Winter is Harsh

I don't mind living in New York. I like the change of seasons and as much as I'm sensitive to heat and cold, I'm thankful that low temperatures mean a reprieve from biting insects. Because they love me. I don't skate so ice is not my friend. I don't mind the snow and cold so much though as long as I can layer up and peel down as necessary. It's only the fingers and toes that I worry about since compression issues mean poor circulation in the extremities. Tucking chemical hand-warmers inside my children's sized ski gloves works well for the hands. 

Toes are more problematic. My arctic-weight alpaca wool boot socks aren't as warm as I'd like. (Some people swear by merino wool socks but the seams are so big and rough that even inside out, I can't deal with the skin abrasions.) No, it's actually a tie between cheap fuzzy acrylic blend socks I got at the Job Lot and the much more expensive Heat Holder knee-high synthetics I bought at the local pet feed store. The main issue I have with the latter is, of course, the toe seam. 

I wear most of my socks inside out just to avoid the painful chafing that accompanies toe seams. But I suspect that wearing these socks inside out will defeat the heat-retaining structure of the fuzzy fibers. Other than the seams, the socks themselves are really soft and warm! I'm not yet ready to give in to battery-powered footgear but it might be in my future...there are several brands to choose from: just type "heated socks" in the Amazon search box! 

I'm always looking for alternatives. Bison down anyone? Maybe too expensive. I'm thrifty. Although my Bogs boots are neoprene (what some insulated wetsuits are made of) to provide waterproof insulation, they still aren't warm enough to prevent my toes from going numb when I stand around on packed snow watching the dogs run around like crazy beasts. 

Winter has usually meant shoveling so we have half a dozen snow shovels. And a half-dozen pairs of gloves of varying sizes and materials (warm cloth or insulated waterproof snow mitts). Winter means ice so we buy pet-safe ice melt by the bag when it's nice out because there won't be any at the store when everyone needs it to defrost their front steps and walkways. 

There's another winter storm warning for tomorrow starting at 4 am and lasting until 7 pm Friday. The park is not in our immediate future unless it skirts us and we just get a dusting. Not likely though since 6-12 inches is the current prediction. That doesn't normally drop to zero. There's going to be a lot more shoveling in my future. Probably at the Bark Park as well. Today, though, there was a park worker in his truck and the dog park gates wide open. I asked him what was up and he said he was warming up from clearing the ice away from the gates. He was a big dude too. My immediate unspoken thoughts were, Well if you were working, you wouldn't be cold. He spent more time in his truck than actually chipping away at the icy ground, and I'm sure he got paid for all his time. (Yeah, I need a town job!)

Meanwhile, I get to the gym a bit past noon and do a standard workout. Pandemic workouts have been necessarily shortened (to allow the gym to remain below capacity) so I really only have time for one weight-pushing exercise if I want to do a decent cardio warm-up with core and stretching afterward. There are a lot of teenage boys and middle-aged men in the gym today. There are a few women but they're mostly on the cardio machines. And me? I just act like I'm oblivious to everyone. Because I am. Even if I know who and where they are. 

Yesterday, I saw one woman squatted down between two stations because she was on her phone. I went into the Aerobics Room, did my core workout, and when I exited back out to the free weight area, she was still in the same position. Well, at least she wasn't draped over the equipment, rendering it unusable like some of the teen boys I've seen over the summer. 

17 February 2021
PreStorm Wednesday

Precor elliptical
35 min
Program 2
HR 146-192, 86
Cal 320
Distance 2.87

Crunches x 30 x 4
Piriformis Stretch
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Bent Knee Glute Kickbacks 25 x 2
Plank 60s
Pushups 50
Piriformis stretch et al

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

Matrix Step
Speed 7 (57-60 steps per min)
Min 10
HR 147
Cal 85
Steps 587
Floors 36