At least as far as keeping me from the gym is concerned. Caren emailed, she hasn't been all week and wanted to at least meet me for some cardio. I couldn't refuse. I woke up feeling all peppy - especially after blasting my sinus cavities with saline. The instructions say 1/4 tsp kosher salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Now my sinuses were used to the nice, comfy NeilMed SinuCleanse - a packet of perfectly measured salt and sodium bicarbonate, precisely designed to provide a stingless irrigation. No burning sensation, just the general gross-out discomfort of the ordeal. Well, the make-it-yourself stuff burns like the fires of hell! I was more than awake after that. :) (Note to self: Get to Walgreen's and buy the little packets of non-excruciating nose potion).

I couldn't resist meeting her at the gym - and as long as I was there for cardio, I might as well do my full Friday workout...right? That's where Seven of Nine comes in. There's a standing joke about the hanging ab station looking like a Borg regeneration chamber, and since I'm the one always putting one of the TVs on Star Trek in the afternoon, I got the usual Seven of Nine and "Beam me up, Scotty" jokes today. I only wish that thing worked like a Borg chamber. It would be nice to be completely recharged instead of wiped out at the end of a workout.

Resisting dairy hasn't been that bad. I'm not even missing the nonfat plain yogurt that goes into my morning protein concoction. As far as cheese goes, I've tried not to think about it. Of course, this is only day two of the sinus action plan. Of course, the fact that I just got an email coupon for a free DQ Blizzard might make resistance a little harder, but I think I'll just give it away.

~o~

I read an article about a Greek and French studies which showed that selenium supplementation lowered anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) levels in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It seems that selenium also can slow down the replication of some viruses. Selenium is found in liver, shellfish, and Brazil nuts. I can't eat shellfish, I won't eat liver and I'm not exceptionally fond of Brazil nuts. Excessive selenium can be toxic. I'm going to have decide on a decent amount of supplementation is and give it a whirl before my next anti-body titer is drawn. The last one showed my antibodies were up there, attacking away. One weird side effect from too much selenium is finger nail loss. Lately my nails have been breaking like crazy, I'd hate to add anything that would make that worse. 400 mcg daily is supposedly quite safe, over 900 mcg can cause problems. Factoring in how much you already might be getting in your diet makes supplementation difficult.

~o~

We're back at the grindstone as far as school is concerned...and weirdo cat, Camille, is extremely happy. Camille doesn't generally like to be petted. She lurks around, likes to be in your presence but is by no means a lap cat. It all changes when you have a math book and a mechanical pencil. She comes from out of nowhere, sprawls out on the math books and uses every cat wile to make you want to pet her... WITH the mechanical pencil.

Regular pencils will do, but she prefers mechanical ones. Watching this aloof, detached feline go into paroxysms of joy over being pet with a mechanical pencil never ceases to amaze me. We haven't had the math books out since June, but she remembered. Every day since Wednesday, when it's math time - it's pet Camille with pencils time.

~o~
Today's workout: 60 minutes of cardio on the Octane & Cybex (all the cardio was first because we had to talk, lol, but I still kept my heartrate at 80%). 35 minute circuit (done with no rest between sets so that my heart rate stayed 75 - 80%). I only had time for 2 sets today, which still kicked my butt.

The Circuit for the Day
wide stance dumbbell deadlift 15/70 (I love the different feel of this!)
incline dumbbell fly 15/70
sumo squat 15/35
hammer curls 24/25
REPEAT
--1:30 sprint on Sci-fit, 5.6% incline
wide grip lat pulldown 15/100
seated hamstring curls 15/100
stepups, 10" step, 20/50
REPEAT
--1:30 sprint on Sci-fit, 5.6 incline
scorpion pushups with one hand up on 4" step, 10 each side
static lunge with delt raise 10/20
harpies with 4" step 10
REPEAT
--1:00 sprint on Sci-fit, 5.6% incline
hanging abs 15
reverse crunch with medicine ball 25/8
medicine ball transfer crunch thing 10/8
REPEAT

~o~

I couldn't resist this. It's a compilation of clips from Voyager which make it appear that Janeway & Seven of Nine have something going on. To "Summer Nights." :)