Spring Remake

Some mornings I wake up with my right hand going numb and my elbow throbbing. Golfer's elbow (aka medial epicondylitis) has been plaguing me for years, but just recently its become more chronic. And annoying. I've pinpointed the causative gesture to my laptop usage -- more specifically, my trackball placement. I'm predominantly right-handed, like most people, except for holding a writing tool and chopsticks. On my Macintosh computers, I use the trackball lefthanded.

Now that I have a PC with the annoying right-click commands, I'm forced to use the trackball righthanded. And somehow that trackball isn't positioned optimally so my right elbow has developed a sensitivity that one-too-many-hammer-grip-pull-ups will aggravate. The trackball is sitting too high, causing my wrist to bend oddly, which is stressing my forearm. I don't quite understand it because carpal tunnel seems a more a likely scenario than golfer's elbow.

The recommended cure is rest and barring that, NSAIDs and ice. But I try to stay away from ibuprofen and acetaminophen due to their interference with muscle-repair, and potential liver toxicity. (There is also plenty of evidence supporting the idea that you should not block the inflammation process with fistfuls of antioxidants immediately after your workout because that negates the benefits of the workout.) There are a few exercises I should probably do again, mostly stretching the hand and forearm, or squeezing a tennis ball two dozen times, or flexing my wrist back and forth with my fist clenched. I should also find a new place to put my trackball.

from theconversation.com/dont-waste-your-time-taking-antioxidant-supplements-after-exercise

I've reluctantly skipped Whack the Machine Day this week. Instead, I've started to remake my gym routine to drop some weight, and hopefully, also lose some body fat. I don't like my pants feeling tight, or that I'm busting out of my sports bras. The Nexersys workout no longer thrills and is less a challenge than a compromise: hit the machine but not too hard or too fast. Nevermind that it won't score you accurately and teeters on the edge of a complete breakdown. I'm going to miss the zen-like focus it affords. Maybe after a few weeks, I'll miss it enough to tolerate all its faults. But not now.

Right now I need something to exhilarate and thrill me. I recognize that sensation only comes when I'm breathing hard and my lungs burn. Is that sick or what? I have to push hard to get that effect, not that it's a goal. There's no goal. I'm not looking at mileage or calories even though I make note of them. It's the endorphins, the fabled "runner's high," but I wouldn't say it was an actual goal. Just a wonderful side effect. While I am not doing a continuous 2-hour run, I am pushing myself fairly hard, but not to exhaustion. That would be counterproductive. I'm revamping my routine to include two Cardio Days, but with fewer pull-ups and an extra set of push-ups.

I'm happy that I can access the Expresso Bike and ride 20 minutes playing Dragon Island. Then I get on the Cross-Trainer for another 15 to get the kinks out of my thighs because chasing dragons is all quads on the bike. The partial Mat Stretch will alleviate any lower back and sciatica flare-ups. Stretching also prevent soreness. I'm starting to see some minute improvements in my hamstrings, too subtle to document but at least I've noticed that those 2:1 Lying Leg Curls and Walking Lunges are having a positive effect. Yaaay me!

Change of Pace Cardio 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 286
Miles 2.63
HR 146-194 (95)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

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

20 Expresso Bike
Dragons Island
Calories 68
Miles 3.36
Points 179,790
HR 133

HGPU 20

15 Cross Trainer+3cd
Manual 142
Calories 1
Miles 2.06
HR 154 (145)

Push Ups 50
Mat Stretch