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TnT's Workout Blog

"Are you guys runners? You look like runners.
They are my favorite kind of people."
 - Christy Shimp
@ Sun 30/03/2008
Course Piispanoja - Ahopää - Kiilopää - Muotkan maja - Kakslauttanen
Distance 15K
Time 2:30
Comments This is an awkward day. It is very warm, around +6 degrees of celsius, and at the sunny spots even as much as +15C. Weatherwise everything is perfect for an outdoor life, but the conditions are very bad for skiing. The skis are either very slippery, uncontrollably sliding back and forth, or they do not go anywhere, but gather a slump of snow to the bottom. We are brave and climb the Ahopää fell mostly walking the skis up. It does not help that we have a strong head wind. However, because of the very warm temperature, the wind does not make us miserable. The way down on the northern slope of the fell is very fast on the icy tracks.

We have to finish early since Tei's flu, probably caught from Tomi's father who's been sick for all our stay, is catching up. We only skied 15 kilometers today but because of the slippery skiing conditions it feels we did at least double of that.
@ Sat 29/03/2008
Course Saariselkä - Lutto - Kuukkelilampi - Palo-oja - Saariselkä
Distance 31.2K
Time 6:00:00
Comments The weather forecast tells there is going to be a big winter storm so we anticipate a heavy downfall at any time. Instead, the sun comes out a little before noon. Today's route follows the Lutto river and we have some most peaceful and comfortable skiing until we start the climb to Palopää fell. We stretch the comfort zone somewhat as we struggle the strong head wind. The ski tracks have been wiped out by the wind, and there are not many marks of other skiers either. When we hit the flatland the snow storm starts.
@ Fri 28/03/2008
Exercise Crosscountry skiing
Course Rumakuru - Luulampi - Kiilopää
Distance 27.3K
Time 5:40:00
Comments We spend a few days at Tomi's parents in Saariselkä. Our first day starts with -12 degrees celsius and the sun shining from the clear blue sky. The temperature climbs six centrigrades during the day.
@ Fri 28/03/2008
@ Tue 25/03/2008
Exercise BodyPump
Time 60:00
Comments I tried some heavier weights in back exercise: it was ok for the back, but not for my hands.The same thing with the squats: I can't hold up heavy enough weights on my shoulders to make it effective for tighs.

This was the last group exercise for a week. On Thursday we'll fly to Lapland and spend a few days skiing. You may get a glimpse of us here.
@ Mon 24/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Pirkkola
Distance 5.5K
Time 28:46
Comments Ave 145, -1C, sunny, some clouds. Since we have a thin layer of snow on the ground, I decided to run in my trail running shoes. It was a mistake. My calves started cramping, so we had to stop prematurely and walk home. I am going to buy new winter/trail running shoes this week.
@ Sat 22/03/2008
Exercise Irish dance
Time 2:00:00
Comments Despite the Easter holiday the classes were full or almost full. We rehearsed again the soft shoe and hard shoe reel steps. In the intermediate class we mostly did technique, which is nice for a change. Next week we won't have a class, since all the instructors will be participating in the European Open Irish Dancing Championship in Germany. A week after that we will switch from Terhi to Nadia.
@ Fri 21/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Huopalahti - Otaniemi - Munkkivuori
Distance 21.54K
Time 2:11:51
Comments Ave 131, max 147, -2C, sunny. Another gorgeous day for a long run. A 2.5-kilometer stretch of our route followed a causeway over a swampy coastline of the Laajalahti inlet. I accidentally dropped my gloves to the water while blowing my nose, so I had to run barehanded the rest of the way.
@ Thu 20/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Haaga - Pirkkola
Distance 7.04K
Time 38:49
Comments Ave 147, -1C, sunny. What a lovely day. After grocery shopping for Easter, we have a quick run in the bright sunshine.
@ Wed 19/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Pirkkola
Distance 6.5-7K
Time 37:37
Comments Ave 150, -2C, cloudy. My pedometer tells me I ran 4.5 kilometers, which cannot be true. Probably it is confused because of the cold weather. That can't be either ...
@ Tue 18/03/2008
Exercise BodyPump
Time 60:00
Comments New program #65. Not necessarily harder than the previous one, just more confusing.
@ Mon 17/03/2008
Exercise Stretching (Tei)
Time 60:00
Comments Painful, but still so pleasant.
Exercise Run (Tomi)
Course Paloheinä
Distance 10K
Time 57:25
Comments +1C, cloudy. Nice and comfortable run.
@ Sun 16/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Pitäjänmäki - Pajamäki - Valimo
Distance 7.56K
Time 43:32
Comments Ave 127, max 143, +0C, cloudy. Morning sleet and wet rain discouraged us from having a long run even if it has been due for a couple of weeks. The Southern Finland "winter" weather is really depressing for any outdoor activity.
@ Sat 15/03/2008
Exercise Irish dance
Time 2:00:00
Comments At the advanced level we added another step to the soft shoe reel. Again, it takes a while for me to absorb it. We rehearsed the second step to the hard shoe reel, and finally, added another half step to the Spring show number. At the intermediate level we also practised another step to the soft shoe reel, and finished the class with heavy reel treble drills. Despite Easter we will have a class next Saturday. However, there won't be class in two weeks, since all the instructors are attending the Open Irish Dancing Championships in Germany.
Exercise Run
Course Pirkkola
Distance 6K
Time 32:15
Comments +2C, coudy, light snow or sleet. Tomi ran one 3K lap in between laundryt loads.
@ Thu 13/03/2008
Exercise Interval 30 & Core 30
Time 60:00
Comments Same old story, same old programs and music. This time I used heavier weights in the back exercise, but it is hard to hold two 4kg dumbells in one hand.
@ Wed 12/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Paloheinä
Distance 9.83K
Time 54:14
Comments Ave 147, +2C, cloudy. Funny how sensitive the pedometer's distance estimate is to the running speed. It kind of makes sense: if I run faster, the distance seems shorter, since I finish sooner. Although gray and bland, the weather is fine for running.
@ Tue 11/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Huopalahti - Lassila
Distance 5K
Time 29:20
Comments Ave 147, +6C, sunny. The warmest Spring day so far, and it looks like Spring and smells like Spring (in a good way). A short and easy run to remind our bodies what workout is.
@ Mon 10/03/2008
Comments There are hundreds of bicyclists both on the campus and the city of Leuven, and bike lanes are criss-crossing everywhere. However, not a single rider wears a helmet. Except of few of buildings the K.U. Leuven campus is not very attractive but rather rundown and unkempt. The Spring is clearly ahead of Finland. I can see budding light green leaves here and there, and some trees are already blooming.

Monday's storm sweeps over Belgium on its way to Britain, and our flight back is delayed for an hour. Fortunately, Belgian beers are not overly expensive even at the Brussels airport. By the way, the feminine products are called 'sanitary dressings' in the airport's restrooms.
@ Sun 09/03/2008
Comments We spend a short weekend in Leuven, Belgium, to attend a CLASS project review on K.U. Leuven campus.

On Sunday night we walk downtown for a dinner and a couple of beers. Beer is outrageously priced: in a bar you can get Westmalle or Orval or other trappist or abbey ales for 2 or 3 euros a bottle.

We stay in a fine establishment, The Lodge, near campus. The ambience is great but the service sucks. Later on Sunday night we join for drinks the other project members, who are having dinner at the Lodge restaurant. The server, while handing out the drinks, knocks over the water bottles on his tray, and they all fall on our table spilling the water on peoples' food. The server does not even apologize, but hurries to dry the floor, and then the table cloth, but does not offer replacement for food.
@ Sat 08/03/2008
Exercise Irish dance
Time 2:00:00
Comments On advanced level, we still continued the soft shoe reel, and we did the second hard shoe heavy reel step on left. On intermediaste level, we learned a new step to the soft shoe reel, and just reviewed the Blackbird.
Exercise Run
Course Pirkkola
Time 1:00:00
Comments Tomi ran an hour in marathon pace on the trails that have not been transformed into ski tracks.
@ Thu 06/03/2008
Exercise Interval 30 + Core 30
Time 60:00
Comments New core program. Feels relatively easy.
@ Wed 05/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Pirkkola
Distance 7.23K
Time 45:53
Comments Ave 142, +0C, sunny. Gorgeous day, blues sky and plentiful of sun. The time includes my struggles with the cell phone camera.
@ Tue 04/03/2008
Exercise BodyPump (Tei)
Time 60:00
Comments Good old program #64. I used heavier weights this time especially in squats and chest exercise. However, it is almost impossible for me to hold enough weights on my shoulders to have some effect on quadriceps. Today I used 7.5kg in both ends, and it did hurt my shoulders, not the legs. Agian, the music was way too loud to be comfortable. I am so sick of complaining all the time! (BTW, we received our record snow yesterday. Probably we have an inch now.)
@ Mon 03/03/2008
Exercise Stretching (Tei)
Time 60:00
Comments Very relaxed and slow-paced session, more yoga-like than the other ones I have attended. There were only four of us plus the instructor.
Exercise BodyPump (Tomi)
Time 60:00
Comments Last time the instructor promised us that there's gonna be a new LesMills program #65 this week, but officially it will be launched only at 17th. However, she introduced some new things. The theme is endurance; a lot of long and slow series. However, someone obviously did not think about everything: there are push-ups and planks after shoulder exercise, which is just a killer to the shoulders.
@ Sun 02/03/2008
Exercise Run
Course Pirkkola
Distance 6.18K
Time 34:35
Comments Ave 129, +0C, cloudy, gusty wind. It is the turn for a long run, but the snow that fell last night makes it impossible. Two hours in a soft surface is too much.
@ Sat 01/03/2008
Exercise Irish dance
Time 2:00:00
Comments In advanced class we rehearsed the two steps to soft shoe reel and reviewed the second step to heavy reel. For some reason, the intermediate level soft shoe reel is much harder for me. We learned another step to the treble jig, our Spring show number.