Rains Before the Calm

Pedaling on the elliptical took great effort today and I began to wonder if I hadn't inadvertently gotten infected with the dreaded Covid-19 virus. I've had an odd headache the past two days and a stubborn fatigue. I tried to nap on Tuesday when I skipped the gym but was spectacularly ineffective. I did manage to squeeze in a nap after the dog park yesterday and before my glaucoma doc appointment. 

While my IOPs didn't measure great numbers (15) they also weren't horrible. Still got 20/20 vision and perhaps some relief from the dry eye syndrome that plagues me. It's the eery sensation that your eyeballs are fogging up which makes it not only hard to see but also hard to focus your thoughts. Yes, eyes are the windows to the soul and when there's a problem, it can mess with your head.

Because it started to rain and there were no other dogs at the park, I cut today's romp short. Dogs only got 40 minutes of run time but that's better than just a walk up the road and back. Which meant I got to the gym earlier than usual but I couldn't access the elliptical with the working heart monitor. My sciatica is chronic but less painful: I could put my pants and socks on this morning without too much grimacing!

Still, I felt sluggish and was thoroughly convinced that today would be the day I didn't make it past 300 calories or 2.8 miles in 35 minutes. I didn't actually warmup until minute 25; only during the last 5 minutes was I able to push for a consistently high speed. Because I could pedal backward during the cooldown. 

During the Mat Stretch, I remembered to try the Pigeon Pose but I still had to look it up on my phone to see which leg does what. If I was more committed, I would've taken my sneakers off. Maybe next time. I managed to wrangle myself into a passable pose, but need to work on sitting my torso upright. You'd think the hard part would be flopping on the floor over the bent leg, but that's the easy part. I swap legs and find my left glute sore from the exercise. 

I was toying with the idea of doing some hammer-grip pull-ups, but then I saw that the Smith machine was empty. And missing its bench. Which was a sign to do Smith BB RG Rows, but very light ones. It's a tad easier on the lower back since I can control my hip-back angle better this way whereas on a Seated Cable Row, there's only the 90 degree upright position. The Smith needs cleaning or oiling, or whatever it is that helps it glide down its track. I let the bar go and it takes several seconds for it to hit the bottom. 

I do lots of reps at light weights. I can't go heavier anyway: I left my Versa Grips at home and my tiny hands and fingers won't hold a bar with more than 90 lbs for very long. I only go to 80 lbs (bar plus 50 lbs) for 20 reps and nothing hurts afterward. Awesome. 

My husband has discovered some cool music on the world stage. No, not EuroVision, but Mongolian Goth Folk Music in a band called The HU. Although my husband and I have differing tastes in what we like to listen to (he's more metal and electronic trance, while I spent my childhood listening to Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, and Simon & Garfunkel [yes, they started out as folk singers]), we think that Tibetan throat singing and Japanese Kodo drums are awesome. So here's a video to show you what I mean...

18 March 2021
Post St Pat Thursday

Precor elliptical
30 forward 5 cool down backward
Program Intervals
HR n/a
Cal 315
Distance 2.85

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
10 Dead Bugs x 4
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
3 Cobra 5 sec hold
Push-Ups 40
Mat stretch w/ Pigeon pose (left glute sore)

Smith Machine RG BB Row
Very light Bar (30 lbs) x 20 reps
+20 x 20
+30 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 20