Baby Steps

I skipped the gym yesterday and actually tried to get a flu shot from my local CVS. You'd think that with all the signs and voice-over recordings telling everyone how simple and easy it is to do, that there'd actually be flu shots available. But there are not. Sold out and delivery of the next shipment is uncertain. It's not the staff's fault. It's not the scheduler's fault. Or the fact that the company has switched delivery vendors. And the new guys are always late and can't stick to the schedule. I tried again today after being told that yes, delivery on Wednesday. But they're MIA. And no one at CVS can tell me when they'll have the vaccine in stock. Time to look elsewhere.

At the gym, I warm up with 30 plus minutes on the elliptical and then some pullups. Feeling much better. I skipped the black elderberry tonic I've been taking every morning only because I've been uncharacteristically light-headed. I've read that black elderberry can, in some people, lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. While lower cholesterol is always welcome, low blood sugar is not, especially before exercising. Instead, I'll take it after I've ingested something more than coffee with sugar and cream.

It's a Pull Day so I start with Smith RDLs and increase the weight a tiny bit to 110 lbs. There're huge colored patches all over the walls, and brand new sheetrock under the mirror in front of the Smith. I hope Gym Owner armors that spot with plexiglass or something because the chucklehead (that made those holes to begin with) hasn't learned anything new about not damaging his surroundings. Big white swathes of plaster and compound certainly make the gym seem brighter. Staff at the front desk believe that there'll be some metal plating protecting the walls, probably the same aluminum diamond plate that lines the bottom 3 feet of wall in the CF area. Errant kettlebells cracked a few mirrors there.

I'd like to say that everything is easier after taking yesterday off, but the Seated Cable Rows surprise me with how heavy even just 70 lbs feels. Of course, I get over that quickly and increase the weight in small, reasonable amounts. No leaping 15 lbs at a stretch for me. I'm inching my way toward 100 lbs, without risking injury to my lower back. Even the rep crazy Reverse Grip BB Curls aren't horrible. I can feel my forearms working, and I should probably do forearm movements every day if I want to see improvement, but I haven't set that as an actual goal. It's more of a passing thought.

I climb the StepMill for my second cardio leg. It's a change of pace. All the recumbent bikes are occupied by seniors. Most of the treadmills are busy as well. And then I think, well, it's a Pull Day. Maybe one more set of pullups. I'm a little worried that tired forearms will impede the count, but everything is fine. Whew! The Nexersys machines are permanently dark, and Gym Owner confirms that the pair of them are destined for the rubbish heap. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. But I'll not be whacking the heavy bag. That's not fun at all.

Tomorrow I'll do a bit of cardio and some shoulders. I have a chimney sweep coming late morning. Because it's that time of year! There's pumpkin spice everywhere. Not just in donuts, coffee, and ice cream. I manage to try a bottle of Leinenkugel's limited-edition Harvest Patch Shandy without committing to an entire 6-pack. I enjoy their Grapefruit Shandy but none of their other flavored weiss (wheat) beers. What does Harvest Patch Shandy taste like? Why pumpkin spice, naturally.

Bleary Wednesday Pull

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.90
Calories 325
HR 143-202 (96, 89, 97)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches Legs Up 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Crunches knees bent 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
110 x 12, 12, 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25 x 3

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
77.5 x 12
85 x 12
90 x 12
95 x 12

RG BB Curls
40 x 25 x 3

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 112
Total steps 708
Floors 44
HR 130

HGPU 22

Quick 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

Worse Than A Puppy

There's a wry adage along the lines of "No good deed goes unpunished." Right now that's how I'm feeling. Perhaps it's because I could hear the dog sniffing the window this morning, before the sun rose. I expected a mess there but it was well-papered. No mess. Whew!

However, there was a big mess in the hallway. So big that it trailed into the living room. Ugh. Twenty minutes of cleaning before needing to rouse my son for school. I'm glad I packed my gym bag the night before! My coffee is in a to-go mug, and my hair clips are in my pocket because I haven't had time to comb, braid and clip the mess out of my face.

I finish my coffee and read my emails in the parking lot. I have to remember to stop at the store after the gym because boys will need lunch while manning stations at the Thunderbird Games, a Cub Scout event where Boy Scouts create obstacles and challenges for the younger kids. Although there will be a food truck or two selling burgers and chili, people usually bring a bag lunch.

My sister is also driving down around lunchtime in her new Tesla 3, ostensibly to bring me leftover wee-wee pads and dog treats. Her dog passed away last month and she is decluttering. I can always use extra wee-wee pads! She's worried that her car is so quiet that she'll have issues with the deer. It is that season after all. I tell her to get deer whistles and she runs off to the auto parts store to get a pair. My husband had them on his last car and said they worked. I think I should probably invest in a pair for my car, and another for his. Because deer are unpredictable.

This means I can't dawdle at my workout. In fact, I'll probably sacrifice a few exercises. What I don't want to give up is cardio and the pullups. And Core. Which means skipping Leg Curls and Walking Lunges, and doing a rather quick cool-down stretch at the end. In spite of little rest between cardio exercises, the pullups remain strong. Perhaps that's because I took yesterday off due to the downed power lines and tree branches. I'm perfectly happy staying home when the weather's not playing nice. Today, I even spent time on the recumbent bike because I needed to check my email and text messages. Still a good workout!

I had intended to sautee some mushrooms and onions to make a savory scrambled egg lunch for my sister. She informed me yesterday that she's gone low-carb. But when I get home, there's the stink of rotten cabbage and a mess in the hall. Again. Clean-up achieved just in time, but there's no time for a fancy scramble. (Mushrooms take a lot of time to do properly!) Plain ol' eggs will suffice. We joke that the dog should be named Garbo, as in Greta. After an hour, my sister leaves because it's a 3-hour drive, and like me, she avoids driving at night. She doesn't have glaucoma, but her night vision is poor.

I'm busy cleaning dishes and getting the laundry going before my son gets home from school. Again, I smell the awful stench of rotting vegetation. Stink bugs? It is that season! But no... Another mess in the hallway. Ugh. Well, at least this time the trailing mess was contained by 3 out of 4 wee-wee pads. I'm going through these so fast (and these are the XL size!) that I ought to buy stock in the company.

It has been suggested that the dog might be sensitive to the boiled chicken breast I've been giving him in tiny amounts as a treat. It's boiled chicken breast! Isn't that what everyone says to give to dogs with the poops? Do I need to give him white rice too? Maybe get some plain canned pumpkin. Not sure I can find any that's not seasoned pie filling. (It is that time of the year!) The kibble is "deboned chicken and oats" while packaged treats are "chicken" flavor. Some people have suggested that there might be large amounts of antibiotics or hormones in those fresh chicken breasts. But none of the (treat or dog food) companies state they use organic chicken raised free of antibiotics and hormones.

Or maybe he's allergic? Ugh. I've never had quite such a sensitive dog before. My sister brought him a blue elephant dog toy with a squeaker, but he eyed that suspiciously before turning his back on us: a true sign of dislike. Now he's going to need extra time to decompress. Especially since my husband is due home in a few hours.

Abbreviated Cardio Friday
(4.97 miles)

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.85
Calories 316
HR 147-200 (84, 91, 87)

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Leg horizontal scissors 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 718
Floors 44
HR 137

HGPU 22

15 recumbent bike
Level 1 Manual
Calories 88
Miles 2.12
HR 123-133

HGPU 22

Quick Stretch

Another Pull Day

It's cold but not frosty. Although the day starts off bright (eventually, when the sun rises), clouds roll in and the sky darkens. A nor'easter is headed down from Canada late this afternoon and promises to bring torrents of rain and a lot of wind. Oh well. Bye-bye lovely Autumn foliage!

It takes me a long time to get myself ready to do cardio. I'm tired and sleepy even though today I actually poured my reheated coffee into a to-go mug and sipped it in my car. Tuesdays are killer for getting to bed on time. But, as always, once I get going, I'm good. Pullups feel awesome, especially when I can stabilize myself and keep from swinging by crossing my ankles and pulling my feet up behind me slightly so that my body forms a sort of triangle, with my arms at the apex, and my knees the widest part at bottom.

I had to adjust my posture during elbow planks. A mild lower back ache meant I wasn't positioned properly. It wasn't visible in the aerobic room wall of mirrors, but what I thought was straight wasn't. I had to raise my hips higher just a tad and then everything felt okay. But I'm getting bored with crunches, even with legs aloft. I remember when those used to be hard!

The Smith machine is empty so I do a few sets of RDLs, again limiting myself to just 100 lbs. I should do 110 just to get to body weight, but that's for next time. The RG BB Rows are routine. The Seated Cable Rows are also routine. I use the 7.5 lb brick instead of the 5 lb one and skip a set. I should probably figure out what I can use to do Thor's Hammer for forearms. I viewed an article in T-Nation demonstrating it but I haven't seen any appropriate equipment. You really need something hammer-shaped for it to work. A dumbbell, plate, or weighted bar isn't going to cut it.


I skip the last cardio session again. I'm a lot better but not fully recovered yet. And my weight seems on track so I should be able to wear my winter clothes after all. Yaaaay me!

Nor’ easter Wednesday Pull
30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.90
Calories 325
HR 152-200 (80, 85)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches Legs Up 60
Horizontal Scissors 60
Crunches knees bent 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith RDLs
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12, 12, 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 26 x 3

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
77.5 x 12
85 x 12
90 x 12

RG BB Curls
40 x 25 x 3

Quick Mat Stretch

Here's a total non sequitur. Sometimes, I really hate this software I installed, Grammarly. It's fine for mundane things like spellchecking or reminding you to add that Oxford comma. But more than half of its error-catching are mindless AI rules that don't make any sense in context because the software isn't very sophisticated. Every week I get an email asking me to upgrade to the premium software, which of course, costs money. But since I don't really trust this software, there's no way I'm upgrading. Because you can't argue with dumb software. And when I say dumb, I mean, limited. I'll post a few examples just to let you see what I mean. There's no way for the software to learn your "style" and it will change/correct all your sentences until they are bone-dry correct and devoid of any flavor. You can click "ignore" but it will persist and repeatedly flag the same "error" over and over again. Then, your choice is to ignore it, or give up and change your wording. 

The phrase "in sight" as in
"no one in sight" gets flagged
for spelling. But "insight"
doesn't make any sense. And I
don't want to say "within sight"

I aim a fan. Nope.
Grammarly doesn't understand that.
However, I can be a fan.

Whacking Tuesday

It's downright cold this morning as I fumble for the light switch. My phone tells me that it's 38F, but the actual thermometer reads 42. At least there's no frost on my windshield. I dose myself with the black elderberry syrup and drink half my coffee. Tuesdays are always really long days and I'm dreading this one. The Nexersys appears to be working so I'm glad I brought my gloves, wraps, and tape. I'm still sick so I also have a big wad of tissues in my pocket.

I'm surprisingly warm after 10 minutes on the elliptical. Changing my shoulder warmup to one that is upright is slightly more exhausting. But only momentarily. Stretching advises me that my left hip seems tight today. Because I use a traditional stance where my left is forward, there'll be more pivoting from the right side. Afterward, I don't notice my hips at all so they must've loosened up during the rounds.

7r Beginner

Today I don't black out the screens at all. Nor do I get a Hitting Too Hard warning. Because I'm pulling my punches. Because I don't want to break the stupid machine. After each session, the machine performs a rudimentary and ineffective analysis, telling me to "amp it up to get to the next level" while simultaneously advising me to cut rounds and work on my stamina and pacing.

7r Intermediate

This analysis neglects to include the fact that the Lead Dig has a defunct sensor so neither Lead Digs nor any combo including Lead Digs will register. And that the Lead Kick sensor only works sometimes. Or that the Cross arm is askew and the tiniest bit broken. It's amusing only because a better system would take all these things into account. This machine is old, and Nexersys no longer supports it with parts or software upgrades. Instead, they want you to buy some of their other machines. And we know that's not gonna happen.

from The Washington Post

Still, I enjoy my rounds whacking the machine. After a quick stretch to delay knotty shoulders, I'm off to take a leisurely drive back home. It's a beautiful day with bright sunny skies and brilliant colored foliage. Except, my head's a bit off, the equilibrium out of sorts. I think it's the coming nor'easter. Except, the current barometric reading (according to the weather app) is a pleasant 30.18 in. The range is a high of 32.01 to a low of 25.9 in, so it can't be that, can it? Or can it?

Whacking Tuesday

10 min x-trainer
Calories 90
Miles 0.81
HR 147-173 (75)

Up, Front & Side Raises
5lbs x 15 x 2

Mid-Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15
Cage Stretch

Nexersys FM (gently!)
Beginner 7r
Intermediate 7r

Quick Mat Stretch

Side Effects

After four doses of elderberry syrup, I woke up Saturday feeling not quite as sick. It might've been the fact that I actually got over 8 hours of sleep. But I also wasn't congested. My sinuses and throat were oddly dry as if I'd taken a decongestant! My nose is still runny, but without the copious volume from previous days. I can only attribute it to the Sambucol syrup. I got less sleep on Saturday but made up for that last night. Kids aren't the only ones who appreciate school holidays! I was hoping that the anti-viral qualities would carry over to cold sores and canker sores, but I'm still taking lysine and extra zinc.

Of course, last night I suffered a side effect from the black elderberry syrup: a horrible, sharp but thankfully short-lived stomach ache in the middle of the night. Black elderberry is toxic in the raw, uncooked state and can cause nausea, vomiting, stupor, and other unpleasantness. Stomach ache isn't listed. But when I took another dose this morning, my stomach twinged briefly with the same pain. Then everything was fine. Maybe I'm just super sensitive. I know my stomach is. Maybe I just need to take this syrup with food. (I'm the only person I know who has a bad reaction to hazlenut coffee. I don't even know if there's any real hazlenut [aka filberts] in that flavored coffee, but I stay away from it unless I want a really bad stomach ache.)

I get to the gym by late morning. The second class has just let out so I know that I can do my core exercises there once I finish cardio on the elliptical. I'm still sick so I plan to take it easy. I also have to take my son to the doctor to get his flu shot, so my workout is necessarily abbreviated. I'll skip the second round of cardio and probably triceps. Today is a Push Day. Someone left a mat in the aerobic room. It's bigger than the others, but just as worn. I wonder if they'll remember they left it there?

The only thing more annoying than not having a bench in the Smith machine is finding the oversized one halfway across the gym and having to maneuver it around other benches and stations. Still, I get my sets done. And the smaller inclined bench in the DB area is now available so I do my DB supersets, increasing my reps by one for the reverse flys. That's all I have time for. I'm pretty sure my son is still asleep even though it's nearly 2 o'clock in the afternoon. He's a teenager. I'm not surprised.

Tomorrow I'll be back here but only to test the Nexersys again. I forgot to check to see if it's even functional so I'll have to be prepared to do something else if it isn't. Meanwhile, I just remembered that yesterday a big white-haired fellow accosted me at my local supermarket. Everyone seems to know me as "that girl from the gym." I'm pushing 60 and I'm "that girl from the gym." I suppose it could be worse. He tells me that he's seen me working out and how impressed he is. This is unexpected. Especially because I don't expect to be recognized from the gym when I'm in my town. There are gyms here but I don't go to them. My gym is in the next town!

I know I should be flattered. I know I should smile and say Thank You. But I don't. That's not my natural reaction. Native New Yorker that I am, I'm cautious and wary. Especially with men. Too many "could've ended badly" incidences when I was younger makes me skittish, like a rescue dog. I sympathize with skittish. I don't recognize him, not that I pay that much attention to people when I work out, except to avoid walking into them. So, like a deer-in-the-headlights, I just stare at him and nod a little. Because I'm usually in my own little world, silently cursing out the self-checkout machine because it won't scan my items. Have I told you that I hate surprises?

Sunny Quick Monday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.94
Calories 331
HR 157-200 (95, 93, 87)

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

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 4 sets

Quick Shoulder Stretch

The Shape-Shifting Head Cold

I'm exhausted when I get up but still make it to the gym. I've stuffed wads of tissues into my pockets but I know it won't be enough. Because this head cold is progressing, as it usually does, using post-nasal drip to infiltrate the lower respiratory tract. I imagine I've coughed up a seed grain. If things get worse, I'll be coughing up loogies. (That might be something only New Yorkers say.) I really don't want to be sick, but I've had this annoying runny nose for weeks. It's just never been quite so productive until now, so I know the status of my health has changed.

Today is Cardio Plus Friday and I start off slow and easy on the elliptical. I'm kind of shocked when the HR monitor displays 67 as I'm pedaling along. That is the lowest I've ever seen during a workout. Of course, it zooms up 100 points and back down again, regardless of my pedaling pace, but never quite as low as that again. I really must be sick. My eyes have been achy and feel swollen even though they're not. Signs of the flu? Naw. But just in case, I bought some elderberry syrup and started dosing myself this morning.

The only brand that seems reliable is Sambucol, manufactured in Switzerland. The syrup has a faintly pruney fragrance and a pleasant berry flavor. It claims to be an immune system booster, and an anti-viral, which regardless of whether I have a cold or the flu, works for me. Two teaspoons four times a day. Okay, I can do that but I should probably buy a bigger bottle.

Halfway through the first cardio session, I start to sweat. Immediately, I feel better, more awake, more energetic. I'm able to get two more pullups than I anticipated. Apparently being sick, like being sleep-deprived, doesn't really affect your strength. Endurance maybe. But not strength. I expect my forearms to complain and my pullups to wane later in my routine so I'm surprised when I'm still able to get 22 for each set. That hasn't happened in a long time.

The StepMill is one of my favorite cardio machines because it starts off really easy, but eventually catches up with you, usually after 10 minutes. I had planned to do some leisurely pedaling on the recumbent bike but found myself on the Cross-Trainer instead. Again, I started slow enough to wonder if I wasn't doing LISS cardio, but as I warmed up (yet again) my pace increased with the driving beat of my tunes. I'm a slave to the music!

Then, I planned to give my arms a rest by doing sets at the Seated Leg Curl before my last round of pullups. It was occupied so I had no choice but to do that third set sooner than I wanted. I was worried but needlessly so. When I got to the Leg Curl machine, I discovered my hamstrings were more tired than I thought and I struggled with the heavier sets. Of course, I didn't use the 5 lb increments like last time. Instead, I placed the 7.5 lb brick on the weight stack and cut out a set. Maybe I shouldn't've?

When I'm done, I find that I've emptied my water bottle. I haven't done that in months! But when you're sick and constantly blowing your nose, you lose a lot of fluids. What's odder is that I have no appetite afterward so the RTD protein shake in my car goes back into the fridge. I eat a few crackers and orange juice to wash down my vitamins. Normally, I'm so hungry I want to eat my hand after a long workout. Yep, I'm definitely sick. Online sources credit the body's release of cytokines during an inflammatory response to illness, and a side effect is appetite suppression. It is suggested that food digestion takes important energy that is needed by the body to mount a proper defense. Sorry, but that's ridiculous. Maybe the invader is just better able to utilize your food, like cancer and sugars?

More promising is the belief that the body utilizes different food sources (ketones vs glucose) to repair and defend itself against different invaders. Glucose helps the body to repel and recover from viral infections, and ketones are more useful against bacteria, at least in mice. Hence that adage, "Starve a cold, feed a fever." But that's assuming colds are bacterial! And we all know the common cold is caused at least one of 200 different types of viruses.

So, you'd think I'd be ravenous and want to build up my glucose stores. While colds and the flu are viral, secondary infections like sinusitis are usually bacterial and might require antibiotics to vanquish. As miserable as I feel, I can't take antihistamines or decongestants because both are associated with higher IOPs in glaucoma patients. At least I can sleep in tomorrow. And there's no school on Monday, but I'll still go to the gym.

Cold Cardio Friday

30 min elliptical + 5cd
Program 3
Miles 2.81
Calories 310
HR 141-194 (67, 87, 90, 83)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Elbow Plank 60s
Crunches 60/60
Leg horizontal scissors 60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

20 Step Mill
Level 3
Calories 114
Total steps 719
Floors 44
HR 126

HGPU 22

15 x-trainer
Level 1 Manual
Calories 117
Miles 1.60
HR 126-137

HGPU 22

2:1 Seated Leg Curls
15lbs x 12
30 x 12
37.5 x 12
45 x 10

Mat Stretch