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 (!!!)