Going Out Like a Lion

It's the last day of the month and it's definitely not going out like a lamb. Unless the lamb likes a wintry mix of snow and sleet falling from dreary gray skies. It's been warm enough for me to walk my son to the school bus stop and then walk back to the house, giving me enough time to scarf down my oatmeal, egg and 1/2 cup of blueberries. I put several pints of washed and bagged blueberries in the freezer last summer. Now I can add them to the oatmeal after everything's cooked (otherwise it gets too watery). Today is Back Day. But I still do my two cardio sessions: before and after. Today I'm again just shy of 7 miles. It's pretty exciting! Of course, doing a lot of cardio is probably bad for the bones. Some days I just have to willfully ignore everything I've ever read, otherwise I'd be paralyzed by information-overload.

I've been logging all my food into the MyFitnessPal app on my phone. Apparently I'm having a hard time taking in enough protein. Jeeze. Abbott Labs seems to have taken the high protein Ensure off the market, which really bites. It was one of the few palatable, lactose-free, high-protein Ready To Drink shakes with additional vitamins and calcium at a reasonable price. Everything else they offer either has less protein (9-15 gms vs 25 gms) or contains lactose. My hubs and I have ordered several boxes of Quest bars to keep on hand for protein snacks. So far only the Wild Berry, Coconut Cashew, Banana Nut Muffin and Vanilla Almond flavors meet with both our approval. But there's a lot of sodium in them and I'm sodium-sensitive. (My hubs tried the new White Chocolate Raspberry and thought he was going to die of diabetic shock.)

I do worry that a high protein diet will adversely affect my kidneys as I get older. My maternal grandfather died from kidney failure and there's usually a genetic component to ailments regarding susceptibility. Gout also runs in my family. My brother has it, and I know my maternal grandmother suffered from it, especially when she enjoyed seafood.

There's someone on the Smith but no one at the mirrored wall where I can use the Oly bars. But there's a thick chalk residue all over the bar on the floor. And I'm wearing mostly black. So I grab the Oly off the Breaker Inclined Bench and use that instead. There's no sign that says you can't use chalk or powder, but I've never seen the equipment covered in it like this morning. It's fairly quiet so far, probably because all the kids on Spring break are still in bed. They'll be arriving after 11.

I'm not sure how well I'll be able to do RG BB Rows because of my injured left index finger. I've been cupping my hand to protect it, with the pointer and ring finger bearing more weight than usual. And if it weren't for my VGs, I wouldn't be able to hang onto the bar at all. There are three Latina girls working out. I've not seen them before but they run the gamut from short and chubby to just short and tiny. Latin Baseball and his homeboys are also lifting. When I slap a pair of 10s on the bar that's already loaded with a pair of 45s, I see the girls smiling at me. There are a few other regular women lifting at the gym. Most of them are solo and seem to be making good progress because I see shape in their arms. When I move to the Seated Cable Rows, the Latinas stare and giggle. Whatever.

I feel kind of tired by the time I get to Lower Back Extensions but I still get three sets. As I head back to the cardio platform, I see Venus. She's been on the Step Mill. Now she's doing Intervals on the treadmill. When she's not doing cardio, I don't actually see her working out. She seems much smaller today. No pump, no obvious muscles, but I can see she's got nice triceps. I see the Daniel Bryan fanboy working out solo today. He's probably actually getting something done since he doesn't have to babysit. And Sunshine is back, albeit with a big cast on his big furry right arm. There's lots of chatting. I'm glad I have my headphones on.

I've been skipping One-Arm DB Rows for two reasons: the heavy weight bothers my elbows, and oddly, muscles over my right hip, and lately, I can't grip the big DBs, even using VGs. The injured finger is just too sensitive for that movement. My elbows threaten to cause trouble but so far I've managed to heed their warnings, pulling back on weight and reps where necessary. Once I'm on the elliptical, I see the gym suddenly fill. Yep, it's after 11 and there are a lot of kids here now. I do an abbreviated Mat Stretch (no Dive Bomber Push Ups) and head to the shower.

My old workout towels are all threadbare from daily wash and wear. Really it's the dryer that's killing them. I bought myself thick new towels and I swear they feel heavy, even when dry. Today I weigh myself with and without my new bath towel. And the scale drops a pound when I drop the towel. I didn't actually think it was THAT heavy! Tomorrow's an abbreviated workout, probably just whacking the kickboxing machine because I have to be across the county for an eye test at 11:30. Yep, love those annual Visual Field tests to tell my docs whether I'm going to need additional treatment for my glaucoma.

Tuesday Cardio and Back Workout
(6.94 miles and 30,019 lbs moved)

  CrossTrainer

Calorie :   146 CAL
Distance: 4.03 mile
Speed :    8.03 mph
Duration : 00:30:08

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

232.5

Set 1 : 45x15
Set 2 : 135x15
Set 3 : 155x15
Set 4 : 155x15
Set 5 : 155x15
Set 6 : 135x20

Cable Seated Row

152

Set 1 : 90x12
Set 2 : 105x10
Set 3 : 120x8
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 120x8

Back Extension Machine

315

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

TorsoTwistMachine

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   258 CAL
Distance: 2.91 mile
Duration : 00:30:08

Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull In

100

Set 1 : 100 Lap/Rep

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:30

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

136.8

Set 1 : 114x6

Surprise Yourself

I don't quite understand the myfitnesspal app on my phone since it gives you caloric credit for doing cardio (via minutes) but doesn't seem to know what to do with strength training. It does have a convenient scanner feature that lets you aim your phone at the barcode on the package in order to upload nutritional data instead of tediously keyboarding everything in. That's a term I never thought I'd use: keyboarding. We were moderately busy over the weekend, and went on a hike because the sun was shining and it wasn't snowing. It took almost three hours to finish, mostly because we were dodging icy spots and taken time to actually look at the fallen trees and little sprouts of greenery. To its credit, myfitnesspal actually lists "hiking" under it's cardio activities, but I think it overestimates just how many calories one burns tromping through the woods.

I get to the gym late today because I want to finish my oatmeal, egg and 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries. (Of course, by the time I'm done, I'm so hungry I could eat my arm.) I have trouble getting started with the cross-trainer today, having to restart the program three times before actually doing any cardio. I figure I might slack a bit today and only log in 3.84 miles for warm up. There's a skinny guy on the Smith when I get to the free weight area so I plop my stuff on one of the breaker benches. I hate these benches. I haven't quite decided what I'm doing when I realize that he's re-racking his plates. Yaaay! But the over-sized adjustable inclined bench is in the Smith cage. Not yaaay.

I lay the bench flat. This one doesn't have the hump in the middle although there is still a huge gap between the seat and the bench back. I'm just small enough to have my shoulders fall uncomfortably into this space unless I scoot up and place the gap under the bottom of my blades. My right shoulder feels odd today. It doesn't actually hurt though. My left trap is still sore from last week's muscle spasm. And my left index finger still hurts when I press against it. Boy, this is gonna be fun.

I don't have a lot of confidence today. I don't feel particularly energetic. And the gym is weirdly empty and seems especially brightly lit. By the time I get to 120 lbs I know I can do at least one set at 130 lbs. I was really hoping to do more. WTH... cut my reps down to 6 and see how the next set feels. The next set doesn't feel too bad either, although I'd be lying if I said any of this was easy. I get my 3rd set and feel pretty good about it. Then I drop the weight down to 90 lbs and knock out a quick 25 reps just for the pump. There are regulars milling about. I know a few of the guys have been watching me bench, albeit from a "safe" distance. If I wanted to freak them out, I'd replace the 25, two 10s and a 5 on each side with a big 45 lb plate and a 5. They're already weirded out as it is, but it keeps the creepy old guys at bay.

Because I suffered a nasty trap spasm last week, I'm careful to do two sets of "warm up" movements with the 20 lb DBs before upping to the 25s. I had cut my reps with the heavier weight, but I know I can do more reps. At Set 5, I up the reps. And then I talk myself into doing Set 6. Meanwhile, I see R doing DB presses with a pair of 115s. Then he swaps them for the 125s. In between sets, he's stretching his shoulder and doing ab work with a 45 lb plate. I ask him how he's doing as he grimaces. His knee's inflamed and he's been putting off having it drained. What? Inflamed bursa. He's on a Z-pack and anti-inflammatories because it always drains pus. What?! For him, this is the result of years of football abuse, and heavy training. Bad back, bad knees, bad shoulders. He is happy that his wife is having a girl in August, and we both hope that she takes after his wife and not him. Already his 14-month old little man seems half the length of his wife, and just today scarfed down a 3-egg omelet and half a banana for breakfast. Oh jeeze.

I do some abs and then another 30 minutes on the elliptical, Performance Program #1. While I'm pedaling away, I see a lot of regulars... PJ Pants strolling on the treadmill, Tattoo Tank looking very trim (he's been working hard lately), and oh jeeze, The Mayor is back! He looks twice as wide now, but it's hard to tell exactly in that tent-like polo shirt. He's also still wearing weird gloves that totally cover his hands. They don't look like any exercise gloves I've ever seen. I do my Mat Stretch with Dive Bomber Push Ups and Pistol Squats before heading off to shower and change. PJ Pants looks up from a Cybex machine as if he's going to say something creepy. Yuck. I'm outta here!

Monday Cardio and Workout
(6.77 miles; 18,760 lbs moved)

Cross Training

Calorie :   148 CAL
Distance: 3.84 mile
Speed :    7.65 mph
Duration : 00:30:11

Smith Machine Bench Press

165

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x10
Set 4 : 130x6
Set 5 : 130x6
Set 6 : 130x6
Set 7 : 90x25

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

126

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 30x12
Set 3 : 70x12
Set 4 : 90x12
Set 5 : 90x12
Set 6 : 90x12

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

35

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 25x8
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x12
Set 6 : 25x12 SuperSet with

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

37.5

Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 20x15
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 25x15
Set 6 : 25x15

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   260 CAL
Distance: 2.93 mile
Duration : 00:30:07

TorsoTwistMachine

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

DiveBomber Pushup

Set 1 : 20 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 20 Lap/Rep

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

145.67

Set 1 : 115x8

Step Back and Breathe

Today is Leg Day and I'm concerned enough about not fitting into my Spring and Summer clothes that I cut my routine in half. Still doing cardio though. I'm probably genetically predisposed to have big legs. My niece runs 6 miles a day and her mom tells me that she's got those proverbial "thunder thighs" as well. Poor kid. Today I log in just shy of 7 miles. Wahoo! I've also been changing my meals although I'm not sure how long I can keep this up. Because I miss my oatmeal, I made my usual half serving (1/4 cup dry) but left out the egg. Instead, I mixed a scoop of protein powder with a 1/2 cup of water and tossed that into my oatmeal after it had cooled. I'm not used to eating that much protein before working out, so I did have a stitch just under my rib for part of my 30 minute warm up. And I felt like I was dragging a bit as well.

I only do Smith Squats, skipping the SLDL and Split Squat. The SLDL seems to affect my back more than my hamstrings, and the Split Squat works all too well with pumping my glutes and quads. But I'm stoked to do 30 minutes on the elliptical and choose Intervals. Maybe because I started doing HIIT again yesterday, but I was able to reach much higher speeds on the valleys than usual. Yeah, I admit it: I do my intervals backwards, pedaling as fast as I can in the valleys and then jogging to catch my breath and lower my heart rate during the peaks when both Incline and Resistance increase. I feel totally awesome afterwards, although I'm sure some will say that it's just the endorphins kicking in and Oh no, that's a sure sign of over-exertion.

I do a few of my isometric GHRs. I think I can see a difference in my legs although it's easier to feel muscle than see it, unless you're bone thin. And as you can tell, I'm not even close to bone thin. My left index finger still hurts when I'm not paying attention. I suspect an inflamed tendon as I run a finger methodically over the sore digit but tendons appear to be on the outside of the hand, and my sensitivity is on the inside. Puzzling. My stiff neck is going away, slowly. I've been rubbing Penetrex cream into it and my tender joints. It helps.

The noise-cancelling earplug earbuds showed up today. I have to say that I'm disappointed because my $6 Kmart-purchased Sony clip-over-the-ear headphones deliver better music quality. But maybe the new earbuds will actually block loud conversations while I'm working out? I didn't hear any disco music at the gym today. So much for Disco Fridays. Meanwhile I'm trying to process all the evil in the world and it seems overwhelming. Just like all the little things building up until life seems insurmountable. Is that what happens to people? They just crack, they give up and demons slip in, whispering terrible thoughts. Is this what drives our need for religion? Once I had thought it was to offer solace for natural disasters and other calamities, never taking into account that people themselves are a source of such terrible things. Ancients blamed feuding and fickle gods. I used to think demons were just romantic mythology. I'm not so sure anymore because I can't explain what people do to each other. I don't understand it, and I have to step back. And breathe.

Friday Leg Workout
(6.95 miles cardio; 11,160 lbs moved)

 Exercise Name

1RM

Lifting Logs

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   145 CAL
Distance: 3.78 mile
Speed :    7.54 mph
Duration : 00:30:06

Smith Machine Squat

210

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 120x12
Set 4 : 140x12
Set 5 : 150x12
Set 6 : 100x15

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   279 CAL
Distance: 3.17 mile
Duration : 00:30:05

GHRs

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

TorsoTwistMachine

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:01

Dive Bomber Pushup

20

Set 1 : 20 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 20 Lap/Rep

One Leg Bodyweight Squat

145.67

Set 1 : 115x8

Accountability

Today I remembered to pack my gloves but forgot the scissors. Ugh. Luckily I have a small pocket knife that I use to score the moleskin so I can affix it to my knuckles. My left index finger still hurts when I grab heavy things, like the frying pan. Ugh. I wrap my hands in white tape and put my weight-lifting gloves on while I warm up on the elliptical for 10 minutes. A quick stretch and then I use cotton wraps before stuffing them back into my old pink Everlast kickboxing gloves. My neck and left shoulder are still stiff but feel better when I work out and everything loosens up. I tap in 7 Rounds Beginner, and then 5 Rounds Intermediate to get 12 rounds total.

I'm wearing my new Saucony walkers and they are a tad too big for kickboxing the machine. There's just a bit too much room in the toe box so my (left) Lead kick doesn't always land correctly and the machine counts it as a missed strike. Ugh. But my hands feel okay and my shoulder doesn't really bother me when I throw jabs and cross punches. Uppercuts are a bit more troubling and I have to be extremely cognizant of my hand and wrist placement so that I don't hit with a bent wrist. That'd really hurt. The machine is still flaky and the Intermediate program glitches more than once. Of course, I'm still hitting too hard. Of course.

When I'm done, I climb onto the elliptical for anther 10 minutes, but do 5 minutes of HIIT instead of a full 10 minutes of steady-state. I haven't done HIIT in months, and it's just as painful as I remember it. But oddly, I'm able to hit close to my max speeds (272 SPM) for each peak so perhaps time away from this was a good thing.

I've installed a new app on my phone called MyFitnessPal. It's helping me track my calories, and nutritional breakdown. It's less helpful when I have to punch in my exercises since it only seems to take cardio seriously. This app tells me that I'm not eating enough protein, and ingesting too much fat and sugar. Figures. So today I don't eat oatmeal with an egg in it for breakfast. Instead I toss a scoop of mocha flavored whey protein into my instant coffee. It does NOT mix well, and I wind up sort of eating my coffee this morning. At least I'm not hungry during my workout.

However, I'm ravenous by the time I get home, and I make myself a tiny sandwich (3 oz Boars Head Honey Turkey deli meat) on 2 oz of baguette bread with a tsp of hot and spicy mustard. Dessert is a whole ruby red grapefruit with a scant spoon of sugar on it. I still have 1490 calories left for dinner and snacks, according to the app. Since I've been tracking my food, I'm finding subtle changes to my behavior, because now someone, even though it's just me, is "watching". Being accountable for my food makes snacking much harder. I'm not overweight by any means these days, although I was taken aback by an old photo I found of me and my husband, shot a year after we got married. My face is round like the moon although you can't really see the rest of me.

I'm much more aware that the older we get, the harder it is to maintain an athletic build. At odds with my quest for lower body fat and a leaner look, is the idea that high amounts of protein can lead to bone loss. The studies seem mixed but the latest one I found online suggests that with adequate calcium supplementation, higher protein intake (from food) and the alkalizing effects of fruits and vegetables, bone density can be improved. Sure, I'll bite.

Thursday Workout

10 min steady state elliptical = 0.86 miles

7 rounds Nexersys Beginner Follow Me
  Accuracy 88% / Strikes 95% / Avg Power 134%
5 rounds Nexersys Intermediate Follow Me
  Accuracy 85% / Strikes 96% / Avg Power 116%

2 min steady state / 6 min HIIT (15 sec On / 45 sec Off) /2 min steady state = 0.76 miles

Crunches: 3 x 35


photos for actual stats:

It's Always Something

The late Gilda Radner's irreverent character, Roseanne Rosannadanna, always ended her rant with the infamous line, "It's always something." That's how I feel lately. I woke up, still with a stiff neck and a bruise on my trap, to the disconcerting sound of wind. Coming from the house. Wind but not wind. Not coming from the house but the basement. Uh oh. After feeding and walking the dog (there are priorities in a set order in my house), I pull away the black garbage bag from the basement doors. Well, it's dry so that's a relief. But what's that noise? The furnace seems okay. Ah, the sump is running. But there's no water for it to pump. The float has gotten caught on the edge of the drain pipe and can't turn off. I nudge it a little and all is quiet. Whew. I don't know how long it's been running like this but I didn't hear it last night. I'm pretty sure my electric bill is going to be ridiculous.

I get to the gym with the intention of whacking the kickboxing machine. I even have scissors to cut strips of moleskin for my knuckles. But I've forgotten to pack gloves. I have three different sets of gloves and none of them are in my gym bag. Ugh. Okay, I guess it's Arm Day. My neck is still stiff and sore though. Worse, my left index finger is sporadically painful, as if I've got a blister coming up on the meaty side of my hand. But there's no blister. Just sporadic tenderness. Maybe I've inflamed a tendon inside my finger? It looks okay though. Hmmmm.

I'm having trouble getting into "gear" for my warm up and part of me says if I just do cardio it'll be enough. Of course, once I finish 30 minutes and do a quick stretch, I feel good and wander back to the free weight area. I've decided that Close Grip Bench Presses are my new arm warm up and I do 3 sets of 25 reps easily with just the Oly bar. I really should put some weight on the bar! Maybe next week. My only problem is the sporadic sharp pain in my index finger when I grip the DB or BB with my left hand. I have to adjust my grip so that the surrounding fingers take the weight. It's hard to do with a "thumbless grip" on sets of Rip Skulls.

I also use a thumbless grip on the RG BB Curls. I'm a bit worried about the Cable Tricep Press Downs but really what fails are my arms, not my hands. Back for 30 more minutes of cardio on the elliptical. Lately I've been punching in the additional option information: weight and age. I'm not sure if I'm pedaling faster but lately the elliptical has been registering more than 2.5 miles for these Performance Programs. I don't think entering 113 lbs and 55 yrs should have any effect on the mileage outcome, but I could be wrong.

Regulars are popping out of the woodwork, as if the warmer weather has suddenly spurred everyone into self-conscious awareness of the summer months to come. There are some new faces, most noticeably a young man with a prosthetic leg. I see a lot of familiar faces. Cripple Girl and her Daniel Ryan fan boyfriend stand around a lot. Or rather, she sits around looking unhappy unless he's standing right next to her. He gets a much better workout when he comes solo. I see Venus briefly and barely recognize her in her navy sweats as she exits the treadmill. Wearing weighted vests for all sorts of exercises has become very popular in the past two months, but it's usually guys sporting them. Now I see a woman with one of the trainers wearing a bright blue blue and gold weighted vest, brand new and shorter in length.

The music instructor who bought two of my prints says Hi to me while we are both stretching out on the Mats. She's been ill with the flu and bronchitis and is just coming back. Even though she's over her ailment, she's exhausted. The body is like that: just because you don't have symptoms doesn't mean you're well. Country western love songs are blaring over the gym sound system. Apparently it's Country Wednesday. Disco Friday is also very popular. I thought I heard the Bee Gees in the locker room yesterday. I can't wait until those new noise-cancelling earplug ear buds arrive!

Wednesday Workout and Cardio
(6.72 miles; 15,985 lbs moved)

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   149 CAL
Distance: 3.83 mile
Speed :    7.6 mph
Duration : 00:30:15

Barbell Close Grip Bench Press

82.5

Set 1 : 45x25
Set 2 : 45x25
Set 3 : 45x25

Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12 SuperSet with

Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl

28

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher

52.5

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12 SuperSet w

Barbell Curl

52.5

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x12
Set 3 : 37.5x12
Set 4 : 37.5x12

Barbell Reverse Curl

75

Set 1 : 40x25
Set 2 : 45x20
Set 3 : 45x20
Set 4 : 45x20

Cable Triceps Pushdown

66.67

Set 1 : 40x12
Set 2 : 50x10
Set 3 : 50x9
Set 4 : 40x12

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   258 CAL
Distance: 2.89 mile
Duration : 00:30:10

TorsoTwistMachine

Set 1 : 50x25
Set 2 : 50x25

The Difference Between Re-Set and Rest

My left shoulder got so stiff yesterday that I had trouble backing my car into the driveway. My hubs brought home the buckwheat-filled neck pillow/heating pad he had borrowed when his lower back was out of sorts. The heat felt great. I felt a tad more mobile this morning, so I went to the gym. Because that's what I do after I put my son on the school bus.

I really started to feel a lot better after 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. I was also trying on my new Saucony walking shoes. They're wide and comfy enough in the toe box, but seem a tad loose in the heel. Or rather, just the right heel. Time will tell how they hold up. I alternate my gym shoes so that each pair has at least a day to dry out. Tomorrow I'll wear the slightly narrow Asics Gel trainers. I'd really like to whack the kickboxing machine, but I'm not sure how much my shoulder will put up with that. I could skip the gym tomorrow and call it a rest day. But that's not likely to happen. I'll come just to do cardio. And then I'll justify smacking the machine with "What's more cardio than kickboxing?"

Today I babied my upper back because I didn't want it to seize up again. I skipped One-Arm DB Rows, and did light sets for the RG BB Row. I took it easy on the Cable Seated Row as well because my left elbow was also making itself known. The only movement I didn't ease up on was the Lower Back Extension machine. After some lower ab Knee-Ins and another 30 minutes on the elliptical, it was time to stretch.

Of course Old Yeller is on the stretching area mat. Then another sweaty fat old man joins him. But not on the same mat. No, he's halfway up the stairs and they are screaming their conversation at each other. Okay, I'm out of here. I do some rudimentary stretches on the linoleum floor in the hallway and then call it a day. Venus is here today. She's almost as chatty as B. In fact she's chatting with B. Then with Chatty Guy. Then with Tank Tattoo while they're both on the Step Mill. She seems small and smooth when she's not pumped, but we all look small under our layers. After 20 minutes on the Step Mill, she does some HIIT cardio on the treadmill and then she's done. Looks like contest prep to me.

Tuesday Cardio and EZ Back Workout
(6.65 miles total; 22,845 lbs moved)

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   149 CAL
Distance: 3.8 mile
Speed :    7.58 mph
Duration : 00:30:07

Cable Seated Row

152

Set 1 : 75x12
Set 2 : 90x12
Set 3 : 105x10
Set 4 : 120x8
Set 5 : 90x12

Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

225

Set 1 : 45x20
Set 2 : 135x15
Set 3 : 135x20
Set 4 : 135x20

Back Extension Machine

315

Set 1 : 210x15
Set 2 : 210x15
Set 3 : 210x15

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   254 CAL
Distance: 2.85 mile
Duration : 00:30:10

Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull In

100

Set 1 : 100 Lap/Rep

The Rock and a Hard Place

My son is bouncing around as if he'd never been sick a day in his life. That's the magic of antibiotics. I'll still be dosing him twice daily until next Sunday, but he feels and acts like himself now, giggly, chatty and silly. The sun has melted a lot of the snow but there are still fields of the white stuff everywhere. I feel tired and once again contemplate staying home in bed. I've added a multi-B complex vitamin to my fish oil and D. My OB-GYN scolds me for not taking calcium supplements as my primary doctor has recommended. "You're a prime candidate for osteoporosis," he tells me, referring to my Asian ethnicity, small bones and relative slenderness. If I was heavier, I'd be a less likely candidate for bone loss. But then my BMI would red flag me for all sorts of other ailments, like diabetes and high blood pressure. Asians are notoriously susceptible to diabetes, even when not overweight. The white rice diet is suspect.

Well, at least my blood pressure is good today: 120/70. My doc tells me to call my primary regarding the calcium supplements, suggesting that the benefits probably outweigh the risks in my case. I guess I'm skeptical. No one in my family has ever broken a bone. Ever. Not my super-frail mother, nor my tiny grandmother who lived to be 93. They did, however, suffer from high blood pressure and other ailments. Still, I'll probably revisit the calcium issue and look into taking supplements again. Sigh.

I'm not happy with the trainers I have on this morning. Although they're size 6.5 W Asics, they don't feel quite big enough. These ones are the newest and are the only ones with leather uppers. My other two pairs are older, and have mesh uppers. The original pair is imperceptibly deteriorating, looking okay from the outside, but not feeling supportive inside. The second pair isn't as comfortable as the first due to a slight narrowing of the footbed. I can tell that this shoe isn't as wide, so my little toe overhangs ever so slightly. Eventually the minor irritation becomes a major annoyance, and perhaps a blister. And the newest leather Asics also have shorter laces, which makes tying double knots challenging. But no double knot means I'm constantly retying my shoe laces throughout my workout.

I have a new pair of trainers on order and they seem promising. I've given up on Asics and gone back to Saucony. Zappos.com showed me a pair of black ProGrid Integrity walking shoes in a double wide 6.5. Since I don't actually run on the equipment, I'm fine with not having a running shoe. And they come in black. Bonus! None of those jazzy day-glo neons for me.

My mileage is decent today but not spectacular. My first two sets on the Smith Bench are horrid because I'm stuck with the over-sized adjustable inclined bench with the hump in the middle. Until the fellow on the small flat bench is done and walks away. I wrestle the big bench off to the side and relish being able to lay flat under the Smith bar. My left side feels odd today. Maybe from shoveling the heavy wet snow on Saturday? Usually my right front delt is bothered by benching so this is really odd. 130 lbs isn't as hard as last week. Next week, if I can get the small flat bench, I'll try and do a few sets at this weight. Today I finish with 25 reps at 90 lbs. Then I wrestle the big adjustable bench back and do some Inclined Presses. When I'm done, I look down the row of DBs to see if any of the smaller adjustables are free. I feel guilty doing DB Reverse Flyes in the Smith but everyone is spaced so there's not really any room to move my bench either.

Venus has been doing leg presses and chatting with Chatty Guy. Hmmm. Maybe they are a couple? I don't think so. I think they're both just chatty. She comes over and asks how many sets do I have left? I tell her that I'd gladly get out of the way if I could get use of the adjustable. She flags one of the trainers who's chatting between sets and not actually on duty. He's more than happy to help her move the over-sized adjustable out of the Smith and other benches out of the way. She tells me she didn't want me to be mad, and I tell her that I'm not mad... I was feeling guilty anyway. She looks much smaller in a long sleeve sweatshirt and leggings. But we all look much smaller and lighter in our clothes, surprising people when they finally see what's under all the layers.

DB Lateral Raises are okay, but there's something about Reverse Flyes today that cause my left trap to seize up and knot. I muscle through the workout anyway, but it puts a literal kink in my stretching. I'm hoping that a little heat and some rolling with loosen things up enough for tomorrow's Back Workout. Otherwise, it's just going to be a grind.

Monday Workout
(6.37 miles cardio;14,510 lbs moved)

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   150 CAL
Distance: 3.89 mile
Speed :    7.76 mph
Duration : 00:30:06

Smith Machine Bench Press

165

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

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

126

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 70x12
Set 3 : 80x12
Set 4 : 90x12
Set 5 : 90x12
Set 6 : 90x12

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

31.67

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 25x8
Set 3 : 25x8
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x8 SuperSet with

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

35

Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 25x12

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   276 CAL
Distance: 2.48 mile
Duration : 00:30:17

Dive Bomber Pushup

20

Set 1 : 20 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 20 Lap/Rep

Happy Vernal Equinox

I like to plan ahead because I hate being unprepared. So I must've been a Boy Scout in a former life! After I put my son on the school bus, knowing from 3 different phone calls and text messages that today the schools will dismiss early, I head over to the gym. Actually, I head over to the supermarket and grab the three items I'd like to have over the weekend: navel oranges, B-vitamin complex and kefir. I know that if I wait until after the gym, there will be mass panic and confusion due to the impending snow and I risk being caught in checkout pandemonium. Luckily it's cold enough where I don't have to worry about produce and dairy sitting in my car for an hour or two.

Today is Leg Day and I'm perfectly fine with just doing cardio. I try to get some Smith Squats in, but the Smith is always occupied. 30 minutes on the Cross-trainer and 30 on the elliptical, doing the Intervals program leaves me feeling pretty good. I do some GHRs at the Lat Pull Down machine before a quick stretch and off to shower. My GHRs are a lot like bizarre push ups and feel much more isometric than an actual GHR where you push yourself up to perpendicular to the floor. I've tried that, but I always feel it more in my lower back than my glutes or hamstrings. I feel I get more out of it if I do a slow controlled motion with my hammies under constant tension. Of course, it's not the textbook way to do this exercise, but it's the way I'm doing it.

I have shorts on today so my sweaty knees slide on the vinyl seat. Good thing I always have a small hand towel with me. I see a few regulars today, like B and Flirty Girl. Flirty Girl seems to be training a girlfriend on the intricacies of the abductor machine. She's definitely got nicer arms than most of the ladies here. Summer is coming and everyone is trimming down. Big Glasses Dude and Soul Patch, Tall Pace and Short Pace, Tattoo Tank, and Stick-Arm Barbie. No Venus though.

When I get my son off the bus, I can tell from the way he's walking that he's not feeling well. "My throat hurts," he complains. I call his pediatrician for an appointment and then offer to make him some chicken soup for lunch. He falls asleep waiting for the soup heat up. That's not like him at all. Two hours later I take him to the doc who diagnoses strep throat through the Rapid Strep Test. He's also got what the doc calls a "strawberry tongue". It's not as appealing as it sounds.

From the doctor's office we go directly to the CVS to get a prescription for augmentin (aka clavamox for all you pet owners) because it's snowing and I'm not going out again after we get home. The CVS doesn't have the prescription. Yet. Fifteen minutes later, as my son is curled up on a seat near the cashier, I call the doctor and asked where it is. She tells me I have to be patient because it was faxed. What?! Ten minutes later I get a call from her telling me they had problems with their computer system and she's just called the script in. My son tells me he's going to die at the CVS. I tell him no one dies at a CVS and find him a plush Easter lamb for him to hug.

The pharmacist has the prescription now but the health insurance isn't going through properly, claiming that my son's birthday is invalid. What?! Meanwhile, a pushy Irish woman (we seem to have a lot of them in my town) is asking the pharmacist why she can't fill her order sooner. "Because I have to speak to the doctor." "Well, here, I have him on the phone." "No, I can't speak to them on your cell phone. I have to call them myself, or they have to call me officially." "Well I was just trying to help," she puffs self-righteously. "What's your phone number so I can have them call you?" she persists.

The exasperated pharmacist explains that she'd be filling orders if she wasn't having to explain herself. There are four of us waiting in line, staring at Irish. "Why is she so nasty?" she says with a faint brogue, trying to gather some support. I've just about had enough of her. Her haranguing is distracting the pharmacist from actually filling all our orders. "BECAUSE we're ALL waiting," I tell her. "Well, I'm not even picking it up today," she says exiting the store. I want to smack her in the head with a good solid right hook. But I don't. I bet it would've felt really good though.

The pharmacist tells me that my health insurance company has my son listed as a girl and that's causing a problem with them trying to fill the prescription. What?! Just go home and call them to fix it, she tells me. Meanwhile, in order to expedite things, they've clicked on female just to be able to dispense the antibiotics. My son says he's going to die on the way home. When we get back to the car, there's a heavy layer of snow on the windshield. The roads are still good though not for long. My son has managed to curl up in the back seat, with his seat belt on. When we get home, he tosses off his coat and flies back onto the sofa like iron filings to a magnet. I give him his first dose of antibiotics and then some children's ibuprofen. Thirty minutes later he wants to know if he can have chicken soup. I'm not sure we'll be making it to Chinese school tomorrow. Of course, now I'm worried that my hubs and I will be coming down with strep too. Jeeze, Happy Vernal Equinox.

Friday Super-Abbreviated Workout
(total mileage = 6.79)

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   149 CAL
Distance: 4.01 mile
Speed :    7.99 mph
Duration : 00:30:08

Elliptical Training

IntervalProgram

Calorie :   321 CAL
Distance: 2.78 mile
Duration : 00:30:10

GHRs

12

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep