Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 31oC, hot, sunny and sometimes overcast.
In Brazil, the new year starts on the first Monday after the carnival. This tradition holds both symbolic and metaphoric meanings; however, given the current circumstances of Brazil and the modern world, it is unclear if this tradition is still valid.
Saying this! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
In the morning, I did my regular routine. I am up at 4.30 am, doing two exercises before leaving home. I am out in the street at 5.15 and usually arrive at the end of Leme to begin my workout at about 5.30.
What kind of workout do I do at the end of Leme? A year ago, I bought a set of TRX exercise straps because I thought it would be an excellent and versatile way to do exercise.
They have some limitations, but they are light, you can carry and set them up anywhere you want, and most importantly, they are a cheap investment.
Right at the end of Leme, in front of the mountain and the army barracks, there is a recessed circular square surrounded by a half-height wall. This wall is a raised platform that surrounds the square where people can sit, stand, etc, in an elevated position.
At the far end, on the opposite side of the square, are the dog owners with their dogs. They can let their dogs loose so they can play safely. I have made friends with probably the principal dog owner there, who is usually there before me or very often arrives there at the same time. Occasionally, I have arrived there before him, but very few times.
Paulo is a retired postman with two dogs, a Rottweiler and a mongrel. I love dogs, but I have always been a little wary of Rottweilers as they are close to or even jealous of their owners. However, his dog is adorable, and whenever I am there, she comes to compliment me.
The mongrel he picked up in the street is more conservative and suspicious of people; she was probably badly treated before Paulo took her in. She likes me too, and if I ask her to give me her paw, she will, and if you ask for the other, she will give it to you, too.
Usually, when I arrive, and if Paulo is alone, I will go and talk to him for four or five minutes before beginning my session, complimenting the dogs, and then returning to the opposite side of the square where I can start my workout.
I unpack my skipping rope and the TRX and then fix it to a lamppost just in front of the square. So, on one side of me, I have a lamppost with my TRX to work out, and on the other side, I have the half-height wall that I use as a platform for skipping and general cardio exercises.
I usually begin with the TRX straps and do four or five-arm exercises, with 12 to 15 reps for each activity. This can generally take 10 to 15 minutes.
Then, after a short rest, I do a series of three or four leg exercises with at least 20 reps. The leg exercises typically make me sweat like a pig. I have been sweating before, but leg exercises force the body even more.
After finishing the leg exercises, I get on top of the half-height wall and skip. The wall is about half a metre high by a metre wide and surrounds the whole recessed square. When I am on top of the wall, I am in an elevated position so that I can see everywhere around me, and everyone can see me, too.
At the start, I sometimes thought it was a little pretentious of me; now, I feel it is normal.
I don’t care what people think or say, and it also helps to preserve my skipping rope as the wall’s surface is much less abrasive than the Portuguese stones on the ground. My rope lasts much longer when I skip on top of the wall.
I like to skip for at least 15 to 20 minutes, which is more than enough. Sometimes, when skipping, I do other cardio exercises to break it up a little.
At the end of the session, I was half dead but feeling very happy and realised. I then unfixed the TRX from the lamppost, packed it in my rucksack with my rope, took out my flip-flops, and changed from trainers to flip-flops to go home. Sometimes, I even changed my glasses from the ones for working out to the ones I like for everyday use.
With everything packed and ready to go, I am on my way home. I usually stop by a bar to buy a bottle of mineral water to drink while walking home. It takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to walk from the end of Leme home.
So if I leave home at about 5.15 in the morning and return at about 7, it’s about 1 hour and 45 minutes, almost 2 hours of exercise, consisting of about 6km of walking and at least ten activities depending on the day.
WHAT A WAY TO BEGIN THE DAY!!!
When I get home, I throw off my sweat-soaked clothes, have a good long shower, put on a clean, fresh change of clothes, and make green tea. Then, I am ready to begin work!
THE PERFECT BEGINNING TO THE DAY!!!
Oh, and A HAPPY NEW YEAR AGAIN!!!
In bed by 9:00 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
