The Scale Hasn't Budged

Small changes make big differences. I find this especially true about my weight and what I have for lunch. If I eat like a normal person, my weight doesn't really change. But if I swap out real food for a protein shake and fat-free milk, I see the pounds drop off. Lately, I've been hungry even before I leave the house, so that's a bit troubling. I wind up scarfing down some Greek yogurt, along with two Optic Nerve vitamins, vitamin B12 and D.

Today I finally remembered that I have a giant tub of Cabot's® high-protein Greek-style yogurt in the back of the fridge. It's way past the Best By Date of Feb 27 so I'm kind of worried. But because I never broke the interior plastic seal, the yogurt is fine. I scoop some out and pour maple syrup on it to have for breakfast. However, this does not stop my stomach from growling at me later in my workout.

I get on the cross-trainer for 30 minutes and am really happy that my feet don't go numb until the last 5 minutes. I regularly rotate my gym footwear so I don't think it's a particular shoe that's the issue. It's probably just me. I have vague notions of using the Step Mill or Erg rowing machine, but the Step Mills are occupied. My shoulder is feeling worse than usual and I'm not sure why. It actually aches down to the bone, and possible down my arm to the ring finger. Maybe it's the RG BB Curls from yesterday? Seems highly unlikely. But it's enough to forestall any idea of rowing.

On the Mat, I only do Bird Dogs and Side Planks and intersperse some yoga stretches, like child's pose and up dog (cobra). I make the Side Planks more interesting by lifting the top leg for 30 seconds, up from 10 seconds. Then I grab an assortment of DBs and knock out delts. Because I feel guilty about not doing any tricep work, as in push ups or benching, I do a few sets of Rip Skulls. Then Intervals on the elliptical. I admit I do have more energy to expend here since I skipped a whole lot of weight-lifting and body weight work.

The gym scale reads 110.2 lbs. It really hasn't budged all week. Oh well... I really should take my dietary habits more seriously, and cut more fat out. Sigh... Well, I've logged in over 30 miles of cardio this week. So that's something. The "boys" are going camping with the Scouts tomorrow. Maybe I'll actually get something done!

Friday
6.51 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 138
Miles 3.79
Average Heart Rate 138

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB front / Lateral / rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 2
20/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 1

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 312
Miles 2.72
Total strides 4740

The Next Thing Ya' Know...

Boys XL hoodie from Lands End

I really thought I was going to just do a quick Cardio Day today. Until I realized that's what I had planned to do yesterday, and then I wound up doing DB delt stuff anyway. So, today I figure I'd squeeze some RDLs in-between the cardio. That was the plan anyway.

By the time I get dishes done and other household chores sorted, it's nearly 10 am. Time just zips by and I still can't figure out if it's because I'm moving and thinking slower, or if I'm just more mindful of everything I do. I get on the elliptical first for a change in routine although I don't usually like it when I'm wearing my hoodie. The bottom of the zipper tends to hit my thigh when I'm pedaling, and it's distracting. I've already done Programs 1-3, but I want to save Intervals for tomorrow. So I do Program 1 again. Then I do some core work, i.e., crunches and planks, before claiming the Smith. I had decided that if the Smith was busy, I'd actually brave the other side of the gym where the loose Olympic bars and CF plates were kept. Whew! Glad I didn't actually have to go there.

30 lb bar plus 25, 10, 10, 10, 5 twice

I'm wearing an airy cheap tank I got from Walmart. It's suppose to be an Avia, but it's so badly made that I wonder. The tank is really big for a size S and has gaping arm holes. I'm wearing a sports bra so no biggie. What's annoying is that the tank tends to rotate and shift to my right. I know human bodies are rarely symmetrical, and this tank probably isn't either, but it's odd that it has a mind of its own. I keep having to adjust it to the left, otherwise it pulls the neckline and arm holes right. Ugh. I may just toss (donate) this tank after I wash it later today. I don't think it's me because I don't have this issue with my other tanks from Old Navy or Gap.

The RDLs feel okay and I'm gratified since I pulled only two days ago. But I'm not really sore. Okay, the back of my shoulders are a wee bit stiff, but that could be from the DB reverse flyes yesterday. Today I'm determined to at least pull two more reps on the heavy set. And I do. Maybe I should up the weight? Next time I will... Of course, instead of walking away to do cardio, I decide not to waste momentum and do a few sets of RG BB Rows. I get less today. That's okay though. I'm still pulling really high reps. I could walk away here. But I don't. I bite my lip and drag my stuff over to the DB area and snag a flat bench to perch at the end of. DB Alternating Curls done seated keep me from swinging my whole body and cheating. I tend to lean forward with heavy weights. These aren't really heavy, but I'm being cautious with the wrists and elbows.

Having Raynaud's Syndrome means your hands and feet go numb from cold, or pressure. I experience painful tingling and numbness in my toes and feet from pedaling on the cross-trainer. I use VGs to compensate for my fingers going numb from gripping the bar during DLs and BB Rows. And when I do DB work, I use wrist wraps but have to loosen them after every set. Because as much as I want the additional support, I hate having my hands go numb from the pressure the wrap exerts on my wrists. Especially as my arms get pumped.

There are regulars all around me, mostly guys. The Mayor spots Little R for DB Inclined Presses. Someone else spots the Mayor for BB overhead press in the Squat rack. I don't see ChattyGuy today, but WWd was just leaving when I entered the gym. Some people are MIA and they've either changed their schedules due to work or school, or quit, or died. A lot of middle-aged people never leave the comfort of Machine City, filled with Cybex equipment. It's definitely Spring, the sun came out for a few hours today, and I saw a robin two days ago. Of course, we are under threat of snow and ice tonight into tomorrow morning. Oh joy.

Drag Curls are easier than the DB Curls, but since muscle fatigue is starting to set in, they're also harder. Because I'm ornery, I stick the magnetic discs on the BB and do Reverse Grip Curls with them. I figure I've gone heavier in the past, let's see what happens today. Besides, my forearms never got sore from the last session two days ago. I up the weight and the reps, and I actually doubt I'm going to feel my forearms tomorrow. Sad.

I get on the cross-trainer for 30 minutes. My right foot starts to tingle halfway through, which is kind of early. By the last 5 minutes, both my feet have numb toes, but the right foot is worse. Also, my tank is driving me crazy so I'm constantly adjusting the neckline, and pulling my bra strap off my trap because it's cutting into my neck. Ugh! I'm truly surprised to hit 4 miles. Afterwards, I do most of a Mat Stretch. Personally, I think stretching done after a workout is a major soreness preventative. Occasionally, I find fitness articles that say the same thing, as if it's something new. Not! The gym scale hasn't really budged. It reads 110.4 lbs. Not great. But I really need to focus if I want to drop some Body Fat. Otherwise I'll have to be content with not being as lean as I'd like. With Spring here, I'd really like to have better definition. Not competition definition, but something enviable.

Thursday
6.61 miles total cardio

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 296
Miles 2.61
5324 steps

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

Smith RDLs
Bar (30 lbs) x 12
80, 100, 120 x 12
140, 150 x 8

Smith RG BB Row
25 x 80, 100
20 x 120, 130

DB Seated Alt Curls
20 lbs x 12 reps
22.5 x 12 x 3 sets

BB Drag Curls
12 x 40 lbs, 42.5, 45

BB RG Curls
45 lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 4.00
Average Heart Rate 160

Wasting Time

I had every intention of getting to the gym early in spite of the miserable weather. I hate cold and wet. The neighbor's septic alarm has been ringing for hours, and luckily, we can't hear it inside our house. But these neighbors don't live here and only come up from the City every few weeks or so. There are occasional workmen busy expanding the tiny house into an oddly-shaped slightly less tiny house. But they're not here today. The alarm means the pump has flooded for their peat-moss septic system. We have the same system, and ours seems fine even though I slosh through 3 inches of standing water behind the house as I walk the dog. Yes, this is the wet in wetlands. NYC owns a lot of watershed property here.

After doing dishes and sorting laundry, and running sleeping bags through the washer, I settle down to make appointments. One for my shoulder and one for my son whose skin has defied all our home-remedy efforts to combat adolescent acne. I've read about taking zinc, drinking kefir and other probiotics, and limiting dairy and sugar. One article suggests the simple approach of... going vegan. Sorry!? Going vegan is NOT simple. And actually downright preposterous to ask of a 12 year old boy who loves sushi, chicken, ribs and salmon.

I've never met with either of these doctors and got their names from the provider page off my health insurer's website. The dermatologist isn't available during the upcoming Spring Break so I schedule for a day the week after. This gives us time to see if the Hibiclens might work. I read about it online and since it's an OTC skin disinfectant used in medical settings, it's been recommended to treat acne. My son is willing to try it, even as he combs his hair over his forehead to hide the angry red eruptions. As much as I dislike the idea of my son taking antibiotics for his skin, I don't want him to suffer from social anxiety or actual acne scarring. Adolescence is hard enough without skin issues.

Making an appointment for the orthopedist is much much harder. Every doctor belongs to a consortium which has instituted a maddening maze of phone-tree services. I'm redirected right back to the same exact robotic directory every time I make a selection. Eventually I discover that the doctor I'm trying to reach isn't even at this medical group. I try a different phone number and eventually speak to a human who explains to me that said doctor is actually a foot and ankle specialist. That info isn't on the insurer website.

The operator directs me to a different doctor who isn't listed on the website, but since I've seen other doctors within this group, the insurance should cover them all. The doc will probably recommend an x-ray although I don't think that will show ligament or tendon damage. But I already know my insurance covers that 100%. What it doesn't cover are MRIs. Which is what's probably needed for an accurate diagnosis. I have an appointment next week, on the same day as my glaucoma doc check up. (I'll find out if the Travatan® is worth $25/mos vs generic latanoprost at $10/mos or 3/$25 through the insurer's online delivery service.) At first I think I'll have to skip the gym, but part of me is trying to figure out if I can squeeze in 30 minute of cardio and a shower... ah, gym rats.

It's damn near noon by the time I get to the gym. The sun has finally broken through and the gym's not very crowded. Fine with me. I pedal 30 minutes on the cross-trainer, but my right ankle is off. A sore tendon (peroneus tertius) that comes and goes depending on how I adjust my foot. Mileage isn't great, but it's okay. I tell myself it's just a Cardio Day. No push ups. No pull ups. No crunches. But I do some planks and stretches. Then I grab DBs and knock out my deltoid supersets. I think my arms look great, but that's me. I can see my pecs and their striations flex when I do front DB raises, because the lighting is perfect. Arms look especially good during DB lateral raises, but they always do. ChattyGuy is spotting the Mayor. NewClient has been coming regularly and confers with GymOwner. No one's been using the Battle Ropes or the Kickboxing machine in weeks.

The Mayor and a few other people are also in the DB area. When I'm done, I do 30 minutes on the elliptical. I have to up the volume on my tunes because I can still hear the Mayor even though I can't see him. Turns out he's chatting with another dude while they're both on the stationery bikes in front and just to the right of me. Out of my line of sight, but not earshot. Ugh. I've never ever seen him on the bikes before. He's not a big cardio dude. Done. I don't even have time to stretch because I need to do groceries. At least my son will be home to walk the dog. The sun is blazing! Gym scale reads 110.2 lbs and it's not great. But not horrible.

Wednesday Cardio Day
6.54 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 3.91
Average Heart Rate 161

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB front / Lateral / rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 3 sets

30 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 299
Miles 2.63
5368 steps

Not Old Yet

My right quad is sore today and it takes me nearly half the day before I figure out why. It couldn't be from clambering up the stool to crouch over the sink and wrestle with the lighting fixture. No, it's the kneeling thigh stretch that I do on the mat, usually after push ups but before crunches. I've done this stretch several dozen times before, but perhaps yesterday I leaned back slightly more? I tend not to support myself with my hands and instead have them float in front of my hips, putting more stress on the abs. Hmmm...

I'm happy to pedal my fave cross-trainer and even break the 4-mile mark today in spite of soreness. Wahoo! Then I do some crunches and knee-ins, opting to skip pull ups and push ups. The Smith is finally available so I use it for RDLs. I used to be able to pull 155 on the freestanding bar not that long ago. Today I decide to drop some reps and up the weight. It's a spur of the moment thing. 140 doesn't feel that heavy, but I'm only pulling for 8 reps. I get 6 reps at 150 lbs. I'm pretty sure I could've pulled another two reps but I wasn't really sure I'd keep my form. The last thing I need to do is injure my back! My shoulder is still grumpy.

I do a total of 6.72 miles of cardio today, and according to recent news, I'm still shy of the 15,000 daily steps required for good health. Apparently 10,000 steps isn't quite enough. My 6.72 miles translates to a mere 13,658 steps. Well, there's walking the dog several times a day... 15,000 steps is about 7.5 miles. Ugh.

I don't pull nearly as much weight when switching to RG BB Rows, but then again, I'm going for reps with this move. I feel it more in my lower back now that I'm tired. Time to switch to a different exercise. Seated DB alternating curls are good. I have those one and a quarter pound magnetic discs to affix to the DB ends. I use the discs on the solid-state BBs too for Drag Curls. My biceps are popping and I wish I could take a photo of them. Last, there are RG BB Curls for forearms, the stepchild of "show muscles". Then back to the cardio platform to do 30 minutes on the elliptical. It's very humid in the gym and I'm drenched by the time the set is over.

I can't resist doing one set of pull ups at the Stretch Cage, but this time I'm very conscious of keeping my elbows bent, even during dismount. I'm happy with 26 reps, especially after all that bicep work. The Billy Idol music has me so energized that I do a full Mat Stretch while bopping to tunes. I can tell that some of the guys are staring from their seats in the Cybex machines, but I don't care. I didn't start out being this flexible. It's a lot of work and consistent effort. People say they're envious and wish they could do stuff like that. I tell them they actually have to DO IT. Wishing don't make it so. Yeah, I'm 57, but damn, I'm not going to start acting like it just because it's on my driver's license.

Tuesday
6.72 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 142
Miles 4.13
Average Heart Rate 161

Knee-Ins 50
Crunches 3 x 50

Smith RDLs
Bar (30 lbs) x 12
12 x 80, 100, 120
8 x 140
6 x 150

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

Seated DB Alt Curls
20 lbs x 12 reps
22.5 x 12 reps x 3 reps

BB Drag Curls
12 reps x 40 lbs, 42.5, 45

RG BB Curl
40 lbs x 22 reps x 3 sets

30 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 294
Miles 2.59
5264 strides

HGPU 26

Kicking and Screaming

I spent the better half of yesterday morning trying to remove the plastic cover to the fluorescent light box over the kitchen sink. The two bulbs are suddenly much dimmer and it's making me feel as if I'm losing my sight while doing the dishes. Of course, I think the last time I changed those bulbs was maybe 15 years ago. The plastic cover eventually gave way, but not before developing a big crack all the way down the length of it. Plastic, wonder product of the 60s and 70s, tends to get brittle with age. And I have old products in my house that can't be replaced because parts are no longer being manufactured. Newer models come with their own problems, like planned obsolescence. So, some things in my house are either broken, or held in place with gorilla glue and strapping tape. There's no way to repair something that's held on with little plastic tabs that have broken off. Once I get the cover off, it takes me a good 10 minutes to jiggle and rotate the long tubular bulbs out of their sockets. I leave one in place and take the other, with the broken plastic cover to Home Depot.

The old guy in the lighting fixture section knows immediately what bulb I need. He also knows that HD doesn't stock the 2-ft plastic light covers, only the 4-ft ones. I ask him if I should just use tape, and he says packing tape will work for a while but eventually it'll peel off. Better to go to the paint department and get some clear epoxy to fix the crack. Sounds good. Of course, the epoxy takes over 20 minutes to set, and the cap that you're suppose to place over the snipped epoxy containers fails to fit properly. I'm tempted to toss the entire package. I'm sure this is also "planned" so that I'll have to buy a new dual tube of epoxy should I ever have need again. In the end, I leave the cracked cover off and just enjoy the bright whiteness. My son and husband come back from Boy Scout service work, and remark that now the kitchen is as bright as a full moon. I'm a bit dismayed at the bulb label that says it's new and improved. Yes, new and with less mercury. So that's good. But then I read, bulbs should last 3 years if used for 6 hours every day. Uh, my old ones were on continuously for close to 15 years. Hhhmmmm.

My hubs is off to Boston for the week so I get to the gym late. It's not very crowded, and that's just the way I like it. My shoulder has been extremely troublesome this weekend, especially after I sat in an awkward position on the sofa. The shoulder rotated at an odd angle and it hasn't recovered. This week I'll call and see what appointments are available for the orthopedic specialist. Next week I have a checkup with the glaucoma doc to see if using Travatan® instead of generic latanoprost has made any difference in my eye IOPs. I am having a very hard time adjusting from close reading on my iPad to driving at dusk. It's as if my eyes just don't want to focus properly. They do eventually, but it takes a long time and I'm impatient. Important bits are losing their flexibility and I don't know how to fix it.

I do 30 minutes on the cross-trainer, no pull ups, and sets of push ups. Also, crunches and planks. Then, DB deltoid work, and some Rip Skulls. I end with another 30 minutes on the elliptical and a quick stretch. Done. I just have time to shower and splash a little moisturizing cream on my skin. I still don't like the smell, because it's lactic acid based, and smells like milk to me. I've rediscovered the urea foot cream Flexitol® and marvel at how well it works on my cracked heels. It's even dealt with a new foot issue: tiny painful raised bumps on the inside of my feet under my inner ankles. The cream caused the skin to flake off and the bumps have receded. I suspect it has something to do with age and Ichthyosis Vulgaris, the fish-scale skin disorder I've inherited. My mother used to call it alligator skin. It's actually a deficiency of the protein profilaggrin. But I suspect it's also related to my Raynaud's since my mother and grandmother had both as well.

There's probably a baby Plantar's wart on the sole of my left foot. Right now I'm using OTC wart remover pads (40% salicylic acid), and my foot feels much better. I've just realized that the cross-trainer and elliptical machines have me "running" with the ball of my foot striking instead of my heel, which is much better for my knees. My feet aren't actually striking, but I know where I'm putting all my weight as I pedal. I'm having to file the callouses on my palms more than once weekly now. What the heck is going on? Yes, kicking and screaming into active old age. Ggrrrrr...

Monday
6.61 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 141
Miles 4.00
Average Heart Rate 157

Knee-ins 50
Push Ups 50, 30, 30, 30
Crunches 3 x 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB Front / Lateral / Rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 2
20/20/25 lbs x 12/12/20 reps x 1

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 297
Miles 2.61

Hard Questions

I skipped the gym yesterday to sort out some paper work. Things seem to take longer these days although I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps I get too easily distracted. What started out as some background information on our town's tax revaluation turned into several hours of slogging through a four thousand plus page PDF tax roll and cross-referencing that with real estate websites and online maps. Then a 20 minute phone call with the tax assessor's office to get an appointment for my son and his Scout friends for the interview portion of the Citizenship and the Community merit badge.

I did pull out my scale and get a weight and body fat reading. While I was happy with the weight (107.6 lbs), the body fat reading is creeping in the wrong direction at 15.6%. Of course, I haven't been actively managing my fat intake either so it's not a total surprise. I also took my son to his annual physical, and he got the Hepatitis A vaccine. He'll need another one in about 6 months. He's already had the meningitis vaccine. I'm on the fence about the HPV one though, because I've read too many scary stories. It's impossible to predict the future, but I have to do everything I can to protect my child from things that are impossible to know. On the other hand, he's had the flu shot every year, but I stopped once I stopped commuting to NYC.

Today I do my regular cardio routine, core work and then DB delts. That's enough. The only thing that worries me is that I lose count during my first set of push ups so I don't know if I did 60 reps, or more. To make up for this lack of focus, I do two more sets. Okay, enough push ups today. I even do a set of pull ups, and I'm glad I can get a set of 26, but as I drop down, I foolishly let my arms extend and my shoulder twinges. Last night it was worse, especially while I was slouched on the sofa watching TV. There was audible clicking and definite pain when I moved my arm across my body. Yeah, I've got to get this looked at. Just not sure when.

I finally got two Billy Idol CDs I've had in my Amazon shopping cart for over a year. I liked them so much listening to them in my car (yes, it has a 6-CD player and radio), that I added them to my iTunes to load onto my iPod so I could play Billy Idol for my entire workout. Most of his songs have the upbeat tempo that makes working out fun and exciting. 

So, am I losing muscle mass because of my injury, or just because I'm on the other side of 50 now? It's hard to know. I'm happy that I could get my 6 plus miles, but not happy that the saggy skin on my belly and butt is only going to get worse. Yep, I've got the lower backside of an old elephant matriarch. Just glad I don't have upper arm dangle. Whew!

Friday
6.67 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 3.99
Average Heart Rate 149

HGPU 26
Knee-Ins 60
Push Ups 60?, 30, 20
Crunches 3 x 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB front / lateral / rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 3 sets

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 307
Miles 2.68

Arctic Chill Mid-Week

There's something wrong when the weather app on your phone tells you that it's 28°F outside but feels like 14. Seriously? It's arctic wind chill and there's a wind advisory warning until this evening. I actually get to the gym quite a bit earlier than usual, before women fill the locker room with deafening chatter and hair dryers. I'm able to get on the cross-trainer for 30 minutes so I'm fairly happy. No pull ups today. My shoulders feel a little tight even though yesterday was a Pull Day, but big movements like RDLs work your whole body. And the RG BB Rows work more than just lats.

I even skip crunches, but manage to muscle through my push ups and planks. Trying to make up for a lack of BB pressing means I take 15 lb DBs and do a few sets of seated DB overhead presses, supersetting them with front raises. My shoulder doesn't like that much. Then I go back to the DB lateral superset with Reverse Inclined Flyes. Shoulders don't like the lateral movement, but are perfectly fine with rear delt action. Figures. The DB area starts to get a bit crowded. I know my shoulder isn't fond of the Rip Skulls either and WTF? all the breaker benches have multiple BBs on them. Yet they're not all occupied. Weird. I do my Rip Skulls on a flat bench in the DB area, but limit myself to just 8 reps just to spare my elbows.

Afterwards, I'm wondering whether I should try something new. I have my choice of cardio machines so I ask one of the trainers how to use the new treadmills. She says the manual is several inches thick so she can give me the basics, but not more because no one actually knows all the details yet. It has a lot of different programs, and like the Espresso bike, it also allows you to choose a moving view to "run through". I choose Canyon racing. There's also cityscapes and other types of terrain like jungles or beaches. The Manual setting lets you control the incline and the speed. Otherwise, there's a variety of hills, mountains and other aptly named programs, like Eiffel Tower. No thanks. I'll do the Step Mill if I want to climb floors.

The machine starts off flat at zero degrees. You can raise the incline in 1/2 degree increments. Speed can be altered in 1/10 increments. I choose a leisurely 1.5 mph but gradually up the incline until I'm at the full 30° after about 5 minutes. I plan to do 20 minutes in total. I'm using the handholds because not only do I not trust my sense of balance, but it's the only place you can get a heart rate reading. Because I selected the Manual setting, I was also able to enter Age, Weight and Time goals. I could've set a Mileage goal, or a Calorie goal too. You can save your data and download it through a USB port, but no one knows in what format the data will appear. Because no ones done it. Yet.

I find the 30° incline a bit challenging, but even though I start to perspire, I'm not breathless at this gentle rate. What I do find concerning is that the back of my ankles and my lower shins start to feel stressed. This is unexpected. When my program is done, the machine flattens itself back to zero degrees and prompts a 2-minute cool down. After I step down from the treadmill, I notice that my quads are actually a little tired. Well, that's different.

I do a quick stretch before leaving. The gym scale reads 109.0 lbs even. That's not bad considering I'm not clocking in 6+ miles either. But I've also cut back on my calorie intake. Of course, my son's insistence on ice cream for dessert doesn't help, especially when it's Tin Roof Sundae, a flavor I've never heard of before. I didn't choose it. I'm more of a vanilla bean, or pistachio kind of gal.

Wednesday

30 min x-trainer
Calories 137
Miles 3.75
Average Heart Rate 148

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 80
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

DB seated press  s/s standing front raises 
15 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25 lbs x 12/15 reps x 2 sets
20/25 lbs x 12/20 reps

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets

True Treadmill
20 min + 2 min cool down
Calories 125
629 ft climbed
Distance 0.48 + 0.02 cool down
Inclined 30% (after 5 min)
Speed 1.5

Spring is Here for the Moment

At the MaxRack

The forecast calls for temps to peak close to 60°F this afternoon and we all need sunglasses because snow blindness is a real hazard today. The snow is soft and mushy, but still several inches. The gym isn't horribly crowded, but the cross-trainers are occupied. I get on the elliptical next to the two women who never ever seem to stop talking. I've seen and heard them for months now. They are loud enough to be heard over earbuds, and rival only the Mayor for annoying noise. One is pedaling and the other is probably done. But she's draped over the elliptical with all her gear, loud and oblivious. There are only 4 ellipticals, and I wouldn't occupy a machine I wasn't actually using. But that's me. It's good that being social gives them a reason to exercise, but they'd probably make better progress if they didn't yak so much. Of course, they probably wouldn't even come to the gym if it wasn't to yak.

Today is a Pull Day and after I finish my core warm up, I find that the Smith is in use. But the MaxRack is free. I hate the MaxRack because it always feels as if the bar is pulling away from you as you pull up. Still, I do my RDLs. They don't feel as good as in the Smith. I don't have the sense of my glutes and posterior chain contracting as I tap my hip forward against the bar in the movement. Probably because I'm wrestling with the bar. Ugh. I also do RG BB Rows at the MaxRack. The bar itself has a smaller diameter so it is easier to hold, but it's also heavier than the counter-weighted Smith bar (55 lbs vs 30 lbs).

Then off to do bicep curls. Today I do seated alternating bicep curls and then drag curls. The magnetic discs bring the 20 lb DBs up to 22.5 lbs. By the time I get to the BB drag curls, my left bicep starts to feel as if it might spasm. Hmmmm. It's hard to focus on contracting muscles if you're worried they might develop a painful charliehorse! And then, just because I happen to have the 40 lb solid BB in my hands anyway, I do a few sets of RG BB Curls. I can just make 22 reps for each set. If it had been any easier, I would've had to use those magnetic discs here too. But I don't. I'm sure my arms are going to complain later.

The cross-trainer I favor is in use so I look at my choices. I could get back on the elliptical. Or try the new treadmills. Or the Octane lateral. Or the Step Mill. Step Mill it is! Because 20 minutes on it is more tiring than anything else I've ever tried. Okay, I still haven't tried the new 30° treadmill. Then a stretch at the Stretch Cage. I'd done a set of HGPUs yesterday, but not today. I'm happy if I can just get over a dozen because my arms are tired. I make it to 25 and that's good enough for me. My shoulder is a little twingey but nothing that actually makes me stop. If anything, my shoulder hurts the most when I'm sleeping and in the wrong position for too long. Otherwise, it lets me know it's injured, but not catastrophically.

I don't think the regulars at my bird feeder appreciate the meal worms I've added to the black oil sunflower seeds. A friend told me she puts them out for the bluebirds. The package says that seed and insect eaters will enjoy these dried protein-rich treats. But I don't think so. There are only finches at my feeder today although I see the chickadees and cardinals in the hedges singing. The neighbor's cat is watching from the roof. I've never seen the cat up there before. I take his photo and he's unhappy at being discovered so he's gone. Oh well...


Tuesday

30 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 295
Miles 2.60

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 80
Crunches 3 x 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

MaxRack RDLs
Bar (55 lbs) x 12
12 x 75, 95, 105, 115, 125
135 x 8

MaxRaxk RG BB Rows
Bar (55 lbs) x 25
25 x 75, 95, 115, 135 lbs

Standing DB Alt Curls
20 lbs x 12
22.5 lbs x 12 x 3

BB Drag Curls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

RG BB Curl
40 lbs x 22 x 3

20 min Step Mill
Calories 154
Flights Climbed 65
Steps 1042
Level 6

HGPU 25

Spring Already?

Apparently Spring started today at 6:28 am. I thought it was tomorrow. Some years it's as late as the 22nd. I was startled awake by my alarm, which is unusual for me. Normally I'm awake several minutes before the alarm goes off. Today, I was deep in a dream, about to reply about a dog or something when the alarm in my phone chirped. Ugh. It's a good thing I have to walk the dog, and then my son or else I'd never get fully awake. By the time I get dishes done and laundry started and head out to the post office to mail a birthday gift to my sister, it's nearly 10 am!

The post office, true to every denigrating stereotype, is being serviced by one hapless clerk. There are two other employees sniffling in the background, trying to cover for missing personnel. Apparently the order has come down that no overtime shall be paid so now there are no workers either. The clerk isn't at her own station because half the computer systems are down, and she doesn't have enough cash in the drawer to make change. She keeps apologizing. It's okay. We have nothing but time.

The tall, skinny old woman in front of me is furiously filling out forms before presenting her International Priority Mail envelope. I catch a nasty whiff of cigarette smoke and don't wonder at her hacking cough. The clerk tells her she needs to fill out Customs Forms, even though it's just a dozen pieces of paper. 20 minutes and $36 (for her) later, I finally get to mail my package and I can even give her exact change in coin. Finally, I'm off to the gym.

The locker room is crowded and so noisy I wonder what a decibel meter would register. Between the hair dryers and the cackling, I worry about hearing loss and dementia. Studies now strongly suggest that hearing loss is related to loss of faculty and function as we age. Oh jeeze. I do my routine 30 minutes on the cross-trainer, and watch the electrician climb a tall ladder to change out the ceiling fans scattered throughout the gym. Last week he was changing some of the hanging lamps. At the Stretch Cage, I steel myself for a set of pull ups and get 31. Whew!

I have a harder time with the push ups, maybe because I skipped Knee-Ins and the minuscule rest it affords my arms to do 50 reps. After crunches, planks and lower abs scissors, I'm warmed up enough. No benching though. I'm just going to do DB shoulder work, and some Rip Skulls. I have a thought to do this 3x a week for a while and see where that leads me. My shoulder and I seem to be making an uneasy peace of sorts. I look in the wall mirror and think my delta actually look bigger, but I'm sure change doesn't happen that quickly. Not even for me.

I see The Mayor before I hear him. That's probably a first. But he's loud, and I tap the volume up. While I'm on the elliptical, I notice that all the treadmills seem to be working. But they aren't all being used. Only one fellow has the machine at an incline, and his is a moderate 15 degrees. I will have to try this one day, but when I'm really bored. And I'll be walking. Okay, maybe a fast walk, because my knees are unforgiving when it comes to impact.

The gym scale reads 109.8 lbs which is good for a Monday! Probably because I've been trying not to stress-eat or drink. The hubs isn't home either, and as the latest dieting articles suggest, it might be easier to stick to your eating plan when there's no peer pressure. Today I rediscover an orange hoodie my son has outgrown. It's fleece-lined and just slightly oversized on me so it fits perfectly. I'm really happy I can salvage some of the cool clothes my son used to wear (because he has a cool mom) and not have to toss them at GoodWill. I may snag some of his plaid flannel cargo pants once he's outgrown those too, if he hasn't worn them into rags.


Monday
6.42 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 138
Miles 3.81
Average Heart Rate 134

HGPU 31
Push Ups 80
Crunches 3 x 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Lower Ab Hz Scissors 50

DB Tri-Set Front/Laterals/Rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 297
Miles 2.61

St Pat's Day Workout

It's a bit chilly when I take the dog out but the roads are all down to dry blacktop. The remaining 16" of snow is soft and slushy. It's just that there's so much of it. My dog can't walk his usual routine, and stands stymied and perplexed at the chest high expanse of white that looms before him. I haven't gotten around to shoveling a path for him. Yet. So he plods halfway up the road before deciding to turn back, all the while furiously sniffing the ground.

I'm sure he's looking for the feral cats. Or roadkill. He's good at dragging me off to examine the latest smushed little body. The last one was a victim of feline foul-play, because what else would behead and disembowel a vole, and leave it out on the leaf litter for all to see? Wild animals are usually hungry animals, and hungry animals eat their kills. This is someone's house pet. At least my dog keeps watch over the bird feeder and barks an alarm should he see something slinking through the hedges. When he's not sleeping.

I get to the gym after the morning rush. My favorite cross-trainer is available and I pedal 20 minutes there. Today is a Cardio Day and I want to take advantage of all the available machines. At some point I'll have to try the new treadmills. The gym owner says it's quite the workout when angled at the proper 30° (that not one user is doing). Afterwards, I actually do a set of pull ups at the Stretch Cage, but I'm careful to keep my elbows flexed the entire time so as not to put undue stress on my injury. It seems to work because I don't feel any discomfort. At the Mat, I do my push ups first, then core. Whew! Got my 80 done without too much worry. It's been easier in the past, when I used to do push ups every day. I should go back to that. (If my hubs would clear the lumber and ladders from under the pull up bar in the garage, I'd actually consider working out at home on more temperate days. But I'd miss the great hot water and water pressure at the gym. Plus, I don't have to clean the shower there!)

I feel the need to work shoulders today so I revise my workout to include Front DB Raises. Nix on any sort of pressing movement. Because I haven't done these in literally years, I start off very light with a pair of 15 lb DBs. A set of 12 has a wee bit of initial discomfort in the right shoulder but it fades. Then I grab the 20 lb DBs and do 12 lateral raises. Last, I grab a pair of 25s for Reverse Inclined DB Flyes. So I have 3 separate pairs of DBs all at my feet, and my hoodie draped over the Inclined Bench. Thank goodness the gym is virtually empty. I'm being a DB Hog today!

I see Flirty Girl doing squats and lunges at the other end of the gym. She's gotten lean and her back and shoulders have nice definition. Perhaps she's working on a physique show? She's been chunkier in the past. But her leanness is coming at a cost: her arms are looking awfully skinny today. I'd like to be a bit leaner, and somehow I don't think I'd lose all that much muscle. But I look back on photos from 5 years ago when I was at my lightest (106 lbs), and dang, I was scrawny! Privately, I flex my arms to see if I still have biceps. Yep, hard little baseballs nestled between elbows and shoulders. I'm sure eating liverwurst and swiss didn't help the body fat cause, but I'm less married to the idea of being shredded than I am to being strong and injury-free. Of course, I still want to look good though.

I do 20 minutes of Intervals on the elliptical. Then move down the line for 15 minutes of Octane Laterals. I feel a bit uncoordinated doing this machine because I just barely fit. And then I move down to the Step Mill. There are two and one is occupied by a young fellow who started when I was on the elliptical. I plan to do another 15 on the Step Mill, but I get bored and need to spice up the stepping with variations, like side-stepping or cross-stepping. He's just plodding. But when he's done, he spends an impressive amount of time spraying down the machine and wiping it off. I have to skip the Stretch Cage when I'm done because the old guy who spends 20 minutes staring into his phone while bending his leg is now planted there.

The guy from the Step Mill is actually on the adjacent side Mat. There's a middle-age lady foam rolling her entire body on the other side Mat. I have the big Mat in front, which is my preferred mat anyway. I do most of my routine, but skip the end where I have to pull out my hair clip in order to lay flat on my back. Meanwhile, older regulars have appeared for their lunch hour workouts. Frankenstein's greasy shoulder length crown of hair has been shorn short enough so that it sticks out reminiscent of Bozo the Clown. Except it's not orange. Yesterday the Whil Wheaton doppleganger jogged on the treadmill in front of me wearing faded camo shorts. When he adjusted his waistband I could see the word MARINES printed in big block letters across his back side. There are Marine insignias on the back of each thigh. Now I really wonder what kind of ink he's got all down his arms. Hhhmmm, I never took WWd to be a Marine, but I'm not totally surprised. There's a sizeable number of guys here wearing FD T-shirts. That stands to reason since firefighters have to be in awesome shape, not that these guys are. But some of them are fairly impressive.

The gym scale reads 109.7 lbs. I'm okay with that. I haven't been trying to lose body fat lately although I should probably take this more seriously. I read the obits and realize that no matter how wealthy you are, no matter how brilliant you are, if your time is up, well, there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Of course, you don't need to hurry it along, and maybe all those little life choices actually do help you to live a long and active life. My grandmother lived to be 93. Will I? Dunno. She needed to be cared for by my uncle and his family during the last years, so I'd say really, she lived to be 88. I guess it's whatever helps you sleep at night... Or not.

Friday St Pats Cardio Day
5.94+ miles

20 min x-trainer
Calories 95
Miles 2.52
Average Speed 7.51
Average Pace 7:59
Average Heart Rate 152

HGPU 31
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 80
Crunches 3 x 60
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB tri-set Front Lateral Rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 3 sets

20 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 209
Miles 1.82

15 min octane + 2 min cool down
Calories 118
Miles 1.60
37 floors

15 min StepMill
Floors 48
Calories 114
775 steps

Practice Runs

I knew I was going to drive my son down to the school bus stop this morning because the smaller roads, while plowed and salted, are still slushy and single-car width. They're fine by the afternoon of full sun. I use today as a practice run to see if I can get out the door intact with all my gear packed, and all my chores done. Nope. I haven't quite allotted enough time. And I need my body to react properly to the morning coffee, which takes a few minutes, or twenty. The last thing I want to do is have to use the gym toilets for anything other than peeing. Because frankly, they're those horrible low-water volume toilets.

Yes, the automatic flush is quite nice, but you need to actually be proactive and lay several strips of toilet paper down in the bowl before you squat if you don't want to be thoroughly embarrassed to leave a pile of unflushable poo in the bowl. Seriously. Multiple flushes won't get anything to budge once it's adhered to the porcelain. I've actually taken to using this process at home, because the one thing magnesium does to my body (and maybe yours) is give me sticky poop. Yep, no constipation ever again. But I really don't want to use the toilet brush every morning!

For my birthday, the Gym sends me a postcard with some discounts and a free protein shake. Since they don't have any lactose-free shakes, I get a pre-made one they have for sale in the refrigerated case. Muscle Milk tastes disgusting so I skip those. I've heard about Labrada's LeanBody so I get the vanilla. It's the only product labeled lactose-free. But I'm aghast at the amount of sodium in it. Sure, it's balanced by the same amount of potassium, but I think 600 mg is excessive no matter how hard you work out and sweat. It also has a weird chemical aftertaste, but that's probably because I got the Vanilla. Funny, as a child I never liked vanilla. Now, I use it as a quality taste-test. I also get myself an army-green T-shirt with the Gold's Gym logo on it because none of their tanks appeal in the women's section, and the men's are huge. Note: I don't work out in T-shirts as they're too restrictive.

The gym is fairly empty which surprises me since the sun is blazing. But I'm assuming not everyone got dug out. Yet. I count 16 new treadmills. The gym used to have a dozen, so even with two unusable machines, the gym is still up two. I discover the Erg rowing machines sandwiched unceremoniously between the Jacob's Ladder and a pair of cardio steppers I don't fit into. Talk about claustrophobia! After my 30 min on the cross-trainer, I do core. And then I do some push ups. Because I feel guilty. And I'm shocked at how hard these feel! I get to 50, and decide next time I do the push ups first and the core afterwards.

The Smith is free and it's a Pull Day. RDLs! At the heavier weight, my left lower back aches slightly. Probably residual soreness from shoveling. After finishing sets of RG BB Rows, I decide to give Seated Alternating DB Curls a go. It's been years since I've done these, but the BB Drag Curls have been a little hard on my elbows at the heavier weight (50 lbs). I start off light with a pair of 15 lb DBs. I count to 30, 15 reps per arm and replace the 15s with 20s. Again I get to 30 and replace the DBs with the next heaviest pair. 25s make my wrists ache a bit. I have tiny wrists and I'm not wearing my wrist wraps. Next time I will, but that's always my issue: my muscles are strong, but my tiny joints are weak and loose. Weakest link! As I recall, my issue with DB Curls was that I could get to 30 and 35 lbs, but my wrists and elbows developed tendonitis so I stopped. I really miss pull ups.

I do another 30 minutes on the elliptical, stretch at the Cage and find myself glancing guiltily at the roof of it. Then a quick Mat Stretch and off to shower. Done! Tomorrow's just going to be cardio. It's also St. Pat's Day and I've dressed my son in as much green as we could find in his dresser. I, on the other hand, don't own any green workout clothes...

Thursday
6.28 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 3.70
Average Speed 7.39
Average Pace 8:07
Average Heart Rate 152

Knee-Ins 50
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 50 (surprisingly hard)

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

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

DB Alt Curls (light)
15 lbs x 15 reps
20 lbs x 15 reps
25 lbs x 12 reps (wrist discomfort)

30 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 293
Miles 2.58

Post Stella

Not using the back door for a while

We got 18" of grainy, heavy-as-wet-sand, white stuff. My hubs shoveled three times. I shoveled some, but not as much as usual. My shoulder's really not happy with me. Today, my hubs flew out to SF for business, and won't be back to next Wednesday. Sigh.

Footprints sink down 18"

At least the sun is out today. And we got a few unexpected visitors to the bird feeder. Like a pair of redwing blackbirds. They usually reside in marshy areas. Not sure what they do in the winter, but they're not normal visitors to our feeder. Today, I finally got a bunch of shots of the smaller red-bellied woodpecker. They are a lot more skittish than the downeys or any of the other birds. But they have a distinctive cry like a small yappy dog so I know when they're in the trees. The All About Birds web site calls that the "Cha Call" and you can hear it (click here). Of course, I've yet to see an actual Red-Bellied Woodpecker with a red belly. At first I thought they were Flickers. We've had those. As I look at my photos again, I'm wondering if this isn't a Northern Flicker, but the website AllAboutBirds.org shows me the tan-yellow image of a bird that's not the one in the feeder. I have, however, heard that bird's distinctive wik-wik wik call. (Click here for that link.) Just not lately.

Last year we had an abundance of black capped chickadees. This year it seems to be a large family group of cardinals, with males outnumbering the females 6 to 2. A lone blue jay and a single grackle also come to the feeder. And the cooing mourning doves were fighting over seed yesterday.

Male Redwing Blackbird

No school today but roads have been plowed and salted. My son has a school social tomorrow evening, and he'll be bringing a bag of donated "gently used" plushies for the Dana Farber Cancer foundation. I'll be at the gym in the morning. I hope the shoulder settles down a bit.

Chickadee, Woodpecker, Sparrow

Nor'easter STELLA

Tomorrow is my birthday and Nor'easter Stella is going to make it a holiday for everyone. Everyone except the snow plows and emergency services. But they'll be happy for the pay. Predictions keep changing but we've gone from expecting a foot of snow to near blizzard conditions and a good 18-21 inches of the white stuff. Well, we've got snow shovels and salt. I also bought groceries today since it's unlikely we'll be dug out tomorrow. Maybe Wednesday. When my hubs is suppose to fly to SF.

This past Sunday was also Daylight Savings time, although I don't imagine we've saved anything at all. The lights go on in the house because it's dark out. It doesn't matter whether it's at the beginning or end of the day. The sun is barely over the treeline when I walk my son down to the school bus stop. It's 7°F out but at least there's no wind.

TRUE Alpine Runner Treadmills

The gym replaced all their treadmills with a newer model on Friday, the True Alpine Runner. I'm not sure where they put the two rowing machines since they were at the end of the treadmills, but no more. Already, two of the machines have yellow cones signifying they're not working. The control handles are high, but I'm guessing it's because the treadmill is meant to be at a 30° angle, which would raise the front end closer to the handles. I'm not a treadmill person, too hard on my knees, but this model is suppose to be quite smooth. Whatever that means...Most people are running or walking on it flat, like a regular treadmill.

I always bring both sets of BlueTooth earbuds now because the A8s are unreliable. I had both sets on the charger this morning and tossed them into my gym bag. I turn on the iPod and hear the A8 earbuds tell me Power Low. WTF? I toss them back into my bag and grab the U8s, which have always been more reliable. They're just a tad bigger, but they are better made and cheaper as well. The only thing the A8s have going for them, is that because they're smaller, they are slightly more comfortable to wear. And comfort means a lot.

Cardio Platform: treadmills to the left, cross-trainers, recumbent bikes to the right.
Ellipticals behind the recumbents, Step Mills back far right. Espresso bikes foreground.

I haven't worked out since last Thursday but my shoulder isn't any better. Now it clicks and catches painfully in awkward positions. Ugh. I'm going to have to see a doc about this. Just not quite sure who. I'm hoping to get away with just an office visit and a prescription for physical therapy, and I hope a good doc can diagnose without the MRI. Schools were closed on Friday and there was snow, but it didn't stick except on grass and trees. Tomorrow is going to be totally different. Shoveling is not going to make my shoulder any better either. With that in mind, I decide to do push ups anyway. I really miss pull ups and think about doing a dozen of them but the Stretch Cage is busy so I skip it. However, I do most of decent Push Day workout. I'll probably regret this tomorrow as well...

Monday
6.3 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 141
Miles 3.71
Average Speed 7.41
Average Pace 8:05
Average Heart Rate 149

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 80
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

Smith inclined Bench
12 x bar (30), 50, 70,
8 x 80
25 x 60

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25 lbs x 12/15 reps
20/25 lbs x 15/20 reps x 2 sets

Rip Skulls
40 lbs bb x 12 x 3

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 294
Miles 2.59

If I'm Not Lifting It's a Rest Day, Right?

There was no two-hour school delay due to snow. No, school was cancelled outright. It snowed all day yet there's only a few inches on the grass. It's wet and heavy. Some of it is so grainy it reminds me of powdered laundry detergent as I sweep it off the dog ramp and walkway. Viva Winter Storm Reggie! The weekend forecast is for temps to drop into the single digits. My son has Boy Scout service helping another Scout with his bake sale fundraiser Sunday morning, from which he's suppose to go directly to the St. Patrick's parade to march with his Troop. If it's really cold, the organizers might just cancel the entire parade. That'd be just fine with my son. Late into Tuesday, there's a Nor'easter headed our way with potentially more snow and sleet. Oh joy. And my hubs has to fly to San Francisco on business on Wednesday (if flights aren't totally delayed or cancelled, if the monster storm materializes) and will be gone until the following week. Sigh. SF is not one of his favorite places. He doesn't have anything to do there over the weekend, but he's stuck because there's a client meeting on Thursday and Friday, and then again on Monday.

Tomorrow my hubs and I are registered for a bunch of classes (like Geocaching and Wet Wood Fire Making) at Scouting University. My son's not old enough to attend so he's staying home, happy to spend the day sleeping in and gaming. Later we have the kung fu fund raiser banquet, which always has nice food, but truthfully, is something my hubs and I could do without. We're probably going to opt out of it next year because my son has missed a few Scouting events due to rehearsal conflicts.

I called my health insurance company to see what I have to do to get my shoulder looked at, and maybe fixed, and how much it'll cost me. According to their service rep, I don't even actually need to see a doc. They'll cover 20 visits to Physical Therapy for $25 copay each visit. The Physical Therapy place says I need a script (prescription) from a doc and it doesn't matter if it's a general physician or a specialist. I don't even really need an MRI. X-rays are 100% covered, but MRIs are not. However, MRIs (without contrast) run from $430 to $750 depending on where you get them done. Hospitals appear to be the most expensive place, but the radiology center (where I get my mammograms done) are the cheapest. I'd have to pay all costs until I hit the deductible ceiling of $1500, and then everything is covered. But that's $1500 out of pocket that I'd rather not spend. I can see an orthopedic specialist for a $50 copay, or my Internist for $25. I'm guessing that once they say it's a glenoid labral tear, the physical therapy will be the same no matter what. The PT fellow on the phone sure sounded as if that was the case.

Meanwhile, I'm finishing up an online course, and looking at the local want ads. Because I seriously need to make some cash. I also have two back-to-back photo shows this summer to worry about. So I'm not sure how much longer I'll be writing this blog. I've kept it going for almost 5 years. Maybe it's time to stop? Or maybe just not post as often... because once I land a job, I'm probably not going to have any time to go to the gym anyway. Probably.

The New and the Old

Tax season is upon us and I spent most of yesterday prepping for our tax appointment. Today I had a slew of errands to run before I could even think of hitting the gym. Luckily, it was empty by the time I got there so I did my first 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. Then I stretched a little, did some core work and looked over at the Smith.

I had planned to do some RDLs and maybe RG BB Rows, but the Mayor was chatting with a dude who had several plates on the Smith bar. The Mayor can chat for a long, long time and I really don't have any patience these days. Back to the cardio platform and 30 minutes on the elliptical. Right next to me are two machines I've never used before. My hubs told me he'd tried them and thought them pretty cool.

I only punched in 10 minutes on a Manual setting for the Octane Fitness Stepper. It moves in a weird horizontal circle as well as vertically, so it's akin to running in snow shoes. Or waffling like a penguin. There's a movement where you grab the two stationery bars in front and squat down while stepping. I can do it for 15, maybe 20 seconds before the quads and hammies start to burn. Okay, I'm done and need a shower...

No push ups and no hammer grip pull ups today. My shoulder has been achy lately and I can only think that Monday's Push Day is biting me in the butt now. A friend suggested a torn shoulder labrum so I looked it up. Symptoms seem to match except for the initial popping sound. I'm going to have to call my insurance company to see just how much this will cost me if I attempt to get it looked at, much less get it fixed. Ugh. Maybe I can just get away with something less invasive? And cheaper?

My siblings sent me birthday cards suggesting that there's gonna be way too many candles on my cake. I don't know why they're so snide about it since they're only a year and two years younger. But of course, they'll always be younger...

Wednesday
6.36 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 141
Miles 3.74
Average Speed 7.46
Average Pace 8:02
Average Heart Rate 153

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

30 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 298
Miles 2.62

Octane Fitness Lateral
10 min + 2 cool down
75 cal
Level 1
Wide 5
1.02 dist
23 floors

Still Grinding

The shoulder is better but not 100%. At least it didn't wake me up. The Alberta Clipper drove temps down to 11°F, but it promises to reach mid 60s by mid-week. Ah, Spring! As much as I like doing the body-weight work, I need to change things up so I'm cutting back on those staples like push ups, pull ups and crunches. I've tried cutting back on cardio and that didn't really work for me. I got heavier but not in a good way. I didn't get stronger or recover faster. I just felt Bleah.

So I'm keeping the hours worth of cardio where I can. And I'm keeping the basic core weight lifting movements. Which means I'm trimming back on smaller items. Today I skip the mat entirely. No push ups, no crunches, no planks, no pull ups. I'll do some of those things tomorrow. By mid-morning, every working treadmill is occupied, and half of all the ellipticals and cross-trainers. Maybe it's a holiday I didn't hear about? I get on the elliptical for 30 minutes and do Program 1. Then a quick hamstring stretch at the Cage before dropping my gear at the Smith station.

I've got the adjustable bench angled to 30 degrees which is more inclined than I've been doing. Just benching the bar feels okay and I'm hopeful. There is the tiniest bit of discomfort as I add small plates to the bar, but nothing that makes me grit my teeth. I feel pretty good. The Mayor and cronies are all over the DB area and benches. There is only one other adjustable bench there. Worst case scenario is that I plant myself on one of the Inclined Breaker bench stations. Instead, I can stay put in the Smith, and use it for the Reverse Inclined Flye portion of my DB supersets.

Using 20s for the lateral raises and 25s for the reverse flyes feels okay today so like last time, I add reps. Going for reps gives me the benefit of building endurance and strength but not really risking my delicate elbows. I see a gal doing squats I haven't seen in over a year. I used to call her Weighted Vest Gal because she would do all these fast and furious moves (under the guidance of one of the gym trainers) wearing said aforementioned item. She's one of these downright skinny women with a full bosom and not much else. She looks healthy, but she's lost all her muscle.

I pop onto the breaker flat bench behind the Smith and grab a 40 lb barbell to do Rip Skulls. The gym owner and the one guy he trains is at the Smith now. I'm curious so steal a few quick glances while listening to the men talking. Gym Owner has client doing BB Rows in the Smith. Client exclaims how much he likes this exercise. Gym Owner says this is one of his favorite back movements. I feel quite vindicated, but of course it's not like I'm running around telling everyone. Like the Mayor. I can hear the Mayor, I just can't see him. Eventually he lumbers forward in a lint gray polo to chat up another fellow. I see Shaggy too. He's suddenly aged 20 years, wearing odd glasses while his chin-length hair sports dull and lifeless patches. Maybe a bad color job? Even the scruffy beard has gone gray in an odd way. I hope it's not chemo, and I hope it's not contagious.

The Rip Skulls are kind of easy today. Next time I should use the small magnetic discs to add 1.25 lbs per side. 2.5 lbs doesn't sound like a lot until you start doing reps over your face. If that's easy, then I can move to 45 lbs by adding a pair of 2.25 discs to the 40 lb bar. Solid Bars only jump up in 10 lb increments. I use to carry my Rogue screw collars in my gear bag, but that was when the gym actually had a few EZ curl bars. One broke and was never replaced. I suspect someone stole the other one because I haven't seen it in months.

I finish with 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. My toes start to go numb with just 10 minutes to go. I'm really happy that I've gotten my 6+ miles today because once I start working full-time I'll have to give this up. I don't like change especially sudden changes, so I'm trying to get myself used to the idea of having very limited time for exercise. I'm not sure when this will happen, but like my glaucoma, at some point there is inevitability and it just has to be dealt with.

Monday
6.46 total miles

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 290
Miles 2.56

Knee-Ins 50

Smith Inclined Press (30 degree)
12 x Bar (30), 50, 70, 80
25 x 60

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flyes
20/25 x 12/15, 15/20, 15/20

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3

30 x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.90
Average Speed 7.79
Average Pace 7:42
Average Heart Rate 155

Small Blessings

I slept in today because my son didn't have school. The dog slept in too! But my hubs was up and out the door before I wandered out to the kitchen. At least he made coffee. By the time I get myself together, my son is up and already plugged into an online gaming session. The morning gym crowd is just exiting and most of the equipment is available. I'm not anticipating a great run today. I've forgotten to drink any kefir or take my B-12 so I'll have to do that later. I'm not actually sore, or tired but my shoulder did ache a bit when I woke up. I think it's from being inactive. Once I'm warmed up, I don't really feel it.

After 30 minutes on the cross-trainer (where my feet start to tingle with only 10 minutes to go) I clamber up the Step Mill and do 20 minutes there. It's amazing how exhausting it is just to walk up steps! Of course, I do different steps to ward off boredom, spending a minute side-stepping to the left, then another minute side-stepping to the right, then maybe climbing the steps by balancing on the arches of each foot. You get the idea.

Just a little stretching at the Cage and then some push ups and planks. I skip the crunches and knee-ins because my tail bone feels sore, which is odd. I have a long sloping butt so the tail bone itself isn't really protected by my glutes. Or, with my vivid imagination, I could have some horrible disease... I've probably got the beginnings of a Planter's Wart in the center of the ball of my left foot. Sometimes I can feel something pinch when I press down on the cross-trainer pedal. There are callouses, but there's a singular grain of sand under that slab of callous. Ugh. I'm pretty certain it's a wart. My son had one and we had to visit a podiatrist to get his removed. Afterwards, my credit card got compromised so I don't trust that doctor's office anymore.

Push ups are slightly harder today because I skipped them yesterday. I can only imagine how straight up nasty pull ups are going to feel once I get back to them. Planks are okay though. I'm tempted to go play on the Smith machine because the whole weight area is virtually deserted. But I want to give my shoulder today and the weekend to rest up. However, I do Intervals on the elliptical, and that'll get your heart racing! I'm always happy when I do over 6 miles of cardio. Especially since I just read how the optimum amount one should run/walk for health is 7 miles a day. What I don't understand is how the article then backtracks and says that 7 hours of standing is just as good. Or that weekend warriors are good too. Well, I guess versus a desk jockey who's also a couch spud on the weekends?

The gym scale reads 108.0 lbs and I'm slightly surprised. True, I only drank half my bottle today, and true, I'm doing extra cardio, and not pushing much iron. I just hope I'm not losing all my hard-earned muscle in a quest to be lighter and leaner, while babying the iffy joints. I snap a selfie and worry that I'm losing size in all the wrong places. But my arm does feel better lately. And I've been reading print without my drugstore 1X glasses, so maybe things are starting to improve... Of course, it's now snowing as I type this. Yep, an Alberta Clipper is bringing us snow right now.

Friday
6.34 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 3.68
Average Speed 7.36
Average Pace 8:09

20 min StepMill
Calories 159
Level 6
Flights climbed 67
1081 total steps

Push Ups 80
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 304
Miles 2.66

This Time I Really Mean It

Because my bedroom window faces east and has a half moon set high in the wall, I tend to wake when the sun rises, in spite of all the trees that surrounds our property. This means that I'm awake before the alarm goes off at 6:30. Well, technically, the clock says 6:28 but there's a weird two-minute lag in this corner of the bedroom. I suspect there's a magnetic anomaly in the bedrock under the house, but it's hard to say. Of course, I wonder now if I should be worried about radon, but since the bedroom is actually cantilevered several feet over big empty concrete foundation walls that are open to circulating air, I think the risk is minimal.

I'm awake before sunrise at 6:26 today because the sky is light well before the sun actually peeks over the treeline. My right shoulder aches. I also have a headache but that's due to dehydration. I'd had a Red's Wicked Black Cherry Ale with supper and it was such a large can that I didn't actually finish it. Usually I chase a Red's Apple Ale with a glass of water, but last night I completely forgot. And as a consequence, I woke up with a headache. Coffee soon fixed that. But not my shoulder. By the time I get to the gym, it's nearly 11 am and there are chatty seniors everywhere. I don't begrudge them the socializing. It's just that most of them seem in need of hearing aids and in spite of my earbuds and tunes, I can still hear them cackling. And I don't just mean the old women.

The cross-trainers are busy so I start with 30 minutes on the elliptical. Today I'm wearing a hand-me-down hoodie from my son. It's a tad smaller than my usual royal blue zip up so it doesn't hit me in the thigh when I'm on the Precor. It's my belief that stretching is only useful after a workout, so I don't want to jeopardize myself by using the Stretch Cage before or between all my cardio sessions today. Stretching has been shown to actually weaken muscles. Of course, I don't do the "slow walk warm up' either. (Heck, I walk the dog at a faster trot than that.) Today is truly Just Cardio. Once I wipe down the elliptical, I climb up on the Step Mill. Afterwards, I can finally get on the cross-trainer I favor. My right foot starts to get numb and tingly halfway through, and by the last 5 minutes, my other foot has tingly toes as well. Once I'm completely done I can use the Stretch Cage. But no pull ups today. No core, no push ups. Boy do I feel naughty!

I'm fairly satisfied with my workout since I wasn't sure what to expect moving from cardio machine to cardio machine without taking any real rest in between. Not too many regulars today. I see Sad Eyes and I wonder what the strategy is behind her routine. Some people just work out on whatever machine is available without any obvious purpose or goal. I think that's a mistake. I'm a firm believer in doing Big Compound movements first, followed by smaller more specialized exercises. In the locker room, I snap a few selfies and I'm pleased that I still have "arms" even though today was only a Cardio Day. I'm sorely tempted to whack the machine tomorrow. I probably shouldn't, but I haven't seen anyone young or old at the Nexersys all week. I guess I'll see if my shoulder wakes me up tomorrow and decide from there.

Thursday
Cardio Day 6.67 miles

30 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 295
Miles 2.60

20 min Step Mill
Level 6
Calories 156
Floors climbed 66

30 x-trainer
Calories 146
Miles 4.07
Average Speed 8.14
Average Pace 7:22