This Time I'm Really Cured

Every morning is better. I didn't actually start coughing up gack until I started the car to drive my son to the bus stop. Normally we walk down, but it was pouring and I didn't want him soaked before he got to school. This also meant that I had to have all my gear ready to go since I wasn't going to drive back up the hill again. Once the car is started, I'm on my way to the gym!

All the ellipticals are in working order, so I get on #2 which used to clunk with each glide. It ran smooth and I punched in my 45 minutes hill #6. Hoodie up and iPod plugged in, I finally got my 5.01 steamy sweaty miles. And I was happy.

This being the last day of the week, and my second Back & Bi workout, I thought I'd try to ratchet-down a notch and perhaps do some reps instead of max weight. So for Seated Cable Rows, I did sets at 105.  V walks by and I turn my back while adjusting my hoodie because I don't want him to stop and chat. After rows, I do 2 sets of Lower Back Extensions and then move on the the Cable Stretch and Kicks, finishing off with 12 close grip chin ups.

Lat Pull Downs are next. B is doing legs today and has attached herself to the cable station via ankle strap. Her fibromyalgia is bothering the stationery leg as she kicks her other leg outward. I tell her to angle her stationery leg slightly and she experiences less discomfort. I swear I'm a natural! I do 5 sets of Pull Downs at 105 lbs and I feel pretty good even though my form isn't perfect. However, I can feel my lats flare as I pull down and I know my back is bigger. I have to assume it's working for me!

Today's Total Workout:
45 min = 5.01 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 75 / 5 x 12 @ 105 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks & 12 close grip chin ups w knees to chest
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12 @ 105 lbs
Bent Over Reverse Grip Barbell Rows: 5 x 15 @ 60 lbs
Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls (solo arms): 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 2 x 50 (upper) / 2 x 50 (lower)
Reverse Grip Barbell Rows: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat stretch

I see R come in as I'm finishing up and I wander over to say Hi and see how he's doing. I'm impressed: he can chat while working out. I tell him that I'm glad to see him at the gym and how's he's feeling? He tells me that he'll never quit coming to the gym. He's pushing the entire stack for tricep press downs while he tells me about how he once showed up to work out while drunk. "Before you were married," I tell him. "Oh, she was there partying with us but she passed out. I had my brother, the designated driver, drop me off at the gym." And I thought I was a compulsive gym rat!

The scale reads 108.0 lbs but I'm feeling pretty good. It's still pouring and I've a ton of things to do, but the work out was good and I'm pretty happy. Working out is good for what ails you!

You Know You're a Gym Rat When...

I'm cured I think as I walk back up the hill from the school bus stop without coughing. Ruefully, I discover that I was a bit premature in my assessment as I start coughing once I finish my coffee before I head to the gym. Oh well. But I am better! It doesn't sound that way in the locker room, but I know I'm better. So much so that I do 45 minutes of cardio on the Precor elliptical.

It feels good even though my calves are a bit sore from using the LifeFitness machine two days ago. I suspect it has to do with the amount I have to flex my ankles when I'm pedaling on that particular machine. 4.98 miles isn't quite the five I was hoping for, but it still felt really good. And I haven't had to swallow too much snot doing it! Yaaay!

The Smith is busy so I decide to do reps on the free weight bench. There are 3 of them and two are being used by big sweaty guys who never remember to wipe down the bench. Yuck. I make a slow, deliberate show of wiping my bench down before and after with the bleach spray and paper towels. I've kept my hoodie on so I'm not dripping all over everything, and because I hate feeling the fans blowing on me while I work out. It's too damn distracting.

I go for a gentle pyramid of sets up and back down. For my last set, which is just the bar (45 lbs), I figure, Oh what the hell. Go for it! And I knock out 50 reps. It's actually not hard. B's not here today, but my workout routine makes her question everything she's been taught for the past several years. This past Monday, she wondered how I could have such nice "cuts" under my collar bones when the only thing I do for chest is bench. No dumbbell or cable flyes. No inclined presses.

In the right light, I have "cleavage" with those lovely muscle striations that radiate out from the center line. I keep telling B, "I can't do a lot of exercises due to my joints, etc but what I can do, I do well." "Well" might mean different things to different people. I'm old-fashion and I use heavy weights interspersed with high reps, but I mean really high reps. Why? It's probably the memory of old kung fu B-movies, you know, the ones where everyone trains repetitively for hours, months, years to build up stamina and power. Sometimes they even develop showy muscles. Of course, these are just Shaw Brother movies from the 50s and 60s, but they're part of my psyche now.

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio #6 hill = 4.98 miles
Flat bench: 25 @ bar / 25 @ 65 / 25 @ 85 / 25 @ 75 / 25 @ 65 / 50 @ bar (45 lbs)
Cage stretch & kicks
Front & lateral dumbbell raises: 12 @ 15 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs (supersets)
Lateral dumbbell raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated rear inclined dumbbell raises: 6 x 15 @ 20 lbs
One Arm Tricep Extension (just to warm up): 12 @ 20 lbs
Twisting Sit Ups: about 100
Lower Ab Kick Outs: about 100
Tricep Pressdowns (burn out): 3 x 12 @ 40 / 15 @ 30 / 25 @ 20 lbs
Mat stretch

Again, the gym is pretty quiet except for the coming and going of the new Fitness Class. Then the din threatens to overwhelm even my cranked up iPod. (B often complains that those people are pigs. I have to agree. The locker room is a complete pigsty of used tissues discarded haphazardly all over the floor. Bleah.) Neither B nor R are here today. I know B's taken today off. R is another matter. I'm hoping he's getting some pain relief. I see the Creepy Broken Guy with his friend who reminds me of an army vet, but not in a good way. They're working out together, and no one is bothering me. V's not here either. Whew! I think he's gotten the message that I'm really not interested in chatting with him at the gym.

The scale reads 108.0 lbs. I'd be happier if it was 107 but my clothes fit just fine, and I think my arms look really good, so what am I complaining about? I'll be back tomorrow to do Back and Bi's. I'm such a gym rat that I'm thinking I could come after the ultrasound Monday morning and maybe just get some cardio in. Good grief.

So Much Better Now

I get to the gym late today because I let my son sleep in a bit before rousing him. It's Leg Day! The ellipticals are free and I punch in 35 min for my first set. I get 3.77 miles which is okay. I'm just starting to feel warmed up so I decide, in spite of my residual cough, to do a set of intervals as well.

Half way through the set, I note that my right knee is starting to bother me and the intervals seem unusually hard, like slogging through molasses. Hmmm. I check the resistance and am surprised that it's up at 8. I'd assumed that the machine automatically reset itself but I guess not. No wonder my knees hurt. I drop the resistance to 5 and keep moving. I get 4 miles even and I'm pretty happy. I'm also soaking wet and thoroughly warmed up. It feels really good. Part of me wants to do this every day. That's how good it feels!

I do a light Cage stretch and then Smith Squats. The gym is surprisingly empty today. I see B and we chat briefly. She's just about done and on her way out to do errands. I decide to go light this week for legs and only squat 95 lbs. I also only use 95 for the dead lifts, which leaves me much more winded than the squats. They're both whole body exercises, but I find the dead lifts even more so.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min #6 hill = 3.77 + 35 min #7 interval = 4.0 Total = 7.77 miles
Smith Squat: 12 @ bar / 5 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Smith Dead Lifts: 5 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Leg Extensions: 5 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Seated Leg Curls: 3 x 15 @ 90 lbs
Mat stretch

I skip abs today because I'm running late and my son is in the child care room. The scale reads 107.0 lbs even though my hair is soaking wet and I've had to peel all my smelly gym clothes off in order to shower. I'm happy. This cough is going to linger a bit but I'm so much better now. My sinuses aren't quite clear either, there's still some congestion in my ears, but damn, I'm so much better! I may up my cardio to 45 minutes tomorrow instead of waiting until next week. I'm bumming about missing two days next week anyway (compulsive? who, me?) but let's stay in the moment. Today was a good day.

It's Always Something

My cough, while still present, has diminished in frequency. My sinuses are still vaguely congested (at least my right ear is) but I'm no longer a member of the frequent blower club. The ellipticals are all taken this morning so I hop onto a LifeFitness machine instead of my usual Precor. This one tells me that my heart rate is hovering between 138 and 146 while I glide along. Somehow I think it's suppose to be higher but lately it never is.

Unless it gets waaaay too high. Once, at a lunchtime workout when I was working in the City, my heart rate soared to 189 on an elliptical and the trainer screamed at me to stop because it was dangerous. Yes, a whole room full of potential co-workers and maybe even clients, and she's freaking out at me. I think she got fired for that.

After 35 minutes, I get 3.76 miles and burn virtually no calories. Okay, it says 120 calories. But I've never paid any attention to the calorie-burning aspect of cardio so why start now? I'm barely moist under my hoodie. It's not very satisfying and I hope I can get on the Precor tomorrow.

Rows are feeling daunting today. I warm up with a set at 90 lbs, barely get 3 sets of 6-8 at 120 lbs and cool down with another set at 90. Cage stretches and kicks get me warmer and I feel better. Especially after I knock out a dozen close grip chins. The two Lat Pull Down stations are occupied so I busy myself with Lower Back Extensions. I pull my hoodie up because I absolutely hate having the ceiling fan blow the top of my wet hair.

There are some really bad regular members here. By bad, I mean, inconsiderate. One fellow in particular, a nice-looking. gray-haired guy has the attitude that he's god's gift to... I'm not sure what. He regularly chats with other members and conveniently forgets to re-rack his weights or wipe his station down. Today, he left a nasty yellowing (egads, is that sweat-stained?) paper towel draped over the frame of the Lat Pull Down station. Last time I interacted with him, he'd left 45 lb plates on the bar of the free weight bench. I had motioned to him to ask if he was done with the station (that's the polite thing to do) and he came over, embarrassed and asked, "Can't you lift that?" I really hope that's not his version of flirting. My reply? "I shouldn't have to." Nope, I'm no fun at all.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min LifeFitness = 3.76 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 3 x 6-8 @ 120 / 12 @ 90 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks & 12 close grip chin ups
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12-10 @ 105 lbs
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Barbell Rows: 6 x 13 @ 60 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 lbs (alternating)
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs (individually)
Ab Crunch Station: 2 x 50 (upper) / 2 x 50 (lower)
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat stretch

I'm actually done with my workout fairly quickly, probably because I barely chatted with B today. I saw R leaving while I was at the Cage and promptly hid my face in my hoodie. He had that "whole body in agony" walk and it made me cringe in empathy. But as I told B yesterday, I can't let all that get into my head when I'm exercising because then I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing, and next thing you know, I've done something stupid and injured myself.

The scale reads exactly the same as yesterday, 108.8 lbs and I'm really beginning to think I'm getting my period. I spy V inching his way to the door as I say Bye to the girl at the front desk. I pause purposely so as not to catch up to him. I thought he'd left an hour ago when he was having coffee and chatting with the Creepy Broken Guy. Later though, I see CBG working out a few stations down from me, but at least he's not hovering and trying to make eye contact (like the supermarket bag boy).

I get home and find out that my 2nd set of blood work is the same as my first. I have slightly elevated AST (51) and ALT (50) levels and they want me to schedule an ultrasound. An internet search reveals that elevated AST and ALT only reflect inflammation, possibly due to muscle damage. Am I lifting too much or too heavy? I'm not sore. Is it the new Vitamin Shoppe Mega Gel Vitamins I'm taking? Or the fish oil? What I don't have is hepatitis, but I already knew THAT.

I call up and schedule an ultrasound, which means missing a morning workout because it needs to be done "fasting" (no food or drink the night before). I'm already getting depressed because that's the same week my son has a class trip, which I'll be chaperoning. Yes, I'll be missing two days of working out that week! And I'm bumming. I'll have a great time on the trip, but nothing ever feels as good as working out. Well, as the late Gilda Radner's infamous Roseanne Rosannadanna used to say, "It's always something!"

A Disturbance in the Force

This morning, I rolled over to hit the snooze, and stayed asleep on my right side for another 10 minutes. When I awoke, I had a new sensation: inner ear imbalance. I felt tilted to the right, but figured it'd clear itself up after I cleared out my lungs and nasal passages. Walking my son to the bus stop didn't fix it but it wasn't getting worse. I felt well enough to drive, so off to the gym I went. Again I figured I just needed to raise my body temperature a little and everything'd be back to normal.

I got on clunky #4 elliptical and pulled my hoodie over my face. 35 minutes later, only swallowing snot a few times, I got a decent 3.81 miles. I barely bust a sweat at the 25 minute mark. Next week, when I'm better, I'll go back to 5+ miles. The gym is really empty today and I'm not sure why. Because I still feel off-balance, I decide to bench reps again. Reps are easy. Perhaps too easy. I knock out 4 sets of 25 reps at 95 lbs and wonder if I'm severely underestimating myself today. Off to the Cage. I feel a little stiff because I didn't get warm enough during cardio. I really need those 45 minute sessions. Kicks and stretches don't really get my heart rate up either.

I see B and offer to spot her if she's benching, which she will be later. Delts are next. I love doing the 20 lb dumbbells because I can see my deltoids and pectorals flex in the mirror. That looks so awesome! B remarks that 20s are awfully heavy and I tell her, "Yeah. I like having shoulders. I wanna keep them." She makes a remark about not getting too big. About maybe looking like a guy. She's just jealous. What I don't tell her is that I've always been jealous of guys because of their arms. (And abs.) I think I look good. B tells me I look great.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 3.81 miles
Smith Bench: 12 x 45 / 4 x 25 @ 95 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks
Front & Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated Rear Inclined Dumbbell Raises: 6 x 15 @ 20 lbs
One-Arm Tricep Dumbbell Extensions: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: about 150
Lower Ab Kick Outs: about 150
Decline Bench Press: 25 @ bar / 25 @ 65 / 25 @ 75 / 25 @ 85 / 25 @ 65 / 30 @ bar (45 lbs)
Mat stretch

I tell B that some bag boy at the supermarket (where my son and husband were pulling Cub Scout duty selling popcorn) seemed to be trying to pick me up as I sat on a box, hunched over my phone reading a homework assignment. Great. At age 20, I had 11 year olds asking me to the movies (while the 16 year olds hit on my 18 yr old sister). Now I have 16 year olds hovering around me in parking lots. But AARP is sending me subscription information in the mail!

I see V leave yoga class and wander off to the parking lot while I chat with B. I'm glad he hasn't noticed me. I guess he didn't lose the car after all, so that's good. B and I remark that neither of us has seen R today. It IS football season and he's probably busy. Or in too much pain to drive up here.

The scale reads 108.8 lbs and I'm feeling some odd lower abdominal twinges, reminiscent of menstrual cramps. Egads. Am I really going to get my period? My balance is still off-kilter. The twisting sit ups didn't start out well but eventually my inner ear settled and I was able to knock them out. I had the same problem with the Decline Bench press. Perhaps an antihistamine is in order... There's definitely a disturbance in the my inner ear.

Am I Going to Hell?

I'm dragging a little this morning but I suspect that's due more to the chilly 52° temperature and staying up too late reading Harry Potter to my son. The gym awaits! I see B on the ellipticals and we chat briefly about my checkup. One of the machines is broken, and as we chat, I see that the other two are being boarded. I curse under my breath, but B says, "Take mine! I'm done in another minute." She goes off to do other things while I punch in my 35 minute gentle hill #6. I get 3.79 miles and have only had to cough (and swallow snot) thrice. I feel pretty good!

Knowing that it's the last work out of the week makes me reassess today's routine. For Seated Cable Rows, I decide to cut myself some slack and only do 5 sets, 3 of them max weight. But I spend a lot of time at the Cage Stretch and Kicks, finishing with my standard 12 close grip chin ups with knees curled to my chest. That doesn't really feel too bad either.

The Lat Pull Down station looks like a cocktail party with everyone standing around chatting and laughing. But no one's doing Lat Pull Downs. B is in the middle of this cluster, and I pull my hoodie down over my face and do Lower Back Extensions instead. Eventually the area clears, and I do a quick warm up set at 90 lbs, then another 5 sets at 105. I can't quite finish my sets at the end as my fingers go numb and my forearms ache at the 10th rep. Still, it's pretty good.

B comes over to do cables for her shoulders. I tell her I'm going to do 6 sets of Bent Over Reverse Grip Rows and to get me when she's ready. She never makes it. Too much chatting. I finish and move into the dumbbell area to do biceps. A quick set of alternating curls with the 15s, followed by individual bicep hammer curls with a 20 lb dumbbell. I need to rest my forearms before I do my final exercise, the Reverse Grip Bicep Barbell Curls, so I opt to use the Ab Crunch station. I'm wearing those expensive yoga pants I got from Title Nine. They look nice and feel very silky, but the industrial seam down the back is not sit-up friendly. Plus, they're a tad large and threaten to slide off my hips (I should've gotten the XS instead of the S).

I get the 30 lb bar to do my forearm curls and B finally makes it over. I show her how to do the Reverse Grip Barbell Rows so that she can feel her lats and biceps working. "I like it!" and she hopes she can remember to do it the next back workout she has. I'm pretty sure I'm going to wind up showing her the movement a few times before it actually sticks. "I'm just not having a good workout," she complains, "Too much chatting. Everyone keeps talking to me!" I smile at her because what can I say other than, "Well, R's here too." And we both turn and wave at R, who politely nods and grimaces while ignoring us.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 3.79 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 75 / 3 x 8 @ 120 / 12 @ 90 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks and 12 close grip chin ups
Lower Back Extensions (again): 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12-10 @ 105 lbs
Reverse Grip Bent Over Barbell Rows: 6 x 12 @ 60 lbs
Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 12 @ 15 lbs
Hammer Curls: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 2 x 50 (upper) / 2 x 50 @ (lower)
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat stretch

When I return to the locker room, I note that my face looks puffy. Bleah. The scale reads an unfriendly 108.4 lbs. I'm retaining water! Like I'm going to get my period (sigh)... Well, there are much worse things than that.

I'm fairly happy that V hasn't been at the gym all week. He did materialize at the edge of my driveway as I was lugging my gym bag and groceries out of my car. I was a bit surprised because it was if he'd "apparated" (to borrow a Harry Potter term) since I didn't recall passing him on our road as I drove up. He said, "Good Morning." I looked up and grunted. He said something innocuously inane, like "Good thing we didn't have any trees down." And then wandered back towards his house. I joke to my husband that V's had his driving privileges revoked and that's why he hasn't been at the gym. My husband looks at me quizzically.

"I think he lost the car," I explain as I recount how I saw V last week, wandering the supermarket parking lot, looking as if he'd misplaced his ride. "And you didn't help him find his car?" my husband said accusingly. He might've only looked like he was lost. How can I explain that "No good deed goes unpunished"? That if I offered to help him find his car, he'd think we were friends and then he'd never ever stop inflicting himself on my work outs.

V looks ancient even though he's only 62. A lot of it seems to be his complete unwillingness to exert himself doing anything. Even exercise. And he has an oddly unpleasant way of dismissing people when the conversation doesn't revolve around him. Once I mentioned that he had our house phone number, he waved his hand and said "Oh, I don't keep those." It was the same attitude when I told him that we'd sent him a text message with directions to a small dinner party over the summer, "Oh, I don't text."

Well, okay then. If you can't extend yourself for others, no one's obligated to do it for you. Is that why he hasn't fallen in with any groups at the gym? I note that people he's seen chatting with once, are rarely seen in his company again. Are they avoiding him the same as I am? In general, I try to be a good person. But the thought of V inserting himself into my exercise routine has seriously made me consider changing my workout time. I'm relieved that I don't have to. Does this make me a bad person? Am I going to hell?

I Swear I'm Better

The sinusitis has definitely kicked in as my ears are plugged and my voice has a horrendous nasal tone to it. There's no pea soup sloshing in my head yet, but I'm hoping it doesn't get to that point. I have my annual physical exam this afternoon, so I'm going to the gym this morning. As usual. Because I'm compulsive. And, better yet, because it feels so damn good!

Thursdays are usually harder for me cardio-wise, especially after the gloriously exuberant Leg Day Wednesday. 35 minutes gets me a respectable 3.79 miles, a runny nose and a mouthful of snot. Today is a "high rep" Push Day for me so I'm looking to bench press. The Smith is busy so I go immediately to the Cage stretch & kicks. I'm pretty sweaty and breathless afterwards. The Smith is still busy so I go to one of the flat benches and decide to pyramid up and down for reps. I always like to do different things, depending on how I feel because I'm so limited in the actual exercises that I can do.

For shoulders, I skip the 15 lb dumbbells and move directly to the 20s. They're heavy but I can do complete sets for all the movements. B has asked me to show her the Smith Dead Lift again, but when the Smith is free, she's no where to be found. I do one quick set of Tricep One-Arm Dumbbell Extensions just to loosen up. A quick set of abs on the sit up board, then to Tricep Press Downs at the Cables. I do a "burn out" set and they're surprisingly easy. I haven't done them lately because that's a very popular station and I can't get on most of the time. I'm tempted to do Decline Bench Presses, but someone's using that bench to do sit ups, so nix that idea.

I find B and she tells me she's just not that motivated today. She's just going to do the "steps" (Stairmaster, while chatting of course) and perhaps I can show her the Reverse Grip Bent Over Rows tomorrow. Tomorrow's a Back & Bicep Day so I'll be doing those anyway.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio = 3.79 miles
Flat Bench: 25 @ bar / 25 @ 65 / 2 x 25 @ 85 / 25 @ 65 / 25 @ bar (45 lbs)
Delts: Front Dumbbell Raises with Lateral Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Rear Inclined Seated Dumbbell Raises: 6 x 12 @ 20 lbs
One Arm Tricep Dumbbell Extension: 12 @ 20 lbs
Twisting Sit Ups: about 150
Kick Outs: about 125
Tricep Press Downs: 12 @ 30 / 3 x 12 @ 40 / 15 @ 30 / 20 @ 20 lbs
Mat stretch

I had meatball and garlic pizza (sodium dump!) last night so I'm not surprised when the scale reads 108.4 lbs today. I see a lot of regulars at the gym today and that's nice because as much as I don't speak to them, they've never imposed themselves on me, and it's a bit reassuring to know that they're still alive and well enough to come work out. Even if they seem intimidated. (I'm speaking of a handful of middle-aged men.)

My checkup seems pretty good except my blood pressure's systolic reading is too high (probably due to all the coughing), although the diastolic seems relatively normal (142/82). Blood sugar, cholesterol, everything seems within normal range, except... uh oh... hmmm says the doc. Well, being sick can screw up lab readings so we'll just have to do more blood work. Bleah. Shouldn't you wait until I'm not sick to do more blood work? But she dismisses that suggestion and says that if my blood work comes back iffy again, well, I'll have to have a sonogram.

Jeez. All because I have slightly elevated liver enzymes and that's never happened before. She checks my history. How much do you drink? Well, a couple of glasses of wine over the weekend, but none during the week because it messes up my work outs. It's not a lot. She wants to rule out all sorts of things. I think it's because I'm sick, even though I don't feel sick. Except for the plugged ears, congested sinuses and occasional coughing fit.

I note that since I've lost weight, it's a lot easier to see my veins. The ones in my right arm are bigger than the ones in my left. And I've also noticed that a lot of my veins don't run in nice forking branches, but zig zag oddly under the skin. Vascular irregularities are the reason I don't do overhead presses (military press). It's almost as if the veins are too long for the body in which they reside, and they double-back on themselves. I leave the doc's with an Rx for a Z-pack called in to my pharmacy. I cheer myself up with the thought that tomorrow is Back & Bi's, and there's nothing I like more than working out. (Okay, not quite true but close enough.)

Involuntary Grinning

I wake up thinking I'm cured because I'm not coughing. No such luck. I'm just a bit dehydrated and everything's glued to my airway lining, giving the illusion of snot-free breathing. That's soon resolved as I walk my son to the bus stop. I sound like I smoke 3 packs a day. But I feel fine, when I stop coughing. Maybe I'm delusional?

It's Leg Day and I still haven't decided how much cardio I'm going to do until I'm actually on the elliptical. I punch in the standard 30 min with the 5 minute cool down just to see how I feel today. I get a respectable 3.67 miles. Not great. But I'm sweating and not panting. What the hell, I go for another 30 minutes of intervals with a 5 minute cool down. By the 25th minute into this set, I've picked up my pace and I can feel the grin spread across my face, under my dripping hoodie.

For the last 5 minutes, as the course evens out, I feel myself step up the pace and glide along between 200-210 strides per minute. It feels really good! I get 4.17 miles, for a grand total of 7.84 miles. I've only had to swallow my snot a few times during the set because it breaks my rhythm to be fumbling for tissue to spit into. If you're grossed out by this, well, you've led a sheltered life.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio hill #6 = 3.67 miles + 35 min cardio #7 intervals = 4.17 Grand Total 7.84 miles
Cage stretch (no kicking with these shorts!)
Smith Squats: 12 @ bar / 5 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Smith Dead Lifts: 5 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 75 / 5 x 12 @ 90 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 5 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Mat Stretch

The scale reads 106.8 lbs. I didn't drink all my water today but I'm soaked through and through and wonder how this affects the scale readings, but I'm not all that concerned. I feel good, except for clearing the snot out of my throat and blowing my nose. Yep, I got a doctor's appointment tomorrow and she'll probably tell me my blood pressure is too high, and I'll tell her it's because I have a sinus infection and I'm coughing a lot, which makes your heart rate go up. But I'm still coming to the gym tomorrow. It's an involuntary thing.

I'm Not Compulsive. Okay, Maybe Just a Little.

It's pouring cats and dogs, and frogs and newts. Still, I corral my son and we head to the gym, even though I spent a half hour spewing up phlegm. A rusty brown cloud of snot lands in a tissue. This is definitely sinusitis. I have half a mind to just stay in bed, but I've got my gym bag packed and there's no turning back. Once at the gym, I have to clear my throat, lungs and sinuses again. Man, I hope I don't cough up all over myself.

I only do 35 minutes of cardio, and because I consciously keep my breathing evenly paced, I only cough a little. My pace is surprisingly quicker than yesterday, and sweat trickles down my face, drips off my chin into my zipped up hoodie. I get 3.89 miles and I'm pretty happy.

Seated Cable Rows seem hard today and I only get 3 sets of 6-8 reps at 120 lbs. I see both B and R today. R doesn't look so good. B spends most of her workout chatting with him. I do Lower Back Extensions, Cage stretch & kicks and a dozen chin ups, then return for another 2 sets of Lower Back Extensions, and they're both still chatting. Okaaaay. Today is Back and Biceps so I've got Lat Pulldowns, Bent Over Rows, Dumbbell Curls, and those painful Reverse Grip Barbell Curls.

The gym is mostly empty today. I haven't seen V in days and I'm sooo relieved. I knock out twisting sit ups and lower ab kick outs and still feel pretty good, although the twisting motion did threaten to spasm my diaphgram. I'm half tempted to ask R how he is, but his posture suggests such pain that I'm hesitant to interrupt his workout. I know that I hate having interlopers in my routine, but I'm a lot more protective of my personal space, and time than most people. (And, I have my son in the child care room, and I can't spend 20 minutes of my exercise time just chatting!)

Today's Total Workout:
35 minutes #6 hill = 3.89 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 6-8 @ 120 / 12 @ 90 lbs
Lower Ab Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks & 12 close grip chin ups w knees curled to chest
Lower Ab Extensions (again): 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12-10 @ 105 lbs
Bent Over Reverse Grip Barbell Rows: 5 x 15 @ 60 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: about 150
Lower Ab Kick Outs: about 150
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat Stretch

The scale reads 108.4 lbs. Tomorrow is Leg Day and I've always looked forward to doing the cardio because I feel so damn good afterwards. Now I have to reconsider because I can hear Snap Crackle Pop inside my head like someone's flexing their knuckles. I may have pea soup in my head by tomorrow, so I can't be sure that I'll be able to do 2 sets of cardio. But if I can, I will. No, I'm not a compulsive exerciser, but it's hard to give up that endorphin rush.

B tells me that she can't even remember what I looked like "in the before time", when I was heavier. This time last year, I weighed 118 lbs. Unfortunately, I didn't keep great records of my workouts then so I can't specify how much more I lift now. But I am stronger. And I look better. And for those who can recall classic Billy Crystal in the early days of SNL (Saturday Night Live) as Fernando, remember, "It is better to look good than to feel good. And darling, may I say, you look Mahvelous!"

Sick is No Reason to Slack

After an entire weekend of running around but not at the gym, I wake up to an unexpected plethora of celadon nastiness in my lungs. If it's possible, I think it's spreading back upwards into my sinuses because of the vague burning sensation there which whispers busted micro capillaries. Bleah. Yeah, there's a wee bit of blood in the phlegm. (I can tell from the brownish green color.) Well, I have my annual physical exam in two days so I'll mention it to the doc then. Meanwhile, I'm off to the gym with my son in tow.

I know I should abbreviate my work out so I only spend 35 min on the elliptical and I make it an easy pace (only 180-200 strides per min vs my normal 195-220), and only manage to get 3.69 miles. I'm coughing up snot and barely sweating so I know this isn't going to be a great workout. But damnit, I'm still working out.

 B is struggling to bench at the Smith, and I offer to spot her if I can work in. It's suppose to be a heavy day for me, but I'm not going to do the max today. Instead I opt for 3 full sets at 135 lbs, and I don't actually need B to spot me. B bemoans her loss of strength but then again, she hasn't been benching lately so what does she expect. It's also her birthday. She turned 60. She looks good for 60. She looks good for 45. I tell her she just needs some consistency.

I finish by squeezing out 25 reps at 95 lbs and move on to Cage Stretch and kicks. Then back to the free weight area for delts. 20s feel, as always, heavy. But I do them anyway. Even sick, I'm still fairly strong. Tricep extensions, twisting sit ups and lower ab kick outs, followed by Mat Stretch. I'm feeling okay. My nose isn't running, and other than occasionally clearing my throat, I don't really feel sick either.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio hill #6 = 3.69 miles
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ 95 / 12 @ 115 / 3 x 12 @ 135 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 25 @ 95 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks
Front & Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Rear Seated Inclined Dumbbell Raises: 5 x 15 @ 20 lbs
One-Arm Tricep Dumbbell Extension: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Twisting Sit Ups: about 120
Lower Ab Kickouts: about 100
Mat stretch

The scale reads 109.0 and my face seems puffy. It's the pulled pork I simmered in stewed tomatoes and garlic, and poured over mac 'n cheese we had for dinner, and the really salty pastrami sandwich and beef jerky we ate at the Renaissance Fair yesterday. Eating a cheeseburger with pickles on Saturday at Quassy Amusement Park didn't help either. But what's done is done, and my son had a great time. I'm relieved that weekends only come once a week. Hopefully, this cold has peaked and I'll be back to my daily 5+ mile cardio workouts. I feel better just thinking about it.

I'm Probably Going to Hell

I wasn't coughing this morning but that was because everything'd dried and stuck to my internals. Eventually, with a bit of moisture from coffee and instant oatmeal, everything came loose. Still, even with the slight tightness in my chest, I didn't really feel sick. So off to the gym I went. Somehow I clicked on hill #5 instead of 6. It's a steeper hill. But I did my 45 minutes and got 5.09 miles. And I didn't cough all over myself!

I settle into the Seated Cable Rows, get into my heavy set of 120 lbs and who wanders over? V. Of course. I figure I'd get it over with, so I pull out one ear piece and wave a vague hello. He then proceeds to launch into a speech about Do you know... And I don't. Then he tells me her mother died yesterday. And I'm sort of "So?" People die. Especially if they're old. Then he tells me that she's a friend of his and I mutter I'm sorry and he rambles on about How that's all the news he has, and I shrug, because I don't actually want any news from him. Damnit, he's ruining my workout. I put my headphone back on as his lower lips starts trembling like he's going to cry. I'm pissed. That's the last time I pull out my ear piece when I'm working out.

The gym is pretty empty today. A lot of the regulars are missing. B's not here today either. Neither is R. I'm thinking I'm going to have to do something in the future to avoid V because this is killing my routine. The gym is my sanctuary, where I work out, get a great endorphin rush, and muse to myself about things I'm working on (photo shows, short stories, etc.). I don't have any sympathy for V. Does that make me bad? I think it's bad to foist your emotional despair on others who are not your closest friends. Maybe it's because I was raised Asian. 

I like the way my shoulders, lats and arms look lately. I've told B that I don't think I can get any bigger (without supplements, and I'm an au natural kinda gal), but she's skeptical. I am, after all, getting stronger. So why not bigger?

Today's Total Workout:
45 min hill #5 = 5.09 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 6 @ 120 / 12 @ 90 lbs
Lower Back Extension: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks and 12 close grip chins
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12-10 @ 105 lbs
Reverse Grip Barbell Rows: 6 x 12 @ 60 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Ab Curl Station: 2 x 50 (upper) / 2 x 50 (lower)
Lower Back Extensions (again) 2 x 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat Stretch

The scale reads 108.0. I feel pretty good. Then I see V chatting with a gal I recognize from the locker room. He seems perfectly happy. I wave hi and attempt to walk by but he accosts me with "And there's my glamorous neighbor." Oh good grief. The woman repeats, "Oh, you're his neighbor," and I have to nod noncommittally, "Uh, yeah." V proceeds to launch into a monologue about how it was best that his friend passed because how much should you suffer, and again, I don't really care. I venture that if he's really broken up, there's bereavement groups he can join. And then I see Mr Pajama Pants pass behind me and Hannibal Baggy Knees approaching, as if to join in the chat. And I scram as fast as I can. Because damnit, I really don't want to talk to any of these people. I'm probably going to hell. But at least I'll look good getting there.

What's a Little Asymmetry?

This morning, I felt a vague heaviness in my chest and realized that that cold has snaked its tentacles deeper into my lungs. Ugh. It's messy, but it sounds much worse than it feels. I still go to the gym, but give passing thought to cutting my cardio down to just 30 minutes today. I get to the gym and promptly ignore myself, punching in 45 minutes. I don't quite make 5 miles, but I tried. The worse moment was when a wet cough let loose and spewed phlegm on the sleeve of my hoodie. Yuck! Thankgoodness it was just the hoodie, and not any neighboring pedalers! Gross. A surreptitious dab from a paper towel and no one is the wiser.

Today is Rep Push Day. It's not really any different than Push Day other than I replace heavy benching with lots of repetitions at a lower weight. I see R and wave hi but don't dislodge my head phones, universal for "I'm not chatting now". B is probably at the beach today so I'm confident I'll have an uninterrupted workout. I Smith Bench 4 sets of 25 reps at 95 lbs and walk away feeling pretty good. Not as pumped as I'd like (compared to getting 75 reps with just the 45 lb bar) but since I'm constantly clearing my throat between sets, I'm okay.

I read the most inane article the other day about machines you should never use working out, and of course, the Smith was first on the list. Why? Because you might have arms that are two different lengths and you'll put uneven force on them trying to bench and then you'll be stuck because the Smith runs its bar on a tract. Good grief. Nevermind the benefits of being able to "safely" bench with a thumbless grip because lots of us have problems with our joints. I won't tell you where I read the article (online version of a fitness magazine) but that completely destroys their credibility.

Cage stretches & kicks, then back to dumbbells for delts. The 15s are too light. I do a warm up set. The 20s are godawful heavy, and those are the ones I use. They make me sweat. After delts, I start to do one arm tricep dumbbell extension and V wanders over. Good grief. He picks up a pair of 3 lb baby bells and does some floppy shoulder presses, then lies down for dumbbell presses. I high-tail it out of the dumbbell section unnoticed and situate myself on the Sit Up bench.

V wanders over again but I've got my hands in front of my face as I twist up and back, doing about 100 reps. He finally wanders off into the men's locker room. Phew! I think my worst fear is that he'll want to chat, and second worse fear, is that he'll want me to show him what to do. I know I can always tell him that the gym has people specially trained for that, but that doesn't help how I feel. Which is that he's intruding on my space, and my time. I'm soooo not a people-person. So any thoughts of becoming a personal trainer are a just that, fantasy thoughts. Because I don't deal very well with people I don't like. I'm like my son when he was 3 yrs old: "You go now!"

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 4.90 miles
Smith Bench: 12 @ bar / 4 x 25 @ 95 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks
Front & Lateral Dumbbell Raise Supersets: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated Inclined Rear Dumbbell Raises: 5 x 15 @ 20 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: about 100
Flat Bench Lower Ab Kick Outs: about 100
One-Arm Tricep Dumbbell Raises: 4 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Decline Bench Press: 25 @ bar / 15 @ 65 / 4 x 12-15 @ 85 lbs
Mat stretch

My husband made pulled pork and it's a tad salty, so I'm not surprised that the scale reads 108.8 today. I'm apparently extremely sensitive to sodium. I'm also apparently bigger in the chest/back and lopsided to boot! My navy blue airy tank top is getting snug just under the armpits. My lats are starting to flare a little. I look directly down and see that my left pectoral is higher/bigger than my right. Which is odd because my right arm is stronger. Soooo, I guess that means my left pectoral is compensating for left tricep weakness? I'm not sure how to fix that without resorting to dumbbell presses, and I don't do those anymore because they throw my upper back out of alignment. Oh well. It's probably not noticeable to anyone 'cept me.

Damn, I'm Such a Cardio Junkie

I wake up this morning and promptly hack up gobs of nastiness. Blech! Still, I toss my gym bag into the car and head off to my "home away from home." B tells me I should take it easy. She'd stay home, but that never works for me. I get panicky if I don't work out. I miss the endorphin rush too much. I'm not sure how my body will hold up but what the hell. Halfway through the first leg, I'm sweaty and happy. The second leg only gets better. 4.04 miles for hill #6, and 4.37 miles for interval #7 gives me a total of 8.41 miles. And I'm soaked like I've been caught in a summer downpour, and I'm grinning from ear to ear. But I'm not panting. I'm not even tired.

Cage stretches are next without the kicks because, yes, I'm wearing those shorts again. I did have sweats on over them this morning at the bus stop because it was a nippy 46°F. But I want to see where my knees are positioned when I do Squats, and I want to see my quads when I do Leg Extensions. So I wear shorts on Leg Day. Smith Squats and Dead Lifts are next. I take my hoodie off to put my elbow braces on for the Dead Lifts (because I bend my elbows to bring the bar up to my chest), but put it right back on again even though it's cold and wet, and probably smelly.

Afterwards, there are Seated Leg Curls, which are feeling fairly easy, and Leg Extensions, which never feel easy. Or good. They're just painful. And they're the exercise on which I use the least amount of weight. Pathetic. But I have bad knees, and my quads are big enough as it is, and I don't want them any bigger. So sets at the measly 45 lbs are okay.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min hill #6 = 4.04 + 35 min intervals #7 = 4.37 Totals 8.41 miles
Cage stretch
Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 75 / 3 x 12 @ 90 lbs
Smith Squats: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 5 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Smith Dead Lifts: 5 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Seated Leg Curls (again): 3 x 12 @ 90 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 5 x 12-15 @ 45 lbs
Mat stretch with 2 sets of knee to chin ab curl-ups

I see R and ask him how his doctor appointment went. He's got an Rx for pain meds if he needs them but otherwise he's sticking to physical therapy, exercising and making sure he doesn't do anything stupid. He's the one I watch for innovative exercises because he does stuff I've never seen anyone do for core, shoulders, arms.

But I must be a terrible person: as he's telling me what his doc said, and what his plans are regarding this injury, I find myself inadvertently glancing at the Smith because I'm still in the middle of sets there and I'm worried that someone will want to use it. I'm a terrible person because, really, I should only talk to people when I'm done with my work out because I can't really focus on other people until I"m done. I'm a terrible person because, honestly, all I keep thinking is, wow, he can talk up a storm. Except that if I wait until I'm done working out, I might miss the opportunity to be vaguely social, and polite. And I'm trying to be nicer, in a vaguely social way. If it doesn't interfere with my workout.

The scale reads 107.4 lbs and I'm good with that. It's a tad more than I expected, but I also realize that we went out to eat last night: miso soup, wasabi gyoza, ginger sesame dressing and the chicken & noodles I ate last night were laden with sodium, and probably a bit of MSG. My cheeks flush and feel too tight when I eat food with high amounts of MSG. My cough has been temporarily abated (at least until later this evening). I'll be back tomorrow. Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel.

Fresh Thoughts

I'm not only still sick, but my cough seems worse. Not that I'm going to let that stop me from going to the gym. I feel fine, except for when I'm bent over trying to expel this nasty, wet, alien, sea creature from my lungs. My cardio is probably suffering due to it. I feel as if there's a persistent tickle in my throat but breathing isn't impeded in any way. 45 minutes gets me a paltry 5.01 miles.

V ambushes me at the Seated Cable Rows and I wave at him and then completely ignore him. Honestly, some people only come to the gym to chat, making a half-ass show of working out in order to justify their physical presence there. Later, V ambushes me as I'm leaving the gym, telling me that he's getting a new smart phone so "we'll be able to talk on the phone!" Aaarg! I don't want to talk to him in person. What makes him think I'd want to chat with him on the phone?

I try not to be rude, but I tell him that I don't understand why he just doesn't leave a message on the answering machine like everyone else. I think he thinks we're buddies or something. Just because we're neighbors. Good grief. I don't chat on the phone much if at all. There are too many other things to do. For instance, I spent 3 hours yesterday cajoling my son into doing his spelling homework, 15 minutes of reading, and then Chinese school homework. It wouldn't've taken 3 hours if he hadn't belly-ached about doing homework for an hour and a half. 

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 5.01 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 6 @ 120 / 12 @ 90 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks & 12 close grip chin ups w knees curled to chest
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12-10 @ 105 lbs
Bent Over Reverse Grip Barbell Rows: 5 x 12 @ 60 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 /  3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Ab Curl Station: 2 x 50 upper / 2 x 50 lower
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat stretch with 12 alternating knee to chin ab curl ups

B complains that her forearms are killing her and although she's done back, she's skipping biceps today. We discuss the merits of doing tricep/bicep supersets. I like them but can't figure out what day I'd actually do them because I work everything else twice weekly, except for legs. She tells me that I should only work one body part a week, but I like the results I've gotten, and I don't want to mess with success. Not yet, at least.

The scale reads 107.8 lbs and that's okay. At least it's not still over 109 lbs! Unfortunately, I think my body's adapted to the 45 min cardio routine so all I can do is increase it. Luckily tomorrow's Leg Day.

Exercise to Cure What Ails You

Mondays are always hard, especially if you've adopted the "slug lifestyle" during the weekend. No exercise; too much salty, fatty food; too much wine and/or beer; not enough sleep. It's not like we're in our twenties anymore and can get away with those sort of indulgences without paying the price. But the great thing about routines is that it becomes habit. So my gym gear is packed and my clothes all laid out Sunday night, just as I set up my son's lunch and snacks, and lay out his clothes. He gets on the school bus, and I go to the gym. Very simple. Simple is good.

I do my 45 min and get a respectable 5.10 miles. I'm always worse at the beginning of the week cardio-wise. This persistent, deep, wet cough isn't reassuring me either. I have an annual exam scheduled in a few weeks and I'm definitely mentioning it to my doc if I still have it. The Smith is busy so I do my Cage stretches and kicks first. I feel pretty good in spite of my cough and benching heavy is on the agenda today. If I can get B to spot me. If she ever stops chatting. (sigh)

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 5.10 miles
Cage stretch & kicks
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 3 x 8 @ 145 / 15 @ 105 / 30 @ 95 lbs
Front & Lateral Dumbbell Raise Supersets: 12 @ 15 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Tricep Dumbbell Extension: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: about 150 (as many as I can do while the Train song Drive By plays)
Lower Ab Kick Outs: about 125
Tricep Press Downs: 12 @ 30 / 3 x 12 @ 40 lbs
Mat stretch

145 lbs doesn't feel that heavy. Elbows are what bother me when I press. Of course. Joints are my weakest link. But triceps and pecs don't feel worked enough, hence the ridiculous amount of reps I"ll do at the end. The last time I remember my pecs being sore was after I'd done 51 push ups and that was months ago. Probably means I should go back to do doing pushups again after my mat stretch. Maybe Thursday.

I add a small ab exercise to the end of my mat stretch where I lay on the mat with my head and shoulders curled forward while I press one bent knee to my chest, alternating each leg about 10 times. I've triple-folded my towel for my tailbone when I do situps now, but the lacy edge of my cotton panties is chafing my skin when I do the kick outs. That'll teach me to wear vaguely fancy underwear.

The scale reads a blistering 109.4 lbs, but I'm always heavier on Mondays than Fridays. Most of it is water weight from eating things like meatball and garlic pizza, and pastrami reuben sandwiches. Well, I'm not competing, as much as I want to look like it. But I still turn a lot of heads at the gym, the supermarket, and even the Grange Fair this weekend. B is envious that I can lift so much, so she worked in with me when I benched. She tells me she needs someone to push her. I kick my own butt (in my head) but she needs external incentives. That's okay. I'm trying harder to be a nice person. Really.

Worse Things Than Tired

Today's Friday and I know that I have two whole days to be slug (because all the activities that my son is involved with aren't as physically strenuous to me as the daily workout). I don't feel sick either, but my cough has burrowed deeper into my lungs, and I spend my morning clearing clams out of my windpipe before I get to the gym.

Damn it, I'm tired but I'm also stubborn, pushing my 45 minutes on the elliptical. I get 5.36 miles which is still better than Monday and Tuesday of this week. I really enjoy feeling the sweat pour off my face, and the air race out of my mouth. When I get off the elliptical, I feel warmed-up but I don't have that lactic acid muscle burn, and my legs aren't all rubbery. I used to tell myself, when I was much younger, that I was really an "anaerobic exercise" kinda gal.

Back and Bi's today. The cable station is too crowded so I opt to do Cage stretch and kicks first. But I skip the close grip chin ups because I'm worried they'll impact my ability to do seated cable rows. Actually, what really impedes me there is my right knee. At 120 lbs, my knees are bracing me against the weight pulling me back into the platform. I have to carefully position myself for each set, and I'm only doing 6 reps. But heck, it's more than I weigh so I'm pretty satisfied with myself.

Lower back extensions, Lat Pull Downs and Reverse Grip Barbell Rows are next. B asks me again to show her the last move. I've only shown her 3 times already but she never quite remembers that. I show her again and she's impressed at how well she can feel both her lats and biceps work. She mentions one-arm dumbbell rows, which I used to do waaaay back when, but my spine is too flexible, and, as with dumbbell presses and flyes, I've managed to knock my spine out of alignment with that movement. So I don't do it. Things I CAN do, I do heavy, in good form, and I do a lot of. B says whatever it is I'm doing, well, it's working. Thanks! And I mean that without any irony.

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 5.36 miles
Cage stretch & kicks
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 75 / 12 @ 90 / 3 x 6 @ 120 lbs / 12 @ 90
Lower Back Extensions: 25 @ 90 / 25 @ 97.5
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 5 x 12 @ 105 (don't know what I'm going to do if I try to up the weight)
Bent Over Reverse Grip Rows: 5 x 12 @ 60 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat Stretch

And I didn't do abs at all today. Not one crunch or situp. I suppose I should add some core work when I don't do abs per se, but I haven't figured out what exactly I'm comfortable doing. The scale reads 106.4 lbs and I'm very comfortable with that. I'm tired and hungry but there are solutions to those problems. What I can't fix is other people's pain, and how they deal with it.

B is attending a wake tonight for a dear friend of her husband's. He died after becoming paralyzed from the neck down several months ago. You'd guess car accident or stroke. But no. An abscess in his jaw that spread into his system and paralyzed him. The weirdest part is the fact that R, a big guy we occasionally chat with, tells me his wife is going to a wake for her friend's father. Who just died after being paralyzed. It's the same guy! B and R barely know each other, but cue the Six Degrees of Separation music for spookiness.

Meanwhile R is gritting his teeth through the pain of two herniated discs in his lower back. He's a personal trainer and this is wreaking havoc on his well-being. He doesn't want surgery after having endured 7 for various injuries incurred playing semi-pro football. I feel for the guy. He's a newlywed. He's young at 32. And I know how disabling back pain is, having experienced it myself in college, and knowing others who have turned to self-medication for relief.

I wish I could offer him something other than sympathy. Maybe that's what he needs though. But I'm not sure it's good for his self-image. We all carry a secret self inside who embodies everything we want to be and believe we can be. We ladies all have our secret "Warrior Princess" selves. Guys may be different though. Men appear to carry that image externally, so R may not be sharing his pain with the other guys at the gym. I don't talk to many people at the gym, and even fewer men, but R has always been very open, guileless, and a perfect gentleman.

Yes, there's certainly worse things than being tired. But being tired is no excuse for not paying attention to how you feel. Being tired means, pay extra attention to your form. Not to get all Zen, but you have to Be in the Moment. Always.

In the Groove

Today I actually got to the gym at 9:05 am. Wow. That's the earliest I've been since school ended last June. The place wasn't quite crazy busy yet either. I got on my favorite elliptical, nestled between two very large, plodding people and got my buzz on. 45 sweaty minutes and 5.37 miles later, I'm grinning under my soaked hoodie as I make my way to the Smith for reps.

I like to do reps because I think it builds endurance, strength and B claims (as do some publications) that reps bring out your cuts. I'm not cut. I have muscles but they seem smooth, not sinewy, and I certainly can't see the striations in my horseshoes (triceps) or pecs the way I did when I was in my 20s. But I do 4 sets of 25 reps at 95 lbs and that feels pretty good. I haven't done Decline Benching in a few weeks, but I'm not missing them either. Plus, that bench seems to be very popular lately, and I'm not inclined to sit around waiting for it.

Cage stretch and kicks are okay, and I start perspiring again. My whole workout is a series of cooling down, and getting sweaty again, so that by the end of it, I'm drenched and my clothes reek. I know shoulders are a b**ch but I can't back down from the 20 lb dumbbells. I just need to pace myself, and turn up the volume on my iPod.

Sometimes all it comes down to is what you need to do to psyche yourself up. For me, it's loud pulsing music (Billy Idol's always good for abs) and room enough to bop around between sets. Sometimes I sing along (silently because I know I can't carry a tune) just to get the adrenaline up. "Walk it off" isn't something you do just for injuries (as so often spoofed) but what I do between sets to keep momentum going. Dead starts (a long meandering conversation is a good example) are so much harder to overcome.

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 5.37 miles
Smith bench press: 4 x 25 @ 95 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks
Front & lateral dumbbell raises Superset: 12 @ 15 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral dumbbell raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated Rear Inclined dumbbell raises: 5 x 15 @ 20 lbs
One-arm dumbbell tricep extensions: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Torso twist machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs
Flat bench seated twisting sit ups: about 150
Lower ab kick outs: about 125 (although today I felt them primarily in my upper abs which is odd)
Mat stretch

My hair is still sweat-soaked but I'm headed to the shower. The scale reads 106.6 and I'm happy with that. I'm also starving even though I dutifully ate instant oatmeal (with apples) and a cup of coffee this morning. I've also sucked my 1.5 liter water bottle dry.

I see V chatting with another fellow when I leave. He looks up and cheerfully says, "Oh, and that's my beautiful neighbor." I cringe as I wave and high-tail it out the door. V tells everyone I'm his neighbor. Which is true. But really, I don't want every "tom, dick & harry" to know where I live. And the guy V is sitting with completely creeps me out because he reminds me of a middle-aged rehab dope-fiend. Bad enough "Mr Pajama Pants" stares dolefully from across the gym most mornings. I feel safer working out between the younger men who take great pains not to make eye-contact, are ever so polite, and actually work out like they mean it. They're my comfort zone and I appreciate it.

Happy Sweaty Leg Day

I just got turned on to this great version of the National Anthem. I can't believe how good it is, mainly because it's not the stodgy old "classic" version, but a modernized song with updated instrumentation. Sort of like FunTwo's update of that wedding classic Pachelbel's Canon. If you've never heard that, well, click on this link. I love it. I think FunTwo also does Vivaldi's Four Seasons in electric guitar. It's just so cool. But back to the National Anthem, by Madison Rising. Click here for the link.

The sun is out now but it was pouring this morning. And I had errands to do before I got to the gym, so I donned a pair of yoga pants over my shorts. They're over-priced fancy yoga pants that look nice although a tad too big. But my bone with them is the bloody seam down the back which makes sit ups, etc damn near impossible. Anyway, I did get to the gym and stripped down to my UnderArmour shorts, GapFit tank and Avia Sports Bra. The gentle hill kicked my butt and the intervals had me panting at the end. But I got 8.3 miles in total, and thoroughly drenched my hoodie.

Today's Total Workout:
35 min hill = 4.07 miles + 35 min intervals = 4.23 miles = Total 8.30 miles
Smith Squats: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 4 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Smith Deadlifts: 5 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Leg Extensions: 4 x 12 @ 45 lbs
Seated Leg Curls: 12 @ 75 / 3 x 12 @ 90 lbs
Ab Crunch Station: 2 x 50 (feet placed high, and on floor)
Mat Stretch

The scale reads a pleasant 106.2 which surprises me considering my hair is still sweaty wet. The home scale this morning read 105.4 so I guess if you drop over 2 lbs in a day, that's definite proof of water retention. I'm relieved. I'd rather be temporarily bloated than fat. Fat's harder to get rid of, after all. I'm off to meet my son at the school bus stop. It's the first day of school and I'm sure he's busting to tell me all about it.

Hurts So Good

Not that I'm a big John Mellencamp fan, but sometimes it's the extremes that give you the high you're looking for. I had my son in tow today and off we went to the gym this morning. F**k it, I thought to myself. I'm going to do 45 min of cardio today because damn, it felt so good yesterday. It's only when I get to the 25 min mark that the sweat is trickling down my face, droplets hanging off the tip of my nose and chin, and I have a big dopey grin under my hoodie. 45 min gives me 5.13 miles today. I'm happy as I amble off to the Seated Cable Rows, still dripping.

That good feeling carries me through most of my workout today and I'm rushing because I have errands to do afterwards. What did I skip? Abs. And I normally do them every day that I work out, but I still haven't figured out what I should be doing to work them and not make them big and bulky. Something that doesn't bother my neck, or exacerbate what I believe to be a (as yet officially undiagnosed) stress fracture of my coccyx (tail bone).

A set of Seated Cable Rows feels good enough at 90 lbs to do another set at 105, and then 3 partial sets at 120 lbs. Lower Back Extensions, Cage Stretch & Kicks and a set of Close Grip Chin Ups, Lat Pull Downs, Reverse Grip Barbell Rows, Dumbbell Curls, Reverse Grip Barbell Curls (which had me grimacing and near tears when done immediately after dumbbell curls), Mat stretch. Done!

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 5.13 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 90 lbs
Cage stretch & kicks & 12 close grip neutral grip chin ups w knees curled to chest
Lat Pull Downs: 12 @ 90 / 4 x 12 @ 105 lbs
Reverse Grip Bent Over Barbell Rows: 5 x 12 @ 60 lbs
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 3 x 20 @ 30 lbs
Mat stretch

My home scale this morning read 105.8 lbs so I wasn't too surprised when the gym scale registered 108.4 lbs. But I'm still happier closer to 107 lbs. My husband would scoff at the difference but when you're a small person, pound and a half is noticeable. Especially if it's water. Tomorrow's the first day of school, and it's also Leg Day. Hurray!

Laboring on Labor Day

My husband is home today so I left my son home as I headed to the gym, hoping it wouldn't be horribly crowded. I lucked out since there was hardly anyone at the cardio stations. 45 minutes got me 5.14 miles, but I wasn't as sweaty as I'd've liked. Good enough though for me to proceed to the Smith. It's a Push Day.

I still have a cold, and a nasty mucous residue that's getting "old". But I feel strong. B's not here today and I don't see anyone I can ask to spot me so I decide to bench "standard heavy", that is, 3 sets of 12 at 135 lbs. (If B were here, I'd probably see how many sets of 6-8 I could get at 145.) The last two reps of each set always feel a bit heavy, but in general, the movement feels good. I drop the weight down twice and finish up with a quick set of 15 at 95 lbs.

There are some regulars here today. And a pair of arms and shoulders I've not noticed before. She's a blonde of medium height, small hips and great arms. And a big-ass, no-neck, grey-haired dude who must be her personal trainer. She's probably the gal who's competing next month. I steal glances at her as I rest between sets, and I notice she's doing the same. Holy moly! She looks away suddenly and starts stretching, embarrassed to be caught looking. I'm not embarrassed, but I focus on my next set more intently. Regulars are used to my anti-social ways. After all, it gets me results.

I'm not sure if she's looking at me because I'm benching relatively heavy to my size, or if maybe, it's because I have nice arms and shoulders too. (Perhaps she's wondering if I'm competition? That'd be funny as I'm nowhere near big or cut enough. Short and wide isn't a winning look.) She looks older than 26 (a gal who works at the gym said the bodybuilder was 26), but then again, I look younger than 52. She's also a lot leaner than I am. Contest dieting, perhaps. That'll make you look older too, as it draws out the lines and wrinkles in your face.

Today's Total Workout:
45 min cardio = 5.14 miles
Smith bench press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 / 3 x 12 @ 135 lbs / 12 @ 115 / 15 @ 95
Cage stretch & kicks
Front & lateral dumbbell raise superset: 12 @ 15 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Lateral Dumbbell Raises: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Seated Rear Inclined Dumbbell Raises: 5 x 15 @ 20 lbs
One-Arm Tricep Extensions: 12 @ 15 / 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Twisting SitUps: about 125
Lower Ab Kickouts: about 125
Tricep Pressdowns: 12 @ 30 / 3 x 12 @ 40 lbs
Mat stretch

I'm still carrying water weight. I can tell looking at my face in the mirror. The scale reads 109.4 lbs. Yuck. Well, I have the rest of the week to try and drop some of it. Tomorrow I'll have to bring my son with me, but school starts Wednesday, so I'll be back to my regular routine. I like being strong. I just don't like being big. Or rather, I don't like being puffy.