Mindset

I slept well last night, probably because I finally remembered to wear heavy-duty alpaca socks to bed. Having warm feet apparently makes all the difference. I got up to face 19 F. The bird feeder was completely empty, as was the suet cage. It'll be cold all week so I'm eyeing the wood pile and wondering which day I'll be hauling more firewood into the house.

Even the gym feels cold, at least until I'm done with my first 38 minutes of cardio. I talked myself into doing another 4 x 4 session, which runs 33 minutes. That's how much time I tap into the elliptical while it's on a manual setting. However, Snow Bird is in the Stretch Cage, taking his time and chatting with a gal on the adjacent back-extension machine. I let the machine tack on a 5 minute "cool down" because I don't know how long the old guy will be. He's done and gone by the time I get down there. I'm always a bit stiff when I first stretch, even after a good 30 plus minutes of cardio!

The pull ups don't feel horrible. Relief! The Boot Camp class is in session so I do my push ups, crunches and planks in the stretch area by the storage closet. Another gal is there, doing a few (like 5) crunches on a giant exercise ball, then a few push ups, then, I'm not sure what... I've seen a lot of people doing weird exercises on those balls, or half balls. I know the theory is that it's suppose to challenge your core due to the instability of the ball, but all I see is a stupid way to get injured. Like the guy who had a popular restaurant on the big lake in town, only to break his leg doing squats while standing on an exercise ball. WTF?!

Today is my Extra Cardio Day. After I do core, I scan the gym for another cardio machine to use. I haven't decided what because it all depends on availability. Actually, everything's available. It must be the lull between crowds. I decide on the Step Mill for 30 minutes. It's impossible for me to just trudge up the steps like I'm marching to the gallows. Instead, I switch my foot positions every 60 seconds to keep it interesting. I also watch the 3 Stooges on a far breaker bench. It's actually M, Big Tank Guy and Lazy Pedals. I guess the first two have adopted Lazy Pedals into their group, teaching him proper lifting techniques. Big Tank loads an EZ curl with several plates, then knocks out skull crushers. Lazy Pedals takes a few plates off and does close grip half presses. I don't know what M does. He's the most trim with a V-taper, but I also know he's had shoulder surgery. I don't see him benching heavy anymore.

I see B, and Hollywood, and a few other regulars, but not Ren Faire. Unless I don't recognize her? When I get off the Step Mill, force of habit has me back at the Stretch Cage. Well, nothing wrong with a good stretch, right? But, then I decide that I ought to do a few more pull ups. I'm so relieved to match my first set in reps! That's the most total pull ups I've done in weeks. Yaaay me!

In the locker room, I overhear two women speaking about the news. One remarks that the missing American tourist has been found dead, killed by the resort's security guard. The other woman needs more information. The first woman expands on the story: a woman and her sister-in-law were vacationing on some island. But the in-law had to go home early so the woman stayed behind for some alone time. The first woman says "What was she thinking!" The second woman doesn't quite understand how the tourist died. "Well, he obviously tried to rape her and she probably resisted and then he stabbed her." "Why would she be there by herself?!"

I'm troubled because it sounds like they're blaming the victim. It's her fault she got raped and killed because she stayed alone at a resort. How close is this to blaming a woman for wearing the wrong clothes, or for being out in public, for showing her hair and face, or not having a male escort? For wearing yoga pants to go shopping, or having open-toed shoes? Seriously. Part of me agrees with the women, because experience has shown me never to trust anyone, especially men. Especially foreign men. (Very few parts of the world seem civilized. And this country appears to be losing its civility as well.) And part of me is angry that this is how the world is, that it's impossible for a woman to take a walk by herself without the fear of falling prey to not a wild animal, but a man. At resorts, can we make assumptions of our safety? What about Disney World? I think about the family who lost their toddler to an alligator while within the resort hotel grounds. Personally, part of me says, Hey it's Florida and any body of water is suspect. And yet, part of me says, but it's Disney -- The Happiest Place on Earth!

Tomorrow I'm going rounds with the Nexersys. There's still only one operational machine. Luckily, it's the one I like to use. I haven't asked Gym Owner about the other one, but I'm sure I won't like the answer if he has one.

Wednesday Xtra Cardio

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Add 5 min machine cool down (38 min total)
Calories 283
Miles 2.79
HR average 135, maximum 182 (lowest 109)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

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

30 StepMill
Level 3
Total steps 1056
Floors 66
Calories 168
HR? 133

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Stretch