Itching to Distraction

I've got so many insect bites, mostly on my left side, that it's distracting. My ankle doesn't want to wear socks and is red and swollen from all the scratching. More bites through my pants, on my neck, face, fingers, and worst, just under a boob. Which makes me worry about chafing from sports bras. Mosquitos have been able to bite through most summer weight pants so at the dog park, I've taken to wearing a pair of heavier knit joggers that the bugs don't like, probably because of it's marled stripey white and gray pattern. Biting insects have been shown to avoid stripey things.

I avoid taking any drugs I don't absolutely need. But the bugs have been so bad this summer that I might resort to second generation antihistamines like Claritin or Zyrtec because those are considered safe for glaucoma sufferers. This might also clear up my perpetually runny nose and itchy eyes, but mostly my eyes hurt because they're dry no matter how many times a day I apply moisturizing drops.

It's a weird rainy morning, and I watch my son's school bus roll past the next stop. Oops! The student there isn't able to board because the bus doesn't back up to her road but stops several yards down the road just where there's literally no line-of-sight for oncoming cars. I don't know why the vehicle can't just backup since I've left several car lengths between my car and it. I guess the kid will get on the bus on the way back?

There's not a lot of folks at the gym except Lazy Pedals is draped over elliptical #1. But no MAGuy next to him. And I know that the next two machines clunk a lot so I settle on the last one in the row, #4. My ankles isn't happy with all the pedaling and the rebellious hammertoes threaten to spasm. At least my shoulders hold up well enough for me to achieve a bunch of pull-ups.

I read an article written by a cyclist about the usefulness of pull-ups. I'm a bit envious that she can do them every day without suffering from tendonitis in her forearms, but she is doing fewer reps. Maybe if I only did 10 every day I wouldn't have elbow issues, but I suspect that's not the case. I remember figuring out that I could do hammer grips but not normal pull-ups or chin-ups, and only on the Stretch Cage because all the other bars and handles are much too thick for my tiny hands. There's a lot more strain on the forearms if you can't close your hands around the bar, hence those "fat grips" that lifters use to make their exercises harder. No thanks! 

16 June 2022
Thundering Thursday

Precor elliptical #4
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5660)
Distance: 2.86
Cal: 318
Avg Hr: n/a

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

HGPU 23