Take a Deep Breath and Keep Going

I'm not horribly sore today but I am unhappy that temps are still below normal for early March. The car says 12F but my home thermometer disagrees and reports 7. Which is weird because my car is sitting in a shaded driveway, and the house thermometer sensor is by the front door in direct early morning sunlight. Sunny is the key as to why the gym is so crowded on a Friday. Another winter storm has been predicted to hit us late Saturday night into Sunday morning coinciding with Daylight Savings Time (Spring Ahead!), later changing to rain just as our town's St. Patrick's Day parade commences. Ugh.

My legs feel thick and wooden as I warm up on the elliptical. This is going to be supremely unpleasant. I survive my HIIT cardio workout and actually do slightly better than Tuesday's run! The front of my right foot has gone numb and the tingling persists well into the Cage Stretch. Yesterday, during kickboxing, that foot's hammertoes threatened to spasm during Power Sweeps. Only standing flat and applying even pressure throughout the foot kept me from catastrophe. Once a muscle group spasms, it's sensitive for several days thereafter. I need to be cautious.

Cardio Day is my hardest workout. It is the only workout where I will actually stand with my head against the wall (so no one can see me grimace) for a moment while catching my breath. And this is only after doing something as innocuous as Walking Lunges. While this movement in itself isn't too strenuous, it can take the wind out of your sails when you do it right after a session on the Octane machine. There's no heavy lifting, but there's enough repetition to tax muscular and cardio endurance. There's more repetition in the sets of hammer grip pull-ups. I do 4 sets today, feeling lucky that I was able to complete the last set without falling on my face. I'd like to work up to 5 sets -- got to have goals!

I'm going to be sore tomorrow, but not as bad as last week. I did finish my shower with a cold rinse, braving it not quite long enough to start shivering. I've done that, and it's not a pleasant experience. One of the trainers also does a cold rinse, but afterward immediately hops into the dry sauna to warm up, which to me, kind of defeats the purpose of the cold rinse.

In my readings, hoping to understand muscle recovery a little better, I came across a few interesting tidbits. The most amusing stated that trained women seemed to have better endurance than trained men. (Can I roll my eyes?) Most articles agreed that rest and nutrition are critical. Another "Duh." However, a report by ACE (American Council on Exercise) flatly states that aerobic capacity (VO2 max) enhanced by HIIT cardio increases muscular recovery time by not only regenerating cellular power quicker (through creatine phosphate [CrP] resynthesis) but also in neutralizing the acidosis which causes fatigue. In short, HIIT cardio training leads to quicker energy regeneration as well as "muscle-buffering" to aid in recovery. Cool! I feel like I'm doing this right after all.

Frigid Cardio Friday

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 288
Miles 2,66
HR 138-191 (105,95, 83)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20

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

15 x-trainer + cd 3
Manual Level 1
Calories 145
Miles 2.23
HR 142-148

HGPU 22

15 Octane + 2cd
Default setting
Calories 119
Miles 1.6
Steps 2246
Floors 36
HR max 128-157

HGPU 20

Walking Lunges
29+29= 58

2:1 Lying Leg Curls
20lbs x 12 reps each x 3 sets

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20

Mat Stretch