I got off work early yesterday, which was good because I was quite tired due to being out at work on Sunday having breakfast with Santa at 8am. With this time off I decided I would go to the gym since I could be done at the gym at the same time I would be done work. It was not the most relaxing choice, but since I skipped the gym Sunday to go do the breakfast with Santa I figured it was the universe’s way of paying me back the time.
I got to the gym and noted how few cars there was in the parking lot and thought I would have no problems doing the things I needed to do for my leg day. Apparently fewer cars in the afternoon does not mean fewer people, I guess because people walk over from the college nearby or take the bus. I got my leg presses done, and my hamstring exercises. Then it was time to use the rack to do squats and such, but some due was busy pretending to use the one where the bar is free, and someone was actually using the one where the bar is guided on rails.
I thought to myself, I’m not waiting around for these guys, especially dude that is doing more stretching than actually working. I have not run in a while, I’ll do that. So I wrote on my sheet, in place of where I would check off the six different exercises I had left, 5k run. No problem I figured, I could run 5k in about 23 minutes the last time I did it (back before hockey started) that was only two and a half months ago.
You know how you have those friends that you can go months and months without seeing them and just pick up where you left off? Like my friend Matt is one of those guys, we’ll go quite a while without hanging out, but then we do and it’s like we’ve been together every weekend for our whole lives. Yeah, running is not a friend like that. Running is the friend that when you visit after two months, complains about how you don’t call or make time for them. I’m sure it didn’t help too much that I had just done a bunch of legs presses and hamstring curls, but I could not run 5k straight, or at a pace I was happy with.
I did complete it in just over 25 minutes, but I had to have a little bit of a walk about half way through. When I was done, I of course sprinted the last minute or so, I was so dead. My legs were alright, but my head was wobbly and I knew I needed a Gatorade or something. In short I learned that after more than two months and some about 20 minutes of leg exercises I can’t just expect run 5k in a time comparable to my best runs. Go figure.
Hi Chris! Well, on a normal morning, I usually get a bench, a bar, and every dumbbell I want. But, on busy days, I have to be assertive enough to "work in" with Dude because otherwise I just don't get my list done. Otherwise, I make a plan B of exercises that work the same body parts in similar ways.
ReplyDeleteDude probably didn't even know that you were waiting for the Smith machine. That's probably why he was not being efficient. I also tend to take lengthy breaks if I know that other benches and bars are available to everyone who wants one.
I personally feel awful when I've let my cardio go for even a week. You're right, it's just not something that picks back up like an old friend. It's more fickle. I try to keep up with cardio for that very reason, I don't like being sore or exhausted very much.
:-) Marion
Oh, I get my cardio in playing hockey, but it's more of a start/stop sprint type thing. Not a long distance type thing.
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