Under Estimating Myself

There were snow flurries in the air when I drove my son to school. The weather promises to warm unseasonably, but not until coating everything with a dusting of snow, then sleet. Ugh. Again, I'm freezing at the gym. I see others are wearing long sleeve pullovers or hoodies while working out. I keep my blue hoodie on until I'm standing right in front of the Nexersys machine. I know its days are numbered because I blank the screen no fewer than a dozen times. The Hitting Too Hard warning only pops up once.

Seven rounds Beginner Level gets me warmed up. I debate whether to go for 7 or 6 rounds at the Intermediate Level. I'm worried about my lack of sleep, and the potential for brewing a winter cold since a lot of my son's friends are sick. I don't want to catch cold, or worse, the flu. The fact that I've had bouts of shingles tells me that my immune system is probably more feeble than I'd like it to be. I'm a cautious person, not that one extra round will tip the balance, but it might. I opt for 6 rounds. Last week I did 5 and knew I could handle 2 more. Today I'm not so sure. I have a problem with second guessing myself. It's that confidence thing... After 6 rounds I'm not winded or tired. So yeah, I could've done 7 rounds no problem. Ugh. 

I'll do 7 next week, assuming the Nexersys still lives. Gym Owner tells me that the Nexersys company wants $1200 just to replace the screen on the other machine, so he's trying to negotiate with them. I'm not sure how profitably owning a gym is these days. The weirdly named all-female gym in my town shut their doors right before the grand opening of the new mega mart, which is odd timing. The space is being disassembled while there's still gym equipment lying about. Looks like they closed in a hurry, and there's no mention of why anywhere online. That can only mean bad things.  

The Nexersys is funky, with the Power Dig registering one blow out of dozens, which is actually one more than I expected. (See image at right showing 7% instead of 0%.) The Power Sweep doesn't always register either. I feel good after the 7 Beginner rounds. I still feel good after the 6 Intermediate rounds. My lungs experience a slight amount of discomfort at the end of a few troublesome rounds where the program ran amok and strung the strikes together without any time to execute them. It's a glitch that's not going to get fixed. I doubt if Gym Owner can get replacement parts, especially since this is an older model. I also doubt that he'll spring for new N3, since those are pretty pricey. 

I see a lot of regulars, but I'm not paying much attention to them. My elbow doesn't bother me today and I'm surprised. My legs are a bit stiff though, but I can't specifically point to glutes or hams or quads. I did realize that my feet have changed, and not for the better. My once-favored Asics are really uncomfortable, which is probably why I haven't worn them in months. They're still serviceable so I donate them and two more pairs of unloved shoes. Even the soft Rykas I've been wearing are starting to fail me. My right foot pinky toe feels as if it's falling over the edge of the foot bed, which is very uncomfortable. It doesn't help that this is the foot with a major birthmark (which must be monitored), a weird eczema patch, a bunion causing the big toe to cross the pointer, and three hammer toes. Oh, and I'm flat-footed as well. 

If your feet hurt, you are handicapped from moving the way you should. I go to Kohl's to buy a cool hoodie for my husband to give my son for Christmas, and directly across from the young men's department are the shoes. Kohl's offers major discounts on name brands, as long as you can find your size. Even their own brands are pretty good though. I've learned which brands offer true Wide Widths. It's not Nike or Asics or Under Armour. It's New Balance and Skechers. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't often offer wide widths in smaller shoe sizes. I'm lucky to find athletic shoes in size 7 W. A lot of online sellers don't start wide widths until size 8 or 9. It's probably more cost effective. Technically, if you measure just the length of my foot, I'm a 5 1/2. But the ball of my foot is so wide that I could be a 6. There's no 6 W anymore. I have managed to find 6 1/2 W in the past, but those manufacturers are making narrower shoes now. I worry that size 7 is going to be too long. There's an inch of extra toe room, but the width is comfy. 

The other issue with Wide Widths is that manufacturers mistakenly believe that wide means fat. Undoubtedly, many people wearing wide widths have fat feet, but I have skinny little heels. (I read somewhere that Asians and Native Americans both have this issue with wide fronts and narrow heels.) I'm in danger of losing my shoes if I don't lace them up to the very last notch, which tightens the ankle area. Well, at least I'll have enough room to wear better-cushioned socks. I've been wearing my socks inside out to keep the seams from chafing my toes, even the "seamless toe socks" sold by Lands End. Tomorrow I'll do a test run of the New Balance sneakers I got on the cheap. I hope I don't trip over my clown shoes...  

Yes, I'm THAT princess. A wrinkle in the bed sheet and I'm up all night. Some days my skin is so sensitive that I'll wear most of my clothes inside out, because the chafing is unbearable. I'm not sure if this is just the IV (ichthyosis vulgaris) skin or something else. My husband's niece posted on FB about mast cell reactions, which seems to be horrible over-reactions to allergens, like uh, adhesive tape or fragrances. Hmmm. I can relate, although my issues are not nearly as dramatic or life-threatening as those posted. The circle of discolored skin on my leg is fading but the biopsy scab is still a scab. I don't even know if it'll fade, but it looks less and less like a nipple on my thigh now. Thank goodness!

Flurry Thursday

10 min elliptical
Calories 87
Miles 0.79
HR 158-180 (130)

T, Y & I Raises
5lbs x 15 x 2

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 6r
(Could’ve done 7!)
Stretch