As Patrick says, 'Peak' Condition indeed!

No numbers, no numbers, no numbers...

One of the 'unfortunate' consequences of my PCP? Finding pants that are a good fit! When the waist is perfect, the thighs are too fitted and when the thighs are perfect, the waist is too big! *laughs* Ah well, it could be worse :P

I checked my grades earlier today to find that marks for the second portion of the summer session had been posted. Remember the Great Moments in Astronomy course I feared that I was in danger of failing, preventing my ability to graduate this fall? Well the god of bell curves must have smiled upon me, because I received a 70! Not exactly a grade to be boast of, but a relief nonetheless! The final had been worth 50% of my final grade so it was was certainly one of those 'make me or break me' situations.

I had initially considered completing another half credit course this fall because I had had the professor instruct another of my courses and was impressed, however $650 seems a bit of a steep price to be completing additional course work when I now have all the necessary credits to graduate, even if it might boost my GPA. Perhaps the money would be better spent towards CELTA certification to aid my chances in being accepted for the JET Programme...

I was speaking to my personal trainer yesterday about having to look for employment now that my studies are complete, and he recommended that I apply for position at the gym. It wasn't too long ago that I never thought I'd ever hear those words in conjunction *laughs*

I'm back, safe and sound, from my adventures in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I thought about writing this as a concluding entry for my PCP, but... I climbed the summit of Mt. Jefferson! ...by myself! ...in the thunder and rain! The latter is what had me worried the most, especially since I hadn't done any hiking in mountainous areas before, but I knew that I wouldn't get the chance to push myself in that way for a long while and just kept going... and it helped that the an optical illusion made the summit appear closer than it really was. I would have liked to have had the opportunity to hike up to the summit of Mt. Washington as well, but my aunt wouldn't have had the stamina or dexterity for it... and enough people perish there as it is (the same number as Mt. Everest) for me to consider another solo expedition.

So... I won't have a super-amazing body by the end of my PCP, but I have realized that I am capable of greater feats than I imagine for myself, and that's a great point of motivation to push myself towards ever greater advancements.

Another quick update before I leave for a week long adventure in the White Mountains of New Hampshire (back next Sunday). I've updated my Flickr account with some pictures taken this morning. Happy Birthday to me!

The x-rays I had taken of my wrist came back last week and revealed no signs of breakage or fracture. I visited a sport medicine doctor this morning and he believes that I have suffered a Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) injury, treatable initially by physiotherapy (which I can't afford) and good 'ol ice, and later injections or surgery if necessary. It hasn't been bothering me very much lately, so I'll stick with the ice for now and see how things go.

That's it for now, gotta get some food in me!

Things are bit on the hectic side for me at the moment... spent most of yesterday studying for an exam on Tuesday evening, all of today studying for an examination earlier this evening, and will be spending all of tomorrow and the aforementioned examination in the evening... the goal is in sight, here's hoping I don't trip over the finish line :)

I've been subscribing to a number of Jvlogs (Japan-related vlogs) on Youtube in preparation for my move there next year and stumbled across this gem:

This weekend I will be preparing for examinations on Monday and Tuesday evening for my 'Introduction to Psychology' and 'Great Moments In Astronomy' courses respectively. Hard to believe in less than a week I will have completed all coursework for my undergraduate degree, and all that will be left will be to wait for my convocation ceremony this November. Real world, here I come!

So, I've made no attempt to keep secret my separation from my partner... and have been content to live my days of late as a single person. We spoke a few weeks back over the telephone (he's currently in Argentina) and he told me that he would like to work things out. I had a suspicion way back that this might happen, and it was for this reason that I disclosed the reasons for our separation to my friends and family... so that if we did decide to give things another go, I would have to feel so sure about it that I would be willing to subject myself to the embarrassment of returning to a partner that played me like a fool... and yet as my father used to say, "It takes two to tango" and I must bear some responsibility for allowing our relationship to head in the direction it did. I dunno, I guess this is one of those situations that comes along with adulthood. It's not always the house with the white picket fence...

In other news, I've grown a bit keen on a magazine my aunt introduced me to entitled 'Clean Eating.' Lots of interesting recipes and even 14 day menus to work from. I think I'll give it a go come this fall post-PCP. Speaking of PCP, I feel... happier in my body. Between injuries (sports medicine appointment next Thursday for my wrist) and other other matters, I'm no Ryan Reynolds but I think that I'm heading in the right direction for me.

...and lastly, my libido went wonky the other day! A cute Japanese guy with a lip ring just set me off, which is unusual because I don't typically imagine myself going for asian guys... but I was just ready to pounce! This is probably good for me, because my libido has gone through periods where I have had little interest in initiating relations (what a strange term *laughs*) with my partner. Still have no immediate interest in being in a relationship, as I don't think it would be fair to the other person, when a few question marks remain concerning my prior relationship...

A few of you may be relieved to hear that I visited Mountain Equipment Coop yesterday and, after receiving the assistance of a staff member, purchased a bike helmet, white front light (very nearly blinded myself testing it out), bell, and reflective leg strap (no more tearing apart my pant legs!).

My aunt and I completed a 14 km hike along the Bennett Heritage Trail this afternoon, spotting Queen Anne Lace (aka Wild Carrot), Jewelweed, Poison Ivy, and Wild Raspberries (delicious!). I also brought along some oatmeal and quinoa porridge that my aunt had prepared earlier in the morning. We had planned to do some kayaking tomorrow but it being a long weekend and knowing the crowds that would await us, those plans were short lived.

I had x-rays taken of my wrist earlier this afternoon. My doctor should receive the results by the middle of next week for forwarding to the sports medicine clinic I have an appointment with the week after.

I nearly died yesterday evening traveling home from campus on my bike. An ambulance with its sirens a blazin' crossed my path at an intersection (I had the green), and I guess I must have hit the breaks too suddenly or too little with my back wheel because it rose up into the air and sent my flying over the handlebars into the intersection. I may go back to traveling by foot if this keeps up... that or break down and finally buy that helmet!

I'm meeting my aunt this evening after she finishes work, and traveling with her back to my hometown for the weekend. We've planned for a 15 km hike tomorrow and a birthday BBQ for my cousin (her son) on Monday... perhaps mine as well since my birthday is on the 12th. I haven't been too huge on celebrating my birthday in the past few years... I'm usually content with a BBQ'd steak (I'm a man of simple pleasures I guess).

I'm feeling pretty good today!

Completed my workout in the morning, haven't skipped any meals thus far, and even had time to run some errands with a close friend of mine before she departs for a month abroad in Oxford. I'll be ducking out of class a bit early this evening to join a new friend of mine for a rock musical-type production on campus.

I'm looking forward to heading back to my hometown this Saturday to join my aunt for a 15 km hike... we'll need to the practice if we're to survive the the White Mountains trip planned for the end of August. My cousin (her son)'s birthday is on Monday so I'll be returning once more for steak and cake, though I promise my fellow PCPers to avoid the cake :P

Oh... and when I visited the salon this afternoon to have my hair cut, the owner complimented me on my physical appearance. She's known me for about six years now... back then I looked pretty Skeletor-ish *laughs*

I'm experiencing some difficulty organizing my thoughts at the moment, so I will keep this particular entry brief.

My trip to NYC this past weekend was much of the same of those in prior years... NYC is one of those cities that are enjoyable enough to visit for the weekend, but not one that I would consider living in at this stage of the game of life. The convention I had planned on attending was cancelled due to swine flu alarmism, so most of the weekend was spent shopping and eating more poorly than I would care to admit. In the end, as is usual for me, I was happy to return back to my side of the U.S.-Canada border (our border staff seem much friendlier!).

If the gentlemen on the evening news is to believed, people who have experience divorce or the death of a partner are 20% more likely to suffer chronic health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, cancer...

I visited my doctor yesterday afternoon, who suggested that I have an x-ray taken of my wrist and then visit a sports medicine-type person afterwards to see what can be done. I'm looking forward to resolving this one way or another once and for all.

Yesterday evening I attended the farewell gathering for one of my closest friends, who will be moving to South West England to begin a new life with her fiance. I spent the night at her place, which gave us the chance to ease into our goodbyes and such. I hope to see her again soon for this fall's Oktoberfest in Munich...

I'm leaving Toronto for NYC this evening and won't be back until Monday morning. I'm looking forward to visiting my place that is more chaotic than the inside of my mind :)

For the love of god, I just hurt my previously sprained wrist AGAIN! Booked an appointment with the doctor for Thursday... I'm suspecting a sprain shouldn't have taken this long to heal properly...

Oh, and I purchased a mountain bike from a friend of mine that will be emigrating to the England next week. So rather than walk the 25-30 minutes to campus (usually at a moderately brisk pace), I'm now getting perhaps a bit more of an intense workout getting there in 15 minutes. The seat needs some adjustment, as I think it's putting a bit too much strain on the area leading up to my knees. Another thing I've noticed is that both cyclists and drivers alike are pretty careless on the road... makes me think that purchasing a helmet should be on my list of priorities!

Day 49

I visited the gym this afternoon for the first time in what seems a long while. Here's a breakdown:

Five minute warmup on the Elliptical

Leg Press

1 set x 15 reps 90 lb

1 set x 15 reps 270 lb

1 set x 15 reps 360 lb

1 set x 12 reps 450 lb

* probably could have gone up to 540 lb but would have needed someone to spot me.

Standing Calf Raises

1 set x 15 reps 115 lb

1 set x 15 reps 155 lb

1 set x 15 reps 195 lb

Leg Extensions

1 set x 15 reps 60 lb

1 set x 15 reps 75 lb

1 set x 15 reps 90 lb

Leg Curls

1 set x 15 reps 50 lb

1 set x 15 reps 60 lb

1 set x 12 reps 70 lb

Hip Flexors

1 set x 15 reps 100 lb

1 set x 15 reps 120 lb

1 set x 15 reps 140 lb

Hip Abductors

1 set x 15 reps 70 lb

1 set x 15 reps 90 lb

1 set x 15 reps 110 lb

Sitting Calf Raises

1 set x 15 reps 60 lb

1 set x 15 reps 80 lb

1 set x 15 reps 100 lb

5 minute cooldown on the Elliptical followed by lower body stretches.

A few days ago, Sean wrote that he takes criticism to heart, but blows off compliments... and after reading this, I realized that I do much of the same. It's left me wondering where this habit began...

Last Thursday evening, I visited joined some friends for a Vietnamese-themed dinner party, spring rolls are delicious! A close friend of mine that joined us prepared a low-glycemic blueberry crumble in my honour. I'm realizing that a part of making good food choices is spending time with friends that make them as well... Looking back on my PCP thus far, a few of my poorer selections have been with one person in particular.

Just waiting on my steel cut oats to cool down so I eat breakfast...

In an effort to improve upon the diversity within my vegetable intake, I'm started making big-ass salads containing an assortment of good-for-you's... including broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers (assorted colors), bean sprouts, tomatoes, carrots, canned tuna (skipjack), goat cheese... I find that the juice of the tomatoes and some of the other ingredients provides enough moisture that a salad dressing is unnecessary. Balsamic vinaigrette would otherwise be a good option, but the sulphites that it contains don't agree with me...

I'm feeling a bit smoother 'round the edges as of late, likely owing the the apartment being much quieter in Cesar's absence. He sent me an email from Argentina last night... more of the same lies/excuses (the distinction is no longer clear to me). I found I couldn't formulate a reply that I was happy with so I chose not to. In hind sight, it's probably best that I not allow myself to get hooked back into familiar patterns. What's done is done.

I've started spreading the word that I'll be leaving for Japan for a year beginning next August if I'm accepted into the JET Programme. To give me an extra edge application-wise, I've decided to begin volunteering my time at the Japan Foundation here in Toronto, from whom a letter of reference should be worth it's weight in gold... wait... a sheet of paper doesn't weight very much...

Strange dreams: a crappy workout at the gym, a game over playing Super Mario World for the SNES, footage of Lady Gaga performing her singles to date...