lbs.  Such fatigue-generated stupidity is intriguing, and I have countless examples...at any rate, I think I will go to 40 lbs for my deadlifts next time so that I can concentrate on form more.  50 lbs was pretty much "oh, man, straight back, just get 'em up." 

The ultimate soup is waiting for me.   Leftover veggie improv happens at least weekly here, and it turns out fine whatever goes in, but yesterday's creation is one for the memoirs.  I roasted some tomatoes and cabbage with garlic, olive oil, and garlic, and then I threw that into the crock pot with dehydrated tomatoes and mushrooms, beans, chili flakes, Persian seasoning (I forget what it's called, except that it's not za'atar, one of my mainstays), and ume shiso.  Somehow it wound up perfectly balanced, and I will be eating it for the next couple of days blissfully.  If I had a different disposition, its eventual disappearance might inspire melancholy and/or an obsession to recreate it (even if there was a recipe, there would still be so many variables), but since I dislike repeating household chores in general, I will enjoy approaching this sublime level from future ever-changing avenues.