Training Log Archive: Charlie

A more thorough exploration of Philoppapos park, including the Pnyx, cave of Pan, observatory, road through Koile and Koilon. Nice walk.

After a pleasant lunch at El Greco, where we split a Greek salad and grilled sardines, followed by a complimentary piece of ketaifi custard that totally charmed Rhonda, not usually one for desserts.

Explored the Areopagus, hill between the Acropolis and the Pnyx, and then crossed over by the Roman Agora, through the gantlet of shops and restaurants and then S of the main street in the area to Hadrian's Arch and the massive Corinthian columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus.

In the shops area there was a business that allowed one to sit with one's bare feet in an aquarium where small fish nibbled on the feet, presumably quite entertaining judging from the customers' expressions.

C • Fish nibbling therapy 3

C • sardines 7

From the hotel, mostly to the E of the Acropolis, taking in several of the other archaeological sites. We had bought a combo pass that covered about 7 of them. They do blend together after a while.

The R leg is not doing well, so returned to the room to dose myself with advil, stretch and roll it.

Back out with the general intention to walk through Thyssion and around the Acropolis. We got distracted by a nice looking Byzantine church, and then by a back entrance int the park that contains the hills of Pnyx and Philopappas. That was really a nice walking place, lots of archaeological excavations, but one needs a fair amount of imagination to understand what was there in antiquity. Rhonda was hungry, so we repaired to our new favorite restaurant.

Then back out for a more thorough exploration of the park of Philopappas, some great views, particularly from the eponymous monument, and many, many ancient places including the old road through Koile, the so-called prison of Socrates. And by then getting tired again, so we went back to the hotel. Some of the other bike trip people appear to have arrived, but we won't meet up until tomorrow.

Padding around a bit of Athens from our hotel. Hot and very bright. Little shade on the Acropolis. Then back by the excellent El Greco restaurant, where we had roast sea bream and giant prawns in a sauce with tomatoes, capers, feta, roast vegetables, all perfect. There was a large family party going on. Mother's Day, or just Sunday. All the women, young and old, dressed in black. Man of the men, too, now that I think about it. And then back to the hotel to nap off the jet lag.

C • You're amazing........... 5

Thought I would try 5K, but I wasn't feeling it after about 1K, and just dropped out when 2K rolled around.

Thought I might get out for something more substantial, but too busy packing, working, etc.

circuit workout with Eric and Rhonda, 5 exercises, 1 minute each, 3 rounds, and some warming up before.
one arm TRX rows,
shoulder taps
kettlebell squats
one arm pull downs
one leg standups from bench

In the gym with Eric, stretching, core, 5x 8 DLs with 85#, some squats, planks

C • Carissimi auguri!! 7

Gym, then work the rest of the morning, lunch with Francesca, which lasted a while, then packed up the bikes for our trip on Saturday, so not much time for a bike ride, a walk or a run. This was a pretty good effort for my first try in the new age group.
Splits:
2:08.3
2:07.3
2:06.6
2:01.9
8:24.0

I was curious to see what would happen with the Concept II rankings, and I see now that ranking this piece knocked me out of the 60-69 ranking, so I guess you can't straddle a year like that. So now 7th out of 22 in my new group, just 0.3 seconds out of 6th, but a fair way from the top 5.

Rhonda's morning class. A bit clumsy and sore this morning.

One loop around from PV, with Rhonda.