Tempo Tuesday

Well I'm in day two of my routine, having completed the tempo workout and now looking forward to the total body workout with all the anticipation of one who knows what's coming.

Getting up so gosh darn early in the morning has its pros and cons. One of the pros is that my workout for the day is over. One of the cons is I haven't eaten yet when I start these workouts. I think I got a wittle hypoglycemic yesterday during the workout which would explain the crying jags of yesterday mmhmm. Seriously though I felt, what's the medical term, oh yeah, 'ucky' until I wolfed down the morning oatmeal.

Ever the experimenter I ate a banana on my way out to the door to the gym. Just a little something to tide me over during the workout. I don't want to eat too much, like that tray of brownies I know the precise location of in the kitchen. It's considered very bad form to vomit all over the equipment. Um, so I've heard... yeah.

I find a note in my shoe when I'm lacing up in the locker room.

Your mission Mr. Weird Cult Person, should you choose to accept it is to keep your heart rate between 65-75% for thirty to forty-five minutes! You may use any machine.

Indeed.

I decide that I'm gonna try for 150bpm for thirty minutes, you know, just to see how that feels - this will put me at 74% using the trainer's max HR calculation and 87% using mine. If I'm at a true 87% then I should be an anaerobic mess. I'm liking the elliptical more and more for this kind of work - I feel like I can control the heart rate.

As I'm getting on the machine one of the 'early risers' calls out that he's reading my blog and finds it interesting. I really don't know what to say to that except thanks! Knowing that folk are checking on me keeps me going into the gym. I think of him as an early riser because he really is one. He and his buddy are in the gym at some ungodly hour it seems, like they came in yesterday and are just now finishing up or something. I idly wonder if I'll ever beat them in during the work week. I probably don't want to get up that early to find out!

I begin upping the level of the machine to nine or so to get the heart rate up and around minute six I'm good. I seem to be having a bit of trouble keeping it there so I up the level to ten and that does the trick. I did a quick start so I'm having to do math - bitter sigh - to figure out the length I want to be in this HR range.

Around this time I break out into glorious sweat. It's running down my forehead and into my eyes reminding me that I really should wear a bandanna. I can't explain it but I love when that happens, it feels like I'm actually working towards something. Whatever, pardon my writing skills - I can't quite communicate the feeling of it.

With about ten minutes to go my trainer comes in! She's giving someone one of those body assessments and I'm half wondering, what's to assess? This person looks great. Maybe it was like her tenth assement or something and they're just checking progress.

I call out to my trainer asking her to check on me with regards to how I'm doing. I tell her that I'm going for thirty at 150bpm and you know how do I sound?

It's not coming out right! I think it comes across as bragging to her like I'm saying, "Look at me! I'm about to go 30 minutes at 150bpms behold me with WONDER!"

What I'm trying to ascertain is at 150 I'm thinking that might be a good upper rate for me. On her scale and my little heart chart at the right there it puts me smack in the middle of 'Aerobic (Cardio training/Endurance)' and I'm thinking that's exactly what it feels like. I know I can't get near 160 and hold it yet, that definitely feels anaerobic to me (stupid stair climber!).

She says I'm doing great and asks about the shoe laces and my muscle pull.

"You read my blog???"

"Yeah, I sent you an email last night."

I'm thinking, "Grandpa was probably already in bed." but I'm delighted that she read it some, she's checking on me! Maybe if I would just stop babbling it could be of real use... nah - I'll just keep the metrics at the top and the babble after that.

I want to ask her about my DB lunge technique but A) I'm on the elliptical so it's kinda hard to demonstrate and B) she's working with someone else.

I listen to her and the other lady talk and I'm not gonna blog it but our trainer has high hopes and I'm giddy with excitement for her! All the best on that front!

I do some stretches and head to the showers. I also note that the banana seems to have helped. I'll try that again for tomorrow's ordeal.

When I get out of the showers... When I get out of the locker room I look for my trainer so I can ask her about the 'On Step DB Lunge' but she's no where to be found. I hear some chanting coming out of the basketball court and head down that way, I peer carefully in not sure I really want to see. My trainer and a bunch of other folk (acolytes?) are laying on their backs with their legs over big rubber balls chanting some gibberish about lifting.

And I thought MY cult was strange.

I've come to a few conclusions. First the trainers' time is extremely valuable. They are BUSY! Thing is I happen to like both of them so I can get into a trap where I just want to clown around with them and shoot the breeze. The time I'm hanging around there isn't the best time for them, they're just ramping up. But yesterday the other trainer plopped right down on the floor and illustrated perfect 'Basic Mat Crunches' when I was asking if I was doing them right. He was a little shy about showing the 'On Step DB Lunge' since he wasn't certain of the form my trainer was after.

My point being, BOTH of them will stop what they're doing and help if they can.

Second, they care if you care. In other words if you put the time in they'll put their time in you. That's fair. The little email I got from my trainer will do wonders for my motivation! Here's what it said:

Subject: How's your muscles and did you get NEW shoelaces??

I'll be in at 6 am to see how things are going -- I read you blog today!! The HR chart is showing the right results! Way to go, Bill!

But I'm getting even more motivation. People in the gym seeing I'm trying to hang in there are helping too with comments like, "You got through another one." And my wife, kids and parents are saying they're proud of me.

I race back to my desk to check my email and on it is this 'Clif Bar - Chocolate Chip' and a note that reads, "Bill - Give this a shot - they taste GREAT - your buddy in fitness"

OMG! I almost devour it on the spot but decide that patience sets us apart from the lower orders. This will be my afternoon treat! Unfortunately my wife has discovered its existence. She spends some time trying to convince me that the 'peanut traces' will certainly kill me. NICE TRY HONEY. I've carefully hidden this treasure... for later. Thank you so much exercise buddy!

Thanks to all of you! Knowing you're about helps me climb one more step but more importantly gets me out of bed in the morning and in the gym, even when I really don't wanna.

Later gators!