Better Living Through Drugs

I still have some prednisone (from a few weeks ago) and have cut the prescribed dosage (20 mg x 2) in half to one pill a day for the past two days. That and a handful of ibuprofen (200 mg x 3) before sitting in a car for an hour and a half helps to mitigate the sciatic discomfort. I take an extra-strength acetaminophen before bed and wake up feeling okay. Not cured, but okay. I feel much better leaving the gym than driving to the gym! Even cardio was better than it's been for the past two weeks. That suggests to me that taking the anti-inflammatory meds is really helping. I just have to weigh that carefully against side effects that raise IOPs (internal eyeball pressure).

Precor elliptical Program 3 is normally a great warm-up and today didn't disappoint. I feel good when step off the machine. I couldn't get to the Stretch Cage in time to beat a large bearded young man to it and I'm not one to wait around. I head to the Aerobics Room. In spite of the nearly empty parking lot, there are still a few regulars and there's one in the room when I enter. It's a middle-age fellow in pretty good shape who's been coming a few times a week for the past month or so. He leaves after doing his own core workout involving side planks, mountain climbers and runner stretches.

I hadn't had a chance to really look at how the new workout tops fit (on sale from The GAP). The dryer is eating holes into the old ones I have. I like the color of this one but am a bit aghast at how high the side slits go up. That's because I'm self-conscious about the weight I've gained and where it's accumulating: hips and belly. On a bone-thin model the tank looks cute. On the plus-size model, the tank looks okay. I'm guessing I'm somewhere in-between. At least the bright coral color is distracting enough so that my lumpy hips aren't quite so noticeable. 

My shoulders are slightly sore from yesterday and I promised myself time to exfoliate in the shower. Winter air is much drier and my skin has been flaking and cracking in spite of the intermittently balmy temperatures. I've already had the skin split on two fingers and fingers are hard to keep bandaged while they heal. The icy rain stops, the sun comes out and more people arrive at the gym. The gym is only closed two days a year: Christmas and Easter. Which means they've already posted the abbreviated holiday hours for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

There's no school next week so I'm not sure if I have the willpower to get myself to the gym in the predawn hours before taking pups to the park. Later will be too late as everyone else, as in all the kids from HS and college, will be there...

22 December 2021
Cardio Only Wednesday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5794)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 326
HR: 151-200, 91

   Skip HGPU due to "College Bear"

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

HGPU 14