Pushing Through

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between allergies and seasonal colds. My son has had a peculiar dry cough, scratchy throat and vaguely unsettled feeling in his stomach for several days now. He's also spent the past few days outside doing yard work, whether mowing the lawn or helping another Scout at the local park. In searching for cough syrup, I realized that everything we had was expired. Not just a little expired either. When a bottle is dated 2007, it's time to toss it out. It also means we don't really use cough syrup.

Several online sources suggest buckwheat honey is just as effective as dextromethorphan (DM) cough syrup, so I get a container of honey from a local farm. (I'd say jar, but the bottles are no longer glass. They're plastic and I have trouble putting the two words in the same sentence.) My son found the spoonful of honey to be totally gross. Personally, I didn't hear him coughing, unlike the previous night. He claimed that the honey didn't do anything for him and he still woke up with a dry scratchy throat.

I give him a dose of cough medicine before we go to the gym. It's a store-brand, generic DM-and-guaifenesin mixture that tastes nothing like the cherry-flavor that is labeled on the box. I'm surprised when I have to show my driver's license to make the purchase. Apparently, cough medicine is now an age-restricted substance. Honestly, I might not look my age, but I'm definitely over 21! It's the advent of dangerous teen concoctions such as Dirty Sprite and Lean that have made every cold remedy purchase suspect. Ugh.

My son's not coughing but his stomach feels a little off. We start with cardio. He's plugged into his phone so he can't be feeling that bad. I get my hit of HIIT cardio. He's still able to do his pull-ups and pushups. We do our core exercises. I ask him if he's okay with doing some weights. He says he still feels off but he's fairly certain he can work out. The small bench is in the Smith so we do flat benching. It's actually easier than inclined presses since more of the pectoral muscles are involved. I stick to 70 lbs because honestly, no teenage boy wants to see his mom bench more than him. Especially one who's smaller than he is.

We move to Seated Cable Rows. Seventy pounds is easy but 85 is hard. Even I'm lifted off my seat slightly as I release the cable back to the start position. He mostly feels it in his biceps and forearms. That's reasonable. He gets to choose the last cardio machine and of course, it's the treadmill. I move the incline to 5 and the speed to 3.0 because I'm still only walking, just very quickly. I have my earbuds in, tunes playing and the MarketWatch channel on the console but I still notice that a fellow has climbed onto the defunct treadmill next to me. Oh, he's the repair guy! That's reassuring. After 15 minutes, it's time to stretch and for me to shower. The repair guy is still busy with the treadmill.

Tomorrow, I plan to take my son to see Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. I remember the horrific Tate-LoBianco murders, so I'm happy to see something with a fairytale ending. (Yes, I read the spoiler alerts online.) My son just wants to see a Tarantino flick. I'd rather he see it with me so I can answer his questions.


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 284
Miles 2.62
HR 134-180 (95)

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 Bench Press with Child
Bar (30) x 12
50 lbs x 12
Child 70 x 12, 12, 12
70 x 25, 25, 25

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

15 Treadmill
Incline 5
Speed 3.0
Miles 0.75
Calories 96
HR 105-118

Mat Stretch