No Excuses

ToysRUs just filed for bankruptcy protection, and I still have over $25 on a gift card. Prior experience tells me to cash this in while I can because eventually the gift card will become worthless. My son and I had already used over $50 in merchandise credit before school started. He has 3 games on his Christmas wish list and ToysRUs supposedly had one of them for a reasonable price. But of course, when I got to the store, they were out of stock. As was their online store. Luckily, this game is available at a lot of different venues for the same price. I was just hoping to use up the store credit before the company disappears.They'll probably be around for the Holidays...

It's nearly noon by the time I get to the gym. Sigh. I'm so not in the mood to do strenuous exercise. Pedaling for 35 minutes helps change my disposition for the better. I do some pull ups and completely skip push ups and core. Because today is a Pull Day, and I see a lot of teen boys in the weight area. None are on the Smith. Yet. Motivation is highly overrated. I'm not motivated. But I am a creature of habit, and I'll be dammed if a little thing like "lack of motivation" keeps me from doing what I set out to do. Which is progressively heavier sets of 12 reps. I'm not nearly as winded as I usually am. Maybe because I skipped push ups and core? Eventually though, it catches up with me.

After RG BB Rows, and three lighter sets of Seated One-Arm Cable Rows, I attempt to do some pull ups. The first five are good, but these get harder fast. I give up by rep 23 because my forearms are complaining and I'm actually feeling really tired. Ugh. I'm kind of disappointed in myself. I realize I could've tried for an additional 3 reps, but the forearm fatigue seems new. It's not elbow but I don't want to risk anything weird.

I don't feel any new sciatica pains, but I did notice that my right outer ankle was stressed as I pedaled on the cross-trainer. That right foot is afflicted with a bunion, and ensuing hammer toes. This might be throwing my gait off enough to cause ankle stress. Sometimes my toes cross while I'm pedaling, which weirds me out. And becomes painful if I don't fix the toe positioning immediately. So while there's something to be said for shoes with a wide-enough toe box, sometimes there's too much room and not enough support to keep the foot properly aligned. And even though I pedal on an elliptical and a cross-trainer, instead of actually running on a trail or track, there can still be an issue with gait mechanics and foot alignment.

I have a gel toe spacer which I should probably use more often. It might help. I can't imagine it'll make anything worse. There's also foot exercises (I'm looking at these on the Debug Your Health website — click here) I might try because anything's better than going to see a doc whose only recommendation will be surgery. Seriously.

Tuesday

35 xtrainer
Calories 168
Miles 4.63
Average Heart Rate 145

HGPU 26

Smith RDL
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

Seated OneArm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

HGPU 23 ugh!