Cardio is Best When You're Dead Tired

Wednesday 
7.79 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 170
Miles 4.76
Average Heart Rate 151

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 60

35 elliptical
Program 2
Miles 3.03
Calories 345
Average Heart Rate 149

HGPU 26


Tuesdays are crazy busy between my son's kung fu weapons class and Boy Scouts. He likes to get all his homework done before Scouts because we get back so late. It's difficult to unwind and head straight to bed, so very often we're up later than we should be. Last night was no exception. I look up and realize that it's past midnight and I'm definitely going to be unhappy in the morning.

Six hours is not enough sleep for me. I'm spacey when I get up. My son only has a half day of school but we're still at the bus stop at 7:05 am. The rainy weather is messing with my sinuses, and that means that I'm also having a slight vertigo issue. I feel a little carsick when I drive to the gym. Worse, my left foot develops a numb spot just under the metatarsal heads. My leg isn't over-extended since I've moved my seat closer to the wheel. I'm wearing my reliable Ariat Fat Baby boots so it's not footwear either. At the gym I put on the Ryka trainers, but my toes go numb just 10 minutes into the first cardio session. Ugh. Luckily, I'm not actually running, or doing anything that really requires toes for balance. My feet just aren't happy with me today.

There's no one in the Stretch Cage today and I'm happy to get my first set of pull ups done before going to the Mats for push ups and core. Gym Owner has a new female client and she's complaining that the weights hurt as she does dead lifts in the CF area. But she's also smiling and laughing, so I think she's just giving him grief. I see a few regulars, but I can't hear them, so I'm fairly happy. I do a set of push ups and the right shoulder feels a bit stiff, but nothing hurts. Okay, I am a little sore from the past two days, but that minor soreness doesn't actually register as pain. I do scissors, bicycles and crunches. In between, I stretch the piriformis muscles under my glutes and do a few lower back stretches. Side planks and bird dogs feel okay so I'm reassured that this sciatica thing is mostly done.

There are 4 ellipticals, and SnowBird is on the best one. I get on the next best one, which is to the immediate right. It has a slight catch in the flywheel action at low elevations. When the program raises the incline, the glitch disappears, but there's a noticeable click. Of course, if your tunes are loud enough, you don't hear that annoying sound. I can't imagine working out without earbuds or music. Yes, the gym has piped-in music but some days you don't want to listen to Disco or Country Western. Today I'm just doing Billy Idol instead of a mix. Unexpectedly, I'm bummed about David Cassidy passing away. I used to watch the Partridge Family! Who doesn't remember them singing C'mon, get happy! (That's also the name of his book, but I haven't read it and don't really plan to.) At least Bobby Sherman is still alive.


While I'm pedaling, I feel as if the ceiling lights are giving off too much heat. It's probably my overactive imagination, but it feels like the sun is shining down on the right side of me. Maybe I'm getting a sun burn too? It's yet another reason I prefer the other elliptical: that one isn't under the heat lamp! Kidding. They're just ceiling lights and the gym itself is air-conditioned. Maybe I'm so tired I'm hallucinating? Anything's possible.

I do another set of pull ups, and this time it's actually easier. Because I'm warmed up. But I can't wait to take my sneakers off on the Mat because the outside of my left foot hurts now. I don't know why. After some splits and shoulder rotations, I feel calm and relaxed. By the time I get into the shower though, I'm famished! I'm surprised my mileage is so good today. Probably because I'm tired. Which makes no sense at all. In the mirror, I look like a beast! But I'm actually slightly lighter today than yesterday, and I looked thinner yesterday. Figures...

Happy Thanksgiving. My gym is open in the morning, but I'm not going.