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!"