As good as I felt on Monday, I did not follow through on Tuesday with another gym session. And by Tuesday night, my sciatica was literally kicking my butt. While sitting was relatively painless, as soon as I got up, I was limping through the house. Even laying on a yoga mat in the living room to do some of my regular hamstring stretches offered little relief. You might wonder why I didn't just pop a couple of ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) but since I'm on losartan, albeit a super low dose, there is always that caveat that it can interact with NSAIDs to cause kidney damage. Ugh. I just don't want to chance it! I did put a call in to my primary care doc but her office has yet to get back to me.
Sciatica is too painful for me to sit around doing nothing. Sitting around just ensures that it'll get worse, or take forever to get better. I go to the gym today and start with good ol' reliable Precor elliptical. Wind Breaker is on #2 so I get on #1. But I'm having a hard time today, mostly because I can't seem to get past the 20 minutes of slogging. Normally, after 15-20 minutes, I'm "warmed up" and able to really push hard for the rest of the workout. I thought it was just me but a recent article about raising your mood with exercise points out that newbies and seasoned athletes alike take up to 20 minutes.
I feel like I'm trying to run through sludge, and I don't make to 2.8. Well, proof that the Timoptic is working, at least as a beta blocker. Also, the elliptical, not known for HR accuracy, shows a HR of 77 for a good portion of the run. Later, the FitBit shows a peak of 116. Pathetic. If I'm consistent and keep at it, my body will overcome the effects, but I'm not sure if that also translates into a rising eye pressure. No one can ever answer my questions.
After mediocre pull-ups, I notice new equipment. The defunct Nexersys kickboxing systems are gone, and in their stead are two very large step machines. (I really miss whacking them when they worked!) Upon closer inspection, I see that they're StairMaster OverDrive machines. I have no idea what that means but I'm game for climbing on and getting a basic workout. Between my sciatica and the beta blocker, I gingerly do a quick (10 minute) basic stair climb workout while looking over the controls.
It's an expensive piece of equipment (Google shows $10-15K) that allows you to use your arms to do a Sled Push, or a Farmer's Walk. I just climb the stairs while deciphering the monitor. I guess the steps add resistance? Luckily, there's a YouTube video that purports to explain it (of course there is). I don't know what any of the other programs are though... unlike the ancient Precor elliptical. I'd skip anything based on HR though since that's completely unreliable.
I do another round of pull-ups after the stairs. And then I get on the cross-trainer to do 20+ minutes. It's a weird type of fatigue: I pedal and watch the Olympics but I'm too tired to sing. After 20 minutes, I can't muster the strength to pedal backward and the machine keeps pausing and telling me to pedal faster. It's the same machine I used two days ago (that's why I keep track of what # machine I'm using if there's more than one) so I know it's me and not the machine. I could try to do another round of pull-ups but don't want to embarrass myself.
When I get to the Aerobics Room, it's full of teenagers doing their own routines. I'm good with mine, even push-ups and squats, but just barely for squats because the knees are achy. My strength fails me at the end though, during Wall Sits. I only get to a minute and a half before calling it. Good enough. It's hot, and humid, and while the gym has a/c full blast, I'm still drenched... Apparently, we're having another heatwave this week. Well, that explains it then, right?
Tomorrow my kid has his annual at 10 AM, so I'm probably not going to the gym. But maybe I am. See how I feel...
31 July 11:23-1:33
Wednesday — All Cardio (5.14 miles / 11,769 steps per FB)
I was feeling great last week: the timolol was out of my system so my eyes weren't itchy and crusty anymore, and my I could get my heart rate up during cardio exercise. I guess I felt a little too good on Thursday and tested my limits by doing a few quick stretches I had abandoned years ago: dropping my elbows to the floor while bent over with feet spread a bit wider than shoulders width. Should not have tempted the fates.
Later that night, I was lying in bed and needed to adjust the top sheet. Twisting a bit to get it right and suddenly my whole right side is stricken like an over tightened cord was twanged. Sciatica flared right up and has been miserable ever since. It's bad in the morning as I limp to the bathroom to brush my teeth. But it's absolutely torture driving the dogs to the Bark Park, with my right leg throbbing in pain and my foot going numb as I try to press the accelerator or brake. However, once I get to the park and trudge up and down the hill (water, poop patrol, etc.), the pain dissipates and I'm able to drive back with the dogs without too much discomfort.
I get to the gym a bit earlier than usual. Wind Breaker is on elliptical #3 and a big middle-aged dude is on #1. Which means #2 is available and I'm on it for my routine 35 minutes. I've already decided that today is just cardio and stretching/core because I haven't figured out what I can do except the DB Shoulder routine that won't aggravate my sciatica. Seated Cable rows are out, and experience tells me that Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls put a lot of stress on the spine and ultimately, the legs and sciatic nerves.
I started taking Timoptic again yesterday. So far, my eyes are only mildly irritated so that's reassuring. Cardio doesn't feel horrible but I know it's not going to be as good as last week. There's no way to really check since the FitBit is behaving erratically (I can't wait until I get the return packaging to swap it for one that actually works again). After the elliptical, I do some pull-ups, and those are a skosh better. Then 10 minutes on the Stair Climbing machine where I can look over the free weight area and assess just where everything is. Apparently the old squat rack is gone as well. And there are only 4 adjustable benches in the DB area, and all of them are occupied. Good thing I'm just doing cardio today.
The step machine is harder than I remember. I haven't done it in a long time. But after I get off, I decide to do 20 minutes on the Cross-trainer (with an additional 5 minute cool down). Because it's a more difficult glide, I only pedal backwards during the cool down. When I get home, I notice that my fingers are chafed where I held the moving handles for most of the routine. Egads, I'm so freakin' delicate! My only solace is that I get to watch Olympic gymnastics while pedaling the cross-trainer, as those TVs only work if you're pedaling. Fine with me. I also caught some swim races.
Eventually I get to the now empty Aerobics Room and do my regular routine. Except I skip the stretches that might aggravate my hamstrings. Oddly, even after all that cardio, the Wall Sits just arent' that bad. There's a girl doing her own routine and she winds up against the wall. I'm not really paying attention so I don't know what she's doing. At one point she grabs some paper towels and wipes the bottoms of her sneakers. Maybe she's sliding? I do my Wall Sits and then I'm done. Wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow?
It's been 4 days since I discontinued using the timolol eye drops and I finally feel like myself: my face, especially around my eyes are no longer swollen and itchy and I don't feel quite as tired. It's weirdly disconcerting how having blurry or itchy or squinting eyes can color your whole attitude toward the day. It's downright depressing because it makes it hard to read or trust what you see, bright lights and low-light are both problematic.
I get to the gym a bit later than I'd like but there's no Senior class so I feel optimistic. Unfortunately, both elliptical #1 and #2 are occupied and there are a number of fat old men I've never seen before. One of them is huffing on #1 and another one eyes me as I walk past him because his stationery bike is in the row in front of the elliptical machines. Wind Breaker dude is busy pedaling on #2, so I get on #3 which at least allows me to select a program to pedal to. Later, a woman gets on #4 next to me but I don't think she's interested in any of the programs: she's pedaling so slowly it's as if she were walking on a step machine. Weird.
The fat dude on the bike is also pedaling slowly. Maybe he's got knee problems. Or he's just out of cardio shape. Meanwhile, I'm pedaling hard and fast, singing along to my tunes (but to myself) until the program ends. I almost make it to 2.9 but not quite. Still, it feels good to not have to fight myself. Even pull-ups feel slightly better although I don't get more reps, but the reps feel stronger.
I'm focused on what to do next. The layout of the free weight area has changed with new stations replacing the old Breaker Benches: 3 flat, 2 inclined, 1 declined. All gone. In their places are individual cages for squats or benching. These are smaller than the MaxRack and Smith machine, both of which have been moved toward the DB racks. Well, at least the cable stations are intact and I can do Seated Cable Rows. I watch as other folks enter the area and look around, just as confused as to where certain stations are situated now.
There are a lot of kids in the stations closest to the DB racks. Some cages don't have benches, so good for squats. I find a cage with a bench close to the Aerobics Room. There's a bar on the heavy-duty arms protruding from the frame. I push the bench in so that when I pull my arms over my head with a light BB, I won't smack into the structural support post just a few feet away. No wonder no one wants to use this station. Better for me though. My head just clears the Oly bar. The whole setup is too cumbersome and heavy for me to adjust, so I'm careful to not bump my head.
Apparently this is the new equipment the gym owner was talking about some months ago. There's actually a large empty space in the middle of the free weight area, and I wonder if there's more equipment coming. Well, so much for this place becoming a senior fitness center, right? There's even some new equipment in the Aerobics Room, although it's modest: a "portable bench" with DBs stuffed underneath, placed next to the unruly pile of foam mats. The 3-tier exercise ball rack used to be there, but that's been moved to a wall across from the machines, next to the defunct water fountain. The drinking fountain costed too much to keep sanitized during the pandemic, so now it's just a non-working fixture. You can buy water from the coolers near the front desk. Or bring your own.
I'm able to knock out all my core exercises without any issues. Until I get to Wall Sits. Those are super hard today, and while I did grind out 2 minutes and 30 seconds, I can't say it was easy. My FitBit, which I took off the charger and put on my wrist right before I went to bed, has dropped to 22% in roughly 18 hours. It used to last 2-3 days before needing a charge. And the screen is illegible most of the time, with a static poltergeist visage that doesn't allow me to access any information. I need to open the app on my phone, and that tells me my HR is back to peaking at 146. That's more like it!
Of course, I'll be restarting use of the Timoptic drops on Sunday, which will mean a lower HR and probably BP (it has been creeping up without the beta blocker, in spite of the losartan). And it also means I'll be struggling to do cardio next Monday. So not looking forward to that...
I read a silly article about one of Madonna's kids proud of himself for leaving the nest and not having enough money to buy food. It made me think of the William Shatner song Common People on his Has Been album. Yes, I own that. But in case you wanted to hear it, here it is courtesy of YouTube:
25 July 11:46-1:46
Changeable Thursday
no timolol / ?? FitBit
Precor elliptical #3
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5776)
Distance: 2.89
Cal: 324
Avg Hr: 155, 185-84
?? Fitbit: 55-146 (30% battery!)
HGPU 15 (ugh!)
Seated Cable Rows (12:54)
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15 (12:46), 15 (12:49), 15 (12:54)
All 6 Breaker benches (2 inclined, 3 flat, 1 declined) replaced
with 5 standalone squat/combo cages. Smith machine & Max Cage moved
My eyes were bothering me so much that I decided to stop using the Timoptic for a week starting this past Sunday. Not using the beta blocker is having other effects as well. While I'm not able to reliably check my HR because the FitBit is virtually useless, my eyes are less irritated. So far, my BP hasn't risen noticeably although there was a marked improvement in cardio, as evidenced today on the elliptical. I did better than expected probably because I'm so used to slogging through my cardio workouts while on timolol.
I can't trust the Precor HR monitor (HR max 207? I don't think so) and the FitBit battery life has declined so woefully that after 15 hrs, it needed desperate recharging. And you can't wear it while it charges so fairly useless. The monitor still arbitrarily switches between poltergeist white screen, faint normal screen, full normal screen with a sharp white line at the bottom, or no screen image at all. I contacted the company and since the device is still under warranty (it was a Christmas gift so it's been barely 6 months), and they are sending me a package to use for a return/exchange. Hopefully the new one will last longer.
It's slightly cooler today and there's the cloudy threat of rain. It rained last night and might rain again today. Or tomorrow. Or later this week. I take the dogs to the park and they are bored because none of their friends are there, but there are never any friends during the week. I get to the gym a tad earlier than usual and am happy that elliptical #2 is available. Wind Breaker is on #1 and I'm not bothering with #3 or #4. Eventually, another woman climbs onto #3. I guess no one likes #4. The parking lot is crowded because it's $5 Tuesday at the cinema, but the gym is fairly empty. At least until all the teens wake up.
Although I don't get more pull-ups, I was able to get better pull-ups and only failed to get my chin above the bar during the last rep, the 15th. It was definitely less of a struggle today. And then I strolled over to the DB area and claimed an Inclined Breaker Bench and set up for the DB Shoulder routine. The area starts to get more crowded with regular folks and kids. I do recognize the regulars, but not the kids...
Maybe because I'd taken 3 days off, or maybe because the timolol was out of my system (half life is approximately 5 hours), I felt good enough to add 5 extra reps to my heaviest sets of reverse DB flys. In a past life, I had used heavier DBs for this one exercise. I could probably use 25s for DB Inclined Presses, but with less reps. DB Lateral Raises are stuck with 15s because the last sets always have me catching my breath between rep 12 and the remaining 3. Which means to me that it's heavy enough.
The Aerobics Room is surprisingly crowded when I step in. There's still plenty of room so I grab a mat and do my routine. Everything seems easier, including push-ups and air squats. The only thing that's harder is the Wall Sit. Not sure why, but I still get it done. Also, not sure if I'm going to the gym tomorrow. I should at least do cardio...before I start using the Timoptic again. Because I can pedal harder and faster, I get better mileage and actually feel physically much better.
It sucks that meds meant to prevent bad things from happening in parts of your body have unintended side effects that ruin other parts of your life. I'm still on my other eye drops and the BP med, losartan. Meanwhile, my glaucoma doc wants me to agree to a drug implant called Durysta. I'm resistant because it might only replace 1 or 2 other drops and I'd still have to use drops, and if I have a bad reaction to it, I don't have much recourse. She's excited that in some patients, the implant worked to lower pressures for 6 months. But it can only be done once for each eye. It's great for patients who are non-compliant, but that's not me. So, I'm not sold on it... I might be if it meant I could stop the timolol.
My husband has been sober for the past several weeks and I'm pleasantly surprised, but of course, I can't actually say anything to him about it. Because he gets prickly and defensive about those things. But he's definitely looking physically better as well. He finally rejoined a gym, Planet Fitness, with the full membership that allows him to use gyms close to whatever job site he's at. He says the Boston PF is loads better than the one in our town, and he greatly appreciates the water massage equipment. (Oh, now I'm jealous. Kidding.)
My kid has recovered from his wisdom teeth extractions but of course the health insurance company sent me a letter saying they were disallowing reimbursement because their expert dentist determined that these extractions should be categorized differently. WTH? I'm leaving that mess to the oral surgeon's office to sort out since they're used to dealing with this BS. Meanwhile, my kid's dermatologist's office closed due to an electrical fire! Oh no!
23 July 11:48-1:48
Cool Drizzly Tuesday no timolol / no FitBit
Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5754)
Distance: 2.89
Cal: 324
Avg Hr: 168, 207 max
No Fitbit: low battery!
HGPU 14.5 (ugh!)
Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
I didn't get enough sleep last night (again!) and that made going to the gym all the more difficult this morning. It's been weeks of short sleep and I'm dozing in the afternoon but that doesn't really make up for the deficit. I didn't even want to get up to take the dogs to the park, but I did. And we stayed for an hour because temps were cooler with less humidity, although one of my pups is always too hot unless it's closer to 50F.
If I didn't have this dog park obligation, I'd be sleeping until 10 AM because my natural sleep cycle is from roughly 1 AM to 9 AM. That's 8 hours that I'm not getting. I'm not a morning person, and I'm never going to be. If I could get enough sleep, I'd probably be a lot happier though. There's something to be said for Night Owls though, as long as they get enough sleep. Click here to read that article.
My two-day experiment with generic timolol couldn't have ended soon enough as my eyes seem so much drier and itchier than before. There's definitely a difference between the generic version and the branded drug, Timoptic. Now the only question is whether I should give my eyes a break and not take either for a week, just to reset and allow all the itchiness to dissipate. It's tempting, especially since using a beta blocker really impedes feeling good about exercise. I never correlated a higher HR while exercising with that endorphin rush until I started taking this. I can understand why people don't want to take meds even if they're "life saving" but I'm going to struggle through this; I know that when I stick with the routine, I can push through and my HR gets to where it should be and the mileage gets better.
There are two people on ellipticals when I arrive at the gym, and I don't have the energy to fuss with the problematic machines #3 and/or #4. So, I get on a cross-trainer and do 25 minutes there instead. I don't like the cross-trainer as much since anything more than straight low-level pedaling leads to shin splits or foot-numbing toe tingling. It's something to do with the way the pedal rotates on its track. My fatigue catches up with me on the pull-ups, and I'm barely able to do a dozen. That was uncharacteristically hard today: sleep deficit exacerbating the beta blocker effects.
Usually, when I'm sleep-deprived I skip the gym and take a nap instead. But it's Friday and I won't be hitting the gym again until Monday, and I already took Wednesday and Thursday off to taxi my kid to all his appointments. The good news is that his mouth is healing nicely from all the extractions. But he still needs several more aligners to fix his underbite. Maybe by next year he'll have a smile he likes.
There is something seriously wrong with the FitBit. Sometimes I get that annoying white poltergeist screen, sometimes I get a screen I can actually read, and sometimes there's absolutely nothing. When I check the app on my phone, it tells me that the bracelet's battery is too low for a system upgrade to install. What?! It was 64% this morning, and now it's 17%. Anything under 20% and it starts freaking out. Ugh. And in order to upgrade the system, I have to charge the battery and then leave it next to my phone so they can commune. Now I'm regretting not getting a cheap Apple watch instead of this. Eventually, the FitBit tells me I've only managed to get my HR up to 114 bpm. Well, no wonder I feel like crap...
After my dismal pull-ups, I have no problems completing sets at the Seated Cable and then the triceps routine with Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls. The gym is full of kids, and then it's not. Some are wearing crocs and I'm surprised, but I shouldn't be. At least they're not barefoot. The Senior class ends and I see a woman carrying a net bag of plastic balls while someone else wheels out a handcart of chairs. By the time I get to the Aerobics Room there is only one guy there who I've never seen before.
He's doing a weird half-squat motion, then stalking halfway across the room to stop and do another dozen half-squats. He does this all over the Aerobics Room and I find it annoying because I'm looking for a single spot to place a mat and do my own routine. I noticeably exhale WTF when he gets too close as I'm doing hip stretches. Seriously dude, you've got the entire Aerobics Room. Stop crowding me! Ugh. It's better once he leaves and no one else comes in. Wall Sits are easier than last time, but that's probably because I had cut my cardio down by 10 minutes. And I'm too tired to make it up with the Step Machine.
I took the pups to the park this morning and was slightly surprised not to see kids waiting for camp to start. And then I remembered the heat advisory I got on the weather app when I woke up. Too hot for summer camp. It's pleasant in the park as long as none of us are exerting ourselves. Yesterday, the plumbers came and replaced my 25-yr old well tank, as well as the undersized sediment filter, and removed the defunct water softening system. That system consisted of two sets of resin tanks and a big salt tank. It took up a lot of room and hadn't worked in years. The company that had installed the system said their policy was not to repair a system more than twice. No, they'd rather sell you a brand new system. And I said, well in that case I guess we have nothing to talk about.
While all this plumbing was occurring, the town decided it was time to repave our road. They didn't actually finish that until today. And while it's great to have all those potholes filled, it'd be nice to have known ahead of time. It's been blistering hot and I have a hard time leaving the house. My kid has an orthodontist appointment and a follow-up to his wisdom teeth operation. Two different appointments on two different days. Which is why I have to go to the gym today even though I'd be perfectly happy to stay home.
The parking lot is full because it's Tuesday and the local cinema has $5 tickets for all shows. It's a good deal. I used to take my kid to see all the summer movies when he was little. The gym isn't very crowded when I arrive and I actually manage to get on elliptical #1. I'm having a hard time getting myself up to speed though. And the FitBit has been acting weirdly today, with the screen displaying a poltergeist blank white. That might've happened when I washed dishes before I left the house. My phone also seems to be having trouble connecting with the wi-fi, and I do a hard reboot. Maybe it's the heat? Or that the earth is slowing it's rotation?
My struggle with cardio means I don't make it to 2.8. Ugh. My FitBit doesn't tell me anything but I'm hoping that it's recording my data and storing it until I can get the phone app to access the device. Pull-ups are disappointing, but I'm still relieved that I got past a dozen, but just barely. Teenagers have trickled in and both cable stations are occupied. There are plates on the Olympic bars on abandoned benches. I hate it when people just walk away without re-racking their plates! I decide to do the DB Shoulder routine because I hadn't done it in a while, and there was an inclined breaker bench available.
As usual, as I warm up, I get stronger. Which means for my very last set, I see if I can get more than 25 reps. Not possible with the DB Presses where my arms get a bit wobbly, or Lateral Raises (the shoulders and elbows start to complain), but Reverse Inclined Flyes don't suffer from these constraints. While not hitting a traditional AMRAP, I do manage to get to 30 reps. Good enough for today.
There are a surprising number of women in the Aerobics Room, all doing their own thing. I grab a mat and do my thing. The hip bridges are always a relief for the tight sciatic area. Dead Bugs, push-ups and even Wall Sits feel easy. That's not surprising, considering it's been 3 days since I last taxed these muscles. There's a chance I'm back tomorrow, but it's unlikely. I really hate being out in the heat and I've already got enough bug bites as it is...
I am going to do an experiment (on myself, of course) and use the generic timolol eye drops for the next two days, but in the revised order that I'm using with Timoptic. The generic timolol is cheaper, and if changing the order of application means I'm not nearly as allergic, then it's worth the experiment. Besides, it's only for two days. I still have all my generic drops even though I reached out to senior dog sanctuaries.
None of them currently have dogs with glaucoma that can use the drops. They'll accept the drops just in case, but I doubt they have the fridge space for something they aren't actually using. With this oppressive heat, I also don't want to send medication through the mail just to have it sit unused. Meanwhile, I'm still struggling with the heart rate lowering effects of this beta blocker. It's frustrating, but better than going blind.
16 July 12:05-1:58
Blazing Tuesday Inertia
Precor elliptical #1 (12:46 end)
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5396)
Distance: 2.78
Cal: 306
Avg Hr: 145, 180-83
Fitbit:48-122
HGPU 14.5 (ugh!)
Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
I haven't been to the gym in 3 days so today was rough. No excuses for Tuesday, but Wednesday we had an orthodontist appointment, and yesterday my kid had all his wisdom teeth out. His face is still swollen today but at least he doesn't need to have gauze stuffed into his cheeks like he did on the ride home. A big bloody mess that can barely be rinsed out with saline. A friend of his from school also had wisdom teeth out last week and wound up swallowing the bloody gauze. Not once but three times. Good grief, must've had some super strong painkillers!
My kid isn't allowed to use a straw or spit as those actions could dislodge any healing clots. That was more traumatic than I remember my own experience near forty years ago. We go back for a follow-up next week. Just like we go back to the orthodontist for a new set of aligners. All these appointments are eating into my summer, but stuff needs to get done. (It's not like my kid is going to handle this on his own while he's at school.) I have yet to make an appointment with my kid's pediatrician for his annual exam. Insurance still covers him so why not?
I woke up with a big red splot on my eyeball; a ruptured blood vessel. That doesn't usually happen to me so I'm not sure what caused this particular incident. Luckily, I have dark brown irises and the busted vessel isn't too noticeable unless you look very closely. It's still too hot although slightly less humid. I have errands to do before I get to the gym, and there's a lot of cars in the parking lot. Because it's Friday, there's no school, and the movie theater next door is always a good way to spend a few summer hours.
Elliptical machines #1 and #2 are occupied so I get on #3. It doesn't accept programs, and neither does machine #4. A hard reboot would solve that except I can't access any plugs, and I'm not familiar enough with the equipment to find the power button. I have to drag someone from the front desk back to the cardio platform, who then crouches beneath the front panel and unplugs something. The machine goes dark for a second and comes back. While the levels indicator remains useless (all zeros), I can set the program and timer. The timer acts a bit funky in the beginning, sometimes displaying a single digit like 2 or 5 for no apparent reason before resuming the countdown of time elapsed. These machines need serious tune-ups, but that's unlikely to happen any time soon.
I'm having a very hard time pedaling and don't make it to 2.8. Later, I check my FitBit and see that my heart rate barely makes it past 115, which is crazy low for all the effort. It should be closer to 135, but 3 days of non-activity and beta blocker, timolol, means my cardio capacity feels non-existent. It's not hopeless though. If I do cardio every day, I can overcome the slow HR. I just need the time, and motivation. At least the pull-ups didn't get worse. They didn't get better either. Hey, I can still do them and I'll take that.
The beta blocker doesn't seem to affect actual strength, and sets of Seated Cable Rows proceed just fine. Afterward, triceps get a decent workout with super sets of Rip Skulls and Skull Crushers. The gym is full of teens and seniors. And then it isn't. They come in waves. The Aerobics Room is nice and cool. Biz Gal is back with her personal trainer and there's another guy on a mat doing odd hip stretches. After a few minutes, everyone is gone and it's just me doing my routine. I lose count doing push-ups, which isn't good. I try hard to remain focused. At least I got the Wall Sits done in full.
It's been hot and humid, even at night. It's hard to sleep unless I've got a fan blowing right on me. The dogs aren't very happy either, panting heavily after a quick zoomie through the park. I get to the gym too late to snag the preferred elliptical so I climb onto #3. It works mostly, but the timer is wonky and sporadically displays erratic digits. First it's 21:30 time remaining, and then it says 7. 7? And it stays at 7 for several seconds before I toggle the switch back and forth, from time remaining to time elapsed.
It's a temporary fix that lasts for a few minutes but must be periodically reapplied. Also, there are no numbers displayed for the incline levels, although the program runs as it should, with appropriate inclines and declines. Although the gym is air conditioned, I'm still having a hard time pedaling. But it's not that I'm out of breath when I'm done. No, I just can't get my HR up enough to muster the energy to pedal faster. Ugh. However, I do make it past 2.8. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have enough energy to do more than 14 pull-ups. Well, that was disappointing.
I also don't have a lot of time since there's a follow-up eye doc appointment in a few hours and I still need to shower and change. And the gym is in the opposite direction so that adds travel time. Which means while I sit down to do Seated Cable Rows, I only do one set at 70 lbs because I still want to do most of the core workout in the Aerobics Room. I've timed it so that as I finish the last set, I see the instructor from the Senior mobility class stroll out with a stack of chairs. The only exercise I skip are push-ups, especially since I know they tend to raise IOPs. And the reason I'm going to my eye doc is to check how my IOPs are after the SLTs and the addition of the timolol drug.
At my doctor's office, which I'm a few minutes late to, my IOPs are good, registering 12 and 14. I tell my doc I'm still allergic to the timolol but have lesser symptoms since I switched the order of application of eye drops. So, better, not great, but my IOPs are where we want them to be, so I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is the unrelenting heat and humidity of this coming week. I can't even imagine living somewhere hotter with more humidity. I am going to try to hit the gym tomorrow, and maybe Wednesday. What's off the table is Thursday because my kid is having his wisdom teeth out that morning. Glad it's not me.
It's been progressively hotter and more humid as the week wears on. It's also as if I've taken a long weekend mid-week since I haven't exercised since Monday. This is of course because I had appointments to ferry my kid to for 2 of the 3 days, and the 3rd day was the Fourth of July. Granted, the gym was open for limited hours but I couldn't get my act together to make it there in a timely manner.
I spent the holiday with the windows closed, the a/c and all the fans on high, and the TV blaring. I still had to dose one of the dogs with the OTC calming chews I bought from Tractor Supply Company. My dog won't chew them but they're small enough for me to shove them two at a time down his throat. I'm glad he has a big throat and is very passive about me manhandling him.
I know today is going to suck, if only because it's been 3 days since the last time I did cardio. The parking lot is crowded but not the gym. Probably the movie theater next door since it is actually summer! I'm right: cardio sucks and I barely make it to 2.8. Well, the pull-ups are just slightly better even though it's the same 15 reps, which isn't great. But it was only the last rep that sucked. The gym is filling up with kids. They come the same time every day regardless of whether there's school or not.
My own kid isn't even awake yet as he went to a friend's pool party and was out until the wee hours. I'm glad he has friends, kids he's known throughout HS and some even from grade school. I never had that luxury and always felt jealous of those movie moments. I'm hoping that those are friends my kid can rely on and relate to even as the years pass. A happy life is about connections and I want my kid to be happy.
Both cable stations are surrounded by HS kids but I'm able to claim a Seated Cable Row and get my sets done. Then I move to a breaker bench and do triceps. I had a momentary thought to do the DB Shoulder routine, which is something I like to do on Fridays, but that area is a bit too crowded and I don't want to wait around or have to dodge too many aimless teens.
There are strangers in the Aerobics room but their routines don't last more than a few minutes. I get all my exercises done, including the Wall Sits. I'm disappointed that this used to be easier for me. I see my glaucoma doc on Monday so I'll get to find out if this beta-blocker drug, timolol, is actually keeping my IOPs low, or not.
I also need to take my kid to the orthodontist next week. And the next day he's schedule to get his wisdom teeth out. Ugh. Glad it's not me. I had mine done in my late 20s and I went by myself to oral surgeons with an office in the old Dime Savings Bank building. They used nitrous, aka laughing gas. They were very nice doctors who told bad jokes. It was fine.
Now that school is out and camp has started, today really feels like the first day of Summer. It rained hard last night and that was enough to wash some of the wood chips out of the dog park, especially by the gate. Dogs and I get there before there's anyone set up at the guard house entrance. For the next hour, cars pull into the parking lot and then exit past the dog park. My pups are excited to see so many cars, but disappointed that no one stops with dogs to play with.
The closer it gets to 9 AM, the more cars I can see backed up on the road adjacent to the park. Although the chain link fencing is screened, I can still see the cars through the fabric as they wait patiently to enter and drop off their kids. No other dogs arrive until one of my pup's arch nemesis shows up and parks next to our car. Time to go home.
I dawdle on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so as to miss the Senior mobility class. Which means getting to the gym after 11:30. I had the weekend off and today I'm struggling with cardio. Again. My HR remains low most of the time, but the BP is erratic, sometimes normal but mostly slightly higher than it should be. As much as I struggle with cardio, I admittedly feel better afterward. That and the fact that it's good for me are reason enough to push myself to come to the gym. Especially when inertia is so much easier.
I'm struggling with my pull-ups and that's disheartening. Oddly, I feel the lower traps working today, and not the lats. Not sure what to make of that. I do feel traps and lats when I'm at the Seated Cable Rows. There's a lot of kids at the gym suddenly. Two girls are at the station 90 degrees from me, taking turns doing what I assume is a Cable Face-Pull. Except the one girl does one rep. Then it's the other girl's turn. I guess that might do something?
No school and everyone's exercising! Of course, girls tend to wear crop tops or just their sports bras, and short shorts or leggings. Boys have loose tanks and basketball shorts mostly. I recognize a few middle-age regulars. And a few Seniors. Haven't seen Snow Bird since last Autumn. He was in his 80s so I don't know if he's just coming at an earlier time, or if he's not coming at all anymore. This county is infamous for having some exceptionally long-lived folks. Obits are either of people in their 50s dropping from cardio or cancer, or they're in their 90s. Seriously.
That reminds me of a Senior lady some years ago who was very upset that the gym was cancelling her membership. She loved taking the group fitness class but kept falling into other members. No one wanted to stand next to her anymore. Then she fell in the shower and had to be rescued. The gym wasn't going to put a chair in the stall and she didn't want to use the big shower at the end, which has a seat and a flexible shower head. She cried in the locker room about the unfairness of it all. But the rest of us were relieved. What if she fell and actually broke something?! What if she fell and knocked someone else down and they broke something? I felt bad for her, but not that bad. I was relieved too.
plumeria blossoms
I do everything on my list for the Aerobics Room. Wall Sits are challenging and I grit my teeth for the last 60 seconds. So happy when it's over! I spent this morning refilling some of my gym bag toiletries since I don't want to carry the original containers which tend to be big, bulky and heavy. Especially my homemade mix of glycerin and lactic acid cream. It keeps my skin soft and less flaky but I'm not thrilled with the "unscented" scent which smells a lot like milk. I have rediscovered the plumeria (frangipani) fragrance and put a tiny dab of essential oils on clothes I change into after showering. A small reminder of Hawaii is always pleasant.
My milkweeds are still standing after last night's pummeling rain. I'm glad the tomato cages and peony guards are working as proper supports. There are more fritillary butterflies visiting the garden, but no monarchs. I'm ever hopeful.
