Soreness and Fatigue Are Two Different Things

When I got home on Wednesday, after my push-up marathon, I had done a few errands and then suddenly I was so tired I fell asleep on the sofa with the dogs. Lucky for the pups, I woke up in time to feed and walk them. I haven't napped in years! And then I got a text from my kid that his school is being ravaged by Covid, and BTW, he's probably got it too because his throat feels like someone punched it every time he swallows. Ugh. 

I gather up soothing throat lozenges, teas, vitamin C and zinc, elderberry syrup, double chocolate cookies for comfort... Since we're planning on visiting in a few weeks, I decide to get my flu and booster shot now instead of waiting until October.

I'm surprised that the local CVS says they're booked for the next two weeks so I go to one of the RiteAids (there's at least 3 within close driving distance). It's completely void of customers. I ask about flu and booster shots. The flu can be a walk-in but the booster needs to be scheduled online. So, while I'm filling out the forms for the flu shot, I whip out my phone and schedule a booster shot appointment, for 8 pm that same day. Then I ask the pharmacist if I really have to come back at 8 pm since I'm already here, and there's literally no one else there. 

A young couple suddenly appear and they have appointments, but they wind up seated in the waiting area for a good half hour. I actually get my shot, leave the store and buy some dog food next door, drop that off at my car in the big parking lot, then come back to the RiteAid to buy an at-home test kit to include in the care package to my kid. The couple are still in the waiting area. I'm a little surprised but I'm not going to ask any questions...

 

I feel tired this morning, and have a slight headache. It might be the booster, or it might be the weather since it's been raining since last night, knocked the power out at 3 AM (the generator kicking on woke me up) and has caused a lot of the major roadways to close due to flooding. The dogs still need to run about so we go, and we are literally the only ones in the entire park but that's okay. After 25 minutes, the dogs are ready to come home and be toweled off so they can sleep in their soft comfy beds.

My lats are sore but not any more than last time. I would've expected triceps and pectorals to also be afflicted, but nope. My left tricep is sore because I got both shots there, but it's not debilitating. I get to the gym late and it's not very busy. I do a super easy cardio session at just 25 minutes and then an ugly set of pull-ups. But I did get pull-ups done. I found an old sleeveless shell (in my pile of old clothes) with huge gaping arm holes. Luckily, I'm wearing a sports bra that I'm not too embarrassed to show. The Aerobics Room is empty and I do all my core exercises, skipping the extra time for planks and not doing wall squats at all. After all, this is my recovery day. Last time I got a booster, I was super tired and slept a lot so I'm fine with babying myself today. 

I did get a little bored and shot a video of push-ups today because it was quick and not too tedious. Filming the push-up challenge might be asking too much... Also, I might not have installed all the latest extensions and the video might not load properly. I'll just have to post and see if it works or not.

  

I've been wearing a pair of plaid flannel cargo pants that my son outgrew. He wore nothing but flannel cargo pants for most of grade school, until LLBean stopped selling them. I'm literally the size of a kid so my boys flannel shirt, cargo pants and Mickey Mouse hoodie shouldn't surprise anyone. I once read someone's observation that middle-aged Asian women tend to dress like teenage boys and I guess that's probably true...

29 Sept 2023 11:20-12:27
Post Double Vax Friday w/ Torrential rainfall

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3 EZ workout
Time: 20+5 (3678)
Distance: 1.93
Cal: 209
Avg Hr: 135, 160-80

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
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
Eye yoga

A New Push-Up Challenge

I found another pair of exercise pants that I remember wearing a lot but having some issues with the garment. I couldn't remember exactly what the problem was but it wasn't enough for me to toss the pants in the trash, so.... I also found my favorite tank, buried under a pile and covered in dusty dog hair. Laundering solves so many problems. It's mid-week so I'm careful to arrive at the gym after Boot Camp is over. It's the first sunny day in a long time and there's hardly anyone around. Just because it's sunny though, doesn't mean that it's warm. The heat in my house kicked on this morning even though my thermostat is set at 50F. While my phone app says it's 50F outside, the indoor/outdoor thermometer reads 47F.

I'm happily pedaling away and feel the waistband of my pants slip down from my waist to the bikini line. My pants aren't in danger of falling down, but I find it uncomfortable to have my belly jiggling over the waistband. I really need to lose these 5 lbs! Or at least the 5 lbs over my belly. I'm cold enough that I don't break a sweat until more than halfway through cardio. But I get my pull-up reps done and march off to the Aerobics Room.

While I'm in there, a few other people come and go. One fellow spends most of his time twisted on a mat staring into the wall mirror. By the time I get to push-ups, I've psyched myself up to my own push-up challenge. Rules? Do as many sets as possible, maximum rep is 25, minimum 15 (because I'm not ready to concede to 5 or 10). I'm surprised when I get a third set of 25 reps, but obviously, each successive set has a slower pace. I get 6 sets with maybe a minute rest between each. And that last set had me wondering if I was going to land on my face in the end. I didn't but it was a lot of effort. 

I think I might be sore tomorrow from all the push-ups. Or maybe not. I don't even know anymore. I need to buy some elastic to fix the waistbands of several pair of pants that I want to keep. The pants I'm wearing today though, requires more thought as how to prevent the waistband, especially the front, from rolling down without altering anything else. I go to Michael's craft store to get elastic and find holiday LED lights (been looking for those!) and a shiny black wreath to hang on the front door. (I usually get a lot of holiday stuff at RiteAid, but that chain has just announced store closings, and I'm not hopeful that there'll be fully-stocked shelves anytime soon.) It's Autumn and Halloween is barely a month away, we will not have any kids trick or treating but I'm still going to put up a few decorations.

While I'm waiting for my car to warm up in the gym parking lot, I see a car in front of me with an unfamiliar "logo". I take a phone pix so I can zoom in and I still can't tell what the name on the older sedan is, but I know it's an Acura, which is basically a high-end Honda. I have to resort to the internet to find out about the Honda Vigor. What? Never heard of it! Discontinued in 1994, this car is a genuine relic but not a "classic car." 

Later, standing in line at Michael's, I look around and see cucumber candy. Soooo weird. And gummy noodles simulating a Chinese take-out container. Also kinda weird. Not even curious to how they taste. Nope.

27 Sept 2023
Brisk Sunny Wednesday (& will my pants stay up?)

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5568)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 314
Avg Hr: 143, 198-90

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
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-Up Challenge: 25, 25, 25, 20, 20, 15 = 130
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga

Inspired to DeHoard

I've spent a few days each week sifting through and discarding old books, clothes and other items. This past weekend, I started sorting through my dresser, closet and plastic storage boxes. I try on a lot of buried clothes and make two important decisions: a lot of my old clothes still fit even though I'm 10 lbs heavier; and there are clothes I bought at my lightest that I will never fit back into unless I get sick because dropping 15 lbs is too exhausting and strenuous. 

I just can't exercise that much or eat that little anymore. And when I let go of those pants and dresses, I felt as if I had let go of a whole different person. It's letting go of a different part of my life and coming to terms with me here and now. I'd still like to lose the 5 lbs I've put on since the "pandemic" began, but it's not making me crazy. 

I find really old gym clothes, including a pair of buttery soft pants that I have a vague recollection of setting aside because they kept sliding off after a while. Because I'd dropped 20 lbs after joining the local gym. But these pants are still super soft and they still fit. Today I find out whether the extra pounds I'm carrying around my belly and hips will keep these pants up. I rediscover old tank tops in very good condition, some of which I toss into the donate pile (along with enough other clothes to fill 5 kitchen trash bags). Other items, like running shorts and leggings are clothes I've never felt comfortable in and I'm happy to discard them. They're all clean and ready for someone else to utilize.

It's been raining all weekend, but this morning it's really pouring. Even the dogs don't argue with me about leaving the park after 20 minutes. When there's high humidity, my head gets foggy and I have trouble thinking clearly: brain fog! Luckily, cardio on the elliptical clears my head and I feel normal again. My outfit is all old clothes I've rediscovered in buried piles: a gray hoodie when Land's End made them with proportionate sleeves, those silky soft exercise pants that might or might not stay up, an ultramarine Old Navy tank made from that most perfect of materials that is cooling yet not clingy, LE gray seamless toe socks and the oldest pair of NB sneakers I own. 

Being fatter helps keep my pants up although I find myself adjusting them every now and then. But they don't actually run the risk of falling off. I have a pile of pants that need to be hemmed, and that includes fleece pajama pants with a brittle elastic waist. If I'm replacing the band in those, I could consider adding a band to these exercise pants. I just haven't figured out how to measure how much elastic length I need to buy and how thick a band. I guess having bigger hips and belly isn't all bad although I find it makes me very self-conscious. Which is silly because I see V in the locker room and she's obviously wearing a very tight waist-shaper under her exercise clothes, and it doesn't bother her at all. My parents are long dead and I'm still super self-conscious of my body and my clothes. 

I get a set of pull-ups done (which feels good) then off to do core in the Aerobics Room. Planks are good for the first 60 and a lot more difficult for the next 30 second. Push-ups and air squats are fine. Wall squats start off okay but by 60 seconds all I can do is breathe really hard and tell myself just 20 more seconds, just 15 more seconds, just 10 more... I'm ambivalent about doing another set of pull-ups so I decide to do 10 minutes on the stair machine. 

There's no school today because it's Yom Kippur (Jewish Day of Atonement) but I'm sure the downpour has kept a lot of kids home. There's no one on either stair machine and that makes me happy. The machine paces erratic, either at 52 or 57 steps per minute. My old sneakers aren't giving my left foot the support it needs and that foot, the good foot, starts to ache a bit. I guess I'll only do this machine when I'm wearing the newer sneakers. If I make it to the gym tomorrow, I might do another push-up challenge...

25 Sept 2023 11:09-12:46
Pouring Rain Means Brain Fog Monday (& will my old butter-soft pants stay up?)

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5570)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 313
Avg Hr: 142, 188-90

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Steps 528
Floors 33
Cal 77
Hr 133

Mentally Amusing, Not Physically Challenging

An abbreviated workout is better than no workout at all. I skipped yesterday and didn't have a lot of time today, so when I got to the gym, I looked around and realized I could spend 20 minutes on a machine I hadn't used in a long time. I think it's maybe been more than a year and there's no one on any of the Expresso exercise bikes. I get on the last one and look for my favorite program, the Dragon Island game.

It's a fun game and gets me breathing hard, but I barely break a sweat. Different machines measure heart rate differently. I'm pleased that the Expresso measures an average HR of 50, although I've only "burned" 88 calories after pedaling 3.84 miles up and down rough terrain chasing floating coins and dragons to score points. I'll be back on the elliptical on Monday...

After a set of pull-ups, I retreat into the Aerobics Room. There's a sweaty back print on the mat atop the pile in the corner. I always wipe the mats down even though I use my hoodie to place between me and it. Because people are gross. Today's a super-abbreviated workout since I need to change and shower, go home and put my laundry in the washer, before driving up to pick my friend up from her house. 

It's a workout. Not a great one, but it counts.

22 Sept 2023 10:36-11:30
Abbreviated Friday

Expressing bike 4
Program Dragon Island
Time: 20
Distance: 3.84
Cal: 88
Avg Hr: 50
Score: 138,690

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
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
Eye yoga

Push-up Soreness

I woke up yesterday and my finger was still too swollen (and itchy) to squeeze my wedding band back on. Surprisingly, neither my pecs nor my triceps were sore from the push-up marathon. Instead, both my lats were tender. I'd never thought of push-ups as being a lat exercise, but I suppose it is a full body movement... Which meant I wasn't going to attempt pull-ups until today. Happily, I netted the same amount as last time. 

I did skip the second set because my left shoulder started to twinge during the last few reps of the first set. The shoulder didn't bother me during any of the core exercises, like planks or even push-ups. And push-ups felt fine. But I never want to chance injury that might impede my ability to do anything else. Like walk my pups. Because it's just me at home right now. The child is at away at school, and the hubs is working out of town for the next few weeks straight. I do have plans on Friday to check out a gallery with a friend because we know the artist, although we've never seen her watercolors before. In the past, we've been awed by her composed shadow boxes of natural items like dragonflies & butterflies, flowers, shells, driftwood to create awesome landscapes. (The insects were found already deceased.)

I got to the gym a bit late because I wanted to miss the MWF morning crowd. It was still fairly busy inside, but since I don't use most of the equipment, I'm good. I do like the locker room to myself with no one spraying godawful hair products. Today I got my ring back on so I figured I'd be able to do a few pull-ups as well. There's some sporadic itching from the bug bites, but the finger is so much better than it was two days ago. I did get bit through my pants again. But a swollen bump on the thigh isn't the same annoyance. Both Step Machines were empty and I grabbed the opportunity to do 10 minutes there. 

I skipped Wall Squats because honestly, I don't want to put my hoodie back on to lean against the wall (leaning against it wearing sweaty gym clothes is gross). The inside of my hoodie has a lot of fuzzy remnants from the plush blanket I washed two weeks ago, and wearing the hoodie transfers a lot of the fuzz onto my blank tank. Today I'm constantly picking and brushing lint off me and it's annoying and distracting. I flip the hoodie inside out and hope that laundering will remove most of the lint this time.

Peek a boo!

The mosquitoes are still out there even as temps drop. It was 48F this morning and I actually dug out a fleece hat to wear with a thicker hoodie when I took the pups to the park. After an hour, I was ready to head home, but one of the dogs had other ideas and hid himself under a low "bridge" in the puppy playground. Thank goodness for Full Moon Chicken Jerky treats, a reward for the pups when they get into the car to go home. 

20 Sept 2023 11:12-1:07
Brisk Wednesday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5638)
Distance: 2.86
Cal: 318
Avg Hr: 149, 192-82

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
   Skip Wall Squats 90s

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Steps 535
Floors 33
Cal 78
Hr 131

That Might Hurt. Tomorrow.

I've often wondered how birds and insects fly through the rain, and if their brains calculate adjustments for dodging or enduring the falling water. My dogs and I are at the park for 20 minutes and my exposed hand gets bitten. I have such a bad reaction to the bite on my knuckle that I have to remove my wedding band once I get home because the swelling is becoming painful. I rub cream on the afflicted area several times and that relieves the itching but does little for the swelling.

After some necessary errands, I'm off to the gym even though the rainy dreary weather makes me want to crawl back under my bed covers. Although I'd normally do a set or two of pull-ups, I'm worried about how my finger is going to react to my gloves, and the pressure of supporting my body weight when I'm hanging from the Stretch Cage. Just pedaling the elliptical makes my finger ache a bit and all I'm doing at that point is holding the handle to keep from falling off the machine.

The gym is crowded because rain makes everyone exercise indoors. At least the Aerobics Room is cool and I gingerly put my gloves on when I lay down on the mat. Gloves keeps my hands from sliding because having icthyosis vulgaris means my palms and soles of my feet are incongruously highly-wrinkled yet smooth and slippery with what might be misplaced keratin. (It's damn near impossible for me to open a brand new plastic bag without wetting my fingers or wearing leather gloves.) 

My body isn't happy doing planks and I cut it back to 60 seconds. Everything else seems okay, so when I do push-ups, I consider the set I didn't do on Friday: 25, 20, 15, 10, 5. That equals 75 reps. Push-ups don't bother my hands or fingers. Then I find myself doing 25 for the second set. I attempt a third set but only get to 20. The fourth set also only gets as far as 20. Curiosity gets me to the last set and I finish with 15 reps and roughly 30 seconds between sets. That's 105, and while I feel okay today, I'm probably going to be sore tomorrow. Probably. Most likely. 

In hindsight, I could probably have netted another 10 reps, then 5 but I was getting a little bored and more people were coming in to use the room. Instead, I gather all my stuff and manage a decent Wall Squat. Maybe I should add the additional push-ups to the routine on a weekly basis?

I skipped Friday last week to spend a few more hours wrestling with invasive vines in my hedges. I finally found a pair of safety glasses that don't fog up when steam emanates from your head. I always wear a hood, long pants, gloves and boots although I don't spray myself with tick repellent and I probably should. Because I'm a damn insect magnet.

Saturday, my husband and I spent more time in our car than we did at the NY Renaissance Faire. It's the first time we've gone without our son, and probably the most time we've ever spent idling in traffic getting there, and in the parking lot trying to exit. We literally sat in our car with the engine off for over an hour after the Faire ended because of the vast amount of cars trying to leave simultaneously. 

My husband took a nap because he had also driven back from Boston that morning. Neither of us had eaten at the Faire, although I had the foresight to munch a Quest protein bar I found in my bag. Once we managed to leave, we headed for the chain restaurant Kpot in Wappingers Falls. They're a Korean BBQ/Hot Pot joint and quite popular on a Saturday night. We texted a few pix to our son, and later that night he answered that he'd like to check it out when he's in town next. Cool!

18 Sept 2023 11:30-12:55
Rain All Day Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5454)
Distance: 2.80
Cal: 309
Avg Hr: 144, 175-115


20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
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, 25, 20, 20, 15 = 105!
Air Squats 25
Upper body stretch
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s

Tired & Sore & Still Okay

I'm still not going to sleep before 11. Goals, right? But I got up, noted that I was mildly sore all over, and took the pups to the park and enjoyed the cooler, drier weather. Eventually I went to the gym and it was pleasantly empty with just a smattering of members. Cardio is increasingly better and my elbow, which was twingeing this morning, doesn't bother me during pull-ups. I did have a concern about being too sore and tired since this is Day 3, but obviously it's all in my head.

The a/c and the fans are on in the Aerobics Room so that's a relief and I can cool down. While I'm on the mat doing core exercises, a fellow comes in and sets up a phone tripod to take selfies. He strips down to just shorts and strikes a few classic bodybuilding poses. I manage to glance up and note that he's well-built with nicely proportioned chest, lats, delts, quads, calves... I don't want to stare so I'm not aware of any deficits in his physique. I'm tempted to wish him good luck, assuming he's competing somewhere, but I continue doing my routine and pretend I don't see him. It's the polite thing to do. 

I even manage to complete a 90 second Wall Squat before I leave the Aerobics Room. I'm tempted to do another set of pull-ups, but I'm tired and still need to spend a few hours wrestling with the hedges outside the kitchen window. Between the hedge trimmer and the small branch loppers, my forearms will be sore enough. 

Pomegranates finally arrive at the grocery after being advertised for weeks. Just in time for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which starts at sundown tomorrow. My kid has been looking for pomegranates since mid-August, but it's an Autumn fruit. I'm thinking of mailing him a few with cooler packs along with the spicy beef jerky my husband has been making out of London broil in the food dehydrator...

14 Sept 2023 11:09-12:29
Brisk Sunny Thursday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5668)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 318
Avg Hr: 144, 194-74

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s

Mind Body Disconnect and Vision

I got to the gym and was glad that the Boot Camp class was over. Not a lot of members on the equipment at 11 AM. During cardio, I look down and notice that one of my shoelaces is untied. That's what I get for being cocky and not double-knotting my laces in the locker room. But I resist the compulsive urge to stop mid program and fix it. Instead, I wait until I'm done and have all my data logged. It's a bit of OCD. Actually, this whole blog thing is a bit of OCD. And OCD kicks in when I go to the DB area later and find the ones I want not in the proper sequential order on the rack.

The Aerobics Room is unpleasantly warm. The a/c is off and the ceiling fans aren't rotating. (The doors must be open because a fly zips by and now I'm paranoid that it's going to try and bite me.) The Boot Camp class was probably held in the gym proper and Gym Owner didn't see the need to air condition the unused room. Because he's cheap like that. But this is a small business, interest rates are high and everything is more expensive, including electricity. Yesterday I ran into another member I've chatted with some years previously. I tend not to take her too seriously because she complains a lot about the gym management, and I'm not actually sure she's ever held a job. (I've worked for global companies, but also mom & pop shops, and my dad owned a small business, so I have sympathy for them, but not the corporations.)

I try not to judge this woman by her shriveled arms and I truly don't know how old she is, but she can't be that old. Probably a few years more than me. So when she says she's strong because she lifts weights, I bite my tongue because I know it's the tiny blue one pound DBs, which if you're doing Pilates, well, okay that's a workout. But otherwise, uh, well no, you're not strong. Lemme see you do a push-up, a real one.

My lats tell me I'm sore but only when I curl up to do crunches. There's a slight disconnect between my body's fatigue and it's ability to perform. It takes a lot for it not to perform, but being tired makes it harder for me to focus, especially if I have to sit still at a table. Part of that might be trouble with my eyes. Although my vision is still very good, my upper eyelids are drooping slightly from the medications (as my glaucoma doc keeps telling me) and with small eyes, it means that my sparse eyelashes actually fringe my vision and give everything a distorted peripheral edge. 

Sometimes that makes me think the lights are flickering when it's actually my perception of light filtering past my lashes. So damn annoying! I'll turn and stare straight at a light to confirm that it's flickering or not. It's not. Ugh. Haven't impositions on your vision affects mood and oddly enough, concentration. (Folks in my online glaucoma support group write about being depressed about their conditions all the time, trying to parse whether it's  a reaction to medication or situation, or both.) However, if I'm actively moving about then I don't have a problem with fatigue or focus. Ugh. So cleaning and sorting a room, or yanking bittersweet vines out of the hedges (something I have to do tomorrow) is much easier than sifting through paperwork. And I'm a weenie nerd, so paperwork comes easy to me. Except lately.

I skip Wall Squats just as more people enter the Aerobics Room to stretch and do core exercises. Today is DB Shoulders and instead of waiting until the end of the week, I'm doing the routine on Day 2. I rest a little more between heavy sets and find that I'm able to complete all three without dropping reps on the Inclined DB Press. Yaaay. But I have to do this earlier in the day. Teenagers from the HS start trickling in around 12:30 and while it's not crowded, it's still more people than I like. Yes, I'd rather work out in my own private gym without having to deal with people who need to be told not to stand right up against the DB rack so that you can actually access the equipment. 

Yeah, built like a brick s@&*

 
Afterward, I drive up to the Kohl's Dept store to buy a new quick-drying gym bath towel. I bought my current one there years ago and it's getting a bit worn, so I'm getting a replacement. Also, I want to see if I can find any summer camp shirts on sale. (Success, I got one for about $6!) I bought two here over 15 years ago. My favorite one looked like a watercolor painting but the fabric wore out, and the second one was always a bit tight in the sleeves. I'm fatter now.

I've put on 5 lbs since the pandemic, and 4 lbs prior to that. I know I'll never drop down to the best weight for my clothes (that kind of exercise and dieting is too extreme for me these days), but I don't think 5 lbs is asking too much. Or maybe it is. Dropping fat is much harder once you age past 60!

13 Sept 2023 11:00-12:52
Changeable Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5548)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 313
Avg Hr: 146, 203-74

No a/c or fans in the Aerobics Room!
20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
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 reps x 3 sets

Tuesday and the Days Are Shorter

Because the summer sun is no longer smacking me the face at 6 AM, I'm able to sleep until my alarm sounds at 7:05. While I don't feel refreshed and springy, I'm also not dead with fatigue. I've been aiming to get into bed by 11. Not quite there but closer. I wind up text chatting with my son about his day as we're both readying for sleep. Yesterday he accidentally slept through a morning class because he woke up when his alarm sounded too early for breakfast, wanted another hour of sleep, and didn't get the alarm reset properly. So he woke up mid-afternoon. Ugh. 

It's something I've worried about with him for years now since he has slept through every phone alarm. I actually bought him a loud digital alarm clock he has to get out of bed to shut off. (He was able to make up the class by downloading videos of the course.)

Pups go to the park and I spend a lot of time brushing wads of loose fur off them since there is no one else in the entire park. Probably the threat of weather. I've never regretted buying the Furminator dog de-shedder on the recommendation of a vet tech many years ago. My dogs respond by trying to sit as close to me as possible, nudging each other out of the way. Later, I get ready for the gym but first I need to bring my plastic bag recycling to the nearest grocery since my residential recycling doesn't take film plastics, and a another stop to return some BSA troop training material that I uncovered while cleaning and sorting through my house. I'm rediscovering a lot of previously lost items. Meanwhile, I have Hoarders marathons streaming on YouTube on my old iPad that I can bring to any room in the house. It's very motivating!

It's nearly noon by the time I get to the gym and the parking lot is almost empty. Weird since it's also Five Dollar Tuesday at the cinema next door. And I'm tempted to get a ticket for Barbie, or Oppenheimer, but I trudge off to the gym. I missed yesterday because I had a glaucoma follow-up appointment and I was prepared for disappointment, but my pressures are good at 13-14, down from 17. Which means I can continue my exercise routine without worry for now. Hurray for tiny victories!

The gym has maybe 4 members and 2 staffers. I have my pick of cardio machines so of course I'm on my favorite elliptical even though I could use the Expresso bike or the Octane or the Step Machine. After I start pedaling, more people show up. Eventually kids from the HS will arrive and it'll be unpleasant. I don't quite make it to 18 reps like last time, but I still feel pretty good about pull-ups. (Seeing other people's faces when I do them gives me a bit of a kick.) And it still feels good the second time around even if I don't get as many reps. I had to change my focus during the second set and that helped me to relax into the movement, making it just a tiny bit easier. But I also lost count so I'm not absolutely certain I got 16. (Of course, this only matters to me and no one else.)

People sporadically enter the Aerobics Room to do quick floor exercises. That 90 second elbow plank is not getting any easier. Nor is the Wall Squat. I only make that to 90 seconds as well, although the push-ups and air squats are fairly routine. I'd do more push-ups if I wasn't worried about raising my eye pressures. Maybe doing another set? The set doesn't even have to be 25 reps. I remember doing a descending set back in college, starting with 25, then 20, then 15, 10, 5. Equals 75 reps. And you can be certain to be sore the next day the first time you do it. Now that I've thought about it, I might actually do that on Friday.

The inside of my hoodie. Ugh.

The only thing really annoying me is that I made the mistake of washing a new fleece blanket I bought for my son's college dorm. Instead of washing it solo, I put it in with my other laundry. It shouldn't've been a problem but it shed little fleece balls all over all my other clothes that are impossible to remove. Ugh. Yes, this item is getting a one star review. It's super soft and cute but can never ever be washed. Not very practical, right?

12 Sept 2023 11:50-1:26
Busy Busy Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5546)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 313
Avg Hr: 148, 202-76

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s

HGPU 16?

Fatigue Friday

I made myself go to bed at 11 last night, but I didn't fall asleep right away. Even after playing a few rounds of Spider and Pop Time, and my eyes were burning heavy, I only slept for a few hours before stumbling to the bathroom, or waking up and wondering what time it was. I had even sipped a bedtime mug of Sleepy Time Vanilla Chamomile tea, but all that did was make me feel groggy and hungover when the alarm sounded at 7, and again at 7:25. I heated some coffee, got dressed, administered my glaucoma eye drops and took the pups to the park. It was littered with small broken branches and a lot of wet leaves. Even though it's hot enough to feel like summer, the shortened days let everyone know that Autumn is here. It's so dark at 8 pm that I need a headlamp to walk the pups on the road, but at least the asphalt is cooler and easier on doggy feet.

I really want to talk myself out of going to the gym, but I know I'm not going on Monday. I'm tired and concerned that my eyes are burning like I've been swimming in a chlorinated pool. It just means I'm a bit worn out. I get to the gym late and the parking lot isn't very crowded. That's promising. I'm still debating what kind of cardio to do when I step out of the locker room. The elliptical is free so that's kind of a no-brainer. I'm not expecting much in the way of performance today. I only notice how sore my body is when I squat down to pick up after my dogs at the park. Otherwise, all I feel is fatigue.

I'm not moving as quick as I'd like. I worked really hard to make 2.8 today, but part of that problem was the fact that I had no idea you could punch in a program like Manual just to bring the elevation down (from a ridiculous 13 to a more manageable 6) and then change the program mid-course (to Program 1) without having the machine reset. So the first 5 minutes of this is at Manual with me trying to adjust some of the settings. 

The a/c isn't noticeable in the Aerobics Room which is disappointing. I'm drenched. It's cooler today but extremely humid. Thunderstorms later today and sporadically all weekend. The 90 second plank is hard, especially after the first 45. Then I'm breathing deeply and trying to hold my position. Everything else is fine and I opt to completely skip wall squats. I try to do my push-ups next to a mirror so I can check my form as I have a tendency to drop my head. I don't know how others do push-ups unless they focus their gaze on something in front of them instead of looking at the floor. I was bored, so yeah, I shot a video of me doing push-ups today. 

I admit I'm pretty quick but having short arms, there's not a lot of distance to cover going up and down... I guess if I wanted to make this exercise harder I could go slower, but considering that my glaucoma doc doesn't really want me doing this (had me drop my reps to 25 from 50), I figure quick is the way to go. Some might criticize the wide-arm stance I take, but narrower hand placement hurts my elbows, and no exercise is worth risking joint and tendon damage. That's also why I don't do pull-ups every day, and why the only ones I do are neutral/hammer grip ones on a bar I can actually get my very small hands around. Working out as an older adult means making compromises!

Exiting the Aerobics Room, I'm taken aback at the amount of people in the weight area. It's kind of crowded and I'm in no mood for the teenagers in the DB area. I'll do my DB Shoulder routine another day. Happily there's no one on the Step Machines and it's been months since I've been on one. Most of the time they're occupied anyway so it's a welcome surprise to see them vacant. I do my 10 minutes at speed 6, which is still somewhere between 52 and 55 steps per minute. It should be 60 steps per minute but the machines are kind of old, and I'm just happy they work at all. After 5 minutes, I've gone from cooled down to drenched again. It feels good. 

Today I test out the last of my new gym clothes: an Under Armour tank. Because UA makes their women's clothes ideally for girls with Barbie stick-thin arms, I sized up and bought a Medium. The gray fabric is soft and silky and the tank is slightly oversized at this point. Actually, it looks a little messy but I don't think I would've fit into a size Small even though all my other clothes are Small. It's the same lately with Land's End boy clothes: the arms are so narrow and tight even on billowy oversized husky shirts and hoodies. Cutting corners on fabric on someplace that's bound to be noticed! Not smart at all.

8 Sept 2023 11:30-1:05 pm
Fatigue Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5502)
Distance: 2.8
Cal: 309
Avg Hr: 149, 182-88


20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga

StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Steps 533
Floors 33
Cal 78
Hr 137

The Exercise Paradox

I had every intention of going to bed at 11 last night but ultimately, I closed my eyes around 12:40 AM. It was too warm outside and I had two fans going just in the bedroom alone. The soothing lull of peepers and birds put me to sleep and when the alarm went off at 7, I rolled over and shut it off. I have an alarm set at 7:30 anyway, and as long as the dogs get to the park by 8, we're good. I get a text at 7:30 from another dog park pal and we're there in 20 minutes... just enough time to have a few sips of reheated coffee and administering my eye drops. Even though it's 72F, the dogs run and chase each other in spurts, cool off by laying in the dirt, slop water out of the bowl.

I am wicked tired. My triceps don't hurt though, and I really have to think about them to register the slightest soreness. And of course, the more consistently I exercise, the better my cardio and strength endurance will be. But it'll come with a price: I'll be chronically tired, my back will develop little knots under the shoulder blades, but maybe I'll be able to go to sleep earlier? I know I should be getting more sleep not just for health reasons, but also to help with a slowing metabolism. (I'm still trying to lose the 10 lbs I gained AFTER the pandemic!) So, the more I exercise, the worst I'll feel, but the stronger I'll be. But will I be healthier? I have no idea!

The gym is virtually empty when I arrive. More people show up during lunch. It's hot outside and there's a/c inside, but I'm drenched when I'm done with cardio. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that I get as many reps as I do with pull-ups, mostly because I'm a bit sore from the past two days. The rest of my workout goes better than I expect, with planks at 90 seconds as well as wall squats. Okay, not quite the 2 minutes I got on Tuesday, but better than the original 60 seconds. I got bored and videoed myself doing air squats. I admit I never quite know what to do with my hands and arms... but I'm wearing fairly comfy clothes.

I have every intention of attempting a second set of pull-ups when I walk back out to the gym. I see a very tall thin grey-haired man wiping down the stretch cage. I don't know if he's just getting started or finishing up, and he's taking such a long time that after a moment, I give up and head into the locker room. Today is has a Heat Advisory warning that has been extended to tomorrow evening. I have no plans to do much once I leave the gym because I don't want to start sweating. Sorting and cleaning can wait until next week when temps drop and the rains finally come, maybe as soon as tomorrow. 

Seamless toe socks

It's so hot I'm once again wearing a dress. It's very comfortable except it has no pockets. I found a stash of old socks that I bought from Land's End years ago, when their seamless toe socks had interesting patterns. Unfortunately, these patterns weren't printed into the fabric, but were stitched/embroidered onto the socks. Sooo, if you are bothered by toe seams (like I am), you might also be bothered by all the extra threads inside the socks from the patterns. I tend to wear my socks inside out and just fold the cuffs back down so they don't look weird at the ankles. Now LE just sells solid-color seamless toe socks that don't fit as well and are kind of boring...

I have a glaucoma follow-up appointment on Monday and there's not enough time to go to the gym beforehand and take the dogs to the park. The dogs take priority. I'm hoping my eye pressures will have dropped after the SLT procedures done in July. It's certainly costing me enough (co-pays equaling several hundred dollars each). If my IOPs have not dropped, I may have to look at additional medications or more invasive surgical procedures... Ugh.

7 Sept 2023 11:23-12:48
Deserted Thursday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5562)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 313
Avg Hr: 143, 190-85

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 90s

  Skip HGPU 15 occupied

Fabric Color is Everything

Today is HumpDay, aka Wednesday, mid-week. And the gym crowd is like the tide on days with popular classes. Today is Boot Camp with the gym owner. I schedule myself so that I'm not doing core in the Aerobics Room too close to the start of the 9:30 class. I'd rather wait until after they're done. So there's a ton of folks in the gym when I arrive, and barely anyone at all when I leave.

Today is also another Heat Advisory Warning, meaning the humidity high enough to make cooling through perspiration difficult. So, 85F feels like 95F. I take the dogs to the park at 7:40 this morning, and temps are already 72F. Pups aren't very happy and once they've done all their sniffing, marking, peeing and whatnot, they're lying in the dirt to cool off. We're back home in cooler temps (we only have one a/c unit upstairs and count on fans to blow coolness throughout the house) within 35 minutes.

It's hot enough that I put a dress into my gym bag to change into afterward. (I need to buy some vegetables from the grocery.) Never mind it doesn't have pockets. It's comfortable and looks okay enough that I'm not self-conscious wearing it. Most of these dresses are ones I bought in Hawaii years ago. Lovely patterns, comfortable fabrics, sleeveless and loose enough to not make me worry about belly rolls and panty lines. The one I wear today is black with beige monstera leaf prints. 

Monstera leaf

I'm also testing out another new sport tank top, but this one is black. The gray one was very soft and comfortable, but the black one, exact same size, brand, cut, style feels rougher. It's the fabric. I wasn't expecting that to be so different. With T-shirts, we all know that the heather colors are blended materials and usually softer than the solid colors. I like the way this tank looks: it's just long enough to cover my butt, it's not tight or clingy. But the arms holes feel tight and since the fabric doesn't have as much stretch, it does chafe a bit under the arms. Doing crunches also causes the neckline to pull up against my throat. This didn't happen with the gray tank. 

I pace myself doing Rip Skulls and Skull Crushers and have no problems completing all my sets. The tank top doesn't give me any issues. Besides feeling tired, my workout is good. I don't think I slept well, and part of that might be that I was trying a new sleep aid: a binaural recording played on YouTube on my phone. It was a suggestion made by a dog park friend. Normally, I put on BetterSleep, formerly Relax Melodies, and let the sound of peepers and bird lull me to sleep. Or, it might've been because it's been too hot even though I have a fan blowing on the bed.

I'm so tired that I cut my planks back to 60 seconds and skip the wall squat. There are barely half a dozen members in the gym at this point. Earlier I recognized a fellow whom I call (in my mind since I've never spoken to him), Plastic Bertrand, not that he's particularly peppy. But he always seems to wear the oddest clothes, and has long, messy sun-baked beach bum hair. I've seen a woman (don't know if she was a wife, girlfriend or sister), speak loudly and meanly to him in public at the gym. I don't know if he deserved it since I don't know anything about him, but I do kind of feel bad about it. 

Meanwhile, here's the song Plastic Bertrand is famous for. (It always makes me smile.)

 

6 Sept 2023 10:27-12:05
Tidal Hump Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 + 5 (5594)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 315
Avg Hr: 152, 194-93


20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
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
Eye yoga
Skip Wall Squats 120s

Rip Skulls / Skull Crushers
30 lbs x 12/12 reps x 3 sets

Blistering Back to School

It was 70F when I took the pups to the park this morning, and it was already too hot. A pup friend, back from summer in Florida, eventually starting putting his paws into the water bowl to cool off. Time to go back to the refuge of a/c! I also found yet more Legos and Playmobil kits in my son's playroom so those got donated this morning. Thank goodness for GPS because I would've never found this person's home otherwise. She's a special ed teacher with younger kids this year and items like Legos and Playmobil are perfect for when the kids get overwhelmed by lessons.

I make it to the gym a bit before 11 and notice how many vacant spots there are in the parking lot. That's right! I forgot that today is the first day back to school for both my town and the next. Kids that are normally at the gym are actually in class! Yes, the gym is noticeably more empty. I'm good with that, although I feel like I'm dragging a bit due to the heat outside. During cardio, I get sporadic bouts of prickly itchiness down my back, on my legs, arms, shoulders, head... at least until I actually start to sweat, then everything's better.

It wasn't great cardio, but at least I got it done. Pull-ups were good, even the second set! And today I didn't automatically call it when the timer hit 90s for Wall Squats. Nope. Stuck it out for the full 2 minutes, and it actually wasn't that bad. Well, at least today. I'm sure if I tried this again tomorrow everything would suck. Tomorrow I plan to do the tricep routine. 

It's going to be unseasonably hot the rest of the week, i.e., in the 90s, which means taking the dogs to the park before 8 AM. I'm okay with that. The dogs have gotten better with me walking them at night as well, although I think one of them is showing signs of mild depression. He's not eating very well, but that could also be the heat. My dogs are happiest when it's 30F out. I probably am too.

5 Sept 2023 11:06-12:32
Blistering Back to School Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 + 5 (5440)
Distance: 2.79
Cal: 307
Avg Hr: 145, 186-79

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
Wall Squats 120s!!

HGPU 15

Another Combo Day

I won't lie: my triceps are still a bit sore from Wednesday's Skull Crusher and Rip Skulls, and that was only 6 sets in total. Not an excessive amount, but since it's been months and those few push-ups a few times a week apparently aren't enough. My lats aren't sore from that, but I can feel the pull-ups the next day. So I do a set today after cardio. And then core, and then I make my way to the DB area and perform my shoulder routine to the best of my abilities.

But because my triceps are sore, I'm even more concerned about dropping the DBs on my face during the "heavy" sets. I'm also wondering how all of this is affecting my eye pressures and all I can do is wonder because I can't monitor eye pressures while exercising. It's a good opportunity to see how the new workout T-shirts feel while doing bench work. In the past, I've been rubbed raw by coarse, rough seams or even the ribbed fabric at the bottom of my worn-out cotton hoodie. Happily, the T-shirt causes no chafing whatsoever. 

The only irritation happens when I have to straddle the inclined bench for Reverse Inclined Flys. Sitting on the bench for DB Presses is okay because I can cross my legs over the front of the seat. My feet don't actually sit on the ground but at least there's no chafing. Today I'm wearing mostly my old clothes, so at least I don't have billowy, pillow hips. I cut the reps for the Inclined Presses for the last two sets but everything else feels good.

I'm still working on cleaning and sorting through cluttered areas of my house. There's only one room with carpeting, but I don't think my vacuum is up to the challenge of matted dog hair from two pups. My son used to do his HW and drawings there, and the dogs would sleep next to him. He never got around to picking up any of his art supplies, toys, books, crafts, so I could never vacuum the carpet. Now he's away at school, and I've already sorted and donated toys he hasn't played with since he was 10. All his art supplies are sorted and put away in a bin. Old craft projects have been discarded (he's literally never going to need the soda bottle rocket or the cardboard egg crash cart again). 

I've already started looking at recommendations for a better vacuum, and after I give my existing Eureka! Pet Power Paw a go, I'll either attempt to wash the filter, bring it to the vacuum repair shop in town, or buy a Shark Navigator NV352 (and replacement filter packs)... Keeping busy means I don't miss him as much, although I still catch myself wondering if he's awake yet or when he's due home, and then I remember, oh yeah...

1 Sept 2023 11:17-1:02 pm
Friday the First
(Original pants / Combo workout)

Precor elliptical #3
Program 3
Time: 30 + 5 (5578)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 315
Avg Hr: 143, 185-88

HGPU 16

20 Hip Bridges
Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
20 Hip Bridges
Elbow Plank 90s
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
Eye yoga
Skip Wall Squats 90s

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys (triceps still sore!)
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 lbs x 25/15/25 reps, 20/15/25 reps x 2 sets