Halloweenies Workout

It doesn't feel much like a holiday in spite of our window decor and lights. My son won't don his costume until this evening when he goes trick or treating with his friends. I opt to wear a festive outfit to the gym. Very few people are wearing orange. Black is a given though. One woman traipses through wearing glittery bat wings on her way to class. I think my pants make me look like the Hamburgler, but I don't care.

My lower back is still a little stiff so no RDLs today. But I'm okay doing the dread Norwegian 4 x 4s because if there's anything I hate, it's HIIT cardio. So that's what I do first. Like the adage, there's no going around, under or over. You just gotta go through. At least watching the HR display is amusing, especially since cardiac lag means the I get to watch my HR response at least a full minute to 90 seconds after my exertions. It's almost impossible to adjust pedaling speed in order to keep in any "zone." My heart rate drops to its lowest rate (100) not during the 5-minute warm up, but after the first minute of the first high-intensity session. I'm still pedaling at a fairly brisk pace for the next 3 minutes before dropping down to a walk for 3 more minutes. My heart rate might or might not adjust accordingly.

Of course, the fact that the HR says 143 as soon as I touch the handles makes me doubt the machine's accuracy. Or, it could be me. I don't doubt that my HR zooms up well past my theoretical maximum rate of 167.4 bpm. It didn't peak at 200 like yesterday, but close enough...

I'm sure I could've squeezed out a few more pull ups too, but they wouldn't've been pretty. Even push ups were a tad difficult. I also do core before weights, otherwise I might space and forget them. Because my lower back is STILL a bit sore, I decide to do some easy back work today. So low weight and high reps for T-back rows. But of course, the Gym Rat's inner beast kicks in during Lat Pull Downs. The station is already set up with the handle I use, with the seat and plate pin in the settings I use. Weird, or coincidence? The grippy handle is deteriorating and leaves sticky black residue on my right hand. Ugh. Next time I'm going with the all-stainless close grip neutral handle.

At least today I'm smart enough to do One-Arm Seated Cable Rows with super light weight. I finish with a few sets of RG BB Curls. And because I'm such a beast, I increase the reps with each set. My delts are actually a little sore from yesterday, so I guess I'm pretty much back to a normal time-consuming routine. Doing cardio, weights and stretching eats a lot of time. So, maybe I shouldn't try to do this all in the same day? Ugh. I guess I've still got a few scheduling kinks to work out....

Halloween Wednesday
Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 270
Miles 2.55
HR 135-192 (100)

HGPU 21
Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

T-bar Row (light)
Bar x 20
25lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets

Lat Pull Downs
70lbs x 12
85 x 12
100 x 8, 10, 12

One-Arm Seated Cable Row
30lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

RG BB Curls
30lbs x 20, 21, 25 reps

Stretch

Kept Repeating It's the Journey, Not the Destination

There's a problem with the Apple mail server today so I'm either going to have to retype my exercise notes or wait until it's resolved. This also means I have no selfies to post, but that's okay. There's probably too many of those floating around anyway.

Like most days, I'm never quite sure what I'm going to do exactly until I get to the gym and see what's available. My lower back is still a little stiff. Exercise will help. I get on the elliptical and pedal away on Program 1. I'm starting later than usual because I had to rush back to the house after driving my son to school, to meet the plumber who reattached the sump pump to the outdoor conduit. It wasn't a difficult job, but it was beyond my capabilities, and my reach. Afterwards, I had to sort through paperwork and bills. At least a lot of the equipment is vacant at this point.

I always toy with the idea that I'm just doing a cardio day, but that's never how I feel after I finish my 30 minutes. That's my warm up. The Smith is empty, and lonely. I knock out some push ups and then start my Push Day routine. It feels pretty good too, although I skip the high rep set today. Everything seems normal, even when I decide to revert back to 20 lb DBs for the shoulder super sets.

I even add 5 lbs back to the Rip Skulls. I almost forget to do any core, but manage to squeeze in a few planks. Whew! I'm nervous when I get on the gym scale. It's been unkind for past few weeks, hovering dangerously at 113 lbs. Today I'm relieved when it reads 110.2. I feel like I'm finally back on track again. Maybe I'll drop a few pounds and fit into the rest of my clothes before winter?

Tuesday's A Push Day

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 273
Miles 2.46
HR 153-200 (yup, waay too high)

Push Ups 50

Smith Inclined Bench Press
Bar (30) x 18 (I kept adjusting the angle for a few reps each time)
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12 x 3

DB Laterals s/s Reverse Inclined Flyes
20lbs x 12/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

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

Stretch

Another Setback

Our Boy Scout Camporee got canceled this weekend and we took advantage of it by doing...nothing. I slept in and actually got a full 8 hours of sleep, which felt amazing. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Sunday, and the only explanation is that Friday night I took a ZMA capsule before bed. I haven't remembered to take this supplement in a long while, so that might explain my poor sleep all these weeks. Last night I remembered to take a capsule (the recommended dose is 3 capsules but I'm much too sensitive to the magnesium levels at that amount), and felt almost rested when I got up this morning. It's definitely Autumn. Wet leaves everywhere! Especially on my car windshield!

I feel sluggish and tired when I get to the gym, so naturally I ask myself what do I hate most? Well, that would be HIIT Cardio, so of course, I do Norwegian 4X4s to start. I always like to follow cardio with some core, unless I forget and jump right into weights. There's a crowd at the Smith because it's National Bench Press Day (i.e., Monday). Usually these guys are at the breaker benches, except Lazy Pedals is amongst them, so that explains why they're huddled at the machines. Ugh. I guess today's a Pull Day after all.

T-bar Rows feel okay enough for me to add another 10 lbs. Now this is heavy and I'll stick with this weight for a while. My lower back bothers me too much to do any sort of rowing movement with my body parallel to the ground. I'm better at a 45 degree angle. There's a wide neutral grip bar on the Lat Pull Down station. Too wide for me. I swap it for the slightly narrower grip with the broken rubber grips. I wish they weren't so sticky. I assume it's because they're degrading, because I don't really want to think about why else they might be tacky to the touch. Yuck.

I have to stand on the seat to reach the handles, then drop down and lock my legs around the base. The handle allows me to arc my back and push my chest into it, but this also means I'm leaning back slightly because I can't do this if I'm seated totally vertical. The elbows don't retract all the way if you're sitting straight up, but rotate so they pull behind your body if you're leaning back. I'm actually not sure what the proper form is for this movement. I just do what feels effective.

Everything is going well until I decide to do a few sets of Seated Cable Rows. I should've stuck with the One-Arm rows, but the super lightweight (aluminum?) close grip handle is already affixed. Because I did 85 lbs last week without any issues, I think I can try the next plate. 85 lbs feels kind of heavy today, and I should've listened to my body. Instead, I moved the pin down one plate just to see how hard 100 lbs would be. It's heavy, but that's not the issue. The issue is that my lower back immediately seizes up. I'm immediately stiff. Weird. I knock out the set, but I probably shouldn't have. I don't think I've aggravated my sciatica, but I put the pin back at 85 for the last set. Ugh.

For the rest of my gym session, I'm walking a bit stiffly, even during my Mat Stretch. Nothing really hurts. It's just that I've lost some flexibility... Well, I definitely know where my limits are. And it's not like I went in cold, either. Tomorrow I have to return to the house after driving my son to school because there's still a big leaking hole in the tube leading from the sump pump to the front lawn. I had scheduled the plumber to come two weeks ago, and this was the earliest he could fit me into his schedule. I'm glad it's not an emergency. Of course, I'm also not sure I'm getting to the gym...

Monday Blues
Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 270
Miles 2.55
HR 138-178 (107)

HGPU 20
Push-ups 50
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50

T-bar Rows
Bar x 15
25lbs x 12 reps
35 x 15
45 x 12 x 3

Lat Pull Downs
(medium neutral grip)
70lbs x 12 reps
85 x 12
100 x 12, 10, 10

Seated Cable Rows
85lbs x 12 reps
100 x 8 (lower back weird)
85 x 12

RG BB Rows
30 lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

Damned Otoconia

Last night, at a Cub Scout Halloween Pack meeting where our Scouts helped out with the activities, I ran into a fellow who has been suffering for the past 11 weeks from vertigo. It started with a cruise he and his wife took over the summer. After numerous trips to specialists and the emergency room, it's been determined that he's suffering from a rare vertigo disorder called Mal de Barquement Syndrome. Of course, this morning, I spent too much time laying on my right side this morning, rolled over and developed another bout of BPPV. Ugh. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is caused by those little otoliths floating free in the middle ear when they should be firmly embedded.

This makes my work out a bit more challenging. It's cold but bright and sunny, even though torrential rain (and possibly snow) is forecast for the evening and tomorrow, courtesy of the first nor'easter of the season (with Hurricane Willa's moisture). At least the Boy Scout Camporee, scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed due to weather concerns. Hurray for little things.

My routine warm-up gets me limber. I opt to do just 7 easy Beginner rounds of Follow Me. I already know that I'm out of practice, out of shape for this type of exercise. By round 3, I'm breathing hard and sweaty, but of course, I'm also whacking so hard that I've stopped the programming a good half dozen times. Yep.

My hands aren't used to whacking the machine so even though I've taken precautions, like I always do with moleskin, tape, wraps and padded gloves, my knuckles are bruised when I'm done. But I still feel pretty good. A quick stretch and then a last set of pull ups. Done.

Vertigo Friday
10 min elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0.81
HR 147-190

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner

HGPU 20

Stretch

Back to My Old Tricks

Today I again toy with the idea of just doing cardio, but somehow, that's never enough for me. My gym rat nature reveals itself when I automatically move on to do more exercises. Yesterday I had my annual mammogram (and sonogram, which I think isn't really called for, but protocol for dense breast tissue, no matter how sparse, is that the techs do a scan). I skipped the gym and focused on trying to organize the kitchen in a way that made more sense. Like removing a shelf from a cabinet so that there was enough space to fit cereal boxes instead of leftover hardware from the original kitchen cabinet installation!

I rediscovered extra porcelain drawer pulls, and old touch-up crayons and markers for the Autumn Cherry finish, but my cabinets are so beat up and worn that it would take major refinishing to make them look decent. The markers are dried up anyway so I toss them. I still like the streaky Autumn Cherry color even though I was told that this is a major imperfection. The wood is suppose to be a solid color all the way through, and my cabinets are definitively not solid-colored. I like them better that way.

This morning is cold at 36 F, and even though there's no frost warning, I have to spend extra time defrosting my windshield. I feel simultaneously guilty and relieved that I don't have to walk the dog. At the gym, I finally get back on the cross-trainer. I watch my heart rate while pedaling. It doesn't feel too horrible, except my toes are numb on both my feet when I get off. I think about doing more cardio, like the Expresso Bike. Instead, I stretch at the Cage, do some pull ups and then retreat into the classroom for push ups and core. In a half hour, there'll be a Body Pump class in there.

I'm still not ready for RDLs so I start with T-bar rows. Even though the 25 lb plate feels heavy when I start, I realize that I can go for a lot more reps. Which means I should add more weight. I add just 10 lbs and start off with 12 reps. But by the 3rd set, I know I can handle more weight, if only because I've knocked out 20 reps. Something to look forward to next time.

I can't get on the Lat Pull Downs so I sit down at the Seated Cable Row. Today everyone is clustered in a gabfest. Big Tank guy, M and Lazy Pedals are clucking like old hens. I'm so relieved I have my headphones with music cranked up loud enough to drown them all out. They are literally a foot and a half away from me, and luckily, I don't have to share equipment with them. I usually avoid Seated Cable Rows because every now and then it aggravates my sciatica. But I don't plan on going too heavy though, so it'll be okay. 90% of your own body weight isn't really heavy, right? I have gone a lot heavier in the distant past, when I was younger.

It's not that I feel old, but my recovery time seems longer for things that never used to bother me. Being cold all the time, especially my fingers and hands, has lately been a concern. Of course, I've put on weight, partly because I'm not quite eating right, indulging in fatty foods like full-fat yogurts and spreading peanut butter on already buttered toast. Yeah, that's gotta stop before I pop out of my comfy clothes!

On a lark, I decide that my last exercise will be Reverse Grip BB Curls, which is mostly a forearm movement. It works biceps too, but not as much as a regular BB Curl would, with heavier weight. The 30 lb bar is an arbitrary choice. Next time I'll go heavier. I remember doing 50 lbs but I don't remember how long ago. Ugh. I do a full Mat stretch on two of those black foam pads. It's hard to do splits when you worry about snagging your toes (with socks on) on the mats. My movements are very slow and deliberate so as to avoid injury.

The puppy I had been viewing is no longer available for adoption. I'm hoping that means he's found his forever home. There are an endless supply of pups needing homes. Still, I feel such sadness when I sit still too long. I find myself lost, looking over old photos and videos. Maybe I really am getting old!? When we're ready, I'm sure we'll find the right dog for us. Meanwhile, I'm still not quite used to the quiet. My hubs wants me to take advantage of this and actually go on a Scout overnight camping trip, but the forecast is for rain and wind. Uh sorry, being physically miserable is not how I want to spend my weekend.

Thursday Pull

30 x-trainer
Calories 236
Miles 3.29
HR 139-162

HGPU 20
Push Ups 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Crunches 30/30
Bicycles 50

T-bar Rows
Bar x 20
25 lbs x 12 reps
35 x 12, 13, 20

Seated Cable Rows
70 lbs x 12 reps
85 x 12
100 x 8 x 3

RG BB Curls
30 lbs x 12, 15, 20

Stretch

Redefining Active Rest

I'm still sore from Sunday's hike so I thought I'd take it easy and just do more cardio. It's called Active Rest and consists of moderate cardio exercise to keep everything warm and flowing. I get on the elliptical (beating the Lazy Pedal Dude to machine number one) and select Program 3. My heart rate is all over the place, but that's not unusual. When I'm done, I stretch at the Stretch Cage but skip doing pull ups.

However, after doing planks for core, I feel unsatisfied and wander back into the free weight area. The Smith is vacant but there's no bench under it either. I take a few minutes to warm up my shoulders with baby bells. Then I drag the flat bench over to the Smith to do Flat Presses. I haven't done these in a really long time. And because I haven't benched in months, I take it really slow and easy.

I guess my Active Rest Day has become a Push Day, which means DB Laterals super set with Reverse Inclined Flyes, followed by Rip Skulls. The only things I skip are pull ups, push ups and crunches. After a quick stretch I'm done.

My son wants to know when we're getting a new puppy, and as much as I want to replace the one we lost because the house feels so weird now, I haven't cleaned up the dog's crate yet. Or the rest of the kitchen. I'm not ready yet, but I keep scrolling through dog adoption websites. I even see one who seems to fit the right parameters. Should I contact that rescue organization? Should I wait? Will I lose an opportunity that I should take? I don't know...

Tuesday Active Rest. Not.
30 elliptical
Program 3
Calories 275
Miles 2.47
HR 151-200

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

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

Smith Flat Bench
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
100 x 12
60 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

Monday-After Workout

I really didn't think that a Boy Scout hike, labeled Easy, would take such a hard toll on my body. Of course, it was also 12 miles. Halfway through the trek, my left hip started to ache. And then my leg just under the knee. My toes slammed into the front of my leather sneakers, my bunion caused my toes to cross over and stab each other, and my heels got sore. However, the Boy Scout socks I had on maintained their cushion softness and I didn't get any blisters.

I'm still sore when I wake today. My hip is still off and I suspect it might be the tensor fascia lata, although this injury doesn't feel like IT Band syndrome (which usually manifests as pain outside the knee joint). At least my toes have mostly recovered. I have a few hours before my dermatology appointment and today's not the day for 4 x 4s. Instead, I do the Octane and then the Step Mill. Because Friday was a Push Day, I do a modified Pull Day today, but again, no RDLs, especially not with seeming hip hinge tenderness.

I feel beat up so I'm pleased that I can do any pull ups and push ups. Actually, being beat up doesn't seem to have any impact other than quicker fatigue. My T-bar rows, lat pull downs and one-arm seated cable rows are all routine. My last set of pull ups is a bit disappointing, but not unexpected.

My dermatology appointment is just to have a few weird things looked at, so basically, for peace of mind. A tiny hard spot under my skin on my finger is apparently nothing to worry about. The weird ridged discoloration of my big toenail appears to be a side effect of the eczema patch on my big toe. Again, nothing to worry about. What is more concerning is the birthmark on my thigh. It's like a large freckle that has doubled in size so that it's now more than a 1/4 inch long. And now there's a darker spot forming at one end, while the rest of it is a medium latte brown color. The doc marks the borders and then injects a topical anesthetic. He scrapes the discolored skin off with a scalpel and sends it off to be tested. I'll get the results in a week. The flesh underneath is white, which is a good sign that the birthmark cells is deeply embedded. Whew!

Tomorrow I'll think about doing the Norwegian 4 x 4. And maybe a few other things...

Monday After
20 Octane LX8000 + 3 cool down

Default settings
Manual
Calories 140
Miles 1.90
HR 121 M184
2610 strides
43 floors

20 StepMill
Level 3
Total Steps 684
Floors 42
Calories 110
HR? 129

HGPU 20
Push-ups 50
Crunches 30/20
Bicycles 50

T-bar Row
Bar x 12
25lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Lat Pulldowns (neutral grip)
70lbs x 12 reps
85 x 12 x 3

One-Arm Seated Cable Rows
30lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

HGPU 15

Working Through

I skipped the gym yesterday as I intended to get some housecleaning done. The kitchen floor has been covered with mats and newspapers for what seems like forever. But before I do that, I check the fuel oil level on the tank in the basement. It's actually just a bit less than half full so I'm relieved. What I don't understand is why there's two inches of water on the basement floor. I also hear a weird sucking noise and discover that the salt tank for the water softener is empty. WTF?! I put 8 bags of salt in there just two months ago. That's 320 lbs of salt! Ugh.

I do a quick web search for water softener salt prices. The big box stores are selling for under $6 a bag, with a discount if you buy 10 or more. I see the prices are the same for Ace Hardware and remember that there's one in town. But when I get there, the prices for their salts are higher. They tell me they haven't been an Ace in years. I tell them that since I'm buying 10 bags, that difference amounts to $20, which is half a tank of gas. I drive to Home Depot and get my salt. Moving 10 bags of 40 lbs is a decent workout. Not great though.

While I'm unloading the salt, the sump kicks on and I hear a weird hissing noise. Ugh. The hose that snakes out of the basement and onto our lawn has sprung a leak, or rather, several leaks so only some of the water is being pumped out of our basement. Double ugh. I call the plumber but he can't get to me until the end of the month. I call the water softener company and they can come by, oh, say how about next Thursday. Ugh. I hope I haven't run through all the salt by then.

I don't get a lot of cleaning done before I need to take my son to his kung fu class. Today is better. I go to the gym and knock out my cardio by doing the Norwegian 4 x 4, followed by pull ups and push ups. I had hoped to use the Smith for Inclined Presses and baby RDLs but the guy who drapes himself over the ellipticals, is now draping himself over the Smith. Mostly what he does is yammer. I realize that my people-tolerance is at an all-time low this week, mostly because I haven't had enough sleep, and also, because I miss my old dog. I feel like I'm on the verge of biting someone's head off all the time. And when I'm not, then I just feel sad.

Just because I can't get on the Smith doesn't mean I give up the workout though. Nothing is set in stone! I do Inclined Presses on the Breaker Bench with the Olympic bar. It's harder, and a bit more nerve-wracking for me, especially since my small hands favor a dead man's thumbless grip. That's okay to use on the Smith which has built in safeties, but not on a standard Inclined Bench. I switch my grip back to normal. My hands start to go numb with just a tiny addition of weight, from just the bar (45 lbs) to 65 lbs. It's been several weeks since I lifted, so I'm perfectly happy to just do three sets at this weight. I follow up with my DB super set, and then a light set of skull crushers.

I happen to be wearing a raspberry tank top today. It's unfortunately the same color that Hollywood is wearing. She's a fairly pleasant early morning regular, with a slender build. She does work out hard, and her arms have the shapeliness to prove it. Her short wavy hair style and cat-eye glasses are why I call her Hollywood. She has that old-time actress look to her, as long as she doesn't open her mouth because the accent is pure New York. She's chatting up a guy at the Squat Rack. He's an early morning regular too, in good shape but by no means a heavy lifter. They make a cute couple, and I wonder if there's a gym romance brewing. I think guys go deaf when only their eyes are working.

I still need to do one more set of pull ups, but I figure I can rest my arms while doing core stuff like planks and crunches. Those are actually easier today, which is a pleasant surprise. I used to be a lot gentler doing pull ups, but lately I've been tossing caution to the wind and really heaving myself up to the bar, making the Stretch Cage shake. It's a bit worrisome.

After I shower and change, I go back to Kmart to buy the Holiday sweater I've looked at twice already. I've been looking for a red sweater with a bit of sparkle for the past several years. The local newspaper reported that Kmart had liquidators coming in to slash prices to 60-90%, and that layoffs would happen by the weekend. What?! There's no indication of any such thing at this store. I ask the floor manager when the store is closing and she said, "Oh not until January." I ask about the Poughkeepsie store, which a gal at the gym had told me was already in 90% Off Clearance Sales mode, and the floor manager said, "Oh that store's different. Their floor is caving in. They have to clear out." Yikes!

Because there's only one size Small in the red sweater, and in the raspberry sweater, and the cute black dress with white stars, I buy them all. (There's a good 4 or 5 in the L and XL sizes.) They won't be here by the time the Liquidators come, so if I want these items, I should buy them now. The parking lot is unusually full, probably because everyone in town has read the local news and they've all come for the bargains. They'll be disappointed. Or maybe they'll find something especially nice. I'm still looking for some flannel sheet sets for our beds this winter.

Friday Finale
Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 274
Miles 2.57
HR 142-190 (110)

HGPU 20
Push Ups 50

Breaker Inclined Press
Bar (45) x 15
65 x 12 x 3
(Hands going numb Raynauds)
DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
15lbs x 12/15 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
30lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Crunches 30/20
Bicycles 50
Stretch

HGPU 20

Disquieting Silence

I went to bed much too late last night, and still had to get up early to drive my son to school. I feel like I'm forgetting to do something, even though I know it's merely the decades of early morning dog walks that I'm feeling. Every jingle makes me think for a split second that it's the pup. But I know it's not. It's just something so deeply ingrained that I can't let go. It's become a part of me!

I still have a lot of cleaning to do around the house, but it's so cold and dreary that I lose any interest in doing chores once I get home. Cleaning is almost pure physical therapy. But with the change in temperatures, my skin has gone severely dry and my fingers feel cracked. I'm less motivated to clean now. The weather app is warning of a hard frost tomorrow morning, and there's a murmur of school delays due to black ice road conditions. Ugh. The universe feels off-kilter, and I'm disoriented. Or maybe, the lack of sleep is really catching up with me. The gym is more crowded today, probably mid-week guilt. The elliptical I like is in use so I clamber up the Step Mill. I haven't done this machine in several weeks.

The Step Mill also has a "heart rate" monitor built into the handles, but it behaves oddly. At first I think it doesn't work because there are no numbers on the screen where the HR should show. All the info is set into 4 columns with toggle buttons so you can scroll through each column. The first column contains Heart Rate, Calories, Metrics. I don't know what Metrics means and I don't really care. The little red light next to Heart Rate is pulsing but there's no actual number. I give up and toggle to Calories. But halfway into my 20 minutes, I toggle through all the columns and HR shows up briefly. Soooo, it'll actually give me a reading as long as I'm not actually toggled to that info panel specifically? Ugh!

I toggle through Total Steps Climbed to find number of Floors Climbed. There are more "metrics" that I don't understand so I don't worry about them. After 20 minutes, I'm very warm and pull my hoodie off. The elliptical I favor is finally free. I always wipe down before I get on a machine, especially since I've seen this guy use equipment before. He leans all over the console and never wipes anything down. Yuck.

I think Program 2 is technically harder than Program 1, and I'm only doing 20 minutes instead of 30. However, my heart rate is much lower than when I did Program 1 on Monday, as if doing the Step Mill first has primed it for more cardio exercise. Weird, right? I'm definitely sore from yesterday, and the day before. So I'm not going to bench press. But I will work shoulders, first with the band stretches and baby bell raises, then with the dreaded DB Shoulder Press. My right shoulder twinges slightly, but I'm using such light weights (only 10 lbs!) that I can ignore the discomfort. I don't push my luck though, and only up the weights when I switch to the Lateral Raises and Reverse Flyes.

I finish with core, because I didn't do any yesterday, even though I'm still sore from Monday. I know women (overheard them in the locker room) talk about how they don't work out until they're not sore anymore. Uh, no wonder they don't get anywhere in their training! Instead of going home, I go to Kmart because my son needs an additional piece for his Halloween costume. While I'm there, I take my time to browse through the pajamas, underwear and other clothes. My problem is that I have these pretty tropical print palazzo pants, and nothing to wear with it. As in, no shirts, blouses or tops of any variation that will complement the pants. And I had planned to wear the pants to at least one or two Holiday events later this year. Long-sleeve Ts and flannel shirts are more my style.

Reluctantly, I browse through the Juniors Dept where everything looks trashy and trampy and cheap,  only to find myself in the Old Ladies Dept. Yep, if you're looking at labels that say Jaclyn Smith (aka Charlies Angels ca 1976), then you're an old lady. I see two tops I actually think look nice. Now I know I'm old! What I'm doing is the ill-advised Purchase Therapy, where you buy things to cheer yourself up when you feel sad. There's a real danger in becoming addicted to such behavior, leading to Hoarding and financial ruin. Seriously. But I buy the two tops because they'll both go with the pants in an eclectic way. When I get home, part of me expects to hear panting and happy whining. And the rest of me knows that there's no one to greet me anymore.

Disoriented Wednesday

20 StepMill
Level 3
Floor 47
Steps 760
Calories 119
HR? 123? (137)

20 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 180
Miles 163
HR 146-167

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

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

DB Shoulder Press
10 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
(Slight right shoulder twinge)

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
10lbs x 12/15reps
15 x 12/15 x 3sets

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Crunches 30/20
Bicycles 50

Stretch