Exercise, a small dramatic interlude, and more clementines

[redbird]

While drinking tea this morning, I mumbled about not being sure I was up to exercising, and cattitude pointed out it had been a while. Ten days, specifically, not counting walking a couple of miles yesterday, in bits and at a very moderate pace. So I went out when he did, and said that he's sneakier than I am because he can persuade me to the gym, and not vice versa. He explained that the difference is that I enjoy working out.

I stopped on the way to the gym for a second breakfast--the yogurt might have been enough, but it might not, and I knew I wanted more tea. Hence, a half baguette with butter and jam, and said tea, at Amy's Bread on Ninth Avenue (convenient to my usual gym branch), The people behind me were talking about food and cooking, and I smiled when one of them told the other that she and her husband had bought a tajine [a Moroccan cooking pot] in Montreal, "in an Italian food store, of all places."

The workout itself was decent, despite a bit of elbow pain. One of the trainers, after I'd mentioned that I seem to have this season's cold that doesn't go away, asked if I had any medicine for it, then offered me his. I declined--it's not a bad cold, or I wouldn't have been on the cardio bike, and I don't need extra meds.

After I finished my workout, in the locker room I passed a woman with one leg up, and someone wearing a "Lifeguard" shirt examining it and doing something with a first aid kit. One of the trainers was also there. After a moment, I realized the best thing I could do was just go on about my business--everything was well under control, I have no specific relevant skills, and they don't need me staring. So I went into the back of the locker room and showered. Exiting the shower stall, I saw blood on the floor, and remembered that the woman had been bleeding, though apparently not heavily. I carefully walked over and retrieved my glasses and gym clothes without stepping in the blood.

As I was walking back to my locker, one of the trainers stopped me, to let me know that there was a male paramedic in the room. She offered me extra towels to cover up. I declined--I already had two towels, they're not very big, and I don't have that many hands. So I stayed where I was, and took the opportunity to apply plenty of lotion.

I wouldn't have cared, and the paramedic probably had other things to look at, but someone was upset about there being a man in the locker room. Under other circumstances, I'd have been unhappy too, because the obvious question would have been why he was there: but when medical or other emergency help is needed, you take whoever's available soonest. Anyone who cared that much about being seen naked could change in a toilet stall (there are in fact women who take their clothes off in the shower stalls, and put on at least underwear before emerging after they shower). I chatted a bit with the woman using the locker next to mine: we agreed that paramedics have seen lots of skin, and I noted that mine has also been seen by lots of people. On my way out, I stopped and talked to the female paramedic, who was justly irritated at the woman who believed she should have left her partner behind rather than have a proper team. [I think that whatever the accident was happened in the shower area, rather than the woman having been brought into the locker room to be somewhere quiet while the first aid people did what they do. But that's an inference; I don't expect ever to know more of the story than I've already seen.]

Lunch in Chinatown, as usual. I stopped to have the $1.50 left on an expired Metrocard Cattitude found in his wallet recently put on a current card; later, I used a machine and added 50 cents in cash to bring it up to the current single-trip fare. After lunch, I bought five pounds of clementines ($4.00--the price seems to be fluctuating randomly) and half a pount of ginger root (for which I spent a whole 80¢).

Workout details:

Cardio, 18:15, top heart rate 134. I didn't try going to 30 or 35 minutes, saving my energy for the weight lifting that I actually like.

Calf machine, 80 pounds, 12 reps; 75 pounds, 2 sets of 12
Bench press, 65 pounds, 10, 6
Leg press, 260 pounds, 2 sets of 12
Seated leg curl, 90 pounds, 2 sets of 12
Tricep pulldown, 50 pounds, 2 sets of 15; 45 pounds, 15
Wrist curl, 35 pounds, 3 sets of 15

Crunches, 4 sets of 20
Back arches, 3 sets of 20
Tree, 4 sets of {2 on each leg}

Adjustable row, 90 pounds, 2 sets of 15. The second was difficult, because my elbows had started being unhappy during the wrist curl rather than because the back muscles that machine exercises being sore or pushed too far.
Bicep curl, 40-pound bar, 2 sets of 15

Stretches

Had my elbows been happier, I'd have done more biceps curls and rowing, and I'd have liked to do lateral raises for my shoulder muscles, but it was clearly not a good idea as things stood.

Comments

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I'm with you. Seeing a paramedic on the property when one is needed would set my mind to rest much more than thinking they would put privacy over safety.