Aw Heck...

I never quite trust myself, especially since I tend to find loopholes and worm my way through them. This morning, my hands didn't hurt at all and I decided that I'd whack the Nexersys after all, just not the one on the Left. It's not worth bruising the bones in my hands just to get some nice scores. I don't have that issue with the Right machine, the one with the non-functional Power Dig sensor. But since I don't really care about the scores (not really), then I'm better off using the other machine.

I do my warm up exercises and drop all my gear in front of my chosen machine. The only thing I can't fix is the glare. Even though it's earlier in the day, the glare is still problematic on both machines. I find myself ducking and bending oddly just to get a clear view of the screen. Ugh. However, I have a great workout and thoroughly enjoy myself. I can't figure out why the machines still think we're in May, and not quite sure what the Sparring program's arbitrary points mean... are those the blows it thinks I should be taking? I’ve easily surpassed those goals by nearly half.

I know I'm not going to whack the machine for a few weeks, not just because it's strenuous, but also because the punches can be a bit jarring. Some of those strikes actually transmit back through my arms and into my body, neck and head. The Left machine is worse in this aspect because the pads are so much stiffer. I can feel a good Cross rebound in the back of my skull. That’s probably not a good thing, so I’m pretty much done with the rehabbed Nexersys. I’ll just stick with the broken one.

There are a few regulars in the weight area, like The Mayor and Little R. Sometimes I see them in the parking lot or grocery, but I pretend I don’t see them. Because it’d be too weird to acknowledge someone outside of the gym, but totally ignore them inside. I don’t have that issue with women, but men are different. As much as I’d like to believe that we can all be friends, it’s the rare exception, and  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been wrong. How many times I’ve chatted with a guy as a friend, and how many times the guy had totally different intentions, or fears. Even Big R, as sweet as he was, had this underlying fear that we were attracted to each other. Nevermind the impossible logistics, or the fact that we never ever had a suggestive conversation ever.

So, I basically ignore guys unless they’re proven friends. Of course, sometimes that just leads to teasing. My hub’s friend looked at my feet the other day and asked if I was wearing cowboy boots. I replied, “Yeah, Ariart Fat Baby’s.” Because that’s what they are. He said, “Those are so cute. They’re so little. They remind me of Woody’s girlfriend in Toy Story.” What?! My footwear reminds him of Jessie the cowgirl doll? I suppose it could’ve been worse...

Tomorrow I have to be at the hospital at 8 am. My girlfriend will drive me there, and back because I’ll probably be in a lot of pain. My glaucoma docs says it shouldn’t hurt, but I recall having a metal cinder imbedded in my cornea in HS. It hurt like hell. Just a tiny speck that blew into my eye, and had to be removed by my dad’s doc friend. It seemed to hurt worse after he removed it. Wearing a big bandage over half my face, with my eyeball throbbing, and my dad taking me to the Playboy Club for lunch didn’t help at all. Because my parents used to do all sorts of ridiculously inappropriate things. Seriously. They were terrible role models. But of course, I thank my father for my ridiculously good vision (not really needing glasses at age 58), and my mom for my glaucoma.

Never mind that the doc says I’m going to need glasses after cataract surgery because I’ll be one of the few people that does not get improved vision with lens replacement. Hell, there’s nothing wrong with my lenses. Ugh. I’m having this surgery with extreme reluctance. At least I’ll still have my right eye, the good eye with better vision. I’m not planning surgery for that one just yet.

Whacky Tuesday 

10 elliptical
Calories 97
Miles 0.86
Average Heart Rate 157/191

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys

7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp
7r Intermediate FM

HGPU 30

Splitting the Difference

My generator kicked on at 2 am because the power blipped out for a minute. Not only did I hear the gennie, but my phone got the text alert and email. Well, it's always good to know things are working properly. I read about dirtbags stealing other people's portable gennies from their yards. At kung fu yesterday, other parents tell me that this happens a lot in Florida, and the thieves will hook up a lawn mower to simulate the sound while driving off with the much-more-valuable generator. Ugh. Sometimes I really hate people.

I was tired when I got up to get my son ready for school. Apparently he was more tired because as he stepped into the school bus, he suddenly turned around and said, "Mom, I forgot my binder!" Which of course meant that I had to go home, get dressed (because I often go to the bus stop in my jammies but no one can really tell), grab the binder and drive to school after the buses have all arrived. There's a big sign to the school entrance that forbids parents from driving in between 7 and 7:45. I know my son's first class is at 7:34 and it's Math, but I won't get to the school until 8. It doesn't help that I have to drive all the way around town because 2 out of 3 main roads are inaccessible due to this stupid natural gas pipeline. Ugh.

I run a few errands on the way home, but I'm not quite prepared to hit the gym yet. A lot of my stuff is still in the dryer and needs to be sorted before I can leave. The gym isn't crowded by the time I arrive so that makes me happy. I do my pre-whacking warm up routine without any issues. But today I've decided to do the first 7 rounds on the Left Machine, and the last 7 rounds on the Right Machine. The Left has all working sensors, but the Pads are set too high and straight, causing me to worry a lot about hurting my wrists with the Jab and Cross. It's fine for Beginner rounds though. And I'm happy enough to do the combo Follow Me and Sparring. I actually score over 300 for the first time during the second Sparring round, and I am extremely pleased.

The Right Machine still has the dead Power Dig sensor and a temperamental Power Kick/Sweep, but the Pads are positioned better for me. At first they feel awfully soft and beat-up, because they are in comparison to the Left Machine. But I get used to that really quickly and enjoy several fast, rhythmic rounds of Follow Me. I'm drenched by the time I'm done, but today I remembered to bring a towel.

After I strip off all the tape, wraps and gloves, I brace myself for Core. But first I want to try Spiderman Push Ups. Because this is new to me, I take my time. I move awkwardly, trying to get my knee close to my elbow as I descend into a push up. My feet feel big and clumsy as I try to clear them off the ground. But I do manage to do this move. Twenty times! Twenty is as many as I can go before I actually worry that I'll fall on my face. Literally. Then I do some planks and crunches and call it Done! Soooo done!

I'm probably going to regret not stretching today since I plan to do a Pull Day tomorrow. There's only a few weeks before my scheduled cataract surgery, and that means the only exercise I'll be able to do is walking on the treadmill. Ugh. My doc doesn't even want me to sit in the sauna because she worries about airborne bacteria! This all makes me somewhat depressed... Especially since there's no guarantee that it will result in the desired outcome of lower IOPs. Double Ugh. Well, at least I had a great workout today!

Whacking Wednesday

7 rounds Beginner: 4 Follow Me / 3 Sparring

10 elliptical
Calories 96
Miles 0.85
Average Heart Rate 178/205 (!)

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp (left machine)

7 rounds Intermediate Follow Me

7r Intermediate FM (right machine)

Spiderman Push Ups 20
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

Whacky Thursday

After checking myself in my phone this morning, I make it to the gym wearing splotchy leggings and a stringy gray tank. Normally these leggings are a bit loose in the waist, but I'm bigger now, so they stay up just fine. I'm not terribly happy about my "new" weight which hovers at 112 lbs. I have to really focus to drop down to 108. My regular clothes would fit so much better if I did. But I haven't come to terms with giving up avocados yet. Because avocados are fattening. And since my hubs is doing no/low carb, we always have avocados in the house.

It's late morning so the early crowd has already left. I get to warm up on the elliptical in peace. My right ear canal feels tender, and I realize that I have to change that ear pad yet again to something even smaller. Or, I can give up and replace that one with the memory foam pad... I can hear lots of ambient vocal squawking. Ugh. It's The Mayor. He and Little R are apparently taking turns on the Inclined Bench doing DB something or others. I haven't seen Little R in weeks, but I did notice his shiny silver Subaru WRX in the parking lot today. (It's the only Subie that still has a hood scoop.) I used to want one of those. Before I learned how unreliable and trouble-prone they are. (I also used to want a big red pickup with a cap, to live on a farm and have a houseful of kids. But that was when I was 10.)

There's no one at the Nexersys machines. There never is, which is kind of a bummer. But since the company doesn't seem able to support their own equipment (parts are difficult to come by), perhaps it's a blessing that these machines aren't being abused by the masses. I wrap up my hands and tap in 7 rounds Beginner, Follow Me and Sparring. The Power Dig sensor is still wonky so I don't waste my energy trying to score on that pad. Some of the other sensors don't always register either. And I blank the machine half a dozen times. But I keep punching and jabbing anyway. I had the wire to my earbuds down on my neck but after the wire caught on my skin for the 3rd time, I draped it over my clipped-up hair. I worry about accidentally damaging the wire with my hair clip, but it's far worse to have your ear bud pull out because the wire got stuck to your sweaty neck. Ugh.

The machine goes a little crazy during rounds 2 and 3 of the Intermediate set. Those are all Follow Me rounds. My knuckles get a little sore. My shoulders and back are already a bit sore. From yesterday. Or sleeping. I start to lose steam during round 5. Ugh. I'm disappointed. Not only did I have breakfast, I actually upped my protein intake. Because after coffee and Greek yogurt (22 gms protein) with a splash of maple syrup, I was suddenly hungry while loading the car with my gym gear. I wound up drinking a Fairlife strawberry shake (15 gms protein). Okay, so maybe it's not being bigger that bothers me. It's not being leaner...

I'm happy with my kickboxing rounds. And before I leave the gym, I make sure to squeeze out my pull ups. I get to 26, and even though I know I can do a few more, maybe two or three, I just stop. Because I'm tired, hungry and just don't feel like it. Ugh. What the hell is wrong with me?! 

I have a few errands to do today, including stopping at the local pet food store to check out low-fat canned dog foods for sufferers of pancreatitis. They stock Weruva. It's a bit pricey between $3.29 and $3.69 for a 14 oz can. And a 60 lb dog would eat more than one a day. I'll still cook ground turkey and rice/oatmeal for the pup, but now I'll supplement it with organ meats like chicken hearts, and cottage cheese. The pup loves scrambled eggs, but there may be too much fat in egg yolks for him to handle safely. Sigh.

Online, I can buy Hill's Science Diet low-fat 13 oz cans, or Weruva 14 oz cans. Weruva has less fat and more protein (1.4%, 10% respectively). At the back of my dog cupboard, I dig up a few old cans of Hill's i/d. Yes, they're expired, but what does that really mean? I open a can and it seems fine. The dog eats it and suffers no ill reaction. I'm not ready to totally ditch the bag of Iams Senior dog kibble either. It might have too much fat for the pup to eat solo, but a little mixed into his rice doesn't seem to hurt him. Low-fat dry dog food is astronomically expensive at over $80 for under 30 lbs. There are countless blog sites discussing canine pancreatitis. One site advises against feeding the dog starches such as rice or potatoes, but paragraphs later, says mashed spuds are okay. Another site suggests that the optimal food should be half protein and half easily-digestible starches, like rice and/or potatoes. Pumpkin appears to be an ingredient in a few low-fat dog foods. One website warns against foods that contain too much sugar because that will stress the pancreas, and nixes the idea of using pumpkins, peas, carrots and sweet potatoes. Well, it's not like I'm going to put sugar in his kibble. Ugh.

The wart on the dog's back, although not any bigger, does ooze from time to time. It looks like blood. The vet gave me a small plastic container of antiseptic, antibiotic wipes for it. The dog doesn't react as if it's painful. I brush him and wipe him down with waterless spray dog cleaner so he's less stinky.  Yeah, getting old sucks, but this dog still has a pretty good life...

Nexersys Thursday

10 elliptical
Calories 95
Miles 0.84

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Running On Fumes

Since my hubs has gone full fat / no carbs and I have trouble with fatty foods, you'd think we'd have the perfect balance of meals. He's cooked bacon so many times that I now find myself wrinkling up my nose and flat out turning it down. I still like having avocados with mashed garlic though. Last night I put that atop a baked russet potato. It felt like a treat. This morning I ate my standard coffee with fixings, and skyr yogurt with vitamins. So I wasn't expecting the crash halfway through my "kickboxing" workout!

With one minute to go on Round 2 of the Intermediate set, I suddenly feel all my energy drain away. Like pulling the plug out of the bath and watching the water spiral down the drain. Weird and a bit disconcerting! I'd felt perfectly energetic right up to that moment. Perhaps it was the 3 rounds of Sparring? I haven't done that in a while, and I avoided wasting my punches on the one sensor that only registers blows sporadically. Actually, less than sporadically. I still finished the set. And, in spite being ravenous enough to eat my hand, I managed to squeeze out my hammer grip pull ups. But I didn't have the energy for the Mat Stretch.

I admit that my legs are a bit stiff and sore today, but nothing painful. It's just a vague reminder of yesterday's workout. I get home and make myself a bowl of oatmeal, fully intending to let it cool enough so I can add whey powder and not have it cook into a unappetizing gummy mess. I use milk instead of water. And add an egg after a minute so it can poach. Then I decide to add cocoa. It tastes pretty good! But damn I'm tired. Good thing I'm probably not going to the gym tomorrow as the dog has his annual appointment. I'm hoping the dog will last the year, but he's old, and slightly incontinent. His back legs are wobbly, and half the time he won't eat. Still, he's been with us 15 years, so we'll keep him as long as he's able to get up...

Nexersys Thursday

10 elliptical
Calories 96
Miles 0.85

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner 4FM 3Sp
7r Intermediate FM

HGPU 26

A Chill Everywhere

My phone said it was 20°F outside, but sadly, it was wrong. The thermometer actually read 14 when I took the dog outside. It was still 14 when my son and I were standing at the bus stop. Fourteen isn't bad if there's no wind, but I think there's some sort of Arctic clipper rustling through. "Thanks Canada," my son said to no one in particular through his fleece face warmer. And even though I'd already been out twice, I still had a hard time convincing myself to start the car and head to the gym. But I did get there.

I did my standard warm ups, and then planned for a descending sequence of rounds as I advanced the difficulty level. As long as the Advance level ended in 1 round, since that's the only way I can be assured of having it play fair, in Traditional stance. I see regulars and I'm glad I can't hear any of them. Not The Mayor, or Loud Mouth, or Stinky Butt.

My knuckles sting a bit and I realize that I've been a little lax with how I taped my hands. There's nothing I can do about it since the tape is already under cotton wraps and my gloves. And I'm not about to interrupt my set just because of a little stinging. When I finally unwrap everything, my knuckles are a little pink, but nothing skinned or actually bruised. Pull ups, afterwards, are kind of hard at the end. Because I'm actually a bit tired, and a whole lot hungry. Ugh. I had coffee and yogurt (with my vitamins) for breakfast, but it's not enough... The fried chicken I brought home from the grocery yesterday tasted really good, but of course, the salt content is making me retain water. (I don't have enough time to make dinner between kung fu and Boy Scouts so I rely on ready-made food. By the time Scouts is over, it's past 9 pm.) Or that's what I tell myself when I step on the scale. Ugh. 112.4 lbs. I'll know whether it's water for sure when I get on the scale tomorrow. Sigh.

Wednesday

10 min elliptical
Calories 94
Miles 0.84

T, Y & I DB Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner
6r Intermediate
1r Advance

HGPU 26

High Hopes

My head cold is just about gone. I only have some residual sniffling and a morning cough so I was totally surprised when I tried to change the light bulbs in the kitchen. Massive vertigo spell. Ugh. The kitchen is fine during the day due to the big south-facing window, but since it gets dark a bit past 4 pm, I really need the ceiling fixture to emit light in order to make supper. Ours, and the dog's! I'm hoping my hubs gets home early enough to do this today. He can reach up without needing a step stool, whereas I'm standing on the kitchen table.

Not only am I having intermittent vertigo, but I still feel exhausted. I'm not used to this. I know I'm not getting quite enough sleep, averaging 6+ hours each night when I really need 7+. Recent online health articles disparage the use of zinc and vitamin C to alleviate colds. Personally, I don't really think they know what they're writing about. Most of these articles tend to take distillations of studies published in other journals, recompile the numbers and then come to their conclusions. Cheaper that way, and they don't have to do any long-term studies themselves. It's just a different statistical interpretation. I'm still taking my zinc tablet daily, along with my other vitamins and minerals, and a hit of orange juice. I hope I feel more recovered by Friday when I plan to do another Intervals session. Maybe I should ease off the garlic and olive oil?

Today I planned to whack the machine, starting with 7 rounds Beginner for warm up, followed by 5 rounds Intermediate, and finishing with 3 rounds Advance because the Advance has totally different combos. The Beginner rounds went well. The machine didn't blank the screen, tell me I'm hitting too hard, and register abysmal power scores until I did 5 rounds Intermediate. It suggested that I cut my rounds and build up my stamina. Ha! Never mind that it ignored most of my Sweeps and Power Digs. I punch in Advance and the machine switches to Southpaw. Ugh. I complain to Gym Owner. On a whim, he taps on the Left Stance for the Advance level, and voilà, the machine sets up as Traditional. We think the problem's solved until I move onto round 2. The machine reverts back to Southpaw. He shrugs his shoulders. Ugh! I do another round at Intermediate just to get 14 rounds today.

Gym Owner tells me that the Nexersys company is a pain to deal with, and that they no longer support this system. They're upgrading the base so that it's wireless. Uh, will it be more accurate? He also tells me that the Espresso bikes are wireless and I tell him I've tried them once but I can barely reach the handlebars. He's surprised. The gal at the front desk can use it so I should be able to as well. She's 2" shorter than I am, but it is possible that since I have a long body and short limbs, she might have a longer reach. Possible. He says we'll look at it tomorrow. Okay.

Wednesday

10 x-trainer
Calories 48
Miles 1.3

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Nexersys
7r Beginner
5r Intermediate
1r Advance
1r Intermediate

HGPU 26

On the Mend

Fixed with Crazy Glue

I was ambivalent about going to the gym yesterday, but I had my bag packed. Then I bent over and the lens to my reading glasses plopped onto the floor. I didn't really think much of it and tried to pop the lens back into the frame when I suddenly realized that the frame itself was broken. Ugh. A clean break right below the nose pad. It's not a place that you can tape so I tried Elmer's. Nope. They weren't expensive glasses, but still... I have a second pair but they don't fit as well and tend to sit skewed on my face. They're not the same style either being wire-frames, so the lenses are actually smaller, which is fine for peering over but not so great for lengthy reading. I tried on dozens of readers to find the ones I wear most of the time, based on comfort and the fact that I only need a 1X, which I found out yesterday, is not widely carried by stores. I'm so pressure-sensitive, I can't wear anything heavy. With a typical Asian wide, square face (no nose bridge and big high cheekbones), I can't always judge how well glasses will fit me until I don them.

I went to 3 different stores and discovered that most only carry the Foster & Grants brand, costing upwards of $20 and starting at 1.25X. Ugh. Not what I want. CVS was the only store to carry 3 different brands and online the choices leap up to 15. But I can't try glasses on online. Two of the three brands carried in-store came in the 1X, but as did CVS's own inexpensive brand ($12.95), but the 1X appeared to be out of stock. I tried on the 1.25X, which fit well, and made type two feet away look very crisp, but I didn't want to start buying stronger glasses than I really need. The other brands cost $25 and $35, which made me wish I had one of those 30% off coupons. Even then the glasses would cost more than I wanted to pay. The store manager apologized and said that more glasses might be on the truck coming in at the end of the week. There were 3-packs of 1X readers for $19.95, but I tried a pair on and they were too tight in the temples. Besides, I didn't want to own 3 pairs of 1X readers. Instead, I bought some Crazy Glue and glued the frame back together. It's not pretty, but it'll do until I check the CVS again at a later date.

Today, I went to the gym. It was late, nearly noon. I did my 10 minute cardio warm up, and then shoulders with the Baby Bells. After pulling at the bands, I ambled over to the Nexersys machines. The older lady who spoke to me last week was actually at a machine, tentatively punching and kicking the pads. I'm impressed. But I'm not sure if she enjoyed it, or if she'll be back. I sat down at the other machine because prep takes me a good 10 minutes between applying the moleskin, taping my hands, using cotton wraps and then finally, stuffing my hands into gloves. By this time, she's finished and leaves the area. Which is great, because she was on the left machine, the one I've been partial to lately. I drag all my stuff over to that machine and continue my prep.

Punching too hard Round 6

I'm a little frustrated by the machine's arbitrary Punching Too Hard warning, especially when that round results in a lower than normal Power Average. The problem is that the machine doesn't count the blow that triggers the warning. Ugh. I also blank the screen several times today, causing me to miss several combinations. Oh well... It's still a good workout, and I don't cough once during any of it. I feel like I'm on the mend! I do blow a lot of snot out of my head once I go shower, but I feel pretty good overall. Once home, I crush a big clove of garlic, mix it with virgin olive oil and smear it on some toast. Between taking zinc with my vitamins and eating raw garlic everyday, I think my head cold is actually waning. Of course, no one else in my household is sick, just me. I only take 2 little red pills today: one when I got up, and another one when I get home. Tomorrow I probably won't take any... but I'll see how I feel. At least the scale is giving me encouragement: 111.6 lbs.

Thursday

10 min elliptical
Calories 97
Miles 0.85

T, Y & I DB Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner L
7r Intermediate L

HGPU 26

Kickboxing Machine Repaired!

I was cold all morning so I put my sleeveless Jillian Michael sweatshirt on over my tank. I knew I'd wind up taking it off eventually. I just didn't know when. I still wore my blue hoodie to warm up on the elliptical for 10 minutes, but I always strip it off and drape it on the bench when I do my shoulder exercises: T, Y & I baby bell raises laying on my stomach on a flat bench. At least I don't have to rest my chin on the icky vinyl. I'm very gentle with my hamstring stretches. Band pulls feel okay as well.

I'm here a half hour earlier than normal for me. Just early enough to dodge the locker room rush. And it's Friday, so the gym isn't all that busy anyway. Still, I catch glimpses of Shaggy, PJ Pants and The Mayor. I also see other non-creepy regulars. Today is whack the machine day so I'm tucked away in the front by the Espresso bikes, kettle bells and two Cross Fit stations with racks of same-diameter plates of varying thicknesses. Both machines appear to be operational so I'm very excited. I move the arms of the machine to my left. Both appear to be responsive! I don't like the new Cross arm on the machine to the right because the upper pads are set too high, and at downward angles which deflect my blows in weird ways. My hands hurt much worse after smacking that machine.

I get set up on the left machine just in time. A big, boxy old guy hesitates for a moment before doing two rounds of Sparring on the machine to the right. It's Sparring because he does a combination of boxing blows, cross and jab, digs and upper cuts. But no kicks, sweeps or knee-ins. Then he's on the cross-trainer behind me for another 10 minutes before ambling on to the treadmill. After 7 rounds of Beginner, I'm warm and sweaty enough to pull off the sleeveless sweatshirt. I do another 7 rounds at Intermediate level. The machine registers most of my blows, but confounds me by occasionally stopping the action with a You Are Hitting Too Hard warning. Which is bizarre because my power stats don't even make it to 65% (of some normal range for adults, I assume). Worse, I've actually hit the Cross or Body in such a way as to cause the screen to go black for a few seconds. The program is still running though, so when the screen reappears, I'm in the middle of another combination. This happens at least a half dozen times, and I tell the gal at the front desk. She says that Gym Owner was watching part of my workout. I'm pretty sure the screen blacked out at least once, but I don't know if he caught it. It's probably some loose wire or connector.

I leave with time to go to the RiteAid in search of low percentage benzoyl peroxide. The new dermatologist seems much less likely to prescribe expensive medications. He recommended finding a 4-5% gel (any brand will do) to apply in conjunction with the clindamycin topical. However, what I've discovered is that all the brands are on the More Is Better kick. Everything has 10% bp, which is too strong. I find two packages of a clearance item that's marked down from $7.79 to $1.75, because it's being discontinued. Because it's only 5%. I buy both packages.

Two tree guys showed up. And then two more. Because only one of them is a climber. He's the most important guy. The rest of them are big and beefy, and pull at the rope attached to the middle of the tree that's coming down. But the tree gets tangled in the branches of its neighbor. So the climber must get up that tree to saw off a few more limbs. The work takes over an hour for two fairly small trees. They leave the wood in a pile, cut down to wood stove lengths. Good guys. I'm happy with them and will recommend them to anyone who needs local tree service.

Friday

10 min warm up elliptical
Calories 97
Miles 0.85

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Always Good

It's surprisingly cool out this morning at 50°F. Autumn is coming quicker than I expected! But the weather is dry and sunny. I have no actual complaints. I have half a tank of gas and figure I should top it off but change my mind as I drive past the BP station. How did the price leap from $2.55 to $2.89 overnight? I think Hurricane Harvey is only partly to blame. Unfortunately, price gouging for the long holiday weekend seems to be the norm. Ugh.

The gym is mostly empty. I do my 10 minutes on the elliptical, then warm up my shoulders with little chrome DBs. The shoulders feel okay today. Even the band pulls feel okay. I'm torn between giving the repaired machine another go, or just sticking to the machine with the broken jab sensor. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll let more people break in the "repaired" machine. It's still too springy for me.

I see a few regulars as I pause between rounds. Not WTC guy, but Marine is back. Haven't seen him in weeks. There are a few other people I visually recognize but don't know. A pretty "California blonde" is running on the treadmill closest to the kickboxing machines. I usually spot her from behind, when I'm on the cross-trainer. From this angle, which is to her left and about two-feet below, I can see that she really needs a better sports bra. She holds her arms bent, almost in front of her chest while her breasts bounce like a Baywatch babe. That just looks painful!

The asshat (who interrupted me at the Stretch Cage some months ago in order to do a hanging stretch) is pedaling behind me on one of the cross-trainers. I can see his reflection in the kickboxing screen. He's probably staring at Blondie because guys are hard-wired for those sort of visuals. I also see creepy PJ Pants. He pauses on the exit ramp behind the cross-trainers. Maybe he's staring at Blondie too? Well, at least he hasn't mouthed "I love you" lately. That was so creepy and gross.

The Beginner level does its job and warms me up. The Intermediate rounds vary from being fun and exciting, to downright ridiculous. Some combinations are impossible to complete, so I suspect there's a glitch in the software. I don't let it bother me. I'm just here for the cardio, although I do miss some of the more complicated combos. My forearms are a bit sore when I finally get to the Stretch Cage. Still, I don't let it stop me from doing pull ups. I get to 30, but I can't clear my chin for the next rep. Okay... that's a half. I've sucked down almost all my water and I'm drenched. The gym scale says 108.8 lbs and I'm good with that.

Not sure if I'll be at the gym Monday. It's a holiday, but the gym will be open for limited hours. Because you can't say No to a gym rat.

Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 93.5
Miles 0.83

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 30.5

Raining Outside Means Crowded Inside

Weird weather, what with the upcoming storms and all. But it promises to be sunny and hot on Sunday into Monday, which is all that matters since I plan to take my son to the InterTribal Pow Wow on Sunday, and that's all outdoors. And of course, Monday is the great Eclipse of 2017. We'll only be able to view a partial (72%) eclipse from our location, but that's still worth a Boy Scout patch.

Today it's warm and rainy. There's not much air movement so this is downright unpleasant, and very conducive to mold. There's a shocking amount of people in the gym. Fridays are usually quiet, but not today. I do my 10 minutes on a cross-trainer to get warm, then run through the shoulder routine with baby DBs, and then the green stretchy silicone band. The other kickboxing machine still has a broken Cross arm that hangs down, but at least the screen is on, which means the machine is on. I still opt to use the machine on the Left, the one that doesn't allow me to Log On, or use the Advance Level. Because I can actually see the screen on this machine. Taller people don't have this issue though.

It seems odd that the Right machine is on, with the broken Cross arm. I don't think anything has been fixed. Still, I'm happy that the machine I'm using still has a working sensor in its Cross arm. Again, the only sensor that's broken on this unit, is the Jab arm. So it doesn't register Jabs, Lead Hooks, or Lead Elbows. Oh well...

I do 7 Beginner level rounds, and then my hubs texts me. More people have been let go at his company. One was someone he was relying on for production work. Ugh. I'm just as stressed about the layoffs as he is. Today is also my husband's 50th birthday, but he can't take any time off. When he takes vacation, there is no one to cover his work, so he has twice as much work when he returns. Well, at least he got to "relax" out at Boy Scout Camp last week. I'm taking him out to a fancy local steakhouse tonight. And making my son wear a button-down shirt (under protest).

I'm well into my 3rd round at the Intermediate level and I'm breathing hard when I get a very disturbing sensation in the middle of my chest. Not quite like I'd had the wind knocked out of me, because I could breathe just fine. But pressure on my chest, like when I swallow too quickly and my esophagus spasms. I'm prone to hiccups and other annoying but benign muscle freakouts. This is something totally new: the sensation of a lump in the chest. It's disturbing enough for me to actually check my pulse, and wonder if something crazy is going on with my heart and that flaky mitral valve. I'm not dizzy or suffering from any other weird symptoms. I proceed with the rest of my rounds cautiously, wondering if I'm over-reacting. I don't want to be part of the statistic about people who ignore their symptoms and wind up dead at home!

I don't feel weak. And I'm already sweaty. It takes a good 20 minutes before the "lump" in my chest has dissipated. I feel okay mostly, so there's no reason not to proceed with the rest of my routine. I knock out a bunch of pull ups. This time I make it to 28 before my left forearm and elbow complain. Then I do most of a Mat Stretch. Stretching prevents soreness! I can honestly say that I'm not usually sore the next day from any of my workouts. Maybe I should try harder?

I did step on my scale at home this morning before coming to the gym. At least the numbers are creeping in the right direction, even if this seems to be the most painfully slow trek ever. But I'm not going to complain at 108.4 lbs and 15.4% BF. Not at my goal weight and body fat level yet. Of course, the closer you get, the harder it is to reach. That's just life.

Friday

10 min x-trainer
Calories
Miles 1.19

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 28

Maybe It's a Migraine?

I wasn't horribly dizzy when I got up this morning. But I was a bit queasy. And that sensation lingers even now, hours later. In the interim, I've had a cup of tea, fed and walked the dog, gone to the gym to do 14 rounds whacking the kickboxing machine, did one set of pull ups (and got dizzy looking up at the bars), changed and showered, went grocery shopping, took the dog out again, started laundry, sorted mail, and started researching the symptoms and duration for migraines. It's the queasiness that makes me wonder if it's a migraine. Although this type of headache is only suppose to last for 4-72 hours, and mine seems to have occurred over a period of weeks. But I've had days without vertigo. The persistent nausea is new. But I did change my diet so I can't rule that out as a cause either.

The other symptom that makes me suspect migraine, is that my scalp is ridiculously sensitive. To the point where I can't clip my hair up because that hurts too much. And wearing reading glasses atop my head feels heavy. I've never had that issue before. I've even had to loosen my braid because of the pulling sensation on my scalp. Weird, right? I've only had one confirmed case of a migraine before, and that was a peculiar ocular migraine where I suddenly experienced a bizarre, geometric black and white border of shapes (like trapezoids) framing my vision. It happened while I was pumping gas. My boyfriend (now my hubs) was in the passenger seat. I told him that I felt weird so he took over driving. Later I started to feel very queasy and had to lay down. But it was over in a few hours. And that was almost 20 years ago. (My mother used to claim migraines all the time, but I don't know that she was ever officially diagnosed since she avoided the medical profession. And with good reason. She was the type of personality that invited unwanted male attention, even from doctors. I've no doubt that my mother suffered from all sorts of abuse.)

Yesterday I bought some green tea with matcha and sipped a cup into the late afternoon. I'm sure it's why I had trouble sleeping last night as I was awake until 2 am. The packaging of the Lipton brand doesn't provide a caffeine amount, which was disappointing. This morning I had a choice of brewing an entire pot of fresh coffee, resorting to instant coffee (like Starbucks Via or Cafe Bustelo instant espresso), or testing a cup of Yogi brand energy tea. The latter's package states it contains roughly the equivalent amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Because I don't need to add sugar or creamer to it, the food app states I've had zero calories for breakfast. I'm also not hungry.

By the time I get home, it's well past 3 pm and I'm ravenous. But first things first. By the time I get around to making oatmeal with frozen blueberries and a scoop of whey powder, I'm past being hungry. I also suck down the latest Abbott Laboratories Ensure "high protein" drink (16 grams protein). I had a coupon for it so it was only 99¢ per serving. I'm amused that they've changed their high protein formula YET again. The last version was over 330 calories with a nasty, gooey texture meant to put weight on frail elderly folks. Oil ranked high on the ingredient list. I haven't seen it lately — good riddance!

I do wish they would bring back their original high protein formula which contained 24 grams of protein in a fairly innocuous vanilla or Dutch chocolate base, and only 220 calories. Meanwhile, the Abbott Laboratories EAS brand (for muscleheads) is disgusting. Still, in a pinch, I'll chow down a Quest bar because it doesn't taste bad (neutral flavors like Wildberry, Almond Coconut and Banana Nut), has 20 gms protein, and doesn't leave an aftertaste (if you buy the right flavor). I am, however, extremely amused by all the companies jumping on the high protein band-wagon. Even venerables like Stonyfield, and Chobani have twice as much sugar as protein in their "good for you" shakes. Yeah, right. Not falling for that. Bad enough there's Gatorade Recover Shake (20 gms protein/20 gms sugar), and Under Armour BodyArmor which is just basically sugar. Drinking orange juice is a better deal.

Dead machine to the right

My workout was good today. The gym was very quiet. I was quite surprised to see several college women in the free weight area. The old men didn't show up until past noon. There is only one kickboxing machine up and running now. I'm pleasantly surprised that the Cross arm has a working sensor in it today! So the only thing that doesn't register is the Jab arm, which also means it doesn't register Lead Hook and Lead Elbows. A gal at the front desk tells me that the other machine is down because they're waiting for parts. Seriously? I've got my fingers crossed. Or, it's just something Gym Owner tells his staff. Hard to know. I see him training various different clients, but not on a regular basis. In my mind, all the women want muscles like mine. Or at least the ability to do a pull up.

Friday

10 min elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0.82

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pulls x 15
High Band Pulls x 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

A Nice Friday

Today is my son's last day at the summer camp he has attended since he was 4 yrs old. The camp has changed a lot although the basic facilities are mostly the same. Still, as much as I grumble about having to drop him off and pick him up (mostly because the staff gets confused with their directions), I will miss taking him here. Already I'm wondering if we can't stick it out another few years until he becomes a CIT, and then maybe a counselor. I've heard that that's considered a good summer job. Better than working fast food in any event.

I get to the gym on time, warm up on the elliptical and then do my shoulders. There's an old guy giving me a curious look while I do the T, Y and I raises. Old guys seem to think that staring is perfectly acceptable. I'm glad I don't talk to people because "WTF is your problem?" is what would most likely come out of my mouth.

After 7 rounds of Beginner at the Nexersys, I check my phone. My sis texts that she is running late so that gives me extra time. Yaaaay! I can do 7 rounds of Intermediate now. I bruise my right pinky knuckle on a powerful Cross Dig. I need to keep better form since the smaller knuckles really shouldn't be making contact. I don't have this problem with my left hand. Ugh...

Both machines are still broken. I don't care as long as one is working enough to call for combinations on the monitor. Sometimes the system gets a bit wacky and skips around. I have to remember to pull all my Jabs, Hooks, Cross and Elbows since they don't register anyway. Some of the Sweeps don't register either. The sensors on the lower pads are dying as well... Nothing I can do about it.

I just have enough time to strip off my gear and knock out some pull ups before I shower. The mirror tells me that I'm sweaty and puffy. I'm not quite sure why my cheeks look so full lately. It's not a look that I appreciate, and makes me want to drop more weight. I've sucked down almost all my water, and my hair is sodden. The gym scale reads 110.8 lbs. Well, that's not going in the right direction!

My sis and her new beau meet me at the local library where my photo show is up for another week. Again, all the postcards are gone. I guess I should've reprinted more of them as soon as I realized how fast they were disappearing. My sis really likes the postcard and offers to buy the actual print, but with the frame. I'll have to charge more because dang it, frames cost money. Yes, I'm charging my sister for my work because I need to register at least one sale this year. We decide to go to lunch and I suggest the local seafood shop which doubles as a restaurant. My sis never gets to eat fish at home because no one else in her family likes seafood. That's so sad. My dad was from Shanghai, a seaport, and often cooked sea bass, shrimp, scallops, lobster and crab.

Rick's Seafood has done some renovations since I was there last so I'm surprised to see big black and white photos on the wall where there used to be a refrigerated display case. My sis asks the waitress if they'd be willing to show my work. The waitress says she'll ask the manager when said person arrives later in the evening. Yes, my sis and I have different dispositions! Her beau suggests the art fairs up by where they live. It's track season, and Saratoga has a lively and monied cultural center. "You should show your work at the craft fairs! You'd clean up. People up there would definitely buy your stuff!" My sis and her beau leave to continue their drive to the Poconos where they are meeting up with his brother for a weekend on the lake there.

I've never thought about doing that, but maybe I should. It's probably too late now, but maybe next year. It's just that I'm such a homebody... I hate distance driving, probably because as comfortable and adjustable as my car is, I still don't fit quite right. With my tiny hands, I tend to grip the steering wheel tightly, which is probably too close to my chest even though I've put the seat back far enough for me to just reach the pedals. It's not ideal. And no, I don't want to put blocks on the pedals. Ugh.

My son and husband leave for Camp Read on Sunday. I'll be traveling with a friend to see the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the New York Botanic Gardens. The last time I saw Chihuly at the Botanic Gardens, it was with the same friend, and my mother-in-law, who has since passed away. I'm sure my dog will sleep in front of the door until I get home. I'll just have to get myself motivated to get up early each morning, hit the gym, and then get some actual work done, like finding work. Sigh...

Friday

10 min elliptical
Calories 91
Miles 0.82

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Mid Band Pull 15
High Band Pull 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26

Friday Workout

It's going to be hot and humid this weekend so I'm not sure what to plan. Maybe I'll drag my son to the gym and we'll race each other on the Expresso bikes. Of course, he'll win. Because I can barely reach the handle bars! My hubs found out yesterday that he had a meeting at LaGuardia airport this afternoon, and then he had to be in Dallas for the weekend. Dallas is a new project. As is LaGuardia. He's happy to be busy because having downtime means you're expendable. Boston is kicking in soon, and there's the Houston project. And one at JFK. So he'll be traveling quite a bit. But I still need to find some paying work.

My gym and my vet's office have advertised for help in the local PennySaver and online. The only thing worse than being rejected for a job, is being rejected by a company you're a client of. Not that I've applied. Because it would be so totally awkward to get turned down. (I'd never work at my gym anyway! But I could see me at my vet's office.) Part of me is torn between applying for local part time positions that would allow me to continue to take my son to all his after school activities, once they start up in September. And part of me just wants to work from home. Because that is the ultimate in flexibility. But I'm a bit lost on how exactly to do this. I've never had any career guidance and mostly fall into jobs and situations. Odd, right? But I'll figure this out. Eventually.

Meanwhile, I drop my son off at camp and head to the gym. I barely remembered to pack my gloves and wind up snipping my moleskin patches into reasonable pieces in the car. I can't resist using the good cross-trainer for warm up. There are a lot of new folks in the gym today. And a few regulars. The kickboxing machines are still broken. But not any worse than they've been. There are grumpy old men in the machines. Creepy Frankenstein stares from across the room. Yuck. I adjust my stance so that I can't see him. A lot of other regulars are MIA. Gone for the summer, or a changed work schedule. I don't miss them.

Damn I feel big

Even though I have moleskin squares, white tape and cloth wraps to keep my hands padded and snug inside the leather gloves, I still worry about skinning one of my knuckles as I jab and dig. I've learned to kick flat footed to preserve my toes. And I pull all my upper blows because the machine isn't registering them anyway.

The right shoulder seems tight, especially on the Cross. Afterwards, my whole upper back is a tad tight. Anyone can make the Follow Me program into a full body workout just by bending the knees a bit and adding a small jump/lunge forward for most of the blows. There's enough twisting for Hooks and Digs to make this fairly aerobic. Most people are ridiculously static when standing in front of the Nexersys, and their workout becomes just a series of punches. Which is fine for some really old guys, I guess. The one muscle that doesn't get any work is the bicep. Which is why I like to follow up with pull ups. Once I get the gloves, wraps, tape and moleskin off.

I've sucked down nearly the entire water bottle and my hair and clothes are drenched. Still, I'm disappointed when the scale reads 111.4 lbs. Putting on 3 lbs was stupidly easy, but getting them off is proving to be quite challenging. I'm really going to have to pay more attention to diet now. Oh well.

Friday

10 min x-trainer + 3 cd
Miles 1.44
Calories 56

T, Y & I Raises
3lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

Nexersys Follow Me
7r Beginner
7r Intermediate

HGPU 26 (left elbow is twingey)