Doing is Worth More Than Talking

Today

We had to go to a gas station convenience store in order to get a single dose package of Alka-Seltzer® because my son wanted to recreate a science "project" he did at camp. I could buy 36 tablets for $5 at the local pharmacy, but what would I do with 34 leftover tablets? And I didn't want to spend $5 on something we'd never use again. We also needed a film canister and luckily, I still had a few old rolls of undeveloped film back home. He put a little water in the canister, popped the tablet in, put the lid on and we stepped back from our walkway to have the canister pop several yards into the air. It left a fizzy, foamy mess but it was fun. Then we went to the gym.

My son was literally the only child in the room since most of adjacent towns have gone back to school today. I do 10 minutes on the Precor elliptical to get warm. I'm suddenly feeling very hyper. The staff tells me that the owner has purchased a new A/C unit and is waiting for the crane to install it on the roof. It's been weeks now and we joke that summer will be over by the time the crane shows up. Not funny!

I'm getting better at wrapping my hands after I tape them. I just needed to trust that I had enough cotton to go around my wrist and palm each time I wrapped a finger. It works as long as I don't wrap my thumb, but my thumbs have never been the problem. I see Scruffy when I first enter the gym. His eyes are swollen like he's either had an allergic reaction or one heck of a night. Later I catch a glimpse of Mouse at the Cybex leg machine. I don't see Scruffy hanging all over her today. Maybe she maced him? Naw, just kidding. Or not.

I don't sweat until the 4th round of the 5-round warm up Beginner program. Someone calls and leaves a message on my phone. Twice. It's some idiot realtor who thinks she's got her client's voicemail. I call back her office and tell the receptionist that I'm tired of being called since I don't know them. Then I punch in 9 rounds of Intermediate. Maybe I'll up that to 10 rounds next week. The machine doesn't register all of my Lead Kicks and tells me I'm punching too hard on Power Upper Cuts, Cross, Power Digs, Power Hooks. Oh jeeze. I pull back. For all the times I stop the machine, you'd think I'd score higher for Power! I'm breathless and sweaty after 9 rounds, but I could go again. That's one thing that endurance training (high reps and lots of cardio) does for you: enable you to keep going!

The Mayor walks in with his teenage kid, a thin blonde boy who comes to The Mayor's nose. He has his kid jump right into DBs. No warm up. They wander back to the CF area to have the kid do a few DLs. But The Mayor sees a friend up on the cardio platform and wander off to chat. The kid stops lifting and eventually stands in front of the cross-trainers too. Eventually The Mayor tells the kid to start pedaling. He does but without any effort or enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the only thing The Mayor has moved is his mouth. He walks with effort. It'd probably be easier if he lost some of that gut. Or if he spent less time talking.

Afterwards, I have just enough time to unwrap my hands and stretch my lower back a bit. We'll be going to see Shaun The Sheep again. The summer schedule is over for movies and the only appropriate one is one we've seen before. My son thinks he wants to see No Escape, but nothing about it convinces me I should take him. However, Shaun The Sheep is even better the 2nd time around! We stay until the very end and catch the rooster telling everyone that the movie is over and to go home. Then a sheep comes in to vacuum.

Tuesday Workout

10 min Precor elliptical warm up = 0.86 miles

14 rounds Nexersys
5 r Beginner Follow Me
9 r Intermediate Follow Me

Photos posted for actual stats:

5 rounds Beginner

9 rounds Intermediate