The Last Resort Gym

Seated cable row

I had to buy a bag of kibble before my pups ran out of the somewhat pricey dog chow that they'll eat for supper. I've tried several other brands and they'd rather go hungry and then eat dirt at the park instead. I comparison price shop and realized that the local pet food store in town was the cheapest, beating out Chewy and Amazon. It's also 3 doors down from Planet Fitness. I got an email from PF inviting me to view their virtual tour of facilities, which I did. Then I was encouraged to download their app onto my phone in order to make use of a free day pass, good for 24 hours. That's what I did today.

The fellow at the counter tells me that it's a 24-hr pass so if I come back tomorrow before 10:55, I can work out again for free. That's nice. I'm more familiar with the place now so I'm hoping to get a better workout. I wind up with the same full-size locker because the one closer to the shower area is apparently a broom closet. There's a side changing room with a bench and full-size mirror in it, and I use that after my shower to apply body lotion. Because honestly, the shower this time was kind of gross: curtain was too short and kept blowing into the shower stall itself (and who wants a shower curtain constantly touching them while they bathe?), the shower head is too high to reach so you can't adjust where water falls, the shower itself is clogging up, the hook outside the stall is loose and my towel is in danger of falling off. This is a shower of last resort. A girl comes in fully clothed, tests the shower in the first stall and then leaves her water bottle in the stall's shelf. Uh, claiming the space even though she's not actually showering yet? I'm liking this place less and less.

Variable HR

The workout was good though: cross-trainer for cardio, stretching and core, a few light weights, more cardio on the Cybex arc once I figured out how to adjust the time for the program. I didn't bother with banging my knees on the assisted pull-up machine. There are two next to each other, and one of them had 3 guys hanging out on it, not actually doing anything but chatting. Today was a lot more crowded than I expected and my AirPod pros couldn't keep up to drown out the ambient chatter and odd humming noise. (I don't know if it was noise from all the cardio machines or something else.) 

I need better head phones, and probably a way to transfer my tunes to my phone from iTunes. At some point, my iPod nano is going to die, although I think I still have Kids Bop tunes on our original iPods. Yes, I still have iTunes on my old Mac that hasn't seen an upgrade for over 10 years because it doesn't have the chip power for the newer operating systems.

I managed to peddle backwards for cool down on the cross-trainer without shin splints or numbing my toes. I did a turn at the Seated Cable Row and a light set at a Should Press machine. I was cautious with the latter because my right ear clogs up as soon as there's any sort of pump. The Cybex was surprisingly jarring during Cardio 1 program but the HR monitor, when it worked, didn't go all crazy the way the Precor and the Life Fitness machines do. (At one point, the elliptical registered my HR as over 205 but the FitBit said it was only 163. I'll trust the FB.) 

Bruising top & bottom

I have to take the FitBit off to charge it and notice that it's bruising my wrist. It's not even on tight, just snug enough to keep contact with my skin. I'm amused by the reading it took two nights ago that saw my HR drop down to 44 bpm. Other than mitral valve prolapse, I don't know of any heart conditions and the fact that my HR rises to the 160s during intense cardio doesn't alarm me. Should it?  I don't know.

Electric outlet by the ceiling?

I never found the lateral shoulder machine and I don't even know if PF has them. There's one at Gold's but I prefer to use DBs. I suppose I could've played with the Cable set ups, but I'm not that adventurous, especially if it involves finding something to stand on so I can reach up to adjust the pegs for the cables. Once you get used to the fact that everything's purple (with yellow accents), the place is less intimidating. I didn't play with the DBs although I should have, if only to gauge whether I can actually get a grip on the handles. The solid BBs are thicker and heavier than those at Gold's, and I have ridiculously small hands, so diameter matters. That's the sole reason I can do pull-ups at the Stretch Cage and not on other devices.

HR looks healthy

I'm really not liking the locker rooms and shower. So much so that if I did join PF, it'd be only to work out and not shower there. It'd never be my "one and only", just a backup for an occasional change of pace, or when my errands put me in that part of town. Do I have to be loyal to just one gym? Can a gym rat belong to two different places if it's not prohibitively expensive? Also, the locker room is dark and dreary, and there are so few mirrors (cuz it's a no judgement zone) that you're in danger of walking out with your skirt tucked into your underwear. One of my earbuds falls out in the locker room and lands on the filthy floor in a corner. Ugh. 

I'm quite excited about the water color class I started yesterday. It's being taught by an artist whose work I admired in a show at the local library some years ago. This is the first year I haven't had scheduling conflicts with my kid's activities so I've jumped at the opportunity. It sold out almost immediately. I've looked at online courses but that takes a certain amount of discipline I don't have. Having to show up at a class and present work is an entirely different experience and the camaraderie is especially pleasant. Students, all women, range from an art class teacher in her late 30s (?) to a Betty White look-and-sound-alike and a lot of in-betweens, but mostly older ladies who have painted before and are deep into their own works. It's refreshing and invigorating.  

What's less fun is that show Dead Beat. Once Lucy DeVito left in Season 2, she got replaced by Kal Penn in Season 3, and it's hard to stomach all the stupefyingly puerile jokes and scenarios. He hasn't gotten past Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. (At least John Cho managed to hook into Star Trek.) It's not surprising that Season 3 was also it's last season. I am looking forward to Season 2 of Not Dead Yet. Still watching Fargo, Season 2. Season 5 was excellent, and I think that finale was totally and perfectly awesome. It took me a bit to realize that Fargo Season 2 was a prequel to Season 1, and only after I read a review online. I'm giving The Brothers Sun a shot though, just because it's got Michelle Yeoh. How could I resist?

31 January 2024 10:55-12:29
Dreary Wednesday at Planet Fitness
Crowded & really noisy weird hum

Life Fitness x-trainer
Program Manual L 1
Time: 20+5
Distance: 2.59
Cal: 198
Avg Hr: NA
Fitbit: 55-154

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

Life Fitness Seated cable row
20 lbs x 15 reps warm up
27.5 x 12
35 x 12
42.5 x 12

LF Shoulder press
10 lbs x 12 reps (right ear clogs)

Cybex machine
15 minutes
Cardio 1 L1
Cal 146
Distance 0.83
Max HR 163
Fitbit 55-152 (?)

Back at Home Base

I have half a mind to keep my current gym membership and join the new gym as well, but I'm only toying with the idea. The total monthly cost wouldn't be horribly prohibitive, but is it worth having "redundant" memberships if only because each venue offers a substantially different experience? I'm assured by the owner of my current gym that there are no plans to exchange the old Precor ellipticals for anything else and the Stretch Cage is there to stay. The shower is definitely nicer and the locker room slightly user-friendlier. 

On the other hand, joining a new gym offers the relief of anonymity and there are so many more cardio machines so no waiting around for a machine to free up. While the Cybex arc glider at PF doesn't give me a back ache, I'm not sure if this is the machine I can use for long term cardio training. The LifeFitness cross-trainers aren't made for people built like me and I think 25 minutes is my limit for this equipment. Until I get some AirPod clips to keep the earbuds from potentially falling into the step machine, I'm not getting on those. My husband ordered magnetic AirPod safety straps for me to test out but they haven't arrived yet.

There is also the thrill of trying new equipment, but I also don't want to waste my time. Am I really willing to spend an hour wandering around testing whether I fit into a machine or not? There are barely any mirrors in the PF locker room, but the entire gym space is cozy and well-heated. The heavier BBs at PF definitely made me more sore than I expected when I did a few sets for triceps last Friday. 

Banging my knees into the back of the assisted pull-up machine was definitely a bummer. Maybe because of that experience, my pull-ups today at Gold's were a ton better and I only resorted to some slight body english (not exuberant enough to be considered kipping) for the last 5 reps. That's the best I've done in months! But my cardio on the elliptical sucked. Can I blame it on wearing AirPods that don't block out the noisy chatter of two guys in the row in front of me? I can't hear any music as long as they're kibbutzing! Ugh. I really miss having my wired earbuds to cancel all the "ambient" noise. Gold's is a smaller gym, and a lot noisier. 

The rest of my workout was routine and nothing seemed horrible. Except for Wall Squats. But at least I could listen to my music during those torturous 90 seconds. The blood pressure medication appears to be working, although not as quickly as I'd like. But I'm impatient. I have a follow up appointment with my PC in 3 weeks and she'll tell me if I'm on track or not.

29 January 2024 11:17-12:42
Dreary Monday Should I stay or go?

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5
Distance: 2.89
Cal: 323
Avg Hr: NA 162, 205-82
Fitbit: 54-159

HGPU 20

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Change is Hard

I got an email last night informing me that my gym is raising my monthly rate by $10 for March 1st. While $30/month is still reasonable considering other places are charging anywhere from $50 to over $100, it's still a lot considering there's a lot of broken equipment and the improvements that are scheduled don't do anything for me, i.e., more classes and "new equipment". I've noticed new equipment usually happens in April. It's a small gym so that means old equipment will be leaving. The Precor elliptical is old. So is the Stretch Cage, (that once wound up in the trash heap until a bunch of seniors complained). I also really appreciate the water pressure because the shower in my house is like standing in drizzle. But perhaps it's time for a change.

This morning, I pack for the gym and make up my mind at the last minute to check out the cheapest gym in town, Planet Fitness. When it first opened, there were wild rumors about tank-tops being banned because it was a "no judgment" zone and they didn't want people to feel bad about their arms. Good grief. The "Bagels Fridays" was too much but it got people talking. Not my kind of people. But that was over 10 years ago. 

Cybex gliders

It is still very purple though. And there are three vast rows of cardio machines. None of them are Precor ellipticals. Instead, there are rows of Life Fitness cross-trainers, Cybex gliders, step machines, stationary bikes, treadmills. There are also a few rowing machines but those are situated within the sea of individual exercise machine stations. There's a separate room all in yellow for circuit training, and a sign telling you that it's a 30 minute max to use. Uh, okay.

I sign up for a day-pass, stash my coat and duffle bag in a full-size locker, and venture out into a sea of purple equipment. The Life Fitness cross-trainers are slightly newer models than the one's at Gold's, and they still cause me issues with my ankles and knees. I manage 25 minutes. There's also Cybex gliders. The ones at Gold's hurt my lower back, but I actually fit into the ones at PF. First I need to find the Assisted Pull-Up machine because I spied inner handles that look narrow enough for my small hands to grip. 

Assisted pull-up machine

I'm actually tall enough to reach them from the side platform steps! The only problem is that these handles are so close to the body of the machine that I inadvertently hit my knees against the structure. At least I can get a few reps. Not as many as at the Stretch Cage, but this isn't bad. When I'm done, I realize that some guys at surrounding stations are giving me funny looks. What? Never seen a small middle-aged woman do pull-ups? 

The stretch area is tiny and next to the completely fogged up plate glass windows. The space was originally a retail clothing store but the gym makes good use of the vast open floor plan. I do a modified Core routine because I'm obviously not doing Walking Lunges here. I'm not familiar with the programs on the Cybex "gliders" so I randomly choose Cardio 1 which defaults to 30 minutes. I don't want to do 30 minutes but there doesn't seem to be an option to change the preset time. So I just stop at 15 minutes. That's more than enough cardio for me today. 

I check out the free weight area and find a bench to do skull crushers. As soon as I lay down, a group of girls show up and take up residence at a Smith machine tucked in the corner. This is the only area of the entire gym that has a mirrored wall. The 30 lb barbell is on an EZ curl bar and the bar is thicker than I'm used to. It makes the overhead movements trickier and I opt to only do two sets. The girls are doing squats in the Smith, and one has a 20 lbs BB that I'm not quite sure what she's doing as I'm trying hard not to stare. She's bent over and picking the bar off the ground but it's not a deadlift... I'm pretty sure that at certain times, this gym fills up with kids from the local HS in my town just as Gold's fills up with the HS kids from that town. I plan not to be here during those times.

The locker room is oddly shaped with small, medium and full size lockers in a dreary dark grayish brown color. The lone bench is skimpy and a bit unstable. There are showers that are adequate. Not as good as Gold's but still better than mine at home. The shopping plaza has a post office, a pet food store and an over-priced Acme supermarket. I'll still be trekking back to the Gold's plaza just for groceries at ShopRite. 

I haven't actually signed up to join Planet Fitness yet. I want to go back to Gold's to find out what new equipment they plan to bring in. And how to end my relationship with them since all gyms do automatic monthly billing. I'll miss the shower, the Precor elliptical and the Stretch Cage though, so I'll probably stay at Gold's through February. Probably. 

I've noticed that the parking lot at PF is always crowded and I'm not sure where all the people are for those cars because the gym isn't crowded and there just aren't that many stores to account for all the vehicles. It's a mystery.

26 January 2024 11:28-1:10
Dreary Friday at Planet Fitness

Life Fitness x-trainer
Program Manual L 1
Time: 20+5
Distance: 2,05
Cal: 184
Avg Hr: NA 169
Fitbit: 59-162 

HGPU 12+4
assisted pull-up machine / closest grip / banging my knees into the support

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Cybex machine
15 minutes
Cardio 1 L1
Cal 143
Distance 0.82

Skull crushers / RipSkulls
30 lb EZ curl bar x 12/13 x 2 sets

Erroneous Assumptions

Temps are warming up but are by no means warm. It's cold, wet and foggy at the dog park this morning. I'm dreading the gym crowd but to my surprise, it's not too bad today. That's a shock considering it's still January, but most of the college kids have gone back to school. A lot of the seniors might've stayed home due to the forecast of a wintry mix. It's actually warm enough for that to be just a cold mist, not generous enough to be considered rain. 

It's not until I'm in the locker room that I realize that my earbuds refuse to pair with my iPod. It probably needs to be charged. Unfortunately, when I transferred all my gear to the new bag, I didn't check the backup AirPods to see if they were still charged. Alas, they were not. So there's 3 pairs of earbuds that are totally useless in my bag, which means I can't listen to my tunes. Well, at least the gym music isn't absolutely horrible today. 

I'm actually surprised that my cardio didn't suffer from my lack of musical inspiration, and singing/breathing. Maybe singing along doesn't make any difference? While not my absolute best, still better than the last two sessions. Maybe it's the daily losartan potassium? My blood pressure actually registered 118/84 last night, which drops me down from category Hypertension 2 to Hypertension 1. I also ate a banana with my cereal yesterday, something I don't regularly do. I don't know that increasing potassium has anything to do with it, but my brother tells me he's got to watch his potassium while he's taking a different hypertension medication, amlodipine. It seems to have more side effects.

I'm also testing new workout leggings I bought after reading a recommendation article by The New York Times' Wirecutter section. I'm never going to spend $78 on a pair of workout pants, so I scroll past to the budget section. I can handle $20. Of course, by the time you click on the link to Amazon, the price has changed and it's usually a bit higher. But still not ridiculous. I'm not normally a fan of leggings since they normally ride up or roll down or pinch and bind in unpleasant places. This one, by IUGA, is everything the review states: comfortable, has functional pockets that actually holds an iPhone securely, doesn't roll down at the waist or ride up in the crotch. While not as comfortable as my ancient Lands End active wear pants (LE stopped offering this item over a decade ago), those won't last forever. Or at least the elastic waistband won't. 

My fingertip is swollen and painful from the winter-induced fissure, and because it's a pointer fingertip, it gets bumped a lot. And boy is that painful! I've been swathing the fissures in moisturizers and anti-inflammatory cream (hydrocortisone mostly). The thumb is finally semi-recovered, but not the pointer. Luckily, fingertips don't impact grip strength when doing pull-ups. The first dozen feel good, but eventually I feel stress on my forearm and wrists. Hammer grip pull-ups are easier on those joints, but not completely stress-free. 

The Aerobics Room is empty and that's a relief. No jockeying for a spot on the floor! All exercises proceed routinely. I hold my phone during Air Squats and Walking Lunges to prevent me from resting my hands on my thighs as I push up/forward. Wall Squats still suck and the lack of music doesn't make any difference. Perhaps there's only one level of suck?

Once I get home, I plug in all my devices to make sure everything is charged for the next gym session. I don't know if that's going to be tomorrow, or Friday. Lately I've only been going twice a week, and I should go thrice. Today, I constantly have to remind myself that my kid is back at school, and the only ones home are the dogs. I didn't feel this way when he left for school in August, and he'll be back for Spring break in March. But I'm also acutely aware that I'm aging, people are aging and dying, and I want to live as long as I can healthily, because Gen Z aren't "adulting" as quickly as Boomers (like myself). 

So I'm concerned because when people you know, celebrities you grew up with get old and pass away, it's a worry. Last night I read that Gary Graham passed away. He was only 73. Shouldn't we all be living into our 80s or 90s? Alien Nation only ran one season but I really loved that show. 

24 January 2024 11:56-12:50
Gray Wednesday
No working earbuds! New workout leggings

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5950)
Distance: 2.95
Cal: 333
Avg Hr: NA 156, 200-78
Fitbit: 59-167

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s 

A Long Chill Weekend

After four days off, I'm back at the gym today. It's been bitterly cold with temps in the teens and we're ever thankful for our wood stove. At the dog park, the first thing I do is set up the heated water bowl. When I leave, I empty the remaining water into one of the standard metal ones and put mine back in the shed. Just as one of my dogs won't poop unless he's had a good run through the park, the other one refuses to drink out of bowls at the house. But he'll take a long drink at the park. I have weird dogs.

I fully expected the gym to be crowded today since it's Monday in January and too cold to go for a run outside. I'm not disappointed but at least I get in early enough to claim elliptical #1. The streak is over: I'm happy to have over 2.9 register on the dash and I wonder if I'll ever make it past 2.96, but it's not that big a deal.

I'm feeling a little sad as my kid left today to go back to college after a month-long winter break. He'll be back in March for Spring break but that's only for a week. My shoulder is also a little sore from shoveling last Friday. Not a lot of snow but a bit of ice. And a lot of trudging through the snow at the dog park. The FitBit doesn't account for non-gym activities other than walking, running, hiking. What about snow shoveling? I'll bet trudging through snow is up there with snow shoeing with regards to cardio activity.

Fissures have formed on my right thumb and pointer fingertips and they're very painful. This happens every winter due to low temps and lack of humidity. It doesn't matter how much I moisturize, the cracks still form and sometimes they bleed. Ugh. Some days I'll even wear gloves inside the house. I own a lot of gloves in different fabrics and thicknesses. I own a lot of different hand creams, always looking for that perfect blend of soothing non-sticky moisture. I've been making good use of Hot Hands chemical hand warmers too. 

I'm still able to do pull-ups but I hate handling most things because the most sensitive part of the hand, fingertips, feel like they've been sliced open with razors. Core is routine except I really felt the last set of Dead Bugs. I must be slacking! I take longer strides during Walking Lunges, and Wall Squats still suck. 

The back of my left leg stings intermittently because I have a horrible 8" long blood-red scratch: a dog park accident involving over zealous puppies. It's alarming how fragile my skin is because this isn't the first time I've suffered a grievous (and disfiguring) wound through my clothes from dog claws. It's going to leave a mark when it finally heals due to my skin's melanin content. Well, yet another reason never to wear shorts again...

22 January 2024 11:12-12:34
Arctic Monday & my kid is returning to school today

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5918)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 330
Avg Hr: NA 156, 196-82
Fitbit: 59-166

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Post Storm Heather and the cardio streak is broken

It's been really cold this week with temps barely reaching the 20s. Yesterday, most of us stayed home since roadways were slick and auto accidents are something I try to avoid, even though the Bark Park is a mere 1/4 mile away. Instead, my kid and I walked our pups up and down our road and back through our yard into the swamp and back. And true to form, one of our dogs refused to poop. Eventually his brother succumbed to nature's call, but he's less finicky about his preferred spots. 

These are dogs that are loathe to soil any place too close to home. It's in their nature and other Jindo dog parents have the same problems with their pups. Oh well. That just means we definitely had to go to the park this morning. Luckily, it's bright and sunny and there's no wind.

Temps have crept up to 16F by the time the windshield is defrosted. I've been making good use of the heated water bowl. It just requires that I bring liquid water to the park since jugs left overnight have frozen solid. In the past, folks would plug in space heaters and plant the frozen bottles in front of them  (the shed has two outlets, benches, an overhead light and storage shelves). But that's a long time to wait for drinkable water. Better to bring water and take an empty jug home. Snowstorm Heather literally lasted an entire day, and the snow was light and fluffy but interspersed with sleet. It was the freezing rain afterward that left a crunchy topcoat everywhere like candy brittle. 

My kid is home for a few more days before returning to college. We plan to try a different recipe for cranberry scones. His last effort resulted in 8 very tasty wedges but we've decided that maybe we don't want ground cloves and perhaps more cranberries in the next batch. My kid actually used our tiny marble mortar and ground the whole cloves into powder, then used a salad chopper to handle the fresh cranberries. This new recipe uses fresh or frozen cranberries, some orange zest and no cloves. We put the remaining fresh cranberries in the freezer, along with a stick of butter. This recipe calls for a lot of chilling so I tell my kid that if we don't have room in the freezer, we can just stick it outside cuz it'll def be cold enough.

I sent another batch of books to soldiers stationed at Fort Sill through Operation Paperback. It's a good way to clear the bookshelves and not have to put books in the trash. There was a huge line at the post office, mostly with people who claimed to have mail being held for them but have neglected to bring the actual notice. One fellow brought a notice that didn't have his name or address on it. Which meant it wasn't a notice for him, or his mail. Ugh.

It's nearly noon by the time I get to the gym and although it's not as crowded as Monday, I'm still sandwiched between two fellows on the elliptical row. My speed isn't nearly as good as before--I've lost .02 miles. Oh well. My lower back and upper arms are a little stiff from shoveling the walkway and clearing my car last night. This morning my car was good, except for the ice on the windshield, and only on the front windshield. Ugh. Sometimes the ice is on the inside! I've had this windshield replaced so it's probably not sealed properly.

Pull-ups go better than I expect. Everything else is routine. Except for Wall Squats. Because they make me scream inside my head for the last 20 seconds. Then I'm done and it's time to go. Yaaay me! I got a new gear bag, not that my old bag is broken or has holes in it. Actually, it's totally fine. Except that the white vinyl liner is peeling on the inside and every time I pull something out of it, like my gloves or earbuds, little white flakes sprinkle everywhere like body dandruff. And I'm already self-conscious about that. I can't seem to find a suitable replacement bag so I'm left with a half mesh, half solid bag that is a skosh too small. Because the next size up seems like a duffle that is just too big. At least the insides won't shred.

I started watching Six Feet Under. Again. Folks at the Bark Park were talking about the series finale and how perfect it was. It was a show I really liked. I'd forgotten about the super slick faux commercials for mortuary products that intersperse episodes in Season 1. I'd forgotten how young and smooth Peter Krause was because I see an older more worn version of him in 9-1-1 with Angela Bassett. Uptight Michael C. Hall is thoroughly annoying and fussy until he threatens a rep from a funeral chain competitor, then we can witness a menacing Dexter. It's a wicked transformation in a matter of seconds. Watching that is like watching magic.

I've also been watching Ugly Betty, a show that's extremely entertaining except for the way the trans character Alexis has been written. Perhaps they just didn't know any better, but 9-1-1: Lone Star handles transgender issues much better with an actual transgender actor (see Brian Michael Smith) playing a transgender character. The Ugly Betty Alexis character is just ridiculous, especially when she wakes from a coma and behaves like a cis male who has suddenly discovered she has boobs. Isn't that a vaudeville act? Fortunately, Alexis disappears from the show. Problem solved.

Yeah, I'm staying up too late and not getting that restful 8 hours of sleep. Worse yet, I'm losing my ability to tolerate any alcohol whatsoever, so that one drink I'd have while watching TV at night is no longer something that feels pleasant. Like an old biddy, I'm drinking chamomile tea on the sofa. Ugh. Sleepy Time not only offers flavors (vanilla, honey), but super strength relaxation: chamomile and valerian root. Hhhhmmmm.

17 January 2024 11:58-1:21
Arctic Wednesday post Storm Heather

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5904)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr: NA 166, 205-80
Fitbit: 59-169

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100 (or 7?)
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

The Worst Monday is the One Before A Storm on a Holiday

It was 16F when I woke up this morning and not much warmer when I took the pups to the park. Thank goodness for that heated water bowl. We stayed around 30 minutes, not that the dogs were cold. They were just bored since no one else came, and my dogs tend to eat the frozen dirt, tree roots and yes, frozen poopsicles when they aren't distracted by other pups. Ewww. I get to the gym later than I want because my husband decided at the last minute to wash a pair of cargo pants that he wants to take with him today. He's in Boston for the week. Why didn't he put them into the washer yesterday when I stayed up late to make sure that day's load was properly dried? 

Of course, with so few items in the washer, the machine fails the spin cycle. My husband has literally no idea about setting the washer to the Drain & Spin only so I wait until that's done and then toss everything into the dryer. Because the husband never uses the proper setting for getting clothes optimally dry. He uses the sensor setting which is more for delicate items, not towels or cargo pants. And if you don't thoroughly dry your clothes, you eventually walk around reeking of mildew. Double ewwww.

The gym is horrendously crowded and it's not even past noon. There are HS and college kids because it's still Winter Break, today's a holiday, it's Monday (so lots of seniors), and NYS issued a Winter Storm alert for tomorrow. I rescheduled my dental appointment because I don't want to risk driving on icy roads when it's just a checkup. I'm hoping it's just a bit of snow and that we can still go to the Bark Park in the morning, but maybe not.

I've had fractured sleep for the past several days and yesterday I finally gave in to a long afternoon nap. Then I stayed up until 2 AM, went to sleep and still felt tired this morning. When I get to the gym, I'm skeptical as to how well I'll do on the elliptical number 2, sandwiched between two people I've never seen before. The gauge just clicks to 2.96 as I run out of time, and I'm totally surprised that I've made it that far. I'm also surprised to get my pull-ups out of the way.

Everything else is routine, from the Dead Bugs to the Walking Lunges. And the Wall Squats aren't any easier but I survive 90 seconds. Ideally I'll be back on Wednesday for cardio and some weights. I'm toying with the idea of adding a few light sets of Seated Cable Rows, but of course that makes me nervous. The last time I did those, my sciatica flared up for weeks and I don't want a repeat. I do believe that my very last bout of sciatica stemmed from an inflammation reaction to the shingles vaccine. Which is why I haven't scheduled a second shot. 

I've been streaming old TV shows I've never heard of before, like DeadBeat, starring the fellow who plays Dr Iggy Frome in New Amsterdam. I only started watching that for Ryan Eggold -- he was one of the few reasons to watch The Black List. (Well, James Spader is always entertaining.) Who knew Tyler Labine was actually a comedic actor? And that Danny DeVito & Rhea Perlman's daughter, Lucy DeVito co-stars. She's so tiny that at first I thought she might be a dwarf (cue Peter Dinklage). Imagine how I feel to learn she's 4'11. Not a dwarf. I'm 4'11.5" so I've got a 1/2" on her, which means, uh, I'm tiny too? Good grief.

15 January 2024 11:34-12:49
Arctic Monday before the storm

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5956)
Distance: 2.96 (barely)
Cal: 334
Avg Hr: NA 163-80, 205
Fitbit: 59-164

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100 (or 7?)
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

Ill-fitting Socks

I'd like to think that the new hypertension medication is working. It's probably too soon to say as it might take up to 4 weeks to see results. But at least the readings I take at home haven't gotten worse. I think there's some improvement, especially to the systolic number (upper). The diastolic reading seems to be more stubborn, and of course, it's more critical. I'm impatient. I'd like to see my readings drop down much much further. I still have several more weeks before I see my GP for a follow-up. At least I haven't noticed any side effects, unless you consider the slightly better ability in cardio?

I make an effort to get to the gym earlier today. I spent a lot of time yesterday packaging books to send to Fort Sill, Oklahoma soldiers under Operation Paperback. Five boxes mailed out and I still have a pile of books so I requested more names. I haven't decided whether I should use cardboard boxes or go with plastic/fiberglass envelopes, all of it being reused/recycled from packages/books delivered to us. 

There's no one on any of the elliptical machines and only a few other folks doing cardio. I get on machine #1 and wonder which program to choose. Number one is the easiest and because of that, it's also the hardest: not a lot of elevation but I find pedaling in the troughs sort of tedious. Singing helps me keep my pace up. I have the FitBit app open on my phone to check my HR when the elliptical tells me crazy numbers. While my HR does hit a peak of 163 (according to the FitBit), it doesn't stay there long.

After pull-ups, I march into the Aerobics Room to do core. The Dead Bugs can be challenging by the last set. Everything else feels fairly routine except for Walking Lunges. I'm wearing ankle socks that are mostly comfortable, but bunch up a bit under my wayward right foot. Maybe it's the bunion or the hammer toes, but the sock wrinkles under the toes makes the lunges more difficult to keep my balance. It's not something I've ever thought much about until today. My shoes have mostly flat soles (no high heels for me) but I notice that my toes tend to curl slightly down in a reflexive gripping motion to help with steadiness. (No need for Doctor Scholls sandals!) Well, at least my pinky toe doesn't hurt anymore even though it seems to be permanently swollen. Toes are important for walking!

Wall Squats still make me want to scream for the last 20 seconds, but I manage to keep myself upright and not slide down onto my butt. High schoolers start to arrive just as I leave the gym. I should go to the gym tomorrow, but I don't know that I will. Going all out during cardio makes me less inclined to repeat immediately. Maybe I'll do Intervals and push some weights instead...

11 January 2024 11:16-12:39

Balmy Thursday (One week on Losartan)

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30+5 (6022)

Distance: 2.96

Cal: 335

Avg Hr: NA 168, 194-85

Fitbit: 59-163

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100 (or 7?)

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Upper stretch w side bends & twists

Walking lunges 42 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s

When You Get There Too Late

I got a late start this morning and I won't lie: my quads, lower back, and left elbow are sore from shoveling my walkway and driveway from yesterday's snowstorm. My husband helped me shovel and clear off the cars whereas our kid was dead asleep, cozy in bed. While Storm Finn spawned a few tornadoes down south, it mostly dumped a few dense inches (about 5) of packing snow over a 24-hr period. It wasn't the raging blizzard the weather channel would have you believe, but it might've been worse elsewhere. I still managed to take the dogs to the park when the snowfall eased to a brief lull, although the park road and parking lot hadn't been plowed. It's actually the first time in a while that I've seen the traction control symbol light up on my dashboard.

Today, I take my dogs to the park where they love romping in the snow and burrowing their snouts deep in critter foot prints. I do house chores before leaving for the gym--it's just past noon. Ugh. The gym is super crowded and I have to use the LifeFitness cross-trainer instead of my favorite Precor elliptical. I can't pedal backward on the LF. Nor can I do more than 25 minutes on the lowest manual setting, L1. Even then, when I exit the machine, most of my toes and the soles of my feet are numb. It's not a good thing.

I get a set of pull-ups done while ignoring the strain on my left forearm and elbow. That's from hoisting the snow shovel. As are the sore quads. Lift with the legs! The back is less sore but still stiff. That loosens up when I do core and stretches in the Aerobics Room. Walking Lunges suck today and Wall Squats make me want to scream, but I get them done. And then I leave because I'm totally done and I have more chores to do. 

Short ribs w/ cauliflower
chopped parsley & zest

Yesterday I spent several hours testing a recipe for braised short ribs with garlic and red wine. There was a lot of prep. The braising alone took close to 4 hours (275F in a Dutch oven). But it was well worth it with luscious fall-off-the-bone meat and a savory gravy. It's served with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The ceramic-lined Dutch oven I bought from Amazon a few years ago (cheap because it was turquoise color; red was twice the price), has served me well. And it's so easy to clean that it makes "non-stick" pans feel like work by comparison. 

saw this being sold for $$$

I don't remember if I knew that Lisa Lyons died this past September, but I was surprised and dismayed upon coming across her name of people who passed away in 2023. She was only 70. I have her collaborative book Lady, Lisa Lyon by Robert Mapplethorpe on my night table. I'm especially fond of the prints where her entire body is covered in powdered graphite. 

When I read she died from stomach cancer, I briefly wondered if the newly touted Panacur C (a pet dewormer) would've helped. Recently, it's been viewed as a potential treatment for a variety of cancers, and not just by alternative medicine practitioners. I first heard about it from a YouTube alternative veterinarian, Dr. Andrew Jones. He strikes me as sincere and I'm inclined to give his suggestions some thought, although I'm still vaccinating my dogs for lepto and bordetella.

8 January 2024 12:18-1:31
Monday Post Snow and too I’m late for the elliptical

LF Cross-trainer #4
Program Manual L1
Time: 20+5
Distance: 2.79
Cal: 201
Avg Hr: NA
Fitbit: 57-163

HGPU 17 (left elbow snow shoveling)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100 (or 7?)
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

Best Distance So Far

I skipped the gym yesterday and went to my doc appt with concerns about my blood pressure. My doc scolded me for not bringing my home device with me so she could determine how accurate it is. The thought had never occurred to me and no article has ever suggested it, but they should've. The doc and her tech both take my pressures several times, different arms and conclude, yes, I have hypertension. I'm not surprised since it runs in my mother's family. 

The doc prescribes Losartan Potassium and tells me that it has no side effects. It shouldn't be a problem with my glaucoma meds either. When I look up the drug online, I run across articles stating that this drug can be beneficial to glaucoma patients as it can reduce IOPs. It might protect retinal ganglion cells. It also seems to heal corneal damage. Sounds like a wonder drug, but of course, I remain cautious and skeptical.

I take the first pill at night because I'm leery of the rare side effects like dizziness. But I don't feel anything even vaguely akin to discomfort from it. It has no impact on me waking at 2:30 AM because one of the pups frantically needs to relieve himself. I ask my son, who is awake and online with friends, to take the dog out since I'm not dressed. He says he just took the dog out and the dog did nothing but stand in the road. He takes the dog out again. I go back to bed. At 4:30 the dog is whining and I can smell he's had an accident somewhere in the house. I dress warmly and take the dog out. 

The dog isn't quite as frantic and walks aimlessly. But I know him. We stop at a bare spot in the brush and twigs and after 10 minutes of his circling, sniffing, changing his mind, circling again, sniffing, tangling his leash in the bare shrub branches, circling, sniffing, he finally shoots a stream of "not water" out of his butt. I give him two pepto tablets when we get home and he falls asleep on the sofa. Meanwhile, I clean up the mess on the staircase. And then I go back to sleep. Unfortunately, neither the FitBit nor my iPhone can parse out and accurately record interrupted sleep. They both determine I've only slept between 4:30 and 7:30. What happened to 12:30 to 2:30? I wasn't awake!

The alarm sounds at 7:30 and I hit the snooze but don't actually fall back to sleep. It's cold and I'm tired but dogs still need to go to the park. Especially the one pup who didn't go out at all hours of the night. Well, at least I'm not dizzy. I get gas and drop off my plastic bag recycling en route to the gym. The parking lot isn't as crowded because it's not "Five Dollar Tuesday" at the cinema. But the gym is even more crowded than last time. I squeeze between two guys I've never seen before who are on ellipticals one and three. I'm happy to take number two. No one wants machine four: it clunks when you pedal it.

The schedule calls for Program 3 and I start singing to myself as I pedal. I vaguely wonder if everyone thinks I'm doing a Taylor Swift type workout. That's cool. Jeeze, I've been singing to myself on the elliptical ever since I joined this gym, back in 2011 but sporadically. Now I'm much more consistent as I believe it helps increase oxygen intake, and that's before I read about how the superstar prepares for her shows. But I'm glad I'm not the only one who sings while doing cardio. I just sing to myself because I honestly can't carry a tune, and no one needs to be subjected to that kind of dissonance.

The guy on number one finishes and then hops on the stationary bike in front of me. A big guy who I've seen before hops on the elliptical and pedals for 20 minutes. The guy on my right just finishes right before I do. This is the fastest I've ever pedaled, as evidenced by the distance: 2.96. Wow! I wonder if the Losartan had anything to do with this because sleep deprivation certainly never helps. I'm so tired and spacey that I lose count of how many sets of Dead Bugs I've done, so I do two more. So that's either 5 or 7 sets of 20 reps. Luckily, I'm still able to do push-ups, air squats, walking lunges and just barely, 90 seconds of wall squats.

My right shoulder has been twinging so I don't do pull-ups today. Instead, I muscle through the DB Shoulder routine. It shouldn't hurt as much or be as potentially damaging as pull-ups because I can control the range of motion better during those three movements. Pull-ups are a lot harder to control, especially with a wonky shoulder joint. If everything feels okay, I'll do pull-ups tomorrow. But I probably won't be kicking butt on the elliptical... maybe 20 minutes on a different cardio machine. Or 20 minutes of Intervals. I'll still be singing to myself though.

4 January 2024 11:22-1:13
Arctic Thursday & gym is crowded
First day on losartan potassium

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5985)
Distance: 2.96!!!
Cal: 334
Avg Hr: NA 163, 198-84
Fitbit: 58-165

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100 (or 7?)
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 43 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

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!

The Day After New Year

It was 22F when I woke up this morning. I took the pups to the park and tested the new heated water bowl. It works! I also tested the heated jacket my hubs got me for Christmas. It works too, but needs more pockets. So I put my rain jacket on over it because it's roomy with lots of pockets. I got a lot of great presents. 

Unfortunately, the husband spent the last several days in an increasingly inebriated state until he started gaslighting me about conversations we'd had just hours before. Because you can't argue with a drunk. Drinking kills brain cells. And memory cells. And the ability to reason. His hand looks even worse than when he first broke it months ago. There's no telling what he's been doing with it, to it because being intoxicated means poor reflex skills and perception abilities. As far as I can tell, he was mostly sober when he drove to work this morning. I'm already dreading his return home Friday...

The gym was really crowded today. Granted that I got there at noon, but there were a lot of new faces. It's the day after New Year's which is when the gym is busiest. Eventually the crowd will thin out, probably by April. I haven't been to the gym since last Thursday -- it's been 4 days. And yes, I'm amazed that I managed to not suck at cardio today. Weirdly, the FitBit tells me that my Cardio Fitness is "excellent for women of my age" with a score of 42-44. By comparison, a professional athlete scores a 63. It claims it determines this by looking at my resting pulse and extrapolating my VO2. Seriously? My resting pulse is in the 50s which I guess is really good.

The algorithm tries to be encouraging by telling me there's room for improvement of up to 20%. Uh, wouldn't that put me close to professional athletes, and no, I'm not going to increase my exercise. Like I'm not doing what I can just to be where I am? Like there's really room for improvement? Okay, there's always room for improvement, no matter how minuscule. Changing the routine here and there counts.

I have a morning appointment with my GP tomorrow to discuss my hypertension so no gym. I've been taking BP readings daily and while there are some big variations, there's never been a normal reading. It's a fact: I have high blood pressure. I don't doubt that the doc is going to prescribe some sort of medication that hopefully won't have nasty side effects and won't be contraindicated by my glaucoma. You can't exercise if you risk fainting. Or going blind.

Today I did an inclusive workout: cardio, pull-ups, core with Walking Lunges and Wall Squats, ending with tricep Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls. The free weight area was full of old men and teen boys. Thank goodness I have good earbuds. On the drive home, I listen to the CD set my kid gave me for Christmas: Awesome Mixtape vol 1 and 2 from Guardians of the Galaxy. It's almost like having a working radio! 

2 January 2024 12:00-1:42 pm
Arctic Tuesday & gym is crowded (New Year's resolutionists)

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5810)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 326
Avg Hr: NA 197, 161-80
Fitbit: 58-158 

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
Dead Bugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 45 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s

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