Wall Squats are No Joke

I didn't go to the gym yesterday so I braced myself to do an actual four sets of 2-minute Wall Squats with just 2 minutes of rest between. The sets get progressively harder. By the third set my hands are feeling cold. I give myself an extra minute of rest before the fourth set, but I still need to straighten for a split second during the last 30 seconds of the last set. Actually, I needed to straighten up several times before the 2-minute buzzer sounded. By then, my hands and forearms had become so cold they were numb.

Today, I make it to the gym and my favorite elliptical. My quads, however, feel like lead. I'm surprised because they're not sore from yesterday. I am tired though from a lack of adequate sleep hours. I went to bed at 12:20 which should provide plenty of rest when the alarm sounds at 7:30, but the husband stumbled into bed at 2:20 and knocked things off his night table. Which is not a pleasant way to wake up in the middle of the night. Interrupted sleep sucks and although I had a wonderfully pleasant Christmas, I cannot wait until he goes back to work and is gone for the entire week. Then, only weekends become sleepless. Even though his drunken screaming and yelling are directed at whatever show or movies he's watching, I find it extremely stressful. As does everyone else in the house. The dogs hide. My son puts his headphones on and retreats to his bedroom.

I just manage to hit 2.9 miles on the elliptical. The Fitbit registers steps and calculates calories, but thinks I've only done 31 minutes instead of 35 on the machine. But at least it seems to keep count of my steps. Tuesday totaled over 12,750 because I went shopping after the gym. Since I don't always carry my phone with me, the phone's health app is less accurate with tracking my movements. With a wearable, I don't have to manually input the step tally from the elliptical. It's very convenient.

Today, my step tally is less (10,700) and my blood pressure seems to be holding steady. It's still too high, and I'm fixated on taking readings every day just to keep check. (It's the only way I can calm myself about impending hypertensive doom.) Something about hitting my 60s has really decimated my metabolism, cholesterol and blood pressure. I'm still 10 lbs heavier than I'd like to be, but now I'm reading justifications for being a bit fatter than optimal, especially as a "senior" person. Gosh, I don't feel like I should be calling myself a senior citizen, and technically, I've got another year and a quarter before I hit the dreaded 65. Of course AARP will call you a senior once you hit 50 (because they're all about the marketing revenue) and my town gives you discounts at age 60. Some museums consider 62 old enough and I've taken advantage of that.

The gym fills up with teenagers by early afternoon. I get my two sets of pull-ups, and all my core exercises. Except I skip the Wall Squats. And Walking Lunges have me drenched in sweat after traversing the Aerobics Room. I'm really tired by the time I get home. I should go to the gym tomorrow, but I'm not sure I can do 35 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. I should do another round of Wall Squats (every other day) because I'm compelled to do everything I can to bring my BP down before next Wednesday's appointment. 

Slicing the Christmas steak

My husband seems enamored of highly seasoned, high-fat foods. Like wings. Pork buns. Soup dumplings. Rib steaks. I have a recipe for a wine-braised brisket for the New Year so I went grocery shopping after the gym today. Got everything except fresh thyme, which I seriously didn't think was going to be a problem. I do have a lot of the dried herb though so I'm not that worried.

28 December 2023 11:43-1:10 pm
Balmy Rainy Thursday & I have a vague headache

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5816)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: NA
Fitbit: 162 max

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total (made me sweaty!)
Neck stretch / Eye yoga 

HGPU 15

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

27 December 2023 10:57 AM
Wednesday

(I can feel my BP is too high: right ear congested, throat, not quite a headache)

Recommended: 4 sets of 2-min WS with 2 min rest between sets.
I’ll have to work up to that!

10:59 Wall Squats 120s
11:03 WS 120s
11:08 WS 120s lightheaded 3 m rest
11:12 WS 120 w 4 split sec breaks and hands are cold and numb

The Joy of Fitness Toys

We had a delicious prime rib supper last night, made better by the fact that the meat was purchased on sale for $4.99/lb. That's ridiculously cheap for beef. The artery-clogging aspect of the meal (steak, asparagus, baked potato, sauteed mushrooms) was only made apparent when I started cleaning up afterward. The amount of tallow scraped off the plates and pans could've made several candles. But of course, the best part of the holidays is the gift giving. I asked for and received a way to track my heart rate by way of a Fitbit 6. I got my husband an air fryer. And we used the Instant Pot for the first time a few days ago (I'd bought that some years ago). The only kitchen machine we still haven't unboxed is a Cuisinart food processor we got for trading in a 3-pot slow cooker from my in-laws. Gosh, that was years and years ago!

A few days earlier, I had purchased a blood pressure monitor for home use because I've been concerned about my rising BP, and the fact that my brother (who also has glaucoma) is on medication for hypertension. Never mind that he has a stressful job and other health issues. Hypertension runs in my family and several deaths have been attributed to strokes due to high blood pressure, including a cousin who was just 2 years older than me but passed away before she turned 50. I had to download an app for my phone and take readings at different times of day. No matter when, even though readings might vary by 20mm Hg, it's indisputable that I have hypertension. 

I don't think I have a venous malformation, but a doctor (who did an MRI) once told me that there were an unusual amount of tangled blood vessels on the right side of my neck. It's a reason I don't do overhead presses: my right ear clogs up and that shoulder goes numb. So I'm wary about problems with blood vessels and increased blood pressure. It's not true that hypertension is silent: I can feel that my BP is too high. I intermittently have a vague headache and a congested feeling that's hard to describe. During a routine colonoscopy this past summer, my pressures was a whopping 170/110. That's definitively hypertension stage 2.

I made an appt with my primary care physician for next week. Meanwhile, I need to be more consistent with my exercise. Over the weekend, I reread the article about Wall Squats and managed to do the recommended 4 sets for 2 minutes apiece. What I hadn't managed was the mere 2 minute rest between sets. But, having not done any cardio earlier in the day, I found the 120 second sets to be much easier than the single 90 second set at the gym.

I charged the Fitbit and put it on yesterday. I want it primarily to check my heart rate since the cardio machines are notoriously unreliable. Reviews suggest that the Fitbits are also unreliable, but I've managed to cross-check the heart rate data from it with the blood pressure monitor and so far so good. What I didn't realize was that the Fitbit could automatically deduce that I had gotten on the elliptical. There are discrepancies: I was on it for 35 minutes and it read 33 minutes. But it added most of those steps to my daily count and monitored my heart rate. When the elliptical tells me my HR is racing along at 190, the Fitbit says 150. When the elliptical dips to 87, the Fitbit says the HR is steady at 135. I'll trust the wearable. 

I particularly like being able to watch my HR in the phone app while I'm exercising and comparing it to the machine monitor. There's is a slight lag with other info, like my time on the elliptical and all my "steps" but eventually, it all updated. That data actually surprised me. It's definitely a new toy. I occasionally flip my wrist just to see what my HR is at the moment while I'm doing different things. Or not doing anything at all. 

Because I have more melanin than a white person, I wear the sensor on the inside of my arm where the skin is lighter. I can see at a glance, and also in the app if I keep it open on my phone, what my HR is while I'm doing different exercises. Air squats gets my heart racing the way that push-ups don't. The only thing that requires more exertion is the cardio, as it should.

It's a bit depressing knowing that genetics can be so overwhelming that no amount of diet and exercise will keep you from having to take medications. Not that I won't try. I don't think I can do the intermittent fasting though. Well, maybe on off days? But on days I don't go to the gym, I could do the four sets of Wall Squats. I have a week to see if any of it makes any difference. Meanwhile, I went to the gym today and the parking lot was crowded because school is closed for the week and there are several movies playing in the cinema next door. It's noon when I enter and 2 pm by the time I've showered and changed to leave. The gym was crowded with teens draped all over the free weights and machines and I tell myself that I need to start earlier this week. 

I need more sleep!

I'm hoping to avoid medication but I've researched what my brother has been prescribed. He says the calcium channel blocker gives him neuropathy and his feet go numb from it so he only takes it on alternate days. I look up amlodipine and don't see that side effect listed, but he cites a lone paper referencing a middle-aged white woman who suffered from numbness from this particular medication. Well, I suppose it's possible. And that would suck. He's only on one glaucoma medication and I'm on three. He only has it in one eye but has other health issues. We're related but our genetics aren't necessarily the same. After all, he's over 6 feet tall and I'm under 5, and we're only a year apart in age. 

26 December 2023 12:08-1:26
Balmy Overcast Tuesday
(after an artery-clogging Christmas supper)


Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5712)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 321
Avg Hr: NA 161, 190-124
Fitbit: 161 max

HGPU 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 43 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

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

23 December 2023 2:00 pm
Christmas Eve Sunday

Omron BP 5250
148/107 pulse 58-64
Hypertension stage 2 ugh
(I can feel my BP is too high: right ear congested, throat, unease not quite a headache)

Recommended: 4 sets of 2-min WS with 2 min rest between sets.
I’ll have to work up to that!

2:00 Wall Squats 120 seconds
2:21 WS 120s
2:30 WS 120s
2:34 WS 120s

Post Solstice

Exit road outside the dog park

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, so technically Winter has begun. It's certainly cold enough and after this past weekend's deluge, there's a lot of icy spots where the runoff has no where to go. The dog park itself is fine, comprised of a steeply angled slope. It's getting from the road to the gate that's a teensy bit treacherous. At least my dogs will enter and exit my car from either side. Older pups are set in their ways and are less flexible. I once had a dog who refused to acknowledge the existence of our second floor and its staircase because she had lived so long without it. It was literally invisible to her even though we and the other dog went up and down it daily.

It's nearly noon by the time I get to the gym, mostly because the long line moved soooo slowly at the CVS where I needed to pick up a Rx. Plus, I've also been making the trek to the post office to drop off my cards and bills instead of relying on the mail carrier who might or might not actually scoop up all my mail from the box.

The parking lot is crowded but the gym is not. There's a few seniors and a smattering of teens. (I'm assuming schools got a half day right before a major week off, because I don't remember anymore how the school holidays work.) I get to do all the routines on my list: cardio, pull-ups, core with push-ups, air squats, walking lunges, and wall squats. And then, because Christmas is Monday and it's one of the two days this gym is actually closed all day, I decided I should push some weights. The other day is Easter Sunday. Yes, the gym is open on Thanksgiving and New Year's, but limited hours for those true gym rats with lots of energy and anxiety. 

I barely make it to 2.9 for cardio and pull-ups are hard after the first dozen. Core is easier and my least favorite movements are still walking lunges and definitely wall squats. There's a few guys in the free weight area. I tap the volume louder on my tunes. I have to rest a bit longer between the second and third (last) set of the DB Shoulder routine, but I feel pretty good when I leave. And that's all that matters.

21 December 2023 11:53-1:44
Arctic Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5800)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: 149, 190-84

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

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

Crazy December

We drove up to Buffalo last Thursday and stopped in Herkimer to eat at a restaurant right on the Erie Canal. While it was extremely friendly with generous portions (an 8" personal pizza was literally twice that size), cut into squares (like Domino's?) and barely hinting of the fresh garlic described in the menu. The steak salad my husband ordered was quite fresh with nicely cooked but underseasoned meat. It's as if they're afraid of strong flavors, but they were all extremely nice.

Driving back with our kid in tow on Friday, we stopped at Curly's Chicken House for an early supper. It's Friday and the staff is pushing the Fish Fry so we order that. It's delicious, fresh and generous. We get home late, I pick the dogs up the next day from the "pet resort" and we try to recover from the long drive.

I haven't been to the gym since last Wednesday so it's a been a week. The torrential downpour and high winds over Sunday night into Monday caused a lot of localized flooding and broken tree branches. Schools are closed, some roads are closed. I take the dogs to the park during a lull but I'm not going to the gym. It's nearly 60F, but temps drop to the 20s and everything wet starts to freeze. Roads are slick, and at the Bark Park, the mud is icy and treacherous. I'm giving some thought to getting a heated water bowl to keep in the shed there so the pups can have not frozen water. (There's an outlet inside the shed.)

Tuesday I'm running around with last minute errands and then we had plans to see the new Wonka movie with friends we haven't seen since the Eagle Scout Court of Honor we held last April. The film was enjoyable (Hugh Grant hilarious), and one scene was mildly reminiscent of the musical Oliver (Who Will Buy). I've posted a YouTube clip below if you don't remember that awesome scene...

I get to the gym and run through my routine: cardio, pull-ups, core. It's been a week and I'm feeling quite out of shape, probably from all the holiday snacking I've engaged in. Still, I manage not to totally embarrass myself (to myself) so I should be back tomorrow... 

20 December 2023 11:48-1:00
Arctic Wednesday (it’s been a week!)

Precor elliptical #2
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5798)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: 153, 202-84

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 44 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

Program 3 is Always Good for Distance

Yesterday was a long day and I didn't even go to the gym. The dogs went to the park and I had a little bit of time before my eye doc appointment, so a lot of household chores got done, like emptying ashes out of the wood stove, and sweeping up all the dog fur. Dogs aren't shedding as heavily, but that doesn't mean they've stopped. I can feel the welts forming on the side of my thighs in reaction to the cold and dry air of winter. It's not full-blown hives. Yet. But it's coming. And there's nothing that's been able to prevent it from happening. Not hydrocortisone. Not petroleum jelly. No amount of moisturizing or topical steroids has ever helped since this started happening.

My eye exam went well, with IOPs down for one eye (12!) and stable for the other (14). I have a new Visual Field test in 3 months, and then an appointment to discuss those results. It's a few hours later by the time I get done and I stop off at a local mall because it has both Spenser's and Hot Topic: shops that cater to culturally relevant social media T-shirts and hoodies. I can always find some Rick & Morty shirts that I haven't seen before, and more importantly, that my husband doesn't already own. 

I'm still buying him gifts even though the last 4 days have been depressing because he's literally spend the past 4 days drunk. Noisy drunk screaming at whatever show he's watching on his computer. Drunk arguing in his sleep. Drunk to the point I'm finding Corelle dinner plates in the trash and the fridge emptied of foods that should've lasted a week. Because drunks have no self-control, childish appetites and no memory of anything they've done. 

I treated myself by not going home immediately. Instead, I watched The Boy and the Heron and I had the theater to myself until 3 minutes before the 4:35 showing. I'd selected a centrally-located aisle seat. A young woman walks in and chooses a seat directly across the aisle from me. Apparently this is the best viewing spot. One minute before showtime, a weird guy stomps in muttering and plants himself directly behind me. Ugh. The entire theater is empty and he has to sit right behind me. And he keeps making weird noises. Five minutes into the film, I toss my coat and bag into the seat in front of me and move forward. Really happy the weird dude stayed put. 

When I get home, I take the dogs out for their evening walk, make their dinner, make dinner for me and the passed out husband. Because he'll want dinner when he wakes up, and after he stumbles off to bed, I'll rifle through the trash to rescue flatware, cups, dishes. I'm tired of being married to a 4-year old. And I've decided to spend as little time at home when he's like that. Dealing with thar is too stressful.

Today he appears to be sober. Appearances can be deceiving though. Dogs go to the park. I go to the gym. I'm late and the gym is a bit crowded. Well, at least I can get on an elliptical. Program 3 is good for distance because very little of the course is at low "altitude" and I find it easier to pedal hard and fast. Still, I'm surprised to make it to 2.93, especially since I didn't feel strong when I started. My shoulder and elbow/forearm right side are also bothering me. Maybe I slept on that side a bit weird? Pull-ups are good for the first dozen, and then lose strength, but I manage to get to 17. The free weight area isn't too crowded yet, but it will be as soon as the HS lets out, so I do weights and save the Aerobics Room for last. 

I'm in my car by the time I see teens in groups of twos and threes cross the parking lot and head toward the gym. Made it out just in time! 

13 December 2023 11:39-1:13
Chilly Wednesday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5876)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 330
Avg Hr: 157, 209-81

HGPU 17

Skull crushers / RipSkulls
30 lbs x 12/12 reps x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 43 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

Weary Monday

Weekends are always stressful since the spouse is home and spends free time drinking and cursing out streaming movies and shows. It's a small house so I can hear this in every room and it's worse when I'm trying to sleep as I've not mastered the art of sleeping with earbuds. I got really depressed when I found out that he's home from now until after the Holidays. It's like there's no escape from the chaos; alcoholics tend to behave and think like bratty 4-year olds. I like my quiet time. I like watching movies and shows without having to pause every few minutes because someone has to announce another conspiracy theory they were just privy to. Or gruesome war strategies.

There's no one at the dog park today and it's I make it to the gym today and it's crowded with regulars and people I've never seen before. Colleges might be letting out for the Holidays...

I fully expect to tank my cardio, especially since the only available machine is sandwiched between machines 1 and 3. But I do sing to myself with my eyes closed, only peeking at the monitor to know when to reverse pedaling. I'm still shocked I made it to 2.9, but just barely. It's late so la Grande Dame is already in the Stretch Cage by the time I'm done, so I'll catch it one the way back. I'm tempted to do 10 minutes on the Stair machine, but think better of it. Core and some hip stretches are what's on the menu.

Everything feels okay, even Walking Lunges and Wall Squats. The Stretch Cage is vacant when I walk past to the locker room so of course I have to do a set of pull-ups. They feel pretty good until I get past a dozen, then they're progressively harder. The last one is only a partial rep, but truthfully, I always fare better right after cardio than after everything else. I finally got a hoodie that "fits" properly from Lands End. It's a tad big even though it's a size S women's, but it fits better than their current selection of kids hoodies where no matter the size, the arms are too narrow. How can you sell a size XL Husky hoodie with arms that fit a Medium? They used to fit proportionately, but their new supplier has cut corners... 

I have a glaucoma doc appt tomorrow afternoon. Not sure if I'll make it to the gym. But I just discovered that Hayao Mizayaki's The Boy and the Heron is playing locally, and tomorrow is $5 Tuesday, so perhaps I'll catch that show afterward. Since Mizayaki is 82 years old, this is probably his last film (renowned for their hand-drawn beauty). I'm tempted to avoid mentioning this to the spouse just so he doesn't ruin the experience. 

Last night I woke up to use the bathroom and when I returned to bed, the snoring was too loud for me to fall asleep again. The snoring is always worse when the drinking has been massively excessive. After an hour of sleeplessness, I took refuge in my kid's room, but he'll be back for the holidays by Friday. I guess I'll be on the sofa unless I can make the living room floor more comfortable... like indoor camping. I mean, we do have sleeping bags and foam cushion camping mats after all. And the dogs are very quiet at night.

11 December 2023 11:49-1:12
Sleepless Monday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5768)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: 1 63, 194-144

Skip HGPU 17 Grande Dame

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

HGPU 17.5

Wake Up Tired? Go Exercise!

I woke up tired and sore today. I hope I'm not getting sick but having my lower lids burn a bit always makes me cautious. It's not quite as cold at the dog park but I'm still bundled up and again, no other pups for mine to play with. I get to the gym late because I'm dragging. I wasn't rested when the alarm sounded and I could've easily slept another 30 minutes. My forearms and shoulders are slightly sore from yesterday's workout. The worse thing I can do is wear myself out, so I adjust today's workout.

Cardio gets cut back 10 minutes and I change the program to Intervals. I add those 10 minutes back with the Stair machine, but pull-ups get interspersed between. The last thought I remember before hoisting myself up is that fatigue doesn't usually impact strength. Definitely cardio, but not strength. At least for me. Which means I'm still able to get my reps today.

The gym's not crowded with only a smattering of regulars, but I'm running late and the HS kids are starting to trickle in. I cut out most of the Core movements except for stretches, Dead Bugs, Bird Dog planks and push-ups. My legs are tired enough without Air Squats and Wall Squats! I don't feel too bad when I leave but by early evening, naps are looking like a good idea.

8 December 2023 11:47-1:11
Fatigue Friday
(abbreviated double cardio)

Precor elliptical #1
Program Intervals
Time: 20+5 (3564)
Distance: 2.02
Cal: 218
Avg Hr: 136, 194-83

HGPU 18

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Steps 525
Floors 32
Cal 77
Hr 145

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Mix It Up Thursday and a Surprise

There's no mention of the fact that today is Pearl Harbor Day. Maybe there's too much other bad news worldwide? It's also really really cold when I wake up. I wasn't expecting temps to be quite so cold but me and the pups went to the park anyway, knowing that no one else would be there. After 30 minutes, the dogs were genuinely interested in leaving, maybe because they always get a few chicken jerky bites when they get in the car. One of my pups starts drooling even before I get the canister out of my pocket.

I have a few errands to do before I make it to the gym and since it's Thursday, the parking lot is fairly empty. Plus, the weather looks really iffy with snow flurries and unfriendly overcast skies. The gym isn't crowded and I get on the elliptical of my choice. At some point I should do a few "runs" on other cardio machines; I just haven't figured out which ones yet. Again, I'm really happy to eke past the 2.9 mark so everything's gravy from here on.

Normally I'd either be at the Stretch Cage for pull-ups, or off to the Aerobics Room to do Core exercises. But I felt the need to mix things up where I can, and one of the things I can do is change the order of the exercises. (Because bodies acclimatize really well to routines!) So what happens if after cardio I push weights and do the core exercises at the end? This way I can end with Walking Lunges and Wall Squats! Of course, I worried how badly DB inclined bench reps would impact the push-ups that follow stretches and Dead Bugs.  Admittedly, it was harder this time. And the ending Wall Squats were almost unbearable, but I did manage to stay upright for the full 90 seconds. 

The DB shoulder workout was really good, mostly because I didn't pre-exhaust myself. Doing cardio first is a must though (I hate it so much I'm always tempted to skip it if it's not the absolute first item to knock off my exercise list). I see a bunch of semi-regulars, including a very athletic, tiny woman (I think she might be shorter than me but I have an oversized sense of my actual height, until I can't reach something even on my tiptoes) who impressed me by doing several small sets of chin-ups on the bar affixed to the combo cage next to the Smith machine. Awesome! She's quite a powerhouse. 

Less impressive was the pretty teen girl who pulled off her sweatshirt to move tiny plastic baby bells in her sports bra and leggings. Well, it was getting late and the HS kids are trickling in... 

I tend to read a lot of news and articles online and they invariably have links to other articles, or TikTok or Instagram accounts. Maybe it's because I've got an ad blocker and most of the cookies have been disabled, but the TikTok links never work. I always get dropped into whatever the latest post is, and going back to the original link and re-clicking just brings me to a totally different video. Instagram is slightly better. But imagine my surprise when I click a link to view an image and I get dumped into an image of a familiar face. 

OMG! I know her! And she's fulfilling apparently a lifelong goal of competing and placing in an over-50 fitness pageant. She looks fabulous, with a smooth even tan and sleek lines. Although not very muscular, she doesn't exhibit that horrible gauntness that plague some competitors and her skin looks great. Even better is that she did not succumb to stuffing her chest. (Women's fitness is rife with fake boobs.) Kudos to her for achieving that dream!

I admit I'm a tiny bit jealous. In my 50s, competing in the Masters Class meant going against women who were over 35. Uh, no 53 year old wants to stand onstage with a 39 year old. I gave up my dream of competing once I realized that losing a lot of my body fat left me with lots of thin wrinkly belly skin and an even more horrendous saggy butt. You can't hide any of this in a bikini onstage. My ultra dry skin has little elasticity and there's no remedying those defects. I've seen women compete like that and it's not good. 

Plus, I'd never be able to achieve any semblance of a smooth tan because my skin is so patchy and scaly. Now that I'm packing more weight, my butt isn't saggy and wrinkled, but I admit I should drop a few pounds. Of course, these days I'm more concerned with how long I can go without a new bout of sciatica, because it tends to come out of nowhere... it's why I've decided not to get that second Shingrix shot.

7 December 2023 11:34-1:23
22°F Thursday Pearl Harbor Day & I’m mixing it up

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5846)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 326
Avg Hr: 156, 203-81

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

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s that hurt!

In Spite Of

I took yesterday off to run errands, figuring I'd work out today, and Thursday, and maybe Friday. Tomorrow I promised a friend I'd take her to her colonoscopy appointment, and then pick her up later in recovery. She said she tested positive with Cologuard. That happened to me, and it was a false negative. She said it's been 14 years, so might as well do the exam. I'm not going to argue with her. I'll probably go to a local store and see if I can find something to get my kid for Christmas. At this age, he says he doesn't really want or need anything.

I'm pedaling away on the elliptical when text messages appear on my phone. I don't actually look at them until I switch from backward to forward in the program. The phone doesn't always recognize my red, sweaty face and I fumble with the phone while trying to maintain my speed. It's hard to type replies and not lose my balance. Finally, the 35 minutes are done and I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm still able to hit 2.9. I'm even happier to finish pull-ups immediately after! Yaaay me!

It turns out that my kid will need a ride home from school much sooner than we had planned. His last final is next Thursday and apparently the school policy is that students must vacate the premises within 24-hours after their last final. His friends (and potential carpool home) don't finish until the 19th, which means we'll have to go fetch him nearly a week sooner than expected. It's all good though. My pups miss him. We did have a scare when we heard a dog in the afternoon play group tested positive for giardia, a nasty parasite. I got my pups tested and they're negative, as are other pups who frequent the park. Whew!

The gym is more crowded than I expected for a Tuesday. The holiday lights atop the mirrored walls in the Aerobics Room are off so the room doesn't feel quite as festive. A woman is already there, doing some floor exercises. I do my own thing as usual. I don't miss crunches, especially since the 5 sets of Dead Bugs remains challenging. The only exercise more dreaded are Walking Lunges. I make the Wall Squats bearable by glancing at email as a distraction. I wonder if these will ever become easier? And when they do, what then?

Because I'm not sure whether I'll be at the gym for two or just one more day this week, I decide to add triceps today. I could do pull-ups Thursday and still be okay with DB Shoulders on Friday. It's a given that any day I come to the gym, I do cardio and core. It might not always be 35 minutes on the elliptical, but it's likely since the Expresso Bike or the Step Machine or even the Octane just isn't the same intensity, and I can only handle 25 minutes on the LF Cross-trainer before my feet go numb. Numbness is never a good thing so I avoid anything that's going to cause that.

5 December 2023 11:27-1:11
Chilly Tuesday w/ Interruptions

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5810)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: 141, 194-83

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

Skull crushers / RipSkulls
30 lbs x 12/12 reps x 3 sets

Toes Are Distracting

Lately, I've been distracted by the sensation of my big toe rubbing against it's neighbor, the index toe. This, in spite of the roominess of my shoes! The bunion toe is shifting ever so slightly, and this is causing me some discomfort. At least the remaining toes (the hammers) haven't started cramping yet. I don't want my toes to cross but I'm at a loss as to what I should do. I've worn those odd toe separator socks and they're not very comfortable after a length of time. Maybe I could stand it for an hour, but not for an entire night.

I'm wearing an old pair of leather Saucony sneakers because the weather is iffy and I've a bunch of errands to do before I get to the gym. Lately, I haven't wanted to lose momentum by changing my shoes once I stash all my gear in the locker. So, I've been wearing my gym shoes about town and only change into regular footwear after I've showered and put street clothes on. The parking lot is crowded but the gym isn't. Probably everyone going to the cinema next door even though it's not a holiday weekend. But it IS December! I bought a wreath to put on the front door, but I still need to dig out our miniature tree and decorate it. Then I can put the air fryer I bought my husband on the table next to it. It actually might be bigger than the tree though... Hmmm.

My delts and triceps are oddly sore today considering I didn't do anything particularly athletic yesterday. What I did do was find a sunny spot in my kitchen and plant myself in a chair to catch up on some reading. After a while, my back got upset with me and my shoulders knotted up. I have no idea why the upper arms are sore though. It makes pull-ups a wee bit harder today, and normally I feel like a badass when I get it done. Today, I'm just happy to finish without too much kipping.

I do everything in my Core routine except for the now deleted crunches. The Dead Bugs go by so quickly that I'm questioning myself as to whether I'm really doing the last alternate side set, but I know I've already done two same-side sets so this must be the fifth set... I'm such a space case! I take shorter steps for Walking Lunges, which results in more steps across the Aerobics Room. That makes it harder. Grrr... But I managed to stay upright for the full 90 seconds of Wall Squats today, so I'm satisfied.

There's hardly anyone in the free weight area but I decide to just do the combo tricep workout: Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls, six sets in total. Done. Now, on to the next errand on my list today...

1 December 2023 11:33-1:13
Busy Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5822)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 326
Avg Hr: 158, 192-90

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 43 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

Skull crushers / RipSkulls
30 lbs x 12/12 reps x 3 sets

22F is Cold

I moved firewood yesterday and that was my workout for Tuesday. It wasn't a lot of wood, just a wheelbarrow full 'cuz I knew temps were going to drop into the 20s. Today I woke up to 22 F but we still went to the park. No one else was there so the pups were bored although they do like to dig up dirt and eat it (ugh), and stare up into the trees 'cuz squirrels.

The gym is crowded because it's mid-week and it's freezing outside. I'm also late and lucky I've made it before noon, mostly because I get distracted at home. Cardio was good but not great, not where it was last week. But not bad. And pull-ups felt powerful and controlled for most reps. That was reassuring! I even went back for a second set and although those were harder with a lot more partial reps, I still got them done.

I cut crunches from the core routine so it's weird that my abs were sore during Dead Bugs. Unfortunately, I lost count during the last set so I'm not 100% certain that reps totaled 100. I also cut plain elbow planks but kept the bird dogs, walking lunges, and wall squats. But by the time I got to the wall, I could barely stay 60 seconds before I started sliding down onto my butt. So, 60 seconds today. And a set of pull-ups.

Temps should be warmer tomorrow, but at least we didn't get snow. Buffalo got snow. My kid texted that he wasn't planning to go outside into the snow and cold unless absolutely necessary. What about meals? There are food places downstairs in the dorm building. College is so different than when I went forty years ago!

29 November 2023 11:39-1:05
Frigid 22F Wednesday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5730)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 322
Avg Hr: 161, 199-87

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 40 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 60s (started slipping down)

HGPU 17

After the Turkey

Nothing encourages you more to go to the gym than spending a holiday weekend stuffing your belly. And Thanksgiving is that holiday. But alas, I also had the annual mammogram right afterward, so that meant an abbreviated workout. My kid went back to school with classmates on Sunday, and texted me along the way so I know he's safe even though a big storm that's battered the mid-West hit western New York. We got a lot of rain and wind, evident this morning at the dog park with downed soggy leaves and a few large branches impressively speared into the dirt.

It's cold and sunny when I get to the gym. It's also crowded with young people I've never seen before. Too old to be HS, so maybe college kids are still here? I get on elliptical #2 while debating how much time to spend doing cardio. I finally decided to stick to 35 minutes but I don't start singing to myself until the last 10 minutes. But I wasn't expecting to do well anyway. I get my requisite pull-up and abbreviate the core workout by skipping a few movements, like crunches, planks, walking lunges and wall squats. Because I still need time to shower and drive to the radiology lab. I get there on time, fill out insurance paperwork, and I'm done in less than an hour. 

It's going to be cold this week so I plan to bring another load of firewood into the house. At some point, my husband will get brave enough to put gas in the new log splitter we bought and we'll split the wall of tree sections into usable firewood. For next year. He wastes a lot of time just drinking and watching movies over and over again while yelling and cursing at the characters. So, I'm very happy when the house is calm and quiet and it's just me and the dogs. Even though I miss my kid, I perfectly understand why he doesn't want to spend a lot of time in the house if my husband plans to be home. My hubs, on the other hand, has no idea why we consider his drunk self obnoxious and unpleasant. Because he's in total denial about his alcoholism.

27 November 2023 11:19-12:25
Sunny Cold Monday Fatter & Slower
(Mammogram appt afterwards)

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5680)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
Avg Hr: 154, 202-83

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges

Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Tired But Happy

I was too stressed and totally not motivated to go to the gym yesterday. My kid finally got home after close to 8 hrs on the road with classmates. Traffic and weather were both challenging, but everyone made it home safely. But of course, my kid wanted to hang out with a HS friend just an hour later. In the middle of the night, in the cold rain. They left, then returned after 10 minutes and hung out at our house. I put another log in the wood stove and went to bed. It was raining this morning and I didn't want to get out of bed.

But having dogs means you always get up. We got to the dog park later than usual but there was no one there. Because it was cold and wet. But eventually, a new pup showed up to play with them, so that was good. Still, I get to the gym late and the parking lot is crowded, probably because there's no school and the cinema is two doors down from the gym. There's a lot of people at the gym as well, including a woman I've never seen before on elliptical #1. 

I get on elliptical #2 and tap in Performance Program #2. I haven't had the best sleep so I'm prepared to tank this and not be upset. I continue to be surprised when I make it past 2.9 and today is no different. I'm also prepared to suck at pull-ups but I actually manage to complete both sets today. However, my grip has been affected by my wedding band putting pressure on my finger and maybe that's because dinner was a tad salty last night. I'm salt sensitive so I should've ignored the advice to salt pasta water so that it tastes like the ocean (but not the Dead Sea).

Everything is on course, even the Walking Lunges and Wall Squats. My only issue is with some lower back aches being exacerbated by the same-side Dead Bugs. I only do 2 sets of those, compared to 3 sets of alternate-side movements. I knew the same-side could be a problem though. It's one of the reasons I don't do another variation with legs vs arms: that just puts too much pressure on the lower back. The one-leg bridge helps loosen it up but the left lower back gets twingey when I sit at an angle or do other lopsided things. It's very sensitive and I have to be mindful of that. 

I finally read an explanation as to the naming convention of white noise vs brown or pink noise "music"... apparently it has to do with frequency and tones. Click on this link to read the article. I like the brown noise. White noise just sounds like static, but I think that's what my kid listens to when he has the tabletop fan blowing all night...

22 November 2023 11:42-1:11
Sunny Cold Wednesday and My Kid is Home Asleep

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5818)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 327
Avg Hr: 156, 198-87

HGPU 17 (ring causing issues)

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 40
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (30s of hell)

HGPU 17 whew!

Monday Before FeastDay

I have 3 days to exercise this week before the annual day of gluttony, i.e., Thanksgiving. My kid is catching a ride home from university tomorrow with 2 classmates, a bit later than I think is prudent (he has an afternoon class). The weather forecast is for rain so I hope that the kids will not encounter any problems on the 6-hour drive. Of course, I'm worrying already.

My husband and I finally put together the log splitter we bought on Veterans Day because Home Depot offered free delivery. But that meant we had to assemble it once we got it out of the crate. It took 3-4 hours and thank goodness we had the assortment of pliers, socket wrenches, and other tools! 

At 27 tons, it should be powerful enough to split all the sectioned logs we've had stacked for the few past years. We're certainly using the wood stove to take the chill off the house since the thermostat is set at 62F because I don't relish big fuel oil bills and the dogs are supremely unhappy when temps are too hot. At the dog park, they're positively giddy and race about when the thermometer sits below 30F. Like it was today. 

I have to stop at the UPS store to return a shaker bottle to Amazon before I head to the gym. Since prices keep rising and CVS hasn't renewed its extremely valuable coupon offers, I've stopped buying my favorite protein drink, Ensure Max 30. Instead, I'm going to dip into my large plastic bottle of ON (Optimum Nutrition) whey protein powder and bring it in a shaker bottle with a separate bottle of water.  

The Amazon delivery came promptly and the only item damaged was the shaker bottle. Damaged right at the pour spout so it's useless because you can't drink out of it, and shaking it would cause it to leak. Totally useless so I've asked for an exchange, but I'm skeptical that the replacement will be any better. So I'm on the lookout for one at the grocery later... Because I'm impatient, and I like having backups.

I need a new shaker bottle because all my old ones (from about 10 years ago when they first became popular) are stained with the stink of grossly fruity pre-workout mix. Not mine either. It's what happens when you have a spouse who doesn't understand the difference between yours and not yours. I've taken to hiding items that I don't want anyone else to touch or use because putting your initials or name on it doesn't mean anything to people who don't read labels.

The gym doesn't look crowded from the outside but there are new people there that I don't recognize. Or maybe it's because I'm later than usual. I get on the elliptical and there's a fellow on the machine next to me. He's still pedaling when I finish so maybe he's doing a full hour? Most folks do less than the 35 minutes I do. Again, I'm skeptical that I'll be making it to 2.9, but I do! I feel more rested when I wake lately and again, it's either because I'm sleeping better due to the binaural streaming music or because I'm waking with the sun already up, or a combination of both. It's wonderful not feeling like I need a nap...

Last night was the first night this weekend that the husband didn't get totally sotted and I could sleep in my own bed. Friday the snoring was so bad from him being drunk that I got up and took my pillow to my kid's room to sleep. I won't have that last resort once my kid comes home for the Thanksgiving holiday, but there's always the sofa.

Pull-ups feel hard and my left shoulder is oddly sore but I can't figure out why. Maybe from wrestling with the log splitter yesterday? Happily, last Friday's Walking Lunges didn't make me sore and now they're a permanent addition to the routine. The 100 Dead Bugs are putting a slight strain on my lower back, especially the left side. The remedy appears to be adding a few one-leg hip bridges after the 20-rep regular bridge set. But damn those Wall Squats. I almost sat down gritting out the last 15 seconds.

20 November 2023 11:47-1:10
Sunny Cold Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5834)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 326
Avg Hr: 160, 200-82

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 40
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 5 one-leg bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (30s of hell)

Interval Program Today

I'm not usually sore after the DB Shoulder routine, especially since I only did 2 sets with the heavier 20-pounders. I've done more in the past. Of course, I was younger then. Not that I'm really old, but I'm always taken aback when I see people's photos in the newspaper or speak to folks and find out how old they really are. It's always a lot younger than I thought! People just don't seem to be aging well, or maybe it's just the criminals in the local news? Is it hard living or genetics? Today, I note that my upper back seems a little stiff, but I feel the delts when I'm in the Stretch Cage as I stretch before pull-ups. And pull-ups are hard today.

I was worried about disappointing myself on the elliptical and I did get to the gym late. Again. Surprisingly, the gym is really quiet for a Friday! I can't spend all day exercising so I cut my cardio down to 20 minutes (plus 5 min cool down) and give myself a mental and physical break by selecting the Intervals program. The default settings for Intervals is trough = 4 elevation and 1 resistance, then hill = 10 elevation and 8 resistance. 

The 8 is too hard on my joints, especially my knees so I knock that down to 4, and later, when pedaling backward and feeling my hamstrings, down to 3. The cooldown defaults to whatever elevation was set last with a resistance of 1. I always do my "cooldowns" at an elevation of 7 with a 1 resistance. It's no different today, and I'm pedaling at 170 with spurts up to 236 SPMs. Which is quite different from the troughs where I try to keep myself under 130, and the hills where the goal is to pedal above 150 and more consistently at 176. Because the program doesn't provide for backward pedaling, I change directions halfway through. I can feel my hamstrings at the higher elevation but the sartorius muscle seems fine. It's a good workout and I'm thoroughly warmed up.

I cut another 10 reps from Crunches during the Core routine but everything else is routine. Except for Wall Squats. Because I can't hold the position for 90 seconds. It's probably the Walking Lunges across the Aerobics Room. When I exit, I give a brief thought to a second round of pull-ups, but honestly, I'm done for the day. And the delts are tired anyway. Next week is Thanksgiving and my kid comes back from school on Tuesday. So, I'll probably get a day or two of exercise next week. Probably.

17 November 2023 11:42-12:58
Sunny Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program Intervals
Time: 20+5 (3734)
Distance: 2.02
Cal: 221
Avg Hr: 139, 200-83

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 40
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 60s

Apparently Not a Valid Excuse

Imagine my surprise when I woke up yesterday and my glutes and hammies were sore. Not just a little either. More sore than when I did that push-up challenge and got 155 total reps. More sore than I've been in a long time. That was my excuse not to go to the gym yesterday. I did other things. Today, I'm still sore but it's going to be 60F and I need to get moving. Once temps creep up past frost and into the 50s, I spray paint the bottom of my front door. I've been planning to fix the stains that have accrued over the past year, and I've still got some white Rust-Oleum. Then I can leave for the gym.

Tuesdays and Thursdays around noon is a very quiet time at the gym. I like that. When I start pedaling the elliptical, I realize that it's not just my glutes and hamstrings that are sore, but also the left sartorius muscle that originates at the front hip and crosses the inside of the thigh to disappear behind the inside knee. It's sore but it doesn't prevent me from pedaling so I do what I normally do: focus and sing to myself. 

Unexpectedly, I clock my best mileage in years. Which means being sore is no excuse for poor results. Maybe it's because I'm finally getting enough sleep? Or better sleep now that I've been streaming sleep-enhancing videos on YouTube? Some are better than others. There's also pink, brown, purple, and black noise. I guess in contrast to white noise? The videos have the advantage of leaving no sleep-hangover the way melatonin and other "natural" remedies do. I'm not a fan of chamomile tea either...

Thursday is the perfect day to do some weights after cardio and core since I won't have to fight anyone for equipment. The Aerobics Room is empty and I do everything on my list except for the Walking Lunges. I'll do those tomorrow along with Pull-ups. Because I need to leave something on the table for next day. During Crunches, I realize that my abs are sore and I don't think that's from the lunges. Maybe that extra set of Dead Bugs is doing something after all. It's just as well that I took yesterday off. I've read conflicting opinions about abs: some say work them every day; others say they're muscles and need a day off. Wall Squats still have me trembling, breathless, and ramps up the body temp with exertion. All for just holding a pose against the wall! 

It's been a few weeks since I last did DB Shoulders and happily there's no one in the DB area. The warm-up set is difficult, as expected. Moving up to the 10s is easier, and the 20s feel fine. But I'm running out of time so I only do 2 sets at 20 lbs, and I'm fine with that.

16 November 2023 11:40-1:21
Thursday & I Had to Paint the Front Door First cuz it’s 50°F

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5902)
Distance: 2.93!!!
Cal: 330
Avg Hr: 154, 197-87

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 50
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch w side bends & twists 25
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s (last 30 face flush)

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 2

Skipping Mondays

When temps dip into the 20s, I'm still at the park with the pups but not very motivated to change into my gym duds. Yesterday was dreary, and I don't sleep well on weekends. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights aren't at all restful. It's stressful and tense and I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Living with an alcoholic is like that. Honestly, I'm always happier and calmer when he leaves for work on Monday, and not at all distressed if he doesn't come home the following weekend due to work scheduling. I'd rather do errands on Monday, get myself sorted and rested, then head to the gym on Tuesday.

Today is warmer and I'm comfy in my own bed (although I still need a new mattress) when the alarm sounds. I don't know if it's the later wake-up time (no more Daylight Savings Time until March), the binaural sleep videos I've been streaming, or the fact that I've cut the amount of meat I eat during the week, but my cardio has been really good lately. It's kind of freaky. Three days of relative inactivity so I'm prepared to struggle to make 2.8 on the elliptical. 

Imagine my surprise when I make it to 2.9 again. The elliptical console displays SPMs (Steps Per Minute), calories, HR, and Time Passed. The SPM display also toggles between total steps taken and miles. Normally, once I make it to 300 calories, I tap the SPM button and it tells me 2.7 or 2.71 miles. This is usually 29 minutes in and since I don't slow down for the 5-minute cool down that follows immediately after, I have 6 minutes to do another tenth of a mile. It sounds easier than it is. Lately, "300 calories" displays "2.68 miles". Which makes me panic and wonder where I've lost the 2-3/10s of a mile. Weird. And I peddle like crazy and think I'll just miss the mark at 2.88... but I don't? It could be the equipment, but since I used a different elliptical last Friday, and the results were the same, it's got to be me. 

Pull-ups were reliable and only the last rep needed a bit of body English as my knees pulled up to help. The gym is very quiet and there aren't many members. Good for me! I finally remembered to do the added movements to my Core workout with side-bends and hip twists. I even lunge-walk across the room and back after Air Squats. I cut back 10 reps on crunches and add another set of 20 to Dead Bugs. Of course, the hardest exercise is the 90 seconds of Wall Squats. I have to skip the second set of pull-ups because la Grande Dame is in the Stretch Cage like a spider monkey. I'm not waiting around.

I go to the grocery and finally see packages of rambutan. I was looking for those last week. They were cheaper two weeks ago, disappeared last week, and are now a tad more expensive but the package is bigger. The last time I remember having rambuttan was in Hawaii where we bought some off the back of a pickup. These odd-looking fruits resemble floppy sea urchins, and are like a drier, less sweet version of lychees with a thick papery skin, firm white flesh and a pit in the middle. They don't have the same perfumey quality as lychees either. Which can be a good thing. Or not... 

14 November 2023 11:19-12:52
Tuesday Chilly & Dull

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5784)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 324
Avg Hr: 157, 200-84

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 50
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 26
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch w side bends & twists 25
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s (last 30 face flush)

Veterans Day Friday

There are a lot of cars in the parking lot today so I'm worried about how crowded the gym is. Someone is pedaling elliptical #1 so I clamber on to #2 which works just as well if not a bit noisier. No one can really tell with the din of the "ambient" music blaring from the speakers. I'm worried that being on a different machine, on a difficult program (because it's mostly flat on low terrain) means I'll be disappointed in the mileage. 

I start singing to myself anyway, the woman on the other elliptical leaves, and I gain another fraction of a mile. Which is great and terrible at the same time. Great because it's been forever since I've made it past the 2.9 mark, and terrible because of internal self-competition. 2.9 has become the new goalpost that I'll have to move past to feel successful.

Pull-ups are good for the first dozen, and then harder to get my nose to the bar for the next five. The last one requires kipping. The Aerobics Room is empty and I follow my routine, but completely forget to add side-bends. I'm also thinking about cutting reps on Crunches and adding another set of 20 to the Dead Bugs. The Wall Squats are slightly easier and I don't start to tremble until 70 seconds in. 

I've already decided to do the Triceps routine but undecided about the second set of pull-ups. Until I see that the Stretch Cage is occupied. I'm happy to nix that second set and just do the Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls. Done.

The husband is back from Boston today and while nothing hurts anymore, his hand is swollen, the ankle is twice the size it was and the ribs sport a deep purple bruise. But he doesn't see this as any incentive to quit drinking. Nope. His take away from last week's mishap is that he should just not trip. Yeah, alcoholics are masters of denial and delusion.

10 November 2023 11:24-1:00
Late Friday Veterans Day & Gym is Crowded

Precor elliptical #2
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5844)
Distance: 2.91 !!!
Cal: 327
Avg Hr: 159, 195-86

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20/20/20/20 alt/ss = 80
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 26
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch w side bends
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s (last 20 trembling)

Skull crushers / RipSkulls
30 lbs x 12/12 reps x 3 sets

Like a Bald-Faced Hornet

I was surprised with the loaner car I got from the dealership's repair shop. Normally, I wind up with a base model Forester that feels cramped and low-budget. This time, I was surprised by the size of the vehicle. From the back, I can see that it has higher clearance than a normal sedan, or probably even my old Forester, which with its leather seats is a "Premium" edition. 

This loaner is the Wilderness edition and it stands taller and wider. It has weird shiny metal pedals with Swiss cheese cutouts as if it's not quite finished and missing a rubber tread. In fact, this white car with the black trim reminds me of a bald-faced hornet when approached head-on. I dare you to say otherwise. 

The car drives nicely and has a Sirius radio account because it's a "courtesy car" used to drive customers about. (Sirius keeps flashing a warning about bad weather tonight into tomorrow, but the weather app on my phone says temps will rise to the 50s with some showers. Nothing I'd consider alarming.) I sat in a Wilderness Forester at the showroom last winter when my hubs needed to buy a new used vehicle after a tree fell on his car. It was very spacious and I immediately made note of it. So far, my only complaint is about the number of buttons and options on the steering wheel and along the door. Consequently, the buttons for the lock and windows are tiny and feel flimsy. 

Weirdest pedals

The Forester Wilderness is much too expensive to purchase new, and car website reviews say that the Premium edition is a better value (cheaper) than the Wilderness, with better gas mileage, acceleration, and stopping speed. I'll keep this all in mind when I'm in the market, probably in a few years. Right now, my main concern is making sure I don't let dog hair accumulate when I take the pups to the park in the morning. The loaner agreement states they can charge me a $200 cleaning fee if there's smoking or pet fur! I remove the dog hammock and shake it all out after the park. Dog fur is insidious and transfer seems inevitable so I'm trying hard to minimize contact. No word from the repair shop today so I have no idea how long I'll have this vehicle.

I get to the gym late and am surprised that mid-week, the gym's not very crowded. The parking lot is virtually empty. Two old men take up cycling on the bikes directly in front of the ellipticals. One of them, Loud Mouth, must've gotten hearing aids because he's no longer screaming at the fellow next to him. I ignore them, close my eyes, and pedal to my tunes. Two songs in and I start singing along to myself. I'm pretty sure no one can hear me, especially with the "ambient" music blasting. Program 3 has traditionally been a bit grueling and I worry that I'm not pedaling fast enough. Except I'm able to ramp up during the last 5 minutes and actually hit that elusive goal mark of 2.9. Yaaay me!

I'm a bit breathless and very sweaty when approaching the Stretch Cage so of course I wonder if I'm going to be too tired to pull myself up. But that's silly because in my case, strength is something that doesn't wane with cardio fatigue. I get my 17 pull-ups and then head off to the Aerobics Room. I keep reviewing my exercises, wondering which ones I can modify or eliminate to cut time, especially since I added Wall Squats and think I should also try some Side-Bends or Twists since my sciatica has remained dormant for months now. Should I ditch the planks? Are they doing anything for me? I feel my abs during those 60 seconds. Just like I feel my abs when I do Dead Bugs and I attribute that to doing the "warmup" crunches beforehand. And I'm better at Dead Bugs now, being able to switch from alternate sides to same sides without the stumble.

When I emerge from the Aerobics Room, there's no one in the Stretch Cage so I get my second set of pull-ups. I've taken to just letting my legs hang down so I can focus on keeping my body straight and rigid. It's only during the last few reps that my legs start to curl up to assist. I'm trying hard not to resort to kipping. 

I've always thought that dogs recognize the noise of the car and so, don't bark when I back into the driveway. They go nuts if anyone else, including my hubs, pulls up. Which puzzles me when I drive the loaner car home and back into the driveway. Not a peep from my pups. As if they know it's me. The loaner is whisper quiet compared to my jet plane car. How do they know it's me coming home? Are they psychic? 

8 November 2023 11:30-12:56
Late Wednesday With the Loaner

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5788)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: 155,207-85

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20/20/20/20 alt/ss = 80
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 26
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch with 5 side bends
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s (last 30 trembling limbs)

HGPU 17