July 28: Week 4 wrapup
The US training camp continues, so let's talk about training. I have a training schedule, I'm doing a mix of bike and strength workouts.
Bike workouts are done with basically a podcast, 45 minutes of the instructor saying what the RPM and workout percentage range should be. The only danger is that you might miss a callout and keep slogging uphill at some heavy duty donkeywork, when you should have turned down the resistance and be skittering along like an ice-skating weasel. There's a bit of commentary as well, about technique and muscle groups, occasional hints and persuasions and exhortations to keep going, peaking with "I'm not asking", a phrase I intend to adopt.
Most exercise bikes have got a generator on the flywheel and are powered by the workout, no power cord. On Monday's workout when there was a fire alarm: I dutifully headed upstairs and out; it turned out to be a false alarm but when I got back the bike had turned off and lost my stats.
Strength training is a video rather than a podcast. I'm doing this on my phone with wired earphones so I have to hold it in my hand. This works fine for most exercises (squats, jumps etc), I can put it on the ground for all the planks and pushups. Burpees are the only exercise when it has to go into a pocket, and hope that the instructor tells me when to stop loud and clear. This all seems a bit weird but several other people at the gym were working out the same way, so it's not that strange, honest.
I've now seen a few hotel gyms. They tend to be a small room tucked away in a corner of the building with a bad view or no view. They all have mirrored walls. They have a few treadmills or jogging machines, maybe some exercise bikes, some free weights and towels. The not-so-serious people come in, jog in a leisurely way for fifteen minutes, then leave. More serious people come in and do routines with the free weights. I didn't see anyone else use an exercise bike.
From left to right: we also went to Washington DC, so I did my weekly run to the Mall. Washington DC has the only properly funded subways in America.
The Watergate hotel was different, but it was comfortably upperclass. The gym there was not a repurposed room but a big custom space, with a wide variety of workout machines whose function wasn't clear, and whose seats showed no signs of wear. There were some exercise bikes with screens showing grandkids, with easy comfortable pedals, and they needed a login to do anything ... so I'm fairly sure my need to crank out 300 watts at 90RPM for half an hour wasn't something they naturally supported.
It was right next to the spa - whose cheapest option is a $200 one hour massage, and I see a package to celebrate National Lipstick Day. I don't know why I'm looking at their massage options but I am, and I see the descriptions include the word "modalities", they mention "Icelandic moonflower", and "Dead Sea Salt and rich aloe butter". ChatGPT writes things like this, when repeatedly prompted to get more poetic - and then edited to remove anything too obviously specious and insincere.
Anyway. Netenyahu was staying there too, which brought some serious security. There were snowplows parked across some of the nearby roads to block them off. A temporary security fence ran all the way around the hotel, the road out front had become a parking lot for security vehicles, and they'd set up search tents for cars. There was an outer security check which we were waved through, and airport-style scanners and searches inside the front door. There was a loud protest across the street which went on for hours every evening. And a car caught fire once, but I think it was coincidence. We stayed one night; I can report that the loud protest was inaudible from our room.
From left to right: view of security around the Watergate hotel, and the smoke from the burning car. Life advice from the Watergate hotel lift. This is the office building where the robbery happened that started the whole Watergate scandal.
Next week is a rest week! This means three short strength workouts and two rides. Nevertheless, it’ll be relatively quiet so I'm looking forward to it.
