Kickboxing Machine Repaired!

I was cold all morning so I put my sleeveless Jillian Michael sweatshirt on over my tank. I knew I'd wind up taking it off eventually. I just didn't know when. I still wore my blue hoodie to warm up on the elliptical for 10 minutes, but I always strip it off and drape it on the bench when I do my shoulder exercises: T, Y & I baby bell raises laying on my stomach on a flat bench. At least I don't have to rest my chin on the icky vinyl. I'm very gentle with my hamstring stretches. Band pulls feel okay as well.

I'm here a half hour earlier than normal for me. Just early enough to dodge the locker room rush. And it's Friday, so the gym isn't all that busy anyway. Still, I catch glimpses of Shaggy, PJ Pants and The Mayor. I also see other non-creepy regulars. Today is whack the machine day so I'm tucked away in the front by the Espresso bikes, kettle bells and two Cross Fit stations with racks of same-diameter plates of varying thicknesses. Both machines appear to be operational so I'm very excited. I move the arms of the machine to my left. Both appear to be responsive! I don't like the new Cross arm on the machine to the right because the upper pads are set too high, and at downward angles which deflect my blows in weird ways. My hands hurt much worse after smacking that machine.

I get set up on the left machine just in time. A big, boxy old guy hesitates for a moment before doing two rounds of Sparring on the machine to the right. It's Sparring because he does a combination of boxing blows, cross and jab, digs and upper cuts. But no kicks, sweeps or knee-ins. Then he's on the cross-trainer behind me for another 10 minutes before ambling on to the treadmill. After 7 rounds of Beginner, I'm warm and sweaty enough to pull off the sleeveless sweatshirt. I do another 7 rounds at Intermediate level. The machine registers most of my blows, but confounds me by occasionally stopping the action with a You Are Hitting Too Hard warning. Which is bizarre because my power stats don't even make it to 65% (of some normal range for adults, I assume). Worse, I've actually hit the Cross or Body in such a way as to cause the screen to go black for a few seconds. The program is still running though, so when the screen reappears, I'm in the middle of another combination. This happens at least a half dozen times, and I tell the gal at the front desk. She says that Gym Owner was watching part of my workout. I'm pretty sure the screen blacked out at least once, but I don't know if he caught it. It's probably some loose wire or connector.

I leave with time to go to the RiteAid in search of low percentage benzoyl peroxide. The new dermatologist seems much less likely to prescribe expensive medications. He recommended finding a 4-5% gel (any brand will do) to apply in conjunction with the clindamycin topical. However, what I've discovered is that all the brands are on the More Is Better kick. Everything has 10% bp, which is too strong. I find two packages of a clearance item that's marked down from $7.79 to $1.75, because it's being discontinued. Because it's only 5%. I buy both packages.

Two tree guys showed up. And then two more. Because only one of them is a climber. He's the most important guy. The rest of them are big and beefy, and pull at the rope attached to the middle of the tree that's coming down. But the tree gets tangled in the branches of its neighbor. So the climber must get up that tree to saw off a few more limbs. The work takes over an hour for two fairly small trees. They leave the wood in a pile, cut down to wood stove lengths. Good guys. I'm happy with them and will recommend them to anyone who needs local tree service.

Friday

10 min warm up elliptical
Calories 97
Miles 0.85

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26