Stress Gains

I'm not paranoid not wanting to use a cardio machine that's been recently vacated by someone panting and sweaty... although I find myself also not wanting to use a "hot" toilet stall either. Something about airborne germs et al. And ironically, it's the fittest folks who expel the most particles (probably due to their enhanced lung capacity) while exercising feverishly. Of course, this mostly applies to those cardio fitness classes, which I never participate in. 'Cuz crowds make me uncomfortable (see previous post).

Taking over the front yard!

It's been waaay too hot to be very active over the long weekend, although I did clear a lot of weeds, move dead firewood into the swamp and lay down two new pallets so I can stack good firewood. And I've tagged a few more milkweeds in my yard. Looks like I've created my own private milkweed sanctuary and no town mowers to worry about! I only hope that the butterflies appreciate it and leave caterpillars to watch over. 

Blistering today. I'm not doing yard work in 90+ F temps. And unfortunately, current events have me stress eating so I find my "fat clothes" fit me perfectly. Well, at least I have clothes that fit although I miss my "nice" clothes that need me to drop about 8 lbs to wear comfortably. Because it's all about comfort!

I'm still surprised when I make it past 2.9 on the elliptical, considering how slow and stiff I start out. The hips and lower back remain achy throughout the day, but it's not sciatica so I'm okay with that. Pull-ups feel harder today, especially the second go-round. It's not that my arms are weak, but that my core feels loose and sloppy, which makes the pull-up harder. Well, I'll be back tomorrow, and maybe knock out some Skull Crushers... I might finally have plumbers coming to the house to assess and replace the corroded waste pipe that has caused my kitchen sink to clog. Nothing like bailing water out of a double sink with a pot and dish rag when you'd rather be sitting in front of the air conditioner...

31 May 2021
Post Holiday Tuesday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5858)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 329
Avg Hr: 156, 198-87, 94

HGPU 24

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
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

HGPU 23

Yes, This is Fairly Accurate

I viewed a hilarious YouTube video contrasting introverts and extroverts at the gym, and for the most part, I empathize with the introvert. For the most part but not totally, because I'm comfortable enough at the gym and have no desire to work out at home all by myself. But that doesn't mean I want to chat between sets either.

Today the weather conspires against me. There's pea soup fog inside my head making my eyeballs hurt. I'm simultaneously congested with a runny nose. So I need to blow my nose, but it's not very productive. The sky is dark and hazy, temps and humidity are high. There's also no school for a lot of districts (creating a 4-day weekend for school kids) so I have less incentive to wake early, but I do. And I'm at the gym at the usual time although it takes a while to get myself started. No phone fumble today and I make my distance quota. Pull-ups were challenging for the first few reps only because I'd forgotten to clench my core to keep my lower body from swaying. Crossing legs at the ankles help.

There's a girl already in the Aerobics Room when I enter. She's wearing black shorts, leggings and bra, with a boxy, black-spotted yellow tank that made me think she was dressed like a bee. Like a big carpenter bee. She's doing a routine involving a yoga mat and small plastic dumbbells. The Aerobics Room is disappointingly warm, warmer than the rest of the gym. I can't stop sweating. 

Well, at least I can knock out a second set of pull-ups before showering and changing. At my eye doc appointment, my IOPs register 13/14, which is much better than last month, but I'm a tad disappointed that they aren't lower. Not sure if it's the Astaxanthin, or changing my head position while I sleep. No side sleeping when you have glaucoma. I should raise my pillow by 20-30 degrees but that puts a lot of pressure on my coccyx. That's not good for my sciatica. My lower back feels chronically stiff, and the left hamstring is sensitive. Movement makes it better though. I have another appointment next month to discuss the results of today's visual field test. Fingers crossed that my vision hasn't deteriorated as much as the last test suggests.

27 May 2021
Foggy Friday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5850)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 327
Avg Hr: 143, 197-88

HGPU 24.5

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
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

HGPU 23

Well, That Sucks...

Nothing more depressing that reading about one's chances of developing dementia just because one has one of the less popular blood types. So, not only does having AB+ type blood increase my chances of vascular issues (AB blood tends to be "stickier" than type O), but now it increases the probability of mental impairment by a whopping 80%. WTF?!

Meanwhile, I get to the gym on time and am en route to finishing a routine cardio segment when I fumble my phone and that costs me speed. Which costs me a fraction of a mile. So, now I've finally broken the 2.9 streak, but only because my phone will misinterpret my efforts to view it and instead present me with everything I'm not interested in, like the latest news, pending incoming emails and texts, the weather outside...

I skipped yesterday to weed whack my yard, especially the field of mugworts. Again, my lips go numb from the flying pulverized vegetation. As loathe as I am to use herbicides, I spray all the poison ivy I find with a triclopyr mix (Ortho Max Poison Ivy Killer). I certainly don't want to weed whack it or pull it up with my gloved hands. I don't see Oriental Bittersweet listed as a target plant on the label, although this product apparently works on kudzu. I don't have kudzu though. I have Oriental Bittersweet, and as many vines with ladder tendrils that I rip out of my hedges, I always find more. 

Tomorrow I have an eye doc appointment to check on whether the left eye has really lost vision and if the astaxanthin has reduced my IOPs. I'll still make it to the gym, but it'll just be cardio, core & stretching, and some pull-ups. Today, I spend more time in the free weight area, utilizing one of the Inclined Breaker Benches. Lucky for me, someone has borrowed the Olympic bar for that bench so I don't worry about banging my head. Because I'm not benching the bar for the Inclined Presses although I could. The bar is only 45 lbs and easier to handle than a pair of 20 lb DBs. 

Keeping to my plan, I add pounds and reps to the inclined portions of the routine. I make time to do 3 sets even though it means I'll be late to the dog park later. This shoulder routine doesn't feel bad at all and I'm moving between sets with very little rest. The goal is to get back to 25 lbs for the Reverse Inclined Flys, but I'm not there yet.

26 May 2021
Brisk Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #4
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5784)
Distance: 2.89 (phone fumble)
Cal: 324
Avg 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
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

DB Incl Press s/s Lat Raise s/s Rev Inc Fly
10 lbs x 20/15/20 warm up
15 lbs x 20/15/25 reps
20/15/20 lbs x 20/15/25 reps x 3 sets

Little Changes

My right shoulder feels off. The back of my left thigh is throbbing slightly. That pesky sciatic nerve! Today is the day I might break that 2.9 streak and succumb to fatigue (and disinterest) but I manage to squeak by. I'm very happy there's no pull-ups scheduled for today. In the Aerobics Room, I walk in on a woman in high-waisted leggings and a sports bra taking those odd "over the shoulder" selfies. I actually don't know what that contorted poise is supposed to do for the picture.

The shoulder discomfort is enough justification to take Side Planks out of my routine. Everything else feels okay, including the pull-apart band stretches at the end. I'm happy I can actually feel the a/c today. Yesterday, I was disappointed at how warm the room was, not that it was actually warm, but that it wasn't frigid. When I'm flush and sweaty, I want to dry off and cool down quickly!

 I walk into the free weight area and make sure to clear the gaggle of women cackling in the corner. There are a few regular guys in the DB area including Grey Beard. I find the 30 lb barbell and settle backward on a breaker bench. Today, I make a point of not hooking my left foot under the yellow bar to pull myself upright. That little habit puts stress on the hamstring and aggravates my sciatica. Instead, I do a sit-up with the barbell in my hands. It's surprisingly easy to sit upright after each set considering I haven't done a sit up in years. (I wonder why I've never done this before!) My left leg sciatica is still annoying but at least I haven't made it worse...

24 May 2021
Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5782)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr 144, 197-88

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
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

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

Justifying Partial Reps

It was so hot (94F) this weekend that I stayed inside for most of it. With a family history of heatstroke, I wasn't taking any chances. Even the dogs weren't thrilled although always happy to be outside at the Bark Park, but not running, jumping or chasing. Today is more seasonably temperate (56F this morning). I'm much happier. But still tired. And my sciatica is bothering me with odd asymmetrical aches: left glute, right calf, behind the left knee... 

I barely make 2.9 today on the elliptical. I hate people who eat candy bars (okay, it was a protein bar) and then leave the sticky wrapper in the phone holder. Self-indulgent, self-centered morons. Everything else is routine, including pull-ups, push-ups, planks and stretching. 

I read an article justifying partial reps and wondered if that also applied to my pull-up efforts. Of course, my reasons for partial reps have nothing to do with "occlusion training" (my god that sounds really painful), and everything to do with being able to do a movement without causing debilitating injuries to my elbows and forearms. I can do a bunch of partial hammer-grip pull-ups. If I drop to full extension, I might get a dozen but I'll be out of commission for everything that involves arms for weeks thereafter because of how bad the tendonitis will be. I know because I've already suffered this, and unlike most idiots, I know doing the same thing over and over just leads to the same results over and over.

However, what I keep forgetting to do is file my callouses and strands of hair get caught on my palms as I undo my braid to go shower. I run a pumice stone over the callouses while they're wet and that helps, but it's not as good as a decent flat file. That'll have to wait until I get home, and hopefully remember to do it.

23 May 2021
Brisk Bright Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5788)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr 144, 190-78

HGPU 23

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
Side Elbow Plank 2 x 30s
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

HGPU 22

Precipitating Discomfort

I dragged myself to the gym and sat in the car reading my emails for a good 15 minutes. It's hard motivating myself out of the car even when I'm a mere steps away. The gym isn't horribly crowded for a Friday and I'm able to land elliptical #1 to do Program 3. Again, I think I'll be lucky to hit 2.8 but after 20 minutes I find my endurance has kicked in and I'm able to sustain a faster rate of pedaling. I'm still tired though. And insect bites are much itchier after the second day.

I might delete Side Planks from my routine after all. I do 30 seconds per side and while my feet and other joints don't go numb and tingly, I'm not happy with how my shoulders feel. Everything else in the routine is routine. There are a few regulars in the free weight area but the only adjustable bench by the DBs is occupied. There's another one in the Smith machine so I use that today. 

In the future, however, I'm probably better off using one of the Inclined Breaker Benches because their seats are adjustable for height so I'll be able to plant my feet on the ground when doing Inclined DB Presses. Otherwise, my feet are stacked atop each other on the handle under the seat and that's bad for so many reasons: no stability because feet aren't flat on the floor, added pressure to the lower back and coccyx for this same reason, sciatic aggravation as one limb presses against the other. Using this bench this way is definitely not good for my sciatica!

I can do the least reps with the lateral raises. It's also the exercise with which I use the lightest weight, while I can increase the load for inclined presses and reverse inclined flys. Tiny elbows are what keep lateral raises at 15 lbs (because, yes, I've tried to go heavier). Today, 20 reps with a pair of 20 lb DBs feels okay. Last week, it felt like I had reached a limit: too much pressure in my head and chest. And that always makes me worry I'm causing my optic nerves damage. (Weight lifting exertion can raise IOPs and I don't believe that just the Valsalva maneuver [holding your breath] is to blame.) Today, I don't feel any pressure and if it weren't for the fact that I'm running late and need to take my dogs to the park as soon as I get home, I'd probably stay and give the 25s a go just to see how it felt. 

The sciatic discomfort is persistent and nagging though. People take being of average height for granted. Those of us at the extremes of normal usually find normal things can be challenging. A very tall, slender girl says Hi to me in the locker room. A few days ago she asked me for my opinion on whether she should wear her pants legs tied or loose because the pants were too short for her and she knew it was a weird question. I guess she lacks confidence. She's probably tired of having comments made about her height and thinness. She could model or run track, or both. But I just say Hi back.

I've forgotten to file my callouses and they snag my hair in the shower as I rinse the shampoo out. Ugh. You'd think I didn't wear gloves all the time, but my skin is sensitive to humidity, temperature, friction. (I'm the only one I know who's actually sliced open a finger on the peeling chrome paint of the pull-down machine handle.) This weekend promises to be a scorching 90+F and I'm not happy about it. The pups will go to the park in the morning when it'll be 70. Still too warm for the pups to be extremely active, but dogs are social creatures and they do love meeting and hanging out with their pup friends.

20 May 2021
Foggy Friday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5934)
Distance: 2.95
Cal: 332
Avg Hr 151, 205-85

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
Side Elbow Plank 2 x 30s
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

DB Incl Press s/s Lat Raise s/s Rev Inc Fly
10 lbs x 15/20/20 warm up
15 x 20/15/25 reps
20/15/20 lbs x 15/15/25 reps
20/15/20 lbs x 20/15/25 reps

Time to File

I skipped yesterday to weed wack the yard. Not all of it. Just where the Mugwort (aka Sailor's Tobacco, Felon Herb, Artemisia vulgaris) grows in a thick calf-high carpet. If left unattended, it will grow into an impenetrable forest of sharp, unyielding stems and chrysanthemum-like leaves. I stopped when I spied bunches of three shiny leaves clustered close to the ground. Even though I'm wearing eye protection, the rest of my face is exposed and I find myself wiping pulverized green spatter from my cheeks and mouth. My lips and tongue tingle unpleasantly and that side effect lasts for hours. That's not from the poison ivy. It's the mugwort.

The biting insects get me through my clothes while I carefully hand-clip the tall ground in the center of the yard. I was going to use the wacker but spied a few milkweed shoots. And then I see more. And more. I count 28 and they have thick stems and look relatively healthy so I grab my fluorescent pink marking tape and tie warning strips around them to keep them from being trampled or mowed. I've put a tarp over the original planting sites because after the second year, the plants tend to succumb to a black fungus endemic to damp swampy areas. Letting it lie fallow might help.

This morning, it's cold and rainy and my head is all in a fog. I have trouble motivating myself out of the warm dry car once I get to the gym parking lot. I have trouble getting myself up to speed once I get on the elliptical. But after 20 minutes, I'm warm and sweaty enough to push past 2.8, and I'm always surprised when it happens.

I try doing Side Planks for 60 seconds instead of 30. Not only does the bottom foot go numb, but the top hip and shoulder also feel a peculiar lack of circulation. It's unpleasant enough for me to decide that maybe Side Planks will be every other day, and for only 30 seconds. Everything else feels fine, including push-ups, air squats and pull-ups. 

When I take off my workout gloves, I realize that it's time once again to run a file against my palms because the callouses under the base of my fingers are thick enough to start peeling up. Having your callouses rip off is not a pleasant thing so best to be proactive. (My extremely lined palms and fingers are a hallmark of having ichthyosis vulgaris, a genetic skin disorder.)

Tomorrow I'll see about doing the DB Shoulder routine, if it's not too crowded. It'll be Friday and lately that's meant less folks hogging the equipment. But now that colleges are out, and people are suddenly concerned about their beach bodies, that might change...

19 May 2021
Soggy Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5904)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr 142, 190-83

HGPU 23

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
Side Elbow Plank 2 x 60s (too much)
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

HGPU 21.5

Fatigue as a Side Effect

Yesterday, schools got dismissed early, after-school activities were canceled and the library closed at 5 instead of 9 because we were all told about the possibility of tornadoes. It did rain heavily for an hour around 4 pm, long after schools would have dismissed on regular schedules. But weather is so unpredictable no wonder no one really pays much attention to the apps anymore. Except those who might be liable should the unthinkable "acts of god" occur. Then everyone will find someone to sue. Or have their insurance rates skyrocket.

This morning it's cool and sunny, a perfect day. The gym is more crowded than it should be for a Tuesday and I'm a tad late because I'm tired and dragging my butt. My fatigue could actually be due to all the glaucoma meds I'm on. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these eye drops have fatigue as a side effect. I'm acutely aware of having dry eyes (my eyeballs feel sticky and tire easily) and dry mouth (constantly sipping water!), so why wouldn't I also have fatigue that no amount of coffee can fix without upsetting my stomach?

Cardio wakes me up and gets the blood rushing and the sweat dripping. I skip side planks today because my ribs feel sore. Weird, right? But what really bothers me are my hip bones. Or maybe it's the coccyx. Which is different than having a low back ache. It feels like I have no cushioning so stepping is harsh and a bit jarring. Stretching helps. Bird dogs and fire hydrants make everything much better. 

I finally remember to do triceps today. There are more muscle-heads in the gym today, friends of regulars and they're all congregated in the DB area. Gray Beard is back. Tank has a pal who's more massive than he is and a bit older. If I looked, I'd probably find B in the middle of them because she's in need of a new "gym husband." Yesterday she had Lazy Pedals spotting her on the bench. Unfortunately, she can't return the favor.

There are still college girls working out throughout the gym. I find a breaker bench on the other side of the freestanding BB rack and do my Skull Crusher and Rip Skull sets. Next time, I might alternate reps instead of sets just to change things up... When I get home, I'll eat some oatmeal but I'm getting bored and need new ways to make that interesting.

 

17 May 2021
Crisp Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5938)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr 141, 200-93

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
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

Skull Crushers alternate with Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12 reps x 6 sets

H's

The combination of heat and humidity, while great for super dry skin, isn't so great for those of us who have trouble regulating our body temperature (a problem common to those with ichthyosis vulgaris). The first half of my cardio workout is miserable: I'm in that prickly-heat zone where my skin itches and tingles with unpleasant pin pricks because I'm overheated but not enough to sweat yet. Once I start to perspire, the itching subsides. 

Again, I doubt making it past 2.9 but I do. The astaxanthin is the only reasonable explanation. Inactivity this weekend has aggravated my sciatica and the lowest part of my back, the coccyx, is tight and sore. The nerve running down my left calf feels taught but the stretches between ab exercises helps a lot, especially the lower torso rotation and the fire hydrant.

I've cooled down by the time I get back to the Stretch Cage to do round two for pull-ups. But my hip and lower back are starting to stiffen so I do 10 minutes on the stair machine. That's enough to keep me loose until I can shower and change.

16 May 2021
Foggy Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5848)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr 140, max 197-71

HGPU 22

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
Side Elbow Plank 2 x 30s
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Pull-apart band 25
Gentle upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

HGPU 21.5

Matrix StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Step 527
Floors 32
Cal 77
Hr 148

Space Case Friday

It's so warm today that the air conditioning is on at the gym. I don't see a lot of the regulars but the squat little South American fellow is on elliptical #2 so I get on #4. I feel as foggy inside as it is outside so I think I'll be lucky to do more than 2.8 for mileage. I'm surprised to make it past 2.9 and very happy that I don't have pull-ups on my schedule today. Sweat drips off me all over the mat in the Aerobics Room. Between that and the snowflakes of dead skin (my chronic dry skin condition), it's good that I always wipe the mat down before and after use. 

I see B flitting around looking for someone to chat with. Since the college girls have been coming, the middle-aged male regulars have become scarce. Gray Beard has disappeared, and Lazy Pedals only shows up sporadically now. The Senior folks are all still coming, but they tend to stick to the machines and not congregate around the free weight benches.

I'm done with the Superman Plank. If it were merely difficult and strenuous for my core, I'd keep trying. (I notice my abs seem more tender than usual today while doing crunches and Dead Bugs. Coincidence? I dunno.) But I'm not willing to risk upper back spasms and aggravating the sciatica that has been in remission lately. I try side planks for 30 seconds on each side. It's been a really long time since I did these. On the whole, not horrible, even with a leg and an arm in the air, feeling a bit like Patrick Star.

I know I'm supposed to do Triceps today yet as soon as I'm back in the free weight area, I make a beeline for the adjustable bench as if today is Shoulder Day. And I completely forget about doing Rip Skulls or Skull Crushers. 

Instead, I decide to increase my DBs to 20 lbs for the last two sets. That makes the Inclined Presses better (something I can actually feel) but this is the limit right now for this movement. While fine for triceps, upper pecs and front delts, I still have to be mindful of how much pressure I'm exerting even though you can't really tell if your IOPs have increased or not, unless it's ridiculously critically high (like 80 instead of 17 and your eyeballs hurt). I have a glaucoma appointment in two weeks to check my pressures and see if my right eye has gotten any better with another Visual Field test. 

The heavier DBs make the Reverse Inclined Flys harder, but still doable. I know that in the past I've gone as heavy as 25 lbs but I doubt I'll doing that anytime soon. Adding the pull-apart bands for every workout pre-exhausts my shoulders and unfortunately makes my right ear plug up. I've yet to see whether it'll have the effects I want: bigger, stronger rear delts. 

I have been reading a lot of contradictory articles about inflammation. (Are tomato products good or bad for it? Depends on whether you're sensitive to the nightshade family of plants.) While much has been made of how inflammation is bad for the body, it is a natural process that is critical to recovery. Acute inflammation is what happens when you exert yourself and get a bit sore. It goes away and you're healed up. Chronic inflammation is what everyone's concerned about. But the news is now anti-inflammatory meds (ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.) might be causing pain to become chronic. What?! Click here for that article.

13 May 2021
Foggy Friday Morn

Precor elliptical #4
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5964)
Distance: 2.95
Cal: 333
Avg 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
Side Elbow Plank 2 x 30s
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25

DB Incl Press s/s Lat Raise s/s Rev Inc Fly
10 lbs x 15/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 15/15/25 reps
20/15/20 lbs x 15/15/25 reps x 2 sets

First, Do No Harm

I skipped yesterday's workout and went back to sleep for an hour, hoping to cure myself of the mild vertigo that sometimes accompanies sleep deprivation. (It might also be allergies as the lilacs and other trees are in bloom now.) The effects of sleep deprivation are controversial in whether or not they mimic alcohol intoxication and there are several online articles both confirming and denying this. Apparently, some folks arrested for DUI have used sleep deprivation as their excuse for failing the field sobriety test. Of course, breathalyzers can objectively confirm the reason for impairment and are routinely used these days.

As a night owl, I never spring out of bed at dawn feeling chipper and energetic. My first impulse is always to pull the covers over my head and catch a few more Zzzzs. I get to the gym and it's already warm outside. (Temps peak in the mid 70s today.) Cardio surprises me pleasantly. I'm not sleepy anymore but still feel tired. (But I feel as if I'm always tired unless I'm actually doing something physical.) I give Superman Planks one more go, but I've decided it's not worth the potential for injury. Not only does my shoulder hurt from it, but my upper spine is all twisted up trying to maintain this position and just short of spasms. There's no problem with plain ol' Elbow Planks or Bird Dogs. Perhaps I should try side planks again? The little bones on the sides of my feet weren't happy with those. There's just no pleasing some old joints...

12 May 2021
Bright Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5934)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr 140, max 202-90

HGPU 22

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
*Superman Plank 30s each side
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
Band pull-aparts 25

HGPU 23

A Few New Things

Tonight we're going to see Weird Al Yankovic in concert. I've never seen him perform live but I hear he puts on a really good show. I thought about bailing on the gym today and just doing some yard work because I'm not getting enough sleep, but then thought better of it. It's weird how one can be so tired and yet have a good work out. Maybe fatigue is all in my mind?

I tried the Superman Plank and it's a lot harder than it looks. For some reason Bird Dogs are easy, but Superman Planks are hard. My balance is off and I fight teetering to one side or the other while keeping an eye on my phone. Maybe next time I get off my elbow? Thirty seconds is a long time when you're not good at it. I fare better with adding DB Inclined Presses to my shoulder routine. I was actually going to do Triceps but I'm so tired that I forgot what I was supposed to do, saw an available inclined bench and started my shoulder routine.

Admittedly, DB Incline Presses are ridiculously easy at the weights I used today, but I've just started. Next week I'll use the 20s and maybe move up to the 25s. But I'll stick with the 15s for Lateral Raises, although Reverse Inclined Flys can work up to the next level. I remember using 25s but that was some time ago...

10 May 2021
Weird Al Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5882)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 329
Avg Hr 148, 205-91

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
*Superman Plank 30s each side
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
Band pull-aparts 25

DB Incl Press s/s Lat Raise s/s Rev Inc Fly
10 lbs x 15/15/25 warm up
15 x 15/15/25 reps x 3 sets

Post Mother's Day

I wasn't expecting it to be in the 30s this morning. At least there wasn't frost on the windshield, but I definitely am not a morning person. I kept waking up every few hours, and once the alarm went off at 5:45 and I hit the 10 min snooze, I immediately fell into a dream that the second alarm interrupted just as it was my turn to do something I can't quite remember. Ugh.

Some colleges are already done for the term, so that explains the influx of young women at the gym this morning, not that it's crowded. A lot of members have gone on vacation already! I'm okay with that. I had a lot of movie theater popcorn yesterday, followed by a Mother's Day dinner at a local restaurant. (Yes, I finally got to see Everything Everywhere All At Once and it was well worth the wait! Surprise! Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, is all grown up and plays the not-so-hapless husband, Waymond.) The martial arts choreography is exhilarating and unexpectedly entertaining!

We all know that movie theater popcorn and restaurant food are laden with salt and fat. The restaurant also refilled my glass of pinot noir without me asking them to (not good). I'm a one glass patron because I can't finish two even if I sit there all night. Too much wine makes me sleepy. Which means, I'm not surprised that I feel sluggish this morning. 

My nose is persistently runny although most of the forsythias have dropped their brilliant yellow blooms. I'm happy to have made decent mileage although I'm disappointed I didn't get more reps on the pull-ups. Of course, it is Monday. Hopefully I'll improve as the week wears on. I'm considering altering my planks to try something labeled "superman plank" that I read about in an online cycling journal. I haven't quite figured out how to do it yet though without falling on my face. It'd be a Bird Dog if the downed leg had a bent knee and downed elbow straight. Hmm...

I skip the step machine to give myself more time to grocery shop before taking the dogs to the park. With gas prices so high, I'm reluctant to drive out of my way. The market with better prices and quality is in the same strip as my gym, but it's not the closest one to my house.

9 May 2021
Sunny Cold Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5780)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 324
Avg Hr 148, 94-189

HGPU 22

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
Band pull-aparts 25

HGPU 21

Foggy Inside and Out

When I arrive at the gym, Lazy Pedals is already on an elliptical, but it's not his customary #1 or 2. Oddly, it's #3. He's still draped over the console though, and his buddy Middle-aged Guy is nowhere in sight. He's only on for a few minutes before ambling off to a treadmill where he's walks for literally five minutes, leaves his stuff on the machine, and disappears for the next 20. When he returns, he waves the yellow cleaning rag over the screen (I don't think he actually wipes anything) and heads down to the free weight area. Wondering if he's ill, and then spreading it to all his gym buddies. 

The gym staff issues us yellow washcloths and spray bottles with disinfectant solution when we enter. And we hand them back when we leave. Most of the time the bottles don't spray very well, and I prefer to grab a wet wipe out of the "gym buckets" sporadically stationed throughout. Still, so much better than the bleach spray bottles and paper towels from pre-Covid times...

It's rainy and cold outside and my head feels foggy inside. And I'm tired and a little bit achy. However, I still manage a really good cardio workout that leaves me drenched and sweat dripping off the ends of my hair-clipped braid. Because I'm so tired and it's the end of the week, and there's no one on either stair machine, I do 10 minutes for a little extra cardio. Unfortunately the step mill never really gets past 52 steps per minute at speed setting 6: I'm too tired to challenge myself by increasing the speed. Nope, 52 is fine. It gets to 55 but only for a second, hence 522 steps for 10 minutes and not 520.

I'm hoping to finally catch that Michelle Yeoh film, Everything Everywhere All At Once this weekend. My son and his friends want to see the latest Marvel spectacular: Dr. Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. I heard it didn't get great reviews, but I'll bet it's entertaining. And since I'll have to drive my son to meet his friends, I might as well enjoy a movie too.

 

 

6 May 2021
Grey Super Tired Friday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5940)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr 143, 203-84, 91

HGPU 23

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
Band pull-aparts 25

HGPU 22

Matrix StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52)
Step 522
Floors 32
Calories 76
Heart Rate 138

Cinco

Today temps hit a high near 70F and the pups are at the park for two hours with various other playmates. It's too hot to wear a hoodie but the tiny flying insects aren't too bad. I'm still tired though. I was tired when I got up this morning, and tired when I got on the elliptical. Middle-Age Guy (MaG) is pedaling on #1 and I don't see Lazy Pedals anywhere in the vicinity so I get on #3. 

Halfway through Program 3, LP arrives to chat with MaG. Well, at least he's not getting on #2 between us. Instead, he waits until MaG is done and then he gets on the same machine. That works for me. And I nearly break 3 miles today. It's the closest I've ever been on this cardio machine with these programs.

No pull-ups today. My abs are slightly sore. As are my triceps. And that's okay too. I'm not sure that the band pull-aparts are working, but they do make my shoulders tired. Not a bad thing, especially on "shoulder day." There are lots of regulars in the free weight area but I secure an adjustable bench right by the DBs. Next time I'll probably increase the Reverse Inclined Flys by another 5 lbs, just to get back to where I used to be.

Today is Cinco de Mayo and the skies are sunny. Tomorrow and the weekend promise more rain. But it'll be okay...

5 May 2021
Sunny Super Tired Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (6062!)
Distance: 2.99
Cal: 339
Avg Hr 150, 213-82

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
Band pull-aparts 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inc Flys
10 lbs x 15/25 reps warm up
15 x 15/25 reps x 3 sets

May the Fourth

The forecast was correct and it is indeed raining today. The weather seems to make my joints ache sporadically in arbitrary places. One minute a finger throbs, then one of my knees, or maybe a shoulder or elbow. No one can agree as to why weather might affect joints although everyone knows someone whose bones can tell you a storm is coming. One theory suggests that low pressure (rain) allows joints to expand (ever so slightly) and this "inflammation" causes pain. A small Dutch study showed just the opposite: high pressure and humidity caused increased pain in people already afflicted with osteoarthritis. 

My GP says I have arthritis but since I'm over 60, I'm not surprised. My feeling is "Well, doesn't everyone?" And truthfully, there's no constant pain anywhere, except when my sciatica flares up. Today, my left knee twinges on the elliptical, and twinges again when I get around to air squats. Which means I'm constantly adjusting my footing and my squat depth today to alleviate the pain on the inside of my knee. When I stop, the pain stops. And nothing else I do makes it hurt so I'm good. Except that I finally snapped my stretch band, as I feared would happen. No problem. It was probably a weak spot, and I resume doing pull-aparts with the shorter half of the band. Works just fine.

I've been working at keeping my core straight and legs static during hammer grip pull-ups. It makes the movement feel very different. (So much better when your body isn't wobbling like a badly built swing.) There are less people here today and I'm surprised since it's mid-week. I beat Snow Bird to the Stretch Cage today and knock out my second set of pull-ups. I skip the step machine because I need to head to the grocery before I head home and take the pups to the park. It's raining and I know no one else is coming but the dogs still want to run about. Besides, it's not raining very hard...

4 May 2021
Raining Wednesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5786)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr 153, 87-209

HGPU 23

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
Band pull-aparts (snapped!) 25

HGPU 22

A Seasonable Spring Day

It rained yesterday. It will rain tomorrow. But it's partially sunny today and reasonably warm. This week will see alternating weather patterns but I'm okay with it. It's only the tiny flying insects that really annoy me as they constantly flit with certain death by inhalation, ingestion or just being trapped between eyelids and lashes.

My husband made dinner last night, and while it was tasty, there's a literal pile of dishes overflowing the sink and I feel bloated and swollen from too much salt-laden food. However, I seem to do better in spite of feeling worse. Cardio is better today. No pull-ups and I move my pull-aparts to right after arm and shoulder circles but before eye yoga. Tuesdays are usually quieter because a lot of folks subscribe to the 3X weekly model (MWF) which is fine with me. 

Horizontally distorted

By the time I get to triceps, I'm feeling pretty good. Too good. Maybe I need to add a bit of weight to the barbell? Last time I added 5 lbs, it caused a minor sciatica flareup. Should I add more sets instead? I take a photo of the bench and notice a 0.5 setting on the scale wheel. My last phone didn't have that in the camera. I can take the photo without stepping back but the image is very distorted width-wise. Looking around, I see a few regulars like Tank, GrayBeard, and of course, B is chatting up a woman by the machines. Time to go shower! 

Yesterday, I saw from the back, a man inappropriately dressed for the gym. He had on baggy jeans that were in danger of slipping off, salt and pepper hair and scruffy beard that needed a good trim, a jacket, baseball cap, and a lost look as he walked the treadmill for a few minutes. Then I realized that I recognized this man who at first glance screamed "homeless" but I had trouble figuring out from where. Ten minutes later his face pops into the proper scenario. He's the parent of a student in my son's kung fu class. But he normally goes to Planet Fitness because they were only $10/month and had incentives like pizza parties and bagel Fridays. But I've also heard that they don't really have any free weights so unless you only use machines, it might not be a good fit...

3 May 2021
Not Raining Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5890)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 330
Avg Hr 138, 197-88

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
Band pull-aparts single strand 25

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

The Price of Convenience

This week promises rain every other day. Yesterday was the only truly nice day with ardent sun and little wind. The annoying tiny kamikaze insects attracted to eyes, ears, nostrils and mouths have temporarily dissipated. I'm sure they'll be back, only bigger and hungrier. 

I'm tying my shoelaces this morning when I hear a vaguely familiar voice greet me. It's B, who hasn't been to the gym since the pandemic began. I don't really have much to say to her because while I'm glad she and her hubs are well, I haven't particularly missed her brand of "friendship," which is primarily to talk about herself and then walk off in the middle of a conversation once she gets around to asking about you.

Today I get on elliptical number 2 and Program 3. I feel sluggish, bloated and tired. I'm the opposite of a weekend warrior. Weekends are when I get very little exercise and sit in front of my computer a lot, even on nice days. So, while I don't break 2.9 miles, I do have a decent cardio warmup and pull-ups. Snow Bird beats me to the Stretch Cage for my second round of pull-ups and that's the only excuse I need to clamber onto the StepMill for 10 minutes. From this high perch, I can see B talking to Tank for the entire duration of my second cardio bout. He looks bored but maybe that's how he always looks. 

I've been reading a lot about PFAS in fast food wrappers, and while I don't eat a lot of fast food, I do have the habit of using a paper plate to keep microwaved foods from splattering inside the microwave. I used to use paper towels (apparently perfectly safe as long as you're not nuking so long that the paper catches fire!) but they'd get really soggy and sometimes fall into the food. Should I worry about dioxin in bleached paper products? (I use unbleached coffee filters!) Old-fashion wax paper melts onto the bowls or plates and is difficult to remove so I had to stop buying rolls of that. 

I'm not sure what modern parchment paper is coated with, but it's apparently safe and barely contains any PFAS depending on the brand (Reynolds has 14 ppm while another brand has zero). Most paper plates are coated with plastic and can contain up to 140 ppm of PFAS, so while not nearly as bad as a Burger King wrapper, it's still more than nothing. Still, how much gets imparted into food it's not actually touching, or is contained in the steam by-product? Everywhere I look, there's something to worry about...

Products made from recycled paper products, while seeming virtuous, may in fact be contaminated with stuff like paper receipts (a source of BPAs). Yep, humanity loves to virtue label without actually doing what would be the right thing, because not only would it be difficult and complicated, but it probably wouldn't make an immediate profit. We, as a species, are freakin' doomed.

2 May 2021
Rainy Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5698)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 321
Avg Hr 148, 195-100

HGPU 23.5

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
Band pull-aparts single strand 25

Matrix StepMill (R)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Step 532
Floors 33
Calories 78
Heart Rate n/a

HGPU 22