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