Before the Long Weekend

I went with a friend to see the tribute band Super Diamond at a "local" venue the next state over. She and her cousins are big Neil Diamond fans. I like Neil Diamond, not enough to own any of his CDs, but well enough. And like a lot of things I'm learning for the first time even though I'm in my mid-60s, I learned that he wrote one of the hit songs for that cute original boy band of the 60s, The Monkees. I really didn't know Neil wrote I'm A Believer, and yes, I have The Monkees Greatest Hits CD set. Yeah, that 1966 hit song will be at the bottom of this post just for fun. (I was 6 yrs old, and the husband wasn't even born yet.)

The problem with staying out late (and it wasn't even THAT late) is the domino effect that happens afterward. Come home late, go to bed even later than usual. Get up later than usual. Stay up even later than intended. Ugh. So, I got to the gym much later than I planned today, but at least I made it. Yaaay me!

It's the Friday before the long holiday weekend marking the end of summer, Labor Day. The gym is not very crowded although I'm sure the Seniors had their class. Wind Breaker is already on elliptical #3 and I climb on #1 and pedal my routine. I work up a sweat but still don't make it to 2.8 but it's all good. I do manage all three sets of pull-ups, granted sets two and three had a bit of kipping when necessary. I don't start out that way, but it helps with the last few reps. 

I'm still not sure why the Assisted Pull-up Machine is so inadequate in helping to build the muscles necessary to do a pull-up. I remember using one at the Bally's Gym that was next door to my job when I worked in NYC. A bunch of us would use our lunch hour to exercise. I'll have to look into that further since I see so many people at my gym using that machine, and none of them, as far as I can tell, are any closer to doing an actual pull-up. 

Monday the gym will have limited hours and close at 1 pm. Not sure if I'll make it that early. Tuesday, I have a follow-up appointment with my glaucoma doc. I have my fingers crossed that my pressures will be down, but I suspect they will be higher than I'd like. Which means I'm not doing anything that might cause my IOPs to rise, like pushing weights. Or doing more than 25 push-ups. Which I finally got around to doing today after skipping push-ups for weeks cuz I was always in a rush to pick my kid up from work. 

The kid is at university, I have my car again and I can drive with my feet actually on the floorboard, and without glare from the digital dashboard blinding me in the summer sunlight (I really despise the newest cars with all their touchscreen buttons). Local public schools start on Tuesday and Labor Day is early this year. There are HS kids at the gym but since I'm doing a Cardio Plus day, no one is in my way. I feel really good when I'm done and there are no annoying HS girls gossiping and spritzing cheap alcohol-laden cologne everywhere. 

Another thing I learned late in life: to keep your towel in place, roll the top edge outward. (I've spent years trying to keep my towel on by tucking the edge inside and it always unravels!) 

Also, there's no bruise on my shin were my dog slammed into me on Wednesday. It's almost like it never happened, except that I have a distinct recollection of a good 30 minutes of intense pain. My doc did a bone density scan a few years ago and told me I had the hallmarks of osteopenia, a step before osteoporosis. She wanted me to consider taking something like Fosamax. Uh, no thanks. (I used to work on that account back in my ad agency days. I know all the black box warnings.) I've never broken any bones. Ever. I might have light bones, but they're strong bones. I'm good.  

 

29 Aug 2025 12:46-2:45

Friday All Cardio

Before the Holiday weekend

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5512)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 306

Avg Hr: 1150, 100-90

New FB: 42-166?

(1:24)

HGPU 17+2/2

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:34-1:44)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (36) / 1 (29)

Steps 438

Floors 27

Cal 66

Hr 117

HGPU 18 w/ kipping

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

(1:58-2:13)

Program Manual L1

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

Distance: 1.27

Cal: 113

Avg Hr: 110-120

HGPU 16 w/ kipping

20 Hip Bridges (2:25)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Is It Gonna Leave a Mark?

Ugly loaner 

I hadn't been to the gym since Friday. We drove our kid back to school over the weekend. I picked the dogs up from their "luxury" accommodations. Then I had to drop my car off at the repair shop where they told me that the estimated cost would be at least twice the book value. The car is old but not ancient and isn't worth much. But I wouldn't be able to buy a "new used" car for what the repair would cost, so I got a loaner vehicle to drive away in. It's a shiny 2025 butt-ugly putty gray snub nose Subie with too big a dashboard screen with too many apps on it. It's a larger vehicle than mine yet felt claustrophobic inside, and while the engine was very quiet, I could hear the annoying fan behind my seat. And I still stuck my head out the window to back the car down the driveway instead of the backup camera. 

Tuesday I ran errands and tossed more debris into the already full 10-yard container. There's always a way to fit just one more piece. Today, Wednesday, I was ready to hit the gym after  taking the dogs on their morning romp at the Bark Park. An hour of solitude passes and we were ready to leave when one of their friends arrives and all the dogs are delirious, running through the park like a stampede of cattle. 

Guilty pup

One of mine, thank god the smaller 46 lb one, body slams my shin. I heard a small yelp but he kept running. I saw stars. Literally. And it took me over a minute before I could catch my breath. Longer before I could actually walk back to the shed. Thirty minutes later and my shin still hurt. I was lucky it wasn't the bigger 66 lb dog who would've knocked my knee out. That would've been real trouble. 

I spend a few hours doing chores around the house. My leg feels okay even though it hurt for over an hour. I don't see any swelling or bruising. I don't think I've broken any bones either, assuming that a bruise would indicate that. I go to the gym late and everything feels okay. Wind Breaker is already pedaling elliptical #3 and I climb on #1 to do my routine. I manage a decent set of pull-ups, then 10 minutes on the step machine. Then another set of pull-ups that are not quite as good as the first. 

As I'm pedaling the cross-trainer, I see my phone light up with a call that I'm too late to answer. The transcribed message says that my car is ready. Wow! Earlier than expected! But first I need to go home and drop off my gym gear, pull the dog hammock out of the back seat and wipe down the inside of the car cuz "rental agreements" all say No Dogs Allowed. 

I skipped the last set of pull-ups and the latter portion of the Core routine to save a few minutes. I was eager to get my car back because although it's old, analog (no Bluetooth, no streaming) and a bit noisy, the pedals are at comfortable positions as is the seat. The 2025 car pedals felt oddly askew, with the brake too close and the accelerator too far. The seat, when raised high enough for me to see over the steering wheel and hood meant my left foot didn't really touch the floorboard. I literally had to climb in and out of the car. It's a bigger car, and yet... the front seat has wings that butt against elbows. I'm sure it's a safety feature but it makes turning in your seat difficult. 

I suppose I could've figured out how to lower the steering rack but it was enough trouble to rifle through the digital display panel just to adjust the fans and a/c. The display glints in the sunlight and reflects back while I'm driving to the shop. It's very annoying even while I'm wearing sunglasses. 

The car is fixed. It's still a pricey repair but cheaper than the initial estimate because it was only 5 hours of labor instead of 11. New power steering pump (rack & pinion) system, new ball joint, 4 new tires. Almost like a brand new car in an old frame and chassis. Later, I meet a friend who has tickets to a Neil Diamond tribute band. They are very good and people older than me are singing along, clapping, whistling. Security had to escort an exuberant white haired fellow out of the aisle back to his seat as he tried to exhort folks to wave their arms. My leg feels okay and there's no bruise. I'll check tomorrow. Seems odd for something so painful not to have any residual effects. 

27 Aug 2025 12:29-2:15

Wednesday Cardio

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5328)

Distance: 2.75

Cal: 301

Avg Hr: 138, 182-84

New FB: 41-136

(1:07)

HGPU 19

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:18-1:28)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (36) / 1 (29)

Steps 442

Floors 27

Cal 66

Hr 125

HGPU 18 w/ kipping

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

(1:40-1:55)

Program Manual L1

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

Distance: 1.23

Cal: 112

Avg Hr: 110-120

  Skip HGPU / Car is ready!!!

20 Hip Bridges (2:02)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

When Your Body Misses the Exercises You're Not Doing

It's Friday and my kid's last shift ended this afternoon at 3 pm. Which meant I actually had enough time to do a regular workout. As I was pedaling the elliptical, I realized that I could do the Cardio routine I haven't done in months: three different cardio exercises interspersed with pull-ups. There's a Senior class in session when I arrived but otherwise, not a lot of people inside today. Temps cooled down a lot with perfect sleeping weather in the mid-50s and then the sun came out. I assume a lot of folks took the long weekend, especially since school starts up soon. Colleges have already opened their dorms. 

I'd barely been on the elliptical 5 minutes when Wind Breaker stalks past and climbs on elliptical #3. Thank goodness I'm upwind. But he looks different: he's dyed his hair or at least the top of it, a dark brown that borders on black. Which is weird because he's kind of an old guy that only comes to pedal the elliptical for a few hours, and nothing else. At least he's not prancing around in spandex. 

While my "mileage" on the Precor didn't improve from Wednesday, I did manage to do three sets of pull-ups without embarrassing myself. Yes, kipping was involved but that's okay. If I wanted perfect form pull-ups, I'd be left with sets of 4-5 reps and that's not satisfying. I trudged up the step machine while my left hip ached. It's been complaining lately which is annoying since the sciatica is primarily a right leg/hip/calve imposition. Once I got past all that, I actually found myself enjoying the cross-trainer. Or maybe it was that I had my tunes and could sing along to myself. 

I felt really good by the time I was done with cardio and pull-ups. I haven't felt this sort of exhaustive satisfaction in months. Admittedly, I was tired and since I did want to hit the grocery before picking my kid up from the last shift, I cut the Core routine short and ended without push-ups or air squats or even Bird Dog planks. The planks have been putting my hands/wrists to sleep lately. My mom and grandmother always complained about "poor circulation" but I don't think that was a cardiac issue. I'm leaning towards a connective tissue problem aka ichthyosis vulgaris in varying degrees. My body has always been sensitive to pressure which is why tight or snug clothes are unbearable. The flesh does not maintain it's structure and succumbs to external pressures, compressing nerves and blood vessels. 

It will get worse with age as skin and other tissues tend to get drier since they lose more ability to retain moisture. My skin feels unexpectedly dry today, bordering on "hard" (as in not soft). Humidity is low and I need to use more moisturizer. I don't know how a person can keep their internal structures moisturized though. (Seriously, there's only so many supplements and vitamins one can ingest daily.) Blood vessels are considered a type of connective tissue and no one wants stiff, inflexible veins and arteries. 

https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/blood/classification.html

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, at the grocery I see orange and black displays of candy. Wait, it's August so that should mean Back To School stuff, not overpriced candy for the end of October. I'm both sad and elated. Sad that my kid will be away until Thanksgiving. Happy that I don't have to get up super early to drive to the shopping center. I can return to my previous exercise routine, and hopefully I won't be so sleep deprived. But I'm going to miss the little chats I have with my kid driving to and from that part-time summer job. Next summer there will probably be an internship. Fingers crossed.  

23 Aug 2025 12:08-2:05

Friday All Cardio 

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5306)

Distance: 2.75

Cal: 300

Avg Hr: 148, 190-74

New FB: 43-142

(12:46)

HGPU 18 (12:57)

Matrix StairMaster (R) (1:00-1:10)

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (36) / 1 (29)

Steps 429

Floors 26

Cal 65

Hr n/a

HGPU 17.5 (w/ kipping)

Life Fitness X-Trainer #3

(1:22-1:37)

Program Manual L1

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

Distance: 1.39

Cal: 116

Avg Hr: 124-136

HGPU 15 (1:44)

20 Hip Bridges (1:50)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

The Pain of Not Exercising

I literally missed an entire week of gym time and my body has not been kind to me. Yesterday I finally pulled out my yoga mat and did some basic stretches on my living room floor because the sciatica has been miserable. There was some relief. I've been busy with home repairs so it's not like I was sick in bed for days. But I hadn't been able to carve out that specific time slot for the gym. Because I'm picky and I only want to go in the late morning/early afternoon. And if I can't go at that time, then I just don't go. 

I did get my oil tank replaced and that was an all day affair that costed a lot of money. It's not quite done yet since I still need an inspection to close the permit. I also had the septic company show up to fix an errant float on the pump under my lawn that makes my peat moss septic system viable. The container company was notified that they can come any time to pick up that 10-yard roll off, but it sounds like he's having trouble scheduling a driver to come. No worries. 

Every few days, when it's not blazing hot or pouring rain, I find something else to heave into the bin. The container is pretty full, but there's always room for more. My kid worked a few unexpected shifts since it's also prime summer vacay time and people haven't shown up for their allotted times. I'm my kid's ride to work and these early mornings are really eating into my sleep time. 

It's crowded when I get to the gym but there's no one on elliptical #1. Of course, because I haven't been here for a week, I hadn't looked at my tunes either. Which meant my earbuds were dead. No charge whatsoever. No tunes. Luckily, the "ambient" gym music was on really loud with songs I'm not familiar with. Much better than a gym where all you can hear are the too loud conversations of old guys who need hearing aids. My elliptical clunks. It makes a lot of noise no matter which direction I pedal, no matter how fast or slow I go. Not fast enough. I do break a sweat though. 

While I'm pedaling, Wind Breaker arrives and gets on #3. I'm glad he's down wind from me. Last night, I read an article about using odors as a diagnostic tool for serious human ailments like Parkinson's and tuberculosis. In the middle of the article there's a mention of a wet paper smell and that reminds me of this dude. Now I wonder if it's just his clothes, or if he's got some nasty disease. Ugh. Click here to read the article. 

I'm happy not to embarrass myself and get a few pull-ups, much to my surprise. I tend to underestimate myself when I've knowingly slacked off. Cardio endurance seems to suffer much more than actual strength. I did feel genuinely weak while pedaling, though not winded. Just tired, as if I hadn't stored enough energy in my quads. But I'm not breathless. 

The gym feels very crowded. I have to wrestle a vacant Nautilus bench from one of the squat cages to a place in front of the DB racks. That in itself was a workout. But it's worth it to be able to sit relatively comfortably with feet flat on the ground when pushing weights for reps. Or for any matter. My sciatica is much better now; it'd been hobbling me for the better part of the past week, clenching at my calve and hip whenever I changed positions or had to climb up or down the stairs. It's usually not that bad but I'm usually a lot more physically active. Walking around my yard and through store aisles doesn't really count. 

There are routines I muse about trying again, only to wonder how that's going to affect my sciatic nerve. Dare I try doing single-leg squats? I used to walk the length of a floor mat doing those. Maybe I should just be happy I'm still able to do the things I do now, like pull-ups and push-ups? It's hard letting go of what used to be. I do manage all my sets for DB Shoulder Routine, so that's good.

The Senior Class is long gone from the Aerobics Room. I do my "abbreviated" routine and note that the push-ups feel hard. But of course, they always do when I've just finished doing a lot of DB Inclined Presses for reps... At least I can still do these things. Gotta keep moving. Gotta keep doing.  

20 Aug 2025 12:11-2:20

Wednesday — Rainy & Cool

Tuneless, been a week since

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5334)

Distance: 2.76

Cal: 302

Avg Hr: 141, 186-112

New FB: 44-126

HGPU 16.5

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

10 lbs x 30/15/30 (1:08)

15 lbs x 30/15/30 (1:16)

20/15/20 x 30/20/30 reps

Set 1 (1:28); Set 2 (1:38); Set 3 (1:49)

20 Hip Bridges 

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Abbreviated MidWeek Workout

Moonshadow Sunflower

It's Wednesday and the heatwave that started over the weekend (after some very pleasant days in the mid 60s and 70s) has continued in spite of the promise of cooling rains. The forecast is now a possibility of a thunderstorm maybe tonight or tomorrow. Humidity is high, and the air quality isn't good. The faint odor of smoke lingers in the heavy air. 

Canada is still on fire, and we wonder aloud if Canada was always on fire. I don't remember Canada being on fire during my childhood, but news was much more localized and delivered through trusted commentators like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather. We know there were burning woodlands because Smokey Bear appeared on TV to announce "only you can prevent forest fires." 

My dogs and I had been at the park for an hour and were about to leave when another dog shows up. It's someone they like to play with and have known since they first were introduced to the park five years ago. This person and their dog usually comes later in the morning but has a doc appointment, so we stay for another 40 minutes. The dogs race about sporadically but it's hot already. So there's a lot of time spent laying in the dirt, on the fake grass, under the benches, on the picnic table. 

Finally, we leave when another dog arrives who doesn't get along with my boys. We are sad to leave when yet another playmate dog arrives, but we'll see them another time. I think my dogs have more friends (and enemies) than I do. But it's good that they have a social life: dogs, like people, are social creatures. And they are much happier when they get to interact with at least one other canine from another household. 

Tasty Lunch

My kid is at work, having taken yesterday off to have a final driving lesson and take the dreaded road test. Which apparently, as was told to me much later, lasted all of 10 minutes and was pretty easy. Yes, they passed. Yaaaay! But I am not buying another used car. Yet. Yesterday, I took my kid and their friend to lunch at a newish Greek restaurant the next town over. 

It's a very small but tidy place with only a few tables. But the food was fresh and bright and very tasty, and reasonably priced considering our economic times. This time the recommendation from another dog park friend panned out. Whew. 

Everything seems to take a long time and I get to the gym, finally, much later than I'd like. I barely have time to exercise so I cut my cardio short, manage a set of pathetic pull-ups and most of the core routine, although, since there's a Senior class in the Aerobics Room, I knock out in the Functional Gym space. Everyone must be on vacation because there are few cars in the parking lot, and fewer people inside the gym. 

I text my kid that I'm going to be late and we can meet inside the supermarket. Cuz supermarkets are a reliable refuge from the summer heat every time. This gives me a little leeway to at least shower and change without skimping on all the essential creams and lotions I need to apply. I hate being high maintenance, but if I'm remiss, my skin complains until it's remedied. And as we age, skin just gets drier and more sensitive. Oh well... 

At least the sunflowers are doing well. I like this variety that has one giant stalk and one big primary flower, with smaller flowers budding off side branches, each later bloom smaller than the previous flower. The bees visit them every day which is great since there are few other flowers: a smattering of white clovers, some jewel weeds, two stray rose-of-sharons on a sprout inexplicably growing right under the big "red" maple in the front yard. Except that this maple is very green during the height of the summer, but will revert to a vibrant red in the autumn months. 

13 Aug 2025 11:52-12:38

Wednesday — Super Abbrev Cardio

Heatwave Continues!

Precor elliptical #1

Program 1

Time: 20 + 5 (3866)

Distance: 1.98

Cal: 218

Avg Hr: 145, 182-86

FB: dead battery

HGPU 16.5

12 Hip Bridges 

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Odd Food Intolerances

Today makes the 3rd day that I made it to the gym this week. Yaaay me! I only had time for cardio, a set of pull-ups, and most of my core workout. But really, it's doing the cardio that's the most important item. I was in a lot of discomfort Wednesday night and that impacted my Thursday, making me painfully tired by late afternoon. It turns out that I need to add yet another food to my list of things not to eat. 

What makes it difficult is that it's a pepper. And I had made a sort of ground turkey chili with an assortment of fresh peppers, of the sweet and also some spicy varieties. It was the slightly preserved spicy pepper jarred in olive oil that tasted great, but later proved to be indigestible. And there is nothing worse than waking up at 4 AM because it feels like there's a girdle of acid surrounding your upper abdomen, a fiery belt encircling the diaphragm. 

I've had enough experience to realize, once I was fully awake, that this was a case of severe indigestion. And there's nothing I can take to relieve the discomfort or make whatever more digestible. After a few minutes, I get a big cup of water to drink and head to the bathroom. There's only one remedy for something that the body refuses to digest, and it's not pretty. But there is almost immediate relief once the offending pieces have been voided. There was nothing else, which meant the other peppers were just fine. 

Being ill is also exhausting, and morning comes too soon. I didn't have the opportunity to nap so I was sorely tempted this morning to go back to bed after I drove my kid to work, and the pups had their park time. I was definitely dragging, and got to the gym a lot later than I liked. Three of the four elliptical machines were occupied! I got on #2 and kept my head turned away from Wind Breaker who was on #3. He still had that dried mushroom odor and that weirded me out. Better than actual gym stink, though.

I almost make 2.8 today. Pull-ups are also pretty good. I am tired by the time I enter the Aerobics Room and it's cool enough to be comfortable. Kids are trickling in as the afternoon progresses. Today was also the last day of town summer camp. Colleges dorms will be opening soon. My kid is only home for another 2.5 weeks. He's expressed some interest in checking out a new Greek restaurant. There's actually two; one in this town and one the next town over. The one here seems like it's a beer & burger joint that added Greek food as an afterthought. The one the next town over seems much more authentic, based on the online menus for both eateries. 

I do have to contact Hunt Tomato company. It's owned by ConAgra conglomerate. Last night was the second can of tomatoes that I had to discard in the past two weeks. The first time, I could see that the top of the can seemed slightly inflated instead of flat. With the insertion of a can opener blade, there was a distinct degassing that screamed botulism. This time, the can looked okay. I poured the contents into my pot of ground turkey and realized that there was a hideous dark spot inside the can where the liner had been breached and maybe the can had been compromised. 

Completely suspect and I had to toss the entire pot of ground turkey and tomatoes. Luckily, I had more frozen ground turkey that I could defrost, and then I decided to forgo canned tomatoes. Just half a jar of pasta sauce instead, with lots of different peppers and spices. Tasted great. But next time I'm gonna have to pick out the dried pepper pieces.  

8 Aug 2025 12:02-1:16

Friday — Sunny & Nice

Cardio et al

Precor elliptical #2

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5416)

Distance: 2.79

Cal: 307

Avg Hr: 156, 183-106

New FB: 41-125

HGPU 19.5

20 Hip Bridges 

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 26

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Better Than Anticipated

I managed to make it to the gym two days in a row. I haven't done that in a really long time. Unfortunately, my FitBit told me this morning that it was in low battery mode (20%) so I put it on the charger instead of wearing it to my workout. The air quality is still bad; it's hazy and smells faintly of smoke. There's little wind so I'm not sure how long we'll be immersed in this aerosolized pollution. 

I got to the gym much later than I had planned. I kept forgetting things I had to do, and finally, I gave up and decided that tomorrow would be an "errand" day. I was surprised to see Wind Breaker already pedaling, but he was on machine #3. Which meant that there was no way I was getting on the E-Z glide machine #4. Oddly, machine #1 was free so that's the one I used. Ten minutes into my program, I see my phone light up. It's the fellow who's going to replace my old oil tank that's rusting in the basement, half full with home heating oil. We chat for a few minutes and then set a time and date. Of course, I'm still pedaling the elliptical, but my pace has slowed considerably. I'm okay with not making 2.8 today.  

What is more surprising is how okay I am with doing a set of pull-ups, considering I did two sets yesterday and I normally like to give my tendon-sensitive forearms time to recuperate. Then I stroll into the free weight area to find a decent flat bench to do the rest of my workout. The Odd Couple is also working out: he's on the bench next to me with plates on an EZ curl bar. She's two benches down wrestling with some DBs. I get all my sets done although my right shoulder has been intermittently wonky for the past few days. 

The Aerobics Room isn't as cold as I'd like, but there had been a Senior class earlier. And Seniors just don't generate enough body heat to get sweaty. I'm drenched though. And tired. So I do most of the Core routine but skip the push-ups because I truly feel as if I might fall on my face. And again, I skip Walking Lunges and Wall Sits. I'm planning to haul debris into the dumpster tomorrow. 

6 Aug 2025 12:13-2:02

Wednesday — Gray Skies

Cardio & Arms

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5288)

Distance: 2.75

Cal: 300

Avg Hr: 153, 182-148?

New FB: n/a low battery

HGPU 19

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls 

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

DB Laterals w/u 10 lbs x 15 reps x 1

15 x 15 x 3

S/s with

DB Alt Curls w/u 10 lbs x 12 ea x 1

15 x 12 x 3

20 Hip Bridges

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

  Skip Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga

Unreliable HR Monitors

There was an air quality alert on my phone when I woke up today. The air is a hazy gray with a distinct burnt odor, like burning paper but miles away. It's the Canadian wildfires. But temps are moderate so the summer camp is open today, although my pups are the only dogs at the park today. Yesterday there was a literal pup party with over a half dozen friends frolicking until one of the snippier dogs arrived that doesn't get along with my boys. We'd already been at the park for nearly two hours so it was time to go and my dogs didn't complain. They seemed quite happy to spend the rest of the day on the sofa. 

My forearms and hands were still sore yesterday from aggressively clipping back hedges, wild roses, thorny thistle-like greater burdocks (arctium lappa), fruiting wine berries and wild raspberries. There's still a few items to toss atop the dumpster before I call the container company to see if they'll come back in a timely manner. The primary sunflower is losing it's petals but there are three more buds, each smaller than the last. The second flower is in full bloom but only half the size of the first flower. There are a lot of dragon flies but not much of anything else. My friend squashed a dreaded Spotted Lantern Fly in her yard the other day. Hopefully, it was just that one. 

I got to the gym unusually early today. But of course, there was someone on elliptical #1. I select #4 because it's actually a smoother glide motion. No clunking when transitioning from a high elevation. The only defect is the bad sensor for the HR monitor on the dashboard. Of course, none of the gym equipment is reliable when it comes to HR readings. When I check my FitBit later, the HR range recorded is from 43-133. That sounds reasonable. Which means that the HR monitor on the Matrix Stair machine is also now wonky. It didn't used to be so suspect, but it's been a few months since I used that machine. 

I had time today so I managed to do two of three cardio machines, and two sets of pitiful pull-ups. Pull-ups were ugly and hard. The step machine is the same as I remember and I set the timer for 8 minutes. It gives me a 2-minute cool down automatically. The number of steps, floors and calories are comparable to the last time I used this machine. But the HR reads an astronomical 171. What? Normally it reads 125, give or take a few points. But 171? Maybe the high humidity or the bad air quality is messing with the sensors? I had to upgrade the FitBit app on my phone and for a few days it too also seemed unreliable. 

I slip into the Aerobics Room. It's not as cold as I would have liked. I do most of the core routine but again, skip the Walking Lunges and Wall Sits. I plan to come back to the gym tomorrow, especially since my kid has off and will be sleeping in. The rest of the week we'll be up early with dogs in tow. A friend wants me to relieve her of some of overly abundant cherry tomatoes: the chipmunks haven't been raiding her plants like last year. (Maybe the hawks got them?) I'd suggest she make tomato jam or something, but that's not her style. 

I've got a persistent headache that might be a reaction to the air quality. Sitting at the dog park this morning, my eyes started to water and burn and I'd only been there an hour. I'm glad I'm not a kid at outdoor summer camp this year. Or this could be my sleep deficit nagging at me again.  

5 Aug 2025 11:10-12:42

Tuesday — Gray Wildfire Skies

Air Quality Alert 75°F

Precor elliptical #4

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5428)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 306

Avg Hr: n/a

New FB: 42-133

HGPU 19

Matrix StairMaster (R) 

Manual timer 8+2 cool down

Minimum 5 minutes

Speed 5 (48-45) / 2 (30) / 1 (28)

Steps 426

Floors 26

Cal 64

Hr 171?

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges 

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Hip Bridges/Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 30

Arm rotations 20

Air Squats 25

Stretch / eye yoga