Little Things

Yesterday, my son and I went to a beach in Connecticut with friends. We saw a lot of nature, from oversized seagull chicks bullying their parents for meals, to horseshoe crabs and snails in the surf. No lifeguards on duty, but the Nature Center happened to be open and we visited that as well. It was a beautiful day and we got there at low tide so we could walk several yards out onto the sandbars. I don't remember getting sunburned as a child, but everyone says the sun seems stronger these days. I slather on SPF 30 because it's the lightest sunscreen we have. My son's lotions are more along the lines of SPF 50 and 75 even though he tans nicely. But neither of us want to get burned.

I'm not really in the mood to work out today. Laziness. I missed yesterday and the inertia drags on. The gym parking lot is peculiarly empty. Everyone must be on vacation. Camps usually only run for 8 weeks, and there's two more weeks of summer before school starts. Still, the cross-trainer I favor is occupied so I get on one near the front door. I know I'm not going to make my best mileage. I also know that today is a cardio day.

After a set of pull ups, I do some ab core work, and push ups. I got a little dizzy this morning but that seems to have passed. Neither the pull ups or push ups bother me too much. Yaaaay! I see a few regulars, like The Mayor in his bright melon T-shirt. He doesn't have anyone to chat with today so he's unusually quiet. I head up to the ellipticals where I have my choice of machines, and I choose Program 3. Coincidentally, I've loaded an MP3 version of the Hillywood Supernatural Parody song onto my iPod. It's so happy and upbeat that it makes a perfect addition to the workout mix. I truly like it a million times better than the original Taylor Swift song. So much so that I start mouthing the lyrics as I'm pedaling as fast as I can go. It's exhilarating. I feel really happy.


I do another set of pull ups, and then a quick stretch. I have to pick up my husband's dry cleaning clear on the other side of town before rushing home to unload my car, and then drive my son to an afternoon play date. Ugh. The other mom is cleaning her kitchen as we chat so she's not offended as I start browsing my phone. On a muscle-head site I frequent, I see a video post of a body builder who is about my size. She's always very chirpy and happy. Today she's happy about doing pull ups, and her video shows her doing 5. I notice that she also keeps her elbows bent. And suddenly I'm really happy again. I feel vindicated, and legitimized. Weird, right? Especially when comments to her post say things like, "Kudos to you. Not many women can do pull ups so effortlessly." Ha! She got 5. I know it's stupid and petty of me, but damn, that feels good.

Tomorrow is Whack the Machine Day. Both machines appear to be plugged in, but one still has a broken Cross arm. Hmmmm...

Thursday Cardio Day
6.9 miles

30 min x-trainer + 5cd
Calories 171
Miles 3.92
Average Heart Rate 141

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50
Lateral Scissors 50
Cross Body Bicycle 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 50

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.98
Calories 338
Average Heart Rate 150

HGPU 26