Shiny Shoes

I took yesterday off because I needed to relearn how to use my sewing machine. I've only ever used it once before to hem several pairs of pants. I had more pants to hem. The tailor I used to frequent has closed shop, and besides, I really didn't want to spend $80 just to hem pants at $20 a pop. Taking Wednesday off throws a wrench into my workout routine. Normally, I'd do HIIT Cardio and use Thursday as a rest day. Then I'd be fresh for HIIT Cardio on Friday. I don't do routines back-to-back as it puts too much stress on the body which needs more than 24 hours for proper recuperation.

Knowing that tomorrow will be HIIT Cardio with pull-ups, pushups and fun things like Walking Lunges and 2:1 Lying Leg Curls, I opt to whack the kickboxing machine today. It's cardio-intensive, but won't actually stress the exact same muscles I'll be punishing tomorrow.

When I get to the gym, the Heron's friend, who I've dubbed Shiny Shoes, greets me with a boisterous "Hi!" and I respond with my low-key, low voice "Morning" which he then repeats. Weird, right?

The shiny shoes are weirder. I don't think I've ever seen patent leather sneakers before. (Maybe they're shiny plastic?) He wears them with black pants and a black and white print long sleeve sweatshirt. He's also very tall. Later, I make him help me reboot the Precor elliptical because the display panel is wonky and there doesn't seem to be an On/Off switch.

The Nexersys looks the same, a bit lop-sided and worn, with the glare from the big plate glass windows making the screen difficult to read. I miss a few prompts because the Cross arm obstructs my view of that part of the screen. I don't get any Hitting Too Hard warnings, but the screen goes black more than a few times. It's humid and I'm sweating after just three rounds. The Intermediate rounds start off with a funky sequence no human can keep up with, so I cancel the round and start again. It's slightly more reasonable the second time around.

The Advance setting still goes to SouthPaw for round 2 and I try my best to ignore the verbal prompts and just look at the visual cues. It doesn't matter though, because the machine scores all my combinations at zero, even though I've got points for Accuracy, Power and Strikes. I so don't care that I'm actually amused. I do a Mat Stretch afterward to prevent soreness. I find if I don't take the precautionary piriformis stretches for the glutes, the back of my upper thighs seem overly tight and sensitive. In the locker room, I overhear a woman confessing that she should stretch but she's just too lazy. However, she's not above complaining about her aches and pains. I have no sympathy.

While I'm in the shower, I overhear another conversation, this time between a woman whose doctors tell her she's not sick but she doesn't feel right. She's sick and she knows it and so is her son who is asthmatic. They've both been ill since visiting her brother at a health care facility some months ago. She finally coughs up chunks of yellow phlegm. I can't help myself and tell her to ask to be checked for Candida auris. Seriously. It's all over the news this week.

Whacking Thursday

10 min elliptical
Calories 95
Miles 0. 84
HR 144-195 (87)

T, Y & I Raises
5lbs x 15 x 2

Mid-Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 5r
Advance 3r

Mat Stretch

Whacking Yourself Happy

Whacking the Nexersys kickboxing machine using the Follow Me program is akin to meditation, although it's far from restful. It does, however, force you to be "in the moment." If you let your mind wander, you'll miss the blows or combination of strikes the machine calls for in each round. You can't look around either. No, it's best to keep your sight focused straight ahead because some combinations arrive at lightning speed. Most of the time you'll lunge back and forth to execute the jab, cross, knee to the body, power hook and lead elbow.

The first few Beginner rounds will serve as a warm-up although you probably won't get sweaty until the 5th round. The maximum number of rounds anyone is allowed to do is 7, according to the small paper sign affixed to the bottom of the monitor. It's an arbitrary gym rule designed to allow fair use and access. But I haven't seen anyone on this piece of equipment, except me. After 7 Beginner rounds, I towel my face, shake out my arms and hands, and sip more water. I don't see anyone waiting to use the Nexersys so I proceed to tap in 7 more rounds but at the Intermediate level.

The machine is finicky and has definitely seen better days. During the Beginner rounds, the screen went dark 4 times, sometimes even without me actually effecting a strike. I get the Hitting Too Hard warning screen only once though. The screen never goes black for the 7 Intermediate rounds, but it also doesn't always register a Lead Sweep or Kick. Three rounds into Intermediate and my lungs are burning. Wow, am I out of shape!

During round 5, I find myself happy that there's only two more to go. It's the quirky combinations. If the program goes haywire and throws odd sequences at me non-stop, then I get a bit confused and don't necessarily make all the strikes, not that I don't try. But the erratic sequencing is quite exhausting. Normally, the program paces its blows and kicks in a rhythmic fashion. It's slower for Beginner rounds and appropriately quicker in the Intermediate and Advance levels. But this machine is old and beat-up, with parts and computer sensors that need replacing but aren't manufactured anymore. It's a dinosaur.

Behind me, I can hear someone punching the heavy bag. People are chatting beside the calf raise platform and leg press machine and I tap my earbuds to raise the volume. I don't want to hear B discussing whether she's jealous or not with her new gym hubby. When I'm whacking the Nexersys, I'm not really thinking about anything. I'm focused on executing the strikes properly and not hurting my hands or toes in the process. Today, my left foot takes a beating, especially a few of my smaller toes. No wonder the nails look a tad discolored. Ugh.

I'm still able to knock out hammer grip pull ups when I'm done, but my right elbow is sensitive. Back in the car, I swallow vitamins with my 16 gm protein RTD. At least I'm not hungry anymore. And I feel calm and clear-headed, like I've been meditating. I've tried meditation at home. I always fall asleep, probably because I need more sleep. For the moment though, I'm happy.

Rainy Friday

10 min elliptical
Calories 93
Miles 0.82
HR 155-187 (87)

T, Y & I Raises
5lbs x 15 x 2

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys FM
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 7r

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22