Shoes That Fit

I was about to leave for the gym when I got a package delivered. It was the athletic shoes I had ordered yesterday from Zappos. Zappos appears to be the only place I can find my size width in reputable athletic shoes at a vaguely reasonable price. Overnight delivery was a nice surprise at no extra cost! Brooks running shoes are too expensive for my budget so I looked at the New Balance brand. Found a pair under $100 that came in the rare 6 1/2 extra wide and wasn't geriatric butt-ugly. Actual brick and mortar stores might carry a few extra wide sizes but only for big feet, as if only big people need wide sizes. It's a matter of statistics. The chances are greater that a big person with fat feet will need to buy a wide-size sneaker than a person with tiny feet. 

I had to wake my son several times before we got underway. At least his earbuds, which I recovered from the bottom of the washing machine after doing a load, still worked once they dried out. My feet felt pretty good during HIIT cardio. The NB sneakers aren't as cushioned as the memory-foam imbued Skechers GoWalks that I own. But the Skechers are also 1/2 size too big, and the white plastic soles are slippery. The NBs are less cushiony but still comfy and the soles don't slide on the wood floors in the classroom. 

Shiny Shoes is coaching a client at the Smith so I take my son to the dumbbell area and we do DB Incline Presses. It's harder to balance two separate weights and requires more focus and core strength. We start light. I do a set at a slightly heavier weight. I'm sure I could bump up another 5 lbs (per each DB) but I'll wait until next week. The DB Laterals are more problematic. First, my son complains that his left forearm and elbow feel as if there's a muscle tear. He's wearing long sleeves so I can't really see if he's keeping his elbows slightly bent. I give him a lighter weight but he looks annoyed. I have him do front raises. His elbows and forearms feel okay. We move on to Lat Pull Downs with a close grip handle.

The power goes out in the gym. Luckily the lights flicker back on within a minute. It takes longer for the country-western wail and the wifi to return. The sound of thunder rolls overhead, but there's no lightning and no rain. We do a few sets at a moderate weight before taking 15 minutes to jog on the treadmill. Actually, I don't jog. It's too jarring on my joints. I raise the incline to 5 which is halfway up and keep the speed adequate for fast walking. My heart rate never rises above 113 so it's not much of a cool down. I think you need to be hot to cool down. Going from cold to cool is barely worth the time, but I did tell my son he could choose the final cardio. He likes the treadmill, but then again, he can jog without any issues. Back again on Friday! 

Wednesday Combo

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 300
Miles 2.73
HR 142-188 (100)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23
Child 8
Child Push Ups 30

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

DB Inclined Press with Child
15 lbs x 12, 12
20 lbs x 12, 12
25 lbs x 12 (me)

DB Laterals
10 lbs x 12 x 3 child
12 reps x 10, 20 lbs

Lat pulldowns close grip
85 lbs x 12, 12, 12

15 Treadmill
Incline 5
Speed 2.5-2.8
Miles 0.68
Calories 89
HR 97-113

Mat Stretch

Maybe My Sister Was Right

Because I'm a bit obsessive and like to research things I'm interested in ad infinitum, I've been watching a lot of different YouTube videos on the Myers Briggs personality types, as well as reading online articles. My sister surprised me by telling me that she knew for sure I wasn't an INFJ, but an INTJ -- the more logical and analytical type.

She's not wrong, but I think I waffle between the two depending on my situation. I'm definitely sensitive to people's negative energy and find myself being "psychic" by reading body language and expression to know what they need. But only for people I'm emotionally attached to.

As someone who has always felt like the perpetual outsider, it's been a tremendous relief to finally find my tribe. This doesn't really change who I am, or how I approach things, but I'm less anxious about my decisions now. Weird, right?

I had a good interview on Friday, or at least I think I did. Here's my INFJ type trying to "people-please." Where I run into trouble is the required online employment survey I take over the weekend. It's designed to suss out what kind of employee you'd be. I suppose I should've just answered the multiple-choice questionnaire with the obvious correct answers, but part of me overthinks and wonders if there's a more nuanced distinction between asking if someone should be fired for stealing $5 worth of goods vs $10 vs $20.

The answer should probably be "Yes, fire their ass for any infraction." But instead, I think "Well, $5 is like milk or candy or a box of cookies, so I think they should get a warning and some sort of probation, but not fired." It's probably the wrong way to think so I've most likely failed this survey. If I answered "Yes fire them no matter what" does that read as being disingenuous, as someone who knows the right answer to pass the survey but might not be totally trustworthy?

See what I mean about overthinking? We'll see if I get a call-back for a second interview. If I get this job, I'd still be able to work out at the gym, and I'd still be able to take my kid to school and all his activities. I have my fingers crossed.

My son is already awake when I get up which surprises me because he went to bed after I did. Which means he barely got any sleep. He eats two bowls of cereal before we leave for the gym, but I know he's going to be really tired. And cranky. I do my HIIT cardio while he plods along. At some point, his phone's battery runs down and he's not able to watch videos anymore. That makes the 20 minutes on the Step Mill an interminable bore for him. But he plods along.

As tired as he is, he's still able to do his pullups, pushups, core exercises as well as the Smith Incline Press and Seated Cable Rows. Those last two movements make his forearms sore and he declines to do anything further with weights. I don't blame him, and I don't push him. However, next time I'll bring my hoodie if just to drape over the bench. I used a towel today and suffered a mild pink abrasion on the back of my right shoulder blade while I did my high-rep sets. Even though my skin is rough and extremely dry, it's also very sensitive and somewhat delicate. (No wonder I got scabs on my tailbone when I did situps. I don't do those anymore!)

I plan to take him to see The Lion King tomorrow. Hopefully, it won't be too crowded for the noon showing. I've heard the CGI isn't able to make the animals very engaging because, well, real animals just don't have those expressive facial muscles. I guess we'll find out. I'm easily entertained though. I liked MIB 4 after all and it wasn't a great movie, but I laughed.



Monday Combo

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 287
Miles 2.63
HR 127-190 (78, 83)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23
Child 8
Child Push Ups 30

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

Smith Inclined Press with Child
Bar (30) x 12
50 x 12
Child 70 x 12, 12, 12
70 x 25, 25,25

Cable Rows
70lbs x 12
85 x 12, 12, 12

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 113
Total steps 714
Floors 44
HR 127

Mat Stretch

Two Posts in One

I got a little busy yesterday between dragging my son off to the gym, getting some grocery shopping done (with my son's help) and then making dinner in a hurry so we could attend the astronomy presentation at our local library. The speaker was excellent and those who could wait until it was dark were treated to a viewing of Jupiter and a few moons, and then Saturn with its ring and a few moons. My son and I didn't leave the parking lot until well past 10 pm, but that was mostly to help my friend who had lugged her own non-functioning telescope from home to see if the guest speaker could get it working. He was successful, but it took a lot of effort and wasn't really worth it since the images were very fuzzy. But it worked and she was thrilled that this unnecessarily complicated piece of equipment finally showed her a planet.

Today I let my son sleep in while I did most of my cardio routine. I skipped Walking Lunges because I didn't want to be too blown out before a job interview. Gosh, I haven't had one of those in forever. Seriously. I usually never get past the initial application stage so the last time I had an interview was for my last full-time position way back in 1994. I think it went well today. Now I have to fill out an online survey and if that passes muster, I come back for a second interview. I'm hopeful, but there are other candidates, so I won't be crushed if I don't get it.

Yesterday, my son and I did a cardio warmup, then our basic core routine before pushing a few weights. My son complains during the heavy set of Smith Inclined Presses that his wrist hurts. Uh oh. You cannot bench with a joint issue like that. I cut the session short and we do Seated Cable Rows. Afterward, I give him the choice of cardio machines: he chooses the treadmill. I do a fast walk but since I don't want to stress my knees, I'm not going all that fast. My pulse barely rises past 100 and I'm not even close to feeling warm or limber. Oh well.

Thursday Combo

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 2.64
HR 132-189 (83)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23 Child 8
Child Push Ups 30

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

Smith Inclined Press with Child
Bar (30) x 12
50 x 12
Child 70 x 12 right wrist!
70 x 25, 25

Cable Rows
70lbs x 12
77.5 x 12
85 x 12

20 Treadmill
Speed 2.7
Incline 3.0
Calories 94
Miles 0.84
HR 96

Mat Stretch

I make up for it today. Three different cardio machines, three sets of pull-ups and a few seated leg curls too. Admittedly, after leg curls, I'm less enthusiastic about pedaling on the Octane machine, but I still do it. Just slower. My quads are sore. All this cardio and I certainly don't have skinny legs. Nope. I think my glutes and quads are actually bigger which explains why none of my shorts fit. Ugh.

Meanwhile, I've started the new drug Rhopressa and so far the only side-effect is a slight redness to my eyes. That and a vague headache, but pilocarpine also gave me a headache. I'm hoping that my IOPs will drop the 3 points my doc is looking for, and that I'll be able to afford it. My health insurance declined to cover it so my pharmacy won't even tell me what it costs.

Online, the drug with discount cards from GoodRx and the like still costs a whopping $250-$279 per month. I'm using the sampler my doctor's office gave me to see if this drug is even worth looking at. If it's not effective (there's a subset of patients who either can't tolerate the side effects -- picture blood-red eyes or do not experience any IOP drop), then there's no point to pursuing a cost-saving measure. The Rhopressa site itself offers a discount card that's either good for 3 months or 6 prescriptions. And then what? I guess I'll worry about that after I find out if it's working for me. I see my eye doc in a few weeks to discuss the results of my last visual field exam and next steps.

Cardio Friday Plus

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.90
Calories 325
HR 152-190 (81, 91)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20

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

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 718
Floors 44
HR 122

HGPU 20

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12, 12, 12

15 Octane
Default Manual
Miles 1.26
Calories 92
HR 80-134 (average 111)

HGPU 20

Mat Stretch

After the Rain

I finally got a decent night's sleep when temperatures plummeted 20 degrees during torrential rains. I've never actually driven through rain so fast and furious that I could barely see the car ahead of me at 4 in the afternoon much less the lane markers along the road. Most drivers had the good sense to put their lights on. It's also New York State law. However, every tenth driver was clueless enough to drive without headlamps. I cursed them under my breath. The rain continued through the night with flash flood warnings, and power outages due to downed trees and electric lines. Besides a wonderful break in the heat, the rain also seems to have sprouted new life in the swamp milkweeds which had been leafless stalks just a few days ago.

I'm not normally on the road at this time but I had to do an Amazon return and for that, I had to go to Kohl's two towns over. Normally I'd just bring the package to my local UPS which is fairly convenient. Kohl's makes you wait in the same line as merchandise returns and pickups. It's a long wait. It is also a chance for Kohl's to bring new customers into the store so I understand why it's being done. But next time I'll get my husband to print out a UPS return label instead.

Today I wait until the afternoon to get my son up. We arrive at the gym a little before 2 pm so the lunch crowd is gone. I'm a little chilly until I start my cardio warmup. Afterward, I feel much better. My son keeps a steady pace while plugged into his phone. At least he's moving. He's also remembered his form doing pull-ups and I'm pleased. He only gets eight, but they are eight good pull-ups. I do my standard set. In the classroom, after pushups, we chat during our core ab exercises. My son struggles with balance during bird dogs while my nemesis continues to be horizontal scissors.

In the free weight area, there's no bench in the Smith cage. Guys are scattered everywhere and no one has reracked their plates. I locate and drag an adjustable bench from the DB area past a guy during slow curls in front of the BB rack. Most people clear out of my way. I'm clearly displeased that I have to stop to pick an Olympic bar off the floor and put it back on the bench. It's in my way. I don't hide my displeasure, but my son is obliviously looking at his phone. It's okay. I don't know how a 14-year old feels about having a bad-ass for a mother. I see a few regulars who seemed surprised not only to see me but also that I have my son in tow.

We knock out sets of Inclined Press and I talk to my son about his breathing because I see that his face reddens during the last set of 70 lbs. I don't want him picking up bad habits like holding his breath. He tells me that he feels a bit light-headed because he's trying to get his air between the press and drop of the bar. I used to do that and it will cause you to hyperventilate. Not a good habit. I make him practice his breathing with just the bar. I'll have to pay better attention next time. He counts my 25 reps and he's suitably impressed. I'm very happy that he does three sets of 12. Then we move to Seated Cable Rows. It's easy at 70 lbs and more work at 85, but doable. When we're done, he complains that his arms have no energy left in them. Time to do a little cardio, and then stretch. We're done.

Tuesday Mixed Workout

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.85
Calories 318
HR 149-190 (80)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 20
Child 8
Child pushups 30

Crunches 40/60
Bicycles 50
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Incline Press
Bar (30) x 12
50 x 12
(Ch 70 x 12, 12, 12)
70 x 25, 25, 25

Seated Cable Row
70 x 12
85 x 12, 12, 12

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 111
Total steps 694
Floors 43
HR 122

Mat Stretch

Fighting Inertia

It's not that I spent the entire weekend in a sedentary pose, but that after 2pm when the heat became unbearable, I kept myself from sweating by moving as little as possible while sipping cold water, and sitting in the direct stream of a noisy fan. I had the mornings to run errands to various stores, but shopping doesn't count as vigorous activity. It's not like mall-walking. (I'm kidding.)

I'm also not sleeping very well, averaging about 6 hours a night, which is below the recommended 7-8 hours for a healthy adult. No matter what time I go to bed, I wind up waking at roughly the same time every morning, which for me (without a pressing school schedule), is around 8:30 am. I don't feel stupid tired. If I wake after 4 hours, let's say to go pee or take a sip of water, then I'm uncoordinated, dizzy and definitely stupid. Six hours is the absolute minimum for me to be functional. Being functional doesn't mean motivated though. I know I'd sleep better if my room was colder, but there's no a/c in the bedroom. I aim a fan at the bed; that's sufficed in the past. However, heatwaves are totally different creatures and we are in the grip of an unusually widespread one.

Even though I'm up at 9 am, I don't get to the gym until nearly noon. It's virtually empty with about a dozen people and half of those are on the cardio platform interspersed between the treadmills, cross-trainers, recumbent bikes and step mill. Nike is right. Just do it. Don't think about how much doing Norwegian 4 x 4s is going to suck, and about all the other things you'd rather be doing. Just do it. Don't think, just do. And for someone like me who spends an awful lot of time inside my own head, doing is the key and the cure. With headphones on and a good workout mix, I'm all action and very little thought. Not quite meditation, but such a relief to move with purpose. Exercise is mental medication.

Recently, I read an article advocating a music-less workout for runners because music is too much of a buffer from the surrounding world. It's a valid point if you're an outdoor runner. But working out in a gym that insists on fun "ambient" music themes (like Country Western Wednesdays and Throw-Back Thursdays) means some of us need headphones to keep distractions at bay. Music is also motivation. Most of the time I don't hear the lyrics anymore because they've become part of my background noise. Yet, the rhythmic beat helps me keep pace so I'm obviously aware of the aural input in some capacity. Or rather, my body is aware. I'm not really thinking about it, not even when I surreptitiously start mouthing the words to myself as I sing along.

I always feel better after the initial cardio, so the rest of the workout isn't a grind. Today I have to think about what I'm going to do after the abs and core routine. My boys got back from Boy Scout camp yesterday. I let my son sleep in today, but I'm bringing him to the gym tomorrow. A basic full-body routine with cardio is what I believe to be the most beneficial. With that in mind, I proceed to do a modified push routine, with exercises that I don't do with my son: DB incline flys, DB laterals superset with DB reverse incline flys, Rip Skulls. Finish with more cardio and stretching.

My lower back doesn't bother me at all anymore. Exercise is medicine if you do it correctly. (I'm not talking about physical therapy, which needs a prescription from a doctor in order for your insurance company to cover it.) I know that adequate blood flow is crucial to healing injuries and reducing inflammation due to those injuries. The best way to get your blood moving? Move! Doctors (mostly) don't tell you to stop exercising (or rest a body part until it's atrophied from disuse). Even for chronic joint pain like arthritis, treatments include gentle movements like walking and swimming. No one advises sitting still.

I feel an odd twinge here and there, a hip, a knee, right elbow, left shoulder. Nothing serious or chronic. Everything feels better after doing cardio: oxygen-rich blood has been coursing through the body for several minutes, muscles are warmed and limber. Even my mind feels clear. It's not important what you do for cardio. What's important is that you do something you like, something that you will continue to do because there are no benefits if it's something so distasteful you never do it.

Being sedentary, especially at home, is supposed to shorten your life dramatically. Although no direct causes have been ascribed to binge-watching while sofa surfing, many reasons have been conjectured. Studies have determined that sitting at work does not increase your mortality risk, the way that sitting at home does. Mostly because sitting at a desk is not correlated with a lower social-economic class, poorer food choices, less access to healthy foods and activities, less education, increased likelihood of diabetes and obesity, increased likelihood of alcohol abuse. (Wow, the list goes on and on and becomes a social treatise on the inequality of healthcare. Just say it: the poor don't exercise or eat salads.) But I'm digressing. Obviously, the cure to inertia is easy -- just move.

Don’t Wanna Monday Small Push

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 2.65
HR 133-194 (115, 97, 87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

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

DB Inclined Flys
20lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flys
20lbs x 12/15reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12, 10, 8

20 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Miles 2.04
Calories 227
HR 143-179

Mat Stretch

Every New Opportunity

I got to the gym by early afternoon after I had spent a few hours shopping for a variety of items: rooting hormone, drain cleaner, a big bag of potting soil, Scotchgard, a new kitchen faucet with a dish detergent dispenser. Luckily, Big Box stores pretty much carry everything; it's just a matter of asking every third person with an orange apron as to where an item might be located. Because sometimes the item you're looking for has been relocated but no one has informed the staff. Everyone is super nice though.

I leave everything in my car when I go workout because the gym is halfway between home and the stores. I also have to change into gym clothes because like I've mentioned before, I'm not comfortable running about shopping in anything except street clothes. Yeah, I'm old-fashion like that. The gym is virtually empty. Not even sleepy teenagers! This weekend promises an unpleasant heat-wave where temps climb over 90F and stay there. Ugh. Which means the gym is really humid in spite of the a/c. Still, I'm perfectly happy to do my workout without crowds.

I see a few regulars and they don't bother me. I'm known as the "girl who doesn't talk to anyone," or at least that's what B has told me in the past. Although I'm civil, I don't talk to B anymore. It's true: I'm hard to get close to but I'm loyal to a fault. If I'm your friend, you can call me at 3 am and I will talk you down from the ledge. I will carry your secrets, care for your pets, remember your holidays. Until you wrong me. Usually more than once. And then, well, you're dead to me. And now I don't feel guilty about being that way. It's just the way I am.

Have I mentioned that I don't like crowds? That I'm ridiculously sensitive to my surroundings whether it's temperature or just the vibe of the room? That I find small talk at the gym a waste of time and energy? That I've often called myself a chameleon because I easily pick up and mimic accents if I'm immersed for just a short time? That I'm a compulsive perfectionist but also a realist who overthinks every situation and will consequently talk myself out of all sorts of opportunities.

Let me explain why I'm rambling. A few days ago I applied for an online position (editing and research) and part of the application included taking the Briggs Myers questionnaire. I'd filled it out once before, in college, when a friend was taking a psych class. The results puzzled her because what she knew about me didn't correlate to what the test told her. I wish I could remember what those results were, but it was damn near 40 years ago. The results of this recent test are a lot less puzzling: INFJ. (I also just realized that readers of my blog might not see the links I've posted since I switched design formats. Ugh! On my end, the links are underlined, but may not be in actuality. I'm actually going to fix that right now.)

I look it up and find several YouTube videos explaining and differentiating between the 16 different Myers-Briggs personality types. I found myself laughing aloud and nodding my head vigorously. I've finally found people who understand me. This makes me inexplicably happy and I feel lighter. Is it weird not to feel so weird anymore? Do I live in my head? Absolutely. That's why it's taken me over 2 hours just to put this blog post together. Seriously.

I felt light enough to actually fill out an application at the local pharmacy: they're looking to fill a few positions and what's the worst that could happen? That they say "Sorry"? I'm okay with it. I'm not sure why. Normally I'd actually examine every scenario (in my head, naturally) to its conclusion and save myself the trouble of being rejected. I don't know how this is going to turn out. It's an experiment of sorts. And, of course, I'm taking notes.

This angle makes my legs
look long! Lol!

My gym workout was pretty good. Three sets of cardio, two sets of hammer-grip pullups (because I did a set yesterday and last night my right elbow hurt), all my core exercises, plus walking lunges and seated leg curls. Sweat is streaming off me so I'm glad I brought a hand towel to keep from being too gross. My stomach growls during minute 13 of cross-trainer pedaling, and my nostrils have the sensation you get when you've been dunked in the pool. My lips taste like the ocean. I don't actually feel sore either, or at least not until I get home and try walking up the stairs. Oh well...

Yesterday, I also discovered these amazing Croatian cellists. My son turned me on to Lindsey Stirling (Roundtable Revival is one of my favorite videos of hers), and 2Cellos was in the suggested column. It doesn't hurt that they're so passionate when they play, and also kind of hunky. Seriously, when you hear the word "cellist" don't you think of a dowdy, bespectacled person in a tux?




Another Blazing Cardio Friday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.87
Calories 319
HR 145-198 (97, 86)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 23

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

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 720
Floors 45
HR 131

HGPU 20

Walking Lunges
28 x 2 = 56 steps

15 x-trainer
Manual level 1
Miles 1.57
Calories 117
HR? 127-140 (97)

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12, 12, 12

Quick Stretch