Solo Workout

It's been four days since I worked out so I knew today was going to be hard. It always is after more than two days off. I had a doc appointment on Thursday where my IOPs were measured (twice) at a disappointing (for me) 13-14. My doc was actually happy that my pressures hadn't gone up. I was hoping that my pressures would drop 3 points since the new drops (Rhopressa) are so expensive that my health insurance declined to cover them, which meant CVS refused to even tell me how much they cost!

I've been making do with sample bottles provided by my doc's office. Even if my doc convinces my insurance company to cover the drug, the copay is still going to be astronomical. Ugh. My left eye also turned red in the lower outer quadrant, which was worrisome. Luckily, a few weeks later and it seems to be clearing up. Someone in my glaucoma support group said she got these all the time from straining and to just have patience. I'm at the gym so I keep reminding myself that if anything I do results in straining or holding my breath (the Vasalva maneuver), then I have to stop and do something else as it can lead to increased IOPs. It's the main reason that weightlifting is discouraged for glaucoma patients even though some studies indicate that the increase is temporary and returns to normal levels after time.

Being a compulsive gym rat with glaucoma presents challenges. I've modified my workouts over the years to include more cardio and less weightlifting. I've deleted exercises that feel as if they're increasing pressure in my head because it's damn near impossible to feel increasing IOPs in your eyeballs unless you're having an acute glaucoma attack, which is sight-threatening and painful enough to warrant an emergency room visit. So, no more pushups or downward dogs. And no more heavy lifting. It's a bit depressing but not as bad as going blind. And that still might happen because my glaucoma seems to be very stubborn. I have what's considered normal pressures, but visual field (VF) exams show progression in blind spots in my peripheral vision, which signifies vision loss and optic nerve damage. Ugh.

At the gym today, I notice that both Nexersys screens are dark. I guess they're both dead now. Bummer. I wanted to smack the machine tomorrow since I'm a solo gym rat this week. My son is at Boy Scout camp upstate. I do my HIIT cardio and pull-ups. I do my core exercises, and try 20 pushups just to see how they feel. While my body can do them fairly easily, my head starts to feel an increase in pressure after the first ten. It's the same congested feeling I get when I put my head down below my heart, let's say for toe-touching. Yep, probably shouldn't be doing any of that...

It's early afternoon and not too crowded. I decide to do a Push Day with Smith Inclined Presses followed by DB supersets. That's fairly routine. My right elbow has been sore from sleeping with my arm too tightly bent so I replace Rip Skulls with V-bar Tricep Press Downs. It's not until I start wrestling with a set at 50 lbs that I notice my head feeling congested again. Ugh. It's because 50 lbs is the limit of the weight I can push. I retreat to the elliptical and pedal for 25 minutes before an abbreviated mat stretch. I like the privacy of the classroom, but I'm not a fan of the slippery wood floors that make me wary of sliding too hard into a few of the hamstring stretches.

We drove to Rutland, Vermont on Saturday and spent the night there before driving the rest of the way to Brant Lake in the Adirondacks. I didn't want to drive nearly 4 hours to get to camp and then drive another 4 hours back the same day. My husband's car doesn't have a radio. I don't think any of the newer models do. Instead, he streams stations or playlists through the blue tooth connection to his phone. (I have an older model but I'm very happy to have a radio and 6-CD player.) We listened to Sirius Radio's Top 15 YouTube hits and other stations. I'm not a fan of Billie Eilish, but I recognize that low droning, oddly catchy music. I'd rather listen to Alec Benjamin, who seems to be getting a lot of air time. I'm glad. I downloaded two of his songs to add to my workout mix: Jesus in LA and If I Killed Someone For You.



Sunny Solo Monday Push

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 293
Miles 2.68
HR 142-176 (84)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 21

PushUps 20
Crunches Legs Up 50
Bicycles 50
Crunches knees bent 50
Horizontal Scissors 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 12
50 x 12
70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys
20 lbs x 12/15 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Press Downs
40 x 12
50 x 9
45 x 10
40 x 9.5

20 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.06
Calories 230
HR 144-175 (85, 91)

Mat Stretch