Coping with Future Shock

The world is moving at an alarming pace and sometimes it's all we can do to stay sane and focused on daily practicalities. Technology promises solutions to problems we didn't know we had, then we find out that we didn't really have a problem, but we have to pay for the innovative improvement anyway. Like our computer and cell phone Operating Systems. Some of us stubbornly drag our heels (yep, still got an iPhone 3G), hoping to slow things down just enough to catch our breaths. Sometimes it's as simple as my son jumping in sneaker size from 3 to 5. "What happened to 4?" I wonder. I'm an orderly, methodical person. Shouldn't the next size be 4? Too tight. Too small. As we exit the store, my son asks me when he can have his first car. "When you learn to drive." "When is that?" "When you're 16." He's 8 but ponders this seriously. "Okay. That's not that far away. Can it be a Subaru?" "Uh, sure..." I say, knowing he'll hold me to promises I don't remember making.

When I get to the gym, it's as if all time stops. The outside world disappears and all I'm concerned with is making mileage on the elliptical while singing along to MeatLoaf's I'm Still Alive and I'd Do Anything for Love. But what really gets my speed up is You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth. I don't really care for the live versions that I've linked to here, the studio versions are much better on the CDs. I know my mileage isn't going to be as good as Wednesday because I'm tired. After a decent Interval session, I punch in Manual mode and play with the other settings. The default setting is Level1, Incline 10. I drop the Incline setting to 7 to see how this affects the outcome. When the numbers come in, I discover that the lower incline reduces the mileage associated with the number of total strides, so even though I've logged in over 6800 steps, it translates to only 4 miles. Well, at least I've still done over 8 miles and I'm happy with that.

There are a lot of younger men here today, some I recognize from months ago, and some who I've never seen before. College classes have already started in most places. I don't know why these guys aren't in school or something. I do a brief Cage Stretch (yep, wearing those dayglo running shorts again and don't need to show off my undies), strip off my drenched hoodie and do a modest Mat Stretch. When I finish and gather up my gear, I see Meadowlands at the cable station so I go over just to say, "It's good to see you here again." She's a bit surprised but smiles and says, "Thanks!" I can't help but notice (although I pretend not to) that literally all the guys standing several feet away are just staring. I'm not even sure that they're not holding their breaths. It might be all the splits, or the Dive Bomber Push Ups, or one or all of the sundry assortment of stretches. Or it might just be the dayglo shorts. It's Friday and that means time to don a few band-aids and kickboxing gloves. I still hate the fact that they're pink.

Synopsis for Avatar Follow Me program

I always do 3 rounds of Beginner Follow Me and then 3 rounds of Beginner Sparring. By the end of 20 minutes, sweat is dripping off my nose again. I'm learning a few things about myself while playing with the Nexersys. As I tire in the Follow Me, my accuracy (ability to follow direction) declines dramatically, but my punching power increases. However, that's not quite true of Sparring. I'm better able to block punches in the later rounds, but in both Follow Me and Sparring, I land the most punches in Round 2. I'm better at pacing myself again so I'm not breathless by the middle of Round 3 anymore. I'm sure doing lots of cardio helps.

Sparring stats for today

A few vaguely familiar guys pass by behind me as they exit the Cage Stretch and Cagle area to the rest of the gym. One is the Latino I growled at once for crowding me while I did reverse grip barbell curls. There's a whole empty room with mirrored walls everywhere and he has to stand two feet away from me with a barbell that I CAN curl (50 lbs). Like I'm going to be impressed? Anyway, guys tend to pass the Nexersys area very quietly, and looking very solemn. Or at least when I'm there.

I remember to snap a few photos but the glare from the big plate windows behind me make some of the readings difficult to decipher. And for fun, once I'm in the locker room, I take another photo of myself standing atop a bench. I don't look very intimidating at all. The scale reads 108.4 lbs (it was 109.4 yesterday but I forgot to mention it) and I'm starving. When I leave the gym, RR and some of the staff are gawking at SnowBird's hideously veiny old man legs so I slip out the door without saying a word. It's a bright sunny day and now I'm calm enough to deal with it. I won't be at the gym Monday because we'll be in Philly for a consultation with the glaucoma specialist. I'll let you know how it goes, good or bad.

Friday's Future Shock Workout:
35 min Interval 7 = 4.32 miles + 35 min Manual = 4.00  Grand Total = 8.32 miles Hurrah!
Cage Stretch with Heel Dips
Mat Stretch with 10 Dive Bomber Push Ups (hands under shoulders) and 3 with hands under hips
Nexersys Boxing Station: 3 rounds Follow Me, Beginner Female
3 rounds Sparring, Beginner Female

Post-Nexersys Me