Journalled on Monday, 27th of February 2023 | Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 31 degrees, hot, sunny and sometimes overcast.
In Brazil, the new year starts on the first Monday after the carnival.
This tradition carries both symbolic and metaphorical meanings; however, given current circumstances in Brazil and the modern world, it is unclear whether it remains valid.
Saying this…
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
In the morning, I did my routine. I am up at 4.30 am and do two exercises before leaving home. I am out on the street at 5.15 and usually arrive at the end of Leme to start my workout around 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 they would be an excellent, versatile way to 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 forms a raised platform around the square, where people can sit, stand, etc., at an elevated level.
At the far end, on the opposite side of the square, are the dog owners with their dogs. They can let their dogs out to play safely. I have made friends with the principal dog owner there, who is usually there before me or often arrives at the same time. Occasionally, I have arrived before him, but only a 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 because they are often 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 Paulo is alone, I talk to him for four or five minutes before starting my session, compliment the dogs, and then return to the opposite side of the square to start my workout.
I unpack my skipping rope and TRX, then secure them to a lamppost just in front of the square. On one side, I have a lamppost with my TRX for working out, and on the other, a half-height wall I use as a platform for skipping and general cardio.
I usually start with the TRX straps and do four or five arm exercises, with 12 to 15 reps per exercise. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Then, after a short rest, I do a series of three or four leg exercises, with at least 20 reps each. The leg exercises typically make me sweat like a pig. I’ve sweated before, but leg exercises make me sweat even more.
After finishing the leg exercises, I get onto the half-height wall and skip. The wall is about half a metre high and a metre wide, and it 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 first, I sometimes thought it was a little pretentious; now, I feel it is normal. I don’t care what people think or say, and it also helps 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 relieved. 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 on my walk home. It takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to walk from the end of Leme to my home.
So if I leave home around 5.15 in the morning and return around 7, that’s about 1 hour and 45 minutes of exercise, including about 6km of walking and at least 10 activities, depending on the day.
WHAT A WAY TO BEGIN THE DAY!!!
When I get home, I throw off my sweat-soaked clothes, take a long, hot 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 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
