18 Miles is Good, Right?

I'm a tad sore, and my body is definitely not used to doing 5 days straight anymore. At least I make it past the 6 mile mark, which gives me over 18 miles in 3 days. I like to think that's good for someone like me. I'm not a distance runner, or a cardio bunny. And I still get to push decently heavy weights. Tomorrow I'm planning on whacking the machine. Even though I have an evening swim class, I figure that an hour of kickboxing is less taxing that doing an hour of cross-trainer/elliptical and pushing weight. Okay, I'll also be doing 20 min on the elliptical after whacking the machine, but that's just to help my hamstrings counteract the kicks and knee-ups from the Follow Me programs. Or am I just making excuses?

I don't quite get to the gym as early as I'd like. I have an eye doc appointment at 1 pm and it'll take me anywhere from 30-45 minutes to get there. (And I have to get gas because I have under a quarter tank and I don't know exactly how far that'll go. I'd rather be cautious and travel with a full tank.) That gives me an hour for cardio and maybe 30 min for weights. I can't underestimate how long changing and showering takes as well. I'm on a different Cross-trainer so my mileage isn't where I want it to be. All the LifeFitness cross-trainers tell you that they're at Level 1, but they definitely feel harder or easier, depending on which specific machine you get on. The Precor ellipticals aren't so distinctive. It's just that two of them "clunk" when you pedal backwards at a high incline, so I try to avoid those if possible.

I'm doubtful if I can make a full set at my first attempt (of the day) at Hammer Grip Pull Ups. But I manage to muscle through them, and I'm really surprised. It's not critical that I do pull ups today as long as I get one set in. Yes, it's a Pull Day, but I'm also doing SLDLs and some other back-bicep movements. I have to pause at rep 80 in order to finish the 100 reps for push ups. Damn, I'm tired and my pecs and triceps are sore. Crunches are okay. They're always okay. I've discarded most of the planks for just the Bird Dog because my wrist and shoulder seemed to be bearing the brunt of the exercise, and that's not the point. Because I'm not entirely certain of the FitNotes app, I also enter my data into my phone's notepad. It's the only way I can actually export the workout to my desktop to copy into this blog.

The nice people at FitNotes answered me within two hours when I emailed them about their phone app. They were ecstatic to hear that it had been recommended to me by a friend, but they also had to concede that there was no website I could access with my desktop (unlike JeFit). The files do export in a fnw format but I don't know what that means, other than fit notes workout? YouTubers suggest that the files can be opened in MS Excel. Uh, not gonna happen.

Smith SLDLs feel godawful hard today, and yet I manage to muscle through 12 reps at 130 lbs. So much for listening to my body. I can only get 15 reps once I drop the weight to 80 lbs. I would've thought I could get more: when I Smith flat bench and eek out 6 reps at 130 lbs (yes, it's been a while since I've done that weight), I can usually muscle out 20-25 reps at 90 lbs. It's a bit perplexing and the only thing I can think of is that the SLDL really takes my breath away because it's totally full body. Benching is, well, benching: shoulders, pecs, triceps, some core, some legs. Apparently not nearly as exhausting!

This looks like something I could try, but I'm happier with a hammer grip

I only do 3 sets of RG BB Rows, and I make a note to myself to up the weights next go round. These were a tad too light. But I don't have time today to add sets. The Seated One-Arm Cable Rows feel less like a back movement, and more like a bicep exercise. That worries me for the next set of pull ups so I skip them until after the last round of cardio. I think the trick is to not really think about pull ups at all. Just count and let the rest of your mind go blank.

I'd love to try a one-arm pull up, but I'm really concerned about totally messing up my elbow. Beastskills.com states flat out that elbow tendinitis is going to happen. They also distinguish between one-arm pull ups, and one-handed pull ups. The latter is easier, because the other hand grabs the pulling arm. I'm too chicken to chance the one-arm pull up with these tiny unstable joints. But because it's there, in the back of my head, I know at some point I'm going to try the one-hand pull up. Maybe just one.

T-Nation's advice on how to do them starts out with:

1. You need to be strong enough to do 20 pull-ups in order to master the one-arm pull-up. Also, don't be too fat.

Well, uh duh. Most sites start you off with doing a one-arm hang. I guess that sounds reasonable. It also sounds like a plan for elbow trouble, at least for me. Exercises to increase grip strength come into play. (I think of American Ninja Warrior and how my tiny little hands and fingers would never survive obstacles like that.) An interesting article in Men's Health suggests one-arm "horizontal rows" (see illustration above) for a hard body. That might be useful. I think the rest of us call them Inverted Rows, and those also give me tendinitis. Sigh. I have to really think this through now.

I see The Mayor with his son in tow again. And Shaggy. There are a few faces who've been MIA for some months but are back again. I've not seen the fantastically fit old guy lately, though. Skinny, and balding with a sparse crown of grey over his ears, this is the first person I've seen using the Assisted Pull Up machine, and doing actual pull ups with no assist. Cool. I think the old women get a thrill when I do pull ups. The old men are just intimidated. But that's not my problem.

My hubs has been texting me each day from the Boy Scout camp in Rhode Island. He sends photos and videos. It looks like my son is having a good time, when he's not stressing over Merit Badges. My hubs is having a great time too as I knew he would, finally doing the things he's missed, like hiking, swimming, shotgun shooting. He was worried that he'd get fat with three meals a day, but now he thinks he's losing weight from all the activities. It's an actual vacation for him, and I'm glad. 

I've been eating moderately better now that there's no one to cook for except myself. Last night I tossed a can of tuna into a bowl of salad greens with some black olives, and a sliced gala apple drizzled with raspberry walnut vinaigrette. I still eat dessert: half a blueberry scone from Salinger's Farm market. This is the first year they've not had any peaches. The late Spring frost killed all their fruit, and I worry that without products to sell, they'll go under. Maybe they'll have a few peaches in August. And maybe some apples in the Fall. I didn't want to leave without buying anything, so I got some pastries and muffins. The latter went into the freezer for when the boys come home.

Wednesday Workout
(6.23 miles total cardio)

X trainer
30 min
3.68 miles
7.33 av spd
143 cal

Hammer Grip Pull Ups
31

Knee in
50

Push Ups
100

Crunches
3 X 50

Bird Dig
2 X 60 sec

SLDL
30 x20
80 X 15
100 X 12
120 X 12
130 X 12 OMG!
80 X 15

RG BB Row
30 X 20
50 X 15
70 X 16 Too easy -- next time use 80-90 lbs or add sets

Cable row
37.5 X 12
45 X 12 X 2

Elliptical
Prgm 3
30 min
288 cal
2.55 mi

Getting the Better of Myself

My husband has been accusing me of sleeping in on the weekends like a teenager, and I don't deny it. Although my reasons are far from partying or being online all night. No, I've spent the past several nights scratching all my bug bites until I finally resort to a dose of children's Benadryl® antihistamine. It's half as strong as the adult version but for some reason I can tolerate it much better and not have a Benadryl hangover the next day.

I'm still sluggish and groggy this morning when I hit the snooze button three times because I'm having an inexplicably complicated dream. Remnants of Trinity's confession to Neo echo against bizarre imagery that I try to make sense of as I wake. Which is odd because we haven't watched The Matrix in a really long time. I'm blaming the excessive amount of baked goods we purchased at Salinger's Farm and Bakery since we don't normally eat muffins and pies, although we also bought yellow Shiro plums, and Salinger's cling own peaches. Still, I feel slow and thick at the gym as I stash my gear in the locker and make my way to the cardio area.

A woman is just exiting Precor #1 and I wait for her to wipe it down rather than take on Precor #3 with its molasses glide, smooth but thick in resistance. I make a conscious decision to run my short playlist (6 songs) to give me momentum. It seems to work because I'm able to just make my 4 mile quota. Normally I'm more of a slug on Mondays. I'm not so lucky on the Smith when I go to bench. The glide feels really sticky and thick, as if it's gummed up with dust and lint. I know I'm going to have trouble today.

Today's Workout:
35 min Hill #5 = 4.00 miles Yay!
Smith Bench Press: 12 @ bar / 12 @ 95 lbs / 10 @ 115 / 8 @ 135 / 5, 6, 6 @ 155 / 12 @ 135 / 15 @ 115 / 25 @ 95 lbs
At least I'm able to finish strong even if I had some problems with my heavy lifts. I've ordered a set of wraps, and a pair of gloves with wrist wraps attached, figuring either one or the other should fit me. Email says that they've just shipped. I'm excited to see if this will help!
Cage Stretch with BW Heel Dips and Side Kicks
Bent Over Rear Delt DB Raises: 6 x 15 @ 25 lbs
I want to use the inclined bench but The Mayor keeps hopping on and off it, and I don't feel like talking to him or asking to share the bench. My lower back is not at all happy with the Bent Over position for the Rear Delt movement.
Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 12 @ 25 lbs
I suspect that my arms are still recuperating from last Friday's bout with the Nexersys and just getting these 3 sets was hard. Next time I'm going to drop my reps down to 6 (I can get 8 easily) and see if I can't get 6 sets of 6.
BB Upright Rows: 12 @ 30 lbs / 3 x 12 @ 40 lbs
Flat Bench Twisting Sit Ups: 150
Lower Ab Kick Outs: 100
Mat Stretch: the mats are all occupied so I grab an older fold out mat at the back of the gym to stretch. It's almost too soft and makes certain moves very difficult because there's not a lot of stability on a cushy mat.

I'm so zoned out that all I can think about is getting into the shower to blast all my bug bites with hot water, especially my feet and ankles. I forget to weigh myself but I already know from the puffiness in my face that I'm over 110 lbs. Water retention. I don't like the way I look or the way I feel. It's a good thing that it's only Monday. That gives me the rest of the week to get myself back to normal.