High Maintenance

I'm very envious of those folks who can zip in and out of a shower and be done with changing into street clothes in less than 10 minutes. There's one woman at the gym who has it down to a science, with a short haircut that doesn't need combing or drying, and professional attire that's easy to slip on. 

No need to apply lotions and creams, or towel dry the unruly hair that still needs to be brushed and braided. No application of glycerin and alpha hydroxy lotions, sunscreen, steroidal creams for the winter hives, extra strength petroleum-based salves for the cracks and fissures that miraculously appear overnight on heels, knuckles, fingertips. Must be nice!

My kid had an orthodontist appointment this afternoon so my gym routine had to allow me enough time to shower and change before driving back home to get my kid and take him. I managed to get to the gym on time today and I'm surprised that no one is on any of the elliptical machines. There's also a giant cup holder attached to machine #3. Very nice, but I still got on machine #1 to start my routine. Temps have dropped and the gym is cold. I didn't feel warmed up until 20 minutes in of a 35 minute program. Wind Breaker shows up just as I'm finishing.

I still hadn't decided whether I was doing weights or more cardio until I looked over at the free weight area and saw all the empty benches. Yep, DB Shoulder Day. I completed the whole routine, knowing I'd have to cut back in the Aerobics Room if I wanted enough time to shower and change. The area started to fill up as kids wandered in from the local HS. In the Aerobics Room, I concentrated on critical core and sciatic stretches and skipped everything else. I can take a more leisurely approach tomorrow when I don't have such time constraints. 

My gloved purple hand

In the locker room, I see an odd spool-shaped lock. It has letters instead of numbers. Kind of cool, but it's big and bulky! Probably harder to lose. Although not as monstrously large as the dragon fruit I saw at the grocery later. Now I have unusually small hands, but this was a huge dragon fruit, literally dwarfing my hand. And of course, I had to buy it. It didn't even cost that much. I remember when these items were considered exotic and you paid $7-8 for a small one that might not taste any better than grass. I don't know yet if this giant has a good flavor. The yellow ones tend to be sweeter but I haven't seen any of that variety lately.

16 January 2025 11:37-1:02

Thursday — Cardio and DBs

Polar Express

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5568)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 313

Avg Hr: 151,182-84

New FB: 42-130

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:23)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:29)

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1 (12:36); 2 (12:41); 3 (12:49)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Don't Sleep on Your Right Side

I normally sleep on my back but occasionally roll onto my left side. This morning I uncharacteristically rolled right. And it was a big mistake. Not only did I have to deal with the daily sciatic cramp in my right calf, but my whole upper back on the right side was sore, as if it had suffered from a spasm. My dogs and I still went to the Bark Park although the soreness made doing my usual chores more difficult.

I got to the gym later than I planned. I was surprised that there was still ample parking. And no one on any of the four elliptical machines. I got on #1 and started pedaling. Within 5 minutes someone else got on #3. A few minutes past that and I realized that I could see someone in my lower peripheral vision. Yep, it was Wind Breaker on machine #2. (No one wants to use #4.) 

Between the twinges in my upper back and the sporadic pin prick itchiness from having super dry skin and dry cold air, I'm miserable until I finally start sweating. Because it's cold in the gym, that doesn't happen until 25 minutes into my routine. Normally, I hit that mark after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, on the treadmill up front there's a girl doing HIIT cardio (alternating between running and walking) wearing nothing more than a sports bra and frilly pink running shorts. Well, she IS sweating, and looking very cute doing it. (No, I didn't take her pix. That'd be a breach of privacy.)

I managed okay with pull-ups for the first and second sets. The step machine offered no surprises. I was reading my phone for most of my time on the cross-trainer, so not great time but still enough to get the heart rate up. The Precor elliptical is still my go-to cardio machine though. It just fits me better and I like the ability to do forward and backward motions without having my toes and feet go numb. 

I walk by the Stretch Cage and skip that last set of pull-ups when I see it's "Napoleon." He's the short dude that bumped me from the Stretch Cage some years ago when I was at the gym with my kid. I thought he was going to actually do something special, like pull-ups with legs up on the roof of the Cage (I've seen others do it), but nope. He just hung by one arm like an orangutan as he chatted up some girl. 

Afterward, I did a set of pull-ups and his face dropped in embarrassment. He has since tried to work in with me but I've always declined. I have a long memory. Dude, if you're not going to outright apologize for being a douche, then just get out of my way. Today, he's actually "shadow boxing" inside the cage, which is the dumbest thing I've seen him do. I don't feel like waiting around, so I just go straight to the Aerobics Room. I do my routine but skip the Walking Lunges and Wall Sits. I'm too tired. I don't even consider that last set of pull-ups as I walk back to the locker room. 

I sent back that problematic hoodie. Land's End has partnered with shops to receive their returned items for either store credit or a reverse charge. (Credit my card 'cuz I don't know if I want to chance buying anything else here.) The local UPS store is the Happy Returns partner for my town (very convenient for me) although it still costed me $6.95 to return a defective item. But what else could I do with it? It's not wearable. I did launder it before bringing it to the UPS store, because it'd be gross otherwise and I'm not that kind of person.

Now waiting for LLBean to deliver a different hoodie. (I have faith that this one will be wearable.) I bought some 10% glycolic acid skin cream after I realized that the bottle of face cream I've been using sparingly actually has a website printed at the base of the bottle. I used to buy it at drugstores but I haven't seen it in years. When I got the package, I saw that they had carefully taped the dispenser closed to prevent leaking in transit. Very nice. What's unexpected is that the tape itself is branded. Just to prevent such leaks. Okay, that's kind of weird. And petty, right? 

I've been suffering from a mild case of vertigo. It usually happens in the winter, and is probably due to a slight sinus infection messing with my balance. Not getting enough sleep isn't helping at all. My kid has decided to carpool back to school and is leaving next weekend, a few days earlier than expected. I'm taking him to see the new Nosferatu movie at the local cinema tomorrow. Who can resist $5 Tuesday?!

13 January 2025 12:00-1:52

Monday — All Cardio

Cold gray cardio

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5594)

Distance: 2.84

Cal: 315

Avg Hr: 157, 210-79?

New FB: 45-130

HGPU 16

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (29)

Steps 433

Floors 27

Cal 65

Hr 129

HGPU 15

Life Fitness X-Trainer #5

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.14

Cal: 99

Avg Hr: 119-123

   Skip HGPU 14.5 / Napoleon shadow boxing in stretch cage

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Rating My New LE Hoodie

The bright spot of the day is witnessing a pileated woodpecker on a tree high overhead at the dog park. I've seen them before, but was never able to view how oddly they arc their heads when assessing the target spot on the tree. It's quite a magnificent bird though. And it was unperturbed by our existence. I've never seen one at a feeder but they are quite large. I have downy, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers at the suet holder in my yard. Lately, mostly starlings bullying the sparrows, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, tufted titmouse, cardinals, bluejays, and occasional mourning doves.

I'm functioning on less than 5 hrs of sleep today so truthfully I'm surprised I actually went to the gym and completed a routine. It was a mish-mosh and not the best ever, but I still got it done. I confess I stayed up late chatting with my kid and experimenting with a few odd cocktails he had told me about. He's going to be 20 in a few weeks, not quite legal age in NY but older than the HS kid I used to be when I first tried various adult beverages. Since my husband is an alcoholic but has been drinking coffee instead of vodka these past several weeks, he's not one to hang out with and discuss the nuances of a creamy strawberry tequila apertif. Or whether wines really are distinguishable from each other at a low price point. My kid goes back to school in less than two weeks, so I enjoy having these odd chats with him.

The gym is crowded and I've arrived too late to use the elliptical. So I added a few minutes to the cross-trainer and used that to warm up. I didn't break a sweat since it was only 15 minutes. Everything I wanted to use was occupied. I found a Nautilus bench and did a light DB Shoulders workout. And by light, I mean only one heavy/high rep set at the end instead of three. 

The step machines are free so I do 12 minutes there. Then attempted pull-ups. I had, however, pre-exhausted my arms so pull-ups were more difficult than usual and I'm lucky I managed to squeeze out even that dozen reps. Finally, I see that elliptical machine #1 is vacant so that's my chance to work up a cardio lather, not that the step machine wasn't challenging. Especially since I insist on singing to myself. Not loud enough for anyone to hear me, but still breathing hard. I give the last several minutes a good burst that depletes me but making it past 2.8 was worth it. 

I'm wearing my new gym hoodie from Land's End. It has a roomy generous cut and fits well in the body and arms. The zipper, however, is wonky and sticks at the entrance. I can muscle through that. I always wash my garments before I wear them and this is laundry fresh. What I don't realize until I unzip the hoodie and drape it over a bench, is that the soft cotton liner is shedding white lint all over my black tank and pants. Ugh. 

Hoodie shedding looks gross

In the Aerobics Room, I consider just laying on the mat with my bare shoulders but I'm sweaty and the mat isn't sanitized and I'm too aware of contagious skin afflictions. Am I a hypochondriac? No, but I'm not stupid either. No one wipes down their mats with disinfectant wipes after using them, except me. I'm tired. And sorta disgusted. And it's getting late. So I only do half my routine and leave after Fire Hydrants. 

I'm not sure what to do about the hoodie. I finally have a hoodie that fits well. But it sheds worse than a Persian cat, or my dogs. Ugh. Land's End used to be known for quality items and one could return merch to the local Sears store. Now, there are no more Sears stores. And buying from LE has a gambling quality to it. Will it or won't it fit. If I buy two different colors, will they actually look like the same item? And now, is it so cheaply made that it behaves like disposable fashion? Worse, LE will charge me to return the item even though it's substandard. It wasn't super cheap, but it might not be worth the aggravation... I have Bean Bucks at LL Bean. I might have to use them for a new hoodie. They offer free returns, and their quality hasn't declined as much. What a waste though...

10 January 2025 12:06-2:18

Friday — Spontaneous Mix

Life Fitness X-Trainer #5

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.48

Cal: 118

Avg Hr: 122?

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25

15 lbs x 25/15/25 

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1

Matrix StairMaster (R) 12:54-1:06

Manual timer 10+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (38-33) / 1 (29)

Steps 525

Floors 32

Cal 79

Hr 102

HGPU 12

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5590)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 314

Avg Hr: 140, 205-81

New FB: 44-171?!

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Damn It's Cold

There was a smattering of snow on Monday but enough ice to wreak havoc with the roadways. I stayed home except to take the dogs to the park. On Tuesday I thought about going to the gym and then seeing Wicked at the local cinema since $5 Tuesdays is a thing. Then I asked my kid if he wanted to see it, and he said Yes. So I skipped the gym and we went to the first showing at 12:40 with about a dozen other people. Well worth the $10 total.

It's been very cold this week but temps didn't fall as low as the 3F a few weeks ago. Still, I've had a fire in the wood stove almost every night. I got to the gym later than I'd planned and judging by the crowd of cars in the parking lot, I expected a horrible crowd inside. It was crowded but not horrible. Weirdly, there was a stranger on elliptical #1 and a water bottle in the holder on machine #3. Which meant I could either use #2 or #4. Unexpectedly, there was a complete bottle holder on #2 so that's the one I selected. Machine #4 is wonky and doesn't always provide a legible display on the console. I'm not thrilled with machine #2 since it gets really clunky during programmed descents. It's a noticeable grinding noise that makes people on the recumbent bikes look around.

About halfway through my program, Wind Breaker arrives and gets on machine #3. He also leaves earlier than usual. He never does anything else. Today is a Cardio Day, so three sets of hammer-grip pull-ups between three cardio programs: elliptical, stair climber, cross-trainer. And then off to the Aerobics Room to do core and some basic full-body movements. It felt okay although I'm disappointed, of course, that I can't get more reps on pull-ups. But I am happy that I am able to pull myself up to get my nose over the bar. So there's that.

I plan to hit the gym tomorrow, and Friday. But we'll see. The good news is that while I still have sciatica (I wake up with a clenching discomfort gripping my lower calf) it dissipates with activity. And by the time I get home from the gym, it's almost imperceptible. My body has also decided that 5-6 hrs of sleep is just not enough, so for the past few days I've fallen asleep in the late afternoon with the dogs on the sofa. According to my FitBit, that brings me a good 7+ hrs of sleep lately. Yaaay me. And my fancy coffee maker foamed the milk for my cappuccino in a heart shape this morning. It doesn't normally do that. A good omen.

8 January 2025 12:03-2:00

Wednesday — All Cardio

Hilarious from Bored Panda

Polar Express Cardio

Precor elliptical #2

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5652)

Distance: 2.86

Cal: 318

Avg Hr: 155, 202-81

New FB: 44-135

HGPU 16

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (38-33) / 1 (29)

Steps 454

Floors 28

Cal 68

Hr 115

HGPU 15.5

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.26

Cal: 101

Avg Hr: 126

HGPU 14.5

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

End of the Week

There was a dusting of snow and ice on the ground. The dogs ran through the park this morning leaving odd tracks that looked like a cross between tulips and a chupacabra. No one else at the park. It's been like this all week, mostly. With temps below freezing, I am again glad that I invested in the heated water bowl. Of course, there are dodos who walk away with heaters still plugged in, circuit breakers popped, leaving stupid signs telling everyone to bring water since the spigot is turned off. Duh. The Park turns the water off to prevent their lines from freezing. Every year. Meanwhile, there are post-it notes next to the outlet telling users not to leave plugs unattended. Ugh. People are stupid. Seriously. Stupid.

I wasn't sure what to expect today. The parking lot was crowded, but duh, it's Friday and there's a Senior class. The gym population looks the same as yesterday, except I can access elliptical #3. There are new people trying to sign up at the front desk. But unlike yesterday,  there's no wall of treadmill walkers. Or pedalers on the cross-trainer. Or elliptical machines. I wonder where they all went. Or maybe they just don't come on Fridays?

I'm happy to work up a drenching sweat (I need at least 15 minutes to get to that point -- anything less is inadequate) and give a vague thought to attempting a set of pull-ups to make up for yesterday. Maybe after everything's all done, if I'm not too tired? Although yesterday was an abbreviated cardio day, and I've probably gotten better cardio just with the 35 minutes on the Precor today, I determine that today is a mix day, which means commandeering a couple of DBs for roughly 30 minutes. 

It's blustery cold and gray outside, but not raining or snowing. HS kids are back in school so they'll be trickling in around 1:30 and later. I'm happy to find the Nautilus benches unoccupied right in front of the DB rack. Perfect. By the time I finish all my sets, a couple of camo khaki & boots soldier boys are among the mix of HS kids. One of them asks if I'm done with the bench just as I re-rack my DBs. And when I say I am, he thanks me multiple times. I forget that some kids have proper manners, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

I do most of my Core workout in the Aerobics Room, and skip only the Walking Lunges. Push-ups and Air Squats were uneventful. Even the Bird Dogs didn't elicit much of a tingle from the wayward sciatic nerve. Truthfully, only the Wall Sits were killer and I just made it to 90 seconds before I bailed. I'm tired and glance at the Stretch Cage as I walk to the locker room. Not today. 

I'm wearing an older hoodie with a zipper that's seen better days. It's frayed with holes in the sleeves, but fits the way I want my gym clothes to fit. The zipper pull is warped so it sits sideways, which makes it difficult for it to function properly. I've tried to replace this hoodie several times with varying degrees of success. 

It was originally a Land's End kids XL but that company has become maddeningly inconsistent with quality and sizing. Buy a pair of pants in two different colors and you will probably wind up with two different cuts that fit completely differently. As if they were made on different planets by alien life forms. I have pants that are like that.

I've several "replacement hoodies" that I'm not happy with: sleeves are too tight in the arms while the body billows like a potato sack (this happened twice), or the entire hoodie is too small and too short. Today, I see that LE is now offering a unisex all-cotton sports zip-up hoodie. I ordered a Small because it should be roomy enough if it's a true unisex. (Unisex for Americans, not tiny Southeast Asians or skinny Europeans.) Unfortunately, it only comes in gray, black, navy and white. No royal blue. I ordered the gray. If this hoodie arrives true to size, I'll actually consider ditching all the other ones. 

3 January 2025 12:01-1:48

Friday — Mix

Cold!

Precor elliptical #3

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5448)

Distance: 2.80

Cal: 309

Avg Hr: 158, 186-122?

New FB: 46-136

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:48)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:55)

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1 (1:03); 2 (1:10); 3 (1:19)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2 (tingle)

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Sits 90 sec

Resolution Day

I forgot that the day after the New Year is rife with good intentions. Which meant that even though I got to the gym at a reasonable hour, but not as early as I had planned, there were more people on the equipment than ever before. Not that the gym was crowded. Because it wasn't. But there were two people occupying half the ellipticals and one of them was brand new. Using the machines with usable cup holders. If I had an oversized Stanley then I might've squeezed myself onto #2 but I don't so let's move on.

So I got on the cross-trainer, adjusted the time for a few extra minutes and didn't even break a sweat. What I did get was supremely itchy. It's the itchiness of really dry skin just before being able to cross the threshold and actually generate cooling moisture. I managed a few pull-ups. Then I got on the step machine and added a few extra minutes. That managed to warm me up enough, but just barely. I did another round of pull-ups. Then I glanced at the time and realize that I needed to skip the third round if I'm going to do the bare minimum in the Aerobics Room. At least stretch the hips and lower back.

Piriformis and glute stretches--check, Dead Bug core movement--check. Skipped the Bird Dogs but kept the push-ups. Push-ups were surprisingly easy today. Probably because I didn't pre-exhaust myself with that third round of cardio/pull-ups. Skipped the Air Squats. I can do everything I've skipped at tomorrow's workout. Especially important if I think I might miss next Monday.

I'm in a rush because I have to take my kid to his orthodontist appointment. At some point he's going to learn to drive. And then we'll worry about who's vehicle he's going to drive. But right now he's the embodiment of what I used to say about having dogs and not kids: at least they'll never ask me for the car keys.

Temps have dropped and there's a big snowstorm forecast for early next week. My main concern is not having my sciatica flare up. Cuz that makes shoveling difficult, if it comes to that. I suspect I might be doing a lot of shoveling next Monday.

2 January 2025 11:38-12:40

Thursday — All Cardio

Abbreviated Cardio

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.53

Cal: 118

Avg Hr: 119-122

FB 42-144

HGPU 15.5

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 10+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (31-29)

Steps 536

Floors 33

Cal 80

Hr 118

HGPU 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Push-Ups 25

No Mosquitoes Yet

Hand Warmers

It's been unusually warm for December in New York. Today it peaked at 55F and tomorrow it's gonna drop 20 degrees. Well, at least I haven't seen any mosquitoes. My husband got me some nifty electronic hand warmers that are USB cable rechargeable. Isn't everything these days? They get really toasty in a few seconds, and although there are ostensibly three settings, even just setting 1 which is the lowest, gets really hot. 

The only downside is that, although they are small and fit in the palm of my hand inside a glove, they are solid. Which, with my short fingers, means I can't actually do anything with my hands while they're inside my gloves. That's not the case with the little packets of chemical hand warmers (Hot Hands) which are malleable. Since it's still winter and the Polar Express is on course to swoop down in a few weeks, I can see putting the electric hand warmers in my coat pocket when I go to the dog park.

The gym is steamy inside. And crowded. The gym owner isn't going to spend money on a/c when he can prop open the back door. It brought back memories of working out in the 80s at a hardcore basement bodybuilding gym in Brooklyn (5th Avenue Gym). Fun times! I reminisce about having bigger muscles and less body fat. Oh well. Growing old is hard. 

I've been really tired lately. But so has everyone is my household. I fell asleep on the sofa with one of the dogs on Saturday. This is most likely because I'm not clocking the recommended 8 hours of shut-eye. I'm lucky if I get close to 7. My problem is that I'm a night owl and have always been this way. If I could sleep until 9 AM, I'd probably fulfill my sleep requirements, but I try to get the dogs to the park before 9. And the older I get, the more steps get added to my morning routine. 

I'm pleased to only need 3 eye drops now instead of 4. Not sure if the Durysta is actually doing anything. Follow up appointment in January. The dermatologist says use sunscreen everyday. And other things. Need to slather petrolatum on my thighs to keep those pesky hives at bay. Seems to be working. But my heels and fingers have developed fissures from the dry cold. Petrolatum is my friend and I use a lot of it. Still, cuts are forming at the finger joints, and the skin around my nails is hard, dry and brittle.

I get on elliptical #3 and pedal program #1. I have my earbuds in but I can still hear all the people around me. I only start to feel more energetic during the last 10 minutes. Figures. Pull-ups aren't great, but not horrible. I'm still able to get three sets, even if not quite the reps I'd like. The Step Machine has a mind of its own, so I actually do better than last time, because the machine had a slightly more energetic pace. I have no control over it. 

The LifeFitness cross-trainer is better and worse than the Precor elliptical. Better in that it has an arm option. Worse in that my toes and the ball of my feet eventually go numb if I use it too long. Today I felt my feet, even though they never lifted off the pedals, impact on the down stroke of the circular glide motion. I don't feel that on the Precor. Somehow, the pedal trajectory drops my foot down and my weight transfers for a moment to that singular point. (The Precor's glide motion doesn't create any impact stress.) Weird that I just noticed it today after years of wondering. Maybe I am getting more sleep?

I barely make 14 reps at my last round of pull-ups. Well, at least it's more than 12. That's my arbitrary criteria for doing a good routine. I'm happy the Aerobics Room has the a/c blasting. No doubt there was a Senior class earlier. My sciatica was bothering me all weekend, but after hip thrusts and piriformis stretches, it feels pretty good. There's only a slight tingle during Bird Dogs and none with push-ups. Even Air Squats felt okay. 

I skip the Wall Sits. Maybe Thursday cuz tomorrow I take my kid to a morning dermatologist appointment. His acne is rather persistent, and the most effective treatment is a 5-month course of Accutane but he's never home for that long. So he's been using topicals that need to be reviewed and renewed, because health insurance is an ogre.

30 Dec 2024 12:18-2:11

Monday — All Cardio

Balmy between holidays

Precor elliptical #3

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5416)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 306

Avg Hr: 144, 190-111

New FB: 52-139

(12:55)

HGPU 15.5

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (31?!)

Steps 448

Floors 27

Cal 66

Hr 145

HGPU 16

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.31

Cal: 103

Avg Hr: 130-127

HGPU 14

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2 (slight tingle)

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga