Summer Monday

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.

1 July 12:03-1:37

First Real Day of Summer Monday

Precor elliptical #1. Struggling

Program 1

Time: 30+5 (5550)

Distance: 2.82

Cal: 312

Avg Hr: 146, 186-86

Fitbit: 53-122

HGPU 13+ 2/2s

Seated Cable Rows (12:49)

50 lbs x 15

60 x 15

70 x 15, 15, 15 (1:05)

20 Hip Bridges (2:16)

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg ea

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

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 150 sec (1:34 start 1:37)