Cardio Workout Cure to Fatigue

Biceps without curls

I'm tired and sore so I don't really plan to lift any weights, unless it's body weight. For the next two weeks, I will have my son in tow so I'll have to do abbreviated workouts. Why wait until next week? I figure I can just do a cardio type "Leftovers" workout today, and not kill myself. But because I'm not moving weights (except for my own), I decide to up my X-trainer session back to a full 30 minutes. And of course, my right foot starts to go numb exactly 17 minutes into the run. By the time I'm done, the whole front of my foot is uncomfortably tingly. Luckily, it doesn't last and I can walk it off.

I stretch a little and then do pull ups. I get 31 reps and feel a sense of relief that that first set is done. The first set is always the hardest. Since temps are in the 70s, the gym is relatively empty. Anyone who prefers to run or exercise outside is doing so. It'll get more crowded as the day heats up. I spend most of my time on the Mat, doing push ups and core work. After the routine 100 push ups, I knock out the standard crunches and planks. And then I add a set of Dand (Hindu) push ups, an elbow plank and then two sets of one-leg push ups (one set per leg). I'm not even tempted to do any more pull ups until after my 2nd cardio session.

Doing Intervals is always hard, but of course, it's as hard as you make it. I'm slower today on the uphill. Normally I can do 2 minutes anywhere from 120-140 SPM (strides per minute). Today I'm coasting along between 90-110. But then again, I'm hitting and maintaining over 200 SPMs for a minute, and then dropping to 180-170 for the 2nd minute in the valleys. I'm actually able to increase my speed as the session progresses, so that for the last valley, I'm able to hit 240 SPM and maintain it for at least 30 seconds. Not as fast as I've been in the past, but faster than I expected. Yaaay for me!

Hair is perpetually disheveled

I'm drenched and winded when I head back to the Stretch Cage. Hips, hammies and lower back all need extra special gentle attention when stretching. And then I stare up at the bars, grab them and start doing pull ups. As I've said before, I do "partials", keeping my elbows bent the entire time to spare my joints, forcing my back and shoulders to do all the work. I also have to keep myself from swinging or kipping with momentum so I've learned to cross my ankles and bend my legs behind me. Having a long straight body just means I sway more, and that makes pull ups a lot harder. I keep going until I think I'm going to fail, drop to a full extension, and pull myself up just one more time. 41. Double Yaaaay!

At the Mat I do a full stretch because I know my muscles are going to stiffen up as soon as I cool off. Stretching helps, at least if I do it while I'm still warm. I can tell guys are staring. Don't they realize that staring is rude? Old guys are absolutely the worst. One old guy (with sunglasses on no less!) keeps walking towards the Mat and then stops to get a drink from the fountain, or something. He does it three or four times, as if no one has noticed. Uh huh. I pretend I don't notice any of them. It's better that way. Thank goodness for iPods and headphones!

Friday's LeftOvers Workout
(6.34 miles total cardio)

30 min X trainer
3.74 miles
135 cal
7.47 average spd

HGPU 31
Knee in 50

PU 100

Crunches 3 X 50

Hindu PU 25

Bird dog planks 2 X 60 sec

One leg PU
2 X 50 (once ea leg)

Elbow plank 60 sec

30 min elliptical
Intervals
290 cal
2.58 miles

HGPU 41