The Week Is Done But I'm Not

Temps rose into the high 70s yesterday, then abruptly plummeted back into the 50s overnight. The clear sunny day disappears and it rains buckets. It's still raining this morning and temps are still in the 50s. I like cooler weather, but nothing ever dries in this humidity. The dog seems better this morning, except the beef broth I cooked his food in yesterday had a high sodium content. Which meant he was thirsty all night, and peed through his diaper. So there was a dribble from the hallway into the living room, a puddle in the living room, another long dribble into the kitchen and then a big wet spot on the rough carpet mat I put in front of his food and water bowls. The kitchen floor is tiled in a cool ceramic-glass which means it's not only durable, but the same gray speckled granite color all the way through, and not just glaze-coated with a white center. It's not slippery like those orange commercial kitchen tiles, but it's slippery enough for a dog with no strength in his hind legs.

I take the pup for a walk, he pees and poops, and soaks his hip harness in the process, as usual. I have two Solve-It harnesses so that I can hand-wash one while the other dries. Because there are metal rivets and mostly plastic parts covered in padded fabric, I don't feel I can toss the harness into the dryer. So the clean harness is always damp because nothing air dries in this humidity. I always hand-wash the cloth diapers as well before tossing them into the washing machine. I'm developing dishpan hands so I'm constantly rubbing cream into them. Having IV (ichthylosis vulgaris) doesn't help. My house smells like I'm house-breaking a puppy, or two. And as much as I don't want my old pup to pass, I'm tired of the pee smell. Sometimes I think it's on my clothes and shoes because there's splatter, and drips... Ugh.

Today he's not so enamored of the gizzard and turkey stew, probably because I put Metacam in it for his painful and weak rear legs. I offer him scrambled eggs on toasted Italian bread. He eats the eggs and spits out all the toast. Okaaaaay... such a picky eater.

I did manage to finish my assignment and upload it last night so I could go to the gym this morning. And the grocery because I needed yet more bleach wipes and room deodorizer. I got home at 10:30 am and the paper was due at 10. Whew. I'm hoping I passed this latest round in Writers BootCamp. As much work as this entails, I'm enjoying the assignment because I'm the kind of dweeb who thinks nothing of researching peculiar terminology or processes.

Nothing special at the gym today... another 30 minutes of recumbent bike but a different machine. I've been trying each bike to see if they pedal differently or read my pulse. So far so good. I do find that my pulse rate quickens when I sing along with a favorite song, but that's no surprise.

Finally Friday

30 minutes recumbent bike
Calories 117
Miles 2.80
HR 107

Procrastination is My Middle Name

Last night, while I was working on my assignment, I found out that it's due tomorrow morning at 10. Which means I'm not going to the gym tomorrow, unless I have time after I upload it. Which is possible. I prefer to get my "gym time" out of the way, especially during the non-peak time between the morning folks and the late morning people. That's the time when the treadmills are busy but all the recumbent bikes are vacant, and the locker room is mostly vacant.

Exercise, no matter how maddeningly mundane and seemingly non-productive, is another way I seem to procrastinate. Admittedly, I feel better and think better after I get the blood flowing, so perhaps I shouldn't be too upset that I put the gym before sitting down in front of my laptop these days. The laptop itself is a bit of a learning curve since I've spent the past 30 years on a Mac (yes, since the mid 80s when that cute little droid thing sat atop our desks). Mine had a turbo booster and a Radius rocket processor, and cool software like Hyper Cards. This is the first PC I've ever owned, and yes, I bought it "refurbished" since it was cheaper, but advertised as an excellent gaming machine. Cool. Processing power is always good.

I love Macs, and so does the advertising industry. But my current Mac is over 6 years old, which means I can't update the operating system because of actual physical and technical limitations. If I buy a new Mac with the new operating system, none of my old software will work on it. The latest versions of all my useful programs are all Cloud-based now, which means renting access to them, whether I use them or not that month. And, Mac software is notoriously Not Backward Compatible. So I lose access to all my old files. My old Mac works okay, but since I can't update the OS, I can't update the browsers either. Some versions are now unsupported and can't really access websites properly, or safely. Ugh. Hence, a newish PC with access to Google Chrome and Google Docs, because that's what's called for by the writing BootCamp. It's also what my son uses at school so I find myself asking him about which key commands do what...  Well, I haven't asked him to program the VCR. Kidding! We don't have a VCR!

At least I'm learning new stuff these days, right? It's a bit unnerving to read the local papers and see how many 60 year olds have died from chronic illnesses. I'll be 60 sooner than I'd like, and it scares the bejeezus out of me. I'm watching the dog decline. Last night he had a lot of trouble getting his back legs under him to stand up. He whined but didn't really want my help. He did develop a crazy appetite late in the day, though so that was heartening. This morning he's walking with back legs alternately dragging so he lists like a drunken sailor. Not hungry either... Today I'm cooking gizzards, ground turkey with rice in beef broth. I'm having to think up new ways to change the taste and smell of foods he can actually eat without making him more ill. I also bought different bread to toast, and another box of saltine crackers.

I'm thinking about all my childhood crushes and wondering, are they really all dead? I am enjoying watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Hulu because I never viewed it when it first aired. When I'm at the gym doing my routine, I put everything out of my mind. All I think about is doing the next set or next movement. It's almost meditative. And I can't wait until I can do an actual Gym Rat workout again. For my health, and mental sanity.

Bored & Tired Thursday
30 minutes recumbent bike
Calories 112
Miles 1.70
HR 105

Overnight Changes

It rained buckets yesterday. Local news reports that although we only got about an inch and a half, parts of southern Westchester got over 4 inches. That's a lot of rain! Temps also never rose above 64F, which is why it's so surprising when I take the dog out this morning to damp, humid warmth. It's already 68F at 7 am, and promises to hit just shy of 80 by this afternoon. Good thing I didn't put all my fans away yet. The humidity is palpable and unpleasant. Suddenly my flannel shirt is too warm. Ugh. I drive my son to school and go to the gym.

Well, at least both passenger tires are on the same plane

Someone is definitely having a worse morning than me. I don't even know if they know that something's amiss. I mean, it's not like the driver got wedged between other cars or anything... I'm still sleep-deprived and haven't recovered from the virtual all-nighter I pulled Saturday night just to make a deadline that turned out to be an illusion. But I don't want to lose my spot in the BootCamp, since people who don't shape up will be "booted off the island." There's no charge for this program, but they do expect you put in about 30 hours a week of writing, research and reading. And the payoff? There's the potential for a job. If not, there's also a lot of valid writing samples you will have created in the quest for a paying writing gig. (Sadly, as much as I enjoy writing this blog, it's not going to pay my bills. And I worry about bills all the time.)

Admittedly, part of the stress comes from watching my old dog decline. He's decided he's not going to eat anything that smells vaguely of medicine. So no Proin, or Metacam if I want him to eat anything at all. Mostly he sleeps. He also needs to go out to pee a good 8-10 times a day when he's not sleeping. I can get him to eat if I hand-feed him scrambled eggs on English muffins. Even chicken gizzards and hearts boiled in chicken stock and rice didn't interest him today, although he scarfed it down yesterday. He gets "bored" so I have to rotate different foods. But it's hard to discern between boredom, and perhaps nausea.

Old pup dozing 

He drinks a lot of water. which is better than not drinking. However, yogurt no longer interests him, not even when proffered on my fingers. Of course, he's very interested in foods that smell good (greasy), whether he can have them or not. So freshly cooked foods can whet his appetite. I have 7 washable canine male wraps that I wash out before tossing into the laundry. (And I run laundry two to three times a day lately.) Some work better than others due to sizing and fastening issues since I bought 3 different brands. He's become quite a stinky dog, like any elder with incontinence. I've thought about taking him to the groomers for a much needed bath, but that would be too stressful on both of us. He can't stand for long periods of time, especially not on slick surfaces. And he's just going to get stinky as soon as he falls asleep. Or eats, because he dribbles pee when he eats. Hence the washable "diapers", but at least he's not pooping in the house...

I do my lazy 30 minutes on the recumbent bike while reading FlipBoard and The Skimm on my phone. I must be getting better at this since my HR first blips at 50, then 99. That's about 59% of my theoretical maximum heart rate, and pretty damn lazy. I'm not sweaty but my face feels flush. Weird. There's no way my doc can say I'm doing anything strenuous. One more week and then I'll probably kick it up a notch... maybe hit the treadmill and get my HR up to 122? Even though that's 73% on paper, it's not even close to what I consider moderate exercise. I'm going to be soooo out of shape by the time I can exercise like a real gym rat again. Sigh...

Boring Wednesday
30 min recumbent bike
Calories 115
Miles 2.50
HR 99

If You Don't Sweat, Is It a Workout?

I signed up for a writer's bootcamp and while I'm learning a lot, it's also eating into my precious sleep time. This wouldn't be so bad if I could walk back up the hill to my house after my kid got on the school bus, but since he's much happier being driven to school, I've lost that opportunity to go back to bed, not that that ever happened much.

I get to the gym and have the luxury of time, for the moment. Which means I can spend 30 minutes on the recumbent bike while reading the news on my phone. I have a hoodie on over a T-shirt and gym pants because I'm cold. The heat kicked on at my house when temps dropped to 48F this morning. I get warmed up, but by no means do I break a sweat. Guess I can wear these gym clothes again tomorrow...

My heart (pulse) is again about 65% of max so it's better than being sedentary. I've become adept at placing the waterproof dressing (with the backing still intact) over my right eye before I shower. My left eye still occasionally gets water in it when I rinse my hair. But the side of my face still hurts and feels bruised from where the doc injected the nerve block. It's not visually noticeable anymore so that's good.

I was suppose to be at my online class today, but I got a message early this morning asking if I'd be willing to log in on Tuesday instead. Uh, okay. I've already submitted the assignment anyway (that was due a day prior to the class to allow editors time to review, markup and comment on the work) and I could've used another day to polish it up a bit, but what's done is done. It's not like I have a lot of free time with this class because if you're not working on an assignment, there's a ton of reading to do (at least 4 books) and an online vocabulary-building game the instructor expects you sign into and keep tract of your scores and words. It's a very intense course, but I'm really enjoying the challenge. Especially since I'm not able to be much of a gym rat these days...

Monday 5 days post surgery
30 min recumbent bike
Miles 2.51
Calories 115
AHR 108

Quick And Not Much Else

I figured out that I'd have just enough time to get a quick "workout" in today (including shower time) after I dropped my son off at school, and before I had to drive several miles into Westchester to see the retina specialist. Today, it being my first day back at the gym since Wednesday's surgery, I manage to get on a recumbent bike and leisurely pedal for 20 minutes.

I spend my time reading the news on my phone, and only put my hands down on the handles to get a heart rate (pulse) reading at the end of the 20 minutes. The monitor says 108, which is about 65% of the theoretical maximum heart rate for a 58 year old. Online sources state that normal adult resting heart rates range from 60-75 bpm. So 48 is extremely low, and 108 is high. But I'm not really resting while I'm lazily pedaling, am I?

Even though the map and driving apps tell me that the doctor's office is only 22 min away, I know better. I have to take I-684, which is always clogged with traffic and construction delays, and that automatically adds another 15-20 minutes to my travel time. I leave the gym at 9:12 and arrive at the doctor's office at 9:57 for a 10:00 appointment.

The doctor is an extremely pleasant man, with a lot of staff and specialized equipment. After a slew of different types of inner eyeball imaging, he tells me that I have a freckle (choroidal nevus) inside my eye, on my retina. What? I know my dad had a mole inside his eye. I wonder if that's the same sort of thing? (It turns out, from online research, that it is.) The freckle itself has little yellow globules (aka drusen) stuck to it's surface, but the doc assures me that this is normal. Oh, okay. Everything looks okay, but we need to keep check on it so I'll get a reminder to set up an appointment for 6 months from now. Just to make sure it doesn't turn into something else. Like melanoma. (Yes, I knew someone who had a parent develop and die from that as well.)

The technician shows me what "cupping" looks like on my optic nerves (the classic sign of glaucoma), and points out the freckle. I've been told my optic nerves are cupped for over 20 years and three doctors ago. Somehow they look better now, and I'm not sure if it's just better equipment (and imagery) or if my healthier lifestyle (exercise and key vitamins) are helping. The flashes of light most likely have been caused by the "jelly" of the eye being moved forward. It happens as we age and is benign. Whew!

I'm afraid to ask about Kickboxing the Nexersys, as in impact exercises, so I don't. I know, I shouldn't be so reticent to tell people what I like to do, but I am...

My right eye is healing quicker from the surgery than the left did, because it suffered a lot less trauma from efforts to fit the equipment onto someone with tiny eyeballs and eyelids. The side of my face is still sore though, from where the doc injected the nerve block. However, my arm is not bruised at all from the IV and catheter, because this time the nurse (different from the last time) inserted it into a vein on top of my forearm near my wrist instead of into my elbow. Veins are quite prominent on my hands and outer wrists, not so much on the inside arms.

Freckle, from: eyecancer.com

My IOPs are of course, like every measurement about me, all over the place and fluctuate daily. Yesterday they both read 14. Today they're at 14 and 16 (left and right). A few weeks ago they read 15 and 19. Well, I'm resigned to a few weeks of lazy biking, and without time constraints, I could do it for 30 minutes or longer. I don't really like the treadmill because it's really hard to read the phone regardless of how slow you're going. Seriously.

Friday post surgery
20 min recumbent bike
Level 1
Miles 1.55
Calories 43
HR 108

Post Operation Musings

I won't be posting any interesting workouts for several weeks since I'm restricted to mild exercise, and that means something akin to walking on a treadmill. My second cataract surgery went well yesterday, except it got delayed by several hours. But, drawing on our experience from the first surgery, the doc and operating staff were able to affix the Phaco laser properly to my smaller than average eyeball. They did have to tape my lashes out of the way though. I had a slightly bizarre after effect in the recovery room: a swirling black & white backward figure 9 in the center of my visual field, reminiscent of an optical migraine. Except I wasn't nauseous, didn't have a headache. It eventually dissipated once I got home.

Because I was having surgery with mild sedation, I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after midnight the night before. By the time I was prepped, I was hooked up to a blood pressure cuff and a heart rate monitor that was attached to my fingertip. While I was chatting with the nurse, who was administering a slew of eye drops, there was an incessant beeping.
"What is that noise?"
"It's the heart rate monitor. It means your pulse is too low."
"What?"
"It beeps when your heart rate drops below 50."
I glance over and realize the monitor says my heart rate is 48 and dropping. It bottoms out at 45. Weird. The nurse asks if I'm a runner because athletes have low heart rates. I've never been known to have a low heart rate, but I have been doing 4 X 4s. Could that be it? I joke that I'm on the verge of going into hibernation because I'm cold, hungry and have dry mouth. They hook up an IV to keep me from becoming dehydrated. When I don't drink enough fluids, I tell them that they won't be able draw any blood, not that I need blood thinners or anything...

Meanwhile, my blood pressure is high. But I'm stressed so that's not unusual. I remember how difficult the last surgery was, and I'm extremely anxious. My bp reads 147/83. Well, that's not healthy, but being stressed is normal. Especially for being in a hospital.

After the surgery, I'm allowed to eat, which is great because I'm cold and spacey. It's about 3 pm and I've been in the hospital since 11 am. I eat a lousy chicken salad sandwich and drink coffee. My heart rate rises to 70. I guess that's a lot more normal.

There's less trauma to the eye this time around so I can actually see fairly decently afterwards. It's still a bit blurry, but nothing like the first time around. Still, it will be 2 weeks of light exercise, and another 6 weeks of moderate exercise before I can resume my routine. Meanwhile, I still have to worry about my left eye and I hope the retina specialist I'm seeing tomorrow will tell me that I have nothing to worry about. I finally told my glaucoma doc about the intermittent flashes of light floating in my peripheral vision. She examined my eye and saw bubbles of fluid in my retina. She's not sure what they are so I'm off to see a different doc. Oh boy...

Hell is Other People

This is probably my last HIIT cardio workout for a few months. I'd hoped to get at least one more in tomorrow but it's not looking promising. Actually, I'd hoped to have a full Cardio Day tomorrow, but then I went to the glaucoma doc today to drop off the money for all the things my health insurance doesn't cover, like the FEMTO laser (even though the laser makes cataract surgery quicker with less complications than lens removal by hand). The competent gal in the office scans my eye for the correct lens size, something the ditz forgot. I mention the flashes of light in the peripheral vision of my left eye, and she schedules an appointment for tomorrow to check it out. Ugh. It's at 9:45 because I have an online class I need to be present for at 1 pm. I don't think there's enough time between dropping my son off at school at 7:44, getting to the gym by 8:20 and heading towards the doc at 9:15, to actually get a workout in, AND shower and change. Well, maybe... if it's just 20 minutes of cardio and nothing more. Is that even worth it?!

On the way home, I stop by Walmart to see if they have sticky paper to make labels for the Boy Scout Merit Badges. Last time, I hand-wrote all the names on the cards and the boy presenting the awards couldn't read them. Better to print them out... While I'm there, I see more of those stainless steel, double-walled tumblers that my husband and I are fond of. They're in the camping section. I grab a few of those and get in line. The cashier rings up all my items, including an index card holder (my son's German teacher said to buy 600 index cards to make flash cards) and a plastic Halloween candy bowl, and tells me two bags. I grab two bags.

I don't bother to rifle through the bags because I'm trying to get away from the enormously creepy dude right behind me who's in line to buy menthols. I should've checked my bag because once I got home, and it's a long drive through a lot of inane traffic, I find that the tumblers are missing. Ugh! I call the store. Yes, they have them waiting for me at Customer Support. Which means I have to go back. So, on my way home from the doc tomorrow I'll have to detour through Walmart once again. Ugh. Hopefully I won't miss my web call. Maybe I'll just skip the gym and drive to Walmart before the doctor's appointment... since they open at 7 am anyway!

Today, I do the Norwegian HIIT cardio, a lone set of pull ups, a basic Push Day workout, and finish with some core. There's a yoga class in session so I'm on a couple of squishy black mats where the big blue gymnastic ones used to be. I miss those mats! I see a lot of regulars. A friend tells me she hasn't seen me all summer and I explain that's because my son slept in so we got to the gym much later in the day. I'm glad that's done, although I do miss his company.

The dog seems to be having a lot of trouble with the back right leg lately. I have some old gabapentin from when he first ruptured his CCLs a few years ago, but I know he won't let me give him pills. I buy a small bag of Pill Pockets, and one made by MilkBone, just in case he doesn't like the first one. The vet has assured me that these should be safe for a dog with pancreatitis (since peanut butter and cheese are no longer tolerable). The dog has been looking rough in the evenings, as if his pain meds (Metacam) aren't lasting long enough. The gabapentin makes him a little loopy, but I'm hoping he'll feel better. I worry something neurological is happening as well...

The pills are too big for a single pill pocket (apparently they come in different sizes!) so I use two and squish them together. The dog seems to like the taste and doesn't actually chew through and spit out the pill — something he's done with bread rolled around the pills. What the dog really needs is a bath, but I'm worried about bringing him to the groomers, and after my surgery, I won't be allowed to pick up anything like a 60 lb dog for a few weeks. (He's not jumping in and out of the car with those busted CCLs!) Ugh. My son is big enough to do this, but somehow, I know I'm stronger. I guess that'll have to wait too.

Push and HIIT Monday Workout (Pre-Surgery)

4 x 4 Norwegian:
5 min warmup
4 min 85-95% HR (143-159)
3 min rest
4 sets (minute marker 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33)
Miles 2.67
Calories 291
AHR 140/183

HGPU (full) 16

Smith Inclined Press
Bar x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12
60 x 25

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

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Crunches 30/20
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Stretch

Whacking Friday

The one major downside to leaving the house early is that I never get to have breakfast anymore. I'm lucky if I can scarf down a cup of coffee before I load all my stuff into the car, child included. It's much less stressful for my son if I drive him to school, so until the district fixes the bus schedule, it looks like I'm transportation, at least going to school. My son actually made it home at a reasonable hour after school yesterday, but today he wants to explore joining a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) club at the library with a friend (and fellow Scout). He's never played before, but he's willing to check it out. The school has buses that drop off at the library, so if he decides to do that, I'll have to pick him up around 5 from there. He's starting to become a bit more independent, and I'm simultaneously proud and relieved, and yet, a bit wistful.

I'm ravenous by the time I pull into the gym parking lot, but I take a moment to make a few calls while I have the privacy of being inside my own car. I also take a swig of the Ensure Hi-Protein strawberry drink I tossed into my cooler. The rest will keep until I've returned to the car post-workout, and then I'll really be hungry!

The gym isn't really crowded until 9:30. At 9:00, all the early morning people have left and the equipment is mostly vacant. Yaaaay me! I get on the elliptical for a 10 minute warm up and watch the HR monitor go crazy. As I start pedaling, the screen reads 180 bpm, which is waaay over the suggested maximum heart rate (167.4) for a 58 year old. It stays high, peaking at 205. I'm not even pedaling all that hard, but once I do, my heart rate drops to 80. Uh, yes weird and extreme cardiac lag! I'm not going to worry about it.

I do my DB shoulder warm ups, including band pulls. I feel warm and slightly sweaty. I'm also tired because I went to bed after midnight and got up around 6. Last night was Meet The Teachers night, and that ran until 9:15 pm, right after kung fu. Last night was also pizza night because there was literally no time to make food. I had an online course from 1 to 3 pm. My son got home at 3:15 and told me he needed to bring boxes of tissues and disinfectant wipes to school the next day, so off to Kmart I went. You would think that a state that purports to put lottery money into the school systems, and has some of the highest paid teachers in the nation, would have enough money to pay for supplies like that, but No! WTF?!

I feel pretty good doing my 7 rounds Beginner Follow Me on the Nexersys, even though the glare and window reflections make reading the screen difficult. I see a lot of regulars, but of course, the most I might do is nod. Humidity is 99%, but it's not actually raining. Well, at least we're not suffering from Hurricane Florence. Yet. It's not long before I've got rivers of sweat streaming down my face. I remembered to bring a towel so I can blot myself between rounds! When I'm done with the Beginner round, I have to pause and think about whether I'm really up to doing another 5 rounds at the next level. It's so sad. There was a time, before I was forced to do only "light exercise" for nearly 2 months, that 7 rounds of Beginner and 7 rounds of Intermediate wasn't that big a deal. Now I have to think about it. Ugh. I decide to do 5. And 5 kicks my butt.

7 rounds Beginner

Not only are my lungs burning (which makes me feel totally unfit), but it's happening during the first round. And only 4 more rounds to go! I'm sure not getting enough sleep is contributing to my lack of fitness. It's not really impacting my power though, so at least there's that. My arms aren't tired from punching, it's just my lungs. Ugh. I imagine myself going into anaerobic mode during the last two rounds. That's why I've always preferred weights over cardio, and why I do cardio first: because I suck at it, and it's painful. Apparently, I still suck at it, and it's still painful. Sigh.

Taking 6-8 weeks to recuperate from eye stent surgery will completely negate all the progress I've made. Doctors are so specialized that all they see is results and recovery for their specialized item. My eye doc is only concerned that my eye heal properly with the new lens and micro-stent. My cardiac fitness etc is really of no concern to her. So, I get to do absolutely nothing fitness-wise for the next 6-8 weeks starting next Wednesday. You should know I'm so absolutely thrilled. Not.

5 rounds Intermediate

The only reason I'm going through with this, is to reduce my inter-ocular eye pressure, which has been creeping up in spite of 3 different prescription eye drops. I am a bit concerned that my left eye sees weird glowing floaters in my peripheral vision. Flashes of light are never a good sign. It's only in my left eye, the eye that's now got a fake lens and a micro-stent in it. I should probably mention this to my eye doc but I haven't actually spoken to her in a few weeks, only her staff, and I'm not sure they relay messages correctly. But I guess I should make the attempt. It is after all, my eyes.

Wacky Friday

10 elliptical
Calories 94
Miles 0.84
AHR 169/205!!!

T, Y & I Raises
5lbs x 15reps x 2 sets

Mid Band Pulls 15
High Band Pulls 15

Nexersys FM 7r Beginner
5r Intermediate

Stretch

Making Lemonade from Lemons

I actually didn't get to the gym until today. My son asked me to drive him to school because the new bus schedule has him missing his first period class. The bus is suppose to come at 7:32. By 7:34, I turn off my hazards and drive towards the school. I drop my son off and glance at the dashboard clock. It reads 7:44, plenty of time for him to reach his locker and then the first class, which starts at 7:55. It's only taken me 10 minutes to make the trip. I call the School Bus Dept of Transportation to complain. They tell me the bus was at our stop at 7:40. That's 8 minutes past scheduled pick up time. "Oh, but that was the first schedule and there's been changes..." the dispatcher stammers. I explain that my son has not made his first period class once yet. 7:40 is too late, especially when the bus is instructed to pick up two other students who are not on the route. Yesterday, I drove my son to school just so he'd be there in time for the class trip into NYC. I was there too, as a parent chaperone. While we were in the cafeteria getting organized, I saw two full school buses arrive after 8 am. When was first period again?! Ugh.

The only good thing to come of this, is that I have to move my schedule up as well. I packed my gym gear and tossed it into the car so that I could get an early morning workout in after I dropped my son off. Then a few errands. I make it home at 11:30 am and my hubs is still home, making last minute arrangements before he has to drive to Boston for work.

I do my 4 X 4 cardio workout, but fewer pull ups today. Not only am I tired, but I'm consciously trying to do full pull ups. I also do a Pull Day workout. There's a lot of regulars I recognize, but I'm too busy trying to get my routine done to waste time chatting. Seriously. I'm tired when I leave. I still have an online class to attend at 1 pm and I'm having technical issues. Ugh... Tomorrow I'm seriously thinking about whacking the machine because there's no time left. Surgery is next week.

Thursday Cardio Pull

4 x 4 Norwegian:
5 min warmup
4 min 85-95% HR (143-159)
3 min rest
4 sets
(5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33)
Miles 2.71
Calories 297
AHR 150/200

HGPU 15 full

Smith RDLs
Bar x 15
80 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12

T-bar Rows
25lbs x 12 front grip
25 x 12 x 3 neutral grip

HGPU 15

Lat Pull Downs close neutral grip
70lbs x 12
77.5 x 12
85 x 12

Push Ups 60
Crunches 30/20
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

HGPU 20

Feeling Norwegian

I never work out on weekends so Mondays I expect to be fresh. Today I decide I'm not only going to do the Norwegian 4 x 4 cardio workout, but I'm also going to do a regular Push Day workout, or as much as I can manage. It's surprisingly cold at 55F and raining when I wake up. The rest of the week should be warmer, but with Hurricane Florence advancing on the East Coast, it's hard to say what the weather will really be. I actually turned the heat on in my car as I drove to the gym today! It's still early September and the forecast is for mid to upper 70s later by next weekend. Crazy!

I have a lot of trouble leaving the house on time since I'm wrestling with computer issues from last night that haven't really resolved themselves. I manage to use a band-aid approach by slipping into my son's laptop while he's asleep. It's a PC and I'm a Mac person, so there's a steep learning curve. It's a right hand mouse, and I like to use my big track ball left-handed, so another frustration. Oh well.

I'm not sure if it's the 4 X 4, but lately I've felt more focused, and sharper. Which is a huge relief, because feeling fuzzy and stupid isn't at all pleasant. I stick to using the elliptical for the cardio, then do one lone set of pull ups. Although I don't feel thoroughly exhausted, I notice that the weights feel heavier today. I can still move them, but the 25 reps at 65 lbs was actually a grind. In past attempts, I've actually considered bumping the weight up to 70 because it had felt too easy! I only do one set of pull ups and I don't even feel guilty about it. That's different!

I'm only partially mindful of the erratic behavior that the heart rate monitor displays while I'm pedaling (dropping to 83 bpm as I hit 260 SPMs, then rising to 180 bpm as I drop to 160 SPMs). I've read about coaches who ignore the heart rate zones, and base the effort required on how breathless you are while exercising. Can you carry on a conversation? Then you're not pedaling hard enough for a cardio workout. I'm not exhausted, but by the end of the workout, I feel something I can only describe as hollow. Maybe because I didn't eat more than a few spoonfuls of yogurt to wash my vitamins down with? Or maybe, because this is a kick-ass cardio workout. 

I manage the DB super sets okay, and the Rip Skulls at 35 lbs were also okay. Not a walk in the park, but I'm not really thinking of jumping the weight up either. Of course, my eye surgery is next Wednesday, which will mean 6-8 weeks of dreary, boring walking or light pedaling. I'm trying to bank my cardio so that I won't feel totally out of shape when I finally get back to it. It's kind of depressing to think about, but at least I know I have the capacity to regain most of my conditioning. It still makes me upset to think of myself as approaching Senior Citizen status! I'm just middle-aged!

Tomorrow I plan to just do a bit of cardio in the morning before I have my blood drawn for the requisite tests needed by the hosting hospital. Well, at least I don't need to have another chest X-ray. And I'm soooo not looking forward to the catheter the anesthesiologist will snake into my arm next week, and the subsequently huge, nasty bruise afterwards. Or the clear plastic eye shield, or having to tape my eye shut just to shower. But I've done it all before, so hopefully there won't be any surprises.

Push w HIIT Monday

4 x 4 Norwegian:
5 min warmup
4 min 85-95% HR (143-159)
3 min rest
4 sets
(5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33)
Miles 2.71
Calories 300
AHR 150 / max 195

HGPU 20

Smith Inclined Press
Bar x15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12
65 x 25 hard!

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

Rip Skulls
35lbs x 12reps x 3 sets

Crunches 30/20
Side Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Stretch

Suprisingly Quicker

I get to the gym at 10 am and it's crowded with morning regulars. Well, at least I can get on the elliptical again and do another round of Norwegian 4 X 4s. If I don't succumb to a stand-alone heart rate monitor, then I'll just have to scout out all the cardio equipment that actually has working pulse monitors. Pulse as opposed to heart rate, because none of the machines actually measure heart rate. They all rely on sensors in the handles that read your pulse.

Of course, I can find very little information about how having Raynaud's Syndrome affects pulse monitors. There is only one article online that considers the issue of oxygen saturation levels in Raynaud's patients during surgery because anesthesia must be monitored. Low oxygen can lead to serious complications, like death. There is a trend to using non-invasive, optical-read, finger-clips to measure the blood through the skin, but cold temperatures (operating rooms are freezing!), and vessel spasms and constrictions can throw off those readings. I have primary Raynaud's and my fingers and toes regularly go numb and tingly when it's too cold or if too much pressure is applied. So, I wonder if that's why I'm watching my "heart rate" do amusing things like drop precipitously after all-out exertion during the 4 X 4?

Several times during the course, I watch the numbers refuse to budge as I either increase or decrease my pedaling speed. Then the screen goes blank for a moment and the next HR number that appears is either ridiculously high, or low. This makes it hard to trust any of the readings. After the 2nd all-out, my "heart rate" dropped to 85. That's even lower than the 3 minutes of slow jog, where my HR averaged 120-128 BPM. Going all-out means hitting 240-260 SPMs (Strides Per Minute) for the first minute, then dropping to 160-170, while waiting for the monitor to catch up. Because it will read 135 for the entire 60 seconds and either drop to 120, or blank, and reappear at 175. It's like spinning a roulette wheel at a gambling den. Round and round she goes; where she stops nobody knows!

I do my Hammer Grip Pull Ups afterwards. Just 20. Then decide to use the Smith for RDLs. But I keep the session very short, with just 3 sets. No point in wasting time. The last set, again at 140 lbs, is still awfully heavy. But I skip the RG BB Rows. I don't actually think it's doing anything for me with the static routine of 3 sets of 25 reps at 80 lbs. Instead, I use the T-bar row machine in the far corner. I'm fine with just a 25 lb plate on the front. But I play with my grip position, first grabbing the short white bars (red rectangles in the photo), then the perpendicular bars (yellow ovals), then back to the white bars. The problem with the 2nd position is that the black neoprene grip covers are torn and uneven, which messes with my sense of symmetry. Plus, pulling those handles means you have to be wary of the white handles poking you in the thighs as you pull up. I do another set of pull ups.

There's a yoga class in the classroom so I do my core work in the area where the big blue mats used to be. I miss those things! After push ups, planks and crunches, I'm ready for the last set of pull ups. Then I'm done! And it's only 11:30. Whoa!

Jaw bone loss is the shadow circled
beneath a root canal tooth.
From: DrPGilbert.com/bone-loss

I have a dentist appointment later. I'm not sure I like the new guy. My old dentist retired and this fellow took over the practice part-time. He looks like Tony Shaloub, but not only does he not pronounce my name correctly, I find him kind of condescending. He tells me that the tooth I've mentioned to the hygienist is bad, and causing my bone to deteriorate. What?!

Granted, it's an old root canal with a crown on the very last molar. It's always been a bit sensitive. My old dentist replaced the crown about 20 years ago, and mentioned that eventually I might need a new crown again. Because nothing lasts forever. Now this guy is telling me that the crown is fine, but the tooth is bad, the root canal is bad and it's affecting my jaw with bone loss. Since I've never heard this before, I demur having it pulled right then and there. I'll have to go home and mull this over. Yes, and look it up on the internet because this is the age we live in, isn't it? Ugh. I find a knowledgeable website and read up. It seems as if the best choice is to actually have the tooth pulled afterall. Since it's an end molar, there's no need to have it replaced. None of my other teeth will shift because of its loss. Whew!

Friday Pull

4 x 4 Norwegian:
5 min warmup
4 min 85-95% HR (143-159)
3 min rest
4 sets
(Minute markers: 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33)

Miles 2.55
Calories 270
Average Pulse Rate 134 / Maximum Pulse Rate 175 (it's always going to exceed 167.4!)


HGPU 20

Smith RDLs
Bar x 15
80 x 12
120 x 12
140 x 12

T-bar Row
25lb plate x 12reps x 3 sets

HGPU 20

Push Ups 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Crunches 30/20
Bicycles 50

HGPU 20

When the Bite is Worse Than the Bark

I had planned to go to the gym early today. The school bus was only 10 minutes late instead of a whole half hour. Of course, it could've been worse. Some of my son's classmates were totally forgotten at their bus stops and the school had to send out special short buses to retrieve them. Worse, the elementary school, which lets out at 3:15, didn't receive any home-bound buses until 4:47 pm. That's crazy.

What's crazier is why I didn't go to the gym today. It's because my right hand hurts. Because my dog bit me last night. At 3 am, I wake up because my dog is crying and whining loudly as if he's in pain. He sleeps in the bedroom, either on the floor or in his crate which has several soft pillows. His back legs are giving him a lot of trouble lately, and he finds it difficult to push himself to a standing position without some sort of traction (like a mat) for his feet. I go to his crate to see what's up. Earlier in the day he'd gotten excited by seeing a cat in the driveway, which lead to ferocious barking. Then he has some sort of episode where he went down on the front door mat and couldn't get up. His rear end was twitching violently. He had shit himself! While my son got the dog harnessed and out the door for a walk, I cleaned up the mess. The dog seemed exhausted afterwards. Maybe it was a seizure? I don't know, and there's no way to tell.

The rest of the evening seemed fairly normal. The dog picked at his canned food dinner, but ate a lot of toasted ciabatta. So, at 3 am my thoughts are that the dog is stuck in his crate and needs to go for a walk but can't get up. I put my hand near his head and he bites me. Luckily, he's an old dog and his teeth are fairly worn. However, they're sharp enough to hurt, and rake the top of my hand down to the tip of my pinky. It's only later that I realize that his lower teeth have actually broken skin. It's not a big wound, but my whole hand is sore. The last thing I'm going to do is batter my hands by punching the Nexersys today.

The dog seemed dazed. He managed to get out of his crate so I took him outside. He peed and came back in. I took him out again before my son headed off to the school bus stop. Again, just a short walk because the dog seemed a bit out of it. After feeding him a teaspoon of Chobani smooth yogurt (strawberry banana is his favorite flavor) with probiotics, and then some toast with his Metacam, I'm assured that the dog is back to "normal" more or less. He eats most of his breakfast. By 9 am, he wants to go on a regular walk to sniff around for cats. I am worried that he'll lose control of his bowels again if he should actually see one, so I hope they're playing it safe and smart, and not lounging under my car in the driveway.

I'm thinking the dog had a nightmare last night. I know they dream, so this is possible too, right? Meanwhile, I think I'll just do another Norwegian 4 X 4 tomorrow. And maybe move a few weights.

Solo Wednesday Workout

I got to the gym earlier than I have the entire summer, but I was still later than I wanted. The problem is that the school district finally decided to listen to parents and experts bemoaning the early start time for Middle and High School. So during the summer, the district decided to enact a slightly later start date, as well as designating specific buses for each school. No more HS and MS kids on the same bus. However, since this is a new program, today (the first day of school) was the actual trial run. And our school bus was about 30 minutes late. No one answered phones at the Transportation Dept or the Middle School. The bus driver apologized for being late and explained she had to have the office reconfigure the routes better since she'd just dropped off the HS kids and didn't even have time to change the signage on her bus to signify that it was now a MS transport. This is crazy. I'm sure my son completely missed first period. But of course, so did a lot of other kids. I hope tomorrow is better.

Today is my first real solo day back in the gym. I see a lot of morning regulars, but the ellipticals are free and I'm happy that I can use that for my maiden voyage. I'm going to try the Norwegian 4 X 4 HIIT program, which entails a 5 minute warm up (striving for a moderate HR), then 4 minutes at 95% of your maximum HR, followed by 3 minutes of rest, which I'm guessing is a slow jog? Do that 4 times, and after 33 minutes you're done. I choose the elliptical at the end which seems to have the best HR monitor. One of the machines not only doesn't give you any HR indication, but also fails to indicate what incline level and resistance it is set at. The TV is on over the console. It's tuned to my favorite show, Supernatural. It even has working subtitles! But I'm too focused on where my HR is and should be to look up.

The first thing I notice is that there is a considerable time lag between increased exertion and a rise in the heart rate. It's at least 30 seconds if not longer before the numbers start to climb. The monitor is in the metal bands on the elliptical handles. I try not to shift my hands once the little red heart symbol starts to flicker, but inevitably, the machine loses my pulse. I'm constantly rearranging my grip to get the proper contact for the monitor to work. Ugh. I also notice that even as I slow down because my HR has skyrocketed, there is another lag. Sometimes after 3 minutes of a slow jog, I boost my SPM (strides per minute) from 90 to 240 and watch the HR numbers drop. So weird. Then they linger at 135, disappear and reappear at 180. Oops!

When I get home, I search the internet for information about heart rate monitors and discover two new terms: cardiac lag, and HR vs. pulse. The best monitors have sensors that attach over your heart to get a true heart rate reading. Other devices, such as cardio-machine sensor handles, actually read your pulse. There can be a considerable lag between the heart beat and the pulse rate — consider the pump of blood from the heart muscle all the way to whatever pulse point you're using as an indicator. I read complaints and questions from various sports enthusiasts who all report a lag between increased effort (or excitement) and a rise in heart rate. Whew! So this is normal! I'm even more amused by watching my heart rate plummet when I suddenly increase my exertions. Eventually my heart rate catches up, but without a reliable monitor, I tend to overshoot the goal significantly.

While I've looked at heart rate monitors (HRMs), I've never seriously considered using one for several reasons. First, I don't wear wrist watches and a lot of fitness trackers are worn like bracelets or watches. I have tiny hands and super thin wrists. My issue with Raynaud's means I don't wear anything binding or tight. The FitBit my son won at a school raffle actually doesn't monitor heart rate (so what good is that?!) and I'm not interested in how many steps I've taken. Watch and bracelet trackers monitor your pulse, but skin conditions (how sweaty do you get?) can alter the readings.

HRMs that strap to your chest are reportedly more accurate than the pulse-counting watches and bracelets. However, I can't actually see me wearing one since it's all I can do to wear a sports bra under my tank, and those are several sizes larger than my tank because otherwise I can't seem to exhale properly. (Have I mentioned the fact my body doesn't deal with constrictive clothing very well?) It doesn't help that reviewers state that chafing, battery life and reliability are also issues even with the top-rated monitors like Garmin, Wahoo and Polar. You need to connect with a health app on your smart phone to view a continuous readout of your heart rate. There are also new optical, in-ear HR monitors incorporated into sports ear buds. They are pricier than normal earbuds, and while the science may be sound, the actual usefulness and longevity of these items are suspect, based on customer reviews at Amazon for the Under Armour-JBL joint-brand item. 

Of course, I've also read that some trainers think that training for your HR zone is a lot of crap and doesn't really indicate how healthy or efficient your heart is. I admit that I'm seriously annoyed at being limited to something below 167.4 beats per minute because I'm 58. A lot of people are 58 years old, and we don't all have the same cardiac capacity or limitations. I don't feel awful after the Norwegian 4 X 4. (I'm a lot more blitzed when I go all out doing the Intervals program.) But the articles I've read found a significant improvement in cardiac capacity with subjects doing the 4 X 4, not the "all-out for a minute, rest for a minute" type of HIIT. Because this actually doesn't feel as intense as my usual HIIT routine, I'm game to try this for a few weeks. Or, at least until I have eye surgery and then I'm limited to just a lazy stroll. Sigh.

I manage 20 HGPUs, but I feel too tired to do any more. (I don't want to stress my elbows or forearms.) At least until later. The Smith is available and I toy with the idea of doing a Push/Pull workout, meaning Benching and RDLs, but then I think better of it. I don't want to be here all day. I have things to do! Instead, I do a normal Inclined Bench routine, then another set of pull ups. Then push ups and core. Then a final set of pull ups. Done! And I've only been here for 90 minutes! Actually, 90 minutes seems like a long time and I don't even rest that much between sets. Tomorrow I'd like to whack the Nexersys for a few rounds. Do another bout of Norwegian 4 X 4 on Friday. I've packed on a few pounds over the past week and my clothes are again too tight. Sigh...

Solo Wednesday

4 x 4 Norwegian:
5 min warmup / 4 min 85-95% HR (143-159) / 3 min rest (80-90)
4 sets (minute marker 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33)
Miles 2.59
Calories 275
AHR 135 (80%) / 192!? (115%) according to the monitor
but that's not what I observed on the console. What I see the machine registering is
NOT the range it shows me after the workout is done.

HGPU 20

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12
65 x 25

HGPU 20
Push Ups 40 + 10
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Crunches 30/20
Bicycles 50

HGPU 20

Last Call For Exploring

The gym was only open from 7 am to 3 pm today because it's a major holiday. They're only truly closed on Christmas and Easter, but have shortened hours on other holidays so that staffers can actually be with their families. We also had plans for the afternoon, so I wake my son up a tad earlier than usual to get at least an hour or two of workout time. The gym is crowded! And not just because it's already hot and humid outside.

Because we have someplace to be later, I keep an eye on the clock. We cut our cardio warm up to just 20 minutes. While my son is plodding along with eye glued to his phone, I explore the Octane machine a bit further. It has 10 programs ranging from Manual to two different Interval programs and some mountainous challenges. I choose the Fat Burn/Cardio program just to see what it's like. It asks for how long I want to work out, how much I weigh and my age. Then it asks me what my target HR is? I'm not sure if it's asking for an actual number or a percentage so I start to punch in 75 as in 75% and it tells me that HR is too low. Uh, okay.

I tell it 139, which is 83%. The console reflects my HR, how fast I'm going, how many steps I've taken, how many miles that translates to, how many floors that equals, how many calories I've burned, how much time has passed, how much of that time was within my target heart rate. Good grief. It be nice if all that info was on one screen that I could snap with my phone, but the info constantly rolls past so you might miss something if you're not constantly darting your eyes from your phone to the console.

Rowing Machine

From cardio we jump right into the machines. There are a lot of people in the free weight area and on the cardio platform. There are a lot of machines I've never used before. It's an opportunity for both me and my son to explore. Most of the machines are Cybex brand. Some of the newer ones are Life Fitness or Star Trac. We start with an Inclined Chest Press, which also allows users to perform an Inclined Flye movement, but we have to lower the weight for that. I show my son how to adjust the seats and arms, how the plates and little discs work and how much they weigh.

Tricep Press

Out of all the machines, the Tricep Press and the Ab Crunch machine are the two that least impress us. The Tricep Press has arms you push down. They move independently, which I suppose is useful if you need to isolate. The Ab Crunch seems like something you rest your head on to nap. My son is not thrilled with the Lower Back Extension either, claiming that it bothers his knees as he pushes back against the roller. I offer him the choice of doing Pull Downs or Pull Ups and he chooses the latter. He really hates the Lat Pull Down machine. I'm not really sure why and he can't explain. Oh well...

Lower Back Extension

Pull Ups are really hard when done at the end of a workout. We don't even have time for any core stretching so the Hip and Leg stretches at the Cage will have to suffice. School doesn't start until Wednesday, so I told my son I'd take him to the movies tomorrow. We'll see The Meg because there are no new movies opening until mid-September. But I'm thinking about coming to the gym early to get some HIIT cardio done. I've read that the best HIIT program is something called the 4 x 4 Norwegian Interval program which consists of four 4-minute high intensity intervals (at 85-95% HR = 142-159) with 3-minute rests in between. I've never done that before, but literature suggests that it's much more effective in increasing VO2 max, an indicator of cardiac efficiency. It will take a bit over a half an hour if I add a 5 minute warm up. I think I can handle that.



Last Summer Monday

20 Octane + 3 cd
Calories 175
Miles 1.85
Steps 2704
Floors 45
AHR? 128/154

Cybex Inclined Press
30lbs x 12 x 3

Cybex Inclined Flye
15lbs x 12 x 3

Cybex Lateral Machine
30 x 12 x 3

Star Trac Triceps Press
20 kg x 12
30kg x 12

Cybex Ab Crunch
M45lbs x 12 x 1

LifeFitness Row
35 x 12
40 x 12
45 x 12
L50 x 12
M55 x 12

LF Low Back Extension
75 x 12
105 x 12

HGPU 15, 15, 15, 13+ 2 (60)
M 8, HGPU 8, 7, 7 (30)