Feeling like Helen

Oy. Ve.

Happy New Year everybody! I woke up late yesterday after a long hard day of travelling. We came back from Williamsburg Virginia via Atlanta and Chicago, and our bags even got to go sightseeing without us! They got back the next day, safe and sound, and completely mum about their extra journey.

Simplest New Year's Eve ever. Romey and I ordered pizza, watched a movie, and I was in bed at 9:38 PM. Romey's made of tougher stuff than me and saw in the new year solo, playing video games.

New Year's Day was lovely, though Romey made the unfortunate discovery that bronchitis plus 5 degrees outside plus clearing the driveway equals lung damage and relapse. He has spent most of his time since clearing the driveway on the couch and coughing.

I woke later than usual and was pootling around the house when Jmz calls. I ask him immediately how he feels. "Uh, fine?" was the puzzled response. "Me too!" I say, "Isn't it wonderful being in our thirties?" He then invites me to come over and meet him at his gym, and have a go at Helen.

It went pretty well. I suck at pull-ups. No way to gloss over that one. At least I'm working at it - am hoping to be able to do them by next New Year's, or at least spend the year trying. Jmz and I both agree that the primary issue is my weight, and the secondary issue is my strength. The weight is up a touch after the holidays, but I am more slender than I have been in a few years, so I'm obviously trading a bit of pudge for a bit of muscle. May I be lucky enough for this to continue. The pull-ups assist machine was the same old friend I used for pull-up assistance for my three years of weightlifting as an undergrad. I had it on max assist, and biffed many of them. I attempted each one though, and managed the yo-heave-ho my way up a couple of times using swinging, pumping the assisting foot-rest, and light cursing.

The running went just fine. Was only for 200 meters, and I held a 10 minute mile pace, though I ended up pretty winded at the end and with a stitch.

The dumbell swings, at 10#, were laughably easy.

Jmz says that apart from the pullups, I'm not really a buttercup any more. *grin*

Anywho, today I feel like Hell. H-E-Double Hockeysticks. The creeping crud that I have deftly avoided for so long has finally caught up with me. Back of nose is goopy, lungs are claggy *coff* *coff*, energy is low, appetite is completely non-existent, and headache is persistent. From Helen to Hell in 20 short hours. Boo hoo.

My arms and back are lovely and sore though, and that at least feels very very good.