Cutting Back Is Harder Than It Looks

Winter Storm Sparta seemed gentle enough with the constant precipitation of tiny, rain-like snow flakes. Shoveling Sunday night while the snow was still falling was probably a bit silly, but my son and I wanted to get some sort of head start. We figure there would be a 2-hr delay and I wasn't disappointed by the 5 am text and subsequent prerecorded phone call. I've learned to keep the phone close to my pillow on nights like that. This morning I spent an hour and a half re-shoveling the walkway, the driveway, clearing my car and then moving it so I could shovel up everything that fell off it. We got a good 8 inches of powder so dry it doesn't always stay put in your shovel. That makes it difficult to catapult over the snow banks lining the driveway. Worse yet, cleared snow has a tendency to blow back with the wind, causing minor white-outs along portions of the roadways.

The school bus is late because the substitute driver is unfamiliar with the route. I get to the gym and realize that I've forgotten my blue hoodie. I'd cleared the snow wearing my gym clothes under my winter parka, and I didn't want to overheat, so I hadn't worn the hoodie. Bummer. I choose the cross-trainer farthest from the front door. My paranoia kicks in and I think everyone is staring at me. Normally I've got my hoodie pulled down over my eyes and I don't really see anyone. I wonder if there's something wrong with my clothes.

I'm tired from shoveling so I tell myself it's okay if I only do 5 miles today. When 30 minutes is up, I realize that I've logged 4.01 miles already. The Smith is free so I do my standard Smith Bench Press. At first my left elbow is achy. Probably from shoveling. But as the weights progress, the elbow feels fine and it's my right shoulder that starts to ache. I have to be careful because benching heavy inevitably causes an issue with that joint. Surprisingly, 25 reps at 90 lbs feels really good. I used to be able to do this on the free bench with 95 lbs, but since the gym installed over-sized Matrix Breaker Benches that are too tall and too wide for me, I haven't been comfortable doing free weights.

It takes me a few moments to swap out the small flat bench for the adjustable inclined bench but I want to do a few sets of Smith Inclined Presses. I'm able to up my weights here so I'm excited. Then I move on to the Super Set movement: DB Lateral Raises and DB Reverse Flyes. I cut my reps on the heavier 25 lb sets until the last set. That one, I grind out. Because I can. Because I know that the fatigue I felt in the first 3 sets was just in my head. And 12 reps at the 6th and last set proves it.

I like to finish with more cardio to warm up before I do any sort of Mat Stretch. 30 minutes on the elliptical on Performance Program #1 gives me another 2.54 miles. Wahoo! That's a total of 6.55 miles. Pretty good for feeling kind of tired. I'm having a really hard time cutting back to 5 miles. I'm not sure I know how to do it other than cutting back on the time I spend doing cardio. And yet, endurance is something I've worked so hard to achieve that I am absolutely loathe to give it up. I must be feeling better. I found a nearly pristine bottle of l-lysine in my cabinet so I've started taken 3 capsules (500 mg ea) 3 times a day. The Livestrong.com website suggests taking 3,000 to 9,000 mg daily in divided doses. I definitely think it's helping me recover.

When I get home, I cut apart a black plastic garbage bag and cover my cellar doors with it because tomorrow's forecast is for snow, rain and maybe sleet. There is a flood warning alert, especially since storm drains are inaccessible due to several feet of icy snowbanks. Winter Storm Thor is a monster system that reaches across the country, raining hail and ice everywhere within it's reach. The hose from the sump pump protrudes from a pillow of fiberglass insulation between the doors, and insulation does not work well wet. I also don't need any more water getting into my basement than what already seeps in through the walls. It's a wet basement, and even though I live on a big hill, the water table is extremely high. The entire county can suffer a drought, and my well would be fine.

My son is bummed that the impending storm means his MineCraft meetup might be cancelled. If the storm lasts the projected three days, Cub Scouts, Chess class and Kung Fu will also be impacted. I can't wait until Spring, although I am enjoying mosquito-free life right now. Sigh.

Monday Cardio and Workout
(total miles = 6.55; 12,810 lbs moved)

Cross Trainer

Calorie :   152 CAL
Distance: 4.01 mile
Speed :    8.18 mph
Duration : 00:30:07

Smith Machine Bench Press

165

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x10
Set 4 : 120x10
Set 5 : 130x8
Set 6 : 90x25

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

126

Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 70x12
Set 3 : 80x12
Set 4 : 90x12

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

35

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 25x8
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x8
Set 6 : 25x12 SuperSet with

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

35

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 25x8
Set 4 : 25x8
Set 5 : 25x8
Set 6 : 25x12

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   286 CAL
Distance: 2.54 mile
Duration : 00:30:10

Abbreviated Monday Workout

I'm glad I spent Saturday shoveling out parking spots for guests. It made my son's birthday party much less of a hassle. Although not having a house phone really kind of sucked because of a glitch with the Fios service (fixed today). While my husband fiddled with the laptops to set up a viable MineCraft server, I ran off to pick up the ice cream cake, and order several pizzas. Which I couldn't do from the house because we don't get any cell signal bars there. Two out of the expected five guests were sick so it was a rather intimate party. More of a play date. But we had pizza and ice cream cake, and my son had a great time. Then we parents each checked our phones (we do have WiFi) and discovered that not only was there a Winter Storm headed our way, but an additional Nor'easter. Bringing 12 to 24 and maybe 30 inches of snow. What?!

I'm having a heck of a time finding out what the storms are named. (Just like newspapers no longer automatically list someone's age anymore, or oddly, pertinent facts like a basketball player's height.) Friday was Iola. Next on the list, (according to the weather.com site "winter storm names") is Juno and Kari. Followed by Linus. Good grief.

Because it's 17°F this morning, and my son's backpack is heavy with traditional Chinese sweets, I drive him to the school bus stop. But first I have to warm up both my husband's car and my own, then move his out of our long narrow driveway and up the road, then move mine, then move his back. Then mine. So that when my hubs finally gets up at 9 am, he'll be able to load his stuff into the car and not have to lug it all up the road. Because he's driving to Boston to be at the airport tonight. For the entire week. And as long as I have the car running, I might as well go to the gym. Because of the storm, we all know (several times over) that today is Early Dismissal. Which means my son is at school for all of 2 1/2 hours. Which means it's Abbreviated Workout Day. But at least I get to work out.

I get to the gym before 9 am and all the cross-trainers are occupied. Okay, I can start with the Precor instead. I do 30 minutes of Intervals while trying to figure out my phone. It's a lot different since I upgraded the OS from 6 to 8 (totally skipping glitchy 7). I don't even stretch before glomming the Smith for my usual sets of benching. Afterwards, I see a lot of kids. The next town over actually closed their schools today. I notice a young blonde woman with nice arms. She's got an athletic build and probably plays a sport. Her friend is also working hard, but she's a tad chubbier and less athletic. I have my hoodie on most of the time until I have to put on wrist-wraps. I know the big guys are trying not to stare. Dang, I have some big arms. Cool.

There are no Inclined Benches so I skip Inclined Benching and move directly to DB Laterals and Reverse Flyes. There are also no 20 lb DBs. WTH? Whatever. I grab the 25s. I know I can do them because I've done them in the past. Yes, the distant past. I tell myself that as I go heavier I should cut my reps. But I don't listen much. Okay, I'm not bringing those weights all the way up to my shoulders either because I have too many joint issues. But I'm happy to knock out four sets. My arms look different these days. I think it's because somehow I'm bigger. But I just can't quite figure out where exactly. Oh well...

I do some abs, and have just enough time for 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. Because with limited time, cardio is more important to me. I do a quick Cage Stretch and off to shower. I'm also saving myself for the grueling task of shoveling out the driveway and walkway later. The Gov has already declared a State of Emergency ahead of the blizzard. Tomorrow's going to be a lot of fun. Yep.

Monday Workout (total mileage 6.47; total lbs moved 9,930)



Elliptical Training
Calorie : 294 CAL
Distance: 2.61 mile
Duration : 00:30:00


Smith Machine Bench Press
168
Set 1 : 30x12
Set 2 : 80x12
Set 3 : 100x12
Set 4 : 120x12
Set 5 : 110x12
Set 6 : 90x25


Dumbbell Lateral Raise
35
Set 1 : 25x12
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12 SuperSet with



Dumbbell Reverse Flyes
35
Set 1 : 25x12
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12

Sit Up
100
Set 1 : 100 Lap/Rep


Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull In
100
Set 1 : 100 Lap/Rep


Cross Trainer
Calorie : 149 CAL
Distance: 3.86 mile
Duration : 00:30:08