Unexpected

This morning was a bit busier than I'm used to: had to get online at 8 am to register my son for an after-school activity. There's only 10 kids allowed per class, and we can only do the Wednesday Archery class for two reasons: my son has kung fu on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Monday and Tuesday classes are taught by my son's Health teacher. And my son has definite opinions about this teacher. So it's the Wednesday class. Archery is very popular, but there's only one level in the Fall. By the Spring, there'll be an Intermediate class and a Beginner. My son has been shooting bows and arrows since he was 4 years old, but I figure taking a course won't hurt him any. I expect him to fulfill the Archery Merit Badge coursework at one of the Scout camps next summer.

If he doesn't get into the course, I may sign him up for a new Jr Lifeguard class at the swim school. It's pricey, but open to 12-15 year olds, and I think a great skill for my son to learn. There's a Scout Lifeguard badge as well. I hear it's quite rigorous, but my son is an awesome swimmer. It's the one physical activity he does better than anyone else I've ever seen at his age.

I had a Visual Field test for my glaucoma this morning, but I tossed my gym bag into the car just in case I had time. As it turns out, I had time! I'm a bit worried about the VF test though. My right eye has been a bit gloppy lately, and that might be some sort of allergic reaction to pollen or stuff. More worrisome was that I didn't see a lot of flashes with the right eye, but the ones I did see seemed to either trail light (WTH?), or were unexpectedly bright. I've never seen the lights flash that bright during a test. My left eye was more difficult to test because it's not the dominant eye. (If you shoot, you know what eye dominance means.) Even with an eye patch, I had a very distracting gray visual disturbance in my field of vision. It's my right eye seeing the eye patch over it. Ugh. I have an appointment next month to check my IOPs, and to discuss today's test. Oh boy.

I get to the gym, strip off my street wear and don gym gear. I almost never go anywhere in gym clothes. Just too damn self-conscious. Maybe my age is showing? I start off cold with numb fingers because of the air conditioning, but after 35 minutes on the cross-trainer, I'm thoroughly warmed up. Much better! I knock out my pull ups and push ups. There's a gal on the Smith. I'd rather focus on my recalcitrant shoulders anyway, so my hoodie goes over the Adjustable Inclined Bench, and I've grabbed a bunch of DBs. I happen to see the fellow from yesterday at the Squat rack just a few feet away. Of course, I go over to apologize. (He's wearing a WTC T-shirt. He had on a different one yesterday.) WTC's genuinely surprised, and very gracious. What a nice guy! I can tell that The Mayor is staring from several yards away. Whatever. I'll probably never speak to this guy again anyway. But he is cute. Young, but cute. And he wipes down the equipment when he's done!

My right shoulder only complains when I move the DBs from front raises to overhead presses. It doesn't get better as I go heavier. (I can't be here all day — my son will no doubt still be asleep when I get home, with just minutes to spare before his dental appointment.) I switch to heavier weights and lateral movements. This always leaves me a little breathless. The Smith is free so I go there for some quick super-high rep sets. I just want 3 sets of 25 reps, at 80 lbs. It's not that much weight. It's not even that many reps. But the 3rd set seems exponentially harder than the first two.

There's a kid on the V-bar press down cable station. His grossly overweight dad is coaching him. I can't really watch. I still want to do a last movement for triceps, so Rip Skulls it is. I like using the breaker benches because they offer a place to put your feet if your legs are too short for feet to rest comfortably on the floor. Keeping your feet on the bench itself, with knees bent, is very unstable. I tend to keep my body very rigid, and my feet firmly planted wherever they are. Halfway through my first set of Rip Skulls, I have the dreadful sensation of a cramp forming. In my right hamstring. Ugh!

I have to straighten the leg out to prevent the spasm. It's difficult and distracting enough to ruin the set. I still want to do two more full sets so I have to figure out how to do this movement without using my legs to anchor myself for the pullover portion. (40 lbs is a bit over a third of my body weight.) It's a lot harder to do this while keeping the right leg loose. But it can be done. I don't have time for more cardio. That's tomorrow. Instead, a quick Mat stretch to loosen the hammies and shoulders. Then off to shower and change. I'm totally surprised by the gym scale: 108.8 lbs.

I had already sucked down the 16 gm protein Ensure once I got to the gym parking lot because I was so hungry I couldn't focus. The rich milk chocolate flavor is pretty good. I like vanilla, but I'll give the strawberry a go as long as I can use coupons to keep the price down. This might be my new favorite breakfast in place of flavored yogurt which has too much sugar, and not enough protein. But I do appreciate the calcium...


Wednesday

30 xtrainer + 5cd
Calories 171
Miles 4.09
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50

DB Front Raises s/s OHP
10lbs x 12reps each
15 x 12
20 x 12/8reps

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 3sets

Smith Flat Bench (for reps)
Bar(30lbs) x 15
80lbs x 25reps x 3sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 7 (right hamstring cramp)
40 x 12 x 2

HGPU 26