Still Love The Smith

I added a banana to my eggy oatmeal this morning, knowing that I had an ophthalmologist appointment first thing this morning. He's apparently still mad that I chose to consult a glaucoma specialist in Philadelphia and that I'm not interested in using the doctor he recommended. Not that his specialist isn't a nice guy. I just can't deal with a doctor's office that doesn't understand patient needs. Like I need to leave at a certain time to meet the school bus and no amount of "Oh, but you're next" is going to make me sit around. Or that if a water main breaks in the building, well, you should shut the office down because there is no way anyone can use the bathroom facilities. It's a health violation. And this is a medical office? No thanks.

Top: 20 min Precor elliptical
Bottom: 20 min Matrix Step Mill

My eye doc has recommended another doctor across town because my eye pressure fluctuates between 16 and 12 points. Normal is anything under 20. But I have inherited glaucoma and the Visual Field Tests suggest that the disease is already affecting my peripheral vision. Not that I've noticed, but glaucoma is gradual and people usually don't notice. Nevermind that I can read the eye chart just fine and in my 50s I don't wear glasses or contacts. I just need the lights turned up a bit. I suspect that the low lights cause my pupils to dilate and loosen the eye muscles. Apparently low light also causes my IOP (intra ocular pressure) to rise. Bright lights work as well as squinting, they contract the muscles and puts things into better focus. The nurse tells me that most people read the eye chart better with low light because it increases the contrast between the eye chart and the surrounding area. I keep my theory about my vision to myself.

Doctors always tell you that there's no side effects to the drop they put in your eyes, but I know that's not true. The dilation drops used to make my heart race. I feel a bit out of sorts when I leave the office and head to the gym. It's nearly 11 am and I'm starting to feel hungry which is annoying. I get on the Precor for a steady-state jog and after 20 minutes, I've done about 2 miles. Feels pretty good. Both the Smith machine and the Squat rack are empty so I adjust the pegs in the Squat rack.

I'm not sure whether it's better to be slightly too low, or too high. I try it both ways with just the bar, and then with just a few pounds on it. I do a bunch of body weight deep-knee bends first. Squatting with just the bar seems okay. I add 20 lbs. Still seems okay. Another 20 lbs. Hhmmm. I feel very awkward. With 25 lbs on each side, I'm having an issue with my body position. If I lean forward a little, my lower back complains so I straighten up, but I'm having trouble keeping the bar on my shoulders/upper back, and my left elbow complains. A lot. Maybe it's my short arms. After two sets of 12 reps at 95 lbs, I decide that I've had enough. It's Leg Day and my elbows are upset with me.

Bar+2x(25+(3x10)+5)=150

ZZ has been using the Smith but he's done so I grab my stuff and set up for Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts there. I'm not comfortable doing them next to the Squat Rack because there's a yoga class in session (No Dead Lifts During Yoga!) on the other side of the mirrored wall. I don't put on the VGs until I have 120 lbs. But as I up the weight, I'm mindful of things I've been reading about putting too much pressure on the lower back with the Stiff-Legged Dead Lifts. My mid-back is still a tiny bit sore from the Squats I've just attempted so I'm cautious. When I pull 140 lbs, I lower the bar to just above my ankles. When I up that to 150 lbs, which by the way feels godawful heavy, I only go as low as mid-shin. At the top of the movement, I'm thrusting my hips out into the bar and arching my back slightly. Well, at least I don't feel like throwing up when I'm done. At some point I will actually attempt real DLs or RDLs. I already do something like DLs when I pick up the bar for BB Rows so it shouldn't be too bad.

Everything else is just icing... cage stretch, seated leg extensions, seated leg curls, 20 minutes on the Step Mill. Again, I forget to do DB Lunges, but it's already past noon and I don't want to be here all day. I'm drenched when I get off the Step Mill but at least I feel good again. The gym scale reads 112.0. I've never had the scale read so consistently before — usually water weight has it bouncing all over the place. But since it's just me and my son lately, we've been eating a lot more consistently. My husband texts me that he'll be home tomorrow, but has to go back to Boston from Sunday to probably next Friday. I guess he won't be home for my birthday so I'm glad I didn't make reservations at the new steakhouse that opened last year.

Leg Day Workout

20 min Precor = 2.02 miles

BB Squat
2x12 body weight squats
12xbar (45 lbs)
2x12x65 lbs
12x85 lbs
2x12x95 lbs (elbows are complaining too much to continue)

Smith Machine SLDLs
12xbar (30 lbs)
12x80 lbs
12x100 lbs
12x120 lbs
8x140 lbs (put on VGs and only going to above-ankle)
3x6x150 lbs (only going to mid-shin)

Cage Stretch

Seated Leg Extensions
12x90 lbs
12x105 lbs
12x120 lbs
12x135 lbs

Seated Leg Curls
12x75 lbs
3x12x90 lbs

20 min Matrix Step Mill = 958 steps