Leap Day and It's Freezing Cold

It's Leap Day and bitterly cold, barely breaching the freezing point. What a contrast to yesterday's rainy, balmy 50F. The gym isn't too crowded and I've given up on the ear hooks for now. The earbud tethers don't stick to my face today but I'm still fiddling with my earbuds as I pedal. Well, at least I made it past 2.9...

Because Thursdays tend to be quieter, I decide to do the DB Shoulder routine. There's just a few guys in the free weight area. No big deal. Although I'm able to complete my sets without any issue, I know that I'm going to be exhausted later. The Aerobics Room is a great place to cool down because it's so cold. I run through my routine, and only interrupt the Walking Lunges to finally speak to the kid with the slouch.

I tell him he's free to ignore everything I say, but that I just wanted him to understand that standing up straight with his shoulders back will help him. Forward hunched shoulders constrict the chest cavity and impede breathing, leads to problems with the neck and spine later in life. He seems amenable to my advice, smiles and thanks me. I hope I had a positive effect on him, but I'll never know. Of course, I'll be totally oblivious to everyone else as usual the next time I'm at the gym. Because I'm at the gym to work out.

29 February 2024 11:37-1:19
Arctic Leap Day Thursday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5866)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr: NA 166, 200-81
Fitbit: 56-158

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 32 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Little Annoyances

It was raining last night when I took the pups for their nightly walk. It was still raining this morning when we went to the park. One dog dislikes being wet and flattens his ears to prevent water from entering. The other dog doesn't care, and after he's done pressing business, he demands to be rewarded with "cookies" (dog biscuits). It's not like they're fat or anything, so they get cookies everyday, along with canned food, kibble, and of course, boiled chicken with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. Yes, they are spoiled puppies.

Its also 50F, ridiculously warm for February in New York State. At least I don't have to worry about biting insects because it's raining too hard. I get to the gym later than I want and the parking lot is packed full. The gym is crowded as well. I take my time adjusting the ear hooks for the AirPod ear buds but they continue to be problematic during my cardio session. Actually, I find my self adjusting them at every station I'm at. I don't know why they were perfect one day and a complete PITA the next.

I feel the right ear hook loosen over the pinna and instinctively reach up to adjust the ear bud. Tiny distractions eat into my focus and although I made it past 2.9, it should've been better. Later, when I check the FitBit readings, I'm perplexed as to whether my HR is actually slower now during peak cardio or if this is a defect in the HR detection? I'll never know. 

While my BP is better (lower), it's not consistent. I had a text chat last night with my brother and he's taken himself off his BP medication (amlodipine) because he says the beet root juice powder (SuperBeets) and green tea have lowered his BP sufficiently. He also sent me a PDF book he got online from doc promoting herself, and her products. My brother, a smart weird guy with over two dozen patents under his belt (all owned by his employer), is susceptible to MLM schemes. I've already warned him off HerbaLife. But I did start reading The Blood Pressure Solution by Dr. Marlene Merritt. So far I haven't read anything crazy, but of course, I'm assuming there's a sales pitch for products somewhere at the end... 

I haven't totally given up on niacinamide yet. This form of niacin might be more tolerable than plain ol' B3 niacin, but I won't know until I try it. Again, it's available at the max safety dose (500 mg), and harder to find at lower doses. I'm interested because it might help repair optic nerve damage. Some members of the glaucoma support group state that their docs are prescribing niacinamide and pyruvate. I'm willing to try it, or at least the niacinamide. My husband says he can get the 100 mg dose on Amazon, probably because he has a Prime membership. Products arent' always available to non-Prime members but you wouldn't know that unless you had two different accounts to compare. 

I get my pull-ups done, my left forearm feels sore and I wonder if it'll bother me during Seated Cable Rows. It doesn't. What bothers me are all the fat old men working out around me. And that stupid ear hook that needs adjusting every three movements. It makes me think that the tether is better, until I wear it and have the plastic string stick to my face or neck. I get a few extra reps on the very last set of rows. If I can increase my reps here, I might be ready to inch the weight up a few pounds. Maybe 5? Rushing too fast too heavy will just aggravate my sciatica, and I certainly don't need that.

I'm happy the Aerobics Room is empty although a smattering of members come in, grab a mat, do a quick plank or crunches and then leave. Hardly seems worth the effort. I've decided to take longer strides when doing Walking Lunges. I can tell when I'm successful because the step count is be lower. Wall Squats still suck though.

28 February 2024 11:52-1:30
Rainy Wednesday right earbud hook!
(Is it one wonky ear hook— I’ll have to examine them more closely)

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5866)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr: NA 169, 198 max
Fitbit: 56-152?

HGPU 18

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 12
70 x 12, 12, 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 34 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Not Quite

Last night's hot cheeks

I had a reaction to the B3 tablet I took last night; it wasn't horrible but it was definitely unpleasant: tingling in my limbs, my face feeling swollen and flushed. While my cheeks definitely pinked up, they didn't look much different from the red-face I sport after a vigorous cardio session. The tingling upper arms and thighs were very weird and dissipated after roughly 70 minutes. Whew.

It's unfortunate that the caplet doesn't have a score line to break the pill in half because I would test out (on myself) whether 250 mg has an effect. 500 mg, even though it's supposed to be "time-released," definitely affects me. My husband offered to purchase 50mg tablets but I'm not entirely sold on B3 as being helpful for my glaucoma, cholesterol, blood pressure.

I should've paid more attention to attaching the ear hooks to my AirPods. The right one fit fine, but there were constant issues with the left one popping out from behind my ear. Which meant I was distracted during cardio and my mileage wasn't as good as I had hoped. I also should have made sure the FitBit watch was properly seated against the wrist skin. And I only question it because after I turn the Bluetooth back on in my phone to upload the FitBit data, it didn't seem to register my HR during cardio, telling me that my peak rate was 105. Uh, that's not right. But later in the day, the numbers update to something that seems more likely. I'm not sure what to make of that discrepancy, and no, I'm not upgrading to the premium software that wants a monthly subscription.

Pull-ups feel good for the first dozen, then harder for the next half dozen. I spaced and lost count so it was either 18 or 19. Either one is good. As I walk to the Aerobics Room, I note a lot of new faces in the free weight area. And I might be sauntering a bit. Cuz it's still rare to see anyone doing pull-ups on a regular basis, much less a short, middle-aged woman. (Not calling myself an old lady just yet.) Core was routine, Walking Lunges suck, and Wall Squats are torture, but it's all good.

26 February 2024 11:40-12:51
Sunny Monday testing earbud hooks / left ear annoyance

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5793)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: NA 153, 187-77
Fitbit: 56-162

HGPU 18? 19? Lost count

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 (!!!)

Earbud Hooks Work with Some Fiddling

Tomorrow is Peter Deuel's birthday and he would have been 84 years old, an old old man, had he not died in 1971. I was an ardent tween fan of the TV actor, charmed and awed by his silver-tongued Hannibal Heyes in Alias Smith & Jones, loosely fashioned on the wildly popular Paul Newman & Robert Redford film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. His unexpected and sudden death left thousands stunned. 

I still mourn him, still try to make sense of his suicide over 50 years ago. It didn't help that my mother freaked out about this event and ripped all my teen posters off the walls and tried to destroy any memorabilia I had squirreled away. There was no privacy in my childhood. My mother had major boundary issues, among other problems too numerous to list. 

I now know that Pete Duel had a massive alcohol problem, his blood alcohol level at the times of his death was over 3 times the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle. There are several fan blog sites that I've skimmed through but they're unsecured and my laptop browser won't let me access them here. So, if you're at all interested, you're on your own to explore. He is survived by his brother Geoffrey, who is now retired.

It was raining snow last night when I took the dogs out for their evening walk. I salted my walkway just in case temps dropped past the 34F, but temps remained steady all night. It was 34F this morning with fog and mist. Dogs went to the park. I got to the gym and was shocked at how crowded the parking lot was. Probably all going to the movies next door since it is uncharacteristically open before noon. Probably because we are still on break in the public schools, and families with kids make a sizeable population of theater-goers, especially when the weather isn't great for outdoor activities.

There's a lot of folks on the treadmills, not necessarily running. I decide to test the rubbery and extremely pliable ear hooks that came as a bonus with the earbud tethers. It takes me several minutes to position the hooks properly so that the earbuds sit in my ear canals and the hooks stay over the pinna (outer ear) but at least I won't be distracted by tether cords flapping on my neck or sticking to my cheeks as I pedal. The only thing that is more distracting (other than loud chat and banging weights) is hair fluttering in my eyelashes, nose or mouth. Dog hair or my hair, it's all the same: annoying.

There's no one around me and I am immediately immersed in my tunes, gleefully singing to myself. Cardio feels better as I'm not fighting to move my legs. I am concerned about a sporadic twinge inside my right forearm: is this going to be a problem for Seated Cable Rows? Apparently not. The rows feel controlled and I'm satisfied with the measly 12-rep, 3-set exercise, but not satisfied enough to leave the weight area. So, I grab a BB and do a few sets of Skull Crushers, alternating with Rip Skulls. Only 4 sets though since I still want to be able to do push-ups in the Aerobics Room without falling on my face. 

Core is routine, and the last exercise, Wall Squats isn't nearly as painful as it was yesterday. Because I'm always better the next day even if I don't think I've adequately recovered. However, it's the weekend, so I'll be a slug for two days.

23 February 2024 11:28-1:07
Foggy Friday testing earbud hooks

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5940)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr: NA 167, 194-??
Fitbit: 56-160

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 12
70 x 12 reps x 3 sets

Skull Crushers / Rip / Skull / Rip
30 lbs x 12, 12, 12, 12

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 (!!!)

The "Off" Day Is Popular

It was nice at the dog park this morning in that there was little wind and it took a while standing on packed snow/ice for the feet to get cold. There was some sun, and eventually, just as we were about to leave, another pup showed up to play. So we were there for an additional 20 minutes before the "mortal enemy" dogs arrived and we definitely had to leave. I got to the gym a bit late and there were few cars in the parking lot. Which meant I was completely unprepared for the amount of people inside. Ugh. 

Maybe it's the threat of bad weather from tonight into tomorrow? We're expecting a cold rain with temps in the high 30s, but the towns have laid down salt lines on the roadways, meaning they're expecting something worse. I still plan on park time with the pups, and then the gym, but I could be wrong. We could be stuck with sleet and icy roads...

I did get to pedal my preferred elliptical, but my legs felt like logs and I barely made it to 2.9 in spite of singing along with my tunes. So, I had little hope of achieving the previous number of pull-ups, because I'm tired and sore. Yesterday's combo workout probably justified extended recovery time, except I don't exercise on weekends, and it's already Thursday. I cannot emphasize how surprised I am to pull myself up with relative ease for the first dozen reps. Then my forearms start to fatigue and I struggle with the last two reps, but it's as good as last time. I can saunter off to the Aerobics Room with my head held high past all the HS kids and senior citizens.

Core exercises are routine. There are a few regulars who come in and stretch for a few minutes and then leave. I fight the urge to tell a teenage boy to stand up straight because he sports tell-tale Gen Z posture: curved upper back and neck forward, as if leading with his face. It's best remedied by practicing squeezing your shoulder blades back (or getting your bent elbows to reach each other behind your back), and standing straight up against a wall or flat on the floor. 

If the back of your head doesn't also lay on the same plane, you've got some work to do to correct your neck curvature. Over time this curve will exaggerate (your head is a constant weight) and make you shorter, give you neck and shoulder problems, and impede your breathing by closing the chest cavity. It's hard to inhale properly if you're curled up like a snail. But I'm not sure I want to get involved and give advice. Because that could be more trouble than it's worth, and no good deed goes unpunished...

22 February 2024 11:53-1:11
Thursday Late & sore & it’s crowded!

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5814)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 326
Avg Hr: NA 152, 198-75
Fitbit: 56-158

HGPU 18 (2 struggle)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
30 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 (!!!)

Some Earbuds Are Better Than Others...

I was dreading my workout today, especially since I'd forgotten to charge my AirPod Pros and the R6 backup earbuds kind of suck. I still had my wired bluetooth earbuds that no longer pair with my iPod Nano, but it will sync with my phone. So I paired them and remembered how good music can sound when the ambient noise can be properly blocked. Plus, I just think the U8L earbuds transmit better quality music. True, I only have about 2 dozen songs on the phone so eventually I'm listening to the same songs again, but that doesn't matter.

Cardio wasn't great, mostly I believe, because my body hadn't warmed up until 20 minutes into the session. Then suddenly I could pedal a lot faster and I didn't feel so stiff and tired. Yesterday's 25 minutes apparently wasn't enough to carry over into today. But, if I'm theorizing correctly, tomorrow should be better. Of course, I also pushed some weights today so that might be detrimental to tomorrow's cardio. Won't know until I actually do it.

The DB Shoulder routine goes well with just minor concern about the right anterior delt. It's a bit sensitive. Core is very routine, and the Aerobics Room is absolutely freezing with no one else in it. Boot Camp class would've been this morning and I understand it's very popular, but I'm happier doing my own things. I'm tired and Walking Lunges is difficult today. Wall Squats is almost impossible, but I grit my teeth for 90 seconds. So done...

21 February 2024 11:32-1:16
Changeable Wednesday & earbuds won’t pair w/ iPod Nano

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5774)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 324
Avg Hr: NA 153, 192-80
Fitbit: 57-158

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
30 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 (!!!)

Better Than Not

Today I took the dogs to the park while wearing my Yak Traks ice grips on an old pair of Bogs boots. It hasn't been icy until now, with the snow partially melting and then refreezing at night. The slope up from the gates can be fairly treacherous to navigate. Especially when toting a half gallon jug of water. There's bottles of water in the shed at the top of the hill, but they're all frozen and dogs want to be able to slake their thirst after a good romp through the white stuff. 

I usually skip the gym on Tuesdays because the schedule is tight with a 1 pm class. But we missed a class last week due to the snow storm and I missed the gym yesterday due to a doctor appointment. It was a follow-up to see if my home blood pressure monitor was accurate (it is), and whether the medication was working. It is, sort of. But not enough since I'm still hypertensive and my pressure has never dropped to "normal."  

The doc suggests doubling the dosage and I demur, so she gives me two more months. If my BP doesn't drop further, I'll be taking 100 mg of Losartan instead of 50 mg. Then she has blood drawn to  make sure there aren't any electrolyte issues. I might have some issues because the creatinine level is considered high for a woman (1.1 vs 0.5-0.9 mg/dL). It's not hugely high, but it is higher than it should be.

Should I cut back on my protein intake? It's not a lot and the latest media suggests women actually don't eat enough protein. I'll wait to see what my doc suggests because she's gotten these results as well. 

I do a super abbreviated workout today to get a minimum amount of cardio, pull-ups, and hip/lower back stretches, because after a few days of inactivity, my sciatica starts to act up. I'll have more time tomorrow to do a normal routine. Maybe some seated cable rows, and skull crushers? The local schools are on break so the gym has a lot of noisy, plate-slamming kids. Ugh. Plus, tomorrow's mid-week, so it's sure to be crowded. Maybe just cardio and a full core routine? I'll just have to go and see for myself...

20 February 2024 11:06-11:47
Super Abbreviated Tuesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 20+5 (4174)
Distance: 2.08
Cal: 233
Avg Hr: NA 148, 188-80
Fitbit: 57-146

HGPU 18

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

Friday Before the Break

There's a saying in the gym that goes: if you're slamming the weights every time you lift, then the weights are too heavy for you. Because you have no control over your form. I'm pedaling at the gym and the repetitive sound of crashing weights pierces my music bubble. It's jarring and distracting. Ugh.

I'm already tired and having a hard time with cardio today, maybe because I've made a few changes to my meals. My weight has plateaued at an unpleasant 118.4 for several weeks now and I'd be happy if it dropped to my pandemic weight of 113. Even happier if I could get it to 110 but that might be wishing too hard. As a small middle-aged person whose metabolism has slowed, I'm unable to eat 3 meals a day, not that I ever ate anything more than coffee for breakfast. But eating once a day (supper) means I'm ditching the afternoon oatmeal. I have been having salads for dinner for the past week: salads with leftover protein, a smattering of walnuts, dried cherries or raisins, apple chunks and bits of cheddar. 

I'm dismayed to read about oat products such as Cheerios and oatmeal embedded with chlormequat, a pesticide used as a plant growth regulator. I have a box of Cheerios in my cupboard right now! And I have no idea who grows the store brand oatmeal I like to eat. I guess I'll have to toss it all and buy organic oats now if I want to eat them for their cholesterol-lowering qualities. Will apples work just as well? It's all about the soluble fiber, right?

Eventually the noise stops and I see three undersized teen boys saunter out the door. I really wish one of the senior lifters would've said something to them, else how else will they every learn proper technique. And etiquette.

It's really cold but sunny and extremely windy. That makes it feel much colder than it is. The gym isn't very crowded in spite of the lot full of cars outside. Spring break for the public schools starts next week, and Monday is a holiday as well. My kid doesn't come home for break until next month.

After cardio, I brave the DB area where there are several guys hoisting weights. Luckily, I can ignore the big dude draping himself over one of two inclined benches. I think he was just resting; as soon as I start wiping the bench down and laying my hoodie over it, he retreats. It helps to have music. The plastic tether unknots itself, but keeps the earbuds from falling out of my head. I vaguely recognize some of the regulars, but I'm not focused on other people. My objective is to get all my sets done, not injure myself and then do a bit of core and loosen up the hips and lower back. 

I skip walking lunges even though the Aerobics Room is freezing and I'm sure they'd help me warm up. But I'm too tired. I can do everything else as long as I have my hoodie zipped up. Even Wall Squats don't seem so horrible. 

I have a follow-up appointment about my hypertension with my primary on Monday. I'm planning to do a quick cardio workout beforehand, even if it means dealing with the distasteful morning crowd. I think I'm making good progress in lowering my BP but of course, I'm relying on my home BP monitor machine to be accurate. I'll have to remember to bring that with me.

15 February 2024 11:56-1:37
Blustery Friday before HS spring break

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5608) exhausted
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 316
Avg Hr: NA 151, 188-78
Fitbit: 57-146

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 (yaaaay!)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
30 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
  Skip Walking lunges 39 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Post Snow Storm

I shoveled out the walkway, driveway and car on Tuesday after it stopped snowing. Then I took the dogs to the park but had to shovel out all the gates so we could enter and exit each section. That's five gates. The dogs were delirious with pent-up energy because morning walks just aren't enough, even in foot-deep drifts. They need to run around like loonies and that makes them happy. Meanwhile, I trudge and pant with a shovel in hand. My forearms are sore from shoveling. It takes me over two hours to clear everything, and another half hour to clear the car. 

On Wednesday, before my dental appointment, I take an hour to clear the snow on the opposite side of the house where my husband normally parks. He's been in Boston all week and Boston only got wind and flurries. The shoveling makes me tired, and my hips and lower back are stiff. The sciatica isn't bothered by this. Only long sits and getting out of bed first thing aggravate the right-side sciatic nerve lately. Well, at least the FitBit registered snow shoveling as a cardio activity. 

Today, I go to the gym and worry that my forearms will be problematic. But, actually, they aren't and I'm shocked. If anything, the first dozen reps feel controlled and powerful. But of course, by the time I get to rep 16, I'm getting a bit wibbly but I get my set. Cardio wasn't horrible either, although the tethers on my earbuds were distracting as one would stick to my cheek or neck or threaten to rotate the earbud down, which means the sound gets muffled. Finally I knot the back of the tether to take up the slack and that solves the problem. I like singing (to myself) while I'm pedaling: I feel it makes me inhale more deeply and my oxygen intake is better, which means my endurance and speed are better. Or at least that's my take on it.

After pull-ups, I do Seated Cable Rows. I've decided that putting Core Exercises last allows me to get to the weights before the HS kids show up. I don't care if they show up when I'm in the Aerobics Room. I'm vaguely aware of other members working out around me while I'm at the Cable Rows, but my focus very narrow and I don't want to be distracted with chatter. In the Aerobics Room, most folks work out in silence. Today, a middle-aged man has his cell cradled between his neck and shoulder while he swings his legs. I suppose he's stretching or something, but mostly he's annoying because he's nattering on and on and everything else is just sloppy and half-ass. I guess he could say he went to the gym and worked out, but I'd be embarrassed to make that claim. But maybe that's just me...

15 February 2024 11:22-12:57
Post Nor’easter Thursday & two days of shoveling / sore forearms
(Turned off Bluetooth )

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5894)
Distance: 2.93
Cal: 330
Avg Hr: NA 163, 196-90
Fitbit: 56-166

HGPU 18 (2 struggle)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 12
70 x 12 reps x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
30 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
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 39 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

It's February so of course it's gonna snow

Winter Storm Lorraine is apparently slated to become a nor'easter by tonight into tomorrow. The dogs will be upset. Since predictions are for up to 18" of the white stuff, school and classes have been canceled and I'll be doing a lot of shoveling. Just in time for a milder Wednesday, Valentine's Day, when what I have scheduled is a routine dental appointment. Today, I got to the gym a lot later than I wanted but there are huge lines everywhere: post office, UPS store, grocery store. Everywhere except the gym. 

Maybe they're all still recovering from watching the Super Bowl. Maybe Lunar New Year of the Dragon got too festive. Probably not. Maybe everyone's stocking up on supplies now because we've gotten complacent about winter snow. I have multiple snow shovels, snow brushes, bags of ice melt, cleats on one pair of boots.

I'm still tired from getting home after midnight on Saturday. Because puppers still needed to be walked. And fed. And then I was awake, probably from the cup of espresso I had before we left my brother's house so we could be alert for the drive home. Which was crowded with a lot of unexpected traffic. I can't ever sleep in when dogs have morning needs that require getting in the car to drive to the park. Except we probably won't go tomorrow, and they'll be upset and not understand why we're just plodding through snow. And they won't understand shoveling. Or salting the walkway, steps and driveway.

So today's cardio is good, but not great. But the pull-ups are better in that I don't start to struggle until the 14th or 15th rep. I remembered to tether my AirPods today as insurance to keep them from popping out of my ears. Which they've done more than once at the gym. What's really annoying is if you touch the wrong part of the earbud, it thinks you want to pause or turn the music off. So adjusting the earbud as it slips out of your ear canal means you have to be very delicate in handling the stalk. It's easier with the tether, but the tether itself sticks to my neck and face until I wrap it over my hair clip. I might tie a knot in it since it doesn't transmit anything: it's just a flexible tether.

Core is routine in the Aerobics Room and Wall Squats are horrible if only because I distract myself with an article about the Super Bowl halftime show (which I watched). I'll probably be shoveling tomorrow. I'm considering how best to drop the pounds I've packed on since the pandemic. There's no greater incentive than seeing alarming candid photos of yourself at a festive gathering. I look thick and stodgy, like a tank. I imagine that's how people on My 600 lb Life feel about themselves. Not a great look for a small woman, but it's in my genetics: women on my mother's side of the family tend to be short and fat.

My brother is just the opposite: tall and wiry, and all the family on his wife's side are also slender. I'm feeling very self conscious. While I'll probably never drop down to under 110 lbs when I looked my best, I can try to get to my pandemic weight (113). Some might scoff that these are mere vanity pounds, but it's so much more than that... at least to me.

12 February 2024 12:00-1:12 pm
Pre-Nor’easter Monday, Post SuperBowl, Post Lunar New Year Dragon
(Turned off Bluetooth )

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5798)
Distance: 2.89
Cal: 324
Avg Hr: NA 166, 184-85
Fitbit: 57-154

HGPU 18 (3 struggle)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
30 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
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 36? steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Wake Up Tired

I appear to have had enough sleep but I still woke up so tired I didn't want to get out of bed. It's the aftermath of having an awesome cardio session and pushing a good amount of weight. I don't have a lot of hope for today, especially since my body was achy and sore. The right calf oddly numb and painful simultaneously, which sounds oxymoronic, but it's the best way to describe the sensation. Dogs go to the park and I trudge up and down through downed branches, shattered trunks, oodles of wood chips, dirt, rocks, sticks. It makes the pain dissipate. Walking and standing, good. Sitting, not so good.

I dig deeper into the FitBit online manual and discover that the resting HR is different from the sleeping HR. No wonder the chart has me confused. I wonder if I should be trying to go to bed earlier but I'm a night owl and nothing is going to change that after 60 odd years...

The parking lot is crowded: it's Friday and this is Super Bowl weekend so I assume some folks are being proactive in anticipation for Sunday's feasting. It's also Lunar New Year of the Dragon tomorrow and I get a last minute invitation to my brother's house for a grand dinner party involving his wife's extended family from Hong Kong. My husband had planned to accompany our old Scout troop to Camp Alpine in NJ, but canceled in favor of the Lunar New Year's Feast. Especially since it's The Year of the Dragon, a particularly lucky and auspicious sign.

Cardio isn't as bad as I thought it would be and I'm surprised I managed to make it to 2.9. I'm also surprised that I managed to pull off those pull-ups, although I always have trouble with the last few. But I'm counting them. Then off to the Aerobics Room where one of my AirPods pops out of my ear and lands on the floor. Ugh. I give it a quick wipe with the disinfectant cloth I use to "dust" the yoga mat with. Good enough. 

There are other folks in the room, doing noisy movements with big BB plates, stacked yoga steps and BBs. I wish I could drown them out but the AirPods are already at the max setting. I miss the wired earbuds I used with my iPod nano until something went rogue. Those earbuds still work though, but only connect to the iPhone now. Once I figure out what 3rd party app I need to transfer my workout music to my phone, I'll be so much happier 'cuz I am not subscribing to Apple Music ($11/mos) just to listen to music I already bought and own. Meanwhile, Happy Lunar New Year!

9 February 2024 11:31-12:50
Exhausted Friday w/ Sciatica Hints
(Turned off Bluetooth)

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5782)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 324
Avg Hr: NA 164, 195?
Fitbit: 56-1
Charts says resting 46??

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
30 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
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 42 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Mixing It Up for Results

Thursdays are a good day to push weights if you get to the gym before the HS lets out (that's true of most of the week). The morning class is done by 10:30 and a lot of folks only come on the traditional MWF rotation. I spent the morning researching how to transfer music onto my phone and discover that I'll have to download a 3rd party app to download MP3s from cloud storage. Okay, that's a project that I don't have time to do this morning. I shut the Bluetooth off on my phone so it doesn't hijack the AirPods when I connect to my ancient iPod Nano. That means my phone won't update the FitBit app either, but that's not critical. I can always sync the wearable later.

The gym is relatively quiet and there are a few members scattered throughout. Elliptical #1 is occupied so I hop on #2. My right thumb has been sore from the palm up, probably from trying to rip apart sections of chicken jerky canine treats. I really should use kitchen shears with their thick serrated blades. Thank goodness I remembered to use the Penetrex cream and that alleviated the discomfort because I was planning to hoist a few DBs later. Thumbs are kind of critical for gripping.

I'm really surprised I got past 2.9 today, especially since cardio has been so abysmal lately. Maybe it was because I was singing at full speed? Or maybe it was because I tend to get better at cardio if I do it on consecutive days? Or that I wasn't worried about my phone hijacking my earbuds? Or that my sciatica has receded enough so that I only notice it first thing in the morning when I get out of bed, and when I sit too long? 

While the Precor thinks my HR has peaked at 200 (ridiculous), the FitBit tells me 156 although I'm having trouble reconciling the difference between the daily chart and the digits: chart tells me resting HR is as low as 44 bpm but the digital reading says 56. Could be a glitch since it's a wrist wearable; not nearly as accurate as the ones that go around your chest. Which is something I'd never wear 'cuz it seems it'd be even more unbearable than wearing an ill-fitting bra, and there wouldn't be shoulder straps to hold it up, so how tight would it have to be? Probably leave a mark, just like the FitBit is right now and that's not even "tight." 

There's a few members in the DB area but I have access to an inclined bench and the DBs I need. I take my time, my shoulder isn't twinging and my thumb doesn't hurt. Everything works and I get my three sets done. Yaaay! Of course, that makes me tired and so much less inclined to do a complete core routine. What concerns me is my sciatica which means I'm done after Bird Dog planks. No Walking Lunges, no Wall Squats or push-ups or air squats. I'll do all those things tomorrow.

8 February 2024 11:36-1:14
Sunny Thursday w/ Sciatica Hints
(Turned off Bluetooth )

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5896)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 331
Avg Hr: NA 162, 200?
Fitbit: 56-156?

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? Lost count
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
Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Earbud Power Moves

Newer devices are more powerful and sometimes, no matter what you do, you're stuck with the default setting. The AirPod Pros I've been using with my ancient iPod nano suddenly latched onto the iPhone and whatever tunes stored there. It was while I was checking the FitBit app as it streamed data from the wearable via Bluetooth. 

In the past, the phone would notify me that it was connected to the earbuds but not actually hijack it and immediately start streaming the few songs residing on the phone (default from Apple music purchases years ago). Today, in the middle of cardio, suddenly I'm listening to a Pink song that isn't on the iPod nano playlist. But it is on my phone. Damn it.

Some time this week I'll have to transfer all my songs to my phone. My husband suggests I stream via Spotify but I own my songs, I own the CDs and damn it, I don't want to stream stuff. I want to listen to MY playlists. There's only about two dozen songs on my phone which means by the time I get to the Aerobics Room, the phone is silent because I haven't put it on endless repeat.

While it's mid-week and I expect the gym to be crowded, it's not. Good for me! Again, my cardio isn't what it was. There's the ghost of a sciatic flare-up hovering under my glute and calf. I don't feel quite right and maybe a tad knotty in the shoulders with twinge in the anterior right delt. Good thing I'm not doing DB Shoulders today! Nope, saving that for tomorrow. Today I add a few sets of Seated Cable Rows right after pull-ups. Then a relatively routine Core session, ending with torturous Wall Squats. 

Last time, pulling 77.5 lbs resulted in some lower back discomfort: I stick to 70 and do sets. I know I can pull heavier (ego), but I also know the sciatic nerves have been primed from too much sitting and it's smarter to do reps at a lower weight. If I get bored, I can always drop the weight more and go for 25 reps. Endless variations for fun! 

Well, at least my hypertension is improving. I'm not sure it'll ever return to the normal range of 120/80 and below, but it is markedly lower (and healthier) than it's been for the past year. Yesterday I got a reading of 116/86. Yaaay me.

7 February 2024 11:36-1:08
Cold Sunny Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5734)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 321
Avg Hr: NA 152, 186-80
Fitbit: 56-156

HGPU 18

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 12
70 x 12 reps x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
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
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Dangers of Sitting

I sat a lot this weekend although I did go to the dog park, take the dogs for their nightly walks, and hauled in a wheelbarrow of firewood. But I spent a lot of time at a table practicing color theory and application with some inexpensive watercolor paints. I've finally been able to take a class at the art center where I've been keen to study under one particular artist, ever since I saw her show at the local library years ago. In past years, classes always conflicted with my kid's school schedule and after school activities. He's a college freshman now so I finally have free time!

Standing while painting would require a "standing desk" and that's not in the cards for my tiny bungalow house. Watercolor also requires a flat table so easels aren't appropriate. It's only after two days of sitting that I feel the tell-tale symptoms: a numbing discomfort along the outside of my calf, glute soreness, an odd lower back ache. Yep, it's the beginning of a sciatica attack, and the only solution is stand and walk around a lot more. Exercise especially helps so there's no skipping the gym today.

The gym parking lot is crowded but the gym is not. Not sure why there are so many cars then. Cardio sucks today and I don't make it past 2.9, nor can I get those last 2 pull-up reps. The wearable device says my HR is averaging slightly lower. That's sort've in keeping with the slow descent of my blood pressure. The last two readings (125/87 and 116/81), while higher than a healthy normal (120/80), fall under Hypertension 1 (130-139/80-89), down from Hypertension 2 (140/90+). If you get to 180/120+, you're in crisis and should go to the hospital. Last summer, my BP measured 170/110 and I definitely had a headache. It's said that the diastolic (bottom) number is more important than the top (systolic) since it refers to the blood vessel "at rest." I'd agree with that. 

Unexpectedly, there are people scattered throughout the Aerobics Room. I get my core workout done and everything is routine until I decide to scroll through the news feed on my phone while doing Wall Squats. The earbuds decide that they should be linked to the phone, which isn't playing any music, instead of the iPod. This happens three times 30 seconds into the Wall Squat. Until I finally figure out that I can turn off the auto sync feature on the phone and force the AirPods to stay linked to the tunes on the iPod. Ugh. And after 3 aborted 30 second attempts, the full 90 second Wall Squat didn't feel all that bad. So weird.

2 February 2024 11:27-12:51
Arctic Monday w/ Sciatica Hints

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5702)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
Avg Hr: NA 156, 190-82
Fitbit: 56-144

HGPU 18

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
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
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s
(Damn AirPods kept bumping iPod nano for the iPhone. Ugh. Reset 3x)

When the Backache is Actually a Food Intolerance

I had a rough night: 2:30 AM and I'm suddenly in a lot of pain. The burning sensation radiated from the solar plexus, and up and down my back. Too high to have been a postponed reaction to Seated Cable Rows, and too low to be attributed to muscle spasms from the DB Shoulder routine I did yesterday. I was really tired and wanted desperately to go back to sleep but the pain didn't subside no matter what position I put myself in: propped up against pillows seemed to help. Was this heartburn? Should I take the pink stuff? My mind raced to what I'd read about what analgesics I could take with hypertension medication: yes to acetaminophen, no to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs as they could precipitate sudden acute kidney failure. Yikes! 

I got up and drank water. The pain was better but persistent. I thought about what I'd last snacked on and remembered some aged Scottish cheddar and a few "ancient grains" flatbread crackers. None of the ingredients flew out as red flags (no sunflower seeds, no hazlenuts or filberts or Brazil nuts) and I'm reasonably sure (because it's never been an issue in the past) that I can ingest amaranth, spelt and quinoa (unlike my husband who is the only person I know nauseatingly allergic to quinoa). 

ear bud hook

What I didn't remember is a vaguely unpleasant reaction to flax seed. It's always being promoted as healthy and nutritious, but my last encounter with it some years ago (sprinkled over cereal) left me with a mild stomach ache. By 3:30 AM I was desperate for sleep, so I drank a big mug of water and emptied whatever was left in my stomach. I felt better immediately. It was definitely the flax seed. Ugh.

I sat on the sofa with my dogs for an hour. They fell asleep and I dozed off sitting upright until my arms went numb and I retreated to the bedroom to actually sleep. While interrupted sleep is always distressing, the absence of pain is a joyous occasion. I felt pretty good when the alarm sounded. 

ear bud tether

It's been rainy and cold and the dogs and I went to the park anyway. Then I got myself together and headed to the gym. Not quite perfect timing: plenty of space in the parking lot but two out of four elliptical machines are occupied, so I get on #3. Thank goodness the other folks aren't chatty people because my AirPods just don't filter ambient noise enough.

My husband got me an assortment of AirPod tethers. They came with bonus ear hooks that might work with the lower quality R6 earbuds. I bring them with me but don't test them out. I guess I'm saving them for use on the Step Machine, which is where I lost an earbud last time. Instead, I do cardio, skip pull-ups (did them yesterday), do triceps at the bench with the 20 lbs BB (the 30 was in use) with 2 sets of magnetic disc weights stuck to each side, then row the Seated Cable machine for a few sets. I stop when I hit a weight where I can feel my lower back start to complain. Time to do core et al in the Aerobics Room.

I review the data the FitBit has been collecting and wonder if it's accurate. Either my heart rate is slowing overall, or the mechanism is losing sensitivity. It's telling me my resting range has dropped down to 44 and the peak today was 148. Still, way better than the crazy numbers the elliptical likes to throw at me, like 194 today. My hypertension readings, although still somewhat all over the place, is showing a decidedly downward trend. I guess my New Year's resolution is to exercise more? Meanwhile, the bruising on my wrist is getting worse. I don't think that's supposed to happen. 

2 February 2024 10:59-12:46
Groundhog Friday

Precor elliptical #3
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5840)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr: NA 163, 194-84
Fitbit: 55-156


Skull crushers / Rip skulls
(30 BB in use — 20 + 2(5) for 1 set
30 lbs x 12/12 x 2
35 x 12/12 hard!

Seated Cable Rows
40 lbs? x 12
50 x 12
60 x 12
70 x 12
77.5 x 12 (lower back)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
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
Upper stretch w twists
Walking lunges 40 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

High Maintenance

Hair needs a trim

The parking lot is virtually empty when I arrive at the gym this morning. It is Thursday, an off day, and between the morning crowd and the kids who show up early afternoon. I count 6 people as I climb onto the Precor elliptical. My AirPods can't quite drown out the ambient gym music and I'm very happy that no one's having a rousing conversation next to me. Eventually more people get on cardio machines, but they don't chatter. Whew!

I haven't worked out on consecutive days in a very long time so I'm probably not going to do too well. At least I got past 2.9 on the Precor. And I did manage to do a good amount of pull-ups, even if the last 5 had my lower body curling up slightly to assist. I'm surprised that I'm not sore from yesterday's Seated Cable Rows, although the bruising on my FitBit wrist appears to be worse than ever. Having such delicate, difficult skin makes me feel high maintenance and adds a lot of time to my shower routine. I don't dare skip applying that special mix of glycerin and alpha hydroxy lotion if I want keep my skin soft and supple, not hard and scaly like an unfortunate lizard, or fish. 

My skin is delicate enough that removing lysine from my daily vitamin mix caused my lip to start burning as if it was going to split. Or worse, develop a cold sore. It turns out that lysine is important for collagen production in skin and "tissue maintenance." I bought another bottle of it and I'm hoping that this time the tablets won't be large with sharp edges. The current tablets are hard to swallow just because the edges aren't rounded. Do I sound like a difficult princess yet?

My skin is so delicate that a pair of new joggers (from LLBean), perfect in almost every way (length, fit, deep pockets, maroon color) is flawed by the exposed rough inside seam where the elastic waistband is secured. I feel like that difficult 7-year old who refused to wear "pretty" dresses because they were scratchy, which exasperated the hell out of my mother. (My sister didn't these issues.) 

This sloppy manufacturing makes the pants waistband scratchy and unpleasant to wear against belly and waist skin. It seems like such a minor inconvenience but it'll wind up scratching me and drawing blood if I forget to wear a t-shirt tucked into the waist as a protective layer. Remember, I'm the one who sliced their finger open on the peeling enamel paint off a lat-pull down machine handle and bled all over the place.

Meanwhile, I'll have to say that I'm impressed with the IUGA leggings I purchased on Amazon. Not only are they comfortable (don't ride up into the crotch or butt and I don't have to adjust the waist all the time) but the side pockets are secure and comfortable enough to hold a smart phone so snug that I even forgot that's where I put it. Not many pants can do that.

Because I know HS kids will be crowding the gym eventually, I change my routine to do weights right after pull-ups. Then I can do a modified core workout in the Aerobics Room later because class isn't scheduled until much later in the day. The free weight area isn't empty as I had hoped, but I have an inclined bench and access to the DBs, so all is good. I only do two heavy sets because I'd like to be able to do push-ups without falling on my face.

In the Aerobics Room, I skip Dead Bugs and the second set of hip bridges as I've read that even abs need time to recuperate. Bird Dogs go fine. Push-ups are fine. Air Squats go fine. Walking Lunges go fine even if I spaced out and lost count. I even managed 90 seconds of Wall Squats but that's still not easy. And then I'm done, and off to the locker room to enjoy a pleasantly hot shower in a small but clean and well-lit area. 

I'm planning to go to the gym tomorrow, which is crazy because that'd be 3 days in a row! But I'm already thinking that I'd like to do Seated Cable Rows again for back and biceps, and Skull Crushers / Rip Skulls for triceps. But nothing happens until cardio is done. I think this is having a positive effect on my hypertension (finally edging down to Hypertension 1 from 2). I can't rely on popping a pill once a day and limiting my salt intake. It always takes more effort than that, at least with us high maintenance folks.

1 February 2024 11:35-1:18
New Month Thursday
Let’s mix it up!

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5860)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 327
Avg Hr: NA 154, 194-82
Fitbit: 55-161

HGPU 20

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 2 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
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 40? steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)