The Goldilocks Conundrum

You know you're tired when sitting in a parked car makes you drowsy enough to fear actually falling asleep. I spent 10 minutes scrolling through my phone before entering the gym, but what I really wanted to do is go back to sleep. It's a cold, wet Vernal Equinox and not at all cheery. There are flash flood warnings for later this evening and a strong wind advisory for the next two days. A radio host called this weather event a nor'easter but I think you have to have both wind and rain simultaneously for that.

So how awful is my workout going to be since I'm so tired? Apparently not bad at all. Being tired affects my mood more than my physical ability. Or at least that's my sleep-deprived perception. Multiple studies have reported that sleeping less than the minimum 7 hours not only distorts judgment, memory and emotions, but also reflexes. People with impaired judgment are the least able to determine how impaired they are -- being sleep-deprived is on par with having an alcohol level of 0.05, according to a 2008 article on Safety and Judgement. So, I'm understandably less than enthusiastic once I'm standing in front of the Nexersys, but how badly am I really going to score?

7 rounds Beginner Level

There is a problem with relying on the Nexersys machine to be an impartial judge, tallying points for appropriate strikes. And that problem is that the machine is old with only partially functional sensors. It's also not smart enough to determine that if I have a score for Accuracy, it's not possible that all my blows came to Zero. Worse, the screen keeps going black when I hit the Cross too hard, or sometimes barely touch it. More amusing are the multiple Hitting Too Hard warnings I activate by uh, hitting too hard?

5 rounds Intermediate

There is no proper level of strike force because one moment you've barely scored 60% power and the next the screen's gone black. The elusive Goldilocks level is impossible to achieve. When I'm tired it's even more important to keep proper form. Although I've taken the usual precautions of warming up and wrapping my hands, I can still inflict damage on myself by not keeping my fists tight, or wrists straight. And I certainly don't want to incur a boxer's fracture, i.e., break the 5th metacarpal (pinky finger bone). It happens when a closed fist hits a solid object. Even though the Nexersys contains cushioned strike pads, it is still possible to seriously injure your hands or feet.

I'm not thrilled about the grip bar welded into the palm of my kickboxing gloves, but it does serve a purpose: to give you a more natural grip when making a closed fist. Admittedly, I have upon occasion, held my right hand too loosely and bruised the 4th and 5th metacarpals. It's why I put a strip of moleskin between those knuckles even though they shouldn't really be part of the striking surface when I throw a Cross or Power Hook. But they are.

Even 2nd round SouthPaw
wasn't too awful 

I still enjoy my Whack the Machine Day, but I'm not getting the same intense workout as before. I miss that. It's not me. It's the machine. Can't hit it too hard. It doesn't register half my strikes but tells me I'm hitting too hard, then chides me for not hitting hard enough by telling me to add rounds because "Practice makes perfect." It dances between Traditional (right-handed) and SouthPaw (left-handed) and scores everything zero. Well, at least I'm getting a few good strikes in during the 2nd Advanced round when everything is backward. But I miss emerging from 15 rounds totally drenched and spent. Nowadays, I'm just hungry.

Vernal Equinox Thursday

Amp it up a little? What, and break the
arm off the dam machine?!

10 min elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0. 82
HR 143-188 (87)

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

Mid-Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 5r
Advance 3r

Cage Stretch