Born Again Gym Rat: Friday's a Good Day, Mostly

Friday, June 10, 2016

Friday's a Good Day, Mostly

The fellow showed up to deliver and install our new Anderson® storm door right on time. These new doors are so much easier to install. Everything just snaps into place, unlike the installations 20 years ago when the fellow spent hours trying to fit a rectangular piece of sheet aluminum to a doorway that wasn't entirely square. Because we live on wetlands, which means the ground is soft, and everything shifts. Nothing's in alignment. Ever. But that's not an issue with this door. It's a beautiful thing. And the best part is the self-storing screen, which means I never have to wrestle with removing the heavy storm window and replacing it with the screen panel. Yaaay!

It's also the only storm door I've ever seen with a lock. With little suitcase keys, that I promptly misplace. I like the color too and I'm glad we didn't get white or black. Instead, we ordered "cinnamon toast", formerly known as "wineberry" with antique bronze hardware, which looks black but will wear nicely into a soft brushed bronze finish. I make it to the gym much later than I anticipate because I realize that I still need to load the digital coupons onto my customer loyalty card. That's a good half hour right there. When I get to the gym, it's mostly empty, which in itself is not a bad thing.

My body seems to be rebelling. I feel like an ogre parent to my body, telling it that it's for your own good. It's not punishment, but my body acts as if it is. My right foot cramps slightly, the 3 hammer toes curl down and my sneaker feels as if there's a stone under the ball of my foot. The toes in both my feet go numb by the end of the first 30 minute cardio session. My hip twinges until I find the right position, a very subtle angle adjustment to my leg as I pedal. The knees complain intermittently. My lower back is stiff and the left elbow threatens ominously if I'm not careful.

Selfie with my VGs

I normally do a set of pull ups right after cardio, but there's a large soft man in the Stretch Cage, an obvious newbie. He spends a long time there. I guess he's stretching, but I'm not sure what he's stretching. I'm not one to hang around waiting so I move on to knee-ins and push ups. Then to the Smith machine for some light, easy Reverse Grip BB Rows. Then Smith SLDLs. Another new guy shows up in the gym, a middle-age black man in a full track suit and sunglasses. Who the heck wears shades INSIDE? He's benching right behind the Smith and with sunglasses on, you can't tell if he's staring at you or not. It's creepy. Maybe he's got creepy eyes under those shades? I've been watching too many zombie movies...

I'm running late and still have to get groceries before I have to meet my son's school bus. Yep, skipping everything else except final cardio, and maybe catch at least one set of pull ups. And I need to do a Mat Stretch at least once this week. Cardio Intervals always starts off hard, but I seem to pick up momentum during the last 5 minutes. Maybe because it's the last 5 minutes? I get to the Stretch Cage and a teenage boy is doing pull ups there. I ask him how many sets he's got and he says one more. Okay, I'll wait. And because it's my only set of pull ups today, I make sure I do as many as I can. I barely get my nose over the bar for the last rep, but at least I didn't resort to kipping.

During the Mat Stretch I realize that Sunglasses is still in the gym. Usually guys who bench big don't stick around for much more than that. But he appears to be doing a variety of movements, but never busting a sweat so he's still in his full track suit, knit hat that doesn't fully obscure the graying hair, and shades, by the time I go shower.

When I get home, I give the dog a peanut butter sandwich because that's the easiest way to give him his pain pills (gabapentin and tramadol). Since I started mixing rice and boiled chicken in his breakfast kibble, the Metacam hasn't been bothering his stomach so that's good. The cooler weather means he's friskier and wants to go on his longer routine walks. They were never long walks to begin with, but it's good to see him interested in sniffing around to "check the local news". He's figured out that the harness helps him to go outside so he's quite attentive when I take it off the kitchen hook with his leash.

PoshDogKneeBrace.com

The WalkAboutHarness should arrive any day now. Meanwhile, I'm reading up on canine acupressure and rehab. It's disheartening to read that non-surgical treatments are just as costly and not necessarily more effective than surgical intervention. The braces are going to cost a small fortune in themselves, even the ones that don't require a trip to the vet to make a cast — which would require anesthesia! But maybe they'll help the dog live less painfully. He doesn't complain, but I know this is hard for him. He's used to running around the outside perimeter of the house, and playing hide and seek with me in the yard. He can't do any of that anymore. Now he's just happy to be in the same room, and lay quietly on the floor.

Friday Workout
(6.55 miles cardio; 17,562 lbs moved)