How Much is Too Much

I'm the last person you should ask in regards to moderation. Not that I'm excessive with food and drink, or much of anything else. Except for maybe exercise. And even then, I don't think of myself as a binger. That's probably because I have three separate components to my routine: cardio, stretching, weight lifting. Each item by itself comprises an exercise routine, with stretching taking the least time. But as a whole, it might seem a bit much. Lately, I've been pulling back on the weight lifting because of the fear it will raise my IOPs and cause further damage to my retinas. It's glaucoma that moderates my exercise routine these days.

Some people find it easier to manage exercise by designating specific days and times for specific activities, i.e., morning run, weekend yoga, mid-afternoon weights. I find it easier, and more efficient to lump it all together. Because who knows if I'll have time tomorrow to do the thing I skipped today? For the past several weeks I've been sticking to cardio and core exercises, only recently adding weight lifting back to the routine. If the Nexersys kickboxing machines were functional, I'd add that back too.

I have the type of physiology that allows me to work out intensely for several hours. Later, of course, I'm bone-tired and don't really want to do much of anything. Today I decided to see how much strength I've lost in the weeks I've stopped doing a "push routine." Apparently, nothing at all. I wasn't moving very heavy weights to begin with and I'm able to pick up exactly where I left off. Yes, I have that type of physique. But I'm probably done with most of the heavier, iffier movements, like RDLs and Seated Cable Rows. Not that I can't do them. It's that I can do them, and I tend to go heavy. Because I can. And I shouldn't. Which makes it really hard to say No. Unless I just don't do them at all. Ugh.

I don't want to push my luck though. My doctor discontinued the Rhopressa eye drops because I developed an allergic reaction to them after several months: severely crusty eyes. (It's just as well that my health insurance declined to cover this drug, mistakingly lumping it with another glaucoma drug I'm already taking.) In the week that I discontinued those particular drops, my pressures dropped 1 point. I was disappointed that it was only 1 point, but my doctor said she was more relieved that my pressures didn't suddenly spike. Now she wants to see me in 6 weeks to see where my pressures are and to take a new Visual Field test. My eyes are no longer crusty but they're still tinged pink. I've seen worse: some glaucoma patients look as if their eyes are actually bleeding when taking this drug. Luckily that never happened to me!

I wish my toe looked better. It doesn't. And it's still sensitive, and occasionally itchy. While I'm 100% relieved that this nail stripe turned out to be a benign condition, I'm a bit impatient for the toe to finish healing. Meanwhile, I'm trying to address the bunion and hammertoes with daily stretching. I get to bend my toes backward and hold them that way for several seconds. I wear the flattest, widest shoes I own. Which means not wearing my favorite Ariat FatBaby boots because of the slightly raised heel. Next, I'll be attempting to pick up things with the afflicted foot, curling my toes backward in a clench. That sounds like so much fun. Not.

Tuesday Push

30 elliptical + 5cd

Program 2

Miles 2.87

Calories 321

HR 148-198 (85, 83)

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s

Horizontal Scissors 60

Crunches 60/60

Bicycles 60

Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Slow Pushups 20

Smith Inclined Press

Bar (30) x 15

50 x 15

70 x 25, 25, 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inclined Flys

20 lbs x 12/20 reps x 3 sets

20/25 lbs x 12/20 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls

40 x 12, 10,

20 Step Mill

Level 4

Calories 127

Total steps 831

Floors 51

HR 124

Mat Stretch