Better Than Nothing At All

Lately I've been skipping Tuesday workouts, but I'm still not feeling all that great so I went to the gym today just as a little pick-me-up. It was surprisingly empty and I was bummed that I wasn't prepared to do any lifting. Instead, I did a half hour of cardio (my legs felt like lead weights) and then some quick core... no pull ups and no push ups because the left shoulder has been clicking oddly and feeling a bit off, and I want to see if taking a day off in-between will help. I know I lose reps if I do pull ups on successive days. My forearms and elbows never quite recover properly. With the shoulders feeling a bit wonky, I'm giving the same courtesy to push ups. I also realize today that I never did the low-bar shoulder stretch yesterday, but I'm not motivated to fix that either.

While on the cross-trainer, I was struck by how depressed I felt. Less anxious, but unnervingly down. It's not a good way to live, and I fear that I've touched base with the national despair that's causing the seemingly inexplicably high rates of death and violence. (Read the local news lately? How about National? International?) We've lost our faith, our future, a belief in better things to come, and no heaven or hell. There is just existential despair.

It's a good thing I'm planning to push some heavy weights tomorrow!

Tuesday Briefly

30 x-trainer
Calories 2.41
Miles 3.59

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

Mat Stretch

Was It Even Worth It?

Still got wraps,
tape and moleskin
patches on my hands

I always underestimate how much time I need to get to the gym, warm up and finally ready myself for Whacking the Machine. Sadly, by the time I got to the Nexersys, I realized that I could only do a mere 3 rounds. Ugh. Still, I guess better than nothing. And it did loosen the spasm in my left shoulder blade. I haven't had knots in my upper back in a long time, but yesterday my neck ached and of course, I've got vertigo. Again! Ugh. Two mornings ago, I rolled over on my right to check the time, and felt something inside my ear slosh across like an ocean wave. Not a great feeling while laying in bed. It makes pull ups (looking up at the bars), push ups and certain stretches particularly challenging. Ugh.

I initially thought I'd have enough time to get in at least 7 rounds, but when I looked at the clock and calculated how much time I'd need to change, shower and drive home, well, there goes 4 rounds. I'm not sure if it was worth all the trouble I take what with the moleskin patches on my knuckles, the cotton wraps and white tape. With only 3 rounds, I tend to punch really hard and literally EVERY cross had the machine stop me with the Warning: You Are Hitting Too Hard pop-up window. I'm not sure that the machine counts those blows in my Power tally. The Power Dig still doesn't register so that counts as a zero for Accuracy as well as Power. No point to putting much into the stats these days. I did get warm enough to need a shower though... but no pull ups.

The old dog fell over backwards into his food bowl this morning. Newspapers are too slippery for him to stand on with any certainty, especially since the rear left leg has progressively weakened. After I rushed home, only to miss the electrician who finalized the generator installation without me, I drove to Home Depot to get some inexpensive floor mats to scatter throughout the house. When I got back, I set up the Mobile Link account for the generator so I can monitor it when I'm not home. On the App Store, I discover that the app gets horrible reviews from users. I'm almost sorry I purchased it. We got a Generac® 11kw standby unit with auto transfer to power all the household essentials. The website tells me that the maintenance schedules are due for 2015 and 2016. The unit tested back on Jan 1, 2013. Soooo, it's been sitting in a box for 5 years now? Oh jeeze... I wasn't expecting it to be quite so old. Still, better than not having a generator at all, right? Especially with hurricane season right around the corner...


Whack Thursday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 82
Miles 1.26

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

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys
3r Beginner