Revamped proposal for Vol. III sent to Putnam

After inputs from agents. Now up to almost 20 pages.

Still feels good, like a book only I can write and a book I should write.

I'll take the kidney stone attacks as a good sign, given my history ....

Worked out like crazy today, doing anything I could to trigger some action. It's a weird but kinda fun grind. Very Jeckel and Hyde though: you're great in the day and then it comes in the night. Still, I love being around my family, and I like the concentrated bouts of writing. I really could live at home full time and just write every day. I see why authors like it.

Fear not, though. I have my next trip already planned for next week, and just landed my first big speaking gig (big, as in, paying) for the fall. It's just fun being around the house when everyone's home. If it wasn't for bugs, summer would be perfect.

Comments

[zenpundit]

"Worked out like crazy today.."

Glad to see you are up and around.

This is outside the usual subject matter for our circle of blogs, but what kind of exercise routine are you doing, anyway ?

[Tom Barnett]

I have a Precor elliptical trainer, which is expensive, but really worth it. The pan upon which the leg extensions roll moves up and down very smoothly and angles just so that you never--whether you're going very steep and basically running a stairmaster or going very low and basically emulating XX skiing--lift your heel, thus minimum knee strain. I know, because I've used the machine very hard during periods of knee strain and not only do I not hurt my knee, it actually helps.

My advanced Precor has no arm action. Precor said they studied and found no real additional value in the arm pumping action--just a hangover from the original XX skiing design.

On the Precor, which I use every morning, I do a one-minute warm-up (forward), then very-high incline 4-minute forward, followed by one-minute easier (lower incline, lower resistance), then switch to backward high-incline for four minutes, then minute rest, and I repeat this three more times, progressively moving the incline down and the resistance up. End with five-minute cool down. It's a fabulous workout where you can go very hard and your knees feel nothing afterward.

That's for aerobics.

I do the Bowflex with my wife for muscle work. Do 30 exercises at 20 reps each. Focus mostly on upper body since Precor covers lower.

What is missing?

Gotta get to the yoga for stretching and peace of mind.

But I love these two machines and use them regularly. Both cost, but both were worth it.

Beyond that I golf and occasionally run distance with older son (fall and spring).

[zenpundit]

Very interesting. The lack of ballistic impact combined with blood flow would definitely be better for the knee ( though, oddly, some plyometrics can help joints as well, provided the cartilage hasn't degenerated)

"I do the Bowflex with my wife for muscle work. Do 30 exercises at 20 reps each. "

After I ripped my bicep tendon off the bone a few years ago and finished post-surgical rehab, I had to begin training again with 100 rep sets for a couple of months before easing into normal poundages. Ever since, I have kept my first 3-4 sets in the 20-40 rep range before going heavy. Once you hit middle-age the soft tissue simply isn't as elastic anymore and the warm-up has to be thorough.