Monday Before FeastDay

I have 3 days to exercise this week before the annual day of gluttony, i.e., Thanksgiving. My kid is catching a ride home from university tomorrow with 2 classmates, a bit later than I think is prudent (he has an afternoon class). The weather forecast is for rain so I hope that the kids will not encounter any problems on the 6-hour drive. Of course, I'm worrying already.

My husband and I finally put together the log splitter we bought on Veterans Day because Home Depot offered free delivery. But that meant we had to assemble it once we got it out of the crate. It took 3-4 hours and thank goodness we had the assortment of pliers, socket wrenches, and other tools! 

At 27 tons, it should be powerful enough to split all the sectioned logs we've had stacked for the few past years. We're certainly using the wood stove to take the chill off the house since the thermostat is set at 62F because I don't relish big fuel oil bills and the dogs are supremely unhappy when temps are too hot. At the dog park, they're positively giddy and race about when the thermometer sits below 30F. Like it was today. 

I have to stop at the UPS store to return a shaker bottle to Amazon before I head to the gym. Since prices keep rising and CVS hasn't renewed its extremely valuable coupon offers, I've stopped buying my favorite protein drink, Ensure Max 30. Instead, I'm going to dip into my large plastic bottle of ON (Optimum Nutrition) whey protein powder and bring it in a shaker bottle with a separate bottle of water.  

The Amazon delivery came promptly and the only item damaged was the shaker bottle. Damaged right at the pour spout so it's useless because you can't drink out of it, and shaking it would cause it to leak. Totally useless so I've asked for an exchange, but I'm skeptical that the replacement will be any better. So I'm on the lookout for one at the grocery later... Because I'm impatient, and I like having backups.

I need a new shaker bottle because all my old ones (from about 10 years ago when they first became popular) are stained with the stink of grossly fruity pre-workout mix. Not mine either. It's what happens when you have a spouse who doesn't understand the difference between yours and not yours. I've taken to hiding items that I don't want anyone else to touch or use because putting your initials or name on it doesn't mean anything to people who don't read labels.

The gym doesn't look crowded from the outside but there are new people there that I don't recognize. Or maybe it's because I'm later than usual. I get on the elliptical and there's a fellow on the machine next to me. He's still pedaling when I finish so maybe he's doing a full hour? Most folks do less than the 35 minutes I do. Again, I'm skeptical that I'll be making it to 2.9, but I do! I feel more rested when I wake lately and again, it's either because I'm sleeping better due to the binaural streaming music or because I'm waking with the sun already up, or a combination of both. It's wonderful not feeling like I need a nap...

Last night was the first night this weekend that the husband didn't get totally sotted and I could sleep in my own bed. Friday the snoring was so bad from him being drunk that I got up and took my pillow to my kid's room to sleep. I won't have that last resort once my kid comes home for the Thanksgiving holiday, but there's always the sofa.

Pull-ups feel hard and my left shoulder is oddly sore but I can't figure out why. Maybe from wrestling with the log splitter yesterday? Happily, last Friday's Walking Lunges didn't make me sore and now they're a permanent addition to the routine. The 100 Dead Bugs are putting a slight strain on my lower back, especially the left side. The remedy appears to be adding a few one-leg hip bridges after the 20-rep regular bridge set. But damn those Wall Squats. I almost sat down gritting out the last 15 seconds.

20 November 2023 11:47-1:10
Sunny Cold Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5834)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 326
Avg Hr: 160, 200-82

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 40
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 5 one-leg bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (30s of hell)