High Maintenance

I'm very envious of those folks who can zip in and out of a shower and be done with changing into street clothes in less than 10 minutes. There's one woman at the gym who has it down to a science, with a short haircut that doesn't need combing or drying, and professional attire that's easy to slip on. 

No need to apply lotions and creams, or towel dry the unruly hair that still needs to be brushed and braided. No application of glycerin and alpha hydroxy lotions, sunscreen, steroidal creams for the winter hives, extra strength petroleum-based salves for the cracks and fissures that miraculously appear overnight on heels, knuckles, fingertips. Must be nice!

My kid had an orthodontist appointment this afternoon so my gym routine had to allow me enough time to shower and change before driving back home to get my kid and take him. I managed to get to the gym on time today and I'm surprised that no one is on any of the elliptical machines. There's also a giant cup holder attached to machine #3. Very nice, but I still got on machine #1 to start my routine. Temps have dropped and the gym is cold. I didn't feel warmed up until 20 minutes in of a 35 minute program. Wind Breaker shows up just as I'm finishing.

I still hadn't decided whether I was doing weights or more cardio until I looked over at the free weight area and saw all the empty benches. Yep, DB Shoulder Day. I completed the whole routine, knowing I'd have to cut back in the Aerobics Room if I wanted enough time to shower and change. The area started to fill up as kids wandered in from the local HS. In the Aerobics Room, I concentrated on critical core and sciatic stretches and skipped everything else. I can take a more leisurely approach tomorrow when I don't have such time constraints. 

My gloved purple hand

In the locker room, I see an odd spool-shaped lock. It has letters instead of numbers. Kind of cool, but it's big and bulky! Probably harder to lose. Although not as monstrously large as the dragon fruit I saw at the grocery later. Now I have unusually small hands, but this was a huge dragon fruit, literally dwarfing my hand. And of course, I had to buy it. It didn't even cost that much. I remember when these items were considered exotic and you paid $7-8 for a small one that might not taste any better than grass. I don't know yet if this giant has a good flavor. The yellow ones tend to be sweeter but I haven't seen any of that variety lately.

16 January 2025 11:37-1:02

Thursday — Cardio and DBs

Polar Express

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5568)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 313

Avg Hr: 151,182-84

New FB: 42-130

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:23)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:29)

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1 (12:36); 2 (12:41); 3 (12:49)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Neck stretch / Eye yoga