Not a day

I am back to my summer seasonal job, two weeks before I had expected to be, so I'm not in the tip-top shape I thought I had time to create, but so it goes. 

I am glad, though, for what I did, especially the exercise bike.  Weight-wise, I started where I usually am at the end of the seasons, so I'm happy about that, and indeed, I have gone down a pant size from last year.

Everyone looks older, greyer there.  Because the summer season hasn't started and people took off for spring break, there were fewer people in the building, maybe only thirty cars in the parking lot, but only ten to fifteen people on site at any given time, as some come in earlier, are out in the field most of the day, and go home sooner.  Two weeks from now, the breakroom will be so filled in the Thursday mornings meetings that it will be almost impossible not to hit someone while doing the stretching exercises, but as I have Thursdays and Fridays off, that's not going to be my problem.

This isn't the poster that we follow, but many of the exercises are the same or similar.

https://www.occupationalathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/wp-checkout/images/magnet-1382029170.png

Not a day

A couple of years ago, more or less, I went to a yoga/Pilates class and struggled to sit up.  I was so out of shape, I rolled up on one arm and had to push myself up.

Now when I do my yoga, I can go from lying flat on my back to sitting up, with just a slight nudge with both elbows.

I appreciate knowing that people are reading this blog, and I hope that it is a source of encouragement.

Day 80: More resistance

I don't know what I inputted into the cycle, except I wanted "varied."  I was expecting the same resistance I'd had before, which was one and two dots, resistance 1 and 4, but the screen was almost full of dots, and as I discovered, the course the the 35 minute program went up to 12 and the five minute cool-down was at 8.

So, yeah, cycling to cool jazz on the television (I'll figure it out someday, how to get something on that doesn't take 5 minutes to program), and the two girls come in to exercise and they're fine with it, and so we share the space.  My summary was average heart rate, 107, high rate 147,  1:37 at the 88-135 range, 6.2 miles total.

After they left, I used the ten pound weights for a small work-out, going over my sets two or three times.

The post-workout walk to Fred Meyer's was fast and easy, and I carried both sacks of groceries with no problem back and up the stairs to the apartment.

Not a day

I pulled a yellow knit shirt out of my closet, never worn. 

I hesitated wearing it, as it was too small every other time I'd tried it--it had been a gratefully received gift that could not be returned, and I'd kept it through the move with some hope.

The top slid on easily, even over my arms, and didn't cling anywhere.

It's nice to have this indicator that the work-outs a the gym are paying off.

Day 79: It gets crowded

There was a young man finishing his elliptical while wearing ear buds.  He had just a bit more to go, but was fine with my playing the DVD.  He knew of the Beatles, but not who they were, and watched the first few moments of "A Hard Day's Night."

He left and I fast forwarded through to the musical numbers.  I cycled 35 minutes, plus the five minute cool down.  My fastest heart rate was 165, with 95 being the average(?), I broke a lovely sweat halfway through, and my miles at the end was 6.23.  I'm still figuring out the machine.

As I finished, two young women came in and ignored me as I removed the DVD and wiped down the cycle.  One went on the treadmill and started running, while the other got down on a large pad that is in front of the mirrored wall and started doing sit-ups.  I was conscience of my age and weight as they were young and thin.  I did a minimum round of the ten-pound free weights, packed up the DVD, and fled the building and then walked over to the store to get some stuff for dinner.

The Fab Four, back in the day.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47105314@N06/4325725782?ytcheck=1

78: A Hard Day's Night

How many people does it take to figure out the complicated setup of television and DVD player and three/four remotes. (Why are there two identical ones, one which is sitting on top of the DVD player, when it doesn't have anything to do with the DVD player?)

Three.  Two from the manager's office, and me.  Written directions are right there on the wall, we're all literate, so why is it harder to follow than the Technical Challenge on The Great British Baking Show?

Anyway, we eventually got it figured out.  I set the timer on the cycle machine for an extra five minutes to get more from my workout, and plugged away to the classical movie A Hard Day's Night. The movie plot line consists of the Fab Four and Paul's grandfather having their adventures while preparing for a televised performance.  My workout ends about the same time as the post-casino scene.  (Movie Geek Info:  It's the same casino in the first James Bond movie.)

The exercise room eventually got crowded with three others coming in to use the equipment, including one who came in when I was ten minutes into the program (and probably heard me singing as beautifully as Florence Foster Jenkins)  and decided to wait out the twenty-five minutes.  The other two, a father and his kid son, came in just before the machine started cool-down mode, and they went directly to other machines.

I made five miles in half an hour, ended up with 6.78 at the end, heart rate average 94, highest 149, or so I recall on the summary.  I broke a sweat about halfway through (TMI, I know, I know.)

Good movie.  Now I can check off that one from the various "have you seen these movies?" lists on Facebook.

Days 75, 76, 77: Grit

I've been reading Angela Duckworth's book   "Grit."  And here's this.

The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is:  I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill.  I will not be outworked, period.  You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me.  You might be all of those things. You got it on me in nine categories.  But if we get on the treadmill together, there's two thing:  You're getting off first, or I'm going to die.  It's really that simple.  (page 46)

I am one of those who goes, "Treadmill?"

So I've been on the cycle for the past three days, four if you count Day 74.  Whoopee.  But I've been there, for half an hour, plus the five minute cool-down, and now I'm up to 4.6 miles on distance.  And I've been doing my yoga and free weights. 

Day 74: Music makes a workout better

As I was in the room by myself, I took the liberty of turning on the television.

Someone already had a music channel on, and there was an Adele song playing.  The channel showed "stingray.com" from time to time.  The music included other singers, including a low-key Justin Bieber and some others I didn't know.  I'm not even sure if the flawless faces on the screen even matched the musicians. 

I cycled 4.2 miles in half an hour, plus the five minute cool down,  and finished off the workout with free weights and stretching.

It's a good workout when you don't want it to end.
 

Adele

http://www.josepvinaixa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ADELE-25-2015-1200x1200.jpeg

Day 73: The apartment complex's gym

When the apartments were being built, the fact that there was a gym included was a point in conversations.  After all, it was the first (and for a long while, only) apartment complex going up in forever it seemed, and it had a pool and hot tub and a gym!  I used to imagine living in the place, going to the gym to work out on a regular--daily!--basis.

So here I am.  I finally went, after days of writing in on my "to do" book lists, weeks of urging myself to walk over there ("I might slip and fall in the parking lot!") months of nagging.

I was coming back from running errands and saw that the one spot for us apartment dwellers was open in the front of the office (other two for maintenance crew and "future residents").  I walked in, walked right over to the gym and looked around.

There was another person using the universal gym, the television was off and so were the overhead lights.  There were the free weights, jump ropes, yoga mats, two treadmills, an elliptical machine, and a recumbent cycle machine.  I took the last, set it up for my feet, and followed the red dotted instructions for my age and weight and time.

Half an hour later, I was cheering myself for having completed my goal of thirty minutes.  And then the thing went into "cool down" for an extra five minutes.  My heart rate was generally about 132, with 160 being the maximum, and I "traveled" 3.64 miles.  The machine was very nice, showing me my time progress on a time line as well as "10% complete....25% complete....30% complete...."  You get the picture.

Afterwards, I wiped down the machine where my body had touched it, and ended my session with a set of arm lifts and squats using two ten pound free weights.

I feel smugly virtuous, although I'm sure it will quickly wear off.

The one I used was not this exact model, but close enough.  

http://newlifecardioequipment.com/precor-c842i-recumbent-bike-commercial.html