Multiple OLS Flare Up!

Two flare ups of OLS (Old Lion Syndrome) to tell you about. The first one occurred because I went to the gym during the middle of the morning on the day after Christmas. I was finishing up as a crowd of people were coming in and getting started. So as I sat there on the benches wrapping up my work out, I suddenly became aware that I felt a need to keep up with the fresh crowd that had just come in. To continue working out just to prove that I could keep up. Dumb I know, but as I heard a sports talk show personality say today, "Tell a guy he can't do something, and you can sure bet he either will do or will try to do it."

The second was actually caused by being at the gym with my wife. After nine years of marriage, as I prepared to use the leg press equipment, I caught her looking at me as I was adding plates to the rack.

Now for those of you thinking that that is sweet and romantic, let me assure you, she wasn't checking me out, she was seeing how much weight I was pressing. In her varsity sport's days, leg press was one of her strengths in the weight room, and still can press what I think is a pretty good weight, so despite later admitting that she was checking to make sure I was doing the same kind of weight other guys were doing, I think she was making sure I would work out with at least the weight she uses.

After a warm up set that I knew didn't impress her much, I jumped up another 40 lbs. After a 4 mile tempo, for some reason I keep running tempo runs on the same day and before my leg work in the weight room (I guess at some point I'll start planning a little, for now, I just do what feels good on that any given day.), so the weight required some effort, but wasn't overly streneous. Still she was watching. Soooo, with a full flare up of OLS setting in, I throw on an extra 130 pounds and crank out 10 reps.

In the end, I didn't impress her much. Remember, we've been married nine years. Alas, I did find a replacement workout for the squats I don't particularly like. I found I could work out much heavier than I thought, and that sitting can be difficult the morning after lifting heavy on an exercise designed to target your hamstrings and GLUTES!