Better Than Expected

I got to the gym later than I planned but at least I finally made it. Actually, I had planned to go yesterday and got ambushed by a neighbor I had spoken to a few weeks earlier about a tree on the property line. From my driveway, it's dead with white bark and a sparse crown of autumn leaves. It's hard to see from my neighbor's driveway. Instead, what's more noticeable is a bigger tree that appears to be leaning toward my house. From my property, we're viewing it head on, and the lean is not visible. A tree guy showed up 30 minutes later than expected, and by the time we had agreed to a price, course of action, and a timeline, well, I had lost my incentive to head to the gym. 

I really don't want to fight over equipment when the gym is full of HS and younger kids. If I can't make it during that Goldilocks time, then I just don't go. Today, the gym isn't crowded when I arrived, but elliptical #1 is occupied and Wind Breaker is on #3, as he will be for hours. I get on the Life Fitness cross-trainer. It's far from my favorite machine. I don't even break a sweat pedaling those 15 minutes so it's a paltry warmup. 

The pull-ups are good though, and that's at least one consolation. Cuz cardio's been better, but not recently. The step machine is actually better although I entered the same 8 minutes with a 2 min cool down and increased the speed to 5. I'm finally warm enough! My hands are a tad sore/tired but I'm still able to knock out my pull-ups without resorting to desperate kipping. Elliptical #1 is finally clear. I don't get anywhere near 2.8 but sweat is dripping off my nose. Unfortunately, I can smell that weird dried mushroom odor emanating from the fellow two machines down... Ewwww. 

I have a small internal debate as to whether I want to do a 3rd set of pull-ups. I've bailed the last several sessions, but today I feel confident enough to attempt this last set. Mentally, I tell myself that getting 12 is the absolute minimum, 15 would be great, and anything more than that would be awesome. It does surprise me to get 18.  

Satisfied, I head to the Aerobics Room. It's unpleasantly warm even though the Senior class vacated it a few hours ago. I do the basics and I'm okay with it. Maybe I'll make it to the gym next week more than twice. We'll see... 

I am a bit concerned about the latest news regarding lead levels in protein powders. It's alarming to see two familiar names: Optimum Nutrition (serious mass) and Ensure (plant based protein), although they are near the bottom of the list for concern and are specific products I don't use. (We have used the ON gold standard protein shakes, but not lately.) Yes, not as bad as the top two protein powders that have tested for a thousand times more heavy metals than the lowest products. But still... I'd like my protein shake to not have anything harmful in it. 

17 Oct 2025 12:38-2:41

Friday All Cardio Late

Cool & Sunny

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.43

Cal: 117

Avg Hr: 120-127

not sweating just itchy

HGPU 19.5

Matrix StairMaster (R)  

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (38) / 1 (29)

Steps 455

Floors 28

Cal 68

Hr 146

HGPU 18

Precor elliptical #1 

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5344)

Distance: 2.76

Cal: 303

Avg Hr: 138, 179-74

FB: 41-182 ?! That's kind of high

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges 

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga