Deceptions

The overcast sky smelled like snow, yet the sun came out later and the weather seems almost balmy at 36°F. A TV weatherman forecasts near 50°F by mid-week next. How deceptive! I woke up with that nasty burning sensation in the back of my throat, but right side only. Post-nasal drip. It was ugly. It was a blood clot mired in phlegm. Then my right ear seemed to clog up and I felt a wee bit dizzy. But not enough to impede my ability to walk, or drive, or go to the gym.

I get on my favorite elliptical and pedal like crazy, trying to keep my pace above 190 (strides per minute), figuring that if I roam anywhere between 185 and 215, I can probably get 5 miles in. By the 33rd minute, I get a burst of energy and ramp it up to 270 strides for a few seconds before dropping back down to the more moderate 190. At the end of 45 minutes, I've logged in 5.08 miles and I feel pretty good. Until I sit down to do Seated Cable Rows.

Warming up with 90 lbs seems easy so I move the weight up to 105. That's not bad. What's bad is every time I look up, I get a wave of dizziness. My sets at 120 are weak and unfulfilling and I can only get 8 reps each time. Proper form dictates focusing at a level above your head when rowing. You don't want to row staring at your feet! Looking up is really killing me today. No twisting sit ups today either!

Cage kicks and stretches are okay, except when I bend down and put my forehead on my extended shin. But the dizziness passes and I'm able to finish. I wander back to the Smith rack and attempt pull ups. I get 10 reps on the first try and have to hang for a moment before I can knock out the last 2 reps. Then I sit down for a few minutes before attempting a second set, and then a third. I'm happy because it means I don't have to do Lat Pull Downs and there's no way I'm standing up on that seat to reach the bar at the Lat Pull Down station. Not with my head all dizzy like it's been.

Palms Facing Inward: Chin Ups

Researching Pull Ups (just type into Google: How to do a Pull Up) brings up a slew of websites and blogs. I found one very entertaining one called nerdfitness.com that has an entry on how to do a proper pull up (and chin up), and as I read it, it dawns on me that I really ought to be doing chin ups as well! Well, duh! Ah, should'a, would'a, could'a... Next time! He also has a link about actors training for the movie The 300 and mentions the motto: Appearance is a Consequence of Fitness. I like it! (Unfortunately, the link to the actual actor trainer Mark Twight no longer works.)

Today's Total Workout:
45 min hill #5 = 5.08 miles
Seated Cable Rows: 12 @ 90 / 12 @ 105 / 3 x 8 @ 120 lbs
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Smith Rack Pull Ups: 10+2 / 9+2 / 8+2 (I had to hang a moment to rest during each set in order to get the last two pull ups done)
Bent Over Reverse Grip BB Rows: 15 @ 65 / 6 x 15 @ 70 lbs

Concentration Curls

Lower Back Extensions: 2 x 25 @ 90 lbs (this is also making my head swim as I push back and I'm staring up at the ceiling, and it's very unpleasant!)
DB Curls: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
DB Concentration Curls: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs
Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 35 @ 50 lbs
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100 (I feel a rug burn starting so I stop before it gets worse)
Reverse Grip BB Curl: 3 x 20 @ 40 lbs
Mat Stretch: oddly enough, I can bring my elbows to my feet (legs shoulders width apart) without getting dizzy, and my splits are getting better

The scale reads 107.4 lbs so I think my weight has stabilized. I suspect I'm having one of those "bloodless periods" where my body has just done it's cycle but at a level slightly below the threshold to cause actual menses. Well, at least there's no mess!

I suck down my ice cold vanilla Ensure and drive home after changing and showering. My head still feels really weird, but so does my right ear. I've seen enough TV shows to know that at least I don't have the danger sign "worst headache of my life" which always seems to precede a fatal aneurysm. I think of that HBO show Six Feet Under and how the protagonist knew he had an aneurysm just waiting to pop, but there was nothing he could do about it. But I digress...