Unthrillable

Today is Halloween, but it's also Monday. And probably the worst day for a holiday based on late-night shenanigans and partying. No one parties on a Monday night. As I drive around, I note that maybe one house in a dozen has any semblance of season decorations. Barely anyone has pumpkins, much less jack o' lanterns. Admittedly, we did not purchase a pumpkin this year, so we did not carve any scary faces. I do have two resin jacks that light up in the living room window though. And lights, cobwebs and a cute skelo-pup with glowing red eyes. But like last year, and the year before, no one will come knocking at our door tonight. There aren't really any kids on our road anymore since most have either grown up and moved away, or just moved away. Still, my son wants to go Trick Or Treating. Maybe we'll check out the next road over.

No one at the gym acknowledges that today is Halloween, except for maybe the one woman wearing orange and purple. I'm the only one wearing anything with a skull pattern, and these are leggings that I've worn to the gym every Halloween. Because I've put on a few pounds lately, I'm worried that the fabric might not be as resilient. Everything feels too tight. The last thing I want is for my workout leggings to tear or rip. Ugh. But they survive. I don't do much in the way of stretching though.

I've been feeling very lethargic and I'm not sure if it's seasonal or just stress. I'm easily stressed, probably because I overthink too many things, and then I overwhelm myself. It leads to a sort of mental paralysis which is definitely not productive. Tomorrow is the first day of November, and I'm behind in all the things I need to get done: finish a story I started last Spring, create a photography website for myself before my two shows next summer, work on my show material, work on the story I started some years ago that I have a quarter completed and outlined, but... maybe start to shop the children's stories that I completed some years ago. Plus, I was doing some logo work and I should probably finish that within the next week or so... Left to my own devices, I wind up doing a lot of nothing. What I really need is a plan, and then a list.

Having put on 5 lbs in a matter of weeks is definitely scary. This time last year, I had actually inexplicably dropped weight without any effort. That was also scary. But I prefer being lighter than heavier. Now I've got to figure out how to put a quick stop to this and reverse course pronto! I look at my workout and can't see adding anything more to it, so I need to change what I have. And back to salads with dinner. Or, as dinner.

I'm bummed that some guy is using the Smith, but after I get two sets of RG BB Rows done in the adjacent MaxRack, he's done. Yaaaay! I drag a small flat bench over and get my sets done. I know I could've gotten more than 6 reps at 130 lbs, but I'm babying my joints. The shoulder doesn't hurt but it feels a little iffy. Worse is my right thumb. Over the weekend, I tried to open a new bottle of toilet cleaner and sprained my thumb. (I finally got my hubs to open it.) Child-proof caps are literally me-proof as well since my hands and fingers are so little. My 11 year old son has bigger hands than me now. So today the thumb is also a bit iffy, and I'm careful not to put too much weight on it. Fingers are so dam delicate!

I drag the incline bench over to the DB area. It's getting crowded. There's a guy in a wheelchair with his aide. She's helping him do a few DB movements. There's a really big guy behind me doing DB lateral raises. He has a long ZZ-Top beard in bad need of a trim. For some reason The Mayor feels compelled to drag a bench (from the other side of the DB rack) over and place it right next to mine. It makes me claustrophobic. I hate being too close to other people when I'm working out because I'm always worried about people accidentally smacking each other. He can't help but stand in the space between benches and chat with the big bearded guy. I turn my iPod up louder. And all I keep thinking is "What a dickhead." I'm so glad that I'm only doing 3 sets. No Rip Skulls today, but maybe I'll try doing Tricep Press Downs at the cable station. There's no one there, and the V-bar I like is already attached! Yaaay! I haven't done these in ages so I'm excited to see if I can still do them.

Of course I start off slow with just 20 lbs. Then 30 lbs. Then 40 lbs. Well, if I can get 15 reps, I should probably up the weight but not sure that 50 lbs isn't too much. I should go for 45, but suddenly there are waaaay too many bodies at this four-sided cable station, including The Mayor. Seriously? WTF? Three sets is enough for me today, and I'm off to pedal the elliptical for 30 minutes. Then a last set of pull ups before I leave. Done. But should I be doing it differently? I'll have to think about it... maybe I'll go back to doing Tabata-style HIIT cardio. Ugh... that's always painful.

Monday
(5.04 total cardio miles)

30 min elliptical
Program 1
2.52 miles
285 calories

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 60

MaxRack RG BB Row
55 lbs bar x 12
75 x 15

Smith flat bench
15 x bar
12 x 80, 100
120 x 10
130 x 6
90 x 25

Smith inclined
Bar x 15
12 x 50, 70, 80

DB Lat s/s Rev Flyes
20 x 12/20 x 3

Tricep cable press down
20 lbs x 12
30 lbs x 15
40 x 15

30 min elliptical
Program 2
2.52 miles
284 cal

HGPU 36

Cars Should Not Chirp

Yesterday I decided that the only exercise I was willing to partake in was going to my evening swim class. Because my husband was still en route from Boston, I took my son with me to the swim school. It was pouring, windy, dark and just a few degrees above freezing. (I hate being cold and wet, and here we were braving it just for me to get cold and wet in the pool. Yes, it's a heated pool, but not heated enough.) I hit an unseen pothole in the glare of oncoming traffic and a few minutes later the "tire pressure warning" lights up my dashboard. Aarg! I couldn't actually see which tire(s) was affected but none of them looked flat. Yet. Swim class was fun, with me being the only student. I got a good cardio workout. And I took my time driving home.

This morning I took the car for it's "bi-annual" oil change. Okay, maybe I take the car 3 times a year for an oil change. Because it's not something I'm going to do myself. I like the fact they check all the head, tail and signal lamps. And they always check the tire pressure. They can also rotate the tires. "Have you noticed your car making a chirping noise?" one of the service techs asked me. Uh, yes, but only occasionally. "There are cracks in your alternator belt and that makes the chirping noise. We recommend that if you have 3 or more cracks, that you replace it." It had considerably more than 3 cracks so yes, replace that please.

The tires, which should've had readings of 30-34 lbs, were down to 20-22 lbs. Egads! But no discernible breaches like nails or cracks. Everyone tells me that it's the sudden cold weather. I've never had this happen before, but then again, it's my first car that actually has a tire pressure sensor. There's also an air filter right behind the glove box, and that was full of leaves and debris. Uh, yeah, change that too. The $10 coupon helped, but as my husband likes to joke, there's no leaving the Valvoline with just an oil change.

I like the fact that if a light is out, or my wipers suddenly go kerplewy, they'll replace them on the spot. Because I drive like an old lady. But not so old that my son didn't notice the car in front of us last night doing 10 mph on a twisty part of the road. "What's wrong with that car?" he asks me somewhat annoyed. The sign says 20 mph but locals drive 30 on it. Because that's slow for that road. Normal speed is about 40-45 on the parts that state 30. But nobody drives 30 where it says 30. No body. Especially not the cops.

The tire pressure light finally went out and I drove to the gym. It's nearly noon. I had a brief thought to do some light benching and rowing, but the Smith is occupied. Instead, I do a Cardio & Bodyweight Day. I even do 30 minutes on the "good" cross-trainer, which accumulates more mileage than the elliptical. My foot doesn't bother me today. The first set of pull ups reminds me of how tired swimming makes me. Push ups remind me that I really really should do a few every day. Crunches and planks are just a way for me to catch my breath. I even venture off to do a few Pistol Squats just because it's been such a long time and I'm worried that I've lost my ability to balance. No, I can still do them, but I stop after 5 because I really don't want my thighs or butt to grow. My pants are already too tight, because I'm getting fat. Yuck. The gym scale hovers at 111 lbs this week. Not where I want to be. It could be worse. But it could be soooo much better.

Intervals are much harder right after doing Pistol Squats. It takes me nearly the whole workout to loosen up, and recover enough energy/strength to do the exercise justice. In the "valley" at Incline 4, I try to keep my pacing above 200 SPMs (Strides Per Minute) for a full minute (averaging 200-226 SPMSs), drop down to 170-185 for the second minute, then jog at 106-120 for the two minutes where the Incline rises to 8.

The last set of pull ups feels much better now that I'm warmed up. Alas, it's also time to leave. I do most of my Mat Stretch, and then rush off to shower and change. Venus is in the locker room, readying herself for a workout. I've seen other regulars in the gym, like The Mayor and Ollie, and a bunch of young new faces. Last week, I watched from the elliptical as Towel Guy used the assisted chin up machine, and did kipping pull ups. WTF? I thought about what advice I could give to people on how to do a pull up, and unfortunately, the best I can say is, "Use your back to pull your chest to the bar, not your arms". But, in reality, it's hard to know what that really means, or even what it feels like because most of us don't really know our bodies well enough to know what our limbs are doing if we're not actually looking at them. That's what's happening at swim class as I'm trying to figure out the breast stroke kick. Ugh.

Tomorrow my son and I get to help a Scout in our Troop work on his Eagle project, which involves trail-clearing. Oh boy! My husband's new Boston project has kicked in so he's working the weekend. And here I thought Boston was over, but another project has started at a different terminal. At least he's not flying to Houston. Yet.

Friday Workout
(6.41 total cardio miles)

39 min x-trainer
3.78 miles
138 cal
8:00/mile av pace
7.50 av speed

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups  100
Crunches 3 x 60
Side Planks 2 x 60 sec
Bird Dogs 2 x 60 sec
Pistol Squats 5 ea leg

30 min elliptical
Intervals
2.63 miles
300 cal

HGPU 36 Yaaay!

Humpty Dumpty Day

I think about skipping today's workout until I realize that tomorrow is a much better prospect for doing that. Tomorrow I have swim class in the evening. And the morning forecast calls for snow and possibly freezing rain, before turning to just plain rain. If the school district freaks out, we'll have a snow day, because a 2-hr delay won't do the middle and high schoolers any good. So I go to the gym today. And put all the empty beer and water bottles in a giant shopping bag behind the driver's seat. Because when I turn those in, I'll have enough loose change to put toward the annual renewal fee for the dog's license. It's only $7.50 so I don't want to write a check, and I don't want to break a twenty. I'm saving that for Election Day. My son won't have school and we'll go to the movies. Yes, I try to budget when I can.

I've been arriving in the locker room at just the wrong time, when the exercise class has just vacated and everyone is in the locker room changing and gabbing. The noise is deafening between all the women yakking about their hair and nails, and the roar of hair dryers. Those things should come with ear plugs. Or mufflers.

I do 10 minutes on the cross-trainer for a change of pace warm up. My left knee seems tender and I worry that playing on the kickboxing machine will aggravate whatever's befallen it. But nothing really comes of it. The machine behaves as expected, sometimes erratically. I can't take any of the numbers seriously because the machine's not to be trusted. But it's still a good workout. I'm running late. Again. So I skip the additional LISS cardio, and only do a set of pull ups afterwards. Done. I'm not happy that the gym scale reads 111.3 lbs. That's 3-4 lbs more than I'm comfortable with. My pants are a skosh tight. Well, it's time to actually pay attention to all the bad things I've been eating. Like liverwurst sandwiches, a weird throwback to my childhood. Only my mother ever liked liverwurst and I'm probably the only one I know who does too. But it's high in fat and salt, so that's the end of it. No more eating like a child! Or Humpty Dumpty will have a great fall, and all the king's men... well, you know! Back to sensible eating this season.

Wednesday Workout

10 min cross-trainer
1.15 miles
6.88 average speed

15 rounds Nexersys
3 x 5r x 4 min = 60 min

HGPU 31

Photos posted for actual stats:

5 rounds Beginner (awesome warm up rounds)

5 rounds Intermediate (some rounds were better than others)

5 rounds Advance (I got one really good round, and the rest were just crazy with the machine tossing out combinations without the corresponding avatar signal)

Tuesdays Are Crazy Days

Tank is purple, not blue.
Color's still off.

I'm logging yesterdays' workout this morning before I head out to the gym, because Tuesdays are crazy days. I always make the mistake of thinking I have more time than I actually do, hence the dreaded "over scheduling" predicament. I didn't even go to bed on time because I was catching the tail end of a Downton Abbey episode with my hubs last night. Oh well...

I did manage two cardio sessions for a total of barely 5 miles, plus most of a Pull Day workout. I'm a bit disturbed by the tingling fingertips and toes lately though. My glaucoma doc says I have Raynaud's Syndrome, which I've always thought of as when your fingers and knees turn blue due to cold. But it's actually vasospasms of smaller blood vessels in the extremeties, leading to sensations of cold and tingling. This is a complication for my glaucoma, but it's also something I've always had. It's a maternal inheritance, and there's no indication that my son has it.

You would think that having done push ups a zillion times in the past would make me extremely confident of each day's session. Instead, I approach the task with the fear that I won't be able to perform the hundred reps. It's performance anxiety! Low expectations makes success much sweeter, although "relief" is more appropriate. The same is true of pull ups. By the second round, I know that I could've done more than the 31 reps I count out. But too late. I'll save it for the third and last set.

My right shoulder feels a bit off today so I skip the elbow planks. They're hard on my shoulder and elbows, not so much on my core. The Smith SLDLs are okay. The RG BB Rows are easier than I expect. I could go heavier, but I don't. Because time is slipping away and I have things to do besides being here. Between sets I peer into the mirror wall I'm facing and see a vaguely familiar face in the distance. It's Venus, and The Mayor hastily runs over to greet her. He's desperate to chat up young attractive women, or at least that's how it seems to me. He gabs with a lot of male acquaintances, but never with the same earnestness in his face. It's a bit sad. I keep lifting.

I run into another acquaintance in the locker room. She's just recovered from having a burst appendix. At first she thought it was food poisoning because after the 3rd day she felt better. I tell her that after the first day it's not food poisoning. Then I tell her about the obit I just read about Steve Dillon of the graphic novel Preacher (now a popular streaming series). He recently died of a ruptured appendix, because he thought it was food poisoning! She tells me she was headed to Home Depot when suddenly she found that she had driven herself to the Urgent Care parking lot. I tell her that she was being guided. She's lucky. The docs tell her that another 6 hours and she would've been done. My grandmother said "Things Come in 3s". I'm gingerly waiting for the next case...

Tuesday Workout
(5.02 miles total cardio)

30 min elliptical
Program 2
279 cal
2.50 miles

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50
Side Planks 2 x 60 sec
Bird Dogs 2 x 60 sec

Smith SLDLs
15 x bar
12 x 80, 100, 120, 130

Smith RG BB Rows
15 x bar, 80,
20 x 100,
15 x 120
20 x 130

HGPU 31 (Could've done more!)

Seated 1-arm cable rows
12 x 30 lbs
45 lbs x 12 x 2

30 min elliptical
Prgm 3
2.52 miles
284 cal

HGPU 36 Yaaay!

Late Afternoon Caffeine

Big "new" iPhone 6+

My hubs and I both had interrupted sleep last night, probably due to the late afternoon hit of caffeine at Starbucks on the way home from the Mall. Going to bed on time didn't help as I just stared at the clock even though I was really really tired. This morning I dreamt I was at my old job in the City, looking through a work folder for the Lilly product Cymbalta. Yes, that was one of my accounts. And then the alarm went off and I got my son up and off to school, walked and fed the dog and then crawled right back into bed. I didn't drift off right away though and setting my alarm so I wouldn't oversleep actually made things worse. Eventually I just turned everything off, and woke up when the garbage truck came roaring down the road.

I still had time to make it to the gym and do an abbreviated workout. There's now on-going road repair work on the main thoroughfares so I'll have to count that towards my commuting time until winter hits. Today's a Push Day. I guess I'll sacrifice a round of cardio, and pull ups. As long as I get one set in, all is not lost. Because I'm a slug over the weekends, I feel it's important to get at least one set of pull ups, and one 30-minute cardio session to kick the week into gear. I know some people feels that that's enough exercise, but I'm not those people. I'm not a "More Is Better" type of gal either, but I definitely know my limits, and this isn't close to pushing them. Be honest with yourself. Are you really at your limit, or skating along? Not that I advocate pushing limits for every workout. That's counter-productive and can lead to injuries that'll lay you up for weeks. No one needs that!

But does it take better photos?

My husband got himself a new iPhone 7. He hadn't planned to, but he somehow cracked the screen on his 6+, through the protective screen shield! The phone wasn't behaving properly either. The repair shop guy said it would take a few days to fix, and that the phone also needed an additional replacement part. My hubs can't be without his phone so he bought the latest iPhone 7, and then got the 6+ fixed. Once it was repaired, he offered it to me because I have the tiny iPhone 5. Today I took it on a field run to see how I liked it. Because it's so big, I worried I wouldn't be able to put it in my pocket. It has an OtterBox protective case so that makes it even bigger than it really is. Luckily, all my apps transitioned seamlessly from the iCloud backup. And so far, with the exception of some photos appearing dark, the phone works well. It even appears to get a signal in spots where my old phone couldn't, so that's a big bonus right there.

I see some regulars just finishing up their workouts... The Mayor, Shaggy (who is now growing out mutton-chop sideburns into a full face cover), Walrus Mustache, Ollie, Cowardly Lion... Once I finish the last set of the DB lateral raise superset with reverse flyes, I'm off to shower and change. I get down to meet the school bus with just a minute to spare. Whew!

Monday Workout

30 min elliptical
Prgm 1
2.61 miles
297 cal

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50

Smith flat bench
15 x bar
12 x 80, 100
10 x 120
6 x 130 Yaaay!
25 x 90

Smith inclined bench
15 x bar
12 x 50, 70, 80

DB Lat s/s w Rev Flyes
3 x 20 lbs x 12/20 reps

Lost Time

I'm as bad as my son in that I never listen to myself when I know I need more sleep. I actually skipped the gym yesterday with every intention of taking a nap. Or getting some writing done. Instead, I did a bunch of house chores, watched TV and shot a few photos. At least the light was good, changing from harsh direct sun to bright overcast. Perfect for my current project.

In the locker room today

Today I actually had my head down on my pillow for a nap when I suddenly remembered that today is an A day on the school schedule, and my son had neither his sneakers nor his viola. Since gym is first period, there wasn't anything I could do about that. And he was wearing his rubber-soled camo comfort mocs, which are nearly as good as sneakers. But orchestra class is 7th period, so I got my gym gear packed up and drove over to the middle school. Because once I'm up, I am up.

Last night's swim class was a lot of fun. I didn't drink too much pool water, and I find that I excel at the backstroke, mostly because I don't have to worry too much about catching a breath. I need to experience for myself the fact that keeping your chin down as you lay on your back raises your hips in the water. I do this several times so that I can create a sort of muscle memory of this position. I'm not a natural at this swimming thing and it's a lot of work, a lot of unlearning bad habits. But I'm making progress. And next week I'll be the only student in the class for the rest of the term, which runs until mid-December. I really need to sleep more!

I haven't whacked the Nexersys machine in over two weeks, and I felt a tad rusty going at it during the Beginner rounds. The machine was mostly behaved, except during Beginner rounds when it would arbitrarily ignore power (right-side) kicks and digs. Hence, my scores are lower than I expected. During the first round of Intermediate, the machine goes a bit batty and flashes strike commands that don't match the body parts lit on the screen avatar. That's a bit confusing, and I lose Accuracy points. Of course. On the other hand, the machine tells me that I'm over-powered and out-pacing it for the Advance Level and I should add rounds. Huh? Overall, I have an excellent work out and feel totally awesome afterwards.

After I strip off all my hand protection, I do 30 minutes on the elliptical and then a set of pull ups. I'm wearing the raspberry and grey Asics I normally reserve for Pull Day workouts because my leather trainers eventually hurt my feet the longer my workout goes. What's becoming disturbing is the vague numbness in toes on the right foot. Again, it only happens when I'm on the elliptical, but previously, it'd only happened when I was on the cross-trainer. I've stopped using that piece of equipment, but if my toes are going to go numb anyway, then maybe I'll start up again.

I'm really looking forward to the end of Daylight Savings, when clocks drop back for an hour. I could really use another hour of sleep, if only I'd go to bed on time. Right. I recently found one of my favorite short story anthologies, Cold Snap by Thom Jones. I'd just read his obituary a few days ago and dug up the copy I'd bought way back in the 90s. Critics raved about his style, and the incredible way he was able to drag you along in his mania. I find a lot of comfort and dark humor in works like Thom Jones, Augusten Burroughs, and even Lauren Slater before she decided to take herself too seriously. Welcome to My Country was wonderful. Her later works, not so much. I loved Running With Scissors. My sister was horrified by the tone and the subject matter. The movie didn't really do it justice. Oh well...

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical
Warm up
0.82 miles
92 cal

15 rounds Nexersys
5 rounds each level

30 min elliptical
Program 3
2.45 miles
272 cal

HGPU  31

Photos posted for actual stats:

5 rounds Beginner
I'm quite disappointed in the Accuracy Score,

5 rounds Intermediate
The first round was crazy! And there was no coming back from it enough to compensate, number-wise anyway.

5 rounds Advance
It's nice the machine is telling me to Add Rounds and that I'm maximizing my workout. Some rounds are easier than others though.

Intensity

My dreams this morning aren't quite as vivid and I'm puzzled as how to get that back. Although content isn't critical, colors and a memory sensation of the actual dream experience does provide oddly enjoyable satisfaction. Maybe I'll check out the new Sleepy Time peach or vanilla flavored teas. Of course, it's much too warm lately to drink hot milk before bed.

I tend to read a lot before bedtime. The latest research suggests that exercise-enhanced brown fat cell produce a hormone that can convert white fat into metabolic powerhouses, and convert white fat stem cells into bone cells. Pretty neat. Other literature reveals a mechanism where environment can alter genetics through free-floating msRNA in the blood stream. So we're not all at the mercy of our genetics after all, but also our parents' traumas and other life-experiences. Ugh.

Today is a Pull Day, and of course, I'm highly skeptical that I'll be able to pull any substantial weight at the Smith. I actually skip planks and knee-ins! I make all my sets but I feel my form breaking down during the last two. Ugh. I also get my sets and reps for Smith Reverse Grip BB Rows. My right lat is sore, and that totally surprises me. I like to give myself half a chance to achieve a complete set of pull ups, so before Seated One-Arm Cable Rows (which tire my biceps more than my lats) I'm at the Stretch Cage for Set 2 of HGPUs. When I return to the weight area, I see one cable station empty so I drop my gear on the seat. As I scan for the appropriate handle, I hear The Mayor who is on the Calf Press behind me, saying "I just got one more set". WTF? He's frantically waving at the vacant cable rowing station. Ugh.

Maybe I'm a bitch, but I just walk away without saying anything, making eye contact or even acknowledging his existence. There's nothing to indicate that machine is in use, especially since there's no handle attached to the cable. But I soooooo don't want to have a discussion about it, so I hop on the elliptical because that's next on my list. When someone is on the machine or station you want to use, and there's other things you can do, you should just walk away. And that's just what I do. It must've upset him though because as I'm pedaling away, he's suddenly up on the cardio platform, ostensibly to say Hi to SnowBird who is on the stationary bike in front of me. When my 30 minutes of Intervals is done, I amble over to do my last set of HGPUs, and I see The Mayor seated at the juice bar, looking worriedly over towards Machine City. Oh jeeze.

After pull ups, I go back to the cable station and knock out the very last exercise in my Pull Day routine. If The Mayor says anything to me the next time I'm at the gym, I'll probably just say it's not a big deal. Because it isn't. And I don't want to have a lengthy discussion about it. Is that too "macho"? That's probably not the usual social behavior among this crowd, especially among older ladies, but I'm not like most people here. Gym rats who get stuff done are the least inclined to be chatty. I think I'll whack the machine on Friday. It's been a while!

Wednesday Workout
(5.14 miles total cardio)

30 min elliptical
Program 3
2.56 miles
290 cal

HGPU 31
Cr 3 x 50
Push ups 100

Smith SLDLs
Bar x 15
80, 100, 120 x 12
130 x 10, 12

Smith RG BB Row
Bar x 15
80, 100, 120, 130 x 15

HGPU 31

30 min elliptical
Intervals
2.58 miles
293 cal

HGPU 31

Seated 1-Arm Cable Row
30 x 12
45 x 12 x 2

Revelations

I was so tired yesterday that I actually opted to take a nap. It's not easy to function when your eyes hurt from a lack of sleep. I've started taking the Optic Nerve vitamins that finally arrived in the mail. No matter that I ordered them way back in September, or that only 2 of the 3 bottles I ordered were actually in the package. Never mind the fact that the package itself was questionable. Usually mailer bags are lined with bubble wrap inside. This manila bag seemed to be made from old carpeting fibers. I was so upset that I immediately contacted the company who told me that they normally use bubble wrap mailers. And the company rep sent out a replacement bottle immediately. Which I just got today. I bring this up because I'm not sure if it's the vitamins or something else that's causing me to have the most vivid dreams lately.

Vivid dreams are normally a side-effect of taking ZMA before bed, but I've never experienced that particular effect. It might be because I only take 1 capsule whereas the normal dose for an adult man is 3 times that amount. My digestive system can't handle the additional magnesium if I take more than 1 capsule. I confess that I also take a magnesium supplement with lunch, rather than taking extra calcium. Now researchers claim that calcium supplements can have an adverse affect on the heart! I'd rather eat more dairy and green leafy vegetables.

I take so many vitamin (D, fish oil, C, B complex, zinc, magnesium, Optic Nerve formula) pills at lunch that I remind myself of my Aunt H, a sweet and lovely woman who was inexplicably married to my mother's cousin T. He was a fat, spoiled man-child who drank Bosco chocolate syrup straight out of the container. When I was a child, Aunt H once showed me the gallstones she kept in a bottle. She told me it was from all the pills she took daily. When she passed, my Uncle T remarried briefly. I suppose his 2nd wife annulled the marriage when she discovered to her horror that he actually expected to be fed like a baby bird at every meal. (It's happened more often that we suppose that men take themselves too seriously, and reality doesn't set it for their women until it's almost too late.)

Over the weekend I was also briefly employed by an online content-writing company that provided terse product descriptions for one of their major clients. The pay was paltry, and the regulations onerous, stretching for dozens of pages. But I did experience an odd satisfaction that tickled a long-dormant part of my brain's pleasure center. I haven't felt that sensation in a long time, and now have to find alternate means to stimulate it. It might derive from analyzing material and then having to parse it all down to just a few coherent sentences. Odd, isn't it? Could this mental stimulation be causing my vivid dreams? I'll find out soon enough.

I used to get a great deal of pleasure from working out, but now it's more maintenance than joy. I don't want to get fat and weak. So perhaps there's a bit of fear there too. I'm tired today and go to the gym in spite of the burning sensation in my lower eyelids. I do two sessions of cardio to bookend my Push Day workout. I see some regulars, but no one I'm even vaguely interested in speaking to. By the time I get to the Smith to flat bench, my eyes are no longer achy. I manage to bench heavy, and then for reps. But I cut my sets on the inclined bench to preserve my shoulders.

DB Laterals are probably too easy at this point so I should give some serious thought to upping the weight slightly. But it's hard to go from 20 lbs to 25 lbs. I could snag those tiny 1.25 lb discs and affix them to the DBs though. My main concern are my elbows. I can feel the left inside elbow as I move from 30 lbs to 35 lbs on Rip Skulls. And that's not even heavy. I've gone as heavy as 50 lbs but not lately. As much as I hate to admit it, my joints are not getting any younger, and I have to baby them.

The Rip Skulls mess with my arms enough to screw up my Hammer Grip Pull Ups today. I could've waited until after 2nd cardio, but I didn't want to cool down too much before doing a wee bit of Mat Stretching. I really need to be totally warmed up for splits, otherwise I'm risking injury. Getting older also means accepting the fact that your body isn't able to do everything your mind wants it to do. But it can get awful close.

Tuesday Workout
(5.1 miles total cardio)

30 min elliptical
Program 1
2.55 miles
288 cal

HGPU 30.5
Knee-Ins 50
Push ups 100
Crunches 3z50
Elbow Planks 2 x 45 sec
Bird Dogs 2 x 60 sec
Side Planks 2 x 60 sec

Smith flat bench
15 x bar
15 x 80
12 x 100
10 x 120
8 x 125
6 X 130 Yaay!
25 X 90

Smith inclined bench
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12

DB Lat s/s Rev Flyes
20 x 12/20 x 3

Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12
35 x 12 x 2

HGPU 30.5

30 min elliptical
Prgm 2
286 cal
2.55 miles

In Spite Of

I have a hard time functioning on just 6 hrs sleep so I give serious consideration to blowing off this morning's workout. Except that I don't. But I give priority to cardio over iron and choose my footwear accordingly. The Ryka's are too squishy for any movement requiring foot support, like SLDLs, but my feet will be happy when I torture myself with Intervals later on.

I'm not quite sure how long it'll take to get to the mammogram place so I give myself a good 45 minutes for travel time. It's probably too much, but I'd rather be early than late. Besides, you never know when some peculiarity of traffic will force you onto a circuitous detour. Working backwards on my schedule, I see that I have enough time for 2 cardio sessions and my body weight routine. The Smith is perpetually busy anyway, so I don't feel guilty not doing SLDLs or BB RG Rows today. I'm actually a tad sore from yesterday's workout, and maybe even last night's swim class.

Technically, today should be a Pull Day, but I figure two sets of chin ups will suffice. I also knock out a bunch of push ups just because I don't want to bore myself. I'm not fond of the Cybex Torso Twist machine, but do a set on it while waiting for the Stretch Cage to clear. Seniors love the Stretch Cage! I don't like to rush people so I sit back and occupy other equipment until they finish. But there are people I avoid like the proverbial plague.

Creepy PJ Pants comes off his treadmill and hovers by the pull down station. He looks around confused until he realizes that I've skipped the weight area completely, having moved directly from the mats back to the cardio platform. I see old Frankenstein staring from across Machine City so I re-position myself on the elliptical to block him. (I've asked my husband to tell me what guys think when they blatantly stare like that. He tells me he has no idea. He's no help whatsoever because it'd never occur to him to act like that.) Shaggy, Shazam, little R, The Mayor and other regulars are also present, but at least they have the good sense to work out. Or act like they're working out.

In spite of fatigue, I still mange to make respectable mileage today. And a respectable amount of reps for push ups, and pull ups. In spite of being a tad sore in the quads, I manage to maintain 240 SPMs for nearly 60 seconds during the last quarter of Intervals. And in spite of a lingering chest cold, I think I got a pretty decent workout. The gym scale reads 110.6 lbs today so I think it's all excess water weight. I'd still be happier if the scale were back down to 108. Maybe next week?

I get to the radiology place with over 15 minutes to spare, so I chow down a Quest bar for lunch, and return phone calls while in my car. The mammogram is administered by a visibly pregnant young woman. She's due at the end of November and I know from experience that she's going to virtually double in size. Unless that unpleasant odor of cigarette smoke means the baby's going to be small. Because it's unmistakably cigarette smoke that I smell only when she's standing right next to me. It's sad, and I don't say anything about it, even though I want to.

Friday Workout
(5.15 miles total cardio)

30 min elliptical
Program 3
2.56 miles
290 cal

Knee-Ins 50
HGPU 31

Regular Push Ups 80
Crunches 3 X 50
T push ups 25

Bird Dog 2 X 60 sec
Side plank 2 X 60 sec

Dand push ups 25

30 min elliptical
Intervals
2.59 miles
293 cal

Cybex Torso twist
2 X 15 X 30 lbs

HGPU 36  Yaaay!

Catching Up

It's been over a week since I worked out and I definitely feel it. I'm dragging, and not just because I'm at the tail end of a mild cold. Maybe it's an allergy, but I'm tired and have a wee bit of chest congestion. I've been taking zinc and vitamin C religiously, along with fish oil, vitamin D, magnesium and sometimes a B-complex, although truthfully, I probably only need B-12. Hot soup and teas are a soothing relief, but I don't have time to make soup each night. Plus we were away the long weekend, and the hotel a/c blowing on my head didn't help much.

I don't have quite enough time to do everything I'd like, and I keep having to remind myself that I have swim class tonight. One gal dropped out and the other one found employment down in the City, so it might just be me. My own private swim class! It's going to be a lot of work though. I cut back on my routine today. I'll have to do an abbreviated workout tomorrow too since I have an appointment for the annual mammogram. It's always something... Next week should be different. But I'm not sure I can handle 5 days straight.

I like 30 minute cardio warm ups so I won't give that up. I keep the 100 rep push ups, and core work as well. I only do 2 sets of HGPUs, but since I skip Inclined benching, and the 2nd set of cardio, I'm better able to squeeze out a few extra reps of hammer grip pull ups. Yaaay me! Tomorrow I'd like to do 2 sets of cardio, and maybe some SLDLs. I feel big, and at 112 lbs I probably look big too. I'm not happy with the way I look, except when I glimpse my pumped-up triceps. That makes me smile. Yeah, I'm a gym rat...

Thursday Workout

30 min elliptical
Prgm 1
2.52 miles
283 cal

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 X 50
Elbow Plank 2 X 45 sec
Bird Dog 2 X 60 sec
Side Plank 2 X 30 sec

Breaker flat bench
(until the Smith became available)
Bar (45) X 20
65 X 15

Smith flat bench
12 X bar (30)
12 X 80, 100
120 X 10
90 X 25

DB Lat raise s/s Rev Flyes
20 lbs X 12/20 X 3

10 min elliptical
LISS (low intensity steady state)
0.70 miles
69 cal

HGPU 36 Yaaay!

Super Abbreviated Tuesday

I have to yell at my son three times to get him out of bed. I don't quite have the two hours I'd like to work out, so I adjust my routine to include the most important items: cardio, SLDLs, RG BB Rows. Yep, that's it. Oh, and since it's a Pull Day, at least a set of HGPUs. I manage to get two sets, but that meant completely skipping push ups, crunches and planks. And I won't be back at the gym until next Tuesday because we are going away for the weekend.

I have a photography show next summer, and I need more material. My husband's project in Boston is coming to an end, so what better time to visit the sights there, including the aquarium? Of course, Columbus Day weekend might not've been the most auspicious time, but I figure we're utilizing an unusually long school holiday because of the Jewish holy days, and it'll be close enough to celebrate our 15th yr wedding anniversary.

The gym is warm enough that I start sweating again during Smith SLDLs. I realize I'm not standing close enough to the bar for the first heavy set. The bar is in a fixed location on a tract, and I need to have the bar just under my knees, against my shins to start. The only other important movement to do is the RG BB Rows. No time for One-Arm Seated Cable Rows. Barely any time for the 2nd set of Hammer Grip Pull Ups. My son is always the last one in the Child Care room. Tomorrow he has school. And I have work.

Today, we go to see Storks, figuring that Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will still be playing next week. I'll take my son to see that one then, unless something totally amazing opens over this weekend.


Storks was actually very cute with laugh-out-loud humor, and catchy dance music. The Wolf Pack was fascinating. We bought our tickets at 1 pm and the theater was empty. Then we made a brief trip to the supermarket, and at 1:30, the movie crowd was spilling out onto the sidewalk. Inside was a constant barrage of kids and adults crossing to and from their seats to get popcorn, beverages, find their parents, find the restrooms. Ugh. At least my son and I got seats together.

Tuesday Workout

30 min elliptical
Program 3
2.49 miles
279 cal

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50

Smith SLDL
Bar X 15
12 X 80, 100, 120
8 X 130 X 3

Smith RG BB Row
Bar X 15
12 X 80
15 X 100, 120, 130

HGPU 31

What Fatigue?

I left my son at home asleep while I went to the gym. No matter. He was up as soon as I got on the elliptical, and periodically texted me to ask when I was coming home. Still, this is better than actually bringing him to the gym which limits me to just 2 hours of gym time, including showering and changing. It's just not enough time. Three hours is barely enough time, but that's because I feel the need to do a lot of cardio. But not just cardio.

Today is a Push Day, and since I have another round of SLT on Friday, and I'm working on Wednesday and Thursday, I try to cover as much ground as possible. I skipped the gym last Friday because I had the selective laser treatment in my right eye. The left eye is next. My eyeball is just slightly sore if I press on my eyelid, but otherwise, I'm not feeling any discomfort.

I'm staying up too late binge-watching the Netflix original show Longmire. It's only 10 episodes but they're a full hour, not the 45 minutes that network shows run with commercial breaks. Which means I'm tired. I don't know how this really affects my workouts, except that I feel weak at push ups. Okay, I pause at rep 80 again, and rep 90, and rep 95. But I do get them done. Pull ups don't feel any stronger. But I surprise myself at the Smith flat bench. Today I find the tiny 2.25 lbs plates and do a few reps at 125 lbs. Then swap them out for 5 pounders and get 6 reps at 130 lbs. My shoulder doesn't hurt either. That makes me really happy. Fear lives in your head, and it's a hard thing to overcome. Sometimes you got to trick yourself to get past it.

I only do a few sets of Inclined Benches, and again, only 3 super-sets for lateral and rear delts. I totally skip doing Rip Skulls, but glancing at my triceps in the mirror, I don't really need to do those unless I'm killing time. I don't lose much mass even only working a body part once weekly. Of course, doing push ups, even in warm ups, might count towards maintaining that mass/strength.

My 2nd cardio session feels better than the first one. My son texts me to ask if I've left the gym yet. Not yet. Still got a set of pull ups, and then to shower and change. I don't even take time to stretch out. But I have a lot of things to do at home anyway. Too many projects, too little time. I have to write a list to keep my priorities straight. If I can remember to write it down, I'm good! Tomorrow will be a super-abbreviated workout because my son will be stuck in the Child Care room, and then we're going to the movies. It's a toss-up between Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Storks. I'm leaning toward the Tim Burton flick, and not just because it stars Eva Green from Showtime's Penny Dreadful.


Monday Workout
(5.15 miles total cardio)

30 min elliptical
Program 1
2.58 miles
293 cal

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50

Push Ups 100
Crunches. 3 X 50
Elbow planks 2 X 45 sec
Bird Dogs 2 X 60 sec

Smith flat bench
Bar X 15 X 2
12 X 80, 100, 120
125 X 8
130 X 6
80 X 25

Smith inclined
Bar X 15
12 X 50, 70, 80

DB Lat s/s Rev Flyes
20 X 12/20 X 3

30 min elliptical
Program 2
288 cal
2.55 mile

HGPU 31