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