Portable Exercise Programs

Greetings! I mentioned using an ipad for my workout on our most recent cruise. During the Panama Canal trip many people used smart phones and other devices for their exercise programs. One fellow had a Navy Seal resistance band. He used a phone for sequence details. Several folks had tablets that provided instructions for core, cardio, yoga and floor workouts.

The concept works fairly well. I’ve saved a variety of exercise programs for resistance bands, weights, and no equipment at all on my tablet to use while traveling. Shannan has Play Out the Game cards. She collected a number of the moves she likes from the cards and added them to her ipad.

Using a tablet or phone is a sight easier than carrying a portable DVD player around, which I did on a 9-day trip to Spain and Italy in 2009. It’s fun to speculate on what technology will provide for us next. Of course, we don’t need any device for running.

Workout or Run.

Tom

Panama Plan

Panama Canal 

Captain Nordberg, of the Norwegian Cruise Line Pearl, announced estimated arrival times for people interested in watching the entrance of the ship into the Panama Canal. He suggested folks should be on deck by 5:00 am to have the full experience at the Gatun Locks. Printed information in the rooms reported the ship would enter the first Lock at 6:15. Some people managed to be confused. For me, I felt certain the thing to do, was what I do well, get up early.

So, I did. Without aid of an alarm, I was meandering around the ship by 3:00 am. The exercise facility didn't open until 6:00 am. Shannan and I had an excursion planned to further explore the Panama Canal. I wanted to preserve The Streak first thing. To that end, I found a nice spot on deck 14. Using a two circuit cardio workout (the moves were noted on my iPad) I exercised in the dark, warm and humid Central American morning.

This reminded me of my entree into circuit style cardio workouts in 2009 with Shaun T.”s Insanity. I used the program on a Norwegian Ship early in the morning on the top deck in the Mediterranean. After a great exercise routine, Shannan and I were the among the first to arrive deck side for the Panama Canal experience. We checked all the possibilities and took a front row seat in the Spinnaker Lounge.  FYI, if you cruise through the Canal one a NCL ship, this is the prime place to be. The view is the best, and the crowds are much more courteous. Afterwards we enjoyed a fabulous tour in Panama, saw the other two locks, and toured the the visitor’s center at Miraflores.

Plan Accordingly. Run.

Tom

David Bowie, A Star Man

Tributes and remembrances abound. Podcasts, articles, blogs, and other media forms hail the life and work of David Robert Jones, affectionately known as David Bowie. Without questions Bowie holds a legendary place in pop culture across music and entertainment that spans decades and continents. 

 

David Bowie’s library of music broke ground in rock and pop genres, as well as created new conceptual outlets for sound and vision. Moreover, he found ways to remain relevant amid industry and cultural shifts. It feels cliché to note, however it cannot be overlooked, that the lyrics to his song, Changes, connect to the young and the old. The song captures the angst of teenagers and artists and empowers them with purpose and vigor.

I research and teach in areas of influence and inspiration. Bowie’s song Space Odyssey inspired countless other musicians to cover the piece and notably Peter Shilling to write a companion song, Major Tom (Coming Home). Bowie's music has been featured in movies and on stage. You know you are a bedrock of pop culture when professional wrestling develops a character or storyline influenced by you. Bowie’s Starman clearly modeled for the portrait of Stardust, the alter ego role played by WWE wrestler Cody Rhodes, who like Bowie morphed into an altogether different celestial being.

 David Bowie, you may not have been able to "trace time," but you changed it, for the better. Thank you! 

Rock the Boat

What a great start to the day. One morning on our Panama Canal Cruise I ran on the deck against the wind. Coupled with motion of ship, rough waters, traversing the wind proved very difficult. I’ve run in strong winds before, notably in Flagstaff, AZ where the air is thin to boot. The effort of running in the wind on the ship was more trying than Moab, UT and only slightly better than Kayenta, AZ, as in that city the spring winds are unrelenting. On the starboard side of the ship I was pushed, slowed, and on a couple of occasions nearly stopped. However, on the port side of the ship running was not as troublesome. The worst part came early on when it began to rain, again the starboard side gave way to harsh conditions, as the biting rains stung my eyes.

The ship’s stabilizers were hard at work, but the wind and swell at the stern made for a rocky ride when the ship rolled. I felt like I’d finished an intervals workout by the time I completed the run. That made it even more worth the effort.

Even against the wind, Run!

Tom

2015 Reflection

Oh what a year! 2015 held a number of grand professional accomplishments for me in teaching, research and public scholarship. My students did tremendous work with Fairy Tales, Super Heroes, and video games contextual themes across the humanities and social sciences. I was fortunate to negotiate shows for curation and exhibitions in 2016. I’m so proud we’ll display work from the After Malcolm Digital Archive: Islam and the Freedom Struggle at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, and the only replica of the Bayeux Tapestry in the United States will be shown at Chattahoochee Technical College in Acworth. 

Over the year I completed a number of Pop Culture presentations and podcasts on topics ranging from Playboy, Professional Wresting to Craft Beer.  Two of my goals for 2015 included to “live in beta” and “make it happen.”  I did my best and worked the list for the year better than ever.

Shannan and I traveled a fair amount, including an increased number of weekend get-aways. During 2015 we took advantage of the rich cultural and intellectual community in the metropolitan area and attended a record number of lectures and expositions.

Running and exercise went well. I ran in four new countries and a dozen new cities. The Streak now moves close to 19 phenomenal years. As posted on this site, Shannan made a serious commitment to exercise. This has been a delight on a number of levels. One related bit is we focused on a clean diet and enjoyed a cornucopia of good food and had fun experimenting with cooking.

While visiting Costa Rica a fellow mentioned a popular phrase, “Pura Vida.” It means pure life. In context the man said the phrase means getting the fullest out of life. I like it. Pure Vida is my theme for 2016. In all that I do, I’ll strive for Pura Vida.

Live life to the fullest. Run.

Tom