Exercise is Hard on the Knees

Today is my cardio day, not that I don't do cardio every day that I work out. But today is expressly cardio, with some other body weight movements tossed in, because it doesn't feel balanced otherwise. I usually start with 20 minutes on the Octane, but today there's a gal on it. The other one is free, but can't be accessed because the gal has a friend chatting with her, and said friend is planted right in front of the second machine. And I'm so non-confrontational that I'd rather just find something else to do instead of asking her to move.

I haven't done the cross-trainer in a few months. It's not one of my favorite machines because my toes and fingers always go numb while using it. Today is no exception even though I'm not pedaling too hard. The HR monitor acknowledges my grip on the handles but doesn't give me any indication of a pulse rate until the last few minutes. And of course, it tells me that my HR is damn near my maximum heart rate. Of course. Too late for me to do anything about that...

The Expresso Bikes are also available so instead of jumping right on the StepMill, I do the bike course next. I don't want to miss my opportunity just in case the Expresso Bike competition is still ongoing. My gym sponsors all sorts of fun, competitive events but I've never been interested in participating. I'm a little surprised at how hard it is to pedal, but I've moved the gear shift up to 14. It's not the best I've ever scored for points but I still enjoy the Dragons Island game, and even though I'm not pedaling fast, I am pedaling hard and the sweat is dripping off my brow.

I glance over at the woman next to me. Her screen depicts a lovely scenic trail that she's pedaling through. I've done those, and frankly, I find them kind of boring. (I might have more in common with the pre-teen boys than just the sport pants I have on!)

Now I can clamber up the StepMill for another 20 minutes. All together, cardio is just an hour. When I add the pull ups, push ups, core and stretching, that's almost another hour even though it doesn't seem like it should be. Nothing I do today makes my lungs burn, so that's a relief. I've always known that that sensation indicates poor cardio fitness, but I've never known why. Several online sites state that the discomfort is caused by dehydration in the cells that line the airways. What?! I'm drenched with sweat to the point where it's running down the inside of my nostrils, and dripping into my eyes, but my lungs are dried out? It makes sense though, that if you're breathing harder and faster, the air itself is causing the mucous membranes to dry out, sort of like an internal wind burn. It feels like wind burn. Thank goodness it doesn't last very long. With additional continued cardio training, this discomfort should subside. (Let's hope!)

Halfway through the StepMill, I start to sweat profusely. As if suddenly the steps have caught up to me, even though I'm doing the same leisurely pace I started out at. Another type of cardiac lag? I don't know. At the Stretch Cage, I convince myself to do hammer grip pull ups even though I did them yesterday, and the day before. I'm happy with just 20 decent ones, although I'm not kidding anyone by saying I dropped to full extension at the bottom of each rep. Nope. Too hard on my elbows, and this isn't a test of elbow ligament strength.

The only portion of my workout that disappoints me are the Pistol Squats. I can barely squeeze 4 out for each leg, and there's a real danger during the last rep that I'm not getting up out of the one-legged crouch, especially the left leg. Both legs clench in the quads. Ugh. I probably shouldn't be attempting these after doing the Expresso Bike and the StepMill, even though I have in the past. I guess my knees are getting old, and I need to be more considerate. Ugh. I resort to doing Walking Lunges down the side of the gym. Those feel okay, but I'm sure my glutes will be complaining tomorrow.

Next time, I'll see what happens if I try Pistols between cardio exercises, say, after the first 20 minute (which I consider a warm up) but before something as daunting as the Expresso or the StepMill. The worse that'll happen is that I actually fall on my butt because I can't get up. Sigh. I used to be able to knock out 10-12, stepping each leg alternately. So I really hate to give these up. The only thing that relieves my disappointment is the gym scale, nudged down to 111.0 lbs. I hope I don't blow it this weekend since both hubs and son are at a Scout training course until Sunday.

Thinking more about Pistols Squats: because they're so quad-centric, perhaps I should go back to Smith squats, and Smith one-leg squats. I dropped them out of my routine because I don't want bigger thighs or butt. I'm still uncomfortable with my pants feeling tight, especially the right thigh. Sounds weird, right? I'm convinced my right thigh is just that much bigger, just enough to make a lot of pants uncomfortable. But I'm not Tom Platz either. He had legendary quads!

Cardio Friday

20 min x-trainer + 5 cd
Miles 2.69
Calories 194
HR? 163-110

20 min Expresso Bike
Dragons Island
Miles 3.48
Calories 70
Points 145,970

20 min StepMill
Level 3
Total steps 753
Floors 47
Calories 118
HR? 130

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

Pistol Squats 4 each (struggle)
Walking Lunges 30 total

Stretch

Exercise As a Remedy for Fatigue

My blue hoodie and my purple tank are NOT
the same color. The camera's got color issues!

My alarm sounds this morning but I don't want to get out of bed. I stayed up late reading several chapters of Carl Hiaasen's Skinny Dip, and now I'm exhausted. I could just pull the covers over my head, except that I know I can't. The child needs to be driven to school, and since I'll be out of the house, well, I might as well head to the gym. Luckily I packed my gym bag the night before. This morning I put an old slow cooker, an oversized rice cooker, and the unused dryer vent in my car, figuring I'll go to Home Depot before the gym, and Good Will afterwards.

Traffic is dreary as everyone is getting on the highway. Home Depot is one of the few stores here open at this time. Contractors get an early start! When I get to the service desk, the woman behind the desk apologizes and tells me that she can't help me. I'll have to come back in 5-7 days. What!? Why? I have my printed receipt from my online order. She says that the system needs to have the installer report that the new dryer vent was not needed. Once the system updates, then she'll be able to take my return and issue a credit. Ugh. She says that this happens all the time, it's a glitch in the system but there's nothing she can do about it. I know it's not her fault. I browse holiday lights instead and buy a box of purple LED mini lights. I've been looking for this color for weeks now.

Surprisingly, I get to the gym on time. I briefly debate whether I should do a cardio day or stick to my "routine" which means another Norwegian 4 x 4. Even though kickboxing the machine was very cardio intensive, it's not the same as pedaling as fast as you can for 60 seconds, followed by pedaling moderately fast. I have no hope of using my heart rate as an indicator as to whether I'm pedaling fast enough. All indications would suggest I'm pedaling too much. Half the time I suspect my Raynaud's is interfering with the readings anyway since my hands and feet tend to go numb when I'm pedaling furiously. I'm sure that impedes the ability to get a proper and accurate pulse rate. My pulse rate drops to its lowest reading during the first minute of the 3rd high intensity leg. And then zooms up past what everyone says my maximum heart rate should be for my age. Uh oh. By this time I've slowed my pedaling, but even keeping my pedaling at a steady clip doesn't keep my pulse rate steady. Nope.

I'm definitely tired and sweaty. I can only do 20 decent pull ups so I quit when I realize I'd be struggling too much to go further. The classroom is full of screaming, dancing women so I do my push ups, crunches and planks in the stretch area near the storage closet. At least it's not crowded today. I'm too tired to look at the T-bar Row station, but the Smith is free. And because this is my 2nd pull day this week, I decide that doing a different exercise is in order.

I haven't done Smith RDLs in months. I'm convinced that going heavy here is detrimental to my IOPs so I'm determined to keep it light. People with glaucoma are often advised against heavy weightlifting. Good thing I'm not a power lifter. Other things we're advised not to do? Oh, things like headstands and downward dogs in yoga. Warming up with just the bar is always weird because the bar just isn't heavy enough for the movement. 80 lbs feels like but 100 feels heavy. So 120 feels heavy and I compensate by cutting the reps back to 8 from 12. Afterwards, I knock out RG BB Rows. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a small Asian woman trying not to stare. She's waiting outside the Spin Class. A lot of older women find the weight area intimidating. They'd rather flock to classes because there's safety in numbers. Personally, I'm not into classes.

I planned to do some Seated One-Arm Cable Rows but the Fat Indonesian beats me to the station. Ugh. There's only two and the other one is also occupied. I hate waiting around so I walk around to the Lat Pull Down. It already has the Close Grip Neutral handle attached. I so surprised that I'm able to pull properly today. This is in marked contrast to Monday's pathetic attempts. However, I'm wary of pushing my luck so I stop at 100 lbs. In hindsight, I probably could've pulled 115 today, properly. But too late now. I'm perplexed, because Monday's workout came after 4 days of rest and lots of sleep, while today's the 4th day working out, and I definitely haven't had enough sleep. WTF? What's really annoying is that the Fat Indonesian walks away after just one set. But, the Lat Pull Downs were better for me anyway.

So of course, my theory is that the body works better warmed up and that means successive workouts in a row. Rest for too many days and it's as if you were sick for a month. Don't be fooled though. I am definitely sore, especially my shoulders, probably from yesterday's whack the machine for 12 rounds. And I plan to take it easy tomorrow by just doing cardio variations. And maybe some core... My weight has stalled at 112.0 lbs so I need to nudge it along.


Work Off Exhaustion Thursday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 263
Miles 2.52
HR average 139-max 186 (low 110)

HGPU 20

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

Smith RDL very light
Bar (30lbs) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 8 x 3

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

Lat Pull Downs (close neutral grip)
70 x 12
85 x 12
100 x 12

RG BB Curls
30lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

Hit Or Miss

I wake up before my alarm goes off but wait in bed, under my covers just to make sure the alarm will actually sound. It does so I'm relieved. I don't know why appliances and electronics in my house have been sporadically malfunctioning. I've yet to check the toaster to see if all 4 slots will toast. The last time the toaster acted up, it was only toasting one side of the bread. Then it fixed itself. Now only 2 slots toast. Ugh. Maybe tomorrow the toaster fairy will visit and whack it with an invisible magic toaster wand, and it'll mysteriously work again. Maybe.

There's some sort of electromagnetic interference between the bedrooms, which means the automatic clock in my room runs 2 minutes slower than the one in my son's room just a few feet down the hall. I don't understand it at all. This only affects my phone in that sometimes the phone says it has a great wi-fi signal and cell bars, but actually doesn't, and so is slow to load mail, news, weather data. For accuracy, it's best to stand in the living room.

I wake up wondering if depression and anxiety are heritable. That's silly. I know they are, but I wonder if perhaps I'm suffering from a lesser form of what my mother had. I've been comforted by the fact that her craziness could be attributed to PTSD from surviving the bombing of Canton and watching people burn to death as a young child, as well as untreated strep which developed into rheumatic fever. There's evidence that this can lead to OCD-like personality issues. I didn't flee World War II, and I've never had rheumatic fever. Yet, I'm filled with anxiety which is devolving into depression. I've spent my whole life trying to figure it out. The only thing I know for sure is that vigorous exercise gives me relief, and makes me feel sane.

The only problem with my personal course of treatment is that not only does it take a bit of time (a few hours a day), but it consumes a lot of energy as well. I'm tired, sometimes by late afternoon, and I don't always sleep all that well. I go to the gym out of habit, not with any hope of feeling better. Of course, I always feel better after my workout, although I wouldn't say I was actually cheerful. But it also means that lesser workouts don't do much for me. I've adapted to the more strenuous pace, and like any addiction, I have to keep upping the dose. Eventually I'll catch a cold, and be forced to slow down. I think my anxiety is getting worse. Financial worries and the craziness of the world have us all on edge these days.

I copy and paste my routine from last week into my phone and make minor adjustments. Snow Bird is in the Stretch Cage again so I do my mid and high band pulls on the railing next to the heavy bag. It's just as effective. There's only one working Nexersys, and I'm glad it's the one I like to use. I don't know why the other one has the screen turned off, but I'm worried that the beasts who come in the evening will totally wreck the last remaining machine. Ugh.

The gym is cold today. We got a dusting of snow this morning, and the wind makes the temp feel lower than it really is. I'm barely warm halfway through the Beginner rounds, and there's a knot under my left shoulder blade. I keep trying to extend my arm to stretch out the knot, but I might have to resort to using my trusty old wooden "doorknob roller" at home later. For Intermediate level, I tap in 5 rounds without any hesitation. I did 3 last week and it kicked my butt. This isn't going to be any easier, but I feel like it's time to move on. You don't know what you can do until you do it.

I will freely admit that my lungs were burning the entire 5 rounds. And when I was done, the sweat was dripping off my nose like rain. The screen went dark 4 times, once even before I hit the pad. When it goes dark, the program still runs but you can't see what combos are called, and you lose points. Oh well. I only got the Hitting Too Hard message once. I guess that's an improvement. The glare on the screen is crazy distracting, and makes it hard to see anything useful. I like it better when the gym pulls the shades down, but the sun is finally out so the shades are up. Hopefully, the machine will last long enough for me to graduate back to 7 rounds Intermediate, and then perhaps drop down to 4, and add 3 rounds Advance. I have my fingers crossed. I actually don't know what I'd replace this routine with should the Nexersys die. This is definitely a much more intense form of HIIT cardio (3 min on, 1 min off per round), and hitting the heavy bag just doesn't do that for me.

Afterwards, I only manage to squeeze out 23 pull ups. My arms are definitely tired. But I'm happy that my gym pants are extremely comfortable. My old Nike sport pants feel a tad tight, and they're about 15 years old. I got some boys XL sport pants at Kmart the other day for about $10 but I was worried they'd be too long. However, since I'm not actually stepping on them, they're not worth the trouble of hemming. I'm not built like a boy so the fit was a bit odd, but they have pockets (big bonus) and they're loose enough for me to move comfortably without constantly having to pull the pants legs down my thighs. Snug pants creep up and I hate leggings for the same reason.

I get home in time to start a load of laundry. I'll need a test run for the new dryer that's coming today. My old dryer ran fine last night, but I liken its use to gambling. You can never tell if it's going to run or not. Hit or miss. We bought an Anderson storm door from Home Depot a few years ago and had them deliver and install it. It was quite seamless, so with that prior experience in mind, I ordered a new dryer with Home Depot to deliver and install. (I've read terrible reviews about Amazon's installers so staying away from that.)

The delivery guys called 15 minutes before arrival, well within the 4-hour installation time agreed upon, and were total pros. They came inside and were skeptical at first that my old dryer would fit coming out of the laundry area, but since I'd had the repair guy pull the dryer out twice before, I knew it would. They were surprised, but duly carted off the old dryer, unloaded the new dryer in the driveway and cut it out of its box, then carted it inside and installed it. This took a mere 15 minutes! They took the box and wrapping with them so nothing for me to wrestle with. Awesome!

The senior guy turned the dryer on and had me sign the delivery paperwork. I asked him about the brand new, still-wrapped-in-plastic vent tube that HD had me buy as part of the installation process. He said, "Oh, you don't need it because your old vent is fine since it's in good shape and goes directly outside. You can just take this back to the store." That's contrary to every installation horror story I've read in the online reviews where installers refuse to finish because they're not allowed to use existing vent pipes, platforms, plugs, etc. I'm not sure if HD will accept it, but I'm taking it with my receipt to the local HD tomorrow. Because it cost me $25 that I didn't need to spend, and I'd like that back please.

The dryer fits where the old one used to be, and the door opens without any issues. I especially like the light that comes on when the dryer door is open, like a refrigerator! Also, the dryer has a "sanitize" setting which means it can get super hot. I'd like this appliance to have a long, long life. It's a Maytag, so I'm hopeful.

Humpday

10 min elliptical
Calories 87
Miles 0.79
HR 145-182

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 5r !!!

HGPU 23

Stretch

Back At It

It dawns on me this morning that perhaps I'm getting sick, even though I don't feel sick. I am a tad congested, but that can be attributed to the weird wet weather. I slept fitfully, even waking at 5:30 just to look at my clock and say, Oh good I've got another hour. And then, my alarm failed to ring. Ugh. Things in my house are sporadically failing to work, for no apparent reason. The dryer works today, but only 2 slots of our 4 slot toaster function this afternoon. I really need my phone to ring at 6:35 so I test it and change the ring tone, then add another alarm for 6:40 just in case. The alarm to warm up the car at 7:25 sounded without any issues though... Go figure.

I still got my son to school, and I went to the gym, although I spent 20 minutes in the car texting my sister in the parking lot. Her rescue dog Emily was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. As a 10-year old Sheltie, she's susceptible to this rare disease, and with kidneys starting to fail, my sister doesn't want to put the pup on the recommended NSAID treatment because certain breeds (including Shelties) have adverse kidney reactions. A strong course of newer antibiotics has staunched her urinary accidents, and she seems happy. The vet gave her 4-6 months. Ugh.

I haven't had a flu shot in years, and don't plan to any time soon. I do take precautions, and because my son is in school, surrounded by other germy kids, he has had his flu shot. I feel tired, and sort of depressed, probably because it's still dreary outside. Later, the sun comes out and I feel better. But, at the gym, I decide that I'll do 30 plus minutes of cardio warm up before hitting the weights. I skip pull ups because my forearms are a little sore, and no one needs tendonitis. I barely get my 50 push ups done in the class room before the Zumba instructor marches in to adjust the temperature and blast music. Her class doesn't start for another 15 minutes, but I'm out of there fast. Instead, I find a corner next to the ball rack to do crunches and bicycles. There are two other people also doing planks and stretches there, which makes it feel crowded, and I'm not happy about that.

I am happy that the Smith is free, with the standard inclined bench. Even though it's smaller, I find that there's no good place to set my feet. You might think the floor, and you'd be right if your legs actually reached the floor. I can only get one foot flat and the other is braced tippy-toe, but I can still press the bar. It's very noisy in the gym between the shouts emanating from the classroom next door, the piped-in tunes, and the endless chatter around me. Today I realize that I'm not breathing properly when I press. Everything I've read says inhale as the bar descends and exhale as you press up, or as you're exerting. That seems natural. Except I seem to be doing the opposite, which makes it difficult to actually take a decent breath. I'm unable to correct the situation, even after 3 sets. But I'm okay when I do my high rep set. Ugh. Go figure...

The DB super set is actually easier this week compared to last week, not that it's ever easy. But I feel more like myself, especially with the Reverse Inclined Flyes. Rip Skulls have me hesitating because my left elbow got sore last week. But since my elbow doesn't actually hurt at the moment, I decide to try it again. Besides, the wrong handle is on the cable I'd use for V-bar press downs, which means I can't actually reach the short straight handles as they are way over my head. I'm just tall enough to grab the end of the V-bar, not so with other handles. Ugh. V-bar press downs used to be my alternative tricep exercise (as if I really needed bigger arms). I think DB kickbacks are worthless, and one-arm DB tricep press isn't practical (if you're worried about clocking yourself in the head). But my elbow is fine, and I knock out my 3 sets without any problems. Yaaay me!

There is a yoga class in session now so no class room to stretch out. The stretch space has Snow Bird doing something odd on an exercise ball and two ladders propped up against the wall. This space is also the entrance to the storage and supply room. Ugh. I grab two black mats and drag them across the gym to the Cross Fit area. There's not usually anyone there, and today is no exception. While I stretch, I notice a big bald guy on the treadmill chatting with a blonde woman. He's very pink and sweaty, with a muscle tank and lots of tats on his arms. When I look again, I realize that he's also carrying a big 45 lb plate while he's walking. Sometimes he holds it over his head. Well, I gotta admit, I've never seen that before.

I'm a bit relieved that the gym scale reads 112.6 lbs today. Whew! But still, I'm much too fat. More cardio, less food. Ugh. The dryer delivery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so looks like I'll be able to get a gym session in after all! Of course, the dryer works fine right now. Of course...

Regardless of what I do tomorrow, I'll have to give careful consideration to what sports bra I wear. Because these items are clearly not designed by women who work out. Yesterday, doing a Back (Pull) routine, and the hardware, i.e., the clips that allow you to adjust the bra strap length, were digging into my traps. And I don't have big traps! Ugh. Non-adjustable straps are more comfortable, but only if they're miraculously the right length for your torso. I hate thick straps since I obviously don't need the support, but skinny straps cut into your neck under strain. Double Ugh. It's always wonderful to find something that fits, then you have to remember where you got it, rush back and hope you can find it again in your size. Always hit or miss. Especially if you're looking for the cheap ones. Because I'm not spending $50 on a sports bra. Seriously.

Tuesday Blahs

30 min elliptical + 5 min cd
Program 2
Calories 295
Miles 2.73
HR 144-184 (113)

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Bicycles 50

Smith Inclined Press
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12 x 3 reverse breathing!
60 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

Of Course

My body tried to make up for chronic sleep deprivation over the long weekend. We got home in the wee hours after Thanksgiving and were in no mood to battle Black Friday lunatics. We never are and prefer to do our shopping with civility, online. Saturday we had to be up early to endure a 6-hour Red Cross CPR and First Aid course that my husband needed for a Boy Scout requirement. My son can probably apply this class to his rank advancement somehow. And if I wind up getting roped into doing a leadership position so that our Troop can have a sister branch (as a handy recruitment tool), I'll have already done some of required training.

The first half of the class was active and we
got to practice CPR on responsive dummies. After lunch, we got to sit through several short films, which made us all the sleepier. We did get to practice the proper technique for wrapping a bandage around a limb. And the proper position for placing AED pads on a person, as well as how to administer those two short breaths between each round of 30 chest compressions.

By 5:30 pm, we were home with my boys upstairs working on presentations for next week's Boy Scout Leave No Trace weekend course. Thankfully I'm not part of that. Instead, I had a cup of mint tea and promptly fell asleep. I didn't wake up until 10ish, had some late supper of leftovers from the Turkey Day feast, and then went to bed for another 8 hours. And I still felt tired when I got up. My hubs was going to smoke the free picnic pork I got from the supermarket, but he started too late in the day and decided that kalua pork would be just as good. That just entails putting the pork in a lasagna tin, binder clipping another tin on top and putting it in a low heat oven (225 F) for 10-12 hours. We have an electric timer/thermometer and set it to 210 F. Eventually, because it was waaay too late to stay up much longer, we decided that 206 was good enough. And it was.

We haven't done laundry for over 4 days. Ugh. I go to the gym and do my Pull Day routine. Not only have I put on weight, but I still feel tired, and weak. Double Ugh. Although HIIT cardio seemed fine, I was unable to muster enough energy for satisfactory lat pull downs. I can't pull the handle down forcefully to my chest for each rep. For each set I run out of steam at rep 6, then get 2-3 reps that only come to my face. Ugh. That sucks. And I'm disappointed that after 4 days of rest, I should be able to do more pull ups. Ugh.

The gym scale confirms that I am fat. I try not to let myself slip over a certain weight (113), but it has today (114.4). I've really got to get a handle on my eating habits. It's difficult when the hubs is low to no carbs and douses everything in fat. Not only does it clog my sink, and make dish washing sort of disgusting, it's making me fat too. I can't really digest that amount of fat, so I'm much better off eating low-fat with more complex carbs and fiber. The fact that we still have Halloween candy doesn't help at all.

The washing machine is full, as is a laundry basket. I decide to plug the dryer back in and push the start button. Low and behold, it starts. WTF? This happened once before, just a few weeks ago. The repair guy is fairly certain that it's the timer because everything else works okay: heating element, drum belt, vent. Because I know I can't replace or repair the timer, I decide I'm going to get as much done as possible so I toss freshly washed clothes into the dryer. It's going to take several cycles for the items to actually dry, but better than having mountains of smelly towels and socks. Nothing dries in my house unless it's draped over the gate that surrounds the wood stove. I brought in several arm loads of firewood this morning before I drove my son to school just so I can have a fire going on this damp miserable day. It's forecast to rain until the wee hours, because of some storm system that dropped a blizzard in the mid-West. Glad I'm not there!

A friend recommends a website to find replacement parts for appliances, but of course, the part I need isn't available. The dryer is, after all, 45 years old. However, if I wanted to spend $30, I could replace the lint trap. We've made do with using a bent wire clothes hanger to replace the handle that broke off some years ago. As it is, I don't even know how long this dryer will keep running today. It gets hauled away on Wednesday so chances are good I'm not getting to work out on that day. Tomorrow, however, looks promising.

Post-Turkey Monday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 259
Miles 2.50
HR 134-175 (103)

HGPU 23

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

T-Bar Rows (reg position)
Bar x 20
25 x 16
45 X 20 x 3

Lat Pull Downs (close neutral grip)
70lbs x 12
85 x 12
100 x 10 really hard today
115 x 6(+2), 5 (+3), 4 (+3)

Seated 1-Arm Cable Rows
30lbs x 12 reps ea x 3 sets

RG BB Curls
30lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Stretch

Ugh

The dryer quit working yesterday, Thanksgiving morning. It was working the night before and I had thought to run it for a few minutes just to take the chill off clothes left in the dryer overnight. No go. I'd had the repair fellow here last week and he said that everything seemed to be working perfectly, but if the timing mechanism failed, well, no one makes them anymore and Black Friday is coming sooooo... Granted the machine is 45 years old. It came with the house from Sears Roebuck & Company, back when their household appliances were synonymous with quality. I spend several hours online researching new electric dryers. Ugh. I guess replacing the corroded kitchen faucet is going to have to wait.

I'm trying to clear the dishes out of the sink. I have a double enamel sink with a granite speckle pattern that's rusting at the edges. Neither basin is draining. Ugh. The sink is clogged. On Thanksgiving Day. I'm so glad we're not hosting this year! I'm hoping the soapy, greasy water descends enough for me to pour some drain cleaner in it, chased with a pot of boiling water. Eventually this is just what happens. Later next week, I'll have to call Electric Snake. (Everyone I've spoken to agrees that Roto-Rooter hires and trains incompetent people. Everyone swears by Electric Snake, a local company.) I'm pretty sure all the grease I keep trying to keep out of my drain has accumulated enough to clog the pipes, like a heart attack waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, I am online researching electric dryers. I still have an account with Consumer Reports but I'm not happy with them. My mother used to trust them implicitly. I've become disillusioned with them, especially when they instituted a stealth automatic renewal policy for their online subscription. You have to jump through hoops and barrel rolls to opt out of that. But the worst thing about this organization is that you can't trust their reviews. Every top-rated best buy recommendation is suspect because once you opt to purchase the item, you get to read actual user reviews from sellers like Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, etc. I don't trust any item that has under a dozen reviewers. But an item with thousands of reviews is hard to ignore. And those experiences are completely different from the glowing reviews of the lab controlled testing facilities at CR. Or, at least that's how it appears.

I finally settle on an electric dryer at Home Depot, foregoing bells and whistles. I just want something that's going to dry my clothes! The dryer I select is reasonably priced with good reviews. Then I realize that I have to measure the space the dryer sits in with the door open. Ugh. Our laundry room is a portion of the kitchen separated by louver doors. The wall juts out a few inches for the bi-folds to attach, and that limits the space of a pull down dryer door. I look for a dryer like my current one, with a shorter door length, or one that hinges to the side. The door doesn't need to be fully open to get clothes in and out. I find another suitable dryer but they're sold out in my area. Ugh. Eventually I find a Maytag with a reasonable price tag and a 10-year limited parts warranty.

Twice I have to access the chat service to ask questions about the installation, since I'm not at all handy and chances are 100% my hubs will be at work in another city. Installers will not reuse the vent duct or the power cord so those have to be purchased new. The second time, the service rep asks if he can temporarily install a cool new tool that allows him to take control of my laptop to show me where the installation options are in the check out process. I'm a little wary of this, but since I'm getting a bit frustrated and I've already spent enough time on this quest, I say Sure... 30 seconds later and he's clicked on the appropriate windows. (I had a good experience buying an Anderson storm door and getting it installed from HD a few years ago so I'm relieved that HD will do the dryer installation. In comparison, I've heard terrible things about Amazon installations.) Great. I can also get HD to haul away my old dryer for an additional $20, which is well worth it, considering I still have the remnants of our old generator sitting next to our new one, because I have no way of getting rid of that.

The new dryer is scheduled to be delivered and installed next Wednesday. Which means I have no means to do laundry unless I want to trek into town to a laundromat. Uh, pass. This severely limits my wanting to get dirty, even though I have plenty of workout clothes. Which means I might not be posting anything until next week. I know the washing machine will need to be replaced eventually. Its timing mechanism is busted and not replaceable or reparable. We get around it by using two different settings to get a load done. But eventually that will fail too. Ugh. This is my 3rd washer. They don't last as long as dryers, and I don't need it to be controlled by my phone or any other device. My house is not a smart house. But that's the way I like it.

Alarms Awry

I had already decided last night that I was going to go a few rounds with the Nexersys at my gym today. What I hadn't expected was to be awoken by the sound of boulders hitting the inside of a huge dump truck across from my driveway at 7:35 am. 7:35?! My alarm should've woken me an hour earlier but was strangely silent. I check my phone. Yes, everything is set properly but yesterday the phone kept losing battery power unexpectedly, draining down to 46% with little usage. Ugh. I suspect that the issue is that I've been putting off updating the phone's IOS. I have an older 6+ model so the bells and whistles for the 7 and up don't apply. I habitually put off updating software as long as possible, usually until some of my apps refuse to work properly. I hadn't expected the phone itself to lose basic functionality! Ugh.

I wake my son and hurriedly drive him to school while I'm still in pajamas. Fortunately, he only misses a minute of the first class. Today's a half day anyway, as is always the case before a major holiday. When I return home, I put my phone back on the charger and reluctantly update the operating system. The battery is behaving normally now. I'm happy for such a simple fix, but annoyed that I'm being forced to update. It's one of the things I don't like about Apple products, as much as I love their phones, tablets and workstations. And the ill-fated Zune just couldn't compete with the iPod Nanos, which sadly, Apple has discontinued. Ugh.

The parking lot is crowded when I finally arrive at the strip mall where my gym is located. But I suspect the gym itself isn't very crowded. I did my grocery shopping yesterday. Everyone else has waited until today. I'm determined to whack the machine and proceed with my warm up routine. I am, however, unexpectedly sore from the past few days. Even my knuckles are sore, which puzzles me. The shoulders, back and chest make themselves known, but not enough to dissuade me from proceeding. And I'm skeptical if being sore is going to make any difference whatsoever.

I do the same Follow Me program as last week: 7 rounds Beginner and 3 rounds Intermediate. At some point I'll feel fit enough to increase the Intermediate rounds to 5, and then to 7. Then, I'll drop back to 4 and add 2-3 Advanced rounds, just for combo variations. Yes, I've thought about this a lot. I just wish the glare wasn't so bad from the big plate glass windows behind me. Ugh.

Again, I only feel really warmed up 3 rounds into the Beginner level. But I'm more tired than usual, and feel my lungs burn intermittently. The machine itself is alarmingly shaky, with an odd wobble, as if something's not quite bolted securely. Uh oh. However, I don't blank the screen or get any Hitting Too Hard warnings. Either I'm really tired (and slipping) or the machine is a little different today. I don't know who whacks it in the evenings. I never see anyone on it during the day. After a few minutes rest, I return to tap in 3 rounds Intermediate level. These rounds all make my lungs burn! I'll have to build up better cardiac endurance! But I can't really say that my arms are spent from punching, even with sore delts.

Not that my arms aren't tired. I squeeze out my hammer grip pull ups but can't make it past 24. And the 24th rep was just me getting my mouth to the bar, but I'm still counting it. I do a quick stretch before leaving because I still have to pick up pies from the farm shop at Salinger's Orchards. And my friend who hurt her back shoveling, has asked me to pick up a Carvel ice cream cake for her cousin who is coming up to visit her for Thanksgiving. It's the cousin's birthday. And, because I'm going to the farm to get my pre-ordered pies, my friend asks if I can pick up a pie for her as well. Luckily, the bakery is pumping out pies very quickly, so I don't have to wait long before they restock the shelves with freshly baked straight from the ovens. I also get a cheddar and chive scone for my friend so she can taste what a good one is. Sorry but those scones at the British tea shop don't have any flavor compared to these farm ones!

Once I get home, I have to wrap presents for my cousins' kids since tomorrow is the only time we'll see them. It'll be fun. But it's a long drive, and it'll be bitterly cold. Thank goodness for car heaters and warm coats... Happy Thanksgiving!

Wacky Humpday

10 min elliptical
Calories 96
Miles 0.85
HR 160-194

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 3r

HGPU 24

Stretch

Two Days Before Gluttony

The sky is bleak and dreary, mostly because of the low gray cloud cover and the damp chill. Although it's not actually snowing, or raining, it sure feels as if the skies will open at any minute. Temps peaked at 37 F, which isn't warm, but warm enough to keep frost at bay. My son's class went to West Point today for a field trip, although he couldn't tell me how it would be relevant to any of his coursework. The gym isn't very crowded considering that it's just two days before the great turkey feast. I'm not even sure if the gym is doing their Feast The Least program, which normally starts before Thanksgiving and ends right after New Years. Winners get a T-shirt, just like winners of their cardio challenges. I'm sooo not competitive like that.

A lot of people are opting to eat other things (tiny turkeys, chickens, ducks), if you believe online news sources. (Go ahead and google millennials and tiny turkeys!) Later in the day, a very tall, distinguished gentleman ahead of me in line at the grocery, turns to tell me that he had a friend who used to dine on fish for Thanksgiving. All went well until his children became school-aged and learned that they were suppose to be eating turkey. The genleman has his free frozen turkey on the conveyor, courtesy of the supermarket promotionals. Spend $400 from mid-October to Thanksgiving and get a free frozen turkey. Or Tofurkey. Or kosher chicken. Or family-size lasagne. Or a big salty ham. I have my free 10-lb picnic pork shoulder that we plan to smoke next weekend, if my husband gets around to it.

I cut my cardio down to 20 minutes today (from my normal 30) and tap in Program 1 on the elliptical. I want to save a little extra in the tank. Today's a Push Day, if I can get on the Smith. I see B rolling out a mat beneath the cable station so she's going to do weighted kneeling crunches. Which means she's not on the Smith! There's a cluster of regulars at stations near the Smith though, which is worrisome. I hurry through my core workout, which includes push ups as a warm up for shoulders, chest and triceps. The really big adjustable bench sits inside the Smith cage. It's cool. I can work with this. Although I prefer a bench where I can plant my feet flat on the floor, those are hard to come by since I'm short. And not just short, but short with a long body, long thighs and woefully short calves. Oh well... there's worse things than being height-challenged.

The big inclined bench has a crossbar foot rest under the seat. I anchor my feet there. It's not as stable as the floor, but better than having to use the breaker benches. The two smaller adjustable benches are across the gym in the DB area. Which is fine, since I'll be headed there after I finish Inclined Presses. My back is noticeably sore from yesterday, and that's a pleasant surprise. Only gym rats are glad to feel their workouts the next day. I'm past worrying that soreness is a sign of being woefully unfit, especially since I've started upping the weights in my routine.

It actually doesn't even occur to me that the weights might be too heavy to lift. Mostly, because they aren't. The mechanics of an Inclined Press (or Inclined Bench) means that most of the same muscles are being worked (anterior or front deltoid, upper pectoral, triceps) as would be worked during a flat bench. But the lower pecs aren't really involved and there is less stress on the rotator cuff as long as the bench angle is roughly 45 degrees. I'm not sure why the latter is true though because I can't find anything that explains the actual mechanics of the rotator cuff during pressing movements. (I guess I need an advance physiology degree or something. I do know that the closer the bench is to upright, the closer the movement is to a shoulder press. And those are definitely painful for me.)

I know to lift less because I'm not using the entire pectoral muscle group so perhaps that's why my shoulders are okay. I also don't have the same issues with having to clear the bench since I'm a small person. During flat benching, I'll rotate the bench and put my feet at the headrest, where it's widest and put my back against the narrower portion. Also, when I flat bench, I tend to lift heavier. Once I get past 120 lbs, my right shoulder is at serious risk for injury. I've already suffered a labral tear in that shoulder, but not from benching. Nope. It was from a few extra Hindu push ups after having successfully knocked out a good dozen. I probably got sloppy in my form. Or maybe those tissues are just much more sensitive to abuse -- I'm no Spring chicken after all. I haven't done them since because I don't want to risk another debilitating injury like that again.

90 pounds is probably the most I've Incline Benched in a really long time. I'm not sure I'd push it further so after 3 sets, with a few minutes rest between sets, I opt to finish with lower weight and higher reps. 25 reps isn't all that bad at 60 lbs. I'm not sure I feel the pump in my chest, but my arms are definitely worked. I see a lot of regulars throughout the gym. M is at the big heavy bag, showing a young woman how to throw a gloved punch. I'm not certain, but she looks like the same woman that Little R was coaching a few weeks ago. Of course, all young brunettes with long hair look the same to me since I'm not really focused on human features when I work out. I just look enough to keep from bumping into people, and maybe give someone a quick wave if they're in my face. I'm terrible at being social at the gym.

The DB super set is routine. I realize that I don't raise my arms very high and I keep my elbows bent. However, I still feel it in my delts and that's all that matters. The same goes for the Reverse Inclined Flyes. I can feel the little muscles behind my shoulder, which I'm guessing means mostly the teres major. Cool. Last are the Rip Skulls... I use the same weight, but eventually I feel an odd clicking sensation in my left elbow. Ugh. I have to adjust the angle of my forearm ever so slightly as I bring the bar down to my forehead, and the drop it past the bench. It's a bit awkward, but I get my sets done. Whew! Time to shower! Maybe I'll whack the machine tomorrow...

On the drive home, I spot a turkey crossing the road. They're never usually solo so I stop my car, put on my hazards and pull out my phone. Sure enough, a flock of wild turkeys are gobble gobbling in someone's front yard. There are also a few small, antlerless deer. Another turkey crosses the road. And then a deer. Two of the other deer wander off in a different direction. No flashes of white tail. No one's in any hurry. They know they're safe here. The rest of the flock continues to nibble while I drive away...

Dreary Tuesday

20 min elliptical + 5 min cool down
Program 1
Calories 217
Miles 1.99
HR 151-200 (80)

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

Smith Big Inclined Press
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12 x 3
60 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Stretch