Born Again Gym Rat: Spring Prairie-dogging

Friday, March 6, 2015

Spring Prairie-dogging

When I worked in cubicle-land, we had a term for people suddenly standing up in their space, making a remark and then just as suddenly disappearing behind their cubicle walls and computer monitor. Then someone else pops up and disappears. It's not simultaneous, but abruptly random, like playing Whack-A-Mole. The term is prairie-dogging. There's a form of prairie-dogging happening at the gym, but it's due to the weather. Members pop in and out of the gym, disappearing for months at a time, only to reappear briefly. Regulars are no longer regular. I haven't seen The Mayor or his posse in weeks. I missed the last two days because of Winter Storm Thor. Today I see D at the Nexersys. She's missed several days because of the weather, and slipping on an icy patch under the snow last week, hurting her lower back. Ouch! I've been lucky so far. I penguin walk when I think it might be icy out, especially when walking the dog at night.

I wasn't hungry this morning so I skipped oatmeal but sucked down my instant espresso. Of course I regret this decision halfway through my warm-up cardio on the cross-trainer when I'm suddenly ravenous. Nothing to do but suck down a little water. Hunger passes. Thirst does not. I make decent mileage but I know that in spite of having two days "off", the shoveling and the bitter cold have taken a toll on me. It was 4°F when I took the dog out this morning. No matter. The Smith is free and it's mine for the next three exercises.

I decided last week to take bigger jumps in weight increments, otherwise it just takes too much time and energy. I'm back to 160 lbs as my last set on Smith Squats. I definitely feel them in my upper quads. My knees complain a little so I'm constantly adjusting my stance between sets. I also increase my sets back to 5 with Smith SLDLs, with two warm up sets and three working sets at 120 lbs. At first I tried using just my gloved hands, but couldn't hang on to the bar past 8 reps. After I pulled out the Versa Grips, things went much better.

But no good deed goes unpunished, so I was definitely feeling my lower back during the subsequent Smith One-Leg Split Squats. Those are literally the only exercise where I actually feel my glutes getting sore between sets. My knees aren't really happy with this either. When I'm done, I do 30 min on the elliptical (Performance Program #3) to rest before doing GHRs at the Lat Pull Down. I chat briefly with D and then finish up with most of the Mat Stretch. I add back the Dive Bomber Push Ups and cut my plank to just past a minute. I also do a few Pistol Squats. I know these movements are doing more than just making me sore. I have a pair of workout pants that were uncomfortably tight when I first started coming to the gym. When I dropped 20 lbs, they were suddenly baggy. Now they fit perfectly in the places they're suppose to fit.

I see a lot more regulars including Texas (who just had her second baby a few months ago), SoulPatch (a beefy young guy whose pointy chin and nose remind me of Peter Pettigrew aka Scabbards), B, M, Flirty Girl, Jerry'O and Barbie Doll, Shazam and Jeannie. I don't know anyone's name because that would require conversation. I really only talk to people after my workout is done. I'm reminded of a conversation I overheard last week. Three HS girls were trying to coordinate their workouts while still in the locker room. "Actually, I work out better if I do it by myself," one girl confessed to the other two. "I don't really get a lot done otherwise," another girl concedes. Exactly.

My husband is still in Boston but behind schedule due to the Delta mishap at LGA. I hope he'll be home in time to come to my son's kung fu performance and banquet tomorrow. He tells me he's had no sleep and he's very cranky. So now I worry about his 3-hr drive home as well. Next week promises a real taste of Spring, with temps in the 40s. That might make up for the hour of sleep we lose this Sunday. When we're suppose to march in the St Pat's parade because we're Cub Scouts.

Friday Cardio and Leg Day Workout
(total mileage = 6.47; 17,975 lbs moved)