In spite of being tired

I haven't been going to sleep as early as I should so no wonder I'm tired when the alarm sounds at 6:30. It takes me a few hours to get going, mostly because I like to enjoy my morning coffee while perusing the newspaper. Because it's finally NOT raining, I also decide to use the hedge trimmers to cut back the forsythias and assorted weedy growth attacking the side of the house before clearing the sink of dishes, and stuffing newly laundered sleeping bags back into their respective nylon sacks.

I'd like to stop by the grocery and pick up a few items but I probably won't have time since my Ob/Gyn annual is this afternoon. With that in mind, I do my 15 min cross-trainer warm up but skip the mat (i.e., core) work. Today's a Pull Day!

I've already started working on my next photo show, but I'm still anxious about this show's reception in a few days. Anxiety is one of the most insidious of all emotional ailments. I blame it as the underlying cause for all sorts of social ills, from drug and alcohol self-medication to general bad behavior. I keep mine at bay with exercise. Admittedly, it's hard to balance the needs of daily life with the need to move heavy weight and pedal distance. I've cut my cardio by a little less than half and I was worried about my body staging a revolt in the form of massive weight gain, or loss of endurance. True, it's only been a few weeks, but I'm relieved that the scale isn't jumping to new levels.

Today, I skip the mat and core work. It's not a good thing since I took yesterday off, but I honestly just don't want to spend the time doing it when I'd rather be at the Smith. I tell myself that I'll do it tomorrow because it'll either be a cardio day, or whack the machine day. As much as I enjoy striking the dummy that doesn't hit back, part of me is aware that reflexes decline as the body ages. And the only way to keep reflexes sharp is to use them. On some days, I not only move slower, but I seem to think slower.

This becomes excruciatingly obvious when I make the dog's breakfast. It involves scooping out a refrigerated cooked mix of ground turkey, sweet potatoes and rice into a bowl. I nuke it for 30 seconds to take the chill off. In the interim, I measure out to the 60 lbs marker on the measuring syringe of Metacam for the dog's achy joints. I should be able to get this done before the microwave beeps. On a nightly dose of gabapentin for shingles pain, I had trouble getting the cap unscrewed and the dose measured in time. I wasn't aware of being in a fog. I wasn't aware of anything different, except that it was taking me longer to do something. As if time had sped up. Or I had slowed down. That's really disconcerting.

The Smith is set up with no bench and the bar on the ground, as if someone anticipated me. Weird. There are a few regulars about but no one I'm friendly with. The Mayor has been oddly quiet ever since I handed out my postcard invitations to a few select women at the gym. Last week the gym let me hang a small flyer announcing my show on the bulletin board in each locker room. I hope I have a few guests on Saturday, but I honestly don't know how much refreshment to provide. There are two types of reactions to my invitation: either they're happy and want to see my work, or they say nothing and act as if I've insulted them. I just can't figure people out, so I don't bother. But I do notice. Even if I don't say anything aloud.

My lower back feels a tad sore as I hit the higher weights on the RDLs. I stop at 8 reps, but I'm not satisfied. I can pull more. Just maybe not all at once. I do another set and I'm pleased to be able to pull another 8 reps. Okay. One more time. I'm pretty happy about this even though I'm on the verge of having it take my breath away. But I recover quickly. Then 3 sets for RG BB Rows. The Seated One-Arm Cable Rows are the worst, especially since my left forearm is tired from the hammer grip pull ups I did earlier. I'm also unable to keep my grip on the handle. But the right hand is fine. Ugh. Maybe it all that hedge trimming this morning?

One of the trainers has a client at the cable station. She's got the woman seated on a giant exercise ball while doing rope pulls at chest level. Then, she rotates and does cable cross-overs, followed by single leg lifts. It's a bit odd, but I'm not a trainer so what do I know? They're still at the cable station when I go for 20 minutes on the elliptical. I still have weird twinges in my left hamstring and inside hip which might be residual issues from the shingles. I feel good when I'm done, as in I feel limber and flexible so I'm not likely to hurt myself stretching at this point. I get to 20 with the wide grip pull ups and realize that I could probably do more. But I can also feel my left forearm starting to complain. Sometimes I just tell myself Oh Whatever!

I get to the Mats to do a quick stretch and the trainer and her client are there. The client is a big woman who has injured her leg or foot. A few months ago she used a cane. I've seen her at my son's kung fu school, but I'm not sure if she takes classes there, or just knows someone who does. I feel a little odd doing my routine because the client is so limited, and I don't want to be a show-off. On the other hand, this is the routine I normally do regardless of who's on the mat. Oh well... just got to focus. And I have just enough time to shower and change, and scarf down a protein bar before arriving at the doc's office.

Wednesday
Pull Day
3.69 miles 
25,570 lbs moved I decided to calculate just out of curiosity assuming I'm 110 lbs

15 min x-trainer
Calories 72
Miles 1.94

HGPU 30 (x110 lbs) = 3300
Knee-Ins 50

Smith RDLs (9330 lbs)
Bar (30lbs) x 15 (450)
80 x 12 (960)
100 x 12 (1200)
120 x 12 (1440)
140 x 12 (1680)
150 x 8 x 3 (3600)

Smith RG BB Rows (7500)
80lbs x 25reps (2000)
100 x 25 (2500)
120 x 25 (3000)

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows (3240)
30lbs x 12reps per arm (360)
60 x 8 left forearm (480)x2= 960
60 x 6,2 left grip, 8 right(480) 960
60 x 5,2,1 left grip, 8 right(480) 960

20 min elliptical
Program 2
Miles 1.75
Calories 200

WHGPU 20 (x110 = 2200)