Although temps were in the 60s today, the wind made it feel much colder. At least blustery days mean there are no bugs at the park to fly up my nose and into my mouth. I'm not getting enough sleep, and that, coupled with some residual side effects from vaccine shot #2 (fatigue and headaches), made this week more difficult than usual. I skipped yesterday and only had time for a quick workout today. Oddly, today was really crowded at the gym, with loud wanna-be muscle-heads slamming weights in the free weight area.
My son's friends decided to have an impromptu gathering so I can't linger at the gym. I'll need to drive him into town where all his friends are meeting. Still, I do what's important: cardio, core, and sciatic nerve stretches. The "closed" signage is off the Stretch Cage so I'm no longer sneaking hammer grip pull-ups. If I had time, I'd do my DB shoulder routine because I think my triceps overwhelm the rest of my arms and balance is important. I've looked at old photos of myself and wonder if my delts have shrunk. I know there's some excess weight I'd look better without. Yes, we're talking about fat.
My weight has stabilized at a new higher plateau, which I'm not happy about. I can't blame the pandemic as my weight has been creeping up for the past two years. Five pounds might be referred to as "vanity pounds" but honestly, as a small person, 5 lbs makes all the difference between fitting comfortably into clothes or having to buy the next bigger size. It's not like I'm gonna get taller... Now that my sciatica is manageable, my focus is on dropping those extra 5 pounds without jeopardizing my eye pressure. (I've had to give up a lot of different movements that I really used to enjoy.) And that's gonna be really hard, but my clothes will know the difference.
30 April 2021 Blustery Friday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 3 HR 141-176, 96 Cal 315 Distance 2.84
Crunches x 60 x 2 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 40 Dead Bugs x 2 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50 Mat stretch w Seated Twist
The only thing I have to say about today's workout besides the fact that I got there much later than usual, is that I was surprised at the end that I could look down at my arms and see the lateral head tricep ridge jutting up like a small rope. I don't actually remember ever being able to see that before but it's been a long time since I've done V-Bar Press Downs. Don't even remember why I stopped doing them!
It's not that I don't appreciate the Rip Skulls. It's just that my sciatica always feels much worse after I do those. And right now, I'm trying to get to a place where it doesn't bother me so much.
I skipped yesterday: not enough sleep and a killer headache that might be attributed to... not enough sleep. Or my second vaccination dose. Today, temps peaked at 81F which is ridiculous for NYS in April. I don't even want to think about what August will be like. Dogs will not be happy! They're friskiest when it's a brisk 45F outside. I guess Korea is a cold place? We went to the park and I put on two bug-proof hoodies, but I still got bitten: exposed facial skin is an invitation and eyebrows were fair game! I might have to resort to wearing a bug net over my head because I don't want to apply DEET to my face every morning.
Hand cream update: the O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream seems to be helping although my fingers still look shredded, they don't hurt as much. And the cream doesn't make me feel sticky or greasy either.
Meanwhile, my new favorite earwig is still from Ryan Star's album 11:59... "Right Now." And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the cheering is part of its energetic charm...
28 April 2021 Blistering Tuesday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 2 HR 136-194, 86, 91 Cal 315 Distance 2.84
Crunches x 60 x 2 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 40 Dead Bugs x 2 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50? Lost count Mat stretch w Seated Twist
Smith Inclined Press Bar (30 lbs) x 20 +20 x 20 +40 x 20 +50 x 15, 15, 15
V-Bar Press Down 20 lbs x 15 reps 30 x 15 35 x 12, 12, 12
Unlike the 1985 Japanese noodle-western cult film, Tampopo, I happily made and ate supermarket ramen noodles twice over the weekend. Because when you're camping in blustery weather, sometimes you really want a hot meal, and something not too heavy to pack. I did supplement my ramen with fresh arugula and leftover pastrami (from my lunch sandwich) for Saturday supper, and with more arugula and a few ounces of foil-bagged tuna for Sunday lunch. Instant oatmeal with dried strawberries and instant espresso with pre-sweetened creamer made a good breakfast.
Over the weekend, the one thing we participants were not was hungry! Because between meals, during demonstrations and lectures on campsite selection, knife and ax safety, fire-building, knot tying, campsite cooking, ultralight backpacking, etc., we had access to coffee, tea & hot water, as well as samples of campfire cooking (foil pork loin, coffee can osso buco, dump cake in a Dutch oven) as well as donuts, cookies, granola bars, crackers, and apples.
I was still tired from my 2nd covid vaccine shot and having sciatica didn't help. Luckily, I had a lot of help from instructors and fellow Scouters: I was one of only 3 women among 16 participants. And because of all the help, I had one of the best-looking sites (we did get critiqued after we set up) and I repaid the favor by having several members join me at breakfast under my tarp. Because it poured Saturday night into Sunday morning. But I was toasty dry. Okay, not toasty but dry.
I have a hard time getting to the gym today, but I made it by 1:30. Surprisingly, the gym isn't very crowded even though capacity restrictions are being lifted. Perhaps it's because people would rather take a run outside. My fingers hurt because the tips are splitting and the cuticles are all frayed. Cold winds and frequent handwashing aren't helping at all. Today I bought some O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream hoping it will help. Everything else is too greasy and I'm close to adhering bandaids to all my fingertips, but that gets messy real fast.
I'm still tired. No one gets a great night's sleep camping on uneven ground. While I was dry and decently warm, I was on a slight slope and throughout the night, I would find my feet pressed up against the door of the tent because my closed-cell pad would slide down under me. I'd wake up and have to inchworm myself up to the middle of the tent. It felt a bit Sisyphean. Doubly inconvenient when you're zipped in for warmth but can't really turn over because sciatica makes that too painful.
I manage a respectable number of hammer grip pullups before sitting down to the task of Seated Cable Rows. Instead of making them heavier, I decided to test making the motion slower, or at least the eccentric portion. Yes, it's that time-tested method Time Under Tension (TUT) that every serious lifter talks about. So I can quickly pull the handle to my chest, then slowly return it to the start position in a painfully controlled fashion. I'm willing to try this a few times instead of adding weight to the stack.
Here's the trailer (with English subtitles) to the ramen classic! For a long time, it was only available on VHS to rent but finally, it's streamable. Much better than Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman.
26 April 2021 Blustery Monday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 1 HR 182-144, 114 Cal 311 Distance 2.81
Crunches x 60 x 2 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 40 Dead Bugs x 2 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50 Mat stretch w Seated Twist
My arm is still quite sore from yesterday's vaccination shot. I'm also inexplicably tired, but that just might be the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep during the week. I certainly don't have a fever: the quick read forehead thermometer told me I was 93F although I'm sure I'm closer to 96.
Tomorrow I get to slog to the Boy Scout Camp the next town over to take the Intro to Outdoor Leadership Skills, aka ITOLS. Me and 15 other newbies will be pitching individual tents at a campsite and learning basic Scout skills. The fact that it's supposed to pour tomorrow night into Sunday morning doesn't particularly thrill me. And even though we'll be outdoors, masking will be required, which is actually silly. I'll be bringing a 10x20 tarp to act as a rain fly for the camp. It's a good thing I'm familiar with all this stuff. I'm just not good with knots...
I had to drag myself to the gym and when I realized I had forgotten my phone, I had half a thought to turn around and go home. But since I'm really tired, I figure I'd do a super-abbreviated workout, one that I could actually remember all the numbers to. And luckily, my ancient iPod nano has a clock function that includes a stopwatch to use during planks. I did skip a lot of the other movements like pushups and pullups. Because my arm is sore and I'm tired.
23 April 2021 Forgetful Friday
Forgot my phone Tired from my shot
20 min Precor Elliptical Intervals 1.64 miles 180 calories
60 x 2 crunches Piriformis stretch Happy Baby Dead Bug 40 x 2 Plank 60s 25 Fire Hydrants Bird Dogs 2 x 60s Seated twist stretch
April weather means it can be a near-tropical 70F one day and threaten snow the next. Like the weather in Hawaii, one minute it's blisteringly sunny and suddenly dark clouds roll in and there's a deluge. Today is like that. The dogs got their play and run time in. I got to the gym and worked out. Tomorrow I won't get the chance since pups need their park time and I have an appointment across the county to get my second Covid vaccine shot. I'm not looking forward to the long drive especially since it will be blustery and wintery cold. There might even be a wind advisory.
I hate working out hungry. In spite of coffee and oatmeal, a breakfast I eat every morning, I have to sip some of the high protein Ensure before my workout. It's annoying. More annoying is that I forgot to charge my AirPods, which I only realize when there's music in the left ear but not the right. A good Scout is always prepared with Plan B and mine is the old wired Bluetooth earbuds I used to wear. I'm happy they've kept their charge and they sound as good if not better than the AirPods. Although they don't have the noise-canceling function, they do allow me to turn up the volume to what I consider an acceptable level. And that's more than enough to cancel the ambient noise surrounding me as I work out.
Wednesdays are usually crowded so today is unusual in that it's not. Probably because everyone knows about the impending weather. I get all my exercises done and feel good until I have to straddle the inclined bench backward for the shoulder work. That position stresses my sciatica even though there's no direct impact but not enough to cause lasting discomfort.
21 April 2021 Capricious Wednesday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 3 HR 157-192, 114 Cal 315 Distance 2.84
Crunches x 60 x 2 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 40 Dead Bugs x 2 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50 Mat stretch w Seated Twist
DB raises supersets lateral standing 15 lbs x 15 x 4 rev inclined flys (w/u) 15 lbs x 20 x 1 20lbs x 20 x 3
Temps hovered near 70F today. Just as well, before the plunge into the low 30s tomorrow night. Dogs were bummed that they had the whole dog park to themselves with no one else to play with. Still, it's good for them to run around and get their zoomies out because then they're happy to sleep all afternoon.
I get to the gym and see a few more regulars, but the place is nowhere near even a quarter-way full. Good for me though. I'm happy to do cardio, which I still hate, and then core and a few stretches in the Aerobics Room. An article I read last night suggests that docs have it wrong: exercising a mere 2.5 hrs a week is not enough to prolong life. That's only 30 min 5 days a week of moderate exercise and most will interpret that as taking a walk.
The new study has determined that an hour a day of exercise will lead to lower blood pressure, and blood pressure appears to be the only health marker measured. The study, while fairly large, only distinguished between men and women, white and black. What about the not-white, not-black folks? I do feel vindicated though: I tend to workout intensely because the bare minimum never seemed enough.
It's Tuesday so I'm not surprised that the free weight area isn't too crowded. I can use the Smith machine for Inclined Presses in spite of the discomfort in my right ear. The congestion is recurring but I can't entirely rule out the fact that the fit of the AirPods inside my ear canals might be responsible. I finish three sets and move on to Rip Skulls. I'd almost renounced this exercise due to the unexpected stress it places on my lower back and hence, my sciatica issues. Even at the lighter 30 lb weight, there's still stress on the right glute. I'd been enjoying a mostly pain-free workout until this exercise. The Rip Skulls make me limp a little.
Tomorrow I'll do another round of cardio and then core. And then shoulders. Hopefully, I'll be able to take the pups to the park in the morning although rain is in the forecast. Temps are supposed to drop and winds will pick up. I don't care as long as the drive on Thursday is dry because it's a long drive to get my second vaccination shot. And I'm not expecting any side effects since I had none the first time. Just as well as I'm going to a Scout event this weekend where I'll be camping outside and learning all sorts of adult leader Scout skills. Rah rah.
20 April 2021 Gorgeous Tuesday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 2 HR 82, 180-144 Cal 315 Distance 2.84
Crunches x 60 x 2 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 40 Dead Bugs x 2 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 25 Mat stretch w Seated Twist
Smith Inclined Press Bar (30 lbs) x 20 +20 x 20 +40 x 20 +50 x 16, 15 (hot rt ear), 15
I spent most of yesterday lying on the sofa streaming old TV shows because I had inadvertently given myself food poisoning. Yep. While the morning was fine with me grabbing some coffee in a thermos to drink at the dog park, I was too busy afterward to eat breakfast. Which meant that come mid-afternoon, I'm totally famished. I normally eat oatmeal, either instant with additional raisins or "quick-cooking" which I can microwave, also with added raisins. But I was really hungry so I added an egg.
Normally this is fine, but yesterday I got impatient and the soft-nuked egg in the luscious nest of hot oatmeal and raisins was very appealing. Usually, I err on the side of safety and nuke an additional 30 seconds, rendering the egg hard-boiled. It's impatience that I regret because not an hour later and my stomach is cramping something fierce. I know it's food poisoning. I'm not running a temperature though. In fact, I'm freezing and the thermometer reads 96.4F. My hands are worse at 94F. As much as I try to muscle through it, I can't and expel the remains of my late breakfast. My stomach continues to cramp sporadically when I sip lukewarm water. Eventually, I manage to eat some JujyFruit candy: sugar and gelatin are easy on the stomach. I skip dinner.
Today I'm much better but still cautious. I have coffee and it's fine, granted I added a spoon of Hershey's dark cocoa to the sugar and half 'n half. I eat instant oatmeal with added raisins. Still okay. I drink an Ensure RTD after my workout. Tummy still okay. And the workout itself was fine.
I skip the Pigeon Pose because all it seems to do is make my glutes really sore. I'm not convinced it's helping my sciatica. Seriously, the best movement so far has been the Bird Dog, although I'm at a loss to explain why. I do a few hammer-grip pull-ups as a "warmup" to Seated Cable Rows. That works well as a pre-exhaustion because the first set of rows is ridiculously hard. Sets getting much easier as time goes on. I'm sorely tempted to add a half brick (7.5 lbs) to the stack next week for maybe 3 sets and see how that feels. Because I'm bored.
Next weekend I'm participating in a Scout training event for adults. They've emailed a Covid questionnaire and I don't think I should tell them I've felt nauseous or unwell. It's not Covid. It's food poisoning. Besides, I'm getting my second vaccination shot in a few days. And again, I don't think the 6 hours I felt ill need to be disclosed. So, yes, I'm answering No.
Am I a bit nervous? Yes, of course. Especially since I'm blood type AB, which is apparently the most prone to clotting. Ugh. The only reassuring thing about this study is that in spite of having a higher propensity toward clotting, there was not an "associated trend to mortality." Whew. But the paper studies cardiac events, not reactions to the Covid vaccines. Still, I figure being vaccinated will lessen my chances of becoming seriously ill should I be exposed to the virus.
19 April 2021 Sunny Monday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 1 HR 198-147, 91, 99 Cal 312 Distance 2.82
Crunches x 60 x 2 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 40 Dead Bugs x 2 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50 Mat stretch w Seated Twist
Not sure what's going on with Blogger or my computer but it's acting possessed. Ugh. This is going to be a short post because the software isn't behaving as it should, making it difficult to format or even type.
It's early afternoon by the time I get to the gym and there are teenagers galore. There are also a lot of middle-aged folks emerging from hibernation. Or maybe they got vaccinated. I do cardio and core and push some weights, ending the whole routine with just 10 minutes on the stair climber.
Dogs went to the park and got to romp with friends. They're happy. I got to the gym and did a decent workout. I'm satisfied. The weather is crazy though, dropping into the high 30s while forsythias bloom yellow clouds everywhere.
16 April 2021
Chilly Friday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program Intervals HR 91, 195-154 Cal 334 Distance 2.96
Crunches x 20 x 6 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 10 Dead Bugs x 4 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50 Mat stretch w Pigeon pose
Sneaky HGPU 16
DB raises supersets lateral standing 15 lbs x 15 x 4 reverse inclined flys 15 lbs x 20 x 1 20lbs x 20 x 3
Matrix ClimbMill (steps)
10 minutes
Speed 5 (s/b 50 steps per min)
Real speed 48, 45, 52
Total Steps 471
Floors 29
Calories 70HR 141
This week it has rained or threatened to rain most days. Except yesterday. Of course, yesterday the dogs went to the park for 20 minutes when it wasn't technically open. We left to await the plumbers, who were, of course late. But that's how it is with people in the trades. (It's odd that the park itself opens at sunrise but the dog park isn't "open" until 8 am, not that there's anyone there to tell you otherwise. The recreation center/office doesn't open until 8:30.)
I didn't get to the gym yesterday. The plumbers had to remove entire lengths of cast iron waste line because they had corroded and clogged to the point of not being snakeable. Apparently, the solution is to replace it all with PVC plastic. Since the plumbers were already at the house, they also replaced the corroded kitchen faucet which leaked every time I used it. Moen no longer makes this model and big plumbing supply houses no longer stock Moen products. I bought a replacement faucet at Home Depot, and the plumbers confirmed that the quality of HD and Lowe's fixtures aren't the same as from the big supply houses. They personally recommend Delta but too late now.
It took a while to remove the old fixture because our hard water calcified and pretty much cemented everything in place while simultaneously corroding everything with high acidity. After the jobs were done, I still had to go to Home Depot to buy a "sink hole plug": the new fixture only uses 2 holes in my 4 hole sink and I still have the RO (reverse osmosis) filter. So there's an extra hole where the sprayer used to go. The new fixture has the sprayer as part of the faucet itself. I purposely bought a fixture that provided a dispenser for the dishwashing liquid because I use much too much soap if I'm squeezing the bottle by hand. And then it was mid-afternoon. Time flies when you have to fix the house.
Today, I take the dogs to the park because it's not raining. Yet. But no one is coming to play so we're there for an hour before returning home. I'm at the gym before noon today and have a hard time warming up. I feel tired but that all changes once I can get my heart rate up, my body temp up, the blood moving... My only issue comes with a set of my "heaviest" inclined press: my right ear suddenly clogs. It could be a change in air pressure due to the unsettled weather. Or it could be congestion in the blood vessels in my right neck and shoulder. That's something I've been aware of for over 30 years and I heed it as a warning to stop and do something else. After a few sets of Rip Skulls at a light weight, I'm done.
15 April 2021 Dreary Thursday
Precor elliptical 30 min + 5 cool down Program 1 HR 98, 138-191 Cal 314 Distance 2.83
Crunches x 20 x 6 Piriformis Stretch Happy Baby stretch 10 Dead Bugs x 4 Plank 60s Fire Hydrants 25 x 2 Bird Dogs 60s x 2 Push-Ups 50 Mat stretch w Pigeon pose
Smith Inclined Press Bar (30 lbs) x 20 +20 x 20 +40 x 20 +50 x 15, 15
