45 minute spin class, with a sprint interval that knocked me out. The young spin instructor is learning about "holds" and trying out jumps, and seems to moving into a direction more like my NY area spin instructors, rather than like the older spin instructor who's into "push point" and simulating a road ride.
I've been working so late the past few days, the only time I've gotten out of the house is to head to the gym early in the morning.
15 minutes on Stairmaster stepper, aerobic interval, resistance at seven
60 minutes back and biceps routine
45 minutes on Life Fitness elliptical, creaky and bouncy, at hill intervals, resistance at eight, and this felt like a joke of a cardio workout. But I wanted a change from the bike. This particular gym has oudated and not well-maintained cardio equipment. When the new YMCA is finally built in the area, I can't see this place surviving.
45 minute spin class, the same routine that we did on Wednesday, with me saving myself a little during the sprint intervals. She likes to do six in a row. My former spin instructors did three in a row, sometimes four, so I misjudged how long and hard we were going.
And a hard soaking rain today, rather than a snowstorm, like the last two Fridays. The evil charm is broken.
60 minutes on the arc trainer, resistance at nine, hill intervals, a really hard slog. What is about this machine? I'll take it over nearly any elliptical I've encountered, except some of the higher-end Precors.
And the sweet spot on weekend workouts at my gym is before 9 AM. That's when the rush begins.
60 minutes Stairmaster, aerobic intervals, resistance just at five because of the length of time
60 minutes yoga
40 minutes arm, shoulders and tricep workout
A long time at the gym this morning, working out the knots and tension.
Well, yoga didn't happen yesterday. I simply never felt up to it. But I just finished doing yoga today. Boy was I stiff! I am sure tomorrow will be better. I miss that loose, flexible feeling I had when I was doing yoga every day...
Friday - 20 minutes yoga
Saturday - walked 4 miles (60 minutes), 20 minutes yoga
Sunday - walked 4 miles (60 minutes), 30 minutes yoga
Monday (so far) - did Day 1 Week 1 of Couch-to-5K. I have no intentions of becoming a runner, but I want to add it to the mix so I can improve my time. Like run/walk the half marathon instead of walk and then run at the end. We'll see. My knees will give me trouble if I overdo it.
With a snowstorm in the forecast, and our road covered with three inches -- which looked like more because it was completely unplowed -- I decided to put off going to the gym till the road crews had been out & about. I didn't mind driving on the unplowed road at 5 AM so much as the threat of having to come home in bad weather. So I skipped the morning spin class, and instead went to the gym in the evening. It's a different place at night. It's a younger, louder, energetic and highly social crowd, in which the workout often seems a secondary goal.
45 minute spin class, with the instructor trying to get us to keep our heart rates at 70%, no higher, for most of the duration. Now would be a good time to go out and get that heart rate monitor.
15 minutes Stairmaster stepper, resistance at eight, warming up
60 minutes shoulders, back and triceps
45 minutes recumbent bike, resistance at eight, manual setting
One of the few pleasures offered by this gym with its aging equipment and mopey emo soundtrack and mopey emo guy at the front desk is the view. It looks out over the river and a Norman Rockwell kind of skyline with Victorian church steeples jutting above the trees. And at this time of year, occasionally a bald eagle soars down the length of the river. It's looking for merganser ducks to eat, or big fat carp carcasses on the ice. But it's nevertheless a heart-stopping sight. It's such a big bird, with such a vast wingspread, it looks like an old-fashioned ironing board in flight.
