Born Again Gym Rat: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Thursday, June 12, 2014

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I'm not sure I can blame the weather although it is tempting. The cartilage in my nose throbbed this morning as if I had a sinus infection. I'm swimming through a fishbowl of apple jelly and my ears keep popping as if I'm suddenly changing altitude. I dawdle a bit in the mornings now in order to avoid the crowded locker room. The cackling, crowing and bad manners just piss me off. Why leave your locker door wide open? Why put your dirty sneakers on the bench that people sit on to change their clothes? Why strew your clothes everywhere? I also haven't been able to get on the Precors for the past several Thursdays. If I get to the gym later, maybe I have a chance.

Timing works today. I get my 2 miles on the elliptical, with 4 minutes of Tabata after the 5 minute walking warm up. My heart rate seems jumpy today. Maybe because I don't feel 100%. I'm barely sweaty by the time I get off but that doesn't concern me. A quick Cage Stretch and then off to box the machine. I do 11 rounds Beginner and then 3 rounds Intermediate, using the machine to the Left because it's less popular, and seems to register all my strikes. In Beginner mode, I stop the machine a few times and lose accuracy points. I'm tired and drenched by the time I tap in the 3 rounds Intermediate but I want to start working on the harder, faster program. I miss a few strikes but in general, I'm fairly satisfied with the workout.

Then I clamber back on to the Precor for 3 miles. And just because I want to see if I can do it, after 5 minutes of walking, I do 4 minutes of Tabata. I'm surprised I can get myself up to 260 Strides Per Minute. For a few seconds at least. I'm panting when those 4 minutes are done, but it's not hard for me to regroup and ease into a loping steady-state pace. I'm not sure if it's the machine or me, but the heart rate jumps from 89 BPM to 145 suddenly and climbs up to 190 before blanking out and reappearing at 135 where it stays for most of the run. When I'm done, I put my hoodie back on because even my hair is dripping, and I want to lay on the mat and not be gross. I knock out 3 sets of crunches, stretch out my lower back and I'm done. Yay!

I don't feel too bad until I bend over to put cream on my legs after my shower. Wow, that was a mistake. My head hurts, as if all the gray matter broke loose from their moorings. I go home for an ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine and debate whether to take them with a protein shake. If I just take the pills with water, I'll be really queasy with an upset stomach. Bleah. Well, nothing like adversity to make you stronger, right? Yep, gym rats are a stubborn bunch.

Thursday Cardio Workout

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs