Summer's Gonna Be Unbearable

It was already near 60F when I woke up this morning. Already too freakin' hot! Dogs were panting after a few quick romps through the park. Trees haven't fully leafed out yet (so little shade) but there's a lot of seedling sprouts on the ground. That's unusual for this park. Pups lasted 20 minutes before they got bored enough to start digging and eating dirt. Time to go home. At least our house is well-insulated and cooler. The rest of the week should be more temperate, and that's a relief. 

I was concerned that the gym would be unbearable, but it was actually tolerable. A hot, stuffy gym is not a good gym for frail seniors or prospective new members. The back doors were open and luckily, no flies zipped through. Trash containers are usually at the back and with those doors open, there's a huge likelihood of pesky houseflies finding their way in. I've been pestered by relentless houseflies while in the Aerobics Room. It doesn't help that I'm usually kicking off lots of heat, sweat, and crusted with salt. 

I had a laser procedure (SLT) on my right eye last Friday so I didn't go to the gym. And my weekend saw me doing household chores and some classwork. I'm getting used to being on 4 eye drops but the skin on my eyelids has become ridiculously dry, flaky, and itchy. (I hope I'm not allergic.) That's annoying. And weird. Because eyelids are normally oily. And it's hard to find a gentle moisturizer that's okay to use around thin, sensitive eyelid skin. I've been using Aquaphor, but again, it's not something that should be used in the eye itself. 

All the ellipticals are available so I do my 35 minutes of cardio on machine #1, Program 3. Not as good as I'd like but not horrible considering it's been 3 days. Even pull-ups weren't bad. So far so good. I can even do my Seated Cable Rowing routine even though there are a bunch of people in that area of the gym. It feels late by the time I get to the Aerobics Room. It's pleasantly cool and I'm tempted to skip a few movements. But I don't. Because I don't really have any excuses that sound valid to me. Because that's who I have to justify it to. Me. So I do them all, and find myself almost going over the 90 seconds allotted for Wall Squats. Because I got lost reading a story on my phone. So, not bad...

No gym tomorrow, and temps should peak in the 60s, which is good. When I left the gym, my car said it was 84F. And temps only dropped 2 degrees as I drove home. Not too many bugs yet, but I did get buzzed by flies as I grabbed bags from my car. Yep, it's bug season. And because El Nino is over, summer's gonna be scorching. 

29 April 2024 12:03-1:45

Late Blazing Monday after 3 days off

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30+5 (5634)

Distance: 2.85

Cal: 317

Avg Hr: 156, 188-82

Fitbit: 50-132

HGPU 15.5

Seated Cable Rows

50 lbs x 15

60 x 15

70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25 (knees)

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 36 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Less Than Optimal

I'm still not getting to bed early enough to hit that 7-hour sleep benchmark. On most nights, I'm barely touching 6.5 hours, and last night I still hadn't reached 6. But I was closer. Five and three-quarter hours is still not enough sleep, but better than the previous night's five and a half. Baby steps...

Happily, it's Thursday and the parking lot is almost empty. But everyone has the same idea and the gym is actually crowded with regulars. I managed to squeeze onto elliptical #2 since both #1 and #3 were occupied. Temps are moderate outside and I bust a hard sweat after 10 minutes. I'm worried that I won't get past 2.8 because I'm not feeling like a superhero. But I match yesterday's 2.87, much to my relief.

No pull-ups today. Instead, I was able to claim an Inclined Breaker Bench and it was early enough (just a few kids) in the day that there were very few people in the free weight area. I can do all my sets in relative peace with a few stray bodies floating about, none really getting in my way. But by the time I get to the Aerobics Room, I've cooled down a lot and it feels chilly in there. I do everything except the Walking Lunges. I'm just too damn tired, and there's an old guy who can't make up his mind what he's doing or where he wants to be in that room. I don't have the patience or the focus to avoid him while lunging across, so I skip ahead to Wall Squats, and then I'm done. Yaaay!

Tomorrow I skip the gym for another SLT. So that'll be fun. No, not really. And probably no earthquake to worry about. Hopefully. I'll have to take the pups to the park earlier than usual. The puppy play area fence has been repaired and I'm impressed with how seamlessly that was done. But of course, the area is still padlocked (for no apparent reason now) and a bag of repair pieces got left behind... 

The gym locker room has a bunch of announcements plastered on the wall. Looks like the Senior fitness class is popular enough to be offered next month as well. That's great for the gym, but it just means I'm going later in the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to avoid those folks. It's a true test of dedication because it's so easy to get distracted into doing other things... 

25 April 2024 11:47-1:36
Sleep-Deprived Thursday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5662)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 319?
Avg Hr: 161, 194-82
Fitbit: 52-136

   Skip HGPU 15

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warmup
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
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25 (knees)
Arm rotations 20
   Skip Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Contraindicated and Yet

I am the poster child for doing things wrong and getting better than expected results. I should take notes even though there's a part of me that is screaming about following the rules. After a few dry weeks, I decided to have a hard cider last night with dinner. The husband had to leave last night for a sudden work meeting early (7 AM!) this morning which begins an onsite testing phase for the projects he's working on. That means I'm on my own for the next few weeks. Like a latchkey kid, I eat snacks for supper (cheddar slices and corn cakes) while watching an old TV show (The Dresden Files on Roku).

It's never advisable to take hypertension medication with adult beverages, but I literally wash the foul little tablet (more bitter than aspirin) down with an Angry Orchard. Because I had a class yesterday, I also didn't exercise. But my BP was lower last night than for the past few days. I skipped drinking chamomile tea last night, which might've been the reason I didn't feel sleepy or tired by 1 AM. Which means morning is going to be hard, but I actually wake up before the alarm goes off. 

Unfortunately, that means less than 6 hours of sleep. And that's apparent when I accidentally leave my water bottle in the car when I go to the gym. It's the first time in over 10 years that I've ever done that. So, yes, I'm a little spacey this morning. 

I've cycled through the routines back to program 1 and I'm already dreading it. But I turn my music on and pedal furiously. Oddly, cardio is better today than it has been for the past few days. My heart rate is closer to normal as well. Has that tiny bit of alcohol blunted the low HR side effect of the glaucoma med Timolol? I don't know.

The gym's not empty but I can still access all the equipment I need to use. While pull-ups aren't great (nowhere near the 23 I used to be able to get), they don't suck either. Anything over a dozen is good in my book. And I'm able to do Seated Cable Rows for this week. Yaaay! Between pull-ups and cable rows, the biceps get enough stress to maintain a nice full peak shape. But it doesn't take much for my arms to keep their muscles. (My husband has always been "jealous" of that aspect of my physiology and hopes my kid has inherited that. Too soon to know.)

I do a full Core workout in the Aerobics Room. I'm a bit surprised when I see other people in there, but by the time I'm done, no one is there. Most people only spend a few minutes doing one or two movements, unlike me with a whole laundry list of items. And I feel guilty if I skip one -- I put them on this list for a reason! 

I'm hoping to go to bed earlier tonight. No adult beverage, but perhaps a nice cup of Twinings Nightly Calm after pups go for their evening walk. I also have Sleepy Time teas but it's important to read the ingredients listed since sometimes I find licorice root included, and as much as I like the slippery sweetness, it's bad for hypertension and glaucoma patients. There's probably not enough to cause any ill effects, but I like to be cautious. And yes, I love black licorice (as does my kid). 

There's a frost warning for tonight, but temps are forecast to hit a ridiculous 80F by Monday. Super crazy weather, and I'm sure the gym won't have the a/c on because it'll still be April and the gym owner is cheap. I realize he's a small business owner and costly amenities have gone by the wayside: no more racks of fitness magazines, the front desk staff also teaches classes and also cleans (no cleaning crew), ceiling lights have gone out in the shower area so it's more like mood lighting, water fountains never turned back on after the pandemic regulations were repealed... I've always brought my own water.  

24 April 2024 12:11-1:51
Sleep Deprived Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5706)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
Avg Hr: 164, 192
Fitbit: 52-136

HGPU 15

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25 (knees)
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Mondays Are Crowded

I woke up to a frost warning on my phone. It was chilly at 39F and dogs were quite happy at the park, except there was no one else there. Except for the heavy equipment trucks, because finally, the Parks Dept is going to fix the mud problem just outside the dog park gate. And maybe, hopefully, fix the broken fence as well. 

Huge yellow swaths of forsythia are starting to fade. Lilacs haven't made themselves known yet, but while walking the dogs at night, I came across the subtle sweet scent of a Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica) shrub. Cascading tiny white bell-shaped flowers exude a delicate fragrance and that's one of the few things I like about Spring. It's cold enough that only a single tiny frog is peeping in the darkness, but at least the kamikaze bugs have gone dormant again. It's Earth Day but I'm not inclined to do much outside except maybe haul in more firewood... because it's been cold.

Program 3

Probably because it was sunny but a bit cold, the gym was crowded. Also, it's Monday. And not raining. Cardio isn't going great. I barely make it to 2.8 on the elliptical, as if I'm fighting the beta blocker for the very first time. Again. Is it because I don't exercise on weekends? I don't know. I usually do well with Program 3, but not today. Pull-ups are moderately better but I'm disappointed and annoyed by the mass of fat old men at the cable stations. Which means no Seated Cable Rows today. It's too late in the day to hit this exercise after doing Core in the Aerobics Room, so I'll just deal with it on another day.

I have another SLT scheduled on Friday, this time for the right eye. Which means no gym on Friday. But there's Wednesday and Thursday. I have a class tomorrow and while I could theoretically hit the gym to do cardio, it'd be stressful to make it to class on time. I tried that once, and I don't like rushing, hate being late. 

The Aerobics Room has a few women already there but at least the room is cool. More fitness classes are being offered at different times but I'm not one to do that. (I do enjoy learning new techniques and the camaraderie of other middle-aged ladies at the arts center.) A tall old guy plops himself down to stretch and I immediately pick up on vibes I don't like. A leggy young woman enters and the old guy leaves. Maybe coincidental. Maybe not.

22 April 2024 12:03-1:22
Chilly Earth Day Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5462)
Distance: 2.8
Cal: 308
Avg Hr: 154, 188-82
Fitbit: 51-122

HGPU 16.5

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25 (knees)
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Abbreviated Friday

It took me a long time to get to the gym although I did take pups to the park at their regular time. Part of the problem is the Senior class I'm trying to avoid. If I was more rigid with my schedule, I'd be out of my house around 11:15 but today I'm dragging. Probably because I did shoulders yesterday. While I didn't have any trouble waking up, I wasn't feeling very enthusiastic about exercise. Then I got distracted by a missing bird feeder. I went to refill the suet holder and realized that the sunflower seed feeder was gone. Not empty. Completely missing. Except for the cap, which was on the ground. 

My husband found it behind a wood pile several yards away, and it had been bent in half. Weird. He thinks it was a bear. We've had black bear sightings but never on our road. Mostly we get feral cats, raccoons (trash pandas), peepers trilling, and ghostly gobbling from wild turkeys in the back hills. We bent the seed cage back into shape and refilled it for the chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers (red-bellied, downy, and hairy), tufted titmice (pl sp?), house finches, and lately, goldfinches. The hubs also ordered a game cam which should arrive tomorrow.

It's a tad warmer today but overcast. The cardio platform isn't too crowded but I am admittedly tired. Program 2 should be easier but I'm having a hard time getting up to speed. I snap a quick pix of the elliptical dash but slowing down to steady my phone means being admonished by the machine to pedal faster. I'm drenched and breathing hard when I get to the Stretch Cage. I'm glad I can make it past the first dozen reps but don't make it much further. 

I sit down to do Seated Cable Rows since both stations are available. There are a lot of people in the free-weight area but I tend not to pay them much attention. I figure as long as I give myself sufficient rest between sets, I should be able to complete all my reps. And I do.

However, when I enter the refreshing crisp air of the Aerobics Room, I immediately think of all the exercises I can skip today. Because I'm tired. And I still need to go to the grocery afterward. Which means I'm done right after Bird Dogs because stretching out my back and  hips is really the most important function of this part of my routine. 

19 April 2024 12:33-1:54
Warmer Later Friday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5636)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 317
Avg Hr: 159, 196-92
Fitbit: 52-124

HGPU 14.5

Skip Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15
(Feels harder than usual, especially left fingers)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arduous Progress

Program 1 troughs are difficult

Today is the first time in several weeks that I'm doing cardio the day after having done cardio. And although it was really difficult and I felt like I couldn't get my HR to where it should be, I still did better than yesterday. Which is even more remarkable (in my mind) because today I was back to Program 1, which is much more difficult than Program 2 or 3. At least to me. It helped that temps were a good 20 degrees cooler so the gym wasn't swampy (warm and humid). I still worked up a good lather. 

No pull-ups today, and no Senior class! The gym isn't crowded and I can access an Inclined Breaker Bench to do my DB shoulder routine. The anterior delts aren't bothering me so that was reassuring. I get all my sets done and head to the frigid Aerobics Room. I'm tired and tempted to skip a lot of the exercises, but force myself to do everything. Except the Walking Lunges. Because my knees hurt a bit doing Air Squats. And I'm tired. But I still do Wall Squats. Because that actually takes less effort than lunge walking back and across a room. 

I'm hoping cardio is even better tomorrow but I have no idea how it'll go. I'll also have another go at pull-ups. I have to say that I'm quite disappointed in losing reps here, feeling weak and awkward. Figuring this out might take some time...

18 April 2024 11:47-1:33

Gray Chilly Thursday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1 (super hard)

Time: 30+5 (5706)

Distance: 2.87 (whew!)

Cal: 320

Avg Hr: 154, 182-81

Fitbit: 52-128

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

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25 (knees)

Arm rotations 20

    Skip Walking lunges 36 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Naked Wrist Day

I woke up and the FitBit on my wrist promptly alerted me to the fact that it needed charging. Unfortunately, I haven't quite determined a reasonable charging schedule for this wearable and rely on the device announcing its low battery status. It loses power more quickly the more often I sync my phone via its app with the wearable. So if I don't check my HR for the day, the battery lasts longer, but that defeats the purpose of wearing it, so...

That means the FitBit is on the proprietary charger today when I go to the gym. Cardio feels pretty good considering the gym is warmer than I'd like. No a/c yet since it's April. I'm satisfied but not happy with cardio--I imagine my HR is close to where it was on Monday, in the 125-130 range during peak exertion. Pull-ups absolutely suck lately. I feel weak and fat when I hoist myself up. While I'm glad I can knock out at least a dozen, I miss the way they used to be so much easier. Ugh. I'm sure I've put on a few pounds as well, and that's not a good feeling either. After hitting my early 60s, the metabolism has definitely slowed.

I toy with the idea of doing Seated Cable Rows, but both stations are occupied with women I recognize as "regulars" at this later time in the day. They're probably on a lunch break. I'm not the type to waste time waiting around for a station to open up so I go directly to the Aerobics Room which is humid and hot. Probably because Seniors not only don't generate much heat or sweat, but they're also cold intolerant. Probably because they don't generate much heat or sweat. I've seen them walking the treadmill with puffy coats on... 

Core feels routine and standard. When I exit the Aerobics Room, I see that both rowing stations are vacant, but now I'm too sweaty and tired to deal with the influx of HS kids that are entering the gym. I decide to add another set of pull-ups before I leave the gym, just to make up for the loss of Seated Cable Rows. Pull-ups are quick, and while I don't get as many as the first set, at least I get some done. I see some old men staring from their machines, probably because they can't do pull-ups themselves. I'm not concerned, but honestly, I should try and get to the gym earlier rather than later these days.

17 April 2024 12:17-1:39

Overcast Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30+5 (5626)

Distance: 2.85

Cal: 317

Avg Hr: 157, 197-83

Fitbit: n/a low battery

HGPU 15 (well that sux)

(Both stations occupied)

Skip Seated Cable Rows

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 36 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

HGPU 13 (sux more)

Blazing Monday

Temps reach into the mid-70s today, so it's unusually warm outside, especially for mid-April. The kamikaze bugs won't leave me alone at the dog park. There's a senior class at the gym, meaning the Aerobics Room is off-limits until 12:30, so I don't even drive over until it's nearly noon. The gym seems almost empty which is great. I'm struggling with my cardio, but it is better than last Friday. Of course, part of this is due to which program I'm doing. Friday was program 1, which is technically easier because it's less steep, but always feels more difficult. Programs 2 and 3 have greater inclines and are technically more challenging, but are somehow easier. At least for me.

I'm able to get my heart rate up, or at least better than last week. My blood pressure was good last night but hasn't hit that "normal" point and it's doubtful if it ever will. I know my GP will suggest again that I double the dose of Losartan to lower my BP. My glaucoma doc says that the new eye drops Timolol will take up to 6 weeks to show if it's effective in lowering my IOPs (as well as my BP). The right eye is scheduled for an SLT in a few weeks. We'll see how all the pressures are then. Meanwhile, I take my own BP readings every few nights, sometimes every day if I remember.

It's warm inside the gym and I'm completely drenched after cardio. The doors are all open for increased airflow. I'm sure that the gym doesn't want to kick the A/C on just yet. I manage a paltry 15 reps at pull-ups. I've felt stronger but not lately. Seated Cable Rows feel okay. I'm glad the biting flies haven't found me yet. There's a sign outside the Aerobics Room stating that this room wasn't available from 11:15 to 12:30 for the Senior Classes. It's 1 pm and the instructor is just wheeling out a stack of chairs. 

I want to study under 
this painter

Luckily, everything in my core routine feels fine. Hip bridges help loosen tightness from sitting all weekend. I'm happy that my trip to Buffalo didn't result in any sciatic flare-ups. Dead Bugs go quickly and effortlessly. Push-ups still bother my shoulders a bit but everything else seems okay, even Walking Lunges and Wall Squats. Back again on Wednesday. I don't want to go to the gym tomorrow and have to rush to make my class: I signed up for another 6-week course. There's another class I'd like to take after seeing that instructor's painting at the art center's member's show, but her class is on Fridays and I already have a full schedule for the next several weeks. Hopefully, she'll be teaching this summer or next Autumn. 

15 April 2024 11:52-1:33
Blazing Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5630)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 317
Avg Hr: 151, 200-82
Fitbit: 52-134

HGPU 15 (well that sux)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 35 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Cardio is a Struggle

I've never been a big cardio fan but in the past few years, I felt pretty good about myself. That is, until I started taking Timolol for my glaucoma. Since it's a beta blocker, it's supposed to lower IOPs, widen blood vessels, and slow heart rates. While I had a decent workout on Wednesday, I skipped yesterday and regret it today because cardio was a horrible uphill struggle. If I can trust my FitBit, my heart rate peaked at 122, not as high as it should be able to achieve. And I barely cleared 2.8. (I had planned to go yesterday but woke up with a terrible headache, probably due to the low pressure systems flooding the area with rain and high winds.)

I'm usually better if I work out successive days in a row, but skipping a day shouldn't set me back so drastically. Except it has. My shoulders don't feel stable and I only make 15 reps at pull-ups, with the last 2 a bit of a struggle. I fare better in the free weight area and get all my reps for all my sets. It's also noticeably humid and warm throughout the gym, everywhere except in the locker room. The cool air is refreshing and welcomed until I step out of the shower. Oh well.

I hope to get to the gym more often next week. We'll see...

12 April 2024 12:23-2:16
Rainy Friday (& I’m struggling uphill)

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5528)
Distance: 2.81
Cal: 311
Avg Hr: 157, 188
Fitbit: 52-122

HGPU 15 (well that sux)

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
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 37 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

The Year of the Dragon is Tumultuous

Last Friday's SLT was successful and my IOP dropped from 15 to 12. But I'll need to check in a few weeks to see if that lower number still holds. While I was waiting for the drops to work (anesthesia and dilation drops), the floor rumbled as if a large truck had passed. But no vehicle drove by. It was a 4.8 earthquake centered in New Jersey. Everyone's phone started buzzing with calls to and from friends and family, with announcements broadcasted on local news stations. Two hours later, the state sends an alert to everyone's phone warning of aftershocks and not to call 911 unless it's an actual emergency. Well, duh. But yes, people are stupid.

The nor'easter dropped a lot of rain and some trees went down. A woman was killed by a falling tree as she drove home on the highway. The skies cleared on Saturday but filled with clouds on Sunday. My husband wanted to drive to Buffalo to experience totality even though the forecast didn't look promising. We should've stayed home because we would've seen more of the eclipse, albeit a partial, than what we experienced in Buffalo. My kid took some vids of the campus celebrations. They had a cloudy view but could actually make out the sun through the clouds. Not us.

Actually, we would've experienced something in Buffalo, but my husband decided to drive to Binghamton (closer to home and less rainy) so wound up in a Home Depot parking lot, not seeing much of anything. Should've stayed home. Drove home afterward and got the dogs the next day. It was brilliantly sunny before and after Eclipse Day. Oh well. We have plenty of eclipse glasses for the next time. 

It's unusually warm and I'm hit in the face and ears by tiny kamikaze bugs. I finally made it to the gym today. After a week away, I'm having a hard time with everything. I woke up not feeling rested, and with a sore shoulder. Cardio is a struggle but better the longer I pedal. Pull-ups, on the other hand, really suck today. And Seated Cable Rows feel harder than they should be. 

The only things that seem easy today are Dead Bugs and Wall Squats. Push-ups have my shoulders complaining. Air Squats make me a bit breathless at the end. I feel slow and heavy. Still taking all my medications religiously. The SLT for the other eye is scheduled for the end of the month. Next month we get to travel to Buffalo to bring our kid (and all his stuff) home for the summer. I guess we should clean out the garage because I'm not sure where we're going to put that mini-fridge.

10 April 2024 12:22-2:02
Wednesday (after a week off)

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5602)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 316
Avg Hr: 159, 186-85
Fitbit: 51-132

HGPU 14.5 (well that sux)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15
(Feels harder than usual)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 37 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Adapting Good and Bad

I wasn't expecting to have to clear slush off my car this morning so my dogs and I got to the park a bit later than planned. It was flurrying/raining enough that I wasn't worried that the problem dogs would arrive and crowd our park time. They belong to elderly and mildly disabled people who can't trudge up muddy hills, or control their canines because they use those idiotic spooling leashes. 

(Can you tell? I don't consider myself old. I wonder when that'll happen? When I'm in my 70s? 80s? Change like aging can happen quick! I'll probably be shocked.)

I skipped Tuesday doing errands but was game to go Wednesday in spite of the storm warnings. The nor'easter wasn't really going to be bad until later in the day. As it was, the storm toppled trees that killed a few people across Pennsylvania and New York. But my husband wanted me to be home for a package. Which ultimately didn't come. It was delivered this morning right after pups and I got home from the park. It's some sort of "telescope" for IOS and android phones, for use during the eclipse. There's no instructions and the packaging words are in French. We'll have to scan the QR code to find out how to use it. My husband spends a lot of time investing in kick-starters and sometimes they're worth it. Other times, not. Not sure what category this one will fall into.

I still need to run a few errands before getting to the gym so I arrive at noon. That's late! The mostly empty parking lot seems promising. I can get on the elliptical of my choice and begin the slow painful slog that is cardio these days. Eventually I'm able to pick up my pace and log a decent 2.85. I feel okay and get my reps for pull-ups as well. 

I'm taking all my medications so it seems my body has mostly adjusted. Which might be both good and bad. Good in that I'm overcoming the slowed heart rate to still muscle my way through cardio. Bad in that maybe I've overcome the purpose of the medications as well: what are my IOPs doing? I have no idea. But I can see my BP fluctuating between almost normal and definitely too high. Meanwhile, my pulse is noticeably slower. Not sure how this is happening. 

Because it's later than I normally come to the gym, there are different folks in the free weight area. A lot of fat middle-aged men interspersed with teen girls and boys. School is on break this week, and a few districts are closing this coming Monday for the eclipse. My kid's university has cancelled classes and set up viewing spots for their students and faculty. Unfortunately, my town hasn't cancelled classes but allows for parents to take their kids out of class for an excused absence. Well, that's kind of petty. Kids and teachers all want to partake in an event that won't come again for another 20 years! I'll be in my 80s!

It's freezing in the Aerobics Room and everything seems okay. Except push-ups are aggravating my anterior delts. They complained mildly during the Inclined DB Press section of the shoulder workout, but they really don't like push-ups these days. Otherwise, everything is routine, although I almost bailed on Walking Lunges. Because they suck. I even almost went past the 90-second mark for Wall Squats because they weren't horrible today, and I was reading an interesting online article. The parking lot is packed full when I leave and I'm sure they're not all at the gym. It's still sort of raining, but the sun peaks through and everything feels nicer. 

Tomorrow I have an SLT scheduled for my right eye. SLT= selective laser trabeculoplasty, a treatment to reduce IOPs (intraocular pressure) through laser pulses. In a few weeks, I'll have it done on the other eye. This is a procedure that works for most people and I had it done less than a year ago, so it's a bit upsetting that my pressures have started rising after several months at a lower pressure. Again, is my body just adapting to medications and procedures to maintain its own version of a detrimental status quo? Who knows 'cuz I certainly don't. I probably won't be at the gym again until sometime next week... slogging through cardio and then some.

4 April 2024 12:16-2:17

Spring Nor’easter Thursday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30+5 (5618)

Distance: 2.85

Cal: 316

Avg Hr: 153, 192-74 (completely inaccurate)

Fitbit: 50-122

HGPU 17

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

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 37 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s

Back in the Dark Ages

The house lost internet service over the weekend so I wasn't able to post yesterday's workout until today when Verizon sent a crew and a bucket truck to replace the missing cables. No one knows where the missing lines went but there's been different crews on our road for the past several weeks installing wires to a newly rebuilt house (it burned down to the foundation a few years ago) in our neighborhood. Luckily we have a separate cell service and although we only get 1.5 bars at the house (4 bars at the park!), we could use the phone as a hotspot for other devices to at least stream YouTube... not quite the Dark Ages, but definitely inconvenient. 

Cardio was better but still a slog. I suspect I'm adapting to the new medication, but I don't know if this also extends to Timolol's IOP lowering abilities. Online, I read about other glaucoma patients who have had such severe reactions to Timolol's heart rate slowing effects that their cardiologist considered installing a pacemaker. WTH? Okay, not the case with me! 

My husband has created a new holder for my daily, preservative-free eye drops. It reminds me of Plankton (SpongeBob reference)! Now I have a holder for the Timolol, and one for the preservative-free, lubricating Systane drops (different size ampules). 

My pull-ups are better though. And Seated Cable Rows are the same. I'm at the gym late and avoiding running into the dozen or so Seniors who have signed up for the new fitness and mobility class (11:30-12:30). I see them exit the Aerobics Room, one on a scooter. I see the instructor carting out a dozen chairs. I've never seen chairs used in a fitness class before but these are also Seniors I don't recognize. I'm sure my gym has a contract with the local assisted living facility as well as one with a developmentally disabled group because I see these folks on the treadmill and other equipment. It's all good.

The instructor is still organizing and putting gear away by the time I enter the Aerobics room (a bit past 1 pm) and I'm surprised to see all the tiny plastic DBs strewn about the floor. I get my workout done, only the Walking Lunges making me worry about falling over. Even Wall Squats aren't horrible...

I have an SLT scheduled for Friday morning so no gym although I will take dogs to the park before my appointment. We had workmen at the house today, Tuesday, so no gym. But I'll likely be at the gym tomorrow. And Thursday. Forecast is for rain all week, but sunnier skies over the weekend, which is good because we're excited to view the eclipse.

1 April 2024 11:57-1:38

April Fools Monday (no home internet)

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30+5 (5594)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 314

Avg Hr: 147, 182-118

Fitbit: 51-122

HGPU 17.5

Seated Cable Rows

50 lbs x 15

60 x 15

70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 37 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Beta Blocker and Cardio Exercise

Whenever I start a new medication, I take care not to endanger myself if side effects might include dizziness, numbness, shortness of breath or the potential for fainting. The Timolol maleate was ready yesterday so I skipped the gym but did a bunch of errands in the dreary, rainy weather. I felt fine and assumed that side effects would be mild. Today, I went to the gym and the parking lot was packed. Forgot it was Good Friday and lots of people have the day off. I'm on another eye drop for my glaucoma, bringing the total to four, three of them twice a day, and one only once a day, preferably at bedtime.

I felt okay, but cardio surprised me with how hard it was. Seriously. I could only sing through a smattering of songs, could barely keep my pace above 150 SPMs (strides per minute), and didn't even make it to 2.8. Normally, I can coast along at 170 and hit 200 for several minutes. Today I'm struggling like a non-swimmer at the deep end. My thighs felt thick and leaden; toes and fingers went numb intermittently. Cardio was so much harder than it should've been. (Orally, timolol is used to lower BP and treat migraines.)

Later, when I've synced my FitBit, I find that my HR has barely touched 108, not for lack of trying. Conventional formula for max heart rate is 220 minus age (64) which gives me 156. That's roughly where my HR had been for weeks. Online articles suggest that this is an not uncommon occurrence with beta blockers, but doesn't state that patients will ever resume their previous cardiac rates. That's frustrating. I'll have to adjust my goals again if it works to lower my IOPs.

This new reality made me worry about the rest of my workout. Beta blockers, because they slow the heart rate and widen blood vessels, can lower blood pressure as well as IOPs. Some people experience more serious symptoms such as fainting. The last thing I want to think about when hoisting a pair of DBs overhead is whether I need to worry about smashing my face. I'm reassured by the pull-ups that I can do, so I'm confident I can handle the low-weight, high-rep sets. 

The first set at 20 lbs makes my left anterior delt twinge and I regret forgetting to rub Penetrex into it. But it hadn't made a peep, not a twinge or wince since Wednesday, until I push the 20s overhead. I adjust the angle and how far down I drop my elbow and the problem is solved. Not a completely full range of motion, but close enough to consider the movement fulfilled. Resting between sets, I look around to see a good mix of seniors, regular folks and kids in the free weight area, male and female. 

No one in the Aerobics Room when I get there so I'm happy. Everything is good, except push-ups, because the left shoulder isn't happy about them. Knock them out quick and never look back. Again, Walking Lunges are the worst: I almost fall over halfway across the room. Even Wall Squats don't hurt as bad as the lunges, and that's shocking. 

The mild headache I've been babying has finally dissipated but that's probably more because the clouds and rain have finally given way to dry, cold sunny skies. At least hives from the annual cold rash never materialized this year. Hurrah for tiny blessings. I glance at the FitBit readings for today and see that my sleeping HR has dropped from 44 to 39. I wonder if that's going to be a problem? Right now it means that I get really cold when I fall asleep, probably because I've fallen into a type of "hibernation". Okay, I'm kidding. Or am I? I guess I'd have to check my temperature and metabolic functions as well. Which I'm not doing.

29 March 2024 11:17-1:19

Sunny Good Friday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30+5 (5376)

Distance: 2.77

Cal: 304

Avg Hr: 143, 182-75 (this HR monitor is always completely inaccurate)

Fitbit: 58-108!!!!

HGPU 16

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

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 35 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Something Old But New

I had my glaucoma doc appointment yesterday and the IOPs have risen slightly. Not horrible but higher than last time. I already have vision loss in the upper crescent of my right eye, and I don't need to accelerate the damage. The doc, her med tech, and I reviewed my past medications and take a chance that my previous allergic reactions might be due to the preservatives. (Being allergic to eye drops usually results in itchy eyes with tiny white bumps inside the upper eyelids.) 

We also needed to find meds my insurance will cover. Luckily, their system is automated and flags with a happy or frowny face when a med is entered into a patient's file and cross-referenced with the patient's specific health insurance. The doc informs me that this one med is also a beta blocker, which might also help me with my hypertension. I'm on the lowest dose of Losartan and I'm resisting doubling the dose. Maybe if I can tolerate this "new" med, Timolol PF, it'll stabilize my blood pressure as well. Timolol is an old medication and has been around for decades and is presumed safe and effective. 

It's not exactly raining, but the weather is damp, grey, cold and it takes me a while to get to the gym and to warm up. Actually, it takes me almost 20 minutes to warm up so I'm more than two thirds through my cardio before I actually feel "normal" and not sluggishly tired. At least I made it to 2.9 today. Didn't quite make 18 HGPU reps though. 

I feel good enough to do Seated Cable Rows even though I'm skeptical that I can get all my reps (15). Resting enough between sets helps a lot! Whew! The "influencer" taking weird selfies is back in the Aerobics Room but today she's actually doing squats with a DB in her hands. My routine is routine, except the left shoulder complains when I do push-ups. Ugh. I'm surprised it's still sore and I hope it won't be a problem tomorrow when I do the DB Shoulder exercises. It's supposed to rain all day and be generally miserable outside. Oh joy. The dogs will be so happy. Well, one of them won't care and the other one will be upset that water is getting inside his ears.

27 March 2024 11:38-1:19

Dreary Cold Rainy Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30+5 (5778)

Distance: 2.90

Cal: 324

Avg Hr: 163, 195-83

Fitbit: 58-160

HGPU 16

Seated Cable Rows

50 lbs x 15

60 x 15

70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 35 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Start Again

It rained all day Saturday but dogs and I still went to the park, albeit for only 20 minutes because one pup looked utterly miserable. Sunday saw dry sunny skies but the temps dropped below freezing which wouldn't have been an issue except that that froze the lock to the dog park. Which meant I had to scale the chain link fence once again to let my pups in so they could run around like loonies. My first attempt was unsuccessful because I was trying to push myself up against the fence and my Boggs boots had no traction. On my second try, I realized I'd have better luck pulling myself up and over, which is how I probably did it a few weeks ago. Oddly, I don't really remember how I scaled the fence back then. But I'm really happy that, in my 60s, I'm able to do this. Yaaay me!

I woke up this morning exhausted, as if I'd done a full-body workout yesterday, which is weird, because all I did yesterday was plant some seeds, move a little dirt, stack a bit of firewood, walked dogs. Nothing horribly taxing. But my left shoulder is really sore -- immediately I know I'm not doing the DB workout today. However, I can do cardio, core, and seated cable rowing. So that's what I do.

Cardio wasn't great but still serviceable and I had my pick of elliptical machines. There were a lot of bodies in the free-weight area, regulars but not HS kids. Some colleges are on Spring Break now so that might explain the smattering of unfamiliar young faces. I'm happy to get a few more pull-up reps today; my right forearm wasn't bothering me. Everything is good for pulling weights, and even core. Except for push-ups. My left shoulder aches with each rep but I get my 25. I'm glad I didn't attempt the DB shoulder routine. 

There's a girl in a sports bra and sweatpants taking selfies in the Aerobics Room. I'm not quite sure what she's going for as she duck-faces over her shoulder, arching her back and sticking her butt out. I don't think she's actually done anything vaguely exercise-related except don sports clothes. She's tall, slender, and pretty, the way teenage girls can be. I wonder if she's tossing a filter on her images wherever she's posting. 'Cuz she's definitely posting somewhere. 

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my glaucoma doc. I'm hoping my IOPs are good but I have no way of checking since home tonometry machines are a bit pricey and it's questionable whether my health insurance will cover any of it. Meanwhile, I watched a webinar presented by the Glaucoma Research Foundation that suggested low blood pressure could be a factor in glaucoma, that glaucoma was in fact a circulatory disease because it can be associated with people with circulatory issues, like Raynaud's. Which I probably have, but in an atypical way.  

Hands and toes go numb, get icy cold, don't necessarily turn blue or white though. My erratic blood pressure registers mildly high for a few days, then high, then dips down to almost normal. Yesterday it registered high after several days of mildly high. I suspect it was the salty seasoning on the pre-marinated pork loin my husband bought for dinner. I'm sodium sensitive, but it's impossible to reduce my intake enough to drop my BP into the normal range. Exercise helps a lot. Except when I miss a few days. I am happy that I seem to be otherwise healthy though. I'm good with that.

25 March 2024 11:34-1:17
Brisk Monday feeling extreme fatigue

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5698)
Distance: 2.86
Cal: 319
Avg Hr: 155, 196-78
Fitbit: 57-154

HGPU 17.5

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Just One Day So Do Everything

I've been remiss in exercising for the past 7 days. While my kid is home for break, I've scheduled appointments for the orthodontist, ophthamologist, and the dermatologist. He's taking the train back to school with friends, but the train leaves at 11 AM so I'm not making the gym tomorrow either. Today is the only day, and it's surprisingly cold and windy. Seems like March came in like a lamb and is leaving like a roaring feral big cat. A wintry mix is forecast for the weekend and I'm glad the kids will already be on campus by then.

Because I haven't exercised and we've eaten out a lot this past week, my hypertension readings have risen. Alarming as it should be! I'm also returning to my previous schedule of taking the 100 mg of B3 separate from my other vitamins (taken right after exercise, washed down with a 30 mg protein beverage). I'm not seeing any bad side effects so far. 

The gym is relatively empty when I arrive and I haven't formalized exactly what I'm doing today other than cardio and a set of pull-ups. Cardio is fairly routine considering I haven't done anything even remotely aerobic in a week. Except, my left forearm starts to twinge and ache as I'm pedaling, which is weird because my hands are grasping the side handles in a relatively neutral position. That's the same spot that bothers me while doing pull-ups, and I stop at rep 15 because although I should be totally healed after a whole week, apparently this joint & tendon are not. I'll have to remember to rub some Penetrex into it before bed tonight.

The Seated Cable Row stations are empty so I immediately claim one. Realizing that today is the only day I'll be exercising, I decided that I can also do DB Shoulders immediately afterward. Because why not? It takes a lot for me to bail out of a workout due to fatigue. Yeah, I'll be exhausted tomorrow morning and not want to get out of bed, but today I'm good. I guess that's why that woman told me that she's so impressed with the fact that I just keep going. I tell her I get tired later. What I don't tell her is that I do a lot of sets and reps to make up for the heavier weights I could be pushing, but don't due to my glaucoma. 

I have a follow-up glaucoma appointment next week and I hope my pressures have remained in the low teens. My brother had his check-up and reported much lower IOPs than he's ever had, due to, he claims, a new supplement he found online. Otherwise, he'd be scheduled for SLTs. My brother believes that zebra fish (which only live 3 years) never suffer from eye diseases. I believe that they don't live long enough to develop them. He thinks they have some sort of magic eye biology. Ugh. The supplements are pricey and online reviews seem skeptical. There's nothing in the listed active ingredients except standard vitamins like A, B, C, zinc... He's convinced it's the other ingredients like spirulina, blueberry extract and lutein that's making all the difference. I remain skeptical. 

After pushing and pulling weights, I go to the Aerobics Room, which is freezing cold. There are a few people already there doing their own routines. I get all my "chores" done and am glad to shower and leave. The locker room has a flyer up announcing a new class for seniors that will begin next month, 3x a week starting at 11:30. It promises to incorporate cardio, stretching and strengthening (all the things I already do without needing to pay $50/mos in addition to the monthly fee). I wonder how popular it'll be because now I'm busy calculating how to avoid this new crowd of old people.

21 March 2024 11:20-1:31
Arctic Thursday after a week away

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5824
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 327
Wildly Inaccurate Avg Hr: 168, 207 maximum
Fitbit: 56-158

HGPU 15 (left forearm)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15 x 3

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
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Sore from Scrubbing

Yesterday was sunny and warm and I felt extremely productive. Although I had to wait for a package to be delivered (it needed a signature so no gym time), I managed to cut and remove wayward vines (most likely Oriental Bittersweet and wild rose) and branches, and scrub the bathroom before my birthday lunch with a friend. It was time well spent and afterwards, I went to the Job Lot to buy a new bathtub mat. When I got home, I spent another hour scrubbing until I was satisfied. 

A few hours later, my right hip stiffens and I'm surprised at how painfully sore it is. Well, not actually the hip but the muscles above and around it: lower external oblique and maybe gluteus medius. All from scrubbing the bathtub. Ugh. I scrubbed the tub a few months ago and didn't suffer like this? This is just because I turned 64, isn't it?

I developed such soreness that I resorted to rubbing Penetrex cream into the area before bed. And I was still stiff and sore when I got up this morning. Still, pups have to go to the park and trudging up and down the hillside helps loosen up the joints. My left forearm is sore from lopping branches and vines, but I don't notice that discomfort until I'm doing pull-ups. I get to the gym later than I want but at least I made it. 

Cardio is a struggle and I don't even get close to 2.9. Although the elliptical seems to think I've hit 190 bpm, the FitBit tells me otherwise. I suppose 154 is good since lower is better, right? Either I'm too tired and sore to hit my maximum, or my cardio endurance has improved and the heart rate is consequently lower. I think it's that I'm tired and sore and just not able to pedal as fast as usual. However, that being tired and sore doesn't keep me from pushing DBs around.

Breaker benches in yellow

The gym is crowded and both inclined breaker benches are occupied. There's no bench in the Smith machine spot. I don't know where the smaller inclined bench is so I'm stuck with the oversized adjustable inclined bench. It's too big, too high, too thick. The breaker benches empty when I'm halfway done but I don't want to stop everything just to switch to another bench, granted the breaker bench would be so much more comfortable to straddle for Reverse Inclined Flys. Finally, I get all my sets done and proceed to the Aerobics Room. I think about skipping Walking Lunges, or push-ups, or Wall Squats. But I do them all anyway. Because I can. 

Tomorrow is a reception for a members' show of the local arts council. My watercolor teacher encouraged us to enter and some of us did. I'm the only one who didn't enter a painting; instead, I had an iPhone print made at the CVS because my photo printer isn't working. It died during the pandemic and there was no way to service it. Now that we're mostly back to normal, I'll have to see about getting this behemoth with archival inks actually in working condition. 

The arts council called me this evening to confirm that my print is a vertical and should be hung the way I arranged the hanging wire. I'm a bit annoyed that they're second-guessing me, especially since not only did I sign the bottom of the matte, I also affixed a label to the back of the frame. Those two items alone tell you which way the image should be oriented. But it also confirms my belief that I have set the image in a purposely "unnatural" and tension-filled orientation. Yes, I did it on purpose to make you stop and look at it and wonder what it is that's mildly disturbing. This isn't my first art show.

15 March 2024 11:40-1:38
Friday the Ides of March

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5688)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
Avg Hr: 161, 190-82
Fitbit: 55-154

HGPU 15 (left forearm)

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
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Exhausted from All the Non-Exercise

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, not just because I'm not a morning person (and I went to bed at 1 AM), but because I woke up feeling exhausted. I didn't even go to the gym yesterday! Instead, I had my last class (gonna sign up again as soon as the website allows), did a bit of garden shopping so I could enjoy the unseasonably warm, sunny weather (put in some cheap low fencing to keep the lawn mower guy from running roughshod over any baby milkweeds that might sprout behind my house (where they've never sprouted before), and then pulled out an assortment of sawing implements. 

There were two thick woody stalks a few feet from my kitchen window. Most of the time I'm able to prune and trim the errant weeds and shrubs with my trusty parrot-beak loppers, but in this case, the stems were as thick as my wrist. Granted, I have very small wrists for a full-grown human, but 3" diameter is too big for a lopper. That needs sawing. I removed a lot of branches and thick stems over an hour and a half, but I was unable to clear the mess that has attached itself to the wire leading from the post to the house. I'm not a fan of heights, and this is going to require a tall ladder and a pair of snippers. 

My legs are sore and there's a chain of purple bruises forming inside my thigh when I climbed over the chainlink fence at the dog park. I wanted to see if I could do it after another dog owner said he'd scaled the fence to let himself and his dogs in over the weekend. Never mind that he's 20 years younger and maybe a foot taller than me. There's a terrace shelf holding shrubs and a dog statue outside one section that makes the 6' fence only 5' high at that spot. I wasn't optimally dressed for the adventure, wearing a hoodie, heavy winter parka, and thick Bogs boots, but I still got myself over the fence. I'm happy about that, but disappointed that I'm bruising so easily these days. Ugh.

I'm tired and sore: didn't make it to 2.9 and only hit 15 reps. My left forearm is sore from wrestling the lopper close every time I cut a thick branch. It's mid-week but the gym isn't crowded. I suspect that everyone is outside because it's sunny and nearly 60F: perfect weather for an outdoor run. I'm glad I'm able to do a complete set of Seated Cable Rows, but I make a point of taking adequate rest breaks between sets, browsing online for a new pair of neoprene grips because my current ones are old and starting to crack. 

Eventually, I make it to the Aerobics Room, which is freezing. It's pleasant at first, but by the time I get to Wall Squats, I'm happy to zip my hoodie back up. Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm having lunch with a friend. I'm planning to do an abbreviated workout in the morning, but we'll see. Nothing is set in stone. I might just scrub the bathroom instead because nothing is harder than housework. 

13 March 2024 11:51-1:29
Sunny Wednesday
& I’m exhausted from scaling a fence and wrestling with weedy vines

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5752)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 322
Avg Hr: 145, 182-84
Fitbit: 55-156

HGPU 15 (left forearm)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)