Curious, and a New Challenge in Everyday Ramblings

I realize that someone as desperate for color as me here in this wet cold winter most likely went out and bought this flowering plant and put it in this raised bed but it does perfectly express the experience of the hope of spring under all this rain in this shot I took Friday evening.

Daffodil and crocus stalks are coming up; as for us it has been warmer than normal but I haven’t seen any blooms yet. Last year I was wearing cross-country ski gloves under my mittens but not this year.

I am teaching hamstrings this next week and so have been immersing myself in the latest ways to focus on releasing them and protecting the lower back. Before I left for the gym yesterday morning I had a pile of anatomy books on my bed and was trying out various simple movement sequences that included using a foam roller and a dog ball at the end.

When I got to the gym and got on the leg press machine I put the pin in at 135 lbs. the weight I had been pressing on Thursday.

I could not move the plate!

There was no there, there.

I actually looked at the machine to see if maybe I had put the pin in the wrong weight on the stack. But no…it was me. Then, as it is so much easier to blame something or someone outside of oneself for a fail I decided with great confidence that they had recalibrated the machine in the meantime.

So I did my work out at a lesser weight and even that was effortful.

On Thursday I had worked out in the evening on a pretty restful day working at home. I had gotten a good night’s sleep and was relaxed.

I didn’t sleep well at all Friday night, too much caffeine late in the day, too much news, restless cats, (who knows?) and I didn’t just get up and read a book or a catalog in the other room as one is encouraged to but stayed in bed reading New Yorker articles on my iPad and displacing Diego with my restless movements.

This wall, this fail, this challenge was good for me I am sure. It makes me not take for granted all the factors that go into having not only a good workout, but a good day overall.

I am curious though to know if it had anything to do with releasing my hamstrings first and will be experimenting with that.

I think I have mentioned that I am doing things I don’t particularly enjoy at the gym but that are good for my spine, the old fashioned Stairmaster with the actual moving stairs (that don’t register as stairs on my Fitbit I might add), the stationary bike, the rowing machine as well as particularly the upper body weights as I feel like such a girlie wuss.

Mrs. Sherlock laughed at me (in a good natured way) when I told her all this and repeated back to me something I always say to my students about how the body has a mind of its own and some days we can balance and some days for what ever reason we can’t. It is a mystery. Enjoy it.

The rowing machine is growing on me.

I have been adding a minute or so each week and it is super good for my heart. I can get into the cardio zone in a snap and know I need to modulate so I don’t overdo for too long.

But I had this brainstorm the other day as I was walking to the gym in the rain. Why don’t I add a day and do everything I love there?!?

Now that I am not consumed with dental appointments and constant bouts of antibiotics and healing I could do that. Like say on Tuesdays, do a half hour on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill. And no weights! On the Tuesdays I have free as a treat.

I don’t snack when I am at the gym and I don’t multitask. I listen to Podcasts and audiobooks in this focused way that I don’t at home.

This is part of a broader issue I am dealing with here. What am I doing for fun? I love teaching and I love spending time with Mrs. Sherlock and my family but it is not enough. I need more social contact, and I need more just general hanging out relaxing time. Instead of looking around at home and going which of the 12 things I need to do right this moment can I do and then collapsing in exhaustion.

Hmm, this is a challenge I am ready for. Bring it on!