First March Monday

Five and a half hours sleep isn't nearly enough but that's what I average most of the time. It used to be closer to six and a half when I made a conscious effort to be in bed before 11 pm. I'd probably feel better if I got seven. I don't even remember the last time I approached eight.

Wait! I can check my phone's sleep app. It tells me last Friday night I got six and a half hours but spent 12 minutes snoring. Unfortunately, it can't tell the difference between me and my husband. When he's away, the app records absolutely zero snoring: I don't snore. It'll also record movements like when I get up at 4 am because I had a dream about peeing and don't want to wet the bed! What am I, 3 years old?!

It's March and March weather: briskly cold and overcast in the morning and beautifully sunny and mild by mid-afternoon. Still, there's a threat of snow. I get to the gym early enough that all the treadmills are vacant. There's also no one on any of the ellipticals. I select Program 1 and pedal with my hoodie zipped up and my tunes blasting because old men like to conversationally scream at each other across empty stationary bikes.

Pullups, pushups, core abdominals; it all feels fine. It's Monday so I'm mildly concerned about being able to access the Smith machine, but it's empty so lucky me! I do the minimal amount of Inclined Benching that I feel comfortable with and move on to the DB area. Again, the Adjustable Inclined Bench is laid out flat and in use when there are other regular flat benches available. I toss my hoodie onto one of the Inclined Breaker Benches and use that for my Reverse Inclined Flys.

I know I can do the heavier sets at 25 because my last set at 20 lbs was a continuous 20 reps. I had to pause at rep 12 for a moment during the first set, and then pause at rep 15 during the second set. Going straight through to 20 tells me my shoulders are sufficiently warmed up to handle the heavier sets.

Several women appear out of nowhere to do a variety of DB exercises. I recognize one of them. She's solo today but normally brings a girlfriend that she coaches and encourages. I want to tell her that her arms are starting to look good but I find people get weird when I compliment them. Then I see B chatting with her and I lose all incentive to say anything at all. I finish with Rip Skulls and a Mat Stretch.

I see other regulars but no one I want to talk to. I have things to do, like gather all the ingredients our Troop will need tomorrow to make homemade salsa and cook a one-pot meal. My husband plans the weekly troop agenda before he leaves for Boston each week, otherwise, boys would be left to their own devices and spend all two hours staring at their phones. And I got volunteered to represent our troop at the Roundtable tonight since our Committee Chair had district obligations. Scouting isn't just an afterschool activity, it's becoming a way of life...

Meanwhile, I have an appointment with my glaucoma doc tomorrow to check my IOPs. I hope I haven't messed them up by doing pushups and lifting again.

Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd

Program 1

Miles 2.95

Calories 332

HR 143-188 (123, 81, 86)

Cage Stretch

HGPU 24

Elbow Plank 60s

Horizontal Scissors 60

Crunches 60/60

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 50

Smith Inclined Press

Bar (30) x 15

50 x 15

70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys

20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

20/25 lbs x 12/20 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls

40 x 12, 10, 11

Mat Stretch

Always in a Rush

The weather is so changeable that there's snow on the ground one minute, and just a muddy sodden mess the next. Wet and cold is my least favorite state to be in, especially feet and hands. I've ordered new rain/snow boots because the "dog walkers" I've had for the past few years leak. They've always leaked but they have good traction on bad weather days. They were the last order I ever made with FootSmart.com because return shipping is prohibitively expensive. Zappos.com is a better deal, but this time I've ordered "waterproof commuter boots" from LLBean.com. I have coupons that reduce the price to a reasonable cost and return shipping is free if they don't fit. I hope they fit. I even ordered a half size up to accommodate heavy winter socks or just my extra wide feet.

Somehow, Mondays became "universal bench press day" so I'm not sure I can actually do a Push Day routine. It all depends on who's on what equipment by the time I get to the weight lifting area. The elliptical, true to form, registers a reasonable heart rate for me most of the time. But then it spikes to well over 200 bpm and then drops to below 90. So weird. I don't think it's me. It might be me, but I think I'd feel that abrupt racing beat thumping in my chest and I don't.

I'm very happy when I finish my core exercises and see that the Smith machine is empty. B is in the adjacent shoulder press station which she is using for squats. Her new gym beau J is coaching her and she squats with her back to the mirror. He's got an oddly orange tan so he's probably competing somewhere. He has big bulging muscles as well. No one else in this gym is that "tan," not even the snowbirds back from Florida.

It's been several weeks if not months since I last did 3 sets of 25 reps so in my mind I'm already giving myself an excuse to do less. However, I still get 25 reps for each set so either this isn't as hard as it should be, or I'm doing remarkably well retaining what I have. I know I can push more. I just don't because it might cause my eye pressures to rise which would lead to greater loss of vision. In the same vein, I've started doing pushups again, and have settled on 30 reps. I can do more, but that would be a greater effort and perhaps again increase my IOPs. I don't want to risk it. On the other hand, I'm not going to call "going for a walk" exercise either. And I've been walking a lot more lately if only because puppers insist on exploring every inch of road in our neighborhood.

The DB superset feels really heavy when I start. It always starts that way though, as if I needed several sets to warm up, which perhaps I do. It's not as if I'm not tired by the time I get to the 20/25 lb split. I take a moment before pulling the clip out of my hair so I can lay flat on the bench to do Rip Skulls. The lone working Step Mill is occupied and I have things to do. Machines that are broken remain broken. I suspect it's a matter of cost. People like my husband continue to pay their monthly dues even though they might show up twice a year. I've told him to suspend or cancel his membership, but he won't because he might want to work out and then he won't be able to. Not a great reason as far as I'm concerned.

One of the staff tells me she is on the verge of quitting because nothing has been repaired in months and she's tired of fielding complaints. There's a gym in every shopping plaza so there are choices. I'm loathed to leave this one for the multiple NY Sports Clubs, Club Fit, 24-Hr Fitness or Planet Fitness. World Gym is too far and the few remaining "ladies only" clubs hold no appeal for me. Besides, this gym is in the shopping plaza that has the best supermarket.

I have just enough time to do the Mat Stretch, primarily for the hamstrings, back and piriformis muscles. And then, back into the icy cold rain... thank goodness for cars and heated seats.

Always in a Rush Push Day

30 elliptical + 5cd

Program 1

Miles 2.90

Calories 325

HR avg150 / high 214 (lows 116, 86, 96)

Cage Stretch

HGPU 23

Elbow Plank 60s

Horizontal Scissors 60

Crunches 60/60

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Pushups 30

Smith Inclined Press

Bar (30) x 15

50 x 15

70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys

20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

20/25 lbs x 12/20 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls

40 x 12, 11, 11

Mat Stretch

How Much is Too Much

I'm the last person you should ask in regards to moderation. Not that I'm excessive with food and drink, or much of anything else. Except for maybe exercise. And even then, I don't think of myself as a binger. That's probably because I have three separate components to my routine: cardio, stretching, weight lifting. Each item by itself comprises an exercise routine, with stretching taking the least time. But as a whole, it might seem a bit much. Lately, I've been pulling back on the weight lifting because of the fear it will raise my IOPs and cause further damage to my retinas. It's glaucoma that moderates my exercise routine these days.

Some people find it easier to manage exercise by designating specific days and times for specific activities, i.e., morning run, weekend yoga, mid-afternoon weights. I find it easier, and more efficient to lump it all together. Because who knows if I'll have time tomorrow to do the thing I skipped today? For the past several weeks I've been sticking to cardio and core exercises, only recently adding weight lifting back to the routine. If the Nexersys kickboxing machines were functional, I'd add that back too.

I have the type of physiology that allows me to work out intensely for several hours. Later, of course, I'm bone-tired and don't really want to do much of anything. Today I decided to see how much strength I've lost in the weeks I've stopped doing a "push routine." Apparently, nothing at all. I wasn't moving very heavy weights to begin with and I'm able to pick up exactly where I left off. Yes, I have that type of physique. But I'm probably done with most of the heavier, iffier movements, like RDLs and Seated Cable Rows. Not that I can't do them. It's that I can do them, and I tend to go heavy. Because I can. And I shouldn't. Which makes it really hard to say No. Unless I just don't do them at all. Ugh.

I don't want to push my luck though. My doctor discontinued the Rhopressa eye drops because I developed an allergic reaction to them after several months: severely crusty eyes. (It's just as well that my health insurance declined to cover this drug, mistakingly lumping it with another glaucoma drug I'm already taking.) In the week that I discontinued those particular drops, my pressures dropped 1 point. I was disappointed that it was only 1 point, but my doctor said she was more relieved that my pressures didn't suddenly spike. Now she wants to see me in 6 weeks to see where my pressures are and to take a new Visual Field test. My eyes are no longer crusty but they're still tinged pink. I've seen worse: some glaucoma patients look as if their eyes are actually bleeding when taking this drug. Luckily that never happened to me!

I wish my toe looked better. It doesn't. And it's still sensitive, and occasionally itchy. While I'm 100% relieved that this nail stripe turned out to be a benign condition, I'm a bit impatient for the toe to finish healing. Meanwhile, I'm trying to address the bunion and hammertoes with daily stretching. I get to bend my toes backward and hold them that way for several seconds. I wear the flattest, widest shoes I own. Which means not wearing my favorite Ariat FatBaby boots because of the slightly raised heel. Next, I'll be attempting to pick up things with the afflicted foot, curling my toes backward in a clench. That sounds like so much fun. Not.

Tuesday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd

Program 2

Miles 2.87

Calories 321

HR 148-198 (85, 83)

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s

Horizontal Scissors 60

Crunches 60/60

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Slow Pushups 20

Smith Inclined Press

Bar (30) x 15

50 x 15

70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys

20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

20/25 lbs x 12/20 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls

40 x 12, 10,

20 Step Mill

Level 4

Calories 127

Total steps 831

Floors 51

HR 124

Mat Stretch

Another Monday

Yesterday I got to sleep in, so I had over 8 hours under my sleep belt. Today, not nearly as much. In the parking lot, I make a half-hearted attempt to nap for a few minutes before heading into the gym. But apparently, I'm too vigilant to doze off in a car, even one that is locked and heated, and even though I've set my phone for a 10-minute alarm. I just can't do it.

My glutes and hamstrings are still sore from Friday's Walking Lunges so I have my doubts about any decent mileage on the elliptical today. However, it's not as bad as I had feared. I even get a decent amount of reps for pullups. The smaller adjustable bench is in the Smith station and the station is empty. Hurrah for me! I do my sets then look around to see who and what's in the DB area. Someone is on the one other adjustable bench there so I drag my bench through the maze of barbells and racks to plant it in the obvious vacant spot in front of the DB racks.

A big, tall Latina is doing deadlifts in the Squat rack. I recently overheard her say that she'd changed her routine to lift heavy and felt so much better about herself. Her glutes and quads have put on size and she's starting to develop shoulders and arms. Once she fills out, she'll be a proper Amazon. But right before she pulls the bar, she emits a small squeak that's downright cute, like a puppy. I tend not to make any noise at all, but my heavy lift days are long over. My compromise is to do medium weights and a lot of them. My OCD kicks in and I wind up moving displaced DBs so that everything is in sequential order. Newbies are reracking their weights, but not properly. Ugh.

I see a lot of regulars mixed in with the new faces. The Heron stalks up to the cross-trainer. Two chubby middle-aged women chat throughout the entirety of their 20 minutes on the ellipticals. I'm hoping that 6 supersets of DB shoulder work is enough to make a difference that I can see. One of these days...

My recovering toe is still ugly. It actually might be uglier in spite of or maybe because of the stretching and massaging I put it through every day. Tomorrow I have a checkup with my glaucoma doc but there's enough time to get some cardio in before I need to be there. I also need to stop off at the pet supply store since the rescue informs me that what they're feeding the pups isn't what I actually have at home. Ugh. I suspect they're just using what they get donated or can buy for a reasonable price because why else would they use a mix of Hill's Science Diet for Large Breeds, Fresh Market now, and Royal Canin. (They've already told me they don't think Science Diet is a very good brand!) Since the pups are traveling halfway around the world, they'll be super stressed. Feeding them the same foods should help them settle a little easier. Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, I read about a protein called Sestrin (an exercise by-product?) which purports to improve the endurance and metabolic changes that exercise provokes. Looking for fitness in a pill? Naw. I doubt it can calm anxiety and clear your mind the way actual exercise can.

Another Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd

Program 1

Miles 2.87

Calories 320

HR 157-199 (111, 89)

Cage Stretch

HGPU 23

Elbow Plank 60s

Horizontal Scissors 60

Crunches 60/60

Bicycles 60

Side Planks 2 x 60s

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Press

Bar (30) x 15

50 x 15

70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys

20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

20/25 lbs x 12/20 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls

40 x 12, 12, 12

20 Step Mill

Level 4

Calories 130

Total steps 853

Floors 53

HR 141

Mat Stretch

Inspiring Others If Not Myself

I'll know by tomorrow but I suspect it's the shoes. Not that my foot doesn't have issues. Bunions and hammertoes are considered a cosmetic nuisance (for health insurance purposes) until they impede mobility. I've started massaging and stretching the tendons in my right foot. It might be a long time before I see results because of how tight and shortened those fibers have become. I rub original Blue-Emu into my foot as a massage cream to help alleviate friction. I read advice to wear shoes that allow a half-inch of space at the front, so my clown shoes are actually the right size after all! (I have two pairs of size 7s even though I usually wear a 6.5 Wide, a very hard size to find.)

I'm wearing the same New Balance size 7s that I wore on Friday. The sole is stiffer than my Skechers Go Walk with memory foam. The latter are extremely comfortable sneakers, but even with those, after a good 30 plus minutes of intense cardio, my pinky toe will go numb with the foot feeling unsupported and rolling slightly outward. The New Balance Response 1.0 has less cushioning and after the long run, isn't as comfortable. Nothing makes you feel old like needing pillow-soled shoes! I start searching for affordable wide women's sneakers with memory foam.

Online recommendations include the Brooks Ghost 11 and Altra's Torin 4 Plush Running Shoe. But I'm not about to drop $140 on a pair of kicks. If the Shoe Stretch spray doesn't widen my old leather sneakers, they'll go into the donation bin. Amazon's return policy makes it easy for me to order shoes and try them on at home. I just have to decide which pairs I want to pin my hopes on. Again. Before the holidays, I ordered two different pairs of trainers from Zappos, both purportedly in my size (6.5 W). Neither the Skechers Go Walk 5 nor the Ryka Sky Walk were big enough for my left foot, the smaller undamaged foot. Either shoe sizes are shrinking again (manufacturers skimming the cost of materials) or my feet are bigger. Hmmm.

Today's Push Day routine is just that. Routine. The big adjustable bench is seated in the Smith machine and I'm okay with that. It's actually easier to use for a short person like me because it has foot bars that I can actually reach. Instead of rushing through my high rep sets, I pace myself with more deliberation. When I rush, my elbows flare out and I risk shoulder and elbow pain. Because the big bench is at the Smith, it means the smaller adjustable bench is in the DB area. Which is perfect for me when doing Reverse Inclined Flys.

There are New Year newbies in the gym today and one of them ticks a lot of the boxes for bad gym etiquette: dropping your hoodie, phone and water bottle on a bench you aren't actually using; doing your sloppy sets right in front of the DB rack; putting your DBs back in any open spot, not the spot you got them from. Ugh. It doesn't help that he's old. Okay, maybe he's middle-aged. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying "Stop being an asshat..." as he does BB curls standing in front of the BB rack while his gear is on a breaker bench several feet away. Instead, I bark at him (over the pulsing beat leaking out of the Aerobics Room) "Are you using that?" Breaker benches work better for me when I'm doing Rip Skulls since my short legs don't reach the floor on a regular bench. I need the stability of placing my feet flat and can use the spotting platform affixed to the Breaker bench to put my feet on.

Over the weekend, while grocery shopping with my husband, the cashier remarked about seeing me at the gym all the time. I don't recognize her. I tell my husband I think the only reason I'm memorable is that there are so few Asians where we live.

In the locker room, a woman greets me and tells me that I'm inspirational. Uh, thanks? (Is it because I'm there several days a week? or because I'm there for hours at a time? Or because when I'm there, I'm actually working out?) She tells me she wants to be like me. What? Why? I've got to practice my responses with these surprises. I tend to go blank instead of the proper "Oh thank you." At some point, I might discover a secret fan club. Kidding! 

Later, in the locker room, B comes up to me to chat about stretching. She seems surprised at how limber I am, which is odd because she and I have been going to the same gym for years. Of course, she spends half her time chatting. Her "gym husband" has been telling her to stretch after cardio. She wants to wait until she gets home but he tells her that'll be too late. "He's not wrong," I tell her. We'll see if she actually listens to him because she sure as hell doesn't listen to me.

Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd

Program 3

Miles 2.96

Calories 334

HR 161-200 (85, 91, 88)

Cage Stretch

HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s

Horizontal Scissors 60

Crunches 60/60

Bicycles 60

Side Planks 2 x 60s

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Press

Bar (30) x 15

50 x 15

70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys

20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

20/25 lbs x 12/20 x 3

Rip Skulls

40 x 12, 10, 9

20 Step Mill

Level 4

Calories 125

Total steps 811

Floors 50

HR 143

Mat Stretch

Best Possible Outcome

Today is a Push Day but I want to make sure I'm home before noon when a couple from Vermont are due to arrive. The dog I adopted some 6+ weeks ago has not been able to adapt to his new surroundings. He just looks depressed or scared all the time. His former owners reached out to the rescue and asked if they could retrieve him since they had rectified their situation and were able to bring him home now. I'm happy to let him go if that means he can be a normal dog again.

I feel like a slug on the elliptical. Program 1 is not my friend either. But, as much as I complain, I can still do pullups and core without any issues. Because I space out and lose count too easily during crunches (3 sets of 20, but wait, am I on set 2 or 3 now?), I've resorted to actually counting. Yes, as in 20, 21, 22 all the way to 60. I'm surprised at how quickly that goes!

There is a woman using the Smith machine for squats and it looks like she'll be there for a spell. I'm resigned to doing what I consider warm-up work on the Breaker Inclined Bench. I don't quite get to 25 on any of my sets. My boney little hands get sore from the weight because I have some connective tissue issues and not enough padding in my palms. Definitely don't have meaty paws.

I've never been able to do the pinky-up pour-the-pitcher movement for DB Lateral Raises. This is supposed to isolate the medial deltoid. Instead, I bend over slightly, keep my elbows bent (to take stress off them) and my hands in a thumbs-up position. I can feel the delts work and I'm not in danger of destroying my rotator cuff. Meanwhile, the Reverse Inclined Flys at 25 are just fine, even after 6 sets. Those muscles are stronger.

I'm afraid I've lost all respect for KickBoxer Gal today since she hogged two benches while rotating out of the area to do other things. She didn't return for a good 15 minutes with DBs in disarray at the foot of one bench and a gear bag on the adjustable inclined one. I'm shameless. I toss the gear bag onto another bench and do my sets. If she's upset, she can bitch at me because I don't actually care. It's annoying and disrespectful to everyone else to leave your stuff everywhere thinking you can "place hold" benches and DBs. But I'm old school and actually believe in gym etiquette.

The painters still aren't done with the gym and today they're in the Stretch Area. After Rip Skulls and 25 minutes on the elliptical, I drag two foam pads to the CF area and do my stretches there. I wonder if the gym will finally be painted by Thanksgiving. It's highly unlikely...

Pre-Turkey Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Miles 2.83
Calories 313
HR 143-192 (125, 85)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Breaker Inclined Bench
Bar (45) x 15
55 x 20
65 x 21, 21, 18

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/20 reps
20/25 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

Rev Inclined Flys
25lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40 x 12, 12, 12

20 elliptical + 5 cd
Program 1
Calories 235
Miles 2.09
HR 145-186 (95, 91)

Mat Stretch

Anxiety Relief

I stay up late and don't get enough sleep. I don't make the most nutritious eating choices over the weekend. Procrastination is my middle and last name. I sound like a teenager. What I have is anxiety. The impending biopsy next month only makes it worse. The closest I get to meditation is my time at the gym so I go 4 to 5 days a week. I'm calm enough to refocus my energies once I've done cardio and weights. Or even just some cardio. Gym time allows my mind to go blank and be focused purely in the moment. When I leave, I feel like a normal human being.

Non-medical anxiety relief is based on exercise, meditation, restful sleep, deep breathing (doesn't that fall under meditation?), eating healthy (ditching junk food), and avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Aromatherapy and chamomile tea are also recommended. I found a room spray with the unlikely mix of frankincense and myrrh that is soothing and relaxing. (My husband wrinkles his nose and says it smells like something burnt.) Normally, room sprays are ghastly concoctions of cinnamon or pine or overwhelmingly floral. Like heavy perfumes, those fragrances give me a headache.

Escapism is another favorite remedy for anxiety, although relief is only temporary. I'm taking my son to see Zombieland 2 tomorrow. Schools are closed due to local elections although teachers must still report to work. I'd hoped to see Joker or Maleficent, but I'm good with Zombieland too. We saw the first movie and it was entertaining, especially Woody Harrelson. Who knew that the slow-witted goofball from Cheers would become such a badass?!


Today, I do my standard 30 plus minutes of cardio, some pull-ups, some ab work, and then wander the free weight area looking for an available bench. It's godawful crowded today with newbies, and regulars once MIA now making a return like prodigal sons. Ugh. I can't get on the Smith because the Chatty Guys Club is holding court there. I do a few sets at the Breaker Inclined Bench instead. I do manage to snag an adjustable bench for my DB supersets. But I ding my left pinky with the opposing DB during the 3rd set of Lateral Raises. The finger goes numb, which makes it hard to maintain a full grip on the DB. I still manage to finish all four sets, but the 3rd set was marred with several pauses. Well, at least I didn't draw blood like I did once with the Lat Pulldown Bar. Rip Skulls were fine. My second round of cardio was fine. The Mat Stretch was a bit tricky because of all the ladders and drop cloths laying about.

Gym Owner started painting the gym over the weekend and the cardio platform seems couched in shadow because of the new gray paint. A lot of the equipment is gray so everything blends together in a weird sort of camouflage. The whole gym appears darker with the same lighting. I'm not sure if that's the desired effect. I didn't mind the peachy-tan color before, but I don't miss the brick red accent walls. Tomorrow I plan to just do a bit of cardio, vote and then take my son to the movies. Maybe not quite in that order... polls open at 6 am.

Sunny Crowded Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.87
Calories 320
HR 143-191 (90)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 25

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Breaker Inclined Bench
Bar (45) x 15
55 x 16
65 x 15, 20, 20

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 4 sets

Rip Skulls
40 x 12, 12, 10

20 elliptical + 5 cd
Program 3
Calories 236
Miles 2.09
HR 147-184 (137)

Mat Stretch

Unexpected Benefits

I like to front-load things I hate to do just to get them out of the way. If I wait until I'm done with everything else, I reason I might feel justified in skipping out because I'm too tired, or I've run out of time. That's my original reason for doing 30 minutes of cardio first, then core exercises. But I've discovered that my body responds well to a 30-minute cardio warmup, and it turns out that doing core before all my other weight-lifting exercises is exactly the right thing to do. Personally, I do it because I'm lazy and would rather not.

I just read an article, which granted is a few years old, but still makes a valid point: warming up your core preps your body for the hard work to come. I'd actually never thought of it that way. Duh. Learn that you're doing something right all along even if your reasons are rather dubious!

My left arm is slightly sore, but I only noticed it when I leaned up against something. Otherwise, like the flu shot itself, I don't actually feel any discomfort. I was really surprised that I didn't discern even the slightest needle pinch. It made me doubt whether I'd actually gotten vaccinated at all, except for the bandaid with a spot of blood on the gauze. And being a little sore without any bruising or even a pinprick. At least not one that I can see from the disadvantage point of staring at your own lateral deltoid.

A personal trainer is coaching a young woman, using the Smith machine to perform Inverted Rows. I would have her straighten her legs (would that might make it too hard for her?), but I'm not a trainer. After I do one warmup set in the breaker inclined bench, I see that the Smith is vacated and I'm there super quick to get my inclined presses done. Afterward, I look around the DB area but there are only flat benches there. A fellow has dragged the other inclined bench to the cable station to use while doing some sort of reverse inclined rows with a wide lat bar. I stay put in the Smith machine and do my DB supersets there. I'm able to get 20 reps for the reverse portion and that makes me think next time I should increase my DBs by 5 lbs, but just for the reverse portion.

After I knock out Rip Skulls, I hop back on the elliptical for 20 plus more minutes of cardio. It's not a cool down. The Mat Stretch is a cool down. This is actually to warm me up again so I can stretch and not pull any ligaments. Tomorrow I'm thinking about a quick cardio session before I get that toenail biopsy done on my right foot. I just hope I can drive afterward because my son has after school activities later in the day.

Sleepless Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.98
Calories 337
HR 147-205 (92, 86, 97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Breaker Inclined Bench
Bar (45) x 15

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15 x 2 (30, 60 degrees)
50 x 12
70 x 25 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 4 sets

Rip Skulls
40 x 12, 10, 8

20 elliptical + 5 cd
Program 3
Calories 236
Miles 2.10
HR 142-171 (90, 88)

Mat Stretch

Out of Sync

I am horribly over-tired when I get up this morning, mostly because my husband and I are on totally different sleep schedules. He's working nights and I have to get up at 6 am. Since I'm not a morning person, this is extra hard when I'm sleep-deprived. I'm a light sleeper and tv noises leaking from the living room keep me awake for what feels like all night. Add a stressful past week and you can see why I'm less than cheerful.

The dog is finally in control of his bowels, but only after I added some Healthy Gut dog probiotics to a teaspoon of plain yogurt and mixed that into a tablespoon of pumpkin puree. He likes yogurt enough to eat that mix along with most of the kibble it sits atop. Yesterday we left him home with just a water bowl. He enjoyed the quiet solitude and his gut needed a rest. Last night he ate his kibble and the tummy mix. I'm so happy not to have to clean up a stinky wet mess in the middle of the night!

He got more tummy mix this afternoon. With a full belly, he looks more relaxed. I'll need to keep a few cans of plain pumpkin puree in the house just for such digestive issues! It's apparently a well-known home remedy for diarrhea and constipation (endorsed by the AKC aka American Kennel Club) due to the high fiber content, vitamins, and minerals that promote healthy intestinal bacteria, and its ability to lower the gut pH. Now I wonder if this works as well on people?

The one pleasant thing about my morning was discovering that the IOS update to my ancient iPhone 6 gave me an alarm setting that rouses you with cheerfully noisy chirping birds. That's actually so much nicer than it sounds. Unfortunately, I can't apply it to any of my other alarm settings. Oh well...

I get to the gym and run into B in the locker room. I'm not a happy, chatty talkative person even when I'm wide awake. I don't feel the need to express sighs and moans with every motion I make. When a woman leaves the faucet running after washing her hands and toweling them dry, I call after her. It's not just that the water is running. It's open full tilt. I don't understand people who leave a motion uncompleted. Open the faucet to rinse and wash. Close the faucet. Who the hell leaves the faucet rushing torrents of water while drying their hands?

B questions me, as if I'm the one at fault. As if I'm having a bad day. I'm not. I'm just tired and have no tolerance for stupid people. This isn't the first time this woman has done that. My problem is that I see this from both the gym member AND the staff/gym owner's point of view. The town charges businesses for water usage. I don't know what type of profit margin this business operates under but I know it's hard owning a small business, especially with gross customers and fixtures that constantly need repair. (The Nexersys is down again and it's too costly to buy a new version of it. Oh well. I had wanted to whack the machine tomorrow, but maybe I'll just take a rest day.) All throughout the rest of the morning, I feel B giving me the side-eye. Whatever. I don't have much to say to someone who's only conversant in manicures, hair treatments and shopping.

After my routine 30 minutes on the elliptical, pullups and core exercises, I wander past the Smith machine. B's on it and I don't give it any pause. I can warm up on the Breaker Inclined Bench although my left forearm reacts oddly when I bring the bar down. I see a few regulars including the ultra-polite, nicely bearded fellow. Nice Beard does all sorts of sets in the Squat Rack, from BB Rows/Shrugs to flat Benching. I'm not paying a whole lot of attention but maybe he even performed Squats.

I do my sets on the Smith and then move back to the DB area for DB supersets. I've been creeping my reps up on the Reverse Inclined Flys. If I can consistently hit more than 20 reps per set on those, I'll increase the weight to 25s. But just for that movement. Laterals are okay at 20. 25s will strain my elbows. A newbie grabs the 40 lb solid BB and I'm stuck with slapping two of the larger magnets on each side of a 30 lb one. That brings the weight up to 40 lbs. The newbie does several sets of skull crushers. I'm content to stick to my Rip Skulls. Then back to the ellipticals for 20+ minutes of cardio. I feel wide awake now!

When I get home, I'm really happy to find no messy poop anywhere in the house. My hubby is just getting ready to leave, and he tells me he was worried that the dog was wasting away, so he refilled the water bowl and added more kibble. I'm the only one who's actually seen the dog outside of his crate, so I guess he's not being unreasonable. I put more yogurt/pumpkin/probiotic mix on the kibble and when I leave the room, I hear the dog eating. But I should probably buy stock in wee-wee pads.

Sleepless Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 1
Miles 2.85
Calories 316
HR 145-195 (87, 95)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Breaker Inclined Bench
Bar (45) x 15 (left forearm)
55 x 15
65 x 15

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 25 reps x 3 sets

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/16 reps x 3
20 x 12/20reps

Rip Skulls
40 x 12, 10, 8

20 elliptical + 5 cd
Program 1
Calories 223
Miles 2.01
HR 136-170

Mat Stretch

Jindo Is a Another Word for Patience

The dog we agreed to adopt was stuck in traffic for several hours so he didn't arrive until early afternoon. I hadn't realized that both his human parents (who had divorced over a year ago) were coming to see him settled. A lot of questions went unasked. The pup refused to get out of the car. Well, not exactly refused. More like he just stood there bewildered and had to be carried out. Most dogs are excited to get out of the car and want to explore and sniff everywhere. Not Jindos, and especially not dogs from dog meat farms. Not that he'd ever been on a dog meat farm. His pregnant mother had been the rescue. She was also adopted.

What's great about these rescue organizations is that they tend to keep track of everyone and encourage small groups of related pups to stay in touch. So I know about my dog's siblings and his mom and how they are fairing, how they behave, and if they have any health issues. My dog is small compared to his brothers. But he's been through several moves just this year, and that has caused his weight to drop 10 lbs to barely 50. His brothers are 67 and 60 lbs.

Not my dog's siblings

He and his siblings were all placed within a few months of their birth. But dogs raised for meat are, like a lot of domesticated animals, bred to be docile. Which is a shame, because Jindos are the national dog of Korea. They're known for their loyalty and protectiveness, as well as for being hunters. They are not big, goofy, happy labradors. Although similar in appearance to the beloved Japanese Shiba Inu (aka "Doge"), these dogs have suffered the ignominy of being relegated to the category of livestock. Both breeds are considered closer in lineage to wolves than the dogs we are most familiar with, except for huskies and malamutes.

from: MyFirstShiba.com

Our new dog is fiercely loyal by nature to the people who have raised him since he was a puppy. And, as my son puts it, he's conflicted. Because they keep leaving him. Part of him hopes they'll return. He might suspect it's different this time. He hasn't really left his crate since he arrived on Friday. There's food and water a few feet from his open crate. And wee-wee pads. Because he won't let anyone take him out for a walk. Last night he snuck out to lap some water. I've hand-fed him treats and some kibble. At some point, he will need to void. I've heard from other people with rescued Jindos that it may take weeks to build the trust necessary for even a quick walk onto the lawn. A rescued Jindo is an exercise in patience, but I don't mind.

At the gym, I'm not happy about the bags I see under my eyes in the harsh lighting. (That's why selfies taken lying on the floor are so good! Gravity hides all the droopy flesh from the camera's view!) I'm actually a little sore from yesterday's Columbus Day parade march. My son and I walked 2 miles to the venue and then 2 miles back to the car. It rained on us. We're both suffering from scratchy throats and dry coughs that make your eyes water. "Ragweed," my son tells me. I tend to agree.

After pull-ups and core, there's the pushing part. B is on the Smith. She's become very self-conscious about how much time she spends there so she's off the machine before I get my second set on the Inclined Breaker Bench. Great! I knock out my sets and reps fairly quickly. Then 20 plus minutes back on the elliptical to get warm and sweaty again. After a good stretch, time to shower! Back home, the dog is still in his crate with the door wide open. I feed him treats while my son and I share silly videos between our phones. I offer him a piece of kibble, which is harder and crunchier than the treats. He eats several pieces if I proffer them one by one. This behavior reminds me of our last dog, a Chow-Boxer mix. As a puppy, he wasn't all that interested in eating so I would sit on the floor and hand-feed him his kibble. It's very zen and I'm okay with that.

Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.86
Calories 318
HR 150-200 (87)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 21

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Inclined Breaker Bench
Bar (45) x 15
55 x 15

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 13
70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/15 reps x 4 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12, 10, 10

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.05
Calories 229
HR 140-176 (87)

Mat Stretch