Do Your Best

Our Cub Scout pack motto has always been "Do Your Best" (compared to the Boy Scout's "Be Prepared"). So I stayed up late, way past my bedtime to complete a qualifying test for a potential online employer. I still got up this morning to take my son to school and get to the gym. I check my emails and find that I have not qualified. I'm not surprised since I've had some disagreements with the potential employer about terms. But a second email says I'm close enough to qualify for a second chance, that I can complete a second qualification test before Tuesday and maybe I'll get assigned to an actual paying project. I'm doing the best I can muster.

The gym is surprisingly crowded for a Friday morning. It's warmer at 28 degrees, and pleasantly sunny. But because temps are below 32, there's the danger of black ice on the road. I'm worried that eventually the Nexersys machines will be damaged beyond repair, so I aim to whack the machine at least once a week until I can't. Today's a Whack the Kickboxing Machine routine and starts with a 10 minute warm up on the elliptical. I'm cold so I keep my hoodie on until I'm standing in front of the Nexersys. Then I put on moleskin pieces, white tape, cotton wraps and finally, kickboxing gloves.

The 7 Beginner rounds are always a good warm up. But I'm barely breaking a sweat. My right shoulder feels a bit off when I throw a cross as I arc my arm up slightly to clear the central Body pad in the middle of the machine. It's not until I encounter the frenetic Intermediate program that I actually blank the screen at least twice and get a Hitting Too Hard Warning once. I'm surprised it's only once. And in spite of all my precautions with moleskin, white tape, and cotton wraps, I've still bruised my knuckles.

I see a lot of regulars from M who comes in late to greet Lazy Pedals, to Ballet, Pissed Off Goatee, Frankenstein, Big Tank, Tasmanian Devil, and CF Dad. Sometimes I think I see Big Tank or Pissed Off Goatee staring at me, but they could be staring past me, or just staring at nothing at all. Since I don't talk to any of them anyway, it doesn't really matter, does it?

My lungs start to burn as I work through 7 rounds of Intermediate level Follow Me kickboxing. I've gotten used to the fact that the machine doesn't always register the Power Sweep or Dig. Sometimes the program runs so erratically that it skips the first blow of a two-blow combination. Still, after 7 rounds I'm happy, and sweaty. After I strip off all my hand protection, I do a quick stretch at the Cage (again), and then, do another set of pull ups just to prove that 1) I can still do pull ups even though I'm totally exhausted and 2) I need to make up for only doing 2 sets of pull ups yesterday. Considering that I'm not going to work out at all this weekend, I think I'm safe just doing one set today. Also, I'm reinforcing the fact that pull ups rely on actual body strength and not something as fleeting as energy (because 14 total rounds of kickboxing will burn through your carb reserves pretty dam quick). I'm burnt, but I can still hoist myself up because the punching (push) muscles aren't the same as the pulling ones.

My son's birthday is tomorrow and he's having a few school friends over to play video games. Of course, I'll need to buy a small cake and chips, and pizza and beverages. Today is going to be a long day because I've got so much to do after I leave the gym...


Pre-Birthday Friday

10 min elliptical
Calories 90
Miles 0.81
HR 149-182 (89)

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 7r

Quick Cage Stretch
HGPU 20