Born Again Gym Rat: When To Back Off

Friday, February 27, 2015

When To Back Off

It started when I burnt my tongue on a steaming bowl of New England clam chowder last Sunday. My tongue is still tender and it's been four days. But now, not only is the roof of my mouth sore around my teeth, but my ear hurts and there's a pain radiating up into the lower sinus cavity under my eye. I suspect cold sores. I seem to be prone to the blisters children get inside their mouths, except I'm damn near 55 years old. I've had chicken pox. I've had shingles. This is worse. I suspect I'm taxing my immune system beyond it's ability to recuperate so I need to back off. But that's really hard for someone as compulsive and obsessive as I am.

Even when I'm tired, I have a had time holding back. Today I get to the gym and I feel weary, but it's not in my nature to coast through a workout: I'm all or nothing. I also didn't really get a chance to eat more than a mouthful of oatmeal this morning before having to get my son in the car. Twelve minutes into my warm-up cardio, my stomach is rumbling noisily. Still, I manage a respectable mileage and after a quick stretch, I find to my delight, the Smith is free. Because I already know I'm tired, I cut my sets on my Leg Workout, and only do 5 sets of Smith Squats, 3 sets of Smith SLDLs (mostly as a warm up) and 5 sets of Smith One-Leg Split Squats. But I up the weight on the last exercise, and it's a grind to get it done. I should up the weight on the Smith SLDLs because there's really no point to them when they're so light. Still, I have a hard time dropping them altogether from my routine. My elbow doesn't bother me with 100 lbs, but I don't want to chance it at a higher weight.

I hold off on the GHRs until after the 2nd leg of cardio because falling on my face isn't any fun. I choose a different program each time I get on the Precor elliptical. Today is Intervals. Yesterday was Performance Program #3. I can't do that on the Cross-trainer because that machine so hard on my ankles just on the manual setting that I fear anything harder will cause more serious joint issues.

When I'm done, I do a Modified Mat Stretch with a few Pistol Squats and a lot of stretching. No plank, no dive bomber push ups today. I see some regulars, but others have been MIA for weeks now, like the Mayor. B complains that everything hurts. M spends more time chatting with newly rejoined old timers than actually working out. But out of all the retired and middle-age men at the gym, he's probably in the best shape. Some of the newly returned are thinner, like they've been sick. One older fellow is using a walker he previously never needed. Many women are larger than before they left. Perhaps the threat of a sub-Saharan summer has them scared.

Yesterday's Arm Day Selfie

It's wonderfully sunny as I leave the gym, and the sump seems to be working because I can hear the furnace when I walk in my front door. Tonight is going to be bitter but temperatures should be moderate next week. Which is fine, except for the forecast of snow and sleet Sunday night into Monday morning. Which means there will probably be a 2-hr school delay. The school has already scheduled classes for the first two days of Spring break to make up for Snow Days. Winter's not over yet. Maybe I should cut back to just 5 miles a day. Mentally, that's going to be so hard. Also, I worry that my body is so acclimatized to this that I'll have to cut my food intake in half to compensate. Or maybe I should just lift more weights? Naw, I'm very happy that my elbows, shoulders and wrists aren't bothering me. Just got to lift smarter, not necessarily heavier.

Friday Cardio and Leg Day Workout
(total mileage = 6.58; 20,055 lbs moved)