Oh, What the Heck

Tuesdays are so long and hectic that I start out writing a blog post and sometimes don't get to finish it until the next day. Like today. I suppose I could've completed the task last night when we got back from Boy Scouts, but I was tired and unfocused. A good morning workout will do that to me.

It was a Pull Day and I put on my speckle-patterned leggings. They're fairly comfortable even if they're not the most attractive thing I own. I just don't look good in leggings or anything really body-hugging, because I'm not long and leggy. If anything, I'm built like a fireplug, with a thick core, stocky legs and upper arms to match. But what the hell? As long as I'm not embarrassing myself, I'm okay with it. I do have trouble finding a tank to put over my sports bra because I am NOT one of those women who works out with just a sports bra on over my top. Truth be told, if it weren't for the jiggle-factor and blazing headlamps, I wouldn't wear a sports bra. They are so dam uncomfortable, and I've tried a variety of brands and styles. I don't like clingy tanks either. I put on one I don't really like because it tends to shift to the right more than my other tanks. I know bodies are asymmetrical, but some clothes exacerbate the issue.

I'm able to use the cross-trainer that I like because it allows me to go to zero resistance. Hurray for my knees and toes! Consequently, I'm able to get more mileage in the same 30 minutes I did yesterday. My feet aren't nearly as numb afterwards — that makes me happy. It's a Pull Day and I do some pull ups. My forearms seem a bit sore from yesterday. Not unexpected. The Smith is free so I'm not going to miss my chance, and I move Core to the end of my routine.

I don't up my weights this week. Instead, I just do a few more reps. It feels like the right thing to do, so you could say I train on instinct. Next week I plan to change the increases and move from 80 lbs to 120, skipping the 100. That should free up a little energy for the heavier sets. It also changes what plates I put on the bar. I'll be swapping the 25lb plates on the 80 lb set for 45lb plates for the 120. At least that's what I plan to do. 

My arms, and especially my elbows/forearms are tired by the time I finish RG BB Rows and Seated One-Arm Cable Rows. Old guys hover all around the Cable Station. I never make eye contact with anyone. I had a friend, newly returned to the gym after being away for a year (she got busy with home renovations), who had to tap me on the hand to say Hi. I didn't see her even thought she was standing right in front of me. I knew someone was there, but in my defense, I was also typing stats into my phone. (My glaucoma's not THAT bad yet.) I don't mind being around people, I just don't want to interrupt my workout with chatting.

Geared towards women no doubt

In the locker room the TV has a "women's daytime" show. They all want to sell you something. Not blatantly like an infomercial, but in the sneaky guise of being helpful. Yes, you'll want to know what the latest fashion trends are in dressing, make-up, hair styling, cooking, snacking, exercising... toss out your old stuff because that's so last season! Buy buy buy! Ugh. Sometimes I feel like an alien in the locker room because I can't imagine being so preoccupied with nail salons and hair coloring. Not that I don't care with how I look. In two weeks, my son's kung fu school has their annual fundraising banquet. All the students, kids and adults, perform various forms and dances. There's a buffet and a cash bar. It's one of the few times I get to dress up a little.

Maybe not this one

This could be nice

Today I tried on a few dresses with jewelry and shoes. I want to have everything planned out. Because I hate surprises, like when you're counting on wearing something that you discover too late plain doesn't fit anymore. That happened to one of my husband's bosses at a company holiday party. His normally elegant wife showed up in a dress that was too tight on her. It even looked a little stained. She eventually noticed and got very flustered, especially since they have gobs of money so it's not like she's working two jobs and looking after the kids with no help. Yes, we're all judgmental!

My hubs and I will only have an hour to change into dressy clothes because we'll be spending the morning and afternoon at the University of Scouting. We've signed up for some courses, and enrolled our son in a Leadership Development seminar. We went last year and our son stayed home, sleeping in and playing video games. This year will be different. My hubs didn't even want to go to the banquet, except that he's impressed with how well my son moves doing his various sword forms. I'm impressed too. 

Tuesday Pull Day

This'll work

30 x-trainer
Calories 141
Miles 3.70

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar(30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
130 x 12
140 x 10
150 x 10

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

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Avocados are Making Me Fat

I'm never quite as productive as I plan to be. I blame some of this on the brain fog that seems to accompany vertigo, sinus ailments and persistently rainy weather. I don't think I'd survive Scotland. Yesterday in bed, I flipped onto my right side and felt, for the first time, a slow liquid roll inside either my lower right sinus or inner ear canal. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where inside one's head that things occur. Now that the month is nearly over, I'm hoping my vertigo will clear up too. Of course, I've just read that we're due for another Nor'easter by the week's end with more rain, if not a wintry mix. Oh joy... Good thing I've got bags of sidewalk salt and my shovels on the ready!

Before I went to the gym, I got on my home scale. I know I look heavier in the mirror lately and just needed to confirm my fears. Yep, 110 lbs and a creeping body fat of 15.9%. I'm sure it's the luscious avocados I've been eating every day. They're the perfect vehicle with which to eat raw minced garlic, especially if you spread the mashed fruit on toast or crackers. I have to cut back on my calories, and especially my fat intake. Maybe I'll just eat a 1/4 avocado instead of half each day?

I feel tired even though I've had my cup of coffee and a cup of lightly flavored Siggi's icelandic-style yogurt. It's higher in protein and lower in sugar than most other brands, and while I was a little dismayed that they use fruit pectin to thicken their yogurt, it's better than corn starch. It might be that the multi-B vitamin with added B12 is not as good as taking individual B12 and B6 vitamins.

Once at the gym, I see that it's sort of crowded. I get on the cross-trainer that I dislike and don't pedal very hard. I'm only able to hit 2.90 miles in 30 minutes, and my toes are tingling in both feet. Ugh. I can't stretch at the Cage either, because it's occupied. Pull ups will have to wait, and that will either be great, or really bad. I knock out my core and push ups on the Mat. The Smith is free so it's definitely a Push Day. I do my standard routine but can't resist upping the high rep set just a tad. Just a tiny 2.5 lb plate on each side to make the bar 65 lbs instead of 60 lbs. Next week, I'll make it 70 lbs.

The rest of the routine is fairly standard. But my arms are tired so I'm extremely happy when I manage to squeak out my minimum 26 pull ups. Ugh. The left elbow and a hair of the right outer wrist seem off today. I hope these don't affect my Pull Day tomorrow! I do my Mat Stretch and go home.

My new driver's license has arrived and I'm excited. And disappointed. Because the new photo is B&W? Seriously? The ID number is hard to read, and there's a tiny translucent replica of my photo set into a trapezoid cutout on the side. My name loops underneath this image. I guess this makes it harder to forge? It's downright ugly. Still, at least the photo's better than my last one. And probably for the first time, my hair isn't in complete disarray...

Monday

30 x-trainer
Calories 129
Miles 2.90
Average Heart Rate 132

Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
65 x 25
60 x 25

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

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

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

HGPU 26

Thank Goodness for Antihistamines

Playing around

I was miserable yesterday but remembered to take the 10 mg loratadine pill around 9 pm. Even though my head was a tad groggy from a lack of sleep, I feel a lot better. It was even raining outside and my head still feels heavy, but at least I don't want to hurl when I bend over to brush my teeth. Sadly, I can't wait until the Olympics are over. While staying up until midnight just to see one brilliant Russian youngster beat another for the Gold medal was totally worth it, my body and especially my brain needs more sleep.

My son and hubs are away for the weekend for a Boy Scout camping event that features heated cabins and indoor rock climbing walls. It's going to rain all weekend, so the boys will either run around in the rainy cold or hang inside. There's a fort and a pirate ship for clambering over outside. My son might bring his Exploding Kittens card game to relieve boredom. We played it once and it was hilarious. Not as wicked as Cards Against Humanity, but in the same vein.

I do my warm ups surrounded by newbies. Well, I can't complain because I was once a newbie. Granted, that was over 30 years ago back in a college weight room, but you gotta start somewhere. Luckily, there's no one at the Nexersys machines, but then again, there never is. I only ever see me there although I know the Gym Owner likes to whack the machine at least once weekly. I'm happy with 7 rounds Beginner and 5 rounds Intermediate. I'm happy with 4 rounds Follow Me and 3 rounds of Sparring. In time I'll probably return to 7 rounds Intermediate.

Because I'm a little slow, I have just realized today that the round numbers on the final score screen at the end of a session actually refer to specific programs. For example, in the Beginner session rounds 1, 3, 5 and 7 were all Follow Me. But rounds 1 and 3 had all the same combination call outs. The machine glitched and repeated the same program, FM2 with a Spar(ring) round in between. None of the other rounds have a repeated reference number. With the 5 Intermediate rounds, the machine again adds data from someone else's Sparring (no Accuracy but there are strike Points) and Follow Me rounds. Of course, the machine insists it's giving me data for 5 rounds (circled in the right upper corner). Regardless, I have a good time and a great workout. My knuckles sting a little and my quads and glutes are still sore from two days ago. Ugh. I barely get my 26 pull ups, so I'm greatly relieved to get them done! I do a full Mat Stretch just to get the kinks out of my shoulders and back.

Today my hubs lied to me about his drinking. I found a liquor store receipt dated two days ago. He claimed the empty bottle holders in the trash were old and he was just cleaning out his car. He doesn't know that I know he's lying. I don't confront him because he'll just go to greater pains to conceal his alcoholism. I keep making deals with myself that he'll work his way through this, but now I'm not so sure. I know there are a lot of functional alcoholics in the world. I know that he doesn't drink if he's driving. I'd like to believe that he'll always be safe and do the right thing and only drink when he has no other responsibilities, and that he'd never endanger our son. But I don't know that for certain. I don't know what the future holds.

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 96
Miles 0.85

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15
Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 3Sp 4FM
5r Intermediate FM

HGPU 26

With the Best Intentions

I'm always surprised at how quickly school gets cancelled around here. I'm guessing fear of liability lawsuits counts for a lot. I knew it was going to be a cold, wet miserable day and figured the nasty wintry mix would hold off until late this afternoon. Then the weather would pass and the roads would be good for the rest of the evening. I had plans. Plans to go to the gym, then meet a friend for lunch to check out a new curry restaurant neither of us wants to visit alone. Plans to check out friend's not-quite-finished, but planned-for-20-years-ago kitchen renovations. Plans to take my son to a Cub Scout pack meeting this evening where he and fellow Boy Scouts could assist in a Charity event. Nope. When school calls for "early dismissal" due to a weather forecast, everything gets cancelled. No after-school activities. Which means the schools will be closed, and not be accessible later in the evenings even if the roads are fine. Ugh.

Because I have lots of time now, I make mashed avocado on oatbran toast with fresh garlic and pour soft scrambled eggs over the top. I'm still dutifully logging foods into the MyFitnessPal app, but take some exception to the fluff they email in their "helpful nutrition" newsletters. One is entitled "5 Nutritionist-Approved Snacks Under 225 Calories." Most of the recipes have way too much sugar in it so I don't even consider making them. But what catches my eye and makes me wonder is the protein content. Because there's no way that you get 14 grams of protein from 3 slices of apple, even with peanut butter. The recipe claims 2 servings for 1 large apple, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips, and cinnamon. The 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds are optional. So one serving = 1 tablespoon of peanut butter with apple and chocolate chips? Peanut butter is about 8 gms protein. Where's the other 6 grams coming from? Maybe you get 2 gms from a tablespoon of almonds... but oh wait, those were optional. Why wouldn't the almonds be part of the recipe and the choco chips optional? Who's actually writing this crap anyway? And since the protein count is clearly unreliable, what else is questionable? Ugh. 

I didn't take the antihistamine last night and regret it greatly this morning. I've been having trouble staying asleep for the past several nights, and it's only this morning that I remember I've been drinking two cups of coffee in the morning, instead of just one. That extra caffeine has been enough to make me feel wide awake at 3 am when I wonder why I'm awake at all. I didn't take the antihistamine, and today my head feels heavy and gloppy. I'm downright queasy. Barometric changes aren't helping. I could take a decongestant, but don't like one major side effect: constipation. My body is extremely sensitive to meds of any sort, which is why I try not to take any at all. But tonight I'm definitely taking the loratadine. I'm planning to go to the gym tomorrow!

My quads are sore. My glutes are sore. But more surprisingly, the sides of my hips are sore! That would be the tensor facia latae, which stabilizes the hip in movements like walking and aids in extending and rotating the leg. Didn't see that coming... especially not from doing a few pistol squats.

Good thing I'm not doing walking lunges or split squats. My knees don't appreciate lunges, especially with weights. They're not really happy with squats either. Maybe I'll just whack the Nexersys tomorrow. Either that, or a Cardio Day with Intervals. You know which one is going to be more fun? Not the Intervals! 

A Good Pull Day

Driving home from the gym and the car thermometer says 75F. It's February and we're 60 miles north of NYC. Tomorrow will be rainy, with temps dropping to the 40s. Still unseasonably warm. I have no doubt that we're not done with snow storms yet although the birds are courting and ignoring the seed feeder. Very odd. Woodpeckers are still visiting the suet cage though. I like to stock it with the "nutty" variety because I don't understand the point of artificially-flavored orange and blueberry suet. Do you really think you're fooling the birds? Do you think their suet palate is bored? Good grief. At least there's peanut pieces in the "nutty" flavor suet, which I figure gives the birds some added nutrition.

I wear leggings to the gym instead of shorts even though I know it's going to be really warm inside. Too early in the season to turn on the A/C. I don't like shorts when there's a chance I'll be stretching out on the Mat afterwards. Bare skin does not glide along vinyl mats with any ease. Bare skin sticks to plastic, and gets scratched from dirt and gravel from everyone's filthy gym shoes trodding all over the place. After my 30-minute-plus warm up, I'm ready! My pull ups aren't as good as yesterday, but that's to be expected. At least I got my minimum!

The Smith is empty and I'm excited! The RDLs are a little harder than I remember, and I'm stunned for a second. But only a second. My lower back is a tiny bit achy so I adjust my stance. The knees seem okay today. My inside right heel was stressed during cardio warm up so I hope I don't have Achilles tendon problems, and I've self-diagnosed Morton's neuroma in my right foot even though I don't have all the pain associated with it. It could be something else. I'm sure the hammer toes don't help. Or maybe I'm just overly sensitive? (Click here for more info on this ailment.)

I'm actually confident enough to add weight to the bar, a little at a time, just to see what I can pull. I stop at 150, and not because it leaves me breathless. Because it doesn't. I've pulled heavier but I was younger then. Not a lot younger, but there seems to be a big difference between 53 and 58, not just in recovery time, but in strength. Of course, I was always injuring my elbows or wrists or shoulders or something. Now that I'm older, I'm more cautious. Next week, if 150 feels okay, I'll see what 160 is like. But I'm perfectly happy to stay at 6 reps at 150 for a while. Maybe do a few sets and build up gradually. After all, it's only been a few weeks since 120 felt okay again.

I knock out Smith RG BB Rows, and Seated One-Arm Cable Rows for back, and to finish off biceps. It's my forearms that complain the most, my weak link. My hands start to cramp just as I finish the 3rd set. Ugh. Lately, I've noticed that my hands get painfully cold if I sit for too long, let's say, in front of my computer. It's not just my hands though. It feels as if the cold is creeping up my forearms as well, like I've been touched by a zombie White Walker. Online sources state that Raynaud's does not progress unless there are underlying health issues. Uh oh... I feel fairly healthy in spite of the seasonal vertigo, the occasional sciatica and an inability to eat fatty foods. I'm hoping that my daily dose of raw garlic not only keeps me safe from the flu this year, but also lowers my cholesterol levels.

I get more pistol squats in today, but my quads sting a little when I first start. Because they're not high on my priority list, I do them last, when I've cooled off. If I did them right after cardio, they'd be easier, and I might actually get more done. But, like I've said, they're mostly an after-thought.

My hubs has stuck with his low/no carb diet and is now concerned with getting enough fat in his diet without overloading on protein. That's actually hard to do on a no/low carb diet unless you want to eat sticks of butter. Avocados and olives help though. As do macadamia nuts. And Spam. He lost 7 lbs the first week, but gained a pound the 2nd week. I think it's because he decided he could drink white wine, but alcohol in quantities will negate the process. He doesn't even like wine. At least he's not drinking beer anymore. He literally gained 20 lbs drinking beer in the past 2 years. Needless to say, he's unable to stop with just one or two. And he knows better, because he'd been sober since we first met. But with the death of both his parents, he's loosened his grip on sobriety. Ultimatums don't work with people like him. He's already got enough resentment festering inside. I don't think he's ever forgiven his birth parents for giving him up for adoption. We sent our saliva out to Ancestry DNA a few weeks ago, but it's taking a long time for them to get back to us. I'd like him to find some actual blood relatives and hope they're not a bunch of fall-down drunks. I'm not concerned about me — being Chinese, I'm fairly certain I'm related to half a billion people.

Top: can fronts
Bottom: tops aligned

This morning my hubs asked me to pick up some Spam for him. Spam is big in Hawaii as part of the "plate lunch special." My grandmother used to fry up slices of it every now and then, so I'm familiar with the product. I buy 3 cans because they're on sale: buy 3 cans at $2.99 each and get a $1 off. That's cheaper than the CVS which wants $3.99 per can. Once I get home, I wonder why the pull tabs atop the cans don't line up. It's my OCD making me crazy because the Spam cans seem to have been haphazardly placed on the can-sealing line. Ugh!


Wednesday

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Calories 334
Miles 2.96
Average Heart Rate 150

HGPU 26

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
130 x 10
140 x 8
150 x 6

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

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
45lbs x 12 x 1 (right elbow achy)
2nd set (forearms tired)
3rd set (grip cramps)

Pistol Squats
8 = 4 ea leg

Four Days is Like Taking Vacation, But Not

I had every intention of going to the gym on Friday, but my head said otherwise. I did feel better after I ate breakfast, but then I had to pre-medicate with antibiotics before my dental appointment. There's always a risk that that will upset my stomach. Usually it doesn't, but Friday it did. I arrived for my dental cleaning feeling really queasy. Well, at least the hygienist took it easy while scraping the plaque and tartar off my enamels. I do floss and brush regularly, but I've always had issues with tartar build-up. I've read that dry-mouth also contributes to the problem and I've taken to keeping some water by my bed so I can wet my parched mouth every few hours. I also put lubricating drops in my eyes and smear lip balm on my mouth at bedtime! It seems like the older I get, the harder it is for me to retain moisture. Ugh.

Saturday rained and rained. Then it rained snow. Sunday was brilliantly sunny and warm at 45F, but we had to shovel snow that felt more like wet sand. I didn't trust the snow to all melt away because temps tend to drop at night and no one wants to walk the pup on icy walkways. That was a workout in itself. Monday was a holiday, and I finally got my hubs and son to put up the Arrow Of Light wooden display that I'd ordered back in October. I'm hoping it keeps my son motivated to work towards his Eagle rank in Boy Scouts. That, and the fact that most of his friends are also Boy Scouts working towards that ultimate honor.

So, I'm back at the gym after four days off, and a little voice in my head is telling me how hard and awful this is going to be, how easy it is to stay under my blankets and just be lazy. There's no school today and my son's class has a class trip tomorrow. To the movies. Ugh. The town south of us has the whole week off. There are a lot of kids working out with their parents at the gym when I get there. Weird. Usually kids aren't evident except on weekends, when they can work out free from 1-5 pm. That's obviously the least busy time for this facility. The parking lot is full though, because it's $5 Tuesday and there's no school.

I'm not really sure what my plan is. I get on the elliptical because all the cross-trainers are busy. Okay, well just let me get cardio out of the way... Then the basic body moves like pull ups, push ups and core. Now what? Call it a day or what? Hey, the Smith is empty! But I don't have on the right shoes for doing RDLs there, so I guess it's going to be a Standard Push Day. Part of me is somewhat relieved because it's rather disheartening to find yourself sore and struggling with weights for secondary movements that normally feel okay. And the only difference is whether I'm doing them same day as big movements, or the next day. Doing them next day is definitely worse.

Inclined Presses feel okay. The BB super sets feel okay too although I'm a bit bummed that I'm stuck at 20lbs because going heavier would invite elbow and wrist pain. Next is the DB super set and I wander over to the DB area. Little R is there. He and one other dude are the only guys worth sneaking glances at, physique-wise. I look at the sole Adjustable Inclined Bench. There's a 5 lb plate wedged under the seat hinge. Little R comes over and removes it, explaining that the seat itself tilts down towards the back support instead of being level, and that's bad for his back when he's doing shoulder presses. Uh, okay. I just nod a little, and don't feel compelled to say anything in response.

There's a gaggle of HS boys at the bench press. And a few HS girls who are actually lifting weights. Nice! I find the 25 lb DBs but no 20s. WTF? Little R has a pair of 20s and 25s, but I don't feel like asking to share. It takes me a few minutes to realize that "A-Rod," seated at the Smith, has the other pair of 20s. Ugh. I go to the front desk to grab the 2.5 lb magnetic discs figuring I'll just plop them onto the 15s, but by the time I get back to my inclined bench, the 20s are back on the rack. Hhmm. I don't return the discs right away though, in case I need them. But it's highly unlikely. I don't feel any stronger, but I'm happy that I'm not weaker either. Rip Skulls are okay at 40 lbs although a moment of doubt made the last two reps for the last set seem a bit iffy. Self-doubt will cause a set to fail so best to silence that voice! Easier said than done.

Watching the Olympics over the weekend makes me look up songs that are played during the millions of commercials. Unfortunately, this year's selection doesn't really include whole songs that are good, just catchy refrains that I wish carried through the entire song. Here's two for example: "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" from The Killers All These Things That I've Done (give a listen below), and Kaleena Zanders Stronger Than I've Ever Been with "If you knock me down / I get up again."



I don't actually think these songs will work in my workout mix the way that Elle King's Exxes and Ohs does (got that song from a commercial about a purse). Or the remixed Taylor Swift song, Shake It Off. Yes, I still love the Hillywood® Parody better than the original. And exciting news is that they are planning to do a sequel parody for Supernatural. Of course, there's always the fear that it won't be as good. But that's how it is with everything. You know when you've done good, but you don't know if you can repeat it. You just have to keep trying.

Tuesday

30 elliptical + 5 cool down
Program 1
Calories 330
Miles 2.93

HGPU 30 Yaaay!
Push Ups 60

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 13
80 x 12
90 x 12
60 x 25
50 x 25

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

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

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Mat Stretch

When the Machine Can't Count

My head was as foggy as it was outside this morning. Not quite dizzy, and no nausea but still, not quite right. I take a pseudoephedrine pill at 8 am and go about morning chores. By 10 am, I haven't stopped sniffling so I pop another red pill. My right ear feels intermittently hot. It's hard to explain, but I'm pretty sure this is all sinus-related. I plan to whack the machine and I can't do it if I'm constantly dabbing a tissue to my nose! I'm also a bit sore all over, but it's only when I go to put on my sport pants that I notice my glutes. Yep, that would be those three measly pistol squats.

The gym is unusually empty and I wonder if people have started their long weekend early. My son doesn't have school next Monday (President's Day) and next Tuesday. I'm not really sure why he has Tuesday off. I do my warm ups and then proceed to whack the Nexersys. I like the new standard routine of alternating Follow Me rounds with Sparring Rounds. The machine still has issues with the Power Dig sensor and the Power Kick. Afterwards, I decide that I can handle 5 more rounds of Intermediate Follow Me. Just for fun! But when the rounds are over, the machine has 7 rounds listed: my original 5 for Follow Me, and an additional 2. But they're not my rounds, and I know this because I can compare the photos I take of each final screen. Oh well...

I finish with a few Hammer Grip Pull Ups and call it a day! Tomorrow I'm going to squeeze in a light workout before an appointment with the dental hygienist. Oh joy...

Thursday

10 x-trainer
Calories 47
Miles 1.22

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp
5r Intermediate FM

HGPU 28

Happy Valentine's Day

The school district decided at 6:07 this morning that the roads were too icy and called a two-hr delay. More sleep for me! But with a late start, everything got pushed back. Including my trip to the DMV to renew my license. It doesn't expire until next month, but I figure I'd go before it became critical. There was a fairly long line, but once it was determined that all I was doing was renewing an existing Enhanced License, all I really needed was to update my photo. Because my current photo is absolutely horrid: I'd just gotten back from Hawaii, had massive jet-lag so my face was all puffy, and I was 20 lbs overweight. Yep, not a photo I like to present for any reason whatsoever. At least today my hair looks okay and isn't flying out at odd angles in complete dishevelment, which it is wont to do. (I have old driver's license photos to prove that!)

I get to the gym well past noon but it's not terribly crowded. However, The Mayor is holding court and I can hear him from the Cardio Platform. Ugh. Luckily, he leaves before I get down to the free weight area. I knock out HGPUs, do a few push ups and save core for later. I am a lot more tired with this new routine where I pile all my heavy lifts into one day. My nose is still annoyingly drippy. Because I had mild dizziness and nausea this morning when I bent over to brush my teeth, I popped a single red pseudoephedrine with my morning coffee. (Claritin D = loratadine + pseudoephedrine.) Amazingly, my nose is still drippy even with the decongestant and antihistamine in my system. Oh well...

My head feels a little sloshy, so I think this is all sinus-related. Both my parents suffered from bad sinus issues, so naturally I do too. Yep. I'm still going to take a loratadine antihistamine tonight since I bought a package of 5, and I want to see if the vertigo clears up in a week or not. I can't take the red pill until I get up in the morning. It's as bad as a cup of coffee and not at all conducive to deep sleep! I have been sleeping soundly the past two nights and wonder if it isn't the antihistamine, even though it claims to be a non-drowsy medication. But everyone reacts differently.

I don't want to spend all day at the gym so I cut my cardio warm up to just 20 minutes, do my pull ups and knock out a few push ups. I planned to warm up the shoulders with band pulls or baby bell raises, but completely forgot and never got to any of that. Instead, I start with the 20 lb barbell front raises and then upright rows. My arms already feel tired! Ugh. I move on to the DB super sets and I'm really happy that I can actually do these without having to drop my reps. Seriously, my arms actually feel weak from yesterday! Ugh. Finally, I grab the 40 lb BB for Skull Crushers, and during the first set, the hairband keeping my braid together catches just under my right shoulder. It's as bad as bra hardware digging into your back when you lay on a bench, as you're trying to focus on not dropping weights on your face!

The hair band is in the wrong spot so I have to take it out, and re-braid my hair just to get the band down lower so it won't catch under my shoulder when I lay down on the bench. Ugh. I miss having short hair. I miss being able to stick my head under the faucet and just rinse my hair out. But I don't miss hunting for a decent hair cutter... Oh well. I clip it up most of the time, but it's heavy when it's wet. Because I don't use a blow dryer, my hair is wet for a really long time. Like it's still wet now. 

Three big HS guys arrive at the gym and immediately drop onto the mats. Luckily the classroom is empty so can do my planks there. I also do a few pistol squats. My right quad isn't painfully stiff today and I manage to do 3 for each leg, alternating in a walk. I've gotten as many as 6 to 8 per leg in the past. Of course, this might also make my legs and butt bigger and I don't want that unless I drop a few pounds so I can stay in my clothes. Seriously. When you're short, having pants that fit are more important than doing one-legged squats.

Wednesday

20 x-trainer
Calories 95
Miles 2.52
Average Heart Rate 154

HGPU 28
Push Ups 60

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/15reps x 3 sets

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

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pistol Squats
6 = 3 ea leg

Did It Work, Or Is This Coincidental?

I admit that staying up late just to watch Shaun White qualify for the Olympics was probably not my best idea, but I really wanted to know how this 32-year old would handle conditions. And he was phenomenal! I held my breath for his entire run, and was totally amazed. Wow! It was better than watching Chloe Kim win gold, and she's totally awesome to watch! Like an animé rag doll on the slopes with perfect control of her board. I'm always jealous of athletes, but not in a bad way.

This is also the first year I've seen so many young Asians competing, and it makes me feel really good. When I was a child, everyone was white. Except for the marathoners. They were always wispy black Africans from Kenya. There were no Asians in the media, except for Mrs Livingston in The Courtship of Eddie's Father, and rare musicals like The Flower Drum Song. But I digress...

I took one loratadine tablet last night at 11 pm. It's suppose to be good until 11 tonight. I sleep fairly well, and although I feel a tiny bit off this morning, the vertigo and nausea is fairly mild. My right shoulder twinges a little though, but that might be from sleeping oddly. It's a Heavy Push Day, even though I'm not going to push super heavy. Actually, I'm staying fairly light on the RDLs. But I add back the RG BB Rows, keeping them at a moderate 80 lbs for sets of 25 reps. I test out my quads with a single pistol squat with each leg. Left leg is fine. Right leg not so much. Residual problems from the sciatica ages ago. I'll have to ease into that. Maybe tomorrow.

There are a lot of regulars. The Mayor is full blast today. He's especially loud when there's someone new to talk to. And the volume only increases the closer he is to where ever I happen to be. Ugh. I manage to avoid Stinky Butt today. Yesterday I just got off the elliptical as he was getting on. No one should be able to smell someone else from 4 feet away!

Tomorrow I plan to do Shoulders and Arms. And a few pistol squats. Just for fun. And I'll take another antihistamine tonight and see if I have any vertigo tomorrow. I might have to email my brother and tell him, but I'm dreading that...

Tuesday Heavy Day

30 x-trainer + 5cd
Calories 166
Miles 4.48
Average Heart Rate 150

HGPU 28
Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12 wonky right side
60 x 25
50 x 25

Smith RDLs super light
Bar x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12 x 3

Smith RG BB Rows
80lbs x 25reps x 3 sets

Exercise Makes the Vertigo Better

I emailed my brother over the weekend to ask him if he still had Meniere's disease since I didn't think he'd suffered any hearing loss or tinnitus. Being my brother, he didn't answer the question. Instead, he went on for several paragraphs about how I should do a test with an ear wash kit to see if I had vestibular insufficiency. (He's exasperating to deal with, which is why I keep contact to a minimum. My sis hasn't spoken to him in years.) I tell him that since I'm able to put cold hydrogen peroxide in my ears without triggering dizziness, there's no need for me to buy an ear wash kit. I don't have vestibular insufficiency. He goes on with a weird pep talk and then tells me to take Claritin-D® everyday forever. I'm not even sure if he hasn't confused me with someone else at this point.

Plumbing issues at the gym today

I do go to the CVS this morning because I had coupons worth a few bucks, and a prescription refill to pick up. Strange that the Claritin-D is locked behind the pharmacy counter. But there are info cards on the shelf that list the active ingredients as well as directions for use. Well, well... it's got pseudoephedrine in it, as well as loratadine, an antihistamine. I buy a small box of generic loratadine, but the dose is higher than what's in the Claritin-D pill (10mg vs 5 mg). I have psuedoephedrine at home. So now the question is, do I need to take both or should I just try taking the decongestant first? Or I can try taking just the antihistamine? Today, the vertigo is only bad when I lean forward, like to tie my shoelaces. Then I get so nauseous that I'm worried about hurling. It's like getting carsick while in park. Exercising seems to help a lot. I don't feel dizzy or queasy while I'm at the gym! But I don't want to wear myself out and catch the flu or worse.

I watched a few YouTube videos on the Epley maneuver, which is suppose to help reset the otoliths in the ear canal if you have BPPV. But only if you can figure out which ear canal is problematic. Because doing this maneuver can make the vertigo worse. And determining which side has issues requires someone looking at your eyes when you lie down because they'll flicker. Um, what?! This morning I guess that it's my right side and do a limited version of the Epley maneuver while lying on my bed. Nothing feels any different. I'm still getting really queasy when I lean forward. So, it might be displaced otoliths, but in which canal? Because there's more than one. Ugh. Nothing is ever simple.

Here's one of many videos online that shows how to do the Epley Maneuver:

One thing that is simple is the recipe I got from another Scout's mom this weekend for a no-fuss beef roast. My hubs got excited enough to buy a 5 lb beef butt. Season, put on a rack, turn oven to 500F and roast 5 minutes for each pound of meet. Then turn oven off, and leave for 2 hours. My hubs was skeptical so we stuck it with a thermometer. The center read 175F. Done! This is probably the first roast we've ever made where most of the meat was the rosy pink we prefer. Serve with sauteed mushrooms, and a wilted salad. (Personally, I would've either cooked the salad greens or left it as actual salad, instead of how my hubs served it. My son bailed on the greens and I don't blame him, although I ate all of mine.)

I get to the gym at noon. My head is a tad sore so I don't want to push anything too hard. I just do cardio, basics and core, then a bit more cardio. The Mayor is blathering loudly by the time I leave the Mat. So loud that I'm thinking I need to get ear plugs just to hear my tunes! Ugh. In general, I feel pretty good, although my scalp feels sensitive, like my hair's been pulled too tight. There are some thoughts that vertigo can be caused by un-diagnosed food allergies that cause inflammation. Because my vertigo appears seasonally, I'm giving the auto-immune/allergy idea some credence. Which would explain why antihistamines and/or decongestants would help. It's just a matter of parsing out exactly what works, and how much. At least it stopped raining and temps are in the 40s. I'll probably get a bug bite though.

Monday 5.54 miles Cardio & Core

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.87
Average Heart Rate 143

HGPU 30
Push-ups 60

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

20 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 188
Miles 1.67
Average Heart Rate 150

Abbreviated Whack Day

My hubs needed to replace his armoire/wardrobe because it's made of chipboard and starting to fall apart. Because we don't have thousands of dollars to spend on furniture, we compromised and spent more than we wanted to, but less than we could've and bought one on sale at Bob's Discount Furniture. They're very efficient. We got a text message two days ago giving us a link to the delivery truck whereabouts. This morning at 6:15, I got an automated call stating they'd be at our house in 45 minutes. And they were. It didn't take long for the two fellows to assemble the piece and take all the packing material with them. But it did take my hubs a while to get himself together and leave for Boston. Meanwhile, I did house chores and then, we had breakfast. Or rather, I had second breakfast. Then I was finally able to hit the gym.

I'm still suffering from "winter vertigo" and that's slowing me down. I'm going to wait it out like I do every winter. Ugh. It's a bit scary to notice how badly your mind is functioning. Antihistamines haven't helped me but I haven't been desperate enough to try everything on the market. My brother, who has Meniere's disease, is on daily antihistamines to control his vertigo, but his is much more severe and persistent. His hearing seems okay though. (Click here for more information about this disorder.)

My sister doesn't suffer from any of this, but she's gets small patches of eczema and psoriasis. I just have the ichthyosis vulgaris. And since my son does not have it, that particular skin disorder has reached a dead end. Thank goodness. Because it's a lot more than just having dry skin. It's having skin that doesn't exfoliate properly by itself, skin that's extremely sensitive and prone to fissures. It's winter, so of course, I've got fissures in at least three fingers and my heels are painfully cracked. No wonder my grandmother used to slather herself in petrolatum!

Zero blocks but 233/150 strikes?

My husband has been extolling how great he feels on the no/low carb plan. No fatigue, no foggy-headedness. The only downside is pooping rabbit pellets because he needs more fiber in his diet. The other night I walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights to see my husband stuffing raw kale into his mouth. I burst out laughing. He hates kale. Luckily I buy it regularly, and had some washed and ready to eat in the fridge. He claimed that he suddenly realized the need for leafy greens. Uh huh. This morning, he made scrambled eggs and andouille sausages before he left. I had some eggs and half a sausage. Because that's just waaay too much food for me before I hit the gym. I'd already had coffee and an icelandic skyr yogurt earlier when I first got up to walk the dog and get my son ready for school.

I get to the gym a little past 11 am. I do my warm ups and debate with myself just how much time I want to spend here. Because I have other things to do today. I settle on just the 7 Beginner rounds, with both Follow Me and Sparring. It's a good, hard workout. Especially the Sparring rounds, because I land a lot of blows. Not counting the ones that the machine totally discounts because I've stopped the machine. Because I'm hitting too hard. Yet, the machine tells me I've blocked no strikes. And that my power is down. But out of 150 strikes, I've landed 233? Yeah, I don't pay too much attention to the stats anymore. What is absolutely infuriating though, is that the Power Dig sensor is on the fritz and may only register one out of a dozen strikes to that pad. So it remains "green." Ugh.

I knock out a few pull ups, stretch, and then shower. At home, sorting through a box of photos from my dad's house, I find a lot of old pictures I'll toss out because either all the people in them are long dead and I don't know any of them, or they're duplicates and triplicates. But there are a few that are worth keeping. One is of me and my sister standing on my parent's terrace about 30 years ago. My hubs laughed and said my sister is standing there like a swimsuit model but I'm posed like a super hero. And that made me laugh too. Because she's always been the "girlie girl" and I've always been the tom boy.

Friday Whack Day

10 min x-trainer
Calories 48
Miles 1.28

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15
Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp

HGPU 28

Low Blood Sugar or Something Worse

I had planned to do two big movements today, and then whack the machine tomorrow, but plans are always adjustable... The Smith was occupied non-stop, and since I'd already done benching and RDLs at least once this week, it wasn't critical for me to do them again, although I would've like to. Instead, because I got to the gym late (2 hr school delay today, school cancelled yesterday due to the snow and ice storm), and the Smith was always occupied, I just did Core and Cardio.

I'm having some issues with seasonal vertigo again. It's been an annual winter occurrence for the past few years, and it's very distracting. Right now it's mostly just annoying, but it won't take much for things like driving to become problematic. Ugh. Worse, I got completely stupid once I got home and couldn't figure out how to turn my car off in the driveway. Seriously, what the hell is going on? I kept trying to remove the key and the car wasn't in Park. (I actually did manage to do that once in my old car. Not proud of that.) I'm attributing that to super low blood sugar and the fact my head feels a bit surreal, and is really screwing with my mind. And I ate breakfast today! And didn't do a ridiculously hard workout either. Ugh. Once I get home, I scarf down two eggs poached in oatmeal with a heaping spoon of homemade blueberry preserves. I feel better already!

Tomorrow I'm either going to whack the kickboxing machine, or actually do Smith Inclined Benching and RDLs again. Because I'm trying to up my workouts a bit but not spend all day doing it. Doing the "big movements" twice in a week might be a way to do that. At least for me. But I really don't want to give up whacking the machine. Ugh.

Why does it say 182 when I'm
not even touching the sensors?!

Today's workout was fairly basic, although the elliptical seemed a bit possessed and kept running heart rate numbers even when I wasn't actually touching the sensors with my hands. I managed to squeeze out a few more pull ups too although all the floor mat stuff was routine. Because I couldn't use the Smith machine, I decided to do "more but different" cardio. And a good stretch at the end just so I'm not horribly sore tomorrow. Well, I'll probably be sore, but I won't notice it unless I'm doing something that's directly affected... like doing arms and shoulders the day after benching and RDLs. I haven't decided whether that's worth the change or not....

Vertigo Thursday

30 + 5 elliptical
Program 2
Calories 336
Miles 2.97

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Expresso Bike
Rabbit Run 2.3 miles
Calories 68
Time 13:24

Step Mill
15 min
Level 6
Floors 52 / 841 steps
Calories 123

Mat Stretch

You Know It's Working When...

The combination of two cardio sessions plus two big movements snuck up on me last night. I was ready for bed by 9pm! But I stayed up, because I always do, until 11. Even 11 was kind of early for me. Tonight I'm hoping for 10:30, but since we have Boy Scouts and don't get home until nearly 9:30, that's highly unlikely.

I didn't drag myself out of bed, but I did feel a little tired. That didn't motivate me much at the gym, but I did Intervals anyway. I thought about cutting back to 20 minutes for a second, then ignored myself. It wasn't my best mileage, but Intervals rarely are. I was fairly pleased though at my home scale this morning: 108 lbs and down to 15.6% BF. Not my best weight or BF, but it's been so much worse not that long ago! Well, tracking my food is definitely working albeit slowly. It forces me to plan meals a little better, and to consider choices I might make in the future. There's a lot less hand-to-mouth when you have to log everything. (I just have to teach my son portion control, especially with ice cream!)

My hubs, on his no/low carb plan, has dropped 7 lbs in a week. He has a ways to go before he's down to a reasonable "fighting weight." But right now, he's very happy and plans to continue "indefinitely." He says he doesn't have any carb cravings, which is great. He did finally disclose what his starting weight was, and I was shocked at how fat he'd gotten. I'm glad I didn't say anything, and let him decide that his clothes were just waaay too tight. Now I just have to prod him to get a physical, and the dreaded colonoscopy, because it's good to have a baseline test once you hit 50. And he's 50 now, although he doesn't want to admit it.

I'm drenched once Intervals are done but I get 2 more reps for HGPUs today. I decide to skip push ups, but not core. I understand you can do core every day if you want. It is a lot harder today than it was yesterday, after a 3-day layoff. I didn't do RG BB Rows yesterday, but I think I'll skip that big movement today as well. Instead, I focus on shoulders and arms and move right into the barbell super sets I usually do after Inclined Presses. I'm a little shocked at how hard these seem today! The DB super sets are also hard! Worse, the V-bar tricep press down at the cable station makes my tri's sting a little at just 40 lbs. I guess they're tired from yesterday! Apparently I just wasn't aware of how strenuous yesterday actually was. Lastly, I do some Seated One-Arm Cable rows for back but also for biceps and forearms.

The danger with doing my plan is that I'll be over-working arms and shoulders because they're involved with the bigger movements from yesterday, and here I am working them in isolation again. You would think that because it's been 24-hours, they'd be fine, but normally only work them once a week, on a Push Day or a Pull Day. Of course, that's why my pull ups and push ups start to fail by the end of the week, but that's mostly the elbow and shoulder joints, not the actual muscles. 

By this time The Mayor is seated across from my at the Lat Pull Down station, and Loud Mouth is at the V-bar Press Down. There have been other regulars floating about, but other than totally avoiding the DB area (because Frankenstein was standing right in front of the DB rack, of course), I'm fairly oblivious. And that's because I have my tunes blasting. Half the time I'm dancing around between sets, bopping to the beat, mouthing the songs like a Lip Sync battle solo. I see Hoodie, a youngish regular with tats down his right arm, crack a smile. It's okay. I don't care what other people think, and I'm not in anyone's way. Then I remember that I meant to, but forgot to, do Mid and High Band Pulls, so I go back to the Stretch Cage. After a full Mat Stretch, I'm ready to shower and change. The gym scale says 109.4 lbs. I'm shocked, but in a good way. I just need to not sabotage myself, 'cuz stuff like that happens... it's mostly anxiety. But if I stick to tracking my food, and my hubs stays no/low carb, I think we're good.

I plan to hit the gym tomorrow but the forecast is for snow and more snow all day... I don't even know if there's going to be school. I heard maybe the government's shutting down on Thursday. It's always something, isn't it?

Tuesday

30 elliptical
Intervals
Calories 297
Miles 2.62
Average Heart Rate 145 / max 190

HGPU 28
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

BB Front Raises s/s Upright Rows
20lbs x 15/15 reps x 3 sets

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

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

Cable V-bar Press Downs
20lbs x 15 reps
40 x 13, 12, 12

Seated One-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12
45 x 12
60 x 12

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Mixing It Up

It was raining when we went to sleep last Thursday. I answered the automated call signifying a school delay at 4:45 am. Three-hour delay! We've never had one of those before! That's literally a half day, but front-loaded. Apparently, it had snowed all night and we were left with a bright sunny day to shovel the frozen "wet snow" and ice off the road, and our cars. My hubs was set to shower when we discovered we had no water. Again?! WTH? After multiple immersions (due to basement flooding), the water intake regulator for the well tank had rusted apart. Ugh. I called the plumber. My hubs went to work dirty. Luckily he was in the field that day, where literally no one notices if you've showered or not.

I explained what we thought was the problem so the plumber could pick up parts on the way to our house. He's good like that. It only took hiim 30 minutes to fix the issue, and also replace the pressure gauge on the well tank because that was stuck in the 12 noon position. It had also been submerged several times and was rusted inside as well. We discussed raising the 20-year old well tank above the flood level, when we fit a new tank in it's place. It's going to require some new piping. He tells me that the new tanks only last 5 years. WTH? I'm not replacing the tank every 5 years! We'll revisit this issue some time later. Ugh.

Today is the first day I'm back at the gym after 3 days. The one good thing about my hubs going low/no carb is that I'm not over-eating horribly on weekends. But we both have our annoyances with the app MyFitnessPal. Today it gives me last week's data in a nice chart format so I can see trends. What it tells me is that the one day when I seem to hit all my macros properly, is the one day I don't come close to meeting my caloric goals. Figures. I am happy though, when the gym scale reads 110.2 lbs, which, for a Monday, is pretty good. Lately, it's been anywhere from 111 to 113. That gives me hope that I can get the numbers a little lower by the end of the week.

I need to really mix up my routine, because, like the dog, I'm getting bored. I made ground turkey boiled with brown rice and oatmeal for the dog this morning. He loves that now, and scarfed it all down once I dumped a few spoons onto his ground turkey, white rice and meds breakfast, which he had previously sniffed at and walked away from.

This is the week when my favorite Life Fitness cross-trainer gets replaced with something or other. Sigh. It's vacant when I get to the gym so I hop on for 30 minutes plus the 5 min cool down. Then pull ups, push ups and core. The Smith is free so I set up for Inclined Presses. Then I do light sets of RDLs, something I've been meaning to do for a while. My right knee bothers me at 120 lbs. I finish the set, but I don't really want to do more at that weight. Instead, I drop down to 90 lbs and knock out 3 sets there. It's not quite as "aerobic" as the back-to-back sets of 25 reps I do to end the Inclined Press, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna feel this tomorrow.

Today's a "heavy" push and pull day, with a lot of cardio. Tomorrow I'll do Intervals, and all the shoulder and arm stuff I skipped today. If I get to the gym Wednesday (hard to say with a new snow storm threat), then maybe another Push Pull day. I'm hoping to get in kickboxing on Thursday. Friday, I need to be home for a delivery, but I don't have a delivery time range yet.

My hubs also wants me to sign my son up for the Snow Sports merit badge. He won't be around next weekend, but I'll have to take my son to Thunder Ridge ski area for a class on snow sports. None of us know how to ski, skate, or snowboard. Should be interesting. It's suppose to be 40F, but they have snow-making equipment. Well, it beats sitting around the house...

Monday
6.78 cardio miles

30 + 5 x-trainer
Calories 162
Miles 4.22

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50lbs x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
60 x 25
50 x 25

Smith RDLs (super light)
Bar x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12 (rt knee)
90 x 12 x 3 sets

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 289
Miles 2.56
Average Heart Rate 150

Back At It

I actually got to the gym before 10 am today! Probably because there weren't a lot of dishes in the sink from last night, and I'd decided to save perusing the newspaper until kung fu this afternoon. I was still wondering about the dream my alarm interrupted this morning. It was so intense that it continued after I hit the 5-minute snooze button. Usually I'm out of bed before the 5 minutes is up, but not today. It's said that ZMA can give you vividly weird dreams. I've never had that experience until this morning: I was on the steps to a government building or temple, when I was suddenly informed of the Dalai Llama's death. Grief hit me hard, caused my chest to ache and tears to spill down my face. I staggered back and clutched at a big column for support. I've never felt pain in a dream before, but it happened this morning. Of course, I had to verify that His High Holiness is still very much alive. It was really just a dream.

I take a capsule of ZMA just about every night. Maybe it was the cup of matcha and green tea I had earlier, or the twig tea I had later? It's still a mystery. But I get to the gym and it's still a bit full from the morning crowd. However, I had no problems getting access to the equipment I want to use so my workout went well. I couldn't even hear The Mayor jabbering away! There were other regulars as well, people that I normally don't see because they're gone before I get in.

I stick to my new routine: 7 rounds Beginner with 3 rounds Sparring alternating with 4 rounds Follow Me; 7 rounds Intermediate Follow Me. I'm constantly brushing my hair out of my face even though I've braided and clipped my hair up. I also discovered some rare "no slip" barrettes and they do work because there's an epoxy or resin coating along one side. But not only do the barrettes not look like the photo on the package, there are no matching pairs. There are two "tortoise shell" barrettes but one is thick and one is thin. The photo shows the two remaining "metallic" barrettes. WTF? Do I have to buy two packages if I want a matching pair? Ugh.

Proof of ghost strikes

The Nexersys scores my blows haphazardly. For some rounds, I can't get the Lead Dig to register no matter where I hit the pad or how hard. It's frustrating. And it makes it very hard to score during Sparring since that one area remained green until the last 30 seconds. I'm wasting my strikes, tuckering myself out for no gain! Ugh. Sometimes the Lead Kick doesn't register either. And sometimes, there are ghost calls, when the avatar asks for a blow, but not really. I see that in the scoring where I've landed more strikes than the program called for. The machine also doesn't register any blow that stops the action "because I'm hitting too hard." Which is every cross or jab to block the avatar's own strike. So I score no blocks regardless. Double ugh. But I don't really care or else I wouldn't come back every week to do this. I know what I'm getting into with this machine.

I score all 100% but
only get 90% Accuracy?

It takes me a few minutes to recover, which is as long as it takes to remove my gloves, wraps, tape and moleskin. Then another stretch at the Cage, and some pull ups. It felt like I could probably do a few more than the basic 26 minimum, but I don't push myself. I'm hoping to be back tomorrow for a light Pull Day, and maybe some alternate cardio. Like Step Mill or Espresso Bike. Or even Program 3 on the elliptical? The weather's not promising and there's always the threat of another 2-hr school delay. Sigh.

The gym scale tells me 110.0 lbs even after I've sucked down all my water. Well, that makes me feel less fat even if my pants still feel too tight. Still, I'd be happier if the scale said 107 lbs. It's only 3 lbs, but damn, those 3 lbs are the most maddeningly stubborn 3 lbs ever. I look at recent selfies and realize that my normal RBF (resting bitch face) looks a lot different if I force a smile. Smiling puts weird wrinkles under my eyes. I think they're called "laugh lines" but they're not funny. At least I don't have frown lines. Yet. I am a little weirded out by my son's classmate's mom. It was her birthday and she's freaking out about turning 40. Forty? I didn't even have my son until I nearly 45. But of course, just as I'm getting used to my son towering over me, I'll get used to the idea that most parents of my son's friends are a lot younger than I am. Well, at least I think I can pass!

I get home, put groceries away, get laundry started and make myself lunch. Until I get sick of it, I'll be mashing half a small raw avocado, adding some red pepper flakes and 2 cloves of raw garlic. Liberally smear on ciabatta toast. (On most occasions, I have Classic or Olive Oil style. Today, the store only had Wheat, which is why the toast is brown. Not browned, but brown. Well, the store also had a multi-grain that contains sunflower seeds, which I can't digest.) Before "avocado toast," I would mash the garlic into a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and put that slurry on toast, but no need for oil with creamy avocado. Then pour soft-scramble eggs on top. Some people prefer fried eggs, or better yet, poached, with wonderful runny yokes.

I have no knife skills so thank goodness
for the Joseph Joseph garlic smasher!

The dog gets some toast and scrambled eggs too. His tum is still not right. I can tell from the gooey orange poo that signifies bile... I've read that I can feed him plain oatmeal. He gets bored with his food. I know because he'll turn down ciabatta, but will happily grab it once it's toasted. I'm tempted to put some eggs in oatmeal and mix his meds in that tomorrow morning. We'll see...

Thursday

10 min elliptical
Calories 97.4
Miles 0.86

T, Y & I Raises

3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15
Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp
7r Intermediate FM

HGPU 26