Reaping What You Sow

Winter Storm Linus made more of a mess than last week's "blizzard" and school was cancelled yesterday. A 2-hr delay always follows the next day, presumably to clear the parking lots and school buses. So I'm already going to be late to the gym. Just as I'm getting my son into the car this morning (because 11°F is too cold to stand around waiting for the school bus) my cell rings and I hear a recorded message telling me that our school is closed due to oil burner issues. WTH?

No school today because there's no heat at school. But only my son's elementary school. Our district has three. So I tote my son off to the gym with me, but warn him that he'll probably be the only school-age kid because everyone else is in school! But that also means an abbreviated workout. Bummer. My upper back has been a bit knotty from all the shoveling. Today is Chest and Delt Day. If I don't just give it all up for cardio.

The parking lot is a slushy mess. All the cross-trainers are occupied as well. Bleah. I like to use the cross-trainer as warm up because it involves arms as well as legs. After two and a half miles on the elliptical, I grab a flat bench and position it in the Smith machine rack. I'd already made up my mind to cut my reps and up my weight a tad, ever mindful of the wonky right shoulder and elbow. I have the bench flipped so that my feet on the separate head rest, and my arms are able to hang off the narrower bottom of the bench. This allows me to keep my elbows tucked close to my sides on the down stroke. I'm a small person and all the other benches are way too wide, too high, too big.

I'm really happy that 120 lbs feels okay, and 130 feels as hard as 120 used to be. Progress. And my front right shoulder feels okay. It's the DB Lateral Raises that cause me trouble. In truth, I'd already been experiencing some upper back knottiness. Probably all that shoveling. I grab the 25s because that's what I did last week. But I was better warmed up last week. I only do 3 sets of Laterals superset with Reverse Flyes. My upper back feels like a network of painful lace stretched across it. The type of weird pain like a stomach cramp, not one sharp pain like a stitch, but an array of flexing electric talons. It's something I can't ignore but I manage to finish my sets. I have just enough time to finally get 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. My back doesn't bother me here and I'm able to really ramp up the speed, logging in 4.01 miles. Wahoo! My son is absolutely the last child in the Child Care room at 1 pm. When I get home, I have to find my wooden doorknob knot roller and use it. Because tomorrow is Back Day.

Tuesday Post-Storm Workout
(total mileage: 6.57 miles; 8,260 lbs moved)

Elliptical

Calorie :   289 CAL
Distance: 2.56 mile
Duration : 00:30:08

Smith Machine Bench Press

165

Set 1 : 30x15
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x10
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 130x8
Set 6 : 90x25

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

33.33

Set 1 : 25x10
Set 2 : 25x10
Set 3 : 25x10 Superset with

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

35

Set 1 : 25x10
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12

Cross-trainer

Calorie :   151 CAL
Distance: 4.01 mile
Speed :    7.95 mph
Duration : 00:30:15