Info We Already Knew

Yeah, we already knew this: intensity counts more than mileage, so while walking is better than sitting, a pleasant stroll will be less beneficial than sprinting up the stairs every now and then. And here's something that seems obvious, but isn't: exercise is more important than weight loss for longer life. Now some might argue that this promotes a "fat but healthy" mentality, while others firmly believe that overweight is never healthy. 

How many folks have undergone bariatric surgery with the goal of achieving better mobility and health? It's not foolproof and many have still succumbed to heart failure and other fatal ailments. (Have you watched My 600 lb Life?) But exercise could kill you if you're not properly prepared. Or injure you when you least expect it, as when a disc ruptures or even just leaks a bit and compresses a nerve.

I'm recovered from my weeks of sciatic pain, but I'm in no hurry to resume a full workout routine. I do keep adding bits back, mindful of inadvertently tipping the balance toward sustained bodily insult. Yes, I'm stubborn but I'm not stupid (I hope). The elliptical program works fine today. Maybe I'll try Intervals tomorrow. Or 4 x 4 Norwegian. The second sets of Crunches and Dead Bugs are also okay. 

The only movement that gives me pause are the Air Squats, and not where I'd expect. Not in the knees, glutes or back, but rather, in the slight labral tear in my right shoulder when I squat down and my arms raise up simultaneously. I could try doing the squats with my arms bent and my hands clasped against my chest instead. Unconventional, but similar to doing a goblet squat without holding any weight? 

Again, the Lateral Shoulder Raises only get heavy after rep 12. I worried that my arms are  too tired. After shaking myself out at the Stretch Cage, I grab the top bars and proceed to squeeze out 15 reps. That felt good. Yes, I'm hoping for more. Eventually.

30 Sept 2021
Brisk Fasted Thursday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5464)
Distance: 2.80
Cal: 309
HR: 197-143, 82

Crunches 60 x2
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs x 2
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 15x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose 10s
Cobra Pose 30s
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

DB Lateral Raises
10 lbs x 15 reps x 3

HGPU 15
 

Unexpected Weather

The preferred elliptical was misbehaving, refusing to load programs yet telling me to pedal faster. I used the one that doesn't register heart rate. (I should probably start doing cardio on some of the other machines.) I still feel sluggish, even more so today because it's hours earlier and I haven't had the benefit of caffeine in any form. It's just before 7 am and I'd like to be back home by 9ish to take the dogs to the park. I time the abbreviated core and stretch routine and it runs 20 minutes even though I've skipped several movements. 

After push-ups come air squats. I do those before the brief mat stretch and eye yoga exercise. That way, I won't be panting when I leave the Aerobics Room. The Floppy Girl makes a quick foray into the room but leaves without doing anything. She gives me a funny side glance as I pass her while she's on a shoulder machine. Is it because she saw me doing push-ups and air squats? (Yes, I admit that I added air squats because I'm terrified of becoming one of those old folks who squat down and find they can't get back up because their muscles have atrophied! And since I can't lift heavy, well...) I don't feel sore from yesterday's exertions, so obviously, I just need to build up stamina. The sky has darkened considerably by the time I drive home and I wonder if it's a passing disturbance or something more.

Rain, thunder and the occasional flash of lightning didn't deter the dogs from wanting a sodden romp. After a quick workout and brief foray to the supermarket to pick up snacks for tonight's Boy Scout Troop Court of Honor, I obliged and loaded them into the car. Even though I wore raincoat and rubbers, I spent most of my time inside the shed at the top of the dog park hill. Dogs didn't care to be indoors and spent their 20 minutes racing through wet leaves and between trees. The high tree canopy kept us safer than being in an open field. Luckily, they didn't argue with me when I leashed them and headed back to the car. Twenty minutes is a lot less than they're used to but they seemed satisfied to be out of the driving rain.

28 Sept 2021
Dead Precor Tuesday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5590)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 314
HR: n/a

Crunches 60 x 2
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
   Skip Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 15x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
   Skip Child’s Pose 10s
   Skip Cobra Pose 30s
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

It's Not Always About the Steps

I felt sluggish today, probably because I hadn't really gotten enough sleep but still had to get my son off to school in the morning. When I felt like this last week, I crawled back into bed afterward. Today I have things to do, specifically, compiling and assembling the various printouts of reports and merit badges for each Scout in our Troop. Tomorrow is our first Court of Honor for the season and boys will be awarded the badges and ranks earned over the summer. We'll also provide snacks and games. So, no time to nap before taking pups to the park to play. I also eat my oatmeal because if I wait until after I get back from the park, then I'm too full to exercise properly.

A spot inside my arm initially felt like an insect bite but is behaving more like poison ivy. I take a picture of it with my phone just so I can examine it better because it's difficult to get close enough at the proper angle to see. Topical itch creams aren't helping, not that this spot really itches. It's actually a tad painful, but not quite a blister. I just hope it resolves soon. Never mind that I have absolutely no idea how I might've come into contact with poison ivy considering I know what the plant looks like and any on our property is low to the ground. No, I've not been crawling around through the weeds either.

I read an article about how 10,000 steps might not be the proper fitness goal for everyone. Wait! When did the goal become 10,000 steps?! I thought it was 7,000. Ugh. As we all know, cardio intensity counts for a lot in achieving fitness. Hence the popularity of HIIT cardio routines. The most useful information I glean is that moving faster than 130 steps per minute is considered "vigorous" activity while 100-129 is "moderate." I don't even do my cool downs at 130--feels too slow! Most of the time I aim for anything greater than 150 strides per minute. Today my speed fluctuated between 149 and 178. And so did my heart rate but we all know how unreliable those Precor HR monitors are. 

I added back another set of Dead Bugs to my routine. I'll probably add back the bent-knee crunches as well. My sciatica isn't painful but it is still present. I can feel the vague ache in my foot when I do the Cat/Camel stretch. It's been more than 2 months since I held DBs in my hands so I start slow and light: 3 sets of lateral raises with just 10 lbs and 15 reps. The last 3 reps of the last set are hard! I'm hoping I can still do at least a dozen pull-ups. I must be tired because the hardest part of pull-ups today is keeping my body from swaying. It's not usually this hard! I manage 13 and that's not so bad.

27 Sept 2021
Sunny Monday

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.78
Cal: 305
HR: 82, 182-134

Crunches legs straight up 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs x 2
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 15x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose 10s
Cobra Pose 30s
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

DB Lateral Raises
10 lbs x 15 reps x 3 sets

HGPU 13

Enough Steps?

"Health experts" recommend 10,000 steps a day for good health, or the equivalent of roughly 5 miles. I'm sure I'm not getting nearly that much considering that I live in an area where you need to drive to get anywhere. The dog park isn't that far, but the dearth of sidewalks or even a decent shoulder precludes such a venture, especially with two skittish pups who don't listen very well. En route to the park today, I came across road flares and then a puzzling two-car collision. Neither occupant appeared injured and both were out of their vehicles. 

A girl holding a small dog stood next to her black sedan with a big dent in the front passenger door. Her car was oddly perpendicular to the flow of traffic. A middle-aged man seemed more distraught and his car had more damage: the front driver fender. I'm trying to recreate the accident in my head, but find it difficult to picture how this happened. Luckily I get waved through and the dogs don't miss any park time, unlike one of their friends who got turned around because of all the emergency vehicles later blocking the road. When it's time to return home, the site is pristine except for the stub of extinguished road flares.

I don't walk around the dog park as much as I used to, mainly because there's a lot of wet leaves now on the steep hillside. Wet leaves are notoriously slippery and I don't need any more excuses for knees, ankles, hips and lower back. I feel okay today though. Yesterday, I had the worst stomach cramping all day and all I could blame was the instant oatmeal I ate with the addition of dried cherries. I've eaten this brand of oatmeal before. I've eaten these dried cherries before. Today, I have a bowl of regular (not instant) oatmeal with an egg, dried cherries and a splash of maple syrup. No tummy troubles. Weird.

Today, I actually check to see how many steps the elliptical thinks I've taken after 35 minutes. There is a website that will calculate steps to miles and vice versa depending on how tall you are, whether you are male or female, and how fast you are moving. Apparently, you take a lot more steps to accomplish two and a half miles if you are walking slowly compared to jogging quickly. The difference between a fast walk and a jog (5751 vs 5592) is a difference of 1 mph. 

I'm apparently moving between a jog and a run at 5466 steps for 2.8 miles. I add the steps my phone tells me that I've logged so far today. (It doesn't know anything about the elliptical.) It says 4,017 steps or an additional 1.4 miles, which gets me closer to 10,000. I'm good with 9,483 steps but I can't do 2.8 miles on the elliptical every day, as much as I'd like to. I just can't do it. Maybe because I don't get enough sleep. Or maybe because there are so many other things to do... Crunches felt fine. I'm a tad sore in the shoulders, abs, and quads, which is puzzling. However, I did manage to finally move past a dozen pull-ups so I'm happy.

24 Sept 2021
Sunny Friday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min (4658 Steps) + 5 min cd (5466)
Distance: 2.41 / 2.80
Cal: 309
HR: 77, 137-185

Crunches legs straight up 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 15x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose 10s
Cobra Pose 30s
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 25

HGPU 14

Equinox Autumn

I limped through the day yesterday because my hip twinged sporadically all day. I'm not certain but the inside of my left knee felt a bit tender on the elliptical for a few seconds and that might've been enough to cause the front hip issue. Again, I think it's where the sartorius muscle inserts, the sartorius being the longest muscle in the body. Its endpoint is at the tibia, just under the knee.

Today, it only twinged once this morning as I was getting up. It felt fine at the gym but I still went to the chiropractor later because sleeping on my side has thrown my jaw out of alignment. I have those sloppy ligaments and things slide out of place. My TMJ (temporomandibular joint) makes my mouth click if I open it too wide, which isn't very wide at all. I once had my jaw lock open and it was extremely painful to pop my mouth closed. The chiropractor made a few intense adjustments to my jaw with his thumbs, then gave me an exercise to practice: opening my lower jaw and skewing it to the left several times every few hours. This has helped lessen the intensity of the clicking in my head every time I open my mouth (like when I'm eating).

I got to the gym late and skipped hanging from the Smith because there were just too many HS kids in the weight room. Program 3 on the elliptical had me worried since most of the program is set with high inclines but pedaling backward didn't cause any lower back spasms. My knees were also okay and there were no further hip twinges. 

Adding a few crunches back to the routine had the surprising effect of making me aware of how sore my abs are. Otherwise I guess I'm oblivious to them! Still, I feel as if I could double the amount and not suffer any repercussions. But of course, I thought I could change the sheets on my son's captain's bed without any big whoop and instead suffered from such bad sciatica that I had to sleep on my face for 5 weeks. 

I do push-ups and wonder about keeping my head more perpendicular to the floor. When I look at the floor, the bangs on my face sweep the mat and eventually I feel increased pressure in my head. So I try looking forward but wind up hitting my stomach on the ground. Not what I'd intended. I'm not sure how to judge distance without actually looking at what you're aiming for.

At the Stretch Cage, I get past 12 reps but can only get my nose to the bar, not my chin so I only count that as a half. Clawing my way back to more reps... as long as I don't give myself tendonitis I'm good!

22 Sept 2021
Autumn Wednesday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.79
Cal: 307
HR: 82, 132-167

Crunches knee-bent 30
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 15x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose 10s
Cobra Pose 30s
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 25

HGPU 12.5

ReCalculating

I decided to do Program 2 in the traditional manner: 7.5 minutes forward, 7.5 backward. Repeat. Cool down pedaling forward. I was prepared to change direction if the incline made my hamstrings or lower back spasm, but it was fine. I did slow down a bit so not the best mileage I've ever achieved but enough to make me feel refreshed. It's 8 am and I have enough time to do an abbreviated core and sciatica workout before showering. I need a few things at the grocery store and still have to take pups to the park!

The things I skip are movements I don't need to do every day, like two sets of cat/camel stretches, or air squats. Or pull-ups. I even bag push-ups because I can feel pressure in my head increase when I do them, and now I have a new floater in my left eye that's driving me to distraction. It's shaped like an outline of a football most of the time, with a tail sticking out at the 1 o'clock position. The top line is thicker. Sometimes the floater appears to be a circle with a head at 1 and a tiny tail at 7 o'clock. When I'm at my laptop, I catch a glimpse of a shape moving in the unlit hallway and I think it's one of the dogs, or a mouse. Ugh.

Of course, floaters are common with aging eyes but can be a sign of something more serious, like retinal detachment. My brother suffered from that, and the symptom was the sudden appearance of a massive floater. He's never been able to rid himself of that floater either although there are websites that suggest antioxidants, taurine, exercise to increase blood flow, and in severe cases, a vitrectomy which removes the vitreous fluid from the eye (and replaces it with a different solution) in the hopes that the protein strands causing the defect will break into smaller pieces and be less bothersome.

I'll do push-ups and pull-ups tomorrow, but it might be a long time before I decide to move any DBs. I have an eye doc appointment in a few weeks to discuss my last Visual Field test, and the fact that the tech couldn't get a decent picture of my retinas (when was the last time that machine was serviced?) and kept asking me if I had either macular degeneration of diabetes. Uh, no to both. I'll have to mention this new floater as well...

21 Sept 2021
New Week Tuesday

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.80
Cal: 308
HR: 140-178, 81

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

With Both Feet In

I took the plunge today and pedaled Program 1 with some minor modifications: at the steepest incline (13 when 0 is flat ground), I pedaled forward. Which meant that instead of switching from forward to backward to forward to backward every 7.5 minutes, I pedaled forward for 15 minutes and then backward for 14. The last minute of the program rises from incline 7 to 11 and I didn't want to chance a lower back spasm so I pedaled forward there and for the 5 minute "cool down."

I didn't quite make 2.8+ miles but it was close. Also not as if I spent the entire weekend being sedentary, although it did take us a ridiculously long time to drive into the city, mostly because the GPS software insisted on taking us through a tortuous and traffic-laden route on the East side. Once there, we walked around, sat for 45 minutes while enjoying a meal, and then stood in line and throughout the entire concert. Because Irving Plaza is a standing only venue unless you splurged and got VIP seats in the upper balcony. Some people did. 

We didn't so from 8 until midnight, we were on our feet. Those of us who were really feeling the music got to stomp and otherwise dance in place because it was shoulder to shoulder crowded. Some people wore masks (we did) and some didn't but everyone had to show proof of vaccination in order to gain entry to the venue. It's a recent but well-advertised NYC reg so a bit surprising when people showed up on line without their paperwork. They weren't allowed inside. My husband joked the next day that it felt like "Leg Day" because he was sore. I admit that I felt it when I squatted down with the dogs but I wouldn't call it "Leg Day" but that's because I still remember nearly crying trying to get down the subway stairs after working out at Better Bodies NYC when I was in my 20s.

I might add crunches back to the routine. My sciatica is so much better, but never totally gone. I can sleep on my back or side but there are still some seats that are too high and too hard for me to tolerate for any length of time. The car, however, is fine now. Yaaay! Today, the cat/camel doesn't make my foot hurt. Another Yaaay! I head to the Stretch Cage but a large girl beat me to it. She spends a few minutes stretching and I'm bored waiting so I get on the step mill for 5 minutes. It's been nearly 5 weeks! I only do 5 minutes and that's enough to make me feel sweaty all over again. I don't really want to be panting when I step up to the Stretch Cage! I manage to squeeze out a dozen pull-ups so I'm happy. 

When I get home, I find a "helpful" newsletter in my mailbox for senior citizens living in my county. Ugh. After I flip through it and determine there's zero useful info, I toss it into the recycled newsprint pile. I'll probably use it as "brown matter" for the compost bin. The only good thing about being over 60 so far is that my annual residence fee ($6) for the park is waived. Whoopee!

20 Sept 2021
New Week Monday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.78
Cal: 306
HR: 129-182

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

   Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Cobra Pose 30s
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 12x
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 25

ClimbMill
5 min
Spd 6 (55 steps per minute)
Cal 39
Steps 270

HGPU 12

Missed a Day

There was no school yesterday (Yom Kippur) which meant I didn't have to get up at six so I slept in until after eight. The dogs went to the park and saw a lot of their friends. Some of us wonder if my pup and his pal hadn't inadvertently gotten into the toxic black walnuts. Online sources suggest that dogs can be afflicted by toxins released by the mold on decomposing black walnuts themselves. That toxin can seep into the soil and my dogs like to dig and eat dirt. 

There are other trees such as maple, oak and locust in the park (widely spaced apart) but the amount of black walnuts on the ground suggest at least two or more trees. We might never know though. Dogs playing with black walnut twigs and branches will get sick but we can't tell the difference between a bad stick and an okay one from an okay tree... The tree toxin juglone does break down with exposure to air, water and bacteria but that can take 4-6 weeks.

Afflicted pup is still "off" and has become super picky with his food. But they still want to get in the car for rides to the park where they can run around loose. I also didn't make it to the gym yesterday because well, there's no school and by mid-afternoon, it's going to be full of HS kids. Not very appealing.

I've been weaning myself off the ibuprofen and gabapentin so last night I only took 3 mg of melatonin a few hours before bed. I still feel tired though and going to the gym today was quite a chore! I didn't do quite as well as if I'd gone 4 days straight. Taking time off never really helps my body, especially since I'm not pushing myself the way I used to. I'm apprehensive about restarting my cardio programs, especially pedaling backward on steep inclines so I'll be making adjustments accordingly. My leg bothers me when I start but feels loads better when I climb off the elliptical. Maybe it's just the sweat drenching my mask...

All the sciatic stretches I do before and after working the core take a lot of time. They also make the arch of my left foot hurt. Especially the cat/camel stretch. Weird, right? I've made notes for some plank variations that I'd like to try, assuming they don't aggravate that tender nerve. Maybe next week, dependent on how I feel. Air Squats leave me a tad winded and I have to calm my breath before attempting pull-ups. I tell myself ten or better and I get eleven. Next time I'll shoot for twelve. It always feels like I'm working my way back from some minor catastrophe... but I guess it's good to have goals!

17 Sept 2021
Sciatic Twinge Friday

Precor elliptical
Program: Manual/7
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 315
HR: 148-202

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Cobra Pose 30s
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 12x
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 25

HGPU 11

Sitting Has Consequences

I paid for driving around all day yesterday, or more specifically, my sciatic nerve did. Between sitting in the car, cleaning up dog vomit, and running from the vet to kung fu class to a Scout meeting, I spent a lot of time in the car. And for some reason, my sciatic nerve finds car seats to be less than ideal for any length of time. 

Pedal extender!

Maybe it's because I'm short and there's a fine balance between getting the seat high enough to see over the steering wheel/hood and being able to reach the pedals. I have the seat much closer to the dash than I'm comfortable with because my arms are not fully extended, which means that should an airbag go off in my face it'll probably kill me or at least break my nose. I'm too close! In the past, I compensated by tilting the seat back a bit but that really aggravates my sciatica these days. Really, I just need longer legs... then I can push the seat back! Maybe I should install a gas pedal extender?

Because my sciatica is bothering me, I stick to doing the manual program on the elliptical. But I spend half of the 30 minutes pedaling backward. My left leg feels sore but cardio helps to warm and loosen everything up. Still not sure that hanging from the Smith is doing anything for me other than make my hands and shoulders a little sore, but it doesn't seem to be hurting anything either.

I add more reps back to the Dead Bug, more reps to the Fire Hydrants. The Cat/Camel stretch still bothers my left foot inside the arch. That's puzzling as I don't fully understand leg and foot anatomy and how everything's connected. The Floppy Woman arrives at the Aerobics Room just before I finish Air Squats. She holds bigger DBs in each hand, but her form is abysmal. I'm not really sure what she's getting out of those sloppy movements. 

Even though the Smith is free, I decide to do a few more Hammer-Grip Pull-ups. Normally, I give myself more days between sets because my tiny, underdeveloped forearms get sore easily from this exercise. But I'm happy with the ten I got today. Yaaay me! 

When I get home, both dogs greet me and are ready for me to take them to the park. I guess whatever the ailing pup had yesterday has passed after several tests and many hundreds of dollars later. I'm glad he's better but I'm still cautious: no one needs a relapse of canine puking.

15 Sept 2021
Sciatic Twinge Wednesday

Precor elliptical
Program: Manual/7
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.86
Cal: 318
HR: 155-188

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

   Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
50 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Cobra Pose 30s
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 12x
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 25
HGPU 10
   Skip Stretch Smith 10s x 2

Stressed

The dog vomited all over the house this morning. And last night. But I had cleaned that mess up before going to bed. No matter. Upstairs and downstairs there was either weird brown piles (dog supper was ground turkey cooked with pumpkin puree and beef broth) or foamy yellow liquid on the wood floors, the one carpeted room, the tile kitchen floor, the loveseat and the sofa (both of which have doggy slipcovers thank goodness)... He drank water and then promptly vomited again. This seems serious.

I got my son to the school bus and then I went to the gym. I did my basic cardio on the elliptical, worked up a decent sweat, pedaled backward for just 5 minutes, stretched, did some push-ups and air squats. Doing relatively simple movements, like the cat/camel stretch has my left foot inside the arch feel like internal cords are being pulled too tight. Weird, right? Still, all in all, a pretty good workout considering I still hurt from attending a BSA meeting last night at a park with hard bench seating. I'd even brought my own foam cushion, but I can't sit on benches or chairs that are too high for me for more than a few minutes. Ugh.

Afterward, when I knew the vet's office was open, I called and got an appointment for the poor pup. He looked really miserable when we left the house earlier. There was a few minutes to kill and the other dog seemed fine, so we went to the park where the unafflicted pup ran zoomies through all the autumn leaves. His brother trotted about and peed a lot but he didn't want to leave the park when it was time. Instead, he sat down in defiance. When I convinced him to get in the car, he promptly vomited again. Thank goodness for backseat dog hammocks. And the fact I keep a stash of old towels in the "trunk" area.

The unafflicted dog stuck his head out the window for the entire ride and enjoyed all the new smells. His brother sniffed around a bit but wasn't very happy to be anywhere new. The vet, a new gal I've never met before, did a cursory exam listening to his heart and palpated his underside. The nether regions seemed tender though. No poop to sample either. So it was decided to keep him for a few hours to administer a shot of sedation so they could do blood work, trim his nails (he had a double dew claw on a front paw last week that ripped off during puppy play), and then x-rays to make sure he hadn't accidentally ingested a rock or something that would explain why he's puking up everything including water. 

As I've said before, the other dog who eats the same food and the same dirt at the park, is totally fine. The only difference is that sick dog has a dog friend who has had the same issues for the past week and hadn't made it to the park until two days ago. Unafflicted dog declines to play with him because he's kind of a big fellow... Friend dog had been vomiting and not eating or drinking for the past week and his owners attributed it to the cracked tooth that is scheduled to be removed. Friend dog is on antibiotics and gabapentin for that, and just recently got dosed with an antacid (by his vet) for his tummy troubles. Uh, I'm skeptical that that's the issue...

14 Sept 2021
Stressful Tuesday

Precor elliptical
Program: Manual/7
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.80
Cal: 309
HR:134-160, 84

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

   Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
40 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 20
   Skip HGPU
Stretch Smith 10s x 2

Creeping Back

I had a pretty good weekend in that I managed to weed whack my walkway on Saturday, didn't injure anything anew and proceeded to weed whack my driveway on Sunday. I felt productive! My chiropractor wants me to ease back into my routines by half. So half of what I'd normally do... which makes sense. Because I'm so bored after over a month of feeling like a cripple. And now I don't. The sciatica is still there but I can finally sleep on my back again. Whew!

Nothing seems exceptionally hard but I am sort of relieved that I only needed to do 7 pull-ups today. My chiropractor was concerned about a hard landing that would jolt my lower spine, but I was careful not to dead drop onto the Stretch Cage base. My knees are no fans of hard impacts anyway! Seven pull-ups was perfect for having been out of commission for over four weeks. But I'm itching to work my back back to 15 and then some... 

I even pedaled backwards for the cool down period on the elliptical. Next week I'll venture back toward my normal programs but avoid pedaling backward when the incline is too steep as that seems to make my lower back spasm. Another sign of lumbar disc disfunction, no doubt. And then, I'll add crunches back into the mix. And more dead bugs.

But I'm not sure when or what I'll do about weight lifting movements. For now, push-ups, pull-ups, and air squats are enough. And maybe the shoulder DB routine... because that didn't even use heavy weights!

13 Sept 2021
Recovery Monday

Precor elliptical
Program: Manual/7
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.76
Cal: 302
HR:131-150

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

  Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
30 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Air Squats 15

HGPU 7

Distractions

I meant to go to the gym yesterday but got distracted by my cupboard. I'd noticed that all my boxes of pasta were infested with tiny bugs and their larvae. Ugh. Weevils! Which meant I was at once consumed with the task of thoroughly cleaning out the three shelves in the corner cabinet over the counter. 

I don't have long limbs so even climbing up on a chair left me short. Several pounds of dried pasta got tossed as well as compromised bags of dried beans. Unaffected packages still had to be dunked to be rid of larvae, casings, weevils, and everything in between. Needless to say, this took all afternoon. 

I'm happy that at least the boxes of mac & cheese are thoroughly sealed and thus apparently spared. Regular pasta boxes are closed with a tiny dab of glue, leaving their ends open. The only pasta I have now are freezer raviolis and the squid ink spaghetti I got a few years back because it's sealed in a ziplock although I've read that weevils will chew through plastic as well! Even freezer bags! Weevils aren't toxic but my family isn't going to eat pasta with little grubs and dark spots with legs. We're all tick-conscious so no tiny spots of anything with legs! 

I went to bed and for the first time in weeks slept somewhere in-between on my side and on my back. And although my glute hurt and my foot was partly numb when I awoke, it wasn't crippling. Which meant all that climbing up and down from my cabinets and reaching and stretching didn't adversely affect my sciatica. Whoopee! I am, however, still taking ibuprofen and gabapentin an hour before bed because not sleeping is excruciating and makes any pain so much worse. 

My son went back to school today and the bus now comes 20 minutes earlier than last year. Since I'm in the car already, I decided to go to the gym before taking pups to the park. Officially, the Bark Park doesn't open until 8 am and there's never anyone there until 10. So I take them around 9:30 and we leave before 11. Plenty of outdoor run-around time with at least one canine pal. A lot of people have gone back to work and their pups are at doggy daycares instead of coming to the park.

I'm at the gym before 7 am now but I didn't get the chance to hang from the Smith because it was occupied. I did climb back onto the elliptical, but only at a moderate pace at a moderate incline. I wasn't breathless but I definitely felt out of shape cardio-wise. Toward the end of the 35 minutes, my right calf started to ache inside the knee. It's happened to me before when I went on a 5-mile hike with our Scouts and I'm not sure why or what it is. 

I completely avoided doing any backward pedaling because I can still feel the achy glute when I walk or sit, but again, it's not crippling. The orthopedics office still hasn't called me back to set up an appointment. (I guess they're not at any loss for patients.) It's been fully over 4 weeks since the initial injury and I don't want to re-injure myself, but it'd really help to know exactly what I should or shouldn't be doing, instead of this trial-by-error. Is the disk herniated or something else? A proper picture of the damage would be so helpful, but some feel that MRIs actually make back pain worse. What? An MRI won't actually detail nerve damage, just the structures surrounding the nerve tissue. A British site offers MR Neurography for sciatica patients. I'm not exactly sure how that works... 

Will I aggravate the injury if I resume the elliptical programs I used to do with backward and forward pedaling over varying inclines? Will doing pull-ups hurt me? What weight lifting movements can I still do since rowing of any sort seems to be off the list? I haven't put crunches or dead bugs back in my routine yet although today I did some push-ups and that felt okay. I'll try air squats next time and see how that feels. The cat/camel stretches are definitely uncomfortable but they haven't crippled me so does that mean they're good? I'm only doing them because my chiropractor recommended them. I have an appointment to see him this afternoon... 

10 Sept 2021
Sciatic Sunny Friday

Precor elliptical
Program: Manual, incline 7
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd
Distance: 2.63
Cal: 279
HR: 150-110, 122 av

Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
Skip 60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 15 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Skip Air Squats 25

Summer Bugs

I had a pretty good long weekend until I got bit by something at the park yesterday. I didn't see it but I felt that telltale pinprick that signifies an insect bite. It didn't take long for my entire finger to swell and change color, followed by the knuckle and then adjacent knuckles until my whole hand felt like an inflated cartoon glove. No amount of "itch cream" aka topical antihistamine had any effect and I wasn't game for spending $150 at Urgent Care or the ER since this wasn't really an emergency. 

Instead, I took a half dose (one capsule) of Benadryl which made me nauseous and dizzy. (My sister has the opposite reaction: it makes her manic.) Napping was my only recourse. Meanwhile, my finger and hand still itched like crazy. The swelling eventually subsided. And my sciatica is better but only for a few hours before sitting or laying down is too painful. 

Today, I spray bug spray all over myself (DEET on my clothes and picaridin on my exposed hands, face and neck) while at the dog park and I still get bitten, this time right on the cheek. It also swells but since I have big round cheeks, it isn't noticeable in photos. However, I can feel that it stretches a good inch in diameter across. Ugh. Luckily, cheeks aren't as itch-sensitive as fingers. But antihistamines, like many other medications, are contraindicated for people who suffer from narrow-angle glaucoma because they dilate the pupils. 

Low lights and sleeping also dilate the pupils, and there is evidence that IOPs rise during these times. My doc tells me that I no longer have narrow angles since my cataract-stent surgeries two years ago, but I'm still cautious. While my sciatica seems much better after 5 days of prednisone, I'm worried about increased damage to the optic nerves. There's really no way to tell until I take another visual field test and I'm not due for one until later in the year.

I do my 32 minutes on the treadmill, this time opting for a manual incline. I'm just warm enough to be uncomfortable when I'm done. The Smith is free so I hang for a few seconds. While this might work to decompress the spine, I find that it's causing my shoulder blades to knot. That's one of the reasons I don't like doing Lat-Pull Downs: knotty shoulders! I really can't wait to pedal the elliptical again. And I'm wondering when I can weed whack my walkway because I need to do that before it snows. You can't properly shovel your walkway if there's plant life growing out of it, and Winter promises to be cold, long and fierce. I'm thinking there's going to be a lot of shoveling this year.

 

7 Sept 2021
Sciatic Sunny Tuesday

True Alpine Treadmill
Program: Hill Manual
Time: 30 min + 2 min cd @ 1.5 mph
Speed 3.0
Incline variable 6.0
Distance: 1.54
Cal: 161
HR av 107 , high 127

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

  Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
  Skip 60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
  Skip Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 10 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
  Skip Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
  Skip Air Squats 25

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

Another Dull Boring Workout

I'm happy that I can actually sit in my car without thinking about how much my leg hurts, because it doesn't hurt all that much lately. There's still a lot of things I can't do without difficulty, like putting my socks on first thing in the morning, but my mobility tends to increase as the day goes on. And I still can't sleep on my back or side but I keep trying.

Today I check out the Hill Intervals program on the treadmill. I'm able to set the speed, maximum incline and duration. But after 32 minutes, I'm barely warmed up although my glute aches and I find the numbness in my toes very bothersome. 

I have to skip hanging from the Smith machine because it's in use when I head to the Aerobics Room. I add a few Fire Hydrants back to the routine. Eventually I hope to add them all back, if possible, if they don't compromise what appears to be a wonky disc in my lower spine.

After completing the few core exercises that don't aggravate my injury, I can sit long enough to do the basic eye yoga movements. It's the least I can do considering all the indignities I've inflicted by sleeping on my face. When I leave the Aerobics Room, I see that the Smith machine is vacant so I can hang for a few seconds and "decompress." 

I'm not sure when it'll be okay to attempt pull-ups again, or even push-ups. Damn do I miss pedaling on the elliptical and actually putting in some mileage! I miss getting sweaty! At this point, because I don't know what's damaged or how badly (no MRI in the horizon as far as I can tell because I haven't been able to get an appointment with the orthopedic specialist), I don't know when/if I can resume my previous routine. Ugh. 

I did finally get the Rx in the mail from my primary care doc for Physical Therapy (it's only been nearly 4 weeks). I went to the chiropractor today, but I'm looking to expand my treatment options and I can't get PT without that stupid little piece of paper, whereas the chiropractor won't turn anyone away regardless of Rx or not.

When I'm sufficiently healed up, I'll have to explore other options to keep fit, and sane.

3 Sept 2021
Sciatic Friday

True Alpine Treadmill
Program: Hill Intervals
Time: 30 min + 2 min cd @ 1.2 mph
Speed 3.0
Incline variable 0.0-6.0
Distance: 1.54
Cal: 126
HR 96, av 103, high 127

  Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
  Skip 60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
Fire Hydrants 5 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
  Skip Push-Ups 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
  Skip Air Squats 25

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

Worse and Yet Better

I'm not sure if this is progress but I did spend a good 4 hours last night trying to sleep on my side, because side sleeping is better than laying on your face. But most of that time was spent trying to ignore the odd and sundry pains that sporadically arose from laying on one's side. 

I'm most comfortable laying on my back with my hands closed over my chest because nothing goes numb in that position. After 4 hours, I relented, gathered up the pillows to form a core to drape myself over and promptly fell asleep. 

When I wake, 4 hours later, my left glute is sore like I got kicked by a horse and my feet are half asleep. All day, I stumble about because the edges of both my feet are tingly, my pinky toes are numb and my half my butt aches. The only part that doesn't hurt is my calf, but that doesn't last. Eventually, the calf feels swollen like all the blood is trapped somewhere deep inside. So, while my pain has subsided in intensity, I'm not garnering any relief from walking or standing anymore. 

My most comfortable seat, besides kneeling on a square of high density foam mat, is rather improbably the chairs to a kids chair and table set. The legs to the seat measure only to 11.5" high and I'm very comfortable sitting on it even though it's just coated particle board and completely unpadded. What appears to be important is the height. Have I mentioned that I'm height-challenged? I won't say that I'm petite because that implies tiny, and I am not tiny. Just short.

While I was trying to sleep, I did a cursory review of the gym equipment available and realized that I could hang from the bar on the Smith machine. And I did that a few time today. Can't say I feel any better for it though. After doing the Random Hills program for 30 minutes, I limp to the Smith and then the Aerobics Room where I place a mat against the wall for later. Planks and Bird Dogs are routine. Because the piriformis stretches feel okay, I venture to try a few Cat/Camel stretches, albeit very gingerly. 

I still roll to the side to get up. Instead of the standard Child's Pose, I do the Wall version. It feels odd, as if my back shouldn't be arching because the standard pose actually curls the back slightly over the thighs. You can't curl the back doing the Wall pose. I probably won't do this movement again, but I might try a different sciatic stretch tomorrow. 

Tropical Depression is dropping a boatload of rain today. Dogs insist that every time I reach for my coat, it's to go to the park. Sorry pups. Maybe tomorrow when the skies clear. Tomorrow will be my last dose of prednisone... can't say I'll miss the awful bitter taste they leave in my mouth. Thank goodness ibuprofen comes coated because I'm still eating those 3x a day.

1 Sept 2021
Sciatic Wednesday with Tropical Depression Ida


True Alpine Treadmill
Program: Random Hills
Time: 30 min + 2 min cd @ 1 mph
Speed 2.5
Incline variable 0.0-6.0
Distance: 1.28
Cal: 120
HR 67, av 100, high 178

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2

  Skip Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
  Skip 60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Cat/Camel stretch 10x
  Skip Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Wall Child’s Pose
  Skip Push-Ups 25
  Skip Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
  Skip Air Squats 25

Stretch from Smith Machine 10s x 2