Playing Catch Up

My "boys" left today for their week-long stay at Boy Scout Camp in Rhode Island. Which means it's just me and the dog for 7 whole days. I could probably get a lot of stuff done. I'm hoping at least. Meanwhile, I'm behind on logging my workouts because I haven't settled on one yet. I've looked at two (Strong and GymBook) and neither does exactly what I need. What I need is a large database and flexibility. I can create my own exercise labels on both apps, but I'm annoyed that it's difficult to add or subtract sets on the fly. I don't subscribe to the 12 reps and 3 sets for every exercise. That's just too robotic. I'm not tied to a set/rep specific routine, preferring to listen to my body. (Some days the shoulders just aren't up to it. And some days the wrists are shot.) I think I get damn good results this way, so I'm not about to change.

A decent hair knot eludes me

What used to be nice about the JeFit app, was you could set up your routines, and then log your current workout just by "pulling" on a specific exercise. It was easy to add or delete sets as you went along. (I never use the timer in these programs.) You could save the workout and find it later in the calendar. Next week, because I have time, I can use one of the two apps during an actual workout to see how it suits me. And yes, I've already fired off several complaint emails to the JeFit people. They sent a rote response, and then another email asking me to respond to a survey about their customer service. Are you kidding?

Thursday I did my 10 min warm up, kicked and whacked the machine for 15 rounds, did another 20 min on the elliptical and finished with a set of pull ups. It was rather routine and I felt pretty good. I picked up my son from camp, my husband got home early from Boston, and then our power went out. The most unreliable company in the world, Kinsey Power, still has not gotten around to installing the replacement voltage regulator for our generator. It's been nearly two months, and the only reason I have stuck through this is because they already have several hundred dollars of mine from their initial visit. Their latest excuse is that they forgot. Excuse me?

I drive my husband and son to swim class with me because two towns over, there's still power and WiFi. I'm taking an Adult Swim class because I'm not comfortable in water over my head, which, being 4'11.5, isn't that deep. I can swim, but I can't tread water. I've taken quite a few swim courses over the years and still never learned to tread water. Ugh. So I figure I'd give this swim school Wings Over Water, the one my son has been attending since he was a toddler (and now he swims like a jellyfish, effortless and splashless), a go and see if they can teach me how to do this one thing that has eluded my aquatic life so far. I borrow my son's goggles but they leak water. The instructor pulls the goggles so tight that there are pressure rings under my eyes for nearly 24 hours. Clearly I need new goggles that fit me.

I go to the gym Friday, and I'm unusually tired. I doubt I can make 6 miles, and the first set of pull ups is a struggle. I'm perplexed until I remember the swim class. The 45 minute class didn't seem all that taxing since all we did was practice kicking across the short width of the pool and learning how to pull our hands properly to stand up. There are some folks in the small class who are having trouble putting their faces in the water and floating. There are some who insist on bending their knees and kicking as if they were running. I don't have any of these issues. But the class is designed to help us "unlearn" our bad habits. The school has a very specific belief in teaching proper body positioning which seems to work for my son. I've got 7 weeks to see if this old dog can learn a new trick.

I manage to do a full set of pull ups the 2nd time around, but I'm pretty tired. (Am I being harsh when I call 31 reps a full set, and anything less feels like failure?) Still, I do Intervals, and then a full Mat Stretch to finish. I feel pretty good. I know that eventually I'll adapt to this new routine. And then summer will be over. Oh well... maybe my generator will be fixed by then.

Thursday Workout
10 min warm up elliptical
15 rounds kickboxing the Nexersys (stats at bottom of page)
20 min Precor elliptical program #1

Friday Workout
(6.4 miles total)

30 min X trainer
3.71 miles
137 cal
7.41 av spd

Hammer Grip Pull Ups
112 X 26

Push Ups 80

Crunches
50 X 3

Bird Dog Plank
2 X 60 sec

Smith Flat Bench
30 X 20
80 X 15
100 X 12
120 X 12
80 X 25

Smith SLDL
30 X 15
80 X 12
100 X 12
120 X 10
130 X 6
80 X 15

DB Lat SS w Rev Flye
3 X 20 X 12/20

Precor elliptical
30 min Intervals
308 cal
2.69 miles

Hammer Grip Pull Ups
112 X 31

Photos for actual stats for Thursday Kickboxing Workout

5 rounds Beginner
(always a good warm up!)

5 rounds Intermediate
(machine seems glitchy, or maybe it's me)

5 rounds Advance
(I actually think I like this better than the Intermediate program)