Fog Inside My Head

A Nor'easter blew through here last night with the cold drizzly remnants hanging over the day. I got to the gym on time but my head felt as cloudy as the overcast sky. It might be the weather since storms and low barometric pressure go hand-in-hand. And low pressure is not only associated with joint pain and headaches, but fatigue. I had a momentary thought to crawl back into bed after the school bus came, but I'll have to shorten my workouts on Thursday and Friday due to late morning appointments. While I'll exercise, I won't get to everything in the routine. Today I'm just going to pretend I'm not tired, because after the gym, I usually feel much better.

My glaucoma eye drops probably also contribute to my feelings of fatigue. Since I'm on 3 different drops and each has their own list of side effects, it's hard to know what is actually causative. More annoying than having perpetual "dry eyes" which literally impacts visual acuity, is the eyelid droop as the day wears on. Prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) have been implicated in this uncommon side-effect. Drooping lids significantly lessen the amount of light that enters the pupils and aging eyes in general need more light to see clearly. (Just ask any middle-aged adult about reading the restaurant menu in ambient lighting.) I find myself raising my brows in a feigned look of surprise when I'm reading later in the day. 

Unfortunately, I think it's the travaprost as it's a PGA, and I've had to argue with my health insurance company for weeks now just to get it covered again as the corporate bean counters decided that latanoprost could be a perfectly good but cheaper substitute. (But not for me as I've already been on that one.) Sometimes using eye moisturizers helps.

Cardio worked out better than anticipated today in spite of my fogginess. Core and stretching was routine. And instead of pull-ups (did those yesterday) I do triceps, alternating Skull Crushers with Rip Skulls to get my 6 sets done. The gym is crowded again with faces I don't recognize because they're too old for HS but too young for the regular crowd. College kids? If so, they'll only be here for a week...  

Not sure I'll get to any DB shoulder work but I've been thinking about a comment I read in response to an article about growing rear delts: do sets of pull-aparts with a band every day. It's simple and easy enough to do, if only I can remember to do it. I still even have stretchy bands from my time with physical therapy due to a labral shoulder tear some years ago. As long as they haven't disintegrated from age...

19 April 2021
Nor’easter Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5840)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr 154, 91-203

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

Skull Crushers/Rip Skulls alternating
30 lbs x 12 reps x 6 sets