Friday Blues

I got to the gym finally albeit later than I expected. It wasn't that crowded considering the bad weather (fog, rain, maybe ice). All the elliptical machines were free, but 12 of the 15 treadmills were occupied. And one of those was out of service. That's a lot of walking and running. Fully half the cross-trainers were in use as well (3 out of 6). I can't imagine that these folks would be doing their exercises outdoors, but maybe I'm wrong.

After my 35 minutes, while I'm fully warmed-up, I get a good set of pull-ups and then wander over to the free weight area. One of the Nautilus benches is free so I can knock out my DB Shoulder routine. Then off to the Aerobics Room to finish with core movements and eventually, Walking Lunges. I'm probably gonna feel those tomorrow if nothing else.

At home, I was rummaging through my tea cabinet and found an old box of Yogi brand Cocoa Spice Tea, from 2002. There's 4 tea bags inside and I don't know if they have any flavor left. Sadly, Yogi doesn't make this anymore. An online search did reveal a few other cocoa tea brands so I ordered a sampler box from Adagio Teas. All their teas are loose so I have to find my strainers. I have tea balls, but it's been said that they don't allow the tea to expand fully and thus limit the full experience of a properly bloomed tea. 

Today I try the well-regarded chocolate chai pu erh flavor. It's okay but too much ginger and cinnamon and not enough chocolate flavor for me. It is a black tea so it contains caffeine. I hope that doesn't mess with my sleep too much. Tomorrow I'll try a different flavor. I also ordered from a different company, one that offers actual tea bags. Now, there is some controversy about the amount of microplastics being consumed and specifically in tea bags! But I could always just cut the bag open and steep as loose tea...

before straining

I've been trying to increase my consumption of anthocyanins aka blueberries. It takes too much planning to add them to oatmeal or other hot foods. Instead, I've decided to go the way of the candy bowl by washing a large quantity of blueberries and blackberries and leaving them in a big bowl in the living room. Every time I walk by, I grab a handful to snack on. The husband and kid (when home from college) also snack this way. 

The berries are never there for more than a few days, and any undesirable leftovers (mushy) get tossed out under the bird feeder. The house is a chilly 63F so they won't go bad too quickly. Win win. I've also been sticking with taking 500 mg of niacinamide twice daily. It's hard to explain but I know I've taken it because I feel it in my face, but it hasn't been unbearable, so I'll continue until my next eye appointment, see what the exams tell us and decide from there.

31 January 2025 12:15-2:02

Friday — Cardio and More

Rainy & Cold & Crowded

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5610)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 310

Avg Hr: 142, 187-80

New FB: 45-129?

HGPU 17

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 reps

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

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Walking Lunges (42 steps)

Trying B3 Again

I got to the gym fairly late today at half past noon. But better than yesterday when I didn't make it at all. I'm the type of person who hates having deadlines hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles. While I was at the dog park with my puppers, a fellow from the Parks Dept came by to affix the annual notice that the gate code would be changed on February 1st and all members needed to pay their renewal fees. That also included providing a copy of a current town dog license which had its own requirement to show a valid proof of rabies vaccination. I think that's reasonable. We have had recent warnings for rabid kittens and wild critters, like bats, foxes, skunks...

Since the weather has been unpredictable this winter, rather than wait until Friday which is what I would've normally done in past years, I had the urge to get everything settled yesterday: took my paperwork to the Parks & Recreation office; got the dog licenses renewed and paid for at a different office in a different location; paid the Town and County taxes due for the year. It was well into early afternoon by the time I was done driving around.

I have no excuses for why I got to the gym so late today, but I was surprised at how empty the parking lot was. It's $5 Tuesday at the local cinema next door but I guess not too many popular movies this week. The gym was equally empty and I had my choice of elliptical machines. It's also very cold inside the gym and I wished I had worn my new heavyweight hoodie instead of the thinner blue kids one. Cardio sucked but I did better on pull-ups. That's a win!

The Aerobics Room is very cold so by the time I got to Push-ups, I'd stopped sweating and had my hoodie zipped up. I do the entire routine except for Wall Sits. Maybe tomorrow if I make it to the gym. There's the threat of a snowstorm later in the day and maybe 5-6 inches. I'm fine with it as long as I can take dogs to the park in the morning, but I'm not looking forward to shoveling later. 

Yesterday I got a chance to watch a couple of video posts provided by the Glaucoma Foundation about lifestyle changes that might help mitigate this disease. I've heard most of it before: don't sleep on your face, no prolonged head below heart positions, quit smoking if you smoke, moderate coffee okay, cardio exercise very good, weight training where you hold your breath is bad (valsalva maneuver). A few mentions of gingko biloba, bilberry extract (basically a variety of blueberry) that might be the equivalent of eating a pint of blueberries every day (that's a lot of blueberries!), and niacinamide (vitamin B3). The latter showing the most consistent results for improved Visual Field exam results and potential optic nerve preservation.

Now, I've tried B3 before and I don't remember exactly, but I think I had a mildly unpleasant reaction. I'm willing to try it again though since I have little faith that the Durysta implant has actually worked (I get my IOPs checked next month). And I'm a bit scared of the Ahmed device being installed in my eyeballs. It'll keep me from exercising for months during recovery, and I fear that I'll be able to feel this cumbersome shunt and drain inside my eye socket. I'm ridiculously sensitive to certain sensations, like my own hair poking me in the nose or mouth. How am I not going to feel this?!

Of course, by starting niacinamide today, I'm skewing any results from the Durysta implants. But if my IOPs are higher with Durysta, my doc will want to do the Ahmed shunts, and I might not get the chance to test if niacinamide might be effective. I have a bottle of 500 mg. The glaucoma presentation suggests 1500 daily, breaking it into a morning and evening dose (750 mg x 2). I added one capsule to my vitamin mix to take after my gym routine. Several hours later and my face feels a bit flushed. That was only 500 mg. Not sure how I'll feel taking a second capsule later... I'm definitely not taking a third capsule.

Soft-boiled egg on ramen

 

I bought some organic eggs on sale over the weekend, just before prices doubled due to the massive bird flu outbreak that has caused chicken farms to cull millions of bird. I don't usually buy organic eggs but they were oddly the cheapest. 

I'm shocked at how orange the yolks are. I haven't seen such deep pigmentation since I got eggs from a friend's free range garden chickens decades ago: she said the yolks were colored by the marigolds her birds liked to eat. I've gotten eggs from other friends, and none of those eggs had the same fiery orange color even though they were also "free range." They also didn't grow marigolds between their tomato plants either.

28 January 2025

Tuesday — All Cardio

Late Chilly Cardio

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5458)

Distance: 2.79

Cal: 308

Avg Hr: 151, 178-84

New FB: 44-129

HGPU 17 + 1/2

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (31)

Steps 436

Floors 27

Cal 66

Hr 116

HGPU 17

Life Fitness X-Trainer #5

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.14

Cal: 99

Avg Hr: 119-122

HGPU 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Slippery Sneakers but a Good Workout

It's been a tiny bit warmer at 10F when I took pups to the park this morning. We stayed a little over 45 minutes and by that time the thermometer read 17F. It actually felt warm sitting in the sunlight! Then again, I had on layers with the thin alpaca hoodie sandwiched between fleece, and under my heavy winter parka. Plus hand warmers in my snow gloves.

I had a thought to hit the gym yesterday but I was actually too tired, and had a bunch of chores to get out of the way. I have to set aside a big chunk of time for travel to and from the gym, exercising, showering and changing. It's a few hours in the middle of the day. I went today, knowing that there'd be a Senior class. The gym was surprisingly empty when I arrived, and I had my choice of elliptical machines. (I haven't seen Wind Breaker all week.)

I did regret not wearing the new heavy LLBean hoodie since it was pretty cold inside. Eventually I warmed up. I wanted to do weights, but felt a tad guilty about pull-ups, so I added one set right after cardio. I was surprised that I did so well considering the lack of sleep (the FitBit tracked 5.5 hrs last night and it's not wrong). In the free weight area, I find an available Nautilus bench and start my DB shoulder routine. The familiar exercises feel good although I suffer sporadic shoulder twinges.

My only regret is not scuffing up the soles of the Hokas sneakers I was wearing. I tend to keep my indoor gym shoes clean and unsoiled by street wear and I've never had a problem before, but these Hokas have super slick soles. They don't look slick, but they have little to no traction on smooth surfaces. My feet slide a bit on the elliptical. But they slide a lot on the wood floor of the Aerobics Room when I'm trying to do Wall Sits. 

Again, I skip the Walking Lunges. I know I should do them, but at this point I'm tired and just want to go shower. The gym is filling up, and eventually there's a mix of HS kids and regular adults including Seniors. By the time I leave, it's literally all kids everywhere.

24 January 2025 11:47-1:40

Friday — Cardio and then

Slippery Hokas

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5514)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 311

Avg Hr: 163, 203-84

New FB: 42-134

HGPU 17.5

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:39)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:46)

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1 (12:53);

2 (1:01); 3 (1:10)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2 (tingle)

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90 sec / too slippery!

Polar Vortex Wednesday

I finally went back to the gym after skipping 5 days. My kid went back to school with friends on Monday, after the snowstorm we got Sunday night. I did have to shovel out my car to take the dogs to the park, as always. But at least it was a reasonable, seasonable temperature. Then the Polar Vortex swept down from Canada and temps dropped precipitously. Monday night my kid texts me that he's left his computer mouse home somewhere but he has the charging cable and dongle. 

Once I find the specialty gaming mouse, left on a stack of books as if momentarily forgotten, I offer to mail it back. Not in time for classes to start on Wednesday since an overnight delivery would cost more than buying a new device. I box and ship the mouse on Tuesday at the post office, but it takes me so long (I also returned other items via UPS so I was in multiple lines) that I missed my gym window. I don't want to go when it's filled with HS kids! Instead, I pack a bigger box of snacks that was supposed to travel to Buffalo in the carpool, but was left behind as an oversight. Back to the USPS...

As much as my dogs love going to the park, I know that it's too cold to be there for more than 15-20 minutes. It's warmed up to -5F and I have to defrost my windshield. I bring a gallon bottle of water only a 1/3 full because everything in the dog park shed is frozen. A 1/3 gallon is enough to fill the heated water bowl and while it's plugged in, the water stays liquid and drinkable. The car says the temp is 5F when we leave the house. At the park, once I see the dogs favoring their paws, it's time to unplug and go home. One dog is reluctant to leave, gazing into the horizon to view the entrance road for an incoming cars that might have dogs inside them. No one is crazy enough to come today, except us. I hug him, feel him shivering and feel bad for all the critters posted on the Lost Pets of the Hudson Valley.

The gym is oddly empty even though there's a Senior class at 11:30. I have my pick of elliptical machines and select #1. I have on my new LLBean hoodie. It's bigger and heavier than any other of my workout sweats, but it's so cold in the gym that I'm zipped up and even have my hood on while I pedal the Precor until the last 5 minute cool down. More people show up. I do my pull-ups, use the Step Machine, go back to the cardio platform for the cross-trainer. Most of those are in use but I can access the very last one adjacent to the erg rower. I've used that rower a few times, but it makes my hands go numb before I get any cardio benefit, so not worth it to me. 

The Senior class has ended and the instructor is chatting while gathering up chairs when I enter the Aerobics Room. I have a "lunch date" with a parent of one of my kid's friends so I rush through this portion of my routine and skip Bird Dogs, neck rolls, eye yoga and wall sits. Yeah, maybe tomorrow. Maybe I'll do walking lunges too. Or not. I hope it's warmer cuz this morning was bitter in spite of hand and toe warmer packets...

The weird dark spots in my eyebrows continue to spread. I found another spot between my brown and eyelid and that of course freaked me out. It looks like I'm wearing eyebrow pencil when I'm not wearing any makeup at all. At my dermatologist appointment last week, I complained that the spots were not mitigated by the trentinoin cream or sunscreen. If anything, they were worse and spreading. So, I now I have an Rx for hydroquinone cream to use only on those spots for 3 months. Then I have a follow-up appointment. Is this vanity? Well, it's not a face lift...and it's not ozempic. Cuz yes, I could really stand to lose 5-8 lbs.

22 January 2025 11:21-1:07

Wednesday — All Cardio

Polar Vortex Cardio

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5520)

Distance: 2.81

Cal: 310

Avg Hr: 154, 180-118

New FB: 40-136

HGPU 15 + 1/2

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (31)

Steps 434

Floors 27

Cal 66

Hr 109

HGPU 15

Life Fitness X-Trainer #6

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.26

Cal: 101

Avg Hr: 119-126

HGPU 14.5

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

High Maintenance

I'm very envious of those folks who can zip in and out of a shower and be done with changing into street clothes in less than 10 minutes. There's one woman at the gym who has it down to a science, with a short haircut that doesn't need combing or drying, and professional attire that's easy to slip on. 

No need to apply lotions and creams, or towel dry the unruly hair that still needs to be brushed and braided. No application of glycerin and alpha hydroxy lotions, sunscreen, steroidal creams for the winter hives, extra strength petroleum-based salves for the cracks and fissures that miraculously appear overnight on heels, knuckles, fingertips. Must be nice!

My kid had an orthodontist appointment this afternoon so my gym routine had to allow me enough time to shower and change before driving back home to get my kid and take him. I managed to get to the gym on time today and I'm surprised that no one is on any of the elliptical machines. There's also a giant cup holder attached to machine #3. Very nice, but I still got on machine #1 to start my routine. Temps have dropped and the gym is cold. I didn't feel warmed up until 20 minutes in of a 35 minute program. Wind Breaker shows up just as I'm finishing.

I still hadn't decided whether I was doing weights or more cardio until I looked over at the free weight area and saw all the empty benches. Yep, DB Shoulder Day. I completed the whole routine, knowing I'd have to cut back in the Aerobics Room if I wanted enough time to shower and change. The area started to fill up as kids wandered in from the local HS. In the Aerobics Room, I concentrated on critical core and sciatic stretches and skipped everything else. I can take a more leisurely approach tomorrow when I don't have such time constraints. 

My gloved purple hand

In the locker room, I see an odd spool-shaped lock. It has letters instead of numbers. Kind of cool, but it's big and bulky! Probably harder to lose. Although not as monstrously large as the dragon fruit I saw at the grocery later. Now I have unusually small hands, but this was a huge dragon fruit, literally dwarfing my hand. And of course, I had to buy it. It didn't even cost that much. I remember when these items were considered exotic and you paid $7-8 for a small one that might not taste any better than grass. I don't know yet if this giant has a good flavor. The yellow ones tend to be sweeter but I haven't seen any of that variety lately.

16 January 2025 11:37-1:02

Thursday — Cardio and DBs

Polar Express

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5568)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 313

Avg Hr: 151,182-84

New FB: 42-130

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:23)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:29)

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1 (12:36); 2 (12:41); 3 (12:49)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Don't Sleep on Your Right Side

I normally sleep on my back but occasionally roll onto my left side. This morning I uncharacteristically rolled right. And it was a big mistake. Not only did I have to deal with the daily sciatic cramp in my right calf, but my whole upper back on the right side was sore, as if it had suffered from a spasm. My dogs and I still went to the Bark Park although the soreness made doing my usual chores more difficult.

I got to the gym later than I planned. I was surprised that there was still ample parking. And no one on any of the four elliptical machines. I got on #1 and started pedaling. Within 5 minutes someone else got on #3. A few minutes past that and I realized that I could see someone in my lower peripheral vision. Yep, it was Wind Breaker on machine #2. (No one wants to use #4.) 

Between the twinges in my upper back and the sporadic pin prick itchiness from having super dry skin and dry cold air, I'm miserable until I finally start sweating. Because it's cold in the gym, that doesn't happen until 25 minutes into my routine. Normally, I hit that mark after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, on the treadmill up front there's a girl doing HIIT cardio (alternating between running and walking) wearing nothing more than a sports bra and frilly pink running shorts. Well, she IS sweating, and looking very cute doing it. (No, I didn't take her pix. That'd be a breach of privacy.)

I managed okay with pull-ups for the first and second sets. The step machine offered no surprises. I was reading my phone for most of my time on the cross-trainer, so not great time but still enough to get the heart rate up. The Precor elliptical is still my go-to cardio machine though. It just fits me better and I like the ability to do forward and backward motions without having my toes and feet go numb. 

I walk by the Stretch Cage and skip that last set of pull-ups when I see it's "Napoleon." He's the short dude that bumped me from the Stretch Cage some years ago when I was at the gym with my kid. I thought he was going to actually do something special, like pull-ups with legs up on the roof of the Cage (I've seen others do it), but nope. He just hung by one arm like an orangutan as he chatted up some girl. 

Afterward, I did a set of pull-ups and his face dropped in embarrassment. He has since tried to work in with me but I've always declined. I have a long memory. Dude, if you're not going to outright apologize for being a douche, then just get out of my way. Today, he's actually "shadow boxing" inside the cage, which is the dumbest thing I've seen him do. I don't feel like waiting around, so I just go straight to the Aerobics Room. I do my routine but skip the Walking Lunges and Wall Sits. I'm too tired. I don't even consider that last set of pull-ups as I walk back to the locker room. 

I sent back that problematic hoodie. Land's End has partnered with shops to receive their returned items for either store credit or a reverse charge. (Credit my card 'cuz I don't know if I want to chance buying anything else here.) The local UPS store is the Happy Returns partner for my town (very convenient for me) although it still costed me $6.95 to return a defective item. But what else could I do with it? It's not wearable. I did launder it before bringing it to the UPS store, because it'd be gross otherwise and I'm not that kind of person.

Now waiting for LLBean to deliver a different hoodie. (I have faith that this one will be wearable.) I bought some 10% glycolic acid skin cream after I realized that the bottle of face cream I've been using sparingly actually has a website printed at the base of the bottle. I used to buy it at drugstores but I haven't seen it in years. When I got the package, I saw that they had carefully taped the dispenser closed to prevent leaking in transit. Very nice. What's unexpected is that the tape itself is branded. Just to prevent such leaks. Okay, that's kind of weird. And petty, right? 

I've been suffering from a mild case of vertigo. It usually happens in the winter, and is probably due to a slight sinus infection messing with my balance. Not getting enough sleep isn't helping at all. My kid has decided to carpool back to school and is leaving next weekend, a few days earlier than expected. I'm taking him to see the new Nosferatu movie at the local cinema tomorrow. Who can resist $5 Tuesday?!

13 January 2025 12:00-1:52

Monday — All Cardio

Cold gray cardio

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5594)

Distance: 2.84

Cal: 315

Avg Hr: 157, 210-79?

New FB: 45-130

HGPU 16

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (29)

Steps 433

Floors 27

Cal 65

Hr 129

HGPU 15

Life Fitness X-Trainer #5

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.14

Cal: 99

Avg Hr: 119-123

   Skip HGPU 14.5 / Napoleon shadow boxing in stretch cage

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Rating My New LE Hoodie

The bright spot of the day is witnessing a pileated woodpecker on a tree high overhead at the dog park. I've seen them before, but was never able to view how oddly they arc their heads when assessing the target spot on the tree. It's quite a magnificent bird though. And it was unperturbed by our existence. I've never seen one at a feeder but they are quite large. I have downy, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers at the suet holder in my yard. Lately, mostly starlings bullying the sparrows, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, tufted titmouse, cardinals, bluejays, and occasional mourning doves.

I'm functioning on less than 5 hrs of sleep today so truthfully I'm surprised I actually went to the gym and completed a routine. It was a mish-mosh and not the best ever, but I still got it done. I confess I stayed up late chatting with my kid and experimenting with a few odd cocktails he had told me about. He's going to be 20 in a few weeks, not quite legal age in NY but older than the HS kid I used to be when I first tried various adult beverages. Since my husband is an alcoholic but has been drinking coffee instead of vodka these past several weeks, he's not one to hang out with and discuss the nuances of a creamy strawberry tequila apertif. Or whether wines really are distinguishable from each other at a low price point. My kid goes back to school in less than two weeks, so I enjoy having these odd chats with him.

The gym is crowded and I've arrived too late to use the elliptical. So I added a few minutes to the cross-trainer and used that to warm up. I didn't break a sweat since it was only 15 minutes. Everything I wanted to use was occupied. I found a Nautilus bench and did a light DB Shoulders workout. And by light, I mean only one heavy/high rep set at the end instead of three. 

The step machines are free so I do 12 minutes there. Then attempted pull-ups. I had, however, pre-exhausted my arms so pull-ups were more difficult than usual and I'm lucky I managed to squeeze out even that dozen reps. Finally, I see that elliptical machine #1 is vacant so that's my chance to work up a cardio lather, not that the step machine wasn't challenging. Especially since I insist on singing to myself. Not loud enough for anyone to hear me, but still breathing hard. I give the last several minutes a good burst that depletes me but making it past 2.8 was worth it. 

I'm wearing my new gym hoodie from Land's End. It has a roomy generous cut and fits well in the body and arms. The zipper, however, is wonky and sticks at the entrance. I can muscle through that. I always wash my garments before I wear them and this is laundry fresh. What I don't realize until I unzip the hoodie and drape it over a bench, is that the soft cotton liner is shedding white lint all over my black tank and pants. Ugh. 

Hoodie shedding looks gross

In the Aerobics Room, I consider just laying on the mat with my bare shoulders but I'm sweaty and the mat isn't sanitized and I'm too aware of contagious skin afflictions. Am I a hypochondriac? No, but I'm not stupid either. No one wipes down their mats with disinfectant wipes after using them, except me. I'm tired. And sorta disgusted. And it's getting late. So I only do half my routine and leave after Fire Hydrants. 

I'm not sure what to do about the hoodie. I finally have a hoodie that fits well. But it sheds worse than a Persian cat, or my dogs. Ugh. Land's End used to be known for quality items and one could return merch to the local Sears store. Now, there are no more Sears stores. And buying from LE has a gambling quality to it. Will it or won't it fit. If I buy two different colors, will they actually look like the same item? And now, is it so cheaply made that it behaves like disposable fashion? Worse, LE will charge me to return the item even though it's substandard. It wasn't super cheap, but it might not be worth the aggravation... I have Bean Bucks at LL Bean. I might have to use them for a new hoodie. They offer free returns, and their quality hasn't declined as much. What a waste though...

10 January 2025 12:06-2:18

Friday — Spontaneous Mix

Life Fitness X-Trainer #5

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.48

Cal: 118

Avg Hr: 122?

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25

15 lbs x 25/15/25 

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1

Matrix StairMaster (R) 12:54-1:06

Manual timer 10+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (38-33) / 1 (29)

Steps 525

Floors 32

Cal 79

Hr 102

HGPU 12

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5590)

Distance: 2.83

Cal: 314

Avg Hr: 140, 205-81

New FB: 44-171?!

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Damn It's Cold

There was a smattering of snow on Monday but enough ice to wreak havoc with the roadways. I stayed home except to take the dogs to the park. On Tuesday I thought about going to the gym and then seeing Wicked at the local cinema since $5 Tuesdays is a thing. Then I asked my kid if he wanted to see it, and he said Yes. So I skipped the gym and we went to the first showing at 12:40 with about a dozen other people. Well worth the $10 total.

It's been very cold this week but temps didn't fall as low as the 3F a few weeks ago. Still, I've had a fire in the wood stove almost every night. I got to the gym later than I'd planned and judging by the crowd of cars in the parking lot, I expected a horrible crowd inside. It was crowded but not horrible. Weirdly, there was a stranger on elliptical #1 and a water bottle in the holder on machine #3. Which meant I could either use #2 or #4. Unexpectedly, there was a complete bottle holder on #2 so that's the one I selected. Machine #4 is wonky and doesn't always provide a legible display on the console. I'm not thrilled with machine #2 since it gets really clunky during programmed descents. It's a noticeable grinding noise that makes people on the recumbent bikes look around.

About halfway through my program, Wind Breaker arrives and gets on machine #3. He also leaves earlier than usual. He never does anything else. Today is a Cardio Day, so three sets of hammer-grip pull-ups between three cardio programs: elliptical, stair climber, cross-trainer. And then off to the Aerobics Room to do core and some basic full-body movements. It felt okay although I'm disappointed, of course, that I can't get more reps on pull-ups. But I am happy that I am able to pull myself up to get my nose over the bar. So there's that.

I plan to hit the gym tomorrow, and Friday. But we'll see. The good news is that while I still have sciatica (I wake up with a clenching discomfort gripping my lower calf) it dissipates with activity. And by the time I get home from the gym, it's almost imperceptible. My body has also decided that 5-6 hrs of sleep is just not enough, so for the past few days I've fallen asleep in the late afternoon with the dogs on the sofa. According to my FitBit, that brings me a good 7+ hrs of sleep lately. Yaaay me. And my fancy coffee maker foamed the milk for my cappuccino in a heart shape this morning. It doesn't normally do that. A good omen.

8 January 2025 12:03-2:00

Wednesday — All Cardio

Hilarious from Bored Panda

Polar Express Cardio

Precor elliptical #2

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5652)

Distance: 2.86

Cal: 318

Avg Hr: 155, 202-81

New FB: 44-135

HGPU 16

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (38-33) / 1 (29)

Steps 454

Floors 28

Cal 68

Hr 115

HGPU 15.5

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Manual L1

Time: 10 (+3 min cool down) = 13

Distance: 1.26

Cal: 101

Avg Hr: 126

HGPU 14.5

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

End of the Week

There was a dusting of snow and ice on the ground. The dogs ran through the park this morning leaving odd tracks that looked like a cross between tulips and a chupacabra. No one else at the park. It's been like this all week, mostly. With temps below freezing, I am again glad that I invested in the heated water bowl. Of course, there are dodos who walk away with heaters still plugged in, circuit breakers popped, leaving stupid signs telling everyone to bring water since the spigot is turned off. Duh. The Park turns the water off to prevent their lines from freezing. Every year. Meanwhile, there are post-it notes next to the outlet telling users not to leave plugs unattended. Ugh. People are stupid. Seriously. Stupid.

I wasn't sure what to expect today. The parking lot was crowded, but duh, it's Friday and there's a Senior class. The gym population looks the same as yesterday, except I can access elliptical #3. There are new people trying to sign up at the front desk. But unlike yesterday,  there's no wall of treadmill walkers. Or pedalers on the cross-trainer. Or elliptical machines. I wonder where they all went. Or maybe they just don't come on Fridays?

I'm happy to work up a drenching sweat (I need at least 15 minutes to get to that point -- anything less is inadequate) and give a vague thought to attempting a set of pull-ups to make up for yesterday. Maybe after everything's all done, if I'm not too tired? Although yesterday was an abbreviated cardio day, and I've probably gotten better cardio just with the 35 minutes on the Precor today, I determine that today is a mix day, which means commandeering a couple of DBs for roughly 30 minutes. 

It's blustery cold and gray outside, but not raining or snowing. HS kids are back in school so they'll be trickling in around 1:30 and later. I'm happy to find the Nautilus benches unoccupied right in front of the DB rack. Perfect. By the time I finish all my sets, a couple of camo khaki & boots soldier boys are among the mix of HS kids. One of them asks if I'm done with the bench just as I re-rack my DBs. And when I say I am, he thanks me multiple times. I forget that some kids have proper manners, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

I do most of my Core workout in the Aerobics Room, and skip only the Walking Lunges. Push-ups and Air Squats were uneventful. Even the Bird Dogs didn't elicit much of a tingle from the wayward sciatic nerve. Truthfully, only the Wall Sits were killer and I just made it to 90 seconds before I bailed. I'm tired and glance at the Stretch Cage as I walk to the locker room. Not today. 

I'm wearing an older hoodie with a zipper that's seen better days. It's frayed with holes in the sleeves, but fits the way I want my gym clothes to fit. The zipper pull is warped so it sits sideways, which makes it difficult for it to function properly. I've tried to replace this hoodie several times with varying degrees of success. 

It was originally a Land's End kids XL but that company has become maddeningly inconsistent with quality and sizing. Buy a pair of pants in two different colors and you will probably wind up with two different cuts that fit completely differently. As if they were made on different planets by alien life forms. I have pants that are like that.

I've several "replacement hoodies" that I'm not happy with: sleeves are too tight in the arms while the body billows like a potato sack (this happened twice), or the entire hoodie is too small and too short. Today, I see that LE is now offering a unisex all-cotton sports zip-up hoodie. I ordered a Small because it should be roomy enough if it's a true unisex. (Unisex for Americans, not tiny Southeast Asians or skinny Europeans.) Unfortunately, it only comes in gray, black, navy and white. No royal blue. I ordered the gray. If this hoodie arrives true to size, I'll actually consider ditching all the other ones. 

3 January 2025 12:01-1:48

Friday — Mix

Cold!

Precor elliptical #3

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5448)

Distance: 2.80

Cal: 309

Avg Hr: 158, 186-122?

New FB: 46-136

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:48)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (12:55)

29/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 1 (1:03); 2 (1:10); 3 (1:19)

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2 (tingle)

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Sits 90 sec

Resolution Day

I forgot that the day after the New Year is rife with good intentions. Which meant that even though I got to the gym at a reasonable hour, but not as early as I had planned, there were more people on the equipment than ever before. Not that the gym was crowded. Because it wasn't. But there were two people occupying half the ellipticals and one of them was brand new. Using the machines with usable cup holders. If I had an oversized Stanley then I might've squeezed myself onto #2 but I don't so let's move on.

So I got on the cross-trainer, adjusted the time for a few extra minutes and didn't even break a sweat. What I did get was supremely itchy. It's the itchiness of really dry skin just before being able to cross the threshold and actually generate cooling moisture. I managed a few pull-ups. Then I got on the step machine and added a few extra minutes. That managed to warm me up enough, but just barely. I did another round of pull-ups. Then I glanced at the time and realize that I needed to skip the third round if I'm going to do the bare minimum in the Aerobics Room. At least stretch the hips and lower back.

Piriformis and glute stretches--check, Dead Bug core movement--check. Skipped the Bird Dogs but kept the push-ups. Push-ups were surprisingly easy today. Probably because I didn't pre-exhaust myself with that third round of cardio/pull-ups. Skipped the Air Squats. I can do everything I've skipped at tomorrow's workout. Especially important if I think I might miss next Monday.

I'm in a rush because I have to take my kid to his orthodontist appointment. At some point he's going to learn to drive. And then we'll worry about who's vehicle he's going to drive. But right now he's the embodiment of what I used to say about having dogs and not kids: at least they'll never ask me for the car keys.

Temps have dropped and there's a big snowstorm forecast for early next week. My main concern is not having my sciatica flare up. Cuz that makes shoveling difficult, if it comes to that. I suspect I might be doing a lot of shoveling next Monday.

2 January 2025 11:38-12:40

Thursday — All Cardio

Abbreviated Cardio

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

Program Manual L1

Time: 12 (+3 min cool down) = 15

Distance: 1.53

Cal: 118

Avg Hr: 119-122

FB 42-144

HGPU 15.5

Matrix StairMaster (R)

Manual timer 10+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-50) / 2 (33) / 1 (31-29)

Steps 536

Floors 33

Cal 80

Hr 118

HGPU 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Push-Ups 25