Keeping a Tight Fist

It took me a while to get out of the house, but I knew I was going to whack the machine no matter what. Luckily the gym's not very crowded mid-morning. For some reason, the gym staff have moved their giant, gold bicycle wheel trophy which sits atop a table, to just behind the first Nexersys machine. People on the Expresso bikes or the cross-trainers by the door don't really get in the way, but someone using that kickboxing machine, the one with the one repaired arm, would worry about stepping backward into the display. I guess it's suppose to be a Call to Arms, trying to entice others to participate in some sort of faux bike race. People compare their 24-hour mileage on the Expresso bikes, and someone wins something. Or so I gather from the sheet of names affixed to the sign up board.

There's always some sort of cardio competition going on here and everyone gets a tacky t-shirt that declares to the world that they are participants. This stuff has never appealed to me. Just like classes don't appeal to me either. I'd rather just do my own thing, dance to my own music and be completely oblivious to everyone else. At least when I'm working out. I hear The Mayor behind me exiting the gym, and calling to the former lady cop with a bad limp. He sounds retarded. "Have a happy fall. Fall, you know. End of summer." Jeeze. Just stop babbling, please.

After warming up, and wrapping my hands, I set the Nexersys for 8 rounds Beginner. By the 3rd round, the first two knuckles of my left hand hurt a bit. Which is odd because I'm pulling my jabs. But I'm not pulling the Lead Dig or Lead Body strikes. And that's my problem. I'm not keeping my fist tight so I'm punching with a "soft" hand, a hand that's a little loose in spite of being taped and wrapped and stuffed into a padded glove. When I make the conscious effort to tighten my fist (the glove has a grip bar attached to the palm), my hand immediately feels better. However, bruised is bruised, and by the end of 15 rounds, my left hand hurts. Once I unwrap, things are better. No scabs, no obvious discoloration. Whew!

I think about one of the summer camp counselors who wore a cast for several weeks, because he had broken his hand boxing. But he'd broken the last metacarpal, i.e. the pinky finger. You don't really punch with that part of your hand. Or at least you're not suppose to. That particular injury is called a Boxer Fracture. I guess it must be fairly common. I've bruised that part of my hand, but the other hand, the right hand, which packs a better wallop. That's why I put a moleskin strip running from pinky knuckle to ring finger knuckle: the bruising inevitably happens between the knuckles!

I had breakfast this morning, but I wasn't as sweaty as yesterday. I was, however, ravenous by the time I got back to the locker room. The good thing about hunger, though, is that if you ignore it long enough, it passes. I wind up scarfing down a key lime yogurt when I get home. I love these dessert flavors! But I'll probably be hungry in just a few hours again. Oh well...

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0.82

T, Y & I Raises
15 x 3 lbs, 5 lbs

Mid & High Band Pulls x 15

Nexersys Follow Me
8r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 31