Better Later

I got to the gym before 7 and the sun was already up. But it was still really cold outside. It takes me a long time to warm up enough to even get started on the elliptical, but at least I was able to use one that didn't clunk. Normally, out of four Precor ellipticals, numbers 2 and 4 are slated for use, with signs telling you the other two are off limits. For your safety, of course. Today, the signs were on 2 and 4, which meant 1 and 3 were open. It's about time. Never mind that machine no. 1 is less than a foot away from the one Erg rower (there are two but "social distancing" guidelines says one is out of commission). Besides, there's no one on the rower at the moment... In fact, the gym is much less crowded than expected. 

I spot a few regulars but Lazy Pedals and one of his pals is MIA, although big Tank is there. He has an impressively-sized upper body/arms but of course, I've never seen him do legs or cardio, never seen him wear shorts. Just work those "mirror muscles!"

I haven't worked out in 3 days, unless you count shoveling the heavy, wet-sand-like snow and ice that coated the driveway, car, walkway, front steps on Friday. The dogs were very disappointed to see me defrosting the car but not inviting them in. I did take them to the park later that day, and had to shovel a path to the shed once the ground leveled out. 

This morning, I'm tired and stiff and my cardio results (mileage/steps) aren't as productive as when I do cardio closer to 1 pm. There's definitely a difference in my workout completely dependent on the time of day and how long I've actually been awake! (I am not a morning person and never have been.) I haven't had enough sleep and that sets me up for bad meal decisions later... when I'm tired I snack a lot more and now there are studies to examine why. Click here to read about it.

Today, once again standing in front of the Stretch Cage, I worry about how many pull-ups I can do. I start counting, get to 12 and then start from 1 again until I hit 9. Wait. Is that right? But it is, and no one is more surprised than me. Of course, then I worry about my second set even though that will occur after I do all my routine stretches and core exercises. But that turns out not to be an issue either. I am my own worse critic.

Surprisingly, my sciatica hasn't bothered me lately, except when I arch my back standing and flex all the posterior muscles, then I feel that unpleasant "the cord is too tight" sensation running through my glute, calf, side of my foot and into my toes. My lower back, however, remains slightly sore, like a low-grade fever that one just learns to live with. The spot above the left hip twinges sporadically too, just to remind me not to twist or move too suddenly. Shoveling snow was challenging and once or twice sloppy technique sent electric shocks through my spine. But after I'd warmed up, I was fine albeit too hot and sweaty to keep a hoodie on under my winter coat. 

I read an article over the weekend that suggests the best way to save your back is to strengthen your core. Well, duh. I'm gratified though to read that the list of recommended exercises includes many of the ones I already do: body weight movements such as push-ups, squats, planks, pull-ups... Common sense prevails though. I've deleted exercises that seem to make my back and sciatica worse, naturally, because even if everyone says Cobra pose is great for your back, if you do it and your back feels worse, well then, Stop Doing It. So I do the Cat but skip the complimentary Cow pose because the latter makes my back ache. The Cat Pose and Bird Dogs offer the most relief for me. But everyone is different. 

I don't really have time but I do Rip Skulls anyway. Then I put in my 10 minutes on the Step Mill. There's an older fellow I've never seen before on the machine closest to the railing. He plods up the never-ending stairs like most, but then surprises me by spending about a minute taking big long multiple steps as if he were practicing hurdling up the stairs. Well, at least I'm not the only one mixing it up on the boring machines.

28 February 2021
Frigid Morning Monday

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5710)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 321
HR: 147-209

HGPU 21

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 19

Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 15
35 x 12, 11, 10

Matrix Step Mill
Manual 10:03 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Step 546
Floors 34
Calories 80
HR: 149

Winter Again

My dogs love the colder weather and even though there was no one else to play with at the Bark Park, they ran around like lunatics. (Yesterday it hit 64F and that was a bit too warm for them!) It would've been better with other pups, but at least they were outside with a fenced half acre to chase each other and do zoomies. At 26F, it was cold enough for me to open up the Hot Hands hand warmers and stuff them into my gloves. The town has already sprayed salt lines on most of the roads in preparation for the messy storm that's supposed to hit us later tonight. Maybe rain, maybe sleet and freezing rain, maybe snow. It's hard to know but best to be prepared.

I get to the gym by 1 pm. My cardio has been much more productive this week, mostly because I've actually been awake for several hours and the body is "warmed up." I'm also quite pleased with my pull-ups this week. I've only had coffee and that's made me rather hungry as I exercise. Teens still flood the gym after 2 pm but there are a lot less girls today. Just as well, because honestly, all they seem to do is huddle together and giggle. The boys appear to be exercising, or at least making an attempt at weights and cardio.

The Seated Cable Row station is vacant so I do a few sets, cautiously testing my back against my ego. I know I can pull heavier, except that I can't. Seventy pounds isn't actually heavy, but during the last few reps, I feel an electric shock in my lower back, right over my hip bones that makes me pause. It passes almost immediately but I drop the weight done to 65 for the next set. That is uneventful and I'm relieved, but it's also a bit disappointing. My sciatica is background noise at the moment so I still haven't called the orthopedics office to make an appointment... I'm hoping I don't have to shovel tomorrow--my triceps are still sore! Yes, I'm hoping for rain. Not freezing rain. Just plain ol' ordinary wet rain.

24 February 2021
Frigid Thursday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5898)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 330
HR: 149-191, 82

HGPU 19

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 19

Seated Cable Rows (light)
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15
65 x 15

Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52)
Step 527
Floors 32
Calories 77
HR: 148

Hot and Crowded

Today's temps peaked at 64F, which is downright tropical for New York in February. Unfortunately, I dawdled too long after getting the pups home from the park so consequently, I got to the gym at 1:30. It wasn't horribly crowded. Until 2:10 pm. When a stream of teens flooded the facility. I got my cardio done. I had to share the Aerobics Room with a quartet of giggly girls who were lined up to do something like crunches or bicycles or something. Mostly what they did was chat and giggle.

Both steppers were occupied by teens flirting with each other, and the weight area had more bodies than benches. It's warm and sunny outside and you'd think they'd want to be out there, but nope. They want to be on their phones while giggling and chatting and draped over the equipment. Thank goodness I did my pull-ups yesterday. Thank goodness I did the Rip Skulls yesterday. And yes, my arms are a little sore, which is reassuring that I actually did some work. I'm really hungry because all I've had is a cup of coffee. (I'd rather exercise hungry than feel too full to move!)

My sciatica isn't bothering me as much as the soreness in my lower back and the intermittent numbness in my toes. Temps are forecast to plummet down into the 20s tonight so I spend an hour dragging firewood into my house. We might also get snow and sleet on Friday. After all, it's still February. My son is asleep when I get home but spent the night roaming about like a ghost. At 4 am he decided to make brownies but didn't know where the vegetable oil was kept. He thought using olive oil might make for a weird taste, so he melted butter. A lot of butter. I tasted the brownies once I got home. They definitely taste of browned butter. Perhaps an acquired taste but they're good in small bites...

23 February 2021
Tropical Wednesday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5892)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
HR: 84, 151-207

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

Twosday Workout

A palindrome is a sequence that reads the same forward and back as with the names Anna, Hannah, Bob, Lil, or numbers as in dates. But of course, standard American notation differs from the rest of the world where day, month and year make more sense than month, day, year. When we got married in October many years ago, I thought it'd be great if we could get a date like 10/11/01 or 10/22/01 (American style) but no goes to a wedding on a Monday or a Thursday. But that's me because I like pattern recognition. That's also the reason I could beat my husband at early video games like Tekken... when I used to play video games.

Today is "Twosday," or 22/02/2022, a numeric palindrome that makes us look at the clock at 2:22 am/pm and chuckle. I've read that an occurrence like this won't happen for another 400 years so let's savor the moment! There's no school in our district this week so I once again get to sleep in until 9 and actually feel rested. I had thought about rousing myself pre-dawn and hitting the gym before taking the pups to the park but the bed was warm and comfy and if I take the pups to the park first and then go to the gym, well, then I'd have more time to actually work out. I voted for more sleep and more time to exercise later.

The gym is less crowded than I expected but of course, kids will start filling the room once they wake up (around 2 pm). I haven't come this late in a long time so I see folks that I vaguely remember from years ago. It's warm out and I work up a good sweat on the elliptical. I'm nervous about whether I can do pull-ups, regardless of the fact that this happens to me every time I stand inside the Stretch Cage. But I am so happy (and relieved) to get my reps. And because I have time, I decide to push a wee bit of weigh, figuring Rip Skulls won't hurt me too bad.

I'm pleasantly surprised that strength-wise I can pretty much pick up where I left off several weeks (months?) ago. It's true that muscle memory keeps you stronger a lot longer than you'd expect. Thirty-five pounds feels okay for most of me but my left elbow gets sore by the last reps for every set. I won't be able to go heavier without incurring joint issues. Afterward I climb onto the stepper for 10 minutes. 

I'll try this again tomorrow, but no pull-ups or Rip Skulls. Maybe I'll give Seated Cable Rows a go, but with light weights. And then, I'll call the orthopedics office to set up an appointment because my lower back feels a bit wonky and the sciatica is background noise at the moment.

22 February 2021
Twosday after 3 days off

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5894)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
HR: 151-195, 84

HGPU 19

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 18.5

Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12
35 x 12, 12, 12

Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Step 535
Floors 33
Calories 78
HR: 149

High Winds Friday

When the school bus came at 6:37 this morning, my car thermometer registered temps at 59F. When I drove home from the gym, I watched the reading drop from 44 to 39F. While not quite flash freezing like the mythical woolly mammoth encased in ice with mouthfuls of spring flowers, the winds have brought down trees, power lines, and with it, an arctic chill. 

My son texts me while I'm on the elliptical that the school has no power. No power and no backup system to sustain the myriad of electronic devices teaching now relies on. The HS released their students just a bit past 9. The district didn't allow the middle-school kids to even disembark the school buses. Instead, they sat on the bus for 45 minutes and were then returned home. I know because one of the school bus drivers (he comes regularly to the dog park) told me. The dog park itself today is brightly sunny but bitterly cold.

In spite of constant texting with my son, I manage a reasonable cardio workout. The gym is moderately crowded but I'm able to maintain my program. Pull-ups and push-ups and air squats are all routine. And the Step Mill seems to be getting moderately easier, if only just a skosh...

18 February 2021
High Winds Friday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5602)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 314
HR: n/a

HGPU 19

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 18

Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 534
Floors 33
Calories 78
HR: 145

Spring for a Moment

It's 57F right now but overcast with the threat of heavy winds and rain. Saturday night will dip into the teens. Yep, the weather is crazy, but at least it's not snowing. The gym is less crowded today, probably because it's Thursday. Most folks like to come every other day. I had a fleeting thought to take today off but I wasn't really that tired this morning. With next week being mid-Winter recess with no school, I'll find it challenging to get to the gym then so I should take advantage now.

Cardio felt okay but I wasn't good and sweaty afterward which puzzles me. My lower back is not quite right with a faint ache in the right glute and a spasm threat on the left. Still, that doesn't hold me back from doing the core exercises in the Aerobics Room. I don't see Floppy Girl there anymore. I had overheard her complaining that it's too cold in there. Ahem, that's what hoodies and sweatshirts are for, girlie! No, she'd rather flop around on the machines. Just as well.

Big Baldy is on the stair climber so I get on the other one. Today, the machine doesn't hit 60 steps per minutes. These machines are anything but consistent. Which is kind of shocking. Because that's the whole point to machines: mindless consistency.

17 February 2021
Spring Thursday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5656)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 318
HR: n/a


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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga


Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 539
Floors 33
Calories 79
HR: 134

Winter to Spring in One Day

It was 14F when I started my car this morning, but afternoon temps promise to hit in the 40s. Sure seems like the groundhog was wrong! But there's a chance of snow and rain come this weekend, so we're not celebrating just yet. Meanwhile, the gym is crowded again. Maybe this sunny illusion has folks worrying about their summer bods? Still, I get on a good elliptical, one that doesn't clunk and has a working heart rate monitor -- not that I take those very seriously although perhaps I should because one of my friends has just been diagnosed with SVP (superventricular tachycardia) and is now taking beta-blockers for it. 

If that doesn't improve her situation, she may have to look at more invasive procedures like a catheter ablation or a pacemaker. She's concerned because the heart palpitations have increased lately, are unnervingly unpleasant and she's afraid it might make her faint and fall. I, on the other hand, don't sense anything amiss when the HR monitor on the cardio machine rockets up to 190 or drops down to 95. Nope. Doesn't feel any different to me and I'm not more out of breath or tired when it's happening. It could just be unreliable equipment but I'm not concerned enough to investigate further.

The ache in my left lower back is still there. It's one reason I gave up doing any sort of twisting exercises like cross-body elbow to knee crunches. If I push too hard I'll suffer a painful spasm and I don't see the need to tempt that fate. The health insurance company has denied my request for an MRI because they claim they don't have documentation of 6 weeks of physical therapy/chiropractic care for the sciatic pain. Yet, a review of my claim records clearly show all my chiropractic appointments from last August to December: more than 6 weeks but apparently not credited by the insurance company because my primary doc's office didn't fill out the paperwork correctly. Ugh. 

I may wind up seeing a spine specialist at another practice if this doesn't pan out in the next week or so... Taking ibuprofen every night before bed is probably not the best thing for my kidneys, and last night I added a gabapentin because I have a "new" symptom: an intermittent mild burning sensation in the muscles surrounding my lower spine and tailbone. Inflammation? Irritation? Pick one. Or both. I know I'm irritated.

Surprisingly, I wasn't all that sweaty once I got done with cardio, and it was a good cardio session! Pull-ups didn't feel great but I muscled through them. However, I think my hands are rebelling because I've discovered callouses at the top of my palms and since I'm not really doing weight lifting other than body weight stuff, it's got to be the pull-ups. Yes, having ichthyosis vulgaris is a lot of fun. And I still have the cold urticaria (winter rash).

I had to start again with push-ups because I tried doing them parallel with the mat but found my hands sliding out from under me, so perpendicular to the mat is much much better. Big Baldy wasn't at the stair climber today but I did see a lot of other regulars down in the free weight area. The Step Mill actually hit 60 steps per minute a few times this session, but mostly it lagged between 52 and 55 so not quite as many steps climbed today as yesterday. 

Took the pups to the park and trudging up the frozen hill made my quads ache. At least the dogs had fun chasing each other through the snow, ice and leaf litter. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer but with the threat of rain. Dogs don't care so we'll be there.

16 February 2021
Mid-Week Wednesday

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5878)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 330
HR: 252-197, 84, 101

HGPU 19

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 15, 25 (positions)
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 17.5

Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-60)
Step 528
Floors 33
Calories 77
HR: 141

Enticing Arctic Sunshine

There were a lot of people on the treadmills this morning. People I hadn't seen in a few years. I guess the deceptively bright sunshine have lured folks into thinking it's Spring in spite of the 7F temps. It'll peak at 30 today so that's not too bad, but nights are bitter, especially if you get caught in the wind.

There's no one on the ellipticals so I'm happy to have my choice of machines. I feel okay except my feet are experiencing unusual numbness along the outer edge leading up to the pinky toes. I also develop a spasm in my lower left back, just over the hip. Luckily, it eventually dissipates and leaves no permanent ache. I'm certain it's my wonky lower back and disc(s) acting up. 

My routine is routine. I was scheduled for an MRI tomorrow but just got word that my "health" insurance company has denied the request to authorize this test. Why? I have no idea so I'll have to phone them and wait an interminably long time on hold to find out. I tried calling my doctor's office but it's nearly impossible to get a human on the phone so...

15 February 2021
Arctic Tuesday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5712)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
HR: 138-200, 92


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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga


Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 536
Floors 33
Calories 78
HR: 136

Happy Frigid Valentines

Weekend temps peaked at 51F so it was quite the shock this morning when the thermometer read 9F. As in single digit weather. At least it wasn't icy because after shoveling the 4" of light fluffy snow off the walkway, car, driveway yesterday morning, I did "salt" liberally and all the surfaces were walkable. Just to be safe, because it is mid-February and still winter, I bought more ice-melt yesterday. Better to have extra than none. The stuff I'm currently using I actually bought last year.

The sun is rising earlier these days so it's light out when I get to the gym. I'll be bummed next month when we revert back to Daylight Savings Time and push the clocks forward an hour. That might mean driving in darkness again. The gym is surprisingly empty this morning, probably because everyone is hung over from Super Bowl Sunday partying. That was the one football game we used to watch but it's been years since we've actually bothered. I can catch the commercials (really, my only reason to watch the game) and half-time show rebroadcast on YouTube.

There's no one on the ellipticals so I can use the one with the working heart rate sensor. I check my notes to see that the next program I should do is number three. I should also do pull-ups. My forearms feel okay and I'm pleased to get almost 20. Yep, that's 19 but close enough and a lot more than a few months ago. I think doing two sets with twenty minutes of other things in between really helps. 

There are only two stair machines and a big bald guy has beaten me to the one I normally use. Just as well, since the closed captioning doesn't work on that TV but does on the other StepMill. Big Baldy has his hood up and is draped over the machine. Granted, he's been on the machine longer and is still there when I exit, but you're cheating yourself if you're not carrying your own body weight while doing cardio. Sort of like Lazy Pedals on the elliptical. He's not here today although two of the other regulars are. Probably nursing a hangover from last night's Super Bowl excitement.

14 February 2021
Valentine Monday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5706)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
HR: 76, 90, 133-196

HGPU 19

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 18

Matrix StepMill (left)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 529
Floors 33
Calories 77
HR: 147

Mindfulness is Hard

I got a call from the MRI folks who tell me that they don't have authorization from my health insurance to proceed and that I'll need to call my doc to get this sorted out. Ugh. My doctor's office can't tell me why the request hasn't been sent to the insurance company yet (I checked with the health insurance company first just to make sure). If they send the quest as an "emergency" it should arrive in time to allow me to get pictures of my lower back. After all, it's only been nearly seven months if we're starting from last August. Just ignore the past few years of intermittent sciatica...

Today I have weird pains that only last for five or ten minutes, like an ache in the center of my right palm while I'm pedaling the elliptical. (Glad I'm not doing pull-ups today!) What persists is the unpleasant vibration that bounces through the back of my hips when I step down, as if the body's shock absorbers have deflated. (My knees and feet are worse and that's the reason I don't run.)

Warm temps are lulling us and the birds into a false sense of Spring. Come this weekend and the air chills down 20 degrees with the threat of snow. Maybe I should bring in more firewood. The boys have a Scout event in NJ on Saturday and they'll be gone until Sunday, probably sleeping in a tent in 22F weather. (I would've gone too except I still don't have reliable dog sitting set up for my pups.) Today's routine is routine but I skip pull-ups and keep the TV on while plodding on the Step Mill. Watching Olympic coverage helps pass the time and ten minutes seems easier. It's an illusion, of course. But it seems to be working.

What also seems to be working is me trying to break the mindless snacking habit. It's difficult to stay focused. No one wants to think about every little thing they put into their mouth. That almost borders on the obsessiveness of destructive food-centered behaviors like bulimia. (And no, I'm not going to chew each mouthful 32 times, aka Fletcherism.) But I have cut back on snacking and drinking and I'm warily happy to see the scale inch downward. It's slow progress and I have to make sure that I don't self-sabotage with a sudden eating binge. Anxiety makes people do unhelpful things. If I can sustain the momentum, I might even be able to squeeze back into my "normal clothes" in a few months.

11 February 2021
Balmy Friday

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5580)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 314
HR: n/a


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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga


Matrix StepMill
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (55)
Step 542
Floors 33
Calories 79
HR: 141

Seems Like Spring

I'm not sure we're really going to have 6 more weeks of winter because today it hit 47F and it's still February. Of course, there's a snow storm forecast for Sunday into Monday so who knows how cold it'll get next week? I'm not putting away my snow shovels just yet...

Today is the second day that I stopped wearing a mask in the gym. New York State has joined the ranks of states rescinding the mask indoors order except for public transportation, medical facilities, and schools. I don't really feel any different and neither do my workouts. However, my left forearm is slightly strained after a round of pull-ups and that worries me a little. I'm highly susceptible to tendonitis! Everything else feels fine, so much so that I do an extra five push-ups out of boredom. Yep, I'm that girl. 

Depending on how my sciatica feels, I might start ambling back to pulling and pushing a few weights. A lot will depend on what the MRI shows... 

10 February 2021
Foggy Rainy Thursday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5668)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 317
HR: n/a

HGPU 18

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 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 16

Matrix StepMill
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 540
Floors 33
Calories 79
HR: 139

Some Success

I got my labs back this afternoon from yesterday's blood work, and I'm encouraged to maintain my current habits. My total cholesterol level is stable while the proportion of the components have changed, with both HDL and LDL levels dropping but a rise in triglycerides. Triglycerides are apparently what the body does with unused calories and they can be a cause of hardening of the arteries or a symptom of other disorders such as diabetes. Luckily, the rise from 64 to 97, while somewhat alarming, isn't considered dangerous or even high until it pushes past 150. 

Knowing that this type of blood fat is due to unused calories makes me wonder how I should change my eating habits. Ingesting oatmeal and/or prunes, and filtering my coffee have helped to keep my cholesterol in a manageable range where medication is not necessitated. My doc says my tests are normal so nothing is really out of whack. Her concern is the osteopenia (porous bones) that can lead to osteoporosis and potential fractures. Both my younger siblings have also been diagnosed with osteopenia but I don't think anyone is on a treatment plan. 

Sure, weight-bearing exercises can increase bone density, but I'm in my 60s with a wonky disc or two (sciatica is not our friend) so I'm leery of anything that smacks of "heavy" lifting. My blood work shows that taking a daily dose of 1400 IUs of vitamin D2 is providing adequate levels. Eating calcium pills has been linked to kidney stones. I take magnesium. Unfortunately, some medications, like gabapentin have been associated with thinning of the bones, similar to corticosteroids (prednisone). 

I am keeping a watchful eye on kidney functions though since creatinine (a waste product filtered by the kidneys) was flagged as slightly high and the EGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) flagged as slightly low. There's some family history as my mother's father died of kidney failure back when dialysis centers hadn't been created yet.

Meanwhile, I did my routine workout today and felt okay about it in spite of the nagging sciatica. Yesterday I did a lunge stretch after push-ups and I've been regretting it ever since. The lunge stretch itself didn't hurt, and it's nice to finally be able to plant the top of my foot flat against the floor (the hammer toes on the right foot have finally relaxed a bit). But that position is apparently too harsh a stretch for the hamstrings and today my leg/glute/calf isn't happy with me. I do have an MRI scheduled for next week so maybe I'll finally find out just what's busted in my back and what I can do to fix it.

8 February 2021
Foggy Rainy Tuesday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5652)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 317
HR: n/a

  Skip HGPU

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

  Skip HGPU

Matrix StepMill
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 539
Floors 33
Calories 79
HR: 132

When Less is More

Since I had a 9 AM doc appointment, I cut my routine short today. The threat of freezing rain and snow didn't help and just made me more anxious (which didn't help my blood pressure or heart rate). I hate driving in bad weather! And my sciatica plagues me especially when I'm driving or sitting for any length of time. I cut my cardio to 25 minutes (saving me 10 minutes) and skipped the Step Mill (another 10 minutes!). However, core, push-ups, air squats, and pull-ups remained in the routine.

I was worried about the pull-ups since it's been 3 days (plenty of time to fall out of condition and put on a few more pounds). I'd skipped Friday because I didn't trust myself on the roads although I later heard that the roads had been well-salted. It was only after dusk that the ice really built up everywhere. When the weather cleared and I had defrosted my car and spread salt and ash from the wood stove all over the walkway and driveway, I hauled a few loads of firewood into the house: my exercise for the weekend! It's starting to remind me of spelunking because the ancient tarp covering the furthest wood rack is porous and now frozen stiff like a precarious overhanging shelf. 

A lot of the underlying firewood is glazed with ice and stuck together forming a big glassy wall. But further inside the double rack, there are loose dry pieces probably ten years old. Which means duck squatting low enough to get under the solid ice-infused tarp, knocking the inner stack loose with a handy log and dragging them out piece by piece to stack on a hand cart. The wood racks are about 20 yards from the house but it's a circuitous route where I'm trying to maneuver the loaded hand cart through and around potholes of frozen footprints several inches deep.

Come Monday morning and I'm not all that confident in my pull-up abilities because I feel thick and lugubrious. I'm also really hungry since I needed to do a fasting blood work, which meant no coffee today. Because I like my coffee with everything in it, i.e., cream and sugar. Instead, I just have a cup of Morning Thunder (black tea with roasted maté). I am very pleasantly surprised that I'm able to knock out my pull-ups today. Perhaps because I cut my cardio short? Or maybe it was the tea? 

By late morning, me and my pups are the only ones at the dog park. Even with Yaktrax grippers on my boots, the icy slope is treacherous and I make my way to the top (where the shed and water bowls are) by clinging to the the perimeter fencing. Better than slipping and potential breaking something. (My doc is nagging me about doing an osteoporosis treatment plan, but first let's deal with the sciatica.) Dogs don't care and they get a half hour of run time. Exercised pups are happy pups so we'll do this again tomorrow...

7 February 2021
Annual Exam Monday

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 20 min + 5 min cd (4030 steps)
Distance: 2.03
Cal: 226
HR: n/a

HGPU 20

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 19

Thursday Pre-Weather

It's come to my attention that I just don't eat enough vegetables. I'm not particularly fond of salad. Perhaps my Asian upbringing makes me suspicious of raw veggies in large quantities. I like my greens cooked! It also seems to be impossible to eat recommended amounts of soluble and dietary fiber enough to impact my borderline cholesterol levels. If I eat a half serving of oatmeal (with an egg and dried tart cherries) every day, and an occasional dose of prunes, then my cholesterol is at a tolerable level that doesn't require problematic medications like statins. But what if I want to eat avocado toast with crushed garlic? Or a burger leftover from last night's dinner? Or the turkey chili I made two nights ago?

I have my annual next Monday and I'm nervous about the blood work. Because I haven't stuck to eating just oatmeal and prunes every day even though that worked for me back in August. It's hard to have constant self-control and mechanically eat the same thing every single day (because that's sort of dull). But mindless, stressful snacking has got to stop. Yes, it takes a lot more effort to eat properly but it's the only solution to the dietary backsliding that's been happening over the past few months.

At the gym, Lazy Pedals and his bud Middle-Age Dude are on side-by-side ellipticals chatting up a storm. Which means they've put the Close For Your Safety signs on the other two ellipticals, which thoroughly annoys me. I drop the sign on the 4th machine on the floor, wipe the handles and console and proceed to do Program 1. When I'm done, I put the sign on top of the other one that sits on the console for machine 3. No one who works at the gym is going to say or do anything anyway since masks are completely optional as is being vaccinated. I'm fine with it, just don't get in my face especially while I'm working out.

I have to skip pull-ups because I did them yesterday. Tomorrow's not looking good for the gym though because no one (especially not the meteorologists) can say for certain whether our area will be hit with sleet, freezing rain, or just a messy wintry mix. Winter Storm Landon appears to have originated just east of the Rockies and is sweeping across the country. My routine is routine and yes, the capricious Step Mill is still exhausting me. Today, it kept it's speed to 55 most of the time, occasionally blipping down to 52 or up to 60 (where it's supposed to be at Speed Setting 6). 

I got a new CD called The Very Best of Meat Loaf because I wanted to hear some of the songs that aren't part of the Bat Out Hell trilogy. I have a 6-CD changer in my car so I get to listen to tunes when the wonky analog radio can't get a clear signal. CD 6 is George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers, and I find myself singing along in the car because his tunes are a lot of fun. I don't care much for jazz, but the blues are another story. (I guess that explains why I've always favored the Stones over the Beatles...)

3 February 2021
Foggy Rainy Thursday

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5624)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 315
HR: n/a

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

Matrix StepMill
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (55)
Step 545
Floors 34
Calories 80
HR: 120

Groundhog Tuesday

It's official: the marmot saw his shadow and forecast 6 more weeks of winter. I skipped yesterday at the gym, didn't nap as I had planned, and my sciatica is the worse for it. I did, however, manage to provide dumplings (frozen from the supermarket), egg rolls (also from the same grocery market), and "long noodles" although they were Japanese udon, they were "fresh" so they were nice and chewy. Not quite a replacement for "long life" noodles but it was the best I could do on a Tuesday when schedules are tightly packed with various obligations. 

It was also the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Tiger. (I was surprised to learn that NYC schools were closed for the holiday! This never happened when I was a kid there.) Noodles for a long life, and dumplings (because they resemble coin purses) for prosperity. The egg roll was just because. We ended the meal with a piece of moon cake, a Chinese delicacy that is an acquired taste for some.

I feel sluggish this morning and it shows in the paltry mileage on the elliptical. But the pull-ups surprise me. Or should I say, I surprised myself. The second set was a tad more difficult, and once again, the Step Mill was plain out exhausting. This time the machine started at 57, hit 60 for a few seconds, and then dropped down to 52 (steps per minute) and remained there. It's a very capricious piece of equipment.

It's a balmy 41F and quite shocking. I'm thinking I ought to drag in more firewood before the next big storm (Winter Storm Landon) hits us. It might just be a glancing blow, but weather is fickle so who knows? I might start lifting again. It depends on how my back/sciatica behaves in the next few weeks. I'm not worried about losing strength, just about getting fatter and not even fitting into my fat clothes. I know, first world problems...

2 February 2021
Groundhog Tuesday

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5522)
Distance: 2.82
Cal: 311
HR: 194-138, 118

HGPU 20

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 17

Matrix StepMill
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-60)
Step 528
Floors 33
Calories 77
HR: 134