Trying to Get It All Done Before...

I got to the gym a bit before noon. It's becoming a habit to get as much done before I head out because once I get back, there's so little time before the next item on the list... My son has a Scout tent camping event. He's kind of burnt on camping, but tomorrow is Cub Scout Day and the older Scouts are suppose to volunteer to help Cubs with crafts. Which means I have to pack a dinner and lunch for my son because they'll be too busy to work on their own meals. Which means... grocery shopping. Of course.

Today is Cardio Day, but I'm actually feeling really tired and weak, like I'm not fully recovered from our whitewater rafting last weekend. Crazy, right? What I really need is a straight 8 hours of sleep and that's not going to happen until tonight. Because the hubs is in Boston, and I'll have the house to myself. But of course, I'll get distracted by something and get to bed waaay too late. Again.

I can't even think about Intervals, so I just do 30 minutes on the cross-trainer. And some pull ups. And spiderman push ups. 20 is my limit for those. But I can still do side planks and bird dogs. The crunches and bicycles are also okay. It's hot, and really humid so everyone's really moist. The mats are icky and I put my hoodie back on when I have to lay down. But I strip it right off again when I mount the StepMill. And then I try a new game on the Expresso Bike. It's not quite as much fun as Dragon Island. It's called Animal Adventure, but after pedaling around forever, I finally come across, well, dragons. It's suppose to have different climates, like Arctic and Safari, but it's still a more limited version of Dragon Island. What I discover though, is that you can bike right through structures, and sometimes there's coins or treasure boxes inside. That's cool!

A gal I haven't seen in months comes over to chat. She's finally fully recovered from breaking her foot. She's also decided to collect social security early since she just turned 62. Just as well, since the place she waitressed at just closed its doors. After chatting, I realize I'm no longer sweating, and fear for the worst. My muscles are cold, so am I going to be able to do pistol squats? A pair of lunkheads are barbell curling while standing on the Mats. WTF guys? Go stand in the gym area with all brand new black rubber flooring, not on the mats that people lie down on! Ugh. I hate stupid people. Seriously. I retreat to the vacant class room and proceed to do pistols while standing in place. Usually I walk the length of the room to practice balance, but I'm worried about falling over. I am really surprised and happy that I can do my pistols anyway, even feeling cold. No quad clenching either. I come back to the Mats, and the lunkheads are gone. Whew. Mat stretch and then a shower.

I'll be able to work out Monday and Tuesday and then not again for a good two weeks. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle this... Ugh.

Cardio Friday

30 x-trainer
Calories 242
Miles 3.63

HGPU 26
Spiderman Push Ups 20
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

15 StepMill
Steps 806
Floors 50
Calories 118
Level 6

15 Expresso Bike
Animal Adventure
Points 146,640
Miles 2.19
Calories 33

Pistol Squats
22 total

V-necks Are Better

The forecast projects temps to rise into the high 60s so I put on a pair of shorts. These old Danskins were my favorites, but no one carries them anymore, and the waistband is fraying. I can see white elastic through the thin black fabric. They don't have pockets either and eventually, the legs do ride up my thighs a little. Because I plan to just do Cardio, which naturally involves legs, I toy with the idea of not wearing a sports tank. I have a black Reebok T-shirt I bought at Marshall's for $5. It says it's a Medium, with a loose boxy fit, and extremely soft fabric.

It doesn't occur to me until after my workout that this is probably a Men's or Boys item because it's only then that I read on the label that it's "underwear." (I tend to wear undershirts or tanks under my flannel because I hate having a draft up my back, but women in general usually don't.) It's actually fairly comfortable, except for the round crew neck. It'd be so much better with a V-cut. I find myself yanking the neck down a dozen times during my workout. I'm sensitive enough to hate anything around my neck so no turtlenecks—mock or not, no scarves, no chokers... they all make me feel like I'm gagging. It's also harder to adjust my sports bra straps off my traps with a T-shirt on. Plus one for the sports tank.

I know Intervals are going to suck since the elliptical is the first cardio machine on my circuit today. I always tell myself I can quit in 20 minutes, but by that time I can see the goal line, so I plug on. Stretching at the Cage and then some pull ups. Ugh. I make sure to do the basic Core exercises, then scan the Cardio platform to see what machines are available. StepMills! I do 15 minutes at Level 6, which has me gasping slightly. The Mayor has been on the treadmill with his buddy SquareJaw since he came in. But he hasn't stopped talking. I'm not happy with my right ear bud even though I've replaced the ear pad with the smallest one. My ear is tender and ambient vocals still leak in. I'm going to return to the memory foam for that one. The left side fits fine with the larger silicone earbud pad. So weird.

After the Step Mill, I decide to stretch out my shoulders. The Smith is occupied, but the Max Rack® isn't. And since I only need a stationary bar set about chest height, I'm good with that. The bar is still fairly high on my back, but at least it's not on the base of my neck. My right elbow and wrist don't hurt as much as last time either, a promising sign!

The Expresso Bike is free so I clamber aboard. There's an old guy two bikes over. I scroll through the different rides until a titillating title catches my eye. I'm not happy with the gradient rise on it, but I can always just stop the ride whenever I've had enough, and that happens to be after 15 minutes. Part of the problem is that my girlfriend texted me in the middle of the ride and I had to respond. She'd like to see the Orchid Show, which ends next weekend, at the NY Botanic Gardens. I wouldn't mind either, but I might have a Jeet Kune Do class. Or not. The Parks and Recreation Dept hasn't contacted me as to whether the class has registered enough students yet. Sigh. I've only gone a bit over two and a half miles, which means this ride would take me closer to an hour to complete. Hhhmmmm. Maybe next time I'll just play one of the Games instead! I think I'd like that better. The only thing I don't like is that you have to actually log in for most of them. There might be one or two you can ride just as a Guest. And yes, I do have a login account, but that doesn't mean I want anyone to know that.

Happy Friday the 13th!

At the Mat, it occurs to me to try a few Pistol Squats. I'm slightly worried that my legs will be too tired and I'll fall on my face. But in reality, I'm so warmed up that the Pistol Squats aren't a problem. Normally, the quads of the extended leg clench a bit as I push up. But not today. I also tried to focus on having my glutes and hammies assist in the rise. Weird, right? The gym scale tells me 111.8 lbs. Well, it's not horrible. But it could be better. It can always be better.

Cardio Friday

30 elliptical
Intervals
Calories 298
Miles 2.62
Average Heart Rate 141/180

HGPU 26
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

15 min StepMill
Level 6
Calories 120
Total steps 819
Floors 51

Low bar shoulder stretch
5-10s x 3

Expresso Bike
(Falcon flight 227 ft / 8.3 miles)
Time: 15 min
Actual miles: 2.62

Pistol Squats
5 each leg

What's In A Number

I ate a lot of kale last night with some leftover pork. The pork's not as good as when freshly carved off the bone after cooking for 14 hours. It needs moisture. It's too salty. I toss lots of kale atop the shreds of pork to season it, and to soften the pork. The kale was great. The pork, not so much. I pan fry a few slices of under-ripe avocados and am surprised at how much better they taste: they soften and actually have flavor now! I'm sometimes over-eager to cut into an avocado, fooling myself that the slight give when I squeeze it means it's ripe. Sometimes it needs another day. You can always tell perfection because the flesh seems to peel out of the skin by itself!

This morning I ate yogurt with my vitamins: I didn't want to run out of steam at the gym. And surprisingly, my old Nano iPod and wired ear buds worked very well to block ambient conversations. I still have new wireless earbuds on order at Amazon though. Prices have come down, and $20 seems reasonable. I just wish the ear buds were truly wireless so I didn't have to tangle them into my hair to keep the wire off my neck. I'm wearing one of the cheap tanks I bought from Old Navy. It's a weird pink or salmon color. Salmon, because in certain light, it gets orangey, but it's not coral. It has a racer back and trim silhouette, unlike the other tanks, which seem more billowy. Or maybe, just more. All the other tanks are gray. One has a neat cut out back, but I have a hard time photographing it at home. Today is Cardio Day so I know I'm going to be horribly sweaty. All the tanks promise stay-dry technology to keep the user cool. Right.

All the ellipticals are busy when I get to the gym, but I didn't want to start with Intervals anyway. I need to warm up on something else, so I do 15 minutes on the cross-trainer. Now that I'm nicely warm, I proceed with pull ups and push ups and basic core moves. I stretch out my hips but dropping down and my elbows are on the mat. College Soccer, a middle-age woman who looks like an ex-college jock, tries to suppress a smile. Because it's probably unexpected. And funny.
Now I can hit the elliptical, especially since they're all vacant. I only do 20 minutes. On Cardio Days, I choose three different machines. Today is cross-trainer, elliptical and step mill. I suppose I could've added the Expresso bike, but I only fit into one of the four machines, and it's occupied. I don't know how people can do the Step Mill at slow speeds. I start with 1 and click up to level 5. But after a minute I'm bored and click up one more. Level 6 is a good pace and in 15 minutes, I'm drenched and warm enough for most of the Mat Stretch.

I keep an eye on the clock because I have a doc appointment later and I don't want to be late. If anything, I'm usually 10-15 minutes early, and the doc usually runs late no matter how many or few patients are in the waiting room. My vision tests at 20/20 on the verge of 20/15. But my pressure's are unexpectedly bad: 15 and 16. When the doc does a pressure re-check, the IOPs are even worse at 19! Ugh. Looks like I'm going to have that cataract surgery after all. First I'll need to do a new Visual Field exam. Then I'll have to return for lens measurements. Finally, a friend will have to drive me to the hospital to have one eye done. Wait two weeks and then the other eye.

The doc explains that I have narrow angles, which makes this surgery more difficult. It's possible that the removal of the thickened lens will cause my iris to drop down and open the angle, allowing better fluid drainage inside my eye. Or allow more room for a micro-stent. The micro-stent would be positioned to drain into the angle. As it is now, my eyes don't seem well-suited for that type of solution. I may be forced to consider more invasive surgeries, but only if this fails. My body seems very resilient, but in this case, it's not optimal because the iridotomy and SLTs no longer provide increased drainage. And in spite of three different eye drops, my IOPs have increased. Ugh. After the cataract surgeries, I won't be able to do anything strenuous for at least a week. No lifting. Nothing that requires exertion. I guess I could do a slow jog on the elliptical and some planks... Or maybe just sit in the sauna?

Well, at least the gym scale was kinder today at 111 lbs. And I got the cargo pants from 5.11 Tactical Gear shop. (Aramark keeps emailing me sales ads to get me to buy more stuff, but the stuff I just ordered hasn't arrived yet, so that's truly annoying. I hope their pants fit because they charge a restocking fee on returns. Ugh.) The summer weight khaki cargo pants (size 2 unhemmed) fit great, with just 8" of extra fabric that will need to be cut off. The heavier charcoal pants (size 4 regular) fit fine as well, but with more belly room (good for layering in the winter), and only 3.5" to remove off the legs. Now I know what size I wear, at least in this brand.

A friend recommended LA Police Gear and I checked out their website. It looks as if they might stock my size, but hard to tell. Even though I checked off Inseam 28/Waist 28 in the Search function, the Men's sizes are more or less Small/Short vs Medium/Reg, etc. Which leaves me guessing as to just what size the items really are. There are women's pants, but the sizing chart only refers to waist size. A size 0 is 29.5", and there's no hip size. There's also nothing shorter than regular, which is about 30". It gets longer the bigger the waist size. I'm a little hesitant to order a size 0-regular when I'm wearing a 2 or 4 elsewhere... I'm wondering how the Aramark pants will fit. I hope they fit. Regardless, they all need to be hemmed.

Cardio Friday

15 min x-trainer
Calories 123
Miles 1.94
HGPU 26
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 204
Miles 1.80
Average Heart Rate 147 / 175 max

15 min StepMill
Level 5
Calories 117
Steps 795
Flights 49

One Size Can Vary Greatly

Dressing
room lighting

After I got the laundry and dishes sorted, and my gym gear packed, I drove up to the Home Depot to pick up charcoal and salt for the water softener. My hubs and I had taken a Scout course on Dutch Oven cooking and my hubs was so excited by it that he immediately purchased one on Amazon. Now we just have to season it, and get some charcoal briquettes. I haven't used charcoal briquettes in over 20 years so like an old dog who can see a new staircase but doesn't acknowledge its existence (yes, that was one of my dogs), I walked right by the bags of Kingsford and bought two bags of the Royal Oak lump charcoal. Because that's what we normally use. But Scout Dutch oven cooking is all about putting the right number of briquettes on and under the cast iron pot, so....

My son is at that age where half his clothes don't fit him anymore. Like underwear. I like to buy him colorful cotton briefs because whites are boring, and show stains too easily. But I'll be dammed if I can find anything other than boxer-briefs or boxers. My son won't wear boxers, and not boxer-briefs because he's got sizeable thighs (like his mom). I go to three different stores, and if they have regular briefs, they are in monstrously large sizes. Ugh. While I'm at Marshalls, I see a rack of sports bras and grab a few to try on. Clothes wear out and mine are no exception. Marshall's has the best prices for these items, averaging $10 give or take, vs. the ridiculously expensive $30-$70 per item at sports retailers. All the bras are size L from different brands. The only S size is a bright neon orange tank, because I'm that weird body who wears both L and S simultaneously.

left to right: neon tank, navy bra and gray/navy bra, stars bra, puffy bra/strappy bra,

The S tank is the first to go on the discard pile. While I like the color, there are too many seams and the fabric is too sheer for my liking. It doesn't look that way in the photo, but in real life, I can see my bra through the tank, and that's not me. Even though all the bras are size L, they all fit differently. I'm surprised at the ones that fit well and comfortably, one boring solid navy and one gray/navy piece. I like the cute B&W stars and stripes (made in Australia!) but the band is a tad too big. You can see how it gaps at the side. But it's really comfortable and well-made and I opt to keep it anyway, figuring I can wear it under something heavier than a gym tank. Then there are the losers: a strappy black number with weird cutouts across the back. It's too tight and the straps don't have enough give to them. The next item is really cute, but there's something odd about the bust area. The pads are too puffy and make me look like I've gone up 3 cup sizes. It's not the right bra for me. Experiences like this are why brick and mortar stores will never truly disappear. There are certain things you really need to try on. Like bras. And shoes.

Post-workout

I get to the gym by noon. It's Cardio Day so I reluctantly climb onto the elliptical for Intervals. But only 20 minutes. I'm a bit stiff from yesterday and my legs take a long while to loosen up. I probably should've started with a different piece of equipment! Oh well... Right afterwards, I hop on the Step Mill for 15 minutes. Now I'm really starting to bust a sweat! Then I'm back across the gym to the Expresso bikes. The one bike that adjusts down to my size is the closest to the front door so every now and then, as people are entering or exiting, I get a chilly breeze. I choose a new ride called Titan Time because it's a short distance at 1.75 miles, and has weird graphics of aliens and spaceships.

What I don't realize until I'm in the thick of it, is that there are portions of this ride where the grade goes up to 17% and I'm pedaling as hard as I can. I opt to close the gap between me and the screen pacer, from 75 to 55 meters. Eventually I pass "him" on the course, and by the time I'm finished, he's several yards behind me. I'm done in a little over 10 minutes, and the computer program seems surprised and congratulates me on my excellent time. Of course, I haven't logged in so there's no record of my ride, but that's okay. I'm perfectly happy being anonymous.

My hubs is taking us out to dinner tonight to celebrate my birthday belatedly. We're going to Char, a local steakhouse we frequent on special occasions. They have short ribs on the menu! I don't cook short ribs so that's what I'm ordering! My son loves their truffle oil mac and cheese. My hubs is still gamely eating low/no carbs, but he's had to cut back on calories and protein. So, it's basically a fat-based diet that is suppose to help maintain blood sugar levels. I'm curious enough to read up on it, but since I have a lot of issues digesting fatty foods, this type of eating isn't for me. The cops will be out in force tonight and tomorrow because the St Pat's holiday weekend is notorious for drunken behaviors. At least my hubs is responsible enough to do his drinking safely at home, although I'm sure he'll have a glass of white with dinner.

Cardio Friday

20 min elliptical + 5 cd
Intervals
Calories 238
Miles 2.12

15 StepMill level 6
Calories 119
Steps 814
Floors 50

Expresso Bike
Titan Time 1.75 Miles
Calories: 59
Time: 10:24

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

most of a Mat Stretch

Another Bomb Cyclone

I got to the gym yesterday and decided that I would do the thing I hate most: Intervals. It's always slow-going at first. I need the first few minutes to warm up before I can actually "kick into gear." I'd already taken a day off this week, but knew I'd have to take the morning off on Friday for a phone meeting with my tax prep person. Yes, it's that time of the year again! I'd heard about a storm brewing in the West, but the news media is so geared towards sensationalism that it's hard to take them very seriously. We all figure there'd be a lot of rain. There's been a lot of rain lately anyway. But yesterday was actually quite a nice day.

After Intervals, I got to the basics like pull ups. The Mat was occupied so I wandered off to the classroom, which was empty and very well air-conditioned. After push ups and core, I took a few photos with the timer function on my phone. But I don't quite have a feel for it yet. At some point, I'll drag a bigger mat into this room and video my Mat routine just so I can see what it looks like from another perspective. Always room for improvement and tweaking positions!

I use the StepMill and then the Expresso Bike, because, duh, Cardio Day. Somewhere I read a headline proclaiming researchers link better workouts to music. Well, DUH. Another grant-burning study. I know there's ample job opportunities for grant writers seeking funding.

The rains don't start until 9 pm, just as my son and hubs and I are leaving a Cub Scout function where half our Boy Scout Troop volunteered to help them with their charity event. It's 37F and flood warnings are in effect. At 5 am I get the call that school has been cancelled due to weather. What? Yep, there's snow on the ground. And blowing sideways through the trees. At 30F, the snow is wet like ocean sand. I take the dog out at 9 am and my hubs drives to work. Down the road, a truck has slid sideways and blocks the road, it's tail end headed towards the tiny stream that runs parallel to the road. Well, looks like it's gonna be an exciting day! The winds are crazy and visibility sucks. The local news calls this a Bomb Cyclone Nor'easter. Oh jeeze... what happened to blizzards? This is Winter Storm Riley, coming in like a Lion!

Yesterday I snapped a few photos before I went to the gym. My hair isn't tied back, and the harsh lighting in my hall really brings out all the aging features of my face. So not flattering! But it also highlights my arms better. I want to see what other people see when I'm walking through the gym because I notice a lot of the old guys staring. And I know it's not because I'm just "another pretty face." I'm pretty dam scary if I do say so myself. Lol!

Thursday Cardio Day

30 elliptical + 5cd
Intervals
Calories 348
Miles 3.06

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

15 StepMill
Level 5/6
Calories 113
Floors 47
Total Steps 767

Expresso Bike
Lost Trail 2.9 miles 435 ft
Time: 17:10
Calories: 83

Low Blood Sugar or Something Worse

I had planned to do two big movements today, and then whack the machine tomorrow, but plans are always adjustable... The Smith was occupied non-stop, and since I'd already done benching and RDLs at least once this week, it wasn't critical for me to do them again, although I would've like to. Instead, because I got to the gym late (2 hr school delay today, school cancelled yesterday due to the snow and ice storm), and the Smith was always occupied, I just did Core and Cardio.

I'm having some issues with seasonal vertigo again. It's been an annual winter occurrence for the past few years, and it's very distracting. Right now it's mostly just annoying, but it won't take much for things like driving to become problematic. Ugh. Worse, I got completely stupid once I got home and couldn't figure out how to turn my car off in the driveway. Seriously, what the hell is going on? I kept trying to remove the key and the car wasn't in Park. (I actually did manage to do that once in my old car. Not proud of that.) I'm attributing that to super low blood sugar and the fact my head feels a bit surreal, and is really screwing with my mind. And I ate breakfast today! And didn't do a ridiculously hard workout either. Ugh. Once I get home, I scarf down two eggs poached in oatmeal with a heaping spoon of homemade blueberry preserves. I feel better already!

Tomorrow I'm either going to whack the kickboxing machine, or actually do Smith Inclined Benching and RDLs again. Because I'm trying to up my workouts a bit but not spend all day doing it. Doing the "big movements" twice in a week might be a way to do that. At least for me. But I really don't want to give up whacking the machine. Ugh.

Why does it say 182 when I'm
not even touching the sensors?!

Today's workout was fairly basic, although the elliptical seemed a bit possessed and kept running heart rate numbers even when I wasn't actually touching the sensors with my hands. I managed to squeeze out a few more pull ups too although all the floor mat stuff was routine. Because I couldn't use the Smith machine, I decided to do "more but different" cardio. And a good stretch at the end just so I'm not horribly sore tomorrow. Well, I'll probably be sore, but I won't notice it unless I'm doing something that's directly affected... like doing arms and shoulders the day after benching and RDLs. I haven't decided whether that's worth the change or not....

Vertigo Thursday

30 + 5 elliptical
Program 2
Calories 336
Miles 2.97

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

Expresso Bike
Rabbit Run 2.3 miles
Calories 68
Time 13:24

Step Mill
15 min
Level 6
Floors 52 / 841 steps
Calories 123

Mat Stretch

A Tad Sore

My hubs was feeling under the weather and took a rare sick day. I'm wondering if he hasn't caught flu as reports indicate a "bad" flu season. But doesn't the media always say that to scare you into getting a flu shot? Never mind the fact that it's another ineffective vaccine, due to viral mutations happening inside the eggs where the vaccines are spawned. If you caught flu last year, then apparently you're protected because you've still got immunity. And those who were immunized last year? Nope, out of luck I suppose...

Today's a Cardio Day. The gym is peopled by the same folks pre New Year although I do see one or two new faces. That's actually not a lot considering attrition. A lot of regulars don't show up much during the winter. I'm not sure if they've fled to Florida, where they wouldn't be enjoying mild weather anyway. Today it's almost warm out at 40F. Still, I have my hat, puffy down coat, fleece gloves and boots on. It's still January after all.

My glutes and hammies are actually a tad sore today. Not sure if it's due to the light RDLs I tried yesterday, or just the fact that I worked out after 4 days of relative inactivity. I'm dragging and I don't think my mileage will be very good. Pull Ups are again hard during the last 6 reps. Of course. I feel really tired! But I'm also stubborn so I keep going. To change things up, I add elbow planks today, and subtract any of the crunch, bicycle and scissors that would have me laying on my back, which would force me to take my hair clip out.

Yesterday I saw a gal on the treadmill with two pigtails and I thought I'd see if I could do that and not look ridiculous. It might take me a bit more practice to not have my braids stick out at 45° from the back of my head. I wound up clipping them together and that looked okay. This morning, my hair was crazy from all the braiding. I'm back to a single braid clipped to my head because that's so much easier. But when I'm really bored, I guess I'll try my hand at pigtails again.

After doing two sets of elbow planks, I could feel my stomach. Great! I guess I'll add those as a regular component to my workout now. Because it's a Cardio Day, I do Intervals. I'm tired so I really only want to do 20 minutes but I talk myself out of it, and punch in 30 minutes. I have trouble getting past 200 SPMs (Strides Per Minute) for the first two troughs. Yes, even though I just did 30 minutes on the cross-trainer, I still need to "warm up" for my legs to get to speed. By the third trough in the Intervals program, I'm able to hit 239 SPMs for almost 20 seconds before dropping down to 220, then 210. I figure I can keep the first minute of High Intensity up past 200 SPMs, then drop down to 170 to 180 SPMs for the second minute. Then the program peaks and I drop to 100 to 120 SPMs. Each bar lasts a minute and each cycle totals 4 minutes. Halfway through, I tell myself I should've just done 20 minutes. But I don't quit. Because that's not my nature. I make it through the entire 30 minutes.

I even do a full Mat Stretch afterwards to see if I can improve my horizontal stretch. Creepy Frankenstein keeps staring at me from 20 yards away as he sits in the pec deck. I rotate and put my back to him. Why do old guys think it's okay to stare? Yuck. But at least the gym scale is friendly today, reading 110.2 lbs. Of course, I've only drunk half my water. And sweated profusely. We'll see where I am in a week.

Tuesday 
6.45 cardio miles

30 x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.85
Average Heart Rate 152

HGPU 26
Push-ups 60
Elbow Plank 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Elbow Plank 60s

30 elliptical
Intervals
Calories 295
Miles 2.60
Average Heart Rate 151

Rest vs Guilt

I took yesterday off because I had a lot of stuff to do, not that I was entirely successful. Still, it was really hard to get myself to the gym this morning. The body just wants to laze around, especially when it hasn't had enough sleep. But that's not really an excuse in today's society. We are chronically sleepless, and not in Seattle.

Ten minutes before the end of the program, I can feel my pinky toe going numb. The stinging creeps across the ball of my foot, encompassing each toe in tiny increments. I know once I stop pedaling, the numbness goes away so I'm not too perturbed. I feel guilty that I didn't work out yesterday so I pedal hard. Maybe I'm kind of rested too. Still, I'm surprised that I'm past four and a half miles when I finish. The first set of pull ups is hard. Spoke too soon. Not feeling rested at all!

I do some push ups, then ab work. I can knock out another set of push ups without any issue. I feel great about that! I see The Mayor, but I don't hear him. That's great too! The gym isn't very crowded, but I'm set on doing a Cardio Day. Both Step Mills are occupied so I hop on the elliptical. Not crazy about doing Intervals because I want the backward motion of the other programs. There's no backward pedaling in Intervals. I could work at that one of these days, though. Instead, I tap in Program 1 and turn up my music. It feels good!

This is the most mileage I've done in one gym session so I'm quite pleased. I'm also drenched. Pull Ups are easier now so I do more. Then a quick Mat stretch and I'm done. Yaaay me!

Thursday
7.70 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 169
Miles 4.69
Average Heart Rate 152

HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Scissors 50
Bicycle 50
Crunches 50
Push Ups 60

35 elliptical
Program 1
Miles 3.01
Calories 342
Average Heart Rate 140

HGPU 31

Running Hot

My hubs got home after midnight due to a deadline. I was still up just to direct him to the dinner plate I left him in the kitchen. But I went to sleep before he finished. Still, the alarm was really painful this morning, and even more so for my son. He needs a lot more sleep than I do. In just a few months, he's lost 5-7 lbs, and sprouted a few inches. Kids are weird like that. Nothing makes me feel old like having to look up at my kid. Seriously! When did I become my grandmother? Granted, she only stood 4 foot 8 or so, but she's been a towering presence in my childhood. I'm hoping not to lose too much height. We all do as we age, so it's not looking promising. Ugh.

I'm really hungry this morning so after morning coffee, I make myself a bowl of oatmeal and toss in a cup of frozen blueberries to cool it down. Then a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream flavored 100% whey protein powder (Optimum Nutrition). It's yummy! Usually I work out fasted, with just the coffee. Well, it's not 100% fasted because there's sugar and half & half in the coffee, but that's virtually negligible. Yesterday I had a blood-orange flavored Greek-style yogurt for breakfast. And I've noticed one peculiar thing: I don't cool down nearly as much during a workout if I've eaten breakfast. Not sure if I'm burning any fat though...

Normally, I rely on the 30+ minutes of cardio to get me super warm. Then it's "safe" for me to work out. But I tend to cool down a lot if I'm not moving. So I don't like to gab between sets. But when I eat breakfast, I tend to run hot all throughout the entire workout. Unless there's something wrong with me, or my temperature regulator? Yesterday's yogurt didn't last the entire workout and I was ravenous by the time I got myself showered and changed. Of course, yesterday was a Pull Day, and I probably burned considerably more calories. I say probably, because I really have no idea.

Today I did my cardio warm up, then body weight and core exercises before hopping back on the elliptical. I never got hungry. But I did sweat myself stinky. You know you reek when you hold your breath to pull off your gym clothes because they smell so ripe. And I always wear freshly laundered clothes to the gym! The only real bummer about being so sweaty is that it gets into the power port of the bluetooth collar. No matter how I try and how often I try, the flap pops open and stays that way. Sweat kills electronics! I find myself taking my hoodie sleeve just to blot the port end. Ugh.

I'm still not hungry, hours past my workout. I might just make this breakfast thing a new habit. I'm going to see how well it holds me tomorrow when I whack the machine. So far things are looking good. The gym scale tells me 109.0 lbs so I'm happy. I wish I was a little leaner, but that's not going to kill my day.

Thursday
7.53 miles

35 xtrainer
Calories 166
Miles 4.52
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 29
Push Ups 50
Scissors 50
Bicycle 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Superman 2 x 30s

35 elliptical
Program 3
Miles 3.01
Calories 342
Average Heart Rate 150

HGPU 29

Is It BPPV?

I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. I like to stretch while laying in bed, and then made the unfortunate decision to roll over onto my right side. Normally, I avoid doing this because my right shoulder hates it. My regret stemmed not from the shoulder, though, but the instant wave of nausea and dizziness. Vertigo in spades. Ugh. It takes me a long time to get through the morning routine, but eventually I make it to the gym. I find that regardless of how bad the vertigo is, I always feel better after a workout.

A friend suggested that I might have BPPV, aka Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, a condition caused by dislodged calcium carbonite crystals that migrate into the inner ear canals where they're not suppose to be. We apparently have these mineral deposits (otoconia) embedded in another part of the ear structure (utricle) that enables us to determine acceleration. Well, that's nice, except when I need housekeeping to tidy up the mess inside my ears so that I can bend over without throwing up.

There's a recommended manual treatment called the Epley Manuever. It looks simple enough, if I can actually not fall off my bed or otherwise get sick. It's recommended that I see a healthcare provider who is versed in this, but of course, I don't really trust doctors much these days not to send me out for a series of tests, x-rays and MRIs to rule out everything except what might be the most obvious. Of course, I was feeling better until this morning so maybe I can wait this out...

I hate feeling fuzzy-headed though. My sis has been raving about yerba maté tea as a substitute for morning coffee, which she can't tolerate. She says it makes her feel extremely focused, but not jittery. I want to try it, but of course, I can't find it in my supermarket and the health food store closed last December. Maybe Amazon carries it? There's over a dozen listings, so I'll have to rely on customer reviews. Because how else can I make a decision?

Since today is Cardio Day, I spend 30+ minutes on the cross-trainer, then hop off and try the Espresso bike simulator. It's not a comfortable fit, especially since I can barely steer with the tips of my fingers. But 2.4 miles seems like a program I can do. It's fun. Sweat is dripping off my nose by the time I cross the finish line. Then a few pull ups, some push ups, crunches, and then the elliptical. Because the Step Mill is busy, and I think the erg rower gives me a sore tail bone. There are other cardio machines that I mostly don't fit into without feeling a lower back ache. And the reclining bike is just silly. I tried it. You can log in 5 miles with minimal effort! Pointless.

The Mayor is wearing an uncharacteristic black T-shirt today. Normally he dons pastels like blue, orange, pink or red. But yesterday he was wearing the same pale melon color as another fellow, and that probably really bothered him. Today he also spends 20 minutes gabbing with three other men while his teenage son flits from machine to machine.

I need to grab some groceries before I head home. The gym scale tells me 109.2 lbs, so that's going in the right direction, although it seems to have taken me all damn week to get there. Once I get home, the dog needs tending to, and groceries need to be put away, laundry started, mail sorted. I'd already planned to make oatmeal cooked in milk, with blueberries and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. I actually read this idea on T-Nation.com. This is the first article that stated, add frozen blueberries to cool off the oatmeal before adding the protein powder. Everyone else says it's fine to cook powder, but I find it turns food un-appetizingly gummy. The food makes me happy. But I'm still a bit queasy afterwards, and my head still feels funny. Ugh.

I wonder if whacking the Nexersys will make things better or worse tomorrow. We're down to one machine, as the one with the broken arm seems to have been disconnected. Hmmmm...

Thursday
8.94 cardio miles

30 min x-trainer + 5cd
Calories 170
Miles 3.72
Average Heart Rate 144

Espresso bike
2.36 miles
Evening Bliss course
13:40 min

HGPU 26
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Calories 319
Miles 2.86
Average Heart Rate 143

HGPU 26

Stress Relief

I'm not sure if there's a genetic component to anxiety, but my mother suffered from an extreme case of it, manifesting itself in OCD behavior and agoraphobia (fear of the marketplace). I get bouts of it, and although not as bad as my mother's, it's enough to make me worry that I'll morph into a housebound recluse. Yesterday, my hubs got back from Boston with the news that several people in his office had been let go. As in fired. Because my husband pretty much does whatever is needed by management (the partners), he's fairly secure in his position. He travels at the drop of a hat, and I don't give him any grief about it because that's the job.

Still, it gives us both pause for concern. He wants to move to Dallas. His company now has an office there, and is trying desperately to close this one in Bethel, Connecticut. There is talk of moving the remaining staff down to Fairfield (where the remaining senior partner lives), which still seems expensive, and a much longer commute for my hubs. The other senior partners have mostly moved to Wyoming, I'm assuming for tax purposes, since there's an office in Denver, but no one wants to live in Denver.

My hubs is too tired to work out (having just returned from Dallas and immediately drove up to Boston and back in a day), and just has a few beers with dinner before heading to bed. I can't sleep. Not only am I now addicted to this new iPad game Word Connect, but I'm so stressed that I can't seem to inhale properly if I'm sitting. Probably something to do with organs getting all compressed. I'm much happier if I can stand, or sit bolt upright. When I get up in the morning, I'm still so anxious I can literally feel myself "jumping out of my skin." It's not a good feeling. I can only imagine that it's this feeling that makes people do stupid, desperate things. Like drugs. Or murder-suicides. A lot of people seem to be jumping off bridges and in front of oncoming trains lately. I'm sad, but not that shocked.

My cortisol levels have to be at an unhealthy level. I'm so stressed I almost skip the gym today, rationalizing that there's too many other things to do. I have no energy and don't actually want to leave the house. I'm in a fog as well, and can't seem to clear my head, even with a cup of strong coffee. Plus I've had mild vertigo for the past month or so... probably tree spoo (a term my son thinks is hilarious) and air pressure issues.

I force myself to pack my gear and drive to the gym. There are too many old people driving. Or rather, not driving, but hesitating at intersections. They're going to get someone killed. They sit waiting for cars that are almost a quarter mile away to drive past. I honk my horn at the car in front of me because it's just sitting there. A woman strolls across the two-lane road. Clearly, there's time to make a left hand turn onto the main thoroughfare. The car moves like it's sleepwalking. Ugh.

It's late but the gym is virtually empty. I like it. I spend 30 minutes on the cross-trainer, and an additional 5 for the cool down. My right foot still goes numb. My right elbow aches even before I reach the Stretch Cage, so 26 reps is my limit for HGPUs. Can I count push ups as core work? As well as knee-ins, crunches and planks? I'm starting to feel better. More focused. I get on the elliptical and punch in Program #2. It's the one I dislike the most. And then there's the 5 minute cool down. I make over 7 total miles and that makes me happy. But it's really late, so I just do a set of pull ups, and then off to shower. The overwhelming sense of dread and fear is gone. Whew!

The gym scale surprises me with 109.4 lbs. My hair is so wet that sweat is dripping off the tip of my braid. But I only drank half my water bottle. Still, it's been a long time since I've seen the scale dip below 110 lbs. When I get home, I scan my wall calendar where I jot down my weight each time I remember. My weight's been in flux for months now. The one thing about using a meal app is that it makes you exceptionally aware of all the calories you're eating. I still can't figure out how to eat more protein and less carbs though without completely blowing my calorie limit. Maybe it's not that important? Maybe what I really need to do is be mindful of all the junk I used to eat. Maybe it's just keeping my calories down. For now. Because other than adding the 5 minute cool down, I haven't really changed anything. MyFitnessPal tells me that I'll be down to 107.5 lbs by September. I'm actually hoping sooner. And hoping that it'll stick.

Wednesday
7.17 miles

30 min x-trainer + 5cd
Calories 162
Miles 4.22
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 26
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 50

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Calories 333
Miles 2.96
Average Heart Rate 145

 HGPU 26

Stress-Relief

I had a quick workout today to relieve my anxiety. Well, quick for me. I skipped the weights since mornings are crowded and I'm coming directly from dropping my son off at camp. Oddly, the cross-trainers are mostly free and I manage to get on the one I favor, the only machine that has the monitor built into the console instead of perched over it, and the only machine that allows you drop the resistance to zero. It's easier on my knees and ankles. My foot still gets a bit tingly during the last 5 minutes, but overall, my feet don't go numb.

Spider Grandpa is on the stretch cage so I skip that and go directly to knee-ins, push ups and crunches. After planks, I do one more set of push ups. The cage is free so I do a set of pull ups too. But I'm a bit winded so I only get 26 reps. I have to take off my hoodie to use the elliptical because I don't like the zipper bottom hitting me in the thighs as I pedal. After that, another set of pull ups, and this time I get my full 31 reps. Then a quick stretch before showering. Creepy PJ Pants, Frankenstein and The Mayor are all here this morning. Luckily there are a ton of other people here as well...

The gym scale reads 112.0 lbs but I was expecting worse since it's been 4 days of drinking and eating junk like hot dogs. Doesn't help that my hair is drenched either... meanwhile, my bluetooth headphones are acting up today and refuse to connect with my iPod. It pairs with my phone so I know it's not totally busted. I don't really have time for this so I shove them back into my gym bag and use the back up: my old iPod and wired asymmetrical Sony hanger earphones. Once I get home, I have to hard reboot everything, and eventually, everything works again... Sigh.

Over the holiday weekend, I tried the gel toe spacer. It's comfortable as long as I'm not wearing shoes and walking around. What?! With shoes on, the top of the spacer imposes unexpected pressure on the top of my other toes, and that's even more painful than having my big toe cross over my pointer toe. I'm wondering if cutting the top off will resolve that issue, and still allow the spacer to sit in place. The package came with two, so it's worth the experiment. I can use the other one when I'm wearing sandals around the house, although I don't think my toes cross when I'm just padding about...

What's a bit disconcerting is that the big toe also seems to roll outward instead of sitting flat. I can see that the toe nail faces 20° outward instead of laying face up. Ugh. Meanwhile, the little bone that sticks out on the outside of your foot midway (aka, the tuberosity of the 5th metatarsal) is starting to get sore. But only on my left foot. The "good" foot. Double ugh.

Bugs have discovered my existence and I've been bitten in spite of wearing long sleeves and spraying my clothes liberally with picaridin, and eventually, DEET. I even got bit on the palm of my hand as I was filming my son lighting up sparklers in our driveway yesterday. Ugh. It doesn't help that my skin seems even drier than ever and liberal doses of the hydrating and scale-dissolving lactic acid creams leave me smelling like old milk. Plus, I think biting insects are attracted to lactic acid. Ugh again. The stronger creams (most commonly used for softening tough heel skin) contain urea. But at least they don't smell like piss. Or at least I don't think they do.

I still have half my work to finish framing, but at least I have time for a few workouts this week. And I just ordered the invitation post cards through a vendor I've never used before. I could get them delivered by Friday. It's a bit cheaper if I get them by Monday. As long as I can get some out before the actual reception date, I'm good. Once this show is up, and eventually over, I can concentrate of finding legit work... Sigh.

Wednesday
6.4 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 142
Miles 3.84
Average Heart Rate 158

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 50
HGPU 26

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Miles 2.56
Calories 290
Average Heart Rate 148

HGPU 31

Thurs and Fri

Do my feet look big?

Thursday morning I found a woolly bear caterpillar in my driveway, and I was completely surprised. Normally, I see these little guys in the Fall when they're looking for a place to hide and hibernate. Apparently June is the month that they go wild and forage, at least according to a knowledgeable site called Woolly Bear Caterpillar. Click here to see the web link. Other things in my driveway include wild Japanese honeysuckle in my privet hedges, spice bush and an errant Norway maple sapling. The invasive wild roses and Oriental bittersweet are flowering and a faint soapy perfume graces the air. It's actually nice. When it's not blisteringly hot, or raining. Today it's raining.

I went to the gym yesterday for Cardio Day. And the much neglected core. I thought Intervals were going to kill me. Again. And again, I survived. Maybe if I did them more often I'd be more relaxed about them, but I've been trying to cut my gym hours. Trying to wean myself off of this addiction. I'm also testing out a new purchase. Nothing fits my feet like my old Asics but sadly, even Asics doesn't make their shoes fit like they used to. The raspberry shoes are really starting to bother my bunion so I rarely wear them now. Between interior seams and the upper cage that's suppose to lend support, my foot is usually sore afterwards, and I'm too paranoid about aggravating my black flag birthmark to continue. On Cardio Day, I test out soft, cushiony New Balance trainers.

Top: NB size 7W
Bottom: Avias size 6.5W

Yes, I have a small rectangular birthmark on my foot, right under my bunion. It's black, like a mole and very sensitive. I know there are connections between moles and cancerous cells, so my thought is best not to provoke any angry reactions. Hence my decision to forgo the moleskin patch as well. Not that the moleskin isn't protective when doing Side Sweeps. The adhesive backing has caused a nasty rash, but only on my big toe. I use the same moleskin on my knuckles under white tape, cotton wraps and gloves and no rash. So today, no moleskin on the foot. And today I'm wearing my Avias with brand new Dr Scholl ActiveWear insoles. (I had coupons!) I had the gel insoles, but those are only comfortable from the arch back to the heel, leaving the ball of the foot and the toes un-cushioned. Walking puts weight on the heel strikes, but pedaling on the cross-trainer and elliptical puts more pressure on the ball of the foot and toes. Hence, numb toes. The new insoles are a tad uncomfortable because they also have arch support, and I'm flat footed. But I'm hoping my toes won't go numb now if I use them for Cardio Day. Like the new NB trainers I got from Kohls.

I went to Kohl's to buy a Father's Day gift for my hubs, having in mind a lobster-themed Hawaiian shirt that I saw in a flyer last month. Luckily they were still in stock. Unluckily, I only looked at the size on the hanger, not the shirt and when I got home, I realized that I had actually purchased a much bigger shirt . On the return trip, this time with son in tow, I decided to also browse their sneaker department because I prefer places I can actually try the damn things on. My son was content to hunt for the right size shoes for me as he certainly didn't want to try anything on, except the plain black lounge pants we're using replace his worn out kung fu pants.

No one carries size 6.5W. If I want a wide size, I have to go up to a 7. This is what happened to me at Olympia Sports and the Brooks sneakers. So I'm not too weirded out trying on size 7W trainers. I like the running shoes but the upper support cage chafes my bunion. The soft top trainers do not. The New Balance trainers are comfy, even if there's at least an inch of toe space up front. At least I don't think I look like I'm wearing goofy shoes. My actual foot size is a 5.5, but given the width issues, make that a 6. And lately, because of the bunion, a 6.5. Now I've crept up to a 7 due to availability. My son wonders why shoe companies think only people with big feet need wide shoes? I have to wonder as well. He has wide feet as well, but he's still growing.

Thursday Cardio Day
6.38 miles

30 min x-trainer and the toes do NOT go numb!

Hilighted is the fact the shoe has a soft top

Calories 140
Miles 3.70

HGPU 30
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dog 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

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

Mid Band Pull 15
High Band Pull 15
I angled my hands differently and my right shoulder didn't hurt as much

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 307
Miles 2.68
Average Heart Rate 143

WHGPU 24



Today, Friday, I decided to test myself on the Nexersys again. Doing it once a week seems reasonable. The machine with the broken arm is now officially Out Of Service. Bummer. I ask the Gym Owner if and when the machines will ever get fixed. He tells me that he's still waiting for the company to call him back. He doesn't want to email, he wants to speak to a rep to make sure he's ordering the correct parts. I tell him to email to get them to call him. Because this is pathetic.

Friday Whack the Machine Day

10 min x-trainer
Calories 39
Miles 1.23

Nexersys follow me
5r Beginner
5r Intermediate
5r Intermediate

HGPU 31

I warm up on the cross-trainer instead of the elliptical and skip doing the T, Y & I Raises to see if that will have any impact on how my shoulder feels. My shoulder feels fine throughout the workout. My right hand feels a bit off for the first half though, as if I'd pulled or strained a ligament from my hand through my wrist. But by the middle of the first Intermediate session, the discomfort is gone. The base of my thumbs, the meaty part of the palms, however, has been getting sore lately from all the pulling and pushing. I have tiny bony hands, and they're particularly sensitive to cold and pressure.

Still, I'm able to do a set of hammer grip pull ups afterwards, and that always makes me feel like a bad-ass. Especially when I see guys struggling in the assisted pull up machine. Not that I don't remember how hard it was at first for me. But oddly, it's not really a matter of strength. It's technique and body positioning. The scale is not my friend today and calls me out at 111.0 lbs, but I don't really feel big. Well, maybe my arms...

When the Body Knows Better

I don't actually realize how sore my body is until I go walk the dog up the hill. That my upper arms and back are a bit stiff is no surprise, but even my glutes seem tight. Again, I get to the gym late enough to miss the morning crowd. The lunch rush hasn't started yet either, probably because the weather is downright dreary with a cold rain and temps in the mid 50s. I'm barely two minutes into my 30 minute cross-trainer session when the power goes out. I keep pedaling because I can even if the display has gone dark. That's not the case with the treadmills though. After a minute, the lights start to flicker back on. The TVs need to re-initialize. I punch in 25 minutes and continue to pedal through the 5 minute cool down. Well, at least my mileage will be plus 6.

I'm really tired today, which is awful because today is Cardio Day. I haven't done a full 60 minutes of cardio all week and I'm not sure I'm going to survive today. I'm hungry already, and that annoys me. I've already had coffee with cream and sugar, and a fruity Greek-style yogurt with my Optic Nerve vitamins, and B-12 and D. I knock out my hammer grip pull ups and then knee-ins. I'm no longer tempted to do more than 50 push ups at a stretch, especially since I need to do crunches and planks. But I'm not ready to face Intervals yet, so I kill time by parking myself on a flat bench and doing my shoulder exercises with the 3 and 5 lb baby bells.

Okay, now I'm ready. But not really. I really just want to quit at 20 minutes but I punch in 30 anyway. Then I tell myself that I can take a break at the 15 minute mark and jog the minute I'm suppose to be going all out. But I don't. In fact, even though I tell myself I can just coast at 200 SPM because I'm so godawful tired and my legs feel like logs, I don't. I still hit 230 to 250 SPMs for the full minute. I do concede that I'm not always able to keep my speed between 160 and 170 during the second minute, and I need to work up to the jogging pace of 120 during the two minutes of OFF time. But I finish, and I actually feel better than when I got up this morning. Endorphins kicking in? Wouldn't've happened if I had listened to the little voice in my head. Instead, I let my body decide what it could handle, and it turns out that it can handle more than I think. Then, I knock out 20 wide hammer grip pull ups and then I'm done. Soooo done.

Some mornings I'm on auto pilot because my head feel disassociated, like I'm on antihistamines. But I'm not. Didn't have any beer last night. Even used the neti pot this morning to clear my sinuses, and heard that internal bubbling whistle when there's water in the eustachian tube. Maybe I just need more sleep?

I'm reading about a new term (to me): dysthymia, aka persistent depressive disorder. The medical industry now wants to treat us all with medication because that alarming feeling of doom isn't due to the state of the world. It's a mental disorder. Seriously? Yes, a lot of us suffer from anxiety and there's a lot of wrong ways to deal with that, mostly self-medicating with alcohol and opiates or synthetics. It's pervasive, not just in our American society, but across the world. I've always said that exercise was my drug of choice. Still is. Because I'm a very anxious person. Blame it on my childhood, or genetics or my mom who suffered from agoraphobia, PTSD, OCD and numerous other undiagnosed ailments. Or maybe it's just the creative temperament that runs in my mother's side of the family?

Tomorrow I plan to do leftovers. Or, if the Smith is free, Flat Bench and RDLs... I can dream. Inexplicably, the gym scale reads 107.8 lbs, a full two pounds lighter than yesterday. That's so weird.

Thursday
6.41 + miles

30 min x-trainer (+power outtage)
Calories 141
Miles 3.77+
Average Heart Rate 119

HGPU 30
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

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

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 300
Miles 2.64
Average Heart Rate 145

WHGPU 20

That Little Voice in Your Head

I retrieved two fans from the garage and cleaned the dust off before plugging them in. The house is well insulated, but still... I spend the morning sorting through summer clothes, especially shorts. It's hard for me to part with stuff I know I'll never find again, even if they don't fit anymore. I worry that I'll get fatter and have no clothes to wear. I hate being part of the consumer society, but at some point you have to nip the urge to save everything, lest you become a hoarder and wind up on some train wreck cable TV show. I toss several pairs of shorts and pants into the garbage bag I've slated for charity. There's probably more clothes I can get rid of, but I don't want to spend all day doing this. 

I pull out a pair of bright fuschia Nike shorts that I literally don't recognize. When did I buy these? I try them on and they are, remarkably, the best shorts. They fit without being too tight in the waist or the butt, and the leg holes don't gape. Nor is there a clingy liner pant which invariably rides up my big thighs as I pedal. I match it to a hot pink Spalding sports bra I bought on clearance. It's comfortable, but the myriad of back straps always twist and look messy. No wonder this was in the clearance rack. It's truly a pain to wear. If I was really anal, I could stitch the straps down to keep them from rolling under each other. But my OCD isn't THAT bad. I toss a purple tank on over it. These things are so billowy, I look pregnant half the time. I don't really care though.

The little voice in my head is constantly trying to get me to cut back on my cardio time. I could get by with just 15 minutes on the cross-trainer. Except that since I'm not planning to push any heavy weights today, I really shouldn't. The same little voice tries to talk me out of hammer grip pull ups as well. Today I only get 20 instead of 26 so I'm disappointed. No knee-ins while I'm wearing shorts. But I do manage push ups and crunches. I'm not in the mood for planks so I skip them. The Mayor is sporadically at the Smith. I'm not even going to bother. But I am concerned about shoulders so I do my DB lateral superset. However, I don't do the T, Y & I Shoulder Warm Ups. Because I'm wearing shorts and there are too many guys in the DB area. Normally I wear long pants, and normally I don't care, but 90 degrees in May isn't normal.

Back to the Cardio Platform. Time to do Intervals. Part of me wants to just do 20 minutes. I'm actually tired today, and a bit sore. I tap in 30 minutes and tell myself that I can just quit at 20 if it comes down to that. If I truly can't go on for another 10 minutes. Which is ridiculous. But what I do is go to 26 minutes and spend 4 minutes in a "cool down" mode. Not quite as intense as doing a full 30 minutes of 1 minute full throttle, 1 minute moderately fast and 2 minutes of jogging. The Mayor has joined a chat buddy on the treadmills. I don't understand what people have to say all the time. I stretch and then position myself for Wide Hammer Grip Pull Ups. I get 15 and I'm happy even though this is making my forearms a bit sore. My left wrist has felt strained all day, like I might be developing carpal tunnel. Which is ridiculous. Tomorrow is another scorcher of a day. I think I'll do a Left Overs workout, with maybe two big moves. If I can get on the Smith.

Thursday
6.49 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 141
Miles 3.75
Average Heart Rate 154

HGPU 20
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25lbs x 12/15reps x 2
20/25 x 15/20reps

30 min elliptical (includes 4 min cool down)
Intervals
Calories 315
Miles 2.74
Average Heart Rate 147

Wide HGPU 15