So Good to Be Back!

It's only been 4 days since I last worked out but my body is so stiff it feels like I've been gone for weeks. Inclement weather triggers an automatic text alert notifying me that school will dismiss early today. I'm a bit concerned about not having enough time to work out today, but in actuality, I have plenty of time.

The ellipticals are surprisingly busy but #3 (my favorite) is vacant so I hop on and start peddling like mad. 35 minutes later I've logged in 4.05 miles and I'm warm and moist but not drenched the way I like. The Smith is busy and I'm pleasantly surprised to see a young woman doing squats there, so I move directly to Cage Stretch & Kicks. I almost never seen women doing weights other than those pitiful plastic beauty bells. My hips are stiff and my hamstrings are tight but I manage a decent stretch and series of kicks. By the time I get to the Smith, the woman is gone but M is setting up. I walk away wondering what I'm going to do because literally all the benches are occupied. M chases me down to tell me I can have the Smith. I'm so surprised I forget to say Thanks.

Today's Total Workout:
35 minutes hill #6 = 4.05 miles
Cage Stretch & Kicks
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar (45 lbs) / 25 @ 95 lbs / 25 @ 115 lbs / 15 @ 135 lbs / 9 @ 145 lbs / 12 @ 125 lbs / 15 @ 105 lbs / 25 @ 95 lbs (I feel weak today but it's all in my head)
Shoulders: 3 x 12 Front & Lateral @ 20 lbs & Rear Bent-Over @ 22.5 lbs / 3 x 12 Lateral @ 20 lbs & Rear Bent-Over @ 22.5 lbs (there's way too many people here today and I feel like I'm tripping over bodies to get my routines done)
One-Arm Tricep DB Extensions: 3 x 12 @ 20 lbs (my left wrist gives out before anything else)
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 100 (the Torso Twist machine is broken and I'm bummed)
French Press w/ EZ Curl Bar (15 lbs): 4 x 25 reps (I take my elbow braces off because my forearms are swollen. I'd consider adding weight to the bar if I had a reasonable chance of getting the spring collars on and off but my hands are too small to exert enough pressure on the clip ends.)
Mat Stretch: There is a young guy I see lately who has the most amazing stretch, and I'm not just saying that because he's a guy (doubly amazing because most guys are so stiff). I wonder what sport he plays because he's got amazing hip and hamstring flexibility, which I can't help but notice because he's on the mat right across from me. And he's not a little wiry guy but a fairly athletic dude.

The gym is crazy crowded today, probably because everyone wants to get done before the Winter Storm arrives. My face looks bloated and puffy today so I'm not surprised when the scale reads 111.4 lbs. Our weekend eating habits didn't help much considering I'd had a slice of pizza for dinner and a bacon, egg & cheese sandwich for brunch yesterday. Saturday wasn't much better with us chowing down at a local Chinese restaurant (lotsa salt and grease).

It's our son's birthday weekend and we're horribly indulgent parents. We've just polished off a tin of almond cookies, otherwise known in our household as "dry as dust cookies" so as not to be confused with the supermarket variety. And dried lychees also remain a favorite, although nothing beats fresh. My son asks why we can't get them and I tell him that it's a summer fruit. But he remains skeptical. No one likes the flavorless, oddly-textured canned items drowned in heavy syrup. Thank goodness it's citrus season!

I didn't even see B's car today so either she totally canned the gym due to weather or she's come and gone already. She likes to get to the gym at 7 am but with her bad wrists and elbows, there's not much she can do other than legs and cardio. I recognize a few other regulars, Tall Pace U, Mr T-Shirt, Chinless, FatAss (his descriptor, not mine), Headphones, Beanpole... I see R's car in the lot as I brush a fresh 1/2 inch of snow off my car. Tomorrow's suppose to be closer to 40°F and all this will melt. I'm looking forward to it.