Didn't Know This Would Post without a Headline...

I did manage to buy a few milkweeds, both Swamp (Asclepius incarnata) and Common (Asclepius syriaca), at the plant sale this weekend. My son even offered to assist me even though it'd be earlier than he wants to wake on a Saturday. Of course, he had to phrase it as a nonchalant teen, "It's not like I have anything else to do." I planted all the seedlings in different areas of my yard because I don't know which ones will thrive. I even had the soil tested just in case. Common milkweed is considered invasive but I haven't seen any evidence of that. What's invasive is the Oriental bittersweet that I find taking over my hedges, the forsythias, and creeping into my red maple. Ugh.

I've not had any luck with growing milkweeds from seeds: they'll sprout and grow a foot high but never flower. It might be because they have deep taproots and don't do well in pots. Since my yard is surrounded by trees that aren't mine, I had thought pots would enable me to "chase the sun" if it came to that. Milkweeds don't like being repotted, so I'm still taking a chance with these new seedlings. Reading that they have rhizomes baffles me since they're a seed pod species but apparently, some varieties have both.

I'm tired even though I slept in on Sunday. I stayed up late to watch the series finales of several shows. I'm not disappointed, but some of the shows did leave me a bit flat. However, I'm impressed with how buff the new Lucifer appears in season 4. Originally canceled by Fox and resurrected by Netflix, the show has an ardent fan base. The lead has been working out with a trainer and cutting back on his beer in order to put on muscle and definition. Now he's really something to look at, not just a lovely accent in a natty suit.

I got to the gym late even though I left the house on time to drive my son to school. Navigating car dealership phone systems can be very frustrating and I spent 45 minutes in the parking lot on my phone trying to get my husband an appointment to fix the recalled Takata airbag in his Subaru. He'll be home on Friday but most service centers are fully booked weeks ahead of time. Eventually, I succeeded and with that minor accomplishment, I went to the gym and did my standard Monday HIIT cardio and Pull Day routine. With an additional cardio session at the end.

My elbows didn't really bother me until Lat Pull Downs, and even then, not horribly. However, my foot was achy and distracting. It's been a hassle all weekend, to the point where the hammer toes were curling up without provocation and I worried they would spasm. The solution was to sleep with the mild discomfort of gel toe spacers to keep the metatarsal tendons straight and in the proper position.

The workout itself felt pretty good, in spite of my sleep shortage. My stamina and overall strength feel pretty good too. But I'm not getting any leaner, so that's a bummer. Getting my food right (less fat) is harder than it looks.

Hot & Humid Monday Pull

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 2.64
HR 130-184 (109, 96)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Push Ups 60
Crunches Legs Up 40
Bicycles 50
Crunches knees bent 50
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12, 12, 12

Smith RG BB Row
80lbs x 25 reps x 3 sets

Lat Pull Downs
85 x 12
100 x 10
115 x 10, 10, 10

RG BB Curls
40s lbs x 25, 25, 25

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Calories 229
Miles 2.05
HR 141-180 (80, 97, 87)

Mat Stretch