The Alberta Clipper Wins

I put my son on the school bus at 7:13 am. It was 17°F but no wind, so not terrible. At 7:20 I get a text telling me the school district south of us has called for early dismissal. It's like calling Shenanigans in South Park... in anther 20 minutes our school district also calls for early dismissal, which means my son will be getting off the bus at 10:30 am. My hubs is on his way to Houston via Newark Airport because all the NYC airports are upgrading their terminals. Which means they're a construction nightmare, and there's no parking.

I have enough time to run out to the local grocery and pick up milk and bread. Milk for the growing child, and bread for the dog. Mostly the dog gets kibble with boiled ground turkey and sweet potatoes, but when he's begging for food, we toss him some ciabatta. It's one of the few "table foods" we can give him that doesn't upset his stomach. Because he can't process fats, no more peanut butter sandwiches or cheese. Oh well, he turns 14 in a few weeks. That's like 98 years old, so I'm fine with giving him good bread every now and then.

It's been snowing steadily, but we're not expecting any more than 3-4 inches. And tomorrow is suppose to rise into the 40s. But I'll still have to shovel the driveway... No school means no after-school activities, also means no Boy Scouts for the 3rd week in a row. And Saturday is the Court of Honor where my son and others will get their rank advancement. Not sure my hubs will be home for it though, as he's due in Boston on Friday... Oh well.

When Your Body Rebels Against You

Before the crowds arrive

There's an unfortunate truth to the adage "One step forward, two steps back." Or is it "Two steps forward, one step back"? Because it definitely feels like the former. I added Hindu push ups to my workout warm up, and I immediately saw unexpected results, as in an increase in my pull ups. It's pretty cool to move from 31 to 36, and sometimes even 39 reps where once I struggled with 12. But, this has come at a cost: my right shoulder is not happy. It doesn't bother me too much when I'm actually exercising. But the fact that it aches when I'm not even using it is troubling. I'm stubborn, but not stupid. So no more Hindu push ups for now. I've also had to nix planks for now because I haven't figured out a way to do them without stressing my shoulders. I'm not going to stress too much about it though. Pesky joints...

It's nearly noon by the time I get to the gym because I decided the $16 printer ink rebate coupon from Staples was too much money to pass up. It expires tomorrow and the town has already laid down the salt lines for a potential ice storm from the Alberta Clipper. The nearest Staples is in Connecticut, which isn't that far away, but necessitates travel on the highway. I've had two cups of coffee, and the extra caffeine jolts me. I'm already a nervous driver, but today I'm actually fairly aggressive as well. Don't get me wrong. I'm not unsafe, but I don't have time for elderly people who can't do the speed limit, or are afraid to pass trucks on the interstate.

All the cross-trainers are in use except for the ones by the front door. It's chilly enough that I don't want to use any of those machines. Instead, I do 30 min on the elliptical. Then some pull ups. My shoulder aches but not while I'm exercising. I do regular push ups but only go as far as 75. That's enough to warm up my upper bod before doing any sort of pressing movement. I also do some crunches because it's better than not doing any core. Planks are out of the question with this shoulder. It's a bit worrisome that two whole days of inactivity haven't eased the discomfort.

The Smith is empty and I drag the beat up flat bench over. It's the one that needs new vinyl so I don't feel bad putting my feet up on it. I can bench 120 but there is discomfort. Bowing to it, I cut my reps a tad. But I still get my 25 reps at 90 lbs. Maybe I should consider cutting the max weight altogether, and just do more hi-rep sets? I can probably get 25 reps at 100 lbs. Next time... Instead, I swap the flat bench for the adjustable incline and do a few sets. The shoulders not really happy with me at this point. The gym is also starting to fill up with teens. Ugh.

The Mayor must've gotten over his laryngitis because I can hear him through my earbuds. At one point someone at the front desk ups the sound system and all I can hear is a bass line thumping. Grrr. I use one of the Breaker Inclined Benches for the Reverse Inclined Flyes. The 25 lb DBs feel heavy and make my forearms ache a little. Two HS boys are draped over the DB rack while alternating between DB Rows and Curls. Newbies with bad manners. I'm really happy to be done after the Rip Skulls. But I debate whether I should do another set of pull ups, or just stretch a little. I go for the latter, but that's a mistake.

I'm much safer if I do a Mat Stretch after coming off cardio since I'm much more limber. Doing Push work doesn't do anything for the lower half, and the Mat Stretch was a bit tight. I always wind up with a bit of tenderness in the inside left quad when I don't follow protocol. You'd think I'd know better by now! I should've just done pull ups and called it a day. Oh well... there's always tomorrow, but of course, there might be another Tuesday icy road conditions necessitating the cancellation of after-activities. My son certainly hopes so. Otherwise he's stuck at school until 4 pm, not that he doesn't enjoy playing chess. But he'd much rather be at home. Plugged in. Sigh...


Monday Workout

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 292
Miles 2.57

HGPU 36
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 75
Crunches 3 x 50

Smith Flat Bench
Bar (30 lbs) x 15
12 x 80
11 x 100
10 x 120
25 x 90

Smith Inclined Bench
12 x Bar, 50, 70, 80

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

Happy Year of the Fire Rooster

It's Chinese New Year, aka, the Spring Festival, which traditionally lasts for 2 weeks. It's also the start of the Year of the Fire Rooster, which is suppose to reward hard work and patience. Uh, we'll see. I've got a pot roast in the slow cooker today, but last night we went out for Chinese food. Of course my son and husband ordered sushi, but I got dumplings and noodles. Traditionally, you eat dumplings for wealth because the meat-filled dough symbolizes coin purses of money, and you eat long noodles for longevity. Yes, lots of superstition among the Chinese... but it's fun.

Yesterday I whacked the Nexersys kickboxing machine for 15 rounds. Not continuously as I always take a few minutes between each session to wipe the sweat off my face and blow my nose. I knew my accuracy wasn't going to be stellar when I managed to loosen the right pad of the machine with an excellent Cross during the Beginner rounds. Oh well... And then the machine got me back by not registering some of my blows. I did blank the machine a few times as well. But I'm always happy when I'm able to draw up enough energy for the final round and really whack the machine. I always feel as if I've won no matter how the machine scores, (instead of walking away exhausted and beaten). That in itself energizes me for the next exercise — elliptical.

I don't have a lot of time so I only do 20 minutes of Performance Program 3. Then I stretch a little, and grab the roof bars for pull ups. I can only get to 36. Only. Strangely, even though my shoulder and elbow bother me when I wake up, they don't pose any problems while I'm actually exercising. It might be the adrenaline and endorphins, or it might be just that activity helps with the soreness. I know that movement helps with anxiety, and I feel much calmer when I leave the gym. Maybe I'm just too tired to care?

Anxiety (and self-medication) seems to be on the rise according to all the media. Overwhelming stress causes us all to seek relief in an assortment of ways, from non-stop gaming to food and alcohol addictions, prescription medications and meditations... Some days, I think back wistfully to when life was so much simpler, when the future seemed inevitably bright. But there's no turning back the clock to when healthcare was affordable and a savings account actually accrued interest. Even though we have health insurance, we can't really afford to use it (even for routine items) due to the high deductibles. Chain stores are laying off employees. For Sale signs dot the residential landscape. Tolls and fares are rising. Now, I keep my doubts to myself, and hope for the best because I don't want to pass my anxiety on to my son. An Alberta Clipper promises to drop more weather on us next week. My hubs will be in Houston, then Boston. At least the dog is feeling better...

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical
Calories 92
Miles 0.82

Nexersys
5r Beginner
5r Intermediate
5r Advance

20 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 186
Miles 1.66

HGPU 36





Photos posted for actual stats:

Rushing To Keep Up

I'm not quite sure why but I seem to run out of time. Maybe I'm moving slower? It seems like time just whizzes by and I can't quite understand why. Part of it is that might be the pilocarpine eye drops which is making my right eye uncomfortable and interferes with my vision for several hours. This preoccupation with loss of sight is making me a bit more depressed lately. I only realized that this was "temporary" yesterday afternoon when my vision seemed fine. But right now, my right eye feels blurry, like there's something cloudy on the lens...

I figure I missed posting my last two workouts so I'll post them today BEFORE I go to the gym! The only things I really have to report is that I've upped my pull ups (more pressure to perform!) since adding those Hindu push ups, and that my shoulders and elbows are not happy with me. Probably because of the same Hindu push ups. Ugh... but I discovered that I can take photos while in Note mode on my phone, and those photos don't automatically go to the phone's photo album. Hmmm.

Today I plan to whack the machine regardless, because I'm feeling extremely anxious and punching and kicking is a good way to alleviate stress... I woke up at 4 am and couldn't get back to sleep. My son's birthday meal of fried chicken, mac'n cheese and brussel sprouts with bacon was sitting heavy in my stomach and I developed late night heartburn. Which fueled late night anxiety. But once I propped myself up on pillows, got into a more comfortable position and applied some relaxation techniques, I was able to fall asleep again. Of course, the dog is now ill with tummy troubles. I've taken him out three times this morning already and he hasn't eaten his breakfast (laced with his pain meds). Instead, he found some crab grass to nosh on while his tummy made ungodly springy noises.

Norovirus is going around, closing schools around the country. (Also known as Cruise Ship Virus.) It hit the gym yesterday. One of the staff was feeling a bit queasy which didn't really concern me. What concerned me was the woman in the next stall who told her friend that she needed help because she just couldn't keep anything down... Ugh. Great. And what equipment was she on?

Parascom A8 company read my scathing review on the Amazon website and promptly sent me a new pair of earbuds to try out. I told them I'd revise my review if these worked better. I still had trouble getting them to charge, but the U8s, as good as they sound, hurt my ears by the end of my workout because they're a tad too big... We'll see how the A8 work today...

Wednesday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.89
Average Speed 7.75
Average Pace 7:44

HGPU 39.5 Yaaay Me!!
Knee-Ins 50
Hindu Push Ups 30 (left shoulder is twinging)
Crunches 3 x 50

Smith RDLs
12 x Bar (30 lbs), 80, 100, 120, 130

Smith RG BB Rows
25 x 80, 100, 120, 130

Seated Cable OneArm Row
50 lbs x 12 x 3

Drag Curls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

RG BB Curls
30 lbs x 25 reps x 3

HGPU 36





Thursday Workout
Cardio miles 5.29

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 294
Miles 2.59

HGPU 36
Knee-Ins 50
Hindu Push Ups 40
Crunches 3 x 50

Inclined DB Press
12 reps x 20 lbs, 25, 30

DB Lat Raise s/s Rev Incl Flyers
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 310
Miles 2.70

 HGPU 36

No Workout Today

After the ice started falling from the night sky, I put the phone right by the bed so that I wouldn't have to grope around in the dark when the call came at 5 am. 5 am is when the central school district sends out their automated message about two-hour delays, or school cancellations. It was definitely the latter. 30 seconds after the phone call, I got text messages from the school district, and neighboring school districts, and the public library all announcing cancellations or delayed openings. Lastly, I got an email stating the same. Then I went back to sleep.

My husband shoveled the walkway and part of the driveway so he could drive to work. "The roads are fine" he texts me later. I shoveled the dog ramp and salted the front steps. The dog wasn't too thrilled with conditions as the salted slush on the roadways probably hurts his paws. He's not happy crunching through the snow around the house either. The "snow" looks like wet sugar, pretty but heavy and slippery. By Thursday, temps will peak into the 50s and next weekend looks pleasant enough. Which is awesome since we're having a swim party for my son's 12th birthday. Soon he'll be too old to care about things like that (I'm glad he still likes to be hugged, and doesn't mind holding hands with his mom). My son slept in until 11 am. Well, he's a growing boy... eating me out of snacks and everything else.

My right shoulder is still achy and I put a dab of Penetrex cream on it. Then I search the web to see if this winter storm has a name. I'm not sure what qualifies a storm to get a name, but the list is out for the 2016-2017 Winter Season. This storm is just a Nor'easter as far as I can tell, although Winter Storms Helena and Iras have already wrecked havoc on other parts of the country. As I sit in front of my computer, I realize that my whole back is actually a bit sore. Hmmm... those alternate push ups must really be doing something!

Well, tomorrow is suppose to be nice so I'll deal with the Pull workout then.

Taking Gainz Where I Can

The weather people have been banging the drum about a monster storm roiling in from the Atlantic. After school activities got cancelled and we all braced ourselves for the ensuing panic. A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for 1 pm today until 7 am tomorrow. At 1 pm, it was cold and the air was damp. Occasionally, a bitter gust would shake trees. The AccuWeather phone app showed a complete disconnect between reality and forecast when it announced "wintry mix starting in 1 minute" at 3 pm. But readings for Carmel NY showed only cloudy skies with no precipitation slated until 5 pm. At 5, we saw some drizzle although my son and I had seen a rare snow flake or two throughout the day. Still, I'm glad that kung fu got cancelled and we're all home now.

I got to the gym a bit late because I wanted to drop off my Amazon return to the UPS store. I hadn't realized that as soon as UPS scans the prepaid label, Amazon is notified and I get credited for the return! For most every other time I've returned items (to a non-Amazon seller), I've had to pay for return shipping myself (LLBean offers return labels but takes $6.50 from your refund) or walk it into a store (Land's End returns at Sears in the Mall), and I usually only get an email weeks later confirming a credit to my account. Yes, Amazon has created an amazing online retail structure that is just a little scary in its efficiency.

The gym is really crowded for a Monday morning, as if school had been totally cancelled, which it wasn't. Not even early dismissal. Perhaps college boys don't have to return to school yet? I get on the wonkier cross-trainer for 30 minutes. My left hip and knee are out of sorts today. And there's a twinge in my right shoulder. I might've slept funny. Or maybe it's the weather? For the first 20 minutes, my left foot aches slightly in arch. Weird. Once it relaxes and settles, my right foot starts to tingle at the ball joint, and then my toes go numb with only 4 minutes to go. Ugh!

Once I get to the Stretch Cage, I start to question my confidence. Did I really get to 39, or just barely make it to 29? I get to 36, but struggle with the last rep. Okay, that's a half. It seems more and more likely that I actually did make it to 39 reps last week. But why? I have cut back on cardio. Usually that just makes me bulk faster. But I've also started adding Hindu push ups to my core warm up. My lats and rear delts have been unusually sore on the days following Hindu push ups, and it's rare for me to get sore these days. I'm not really doing anything else differently, but I have noticed that I'm a lot hungrier. Especially right before getting to the gym. I'm so used to working out on just a cup of coffee (with sugar and half'n half), that it seems odd to realize I actually used to eat oatmeal for breakfast. And not just oatmeal, but oatmeal with an egg and maple syrup. I might have to start that again...

Knowing that my shoulder isn't 100 percent makes me add different push ups to my core warm up. I have to pause at rep 40, and again at rep 45 for Hindus. But I add T-push ups and One-Leg push ups afterwards. The One-Legs are really easy so I put them at the end, when I'm tired. Only a few sets of Smith Inclined Benching because shoulders are delicate. I see The Mayor, but I can't actually hear him. Maybe he's finally learned to use his "inside voice"? Delt and tricep work are routine. I've got an eye on the clock because I'm trying to leave by 1 pm just in case the weather folks were right.

This means I skip the 2nd round of cardio even though all the ellipticals are finally vacant. But I do get in another set of pull ups. Ugh! I'm starting to rely on kipping a little at the end. Not good. But I do make it to 37 reps. I don't usually kip because it's a movement born of desperation and fatigue. (I know it counts in CrossFit, but I'm not a CFer so I don't want to make a habit of it.) Then a quick Mat stretch, down and dirty. The Mayor is chatting with RealEstate Girl the entire time. I can't imagine what he talks about, and I've never been interested enough to listen. I see a few other regulars like Chatty Guy (but without Venus) and Shaggy. No one really worth looking at. Oh well... Tomorrow's a Pull Day, and I dread them. Absolutely dread those RDLs because nothing takes your breath away like that. Maybe I should cut my reps? Twelve per set is a lot, right?

Monday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 132
Miles 3.44

HGPU 36.5
Knee-Ins 50
Hindu Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50
T-Push Ups 25
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
One-Leg Push Ups 2 x 25

Smith Inclined Bench
12 x Bar (30), 50, 70, 80 lbs
60 lbs x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Flyers
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

HGPU 37

Three Big Cons

My hands didn't hurt this morning so I went to the gym to whack the machine. I did manage to get the Parasom A8 BlueTooth headphones to turn on and sync with my iPod while I was home. Because I didn't want to risk losing my luck, I kept the headphones on while I drove to the gym. So far so good. These are definitely smaller and thus more comfortable to wear, but the controls are inconsistent. Sometimes raising and lowering the volume gives you an audible beep, sometimes not. That's not a good sign. They stayed on the entire length of my workout, but the hissing noise caused by a lack of bass was kind of distracting and the music sounded tinny. The U8 are definitely better headphones.

When I got home, I put the A8 on the charger but no charging light came on. I could not get them to turn on no matter what I did. Okay, these are definitely going back for a refund. That's the wonderful thing about Amazon purchases — it's so easy to get a prepaid return label! Not getting prepaid return labels is one reason I've stopped shopping at various online stores like Ryka.com. As much as I like the idea of training shoes for women made by women, the fact that neither pair of shoes fit correctly (one seemed completely mislabeled) and then had to be returned at my expense, was a big wake-up call. I'm not spending money just to try on things that won't fit because they're lacking a quality control measure!

I had to give the A8 a one-star rating on Amazon, noting that while the earbuds were 1) very comfortable and had 2) pretty packaging, the lack of bass (and subsequent hissing), difficulty getting the charger cord in position, and the fact that the earbuds only worked intermittently were THREE very big Cons for buying this item. (The U8 got a four out of five. Five if they were totally comfortable, but I'm going to try different earbud cushions to see if that helps.)

The gym was crowded but not at the Nexersys. Although one women seemed a bit perturbed by my smacking the machine because she was on the Expresso closest to the Nexersys. Ideally, the kickboxing machines wouldn't be next to anything, but this gym just isn't that big. She kept looking back over her shoulder every time I whacked a pad really hard. Probably a good reason to wear headphones? The machine only blanked once but didn't count a few of my front kicks in the beginning. Then I was a little too fast for it during one particular combination (Jab Jab Cross PowerDig) and it wouldn't count the dig unless I slowed down, or hit it a second time. Sigh...

Afterwards, I did 20 minutes on the elliptical while the Presidential Inauguration was broadcast on all the TVs throughout the gym. I didn't kill myself trying to pedal so the mileage was moderate. I'm just trying to forestall issues with my right leg because Sweep Kicks on the Nexersys somehow mess that leg up a bit, and pedaling forward and backward seems to help. I get to the Stretch Cage and I'm so tired that I actually lose count of my reps. Which sucks. It's not that I stopped counting, but that I stopped paying attention. By the time I've refocused myself I find myself counting 8, 9... but is it 29 or 39? I have no idea! So I either made my reps and more so, or I didn't. Ugh!

There's a Nor'easter scheduled to hit us some time next week... forecast originally said Sunday night into Monday morning. Now it's looking like Monday into Tuesday... maybe it'll just bypass us altogether? That'd be good!

Friday Workout

Warm Up 10 min x-trainer
Miles 1.01
Calories 44

Nexersys
Follow Me program
5r Beginner
5r Intermediate
5r Advance

20 min elliptical
Program 3
Miles 1.61
Calories 177

HGPU 39!??

Photos posted for actual stats:

The Good and the Bad

A8 charging light

Sweat flap on right side

The day did not start well as I had trouble pairing the new Parasom A8 earbuds with my iPod. It was fully charged last night but didn't seem charged this morning. And it was impossible to pair. I have other gripes about it: the power indicator light is positioned in a difficult to see spot, and the sweat flap should hinge on the opposite side of the cord. The way it exists now makes it very difficult to insert the micro USB charging cable. Instead, I grabbed the U8s from yesterday and used those at the gym today. This evening, I took the precaution of pairing the A8s ahead of time. It comes with a fancy round black zipper case, which the company seems very proud of, but I wish they'd spend less time and money on packaging, and more on functional design. We'll see how they hold up tomorrow. I am skeptical that the battery will last based on my limited experience to date.

I am happy that my Sony MDR-J20s have arrived. Finally! I plugged them in just to test them, and they sound marvelous, even if they have that annoying uneven cord that connects the earbuds to the tether to the music. They're my back up headphones! I bought two pairs because I can't stand the updated version: the hard plastic ear hanger piece hurts after a while! But I confess, I do have very sensitive ears, especially the right side. It probably doesn't help that I can twitch my ears as well... just being able to manipulate certain scalp muscles that run near the top of the ear itself.

The promises to be drier and warmer than it's been. The gym is still crowded! I do manage to get on my favorite cross-trainer. I hate it when people leave their half-drunk beverages behind. Yuck! I look around before tossing a water bottle that's one third full of something red... not water. Not sure why people feel the need to eat candy or drink shakes or Gatorade or Vitamin Water while pedaling. It's not like they're working out that hard. Seriously.

I'm actually sore from yesterday so I guess that's good, but it does make me a little worried that I won't be able to do a reasonable amount of pull ups. I shouldn't've worried because I got my 35 and a half. Again, the problem with making gains is that you worry you'll fail the next time. At first I struggled with just a dozen pull ups. Then I was happy making it to 26. Then 31. Now I'm working on 36. When will it end!? Kidding...

I skip core today. I skip regular push ups. I just want to see if I can do 50 Hindu push ups. It's a struggle and I have to pause at rep 40, then rep 45. But I actually get my 50. Yaaay me! I do have to watch my down glide as the first time I just about kissed the mat with my lower lip. Yuck! It's a Light Push Day so only a few sets of Smith Inclined Presses. But regular sets for DB Laterals superset with Reverse Inclined Flyes. I skip Rip Skulls because I caught a glimpse of me in the hall mirror again. Relaxed, and my triceps are enormous. What I need to work on is some balance so I do some Drag Curls, and then Reverse Grip BB Curls. While the weights are fairly light, the reps add up and there's definitely a burn. I finish with 30 minutes on the elliptical doing Intervals. Afterwards, I can't resist and get another set of pull ups before showering.

Has she been photoshopped into this?

Once I get home, I browse the mail. I spot the most ridiculous contraption I've ever seen: a combo exercise bike and desk. Uh, what?! It's got bizarre distorted proportions and I can't imagine anyone actually buying this, much less using it and not getting a back ache. Okay, I could see my mother buying something like this... but she was a QVC junkie, and when she passed, we had to get rid of a lot of unopened boxes of stuff. Sigh.

Tomorrow I plan to whack the machine. I hope my earbuds hold up. But I'll have back ups in my gear bag just in case...

Thursday
6.52 total cardio miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.86
Average Speed 7.72
Average Pace 7:46

HGPU 35.5
Knee-Ins 50
Hindu Push Ups 50

Smith Inclined Press
12 x Bar (30), 50, 70, 80

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flyes
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

BB Drag Curls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

BB Reverse Curls
30 lbs x 21 reps x 3

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 304
Miles 2.66

HGPU 36

A Day Off Does the Body Good

I hadn't planned to take yesterday off, especially since my son had his after-school chess club which meant I didn't have to pick him up until 4 pm. But the weather absolutely sucked with threats of precipitating ice, and my right arm and hand were worrying me with intermittent pain and other peculiar sensations from the pinky and ring finger all the way up to the shoulder. It's as if a nerve had gotten twisted inside the muscle and bone and needed to work it's way straight. I'm not sure what the issue really is, but I spent the day on the computer working on the book I want to give my son for his birthday. That, and looking into setting up my photography website (finally!), and detailing an invoice for a logo design for a friend. So it was a productive day even if I'm aghast at how much time I spent on the book alone. My son is growing up so fast that if I don't do this now, I'll have missed the opportunity for it to mean something to him. Childhood only comes once in a lifetime, because a long life into senility isn't guaranteed. Kidding. Or not.

I also find that if I take a B-multivitamin instead of just B-12, I don't feel as good and my urine smells worse. Leading me to believe that I don't need to supplement with all the B vitamins, just B-12. I know when I've forgotten to take my fish oil because its anti-inflammatory effect is sorely missed every morning. There's a hereditary aspect to the baby hemorrhoids, but they are a non-issue with a daily fish oil capsule. Magnesium, selenium, zinc, Vitamin D and the Optic Nerve formulation for glaucoma patients make up the rest of my supplements. Occasionally I remember to take ZMA before bedtime. Because the doses of zinc (30-50 mg) and magnesium (250 mg) I take are relatively low, I'm not concerned about the additional amounts in ZMA. Besides I only take one capsule out of the recommended three pill dose.

I'm excited because the BlueTooth earbuds I ordered from Amazon finally showed up. Both promise battery life in excess of 7 hours, which is way more than I need. I just need the stupid headphones to last longer than my workout! After I charge each set, I sync them to my iPod so I can listen to their sound quality. The U8 are definitely the winners with a clear, rich sound and good bass. The Parasom A8 promised great bass, but that's lacking in actuality. The sound is clear, and not tinny. But I'm missing the bass! Both are sport earbuds, which means they have a little flap on the underside to protect the micro USB charging port. Both come with three different size earbud cushions, and both are soft, rubbery, over-the-ear hanger-style. The connector wire is thinner, and longer than the micro-USB charging cable. The U8 allows me to use my own 3 foot long cable to connect to a charging panel. The A8 does not and I have to resort to their extremely flat micro-USB to get past the sweat panel that covers the charging port.

Today I use the U8 purely because the music sounds better with it. The earbuds stay in place, but by the end of my workout, my right ear feels a bit tender. I'm not sure if it's because the right bud is heavier (not noticeably) because it houses the control buttons and the USB charging port, or if it's the right ear, perhaps having a smaller ear canal or shaped ever so differently? Yes, I'm as sensitive as a princess. The hangers are so soft that the buds won't actually stay in unless they're pressed into the ear canal, but I don't lose my earbuds during any of my exercises including my Mat Stretch. Tomorrow I'll give the A8 a go although I'm not sure exactly what my routine will be.

The gym is really crowded this morning. I see B briefly in the bathroom. It's awkward. I wave at her and she smiles but says nothing, perhaps waiting for me to take my earbuds out. But I'm not going to because I'm just starting. I've decided that she's just not worth the effort to have a conversation with, which is sad, but a lot less frustrating for me. The last time we talked, she stopped in mid-conversation to recount a tale of woe to another woman who'd just stepped into the locker room. As if I didn't exist. She's certainly not interested in anything I have to say. And I'm tired of her making recommendations to places or things, and then later saying that Oh no, she'd never go somewhere like that. Between the new boobs, the skin tight gym clothes that she wears to shop and do errands, and her constant hair-flicking, it's obvious that she has a pathological need to be the center of attention. And she wonders why her girl friends suddenly stop talking to her. She seriously has no clue because she's told me about them. Back when she pretended to feign interest in other people.

At the beginning, my mileage sucks even for being on the bad cross-trainer. I feel tired, but I keep pedaling. I'm happy when I get more than 31 reps at HGPUs. There are people on the Mats I've never seen before. One mat is occupied by a middle-age couple. He's showing her a plank variation where he puts one arm straight out to the side. She's having trouble staying upright. I knock out my push ups, crunches, planks and Hindu push ups. The Hindus are getting easier, but I still can't get past 40. My right hand goes a little numb in the pinky when I do them, so that's another concern.

The Smith is open and that makes me happy. I'd been hesitant about doing RDLs but I feel more confident today. Maybe because it's the first Pull Day this week? I'm really happy I get all my reps for all my sets in spite of having done push ups and Hindus earlier. I get a bit more tired with the RG BB Rows, but I figure that sets with reps over 20 are good sets. I'm good! I don't want to push my luck, so I save the second set of HGPUs for the end. I'm good with just two sets of pull ups on a Pull Day. It takes me a while to find the right handle and the 5 lb brick to put on the cable station for One-Arm Seated Cable Rows. If the handle is too thick, I have trouble gripping it because of my tiny hands. And that puts all the strain on my forearms instead of my lats and biceps. Adding 5 lbs makes it a tad more challenging, but not impossible. I'll do this weight for a few weeks before upping it to 7.5 lbs. It's the next size brick available.

The ellipticals are free. There's only three of them because the fourth one is still broken. Oh well. Program One for 30 minutes is challenging enough. Afterwards, I knock out my last set of pull ups, and then back to the Mat for a quick stretch. I don't even feel tired! That's the beauty of great earbuds and a good cardio mix! I see old guys staring from machine city. I'm not quite sure why though since I regularly do this sort of stretch at least once a week. I don't like to do more because I find it actually hurts my joints to do it too often.

The gym scale sighs at 111.4 lbs but I'm not that concerned. I feel downright great, but later I'll start to get a tad sore and stiff. Maybe I should take tomorrow off and get some work done? Or maybe I should whack the machine? I worry about whatever nerve damage is happening on my right side. Maybe I'll just do a cardio and Push Day... I'll see how I feel when I get up.

Wednesday Workout
5.96 total cardio miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 130
Miles 3.38

HGPU 35.5

Knee-Ins 70
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 60
Hindu Push Ups 40
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
12 x Bar 30, 80, 100, 120, 130

Smith RG BB Rows
25 x 80, 100
23 x 120, 130

Seated OneArm Cable Rows
50 lbs x 12 x 3   (+5!)

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 292
Miles 2.58

HGPU 36

Two Steps Back

My hubs got back late Saturday afternoon so there wasn't enough time to go to the gym. Then we thought maybe we'd go Sunday morning, but he had too much work to catch up on, and I was busy with the book I'm trying to put together for my son's surprise birthday gift. I'm not entirely certain how he'll feel about it, but I hope he likes it. So today is the first day I'm at the gym since Friday, and of course it's a holiday so it's busier than usual. My son opts to sleep in, and I can't say that I blame him. Heck, I'd sleep in too if I could.

I was a little heavy-handed with the soy sauce last night while making dinner, so I fully expect not only weigh more than I should, but also look puffy. I'm not disappointed. My self-control isn't as good when I'm tired and my husband asks if I want a bowl of the new ramen flavor we just bought. Who can resist a package of abalone and chicken flavored ramen?! I saw new flavors of Chinese traditional fruit candies as well, so I've been eating those dried lemon-juice ginger candies as well. Most people don't like the "traditional candies" but I grew up with them, and I'm happy that my son likes them as well. Usually they're flavored dried plums with an occasional piece of lemon or ginger, triple-wrapped in paper and cellophane. Chinese New Year is two weeks away and I feel a little indulgent. It'll be Year of the Fire Rooster, and seems to portend another chaotic year that suggests moderation will be the best course.

I manage to get on the good cross-trainer just as my sister tesxts me about glaucoma docs in her area. She sends me info on one particular doc and asks me about my current health insurance. It's hard to text while pedaling, so my mileage isn't where it should be. The whole healthcare reform repeal makes me nervous because in spite of all the political rhetoric, we all know what's going to happen: health insurance premiums will go up, deductibles will go up and choice will continue to go down. That's what happened when the Affordable Care act was enacted. We pay more for less now. I don't see that reverting to the "good ol' days" when you paid an affordable premium and your insurance covered pretty much everything except a minor co-pay. Already I'm reading about the Senate voting to repeal coverage for pre-existing conditions. Hmmm.

My right knuckles throb intermittently and I'm not sure why. I'm stricken with the terrifying thought that I have some terrible bone cancer that is causing my hand to ache. My toes are numb starting with the ball of my foot. It's takes the brunt of the pressure when I roll my foot forward on the elliptical, which I guess is much better than taking a heel strike. Still, it takes a few minutes before the annoying tingle goes away and I can launch into pull ups. I can't quite get my nose to the bar at the end so I give myself a half rep. Ugh.

I have my braid clipped up and the BlueTooth earbud wire draped over the subsequent bun. It works well until I have to lay down on the Mat to do crunches. Throughout my workout, I'm clipping or unclipping my braid to my head. At least it's quick and easy to do!

There are a few regulars at the tail of their workout. I haven't seen Tall Pace or JudeLaw in quite some time until today. Truthfully, I thought maybe Tall Pace had died or something because he IS old. The Mayor is holding court, but he isn't nearly as loud. Maybe he's got his son with him? A few guys have their boys with them as they work out. Some guys look like ex-HS football or hockey jocks. And some guys look like this is the first time they've ever step foot in a gym. One guy is shaped like Looney Tune's Tasmanian Devil, wearing a sloppy tank, tats up both his arms and gold earrings. His kid is a scrawny, sullen man-child.

I like the Hindu Push Ups but I can only get as far as 40. Again, it's probably because I've already done a 100 regular push ups. While I'm timing my planks, JudeLaw plops onto the adjacent mat to do some ab movements. If I weren't so focused on not falling over I might've nodded Hi. Or probably not. Because I just don't do social. Yeah, my bad. (Personally, I think he's impressed with my pull ups and push ups.) I've seen him pull a full rack of plates so I know that in spite of his moderate physique, he can move a lot of weight.

A fellow clears the Smith just as I'm about to do a few warm up reps on the Breaker flat bench. I hate benches I don't fit into because my feet don't sit flat on the ground. So either I'm on my tippy-toes and my lower back is arched, or I have my feet on the bench with my knees bent. Neither is particularly stable. I swap out the adjustable bench for the shorter flat bench and do a few sets. Right away my right shoulder twinges. Benching is so bad for them! But because I have tiny hands and use a thumbless (deadman's) grip, I'm much safer with a Smith bench press than anything else including DB presses. I can press heavier DBs than I'm comfortable holding. Inevitably, my hands will go numb with the heavier weights. It's an effect of Raynaud's Syndrome. Sigh.

My right hand feels stressed when I do my three supersets of DB Lateral Raises and Reverse Incline Flyes. It's gotten so that my right pinky goes cold and numb after the first set, and pretty much stays that way no matter how much I shake my arms and flex my fingers between sets. I need to change my routine. A couple of women drop onto benches next to me during Rip Skulls. One is doing an entire routine with Beauty Bells that might be some sort of combination weight-cardio session, moving from curls to presses to laterals to DB deadlifts. It'd be more impressive if she were a bit breathless when she did it. I could be wrong, but if you're not breathing hard, I don't think you're exerting yourself enough for the exercise to really benefit you. But that's just my opinion.

I have a hard time doing my last set of pull ups because my hands hurt and my elbows are tired. Uh, yeah, that's right. My elbows are tired. Then I do a quick abbreviated Mat Stretch before heading in to the locker room. The gym scale reads 112.6 lbs which is way more than I want for a Monday. But I'm not surprised. Nope, not at all...  I do need to change my routine though. Something both easier and harder at the same time, know what I mean?

Monday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 134
Miles 3.59
Average speed 7.17
Average Pace 8:22

HGPU 35.5 Almost!
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50
Hindu Push Ups 40
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

Smith Bench
12 x bar (30), 80, 100
10 x 120 Ugh!
25 x 90

Smith Inclined Bench
12 x bar, 50, 70, 80

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

HGPU 31

January 13th, Friday

Even though it'd been mentioned on the radio, it hadn't really occurred to me that today was Friday the 13th. All I knew was that it was Friday, there's no school on Monday, and after the gym I needed to shop for some leafy greens for supper. I'm not sure why it appears that the neighboring town gave their kids the day off because the gym was packed with high schoolers. Ugh. The temps have been falling so even though it's a beautiful sunny day, it's also cold again. No wonder all the cardio machines are occupied.

I do 30 minutes on the elliptical to warm up. Because I have a clip holding my braid tight to my head, it's nearly impossible for me to keep my hoodie up while I'm pedaling. However, it provides a decent shelf for me to drape the blue headphone wire to keep that off my neck. Which means no tugging at my ears as the wire sticks to my sweaty neck and shoulders. Problem solved! The clip reminds me of old-style samurai warriors with their top-knots. There are a few younger dudes who occasionally sport man-buns here. Most of the women have their hair high in tight ponytails which makes my head ache just to see them. A few have their hair in buns. I like the clip because I can always unclip it to lay flat on a bench or mat, and my hair is still braided and mostly out of my face. When I was a child, my mother would wear her hair in a bun secured with a million bobby pins. But she had coarse thick hair, and mine is baby fine and slippery.

I get a few more pull ups than I expect so that's nice. I also manage to finish my entire set of push ups, crunches and planks without too much struggle. Finally, I put myself into a downward dog position and start doing Hindu push ups. My palms pull at the seams in the gloves, which is a bit uncomfortable. I still miss my old leather FlexSport gloves. I make it to 40 reps before I'm realize that I might not make it back up. The 41st rep is a regular push up. I always end weird push up sets with one regular push up, just as a proper way to end things. I know. I'm weird like that. I'm sure I traded reps here for reps of regular push ups at the beginning, but I'm not that concerned.

The Smith is free and I give it a good once-over before determining that I'm too worried about smacking my head on the top of the frame to attempt a muscle-up. I'd be looking down at the bar once I've pulled myself up, and not up where the frame is so I can already see me hurting myself. Bummer. My lower back is a tad stiff and sore when I set up for RDLs. I don't make it all the way to 130 lbs because my form starts to break down at 120 lbs. Well, this is the 2nd pull day this week so I'm not that concerned about this either. But I'm fine to do RG BB Rows even though I'm essentially doing a RDL when I pick up 130 lbs for the start position. Mindful of my joints and a certain amount of fatigue, I save my last set of pull ups for after all is done. Cable Rows are getting easier, so perhaps it's time to consider adding a tiny bit more weight.

There are regulars mixed in with the high schoolers. Creepy Frankenstein stays in machine city. Shaggy grunts loudly on the preacher curl machine. I've read that guys push more weight when women are present in the gym. I wonder if they're conscious of their own behavior? Agent99 has maintained her weight loss, but seems to have lost her muscles. It happens. I get on the elliptical even though I feel spent, and tap in the Intervals program. I find that there's always extra energy hidden and the trick is to force your body to utilize it. 10 minutes into the program and I'm starving! I want to eat my hand! But I focus on the program instead and my hunger dissipates. Unfortunately, my ear buds tell me Low Power about a minute before turning themselves off. Luckily this occurs just as I finish the cardio program, but I need ear buds that will actually last as long as my workouts! Sigh. Maybe my workouts are too long? Naaah!

The tank is purple, not blue!

There's a middle-age woman stretching in the Cage so I go to the Mats and do some of my routine, like splits and shoulder rolls. I look up and now there's a younger couple in the Cage. He's encouraging her to put her hands on the bars overhead and do a pulling stretch. I'm too far away to see if that's suppose to lead to a pull up. Eventually they leave and I'm able to do a few side-bends before launching myself into pull up mode. Getting my nose to the bar counts as far as I'm concerned, and I count 36 reps. Done! My knuckles feel raw and pink. Odd since kickboxing was two days ago. But I'll dab some dit da jow on them when I get home. It always helps. The gym scale reads 110.0. Only 2.5 lbs to go before I'm where I want to be, where I used to be before I cut out a lot of my cardio and got bulky...

Friday the 13th Workout
(5.15 miles total cardio)

30 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 288
Miles 2.55

HGPU 36 Yaaay!
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50
Dand (Hindu) Push Ups 40 Yaaay!
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
Bar x 12
12 x 80, 100, 120
(Fatigue and sore hips)

Smith RG BB Rows
21 x 80, 100, 120, 130

Seated Cable One-Arm Row
45 lbs x 12 x 3

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 296
Miles 2.60

HGPU 36 Yaaay!

Exercise is My Tranquilizer

All sorts of wonderful things have been written about the benefits of exercise. Running makes you smarter! Lifting weights makes you stronger! Exercise allows you to live longer, or at least lowers your chance of dying young. Exercise is a great mood enhancer, lifting people out of depression and anxiety. Increased cardio works to increase blood flow to the brain, perhaps increasing mental abilities and memory capacity. Regular exercise prevents diseases from taking hold, and alleviates insomnia without habit-forming drugs. Except that exercise in itself can be a habit-forming drug.

When I work out, I'm calmed. Which is good, because I'm a naturally an anxious person. I don't get a lot done when I'm anxious because my brain is too busy spinning worst-case scenarios! I'm much more productive when I've exercised. My problem is that I'm prone to excessive behaviors, especially things that make me feel good and keep troubling thoughts at bay. While I barely tolerate alcohol, and other gray-area drugs not at all (yes, I'm talking about pot), I should include exercise as a type of medication. So, while I'm probably in the best shape of my life at a time when a lot of women are having a hard time maintaining a reasonable weight and shape (mid-50s menopause), I'm not getting a lot accomplished personally.

For example, I want to finish editing some photos I'm using for an illustration of a book I want to create for my son's upcoming birthday. He wrote the story last year in 5th grade, having spent weeks typing it into his phone. When the project was due (it was a class assignment), he was disappointed that the teachers reneged on their promise to read each story aloud and print it in a compilation book. Because they had no time. Because they had to teach the test. Yes, the Common Core test. A friend suggested back in November that I could create a book from his story and give it to my son as a surprise gift. Too late for Christmas, but I still have a few weeks before his birthday.

But I'm still struggling with getting my website of photography up and running. I've finally selected a few dozen images representative of my work, and spent hours affixing watermarks to them. Now I've got to commit to a web host and actually download a website creator. I'm looking at Blue Host and WordPress, because, heck, everyone uses WordPress! I've signed up for an online class that starts mid-February, and I should have a short story finished by then. Except I hate what I've written so far and am thinking of starting all over again. I'm not good with third person. I'm much more of a first and/or second person writer. Which of course is problematic in itself.

And there's still the two back-to-back photo shows I have scheduled for this summer. But wait, it's tax season and I need to compile all my forms before mid-February too. That really shouldn't take too long, but it weighs heavy in the back of my mind... Every day that I get back from the gym there are the same basic chores that need addressing: laundry, dishes, dog, dinner and maybe my son needs help with his homework. It doesn't help that I'm usually so hungry by the time I get home that I can't think about anything except what I can stuff into my face. I really miss those old Ensure High-Protein drinks! Sometimes I scarf down a Quest bar, or make a protein shake. But I'd prefer something quick and mindless, without adding to the dish chore!

A friend of mine gets a lot done because she doesn't deal with household chores. They are relegated to the house cleaner, the dog walker, and her stepson who is friends with my son. Her husband is perfectly happy to eat Chunky Soup out of a can for supper. She tells me, "Well, it has vegetables in it, and he likes it." Uh, yeah, okay for you but I can actually cook nutritious food that tastes good, and my family will eat.

I do spend a lot of time typing this blog, and maybe this is one of the things I have to cut back on, in order to get other things done. I see AM in the locker room. She looks haggard, her arms skinny and limp. She teaches a few of the BodyPump exercise classes at the gym, but she says she's been sick. Too much stress this summer. Sick again this holiday season. She's skin and bones, and her diet-fad eating habits don't help. Another woman complains that she's suddenly developed cellulite on her upper arms and wonders if menopause is the reason. I don't know, but I'm glad that isn't my issue. At some point I'll discover something horrible has happened to my skin, that I have "old people" dingle dangle arms or thighs, but hopefully not in the near future.

The gym is crowded today, probably because I got here an hour earlier. I also finally remembered to get on my home scale before dressing for the gym. So my hair was dry and I hadn't eaten anything except for a cup of coffee. The home scale tells me 109 lbs and 15.7% body fat. A tad better than my last weigh-in back in November! I'd rather be closer to 14.5% body fat, but I'm not going to agonize over this. It's not as if I'm competing! I just want to fit into my pants better! Oddly, my waist is smaller although it's higher than where most pants situate their waistlines. At least I'm sort of proportional at 34-26-34. When I was in HS, I remember my measurements were 29-27-36. No chest or waist whatsoever. Just hips and thighs. Of course, I still don't have a bust... Those 5 inches are back and chest muscles!

I manage to snag my favorite cross-trainer for the 30 minutes of cardio. My toes go numb with 10 minutes to spare. My elbow complains during pull ups. My elbow complains during push ups. My shoulder complains during Bench Presses. Ugh. I'm happy to do just one set of pull ups today. The wireless ear buds make the music sound crunchy when I'm bent the wrong way. I might inadvertently be pressing buttons on the iPod? While I'm happy to see women in the weight area, too many of them get spacey and walk away from loaded racks, completely forgetting to re-rack their weights. My hubs left at 3:30 this morning to catch a flight to Houston. He texts me that he's arrived but got little sleep on the plane. He'll be back on Saturday, but has no idea when.

When I return home, the dog patiently waits for me to load the washing machine and retrieve my son from the school bus stop before I can take him out for a walk. I like to walk my son to the bus stop and back because it gives us a chance to talk without the distractions of TV, phone, laptop, gaming consoles. We discuss his homework and what's due tomorrow. Then I trek upstairs to write my blog post. It'll be dinner time when I'm done. I still haven't done anything about my website, the photo show, the short story, or the book. Sigh... I could just post my workouts, but I think that's kind of boring. And if I think it's boring, I'm sure everyone else will think it's triply boring.

Thursday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 136
Miles 3.76
Average Speed 7.51
Average Pace 7:59

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

Flat Breaker Bench (because a gal was using the Smith)
Bar (45 lbs) x 12
12 x 65

Smith Flat
Bar x 12
12 x 80, 100
8 x 120
25 x 90

Smith Inclined
Bar x 12
12 x 50, 70, 80
10 x 90
25 x 60

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

Flexible Times

I got home from the gym and the car read 50°F. It was -7 just a few days ago. Welcome to January in the variable Northeast. The gym wasn't horribly crowded, but all the ellipticals were in use when I wanted to do my 10 minute warm up. My favorite cross-trainer had a water bottle on it as a place holder for a guy who likes to use it daily. Ugh. I get on the cross-trainer next to it. It's got a big monitor that I can't see past, and at the lowest resistance, it's still rough on my joints. But I figure it's only 10 minutes. I just want to get warm before I smack the kickboxing machine.

I'm never quite sure if I'll do all 15 rounds until I complete each set. I'm flexible like that. Nothing is set in stone and if some part of my body hurts or is feeling iffy, I'm okay with adjusting the workout. Today I feel okay with everything and I go the entire 15 rounds. My knuckles are a bit sore by the end, but that's to be expected in spite of all the precautions. My right thumb is also sore, but I'm beginning to suspect that my new sheepskin steering wheel cover might be the culprit! Oh no! The wheel cover is lush and thick, and I have tiny hands which tend to grip the wheel tightly because I don't have the luxury of long fingers.

My accuracy has been better, but I can blame the machine for ignoring several of my kicks and digs. It tells me for all three sessions that I am "over power" and to add sets. Uh, no. I don't know what the evening crew does, but I suspect I'm the only person who goes more than 3 rounds per set. That's just my personal observation. When I'm done, I get on one of the three available ellipticals. One is down for repairs. Sigh. 20 minutes at Program 1 leaves me sweaty and feeling fairly limber. After a good stretch, I reach up and knock out 34 pull ups. Yaaaay me!

I just read a post online from a fellow who was doing pull ups and managed to rip his pectoral muscle at the bicep insert. Ugh! He'd made the mistake of relaxing into a full stretch. It's going to take him 8-12 weeks to repair the muscle so now he has to devise ways to work around the injury. Personally, I think relaxing your muscles while in the middle of an exercise set is courting trouble. Keeping your body tight and aligned is much easier in the long run. No matter how hard, you should fight the impulse to drop into a total relaxed and vulnerable position!

I look over my work out notes and am amused by the fact that 10 minutes on the cross-trainer tracks 1.15 miles, while 20 minutes on the elliptical only tracks 1.89. Yes, the elliptical is much easier on my joints as well. In total though, it's just a skosh over 3 miles so I'm pleased. The gym scale reads 110.8 lbs while I'm totally drenched (long wet hair holds weight) and have totally finished my 1.5 liter water bottle. I know 1.5 liters equals 3.3 lbs, but I won't get any accurate data until I step onto my home scale while bone-dry. And who knows when that'll happen!

Meanwhile, I splurged and bought, against my better judgement, a pair of blue paisley corduroy pants because I haven't worn cords since I was a wee fat child and hated the noise of my thighs rubbing together. I don't normally like paisley, but these look cool. They remind me of a pair of blue pants I inherited from my brother when I was in HS. They were very soft, high-waisted with deep front pockets. And when they inevitably got worn, I patched them and embroidered the patches with colored threads. These pants look nothing like those, but they give me the same feeling. Of course, these new pants are really for taller women with skinny legs. And I don't have skinny legs. So the pants need to be rolled up 3", and although the hips and waist fit, there are stress creases all along the back of my knees and thighs. Probably not the way they were designed to look. Oh well...

Wednesday Workout
(3.04 miles total)

10 min
X-trainer
Miles 1.15

Nexersys
5r Beginner
5r Intermediate
5r Advance

20 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 167
Miles 1.89

HGPU 34

Photos for actual stats:

Why Am I Sore?

My lats are sore when I get up, but I'm not entirely sure why since today is my Pull Day. Yesterday was Push so that normally affects triceps and chest. Nope, those aren't sore. Well, maybe I can feel my pecs a little, but I'd hesitate to call it soreness. The lats, however, are definitely sore. The only thing different in my routine were the Hindu push ups which I tried to go to failure on. I'm not sure how many I can do before I actually fall on my face, but apparently 35 reps is more than I'm used to. I hadn't thought of push ups as anything more than a core and chest exercise though. Oh, and triceps. It's unusual to find a Push movement that utilizes the big latissimus dorsi muscles that give you that lovely V-shape taper to your torso. They're also known as "wings". Although not expressly stated in anything I've read online, I suspect that the return movement of the body to the starting point (after straightening the arms) is responsible for this unique muscle stimulation.

I didn't do Hindu push ups today, just my normal 100 which got very difficult around rep 80. Tomorrow I hope to whack the machine a bit, so perhaps I'll do more Hindus on Thursday. Because all the racks are occupied, I do another set of HGPUs before I'm really ready to. My hands feel sore too so I'm worried about losing my grip. I get a few more reps that I expect, but afterwards, the meaty palm parts of my thumbs twinge sharply. Uh oh. Tendons or nerves? It's hard to know what's really the issue with my hands.

There's a couple taking turns benching in the Smith so I do a few sets of RDLs in the now empty MaxRack. I really don't like this contraption. I'm on the Smith as soon as they leave! My lower right back is a bit achy today so I'm careful with my form which always seems to deteriorate the heavy I go. Still, I get all my reps, all my sets. RG BB Rows make me more tired than I'm used to. I get a text from the school that all after-school activities have been cancelled due to the impending sleet storm. Ugh. Well, I guess I'd better get my groceries done!

I see Frankenstein briefly. Luckily he's leaving just as I'm starting. The Mayor is much quieter these days. I'm still not quite comfortable with my "wireless" earbuds because the blue connector wire sticks to my neck and back, putting pressure on my ears like something's tugging at them. I'm too damn sensitive, but there's nothing I can do about it. Except look at different headphones.

Lighting makes all the difference!

The gym scale says 111.0 today. Not as good as I'd hoped, but not awful. I only did one set of cardio today, sparring my knees and all the little bones in my feet. I did manage to get 30 minutes on my favorite cross-trainer and didn't actually notice my feet going numb, so that's something! I'm not sure if there's Boy Scouts tonight or not since we normally hold the meeting at a local school, and now all the school's have closed. Oh well... tomorrow's suppose to rise into the 40s!

Tuesday Workout

30 min x-trainer
Calories 142
Miles 3.82
Average Speed 7.61
Average Pace 7:52

HGPU 31

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

HGPU 36 Yaaay!

MaxRack RDLs
Bar (55 lbs) x 12
12 reps x 75

Smith RDLs
12 reps x 80, 100, 120, 130 lbs

Smith RG BB Rows
25 x 80, 100 lbs
20 x 120, 130 lbs

Seated Cable One-Arm Rows
45 lbs x 12 x 3

Start Again

We had a weekend snow squall that dumped a few inches. Not so bad really. My son went on a Boy Scout hike, slid on his butt a few times and saw a fabulous ice cave. Unfortunately, his phone, which had an iffy battery to begin with, died in the cold. We went to the Apple Store on Sunday, waited two hours for an appointment with a tech who told us "No, it's not the battery or anything we can fix. It won't start up so it's probably the motherboard or something. We recommend buying a new phone for $349 instead of replacing this one for $225." Of course you do. Instead, we went home and I gave my son my old iPhone 5 because it still works, and I'm using my husband's old iPhone 6+ anyway.

Then, last night the power goes out. Sorta. Half the lights are on but very dimly. Most of the lights are out, but our generator has kicked on. Weird. I call the power company on my cell to report the power weirdness. Five minutes later all the power goes out completely. Well, at least the generator works! We sit and try to read by flash light, wishing the wood stove gave out more light. An hour later the power is restored. This morning, the internet goes out. As in no phone, no tv except for what's already stored on the DVR, no email, no texting or chat. As I drive to the post office, I note there are four Verizon trucks along one stretch of road with lots of cables and wires between them. At least I get a cell signal in the parking lot. My hubs left for Boston this morning and promptly forgot his travel mugs full of coffee. There was no way for me to tell him either, even though he'd just left, because well, no chat when the lines are down.

I get to the gym late and frozen. The outdoor digital thermometer wouldn't give a reading until it hit 1°F. Odd. I remember that it sometimes gave negative numbers. My son and I stood at the school bus stop at 7:13 when it was 6°F. (He's a tad chilly. It's 20F when he gets off the bus and the sun is out.) The cross-trainers are all busy so I hop on one of the ellipticals and do 30 minutes of Program 1. At least I'm warm when I'm done. Pull ups aren't awful today but I only do one set. Today is a Push Day and after I knock out my 100 push ups, pull ups, crunches and planks, I do Dand (Hindu) push ups to see just how many. A guy drops his Bosu at the end of the mat I'm on, and he starts doing push ups on it. I don't know why he needs to do this on a mat. It annoys me and I can't focus as much as I'd like to. I get to 35 reps but wonder if 50s in my reach. Next time...

The Smith is already set up for Inclined Benching so that's what I do. For my last set, I like to do high reps, normally 25 but 60 lbs feels so easy that I get to 30 before I stop. I might've gotten more, but I don't want to be here all day! Occasionally I glance into the wall mirror to see who's at the gym. Ugh. It's Frankenstein on one of the machines, staring this way. I had totally forgotten he was here today after seeing him on the Torso Twist while I was pedaling on the elliptical. He is rudely creepy because he stares like a brain-damaged moron, and stands too close when there's lots of room to be somewhere else. And no, I don't actually think he's brain-damaged because I saw him once at Home Depot, dressed in a button down shirt and suit like a professional. What is it with old, out-of-shape guys who are totally oblivious to how creepy they are?

I knock out my DB laterals superset with Reverse Inclined Flyes. I have to do it in the Smith because the one other Inclined Bench is being used. All the flat benches are free though and I drop my gear on one to do Rip Skulls. I'm between my 2nd and 3rd set when lumbering Frankenstein comes over and stands literally inches from my bench. He's doing some version of DB laterals waaay too close to the DB rack. I curse out loud while tapping into my phone. My hubs suggests I smote him with a DB. I wait until he stops circling the area (between his sets) and then knock out my last set. So glad to be out of there! Meanwhile an even older, more clueless guy plops himself on the bench next to mine to do a hamstring stretch. Uh, dude, people do that on floor mats.

Later, the same clueless old guy plops himself down on a mat perpendicular to mine. I'm doing some basic leg and hip stretches. He likes to lay across the mat and put his sneakers on someone else's mat while he does sit ups. Dude, that IS soooo rude, and no one wants you to flash your junk at them. Point your feet and nethers somewhere else! I'm so aggravated I walk off and finish my basic stretch in the now empty exercise class room. Ugh. I'd do another set of pull ups, but when I glance over at the Stretch Cage, I see the Grand Dame there. She's responsible for nagging the gym owner into restoring the Stretch Cage. She's like 90 years old but in great shape, thin and fairly flexible. But not like me. She once told the trainers she wanted to look like me, but I don't think anyone puts on muscle when they get to be 90 years old. I'll be lucky to be as active as she is!

Hot shower, followed by a brief cold shower so I don't start sweating as I'm dressing. The gym scale reads 111.6 lbs. Well, I knew I'd be a bit heavier today, but it's not horrible. The week's just starting! And temps promise to rise into the 40s by mid-week. Of course, it's not like this snow and ice is going anywhere... it IS January after all.

Monday Workout

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 280
Miles 2.50

HGPU 31
Push Ups 100
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Dand Push Ups 35

Smith Inclined Bench
Bar x 15
12 x 50, 70, 80, 90
60 lbs x 30 reps

DB Lat s/s Rev Incl Flyers
25 lbs x 12/15 x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3