Kipping On the Assisted Pull Up Machine

Does this make me look fat?

I meant to get to the gym earlier but there's always something to take care of before I get going. It's ridiculously warm today, peaking at 82°F with residual humidity from the past rains. Bugs galore! I don't understand their kamikaze impulses to fly into my eyes, nose and mouth which will inevitably lead to death and dismemberment. The last time one flew into my eye, I managed to fish it out some hours later, and of course, it was only half a bug. Yuck.

Trap bar in front of Olympic bar

I do my first cardio session, then manage a set of pull ups before knocking out a lone set of push ups, and then crunches and planks. There's a woman in the Smith, and someone else in the MaxRack so I amble off to the CF area to look at the Oly bar there. In front of it is a trap bar. It's surprisingly heavy, heavier than the 45 lb Olympic bar. I'm guessing 55 lbs because no one can tell me what it actually weighs. I do some RDLs with just the bar, but it feels a lot like squats. Then I pick up the Oly bar and it feels too light to do RDLs, and I'm too lazy to drag the plates out of the rack, so I try to do a few Clean and Jerks. I don't really know what I'm doing, so just as well that I'm only using the bar. I manage to get 12 reps, and that's made me a tad winded. I go check on the Smith at the other end of the gym. Yaaaay, it's free so I do RDLs there.

You can always tell something's heavy when you find yourself catching your breath hard in the center of your chest. It's a bit like doing tabata intervals, where you go all out for 30 seconds and not only are you gasping like a fish, but your chest hurts like someone hit you in the solar plexus. I like doing Intervals, but since I'm doing 30 minutes, I don't go 100% all out. Maybe 75-80% gauging by the RPM numbers. (If max rate is 270 RPMs, and I'm only hitting 224 sometimes, but mostly 210, then the 75-80% rate is fairly accurate.) My chest doesn't hurt when I do Intervals on the Precor.

Dressed

For fun, I do a few sets of RG BB Rows, but I skip the drag curls and RG BB Curls. I'm running out of time and I'd rather do Intervals on the elliptical. Afterwards, I attempt another set of HGPUs. While I'm on the elliptical, I see Towel Guy at the Assisted Pull Up machine. I hope to god that he's much older than I am, for his sake. He has a passing resemblance to Hugh Hefner in better days, with "distinguished" greying temples. (Heck, I have grey hair too, but I don't think it makes me look distinguished.) Usually I see him on the Step Mill, or at a few of the machines. And he's a regular at the Assisted Pull Up. But today I see him frantically kipping his pull ups. Seriously? It's one thing to try and get your body weight up to the bar when doing real pull ups, but something else if you're on a machine that counterbalances your weight. There's no excuse for kipping there!

I get a decent number of reps before my left elbow complains. The one good thing about using a 12" grip further out on the roof cage is that my body doesn't seem to swing much so I'm not fighting to keep myself steady and straight while doing pull ups. Yaaaay! I'm sure the old guys are jealous.

Friday
6.48 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 142
Miles 3.80
Average Heart Rate 165

HGPU 26
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

Trap Bar RDL or Squat?
15 reps

Olympic Bar (45 lbs)
RDL 12 reps
Clean & Jerk? 12 reps

Smith RDLs
Bar (30 lbs) x 12
80 lbs x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
130 x 12

RG BB Rows
80 x 25 reps
100 x 25
120 x 25

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 307
Miles 2.68

HGPU 25

Gains in Small Increments

What can I say? Too early for a/c but too damn hot and humid otherwise. I put on a new pair of gym shorts and hope I don't spend all day yanking them down. Because I have big meaty thighs and unless the pants legs are loose, they ride up. Very uncomfortable. And it makes me self-conscious even though most of the time I have such an attitude that no one's going to say anything to me anyway.

Well, at least my push ups are improving. That's the way it should be! Pretty sure it was the ibuprofen messing with me so now I'm wondering whether I should stick with the 2 caplets at bedtime or try to deal with just the gabapentin. I could take just one caplet tonight and see whether I sleep tonight? If I don't sleep I'm gonna be awfully cranky tomorrow!

I skip all the core stuff except for Knee-Ins and that's because I was waiting on the Stretch Cage, but then I realized that it's the Dude Who Stands in the Cage for 20 Minutes While Looking At His Phone, and since I have no idea what his back-story is (maybe he's got a heinous nerve or joint injury?), and I'm not inclined to listen to him tell me, I figure I'll just go do something else. Inclined Bench is okay but not great. I don't max out because at 80 lbs I'm feeling a slight twinge in the shoulder. Of course, I also went to physical therapy yesterday. (Whacking the machine was actually Tuesday.) And I always seem to hurt after physical therapy. But at least I didn't wake up with a sore shoulder this morning.

The DB SuperSet would be better if that's all I did. I know that from experience, but that's not what's happening today. I see a few regulars. Like the Gay Firemen Twins. They're not really twins but... There's some new faces too. And bigass DanielBryanFanboy is back, but with a yr old baby girl that he puts into the Childcare room. Guess he's been busy with Cripple Girl! PJ Pants is just leaving (thank goodness!), and Hannibal Baggy Knees is the only senior I see with a dress belt around the waist of his gym shorts.

The Mayor is at the Smith for the first time I can remember. He's doing bench squats while straddling the bench. Usually people put the bench behind their butts. Today must be "leg day" because he's also on the Leg Press and a standing contraption where you push your leg backward. I don't fit into most of these machines, and the shoulder pads on the other machines bite into my flesh rather painfully. Not worth it for me. I got big legs anyway, and all I do for them is cardio. I really wish they'd get a bit smaller. I'm never gonna look like a scrawny marathoner, that's for sure!

This morning I swore that my right leg was noticeably bigger than my shingle-impinged left, but that's probably something so slight that only I could discern. These shorts still have to be pulled down all the time. Oh well. The leg is feeling more normal and less constricted, getting better every day! Of course, I still have a sprinkling of the shingles rash but they look more like sporadic bug bites than a rash. Tomorrow I'm going to try for most of a Pull Day. We'll see how it goes... At least the scale's moving in the right direction. Gym scale reads 110.4 lbs today. Only 3 more excruciatingly stubborn pounds to go! It'd be nice if it was 3 lbs of fat, and not anything else....

Thursday
6.5 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.87
Average Heart Rate 154

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 70, 50, 30

T, Y & I raises
3 lbs x 15 reps
5 lbs x 15 reps

Smith Inclined Press 30°
Bar (30 lbs) x 15
50 lbs x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
60 x 15

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyers
20/25 lbs x 12/15 reps x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3

30 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 300
Miles 2.63

More Broken Than I Am

It takes me a while to get to the gym, but I like it better when it's not so crowded. The forecast promises chilly rain all week, which usually forces runners and the like indoors. I'm sporting my Wilma Flintstone tank today just to brighten things up. But no shorts because it's too cold, and since I plan to whack the machine, I need to protect my knees with fabric of some sort. Today's it's my ancient pair of mesh sport pants that are loose and comfy and have useful pockets.

After 10 min on the elliptical just to get vaguely warm, I strip off my hoodie and place it down on a flat bench. I still have to do those T, Y and I dumb bell exercises. I start off with 3 lbs for the first set and finish with 5 lbs. I haven't seen anyone on the Nexersys machines in a long time. I get my hands all taped and wrapped up before I notice that the Right machine (there are two) that I favor has a low hanging Upper Left Pad, what would be the Cross.

It's loose from the base and there's no way to fix this short of disassembling the entire arm. Sigh. I tell the gal at the desk and she writes a note to the gym owner. He's got his private client right now, and he's sitting on the sliding ab machine, making the client drag him and said machine across the gym like a weighted sled. I hear client tell gym owner, "You gotta go on a diet!"

I don't like the Left machine because it's impossible to create an account, which is how you turn off all the buzzers, and tell the machine that you're female and don't weigh very much. So I skip to Quick Start and turn off all the programs except for Follow Me. At least I can choose 5 rounds Beginner. I'm not sure how my damaged right shoulder will handle this so I'm being cautious. As it turns out, neither of the Upper Pads register anything at all. So no matter how I jab and punch, it thinks I've missed the blow. Which means I'm just going to do 5 rounds and not bother with seeing how well I'm doing, because it's not going to be even vaguely accurate. Afterwards, I tell the gal about this machine. Then, because I don't really feel tired or properly worked out, I switch back to the Right machine.

I'm careful not to hit the loose Pad too hard, but it does actually register a blow. Just not accurately as I'm leery of really breaking it so I just sort of tap it when the machine calls for a Cross. It's a lesson in self-control, especially with the Jab-Cross combinations. Everything else works though. I do 5 rounds and call it a workout. Once I unwrap my hands, I stretch a bit in the Stretch Cage, then do a few pull ups. Done! Tomorrow I have a physical therapy appointment so I'm going to skip the gym. I have waaaay too many things to do, like get my shit together for my back-to-back shows that start in less than 6 weeks. Ugh.

At least the shingles is healing up. I barely notice it now except for a weird tightness in my leg when I walk. I don't notice it at all when I'm on the elliptical though. And I still can't sit on hard surfaces for any extended length of time, but that's probably a good thing.

Tuesday

10 min elliptical
Calories 95.2
Miles 0.84

T, Y& I raises
3 lbs x 15 reps
5 lbs x 15 reps

Nexersys 10 rounds total
5 rounds Beginner
Left machine No Uppers
No profile

5 rounds Beginner
Right machine / downed Cross pad

HGPU 24 (left elbow!)

When Meds Make You Weak

I'm sufficiently recovered to cut back on my ibuprofen doses. I haven't been taking any during the afternoons. As long as I'm occupied, I don't even notice the soreness in my glute and the tightness in my quad. The ache inside my hip is mostly gone now. Sometimes the remnants of the rash itch, but in the way scabs itch. Today I decide that I don't need any to get me through the morning either. And I'm cutting the bedtime dose from 3 pills to 2, but I'm still taking gabapentin and the single capsule of ZMA. Nothing makes me drowsy, but hopefully I won't wake up every few hours.

For the past week or so, I've been struggling with my push ups and I can't help but feel that the ibuprofen is sapping my strength. Literature suggests that ibuprofen interferes with mechanisms for muscle and bone repair. Not good. My shoulder hurts more today, but not enough to keep me from doing a few basic moves. Push ups are better today. Cardio isn't bad, but that's often the case when I haven't worked out in two days. I do the light DB shoulder warm up with 5 lb weights. 15 reps of T, Y and I twice. But my shoulder isn't really impressed.

Today I only do RDLs in the Smith. One basic move, but nowhere near max weight. I'd like to whack the kickboxing machine tomorrow but not if my shoulder doesn't recover. I see a few regulars, and promptly avoid them because I'm not here to chat. I'm short on time so the only thing I'm interested in is finishing with my last cardio session, and then a feeble attempt at pull ups. The left elbow complains too much to go past 15 reps.

Over the weekend, I went back to Kmart to see if I could find shorts to match my Wilma Flintstone tank top, and if they'd fit me. I'm a hard to fit size because I'm actually a fairly large person with short limbs. So, even though I wear a size 2 or 4 in pants, I'm looking at a M in sport shorts, but that's mostly because I don't like anything skin tight. I find the shorts, but they're not actually the same color even though they're suppose to match. Different dye batch I'm guessing. Ugh. They're also not particularly flattering. Instead, I pick two other pairs of shorts, and am pleased that I have enough "reward points" to essentially get them for free.

I'm not at all pleased with my lack of progress. Between the shoulder injury and this bout of shingles, I feel myself getting fat. I can see it even though I'm only a few pounds (112 lbs) over my goal weight (107). There's a definite jiggle to the belly now, and mine is definitely thicker. Ugh. I start today with my post-workout shake and a light dinner. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I always seem to put on weight when I eat "normal food" for lunch. And I'm the type of person who won't eat something if it doesn't taste good... so no chicken breasts or egg white omelets. I'm a bit upset about looking like someone who used to work out, as opposed to someone who actually works out. Perhaps a minor difference to some, but incredibly important to me. At least at this age. Because I'm vain like my dad, and never want to look my age. Ever.

Monday
6.52 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.92
Average Heart Rate 148

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 60, 50, 40
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

T, Y & I raises 5 lbs
15 reps each x 2

Smith RDLs
Bar x 12
80 lbs x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
130 x 12

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 296
Miles 2.60

12" HGPU 15 Twinge left elbow

Let's Try This Again...

Mirror needs cleaning!

I take ibuprofen as soon as I get out of bed. But I still need a bit of time before I head to the gym because ibuprofen interferes with bone mass replenishment, and what's the point of pumping iron if you can't benefit both your muscles and your bones? Two to three hours is sufficient, or so the scientific papers suggest. I get my 30 min of cardio, do push ups and crunches, knee-ins and planks, and then head over to the Smith.

First I grab a pair of 5 lb DBs and do my T, Y & I raises while lying face down on a flat bench. My right shoulder ached when I woke up so I knew there was going to be issues. I didn't work out at all yesterday because I just didn't have time between the dentist, shopping for storage bins for photographs that I'm not showing this summer (but I'll need their mat boards and frames), rushing my son off to the dermatologist, and then household chores like dinner, dishes, laundry and of course, the dog.

The dermatologist diagnosed my son with cystic acne, or acne that has a bacterial infection under the skin. It's systemic and topicals aren't likely to help much. He's prescribed a low-dose course of amoxicillan, and a skin creme. The antibiotic can be taken with dairy products (unlike tetracycline), and hopefully we'll see results in about 4 weeks. Fingers crossed... 

So why does my shoulder hurt now? Maybe because I didn't work out yesterday? Or maybe I slept on it funny? Flat benching starts off fine with just the bar but progressively becomes uncomfortable as I add weight. 80 lbs is a weight I'm used to doing high reps on. As in 25 reps. But now I can't. Because the front of the right shoulder hurts. Ugh. I swap out the flat bench for the inclined and adjust it to about 30°. It doesn't hurt. I gingerly up the weight but I can still knock out my 12 reps. Even at 80 lbs. Which is usually harder at an incline than flat. Weird.

The DB lateral raises and reverse inclined flyes are fine but my arms a bit tired. Rip Skulls are also fine once I get warmed up. Yes, the first set was the hardest, and the following two were much easier. Weird. I see Big Mountain Glasses Dude chatting with The Mayor who is unusually quiet. Or at least I can't hear him above Billy Idol. Finally I do another 30 minutes of cardio. I see creepy PJ Pants on the treadmill. He keeps looking around. I have to get to the gym earlier to avoid the creepy guys.

Because my shoulder is flaky today I skip pull ups. I'm partway through the Mat Stretch when I notice water on the floor. It's hard to see because I didn't actually see it until I was down on the ground. I'm worried someone old will slip and fall, but everyone seems to walk by just skirting the edge of the puddle. I'm so worried that I cut my stretch short, grab some paper towels and mop up the puddle before heading off to shower. Because you know, OCD.

I go to the supermarket for a few items, and happen to glance at the nutrition bars. There's something wrong when the regular price is only a penny more than the sale price. Perhaps some English major was taking things literally when they posted the signs stating that this item was on sale? As in "Yes, we're actually selling this bar today." Seriously.


Friday
6.41 total miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 140
Miles 3.71
Average Heart Rate 153

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 50, 30
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

T, Y, I x 5 lb DB x 15 reps x 2 sets

Smith flat bench
Bar (30 lbs) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 13 Rt shoulder twinge
80 x 12 Awkward rt Ugh!

Smith Inclined 30 deg Bench
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12 no pain
80 x 12
60 x 12

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20/25 lbs x 12/15 reps x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

30 min elliptical
Intervals
Calories 310
Miles 2.70

Proof of Efficacy

Perhaps I'm overly cautious, but last night I couldn't remember if I had taken the one 300 mg capsule of gabapentin before bed. I wasn't sure what would happen if I took two capsules, but I like to err conservatively so I didn't take any. Which was a mistake because I woke up every 2-3 hours and felt as if I'd never fallen asleep. Only logic reassured me that I hadn't actually lain in bed fully awake for hours at a time. I couldn't get comfortable. My hip and knee throbbed no matter how I positioned myself. When the alarm sounded this morning, all I could think of was heading back to bed once I got my son off to school. But that never happens. Unless I'm deathly ill.

Instead, I had my coffee and yogurt with vitamins. And 3 ibuprofens. It takes an hour before those kick in. Meanwhile I can get things done around the house. Moving around is better than sitting around. I get to the gym and do 30 minutes on the elliptical because all the cross-trainers are busy. I decide to skip all the core stuff. No push ups, no crunches, no planks. Instead, I head straight to the Smith and test out RDLs. Because it's been weeks since I last did them. Today's a light day, a test day just to feel things out. And overall, I fare pretty well. I'm lucky in that I don't really lose much strength or mass even when I miss a few workouts. My husband tells me that he's envious of that quality, but he hopes that our son has inherited it. That'd be a good thing.

The gym is crowded because the weather sucks. I see Marine, The Mayor, PJ Pants, SnowBird and a few others. After drag curls and reverse grip curls I give pull ups a shot. My forearms are shot so I'm lucky I can get to 25. Of course, if I dropped into a full extension, I'd be lucky to get to 12. And my elbows would probably fall out. Today is a full day. Once I leave the gym, I have to do grocery shopping, and barely have time to unload the car before dashing off to pick my son up from his after-school class in Animal Dissection. This week they're doing giant worms. Then off to kung fu. There's still dinner, and the dog to deal with. And I think the back-up generator is leaking oil which means it's basically dead. Ugh.

Tonight I'm definitely going to remember to take my gabapentin with my handful of ibuprofen. Kidding. I only every take 3 capsules at a time. Max.

Wednesday
6.45 miles

30 min elliptical
Program 3
Calories 293
Miles 2.59

Smith RDLs
Bar (30 lbs) x 12 reps
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12
130 x 12
100 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25
100 x 25
120 x 25

BB Drag Curls
40 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

BB RG Curls
40 lbs x 23 reps x 3 sets

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.86

12" HGPU 25

At My Age...

I don't feel old. I don't think I look old either, but I'm always surprised when I see someone in the newspaper who is apparently 20 years older than they appear. Like Katherine Switzer, the Boston Marathoner in today's paper, who doesn't look anything like 70. Maybe that'll happen to me too? People my age, where I live now, are grandparents and musing about retiring. I'm still looking for reasonable employment that still allows me to look after my son. The hubs tells me that he might be in Houston for weeks at a time when the project finally kicks in.

Today's an abbreviated workout because I have a physical therapy appointment at 12:45 pm. Just enough time for me to get my cardio in, and maybe some push ups and planks. I'm lucky I'm able to squeeze in a few pull ups too. But I don't give myself enough time to recuperate from push ups, and my pull ups fail after the 24th rep. PT isn't doing much for me, but we'll see just how achy the shoulder is after today's stretching. I only have one more session scheduled for next week, because all these co-pays add up, and I'm sure I'll be reeling from the credit card bill this month.

I see a few regulars. Snowbird has returned with more liver spots. Creepy PJ Pants and The Mayor, Shaggy and Big Mountain Glasses Dude. Yep. All here. No one looks much different. Perhaps that's the point? A very large woman steals longing glances at me. I try not to notice. Snowbirds are back from their winter respite, and boy does it show on the roads. Yesterday I trailed another Subie down the hippety-hop road. I've been traveling down this twisty windy hilly road for over 20 years so I know it fairly well, so I can do 30 mph without using my brakes very much. The Outback in front of me crawled down this road at 20 or less.

Okay, this road can be intimidating if you don't know it. But when he gets to the stop sign to enter the main roadway, he suddenly swings the car to the left, into the oncoming lane, in order to make a right turn. This completely negates the whole point to driving a Subie, with the all-wheel drive and super-tight turning radius. WTF? Does he think he's manning a semi? Others just appear to be on antihistamines as they straddle the yellow line. They're not even looking at their phones as an excuse. Ah spring...

Tuesday
6.21 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 148
Miles 3.61

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 50, 30
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
12" HGPU 24

30 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 298
Miles 2.62

Slow Progress

I got to the gym late, as usual. First I had to drop off a "sterile" sample of dog pee at the vet's office. The dog is basically healthy, but they were concerned about trace indications of bacteria and white blood cells in the last urine sample. First they suggested I bring the poor dog back so they could take a sterile sample. I asked how they planned to do this. They said they wouldn't use the syringe because that would require flipping the dog on his back, and he's not going to put up with that. "Oh, we'll just lay him on his side and catheterize him."

"Really? You think he's going to let you do that?" It took two assistants, a muzzle, and a third pair of hands just to clip his toenails last week. So the vet's office reluctantly agreed to give me a sterile container, and I could catch some mid-stream urine for them to culture. That's probably the most expensive pee sample ever. I gotta find a new vet practice because I can't afford this one any more. I'll get the results back in a few days. I hope it's just a dose of clavamox. I wonder how much that'll cost.

I just barely get my 6 miles today. My leg still bothers me. My shoulder not as much. I knock out my push ups, crunches, planks with no problems. I always feel better when I'm warmed up. Before I do the DB delt superset, I grab a pair of 5 lb chrome-plated beauty bells and do 15 reps of the T, Y and I raises while lying on my stomach on a flat bench. Twice. They don't hurt, but I can feel a slight strain in my right shoulder, the damaged one. And then I knock out my DB lateral raises superset with reverse inclined flyes. And the shoulders feel pretty good! Back to the elliptical for 30 minutes, then a quick set of pull ups before rushing off for my follow-up appointment.

The doc tells me that the rash looks good. It's barely visible. My blood pressure is totally excellent at 112/70. (It hasn't been that good since HS when I remember it being 110/70.) She also tells me that in her experience, light rashes are usually accompanied by worse pain than heavy rashes. Also, upper body shingles, with the exception of the trunk or head, are usually milder in discomfort. That would explain why my husband's case of shingles down his left arm wasn't nearly as painful as my leg. I still feel as if someone is jabbing a big meaty thumb inside my hip and groin. My knee feels swollen, and my ankle hurts intermittently. Ugh. But it's better than it was. And it should continue to get better, until it's totally gone. The only good thing is that I've acquired a semblance of immunity from further shingle outbreaks for at least 3-4 years. Just in time to qualify for the shingles vaccine, because I'll be 60. Oh joy... 

Monday
6.11 miles

30 min x-trainer
Calories 148
Miles 3.52

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 50, 30
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

T 5lbs x 15 x 2
Y 5lbs x 15 x 2
I 5lbs x 15 x 2

DB Lat s/s Rear Incl Flyes
20/25 lbs x 12/15 reps
20/25 x 15/15
20/25 x 15/20

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 294
Miles 2.59

12" HGPU 26

Good Friday

My husband and I went to the gym today. It's beautiful outside so I wasn't too worried about it being crowded inside. I've been to physical therapy twice this week, each session doing different movements to strengthen the tiny rotator cuff muscles. But I wake up this morning because of the pain in my leg and shoulder. Ibuprofen works but only if I take 3 pills at a time. That's 600 mg. I'm okay with that, but I do worry about liver toxicity and the fact that NSAIDs inhibit muscle growth and repair.

I took the last of the anti-viral yesterday, and I'm happy that the little bumps on my leg seem to be receding. They never reached the weeping stage, so I don't think I've ever been contagious. But I'm a bit bummed that they're down to the top of my foot. There's still pain inside my hip that radiates down my femur and into my knee. But when I do cardio, I don't feel anything. Except my toes going numb.

I make my 6 mile quota so that makes me happy. I knock out push ups, crunches and planks. I get 26 reps on the hammer grip pull ups. The last rep is the only one where I don't pop my face above the roof edge of the Stretch Cage. My elbow doesn't complain until rep 25. Because I don't have any DBs lighter than 5 lbs at home, I decide to do the Y, T and I shoulder exercises from physical therapy in between my cardio sessions. The smallest DBs are 3 lbs but at least I'm on a bench where both my shoulders are clear. When I'm at PT, I have to scoot to one side of the table or the other for my arm to hang off properly before doing the exercise.

I raise both arms simultaneously at the gym because it's faster, and because I can. 3 lbs isn't difficult, but I can feel the stiffness in the damaged right shoulder. I'm not happy that since starting PT, my right shoulder aches more now, probably because of the adjustments being made to the way the joint sits in the socket. I'm definitely mentioning it next Tuesday which is the only appointment I've booked. My schedule is packed between my son's after school activities, the vet, the dentist and a recheck with my primary.

I went to Kmart on a whim to look for Easter candy (my son still wants the Easter bunny to visit him even though he's 12) and saw that there were a few of the sports bras in the style I favor in stock. I've learned from experience that the store will only stock 2-3 items in a certain size and then you'll never see them again. There are a ton of the thick strapped, single piece Athleta brand sports bras which I find uncomfortable because I seriously don't need that kind of industrial boob support. But there are only a handful of the thin-strapped Everlast bras. I bought two some years ago and have been searching for that singular style ever since, even punching the item number online with no results.

I find two in size L, and two in XL and take them to the dressing rooms to make sure they fit. The rooms have multiple locks on them. I'm not really sure why, but it's reassuring to know that no one will be barging in on me. The removable cups are problematic — they're shaped like egg holders, but because they're removable (thank goodness), I can replace them with smaller, flatter pads. I've kept a pile of such pads when I toss out sports bras that no longer fit properly. (You can also buy replacement pad online on Amazon.) The size Ls fit fine, and the XLs will do for wearing under street clothes. It's not that I need the support, just something to address the headlamp factor. I also find a pink workout tank that reminds me of Wilma Flintstone. Even a size S is a little big in the armholes, but it's fun.

My son doesn't have school on Monday either so I'll let him sleep in and I'll hit the gym again. He's now almost two inches taller than I am, but his reach is more than 4 inches over mine. I'm glad he isn't cursed with my Southeast Asian body proportions (long body, short limbs). Today, my hubs shows my son how to split wood. I'm already seeing a young man grow before my eyes...

Friday
6.14 miles

30 minx-trainer
Calories 148
Miles 3.53
Average Heart Rate 144

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 50, 30
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

T lifts 3 lbs x 15 x 2
Y lifts 3 lbs x 15 x 2
I lifts 3 lbs x 15 x 2

30 min elliptical
Program 2
Calories 298
Miles 2.61

HGPU 12" wide 26 reps

The Virus Takes Its Course

I went to the gym Monday after my son and I spent 3 hrs in the blistering sun doing volunteer work for the local animal shelter. My son needs volunteer hours at a local non-profit to work towards his Citizenship and the Community merit badge for Boy Scouts. Because he's only 12, he needs a parent with him. So I get to do hours of charity work as well. Yesterday we sorted dog and cat toys from the completely inappropriate plushies that are inexplicably donated. Plushies that are clearly for human children but not babies, because they have button eyes and noses (some missing), are bead-filled, or have hard talking boxes hidden deep inside. Squeakers are okay. Small stuffed creatures with button eyes are okay for cats because unlike dogs, they're not likely to mistake these decorations for digestible items. Dogs are great, but a lot of them will eat anything.

We also sort through a bevy of dog coats, sweaters and raincoats, coming across more than one Halloween pet costume. Then we swept dirt and leaves away from the building. My son mused about sweeping leaves off the forest floor. Today an older boy got to do just that across the street, on a trail through a heavily wooded area. A forest really. Some volunteer dog walkers and their charges enjoy this terrain, and the man-size boy volunteer was tasked with raking leaves off the path. It's 83°F today and it's only April.

After 3 hours in the hot sun, I took my son home to cool off. He promptly draped himself over the loveseat and hooked up a video game. I went to the gym, which was pretty emtpy mid-afternoon on a brilliantly sunny day. I managed to log my 6-plus miles, do push ups, core and then delts and triceps. I see a young woman doing bench presses on the breaker bench. But she's not using the standard 45-lb Olympic bar. No, she's got a 30 lb solid barbell. She's at least 5'7 and got maybe more than 20 lbs on me. I think she needs a trainer. I see her looking over at me but I've found it best not to offer any help because it embarrasses people, and then I never see them again. Oh well...

I move my hands closer to the edge of the Stretch Cage so I can actually pop my head up past the roof. I get 26 reps and the elbows don't feel too bad. Yaaay me! But the rash is spreading. Boooo! It's down to my ankle now. Ugh. At least it doesn't itch.

Monday Afternoon
6.37 total miles

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 282
Miles 2.52

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 50, 30
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB Front/Lateral/Rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 3

Rip Skulls
40 lbs x 12 x 3

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.84
Average Heart Rate 157

HGPU 12" 26 reps 

Once A Gym Rat...

I actually slept okay last night for the first time in a week. I'm taking so many pills, it's like Easter candy spread across the table. This morning I decide to add lysine to the cocktail because if it's good for cold sores, which is a herpes virus, then maybe it's good for shingles as well. It can't possibly hurt. There's the giant horse pill to take with 3 ibuprofens that I wash down with coffee this morning. I'll take my vitamin mix when I get back from the gym. And another vitamin mix with dinner (because I'm suppose to take 4 Optic Nerve vitamins daily but spread out through the day).

Then I have to remember to take the acyclovir and ibuprofen this afternoon, and before bed. At bedtime I'll add the gabapentin. I forgot the ZMA last night and my bowels aren't very cooperative today. Or it could be totally the gabapentin, because side effects include both diarrhea and constipation. Oh joy. The last thing you want with sciatica-like pain emanating from your hip/glute area is to strain.

My leg still hurts but less so. I'm not limping anymore! The rash is actually worse now, spreading across the outside of my shin. All the little red bumps are extremely tender to the touch. At least they haven't blistered yet. No shorts for me until these go away! I get my gym clothes on, drive my son to his Scout group project just a half mile down the road, and head off to the gym. I don't usually go on the weekends so I wasn't sure how crowded it was going to be. I see some regulars just wrapping up their routines. And creepy PJ Pants is back from someplace warm because he's got a tan. I haven't seen SnowBird though, but he was 73 a few years ago, so it's possible he's not coming back.

Cross-trainers are busy so I get on the elliptical and tell myself I'm going for a leisurely pace. I punch in Program 1 and turn up Billy Idol. Stretching at the Cage, I look at the roof bars and wonder if I can do pull ups with my hand further apart. At my Physical Therapy appt last week, the fellow told me that my delt muscles were very strong, but the smaller inner muscles were weak. It's the muscles that contract when you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Pull downs and and wide grip pull ups work for that. Ugh. He gave me a green plastic band to do two exercises twice a day with. I wedge one end into a doorjamb and pull my arms to my sides with elbow bent, concentrating on squeezing my shoulder blades together. 15 reps in the middle jamb, and 15 reps from over the top of the door, twice a day. Okay, I can do that.

I save the pull ups for later. Instead, I do knee-ins for lower abs, then push ups. Crunches and planks follow. Okay, time for more cardio. The cross-trainer I like is free now so I do 30 minutes there, calculating in my head how many miles I need to break 6. Because I'm competitive with myself. I don't really feel my leg. But my toes have gone numb. The knee is only noticeable when I stretch, almost as if it was swollen. The rest of me feel fairly limber though.

Moment of truth. I take a deep breath and position my hands a foot apart on the Stretch Cage roof bars and see if I can pull myself up. Again I have to arc my body so I don't smack my head into the Cage. I can meet the edge of the roof with my chin. And my body hangs straight down without flailing so that's good. I get to 21 before my elbows complain. The left one felt tender like it'd been burned so I'm cautious. Burning and tingling are signs of nerve damage. It's my left side that's got the shingle flare-up. Bad enough it has gotten my hip to my ankle. Don't need it running up my upper body as well. But I'm supremely happy that I can do a reasonable amount of pull ups at 12 inches. The plan is to work my way to past shoulder's width apart if I can do it without injuring my joints.

Tomorrow I'm either dragging my son off to the Humane Society for volunteer work (he needs 8 hours of non-Scout charitable volunteer work for his Citizenship in the Community merit badge), or we're going to the gym. There's no school next week due to the Easter break. But we have a full week scheduled. Or at least I do.

Saturday
6.41 total miles

30 min elliptical
Program 1
Calories 284
Miles 2.53
5070 steps

Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 30, 20
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Crunches 3 x 50

30 min x-trainer
Calories 143
Miles 3.88
Average Heart Rate 155

HGPU 12" apart 21 reps

Thank goodness for the rash

I had fully intended to go to the gym today, but spent another sleepless night trying to get comfortable and failing. I'm good with two ibuprofens and a bottle of Red's Apple Ale. Then I can sleep for a couple of hours, But at 4 am, I'm rolling like a log trying to find the least painful way to sleep. This isn't like normal sciatica where you can change your body position and relieve some of the nerve pain. There's intense throbbing pain deep in my shin, like someone has repeatedly kicked me. And my inner thigh still hurts. Last night I discover a weird U-shaped set of red bumps on my lower knee. There are more red bumps sporadically scattered on my calf.

This morning I find two more "rosettes" and my husband wonders if I've gotten bitten by something weird. The naproxen doesn't work for me so I'm back to two ibuprofens in the morning with my coffee. The red bumps scare me so I make a call to my primary. I'm in luck! She can see me in half an hour and I skedaddle right over. I walk with a noticeable limp now because I still have pain inside my hip radiating down the inside of my thigh. Coincidentally, there's a cluster of bumps there too.

The doc listens to my history because this all started a week ago with just pain and is now progressing into something that feels much worse than sciatica. Sciatica doesn't make your shins throb and your bones ache. She sees the "rash" and says, "You have shingles." What?! She can tell from the rash. It's classic rosette pattern along the nerve pathway on one side of the body. Pain usually starts a week before the rash shows up. Pain can range from burning, tingling to throbbing aches. I've got all of that. My shingles virus must be hopped up on vitamins...Thank goodness I'm the type to drag my feet most of the time, so I didn't even think about an MRI, which not only would've cost me Out of Pocket money due to the ridiculous health insurance deductible, but is the recommended diagnostic tool for certain types of sciatica. Except the rash proves it's not sciatica. Thank goodness for the rash. Some people actually never develop the telltale rash so I don't even know how they get diagnosed.

I'm relieved that it's something so common, but upset that I have it because I thought only old people with compromised immune systems got it. I haven't even caught cold this winter. No flu, no flu shot either. I feel pretty healthy, but clearly I'm mistaken because the herpes zoster virus has found this an opportune moment to seize control. Ugh. Well, at least I know it's not the RDLs or the cardio. But I'm not going to be able to work out at full-strength until I get a handle on this flare up. Some people suffer from postherpetic neuralgia, pain that lingers long after the rash and blisters are gone. Blisters? Ugh... so these tiny red bumps are going to bust and scab over as well? Gross...

My doc prescribes an anti-viral (acyclovir) in giant horse-pill size, and a nerve agent for the pain, especially at night. It's gabapentin, and I realize that it's the stuff I used to give my dog for his busted CCLs. She tells me that it's okay to take up to 3 capsules of ibuprofen 3x a day, and if having an Apple Ale takes the edge off the pain, that's perfectly fine. I'm always cautious with meds and alcohol because I've read so much about liver toxicity, and being Asian, my liver is particularly sensitive to alcohol.

My son has a Boy Scout service project to work on for an Eagle Scout in his Troop tomorrow. It's at the ball fields near our house. Maybe I'll drop him off in the morning and go to the gym to do a little cardio? Once a gym rat, always a gym rat, and a little shingles isn't going to change that.

When You Can't Stand or Sit, You Run

I usually stand at the kitchen table when I sip my morning coffee and peruse the newspaper. Today was no different. Except that sitting really wasn't an option. I woke up feeling pretty good. Then I took the dog for a walk, and accompanied my son down the hill to the school bus stop. Standing around makes my leg ache. My knee is stiff and my leg feels fat, like it's swollen. But it doesn't look any different. Ugh.

There's nothing left to do but go to the gym, because at least I can do some cardio there. It's not helpful to pace through the house all day. Sitting in front of my computer is really becoming a pain in the tuckus. I get on the cross-trainer and opt for a moderate pace. My outer thigh feels a bit tight, and my hammie is sore. But nothing else feels amiss. I do a few pull ups. Well, at least I got to 26. The shoulder complained a little, but mostly because it's been a long time and it was getting tired. Seriously. Push ups weren't too taxing. I go to 50 without a problem. Then 30, and finally 20 for a full 100 reps. The shoulder feels more tired.

I like working delts because I don't really have great ones. Work on your weaknesses! Cardio is one of mine. After the DB trifecta superset, I hop back on the elliptical and set it to manual. This way I can control the incline and whether I'm pedaling forward or backward. It feels okay. Even when I stretch out afterwards, the only discomfort I feel is the slight tightness in my left leg, like my knee is stiff from being swollen. It's not really. It just feels that way.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the physical therapy folks. I'm going after the gym. Yep. And once I learn what I need to do to fix the shoulder, and maybe pry some info out of them about my sciatica issues, I'm good to try it out on my own. Never mind that the Rx says 3X weekly for the next 4 weeks. I think that's just a standard convention.

Yesterday I also saw my glaucoma doctor. My IOPs aren't great at 14 and 16. But when I question her about my January visual field tests, she tells me that they're actually better than my last several ones. Hmmm. She says that means my disease has stabilized for now. I want to say "But I was on latanoprost then, and you've switched me to Travatan®. Shouldn't I be back on the generic?" But she is so totally sold on the name brand drug that it feels pointless to argue this point, although the generic costs $10/mos and the Travatan goes for $25. Ugh.... I get to see her in 3 months. I wonder how my IOPs will be then. 

Wednesday
6.10 miles total miles
(Left Leg Sciatica)

30 min x-trainer
Easy Pace!
Calories 134
Miles 3.60
151 Average Heart Rate

HGPU 26
Knee-Ins 50
Push Ups 50, 30, 20
Crunches 3 x 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s

DB Front / Laterals / Rear
15/20/25 lbs x 12/12/15 reps x 3

30 min elliptical
Manual
Calories 279
Miles 2.50

Dang Nerves!

 I've been taking ibuprofen twice a day. Sometimes I put a cold gel pack on my butt or knee or thigh. Sitting is killing me. This morning I see the orthopedist. While waiting, I tell the desk about my hip issues. They decide to run x-rays of both my shoulder and hip. It's convenient that this medical conglomerate has the entire building complex, so x-rays are just down the hall in another suite. I find a pile of paper on the table stacked with magazines. At first I think it's a survey, but then I realize that it's actually a patient's visit history printed out and neatly stacked in plain view. I bring it to the desk and tell them I don't think it's suppose to be out here. They are totally surprised. People are so unobservant. There are at least 3 other people waiting in this same room. Everyone is oblivious.

The orthopedist is much younger than I expect, resembling a more mature Tyler from the TV show Life in Pieces. Well, perhaps not so goofy or gangly. He has a slight Brit accent as well. My x-rays look great. No arthritis. Just the tiniest little spur on the shoulder. The hip looks equally good. He moves my arm gently and tells me that I probably have a slight labral tear. I need to strengthen the tiny rotator cuff muscles. I get a script for PT (physical therapy). Once they show me what to do, I can do this at the gym myself.

I'm annoyed he's not very helpful when I ask him about not having my shoulder click and catch, that I want to do pull ups and push ups again. Maybe it's because I tell him I got to 40 Hindu push ups and wanted to do 50. Then I had to explain what a Hindu push up was. He tells me his shoulder clicks and catches when he works out, but he isn't getting it fixed. Yeah, well he's a doctor, with this whole orthopedic career. Working out is different for him. I realize that my complaints might seem kind of silly to someone who is used to dealing with either younger athletes, or old people who are having issues with quality of life. Ugh.

The hip is more surprising. He tells me that it's not a groin pull because of the symptoms. Even though I don't have any lower back pain, he suspects it's nerve impingement. Like sciatica. Except the last time I had sciatica, it was the other leg and I could feel the Seated Cable Rowing movement that aggravated it. Sciatica in the right leg is Piriformis Sciatica, caused when the piriformis muscle (that runs across the glutes) gets too tight. But other than the weird tenderness inside my hip area, all the other symptoms fit, especially the burning skin sensation and tingling in my calf and toes. Ugh. I have a type of sciatica in my right side now. Now I have to research sacroiliac joint dysfunction, especially since the image to the left shows pain inside the hip area. Yep, that's me!

The doc advises me to take Aleve 2x daily for a week and to avoid anything that hurts. He gives me the name of a specialist down in Mt Kisco. Ugh. I hate driving down there. There are so many reasons I could have sciatica, from increasing weight on my RDLs to adding an additional Pull Day to my routine. It could've been the RG BB Rows. I don't have any lower back pain, but my right butt cheek hurts as if I'd bruised it. My leg aches. Driving around all day doesn't help. Worse, I stumble across a website that lists the 8 Worst Exercises to do if you have sciatica. Guess what's on the list? Everything! Seriously.

1. Excessively stretching the hammies
2. Bent over rows (dang!)
3. Straight leg sit ups (who the hell does those anymore?!) 
4. Abdominal stretches (oh, you mean like the Cobra pose? it's recommended to help with sacroiliac joint dysfunction!) 
5. Full body squats (no ATG here!)
6. Heavy dead lifts (oops!) 
7. Weight lifting exercises (seriously? just a generic No to weights?) 
8. Leg exercises.

I realize that there's a lot of crap out there on the web. Never mind that this website doesn't seem to have any credentials, but wants to sell you products and books. I see it in especially in Health articles on my iPad Flipboard. There are certain articles that are just so poorly written I don't know how they qualify as articles, except that they are words on a page. But they make as much sense as random letters tossed out of a board game cup.

Well, tomorrow maybe I'll just go walk on the treadmill... sigh.

April Fool's! You're Old!

I had a hard time sleeping Friday night because I couldn't get comfortable. Mostly it was my left hip. Then my left thigh. And knee. I have weird circulatory issues which I attribute to the Raynaud's as well as the IV (ichthyosis vulgaris). Not sure if my current problems with weakening tendons is due to age, or genetics or just the wear and tear of being a gym rat.

Because there is a history of cerebral strokes on my mother's side, I worry that I've suffered a femoral clot in my groin. There is a deep bone-aching pain that runs the length of my femur on the inside of my thigh, then crosses to the outside of my calf. Ugh. But I don't really have any symptoms of a femoral clot, which would include edema (swelling), swollen veins and fever. Nope.

I suspect I've got a groin pull although I can't recall doing anything different in the past week. Yes, women get groin pulls! I've restricted my upper body workouts due to the shoulder, which I suspect is a torn labrum. I see the doc tomorrow about that. And I'll have to mention this new issue with the hip, groin, leg, knee... because the symptoms keep changing. Taking ibuprofen helps a little. I don't hurt when I walk around. The lower quad feels tender. Walking around feels okay. But sitting is killing me and it's hard to type standing up. I don't have a standing desk, after all.

After applying an ice gel pack, I get the incredibly unpleasant sensation that my skin has been burnt. Meaning, it's tender as if burnt, but it's parts of my glute and inner knee that have had no exposure to anything even vaguely tepid. The skin feels hot though. I know it's a nerve reaction. I've had this inexplicable sensation before in my upper arm, also left side. Weird, I know. And hard to explain. And harder for any doctor to take me seriously. Because most of them don't really listen to anyone but themselves. I'm so tired of that condescending attitude.

We'll see how this new orthopedic specialist is tomorrow. And afterwards, I have an appointment with the glaucoma doc. Wish me luck. And I wish I could opt out of having AARP try to fool me into signing up. They periodically send me membership cards, as if I've forgotten that I've never signed up with them. Because once you do, they sell your name and info to every hearing aid, incontinence control, stair lift and assisted living facility they can. Ugh.

Today I go to the gym just to shower. Because they have great water pressure and a well-lit shower. I use my scrub glove (best one I found via Amazon from the BodyShop) to exfoliate as much dry dead skin as possible. The gym scale is 110.2 lbs. No surprise. My leg hurts, especially where the inner thigh meets my hip. It makes wearing underwear really unpleasant because the elastic bands of the panties are cutting into my really sensitive legs. I bought some new ones with more forgiving leg holes at Kmart this morning, but of course, they have to be washed and dried before I can even attempt to wear them. And when did Boy Cut briefs start to look just like regular briefs? Ugh. And why does JoeBoxer think printing skanky sayings on panty butts is okay? I wind up browsing the Jaclyn Smith section. I must be getting old...