Crazy Balmy Friday

So we've gone from probable negative numbers on the thermometer last week to damn near hitting 60F today. It was close: sunny and 56F. Thankfully, the biting insects hadn't been told. School doesn't start until next Tuesday. I woke up at 9 today. My normal circadian cycle has me going to bed at 2 AM and waking at 9, a decent 7 hours with no middle of the night interruptions. If I go to bed earlier, I wind up getting up at 2 AM anyway, just to pee! 

The parking lot was crowded but not the gym. It's warm enough that people that aren't rushing to shop for New Year's Eve celebrations were out jogging, strolling, biking, hiking... I get on the elliptical and pedal enough to warm up and break a slight sweat. Pull-ups are slightly easier today than they were on Monday. The Aerobics Room is empty and I do my routine core movements, adding a few mild hip bridges. Not as vigorous as hip thrusts because I'm worried that it'll aggravate my sciatica, which has been moderately annoying but not impossible. So far so good. I'm still taking ibuprofen and gabapentin before bed so that I don't wake up from gluteal discomfort. (Apparently, ibuprofen is now suspect in worsening joint inflammation of the knees. Once my sciatica recedes, I'll stop taking the nighttime dose.)

There are a lot of young unfamiliar faces in the free weight area but luckily, one of the inclined breaker benches is not only free, it's also missing the bar. So no one's really going to be interested in using it. Except me. I'm not hitting the gym again until maybe Monday so I decide to do my standard shoulder routine: light weights, lots of reps, very little rest. It warms me up and I feel good when I leave, in spite of the bevy of chatty kids clustered in gossipy groups scattered between benches and stations. 

I'm enjoying some of my Christmas gifts: a new steering wheel cover, and a car seat cover. The old steering wheel cover has worn down in patches, and I've wondered if the seat heater is the cause of the "cold rash" I've developed during the winter months. With a fluffy car seat cover, I might not need to use the seat heater. The the steering wheel cover means I don't need to use gloves to hold a wheel that's too hot or ice cold. In fact, it's a joy to hold the luxurious fleece between my fingers when I drive... 

Of course, it's also added some thickness to the seat, so I can't really wear my multi-pocket parka in the car. Full pockets get wedged against the wheel like a pregnant woman. If I adjust the seat further back because I'm too close, my feet won't reach the pedals. I also feel taller in the seat so I might have to tilt the wheel angle up a tad. It's weird how little things can make such big differences. 

New Year is just around the corner and my totally impractical resolution is to drop a few pounds -- this weight gain is becoming chronic and unmanageable. I don't have an approach yet, especially with all the holiday candy and snack food in the house. So much temptation! But then again, sometimes it's easier to not indulge when it's there whenever you want.

30 December 2022
Balmy 58F Friday Afternoon

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5766)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 323
Avg Hr: 146, 188-94

HGPU 23

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
10 Gentle Hip Bridge/Thrusts?
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Side bridge planks 10 each side
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 3 sets 

Boxing Day

The term Boxing Day has always made me imagine turn-of-the-century pugilists, bare-chested and bare-knuckled with handlebar mustaches facing off in a makeshift ring. The day after Christmas has always been marked Boxing Day and I've never known why until yesterday when I chanced upon an article explaining the practice of giving gifts (boxes?) to the poor. 

Today is Boxing Day and there's no school and I don't have to wake up before the sun is up. Instead, I wake up and it's already morning, the clocks says it's 9 AM, and I can have an entire mug of coffee before taking the pups to the park. I'll hit the gym afterward, after feeding the dogs.

It's almost 1 pm by the time I get to the gym and the parking lot is full. Not everyone is at the gym. The movie theater is open as well. But the gym is crowded because there are high school and college kids as well as regulars who I haven't seen since the last time I came late. It's reassuring to see familiar faces even if I don't speak to any of them.

Cardio goes well. I'm a little shocked. It's been 4 days since I last worked out. But then again, it's been several hours since I woke up and I'd already had coffee and been to the dog park. Pull-ups go less well, and the last 3 reps are a real struggle. Thankfully, core exercises proceed like a no-brainer, even the side bridges. Because the first set of pull-ups ended with such difficulty, I do a second set. It's a lot harder after the first dozen. Well, at least the first dozen were good. 

My sciatica still bothers me, but less than before. Ibuprofen and gabapentin help. I wish it was totally better. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing which is basically cardio, stretches, core, light weights that don't aggravate those nerves... 

The new year will see temps in the 50s, a shock considering how low temps have been. Maybe the ice on our road will actually melt away before school starts for the new year. One night my thermometer dipped to zero. I'm not sure it registers neg numbers, but it is a digital thermometer. The cold has probably shortened the battery's lifespan...

26 December 2022
Frigid post Christmas Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5794)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: 154, 190-79

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 / Cobra Pose
Side bridge planks 10 each side
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga

HGPU 21

Frosty Winter Solstice

The radio says that the Winter Solstice will occur at 4:48 this afternoon. I'm not sure what that really means, since sunset is 4:29 today. Except that it's really cold and it gets dark quickly. But that also means the days will start lengthening again, so Yaaay. Winter Storm Elliot is wreaking havoc in the MidWest but promises us only rain and warmer temps in the 50s. Then temps plunge into the single digits for a frigid holiday weekend. 

We made reservations for Christmas Eve dinner, something we've never done before but local eateries are all advertising that they're open. Of course, there were few slots left by the time I booked. Most offered 2 seats indoors but 3 seats outdoors. Outdoors? In 9F? I think not, even with the best propane heaters. We get dinner reservations for 8 pm, a tad later than we'd prefer and hopefully, they won't have sold out of everything. My husband has remained sober for the past two weeks and I'm cautiously optimistic.

The gym is reasonably crowded and I get on the elliptical, thankful that I haven't seen Lazy Pedals all week. After pull-ups, I enter the Aerobics Room and am surprised not to see any equipment set up for the midweek Boot Camp class. Twenty minutes later, I wander into the free weight area to do the DB shoulder routine. Gym Owner is wrestling with one of the inclined breaker benches, flipping it over to dissemble and make repairs. Luckily there are two more and I can use an adjacent one. One of the regulars, M, comes over to give Gym Owner a hand. 

After a few minutes, a gal from the front desk fetches Gym Owner and I hear a lot of yelling by the entrance. Meanwhile, I've added the DB Inclined Press back into the mix, careful not to put too much pressure on my glutes. The worst offender of sciatic aggravation appears to be the tricep-stretching Rip Skulls. I haven't found a replacement for those yet and Skull Crushers will eventually injure my elbows if I add too many sets.

I only figure out what's happening up front on when I ascend the Step Mill and see a dozen people in the Functional Gym space where Boot Camp is being held today. Glad I'm not in the middle of that! In the locker room, I'm pleased to note that I still have biceps even though the only bicep exercise I do are those infrequent pull-ups. My left one is noticeably bigger than my right even though I'm stronger on my right side. 

An explanation might be that the left must work harder because it's weaker, so it gets more relative stimulation leading to a size increase. My left calf is bigger than my right as well. But I'm definitely right-footed (lead with my right), and based on how frustrating my pants leg lengths are, I believe my right leg is slightly longer. I'm not symmetrical by a long shot. 

I've also decided that I've probably had that macula film for a long time: I've been complaining for years about how the left eye sees "white" with a pinkish tint to it, especially noticeable when I'm doing the Eye Chart. Except that now it's more than the color that's off; there's also a multi-color granulated texture (similar to viewing a newspaper's color photograph through a magnifier) to the "white" field when I'm trying to determine what tiny letters I'm looking at. It makes discerning the characters much harder... 

21 December 2022
Frigid Solstice Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5666)
Distance: 2.86
Cal: 319
Avg Hr: 140, 191-87

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 / Cobra Pose
Side bridge planks 10 each side
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 3 sets

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-60)
Steps 535
Floors 33
Cal 78
Hr 112

The Longest Day of the Week

Tuesdays are the longest days of the weeks just because our obligations don't end until after 9 pm when we return home from our BSA troop meeting. Tonight is the Holiday party and we've invited neighboring Cub Packs to visit us. Of course we have activities and refreshments planned. I thought my son had given up on baking cookies since he was showering when I went to bed a bit past midnight. 

I got up at 6 AM and discovered two cookie sheets with singed parchment paper and a giant sugar cookie studded with mint M&Ms on each. Which meant that he was baking in the wee hours all by himself. The cookies unfortunately, because they're mostly butter and sugar, spread while baking so we just cut them up into reasonable pieces and put them into a container to bring. We're also bringing cheese, salami, crackers and a 2-foot hoagie. Most parents bring cookies, or brownies, or cake. Too much dessert. A new Scout's parent is a chef though, and plans to bring chicken parm. Hmmm... he brought shrimp cocktail last time.

The gym parking lot is really crowded, especially for a Tuesday and it seems like everyone is on the treadmills. Luckily I can access the elliptical to do my 35 minutes. Then my routine in the Aerobics Room. And a few quick sets of Rip Skulls. I've been eating a lot of ibuprofen and I think my sciatica is slowly getting better. But I don't have time to worry about it. Because I need to hit the supermarket before going home to take pups to the park. Even though the thermometer says mid-30s, it feels much colder. Something about that arctic air...

20 December 2022
Frigid Sciatic Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5562)
Distance: 2.82
Cal: 313
Avg Hr: 144, 184-122

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 / Cobra Pose
Side bridge planks 10 each side
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

Skull Crushers
30 lbs x 15 warmup
35 x 15 reps x 3 sets
30 x 25

Faded Vision and Ingrown Lashes

Macular wrinkle (not mine)

I did the bare minimum at the gym today to give myself enough time to shop, take the dogs to the park and then feed them, then make my way to my eye doc appointment on the other side of the county. Since the pups are picky, I can't just empty a can of food and plop bowls on the ground. The food will just sit there and it'll be a total waste. Nope, these spoiled fur babies want to be hand fed. They'll sit patiently on the sofa or in the big bay window taking turns being given an individual lump of pate or loaf style canine delight. Which takes time. Otherwise, they'll just sit listlessly and act like finicky cats. Even though they're hungry.

My appointment is a follow-up to the Visual Field tests done in September. But then I mention the annoyance of having something tiny in my left eye most of the time. And that my vision sometimes feels faded. My vision itself is fine at 20/20 and 20/25, like it's always been. The techs take a lot of different types of pictures and administer a lot of different eye drops. While the IOPs are okay, not great at 14 & 15, there's a wrinkle on my left macula. What? And about that itching? I have what my dad had: eyelashes growing into the eye instead of away from. Ugh. The doc takes tiny tweezers and yanks 3-4 of the thickest lashes out of the corner of my left eye. Well, that's better!

But there's nothing to be done about the macular except to keep an eye on it. It has a film on it, a layer of fibrous tissue that is unlikely to shrink but might grow. It can cause distortions in vision and is also known as a macular pucker. That sounds so benign. The doc gives me a piece of paper with a grid on it and a small dot in the center (Amsler grid). She tells me to check my vision once a week and if any of the squares look distorted or disappear, schedule an appointment right away. Otherwise, I have another follow-up in three months. 

Going home, traffic is much worse and true to the saying that "no good deed goes unpunished," I let an asshole into my lane in front of me. This person then proceeds to drive like a proper ass. It's bumper to bumper traffic and they can't keep up with the car in front of them. I don't know what they're doing in the car but it's not driving. When they finally exit with a right turn, they have to swing their compact Hyundai Sonata into the oncoming lane as if they're navigating a land yacht. I fantasize about following them and stabbing one of their tires, but of course, I don't. I just go home. But it's too late to haul firewood into the house. I have two nice pieces of wood so I can build a decent fire but it's only going to last an hour or two...

19 December 2022
Frigid Sciatic Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5514)
Distance: 2.81
Cal: 311
Avg Hr: 138, 192-77

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 / Cobra Pose
Side bridge planks 10 each side
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

Frigid Friday

Temps are hovering at that difficult zone between rain and ice. Which means all the ice melt is washing away in the icy rain, but places like the front steps and walkway are sporadically icy. Still, the roads are good and the school bus is only a few minutes late. The gym has diehard regulars but most are gone by the time I return to my car. It's the start of the last shopping weekend before Christmas so no doubt everyone has errands to run.

Cardio and core go as planned. I even add side-bridge planks to see how they feel. My feet don't hurt and I'm surprised. I'm not sure what to do with the upper arm so I'll have to go back to consult the "experts." Ah, most people place it on their hips but that didn't occur to me as it's not something I do regularly. It's a weird movement. It doesn't hurt (except the "cold rash" complains on both my outer thighs) but I'm not sure if I'll see/feel any benefits in my lower back/sciatica. Everything else is routine, including my inability to sit cross-legged on the mat.

I have time to use the step machine to bring my body temp back up. I've cooled down substantially and don't want to hit the locker room cold. My "cold rash" was better for a bit and is now worse. Recently I've come to the unfortunate realization that the seat heater in my car is rather painful to the rash. Ugh. Now I wonder if the heater is actually causing the rash? So for now, I'm not going to use it and hope Santa gets me a furry seat cover because leather is cold in the winter and scorching in the summer. 

I get home, change my footwear and take the pups to the park. I bought new Bogs because they were having a sale, and I really like my older pair. I've affixed YaxTrax ice-grips to the latter ones and they'll stay on until winter's over. So I really needed another good pair of boots to deal with sloppy wet weather that doesn't necessitate ice grips. 

I didn't want the same style with the giant cutouts on the side of the boots so I bought a simpler style that only comes in camo. Unfortunately, it also has a ridiculously tight lip around the top of the boot that cuts into my calves. My solution is to slice into that binding on both boots so that the diameter of the boot opening fits the rest of the boot. Now I can tuck my pants into the boots without feeling as if I'm wearing tourniquets. I'm a small person so I find it frustrating to have to deal with "big" people problems. I mean, my calves aren't that big! Of course, I am buying children's items.

I was also excited to get a new black watch flannel shirt. This will be the third one this year because I can't seem to find one that fits well. Manufacturers are cutting costs where they can without being too noticeable. Big fail. So the boys shirt I bought and returned because the arms were too skinny would've been sized correctly a few years ago. Ordering the "husky" should've solved that problem but what I got was a billowy pillow case with skinny arms. Ugh.Some brands don't give women chest pockets on shirts. Ugh. Nix on the button-down collars as well. 

The women's "petite" size gives me a shirt with proper length arms but the body is too short. (I have a traditional south Asian body type with short limbs and a long body.) I order a regular shirt from LL Bean and I'm so excited when it arrives. The label says it's a "relaxed fit" so I'm just a tad disappointed when the sleeves seem snug. Okay, I do have big upper arms but I still fit into my older shirts! This shirt isn't horrible, but not roomy like the well-worn flannel boys shirts I own. Maybe this is the universe telling me to lose a few pounds?

I don't think my eyes are getting better but after having owned my sneakers for several years, I've just noticed the diamond mesh pattern underneath the shoe fabric, and the hexagonal design running along the edge. All these little details! I don't know how to feel about just noticing or that I've noticed at all.

15 December 2022
Icy Fatigue Sciatic Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5596)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 315
Avg Hr: 134, 196-83

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 / Cobra Pose
Side Bridge Planks 10 each side
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 533
Floors 33
Cal 78
Hr 125

Thursday in Winter

Elliptical vs cross-trainers

I'm cold and tired and there's a big storm headed our way. So I'm rushing to get everything done that needs doing. Cardio, core and push a few weights. Check. Quick grocery trip to pick up unsalted butter at a "reasonable" price, and a few other items. Check. My son wants to bake cookies for the upcoming holiday party and the recipe calls for lots of unsalted butter. $3.99 is a good price. The grocer closest to our house is notoriously more expensive ($6.49 for the same butter) than the shop by the gym, so mostly I buy groceries right after working out. 

The store is unusually crowded with senior citizens because of the impending storm. Some shelves are already empty which is unusual for a Thursday. And I see that OJ is on sale, but careful inspection reveals that two different brands of OJ both selling for $2.99 are quite different: one container lists 52 fluid ounces, the other one 59. It's rare to find an actual half gallon container anymore. Remember half gallon tubs of ice cream? How long has it been? It seems like those have been 48 oz for years now...

Already I've received text notifications that the library is closing early and after school programs have been canceled. Our town has preemptively laid down salt lines on the roadways to keep them from icing up. Although temps are above freezing, snow and sleet are predicted, which means roads, sidewalks and outdoor steps might ice up. Better to be safe. I make a mental note to myself to haul in another wheelbarrow of fire wood this afternoon, before it's too dark and bitter outside. (I actually don't mind doing this chore.)

The gym is moderately crowded for an "off" day. I do my 35 minutes of cardio, don't break a sweat but get a little warm. Curl Ups don't feel like they're doing anything for me so those will be deleted off my list. I still feel crunches and Dead Bugs so those stay. I don't really feel Bird Dogs either, but they seem to help my sciatica so that stays too. My sciatica is still troublesome. Being seated generates more pain than it's worth so again I skip the Inclined DB Presses during the DB shoulder routine. It's just DB Lateral Raises and Reverse Inclined Flyes. And then I'm done.

I get my pups to the park later than I'd like but at least we get there and they run around like loonies for a few minutes. The moisture-laden wind makes it feel so much colder than the 34F that the thermometer displays. I'm finally happy with a winter parka purchase from Lands End. Although the hood isn't detachable and has a silly faux fur ruff, the coat itself is warm, and roomy enough to layer underneath comfortably. The best part, of course, are the 6 pockets outside, and the 3 inside. And these are not skimpy, barely fit a fingertip faux pockets. These are pockets you can stuff with your gloves, hat, keys, dog poop bags, dog cookies, phone, lip balm, tissues, packets of hand warmers... The coat is physically heavy (not like the ephemeral down coats that are light, not waterproof, have limited pockets, and aren't all that warm, of which I have at least two) but it does the job well and I have no complaints. Of course, I don't really know how waterproof it is or if the seams leak. I'll find that out soon enough though.

If the morning sees just rain, I'll be at the gym. If it's ice, then school will have a delayed opening until the roads are safe, and I probably won't make it. But the pups will still go to the park later because they don't care about rain. Or snow.

15 December 2022
Frigid Fatigue Sciatic Thursday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5478)
Distance: 2.80
Cal: 308
Avg Hr: 142, 182-78

HGPU 23

Curl Ups 10 each side
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 / Cobra Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flyes
10 lbs x 15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 15/25
15/20 x 15/25 x 3 sets

The Busy Frigid Season

I went to the gym yesterday, didn't break a sweat but still felt pretty good. After taking pups to the park, then retrieving my son from school, I had to change into something presentable to sit through a long drive to my husband's office. It's that time of the year: annual reviews followed by the holiday "office" party. But in this case, it was held at the yacht club a few roads away. 

Much nicer than last year which was just cocktails and appetizers. This event had a full cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres, followed by a sit down meal: a nice salad, rib eye steak (with asparagus and half a twice-baked spud) and chocolate cake for dessert. There was also salmon and chicken but mostly everyone had steak. My husband's been sober for the past several days, which makes me happy. But whenever I start to hope that this will last, he goes on a binge. So I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop and that's really stressful.

We didn't get home until late so my son had to deal with the dogs himself after getting rides to and from his Boy Scout Troop meeting. I was worried about the long drive so I popped two ibuprofens and a gabapentin before we went. And it worked like magic. Today, however, my sciatica is bugging me a lot even though I've been to the gym. But I didn't get on my standby elliptical (occupied) so I hopped on the cross-trainer. For only 18 minutes. And while it didn't hurt while I pedaled, my toes went numb and stayed numb for a good half hour afterward. I don't like the cross-trainer and it doesn't like me. 

I do curl ups and feel as if the movement is stressing my neck more than my abs. I'm probably doing it wrong. Sitting on the mat is still uncomfortable enough for me to prefer kneeling, and there's only so much kneeling before other parts of my legs and feet go numb. The free weight area is busy but my preferred bench is empty so I do a few Skull Crushers before getting on the step machine to get a bit warmer.

Meanwhile, my car's shifter acted weird this morning: too loose and sloppy, and the car never got out of 1st for several miles before things fell into place and the transmission behaved like it should. Nothing like hearing your car whine and struggle to make 30 mph (morning commuters behind me on a single lane road) with no place to pull over. By the time I hit the main road, the car sounded more normal and I was able to drop off a holiday gift at a friend's house before heading to the gym. 

When I got home, my husband checked the transmission fluid. I still had some in the car (so it's not like it's leaking out like the power steering fluid did some months ago), The car is 13 years old with under 80k miles on it. I got it "pre-owned" by someone who barely drove it (5 yrs old and 25k miles). Hell, I barely drive it, but I do depend on it. As a matter of fact, I've got to pick my kid up from school in an hour.

14 December 2022
Frigid Sciatic Wednesday

LF x-trainer #2
Program Manual 1
Time: 15+3
Distance: 1.87
Cal: 144
This machine makes my toes numb

Curl Ups 10 each side
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 / Cobra Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

Skull Crushers
30 lbs x 15 warmup
35 x 15 x 15 x 3 sets
30 x 20

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 538
Floors 33
Cal 79
Hr 135

*************************************************************

13 December 2022
Frigid Sciatic Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5526)
Distance: 2.81
Cal: 311
Avg Hr: 140, 192-76

HGPU 23

Curl Ups 10 each side
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 / Cobra Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 527 / 542
Floors 33
Cal 79
Hr 138

Fattening Seeds

Ever since I remembered that I had a big (3 lbs) bag of chia seeds in my fridge, I've been adding a 2/3 serving to my oatmeal for my midday meal. A serving is three tablespoons and 150 calories, which isn't a lot considering the added benefits of fiber and protein. As the chia seeds swell, they increase in bulk and I feel like I'm eating a lot more. But it doesn't keep me full. And I've been putting on weight ever since I started adding them. Fearful of popping right out of any comfortable clothes I have, I've decided to stop. At least until I can drop those pesky few pounds and not worry about needing to buy clothes in a larger size! 

Not eating a midday meal would also work, but then I worry about my triglyceride and LDL levels during my annual exam, which will be in the next month or so. Oatmeal keeps the doctor from prescribing things like statins. Things that I'm trying to avoid. No one else in my household eats oatmeal so lunch is the only time it's reasonable!

The past two days have been mild (mid 50s) and the cold rash has receded. Of course, today temps never warmed past 37F so that reprieve was short-lived. Never mind that my parkas come past the section of my legs where the rash manifests itself. Although not actually exposed to frigid temps, the skin there is reacting to the cold. So weird.

There's less people at the gym today. I suspect they either came and left early or took the day for a long weekend of frantic holiday shopping. People have menus to plan. (I guess we should think about what to make for Christmas Eve supper and Christmas dinner?) Cardio gets me warm and I'm satisfied with my efforts. Pull-ups are easy for the first dozen but as usual, become increasingly more difficult. The Aerobics Room is unnervingly empty although the holiday lights are sparkly and bright at the top of the mirrored walls. 

Today I can feel the lower abs flex just above the extended leg during the few Curl Ups that I do. I guess they do work different muscles after all! However, I'm doing them wrong so I'll try again next week. I thought an arm was placed under the head while curling up. Nope. Hands are placed at the small of the back, and the curl up movement is very small, with the head, neck and upper body moving as one single unit. I'm not sure I want to replace the crunches and dead bugs though... I just want the sciatica to go into remission. 

I'm also rethinking the air squats: they don't hurt when I do them but are they making everything worse or delaying my recovery? No consistent answers to be found... I skip the second set of pull-ups in favor of 10 minutes on the Step Mill. It warms me up again just as I'm ready to shower and change.

9 December 2022
Frigid Sciatic Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5624)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 317
Avg Hr: 147, 186-90

HGPU 23

Curl Ups 10 each side
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 / Cobra Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (kneeling)

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 527
Floors 32
Cal 77
Hr 136

Not a Quick Cure

My sciatica always feels better leaving the gym than when I first arrive. I treat myself this morning by tossing my gym clothes into the dryer for a few minutes to make them comfortably toasty. Cold clothes just make me shiver and that's the last thing I want to do when I'm balancing on one leg trying to get my sport pants on. Putting my socks on is the most painful thing I do lately.

The one positive thing I have to say about taking ibuprofen and gabapentin before bed, is that I've been sleeping soundly through the night for a solid 6 hours. It works better than the tiny dose (3 mg) of melatonin I used to take. I should probably go to bed earlier and try for 7 hours but that never happens during the week.

I do my routine cardio, get warm and sweaty. I try "curl ups" for a few reps before returning to my standard core routine. I'm not sure how those differ from crunches or how they benefit us lower back pain sufferers. Sitting on the mat is still really uncomfortable and I wind up kneeling to do eye yoga movements. Sitting is going to be an issue for weight lifting as well.

The Step Mills are vacant so I do 10 minutes there while assessing the free weight area. The chatty regulars are all back, congregating around one of the breaker benches. I decide to skip all movements that either involve sitting or that put stress on my hamstrings, which means no Inclined DB Presses, and no Rip Skulls. However, that also means I can do everything else. And I do. It seems to work because driving back from the gym is so much less painful that I almost forgot about the sciatica. At least until I had to sit down in front of the computer.

8 December 2022

Brighter Sciatic Thursday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5620)

Distance: 2.84

Cal: 316

Avg Hr: 143, 182-83

Curl Ups 10 each side

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 / Cobra Pose

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Upper body stretch

Eye yoga (sitting is still a problem)

StepMill (L)

Manual 10 min

Speed 6 (52-55)

Steps 519

Floors 32

Cal 76

Hr 126

Light Combo

Skull Crushers

30 lbs x 15 warmup

35 x 15 x 3 sets

30 x 20

Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 15/25 warm up

15 lbs x 15/25

15/20 x 15/25 x 3

Warm and Dreary

Although I can't explain why or how my sciatica got woken up, I can say that keeping to the exercise routine and a few ibuprofens (and gabapentins) have helped a lot. I'm still having difficulty with mundane tasks like putting my shoes and socks on, but at least I can tolerate sitting in the car or in front of my computer. But only after the morning gym session, not before! Waiting for the school bus (which is still running late because the regular driver is out sick and the sub has been likened to Jim Ignatowski from Taxi) is agonizing, with me waving my right foot to keep the numbness and throbbing at bay.

Temps has risen to the mid-50s but I still keep my hoodie on throughout most of the workout. Cardio is hard today because the glute hurts and that's very distracting. However, I can actually feel the muscles warm and notice the moment that the pain dissipates. The muscle itself feels flush with blood. I've never been cognizant of that before. All this focusing does little for my mileage though. I don't even make it to 2.8. However, I'm warmed up enough to do a decent set of pull-ups before heading to the Aerobics Room.

The room is set up for Boot Camp with battle ropes, barbells, kettle bells and Bosu balls strategically stationed. I think it's a very popular class but I don't stick around to find out. Instead, I attempt another set of pull-ups. These feel a lot harder because I'm fresh off the Step Mill. Just 10 minutes on the Step Mill but with some "singing and dancing." Kidding. Or not. There are fewer people here today. No B. No Tank. But BizCut is here as well as the Seniors, and a few young women.

Standing is more comfortable than sitting. Walking is even better. Pups go to the park and meet up with a few canine friends. I spend the entire 90 minutes standing or trudging through the wood chips and crumbled leaves. Hopefully, whatever's inflamed manages to calm down because sciatica sucks.

7 December 2022
Dreary Sciatic Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5454)
Distance: 2.79
Cal: 308
Avg Hr: 132, 180-73

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 / Cobra Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (sitting is problem)

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 537
Floors 33
Cal 78
Hr 140 / 122

HGPU 21

Coincidence?

The worse part about a sciatic flare-up is getting out of bed. I put my gym clothes on while standing up. My glute is throbbing and a burning sensation runs down my leg. Socks are difficult at this point. The only thing that hurts more is sitting in the car. Now my foot is also throbbing as we wait for the bus which (because there's a substitute driver) is 15 minutes late. Which means I'm late to the gym as well. But getting there was not without excitement: traveling at roughly 40 mph in single lane traffic, a deer bolts out of the woods and crosses between my car and the one in front of me. 

I'm a conservative driver so I always leave 3-4 car lengths before me. Unlike the idiot behind me who is riding my tail up until I slam on my brakes and the deer leaps to the other side of the road. Then the idiot car leaves a bit more space between us. I used to have a pair of deer horns on my car but shoveling snow off the vehicle dislodged one of them. I like to think that they work though since I haven't actually hit any of them, even with just one horn.

Temps are in the mid-30s so the gym is cold and I don't take my hoodie off today. Not for cardio, not for core, not for the stair machine. I'm having trouble sitting on the mat in the Aerobics Room. I stood up in the locker room to put on my sneakers instead of sitting on the most painful bench in the world (probably something to do with it's height and hardness). 

Having to stabilize my core during Rip Skulls and Skull Crushers would aggravate my sciatica so I skip those today. I toy with the idea of doing some V-bar Press Downs but note that the cable is so short that the loop to affix a handle is right up against the pulley overhead. I'd need to be another foot and a half taller to reach that! Once I'm on the Step Mill, I see that the V-bar handle is attached to a different cable station on the other side. Oh, well. Too late now. A few regulars populate the free weight area.

When I get home, my web browser's suggested reading list includes an article about lower back pain and various solutions. Wow, although not sciatica specifically, it is timely. Duck Duck Go claims not to monitor or track your searches or sell your info, so is this just a coincidence? I dunno. But the article reinforces my own beliefs that exercise and movement work just as well if not better than "conventional treatments and therapies" including chiropractic care. 

There's even a quick list of 3 exercises that help stabilize the core to reduce lower back pain. Click here for the link to the article. I do find Bird Dogs help a lot. I'm a bit more skeptical about Side Bridge, but mainly because it's stressful on my feet and shoulders, and I have enough foot trouble as it is. The cold weather is causing my heels to crack now, and I've discovered a weird cut on the side of my foot as if the skin was splitting. Ugh. Good thing temps are rising with the advent of more rainy weather. Snow in the forecast for next weekend. Maybe...

6 December 2022
Rainy Sciatic Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5606)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 316
Avg Hr: 149, 184-79

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
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (sitting is a problem)

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 539
Floors 33
Cal 79
Hr 140

Jinxed Myself

I was lucky that my sciatica didn't bother me for any of the long college visits we've taken over the past several months. But I think I must've jinxed myself because Saturday morning I woke up with a bad ache in my right glute. It didn't actually occur to me that it was a sciatica flare-up until I had problems driving my car. Because the right leg is the driving leg. The weekend offered relief only when I was walking around. Otherwise, sitting and laying down were uncomfortable and I took advantage of my foam mats to kneel on the floor over the ottoman to watch TV. Bullet Train finally aired on Netflix, and I was greatly entertained. It owes a lot to Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and the John Wick franchise. If you don't like those, then you won't like this... lots of cameos too.

 

Numbness is running down the side of my calf, across the outside edge of my foot and tingles most of my toes. My glute aches as well. The only time I don't notice any discomfort is when I'm actively moving about. Walking is good. Hauling firewood isn't a problem. But sitting in my car, sitting in front of my computer... Ugh. I haven't resorted to medication yet, but I have ibuprofen and gabapentin. Elsewhere in my body, nerves are sporadically and erratically acting injured: a patch of skin on my arm feels burnt; a joint on a finger on the other hand aches and throbs for no reason; my scalp is suddenly tender and I have to loosen my pony tail because it's pulling painfully.

It's 24F this morning and the gym is freezing. I keep my hoodie on throughout my workout and manage a mild sweat after 35 minutes of cardio. I get a set of pull-ups done and head to the Aerobics Room, which is also chilly but no more than usual. It's not like I can see my breath or anything. Besides, during the pandemic, I exercised in my unheated garage so this doesn't bother me.

I do 10 minutes on the Step Mill to warm up again and then off to a nice hot shower. In the shower stall, I can hear B complaining in the locker room about how unhappy she is that it's cold inside the gym. The other person tosses out reasonable suggestions: wear more clothes, use the sauna to warm up, do some cardio. B whines that she can't get warm enough doing cardio because of her injured shoulder. (Not sure about that causality.) And B doesn't want to use the dry sauna because it'll make her sweaty and then she'll have to walk to her car damp. 

I have zero sympathy for a woman who parks far from the gym so as not to have her car scratched but can't be bothered to wear a coat because she likes to flaunt skin tight outfits walking to and from. Since glutes and quads are some of the biggest muscles in the human body, it seems a little ridiculous that she's complaining that she can't get warm doing cardio without using her arms. She has a labral shoulder tear. (Yeah, I have one too.) She's either not doing cardio correctly, or more likely, she's just whining because she wants the gym to be a toasty 72F so she prance about in her lycra tights and tank top. Oh well... I'm amused.

5 December 2022
Frosty Sciatic Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5508)
Distance: 2.81
Cal: 310
Avg Hr: 144, 182-130

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
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga (sitting is problem)

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-55)
Steps 539
Floors 33
Cal 79
Hr 142

Frosty Friday

I was pleasantly surprised to find the first season of Night Court streamable on Amazon Prime, so I've been watching that for the past two days. It's free with commercials and that doesn't actually bother me. The show is corny but sweet, something lacking in a lot of current fare.

It's really cold in the gym today. I do work up a sweat during cardio and only take my hoodie off to do planks, child's pose, fire hydrants and bird dogs. Then the hoodie goes back on because I'm cold again in spite of push-ups and air squats. Of course, I have to use the hoodie on the inclined bench for my shoulder routine because I don't want my face against the vinyl seat. The hoodie needs adjusting though because too low and the back of my arms chafe against the ribbing at the bottom of the hoodie. My super-dry skin is also ridiculously sensitive. So sensitive that I get a tiny splinter while using the metal DBs... I'm thinking a fleck of rust embedded itself in my finger. It's too small to remove with tweezers so the best I can do is bandage it and hope eventually it works its way out.

I glance in the mirror while doing Lateral DB Raises and think that maybe all this work is actually working! The arms and shoulders look good, well, at least in this light, in that mirror, while hoisting a few DBs, i.e., while flexing. B is shockingly quiet today, maybe because most of the guys are chatting by the bench press stations with a new female. (B doesn't like to share attention.) She does chat with another fellow but he's not her type, not big and muscly so she doesn't spend a lot of time with him. He's been fairly regular for the past year or so and only memorable for the long line of tats on his arms which seem incongruent with the short business haircut speckled with gray. Because the rest of him is trim and fairly average-looking.

I'm amused by all the hoopla about the late Queen's aide being racist by repeatedly asking a woman "where she was from." Because this still happens to me. Except now people rephrase with "where is your family from?" (Can I say Vancouver, Canada and Shanghai?) Racist people don't understand how they're racist. B seemed surprised and disappointed she asked if I spoke Chinese, but acted insulted when I turned the question and asked her about speaking Italian. I know I'm not the only person who's stopped talking to her...

2 December 2022
Frosty Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5734)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 322
Avg Hr: 167, 191-79

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
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

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

Damn It's Cold

The windshield didn't need defrosting but it was still cold and the weather app on my phone didn't promise anything better for the rest of the day. Temps went from 31 to 37F amidst flurries carried by arctic winds. It's cold inside the gym too and I keep my hoodie on during cardio. Snow Bird is early and I'm actually a tad late so I have to skip the pull-ups and head directly to the Aerobics Room. There are other women in there, some exercising vigorously, others just chatting with their legs up on a big exercise ball.

Only 3 more months of cold to go
before this rash goes away

There's time to do a set afterward, and then off to shower and change. The skin on the back of my thighs feel bumpy but I need to use my phone to see if that dreaded winter rash is back. Yep, it is. It takes me a moment to remember that the "bruise" on my left thigh is actually the scar from last year's skin biopsy. My skin takes an inordinately long time to heal, probably because not only do I have a skin condition, but I'm also getting old. The dermatologist says the rash is just eczema or cold uticaria. It only surfaces when temps drop and isn't alleviated by my immediate retreat into a warmer environment. The rash also doesn't respond to any of the prescribed steroidal creams so all I can do is hope it doesn't turn into a bloody mess before Spring... It'll fade and the welts will go down by April or May, just in time for biting insects.

It's depressing that Irene Cara (forever Coco Hernandez in my mind) is dead at 63. I'm 62. I'm half hoping she had pre-existing health issues or something... My legs have thumbprint bruises that remind me of a woman I once saw when I was a tot in kindergarten. The class was seated on the floor when a large disheveled woman came in dragging a boy with a shaved, misshapened head. She was wearing a housecoat, kerchief and slippers so I could see bruises all over her bare legs, probably courtesy of her non-verbal offspring. He bit, spit and peed himself all in the first hour.

1 December 2022
Chilly Thursday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5594)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 315
Avg Hr: 149, 186-82

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
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga x 3

HGPU 23