Post whimpering

Last you heard, I was getting a massage from a new therapist. No, she's been doing this for years, but I'd never met her before. She's good. She's very good. I had weird tingles and twitches all afternoon and evening. The next day there was actually soreness, in a good way. There's a spot just below my right knee, in that soft spot below the kneecap that is particularly sore, and she didn't even touch that. I really should have taken some time to elevate my legs.

Tuesday was sitting in an office chair for a full work day, for the first time in a while. XL macros of all things. I was really looking forward to my spin. We had a home made quasi-pizza that Linda has been working on. Start with a wrap. Add chicken, peppers, olives, cheese, salsa, shallots and I don't know what else, and broil it in the oven till the cheese melts. At least that's what I think happens. Some of the bits might be nuked first to make sure they're hot, and the plate might make two trips through the oven. Very yummy. Best eaten with a knife and fork.

It didn't seem like that much food, but I still waited about an hour and a half to get on the bike, and was only there 15 or 20 minutes. Easy spin was barely ok, but anything over 90 had me feeling kind of queasy. I figured the chances were good I'd spew if I kept on, so I bailed, temporarily.

Wednesday I was back to the FOMC pool. Like last year I'd park, having done some loosening up exercises at home, do a few more in the parking lot, then walk 5 minutes. I started with an easy run till I got to the bottom of the hill on the Nose Creek path, then opened up to a comfortable running pace. My legs felt springy, which hasn't happened often. I made it to the bridge just before the golf dome in what I think is 16 minutes, which is much faster than I remember being able to do this a year ago. Turned around and headed back, maintaining a good pace back up the hill, then did an easy jog back to the car, for 35 minutes total, not counting some warm up and cool down walking. Typically that would be a 45 minute run last year, and working harder.

I could easily have done that again, or at least that's how it felt. I like running along there. It's beside the Deerfoot, but the traffic is a nice hum, punctuated by the occasional screech of brakes. But what I really like hearing is the airport. I've lived either near airports, or near flight paths most of my life. Hearing airplanes reassures me that the world is carrying on. It's a dark path to run on so you sort of have to trust that there really is pavement. Some of the bike riders have really bright lights that screw up your night vision, which doesn't help seeing the path. I didn't see the guy that looks like the UFO at the end of Close Encounters.

After the run, and a shower, and chatting with my lifeguard buddy, I took the car over to the dealership for an oil change and to get a light fixed. This sort of thing used to be no big deal, but space under the hood in cars is so tight now there's nothing a layman can do. I think it needs a special tool to get in there, and small hands. Or another special tool. The disgusting part was waiting. There was a guy in there dying of the flu, hacking, coughing, sneezing, blowing his nose, snuffling, and all the while the TV is going on and on about how many people are getting sick or dying of H1N1 and that people should stay home, get the flu shots, wash their hands, and generally don't panic. I stayed as far away from sick boy as I could. People are waiting in half-day long lineups to get the flu shot here, and meanwhile that's another good place for getting infected. And what just kills me, in a metaphorical sort of way, is that H1N1 isn't any worse particularly than the regular flu, which kills hundreds every year. They keep talking about a pandemic, when the number of people killed so far can still be convenient measured in dozens. Compared to Spanish Flu, which is practically the definition of pandemic, H1N1 is a pussy. But the media has to have a story to flog.

Back to my workout stuff, which is the only reason you guys are reading. Got the spin workout done, 90 minutes good and solid. Lots of cadence stuff, some one leg (90 seconds!!! - didn't make it) and other fun stuff. My legs still felt good, except for the clunks when trying 90 seconds.

Then the core for 30 minutes. The workout sheet looked innocuous, but it was a killer. Wall sit, rows, lots of plank, held squat, pushups, obliques. Second set was messier, I'm glad nobody was watching, and equally glad I didn't try it last night.

I'm looking forward to 1.25 hours of yoga tonight. Especially the corpse pose at the end. That's my best one.