The Rollercoaster's Not Over

I got to the gym later than I'd like, but with the dogs' growing social encounters, it's hard to find time to do everything on my list. And yes, it's quite a list. Without the urgent need to rise before dawn, I sleep until 9ish. If it's not pouring, the dogs insist on going to the park. Hopefully, other dogs are already there because while my pups have each other to torment (like true brothers), it's much more fun if they have playmates to race about with. 

We had a pleasantly quiet Christmas, with our tiny artificial tree and all the presents on the kitchen table instead of the living room window. Dogs own that window now. Others were not so lucky with the high winds knocking over trees and powerlines. At least it wasn't snow. But a neighbor's decrepit garage actually collapsed on itself. The giant tree behind it unscathed with all it's massive branches. The town has sent a salter truck to our road each evening as temperatures drop into the 20s and the road becomes slick with ice from underground springs. 

Unfortunately, the Bark Park suffered a few downed trees that have rendered the Agility Course Park (the playground) section unusable due to a breach in the outer fence (which means dogs can escape to the ball field or the main road) and destroyed a section of the Small Dog Park. Dogs still run in there from the main dog park area, but it's through a smashed section of fence. A skinny 30-foot tree caused that. Happily, most of the dogs that meet at this time are friends, or at least friendly with each other, and all the dog parents are fairly vigilant about poop duty and breaking up any snits. 

I worry that the gym will be crowded because many people and all students are on break between Christmas and New Year. But the gym appears to have the same capacity of regular members. I get on the elliptical worrying that with nearly a week off I've lost any semblance of cardio fitness. My cardio seems fine. It's a loss of strength that concerns me. Perhaps it's because I decided to get closer to the floor during push-ups? I needed to pause several times before completing my 50 reps, and by pause, I mean a second or two in the up position. 

As I exit the Aerobic Room, I scan the gym to see what equipment is available. Both the ClimbMill and the Seated Cable Row are vacant, but there's a guy pedaling furiously on the cardio station adjacent to the stepper. Because the original ClimbMill isn't functioning, the one reserved as a social-distance-spacer is now active. But no one has moved the equipment. Truthfully, I don't know how difficult these monstrous things are to maneuver into position. But I'm uneasy enough not to want to make myself breathless on cardio equipment literally a foot away from someone else, regardless of the fact that we're both wearing masks. 

I do Seated Cable Rows, and then off for a nice hot shower. When I leave the gym, I see Little R on the cross-trainer. Well, that's new. In all the years I've come to this gym, I have never once seen him do any cardio. Until today. I guess New Year and the proverbial resolutions are just around the corner... 

28December2020
Sunny Monday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 2
HR 86, 143-196
Cal 321
Distance 2.88

Crunches x 30 x 4
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Plank 60s
Pushups 40, 5, 3, 2
Quick Mat Stretch

Seated Cable Row
70 lbs x 15 reps
85 x 12
92.5 x 10, 10, 10