Insidious Heat

I'm not used to continuous heat and humidity. It's ruining my sleep, making my days less productive, and maybe interfering with my workouts. The gym a/c feels great when I first enter and I'm able to keep my hoodie on for the first 10 minutes of cardio. After that, the gym feels warm. But not hot. I'm still only pedaling for 25 minutes instead of 35, and today I'm not adding back with the stair machine. I'm running a tad late and I have a knot under my shoulder blade (and a stiff neck), so I'm feeling less than chipper. 

I read an article about knots but it doesn't really tell me anything I don't already know: no one really knows why they occur but solutions range from doing nothing (eventually they'll go away by themselves) to active intervention such as foam rolling, massage, dry needling (is that like acupuncture?), or using something like a tennis ball to apply focused pressure. I prefer my wooden knot roller. It looks like a double doorknob and works great to press out trigger points (knots). I just need a hard surface to lean against that won't be damaged, so not my drywall interior walls. More like the metal front door... I've not seen this particular style of knot killer in a long time. I bought this one years ago (I've always been very knotty) in a health food store in the City... I'm sure the store's no longer there.

I cut the air squats and eye yoga from my routine because bodies are starting to enter the Aerobics Room for their 9:30 Body Pump class. The free weight area isn't crowded yet. My right elbow isn't happy about the skull crushers or rip skulls so I'm extra cautious. I'm also acutely aware of my leg and foot placement because the rip skulls cause my torso to arch, putting stress on my lower back and consequently, the sciatic nerves. Mostly it's the right leg that's sensitive to this one particular movement.

Even though temps are in the 90s, the pups still want to romp in the park. It's more than just being able to run through the cool shaded dirt and sniff rocks and trees. There's also the chance that other dogs will be there to play with. Most dogs are very social. Just like people. While I keep conversation minimal at the gym, I have no problem chatting with other dog parents. And if no one else is there, I can always read stuff on my phone.

9 Aug 2022
Hotter Humid Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 20 min + 5 min cd (4114)
Distance: 2
Cal: 230
Avg Hr: 140, 196-118

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
Upper body stretch

Skull Crushers / Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12 reps each x 2 sets total
32.5 x 12 x 4