S, M, T, W, F

This entry was meant to record the first steps in the new elliptical, but the recording motivation in the brain is not recording, or motivated to record, with any meaningful details beyond what follows. I believe I got on the elliptical for one mile each of the five days noted by the letters in the title in the first week of ownership. I've not explored the features of the machine in enough detail to have it save or transmit the data, but memory is the mile times were approximately...

I recall between 16 and 17 minutes, 16 minutes, 15:59 minutes:seconds, between 18 and 19 minutes, and about 18 minutes, respectively, for the first five sessions/days for each mile. The level of resistance apparently affects the speed/mile time, as the first day was the highest level of resistance, starting at 10, dropping to 5 after a few minutes, then to 2 for about a quarter mile, then 1 for the rest. On the fifth day, muscle and general fatigue (sleep was poor this week for several reasons) reduced the levels to 2 for the first minutes and 1 for the rest. I am not sure why resistance affects distance and time, when the rpms remain the same, or if it did, as stride length also changed from 24" for he first few days to 21 inches for the last two, with 20 inches for much of the last day.

Heart rate was so variable that I'd consider the numbers unreliable, as one day it registered a maximum rate of 186 and I honestly don't think that was accurate. I have not started using the bluetooth chest transmitter yet, which will hopefully provide a much more consistent and accurate heart rate. All five days were manual mode, as I do not want to push the body with machine-lead workouts until I am in much better shape, because I am in the worst condition I can ever recall being in and I am seeing the worst/slowest improvement I ever recall experiencing.

Both muscle fatigue and stamina have me close to maxing out at one mile, under 20 minutes, and I do not feel ready to push for 30 minutes, no less 60 minutes, which was they baseline workout up until this year. Weight, age, entropy, atrophy, and time away from workouts all combine to start this phase of working out at the lowest baseline ever.

Then there is the relatively constant post nasal drip, possibly due to allergies, more likely due to the immune system fighting a bacterial or viral infection. The post nasal drip is creating congestion and coughing, both of which create breathing challenges and even worse, sleeping challenges, hence sleep has been poor, as I previous mentioned. Poor sleep exacerbates the fatigue and reduces the recovery.

So there is the first record for the first week of living with the elliptical.

At least it is being used.

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