If You Hear Hooves...

My dogs are mad at me. Well, not exactly mad. More disappointed that I refuse to drive them to the park in the pouring rain. Tomorrow isn't looking any better. There's also the threat of snow tomorrow night when temps dip into the 20s. The boys are scheduled to take part in an extremely limited BSA Camporee on Saturday that is not only broken down into two separate sessions lasting only 3 hours each with 7 events, but is also physically limited to just 50 participants. 

Only 7 Scouts and an adult may accompany the Troop, which in itself breaks Scout safety protocol (requires two adults at all times). But it won't be raining, so maybe I'll take the pups to the park then where they can get their zoomie crazies out. Because it's not like I'll be able to attend the Camporee with all the in-person pandemic restrictions...

I skipped the gym yesterday due to lack of sleep. The husband got up at 2:30 am to go fishing with his buddy on a deep-sea charter. I'm a light sleeper. If he's up then I'm up. If I'm too sleep-deprived, working out might feel okay but my body gets back at me in other ways, like developing canker sores. It's probably why I've had shingles twice already. It's also why I've already had my flu shot, and I dose myself with black elderberry syrup every morning as an immune-system tonic. 

I'm still tired today but because my son doesn't have to get on the school bus during the latter half of the week, we're able to sleep in 30 minutes later. (And the bus has been arriving earlier than the scheduled time!) I consider just making today my Cardio Day but laziness gets the better of me. I don't really want to increase the speed of the Stair Master to 6 or 7 just yet. 

My sciatica isn't bothering me much. However, that twingey lower left hip seems worse. Now, pedaling backward at high elevations causes me to wince. Figures that I'm on Program 2 which peaks at Level (elevation) 13 (Level 1 is flat) at least twice during the session. I do an extra plank and skip the alternating bicycles and get to 40 push-ups before wandering back out to the free weight area. The Smith machine is free so I do my routine Inclined Presses but add back a set for the heaviest weight. It's amazing how much harder it feels with just an extra 10 lbs. 

I'm good with 92.5 lbs on the Seated Cable Row and I can't see myself increasing the weight any time soon. The lone StepMill is occupied and I don't know for how long, so I make my way to the cross-trainers. Both Precors are also occupied but there are more LifeFitness machines than anything else except treadmills on the cardio platform. I'm happy not to pedal backward and I work up a decent sweat blithely pedaling to my tunes so I'm satisfied. 

Yesterday, I noticed some weird bumps on the back of my left thigh. This morning I looked in the mirror and these "pimples" had spread like a rash, but they didn't itch. The right thigh looked okay, but there's a hint of something developing there too. And absolutely nowhere else. Am I allergic to something that only touches the back of my thighs? I've worn the same clothes for years! 

Later, in the locker room, I mention this to one of the gym employees. She tells me the same thing happened to her, rashes in odd places that didn't itch. It turned out to be her laundry detergent. I've used Tide for years without issue, but two weeks ago I tried a different flavor, switching from the Febreze Sport scent to the UltraOxi. I really like the scent of the latter so now I'm kind of bummed. I buy on sale with coupons, so I do have other containers of detergent that are not UltraOxi. 

It reminds me of that old saying, "When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras." But there's an addendum I heard recently on an episode of Lie To Me: "Either way, it's a stampede." Either I'm allergic or I've picked up some sort of atopic dermatitis, and hopefully, not a poxvirus like molluscum contagiosum... I'm probably allergic. I've used the same "homemade craft soap" for years without issue, but then my neck developed an itchy sensitivity and only my neck. I spent years taking antihistamines and using itch creams, only to discover that it's the soap that only bothers the delicate neck skin. So, now I don't use soap on my neck. 

29October2020
Stormy Thursday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 2
HR n/a
Cal 310
Distance 2.81

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Plank 60s
Pushups 40
Piriformis Stretches
Quick Mat Stretch

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
+20 x 15
+40 x 15
+50 x 15, 15

Seated Cable Row (light)
70 lbs x 15 reps
85 x 12
92.5 x 10, 10, 10

LifeFitness x-trainer
Manual Level 1
Min 15
HR 129-14
Cal 118
Distance 1.53

Diving Into the Stair Master

It's been cold and foggy every morning. Not ideal weather but it wasn't actually raining so there's that. Dogs had a great time at the Bark Park. I'm glad they'll at least clean their own feet and legs after I wipe them down. I got to the gym slightly before noon and it wasn't too busy. I see more and more regulars venturing back. Some are cavalier with their masks and others appear to be terrified of even stepping out of the car. 

My right-side lower back is even worse today than the initial twinge yesterday. I've pulled alternating bicycles off the list of core exercises. But the sciatica hasn't been troublesome lately, except when I stand with more weight on the right leg than the left. I'm bored enough to add a few more pushups to the core set. Maybe tomorrow I'll try sneaking in a few hammer grip pull-ups. 

I finally think to pay attention to the StepMill console and notice that the SPM (steps per minute) vary from 45 to 52. It's odd considering I've set the speed to 5 and I actually have no idea how high the setting goes. The number seems to vary with how quickly I place my foot on the topmost step. (I don't know why that should matter though.) 

That variation in SPMs would account for the difference in how many total steps and floors I've "climbed" in the same exact 15 minutes that I do. But why? Shouldn't the number of steps be determined by the speed of the StepMill? It determines calories based on I don't know what since it doesn't ask for my weight or gender unless it's surmising that from me being on the steps but I doubt this machine is that sophisticated. It's actually pretty old. 

I search the internet when I get home and don't find any answers. What I do find is the idea that maybe I'm going a bit easy on myself. Well, that's a bummer. Looking through several websites, I read that moderate to intense should be 60-70 steps per minute if not greater. Ugh. That means I'll be clicking that button up to speed 6 or 7, for a few minutes anyway. 

27October2020 Chilly Tuesday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 1
HR 98, 189, 150
Cal 315
Distance 2.84

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Pushups 30
Piriformis Stretch
Quick Mat Stretch

DB raises supersets
lateral standing 15 lbs x 15 x 4
reverse inclined flys 15 lbs x 20 w/u
20lbs x 20 x 3

Rip Skulls
35 lbs x 10, 10, 10

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 130
Cal 107
Steps 720
Floors 45

If It Hurts Don't Do It

You'd think I'd know better by now, but after a week of not doing "alternating bicycles" and my lower back/sciatica feeling a bit better, I thought I'd test myself by doing a few today. And the twingey pain over the right lower back re-emerges from hibernation. Yes, it's rainy, cold, and positively dreary today. Truly a November kind of day. I still took the dogs to the Bark Park and they had a blast running at full speed through wet leaves, kicking up dirt and sticks and small rocks. 

Last week's dramatic episode was probably caused by the bigger dog slamming full-force into the smaller dog and knocking him out. I say that because today I witness the smaller dog stopped at a tree to sniff and the bigger dog galloping toward him when suddenly, the smaller dog wheels about and bares his teeth to protect his flank. That display works and the bigger dog veers off to the right. No incidents today, no yelps of pain, no prostrate unconscious canine. Just wet, muddy, happy puppers. 

The 7.5 lb plates are hidden!

I get to the gym slightly past noon and it's almost empty. Not quite though. I do Seated Cable Rows because that station is available while someone squats in the Smith machine. Even though my right lower back is sensitized, I don't experience any problems with the slightly heavier weight of 92.5 lbs. At first, I can't find any of the 7.5 lb bricks and then I realize that someone has carefully placed them perpendicular to the full flat plates inside the weight stacks for the cable stations. Hidden in plain sight! Meanwhile, I think I'll permanently remove Alternating Bicycles from my repertoire. After a few weeks, I'll give 100 lbs a shot and see how that feels. 

My sciatica isn't gone, it's just quieter when I don't aggravate it. So, when doing Inclined Presses, I again have the left foot pressed against the seat base for stability while my right leg plays footsie with the air. Standing unevenly is probably the worst position for the irritated nerve, seconded by sitting on a seat that's too high and too hard. 

Finish with a few minutes on the Step Mill. I should probably investigate the other cardio machines since there's only one Step Mill. And no, I can't explain why doing the same 15 minutes at the same number 5 speed gives me different "step and floor counts." Last week I got 700 steps and 44 floors with the same time interval and same speed on the same machine (it's the only machine). Meanwhile, the dead Nexersys machines are now social distancing spacers between other equipment on the floor. I'm glad I had my fun with them while I could... 

26October2020
Dreary Monday Again

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 3
HR 144, 189, 114
Cal 310
Distance 2.81

Crunches x 60
50 Bicycles (ugh!)
Crunches x 60
Piriformis Stretch
Bicycles 50
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Pushups 25
Piriformis Stretches
Quick Mat Stretch

Seated Cable Row (light)
70 lbs x 15 reps
85 x 12
92.5 x 10, 10, 10

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
+20 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 20

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 143
Cal 104
Steps 694
Floors 43

Because I Can

It's Friday and the dreary bleak morning makes me want to stay in bed. Well, that's not quite true. It's still dark out so I can't tell that it's dreary and bleak yet. But the threat of rain makes me put off taking pups to the park. I took them yesterday in the early morning fog and they were happy to run through the wet leaves. Then, while I was cleaning up after one of them, I heard a pitiful whimper. It sounded like a small dog had been injured, but only my dogs were in the park. The fenced yard abuts a major roadway and sounds from the neighboring streets and yards carry far. Then I see one of my pups poke his head out of the gate from the adjacent yard. But I don't see the other one. Uh oh.

Forget the poop! I scramble up the hill to the part of the park that houses obstacles and challenges and I see the other pup lying still on the ground as if he were dead. He's lying on his side, very still with his eyes closed. I'm not sure what happened so I check him for punctures in case he ran into a branch. He opens his eyes and looks at me. I check all his limbs, his paws, his body. Nothing seems amiss. I stroke him and talk to him. Eventually, he gets up and walks away slowly. I'm looking for limping or other signs of injury. Nothing. He starts to trot a bit and sniffs around. After a few minutes, he starts a slow easy run. We go home after a few more minutes. He seems fine, eating and drinking normally. 

My son surmises the pup might've slipped on the wet leaves and hurt himself. Dogs are notoriously stoic and won't show their injuries if possible. This morning, both dogs behave as if nothing bad has ever happened, but I don't want to chance a repeat of yesterday. I'll wait until we get a non-drizzly morning to take them to the Bark Park. 

The gym is unexpectedly crowded when I get there. I spend more time in the Aerobic Room, adding more sets, hoping that the crowd will be gone from the DB area by the time I'm done. For fun, I decided to see how many push-ups I can actually do. I get to 50 although, I'm sure I could've eeked out a few more if I really pushed. Still, I'm pretty happy about the 50. It was unexpected. I also add another 60-second plank. All this works in my favor: I only have to share the DB space with Bandana Man (who must be something like 7 ft tall because my face is about elbow height) by the time I'm ready to move a few weights. 

I knock out some Rip Skulls and then climb a few hundred steps. I don't want to get too tired. There's no sleeping in tomorrow as I signed up for a BSA Adult Leadership training class that starts around 8 am after a bit of a drive. Not that I want to be a Scoutmaster or even an ASM (Assistant Scoutmaster). But it's clear that for our Troop to maintain a decent roster, we need to attract potential Scouts and their sisters. And to have girls, we need a "girl troop" which requires female leadership. No parent has ever approached us with the idea of becoming a girl Troop leader: they just want to have one already established. This'll be interesting...

23October2020
Rainy Dreary Friday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 2
HR n/a
Cal 317
Distance 2.85

Crunches x 60
50 Bicycles
Crunches x 60
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Plank 60s
Pushups 50 (Yaaay!)
Piriformis Stretch
Quick Mat Stretch

DB raises supersets
lateral standing 15 lbs x 15 x 4
reverse inclined flys 15 lbs x 20 w/u
20lbs x 20 x 3

Rip Skulls
30lbs x 12
35 x 12, 12

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 131
Cal 104
Steps 700
Floors 43

Sartorius Distraction

Sartorial is defined by Oxford's dictionary as "relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress." The word derives from the Latin tailor and to patch, hence clothing. The sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the human body, and it is also named for tailors, apparently because they were known to sit cross-legged. It's this muscle that crosses from the hip down the crease between the leg and the pelvis and along the inner thigh. It's also this crease that is wildly distracting when one's pants don't quite fit properly. 

I wore cheap new sports pants today. My main concern had been that they were evenly hemmed. They have a wide waistband that was promising for comfort. I have a lot of issues with pants lengths and waistbands. These wide waistband pants reminded me of the super comfy maternity pants I wore a long time ago when I was in my third trimester. No doubt these pants are supposed to be worn with the waistband folded down (like yoga pants) but I don't. Instead, I let it hug my torso. It's not uncomfortable, but when I sit or bend over, the top rolls and folds down on its own. Very annoying. Worse, the pants seem to gather in the creases between thigh and hip. Extremely annoying. 

Maybe that's why I didn't really notice the sciatica today. Or maybe it's actually feeling better? I'm careful to place my left leg down during Inclined Presses. Absurdly, my right foot hovers in the air when it's not nestled atop the left foot. (It feels like there's a cord running too short through my leg and down my calf into the sole of my foot. Mostly, I feel it when my stance is unbalanced or I'm sitting on something too hard and too high, like most benches.) I increase the weight for Seated Cable Rows and know that this is the heaviest I can safely move without compromising my lower back. Still, it's better than it was before... 

22Oct2020
Dreary Thursday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 1
HR 131-180, 114, 85
Cal 311
Distance 2.81

Crunches x 60
50 Bicycles
Crunches x 60
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Pushups 25
Piriformis Stretches
Quick Mat Stretch

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
+20 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 20

Seated Cable Row
70 lbs x 15 reps
77.5 x 12
85 x 12
92.5 x 8

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 15
HR 111
Cal 105
Steps 706
Floors 44

Three-minute Warning

I had planned a longer workout since I didn't have any time restrictions. However, when my earbuds suddenly interrupted the tunes with an ominous "Power low," I didn't know how much time I had left. It turns out it's three minutes before the voice says, "Shutting down" and there's no further discussion. I know it's three minutes because I was on the StepMill watching the timer. I wanted to do 20 minutes, but 10 was as far as I got, 6 of them tuneless. 

Music makes a big difference in my workouts, especially where cardio endurance is concerned. Most of the people working out at my gym ignore the piped-in music and sport headpieces that range from minimalist Apple Airpods to padded headphones that look more suitable for the boxing ring. I'm not sure how people keep the latter on while working out, and how they don't fill with sweat. 

Six minutes is as long as I can tolerate something as mindless and boring as the StepMill. I'm sure I'd find the elliptical equally mind-numbing without music. Music acts both as a distracting agent and an analgesic. Things hurt less when there's amenable music. Of course, when the gym's ambient sound roars into ear-piercing decibels of rap or country-western, everyone's workout suffers. I did manage to sneak in a few hammer grip pull-ups though. 

I skip doing alternating bicycles between sets of crunches. When the right sciatic nerve is upset, the left lower back over the hip can also be sensitive to twisting movements. This is one of the reasons I suspect sacroiliac joint disorder. But, of course, I'd have to schedule an appointment with an orthopedist if I want a definitive diagnosis. I worry that the test itself will be worse than the problem. And yes, I'm referring to the toenail biopsy I had 10 months ago that determined that no, I do not have subungual melanoma. The toenail has mostly grown back but it's still not quite a hundred percent normal yet. 

On the other hand, I worry that prolonged numbness signifies nerve damage that might become permanent. I already have enough problems with that leg, foot, those errant toes... Meanwhile, I'll explore other stretches and exercises that won't aggravate the condition. And like a true gym rat, I'm thinking "Let's do this again tomorrow."

21October2020
Cardio Wednesday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 3
HR 194, 148, 115
Cal 312
Distance 2.82

Crunches x 60

Skip 50 Bicycles

Crunches x 60
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Pushups 25
Piriformis Stretches
Quick Mat Stretch

sneaky HGPU 10

Matrix Step
Speed 5
Min 10
HR 123
Cal 70
Steps 474
Floors 29

Abbreviated But Satisfying

I skipped my last 15-minute cardio today. My husband, who was stuck at home working, had promised to make me lunch: mussels and garlic and tomatoes. I got to the gym mid-morning after taking the pups to the Bark Park. They were ecstatically happy even though it was overcast and a light drizzle was falling. 

Again, the sciatica is extremely troublesome but not while I'm pedaling. However, exercises that should help only seem to aggravate the discomfort: bird dogs, bicycles, cobra pose. Everything else was fairly routine, except I added a new song to my workout mix. 

Oddly, it's a song I've heard before but didn't remember it from a CD I bought over a decade ago. I had only pulled one song of it for my mix and that was Start A Fire. But I've been watching Lie To Me on Hulu while I do the dishes, and the haunting theme song seemed so familiar. Yep, it's Ryan Star and it's also on that CD, 11:59. The song is Brand New Day and because I couldn't find the CD, I just bought the lone song again. Much cheaper than having to buy the entire album again...

20October2020
Tuesday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 2
HR 84, 149, 186
Cal 319
Distance 2.86

Crunches x 60
50 Bicycles
Crunches x 60
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Pushups 25
Piriformis Stretch
Quick Mat Stretch

DB raises supersets
lateral standing 15 lbs x 15 x 4
reverse inclined flys 15 lbs x 20 w/u
20lbs x 20 x 3